I'm baaack! This is my attempt at a post-movie RotG fanfic. I saw the movie for the first time a few months ago and loved it, and since then I've had all kinds of story brainstorms.
This chapter is a taster of sorts, an early peek into the story while I write more chapters for it and work on my Solace oneshot series.
Read on; and leave a review when you're done!
Chapter 1
The moon was out early tonight, Emma noted. The sun had barely set, but the moon was already shining bright, bathing the winter landscape in a silvery glow.
Emma inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of fresh snow. She had always loved winter weather, most of all when she was outside for it. As she had aged, the cold had started to make her old bones ache; but layers of warm clothing still allowed her to take these strolls along the river.
"Jerry!" She called behind her. "Are you ready yet?"
"Almost, love; just need to find my gloves. I could have sworn I put them in the car before we left…"
Emma chuckled. Her husband could be so scatterbrained at times; he would probably lose his head if it weren't attached to his body.
Jerry emitted an audible sigh. "This could take a while. Emma, why don't you go ahead and start walking?"
"Are you sure?" Emma asked. "I don't want to leave you behind."
"Don't worry about me, I'll catch up. I know you like to take your time with these walks anyway."
Emma's impatience won over. "All right. I'll stop and wait before I go too far, though."
"Thanks, dear." Jerry's voice was muffled, head already buried in the trunk of their car.
With a last smile, Emma started down the path. Some kind soul had cleared the pavement of snow, though the area off the path remained untouched.
As she walked, she turned her gaze towards the river. It was frozen over, covered in some spots by light snow. The water was lined with trees; evergreens and bare-branched oaks and…Emma's eyes narrowed at she spotted something lying by the water's edge. Had some poor animal caught their death of cold?
Pity welling in her heart, she stepped to the edge of the path for a better look. The creature was larger than most local animals, though not large enough to be a bear. Actually, it looked quite a lot like…
"Jerry! Jerry!" The man came sprinting down the path at his wife's cries, gloves be damned. Emma never shouted like that.
"Emma! What is it? Are you all right? What are you doing?" The last question came as he caught up to her, finding her wading into the snow off the path.
Emma's eyes were wide as she turned to face him. "Jerry, get out here! There's a girl out by the river!"
Jerry's own eyes widened. Without hesitation he followed his wife, striding through snow that reached the tops of his boots.
The couple squatted by the girl, turning her over onto her back. She lay there unmoving, her face all but empty of color.
A lump rose in Emma's throat as she stared at the girl. She looked so young, in her late teens at the most. "Oh, Jerry…"
Jerry touched his hand to the girl's cheek, finding it to be ice cold. Without much hope, he moved his hand lower, pressing two fingers to her neck. He inhaled sharply as he felt movement against his fingers. "Emma, she still has a pulse!"
"What?" Emma brushed off her shock, determination stirring in her. "Then we need to get her warm." She pulled off her overcoat, wrapping it around the girl as best she could. "Jerry, can you carry her?"
In answer, her husband slipped his arms under the girl's body, hoisting her slim frame against his chest. "Let's go."
ooOoo
She was lying on something soft. That was the first thing her slowly waking mind registered. The soft thing cushioned her just enough to be comfortable without sinking into the material.
Bit by bit, she drifted towards consciousness. Her eyelashes fluttered as she struggled to open her eyes. After an indeterminate amount of time, her eyelids lifted, images slowly coming into focus before her gaze.
She was in a room, fairly small with simple features. The walls were painted a cheerful cream color, and amber curtains framed the one window on the left wall. A wooden dresser, a wall mirror, and a closet were set on the right side of the room.
Turning her gaze downward, she realized that the soft thing cushioning her body was a bed. She lay there under several blankets, and the blankets gave her a particular feeling. It was pleasant, almost a glowing feeling. Warmth, she realized. She was warm.
She started to sit up, but just lifting her head set her temples pounding. She sank back down again, groaning.
A scuffling came from the hall. A few moments later a figure appeared in the open doorway. The figure was a woman, dressed in jeans and a knit sweater.
The woman came to stand at the edge of the bed. "Hello, dear," she said gently. "How are you feeling?"
The girl eyed the woman warily, grogginess still fogging her mind. "Um…my head hurts. Or it did when I tried to sit up." Her eyes widened. "Why can't I sit up?"
