Chapter 10: Storms

Elle was ready.

Hand already on the handle, she threw the Workshop doors open, just in time.

Jacqueline rushed through them, skidding to a halt. Several snowballs went flying, smashing right into the globe of the Naughty and Nice Centre. The elves working the printers slammed the emergency shut off, rushing off the platform as the printers slowed to a stop, the globe powering down with a steadily decreasing whir. The snow slid down the globe, plonking on the floor in half-melted heaps.

You missed, that voice rang out again. Elle looked around. Still no sign of a source, and no sign that anyone else had heard it!

Furious, Jacqueline's hands shot forward, a current of icy blue magic flying up to the balcony. Elves scattered as the magic hit the banisters, frost beginning to coat the second level. They darted into side rooms and backrooms, ice flying around them.

Bernard pushed through them, popping over heads to survey the scene. Jacqueline stood on the lower level, looking around frantically. Magic was crackling up and down her arms, arcing between her fingers.

Bernard watched her carefully, running down the slightly frosted stairs, helping elves around him up by muscle memory alone. She looked angry; frantic.

But also, scared.

Panicked.

"Bernard!"

"Elle!"

He raced down the rest of the stairs, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, placing a hand on one of his. "But Jacqueline's not."

"Another one?" Bernard asked, dropping his hands and ushering elves towards the side rooms.

"Yeah. But it's. There's something weird about it," Elle said, pulling Bernard down as ice flew over their heads.

"Stop MOVING!" Jacqueline shouted angrily, eyes roaming around the upper floor. She rushed forward a few paces, briefly, before stopping once more, looking very disoriented.

"Jacqueline!" Elle shouted, stepping in front of Bernard. "I'm still here! Look around! I don't know where you are right now, but it's not where you think it is! We're in the Workshop! Remember? We came in! To get you help! Please, listen! I'm here for you!"

Bernard made to move forward, bumping into Elle's outstretched arm. "Wait. Watch," she said, pointing at Jacqueline.

The head elf turned his eyes towards the sprite. She had stopped, and was looking around, squinting. She shut her eyes tightly, holding her head. When she opened them, she gasped. "No! I don't want to—AH!" she stepped back again, once more doubled over.

"She's fighting it," Bernard realized.

"Yeah."

Yes you do! I can see it...

"Then there's that! Do you hear it?" Elle asked Bernard.

"Hear what?"

"No! I DON'T want to DO this! Leave me ALONE!" Jacqueline yelled, straightening up. She lifted her hands, angrily, the magical energy rushing forward. Her hands glowed, a brighter blue than usual.

Bernard didn't think; he jumped into action.

He grabbed Elle and poofed, the pair reappearing on the other side of the stuffed animal carrier they had stood beside. Icicles whizzed right past where the pair were moments before, landing right in the gears of the conveyor.

There was a loud clang. The gears ground to a halt with a sickening mechanical crunch, sparks flying, the bears swaying back and forth as the conveyor jerked to a stop entirely.

Missed again, Elle heard.

"That! Did you hear that?"

"The sound of the vertical conveyor system shorting out?"

"No! Bernard, there's a voice," Elle said, grabbing Bernard's arm and dragging him behind an overturned workbench, squatting as icicles whizzed past them and impaled another one of said conveyors.

"Whose?"

"I don't know! I can't pinpoint a source. But I can hear it. I can't get to Jacqueline," Elle said. She reached out to Bernard over their link. But I can get to you.

Above them, something shorted, sparks flying.

"But you can hear another voice?"

"Yeah! It's almost like, uh. Like I'm walking by a house and can hear what's going on inside it, but can't see it, if that makes sense."

"And Jacqueline's head is the house?"

"Yeah!"

"This has mindscape written all over it," Bernard said, poking his head up above the workbench to get a glimpse of Jacqueline. Magic was gathering around her, snow and ice being tossed around everywhere. She looked like she was tracking something, Bernard noted. "You're right," he said, ducking back down. "She's fighting...something, at least."

"It's the voice," Elle realized. "That must be who she's fighting! But who is it?"

Bernard shrugged, glancing out from behind the workbench. "Whatever's going on, I have a feeling Jacqueline's fighting it with everything she's got." He crawled back behind the bench. "We just gotta keep it talking. Keep Jacqueline talking. I'll give it a shot," Bernard said, determined.

"Just don't get shot," Elle replied.

"I'll try not to."

And with that, Bernard stood up and marched around the bench. "Jacqueline!"

The sprite turned around, looking at Bernard. Or rather, through him, he noted. It was like she was in another place entirely.

"Jacqueline, please. This isn't you! You're destroying the Workshop! I know you'd never do this," he said, carefully, concern lining his features. "I can see that you're fighting! Giving it all you got! Keep fighting it! Don't let it control you!"

Don't listen to him, Elle heard. Think of what this place has done to you...Its mere existence should infuriate you!

"There it is again!" Elle said, sliding out from behind the workbench, arms out. A fire extinguisher sailed right into her arms. Securing it, she pulled the pin and began to put out a small fire that had erupted in one of the impaled control panels.

Give in, girl...

"Stop it! Go AWAY!" Jacqueline shouted, staggering back.

"She's replying to it," Elle said, tossing the fire extinguisher and rushing to Bernard's side. "She's not talking to you, specifically. It's a direct reply to what the voice is saying. That's the conversation that makes sense," Elle said. "She must be able to hear us. I know she was listening to me on the way in."

"And it looked like she still could just now," Bernard said. "Jacqueline!" he called out. "Please! I'm your friend. I don't want to hurt you! I'm here for you. We both are," he said, gesturing to Elle.

Lying...he's lying...

"No he's not!" Elle replied. "You know he isn't, Jacqueline! He is your friend! And has been for a while. And so am I. We're not going to leave you, or hurt you! We just want to help."

