Alright so I know I said two more memories but it turned out to be three or a bit more depending on how you count. But they're all in this chapter and the next one will be up soon. Plus hey longer chapter, almost ten pages in fact.
Disclaimer Warning: this is going to get super baymax sad and there are some heavier subjects involved such as arranged marriage and death.

20) A hero and a guardian
The laughter died out and the scenery showed the mansion in the middle of winter.
It was getting late. Jack, Clara and Thomas were fifteen and walking home from another day working.
"I can't wait to get home! Emma hasn't seen me all day. She'll be upset if I miss her bedtime," Jack sighed looking down the long winding road as if he could will it to be shorter.
"Aw. You must be the sweetest big brother ever!" June exclaimed clapping her hands in delight.
Jack shrugged and looked away, trying to hide his blush.
"She couldn't sleep without her bedtime story," he mumbled, trying to defend his past selves worry.
'She was so tired the first time I saw her as Jack Frost. Had she been having nightmares? Or did she even get to sleep at all?' Jack wondered as he looked at the winding road from his memory.

"Ay, A hope yer ma has some tea left for us. Though a hot cup of cocoa wad hit tha spot right now." Thomas had a dreamy look in his eyes at the very thought of the rare treat.
"You know that's only a special occasion kind of drink. So stop making me think about it." Clara grumbled with a mostly playful jab of the elbow to her friend's stomach. She'd been counting down the days until Christmas for almost nothing but the delicious drink.
"This year I'm going to ask Santa for a whole barrel of coal. Then we'll have money for some more chocolate. Or perhaps I should just ask him for a barrel of cocoa instead. Hey!" Jack jumped out of the way of his friend's elbow jab with a carefree laugh.
The audience laughed along with Jackson and his friends. Except for Bedtime who had a worried frown on her face. Why were they seeing this? Her question was soon answered.

Suddenly a loud voice echoed over the property. "Just leave me alone!" and a slamming door.
The three friends looked around to see Alexandra run of towards the woods.
"That isn't going to end well," Jackson groaned as he turned back to his friends.
"You go ahead. I'll make sure the princess doesn't tear her dress on some branches or something." He rolled his eyes to emphasis how done he was with this girl's antics. Truth was, she'd been looking upset about something for a while, but only when she thought no one could see and he was a little worried for her.
The audience exchanged worried glances before turning collectively to Sandy. He had to wonder about Jacks courage didn't he? Sandy just shrugged. Whether he'd wondered or not, it still would've happened, they just wouldn't have seen it.
"We'll come with you." Thomas didn't like the idea of letting his friend go into the woods on his own. Especially this late. But Jack waved him off.
"Don't. You should go ahead so my parents know I'm just a bit behind. It's no use letting everyone wonder why we're late." As he spoke he took a spare torch and lighted it with the one Thomas had been carrying. "There, this should keep any unwanted critters away. See ya later."
His friends watched his retreating form worriedly, debating on whether or not to run after him anyway. They knew Jack would never tell them to leave him alone unless he had a good reason.
But they doubted their parents getting worried was it. They stayed behind, waiting for his return.

"Jack, why in moon's name would you go off on your own like that?" Tooth asked as she rubbed her temples as though fighting a migraine.
"I wasn't even sure if Alexandra would talk to me. Let alone with an audience. Besides I'd spend as much time in the woods as in the village if not more. I knew my way around and I knew how to avoid wild animals," he said in a reassuring tone. 'I just hadn't taken into account all other variables,' he added in his mind.
Jackson was making his way deep into the woods.
Part of him was trying to convince himself that he was wasting his time.
"Just wait and see. It'll turn out she stubbed her toe or something. And even if it is serious she will just send me away the second I arrive. Too proud do allow a common farm boy to help her."
But at the same time he knew he'd have to make sure she got home safe. Not just because her dad paid his family good money for the work they did. She was a lady alone in the woods and she hadn't been playing in them for the past eleven years. She couldn't hope to find her way out or to survive for even an hour.
The spirits watching didn't hear the full intent behind Jackson's actions in his thoughts, but they could feel his increasing worry in the air around them.
"So cute! Jack's going to be a prince in shining armor!" Sophia squealed jumping up and down in delight not sensing the worry that had started to build in the minds of the other spirits. She thought the whole situation was just so romantic.
"I knew you secretly cared!" she added with a wink.
Jack rolled his eyes. "Of course I did. I wasn't made of stone you know? She'd never put a foot in the forest before and I'd never seen her so upset. If I didn't help her I basically sentenced her to death," Jack argued not even remotely flustered by Sophia's words which disappointed her. Perhaps he'd really never been in love? That was so sad in a way… But then again pretty much everyone he met was his friend so he couldn't have been unhappy or lonely a day in his human life. Which was even sadder considering how often she'd seen him sad and alone the past three hundred years.

