Q-A: Hi everybody! Thanks for the reviews so far and all of the fallows and faves. ^-^ They make me very happy. Here's chapter diez (ten)! We'll be seeing some shocks and revelations revealed. But don't hold it against me; sometimes angst needs to be placed in a story for a reason. But don't send any knives and pitchforks at me! I'll never be able to explain that one to my folks.
I'M REALLY SORRY THIS TOOK LONGER THAT NORMAL! But seeing how this chapter is over 10,000 words is pretty much a lot for me. And over 52,000 words in total. YAY!
Disclaimer: are all mine. People, places and things mentioned in the books and movies aren't mine. Neither are the songs or musicians.
~Seek for the Truth~
"Jamie, Jamie," Sophie cheered while jumping on her brother's bed. Jamie was in the middle of an awesome sled ride, led by Jack Frost, when he heard his sister's squealing. Groaning in disappointment that it was all a dream Jamie got up while wiping some lingering dreamsand out of his eyes. "What is it Soph?"
"Fairy, fairy," Sophie said excitedly.
"What fairy?" Jamie asked curiously. She couldn't possibly mean the Tooth Fairy, right? Neither of them lost any teeth as of late. Unless… "She might be bringing Bridget home." He smiled at the thought and asked Sophie where she saw her. The green-eyed toddler got excited and cheerfully marched out of the room. Jamie shook his head and shortly fallowed after.
"Saw fairy here and fairy flew down to front door." Sophie said as she pointed at her bedroom window.
"Why would the Tooth Fairy need to go to the door...oh right she has Bridget with her." Jamie mentally slapped himself. Of course the Tooth Fairy could get in a house just fine but Bridget couldn't. That's why they had to use the front door.
Jamie took his little sister's hand and they went down the stairs. They didn't speak so they wouldn't wake their mom as they walked through the living room and were at the door.
"Remember Sophie, don't scream like the last time the Tooth Fairy came. We can't wake up Mom."
"Okay." Sophie bobbed her head excitedly.
Jamie clutched the doorknob and turned it. He opened the door and to his shock did not see anyone there. Jamie and Sophie held looks of confusion until the oh-so familiar sound was heard.
The Bennett siblings' vision was covered by black wings and glowing red eyes soon after.
"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"
"Ingenious words, Mr. Marley." Bridget thought wearily while listening to the song with Jack. She wasn't bored with the music at all. But sitting in a room, for a good two hours, was starting to get a little irksome. "At least the others sound fine."
While Jack was lying on the wall with Bridget, occasionally tapping his fingers to a song, the other Guardians were doing their best to entertain themselves as they waited in a drawing room near the study where the Elders were. North was busy with over viewing new toy designs to send to the yetis, Tooth ordered one or two of her fairies to collect teeth, Bunny painted a growing pile of Easter eggs, and Sandy made a dreamsand image of tic-tac-toe and played against a glowworm. Sandy was winning by a landslide.
"'Cause every little thing gonna be-"
"Hey it stopped." Jack snapped his eyes open when the music was no longer playing. Bridget sighed and removed the earphones from its connection with the iPod shuffle. "The battery's dead."
"Too bad, I wanted to hear that Dr. Freeze guy after that one." Jack said with obvious disappointment. "What's his music called again?"
"New Jack Swing," Bridget answered while wrapping up the earphones. "But it's not just his music a whole bunch of other people too. My favorite has to be the remix to Lean on Me." Bridget grinned sheepishly. "I'm a fan of the oldies so sue me." She groaned when she remembered something. "And I can't recharge the battery 'cuz I don't have the charger with me."
"Charger might not work anyway, with no power sockets in village." North pointed out without lifting his head up.
Bridget titled her head in annoyance. "You kidding me? No electricity? Then how was it I could take a bath the other night?"
"Magic." Bunny responded like it was the easiest answer in the world.
"And the heating?"
"Magic," Tooth answered after directing a Mini-fairy to Zimbabwe for two free cuspids and one lose canine from Timbuktu.
Bridget inched near Jack and said hesitantly, "Lighting?"
"What do you think?" The winter spirit smiled crookedly.
Bridget answered dryly, "Magic."
"See, now you're catching on." Jack replied while resting his arms behind his neck.
"I already did catch on." Bridget complained. "I just wish Miss Nature saw that," she muttered the last part to herself while fidgeting her wrist again.
Jack noticed her hands and curiously asked, "Why do you keep touching your wrist like that?"
Bridget blinked twice. "My wrist?" She spoke with hesitance; she did not want the discussion to move toward-"Actually I've noticed that you do that too." Aw, Tooth why did you have to chime in? Bridget could feel them all staring at her now.
An uncomfortable feeling rested in her stomach. The unsettling feeling reminded Bridget of butterflies but she thought that didn't sound right to her. Mini-fairies made more sense out of the situation. Yeah, Bridget had the feeling of Mini-fairies in her stomach. She felt her mouth dry up, and licked her lips.
"Easy, they just want to know the wrist thing, not you whole life story." Bridget exhaled and pulled out her right sleeve.
Jack's dark eyebrows vanished into his white hair when he saw a glittery object on the girl's wrist. It was a bracelet made from strands of gold twisted together. The jewelry had open-ended at the front and fit Bridget's wrist perfectly. The bracelet was lose enough that it wasn't stopping blood circulation, but tight enough so that it didn't slip off while Bridget raised it slightly.
"It's beautiful." Tooth was the first to speak.
"A good shine too," Bunny, added with fascination.
"Very nice," North complimented. "But vhy hide such a lovely trinket?"
North took Jack's words out of his mouth.
Bridget turned her head, a soft blush appearing on her face. "Do you know how little kids have security blankets to comfort themselves when they're scared? This bracelet is like that for me too." She absentmindedly caressed the metal. "I touch it whenever I get nervous or uncomfortable. The bracelet makes me feel safe because I've always had it since I was little."
