Let it Snow (B. Banner)

Chapter Two

Neva finds her father on the workshop floor, inspecting a line of toys. She smiles seeing him there. She misses him when she is away, and even though it's only for a few months of the year, it is still more than enough for her. She misses spending time in this workshop with the yetis and the elves, even the simple-minded, accident-prone elves. She knows he knows she is there, he always knows, just as he does with her mother. Neva hops gracefully up onto the railing that surrounds the globe in the center of the room, lit up and pride of place. Each and every single light a representation of a child around the world.

"I was hoping to borrow a couple of yetis" She states with a smile. "Maybe some elves......" North raises an eyebrow as he looks up from the pile of toys he's working on. "I'm throwing a party for some children and I wanted to make it special"

"And what will you tell the humans, hmm?" he asks her, his Russian accent still so strong, she loves that about him, that his accent can fill her with warmth and love and his enemies with utter fear.

"That they are very, very good costumes" she answers with a smirk, she hops onto the table next to him. "They have no one else, Dad" she drops down, sitting on the table. "Orphans..." she spins her staff between her fingers and then stands. "Dad" she starts sweetly. "I want it to be just perfect....it has to be perfect" he smiles at her, sees so much of himself and her mother in her. "To give them one day where all eyes are on them, when everything is for them...that the magic is just for them" North touches her cheek and smiles. "I don't need all of the yetis, just a couple..." He sets the toy in his hand down and walks away, Neva follows him.

............

North is first out of the workshop and into the yard where the reindeer are grazing in a paddock. Neva appears behind him and smiles seeing Rudolph with the other reindeer. His ears twitch before he looks up and across at her. She moves to the fence as he does. North follows her this time.

"And Rudolph" She adds. "I've missed him" she scratches at the reindeer's neck as he nuzzles into her side. "I think the children would love him"

"He is hard not to love" North agrees as he touches her shoulder, she looks up at him. "Very well" he offers. "You can take a few yetis and a couple of elves with you" he allows, she smirks and then raises an eyebrow.

"Can I take the sleigh?" she asks, he laughs and wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"Nice try" he teases. "But....after the last time, no" She pouts up at him.

"It wasn't that bad" She comments, he gives her a look.

"You knocked down three watchtowers and took out two support pillars in the sleigh tunnel" he reminds her, she shrugs.

"The yetis distracted me" she defends, he smiles softly and shakes his head.

"So much like your mother", he comments fondly.

"Speaking of" Neva turns to face him, leaning back against the fence. "Where is mother dearest?"

"It's December" he reminds her. "She's....spreading fun" she smiles back at him and nods understanding. Jackie Frost is off spreading her winter magic for the winter. This is both Jackie and Noth's busiest times, meaning they don't get to spend much time together.

"Tell me again," she asks of him, he raises an eyebrow. "Tell me how you met" he chuckles.

"You have heard that story a million and one times" he argues, she shrugs.

"It makes me smile" she admits fondly. "Please?" he touches her cheek and nods.

"Very well" he agrees. "But let us do this over cocoa and those fudge bites you made" she chuckles and nods looping her arm with his as they head back inside.

.............

Jackie rests her staff against the wall before she approaches where Neva is sat on the window seat, her fingers drawing ice patterns on the glass of the window. Neva holds out the hot chocolate in her hand to Jackie as the woman sits beside her, Jackie takes it from her and swipes her finger through the whipped cream before eating it from her finger. The two of them share a look, a comfortable silence as they both then turn to look out the window. Jackie presses a finger to the glass and lets her magic flow across it to join Neva's. The two magics swirl and mix across the glass. Neva's is slightly stronger, more resilient, harder because of her hybrid nature, she has all of the winter in her, and she was born this way, she wasn't chosen or awakened for her role, she was born into it.

...............

Neva holds another snow globe in her hand. North and Jackie stood behind her, watching, they always like to see her off. North wraps an arm around Jackie who leans into his side. Neva turns the globe around in her hand and then glances at her parents.

"I'll send the yetis and elves through with Rudolph when it is time" North assures Neva who nods a little, always so reluctant to leave them, even though she knows that are always going to be here for her. She looks down at the globe and then takes a deep breath before pulling it closer to her lips.

"Take me home" she breaths onto the glass, the image turning into that of her store, she nods and then throws it forward before stepping through the opened portal that emerges from it.

...............

Neva pulls her hood up over her head as she wanders the rooftop of her store. She spins her staff in her hand and then presses it to the roof beneath her feet, ice spreads from the staff and all along the asphalt, spreading further and further till the roof is entirely covered. She smiles and pushes forward, sliding over the ice gracefully, she spins and twirls and chuckles to herself.