Jackie was heading to the lake to practice, alone this time to get herself acquainted again, when she saw someone fly overhead.
She paused and looked up, glimpsing Jack Frost leaping from chimney to power line with carefree abandon.
In that moment Jackie forgot what she was originally doing and recalled what Alfred had asked of her. So she followed him.
She knew there was no way she could get up on the rooftops to follow him, so tried as best she could from the streets. Not that that was easy, she was more interested in reading than exercise, so was not fit in the slightest.
After a few minutes of panting and wheezing her way through Burgess, she lost sight of the immortal. She groaned and stumbled to a halt, doubling over and gasping for air.
"I...need...to get...in...shape." she gasped out to herself.
"I'll say, you got, what, 200 metres?"
Jackie yelped and spun around to see Jack Frost standing behind her, leaning on his staff. He frowned at her reaction.
"You... You can hear me?"
Jackie nodded and stood up straight, only to bow once she'd got some air. Jack took a surprised step back.
"Whoa, what's that for?"
Jackie looked up, then stood up straight. She fumbled for words, but none came to her that didn't sound really awkward. Finally, she got something out.
"You, you know Descendants, right?"
Jack just looked even more confused. "Descendants? Nope, no idea what you're talking about."
Oh boy. Can I just out and out ask him?
"Erm, a-are you definitely a Guardian now? Just making sure."
"Yes. Why are you asking? Who are you?" Jack caught himself. "Well, I know who you are, you're the Davies kid who goes to boarding school or something, but who are you? How come you can see me?"
"I'm Jackie, Davies, and well, um. Can we not explain here? Too open." Jackie explained, calling upon her usual nerve when she was pulling a prank. "I was heading towards the lake, that should be private enough."
"Okay." Jack had to admit, his curiosity was peaked. "See you there then!" he took to the air and Jackie was left alone on the street. Her breath now caught, she power walked towards the lake.
"You took your time." Jack noted as Jackie finally made it.
"I'm not fit." Jackie stated, panting slightly.
"So, you going to answer my questions?" Jack asked, now sitting in a tree, one leg dangling down.
"Yeah." Jackie ran at the tree and grabbed a branch to pull herself up. After a minute or two or struggling, Jack hooked his staff around her middle and hoiked her up onto a branch nearby.
"Uh, thanks." Jackie said, surprised as she got comfortable.
"You were going to take all night." Jack smirked as he leaned back. "So...?"
Jackie took a deep breath and explained Descendants as quickly and concisely as she could, barely giving Jack any time to respond.
By the time she was finished Jack looked like he didn't know what to think.
"You, you're related to me? And have the same powers?"
"Yes, and similar. I can't do anything with air." To demonstrate she formed a few snowflakes.
"And, the other Guardians-?"
"Have Descendants too. We don't talk much. They came the other day, although I don't know why. Alfred didn't tell me."
"So, that's why you wanted to know if I was a Guardian?"
"Yeah, we hear things, but I think Alfred wanted to make sure." Jackie shrugged.
"Who's this Alfred?"
"The Eye. Um, the leader of the Descendants of Jack Frost, your, Descendants." Both ice users felt equally awkward about that sentence. "He's called the Eye. Like eye of the storm? Eye O'Donnell."
"What's he like then?"
"Really nice. He talks to everyone and always has time for everyone. We're all like a big family really. It's great." Jackie was more relaxed now, leaning back against the trunk and swinging her legs with a warm smile on her face.
"Sounds good."
"It is." Jackie nodded. She remembered that she still had to practice, but didn't feel comfortable doing it in front of Jack Frost of all people. He was bound to be so much better than her.
"Anyway, I'd better go back." Jackie dropped down out of the tree.
"Wait, I've still got one more question." Jack stood crouched in the tree. "What was with the bowing?"
"Er, usually when a Descendant meets an immortal, we have to act really formal. I've never done it before, so I don't know if I overdid it."
"Well, I don't know about other immortals, but you don't have to do that with me. That's just weird."
"Oh, okay."
"Anyway. Now I know you're here, I hope I can have a snowball fight with you. I bet you're good." Jack smirked, and Jackie smirked right back.
"Snowball Terror five years running." she boasted, hands in shorts pockets.
"Terror huh? You better live up to that."
"You might regret that." Jackie smirked. "See you, I guess."
"See you Jackie."
Next day, Jackie travelled deep into the woods in Burgess, trying to find a specific stump. After several hours of wandering, she found a stump, that didn't look much different from any other stump in the forest. The only difference was the pattern of the bark, which formed an Atlantian symbol, which one Jackie wasn't sure, but it looked like a crooked 'd'.
In her hand she clutched a folded piece of paper with Alfred's name on it. As she approached the stump she shivered as she felt waves of magic wash over her. It didn't impede her though, and placed the letter in a slot in the stump, then turned to leave. Confident that her message would reach Alfred within the day.
To explain the last bit, Descendants have a form of postal system, with designated drop off spots (tree stumps, holes in wall etc)that are protected by several layers of magic, a benign barrier for normal humans (Oh, I left the kettle on!) and an outright barrier for immortals. With designated people to collect the various reports and letters (in HOG it's usually the Scribes). Communication between Descendant groups is usually in Atlantian and personal communication is in a language of their choice.
I would also like to show the notes I made regarding the changes to the main story that would happen in this AU (it's mainly character stuff, rather than overall events)
Jackie would be back in Burgess for the start of the new school year, and experience the latter end of summer for the first time in 9 years. Would probably still meet Jamie in the same manner-not as familiar with Burgess. Penelope wouldn't be attracted to Jackie, so would just move on. Samuel's attack would still happen, but it would be less well informed so the Burgess Branch would come out victorious and there would be no deaths. The combined attacks on DJF would cause Alfred to want a massive meeting, and of course that attack will still happen, but there would be no one to pull Jackie out, so she would be captured along with everyone else. A combination of Jack noticing the disappearance, Descendants still at the DJF fort and no one being able to expect what the combined brains of the Beck brothers, Jackie and Greg's older sister can come up with. Retreat to DJF's original base to re-group and split off.
Jackie doesn't get to go, and there's no Penelope to give insider knowledge, so the war goes on a lot longer, a couple of years at least. Meanwhile, Jackie's trying to weedle as much info about Pitch from Jack (and eventually the other Guardians) as possible in order to help as much as she can. Also, since the Burgess Branch can't teach her to fight, Jack managed to get Bunny and North to step in (may have been some bribery/blackmail/forfeit on Bunny's part, North's just always happy)
War finally finishes and there's a bit of an issue when the Burgess Branch take over Jackie's training, Billy and Nigel feel a bit inadequate compared to Bunny and North, but it's Tina who tells them to get over themselves.
The rest happens in kinda the same way, except Jackie would learn about the Lupine attacks a different way, Samuel wouldn't be involved as there's not as much of a grudge, and while Jackie would be forced to go alone to the Pole, she would get backup for getting Jamie back, so Taboo wouldn't be created, not to mention no ice animals would have drilled into her already. When Pete goes after she successfully beats him without passing out.
Don't Fear the Reaper would also be the same, except there's be no section with Greg or with Paura. Wouldn't be able to summon Mortimer from Danny's death, so they would probably either go from Jack's sister or Alfred. Also Pitch would use Alfred's body, not Danny's. Mortimer would not be able to 'pay back' Jackie, as Jack would take the scythe back and return his sister's body and in this AU there's no death that Jackie feels guilty about.