Chapter Twelve

The Home That Built You

Snow flew out from behind the Marvelous Queen as it cut through the icefield, evaporating behind them in the heat of the engine. The silent group sped across the empty plains, with only the occasional pillar of ice to attract their attention—if they wanted it attracted. It seemed like no one in any of the sidecars wanted to talk right now, even Bean. Though that was more likely because the dynamo had bunked in Bark's sidecar, and the polar bear had wisely tucked the bird in his scarf as to keep Bean from saying anything stupid. He seemed to be enjoying it, at the very least, as he burrowed in the large grin weave with an almost childlike glee on his face.

Nack had to at least be thankful someone looked happy right now.

Stella was hanging off the side of Bean's usual sidecar, muzzle buried in her folded arms as she sat against the side of the seat. Ice blue eyes seemed to travel across the familiar landscape with sorrow clear in her expression. Her eyebrows were furrowed but anger didn't seem present in her slumped form. The fox girl seemed more resigned than anything else—Nack supposed that failure could do that to anyone. He could think of a few times when he hadn't exactly handled defeat in a mature way.

He glanced over to Bark. Still quiet as always, the rabble-rouser tied in his scarf still loud enough to provide twice the amount of noise than Bark could have. The bear just met Nack's gaze with stern eyes; it was amazing to the weasel how much that the larger Hooligan could communicate without speech. He didn't like not completing a mission, Nack knew, but he knew even more that the idea of just ditching a child back where they began, with no real answer, sat even worse with the polar bear. Bark could be such a moralistic bastard sometimes.

Nack dipped his head; he hadn't spoken for a while now. He had just let the kid ferment in the sidecar. Interacting with the fox was something that was quickly not sitting well with him, especially with Svetlana's taunts still biting him in the side, but he supposed he couldn't really let this one slide. He wasn't sure if either one of the other Hooligans would LET it slide. Slowly he eased down on the speed of the hoverbike, slowing down to a crawl. Stella's head jerked up in confusion as he rested his foot against the gas.

"There's about a mile to go before we reach Frost Manor." Nack informed the girl. He could almost see the joy drain from her face once again. "It's your choice now, Sheila. You either go back to the Frost Manor and quit your little adventure or you keep going. I get paid either way so at this point I don't care which you choose. But ya gotta choose now, because ya ain't going back once you make the choice. We ain't gonna let ya." He received a raised brow from the pair in the sidecar next to him and groaned audibly. "…I won't let ya."

"…Rev it up, weasel." She slumped back down against the sidecar. "I…I've caused my aunt and uncle too much trouble now, I think. I hired you three and the entire job has been riddled with disaster. And it isn't your fault. It's mine, because I couldn't realize that my aunt was going to be concerned enough about me disappearing to send someone after me."

"…Yeah, but she was an incompetent someone, if that means anything." Nack quipped; the arctic fox giggled slightly, though she did not pull of the slump she had settled into. "Look, kid. I won't say I get what yer feeling, because I don't. I don't like my family. Don't like my sister, don't like my mom, don't like my dad, don't like all those assholes that always showed up for family reunions and took off with half our food. It's something of a family tradition for us. We kinda just don't like each other and we'd all probably shoot each other in the back of the head given the chance."

"So I guess to me, when I see somethin' like yer aunt and uncle openly hiring shady criminals, that seems kinda important." He continued. The girl watched him curiously over her shoulder. "That's a pair of pretty affluent bastards with a reputation to keep. A reputation they're wastin', I guess, just to get you. And I ain't very familiar with having a good family but that sounds like what it probably is. So kid…maybe you should focus on the family you GOT instead of the family you don't got. Sure, yer parents might be alive…but what does that say about them if they didn't bother to come back for you? Not much, if ya ask me. So my advice…is go with the people who actually give a shit about you. That crap ain't easy to find, y'know."

Stella stared down at the snow below the sidecar carefully, ears flopping to the side as the icy cold wind blew at her thick fur. One arm waved absentmindedly downward, shifting her weight to touch the snow. Gloved fingers drew small patterns within it—stick figures, together with each other. Then, slowly, a small smile began to stretch across her face as she turned to face the Hooligans.

