Chapter 3; Recruiting Love:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, light(ish) lemon, and lots of magical beings with really cool jobs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Rise of the Guardians' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

I think I said this already, but I like to write long chapters! This one in particular is rather long, but seeing as it is the first chapter with Evelyn and the other Guardians, I figure not to many of you will mind! Enjoy!

Also, thanks once more to you Guest (I'm gonna call you Awesome G from now on). I know, it was scary of Evelyn to have done that to North's beard (but as you'll see, eventually, it wasn't on purpose, unlike Bunnymund's tail hehe). And I loved what you said about Jack entering a whole new ball game when it comes to dealing with a girl his own age, I shall be using that turn of phrase, so thanks! I liked that you included what you're favorite scenes were, it helps me to know what people like, and I love knowing that I made people laugh (And about flashbacks to Evelyn's life, there will be plenty that explain it all, but not yet)! Thanks again Awesome G!

~o0o~

It was the beginning of spring on this side of the hemisphere, blooming blossoms and the sound of sweet bird song filled the air. As always, it was a season filled with hope, rejuvenation, and of course, young love.

By the Eternal Spirits of the Seasons, she needed a drink. One with a high percentage of alcohol; possibly whiskey.

Evelyn had been up for days now, shooting this love struck punk to firing at this crushing puppy, it was a nightmare. Now, she was in a little town somewhere in China, hell if she knew anymore. She just went where her little black book told her at the time it gave her, and shot the correct arrows when the timing was deemed right for love to be confessed, whether first or of true. She was spreading so much love and tolerance around it was like a cheesy romance movie had sprung to life and taken over the earth.

Again, a drink was needed. And maybe a horror movie with lots of violence to balance things out. Something like Evil Dead…

Shaking out such pining thoughts from her mind, Evelyn forced herself to focus on the task at hand. She continued to walk steadily along the edge of the small town, trailing a group of rambunctious kids playing as she glided from one shingled roof top to the next. Her target was a particular ten year old girl in a long ponytail, playing with a jump rope as if it was a whip, pretending to be an adventurer in search of treasure with her friends.

As adorable as the sight was, not a smirk or smile cracked the apathetic expression set on Evelyn's face, having become indifferent to much, even such sights innocence and friendship, well over three hundred years ago. Still unobserved, invisible to all eyes, she watched intently as the girl she had targeted lassoed one of the boys she was playing with, accidentally tripping him.

Her intuition telling her that the moment was nigh, Evelyn instantly reached inside her satchel for her bow, choosing the deadly tipped, red feathered arrow of first love. As she notched her arrow into the bow, she waited, her copper gold eyes following her target intently as the little girl ran over to help up the boy she tripped and apologize. All this girl needed to do was meet the boy's gaze, and then it would happen, her first love. Poor dear, so young too.

This, regrettably, was her job. For some reason or another, some person or persons unknown decided that the final transition from child to adult was the feeling of love for someone, and not in the platonic way mind you. Evelyn's job was to help those that needed aid to confess the most important loves of all, the first of course, and the true. The catch was, the little black book she carried around with her also judged who out of those that needed help, were worthy to actually receive it.

Yes, remember when you were too shy to ask that first real crush you had back in high school to the dance, or that gorgeous co-worker to dinner, and waited for what seemed like eons to find the courage, only to, well, never find it? Well, tough break kid, that's love. But don't blame the accursed emotion that made you and many others believe they couldn't bear life without that lost significant other. It was just doing its duty by ignoring your pitiful plea for help while some other lucky sucker got its attention.

Evelyn could feel her indifferent expression melt into a sneer, her unfathomable abhorrence for the thing she spread once again reminding her just how cruel it liked to be for the hell of it. For all that though, she had a job to do, and do it she would. Seeing the little girl just about to lift the tearing boy's face up to see if he had a scratch on his forehead, Evelyn pulled the bow back to its limit, preparing to fire.

