Guest– Thank you very much! Yes, you're correct. Romeo and Juliet is the answer. Here is the chapter and thank you for the suggestion. Enjoy!
Xion5– Thank you! Teddy being a spirit? You'll see, you'll see.
LittleRedRiddingWolf– Thank you and whew, thank God! Here's the chapter!
DayDreamer425– You're welcome! "Forever in your service," hmm? (insert devious cackle here)
capirkl– Hi Capi! Thank you very much and whoops! I tend to scare people half to death. I think your review is unfinished but oh well. Enjoy the chapter!
Chaosguardian13– Yey! Someone is actually interested. I hope it's going to funny though. You should really review more because you make me smile. You may murder Arthur as you please but about Pitch, Jack and Bunny? You'll see below. I'm planning on putting the whole event in the Extras. Thank you for the suggestion. Enjoy!
EmeraldRhino– I get it! You're welcome and yes, for now (insert evil laughter here). I hope this is evil-ish enough. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Romeo and Juliet or any of William Shakespeare's works.
After some persistent pleading, Teddy stayed another day in Santoff Claussen. Everyone was so worried that no one wants to let her out of their sight. The six of them had a short meeting on the day she's going to return to Burgess.
"What are you going to do with Arthur?" Jack asked, looking annoyed. "I'm not going to tell him that he shot me." She replied casually and everybody glared at her. "What?" Teddy exclaimed when she noticed the glares they are shooting at her. "Are ya insane?" The Pooka angrily exclaimed. "We don't want you to get hurt again." The fairy sadly informed. Sandy formed sand obscenities above his head while North pulled his white beard in frustration.
Teddy sighed, knowing that they don't understand what she's implying. "You don't want to be gone, right?" The Guardians all solemnly nodded. "Here's the thing," The girl started, slowly pacing in the Globe Room. They could see her flinch once in a while. "if I tell the police that Dad shot me, what would happen?" No one answered her. "He would go to jail, right?" They all simultaneously nodded.
"What would happen to me? I'm a minor so they would either send me to a relative who doesn't even care if I existed or to a foster home which is miles away from Burgess. Do you want that?" The Guardians looked stunned and they merely shook their heads. "Figures. So there is nothing I can do but lie, which is the hard part." She sighed heavily and winced when she felt a jolt of pain in her chest.
Teddy, along with Jack escorting her, return to her room via snow globe. Jack closed his eyes tightly when they saw Teddy's dried blood on the floor. She guided Jack to her bed and let him sit down. She got a clean rug and a pail of water and started scrubbing the blood from the floor, from the wall and from the window bars. It soon easily disappeared and Jack sighed in utter relief.
Teddy went downstairs and was tackled by a hug. She stiffened and felt another jolt of pain in her chest. "Dad." The girl softly whispered. "Where have you been?" The man worriedly asked as his hug tightened around her. "From a friend's house." Teddy smoothly lied. "Why is there blood all over your room?" Arthur asked when he let go of Teddy.
The girl let a sigh of utter relief, the pain subsiding. Now comes the hard part. How is she going to lie? "I have a large gash on my chest. I was so clumsy. My friend found me unconscious on the floor and took me to his house to treat my wound. I was unconscious for three days and I returned today." Lucky enough, Arthur bought the lie. Although, he kept asking about her savior and where his house located and where did her chest got hit.
"His name is Jack and he lives around here. Please don't ask where. He's very, very shy and only talks to me." The last question about the chest was never answered but Arthur didn't mind. "Send my gratitude to him." He smiled and pat the girl's shoulder. "Will do." She simply replied and dump the dirty water in the sink.
The seconds ticked by and before you know it, hours had passed by. Those hours turned into days. Day and night visited everyday and months faded away.
Jack and Teddy were physically inseparable, after the gunshot incident. They would get into a lot of heated debates to whose answer is correct. Have snowball fights at night. The two did just about everything they could do. The only time they spend apart is when Jack did his Guardian duties and bring snow around the world.
Mr. Tyler had become normal, saying goodbye to those drunken years. Teddy received a proper scolding about one should not jump off a window or do something dangerous. The girl secretly smiled, thanking the gods above that her father was finally free from his alcoholic prison. The girl even pleaded to let the men remove the bars. After a week of thinking, Arthur decided that his daughter is all grown up and can take care of herself. The bars were out of sight.
Arthur was actually courting his officemate. He won't stop talking about her and he promised to Teddy that she would eventually meet his girlfriend. Teddy was happy that her father moved on and stopped questioning about the wound on her chest. She doesn't need to talk about it anymore.
