A/N: Hello everyone! Alright so first off I am so sorry I started a new story. I have 3 other ones that seriously need updating but I saw ROTG like 3 times and could not help myself. I can't promise anything but I will try really hard to update ALL my stories. For now, please enjoy this one and please leave comments. I would love to hear from you all beautiful souls.
This is an OCxJackFrost. This is my first time doing an OC. I have always felt most comfortable with the dynamics of the original characters from the stories and the way their relationships progress but for this particular movie I felt a little different. don't get me wrong, i do see a lot of relations between Jack and Tooth but I read a few of them and felt I cannot write a story nearly as well as some of them. So I do hope you enjoy and please comment. I love reading comments! Just please don't be extra mean. I understand you don't like it and that is perfectly fine. Not everyone has to like what others do, but just keep hateful things off this site, unless the person stole someone else's story, which is 100% unacceptable. Sorry, rambling, like I always do.
Oh and I also have to apologize for the length of this chapter. I had a lot I wanted to say and trust me, it was like 10,000 before I cut it down to this version. So I am sorry if it drags or gets irrelevant. Please bare with me and you will not be disappointed.
Disclaimer: I do not own Rise of the Guardians or the character Jack Frost or the town of Burgess. I am doing this for purely fan based reason and no profit will be gained from this story. Dreamworks owns the rights to the original story, the characters, and anything else in my story that was from the movie.
There she was again. Eyes sparkling like the crystal blue waters, hair luscious flowing in the cold night's breeze. Her smile was intoxicating, her laugh captivating, and her soul charming. Anywhere she went the room sparkled with beauty. She made even the most dreadful time's pure magic. She was everything I wanted, but can never have.
There are perks to being a guardian, but there are things I had to give up as well. Immortality is great, but loneliness enters the equation.
I could never speak with her, could never make her see me. I was as invisible to her. All I could do was watch, watch her from afar. Keep her safe from a distance. See her become a graceful woman, marry, have children and grow old with her partner, all to see her go, watch her leave to never return. I was fine when she found a man, and content when she became a mother, and never left her side even when she grew old, but watching her die was the end.
I knew I could not let myself feel this way; I could not let these feelings cloud my responsibilities. I vowed never again to get sucked in to this human side of me.
This was something I had many centuries of practice.
Standing over her grave I knew that I can never allow this to happen again. Human life is finite. I, Jack Frost, am everlasting. As long as one child believes I will never die. But is that even a good thing? Never knowing I have anyone to call my own. Never having someone who tells me I am theirs.
Jack gazed at the tombstone encompassed with snow. It was the dead of winter in Russia and he was a long way from home. Burgess was always the town he was drawn to, but she swayed him, made him forget who he was for many years. When she passed away, Jack woke from his delusion and reality struck. It had been difficult to leave behind what he cherished, what he longed for.
150 years had passed since her time. Standing over the grave, he sighed deeply, releasing all his emotions in that one gesture. He needed closure, needed to know that he can never go back, never be in that place he was, in that state of mind he was, and he needed to see it was better that way. It was better to continue on, leaving the past where it belongs, learning from mistakes. For Jack, however, letting go was the hardest part.
He turned his back on the grave, the wind lifting him off his feet, and not glancing back, glided in to the darkness of night, leaving behind that place, those memories, that woman.
"Ivy! Ivy!" A young boy with ruffled brown hair jumped up waving at the lady by the window. "Ivy!" He screamed again running to her, colliding with her leg and falling backwards on his backside.
"Oh my! Sammy, what are you doing?" The young lady turned and looked at the small child, leaning over to help him up. She squatted down eye level to the boy and straightened out his clothing. "Are you alright?" She asked laughing slightly.
"Ivy! Can we go outside? PLEASE!" The boy may have had one too many sweets for desert because he was ready to bounce in to Ivy's arms and crawl behind her, out the window. "Can we? Can we?"
"Settle down, settle down," She gestured with her hands to calm him slightly as she gazed behind him and saw every single child staring at her in anticipation. "Oh gosh," Ivy let out a sigh as she turned her attention back at Sammy. "Alright. Listen to me," She looked back at the children staring at them, "Have you all finished your writing?" All the children nodded with big smiles on their faces.
"Yes! Yes!" Sammy jumped as he held out his paper to Ivy.
"Hmm," She quickly inspected the paper. A smirk spread across her face as she looked back at Sammy's round brown eyes. "Have you finished your math assignments?"
"Uhhuh! Uhhuh!" Sammy nodded quickly as he ran towards his desk at the other side of the room, opened his math book, and ran back to Ivy with two papers in his hands. He quickly handed them to her becoming antsy at what else she would ask of him.