"You're still weak, that's all." The woman smoothed a long silver curl behind her ear. "Any other sensations? Nausea, hunger, cold?" When the girl shook her head, the older woman smiled. "How fortunate. You seem to recover at quite a fast rate."
Some of the fog cleared from the girl's mind at that statement. "What do you mean, recover? What's going on?" She asked frantically. "W-what am I doing here?" She tried again to sit up, putting more force into the attempt. Her headache returned with a vengeance, making her fall back onto the pillows as dizziness swept through her.
"Please, calm down," the older woman said worriedly. "Don't overexert yourself. I promise I'll explain things as best I can."
The girl regarded the older woman with new suspicion, but nodded after a moment.
The woman sighed, taking a seat on the side of the bed. "My name is Emma Crosley. I was out on a walk by the river tonight with my husband, Gerald Crosley. We found you unconscious on the riverbank. You had on nothing but a dress that looked designed for summertime. Nothing but that little dress, and you lying on ice and snow..." Emma shook her head. "Well, we took you back here to our home as quickly as possible. I found a nightgown that would keep you much warmer than that flimsy dress; and my husband is a retired doctor, so he was able to fix you up. You're lucky that you only had mild hypothermia. A more severe case and you might have died." A lump rose in Emma's throat at the thought.
The girl's eyes had softened throughout Emma's speech, and now she felt a lump of her own in her chest. "Oh, ma'am, I'm so sorry. You saved me, and here I am acting so ungrateful."
Emma smiled again, the expression lined with kindness. "Don't worry about it. You woke up in an unfamiliar place and situation; I can understand how you would be alarmed. Are you up to meeting my husband? He's been worried about you." When the girl nodded, Emma cupped one hand around her mouth. "Jerry! She's awake!"
Heavy footsteps sounded on the floor. Soon after, a man entered the room. Like Emma, he wore jeans and a sweater, although the frayed hems on his jeans suggested they had seen more wear. His short hair was as silver as his wife's, with the occasional white streak.
"Hello, young lady," he said as he approached the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good, considering what your wife has told me. I have a headache, though."
"No problem; I can get you some medicine for that."
Emma rapped him lightly on the shoulder. "Now where are your manners? You forgot to introduce yourself." She rolled her eyes. "This is Jerry, my husband. Jerry, this is…" she trailed off as she realized she didn't know their guest's name.
The girl blinked at Emma's hesitation, and then quickly realized the problem. "Oh! I'm sorry. My name is…" she frowned for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "My name is Cassie."
Jerry grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "Pleased to meet you, Cassie."
"Same to you, sir."
"Now, now, none of that; it's Jerry, understand?" The man lifted an eyebrow at her.
"The same goes for me," Emma chimed in. "None of that 'ma'am' business you started with."
Cassie gave a small smile. "Ok…if that's what you want."
"Very good," Emma approved. "Now, Cassie, perhaps you can fill us in on a thing or two. How did you end up by the river?"
Cassie's smile faded. Her brow furrowed as she considered the question. After a long pause, she answered, "I don't know."
Jerry frowned. "You don't know," he repeated.
Cassie shook her head slowly. "I don't recall any river at all. The first thing I remember is waking up here."
Jerry and Emma exchanged glances. "Cassie, is there someone we can contact for you?" Emma inquired.
Cassie frowned. "What?"
"Any family or close friends I could call, so they know you're safe?" After a pause, Emma added, "Do you live in this area?"
Cassie bit her lip. "I…I really don't know. I'm trying to remember, but the only memory I'm finding is my name." She squeezed her eyes shut. "Why can't I remember?" she whispered.
A gentle hand rested on her shoulder, and she opened her eyes. "Don't fret, Cassie," Jerry said. "We'll figure this all out. You're going to be just fine."
Cassie forced a smile, wanting to believe his words. "Thanks, Jerry."
"No problem." He stepped back from the bed, offering Emma his hand to help her up. "For tonight, though, just try to get some sleep; your body needs rest to recover. Doctor's orders." He winked.
Cassie nodded, shifting so she was comfortable under the blankets. "Thank you for helping me; I'm truly grateful."
Emma smiled as she followed her husband out of the room. "No need to thank us. We'll see you in the morning." She closed the bedroom door, and the room became dark but for the moonlight coming through the window.
