My Lovely Guardian

by Princess LaLaBlue

Evelyn hated love; it betrayed her and left her to die. After 300 years of being forced to protect it, the Guardians tell her she is to become the official Guardian of Love. With Pitch back and trying to free an ancient evil that even Manny couldn't defeat, will she choose what is right, and maybe, find someone to prove her wrong about love along the way? (JackXOC)

26. Chapter 26 Fun Loving

Chapter 26; Fun Loving:

Warning; Rated M for swearing, violence, lemon, and lots of magical beings with really cool jobs. You have been warned…

Disclaimer: I do not own 'The Rise of the Guardians' or any of its characters, I am only using them to fulfill my own disillusioned dreams and fan-girl wishes. : P

The song for this chapter is titled Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow! It's a Christmas song, but it sounds so cool and fun, plus, it's a song about Jack Frost! And the Hooded Crow could be thought of as none other than Evelyn! Go give it a try!

…okay. I suck. I know, and I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so (many so's later) sorry! School just, college, just, job, papers! Internship! I got an internship with a crime lab now (so friggin awesome, but time consuming)! Things happened and I…I feel so terrible for leaving Jack and Evelyn alone for so long! Just when things got nice and romantic too! Okay, I make you all this promise, one, this story will never be abandoned, so never fear on that. Two, I plan to finish this story by the end of the year and maybe into early January, and by mid-January I will get started on the sequel! How's that? That good? Good? Yup, hooray! Now, as an early Christmas present to you all, on to the long awaited chapter!

~o0o~

Ready, get set, go, away they run, to and fro

Hear children's laughter ring out, for this gift makes all forgo their doubt

It makes them forget their tragedy and tears, but most of all, their fears

The smiles must be spread, they must never end

For fun is meant to be shared with everyone

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Scoffed Evelyn, arms folding over her chest as she resisted the urge to tap her foot impatiently. Jack, from his corner, smirked, she glaring at him before turning away to then catch the grin of Bunnymund.

"It means we have to use our brains and think. You might want to sit this one out then carrot top"

"Watch it fluffy, these arrows skewer more than just love struck idiots" She growled. Bunnymund then scoffed, and the other Guardians could feel the little hairs on the back of their neck warning them that he was about to say something very stupid.

"You're full of bluff and we both know it. You wouldn't hurt a little fly now that you're all soft for a certain winter spirit"

Jack fell off the chair in the corner he was perched on.

"Bunnymund! Keep it down" He pleaded redundantly. The large rabbit shrugged, missing the slowly growing snarl on Evelyn's lips.

"Why? Everyone already knows!"

"It's true" Sighed Tooth, smiling shyly "Everyone knows, even North"

The large giant pouted, Sandy holding in a silent chuckle.

"Why so hard to believe? I'm perceptive!"

"Well, you aren't a little fly, are you rodent?" Evelyn lowly growled once Bunnymund's attention was back on her.

Again, the little hairs danced, Jack's especially when he saw Bunnymund's green eyes flicker from him, back to Evelyn, smirk growing wider.

"Just cause you're officially Jack's winged arm candy now, don't think that I'll be going easy on ya carrot top!"

"Winged arm candy?!" The offended girl almost screamed, showing anger the rabbit hadn't seen since the first time she burnt his tail, the second time no doubt approaching swiftly.

"Evy! Easy!" A beyond embarrassed Jack once more helplessly pleaded, placing a hand on Evelyn's shoulders.

"Everyone, please, stop!" Tooth shouted, just in time to stop Evelyn "Look, we're getting nowhere with this! How about we concentrate on trying to solve this riddle before Pitch finds the Gift, okay?"

Silence blanketed the anger and smirks, bringing them down to a unanimous mutter of agreement; though Evelyn continued to sneak glares over at Bunnymund, copper eyes blazing.

"…fine"

"Alright, good. Now then…what is this supposed to mean?"

o0o

That was a mess. Wholly and completely, utterly disastrous.

But hey, at least no one got their tails or breads burned off.

Jack had been a little more than worried when Bunnymund caught him and Evelyn doing…well, caught them. But really, Jack wasn't so certain that they had anything to hide from the Guardians in the first place; they would have found out sooner or later. It was really only Evelyn that was rather ignorant of it all. And North. Poor North.

But now, for better or worse, the secret was out. Jack and Evy were…were what?

Together?

Dating?

In love?