"Well, did everyone else complete the assignment?" She smirked at the boy, shifting her gaze towards the children in the back only to realize they had all got their papers and were raising them in the air to show her the proof. "Oh. Yes, I see," Ivy cleared her throat as she once again lowered herself to Sammy's level. "If you make sure everyone has their hats AND gloves AND coats AND snow boots on, then we can go outside and play. But EVERYONE must be properly dressed AND you must clean up this room," She exclaimed, straightening her back as she crossed her arms with a smirk spreading across her face and watched Sammy quickly turn and run in the direction of the other children. In a brief moment she witnessed the children scatter across the room, picking up the toys and throwing them in the bins, gathering the crayons and shoving them in the boxes, stuffing their desks with papers from the floor. Ivy nearly burst out in laughter as she witnessed the children attempt to clean with such speed that they were all just making the mess worse. She leaned back against the window, clutching at her stomach and placing her hand on her mouth to contain her laughter.
The children had finished cleaning when they all began to rush in to the coat room to dress for the cold weather.
"Oh dear!" Ivy exclaimed as she ran quickly to their aid to make sure they would not trample each other, helping some of the kids dress.
"Alright children. Once you are finished, please come to the front of the class for inspection," She demanded as she stepped out of the coat room and waited for each child to line up in front of her. She first counted the heads, making sure she was not missing anyone. Then she walked from left to right, inspecting each child to make sure they were dressed properly.
"Very good kids," Ivy smiled as she walked back towards the blackboard and turned to face them. "I want for each of you to grab a partner and walk outside SLOWLY through the back door. Be careful walking down the stairs because they could be slippery," She declared as she grabbed her jacket from the chair near her desk and walked towards the back of the room and slowly opened the back door. "Now be careful down the stairs," She smiled and the children each grabbed the hand of another and walked with glee on their faces as their eyes widened at the scenery outside.
The play area was covered with a thick and soft blanket of fluffy pure white snow as a light breeze ran through the area, causing a very thin layer to be swept up in to the air. The children screamed as they jumped in to the snow, laughing and throwing it up in to the bright sun lit sky.
Ivy was the last to exit the room as she closed the door behind her and stepped out in to the chilly play area.
The children were all enjoying the snow, throwing snowballs, rolling around in it, making snow angels and jumping in to the small mounds they created. They all seemed to be having a good time. Ivy was watching the children enjoy themselves in the snow. She saw their innocence and their sincerity in their playing.
Then Sammy ran towards her with a look of confusion on his face. She lowered her body to greet him as she looked at him worryingly.
"Sammy, what's the matter?" She asked, looking to make sure he was not injured.
"Ivy, um…um…" He paused and looked away as if embarrassed at what he was about to utter.
"Sammy, what is it? Are you hurt? Did someone say something to you?" Ivy looked even more confused and troubled as she placed her hands on his petite shoulders signaling him to look up at her.
"Um…who…who's Jack Frost?" He asked quickly as he looked down, cheeks turning bright pink in embarrassment.
"What?" Ivy was utterly confused, releasing Sammy from her grip as she placed her hands on her knees and stared at Sammy.
"I heard Alice say she heard it from the TV. The man in the news said Jack Frost came early this year. Who's Jack Frost?" he ended his sentence and brought his hands close making fists and slowly tapping them together.
"Oh," She smirked and Sammy raised his head up to look at her. "Well there is a legend of a spirit named Jack Frost who is the guardian of winter," Ivy smiled pinching Sammy's nose slightly.
Sammy smiled revealing his missing front teeth, giggling.
"Alright Sammy, now go back to playing. You won't be out here much longer."
"Oh, really?" Sammy pouted as he ran back towards the group of children jumping in the snow. Ivy stood up looking at the children smiling as a cool breeze swept past her, sending shivers through her body. She crossed her hands in front of her chest and buried her face inside her jacket, leaving her eyes to watch the children.
"Holy crap it's cold," She mumbled underneath the jacket, her body trembling from the cold. She rubbed her hands against her arms before lifting her head up out of her jacket.
"Alright, alright, let's go inside kids. It's getting colder out here," She opened the back door and quickly the children scurried inside, towards the coat room, tracking snow inside the classroom. Ivy sighed as she saw all the snow being spread across the floor of the classroom. "Great."
Sammy was the last to walk up the stairs and he tugged at Ivy to get her attention, "Ivy," he spoke.
"Yes dear."
"Do you think Jack Frost is real?" He asked hopefully.
"Hm. Sure dear, Jack Frost is real. Now get inside please," Ivy smiled pushing him inside the classroom.