"There's more to the story isn't there," Bunny observed Bridget's unhappy look. She nodded and became rigid. Concern feelings entered Jack as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Bridget shrugged it off and sighed in defeat. She might as well…
"When I was eight years old, all I remembered was that I was sleeping. Sleeping for who knows how long, but where I was sleeping it felt cold, really cold. When I awoke I remembered seeing a light, it was so bright and comforting somehow. But just as I saw it, it went away." She swallowed a growing lump until she continued. "When the light vanished, all I could see was the darkness I normally see now. But I wanted to see the light. I wanted to feel its warmth again.
"So I got up from under this wooden thing I slept under and walked, hoping I could find the light again." Bridget smiled ruefully as the memories rolled in. "The ground I walked on felt cold, like snow, and-no offence Jack-I needed to find a place that was warm and walked to it. Not too long before I could feel my feet on a hard surface. I was walking on a sidewalk and heard voices swarming around me. But I was so dazed and confused I couldn't hear voices calling to me. Witnesses later said I was jaywalking." Jack arched an eyebrow in confusion but remained silent.
Bridget chocked back tears started to breathe deeply. Jack and the others looked very worried until Bridget held up a hand. "I'm fine. I'm fine." The last one sounded like she was trying to reassure herself.
"Next thing I knew, I was on a hospital bed with tubes connected to my arms and I felt sore all over. The doctors said the fender of a car passing by hit me. They said it was a miracle I survived from all of the head injuries I had." The tears fell down in a gentle flow but Bridget did not stop. "When they asked for my name and home address all I could remember was that my name was Bridget. Nothing else. All I wore was a tattered, old dress and this bracelet, but no I.D on me.
"And that's all I remember. I don't know who gave this bracelet, where it came from or me for that mattered. Everywhere I went it was always the same answer from jewelry makers, they had no clue who made it because it looked so different and old. It was similar with people too. No one knew who I was or where I came from." Bridget shook her head and wiped her face clean while sniffling.
A very uncomfortable silence filled the room as the Guardians took in the girl's sad sermon.
"So you have no other memories?" Jack spoke softly, feeling he was walking on eggshells around the fragile girl.
"Kind of a Anastasia story huh?" Bridget smiled bitterly. "No memory before childhood, a special jewelry no one can decipher, and an orphan. Heaven forbid I turn out to be the long-lost child of a royal family." She barked a laugh, trying to ease off the chilling mood.
Before anyone could retort, the doors to the study swung open and the three Elders came walking out, quite gracefully Jack thought. He held the urge to snicker at the over dramatics. "We have made our decision." Mother Nature spoke without hesitation...
"After much thought it was best concluded that none of you are to go the face the Morrígan."
Anger boiled within Jack as he stood up, ready to them a piece of his mind.
"Are you kidding me?!" Bridget shot up, yelling with venom in her voice. "After what I've been through and these guys you're just saying no?"
Mother Nature squinted, like Bridget was nothing more than a bug to look at. "I understand your dismay but this is for the greater good." Her voice wavered between calm and annoyance.
"Greater good my ass-pardon my French-do you have any idea what the Guardians been through since this whole trip started?" Bridget motioned to where the Guardians were sitting before continuing. "They have been focused, determined, and motivated to do nothing else but save those kids. And seeing how 5 of them are kids I know, this is a very personal thing for me." She thumbed toward herself to emphasize her seriousness.
"That's exactly why my fellow Elders and I voted no." Mother Nature rejoined, as her green dress formed from soft green into a gray hurricane of discord. Her mood seemed to match the outside weather as hail began to fall. The Guardians took immediate notice and Bunny whispered warningly, "Bridget you should probably-"
"We knew that the Guardians would take this matter personally because of the bonds that have been made." Mother Nature decreed without skipping a beat.
"What bonds?" Bridget huffed. "If you're talking about Jack and-" "I speak exclusively to the others." The nature spirit snapped.
"Guys," Jack eyed his fellow Guardians. Like Sandy, the all started to stare at the ground.
"Then you don't know that North would visit a bespectacled boy and give him sword fighting lessons." Mother Nature spoke with a cool air. Everyone turned his or her heads to North's direction.
"Monty is leetle boy vith strong heart who reminds me of myself as a молодой мальчик." North admitted.
"How about when Toothiana saw the large and smaller girl when they did not have any missing teeth."
"Cupcake and Pippa treat my Mini-fairies with great respect." Tooth cried in defiance.
"Sanderson visits the twin boys and literally brings their dreams to life." The nature spirit strode toward the smallest Guardian. He twiddled his thumbs nervously all the while making an image of him with Claude and Caleb. Another image appeared made up of dreams being turned into reality.
"And E. Aster," Mother Nature shook her head with disdain. "I always had such high hopes for you." Whether that was a pun or not Jack had no clue. "Always so serious and determined to your little egglets, but now once every fortnight you'd spirited away the smallest of the Burgess children, and have her help paint eggs." She spoke every syllable with a poisonous tone.
Bunny's ears drooped while he stared at an unfinished egg. "The Ankle-Biter's good with handlin' my googies." He halfheartedly defended.
"What's your point?" Bridget asked while placing her hands on her hips. "So they have a couple of favorites. There's nothing wrong with that."
"Of course there is." Mother Nature scowled, her eyes turning into a stormy gray like her dress. "The Guardians will desire to protect the children even more now-"
"And how is that a bad thing?" Bridget called back and crossed her arms. "Didn't the Man in the Moon give them that job in the first place? He told them to go and rescue 40 kids that need help."
"Forty?" The black haired woman arched an eyebrow.
"Yeah, the Morrígan had her crows kidnap seven children from each continent." Bridget smiled smugly before adding, "But only five from America because Jack and I saved two of them from getting captured."
"A hollow victory if I may imply." Mother Nature replied. Bridget frowned while hearing the woman continue. "Forty lives is a trivial matter compared to the lives of many more. Over a billion children live in the world and 40 taken is not even close to a fraction of that population."
