Waking up with a skull-splitting headache, Nisha rushed to the bathroom. On her knees in front of the toilet, she felt completely miserable. Jack silently came over to offer her a hand towel to wipe her mouth. He brushed his fingers through her hair, holding it back when she got sick again. In between the nauseating pounding of her headache, she rested against his side and he rubbed his hand up and down her back soothingly.
Half an hour later, she felt a little better than before, but now she was completely exhausted. Leaning against Jack more, she tried to recall the night before.

She was at Peri's wedding reception, enjoying the food, music, and company...Then she downed a mystery drink after her nerves and emotions began to spin out of control. Everything after getting up from the table was incredibly hazy. Groaning in pain as her head pound in anger even more, she let out a long breath.

Jack chuckled lightly, keeping his voice soft. "So...hopefully you've learned the hard way not to drink again. You become a giggling little vixen when you do. How many times is this now that you've assaulted me? If we weren't married, I'd be suing you for damages." His voice was filled with weary humor.

Groaning even more, she buried her face deeper against his chest. "I just want my head to stop pounding," she pleaded.

Kissing the top of her head, he slowly helped her to her feet. "I think you should just try to lie down in the dark and quiet for awhile, alright? I'll go get breakfast and have the staff make you something bland that shouldn't bother your stomach too much. I'm not sure what the best remedy for a hangover is so I'll ask Tina about it. For now, just try to get some rest." He laid her back on the bed.

Reaching out to take hold of his hand and squeeze it briefly, she gave him a ghost of a smile. "Thanks," she whispered.

Leaning over her, he brushed back the hair from her pale face. Kissing her temple, which was sweating, almost like she had a fever, he shook his head. "I'll be back later, alright?" She didn't respond, closing her eyes and trying to lie completely still. Shaking his head again, Jack left.

That day, Nisha learned two very important things. One, alcohol was a demon that she never wanted to associate with again. Second, she realized that perhaps she really was falling in love with Jack. She was still afraid of the darkness that rest deep in her heart. But, more and more, Jack's happy, bright smile seemed to be pushing it further away.

Their lives fell into the rhythm of normalcy. School, homework, lessons to be a lady, dinner, and the rest of the evening spent together. Life grew more and more comfortable each day. She felt a warm happiness begin to spread throughout her heart.

Despite this, she was deathly afraid to admit her feelings. That tiniest thread of dark pain, of unspoken secrets kept holding her back. But she was terrified to bring it up, to ask. Every time she thought to do so, pain would fill her heart and the only thought she could think was No!

Now it was the middle of November and Nisha was sitting down to lunch with Peri. The two were chatting, like any other day. Peri's life seemed to be going just as well as hers and that made Nisha glad. Peri was currently asking her about her thoughts on a movie that had recently come out. As Nisha opened her mouth to answer, the sound of a throat clearing made the two turn their heads to the right.

Standing five feet away from them was the most beautiful girl Nisha had ever seen before. She was tall and lean. Her body was filled out and formed with the curves of a natural model, minus the sickly anorexic look many models suffered from. Her hair fell down her back and hips in large, thick, wavy curls. Her hair was so black it seemed to reflect part of the light as deep blues, purples, and reds. Her eyes, which were currently latched onto Nisha's face, were very odd looking. Her irises were a bright pink, the pupils a honey gold. She smiled cheerfully upon realizing she had Nisha's attention. Holding out her hand, she spoke in a voice that was somehow both sensually smooth and happily bright at the same time. "I'm so glad to finally meet you, Nisha Nicole Frost. My name is Tatiana Fae."

Feeling a little uncertain, Nisha clasped her hand. "Um, it's nice to meet you too." As soon as they touched, Tatiana squeezed their joined hands tightly. Her breath came out in a sharp exhale and Nisha watched, startled, as her eyes flashed blue and red before returning to their normal pink. "A-are you okay?" she asked, worried.

A light of calculation filled the other girl's eyes. Her smiled turned into something no longer human. It was too...menacing, too predatory to be human. She began to laugh in a crazed excitement. "Oh, Nisha, I feel wonderful!" Her eyes grew wide as her laughter continued. "You have such an interesting fate...such a tangled future. And all the things I can do to benefit..." Tatiana said in a softer voice, low enough Nisha was sure she hadn't heard her correctly. In a louder voice, she spoke again, slowly releasing Nisha's hand. "Ah, my dear. I am glad to know that we will become good acquaintances within the year." Her lips pulled up into an even wider smile, her laughter growing. She very nearly squealed in happiness. "Now, to begin laying the ground work..." Turning away, she wondered off. In a slightly louder voice, she called out to a table farther away, her hand raised in a happy wave. "Oh, Jacob, you naughty boy! How have you been, love?"

