Chapter 12: Here I Come
It was nearly noon when Jack and Jacqueline stood in the courtyard, ready to head out. They had rested; or at least, Jacqueline had. She was cheery this morning; offensively so, Jack had thought.
He himself had tried to rest. He really had. But as he lay down in bed, snug under cool covers, he found that every time he closed his eyes a new scenario of what would happen upon his arrival home accosted him, making sleep nigh impossible as each new scenario was fraught with tensions and theoreticals that only grew worse and worse the more he dwelled on them.
Assuming he had counted correctly, Jack had only just managed to sneak in four hours of sleep, total. Which would've been enough for the day by normal sprite standards. If, you know, he had been at his usual one hundred, he had realized with a grimace.
Needless to say, he had his fingers and toes crossed that it'd be enough for today.
Unable to sleep, Jack had gotten ready to go. Brunch had become more of a slightly late breakfast, much to Jacqueline's delight. They ate, and had a nice cup of warm cocoa alongside the Claus family, which had been a welcome surprise. The Claus's just so happened to be having breakfast at the same time as the Frosts, completely coincidentally! Afterwards, the Claus's took it upon themselves to walk the wintry siblings out to the Courtyard, since they were already all together, after all. It was only polite, of course. And oh, look! Somewhere along the way, they had run into Bernard and Elle, both having meant to see the siblings off intentionally. They had joined without hesitation, the troop making their way out the Workshop doors and down the stairs.
"I'm really sorry for all the trouble I caused," Jacqueline said, for the umpteenth time, as Santa ushered them away from the base of the stairs leading up to the Workshop. They stopped off to the side, just in front of the lower doors, keeping out of traffic.
Elves strolled around the group, going about their day. Some lagged behind, trying to catch snippets of conversation, and to see what was going on. Others full on stopped to join the send-off. These two Jack Frosts had certainly made things…interesting these past few days. Who knew what would happen as the pair headed out!
"We've told you, it's alright. Stuff happens," Bernard said with a shrug. "Besides, everything is up and running nice and smoothly today."
"So well, in fact," Elle began, loudly cutting Jacqueline off before she even had a chance to speak, "that you can't even tell there was trouble!"
"I know, but I just—"
"Jacqueline," Bernard and Elle said in unison, cutting her off. They stopped and stared, smiling at one another. Elle gestured towards Jacqueline, as if to say after you. Bernard shook his head and mirrored her. Elle shrugged, turning back to the sprite.
"Man, I gotta start having mental conversations around you two, because watching them happen and not hearing anything? Uncanny valley. I think you two need a taste of your own medicine."
"Har, har," Bernard said, dryly, smiling nonetheless. "Don't try to change the subject, kid."
Elle laughed. "Honestly. Don't worry about what happened, okay? Just focus on getting better!" she said, grabbing Jacqueline's hands and squeezing them. "Even if you had done enough damage to put us decently behind, we wouldn't have cared about that. You're our friend, Jacqueline. We wouldn't have been mad. We aren't. Even if it wasn't fine."
Jacqueline smiled, squeezing back. "Thanks Elle."
"Of course!" Elle said, pulling her friend into a hug, nearby elves letting out a collective "awwh".
"Yeah, yeah, friendship is magic, keep it moving, please," Bernard said, the giggly elves rushing off to work.
Santa chortled, watching as the elves waved at the sprites before heading back into the Workshop. Jacqueline waved back over Elle's shoulder. Jack, meanwhile, remained ucharacteristically quiet. Come to think of it, he'd been uncharacteristically quiet the whole way down and out, Santa realized. He eyed Jack closely. His friend looked very distracted.
"Jack? You feelin' okay?"
"Hmm?" he looked up, quiet for a moment before his face livened up. "Oh! Yes, of course! Just…thinking."
"Lots on the mind, huh?" Santa asked.
"You don't know the HALF of it," Jack said, with gusto.
Santa chuckled. "Family," he said, with a little shrug.
"How long do you think you'll be staying?" Carol asked gently, side-eyeing Santa.
The siblings shared a look. Jack raised an eyebrow. Jacqueline shrugged.
"No idea!" Jack said.
"It's hard to say," Jacqueline added, frowning thoughtfully. "There are a lot of factors to consider."
"Could be a matter of minutes if my parents don't let me in. This is assuming I even make it past the sentient gate. Then it'd be a matter of seconds!"
"Jack…"
"I know, I know, Jacqueline. But think of all the ways it could go wrong! And sentient! Gates! I mean, why do we even have those?!"
Jacqueline shrugged. "They just kinda developed sentience on their own."
"Even worse!" Jack said.
"Chin up, Jack!" Santa said, clapping Jack on the back. The sprite tensed, mouthing an ow and rubbing the offending spot as Santa threw his arm around Jack's shoulders. "Look at how well things went with Jacqueline!"
"Well..." Jack said, a little high pitched.
"Um—" Jacqueline began.
"Ah…" Elle said, simultaneously.
"Hmmm," Bernard added, covering his mouth with his fist and shifting his weight.
"Oh, come on you four! Lighten up, would ya?! Sure it was a bit of a stormy start, but they're on talking terms again! I'd call that a success," Santa said with a chuckle.
"I mean. I GUESS," Jacqueline said with a frown, flushing in embarrassment.
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Carol said, freeing Jack from Santa's clutches. She gave him a far nicer and much preferred gentle hug. "And if not, you're always welcome here," she said with a warm smile.
"Well thanks, Mrs. C.," Jack said, earnestly, his face growing warm as they broke off the hug. "That really means a lot to me."
"Of course!"
"Hey. Listen, Jack. It's gonna be okay, alright? It's gonna go well! You'll find a way to patch things up with your parents."
"And other siblings," Jack said with a grimace. "And, maybe even my aunts, though I HOPE that can wait."
"It better," Jacqueline said. "I don't think I could handle a visit from them right now, on top of EVERYTHING ELSE."
"Whatever the case, you'll work through it! You'll get back on your feet again, the both of you. Especially with this leaky roof!"
"And on that note," Jack said, turning on his heel with a dramatic flourish, pointer finger up in the air. "Jacqueline! We have a ceiling to fix!"
"Is that why we're in the Courtyard? I was wondering about that."
"Well if we did this your way we'd never get going. Besides, my way's a lot more aesthetically pleasing. And, it does the exact same thing a perimeter walk would do, in case anyone was concerned it wouldn't stick," Jack added over his shoulder.
"Well now I am!" Santa joked (partially).
Ignoring the old fat man, Jack stopped beside his sister. "Ready?"
"Are you?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," Jack said. "Now then! Let's see if you were paying attention, hmm?"
"Uh, duh. Of course I was," she said, rolling her shoulders. "I just cup my hands like this," she continued, bringing her hands together. "And then…"
Her eyes shut gently, a placid look of concentration on her face.
"Focus…yes!" Jack said, excited when tendrils of light blue light began to gather in her palms. "Like that!"
She peeked a bit, grinning as the magic in her palms grew brighter and brighter. She pushed it towards him excitedly; Jack smiled, reminded of when she was much smaller and he much younger, and she had just learnt how to frost the trees. It felt normal; it felt right. It was nice to be teaching her again, even if it was such a simple little trick. Happily, he clapped her shoulder.
Or so he thought.
Because when he went to pull his hand off her shoulder, the most peculiar thing happened: it didn't budge. He blinked a couple of times, dumbfounded, before trying once more.