Jack descended to a colonial style home at the corner of a rather quiet street. He came here practically every day, watching the children run out of the back door and play in the playground. He was drawn to these kids more than the others because even when it snowed and all the other schools had snow days, these kids were still in the classroom. They did not have snow days because that home was Mrs. Maggie's House, a house for the orphans of Burgess. Every day he would pile extra snow on the playground for them to roll around in and would always throw the first snowball to start their almost never ending snowball fights.
Today Jack came a little later than usual. He usually came early in the morning to replace the snow but he had been so busy that he did not get back to Burgess until noon. He dropped straight to the fence near the back door and waited for them to come outside. The door swung open and the children walked down to the playground.
He glanced over at them, smirking, ready to proceed with throwing the first snowball, as per usual, when he heard an unrecognizable voice and shifted his vision back towards the door.
A young girl, no more than in her early twenties walked out from the building, her body shivering slightly from the crispy winter air, as she spoke to the children softly. An olive jacket draped down right above her knees and beige boots rose to cover her calves. Her head was exposed to the elements, as a quick breeze swept past her ears, lifting her strawberry blonde shoulder length hair a few inches above her jaw, causing her to swiftly protect her red ears with her hands. She shivered as the breeze worked its way past her, around the children and escaped the playground, raising a transparent layer of powder snow in to the air.
She watched the spectacle as the children continued to enjoy themselves. Her cheeks flushed red as a gentle smile overtook her face, her crystal green eyes glistening in the sunlight as she stared up to the sky.
Jack could not release his gaze from her, his eyes following her every move, leaning against his staff, his cheek pressed against the frost covered stick.
Wow.
Jack had spent a lot of time traveling to different cities, blizzards overpowering the landscapes for days as children enjoyed their time off from the daily chores of school. He would return to burgess briefly for a snow storm only to leave the moment it began to finish up his rounds around the globe, spreading snow where needed.
Returning back to Burgess for a while longer now, the first placed he visited was Mrs. Maggie's. He knew all the children. Nothing had changed for about a year or two since the house was erected, the children stayed, the caretaker was always there, and the winters were always the children's favorite season. He had made it a habit to always provide them with fresh, pure white, fluffy snow so the kids can spend hours having fun and being, well, kids.
Today was a surprise for Jack.
Jack walked towards the stranger slowly, making his way past the screaming children, standing at her left side, examining her face. She had skin almost as pale as his, her lips turning a slight shade of purple from the cold as her cheeks were colored bright red. He tilted his head forward, allowing his vision to shift towards the front of her face. Jack was able to see her proportions better. She had round green eyes and a button nose that was red from the cold. He chuckled slightly as he continued to observe her features. Her lips were narrow and her jaw was strong, revealing a smooth line with which Jack's eyes followed until his sight reached her neck, and Jack swallowed as he stood up straight, and clearing his throat he spun around and was lifted up by the wind, jumping on to the fence. He turned around, flopping on to the fence as his leg dangled, the right leg perched against his staff and leaning in to his stick, he sighed and kept his vision on the girl.
Who is she?
He spoke softly to himself, his eye lids lowering, a shy smile forming. He became enwrapped with her presence and forgot about the snowball fight he was previously in the process of instigating. The children began to migrate towards the back door. Jack waited until she began to move, and swiftly flew across to be behind her, following her towards the door. She opened the door and the children began to enter. The last boy stopped before the doorway, tugging at the girl's jacket, catching her attention. Jack leaned in closer to eavesdrop.
"Do you think Jack Frost is real?" Jack's eyes widened as he leaned in, his hands gripping at his staff. He could not believe it. A child knows his name. He was ecstatic. Jack began to chuckle as the boy continued speaking.
Maybe he can see me…
Jack lowered his body to eye level with the boy and began waving his hand near his face. "Hello. Little guy," Jack continued until he heard the young girl's voice and looked up, gazing at her.
"Hm. Sure dear, Jack Frost is real. Now get inside please," she uttered and Jack sprung up like a jack-in-a-box.
What? Did she just…WHAT!
This overwhelmed Jack. He had a hard time getting children to believe in him and now an adult believed. Shock and amazement enveloped him as he watched her enter the building, closing the door in front of him. He shifted his attention to the window and jumped to the windowsill, leaning against his staff, peering inside to watch her.
Jack gazed, mesmerized at her. He could not understand why he was so awestruck. He remained near the window for the rest of the day, watching her teach and play with the children.
A voice in the back of his head told him to leave, told him this was exactly what happened before, but he did not listen. He did not want to. He saw this as an opportunity to get what he always wanted, what he needed in his life, even if he was making the same mistake twice, he had to find out. Jack needed to know if this was real, if all these centuries of loneliness led up to this moment.