Nisha watched her leave, feeling very lost. Once the other girl was out of earshot, Peri let out a strangled cry. "Oh gods," she whispered. "I thought she would never leave!"

Slowly turning her head to face her friend, Nisha blinked. "W-what was that all about?"
"That...was Tatiana Fae. She's one of the fae, so she's quite insane. She's also stupidly powerful. If I were you, I'd stay as far away as possible. The fae are not to be messed with. They are incredibly dangerous Others. They are the least connected to any form of...humanity, I suppose you could say? They're very chaotic. It's impossible to tell what their motives are for anything. Like I said, just do your best to stay away...Though, if you've attracted the attention of one of them...Oh, dear," Peri gulped.

The two lapsed into silence for several minutes, both trying to digest what had happened. Feeling the subject desperately needed to be changed, Nisha swallowed nervously. "S-so you're going to come to the little 'tea party' I have to host today, right?"

Peri nodded vehemently. "Of course I am! I'll be cheering you on, too."

Smiling in thanks, Nisha let out a breath of relief. "Oh, thank God...Mother sent out all the invitations before I knew what she was about. I'm not even sure how many guests have agreed to come. I'm hoping no more than three or so..."

Her friend chuckled. "Mama Frost is a devious lady..."

Groaning, Nisha ran a hand over her face. "You have no idea!" She glanced at her friend and the two shared a smile. "In-laws are..."

Nodding even more, Peri laughed harder. "They are," she agreed. The bell rang and they both sighed. "Having to juggle school, married life, and my new position as a lady of the Faust family is getting really difficult." Peri glanced side-long at Nisha. "No worse than your own life-juggling, I'd have to bet though. See ya later," she waved as she stood up. Only a few seconds behind, Nisha left to go to her locker and continue her day.

At home she had an hour to get her schoolwork done. Ten minutes later, she was dressed in a slightly fancier casual outfit of a deep purple dress shirt and black slacks. Waiting, sitting on one of the lavish white love seats in the Yellow parlor, Nisha tried not to bite her nails in a nervous gesture. Her belly was filled with butterflies and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to make it. Her nerves were so bad, she felt a little lightheaded.
Forcing herself to calm down, she inhaled and exhaled deeply, slowly, three times. Closing her eyes, she felt a little better afterwards. A knock on the door had her eyes flying open. Forcing herself to remain calm, she slowly rose to her feet, turning slightly to face the parlor door. The door opened and a servant stepped inside, followed behind five young women around Nisha's age. Peri, Etna, two girls she didn't know, and Tatiana-which made Nisha gulp. Placing a pleasant smile on her face, she forced herself to stay together as the butterflies increased in number.

When she glanced over, she could have sworn she saw an older woman with grey-lined red hair pulled up into a messy bun. But the image was quickly gone and all she saw was her five guests and the servant. "Thank you," she inclined her head to the servant. "Please send up a tray of tea and appetizers. You may go now," she ordered in a kind voice. Dismissing the servant with the simple turn of her eyes, she focused her attention on her guests as the servant silently left to do as she had instructed. "Good afternoon, ladies. Please, come join me." She motioned to the two love seat couches and four armchairs of matching design.

The others moved forward, murmuring their thanks for being invited. By the time everyone was settled, the door quietly opened and a servant rolled in a trolley. "Ah, the tea is here. Thank you," she smiled at the servant, who quickly bobbed into a slight curtsy before leaving. "So, how has everyone's day been today?"

The six fell into polite small talk. Nisha felt stiff from having to talk so formally. This was supposed to be practice though, for when she might have to entertain guests, most especially the older generations. The girls kept it up for only about twenty minutes before they grew bored and tired of all the formalities. Pretty soon they were all having a good time, getting to know one another. The only one who seemed slightly out of place was Tatiana. There was this small, invisible bubble of distance that existed around her.

One of the girls Nisha hadn't known before, a succubus by the name of Willow Lilim brought up the topic of boys. The other girl, a pixie by the name of April Nix, alternately paled and blushed. "I-isn't it obvious, for Peri and Nisha?" April stuttered.

Willow smiled lightly. "Sure, but what about us three?" April blushed even deeper but remained silent. "Personally, I'm a fan of Trevor Jaris. He's built so well...Besides, a werewolf and a succubus? Could there be a better combination?"

Tatiana spoke up, as if she was sharing a dire secret. "I have two people I'm very interested in..."