"So you're just gonna let get die?" Bridget cut, fed up with the Elder's words. "How can you be so cruel? And trying to rip off Star Trek quotes is crossing the line, Missy. Those kids are scared, alone, and unsure of what might happen to them and the only who might know where they are, are the Guardians."
"Oh," Mother Nature turned her direction at North. "So you do know where they are hidden." A ghost of a smile lay on her face.
North rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Vell, not exactly…"
"But the Morrígan is from Ireland right?" Bridget cut between them, earning a distasteful look from the woman and a sheepish, but uneasy smile from North. "I read everything this village's library has on her and the Tuatha Dé Danann made their home there in Ireland after leaving their four cities. So the Guardians and I gotta start there, I guess."
"'You guess,'" Mother Nature did not sound pleased. "Your little assumption is all you have. Weren't the Tuatha Dé Danann worshiped in all countries the Celts touched? You are very bold to narrow down that one particular country out of a dozen or more."
"If Bridget believes it's Ireland, so do I," North declared while placing his hands on the redhead's shoulders. "Manny chose her to help us and he is never wrong on his choices. A mortal woman's intuition is almost never wrong. I feel it, in my belly."
Bridget's confidence came soaring in as she lightly brushed North's hands off and said proudly, "And that's why I know the Guardians can save those kids. Not because they picked a couple favorites but because they will do anything to protect all children. I don't need to believe in them to know they can do it."
"You speak so highly of them," Mother Nature observed in almost admiration. "Either you have a strong belief or you are very delusional." Bridget was about to retort but the Elder cut her off. "It will only be a matter of time before you, yourself will grow up and become an adult. Answer me this, when you grow up will you still think highly of the Guardians and believe in them even if they cannot no longer protect you?"
Without skipping a beat Bridget said, "Yes." Her voice filled with passion. She (hopefully) was staring directly at Mother Nature, not faltering from her ground.
While staring into the girl's unwavering eyes Mother Nature almost felt a spark inside her grow. Was it sympathy? Interest? Or regret? Honestly she did not know but Mother Nature did feel something while looking into the mortal's metallic gray eyes. A memory resurfaced into the older woman's mind as she could almost hear a small girl's laughter and a husky chuckle from an older man.
Mother Nature scrunched her eyes, swatting away the memory as she spoke aloud. "My words will remain firm and neutral as I have always been toward you all before these unfortunate events." Her frown deepened. "So it seems you would rather take the advisory of a nearing adult that myself."
"That's not true," Tooth, insisted, clasping her hands in deep sincerity. "We trust your judgment very well. There's a reason MiM chose you, Tempus, and Ombric to make final decisions on important matters like this."
"And yet you choose the adolescent here over mine." Mother Nature turned her head at Bridget. "Mark my words, Miss Bridget, there will be a moment when something goes wrong."
Bridget's mind wandered to harmful thoughts, "And you will be the cause of it like before-"
The redhead shook her head while she failed to stop the tears from falling and ran out of the room. She rammed and bumped into furniture along the way-"Dammit!"-but Bridget didn't stop.
Tooth held a very distraught look and started to fly toward Bridget's direction. She paused mid-flight when she felt a pressure on her shoulder. "Let her be," Bunny counseled wisely while his paw rested on Tooth.
Mother Nature held a very shocked expression that turned into surprise when she saw Jack Frost hold his staff near her face. She didn't know whether to laugh or be angry.
"Go to Bridget and apologize." Jack commanded, his face cold and stiff. "Now."
She decided this was a humorous moment.
"Ha," Mother Nature chortled. "This has to be the most droll thing I have seen all day. A mere winter spirit giving me orders." Her amused expression turned serious. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?"
Jack tightened his hold on the staff. "No, but you're Mother Nature right? So where's the motherly part in there?"
The woman slackened her shoulders and jaw tensed. "I am not always a benevolent soul. Like nature I am forever changing." With a wave of her hand, the hailing from outside ceased and sunlight was seen through the windows. "You should learn to give me more respect Jack Frost, who do you think allows you to fly with the wind? The same wind I control."
Jack lowered his cane as his eyes widened. "You control the wind? But I always thought that I…"
"I control the winds and clouds, and cause hail and lightning, as you have all witnessed." She smiled proudly. "My very presence also imbues leaves, rain, snow, thunder and lightning. I can be anywhere on Earth as I please."
"Then do you know where the children are?" Bunny letting go of Tooth and asked cautiously, knowing Mother Nature could be very unpredictable.
"No," Mother Nature replied with slight remorse. "But as of late I have felt an unsettling occurrence in Ireland. I cannot reach my thoughts there or sense anything else."
Bunny crossed his arms in affirmation. "So the big Ankle-Biter's theory was true. And you said different."
"I only was testing the girl." Mother Nature turned to Ombric. "I was told by Ombric that he was unable to do so with the incidents at play."
"The girl obviously has no ill intentions and has a good heart. Even if there seems to be a burden holding her back." Ombric added with a poignant tone.
"A burden that may jeopardize your mission." Tempus finally spoke up, having a voice so ancient that it boomed with awesome power. "Along with the other theory we conceived."
"Vhat theory?" North asked.
"It's only a theory," Ombric insisted before pausing. "But it might still become a reality if you all do not acted quick enough. We Elders believe the Morrígan may want to use the children for some sort of sacrament."
"Collecting nearly seven children from each continent cannot be a mere coincidence." Mother Nature cut in. "She must want them for a ritual; a ritual that might affect all of you Guardians. Why else would she capture a few children you all know personally?"
"They're gonna be used as bait," Jack finalized while still in daze from his confrontation with Mother Nature. She controlled the wind? But he always thought the wind was a force on all its own. A power that Jack did not control but could ask and be taken wherever he wished.
"What kind of ritual?" Tooth asked, choosing to ignore the question.
"That we do not know. Our knowledge before the Man in the Moon's time is very limited. We may be old as him but this goddess who challenges you all is much more older and powerful." Tempus admitted. "But we do know the rite will conspire on a date of natural importance to the world." His face darkened before stating, "A day when darkness and magic are at its strongest."