Jacqueline stood still, panting. Her eyes were tightly shut. Her face was wet, cheeks shining with smudged tear tracks.

"Leave...me...ALONE!"

Jacqueline took a deep breath in, her eyes still closed. Blue seeped into her cheeks, the temperature dropping rapidly.

"Maybe we should get down again?" Bernard suggested.

"Yep! Yep, yep, yep!" Elle replied, grabbing Bernard's arm.

The pair dove behind the workbench, Bernard grabbing Elle and holding her tightly, both of them curling up as Jacqueline exhaled. A chill crept over their backs as the frost passed over them. Another loud, mechanical clang rang out somewhere behind them. The two elves looked up and waited for the excess frost to dissipate. The moment it did, Elle gasped; Bernard's jaw dropped.

The entirety of the stuffed animal conveyor system was frozen solid, completely stopped. The stuffed animals had a coat of frost on them, clinging to the fibres and making the usually happy bears and ducks look a little spooky. Some of the toys were worse off than others, the ice on them so thick you'd think you were outside of the Dome, watching the icebergs drift along the Arctic Sea.

That's more like it, the voice said.

Jacqueline gasped, looking up. Her eyes grew wide. "No," she whispered, breathlessly.

The dark laughter echoed once more. Oh yes, it said. Let's give this one more shot, shall we?

And suddenly, Jacqueline was bent over again, hugging her midsection. Magic danced about her once more, her body tense as she tried her hardest to not give in.

Bernard's heart dropped. Elle looked around, surveying the various works in progress and projects on the workbenches, as if they would give her an answer.

"There's gotta be something we can do," she said, desperately. "Something more than just, just, cheering her on! Like, I dunno, a tackle hug? What if we just jumped on her?"

"We might get minor frostbite," Bernard said reasonably, but not entirely opposed to the idea. "Think back, Elle. What was she saying before you got in? What was happening?"

Elle bit her lip in thought. "She was going to escort me in. I said I'd take her in...Jack! She asked for Jack!"

Jacqueline's eyes shot up at the mention of her brother's name. Elle perked up, hopeful until she saw the icy glare on her face. Below her, the magic began to clump, shifting into a cloud of frost.

"Okay, maybe we shouldn't get Jack," Elle said, sheepish.

"Jacqueline!"

The shout came from upstairs. Elle looked up, gasping.

"Too late," Bernard said, eyes trained on the balcony.

You know exactly what to do, the voice said.

Jacqueline whipped around, stiffly, lifting her hands. Below her, the frost shot up, blending together until it was one big, tight, ball of ice.

"Jack! Santa! Look out!"

The ball was launched forward. It went flying, hurtling up the stairs headed straight for Jack. He was halfway down the stairs, Santa hot on his heels, when Elle's warning reached his ears.

Jack stopped on the landing, throwing out his arm to stop Santa.

The ice was fast, but Jack was faster. To him, the ball seemed to head towards them slowly as his mind raced. He had to protect Santa. He couldn't let his friend get hurt! And there was no way in hell he was gonna let a nasty little ball of ice stop him from getting to his sister. She needed him.

Instinct kicked in, and Jack's hand shot out. The ball of ice stopped dead in front of the pair of Legends on the landing.

Jack glared at it. "Shoo," he said, waving his hand in a slicing motion.

And the ball of ice dissipated into frost, fast melting in the air.

Jack paid no mind to this, though Santa looked astonished. The sprite rushed down the stairs, eyes focused on his sister. She had dropped to her knees, and was holding her head. She opened her eyes, meeting his and looking relieved before she fell onto her hands. Jack doubled his speed, skidding to a halt beside her just as she passed out, toppling right onto Jack's arms. Her hand slid right off of his forearm as he sunk down to his knees, only just keeping her from hitting the ground. He exhaled, relieved.

"Is she out again?" Santa asked, carefully making his way over to Jack's side.

Jack nodded, gently rolling her over.

"Jacqueline!" Elle shouted.

She raced over, Bernard beside her. They both looked like they had been outside on a cold wintry night for far too long. Frost sat on their clothes, snow resting on Elle's shoulders and Bernard's beret. They both looked fairly dishevelled, as well, and Elle had speckles of a frothy minty substance all over her pants.

"She doesn't seem injured," Santa said, turning towards the pair as they rushed across the main floor towards him.

He had meant to reassure them face to face. But when he saw the Workshop…well, his jaw dropped.

"Silver bells," he exclaimed, as he gazed across the main floor.

The whole lower level looked like the lawn on a crisp November morning. The floor sparkled with the lightest layer of frost, which would have been nice were it not for the chaos accompanying it. All of the stuffed animals in transit were frozen. Some solid, others a light coat. Sparks erupted from the various control boxes, icicles all over the conveyor, the small fire Elle had just put out reigniting once more.

"Someone put out that fire! Where are the fire elves?"

"I got it!" An elf who had been hiding close to the fire when it reignited said, grabbing the discarded extinguisher and spraying the flames.

"She's not waking up," Jack said, concerned.

"It took time last time, didn't it?" Santa asked.

"It was like, seconds," Elle said, as Bernard pulled out his pocket watch. He frowned at it, surveying the hands. His eyes flicked up, surveying Jacqueline. He looked back down at the watch as the seconds turned into a minute.

"Well? How long has it been?"

"Nearly a minute," Bernard said, squatting down beside Jack. "She's breathing. We'll get Hismus to look at her, alright, Jack? Someone page Dr. Hismus, please?"

"On it," Elle said, pulling out her phone and ducking away. Moments later, the PA system cracked to life.

Paging Doctor Hismus! Hismus, to the main floor of the Workshop please!

Gently, and with Bernard's help, Jack shifted, so that Jacqueline was leaning against his torso. She was still out. And while Jack knew it would be best not to panic, he was beginning to get agitated.

