The wind teased a brown leaf from a nearby tree, taken from where it had been it floated up and over a busy street that had seen battle like no other... Burgess, Pennsylvania. The story was all over the Internet, but who believed it would have been true... no one but the many children who remembered nights filled with nothing but Nightmares... No adult would ever believe that the world had been saved by a lonely winter spirit, known as Jack Frost, and a single eight year old boy's belief and courage. The leaf danced past the busy traffic and over a string of orange lights that were strung along and orange and black signs in windows wished passersby a Happy Halloween. The leaf floated over to a thirteen year old, he was on the thin side but his brown eyes sparkled beneath the old brown hat he refused to get rid of; it was the same hat his mother had told him to wear so that Jack Frost wouldn't nip his nose. That had been the first time in his life that Jamie Bennett had heard of Jack, but now his eyes were on the sky; bright with anticipation just as they had been the year before. The leaf stuck to his hat, he brushed it away with a giddy chuckle as he waved excitedly at the familiar blue figure that was floating down towards him.

"Jack!"

"Hey kiddo! Whoa!" He laughed as the pre-teen hugged him just as fiercely as he had the last time he'd parted with him. He hated leaving Burgess, it was his home but he really couldn't stand certain temperatures in the summer and often had to retreat south when warmer weather came; not that it kept him from visiting his first and best believer.

"I missed you Jack."

"Missed ya too. I know it's a little early for snow, but we can still go skating if ya want." Jamie nodded with a grin. He dashed into the nearby house and when he came out he had a pair of worn ice skates; a gift from North, every couple of years North had given him a new pair. Jamie followed Jack to the pond that was always frozen, the pond that he'd learned just last year was Jack's home and had been because it was there that Jack had emerged to become Jack Frost after he had died. Jamie had mixed feelings about that honestly, he and Jack had a lot in common really; Jamie was almost the same age Jack had been when he had died, and they both had a sister though Jack didn't talk much about her or his family that he'd lost. Jamie figured Jack might in time, but it was only five years ago that he'd even learned he'd had a family; that he'd been someone before he'd been chosen to be Jack Frost. Jamie sat on a nearby log and removed his shoes, he wiggled his toes in the cold air before putting on the first ice skate. He'd long since grown used to the cold and he and his friends in the past had reenacted the battle with Pitch over and over again... and of course Jamie had always played the part of Jack while the others had switched on and off with rules. Sometimes Cupcake even played the part of Pitch. Those days were behind him though, the pre-teen didn't think about the loss though as he tied up the skate. They still talked about it, and every winter they'd come out to play with Jack when he came... until last year when everything changed.

The twins had gotten into a band and spent most of their time with that now, Monty had been sent off to high school early due to his high grades; he and his parents expected he'd graduate college before he was of legal age to drink. Cupcake and Pippa had become typical girls... suddenly interested in how they looked, wearing different types of makeup and constantly talking about how they looked or giggling over pictures of teen boys... He didn't understand them anymore honestly. It seemed he was the only one who hadn't really changed much since that fateful Easter. Jamie stood up, wobbly only for a few seconds before he automatically found his balance and set out onto the ice; he wasn't a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but he could skate well enough.

"You've gotten better."

"I've been practicing this summer."

"Oh yeah?" Jamie's shoulders slumped a little.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, floating over to the young boy as he skated slowly. Jamie met his eyes.

"It's just... everything changed last year. After you left... it's like the others have become strangers to me. I mean, I understand why Monty isn't able to play because he's got school and I'm happy for him really... but the twins... They act like it never happened and all they talk about is the music they make in their new band... The girls... I don't even know where to begin there; they giggle at almost every boy they see like there's something funny about just seeing a boy, Cupcake's made an effort to lose weight and Pippa's begun wearing make up... I don't get them at all. At least I understand Monty wanting a good education and the twins finding something they love doing." Jack nods a little, the look in the winter spirit's eyes told Jamie that he knew... Knew that the other children of Burgess... that of the six that had stood with him against Pitch to protect the other Guardians, only Jamie still believed. Jamie stopped, it hadn't occurred to him that Jack would know. It hurt to think that the winter spirit had lost believers when Jamie had been his first and only until that Easter when he'd encouraged Jack to use his snow to help the others believe... Yes, it had taken snow for him to believe too, but he had believed on his own without the snow having Jack's magic of Fun inside it. Another thing Jack had told him about that night as he'd told Jamie about what had happened on his end... more or less. Jamie had a feeling he hadn't heard the whole story yet, but he figured he'd hear it when Jack was ready to tell it.