Jack was. So much. But Evy…

Well, he could wait. Like she asked him too. She might be stubborn, but winter could out last anything. Except summer, and salt, and fire-okay, bad metaphor, but Jack knew what he meant. And he knew Evy did too, without him ever really saying it out loud to her.

So, why then was he nervous when he landed on a tree branch beside said winged girl was perched on?

Cause of that slight, glimmering smile of hers that dare he say was becoming almost a common occurrence. Almost was the key word here though.

"Hello Jack" Evy greeted, and Jack's own smile shot up in reflection to her much smaller one.

"Hi Evy" The winged girl stood, her satchel hanging off a branch below, the human couple that were her targets walking down the gravel path and turning out of sight. Evelyn found that she could care less though. Especially when Jack wrapped his arms around her, tucking his head against the crook of her neck.

Evelyn let out a low chuckle, and Jack took that as an invitation to pull her even tighter to him, daring to even sneak a hand into the tangle of red that was her hair. Evy guessed he liked it, seeing as how he took nearly every opportunity to touch it. Even before they were…were…what? Right, they didn't have a title. She didn't want one yet. Once you give something a name, it becomes real.

And why didn't she want this to be real in every sense again? Oh, right, because she was still scared. Terrified.

Sensing Evy tense up, Jack loosened his grip enough so as to look down at her, brows pulled down in confusion and worry.

"So…time to talk?"

Okay, that's not what he had planned on asking. He was going for "Everything alright?", but of course, he messed up. He did promise to wait for Evy to catch up, but they really did need to talk. Or at least talk about when they would be able to talk. This was really too confusing.

"About what?" Evy all too innocently asked. She really couldn't pull it off, and Jack saw through her sad attempt to dodge the conversation he guessed he was now bringing up, poor timing aside.

"Us. Uh, you and me. And about you nearly setting Bunnymund's tail on fire again when he started talking about you being with me"

"Winged arm candy. He called me winged arm candy" Evelyn corrected, grabbing a bit of the blue sweatshirt that filled her view in biting annoyance. Jack grinned at the seething tone in her voice.

"I know. It was kind of funny" Evelyn turned up her glare from Jack's sweatshirt, making him flinch.

"I said kind of" He immediately mumbled, and Evelyn's little smile came back as she pushed Jack away, taking a step back. She liked these short moments they had together, but really couldn't take being all cute and cuddly for long. That, and, public displays of affection were not exactly her strong suit, among many other things.

"We can…we can talk later Jack" Evelyn decided as she turned away from him, kneeling down to grab her satchel below. If she bothered to hurry, she could catch up with her targets and move on.

"You know we have to. I'm not a yo-yo" The frost spirit grumbled, and folded his arms in a mock huff. Evelyn, slinging her bag over her shoulder, looked at Jack in bemused disbelief.

"You're a what?"

"A yo-yo. It's, it's a metaphor" Jack said, now unsure of what he was talking about. Especially when Evelyn's little smile turned into a full blown smirk. Now while that was still cute, it cost him a lot of humiliation.

"Uh-huh. Got it. Metaphor" Evelyn nodded, voice dripping with amusement. He pouted in response, probably hoping to find something clever to retort with. Nothing came up of course, and Evelyn took his silence as a sign she won and it was time to go catch up with a certain couple that needed to be shot through their hearts. Though, she could humor the spirit. Just a bit.

"I used to be fun. I used to smile for every stupid, simpering thing. Everything was weightless and nothing meaningful hurt" She said, still with her smirk as Jack's eyes shot up to look into hers, confused by where this was suddenly coming from.

"But that was me back then. I have had over three hundred years to focus on my hate. My fear. You can't just waltz in and change that" Evelyn ended, hoping that she was still smirking. Maybe it might help make it all easier to say. That's what Jack did, and though she would rather be struck by her own arrow than say, Manny forbid, she was just a bit jealous of how easily happiness came to him sometimes.

She just wanted to be up front with him. Evelyn knew he would keep his promise to wait, and she would of hers to hurry and catch up. How, she just didn't know. Everyone else might say that love would pull her through, but even though she could see that Jack…well, that Jack cared for her, it just wasn't ever going to be enough to rid those last few, but stubborn doubts.

"'I'm not going to try to change you. Just show you what you are missing and hope that you will make the change yourself" Jack replied after a while, still staring down at her, and Evelyn instantly scoffed. He still sounded like a fortune cookie. Damn that spirit and his well-timed words of ill-wisdom.

