A/N: This may or may not become a true, fluid story in the future. For now, it is a set of sequential drabbles about an OC that I'm almost positive is logical. If you are adverse to OCs, I only ask you give Raven a chance before passing judgment. This does turn into a JackxOC, but see how it works out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Disclaimer: Rise of the Guardians (c) Dreamworks / The Guardians of Childhood (c) William Joyce
/x/x/x/
A light on the Globe in North's workshop flickers brightly, then dims to almost nothing before brightening once more. It is an anomaly the older Guardians have come to dread seeing. It means a child requires their help now more than they ever have in their short lives.
Jack floats in front of the light, watching it curiously. The child's location is somewhere in North America, and if Jack's estimates are correct, the child is actually located around Jack's home of Burgess, Pennsylvania.
"So what does this mean?" Jack breaks the silence, curiosity getting the better of him.
The silence is not broken, so Jack turns his bright blue eyes towards his fellow Guardians. None of them will look directly at him, sending a small shiver down Jack's spine. Did this little light reacting so strangely herald something so terrible?
Jack floats down to stand before North. "North, what does that mean?"
North looks helplessly at Jack. The jolly Russian had hoped their youngest member would not be introduced to this for some time. "Jack... As Guardians, we bring joy to children, you know this. Children will always need something to believe in. However, there are times children require our presence more than others."
Jack cocks his head, puzzled. North seems to be skipping around the subject, unwilling to spell it out for the Spirit of Winter.
"It might just be better to take him with us and show him, North." Toothiana pipes in quietly. "Either way, we need to go now. The light is beginning to go out."
North nods, motioning for Jack to follow them to the sleigh. Bunnymund solemnly opens a hole into the Warren tunnels. He'll meet them before they visit the child. Jack glances at Sandy, wondering if the small-statured man will tell him anything. The look on the usually serene face worries Jack more than anything said yet. Sandy stares at him sadly, shaking his head. He motions for Jack to follow, which the boy does quietly.
/x/x/x/
The ride to Burgess is quiet, broken only by the chattering Jack when the silence grows too deep. He wishes the others would just tell him what's going on. It is something extremely important, though, Jack has become aware of this. Sandy and Toothiana are usually on their rounds by now, but they are both sitting in North's sleigh, acting nothing like themselves.
Just as Jack expected, North lands the sleigh near Jack's frozen lake. It's the middle of winter in Pennsylvania. Jack joyfully jumps out of the sleigh, glad for the chance to stretch his legs in his own home. He lands on the top of his staff, waiting for the others to disembark. Bunnymund pops out of the ground just a few feet from the youngest Guardian, rubbing the back of his head.
"I take it you haven't told him?" The Pooka questions, looking from Toothiana to Sandy to North. None answer his question, though Sandy shakes his head. Bunnymund growls low in annoyance. "Fine then. I'll just have to tell him myself while we walk there."
Jack sighs in relief. He's finally going to learn what the big deal is. As the Guardian of Fun, all this solemnity was not endearing or interesting.
North moves into the lead with Toothiana flittering about his shoulders. Jack and Bunnymund follow them, with Sandy falling into position on Jack's free side.
"That little light you were so interested in, mate, is a child that is in desperate need of our help. Have you been home lately, Jack?"
Jack shakes his head no. His time has been spent at the North Pole, and wherever Winter called for him. He hasn't been home to visit Burgess for at least a week. Bunnymund sighs, his ears drooping as they walk down the streets.
Jack's nose tingles as he realizes there is a faint smell of ash and burned items lingering in the air. His heart skips a beat. "Bunnymund... Something bad's happened, hasn't it?"
Bunnymund sends Jack a pitying look. "This is going to be your first child like this, Frostbite. You can't let your emotions get the better of you. The child needs us to be happy, and to make him or her believe again. We aren't here to sadden them anymore than they already are."
Jack clutches his staff tighter. "What happened?"
