To Meddle in Death's Affairs

by drakangrl9

When MiM brings Jack back to life, he unwittingly leaves Jack bound to the realm of the dead and Death himself. When Moon abandons Jack, Death takes him in. Jack isn't interested in the Guardians and Pitch won't be ignored. And how will the Guardians react upon learning that Jack's surrogate family consists of Death's servants and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Missed You

July 1715

"Ants'nel!"

Death had barely been back in the living realm for five minutes before he was nearly bowled over by a very exuberant hug from Jack. He'd taken to keeping in human form when maintaining a level of discernibility that left him visible to the winter spirit. He'd had a few close calls when he'd been distracted by work or his own thoughts when Jack had almost seen him in full Death aspect. As expected, Jack's identity as a winter spirit had alienated him from the others of his ilk; many bullied him, the rest mostly ignored him. Learning that the 'spirit' he was closest to was actually the Incarnation of death wasn't likely to do him any favors.

"Hello, Jack," Death said once he'd recovered his balance, ignoring his horse as the infernal creature whinnied with laughter behind him.

"Where have you been? I haven't seen you in months!" Jack said, grinning as he tilted his head back to look in Death's face.

"All over," Death said plainly.

"You always say that!"

"And it's always true," Death answered, smiling. "Most recently I was in Africa."

"Central Africa?" Jack asked. He always got excited when Death, one of the Reapers or one of the other Horsemen told him about someplace he couldn't go, namely the equatorial regions.

Death shook his head. "Southern tip this time."

"Oh," Jack said. "How is it there? I'm not due to visit for another two months."

Being who he was, Death rarely saw anything even remotely cheerful; he'd been in South Africa helping some newer Reapers deal with the aftermath of a tribal battle over an age-old dispute between two familial clans. One tribe had been almost completely wiped out, and when he'd left the survivors were being rounded up to be dragged to the coast and sold as slaves.

Most of the time humans really drove Death up the wall.

"It was unseasonably warm, in my opinion," he said.

Jack grinned. "Maybe I'll stop by a bit early this year, then."

Thoroughly put out at being ignored, Death's horse stepped past his master and shoved his nose under Jack's arm with a snort. Jack laughed and scratched between his ears for a second before dashing away. Whinnying, the horse cantered after him. Death found himself grinning as Jack led the pale steed in a merry chase, darting around trees and letting the horse get close before zipping to the side, sometimes grabbing teasingly at a strand of mane.

"And to think, no one's supposed to be able to outrun you," Death called to his horse as said steed whinnied in frustration at Jack, who laughed and waved as he hung upside down from a branch.

"Would you kindly make your foal stay put?!" was the response.

Death just laughed as the horse began trotting rings around the tree, occasionally kicking the trunk while Jack began dropping frosted pinecones from above. Seeing as they were likely not going to stop anytime soon, Death lay down, nestled comfortably in the roots of a nearby tree, and watched.

He woke he didn't know how many hours later to find Jack curled against his side, a peaceful smile gracing the frost spirit's face. Death's horse stood a few feet away, head lowered, eyes closed. As though sensing his rider's wakefulness (actually, he probably had), the horse opened his eyes.

"Having a foal is good for you, I think."

The horse proceeded to nicker in quiet amusement as his master attempted to extricate himself from his position, only to have the winter child wrap his arms around a black-clad torso and squeeze. If he hadn't been concerned about waking the boy, Death's horse would have whinnied aloud at the uncertain and just slightly alarmed look on his master's face.

Death eventually relaxed; having a body was strange, involuntary responses to emotion were something he wasn't quite used to. He wrapped one arm around the boy's shoulders and felt Jack relax further, just the slightest bit. Death sighed.

"You realize I have work to do, little one," he said quietly, looking down at said child. Jack's only response was to bury his face in Death's black robe.

Death smiled, just slightly, and drew the boy closer.

Yes, thought the horse as he closed his eyes again. He is good for you.