Sorry I didn't update earlier. I had books to read. I finished two out of seven before I was overcome by guilt and decided to write this. So here ya go.

Disclaimer: I don't own. I don't even own the books I'm reading; I got them from the public library. Yay.

WARNING: You might just hate me at the end of this chapter.

Jack groaned as he pushed himself into a chair, panting. He curled his knees to his chest and rested his forehead on them, letting his staff drop beside him. He was incredibly exhausted; he had no idea watching his memories could be so draining. He still didn't have a clue where the other Guardians were, and he didn't have the energy to search anymore. Jack had reluctantly decided to wait out the memories. How many more could there be?

Jack almost laughed at himself. How many? Oh, only around three hundred years worth. Please don't let those memories be included! He'd lived them once, why'd he have to do it again?

Jack felt pressure building behind his eyes and immediately closed them, wrapping his fingers through his hair tightly in anticipation of the memories sure to soon fill his mind. Vaguely, he noticed Phil and another Yeti garble something to each other before turning to him. Phil looked almost. . . worried. Jack snorted weakly. No matter how annoyed Phil had pretended to be with him all these years, turns out he did care about him. A little, anyway.

But then a piercing white light filled his mind and the room around him swirled out of existence.

"Hey Bunny!" Jackson greeted eagerly as he bounded down the hill to greet the Guardian. He had a maniacal grin on his face and his eyes were shining brighter than usual. "Are they really coming? Are they? Are they?"

Aster chuckled. "Calm down, calm down. Yes, they're comin'. Well, North and Sandy are anyway. Tooth wanted to, but 'pparently there's been an outbreak of cavities in England, so she's mighty busy."

Jackson nodded in understanding. "Baby Tooth already told me. But she promised she'd be there with a few of the others!" he exclaimed happily, bouncing on his heels.

Aster looked confused. "How'd ya understand her? Don't they just tweet and chirp and all that?"

Jackson laughed. "Yeah, but you forget I've known her for years! You've known the mini faeries longer, of course, but I bet you don't really try to understand them. I do. A couple months ago I got sick of only having one-sided conversations with them, so. . . I started saying simple words and sounds and asking Baby Tooth how she says them. It took a while, but I can now carry on semi-coherent sentences with them! When they talk to me, I understand a few fragments of what they're saying and then I piece it together."

Aster blinked at him before shaking his head. "Yer somethin' else, ya know that? Other kids yer age would be on the brink of losing their belief - if they hadn't already - and yet here ya are, learning how ta speak with Tooth's faeries!"

Jackson grinned. "That's because I'm just amazing," he said in all seriousness. He kept a straight face as he added, "Other kids my age are busy 'growing up' while I choose to just remain awesome. Where's the fun in getting old? I want to stay young forever!"

With that, he threw up his arms and collapsed onto the frosty ground. The grass and treetops were covered with frost and light dustings of snow, and the wind was chilly and brisk. Aster gently lowered himself onto the frozen ground, wrinkling his nose in displeasure at the tempeture.

"Hey Bunny?" Jackson said suddenly, turning his head to look at him. He was lying on his back, hands clasped on top of his stomach and had gained a strangely somber look on his face. It unnerved Aster to see him wearing this expression; he wasn't used to Jackson being completely serious. But Aster also realized that despite what Jackson said and wished, the boy was growing up. In a few years he'd be too old and have too many responsibilities to bother with Aster and the others. The thought made Aster sad, but he knew it was inevitable. Jackson had to grow up some time.

"Yeah?" he said, pulling his attention to the boy in front of him.

Jackson seemed to consider his words for a minute. "Usually, ever winter in Burgess is freezing and there's always a whole bunch of snow. So much so that usually around this time of year, you can barely go outside! But lately, there's been less snow and it's been warmer than other years. . . Why is that?"

