Let me explain something to y'all about the way I work…
I handwrite my stories in my notebooks before uploading it on the website for your fangirling/fanboying pleasure. I always try not to let the uploading catch up to the handwriting because I hate feeling rushed and as Billy Crystal said in The Princess Bride, "You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles." That's why I haven't uploaded for a while, but I'm going through a bit of a writer's block. Y'all know what that's like, right?
HOWEVER, sometimes uploading helps me break out of it, so this upload is my attempt to wake up my inner muse from her catnap. Wish me luck!
I think you're gonna like this, 'cause it gives us a little revelation about Jo's past AND SHE GETS TO MEET SANTA! Buckle up, mates!
"Has the moon lost her memory? She is smiling alone." – Elaine Paige as Grizabella, CATS
Chapter 11: The Choosing
It had taken exactly one minute for Joanna to take her little trip down Memory Lane. Jack was surprised to see her snap out of it so fast; his own experience had felt longer than one measly minute! He reminded himself to ask Baby Tooth about that.
He watched her from his Indian style position with his staff tucked into his limbs; she had this look on her face of complete and total astonishment, like she had discovered the 8th Wonder of the World…her world, to be exact.
'Is that what I looked like?' he wondered. He'd have to ask Baby Tooth about that, too. He got up on his knees and scootched over to her.
"Jo?" he said, "You okay?" She nodded dumbly, then found her voice again.
"I saw them," she croaked and cleared her throat, "I saw my parents! They were just like you said! They were wind spirits and they were all crazy-powerful and I lived with my dad around The Great Lakes! Didn't you see any of that?"
"No," he shook his head, "Only you and Tooth can see your memories."
"My gosh!" she put her hands on her head, "I remember them now! You were right about my mom; she was hot, and I mean that in both ways! She was tall and beautiful and she had long black hair and a sun-kissed tan and a Georgia Peach Southern accent! Not sure how she picked that up; she used to vacation in Mexico and the Caribbean and places like that.
"And my dad? Seriously, what was his problem? Every time he crossed the border he ran you off like a stray dog!"
"Told ya," he shrugged.
"I never understood why he did that," she brooded, "And then that last time, I was eleven years old. Dad told me I couldn't see you anymore. When I asked him why not, he just looked at me for a second and said…'You're not the kind of person people want to be around.'"
"What does that mean?" Jack asked, surprised that any father would say such a thing to his child.
"That's what I said," she answered, "I told him, 'But Jack wants to be around me! He likes me!' And Dad said that was because you didn't really know me."
"I remember that part," Jack said sadly, "You told me that while you were crying."
"Do you remember the part where I told you I loved you?" she mumbled and blushed red. Jack slipped his hands under hers and held them.
"Yeah," he said quietly, "Yeah, I remember that." He smiled sadly. "You were so small and you were crying so hard, I thought you'd break in half."
"I nearly did," she said, "After you left, I cried for hours." Her brow furrowed. "It's weird…every time you left, that was when Mom would show up and the three of us would hold hands and start walking out onto the Lakes. After that, it gets fuzzy. It just skips to the next time you came."
"That is weird," Jack puzzled, "Maybe the rest will come time."
"Maybe," she nodded. They sat in silence for a moment.
"The thing I remember most about you," she said, "is how much I loved you. You were my only friend back then, too. You were my hero and my Prince Charming. You cared for me and gave me someone to care for. Those three short years, all I could think about was when I'd get to see you again. It may have been a child's fancy, but I fell in love with you that day when you rescued me from those kids. When I watched you fly off for the last time, I promised myself I'd love you forever and find you again."
Something struck her just then.
"That's why the moon changed me," she realized, "That's why he sent me to find you!"
"Your answer is with Jack Frost," he quoted with wide eyes.
"I thought he meant you had the answer to who I was, and you did…but the last question I asked him was where I was supposed to be…and that's the question he answered! And the answer to that question was with you! It's not just that you had the answer; it's that you were the answer! He meant to say I was supposed to be with you, but I was dumb enough to only interpret it the one way!"
Jack seemed to be looking at her in a whole new light.
"Then," he said, "the Man in the Moon didn't just change you. He chose you!"
"Chose me?" she repeated perplexingly, "To be a Guardian? Are you nuts?"
"No, not a Guardian," he said as he held her snowflake in the palm of his hand, "You have a few of my powers, but you're not a Guardian. You're something else entirely…something that's just for me." He wasn't sure where these words were coming from, or the surety he felt as he said them; he could only attribute it to his developing Guardian instincts. He could feel them like a moonbeam illuminating something in his mind's eye. He took her hand and put it in his over the charm. He looked her in the eyes and made his declaration in an excited whisper and with a smile to match.
"You're my Companion!"
A light instantly radiated from between their hands; they looked and saw that the snowflake, the symbol of their bond, was now glowing icy blue!
"What just happened?" Jo asked, confused.
"I have no idea," Jack shook his head. They were startled to hear the jolly, booming laughter of the voice Jack recognized as Nicholas St. North. A few seconds later, a magic portal of swirling light appeared and the man himself came striding in with some yetis at his back and elves at his feet.
"Hey, North!" Jack smiled as he and Jo stood up, "What's with the light show?"
"I tell you what it is with light show!" he replied exuberantly, "A Companion has been chosen!"
"How…" Jack started to say, then shook his head, "Never mind, I can guess how you knew. What are you doing here?"
"Do you have icicle in your ear?" North shrugged in disbelief, "You have chosen your Companion and I have come to welcome her! MUSIC!"