Nothing.
"What are you doing?" Jacqueline asked, fully opening her eyes now.
"I'm stuck."
"What? That doesn't sound right," Jacqueline said. She looked at her shoulder, perplexed as Jack tried to move his hand, tugging Jacqueline in the process. "Okay, hold on, you're gonna make me fall," she said. "Maybe if I just—" hands still clasped together and full of magic, she pulled away from Jack. But his hand stayed stuck to her shoulder, and she was pulled back towards him. They tugged in opposite directions for a bit, Jacqueline sticking the magic as far out as possible in case their tug-of-war extinguished it. But the magic stayed steadfastly in place, steadily growing, and the sprites stayed stuck.
"Y'know what?" Jack said, after one final, fruitless tug. "Just focus on the Dome, Jacqueline."
"Then stop tugging," Jacqueline snapped. "Please."
Jack obliged.
With a resolute nod, Jacqueline went back to looking at her palms. The light blue tendrils were there. She took a deep breath, and focused, watching the magic carefully this time around.
Funnily enough, Jack found himself to be feeling a little bit peculiar once he stopped tugging and relaxed. No, no, not peculiar. Something felt…familiar. There was a familiar chill encompassing him, a spark in the air and a welcome tingling sensation, as magic was wont to do—wait a minute.
Wait! A! Minute!
It was magic, but not just any magic. Familiar magic.
His magic.
It was his magic! He could feel his magic—his magic—all around him! It was unmistakable. He'd know his own magic anywhere.
There was a distant thunk; Jack looked up. The Dome had begun to glow.
"Jacqueline, I—"
"HOLY sleet, Jack! Are you seeing this?!"
His eyes shot downwards. As the Dome began to glow, so had the magic in Jacqueline's hands. It had already been brilliantly bright...but a new hue seemed to be creeping in. Blue tendrils were bleeding through the light blue, the magic growing taller and taller as more and more blue interceded. Jack's jaw dropped open when he realized exactly what he was seeing.
"That's my magic!"
"That's your magic! And mine!"
"And yours!"
"It's both!"
"And like, full power!"
"Is it?!"
"It's definitely a LOT! I think that maybe I should—"
"Do it," Jack agreed.
Jacqueline tossed the magic up. The two-tone blast shot towards the icy sky, hitting the centre of the Dome. They watched as it spread across the ice, the colour of the Dome brightening and all of the little cracks Jack could feel mending themselves. The Dome very briefly became blindingly bright, the last tendrils of magic leaving Jacqueline's hands. Then, with a bright flash, everything stopped. The North Pole grew silent.
Snow began to fall, big, fluffy flakes drifting down gently from the Dome.
Jack stepped back, his hand finally coming off of Jacqueline's shoulder. He looked up at the Dome.
It was perfect.
"What the hell was that?"
It was Elle who had broken the silence. She looked towards Santa and Mrs. Claus. Both of them looked shocked. She glanced at Bernard. He shrugged, shocked as well (and a little bit curious).
"We're all ears, if anyone has any ideas," Jack said, staring down at his hand.
"That was pretty odd, and I've seen some odd sleet," Jacqueline said. "Your magic was all up in there, dude!"
"I noticed," Jack shot back halfheartedly.
"Wow!" Santa interrupted. "Look at how solid that is! And the lights! They're so bright! Is that permanent?"
Jack stared at the Dome, frowning in concentration.
"It's not permanent," he finally said. "There's a very, very slow magical leak. Emphasis on the very."
"Which one?"
"Both. It's a really good patch job, though. It'll hold up for a while," Jack confirmed.
"Good, cause that's what we need," Jacqueline said. Who knows how long it'll take to get ourselves in working order, she added, mentally.
Or how long it will take to get past the sentient gate.
Jacqueline snickered. You're so concerned about the gate, it's the least of our problems, really.
That's why I'm so concerned about it! It's always the small things!
"Wow! That really is odd to see from the outside!" said Elle.
"That's enough of that," Bernard agreed. "You two should get going."
"Good luck. Both of you," Elle said.
"Thanks Elle," the sprites replied in unison.
"Shall we?" Jack asked, offering his arm.
Jacqueline narrowed her eyes. "Think we'll get stuck again?"
"Well. We won't know until we try."
"Fair enough," Jacqueline said with a shrug, grabbing Jack's arm. With one last wave and a final goodbye, the pair disappeared in a shower of two toned blue sparks and snowflakes.
The snow settled on the ground, the sparks dissipating as they floated down. Elves continued walking around the group merrily, Christmas tunes playing in the background. The colours danced along the dome once more, the air cold and sharp. The four of them stood still for a moment, silent, replaying the events in their heads as they gazed up at the Dome.
"Really though. What was that?" Santa finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Something Legate-y," Bernard replied.
"So what you're saying, number one, is that you don't have an answer for me."
Bernard shook his head. "Nope."
"Great. So. Add that to the list of things those two will have to work out at home." Santa stared up, stroking his beard in thought. "In the meantime, we may want to keep tabs on that Dome of ours."
"I just thinking that," Bernard said. "Make sure it's actually solid, for starters."
"It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on it daily, while the two of them are home," Elle added.
Bernard nodded. "We can set up a reconnaissance team to keep tabs on it starting today."
"Sounds great, guys! What next?"
"What do you mean what next?" Carol asked.
"What do we do after that?" Santa clarified, confused.
Carol laughed, hugging Scott's arm. "Nothing. We simply wait."
"Nothing?! Nothing?!" Santa asked, flabbergasted, shuffling back and forth. "Carol, honey, you know I'm not good at doing nothing!"
"I think it's safe to say that this is both beyond us and out of our hands," she replied. "So, we wait."
Santa sighed. "I was afraid you were going to say that."
They had barely reformed on the top of a very snowy hill when Jacqueline let out a sigh, her snowy shoulders sagging as though a huge weight had been lifted. As the siblings solidified, Jacqueline dropped to the ground with a dull thud, the powdered snow on the ground poofing up around her.
"Home at last," Jacqueline said, eyes closed. She lay as though she were about to make a snow angel but did not move.
Jack frowned against the sunlight, dusting stray flakes off of his shoulders. "I hadn't realized we'd moved," he said. "Didn't we used to have a house? In the North?" He squinted. "It's bright! What is this, the Southern Province?"
With a flick of his wrist, his aviators slid out of his sleeve. Ah, sweet relief, he thought as he put them on.
"Haha, very funny," Jacqueline replied from the floor. Her arms were behind her head now, her own pair of aviators sitting on her face. "Check again, blizzard brain."
It definitely wasn't the South. It was much too snowy for that. And the abundance of evergreens? They didn't actually grow down south. No, this was most definitely the Northern Province.
Jacqueline rolled over in the snow, supporting herself on her elbows. "Turn around," she said, pulling down her shades and grinning.
Jack did, and was greeted by a gorgeous sight.
"Welcome back to Crystal Springs!" Jacqueline said, and Jack could hear the cheeky grin on her face.
Off in the horizon, in the centre of the province, was a mountain. It didn't go so high up that they couldn't see the peak. No, the peak was very visible. It managed to loom in the distance in a friendly way—it was far, but also looked close enough to touch. This particular mountain lay at the centre of the Crystalline Range, its magical properties the reason for the name of the country itself. Filled with nooks and crannies and grottos and caves, each of these features held crystal clear pools of water, healing water, interconnected by streams and waterfalls drifting through, down, and around the mountain. Mist rose from the water in all areas, sunlight catching the droplets of moisture in the mists and casting rainbows into the air. The mist alone could perk up even the healthiest of magibeans on a particularly sunny day. The range tapered off into rolling hills, settlements dotted throughout the valleys and planes, four rivers branching out from the base of the mountain and serving as the borders between the four provinces.
