Over the months since Lena's last return from her latest trip, Willow Manor had been given new life. First with a little sister who carried with her royal responsibilities, and then with a lover and his friend who had breathed a certain thrill for life itself back into the old house. Though Jack had all but moved out to live with Jasmin at Ivy Lodge, less than five minutes' walk away, he was still a regular face at Willow Manor, maintaining the closeness of his friendship with Tommy and Lena, and cultivating an oddly warm older brother role in the life of Lena's little sister, Dru.

Of course, there were some things that he didn't want to cultivate too much with the sixteen-year-old but, as Jasmin had told him on any number of occasions, Dru's crush was her own business unless it got out of hand, and it certainly wasn't reason enough to be awkward around the girl. She needed all the friends she could get, family or otherwise, and Jack fell neatly into the otherwise category. They were close enough by now for him to confide in Dru a particular surprise he wanted to spring on his girlfriend, and since time was limited before Dru had to go back to Tirisano for the holidays, now seemed the perfect time to get that surprise underway.

To say Jack was a little nervous was an understatement. He had always been painfully shy, even more so if he didn't have his guitar in hand, but he'd taken a liking to Lena's kid sister, just as she had to him. He'd never had any close relationship with those of the female species before, and he'd found a certain closeness with Lena and Dru and Jasmin that he'd never had with anyone else before, not even Tommy. Lena and Dru were more than just friends to him; they were like family, the sisters he'd never had.

Despite all of this, Jack still found himself nervously shuffling his feet while he stood outside Willow Manor and waited for someone to answer the door, hands shoved in his coat pockets, his breath turning to a vaporous cloud in the cold December air.

Thumping footsteps from inside announced the approach of the teenager from her bedroom upstairs, coming to a halt barely a moment before the big front door swung open. Dru's face lit up with a wide grin of welcome as she laid eyes on Jack, stepping back to gesture for him to come inside quickly. "Hello, handsome, come on in," she encouraged him cheerfully, brushing her shoulder-length hair back out of her face. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

He blushed a little at the compliment, hoping she'd blame it on the cold, as he stepped inside, pulling his hands from his pockets to rub them together and get the chill off. "Not too long, no. Is it a bad time?" he asked, looking past her for Tommy or Lena or anyone else he wanted to avoid at the moment.

"Only if a bad time is a time when I'm here on my own," Dru assured him, pushing the door closed with a brief shiver for the rush of cold air that had blasted into the house along with the adult male friend she definitely had the hots for. "Tommy and Lena went to talk to the architects again, and Xoren is in a briefing with the Old Man's security guards again. It's just me."

"Xoren?" he echoed quizzically before remembering who that was. "Oh, right." He chewed at the corner of his mouth and shuffled his feet again a bit nervously. "When are you leaving?" he asked, knowing she was going home for the holidays, wherever home was. He wasn't too familiar with the geography of Rhy'Din yet, though he was a quick learner.

Dru's face fell at the reminder that she was going home for a few weeks. Having spent a while in Rhy'Din, she knew she was going to miss out on a lot while attending to her own duties in Tirisano, and the prospect of the trip was not one she was particularly looking forward to. "On the 18th," she told Jack with a half-shrug. "It takes a few days to get there, and I have to be fitted for a few ridiculous gowns, and then the round of balls starts, and the opening of Parliament for the New Year, and ....there's a lot I have to do. But I'll be back on the 10th of January."

"Isn't there some way you can stay?" he asked, not really looking forward to the big Granger gathering he was going to be required to attend. It was no big secret that he wasn't all that crazy about crowds, even if they were friendly ones. Hopefully, being Jasmin's boyfriend would help, and though everyone had been nice to him so far, he had yet to meet all of them.

"I wish I could." Dru was definitely pouting about having to leave, though her manners kicked it pretty quickly despite it all. "Would you like something to drink" The fire's going in the living room, come through and make yourself comfortable." As she led the way, she continued with her explanation as to why she couldn't stay in Rhy'Din. "I'd stay here if I have even the slightest choice, but I have to be present for official functions. I'm the heir, and when my uncle dies, I'll be the ruler. I have to at least present myself to the members of Parliament on a regular basis."

"So, does that mean you'll have to move back there someday?" he asked, as he followed her into the living room, appreciating the warmth of the fire, despite his fascination with the novelty of winter. It was pretty, but cold. He assumed his question sort of went without asking, but he was nervous and trying to make conversation.

She nodded, not quite as dejected about that idea as she had been a month ago. "You can't really be a ruler if you don't know your country," she offered, leaning on the back of the couch. "Besides which, I only have about a year before they start piling on the pressure for me to get married and start popping out babies to secure the line. My uncle's health isn't the best, so I'm a little screwed in that respect."