"Like fun?" She asked, catching on to Jack's meaning. The spirit smiled brightly.

"Exactly. A show, don't tell, kind of deal" Evelyn nearly chocked on her own chuckle. Jack looked at her confused, and perhaps a little annoyed. Evelyn quickly gained control over herself, and her thoughts, just long enough to put up a coy smirk.

"Another metaphor there Jack? Or perhaps that was a euphemism instead?"

Jack took a minute to think, and a minute more to blush and get agitated to find out that Evelyn was teasing him. By flirting.

"You know what I meant" He said, reverting back to a grumble as he became suddenly busy by using his staff to form icicles on the branch above. Evelyn's smirk grew, and she took a step closer.

"Hm, I think I do, but why don't you show me just in case?" She teased, pretending to not be embarrassed by what she was saying. It was like something she would get one of her target's to say with a potion, a really poorly made potion at that. But she was out of practice by about three hundred years here, so her flirting was rusty at best. Still, it was more than enough to make Jack blush, which was exactly what she wanted.

"Okay, I get it alright, if you could be serious for a moment-" Jack started, but then was cut off as Evelyn took a step closer, leaving precisely only six inches of space between him and the smirking girl. There was a dangerous gleam of mischief in her eyes that Jack felt was a flashing neon warning sign. Run boy, run.

"Come on Jack, put on a little show for me" Evelyn, still relentlessly teasing as her voice lowered to a heavy whisper. Letting her satchel drop to the ground far below them, she decided she did have a few moments to spare. A few minutes so long as every second of them were put to good use.

"Evy, I, uh I-I…" Jack stuttered, finding himself a loss for words and coherent thoughts. The desire to speak quickly left him though, as Evelyn closed her eyes, and leaned closer.

Jack always noted how warm she was compared to him. It was one of the first things he noticed, and liked, about Evelyn. And now more than ever, he could not help but reflect on the feeling of her lips against his; a slow friction of movement and colliding temperature building as Jack relaxed into the kiss Evelyn instigated.

It was strange. With the first kiss they shared, Jack couldn't recall quite what happened. It happened, definitely, but did it feel the same as now? Was he supposed to put his arms around her? Or should he just let her do what is comfortable for her? Funny how the first time he thought nothing beyond the strange and wonderful fact that he was kissing Evelyn, and he was becoming flustered just now. Still, the soft but persistent urge of winged girl's kiss allowed Jack to enjoy what was happening, him relaxing even further until his arms found their natural place wrapped around her.

Until he felt Evelyn's lips part.

"Jack? What's the matter?" The winged girl asked, confused as to why Jack pulled away from her so suddenly. He was still holding her in his loose embrace, but the shock on his face ruined any enjoyment that offered. Truly concerned she crossed some line she didn't know existed, Evelyn waited on baited breath while Jack tried to catch his.

"W-what did you do that for?" He was able to get out eventually. Evelyn's brows lowered in thought as she tried to recall just what she could have done that would elicit this kind of reaction form…wait.

"Seriously?" Evelyn then sighed once she realized what Jack had gotten so worked up about. Bluntly, she had tried to instigate a much deeper kiss, but she had not counted on Jack being so delicate about the usage of tongues. Jack then looked away sheepishly, blushingly ashamed that he had so little knowledge in this kind of thing thanks to his lack of memories. After a moment though, Evelyn threw him playful smirk and a chuckle.

"Alright then. I'll show you. Step by step" She teased him, but the frost spirit had little time to be exasperated with her. Evelyn's hand traveled up from the sweatshirt it had been so tightly gripping to Jack's cheek. Fingertips brushed lightly as Evelyn did her best to not start blushing like Jack. She was supposed to be the expert on this stuff, like hell she was going to get all shy and coy.

Seeing Jack lean in closer as she reached the corner of his own growing smirk, Evelyn forgot her assertion as the frost spirit closed the small gap that was made by his own flustering himself. Immediately she closed her eyes, her lips parting without even the slightest bit of effort on Jack's part. His slight confidence seemed to waver in that moment though, so Evelyn, once again, decided to take the lead.

Pressing nearer, she parted her mouth further to allow her tongue to slide along Jack's lips, repressing a chuckle when she felt the poor boy jolt in surprise. This time though, he did not move away, but tightened and readjusted his grip on Evelyn till one hand had entangled itself into her hair again. Feeling satisfied in knowing that Jack would not be letting go any time soon, Evelyn pressed further on.

