Re-uploaded due to some spelling and grammatical mistakes. Sorry guys, I tend to type a little too fast sometimes. Listen to:

Poison And Wine - The Civil Wars (so freaking perfect for this chapter)


Chapter 7: The Truth

Where we last stop:

Her body trembled at that thought and she cried even harder.

Maybe his life would have been better if he had not met her, then he would be happy, Kayla thought as she wiped the stray tears falling relentlessly down her face. He wouldn't be caught up in this mess.

Her mess.

No, she thought with an internal sigh. It didn't mean anything at all.

Kayla cried until all her tears had subsided and she fell into a troubled sleep for the second time that night, wishing this day would just be over.

A gust of cold wind alerted her to the arrival of someone as she immediately got up and formed an energy ball, just to be sure. She warily focused her sleep deprived and blotchy eyes on a figure standing by the window.

"It's just me," a familiar voice said and Kayla relaxed before she tensed back again.

She shrugged and extinguished the blue energy ball as Jack walked up to her. She gave him an impassive stare before turning around and laying back on the bed, facing away from him.

She tried suppressing the hurt that still gnawed at her as she screwed her eyes shut. There was a moment of tense silence before she felt the bed dipping as Jack sat down next to her.

The winter spirit's presence was unnerving but strangely Kayla felt relieve that he was here, although she made no move to acknowledge him.

Jack felt extremely guilty when he caught sight of her tear streaked face in hr blue light, his heart aching. He sat at the edge of the bed, not sure what to say to her as he twiddled his staff in his hands before setting it next to his side of the bed.

The girl beside him was stock still and her tense shoulders told him she wasn't really tired at all. He sucked in a small breath of air before letting it out.

"Kay," he started, but Kayla still made no move to respond to him.

Jack silently put a hand on her shoulder, which Kayla flinched and pushed away.

Jack stilled his throbbing heart as he silently walked up to her side of the bed and kneeled in front of her. He noticed her face was pinched and tense as she faked sleep.

"Kay," he whispered again, louder this time.

Kayla's hazel eyes flew open in shock and her mouth formed an 'O' as she didn't expect Jack to be so close to her.

She made no move to push him away or turn around; the two of them staring at each other in a sad quiet, Kayla on her side and Jack kneeling in front of her.

"I'm sorry for what I said," Jack said quietly as his beautiful face radiated sincerity. He tentatively ran his hand across her cheeks and Kayla stilled, her eyes tearing up again.

"Is that what you really think of me?" she whispered her voice hoarse from hours of crying.

Jack furrowed his brow. "N-No!" he whispered in aghast.

Kayla glanced, wounded at him, thinking of what to say. "Then why'd you say it?" she said in a wary tone.

"I meant it for Pierre, Kay, never you, I would never think of you in that sense," Jack reassured her as she sat up and looked down at him impassively.

Kayla stared at his face, contemplating what to say next. "Pierre has done nothing to me or to you," she whispered savagely as she eyed him with a newfound anger.

Jack looked weary as he addressed the thorny issue. "I don't trust him," Jack said simply, although his thoughts for the male Feeling ran deeper than that.

"But this isn't about him."

"What's it about then?"

"It's about what I said indirectly to you, Kay, and I'm so sorry," Jack gushed out, his blue eyes huge.

She then got down so that she was leveled with him, her hazel eyes sorrowful. Jack laid a reassuring hand on her arm, the both of them eye to eye with each other; blue to hazel.

"All I do is cause you pain," she stated, the sting of the truth rippling through her, a sob escaping.

Jack's face turned incredulous as he wrapped his cold arms around her. "No, no," he murmured as he rocked her body softly, her petulant sobs echoing across the room.

"But I do," she argued weakly, her arms tightening around his neck like ivy. "The night of my parents death, when I stopped believing in you, when I thought you killed my parents and hated you…" she listed and trailed off.

Jack stiffened before grasping her chin and squaring her in the eye. His expression was one of wide eyed shock, innocent and heart breaking.

"Is that what you were sad about?" he asked gently but there was a certain undercurrent in his tone. Disapproval? Guilt?

