Chapter 15: Sprite's Honour

Pulling from the ether was draining.

After tidying the backyard and chasing the twins inside with the hose, Jack had gone upstairs to get ready and had promptly passed right out. A nap! He couldn't believe it! He hadn't taken a nap in decades! On the plus side, though, his powers were sort of back. And if it only cost a nap? Worth it, he thought.

The evening had come quietly while he dozed, a light snowfall blowing in as the sun began to set. Jack stood in his room now, stifling a yawn as he fixed up his cufflinks, all nice and cleaned up from the snowball fight. The absolute mess it had caused and the ensuing nap had been worth it, though. Not only did Jack have use of his powers back; he had also had an insane amount of fun with all three of his siblings today, and it had been a very long time since he had even had that much fun. It had been...nice, he thought with a small smile.

Something was changing, he was sure of it. He felt…different. Since coming home, he had felt the faint familiar chill of his core magic every so often, almost at random. And sure, he hadn't noticed any common threads as of yet, but come on. It had only been two days (that felt like a year) since he had gotten home! What with gremlins to pelt with snowballs, unresolved (as of yet) mommy issues, naps apparently, and oh yes! The other seasons coming over for dinner? It was impossible to try and get farther than "hey, let's just take the magic from the outside instead of the inside!"

Bandage solution aside, he was sure that coming home had been the right call. Jacqueline had been right—though he'd never admit it out loud and he'd make sure to keep that thought far, far away from their connection. Something was starting to change, and it was about time! At least it was something, and after almost a year of post-thaw powerlessness, something was much better than nothing.

With a sigh, Jack did one last look over in the mirrors. He had taken way too long to figure out what to do to his suit. He had just been able to freeze dry it once again, but was thinking that maybe he should look a bit more thawed, just in case. So, after a lot of deliberation and some experimenting with different combinations, he had decided on white for the most part, but had lightly frosted his vest and the shirt, as well as the edges of his sleeves and cuffs of his pants. He was like a gradient. It was different, but he could deal with it for the night. A nice happy medium, in terms of clothes, at least. He wasn't going to budge on the hair, though. He had just gotten his spikes back, and he was not about to give them up after a mere measly eight hours!

Jack turned away from the mirrors and headed out of his room, crossing the hall and opening the doors to the balcony. He turned the corner of the balcony and stopped, facing the north side of the estate where the beautiful gazebo sat surrounded by still blooming rose bushes, despite the cold and snow. He had always wondered why the roses were constantly in bloom. Maybe he'd ask Spring tonight.

That is, if she didn't kill him first.

Not that his aunts were prone to murder, of course. They weren't even remotely bad! They were all quite lovely in their own ways, even Spring! She just tended to butt heads with Winter a lot, and of course, when it came to the winter season, Jack found himself in agreement with what the season decided. So he meddled a bit (a lot) during the winter-spring transition, which of course led to a lot of conflict. Spring would get as red as a tomato sometimes in her frustration! It was hilarious.

But it wasn't just the usual inter-seasonal squabbling and seasonal meddling that made Spring the aunt to keep in mind tonight. It just so happened though that Spring was also Mother Nature's Legate. She was next in line to be Mother Nature (were that ever to happen), and as such, probably one of Mother Nature's closest confidantes. Meaning that Spring knew everything Jack had ever done and then some. There was plenty of stuff he had done that only Mother Nature had found out about, and Spring would know everything about, well, everything! She'd be a tough chestnut to crack tonight, and he briefly thought that maybe he should think of some kind of game plan to successfully win her over—

No.

No plans, no scheming. He would do this as earnestly as he could (hero's journey and all), and bite his tongue as much as possible as the Aunts presumably interrogated the snow out of him. He could handle a little wounded pride.

"Now that's funny."

"I'm getting really concerned, Jacqueline," Jack began, turning away from the balcony. "Is privacy even in your vocabulary?"

"Dude, you're a straight up leaky faucet. We're past spoilers now, you're just. Broadcasting live for lil' old me to hear loud and clear. Besides," she said, joining him and resting her arms on the ledge. "You can't handle wounded pride and that's a Frost Fact. Also, this is the balcony. It's not an invasion of privacy if it's a common space."

"My head certainly isn't a common space, Jacqueline."

"Then stop bleeding, would you? I don't wanna block you out—" she stopped before the again could slip out, shutting her mouth and looking away with a little hmm.

"Right," Jack said, turning towards the balcony and looking off towards the back of the house, hiding a small, thankful smile.

Jacqueline sighed, relieved. She stretched her arms over the balcony, only putting them back on the ledge after a few satisfying cracks and a loud pop. The pair watched the yard in silence as Blaise wandered around in the growing darkness, snapping his fingers while whistling a tune. A spark appeared with each snap, floating around the yard. They didn't dissipate, though. They flickered in and out of existence, floating up and down in the dusk.

"What's up with the sparks?" Jack asked. "Is Dad trying to get us out of this dinner party with a carefully planned fire? I hope he is. I hope it works."

Jacqueline laughed. "Nah. He and Winter both know they can't escape this little confrontation, so the sooner they get it out of the way, the better. I mean, we've only been home for two days."

"Feels like it's been a year."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a good thing! I swear," Jack said, with a sly smile.

Jacqueline paused, squinting at him suspiciously. "Alright. I'll take your word for it."

"So if not arson, what's with the sparks?" Jack asked, watching as Blaise disappeared around the corner, the distant sound of the screen door rolling on the tracks echoing in the night.

"He calls them spark lights. They're actually pretty cool! They look like fireflies and just make the place look really magical—yes, yes, I know that sounds cliché. He really likes fireflies, and we don't really have those in the Northern Province, so he improvises."

They lapsed into silence for a bit, watching the sun's rays slowly retreat, stars beginning to appear in the sky, stray snowflakes blowing through. Winter sun showers were so much nicer than springtime ones, Jack thought.

They really are, Jacqueline replied mentally, smiling up at the sky.

"Okay. Seriously. Enough is enough!"

"Stop leaking! Really, though, you're like screaming your thoughts. I wouldn't bother you as much if you weren't, you know."

