A/N: Hello to all of my beautiful readers. I know that you all have been waiting forever for me to update this story. I'm really sorry that it took so long, but I had a lot going on with my senior year of high school, and on top of that I've been really sick. So I apologize again ^_^' I'll try to update more regularly now that I don't have as much stress with homework and exams. I'm also uploading this fanfiction onto my Quotev account under the author name of "Nyte Kirkland," so feel free to check it out there as well (if you want to, that is, plus there's pictures ^_^). Anyways, thank you for your patience and I hope you all are doing well. As always, feel free to leave a review or send me a PM of what you think or of any scenarios (or fluff, 'cause we all love fluff) that you would like to happen in the upcoming chapters of this story. I love all of you and I'm sorry about this really long author's note. *gives you a cookie* Enjoy, my little snowflakes!


Chapter 7: Calm Before the Storm

"Can I say something without it being taken the wrong way?"

I nod.

Jack spins me in a circle before pulling me close to him, our noses touching. "I think I'm in love with you," he whispers, pressing his lips against mine.

A mixture of emotions and thoughts run through my mind, making me freeze and melt at the same time.

Jack pulls back, looking a little hurt. "Sorry," he mutters. "I just thought-"

I cut him off, pulling him into another kiss. "I didn't say that I didn't want to," I say, smirking.

"So I take it that I'm a good kisser?" Jack says with a grin.

"I never said that…but it was a really, really good kiss. Especially for my first one," I murmur, blushing.

"Good…because I'm about to do it again." He pulls me closer, brushing my cheek with the tips of his fingers.

Just as our lips are about to meet, a snowball collides with our faces.

"What the…?" Jack turns toward the source, only to freeze in his place, a dark look passing over his face. "Pitch."

I slowly turn in the direction that Jack is facing. A tall man in a long black robe is standing at the edge of the pond, holding a snowball in one hand. He has glossy black hair that is spiked. His skin is a dull, pale gray. As he stares at me with his golden eyes, a shiver runs down my spine. I involuntarily take a step closer to Jack. Pitch laughs.

"Hello, dear sweet little Valentina. Did you have sweet dreams last night?" he chuckles.

I glare at him. "That's none of your concern."

"I believe it is," he says, returning the glare. "You took something that belongs to someone close to me…and they want it back."

A body steps out from the shadows and stands next to Pitch.

"Kristi," I murmur. She looks different, but I can tell it's her. Her normally dark brown hair is streaked through with blond, white, and silver. Her eyes are as black as Pitch's robe. Her skin has paled to almost the same tone as Pitch's skin.

Jack shakes his head. "That isn't your friend."

"Good job, Jackie. I am not Kristi at all," she cackles.

I feel Jack flinch against me, pulling me closer to him. "Kristi" narrows her eyes, her lips drawn back in a sneer.

"What do you two want?" Jack mutters.

"Nothing…yet." Pitch sneers, an expression identical to "Kristi's." "Just thought that I would stop by and demand to know where my daughter's body is being kept."

Jack snorts. "As if I would ever tell you."

Pitch lets out a menacing laugh. "And what about the girl?"

"Leave her out of this." Jack glares at Pitch.

"Ooooh. Jackie's in love with a mortal," Pitch taunts, cackling. "We'll see you again. Soon and on less…cordial terms."

"Bye-bye, Jackie," the girl says before glaring at me. She disappears with Pitch in a cloud of shadows.

Jack lets out a breath. "This is bad."

"Who was she? And what did she do to Kristi?"

"I'll explain. But first…I need to take you somewhere that's safe." He grabs my hand before we rapidly fly off into the sky, heading north.

I remain quiet through the flight, shivering as the temperature drastically decreases. We land outside a large domed structure that is covered with ice. Jack opens one of the doors, ushering me into the building. "Hey! North! Where are you?!" Jack yells into the building. "We've got a problem!"

I walk behind Jack, shivering, my body feeling numb. Something heavy lands on my shoulder, pinning me in place and causing me to shriek.

"Oi! That hurts my ears, mate," a deep voice laced with an Australian accent complains.