The view was stunning, to say the least; especially after all the time Jack had spent away.
"Doing alright?" Jacqueline asked, getting up and readjusting her shades.
"Fine, yeah. Wow. That view," he said, finding himself following the path of the Northern river wit his eyes. In the distance, it flowed between the evergreens, disappearing behind them. Though he couldn't see the river, he knew its flow well.
"I guess it'd really hit after all that time away, huh?"
Jack nodded, still following the river. He found himself turning on the spot, until he stood facing his original direction. He knew where that particular riverbank was.
It was a handful of meters away from the place he grown up at. That he had once called home.
Frost Manor.
A cobblestone path sprawled out at the base of the hill, bordered by tall evergreens blanketed in snow. The sun was high in the sky, its rays bouncing off the snow the reason for the particularly bright day. The back of his neck prickled; his hair stood on end as he felt the copious amounts of magic running through the air.
"It's so strange," he finally said, Jacqueline waiting patiently. Expectantly. "I knew it would have grown, of course. And I remember what home looked like—all evergreen trees and snow no matter what 's still the same. But so different," he admitted with a frown. "How are you not bothered by all the magic in the air? It's at least four times the amount at the Pole. Eight, maybe, at most."
Jacqueline laughed. "I'm used to it! I mean, I've been home for one hundred and fifty years straight, right? It settles."
"Only one fifty?"
"Mhmm," Jacqueline said, nodding. "I, uh, left home for a while," she admitted, surveying the incline they stood on.
Before Jack could open his mouth and ask about Jacqueline's little adventure, maybe suggest a siesta and press her for more info, she threw herself back into the snow, rolling down the hill very fast.
Jack blinked, his sister's laughter fading as she neared the bottom. With a couple of well-placed taps, Jack found the iciest part of the hill and slid down. He landed upright at the base of the hill the same time Jacqueline rolled to a stop, still laughing.
"Here you go," Jack said, passing her the sunglasses he had picked up on the way down.
Jacqueline opened her eyes and patted her face. With a sheepish grin, she grabbed the shades and put them on, grabbing Jack's still outstretched hand shortly after and pulling herself up with a cheery thanks.
"If it makes you feel better, I thought the same thing when I got back," she admitted, dusting off her dress. "Being away for so long, and then coming back to the magical epicentre? It hits you like a slushball," she admitted, doing a final twirl of her skirts before nodding in approval. "There's a lot of magic in the air. But I got used to it pretty fast! And you will too," she said with a reassuring smile.
And she was right. Already Jack felt the magic wrapping around him, like the welcome embrace of a soft blanket at the end of a long day.
"That's the number one reason why I thought coming here, coming home, would be a good idea. This much magic should help us get your core back in shape in no time," she added, crossing her arms in a satisfied manner. "Or at the very least, find a workaround."
"Hmm," Jack said, side-eyeing his sister. "I like your sunglasses, by the way," he said with a smirk, gesturing at hers and then at his.
Jacqueline cackled, doing the same. "Right? And Elle says you don't need them in the winter," she said with a snort. "Shall we?"
She didn't wait for an answer, instead tossing the question over her shoulder as she marched down the cobblestone path.
Jack followed, catching up to her in no time. They walked for a while, Jack staring at the surroundings, hands in his pockets. They turned a corner, onto yet another cobblestone path lined with impossibly tall pine trees. The road dipped down, the incline gradually dropping. In the distance, on the right, a tall, off-white structure sat in the distance, slowly beginning to appear as they kept time had weathered it, Jack recognized it instantly. They closed the distance, the mansion looming in the distance, larger and larger until, swallowing a lump in his throat, there was a break in the trees, an iron fence bordering the grounds.
All too soon, they had reached the tall, sentient front gate. Jack stopped short, staring up at the gate and the large dwelling behind it. It seemed to grow larger as he stared at it, the three floors looming above him, the white bricks a little more ivory than he remembered. The pathway to the veranda was lined with rose bushes, another path branching to the far right where a lovely gazebo sat, shaded by evergreens. The roses bloomed bright red, topped with snow. They rustled in the gentle cold breeze, and suddenly Jack found himself back on that day, that awful day, where the sky was dark and the thorns were scratching his face in the storm, the trees bending in the wind. A scream; the red on the rosesshone bright, but not as bright as the puddle that had begun to form under his fallen baby sister, the air starting to smell a little bit rusty as she hit the ground, motionless—
"Jack? You there?"
And suddenly, there was no wind. There was no dark sky. The sun shone. The winter winds blew through the branches, a few stray snowflakes gently drifting by. Pine cones fell on the stones behind him. The roses were in place, and his sister stood in front of him, confused and concerned under the tinted shades, waiting in front of the gate, and perfectly okay with not a single puddle in sight.
"I'm beginning to have second thoughts," Jack croaked.
Jacqueline glanced behind them, then back at Jack. She thought of the last time he had been at these gates and it clicked.
"Oh! Oh." She walked up to him. "It's gonna be okay, Jack. Look! I'm okay. The weather is great and the sky is bright and clear." She gave his arm a gentle tug, pulling him towards the gates. "We got this," she said, Jack finding himself stepping forward with her. One step. Two steps. Jacqueline led him to the gates, dropping his arm and stepping in front of him.
There was a loud snap and a creak, and the gates parted to let her through. She stepped through with a little thank you, and turned to face Jack.
"You got this," she said, waiting just past the hinges.
Jack took a deep breath, and then another. He stepped onto the walkway, and then stepped again, and soon enough he was in front of Jacqueline, and she was okay, and he was okay, and the gate had let him in. He had done it! The gates began to close behind them, stopping just behind Jack and reversing course, shoving him deeper onto the property. They shut with a creak that sounded a little bit smug.
"Welcome home, Jack," Jacqueline said, with a grin.
"The gates let me in," he sounded almost disbelieving.
"I'll say! They practically pushed you in," Jacqueline said with a lopsided grin.
"No I told you so?" Jack teased.
"I'm trying to be nice and supportive. You know, more of a you did it, Jack! You made it! Instead of I told you so's and such. But I'm more than happy to say that I told—"
"I'll pass," Jack interrupted with a wry smile. "I'll take the supportive bit today. We can resume our regularly scheduled banter tomorrow."
"I'll hold you to it," Jacqueline said, laughing to herself. "And! As ordered," she said, her face splitting into a grin as she lifted her arms excitedly. "You did it! You made it home, Jack."
"We did it," he said.
"Heck yeah," Jacqueline said. "And just in time for lunch, as expected."
"Ah, right. Time zones."
"Exactly—it's why I wanted to head out earlier." Jacqueline admitted, making her way up the path and trying very hard not to break into a run, Jack noted. "Are you coming, or not?" she shouted over her shoulder.
Now or never, Jack, he thought to himself.
He took yet another deep breath in, exhaled, and followed her up the path.
