Jack Frost stared up at the apartment building, bitting his lip. He was terrified, if he was going to be honest. What if Jamie forgot? He took a step forward and he heard something clatter behind him. He turned and smiled at his staff that looked as if it had dropped from the tree he emerged from. He would have to thank Mother Nature properly when he had regained his power.

He braced himself and walked into the alley between buildings, searching for Jamie's bedroom window. He wondered if he was in class or out with his friends or Laura. Jack didn't know what day it was or what time. So, maybe he could just wait in Jamie's room if the boy wasn't home. He looked up at the window and braced himself. He couldn't fly. He couldn't command the wind. He would have to climb. He hooked his staff over his shoulder and grabbed the vines creeping up the older building and began to climb. He heard voices carrying from the courtyard behind the building.

"He's real!"

Jamie! The surprise caused Jack to release the vines and fall back to the ground. He landed painfully on his staff and hissed. "Ow."

"He can't be!" Jack heard a child say.

"Here, look at this." Jack slowly got to his feet and hid around the back porch. He saw Jamie holding out a book for a group of four kids with a wide grin. He flipped through, telling a story for each page.

Jack had to lean against his staff for support. Jamie. Jamie actually still believed. The relief was overwhelming. He had to laugh to stop himself from bursting into tears.

"This isn't proof." A boy sneered at Jamie.

"Okay. Here." Jamie pulled out a crystal-like snowglobe. Jack recognized it. It was the first gift Jack had ever given the boy. "It's ice. Go on, hold it." Jack handed it to one of the girls. She squeaked, realizing how cold it was. "See? And shake it."

"There's nothing in there." the blonde girl said, examining it. "No snow, nothing."

"Just shake it." Jamie insisted with a wide grin. The girl shook it and the other kids crowded around her. Snow swirled around inside the sphere. Images flitted in the snow. A woman who resembled a humming bird, chattering excited with a smaller creature and showing off a tooth. A turbo powered sleigh powered by wild reindeer with a joyous, though intimidating looking man steering. Golden sand producing images of planes and fish and dinosaurs and a stout man orchestrating all of it. A large rabbit that threw a boomerang and carried eggs. Finally, a boy with a hooked staff flying around, producing a snowstorm and throwing a snowball at the viewer before the snow finally settled.

The children looked at Jamie in awe. "Where did you get this?" the second red-head girl asked.

Jamie looked upon the globe proudly. "My best friend gave it to me. Jack Frost."

The kids looked between each other and looked up at Jamie again. "Then where is he? Why didn't we get winter this year?" a boy brunet asked.

Jamie took back the offered snowglobe and looked upon it sadly. Jack could see black sand dancing in front of his eyes that Jamie struggled to fight against. "I don't know, guys. I hope he comes back soon, though."

Jack took a deep breath and stepped into the courtyard. "Am I late for the party?"

The group of children froze and Jamie looked up. Suddenly, he was to his feet He made to run towards Jack until one of the kids yelped out, "Jack Frost!"

They could see him. Jack clutched his staff tighter, feeling some of his energy and power returning. They four kids ran up to him, almost bowling him over. They bombarded him with questions and excited chatter that he had a hard time keeping up with.

The one of the boys silenced the group. He had dark hair and freckles, his face full of doubt. "Wait! How do we know you're really Jack Frost?"

The kids suddenly looked skeptical as well. Jack only smiled and crouched to their level. "The fact that you can see me is proof enough."

"Nu-uh. Make it snow." the boy crossed his arms. "You owe us. We didn't get any snow since November. Not a single snow day."

"I know." Jack looked down. "And I'm sorry. If I could, I would have given you a whole month off of school." He would have rather been doing that than…

"So?" the boy tapped his foot.

"Alright. But, I'm warning you. I can't do much the way I am now." Jack got to his feet and clutched his staff.

"Why? What happened?" the blonde girl asked meekly.

"Well… People don't believe in me. I don't have any power if you guys don't believe in me."

"I believe in you!" the brunet boy exclaimed.

"Me too!" the girls chimed in.

Jack smiled. "I believe you." All of them believed in him. The fact they could see him was proof, but he could tell they were wavering. Jack straightened himself and looked at Jamie. The man who believed in him until the very end. Jack beamed at him and held out a hand. Concentrating his energy, he gripped his staff tightly and blew into his hand.

"Snow!" the red-head girl jumped around in it, excited.

Jack leaned heavily on his staff. He was able to do that much. He had some believers. But he needed to talk to Jamie. "Sorry I can't stay longer, guys. But here." He tapped his staff on the ground and a pile of snowballs appeared. "Go throw them at your neighbors, okay? Especially that annoying cat in the alley over there." he suggested, nodding towards said alley.

"You are a terrible role model, Jack Frost." Jamie laughed.

"Hey, you turned out fine." Jack shrugged.

The kids took the snowballs up excitedly. Jack tapped his staff again, making more snowballs. The kids ran off to do as Jack instructed. Jack looked up at Jamie. Jamie held a few books to his side, taking in the sight of his best friend. Jack couldn't stop himself. He ran forward and embraced Jamie. Jamie hugged Jack back. They were both so happy to see each other. They were both so relieved, even if it was for different reasons.

"Jamie, thank you." Jack said into his friend's shoulder. "Thank you so much."

"Come on," Jamie held Jack at arm's length. "We need to talk. You need to tell me what happened."

The two of them made their way to Jamie's room. Jamie's roommate yelled at him about making dinner tonight, but he called that he needed to work on his book since he had a deadline coming up. Jamie locked his door and looked to Jack who perched himself on Jamie's desk.

