Where there is a Flame

Rating: T

Summary: Jack is badly injured while performing his duty as a Guardian. It is up to the others to help the spirit recover and also teach him that just because he was alone before doesn't mean he is now.

Author Note: We are drawing to a close here pretty soon guys. I have to say you all are AWESOME for sticking with this crazy roller coaster and I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far. I've managed to pass my classes and I am a happy, happy person at the moment.


Chapter 8

Darkness coats the Pole in shadows as the moon works at producing highlights across the snowy landscape. Although the older guardians were apprehensive about allowing the youngest member out into the pale waste land the time had finally come to release the immortal from his captivity. Upon seeing the opened door Jack waltzed out into the cold night, his lightly bandaged feet crunching through the snow before he stops and stands silently several paces out from the door. Bunny watches the teen with a mixture of trepidation and pride before sharing a look with the other three. Tooth is moving back and forth rapidly as Baby Tooth chirps from her shoulder.

"How long should he stay out in this?" Tooth asks; worry reflecting in his violet colored eyes as she keeps a close eye on the released youngster standing ankle deep in the snow. Jack, for all appearances was going through a zoning out phase, standing stock still even as the faithful wind whirls around him. Jack suddenly moves further out, his steps coming to rest above the snow as the wind helps carry his slight weight. Bunny watches and points for a moment, his ears flopping in confusion at the display.

"I thought he needed his staff to do that?"

"Hmm. Obviously not." North rumbles, also taken aback by the sight of the spirit calmly walking across the top of the snow with the aid of the wind which swirls around him like a protective blanket, the breeze catching at his clothing and blowing his hair about widely as Jack continues on.

"He's going too far out." Tooth announces worriedly, her small hands wringing anxiously as she moves to and fro, wings pumping rapidly.

"Easy Tooth, give him some time." Bunny counters, trying to ease the fairies nervousness.

"This is good for him. Could be the solution to all our problems." He explains after the worried fairy calms down long enough to listen. Baby Tooth chirps loudly in agreement and finally the fairy relents and settles in to simply watch.

Jack stops and stands on top of the white powder, his arms moving to come up even with his neck before tipping himself back off the top of the snow and into the powder

Promptly sinking three feet and out of sight

"TOLD YOU!" Tooth shrieks and without a second glance takes off towards where Jack just disappeared. North and Bunny share an exasperated look before launching themselves out into the white powder, their speed hindered by the depth. Sandy and Tooth are hovering about the outline when the other two finally approach, North heaving for air as Bunny crouches down to look into the indention. Jack is happily smiling back, his blue eyes locking onto Bunny's as he laughs.

"I'm home." He says finally, fingers picking at the snow encasing his body like a mother would her child, the crystalized water brushing over the still red burns around the teen's eyes. Bunny watches in amazement as the redness seeps away, replaced with the paleness of Jack's typical complexion. Suddenly Jack is moving once more, sitting up from the indention and working to strip off his borrowed shirt, tossing it aside. Sandy claims the article and is then retrieving the teen's pants a second later, his eyes wide at the blatant display of disregard. Tooth gives a peep and quickly moves to hide Baby Tooth from the sight of Jack—now devoid of clothing—reclines back into his indention and proceeds to roll through the snow.

"Sudden onset insanity." North guesses, taking Jack's clothing from the smaller guardian who had shaken off the snow and folded them neatly. Tooth gives a giggle when a pale leg pops itself out of the snow, followed closely by an arm as Jack continues his leisurely roll.

"He is out of his gourd." Bunny mutters, following the trail as the teen finally comes to a stop under a blanket of thick snow. The others follow slowly, still too shocked to really understand what just happened. They approach the still youngster slowly and finally peer down, finding a happy smile plastered to Jack's pale face as he breathes deeply. Bunny can't say what it is exactly but something has been lifted from the child, the tension has melted along with the somber mood.

Jack was content; he was outside in his element finally.

He was happy

"You argued to get them back and now you're laying buck ass naked in the snow. You are a weird one mate." Bunny jests lightly, earning a laugh from Tooth and North.

"Shhh… their talking." Jack suddenly commands, his eyes shifting over to Bunny and the others before moving back to staring straight up at the sky. Although MiM was shining above brightly but Jack's eyes are focused elsewhere. Bunny cocks one ear and glances around even as North and Sandy begin scanning the distance.

"Who is talking Jack?" Tooth asks quietly, hovering just above the snow as Baby Tooth flutters down to land on her friend's narrow chest.

"The stars, the wind, the rocks…. The waves." He breathes; the chilly air that makes the other guardians exhales visible not having the same effect on Jack's breath. Sandy makes a few quick shapes over his head by way of explanation and Bunny finally nods in understanding.