"Why isn't she waking up?" he thought outloud.

"We don't know," Bernard said. "The only person who would know is. Well. Unconscious. I can tell you, though, that this one was much longer than the last one. And from the bit I saw, a lot more intense."

"And it didn't come on as suddenly," Elle said. "Well, it did, but it was also a bit more drawn out. And Jacqueline was on it like the moment it started happening. She was fighting it the whole way. It looked...rough."

"Given that this one was a notch up in severity," Bernard said, "we can only assume that it'll take her a bit longer to come back to us."

"Don't-don't phrase it like that!" Jack said.

"Sorry," Bernard said, earnestly.

Around them, elves began to emerge from the side rooms and back rooms. Some surveyed the scene, starting to clean up; others crowded around the group on the floor, as they were wont to do when something weird happened in the shop. They parted as Hismus made his way across the floor, breaking through the bystanders to observe his patient.

"Did somebody call a doctor?" he joked, laughing to himself and ignoring the few groans the scattered elves gave him.

"It's about time!" Jack began, as Hismus knelt down, giving Jacqueline a once over.

"Ah yes, I see. Another one of those nasty panic attacks?"

"Hey! We didn't diagnose it, did we? They're not panic attacks!"

"Well, if you two had opted to let us do some of the procedures—"

"She didn't feel comfortable with them," Jack snapped. "And I can hardly blame her, you all should have SEEN that list. It was probably as long as we are tall," he said, gently nudging Jacqueline.

She did not stir.

Jack frowned.

"That wasn't a panic attack," Bernard said, forcefully. "She was fighting something off."

Elle nodded. "And there was a voice I could hear, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Jacqueline could hear it too. I think it was talking to her."

"When she wasn't fighting for her life, she looked right through us," Bernard said, voice cracking. "Like she wasn't here at all. Or we weren't there with her."

"What, like she was possessed?" Santa asked.

"Hey! My sister is not possessed!" Jack defended.

Hovering over Bernard, Elle gave him a little nudge. He hummed, pulling his watch out again. Nearly three minutes had elapsed. He lifted the watch for Elle to see. She frowned.

"She's taking way longer this time," she said out loud.

"Minor concussion, perhaps?" Hismus speculated.

"I caught her before she had the chance to hit her head on anything!"

"Okay Jack, you need to calm down. Freaking out isn't going to help her wake up," Santa said, surveying the mess around them.

"Calm down?! Santa, I left her alone for a few hours and now look!" Jack said, gesturing at her motionless body, Hismus taking her vitals carefully.

Bernard exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. Elle grabbed his watch from him, staring at the clock. Four minutes had passed.

"Everything seems normal. Her heart rate is a little faster than average. Temperature seems as cold as should be…let me take her blood pressure," Hismus decided, trying to understand how exactly Jacqueline's sleeve worked. He tried to roll it up. It rolled back down, fanning out below her. "Oh my."

"What about this mess?" Santa began. "What will we do about this!?"

"We've seen worse," Bernard said. "We'll take care of it."

"Where do we even start?!"

"Turning up the heat should melt most of everything," Elle said, not taking her eyes off of the watch while chewing her lip.

"Electrical will get the conveyors running in no time after that," Bernard added.

"See? Easy," Elle said, still focusing on the watch. "It was seconds last time. Now it's been minutes. Maybe it's a pattern?"

"I can't quite get the sphygmomanometer around her arm here…"

"Can we stop with the blood pressure for a moment here please?" Jack nearly shouted. "Maybe we should move her somewhere else, hmm? Is this floor even sanitary? How many workplace hazards are there around here? Do you even get inspected up here?"

"Okay, I'm gonna stop you right there," Bernard said, slightly miffed. "Everything here is up to code, first off. Secondly, of all the places in the world, do you really think Santa's Workshop at the North Pole is going to have workplace hazards laying around? The answer is no, in case you were wondering. Thirdly, you're not the only one worried about Jacqueline, alright, Jack? Being impatient isn't going to help her up."

"Nor is being on the floor!" Jack said, batting the tube of the sphygmom-whatever out of his face.

"Okay, let's just all take a moment to calm down," Santa said, anything but. "We need to get organized. Jack is right. Let's get his sister off of the floor and—"

Jacqueline shot up, giving Santa the jump scare of his life, pushing off of Jack's arm and gasping for breath. Panting, she blinked a couple of times, looking around cautiously before sitting on her heels, relieved.

"Holy snowballs I am exhausted. What the frost happened? Why do I need to pop my ears?" she croaked, doing just that. "Hold up. I'm on the ground."

"Five minutes," Elle said, finally tearing her eyes away from the clock. "That was exactly five minutes."

"Five minutes? Wait. Five minutes. I'm on the floor." Her face dropped. "Oh. Oh no. It happened again, didn't it?"

She was met with silence. Finally, Santa broke it. "Yeah. It did."

"You don't remember?" Elle asked, perplexed.

Jacqueline squinted. "Um...we were goofing off? I was gonna escort you back, and then..." she held her head, squinting. "It gets foggy. There's something...but also nothing? And then," she squinted. "I can't—" she hissed, a hand flying up to her head. "OW."

"Head hurting?" Hismus asked.

Jacqueline nodded. "It hurts to try and remember," she admitted. Shifting, she peered around the group, taking in the damage on the floor. Her face fell. "I did all that?"

"Unfortunately," Bernard replied.

"Lady above. I really did a number, didn't I?"

"I'd say so," Bernard agreed. "It was a lot more intense this time. You almost stopped the whole floor! Almost," he said. "You put up one heck of a fight, kid."

"It doesn't feel like it," she admitted, rubbing her arm and looking off to the side, guilty. "Let me help!" she said, perking up.

"Oh no you don't, Jacquie. We've already got a plan, and have started getting things back in working order! You don't need to lift a finger," Elle warned.

