Sincere Happiness

Jack decorated the grave on the Burgess cemetery with frost, watching as it vowed into cold flowers.

He smiled ruefully while his eyes held an amused spark.

"I'm sorry I had no time to get real ones but I'm in a bit of a rush and I guess. They never would have survived with my cold, anyway."

Of course there was no answer and it was not like he expected one. He frowned at one of the shapes that had turned a bit more lopsided and corrected his mistake with a slight tap of his staff. Instantly the crippled flower turned into a complex snowflake while Jack made sure that the name 'Jamie Bennet' was still visible ad free of ice.

He smiled, satisfied with his work and crouched down so he was on one level with the grey inscription.

"Yesterday was Easter. Cotton-tail was getting frantic because he thought his eggs had been kidnapped.", he smiled as he recalled the prank he had pulled on the blue-furred Pooka. Never in his long life had he laughed so much. It was always glorious to see Bunny getting all worked up like a parent when they lost sight of their kids, even though the latter were perfectly fine. It had even been kind of endearing how he called out for some very specific eggs.

"I mean, he never would have guessed that I'd tell his eggs they were late for Easter Sunday when in fact it was just past midnight and they still had time. These poor eggs are just as gullible as the elves."

He was now sitting casually next to the stone like he used to with Jamie when he had still been alive, legs outstretched, torso supported by his forearms. He watched as the sun faded and the sky went from ruby red to indigo.

"But I was afraid he might get a heart attack so I just told him that Easter would begin a bit earlier this year.", he laughed as Bunny's incredulous expression came to his mind, which had been followed by a yell he only heard once he'd been running off into one of the tunnels, the one which led to North America. The fact that Bunnymund had not come after him just proved that the Easter spirit was not all that mad about what he had done.

It was a harmless prank in comparison to the blizzard from '68 and in a way Jack saved him a lot of the annual hassle the bunny usually had to face. But Jack was sure he still would be peeved once he came back. He breathed in through his nose deeply. The graveyard smelled of freshly trimmed grass and bloomed flowers and soil. He smiled dreamily as the remembered the evenings he and Jamie would spend on a bench close by. He turned his head and saw it through the low black metal fence on the other side of the yard.

The brown wood looked rather unspectacular, a bit of the varnish that was supposed to protect it from the weather already peeling off. It would need a fresh repaint sooner rather than later. In some way it was like his memories of Jamie. They were coming off, disappearing and little by little. He was finding it difficult to see the face of his friend as it had been when he had gone from this world. Instead his face as the ten year old that had seen him remained fresh in his memory.

The cloud that passed by over him went unnoticed by the winter elf as he recalled the last one day, when he had seen Jamie alive for the last time and the unfinished conversation they'd had.

"When did we switch places?"

Jack cocked an eyebrow at the grey-haired grandfather to his right, not understanding what he was talking about. It was the last week of August and definitely a bit too warm for the winter spirits liking. He did not mind the warmth but it always made him feel squeezy a reason why he usually minded these seasons and their spirits but he had made a bet with Bunny.

After having helped the cottontail with the annual preparations for Easter the bunny had caught on how tired out he was because of the sunny weather. The usual argument had ensued, ending of course with him and Bunnymund making it a challenge. The Easter spirit was to stay all summer in a cold region while Jack would stay in regions that were above fifteen degrees at least.

They had started that very same day and Bunnymund, though obstinate and a lot of endurance had to return to the Warrens after having spent one month somewhere in the coldest part of the Russian tundra. It had taken just as long to get him back on his feet in the warm Warrens after his case of the flu.

Jack had been admitted winner since then and Bunny did not even object that maybe he could have held out longer if it had not been for the surprise snow-storm but Jack had taken a liking to spending the summer in Burgess with his best friend. For Jamie it hadn't been that funny when Jack nearly suffered a serious case of heatstroke (it had been over 28 degrees that day after all) but since his friend had insisted that he was okay he just stayed by his side and indeed once night came, Jack had overcome his short run-in with the short end of the stick of being a winter sprite.

Even after all the time spent together Jack was in for some surprises.

"What do you mean with 'switched places'?"

Jamie fiddled with his wooden cane that was resting in his lap in the same fashion as Jack with his staff beside him. Had anybody seen, no one could tell who was trying to imitate whose habit.

Jamie had to clear his throat. Jack was used to it by now but still he wondered why it was becoming more frequent.

"I mean," Jamie began and smiled "when did I become the adult and you the child?"

Jack stared at him as though struck by lightning, both eyebrows raised so high they disappeared under his hairline. Jamie was just about to ask what was wrong when suddenly the cheerful spirit went into hysterics, clutching his stomach from laughter. Even as he fell off the bench and made a startled sound that did not stop him, the rough change in position only seeming to add to his amusement.

