A/N New chapter! Been a whoe since I ulaoded but it's December which means it's almost Christmas. Which means Christmas fics. Which means this fic gets uploaded.
Hope you enjoy. I hope to get to Jackie's 11th Christmas (Which will be when she's turned 10) and hopefully beyond.
May also do a chapter on Jane the Grim Reaper taking place during Christmas but IDK.
As always I do not ROTG of GoC
"Merry Christmas Jackie!" Sarah called over the phone.
"Merry Christmas Sarah!" Jackie yelled through the phone. "Have you opened presents yet?"
"Uh-huh," Jackie said; nodding. "I've opened a few presents. Momma got me a lot of gifts."
"Still no Santa?" Sarah asked.
Jackie shook her head and pouted slightly. "No..." Then she perked up a little "but, Momma, bought me a lot of gifts, to make up for it. She got me storybooks on fairy tales, and an Elsa doll, and Frozen II the movie" Jackie listed off. "I made momma picture." Jackie finished. "What about you?"
"I got coal." Sarah said nonchalantly. "a lot of Coal. Santa thinks I have been too naughty to get presents this year."
"I told you, you'd get on the naughty list," Jackie said. "Don't you want presents from Santa?"
"Nah," Sarah said. "Mommy and Daddy already get me a lot of gifts."
Before Jackie could ask Sarah more about it her mother called out to her. "Jackie" Sophie said poking her head into the living room where Jackie was lying on the couch with the phone against her ear. "Five more minutes, and then you get ready to go."
"But momma-!"
"Ah, ah, ah," Sophie said wagging her finger at Jackie. "No buts, your grandmother is expecting us at her house today to celebrate Christmas."
Jackie pouted but put the phone. "Momma says I gotta go soon."
"Ok," Sarah says. "Grandma's visiting today, Momma's going to want my help cleaning soon anyway."
"Yeah?" Sarah had spoken of Katherine before, Jackie knew everything there was to know about the Jessup family, Sarah, having decided when they met, that as friends there would be no secrets between each other.
"Yeah,"
"Mmmhmm," Sarah said. "Maybe I can convince her to meet you before she goes back to Santoff Clausen."
"Really?" Jackie said. "I would love that!"
"Jackie!" Sophie called. "Off the phone now."
Jackie sighed. "I gotta go," Jackie said.
"Ok," Sarah said. "Bye-bye."
"Bye," Jackie said before she hung up the phone.
"Come on Jackie," Sophie said holding her hand out. "Let's go."
Jackie sighed. "I wish I could magically change my clothes like Elsa," Jackie said as she bounded up the stairs. Sophie chuckled a little to herself.
Fortunately, when Sophie had moved out, she hadn't moved that far away from her mother's house, instead choosing to live on the other side of the pond and park, so Sophie could visit when she wanted without having to get into a car. (Which was good as Sophie didn't own a car.)
Jackie wasn't all that bundled up, she wore a blue hoody, blue jeans and black snow boots. Over the hoody, Sophie had put her into a fall jacket to 'keep up appearances'. Fortunately, it was cold enough that the two layers weren't too much. Sophie on the other hand had needed three layers, a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater and a thick winter jacket.
Jackie held onto Sophie's mittened hand and they made their way over to grandmother's house.
"Let's go little Jaqueline Overland Bennett" Sophie said with a grin.
Jackie chuckled a little before she frowned. Jackie chuckled before she frowned. "Overland is a strange middle name," Jackie said.
"That's because it's not a middle name," Sophie said as they walked "Your father was a human once, Overland was his last name when he was human."
Jackie Bennett's eyes widened. "He was? He wasn't born a spirit?"
"Nope!" Sophie said popping the 'P'. "He was born Jackson Overland right here in Burgess a very very long time ago."
"How long ago?" Jackie asked.
"He was born on February 5th, 1696. When he was 16 the man in the moon chose him to be the Spirit of Winter." Sophie said."300 years later he was made the Guardian of fun, though to be honest I still think he already was before that," Sophie said with a smile. "The rest of the Guardians just made it 'official'."
"Do… do you think he would have liked me?" Jackie asked.
"Are you kidding?" Sophie said with a smile. "He would have been ecstatic, he would have been chomping at the bit just to hold you in his arms. He would have taken you flying, and would have created small little animals made from snow and had the fly all around you and then enjoyed watching your face as they exploded into snowflakes all around you. "
"Really?"
"Really," Sophie said with conviction.
"Then why hasn't he come back?" Jackie said. "Why can't I ever meet him?"
