Disclaimer : I don't own ROTG or Frozen. Both belong to their rightful owners, Dreamworks and Disney.
There's just something appealing about it.
Years back, Jack Frost would have denied that sitting cross-legged without doing anything was entertaining. Staying idle in one place is just…blech. Pranks are much better. Snowball fights are much more fun. This was Jack Frost before everything else came crashing down.
Now? Now Jack can't stop staring at the lively town below him. It's as if someone has just waved a magic wand over it, transforming Burgess into something breathtaking. 8 o'clock. Whenever the clock strikes, Jack would already be up there, watching as the lights flicker on, the cars multiplying on the road, and the people filing out of their houses onto the sidewalks or into the stores.
It is never the same every night and they never bore him.
Jack wonders if the other guardians view this just like he does. He looks at the general direction of their posts, but only sees the endless darkness of the night sky.
Jack looks down below him, then back to the sky, his lips tugging downwards into a frown.
His rest is over.
They come like a meteor, a black bundle of nightmares piercing the peaceful night like a screeching whistle. Then what follows was an all too familiar thump, much like when you hit a glass wall with your fist. The force sends them bursting into a shower of black sand before reforming into a herd of galloping horses. They neigh. They pound. And they are furious.
It is the courtesy of North's work ― the barrier ― that they are still alive and breathing right now.
Invisible to the mortal eyes, North had told the others, and impenetrable.
Except, Jack had ever caught him gazing up in the sky with a look of uncertainty that betrays his words. Eventually, it would crack. And when there is a crack, there would be a hole.
While the guardians are free to go in and out of the barrier, it is always worth to note that Pitch would be waiting out there, and if he ever caught one of them venturing unprotected….. Well, North's broken sleigh is enough of an answer.
The pocket of his blue sweatshirt rustles and Baby Tooth almost shyly pokes her head out. She stares at the number of upcoming nightmares, horror-struck, before squeaking of what Jack assumes as encouragement and then settles on his shoulder with determination.
"Hold on," Jack says distractedly to the fairy.
A distant boom draws his attention to Bunnymund's post. The pooka's distinctive multicolored egg bombs explode somewhere outside the barrier's demesne, destroying more of Pitch's army. Muttering to nothing particular, Jack is propelled upwards by the Wind, bringing his staff in front of him on the way.
He channels his energy, and feels the familiar cold yet comforting prickles creeping from his arms to his staff. For a semi second, it glows a dim blue, before releasing a wave of pure magic, passing the barrier, and hitting the creatures head on.
His heart only races harder.
Because Jack knows, no matter how many nightmares he destroys tonight, no matter how much he fights, another row of nightmares will come and replace them. And if he closes his eyes and focuses enough, he can almost hear Pitch's maniacal laughter behind the thundering thumps made by his nightmares. A diabolical, mocking laughter that never fails to make him cringe.
He gives one pleading glance to the only spot where the sky is not covered by the clouds, where the moon is visible and quite possibly watching everything going on down here. Even though The Man in The Moon has never talked to him, Jack has a feeling that he knows of what is at stake. Knows that if he didn't do anything, then this world would fall into the hands of Pitch. But has he done anything? No.
A miracle is what Jack needs now.
What the guardians need.
And Jack will do anything to get it, even when it means falling for a mortal who thinks he's just a figment of her imagination.
Jamie told him of fairy tales once. And to North too, actually.
It was during Christmas, only a few hours after the clock struck twelve, and North, helped by Jack, was doing his usual "Climb down the chimney, put presents under tree, and leaves as Santa Claus" tradition.
North was admiring one of the Bennet's newly bought ornaments and Jack had his staff on his shoulder as he munched down the chocolate chip cookies they'd so kindly put beside the Christmas tree. It was then when the stairs creaked and Jamie came down in his pajamas.
Sleep hung onto his eyes, but the boy was ecstatic upon seeing two of his dear guardians, and Jack just couldn't bring himself to put him back to bed. Not after noticing him hiding something behind his small back anyway. So it was North who took the job.
"Jamie, why are you still awake at this hour?" he said in slight surprise.
"It's just uhm…" he shyly looked down at his feet, as if suddenly afraid of Santa Claus, and then said, "I wanted to say Merry Christmas."