This is different. She might actually see me.
Mrs. Maggie had arrived back at the house rather late as she walked slowly inside. Ivy peered out a room on the left across from the classroom and smiled seeing Mrs. Maggie by the door.
"Mrs. Maggie!" Ivy shouted, closing the door quickly to the room and walking briskly towards the older lady.
"I am very sorry Ivy for my lateness. I had so many errands to run on my list I thought the day would never end," She chuckled placing down her shopping bags.
"Let me help you unpack those," Ivy smiled leaning towards the bags but was stopped by Mrs. Maggie who placed her hands on Ivy's shoulders.
"Child you have been here all day. Please, go home and get some rest. I really do hope the children did not give you much trouble," she smiled taking her hands off Ivy's shoulders and leaning to pick up her bags.
"They were all wonderful, as ever," She smirked, "I tucked them all in to bed so you can relax and have a quiet night."
"Oh thank you my child. I have been looking forward to a peaceful night. Maybe I will go ahead and draw up a bath for myself," The caretaker giggled walking in the direction of the room that Ivy had shut the door on. "I do hope you will be coming tomorrow as well. I have an appointment with a potential couple for adoption and must do a thorough inspection before I can allow them to proceed to the next step," She said, her back towards Ivy walking further away.
"Oh of course, Mrs. Maggie. You can count on me!" She laughed softly as she took her coat off the hanger by the door and proceeded out. "Goodnight ma'am."
"Good night Ivy dear."
Ivy buttoned up her jacket and shut the door behind her walking down the front stairs, turning right and began walking home. Her nightly stroll consisted of walking five blocks followed by a left turn on the traffic lights then another 15 minute walk until she hit the park in which she walked along the street by the park for another 10 minutes before arriving home.
Jack accompanied her. The entire walk to the traffic lights he just stared at her, walking through people oblivious to anything besides her. The moment she arrived at the traffic light, she turned left and crossed the street. Jack stood for a brief moment, watching her walk away, and then the wind lifted him off the ground and he proceeded to fly above her, watching her walk.
I didn't catch her name.
Jack immediately flew in front of her and landed on the sidewalk, a few feet ahead. He turned towards Ivy as she walked in his direction. Jack smirked, stood tall and cleared his throat.
Maybe she can see me.
"Jack Frost is the name, and you are?" He questioned as she walked closer and closer until she passed right through him, his demeanor shifted in to shock. He stood there for a few seconds unable to think, and then he quickly glanced back at Ivy.
Ivy had halted instantly, her back facing Jack. Her breathe quickened as she drew her hands around her arms and slowly turned her torso and head in Jack's direction, staring straight at him.
For that brief moment, Jack thought Ivy could see him. His face lit up as his heart raced until he noticed her eyes glancing around him, Ivy staring off in to the distance, glaring straight through him.
His eyes lowered as his arms fell to his side. Devastation filled him as he lifted his vision back on to her only to watch her turn and walk away, leaving him behind.
When will I learn? I thought this was all behind me. I thought she had given me all the proof I needed. Why do I constantly do this to myself?
Jack was tired. He was overwhelmed with emotions and betrayed by his own mind that he just wanted to give up. Obviously he was not as okay as he believed. He did not learn from his mistakes. He just made more.
Jack sighed heavily traveling in the direction she walked.
Eventually she arrived at her apartment building. Walking up the long stoop she ruffled through her bag to locate her keys. Jack landed on a tree that was planted right outside the building.
Her building was six stories high, where the tree reached a few feet past the roof. He watched from a low branch as she proceeded inside. Staring at the building, hoping to see any of the windows light up, he glanced away for a moment.
What is wrong with me?
Jack sighed as he sat on the branch, his feet dangling and his staff at his side. He was becoming tired of this existence, of being invisible and having no one see him. He fell back, his back making contact with the branch as he glanced in the direction of the building and saw the sixth floor window illuminate. He lifted himself up and with the help of the wind, flew up to the sill and peeked through. Ivy stood there, inside her bedroom, rummaging through her closet across from the window.
Jack groaned in exhaustion as he jumped away from her window on to a nearby branch. He watched her for another minute, unable to look away. He suddenly shook his head and glanced up in to the sky.
"Wind, take me away from here!" He shouted defeated as the wind swiftly carried him off his feet and he was gone in to the night.
Jack arrived above the lake that took his human life over 500 years ago. The moon was glistening against the ice that covered the water as Jack landed on a branch of a naked tree right beside the lake. He stood straight, grasping his staff in his right hand and lifted his head up to glare at the moon. His eyes widened letting out a cold breathe as he began to speak.
