DRAMA! And here... is the beginning of everything...

~Jack~

Jack had gone back that night to the Bennett household, just as he promised, but after he received hugs good night from Sophie and Jamie, and Ms. Bennett, as she was going by now, had switched off the television to go to bed, he sat in the house by himself. The way his body and mind reacted to seeing Morgan again had been gnawing at his insides the entire day. He couldn't understand where it came from, especially all of a sudden. Never once did he think romantically about her, and he would have been disturbed if he did. She was always a child, and he was frozen at fifteen. Did growing up really do that much? When he noticed how much older she looked and acted, the fact that she soon would be a teenager just suddenly make her desirable to him? He had been through all of this before, but it was different now. At eleven, remembered coming home to talk to his dad about some girls he saw that he thought were very pretty, and he wondered why that was when several months ago he had thought they were gross. He couldn't understand why the idea of kissing one of them was appealing to him. His father, and his mother a little, had been there to talk to him about it. Then, when he was thirteen, he had spotted the prettiest girl in his entire life and then something completely different happened. He just starting feeling very interesting things in many different ways, and had some very interesting thoughts and he once again, took these confessions to his parents, who informed him about what was going on and what to do.

His parents had explained to him all the physical aspects that went into liking someone, and the emotions, and what it all meant. He thought that was all he would ever need to know. Never in his dreams did he imagine himself at three hundred plus years old stuck in his fifteen year old body, a Guardian of the children of the world, in control of the winter and snow and frost, never dying, never aging, developing feelings for a girl who would outgrow him and die. And he would remain. His parents seemed to have forgotten to cover what to do in a situation like that.

He was comfortable enough with Ms. Bennett, but this wasn't something she could offer advice on. There were only a few people around who could, and Cupid was most certainly not one of them, but he wanted to talk to every one. Obviously feelings had generated between the Guardians on occasion (Tooth was a perfect example of that), but he was curious to know if anyone grew attached to a mortal. As Guardians, their work was normally restricted to children and preserve their innocence and beliefs for as long as possible, but even when they grew up, Jack thought it was important to intercede to protect them. One of the main reasons why he was so angered at Cupid for his actions.

With much of the night still remaining, he left the house and zipped off for the North Pole.

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"Jack! It is good to see you!" North bellowed with a good dose of laughter. Jack was crushed under his back-breaking hug. He cringed and attempted to wriggle away from him, unsuccessfully. North slung a brotherly arm around Jack, who awkwardly slipped away to North's other side. Sometimes the jolly old Nicholas was too friendly.

They walked into the shop together, several grey-white Yetis glancing over at the winter spirit. Some of them shared friendly familiarity, but many of them looked at him with annoyance. Jack had not always been the most civil with them. And civil, to Jack, was mischievous fun.

"Phil!" he greeted to the Yeti who was not sharing the same enthusiasm towards him. He growled lowly at first, and when Jack's smile was broken by the possibility that the Yeti actually did not think fondly of him, the creature erupted in his chortling and then his oversized paw swiped at Jack and shoved the boy into his suffocating fur. "Okay... Phil I... please let... go!" Delicately, he was set down and then received a pat on the head. Jack rolled his eyes but smirked at him all the same.

"So, Jack," North started. "What brings you here?"

"I have a bit of a problem," he started delicately, and there would have been color to his face if he had any blood. North blinked and waited with a patient grin on his face. He rolled up his sleeves and the "Naughty" and "Nice" tattoos he had on his arms distracted Jack for a moment."With Morgan."

"Ahh," North sighed sadly. He clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder and looked to him with a sympathetic smile. "It is normal for children to stop believing in us, Jack. It is what they must do. I can understand how upsetting it may be thought. Morgan was good friend to you."

"No, it's actually not that. She still believes."

"Oh? Well, then, how could there be problem?" He laughed and turned away, making his way to his private workshop. Jack followed.

"It's a little more complicated than that." He bit his lip for a second and then said. "I came up here wondering if you could send out Aurora."

"Aurora?" North nearly laughed. "Aurora is only for emergencies."

"This kinda is," Jack told him cryptically.

"Jack..." North's eyes were widened by an anxious fear and he lowered his face so he was locking eyes with Jack, to search for some bit of an answer. "Is Morgan seeing Pitch?"

"No, no," he quickly said, "No, she's not..." he took a deep breath and then looked at the floor so he wouldn't be able to see North's face. "I think I'm... attracted to her." He looked at the wood floor for a moment, waiting for some response. When he received none, he jerked his head back up to see a blank, unblinking expression from the man in red. Then, he clutched his gut while his body shuddered with his booming laughter. Jack pursed his lips and watch North with intense annoyance. He did not appreciate being laughed at.

"You tell very good joke," he said, "It is very funny."

"North, I'm serious! I don't know what to do about it, with her being a human and me a guardian!" His laughter faltered off and he stood up to look at the genuine worry on Jack's face.

"You are telling truth? You have feelings for Morgan?"

"I do..." he sighed and shoved his hands in his front pocket. "I can only speak to the Guardians."

