It was late October and there was a chill in the air.
Jack breathed in the frigid air and he grinned. He silently thanked the spirit of autumn for letting him play during the late autumn months.
Sam watched Jack skip around spreading frost on the windows of cars and buildings. He smiled and shivered. Sam shoved his hands deeper into his jacket pockets. He checked the time on his watch and scowled as he noticed his dad was over two hours late. And he knew that if he left and walked home and his dad showed up then there would be hell to pay.
The library had closed an hour ago and all his homework and research was finished so he didn't even have something to keep himself occupied. Then Jack had shown up.
"You look worried," Jack observed slumping down on the bench beside Sam. He pulled up one knee and rested his staff between his legs, until it was laying across his chest and over one shoulder.
"My dad's late," Sam explained quietly, he did his best to keep his teeth from chattering. Jack usually got quite upset when he noticed how his presence made Sam shiver.
"Oh," Jack answered, simply. He frowned as he took in Sam's pale skin and the shudders that racked his frame. Jack tilted his head in confusion. He was only spreading frost, he wasn't making it cold. Neither was the spirit of autumn. He, Jack and Sam Hain all had an arrangement. Jack didn't make Halloween too cold, and then he was allowed to spread frost throughout late September and October.
Jack gulped guiltily when he noticed Sam's shivering. Not too cold was still pretty cold after two hours of it.
"Why can't your dad know about me?" Jack asked hoping to keep Sam talking, and paying attention to something other than the chill.
"I-I told you why," Sam answered, confused.
"Yeah, yeah. I know he'll kill me, and all that, but why will he kill me?" Jack responded quickly.
Sam smiled at 'and all that'. Being a spirit, Jack didn't have much consideration for death, his own especially. He swallowed, "remember those things that you helped me fight when my wrist was broken?"
Jack nodded.
"They were werewolves," Sam stated.
"Werewolves, like… werewolves? Howling at the moon, shifting into a beast once a month, werewolves?"
Sam nodded. "Yeah. Well, my mom was killed by a different… thing. A demon. And my dad swore to hunt all the creatures of the night. Ghosts, spirits, demons, poltergeists, wendigos, werewolves, shapeshifters, you name it."
"When you say spirits…?" Jack trailed off.
"Like dead people who came back 'because they have unfinished business," Sam explained. "Not your kind of spirit, like Spirit of..."
Jack nodded in understanding.
"You're not, I dunno… scared?" Sam wondered.
Jack just shrugged. Sam was his best friend, he wasn't going to mess this up. "Do you hunt creatures?"
"No," Sam replied. He usually waited in the car or did the research. The killing was mostly up to his dad and Dean.
"Do you agree with hunting?" Jack asked.
Sam shrugged this time. "If they're hurting people. Or if they might hurt people."
"Well that's okay!" Jack said, grinning. "It's just like police."
Sam laughed. He didn't think the actually police would agree with that sentiment.
"You won't hunt me though?" Jack wondered. "I mean winter hurts people," he said, frowning. It wasn't something he liked to think about, but he couldn't ignore it.
"It's a part of nature," Sam replied with a shrug.
Jack smirked without any happiness behind it. "Anyway I've got a deal with some of the other spirits, you know: Nature, Flower, Summer, Grim Reaper – if I go bad they're gonna 'put me down'."
Sam stared at the winter spirit. "Why would you ask them to do something like that?!"
Jack didn't look at Sam. "There once was a spirit named Jokul Frosti. He was the old frost spirit, he went pretty bad. Everyone was afraid I would too."
"Yeah, but you're Jack Frost. You're in Christmas songs, not nightmares. You can't go bad," Sam brushed off.
Jack stared at Sam, searchingly. "I think you have too much faith in me," he muttered.
"I'm your first believer, I believe in you – obviously. Plus you did kinda save my dad and brother's life. Even knowing that they would kill you if they knew."
Jack continued staring at Sam.
Suddenly, a car pulled up in the library car park, wheels screeching. The door swung open and John hopped out of the car.
"Sorry, Sammy. I completely lost track of the time!"
John hurried over in front of Sam. He reached out and brushed his fingertips over Sam's cheeks. "God, Sam, you're freezing! C'mon let's get you inside." John pulled Sam up by his arm and over to the Impala.
As he was pulled away Sam winked at Jack.
Jack laughed quietly. Old Man Winter had once told him that people who saw spirits sometimes ended up going crazy. Sam was definitely crazy.