Author's Note: *Gasps* WHOA, chapter nineteen? Already? Wow, December seriously flew by so fast...X)
And this story is over 60,000 words! =O A freaking 60,000 words! That's crazy! XD
Once again, thank you guys so much for the favs, follows, and reviews. =) I wasn't expecting this much feedback for this story, and I'm so happy that you all are enjoying it so far! =D
Right down below this author's note is chapter nineteen. =) I hope you guys enjoy it! =D
Chapter Nineteen: The Most Hectic Time of Year
December Nineteen
It had finally arrived. Christmas Eve.
Jack had always considered Christmas Eve one of the best days of the year. It was busy, yet fun filled all at the same time. Families would come together to prepare food for Christmas dinner, people would run out to do last minute Christmas shopping, and carolers would sing extra loudly on the day before Christmas. Jack had watched all of it for 300 years, but now, he was a part of it.
The winter spirit knew that Christmas Eve was busy for mortals, but it was equally busy for immortals as well. Especially North. The last-minute Christmas preparations were being made, toys were being checked to make sure that they were perfect and didn't have any defects. The gifts were being placed in bags so they were ready to be placed in the back of Santa's sleigh so they could be delivered to the children. Santoff Claussen was busier than ever, and Jack was surprised that North managed to get through the hustle and bustle without feeling the slightest bit tired.
Christmas wasn't the only thing that North was preparing for either. There was the party that was going to take place that evening, and the last few arrangements were being made. The yetis had gotten started with the cooking the night before, and the other half of the food still had to be made. Jack, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny had helped out in the kitchen and took care of the party preparations while North worked in the Workshop and got ready for delivering the Christmas presents. Jack had never felt so tired after the day before Christmas Eve, but now that it was finally the eve before Christmas, Jack knew that things were going to get even more hectic.
Jack flew down from his perch on the rafters and headed to North's study. The winter spirit knocked and then popped his head in. North wasn't inside. Jack asked a nearby yeti where North was, and he was told that he was down at the reindeer stables.
Jack had never seen the inside of the reindeer stables before, but the winter spirit still knew where they were located. Jack flew into the area where the sleigh was kept and entered through the large doors that led to the stables. The Guardian of Fun spotted North in the middle of the walkway.
"Hey, North," said Jack. North turned around and smiled.
"Hello, Jack! It iz good to see you!" North greeted him cheerfully. "Velcome to reindeer stables."
Jack dodged the same reindeer that had tried to eat his hair when North was teaching him how to fly the sleigh. The reindeer huffed in frustration, and Jack wondered what it was about his snowy hair that the reindeer found so appealing.
North laughed. "No eating Jack's hair." The ex-Cossack gestured for Jack to follow him out, and the winter spirit did. There was lots to do for both the party and for Christmas, and Jack was hoping to help out North with everything he needed along with the rest of the Guardians.
Jack had also discovered that despite their jobs and holidays being separate, the Guardians still each played a role when it came to Christmas. For example, children often got boisterous when the exciting holiday arrived, which led to them having difficulty sleeping. Some tried to stay up and see North, which was something that Jack had done when he was younger as well. Nights like these were very busy for Sandy. He made sure that he used a little extra dreamsand on the kids so they would have sweet, pleasant-filled dreams until morning. The children would never wake up in the middle of the night. Not even once.
"So, what's on the to-do list today?" asked Jack as he walked beside North, trying to keep up with his long strides.
"Vell, I have to make sure that all of the presents get placed into the correct bags," said North. "Then, ve can start moving them to sleigh."
"Sounds pretty simple," said Jack. "But I'm guessing that it probably isn't."
North shook his head with a small smile. "No, it iz not. There are a lot of toys, meaning that there vill be a lot of bags to fill up."
Jack slung his staff on his shoulder and nodded. "Once all of the bags are stuffed and loaded, are you going to get ready to start delivering them tonight?"
"Da, that iz correct," answered North.
Jack nodded again. He wondered how North wouldn't be tired after delivering Christmas presents to all of the children around the world.
