Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 2

Jack grinned, picking Sophie up and spinning around with the laughing little girl.

"Jack!" She pouted and he set her down. At four, she was growing fast, but her blond hair was as crazily messy as it had always been. It was hard to believe it had been two years since he had met the Burgess kids and gained his own believers outside of his Title.

"Jamie still at school? He asked and she nodded, tugging his hand so he followed her to her room and suffered the indignity of playing tea parties. Then again, her dolls were better conversationalists than many Spirits he knew. Her Mother glanced in on them once and smiled at Sophie's imagination, unable to see him.

It had been almost two months since his last visit, New Zealand and Tasmania had been hit by some incredibly nasty out of season weather and he'd had to personally deal with those behind the mess, never something he enjoyed. So spending time with the kids was a good way to unwind for a bit. It would be Christmas soon, North's time, and he would stay away for the week, not wanting to intrude on the family or run into the Guardian. He'd never met any of them and wasn't all that interested in doing so, not when he knew the kinds of stories that still lingered.

He hated those stories, they weren't even about him and yet he got tarred with the same brush, everyone assuming the Snow King worked the same way….despite Jack being the third to hold the title. He was pretty sure there'd even been a Snow Queen once, millennia ago. That was the problem with Titles, you inherited one and got stuck with the good and bad that came with it. Jack hadn't meant to, hadn't realised at the time what he was agreeing to, but once he had, well, killing children was not something he would do. The magic of Winter's Kiss was his as part of being King, but so far he had only ever used the first kiss, to numb people to the cold. The thought of erasing someone's memory when he had lost his own made him feel rather ill. The necklace he had given Jamie carried similar magic, to ensure he would never freeze in winter so long as he believed. He was just glad there was no reason for the kids to ever equate Jack Frost with those stories.

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Jamie grinned as they teamed up on Jack who was laughing as they pelted him with snowballs…well tried to anyway. He was so fast even on the ground! None of them had seen the Guardians since they had left after defeating Pitch, but Jack came every few weeks, sometimes it was a month or two, but they usually could tell when that would happen by watching the world weather. He was always happy to play or even just watch them do their homework, sometimes asking questions or helping when it came to history or geography.

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Jack walked the grounds of the Palace, enjoying the peaceful solitude. Mario was sleeping under Skaði's careful watch, the teenager making the change from human to full member of the Winter Court, Spirit or not. He had been with them for years and had chosen to remain forever. The whole Court was waiting with bated breath to see what kind of being he would become. Jack knew Mario was a gentle soul so he would not become anything violent which was always a relief. Too many equated Winter with violence even with all the hard work Jack and others had put into changing things.

Jack froze in place, eyes wide, as he realised he had begun wondering…what Jamie could become. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away, Jamie didn't know he was the Snow King, had no way of knowing how to call on him. And why would he? He had a loving Mother and Sister, no reason to call on him. Jamie wouldn't want to leave them and that was good. From some of his earliest memories, Jack had the sick feeling he'd had a family before he died. There'd been a girl who had cried beside his lake and an older couple… he wouldn't want Sophie and Mrs Bennett to go through that.

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Pippa finished and smiled, finally satisfied. It had been three years since the battle with Pitch and meeting the Guardians, since they had met Jack Frost. And while he had them, well, they were growing up. She knew a lot of their classmates didn't really believe anymore. Did they only believe because Jack visited so often? Would they stop if he had to be gone for longer? She…she'd begun thinking the battle had been a dream or game before he'd shown up after all. If they did then Jack would be invisible again and that wasn't fair.

So she'd begun work on a project without telling the others. She liked writing so she had written the battle, changing the names of the kids because she didn't want anyone bugging them over things and calling them babies or something. That one had been done for a while. What had taken longer was Jack's story. Getting him to talk about his past wasn't easy, though he'd share stories of giving kids fun easily enough. It was amazing that he was from Burgess, not that the town had been called that so long ago. He'd once been as human as they were, just a teenager when he died. It was so sad that he didn't remember being human but maybe it was also kinder? Wouldn't it have hurt more if he'd gone home and his family couldn't see him?

