"Can't sleep?"

The Nutcracker twisted around, surprise flickering in his eyes as he looked up at Clara. He gave a bitter laugh before turning back to the vast forest spanning out before them. "I'm a nutcracker. Sleep seems kind of pointless."

Crossing the wooden platform that circled the treehouse she had just emerged from, Clara settled down beside the Nutcracker. She peered into the darkness below, unable to cease the nervous tensing of her body as she realized just how high up they really were. As though sensing her discomfort, the Nutcracker moved his hand closer to hers; gratefully, she grasped it. A quiet moment passed, and Clara squeezed the wooden hand she held before looking up at the smoothly carved face.

"You're more than a nutcracker…Prince Eric."

The Nutcracker's eyes widened, and he swiftly turned to face her.

Clara tilted her head, studying the Nutcracker. She wondered how alike his human appearance was to his current form, if at all. "Why haven't you told anyone?" she asked.

The Nutcracker's shoulders drooped with a weary sadness, and he lowered his gaze. "I didn't want to be the prince when I had the chance," he admitted. He pulled away from Clara. "Now I don't deserve to be."

"That's not true," Clara said fiercely. She laid her hand on the Nutcracker's shoulder. "You're risking your life to save your kingdom. Isn't that what princes do?"

The Nutcracker shook his head. "But my subjects think less of me than they do the Mouse King." He sighed. "My only hope is to find the Sugar Plum Princess so she can restore my people's happiness. I owe them that."

"Eric…"

"Don't," the Nutcracker said sharply, shrugging off Clara's hand. Seeing the hurt expression on Clara's face, he softened his voice as he spoke next. "Please don't call me that. I don't need a reminder of what I used to be…of all that I lost." Clara opened her mouth to speak, but the Nutcracker shook his head. "Besides," he said. "It's not about me now – it's about everyone that's suffered because of my selfishness. Major Mint, the villagers…they have every right to speak so ill of their prince."

A deep sorrow in her eyes, Clara took the Nutcracker's hand in both of hers and raised it to her cheek, caressing it gingerly. The Nutcracker watched her with a pained longing, though he refrained from moving closer.

"I wish you wouldn't speak of yourself that way," murmured Clara. "You deserve so much more than your unwarranted self-contempt."

Unable to form words for a response, the Nutcracker closed his eyes. He breathed deeply, savoring Clara's touch.

Clara lowered the Nutcracker's hand to her lap, studying it. The paint, once a brilliant white, was beginning to dull, and multiple light scratches covered the Nutcracker's hand. Only now in this quiet moment had Clara noticed how worn the Nutcracker truly was. Clara ran her thumb over a chip in the Nutcracker's palm thoughtfully. "This body…can you feel pain?" she asked. Immediately she winced, feeling foolish for voicing the thought out loud. "That was a silly question. I'm sorry."

"No, it wasn't." The Nutcracker's gaze caught hers, and he gave a sad smile. "If you mean just from being in this form, then no. Only during the…change it did." He grimaced. "But in terms of if I were to be struck by a blade, it's…strange. I can feel pain and other sensations, but they're muted, as though I'm coated in a thick substance preventing me from feeling things as sensitively as human skin could."

"That's good though," said Clara, trying to sound cheerful despite her lingering thoughts on the comment about his transformation. "Not feeling pain as easily."

"I suppose," the Nutcracker replied. His eyes traveled back to where Clara still had his hand enwrapped in hers. "But I would give almost anything to be able to feel things with my own flesh once again." A long minute passed, with neither of the two removing their grip on the other. Then the Nutcracker shook himself and hastily pulled away. Startled by his sudden movement, Clara jerked back and snapped her head up to watch as the Nutcracker pushed himself to his feet. "I'm sorry," he said. A moment passed, and he gave a frustrated sigh. "Goodnight, Clara."

"Eri-Nutcracker," Clara called after him. But the Nutcracker was already gone. Her shoulders drooping in dejection, Clara tilted her head back and gazed up at the moon, trying to ignore the aching within her chest.

/

The Mouse King was gone. Defeated.

But it didn't matter – none of it did. Because the Nutcracker, her beloved Nutcracker, was dying.

She held him now, her arms awkwardly wrapped around his clunky body as she struggled to hold him upright. Not now, she thought desperately. Please, not like this. "My poor Nutcracker," she whispered brokenly.

The Nutcracker's eyes drifted hazily to hers, and a mournful smile touched the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry about me, Clara. I'm just wood remember?"

Tears sprang to Clara's eyes. "You and I know you're much more than that." Leaning down, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Prince Eric." Clara straightened, and a sudden warmth sprang from beneath her palms. However, she quickly realized that it wasn't coming from her, but from the Nutcracker.

Then he began to glow. Clara watched in stunned fascination as the Nutcracker's limbs began to shrink and morph into human arms and legs. The magic continued to envelop his body until his head was engulfed as well. Then it completely died away, revealing a handsome young man. Short dark hair and piercing blue eyes – so like her dear Nutcracker's – were the most prominent of his features, vaguely similar to his enchanted appearance and yet so different.

Awestruck, Clara's mouth hung open as the man who had once been a nutcracker looked up at her. As their eyes met her lips curved upwards, and she stretched out her hand. A smile spread across Prince Eric's face and he tentatively reached out. The moment their palms pressed against each other and Eric's hand curved around Clara's, overwhelming joy lit up the prince's features. Clara helped him stand, and he could not help himself as he brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. Keeping her hand against his mouth he closed his eyes, reveling in the sensation of Clara's skin against his own. Warm, soft, and pulsing with life – everything he had not been when trapped in his wooden body.