"…You have a sister?"

Nack laughed. "A TWIN sister."

"What?! That can't be! She must be a really ugly woman to be your twin!" Bean's mouth popped out of Bark's scarf quickly, laughing raucously as the polar bear rolled his red eyes and rested his head in his hand. There was only so long that one could truly keep Bean the Dynamite quiet.

"You've MET her, Bean. You used to work with her!"

"Ohhhhh, you mean THAT twin sister?"

"How many twin sisters do you think one man can have?!"

"I dunno, I thought maybe you were hiding one under your stupid hat."

"For God's sake, Bean! My hat isn't stupid!"

The fox and the bear watched casually as Nack and Bean ran across the snowfields, the duck having successfully aggravated his boss again. It didn't seem to bother or even faze the dynamo; if anything, he seemed pleased, a loud cackle echoing off the ice protrusions scattered around the Aurora Ice Field. Stella relaxed against the front of her sidecar to watch the pair trample through the snow—somehow, this activity of achieving nothing calmed her nerves a bit.

Her smile quickly faded at the thought of said nerves as they returned back like a smack in the face. Nack was right, for once, but she couldn't say that she knew how to confront her aunt and uncle. How was one supposed to return to people after leaving them without notice for months on end? Was she supposed to just waltz right back into the Frost Manor, all smiles, and just tell everyone she was back? The fox couldn't see that going over well.

She jerked back to attention when she felt a warm paw on her back, and a shadow falling over her form. Bark had pushed himself out of his cramped sidecar to kneel aside Stella's; the bear's yellow form towered over the little girl. Normally she would've felt threatened. Even now, she felt like she should be. But she couldn't bring herself to, not with the past week and the firm but comforting paw situated on her back as if to keep her from collapsing from her own fear.

"I…I know he's right. Nack, I mean. He's not good with words, but he's right." Stella began; she didn't expect anything in reply. It just felt better to talk to someone knowing they'd listen, and Bark seemed to be an expert listener. "They care about me and all I've done is make them worry and waste a fortune paying a scam artist mercenary to find me. How am I supposed to just walk into the Manor? How CAN I just walk into the Manor? How could someone possibly do what I've done and…and just think they can turn around and return…?"

To her surprise, Bark gestured his arm out while pushing her forward. The girl stumbled forward and sent the bear a curious look when she rested gently against the rim of the sidecar. He gestured forward again, another quick and smooth move…an almost welcome move. A fearless move. Stella shrunk into herself.

"Just…just do it? Just walk right in? What if they're mad?"

The bear shrugged, and reached out a large arm to place his hand on the girl's chest. The entire paw was almost the size of her whole torso. She still for a moment, staring down and trying to interpret what the silent bruiser was trying to communicate. Bark shook his head and poked gently on the left side of her chest. Her own smaller fingers splayed out across the area, feeling the rhythmic thump of her heart under the many folds of cloth.

"You think that if they care that much then they'll just…they'll just…" She choked on her words, falling forward into the hand. The polar bear sighed, lifting the fox up into his paw to place against his chest. Immediately her face was buried into the yellow fur, fingers gripping at the dark green scarf as the child tried her best to conceal her sobs.

It felt like it lasted forever. It felt like her eyes had become a red mess, and her fur had turned into a mangled dirt magnet. The little girl FELT like a complete wreck as she finally pushed away from the polar bear, a flush crossing her face when she realized Nack and Bean had stopped quarreling to observe them. She collapsed against the bottom of the sidecar and shook her head…then jumped up when she felt fingers lacing through her hair, wide eyes on the stupid grin pasted on Bean's face.

"Can't go back to Auntie and Uncle with red eyes and a messy head. They'll think we was bad to you!" Bean shook his head, emphasizing himself with his pointer finger aimed at the sky. "And if they think that they might not pay us."

Stella chuckled weakly, shaking her head.

"Yeah. I'll be home soon. I think I should maybe get prepared."