Slowly, with thought put into every movement, she began to deeper the kiss. Little doubts and memories tried to worm their way in her head, but she pushed them aside the instant she felt Jack respond back. His movements were timid by comparison to hers, but when he pressed past her lips to repeat the same she had done to him, Evelyn felt her breathing hitch. In retaliation she bit lightly at his lower lip in attempt to make him jolt in surprise again, but his reaction was far from what she expected.

He growled. No, he chuckled. Yet the normally light laughter of Jack Frost sounded too overwhelming to have been inspired by humor. No, this dark, rich chuckle was created by something much needier. His pressing chest sent the rumbling sound from him to Evelyn, making her want another tremor the instant it went through her.

Somehow, in some way neither were quite sure how, Evelyn found herself being backed up against the tree by a very distracted Jack, the two sharing breath for one instant and releasing a groan the next when forced to part for air.

"…huh" Was all Evelyn could say, expression blank and blushing. Jack, through some miracle, seemed just fine, and even managed to bring back that smirk of his as he pressed his forehead against Evelyn's.

"Speechless? Maybe we should do this more often" If she bothered, Evelyn could have clobbered the mischievous spirit for saying such a thing, but she had other things on her mind. So did said spirit, as he once more closed the gap between them.

Perhaps Evelyn was just an excellent teacher, as soon enough Jack was leading the kiss more so, growing confidence making him bolder. His hands tightened and clutched at the clothing that Evelyn wore, frustration making them move clumsily. Jack didn't know what to think, but though he had never been this close to Evelyn before, he was very unsatisfied that she wore such a large, bulky coat. His hands kept moving, tugging, and eventually, found what Jack did not know he was looking for in the first place.

Immediately Evelyn stiffened.

"Jack, wait"

"I'm sorry" Apologized the spirit, pulling his hand out from under the shirt he had slipped it under to then take a step back. He was afraid of this; going too far. He considered it amazing enough that he could touch Evelyn, but he knew of how little she cared for embraces, let alone what they had just done. Maybe it was just the way she felt about things. But at reading the embarrassment and part shame that was written on his face, the winged girl instantly shook her head.

"No, but I…I just…" She placed a hand upon the scarf that wrapped her throat, hesitation taking the comforting response she wanted to give.

It was not Jack, in no way could it be him. But, for just one second, only one thought, and she was reminded of Darren. She lost all hate towards that mortal decades ago, but the very idea of having someone like him touch her again terrified as well as repelled her. And Jack reminded her of him.

That part especially was sickening. She knew that Jack was nothing like Darren. Jack didn't have his physique, his unwavering confidence, or his overfed ego. But that even for a second she compared the two of them, well, Evelyn felt every bit a coward. Jack would not hurt her, Jack would not leave her, he…loved her. And that was not such a terrifying notion to her anymore.

So why couldn't she just say it back yet? Why was she always the one who pulled away?

All this distracted thinking wrapped up Evelyn so much that she nearly jumped when she felt Jack place his arms around her again. Placing his forehead against hers, Evelyn's view was filled with nothing but blue eyes and a white toothed smile.

"I wondered if I'd ever find a girl who could send my heart spinning like a broken compass" A comforting, chaste kiss was placed on Evelyn's limp lips, just before that ever present smirk of Jack's then formed before her.

"Now I have my answer"

Mocks, chides, teases, and even gibes trotted through Evelyn's mind to what she could say in response to what she just heard. And yet, somehow, through all that cynicism in her, all she could manage was a smiling remark.

"You…might want to have that looked"

Jack chuckled, and then let go. Evelyn knew he was needed back up at North's place, and she herself needed to get some work done before doing the very same. Watching him fly away though, a niggling, hopeful thought crossed her mind.

Somehow, Jack would make all this insanity worth it. She had enough faith to believe that at least.

o0o

For having spent such a wonderful afternoon with Evelyn, Jack's evening quickly turned sour after he visited North's factory to see if any progress had been made on figuring out the riddle. Not one line was made any clearer to the Guardians working on it, and so, they called it quits for the time being.

Jack shared their frustration. They were all pressed for time. But something even deeper than Pitch's army and Darkness pricked at him.