"At least let me move the icicles for you," she said, her hand glowing. The icicles began to shudder.

"Oh no you don't!" Jack said, smacking her hand down.

"Hey!"

"No showing off this time. We're going right to the Elfirmiry!"

"But Jack, I need to do something—"

"Ah-bup-bup, no," he said, sternly, to the surprise of everyone around them. "The only something you need to be doing," he said, getting up and pulling her up with him, "is sitting down with a medical professional and getting a proper look over and making sure you are okay," Jack said, dragging her to the stairs.

"But I—"

"No buts! Come along now, Jacqueline," Jack said. "And don't even THINK about doing anything behind my back."

"Me? Do something like that? I would never," Jacqueline said, feigning innocence as she, quit literally, removed the icicles from the conveyors behind her brother's back.

"Yeah, sure you wouldn't," Jack said disdainfully, fully feeling the magic in the air as she outright ignored his warning.

The icicles came out of the conveyor belts, the ice covering the toys cracking and falling down into a pile with the icicles as the two sprites turned the corner out of sight. Bernard, Elle, and Santa watched them go.

"So was I the only one who noticed the stunt Jack pulled on the stairs before Jacqueline passed out?"

Bernard and Elle shared a look.

Jacqueline complained the entire way there.

Thankfully, Jack didn't have to drag her kicking and screaming. But he did have to deal with melted snow running down his back in the form of several snowballs dunked directly on his head in protest.

"That was unnecessary," he hissed as they followed Hismus into the Elfirmiry.

"Not for me it's not," she said with a huff. "It made me feel loads better, in fact," she added, crossing her arms and looking away, stifling a yawn.

Jack bit back the sarcastic remarks as best as he could as Hismus directed Jacqueline to one of the beds, where she took a seat, pouty and pale, and finally let the doctor take a few tests.

None of the scary sounding ones, or super invasive ones, of course. But the truth of the matter was, something was up; she knew it, and couldn't ignore it anymore. They had to do something. So, odd magical tests (and some basic ones) it was! She was only protesting a healthy amount, she insisted. The same questions were asked over and over and over again as she sat, poked and prodded, gradually growing more and more impatient.

Then came the waiting.

Even worse than the complaining bit, Jack thought. It was reliving when Bernard and Ellington swung by to check in. A healthy distraction indeed, and at a good time—Jack was convinced that if Jacqueline shook her leg any faster, the bed would take off and she'd shoot right up and out of the Elfirmiry ceiling.

The pair of them told Jacqueline all about what had happened, Jack listening quietly (for once), filing all the info away for later. She apologized profusely for everything she had done.

"I'd never frost you guys up like that! Unless you wanted me to," she added, thoughtful.

"Who on Earth would want that?" Bernard asked.

"Clearly you've never enjoyed the feeling of cold sheets on a hot day," Jacqueline had replied, wisely.

With the help of everyone around the Shop, and the skill-set amongst the pair of them, the head elves assured Jacqueline that everything was just about ship shape. The last of the melted ice was being mopped up, and the damp stuffies were in the dryer as they spoke! It'd barely been a blip in the day's operations. The hardest part was getting the conveyors back up and running, but that was coming right along. Preventative maintenance goes a long way in the workplace, especially the Workplace.

Finally, mid-conversation, Jacqueline had gotten the all clear. Test results would be in post-haste, Hismus said, but for now, same as last time. Rest up, don't over-exert yourself, and until they learnt more, treat the headache like a headache: take some pain killers and rest, rest, rest.

Jacqueline had grumbled a little bit about that.

But, under threat from Bernard and Elle, and Jack, she had relented and agreed to take it easy (much to Jack's relief).

Off to Santa's office, Bernard and Elle bid the siblings goodbye for the time being as the pair continued through the endless corridors of the Workshop, making their way back to the guest wing in thoughtful silence.

While they weren't sure as of yet what had caused the meltdown, Hismus had assured them he would get to the bottom of it if he could. His current running theory was some form of manifestation of stress, considering how vulnerable sprites were to emotions. And considering the sudden move up north, and seeing her brother after so many years? That could be it.

Jacqueline sincerely doubted that theory.

The long and short of it was that nobody had an answer for Jacqueline. Nobody knew what was going on, and the one person who could tell them exactly what was up couldn't even remember it!

Is that what it had been like for Jack?

Jack scoffed, startling Jacqueline out of her thoughts. "Nope," he said, popping the p.

"What?"

"You're thinking way too loudly," Jack said with a sniff. "That wasn't at all what it was like for me."

"What was it like, then? When you were all frozen and evil, and those were your words exactly, by the way, so don't even try to call me out."

Jack chuckled. "I won't." He thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully before continuing. "For all intents and purposes, prior to the "Thaw" as you have so eloquently named it, I would have happily considered myself a villain. And proud of it, too. I made a great villain!"

"By winging it?" Jacqueline said with a smirk. "Because from what bled over this year, seems like you were uh, winging it more often than not."

"Well, glad to see you're feeling better."

"I'm always ready to make fun of you."

"I've noticed," Jack said, levelling her with the most unamused look he could muster. She laughed a bit, a little itty bitty smile peeking out. "Here's a lesson for you, sister dear. Some of the best and most successful plans are done with the age old tradition of winging it."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Jacqueline said, smiling to herself.

They rounded yet another corner, Jack continuing unabashed. "Winging it aside, I had a reason for everything I did. I didn't do everything I did unwillingly. I intended to do everything for a specific purpose I had in mind, yes, even if I was winging it. But with you, sister dear, it seems like you didn't mean to do any of that!"

"But what if I actually do want to do all of that?"

Jack quirked an eyebrow.

"Like. What if that IS what I really wanna do, and whatever it is that's. Doing all of this. Is just. Pulling that right out from my me?"

