"Hey, mind if I 'ave a word?" Bunnymund asked at the end of the Summer Solstice meeting. Jackie nodded and leaned against the wall. She didn't look too great, even if it was cooler in the HOG base than it was outside. Frozen sweat clung to her forehead and her hoodie was tied around her waist, revealing the light t-shirt and shorts she was wearing. Unfortunately, they didn't seem to help much, as trails of frost covered her skin an attempt to cool her down.
"What's up?" she asked, unable to keep the tiredness out of her voice. Taboo sat draped across her shoulders, the heat also sapping the tiger's energy.
"I need you to come to the Warren," Bunnymund said bluntly.
"Why?"
"I just do. Come on," Bunnymund turned on his heels, fully expecting Jackie to follow him, so he stopped in surprise when he realised that she wasn't.
"It's hot. I'm knackered. Give me a good reason to follow you, or I'm going home," Jackie sighed, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses. "Or even better, Antarctica."
"Okay, I can't promise Antarctica, but it will be cooler than here," Bunnymund turned around to assure her, but Jackie still looked sceptical.
"That's not a reason."
"I've got somethin' I need to show ya,"
"And you couldn't have brought this up at the meeting because...?"
"Because it's not work related. Are ya comin' or not?"
"Fine," Jackie sighed, pushing herself off the partially mossy walls of the Main Cavern and following Bunnymund to the Departure Cavern. "But if this turns out to be an elaborate prank from you or Jack, I'm going to be annoyed."
"It's not a prank," Bunnymund assured, although he wasn't sure Jackie believed him. Taboo growled from her position as Jackie's shoulder cloak, obviously thinking the same thing.
"Come on, don't you trust me?" Bunnymund asked over his shoulder. Jackie didn't answer, but followed him anyway. "I'll take that as a yes."
"The fact you asked us to trust you makes us even more concerned," Taboo commented.
"Stop worryin' about it ya walkin' snowdrift! It'll be fine!"
"Really not helping her temper," Jackie smirked as they reached the Warren's Tunnel. Due to Bunnymund's dislike of heights, the Tunnel entrance had been moved down to a lower level of the Cavern.
Once it opened Bunnymund quickly bounded through, and Jackie formed a sheet of ice and skated along it just to keep up. In this weather, she normally really wouldn't want to bother, but the Pooka wasn't hanging around for her to catch up.
It didn't take long to get to the Warren, and Bunnymund had been right, it was cooler here. Not great, it was still uncomfortably warm, but it wasn't as bad as the base had been.
Taboo leapt off Jackie's shoulders and stretched her legs off before following Jackie.
"So, where is this thing you wanted to show me?" Jackie asked, nodding hello to the gargantuan stone egg golems. Thankfully they had their happy faces on.
"This way!" Bunnymund waved them on without looking behind him, although his ears were frequently turning in their direction, checking that they were still following.
"Still not going to say what is?" Jackie asked. "This mystery is getting a little annoying."
"It'll be worth it," Bunnymund assured.
"It better be," Taboo groused, before catching up to Jackie shoving her head under Jackie's hand like the impatient cat she was.
Jackie patted Taboo on the head as they continued to walk. She was pretty sure that she had never gone this far into the Warren before.
Flora bloomed on nearly every available surface, each bed a riot of colours. It didn't just keep to the to the spring time colours, more vibrant blues, reds and purples were there as well. Various species of tree towered over them, although the shade never hit the flowers, instead the shadows were carefully aimed at patches of grass instead. Each of these trees were in full spring time glory, and yet the white and pink blossoms never seemed to fall.
Bunnymund led the way on a well worn path between the flower beds, some of which shaded by the trees, which Jackie was grateful for. It didn't take the temperature down by much, but it was something.
They began to approach a ridge when Bunnymund stopped.
"Wait here," was all he said before he hopped over it.
"This had better be worth it," Taboo sighed before looking at Jackie, "Please tell me we're going to follow him."
A small smirk tugged at Jackie's lips, Naturally. She responded, so Bunnymund couldn't hear, then she crouched down and carefully walked up the ridge.
Moving quietly on grass wasn't as easy as on a floor you might find in a house. Grass had a habit of rustling, and while Jackie could freeze it to silence it, she doubted Bunnymund would approve.
She dropped down to her belly, Taboo following in suit as they reached the crest of the ridge. Jackie then frowned in irritation at the large bushes on the other side, blocking their view.