So far, each Gift had called for more than just finding it. With Tooth, it was her only through her determination that she was able to find her Gift all while breaking her bod; North, they were tested on their faith on what they did. Bunnymund's called for his reconciliation with Nature and healing their bond, and Sandy's, well, he and Evelyn certainly had it out.

What worried Jack then was what was in store for everyone when they solved the riddle and tried to find his gift? The words brought sense for what was to happen when they did find it, so there wasn't even the comfort in having the riddle solved for Jack. Far greater disturbance was that, again, they had yet to solve the riddle. Each Gift, somehow, changed the Guardians, more often than not the Guardian whose Gift had been found.

Was Jack going to change then? When they found his Gift, was something going to happen that would make him wiser, stronger? What would happen, what could happen to make him stronger? He never thought that there was something more to him and his powers, but what if there were? Something he had forgotten…

Forgotten. That would made Jack shudder with frustration as he decided to land on the snow covered ground below the tree he was perched in. Of course there was so much he had forgotten. His life. Everyone, even Evelyn who wanted to forget remembered her life before being a Guardian, but not Jack. Not even in his dreams did his memories visit him.

If the Gift was to change him, like it had the others, how could it?

"How can I know who I am to become, until I find out who I was?"

Jack jumped a little, surprised that he had spoken out loud. He shook the moment out of his head however, pushing it aside. So far, it seemed that he would not be destined to know, and that was…alright. He could discover himself a different time, right now, he needed to think on his Gift. It probably wouldn't be anything to worry about anyway; Bunnymund's was as simple as just owning up to his feelings for Nature, and Jack had already taken that bullet with Evelyn. Sandman's didn't even affect him, besides gaining a nice herd of Dream Stallions, which he had been training diligently ever since-

A light chirping sounded out through the late evening, cutting Jack's attention as a smile grew.

"Baby Tooth?" He asked the small figure of bright colors and flittering wings that suddenly now hovered before his face. The small fairy chirped more, and Jack chuckled as she snuggled against the side of his cheek.

"Yeah, hi back" The small fairy was absolutely livid with energy, almost as if she was shaking with excitement. Maybe it was because it was cold around Jack's lake, or maybe she wanted to play, in which case, he was sorry that he was going to have to disappoint her. North had kindly ordered him to put aside his mischief till the riddle was solved. Not like Jack was quite in the mood anyway, what with where his recent thoughts had drifted.

"Not that it's great to see you, but…" The winter spirit began his apology, till Baby Tooth darted away. Blinking, Jack listened to the sharp beats of the fairy's distant wings, smiling when he heard them draw near again. Thinking the fairy still playful, Jack was about to start his apology again, when he was stopped short. In the fairy's tiny clutches, was a long, familiar cylinder of gold.

"My teeth? What's, why-" Before he could finish his exclamation, Jack was once more cut off. By a voice. One he hadn't heard in over three hundred years and yet couldn't fail to recognize.

He just failed to believe it.

'It's time to explain a few things Jack'

The Man in the Moon. Jack looked up into the late evening sky, not surprised to see a sliver disk hanging up high in it, larger than it had any business to be. Jack was however, a little flabbergasted.

'It's been a while' The voice cooed, like a whisper in his head, so strange and oddly comforting. But he could see how Evelyn could dislike hearing it; it felt unwelcomed, foreign, however comforting it tried to sound. The thought of Evelyn's unwanted privilege to have spoken with Manny reminded Jack of something that made his look of surprise turn stern. Angry even.

"You've never talked to me before. Never" He ground out slowly, hands tightening around his staff.

'Not true. I told you your name. A name you gave yourself mind you-'

"I believed in you, I became a Guardian. And now that it's up to me, again, to save the world, only now do you choose to talk to me like the others?" Jack interrupted, biting, and indifferent that he just may be getting himself on the bad side of possibly the most powerful immortal of all. He didn't care though, he had plenty he had been waiting to say when Manny started talking to him, and most of it was anything but a kind hello.

'You didn't need me before' The voice stated, as if it were the most obvious of facts. Jack's eyes bugged out lividly in disbelief.

"Didn't need you? I didn't need someone to tell me that no one could see me? Ever? That I would be alone for over three hundred years? No explanation, just, alone!" He shouted up at the sky, looking every part the perfect mad man as he even shook a fist at the moon. Jack knew that everything Manny did, well, mostly everything, was for the good of all. But he had held onto that little hopeful explanation too long. He needed to know why he suffered, if it was indeed for something 'good', though what, he couldn't even begin to fathom.