"NO!" Jack cut him off and pointed his staff at him, "We've already been through this, North! No music!"
"Very well," he threw up his hands, "No music. But at least let me see the lucky girl!"
"Okay, just take it easy," said Jack, "You're kind of freaking her out."
Joanna Fitzgerald was not a coward by any means; in fact, one of the things she prided herself on as a caregiver was her ability to keep her charges safe while their parents were gone.
So she wasn't actually afraid of the giant bear of a man who towered over everyone but the yetis with a kind yet commanding presence, but to find herself in the presence of another living legend was somewhat daunting. She couldn't help half-hiding behind Jack with both hands around his arm and her lower face at his shoulder, which did little to conceal the red brushstroke blush across her nose and cheeks. Jack would never admit it, but he thought that just made her more adorable.
"Jack, that's Santa," she finally said with flat shock.
"I know," he smiled amusingly. She blinked.
"Santa Claus."
"You catch on quick!" North winked, "Please, child. Come and let me see you."
She crept forward and accepted his offered hand—his giant offered hand. He leaned down a bit to look at her face; his timeless eyes were full of wisdom and magic and an extremely long lifetime's worth of experience. Here was a man who had traveled the entire world keeping its children safe, a man who had learned, seen and done impossible things. His presence seemed to say "I know everything," but his eyes seemed to say "Let me bake you cookies and read you stories!" He smiled satisfactorally; whatever he'd been searching for in her face, he seemed to have found it.
"My name is Nicholas St. North," he said warmly, "Welcome, my child."
"Thank you," she replied, "I'm Joanna Fitzgerald. Nice to meet you."
"You strike me as somewhat familiar, Joanna," he said, "Do you remember ever seeing me before in your childhood?"
"I was a spirit child before the moon changed me," she said, "Have you ever seen me?"
"I'm not sure," he said and tugged at his beard, "Eh, I'll think of it. For now, welcome to the world of the Guardians!" He grabbed her up in a bear hug that would probably have killed a bear! He kissed both her cheeks and set her wobbily back on her feet. The look on her red face made him laugh again.
"I like this child, Jack!" he clapped him on the shoulder, "She is lovely, well-mannered, and blushes like schoolgirl! Come! You must meet Anya!"
"Who's Anya?" Jack and Jo both said.
"Anya is my Companion," he answered proudly, "and my wife!"
"Wait a minute, you're married?" Jack popped as he followed him with Jo in hand.
"Of course I am married!" North answered as they entered the workshop, "Haven't you heard of Mrs. Claus?"
"Yeah, but…" Jack asked, "Where was she the last time?"
"In the safehouse," he answered, "I built it for dangerous times. When Pitch attacked, I sent Anya there until the danger passed."
"So where is she now?" asked Jo as she gazed at the magic of North's workshop.
"In kitchen, teaching the elves to bake better cookies!" he answered cheerfully as he signed something.
"Um, Mr. Clause?" said Jo, "Or—or is it Santa?"
"Please, call me North," he insisted.
"Ok…North."
"Yes, child?"
"Why is everyone staring at me?"
North and Jack both looked behind them; Jack had her by the hand, leading her while she looked around. Now she was hiding behind him again and Jack could see why: Every yeti and elf was looking right at her as if she was a princess visiting from some magical kingdom. He was confused as she was.
"Uh, North?" he said.
"Is all right, children," North said gently with his hands on their shoulders, "They recognize Joanna as a Guardian's Companion."
"Should I say something?" she asked.
"Not if you don't want to," he said, "They are simply honored to meet you and they are memorizing the look of your snowflake charm."
"My necklace?" she held it up. It was glowing blue again.
"It is your special charm, Joanna," he said wisely, "It is your symbol of Companionship."
"The symbol of our bond," she added wondrously.
"Exactly," he nodded, "It is more than that as well, but this you will learn with time. For now, you meet Anya! To the kitchen!"
Tooth watched them go through the portal and picked up Joanna's tooth case from off the floor. She smiled at the child's face on it then noticed that it felt lighter than it should have. She pressed her palm to the picture and the compartment with the actual teeth slid out.
She gasped. Her heart and wings both stopped and she landed unsteadily on her knees, hastily snapping the case shut and clasping it to herself like a baby. She looked inside again and felt her heart start up again, hammering in double time to catch up.
Six teeth were missing from Joanna's case.
There was no way Joanna could have taken them; no one could remove teeth from their cases, save the Tooth Fairy herself, so that counted Pitch out, too. The only explanation was that those teeth had never made it in and at her age, they should've been collected long before now.
Tooth picked out a molar, clenched it in her fist, and pressed it to her forehead with her eyes pinched shut. After about twenty seconds, they flew open again. She gently opened her hand and looked down at the tiny tooth. She kissed it and put it back, then closed the case with her face set.
She knew what she had to do.
Author's Review:
Just because we're operating on the William Joyce system doesn't mean we can't include a bit of the old fairy tale goodness. North isn't married in the books, but we've always grown up hearing about Mrs. Santa Claus (especially all you Rankin/Bass fans out there! Hands up!)
But since we are operating on the William Joyce system, I've weaseled in another Toothism from the books. In the books, Tooth has the ability to watch a child's memories in their teeth exactly the way described above.
Okay—I'm not normally in the habit of assigning Homework (hate it), but this time, I've got an assignment for y'all: Watch any episode of Green Acres. Trust me—it'll come in handy! ;)
Questions, comments, etc., you know what to do! I'll try not to take too long next time! Wish me luck on the writer's block!