"The Winter Solstice." The Guardians said in unison. "Figures," Jack muttered under his breath.
"If the Morrígan does become a threat, she will rise." Mother Nature warned. "But she can only be successful if you are all defeated."
"Naturally we would believe it best you stay far from her as possible." Ombric explained. "That was of course before Miss Bridget made her argument. I am willing to change my vote for that, under the belief you will all succeed in finding the objects MiM instructed you to find."
Tempus kept a firm grip on his hourglass staff while stroking his graying beard. He sighed, "I too will change my vote. If MiM willing, I see no other reason to deny your request."
All eyes turned to Mother Nature. She crossed her arms and said definitely, "I stand by my original vote and believe this to be a suicide mission." Jack was about to protest when the woman continued. "But while I do not like your choice, Guardians, I do respect it. Along with the girl's." She bowed to Ombric and declared, "I shall take my leave."
"I must go as well," Tempus replied while taking a pocket watch out of his copper colored robes. "'Time is of the essence' as the mortals say." But before leaving he turned to Bunny and said, "I thank you for continuing your promise E. Aster. Allowing me to control time without meddling in and all." Bunny was caught off guard but welcomed him. With a double tap of his staff Tempus became covered by a glow then vanished.
"Tempus has always favored the theatrics." The nature spirit turned her attention back to the Guardians. "I do wish you luck on your quest. Hopefully you will find these objects unlike last time." Mother Nature said cryptically. She placed her hand on the bark wall, gave everyone a curt nod and left in a flash.
"Do you think she's okay?" Jack asked while staring at the hallway Bridget ran to a while ago.
While breathing through her nose Bridget inched away when she heard Jack say, "Do you think she's okay?"
"She could be in room now," North's voice rumbled. "Leetle Girl needs time to herself."
"I think I should go and check." Tooth said in a motherly way. Instinctively Bridget inched away from the opening. "Naw let the Shelia have some peace." Bunny uttered gruffly. "After what Nature said to 'er I'd be surprised if she didn't shed some tears."
"Is it just me or do you guys like pretending you're someone when you're really someone else?" "You just took the words right out of my mouth Jack," Bridget mentally mused with a half-smile.
"There has been reason for precautions Jack Frost. We all must be on guard for what might lie ahead." Ombric warned. "My greatest concern for me is what these objects stand for."
"Maybe we should ask the Leprechaun for what he knows." Tooth optimistically suggested.
"Good idea," North replied. "It is said that he is closest relation to Tuatha Dé Deanna after all."
"Yeah, I reckon that would be a must." Bunny stated.
"Then it's settled, once sleigh is fixed ve vill travel as possible as soon is."
Bridget left right as Bunny corrected North's incorrect saying of 'ASAP.' She shut the door to her room. Bridget sighed after wiping her eyes for the umpteenth time and shuffled near her bedpost. She remembered about the date of when the Morrígan would supposedly strike.
December 21, the Winter Solstice.
Of all of the dates in the world it had to be that one. Not did that mean Bridget would be staying with the Guardians much longer than she anticipated (four whole weeks!) but it was the same day that- "No let's not go into there. I ready have enough problems as it is." Bridget lay down on her bed and sighed once more. She didn't bother putting a nightgown on and unceremoniously went to-KNOCK-KNOCK!
Bridget opened her eyes and reluctantly got out of the comfortable bed. She groggily dragged her feet across the floor until she could feel the doorknob on her hand and clasped it. Bridget turned the knob and could clearly hear Tooth and her Mini-fairies humming wings.
"Hi," Tooth spoke softly. "We didn't mean to wake you up."
"No it's fine," Bridget wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I wasn't completely knocked out anyways."
Tooth clasped her hands anxiously while noticing the dried tears on Bridget. "Are you okay?"
Bridget sighed, her hands still on her face. Bridget stalked over to her bed and plopped tersely on its Victorian styled quilt. She shrugged her shoulders before admitting, "To be honest I have no clue. Not only did I act like a total child, but also I practically insulted one of the most powerful beings in the world. Heck, Mother Nature is literally the earth. I probably screwed up your association with her too."
"Oh, no, no, no," Tooth flew over to the distraught girl, doing her best to sooth the teenager. "What you did was very brave. A bit foolish I'll admit, but brave none of the less." When she saw the girl smile slightly Tooth cheekily added, "And to be honest the Guardians and me weren't always on good terms with Mother Nature anyway. Not since…" Bridget turned her head when she heard the pause. "Well, not for a long time. All and all we thought what you did was something none of us would had the courage to do."
Bridget shrugged. "Standing up for something or for someone is an instinct for me. That's why I hate what those bullies do to Jamie and his friends." She smiled with sincerity before saying, "You know… you guys, the Guardians I mean, have been really good for the kids. I have never heard of kids with happier stories than anyone else." Her expression became full of warmth and kindness. "Sure they get picked on by older kids because they still believe in you but the things Jamie and the others say are just so wonderful. And you just being there for them really makes all the difference. That's why I didn't like what Mother Nature was saying to you guys, it felt wrong."
"You really are something little Wisdom Tooth."
Bridget stopped mid-giggle and tilted her head. "'Wisdom Tooth?'"
Tooth covered her mouth in embarrassment. "Oops, sorry that was a slip of the-"
"But why did you call me that?"
Tooth smiled sheepishly. "Well, because you…have your wisdom teeth, and you're very smart for your age-oh sorry it sounds really silly and-" "No!" Bridget held her hands up. "I don't mind it at all actually. I'm already nicknamed by North and Bunny, the only others missing are Jack and Sandy. God forbid Jack calls me 'Bridge.' I always hated it when people call me that and-" Bridget could no longer process any words when she felt a warmth around her.
Tooth was giving her a hug.