Evelyn was over three hundred years old, she had seen many strange and bizarre things in that time, and had, as she liked to believe, built up a tolerance to becoming startled. But, as she heard a large explosion of magic and light erupt behind her, she couldn't help but become a tad bit unruffled.

"What the magical fuck?!" Turning swiftly with her arrow at the ready to defend herself, Evelyn observed the last bits of shimmering light fade away in a patch of tangled forest not too far off from the town edge she was perched at. As curious as she was to say the least about the still resonating explosion, she decided to ignore it, and turned back to prepare to fire upon her target.

It was too late, the girl had gone on to play with her friends, the boy over his skinned knee and horse playing around with one of his buddies.

With an exasperated sigh that trailed off into something close to a growl, Evelyn stuffed away the arrow of first love back in her bag. She had missed her chance. Yes, contrary to popular belief, love could sometimes miss its mark, or more accurately, not fire it's arrows on time. Though it wasn't too big a deal, seeing that the opportunities for a first love are a dime a dozen, and if this particular pairing is truly meant to be, there would be another opportunity eventually. Still, Evelyn prided herself on holding a somewhat perfect record. While she may not think the world of her job, to hell if she didn't do it properly, seeing as how she didn't really have anything else better to do anyway.

As about what to do now, that was obvious. Make the unlucky bastard who distracted her pay, and pay dearly. With a single beat of her gigantic wings, Evelyn was in the air. It didn't take her long to reach the spot of jungle she saw the light coming from, and she folded her wings to drop down.

Her back riding boots stepped lightly onto the small grass clearing surrounded by trees, feeling the temperature around her increase thanks to the lack of breeze and towering trees. As hot as it was, Evelyn easily resisted the urge to remove her overcoat, having become used to extreme heat thanks to the flame inside her that was the very source of her powers. However, the heat was the least of her concerns.

Again aided by an intuition that had built itself up over hundreds of years, Evelyn sensed that those responsible for her bad job performance were very, very close. Pulling out an arrow of black feathers and cherry wood, she notched it in preparation for meeting the shadowy figures she saw tucked away in and behind the trees face to face. Before she could call them to show their cowardly faces though, they started shouting at each other.

"North, where the hell are we?"

"Where Eros is of course! I think…"

"You think?! How could you not know?"

"Look, directions Manny had given us might have been bit jumbled in snow globe on way over. But we were lucky to have landed in somewhere soft!"

"Oh, yeah, I'm feelin' really lucky as jungle birds pick apart my ears!"

Evelyn could feel her curiosity and precaution lower itself into annoyed grimace at the recognizable voices, a sighing scoff escaping as she rolled her eyes.

"Um, fellas? I think we landed exactly where Eros is" Said a chirping feminine voice form the upper trees that Evelyn failed to identify. Feeling many pairs of eyes upon her, she collected herself back into her natural apathetic composure, her eyes following the figures as they continued to move around in the trees.

It was at this point that she was debating whether she should leave or stay, the latter hardly tempting seeing as it meant confronting some rather irritating characters. However, though she had rid herself much of her old, ignorant habits in the hundreds of years she had lived, her admittedly inane curiosity was not something lost to time's turning. Lowering her bow to an unguarded stance, but arrow still notched, Evelyn waited patiently for the shadowed figures to reveal themselves.

"Ow, my head. See, this is why I wanted to take the sleigh" Said Jack as he felt the tender lump that was forming, hissing at the slight discomfort it brought him. Thanks to the jungle heat that made his always frostbit body feel just ever so slightly flushed, it took a dazed Jack a couple moments after the Guardians' unfortunate landing to realize that he was stuck in a tree, and a couple more to untangle himself from the twigs and vines that held him. Eventually though, he managed to perch himself on one of the many branches, an unruffled and composed Sandy soon joining him.