"I had figured out why you chose me, why I was selected as a guardian and why I have to protect the kids. But what I don't understand is why someone who believes in me won't see me? I have been seen before, but now the kids have stopped believing and I am back to being overlooked. Why can't you make her see me? Why couldn't you make that woman see me?" He spoke softly to the moon. "I need you to answer me. Can't you for once give me a straight answer?" He swung his staff across his body and his breathe became quick and heavy.
"Can't you let someone see me?" The staff fell to his side as his body flopped on to the branch, his legs swinging freely. He looked at the moon, frustration engulfing his eyes as he lowered his head and muttered softly.
"Forget it," He puffed out air from his nostrils as he leaned back, his spine hitting the tree and his hands falling to his lap. He remained on that branch the rest of the night, loneliness overwhelming his mind.
The sun rose slowly the following day as Ivy awoke only to realize she had overslept. She lifted her torso off the bed but got tangled in the sheets and her body jerked forward, falling off the foot of the bed, her side colliding with the floor.
"Crap!" She said as she wiggled her body out of the sheets and ran straight for the door, running across her bedroom to the bathroom.
The sky was cloudless as she sprinted through the streets, her hair still moist from the shower, and her cheeks puffed out from the bread she had stuffed in her mouth a moment before leaving her apartment. She came to a traffic light and that gave her enough time to swallow her meal and put a hat over her damp hair. The traffic light turned red and she dashed through the street and ran for 15 minutes before arriving at Mrs. Maggie's.
The moment she arrived at the stairs to the house she gripped the hand rail and her body nearly collapsed as she held tightly, holding her entire weight up with one arm. Her left hand clutched at her knee as she tried to catch her breath before walking up the stairs. As she entered, Mrs. Maggie rushed out of the classroom and gasped at Ivy who was standing at the entrance.
"Child, are you alright?" Mrs. Maggie said as she approached the out of breath Ivy, cheeks flushed red and her lips chapped and almost purple.
"Yes, yes…I…I am fine…I ap…apologize…for being la…late," She was gasping for air as she slipped off her hat, revealing her messy damp hair. "I j…just need a f…few minutes to c…catch my breath," She lifted her hands to flatten out her messy hair, wrapping it between her hands and creating a bun as she began to unbutton her jacket.
"Dear, are you sure you are alright?" Mrs. Maggie asked nervously.
"Yes, yes I am fine. I just got up late, so…so I had to run to not be THAT late," Ivy giggled, walking to the coat hanger. She draped her coat and hat on the hanger and proceeded towards Mrs. Maggie.
"Alright Ivy. Today will be a slow day for you. I have the lesson plan on the desk, not much today so if you want they can go outside today and play for a while longer than usual," Mrs. Maggie smirked, walking towards the door with her bag in her hands, lifting her coat off the hanger and grabbing the doorknob. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."
"I will, but I won't," Ivy smiled and waved goodbye to the caretaker as she proceeded to the classroom.
The day was easy and relaxing for Ivy, with little to teach and the rest of the day was spent out in the play area.
Jack was outside with the children, having a snowball fight and creating the most perfect snow for the game. Occasionally he would glance over at Ivy, smiling sweetly, only to be replaced by disappointment on his face.
When the sun began to set Ivy called the children over to head inside. Jack followed the children towards the building, keeping his eyes locked on Ivy. A child ran past Jack and jumped towards Ivy.
"Ivy!" Sammy screamed, leaping in to her arms.
"Sammy! You are so silly!" Ivy laughed placing Sammy down on the ground, pushing him indoors before closing the door behind her. Jack glided to the window, resting on the window sill, his right foot dangling and his left spread across the sill, his staff in his right hand. He leaned back against the archway of the window and sighed gazing inside, keeping his eyes locked on Ivy.
Ivy.
He uttered her name softly as he continued to watch from the outside, chuckling at the scenes he witnessed. The children were so lively and fun to be around that Jack just could not stay away from this place. The smiles on their faces were enough for him. He only wished someone would believe enough to see him.
Mrs. Maggie did not arrive back to the house until past 11 o'clock at night. Ivy was placing blankets on the couch in the main room to stay the night in case Mrs. Maggie did not arrive home but then she heard the door open. She peered out through the doorway, seeing Mrs. Maggie with a substantial amount of papers underneath her left arm.
"Mrs. Maggie! Thank goodness!" Ivy rushed to her aid and grabbed the papers out from underneath her arm and swiftly walked in to the main room and placed them on the coffee table in front of the couch. She walked back to the hallway to speak with Mrs. Maggie.
"How was the interview?" She asked.
"Oh dear, dreadful. I doubt I will find anyone suitable to adopt any of these children," The caretaker sighed, dropping her bag to the floor near her feet.
