Much Debate

"Who goes to hospital for such things," North asked, setting his chainsaw on the worktable.

"Not for that," Jack said as he leant against the wall. "He got into another fight with bullies from that high school and his mom freaked out over the black eye."

Jack sighed, glancing about his comrade's cavernous workroom. Jack's initial reason for visiting was to conjure special blocks of ice for North's latest projects – two of which included gifts for Jamie and Sophie – but that day, he entered the toy factory with a burning question.

Jack frequently went to North's out of boredom, and concerning Jamie. With the bond came more confusion than either would've liked. The usual, most recent topic of conversation was his abilities. Jamie was utterly ecstatic and fascinated by both Jack's magic and the magic that came from his own fingertips. North would usually be able to answer any questions or concerns regarding this – after all, it virtually came with his center – but Jack and Jamie's recent plight wasn't exactly anticipated.

"While they were at the doctor," Jack continued with unusual monotone. "Jamie's mother asked if Jamie was due for a growth spurt." Submerged in sanding a wooden sword, North only grumbled in response. Blowing a puff of air up to his bangs, Jack said, "She's wondering why Jamie isn't growing."

This made North halt in the middle of installing the hilt for the toy weaponry. He pointed a raised eyebrow at the younger Guardian. "I told you he would grow at a slower rate," North reminded. "Does he look around the age of thirteen? Fourteen?"

"He looks less than twelve years old, and guess what," Jack pointed out, pushing from the wall to stand closer to North. "He's starting high school in a year."

"What?" North blinked with the shake of a head. "But the bond shouldn't stunt his growth that much. Is little Sophie having same problem?"

"Not as far as I can tell," Jack pursed his lips. "From what Jamie told me she's talking in full sentences and is even a bit taller now, but Jamie isn't growing at all."

"Ay." North turned and closed his eyes, rubbing his temples to concentrate. "I suppose if you take account their ages…No! Still shouldn't effect…Perhaps he…" North sighed and slumped down into a fur-laden office chair. "'Is simply not possible."

"No," Jack chuckled humorlessly, gently tapping the ground with his staff to get North's attention. "A white-haired, wayward teenager flying through thin air isn't possible." He paused. "I mean, Jamie may have grown a little, but not enough to make a difference."

He leapt onto the worktable and crouched to look the other Guardian in the eye. "Burgess is a small town and word spreads quickly. Everyone, even his own friends have been questioning. Don't you think it'll be strange seeing a little kid like him walking the halls of a high school?" Suddenly, Jack groaned and spun around. "And he's going to get bullied for his shortness, I just know it…"

Allowing Jack to rant, North leaned back to his thoughts. If Jamie wasn't aging like he was supposed to, how long would it be before his mother took him back to the doctors? Of course, the doctors could scan him over and over and find absolutely nothing but a young boy a bit too short for his age. However, months would blend into years, and if he was still unable to age what would happen then? Would they continue the doctor visits? Would the doctors become suspicious and send him to… a science lab or something?

Any other time, the 'science lab' bit would be jumping the gun, but in a position where humans could see who you are, able to see your magic abilities, it's rather doubtful that a scientist of any kind would brush off or overlook the matter. Curiosity made the world go 'round, but it also causes problems for those who'd rather be left alone.

He looked up to see Jack pacing slowly, his mumbles coming out fewer and lower in volume. North scratched his chin...Alone indeed.

"You now see another consequence of bonding," North said, grimly. Not looking at him, Jack nodded. North said Jack's name to catch the spirit's attention. "Any other century, this would be no big deal," he continued. "But times have changed, making this even more delicate.

"There is solution," North said with a pointed finger, keeping Jack's steady cerulean gaze. "But are you prepared for it?"

The summer breeze whipped angrily at the winter spirit. Jamie flinched and tucked his head further down as the wind lashed at him as well. Boiling sweat matted brown hair to his forehead and he used his discarded cloak to wipe it away. With a dismal sigh, the kid tucked himself closer against his Guardian. Jack mumbled incoherently, pulling the child closer.

Though immortal, Jack still ate and slept like any other human being, just not as much. Their travelling, inconsistent and haphazard as always, was constant. They only stopped to give the wind a break, sleep or eat, explore, or even wreak havoc with snowball fights and decent blizzards – as much energy as Jack contained, he knew the damaging effects of too much snow and always kept check on his powers.

However, a winter spirit could only take so much. And when Jack did have to rest, he would be out for hours, and at very inopportune times. In order to spread winter, they often had to literally skip over the other seasons, but completely avoiding them wasn't arduous, until Jack met the responsibility of taking full care of a young kid.

So there they were, a winter spirit and his apprentice resting in some western town within the very peak of summer. And Jamie was irritated. Not only was he more vulnerable to the heat in his amateur state, but he also lacked proper sleep. Every time he closed eyes, images of the scared Fearling and the frightening, ghostly creature from the previous city seemed to haunt his thoughts.

He would've told Jack about it, but the creature never showed itself again. If it posed any reasonable malice toward the boy, then surely it would've followed, returned for him. Because of this, Jamie tried to push the matter to the back of his mind. He didn't want to give Jack unnecessary panic if he never even saw that thing again. Although, he may mention it to Sophie later.

Jamie hadn't seen his sister in a while. With Jack's job in demand they were always somewhere out of reach of spring weather. Jack would occasionally use a snow globe to leave Jamie in the Warren – Jamie always grumbled at the 'babysitting' innuendo – for a few hours, but that was a few weeks ago.