Bridget felt her insides expanding and shrinking all at the same time while her eyes widened. She remembered being hugged by North or Carol and the…incidents with Jack. But in the bedroom it was different because it wasn't an embrace from a concerned person or an accidental slip-up. This was a hug for the sake of hugging and nothing else. Slowly Bridget returned the embrace and closed her eyes as Tooth gave another affectionate squeeze. Bridget felt a presence on her head and quickly realized it was the Mini-fairies also hugging her in their own special way.
For the first time in two days Bridget fell asleep with the feeling of home wrapped around her.
North could barely keep himself awake while tinkering with a metal wind-up toy. He was in his old inventing room while everyone else was fast asleep. The toy was a little puppy dog that was suppose to prance around in a circle and then lie on its back as if waiting for its belly to be scratch. Instead, the toy rutted in an oval and became stiffened before falling on its side. So far North found a sprocket inside that was bent and believed it would solve the problem, instead the dog ended up doing a black-flip and fell down without getting up on its own.
"How old this is getting for me." North grumbled while rubbing his eyes.
"Personally I blame the 'nog." North turned to see Bunny leaning casually on the door's side. "All that drinking can be bad on the mind ya know."
North rolled his eyes while Bunny hopped in. "You are not sleeping."
"Oh I was. The first time in two days without your snoring keeping me up." Bunny pointed out. "But when I didn't hear it, so I knew something was up. I thought you were goin' to fix the sleigh without proper sleep but found ya here instead."
North sighed. "How can I vith Leetle Girl had such a rough day?" He gestured his thumb to the wall behind him. "She is obviously in pain and Ombric is right on her being held back. But vhat? I do not know this."
Bunny shrugged. "Neither do the rest of us. Jack's pretty worked up 'bout it. Probably feels obligated or something like that to help her out. Same with Sandy I think."
"An adolescent is much more complex than child. There must be something to make her happy." The former Cossack's expression turned from deep deliberation into that of joy. "Vait, vait, vait, vait, vait, vait. Idea! Ha!" North pointed his pointer finger inches from Bunny's face while jumping up. "Bunny I know now vhat vill make Leetle Girl happy!"
Bunny shushed him, not wanting to wake the others. "Oh really after years of MiM knows how much scarring you know what will make the big Ankle-Biter happy?" Bunny held a look of skepticism. North might be an ingenious Guardian but even from time to time his schemes would seem harebrained at best.
"Trust me vhen I say this will be great." North exclaimed while placing an arm on Bunny's shoulder. "And you're going to help."
"Me?" Bunny looked dumbfounded.
"Yes." North nodded. "Ve'll give her best gift in whole vide world. Better than steel cane in fact." He smiled knowingly before adding, "But first I need you to find your old tool box."
Bridget sighed softly while sleeping soundlessly. She hugged her pillow mumbling something incoherently about apples and geese. Her face scrunched when she felt a weird jab on her cheek. Bridget groaned but remained still while gripping the pillow tighter. Another nudge tapped her face. She waved her hand near it in annoyance. Seconds passed and Bridget felt nothing so she sighed and drifted back to sleep.
"Oh c'mon get up!" Bridget squealed in surprise and fell off the bed. She growled in frustration while rubbing her head in slight pain. She recognized the voice right away.
"Whad ya want Jack?" Jack held a secretive smirk while helping Bridget up. He swayed his back in forth, the heels of his shoe-less feet rolling in an easy tempo. "Just to get you up," he answered rather smartly. His grinned widen when Bridget rolled her eyes.
"Is that so?" Bridget's scowl slowly turned into a look of instantaneous curiosity. She leaned toward Jack with a small smile. Cold, violet blood rushed to his cheeks by the close contact, glad for the moment that Bridget could not see it. "Well in that case…" The redhead purred. She leaned to his ear and yelled with the top of her lungs, "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!"
Jack was spun around and shoved forcibly out of the room. "Ever heard of knocking Jack, really?" Bridget asked with her hand on the door and her other on her left hip. "Give me time to put some actual clothes on. Sheesh." The human shut the door with a loud thud leaving Jack and Baby Tooth outside.
"Couldda warned me that might happen." Jack grumbled to the Mini-fairy. Baby Tooth shrugged her shoulders in response, not very sure how humans would act and knowing nothing about teenage girls for that matter.
A few minutes passed and Bridget called out, "Okay I'm ready." She got out, wearing her usual coat and pants and re-tying her braid. The girl pushed her braid back before apologizing, "Sorry about exploding like that earlier." She smiled sheepishly, hoping they would forgive her.
Jack waved it off. "It's fine. I have a problem with not knowing the difference between being welcomed into someone's place to breaking and entering," he joked with a sheepish smile.
"Apparently," Bridget remarked. She clasped her long cane and asked, "So what's this great thing you had to get me up for?"
Jack smiled genuinely for once and replied, "You'll see." He offered his cane. "We gotta get to the inventing room. Everyone else is already there."
Bridget made a bewildered expression but decided to go along with it. She clinched the crook staff and off they walked.
Inside the inventing room, the four Guardians buzzed excitedly at what was to come as they waited for the two adolescents.
"Oh, isn't this exciting?" Tooth asked Sandy. He nodded eagerly, dreamsand cascading down from his pointy hair. North and Bunny held happy expressions despite looking awful tired. Their eyes had bags and the pooka detained back a yawn while waiting.
After what felt like an eternity the door to the room opened. Jack smiled broadly while leading Bridget inside. The Guardians were in high spirits as the girl walked in. Bunny and North quickly scrambled an object behind themselves until realizing how pointless the gesture was.
"Okay Jack brought me here in a cryptic way, no one has greeted me yet, and I think I'm in a dusty room but not a 100% sure yet." Bridget observed while resting her chin on her hand.
"Oh but for all good reason." North promised with a finger wag. He looked at Bunny who nodded with a grin and the Cossack turned back to the girl. "Bunny and I have vorked all night on special project."
North revealed a piece of cloth covering a long object. Once North removed the fabric and placed the object onto the redhead's opened hand Bridget knew right away what it was.