Her blue eyes lighting up, Willow clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooooh, two? Due tell!"

Her lips lifting in a predatory grin, the fae did. "One I have no...physical interest in, but I'm very committed to helping them along a sensational path of life. The other I wouldn't mind having...But the conquest would be so easy...and I do enjoy a challenge. No, instead, I believe I'll instead play with both and see where my strings make them dance."

The other girls paled at her words, at the pure menace in her voice and eyes. Her pink eyes were nearly glowing in excitement and joy. She licked her lips in a way that seemed much too...sexual and threatening to bode well for the two mystery people.

A knock on the door broke up the tense atmosphere that had fallen. Jack appeared at the door. He wore a soft smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's nearly six."

Nisha's eyes widened. "Oh, wow. Is it that late already?"

He nodded, leaning against the door, arms crossed over his chest. "Yep. Ladies," his tone became a mixture of formal and amused as he dipped into a bow. "Might I help walk you out?"

Rising to their feet, the other girls blushed and nodded, their expressions becoming demure. Trying to not roll her eyes, Nisha rose as well. Jack and her played host and hostess as they all slipped back into the act of nobles. She smiled and waved, wishing them all a good night as they left through the entrance hall. Peri threw a thumbs-up and a wide grin over her shoulder before leaving as well.

Jack glanced down at Nisha as soon as they were alone. "Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

She shook her head slowly. "Not really. I thought I would die of nerves though." He kissed her lightly before they made their way to dinner. Glacia seemed quite pleased with how well the little party had gone and Nisha felt relieved she hadn't screwed it up.

The rest of the day passed like normal, as did the next week. But even so, Nisha began to grow a little paranoid and worried. Every now and again, she felt like she would see random people that weren't there. She'd hear faint voices, but no one would be around, as far as she could tell. It kept up, until Jack and the rest of the family began to notice that she was becoming edgy. And it was one such Sunday morning, right around what would be Thanksgiving in the Human world, when she snapped. Sitting down to breakfast, she glanced over to the left and saw a flash of a young black-haired boy with light green eyes. It was the fifth random person she had seen a flash of this morning and her nerves couldn't handle anymore.

I'm going crazy!

Slumping her head in her hands, she felt an almost hysterically sorrow. She couldn't handle it anymore, couldn't try to hide it anymore. She was hearing voices and having hallucinations!

A strange surge of...something coursed through her as she began to cry into her hands.

The rest of the family shot to their feet, letting out cries of alarm. But she didn't care. She heard another voice again, though it was so fast and faint she couldn't pick up what was being said. Sobbing harder at the continuation of her madness, she felt the surge grow even stronger.
Abruptly, she felt really cold. Shivering, she moved her hands from her face and wrapped them around her arms. And that's when she saw what surrounded her.

The entire table in front of her was encased in thick ice, like it had become a lake. Her chair and the floor around it were half frozen as well. Shivering even harder, she raised shocked eyes to where the rest of the family had gathered at the end of the table Quentin usually sat at. They watched her with just as wide and amazed eyes.

"W-w-wha-t-t?" she stuttered from the cold.

The others in the room were quickly going over what could be happening in their minds. And all of them came to the same conclusion at the exact same moment. Quentin let out a sigh of relief. Glacia clapped her hands together in joy. Jacob sighed heavily and shot Jack a vengeful smile. Millie's eyes went wide and she smiled brightly. Grace's face was torn between excitement and worry. Jack grew very pale and he slowly sank to his knees, his bright blue eyes filled with utter shock.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Quentin stepped forward, over the ice. He pulled Nisha into a hug as he moved her away from the dangerous surface and the cold it brought. Then he smiled softly down at her. "I'm going to be a grandpa," he chuckled as way of explanation.

Nisha's eyes went as round as saucers as she leaned heavily against her father-in-law. Her voice came out in a soft exhale. "O-oh..." Before she could think much else, she felt a sudden and complete weariness come over her. "I'm going to f-fai..." her voice trailed off as she collapsed into Quentin's arms.

Nisha woke up an hour later. She was lying on a couch in one of the parlors, the Blue one, going off the decorations. Jack was sitting in an armchair across from her, his head in his hands, leaning forward in the chair, his left leg bouncing in a nervous gesture. Groaning as her head began to pound, she slowly dragged herself into a sitting position.

Instantly, Jack rose to his feet and knelt in front of the couch, his blue eyes glued to her face. He reached out for her left hand, clasping it tightly in both of his. He took in a deep breath before speaking in a worried voice. "So...now you have magic, in a way...As such, you're going to have to learn to get a tighter reign over both your emotions and the magic. Using so much, so suddenly, without any training is very dangerous. It's most likely the major reason why you passed out earlier...besides shock. Your body couldn't handle the strain."