"Pardon me for saying so, but aren't you a little young to get married?" he asked, knowing that Rhy'Din customs weren't the same as Earth customs and that in Earth's past, it wasn't unusual for people of royalty to have marriages arranged for them at a very young age. He frowned a little nervously. As far as Jack knew, Dru didn't even have a boyfriend yet.

"I'm seventeen next month," she shrugged. "My grandparents were married when my grandmother was twelve. They had to wait until she was sixteen to consummate the marriage, but it was all legal and above board. Things are very different when you're royal. Hopefully I'll be married to someone I can at least stand to be around."

"I'm sorry, Dru," Jack found himself apologizing and sympathizing with her plight. He knew what it was like to have someone try to plan your life for you, even if he wasn't royalty. Comparing his situation to hers, however, was like comparing apples to oranges. He'd run away from home to avoid being forced into something he didn't want to do, but he wasn't royalty with an entire country counting on him.

She smiled faintly, rubbing her hand through her hair. "It has compensations," she conceded. "How many teenagers have the influence to makes changes to the world they live in" I can make a difference. And besides, we're very proud of our royal family. I can't let an entire country down, can I?" There was just enough mischief in her smile to reassure the man sympathizing with her that she really wasn't as against the life ahead of her as she might have seemed at first. "But you're right, I would rather be here on Christmas Eve than wearing a dress I can't breathe in at some stuffy ball."

"You're not going to Desmond and Piper's wedding?" he asked, curiously. He had yet to meet the couple in question, but he'd heard from Lena that their eldest brother was getting married at the end of December, and he and Jasmin were expected to be there. They'd even been asked to play a song or two at the wedding.

"Oh, I'll be here for that," Dru agreed hurriedly. "It's a very quick stopover, though. I have to open Parliament the next day, so we're making the most of some magic and hoping like hell that the general populace don't find out. Magic isn't very trusted in Tirisano."

"How far away is it?" he asked, perhaps out of curiosity; perhaps he was just stalling. It was hard to tell with Jack. He had yet to state the reason for his visit here, though he thought she could just as easily guess since they'd discussed it before.

"I don't really know the distance," she admitted a little reluctantly. "It took me four days to get here, but that was because I was ducking and hiding. It took Xoren two, once he knew where I was, but apparently the journey from Rhy'Din to Tirisano is supposed to take about three days." She chuckled softly to herself. "I was going to put the kettle on. Would you like something to drink?"

"Um, sure," he replied, sounding a little uncertain. "I, uh....was wondering if you wouldn't mind, you know..." He fumbled with his request, feeling a little silly, but touching a hand to his overgrown mop of hair as if to indicate what he was referring to.

The teenager paused, looking back at him with an amused look of confusion on her face. "If I wouldn't ....what?" she asked, not entirely clear on what it was he wasn't saying. "Come into the kitchen and mumble for a while, it helps." She flashed him a grin, stepping out of view and into the kitchen itself.

He frowned, chewing a little nervously at his lower lip again as he followed her into the kitchen. Maybe he'd relax once he got something warm in his stomach. He wasn't as nervous about getting his hair cut as he was about the reaction of those around him once it was done. "I wanted to surprise Jasmin for Christmas," he blurted suddenly. "She's been hinting about my hair," he added with a frown. He'd had long hair for years and though he'd cut it recently, it was still fairly long compared to the norm, not to mention the beard that obscured a boyishly-handsome face.

"Oh." Dru did a creditable job of looking surprised without looking jealous at the mention of his girlfriend. Yes, she had a huge crush on Jack, but she wasn't stupid enough to think it would ever be more than that. Besides, he was obviously head over heels in love with Jasmin, and Dru liked that particular cousin. So she was happy for them. She just didn't like it when they referred to each other in her presence. "I could cut it, if you want," she heard herself offer, more for the chance to get her hands on Jack in a completely innocent way than for any real desire to help with a surprise for Jaz. She offered up a smile as she switched the kettle on, opening up a cupboard to inspect it for teabags.

"I tried to cut it myself, but I think I just made a mess of it," he continued, frowning. Why he hadn't visited a barber was a mystery, and he apparently didn't trust Tommy with scissors and was too embarrassed to ask Lena. "I feel like an idiot asking you, but I'm not sure who else to ask. I don't want it too short," he said, running his fingers through the mop of hair that framed his face.

"Well ....you do look a little rough around the edges," Dru conceded, finally coming up with teabags from the cupboard, and turning to rummage for mugs. "I understand what you mean about not too short, but what to you would be too short' There's no point cutting it if you're not going to be comfortable with the finished product."

