There's a huge storm coming in soon, literally within a couple of hours and there is no way in hell I'm missing this chance to post this chapter. It'll drive me insane if I lose power and I can't deliver, you know? But anyway, wish me luck to brave the blizzards and hope that I don't lose power.

Jack Frost take your anger out on something else like Russia or something, they know blizzards more than we do!

Chapter 10

Sadie had her lower lip jutted out, quivering in fear and guilt for running off without telling her sister or even me. Of all people I assumed she would at least tell Alice, but the fact that this ten year old told absolutely no one as well as the middle of the night is more than absurd. It's atrocious behavior. If I pulled that as a kid a thousand years ago my father would whack my sorry ass with a two by four paddle. That's just how it was back then. But something told me by the look of Alice's face her future screaming was going to be worse than a rear end beating.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Sadie whimpered as she looked at her winter boots.

I was about to open my mouth but Alice gave me a look that made the words die in my throat. I've seen her angry before, you know that. But this anger was mixed with relief and fear, and I knew exactly what she was going through. I had a daughter myself once, and that little girl constantly escaped the house to go into the woods and play. I'm a friend to heart and panic attacks.

As Alice was taking a couple deep breaths to make the red in her face die down, I snuck a glance in North and Sandy's direction. Sandy looked thoroughly apologetic towards Sadie...I blamed him, too. That wily sandbag encouraged her, gave her the grand idea to leave to North's place when we turned a blind eye for a second.

...What's this 'we' I'm doing? It's Alice, not me.

...Then again, I was in charge of her when she left for work. Whoops.

The silence hung in the air like dead fish for a while before Alice opened her eyes. Sadie looked up at her. Her fear smelled like petrichor.

"If Mom and Dad were here, they would not shout. They would tell you calmly that what you did was wrong and to never do it again." Alice finally murmured out.

Sadie slowly nodded, looking back at her snowflake winter boots. Melancholy. Boy, that was a familiar emotion I knew by heart. What was Alice trying to point out?

"Shouting won't help anything, even if I want to. You scared me, Sadie. You scared Pitch, too. He was the one who found you missing and told me. If he didn't, we wouldn't have known you were gone. He was probably more terrified than I was."

I sucked in my cheek as I felt all eyes on me. Yep, this was definitely embarrassing. Believe me, I liked attention, but not this kind of attention. This was out of bounds. Even the hairy yetis and those creepy elves were watching my every single move. It made me feel antsy. Thanks a fucking bunch, Alice. Love you, too. Let me keep at least some of my dignity.

"Is that true?" surprisingly North was the one that voiced that question in the stillness.

Alice turned to him, almost forgetting he was even there due to his long period of silence, watching not only Sadie be scolded but also in shock that I was there, of all people. She, remembering that he was the living and breathing proof that Santa Claus existed, slowly nodded, her serious look still written beautifully on her face.

North looked at me with surprised eyes, causing me to glare at him. I'm not taking any of his sarcasm-if the oaf had any-or mockery. I wasn't up for that right then and there.

Sandy got North's attention by patting the big man's leg. Once the Cossack looked down at his counterpart, Sandy spoke fast elvish language in written sand to him, a few symbols were recognizable, but not all of them. Protect. Devout. Care.

Again, cue North's honestly wide and surprised face. I looked back at Sadie, who turned to me as if I had something to say of the matter.

"You do realize all you had to do was ask your sister for permission, yes?"

Sadie was silent for a minute, before nodding timidly. But then she voiced that question I really did not want to face.

"Were you really scared?"

I accidentally bit my tongue at that. I really didn't want to answer that. It would make me look vulnerable, and that's not a trait I want to display freely in front of Sandman and North. They already saw my retreat before and I'm certainly not bending to that level again.

...But her big eyes were convincing enough, so I stiffly nodded and the word 'yes' barely left my mouth. But sure enough, Sadie heard it, for her eyes widened with shock that someone who controls that could feel it, too.

"See? And you thought I was lying." Alice said as she put a hand on her hip, "Now, what do we do from here?"

Sadie looked at her shoes for a minute before trudging over to Sandy and North for a final goodbye. She walked like a puppet on strings, her head hung limply along with her shoulders and arms. She looked so forlorn...it kind of hurt watching. I looked over at Alice, who looked just as bothered by it as I was.

"Bye, Sandy," Sadie hugged the sandbag before trudging over to North to hug him as well, "Bye, North."

"Oh, come now, Alice! Can't she stay for just a couple more hours?" North asked gently.

"But Sadie-!" She started, but North cut her off with a polite hand.

"Would it be better if you were to be here with her? That way she can stay here longer and she's under your watch."

