Summary:

Jamie hasn't seen Jack in years…but all of a sudden his daughter leads him to his old friend, who is dying before his eyes.

Jamie doesn't know how or why Jack is there, but he will protect Jack, just as Jack promised to protect him all those years ago.

Jamie but his lip, running a stressed hand through his hair. His other child, Wren, was sucking his thumb, clutching his shirt. Jamie patted him on the head, forcing a smile.

"We'll find your sister, I promise." Jamie gently pulled Wren's thumb from his mouth. "And you know Daddy doesn't break his promises." Wren looked up at him, blue eyes wide and fearful.

"Jus' like Jack Frost?" He asked, a ghost of a smile flickering on his face. Jamie smiled properly, holding his hand. He nodded.

He looked up at the sky for a second, giving a small sigh.

He hadn't seen or heard of Jack Frost in a long time.

He sometimes saw the other guardians, if he was lucky – and still awake. Each of them were busy with their own jobs, so they didn't cross much – and whenever they did he was so overcome with boyish excitement that he forgot to ask about Jack's well-being or whereabouts, which was slightly frustrating. He was glad to know, unlike his other friends, that his belief hadn't died one bit, and he was still as childish as ever.

"Nat!" Jamie yelled, holding his son's hand tighter reassuringly. His son echoed his call, pleased to be able to help in some way. He was three, and had almost mastered the art of talking, and he often let everyone in range know about it.

Jamie frowned as his call received no answer, and he began to pull out his phone. It had been too long. He bit his lip, his thumb hovering over the dial screen.

"Nat-ly! Nat-ly!" Wren chirped, thrusting a chubby finger out in front of him. Jamie looked up letting out a choked sob of relief.

"Natalie!" Jamie ran towards his daughter, scooping her up into a huge hug. Wren giggled, chanting "nay-ly's back!"

"Daddy!" His daughter buried her face into his shoulder, he soft hair rubbing against his cheek. Jamie tightened his grip, pressing his lips on her forehead.

"What were you thinking, Nat?" He muttered, combing his fingers through her hair. Natalie gave a guilty smile.

"I saw a rabbit…an' I wanted to chase it…an' I got lost in the woods." She suddenly gasped, eyes widening.

"Daddy I saw Jack Frost!" She cried out. Jamie blinked, startled. He looked up again at the cloudless sky, frowning.

Instead of the initial joy that had buzzed inside of him, small churns of worry began in his chest. After all this time, why would Jack come on a bright summer's day, in the middle of the woods. He looked over at the group of trees, loosening his hold on his daughter.

Wren was now chanting "Jack Frost" excitedly as his daughter looked back towards the woods, a small expression of worry uncharacteristically on the child's face. Jamie's stomach sank.

"What's wrong sweetie?" He asked, holding her hand. Her fingers threaded in between his, stained with dirt and bracken.

"He didn't act right, Daddy." Natalie muttered. Jamie bit his lip again, tasting blood on his tongue as his child continued. "You know when you tell me what sick people look like?"

Being a doctor, Jamie always had to deal with sick or injured people that came into A and E. In some cases, however, people decided to turn up for the slightest things, wasting his and other doctor's precious time. He decided to tell his children one day how you decide whether to call the ambulance, and gave a PG rated description of what to look out for. Wren didn't listen much – not that he had expected him too – but Natalie surprisingly took on his advice, helping other children her age know whether they were sick, or whether they were going to die from a knee-graze. It was something that he had always admired from his daughter, and now it seemed that the knowledge had truly paid off.

"He looked like that." Natalie finished, still looking at the woods. Jamie followed her gaze, grabbing Wren's hand as he tried to wander off.

His stomach twisted at the thought of his childhood – no, best friend – potentially sick, or stranded. The burning heat on the back of his neck reminded him of the dangers it posed to Jack, and he began to walk to the woods, hoping for clues. Natalie obediently followed, holding Wren's other hand.

"He fell down too Daddy." She told him. Jamie sped up his pace as she continued, not knowing the importance of her words. "He fell and didn't get up – I tried to wake him but he fell asleep. Was he tired, Daddy?"

Jamie didn't answer his daughter's babbles, breaking into the trees. He scanned the surroundings, eyes feverishly searching for a glimpse of blue and white.

"There he is!" Natalie pointed further into the forest, and for a moment Jamie couldn't see anything. But then, as he squinted, he spotted a familiar blue hoodie – something he thought he wouldn't see ever again.

"Jack!" Jamie breathed. He let go of Natalie's hand, trusting her not to move, and stumbled over to his friend. At first, he thought he just passed out under the sun – nothing he couldn't fix.

But then he saw the blood.

It was first a few stains on leaves, almost passable as natural colouring. But then the metallic scent hit his nose, and the broken image of Jack fully came into view.

Blood matted his hair and clothes, seeping onto the forest floor. A large slash took up half his torso, and any other piece of his was covered in bruises and cuts. His leg was almost looking as bad, with his ankle crooked and three parallel scratches just below his knee that stretched to his foot. Dark bags hung under his eyes and his skin was glistening with sweat – but what panicked Jamie the most was the uneven, heavy breaths that shook Jack's rib cage, almost as if each one was too much effort.

Wren made a small sniffling sound, and Jamie was freed from his paralysis, turning to his children quickly.

"Don't look, okay?" He asked them softly. He crouched and stroked Wren's tearful face. "Don't look now."

"Daddy?" Natalie began, but Jamie cut her off.

"You remember the way out this time, right Nat?" He asked. Natalie nodded, holding Wren's hand. He forced a smile. "Good girl. Do you think you are brave enough to lead Wren out of here all by yourself? Daddy will join you soon." His daughter nodded again, but still looked unsure. Jamie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Wait by your favourite tree – can you do that?"

Struck with the familiarity of "her" tree, Natalie nodded again, looking more sure of herself. She tugged Wren's hand, gently getting him to follow. Jamie watched them for a few seconds before quickly dropping to his knees, pulling off the jacket tied around his waist. He pressed it against the large, most troubling wound on the spirit's side, worried when Jack didn't even flinch.

"Jack?" Jamie called quietly, forcing himself to stay calm. Situations like this arose fairly often at the hospital, but it was always with an unknown face. No one close to him. But this was Jack Frost, someone he had known for years, dying in front of him.

He shook his head, pushing away the grim thought. He gently shook Jack's shoulder.

"Jack?" This time Jack reacted, though pitifully, as his eyelids flickered, but stayed closed. Jamie persistently called the spirit's name again, ignoring the way he could feel the blood soak through his jacket and onto his fingers.

"Wake up." He whispered. Slowly, Jack's eyes cracked open, hazy and clouded. They shifted so they were looking at him.

"Jack. It's me." Jamie pressed harder on the wound, making Jack flinch. The spirit looked confused, swallowing thickly. Jamie gave a weak smile.

"It's Jamie. Do you remember me?" He asked. Something like recognition flared in Jack's eyes, and a small smile spread across his lips.

"Hey kiddo."