Pitch had long been driven back to the shadows that had devoured him, and all around Jack was celebration of another successful victory that would keep the Boogeyman at bay for centuries to come. But there was another reason to celebrate, what with Jack being an official Guardian now and all. Mugs of eggnog and hot chocolate were precariously being carried by scurrying elves, and all of Santoff Clausen seemed alive with joy, hope, and wonder. Jack watched it all from his perch in the rafters of the workshop, preferring to be an observer.
A voice called out to Jack, and he turned to it smiling. Toothiana, a fellow Guardian now, had taken to him like a long lost mother after they had rode off on North's sleigh. She pulled him into a quick embrace and asked him why he was up there when there was a party being held down below. Jack brushed off the slightly concerned look she had and tried explaining that he liked seeing all the fun going on better than awkward banter between spirits he'd never met before.
Tooth caught a glimmer in his eyes and fluttered down next to him, a gentle hand reaching for his. "Jack? Is there something wrong?"
He turned his head away from her with a faint imitation of a smile. "I'm just not used to all the attention. It's weird, after all these years of living alone with the wind. Plus… Never mind," he muttered. Tooth's feathers bristled, sensing that something was wrong, and she reached to brush his cheek.
"Jack, if there's anything troubling you at all, I promise you can trust me to listen. We all care about you, and even if we weren't there in the past, we're here now for you." Her voice carried something from the depths of Jack's mind, a memory long repressed, and suddenly he felt like he couldn't hide anything from her. A mother has eyes in the back of her head after all. There was an ache in his chest as he turned toward her, his expression mirroring that of one, much younger than he had ever been as a spirit, deep in the thralls of pain.
There was hesitation in his voice as he spoke. "Your teeth collections… Can they hold all the memories of childhood?" He was scared of the answer, not sure what would disappoint him more.
Tooth sat up, her eyes going wide as she thought for a brief moment. It felt like an eternity to Jack. "I suppose so. I can't see why they shouldn't hold everything. Normally they stop recording them after a child stops actively believing, but they're always there as reminders of all of their childhood, good or bad. Why?" Her hand goes for his again, but this time he gently pulls it out of her grasp.
Jack fiddled with his staff as his gaze migrated to the bustling party below. "I just… want to know who I was, before I was a Guardian, or a spirit of winter, or any of it. I have to know, Tooth." He got up and started walking along a beam, as if on a tightrope in a circus.
One of Tooth's fairies drifted up from below and started chirping feverously in her ear, reminding her of what had motivated Jack only a few nights ago to dive into Pitch's lair. A smile spread itself across her face, taking place of her frown as she realized that she could easily make her new friend happy once more- at least she hoped- by giving him his memories direct from the source itself. Tooth flew down past the celebration, seeking out North to ask him if she could use one or two of his teleportation snow globes, as she knew he had plenty of them lying around, but wanted to be back as quickly as possible. He agreed and shared a knowing look with the excited Guardian.
She raced to her palace of teeth and memories, darting around legions of fairies and hanging structures that seemed to go on forever. Heading toward the older North American section of her stores and suggesting places for eager fairies in her wake, Tooth searched through the faces inscribed onto the front of the cylinders. She wondered if his hair and eyes were natural, as they were with some humans. But then, one of the teeth cases from three hundred odd years old leapt into her vision and she raced toward it. The coloring was more vibrant and…alive, than Jack was. But the features and expression on it left her with no doubt in her mind that this was the one she needed.
The queen grabbed it and with the remaining globe, teleported back to the Pole, sending a few words of encouragement to the cluster of lieutenants taking her place for the time being. She tried not to be too obvious flitting up the rafters again in anticipation of what Jack's face would look like. As she reached the full height of the workshop, she saw him wandering around one of the upper halls, its walls decorated to the nines in Christmas themed garlands and wreaths despite the calendar season. She called out to him and hovered in front of him, holding out the cylinder.
"It wasn't too hard to find," she emphasized. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Jack." He smiled softly up at her and thanked her.
"You don't think the others would mind if I went and looked these over alone, do you? Last time I did, it was a pretty strong experience, and also kind of embarrassing." A light coating of frost dusted his cheeks in the winter spirit's form of a blush and Toothiana chuckled quietly. She watched as he tucked the case into the front pocket of his hoodie.
"Take all the time you need, but try to be back here soon. You won't want to miss North's stories once he loosens up a bit, trust me. They're definitely worth it once you get past the thick accent he gets." The wink she gave him after that suggested some mischief only she was aware of, and it strengthened the smile on Jack's face. He reached up and hugged her waist, quickly letting go. As Jack slid out a window to meet the Wind's embarrass, Tooth watched over him before she went back to finally rejoin the festivities, laughing as one of the spirits tripped over an elf.
A/N: First fanfic I've actually done in a while, so bear with me. I've got plenty more planned out, but not written. It won't leave my head, so there will probably be weekend updates if I do write it out. My tumblr, kind-of-heart, will be the first place I will upload chapters.