Sophie bit her lip for a moment then stopped walking and knelt down in the snow so she was eye level with her daughter. "Because he left before I knew I was pregnant with you, I never got a chance to tell him." She said softly.
"Then why didn't he come back?" Jackie asked.
Sophie sighed. "I don't know little one." She said. "I have my theories but that's all they are."
"I wish he was here," Jackie said staring at her hands as they frosted over. "He could help so much more than Mr. Jessup can."
"I know," Sophie said hugging her little girl. "I know." She said softly then she smiled a little. "Do you want to sing, might help you feel better?"
Jackie nodded her eyes wide as Sophie stood up and dusted the snow from her pants.
"Why don't you choose the song?" Sophie said retaking Jackie's hand.
Jackie thought for a minute before she smiled. "Here we come a-carolling among the leaves so green." Jackie started singing.
"Here we come a wand'ring so fair to be seen." Sophie continued.
"Love and joy come to you and to you a good Christmas too/And God Bless you and send you happy New year" Sophie and Jackie sand together as they walked off to grandmother's house.
When they walked the short distance Sophie knocked on the wooden door of the Bennett House before she started searching her purse for her key.
Before she could pull out her keys however the door opened revealing Sally Bennett. She smiled and gave Sophie a huge hug.
"Hey Mom," Sophie said hugging her back.
The hug lasted a few moments before Sally let go and she bent down to hug her granddaughter.
"Hey, little Jackie," Sally said hugging Jackie tightly. Before letting them go she stepped out of the way to let Jackie inside.
Jackie ran forward. "Uncle Jamie!" Jackie said running forward. Jamie laughed as he bent down and picked up his niece.
"Ooh, I've missed you!" Jamie said as he spun her around. Jackie gave a screeching little laugh as her uncle spun her.
"Is that your niece I've heard so much about?" A voice said. Jamie stopped spinning and turned to the newcomer.
A woman with bright green eyes and long wavy brown hair stood by the stairs. Jackie shrank into Jamie's arms her expression now slightly nervous.
"Hey, it's ok," Jamie said bouncing her a little in his arms. "That's Isabella, remember when I told you about her?"
Jackie stared up at Jamie then turned to Isabella. "Hello." She said before she turned away and buried her face in the crook of Jamie's neck.
Sophie stepped forward and held out her hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you." She said.
"It's nice to finally put a face to the girl my brother has been so smitten with for the past four years."
Jamie rolled his eyes but continued to bounce his niece. "Your mother is being mean," Jamie said to Jackie. "Tell her to stop."
"Momma, Uncle Jamie wants you to stop being mean," Jackie said obediently.
"Turning my daughter against me already?" Sophie said her expression of barely concealed amusement.
"No, never," Jamie said. "Just maybe…. Push you off that pedestal, before it gets too high."
Sophie glared at Jamie before she broke out laughing. "Your uncle is funny," Sophie said to Jackie. "Isn't he?"
Jackie shrugged before Sophie turned to Sally. "Anyone else coming?" Sophie asked.
"Your grandparents on my side are coming," Sally said. "But your aunt, and uncle and cousins…"
Sophie swallowed a lump in her throat. After her father had died it seemed to set off a chain reaction, the grief had been too much on Grandpa and Granma Bennett, and their heart had given out. Grandma Mary had gone first dying on the anniversary of her son's death and Grandpa Joseph had died only a couple of months later.
Those two deaths hadn't hit quite as hard as Jason's death, Sophie wasn't entirely sure why, perhaps it was because Sophie hadn't known them as well, or because Jason's death had prepared her for when other people died. But while those deaths had shocked her, it hadn't hurt as much as her father's death had.
Still 'not as much' didn't mean 'not at all' and Sophie found herself wiping a tear away.
"You're Aunt Lissa and Uncle Geoffrey, and your Cousins have stated that they wish to spend Christmas alone."
Sophie understood. "When should we expecting Uncle Mike and Ike and the rest?"
"In a few hours," Sally said. "Which reminds me, can you help me with dinner."
Sophie kissed her little girl and followed her mother into the kitchen. "Is that why you asked me to arrive hours before everyone else showed?" Sophie asked attempting to hide a smile. "I feel so used."
Sally turned her head and rolled her eyes. "Stop. You know that's not true."
"I don't know," Sophie said now having given up on hiding her smile and smiling in full. "Why does Jamie get to rest? I sense favouritism here."
Sally rolled her eyes. "He helped me clean up. And you could have said no, Sophie."
"I'm just teasing." Sophie defended. "What do you need help with?"
I wouldn't mind helping out either." Isabella said.
"You're a guest Isabella." Sally insisted. "I couldn't possibly ask you to help."
