Chapter 12: Here I Come

It was nearly noon when Jack and Jacqueline stood in the courtyard, ready to head out. They had rested; or at least, Jacqueline had (she was downright cheery this morning!) Jack had tried to rest, he really had, but he couldn't stop thinking about every single possible scenario that could potentially play out the moment he and his sister appeared at the gate of the family home. It had kept him up enough that he had only just gotten four hours of sleep in, which would be enough for the day.

That is, it would be if he were at his one hundred, he thought with a grimace.

Hopefully it would be enough for today.

So brunch had become more of a slightly late breakfast, much to Jacqueline's delight. They ate, and had a nice cup of warm cocoa alongside the Claus family, which had been a welcome surprise. The Claus's just so happened to be having breakfast at the same time as the Frosts, completely coincidentally! Afterwards, the Claus's took it upon themselves to walk the wintery siblings out to the Courtyard, since they were already all together, after all. Somewhere along the way, Bernard and Elle had joined the gang.

"I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused," Jacqueline said, for the umpteenth time, once they had stopped at the base of the twin staircases leading into the workshop. Elves strolled around the group, going about their day. Some lagged behind, trying to catch snippets of conversation, and to see what was going on. Others full on stopped to join the send-off. These two Jack Frosts had certainly made things…interesting the past few days. Who knew what would happen as the pair headed out!

"We've told you, it's alright. Stuff happens," Bernard said with a shrug. "Besides, everything is up and running nice and smoothly today."

"So well, in fact," Elle began, loudly cutting Jacqueline off before she even had a chance to speak, "that you can't even tell a snowy wrench was thrown into the works!"

"I know but—"

"Jacqueline," Bernard and Elle said in unison. They stopped and stared. Elle gestured towards Jacqueline, as if to say after you. Bernard shook his head and mirrored her. Elle shrugged, turning back to Jacqueline.

"If it wasn't fine we would've told you! And even then, you're our friend, Jacquie. We wouldn't have been mad—and we aren't," she said, with an intense look.

Jacqueline smiled. "Thanks guys. Man, I gotta start having mental conversations around you two, because watching them happen and not hearing anything? Uncanny valley. I think you two need a taste of your own medicine."

Santa let out a hearty Ho-ho-ho at that. "You get used to it after a bit. You with us, Jack?"

"Hmm? Oh! Yes, of course! Just…thinking."

"How long do you two think you'll be staying?" Carol asked, gently.

The siblings shared a look. Jack raised an eyebrow. Jacqueline shrugged.

"No idea!" Jack said.

"It's hard to say," Jacqueline added, frowning thoughtfully. "There are a lot of factors to consider."

"Could be a matter of minutes if my parents don't let me in. This is assuming I even make it past the sentient gate. Then it'd be a matter of seconds!"

"Jack…"

"I know, I know Jacqueline. But think of all the ways it could go wrong! And sentient! Gates! I mean, why do they even have those?!"

Jacqueline shrugged. "They just kinda developed sentience on their own."

"Even worse!" Jack said.

"Chin up, Jack!" Santa said, clapping Jack on the shoulder. The sprite tensed, mouthing an ow and rubbing the offending spot as Santa grabbed him around the shoulders. "Look at how well things went with Jacqueline!"

"Um—" Jacqueline began.

"Ah…" Elle said, simultaneously.

"Hmmm," Bernard added, covering his mouth with his fist and shifting his weight.

"Oh, come on you three! Lighten up! Sure it was a bit of a stormy start, but they're on talking terms again! I'd call that a success," Santa said with a chuckle.

"I'm sure it will be fine," Carol said, freeing Jack from Santa's clutches. She gave him a far nicer and much preferred gentle squeeze on the shoulder. "And if not, you're always welcome here," she said with a warm smile.

"Well thanks, Mrs. C.," Jack said, earnestly, his face growing warm. "That really means a lot." The nearby elves let out a collective awwh.

"Of course!"

"You'll find a way to patch things up," Santa said. "Especially this leaky roof!"

"And on that note," Jack said, pointer finger up in the air and turning on his heel with a dramatic flourish. "Jacqueline! We have a Dome to patch up!"

"Is that why we're in the Courtyard? I was wondering about that."

"Well if we did this your way we'd never get going. Besides, my way's a lot more aesthetically pleasing. And, it does the exact same thing a perimeter walk would do," Jack added over his shoulder. "In case anyone was concerned it wouldn't stick."

"Well I am now!" Santa said.

Jack ignored that as he stopped beside his sister. "Ready?"

"Are you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Jack said. "Now then! Let's see if you were paying attention, hmm?"

Jacqueline rolled her shoulders. "I just cup my hands like this," she said, bringing her hands together. "And then…"

Her eyes shut gently, a placid look of concentration on her face.

"Focus…yes!" Jack said, excited when tendrils of light blue light began to gather in her palms. "Like that!" It was nice to be teaching Jacqueline again. It felt normal. He couldn't help but grin at that. He clapped her shoulder, or so he thought.

He tried to move his hand.

It wasn't budging.

He pulled again.

"What are you doing?" Jacqueline asked, cracking an eye open.

"I'm stuck."

"What? That doesn't sound right," Jacqueline said. She looked at her shoulder, perplexed as Jack tried to move his hand, tugging Jacqueline in the process. "Okay, hold on, you're gonna make me fall," she said. "Maybe if I just—" hands still clasped together and full of magic, she pulled away from Jack. But his hand stayed stuck to her shoulder, and she was pulled back. They tugged in opposite directions for a bit, Jacqueline sticking the magic as far out as possible in case their tug-of-war extinguished it. But the magic stayed steadfastly in place, and the sprites stayed stuck.

"Y'know what?" Jack said, after one final, fruitless tug. "Just focus on the Dome, Jacqueline."

"Then stop tugging," Jacqueline snapped. "Please."

Jack obliged.

With a resolute nod, Jacqueline went back to looking at her palms. The light blue tendrils were there. She took a deep breath, and focused, watching the magic carefully this time around.

