Not Alone

Chapter 21

Angela: PRECIOUS! GIVES IT TO US!

Draxie: *pops out of nowhere* Is someone quoting Smeagol?

Angela: No!

Opal: Don't be so quick to answer!

Angela: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo *coughs* ooooooooooooooooooooooooo *breathes* oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

Opal: Well, I-

Fanta: *bursts into the room* DIE ALL OF YE, OR BOW TO THE MIGHTY THREAT THAT IS... SYLETAH!

Syletah: *bows to applause* Thank you, thank you, now, where was I? *walks out again*

Fanta: *sighs* Damn that girl! She never helps me with my domination plans!

Angela: I'll help you!

Everyone Else: NO!

Angela: *pouts* Damn. I don't own Rise of the Guardians, but I do own Rose. FOR THE GENDERLESS ONE! Wait, now my story's finished... *runs off crying*

Gerald: *appearing* Is she hormonal or what?

Everyone Else (minus Angela, who is still crying): *throws pillows, rocks, golf balls and a fishbowl at Gerald* GO AWAY! AND DON'T TALK ABOUT YOUR SISTER LIKE THAT!

Gerald: *sulks off* Fine!

Pitch looked around him in undisguised horror and anger. Laughing children, yetis, tooth fairies, sand creatures and elves surrounded him. He scowled when he noticed the two insufferable Frost kids and their friends start a snowball fight. He swooped towards the Frost girl's crush.

"You DARE have fun in my presence? I AM THE BOOGEYMAN! And you WILL fear me!" He snapped, but without looking at him the Bennet kid ran away from a snowball, and right through his midriff. Pitch gasped, clutching his chest. No... Not again...

He spun around and saw satisfaction on all of the Guardians faces, but... the Frost children, they weren't gloating. They looked almost... sympathetic? Pitch didn't have time to ponder it, because the Pooka stepped forwards, and, almost tripping on his cloak, Pitch ran for it. Across the street, down the hill, he ran, looking back as he did so until, whilst crossing a large icy lake, he ran into North's large, solid belly and was knocked backwards. "Leaving the party so soon?" The Russian smirked down at him.

The fairy, Tooth, swooped forwards. "You didn't even say goodbye." She flicked him something shiny he caught on instinct. He stared at the shiny coin in his palm, puzzled, before he looked up at the fairy in confusion. "A quarter?"

With a flash of feathers and pain, Tooth punched him in the face, sending a single tooth flying. Pitch felt his mouth as he struggled into a seating position, blinking slightly. "And that's for my fairies." Tooth panted, shaking her hand slightly.

"You can't get rid of me!" Pitch snapped, standing tall. "Not forever! There will will always be fear."

"As long as we're always here to fight you, it doesn't matter." The Frost girl spoke up, her brother and the other teenagers standing behind her supportively. The Guardians all looked surprised by her insight, but Pitch waved it off. "Then what are they doing here?" he smirked, pointing to the Nightmares that ringed the canyon walls. North looked around, but he was unphased.

"They can't be my Nightmares, I'm not afraid." He pointed out logically. Pitch's face paled. The Frost boy stepped forwards, face alight, but his sister tugged on his sleeve, and when their eyes connected, Jack's face slackened, but he nodded. He looked up at Pitch, the same sympathy in his eyes. "I think they're yours." he said quietly.

Pitch froze, noticing as he did so that his link to his Nightmares had tarnished as he had been speaking. how had he not noticed?! Without a word he spun around and ran, but the Nightmares sprang, convalescing into a ball of sand that enveloped him like a cloud and swept him up and down into his former lair, screaming all the while.

Jack and Rose look away from the pitiful slight to see North beaming at them with something akin to pride. Tooth swooped in and gave them both a big hug. "Oh my gosh, I am soo proud of both of you!"

"Thanks... Mum." Jack whispered. Tooth drew back slightly in shock, smiling brightly, Allowing Baby Tooth to come flying in and try to nuzzle Jack's face. Jack rubbed her head feathers lightly, which seemed to please the little fairy immensely. Rose snorted. That fairy had it BAD.

North stepped forwards, breaking up the moment by clearing his throat. "Are you ready now, Jack, Rose? To make it official?" He added, smiling slightly.

"This is time you take oath. Eldest first, sorry Rose." Rose shrugged and smiled, and Jack stepped forwards, smiling brightly.

"Will you, Jack Frost, vow to watch over and protect the children of the world? To guard them with your life - their hopes, their wishes and their dreams? For they are all that we have, All that we are, and all that we will ever be."

Jack looked around him, at the Guardians proud faces, at the Seasonals excited motions of 'go for it!', and at Rose and Jamie, standing side by side, smiling at him. He turned back to North, and said clearly, "I will."

North grinned broadly, and said, Then congratulations, Jack Frost - for you are now and forevermore...a Guardian. Rose's turn!"

Rose stepped forwards, and North repeated the process. "I will." Rose stated without a second thought, and North grinned, sweeping jack and Rose into big hugs. Rose swore she felt a rib crack.

Rose looked over, and snorted, catching the Seasonals and Jack's attention. One of North's elves had given another a kiss, so the kissed elf punched the kissing elf in the face. "maybe you could keep it and train it as a ninja, Rosie." Jack suggested through gales of laughter. The other Seasonals were no better.

The shouting of the kids caught their attention, and they saw North's sleigh come gliding in, before Sandy shot up a shower of dreamsand fireworks to distract the children. Bunny and the other Guardians said their goodbyes, but just as Rose was about to climb about the sleigh, Jamie ran up, frowning slightly.

"You're leaving? But, what if Pitch comes back? What if we stop believing again? If I can't see you-"

Rose leaned forwards and lightly kissed Jamie's cheek to shut him up. In the background, all of Tooth's fairies fainted(Tooth looked pretty close to fainting too), Bunny handed a grinning North a sack of gold, and Jack simply beamed.

"Jamie, do you stop believing in the day when night comes? Or stop believing in the sun when it's snowing? We'll always be here, Jamie. All you have to do is ask." This time, Jamie leaned forwards and kissed Rose, on the lips this time, both of them blushing, before he turned around and ran back to his friends, while a still pink Rose boarded the sleigh.

"Not one word." She warned the smiling Jack, but he zipped his lips, still grinning. Rose sat next to jack, and absentmindedly sent Jamie an unmelting snowflake. She looked around at the sleigh, which was somehow carrying all the Guardians and Seasonals, and smiled. Finally, She and Jack weren't alone anymore.

AWWW! GOD, ROSE AND JAMIE ARE SO DAMN CUTE! if anyone with artistic talent wants to draw them(or any part of this story) then be my guest! I'd love to see what you come up with! Thanks to BIG Z1776, hiddensecret564, Avenger13579 and GadgetCid for being AMAZING constant reviewers, and thanks to , KHmysterygirl, Ruby Warrior Girl 730, deathqueen1000, BreeTannerHuang, GadgetCid, Fiction reader 3199, Spirals and Lightning Bolts, Samishere21, Readmaniac103 and hiddensecret564 for faves and follows! Wow, I haven't done that bit in ages... GOODBYE! I'M GONNA MISS YOU ALL!

Angela