Nack had been in manors before. Of course he had—he had a job that regularly involved ransacking them for employers. Never knew what someone could want in a huge house, after all, and it always opened the opportunity to become a little more sticky with his fingers…take a little more than he had been instructed. And this one begged to be raided. Every inch of the massive entryway was painted a vibrant, almost eye straining white highlighted with gold linings. Even against the walls, gold leaf climbed up and formed the façade of winter trees. Far ahead of them was a spiraling staircase with plush red velvet stairs, descending down to the polish marble floor that reflected the massive crystal chandelier above them.

All if it begged to be stolen. At the moment, though, the weasel reached out to slap Bean's hand away from a fancy vase in the foyer of the glorious home.

"We can grab stuff on the way OUT, you dingus." He hissed under his breath. Bean just pointed his beak up in the air and crawled back onto Bark's arm with faux-indigence. Nack rolled his eyes; he worked with such idiots. He couldn't believe it sometimes. "They'll be here soon. You wanna get caught before we even get the paycheck?"

"Caught doing what, might I ask?"

Both of them looked up in shock as Stella cradled her face out of sight in both shame and embarrassment. At the top of the staircase stood a tall woman, a fully grown arctic fox with luxurious and well attended black locks cascading over her shoulders. The finely tended to hair curled around a thick white tail, equal in its precise tending. Her neck was clutched in the grip of the tight chocker atop her shirt, mostly hidden under the black folds of the traditional dress that swirled around her heels. Lines of red silk wound around her middle, with two strips hanging loosely by her right hip.

The only word for her was glamorous. And it seemed for a glamorous woman came a glamorous man—aside her stood a tall fox, his fur a copper brown with thick blonde locks curling around his large ears. A suit top was precisely arranged across his chest, complete with a double kerchief tucked into his left pocket. He stood with a clear confident swagger, backed up by his broad chest and large arms. Not a man to be trifled with, clearly—he had the presence of an army general with the analyzing gaze that he sent across them.

"Can I assume this is good ol' Auntie and Uncle?" Nack muttered to Stella. The girl nodded nervously and Nack's attitude changed completely, a false confident smile spreading across his face as he approached the pair descending down the staircase. One hand held out for a shake; neither of them responded to it, only treating the ragtag group of mercenaries to a confused and distrustful look. "It's nice to meet ya, Miss…"

"Vanessa. Vanessa Frost. This is my husband, Erik Fairfield." Came the clipped reply. "And may I inquire who you might be? I certainly can't say you have given a good impression, considering you've tromped in here with my niece who has been missing for almost a year now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nack growled, hand wrapping around the gun at his side. The woman snorted derisively, gesturing at the various guards lining the sides of the room. Large, white wolves dressed in gold and white suits—they nearly blended into the wall with their stillness. But deep gold eyes were all focused in on the weasel and ready to move the second the weapon came out of his holster. Slowly, his hand withdrew and Vanessa shook her head.

"You're a crass little thing, aren't you. Bit of a coward, too. It figures that only cowards would pursue the route of child abductions, though." Her husband spoke up; his tone was even less friendly than his wife's. Nack took a careful step back from the wealthy foxes. "Stella Frost is a precious member of the Frost Manor, and of the Frost family. Perhaps, Vanessa, we should just have them tear these intruders apart right now? They ARE trespassing, after all."

"Uncle Erik, no!" Stella pushed past the purple weasel, rushing up to the copper fox as Nack fell unsophisticatedly against Bark's stomach with a loud string of swears. "I hired them, Uncle! They're the ones who brought me back here! They…they're the reason I'm even alive to BE here."

"...Is this true?" The older fox asked, placing one hand on the girl's head as he inspected the Hooligans with a judging glare. Nack just stuck out his tongue. "…I did hear that those we sent out had been unsuccessful…"

"It's true, Uncle Erik." Stella replied, clutching tightly to the bottom of his suit jacket. The pair of foxes exchanged worried glances, still casting gazes over the group of filthy mercenaries. Both armed to the teeth and accompanied by a bear who could probably snap them in half effortlessly, Nack imagined it probably wasn't easy to look upon them with a sympathetic eye. He hadn't ever looked for that and he wasn't looking for it today—they were here to drop off the kid and get out.