About to ask the silent man if he was alright, Jack noticed his companion's golden brown eyes focused on something beyond the shroud of leaves and vines. Interested, the young immortal followed his gaze, feeling his eyes grow wide in slight shock and wonder at the sight below them.

A girl of short red hair and sun brushed skin was watching him and Sandy with a piercing gaze that was at the same time both inquisitive and indifferent. While he had to admit that she was something of a strange sight with those features and dressed entirely in black, it was the massive wings that protruded from her back that really caught his interest. The dark feathered things looked as if they were two gigantic shadowed pillars that were trying to swallow the small woman in between them, a great contrast to the gentle sight of Tooth's delicate wings he was used to. Jack's thoughts on the girl were interrupted though when both North and Bunnymund lost their balance in the tree they had both fallen into.

"Get! Off! Of! ME!" Strained the grey rabbit that was pinned between the moist ground and the heavy form of his red clad friend. Soon both of them were on their feet, already sweating from the heat and their thick coats of fur. Seeing the girl look away from him to stare at the grounded two, Jack decided to get a closer look, noticing both Tooth and Sandman join him. Soon enough, all Guardians had lined themselves up together on the grass, all facing the girl that was still holding an armed bow in front of her as if prepared for the worst. After a brief moment of seizing up and evaluation of moods on both sides, Evelyn decided to get this over with.

"North" She said in an unmoved voice, the white haired giant of a man giving her a beaming grin as a greeting.

"Sandman" Evelyn continued, this time giving the Guardian she addressed a slight bow. Sandy immediately returned the gesture of formality, grateful that at least he always received such respected tolerance with her. Facing the final immortal she recognized, Evelyn felt a small, half-smirk break out on her face despite herself.

"Rodent"

Jack could see a flinch of indignity shot through Bunnymund at the young woman's greeting, resisting the urge he had to chuckle. But his battle for restraint didn't last long as the red haired girl's gaze, now turning back into that eerily indifferent one he saw her wear before, landed on him and Tooth.

"I take it that this is the Guardian of Memory and…Fun? Hmph, not quite what I expected" Now it was Jack's turn to flinch in offense; not liking the condescending tone the girl took when she looked upon him with such a haughty expression. But before he could protest to her unjustified rudeness, North spoke out.

"Ahem, greetings Evelyn Eros" began North with a cough, the girl's attention instantly snapping back onto him "We, the Guardians, were hoping to have a word with you"

"Well, seeing as how you guys cost me a first love shot, thus putting me behind schedule, I suppose I do owe you some of my time" Evelyn retorted cynically, her naturally gravely toned voice standing sharply out against the din of the afternoon jungle. Not deterred in the slightest at her rude agreement, the patient and wonder filled Guardian continued.

"You course know Sandy and me from times we worked together, and Bunnymund from-"

"The Easter of 1903 I believe. Moscow. Yeah, I remember. How's the tail Fluffy?" Though still offended by her greeting of him, Jack again had to resist the chuckle that rose up in him, earning him a scorning look from Bunnymund and a quizzical one from Evelyn.

"The fur grew back, but I see that you are still a soulless carrot head" Instead of taking offense to the childish slight from the rabbit, Evelyn continued to stare out at the Guardians, unsettling them further with her surprisingly cold gaze as some looked to their feet or twiddled their thumbs.

"Well, you just gonna keep squirming like toads, or are you gonna get to the point of this little, get together?" Evelyn asked, already becoming disinterested with this bizarre gathering. Though granted, meeting the Guardians of Memory and Fun was an unexpected surprise. The Tooth Fairy especially was rather fascinating, her buzzing wings and sleek, feathered body causing Evelyn to wisely guess that for as delicately beautiful the woman was, she was a formidable force to reckon with.