"Yes you would."

"You don't know that."

"Oh but I do."

"Really?"

"You have centuries of bothering to catch up on," Jack teased.

Jacqueline laughed. "And also, I care about you a bit. You're my brother, after all. And I've been assigned to help you. I'll keep bugging you until I think I've done my job! Then I'll just regular bug you."

"Regular bug me?"

"The way Fino and Fiera bug me, but with less fire." A pause. "Maybe. We'll see."

Jack's laugh trailed into a sigh. "You know, usually I'm better at controlling my thoughts. Usually I don't have to worry about anyone overhearing them. It's just been so weird lately," Jack said, turning away from the yard and facing the wall, lower back leaning on the railing. "I feel like I'm your age again, trying to figure out why I can't fly."

Jacqueline laughed. "That was a funny story," she said, stretching and turning away from the yard as well, hopping up and sitting on the railing.

"You know that story?"

"It was one of the rare times Winter talked to me about you at all in the early years. I was nine hundred or so. Fairly short, too, which seems to be the running theme with us. I suspect Fino and Fiera will take after Dad, though. They haven't hit their growth spurt yet and they're already past my elbow!"

Jack chuckled quietly, letting the silence be as he tried to phrase his question.

"Mom talked about me? After everything?"

"To me? On occasion, yes. I'm sure she talked to Dad more, but that's none of my business. For me though, maybe she'd mention you once or twice every so often. I remember it pretty clearly, actually. I mean, how could I not? I had just gone from jumping on the couch to the top of the icebox, no idea how I did it, and was pretty scared. It was just me, after all. Sorry, that wasn't like, a cheap shot, or like, whatever. I was literally home alone."

"It's alright," Jack said, waving away her apology. "I didn't think it was. And I mean, you're not wrong," Jack added. "I wasn't around. Mom wasn't home?"

"No. She had to meet with Autumn about um, oh gosh what was it. I think it was the transitional season? There was a weird cold front or something they needed to discuss. Anyway, I made quite a commotion both out loud and internally, so she came really fast once I started screaming my head off. Then when she saw me on the icebox, she burst into laughter. I burst into tears. She had to tell me the story to explain herself and calm me down a bit," Jacqueline said with a smirk.

"And somehow mine is funnier than yours? You got stuck on the icebox!"

"Yeah, well, at least I didn't try to fly by jumping off of three stories with nothing but a very tall and hopefully soft snowdrift to catch me if I fell."

"Sorry, how long were you stuck up there for?"

Jacqueline laughed. "Stop changing the subject! It was maybe half an hour before Mom coaxed me down! I was nervous. It happens. But I didn't need to be so nervous, you know? Mom was right there and it was just a natural thing. Some sprites can fly. Nothing to fear," she added, with a pointed look at Jack.

"I'm not afraid!"

"But you are nervous."

"Me? Nervous? I'm Jack Frost! I'm never nervous."

Jacqueline raised an eyebrow, an incredulous look on her face.

He sighed; grandeur gone. "Alright, fine. I'm maybe a little nervous. But really, can you blame me?"

Jacqueline laughed. "Spring's not gonna kill you."

"She might."

"She wouldn't hurt a fly! She loves them!"

"Only because they spy for her, I'm convinced."

"Okay well spies, maybe, but they're certainly not assassins!"

"I'm just saying, the risk of being murdered by Spring is low," Jack said, "But never zero. You know she's got an intense side."

"Of course, she makes February and March VERY HARD in the North. I don't even wanna think about how she is in the southern hemisphere. And you should see her at the yearly Legate meeting. Talk about taking things too seriously."

"Right? And you know, murder is serious."

"Yeah, but that's like the most improbable, disastrous scenario!"

"I like to be prepared for anything."

Jacqueline laughed. "Oh, please. I think half the time you get by on the fly of your seat!"

"The fly of your..." He stopped as it hit him, what Jacqueline had said, and immediately started laughing. "That's not how the saying goes! You just took two and mushed them together!"

"No I didn't!"

"Yes, you did! It's by the seat of your pants, or on the fly. And they both mean different things!"

"Well that doesn't sound right. Are you sure?"

"Yes! Of course I'm sure! Going on the fly is more like winging it, and by the seat of one's pants is by instinct over logic. You know, by being amazingly cunning and quick-thinking."

"In that case, you're definitely an on-the-fly guy."

"Am not."

"Are so."

"Am not!"

"Are so!" Jacqueline said with a smirk, hopping off the railing. "You know Jack, this isn't school. I don't need an impromptu language lessons."

"You could've fooled me," Jack shot back.

Jacqueline stuck out her tongue with a mlem, leaning back over the balcony again. Jack returned the gesture in kind.

"Stories are more fun than language lessons. And they're lessons in their own way, too! Like the fridge story? I learnt to laugh at myself, which has proven to be really helpful," she added thoughtfully.

"It's funny you mention that," Jack said, thinking to his own flying disaster story. "When I didn't manage to catch some air time on my way down from the roof, Mom told me that I was doing the best I could do. And that's the best anyone can do. That one stuck with me," Jack finished, turning back around as well, hand on the banister as he surveyed the yard. The little sparks really did look like fireflies. And made for a weird picture with the fluttering snow and lack of clouds. "You do have a point. Stories stick. They're more relatable than anything a textbook could tell you."

"Here's one for you. It's a good one! I think you'll find it helpful tonight," Jacqueline said, arms crossed on the balcony. She was staring off towards the front of the yard, where the gazebo sat. "You remember the nonsense you did last year?"

"You'll need to be more specific."

"The, uh, the cardboard cut-outs of yourself, and the geese, and the volcano, and the tropical snowstorm?"

"Ah, yes! That! Oh. Right. That. Which you fixed."

"Not all of it."

"Right, Mom and Dad helped you. Now I'm embarrassed all over again! How is embarrassing me supposed to help me this evening, hmm? I need constant vigilance tonight, Jacqueline, and I simply can't do that thinking about how my little sister saw the aforementioned shenanigans and had to fix them!"