"And we're sure you didn't hit your head?"

Jacqueline growled. "Ja-ack! I'm trying to be serious here! Words are hard," she said with a pout.

"I know," he replied, as they neared her door. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood, little flurry."

She sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. It's just...this is scary! I'm scared! Like, what the actual frost is happening to me! What if I'm..."

"Jacqueline," Jack said, seriously, her words dying in her throat. "Listen to me, okay? You would never lash out at your loved ones like that. You'd never fast freeze an entire workspace filled with people, and, not to mention, you'd never frost up your friends like that! You said that one yourself, by the way, so don't even try to call me out."

She giggled at that.

Jack smiled, softly. "Anyway. When I was frozen, I did everything that I did for a reason! They weren't the right reasons, but at the time, to me, they were. Everything made perfect sense. I was in control. And so are you," he said, as they stopped in front of her door. "From what bean pole and Elle were saying, you fought the entire time!"

"Why do you sound so proud of that?"

Jack shrugged. "Maybe I am! Just a little bit! The point is, if you'd stop interrupting for five seconds, that you fought, Jacqueline. You didn't want to do anything that you were doing, and you fought it off the entire time. If you were following in my footsteps, as it were, you'd have given in and gone to town! But you didn't. You're not turning evil or anything silly like that," Jack finished, with a careless wave.

"How do you know that?!"

"Because you're not me, Jacqueline," he said.

Jacqueline blinked for a moment, taken aback. "Then what's happening to me?! Why can't I remember?!"

"I don't know," Jack said, honestly. "But what I do know is that whatever is happening to you, whatever this is, I'm going to help you figure it out. We'll do it together! But first, you take care of that headache. Please actually listen to the medical professional this time? And once you're feeling better, we'll figure it out. Together."

Jacqueline smiled, a small, tired smile, and suddenly, her arms were around him in a tight hug, her face buried in the crook of his neck. He stood shocked, blinking, arms wide open.

"What if it happens again?" she said quietly, still hiding in his shoulder.

"I'll be there to keep you safe," Jack said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Thank you, Jack," she said, still hugging.

"You're welcome," he replied, finally wrapping his arms around her and squeezing tight.

With a quick sniffle, Jacqueline let go, wiping her eyes very fast. Giving him a thankful smile, she opened the door and slid into her room, leaving Jack alone in the hallway.

The door clicked shut. He smiled fondly.

He wasn't alone anymore.

And nor was she.

They would figure it out together. And no matter what happened, Jack vowed that he'd be there to protect her, whatever the circumstances.

Turning on his heel, Jack headed out of the hallway, the chill that briefly settled on the back of his neck barely registering as he turned the corner, the hallway once again empty.

Jacqueline slid into her room, closing the door behind her gently. She leant on it briefly for a moment, before trudging her way to the base of the bed and sliding under the covers, not stopping until she reached the pillow pile at the headboard.

She sighed. She felt awful.

She had come to the Pole to finally see her brother again after all those centuries, to help him fix the Dome and stop the Deliquesce, to save not only the Pole but the entire magical world from potential destruction.

Instead, she had started blacking out and acting on some of her deepest, darkest thoughts, or so it seemed! Since, you know, she couldn't for the life of her remember anything about the attacks (hence the blacking out bit). And no matter how many times Elle and Bernard assured her that it was fine, they weren't behind, they had cleaned up shop and would be fine, it didn't feel fine to her!

And because of these weird blackouts, she couldn't even do what she came up here to do in the first place!

She squished a pillow, frustrated beyond belief.

What was the link?

She thought and thought, but the only solid thing that she knew for certain was that these blackouts had only started when she had arrived at the Pole. If she stayed for longer, she couldn't shake the feeling that they'd happen again.

And maybe be even WORSE than these two had been.

The obvious solution, then, would be for her to head back home.

If they didn't happen there, then she knew it was something here that was causing them. And if they did happen at home...

Well. At least Blasie and Winter would be there to help.

But then what about Jack? And the Dome?

If she was home and he was up at the Pole, she couldn't really help him.

"Unless..."

That's when the idea hit her.

It was risky.

But also...wonderful, she thought. An absolutely wonderful, most definitely risky, idea.

Were they ready for this? All of them? Forgiveness all around?

She had been. Well. After a very messy reunion, of course. If Jack agreed to it...would it be the same for them or...better? They were, of course, older and wiser. With a much better understanding of what had happened when it had happened. But what if that made it worse? Surely her parent's reunion with Jack couldn't possibly be as stormy as hers had been...right?

We could just ask, she thought to herself, popping out from the blankets, throw pillows flying about.

Sliding off the bed, fuzzy blue blanket draped over her shoulders like a cloak, Jacqueline made her way to the coffee table, stopping in front of it and looking down at the surface.

The letter sat there, undisturbed and unanswered for a whole day.

"It wouldn't hurt to try," Jacqueline decided.

Grabbing the letter, Jacqueline scrunched her face in concentration, summoning a pen. With a successful grin, she searched around for a scrap piece of paper and settled down on the floor in front of the coffee table.

Curling her legs up underneath her, she readjusted her blanket cloak and, clicking the pen, finally wrote her reply.

"She's not doing this intentionally!" Bernard said, angry. "It's just not her!"

"You know I don't like to agree with the head honcho over here, but he's right. My sister is not doing this on purpose, Santa. She's a lot of things, but she's not me!"

"But we can't dismiss the fact that these attacks she's having are very similar to when you were frozen, Jack."

"Not in the slightest!" Jack said, equal parts offended and angry. "I had full control the entire time I was frozen! I had a reason for doing everything, however skewed that reasoning was! And sure, I was winging it on occasion—"

"You were?"

"The best plans are done on the fly, Santa. But that's not my point! My point is, I know what frozen is, and…I know what Jacqueline's like frozen," he admitted, regret briefly flashing on his face. "And what's happening to her right now? That's not what it's like in the slightest!"