"This is ridiculous!" fumed Taboo, "What is going on here?"
Not sure, Jackie thought back. Maybe we should wait for Bunnymund to come back, we don't know whether this is potentially dangerous or not.
"I doubt it. Watch me, I'm going in!" Taboo stood up and started to barge her way through the bushes.
Don't blame me if you get blown up by an egg mine! Called back Jackie before sitting up and yawning. She didn't know what was worse about this heat; the fact that felt like she was melting, or just how tired it made her.
The bushes rustled loudly as Taboo stomped her way through, then she stopped.
"Jackie, you have to see this," she commented, and Jackie could sense the grin on the ice tiger's face.
What is it Taboo?
"Just come and see!"
Why doesn't anybody want to give me a straight answer today? Jackie sighed before she got up and walked through the gap in the bushes that Taboo had made.
It went on a little way, and she quickly saw Taboo's tail.
"So," she started as she jogged up to Taboo position, "mind telling me what this is about?"
"SURPRISE!"
Jackie managed not to swear violently, but did jump ten feet into the air at the shout.
"What the...?" she managed to get out as she recovered. All five Guardians were scattered around a clearing, surrounded by blossoming bushes.
Jack and North were both hanging upside down out of trees, Tooth was hovering between them, Sandman was about a foot off the ground, holding a sand party popper, and Bunnymund was off to one side, arms folded. Each one of them had a broad grin, except Bunnymund, who had a smug smirk instead.
"What's this in aid of?" Jackie asked, scanning the rest of the area. There were tables of food off to the left, mostly sweet stuff. Cookies, ice cream, sorbets, delicate artisan looking chocolates and a rectangular object that was probably a cake sat in the middle with an icing candle sticking out of the top.
The sweet stuff was interspaced with sandwiches of various fillings, as well as some carrot, cucumber and celery sticks with some bowls of exotic looking fruit. Jackie wasn't sure whether Bunnymund or Tooth were responsible for that.
More towards the centre hung a piñata of all things, baring such a exaggerated resemblance to Pitch that Jackie struggled not to laugh. Off to the right were a stack of board games, including the likes of chess.
"Well," Jack decided to answer the question. "I thought I'd finally make up to you all those birthdays I'd missed."
Jackie stared at him uncomprehendingly for a second before looking around the clearing again.
"Jack... you really didn't have to."
"Wasn't just me," Jack dropped out of the tree and twisted around in midair to hit the ground feet first. "Everyone else helped out."
"I had a look at your memories," Tooth admitted a little sheepishly. "I noticed that you didn't have many memories of a party like this."
"Although the Pitch piñata was my idea," Jack added.
Of course it was. Jackie thought. She didn't say it, as her mouth seemed to not want to work. Instead she was doing her best goldfish impression.
The Sandman mimed that he and Jack had made the cake, and North chuckled with some embarrassment.
"I did not make cookie sadly, but I made sure the elves didn't eat them all!"
"Well, ya did dig out the board games," Bunnymund pointed out.
"So, you going to say something?" Taboo, trying not to laugh as she tried to get a view on perhaps the best fish impression she'd ever seen.
"Y-you really didn't have to..." Jackie had no real words.
"Well, no, we didn't 'ave ta," Bunnymund agreed, "but this gumpy over here wouldn't shut up about it fer months," he pointed to Jack with his thumb, or equivilant digit.
"And I know you don't really see us as your friends, except Jack," Tooth cleared up, "but we thought it could be fun, and we don't really do stuff like this either."
Jackie still didn't know how she felt. It was true, other than Danny's birthday parties, she hadn't really done parties like this. Even then those parties only had a few attendees.
She was also an adult, and that part of her wanted to look upon this with some level of disdain, how old did they think she was? Yet, they really went out of their way for this.
"I... Thank you. I really don't know what to say,"
"Let's get started then!" Jack cried, "so do you want to eat first, or play a game, or hit the piñata?"
Jackie had no idea where to even start, although her stomach decided for her, making a loud rumble.
"Food, I don't think I had lunch," Jackie admitted.
"You had an apple for breakfast," Taboo added helpfully.
"I was in a rush!" Jackie defended as she took the more healthy options first, then added a large bowl of several different sorbets and ice creams. Then she cut a slice of cake, taking the flame portion of the icing candle with her, "Besides, apparently ice cream is not a suitable breakfast."
"Who told you that?" asked North.