Cassie's ears pricked at the sound of soft voices. Emma and Jerry were talking in the hallway. She strained to make out their conversation.
"This worries me, Jerry. I know memory loss happens; but she can't remember anything!"
"She's only just woken up; she was likely too disoriented to recall much."
"Memory loss isn't a symptom of hypothermia, is it?"
"Not typically. But then, memory loss can occur following traumatic experiences. Cassie may have been traumatized by the hypothermia, or by something that happened before it. She will get her memory back eventually; she just needs some time."
ooOoo
Cassie hefted a can of paint in both hands, feeling the liquid inside the container slosh around. With a slightly breathless heave, she deposited it onto a shelf that stood eye level with her.
Stepping back, she surveyed her work. This particular room was always such a mess; but she had managed to organize it some, shelving the paints by color and size and finding a box large enough to hold the extra paintbrushes. There was more floor space now, and it would be easier to move around in here…until a new supply of products was delivered.
Cassie gave a resigned smile. Oh well. At least it looks nice for now. Pulling off the protective rubber gloves she wore for cleanup jobs, she strode into the shop, closing the storage room door behind her. "Dan, I'm done back here!"
A middle-aged man looked up from his place behind the counter, where he sat filling out forms. "How did you manage?"
Cassie smiled. "You can see the floor now."
Dan grinned. "Nice job."
"Thanks. So," Cassie glanced around the shop. "How are we for customers?"
Dan ran a hand through his thinning brown hair. "Not many have come in so far. Today's a slow day for business, it looks like."
"In that case, could I step outside for a bit?"
"Cassie, your break is in less than an hour…"
"Please? Like you said, today's a slow day," Cassie coaxed. "It's not like I'm helping any customers right now. And those paint fumes gave me a headache," she admitted. "I need some air."
Dan frowned. "In that case, go ahead; we can't have you passing out on the job. If that happens, you won't be able to do your work," he joked.
Cassie laughed, removing her apron. "Good to know you have your priorities in order."
"But of course." Dan was still grinning.
Cassie rolled her eyes but didn't reply. Instead she grabbed her coat from the coat rack and pulled it on.
"Stay close to the shop," Dan called, already going back to his paperwork.
"I will." Cassie made sure her gloves were snug on her hands, and then slipped out the front door.
A gust of wind rippled through her hair as she stepped outside, and she breathed in the early November air. Snow crunched under her boots as she stepped away from the little art shop that was her workplace. This snow was the best kind, fresh and powdery. It was perfect for sledding, and making snow people, and…Cassie turned at the sounds of footsteps and shouting. She smiled at the scene that met her eyes. And snowball fights.
ooOoo
Jack ducked to avoid another snowball. "Missed me again!" He taunted.
"It's not fair, though!" Jamie laughed. "How am I supposed to win a snowball fight against the guy with snow powers?"
Jack winked. "Guess you'll have to think of something."
Jamie huffed, and then swerved to avoid a particularly large snow projectile aimed at his back. "Nice try, Cupcake!" He whirled around, scooping up a handful of snow, and ran towards his human friends.
Jack smiled fondly as he watched the group. He liked visiting these kids, and came to Burgess to see them whenever he could. Though headed into middle school, they still believed in him and the other Guardians. Jamie in particular seemed to fiercely maintain his belief.
And it isn't just these kids. Jack's smile broadened. After becoming a Guardian, there had been a question of what his job might look like. After some debate, the other Guardians had decided that they needed him as a free-roamer, someone who would support children's hope and happiness in day-to-day life. And of course, he needed to get children believing in him.
Jamie and his friends had started the process, to some extent. Through word of mouth, they had told all the kids in town about him, and those kids were telling their friends and relatives in other places. Jack had been given a world globe that showed him where belief in him was present or developing—like the one that North had, but portable—, and he used it strategically, visiting the right areas so their sparse belief could grow. Even Sandy and North had helped, having some means for it—Sandy by putting images of Jack into children's dreams, North by developing toys based off of him.
Jack was grateful for all the help. It still thrilled him that people could see him now. After three hundred years, he was no longer invisible. Coming to visit kids who knew about him was always a happy experience, and the look on a child's face the first time they spotted him was…just amazing.