Jamie for his part made a sour face, believing his friend was not taking him seriously.

After a while Jack managed to bring his laughing fit under control but his cheeks were stinging from the grin on his face.

"Okay, I'm good…I'm good now.", Jack chuckled, wiping at his eyes discreetly and dusting himself off. He caught Jamie's glare and smiled mischievously before turning half-serious again.

"I'm sorry to break it to you but to me you will always be the younger one."

Jack's white teeth were showing with how widely he grinned while he could watch the wheels and cogs turn inside the old man's head. First Jamie frowned, debating on whether the boy was pulling his leg or not until he remembered something vital about the elf. Instantly his face lit up and he too laughed. He was getting old, he knew it. There simply was no other explanation as to why he had discarded that thought.

Jack sat beside him, feet dangling from the bench he had repositioned himself on.

"Of course, you are right,", the man said, patting Jack's knee fondly, "Sorry, it is just hard to keep in mind that only your body doesn't age."

Jack hummed tunelessly and closed his eyes, enjoying the warm late summer sun rays on his skin and especially his bare feet. He hadn't known how much he had missed this until he had started this challenge with Bunny. Making plans in his head how to make up for this year's missed summer on the southern hemisphere, Jack only opened his eyes when it had become considerably chilly and the sun was nothing but a slither on the horizon. He must have nodded off at some point, he mused.

He stretched, a shudder running up and down his spine as a few bones gave a popping sound. He bleary blinked his eyes open, smirking when he saw Jamie whose chin was resting on his chest. He grabbed his staff that had fallen next to his feet at some point and lightly poked his friend with its tip.

But the man did not stir. Jack tried again but when Jamie again did not acknowledge his presence, his grin faded. He approached carefully. Jamie's face was relaxed but that liveliness Jack knew so well was missing. Gingerly he held his hand under his friend's nose his breath hitching.

He withdrew it as though he had been burned. He felt numb and lost but stayed beside his friend's lifeless body until morning came and the first strollers noticed a lonely, hunched over figure on the bench next to the cemetery.

That same day he had returned to the Pole. No one needed to ask him what had happened for it just had been a question of time and Bunny let any remark about Jack not having won the bet entirely slip.

It had been the 30th of August.

Jack watched a bird pass by with a twig in its beak, surely for a nest it was building.

It had taken a while but he had managed to overcome Jamie's death. They had all known that sooner or later his time would come and he took solace in the thought that Jamie had lived a happy life even with the hardships he and Sophie had faced.

Jack still did not know how they had done it but the siblings shared a connection that could have passed off as telepathic. They always had known when one of them was unwell. And so Sophie had gone to sleep that very same night as her brother and just like him did not wake up when her old friend rang the doorbell outside.

In a way it had been a second punch into their guts but eventually the sadness faded a little. Jack had a bit less problems with overcoming his grief than Bunnymund or Tooth, Sandy or Santa.

That wasn't because he did not hold Jamie or Sophie dear but he still remembered what it had been like when he had thought he had lost Jamie to Alzheimer. Jamie had lived on borrowed time, thirty years to be exact and that was more than Jack could ever have asked for. Otherwise he would have lost his friend way back then.

The wind was swirling around him, inviting him to ride it. As he listened closely he also intercepted the quiet murmur that only he could perceive: A message from the others. He nodded, getting up and smiling one last time at both tombstones. He would come back in August for sure.

He jumped up, the wind embracing him.

"Hey wind," he whispered, blue eyes awing at the blue sky above, "take me home."

The Pole was bustling with activity. Yetis, elves, small fairies even one or two eggs were running about as if Pitch was attacking again. This time though the cause of the general mayhem was a pleasant one.

North, the big, good-hearted Russian with a heavy accent was in the Globe Room with his fellow Guardians, pacing around and stroking his silver beard absentmindedly.

"You think he'z coming?", he asked nervously looking between each face that gave him the same incredulous expression.

"Of course, he's comin', mate.", drawled E. Aster Bunnymund from the corner of the room, tired of answering for the umpteenth time "We told the wind ta' get 'im and that's what it'll do… A' least I hopes so…"

Tooth and Sandy both glanced at each other and shook their heads. This little game had been going on for the better part of the day. North would be running around anxiously, giving stray yetis that were not trying to polish the floor, cooking or decorating, orders and shooing gaping elves away.

Their eyes wandered towards the ceiling and they couldn't help the smiles on their faces. They knew the youngest of them would appreciate their efforts and he by all rights, merited what they had planned for him. It was quite overwhelming to think that someone as volatile and unpredictable as Jack had become an indispensable part of their family. Although he was still a trouble-maker and epitome of fun and mischief, the elf had changed some since their battle against the Nightmare King.