Jacqueline laughed. "Dude, you'll be fine! Just, listen to my story, okay? And anyway, I didn't tackle the standees. Mom and Dad did! I took care of the snowstorm in the Amazon. Fino and Fiera handled the geese."

"And the frost in Mexico?"

"Yep!"

"Now I'm even MORE mortified! Please tell me Blaise at least took care of the volcano, or, or Mother Nature—"

"T'was the twins," she said, trying her best for an old-timey infliction.

Jack inhaled sharply. "Yikes. You should've had Blaise take care of the volcano! That'd have been far less embarrassing and you know, I bet those little flaming nightmares would have loved to set all those standees on fire! Although," he said, looking thoughtful and rubbing his chin, "they did get my good side."

"Good side? It was front facing, Jack."

"Exactly! I don't have a bad side!"

Jacqueline snorted. "Lady above, Jack, you're—hmm. You know what? I'm just gonna go back to my story here," Jacqueline said as her brother's laughter trailed off. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, dummy. Done yet?"

"I'm good, I'm good," Jack said, voice rough. He cleared his throat, composing himself. "You were saying?"

"Right, so, Mother Nature came over to ask for Mom and Dad's help. I had a bit of a tiff with the Twins over some melted snow forts and crashed their party, and I guess she noticed how horribly off the five of us were once we were all together. We were definitely a little unbalanced which, uh, definitely tipped her off."

"Sorry, how is this relevant again?" Jack asked, his grin falling. Guilt was clawing at him as the realization that all five of them had worked to fix all of THAT began to settle in. Granted, it was a lot. Had it gone unchecked, it would've caused a lot of environmental damage. Why had he even done that again? He couldn't even remember his reasoning. Except for the standees. He looked great in them, and at the time, it seemed like a good way to maybe steal a bit of the Christmas spotlight, you know, stir the pot a bit, that sort of thing. He still had one somewhere in his condo, he was fairly certain.

"Just listen! I'm not. I'm not telling you this to, to rub it in or like, shove it in your face or anything bad. I promise."

"Sprite's honour?"

"Sprite's honour." She sighed, earnestly. "We had been hiding a lot from Mom and Dad, the three of us. And they had been keeping a lot from us, too. Of course, they're our parents; they know that their kids aren't a place to dump their issues. But we shouldn't be afraid to talk to them and ask them for help if we need it because of their issues."

Jack shifted closer, both hands on the railing now. He watched Jacqueline carefully as she thought over her next words carefully.

"But we were. We were afraid to ask them for help. And Mom and Dad didn't know how to help us—we wouldn't tell them. We just kept stepping over everything, brushing it under the rug, shoving it in the closet…that sort of thing. Those were all right, right?"

"Yep, you're good."

"Okay, good. Gran did pick up on all of that, and her own nature kicked in. You know she's all about balance."

"Tell me about it! I've lost count of how many balance lectures I've gotten in the past two millennia."

Jacqueline snorted. "I can imagine. I've gotten my fair share too."

"Really?"

"Yes. Apparently I shouldn't have done the little ice age, but in my defence, I had no idea I was doing it until like, four centuries later, and I didn't stop after because the frost fairs on the Thames were epic."

"That was you?"

"Duh. That's why it was so little."

Jack chuckled. "Well, I can hardly blame you. You were younger, inexperienced, and just having a bit of fun," he said, poking her arm.

"Grandmother sure as snow did, though," Jacqueline said, swatting away his hand. "Anyway, last year, she took us each out one by one—or well, she took the Twins out, then me, then went to go help Mom and Dad. I think she got to us just before the breaking point, and I'm glad she did. The Twins told her everything they'd been hiding, and I spilled, too."

"What on Earth were the Twins hiding?"

"That they had found out about you."

"It was that recent?"

"Yeah. They hadn't told Mom and Dad; they figured there was probably a reason Mom and Dad hadn't told them, but they were too afraid to ask. So they kept it to themselves, always wondering, always noticing the things that were off." She shrugged.

"They didn't tell anyone?"

Jacqueline scratched her head. "They did! They did. Just me, though. Nobody else."

"Right."

"Yeah."

"Look, I—"

"Ah ah ah, nope! No. Don't apologize!" Jacqueline said, before Jack could say the sorry that had been making its way out. "Who else could they tell, right? And at least they told someone. And then they told Gran and well, the rest is history."

"I'm still not seeing the relevance of this story," Jack said.

"When I was younger, I used to be so afraid of rejection. So afraid of myself. Even to this day, I still sometimes am a bit afraid of myself. That was my secret. I told Mother Nature, after she took the Twins out. You think you're leaky? Dear lady of the springs I was a mess. Especially because I knew Mother Nature was going to make us talk to Mom and Dad and that was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I've seen some scary shit in my time, but that's gotta be one of the top three scary moments. I mean, what would our parents think? Maybe they would blame themselves? What would the twins think? They don't see me as vulnerable, ever. Nobody does, if I can help it."

Jack thought back to their reunion last week. She sure had no problems showing him exactly how she felt then! He could still feel the sting of the snowballs on his face.

"You're a real ice queen, Jacqueline," he said, sarcastically.

"Gee, thanks," she replied, equally as sarcastic.

"What happened next?" Jack asked, the sun sinking lower and lower. "How did it end up going? That whole confrontation. Thing."

"It ended up not even being a confrontation. More like a long overdue conversation, actually. It ended up working out in the end. We were open with one another, spilled all our beans, played all our cards, whatever phrase you wanna use, and everything felt…better. We still had a way to go, of course, but taking that first step? Being totally open with one another and expressing our feelings in a judgment free zone? It worked wonders! The Twins have matured a lot in the last year. Mom's a lot better now too, and so is Dad."

"And you?"

"I'm rocking it," Jacqueline said, standing up and rolling her shoulders. "I'm still a little afraid sometimes, of course. But I'm not alone."

"I think I see where this is going," Jack said. "It was scary, but you didn't get murdered so it went better than expected."

Jacqueline laughed. "Yeah, it all worked out in the end," she said, finally looking up at her brother. She had a soft smile on her face, the breeze gently blowing back her hair. "Which is my point! I think it'll be like that tonight. You're nervous now, but in the end, it'll all work out. It's hard to take that first step, but more often than not, once you do, it's easy to keep going."

