Chapter Twenty-Three: Fae Brand
It wasn't very long after he fell asleep that Jack woke up with a splitting headache. He hadn't had one this bad in ages. He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't ignore the facts. The Dome had gone into full Deliquesce mode and he had to get up to the Pole ASAP to try and stop it from breaking this close to Christmas.
But he still didn't have his powers back. Frostbite.
He sat up and rubbed his temples, focusing on his surroundings to try and get past the pain. The feel of his sheets. The cold of the floor. The metal of the headboard. Why hadn't their fix just held?! That would've been helpful—oh no. Oh, no.
Their fix.
Jacqueline.
He hopped out of bed, trying to get through to his sister's end of their Legend/Legate link, only to be met with even more pain and a string of profanities. Getting tangled in his sheets and nearly falling as he headed out of his room, Jack slid into the hallway. He was relieved to see that Jacqueline's sitting room door was wide open. Trying once again to focus on the cold tile beneath him as his head throbbed, Jack burst into the sitting space, stubbing his toe on one of the sofas. Hopping for a moment, he made his way to the bedroom door and, kicking a few pillows out of the way, he knocked.
"Jacqueline? Are you okay?"
There was a groan and a small thunk. Jack opened the door a crack, peeking into Jacqueline's room. She lay face down on the floor on her stomach, her feet still on top of the bed. Jack assumed the thunk had been Jacqueline rolling and sliding off of the bed and onto the floor. Her legs finally fell off the bed, another thunk as they hit the floor.
"You...you doing okay there, Jacqueline?" He paused, kneeling down to hear. "Did you just growl at me?"
She flipped her head so that she was looking at him now. Her eyes were red rimmed, dried tear tracks on her face, with the biggest frown Jack had ever seen to match.
"I'll take that as a no," he said. His face fell now. "It's the Dome. It's breaking. The Deliquesce has started. Because we both fixed it last time, and with the semi-enactment of the Legate Law, it's affecting you too. I'm...I'm sorry, Jacqueline."
Her face softened. She turned her head back to the floor, her mess of brown hair covering her completely.
"Is there something I can do to help you?"
She pointed towards the bathroom. "Pain killers."
Jack got up, confused. "You know, even if it's extra-strength ibuprofen, it's not going to do much, especially if it's mortal brand—"
"It's fae brand," she snapped.
"Oh. Well, good. Is there a glass?"
Jacqueline pointed to the nightstand closest to her, where a half-full glass of water sat. Jack grabbed it and headed to the washroom, searching the cupboards until he found the Fae Brand acetaminophen, preferring it over ibuprofen himself. Refreshing the water and making sure it was ice cold, Jack made his way back to his sister, who had more or less pulled herself up and was now seated on the floor, leaning heavily on the side of the bed.
"Here you go," Jack said, passing her the cold water and medicine bottle.
"Thanks," Jacqueline mumbled, throwing two tabs in her mouth and chugging the water. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Jack sat beside her, waiting. It was silent enough that he thought she'd fallen asleep until the softest laugh reached his ears.
"What is it?"
"You love your sister," Jacqueline said, with a tired grin.
"Frost off," Jack replied, with his own tired smile.
"I'm telling."
"Ou, I'm soo scared."
"You should be." Her smile dropped into a frown. She sighed. "This frostbitten sucks. How do you deal with this?"
Jack shrugged. "I'm used to it. It very rarely happens, after all. I prevent it from ever getting this bad."
"Want a painkiller?"
"It wouldn't hurt," he decided, taking the bottle and polishing off Jacqueline's water.
"Hey! I was drinking that!"
"I'll get you a fresh cup."
"You better."
More silence reigned as the pain killers kicked in for both of them.
"So...what now? We have to go back, don't we?"
"Well, what's better? Doing nothing here or attempting to do something there?"
"But your powers. And my weird blackouts. We don't have any answers, Jack. What if...what if it happens again?"
"Then I'll do what I can to keep you safe."
"That was actually really sweet. Thanks, Jack."
He shrugged. "What are siblings for?" he asked, getting up. "I'll run downstairs and get you a fresh glass, even. This one looks a little too dusty to be from tonight."
"Should I get dressed? Pack a bag?"
"What for?"
"To go back? To the Pole?"
"Oh! Right. I think it's probably best we leave in the morning," Jack said. "That way Blaise and Winter know what's up and you get some sleep."
"But the Dome! The Deliquesce!"
"Excuse me, Jacqueline, who's the pro here?"
A grumble.
"Exactly. Get back to sleep. We're going to need a lot of energy to fix the Dome."
Jacqueline sighed, head back on the mattress. "Alright."
"I'll be back before you know it."
"Okay."
When Jack got back to his sister's room, Jacqueline was nearly asleep on the floor. With a sigh, he placed the cup on her nightstand, the ice cubes clinking around before settling.
"Hey. Jacqueline. Don't sleep on the floor."
"I do what I want," she replied, sleepily. "Just throw a blanket on me and pass me a pillow."
"Not happening," Jack said and, with a lot of effort, he picked her up and plopped her on the bed.
"I was comfortable!"
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"I was," she said, settling in. "This is a lot cozier though. Thanks."
"You're welcome. I'll…I'll see you in the morning."
A sleepy grunt was Jacqueline's response. Jack smiled, and turned to head out.