"Oh yeah? Well you could've said it in the morning," Jack said and behind him North let out a bark of laughter. Immediately he scooped Jamie into his big arms and gave him one of his crushing hugs, causing the boy to drop whatever he was holding.
The lights were off, but Jack could see just fine. It was rectangular, wrapped neatly in red wrapper, and glued on top of it was a white ribbon.
Gently he picked it up, weighing it in his hands, before turning to Jamie, whose hair was now messy because of North.
His face was unreadable when he spoke, "Jamie, what's this?"
The expression that swam across his face looked as if he had just been caught stealing cookies. "It's a Christmas present," he said slowly. "For you guys."
The guardian and the spirit silenced at once; North guiltier than ever and Jack, conflicted. Jamie was so kind, so supportive, so understanding, and they ―
Don't deserve any of these, Jack thought glumly.
"Go on, open it," Jamie said softly.
The child-like old self he'd subconsciously locked up emerged in a form of curiosity, and Jack found his hand ripping the ribbon away already. When he realized what he'd done, he stopped and felt almost afraid. But then he looked at North, who only nodded, before he lost himself in the joy of tearing presents and finding out whatever was inside.
Now, resting in his hands, was a thick leather-covered book with golden linings at the edges. From the yellowish pages, Jack concurred it was old, or maybe it was intentional; but the one that caught him completely off was the words printed in the distinctive classic handwriting font, Fairy Tales.
"Fairy tales?" Jack vocalized the words, incredulous.
"I bought it at the local bookstore a few blocks from here," Jamie told him. "Sophie has another one that's exactly the same and Mom reads it to her every night, and then I realized maybe, just maybe…." He sounded as if he was about to hyperventilate, but he continued anyway, "Jack and Santa, and the others ― maybe your story hasn't ended yet."
Another blanket of silence fell into the room and Jamie took the liberty of explaining once more.
"All of the fairy tales here end happily; you know like when Snow White finally finds true love and The Ugly Duckling turns into a beautiful swan. What I'm saying is that maybe this is still the middle of the story, your story. It still hasn't ended yet, we can still win!"
The Winter Spirit finally found his voice, "Jamie―"
"No!" When Jamie turned to them, his eyes were glassy and he began to sob. "It's not your fault! Any of your fault! I know you're trying to make things right again, but you're not doing this for me and the others, you're doing this because you feel guilty. Jack… Santa… please just forgive yourselves, no one's blaming you."
At this moment, Jack's mind was sizzling and turning in a speed that would immediately cause a migraine, and he did feel a non-existent hammer pounding at the back of his head, but Jack tried his best to ignore it and instead crossed to the boy and hugged him.
"I just want to help," Jamie whispered and his sob turned into a full-blown cry.
"I know, I know," he said soothingly and took this time to rethink everything Jamie had said.
Your story's not over yet…
"Oh Jamie, you speak such big words. They touched my heart." North sounded like he was about to cry.
The happy ending…
The hope he'd long forgotten found his spirit once more.
We can still win…
"And we will," Jack whispered.
"Where ya' goin', Frost?"
Jack's feet are already on the windowsill when he halts and turns to Bunnymund.
"Jamie's," he replies, blunt and simple.
Bunnymund's face scrunches. The pooka never agrees letting the Winter Spirit go wandering all by himself, but he knows that he couldn't keep him confined in this abandoned warehouse they'd taken residence after the whole ordeal.
He gives Jack a meaningful look, and says, "Just be careful and be back before sunset."
"Fine, dad."
There's a gust of wind and no more.
Jamie's house is not far from the warehouse and it only takes Jack a few turns before the moderate house comes into view. He lands on a tree branch at the backyard, eyes fixed on the second floor's only window, Jamie's window.
Empty.
Now Jack is not the type who dwells on negative thoughts, but after what happened that night, Jack learned something as trivial as this could turn into a much bigger problem.
With a speed that could not be considered human, he rushes away, only to stop abruptly at the sight of his friend at the front door. Jack lets out a relieved sigh.
However, there is another person with him.
A she to be exact.
The woman carries a bright blue luggage behind her and she holds a small paper in her hand as she addresses Jamie. Her hair is a platinum blond, tied in a loose braid and it bobs up and down as she nods at whatever Jamie has said.