"One foot in front of the other," Jack mussed.

"Exactly! Like that song! That is such a good song."

"It's very catchy. I'm a fan of it. Don't tell Santa though, he'd never let me live it down."

"Sprite's honour," Jacqueline said again with a smirk.

Jack laughed. "If we keep saying that it'll lose meaning."

"We'll see about that," Jacqueline said. "It applies to your homecoming too, I think. You were scared of coming home—"

"—was not—"

"—were so—but you did it anyway! And look how it went! Or well, is going, that is. I know you've still gotta. Well. Do something with Mom. Seriously, what is up with that?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out later. Once I fix it."

"Do you think you will?"

"I think so, yeah. I just heard this great story from this a little flurry that I think may actually be sticking," he said, gently nudging her arm.

She did a little sway and glanced up at him. "Oh really?"

"Yeah, really. Something about, ah, what was it. Totally open first steps?"

"I think it was a LOT deeper than that."

Jack laughed. "I think you're puffing up your feathers a bit there."

Jacqueline blew a raspberry in response.

"But seriously, Jacquie. Thank you. I appreciate it."

She flushed a bit at the nickname. It was weird to hear her brother say it. "You're very welcome," she said, earnestly. "But seriously. Tell me what's up with you and Mom!"

"I will after I fix it! Sprite's honour," he said now with a grin, one hand on his chest, the other hand raised.

Jacqueline laughed. "All right, all right. Sprite's honour," she said, mirroring him.

"There you two are!" Winter said, appearing suddenly on the balcony, startling the siblings the slightest bit. "Oh, dear. Sorry for the fright."

"It's okay," Jacqueline replied quickly. "What's up?"

Winter looked both kids up and down very quickly. In seconds, she took in the outfits the two frosty kids wore, and nodded. "Wardrobe check. I don't know if your sister told you yet?"

"I did not," Jacqueline said. "I got distracted."

"Quite alright. I was telling your sister while you were napping—"

"—getting ready!"

"Yes, right, of course, getting ready," Winter said with a knowing smile. "Well, I was telling your sister, I was thinking about what we discussed at breakfast."

"About how inconvenient the surprise dinner party is?"

"The plants?"

"Spring's general pushiness?"

"All good thoughts but no, I was referring to dress code! I believe Jacqueline was the one who said you could wear not blue tonight."

"I did say that."

"Right, well, I was thinking about it, and I figured that whatever you decided to do, your sister and I would match! It's silly, I know—"

"Silly? No, not at all!" Jack said, genuinely taken aback. "It's nice! I-I appreciate the, uh, the solidarity. It's nice."

Winter beamed. "Oh good! I was just thinking that, you know, it's a bit unfair for your aunts—Spring mostly—to cast judgment on you based on appearance, and equally as unfair for you to change your appearance to make them happy when you just got back the look that makes you happy. Oh, that was a dreadful explanation."

"No, I get what you're saying," Jack said with a smile. "Thanks, Mom. I appreciate it."

"Anyway, I wanted to check in before your Aunts arrived so I could make sure to match. And while I got the dress right, I guessed wrong on the hair front."

"I couldn't give up the doo, I just got it back!" Jack said.

"I've been so goddess damned staticky all day," Jacqueline said at the same time.

"Oh kids, there's no need to defend yourselves. I know you both prefer to freeze dry. The static thing is valid, Jacqueline dear. Why do you think I always put my hair up?"

"Really Mother, you don't have to do something you're not comfortable with. I know you rarely freeze dry."

"That's very kind of you, Jack dear. But I think sometimes my sisters need to be reminded who exactly they're dealing with," Winter said, with an icy cold undertone and a smile that seemed way too cheery to match. She was a season not to be frosted with, and her sisters had most definitely crossed a line today, Jack was realizing, with a little bit of pride, if he was honest. She was looking out for him and his sister, and it made Jack feel very warm and fuzzy inside, and like he absolutely needed to fix everything with his Mom right now, immediately—

CREAAAAAAAK!

Before he could even get a word out, the gate interrupted. The three sprites turned and glanced out over the garden. In the distance, three women were chit chatting as they walked up the path, laden with food and dressed in their season's best.

"Of course they're here already," Winter scoffed. "I best be getting ready. Don't rush, okay? You two take your time. But not too much time, mind you. The sooner we let them in, the sooner we can send them off on their merry way and you two can catch a break," she said, disappearing into the house.

Jack glanced over at Jacqueline. She was positively beaming and Jack did not appreciate it. He couldn't imagine there being a good reason for it.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Jack asked his sister.

"Because your Mommy loves you," she teased.

"But look who's also dressed to impress, hmm?"

Jacqueline glanced down at her own outfit. A breezy white skirt that went just below her knees, with a white puff sleeve top to match. The skirt had some kind of light blue underlayer to it, and her top sparkled with a light dusting of frost. She flushed a bit.

"Maybe so, but it was Mom's idea and don't you forget it!" And with that, she marched back into the house.

Jack glanced over at his fast-approaching Aunts. Spring led the charge, Summer and Autumn behind her chattering away. She looked fierce and Jack was a little bit scared. But only a little bit! A tad, if you would, a smidgen.

He took a deep breath. "It's going to be okay, Jack," he said out loud. And he actually believed himself! He had his sister in his corner and his Mom, too, which he never would've imagined, let alone, believed. The gesture spoke very loudly. This would go well! It would be fine. He'd say hello to his aunts, regale them with his tale of the year, and win them over! Everything would be okay!

Everything was definitely not okay, Jack thought moments later when the doorbell rang, the chimes echoing throughout the house. He had barely made it to the second-floor landing when the doorbell went off. He was almost plowed over by Fino and Fiera as they raced out of their rooms and down the stairs, Fiera nearly falling down them in her excitement.

"Aunts are here!" she squealed, running down the stairs.

"Sorry for almost running you over Jack!" Fino said, hopping up onto the banister and sliding down it.