"My mother, when I was five. It stuck," Jackie answered before taking a bite of the sandwich. Cheese and ham, couldn't go wrong with that.
After a few awkward attempts at starting a conversation that didn't involve work, the group went for the board games, with Jackie immediately wanting to go for chess, but restrained herself and went for a more than two player game. It turned out that she really never wanted to play against the Sandman in Monopoly, and moon help her if she took on Bunnymund at Trivial Pursuit. It didn't help that she didn't pay attention to current trends.
Due to the temperature Jackie ended up keeping at least one bowl of ice cream on hand, which was often topped by either one of Bunnymund's chocolates, a cookie, or vegetable stick.
"You'll gain weight at this rate," Taboo joked, which led her to getting gently shoved by Jackie.
"It's summer, I'll sweat it off," Jackie defended.
"Also, she's the birthday girl, she can eat what she wants," Jack added, stuffing a cookie into his face.
"Thank you Jack."
"Just please promise me you'll brush your teeth later!" blurted out Tooth, who had been a little antsy about the amount sugar around, and Jackie laughed.
"Of course I will, how old do you think I am, six?"
"Yes," Taboo responded, "that is exactly how old you are."
Jackie shoved her so hard she rolled onto her back, laughing.
"Oh, you wanna wrestle, do you? Come here!"
Jackie shrieked in surprise as Taboo leapt for her, and the two rolled around the clearing, North guffawing in the background.
As always when they wrestled, it ended up with Taboo on top of Jackie with a smug grin on her face. Her front paws were pressed onto Jackie's shoulders and her tail drifting back and forth in triumph.
"I win."
"Yes, you did," Jackie responded, a little breathless. "Now get off!"
"Maybe," if possible Taboo's grin became even more smug and she completely flopped down on top of Jackie. The air went out of Jackie's lungs with an audible and exaggerated 'oof' as she lay flat against the ground.
"Arrgh! I have been defeated! Oh mighty beast of ice and snow!" Jackie proclaimed dramatically, getting a rumbling laugh out of Taboo. "What can I do to escape this predicament?"
Taboo didn't like the grin that suddenly graced Jackie's face. "Now, hang on a sec-" Taboo's expression suddenly melted and and she let out a soft, contented rumble as Jackie scratched her behind the ear.
Taboo relaxed completely and rolled off Jackie, whose finger was still behind her ear. She kicked one of her legs and her tail curled in bliss as she lay on her back. "Okay, you win."
"Ya know, I don't think I've seen her so active," Bunnymund commented.
"She's a big old softie really, you just have to know how to get her attention," Jackie demonstrated by rubbing Taboo's belly with her free hand.
"I will bite your hand off," Taboo threatened, but there wasn't any venom to it, she was too chilled out.
"Sure you will," Jackie smirked, having not let up with the scratching. It felt good, even in the mild warmth of the Warren, to be this close to Taboo.
"So, if we're taking a break from game!" North clapped his hands together excitedly, "how about presents?"
"What?" Jackie was stunned again. Surely the fact that they had been considerate enough to organise a party was enough?
Apparently not as Jack darted to a small pile under a nearby tree and all but threw a messily wrapped present in her direction. Jackie had to dive to catch it, and sat up to examine it.
It was a book, no denying that. Jackie smiled to herself as she carefully unwrapped it. Given that it was summer, she'd probably have time to read it.
"...Where on earth did you manage to get hold of this?" Jackie asked, as she now held a special edition copy of 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', specifically, in Ravenclaw colours and with the Ravenclaw crest on the front. Even more interestingly, it was a British copy, as in America it was called 'the Sorcerer's Stone', a change that Jackie had never understood.
Jack grinned, "I can never reveal my secrets," he declared, and Jackie shot him a deadpan look, but didn't question any further.
With Jackie distracted from scratching, Taboo curled up next to her as the pile of presents were placed more carefully nearby and Jackie started to go through them.
The first on the pile was from Bunnymund, and Jackie shot him an odd look as she revealed a boxed set of oil based paints. The box was made of dark wood and carefully carved with winter themed creatures, snowy owls, arctic foxes and hares, although wolves were thankfully absent. On the lid was a tiger, stood tall and proud with one paw off the ground. Inside were wells of paint, with a palette for mixing and lids to make sure the paint didn't spill out.
"Frostbite said ya liked drawin', paintin's the next logical step" Bunnymund shrugged, pretending not to care, although Jackie was almost certain he was smiling.
