"Hey Jack..." a small brown haired, brown eyed boy who was dress in a blue hoodie and holding a cardboard Shepard's crook in one hand, a candy bag in another as he and his friends walked down the street on the best night Autumn has to offer, Halloween.
"Yeah Jamie?" Jack smiling wearing a Grim Ripper costume his staff changed to look like a scythe, as he escorted the kids around house to house.
Halloween was one of those rare occasions when grown-ups and non-believers let their guard down a bit believing in all the monsters and ghouls and spirits and ghosts meaning he can be seen by them. And this was the first Halloween since he became a Guardian. There was No way he was holding back on this.
"Well I've always wondered..." Jamie said slowly blushing slightly that Jack would find him silly for asking this "But why do we always have to dress up for Halloween? Not that I'm complaining," he said quickly trying not to offend his best friend "But why?"
"Yeah I asked my mum that too," Monty, a blonde boy wearing glasses dressed up as Peter Pan, said.
"Why do you need a reason to dress up just to get free candy?" Claude, a dark skinned boy who along with his twin brother Calleb were dressed as Indians asked.
"Well there had to be some reason for this tradition to start," Cupcake, a fourth-grader dressed as Odette in her swan-form from the ballet Swan Lake.
"My mum says it's so the ghosts and ghouls and spirits think were one of them so they heave us be," Pippa, a taller auburn haired girls dressed as a princess an axe headband on her head.
"And she's absolutely right my fair Princess," a new voice to the kids sand from the trees making hem look up and Jack to roll his eyes a bit.
Up in the trees there was a teenaged girl with an orange dress, black and white leggins, old fashioned buckled shoes, a witches hat set on top of her white hair and a broomstick in her hand.
Jumping down the girl landed right on her feet shocking the kids slightly and still wonder Who exactly this girl was.
Seeing the faces Jack sighed slightly and introduced them.
"Kids this is Evie... the Spirit of Halloween," he said like he didn't care all that much for some reason, confusing the kids, "Evie this is Pippa, Monty, Cupcake, Claude, Calleb, and Jamie. So with that done and the answer given, shall we continue our Trick or Treating?" he said spinning around and walking away.
"Oh come on Jack," Evie said disappearing and then popping up before the Winter Spirit making him stop. "Why do you always have to run away from me..." she asked innocently eyes wide a puppy-dog-pout on her face.
"Because, and i can't believe I'm going to say this," Jack said knowing how much this will make Bunny smile at the boy saying this. "Whenever you pull me into things you poof off as soon as the trouble begins leaving me to have to pay for the damages, and everything else that you ruined with your tricks."
"Oh come on name one time I've done something like that..." Evie said looking to the sky rolling her eyes.
"I don't have to name one," Jack said taking off the coat and his hoodie "I can show you the scar I got from when I had was taught buy Greed's men 'Not to steal' 60 years ago. You know before I knew what you were the Spirit of..." he said lifting his shirt revealing a very big scar going across his chest and lots of other smaller and more faded ones shocking the kids slightly.
"Jack, there are children present," Evie whispered shifting her head to the kids.
"Yeah I know," Jack said putting his hoodie and costume back on "And I am going to keep them safe tonight," he said beginning to walk off again.
"How can you keep them safe from something you don't know about?" Evie asked staying rooted to where she was.
"I know what to look for Evie," Jack called back not facing her.
"But what about those years when you may not be able to make it?" Evie asked making him stop. "What about the other kids that think this holiday's just for fun?"
"Fine tell them, scream the story to the heaven's for all I care," Jack said spinning around slight tears being seen in his eyes "From this point on until the story is over they're your responsibility Evie, and if I see one hair out of place on ANY of them you're going to be the trickiest you've ever been to escape me."
With that he turned and ran, not choosing to fly because that might cause some disturbance with the other kids and adults that were out tonight as well.
"Um... Miss Evie?" Jamie asked breaking the silence getting the girl to spin around to the kids "I'm getting the feeling that Jack's not unhappy with you, just because of your tricks is he?" he said slowly.