No longer was he simply a meandering sprite looking for fun and trying to make children believe, but a source of inspiration for the bringers of dreams, hope, wonder and in Tooth's case even a helping hand and a strong shoulder for her to lean against when she was tired of being strong.

That was why they had been preparing everything up until now, when they knew the boy would be away for a day at least. Jack could not have known that his timing with pranks which had him running away was just perfect.

Yet, being the worry-wart he was, North tried to make everything perfect – a well-meant gesture that entailed a lot of hassle and bickering between him and Bunnymund especially. Tooth absentmindedly cradled the package she was holding in her hands. She hoped that he would like this one too. They really had tried their best with this one.

A few stray snowflakes caught their attention as they came dancing inside the building on the wind. In an instant North went from nervous to serious and Tooth gave a little inner sigh of relief just like everyone else.

"That was signal!", he cheered loudly, clapping his hands and turning towards every being in the room, "He'z coming!"

He turned around towards the workers: "Jack iz coming! Get ready! Now!"

The yetis nodded before running off into different directions, clueless elves hot on their heels, hoping that they could get something to eat out in this whole hassle. The mini fairies promptly returned to Tooth, chattering relentlessly while Baby Tooth tried her best to hold them under control. Ever since the battle the heterochromatic fairy had changed. Instead of a simple copy she had become something more complex and so Tooth had taken it upon herself a few years ago to give new tasks that the little fairy fulfilled without problem.

If one looked closely, he might notice the slight difference in size between her and her fellow fairies.

A few stray eggs assembled at Aster's feet as he put down the one he had been working on. Sandy for his part conjured up a small spyglass, positioning himself in one of the windows so he could maybe catch a glimpse of the boy before he arrived.

The dark sky was unusually clear, the untainted expanse of the universe visible. Sandman felt a light stab inside his heart as he caught sight of a few constellations he had visited eons ago but ever would be able to see up close again.

Even without the instrument he was able to make out a small blue point in the distance with his sharp eyes. He rushed back into the room, catching the others' attention with various hand signals and golden symbols.

As soon as he was done, a gust of wind swept inside the observatory and Jack Frost elegantly swept in through the opening overhead.

"Sorry, I'm late.", he exclaimed happily dusting himself off. The others greeted back but as they all caught sight of the blue hoodie they all silently agreed that indeed they had made the right decision. Even though Jack did not acknowledge it, the clothing had faded considerably in the last decades giving it a dusty grey hue. The seam was frayed and the white strings to adjust the width of the hood were missing. How and where the boy had lost them still remained a mystery just as much as the question how his pants on the other hand seemed completely fine.

As soon as Jack had the excessive snow out of his hair, did he take a look around the room. He stopped short, noticing that something was off about the way his fellow Guardians were looking expectant and ready to burst. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a motion. A shadow.

Alarmed, he gripped his staff tighter but otherwise he carried it off well. The other Guardians had no knowledge of Pitch's return and it was better if it stayed that way. He suppressed the urge to shake his head at his own silliness. Pitch promised he wouldn't attack.

"Jack!", North announced and came towards him, patting the boy on the shoulder lightly. Jack had to pin his staff on the ground so that he did not stumble into the floor face first. He raised an eyebrow. Had the floorboards always been this shiny?

"Good to see you made it. We were already worried."

Going by the comical and joint eye-roll of the other occupants of the room, Jack understood that we only meant one. Just like always.

He smiled up at North scratching the back of his neck with his left hand.

"There really was no need to. I promised I would come to every meeting now. But isn't it kind of early?"

The question was justified. Easter had been just yesterday. Jack gave Bunny a tentative smirk and to his relief the Pooka truly seemed not to have minded this year's joke too much since he gave him a silent nod in reply. North gave a dismissive wave with his hand like he was shooing away some flying insect, getting back Jack's full attention.

"Maybe, but matter important. You will like it.", he assured guiding Jack towards the group.

He noticed a little package in Tooth's arms as they drew closer, mouthing a 'What?' his blue eyes quickly darting towards it. She gave him a cheeky smile and a wink in return, not ready to spoil the surprise. He blinked twice but let it slip. It probably had something to do with what they wanted to discuss anyway. That was until he noticed that glint in Sandy's eyes – something between mischievous and friendly. They had something planned and Jack was not so sure anymore if he wanted to find out.

He and Sandy liked to pull pranks on others but when it came to Jack Bunnymund might not be too reluctant to ask the older Guardian for help with jokes.

North gave him a pat n the shoulder while he joined the small line of people. That was when Jack had a sort of déjà-vu. They all were standing like they had on the day when he had been shoved into a sack to be teleported here. That was so long ago and Jack was glad it was that way now.