Soon he saw the figure of a crying girl seated on a tree stump. That would be his damsel in distress. He pondered how to go about this one. Making people smile was what he did best, but Alexandra had never been willing to smile for him before.
Still he had to try. He took a step forward, ready to announce his presence with some mocking remark. Something that maybe would distract her from whatever bothered her for a little while.
But he stepped on a branch which snapped and startled Alexandra in the process.
"Who's there!?" she demanded as she whirled around, failing to look graceful and intimidating due to her tearstained cheeks and red eyes. Not to mention the twigs and dirt that had gotten in her hair and on her dress.
"Well isn't that a sight," Bunny chuckled, thinking that maybe this was just about the girl getting a crush on Jack after all. It was a little funny to see the haughty girl in such a messy state.
"Just me milady." It had started as a halfhearted insult but over time Jackson had come to use it as a harmless nickname for the youngest of the Montagu children.
"Shouldn't you be on your way home to count your sheep?" Jack rolled his eyes. Trying to insult him was more or less her usual way of greeting him. She wasn't very good at it and right now her trembling voice did not help.
"Who is she trying to fool here? There is literally no one but you two there." Tasha shook her head at the girl. She was trying her best to miscommunicate and that just didn't sit well with her.
"Force of habit I suppose," Jack explained with a sad smile to Tasha before he looked back to Alexandra. Studying her behavior a bit more. To his chagrin Claire's speculations had stuck in his head and he was determined to find out if Alexandra ever had a crush on him. Every moment he'd been near her would take on a different meaning if she had felt like that. If he had known at the time it wouldn't have changed a thing of course. But still he'd like to know.
"I should be putting my little sister to bed. But alas I'll be escorting you to your castle instead," he said with a theatrical gesture to follow him. He wasn't surprised when she huffed and crossed her arms before turning her back on him. The wind picked up at that point and made her shiver.

Jack, now observing this 'coincidence' with new eyes turned to wind.
"Was that you?" he asked his oldest friend with a mischievous grin. Wind smiled and shrugged. "Maybe a northern breeze was annoyed at her stubbornness," she admitted nonchalantly with a playful wink to her companion.
Ah, so it had been Nora who'd forced the conversation to move forward. Jack should thank her. Without that shiver Alexandra's stubbornness might have prevailed.
"Here milady," Jack said as he pulled of his jacket and laid it over her shoulders, he was not going to put it on for her. He had some pride too.
"I refuse to wear your hand me downs!" she exclaimed, though she did not attempt to remove it.
"My mother made that for me, wear it. I doubt frostbite is going to care whether or not you permit it to release you from your fingers and toes." Jack was really not in the mood for this.
"It is kind of funny how he's angry with her and taking care of her at the same time don't you think?" Joy asked Bedtime, stifling a giggle behind her hand. Bedtime nodded with a smile.
"It is necessary though. It's the only thing she'll listen to right now," Tasha added wisely.
Alexandra reluctantly put her hands through the sleeves. She couldn't help but sigh in appreciation for the warmth and puled the jacket tightly around her body. She snuggled into it. It smelled like a fireplace and leather. But also something else she couldn't put her finger on. She liked it though. She suppressed her blush when she realized the other scent must be Jackson's.
Jackson nodded, pleased with the progress.
"Look we can do two things. Either you come with me right now or you rant a bit about whatever is really bothering you and then you come with me to your stupid castle so I can get home and apologize to Emma for being late with her bedtime story," he said trying to sound as if he didn't care either way. But there was something in the way his eyes darted back to her that showed that he was, in fact, worried.
Alexandra stood stunned. Then she did something strange. She started laughing… And crying.
So Jack wasn't sure if he'd said the right or the wrong thing. He panicked a little.
Did he break her?

The spirits, except Jack, broke out in collective laughter. Even Wind couldn't fully stop a few giggles from escaping. "Your face!" June exclaimed. Jack just sighed and waited for them to get a hold of themselves so they could continue watching the memory. He couldn't be the only one who thought that the reaction was strange. Of course with 300 extra years of life experience he could place it better, but he still found the reaction very worrying.
"You never cease to amaze me Jackson. You hate me and still you care more for my wellbeing than my own family." Ouch. Did she really think her family didn't care?
"I don't hate you. You annoy me a little but I don't hate you," Jackson said softly as he carefully laid a hand on her shoulder, making sure to keep the torch away from their bodies and the surrounding branches.
Once more the air was filled with cooing from the girls as the men gave Jack some affectionate pats. Which he received with an eye roll.
Alexandra looked up at him in surprise. "Do you mean that?" She looked at him hopefully as she breathed the question.
"Sure?" Jackson was really confused now and he was shocked when the young Baroness threw her arms around him crying her hearth out.
"Watch the fire!" he exclaimed while awkwardly returning the hug with one arm. Anything to get her to go home he supposed.
"Ah, ready to tell me what's wrong?" He figured she probably needed to get it out or something.
"Jack you are adorably uncomfortable around women," Tasha sighed, shaking her head in amusement. "I'm uncomfortable when people suddenly act way out of character." Jack corrected but his thoughts were again with Claire's words. Had Jack's opinion of her really been that important to Alexandra that it warranted such a strong response?
"I promise not to tell anyone," he added, though his word probably didn't mean a thing to her.
"I know you won't." Or maybe it did? The night kept surprising.
"You don't have a mean bone in your body do you?" Jackson felt strangely embarrassed when she looked up to him, still hugging him and therefore still very close to his face. This would look so bad if anyone saw. Jack, now looking at it as an outsider could see what this looked like and it looked so much worse than he'd thought at the time. And if he needed any confirmation of that then the suggestive looks of his company did the trick.
"Yeah, tell that to whatever idiot is stupid enough to lay a finger on my friends or my sister."
He meant for it to be a jest but his discomfort made it an awkward mutter.
Alexandra giggled and let him go, taking a few steps to give him his personal space back.
It would seem she had decided to drop the princess act at least for the night though.

