This is our first fanfic to be published. Please review so we may know what we need to improve.
DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN RISE OF THE GUARDIANS, IT BELONGS TO WILLIAM JOYCE AND DREAMWORKS.
Jaquellynne Overland was four years old when she was first called a tomboy. Mother was irritated and disappointed that her daughter wasn't as feminine as the other girls. Instead of wearing dresses and playing with dolls, Jaquie wore shorts and played tag with the boys in the village. While the other girls were learning from their mothers how to clean the house for their future husbands, Jaquie was learning how to catch rabbits with her Daddy. Mother never said anything good about Jaquie, but that didn't matter because Daddy was always happy for, and proud of her. Jaquie love her Daddy so very much, because Daddy was the only one to comfort her when she started crying in the middle of the night. Mother was the reason she cried, because Mother got really mad when she drank the nasty smelling, yellow stuff. Mother would always yell at her and it always scared her. To combat the Fear she felt, she played tricks, and pranks. She was known as the Village Trickster. She always turned scary situations into Fun games.
Jaquie Overland was five years old when she first started feeling that her body was wrong. Mother dismissed her words, told her it was all nonsense and that she would grow out of it, but Daddy didn't. Daddy loved her, even when she didn't always know how to feel about her own body. Mother was never happy with Little Tomboy Jaquie Overland, she wanted a Perfect, Prim and Proper Jaquellynne Overland. Jaquie hated it. Not to mention Mother's words still hurt worse than when she would hit her. Jaquie was the first person to say that sticks and stones could break her bones, but bones could heal. Bad words, like the ones her Mother said to her everyday, hurt the worst. Daddy never said anything bad to her, that's why she loved him so much. He also encouraged all her pranks and jokes, her tricks and games. They always had a fun day, and had the best stories at night.
Jack Overland was six years old when she started going by Jack instead of Jaquie. Mother was intensely vexed with the name change. She stated that it wasn't proper for a going lady to go by such a masculine name. Daddy didn't mind, he loved Jack all the same. Daddy started teaching Jack how to hunt all by herself. Bonding he called it, and Jack was happy with Daddy. She wished he would never stop loving her. Her tricks and jokes always bring happiness, joy, and fun wherever she goes. She could put smiles on almost everyone's faces with her pranks, except for her Mother's. Jack was six when she started doubting the Sandman. If the Sandman was really real, then how come Jack never had any good Dreams instead of Nightmares anymore?
Jack Overland was seven years old when she became a Big Sister. When Sweet Little Lily-Marie Overland was born, Mother decided that Jack had to start being more feminine, to be a good example to her little sister. Daddy didn't fight Mother anymore, not since Mother started mixing some white powder into Daddy's drinks. Daddy listened to Mother now, he started ignoring Jack and making her wear skirts and dresses even when Jack started crying because it felt wrong to wear such restrictive clothing. She couldn't climb up trees or play tag with the boys anymore, and that made her feel miserable. Mother still yelled at her and she still hit her, but Jack took it all quietly. She didn't want to upset Lily-Marie after all. Mother wanted Lily-Marie to be Perfect. And that meant that Jack had to be Perfect too. She hated it. She hated herself, she hated her body, she hated Mother's drinking problem, hated that Daddy was under Mother's control. She hated her life. But she still made everyone smile with her tricks. She was still the Village Trickster, who made almost everyone smile. She hid behind laughter and jokes. No one could tell that she wanted to cry. Jack was seven when she started doubting the Tooth Fairy. If the Tooth Fairy was really real, then how come Jack couldn't find any happy Memories anymore?
Jack Overland was eight years old when he realized he like being a boy more than he liked being a girl. It started with the new family that moved to their village. The boy, Andrew Moseley, was the first to call him a boy, and Jack felt right for the first time in years. Jack was ecstatic beyond belief that someone called him the right word. He never said that he was a girl, but Mother found out about his friendship with Andrew and absolutely forbid him from speaking to Andrew ever again. Then she yelled at Andrew's parents and made him apologize for making Jack happy. Daddy never said anything in his defence. Lily-Marie was too young to understand what was happening. That was the first time that Jack ever hurt himself. He picked up a broken shard of a plate from the ground where Mother broke it when she was in another one of her drunken moods. As he was cleaning up, he accidentally cut himself. That night Jack went to bed with ten cuts on each arm. He was still playing his usual tricks, but they were lacked true joy and happiness. He tried to make everyone happy, because maybe, just maybe, he would be able to feel happy too. Jack was eight when he started doubting Santa Claus. If Santa was really real, then how come Jack had a hard time seeing the Wonder in things?