"Nonsense, I love cooking," Isabella said with a soft smile. "Just tell me how I can be of service."
"She doesn't mind," Jamie said. "And she's a phenomenal cook – half the reason I'm not starving, to be honest."
"Ain't that mildly horrifying," Sophie said.
Sally motioned to the kitchen counter, where there was a half-prepared turkey, several different mixing bowls, and enough ingredients for a twenty-course meal.
"How many people are we feeding?" Sophie asked jokingly.
Sally nudged Sophie. "Start chopping." She said, "Isabella I've heard from Jamie you make a mean chocolate cake."
Isabella nodded. "I do."
"Good. Get started" Sally gave a mocking stern eye at Sophie.
Sophie mocked saluted. "Yes ma'am," She said with a mock salute. Isabella chuckled before she turned to the mixing bowl that Sally had put on the counter.
Sally chuckled before turning her attention to the turkey.
"So…" Jamie said his voice low as his fiancé, sister, and mother piled into the kitchen. "How is my favourite niece?"
"Uncle!" Jackie laughed. "I'm your only niece."
"I stand by what I said," Jamie said. "Think I'd be in the delivery room for any other nieces and nephews?"
Jackie nodded seriously. "If Momma wanted you there, you would."
Jamie kissed his niece on the nose and Jackie kissed his own back leaving a small patch of frost on his nose. Jamie rubbed the frost off before anyone else could notice. Jackie frowned and fisted her hand to hide the spread of ice.
Jamie noticed and hugged his niece tighter. "I know sweetie," Jamie said. "But remember what your mother and the Jessups have said?"
"The fewer people that know, the safer it is," Jackie said grumpily. "Not fair. I'm not hurting anyone."
"I know," Jamie said. "But other people might not see it that way. I don't want you hurt because of that, neither does your momma nor your friends."
Jackie leaned against Jamie and sighed. "Momma said even grandma might not understand, but grandma loves me."
"I don't know what your grandmother would do." Jamie said truthfully. "Neither do your mother and that- that- not knowing? I think it scares her. Your grandmother doesn't believe in-"
"Papa?" Jackie asked. "I showed her the picture of momma, you and the guardians, but she couldn't see the guardians. She just saw you and momma."
Jamie kissed Jackie on the forehead. "Your mother and I and the Jessup's are different. Most people lose their belief in the guardians as we get older. Your grandparents were one of them."
"Did Miss Isabella lose her belief too?"
Jamie sighed he had been hoping to put off that conversation but it wasn't possible at the moment. "Yeah, Sprite, yeah she is."
Jackie stared up at him before she leaned against his chest and mercifully, didn't ask any more questions.
Jackie hated hiding who she was. Hated the fact that no one could know. Hated that even what she looked like was so different when she stared at nonbelievers. Hated that she couldn't use her powers not even around most of her family.
She hated that momma couldn't trust them. She hated that uncle Jamie had to lie to the woman he loved.
She hated that her father wasn't here. That he never came back. That the one person who could help her most had never so much as come over to say hi.
She hated it all so much.
She leaned against uncle Jamie as he rubbed her back. He was warm, almost too warm but everyone was too warm, when she'd been younger Mamma had had to pour cold water over her hands just to pick up Jackie, but now she had mostly gotten used to the heat and despite how uncomfortable the heat was she liked being held and would rather deal with being a little uncomfortable then go without physical touch.
"Can you tell me a story?" Jackie asked abruptly.
"What kind of story?" Jamie stared down at her with a smile.
"About daddy?" Jackie said. "Momma said you knew him longer than she did."
"Your mother met Jack Frost around the same time I did," Jamie said. "She was just so young that she doesn't remember."
"She said you were daddy's best friend," Jackie said.
Jamie sighed. "Yeah, I was."
"So you must have lotsa stories."
Jamie smiled before he bent down and picked up his niece and settled her on his shoulders.
"What do you want to know?" He asked.
"Momma said, that nonbelievers couldn't see him," Jackie said. "Just like nonbelievers can't see my real hair and eye colour."
"That's right," Jamie said. "People who don't believe in him would walk right through him, as though he were a ghost."
Jackie frowned "That must be so lonely."
Jamie patted Jackie's back. "It is, but no matter how often it hurts to know that no one could see him, he never gave up hope. Even when it got hard, even when he wanted to stop trying, he always came back the next day, the next winter ready to bring joy to kids." Jamie said.
Jackie stared at him. "Then you believed in him."
"I did," Jamie said. "Because he couldn't stand to see the guardians lose their believers that when he saw me- the last light on the globe- still shining he high-tailed it to my house and helped me keep my belief in the Easter bunny."