The pair of them hadn't even made it to the base of the veranda when someone rounded the corner of the house, carrying a large pile of firewood and whistling to himself. If a non-magibean were to look at the man, they'd guess him to be somewhere near sixty, perhaps, though it was hard to place. He wore a pale light orange shirt, the sleeves rolled up despite the chilly weather. His skin was somewhere between medium and olive, slight wrinkles on his forehead. His hair was a literal fiery orange, flames shooting straight up, his eyes a warm almost golden orange—not too light and not too bright.
"Dad!" Jacqueline yelled, waving.
The man looked startled, the flames on his head growing taller for the briefest of seconds before his eyes landed on Jacqueline, widening in recognition. His face broke into a smile, the wrinkles disappearing and every possible smile line you could imagine appearing instead.
"Jacqueline! You're home!" he shouted from the base of the porch stairs.
Jacqueline bolted, ramming right into him and giving him a hug. The firewood toppled, and Blaise nearly did, too! He must've been used to these kinds of tackle hugs, Jack thought as he neared the stairs, since he steadied himself fairly fast and squeezed back in record time, going so far as to lift Jacqueline with a little half spin. She laughed, face buried in his chest.
"We've missed you around here, kiddo," he said, putting her down and squeezing her tightly.
"I missed you guys too," she said, quietly. Letting go, she grinned up at her dad. Their dad. "I brought someone with me," she said, pointing over her shoulder.
Blaise looked past her, meeting Jack's unsure gaze. His eyes widened, hair going out with a little puff. The two men locked eyes; Jack swallowed, taking off his shades and immediately averting his gaze.
Jacqueline glanced between the two of them, choosing her next move carefully. She stepped back, and Jack felt waves of comfort come across their connection. He glanced at her. She smiled, and gave a tiny, tiny nod.
It took Jack a moment still to work up the courage, before he finally looked up into Blaise's eyes.
"Hi Dad," Jack finally said, a little too quietly for his liking. He cleared his throat. "I'm…back."
Blaise was silent, eyes roving over his son fast, face unreadable. Jack braced himself, fearing the worst. Waiting for the angry retort. The proper banishment from the grounds that would surely come his way and—warm.
He was warm, suddenly. Very warm.
Jack opened his eyes (unsure when he had even closed them) and found himself looking over Blaise's shoulder.
He was hugging him. Blaise was hugging him, tightly.
Jack stood still, confused. His arms were sticking out, unsure if he should return the hug or not.
There was a small fwoosh, a sudden warmth blooming near his head. Blaise let go, his hair reignited and a smile on his face as he gazed at Jack.
"Welcome home, son."
Frost Mansion was large, but the property it was on was massive, which is why it was more often referred to as Frost Manor, instead. The grounds were gorgeous, and the wraparound porch was no exception to this. The front porch was small and cozy, about double the size of the two-person walkway that made up the wraparound bit of the porch. Facing the trio towards the left of the door sat two large mismatched Muskoka chairs, a small table between them. On the other side of the large French doors were two wicker chairs, a swinging bench directly across from them, a long bench serving as a table smack centre of the three seats.
Blaise led them up the stairs, Jacqueline talking animatedly as they approached the door. But before he could even open the door and usher them in, Jack found his voice.
"I don't understand," he said, halting Blaise and Jacqueline's chatter.
"That's why I'm asking Dad about the thing that happened before we left the Pole."
"No, not that! I mean yes, I don't understand that, but I mean, not that! A hug?" he asked, genuinely confused. "I don't understand. Aren't you angry?" he asked, arms waving about. "Aren't you mad, or, or upset, or—a hug?" His arms stopped well above his head, Jack absolutely perplexed.
If Jack wasn't having such a crisis, Blaise would have laughed. Instead, he smiled, his warm eyes crinkling at the corners. "Sit down, Jack," he said, not waiting for Jack to do so before he perched on the edge of the large chair next to him. Jack plopped down, astonished.
"Of course I was angry. And mad, and upset," he said, his hair burning a tad too tall for a bit."But I found, after a while, that it...it went away. It stopped. The anger wasn't there anymore." He shrugged, leaning back in the chair and crossing his leg over his knee thoughtfully. "They say that Time heals all wounds. I was never one to fully believe that, but sure enough, that's what started to happen. My anger burnt out. I had time to think, and realized...well, a lot."
Jack leaned forward, elbows on his knees, fingers pressed against each other.
"For starters, I was exhausted. Anger is tiring, especially at my age," he said with a chuckle.
Jack didn't laugh.
"And I had realized that somewhere along the way, I had messed up. I spent your entire childhood watching you like a hawk. Keeping a close eye on you. I wasn't listening to you; I didn't listen to you. I hadn't given you the proper tools to grow. I was so afraid of you going down the wrong path, that in my attempts to circumvent that, I helped push you towards it," Blaise admitted, hair settling down to a simmer. "I never thought about how it must've been from your perspective; not until well after you left. And when I finally did, a lot of pieces started falling in place. I wanted to be a better father to you than mine was...and I ended up doing. Well. Not that, that's for sure. I wasn't acting like a father; I was acting like an authority figure. You didn't deserve that, Jack. I'm s—"
"Ah-bup-bup, no," Jack said, sticking up a finger.
"But I—"
"No," Jack repeated, sternly. "Stop right there, Blaise. It sounds like you were about to say sorry! And if anyone on this porch should be apologizing right now, it's me. Not you." Jack inhaled deeply, sighing on the exhale. "You were just looking out for me. And admittedly, I wasn't the easiest child to deal with."
Blaise laughed at that.
"You wanted to do what was best for me. You saw where I was going, with every person I pissed off, every natural phenomenon I interfered with. You saw the outcome of my actions well before I did, and you did what you did to try and and prevent that from happening. To, to help me. Y'know, before it was too late, and all that," he said, with a careless wave.
"That doesn't make it right," Blaise replied.
"Maybe not. But that doesn't make any of my actions right, either. And honestly? I think it was too late well before you started picking up on it. You were right to keep an eye on me. I was practically running towards that wrong path, in an attempt to gain things that I already had," he admitted, "But was too dumb to realize. And despite your best efforts, I went right down that path, until I took it too far," he finished, glancing over at his sister. She sat tensely on the wicker chair that was angled towards them, listening without looking like she was. "You were right all along."
Blaise looked thoughtful for a moment. "Right or wrong, that still doesn't excuse my actions," he began. "I should have listened to you. Maybe if I had, it'd have shown you that you didn't need to go find that somewhere else. I should have been more compassionate; tried to be more understanding. Maybe we could've helped you far more than we actually did. Maybe we could've stopped you from going too far."
"That wouldn't have stopped me," Jack said. "I knew full well what I was doing and thought it was right. I thought it all needed to be done. Ends to a means and such. Nothing you could've said would have changed my mind, Dad. My choices were mine, I know that for sure. And that's why I'm sorry, Dad. I am so very sorry for everything I did, and all the hurt and pain I may—did, that I did cause you. I regret it all of it so much, and I'll do anything to make up for it. Anything. I mean, I came all the way out here, after fourteen hundred years of silence, and faced down a sentient gate—" Jacqueline snorted from her chair. "—as a start! A sentient gate! And I know I may not deserve it, but I really, really, really hope you'll forgive me, Dad."
Blaise got up and offered Jack his hand, smiling softly. "Of course I do, Jack. I accept your apology, son."
A weight lifted off of his shoulder, Jack's face broke into a large smile, relieved. "Oh thank heavens," he said, accepting Blaise's hand and going for a shake—only to have his arm grabbed and find himself pulled off the chair and crushed in yet another bear hug.