Bored and out of reach of sleep, Jamie thought about how Sophie was doing, how bonding with Bunny and her powers were coming along. With a sad chuckle he remembered how Sophie said she made their mom's garden bloom vibrant with beautiful flowers. His mother…

One the very first day of high school, Jamie's priorities were to not be trampled in the hallways, get to class on time, and not be deterred by those more ignorant. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to do any of those. The bell schedule was different in this school, causing him and his friends to be late to every single class. Okay, no one docked points for being late on the first day, but his turmoil continued. His clumsiness earned him a good trip straight to the tile floors, and to add insult to injury a passing student stepped directly onto his fingers. This triggered a chorus of laughter from other teenagers who gradually and continuously pulled the little boy aside to jest about how young he looked. Most of their insults revolved around goading him to go back to kindergarten or the first grade.

Jamie tried not to be swayed by their insults, but his day didn't stop even upon coming home from school. He quietly walked in on his mother speaking with the local hospital over the phone. His mom's worries increased. Jamie wasn't aging, not as decently as Sophie, and she contacted every doctor's office and hospital within the area. Jamie always huffed at this. They weren't the richest family out there, and annual medical visits and inquiries didn't aid the insurance problems they already had. And after walking into his room to find a forlorn Jack Frost on his windowsill, he later admitted it was for the best.

Jamie knew it, he could feel how his body refused to age the way it should, even with the bond, and would always be questioned about this. But it was something that Jamie, or no one, could control. The damage was done, Jack and Jamie had bonded and there was no going back, no reversal existed. Aside from the rather loud outburst of white, freezing magic that unexpectedly released from his fingertips only to freeze a chalk board, this ultimately sealed the decision.

Using an older technique of hypnotics, the Sandman agreed for the first time in centuries to use the intense lethargy of his powers to cast the ancient spell over Jamie's mother, overwhelming her dreams to the point where he could reach her initial thoughts. With a quick, practiced nod of his head, Sandy worked at the dear portion of the woman's memories, until the image of a certain little brown-haired child blurred in her mind, eventually disappearing altogether.

Sophie would obviously acknowledge Jamie's presence and memories, but their mother – Sophie's mother – was no longer a part of that. Every now and then, Jamie's name would pop up in Sophie's conversations with her, but the mom merely brushed this off, assuming that Jamie was a friend of her daughter.

And there was Jamie, several months later, laying on the soft plastic of a dumpster lid, using the Guardian's chilly upper arm as a pillow with the remainder of the spirit's arms wrapped around his small frame until the kid wasn't even touching the dumpster anymore. Every twitch or snap in the night spread a wince across Jack's unconscious face. The slight outside noises made the spirit involuntarily tighten his hold on the overheated kid, tucking him closer and even attempting to curl his body protectively around the child. It was to a point that the only being you could see was a winter spirit coiled like a napping cat. Jamie was almost completely hidden from any other immortal that could possibly intrude on them.

Jamie clamped his heavy eyes, willing himself to forget disturbing, almost nightmarish images and go to bed. Jack shifted slightly and Jamie could feel the spirit's decrease in body temperature. A chilly hand slowly rose to cup the child's sweltering forehead.

Jack hummed eyes still closed, but awake. "Still have a fever," he noted with a mumble. Though Jamie wasn't ailing from sickness, the summer heat, even at night, made him feel like he was being forced to sit in front a heater at full blast.

Jack tucked Jamie under his chin, enveloping the child's head with his built-in cooling system. After a brief moment, Jack slowly moved to sit up. Jamie leaned against Jack's freezing side as the spirit rubbed sleep from his eyes.

"Let's get moving," Jack said with a stretch and reaching behind Jamie. "I want to bring some snow to the mountains." The spirit spread and tied the old, leather cloak around Jamie's shoulders, preparing him for the harshness of the area they were heading for.

"No," Jamie shook his head. "You only slept for, like, three hours so far."

"Doesn't matter," Jack said resolutely. He stood up. "I'm getting you out of this heat. It isn't healthy for you." Kicking his staff up into one hand, Jack used the other to lean forward and bring Jamie into his arms. "We'll get better rest where it's colder. Plus, I can leave you on your own on some parts of the mountain."

"You can leave me by myself in some the towns we visit, you know," Jamie coaxed as he pressed his forehead to the shoulder of the blue hoodie. Jack smiled and rolled his eyes. Initially, he didn't let Jamie wander too far from him, especially in some of the bigger towns and cities. Powers or not, it was too risky for a kid of that supposed age to be off on his own like that.

Jack briskly summoned the wind, and Jamie groaned pitifully when the air rushed at him as hot as a hair blow dryer. With a reassuring squeeze, Jack allowed the wind to lift them. Jamie closed his eyes at the weightless feeling, daydreaming of the moment where he'd be able to fly on his own. They must've only gotten a foot off the ground when there was a sudden jerk in the flight. Scrunching his eyebrows, Jamie didn't have time to look before something crushed against them, making them soar backwards and hit the pavement with a paired thud.

Jamie blinked his eyes, rolling onto his stomach to get a better look at his Guardian standing defensively in front of him. Jack's staff was aimed angrily at the intruder at the far end of the alley. Jamie blanched as the dark, ghost-like creature from nights before rounded them, hissing groggily under its breath as it sized them up. It slithered through the air, whisking this way and that until it backed the two boys into a corner.