Chapter 6

As Charlie ran into the halls, she asked a passing yeti where the nearest balcony was. He grunted and pointed to a room. She nodded her thanks and ducked in. Inside the room, there was another door on the other side of the wall. Moving automatically, she dragged her feet to it.

Once on the balcony, she took a deep breath of clean air and closed her eyes for a minute. They didn't know. I mean, how could they? I just barely met them! It's stupid to start crying about them whenever somebody asks or mentions them. She kept telling herself. Come on, Charlie. Man up!

She opened her eyes again and let her gaze travel to the moon. "Look, I have a feeling that you 'chose me' for a stupid quest thing, but honestly, I'm not the hero type. Plus, this isn't like Harry Potter or any of those Disney movies; no, this is real life. Heroes don't exist, and if they did, I definitely wouldn't be one. Just because Harry and Ella came into the world all cliché-like doesn't mean that my life is going to go in the way that a book does. No, I'm either going to get hurt or die, or possibly both. Which, honestly, would be fine with me, but it's not, because I need to take care of Gran and Toby, since Mom and Dad are gone." Charlie paused as something caught her eye; a pale reflection on the metal railing.

She sighed. "Jack, could you please not listen in when I bare my soul to a white circle in the sky?"

The winter spirit let a slight blush come onto his face. "Sorry, the Guardians sent me to see if you were alright."

She glanced at him through the corner of her eyes. "I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache."

"Are your parents…?"

"Dead? Yeah. I pretty much take care of Toby and Gran when she gets home. It's not as bad as you would think. It kind of… brought me and him closer." She answered, looking back up at the sky.

Jack's blue eyes sparked with realization. "Sorry for asking if your parents could take care of him."

Charlie turned to him with a small smirk on her face and held up a hand. "Hey, it's fine. You didn't know. But seriously, no chick flick moments dude."

He grinned back. "Alright. Do you want me to go back and tell North to ready the sleigh?"

"Nah, bro. We're going by magic snow globes. Jamie told me about them, and they sound epic!" her smirk grew as she spun around and headed back through the door, grabbing Jack by the hood and giving it a slight yank to make him follow. "Come on then, Frosty."

The duo had told the "Big Four", as Charlie took to calling them, that it was urgent that she go back to her house, but didn't tell them why. Apparently, the look the two teens had on their faces was enough to tell them not to pry.

North gave them one of his snow globes, but had forced Bunny to come with them, just in case. Both Guardians complained vigorously at that. That is, until Charlie pointed her frying pan threateningly at them.

As they arrived at her house, Charlie immediately frowned. "Something's wrong…" she paused, holding out a hand to stop Bunny and Jack. Reaching out with all of her senses, she listened.

"What do you hear?" Jack whispered as Bunny placed a paw on a boomerang.

"Nothing… absolutely nothing. Not Gran snoring, not Toby talking in his sleep. I hear nothing." And with that, she took off towards the stairs and turned the corner, yanking a door open and looking inside. "Toby?!" she yelled, running in and looking around the room when she saw that the bed was empty. He wasn't anywhere in the room.

"'Ey Sheila, they might've gone on a walk or somethin'." Bunny tried to sooth, green eyes glancing around the room.

"At three AM? I seriously doubt it!" she said, pointing to Toby's alarm clock. "No, they have to be around here somewhere. Bunny, check the basement. Jack, main floor. I'll keep searching the top floor. Go!" the look in her eyes was enough to make even Pitch do what she wanted. The boys gave a quick nod and ran-hopped, in Bunny's case- down the stairs.

Charlie gazed at the empty room and muttered, "Look, I would prefer if you weren't kidnapped, but if anything, don't be dead." Then ran off the check the other rooms.

She had checked the whole upper floor, in all the nook and crannies, but found no evidence. Shaking slightly, she sunk down against a wall and curled down into fetal position. This can't be happening… it's all a big joke… a dream… I'm going to wake up any time now and- Suddenly, there was a small poof and something fell onto her feet.

Charlie glanced down. It was a letter, written in curly handwriting.

"We know you are allies with the Guardians, the very beings we have come to destroy. We know that your grandmother and little brother are very dear to you. So, we have taken them from you. If you want them back, take the Guardians to the lake; the same one you almost drowned in. That is our one and only deal. Hurry up, they could be dying!

Sincerely, H. & E."

At that moment, Charlie's normally mischievous green eyes flashed a hard golden color as her face hardened with a strong hatred, and the paper burst in flames. She didn't even flinch, just watched it burn in her palm.

When it was nothing but a pile of ashes, she let it fall onto the ground, then stood up shakily. "Bunny! Jack!" Immediately, they all came up the stairs.

"Did you find anything?" Jack asked with worry in his eyes.

"Well, more like 'anything' presented it to me. It was a letter from the demonic duo." she couldn't help but grin slightly at her new nickname for Harry and Ella.

The two Guardians blinked before Bunny asked, "What did it say?"

"Oh, the usual. They have Gran and Tobey, they're holding them ransom at the lake, and I might mention that the ransom payment is the Guardians." she wrinkled her nose slightly. "Cliché. These people are old fashioned and extremely predictable. I, honestly, doubt that both of them combined are as strong as Pitch."

Jack and Bunny shared amused glances. "You're taking the whole fact that your grandma and little brother have been kidnapped by two evil, British spirit of hate and envy pretty calmly." the winter spirit noted.

Charlie just smirked. "Oh, trust me. I'm boiling on the inside and feel like making their stupid faces cave in with my frying pan, but you should know this about me: I'm extremely good at acting and hiding my emotions. However, the only way I'm keeping myself sane enough not to go after them right now is by thinking up a list of one-hundred-and-one ways to kill/majorly wound them. One last thing; they said that Gran and Tobey might be dying, so you guys better think up a battle plan before I go mentally insane." she grinned at them with slight malice in her green eyes.

The two Guardians shared a concerned look. "Alrigh' Sheila, let's get ya back to the Pole and we can figure everthin' out." Bunny said, fishing a snow globe out of one of his bags. He smashed it on the ground and whispered, "North Pole."

Charlie cast one more sad look around the house before jumping in behind Jack. Immediately, they tumbled out onto the wood floor of Santa's workshop in a tangle of limbs (and a frying pan). Bunny had landed neatly on his feet, looking down with an amused glance at the pair that were trying to untangle one from the other.

Once they had finally gotten free, Charlie stood and brushed herself off before offering a hand to Jack. He gratefully took it and she pulled him up before turning to the other amused Guardians.

"So, how did it go? You were gone for nearly an hour and half!" North finally asked.

"Kidnapped. You're the ransom. The usual stuff." she said casually.

"Oh, sweetie, that's horrible! We'll get them back, don't you worry." Tooth said, zipping over and gripping the teen in a death hug.

Charlie awkwardly hugged her back. "Uh, thanks Tooth." … "I appreciate it, but you can stop hugging me now." she whispered to the fairy after a minute.

She backed and gave her a shy, apologizing smile. The mortal grinned back, before turning back to the rest of the Guardians. "So, what kind of battle plans did you make while I was gone?"

So, I discovered that writer's block demons are immune to frying pans. Well, screw them! I have Tumblr now! So, I pulled this 1,475 chapter out of a magical hat!

Hey, blame the hat for me taking so long to write it!

No, blame her. It's her fault.

Shut up, Charlie.

Make me.

Never use those words against the author of your own story! Because I can make you shut up. Forever.

You wouldn't!

Oh, but I would! Wouldn't it be shame if…

Shut up!

Henry and Ella were to…

Not another word.

Kill you?

…

And that is how you own your OC, my beloved peasants!