Aster sighed. "There's several spirits for each season. Summer spirits, winter spirits, spring spirits. . .ya get the idea. But there's always a head spirit; someone in charge of the season. The spirit in charge of winter is getting weaker, so the other spirits are over powering him. Soon, I reckon the ol' winter spirit will just give up and leave the world in a constant state of spring, autumn, and summer. I dunno what'll happen then. Much as I hate ta admit it, the world needs wintah."

Jackson furrowed his brow in thought. "Well, don't the other season spirits know that? Can't they just. . . back off?"

Aster snorted. "Yer young and naïve. Just 'cause they know the world needs winter, don't mean they don't want it gone. All the seasons hate each other, but they all hate winter the most. Not quite sure why - seems kinda ridiculous, really. But it's the way things are."

"Humph." Jackson sat up and crossed his arms. "If I was a season spirit I would try to reason with the others. All the seasons are important! They shouldn't hate each other."

Aster nodded. "No point frettin' 'bout it. Nothing's gonna change till the seasons do, and I doubt the next head season spirit fer winter or any of 'em will be as reasonable as ya." Aster suddenly frowned. "Speakin' of wintah, what are ya doing outside in this snow without shoes? Yer toes are gonna freeze!"

Jack laughed and wriggled his toes at him. "Maybe I should've asked Santa for shoes instead of skates this year," he said through his wide smile. "Oh well. Guess I'll have to wait for next year!"

Aster rolled his eyes. "Don't'cha own any shoes?" he asked, exasperated.

"I used to have one pair. But then Emma grew out of hers and we didn't have enough money or the material to buy or make her new ones. So I helped Mom cut mine down to size so that they'd fit Emma. Doesn't matter. I never really wore shoes in the first place. Though, I suppose my feet are a little cold. . . " Jackson looked mournfully down at him bare feet.

Aster sighed. "Despite yer faults and tricks, ya really are a good brother. Speakin' of which, ya haven't played any pranks on yer sister, have ya?"

Jackson had the decency to look offended. "The day after Christmas? Of course not! Mabel down the street may have a little surprise later, but Emma? No."

Aster scrunched his eyes closed. "Sometimes I think yer more trouble than yer worth, ya know that?" He opened his eyes to see Jackson's hurt expression briefly before the boy managed to cover it up. "Sorry, I didn't mean that. Ya just. . . gotta lay off the pranks fer a bit, a'right? If yer not careful, North's gonna put ya on the Naughty List."

Jackson grinned, his earlier hurt forgotten. "I've been playing tricks for years and Santa still gives me gifts instead of coal! Maybe I should be on the Naughty List, but Santa'll never do that to me. He loves me."

"I hate ta say it, but I think yer right. Doesn't he always leave ya an extra present at Christmas, ever since ya caught him with Sandy?"

Jack nodded proudly.

"Sometimes it scares me how easily ya have all us Guardians wrapped around ya finger."

It was a few hours later, and the Guardians were clearly about to leave.

"See ya, Santa!" Jackson called, laughing when North threw him a half annoyed, half amused look over his shoulder. Sandy waved to Jackson with a wide smile, to which Jackson returned happily, before turning around to leave. Sandy still had a few hours till night fall, and Jackson vaguely wondered how he spent his free time, but his thought were interrupted when he was violently attacked.

"Aack! Ba'y 'ooth!" he complained as the little faery eagerly explored his mouth - more specifically, his teeth. Jackson shot Aster a 'help me!' look, to which Aster just laughed. Jackson narrowed his eyes at him, but his attention was soon brought back to the faery in his mouth and the other faery trying to join her sister. Jackson's hands shot up to his mouth and he gently trapped Baby Tooth's wings between his thumb and finger and slowly extracted her from his mouth. He let her go and rubbed his jaw, half-heartedly glaring at the two faeries.

Baby Tooth chirped something and Jackson sighed.

"It's okay," he assured. "I forgive you. Just give me a little warning next time, okay?"

Baby Tooth and her sister nodded guiltily.

"Good. Now, shouldn't you be heading back to the Tooth Palace? I'm sure the Tooth Fairy could use two of her best helpers!"