Realising that she was holding hands with the finest male specimen of her acquaintance, Dru suddenly blushed vividly, easing her hand out of Jack's grasp with a shy giggle of her own. Fixing her eyes on her teacup, she stared into it for a moment before summoning up the courage to speak again, embarrassed that she'd come over all girly in the first place. "So, um ....when do you want me to cut your hair?"

"As soon as possible" Before I lose my nerve," he said, hardly noticing the blush, or at least, not realizing it was because of him. He'd never known a girl to have a crush on him before and now there were two - one innocent and one not so innocent. "Can I trust you with a scissors?" he asked, releasing her hand as she pulled away.

"I promise I will not run with them," she laughed, taking a sip of her tea before moving to stand up. "Give me a moment, I know where Lena keeps the comb and scissors. Are you sure you trust me to do this for you? Lena might be better at it, you know. She did Tommy's hair."

"No, I..." he started, wearing that uncertain frown on his face again as she stood up. "I don't want Tommy or Lena to know just yet." He had his reasons. One of those reasons was that it was a surprise; the other was a little more personal. Jack just wasn't sure how Tommy would react to him chopping his hair off - again - and he didn't feel like being ribbed about it before he had a chance to see if Jasmin liked it.

"Oh, so it's like our little secret," Dru grinned cheerfully. "What are you going to do, wear a hat all day and all night until you whip it off and show Jaz your new 'do?" She ruffled his hair as she passed by him, not needing to go far. This was the sort of house where everything was kept in the kitchen - it was easier to find things then.

He ducked his head momentarily as she ruffled his hair, frowning thoughtfully, perhaps taking this hair-cutting things a little too seriously. What was the worst that could happen anyway' It was only hair. He had grown it out once; he could do it again. "I wanted to surprise her for Christmas, but....Why's it so important, you think, Dru" My hair, I mean. Long or short, it doesn't change who I am."

She looked up from her rummaging through a drawer, considering the answer before giving it to him. "Because she's proud of you," she suggested with a shrug. "Because she doesn't want you to go through life thinking you have to hide behind something that doesn't suit you. And that hair style really doesn't suit you, Jack. You like showing her off, don't you? So why is it so different for her to want to do the same with you?"

He tugged at the longish strands of hair with his fingers again, wondering what she or Jasmin would have thought of him had his hair and beard remained long and shaggy. They probably wouldn't have given him so much as a second glance. "I don't know. I just....I don't want people to judge me based on what I look like."

"Looks are what we base our first impressions on," the teenager offered up, finally producing scissors and a comb from the drawer. "It's the first thing I got taught. That my first impression is the way I present myself. It is just a first impression, but if your first impression is a good one, people are more inclined to learn about you and come to their own conclusions. It's hard to do that when you present the world with an outward appearance that wants to hold them at arms' length."

"Serves me right for asking a princess a question like that," he said as he watched her, his stomach all tied up in nervous knots over a simple haircut. "It's not fair really. People shouldn't just a book by its cover." Though he knew, that was simply the way things were and there was nothing he could do about it. He'd walked the path of a rebel long enough and it had gotten him nothing but loneliness.

"No, they shouldn't," she agreed, pulling a stool into the middle of the floor and patting it invitingly. "But it's a long way from should to don't, and most people don't ever even consider making the walk. Besides, you're a handsome fellow. You should be proud of that, show it off a little." She smiled once again, a smile that was nearly as shy as his, and flicked a towel at him. "Come on then, if you're coming."

"How do you know what I look like underneath here?" he asked, gesturing toward his own face as he moved to his feet. He shrugged off his shaggy jacket and left it on the chair, taking a deep breath before moving over to claim the chair. In another minute or two, there'd be no turning back.

"I have faith," she nodded confidently. "That, and no one can completely disguise a fantastic bone structure even under a beard. Which you have. Fantastic bone structure, gorgeous eyes, the works. You're going to be a knock out, Jack, just you wait."

"I haven't seen my own face in..." He paused a moment as he mentally did the math. Had it really been five years" He blushed a little at the compliment again, unaccustomed to hearing such things, especially from those of the opposite sex. "So, do you have any boyfriends?" he asked, curiously, changing the subject and the focus of the conversation away from himself.

It took another moment for her to screw up her courage and start running her fingers through his hair, pausing to drape the towel around his shoulders before combing through the tangles left by the wintry weather as gently as she could. "Boyfriends?" Dru laughed awkwardly, embarrassed even by the notion. "I don't even have friends, Jack. How am I supposed to get a boyfriend?"

