Ava giggled as the morning streets rushed past under Noel's somewhat reckless driving. "I can't believe it was that easy!"

"Well, you knew exactly where the keys were. And both of us fit through the window."

"Turn left." commanded the GPS. Noel slowed, reluctantly, for the corner, then took off into a wider road. They passed neat beige walls and rusted fences; tall apartment buildings and houses with tiled orange roofs; unkempt clumps of strelitzias, and manicured 'islands' of verge separating the lanes, planted with evenly spaced palm trees. Above them, the sky was pale grey; a blissfully cool wind swayed the tops of the trees, suggesting that there was more rain to come.

Perched on the edge of the driver's seat, Noel barely looked tall enough to reach the pedals. Ava doubted this, though. He seemed to have little difficulty in reaching the accelerator. They barreled down the leisurely, curving roads at a pace which made Ava's stomach swoop and her heart leap even as her mind filled with unease. The speed was an escape, for Ava at least; she wondered if Noel felt the same.

To the left, out of Noel's window, Ava could see the ocean, a strip of steel blue against grey skies. The car streaked over a wide bridge, leaving it behind before Ava could notice more than sand, dune vegetation and a rippling lagoon stretching away in both directions. Buildings sprawled over the nearby hills. Beige apartment blocks looked like dolls' houses on the horizon. 

The world looked vast, and open, and exposed. Ava shrank back in her seat, playing with the strings of her hoodie.

"How do you think Robyn got here? Is she old enough to drive?"

Noel, thankfully, kept his eyes on the road as he replied, "No idea. I guess we'll find out."

"What if we have the wrong person?" said Ava.

Noel shrugged. Bushes in all shades of green lined the world on either side of the road, hiding the ocean from view. "Guess we're not the first person to make that mistake."

Ava shivered.

Fifteen minutes of palm trees, rickety wire fences, billboards and terrifying speeds later, they had reached Umhlanga. This was the trendy-tourist-destination; a world of high-rise hotels painted in sophisticated pastel monochrome, terraced timeshares and elegant landscaping held back from the beach by only a few dunes and the promenade.

They turned away from the cranes and scaffolding building yet more skyscrapers, and followed a road lined with manicured lawn verges, tall aloes and pavements of red and orange bricks. A pale peach hotel rose in front of the ocean, standing out among the taller beige and white apartments. Its name was written on one of the curved sides facing Ava: Beverly Hills.

The small red car parked in an on-street parking space, keeping a wary distance from the hotel. Ava turned to Noel. "So I guess we get in. How?"

Noel shrugged. "Heck if I know. I'm an elf; we make toys. We don't usually break into luxury hotels!"

"Hmm." Ava unclipped her seatbelt. "Unlock the car."

"Why?" 

"I'm going out. To scout the territory."

Noel coughed in a way that sounded suspiciously like a stifled giggle. "To what?"

"I've broken in to places before!"

"I'm not sure that that's encouraging." Noel sighed. A click signaled that the doors were unlocked. "Okay, go ahead."

"Thanks." Ava opened the door.

"Wait!" said Noel. "This is going to sound weird, but can I borrow your jacket?"

She glared at him. "My what?"

"You don't need it. It's ridiculously hot here. Anyway, your mom's probably called the cops. People will be looking for you, and not just Mrs Claus. That hoodie makes you recognisable."

Ava's stare faltered, but she remained defiant. "You don't need my jacket. My mom's jacket is in the backseat. It's new. It was a Christmas present from Auntie Lisa."

She slammed the car door more forcibly than was necessary, stuck her hands in her jacket pockets and stomped towards the hotel.

Noel got out of the car and opened the boot. Sure enough, there was a jacket there.

It was... well, it was pink. Yes. It was very definitely pink. If it had been any brighter, it would have transcended the bounds of earthly pinkness; as it was, it seared a burning image onto the backs of Noel's retinas.

He sighed, and put it on.

Ava walked into the hotel parking and looked around cautiously. From here, she could only see glimpses of curving walls and uniform windows, white umbrellas surrounding a turquoise pool looking out over the ocean. Several ideas came to mind, but none of them would get her into the grounds. She discarded them.

Wait. The ocean!

Ava hesitated for a moment, debating whether to go back and fetch Noel. She hardly knew him, though; she didn't want to look like an idiot, and it was likely her plan wouldn't work. She hurried out of the parking lot and ran back up the road - doing her best to look inconspicuous as she passed their red Hyundai - towards the road next to it which, she knew, led to the beach. It took far longer on foot than in a car, and Ava reached the promenade with aching legs and a little short of breath.

There were more people on the wide brick walkway than she had expected. Ava pulled her hood up and tried not to look suspicious; on second thoughts, the hoodie probably didn't help with that. Nor did the fact that she was filthy, damp from the rain, and - she glanced down at herself - still barefoot. Several early-morning joggers gave her strange looks. 

She barely glanced at the ocean, the way people do when they have taken the beach for granted for most of their lives; instead she turned her head away from the curious gazes and scanned the dunes on her other side. Most beachfront hotels and timeshares had paths leading directly to the beach. Ava's plan hinged on the Beverly Hills being among them.

When she saw the zigzag stairway leading up to the hotel, she waited as casually as she could until no-one was nearby, then darted up the stairs. She scrambled over the security gate at the top, tearing her jacket in the process.

She was in the grounds. What next?

Ava looked at the swimming pool, the glass doors leading to a restaurant, the tables and deckchairs and white umbrellas, thankfully deserted this early in the morning. Above the tables, a zigzag beige roof shaded the veranda; above that, windows looked out over the ocean.

Hmm. Ava's attention went to the poles holding up the porch roof. 

Some quick climbing later, she was up and in through a conveniently open window. She darted out of the hotel room before its occupants returned, and found herself in an atmosphere of stately elegance. The walls showcased black and white photographs of Durban in days gone by. The passage led onto a sweeping balcony and a glossy, wooden spiral staircase, with an exquisite chandelier hanging above and a view of the entrance foyer. A lady in a vividly pink coat sat on one couch, reading a newspaper. 

Noel wouldn't believe that she was actually in, Ava thought gleefully. Just wait until she told him!

The person in the pink coat looked up, a mischievous grin spreading over her - his - freckled face. Noel pushed back the fur-trimmed hood of his pink jacket, and waved.

Ava ran down the stairs towards him. "How did you get in?"

"I walked. Through the doors. I believe that's the usual method."

Her eyes swept accusingly over Noel, nestled in Auntie Lisa's jacket, with a pair of round sunglasses mostly obscuring his face. "That's why you needed my jacket!"

Noel smiled. "This one actually worked way better." He kept his voice low. "I look good as a mom."

She snorted. "You look like a flamingo. Where's Robyn's room?"

"Upstairs, first floor."

A/N: This chapter is largely unedited and shorter than I wanted it to be. It's definitely less than perfect. Sorry about that. I just wanted to get it published, because it's been forever since I posted anything on Wattpad.

Next chapter, we finally get to meet Robyn, for real!

Also, I wonder what's going on at the North Pole...?