A.N: Naw, you guys are so lovely. Thank you all for the follows, favs, and reviews :3
In other news, has officially earned my hatred – they've meddled with the Doc Manager, so my whole layout and the way I do things has to change.

I bet you guys thought I was going to post the second part of Of Elves and Staffs, huh? :P Actually, I haven't written it yet, so have a cliché chapter instead.

Disclaimer: I do not own ROTG

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Just Him and the Wind Part I

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"We need vacation," North announced from his seat at the head of the table.

They were in the middle of a Guardian meeting and, after the usual rounds of Christmas-vs.-Easter arguing from North and Bunny, and banter between Jack and Bunny, North had gotten fed up and decided that some time off was in order.

"What about my tooth collection and Sandy's dream-delivery?" Tooth asked.

"We could just go for a day," Jack shrugged. Being the Guardian of Fun, he was always ready for a good time. What was better than a day off?

Sandy nodded his head in eager agreement and Tooth smiled at the compromise.

"Where did ya have in mind?" Bunny asked, looking up from the egg he had been painting.

North 'hmm'ed, tapping his chin in concentration. "What about snowboarding?"

Bunny looked horrified. "Nah, mate, too cold. Can't we do something warmer? What about the beach?"

Three sets of worried eyes turned to the winter spirit. But his reaction wasn't one they would have expected. Jack was sporting a wide smile. He loved the beach; well, he loved freezing the waves, anyway.

Sandy created an image of the sun above his head, followed by a question mark.

"As long as there's shade and it's not too hot, there's no problem," Jack replied to the silent query.

"It's decided then," North boomed jollily. "Next weekend we go to beach!"

The beach they had chosen was secluded and currently experiencing the start of spring. Palm trees and plant life lined the edge of the sand, providing plenty of shady places for them to set up – laying down beach towels and a picnic lunch among other things. For once, no one seemed to have anything to complain about.

"Do you think the water will be cold?" Tooth cast a worrying glance at the ocean lapping lazily up against the sand.

"Prob'ly," Bunny replied, rolling his shoulder. "It's only been spring here for a couple o' weeks."

"Don't let that stop you, Toothy!" North exclaimed, running for the water in his ridiculous red and white striped swimsuit.

The four remaining on the sand watched wide-eyed as the Cossack plunged into the ocean, not stopping even when a gasp escaped him as the icy water touched his skin. With a laugh, Tooth and Bunny chased after him.

Sandy, who couldn't enter the water without falling apart, turned to Jack, a series of symbols appearing above his head.

"Uh, no thanks," Jack said, suppressing a shudder. "I think I'll stay out here with you." As silly as it sounded, the thought that he might be expected to swim hadn't even crossed his mind. It wasn't that he couldn't swim – he could – but even before he'd gotten his memories back, he'd had this inexplicable fear of water. The memories had only provided an explanation; and served to increase his phobia.

It sounded silly even in his own mind, being the spirit of winter – commander of ice and snow – and being scared of the liquid form. And so far, he'd been okay. He'd been alone. There was no one there to push or tease him.

Until now.

"Oi, Frostbite!" Bunny called, wading chest-deep in the cold water. "You comin' in?!"

"Nah, I'd probably just freeze it," Jack replied, fishing for excuses.

"Is already frozen!" North so helpfully supplied.

Jack groaned quietly. "No, really, I'm good. Sandy and I will just sit out here." To make his point, he plopped down beside the Sandman, helping him dig a moat around the castle the small man was building. He looked up as a shadow fell over the pair of them to see Bunnymund standing over them with his arms crossed.

"What?" Jack asked with more bite in his tone than he'd intended.

"C'mon, Frostbite, what's the problem?"

"What problem? There is no problem."

"Then why aren't you comin' in with us?"

Jack resisted the urge to bang his head against a tree. "Uh… someone should stay here with Sandy so he's not by himself."

Sandy looked up at the mention of his name and smiled, waving his hand in an 'it's okay, you go' gesture.

Gee, thanks, Sandy, Jack thought spitefully.

"Hang on," Bunny smirked. "You're not scared are you?"