"Um, it's glasses." Bridget rubbed her thumb over the glass.
"My old pair actually." Bunny, said proudly. Jack could see why, the glasses were egg-oval shaped with a light green tint. The dark green temple arms, used to help the glasses to stay over the ears, were chiseled in a way the appeared like twin stems of flowers. They even had little flower designs in the metal. In spite of its old form the spectacles looked brand new.
"Bunny did not alvays have good eyesight vhen starting out as Guardian." North chuckled, earning a glare from the pooka. "He needed glasses to paint detail on eggs better."
Bridget smiled uneasily, not sure what to think of the gift. Sure she was flattered and all but… "This is really thoughtful of you guys to give me this except," she sighed and drooped her head. "I can't wear these. It wouldn't make sense for me to use them with me being blind."
Jack couldn't hold his laughter anymore. He clung to his gut while his other hand clutched to his staff. "You don't get it yet do you?" Bridget's naïvety was just too much for him.
"Get what?" Bridget incensed slightly.
"There's a reason behind the glasses, Bridget." Tooth stated. "North and Bunny made the glasses magic so they can-" She glanced at her fellow Guardians for an answer. The gave her encouraging smiles and turned her attention back to Bridget-"they can let you see!" Tooth couldn't hold her excited as she squealed on the last word.
Bridget's guarded face quickly melted into a one with her eyes widening and jaw dropping. "Did Tooth just say..? Y-you mean 'see' as in actually seeing?" she muttered breathlessly. "I'll be able to see?"
Reality took root into Bridget mind when she articulated, "But that's impossible." Her happy thoughts going away in the blink of an eye.
"Impossible things happen all the time." North countered cheerfully. "They happen everyday in fact."
"You stole that from Rodger and Hammerstein." Bridget replied, too mixed up to say it in a know-it-all voice.
"But it's true," North countered once again. He inched toward the girl and curled her hands around the specs. "At least give us doubt for benefit and try them on." He said reassuringly.
Bridget still held a look of skepticism while holding the object before her. She bit her inner cheek before pursing her lips. This couldn't really be happening right? She dreamed something like this for years and the very idea that all of it could come true at that very moment seemed so unreal. Another thought came to her mind as she reflected over these musings. Why were the Guardians so interested in giving this wonderful gift to her? Besides reading about the Morrígan and that's all she really did for them. Oh yeah and bitching at Mother Nature, but that was more of a downside than an added bonus. So yeah Bridget was back to square one.
"But I don't understand? Why? Why are you doing this for me?" Bridget furrowed her eyebrows.
"Leetle Girl vas so sad other day and many days before," North said, his eyes full of worry. "Ve felt this could make life better for you." That and he never actually gave the poor girl a gift. She was on the Nice List, no doubt about that, but he remembered how Bridget was always traveling and never at one home long enough to be given a Christmas present. And for teeth, Tooth admitted that she held none of Bridget's teeth for some reason, and they all assumed it was from the moving too. The same went with Easter, Bunny could never find the kid because of her moving across the country. So he was just as guilty.
"But I don't deserve this," Bridget said in despair. "I've done nothing for you that's worth a gift like this one."
North chucked. "Of course you have. And vhy must you value your life so lowly." He brought his red sleeve to Bridget's hand and asked, "This single thread on shirt doesn't see its purpose in the pattern and how important it is. Nor does a rock on mighty mountain. So vhy judge yourself so lowly and vhere value lies before seeing it through different point of view?"
"A different point of view?" Bridget tilted her head in confusion.
"Sure," Jack came in. "You've been with us since this whole trip started and didn't give up." He winced when a memory from the workshop came into mind. "Okay maybe once but after that you stayed focus on helping us out."
"Not to mention keeping us from going at each others heads," Bunny acknowledged with a knowing laugh.
"And standing up to Mother Nature vas fearless." North encouraged. "Something ve vould not do on our own."
Tooth agreed and added the Bridget was a good person who deserved to because she cared about kids too. Sandy made a thumbs up with both hands, hoping his message was getting across as well.
"For almost ten years I couldn't see like the other kids," Bridget mumbled with balled fists and her bangs covering her eyes, "So many times hearing them taking for granted on a wonderful ability and me just only fantasizing what it might be like…"
Jack felt pained by her look. "You don't have to put them on unless-" "NO!" Bridget raised her voice. Everyone looked at her with surprise. "I want to give it a try. No hurt in trying right?"
North smiled broadly. "That's true." He was happy how brave she was being. Of course nothing bad was going to happen to Bridget, but she didn't know that."But how do these work? I thought you need some ability to see in order to use them."
"That's what we enhanced," Bunny stepped in. "Instead of you needin' your eyes to see through the glass, the spects' do that for ya."
The redhead furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "What do mean?"
"Ve mean the glasses are remade so that they take in image and put into mind instead of eyes." North explained eagerly. "So everything you'll see vill be from glasses."
"So I guess scratching or breaking them would be a bad idea."
"Nothing to worry about," Bunny reassured. "The glass never gets busted. With our combined magic, it won't"
"Put them on. Give us a try," North said with wide eyes.
Bridget took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. Slowly she brought the glasses on her face and felt the pads on the bridge of her nose. It felt a little odd having a slight weight on her face but it grew away. She blinked her eyes a few times, still seeing her usual darkness. She waited.
And waited.
And waited.
For another moment, nothing happened at all.
But then small light spots began appearing and disappearing on two planes of Bridget's line of sight. The lights would be replaced with larger ones and touch each other and grew across. The light kept growing until it spread into two ovals. Color began to form in a blur but then deiced to take shape as the haziness started to fade. Bridget could almost take in a rectangle in front of her (she could see shapes!) and touched the bleached sheet covering it. With some effortless tugging, Bridget pulled the sheet down and could see a vague figure staring right at her. The image became clearer and Bridget nearly in gasped in shock.