"I've got you now!" Jack jerked his head up. Jamie was back, with another snowball. He was closer to Jack than before, and had a better angle. With a triumphant grin, he hurled the snowball, aiming high. Jack chuckled, ducking once again…and heard a yelp from behind him. Spinning around, he found a girl standing on the street corner, wiping at her eyes. Snow dripped down her chin, little clumps falling on the fabric of her coat. More importantly, though, she was definitely not a child. Jack wasn't a great judge of age, but the girl had to be at least eighteen.
Jack hopped into the air, coming to perch in a tree. He liked to get out of the way in cases like this. If adults caught kids playing with him, they usually asked them who they were talking to, and that could go one of two ways. The adult would either laugh at their explanation and play along, or tell the kids to stop making things up. As this girl had taken a snowball that was meant for him, he was worried that this time would be a case of the latter.
ooOoo
Cassie spat a piece of snow out of her mouth, shivering as more of the stuff slid into the neckline of her coat. With her eyes cleared, she could see that the entire party of kids had stopped their game. One particular boy, brown-haired and slightly gangly, was frozen in place, eyes fixed on her.
"Jamie!" She said indignantly.
Jamie flinched. "Sorry, Cassie! It was an accident, I swear!"
Cassie watched him a moment longer, eyebrows raised. Then her face broke into a mischievous smirk. She grabbed a handful of snow off the ground and started packing it together. "Oh, you're going to get it now!" She let her snowball fly, and it whizzed past Jamie's right side, barely missing his ear.
Jamie's eyes widened, and a grin broke out across his face. Turning around, he ran back towards his friends. Cassie dashed after him. "You better run!" She laughed.
The game was on again. Snow flew through the air as everyone aimed for everyone else. Laughter rang from every mouth, warm breaths making little puffs of fog. In the background, Jack jumped down from his perch, intrigued. It seemed this was one adult who still knew how to have fun like a kid.
"CASSIE!" The volume of Dan's voice made the whole party jump. "Break time's over; we've got some customers coming in." He paused for a moment as he registered the scene in front of him. "I thought you were getting fresh air, not playing in the snow! You'll be all wet now."
Cassie dropped her ammo, brushing bits of snow off her gloves. "I'm perfectly dry under my coat, Dan. I'll be right there." She turned back to the kids. "Thanks for letting me join your game. It was…" her voice trailed off as she noticed a figure behind Jamie. Her eyes widened.
The figure was a boy who looked maybe nineteen or twenty. His skin and hair were as white as the snow on the ground. He stood barefoot, and wore dark pants and a blue sweatshirt.
Cassie locked eyes with him, and her curiosity peaked. "Jamie," she started, eyes still on the pale boy. "Who…"
"Cassie!" Dan's voice snapped her back to attention. "What are you waiting for? Get in here!"
"Coming! I'm coming!" Cassie turned and hurried towards the shop. "See you around, Jamie!" She took a look over her shoulder; the mystery boy was still there, watching her leave. Brow furrowed, she reached the door of the art shop, scuffing her boots dry on the welcome mat.
ooOoo
What just happened? Jack stared after the girl as she stepped inside the shop. He had seen her freeze up, eyes fixed on the spot where he was standing. Those eyes had been filled with surprise and confusion. It was almost like she had seen him. But that wasn't possible…right?
Jack tapped Jamie on the shoulder. "Jamie, who was that? That older girl you were all playing with?"
Jamie looked up at him. "You mean Cassie? She came to live here a couple years ago. She's kind of weird, but in a good way."
"What do you mean?"
"She listens to kids the same way she listens to grown-ups. One time she heard me talking about you and the other Guardians, and she listened really seriously." Jamie frowned. "Why do you ask?"
Jack hesitated. "It was like she saw me just now. But she's grown up, right? Adults don't see me."
Jamie frowned. "Well, she's not an adult in the same way that my parents or my friends' parents are. And there have been adults who saw Santa Claus, right? Why can't there be an adult who sees you?"
"I guess…maybe there can be." Jack glanced over at the shop the girl—Cassie—had gone into. She would be one to watch.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Next chapter: "Jack's here again!"/ Jamie's eyes widened as a truck headed straight toward his little sister/ Was that frost on his sweatshirt?/ Was she hiding something?
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