"A shame you missed," Jack said with a sigh, as Jacqueline breezed passed him with a barely suppressed snort. She headed down behind her siblings, flashing a thumbs up at Jack before shooing away the sparks Fiera had left in her wake, taking the stairs at a run.

Jack watched from the top of the stairs, leaning over the banister and observing the commotion at the door. Winter had appeared and gently guided the twins away from the door, opening it up. Her hair was up, lightly frosted, a few frozen tendrils escaping. She had opted out of the frosty clothing almost entirely, Jack noted. Her usual blue empire dress was switched out for a trumpet gown that was white as freshly fallen snow. A pool of dark ice covered the hem, slowly disappearing into the white of the dress. It was a more modern number than she usually wore, and she looked very regal in it. Jack was almost as scared of Winter as he was of Spring at that moment. She was the first aunt through the door as Winter cracked it open, once again shifting the very excited twins away from it.

"Hello, Spring," Winter said, coldly.

"Winter," Spring replied, just as cold.

"You look very formal for what was supposed to be a lovely dinner party. I don't recall us discussing any official business that would warrant full formal?"

Behind Spring, Summer and Autumn shared a grimace. Fino and Fiera peeked out from either side of Winter, doing much the same between themselves.

"I know. That's why there's less flowers than usual."

"I never would've guessed," Winter said dryly, and Jack had to agree. He wondered how there could be less flowers than usual. Spring's green tunic had a floral pattern that was accented with real flowers. It was cinched at the waist by a pink belt that reminded Jack of a corset, sort of. The bottom half of the tunic was nearly covered with flowers. She looked shorter than Jack remembered, her red hair half up, half down, with small flowers entwined in the braid around her head. If that was less, he hated to see what more would look like. She'd be dwarfed by them!

"Of course not," Spring replied with a tight smile. "You're no botanist, after all."

"We brought food!" Summer interrupted, lifting the bags in her hand. Autumn smiled, revealing the pies she had made as well.

"Lovely!" Winter said, warmly.

"We can take the pies!" the twins said, popping out from behind Winter.

"Look at you two little hotheads!" Summer said with a grin. Pulling the handles of the bags onto her wrists, she reached out. "Alright, bring it in!"

Fino and Fiera launched themselves at Summer, glowing a bit as Summer grabbed them, squishing them both at the same time.

"Are we hotter than your sunbeams yet?" Fiera asked.

"I think it's pretty impossible for us to reach the heights of heat Aunt Summer does," Fino said thoughtfully.

"I bet we could!" Fiera said. "We're summer sprites, after all! And so is she!"

"Just with a little more flare," she said, putting down the twins and flicking her pony tail, sunlight trailing off it.

"Alright you two, you have other aunts, you know. Say hello to Autumn and Spring, then help them bring the food in, okay?"

"Sure thing Mom!"

"What's that?" Jacqueline asked, hopping off the last step and gesturing to the bowl Spring held in her hands as the twins said their hellos to Autumn.

Spring's entire demeanour changed. "Oh, just a little ambrosia!" She said cheerily, passing the bowl over to Jacqueline mid-hug. "Lovely to see you, Jacqueline, how are you?"

"I'm sorry, ambrosia? You brought a GODLY SALAD?" Summer asked, eyebrow raised and hand on her hip.

"Oh, it's just a little something," Spring said, sounding quite breezy now.

"These chips," Summer said, lifting up one of the bags, "Are a little something. The crazy amount of fruit in this bag," she said, lifting the other bag, "for a fruit salad, are a little something. DESSERT," she said, propping up Autumn's arms to show off the pies, "Is a little something."

"So is salad!"

"Not when it's GODLY!"

"You have stuff to make a salad too, you know. I don't see why it's such a big deal!"

"GODLY ambrosia salad versus a delicious fruit salad that is merely season-ly. I cannot stress this enough, sis. Literal GODS have that salad. GODS. CREATORS of WORLDS!"

"Well, what's a god to a season?" Autumn teased. "We may not create worlds, but we definitely do our work to keep this one balanced. I think we can treat ourselves every so often, wouldn't you agree, Winter?"

"Certainly," Winter said calmly, still glaring daggers at Spring.

Summer glanced at Autumn; Autumn gave a pie filled shrug. Summer shrugged back.

"We'll take those pies, Aunt Autumn," Fino said, grabbing one.

"Thank you very much, Fino," Autumn said, passing the other one to Fiera. "And you too, Fiera."

The twins grinned and, pies secured, headed down the hall towards the kitchen, nearly crashing into Blaise on the way in.

"Hey. No running with pies. Put them on the counter then back away from the stools! And don't even look at the cutlery drawer," he scolded, heading out of the kitchen.

"What, you think we're gonna eat them?" Fiera shouted back. "Unbelievable!"

"I'll make sure she doesn't," Fino said.

"And I'll make sure he doesn't." Fiera retorted.

"Good," Blaise said with a nod, heading down the hallway. "Those pies smells DELICIOUS!" he said with a grin, swooping in and hugging all three seasons at once. "Spring, Summer, Autumn! Lovely of you to drop by! Here, allow me," he said, dropping the seasons and taking the bags from Summer. He was quite the sight in his usual bright orange blazer and a matching apron. It depicted a cartoonish grill lit on fire, the phrase "Too Hot to Handle" written inside of the fire on said grill.

Summer snorted once she saw the apron. "Oh my goddess, I love it. Okay, so, not only will I need a cullender, a knife, and to raid your fridge and cupboards for sugar and some other staples, I will also need my own funky apron. Please tell me you have more."

"Of course!" Blaise replied. "You can take your pick from the drawer."

"There's a drawer?" Summer asked, stars in her eyes.

"Regrettably," Jacqueline said with a sigh.

"I am so happy that you have a DRAWER of these things. This has made my night. And the night hasn't even started yet! Fantastic!"

Blaise laughed deeply. "That's good to hear! You all look stunning, by the way. Summer, radiant as ever."

