Chapter 47: Salvation, Part 2

When her eyes flew open, still mumbling her father's final words, it wasn't the kind and loving face of her father hovering over her but rather the equally concerned, yet slightly unwelcome face of Cornelius Cane.?"Corey?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper. "How did you? Where is my.?" She began looking around the cave, desperately searching for her father. There was not a trace of him anywhere.
"Calm down, Serendipity," Corey insisted, his hand on her shoulder. "You'll be all right just as soon as we get you to some place warm."
Serendipity noticed then that they were not alone. Snowshoes was standing just in front of the entrance to the cave, the baby reindeer alongside him. "Is that how you found me? With the light from the baby reindeer?"
"Yes," Corey explained. "He was able to find your footprints, and then we followed you here, by the red light of his nose."
"Such a wonderful little fellow," Serendipity mumbled, suddenly very much aware of how numb her entire body felt. "He deserves a good name like Rudolph."
"Rudolph it is, then," Corey agreed. "Now, if you will allow me to, I'd like to transport you back to my cottage, where we can make sure you are well."
"No," Serendipity replied sharply, sitting up. "After what you did you were completely dishonest with me. I shall never step foot in your cottage again. I should like to go somewhere else."
"Oh, Serendipity," Corey said, shaking his head. "Now is not the time to go into long winded explanations, but I assure you, I didn't lie to you. I didn't use the potion. Do you remember the plant? The one in my kitchen? I poured the location binding potion in the frozen poinsettia. That must be what killed it. Thank goodness I did so, for a number of reasons, but most especially after seeing what it did to the plant I can only imagine what it might have done to you, my sweet."
Serendipity looked at him closely, her pale blue eyes intensely staring at his handsome face, looking carefully for any clue that, perhaps, he was being dishonest with her. "You didn't use the potion?" she asked.
"No, I promise, I didn't. And I can prove it, too, by taking you home, if that's what you wish, just as soon as you are better," Corey assured her.
Considering his words carefully, Serendipity closed her eyes, her head suddenly becoming extremely heavy. The cold seemed to be reaching into her very soul now.?"I should like to leave this place," she said quietly.
"Very well then," Corey said, and just as he was about to reach back for Snowshoe and Rudolph, they were all quickly swallowed up by a giant swirling magic portal, which, within a few moments transported them to St. Nicholas's study, and Serendipity found herself leaning back against the warm comfort of the very chair she had been sitting in the day before next to the fireplace, rather than the cold, damp cave wall, Corey still kneeling beside her, his hand on her arm.
"Well, now, how is everyone?" St. Nicholas asked from where he stood next to the fireplace, Mrs. Claus nearby. "Did we make it through the transportation safe and sound?"
"I think so," Corey replied, surveying the others. "However, I believe Serendipity might need a physician.?She is quite cold, and I fear for her safety."
"It's nothing a spot of my hot cocoa and a few blankets can't fix," Mrs. Claus assured him, pouring some hot chocolate into a mug. As Pozzletot climbed carefully from Serendipity's coat pocket and scuttled down the chair leg and across the floor toward the fireplace, Corey helped Mrs. Claus cover Serendipity in a pile of warm blankets. "That should do the trick in a bit," she said with a smile.
Serendipity needed a bit of assistance placing the mug against her lips, but once she did so, the warm liquid poured easily down her throat, and she instantly began to feel warmer, as if by magic.?"Is that better?" Corey asked quietly as he helped her with the cup.
Nodding her head, Serendipity motioned for him to sit the mug aside, and she leaned back in the chair with a sigh. The feeling was coming back to the tips of her toes and fingers, and the sensation was odd, as if a thousand tiny needles were pricking her. It wasn't painful--just unusual, and it made it difficult to concentrate on anything else for a few moments as the life seemed to pour back into her.
After a few moments, she heard St. Nicholas say, "Corey, would you mind waiting outside for just a moment?"
Watching his face, she could tell that he wanted to say no, that he wouldn't leave her, but finally, with one more longing glance, and a gentle pat on her arm, he did as he was asked, and Serendipity was left alone with St. Nicholas and his wife, who sat on the arm of her husband's chair with a kind smile on her face. "Serendipity," Santa Claus began, "are you feeling better?"
"Much," she replied, raising her head just a bit from the back of the chair.
"Very good," St. Nicholas nodded. "Now, it has come to my attention that Corey was willing to do almost anything to prevent you from leaving. However, since he chose not to use the binding potion, you are free to return to England, if that is what you wish to do. Tell me, child, would you like to stay here at the North Pole with us and make your dolls amongst our fine team of craftsmen, or shall we return you to your home in Dunsford?"
Serendipity carefully considered his words. After all, she had been on the verge of deciding to stay that very morning, and then, after speaking to her father, she realized there really was no reason why she shouldn't. Despite the fact that she had temporarily lost confidence in Corey, he had not failed her after all. And, now, she realized that no one in her family held her responsible for the accident that had taken the lives of her sisters and her mother. If they had forgiven her, then she needed to begin the difficult task of forgiving herself. She had never been happier than she was since she came to the North Pole. It just seemed to make sense that she would stay here, amongst the elves and reindeer, and begin anew, start over, find the peace that her father promised her she deserved. "If it isn't too much trouble, St. Nicholas, sir, I think I should like to stay."
A broad smile spread across his face then, and he began to chuckle, with a deep reverberating, "Ho, ho, ho!" Patting his belly, he said, "Serendipity, my dear, we would love to have you stay. Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!" Serendipity echoed, sure that she would get used to saying the familiar greeting all year round.