"That's-that's me," Bridget whispered as her hand touched the mirror's reflective panel. Her eyes were a gray that held an unusual gleam to them. "My eyes really are gray." She continued looking at her reflection with much interest. "The doctors were right about the scars under my eyes." Bridget touched them slightly and flinched at how pale and thinly they were in comparison to the rest of her skin. "And man, I am so pale, I should get out more." She took notice of her bright red hair and shook her head. "Never mind I'm obviously a ginger, I'll get cancer by just looking at a picture of the sun." She noticed her reflection and corrected herself. "Actually that might a bit rude. And an offensive stereotype. For all I know the last people I knew in my old school might've been gingers with tans, who knows."
A noise was heard and Bridget nearly squeaked when saw another person in the mirror. It was a short little man with golden hair short and styled into five points that glittered like gold. His eyes were a golden brown that held a special glow to them. In fact his whole body glowed an extraordinary gold, wearing nothing but a one-piece suit the covered most of his body. His total appearance reminded Bridget of- "Sand…" Her eyes widened in realized awe. "You're Sandy-the Sandman."
Sandy smiled and gave her a wave, causing some of his namesake to cascade onto the ground. Bridget fell to her knees in complete wonderment while staring at the Guardian of Dreams. "You just waved at me." Her small smile grew. "And I saw it!" She clasped her hands in excitement before another thought came into mind. "Can you really make sand images like Jamie said you can, please?"
Sandy couldn't say no to that face and wouldn't be able to anyway. In a matter of seconds streams of dreamsand appeared from Sandy's hands. Bridget almost squealed in delight after running her fingers through the sand, laughing as a dream of a dove materialized, and flew circles above her head. The little bird fluttered right near her face as sand nearly touched her face.
"Vatch that now," Bridget felt two arms grab her shoulders and brought her up. A warm chuckle was heard, "Can't have Leetle Girl falling asleep."
Bridget turned around with her jaw almost hitting the ground. North was an enormous! Wearing a long red coat with black fur trim, and a red plaid shirt he also sported large, brown boots that were definitely bigger than hers. He also had the words 'naughty' and 'nice' tattooed on each forearm respectively that were no long holding onto Bridget's shoulders and now rested on his hips.
Bridget was taken back much more astounded than the last. "It's-it's really." Bridget nearly cried while muffling her face with her hands. "You're Santa. I mean you're North obviously but…you're Santa Claus too." She sniffled slightly with her eyes slightly watering.
North smiled, his white bread rising up slightly. He knelt one knew to the ground so he was with eye level with her and chuckled. "Do I look like Santa you'd pictured?"
Bridget nodded breathlessly. "You're Santa. You've got the red suit; the white beard and the big belly…you do have blue eyes. I knew it!" Bridget clasped her hand and pulled it down in victory.
When she opened her eyes a little hummingbird-like creature came into Bridget's view and saw the little thing flutter around her. The little being had a purple eye and other blue. Tiny green feathers covered her body with the exception of a little gold feather sticking from her forehead. She was soon joined by her three sisters that were practically identical apart from them all having purple eyes and blue feathers sticking instead of gold ones.
"You have got to be the Mini-fairies." Bridget declared. The little fairies nodded eagerly and flew closer to her face. The redhead held a very bemused face and gushed how cute they looked. "They get some of that from me." Tooth said with a hidden smile.
Bridget turned to her right and saw one of the most undeliverable sites she ever saw. Tooth looked part human part hummingbird hybrid. While colorful greenish and bluish feathers covered her entire body her face and hands were tanned. Her eyes looked like a mix between pink and purple and held so much happiness and joy. Instead of hair that covered her head, Tooth had feathers that made a curved upward style almost like a crown. Around her wrists and ankles there seem to be golden lines that appeared to look like golden bracelets and golden anklets, as well as gold feathers on either side of her head for earrings. Tooth also had long, drapery feathers that start at her waistline and end at her knees. Along with the crown like feathers, the long feathers made Tooth look more and more like royalty by the second.
"Tooth," was all Bridget could say. Her eyes were size of saucers by that point.
The female Guardian's smile faltered slightly worried that the girl was too freak by her appearance. "I understand completely if I don't look like what you'd expect." Tooth began uncertainly.
"Uh, Tooth."
"I mean I know I look nothing like Tinkerbelles, or whatever her name is, but I promise you that I'm not as unusual as I look…besides my obsession with teeth and that I probed your mouth when we first met."
"Tooth." Bridget tried again to get the fairy's attention but she was much too wrapped up in what she was saying to notice.
"But I also did that with Jack and to all the other Guardians when we started out," Tooth's feathers ruffling with emotion, still unaware of Bridget trying to call out to her. Bridget crossed her arms and smiled in amusement. North and Sandy doing the same while the human gave them a look asking like if this was normal. North shrugged his shoulders and held back a chuckled while Sandy simply grinned. Bunny and Jack stood out of the way until their turns came and shook their heads at Tooth's erratic, but typical, behavior.
"TOOTH!" Bridget called loud enough so Tooth could hear her finally. The fairy ceased her pacing and flushed slightly in embarrassment after seeing everyone staring at her.
"Sorry," Tooth apologized while fluttering near Bridget. "I just get emotional from time to time."
"So I see," Bridget grinned widely at the last line the most and giggled. "I don't think you're strange-looking." Bridget moved her arm to brush the thought away. "You look more like a princess than anything else."
Tooth's view completely changed as she blushed at the compliment. "Oh thank you," Tooth placed hand on Bridget's shoulder and smiled, showing her gratitude.
"You've got some nice pearly whites too, you know," Bridget added while smiling. The Fairy Queen and her miniature subjects took a shine to that and fluttered excitedly, earning a giggle from Bridget.
At mid-giggle Bridget felt something poking on her foot. Looking down, Bridget saw a peculiar thing indeed. A tiny egg with little feet and painted silver and red tried climbing on Bridget's shoe. She picked up and was amazed by its little legs.