'You're just as thick headed as Evelyn. The Gifts of the Guardians are not really keys. They're tests to make you all-'

"Don't you talk about her like that! You knew what she went through and you put her through hell like you did me!" Jack's voice, once more interrupting the moon, went low, filled with a deeper ire. He thought he could live with the frustration of having kept many things of his own past from him, but when it came to Evelyn, Jack felt livid. She suffered more than he ever did, and when it came to her pain, Jack felt that there was very little to explain besides just plain cruelness from what was supposed to be the kindest entity.

'You got to meet her' The voice in his head explained 'Without me, you would have never met her'

Jack began to pace the edge of his lake, striking it every now and again as Manny went on, and Jack had no choice but to listen to the voice that rudely refused to leave his head,

'She shook off love. I wanted to give her a chance to take away the walls she had in place when I found her. She is just now beginning to realizing what love is, because of you, because of her new hopes'

The winter spirit ventured out onto his now frozen lake, scoffing in a way that would make Evelyn proud. But inside, his anger was fading. Even if what Manny had done was cruel, what he was saying was correct. Cruel to be kind then seemed to be lesson of the day, but Jack couldn't stand to believe that was all there was to where Manny was going. Especially when he switched topics.

'You though Jack Frost…you need look back. You've done well, you've found the center of what it means to be a Guardian, and you know your purpose. It's time to remember why you made fun and laughter your purpose. That is what you lack'

"What? I already know why I made it my purpose-" Jack stared up at the moon, confused, only this time to be interrupted himself, Manny's tone becoming less of a whisper, and more of a .

'In life, your sole power was laughter. It was all you had to hide behind, it was all you thought you needed to get by. And for a while, it worked. But you need more than laughter, more than fun. You need to remember what you wanted to forget'

Jack chuckled, and cracked a forced smirk. "Yeah, really too late for a self-reflection, inner child chat Manny. Why don't you just hand over the Gift of Fun, and we can have this heart to heart later?"

At this, he put out his hand, not really expecting Manny to just place his Gift in it, but wanting to annoy the great immortal anyways. It seemed to do the trick, as Jack heard a heavy sigh fill his mind.

'Just as thick headed. You and Evelyn really do make quite the pair'

The winter spirit was about to protest to the moon again, when a figure of green and gold feathers stopped him.

"Baby Tooth? Wha-" The fairy had drifted in front of his face, still holding onto the cylinder that was his memories. He had almost forgotten that she was even here, let alone with his teeth.

'Perhaps we should just show him, eh Baby Tooth?'

Before Jack could even open his mouth to question, Baby Tooth laid a slender hand on the opening of the cylinder she held. A wave of fragmenting color emanated from it, breaking open to reveal a blinding light. Having seen this before, Jack was prepared to see a dream like vision before him of his life.

What happened instead was nothing he could have ever prepared for.

Snow globe.

The world had turned into one, blurred, snow globe as a branch of light, like little stars sown together grabbed Jack.

For a moment, it was beautiful. Truly, like everything had bled together, colors mixing into white. But soon Jack was feeling dizzy, which was an entirely new sensation for him. What was the silhouette of Baby Tooth and Jack's lake spinned so quickly about him he could not tell for certain if he was going blind. He lost all knowledge of which way his body was being twisted, feeling upside down one moment and inside out the next.

To say that the sensation that would leave him unbalanced for years left as suddenly as it had begun would be too much of a simplification. What had swept Jack up had spat him out, sending him tumbling back onto the snow. Facing the same night sky, sprawled out on his back, the winter spirit waited for his eyes to stop spinning.

"Okay, that hurt" He eventually managed, slowly sitting himself up. Giving himself a pat down, he smiled "Kneecaps, yup, still got them"

Happy that he had not lost anything, Jack stood, only to then be disappointed. While he was okay, he did lose something; his staff. Where was it? And Baby Tooth was gone as well. Maybe she took his staff? No, she was strong for a fairy, but even that was impossible for her. So, where was it? And why was it so much darker out?

Looking back up into the sky, Jack noticed that something was not right. Not only was the moon smaller than when it was talking to him, but the stars that surrounded it were much brighter and more numerous than he had recalled them to be. City lights normally outshone the stars and forced them dim, but now they shined as if new. Speaking of the city.

