New chapter! I don't like the number two, so I didn't like having a story with only two chapters.

Disclaimer: Still own nothing.

"More?" Jack repeated faintly, staring at the small compilation of letters on North's desk. "You found more?"

North nodded proudly. "I keep all old letters," he confided. "Helps me keep track of who is nice and who is naughty, eh? I had Phil look through them to find your sister's old letters – even found some of yours! Naughty boy, Jack, asking for prank supplies! Some of your brother's too," he added, a little more soberly, watching as Jack worked his jaw. "You did not know him, I know, but perhaps…"

"I want to read them," Jack declared. "All of them. If – If that's okay? I know you said Emma didn't write many more after… after the one you gave me, and I was there for the others she wrote, but… I'd like them. And mine, too. And – And my… my brother's. I'd like to know what he was like."

Quietly, North pushed the pile of letters towards his young friend, and said nothing as Jack's hand hovered the stack for a while, not picking them up immediately. Finally, Jack's hand gently picked them up, and he unfolded them slowly, fingers light as they traced over the words penned hundreds of years ago. North didn't think he was reading them yet, and probably wouldn't until he was alone, but rather taking in the writing itself, seeing how his sister had done her letters, the words she used. You could tell a lot about a person from the words they chose, North knew.

"Elias," Jack murmured softly.

North raised an eyebrow in bemusement but didn't comment. The name was familiar, but not the same way other names were – many, many children by the name Elias had written to him over the years, but in this instance, North was quite sure the name Elias Overland was not foreign to him. Elias would have been Jack's brother, then, the one he'd never had the chance to meet.

"I never – I didn't know his name," Jack said mildly, folding the letters again and sliding them into the pocket of his jumper. "Then again, I didn't know he existed until you told me, right? So I couldn't have known his name." It looked very much like Jack was trying quite hard to brush things off with his usual grin. To North's searching eye, it looked forced, and if he wasn't mistaken, Jack was blinking a bit more than necessary.

"Thanks, North. Really. This… it means a lot," Jack said, stuffing his hands into his pocket. "You didn't have to go to this trouble."

"Bah," North said, waving a hand dismissively. "No trouble! I am glad I could help. Phil was the one who found letters. But you are very welcome, Jack. If you ever need anything else…"

It seemed Jack had regained his bearings now, and smirked at him as he leaned against the desk. "Thanks, North, but I'm alright. I'm fine by myself, you know? I'll be sure to thank Phil on the way out, okay?" He started backing up, towards the door to the study. "I'll take good care of the letters."

"Yes," North said quietly, as the boy slipped out of the room, muffled sounds of crashes and shouts of 'Sorry!' marking his path down the hall. "I know you will, Jack."

He'd only given the boy a handful of letters, perhaps a dozen or so, as the few others there had been were in poor condition. He had the Yetis working to see what they could salvage from them, but he didn't hold out much hope. Most of the letters he'd give Jack had been written by Emma, with a few of Elias', and several by Jack himself. When he'd told the other Guardians of his plans to give Jack the letters, Bunny had been dubious at the idea – he seemed to think they'd do more harm than good, reminding Jack on how much he'd missed out on. Tooth had argued the importance of these memories, and had been one of the main reasons North had included the letters Jack himself had written; she said it would be good for Jack to remember the times he'd had with sister, to balance out the times he hadn't been there with her and their brother.

In the end, North still wasn't sure whether he'd made the right call. Jack had wanted the letters, certainly, but there was no question that he'd find them upsetting, either in a good or bad way. There was really no telling if the letters would do more harm than good or vice versa, which left North slightly worried. He hoped, however, that Jack would come to one of them if truly upset, and that, in time, the letters would become a source of comfort.

At the very least, the letters were a window to another time, a time when Jack was mortal and happy, and gave him the chance to get to know his sister and even himself all over again, and get a glimpse at what his brother had been like.