"Egg legs," Bridget murmured while engrossed by the detail on the egg. The colors matched her eyes and hair perfectly.
"A really beaut' ain't it?" Bridget quickly turned around fast to see Bunny's face. Even if he was the first rabbit Bridget ever saw she knew right away he looked nothing like the regular ones in grassy fields. As a pooka, Bunny stood between six to seven feet tall, with grayish-blue fur. He had flower-like imprints on both his forehead and shoulders, and bright green eyes. He wore leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which he carried humongous boomerangs, and leather wrappings on his feet.
"Whoa," Bridget gasped in total awe. "Jamie was right about you being tall." Her eyes shifted to Bunny's holster and back to his face. "Why are your boomerangs so huge and cool looking…those are boomerangs right?"
Bunny smirked, puffing his chest with pride. "They sure are. Made by yours truly. And the rest is pretty great too." Jack rolled his eyes at the Guardian's overconfidence. "Six foot one, nerves of steel, master of Tai Chi, and the ancient art of-" Bridget couldn't help herself, and hugged the pooka.
"Crikey!" Bunny's eyes expanded in alarm. He was unable to move from the pure shock until he recouped and gradually wrapped his arms around her too. The hug was brief as was the silence between the two as Bridget laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, it's just like before, when I said I like soft things. So seeing a giant bunny is way too tempting you know?"
"That's alright ya Big Ankle-biter. Give me warning next time though." Bunny told the little redhead with a genuine smile while ruffling her hair. Seeing the girl's happiness was worth the insomnia he was going to have in the future.
"And your eyes are really green too," Bridget stared at them strangely, earning an odd look from Bunny. Bridget got out of her trance and blinked a couple of times. "Sorry, I got lost for a second." She stepped back a little and turned looking at each of the Guardians she had finally got to see. Bridget was tearing up as she looked at the four Guardians. These were the people she had believed since she was a child and they were really there, in the same room with her. "This is just so-" Bridget took a deep breath to keep herself from fainting. "I have always imagined, but-but I never-You guys look much more amazing than I thought."
The four Guardians exchanged looks of bliss while seeing Bridget look so happy. She clasped her egg while grinning. This was what they were meant to do when bring joy to children, teenagers included.
"What about me? Don't I look great?" Bridget rolled her playfully at Jack's impatience and cocky attitude. "Oh yeah Jack you're really-" Bridget turned her head and was immediately silenced. Every witty comment she had in her mental arsenal quickly dissolved the moment Bridget saw Jack Frost. And I mean really see Jack Frost.
The boy in front of her held a Sheppard's crook staff in one hand while his other one was in his hoodie pocket. He had no shoes on but didn't seem bothered by the stone cold floor. His pants were tattered brown, roped by a lighter brown string material. The hoodie was blue with frost covering around the ring of the collar. His skin was paler than Bridget's but not pale enough to look sickly. His face was soft with very striking features, bright blue eyes, dark eyebrows that were contrast to his snowy white hair.
"Well~" Jack grinned, showing his perfect white teeth. "Am I okay looking?" He leaned on his staff with keen interest. His eyes held a mischievous impression as he bore them at Bridget. The Mini-fairies squealed in delight and one even fainted on the floor. But Bridget didn't take notice as her mind was still in mental shock. How could someone like him exist? It was naturally impossible for someone to look so-
"Bad thoughts, bad thoughts," Bridget insisted. "Just say something, anything to him. Don't make this such a big deal." But her brain wasn't working on that. It was mostly still in eternal shock over how attractive Jack was. When her eyes were the size of saucers before, they were now the size of jet hubcaps. Also when her jaw dropped to the floor earlier this time the jaw fell into the floor, cracked through the foundation of the tree, and plummeted into the Earth's core, only for it to return back to he mouth. That would explain why her mouth felt so dry and her got really warm. It was the core's fault not hers!
"C'mon girl, just answer the question. Tell Jack he's just as magical as the others, only ten times more sexy-DAMMIT! Stop thinking! Just calm down everything is going to be-"
"Uh Bridget," Jack looked at her with concern. For the past two minutes Bridget had a very stunned look on her face. It was much different from the ones she had earlier. She also seemed completely unaware of the events around her. Bridget didn't even notice that she dropped her egg, the hard shell shattering on the floor, much to Bunny's horror. Jack didn't pay attention to Bunny's breakdown while staring at Bridget. Why was she behaving like this? She cried after seeing North for MiM's sake. But at that moment with the winter spirit Bridget said nothing. "Are o-" "FINE!" Bridget shouted unexpectedly.
Bunny ceased his sobbing, Tooth stopped comforting him, Sandy and North ended being bystanders as they all stared at the mortal. She felt very uncomfortable at them all giving at her but Bridget quickly said, "I mean you look fine," Bridget motioned to a bewildered Jack. "Fine, yep. That's all. Ha-ha. Fine, absolutely fine." She eyed the floor and saw the scrambled egg. "Oops, I should-uh clean that up." Bridget laughed uncomfortably while pulling her left arm. She stared at everything that wasn't Jack until she shot out of the room like a bat out of hell. Or at least she was until she accidently rammed her body on the doorway.
"Ha, the door and my head." Bridget laughed. "Don't worry the glasses aren't broken. I'll go and get a mop and bucket, now." She smiled painfully and placed her hands behind her back. Without another word Bridget ran out, hoping no one saw her blushing face.
Jack blinked twice while staring at the door. "Fine?"
Q-A: Over 22 pages with so much stuff going on. I mean WHOA! I cannot believe I wrote half of the stuff in that. And next chapter will have even more stuff going on. In fact with all of you guys being so nice I'm putting up some line previews of dialogue that'll be used in the next chapter.
Preview:
"Fine? Fine? What's wrong with me?"
"I swear I just met the guy."
"What's with the dagger?"
"So we're playing Pictionary now?"
"Man I wish we had THAT when we first fought Pitch."
Q-A: So yeah that's how it's gonna roll.
молодой мальчик-Young boy
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