"Look. I hear you guys, alright? All three of ya," Santa said, serving all three magibeans standing angrily in front of his desk with a pointed look. "But we can't just water under the bridge this! It's happened twice in the past two days! Twice! Look. I know you all care about Jacqueline, but—"

"But what Santa, hmm?" Elle pipped up. "What do you suggest we do? What do you, who has only just met Jacqueline, suggest us three, who have known her for a very long time, one of us LITERALLY since she was a baby," Elle said, gesturing towards Jack, "suggest we do, hmm?"

Santa looked lost for a moment, croaking before finally managing to turn the croaks into words. "I dunno!" He sighed. "Let's start with what we know. Jack. What did Hismus say?"

"Same as last time. Rest, take it easy, treat the headache like a headache. Test results have yet to come in, but the basics suggested she was perfectly fine by winter sprite standards. It's...very strange. Nobody really knows what's going on, least of all Jacqueline. And everyone expects her to have the answers, but she knows the least of us all! It's really beginning to bother her quite a bit," Jack said, rather nonchalantly given the conversation the two of them had had earlier. Keep it cool, he reminded himself. You invented chill!

"Me and her both," Santa said. "Have we considered…and I hate even suggesting this—"

"Then don't." Elle said.

"What if one of you has to be frozen?" He blurted out.

The reaction of the three occupants was immediate and nearly made Santa recoil. Elle looked ready to yell; Bernard stiffened, his face growing angry. Jack had his mouth opened in an angry o, about to speak before Santa continued.

"Like maybe there's a weird hitch to the Legate Law that might make that a thing?" He suggested, weakly.

"By immortal standards the Legate Law is fairly new. Even the Legends and Legates themselves don't know much about it, aside from the basics. But it's like Jack said, Santa. Those attacks of hers were nothing like what he used to do! The other thing to consider, too, is that if that were the case, it'd be universal, right?" Bernard postulated. "Jack, anything like this happen with the other Legend and Legate duos?"

"Nope," Jack said, casting his mind back to the last summit he had attended. "Not that I know of. Admittedly, I ah, haven't been to a summit since Jacqueline was little," he admitted. "I wouldn't know. But given that we haven't heard of anything like this in the last fifteen hundred years, I think it's safe to say this isn't a nuance presented to us by the Legate Law. This isn't one of your convoluted clauses, Claus! Legates take our title after we're done our term. That's it," Jack said with a shrug.

"Okay, but, hear me out, alright? The Legate Law is about balance, isn't it?"

"Only in the sense that it makes sure we don't have vacancies on the Council," Jack said.

"But what if there's more to it?"

"Santa, what exactly are you implying?" Bernard asked, carefully but with a tinge of sternness.

"Because it sounds like something we've already debunked with confidence," Elle added, arms crossed.

"What I'm trying to say," Santa said, growing frustrated, "Is what if Jacqueline is being forced to freeze? To keep balance? What if it comes with the territory, Jack? You have to be frozen to take up your mantle in particular?"

"Absolutely not!" Jack near shouted, his hands hitting the top of Santa's desk. Hard. "There has only ever been one Jack Frost, and it's me," he began. "I made my title, earned my spot on the Council. I did not make being frozen a caveat for whomever took my title after me. I didn't even know I WOULD have a successor until MANY centuries after securing my spot! And I will not stand here and have you tell me how my job works, and I most definitely won't stand here and listen to you suggest that I've doomed my sister to a hardened heart!"

"A what now?"

"A hardened heart! You know, being frozen versus thawed! Jacqueline is not freezing herself over. And she's not accidentally doing so either! And while I'll admit that that's a thing, it would never manifest like this! Whatever is happening to Jacqueline, it's not a case of a hardened heart, okay? Just…" Jack paused for a moment, exhaling and speaking quieter now. "Trust me, Santa. I…I know what she's like frozen."

Jack's outburst seemed to have defused everyone's anger. Elle looked surprised at Jack's admittance. Bernard looked puzzled, as though what Jack said was familiar…but he couldn't figure out why.

"Sorry," Jack said, noting the silence. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright," Santa said, softly. "I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions."

"I'll say," said Elle.

"Hey now," Santa said, a little hurt by her angry outburst (as deserved as it had been, Scott thought later that evening).

"It's fine," Jack said. "I'm gonna go for a walk, and try to chill out." He turned to leave, but stopped at the door. "She's not evil, Santa." Jack said, a little loudly. And with that, he rushed out.

The moment he left, all three occupants shared a look of shock.

Elle broke the silence. "Um?"

"Did everyone else see his hair?" Santa asked.

"Oh good, it wasn't just me," Bernard said.

Jacqueline took a deep breath in, looking at the thick envelope in her hand. She tried not to think too terribly hard about what sending this letter could lead to. Could be good, could be bad. Regardless of the outcome, the moment this left her hands...everything would change.

Trying her very best to stay motivated and not change her mind about the decision she had made, she headed down the hall, fast approaching Santa's office when she heard a slam.

She stopped, straining her ears. She could hear Jack lecturing Santa. Panicking, she ducked into a side hall, hiding and listening, her heart racing.

"She's not evil, Santa," Jack said, a little bit forcefully.

Peeking out from her alcove, Jacqueline watched as Jack rushed out of the room, stomping off in the opposite direction and disappearing out the door to the Workshop floor. She gaped, open mouthed, blinking and rubbing her eyes when she saw the back of Jack's head.

Still looking in the direction he had left, Jacqueline walked into Santa's office, briefly knocking on the door.

"Hi. Sorry, not interrupting, am I?"

"Not at all," Santa said, sounding as confused as Jacqueline felt. "We were just, ah, talking about you. You just missed Jack, if that's why you're here."