"Jack?"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for checking in on me. I appreciate."
"You're welcome. Goodnight."
"Night."
Jack shut the door softly, breathing a sigh of relief. Pain killers, why hadn't he thought of that?
He made his way to his room, remaking his bed and settling in as well, finding himself fairly awake, all things considered. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told him he had already gotten the four hours of sleep sprites needed on the daily. That explained that, at least. It was odd, though. Since pulling from the ether, Jack had been needing far more sleep than usual. Maybe this was a sign that he hadn't pulled from the ether at all today. Maybe his powers—
No, that can't be it, Frost. Otherwise you wouldn't have this headache, he thought, crawling under the covers.
With a sigh, Jack closed his eyes and tried to rest, making sure to keep a close watch on his Legend-Legate link.
Just in case.
"Good morning Mother, Father. Have you two seen Jacqueline?"
"Morning, Jack!" Blaise replied, fast at work cutting apples on the island. Winter was seated on one of the stools beside him in a slight lean, passing the apples to him as she finished peeling them.
"Jacqueline came downstairs about an hour ago. She grabbed a few of the apples and headed out," Winter said.
"Is that why we still haven't filled the bowl?"
"Blaise dear, one or two missing apples won't make a difference."
"Excuse me, are you the expert in Autumn's pies?"
"Are you?" Winter replied, with a small smile and a raised eyebrow.
"I will be once I replicate them exactly."
Winter laughed, passing Blaise the last peeled apple. "I believe your sister went to the Springs. She mentioned a headache. Is everything okay?"
Jack sighed. "I'm afraid not. Sometime in the night, we entered full Deliquesce."
"Oh dear," Winter said.
"And because Jacqueline and I both repaired it last time, she got the brunt of it too."
"Oh dear."
"No wonder she went to the Springs," Blaise said. "Do you think it'll do the trick, love?"
Winter looked thoughtful. "It may. For the time being, at least."
"Well if that's the case, I think I'll go meet her over there—I could use a little soothing myself. I'll be back soon. We'll probably head out shortly after that. Hopefully we can do something about it once we get there." And with that, Jack left.
It was quiet for a moment, before Blaise broke the silence. "Does it get worse?"
Winter sighed. "I'm afraid a headache that bad is only the beginning. If it really is full Deliquesce, then the Dome is going to start to fracture. And break. And headaches aren't the only thing both kids will be dealing with. I don't believe Jack has fully figured out his essence as of yet. With his core out of commission and Jacqueline not used to the Dome...this will definitely be a hard thing for the both of them to do."
"I bet you're really glad it's not you. I know I would be," Blaise teased.
"Blaise! Those are our children!" There was a brief pause. "Though I am glad I'm not in their shoes. I don't miss the Dome duty, that's for sure. I just...never thought this would happen."
Blaise stared down the hall at the door, rolling pin in his hands, deep in thought. "So that's that then."
"I suppose so," Winter said, saddened. "I was looking forward to a Christmas with the six of us."
"So was I. But I'm sure they'll be back for Christmas."
"Goddess willing."
"Maybe this will be good for them," Blaise thought. "Maybe when Jack's there he'll figure out what that last thing he needs is and have his powers back. Then they won't have to deal with all those nasty side effects."
"Perhaps. I'm worried for Jacqueline, though. Those blackouts...I hope they don't reoccur while she's there."
"You and me both, sweetheart."
"If it is some kind of outside control...who on earth would be targeting Jacqueline?"
"I don't even have a guess for you."
Winter sighed. "I do hope it doesn't start again."
"Well if it does—" Blaise cut off suddenly, frowning. "I'm missing a spice."
"Nutmeg?"
"No, it's right here."
"Allspice?"
"No, I also have that here."
"Sugar?"
"Right beside me." Blaise grinned, glancing at Winter.
She laughed. "I meant the sugar as in the brown sugar, not me."
"Also right beside me."
"Cinnamon?"
"It's—oh. This is the cumin."
Winter laughed. "I am so very in love with you, Blaise dear."
"And I you," he said, kissing her head.
"Now you were saying?"
"What was I saying...oh! Right! I was saying that they'll be back, love! Jacqueline lives here and Jack is a changed man. And if they're not back here in time for Christmas, well, we'll just have to go bring our holiday to them."
In the centre of the continent, just before the city lines, is a very large, very wide, very big mountain. This description doesn't really do it justice, but nobody could ever agree on fancier words to describe it—the general magical populous all agreed that the simplest of terms were best to use, along with the word infinite. The mountain did seem to go on forever, though it wasn't super tall. According to legend, the source of all magic was somewhere deep within these mountains, watched over by the Goddess herself. This mountain is where the namesake of the continent came from. It's where the Crystal Springs themselves were.
Surrounding the mountain, on it, and in it were hundreds of different natural springs—natural springs that healed all of the magi-beings. Like, all of them. Every single magical being from folktales or myths, local legends, cryptids (there was a pool for that though they never did see the cryptids in it, just...clues that they had used it), creatures that non-magi-beings associated with Halloween...all sorts of magical folks could come to the Springs and be treated by the Pixies that took care of the pools. They had an intimate knowledge of the vast mountain, and knew what each pool did and how to get to it and what would be best depending on the ailment, and so on. And, if ever the Springs only stopped the ailment, the healers at the city hospital (trained by the pixies themselves) would see the magi-beans through to their full recovery.