There was a time Arthur got home, looking dirty one of those January days. Bruises on random parts of his body. There's some colourful paint splattered on his white collar shirt. Black sand mixed with frost covered him as well. Instead of worrying, Teddy laughed for a long span of time. She very well knew who the culprits were but she's not one to tell.
New Year's Eve was pretty normal to Teddy. He had fireworks with her father and visited the Guardians when Arthur retired to bed. They had a lively party and everyone had fun. Until they had the countdown. They were all standing on the balcony while the yetis light the fireworks below.
North kept staring at his gold pocket watch while Tooth, Bunny and Sandy conversed. Jack and Teddy enjoyed the comfortable silence around them but North easily disrupt it when he declared it's one minute till midnight.
10 seconds till midnight, did they start the countdown. "10... 9... 8..." The Guardians merrily chanted as the hands of the clock slowly made its way to number 12. Jack took Teddy's hand and they quietly went inside.
"5... 4... 3..." The countdown drifted off when Jack leaned in and kissed Teddy on the cheek. "Happy New Year, Boobear." He lightly teased and squeezed her hand. "Same to you, Snowy." She replied softly and felt the tingles on her kissed cheek and the butterflies in her stomach. The two both blushed which caused them to miss the fireworks display.
Valentine's Day had been normal to all of them. Unless you count Jack and Teddy practicing Romeo and Juliet lines, normal.
Teddy had a faint smile on her face and knocked. She waited for three minutes before a Russian accented voice answered, "Come in." Teddy turned the handle and the door swung opened. The girl gasped at North's work. "Is that what I think it is?" Teddy inquired, looking flabbergasted. On the man's table was an ice-carved Hogwarts. Every tower, every window, every crevice, North carved it all.
Teddy giddily bolted inside and eyed the ice model. She saw the Quidditch field where the three taller hoops were protruded from the ground. Each of the bases of the houses was there as well, beautifully angled and carved by Nick. "This is so beautiful!" Teddy complimented and smiled at the proud man. "спасибо, my girl!" The man ruffled the girl's hair and fixed his working table. "What brings you here?" North amusingly asked and checked the school.
"Oh!" She exclaimed when she remembered the true purpose of coming in North's office. The Cossack cocked an eyebrow. "I was wondering if I could go inside the library?" Teddy bashfully requested. "My dear, you're welcome and so you could use rooms in workshop." The man happily informed. "Thanks, North! You're the best!" Teddy gave the blue-eyed man and sprinted out of the room.
The 16-year-old let out a triumphant whoop and headed to the haven of books. She easily located it with the help of her not-so-sharp memory. She sniffed the smell of old books and felt at home. There were bookshelves backed away on the wall, reaching all the way up to the ceiling. Tall, wooden ladders leaned on the bookshelves and lots and lots and lots of books and journals adorned the wall.
A large carpet adorned the floor and couches, chairs and desks were scattered around the gigantic room. There were also three chessboards set on a circular table and two chairs facing at each other. "I want to live here." She murmured to herself as she neatly placed her duffel bag on the side of the couch. Teddy looked determined and started.
–o–
Jack was humming a random songwhilst heading to his designated room. He often twirled his staff in his leisurely stroll. He could hear the soft padding of his footsteps as he walked his way through the maze of hallways. He came across a room where murmuring could be heard. It caught Jack's attention and he quietly pushed the door open.
"But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief. It is my lady. Oh, it is my love. Oh, that she knew she were! She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?" Teddy spoke while frowning and glaring at her script. She sat down on the couch and kept muttering, "Why do I have to be Romeo?"
"Ay me!" Teddy whipped her head around to see Jack smirking, coaxing for her to continue. "She speaks! O, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night!" The girl grinned and eyed the winter spirit playfully. He's going to say the famous line of Juliet Capulet! "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet." The bot said, his faint memory guided him to speak the words.
"Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?" Teddy grinned, her script lay abandoned on the couch. "'Tis but thy name that is my enemy; Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot, Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man.
O, be some other name! What's in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, And for that name which is no part of thee take all myself."
Soon, they started to throw lines at each other and they would expertly answered. The two mustn't have noticed because the four Guardians had heard their playful acting and quietly crept inside the library. Sandy held his video camera and Polaroid at the same time while Tooth can't stop swooning at the Act Two of Romeo and Juliet. North and Bunny were smirking, completely amused at the two teenagers.
"I will not fail! Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say good night till it be morrow." Bunny knew that line too well. He knew what's going to happen next. Teddy slowly cup the winter spirit's cheek and leaned in. They both heard a cough and backed away from each other. Teddy turned around to see all of the Guardians' amused faces.
