Christmas Eve
The silence of the night in a Japanese town was disturbed by Santa's sleigh soaring through the sky, while below North and Bunny were hopping from one roof to the next. Jack, Tooth, Sandy and Katherine were soaring through the air next to the sleigh; all were travelling back and forwards, collecting toys from the sleigh and delivering them to different homes.
In the sleigh Lowell was holding the reins, guiding the reindeer through the night sky while Helen was reading from a very long list. "Tang Miwa, two streets away, teddy bear. Shen Yoshi, three doors down, toy robot."
As she read out the list Jamie, who was sat in the back of the sleigh, pulled out the desired toy and tossed it to the Guardian who was next in line. The sack barely looked full, but North had explained that inside was a similar, stable portal like the one his globe created, leading back to the workshop; Jamie just had to think of the toy he needed, and it would appear in his hand.
The Guardians had all decided to help North with the deliveries this year, in case Pitch tried anything. He was still nowhere to be found.
They hadn't been delivering gifts for very long before it turned into a game. "Ten gifts ahead of you, Frost!" Bunny called out.
"Not for long, Cottontail!" Jack called back.
"You'll never be able to catch up to me!" North popped out of a nearby chimney before catching a present, leaping onto another roof and disappearing down another chimney.
Katherine flew past him on Kailash as he popped up again. "Yeah, but you're the master at this, partner!"
Tooth was surrounded by her Mini Fairies, and as she delivered gifts, she commanded them through their Tooth collecting duties. "A incisor in Tokyo! Two molars in Singapore! Oh, and I think there's one bicuspid down there! No worries, I'll get it!" She flew into the window and did her thing.
"At this rate," North said, "we'll be done in no time!"
Sydney, Australia
Bunny hopped out through his tunnel and placed the presents under the tree, before leaving a few Easter eggs with them for good measure. He looked around the home, and upon noticing the boomerangs hanging on the wall, he stopped to admire them.
"I could really do with some of those, mate."
He then heard a growl, and turning, he noticed a dingo snarling at him. "Crikey!" He tapped his foot on the ground and disappeared into his tunnel, just as the dingo leapt. The poor animal ended up colliding with the floor.
Beijing, China
After covering the ground outside in frost, Jack leapt through an open window and placed the toy he was carrying under a small tree. He noticed it wasn't the traditional Christmas tree; it was a native tree.
"Hmm. Needs more of a winter feel." He tapped the tree with his staff and it was instantly covered in frost. "There you go."
Moscow, Russia
North leapt between the many onion-shaped domes of the cathedral before leaping down a nearby chimney. After leaving the presents he noticed a mince pie which had been left out along with a glass of something which smelt good.
"Ooh, don't mind if I do." He ate the mince pie in a flash and then downed the drink. But then he felt dizzy. "That's not root beer..."
He collapsed, and peering in the window, Katherine sighed. "Not again."
Bombay, India
Sandy appeared in the bedroom of the child...but then looked around in confusion. There was no tree to put the present under, or stocking to put it in either.
But then he saw the shoes by the door, and mentally slapped himself.
Cairo, Egypt
Tooth visited many of the houses, but instead of delivering gifts, she was collecting teeth and leaving coins. "Two bicuspids, three incisors, four molars! I'm on a roll!"
But as she flew above the town she came across the sleigh...and came face to face with Helen, who just wordlessly pointed at the list.
Tooth hesitated. "Oh yeah. Forgot I was supposed to be doing that."
A Village in Kenya
Katherine left her gifts at the foot of the bed for the children, and turning around to see the mother asleep in the same room, she pulled out one of her books and left it as well.
A growl and a honk outside caught her attention, and she hurried out through the door to see Kailash going head to head with a rather large male lion.
She clapped her hands sharply. "Hey! We're making some deliveries here! Shoo! Get, you little vermin!" The lion crept away, tail in between its legs.
Venice, Italy
Outside a child's bedroom window there was a splash before Bunny appeared, hauling himself through the window with his fur soaking wet. He shook himself off like a dog.
"I knew I should have opened the tunnel in the kid's room," he said. He then held up the present; a snorkel and a pair of flippers. "Good thing these are waterproof."
Paris, France
Tooth left a present under the small tree in the child's room, and then for good measure, added a coin to the present as well. Then her eyes widened and she perked up, before diving towards the bed. From underneath it a mouse appeared, carrying a tooth.
"Oh, sorry," Tooth apologized. "And sorry about what happened earlier in the year. No hard feelings, right?"