As for the Fun one, well, Evelyn was not impressed. Not only was his protectorate that of the most immature of childish needs, but he himself looked nothing like a true Guardian. Roguishly playful smile, wild white hair, and a slender built body that North could probable snap in half over his knee, she felt the newest addition to the bothersome four was still as insipid as he was the few times she saw him fly about before when he was a mere winter spirit. Still, there was something to be said about those eyes of his, those admittedly striking blue eyes that shone out like azure ice…

"Yes, right, the point!" Said North as he stepped closer, interrupting Evelyn's assessment of the other Guardians "The point is, Man in Moon has recruited you" The red faced man added, wiping away the midst of the jungle from his brow, refusing to remove his furred jacket or cossack.

Jack watched in slight disbelief as Evelyn rolled her eyes, opening the black satchel at her side. Strangely managing to stuff both the arrow and the bow inside the small bag, the red haired girl pulled out a package of…oatmeal cookies, and started munching on them. Seriously, what?

"Oh, joy. What's it this time? An old scrooge needing to learn to share the love of a certain season? Or maybe a young gal pining for her prince charming to rescue her in her dreams?" Carelessly guessed Evelyn as she stepped closer. The other Guardian's, namely Sandman and North, had informed Jack that they had worked with Evelyn on several occasions, though what they accomplished together, he didn't have any concrete idea. Still though, it was rather astonishing to him to hear just how casual she was about working with other immortals, causing him to wonder if he was the exception that made the rule when it came to preforming his task of creating winter and fun alone.

"Well, Eros, it's actually for something, well, uh, quite different" Said Tooth, swooping down so she was hovering before the younger woman. Evelyn's eyes darted up and down at the fairy queen in front of her, still chewing on the crumbling blandness, duly noting that her wings would surely beat her own when it came to speed. Before she could debate further on the matter, she walked past the fairy, giving her a nod.

"Thanks for clearing things up Feathers. So, if it's not for spreading the joys of love, what's this little get together about North? What little trick does Manny want me to perform this time?" Seemingly being the only one with enough fortification to tell the tiny and slender girl in front of them all the truth, North took a deep breath.

"Man in Moon, has chosen you, to become a Guardian. The Guardian, of Love"

Jack, in the two minutes he had met Evelyn, instantly suspected something terribly awful was going to ensue. He had seen her expressions range only so far from indifferent to barely amused, but this expression transcended past that calm composure. At first shock, then disgust, and then finally, enragement passed over the girl's face in quick flashes. No wonder Bunnymund was precarious, the young immortal swearing that small, red flames where swirling out of the girl's finger tips, the bag of sweets in her hands becoming singed.

Amazingly though, the dangerous looking expression of the girl and swelling temperature she caused passed, settling herself back into that haughty, indifferent composure. Tilting her head lazily back, Evelyn looked up to the afternoon sky, knowing that a certain nocturnal Guardian was present none the less.

"Ha. Funny. And here I accused you of having no sense of humor Manny. Looks like you proved me wrong. This is just, too hilarious. Ha, ha" The short chuckles that the girl let out were hollow with sarcasm, making Jack offended with how fake and harsh they were, laughter being his one of his particular fortes.

"Don't be so disrespectful girly, this is serious! ANd you know better!" Said Bunnymund, his slight fear for his fur coat overridden by his loyalty to Manny. Evelyn meet the oversized rabbit's stern glare, her eyes widening in feign innocence.

"I'm sorry, you're right, I do. Want one?" She asked as she lifted up the bag of slightly burned cookies. Taking his incredulous look as a no, Evelyn shrugged her shoulders and took another bite.

"Eros, you have been chosen out of the many immortals to become a Guardian. This is a destiny changing event! Don't you feel, uh, honored?" Asked Tooth carefully as she pulled her knees up to her chest as she drifted to hover besides Bunnymund and North.

"Honored? Hmm, not quite the right word I would use" Replied Evelyn with a contemplative purse of her lips "Let's see, what is that word? Oh, it so perfectly describes…oh yes!" With this the red haired girl made sure she met each and every single gaze of the Guardians before her, her eyes narrowing themselves to spiteful angles.