Well, thought Jack. North's been doing this for centuries, so he's probably used to it. And he seems to never get tired.
"Everybody start heading to Holding Room and start bagging presents!" North told the yetis below. The furry creatures nodded and began to head toward the holding room to collect the presents to start bagging them.
"What would you like me to do?" asked Jack.
"Go and turn on Northern Lights," said North. "Ve are going to need the others here."
Jack nodded, and then he flew off to do what North asked.
…
The other Guardians of Childhood had arrived instantaneously. Just a minute after activating the Northern Lights, Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny appeared through their preferred modes of transportation.
"Hello, Jack!" said Tooth with a smile. Four of her mini fairies, including Baby Tooth, were flying beside her. She looked around. "Where's North?"
"He's monitoring things with the present bagging," said Jack. "He told me to call you guys here for some extra help."
"Well, what would he like for us ta do?" asked Bunny.
Jack began to walk down the hallway and the three other Guardians followed. "North said that there are still some things to check up on for the party. So, he said to check on things in the party room and start arranging the party setup."
Tooth nodded. "And what about things for Christmas? What did North say to do about that?"
"Make sure the elves don't get into trouble, and maybe one or two of us can go and help North and the yetis with the bagging and organizing," Jack said.
"I'll go," volunteered Tooth. "My fairies and I are pretty good at organizing things." To affirm her statement, the mini fairies chirped in agreement.
Sandy raised his hand, volunteering to go and help as well.
"Okay, then," said Jack. "I'm guessing that North is probably somewhere in the Holding Room or wherever the present bagging is done."
"Luckily, we know where that is," said Tooth. "We'll see you guys later!" And with that, Tooth and Sandy flew off to find North and the yetis.
"And it looks like it's just you and me, Kangaroo," said Jack with an impish smile as he turned to Bunny. "Up for setting stuff up in the party room?"
"Let's get to it," said Bunny, and the two made their way to the large room where the Christmas party was going to be held. Jack pushed open the ornate doors and stepped inside with Bunny following behind. A few yetis and elves were running around making a few adjustments, and the long buffet table already had a couple of dishes and confections neatly arranged on top of it. Jack reached out to grab a cookie, but Bunny batted his hand away.
"Ya'll get ta eat some at the party," said Bunny with a smirk. "Today isn't the day ta overconsume Christmas cookies, Frostbite."
Jack frowned. "I'm not going to eat too many cookies, Bunny. I just want one."
"Let's just leave them alone for now. Besides, they're for the party," Bunny said.
"Fine," said Jack. He couldn't help but glance a longing look at the plate of cookies before following Bunny to the raised part of the floor that served as a stage. Jack noticed that it had been decorated with a wreath and a couple of Christmas garlands.
"This place seems decorated enough," said Jack.
"I guess the elves or some of the yetis came over and decorated," Bunny said.
Jack nodded, and then he remembered something that had once again slipped his mind: the announcement of his Guardianship. Jack stiffened slightly. Today, he was going to be announced as a Guardian at the Christmas party that was to be held that night.
And then there are the Autumn sprites, thought Jack. He was still going to the party regardless of their threat, but Jack couldn't help but feel that he would eventually have to tell at least one of the Guardians about the encounter with them. And he didn't want anything to go wrong at the celebration because of him.
Maybe I should just tell North not to announce my Guardianship at the party, thought Jack. But it is tradition, and he seems so excited about it—
"Jack!"
Jack was jerked out of his thoughts, and he faced Bunny once again. The Pooka was wearing a look of concern, and Jack hadn't realized how long he had been standing there in his thoughts, completely silent and unresponsive.
"Oh, sorry, Bunny," said Jack, trying to evade having to explain to Bunny why he was quiet for so long. He slipped his hand in his pocket and slung his staff on his shoulder, trying to look as normal as possible. "Were you saying something?"
"Fer the past five minutes? Yes," said Bunny. Jack internally cringed. He was silent for that long?
Jack smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I was just…lost in thought."
"I think ya were more than 'lost in thought', mate," said Bunny. "Ya've been actin' a little strange whenever the party is brought up. What's goin' on with ya?"