Kayla nodded, looking at him in confusion. Jack seemed to be contemplating what to say, turning his head to the side.

"Kay," he started hesitantly and Kayla turned to look at him wearily.

"You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. How we met would always be questionable but I would never forget it for the world. You're kind, beautiful, funny, amazing, and honestly you…" Jack hesitated. "You bring out the best in me," he said in an honest tone as Kayla looked up at him questionably.

Kayla opened her mouth but Jack cut her off, not having finished. "Not only that but you bring out the best in everyone, I haven't fought with Bunnymund for the longest of time since you arrived here," he said jokingly and Kayla smiled.

"Nothing you do could make me forget you or worse, make me hate you. I love you, Kay, and I always have," Jack said sincerely, his blue eyes alight with truth.

Kayla felt her heart soar at his words and a blush stained her cheeks. "Really?" she whispered. Jack nodded his head enthusiastically.

Kayla giggled. "I love you too," she said radiantly and kissed him passionately.

Jack kissed her back with the same tenacity and just like that, the tension in the room melted, leaving the two lovers in a glowing blissful silence.

She lifted her face and kissed him again, resting her forehead against his. Jack smiled as he kissed her again, and Kayla felt that same electricity flowing through the air, coursing through her veins and making her feel like she could light up the world.

Their kiss grew hungrier and even more passionate as Jack hoisted her up and gently deposited her on the bed, never once breaking their kiss.

Their hungry kisses then grew more gentler and softer as they held onto each other, Kayla resting her head against his shoulder, listening to his steady beating of heart that soothed her nerves.

This day was too overwhelming and all she wanted to do was just sleep it off.

It was all silent as Kayla basked in the glow of Jack's heartfelt confession.

The tenderness in the atmosphere was incredibly palpable as the two lovers enjoyed the content silence.

She then remembered that in a few hours, she would leave with Pierre to contend to the world's children and frowned at that thought.

Jack's arms tightened around her.

The lulling silence was so peaceful that Kayla felt that sleep was about descend, before Jack's voice claimed her back to reality again.

"You're leaving with him later?" he murmured against her hair, his hands stroking her arms and hair. His question sounded more like a statement as Kayla got up and looked him eye to eye.

"Hey," she admonished gently. "I'll be back in a few days okay? Everything will be alright, and this is for the sake of the children," she said and pushed back a few wayward strands of his white hair.

"I'm more worried for the sake of you," Jack said in all his seriousness. "Really Kayla, I don't want anything to happen to you," he whispered and she could see the fear in his eyes.

She wrapped him up in her arms before whispering against his shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to me, alright?" she reassured him and Jack nodded, before resting her against him once more and letting her sleep.

Jack reflected back on this day with mixed feelings; the untimely arrival of Pierre, the globe lights, his fight with her and the tender moments after confessed feelings.

Jack felt puzzled. Couldn't the others and Kayla notice how when Pierre had arrived, everything happened all at once? Didn't they realize that the shadows had struck when he was in here in the North Pole? Didn't they?

Jack had an uneasy feeling when it came to their new… Acquaintance and he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

Maybe it was the way he didn't look at all shock by the prophecy but instead felt surprised when he knew it was Kayla. Maybe it was when Tooth didn't fawn over him and started reciting his dental history like the back of her hand. Maybe it was the way he hovered and disappeared into the forest at night, for training? Yeah, right, Jack thought sarcastically with a mental snort.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was a flash of evil that passed by his eyes when he regarded him during their fight.

Jack wasn't stupid, he knew something was wrong with Pierre, but the thing was, what was it? As North had once said, he felt it from his belly but Jack felt this with his heart.

He looked down at a serene, sleeping Kayla and he felt a pang of adoration and tenderness for her as he traced her delicate features with an icy finger.

Whatever it is, it better not touch her, Jack thought viciously.


Daylight couldn't have come too early for Kayla. She groaned and got up, feeling the soreness in her swollen eyes as she rubbed them and gave a huge yawn.