I couldn't help but feel a faint smile at Alice's thinking face. It was rather adorable on her, can't deny that. Sandy grinned at Sadie who looked hopefully back for a response from her sister. Alice stammered out an excuse that we had to head home, but North's smile made her stop.

"I know how much you care for the best of your sister, and you are very protective. You've been on Nice list for a long time. I applaud you."

"Am I being buttered up to say yes?" Alice raised a teasing brow, making North chuckle.

I hated his chuckle. It annoyed the piss out of me. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"In a way! So! What do you say?" North offered, casting a quick glance in my direction.

I may not know North personally, but I knew that look, and it filled me with dread. Suspicion. Spite. All mixed in one. You wouldn't think that jolly old Saint Nick would have that quality in his face but he just so happens to, and he reserves it all for me. How lucky am I...ugh.

Alice finally sighed and threw up her hands, "Sure, why not. We'll stay for a couple more hours, alright?"

But just as Sadie cheered and jumped around in circles, Alice warned, "You have school tomorrow and you haven't finished your homework, so we have to be home soon."

Sadie pouted angrily and muttered, "Now that I have that hanging over my head how can I have fun now?"

But sure enough, her antics continued with Sandman. He flew his cursed sand plane around outside and around the globe, and soon enough Alice joined the fun after she watched the yetis make toys. Though I wanted to continue watching them entertain themselves, I felt a stiff hand on my shoulder. An unwelcome one.

I quickly shook North off and gave an acidic snarl at him, "Don't touch me, Cossack heathen."

A vein pulsed in his forehead before hissing through gritted teeth, "Before you make a scene in front of two people you care about I suggest you follow me. We need to talk."

"No."

"I'm not asking you. I'm ordering to."

"I'm a goddamn king of darkness and you're just a fat man who bribes kids. If anyone does the ordering around here it's me." I spat, but followed him anyways.

"Not while you're in my domain, Pitch." North was quick on his feet as he led me to a solid, wooden door. It appeared the same as the other million here but it was twice as tall.

I found myself standing in a giant library with a massive fireplace and couch fit for a giant. Fur rugs scattered over the stone floor along with many red oak and mahogany tables that held parchment packets, candles, and whittled statues. The entire room was lit up to glow by the candle chandelier, including the sun leaking in through the ceiling windows outside. The shelves reached the dome above, holding everything from a scroll to a book. Ladders were scattered here and there that rolled with certain shelves for an easy climb, completely made out of sturdy oak wood.

North finally turned around and folded his arms, as if to challenge me to attack. I either had a choice: to look directly into his face to challenge him back or look away. I chose the latter. I gave him a hard stare back to show that just because they won the war and I didn't, I wasn't vulnerable like they thought I was.

"I know what Alice means to you." he finally said strongly.

Oh shit. No...no, no, no, no. Though panicking on the inside I remained calm on the outside. How would North know about that? Those hidden feelings of affection were only expressed in my mind, never out loud.

Wait...I told Sadie…

...that little snitch.

Might as well pretend to not know what he's talking about. Play it out, or something.

"What makes you think that? They're just giving me a smidgen of belief I lost thanks to you weirdoes." I drawled as I folded my hands behind my back smoothly.

"Oh, give me break!" North rolled his eyes, "I can see it in your eyes when I mention her name! Alice. Alice. Alice! You see yourself when I say it? It is obvious as the nose on your face!"

I huffed angrily, turning my back to him and walking to the door. "What are you going to do about it, old man? Tell Man in Moon?"

"He knows everything of time, Pitch. I assume he already knows." North sounded snarky right there.

I swore under my breath and looked back at the door, itching to just swing it open, grab the girls and leave. They're probably having a freakin' tea party with the fat sandbag, I bet. They're not getting interrogated like I was. How unfair was that? It wasn't fair that what feelings I had were forbidden...let alone admitting them was unbearable enough.

"Look, Pitch," North sighed, "Sandy told us that you're making amends. And I can see how much Sadie cares about you and Alice likes your company. You matter to them, and I can't take that away. It wouldn't be right of me."

"Oh, so you're not going to gut me like a fish? Damn, I was looking forward to that." I sarcastically said, snapping my fingers in mock disappointment.

"Nope, though still an option if you want." he smirked, folding his tattooed arms.

Seriously, he shouldn't have those. He'd be a disappointment to adults everywhere. Well, at least some.

"I'll pass on that. Is this it? Just a threat about something stupidly forbidden and I can leave?" I honestly was getting tired just standing there. I had better things to do.

North was silent for a while, just watching me. Scrutinizing my every breath and nervous flick of my eyes. I get fidgety under his stern look. He finally nodded, and just as I opened the door to leave the damned library, he said something that struck whatever was left of my nerves.

"Know your place. I doubt someone as kind as Alice would willingly open her heart to monster like you."

I knew it.