The waters from the springs were refined to make the fae brand meds Jack and Jacqueline had taken the night before. They helped small pesky things like headaches, and did a better job than the mortal brands of medicines could ever hope to do. But when you yourself felt like you were falling apart due to the magical influence of a Dome you are supposed to mend but can't because your powers aren't quite functional? Definitely a time to come to the Springs. It's definitely more than pesky, Jack thought, as the dirt path turned to stone and he stepped into the clearing at the base of the mountain.
Sunlight beamed down (it was always sunny at the Springs) and reflected off of the water, revealing small rainbows in the mist that spread throughout the basin and hung in the air. The pool at the base of the mountain was a general healing pool, for the small things. Run offs from the multitude of other pools and waterfalls ran through the mountain and filled in at the base, the small trickle of water and chirp of birds filling the silence. In the pool sat a multitude of magi-beans, some with their feet in the water, some fully submerged, others sitting on the grass surrounding the basin enjoying the mist. Pixies floated about, some in their common shrunk form, others at their full size, tending to the springs and the magi-beings using them.
On either side of the large pool were wooden signs, pointing the way to the other pools within the mountain. Jack made his way to the far left, where a pixie sat on a bent tree that had continued growing, making a sort of natural information desk.
"Goddess' Blessings to you today."
"Ah, thanks. I could use...a lot of that, that's for sure."
The pixie laughed. "How can we direct you today, Mr. Frost?" She had an eyebrow raised, as though she already knew what he was going to say.
"Just Jack, please. Where would I go to deal with a headache that's being caused by a melting Dome that won't stop unpleasantly reminding me about how it needs to be repaired?"
"Aches and pains caused by outside magical influence is right at the near top of the mountain. Your Legate is already there, just Jack."
"I meant—" the pixie was laughing. "Oh. It was a joke. Right. Well, thank you." He turned to leave. "And ah, it is this path, right?"
"Yep! Just follow the signs to the Butterfly Pool. That should do the trick nicely."
"Thank you again! Goddess' blessings, and such."
"And to you as well," the pixie said, with a slight bow of her head.
Jack made his way up the path she had pointed out, and began his climb. The mist that hung in the air was already making him feel a bit better. The path looped around the mountain, Jack passing a few openings with ivy hanging down, leading to the pools inside of the mountain. Moss grew along the rocks, the gentle rush of water off in the distance very soothing to hear, the smell of wet dirt and petrichor lingering around as he headed up.
After a good long walk, Jack pulled aside some ivy and found himself at the base of a large pool. Butterflies fluttered all over the place, a small stream falling down the large rock walls surrounding the pool. A white haired figure sat where the stream met the pool, snacking on something. Smiling, he headed over.
"Morning, Jack," Jacqueline said.
"Morning," Jack replied, taking a seat beside her. She leant against the rocky wall, eyes closed, butterflies landing on her head.
"Doesn't that tickle?"
"What, the butterflies? No, not at all! Except for this one," she said, as one landed on her nose. "Apple?"
"Don't mind if I do," Jack said, catching the apple and digging in.
"This frostbiting sucks," Jacqueline said. "I mean, the pain killers helped and the springs are doing wonders but honestly? This is literally the worst feeling I have ever felt, ever."
"Wanna know what's worse?" Jack said, around his apple.
"No."
"That's only the beginning."
"I said no."
"It was rhetorical," Jack said with a shrug, taking another bite of apple. "I was going to tell you regardless. It's...important for you to know what we'll be dealing with."
Jacqueline sighed, the nose butterfly fluttering off. "I suppose you're right. How do you deal with this? The pain? It's awful."
"It's never been this bad. I've never let it get this bad because of the side effects. Both on me and the Dome, considering the whole melting causing magical explosions thing. I've never not been able to stop it when it does start up—which has happened a lot more frequently than you think, what with that frostbitten global warming." Jack stared down at his hands and sighed.
It was silent for a bit, both sprites lost in thought. Butterflies began to land on Jack's frosted tips.
"You know, they really are right about Crystal Springs."
"How so?"
"It's a healing place."
"The literal miracle water has something to do with that, correct me if I'm wrong."
She snorted. "I meant metaphorically. They say that the continent itself is a healing place too—not just because of the springs. And it's true! You came home, and, not to sound absolutely corny or anything, but it healed all of us!"
"She said, sounding absolutely corny."
"I added a disclaimer for a reason!"
Jack sighed. "Too bad it couldn't heal me literally," he replied, glancing at his hands.
"But look at the progress we made! You've got use of your powers back, at least! You made up with Dad and Mom and met the Twins and they're all better for it! You're better for it. And I," she said with a big smile, crossing her arms, "have my big brother back."
"And you couldn't get rid of him even if you tried," Jack said, with a small smile that dropped fairly quickly as he continued. "Do you know what the worst part is? Things were going so well that if I just stayed a little longer, I really think I could find my true essence, you know?"
"Yeah. I know. I was getting that vibe." She paused, a small smile spreading. "You know…maybe we could stick around a little longer! Head back to the Pole a bit later—"
"I'm afraid not. The sooner we go, the better."
Jacqueline sighed, eyes downcast.
"Now that's a telling look, ma sœur. What else is bothering you, hmm? Is it those blackouts of yours?"