"You videotape that?!" The girl exclaimed and Sandy only grinned. "That was marvelous! It's been years since I saw a good Romeo and Juliet actors." Tooth sighed dreamily and fluttered around the duo. "Why are you practicing Romeo's lines, anyway?" Jack tilted his head, looking curiously at his Romeo.
"Well… We have a play at school and we're doing Act Two. There have been a lot of fights around the group so we decided to draw a lottery. I got Romeo." She sheepishly implied and never met the gazes of the Big Five. "Yer a shiela, mate." Bunny groaned at the idea. "Yeah, but our director or group leader said that there will be no backing out so we're stuck with our roles. Fortunately, Juliet's a boy." Teddy awkwardly chuckled and remembered the surprised faces of her group mates.
"IDEA!" North bellowed and grinned like a mad fool. "I'm going to make Teddy's costume. This is gonna be so great!" The man happily informed and twirled around, doing a happy dance. Before anyone could sink the information in their minds, they heard a loud thud. Everybody whipped around to see Teddy fainted. Anyone would have acted that way because of North's enthusiasm and crazy ideas. The Guardians merely wished Teddy luck.
March easily knocked on their doors and Jack was rarely to be seen. He wanted to bring the best and last snow to all of the children in the world before spring started to bloom.
The month of March was Teddy's downfall. Teddy was standing on her back porch, admiring the snowflakes Jack created. Each of the snowflake had its own unique design. Thought and made by Jack Frost. She giggled lightly, catching snowflakes on the palm of her hand.
The girl noticed something yellow growing from the ground. She crouched down to see a small sunflower sprouted from the earth. Odd. She softly touched its petals and suddenly it burst into flames. The ashy remnants of the flower fell on the ground where it sprouted and a burnt paper appeared from the soot.
Teddy curiously picked it up and read the message written in elegant calligraphy. "Stay away from Jack Frost or you'll pay the price." A chill went up her spine. Someone just gave her a threat. She eyed the message, traced the golden strokes of the letters and frowned. Who could have given her this threat? Someone who fancies Jack Frost, maybe? Someone who wants Jack dead? Teddy gasped at her guesses.
She stuffed the paper in her pocket and never mentioned it to anyone. She had been very cautious because she felt someone is staring at her from afar.
March was the last month of her schooldays so she did her best in studying for the exams. Jack was there for her, helping her with such complicated explanations and equations. Teddy had been guilty about not telling Jack about the threat but she didn't want to be a burden to the young spirit.
Before the day of her exams, she received another threat. It came from the hearth of their house. She was mesmerized at the fire while drinking hot chocolate when it suddenly spit something from its fiery mouth. Another burnt paper. It has the same calligraphy and the threatener used the same gold ink. "You'll regret being with the Guardians." Her eyes welled up with tears that time but pocketed the paper and carry on with what life is throwing at her.
Teddy passed all of her exams and she visibly relaxed but the threats are still weighing her down. This caught the winter spirit's attention. Jack kept asking Teddy if she's alright and she would simply nod or mumble an answer. This kept bugging Jack. He noticed the black bags under her eyes and asked her once again. She turned unresponsive this time.
Teddy soon received another threat that haunted her days and nights. It was brought to her by a fiery red salamander that ended on her windowsill. Once she got ahold of the paper, the salamander burst into flames and disappeared into thin air. "I'll come and get you." The note said and Teddy cried herself to sleep this time. Teddy decided to consult Pitch about this.
She knew the location of the new opening of Pitch's lair. It recided beyond the outskirts of Burgess, hidden around a patch of scary-looking trees. Teddy grabbed her coat and scarf and headed to her destination. She could feel someone spying at her and so she quickened her pace. Teddy could see the outskirts of the town and her heart screamed in utter relief. Too early.
A whip lashed out to grab her ankle and she lost her footing. Teddy whipped around to see a pair of golden eyes and thought it was Sandy but it was not. The creature had a menacing stare and before she fell into unconsciousness, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "PITCH, HELP!" And Teddy disappeared from the ground where she fell.
Pitch felt a chill went up his spine and a scream echoed in his entire lair. "PITCH, HELP!" He knew that voice too well. Teddy was in danger. He went out of his hole even though daylight is glaring at him. He hissed at the sudden brightness but made his way through the outskirts of Burgess. He saw nothing amiss but something caught his sharp eyes.
Teddy's scarf. Pitch quickly grabbed it before the wind took it away. He saw the black burns on the fabric and his grip tightened that made his knuckles white as Frost's snow. One thing was set in his mind. He needs to find Teddy immediately. Pitch cannot afford to lose the carbon copy of his daughter.
