The following morning it was still raining hard. Kirsty and Rachel helped Kirsty's mother make runs to and from the kitchen carrying the boxes of brownies, fairy cakes, rice krispie cakes, and cookies, plus the three each of Victoria sponges and fruit cakes her mother had baked the day before for the cake stall at the Police Fete.
Jean had arrived earlier that morning and she flew above the girls heads, encouraging them to be quick so the cakes wouldn't ruin. How Mrs. Tate did not notice her they could not imagine. They supposed it was magic.
It was still two hours before the fete was to open when they arrived. Auntie Val came rushing out of the hall to help with the cakes and once the girls had finished helping, Mrs Tate turned to them, distracted,
"There's still so much to do. Can you girls amuse yourself while your auntie and I get set up?"
"Of course we can Mum," Kirsty replied, grabbing her friend's arm and rushing off. She had seen something moving in the shadows by a doorway.
"What?" whispered Rachel, as Kirsty pulled her to hide behind a stall, putting her fingers to her lips and pointing to the doorway.
"I thought I saw a goblin," Kirsty whispered back.
The door, however, was marked private, so the girls dare not sneak inside with so many off duty policemen and women in the hall. Instead they wandered about and watched things being set up. There was a tombola on a stage, a hook a duck, a bookstall, Kirsty's Mum and Auntie's cake stall, a lucky dip, and many more.
Meanwhile, Jean had flown though the door and she found them at the bookstall. Both girls were flicking through a box of children's books, while still keeping their eyes open for the goblin.
"I haven't been able to find the goblin," she said, landing on top of a pile of Doctor Who Annuals. "But I did find some rather large, bare footed, goblin sized footprints made of mud on the floor by the fire exit."
"Which means they're here!" Rachel said excitedly.
"Or at least one is," Jean agreed.
"And probably your police station. This hall is next to the police station, after all!" Rachel went on.
"But how do we find it?" asked Kirsty.
"Have you seen all the stalls yet?" Jean asked.
"No, not quite, some are still being set up."
"Well, I suggest you carry on looking while I fly around the room looking from on high, so we cover all angles. We'll meet back here, in say, fifteen minutes. You girls separate. It will save time."
Kirsty went one way to the stalls by the front doors of the hall and Rachel went the other, towards the doors through to other parts of the building and the fire exits. In one corner three trestle tables were being put together and covered with cloths before the three women began to lay out toys onto the tables. A flutter of the tablecloth caught Rachel's eye so she went closer. She was sure she could see the large bare foot of a goblin under the table.
As she got closer Rachel gasped, as she saw the most detailed toy police station that could be imagined, built of four stories of what looked like the real sandstone of the city!
She rushed back to the agreed meeting place beside the bookstall.
Jean flew in a circle around the 'toy' police station while the girls looked at it. It sat on the windowsill behind the tables that were full of the usual bric-a-brac of second hand toys that fetes usually sold – broken plastic bits and pieces, scalped Barbies and baby dolls with squint eyes, a motley collection of stuffed toys and actions figures, games received at Christmas and played with once on Boxing Day.
"Amazing, isn't it?" said a tall woman with blonde hair and a fashionable top over skinny jeans and heels. "We're not sure who donated it, but surely it ought to be a raffle price and not just sold here. We could raise so much money, couldn't we?"
"Um, yes," said Kirsty, as Rachel went for a closer look.
"Please don't touch. You shouldn't really be in here yet. We're still setting up. We open at two o'clock."
"My Mum and Auntie are setting up the cake stall. They said we could look."
The lady smiled. "Oh. I see." She turned around to Rachel, who was now next to it. "Please don't touch."
"It's so detailed. I wish I could buy it."
"Come back at two dear. But it will be pricey, I'm afraid."
The girls walked away slowly. They turned and watched as Jean tried to fly down to the stone stepped front door. As she did they watched the goblin emerge from under the table and try to grab her. She flew away too quickly to be snatched but every time she tried the same thing happened. She pointed to the bookstall so the girls went back there, dejected.
"We need to distract the goblin so that Jean can get into the station," Rachel said.
"But how?" asked Kirsty, picking up a book about fairies that sat on a pile of picture books. "That lady is serious about guarding the station she thinks is a precious toy, she's got to go first, hasn't she?"
"What if it gets sold?" Rachel asked, eyes wide with fear.
"I doubt Jack Frost will want that, either," Jean said, fluttering down and landing on the huge pile of Dr. Who annuals, sitting primly, crossed legged. She patted her hair and fiddled with her earrings before she spoke again, sounding annoyed. "And that tiresome naughty goblin will have to go. I can't even get to my station to check if all my staff are accounted for and inside. As for the retired fairies, I can only hope..."
The girls remembered that's Jean's father and best friends were some of the Law and Order fairies that were missing. Kirsty gently touched the tiny fairy shoulder with her little finger.