"Eric."

Reluctantly, Eric lowered Clara's hand and opened his eyes. She was beaming at him, gazing at him with a level of pride that he had never expected to see from anyone before Clara had entered his life. And it was then that he knew he would never be complete without her by his side. If he was to be king, Clara was the one he desired above all else to sit beside him on the throne.

If she would have him.

/

It had been over a month. Nearly five weeks of agonized waiting to see her again.

For the first month, Eric had not been able to even begin the search for her. There had been too much to do in Parthenia, too much of the Mouse King's damage to undo that if he had left, it would have been an unforgivable abandonment of his kingdom. And so he was forced to stay.

When Eric had initially retrieved Clara's locket from the Mouse King's body he had every intention to begin his search for Clara right then and there. However, Major Mint and Captain Candy had quickly intervened, assuring him that Clara was safe and that leaving now would do his kingdom no favors. Besides, time was different in her world. Perhaps, from her perspective, their reunion would take place only minutes after her departure. Or worse, thought Eric, years. It was hard to predict how time would react to the passing between the worlds, as it never happened the same way twice. But the thought of Clara waiting for years was too horrible, so he did not dwell on it.

An entire month passed before the kingdom was secure enough for their new king to leave. With a new council in place and Major Mint and Captain Candy left in charge during his absence, Eric was finally able to search for Clara. And he knew exactly where to begin.

The Snow Fairies were more than willing to assist their new king in finding the correct passage back to Clara's home. In the magical walls between worlds there are rare cracks that one can use to travel between the realms. But one must know where to look in order to make use of them. Fortunately, the Snow Fairies were well versed in the art of world traveling.

The passage Eric and Clara had originally used by going through the mouse hole was far too small for Eric to use now. However, to Eric's amazement, the fairies were able to find another crack that opened up not far from the one leading to the mouse hole.

He ended up emerging through an archway of entwining trees in a park. It was early in the morning, so he was lucky enough to not seen by anyone as he materialized out of thin air. A light layer of snow covered the ground, sparkling gently as rays from the morning sun touched its surface. There was a comforting serenity in the air, and the few people strolling through the park did so quietly, enjoying the fresh Christmas morning. The winter scenery was charming, but Eric's desperation to find Clara snuffed out any desire to linger.

He needed to find Elizabeth Drosselmeyer. Once a dear friend of his father's, she had been the one to carry Eric's enchanted form to Clara's home. He knew that if there was one person that would help him find Clara, it would be her.

"Eric?"

Surprise jolted through Eric, and he spun around. Upon seeing who had spoken his name, Eric's jaw gaped open. "Lady Elizabeth?"

A warm smile spread across Elizabeth Drosselmeyer's face. "So she managed to do it."

"Who…what?"

Elizabeth laughed. "My dear boy, close your mouth. You're a king now, aren't you? Do try to look the part."

Eric snapped his mouth shut. "Sorry. I just, I'm surprised to see you."

Elizabeth smiled affectionately and wrapped her arms around Eric, drawing him into an embrace. He heartily returned it, letting out a relieved breath at the familiar touch. Elizabeth pressed a kiss to Eric's temple, then pulled away. "I'm not," she said. "Magic seems to work in odd ways like that. Odd, but certainly convenient, if I do say so myself."

"I'd have to agree with you there," chuckled Eric. But the smile quickly faded, replaced by an expression of urgency. "Elizabeth please, Clara –"

"Is right where she was when the Mouse King first attacked her parlor," said Elizabeth. She stepped to the side, waving her hand in the direction of a street leading away from the park. "Shall we go see her?"

Exhilaration rose in Eric's chest. He offered his arm to Elizabeth, who wrapped her hand around it. "There's nothing I would love more."

/

"But what about the presents?"

Tommy's exclamation of protest was cut off as the door was firmly shut behind him, leaving Eric and Clara the only ones in the parlor.

Eric could not stop looking at her. Even in her nightgown and with her hair mused from sleep, she looked radiant. Yet now, finally alone with her, he didn't know what to do. There were a million things he wanted to say, but none of them seemed capable of accurately expressing what he was feeling.

So instead he pulled out the locket. That which had been a symbol of hope to her and a reminder of what had been lost to him. Gently, he took her hand in his and dropped the necklace into her waiting palm. Clara's eyes lit up upon seeing the locket, and she slowly ran a finger over it.

"I knew it was all real," she whispered.

Eric drew the necklace from her grasp. He secured it around her neck, but did not pull his hands away once he was done. Soon they were wandering up her throat, tracing along her jawline and running across her cheek, as though he was determined to memorize every inch of her. Clara closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of the caress with a soft sigh.

Eric could wait no longer. He leaned down, pausing only when their mouths were barely an inch apart. Clara's eyes flickered open, and upon seeing Eric's intention, closed the gap herself by pressing her lips against his. Eric immediately melted into the kiss, wrapping his arms around Clara and drawing her against him. The relief of finding Clara and the heavenly feeling of her mouth on his was making it hard to think, so that when they finally did pull away it took him a moment to gather his bearings.

Clara grinned. "I do hope you don't plan on doing that when Grandfather's in the room. He'll throw you out on the streets."

A laugh burst from Eric. "I promise. But since he's not here at the moment…" Eric took a step away from Clara, then extended his hand towards her. "May I have this dance?"

Clara's eyes sparkled as she placed her hand in his. "I couldn't say no to the king." Then they were off, twirling around the parlor as they basked in their moment of joy and reveled in the days to come.