"No."
"Are you going to miss the family too much? I can make up for that."
Another snort. "You could never make up for lack of the Twins, they're far too much."
"Is that a challenge?"
"No! Not at all! Please don't try to compensate for them not being around, I am begging you. You're too much as is!"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"That's the thing," she began, twirling a frozen curl between her finger and thumb. "You."
"Me?"
"Will you come back?" She said, staring at him earnestly.
"I'm sorry?"
"After we fix the Dome and everything, will you come back here? Back home? To see us?"
"It's like I just said. You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried," he said, elbowing her gently.
"You meant that?"
"Of course! After all, where else would I go? Especially with the state I'm in," Jack said, a little more grandiose than anticipated.
"We'll get you right as snow soon. I promise, Jack."
"Thanks, sis." He polished off the apple, looking thoughtful. "You've been a really big help and I…I appreciate it."
"I try," she replied with a shrug and a grin.
"No, I'm serious. From the bottom of my heart, thank you Jacqueline. There is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do for you. Remember that."
"I-oh," Jacqueline flushed, realizing how sincere her brother was being. "I'll. I'll remember that," she looked away, hiding under her icy locks. "Thanks."
Jack smiled, tossing the apple core in the dirt behind him, breathing in the fresh air. He thought of something, the smile turning into a smirk. "So…what are the chances of mermaids being around us right now? Are they still as gorgeous as I recall? Do we have time to say hello, exchange pleasantries—"
Jacqueline snorted. "Don't even think about it."
It hadn't started out this chaotic, Elle thought, making her way through a crowd of very scared, very loud elves.
From what she had gathered in the literal minute it took for chaos to erupt, Curtis and Lucy had gone to check the Dome and made it down in record time. Tumbling off of the snowmobile, the duo had raced towards the Workshop.
"Remember Lucy, we go directly to Santa! No stopping to chat, we gotta report this IMMEDIATELY!"
"Got it!"
Like most busy places, there was of course a "no running" rule in place in the Workshop. There was just too much traffic and people crashing into each other wouldn't help that at all. Naturally, it wasn't long before Curtis and Lucy nearly crashed into Judy in Distribution.
Everything maybe would've been kept quiet had they kept going, but Judy had seen them coming, and began to wonder why they had come back so fast from the afternoon Dome inspection.
"Where are you two running off to so fast?" she asked, right as they dodged her.
"We have to talk to Santa about the Dome!" Lucy said, slowing a bit. "It's—"
"Lucy!"
"Right! Sorry Judy, we don't have time to chat! It's an emergency!" Redirecting at the right time, the two careened past her into Research and Development, turning the corner before Judy could reply.
"Hmm," she had said, "I guess the Dome's acting up again."
"If they're running through the Workshop like that it better be bad," replied one of the Naughty and Nice elves, passing through Distribution towards the globe.
"You don't think it's actually cracking, do you?" another elf asked her companion, passing by in the opposite direction.
"You know, it does feel colder to me. Does it feel colder to you?" her companion said, as they turned into Research and Development.
An elf that had been working on some wiring looked up, shaking their hand as though he had just been shocked. "That means the Dome is cracking!"
"We're all gonna die!" The elf beside him shouted.
The word spread and soon enough, the entire department was rushing out onto the main floor.
The mental change was sudden enough to knock Elle out of focus. Shutting off the blowtorch she had been using and pushing up her helmet, she got up and stopped one of the passing elves. "What the heck is going on?"
"The Dome is EXPLODING," the elf replied.
"What?"
"Well David heard from Andy, who heard from Mandy who was talking with Louise, who heard from Jeremy who heard from Judy who heard from Curtis and Lucy THEMSELVES that the Dome was exploding!"
It had only taken a literal minute for all of that to happen. Now Elle found herself almost hoping the Dome exploded so she could take a sick day as she gently nudged past everyone. Trying her best to project calm, reassuring feelings, she saw a small group at the top of the stairs and headed over.
Curtis and Lucy were there and had managed to find Santa and Carol, as well as Bernard. What Elle hadn't expected was to find Carol's parents there as well—and Bud looked upset. Taking the steps two at a time, Elle rushed to the top.
"And it's all slushy—"
"And the magic brick went up to two hundred percent! Two HUNDRED!"
"Ice was falling! It almost killed Curtis!"
"I almost died!"
"He almost died?! Did you hear that Sylvia? He almost died!"
"Yeah! It was terrifying!"
"Woah woah woah! The two of you are talking a mile a minute! Slow down and let's see if we can figure this out calmly," Santa said. "All of us," he added, an authoritative look sent Bud's way.
"I don't think either of us can calm down right now," Lucy said.
"If you'd like, I can help with that," Elle offered.
"I almost died, so yes please, that would be nice."
"Me too, please! I watched him almost die."
"Okay," Elle said, placing a hand on Curtis's shoulder and one on Lucy's. "The two of you can calm down, and are calming down. Nobody died—"
"Yet," Bud interjected.
"Nor will they," Bernard said, forcefully.
"—Exactly, because everything is going to be okay," Elle finished, gently.
The reaction from Lucy and Curtis was immediate. They visibly straightened, their breathing regulating.
"Everything's going to be fine," Lucy said, sounding very certain of what she said.
"Do the two of you think that you can tell us what happened now in a calm manner?" Bernard asked, shifting his weight.
