Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D Sorry about the missed updates over the weekend...I fell behind on writing due to school, and I still need to catch up. My parents got sick, and I caught whatever bug they caught too, and it's slowly spreading to my two younger sisters. =') I haven't been sick since the beginning of the pandemic, so it feels so weird being ill after so long. QwQ

Also, I did replace the cover for this fanfic! =D I drew this little sketch of baby Jack over the weekend, and while the real one is still in progress (I actually haven't started it yet...planning on doing so soon, though =)), so I hope this cover satisfies ya'll for now. =3

This chapter is rather short compared to the others (over 2,000 words), but I still think it's sweet. =) I hope you guys enjoy this next installment in "The Winter Child!" =D

~ VII ~

Baby Steps

Slow and steady

That was the way

To take his first steps

Like when a bird first leaves a nest

It was frustrating

And it was hard

But soon

He was running

Like a deer in the yard

…

Walking was something that Jack had been attempting a lot recently. The winter child had grown tired of crawling everywhere, and he watched as North did all of his work standing up and walking around. He wanted to walk up the stairs. He wanted to run out the door. He wanted to stand for more than a few seconds. Jack wanted to walk, and he was determined to do just that.

Jack tried copying North's actions by getting onto his two little feet. He tried to take a few steps, but he would always topple to the ground. Sometimes on his stomach or flat on his bottom. But Jack would get up and try again if he felt like it.

North had been helping Jack try to walk too. He admired the winter child's determination to do an everyday, normal action that most didn't think about much. North had been looking forward to the day that Jack would take his first steps. And he had a feeling in his belly that that day was approaching soon. That was what he hoped.

North had noticed how Jack would watch him as he walked in and out of the study. Jack wanted to walk, but he didn't know where to start. Every time he stood up, he'd fall back down. Jack would get frustrated, and give up on walking until he felt compelled enough to practice again.

In the living room, Jack was trying to walk to the other side of the rug. He pushed himself up and wobbled on his feet. Jack gained his balance and took two steps forward before falling. North found him flat on his bottom, a frown decorating the bairn's face.

"Why don't I give you some help?" North suggested, entering the living room. The winter child allowed North to pick him up and bring him to the beginning of the rug. North helped Jack balance on his feet, and he held his hands so he wouldn't fall.

"To master art of walking, you first have to know how to move your legs," explained Nort. "See? Just like this."

North held on to Jack's hands, balancing him as the child stepped forward. With North's help, Jack was able to make it to the other side of the soft rug. Jack laughed triumphantly. North smiled and carried him over to the other side again.

"Now you try on your own," he said. North walked to the other end of the rug and stretched out his hands. "Walk to me, moy mal'chik."

Jack shakily got to his feet and balanced himself. With a determined frown, he took a step forward. He didn't fall. Jack took another step, and he didn't fall.

"Yes, that's it," encouraged North. "You can do it, my boy."

Jack took a third step, and he began to wobble. On his fourth step, Jack lost balance. He yelped as he fell on his stomach.

North was at Jack's side in an instant. "Jack! Are you alright?"

"M'fine," said Jack. North lifted him so he was in a sitting position. Jack huffed, and he crossed his arms. Why was walking so difficult? He had seen the other Guardians do it numerous times….So why couldn't he?

Still, he was bent on learning to walk. Jack crawled over to the start of the rug. "Again," he insisted.

And try again they did. Jack either walked a shorter or further distance on each attempt. He walked slower or faster depending on how confident he felt. He took short breaks between his steps or no breaks at all. He stretched out his arms to retain his equilibrium. He walked without stretching them out at all. Jack tried anything and everything, but one thing stayed the same…He never made it to North.

On his sixth try, Jack fell on his bum, and he finally decided to give up. North pitied the young snow sprite, and he lifted him into his arms.

"We can try again when you are ready," said North.

Jack sighed, unsure when that time would be.

…

It was a slow day in Santoff Claussen, which was unusual considering how bustling the place was known to be. Autumn had finally befallen the fanciful village. Leaves were cloaked in a multitude of colors. Red, yellows, and oranges canopied over Santoff Claussen. The soft, winds brought a chill in the air. The crunching of leaves under feet was a common sound now. But soon, winter would roll in, and the ground would be blanketed with white.

Jack was feeling extra bored on this calm day. North was working in the study, and he had promised that he'd come out to play once he was done with his work. Jack stayed by his side for a while, playing with his toys in the corner. Eventually, he grew tired of the sound of North's hammer pounding whatever he was making, and he retreated to the living room to find something else to entertain him.