Baby Tooth and the other faerie giggled together before batting their eyes at Jackson and flying away. Jackson watched them go with amusement, but turned to Aster when he snorted. "What?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Yer such a charmer," Aster laughed. "Ya got all of the Guardians bending ta yer will, and now Tooth's faeries and all. How is it ya don't have any human friends? Or girlfriends, fer that matter." Aster peered at him closely. "Ya don't, do ya?"

Jackson scuffed the ground with his foot, which was quite awkward considering he was still sitting. He shrugged. "I have friends," he said defensively. "They're just. . . Emma's age. And they're Emma's friends. But it doesn't matter! None of the kids my age in the village like me. They hate me because of all the tricks I've played on them in the past. But, so what? In a couple years we'll all be boring grown ups that don't have time for friends."

Jackson sighed and got to his feet. He looked at Aster mournfully. "Are you sure we all have to grow up? It just seems so. . . boring! None of the adults in the village are any fun." Jackson scowled. "Maybe that's where their kids get it."

Aster chuckled. "Sorry, Jackie. Everyone grows up sometime. Even ya. Do me a favor, though, yeah?" Jackson cocked his head to the side curiously and nodded cautiously. "When ya have kids, tell them 'bout the Easter Bunny before ya tell 'em 'bout Santa, yeah?"

Jackson laughed. "You got it!" he agreed. Then he sighed in disappointment. "I gotta go. I promised Emma I'd spend time with her today."

Aster nodded and got up. "Good, I think my tail's frozen," he complained. "Bloody snow. Anyway, I'll stop by later ta take ya ta the Warren so we can finish off that portrait of ya. I just gotta get some more paint. Say, around nightfall?"

"Okay," Jackson said brightly. "Sure. See you then. Oh, hey Bunny?"

"Yeah?"

"Would it be okay if I brought Emma? She's. . . starting to stop believing in you. And the others. I just thought that if I brought her to see you then she'd have to keep believing, right?"

Aster studied him. "A'right. I can't believe yer sister's already losing her belief. She's still young!"

"Yeah, but I've seen the other kids talking to her - the ones that never really believed in any of you," Jackson admitted.

Aster nodded. "So I'll pick ya up at nightfall after seeing yer sister. Got it. Whatcha gonna do till then?" he asked, checking his boomerangs and dusting the snow from his fur as he prepared to make a tunnel.

Jackson began walking away, looking over his shoulder as he spoke. "Emma wants to try out the new skates we got for Christmas. She wants me to teach her, so that's what we're probably going to - oh! Shoot!" Aster looked up in alarm. "If you see Santa - I mean, North - can you tell him thanks from Emma and I?" Jackson called.

Aster nodded, relieved. He thought something had happened to Jackson for a moment. "A'right. If yer going skating, be careful of the ice! Ya said it yerself, the winter's warmer than usual. The ice might be weaker."

Jackson waved away his concern. "We'll be fine! See you at nightfall!"

With that, he ran over the hill out of sight, bringing the memory with him.

Jack slumped in his seat, fighting back tears. Oddly enough, he was also fighting the urge to laugh. Why hadn't he listened to Bunny all those years ago? Stupid.

As the room around Jack slowly came back into focus, he noticed that one of the Yetis - probably Phil - had draped a blanket around him. Jack smiled before his eyes slipped closed and he fell into a restless sleep.

So? Was I right? Do ya hate me?

I couldn't resist! I just HAD to put Jackson wishing he'd never grow old. I also had to put that part where Bunny says the next head winter spirit probably wouldn't be like Jackson. Ha! I know, I'm cruel. Especially at the end, when Bunny warns Jack about the ice. . . heartbreaking. Yay. The next installment is gonna be the ice skating scene. Already written it.

WARNING: The ice skating scene will be slightly altered! Well, more like the drowning scene. . . I'm not giving anything away, other than: be prepared for horrified Guardians.

Reviews make me happy. I like being happy. . . It's yayifying. . . what the heck? According to FF spellchecker, that is a word. I'm not gonna ask. . .