"Nothing," replied Jack. "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."
Bunny raised an eyebrow.
"Really, I'm fine, Bunny," said Jack reassuringly.
Bunny could tell that Jack was lying, and he could clearly see past the winter spirit's facade. He wasn't the only Guardian who suspected that something was wrong. Jack had seemed slightly nervous about letting North announce his Guardianship at the party when the ex-Cossack had told him about it when they were first getting ready, and Bunny could tell that Jack wasn't exactly comfortable with large crowds yet, let alone being seen and heard. And the Pooka knew that there were several other immortals and spirits who weren't as fond of Jack as he and the other Guardians were. Bunny used to be one of those immortals, but his perspective on the winter spirit had changed once he got to know him, something that the other immortals and spirits hadn't taken the time to do at all.
"This doesn't have anything ta do with the upcoming party, does it?" asked Bunny. And as he predicted, Jack slightly faltered.
"No," he said, but Bunny already knew that something was definitely up. Jack shook his head and said, "Why don't we go and check the buffet table again? I think one of the stands is crooked—"
"Jack, we aren't goin' anywhere until ya tell me what's wrong," said Bunny as he crossed his arms.
Jack frowned, but he knew that Bunny was only trying to help. The thing was, he didn't want help, even though deep down, he knew he needed it. Jack drew in a slow breath, and then he sighed.
"Fine…" said Jack. The winter spirit looked up at Bunny. "You know how North wants to announce my Guardianship at the party?"
Bunny nodded.
"Well, I'm fine with it, it's just that I'm…" Jack hesitated. Was he really going to tell Bunny what happened with the Autumn sprites? The winter spirit didn't even know what would happen after he told the Pooka about it. What could he do anyway? He could tell the other Guardians, but then what? Uninvite them to the party even though it had already arrived? The Autumn sprites would know for sure that Jack had something to do with that, and the sprites would seek him out to question him about it too.
"Well, mate?" prodded Bunny. "What's goin' on?"
"I…I'm just a little nervous, that's all," said Jack. "I mean, this is my first big party, and I just don't want to mess things up." The Guardian of Fun wasn't lying. He was nervous, but he was avoiding what was really bothering him.
Jack knew that Bunny could tell that he wasn't telling the whole truth either, but he didn't give any sign that he did know. He laid a furry paw on Jack's shoulder and said, "Jack, ya'll be just fine. There's nothin' ta worry about. Ya can stay near us if that's makes ya feel comfortable, and when it comes ta announcing yer Guardianship, we'll be standin' right beside ya."
Jack felt a little comforted by that note, but he still felt anxious about the party. But instead of telling Bunny this, he smiled and said, "Okay, I think I'll do that. Thanks, Bunny."
Bunny smiled and ruffled Jack's hair. "Alright, Frosty. Let's get things wrapped up in here and then we can see what North, Tooth, and Sandy are up ta."
Jack nodded and he followed Bunny to help out some of the yetis with a garland, hoping that things would go fine at the party, just like Bunny had said, but he knew that with him holding back the truth and the lingering feeling of nervousness that laid inside of him, he knew that something was bound to go wrong.
…
After Jack and Bunny had finished up in the party room, they went to meet up with North, Sandy, and Tooth, who were bagging up presents and placing them into large carts that were being wheeled to the sleigh. The Guardians of Childhood all placed presents in their rightful bags and carried them to the carts so the yetis could wheel them away, and the bagging session unintentionally turned into a competition. When Jack raced Bunny to see who could put their full bag away first. Then, Tooth had stated that she had already put away seven bags, and that was when the competition started.
Jack shoved the last presents that he had inside of his bag and carried it to a cart which had room for only one more back. The winter spirit placed it on top of the large stack and called a yeti over to wheel it away. Jack picked up another bag, ready to start putting presents inside of it when he realized that there were no more presents to put away.
"I guess this means that I win!" announced Jack.
"No, I win," said Bunny as he placed his bag in a cart. It was wheeled away by a yeti once he placed it in. "I put away more bags than ya."