"Ow! You're crushing me!" Jack said. "I did not miss this," he lied.
Blaise laughed. It rumbled in his chest. "Sure, kiddo," he said. "You best be getting used to it! All my hugs are like this."
"Still!?"
"Still," Blaise said with a smirk. "And I know you don't want me to say it, but I need to," he said, still squeezing Jack. "I'm sorry, too. For everything."
"Thanks, Dad," Jack said, patting his back. "I appreciate it."
Jacqueline breathed a sigh of relief, sinking deeper into the wicker chair.
"So," Blaise said, finally letting go of Jack. "Where do we begin?"
"I want to make amends with everybody. I've already made up with Jacqueline," he said, gesturing to the younger sprite who was fast becoming one with her chair. "And I like to think we're off to a good start," he said, gesturing between the two of them.
"I'd be inclined to agree. Ten minutes and not a single snow or fireball. I think that's a new record!"
Jack laughed. "I hurt Winter a lot, too," he said, smile falling. "I have to fix things with her. Make amends and such. And the Twins! Bingo and Nora?"
"Fino and Fiera," both Blaise and Jacqueline said at the same time, Jacqueline adding a mental c'mon, dude for good measure.
"Right. Fino and Fiera. Fino and Fiera. Fino and Fiera, that should be easy enough—they're like our names, Jacqueline!"
"Hmm?"
"A matching set!"
"Ah."
"Winter always did like matching sets," Blaise said, fondly. "Knowing their names is a great start," he teased. "And then, if there are any amends to be made with them, meeting them's probably a good next step. What do you think, son?" Blaise asked, eyebrow raised and a cocky grin that looked all too familiar to Jack on his face. Guess I had to get it from somewhere, he thought.
"Right! Meeting them! I hadn't even thought about that," Jack said, frowning.
"Ah, don't worry, son. They're excited to meet you! Haven't stopped asking about you since Jacqueline headed your way. They'll make sure you meet them and get to know them, one way or another."
"...I'm not sure how to feel about that," Jack said.
Jacqueline laughed out loud, pushing her shades up into her hair and grinning at Jack. "I can't wait to see the carnage," she said, with a smirk that Jack liked even less.
"I like that even less," he made sure to say out loud.
Blaise began to speak, words barely forming before a loud shout gave all three of them a start. Flames shot out from behind the gazebo, a small explosion launching two kid-shaped projectiles in opposite directions away from the gazebo. They landed in a heap, one of them sliding forward a bit in the grass before coming to a full stop, the other one managing to steady themselves before sliding away. Smoke seemed to be coming off of their clothes as they turned and looked at each other with identical looks of bewilderment.
Blaise sighed. "Speak of the devil. Or in this case, devils." He rushed over to the railing, leaning over it and shouting towards the gazebo. "Fino! Fiera! What are you two doing?"
"Nothing!" the one who had slid, a girl, shouted back. Jack watched from a distance as she got up and dusted off her skirt. Soot flew out into the air, drifting on the breeze. Her hair was a bright orange and stopped just at her shoulders, the ends flickering like the flame of a low burning candle—ah. Her hair was also on fire. And so was the boy's hair, Jack noticed, as the kid got up and rushed to his sister's side.
"It was Fiera's idea," he shouted matter-of-factly, dusting soot off of his orange shirt. His hair seemed to jump as he noticed the button of his left overall had come undone; he fixed it quickly, his hair, a short grouping of flames as opposed to Blaise's mighty roar, dulling down to a simmer. One of his knees had a bandage on it, and Jack nearly laughed at how normal that was in comparison to literally everything else about the twins.
"And what exactly was your idea, Fiera?" Blaise asked.
The twins grew very quiet, suddenly uninterested and looking anywhere but at their father.
"Fiera…" Blaise asked again, gently but with a bit of conviction.
"I was trying to see if we could fly," she admitted. "Like if we made flame rockets on our feet!"
"It didn't work very well," Fino said, shrugging.
"Well it would have if you had given me a boost too!"
"No, we just would have exploded higher! I told you that was a bad idea!"
"Alright you two, settle down. Is the gazebo on fire?"
"Nope!" they chorused.
"Then everything is fine. Where's your Mother?"
They were still shouting across the grounds. Jack was surprised the shouts hadn't summoned the season. He glanced over at Jacqueline, hoping he had been thinking loud enough for her to hear.
"This is about your average day here," she answered out loud.
"Even the explosion?"
"That's not even one of their bigger ones."
What on Earth have I gotten myself into? Jack thought, tuning back into the shout-versation. Blaise's elbows now rested on the porch, his manner far too non-nonchalant for someone who had just watched his kids explode in two different directions. He looked amused; Jack shuffled closer.
"You think everyone is in the sunroom!" Fiera was sassing, arms up in the air.
"It's a nice room!" Fino sassed back, crossing his arms with a huff.
"Only the upstairs one is nice! The downstairs one is too warm, and not hot enough," she replied, mirroring his pose.
"It's perfect!" Fino said, throwing up his arms now.
"Alright you two, bring it in," Blaise shouted, standing up straight and rubbing his lower back, nearly bumping into Jack. "Whoops, sorry son," he said.
"Woah! Hold the hecking phone!" Fiera shouted. "Is that who I THINK it is?!"
"Ou, I think it is!" Fino replied, shaking her arm excitedly.
Before Blaise could finish saying "Now hang on a second," the twins were at the base of the steps to the porch, staring up at the trio.
"Jacqueline's back!" Fiera said.
"What's up, hot heads," Jacqueline said from her seat, with a lazy wave.
"And you brought Jack!"
"I sure did," Jacqueline replied.
"Hi," Jack said from behind Blaise.
Fiera squealed, immediately making a mad dash for her older brother.
"Should I be concerned?" Jack asked.
Blaise raised an eyebrow, stepping to the side, and Jack was immediately alarmed.
"The carnage begins," Jacqueline replied, smirking and letting her sunglasses fall back down on her face. She stretched out her legs and propped her feet up on the bench, arms behind her head.
Jack glanced over at Blaise, receiving a wry smile and a shrug before he was nearly bowled over. Nearly. Fiera had stopped less centimetres in front of him, Fino crashing into her.
"Ha!" Fiera yelled, laughing at Jack. "Made you flinch!"
"Sorry about that," said Fino, pulling Fiera back a bit. He stared his older brother down with a frown, head tilted. "She's just like this."
"It's true!" Fiera said brightly, Fino continuing to stare him down.
"You don't look how I expected," Fino finally said.
"He looks crispy," Fiera agreed, eyeballing the white suit and brown hair. "Oh! Speaking of!"
Fiera did a full one-eighty, and grinned at Jacqueline. Her hair lit up, the fiery ends sticking out a bit.
"Oh, I know that look, and don't you even think about it—no don't look at Fino like that—argh! No! This is my good dress!"
Her cries fell on deaf ears. Fiera ran, launching herself into Jacqueline's lap, Fino close behind. Jacqueline let out a whoosh of breath, and a dry cough when Fino added to the squish. The chair creaked under their weight, the sound of cracking ice speaking for itself.
"Fiera! Stop it! It takes forever to get these details right! Fino, no! Not you too!" Jacqueline took her sunglasses off and glared at him. "I trusted you!"
Fino laughed. "It looks better in white anyway," he said, sliding back down onto the deck. Carefully, he grabbed Fiera around the waist, pulling her off of Jacqueline's melting skirts.