"This is problem. You were right to ask about Aurora." North stomped his way over to the control panel that was seated below the large globe of the Earth that showed a light for every believing child. There was one for Morgan there somewhere.

North reached for a lever directly to his right on the panel and turned it before pushing it down. Waves of changing light; colors of greens, yellows, and purples flooded the globe and then lifted to raise out of the small opening at the top of the dome, escaping up the pole. North winked to the boy to his left and then turned to face him.

"Are you telling me this has never happened before?" Jack said anxiously.

"Well, not really. You see, since what we do is protect the children, we are focused on that and not much else. Once they hit the teens, children no longer believe and so we move on to younger ones. It is how things are, how it always has been. Occasionally, of course, we do help the older ones. Bunny gives them hope when they have lost it, I give wonder to those who need in, Tooth helps with memory, Sandman helps them sleep, and now help them have fun but we focus mainly on the children. We never connect with anyone on our mental level. Even if we did, it is not usual we spend quality time one on one with children so they grow with us, like you do with Morgan and Bennetts. This is why this never happened. Cupid is... different story."

"You're telling me that... okay, Tooth. Tooth has never been out at night, pursuing teeth and spotted some I dunno... a guy whom she thought was good-looking or something and nothing happened with it?" Tooth seemed to be the most likely of them.

"Oh, I am sure it has happened. A time or two I spotted some lovely grandmothers. But we know if that ever happens to not obsess over it or focus on it. It is only a glance, after all. An attitude based on appearance. We do not really know these people or have time to make the connection, so stay away we must do. Morgan, and you... you go back a long way, and you are Jack Frost, you must stay and make friends. Protecting from a distance is not something you do. And Morgan, she had believed long time. Now she is twelve and soon will become woman. I suppose we should have seen this coming, especially with you so young and becoming spirit at time of your life when you are falling in love and noticing young ladies. Now, relationships between guardians, that is something that has happened before."

"It has?"

"Not often, but yes."

"Cupid..." Jack said dully, figuring it had something to do with him.

"Yes, but not just him," North said. "Mother Earth had a little thing with the Pumpkin-King."

"What?!"

"This is true. It did not last long. Mother Earth is..." he shuddered and then laughed at himself. "And Cupid and Tooth of course."

"Tooth?! She was with Cupid?"

"Why are you so surprised sounding? It's Cupid, and Tooth is a romantic. It did not last a week, though. Tooth figured out he was always after others and decided she wanted nothing to do with him. She has the intelligence." Scratching sounded from the floor several feet behind them as a depression tunneled into the ground. Tips of pointed grey ears appeared from the hole and then a six foot one warrior rabbit jumped out. Jack's lips stretched into a grin when the character hopped out into the workshop.

"Crikey, I actually got the shop this time," he muttered with gladness. "What's going on. North? What's with the Aurora?"

"Jack has very big problem."

"There is no way you called me away because Jack has created a mess again!" Bunny yelled aggressively.

"No, no, Bunny. That is not what I mean. I mean Jack has problem that could cause to be problem with all Guardians, and possibly harm some children."

"Aw, mate, what did ya bloody do?" Bunny groaned, but gave his friend a gentle pat on the back. "I really hope this isn't going to become a habit. Bloody getting us together because of something ya did."

"It wasn't my fault, it just happened I didn't..." Golden sand sputtered into the room behind a biplane that was constructed of the dream sand. Removing the goggles composed of the same substance, Sandy stepped out of his plane which then disappeared when he pulled its stream of sand back into his hands. The short and stout dream master smiled seeing the other guardians there.

"Hey, Sandy," Jack said. He bowed lowly. Apprehensively chirping announced the presence of the Tooth Fairy who gracefully floated in while shouting demands to the few fairies she brought with her. The work never stopped for it. It was nighttime somewhere all the time and she was always working to make sure no child's tooth was missed. She seemed to always enjoy the rush of everything.

"All right, everybody here!" North announced boisterously. "I called you all here because Jack is in bit of pickle. Big pickle, actually. I promise it is not his usual mischievous antics. Something has happened that we probably should have seen coming, but it has never happened so we never thought about it. Unfortunately, this is problem which if not taken care of correctly, could damage the guardians and maybe the children." Sandy flapped his face and images of snow and question marks were produced of sand over his head, to ask "Jack what did you do?"

"Hey, don't judge before you hear!" Jack defended with a comical smile.

"You see, it seems that Jack Frost has developed feelings for particular girl..." he started. Tooth's wings beat furiously and she zoomed towards Jack, spinning him into a hug. Her fairies gasped and chirped louder and quicker.

"Jack, there is absolutely no reason to be conflicted about that, it's okay! You didn't need to go to North to call a big meeting, you could have just came and talked to me, I would have understood! This doesn't need to be a problem at all, we can work-"

"It is not you, Tooth," North said in a low voice. The wings stopped buzzing and they slowly fell against her back. For a second, her eyes brightened, but the light in them vanished away. Her smile fell into a broken frown and Jack felt his chest break with her heart. She just looked and him and dejectedly floated away. Bunny looked over to her sympathetically. "It is Morgan Kenter."