Funnily enough, Jack found himself to be feeling a little bit peculiar once he stopped tugging and relaxed. No, no, not peculiar. It felt…familiar. There was a familiar chill encompassing him, a spark in the air and a welcome tingling sensation, as magic was wont to do—wait a minute. Wait! A! Minute! It was magic, but not just any magic. Familiar magic…it was his magic! He could feel his magic—his magic—all around him! It was unmistakable. He'd know his own magic anywhere. There was a distant thunk; Jack looked up. The Dome had begun to glow.

"Jacqueline, I think—"

"Jack, holy sleet. Are you seeing this?"

His eyes shot downwards. As the dome began to glow, so had the magic in Jacqueline's hands. But it was glowing far more than he expected! And, if he looked closely…he could see dark blue tendrils now joining Jacqueline's light blue ones.

"That's my magic!"

"That's your magic! And mine!"

"And yours!"

Jack could feel his magic all around them now. It was almost like they were both refreezing the Dome, at full power!

"I think that I should—"

"Do it," Jack replied.

So, with a nod, Jacqueline opened her palms and threw the magic up. The two-tone magic shot towards the icy sky, hitting the center of the Dome. They watched as it spread across the ice, the colour of the Dome brightening and all of the little cracks Jack could feel mending themselves. The Dome very briefly became blindingly bright, the last tendrils of magic leaving Jacqueline's hands. Then, with a bright flash, everything stopped, the Pole silent.

Snow began to fall from the Dome, very gently.

Jack stepped back, his hand finally coming off of Jacqueline's shoulder. He looked up at the Dome: it was perfect.

"What the hell was that?"

It was Elle who had broken the silence. She looked towards Santa and Mrs. Claus. Both of them looked shocked. She glanced at Bernard. He shrugged, shocked as well (and a little bit curious).

"We're all ears, if anyone has any ideas," Jack said, staring down at his hand.

"That was pretty odd, and I've seen some odd sleet," Jacqueline said.

"It was like we were both fixing the Dome," Jack said.

"Yeah, exactly!"

"Wow!" Santa finally said. "Look at how solid that is! And the lights! They're so bright! Is that permanent?"

Jack stared at the Dome, frowning in concentration.

"It's not permanent," he finally said. "There's a very, very slow magical leak. Emphasis on the very."

"Which one?"

"Both. It's a really good patch job. It'll hold up for a while," Jack confirmed.

"Good, cause that's what we need," Jacqueline said. Who knows how long it'll take to get ourselves in working order, she added, mentally.

Or how long it will take to get past the sentient gate.

Jacqueline snickered. You're so concerned about the gate, it's the least of our problems, really.

That's why I'm so concerned about it!

"Wow! That really is odd to see from the outside!" said Elle.

"That's enough of that," Bernard agreed. "You two should get going."

"Good luck," Elle said, hugging Jacqueline. "To both of you."

"Thanks Elle," the sprites replied in unison.

"Shall we?" Jack asked, offering his arm.

Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. "Think we'll get stuck again?"

"We won't know until we try."

"Fair enough," Jacqueline said with a shrug, grabbing Jack's elbow. There was a wave from the sprites, and in a flurry of snowflakes and blue sparks, they were gone.

"Really though. What was that?" Santa asked.

"Something Legate-y," Bernard replied. "We're gonna have to look into the Dome proper, make sure it's actually solid."

"We should probably monitor it frequently too, while the two of them are home," Elle added, Bernard nodding in agreement.

"And then what?" Santa asked.

"We wait," Carol replied.

Santa sighed. "That's always the hardest part."


They had barely reformed on the top of a very snowy hill when Jacqueline let out a sigh, her snowy shoulders sagging as though a huge weight had been lifted. As the siblings solidified, Jacqueline dropped to the ground with a dull thud, the powdered snow on the ground poofing up around her.

"Home at last," Jacqueline said, eyes closed. She lay as though she were about to make a snow angel but did not move.

Jack frowned against the sunlight, dusting stray flakes off of his shoulders. "I hadn't realized we'd moved," Jack said, frowning at the hill. "Didn't we used to have a house? In the North?" He squinted. It was bright! What was this, the Southern Province? With a flick of his wrist, his aviators slid out of his sleeve. Ah, sweet relief, he thought as he put them on.

"Haha, very funny," Jacqueline replied.

It definitely wasn't the South. It was very snowy; a cobblestone path with a light dusting of snow sprawled before him, tall evergreen trees on either side off in the distance. The sun was high in the sky, the light bouncing off the snow that wasn't hidden by the evergreens the reason for the brightness. The back of his neck prickled; his hair stood on end as he felt the copious amount of magic running through the air.

Jacqueline rolled over in the snow, supporting herself on her elbows. "Turn around," she said, grinning.

Jack did, and was greeted by a gorgeous sight.

"Welcome back to Crystal Springs!" Jacqueline said, and Jack could hear the cheeky grin on her face.

Off in the horizon, in the center of the province, was a mountain. It didn't go so high up that they couldn't see the peak. No, the peak was very visible. After all, it was only just considered a mountain at about one thousand meters. It managed to loom in the distance in a friendly way—it was far, but also looked close enough to touch.

This mountain was the center of the Crystal Mountains, and was how the range (and most everything in the country) had gotten its namesake. Mist drifted all around the mountain, the sun's rays catching the droplets of moisture and throwing rainbows into the air. The mountain had a lot of nooks and crannies, and each of these spots was home to a healing pool, all of the pools connected by waterways that also healed. Even the mists coming off of the mountain could perk up even the healthiest of magibeans! The mountain tapered off into rolling hills, the four rivers splitting at the base and serving as the borders between the provinces.

He hadn't seen a view this nice since his last visit to B.C.

"Wow," he said, finally. It was easy to tell which river was which. He found himself tracing the path of the Northern river with his eyes, watching it flow between the evergreens until he was facing his original direction. He knew where that particular bank of the river was. It was a handful of meters away from the place he once called home.

Frost Mansion.

Jacqueline got up with a huff, mirroring Jack's earlier movements and whipping her own pair of aviators out of her sleeve. She threw them on and smiled. "Doing alright?"

"It's so strange. I knew it would have grown, of course. And I remembered what home looked like—all evergreen trees and snow no matter what season. I think the weirdest feeling is all the magic in the air. How are you not bothered by it? It's at least four times the amount at the Pole!"