"My brothers… they like to tease me and they always gang up on me. They just hope they'll catch me doing something unladylike. Tonight they were telling me all the little rules I had to follow in order to be favored by our father's friend and especially his son.
My parents have been setting us up for as long as I remember, even before I met you I knew they expected me to marry him. He was rude and mean back then and he is just simply repulsive now.
Of course I wouldn't dare to disappoint my father by telling him this. I'll just have to endure, for the sake of the future of both our families. But… I'm afraid of him." Tears returned to her eyes and Jackson felt a pang of pity. He'd met Alexandra's father a few times. He seemed like a reasonable man and as far as he could tell he cared for his daughter. He was almost certain that if Baron Montagu knew the type of man this guy was he wouldn't even consider marrying her off to him. Then again he didn't know him that well so he could be dead wrong.
He had to say something to comfort her though.
"Poor lass. No wonder tha girl was upset," Bunny sighed with drooping ears.
"Dah. Sad truth in these times. Love did not always have place in lives." The others bowed their heads in recognition of this fact.
"I'm sure your brothers don't know you feel that way about this guy. As a big brother myself I guarantee you that if they saw him touch you or treat you badly this guy would be dead meat."
Alexandra smiled a little, hoping that what Jackson said was true.
"And as for your father…" Suddenly he heard something moving in the distance.

The audience tensed. 'God no say it isn't true.' Went through all their minds at once.
"Get behind me," he instructed her as he placed her between his body and a tree. He scans their surroundings and suddenly sees hungry eyes light up in the darkness. A pack of wolves had sniffed them out and was too hungry to be scared of them or the fire.
Gasps filled the air. Bunny, Sandy and North stood nailed to the ground and the girls had their hands clasped in front of their faces ready to cover their eyes should the need arise. Only Wind and Jack watched the scene calmly. They knew what would come and they leaned on each other for support during the hard part.
"Jackson?" Alexandra whispered, fear evident in her voice. She pushed her back to the tree and prayed for the hungry canines to leave.
"Get lost! Shoo! We're not dinner!" Jackson shouted as loud as he could as he waved the flame at them. He remembered what Mr. Stanford had taught him. Don't show your fear or your back. Be bigger and be louder. They'll back off.
It seemed to be working. The pack was apparently unwilling to take him on, except for a particularly hungry wolf who still dared a step forward. Jackson reacted by stepping forward himself showing that he wasn't afraid to fight, though he'd really prefer not to.
The silence in the group was tangible. No one even dared to breath.
He'd forgotten that stepping forward would expose his companion to an attack and she nearly paid for it with her life. One of the other wolves leaped for her only to be met with Jackson's elbow to his throat. The creature whined in pain, but it wasn't alone. Jack was groaning and gripping his shoulder. The animal had bitten him right before being hurled backwards. Smelling the blood the wolves regrouped convinced they could win this fight. Alexandra saw Jacks beige undershirt staining with blood and let out a horrified scream.

It was hard to distinguish Alexandra's scream from the shocked shouting of the group.
"Everybody quiet! I'll be fine! I promise! Watch!" Surprised by Jacks outburst everyone stopped their exclamations of worry and even anger at Jacks recklessness.
Next, they heard a bowstring being released and an arrow lodged itself right next to the alpha. The wolves turned and were met with a small group of Indians. The leader spoke.
Wind made a gesture so the air would carry her translation to everyone's ears.
"Leave brother wolf. This one is a friend of our forest and our tribe. Tonight shall not be his last moon." The wolves hesitated. The leader seemed to still want to go for the kill, but from the trees a strange glow emerged effectively halting the creatures in their tracks.
Two Spirit wolves arrived at the scene and bowed to Jack before standing in front of him and Alexandra, who couldn't see them, in defense. The wolves understood the message from their spirit counterparts and left.
Jack was staring in shock at his two favorite sprites. They'd known he was coming before he'd changed? That was the only explanation he had for the bowing.
"Jack are those…?" Tooth hesitated. She didn't know how to formulate her question, because she knew Jack didn't like to be addressed by his title, or anything close to it. So how did she address his subjects?
"Flake and blizzard. Spirit wolves of the house of winter," Jack nodded, answering both her questions. They all looked at the wolves for a moment longer. Amazed at their presence.

Meanwhile, Jackson's blood loss had caused him to collapse against Alexandra, who was kneeling on the floor and desperately attempting to do something, but his skin was torn apart and the bleeding wouldn't stop.
"Jackson, Jackson please answer!" she begged, not knowing what to do.
"This isn't funny!" her tears landed on his cheeks and her sobbing shook both of their bodies. She tenderly stroked his face to wipe away her tears.
"Come back to me," she pleaded softly.
Jack felt himself blush and he knew that if he wasn't immortal he would be beat red by now. Luckily the others were too concerned for his past self's wellbeing to notice.
Well, all except for Wind.
"No denying it now. She liked you. A lot. I should know. And so should Sandy for that matter." Jack didn't know it was possible but he blushed even more, though on his forever pale skin it only showed as a faint blue tint. He did not need to know that.
One of the natives approached them. The crying girl pulled her protector closer, as if she was preparing herself to use her body as a shield like he'd done for her.
The young man showed her a few herbs he'd drawn from his pouch. Understanding that this would be Jackson's best chance at survival she let him approach. He put leaves in the boys mouth. They would sooth the pain. Then he pulled out a flask of some kind of syrup-like liquid which he applied to the wound. The bleeding stopped and Jackson started breathing easier.
Then shouts were heard in the distance and the natives left before Alexandra's family and Jacks friends could reach them. The memory faded.