"I... I don't know what to say."

"They're growing up Jamie. It's part of life." He shrugs, but Jamie knows this isn't right... not for Jack.

"I don't care how old I get. I'll always believe." Jack smiles a little, but it's not as cheerful as his normal smiles.

"Some how, I believe ya kiddo."

"You're my best friend, Jack. I could never forget you."

"Yeah." Even as he said it, Jack knew that remembering something and believing didn't always go hand in hand. He'd no doubt that the children who no longer believed in him remembered that night, but probably only as some great dream.

"Don't worry about it, I've got a lot of believers thanks to you and the others. I'll be alright."

"Yeah." Jamie didn't doubt for a moment that Jack wasn't hurt, but he was at least trying to get over it.

"So... what do you want to do for Halloween?"

"That's a good question. I honestly hadn't planned on much, but I was thinking maybe if your mom would let you get a scary costume we could prank a few kids." Jamie grinned.

"You would."

"Oh come on! How many kids get to actually scare the crap out of others by ACTUALLY floating huh? It'll be fun!" Jamie laughed and began skating again; he felt better, seeing how Jack's eyes had lit up like normal with the change of topic. Jack had been trying to get him to do that for the past two years but his mother hadn't allowed him anything close to scary, not even a ghost, for him to do that sort of thing.

"Speaking of fun, have you ever seen the Pumpkin King?"

"Who now?"

"Oh come on, I've done my homework Jack. I mean Jack, the spirit of Halloween!" Jack shook his head.

"Can't say I have. I wasn't even aware there was one."

"Haven't you seen the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"No."

"Well, why don't we watch it tonight then?"

"Is it scary?"

"Not really, it's a kid's movie. Even Sophie likes it."

"Oh, well I guess it can't be all that bad then." Jamie grins.

"I think you'll like it."

"So, what exactly is it about?"

"You'll just have to see." Jamie replies with a smirk.

"Oh come on now... you have to at least tell me something!"

"And spoil the surprise?"

"Hey, I can still be surprised even if I know a bit about the story."

"Right... that's what you said about the last movie." Jamie rolled his eyes as he skated away, Jack floated after him.

"No! Really!" Neither seemed to notice that the shadow of a nearby tree was a little darker than normal.

"Not going to tell you."

"Jamieee! Come on now!" Jamie laughed a little as he skated backwards so that he could look at Jack as they talked.

"It's about the Pumpkin King of course."

"Oh that's real helpful."

"You're welcome." The boy says cheekily.

"Watch it now, or you'll end up like me."

"Is that so bad?" The retort left Jack fumbling for an answer and Jamie slowed to a stop as he watched the winter spirit struggle for a moment. He wasn't sure if Jack would take that as a joke or not... He was only half serious, because honestly, he couldn't see what was so bad about the life that Jack had now...

Well, other than the 300 years of being on his own; that was still a sore spot and Jamie was pretty sure it always would be.

"You know, I really don't have an answer for that one." Jack said after a moment, but he didn't seemed depressed or hurt by the notion really, which Jamie thought was progress since he'd voiced that question once before a few years ago and Jack had rounded on him about living life to the fullest and how he should be careful to stay alive; to always watch out for himself and his sister. That was one lecture he hadn't been expecting and it had honestly shocked him that Jack, at the time, had taken it so seriously.

"It's starting to get late, why don't we head back to my house and I'll set up the movie." Jack nodded and watched Jamie change from the ice skates to his sneakers. He wasn't sure what made him do it but all of the sudden he gripped his staff tighter and swung around, pointing towards a nearby shadow. Jamie stilled, watching Jack; he didn't make a sound as Jack looked around, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could have sworn he'd seen a shadow move... There hadn't been a peep out of Pitch for the last five years, but he wasn't going to be gone forever... As long as the world had fear, Pitch would be around; Jamie knew this but he didn't fear Pitch though he was alert for any signs of the boogeyman or Nightmares but when nothing happened Jack relaxed.

"I must be seeing things."

"Maybe you need to take your own advice more."

"Huh?"

"You know... chill out."

"Oh ha ha. You're a riot Jamie." Jamie chuckled at the lame joke a little as he hefted the skates and the two headed off to the house. The shadow that Jack had been pointing his staff at seemed to lessen as something darted away and into the other shadows nearby cast by the fading light.