Jacqueline shrugged. "I suppose I'm used to it. After all, I have been living here for nearly one-hundred and fifty years straight."

"Only?"

"I left home for a while," Jacqueline replied, surveying the incline they stood on. The Northern Province was backed with decently sized hills, not quite tall enough to be called mountains, but tall enough to host some of the best views in the country.

Jack could spend ages staring at the views from all directions, asking Jacqueline about her little self-discovery adventure. But before he could press for more information or suggest a siesta, Jacqueline threw herself down the hill, rolling down in the snow very fast.

Jack blinked, his sister's laughter fading as she neared the bottom. With a couple of well-placed taps, Jack found the iciest part of the hill and slid down. He landed upright at the base of the hill the same time Jacqueline rolled to a stop, still laughing.

"Here you go," Jack said, passing her the sunglasses he had picked up on the way down.

Jacqueline opened her eyes and patted her face. With a sheepish grin, she grabbed the sunglasses and put them on, grabbing Jack's still outstretched hand shortly after and pulling herself up with a cheery thanks.

"It's a weird feeling," Jacqueline said, as she dusted off her dress. "Being back here after being away for so long. There's a lot of magic in the air. But I got used to it very fast, and I think you will too," she said, doing a final twirl of her skirts before nodding in approval.

She was right. Already Jack felt the magic wrapping around him, like the welcome embrace of a cold blanket at the end of a long day.

"That's the number one reason why I thought coming here, coming home, would be a good idea. This much magic should help us get your core back in shape in no time," she finished, crossing her arms in a satisfied manner.

"I like your sunglasses, by the way," Jack said with a smirk, gesturing at hers and then at his.

"And Elle says you don't need them in the winter," Jacqueline replied with a snort. "Shall we?"

She didn't wait for an answer, instead tossing the question over her shoulder as she headed down the cobblestone path.

Jack followed, catching up to her in no time. They walked for a while, Jack staring at the surroundings, hands in his pockets. They turned a corner, onto a cobblestone street with evergreens framing it on either side. The road dipped down, and as they gradually went down the incline Jack could see the tall white mansion slowly beginning to appear on their left, looming at him as they closed the distance.

All too soon, they had reached the tall, sentient iron gate. Jack stopped short, staring up at the gate and the large dwelling behind it. It seemed to grow larger as he stared at it, the three floors looming above him, the white bricks a little more ivory than he remembered. The pathway to the veranda was lined with rose bushes, another path branching to the far right where a lovely gazebo sat, shaded by evergreens. The roses bloomed bright red, topped with snow, and for the briefest of moments Jack thought back to that day, that awful day, where the sky was dark and the thorns were scratching his face in the storm, the trees bending with the wind, the red on the roses as bright as the puddle that had begun to form beneath his falling sister—

"Jack? You there?"

And suddenly, there was no wind. There was no dark sky. And no puddle beneath his sister. The sun shone. The winter winds blew through the branches, a few stray snowflakes gently drifting by. The roses were in place, and his sister stood in front of him, confused and concerned under the tinted shades, waiting in front of the gate, and perfectly okay with not a single puddle in sight.

"I'm beginning to have second thoughts," Jack said.

Jacqueline glanced behind them, then back at Jack. She thought of the last time he had been at these gates and something clicked.

"Oh! Oh." She walked up to him. "It's gonna be okay, Jack. Look! I'm okay. The weather is great and the sky is bright and clear." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the gates. "We got this," she said, Jack automatically following behind her.

She dropped Jack's arm and walked right up to the gates, Jack stopped just behind her. There was a loud snap and a creak, and the gates parted to let her through. She stepped through with a little thank you, and turned to face Jack.

"You got this," she said, waiting just inside the gates.

Jack took a deep breath, and then another. He stepped onto the walkway, and then stepped again, and soon enough he was in front of Jacqueline, and she was okay, and he was okay, and the gate had let him in. He had done it! The gates began to close behind them, stopping just behind Jack and reversing course, shoving him deeper onto the property. They shut with a creak that sounded a little bit smug.

"Welcome home, Jack," Jacqueline said, with a grin.

"The gates let me in," he sounded almost disbelieving.

"Of course they did! What did I say?"

"No I told you so?" Jack teased.

"I'm trying to be nice and supportive. You know, more of a you did it, Jack! You made it! Instead of I told you so's and such. But if you want me to—"

"I'll pass," Jack said, dryly. "I much prefer the supportive bit. It's a nice change."

Jacqueline smiled. "Well, here you are! You did it, Jack. You made it home."

"We did it," he said.

"Heck yeah," Jacqueline said. "And just in time for lunch, as expected."

"Ah, right. Time zones."

"Exactly—it's why I wanted to head out earlier." Jacqueline began to make her way up the path, trying very hard not to break into a run, Jack noted. "Are you coming, or not?" she shouted over her shoulder.

"Now or never, Jack," he said to himself. He took yet another deep breath in, exhaled, and began walking.

The siblings hadn't even made it to the base of the veranda when someone rounded the corner of the house, carrying a large pile of firewood and whistling to himself. If a non-magibean were to look at the man, they'd guess him to be somewhere past fifty, though it was hard to place. He wore a pale light orange shirt, the sleeves rolled up despite the chilly weather. His skin was somewhere between medium and olive, slight wrinkles on his forehead. His hair was a literal fiery orange, flames shooting straight up, his eyes a warm orange—not too light and not too bright.

"Blaise!" Jacqueline yelled, waving.

The man looked startled, the flames on his head growing taller for the briefest of seconds. His face broke into a smile, the wrinkles disappearing and every possible smile line you could imagine appearing instead.

"Jacqueline! You're back!" he shouted from the porch.

Jacqueline bolted, ramming right into him and giving him a hug. The firewood toppled, and Blaise nearly did, too! He must've been used to these kinds of tackle hugs, Jack thought as he neared the stairs, since he steadied himself fairly fast and squeezed back in record time. "We've missed you around here, kiddo," he said, letting go and finally looking behind Jacqueline.

His eyes widened and his hair extinguished. The two men locked eyes; Jack swallowed, taking off his shades and staring at the ground.