"I'm your friend," he pointed out helpfully, proving her wrong, though he obviously could not be her boyfriend. It wasn't just the fact that he was already in love with her cousin; he was simply too old for her, and they both knew it. "It shouldn't be hard for a girl like you to find a boyfriend, but maybe I shouldn't be encouraging you." She was a princess, after all, not a commoner like him. "I suppose your..." He broke off before uttering the word "family". "I suppose you're supposed to date royalty."

"A girl like me?" she echoed as the first snip of the scissors spelled doom for his ability to hide behind his hair for the festive season. She was frowning with concentration, yes, but she wasn't entirely sure what he was getting at. "What do you mean by that?"

He winced a little at the first sound of snipping, but steeled himself to remain still until she was finished. What was the worst that could happen" It was only hair, after all. He tried to turn his attention to the conversation and ignore what she was doing with his hair. "I mean, you're pretty, smart, cute, and caring. Boys should be falling all over you by now."

She snorted with laughter, aware of her own loneliness but trained pretty much from birth to deal with it, watching the strands of his hair tumble down onto the towel as she shortened his hair. There wasn't really all that much to come off, on the whole. It was more a case of neatening the style once it was at a length that would suit him. "How many boys my age do you know who are brave enough to approach someone who always has a bodyguard loitering somewhere nearby?"

"There's no one loitering nearby now," he pointed out, though he knew that didn't really count. "If I'd met a girl like you when I was sixteen or seventeen..." He didn't complete that thought. If he'd met someone like her or Lena or Jasmin when he was still a teenager, his whole life might have been different, but on the whole, he was happy with the way things had turned out. He was happy in Rhy'Din, and he was happy with Jasmin, and despite everything, he wouldn't change a thing. "What I mean is, maybe you just haven't met the right guy yet."

"Well, he'll only be exactly the right guy if he comes with rank and table manners, according to my uncles' ministers." Dru shrugged, not particularly wanting to talk about this. It was a source of a great deal of upset in her life that one very important decision was never going to be hers to make. But she'd promised Jack she'd talk to him if she needed to, and he deserved a little of her confidence after the way he had shared with her. "I just don't see the point of letting myself make a connection like that," she tried to explain. "If he isn't exactly right, I'd have to break it off the second the search for a husband starts, and I'd be going into my marriage aware of what I'm missing. That just seems harder to bear, somehow."

"Tables manners can be taught," Jack remarked, though he wasn't so sure about rank. He got the feeling he was only causing her more pain by talking about this subject than he intended, and he found himself apologizing again. Still, there was a point he wanted to make. "I didn't think I'd ever meet anyone either."

"But you did," Dru pointed out, careful not to make the point that there were no rules surrounding his choice of who should share his life with him. She paused for a moment, drawing her fingers through his hair to check the comparative lengths. She'd already clipped it fairly close at the back, but she wasn't going to take all the length away. Just enough to make it manageable. "And you're so happy with her, it radiates out."

"It does?" he asked, briefly tilting his head to regard her. "Dru..." He paused a moment again, unsure how much he dared confide in her. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me," he told her, hoping she would be happy for them. He knew she had feelings for him, but they both knew it would never work out. He at least owed her the truth before she left for Tirisano and found out after the fact.

Of course she was happy for them. Having a crush on him didn't mean she automatically wanted him to be miserable, after all. And being told before anyone ....well, that was a pretty big indication that he trusted her. Dru's smile was wide and genuine as he let this secret spill out, bright enough not to be touched by the stab of jealousy that came from being a teenager with a slightly inappropriate fixation on an older man. "That's wonderful, Jack," she enthused brightly. "So that's what the hair cut is about."

"Yeah, well....partly. I mean, I do want her to be proud of me. Especially if we're gonna get married. I wanna make her happy. And I need to show her cousins and her uncle that I can take care of her, that I can be responsible, you know?" he asked, still looking up to her. She was going to have to turn his head back around if she ever wanted to finish with the haircut. "I guess it's time I grow up," Jack said, frowning a little to himself.

"Don't grow up too much," the teenager warned him, planting both hands on his head to run his face forward once again, returning to her snipping. "She loves you the way you are, remember. And Jaz doesn't really strike me as the type to care if Humphrey approves all that much. I mean, it'd be nice if he did, but she wouldn't drop you just on his whim. Which he wouldn't ask her to, by the way. He's a mean old grouch, but he's a fair one. He'll probably like you."

"Think so?" he asked, more concerned about Jasmin's family's approval than he'd let on to her or Lena or anyone else. "I don't even have a job. Not really. I mean, what if he thinks I'm more interested in her money than her? Which I'm not," he added, almost turning his head again but remembering at the last minute that she was still trying to cut his hair.