"Absolutely," Curtis said. "Lucy and I were running the afternoon check up. I was using the magic brick—"
"And I was the eyes. Just in case!"
"Good call, you never know about technology nowadays," Bud said.
"Let them speak, dear," Sylvia said, patting his arm.
"Things were looking okay!" Curtis continued. "Everything was just about right, until we rounded the west side. The magic spiked."
"By how much?" Santa asked. Elle could feel everyone brace themselves for the news.
"Two hundred percent."
"Two hundred?!" Bud and Santa yelled at the same time.
"Yes and yes."
"Well no wonder it got so loud," Sylvia said, hand delicately resting on her collarbone. "We thought we ought to come and make sure everything was alright," she added, addressing Elle.
"Of course," Elle said. "That's why I headed over as well. The elves are convinced the Dome is going to explode," she said, addressing the group at large. "It was the fastest I've seen news travel around the Workshop yet."
"I knew we shouldn't have stopped to chat!"
"We didn't technically stop," Lucy added. "Just slowed down a bit."
"It's okay. It doesn't matter how it all happened or who did what," Carol spoke up. "What matters now is that we find a way to reassure the elves and figure out what to do next."
"I'll say! This place is out of control!" Bud started.
"It's a work in progress," Bernard interrupted, before Bud could start up again. "I assure you, Elle and I will have everything back under control momentarily."
"Even the Dome?" Sylvia asked.
"Yup. Even the Dome."
Are we sure about that? Elle thought at Bernard.
More or less. I'll explain in a bit. Let's try to calm the elves down first, Bernard thought back, tilting his head towards the very large, very loud crowd.
Bernard made his way down to the middle landing of the staircase, clearing his throat. "Excuse me elves, could I get your attention please? If we could just cut the chit chat for a moment, that'd be great."
Slowly the din of loud voices became quieter, and quieter, until Bernard was left waiting for one or two more voices to fade away. A wave of calm washed over the Workshop, the elves visibly relaxing and looking up at attention. Bernard sent a mental thanks Elle's way before beginning.
"Great. Thanks everyone. It's six days until Christmas so I'll try to make this as brief as possible," he started. "As I'm sure you have all heard by now, the Deliquesce has begun. Again. Unfortunately, what you've heard is true: it's a bit more severe than we had previously seen earlier this year." A brief pause for the sudden gasps that spread across the Workshop. "However," Bernard said, his voice cutting through the small murmur that had begun. "There's no need to panic! Jack Frost is on his way up as we speak to fix it for us, along with his Legate. With the two of them here, the west wall will be repaired in no time at all! I can assure you, nobody is going to be crushed by falling ice or freeze to death, and there won't be any explosions of the magical sort involving the Dome or elves. Most importantly, we won't let this distract us from our preparations for the big day!" Bernard said, with a smile and a cheery little fist pump. "If there are any concerns, please bring it up with your department heads. Once Elle and I have talked to Jack, we'll answer any questions department heads have collected from you. Just stay calm, and do not worry. We have it all under control. Thanks everyone, now get back to work and no panicking! Everything will be fine," Bernard stressed, another wave of calm spreading through the Workshop.
More or less reassured (or at least feeling that way thanks to Elle), the elves went back to their tasks, looking a lot calmer and slowly perking up. If Bernard said it was under control, then it was probably under control! He and Miss Elle could handle things! And two Legendary winter sprites coming to fix the problem? It would be fine! Bernard was right, after all—there was only six more days until Christmas, and soo much to do!
With a sigh of relief, Bernard's smile dropped and he headed back up the stairs. "Everyone good now?"
"Well, you certainly took care of the noise, Bernard, thank you," Sylvia said.
"That was quite the hootenanny," Bud agreed. "You sure Mr. Frost will be up? He doesn't seem like the trustworthy type, you know."
"Bud!"
"Dad!"
"What? I'm just stating a fact!"
"Bud, it's fine. Jack's a changed man! He won't let anything happen to us, I promise."
"If you say so, Scott."
"I really do," Santa replied.
"Jack really is better off now, Dad. And his sister is lovely, too! With the two of them keeping eyes on the Dome, I'm positive this will be fixed in no time at all."
"And I know for a fact he's good, Grandpa Bud! I melted him myself."
"Well now, how could I forget that?" Bud said, smiling.
"Oh! Someone should let Neil and Laura know about the ceiling."
"Yes! Great idea, Sylvia! Tell them to stay inside the Workshop. In fact, make sure you all stay inside and stay safe." Santa said.
"We'll be sure to tell them that, Uncle Scott," Lucy said, turning and heading out. "C'mon!"
"We're coming, dear!" Sylvia shouted.
"These legs are not what they used to be," Bud added, as he and Sylvia followed Lucy out. Scott and Carol breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks for that, Elle," Curtis said, once they had left. "I appreciate the help."
"Thank you for letting me help you," she replied. She was rubbing her temples—that had been a lot of mental effort, and on top of everyone freaking out and being far too loud in their thoughts? She really would need that sick day to deal with that headache. Her thought made Bernard laugh, and the feeling of being there for her if she needed some support was definitely helping ease the headachy feeling.
"I guess I'll go let the rest of the DRT know what's going on. Should we keep checking on the Dome?"