Sandy tugs on Jack's hoodie. The Dreamsand above Sandy's head shows a picture of a house, followed by a picture of a fireplace. This picture is followed by the picture of a tombstone. Jack flinches.
"We are here." North's voice carries back to the lagging Guardians. Jack looks up at North and Toothiana, unsure about the situation.
"I don't know about this, guys..."
"Jack, you are Guardian. You must become accustomed to such things. It is Guardian's job." North explains gently, gripping his shoulder and leading him to the front of the house. He points to the window flickering with what looks like candlelight. "We will go through door. You three go through window."
Toothiana gently tugs Jack into the air. Jack refuses to look through the window at first, but morbid curiosity gets the better of him.
The room is dark, save for a candle on the night-stand beside the child's bed. From what light plays on the walls, Jack notices posters of kittens and drawings of flowers. Stuffed animals adorn the shelves alongside books of varying difficulty, though none are over the fifth grade level.
A muffled sob interrupts Jack's examination. Toothiana holds her hands to her lips, closing her eyes tight. Sandy pushes the window open, floating inside. Jack follows him hesitantly.
The child is a girl, and her face is buried in her pillow as she attempts to muffle her heart-wrenching sobs. Jack watches in something akin to horror as Sandy floats to her, sitting on the edge of her bed. The movement startles a gasp out of her as she jerks into a sitting position.
The girl's aquamarine eyes are puffy and red. She's been crying for some time. She rubs at them vigorously, attempting to hide any indication she has been crying.
"Th-The Sandman?" She whispers.
Sandy nods, smiling softly. He runs his hand through her dark-blue hair. The motion causes tears to pool at the corners of her eyes once more.
The girl rubs at her cheek, the tilting of her head showing her she has two more visitors.
"The Tooth Fairy?"
Toothiana flutters forward, grinning brightly. "Hey there!"
North and Bunnymund enter her room through the door before she can address Jack. The dull blue irises brighten slightly at the sight of Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.
"Where'd you come from?" The girl asks. Her voice is hoarse from crying.
"We come to see you, sweetie." North murmurs, approaching her bed and sitting in a chair placed beside it.
"What's your name, lil'un?"
The care and kindness in the Guardians' actions and words surprise Jack. Sure, he knows they care and protect the children of the world, but he has never been witness to such emotion from them. They're so busy with their jobs of making children happy, Jack didn't think they had time for calling on children personally. Realizing bad things do happen to children no matter how hard the Guardians try to keep them safe, Jack is happy they are willing to pay a midnight visit to children to comfort them.
What has happened in his absence from Burgess, Jack wonders as he watches the scene before him.
"'m Raven... Have you come to see me because I've lost mommy and daddy and Jay?" Raven's voice breaks on the mention of her family.
"Yes, dear, we want to help you however we can." Toothiana moves to where she flutters above the child.
Raven's lips quiver. "I want my mommy and daddy and Jay back." She whimpers.
"We cannot bring your family back, Raven." North responds sadly.
Raven's small body jerks as she falls forward, sobbing into the mattress. "It's not fair! It's not fair!"
Jack's heart aches as he watches the spectacle. So the Guardians comfort the children who lose their families and are unable to cope alone. These children need a strong sense of hope and good dreams. Otherwise, they'll fall into fear and darkness. Jack hesitantly shuffles forward, unsure if he will be able to do any good.
"I want my mommy and daddy!" Raven pleads, glancing from Guardian to Guardian. Sandy once again strokes her hair, while Toothiana rests her hand on her shoulder. The child winces at the touch, recoiling.
"I'm sorry, I know you're trying to help, Miss Tooth Fairy... But that side of my body hurts really bad..." Raven pulls the shoulder of her pajama shirt away from her skin, showing them reddened, blistered skin. "But mommy and daddy and Jay... They... They were... Their skin... It was hot! It was too hot!"
Before the older Guardians can so much as move, Jack has scooped the child into his arms, sitting where she has been sitting during their conversation. She gasps at the sudden contact, but doesn't complain as a cool, refreshing feeling washes over her tortured skin.