"Now, where did it go…" Jack murmured he began to walk towards where the city of Burgess always laid, unable to see the street lights or hear the sound of traffic. He figured that Manny was no longer in the mood for talking, to which Jack wasn't too upset about, so might as well see if he could find Baby Tooth. The park path that had always lead to his lake was gone, instead brambles stuck up from under the snow, pricking Jack's bare feet. Finally, he came out of the woods, expecting to walk onto a paved road.

A force nearly as powerful as what had swept him up earlier took hold of Jack, almost knocking him over.

Utter shock.

A village. A honest to frost village complete with girls in bonnets and carts loaded up with firewood being driven by horses. Thatched straw roofs, torches lighting the unpaved paths with warm light, pelts hanging off of pegs and wobbly fences bordering snow buried gardens.

"Oh, wow. Man, I really wish I had a camera right now. No one's gonna believe this" Jack muttered, unable to believe it himself.

What had happened? Was he transported somewhere else? No, he had just walked from his lake; that place he would knew by heart. Well then, where was he? In a Renaissance fair? Then at least someone here would be wearing tennis shoes, baseball cap, or something, but nothing of the modern world Jack was familiar with was anywhere to be found.

Then, if nothing of a modern convenience could be found, then…

No.

It couldn't happen. But then, the light that transported him, now in his rising panic, Jack knew that he recognized it. The Time Stream that Father Time kept over. A bit of it showed before he was transported.

Jack Frost had traveled back in time. Oddly enough, the first thing that Jack could think to do was stay perfectly still. Crush a butterfly, start a bug apocalypse ran through his mind. So many other possibilities ran through his mind, like maybe he had just gotten hit on the head, or perhaps even Pitch was playing a nasty trick on him. He would have thought himself a little better at not falling into a trap so easily, but Manny talking to him was a distraction. Wait, Manny had been talking to him. He said that Baby Tooth was going to show him something. Was this it?

Feeling to curious to stay still, Jack began to wander around, taking in everything slowly and cautiously. He kept a special eye out for the brilliant colored feathers that was Baby Tooth, but she, like his staff, was nowhere to be found. He felt almost naked without it, and if this was all the doing of Pitch, he could be in a lot of trouble. But then, well, he was still Jack Frost so...

"Hey, uh, you!" Jack called out to a little girl that was running towards him, casing a little boy about her age "Could you tell me where…I…am…" Having stepped right in front of her path, Jack felt the familiar twinge of frustration as the girl slipped through him, unbothered and unaware that she had just walked through a winter spirit.

"Of course" Jack grumbled. Well, he still didn't know who to blame or how it was really possible, but Jack found himself glaring up at the moon, its round face protesting innocence in his conundrum.

"You send me back in time, and still, no one can see me. It's like you want me to believe you have no heart" Jack waited for a response, arms folded, before he chuckled and walked on "Not talking now huh? That's a shock"

Taking in more sights, and even finding his interest peeked by the little interactions and smiles of the people despite his odd situation, Jack began to relax. Pitch was definitely ruled out now; he would have come out to gloat by now if he had any part in this. So Manny was really to blame for this blast backwards in time. Something then stuck him.

"Back in time. When in time?" Jack asked himself. Looking around, scrutinizing everything once more, Jack looked for a clue. He was no history expert, though he lived through a good chunk more than others. Still, some things looked familiar, but he could not place his finger on it.

"H-hey!" The winter spirit shouted as out of the blue, a streak of brown and insane laughter flew by him. A little boy on a sled proceeded to plow through the middle of what seemed like the busiest section of the village, forcing others to dive out of the way as Jack had. Always fascinated by fun, Jack watched the boy speed along, only to cringe when the young lad failed to turn, and crashed into a snow drift.

"Personal note, breaks have not yet been invented. Unfortunately for that kid, brain damage has always existed" Jack chuckled, watching the shooting looks of disapproval and amusement the villagers sent towards the flopped over figure of the young boy. Sighing to himself, Jack turned away.

"Now, I'm betting the exit is, that way. No, this wa-"

"Jack!"

"Yeah?" Jack Frost answered, face lighting up at hearing his name. He looked for the source, and found it in a familiar face.

It was Emma. His sister.

A shock that stirred up all and every emotion came to life on Jack's face as he watched the little girl he would never fail to recognize run past him. She was younger than what he had seen from his memories that one time, and was smiling as she came up to where the little boy had not long ago crashed.