She stood up with a huff, hands glowing. "You guys are the worst," she said, fondly.
"Ehehehe," Fiera cackled, whipping around to face Jack. Hands on her hips, she bounced back on the balls of her feet, then forward with a loud thwack as her flip flops hit the deck boards. "SO," she said, straightening her back. "This is the guy, huh?"
"If by the guy you mean our older brother," Jacqueline replied, the ice sliding down her skirts reversing. "Then yes."
"The dude who did that whole. Day of Darkness thing?"
"Yep," Jacqueline replied, trying to fix the bodice. The icicles were a pain in the butt to get right—but so worth it, she thought.
Fiera scrutinized him, now. It was so much worse than Fino's inquisitive stare. Jack could feel the icy cold grip of anxiety squishing his lungs and crushing his stomach, while simultaneously making him want to hurl, the longer Fiera sized him up.
"The guy who did the stabby bit?"
"Fiera! Don't—"
"It's cool, Fino," Jacqueline cut him off, shaking the blue off of her hand, her dress as fresh as a lightly frosted lawn in November. "It's fine. And yes, Fiera. He also referred to it as the stabby bit so—"
"I don't think I was quite as crude," Jack said. Fino snickered.
"Hmm," said Fiera. "Could you come here, please?"
Jack pointed to himself.
Fiera nodded.
Jack glanced to Blaise.
Blaise motioned him forwards.
Jack stepped closer.
"Closer, please," Fiera said.
Jack took two more steps.
"A little bit more," she said.
"Is this close enough?" Jack asked, now directly in front of her.
She nodded. "Come down here."
Jack looked at his brother, hoping for some kind of help with whatever it was Fiera was about to do. When Fino just shrugged, equally as perplexed, Jack sighed and squatted down, so that the two of them were face to face.
"Better?"
"Much!" Fiera replied, and with that, gave him a big old slap right on his face.
Several things happened at once as a direct result of Fiera's slap. Jack pulled back, blinking. Did she just—did she just slap him? Had that just happened? He touched his cheek, completely thrown off as behind him, Jacqueline burst out in laughter.
She doubled over, her sunglasses sliding right off of her face, clattering down on the porch.
Fino gasped, staring at his twin in shock, hands covering his gaping mouth. His eyes darted between Fiera and Jack, the former giving Jack a very cute attempt at an icy glare, the latter realizing holy frost, she had slapped him, what the frost, and rubbing his lightly coloured cheek. Blaise let out an oof, grimacing and ready to scold Fiera alongside Fino.
But before either of them could tell Fiera that that hadn't been very nice, Jack came to his senses.
"Ow!" he said. "What was that for!?"
"The Day of Darkness, the stabby bit, looking crispy without me being the one to make you look crispy, and above all else," she said, ticking each item off on her fingers, "leaving Mom and Dad and Jacqueline! That was very very very very very very very very very not nice and bad of you!"
Jacqueline laughed harder. She didn't even have the common courtesy to muffle her laughter! The audacity! Jack made sure to think that bit directly at her which only made her start to snort every third or fourth laugh. Some help you are! Jack thought.
I can't freaking breath, she thought back, still laughing.
"Fiera why did you do that?!" Fino finally spoke up, all in one breath.
"Oh come on Fino! He deserved it!"
"I mean, yeah, but we still shouldn't slap people we've just met—"
"No no no, Fino. She's right," Jack said, silencing both twins as Jacqueline's laughter ebbed and slowed. She shared a confused look with Blaise, who shrugged a little bit helplessly. Fiera was a wild card, and Jack even more so—waiting to see how this would play out was the best course of action, in his books.
"I like you, little heat girl!" Jack finally said, dropping down and crossing his legs. "Both of you little hot heads," he added, smiling at Fino. He smiled back, shyly. "You've got spunk. Especially you, Fiera."
Fiera glowed. "Well thank you, that's very nice of you to say." Then her smile dropped. "But not what I'm looking for!"
"I know, I know. And I want you both to know, that I'm very very very very very very very very very sorry for leaving Mom and Dad and Jacqueline in the way that I did. And for the whole entire Day of Darkness, and the stabby bit, especially," Jack began.
"Good," Fiera said, arms crossed.
"It wasn't right, and I know that. I've always known that. It just took a little while to come to terms with it," he admitted. "I've learnt a lot in the past year, done a bit of changing myself, and I'm hoping I can finally make up for everything I did. And that includes not being there for the two of you, either."
Fiera's arms fell. Both fiery heads extinguished, the bright orange heads of hair smoking a little bit. The twins shared a quick, shocked look with each other.
"Oh," Fino said, blinking.
"Wow," Fiera agreed, thrown off guard.
"It was wrong of me to leave all five of you, and I'm sorry. I hope you two especially can accept my apology, and allow me to properly introduce myself." Jack cleared his throat. "Hi. My name is Jack. Jack Frost. I'm your older brother, and it's an absolute pleasure to meet you two, and I'm sorry we didn't get to meet sooner," he added, sticking out both his hands.
The hair lit back up very fast. The twins shared a grin, stuck out their right and left hand, and shook Jack's. "I'm Fiera," Fiera finally said, nice and proper. "And this is my twin brother and also your regular brother, Fino. And also, sorry for slapping you."
"Well thank you for the sorry, that's kind of you," Jack replied, shaking her hand as over enthusiastically as she shook his. "I'm sure my face will recover, but my ego? That may never!"
Oh, please, Jacqueline scoffed at him mentally.
"And it's a pleasure to meet you, too," Fino said, gripping Jack's hand tightly now, without shaking. "I need you to promise me something, though."
Jack looked thoughtful. "Well, sure. What is it?"
"Pinkie promise," Fino said, moving his hand to grasp Jack's fingers with his own and sticking up his pinkie. "Pinkie promise that you won't leave Mom and Dad and Jacqueline and now me and Fiera like that ever again."
Jack stuck out his little finger. "I pinkie promise."
Fino nodded and wrapped his pinkie around Jack's. "And lock it," he said, sticking up his thumb.
Pressing his thumb against Fino's, Jack locked it.
"Good," Fino said with a grin, the look so familiar to Jack that he had to blink a few times. It was strange to see his own grin on someone else!
"Well, this went well!" Jack said, clapping his hands together.
"It did?" Jacqueline asked.
"Don't question it," Blaise stage whispered. "Could've been a lot worse."
"Now then! I heard you two had a lot of questions for the great and powerful Jack Frost!" he said, striking a pose.
"We do!" Fiera said.
"And I made a list," Fino added, grabbing a rolled up piece of paper from his front pocket and unwinding it, plopping down on the porch in front of Jack.
"Ou, a list all about me? I love it. Alright. Hit me."
"Question number one," Fino said, sticking up his finger. "What is up with your powers?"
"Of course you start with the hardest one first," Jack said, the twins giggling.
Blaise watched fondly as Jack did his best to indulge the Twins. He laughed to himself, shaking his head. "Leave it to Fino," he mused out loud.
"The fact that we've got no idea what's going on there is gonna bug him. I can feel it," Jacqueline said.
"It's funny. You were the same way too when you were little. Asking the hardest questions first. Same with Jack," Blaise thought, looking off in the distance, lost in memory.
Jacqueline blinked. She cleared her throat. "Earth to Dad."
"Right, sorry," Blaise said. "You okay?"
"Better now that we're home. And this went well."
"Your sister did slap him."
"Someone was bound to eventually," Jacqueline said with a shrug.