Jack crawled into the living room and plopped onto the rug. The warm, autumn sun spilled from the window and pooled onto the rug. Jack stretched on the soft mat like a kitten, giggling as warmth spread on his cool, pale face.

About a moment later, Jack sat up again. He realized that he lay in the same spot he would start at before attempting to walk. Jack pursed his lips; it had been a while since he had tried walking. He didn't have anything else to occupy him now…Perhaps he might as well give walking a try again.

Grunting, Jack pushed himself into a standing position. He windmilled his arms as he swayed, but the winter child managed to quickly catch his balance. Jack drew in a breath, and he took a step forward…only to fall flat on his face.

Jack whined, and he pushed himself up again. Perhaps he shouldn't be doing this without North…The ex-Cossack always helped him whenever he tried walking. But he wasn't there now, so Jack needed to rely on himself.

The white-haired bairn got up and tried again. He took four steps before falling. Four! If he could walk four steps, he could surely do five. Jack got up again, and he tried walking to the other end of the rug a third time. He fell again, and his distance was shorter. Only two steps. But the winter child wasn't giving up just yet.

On his fourth try, Jack took in a deep breath and steadied himself. He focused on placing one foot in front of the other—one in front of the other—until he reached the end. Jack's steps were slow, but he surprised himself when he found that he had made it to the other side. And he hadn't fallen once! Jack laughed. He had done it! He walked!

Hearing the boy's laughter, North came out of the study and into the living room. He found Jack on the right side of the rug, standing.

"Did you walk there all by yourself?" asked North, awed.

Jack grinned. "Uh-huh!"

North laughed and he lifted Jack into his arms. "Da! I knew you could do it! Tooth, Sandy, and Aster will be stopping by a few days from now. You surprise them your walking when they come!"

Jack clapped his hands and cheered, looking forward to the occasion

…

Three days later, Tooth, Aster, and Sandy arrived at North's house. When the ex-Cossack told them about Jack walking the previous day, they wanted to see the child walk for themselves. Inside Jack, excitement and anxiousness bounced like fleas. He hadn't walked again since he managed to cross the rug a few days ago. He wanted to save his energy for when he showed Aster, Tooth, and Sandy. And a part of him didn't want to risk hurting himself while practicing.

Aster, Tooth, and Sandy sat on the couch while North kneeled on the other side of the rug. Jack sat on the other end, an anxious smile on his face.

"Oh, I can't wait to see Jack finally walk!" Tooth squealed. The Tooth Fairy's feathers twitched. "He's really growing up, isn't he?"

Aster nodded. "Soon, he'll be blazin' around the house like a bullet." Tooth and Sandy laughed at that.

"Are you ready, Jack?" asked North. The winter child gave a nod, and North stretched out his hands. "Walk to me."

Jack stuck out his tongue in concentration as he stood up from where he sat. He balanced himself out, took a deep breath, and took his first few steps. The Guardians cheered him on, but the winter child soon fell over and landed on his bum. He had only taken five steps. A stricken look crossed Jack's face; he had done this yesterday…why couldn't he now?

"Why don't you try again, hm?" suggested North. Jack obeyed, and he started over again. He stood up, made sure he was balanced, took a deep breath, and stepped forward. But again and again, he continued to fall. No matter how many times the Guardians encouraged him.

Jack began to grow frustrated. Why could he walk? Didn't he just do so yesterday? What was different now? Why was walking so hard? It was so simple! Irritation boiled within the winter child. He huffed as he pushed himself up, trying to walk one last time. But he was so irked that he quickly lost his balance. Jack fell, this time landing on his back.

The baby snow sprite let out a cry as his head thunked against the wooden floor beneath the rug. Jack was shocked, but his surprise soon turned into sorrow as his lip trembled and he began to cry. North scooped the little boy into his arms, rubbing his back to comfort him. Jack buried himself in North's embrace, tears streaming freely from his eyes. It did hurt when he fell…But it was the frustration that he couldn't walk that brought on the tears.

"Oh, don't cry, Jack, it's alright," Tooth soothed, fluttering from her seat. "You'll be able to walk someday."

"Ya just gotta keep practicin'," said Aster. "It'll click soon enough."

Sandy nodded in agreement, but despite the Guardian's reassuring, Jack shook his head.

"No more…" he whimpered. He didn't want to try walking again. Perhaps never. It was clear that he wasn't going to be able to walk, and Jack was tired of falling.