"It isn't, but uh. On the subject of the snowdiva himself, um. Did you guys see the back of his head?"

"YES!" Santa shouted, relieved.

"When did that happen?!" Jacqueline asked, moving deeper into the room.

"We were going to ask you," Bernard said.

"I kinda assumed that you had somehow made progress, Miss I-don't-know-what-I'm-doing."

Jacqueline snorted. "That'd be nice, wouldn't it?"

"It's really very odd," Santa mused, rubbing his beard in thought. "First the incident on the stairs, and now this..."

"Sorry, the what now?" Jacqueline asked.

"Oh yeah!" Elle said. "It was at the very end of that last storm of yours, Jacquie. Is it okay if I—?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Maybe it'll jog something in the old brain box," Jacqueline said with a shrug.

"The very last thing you did before you managed to kick the influence was send a huge ball of ice towards Jack and Santa on the stairs. It was going very fast. You like, jettisoned it his way! Anyway, I have no idea what happened, but Jack saw it coming, pushed Santa behind him, threw up his hand and the ice stopped. It turned to snow, then frost, and then melted right in the air, completely dissipating. Which was surprising, since the Workshop was chilly enough that I thought it would've taken longer for it to melt in the air."

"He stopped an ice ball?" Jacqueline said, equal parts confused and horrified. "I threw an ice ball at him?!"

"Did you ever," Santa said, "Whew! That would've been a nasty shave for me, if it weren't for your brother," he finished with a chuckle. "He told it to shoo, and it did."

"That's...very interesting," Jacqueline said, tapping the letter against her chin in thought.

"What's that you got there?" Bernard asked, pointing at the envelope with his chin.

"This? Oh! Right. It's the reason I came down here. I'm glad I managed to catch all of you in the same place, actually. Sans brother dearest," she added for good measure. "I've made a decision, on behalf of the three of you."

She paused for a moment, fidgeting with the corners of the envelope. "I know you don't know what to do about me right now. Honestly, I don't know what to do about me, either. I've been doing some thinking, about how to proceed. If I left the Pole, Jack wouldn't have someone to help him through this freezer burn, and the Dome would suffer without me here. If I stay here, I could keep doing all of that…but another blackout could happen. And it could be worse this time."

She stopped, folding her hands in front of her dress and frowning at the floor. Santa, Elle and Bernard were quiet, waiting for her to finish before they objected or agreed.

"I've decided that tomorrow, I'm going to refreeze the Dome again. Then, as soon as I get the go ahead, I'm going home."

She held up her hand, stopping the protesting that had briefly begun. "I know for a fact that these weren't happening at home. They only started here. If anything, when I'm home, I can figure out if it's a here problem...or a me problem. And at least, if it is a there problem too, my parents will be there to help me."

"But what about the melting? And Jack?" Santa asked.

"It's only for a bit. And it makes sense! It's also age old medical advice. Sometimes a change of scenery helps the humours immensely."

"Okay, but here's the other thing," Bernard said. "Jack."

"Okay, so, don't freak out," Jacqueline said to Bernard, specifically.

"I don't like that you opened with that."

"Just. You're really not going to like this and I know it already."

Bernard blinked. Then he frowned. "Please don't tell me what I think you are about to tell me," he warned, lips pursed.

Jacqueline inhaled, and let it all out in one quick breath.

"I'm taking him with me," she said, very fast.

"That's a TERRIBLE idea!"

"And there it is," she said to herself, sighing.

"Do you really think it's best to bring him back home to your family after everything that happened? The Day of Darkness? Him leaving? What he did to your whole family because of that day?"

"I thought a lot about it B-Man, and in all honesty I think it's another now or never scenario. They've had time to cool off and I think it would be best now If I just went for it and, y'know, brought him home."

"And what happens if it doesn't end well?!" Bernard asked, upset. He sighed, exasperated, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Look, kid. I know you probably know what's best. I won't dispute that. You're older and apparently wiser and know your family better than I do. I'm your friend; I just want what's best for you and I'm just a little bit concerned, alright? I know he's changed. I've seen it first hand all year. But I was also there the day after. I saw what he did, the aftermath, what happened to you, to your folks—all of it. And not to mention the ripple effects! Just. All things considered. Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely not!" Jacqueline admitted.

Bernard gaped, open mouthed.

"I think it's a great idea," Elle said, with a knowing smile.

"What?"

"You heard me, B. I think it's a great idea!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! I know that everyone around here found it hard to believe, but Jack did want to make amends with everyone. It's one of the reasons he did what he did with watchverse. It's well past time he went and actually finally did that," Elle said, firm. "He's already got you back, Jacqueline. If anything, I bet that'll make things even easier with Winter and Blaise. I'm happy to be the first person to say that I fully support your decision, Jacquie. I'll even personally see to it that your letter gets sent out tonight!"

"I love you," Jacqueline said, handing her the envelope. "Thanks, Elle."

"Of course!"

"Right, so uh. What does Jack think of all this?" Santa asked, finally finding his voice.

"Hmm. That's a very good question," Jacqueline said.

"You haven't told him yet, have you," Bernard said, unimpressed.

"Nnnnnnooooo, I have not," she said with a grimace. "But I will! Soon! I promise! I just want to make sure I have the go ahead before I. Well. Go ahead," she said, with a sheepish shrug.

"Oh boy," Bernard said, covering his face for a moment.

"Bernard," Jacqueline said, gently resting a hand on his arm. "Don't worry, okay?" she said, pulling his arm down.

He looked at her, worry lining his features.

Jacqueline stifled a laugh. "You're worse than my mom," she teased. "I think that this will be good for him! For all of us, actually," she admitted. "You know what they say about Crystal Springs," she said.

"It's a healing place," Bernard said. He sighed. "You're sure? Positive? One-hundred percent?"