She'd had to get Monty's help, formatting them for publishing online but now it was all done and ready to go. Maybe no one would believe the stories, maybe they would, but at least someone would read them, someone else would know.

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Jamie dumped his bag in his room, hearing the sound of Jack laughing in Sophie's room and Sophie chattering at him. He hesitated, reaching up to touch the snowflake resting on his breastbone. In school they had been looking at myths from around the world and today they had been talking about the Snow King and something Jack had said last year… no, Jack was their friend, Jack was good, he would never…

Jamie went to Sophie's room, finding the two of them sitting on her bed with a book. Jack was smiling at Sophie as she sounded out a harder word, the look on his face…it reminded him of the look his Mom sometimes got. Jack looked up and grinned at him before it faded, and he frowned in concern.

"Jamie?" he got up and moved towards him.

Jamie bit his lip, feeling conflicted, unsure….he'd only ever felt nervous near Jack that first meeting, when he had realised Jack could work for Pitch. Cool fingers gently touched his cheek, blue eyes staring down into his own brown ones.

"Jamie? Are you hurt?" Jack asked, voice so gentle and worried and Jamie moved, hearing Jack let out an oomph as he collided with him, but then cool arms were wrapping around him. "It's okay, I've got you, you're safe," Jack whispered.

He vaguely heard Jack say something to Sophie and then he was being lifted, Jack picking him up and carrying him back to his own room, sitting on the bed with Jamie in his lap. He felt embarrassed, he was twelve, too old but he couldn't force himself to move away. He felt utterly safe where he was.

"Jamie?" Jack called after a while, a hand running through his hair.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"For what?" Jack asked, sounding confused but he didn't let go.

It was…nice. His Mom and Sophie were the only ones who really ever hugged him, except Jack. "It's stupid," he muttered. It was, Jack couldn't be the Snow King, he couldn't be.

"Can't be that stupid if you're this upset," Jack countered. "Come on Jamie, you can tell me. I promise I won't laugh."

Jamie sat up, feeling a bit reluctant to do so, shifting to sit beside Jack, hugging his knees to his chest. "It is stupid Jack, I know you. We're studying myths from around the world," he admitted, playing with the snowflake that most people couldn't see. He felt Jack stiffen slightly beside him, but why?

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Myths….he couldn't help stiffening slightly. There were no myths about Jack Frost but there were plenty about other Winter Spirits, especially the Snow King. Had Jamie somehow put it together? What was he meant to do? "Which myth upset you?" he asked, tone as even as possible.

Jamie shifted slightly, their arms brushing. The good thing about the Snowflake Jamie wore was that Jack wouldn't feel cold to him at all, a little chilly maybe but not cold. Sophie's was almost done being made, right in time for her birthday which worked out well, especially since she had started at school so wasn't always mostly safe at home when not when Jamie.

"The Snow King and…well…what you said last year…about the Winter Court," Jamie finally answered. "You're part of the Court, aren't you? But the King…"

Jack shifted, wrapping an arm around Jamie's shoulders, tugging him closer. He could just say yes, that he was simply part of the Court…but that would be a lie of omission. "I won't lie to you Jamie," he promised softly. "You're old enough to understand things now."

"Jack?" Jamie's voice was shaky, and he hated hearing that.

He lifted his other arm, hugging the almost teenager. "I would never, ever hurt you Jamie. I don't hurt people." He moved, tipping Jamie's head up gently to make eye contact, hating the uncertainty he saw there. Which stories had they looked at? All of them? "I'm your friend Jamie," he stated firmly.

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Jamie stared at Jack, unable to break eye contact. Normally laughing eyes were like steel now, utterly serious. The hug felt like it always had, protective and safe, like nothing could harm him so long as Jack was there. Jack promised he would never hurt him, that he was his friend…and Jack had never lied to him, not told him things yes, but he'd never lied. He twisted to hug Jack back, feeling the Spirit relax as he did. "Jack," he whispered.