Jacqueline glanced between the two of them, picking her next move carefully. She stepped back, and Jack felt waves of comfort come across their connection. He glanced at her. She smiled, and gave a tiny, tiny nod.

It took Jack a moment still to work up the courage, before he finally looked up into Blaise's eyes.

"Hi Dad," Jack said, clearing his throat. "I'm…back."

Blaise was silent, staring at Jack. The legend braced himself, fearing the worst, waiting for the angry retort and proper banishment from the grounds that would surely come his way—but all that came was a sudden very warm embrace.

Jack opened his eyes (unsure when he had closed them). Blaise had grabbed Jack in a tight bear hug. His arms stuck out, unsure if he should return the hug.

There was a small poof, and sudden warmth. Blaise let go, his hair reignited and a smile on his face.

"Welcome home, son."


Frost Mansion was large, but the property it was on was far larger, which is why it was more often than not referred to as Frost Manor, as well. The grounds were gorgeous, and the wraparound porch was no exception to this. The front porch was small and cozy, about double the size of the two-person walkway that made up the wraparound bit of the porch. Facing the trio towards the left of the door sat two large Muskoka chairs, a small table between them. On the other side of the large French doors were two wicker chairs, a swinging bench directly across from them, a long bench between the seats.

Before Blaise could even open the door, Jack finally spoke.

"I don't understand," he said, halting Blaise and Jacqueline's chatter.

"That's why I'm asking Dad about the thing that happened before we left the Pole."

"No, not that! I mean yes, I don't understand that, but I mean, not that!" He plopped down into the nearest Muskoka chair. "A hug? I don't understand. Aren't you angry?" he asked, shooting back up, arms waving about. "Aren't you mad, or, or upset, or—a hug?" His arms stopped well above his head, Jack absolutely perplexed.

If Jack wasn't having such a crisis, Blaise would have laughed. Instead, he smiled, his warm eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sit down, Jack," he said, not waiting for Jack to do so before he perched on the edge of the large chair next to him. Jack plopped back down, astonished.

"Of course I was angry. And mad, and upset," he said, his hair burning a tad too tall for a bit. "But after a while, I couldn't be angry anymore. I stopped." he shrugged, leaning back in the chair and crossing his leg over his knee. "You know what they say, time heals all wounds. And I suppose that's what began happening. My anger burnt out and I realized…a lot of things."

Jack leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers pressed against each other.

"For starters, I was exhausted. Anger is tiring, especially at my age," he said, with a chuckle. Jack didn't laugh. "I also realized that perhaps there was more to you leaving. I realized that somewhere along the way, I had messed up. I hadn't given you the proper tools to grow. Instead of listening to you, I guarded you. I hounded you, I was always keeping an eye on you, not out for you. In my attempts to warn you away from a "bad" path," he said, air quotes and all, "I pushed you towards it. I wasn't acting like a father…I was acting like a warden! I never thought about how it must have been from your perspective and when I finally did…a lot of pieces started to fall into place." Blaise sighed. "I didn't act the way a father should have acted and for that Jack, I'm s—"

"Now you stop right there, Blaise," Jack said, cutting him off.

"But I—"

"No no no no. If anyone on this porch should be apologizing right now, it's me. Not you. You were just looking out for me and I admittedly wasn't the easiest child to deal with." Blaise had to laugh at that. "You were just trying to do what's best for me. You saw the outcome of my actions well before I even did, and you did what you thought was right to try and stop me, before it was too late."

"That doesn't make it right," Blaise replied.

"But you were right to keep an eye on me. I was going down a "bad" path," Jack said, the same way Blaise had, air quotes and all. "And I did take it. And then I went over the path, and kept going, until I went too far," he finished, glancing over at his sister, sitting tensely on the wicker chair that was angled towards them. "You were right about me all along."

"That still doesn't excuse me for my actions. I shouldn't have tried to force you to do what I wanted you to do. I should have been more understanding, more compassionate—"

"That wouldn't have stopped me," Jack said. "I knew full well what I was doing and thought it was right. Nothing you could've said would have changed my mind, Dad. My choices were mine, I know that for sure. And that's why I'm sorry, Dad. I am so very sorry for everything I did, and all the hurt and pain I may have—did, that I did cause you. I regret it all of it so much, and I'll do anything to make up for it. I mean, I came all the way out here, after fourteen hundred years of silence, and faced down a sentient gate—" Jacqueline snorted from her chair. "—as a start! And I know I may not deserve it, but I really, really, really hope you'll forgive me, Dad."

Blaise got up and offered Jack his hand, smiling softly. "Of course I do, Jack. I accept your apology, son."

A weight lifted off of his shoulder, Jack's face broke into a large smile, relieved. "Oh thank heavens," he said, accepting Blaise's hand and going for a shake—only to have his arm grabbed and find himself pulled off the chair and crushed in yet another bear hug.

"Ow! You're crushing me!" Jack said.

Blaise laughed. It rumbled in his chest. "You better get used to it, I've been told all my hugs are like this. And I know you don't want me to say it, but I am sorry, too. For everything."

"It's okay, Dad," Jack said, patting his back lightly. "I accept your apology, too."

Jacqueline breathed a sigh of relief, sinking deeper into the wicker chair.

"So," Blaise said, finally letting go of Jack. "Where do we begin?"

"Dad, I want to make amends with everybody. I've already made up with Jacqueline," he said, gesturing to the younger sprite who had finally sunken into the chair, letting her guard down. "And I like to think we're off to a good start," he said, gesturing between the two of them.

"I agree."

"I'd like to make amends with Mother, and with the twins…ah…Bingo and Nora?"

"Fino and Fiera," both Blaise and Jacqueline said at the same time, Jacqueline adding a mental c'mon, dude for good measure.

"Right. Fino and Fiera. Fino and Fiera. Fino and Fiera, that should be easy enough—they're like our names, Jacqueline!"

"Hmm?"

"A matching set!"

"Ah."

"Winter always did like matching sets. Names for those two are a good start. Then I think step two for making amends with them, if there are any to be made, would be meeting them. What do you think?" Blaise asked, eyebrow raised and a cocky grin that looked all too familiar to Jack on his face. Guess I had to get it from somewhere, he thought.