North had also gotten her a book; a pocket guide to various languages around the world, including a translation of Atlantian runes. A quick flick through told her that, true to form, there were no swear words. Jackie wasn't bothered, Ana, a Descendant of Jack Frost from Russia, took great delight in teaching the English speakers how to swear violently in Russian. Whether they wanted to or not.
Tooth's was something of a surprise, a small soft doll of a Mini Fairy. Honestly, it looked like something one of Jackie's kids might enjoy instead, but she appreciated the gesture. The doll was small, about the size of Jackie's hand, with actual (hopefully shed) blue/green and gold feathers.
The doll itself must have taken a lot of time to put together. Jackie remembered Bunnymund's comments about Jack nagging them for months. Maybe that hadn't been an overstatement.
Although, that reminded her.
"I notice Vanish isn't here," Jackie started, and Tooth finished.
"She's holding down the fort at the Palace. She wishes you happy birthday," Tooth then paused, "and insists on calling you 'hot stuff'?"
Jackie did snort with laughter at that. She was looking forward to the next time she saw Vanish, but she had to focus on what was in front of her.
She moved to the final present, which was from the Sandman, and turned out to be a glass figure.
Jackie carefully turned it over in her hands, it was of an eagle in mid take off, well crafted, once again the Sandman must have spent a lot of time on this. Even more interestingly, the glass sparkled glass when it caught the light, like Dreamsand was trapped inside it.
Or it was glass derived from Dreamsand. Now there was an idea she would to share with Sally and Samson.
She set the last gift down, now surrounded by the small pile.
"Thank you," she said after a deep breath. "Honestly, not sure how else to thank you," even just saying thank you didn't seem enough, but she had no idea what else to do.
"In that case," Jack handed Jackie a long stick. "One more thing to do," he nodded towards the Pitch piñata.
It was certainly the most childish thing about this whole affair, but Jackie just decided to go along with it.
"Alright," she stood up and was about to ask about a blindfold, until she saw one ready to go in Jack's hand. "You've got everything planned out, haven't you?"
Jack just grinned in response, and Jackie let herself be blindfolded and led over to the piñata. The experience was a little bizarre; she'd never done anything like this before.
She poked around cautiously with the stick, until she found something that rustled. Having found her target, she drew the stick back, and swung it at the piñata. There was a crack as she hit it and went through it, more or less cleaving it in two and sending the contents flying. She didn't see it, but the Guardians and Taboo all ducked for cover as candy and sugar free snacks shot across the clearing.
Jackie lifted up the blindfold and blinked owlishly at the chaos. It appeared that there were several chunks of taffy sticking out of an ice cream bowl, while Jackie had managed to decapitate the piñata, which was surprisingly satisfying. Jack, Tooth and Sandman had taken shelter in the boughs of the surrounding trees, while Bunnymund, North and Taboo had ducked for cover either behind the food tables or the nearby bushes.
"...Too much?" Jackie asked a little sheepishly. She hadn't realised that it was going to be that fragile.
"Let's just go back to the board games," suggested Tooth, and Bunnymund agreed a little too quickly, but an intense game of Uno began pretty quickly.
Jackie had long lost track of time as the game of chess finally began, against Bunnymund. He was good, he was very good. The other Guardians were starting to clear out by this point, all having work to do. Even Jack had to make it snow in the Southern Hemisphere. Even if he did protest loudly, and insisted on eating up Jackie's yearly hug quota.
Bunnymund meanwhile, lived here, and as he dealt with perishables, couldn't start the bulk of his work just yet. So he and Jackie could keep playing, even as Taboo got even more bored.
"Are you two done yet?" she groaned.
"Nope," said Jackie, moving her knight.
"Jamie's going to wondering where you are!"
"Jack told him I was going to be here, and he hasn't called yet. Before you mention the kids, they're staying at Sophie's."
Taboo grumbled and yawned as Bunnymund made his move.
"Why don't you play with the piñata?" Jackie suggested as she looked at the board. She was losing, badly. Although she wasn't about to complain, she barely got a chance to play normally, although J was starting to take an interest.
Taboo did just that, gnawing on the head of the piñata.
"Ya know, I've bin wonderin'," Bunnymund commented after a minute or so of silence.
"About what?"
"Yer, symbol, an eight sided snowflake?"
"What about it?"
Why eight? I thought snowflakes only had six."