Jamie holds the door wider for her and once she enters, looks directly at Jack, mouthing, "Come on in."
"Who's she?" Jack asks, curious.
Jamie holds a finger over his lips and motions for him to follow.
"So, Elsa was it? What brings you here to Burgess?"
Elsa seems preoccupied with the new surroundings she's given and almost misses the question directed to her. "Mmm, oh? My father thought it would be best if I could travel to America before I graduate. You see, he's ever lived here for some time," she replies with an accented voice.
Jamie leads her to the second floor, nodding all the way. "Here, let me carry that for you." She hands her luggage to him and Jamie heaves it up the stairs.
Jack blinks at the sight in front of him and a soft smile tugs at the corner of his lips. The small boy he saw that night is now a handsome young man with that same kind heart and imagination like no others. Well, seven years is a long time….
Jamie opens the door of the room at the end of the hallway and ushers her in. "So, I'll leave you to settle in. If you need anything, my room is right across from yours."
"Thank you, Jamie." Elsa stands at the mouth of the door with a kind smile when her bright blue eyes look directly at Jack. For a moment his body stiffens, before he realizes that she's actually looking at the door behind him. Of course, this woman cannot see him. He shouldn't have expected more from a rational young woman.
Jamie closes the door and then turns to him with a somewhat giddy smile. "Questions, I guess?"
Jack could no longer contain the curiosity in his voice, "Again, who's she?"
"A sophomore from Norway," Jamie says and enters his own room, followed swiftly by the Winter Spirit. "I don't know what's gotten inside Mom's head, but a few weeks ago she decided to become one of those host families or something."
"Whoa, okay. So you'll be having people live in your house after this." Jack says with a grin. "And she's a pretty one too."
Jamie's face flushed in embarrassment and he hits his arm lightly. "Jack!"
"What? You're seventeen! Oh c'mon you've got to put those good looks of yours into use."
This makes his friend duck deeper in further embarassment. "I have another girl in mind…" he says slowly. But before Jack could tease him further, Jamie's face fell and and Jack knows he is not going to like whatever comes after this.
"Jack, I'm moving out of Burgess."
It takes a moment to fully register his words in his head.
"What?" he blurts out.
"Jack, I'm off to college after this, remember? I applied a scholarship at the Penn State University and I was… well I was accepted. I think that's why Mom wants to host kids. She thinks she'll get lonely…."
Silence envelopes the both of them and Jamie looks at his friend with concern. He finally gathers his will to break the silence, to assure him it's okay, but Jack beats him.
"It's okay, kiddo. I get it." His smile is forced and tight, but it's a smile nonetheless. "I'll find you."
Jack knows the weight of his words, the risk of the promise he just said. Pitch is out there and if he has to face him to get to his best friend, then he'll do it. The problem is whether his guardian friends would let him or not, which would lead into a whole new argument.
"Thanks, Jack," Jamie says quietly, but there is a note of relief in his voice. It seems he has been preparing to say this for some time. "I know it's hard on you. I mean with all―" he stops himself before he could say it. "The things you have to take care of…. I understand. How are the others by the way?"
Jack notices his attempt to change the topic, which is most welcoming to him. "North's still the good ol' Santa, you know. Even without the workshop he's managing well. Tooth's number of teeth is increasing every day and Bunnymund's, well yeah you know him."
Jamie nods in understanding and then a smile spreads across his face. "Hey, I think I bumped into one of the yetis a few days ago. He was chasing after an elf."
Time passes with more laughing and joking, Jack doesn't realize the sun is now only halfway down the horizon. It's always hard to part with his friend for he knows what will come after this. But Jack Frost does not forget his responsibility and he bids his friend goodbye.
Outside he sees the woman again, this time she's sitting on the porch, staring at the sky with such intensity it is as though she's looking for something. Jack feels a tug inside him and he does not know why, but he opens his palm, creates a small, but intricate snowflake and let it fall down near her.
Her eyes immediately flick to the snowflake, eyes blazing and wide in surprise. She catches it in her hand and she looks one more at the sky…at him. Jack's body goes rigid. However, he doesn't see the usual wide eyes and slacking jaws. She merely stares.
This woman… Who is she?
She turns and disappears inside.
His trip back to the warehouse is never that fast.
Be back to edit it later.
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