"Right! Meeting them! I hadn't even thought about that," Jack said, frowning.

"That won't be a problem," Blaise said, with a smile and a dismissive wave of his hand. "They haven't stopped asking about you since your sister headed over. They'll make sure you know them."

"I'm not sure how to feel about that," Jack said.

Jacqueline laughed out loud, pushing her shades up into her hair and grinning at Jack. "I can't wait to see the carnage," she said, with a smirk that Jack liked even less.

"I like that even less," he made sure to say out loud.

Blaise looked as though he was about to speak, but before he could say anything, there was a loud shout. It came from the side of the house, near the gazebo. There was a roar of flames, a small explosion, and two fairly small children flew from the impact on opposite sides of the gazebo.

"Speak of the devil. Or in this case, devils." Blaise rushed over to the railing, leaning over it and shouting out towards the gazebo. "Fino! Fiera! What are you two doing?"

"Nothing!" the girl shouted back. Jack watched from a distance as she got up and dusted off her sundress. Soot flew out into the air, drifting on the breeze. Her hair was a bright orange and stopped just at her shoulders, the ends flickering like the flame of a low burning candle—ah. Her hair was also on fire. And so was the boy's hair, Jack noticed, as the kid got up and rushed to his sister's side.

"It was Fiera's idea," he shouted matter-of-factly, dusting soot off of his orange shirt. His hair seemed to jump as he noticed the button of his left overall had come undone; he fixed it quickly, his hair (which was nearly like a miniature version of Blaise's: a short group of flames, as opposed to Blaise's mighty roar) back to a simmer. One of his knees had a bandage on it, and Jack nearly laughed at how normal that was in comparison to literally everything else about the twins.

"And what exactly was your idea, Fiera?" Blaise asked, the twins now both very quiet and very suddenly uninterested. "Fiera…" Blaise asked again, gently but with a bit of conviction.

"I was trying to see if we could fly," she said. "Like if we made flame rockets on our feets!"

"It didn't work very well," Fino said, shrugging.

"Well it would have if Fino had given me a boost too!"

"No, we just would have exploded higher! I told you that was a bad idea!"

"Alright you two, settle down. Is the gazebo on fire?"

"Nope!" they chorused.

"Then everything is fine. Where's your Mother?"

They were still shouting across the grounds. Jack was surprised the shouts hadn't summoned the season. He glanced over at Jacqueline, hoping he had been thinking loud enough for her to hear.

"This is about your average day here," she answered out loud.

"Even the explosion?"

"That's not even one of their bigger ones."

What on Earth have I gotten myself into? Jack thought, tuning back into the shout-versation. Blaise's elbows now rested on the porch, his manner far too non-nonchalant for someone who had just watched his kids explode in two different directions. He looked amused; Jack shuffled closer.

"You think everyone is in the sunroom!" Fiera sassed, arms up in the air.

"It's a nice room!" Fino sassed back, crossing his arms with a huff.

"Only the upstairs one is nice! The downstairs one is too warm, and not hot enough," she replied, mirroring his pose.

"It's perfect!" Fino said, throwing up his arms now.

"Alright you two, bring it in," Blaise shouted, standing up straight and rubbing his lower back, nearly bumping into Jack. "Whoops, sorry son," he said.

"Woah! Hold the hecking phone!" Fiera shouted. "Is that who I THINK it is?!"

"Ou, I think it is!" Fino replied.

Before Blaise could finish saying "Now hang on a second," the twins were at the base of the steps to the porch, staring up at the trio.

"What's up, hot heads," Jacqueline said from her seat, with a lazy wave.

"Jacqueline's back!" Fiera said. "And you brought Jack!"

"I sure did," Jacqueline replied.

"Hi," Jack said from behind Blaise.

Fiera squealed and made a mad dash for her older brother. Blaise stepped to the side, and Jack was immediately alarmed.

"Should I be concerned?"

"The carnage begins," Jacqueline replied, smirking and letting her sunglasses fall back on her face. She stretched out her legs and propped her feet up on the bench, arms behind her head.

Jack glanced over at Blaise, receiving a smirk and a shrug before he was nearly bowled over. Nearly. Fiera had stopped less than two meters in front of him, Fino crashing into her.

"Ha!" Fiera yelled, laughing at Jack. "Made you flinch!"

"Sorry," said Fino, pulling Fiera back a bit. "She's just like this." He stared his older brother down, frowning.

"It's true!" Fiera said brightly, Fino continuing to stare him down.

"You don't look how I expected," Fino finally said.

"He looks crispy," Fiera said, eyeballing the white suit and brown hair. "Speaking of!"

Fiera did a full one-eighty, and grinned at Jacqueline.

"Oh, I know that look, and don't you even think about it—no don't look at Fino like that—argh! No! This is my good dress!"

Fiera had launched herself at her sister, the sprite glowing a bit and the tell-tale crack of ice that followed speaking for itself.

"Fiera! Stop it! It takes forever to get these details right! Fino, no! Not you too!" Jacqueline took her sunglasses off and glared at him. "I trusted you!"

Fino laughed. "It looks better in white anyway," he said, letting her go. He carefully pulled his twin off of Jacqueline after he had deemed his contribution to the melting hug good enough.

"So," Fiera said, straightening her back and eyeballing Jack. "This is the guy, huh?"

"If by the guy you mean our older brother," Jacqueline replied, her hand glowing blue and the ice sliding down her skirts reversing. "Yes."

"The dude who did that whole. Day of Darkness thing?"

"Yep," Jacqueline replied, trying to fix the bodice. The icicles were a pain in the butt to get right—but so worth it, she thought.

Fiera scrutinized him, now. It was so much worse than Fino's inquisitive stare. Jack could feel the icy cold grip of anxiety squishing his lungs and crushing his stomach, while simultaneously making him want to hurl, the longer Fiera sized him up.

"The guy who did the stabby bit?"

"Fiera! Don't—"

"Fino, it's okay," Jacqueline cut him off, shaking the blue off of her hand, her dress as fresh as a lightly frosted lawn. "It's fine. And yes, Fiera. He also referred to it as the stabby bit so—"

"I don't think I was quite as crude," Jack said. Fino snickered.

"Hmm," said Fiera. "Come here, please?"