"Wait. That's it?" June exclaimed, worry still in her voice.
"They got me to the castle. Treated my wounds, made sure I stayed hydrated. Thomas and Claire went to get my parents, because they wouldn't let me go home in 'my state'.
I was fine, but I heard Mr. Montagu order his chef to prepare a meal for my family so I kept my mouth shut. I was offered a position as Alexandra's personal guard. I was to accompany her whenever she left the property and during social events. I accepted because I could make sure that her fiancé-to-be behaved himself. That and it paid better than any other job. There happy?" Jack really didn't want to think back to the stupid outfit he had to wear. Everyone in the village swore he looked 'dashing' and he'd played along, but he really didn't like it. It was too stuffy and it itched. It reminded him a little of the royal attire he had to wear for his fairies nowadays.
"Don't tell me she married that boy?" Joy demanded with her hands in her sides. After hearing her story, surely Jack had done something to prevent that marriage from hell.
"He proposed on her sixteenth birthday two weeks later. I was there, but I couldn't do anything. He'd gotten her father's blessing and aside from making a claim that would forever damage her name..." Jack shook his head. Why was he even defending himself? These were different times and all spirits gathered had lived to see them and worse.
"She accepted. Later I escorted them on a walk through the gardens where he behaved himself somewhat decent because they had a chaperone with a sharp object who looked willing to use it. When I escorted her to her chambers she was… Less composed." That was putting it mildly. If the hug in the woods had been inappropriate, then he didn't want to know what people would've thought if they'd been seen that night. There must've been safer ways to cheer her up than sneaking out for the night. Jack shook himself out of that thought. It didn't matter now anyway. No one found out and nothing bad happened.
"They had a lovely spring wedding if memory serves correctly. But the marriage didn't last long if that helps.
She was pregnant with their child when the idiot got shot while out hunting. She gave birth to a boy few months later, so that worked out well. She seemed rather happy after that." Jack recited the events. He didn't tell them of any of the other things that happened. No those were secrets between him and Alexandra. Even if he hadn't considered them romantic or even very intimate at the time, he had a sneaking feeling that she did and therefore he would take those moments she'd stolen with him to his grave.
The hunting accident had happened during his first summer as an immortal. Little over a year after the wedding. It had been a year in hell for her, but she'd gotten through it and become a great woman, Baroness and mother. He found that he was proud of her. She'd come a long way from the insecure little girl he'd found in the carriage. And he liked to think he helped her a little on the way.

As Jack's mind found peace, the next memory came into view. And Feya, Sophia and Claire disappeared into nothingness.
"Where did they go?" Jack wondered.
"We'll see them again soon I suppose. You just don't want them to see this memory," Tooth Explained. Jack wondered for a brief moment what could make him want them out when they'd seen all the other stuff but then he noticed the ice skates on the wall. Was this…?
Time had flown by and winter had once again settled over the forests and houses of Burges and it's neighbors. A now nearly sixteen year old Jackson was woken by his sister jumping on the bed.
"Wake up! Wake up! Jack you promised to go skating today!"
Jack froze. No, not this one. Anything but this one.
"Five more minutes Em!" Jack groaned. Last night, he and his friends had been outside until really late and he'd like to sleep as long as his parents would allow.
"No! You promised and dad's gone to the castle and when he's back you'll have to help him with the sheep! So we need to go now!" There was no way he could say no to his sister. He got up and got dressed and mounted his skating blades onto his shoes.
"You two out for the day?" their mother asked with a smile as they quickly ate a lump of bread and some cheese each.
"Yeah! Jack is going to help me skate like him!"
Grace frowned in concern. "Now you're not going to make her do anything too hard are you? You've always taken to the ice very easily, but you can't expect Emma to be the same." Jack chuckled at his mother's worry. "Don't fret ma. We'll start slow. I won't make her do any hard jumps or turns right away." Of course he wouldn't he would never risk his baby sister getting hurt.
They left, Emma dragging Jack out causing him to skip a goodbye kiss from his mother.
"Be careful!" she insisted one last time. Emma ignored her mother's voice, eyes locked on her big brother. This was going to be so fun.
"We will," Jack chuckled amused at both his mother and his sister as he watched the later jump up and down.

The memory became distorted as Jack started shaking, worrying the others who alternated their attention between Jack and the memory. They saw vague images of the two on the lake. They were practicing skating in circles, going faster, going a bit on one leg… Then Jack seemed to stop them both as something on his booth caught his attention.
"That stupid lace," their Jack muttered with a pained voice as he leaned into Wind.
Emma skated a little ahead and then, louder than it would've been in reality, they heard a crack.
They all watched in horror as the rest of the scene played out. The fear, the game, the laughter and Emma screaming her brother's name in horror as he fell through the ice and thought his last thought. "She's alive."
Tooth was on her knees an arm outstretched as if she could've prevented Jack from falling.
Bunny looked horrified, every hair on his body standing up.
North had his head bowed in respect. He had figured as much.
Sandy wished he could cry. Wished he could sob loudly and wail in despair. Because he had no pictures to properly communicate his feelings right now.
Bedtime was weeping in June's arms who wasn't faring any better.
Tasha was at a complete loss of words, which was quite something for a spirit of communication.
Joy had not fully recovered from the rollercoaster of the last memory and had not been ready for what she'd just witnessed. She looked in shock.
Wind looked unaffected, of course she already knew about all of this. She was only concerned with comforting her friend.