Her eyes were stormy with shock, uncertainty, and terror. "J-Jack...it's not true, right? I'm not..."

His voice was firm, but his eyes looked nearly as terrified as hers. "You are."

She gulped, slumping back until she was half-laying back on the couch again. Jack rose and sat on the couch beside her, keeping his hold on her hand like it was his lifeline. Two months of marriage and already I'm pregnant, she thought in a daze.

"Of course, we'll go to the doctors in a little bit and have tests run to make it official. But with...with the fact that you suddenly have ice magic-very powerful ice magic, I'd like to add-there's no doubt. There's no way you could suddenly developed magical abilities. And if you did, it would be fire-based, with the hellhound blood you have. Instead, its ice, which could only come from me...Which means that you're pregnant with a child that has very powerful ice abilities. Holy fuck..." he cursed, his face growing pale again. "I'm sorry," he apologized after a second. "I don't even know what I'm sorry about...I'm kind of a mess right now, hjarta mítt. My whole brain feels like a train wreck..."

She nodded tiredly. "Yeah...me too."

Jack glanced down at her smooth stomach. "Fuck," he swore harshly. "Fuck, I'm not ready for this reality. I'm not ready for any of this shit."

At his words, she felt like crying. "Y-you..." she stuttered as another, though much less powerful, surge ran through her. As a few tears ran down her cheeks, she felt them solidify, dropping into her lap. Blinking, the surprise made the surge die away. Looking down, she found two small tear droplets of ice sitting in her lap. They were so frozen in fact that when she gingerly lifted one into her hand, it didn't start to melt at all. Her gaze shot to Jack again.

He was staring at her, his expression unreadable. After a few seconds, he sucked in a long breath. "I'm sorry for making you feel sad like that. I didn't mean it like I'm a-angry or anything. I'm just...I'm just currently freaking the fuck out and panicking. I'm terrified, and not just because of all the normal reasons...I-if you're having such powerful reactions right now...How bad is it going to get later on? W-what if it gets bad enough that you get hurt by the magic that's spinning out of control? You don't have immunity to ice, like I do. You're human, Nisha...Y-you're so fragile and there's so many ways for you to get hurt. I...I couldn't handle it if that happened...and it almost makes me resent all of this...B-but that's messed up, is-sn't it?" he asked in an agonized whisper. "Y-you're pregnant...We're going to have a baby...I should be happy, damn it!" He wiped at a few of his own tears that had begun to fall. "This should be a great thing, something joyful...And yet all I can feel right now is panic, fear, and resentment. What k-kind of father can I be if I'm like this?" he demanded in quiet anger.

Shifting, she moved to lay her head on his shoulder. He released his hold on her hand to wrap an arm around her back and press her closer. His face moved to the top of her head and he breathed in her scent, trying to calm down. Her voice was a little shaky, but she was trying to stay calm herself. "We do this together, remember?"

He inhaled, letting out his breath slowly as he nodded. "Together," he confirmed. They sat in the quiet for awhile longer, though Nisha wasn't sure exactly how long. Eventually, Jack sighed. "We need to go." He helped Nisha to her feet, pulling her into a brief hug. Silently, he led the way to the entrance hall. Four hours later, it was confirmed that she was 7 weeks pregnant. The doctor let them know it would be another 11 weeks or so before the baby's gender could be determined. After politely thanking the doctor for the congratulations they received, the two made their silent way home.

Glacia and Grace were both ecstatic that their suspicions were confirmed. Nisha did her best to act excited herself, but truthfully her mind and heart was still trying to come to grips with the knowledge. According to the doctor, her due date was July 10th of the next year. Jack had nearly laughed at that. An ice child born in the middle of summer seemed hilarious to his stressed mind, at the moment.

Once they were given time to their selves, away from their well-wishing family, they tried to unwind by following their normal routine. Since they had finished their school work on Friday and Saturday, they curled up on the bed together to have an The Hobbit movie marathon.

The week slowly passed, until the very end of the month. Quentin called Jack to his study, his expression weary. "Jack," he began, already knowing how his son would react to what he had to say. "Winter is coming early this year and it will be a very strong one. As such, I will need your help for the whole of December."

Jack could feel a vein in his forehead beginning to tick at the anger that rushed through him. "You want me to do this now?"

Sighing heavily, his father ran a hand through his short hair. "I know you're panicking right now, with Nisha and the baby. But as Heir your duties must always come first, you understand? This is something you would have to do when you take over and getting the chance to learn, practice, and train will be good for you. We'll have to talk to the academy and get passes from the ORGR, as we need to be in the Human world the entire time."