"No..." Evie said sighing flipping her broomstick so it was against her shoulder telling the kids to follow her, to carry on Trick or Treating. "You see, Jack used to have a little sister," Evie began pausing for the whispers to die down. "But for the first 300 years, thanks to Manny," she said looking up to the moon "He didn't know he had her. But once he got his memories back he found out a... Slightly Not-Jack-Approved story about how she... How she died and he blames me for it."
"Why?" the kids asked together after coming back down the drive of the house they were just visiting.
"She... died on Halloween Night about four years after he became Jack Frost," Evie explained slowly. "The reason you kids were those costumes, is as Pippa's mum says, the monsters can't find you because they see no kids to take. But because Halloween had always been Jack's most favorite holiday, mostly because of the trick-or-treating, she had lost the thrill of it and wasn't wearing one."
(*)(*)(*)
(1716)
"Again with out a disguise Emma?" Alexander asked Emma as he came round to see if she was ready to go trick-or-treating, dressed up as a vampire.
"No," Emma said shyly not knowing why she still went out on Hallow's eve, especially after Jackson passed away. "But I'm still coming with you," she said smiling.
"But Emma you know the reason we wear these disguises," Alexander said holding up his cape.
"Oh come on Alex, they're just stories," Emma said waving it off slightly grabbing a basket for her treats "And even if they weren't, I'm the fastest out of all of us so they'll never catch me."
With that they said good-bye to her mum promising not to leave the village and set off.
(*)(*)(*)
"Something tells me they didn't stick to the promise," Pippa said back at Jamie's back yard counting the sweets she got.
"But wait where does Jack fit in to all this?" Jamie asked pulling out a lolly pop from his mouth so he could speak.
"I'm getting to that boy," Evie said lying across her broom looking up at the stars.
(*)(*)(*)
Emma and Alexander had been all around the village getting the same old treats that were given out every Hallow's Eve, bread rolls, biscuits, a couple of vegetables, and cupcakes.
"Ugh... another bread roll?" Alexander asked as they passed the gate to the village leaving the most recent house.
"What's wrong with that?" Emma asked munching on hers, smiling a bit at how upset he was.
"I don't know I just thought that after 25 years of Hallow's Eve, the grown ups would of found us something better to give us."
"Well you know," a new, older voice, that sounded familiar to the both of them making them gasp and turn around to see a boy with blue eyes, white hair, in a white shirt, no shoes and a brown shoulder cloak, a Shepard's staff in his hand said. "The treats aren't for you, they're for the monsters. Sort of an 'Instead of our kids' thing."
"Who... Who are you?" Emma asked speechless this boy, was wearing exactly what Jackson was wearing that day on the ice, apart from the eyes and the hair he looked just like him, and that voice...
"I'm Jack, Little Girl," Jack said bowing after a small inside scream of happiness that he could be seen. "Now don't tell me, don't tell me... You are... The Invisible Man!"
"Huh?" the two kids said confused.
"I'm sure of it I mean look at that disguise," Jack said at awe at it making Emma giggle slightly then pause thinking this would be exactly how Jackson would act. "I'm telling you Little Girl, you have the best best Invisible Man disguise I have ever seen. If there was a competition for things like this, I'm sure you'll win first prize."
(*)(*)(*)
"Same old Jack," Cupcake said beaming swapping three Mars Bars for two Twix's with Claude getting nods from everyone else.
(*)(*)(*)
"Thank you Mister," Emma said smiling "But I'm not wearing a disguise. I've not worn one on Hallow's Eve since my brother passed this night was always his favorite.
"Well then you best be getting home before the monsters find you then Little Girl," Jack said in a hushed voice looking around. "Hallow's Eve is the night they break free from their prisons in Hell and come looking for little boys and girls to take them back with them but if they don't see them they just pass by."
"Why do you care Mister," Emma asked cocking her head "We've just met, you don't know anything about me. I might be the worst child in the village, my brother's tricking skills might of rubbed off on me and right now I'm just playing innocent with you."