Jack however was regaining his bearings and expected this to be the end. He was ready for them to wake up so he could listen to them saying how sorry they were. Then he could tell them that it was long ago, that it didn't matter and leave so he could sleep again for the first time in three hundred years. He felt like he was going to need it. But he was in for a nasty surprise.
The other's disappeared. He and Saffia were the only ones left to witness Jack's body slowly sink lower into the water.
Suddenly it was yanked back up to the surface by his staff. Jack's soul however remained in the lake. Thomas and Clara had been on their way to meet Jack and Emma on the pond and had heard Emma's call for her brother. Clara was holding the sobbing girl close as she watched in horror as Thomas pulled Jack's limp form out of the hole in the ice. Thomas dragged his friend's lifeless body to the side of the lake where he laid him down on the cleared path.
"Jack?" he asked, little hope in his voice.
"No… NO!" Clara gasped pressing Emma closer to her chest to keep her from seeing this.
"Come on… This isna funny… Jack?" Thomas' voice was filled with tears.
"What's going on?" Mr. Stanford had been on a walk and had heard the commotion. His expression paled and he grabbed his hearth when he saw the boy who'd been as close to a son or rather grandson as he'd ever get. "Jack? Jackson?" He hurried to the motionless body and examined it. But he had to conclude that all help was too late. He looked at the two teenagers and shook his head sadly, causing them to break down completely.

"What's going on?"
Jack felt his heart sink as he heard his mother's voice. God, no, he couldn't bear the thought of how much this had hurt her. Seeing it unfold would destroy him.
He could barely keep it together as it was when it was his friends and Emma. His baby sister, god what had he done to her? Why did he have to die?
"Emma? Emma are you… No!…" Jack's mother had arrived on the scene and saw her son's drenched body on the shore next to her weeping daughter. It barely registered in her mind that there were other people there too. They didn't matter anyway.
As though she was sleepwalking she approached her children. She knelt next to Jack's head and stroked his hair out of his eyes. Frost was starting to form making him look paler and, at the same time, somehow less dead. As if he was an angel sleeping on her lap.
"My beautiful boy…" She muttered stroking his cheek lovingly.
"My son…" She choked on her breath.
Mr. Stanford reached for her shoulder trying to find the words to comfort her.
"NO!" She screamed out. Flinching away from the contact.
"M-Mama…" Emma had managed to release herself from Clara's grip, but only because the girl no longer possessed the strength to hold her.
"Oh, my precious girl." Grace latched onto her daughter as if she was her only lifeline.
Jack and Wind looked at the display from a distance and as time passed the entire village gathered. The two spirits were clinging to each other as Jack cried for his family and friends.

Horses approached. Someone from the village had apparently left to get James Overland.
James got of the borrowed horse and stumbled to his family.
The crowd parted for him and he felt dread settle in his heart as he saw their solemn faces.
It couldn't be…
The villager had said he was needed at the lake. Not for a moment had he thought any misfortune could've touched his blessed family. But then he reached his sobbing wife and daughter and he just couldn't look at the figure lying next to them. If he looked it would be real and he wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
"Darling?" he found himself saying. Grace looked up at her husband and shook her head.
This caused him to fall to his knees and embrace what was left of his family. He dared a look at his son. Cold and motionless and forever fifteen. He would've made a good man. A good husband to someone and a great father to any children they'd have.

Voices filled Jacks head.
"I'm so proud of you son," his father's voice whispered as though he was standing right behind him.
"We'll never forget any of the moments we spend with you!" Thomas and Clara chorused.
"I love you so much my little troublemaker." His mother this time.
"Never stop having fun." His sister.
"I'll never forget what you did for me." Alexandra.
And many more whispered goodbyes of the people he'd met in his life.
He had often wondered about his sister and how she'd ever gotten home, how his parents reacted and if anyone was angry with him. In fact the question was never far away when he thought of his past at all, so he shouldn't have been surprised that the question had reached the box and that he got to see this. Wind had probably added the memory of the aftermath of his death for when he was ready to see it. He didn't know where all those goodbye's came from thought.
As the last voices died out he decided he didn't care how they ended up in his memories. He was glad to have heard them.
"I love you all," he whispered as he returned to the others. "Jack! There you are!" Tooth exclaimed as she hugged him without a second thought.

"Mate where did ya go all of a sudden?" Bunny asked, worried as well.
"There was something I needed to see on my own is all." Jack dismissed, whipping the tears from his eyes. The guardians now knew better than to pry. Suddenly Jack realized that the group was still quite a bit smaller than it used to be. Just the guardians and wind were present.
Was there another memory they had to see?
And indeed their surroundings shifted and once again all his senses were dragged through time though this time it remained pretty cold. A chorus of laughter was occasionally replaced by sobbing, or sounds of spirits fighting. Then there were desperate cries for help and war mixed with some brief moments of levity. But all surrounded by cold, flurries of white and the smell of pine seemed never ending.
Then they were in the woods near Burges.
Before anyone could wonder what they were doing there they all heard Emma's voice.
"Jack?"
Jack flinched remembering this moment. Did they really have to watch this?
A confused looking Jack Frost flew right passed them and landed. He ran over the forest floor for a few yards before stopping. He was staring at an old bedframe that looked like it had been there for quite some time. Almost like in trance he walked to it. Babytooth, sensing the danger, pulled on his hoodie. Sadly Jack couldn't bring himself to care. "Don't worry. There's still time." He assured the both of them. Wind will get me back in time. He added in thought as he continued his way to the ominous piece of furniture.

