Soulmate. That was all Jamie was hearing for the whole day while he was out with his friends that cold winter afternoon. Jamie stuffed his hands in his pockets, clenched in tight fists that made his nails dig into his skin every time he heard the word. The group behind him stopped chatting and all of them stopped, staring ahead of them across the lake. They hadn't realised where Jamie had been leading them, and even he didn't know where his feet had taken him until he'd stopped dead in his tracks. Across the lake they saw none other than Jack Frost. But he was by a gravestone, several gravestones to be exact. He was crouched and the kids watched as he gently laid down a frosted rose on one of the beds that were before him. He stood up and sighed after gently kissing the headstone and running his fingers along the name carved into it.
"You shouldn't have blamed yourself for what happened to me, Kate, it was the only thing I could come up with before she drowned. Sometimes I still think of what life would have been like if I hadn't of saved her. I remember everyone saying that I was too weak, too scared to do anything to get myself out of danger. I was out of danger, and she wasn't. But...I only managed to put myself in that danger until my time stopped. I'm sorry I left you without a proper goodbye, but I swear on my immortal life that no one will ever drown in this lake again. Not while I'm watching over them" He whispered something else that the children didn't hear and turned. But when he saw the 6 children looking at him, his nervously rubbed the back of his neck after running his fingers through his snow white hair. "Hey kids, what's up?"
There was a pause of silence before Pippa asked the question they were all thinking of. "Who were you talking to just now? By the graves?"
Jack's hand fell to his side and he sighed, turning his back and bouncing atop the rocks until he settled himself on the highest one. "Nobody special Pippa, just an old friend from the past" Jack smiled as he replied.
"Were they your soulmate?!" Cupcake asked excitedly. "I bet they were, weren't they?"
All their faces lit up at the thought of Jack having a soulmate once upon a time, making him chuckle. "I guess you could say that, she was the love of my life back when Ii was young, younger than you lot that's for sure"
"Was she your girlfriend?!" Pippa squealed a little, unable to contain her excitement.
The kids were now settled in a curved line around the base of the rocks, watching Jack intently as he laid with his hands behind his head, eyes closed as the sun shone on his figure. "She was. For a few years"
"You had a girlfriend when you were younger than us?!" the girls echoed.
"Sure I did, I don't get swooned over by Tooth for nothing y'know" Jack smirked as he scanned the kids until he stopped at an odd count. "1, 2, 3, 4, 5...5?" he whispered to himself with a confused look. "Guys, where's Jamie? I swear I saw him with you guys earlier" the winter spirit asked.
The kids looked round them and then shared confused expressions with each other. Claude answered his question. "He was quiet the whole way here. In fact, he's been quiet all day, maybe he's just having an off day, y'know?"
"Jamie would never leave us or Jack without saying goodbye or telling us where he was going first! What if something has happened to him?! He could be in real danger!" Pippa began to panic.
"Calm down, you know Jamie - always wanting to explore for himself. He's probably gone to clear his head of some things" Caleb tried to soothe his friend.
"Maybe he's distressed! And what if he's so distressed that he's gone and done something really stupid?!" Pippa cried, hugging Cupcake for dear life.
"You kids go back to someone's house and I'll go and find him, he couldn't have gone far..." Jack suggested, secretly battling in his head whether Pippa was right or not. Of course he'll be alright! He may not be the smartest kid in the world, but he's not the stupidest either. Maybe he just feels unwell? They did say that he'd been quiet the whole day and normally that boy can't keep his mouth shut. Perhaps something happened at home... He thought as he watched the kids leave the lakeside and Jack made his way through the woods on the other side. He wouldn't have gone back home, Pippa's right about one thing; he always says goodbye if he has to leave.
It'd been about half an hour when Jack finally found Jamie, staring at a slightly blood stained noose that hung from a tree branch. He didn't seem scared by it and as he reached out to touch the rope, Jack quickly rushed forward and pulled him back, making Jamie let out a yelp and a small scream. The boy twisted his upper body round and stared into Jack's wide blue eyes with a confused expression.
"Why'd you pull me away from it? I wasn't going to do anything" the boy asked.
Jack let him go and pulled the boy into a proper hug. "What are you doing on this side of the woods? I thought I told you never to enter this part! Did you even listen to a word I said the last time I found you here?! Manny knows what could have happened if I hadn't of come looking for you!"
"Jack...I'm sorry...I was just curious that's all..."
"Jamie, listen to me. I don't want you near this side of the woods okay? I thought I told you that this side is where I found Pitch's lair. Plus didn't anyone ever tell you to look but don't touch, it's just a rope"
"But why is it hung up like that? And why is there blood on it?"
"It doesn't matter, if you knew then it'd probably scare a boy your age half to death, kids are more timid nowadays than they were back when I was your age. All I try to do is keep you safe but I can't always do that when you go wandering off! Don't you dare scare me like that again, okay?!" Jack shook the boy slightly and Jamie nodded franticly, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
"I know Jack, I'm s-sorry..." he mumbled as he wrapped his arms round the young Guardian's neck.
"It's okay Jamie, I know you were curious, I was just the same when I was your age. Sorry I shouted...you just gave me a shock that's all" Jack calmed him down while gently rubbing his back. "Shh, its okay. I'm not angry at you anymore. C'mon, it's getting late, let's get you home"
Jamie looked up at Jack as the two sat on the 10 year old's bed, cuddled together. Jack's arms wrapped tightly round Jamie's waist as his first believer snuggled deep into his hoodie material.
"Jack, what's a soulmate?" Jamie asked.
Jack looked down at him and then rested his head back, sighing and pulling Jamie closer to him. The kids mentioned that earlier, he silently chuckled.
"It's uh..." the young Guardian paused as he thought. "Well it's like a best friend but more. It's the one person in the world who knows you better than anyone else. It's someone who makes you better person - actually they don't make you a better person, you do that yourself. Because they inspire you. A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did. Or when no one else would. And no matter what happens, you'll always love them. Nothing could ever change that..."
Silence took over the room for a few moments before Jamie pushed against Jack and looked across to the window. "Jack?"
"Hm?"
"Are you my soulmate?" the boy asked.
Jack was a little taken back by the question but he twisted Jamie round so the 10 year old was facing him and kissed his forehead gently. "Well we're best friends right?"
"More than that! You're like the best big brother in the world to me! And...And well, when I was in the woods today...even though I made you angry with me, you still hugged me. So doesn't that fit the part where you said 'And no matter what happens, you'll always love them'? Because...I don't have anyone else like you around, not even my Dad when he was around..."
"Jamie, I know I said to your friends that I had a soulmate in my past life but...I think you deserve the title in this life"
"Huh? Does...Does that mean that we're...?" Jamie's eyes brightened as he trailed off and looked at Jack.
"Soulmates? Yeah, alright kiddo, me and you are best friends, brothers, each other's protector, and now; soulmates" Jack smiled down at his first believer, who looked at him with a wide open grin, happiness gleamed in his eyes before he hugged he young Guardian as tightly as he could.
"Thanks Jack, you're the best! And I know that we're gonna be together forever! Now that we're soulmates and everything, the Guardians can't possibly take you away from me!"
Jack chuckled lightly as he slipped into bed beside Jamie, seeing the sky darken. The two shared a smirk before Jamie pushed against Jack, his small arms wrapped round the Guardian's waist and his head buried in his chest. Jack returned the hug and slid a hand up the boy's shirt to keep him from growing too hot during the night as he closed his eyes with a yawn and fell asleep to the sound of Jamie's slow breathing and steady heartbeat. Soulmates...I knew it all along kiddo...