"Please Little Girl," Jack said squatting down so he could look in her eyes "How can a Princess like you be the Worst Child in the Village?" he asked making her blush a bit "And to answer the first question... I don't know why I care, but seeing you with out a disguise seeing you stick out like a sore-thumb makes me nervous about your safety. Well I'm off home, see you around Little Girl, Vampire," he said smiling and nodding, and walking out of the gate and down the path pond.
Feeling a pull towards whoever this guy was, Emma stepped towards the gate.
"Emma don't," Alexander said pulling her back.
"Why not?" Emma said shaking him off and turning to him.
"Because he's a stranger," Alexander said gesturing to the open gate, "We have no idea who he is, or where he comes from, we don't know if he's good or bad, plus we promised your mum that we'd stay in the village."
"But I want to find out more about him," Emma said looking out into the dark, down the path. "I don't know why, but he reminds me of Jackson, I... I need to know!" and with that, before Alexander could stop her or call for anyone, she shot off and ran down the path towards the pond.
o0o
At the pond, Emma was looking around for this 'Jack' having lost his foot prints in the dark. "Maybe this
was a stupid idea..." she spoke to herself picking up her basket getting ready to go.
"I'd say it was... Little Supper," a dark voice making her freeze in fear say behind her. "So... What's a sweet little thing like you, doing out here on Hallow's Eve with out a disguise?"
"I... I'm wearing a disguise," Emma said not spinning around, trying to show she wasn't afraid, hoping that this Jack would come help her.
"Really..." the man said shocked "Because, I can't see it? Just what are you meant to be Little Supper?" he asked the sound of him licking his lips and coming closer.
"I'm... I'm the Invisible Man," Emma said going with what Jack said "That's why you can't see my costume."
"Sure..." the man said sarcastically "And my best friend's not a werewolf."
That line really confused Emma but still she didn't spin around.
"I promise, that that's what my disguise is," Emma said nodding her head. "My... My brother helped me with it," she said grinning and shifting her eyes.
"Oh... And just where is your brother then Little Supper?" the man said sounding even closer. "Or was your disguise so brilliant that he has no idea that you've walked off?"
"I'm right here?!" Jack's voice rang out from one of the trees across the pond looking mad at the man behind her. "And you better leave my sister alone Drac!"
'Drac...' Emma thought gasping and slowly spinning to see the Vampire his eyes red fangs showing and red cape blowing in the Autumn wind.
"Must you ruin everything for us Jack Frost?" Dracula asked firing it at Jack. "You're a Spirit too remember? You have as every right to eat these children than I do. And I know for a FACT that you have no family so this Little Supper is NOT your sister so you wont mind if I take a little treat of my own will you?"
"Get one step closer and there will be a frozen steak through you non-existing heart!" Jack said holding his staff up anger on his face.
Emma was scared, scared of what was going on, scared for Jack, scared that there was an actual Vampire before her wanting to take her back with him to Hell. Oh if only she had put on a disguise or better yet listened to her mother.
Then something the Vampire said came to mind slowly turning, so she was side on, so she could see both of them, she asked Jack "You're... You're a spirit too?"
"Ah so you didn't spill everything while you were visiting the village," Dracula said looking to the boy "Well now's the time Jack Frost. Tell her who you really are and what your job is, I'm sure she would just LOVE hearing about it."
"And I will tell her," Jack said staff still raised "Right after you get lost!"
"No!" Emma said firmly, "Tell me now, please."
"Ah, the 'magic word' such a treasure isn't," Dracula said grinning "You can never refuse anyone who says it can you boy? So go on, tell her. Who. Are. You."
Frustration being shown on his face, Jack lowered his staff and sighed jumping down coming over to Emma eyes always on Dracula.
"My name's Jack Frost," he began turning to the girl, "I'm a Winter Spirit, I make snow, frost, ice..."