"I'll let you know once Jack arrives, Curtis."
The elf nodded. "Thanks Bernard. And thanks again, Elle. I'll head back now," Curtis said, rushing down the hall away from Santa's quarters, and to the right.
"Anything we can do to help?" Carol asked. "Buddy's napping and my parents are fine watching over him."
"Is Jack on his way up?" Santa asked.
"He should be," Bernard replied. "You know when Jacqueline mentioned how if the Dome melts, Jack will feel it?"
"Yeah," Santa replied, following behind the two head elves as they made their way towards the stables. "And you told us about the headache thing."
"We were serious."
"You mean Jack will physically feel the Dome breaking?" Carol asked.
"Yup."
"Yikes," Elle said. "No wonder he never started the Deliquesce before."
"What do you mean?" Santa asked.
"Well, if he wanted to back when he was all. Frozen. He could've destroyed this entire place, right? It makes sense that he never did it. Especially if it would destroy him too."
"Exactly," Bernard said. Santa and Carol shared a look as Bernard plowed on. "He's generally really good about it. Any time the Dome goes even a degree above or below where it should be, he's on it."
"I would be to, if it were me. I bet this is one nasty headache."
"Or backpain. Or joint pain. Or chronic pain. It can manifest in many, many ways," Bernard said.
"Do you think Jacqueline is okay?" Elle asked. "I mean, she and Jack both fixed the Dome before they left. And they enacted the Legate Law as well, so wouldn't she be feeling something too?"
"Maybe," Bernard said. "It would explain why they weren't here before we noticed the Dome. She's never had to deal with it—at least, not that I can recall," he added, brow furrowed. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Bernard added, as the four of them entered the stables to await the arrival of the two winter sprites.
Jack sat at his piano, absent-mindedly playing a tune he couldn't quite place, he was so lost in thought.
He had been confident for Jacqueline's sake, but she had valid points. He was still powerless. Her blackouts could start happening all over again the moment they arrived. There was just a lot to take in, and—
"Eugh." His nice melody had suddenly gone off key. Knocked out of his thoughts, he came face to face with a huge, incredibly furry white cat with the bluest eyes.
"You ruined my tune, cat."
The cat meowed and licked its paw. More keys were hit, hurting Jack's ears.
"New piece? What's it called, Catto's First?"
"Very funny, Jacqueline. Could you get your cat off my keys? He's shedding like crazy!"
Jacqueline sat beside him on the bench, plopping her bag down beside her. "Well we can't have that," she said, giving him a look.
"Oh. I see, because I made fun of you when you said the same thing to me, right?"
Jacqueline merely smiled, patting her lap. The cat hopped off of the keys and onto Jacqueline's legs, purring loudly.
"You warmed up to him, I see."
"Yeah. Fino was right. Don't tell him I said that though."
"I would never."
"He's a cuddly cat which is nice, to be honest. You can pet him too, you know. It's good for stress."
"There aren't enough cats in the world to take care of my stress levels right now."
Jacqueline laughed. "I beg to differ."
Jack scratched the cat around the neck and under the collar. It was soothing, and did help calm him down. "Ready to go, then?"
"Yeah. I've got my work clothes and pyjamas and odds and ends. I'm prepared, this time. What about you?"
"I have some stuff there," Jack said, hands up in the air as the cat jumped from Jacqueline's lap to his own. "Oh great, now you're getting your fur all over my good suit."
Jacqueline laughed. "I have a lint roller, don't worry."
"How could I not? Cat hair really sticks!"
"Seriously though, don't worry Jack."
"Look at that one, it's in the threads."
"You know that's not what I meant."
Jack kept quiet. The low rumble of the cat's purrs were the only thing heard in the silence.
"You know, Jack, you don't always have to be strong for me. I'm just as strong as you."
"You're not even Legendary yet."
"Yes I am."
"What? When did that happen?"
"About a year ago. I admit I pulled a Jack and left it pretty late."
"I'll say, you should've had that done nearly eight hundred years ago."
"I was busy!"
"Mmm," Jack said, hands back on the keys. "I know I don't always have to be strong for you, Jacqueline. But I haven't really been strong for you at all this month, have I? I'm tired of being so weak."
"You're not weak. You've been taking this like a champ!"
"Thanks Blaise."
"Hey! I don't sound that much like him."
"Now I beg to differ. It's just…how much longer is this going to go on, Jacqueline? Now that we have to go back, the Dome is even more at risk. All the winter magic from the ether is in it! How will I be able to do anything…"
"If something happens to me?" He hadn't needed to finish the thought. Of course he hadn't.
He let out a breath, hands stopping on the keys. "Yes. How can I help you if I can't even help me?"
"We'll help each other. Just like we've been doing all month! It's okay to lean on others, you know. Even if it is your younger sister. No shame in that," she said, booping noses with the cat.
"You just like holding that over my head," Jack teased.
"Ha. A little bit. Honestly though? I'm soo tired of the pause we've experienced here. We were doing really well, too!"
"I know!" Jack said, hands in the air. "I'm like this close, Jacqueline, this close to knowing what's driving me! But I've been like that for nearly two weeks!"
"Maybe another change of scenery will be good for us."
"I guess we won't know until we head out." Jack stretched and got up, gently closing the dust cover of the piano. "Shall we?"