North clapped his hands, startling everyone.

"Jack Frost," , he said in a most joyful manner everyone beside him practically beaming. Their eyes were on him and he self-consciously tugged at one of his sleeves in embarrassment. He did not really know what was going to come but he felt excited and nervous nonetheless. The atmosphere in the room just called for it.

"You have been with us for long time now. A hundred years ago, you accepted oath as a Guardian.", North's blue eyes radiated with pride and jack could feel the tips of his ears getting cold from the blush that was forming. Just as he had feared, North was going to hold a speech but at the moment he felt so happy he could gladly ignore it.

"Through all those years you stayed true to your heart.", the Russian continued, putting his hand on the spot where Jack's heart was. His own hand found its way into the pocket of his hoodie where he could feel the varnish of a small wooden matryoshka.

Bunnymund stepped up towards him and smiled, whiskers twitching.

"You learned what it meant to protect the children.", he picked up his paw also coming to a rest on the same spot but on Norths huge hand. Jack had a hard time swallowing the lump in his throat making his vocal cords contract.

Next came Tooth, who like always hovered over the ground. Her violet eyes were radiant.

"You overcame the saddest of moments." She added quietly and followed suit in laying a hand on his heart. Jack could feel the sting in his eyes but since breathing had become sort of a problem he resumed to smile at them.

At last Sandy came. He only made one sign, one that Jack hadn't seen in more than ninety years and that only he could understand fully: An adult embracing a child.

"And you showed kindness."

The golden man's hand was the last to touch on the other hands and Jack was fighting hard to keep his composure. He wanted to do something, anything really, to let them know how much these words, those gestures meant to him but he was unable to.

They retreated a few steps but that did nothing about how he felt.

"You are and were from the first day a Guardian and now you have earned place amongst us, Jackson Overland Frost, Guardian of Fun."

North had taken him by the shoulders and turned him around towards the encasement where the stone, that only appeared when a Guardian was chosen, was hidden. At first he could not see anything that should be of interest, the pattern on the floor with the triangular insignia of the other members being the same. That was when his eyes caught sight of the shadow again. He looked up and his mouth opened in awe.

A golden hexagon was floating and turning in thin air over the circle with the stone and carved into it was a simple shape of a human with a crooked staff like none other. He blinked very quickly to disperse whatever tears wanted to sneak past his lids.

He wanted to say than you but his voice was completely numb. So instead he smiled, he happiest he had ever. They crowded around him, giving a pat, a little slap or just a hug.

Tooth hummed to his right. He gazed at her, her own smile just as bright as his.

"There is also something else.", she said quietly and handed him the little package he had noticed earlier. It was rectangular and of a dark blue but rather light. He looked at all of them inquisitively unable to believe that there still was more after everything.

The all nodded and so he gingerly lifted the cover only for his eyes to grow large yet again at the sight. With her petite hands Tooth lifted the content out of the box revealing a piece of cloth.

"We made this for you.", she said putting the blue cloak around his shoulders and adjusting it. The fabric was soft and light and of exactly the same color as the hoodie he currently sported, "We thought that maybe a little change would be appropriate."

"Ya' better be grateful.", Bunnymund half-joked, half-grunted from behind him, "And don't ask how we managed to make it weigh nothin'. Gave us all a headache!"

Jack chuckled, ending partially in a snuffle. Composure, Jack. Composure.

"There, all done.", Tooth chimed in smiling flirtatiously after she had buttoned up his collar.

"Looks handsome!", North exclaimed happily, causing some sort of commotion (consisting of elves and yetis playing instruments, confetti and banners).

Seemingly agreeing with him, Tooth drew Jack closer with his collar and kissed him. Jack returned the kiss gently but eagerly, drowning out the hassle around him. He knew that North only meant well but… that was simply how he was and he would not have it any other way.

When and Tooth parted, he nipped her nose, earning him a giggle before turning towards the rest of his family. His girlfriend took the box out of his hands and let something else, completely white appear from it.

"That goes with the cape.", she explained as he turned the long sleeved shirt every way.

"Th-Thanks!", he stammered, surprised that he could talk again and quickly tried to wriggle himself out of his hoodie to put on the last of his new clothes, while still having the cloak on. They all grinned at how energetic he was being. He really could act just like a kid when he wanted to.

After nearly tangling himself in the fabric and nearly crashing into the floor, his head finally came free and he dumped the old cloth next to him. He gave it a short glance but there was nothing to be upset about.

The hoodie was from the days when he had been a loner, from when he was the unseen winter sprite Jack Frost with no memories. It was time to leave these things behind.

And just as he was chattering with his family did a moonbeam make its way into the room, shining down on the chamber of the stone.