"Oh, stop," Summer said, waving away the complement with a cheeky grin and extra sunlight. She did seem to have a slight sunshiny glow on her dark skin, Jack noted. Her hair was pulled up into a very high ponytail, and looked very sunny as well. He squinted and yep. Similar to his dad, Summer's hair was lit up, actual sunshine blazing down her back. She wore a long, bright yellow dress with sheer flutter sleeves. Slits ran up the arms, stopping just below the shoulder so that every time she moved her arms, the material fell behind her, showing off the Queen Anne neckline of her dress. The skirt was thin and flowed to the tops of her sandals, a long slit on either side, a hint of denim flashing as she moved. Jack got the sense that she was ready for a beach day under the dress.

Come to think of it, she could be on to something, Jack thought. He could use a beach day himself. A vacation from his vacation, if you could even call it that.

"And Spring, you are blossoming! Could there be anymore flowers on you?"

Spring laughed. "You know that there could be, Blaise."

"And Autumn! You look vivid, as always. Very cozy, too," he added, as Autumn closed the door against the chilly winter wind.

"Charming as ever, Blaise," Autumn said with a small smile as the lock clicked into place. She wore a sort of turtleneck dress, the turtleneck portion itself baggy and loose, swooping down in front of her. Her natural brown coils were swept into an up do, shorter coils looking a little windswept. Several colourful leafs decorated the base of her up-do, the bottom half of her sweater dress covered in autumn foliage vibrant shades of yellow, red, and orange trailing below her. She did look cozy, Jack agreed, eyeing her soft moccasins.

"Ah, stop it Blaise," Summer said, giving him a friendly shoulder punch. Jack made a note to watch out for those tonight. He could clearly make out her very defined muscles and his arm hurt just thinking about the punch she had landed on Blaise (who hadn't even flinched).

"Stop being so lovely and maybe I'll think about it," Blaise shot back, Summer's bags on his arms now. "Here, I'll take that too," Blaise said, gently grabbing the salad from Jacqueline.

"Anyway! I am over this awkwardness and very excited to start cooking with one of those amazing aprons so, let's get to it, yeah?" Her smile fell, her face serious now. "Where's Jack."

"Hiding," Jacqueline said, staring up the stairs directly at him.

Am not, Jack thought back indignantly.

"I'm sure he'll be down presently," said Winter.

Well, there was no point in dawdling anymore, Jack thought. He cleared his throat, straightened his jacket and took a moment to regain his composure. Then, gripping the banister, he turned the corner and headed down the stairs, hand trailing along behind him.

"Aunt Spring! Aunt Summer! Aunt Autumn!" He began as he headed down, loudly and with a bit of pzazz, free hand in the air. "How lovely to see you all at Frost Manor! You all look absolutely fabulous, you know, I'd go on but I think Blaise already covered all the bases, eh? I'd hate to be repetitive. I believe I heard something about egos being a little too big?"

"You would know," Jacqueline said with a smirk.

"You are one toasty sprite!" Summer said with a grin, marching right up in front of him and squishing his face (she was a lot taller than Jack remembered. She could give Blaise a run for his money, Jack was realizing, the longer she stared at him). Her blue eyes flicked to his own, and down to his cheeks. "Very toasty, I'd say. Damn!" she exclaimed, letting go of his face. "They said it couldn't be done."

"Well, they didn't know about magical hugs," Jack couldn't resist saying. He flushed a bit when both Jacqueline and Autumn let out little awwhs.

"Are you sure, Summer? We don't want to be hasty," Spring said, joining her side.

Winter looked very offended. Before she could say anything, Summer jumped in.

"I'm sorry, who's the sunshine expert here? If Winter isn't a botanist then you most certainly aren't a solar scientist."

It was Spring's turn to look indignant now, and Winter's turn to grin.

"You don't need to be rude," Spring said with a pout.

"You should take your own advice," Summer replied, booping her sister's nose. Autumn squirmed her way to the front of the group, looking at Jack as well.

"Well would you look at that," Autumn confirmed, smiling at Jack.

"Yes, would you please, Spring?" Winter said. "Since apparently I don't know my own son as well as you do, and apparently I can't tell when someone is thawed despite having experienced one no less than three times myself."

Spring huffed and finally, also stood in front of Jack and sized him up. It was not as bad as he thought it would be. Probably because Spring was the shortest, and her face scrunched up in a way Jack would almost describe as cute if he hadn't been in the line of fire at that moment.

She exhaled through her nose, loudly. "Well then. If you and Winter are absolutely certain—"

"Oh we are," Winter said.

"Sure as the south is sunny," Summer added.

"I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty, Aunt Spring, that I'm thawed as can be. I was there when it happened, you know. You should have seen the ice!"

Winter snorted; Jacqueline started coughing, though they sounded remarkably giggly for coughs.

"Alright, alright," Spring said, putting her hands up in surrender. "I'll take your word for it then, Jack. For now," Spring said.

"Well, we have an entire dinner together to change that," Jack said with a very forced smile. "Now I do believe you owe someone an apology."

"What, you?" Spring said, eyebrow raised.

"No, not me. My Mother. She is the expert, after all, Spring," Jack said.

Spring sighed, turning to Winter. "I'm sorry, Winter. I just want to make sure everything is alright. And I've heard about all the shenanigans he's pulled," Spring added, shooting a quick glare his way. "So, you know. It's a little hard to believe."

"Especially with the whole 'ah! It can't be done!' thing everyone was always going on about," Summer said with an eye roll. "You certainly proved them wrong, huh Jack?" she said with a grin, gently punching his arm.

"You know me, Aunt Summer. I'm full of surprises."

Summer laughed at that. "Welcome home, little buddy! It's nice to see your slushy face around again."

"Thanks, Summer," Jack said, rubbing his arm.

"Summer!" Blaise shouted from the kitchen. "Which do you prefer? Caution: extremely hot, or Chop it like it's hot?"

Summer laughed. "Chop it like it's hot! That's brilliant. Well ladies! And Jack. Shall we? We've got a delicious dinner to prep and I am starving. I've been out and about all day, moving and grooving, I am so excited for dinner. The fruit is freshly picked from the South!" she added over her shoulder, entering the kitchen.

"Pies are all fresh too," Autumn said. "I hope you have ice cream; I didn't pick any up."

"Of course I have ice cream," Winter said, offended.