Jack pointed to himself.

Fiera nodded.

Jack glanced to Blaise.

Blaise motioned him forwards.

Jack stepped closer.

"Closer, please," Fiera said.

Jack took two more steps.

"A little bit more," she said.

"Is this close enough?" Jack asked, now directly in front of her.

She nodded. "Come down here."

Jack looked at his brother, hoping for some kind of help with whatever it was Fiera was about to do. When Fino just shrugged, Jack sighed and squatted down, so that the two of them were face to face.

"Better?"

"Much!" Fiera replied, and with that, gave him a big old slap right on his face.

Several things happened at once as a direct result of Fiera's slap. Jack pulled back, blinking. Did she just—did she just slap him? Had that just happened?

Jacqueline burst out in laughter, doubled over. Her sunglasses fell off of her face and onto the floor. Fino gasped, staring at his twin in shock, hands covering his gaping mouth. His eyes darted between Fiera and Jack, the former giving Jack a very cute attempt at an icy glare, the latter realizing holy frost, she had slapped him, what the frost, and rubbing his lightly coloured cheek. Blaise let out an oof, grimacing and ready to scold Fiera alongside Fino.

But before the two of them could tell Fiera that that hadn't been very nice, Jack came to his senses.

"Ow!" he said. "What was that for!"

"The Day of Darkness, the stabby bit, looking crispy without me being the one to make you look crispy, and above all else," she said, ticking each item off on her fingers, "leaving Mom and Dad and Jacqueline! That was very very very very very very very very very not nice and bad of you!"

Jacqueline laughed harder. She didn't even have the common courtesy to muffle her laughter! The audacity! Jack made sure to think that bit directly at her which only made her start to snort every third or fourth laugh. Some help you are! Jack thought.

"Fiera why did you do that?!" Fino finally spoke up, all in one breath.

"Oh come on Fino! He deserved it!"

"I mean, yeah, but we still shouldn't slap people—"

"No no no, Fino. She's right," Jack said, silencing both twins and bringing a sudden end to Jacqueline's laughter. She shared a confused look with Blaise, who shrugged a little bit helplessly. Fiera was a wild card, and Jack even more so—so Blaise opted to wait and see how this would play out.

"I like you, little heat girl!" Jack finally said, dropping down and crossing his legs. "Both of you little hot heads," he added, smiling at Fino. He smiled back, shyly. "You've got spunk, especially you, Fiera."

Fiera glowed. "Well thank you, that's very nice of you to say." Then her smile dropped. "But not what I'm looking for!"

"I know, I know. And I want you both to know, that I'm very very very very very very very very very sorry for leaving Mom and Dad and Jacqueline in the way that I did. And for the whole entire day, and the stabby bit, especially," Jack began.

"Good," Fiera said, arms crossed.

"It wasn't right, and I know that now. I've changed a lot in the past year, and I'm hoping I can finally make up for everything I did. And that includes not being there for the two of you, either."

Fiera's arms fell, and both fiery heads extinguished, the bright red heads of hair smoking a little bit. "Oh," Fiera said, thrown off guard.

"It was wrong of me to leave all five of you, and I'm sorry. I hope you two especially can accept my apology, and allow me to properly introduce myself." Jack cleared his throat. "Hi. My name is Jack. Jack Frost. I'm your older brother, and it's an absolute pleasure to meet you two, and I'm sorry we didn't get to meet sooner," he added, sticking out both his hands.

The hair lit back up very fast. The twins shared a grin, stuck out their right and left hand, and shook Jack's. "I'm Fiera," Fiera finally said, nice and proper. "And this is my twin brother and also your regular brother, Fino. And also, sorry for slapping you."

"Well thank you for the sorry, that's kind of you," Jack replied, shaking her hand as over enthusiastically as she shook his. "I'm sure my face will recover, but my ego? That may never!"

Oh, please, Jacqueline scoffed at him mentally.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you, too," Fino said, gripping Jack's hand tightly now, without shaking. "I need you to promise me something, though."

Jack looked thoughtful. "Well, sure. What is it?"

Fino stuck out his pinkie. "Pinkie promise," he said. "Pinkie promise that you won't leave Mom and Dad and Jacqueline and now me and Fiera like that ever again."

Jack stuck out his little finger. "I pinkie promise."

Fino nodded and wrapped his pinkie around Jack's. "And lock it," he said, sticking up his thumb.

Jack locked it.

Fino grinned, the look so familiar to Jack that he had to blink a few times. It was strange to see his own grin on someone else!

"Well this went well!" Jack said, clapping his hands together. "Now then! I heard you two had a lot of questions for the great and powerful Jack Frost!" he said, striking a pose.

"We do!" Fiera said.

"And I made a list," Fino added, grabbing a rolled up piece of paper from his front pocket and unwinding it, plopping down on the porch in front of Jack. "First of all, what is up with your powers?"

"Of course they start with the hardest one first," Jacqueline said to Blaise, the pair breathing a sigh of relief.

Blaise chuckled. "Of course. You were the same way too, you know, after that day." He shook his head, lost in memory.

"Mmm. Well, I think this went well!" Jacqueline said, snapping Blaise out of his thoughtful revere.

"Well? Your sister slapped him!"

"Someone was bound to eventually."

"I can't argue with that," Blaise said, scanning the grounds. "I was sure your Mother would have been drawn out by now. Keep an eye on them, will you Jacqueline?" Blaise asked, hopping over the railing. "I'm going to go find your Mother, let her know you two have arrived."

"Sure thing," Jacqueline said, leaning on the railing.

"And I mean it. I'm not sure how I feel about a Jack and Fiera duo, let alone a Jack and Fino duo. Both of those are spelling trouble," he mumbled.

"Aye-aye, Captain," Jacqueline said, saluting as Blaise wandered vaguely towards the backyard.


"Blaise!"

Winter waved up at him from the slope heading towards the riverbank, picking up her skirts in her other hand. She climbed over the few pieces of wood and sticks; Blaise rushed over, grabbing her hand and helping her onto the even ground.

"Thank you, Blaise dear."

"Of course," Blaise said with a soft smile, squeezing her hand.