"Jack as much as I feel flattered by your confidence in my speed. Let's agree you never ever do something so stupid again?" Jack nodded sheepishly. He knew he was being stupid. He couldn't explain what came over him when he'd heard Emma's voice. Not even to himself.
Once he reached the bed, he found himself looking down an abys any sane person would stay far away from. Instead of doing that he created a bigger opening by knocking out a panel. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. But then Emma called out again. "Jack?" and he threw off all caution and jumped right in.
"Where did I hear that voice before?" He wondered. Hope and confusion coloring his thoughts as he landed in the cave. Babytooth was doing all she could to try and get him to go back.
He ducked and shrugged of her assault. "Babytooth, Babytooth come on! I have to find out what that is!"
Jack felt like he could sink trough the floor from shame. He'd been so stupid. All the red flags were there. But he hadn't been able to think straight at the time.
"It's important I'm sure of it. I just don't know how I know." His line of thought was interrupted as he noticed what was inside the cave. Cages, so many cages filled with fairies.
He jumped from cage to cage, hushing them. "I'll get you out as soon as I-"
"Jack?!" Jack froze as he stared to the piles of toothboxes as though he was in a trance.
"As I can…" The fairies mostly forgotten he dove for the pile.
"Jack?" Tooth approached the guilt ridden spirit carefully.
"It's fine. Memories can have a very strong effect on their owners and since you hadn't been able to reach them for so long the effect must've been so much stronger. I'm not mad. Okay?" Jack looked up and searched Tooth's face for a lie. When he found none he smiled carefully and nodded.
He was looking through the pile frantically.
"Where is it? I have to know! Who am I?"
A warning cry from Babytooth, but it was too late.
"Looking for something?" Jack didn't hesitate for a second and attacked. He had not forgotten what Pitch had done to Sandy.

What followed was an agonizing cat and mouse game that left the older guardians gasping.
"Tha bounce better not have tried tha lay a finger on ya mate!" Bunny exclaimed. Momentarily forgetting what he'd done not long after this event. But it meant a lot to Jack that Bunny showed his protective side now.
"Wind where are you?" Tooth wondered.
"I… When you guys entered the warden… I couldn't follow. The magic around it kept me from entering uninvited. I could still reach, but my core couldn't be next to him. The same goes for Pitch's lair. I could follow Jack inside North's house at the north pole because of the open window. Leaving a window open is like inviting me in. But there are no open windows in Pitch's liar only gaping chasms that won't let me in. I couldn't get him out of there… My current's just carried him as they have the past three hundred years. At this point they listen to him almost just as well as to me. And they are physically a part of me so that is quite the accomplishment." She chuckled, but there was little humor in her voice. She hated that this had happened and that she had been powerless to stop it.
"Yours is that no one will ever believe in you." Pitch's words were a slap in all the guardians' faces.
Bunny remembered how he had tried to taunt Jack with the fact that he wasn't believed in, he hadn't even noticed that he'd hit so close to home.

"Ah'm a dit," he breathed in defeat as he stomped his foot. He could kick himself.
"You didn't know," Jack offered with a hand on his furry brother's shoulder.
"No excuse… Ah can't believe ah let one misplaced blizzard get me spewing." Jack smiled and pushed the Pooka good naturedly. "Maybe I'll show you what that was about some day." He told him as he reluctantly returned his attention to Pitches manipulative game. Sadly the memory hadn't progressed any further during his conversation with Bunny. They saw how he was tossed around like a cat's ball of yarn and how Pitch's taunts followed him everywhere.
It was confusing and terrifying.
"Oh, Jack," Tooth gasped reaching for the Jack in the memory. Wishing she could embrace him and tell him everything would be fine. The real Jack shocked her by wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Hey, I'll be alright. I have my answers now. I know who I am.
I'm a guardian." There was an unmistakable pride in his voice as he said this.
Toothina smiled, but it disappeared when Pitch offered Jack his memories.
To everyone's surprise he didn't grab them at once. He reached for them. His whole body trembling with desire, but he pulled back. He couldn't.. Shouldn't.
Pitch seemed to enjoy every moment of this slow torture.

Then Pitch said something else that surprised and horrified the guardians.
"You're afraid of what the guardians will think. You're afraid of disappointing them."
The three guardians who'd been present for the events of eastern exchanged glances. Jack had cared about their opinion of him back then? Oh, Moon what had they done?
"I could tell you all about what you all truly meant to him… But it is up to Jack to reveal this when he is ready." It was a whisper in the four oldest guardians ears. With the difference that Sandy heard it as a kind voice, he felt like there was a great compliment implied in the words. The other three heard it hissing with some of the anger that had not yet fully left Wind's thoughts about them. A promise of heartbreak when they'd find out.
"They'll never accept you. Not really." The words only added salt to their wounds. They had failed Jack… They had failed their sworn duty so badly. And in return he'd saved them.
"Stop it!" Jack demanded. He felt like he was locked in some sort of coffin and couldn't get any breath. He had to get out now! "After all you're not one of them."
Not true! "You don't know what I am!" Now that the disorientation was gone he was ready to fight again. No matter the confusion and fear he felt, Pitch would pay for what he'd done.
But he didn't fire. Some kind of masochism forced him to keep listening to this man's poisonous words. "Of course I do! You're Jack Frost! You make a mess wherever you go! Why, you're doing it right now!" Pitch threw Jack the memory box which he reflexively caught "Why would he…?"
Then realization dawned on him. "Eastern… This was all a distraction… The eggs!"
"What did you do?" he asked breathlessly.
Pitch grinned at Jack's horrified face. "More to the point Jack. What did you do?"
Last thing they could see from Pitch was his cruel grin fading into the shadows.