He hadn't, though, expected both of the foxes to fling themselves at him and wrap him in a hug.

The corner of his mouth twitched violently as the tall vixen snuggled into his shoulder, choking sounds of thanks barely audible against his fur. The weasel nervously grasped at both of their arms, plucking them off him and backing away a bit—they immediately clung to each other instead. He could help but think that these two were a rather odd pair. Then again, Nack wasn't exactly used to helping people like this. Usually he took the money of those performing barely legal ventures and they either laughed their way to the bank in the case of success, or got angry at each other and swore revenge in the case of failure.

Actually having people crying thanks at his feet was something new. He wasn't sure he liked it. Scratch that, he was completely sure he didn't like it. A client had never seemed so damn uncomely before, and there was just something awkward about watching a pair of grown adults cry at his feet while a seven year old tried to rein them in. It was like watching some sort of embarrassing private moment, and it didn't help that Stella was beginning to get teary eyed too.

Nack jolted backwards when hands wrapped around his shoulders again, the teary eyed fox woman holding him firmly in place with a wavering smile on her face. "Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means to us…how much it means to ME. Everything was just so very upset when Stella disappeared but now that she's back, the Frost Manor can go back to the way it should be. I can't thank you enough—you've helped me avoid a disaster."

"WE can't thank you enough." Erik corrected, pushing in next to his wife. "I insist you stay the weekend at the Frost Manor. All your meals will be covered, and you can be formally invited to the return ceremony on Sunday!"

"Return ceremony?" Bean hung down from Bark's neck, a grin across his beak. "Is that like a party, maybe?"

"Yes, indeed. We'll be celebrating the return of the Frost inheritor with a massive ceremony, with all of the locals in attendance. And since you not only retrieved, but protected Stella, it would be foolish to NOT invite you all." Erik explained. Nack couldn't see the face of the bird behind him, but the joy radiating off of Bean was like standing next to the sun itself. The weasel groaned; there wasn't going to be a way out of this one. Not with Bean being this attached to the idea. He'd just whine for days on end if they didn't attend, and Nack had to admit he'd prefer a single evening of irritation as opposed to a full week of it.

"Fine. We'll attend." The weasel grumbled; Vanessa clapped her hands approvingly then placing her fingers in her mouth to whistle for a maid. A young lemming girl scurried into the room, head bowed to Vanessa. Several other lemming girls peeking from the staircase above curiously, chattering quietly to themselves as they examined the odd newcomers. Nack snicked. He supposed they weren't used to seeing rugged, handsome hitmen in their house—he tipped his hat to them and the girls jumped up to run off.

"Lisa, if you could gather up our guest's belongings and take them to one of the guest rooms in the west wing?" Vanessa instructed; the lemming girl nodded and hurried over to them. Her expression seemed confused as she circled around them looking for luggage, or anything to take away to the guest room. Bark placed a hand on her head and pushed her back to the front of them, shaking his head.

"We, eh, we ain't much on luggage." Nack explained. The lemming bowed nervously and shuffled back over to Vanessa. The woman batted her hand absentmindedly, paying little attention the maid; Lisa bowed her head and scuttled away shamefully. "It's okay if we keep our ride out in the front, ain't it? I didn't really see a parking lot or anything…"

"We'll have one of the help tend to it." Vanessa replied, following her husband up the stairs. Her free hand gestured Stella after her and the girl waved goodbye to them uncertainly. "Until then, make yourself comfortable...there's a very big ceremony coming up, isn't there, Stella?"

"Yeah…" Stella said quietly, clutching at her Aunt's dress. She looked down from the high rise stairs and send a smile to the Hooligans. "I'll, uh…I'll see you guys there."

"…Yeah." Nack muttered as the three disappeared into the upper hallway. He dipped his hat over his eyes in thought as his companions explored the extravagant entryway, their every movement followed by the deep gold eyes of the guards. The maids curiously were glancing in on them every now and then, cute little things they were, but Nack couldn't be concerned with them right now.

Something felt wrong here, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what.