"First, Jack, tell me what happened." Jamie sat at the chair and listened to Jack's story intently. He was patient as Jack retold and retold his sister's life, different each time. Jack did everything he could to stop from breaking down in front of Jamie. When he couldn't take it anymore, he skipped to the part when he remembered there were still people that needed him. That Sophie needed him. He told of his escape from the pit. How Pitch had almost claimed him. How Mother Nature saved him. And this is where they were.

"Jamie… I'm so sorry. I didn't know it had been so long. I… I thought I was maybe down there for a few hours. Not for… five months." Jack gripped his staff, looking at the wooden floor. "I made a promise to protect Sophie. I couldn't do that. And…" Jack looked at the boy, finally. He recalled the black sand that had inflicted Jamie. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here to protect you, either."

"Jack, nobody blames you." Jamie assured him. "Tooth told me what happened. How you suddenly disappeared. How there were these creatures, Fearlings, servants of Pitch. The Guardians assumed Pitch had done something to you and were trying to find you. North almost missed Christmas because he was so busy and worried about you." Jamie tilted his head. "Why didn't you go to them, first?"

"Because," Jack took a deep breath, "I needed to know that at least one person still believed in me. If they didn't, then… no one ever would again."

Jamie ran a hand stressfully over his face. "I… I have to admit, I wavered."

"I don't blame you." Jack said quietly.

"No, no… it wasn't because you were gone. I just… I was trying to convince myself it was all in my head. Maybe because I was becoming so absorbed and obsessed with my stories that I thought they were real. At one point, I was convinced I was delusional and made myself an appointment to get my head checked." Jamie snorted. "I never showed up. The only thing that reminded me you were real was the contact with the other Guardians and Sophie. But… even Sophie wavered.

"When I went home for Christmas, we played this game. 'Real or Dream.' We would go back and forth, telling an extraordinary tale we thought could possibly be true. And, since we tell each other everything, we assure each other that story was real. 'A pink dinosaur tapdancing along with Jack and Bunnymund,' Sophie would prompt and I would tell her it was a dream. 'We went to North's workshop and helped make toys for Christmas last year,' I asked. 'Real,' she assured." Jamie was quiet for a moment. Jack was patient. "'A cold kiss. A heartfelt confession.'" Jamie looked up at Jack. "I didn't know what to say to her. She never told me about it."

Jack froze up. He debated what he should tell Jamie. Well, he really shouldn't deny it.

"Real."

"I thought so." Jamie leaned back, crossing his arms. "But we're not here to talk about your relationship with Sophie. We're here to plan how to get your power back. We need to make children believe again."

Jack felt his shoulders release tension he didn't realize had built up. Jamie wasn't mad.

The two of them were silent for several minutes. There was still an awkwardness that was palpable. "Jamie, what were you showing those kids? It looked like pictures."

Jamie looked at the pile he set on the desk when he got comfortable. He pulled out a familiar leather-bound book that had a water stain on the front cover in the shape of a snowflake. The sketchbook Jack had been so tempted to look at. The sketchbook Sophie let absolutely nobody look at. She said it was like her diary, but with pictures. Jamie waved it at Jack, offering it to him.

Jack took it. The first picture was a rough sketch of the five Guardians, with some inaccuracies. As if they were based off of a vague memory told by her older brother. Jack flipped through it. The art improved. It was full of wonderful images of the Guardians and soon, Jamie and Sophie were included. It was a tale of their adventures through pictures. Some of them… didn't quite look like it. It was abstract. Jack had gotten better at dissecting the stories she would tell through them.

Jack smiled at the familiarity of her art. After being subjected to horror for so long, the happiness and life that lept from the pages was more than comforting. Jack stopped at a page. This one had watercolor. Two colors, different values of each. Green and icy blue, splashed together.

Jamie peered over and looked up, pressing his lips together. Jack furrowed his brows, confused at the man. "What?"

"Oh, nothing." Jamie sang. "Just, I think that one represents a very special thing shared between you two."

Their kiss.

Jack felt heat rise to his face. How was Jamie not mad about Jack kissing Sophie? He actually seemed to get a kick out of it. Why though? Wasn't Jack just playing with her feelings, since he had no idea of his own?

He quickly turned the page and noticed the date. It was just before Christmas. It was the last image before the book was given to Jamie. Black tendrils swirled around the page, enveloping an image that was impossible to see through the black. It was so different then the light and happiness throughout the rest of the book.

"… Sophie's been acting… strange." Jamie admitted, taking the book back from Jack.

"Does she still believe in me?" Jack asked, his gaze still fixed where the book had been in his hands.

"Honestly? I don't know." Jamie confessed. "You can go see for yourself soon. But, Jack, I think right now you should go see the Guardians. You need to get kids to believe in you again. I think Bunnymund would be okay if you bring winter right before Easter this time, I really do. Because you really need kids to believe. And Tooth and make the kids remember and—"

"I'm going to see Sophie." Jack opened the window and wind blasted through. He smiled, knowing the North Wind was coming back to him, answering his call. Those children must have spread their belief to their friends. It was enough.

"Jack!"

The winter spirit flew into the wind, heading for the town of Burgess. He needed to know. He needed to see her.

"I'm coming, Sophie."

A/N: The fanfiction is close to the end, guys~ I think there will be about fifteen chapters. Unless I decide to throw another curveball, but I like to get my stories done before I lose interest. Whiiiich is why I've been pushing to get all these chapters out so fast. I literally started this about a week ago and have eleven chapters. Some times, I'd write two chapters a day. Like, wow, what is my life coming to. XD

Anyway, thank you all for reading this story! I really love the feedback! You have no idea how much I appreciate it! less than three love~

See you next chapter~