"Hey, Kangaroo! Let go of my girlfriend before I freeze your ears off…again." Jack walks back over to me, glaring until the…hand lets go.

"Girlfriend?" he asks, making Jack's face turn red.

"Alright, mate. Geez. Just wondering who the new girl was,…and I'm a bunny. Not a kangaroo, mate."

"You are too a kangaroo!" Jack wrinkles his nose, sticking out his tongue.

I turn around, staring up into the bright green eyes of said bunny. He looms above me at over six feet in height, at least a foot taller than me. His fur is a bluish-gray color with flowery patterns on his head and shoulders. Brown leather bracers with amber stones encircle his wrists, while brown leather wrappings encircle his feet. There is a single shoulder strap that holds twin boomerangs.

I tilt my head to one side. "Jack? Isn't his name the Easter Bunny though?"

"Well…who would feel comfortable with a kangaroo delivering Easter eggs? It's just to trick the children into thinking he's cute and cuddly." He sticks his tongue at Bunnymund again. "But he's still a kangaroo."

"No, I'm not, mate!" Bunnymund exclaims, exasperated.

"Jack," I interrupt, glancing at my shoulder that Bunny had touched. I start feeling light-headed. "He isn't a kangaroo. I'm not allergic to kangaroos, but I am allergic to rabbits…and bunnies," I mutter, pointing at my shoulder that is currently experiencing a severe allergic reaction.

"Oh, god. We need to get you to North," Jack says, scooping me up as he rushes down the hall. I feel like I'm about to pass out as we pass a large, shining globe.

A large door opens into a room with a desk that has a large, rotund man with a white beard behind it. He's speaking to two other people as Jack barges into the room. One appears green, the other gold.

"North," Jack says above me. "We have two major problems. The first is that Pitch is back and has a daughter that is completely psycho and took over an innocent's body. The second is that Bunny caused Val to have an allergic reaction since she's allergic to rabbits." He shoots a glare over his shoulder at Bunnymund, who rolls his eyes and shrugs.

"How was I supposed to know that she's allergic to bunnies, mate?"

"Set her on the desk," says a voice with a thick Russian accent.

Jack places me upright on the desk, my vision spinning.

I giggle. "Why are there two of you, Jack? Why does everything look so…sparkly?" I giggle more as Jack raises his eyebrows. "You're so handsome, Jack," I say, rocking back and forth. My hand on the edge of the desk slips, causing me to lose my balance and fall forward. I close my eyes, expecting to face-plant into the floor. Instead, I land against something cold, yet soft. Opening my eyes, I stare straight into the cerulean eyes of Jack, our noses touching and a huge blush on his face. He quickly sets me back on the desk, North stepping in front of me, but not before I see Jack turn away to hide his blush. "Santa!" I exclaim. "Can I have Jack for Christmas? I promise to love him, feed him, and make him behave." North chuckles a little but then throws a sparkly white powder into my face and onto my shoulder, causing me to blink and sneeze. My memory suddenly becomes hazy as my vision returns back to normal, and I find a blushing Jack standing right next to me. I frown. "What? What did I do?"

Jack clears his throat, avoiding my question. "Val. These are the Guardians," he says, gesturing to the four people (if they can be called that) now standing in front of me. "That's North, Bunny, Tooth, and Sandy," Jack murmurs, pointing to each in turn.

North steps forward, clasping my hands. There are tattoos across his arms, saying "Naughty" on one and "Nice" on the other. Two short swords are at his hip. "Good to see you, Val." He leans closer, whispering, "I'm pretty sure I can work something out for your Christmas present." He winks, confusing me.

Jack clears his throat, his face crimson.

North steps back, chuckling as Bunny lifts his paw in acknowledgement. "'Ello, mate." He stays against the wall.

"Hello, Bunnyroo," I mutter, returning the gesture but keeping my distance from him.

His soft gaze turns into a glare as Jack freezes his ears. "Do that one more time, Snowman."

"Alright, Kangaroo. If you insist." Jack raises his staff as Bunny lifts up his boomerangs.