"Ice?" Emma said turning to Jack fully eyes wide tears beginning to shine. "As if the ice that's on the top of the pond during Winter?"
"Er... Yeah..." Jack said confused that this was so upsetting for her.
Slowly... Carefully... And being sure not to bump into Dracula, Emma backed up shaking her head saying "No... No..." and shot off into the dark."
"Hey wait!" Jack called rushing after her, only to be stopped by someone tripping him up spinning around he saw it was Dracula a truly evil smile on his face "You knew she would do that didn't you?"
"Of course I did, boy," Dracula said using his powers to lift the Winter Spirit up by the throat. "Why else do you think I wanted you to tell your story?" he asked throwing him towards the trees. "And you want to know why she's so upset about it?" he asked coming over stomping on the boys wrist breaking it and making the boy drop his staff. "It's because she lost her brother on this very pond four years ago because the ice wasn't strong enough to hold him."
"And HOW do you know that?" Jack asked gritting his teeth narrowing his eyes to the Vampire.
"You think you and Pitch Black are you're the only one who spend your time around these brats?" Dracula asked picking him up and throwing the boy into another tree making him hit his head. "Now... If you don't mind," he said standing up tall and regal "I have some dinner to hunt down." With that he turned into a bat and flew off laughing, just as Jack's world turned black.
(*)(*)(*)
"But he was alright, right?" Monty asked hugging his knees nervous to how this story would end.
"Of course he was," Caleb said loudly, "He wouldn't be here today if he wasn't."
"Jack was fine yes," Evie said now haven gotten on her feet. "His sister on the other hand..."
(*)(*)(*)
The sun was just reaching his eyes the warm rays of the sun and the cool Autumn winds working in perfect harmony to wake him up.
And if that didn't work the people all around him crying "EMMA!" would certainly do it.
Slowly Jack got up shaking his head and nursing his wrist trying to remember last night.
After hearing a few more "Emma!" 's and thinking for a bit Jack remember the little girl who didn't have a disguise and Dracula going off after her.
Picking up his staff and running of in the direction, she went in last night, he hadn't got his flying down just yet, and set out to find her.
After ten minutes, Jack found her, she was just five meters from the safety of the the village, having going towards it from a different angle to try and loose the Vampire and not bring him back to the village.
She was lying down, unmoving, unbreathing, her basket spilled everywhere, two bite marks on her neck, and signs of scars on her arms.
Slowly, Jack made his way to the Little Girl and checked to see how deep the bite was. It was not deep enough to change her, but too deep to keep her safe. her skin feeling as cold as his own, the blood haven turned brown, meaning it had been a while since she was bitten.
"EMMA!" Alexander's voice rang out behind Jack making him turn and see the boy from last night run up to his friend, going through Jack - who at this point didn't care, and spin her around so she was looking up at him. "No... No! EMMA!" he cried hugging her still body sniffing and mumbbling that this was all 'Jack's' fault.
"Alex!" a women called getting the boys to look up and see who could only be Emma's mother. "Have you... Oh God..." she said seeing her daughter in the boy's arms.
o0o
Not knowing why he felt the urge to stay, Jack walked back with the girls mother and her friend back to the village, pain in his chest, when he heard the boy tell everyone what happened to his knowledge and the Leader of the village saying that he was now officially a wanted criminal for the Murder of Emma Overland, and should anyone see him, they are to come to him immediately.
"That's one good thing about being invisible isn't it?" a man in a black robe, with yellow eyes and black hair said grinning.
"Whatever," Jack said walking away not caring this man was following him.
"I saw what you did last night," the man said charmingly but getting no where. "Such a shame you were knocked out wasn't it?"
"Well then why didn't you go and help her?" Jack asked snow begging to fall thanks to his emotions "Do you really thing a 12 year old little girl who was scared enough already would run towards the Boogieman for comfort?" the man asked.
"No. I guess not," Jack said calming down a bit.
"You know boy. If you want to take your anger out on someone, you should do it towards the Spirit of this Holiday," the man said nodding "It's her job to make sure all the children are wearing disguises and that the monsters are kept from going after them you know."