"Aw, Jack…Don't say that. You will walk someday. I know it," said North confidently, running a hand through the boy's white hair.

Jack sniffed and buried his head in North's shoulder. The loving gesture did little to quell his dejection.

…

A week had passed, and Jack hadn't tried walking at all since. The Guardians were beginning to grow worried; they knew that Jack could walk if he continued to practice, but the winter child seemed like he didn't want to do so any time soon. They tried cajoling him, they encouraged him. North even placed Jack on his feet to see if he'd walk. But Jack stubbornly refused to take any steps on his two feet. He stuck to crawling from place to place or asking one of the Guardians if they were nearby. As time wore on, North could tell that Jack was growing tired of his usual crawling. He longed to walk, but he didn't believe that he could.

North decided to talk to the young snow sprite; he knew he could convince him to give walking another try. Jack just needed a little push of encouragement, and he would be tottling around the house in no time.

The ex-Cossack found Jack in the living room, sitting on the floor. He had been in the study most of the day, and he hadn't heard a sound from the winter child. Jack was quietly playing on the floor with a toy train North had given him. The bairn didn't seem too enthralled by it, though. Jack rolled the blue engine in circles on the floor, a bored expression on his face.

North entered the room and kneeled in front of the young snow sprite. Jack looked up, and his eyes brightened. His boredom vanishing like vapor, Jack asked hopefully, "Play?"

North smiled. "Why not," he replied. Jack grinned, and he crawled over to his toy basket, looking for something they could fiddle with together. A plan unfurled in North's head; he could use a game to get Jack on his feet again. The winter child loved to play, and he was always happiest when he was having fun.

But to make sure that Jack wouldn't become suspicious right away, North and the winter child played with the blocks and tinkered with the trains and their tracks. Jack giggled as he rolled his train down the rails. He purposefully knocked his against North's a few times, and the two were soon crashing their trains into each other, laughing,

Once North was sure that Jack was distracted enough, he asked, "Jack, how about we play different game?"

"Okay," said Jack. He wondered what game North had in mind. Would they play again with the blocks? Perhaps pretend they were swashbucklers on the high seas?

Suddenly, North tapped Jack's shoulder and declared, "You are it!"

Jack blinked, surprised for a moment, but quickly got his head in the game. North raced to the other side of the room, and Jack crawled after him. Jack reached out to tag Noth, but the ex-Cossack would slip out of the way before he could lay a hand on him. Jack crawled and crawled, trying in vain to reach North, but the man was faster than him. He wasn't moving fast enough

Jack frowned, knowing that he was going far too slow on his hands and knees. He hadn't done so in a while, but the winter child knew that if he was going to catch North, he'd need to walk.

The winter child got to his feet with a grunt. He teetered for a moment, but he wobbled after North anyway. Though he didn't notice, North was smiling. "Come and get me, moy mal'chik!"

Jack fell, but instead of quitting, he got back up again. He chased after North, pushing his little feet as fast as he could go. Then finally, Jack managed to toddle up to North while he wasn't looking. He patted him on the leg and grinned. "Gotcha!" he proclaimed.

North laughed. "Yes you did," he congratulated. "And look! You are standing!"

Jack tilted his head, and he looked down, realizing that he indeed was on his feet. He had run—well, toddled—after North during their game of tag. And even though he had fallen, the thought of tagging North pushed him to get back up again.

Jack blinked, utterly stunned. He had walked. He had walked.

Amused by his expression, North lifted the little snow sprite into his arms. "See? I knew that you could do it. Sometimes, you do what you think is impossible when you aren't even thinking about it."

Pride swelled in Jack's chest, and he looked at North. "I walk now?"

North held Jack in the air and spun him around. The winter child laughed. "Da, you can walk! If you continue to practice, it will come even easier."

Jack grinned, and he asked North to place him down. The ex-Cossack did so, surprised when Jack tapped and declared him it again. The winter child toddled to the other side of the room, laughing.

North smiled and followed him. He went easy on the little snow sprite, thinking it best for him to enjoy his victory a little longer.

Author's Note: Aw...North and Jack father/son fluff always brightens my day. =')

As I mentioned before, I have fallen behind on writing, and I need to catch up. I won't be posting any new chapters until an estimated next week so I can get some more chapters written and edited for you guys. =) I also need a little time off since I'm sick, so I'm hoping that by the time it's time to post something new, I'll be feeling much better then. ^u^

Thank you guys so much for your patience, and I'll see you (probably), next week. =D

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203