"Hold up, isn't she... a child?!" The bunny looked to Jack with a twisted expression. Sandy was displaying a picture of a jail cell above his head.

"Not so much anymore. Morgan is twelve, Jack is fifteen. Well, not fifteen..." he laughed. "But you my drift have gotten." Sandy speedily began changing through pictures. A person. Jack's face. A heart. A heart breaking. A person dying. Jack sad. They were quick, but Jack was able to catch them, and they weren't making him feel any better.

"It's not like I could help it! I came back from Antarctica and she was just... there. So... different..." They watched his eyes change to one of adoration, and it was enough to gain a little sympathy from them.

"Mate, listen," the bunny started. "You need to understand what is going to go on with you, and what's going to go on with her. Morgan is growing up, and she's going to keep on growin'. I understand that you are, and will forever be, at a time when the idea of being with a sheila is intriguing, but it isn't a good idea. You have no future, should it ever get to that. You get into a relationship with the hopes of it getting that far. It doesn't always happen, but it's never a good idea to be a relationship knowing it will end. The pain and heartbreak is always on you. She'll grow, you won't. Things will have to end, she'll want to get married, and have children. That can't happen with you. She's going to die, and you're just going to have to keep on livin'."

"Not only that, Jack, think about what would happen if you did get together..." her voice was still quiet from hearing it was not her who Jack liked. "No one else could see you. One thing that girls like to do is show off their boyfriends. She couldn't do that. Nobody believes once they hit their teens. She could never go out to dinner with you or go on dates without people giving her looks."

"Then we won't traditionally date!" Jack defended. "There's other stuff..."

"That's not what a girl wants!" Tooth interjected.

"Morgan isn't your average girl! You don't know what she wants, you don't hang around her like I do..." Jack's quick, brash retort silenced Tooth and her wings fell back again. "Tooth, I'm sorry, I didn't..."

"Jack is conflicted and confused," North quickly voiced, as a way of explanation. "And he is not talking about being with her, not yet. Just what to do." Sandy showed a picture of Morgan's face with a cross through it.

"Sandy's right," said Bunny. "If you don't want to drive yourself mad with these feelings, you have to leave her alone. You have the Bennetts, they'll give you companionship."

"It's not that easy, Bunny, I can't just walk away! I made a promise, a promise I intend to keep!" Bunny stepped forward so his face was two inches away from Jack.

"They're only going to get stronger and then you're going to do something bloody stupid that could hurt Morgan! If you truly care about her, you'll just walk away!" Bunny's eyes softened and he stepped away.

"Then you hurt yourself and Morgan..." he told him sadly and walked away around the workshop. Tooth fluttered towards him, forcing her eyes to fall on him. A heaviness pulled at Jack at the way pain was hanging on her. Maybe the little crush she had was a littler stronger than he thought it was.

"Jack... it's your own life. None of us are going to control you or tell you what to do. We're just concerned about you and Morgan," she told him with a flat tone. "But you need to make a decision. Bunny's right. Staying with her is just selfish. The best thing you can do is stay away from her."

"How is that the best thing for her? She's always been a lonely girl, with very few friends. If I just walk away, I'm just like all those other cruel kids at school."

"Maybe it seems that way, but I don't think..." He took a deep breath.

"Tooth, I'm sorry, all right? I know you liked me, but I didn't know how much and I wish I could feel the same about you, all right? But I can't. What you feel for me? I feel a little bit of that for Morgan. It's only a little, so maybe it will go away, and it's just because I'm fifteen forever and hormonal and whatever goes with that and she's my friend and getting prettier every day or whatever." He paused for a moment. "I can't stay away from her. If I leave, I would only be hurting her more." Tooth smiled a little while she looked at him. She flew closer to him and put her feathery arms around his neck again. Jack could feel her grin pressing into his face.

"For now," she whispered. "You're probably right. But remember what we told you... if you don't come up with something... this could be disastrous."

"Maybe Man in Moon should have thought about this before he chose a teenager to be a Guardian."

"No, Jack. This wouldn't have happened if Morgan wasn't such a charmer."

Jack laughed at her humor. He needed some humor right now, and Tooth could always be relied on to make him feel better.

I felt like Halloween needed a character. The Great Pumpkin seems to be only a Peanuts thing, so I didn't go with that. Pumpkin King sounds a lot like Jack from Nightmare before Christmas, but it's not supposed to be him, because then this kinda becomes a crossover and I don't want that. Pumpkin King sounded like a cooler name so... that's what he is. As of this point, I don't intend to develop him, but if the demand is high I might. Not even sure if I'm going to bring Cupid in later. So now we're getting into the goods, but other things are going to happen before Jack makes a decision on what to do about his feelings. He's really confused right now, and of course Tristan is in the picture... so lots of stuff. This would have been up earlier, but of course I had to go and get a headache and take an hour nap, which means I now have to stay up later to do homework and I just *collapse* You guys are awesome, btw, keep the reviews coming! Rosie out.