–o–
"Teddy!" Jack energetically howled when he plumetted himself in Teddy's bedroom. It was unusually empty and he found it odd. The winter spirit explored the whole house and found nothing, not even one golden strand of Teddy's hair. He coursed around Burgess but Teddy is still missing. He shrugged it off and went to the North Pole.
Two days had passed and still, Teddy hasn't come back yet. Arthur had fled to the policemen's aid to find his missing daughter. Arthur said that there is nothing wrong for Teddy to run away like that, leaving without any note. That extremely worried Jack. He went back to the North Pole in urgency and ordered St. Nick to call all of the Guardians.
Of course, North argued because it's three days away before Easter and Bunny doesn't like being disturbed. Jack had gone irritably enraged and shouted, "Teddy is missing!" That had made North went in a panicked frenzy. He used the Aurora Borealis to call the Guardians. It is used only when something important had happened or someone is in dire need of help.
All of the protectors went into panic mode as they flew, ran, transported to the North Pole respectively. Their minds started to think of the worst-case scenarios. Is Pitch plotting for revenge? Jack had been captured by Pitch? Someone is badly hurt? Pitch took Sandy from them again? Their minds were in a whirlwind of negative thoughts.
The Guardians all arrived in North's workshop at the same time, Bunny being the last one. "Oi! This betta be importan' because it's three bloody days away befor' Easta'!" The Pooka specifically glared at North. If looks could kill, North would be disintegrated by now. The man shakily gestured at the winter spirit which made Bunny's glare's intensity increased. Jack glared back at the Easter Bunny with the same level of ferocity and it look like the boy is about to burst!
"I don't care if today is bloody Easter but hell would break loose if we didn't find Teddy in time!" He said in a stern voice that no one thought of hearing. Jack is full of mischief, laughter and fun so they didn't expect the boy to be this enraged. "What?" Tooth inquired and she cowered when the boy shot her an icy glare.
"TEDDY IS FUCKING MISSING!" He bellowed that blew the Guardians' minds away. One, they didn't know that Jack could shout that loud and two, Teddy is missing. That made the Guardians went into another frenzy.
Soon, they ALL calmed down and sat in the Globe Room. They were all anxious and their minds were in another bath of negative thoughts and worst-case scenarios. "How are we going to find her?" Tooth said in distraught. "I don't know." Jack simply replied. They all heaved a profound sigh that would definitely create a mini tornado. "Sniff. We're goin' to sniff her." Bunny suggested and all of them nodded. That's the best plan they could come up with.
At around midnight, they deployed into the air and teleported to Burgess. Bunny hopped inside Teddy's room. He sniffed and sniffed and it made Jack grew anxious. "I could smell burns. She was ther' in front of her dresser 'n' exited ta room." The Guardians followed their Hope bringer and everyone halted when they reached the outskirts of town. Bunny sniffed once again and pointed at the ground.
"She fell ther' en someone picked her up. I could faintly smell it." The Pooka said and sniffed for the assailant's scent. "It teleported but I could still smell ta scent." He informed the rest and all of them were holding their breaths.
"Describe the scent, for MiM's sake!" Tooth shrieked at Bunny which made all their eyes went wide as saucers. Tooth never had an outburst like that, except for talking about blood and gums. "Crispy. Somethin' burnt. Scent of sunflowers and odd smell of salamander." The Pooka warrior mused. Jack gasped and quickly hyperventilated. He knew! Jack knew! He knew who it was! He knew who brutally ripped Teddy away from their lives!
"I... I know." He stuttered while trying to catch his breath. "Who?!" The fairy shouted the word in front of the boy and Jack flinched at the harshness. North took notice of this and cautiously grabbed Tooth's shoulder. After all, Tooth's mother mode is a dangerous Tooth. "A summer spirit I encountered a long, long time ago." They all gulped. A winter spirit's worst enemy.
Dear readers, whether anonymous or not,
Hello everyone! I really had a hard time writing this chapter. I wanna slam my head on a wall. About the Romeo and Juliet lines, I cut some part because it would take a lot of space. That part is based on my experience. I was Romeo in our school play and God, it's embarrassing! We're also Act Two.
Remember last time, I mentioned I would write Extras from Frosted Pen? Are you still up with that idea? If you have anything to clarify, please review here and I'll answer it through PM. The next chapter will be pure evil (insert mad laughter here).
Read and review my dear readers, followers, the ones who favorite-d and the ones who keep lurking in the shadows. Vote in my poll, PLEASE.
Yours truly, Star.