Elemental spirits, constantly in tune to the world around them

While MiM created the spirit by taking pity on the mortal boy who gave his own life so his sister could live, his purpose was to wield the snow, ice and be the embodiment of winter itself. Jack himself was an element built from the spirit of a mortal child who simply wanted to make his family smile in times of hardship and death.

"What do they tell you Jack, when they talk to you?" Tooth presses calmly, reaching down to stroke the silver white hair as the teen's eyes track the comet zooming past, the long tail leaving a bright streak across the sky.

"They tell me stories… They tell me lots of things." He replies with an edge of hesitation. It was to be expected really, since the child spent three hundred years simply talking to himself and not having to explain why.

"I'm not crazy." He states suddenly, a frown twisting his happy face into a frown and narrowing his eyes. Bunny gives a small chuckle and shakes his head

"None of us said you were mate." He eases when Jack's icy glare slides in his direction.

"We just don't hear them like you can, that's all." He explains, holding his paws up in a show of peace. Jack seems to accept the answer and rolls his shoulders a little further into the snow.

"That's sad really… the waves sing the nicest songs." He mutters mostly to himself and North shakes his head in regret. Three hundred years had gone by and none of them paid enough attention to the lonely child who resorted to listening to waves and rocks as a source of entertainment.

"The stars don't talk much, but when I talk to them they seem to listen." Jack supplies, reaching a pale hand up to seemingly reach for the tiny lights far above. "It always made me feel better, even if they didn't respond." Bunny's ears press further back against his skull at the sad admission but he knows there is no way to change the past. Tooth looks to be on the edge of tears, her hands coming up to wipe at the traitorous tears furiously.

"The rocks… oh they tell wonderful stories. They love to prattle on and on, happy to have someone listen to them." Jack continues, oblivious to the emotions of the other guardians standing around his happy indention in the frozen water. "Sometimes, I think they are sad that no one listens to them.. Many of them have lost their ability to speak. They just lay there, where the ice had put them and watch and record, like a v-i-d-e-o." he sounds out the last word, mimicking the way Jamie told him it was pronounced.

"He is getting better." North whispers to the Pooka who gives a single nod in reply. Although the black book was a start, it was obvious that keeping the winter child cooped up in the building was hindering the healing process. The next several days would be a test as to if Jack's submergence in the outside was the true cure or not.

"Yeah." Bunny whispers, reclining his head back to look up at MiM, who simply continues to shine his light down upon the group as they remain out on the desolate plain for several more minutes, listening as Tooth hums a soft tune and Jack has a whispered conversation with the voices only he can hear.

"Can I have my pants back now?" He suddenly asks, sitting up from his indent in the snow quickly. Bunny glances at the youngster for a moment as North hands back the clothing.

"Thinking now rolling around in your birthday suit wasn't such a good idea?" He guesses and Jack gives a short nod before handing a protesting Baby Tooth back to her mistress who complies with the unspoken request and moves to wait behind North's massive frame.

"Yeah, not my smartest idea." Jack grimaces and replaces the light fabric against his pale skin, accepting the replacement shirt with a frown.

"What happened to my clothes anyway?" he asks, slipping his narrow arms through the proper holes until the item is securely covering his body before stepping out of his indention.

"It's a long story." Bunny supplies and North nods his head in agreement quickly as the group sets out for the warmth and security of Santoff Claussen. Jack purses his lips in thought and quietly marches on beside his fellow guardians, shivering when the warmth of the interior hits him. While the others welcome the warmth Jack can't help but feel the exact opposite.

"So… are you feeling better Jack?" Tooth asks, as Baby Tooth lands on his shoulder and rubs her head against his cheek affectionately. Jack smiles at the gesture and gives the larger fairy a nod, shifting from foot to foot as the others scrutinize him, waiting for the answer.

"Uh yeah… actually. Less angry and unfocused." He provides, and in reality he was feeling better. His nerves weren't as frayed and he feels more in control of his abilities now that he'd submerged himself outside. It's a constant fear that if Pitch ever found the key too it would be the end of him, the fear of returning to the early days after his 'birth' to when he collapsed houses, killed off people and crops simply because he didn't understand and couldn't control the energies fully. Baby Tooth gives a high pitched chirp from his shoulder and runs her soft feathers over his cheek, bringing his attention back from those dark memories.

"I-I guess I should say thank you huh?" He admits shyly, unsure of how to adequately thank the group who worried over his welfare and dealt with the crazy mood swings, providing constant care.

"Jack. We are your friends, it is what friends do." North provides gently, seeing the internal struggle and putting an end to it with a firm grip of one hand on the narrow shoulder.