Jack Overland was nine when Father said he was too old to call him Daddy. Jack was heartbroken. He missed the time before, when Mother wasn't as cruel as she was now. He cut even more into his arms that day. He felt his skin crawl every time someone called him a girl. He hated wearing dresses and shoes. Hated being forced to be prim and proper. He hated it all. That was the year that Jack's tricks stopped making people laugh. He cried himself to sleep silently every night, no one ever comforting him. Lily-Marie's first word was Jack and that was the first time in months that he smiled a real smile, not one of the fake smiles Mother taught him. Jack was nine when he started doubting the Easter Bunny. If the Easter Bunny was really real, then how come Jack had a hard time feeling Hope for happiness?
Jack Overland was ten when his Father went into the woods to go hunt and never came back. The other men in the village went to look for him but he was never found. Only his clothing, weapons, and blood were found. Mother drank even more and Lily-Marie was still too young to understand that Father was with the Angels in Heaven now. That was the first time Jack thought about killing himself. But he couldn't leave Lily-Marie. She needed him because Mother would only hurt her. So Jack became strong. He stopped pulling pranks, making jokes, tricking people and having fun. Jack was ten when he stopped believing in the Guardians. If they were real, they wouldn't have let Mother hurt them, if they were real they would have saved Father.
Jack Overland was eleven when Mother admitted that they couldn't support themselves anymore. That were to leave their old village and move to a place called Burgess. That's were some of Mother's estranged cousins lived. Jack was able to convince Mother that they needed to pretend that Jack was a boy. If they didn't, then that wouldn't make nearly enough money to support themselves, after all, girls didn't make as much money as boys did. He cut his hair, was allowed to wear pants and shirts instead of having to be forced to wear dresses and skirts. For the first time in three years, Jack went to sleep with a smile on his face and he didn't even cut himself.
Jack Overland was twelve when had his first monthly bleed. He was horrified, revolted, and disgusted. Then his chest started to grow larger. Mother was ecstatic beyond belief. In her eyes, Jack was finally becoming a proper young woman, despite him identifying as male. Jack felt like his body had betrayed him. He hated the cramps and the blood flow that accompanied it. He hated feeling like his chest was always too big, always too full, too heavy, too feminine. He hated having to bind his chest, the bindings only ever hurting him the longer they stayed. He even fractured a rib when he accidentally bound his chest just a little bit too tight. That wasn't fun, it was painful. That night Jack went to sleep with thirty new cuts to his arms. Lily-Marie was only five years old, but she understood that her brother was born a girl, and that it had to be a Secret. Although Mother told her to call Jack a girl when in front of her, Lily-Marie knew that Jack liked being called a boy in public because he felt like he was born in the wrong body. So she always made sure to apologize for misgendering him, and called him a boy in private. Jack loves his little sister, his Lily-Marie Overland.