Last night's events had completely left her emotionally and physically drained and she wanted nothing more than to lay back and fall asleep in Jack's arms.

She groaned as she recalled what happened, the fight, the forest and of course their confessed feelings.

Speaking of Jack, where the heck was he? Kayla thought with a frown as she got up to regard the unusual empty space beside her.

Kayla shook it off as she got up to prepare, admiring the bright, beautiful view of the North Pole around in the morning.

She took out her usual blue dress that she had on when she was transformed and ran her hands through the material almost lovingly. Kayla often wondered what material this was made of as it felt cool as silk and soft as satin but retained a luminescent glow about it. Like it was made from moonlight itself.

Manny has good fashion sense, she thought drily. She then shook it off and got dressed.

She hesitated before taking one last sweeping look at her room. She then got up and bounded to the table where she wrote a note for Jack.

I'll miss you. Take good care of yourself.

Love, Kayla.

If she had not written that note, then she would have made it out of her room in time to see Pierre floating down the hallway, preferring to hover rather than walk.

If she had not written that note, than she would have got out just in time to see a pale hand reaching out for Pierre, pulling him to the dark corner, wrenching its hand around his mouth.

Pierre struggled before forming a green energy bolt meant to tazer before the pale hands let him go. He turned around and came face to face with an impassive Jack Frost.

"Good morning to you too," Pierre hissed as memories of their fight last night came back to him in full HD mode.

Jack's blue eyes flash in warning as he regarded the male Feeling wearily.

"Look, if you ever so much as lay a hand on Kayla, I'll come after you faster than you could say 'Icicle', got it Pierre?" the winter spirit warned, his blue eyes flashing with animosity.

"I get it Frost, I won't make a move on her, but even if I did, what could you do?" the male Feeling said with a lift of his eyebrows as Jack fumed.

Pierre was saved from a potential punch from Jack by the arrival of Kayla as she was walking out the door.

She stopped and regarded the two males in confusion.

"Uhm, hi?" she asked as she saw that Jack had an arm around Pierre and the male Feeling still had his energy ray formed in his hand.

Weird mornings.

She gave them a puzzle look as Jack immediately detangled himself from Pierre and Pierre warily let his energy bolt dissipate.

You could almost taste the awkward in the air.

Pierre looked at her appraisingly. "Are you ready?" he asked quietly as she nodded solemnly.

Jack went up to her and clutched her arm, literally pulling her to the Globe room where she knew the rest of the guardians would be.

Kayla gave him a mock glare to slow down but he merely smirked and shook his head.

She turned around and gave the passing stone hallways illuminated by soft lighting and the plush carpets one last look as she was swept down the halls and through the familiar wooden double doors.

There, just as she had expected, the guardians were there, deep in discussion. Everyone except Sandy who was hovering, eyes closed and snores emanating from his slightly gaped mouth.

She smiled as the rest of the guardians looked up. Tooth gave her a grin and came up to hug her first, wrapping her feathered arms around Kayla.

The tooth fairy then let her go as she appraised Kayla disapprovingly. "Remember, keep your teeth clean and yourself safe," Tooth said in a worried tone.

Kayla was struck by how much Tooth represented a mother figure. Ever since her grandma had passed away, Tooth had been like a pseudo sister and mum. And Kayla was going to miss her greatly.

Kayla nodded, giving Tooth a reassuring pat on her shoulder.

"C'mon mate, I think you can hug better than that," Bunnymund said drily as he bounded up to her and gave her a brotherly one arm hugged.

Kayla laughed as she let go of the huge Pooka. "Thanks, Bunny," she said warmly and turned around to greeted the still sleeping Sandy.

"Now you stay careful alright? Use your amazing powers and stun them shadows to oblivion, you hear me?" Bunny advised her in a steady tone.

"Of course," Kayla replied back, nodding her head.

Bunny coughed and the Sandman fluttered his gold eyes awake, seemingly disorientated but regained his composure once he caught a glimpse of Kayla.

He floated up to her and patted her back in support, telling her silently that she could do this.

Kayla smiled and gave Sandy a hug, which left the stout golden man blushing in shyness.