"Our only regret is that we didn't get there sooner." He finishes and suddenly Jack can't breathe, the sheer magnitude of their compassion overwhelming the once lonesome teen. He hasn't felt that kind of compassion in centuries.

"Ohhh don't cry Jack!" Tooth wails, seeing the thin ice forming down the teens cheek as he ducks his head and brings one arm up to swipe at the frozen droplets.

"I… I'm just.. just not good at this anymore." He provides, angrily scrubbing the tears away while North increases his grip on the narrow shoulder fractionally.

"Good at what Jack? Being yourself?" Tooth presses a bit and Jack's shaking his head once more, his hands clenching and unclenching.

"Interacting with.. with people. Having people care and want to know how I'm doing. I talked to rocks." He justifies and suddenly Bunny is in front of him, standing to his full six foot frame with muscular arms crossed over his chest. Jack takes a step back in alarm but then squares his jaw and shoulders defiantly, showing the Pooka the Jack they are all familiar with. The mischievous and vibrant youngster who is quick on his feet and stubborn as a mule, blue eyes narrowed as he glares upward at the warrior.

"We don't care if you're not 'good at this' anymore. We cannot change the past Jack, MiM help us, we all wish we could, but we can't. What is done is done; you are who you are through the experiences you've had. The difference now, is that you are not alone. You have a chance to change the hand you were dealt. We are your friends. You can rely on us to help you, ask you how you're doing and come to your aid. We understand it will take time and patience, but it will also take effort on your part." Bunny states, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Jack can only stare up at the tall Pooka for several minutes, emotions swirling in his blue eyes before he suddenly throws himself against the tall guardian's trunk in a wild display of contact that none of the others had been expecting. Since meeting the wild youth he had kept his distance, refusing to enter into any kind of contact beyond a hand on his shoulder. Jack was obviously unsure about contact, giving or receiving and simply refused to engage in it.

Until now

North gives a small cheer at what can only be dubbed as a breakthrough and quickly envelopes the startled Pooka and winter spirit into his own arms. Tooth and Sandy quickly follow, joining into the huddle with large smiles of their own.

"Alright, that was lovely and all but get offa me." Bunny grouses and the group breaks apart with laughter, including Jack who seems for the second time in the past few hours to have a weight lifted off his narrow shoulders. The team moves further into the Globe room where the Elves had set out batches of cookies and mugs of mulled cider and various other liquids. Jack drops down into one of the large armchairs, rotating himself so his bare feet can dangle over the arm and simply gazes up at the glowing replica of the planet, his eyes focusing on the glowing dots as some fade and others light up.

"Now, you asked about your clothes." North states, drawing Jack's attention from the never ending cycle of believers and nods his head

"And my staff." He adds in as he accepts a chilled mug of cider from Sandy.

"Which is more pressing?" North questions, sharing a look with Bunny from where he was fiddling with something near the desk.

"Staff." Jack retorts, his suspicion rising at the hesitation and worried glances the older guardians are exchanging.

"Did it burn up in the fire?" He asks again, setting down the mug with an audible clack and looking between the others quickly, searching the room with his eyes.

"Not exactly mate, now calm yourself down." Bunny works out and nods to North who presents the charred and blackened shepherds hook. Jack stares at the ancient relic for a moment before getting up and gently taking it from the Guardian of Wonder's grip. Blue eyes examine the dried and lifeless branch intently, fingers scraping at the burnt areas carefully before nodding to himself and turning on his bare freshly healed heel. The others quickly scramble to catch up wondering at the child's reaction to the highly thought of possessions currant state.

"Jack…" Tooth tries but the teen simply opens the door they'd all just come in through and walks out into the moonlight, the imprints from their earlier adventure causing imperfections in the otherwise perfect landscape.

"I can fix this. Just need some help." Is all he says and without any warning the teen plunges the charred hook into the snow before wiggling it around and stepping back to admire his work. Next he crouches down and presses both palms against the snow and closes his eyes, his face going flat with concentration. There is a rapid flash of ice blue as the wind howls past violently and swirls around the younger male. Bunnymund gives a gasp as Sandy points to the cracks developing around the staff, energy racing through the snow from Jack's palms.

As suddenly as it started the light fades and the breeze stops blowing so violently and Jack stands to retrieve his staff, now back to its proper color. He smiles as he runs his fingers over the wood, caressing it tenderly.

"Now… my clothes?" he asks, a smile pulling at his lips and walks right past the group and back into the complex, twirling his staff as if nothing had happened. Sandy gives the others a smirk and then follows, closely trailed by Tooth.

"That child… will never cease to amaze." North comments

"I have a feeling we're going to learn a lot more about Jack than we've ever figured." Bunny surmises with a groan.


Author Note: So, yeah. Drop me a review if you deem it worthy. You folks are wonderful!