"Are you alright?" The young girl asked, words slurred from little practice speaking, she only just four. The boy, older than her by much, stood up, his body lanky and tall even for his elder age.

"Yeah, uh, j-just fine Emma" He answered with a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his head. He appeared just fine, though his clothes hung loose on him and his brown hair was a mess of tangles.

Jack Frost, slowly, breathing far to calm, came closer, watching in earnest as Emma, his Emma, jumped up and down. The young boy too became excited, and laughed just as insanely as when he was sledding down the road.

"Did you see how fast I went?! I thought I was going to start sailing up!" He shouted, picking Emma up in his scrawny arms, the young girl squealing in delight.

"Jack up!"

"Hey!" The boy's face lit up as a idea made his smile stretch even wider "How about we go again?! With you on the sled it will go much faster, probably turn better too-"

"Jackson Overland" Both the young boy and Jack Frost froze at the sound of the commanding voice that came behind them. Standing there, tall with a strong jaw and deep brown eyes, was a man Jack Frost felt could compete with North for sheer intimidation at just the mere sight of. The boy gently put Emma down, standing as straight as he could.

"Y-yes father?" The boy addressed the man, who strode forward, face taciturn.

"What were you thinking? You could have hurt someone! Mrs. Tanner is in a fit because of her smashed window that Mr. Jeffers broke in his attempt to avoid getting run over by you!" The man sternly put to the boy, who looked down at his bare, dirty feet.

"I was just having some fun" This softened the expression of the man, whose brown eyes shown with an odd light that looked all to much like what the boy had in his eyes when he was laughing before. Kneeling down so he was level with the boy, the man took his shoulders gently.

"Jack, fun isn't proper if it hurts someone. You understand me boy?"

"Yes father" Replied the boy, Jack Frost coming closer still, refusing to reflect, only drink in what was happening before him with a thirst he did not knew he had. He memorized the man's face without being aware of it, as if afraid he would be gone within just a moment.

"Father?" He whispered, the words so foreign to him. Jack Frost jumped back, as the man stood up suddenly, clapping the little boy on his back.

"Good boy Jack" The boy's father said, a small smile growing as he then went over to pick up the sled that was sticking out of the snow bank.

"Come on now. You have some apologizes to make before we round up the yews. Emma, you go find your mother"

The little girl bounced up a few times before clumsily springing off, the boy falling behind the man, looking less sullen and frightened, though far from happy. The man caught this, and with a sigh, dove a hand inside of his large coat.

"And Jack?" The little boy looked up, seeing his father holding something in a calloused hand that was stretched out towards him. The boy took it, and immediately a smile lit up his pale face.

It was a wooden figuring of a sheep dog, painted, and beautiful.

"Happy birthday" The boy's father whispered, the kind, loving words meant only for his son's ears alone. The boy held the wooden dog as if it was his heart, and smiled even wider as he followed after the man.

Jack Frost, left behind, couldn't breathe. It was all so impossible, yet with every second, he wished it was true. Eyes following the boy and his father, Jack Frost found a smile and enough breath to laugh in disbelief and excitement.

"Father…my father…"

~o0o~

The LaLaBlue Post:

Wow. Lot to take in, huh? Hehe, of course, I give you guys a chapter, and it ends on a bit of a cliff. A sharp, gigantic cliff I feel most of you want to push me off of. Anyhoo, how about a vote? Here are three options for the title of the sequel!

One; suggested by Elphaba818 "The Love of Two Guardians"

Two; made up by mwah "My Chaotic Guardian" (because the villain is Lady Discord, aka Chaos)

Three; suggested by NatalyaEnkou "My Bewildered Destiny"

Or Four; Just plain old "My Lovely Guardian 2"

I would like to note that Manny is a little bit different for both Evelyn and Jack, as he is in their head and what they hear changes on what they expect to hear from him. I like to think of Manny as more of an idea than an actual person, like he has sort of gone beyond that, leaving his personality behind to become what the world needs, an impartial, and yet somehow caring being looking after us. Scary. Anyhoo, I am already working on the next chapter, and like I promised, this story will be done before new year's…I hope. Maybe in early January.

I hope that you all forgive me for abandoning you for so long, and have patience as I do my best to complete this story for you. I thank you all for your comments, patience, and am utterly thrilled to have such wonderful fans.

Whatever happens, join me next time as Jack is stuck in his own past, and learns that sometimes, the past is better left buried and forgotten.