"They do. An eight sided snowflake is impossible," Jackie agreed. "That's why it's our symbol."
"Huh."
Silence again, except for the sound of burbling brooks and dye rivers, and Taboo chewing.
"Do ya still call us by our full names?"
"What?" Jackie was thrown for a second.
"Ya know, Bunnymund, Toothiana, Sandman. Still call us that? I haven't heard you actually say our names in a while. I'm guessin' that's the reason why."
Jackie was a little stunned by how perceptive he was.
"Tooth, no. She asked me not to. You and the Sandman, yes."
"Ya really don't have to," Bunnymund said with an amused tone as he took her knight.
"It's been drilled into me," Jackie responded as she moved a pawn into position. She was really hoping that Bunnymund hadn't noticed that it was nearly at the other side of the board.
"Figured," Bunnymund took the pawn, much to Jackie's irritation. "Ya really don't have ta though. We're pretty informal, as ya've probably noticed."
"Yeah, I just to watch it when you're in the base, because I don't want Jason lecturing me. Again."
"He's a bit of grouch that one," Bunnymund agreed.
"You have no idea, and I have to deal with him on a weekly basis," Jackie sighed.
"What's his problem anyway?"
"He doesn't seem to like the fact that I'm trying to change things," Jackie pushed her bishop to a new position. "He just doesn't seem to like change. At all."
Bunnymund shrugged. "Just gotta put up with 'im then. My original point still stands. Seriously, Bunny and Sandy, no need ta be so formal about it," Bunnymund then smirked and moved his rook into position. "Checkmate."
"Damn it!" Jackie examined the board, and had to agree.
"Does that mean we can go now?!" Taboo called over.
"I have three kids and somehow you are the most work," Jackie responded, which got a snort out of Bunny and a groan from Taboo.
"Can we go though?"
"Better head off before she decides to make a mess," Jackie sighed, standing up. "Good game."
"Alright, see ya in Autumn," Bunny stood up, and Jackie made to collect everything.
"Damn, we left a lot of food," she noted, all the cookies and chocolates had gone, as had most of the ice cream, but there still quite a lot left.
"Don't worry 'bout it," Bunny shrugged, "I think Jack's a got plan for it."
Saying that could mean just about anything from sharing it, eating it all, or using it as ammo for a food fight.
"Okay then, see you in Autumn," Jackie waved goodbye before heading with Taboo back the way they came.
So, 21st June today, Jackie's birthday!
And damn did the universe seem against me getting this out on time! First the internet for the past day or so has been dodgy, but just when I think I have time to sit down, finish and upload this, I get sent off for about three hours to help survey a roadside verge for plant species, then I had to feed, weigh and get the reserve's orphan lamb inside before dark. All in all, just enough time to get this in good time before midnight.
Also, sorry if there's some spelling mistakes, the Word doc this is in has decided that the document's too big to bother with spell checking automatically.
So, yeah, this is a thing. I don't have an exact timeline place for this, but obviously it's when Jackie has kids and it's after all the Guardian bonding one shots (Sandy's is on the way, I just need to re-write the beginning).
A note about the word 'Damn', it's generally accepted that the Guardians don't really swear, except Bunny, and even then it's light swearing like 'bloody'. Still somehow strong enough to be cut out of the BBC broadcast of the film, but never mind (missing out on one of the best lines of the film *grumble grumble*). So, Jackie's alright saying 'Damn' around him, and she doesn't swear much either.
And the Harry Potter book, I recently saw that in the local WHSmith, in fact, they had all the houses, so cool!
Also, Jackie would be 19 today, meaning that the events of 'Howling Shadows' take place this year. Keep an eye out for an increase in Nightmares and shadow wolves come October.
Finally, to the guest reviewer who I can't PM as you're a guest. Thank you for you review, it's odd how not many people mention Vanish, I guess they're not sure what to do with her. That last bit really made me smile, but I will admit I have been slowing down with these lately. I'm not sure how much of this story is really left to tell, and while I really want to work on that third collab with MIMitationBalance, progress has slowed to a complete halt as she's really busy, so I've started to move onto other things. Will they be as good or detailed as this project, probably not, and I don't really want to stop writing about Jackie's world. This series has been in my life for four years now, and I really don't want to let go yet!
Now that I've let that out, I should see you guys soon. Oh! And please do pop by my DeviantArt tomorrow (same username as here), as I have something planned for my collab partner :)