"I thought as much," Autumn said with a soft smile, hugging her sister.

"Listen," Spring said, once they stopped hugging. "I really am sorry, Winter."

"I appreciate the apology, thank you kindly, Spring," Winter replied, opening her arms for a hug.

Spring grinned and practically squashed her sister. Winter smiled softly, patting her back. "Don't ever question me when it comes to my children, again," she said into Spring's ear, still smiling, but with a sturdiness in her voice that Jack was very grateful wasn't directed at him.

Oh snap! Jacqueline said in his head, covering her mouth with her hand. Spring's face!

The season had paled, and, clearing her throat, gently patted Winter's back before breaking their embrace.

"Right. Okay. So. Dinner, yeah? I'm sure there's tons to do and I'm more than happy to help," Spring said, eyes fluttering.

"It's the least you could do, since you invited yourself over. After you, Spring," Winter said, shooing her forward. Spring smiled and, nodding her thanks, headed down the hall.

Winter put her arm down, and frowned. "Are you okay, Jack dear?"

"That went better than I thought, actually," he replied. "Thanks Mom."

She smiled, and, with a little nod, headed towards the kitchen herself.

Jack released a breath he didn't realize he had been holding.

"Holy crap," Jacqueline said out loud.

"I'll say," Jack said, breathing deeply. "That was terrible."

"No it wasn't! It was better than you were expecting."

"Ah, but the night is still young. And I have killed many of her flowers."

"I do the same thing yearly," Autumn pointed out. She had been staring after Winter thoughtfully, brow furrowed in thought. She turned to Jack now, with a speculative smile. "And she hasn't extracted vengeance on me yet. I'm sure you're free from her wrath, Jack."

"And MOM! That was terrifying. I loved it. Sometimes I forget that she's not just any old sprite, you know? She's literally winter."

"She really stuck up for me," Jack said with a small smile.

"Of course she would! She's your mother! She loves you dearly. Why wouldn't she?" Autumn asked, a look on her face that Jack couldn't quite place. It was like she was trying to confirm something, and was hoping Jack would be able to do it for her.

He found himself speechless. "Well, I mean—that is to say. It's just. She's been a little cold since I got back. And very awkward," he added as an afterthought. "I'm not use to the awkwardness. And I mean, she's known to be a little cold, of course. It's just." Jack frowned, trying to put his thoughts into words. He thought of all the interactions they had had before he spoke again. "It's like she's keeping me at arms length, but not on purpose. Like she has no choice. If that makes sense. Or rather, she can't seem to move closer."

"She's trying, though," Jacqueline said. "I mean, we all saw that. But yeah, it is weird. I wish you'd tell me WHY."

"You know why?" Autumn asked Jack.

He nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "When I left I did something that maybe I shouldn't have done, and I think it's why she seems so distant."

"Interesting." Autumn said.

"It's not unheard of, of course. And certainly some magibeans have had to do it. I'm just thinking that maybe I shouldn't have done it. Maybe it was a little uncalled for."

"Well, hindsight's twenty/twenty, as they say."

Jack laughed. "Ah, Aunt Autumn, I cannot begin to tell you how accurate that is."

What the frost did you do? Jacqueline asked in his head, her eyes practically bulging out of her face.

Later, Jack thought at her once more.

"Well, most things can be reversed."

"I'm not sure this one can. If it's unheard of to do it in the first place, it's practically impossible to put back."

"Well, where there's a will, there's a way. And you and your Mother are both stubborn enough to make sure there's a way."

"You think?"

"Of course! And you know Jack, it's only been a couple of days. I know it probably feels like it's been ages since you got home, but it really hasn't been. Patience is a virtue."

"Yeah, that I don't have."

Autumn laughed. "Well, I have a feeling that this is far more simple than the both of you think. I think Winter's keeping something to herself, something she's too afraid to bring up."

"Oh?"

The season nodded, hands folded in front of her face, looking thoughtful once more. "I'm quite good when it comes to fears. And my sisters!" she added cheerily, her hands dropping down to her midsection. "Don't you worry about Spring, Jack! I'm sure she'll bloom by the end of the night. And if she doesn't, Summer and I will set her straight. As for your momma, I think her and I are well overdue for a little chat. I'm sure I can figure out what's bothering her. Would my dear niece and nephew have any thoughts that might aide this little side quest of mine?"

"Nope," Jacqueline said. "She's just. Y'know. Being awkward. I think she's the awkward sibling."

"Oh she absolutely is," Autumn agreed. "But don't tell her I said that," she winked. "I don't think she's very self-aware of her status as the awkward sibling. How bout you, Jack. Do you have any insights for your dear old auntie?"

"Old? Why aunt Autumn, you don't look a day over three thousand!"

Autumn laughed. "Ever the flatterer!" she said, swatting his arm gently. "But seriously. Got anything for me?"

"I'm afraid not." Jack sighed, dejected. "I wish I could help, I really do. But I can't hear what she's thinking."

Realization clicked for both sprites at the same time. Autumn's eyes lit up in a sort of subdued a-ha look. Jacqueline was far less tactful; her jaw dropped and she stared at Jack and thought very, very loudly.

YOU DIDN'T!

Jack frowned. There's a time and a place, Jacqueline, and now is NEITHER. Close your mouth, would you? You'll catch flies, he thought back, nudging her chin with a finger.

Her jaw shut. Clearing her throat, clenching her teeth, she looked away.

"Well let's see if we can't change that," Autumn simply said, pieces falling into place as she turned on her heel and headed into the kitchen, deep in thought.

Jacqueline kept her cool, watching for the very moment Autumn turned the corner into the kitchen before she whirled on Jack.

"You cut your connection? With mom? You did that thing?"

"Yes, alright! Yes, I did," Jack whisper yelled back. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop nagging me about it!"

"That explains so much! That explains so! Much!"

"Are you done yet?"

"Just a second," she said, doing a little stompy footed twirl and screaming quietly behind her hands. "Okay. I'm done. How the heck are you going to fix that?"