Tooth darts between the two, restraining Bunny while I restrain Jack. "Boys! Stop fighting!" Tooth exclaims. After each gives a disgruntled mumble, she darts in front of me with her hand out-stretched. "Hi, I'm Toothiana, the Tooth Fairy. Can I see your teeth?" Before I can stop her, she pries open my mouth, poking my teeth. "They're beautiful. Even prettier than Jack's…and that's near impossible. They look like the purest and freshest fallen snow." Her purple eyes shine as she sighs.

"Tooth," Bunnymund says, chuckling. "Fingers out of mouth."

Tooth cringes, pulling back. "Sorry. Sorry. I just love teeth, though."

"You are the Tooth Fairy, after all," I mumble, rubbing my jaw.

Sandman floats up on a cloud of golden sand, tapping his foot impatiently at Tooth.

"Sorry, Sandy," Tooth says, flying backwards and keeping Bunny from attacking Jack.

Little golden symbols appear above Sandy's head in a rapid sequence that make my head and eyes ache.

"Uhhh…do you know sign language, per chance?" I ask, scratching my head.

Sandy nods his head excitedly, beginning to sign. "It is nice to meet you, Val. Have you been having good dreams?"

"In general, yes, except for last night. The dream turned bad."

Sandy frowns. "Pitch?"

I shrug. "I think so. There isn't really anyone else that it could be. And besides, there was black sand on my walls and floor."

His brows pinch together in distress.

Jack puts his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close to him, his blush only faintly visible now. "Well, now you've met everyone. Everyone," he says, gesturing at me, "this is Valentina Aster Johnson."

"Jack's girlfriend," Bunny interjects.

Jack glares, throwing a snowball into Bunny's face.

"Jack…," North begins, leaning against his desk, "is it true about what you said earlier…about Pitch?" North's hand rests against his sword.

"I'm dead serious." He holds me tighter, squeezing my shoulder.

"What happened?" Tooth asks, darting around the room nervously, a tiny hummingbird-shaped fairy following her movements.

Jack clears his throat. "Well, Val and I were ice-skating on a pond when we got hit in the face by snowballs. Pitch was standing at the edge of the pond. He said something about seeing Val again or how good it was to see her again. His daughter came out, and then they disappeared. So we came here."

"Pitch also wanted to know where his daughter's body is. Whatever she is, she's possessing my friend," I add, shivering and trying to warm up my pale blue hands.

"That too. We have reason to believe that Val's life is in mortal danger. She's already had an attempt on her life a couple of weeks ago," Jack murmurs. "She died before I brought her back to life."

A shocked silence fills the room, making me shift nervously. I wince as pain shoots through my legs and arms from the movement. I can feel my heartbeat slowing.

"This is becoming worse than I thought," North mutters, pacing.

"What do we do?" Tooth chirps, flitting around the room.

"She should stay here. It would be much safer for her," Bunny answers.

"Pitch would still be able to get into the North Pole, though. He has before," Sandy counters.

"Aye, but we would be here to protect her," North answers.

"Yeah, but Pitch has the help of a new ally, while we still have the same number of people on our side and a mortal that we have to protect and keep alive. It'll make things even more difficult than they had been last time, where all of us nearly lost our own lives," Tooth replies. "How are we supposed to defeat him this time while protecting a mortal as well?"

My hearing starts to fade out as my body slumps against Jack, my teeth chattering from the cold. I close my eyes, trying to huddle against him for warmth, but it only saps more of my strength. Warm, strong arms wrap around me as I feel my body being carried to a considerably warmer room. Sneezing, I open my eyes, noticing a fire crackling in a fireplace. Several large blankets are covering my body, helping to preserve my body heat. I pull the blankets tighter around me.

"You're awake."

I look towards my right. Leaning against the windowsill is Jack, a small smile on his lips. He rubs the back of his neck, nervously. "I'm really sorry, Val, about everything. I guess with me being a 'winter spirit' and everything, I forget that others, especially humans, aren't able to handle the cold that well." Jack looks away, a grimace on his face. "There's only a certain limit that they, that you, can handle until you're close to death, and I just…" He covers his beautiful cerulean eyes with his hand.