"Disgusted. Yes, I believe that is the perfect word"

That was it, Jack couldn't take anymore.

"Hey! I know I shouldn't be one to talk here, but it's kinda a big deal that Manny has chosen you to become a Guardian" He called out calmly as he stepped to join the others, Sandman staying behind to observe from his distant position. Not deterred as those blazing gold eyes looked upon him, Jack continued, his tone became patiently gentle.

"Look, I know it must come as a shock. I felt the same when I got chosen. But trust me, the Man in the Moon doesn't make any mistakes…usually. But he chose you, so there's got to be a good reason as to why" Silence fell upon the small clearing as the elder Guardians looked upon their youngest member with pride, each coming to respect the surprising lad even more. Evelyn on the other hand, was needlessly opposite in opinion.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough" She said in a tone that was approaching a growl "I. Will. Never. Be. A. Guardian. Ever"

With that, Evelyn spread out her black wings, creating a harsh gust of wind that blinded the others momentarily as she launched herself up into the air. In just a few beat of her wings, she was gone. A short silence passed over the group as some looked at the ground in disappointment, while others rejoiced.

"Well, we tried our best, looks like we're gonna have to find someone else. Come on, I bet the Ground Hog is-"

"No" Jack interrupted Bunnymund. The others looked upon the blue eyed boy, confusion and curiosity riddling their faces. Jack though for once felt a sense of clarity over take him about what needed to be done. It was strange, him suddenly thinking with perfect lucidity and maturity when he was, well, him. But maybe, he was just growing further into his role as protectorate for the children of the world; or maybe, there was just something about the rude girl that reminded him of himself a year ago, back when he was confused, bitter, and utterly alone…

"The Man in the Moon chose her" He continued, his usually mischievous voice set firm in complete conviction "It had to be for a reason besides Darkness, just like it was for me when you needed to fight against Pitch" Looking down to see Sandman standing beside him, Jack let a grin grow as the golden man nodded his head, knowing exactly what was going through his young friend's mind and encouraging the process.

"Jack, what are you-"

"Since you guys had such a tough time getting me to join, I think I'll take this one. But you guys owe me!" Said the pale lad with a playful wink thrown towards his companions. Before anyone of them could even react, Jack was already up in the air, the ever loyal wind lifting him away at the swish of his staff.

Easily spotting the gigantic black wings of the resentfully difficult girl, Jack lifted his staff in front of him, accelerating himself towards her and the small village she was heading towards. Taking a moment to watch the comely immortal land upon a green tiled roof top, the Guardian of Fun swooped down to take on what was surely the most difficult task he had ever been given; talking to a girl his own age.

"So, Eros huh? That's a cool name" Asked a confident and casual Jack as he landed behind the turned away girl, his bare feet sounding out against the terra cotta shingles. Seeing a flinch of surprise and annoyance go through the girl at the sound of his voice, Jack put on his most charming grin as she turned around, eyes narrowed down to dangerous slits.

"Mine's Jack. Jack Frost, the Spirit of Winter. Nice to meetca" Jack could practically feel the young woman sizing him up, judging him and his words silently behind that indifferent expression. He had to admit, while he was not one for insecurity, Jack could help but become a tad bit uncomfortable as those scorching, coppery gold eyes flickered over him, making him wonder if there was something in his teeth or if the heat of the sun was actually causing him to sweat for once.

"I know who you are. I've seen you around" She reticently replied, turning away to start walking down the spine of the roof top, balancing herself with her black wings spread out. Jack launched himself into the air with a graceful flip, placing himself right in front of Evelyn on the next roof top edge she was just about to leap to, blocking her path. He was ridiculously graceful for a tall, gangly boy she admitted begrudgingly.

"Really? That's strange, I think I would have remembered meeting you" He said as he leaned against his staff, as cool as could be, literally and figuratively. Again, a twitch of surprise and annoyance over his actions went through Evelyn, this time accompanied with a pained roll of her eyes.