"Where is Jane during all of this?" Jack suddenly wonders as he tries not to watch too closely while his past self lunges after Pitch and finds out all that he has messed up. Babytooth, Eastern, he couldn't even catch Pitch or free some of the fairies.
"You should ask her… as I said I don't reach into Pitch's home unless he wishes… Which he never does. But I am confident that Pitch kept her from interfering somehow, though I can't say for sure." Jack knew that this most likely meant that Safia felt like it wasn't her place to talk about what happened. If there was air to breath then the Wind knew what was going on in said air.
Past Jack arrived on the scene of the failed egg hunt and stared in horror as Bunny experienced the agony that was being ran through.
"You really felt bad for me? Ah figured Ah deserved it after all Ah said." Jack shook his head.
"I wouldn't wish that existence on my worst enemy," he explained. And it was true.
"Yet you endured it for three centuries… Why didn't you come to us?" Tooth wondered. Stalling the memory from continuing. Sandy would be furious and they'd deserve it. Didn't mean they looked forward to it.
"I tried. But Phill threw me out. Bunny got grumpy whenever winter dragged out even a little longer and after the… incident, there was no way I'd get near him. And your fairies are surprisingly hard to follow. I saw Sandy every once in a while but once I realized he didn't talk and worked every second of every day I didn't want to waste his time too much. But I always said hi when we crossed paths and whenever I saw his sand appear I played around a bit with a dream."
Sandy produced an image of playing dolphins and Jack nodded.
"Every time," he grinned. Happy that Sandy somehow picked out his dream from all the others.
Tooth got tears in her eyes. Dolphins… Animals that were associated with two things, their love for fun and more importantly their strong family bonds. Jack dreamt of being happy with a family. For three hundred years. And he couldn't reach them.
"I have to talk vith Phill bout security. Child should never be sent away. Even if I am busy."
North felt terrible. He shouldn't have glossed over Jack's remark about trying to sneak in when they first met. Sure he'd expressed interest in an explanation but when Jack had said he never got past the yeti's he'd assumed that trying to break in was just a game for the winter spirit.
"Let's get this over with," Bunny sighed as they turned back to the memory.

Past North was explaining what had happened in the warden making Jack feel worse about himself.
"I could've saved them," he realized.
Sandy was looking at his fellow guardians confused. Why were they looking so ashamed? Surely they wouldn't have given Jack too much grief over this. Once he explained what had happened they would understand. Right?
"Jack!" A molting Toothina exclaimed as she approached him. She looked him over and gasped as she saw the toothbox. "Where did you get that."
Now Tooth and North could see that Jack looked at the box as though he had completely forgotten he had it. Back then they'd still been shaken by the recent loss and they weren't thinking straight. But both could see the accusations their words and actions carried for Jack. Especially with what he'd recently been trough.
Sandy was starting to get cranky, but he was determined not to blow up now, not with Jack still here.
"Where is babytooth? Jack, what have you done?"
"That's why you weren't here? You were with Pitch?!"
They were not making it easy for him though.
Tooth and North didn't know where to look. They were so ashamed. They heard Jack's past self stumble over his words trying to explain himself.
Bunny cringed. He knew that he was about to do the most idiotic thing any spirit had ever done.
"He needs to go. We should never have trusted you!"
"Don't you dare look away this time." The whisper was back and the three guilt ridden spirits looked up at once. Coming face to face with Jack's shocked expression. Pain filling his eyes.
As bunny explained what eastern meant they saw something in Jacks eyes that told them he was still thinking of a way of fixing things. He never meant for any of that to happen. He had been set up and they'd played right into Pitch's hand.
When they saw how they all turned away from him they witnessed what they'd missed the first time. Jack pulling out the small nesting doll and staring at it while all hope, dreams and wonder were sucked from him. Pain and loneliness took their place as he threw it away and took off. To their surprise they also got to see something Jack hadn't seen.

Tooth observing Jack as he flew away, worry overtaking her face. And North shaking his head with regret. Wondering what he could've done better.
"North! Look!" Tooth called out as she spotted the little nesting doll lying where Jack had stood a moment ago.
"Did you give this to him?" she asked as she showed him the doll.
North's eyes widened. "What about it?" Bunny asked still crushed by the loss of Eastern.
"He carried it with him all this time. Until just now… If he'd sided with Pitch, why would he come back?" Realization dawned on the other two.
"You mean ve judged to fast?" North asked.
Bunny's eyes briefly flashed with guilt, but then he turned away stubbornly.
"He still left us. He knew we couldn't stand against an attack." Bunny wasn't very convincing.
"Which is why he went on the solo mission of bringing Sophie home. If I'd gone then Pitch would've taken me out like he did with Sandy. Same goes for either of you. Moon knows why he left Jack alive…" another realization struck.
"Because if he broke tha lad…" Bunny breathed eyes widening with horror.
"He might recruit him?" North finished.
"Except he didn't crush him… We did," Tooth corrected them, slowly losing the use of her wings. Both due to her exhaustion and crippling guilt.

"Why would you ever return to us?" Tooth wondered out loud. Jack considered her question.
"After I left you guys I flew to the artic." The environment swirled to show the blizzard that surrounded the cliff Jack had landed on. Jack's turmoil had created the snow, but everyone was familiar enough with the Northern Wind now to know that the strong winds were caused by her desire to rip Tooth, Bunny and North a new one.
They saw Jack's past self run up the cliff and nearly throw away the toothbox. Nearly rejecting his memories as well.
"Jack tell me you didn't!" Tooth gasped. The winter spirit shook his head and indeed right at when he was about to release the cause of all his trouble, his movements halted. He tried to bring himself to throw it again, but found himself unable to do so.
"For reasons I still don't understand, I couldn't give up on my past. Couldn't give up on the thought that there might be something worth remembering in that box. Someone worth remembering." He kept his eyes on the ground as he explained himself.
"I was also afraid that I would find an even bigger failure inside." He looked up at the guardians, smiled and shrugged casually. As if his break down wasn't of any importance to the whole of the story.
"I was a little low at the time, but I'm fine now, so please don't freak out for the next bit." This worried the guardians even more. Sandy threw his old friends a glare that made it clear that there would be a serious talk later.