"Mrs. Maggie," Ivy grinned crossing her arms and tapping her feet, "You cannot expect every couple to be perfect. What did this couple have that turned you off?"
"Well, they had pets. I don't know how those creatures will react to a new person in the house."
"Mrs. Maggie!" Ivy shouted, quickly covering her mouth and looking behind her listening for any moans coming from the children's room. "Phew," Ivy's shoulders dropped in relief as she glared back at the older lady speaking in hushed tones. "Mrs. Maggie, give them another chance. Pets can be a marvelous addition to the lives of one of these children."
"Well, I don't know. I will think about it," Mrs. Maggie did not make eye contact with Ivy as she walked past her quickly. "Do you want to stay the night dear? It's awfully late."
"No, no thank you Mrs. Maggie. I will be alright." Ivy smiled reaching for her coat and rushing to open the door.
"Alright dear. Be careful. I am giving you the day off tomorrow so sleep late and rest up. Have a great weekend and I will see you in three days on Monday."
Ivy looked back at Mrs. Maggie smiling widely as she sprinted out the door and down the stairs.
The walk tonight seemed longer than usual. The time it usually took her from the house to the traffic light felt four times longer. As she turned, she gazed up at the night sky, staring mesmerized at the clarity of the moon.
"Wow, a full moon. Beautiful," Smiling she proceeded down the street for fifteen minutes before coming to the stone wall that separated the side walk from the park. She turned right and began to walk the straight path home. It was getting chilly as she saw from the corner of her eye a man approaching her. It was dark so she only made out the silhouette of his body but immediately knew something was off so she began to walk quicker, looking ahead of her.
The man increased his speed and when Ivy hit the first crosswalk he was only a few feet behind her. She became startled when he spoke and turned quickly around, grasping at her bag tightly.
"Hey there little lady. Why are you in such a hurry?" The man spoke with a smirk across his face as he walked closer to Ivy, chuckling under his breath.
Ivy gasped as she turned around to run but she saw another figure in the distance approaching her and began to panic. Ivy slowly moved backwards, towards the corner of the stone wall, trembling in fear.
The two men chuckled, glanced at each other and looked back at Ivy as they approached her, determination in their eyes.
Jack was sitting on the sill gazing up in to the night's sky when he heard the front door shut and jumped off, gliding towards the sound. He saw Ivy rush out and away from him. He quickly dashed towards her.
He was right beside her, watching her every move and glancing around to make sure there was nothing or no one in sight. He looked back at her with worry as they approached the park.
"Maybe you should take a different route home, one with perhaps more lights." Jack said worryingly.
Panic filled his mind as he soared above her, inspecting the surroundings for any potential threats. Jack must have gazed in one direction for longer than he should because when he glanced back at Ivy, she was against the stone wall, two men mere inches from her.
Jack remained motionless for a second, anger engulfing him as he dashed towards the men, his hands clutching at his staff only to stop midair to watch the spectacle unfold.
Ivy did not hesitate within the next few seconds to begin swinging her purse at the men, hitting them upside the heads, bashing them around their torso before swinging one final time, the motion hit the men across the face consecutively, forcing their bodies to fall backwards, both men had their backs on the cold snow covered sidewalk.
Jack's eyes widened as he witnessed Ivy singlehandedly repel two men, sending them straight against the sidewalk. His jaw dropped as he hovered above them, his mind unable to fully process what had happened.
Ivy was panicking; her breathing progressing as she clutched at her bag, twisted her body around and ran in to the park, putting as much distance between her and the two men.
Jack saw her fleeing and he began to move in her direction. He paused briefly when he heard one of the men groan in pain. He raised his staff aiming at them and a jolt of ice shot in their direction, encasing their feet in ice, immobilizing them. He sighed in relief, knowing they won't chase after her now and turned in the direction she ran off, unable to see her in the distance.
"Wait!" He shouted. He propelled himself through the air and flew in the direction she ran.
Ivy ran for a solid ten minutes, not once glancing back to see whether she was being followed. She slipped on a long narrow strip of ice, moving her in a direction she had no interest heading towards only to be thrown through bushes to a clearing in the park. Her body lay on the ground for a mere moment before she opened her eyes to see where she had landed. The moon appeared behind the clouds, illuminating the surroundings. She looked in front of her and saw a small clearing around her, trees painting the background. She sighed, shifting her gaze to the ground below her only to realize it was not what she thought.
She was propelled on to a frozen pond; smack in the middle, in all directions the same length to reach the safety of the solid Earth. Ivy began to panic, her breathing increasing as she could not think of what to do.