The mouse just squeaked angrily before hopping off the bed and disappearing through a mouse hole.
London, England
Jack soared along next to Helen, who was reading out the next thing on the list. "I've got a special one for you, Frostbite. Pretty much every kid in England has asked for a White Christmas. Think you can handle that?"
"No problem." He disappeared up into the air, and summoning a large snow cloud, he dragged it behind him as he flew across England, bringing snow wherever he went. "SNOW DAY!"
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Katherine placed the present under a native tree, and stepping back towards the window to where Kailash was glancing in, she admired it.
"Well, the usual Christmas trees are getting a little cliché," she admitted. Then turning to Kailash, she said, "But don't tell North I said that."
Mexico City, Mexico
When Sandy arrived in the window of his next delivery he found the child still awake, holding a torch in his hand as he crouched down behind the bed, his back facing the window. There were pillows stuffed underneath his bed covers.
Sandy just sent a stream of dream-sand through, and the moment it surrounded the child he fell to the floor, fast asleep.
Sandy had no problem gliding in and delivering his gift.
New York, USA
"My favourite city!" North exclaimed, as the sleigh passed by the statue of liberty. He hopped out and made for the closest building. "This is going to be EPIC!"
Helen called after him, "I hope so! I've got writer's cramp!" She shook her aching hand, trying to get rid of the pain.
With all the deliveries done, the Guardians headed back to the workshop to celebrate with a Christmas party of their own. As the cookies and eggnog were handed out, North looked up at the globe; all the lights were still shining brightly, like they should be.
"Job well done," he said. "We should really work together more often; more fun that way."
"Speak for yourself," said Tooth. She was still commanding her Mini Fairies across the globe. "I was doing two jobs at once! It's bad enough with just the teeth!" She perked up suddenly. "Bicuspid in New Zealand!" One of her Mini Fairies whizzed away.
By the fireplace Jamie and Sophie were sat down playing with their new toys and Abby was chewing on a brand new bone; wrapping paper was scattered around them while Jamie played with a new toy robot and Sophie with a new toy rabbit which looked suspiciously like Bunny himself. She hopped along, imitating its bounces and leapt on Bunny, knocking him over. But he just laughed.
Holding cups of eggnog in their hands, Bernadette and Lowell had an arm around each other, and the former glanced around. "Wait, where's Helen? She hasn't even opened her presents yet." She pointed to the pile of presents still under the tree, left untouched.
Everyone glanced around but couldn't see her anyway. Jack sighed. "I'll go find her." He took off through the workshop, being careful not to leave a trail of ice behind him.
It didn't take him very long to locate her; she was right at the top of the workshop, leaning on the banister as she watched the globe. He sat down next to her on the banister and gave her a nudge. "Hey, HB."
Helen blinked, as if she'd only just realized he was there. "Oh. Hey, Frostbite."
"What are you doing up here?" Jack went on to ask. "You should be opening your presents. Joining in, you know?"
The girl sighed. "I don't really feel like it."
"You don't feel like it?" Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing; from what Jamie had told him, Helen loved Christmas. "Helen, you need to stop thinking about what happened, and...what you found out. We were all keeping an eye out for anything unusual, and we saw nothing; Pitch is nowhere to be seen."
"Yeah, but he's come back before," said Helen. She turned away from him again, leaning against the banister. "It's only a matter of time. At it'll be when we let our guard down like this."
"We haven't." Jack laid a hand upon her shoulder. "North's yetis are guarding the workshop even as we speak. If something happened, they'd be the first to know, and would inform us immediately."
Helen found herself shrugging. "I guess you're right."
There was a silence as both stared at the globe, which was turning slowly below them. Their eyes picked out every single light that was within view; each one shone brightly, representing each child who was enjoying the wonder and magic of Christmas.
Finally Jack spoke. "So...how are you?" Helen turned back to face him and raised an eyebrow. "What? We haven't really had a chance to talk much or get to know each other, what with all the "excitement" of Pitch trying to get back at us and trying to kidnap you, and all."
Helen turned fully towards him. "What would you like to know?"
"I don't know. What's your favourite colour?" He smirked.
She didn't look amused by that. "Skip the kindergarten questions, please."
"Hey, a boy always has to know a girl's favourite colour."
"There's something we can talk about," said Helen. "Your...um..."attraction" to me? Is that the right word for it? Don't think I haven't noticed it."
"I think it's moved beyond attraction." He flew from his seat and stood next to her, back turned towards the globe as he leaned against the railings. "When I saw how protective you were over your siblings, something...stirred inside me. It was like a tingling. I've seen it in those overly cliché romance movies which thirteen-year-old girls and middle-aged women swoon over."