"That's cause flying past somebody as you create a gigantic bridge of ice, thus blocking her off from the couple she needed to make fall in love, while laughing your ass off, is not really a memorable introduction" Jack felt his grin fall away into furrowed confusion as he tried to think on when he last did that. Truth be told though, it could have been any one of the hundreds he had, and so, with a sheepish grin and a chuckle, he looked back up to meet the harsh gaze of the winged girl.

"I, uh…don't remember that" A sigh of exasperation and impatience left the girl as she spread out her wings, testing the wind around her.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't. Now fly away little snowflake, before I melt you. I prefer to be alone" She said, making her desires perfectly obvious. Without giving him the chance to answer, Evelyn took off, gliding down into the street below that was filled with playing children. Jack was just about to ask her what the she was doing revealing herself to humans, when a laughing child passed through the collected form of Evelyn, a burst of red flames erupting around the Evelyn and kid for but a moment before the boy continued down the road.

For a moment, Jack could only gape at what he saw. So, he wasn't the only one children didn't believe in. Granted, a few here and there were starting to see him thanks to Jamie and the other Guardians, so it wasn't so bad, but he still went relatively ignored and invisible. He felt something that he could only label as sympathy for the rude girl grip at him as yet another child passed through her, unnoticed and unseen. Tilting his twisted staff, Jack rushed over to land beside Evelyn.

"What a coincidence, I like to be by myself too" He said, causing a third twitch of annoyance to flinch through Evelyn as she glared at him "You know, we have so much in common; people don't bilieve in me either!" With that, he poked at a passing child, his whole hand disappearing into a flash of blue and white light until the child was out of reach.

Despite herself, Evelyn felt her eyebrows lift up in interest at the reveal of some uncommon ground between her and the frostbit boy, but composed herself when she saw that Jack was grinning at her with wide eyes through his thick, snow white bangs.

"It can be fun though, can't it? Especially when you make a huge-"

"You really can't take a hint, can you?" Evelyn interrupted, her cynical, gravelly voice contradicting his friendly and impishly playful one. Jack merely shrugged as he continued to keep up with Evelyn's surprisingly long strides.

"Oh, I can, I just choose to ignore them. It's one of my many charms" Spoke the boy as he dragged his staff behind him for a moment, creating a clear line of frost before he twirled it up in the air with centuries of skill. Evelyn let out yet another scoff as she turned away from the immortal who was almost a full head taller than she, looking on down the road in search of the little girl she still needed to shoot in the heart.

"Well, as irresistibly charming as you are, nothing is going to make me join your little group of goody two shoes, so you can stop the bogus friendliness" At this, Jack stopped in his tracks, his confidence falling some as his attempt to win the potential Guardian over with his natural charms failed utterly; then again, he never was much of a people person, spirit, whatever.

But he couldn't give up. Whether her recruitment served some of her own needs or not, she had to join the Guardians. Manny had explained the basics of what it would take to free Darkness to him and the others before they left to find Eros, and if they didn't get the protector of love on their side, well…

"Look, we need you! Pitch is back, and he is trying to release Darkness, who I hear, is a pretty big deal, being like the evil of all evils" He told her as he glided over on a soft breeze, his face set firm in determined resolution. Now it was Evelyn's turn to stop in her tracks, the mention of Pitch and Darkness forcing her to reflect on the matter. Just as it was looking like he was actually getting somewhere, Evelyn shrugged her shoulders as she brushed past Jack.

"I'm aquiver with fear. You guys handled Pitch before; you'll do fine without me" Jack rolled his eyes in frustration. He couldn't have been this annoying and stubborn when the others tried to recruit him, right? Again, he followed after Evelyn, this time joining her on the roof top she perched herself upon.