Standing up, I wrap one of the blankets around my shoulders as I slowly walk over to Jack. I place my hand on his arm, lowering it and making him look me in the eyes. "Look here, Jack Frost," I murmur. "I'm at fault as well. I should have paid more attention to my body. Yes, I'm mortal, and the cold is often fatal to mortals, but heat can also be. And frankly," I whisper, placing my hand on his cheek, "I would choose the cold over the heat any day…if it meant that I got to be with you."

A look of surprise and a blush cross over Jack's face as I pull him closer, my lips brushing slightly against his own pair. As I'm about to pull away, he wraps one of his arms around my waist and the other across my shoulders, his hand on the back of my head, holding it in place as he deepens the kiss. I sigh contentedly as I wrap my arms around his neck, shivering with the contact. Our lips move together, in sync, before the need for air causes us to break away from the chaste, yet passionate kiss. Licking my lips, I giggle, looking into Jack's eyes with blushes on both of our faces, but happy smiles are there as well.

"I love you, Jack Frost," I murmur, pausing, "and did you know that you taste like mint?"

He grins, holding my head against his chest as he hugs me. "I love you too, Val. And no, I didn't know that."

I lift my head, pecking his lips again, as Jack carries me bridal-style to the love seat in front of the fireplace that I had been laying on earlier. He sits down, keeping me on his lap as I snuggle against his chest. Reaching to the right, Jack picks up a mug of hot chocolate and hands it to me along with a gingerbread cookie.

Taking a sip of the hot chocolate, I sigh, frowning slightly. "Will we really be okay, Jack?"

Jack rests his chin on the top of my head, stroking my hair. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Pitch has always been causing problems for as long as any of us can remember. We'll make it through this. I'm certain of it."

"But Jack…what would happen if Pitch actually succeeds with his plans this time around? It could mean the end of the Guardians. People could end up dying, and who knows what else might happen." I look into his eyes, tears stinging at the corners of mine. "I don't want to lose you."

He kisses my forehead. "You won't. I'll make sure to be extra careful and not do anything too dangerous," Jack murmurs, chuckling as he watches me nibble on the gingerbread cookie.

"I know. It just feels like we've hit the calm before the storm, and pretty soon all hell is going to break loose. It's scary, especially since I've never been involved in anything like this." I pause, staring into his breathtaking, deep icy blue eyes. "Or involved with anyone like you."

"Good, because I don't like the idea of you being with anyone else besides me…except for your friends of course, but that's completely different since they're your friends, and we aren't. I mean, we are friends, but we're not friends." He sighs. "What I'm trying to say is-"

I cut him off with a kiss. Pulling back, I giggle. "Yes, I'll be your girlfriend, Jack."

Jack sighs with relief, rubbing his neck. "Heh heh. Sorry about rambling. But anyways, I have something for you that I was going to give you at the dance before everything with him started happening." Reaching into the pocket of his hoodie, Jack pulls out a rectangular velvet box and hands it to me after he sets my glass of hot chocolate on the table.

Hesitantly, I open the box. Inside is a silver snowflake pendant with blue and clear crystals on a simple chain. Picking up the pendant, I run my thumb over the cold metal before flipping it over the back, noticing a small engraving in cursive there.

It reads:

Val & Jack
~Always Believe~

"It's beautiful, Jack. Here," I murmur, handing the necklace to him. "Can you put it on me?" I ask.

"S-Sure," Jack stutters, taking the necklace and brushing my hair aside, cold fingertips brushing against my neck as he clasps the chain.

"Thank you, for everything." I lean against his chest.

He chuckles. "I should be the one thanking you. You're the only one that has ever truly accepted me and loved me for who I am. For that, I am eternally grateful."

I blush. "It's fine. Besides, I would do anything for you."

Jack wraps his arms around me, holding me tight against him as we continue to sit on the loveseat, watching the fire and drinking hot chocolate. Despite the serenity of the situation, I can't control the trickle of fear that creeps up my spine, making the hairs on my neck stand on end, even as I fall asleep in Jack's arms.