Jacqueline laughed. "Yes! All of the above, I promise."

"Then I guess it's okay with me. Probably a lot more resources up there for the both of you to figure out everything."

"I was thinking the same thing," Jacqueline said, excited.

"Santa? You get the final say," Bernard said.

"I know Bernard already asked. But are you sure this is the right thing to do, Jacquie? If I may."

"You may! I know Jacqueline can be a bit of a mouthful," she said with a shrug.

"Perfect. So, Jacquie. Are you sure about this?"

"I am positive that this is the right thing to do, Santa. Jack and I will head home for a few days, and try to figure out what's up with his core. We'll keep tabs on the Dome, as well. Anything happens to it, Jack will know because he'll feel it. The moment that happens, we'll rush back as fast as we can. And if Jack's back in shape before that, we'll be right back up, or as soon as I know I won't blackout like that again. Whichever comes first," Jacqueline said.

"Do you think this will work?"

"I hope it'll work. And sometimes all you really need is hope."

"Then you have my permission," Santa said, smiling. "Get better, get Jack better, and then get the Dome better. If this is what it takes, then I say go for it."

"Thank you, Santa," Jacqueline said, looking relieved.

"You're welcome, Jacqueline. Right! You go rest up, have a snack or something. Let us know if you need anything. Elle will make sure your letter gets sent out tonight."

"And the moment we get a response, I'll get it right to you," Elle added.

"Thanks, guys," Jacqueline said, chipper. "I really appreciate this! Especially after everything that I've done the last few days. Sorry about all the uh, snow trouble. And ice. And frost," she said, running her hands through her hair.

"Hey, don't worry about it Jacquie, alright? It's about damn time we had some seasonal weather around here," Santa said. "Your brother's been slacking."

Jacqueline snorted. "I'll whip him into shape. Promise," she said with a smile.

"I know you will," Santa said. "Now off you go! We've got things under control."

"Thanks, Santa," Jacqueline said, heading out.

"Jacqueline," Bernard said, grabbing her shoulder as she left. "Are you sure about this? Do you really think this will work?"

"Honestly? I have no clue! But I know that right now, this feels like the right thing to do."

"Okay. I trust you. Just...take it easy, alright?"

"I will." And with a reassuring smile, she left the room.

"I better get this sent out," Elle said. "I could use a walk. Wanna come with me, B?"

"With you? Always," he said, grabbing her hand. "We'll see you later Santa."

Santa nodded, deep in thought, as the two elves took their leave.

They walked in a companionable silence through the Workshop and out into the square, starting towards the Post Office.

"So—"

"I know, I know. I was harsh on Santa," Elle said. "I'll apologize later, if it makes you feel better."

Bernard snorted. "No need. I have a feeling he'll be apologizing later. I'd hold off, if I were you. And besides," he said, as they waited for the polar bear to let them cross. "It wasn't uncalled for."

"Right? I couldn't believe what he was saying and I just—" she paused, looking thoughtful. It wasn't fair of Santa to say those things, without Jacqueline around to defend herself. She's had to deal with so many people automatically equating her as the same as her brother. Even me, Elle admitted mentally, and then it all made sense to Bernard.

So when you saw Santa doing what you once did… he left the thought unfinished.

It was unfair of me to judge, and just as unfair for Santa to, too. I couldn't let that happen again to her! So I kinda. You know. Got angry.

"It happens," Bernard said out loud, as they made their way down the main street.

And I wasn't sure if Jack would say anything, because that's still a really new thing—Jack being around and getting along with Jacqueline and looking out for her and such. And before you say—or think—anything, I know you would have jumped to her defence too. Elle smirked. "I guess I'm just faster than you," she teased.

Bernard laughed. "And a little more unpolished," he teased back.

"Hey!" Elle said, laughing. "Someone's gotta be!"

They had arrived at the Post Office. Elle looked absolutely cheery as they requested express delivery, watching the letter fly off. They headed out, still holding hands, enjoying their stroll.

"You really think this will work?" Bernard said. And I mean all around. You really think the Frosts are gonna forgive Jack?

"I know so," Elle said. "It's part of the reason why he did what he did with watchverse. He wants to make up, but has had a time and a half with it, evidently. But hey, third time's the charm! It went mostly okay with Jacqueline. I think Winter and Blaise will be a lot more reasonable. They've had a really long time to process, after all."

"He really wants his family back, huh?"

Elle nodded. "And that's how I know it's going to be okay. Because both Jack and his parents are ready for this. And, since Jacqueline's come about, we've seen improvement in Jack," she added.

"His hair and the ice ball incident."

"Right! So ease up a little, B," Elle said. "Your worry is contagious."

"Heh. Sorry. It's just…I saw the aftermath of it all, and I'm still miffed about it. I can only imagine how Blaise and Winter feel. Are feeling, still."

"Trust me, B," Elle said, stopping him and grabbing his other hand, squeezing them both tight. "They're ready for this."

"And Jacqueline…I think she really needs this."

Elle nodded. "Their whole family does."

A/N: Edited May 16th, 2020. It's pronounced "sfig-moh-muh-nom-i-ter" for those wondering! And yes, it is the proper term for the blood pressure machine, including the small awful squeeze your arm until you DIE one. Second time rewriting this one! Had a LOT of fun drawing out the Bernelle! And adding more to the freezer burn mystery. His HAIR? The stunt with the FROST BALL! What's the HAPS?! Well, you'll see soon enough! :)

I originally rewrote this like. In 2017 when I started mini-editing (and then rewriting) but was unhappy with the way Jacquie's attacks were portrayed? And I got to Chapter 23 in 2019 and was like hmm. This is not. Working. So I had to rewrite them! I'm INCREDIBLY pleased with how it's turned out this time around! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Do leave a review, and if you've already reviewed, throw a guest review up! You can do tons of those! :)