"It most definitely wasn't his first time; certainly won't be his last," Blaise said, scanning the grounds. He frowned. "I was sure your Mother would have been drawn out by now. Keep an eye on them, will you Jacqueline?" Blaise asked, hopping over the railing. "I'm going to go find her, let her know you two have arrived."
"Sure thing," Jacqueline said, leaning on the railing.
"A keen eye, please. I'm not sure how I feel about a Jack and Fiera duo, let alone a Jack and Fino duo. Both of those are spelling trouble," he mumbled.
"Aye-aye, Captain," Jacqueline said, saluting as Blaise wandered vaguely towards the backyard.
"Blaise!"
Winter waved up at him from the slope heading towards the riverbank, picking up her skirts in her other hand. She climbed over the rocks and driftwood; Blaise rushed over, grabbing her hand and helping her onto even ground.
"Thank you, Blaise dear."
"Of course," Blaise said with a soft smile, squeezing her hand.
"I lost sight of the twins, unfortunately. I got a bit distracted with snow business, of course. I was looking everywhere for them when I heard an explosion—oh," Winter said, finally looking up. "You look frazzled, dear. What's wrong?"
"The kids are out front. All of them. Including the snowy ones. Both of them."
"Oh. Oh!"
"Yeah."
"Oh. Oh, my. I was not expecting them back so soon, good heavens."
"Nor was I, admittedly."
"Are they okay?"
Blaise shrugged, making a non-committal noise in his throat. "They seem alright. Are you okay sweetheart?"
"Oh, I'm fine! Perfectly so." She paused, dropping her skirts and sliding her hand out of his. "Absolutely not, actually! Not at all!"
Blaise laughed. "We'll you're certainly not alone," he said, kissing the top of her head.
Winter smiled, her cheeks flushed. She kissed the underside of his chin—since it was the only place she could reach flat on her feet at the moment. "What did you end up doing?" she asked.
"I hugged him, and we had a nice old heart to heart on the porch. He was expecting anger," Blaise said, matching Winter's pace as they walked up the backyard and rounded the side of the house, hands in his pockets. "So I said my piece. I apologized, he said don't you dare, I'm the one who should be apologizing, and then he did. Then Fiera slapped him," Blaise finished with a chuckle.
"She did what?"
"She slapped him."
"Well, someone was bound to eventually."
"Jacqueline said the same thing."
"Hmm." Winter shoved her hands back into her muff, speeding up and heading to the front of the house. Blaise frowned, catching up in a few long strides.
"Winter dear, what are you doing?"
"I don't know!"
She stopped at the corner of the house, leaning forwards very slightly to catch a glimpse of him.
Jacqueline was leaning against the railing now, watching Jack answer all of Fino and Fiera's questions, the trio sitting cross legged on the porch. Fino's pencil moved across his list very fast as Jack explained something to him, hands waving about. Winter let out a little gasp, her mouth a small oh.
It was him. He was there.
Winter ducked back behind the wall, pressing her back against the brick.
"It's him, Blaise. It's really him. It's Jack."
"Yes, I know that," Blaise said, leaning against the side of the house with one hand, watching Winter closely.
"He's home," Winter said, heart leaping in her chest.
"I know," Blaise said, earnestly.
She glanced around the corner again, noting his defrosted appearance and the white suit. She ducked back behind the house, her hands spread behind her on the brick as though she were holding on for dear life.
"He really is powerless."
"It certainly looks that way."
She glanced back around the house, eyes widening when she saw the back of his head.
"His hair. It's slightly frozen."
"Is it now?" Blaise asked. Now it was his turn to look around the corner, squinting. "Well, what do you know! It is!" Blaise pulled back. "Promising, though, isn't it?"
"But why is it, I wonder," Winter said, looking thoughtful. "What made it freeze?"
"Are you two okay?"
Both Blaise and Winter glanced up, startled.
"Jacqueline! Yes, we're fine," Winter said, hand over her heart. She was leaning with her back against the wall of the house, Blaise with one hand on the wall just above her head, the other on his hip, ankles crossed.
"Are you sure Mom? You don't look fine. And considering how you're both hiding behind the house like that, I think maybe not everything is okay." She paused for a moment. "It's okay if everything is maybe not okay, you know."
Winter sighed. "I know, dear. I know."
"Your Mother's having a bit of a crisis," Blaise supplied.
"That feels like an understatement," Jacqueline pointed out.
"That's because it is!" Winter said. "I mean, he's there! He's right there!" she snuck another peek. Jack was making some weird sound effects, the twins laughing. "He has a good amount of your looks, Blaise."
"I noticed," Blaise replied. "Not as square, though. He's got a lot of your points," Blaise added, booping the tip of Winter's nose.
She rubbed her nose, letting out the quietest of laughs before glancing back around again. "Literally. Right there," she said. "I see it...but I don't believe it. I see him! But it doesn't feel like he's there—" Winter let out a frustrated huff, shoving her hands into her muff and dropping her arms into her skirts, annoyed.
"Why is that?" Jacqueline asked, confused.
"It's…complicated," Blaise said, with a half shrug (since he was still propping himself up against the wall).
"That's the understatement of the year," Winter finally said, biting her lip. "Goddess, I don't even know what to do!"
"Mom?"
"Yes sweetheart?"
"Honestly? I think the best way to go about doing anything would be the direct approach. It's a bit better than hiding behind the house," Jacqueline said, with a sly smile. "It may not feel okay right now, and it may be a little complicated, but it'll turn out fine! I mean, so far so good, right? You just gotta take that first step!"
"She's right darling," Blaise said, pushing off the wall and gently grabbing Winter's muff. He pulled it off carefully, holding her hands in his. "Just go up to the front and say hi to him! Simple, and direct!" He said, kissing her knuckles. "You can do it, love."
"Disgusting," Jacqueline said, sticking out her tongue.
"To each their own," Blaise said, smooching Winter yet again, going right for the lips this time just to bug Jacqueline. "I'm merely giving your mother some confidence."
"Okay. Confidence acquired! I'm going in," Winter said. Pushing herself off of the wall, she squared her shoulders and turned the corner, clearing her throat as she marched towards the veranda, head held high. "I can do this."
"Yes you can!" Blaise whispered, walking behind her. Jacqueline rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to her siblings as their parents rounded the corner.
Winter cleared her throat, stepping up onto the veranda. The effect was instantaneous. The Twins hopped up and moved to the side. Jack looked startled; he shot upright, clearing his throat.
"Winter! Hi—hey. Hello."
Jacqueline snorted. He may not have glared back, but she could feel the glare Jack wanted to shoot her way mentally. It only made her laugh harder.
"Jack," Winter said, breathlessly, as she came to the very awkward conclusion that she did not, in fact, have this under wraps as much as she thought she did.
The atmosphere became very tense, very fast. The twins, Blaise, and Jacqueline all shared a helpless look as the other two family members awkwardly stared at each other. Winter fiddled with her muff; Jack was rubbing the back of his neck. Time seemed to stretch on quite a bit before Fino, Fiera, and Jacqueline all had fingers on their noses, staring pointedly at Blaise.
"How about lunch!" Blaise said suddenly, snapping mother and son out of their awkward...whatever was going on. They both turned to look at him, equally perturbed. "I made my famous chili! And it's probably just about done," Blaise added, stepping around them and opening the front door.