"The sooner the better, I suppose," Jacqueline said, getting up and giving the cat one last hug before putting him down. She grabbed her bag and followed Jack downstairs.
"What did you end up naming him, by the way? Snowflake? Snowball? Jack Junior?"
"Dusty."
"Dusty?"
"It's short for Dust Bunny, since he likes it under the bed with them so much."
"You, a winter sprite, have a white cat with blue eyes, and you named it Dusty?"
Jacqueline laughed. "Life's full of surprises, isn't it?"
"So it would seem," Jack replied.
"And you're positive you have to go?" Fiera pouted.
"Absolutely," Jack replied. "In fact, we should've been gone a half hour ago—you're making this really hard, Fiera."
"But she's right! You two just got back! And now you're leaving all over again!" Fino said.
"Well, the Dome isn't going to fix itself," Jacqueline said. "Take care of Dusty for me while I'm gone?"
"Of course!" Fino said, perking up. "But not for too long! He's your cat."
"You put him there!"
"Fino just wants you two to come back soon," Fiera explained. Her twin nodded.
"We'll be back before the two of you know it," Jack said.
"Promise?" both kids asked.
"Sprite's honour," Jack replied.
"Pinkie promise?" Fino asked, holding out his pinkie.
"And lock it!" Fiera added.
Jack felt a warmth inside him that softened his resolve. "Of course," he said, grabbing Fino's pinkie with his own. "I, Jack Canicus Frost, pinkie promise to come back home as soon as I can. With Jacqueline, of course."
"Jacqueline's a witness!" Fiera said. "If you don't come back, she'll make you."
"I'm shaking," Jack joked, locking the pinkie promise.
"You should be," Jacqueline said.
"Get there safe!" Winter called, walking down the pathway arm in arm with Blaise.
"I know there's a lot going on," Blaise added as the parents neared the kids. "But we believe in you. You'll fix that Dome, you'll find your drive, and those blackouts better stay away."
"That's the plan," Jacqueline said.
"Oh, look at you two," Winter said, eyes watery.
"Mother, please. Don't cry. We'll be back as soon as we can. Both of us."
"He pinkie promised!" Fino said.
"And Jacqueline witnessed! She's the muscle," Fiera said, punching her hand with her fist.
Winter laughed, snorting a bit.
"GROUP HUG!" Blaise yelled, grabbing all four kids and his wife and squishing them together as best as he could.
Jack had a very welcome sense of déjà vu as he was pulled into the family group hug. He thought about his visit home, about the year he had had since thawing. He had friends at the North Pole. He and his sister were almost as close as they had been back before he left. Blaise had welcomed him back with open arms. The Twins were ecstatic to meet him and immediately gave him the full big brother treatment. Winter had wanted to mend their connection!
He was loved.
He felt a tingling sensation deep within his core—and all too soon, the group hug ended. The sensation left, the small pains the Deliquesce was causing him replacing that warm, powerful sensation. It only served to remind him that they needed to fix that Dome asap—he wasn't the only one feeling those pains, he thought, glancing at Jacqueline. She was refreezing her dress and hair. A brief glance down and a hand threw his own hair told the legend that he was good on the melting front. Interesting, he very briefly thought, glancing back at Jacqueline.
He could tell she was hurting, despite the painkillers.
The sooner they fixed it, the sooner his sister would be okay and Elfsburg and the Workshop safe. It was time to end this, he decided.
And so, with one last goodbye, Jack and Jacqueline disappeared in a flurry of blue sparks and snowflakes.
It had been nearly fifteen minutes since Bernard, Elle, and the Claus's had arrived at the stables to wait. Finally, the wind picked up a bit, blue sparks and snowflakes swirling, revealing Jack—back to his icy self—and Jacqueline, with a bag slung over her shoulder.
"Welcome back, guys," Bernard said.
"Thanks, Bernie."
"Don't call me that," Bernard replied, smiling nonetheless.
"Finally, the cold front arrives!" Santa said.
"Cold front, see that is a good one," Bernard said.
"I was just thinking that! I can't believe I didn't think of it before."
"You're looking much better, Jack," Carol said.
"I feel much better, too! Well," he said, glancing over at Jacqueline, who was hugging Elle very tightly. "Mostly. We've had better days."
"Are you feeling it to?" Elle asked gently, finally letting go of her friend.
Jacqueline nodded. "This is very not fun," she said.
"I guess your powers aren't fully back, then?" she asked Jack, her hand on Jacqueline's back.
"Not quite, unfortunately."
"We're soo close," Jacqueline said. She looked nervous. "I'm not sure…well, we're not so sure that…"
"That what?" Santa asked, eyes wide.
"We're not sure that I'll be able to properly fix the Dome," Jack interjected. "I'm still pulling from the ether, which was our temporary solution to the power shortage. The problem is that the only winter magic here from the ether—"
"Is in the Dome," Bernard realized.
"Exactly. But it's bad, and we can't just leave it alone any longer. We already dallied quite a bit."
"Sorry," Jacqueline said.
"It's not your fault, little flurry. I wasn't about to let you come up here without some rest first," Jack said.
"I know, but still."
"Hey, Jacqueline, s'not your fault. None of us are blaming you," Bernard agreed.
"We're just glad you're both here now," Carol said.
"Are we ever," Santa agreed, a little too enthusiastically.
