Yeah, last chapter was a little dark so this one won't be quite so bad. Still, it will be er...interesting. It's about the Bennetts mostly and the interesting things that start to happen as a result of thier slow transformation. A bit of sad too.

Also, here's an explanation in relation to time; whether it matches cannon or not I am not overly concerned n_n

The movie takes place close enough to Easter for the holiday to be in danger when Pitch wrecks the Warren but it's still snowy in many parts of the northern hemisphere they visit. So, I'm gonna say the movie happens February. The big kids are all about 8-9 and Sophie is two.

Parts 1 through 3 and part 5 happen that Easter. Or the day after.

Parts 4 and 7 both happen 8 years after the story starts. The older kids are 16-17, Sophie is 10 (this I did fix, I originally made her 8) but by now, it's very obvious the seven of them are not growing normally. For reasond only hinted at so far, time has stopped for all of them at 12. As for driving-the average height for a 12 year old boy or girl is around 60 in (5ft), my mom is 5'2" and has no problems seeing over the steering wheel. Being that small at 16 would not stop him from driving. Sophie is almost as tall as her much older brother at this point. Since she isn't 12 yet, she still grows relatively normally

Parts 8 and 9 happens when most of the kids are 11-12 and Sophie is about 5, again I had her age wrong before. Doesn't make it any less disturbing that Jack let Bunny think he had his wicked way with her.

*wda*

Being weird never bothered Jaime Bennett one bit. Not even when his bond with Jack got all kinds if strange.

It did scare the hell out of one Anita Bennett, however.

Firstly, Jaime was suddenly a lot smaller than most of his peers. She noticed when he went back to school in 3rd grade. He also seemed to get colder to the touch every year. Color seemed to be draining from his skin, his hair slowly turning white. Even his deep brown eyes were changing. Becoming lighter. Bluer.

In 9th the school nurse became alarmed when he came in for a bandage and touched his frigid skin. Taking his temperature, it was 80 degrees. That resulted in the EMTs carting him off to treatment for hypothermia on the spot. Despite his insistence that he was totally fine. A day and a half in a hospital room only yeilded a mooded teen and a whole team of confused doctors. It had been suggested he be more rigorously tested for a host of developmental anomalies that might account for his short stature, low temp and other physical changes. Well that and the smell.

Yes, smell. It wasn't offensive in the least, rather a sickly sweet scent that clung to her son. It varied in strength from time to time but was ever present. A clear case for diabetes out of control.

Except not.

In fact, the doctors remarked the Bennett boy was far healthier than most kids his age. All his labs were normal including his hormone levels. There was just no explanation for his stunted growth other than he probably drew the genetic short straw. In a literal sense. The waiting room at the office of one of the referred specialists did solve the 'my son smells like sugar' thing though.

Sorta.

Actually it just added a whole new level of confusion.

Jaime went to the bathroom as soon as they arrived, the stern nurse handing him a specimen cup at the door. This all occurred while she was signing in and providing information to the receptionist, so Anita didn't notice at first. In fact, she thought he was right next to her at the desk.

"Jaime when was the last time-?" She blinked when she turned to see nothing beside her. Just a large blooming holly plant in a Christmas themed pot on the floor beside the registration desk decked out in lights for the season. "Huh. I thought...wait."

Mrs. Bennett leaned over and sniffed. To her surprise, the tiny white flowers smelled exactly like what had been wafting off of her child for almost 6 monthes. Her baby boy smelled like holly?

"Oh, you noticed it too. Dr. Goshiki's mother sent her that to her as a sapling about five years ago from Japan. Up till now it's just been that weird bush in the background. This morning I came in then bam, pretty white flowers a plenty! Boy does it over power the chemically smell in here huh?" Josie smiled. "Looks like holly but it's not. Something Latin I can't pronounce. Nice little holiday suprise huh?"

After dinner that night and every thing was cleaned up, she got on her laptop and checked the plant out.

"Flowers of the Osmanthus family are known as False Hollies or Tea Olives and grow in a multitude of places, blooming at various times during the winter. Flowers of all tea olive species are intensely fragrant, often being compared to the scent of peaches, orange blossoms or jasmine. The most common flower color is creamy-white, but depending on cultivar, can vary to include pure white, pale to deep yellow, and orange. While individual flowers are small, the clusters are usually large and numerous enough to be quite showy.

Foliage is dark, leathery, and usually toothed along the edges. Growth habit of most species is dense and upright-oval to round in form." She read aloud.

/Well, I know WHAT he smells like. Just not WHY he does. Fantastic./

This was driving her crazy. She was running out of time! What if this was something horrible that was slowly killing him? Like the sickness eating her, that took Benjamin from them before their daughter was even born? It's not genetic they said but what if...just what if?! Could Sophie have it too?