In a moment of cloudy judgment, she put her weight on her arms and slowly lifted her torso up to sit on the thin ice layer. She knew the moment she sat up that it was the worst mistake to make as she saw the ice cracking around her, the noise striking fear through her body. She looked around her quickly, unable to locate anything or anybody to help and screaming for help would not do her any good.
Jack glided through the park, checking every corner, every bush, looking for the disoriented girl. He came to a clearing and saw her, sitting in the center of the pond. He gasped and flew down towards her, his eyes filled with fear. As he quickened his speed to reach her in time he heard the only sound he wish he had not, the ice cracking.
"NOO!"
Jack's eyes widened in horror and he watched her disappear under the frozen pond in to the ice cold water. The ice rippled away from the hole. He jolted down in to the water, reaching to grab her out. His hand made contact with her arm as he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, pulling her up towards the surface. He sprung through the water, his arm wrapped around Ivy as he landed a few feet from the pond, placing her down gently on the snow, his heart racing from worry. He stood above her for a moment, wondering if she would wake.
He saw her chest moving as she coughed vigorously, water escaping her body as she flopped to her side, her face towards the ground, water purging out of her lungs and stomach. She coughed for another minute, her arms wrapping around her stomach in pain as her body trembled from the wet cold clothing. Her knees supported her weight as she sat up, her arms remaining around her stomach and her head looking towards the pond, glaring at the hole in the pond. Her breathing was choppy as each inhale triggered pain in her lungs and throat, causing her to take in as little oxygen as possible.
Her mind slowly began to comprehend what had occurred and in that moment she lifted her head up and glanced around the pond, looking for the person who pulled her out. Something did not add up with her but she was so confused she could not think straight. She heard footsteps behind her and her body became paralyzed, unable to turn to gaze at the figure approaching.
"You're awake!" A male voice spoke as it approached her quicker. Ivy looked around to find anything that she can use to defend herself. Luckily her bag was right beside her. In an instant she grabbed the bag and swung with whatever strength she had left, missing Jack within a few centimeters, shocking him and causing him to fall backwards, hitting the snow.
She stared at the boy in front of her, white hair against pale skin, a blue hoody that seemed to have been in the range of a snowball fight from the snow particles around the shoulders, and brown pants conforming to his long slender legs. He was bare foot and that unsettled Ivy.
"What the…" Jack exclaimed reaching over for his staff that fell beside him.
"You just stay the hell away from me!" Ivy shouted, her arm extending with her bag clutched in her hand, shivering from the cold. She was barely able to keep her arm lifted as her wet body was becoming weaker with every chilly breeze that passed her way.
"Whoah whoah calm down. I won't hurt you," Jack smiled lifting himself to his feet, the staff in his left hand. Ivy saw the stick and immediately pushed herself on to her behind, her legs pushing her away from him. She did not go very far as exerting any amount of energy was just making her body ache more. Her legs were moving but her body was going nowhere as Jack stared at her, worried she might pass out.
Jack approached her calmly, his hands extended out gesturing for her to calm down.
"It's alright. Really, I won't hurt you," He spoke making his way towards her before stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes gapping at her as his posture became very stiff and his mouth was ajar, unable to speak. His eyes did not leave hers as he pointed to her and then to himself and repeated this action several more times before his demeanor shifted to pure excitement and joy.
"You, you see me!" He shouted laughing, "You actually see me!" He jumped in to the air laughing hysterically. "And you can HEAR me!"
He could not hold in his emotions as Ivy glared at him in horror. She became more frightened with every passing minute. She did not want to speak, feeling it would lead to nothing in her favor, so she placed her hands at her sides and used her limbs to push herself further from the maniac. Jack saw her attempt to get away and he calmed himself, lowering his body down to her level, gazing straight at her. He placed his left hand on the ground, his staff against the ground and his right hand extended out towards her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. I really am not going to hurt you," he smiled sweetly, his hand reached out towards her. Ivy stared at him, unknowing what to do. She was terrified, her body ached from the cold, her clothes were drenched in near freezing water and she had no energy to stand on her own. She kept her eyes locked on him, speaking slowly.
"What do you want?" She asked, her eyes narrowing and her hand gripping on her bag ready to swing at the first sign of a threat.
"What?" Jack spoke confused. "I…I don't want anything," He glanced back at the pond, his eyes lowering to the ground before shifting his gaze back at Ivy. "Y-you almost drowned. I pulled you out just as I saw you fall in."
Ivy's eyes widened as she shifted her vision to the pond, seeing the gaping hole her body made through the thin ice. She could not speak for a moment, realizing what he had done. She looked back at him but then her demeanor changed in to frustration and deceit.
"Really? I suppose you flew over the ice to save me," She spoke unsurely, her voice trembling with fear.