Jack Overland was thirteen when the War started. Most of the men in Burgess had to go and be soldiers to protect their families. The Enemy soldiers had attacked shortly after the men left to go and train for battle. They kidnapped all of the Children in the village and kept them as slaves. Jack was able to hide his Lily-Marie and himself for a month until he was outed by a few boys who had seen his monthly bleed. He was taken to the General's quarters, where he was tortured and violated in the worst way to satisfy the General's revolting desires. He wondered, sometimes, if their Mother missed them. Then he dismissed those thoughts, Mother certainly didn't care for anyone other than herself. There he stayed until his Sweet Lily-Marie lost her innocence as well, when she became a Killer. She was told by one of the Lieutenants what they were doing to him and then she snapped. They hurt her brother so they would all suffer. She loved him so much that she was willing to be damned to an eternity in Hell for him. She knows that Jack would do the same for her in a heartbeat. That night was the night they got free. They caused a distraction that took all of the attention away from the children. They burned down the barn where the animals slept, and used the resulting panic to corral the other children away. Then, they attacked the enemies when they had their backs turned. As soon as the last enemy was slain, the children immediately started on a path home. All of the other children gossiped about the fact that Jack was born a girl. Because of that, he was treated like porcelain, as if he would break at the slightest touch. Every single person called him a girl. He hated every minute of it. Lily-Marie declared, with the utmost certainty, that the Guardians were just a stupid story told to stupid, gullible kids. Jack agreed with her. Mother was indifferent to their survival. She didn't even care for anything except for her perfect, pristine, prim and proper reputation. He cut himself so many times that he lost count. His precious Lily-Marie started cutting too, with Jack teaching her where it was safe to cut and where it wasn't. Jack hated his life. He wanted to die, but he refused to leave Lily-Marie all alone, seeing as she didn't want to die yet. A month after their escape, with everyone in the village misgendering him, and telling him to be a girl, Jack found out that he was pregnant. His body betrayed him again, especially since the pregnancy seemed to make his chest even bigger. When it got out to the rest of the village, suitors were lining up to marry him, and do right by him. Eventually, Jack was arranged to be married to Theodore Bennett. Not because he wanted it, but because Theodore's parents offered his Mother the highest dowry. Mother has basically sold him to the highest bidder. They were married within the year. Mother had enough money to live comfortably if it was only herself, not Lily-Marie. Jack begged and pleaded with his new husband to find a way to keep his sister with him. Theodore was convinced when Jack swore to bear him a blood heir. Lily-Marie had her last name changed to Bennett.
Jack Bennett was fourteen when he gave birth to a healthy set of triplets. Two boys and one girl. The boys were named Andrew and Andrei, while the little girl was named Andrea. They all looked like carbon copies of Jack. He was relieved that he didn't have to be reminded of the General when he looked at his children. He didn't think he'd be able to handle that. After three months he held up his promise to his husband and laid with him. A few weeks later it was announced that he was pregnant again. He hated the feeling of being coddled and treated like spun glass. He didn't like the pregnancy at all, seeing as how his body felt even worse than before, even though he liked the knowledge that he was making a family. He vowed to be a better parent than his Mother ever was. Lily-Marie was the best aunt a child could ever ask for. She spoiled the triplets endlessly. they always knew that they were loved, never ever had to doubt it.
Jack Bennett was fifteen when he gave birth to a set of fraternal twins. James and Sophia Bennett had Jack's brown eyes, with Theodore's blond hair. He was tired and exhausted after the birth of the twins, but not so much that he couldn't kiss his husband on the cheek. He was starting to actually care for his husband more than he had previously. Andrew, Andrei, and Andrea didn't mind the new babies in the house. In fact, they seemed more curious than anything. Lily-Marie was absolutely ecstatic beyond belief to have even more children to spoil. Lily-Marie never gave up on her brother. She only wanted him to be happy.
Jack Bennett was sixteen, and Lily-Marie Bennett was nine when they went ice skating on the pond. The year was 1712. The ice was cracking, Lily-Marie was scared. Jack promised her that she wasn't going to fall in, that they were going to have a little Fun instead. Jack liked to play tricks, but he wouldn't trick her. She was going to be alright. She just had to believe in him. They played hopscotch, like they played everyday. It was as easy as one...two...three! Jack was only sixteen, but he made the ultimate sacrifice for his sweet, kind, precious, lovely little miss Lily-Marie Bennett. Jack Bennett was only sixteen when he became Jack Frost.
Jack Frost was three hundred years old when he remembered what it felt like to have the wrong body. The Man in the Moon changed his body from wrong to right, and Jack was extremely thankful for it. He grieved for the family he had left behind, but he was relieved to note that the Bennetts never left Burgess after his death. He was related to his first believers and he was ecstatic beyond belief that he still had at least a small reminder of his life before he was Jack Frost. The Guardians were his new family now. Tooth was the best mother, North was the best father, Sandy the best uncle, and Bunny the best brother anyone could ever ask for.