"WOW! CHILI! MY FAVOURITE!" said Fiera, a tad too loud. Fino facepalmed, pulling his twin into the house.
"Yes, lunch, that sounds delicious! We could totally eat, right Jack? We definitely didn't just have breakfast," Jacqueline said, side stepping around her mom and brother and into the house.
"Well go on now, you two. It's best served hot!"
"Ironic, considering it's called chili," Jack finally mumbled, staring at the doorway wearily.
He was cringing the moment the words left his mouth. Ducking into the house quickly, he frowned at the ground. You blew it, Jack, you absolutely blew it! He thought to himself, digging holes into his pockets with how deep he shoved his hands in them.
A small snort reached his ears. He jerked right up out of his slouch.
Had Winter laughed? He thought, glancing behind him.
She stood on the porch still, muff covering her mouth, eyes crinkling at the corners.
Oh, she had totally laughed.
Jack grinned to himself. Maybe he hadn't blown it just yet.
"Was that a laugh?" Blaise teased, smirking.
"Maybe," Winter said, drawing out the first half of the word. "He has a point, you know. Why do they call it that when it's best served hot?"
Blaise chuckled. "You know, that's as good an ice breaker as any. Maybe you should tell him that one?"
"Well, I'd love to do that, dear. However, I don't know if you noticed, but I panicked. A lot." She sighed. "I'm beginning to think this is going to be harder than it looks," she said. "I mean, I saw him Blaise! He's right there!" She said, gesturing to his retreating form as he turned the corner into the kitchen.
"He sure is," Blaise said.
"I see him, but I don't feel as though he's there. That sounds crazy, doesn't it? Absolutely bonkers, as Jacqueline would say. What's the other thing she says?"
"Nutso?"
"Yes, that too. He's like a ghost Blaise. How on Earth am I going to fix this?"
"Hey, it's okay, love," Blaise said, kissing her forehead. He smiled softly, moving the stray hairs away from her face. "You don't have to do this alone. We'll find a way, dearest," he said, pulling her into a tight hug.
She sighed happily, returning the hug. "Mmm. Your hugs are so warm, I feel as though I'm going to literally melt every single time."
Blaise chuckled, the sound of his laughter deep in his chest soothing Winter right to her core. "Well, try your best not to. It'd be a shame if I accidentally evaporated the love of my life."
She laughed, standing on her tippy toes and smooching his cheek.
"Will you be okay for lunch?"
"Yes, I'll be okay. And yes, I'm positive," she added, pushing out of the hug and smiling up at Blaise.
"Good, because the cornbread is to die for," Blaise said, letting go of her.
Winter laughed. "I'll take your word for it," she said, making her way in.
"Hey," he added, grabbing Winter's hand as he closed the door behind them, stopping her just inside the hall. "You'll find a way to fix it. Both of you will. And I'll be here for you, every step of the way."
Winter smiled, squeezing her husband's hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way, dear."
"Don't look at me like that," Jack said, pouty, as he and his siblings (still such a strange phrase) entered the warm yellow kitchen, Fino and Fiera beelining for the dishes and the large pot of chili on the stove.
"Like what?" Jacqueline asked, looking far too innocent for Jack's liking.
"Like you're dying to say that could have gone better which yes, I know, it could have gone WAY better," Jack said, crashing into the corner of the island. "OW!"
"Yeesh, someone's distracted. And I thought I was bad. Look on the bright side! You got a snort out of her! That's pretty impressive! You didn't totally blow it," she said.
Jack rubbed his hip, exhaling sharply.
Jacqueline's smirk fell, her face softening. "It's going to be okay, Jack. It might take a bit of time, but I think you'll get there in the end."
"She looked at me like I was a ghost," Jack replied, with a hint of desperation.
"She also seemed a bit spooked earlier when she saw you."
"That's not helping."
"Sorry, just making a little observation," she said, hands up. "I can be helpful, if you'd like," she said, rounding the island and making her way over to the stove.
"That'd be nice." Jack replied, taking in his surroundings as he followed his sister. The blue counters were spotless; the white cupboards were still white, without a scorch mark in sight. That was a weird thing now, that scorch marks were an actual day-to-day problem in the family house. Real weird. Speaking of weird...
"What's with all the plants?"
"Hmm?" Jacqueline said, spoon in her mouth. She followed his gaze, eyes lighting up when she looked at the plants. "Oh! Spring likes to check in on Mom when they aren't fighting over the transitional season," she began, dropping her spoon into her bowl and going for the ladle. "Honestly, if Aunt Spring would just listen to the groundhog, then it'd be FINE. But nooOOOoooOOoo, goddess FORBID there's snow in March," she finished with an eye roll, a scoop of chili landing in her bowl with a loud plop! "Anyway, she brings a plant with her every time she checks in. Both sun rooms are full so we had to improvise, and the kitchen's warm enough and spacious enough for the creepy crawlers. And it does look kind of nice, don't you think? It's cozy," she finished, content.
Jack looked thoughtful, taking in the plants high on the cupboards, different vines and leaves trailing down the sides. He shrugged. "It works. Now, what was that about being helpful and nice?"
"Mmm! Right!" Jacqueline said, going in for a spoonful on the way to the table. "Here's my advice. Probably the same advice Dad would've given you, if SOMEBODIES hadn't BLOWN SOMETHING UP!"
"Oh, live a little, you giant snowball," Fiera said.
"She has a point," Fino said. "It was a really dumb idea, Fi."
"I will weaponize this cornbread, Fins," Fiera replied.
"I'd like to see you try!" Fino said. "Genuinely. I'm very interested in cornbread as a weapon. Especially dad's. I mean, look how flaky it is!"
Jacqueline smiled fondly, leaning against the island and licking her spoon. "Anyway," she continued, as Jack filled his own bowl. "When it comes to Mom, don't rush things. I don't know why, but she seems unsettled about like, your existence. It's like she knows you're here, and can see you, but doesn't believe it. And I can't fathom why that is," Jacqueline said, taking another spoonful.
"Ah. That makes sense," Jack realized.
"It does?"
"It's a long story, sister dear," he said, glancing over Jacqueline's shoulder. Blaise and Winter were talking in hushed tones by the front door.
"One that is apparently going to have to wait," Jacqueline said, glancing behind her as well.
"When I fix things with Mom, I'll explain," Jack said, fast. "Sound good?"
"Mhmm," Jacqueline said, mouth full. "On the subject of fixing things though, back to Mom," she looked over her shoulder again. Blaise and Winter were laughing with one another, making their way towards the kitchen. "Go slow. Make amends at her pace, not yours. And try not to be a dingus."
"Sound advice," Jack said, sarcastically.
"Thanks! I'm full of it."
"Oh you're full of something, alright," Jack replied, deciding on his way to the table that yes, he probably did deserve the ensuing punch in the arm from Jacqueline for that one.
A/N-Edited as of July 8th, 2021. This one was a DOOZY goodness gracious. But, it turned out well all things considered! The idea for Fiera to slap Jack was given to me AGES AGO by WinterFrost15 and honestly it is one of my favourite things I have ever written to date, thanks you! Please do review! Let me know what you all think! Also, I must apologise as it appears that as I edit and shine up Crystal Springs, it verges into "Frostmas Treatment" territory by which I mean, the word counts from the OG chapters have at least doubled since intially posted/finished in like. 2015/2016. My bad, but also, dang I love weriting this family. they're so much fun! Anywho, do read and review! I thrive on people telling me good things about these stories :)