"Don't worry, we will figure something out. Rachel is very good at coming up with plans."
"Her Majesties have high regard for you both. I know you have helped us many times before."
"We will do our best," Rachel said, "although we've not had to rescue anything so big before."
"Jack Frost has never stolen anything so big before," Jean said, "and it is a long time since he has been foolhardy enough to kidnap a fairy, let alone us! He is very wicked indeed!"
Just then Mrs Tate came up to the girls. "Oh, there you are girls. We are all going to break for lunch before we open. Come along."
And the girls had no excuse not to follow Kirsty's mother out of the main hall into a smaller room laid out as a cafe, with a hatch way to a small kitchen open, showing signs for cakes, tea, and coffee. Nobody was using it though, all the off duty police officers, their wives and husbands and the other volunteers were all sitting in groups unpacking home made packed lunches or taking shop bought sandwiches, wraps, and pies, out of carrier bags. Mrs Tate pointed to a table with Kirsty's auntie and uncle, where her auntie was producing piles of sandwiches.
"I hope you girls are hungry," she said with a smile.
"Mrs Tate," Rachel said, taking a sandwich and a carton of juice, "would you mind if Kirsty and I went and sat over there, away from the grown-ups?"
"We must be so boring for you," teased Kirsty's auntie, while her mum nodded and gave the girls several sandwiches and another carton of juice to take with them.
Rachel led them to a table far from all the grown-up helpers and smaller children, right by the door. They could even see the fairy police station through the glass panels on the doors.
"Good thinking," Jean said, fluttering above the girls' heads. "We can try and get past the goblin while there are no adults."
"Hopefully there is only one," Rachel said.
"I think at least two, unfortunately," Jean said, but she flew swiftly into the room as Kirsty opened the door. Checking no grown-ups were watching, they quickly followed her in.
Before the goblin on guard duty was aware of what was happening Jean had flown down to the station and stood at the door. The girls suspected he could be napping.
"Anyone inside?" Jean called.
"Ma'am?" a man's voice called. A male fairy came to the door. He was grey haired, with a sharp nose and kind eyes, wearing a grey suit with a creamy-brown set of wings tipped with a dappled dark brown pattern.
"Hooper! Thank goodness. Is everybody accounted for?"
"Only Julie and Gurdip here Ma'am," Hooper said, as two young, dark skinned, fairies flew out to join him on the steps. The brown-skinned boy fairy was in a white shirt and black trousers, looking a little scruffy, with brilliant blue wings that shimmered, even in the shade. He wore glasses. Kirsty and Rachel had never seen a fairy in glasses before. But Hooper and Gurdip were only their second and third male fairies they had ever seen. Julie was in what looked like a police uniform. She wore black leggings with a dark blue dress with epaulettes with little silver logos on her shoulders. Over that she wore a tiny little stab vest. Her wand was plain black and tucked into her utility belt under her stab vest, along with a truncheon and a set of tiny handcuffs. Her black hair was put neatly in a bun off her beautiful black face and her wings were pale pink rose at the bottom and gradually turned into a dark pink at the top, tipped with scarlet.
"Where is everybody else? Where's Laura?"
"The goblins took Laura, Ma'am. Sorry. And Robbie and James, too. Alan tried to go for help when we first arrived, but we can't get out. There are two goblins on guard at all times since we arrived in the human world. You need to watch out."
"I will, don't you worry. These are Kirsty and Rachel. They are here to help."
"A privilege girls," Hooper said. "I've heard of you and all the help you've given us."
"Ma'am! Watch out!" Julie yelled, as a goblin tried to grab Jean. She flew at the goblin.
Rachel and Kirsty reacted quickly, Rachel pushing the goblin so he fell into a box of broken toys, while Kirsty picked up a plastic light saber and hit him on the head with it. Just then a second goblin emerged from the fire exit and ran towards them. The other goblin clambered out of the box and with a hiss, threw his arms over the station. Jean and Julie flew up to the ceiling to the lights while Kirsty and Rachel ran back into the dining room.
"What can we do now?" Kirsty asked, despairing, as they sat back down at the table with their lunches.
"We must think of something," Rachel agreed.
"Yes we must, but first, Julie, tell me about Alan. He may have gone for help but he's not made it back home to the Fairy Kingdom."
"He left as soon as we arrived here. One of the goblins chased him while the other stood in front of the door. The back was pressed to the wall so we couldn't sneak out that way."
"He must be here. The goblins must have captured him or..."
"It's the or we've all been worried about Ma'am."
"What about where the other goblin came from?" asked Kirsty.
"Yes, you said you saw goblin footprints," added Rachel.
"Yes, that is probably the best place to look first. But first, have you eaten, Julie?"
"Not much Ma'am. We've been rationing the food in the station."
Instantly the girls broke a corner from eat of their sandwiches and gave it to the young police fairy. Julie grinned and stuffed the tiny corner in her mouth.