Helen had to laugh at that. But then it clicked. "But don't you think that's moving a bit...fast?" she asked. She had to admit it; despite her reluctance at first, she was starting to like him back – but not as strong as he apparently liked her. Not to mention she was still uncertain about it due to the fact that he was an immortal spirit of winter and she was a mortal human who could – and would – wither away and die eventually.
"I guess in your eyes," said Jack with a shrug. "But North told me that all us immortal beings – whether we're Guardians or not – have what he called 'heightened emotions'. Our emotions are twice as strong as normal; it's a side effect from our powers, at least that's what North thinks."
She began to understand. "So a normal attraction to me is outright falling in love to you?" she asked.
He nodded. "Love is the most powerful of the emotions, according to North. We can even use it to find one another, it's that strong. North says it was why I was able to find you – but the love had to be returned."
Helen thought about this. "Well...for a moment, when I was trapped in there, I wanted you to come for me," she admitted. "I was just so desperate to get away..."
"I guess that's close enough." He shrugged. "So maybe...there's a chance?"
She smirked and gave him a playful nudge. "Maybe, but take it slowly, OK? My teenage hormones can't cope." Jack laughed...but then his expression changed, and Helen hoped she hadn't said anything wrong. "Jack?"
"Nothing, it's just..." He sighed. "It's happened before."
"What has?"
"This." He gestured between them. "You're not the first girl I've liked. There were three others, long ago. I still even remember their names; Muna, Ashling and Hope."
"Really?" asked Helen. Seeing the emotion in his eyes – so raw, and far more powerful than her own – she realized just how much these 'heightened emotions' affected him. "What happened?"
"All weren't long after I became Jack Frost," he began. "They all couldn't see me...but I tried to change that. I kept leaving signs, hoping each one would make them believe...and would make them see me. But eventually... The first, Muna, met and married another man. I discovered Ashling not long afterwards and tried to do the same with her...but the same thing happened. She didn't believe, and she moved on with her life. But Hope..."
He closed his eyes and looked away, and Helen knew immediately that something bad had happened – something a lot worse than what had happened with the other two. She placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder. "I'm here. You can tell me."
"I know." He sighed. "She came the closest to believing. It was a warm day, and I froze a pond for her to see; to make her realize that there was someone behind the ice and the snow. She walked out on it, trying to make sense of it, but...the day was warmer than I thought, and the ice wasn't stable. It cracked and she fell in. And since I was invisible to her I couldn't pull her out, and she..."
Helen didn't know what to say, and before she could stop herself, out came, "It wasn't your fault." She mentally slapped herself.
"But it was." He gripped his staff tighter and pushed Helen's hand away. "If I hadn't been so desperate for her to see me, then that never would have happened! And do you know what the worst part was? It hurt so much more because it was how I died – and because I didn't even remember..."
Helen remembered the story; it had been told to her when the others had explained what had happened last time. It was sad, knowing Jack had lost his life saving his sister...but then witnessing the same thing happen to someone else and not even knowing why it hurt so much...
"After that, I never tried again," Jack continued. "I refused to let myself fall for anyone. I was afraid of failing; hurting myself was bad enough, but someone else getting hurt... I couldn't let it happen. But then you came along – and I've let myself fall for you."
"It does help that I can already see you." She then realized, "We never figured out why that was."
"I think it's because you're...you know..." He sighed. "Even though you can see me...I'm still afraid of losing you. It's why I panicked so much, each time something happened to you."
Helen went to place a hand on his shoulder again...but then realized it wasn't enough. So instead, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, and placed her head on his shoulder. He was cold...but it didn't matter to her. She wanted to make him feel better. "It's OK to be afraid. I'm afraid of losing my family. And in my opinion, fear gives you the strength to act and defend yourself, and others. It gives you the strength to rise against it."
"I've never thought of it in that way before."
"Yeah." She sighed and pulled away. "OK, enough of all this sad talk. Fancy doing anything to get back into the Christmas mood?"
Jack turned around and looked out one of the windows; the snow was thick and deep, just the way he liked it. A smirk appeared on his face. "I have an idea; why don't we go have a quick snowball fight?"
"But we're not allowed outside."
"Not alone, we're not," said Jack. "We can get the others outside, too. It'll be fun!" He took Helen's hands in his and pulled her up into the air, and she cried out from the shock.
Helen knew that Jack's heart was in the right place...but she couldn't help but get a bad feeling about this.