Jack's hands clenched into fists at his side. "You're asking me to leave my wife and unborn child behind for a month, while I help you be snow-maker for the humans?" His voice was a low hiss of rage.

Quentin's eyes flashed at his son's words. His voice took on a threateningly intense tone. "No, Jack, I'm telling you to do so. This is final. You won't worm or talk your way out of it. We leave in two days. I'll go ahead to the academy tomorrow and get matters settled. I don't see why you're so surprised. You know I am gone for the whole of the winter months to the Human world. At least you will not be gone for longer than a month, back for the new year. Now, I recommend you start packing."

His body shaking in barely checked rage, Jack slowly bowed his head, turned on his heel, and left. In the hallway, he swallowed back a roar. His mind spun, fighting with itself for several minutes. When he finally accepted that he had no way out of this, he sighed heavily. Now his mind began to make plans, checking things off a mental list. Realizing something that pissed him off nearly as much as before, he stalked to his destination.

Jacob sat, propped up on his bed, working on his assignments. He felt an immense pressure of magic storming toward him and glanced up in surprise. His bedroom door blew open in a cold wind and Jack stepped inside, his blue eyes so pale they were nearly white. It was obvious that he was barely keeping himself from transforming into his true form. Feeling the old grudge he still had whenever he looked at Jack start to rise, he glared at his younger brother. "Yes? Can I help you?" he asked in an icy calm voice.

Jack walked straight to the foot of his bed, sending a wave of cold air strong enough to slam Jacob's door shut behind him. "Okay, we need to talk. Dad's forcing me away for a month to the Human world..." he began to explain.

"Wonderful!" Jacob hissed. "A whole month where I won't have to look at your face? Is the human girl going too?"

Jack's voice dropped into a low growl. "No, you bitch! That's why we need to talk!" Jacob fell silent as Jack continued to yell, explaining the situation as he did. "I have to fucking leave, for a month! Nisha is pregnant right now and I can't be here! Do you realize what that means?!"

Blinking, Jacob sighed. "I'll have to keep suffering her presence?" he tried, voice snippy.

Jack only just stopped himself from reaching out and strangling his older brother. "Yes, you sorry bastard, you will! You'll be the only et hiemis left here, which means you are the only one that can keep Nisha safe!"

Feeling some of his hate slowly shift to surprised annoyance, Jacob shook his head. "Oh, no...I'm not going to-"

Jack's voice dipped until it grew into such a calm, soft tone that Jacob felt real fear shot down his spine. "Oh, you will, big brother. If anything happens to Nisha while I am away, I will kill you. That's not a warning, not even a threat. It's a promise I'm making right now. Nisha will not only need help coming and going to the car, but she'll need to be monitored at school and home. I had planned to do all of this myself, but now my hand has been forced. And since I cannot do it, you will. Nisha's emotions are heightened right now because of the baby. Plus, she's got an insane amount of magic running through her veins and almost not control over it."

Jack sucked in a sharp breath, his emotions trying to make him loose control. "Do you know how many times I had to save her from herself just this past week? She accidentally froze the bath when she fell asleep in it. She caused it to snow in the middle of class yesterday, the temperature dropping to the single digits in only a few seconds. I'll ask Alec to help out while she's at school, and Peri too...Though honestly I can't see her friend being able to help very much, but still...If this keeps up, she might not even make it for a week of the time I'll be gone. So, until I return, you have to keep her safe. If she ices over the dinning room again, you have to get her out of harm's way. If she freezes the entrance hall, you have to make sure she doesn't slip and break her neck. Now do you understand?"

Jacob stared into Jack's eyes for five minutes, not daring to move. His mind spun, desperately wanting to tell his asshole of a brother that he didn't have to do a damn thing. But he knew...He could feel how serious Jack's promise of death was. And, though he hated to admit it, he knew Jack could easily keep his promise. His younger brother could kill him before he could do much to defend himself or strike back. Sucking in a deep breath, he reluctantly nodded. "Fine," he growled. "I'll be...Nisha's keeper while you and Father are away to the Human world. But don't expect me to help once you get back. I'll only suffer her presence for a month."

Jack slowly came down from most of his rage. He smiled tightly. "Thank you," he said in a mixture of sincerity and fury. "I only ask for a month. After that you can go back to only giving a fucking shit about your sorry self." Without another word, Jack left his brother's room.

Jacob watched him go, wondering just what the hell he had been forced to agree to do.