It was said in jest, but Jack was rooted in shock in how quickly he had hit the proverbial nail on the head. "What?! No!"

"Then there's no problem if I do this."

Without warning, Bunny reached out and grabbed the winter spirit, hauling him over his shoulder. Jack cried out, his staff slipping through his fingers and landing with a soft plunk in the sand.

"Ah! Hey!" Jack gasped, struggling to free himself as he was carried towards the water's edge, his fear intensifying with every step. "No! Bunny! No, no, no, no, no!"

But Bunny ignored him.

"Bunny, maybe you shouldn't…" Tooth bit her lip, swimming a little closer to them as if to interfere.

It wasn't until the water had reached halfway up the Pooka's chest that Jack was released – and not in a way he would have liked. Two strong, furry paws grabbed the winter spirit around the midsection and, paying no attention to Jack's ever increasing panic, threw him unceremoniously into the water.

The second his body came into contact with the water, Jack's world became a mix of past and present. Even as he desperately tried to swim to the surface, the fear and memory of the crushing cold and water filling lungs continued to push him down; down, further into the darkening depths. In a matter of moments the boundary between what had passed and what was now was wiped away – a weird hybrid of the two taking its place.

The absolute terror that filled him seized his limbs and he found himself sinking further into the water. He opened his mouth to cry out but all that escaped him was a stream of bubbles. Water began to fill his lungs and darkness crept onto the edges of his vision. In such a state was he that he didn't even notice his powers stretching out around him, beginning to freeze the water that was causing him such distress.

Paws, the same paws that had caused all this, grabbed Jack by the hood of his jumper and pulled him up and out of the water.

Someone was talking to him but to Jack it was just droning in the background. Gasping for breath, he clung onto the body holding him up, wrapping his shaking arms around the Pooka's neck and burying his face into the furry shoulder – too shaken to be embarrassed. His whole body was racked with shivers. And it wasn't because he was cold.

"-stbite?"

That had been far too close for comfort. Pitch was probably having a field day.

"Jack!"

Bunny's voice finally broke through to him and Jack, not bothering to look up, mumbled, "I'm fine."

"No, you're clearly not, mate." The words were spoken softly, and Bunny didn't even try to pry the terrified winter spirit off him. Wrapping supportive arms around his charge, Bunny began the trek back to shore.

Sandy had hurried forward and he, alongside North and Tooth, watched in concern as the Easter Bunny placed Jack gently onto the sand. As soon as his contact with Bunny was removed, Jack curled up on his side, his face buried into his knees.

"Sweet Tooth?" Tooth called softly, kneeling down beside the unnaturally pale boy – even for him.

"Mm?"

"Why didn't you say you couldn't swim?!" Bunny asked, the reality of the situation sinking in and harshening his tone.

Jack tilted his head just enough to glance up at him. "I can swim."

"Then what the bloody hell was that?!"

"Bunny!" Tooth reprimanded.

"What? He was all excited about coming here back at the pole!" Bunny snapped. "So what happened, Frostbite?"

Jack didn't answer, shutting his eyes and turning away. A jumble of undecipherable words was all the response they got.

"What?" Bunny frowned.

Jack gave a frustrated growl, quickly getting to his feet and hurrying over to where his staff was still lying. "I said I was scared, okay?!" The wind picked up as soon as Jack's hand came into contact with the wood, as if trying to comfort the Guardian of Fun. "I… Drowning was how I died."

When the silence that followed grew to be too uncomfortable to put up with any longer, Jack turned around slowly to face his fellow Guardians. They were all staring at him, openly gaping. With growing horror, it dawned on Jack that he was even less like them than he thought.

They had never died.

Jack staggered backwards as if he'd been struck, his staff clutched to his chest in a white-knuckled grip. The others seemed to snap out of their stupor, holding their hands out towards him, but, right then, all Jack could think of was the need to get away. To be alone. Like he'd always been. Like he always would be. Even when he'd thought he was starting to belong, that he was part of a family… he was always alone.

A strong gust of wind wrapped around him, enveloping him in its icy tendrils, and he allowed it to lift him up, high into the air.

That was how it should be; how it had always been. Just him and the wind.