"I lost sight of the twins, unfortunately. I was looking everywhere for them when I heard an explosion—oh," Winter said, finally looking up. "You look frazzled, dear. What's wrong?"

"The kids are out front. All of them. Including the snowy ones. Both of them."

"Oh. Oh!"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Oh, my. I was not expecting them back so soon, good heavens."

"Nor was I, admittedly. Are you okay sweetheart?"

"Oh I'm fine! Perfectly so." She paused, dropping her skirts and sliding her hand out of his. "Absolutely not, actually! Not at all!"

Blaise laughed. "We'll you're certainly not alone," he said, kissing the top of her head.

Winter smiled, her cheeks flushed. She kissed the underside of his chin—since it was the only place she could reach flat on her feet at the moment. "What did you end up doing?" she asked.

"I hugged him, and we had a nice old heart to heart on the porch. He was expecting anger," Blaise said, matching Winter's pace as they walked up the backyard and rounded the side of the house, hands in his pockets. "So I said my piece. I apologized, he said don't you dare, I'm the one who should be apologizing, and then he did. Then Fiera slapped him," Blaise finished with a chuckle.

"She did what?"

"She slapped him."

"Well, someone was bound to eventually."

"Jacqueline said the same thing."

"Hmm." Winter shoved her hands back into her muff, speeding up and heading to the front of the house. Blaise frowned, catching up in a few long strides.

"Winter dear, what are you doing?"

"I don't know!"

She stopped at the side of the house, leaning forwards very slightly to catch a glimpse of him.

Jacqueline was leaning against the railing now, watching Jack answer all of Fino and Fiera's questions, the trio sitting cross legged on the porch. Fino's pencil moved across his list very fast as Jack explained something to him, hands waving about.

It was him. He was there.

Winter ducked back behind the wall, pressing her back against the brick.

"Blaise, it's him! It's really him. It's Jack."

"Yes, I know that," Blaise said, leaning against the side of the house with one hand, watching Winter closely.

She glanced around the corner again, noting his defrosted appearance and the white suit. She ducked back behind the house, her hands spread behind her on the brick as though she were holding on for dear life.

"He really is powerless."

"It certainly looks that way."

She glanced back around the house, eyes widening when she saw the back of his head.

"His hair. It's slightly frozen."

"Is it now?" Blaise asked. Now it was his turn to look around the corner, squinting. "Well, what do you know! It is!" Blaise pulled back. "Promising, though, isn't it?"

"But why is it, I wonder," Winter said, looking thoughtful. "What made it freeze?"

"Are you two okay?"

Both Blaise and Winter glanced up, startled.

"Jacqueline! Yes, we're fine," Winter said, hand over her heart. She was leaning with her back against the wall of the house, Blaise with one hand on the wall just above her head, the other on his hip.

"Are you sure Mom? You don't look fine. And considering how you're both hiding behind the house like that, I think maybe not everything is okay." She paused for a moment. "It's okay if everything is maybe not okay, you know."

Winter sighed. "I know, dear. I know."

"Your Mother's having a bit of a crisis," Blaise supplied.

"That feels like an understatement," Jacqueline pointed out. Winter hummed in agreement.

"I mean, he's there! He's right there!" she snuck another peek. Jack was making some weird sound effects, the twins laughing. "He has a good amount of your looks, Blaise."

"I noticed," Blaise replied.

"But I don't believe it. I see him! But it doesn't feel like he's there—" Winter let out a frustrated huff.

"Why is that?" Jacqueline asked, confused.

"It's…complicated," Blaise said, with a half shrug (since he was still propping himself up against the wall).

"That's the understatement of the year," Winter finally said, biting her lip. "Goddess, I don't even know what to do!"

"Mom?"

"Yes, Jacqueline?"

"Honestly? I think the best way to go about doing anything would be the direct approach. It's a bit better than hiding behind the house," Jacqueline said, with a sly smile. "It may not feel okay right now, and it may be a little complicated, but it'll turn out fine! I mean, so far so good, right? You just gotta take that first step!"

"She's right darling," Blaise said, pushing off the wall and gently grabbing Winter's hands. "Just go up to the front and say hi to him! Simple, and direct!" He smooched her full on the lips. "You can do it, love."

"Disgusting," Jacqueline said, sticking out her tongue.

"To each their own," Blaise said, smooching Winter yet again. "I'm merely giving your mother some confidence."

"Okay. I'm going in," Winter said. Prying herself off of the wall, she squared her shoulders and turned the corner, clearing her throat as she marched towards the veranda, head held high. "I can do this."

"Yes you can!" Blaise whispered, walking behind her. Jacqueline rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her siblings as their parents rounded the corner.

Winter cleared her throat, stepping up onto the veranda. The effect was instantaneous. The Twins hopped up and moved to the side. Jack looked startled; he shot upright, clearing his throat.

"Oh! Mother! Hi—hey. Hello."

Jacqueline snorted. He may not have glared back, but she could feel the glare Jack wanted to shoot her way mentally. It only made her laugh again.

"Jack," Winter said, breathlessly, as she came to the very awkward conclusion that she did not, in fact, have this under wraps as much as she thought she did.

The atmosphere became very tense, very fast. The twins, Blaise, and Jacqueline all shared a helpless look as the other two family members awkwardly stared at each other. Winter fiddled with her muff; Jack was rubbing the back of his neck. Time seemed to stretch on quite a bit before Fino, Fiera, and Jacqueline all had fingers on their noses, staring pointedly at Blaise.

"How about lunch!" Blaise said suddenly, snapping mother and son out of their awkward...whatever was going on. They both turned to look at him, equally perturbed. "I made my famous chili! And it's probably just about done," Blaise added, taking the stairs two at a time and opening the front door.

"WOW! CHILI! MY FAVOURITE!" said Fiera, a tad too loud. Fino facepalmed, dragging his twin into the house.

"Yes, lunch, that sounds delicious! We could totally eat, right Jack? We definitely didn't just have breakfast," Jacqueline said, side stepping around her mom and brother and into the house.

"Well go on now, you two. It's best served hot!"

"Ironic, considering it's called chili," Jack finally mumbled, walking into the house.