"Oh? And how am I meant to find them?" Jack asked turning to the man.
"You don't," the man said "She finds you. Well see you around Jack Frost," he said bowing slightly and blending into the shadows.
(*)(*)(*)
"So Jack's ticked at you, because Pitch told him, that it was/is your job to keep the kids safe on Halloween," Jamie said putting the pieces together.
"But because you weren't Drac go Emma," Claude said.
"And Emma was his sister." Caleb continued.
"But until that Easter, he didn't know she was his sister, and thought she was just another kid," Pippa said.
"But now that he knows, he's now twice as ticked off, because you weren't there, AND it was his sister," Monty finished.
"Yeah..." Evie said not looking to any of the kids.
Just then Jamie's mum called them in saying it was time for bed. Saying their goodbyes, the kids entered the house, and Evie, after shifting to a black cat, made her way to the pond to see it the Spirit of Winter had cooled off.
o0o
Jack was by his pond, costume off, sitting on the ground, his knees up to his chest a frosted rose lying before him.
"Meow..." a cat called getting him to look sigh and turn away again.
"Evie, I'm not in the mood to play games with you ok?" he asked. "When he didn't get an answer he looked to see if she was still there, but she wasn't. "Well... that's a first," he said getting up, normally you stay until I do what you want me to."
When he didn't get an answer, Jack began to sense something was off. Slowly he raised his staff, and looked around looking for anything that may hurt him.
Suddenly something came running out of woods and tackled him to the ground it's arms around him, his sight catching some white hair and a witch's hat.
"Evie!" he cried trying to get her off him.
"I'm not letting you get up until you accept my apology Jack Frost," Evie said firmly. "Every year since your sister, I've come to see you on Halloween to see if I can say sorry, but you don't let me say it." she explained "And since you've learnt who I was every time I come and see that's not Halloween, you just fly away."
"Er... Yeah because YOU KILLED MY SISTER!" Jack cried still trying to get her off. "It's your job as the Spirit of Halloween to keep watch on the monsters, it's Your fault that Drac got Em, It's Your fault she's dead. She was only 12, she didn't even get to have kids of her own."
"Jack all this running away has to stop," Evie said crying into his chest making him stop struggling and look to her. "I know I'm not you most favorite person anymore, and I know no amount of 'Sorry's' or anything I try will amount to anything," Evie said looking into his eyes "But please... Please accept my apology. Please."
And for the first time since he began shutting her out, Jack saw all the pain, Evie held as he looked into her eyes.
"I..." He said thinking of Pitch and his grudge against the Guardians and the need to be believed in coating his heart in darkness not letting anyone in.
Did he really want to end up like him?
Did he want to be alone? No.
Did he want to be feared? No.
Did he want to have no friends? No.
Did he want to bring pain and suffering to others? Especially those who don't deserve it? Of course not.
So being a man, and a Guardian, Jack took a deep breath and sighed saying "I'm sorry Evie. I guess I just... She meant a lot to me you know?"
"I know Jack," Evie said cuddling him a bit happy that she was finally back in his good books. ""But just because she's gone, doesn't mean she's gone you know?"
"Yeah I know," Jack said smiling slightly looking out across the pond for a moment thinking he could see himself and Emma on it having fun on one of those days when the ice was thick enough for them to be on there.
"Happy Halloween Jack," Evie said falling asleep on top of the boy who had calmed down now enough for her to let go as she shifted to a cat again curling up on his chest.
Rolling his eyes Jack got a comfy as he could and returned the kind words with a "Goodnight Evie," before he closed his eyes, too, just seeing the beginnings of Sandy's dreams coming to town.
This might not of been the kind of Halloween he was expecting, but now, with his argument with Evie cleared up... Next year's and all the ones after that, seemed that they would be just that bit better than the last couple hundred ones.
AN: Ok first sorry it's a bit long, and if it gets a bit confusing in the middle, but hope you like it, and Happy Halloween.