Was Jaime putting on a brave face in an attempt to keep her from worrying?

She had to find out before-

"Whatcha doin mom?" Speak of the devil. She knew she smelled spiced peaches.

"Just research sweetheart." She shook her head, a bit grateful he derailed her thoughts. They were barreling down a destructive track.

"About the flower I smell like." He leaned over her shoulder. "I'm not the only one."

He typed quickly.

"Cupcake." A deep red flower appeared. Flowering Quince. Then he typed again.

"Monty." Thin, spindly white petals. Sarcococca.

"Pippa." Lovely pink petals. Luculia.

"Claude." Tiny yellow blooms. Wintersweet.

"Caleb." Almost the exact same flower, just on a different plant. Winter Jasmine.

"Sophie." Fuchsia petals, Daphne.

"What?"

"Jack's not sure why, but we each smell like flowers that bloom in the snow. We knew there would be slow changes that made us more like him so he gave us these charms to make it less noticable but...for some reason it doesn't work for me so well. Claude thinks it's cuz I was his first." From under his shirt, he pulled a dazzling stone cut like a multi faceted teardrop. The thin metal chain seemed to vanish against his pale neck. Her son's eyes went wide once he mentally replayed that. "Um..."

"Jack, the older boy you made friends with when you were eight?" Behind that calculating expression brewed sheer terror. This guy, now a man had been a teen when their circle of friends started talking about him in grade school. She'd never seen, only heard things. Now she learns he's given them what looked like expensive jewellery. Jaime just said he was 'Jack's first.' What if this had been a silencing bribe? What if he did something unspeakable to them? Her babies?!

"It's not what you think mom. Calm down. He hasn't touched any of us in some weird way. Why do adults automatically assume he's a pedophile? He just..." Jaime moved her laptop before bring his index finger to her mug of tea. She jumped when it cracked. Then gasped as he flipped it upside down and a cylindrical block of brown ice thudded on the kitchen table. "...made us special."

"Oh my god..." she stared at the frozen tea in awe. This was so surreal!

"You were supposed to enjoy these last few years with us but you haven't because you're worried about us being sick too. So, Jack decided it was alright if we let our folks in on everything. We already know mom."

"Know what?" She poked at the block with her pen, not really paying attention.

"About the cancer."

THUNK. The mysterious ice ended up on the floor when her arm jerked.

Anita sat straight up upon hearing that. There was no way she heard that right.

"It's okay." He hugged her. Immediately, she wrapped him in a vice grip sobbing.

"How could you possibly know Jaime? I don't even look sick."

"No amount of make up, fancy wigs or fake smiles could hide it from us. Especially not anymore. Sophie and I probably sensed it before you even knew." It was his turn to hold onto her as she went limp in his arms, crying her eyes out.

What was happening? She'd been so careful, she was sure of it. Appointments made only during school hours, meds kept in her closet shelf. Knowing what to expect, she'd prepared for the eventual spread. Spent a small fortune in beauty products to cover up how pallid her skin became, her lovey blonde locks breaking off and falling out. The insurance would be more than enough to help Cynthia and Frank up in Pittsburgh take care of their niece and nephew when she died.

She would have told them once the pain was too much to bear and she could no longer pretend. If she could spare them the sadness as long as possible, she'd move heaven and hell to do it.

If only.

"Mom? I want you to know the two of us will be fine, just not with Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Frank." Jaime pulled back, looking her right in the eye.

"I don't understand, sweetheart. There's no one here that could take you in. I want you with family." Mrs. Bennett drug her white sweater sleeve across her face, to hell with the mess of cosmetic stains it left on the fabric.

"We will be. Let me explain." He sat down beside her, squeezing her hand. "About our big brother, St. Jackson."

*wda*

Whatcha think? Not everyone who has cancer can hide it, but a lucky few can. My 8th grade history teacher did; not even his wife, a cardiologist, knew. This chapter happens about a year before Monty dies so ages are 15-16 and 9. So far, three families know Jack is real.

Jaime is Jack's first believer, that makes him more powerful than his friends.

Geek alert

All the flowers used bloom in early to late winter and are native to lots of countries. When they bloom, they are hella strong sometimes sufocatingly so. Smelling like very sweet things, they remind people of everything from spices to fruit to candies. They're real pretty too, such vivid colors are also why are commonly used as ornamentals that time of year

Dr. Goshiki's name comes from a breed of false hollies native to several islands in Japan. It means five colors

Reviews are like hugs! Sirensoundwave out.

Oh! I'm trying to find someone interested in using my version of St. Jackson in a Supernatural crossover. I would love to see how a good SPN fan writer would portray Sam and Dean meeting/hunting St. Jackson and possibly his lil frost flowers. Any takers?