He was cringing the moment the words left his mouth. You blew it, Jack, you absolutely blew it! He thought to himself as he walked in, digging holes into his pockets with how deep he had shoved his hands in them.

That is, until a small snort hit his ears. Had Winter laughed? He thought, glancing behind him. She had covered her mouth with her muff. She had totally laughed.

Maybe he hadn't blown it just yet, after all.


"Was that a laugh?" Blaise teased, smirking.

"It was a little bit funny," Winter said. "Why do they call it that when it's best served hot? He has a point."

"Maybe you should tell him that?" Blaise asked, eyebrow raised.

"Well, I'd love to do that, dear. However, I don't know if you noticed, but I panicked. A lot." She sighed. "I'm beginning to think this is going to be harder than it looks," she said. "I mean, I saw him Blaise! He's right there!" She said, gesturing to his retreating form as he turned the corner into the kitchen.

"He sure is," Blaise said.

"I see him, but I don't feel as though he's there. That sounds crazy, doesn't it? Absolutely bonkers, as Jacqueline would say. What's the other thing she says?"

"Nutso?"

"Yes, that too. He's like a ghost Blaise. How on Earth am I going to fix this?"

"Hey, it's okay, love," Blaise said, kissing her forehead. He smiled softly, moving the stray hairs away from her face. "You don't have to do this alone. We'll find a way, dearest," he said, pulling her into a tight hug.

She sighed happily, returning the hug. "Mmm. Your hugs are so warm, I feel as though I'm going to literally melt every single time."

Blaise chuckled, the sound of his laughter deep in his chest soothing Winter right to her core. "I know, dear. Will you be okay for lunch?"

"Yes, I'll be okay. And yes, I'm positive," she added, pushing out of the hug and smiling up at Blaise.

"Good, because the cornbread is to die for."

Winter laughed. "I'll take your word for it," she said, making her way in.

"Hey," he added, grabbing Winter's hand as he closed the door, stopping her just inside the hall. "You'll find a way to fix it. Both of you will. And I'll be here for you, every step of the way."

Winter smiled, squeezing her husband's hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way, dear."


"Don't look at me like that," Jack said, pouty, as he and his siblings (still such a strange phrase) entered the warm yellow kitchen, Fino and Fiera beelining for the dishes and the large pot of chili on the stove.

"Like what?" Jacqueline asked, looking far too innocent for Jack's liking.

"Like you're dying to say that could have gone better which yes, I know, it could have gone WAY better," Jack said, crashing into the corner of the island. "OW!"

"Yeesh, someone's distracted. And I thought I was bad. You got a snort out of her! That's pretty impressive! You didn't totally blow it," she said.

Jack rubbed his hip, exhaling sharply. Jacqueline's smirk fell, her face softening. "It's going to be okay, Jack. It might take a bit of time, but I think you'll get there in the end," Jacqueline said.

"She looked at me like I was a ghost," Jack replied.

"She also seemed a bit spooked earlier when she saw you."

"That's not helping."

"I wasn't intending to be helpful, but I can be if you'd like," she said, rounding the island and making her way over to the stove.

"That'd be nice." Jack frowned, taking in his surroundings as he followed his sister. The blue counters were spotless, the white cupboards still white, without a scorch mark in sight. That was a weird thing now, that scorch marks were an actual day-to-day problem in the family house. Real weird. Speaking of, "What's with all the plants?"

"Spring likes to check in on Mom when they aren't fighting over the transitional season. Honestly, if Aunt Spring would just listen to the groundhog, then it'd be FINE. But noo, goddess FORBID if there's snow in March," she finished with an eyeroll, a scoop of chili landing in her bowl with a loud plop! "Anyway, she brings a plant with her every time, and both sun rooms are full so we had to improvise, and the kitchen's warm enough and spacious enough to put the creepy crawlers. And it does look kind of nice, don't you think?"

Jack looked thoughtful, taking in the plants high on the cupboards, different vines and leaves trailing down the sides. He shrugged. "It works. Now, what was that about being helpful and nice?"

"Mmm! Right!" Jacqueline said, going in for a spoonful on the way to the table. "Here's my advice. Probably the same advice Dad would've given you, if SOMEBODIES hadn't BLOWN SOMETHING UP!"

"Oh, live a little, you giant snowball," Fiera said.

"She has a point," Fino said. "It was a really dumb idea, sis."

"I will weaponize this cornbread," Fiera replied.

"I'd like to see you try!"

Jacqueline rolled her eyes, leaning against the island and licking her spoon. "Anyway," she continued, as Jack filled his own bowl. "When it comes to Mom, don't rush things. I don't know why, but she seems unsettled about your being here. It's like she knows you're here, and can see you, but doesn't believe it. And I can't fathom why that is," Jacqueline said, taking another spoonful.

"Well that makes sense," Jack realized.

"It does?"

"It's a long story, sister dear," he said, glancing over Jacqueline's shoulder. Blaise and Winter were talking in hushed tones by the front door.

"One that is apparently going to have to wait," Jacqueline said, glancing over her shoulder as well.

"When I fix things with Mom, I'll explain," Jack said, fast. "Sound good?"

"Mhmm," Jacqueline said, mouth full. "On the subject of fixing things though, back to Mom," she glanced over her shoulder again. Blaise and Winter were laughing with one another, making their way towards the kitchen. "Go slow. Make amends at her pace, not yours. And try not to be a dingus."

"Sound advice," Jack said, sarcastically.

"Thank you, I'm full of it!"

"Oh you're full of something, alright," Jack replied, deciding on his way to the table that yes, he probably did deserve the ensuing punch in the arm from Jacqueline for that one.


A/N-Edited as of July 8th, 2021. This one was a DOOZY goodness gracious. But, it turned out well all things considered! The idea for Fiera to slap Jack was given to me AGES AGO by WinterFrost15 and honestly it is one of my favourite things I have ever written to date, thanks you! Please do review! Let me know what you all think! Also, I must apologise as it appears that as I edit and shine up Crystal Springs, it verges into "Frostmas Treatment" territory by which I mean, the word counts from the OG chapters have at least doubled since intially posted/finished in like. 2015/2016. My bad, but also, dang I love weriting this family. they're so much fun! Anywho, do read and review! I thrive on people telling me good things about these stories :)