"Okay, maybe what you say is true, maybe not" Started Jack as he stepped in front of the winged girl, blocking her path "Still, isn't it your job to spread love and-"

"My duty is to watch over the children and help them transition from immature whiners into broken hearted adults" Interrupted Evelyn, having finally reached her limit of patience with the white haired boy as her calm façade fell into angered irritation "I've been doing it for over three hundred years, and though I hate it, I will continue to do it"

At this, she looked away, casting her gaze up to the sky as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Isn't that enough?" Jack immediately knew not to answer that, knowing that the question was not directed towards him, but a certain crater faced immortal hidden in the cloudless sky. He too let out a heavy sigh, ideas for ways to convince the girl beside him running short. He considered using his so appropriately named Fun Frost on her, but decided against it. He wanted to do this the right way, if there was such a thing.

Looking down at the street that laid out before the both of them, Jack spied a couple more kids at play. As if by magic, which wouldn't have been too farfetched to suppose, words immediately stuck him, and he turned to face Evelyn, his expression kindly stern.

"The Guardians need you. It might seem unfair now for him," He gestured to the sky with his frosted staff, seeing a flicker of copper gold eyes following the gesture "to ask so much of you. But, I bet that him choosing you as the new Guardian is for you, as much as it is for them" At this, he pointed down towards the children, who, as if on cue, started to laugh for all their cheery hearts were worth.

Glancing back towards her face, Jack smiled as he saw something of a positive reaction emerge. Granted, it was small, but there, in the corners of her lips and eyes, was doubt, and timid consideration breaking through that annoyingly apathetic composure.

As if that wasn't encouraging enough for Jack, Evelyn felt herself glance up to look the boy straight in the eye in an attempt to evaluate his surprising seriousness. Straight into those frost blue eyes that danced with spirited, yet serene mischief…

"Your attempt is admirable" She finally said with something of a small, barely recognizable smirk. Jack was about to return it with one of his own, but then the somewhat soft expression disappeared "But mostly annoying"

Jack had to consciously keep his jaw from falling in disbelief and exasperation, wanting nothing more in the world to dowse the girl with so much snow and frost till her red hair turned white. That desire however, was overwritten by his need to convince her that this was what needed to be done, maybe ven for her own sake. Before he could continue in his convincing, Evelyn gave a salute.

"Ta-ta Twinkle Toes"

With a beat of her wings, Evelyn took off, descending slowly up to the cloudless sun. Leaning against his staff as he sullenly shook his head, Jack watched the dark cloaked figure of the stubborn girl gradually disappear. Soon after she vanished completely from sight though, a small, crooked smile grew on his face.

This wasn't finished, not by a long shot. Jack Frost was not one to lose anything to anyone. He would get her to join the Guardians, as both a necessity for the good of children, and very possibly, for herself. Besides, in what sane world did anyone get let off the hook for calling him Twinkle Toes?

~o0o~

To anyone how got The Doors' song 'The Hitchhiker' reference, congratulations, you are the coolest person in the universe!

And please comment when you can, I would like to know if I am sticking the characters' personalities (Jack is just a tad more mature than he was in the Movie, what with him taking on some responsibility as Guardian, but don't worry, he is still his loveable, playful, and wickedly mischievous self!).

Also, I would like to clarify, though some immortals become Guardians, all of them had tasks to do before that, like Jack's was to be the Spirit of Winter that would spread that particular season, such as Evelyn's is to spread the 'fires of love' so to speak. Upon becoming a Guardian however, they take on new roles that are targeted towards children in specific, such as spreading fun and laughter for Jack, while still retaining their old duties as well. I shall explain this further, but I just wanted to clear that up a bit.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Join me next time when Evelyn goes to her hovel home for the night, to find that she has the Nightmare King himself, Pitch Black, as an unwelcomed guest! Mwahahaha, I love teasers ; D

Till then, review if you think it worthwhile, fav if you like, but most of all, have a nice day!