"Alright, how bad is it," Jack prodded, walking forward. Santa and Carol fell into step beside him, Bernard and Elle taking up the rear with Jacqueline between them.
"It's bad," Elle said. "About an hour or so ago, Curtis and Lucy came back down from the west of the Dome with the afternoon report."
"The Dome is currently letting out two-hundred percent of the Christmas magic in it."
"That's full Deliquesce," Jack said, as they walked out the doors and into the courtyard.
"And it's not pretty," Santa added. "There's slush and melting and cracking."
"Is Lucy okay?" Jack asked.
"She and Curtis are both fine. Elle made sure of that," Carol said.
Elle flushed a bit. "It was the least I could do."
"Then my parents found out, and that was a bit rough," Carol said. "We managed, though, and sent them off with Lucy to let Neil and Laura know."
"Everyone has been advised to stay indoors," Bernard continued. "Once you and Jacqueline figure out how bad it is, we'd appreciate a detailed report. Elle and I are going to be fielding a lot of questions from the elves."
"I can already feel the headache coming back again," Elle said.
"If you need a cold press, just let me know," Jacqueline said.
Elle laughed. "Of course. Here, let me take your bag for you, I can go throw it in your room." Jacqueline passed over the bag, Elle frowning. "Why is it covered in cat hair?"
"I have a cat now," Jacqueline added. "I'll tell you all about it once Jack and I are done with the walls."
"If we're done with them anytime soon," Jack said, looking up. "This looks worse than it feels."
"That's just the painkillers," Jacqueline said.
"Well, we won't know until we check it out! Come along now Jacqueline, we have no time to waste. Chop chop!" Jack said, heading towards the path up to the Dome.
"Don't you chop chop me!" Jacqueline yelled, picking up her skirt and rushing after Jack. The two sprites reached the apex of the hill and poofed, a flash of blue and snowflakes signalling their departure.
"Do you think they'll manage?" Carol asked the group.
"I think so," Bernard replied. "Jack's usually good about this. He's in the same boat as us—he doesn't want it happening either."
"But his powers," Santa said.
"Well, Jacqueline is with him. But…"
"She's tired," Elle said, as Bernard trailed off, looking concerned. "This is a whole new level of pain for her. I don't know if they can do it, but I believe in them."
"At this point, that's about the best we can do," Bernard agreed. "Now let's get inside. It won't be pretty out here as they repair the Dome."
Jack let out a low whistle, Jacqueline gasping as she appeared beside him seconds later.
"Frostbite," she said.
"You can say that again," Jack agreed.
They had gone to the west side, where Curtis and Lucy had found the beginnings of the Deliquesce. A large, cold draft blew in from the wall, the walls themselves looking a little too watery for either sprite's liking. The walls were dim. The dancing lights were barely there. The landscape was brutal, too. Huge spikes of ice were scattered around the slushy grounds, mud dirtying the snow.
"Frostbite. Where do we even begin, Jack? This is…really bad. This is worse than when I first arrived in November!"
"It's going to be okay, Jacqueline. We'll figure it out."
"There's barely any winter magic around that isn't the Dome itself!"
"But the North Pole is still one of the stronger areas for winter magic in the world."
"That's a fair point."
"Mmm. Well then, shall we? This Dome isn't going to fix itself, you know," Jack said, approaching the Dome.
"If only," Jacqueline said.
"The dream, truly!"
The younger sprite laughed, stopping beside Jack at the base of the west wall. Jack placed his hands on the Dome, looking at Jacqueline expectantly.
"C'mon, you know I can't do this myself."
Jacqueline placed her hands on the Dome as well. "Then let's get to work."
A/N-I was torn between titling this "Fae Brand" or "Too Much" but when I thought of the latter title, I had already laughed at "Fae Brand" and used it instead of the ORIGINAL title, which was going to be either "The Springs" or "The Crystal Springs", BOOM NAME DROP. The too long, didn't read of this is LET ME KNOW IF YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER TITLE! I'M OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS!
This was SUPPOSED to be up FRIDAY, I had had it ready since last Sunday, but Friday I had to start studying for Saturday's exam and then we did our housemate Christmas, Saturday was my exam so I studied all hecking day, and Sunday I cleaned the entire house. So enjoy this very late Friday update! I'm hoping by posting it, I motivate myself to get the next chapter to you this Friday, with one more before December is up!
Enough Dani rambles, onto story rambles! This was a LONG chapter (8.3k sans my rambles!) and it changed a LOT from its original version. It's actually a mix of two chapters-I reorganized this section a LOT. Now we've officially left Part B of the story for Part C, when all the sleet hits the fan! Please read and review! It's a very quiet year in the category and my excitement is tanking because it's soo DEAD here. Thoughts? Feelings? Fave parts? Concerns? I wanna hear them ALL
DISCLAIMERS
I do not own The Santa Clause movies, nor do I own Jack Frost, Bernard, Curtis, Santa, Carol, and Buddy, The Newmans or The Millers, nor do I own any other canon characters mentioned above. I do, however, own Jacqueline and The Frosts, and their home of Crystal Springs. Any resemblance they bear to any persons, places, or things is purely coincidental; please do NOT use my concepts and characters without my permission.
I also do not own Elle Connelly. She belongs to Ana, aka shittyelfwriter. I am merely borrowing her and have promised to return her more or less unharmed.