"I don't know!" Jack admitted. "So you can see why I've been a little bit stressed about it! Especially when my Legate, my very own sister, keeps nagging me about it as if it isn't already bothering me enough—"

Jacqueline's hand on his shoulder stopped him short. "I'm really sorry, Jack. I really didn't mean to nag. I just wanted to know," she said, scratching the back of her neck, "because I wanted to see if I could help. I mean, you kept saying that you'd handle it but like, I'm here to help." She shrugged, offering him a small, reassuring smile.

"I know, you were assigned to help me, I get it."

"Yeah, but also, you're my brother, and I wanna help you. Y'know, outside of work," she added. "You're not just a job to me, Jack. You're..." she looked down, flushed. "important to me, alright? So stop thinking you aren't."

Jack inhaled deeply, softening a tad. "Alright. But look, you don't need to help me with everything, alright? I'm not a baby. I'm just a little freezer burnt. I can still talk to my own Mother."

Jacqueline made a noncommittal sound.

"Oh come on, it's only been two days."

"I know! I know," Jacqueline sighed.

"Just, leave this one to me, alright?" Jack said, patting his sister's shoulder. "I've got this. I promise."

Jacqueline smirked a bit, her eyebrow quirking up of it's own accord. "Sprite's honour?"

Jack laughed. "Sprite's honour."

They had left the pole.

The elf had informed him today when summoned (delightfully squeamish and jumpy) that the girl and her brother had gone home.

The Man had known this, of course. Scrying was easy enough for him to do remotely. That's what its main purpose was, after all. And it was pretty obvious when they weren't appearing anywhere as he looked about that they had left. But the confirmation was nice, and seeing the elf squirm was quite honestly a lovely start to his day.

Though a wrench had been thrown into his carefully constructed plans (multiple times, if he were honest), it was fine! That is, one thrown table later, it was fine. Soon everyone would tremble beneath him! A little later than he had planned, of course, which was…unfortunate. But! This would give him some time to step back and workshop his carefully laid plan. Plans, even.

For starters, there was the potion. No matter what he did, the outcome he was getting with the girl was not right. He had no idea why, and he was running out of tables to take it out on.

He had studied potion making intently. In fact, he had studied every bit of his warlock training intently. The power warlocks had was substantial, and he had been taught that power was absolute; knowing to wield it and use it to its fullest extent would leave him wanting nothing. And this potion had been integral to that lesson! He knew how much of it he needed. He should have been able to get as deep into her mind as possible already. But she kept fighting. Why did she keep fighting?

He kicked the nearest piece of furniture to him. She was just like her father. He had always fought, too. He refused to give in and unlock his full power! But the Man hadn't. And that's why the girl's brother had been SUCH a good mark. It could've gone either way, given that he had cursed someone who hadn't yet existed. But he had wanted it all and would've gone so far to have it if it weren't for the CHILD who had destroyed four millennium's worth of work in no less than a minute. A child!

"I worked so hard on that one!" the Man said out loud to nobody in particular. Watching the chaos he brewed, knowing that his curse was helping? Knowing the harm he was doing? It had been so good. And then in the blink of an eye, it was undone! He brought up his hands and was about to shove everything off of the mantle onto the floor, until he realized how bad that would have been, seeing the vials he needed carefully placed on the surface. Patience, he reminded himself.

He huffed, turning away from the sofa he had just kicked and shoving open the doors to the hall. He would succeed. He would find the deepest, darkest, thoughts the girl had and use them to his advantage. She would break. He'd have control. He was close. A couple of adjustments, and he would be running the show in no time at all. Perhaps if he upped the dosage once more...added some spice... "That's actually not a bad idea," he mused out loud, rubbing his bearded chin as he headed down the corridors, a malicious grin splitting his face as the big red doors to the library slammed open, the must tickling his nostrils.

He'd take down everyone who had taken away what should've been his, and claim his rightful spot. He just needed to do a little bit of research. And now would be a good time to start on phase two.

"Can't defeat your enemies if you're locked up in a castle," the man said with a grin, humming a tune as he pulled the ancient tomes off of the shelves, stacking them on the nearest desk.

"Just you wait, Blaise," the man mused, flipping through a tome titled The Inner Workings of the Mind and adding it to his pile with a grin. "You'll fall. And I'll be the one to make it happen. I can't wait to watch you fall."

He swished his heavy fur cape behind him, settling into the chair and puling out a tome labelled On Magical Locks and Seals and opening it up. "I'm excited for our rematch," he said out loud, as though Blaise was there with him, sitting across him at the desk, mocking him. The Man sniffed, skimming through the table of contents. "I will win this time, and I will be King. As it was meant to be," The Man finished and, with a deep throaty laugh, went right back to humming his jaunty little tune.

The notes echoed throughout the empty halls, the cheeriness quite haunting in the dark, gloomy recesses of the old castle. A cold breeze blew, whistling through the cracks in the brick and mortar of the dilapidated building carrying the notes out, out, out of the castle and into the quiet, still, night.

A/N: I tried to edit this one well over 3 times (June 2022; touched up August 2023). I blacked out after the THIRD ATTEMPT. Here's why: 1st time: some asshole at work goes ahead and flicks the internet switch off. had to restart. didn't save pre-switch flick. Second time: I closed the windows bc work was over. forgot to save. Third time: bruh, i didn't even TRY to edit it before closing the window before bed. The fiance and I had a catering meeting and we were half an hour early so I was like well, that's enough time for some editing since I remember the changes I made! it'll be quick! But ya girl was far too nervous waiting for the catering rep to even TRY to distract with writing. Planning a wedding is an ADVENTURE (derogatory :)

I REFUSE to give The Man his name until the most dramatic moment, but boy did i sure drop hints here. like, a lot of hints lmao. You can tell my creativity is mad at me bc those book titles? absolute SHIT (derogatory as well). Winter continues to get more awkward. I'm here for it tbh, but Autumn sure isn't!

This was last updated in 2017, that's WILD. I was still working at GROCERY STORE! ANYWHO! R and R, be gay do crimes (it's pride month baybe) , stay safe, hydrate, etc. etc. I'm gonna go and. Make the next chapter. Better. HOPEFULLY.