"You're right, I'm part of the Winter Court, the current version of it. The current Snow King is the third one, there was even a Snow Queen once, a very long time ago. Thing is, the myths haven't kept up with the changes. Every Snow King has the magic of Winter's Kiss, but that doesn't mean it has to be used. The current King has only ever used the first, to numb the ability to feel cold," Jack explained softly.

Okay, that made sense. Titles could change hands, like the Queen of England or something. And stories about Spirits would take a long time to change. So the current Snow King wasn't like the ones in the stories… "Jack? Are…are you the Snow King?" he asked, and Jack didn't need to say anything as he stiffened again.

"I…"

He'd never seen Jack unable to actually speak and he slipped his hand into a cool one. He believed in Jack and if Jack was the Snow King…then the Snow King was a good person.

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Jack was shocked when Jamie slipped his warm hand into his own, making himself look back at the younger male, shocked to see a tiny smile on his face. "Jamie?"

"I believe in you Jack," he whispered, and Jack swallowed.

He reached out to ruffle brown hair and Jamie didn't flinch. Jamie knew who he was now, what would that mean for when he was older? Would he believe in him? Or would he somehow forget that Jack Frost was the Snow King and only remember the King? "Thanks," he managed to force out past a tight throat.

"So is anything in the stories true?" Jamie asked hesitantly and Jack relaxed back against the headboard.

He began explaining that he definitely didn't steal children, but they could call on him and he would then take them away to the Palace where they would stay for a while. They would then be given the choice of joining a new family, one that would keep them safe and love them, or to remain in the Court. Those children received the first kiss to ensure their health. And it wasn't always children who called on him. He also told him about the various duties of the Court and the various Spirits and Beings that were part of it, hoping he was keeping the information age appropriate.

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Jack lay on his bed, smiling softly. Jamie knew! He knew and still accepted him. He had thought… and that hadn't been fair on Jamie, to assume he would hate him if he ever found out. He'd even explained how to call on him as the Snow King…and why Jamie shouldn't. He'd been surprised that his explanation had seemed to make Jamie a little sad, surely he was reading more into that then there was? Jamie couldn't want to come to the Court…could he? Even if he did, Jamie now understood it would mean losing his family forever. Besides, he was only twelve and Jack always did his best to ensure anyone under fifteen went to a new family rather than join them, they could call on him again when older if they really meant it.

He wondered how knowing that he was the Snow King would affect Jamie once he hit the age where he'd stop believing in Jack Frost. He hoped it meant he would be able to keep believing but…his predecessor had been believed in under both Title and name and no one who had been part of his court knew of anyone who had been able to believe the Snow King was Jokul Frosti. Despite the similarity between their names, they were two very different Spirits. Jokul had taken children and had used all three Kisses. Jack had known known of that when they met, all he'd known was that he was being attacked. He still didn't know why Jokul had chosen him to be his successor. Maybe…because of how different they were? He'd been half out of his mind when they fought and had come at Jack with everything he had.

Jack hadn't wanted to fight Jokul, he hadn't even known who he was, but he'd wanted to die even less and so he'd fought. If he'd known winning would make him the new Snow King he wondered if he would have thrown the fight back then? He'd been barely a decade old when they'd fought and he honestly had no clue how he'd won but in the end, Jokul had been the one sprawled in the ice, body broken and bloody, and….he'd smiled at Jack as he died. In that second, he had seemed sane and it scared Jack. Was that to be his fate too? Would he one day go mad?

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Aster watched as Sophie ran around happily, looking for Eggs, Jamie behind her. The kid was what, thirteen, maybe fourteen now? If he showed himself, would the kid be able to see him still or was he just there for his sister? He saw Sophie trip and nearly moved from the bush, but Jamie was there, pulling her to her feet and checking she wasn't hurt before tugging on her pigtail.

"Jamie!"