"Not true!" exclaimed Tooth. "I put away fifty! That's way more than the number you put away, Bunny."
"But that's because ya had help from yer fairies!" pointed out Bunny.
"Yeah, that's not fair!" added Jack.
Sandy shook his head and his dreamsand coiled over his head, creating the picture of a rulebook and an x crossed over it. "We didn't even have any rules to begin with."
"Sandy iz right," said North. "Ve didn't have any rules. So, everyone iz winner!"
"I guess that's fair," said Jack with a smile.
Tooth nodded. "And next time, we'll add rules."
Once the Guardians had sent off the last cart to the sleigh, they all headed to the hanger where it was kept. The sleigh was already partially full of presents, and Jack was rather impressed by the sight. He had never seen the sleigh when it was stuffed with presents in the back, and the sleigh seemed to look even cooler with the bags of presents sitting in the back of it.
"Do you really put every single bag in the back of the sleigh?" asked Jack.
North shook his head. "I put in the presents that I have to deliver for a certain continent. So, right now, the presents that are going to countries in North America are being put in first. Then, portal sends more presents for the next country, and so on."
Jack nodded and he watched as the yetis continued to place the bags of presents in the back of the sleigh. "So, when will you start delivering the gifts to the kiddos?"
"Once Sandy is done delivering his dreams," said North as he turned to the Sandman. The little golden man smiled. "So, I do not encounter any children who are trying to stay up and see me."
Bunny chuckled. "Remember that one time ya caught an ankle-biter sleepin' near the Christmas tree and ya thought they were awake?"
North laughed heartily. "I nearly dropped my bag of gifts!"
Tooth giggled. "That was really funny!"
Jack laughed as well, the image of North clutching his heart in fright when he noticed a child sleeping next to the Christmas tree appeared in his head.
"Speaking of jobs," said Tooth as she turned to her fairies. "We've got to get back. It's almost nightfall and my fairies and I are going to start collecting teeth a little early today so we're on time for the party."
North nodded. "And I have to get ready to deliver presents."
"When will you be back?" asked Jack.
"In good time," replied North. "I'm never late for party!"
"Ya were thirty seconds late once," said Bunny with a smirk.
North waved his hand dismissively. "That does not count!"
Jack chuckled and followed the Guardians to the Globe Room. He waved to Tooth and Sandy as they left. Bunny left soon afterward but said that he would be back in time for the party. Jack and North were left in the Globe Room, and Jack turned to North with a smile on his face.
"I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve," said Jack.
North nodded. "Me neither, but time runs."
Jack shook his head, chuckling. "It's 'time flies,' North."
"Vhatever," said North. He ruffled Jack's hair and said, "Vill you be fine here by yourself?"
"I'll be fine, North," said Jack. "I can take care of myself. I'll probably just watch the yetis as they do their stuff and make sure the elves stay out of trouble. Maybe I'll start getting ready for the party myself."
North smiled. "Thank you for helping me these past few weeks, Jack," he said "I am very grateful, and I am proud of you."
Jack's cerulean eyes sparkled. "You're welcome, North. It was my pleasure."
North patted Jack on the shoulder and then left to start getting ready to deliver presents. Jack walked to the sleigh hanger with him and watched as North hopped into the sleigh and pressed some buttons on the dashboard. He picked up the reins and turned to Jack.
"I vill be back soon," said North.
Jack smiled and waved. "I'll see you later, North!"
North smiled back, and then he cracked the reins, and he was off. Jack watched the yetis as they sent new bags filled with presents through portals to send to North. The winter spirit eventually decided to head back to his room, and he flopped onto his bed and let out a sigh. In just a few hours, North and the Guardians would be back, and the party would begin. Jack rolled onto his side and watched the snowflakes twirl in the Wind. Jack hadn't realized how tired he was, because after a few moments, his eyes slipped closed, and he fell asleep.
Author's Note: Next chapter is the beginning of the Christmas party! I got a lot planned for it too...*Smiles mischievously*
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! =D
Until the next chapter!
-BeyondTheMoon1203