North chuckled as he came up to her, tall and imposing but radiating sincerity. "Kayla, stay safe," North said gruffly and gave her a fatherly hug. Kayla hugged him back and felt a pang in her heart.

It might be for a few days but she knew she was going to miss them greatly.

"Oh, and another thing," North said in his Russian accent, removing a small satchel bag from behind his shoulder and handing it to her. Kayla frowned as she didn't notice the bag in the first time and opened it to glimpse at its contents.

In there was a rolled up parchment, a few snow globes, a compass and a map. Kayla looked up at him in puzzlement.

"A little help for the journey ahead," North said cryptically, his blue eyes twinkling.

Kayla opened her mouth to ask but North interrupted her by pointing to the rising sun. "You better hurry, the children are in danger even as we speak," he said in an urgent voice.

Kayla nodded, turning around to the last person she had never said her goodbye's too.

Jack's eyes were wary yet held a thousand emotions as he faked a smile and wrapped his arms around her.

They kept their goodbye embrace short so as not to make it awkward for anybody, but Kayla knew that they had already said their real goodbyes last night.

She flushed at the memory and gave him a small secret smile which he reciprocated.

"Don't hesitate to call the wind in case of trouble, I'll come as fast as I can," he said gravelly and Kayla nodded, remembering his words.

She gave the guardians one last look and turned to North, walking up to him to say something else.

"Take care of Jack for me," she whispered as their huge leader nodded his head.

"Of course," North said back, the rest of the guardians leaning in to hear what she had to say, but it was too soft.

North turned back to Pierre who was hovering in the corner when Kayla was saying her goodbyes, his hazel eyes hesitant.

North walked up to him, placing his huge hand on Pierre's shoulder. "Good luck, ma boy, and please, the both of you, be safe," North said and looked to the sun which was now peeking over the horizon.

Pierre nodded his expression weary yet happy.

Kayla cleared her throat. "Thanks guys for being here," she said and regarded each of the guardians with a smile. "I meant it when I said that we should call the whole supernatural world, they need to know what's happening," she said in a serious tone as the rest of them looked equally at her in seriousness.

North nodded pensively. "We'll hold a meeting soon," he said simply and Kayla took that as the cue to leave.

Bunnymund had mumbled something that sounded like "I hope you don't invite the groundhog," and Kayla had to stiffen a smile.

Pierre followed her suit as he flew out of the opening. Kayla turned back to regard the guardians one last time, her gaze moving to Jack who was staring at her in uncharacteristic worry.

With one last glance, she mouthed 'I love you' to him and flew of, chasing the dawn, Pierre next to her.

After a good deal of silent flying, Kayla turned around to her comrade, who was stuck in a contemplative silence.

"I'm sorry about last night," Kayla said honestly, her hazel eyes probing his with genuine concern.

Pierre looked shock as the wind whipped his already unruly sandy hair into his face. He flipped it away impatiently and Kayla had to resist the urge to giggle.

"It's alright, anyway if it's anyone who should apologize, it's Frost," Pierre said humorlessly.

Kayla nodded her eyes hard. "I talked to him last night," Kayla said simply, smoothing her blue dress which was being tugged by the cold wind mercilessly.

Pierre glanced at her agnostically, his hazel eyes doubtful as he shrugged and continued in his silence.

Kayla knew he was as unsure about this as she was but she kept her determination in check. They were going to get to the bottom of this.

She looked down at the progressive geographical change of the snow capped mountains, fishing out North's compass to check where they were going.

Kayla was momentarily side tracked by the beauty of the compass. It was carved out of vintage gold and had inscriptions of a different language around the circumference.

She consulted the compass and found that they were going south-east.

"Are you sure you know where we're going?" Pierre asked cautiously, his black jacket whipping fiercely behind him as he matched his velocity with hers.

Kayla gave a small frown as she fished out the other item from North's satchel to her.

The map was a yellowed old parchment but still managed to retain its wordings and transcriptions. She gasped when she saw the map and held it dubiously to the sun.

She screeched to a stop, looking at the map in confusion.