Jack giggled under his breath, "Uh well yeah."
"Stop playing games! Who are you?" Ivy was becoming very impatient with him. She was scared for her life but also knew if she did not get away she can get hypothermia and die. She was running out of time as she felt her body begin to go numb; her breathing became more erratic as every breath took more energy out of her.
Jack saw how much she was struggling to stay upright, let alone breathe. He slowly stood up, taking small steps towards Ivy. She gasped, her body trembling. With the last ounce of strength she had left in her she lifted herself on to her feet, her legs shaking from the weight of the damp clothing on her back. She raised her arm slightly, her bag in her hand.
"Seriously, don't you dare-" She could not finish her sentence as she plummeted straight for the ground head first. Jack swiftly glided to her, catching her body in his arms. He looked at her face, the color fleeting from her skin. He gasped, looking up as the wind propelled him away from the park, to her apartment. He landed on her windowsill, looking around for a way in. Jack lifted his staff and pushed against the window, freezing over the latch and breaking it as he put pressure on the window. It swung open revealing her bedroom. He jumped inside carrying Ivy towards the bed.
His cold skin could not feel her plummeting body temperature, but he knew from her weight that her clothes had become saturated immensely with the pond water, allowing no room for warmth to enter. Jack looked around the room and spotted a door beside the window. Walking to it, he placed his staff near the door, using his free hand to twist the knob, pushing the door open. Flicking a switch he gazed in to a small white bathroom with a tub right across from the door. Hastily he knelt before the tub, placing her inside it, clearing his throat.
"Uh, well, I…I am sorry but I can't just leave you in these clothes. You'll die. Um, forgive what I am about to do. I wish there, uh, there was another way," His trembling hands reached over to her body, unbuttoning her jacket, revealing her other layers of clothing. He tossed the jacket on to the sink and looked back at Ivy only to realize she was sitting up, a bottle of shampoo in her hands.
"Uh, listen, it uh, it isn't what it looks like," Jack explained trying to calm her down. Ivy's eyes filled with anger as she threw the bottle straight at him, sending him running out of the bathroom. Ivy stumbled out of the tub, towards the door and slammed it shut, locking it. Jack gasped, running towards the door, slamming at it.
"Seriously! You need to get out of those clothes!" He stopped himself and rethought about his choice of words. "I-I mean you should get some dry clothes to put on so you won't get sick!" Jack stood there, hoping to hear her speak so he knows she has not passed out again. He heard nothing, not even movement as he reached for the knob, hoping he could somehow open it. Before his hand reached the knob it turned, the door slowly opening, revealing Ivy standing, her clothes clinging to her body, her face just as pale as his. She glared at him, barely keeping herself standing.
"In my dresser, th-the fourth drawer has my pajamas," She retorted, anger in her voice. He swiftly made his way to her dresser and took out the first pair he saw and quickly scurried back to her, handing her the clothes. She grabbed them from him and slammed the door in his face. Jack stood there, not moving an inch, waiting for her to come out.
The door never opened. Worry filled Jack as he grabbed the knob and turned but it was locked.
"Uh, are you, are you doing alright in there?" Jack asked worryingly. He heard a soft shuffle through the door and waited for Ivy to come out.
"Get out!" Ivy shouted through the door. Jack gazed at the door, smiling briefly before continuing.
"Are you alright though? You should get to-"
"GET THE HELL OUT!" Ivy screamed throwing something against the door to scare Jack. Jack jumped from the surprise and snorted lowly, holding his hand up to his mouth to not let Ivy hear him laughing.
"Alright, alright," He said calmly, "But just come out so I know you are alright."
"Oooh, you think you're so clever! I swear if you don't get the hell out I will call the cops!" Ivy was growing very impatient with Jack.
Jack realized Ivy was getting frustrated and no matter how much he wanted to stay he knew he should leave. Teasing her was becoming a riot but in the state she was in, rest was what she needed. He sighed smirking as his eyes stared at the door. He reached over to grab his staff and made his way out the window, flying in to the night's sky, glancing back at her window, before disappearing in to the darkness.
She was stuck in the bathroom, sitting on the edge of the tub, trying to warm herself. Her leg was restless as she approached the door, and heard a noise coming from the direction of the window. She breathed in slowly as she unlocked the door and turned the knob delicately, opening the door slightly and poked her head through the opening, glancing in all directions to scan her bedroom. When there seemed to be no one else, she breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the door completely. She grabbed her wet clothes making her way out of the bedroom and to a large closet opposite her door. She opened it revealing a washer and dryer. She threw her clothes in to the washer and set it on casual. Feeling light headed she stumbled in to her bedroom in the direction of her bed, collapsing immediately.