She turns to look into eyes blue enough to rival her own. For the first time, a smile graces the child's lips, and a warmth settles in Jack's chest knowing he was the cause of such a small, important thing.
"Jack Frost. Jamie told me you were real."
Jack grins at the name of his first believer. "He must be convincing."
"He told me you would have done everything to save my family if you were here."
Jack's grin becomes strained. "Was it fire, Raven?"
Raven nods, her eyes watering again. "I... It's my fault!" Raven clenches her fists in Jack's hoodie, hiding her face in his shoulder in shame.
"Hey now, hey now! How can it be your fault, lass?" Bunnymund breaks in, shaking his head in disbelief.
The response is muffled in Jack's hoodie, so he has to tell his fellow Guardians what the child says.
"She says she left the heater on, though her parents told her to be careful to turn it off."
Raven nods sadly into Jack's chest. The Spirit of Winter cradles the child in his lap, making sure to keep his emotions under control so he doesn't harm her. What was the odds of a fire starting in the middle of winter? How had Jack not known what was happening?
"You must not blame yourself, Raven. You aren't responsible for what happened." Toothiana breathes, her hand hovering over the child's.
Jack feels his hoodie growing wet. Raven is crying again. It almost makes Jack want to cry, knowing a child is having to experience something like this. It truly isn't fair. A child should have their parents until they were much older. They need someone to believe in once they stop believing in the Guardians. The parents take on that role of hero when the child grows too old to believe.
This child has no future hero for when her belief runs out.
Jack nuzzles the top of Raven's head with his nose, causing her to look up. "You know that old saying I'm sure you've heard about me?"
Raven shakes her head, a puzzled look crossing her features. Jack smiles, leaning down and gently nipping at her small nose. The spontaneity of the motion elicits a startled giggle from the girl. She immediately looks guilty at having laughed, while out of the corner of his eye Jack can see the surprised looks on the other Guardians' faces.
"I'm going to be hanging around here for awhile, okay? I actually live out at the lake in the woods. I'm sure you know which one I'm talking about."
Raven nods, her eyes wide as she listens. "If you ever need someone to talk to, or just someone's shoulder to cry on, you can come find me. When you get sad, I'll make sure to do that again so I can hear that little laugh and see the bright smile I know you have."
The child watches him cautiously, but she can find no trickery in the confident look Jack gives her. "You're okay helping me?" She whispers. She looks from Jack to the other Guardians. All of them nod.
"For as long as you need us, we'll be here to help you. Just tell Frostbite here if you need someone aside from him." Bunnymund jerks his paw towards the white-haired boy.
Raven's eyes begin drooping. They notice Sandy has begun working his Dream magic, the Dreamsand floating around Raven's head. She blinks, a wide yawn catching her off-guard.
"Not every kid... gets to fall asleep in Jack Frost's lap." She murmured to herself before snuggling into Jack's hoodie and falling into a deep sleep. The Dreamsand above her head shows a family of four playing. This is her mother, father, and older brother playing with her before the fire killed them.
Jack doesn't have the heart to move the sleeping child, though he worries his temperature is much too cold for her. Toothiana flutters around him, wrapping the blanket expertly around Raven's small body.
He looks up, questions in his eyes. "Are we staying the night with her?"
North nods. "For tonight, yes. She deserves a safe night of dreams and comfort, no? Yetis can handle workshop."
"My Baby Teeth will be able to handle the children's teeth." Toothiana breathes, her eyes training on Raven's sleeping form. Sandy simply motions outside where the lines of Dreamsand reach to all the children in the small town and farther.
Jack agrees, blue eyes softening as he looks down at the softly snoring child.
It isn't fair children have to experience such traumatizing events. Jack promises himself he will do all he can to make sure this child believes in her heroes for as long as possible to make up for her lost family.
The ice elf closes his eyes, leaning against the wall for support as he offers support to the unlucky child.
/x/x/x/