"Thank you," she said around the crumbs in her mouth.
Jean decided, since they were to go though a door marked private the easiest thing was for the girls to be shrunk to fairy size. They all waited for the door to be opened and flew quickly inside before it could be shut.
It led into a long corridor, with many doors to offices and rooms.
"This could take forever!" Rachel said.
"We'll start where I saw the footprints and work our way back," Jean instructed.
"At least we know both goblins are in the hall," Julie said.
"For now," Jean said darkly.
It didn't take long at all for the two fairies and the two girls to find Alan. He had been attacked by the goblin and knocked to the ground, where he had crawled behind a radiator. One wing was torn and his arm was broken. His wand, which was black and tipped with a silver star, was broken and looped through a belt loop of his jeans.
He was only the fourth male fairy the girls had every seen. He might have been handsome, Rachel decided, if he didn't look so grey with pain. He was dressed in jeans and black boots, with a white top and black leather jacket. His hair was very dark and curled in an old-fashioned way. Both girls were very upset, they had never seen a fairy so hurt before. They couldn't understand why Jean and Julie didn't get out their wings and immediately fix him.
"He needs a proper healing fairy for that. Our magic can only do so much, something like that requires special magic only few fairies are born with and then lots and lots of training and learning," explained Julie as Jean comforted Alan and made him a bandage for his arm out of a strip from her purple dress, which was now turned into a ragged hem-line mini, which didn't look right on the elegant Jean, even if it looked more like a fairy dress from a book.
"We need to get Alan somewhere safe and then get him into the station as soon as possible," Jean said, looking up from kneeling over Alan.
"I can't fly!" Alan said, sounding a bit panicked.
Kirsty and Rachel looked at each other. As one the girls pulled out their lockets from underneath their tee shirts.
"The fairy dust the King and Queen gave us," Kirsty said.
"It will always get us to the Fairy Kingdom," went on Rachel. "So..."
"If you sprinkle it on Alan he should go home without needing to fly!" Julie cried.
"And I want you to go with him," Jean said to Julie, flying up to Julie and the girls, who had been hovering over her and Alan on the ground.
"Okay Ma'am." Julie sank to the ground and put a supporting arm around Alan.
"Get him straight to a healer," Jean said.
"Of course."
"So sorry Ma'am," Alan said.
"No, you were terribly brave Alan, but the goblins are so much bigger than us. If they seriously want to hurt us, then Jack Frost must be feeling very powerful indeed. Okay girls."
Each girl took a pinch of the magic dust from their lockets and showered the two police fairies. They vanished instantly in a collection of sparkling, glittering, shimmers.
The volunteers were setting up as the girls and Jean flew back into the main hall and they had to go to the ladies for Jean to make them human again. As they came out Rachel put her finger to her lips and pointed.
The two goblins were standing near to the fairy police station, looking wistfully towards the cake stall. Mrs Tate and Kirsty's aunt were just whipping off the tablecloths that had covered the cakes as people were pouring in from the main doors.
The girls stepped back into the ladies at Jean's hiss of, "Quick, these creatures of Jack Frost are so stupid if they can't see us they'll think we've given up. Let's wait for their sweet tooth and greed to do the rest. Stay here." With that Jean covered herself in purple sparking stars from her wand and she grew transparent. Kirsty and Rachel looked at each other in awe – they had never seen a fairy that could turn herself invisible.
Within ten minutes Jean returned. Julie was with her. She had returned to help as soon as she had seen Alan safely with a fairy healer back in the Kingdom. There were now several women and children queuing for the loo and the girls had had to pretend to wash their hands several times not to draw attention to themselves. They followed Jean and Julie out into the hall. Jean pointed. The two goblins were under the cake table, stuffing their faces with their stolen proceeds. Quickly, the two girls and the fairy police officers rushed to the toy stall and the fairy police station. As the girls talked to the woman, asking if they might look and how much it was, Jean, with the help of Julie, began to circle the station, showering it with magic sparkles from their wands.
Magic to move such a large object took a lot of work and Jean was only half through when the goblins realised what was happening. They were pushing through the crowds, knocking people aside, who assumed they were rude children, fortunately for all concerned. Rachel and Kirsty offered the stall lady the entire contents of their purses – Rachel's spending money her parents had given her for the whole week, when a man with silver-white hair in a smart suit began shouting, waving a book in the air, by the bookstall. The distraction was all that was needed to stop the goblins reaching the station. Jean and Julie completed their final circuit and the station vanished in a shimmer of purple, pink, and red flashes and sparkles.
Jean waved a thank you and Julie curtsied gracefully to the girls and then they too vanished back to the Fairy Kingdom
"Well, I'm so sorry girls. Someone else must have bought it. You were so interested too."
"It doesn't matter now," Kirsty said. "It's all for a good cause. Come on Rachel, let's go and help my Mum. We might get some free cakes."