Jackie stared up at him. "How?"
Jamie kissed her snow-coloured hair. "First he drew Easter eggs using the frost he created on my window. Then he made a bunny out of snow and had it hop in midair before it exploded into snowflakes that fell all around me. When a snowflake touched my nose, a remembered my mom's phrase about Jack Frost nipping at noses and suddenly- I believed in him."
"Just like that?"
Jamie nodded at his niece. "Just like that, he and I were best friends for a long time."
Jackie nodded and smiled then she frowned. "Why don't most grown-ups believe?"
Jamie sighed. "I don't know." He said with a sigh. "I suspect it's because it's so easy to believe in magic when you're a little kid, but it gets harder to do so as you grow up. Until eventually you just can't or don't believe anymore."
"You didn't."
Jamie smiled sadly. "No, I didn't."
"Momma didn't."
"Momma can't very well stop believing when she has you can she?" Jamie said. "Just think the mother of Jaqueline Overland Bennett, daughter of Jack Frost not believing in Jack Frost."
Deciding that dinner would take another couple of hours, Jamie offered to take Jackie to the pond for a while.
Sophie had readily agreed, and Isabella had given him a kiss telling him to have fun. She even gave little Jackie a little pat on the head.
Jamie put on his coat and gloves and then helped get Jackie into her jacket and scarf and gloves. (Needed to pretend to fit in-if only a little).
Once they were ready to go they walked the short distance to the pond in relative silence when they finally got to the pond and found that it was empty Jackie let loose.
She created small mounds of snow, and ice and even danced around the pond creating images of frost along the ice.
Jamie smiled and just sat down by the bank. The water would stay frozen so long as she was standing on it.
She danced around and even created little ice sculptures, the ice she moulded like a child would mould playdough. He could vaguely tell that the ice sculpture was meant to be some kind of bird. Still, he smiled and told her that he was proud of her before she threw the small sculpture into the air where it exploded into snowflakes that fell gently all around them.
Jamie remembered when Jack did that so many years ago. Though the bunny had hopped around his head before exploding into snowflakes. He smiled softly at his little niece.
"Jackie?"
Both Jamie and Jackie turned to see a girl and an older woman walking together side by side. The girl had black hair that was partially covered by a woollen hat. She also wore a black thick winter coat with dark blue jeans and white snow boots. The woman beside her had long auburn hair and a heart-shaped face with a lock of auburn hair that fell just over her eye. She was wearing a grey Russian styled hat and a long light brown winter fur coat and underneath the coat was a long skirt that went down to her ankles.
"Sarah?" Jackie said stepping off the ice pond and running towards the young girl and nearly tackling her in a hug. "Hey, Sarah!" Jackie said with a laugh. "What are you doing here?"
"Thought I would show my grandmother around," Sarah said.
Jackie turned to the young woman. "Oh is she…" She asked suddenly shy and nervous.
The woman smiled and held out her hand. "I am Katherine Shalazar, Mother Goose." She said as Jackie hesitantly took her offered hand and shook it.
Jamie's eyes widened. "Nice to meet you." He said as he shook Katherine's hand.
Katherine tilted her head. "It is refreshing to see an adult who did not grow up in Santoff Clausen to be able to see me."
"Jackie told me a few months ago that her best friend was the adopted granddaughter of Mother Goose, given that I've met Jack Frost, Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy and Sand Man it seemed silly not to believe in Mother Goose."
Mother Goose nodded. "Open-minded, you would fit in well at Santoff."
Jamie shook his head. "Perhaps, but I'm quite happy where I am."
Katherine stared at him. "I can sense that you have quite the story of your own."
Jamie shook his head. "As a supporting character only."
"No person is ever just a supporting character," Katherine said. "We're all main characters of our own story. "Be it helping save the guardians from disappearing, or meeting a young girl and falling in love."
Jamie stared at Katherine "How did you-"
Katherine smiled mysteriously and shrugged.
"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked having grown bored listening to the two grown-ups talk.
Jackie turned to stare at Jamie, when he nodded to her she turned back to Sarah and answered. "Uncle Jamie decided to take me to the pond so I could test out my powers."
"Oooh!" Sarah said her eyes wide. "Show me!"
Jackie laughed and grabbed Sarah's hand but not before turning to Katherine suddenly shy again "Uh, Nice to meet you Ms. Shalazar," She said before she pulled Sarah to the pond and started showing off her powers.
"Your niece seems happy," Katherine said.
Jamie shrugged. "It helps she has friends she doesn't have to hide from." He said.
Katherine nodded. "It always does.
Hope you enjoyed it! See you next chapter.