"Come on, let's find the eggs before you end up wearing half the park home," he teased, and she pouted but took off to look for more eggs.

"Jamie?" She called after a few seconds and Jamie turned back to look at her, hands in his pockets.

"Yeah Soph?"

"Why haven't they ever come back to see us?"

That had Aster's ears perking up, did she mean them? She couldn't, she been such a little ankle-biter.

Jamie sighed and kicked a rock. "I don't know," the teen admitted.

Aster shifted; he had a lot of work to get back to, but…he moved, the bush rustling and both kids turned, Jamie shifting slightly in front of his sister and it was good to see him so protective.

"Who's there?" Jamie called.

Aster rolled an egg out of the bush and Sophie gasped.

"Bunny?" she called. She darted around Jamie and picked up the egg, laughing and holding it up for the boy to see. The egg was decorated with a forest scene from the woods around Burgess, with two names delicately written on it. Jamie grinned and looked at the bush.

"Hey Bunny," he whispered, and Aster's heart swelled, Jamie still believed. He darted out of the bush, bounding over their heads before dropping into a new hole, hearing their laughter follow him.

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Jack lay sprawled in the snow, watching as Jamie and Sophie built a snowman, insisting he not help them, that it was a present. He no longer came to Burgess to ensure Pitch would not return to get vengeance on the children for his defeat, surely the Nightmare King would have already acted if that was his plan, after all, most of the kids no longer believed. Only Cupcake and Jamie did, Pitch had apparently never met Sophie, she'd been safely in doors though awake during the battle. Considering Cupcake was the oldest of the group it was surprising she still believed, still waved when he flew buy and would come to play in the snow.

It hurt to lose them, but they had done something that no one else had ever done for him – they had gotten him more believers. Pippa had written all of the stories down, not just his but also of the battle with Pitch and then they had been put online. It was nice to have kids wave at him when he walked through a city, to have them want to play in the snow with him. Skaði was not the only one at Court to notice that he was a lot happier now than he had ever been.

"Done!" Sophie called, spinning to look at him, the fine silver chain around her neck flying free of her jacket, showing the perfect snowflake on the end to match the one Jamie wore.

Jack smiled at the sight as he sat up only to blink and stare at the snowman. Was that? "Me," he whispered, and the siblings grinned at him. He got up and walked over. "It's incredible."

"We've been practicing!" Sophie cheerfully told him before grinning cheekily. "Jamie drew you a lot, so we had pictures to use."

Jamie's face went red and he elbowed her. "Sophie!" he hissed in embarrassment.

Huh, how hadn't he noticed that? "Well it's perfect," he grinned and then grabbed Sophie around the waist, tickling her until she shrieked. Jamie smirked and joined in only to yelp when they suddenly turned on him, the three rolling in the snow as they played, well away from the snowman.

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Jamie sat beside the pond he knew Jack had been reborn as a Spirit from. He had gone there to think, knowing Jack wouldn't be by for a few days, because it was Jack he had to think about. None of the others believed anymore, just him and Sophie. He didn't talk about Jack or the Guardians to anyone but her anymore, not wanting the teasing or worse. He'd drifted away from the others as they stopped believing but he didn't mind, he had his family and Jack.

Jack…he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was his best friend and had been since he was eight but lately… Jack was a Spirit, the Snow King! He shouldn't be feeling what he was for him. He'd thought it was just a first crush, puppy love, like his Mom talked about…but it wasn't. Not like how he'd thought Pippa was kind of cute when they'd been eleven. Or when he'd noticed Mike in his class. This wasn't fading or anything, it was only getting stronger. Even if it was possible, what would Jack ever see him in? he probably still saw him as the wide eyed kid he'd met in the melting snow seven years ago. Jack would probably think he was too young, even if he did like him back.

Jamie groaned and flopped back in the grass, why did things have to be so complicated? Well…if his age might be an issue…he could keep quiet for at least another year, right? He just didn't want to wreck things.

TBC…