They saw Pitch enter the scene, playing the role of a friend. But Jack wasn't so angry with himself that he didn't have any room to be angry at the boogieman.
He send him a blast which the master of fear calmly dodged.
"You don't understand anything!" Past Jack yelled as he kept blasting the cursed man.
"No? I don't know what it's like to be cast out?" Pitch shouted out as Jack threw all his pain and anger at him in the form of icy blasts. Their battle threw up a cloud of snow limiting everyone's sight.
"To not be believed in?" But Jack still didn't trust the man. He'd played him. Manipulated him. He'd killed Sandy. He'd-
"To long for" Past Jack spun ready for the next attack. "a family." In that moment not only did Pitch hit the exact right mark, but his sudden vulnerable face and tone caught Jack of guard.
"Oh, Jack," Tooth breathed once again reaching for the boy's past self as if she could protect him from harm that way. "Hey, I'm fine remember? We saved the children and kicked Pitch's behind."
Tooth smiled a little at that.
"Ah can't help but think you should've knocked out a few more teeth Tooth," Bunny grumbled.
"Dah. I should fill liar with coal." North nodded his arms crossed as he glared daggers as the past version of Pitch kept saying all the right things and Jack's past self kept hearing him out.

The boy's face was astonished. Surprised to possibly find a kindred spirit in this man he'd hated so hard. Maybe they'd all gotten it wrong. Pitch wasn't all bad. Just lonely. Hadn't there been days when Jack had been close to kicking up storms in populated areas just to have someone notice? Days he'd accidentally caused chaos because he was so upset?
"We don't have to be alone Jack. I believe in you. And I know children will too."
It was such a beautiful promise, all Jack had ever wanted.
"In me?" The guardians gasped as they realized how close they'd gotten to losing their youngest to the darkness. "I wonder if he knows you are one of those few children who challenged him in the past? You might not remember, but this wasn't the first time he tried to take you as an immortal," Wind said out of nowhere. "What?" The guardians echoed. Wind ignored the three older ones and turned to Jack. "If I'd asked you for your earliest memory a year ago. What would it be?" Jack nodded. He had wondered about that, back when they watched the memory of the cave.
"Darnkess, cold and fear," he replied. "Pitch tried to take me. But why?" Wind shrugged.
"Possibly your dormant power or maybe he did remember your earlier encounters and thought it would be a fitting form of revenge. Who knows?" It was a disturbing thought, but it would have to wait for later. "Well he sure messed up both times. Look here is where he got a bit too cocky," Jack said, returning everyone's attention to the memory.

Pitch indeed seemed a bit too sure of his case and had started painting a picture of the wrong dream. "We'll give them a world where everything, everything is-"
"Pitch Black?" This was received with loud cheers from the guardians. Proud that their boy hadn't been tempted by power.
Pitch tried to correct his misstep but it was too late.
"They'll fear both of us. And that's not what I want. Now for the last time! Leave me alone!"
Pitch's expression as Jack rejected him surprised everyone.
"I think I may have hurt his feelings," Jack stated wide eyed and all together shocked.
At the time he'd assumed Pitch had just said what he thought he needed to say to get Jack on his side. But it looked like he'd meant some of it.
"Pitch Black is a combination of the prisoner and the invaders. His desires for power comes from the later, but the former gives him human desires he cannot ignore."
Wind looked at Sandy with sad eyes. "I am sorry for the fate of your former friend, he was a good man and is sorely missed." The group held a moment of silence for the cruel fate of the former warden of fears.
Pitch's hurt soon turned to anger and then-

"That MONSTER! If he hurt her! You are right Bunny I should've knocked out more than just one measly tooth!" Toothina was enraged at the nerve of it all. Encage her fairies, and then hurt one of them? He'd pay! Past Jack clearly wasn't happy with it either.
While he'd lost all desire to fight a minute ago he was now ready to blast Pitch to the south pole.
Then Pitch stated his terms and everyone gasped. Surely Jack hadn't. But he had.
And when Pitch threw Babytooth away and broke the staff causing Jack great pain in the process the resulting yelling was deafening.
Much of what was said couldn't be understood and what was said clear enough doesn't need repeating. Sandy's sandwriting had never been less cute let's keep it at that.
They saw Jack fall and could make out a figure in the wind desperately trying to grab him and keep him in the air but to no avail. One look at Wind made it clear that this moment was something she never wanted to relive.
"His staff, wasn't the only thing broken in that moment… It's his spirit that allows him to fly my currents, but back then, his heart was just too heavy for me to carry," she explained, her voice distant.
"Jack how did ya get to Burges from there?" Bunny wondered.
Jack smiled proudly and they saw him open his toothbox. Next thing they knew he merged his staff back together and flew off to save the day.
"I figured out who I was." And that was really the only explanation needed.
"And that is more than enough for one day don't you think?" Jack decided, exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster he'd just been trough. No sooner had he said this or everything around them dissolved.

Hope you all enjoyed it. Until next time. Shouldn't take too long! A week or two at the most!