A/N : This is gonna be sweet, kitschy and emotional. Ye be warned. ;)
Finally the day had come. The day every child was eagerly waiting for all year. Christmas Eve. Jamie had been talking about nothing else for the last few weeks. Now that he had proof that Santa Clause existed and even seen and talked to him he was even more excited about it. He couldn't wait to see the huge jolly man again and this time his mother wouldn't stop him from sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night and waiting in front of the colourfully lit christmas treee in the living-room. Everything went according to plan, no one noticed him leaving his room. The 10-year old put his backpack, which he had carried with him, under the coffee table and immediately walked towards the glassy terrace door and gazed at the fluffy snowflakes falling from the starry sky. And there he was, just like arranged. Jack Frost. Jamie smiled brightly and let his friend inside, hugging him around the waist after he had closed the door again.
"Hey kiddo, glad to see you didn't oversleep the big event." the winter spirit smirked.
"How could I?!" the brunette boy exclaimed and put his hands on his mouth as soon as the words had come out, reminding himself to keep quiet so he wouldn't wake his mother.
"How could I..." he repeated in a whisper. "I wanna see Santa again, no way I'm missing out on this."
Jack smiled at the child's enthusiasm. He had never been that excited about Christmas, at least not in his immortal life. Why should he? He was alone, no one acknowledged his existence, so the holiday proclaimed as 'Feast of Love' where families came together to celebrate and people gave gifts to each other seemed more like a slap in the face to him. A harsh reminder of his loneliness, of the fact no one cared for him. So North's holiday became just a day like any other one.
While Jack perched on the couch Jamie walked to the kitchen and fidgeted around in the shelves, apparently looking for something specific.
"What are you doing there?" the white-haired teen asked curiously.
The boy's head had dissappeared in one of the lower shelves as he kneeled down and reached for something which was stowed away at the far end of it.
"I don't want to stand here empty-handed when Santa shows up." he explained and finally held the desired item up with a triumphant grin.
Jack stared at the box of peanut butter cookies and felt his mouth watering. Since he moved to the North Pole he had gotten addicted to cookies. Badly. He greedily watched Jamie putting them on a plate and placing it on the table in front of the couch. In reach of the winter spirit who eyed it like a hawk. As the young Bennett walked back to the kitchen and got milk from the fridge Jack sneaked closer to the cookies which were literally calling his name.
"Are you hungry, I can get you a-" Jamie started and just as he turned around he noticed a half cookie sticking out of his friend's mouth.
Busted. The frost teen looked like a deer caught in the headlights. But his first believer just laughed quietly and continued pouring the white liquid into a glass, for North, of course.
"Sorry, I couldn't resist." Jack mumbled.
"No problem, but please leave the rest for Santa. You don't want to be on the Naughty List, do you?" Jamie chuckled and put the milk back in the fridge before putting the glass on the table and sitting down on the couch as well.
"To be honest I doubt I have ever been off that list." the winter teen remarked with a weak grin, but there was a hint of regret and sadness shining through his cheerful mask.
"You? But you're one of the good guys, a guardian, how can you be on the Naughty List? You're not naughty at all, you're cool!" the 10-year-old shouted and had to remind himself to keep his voice low once again.
"That's really nice of you, kiddo, but actually I'm the record holder of that list. It just...happened. Doing a lot of stupid things when you're bored and have no one to keep you company." he tried to explain but felt sorta guilty for all the trouble he had caused, even though that didn't keep him from pulling new pranks.
Jamie looked at him sympathetically and sensed that he didn't feel very comfortable about that topic. And yet there was something he had to ask.
"Does that mean you never got a christmas gift at all?"
Sapphire eyes glanced down sadly for a moment, the simple act already being answer enough, before the familiar smile reappeared on the immortal teen's face.
"Yeah, that's right. But I don't need anything so it's really no big deal."
No way Jamie believed that lie. Just as he opened his mouth to further question his friend's statement they heard a rustle coming from the chimney. Both boys shot looks at each other and knowing expressions were exchanged as they focused on the unlit fireplace next to the christmas tree. Jack briefly wondered how North would ever fit through it, he was far too huge. And suddenly he was standing right in front of them. How he had done that, Jack had no idea.
"Hello there, my friends!" the Russian Santa greeted them while brushing a bit of soot from his clothes.
His costume resembled the worldwide perception a lot, a shining red coat, pants and hat trimmed with white fur and a black belt and boots. But there were intricate ornaments in various shades of red adorning the velvet-like fabric, giving him an appearance that put all the other versions of Santa Clause to shame.
"Looking good, North." Jack smirked as the big man stood there at his impressive full height.
"Santa!" Jamie shouted, this time wasting no thought on his mother probably hearing him.
"Finally! It's so cool you're here! Look, I got you cookies and milk!" the boy continued and excitedly pointed at the table.
"Oh, peanut butter cookies, I like those!" the Russian laughed and grabbed a handful of them.
"So does Jack." Jamie chuckled and didn't even let his amusement stop when said winter spirit playfully nudged him with his elbow.
North contently munched away and emptied the glass of milk afterwards. Secretly Jack was curious about how many cookies and how much milk the big guy devoured in this night of the year.
"Thank you for the snack, Jamie. Now, who wants presents?"
"Me! I mean, I do!" the young Bennett squealed with joy.
North let out his typical hearty laugh and pulled several neatly wrapped boxes out of the sack he had carried over his shoulder. In the end it were 10 of them, 6 for Jamie and 4 for Sophie. The boy stared at them in awe and confusion.
"So many? We never got so many before."
"See it as little thank you for everything you did for us earlier this year. We wouldn't have defeated Pitch without your help and your sister reminded us on why we were doing our jobs in the first place. We owe a lot to you." the Guardian of Wonder explained and returned the wide smile of the child in front of him.
"Thank you so much!"
"Hah, you're very welcome, Jamie. But don't open them until morning, promise?"
"Promise!"
"That's a good boy! I'm sorry, but I have to leave now, many other children are waiting for their presents. Oh, Jack, when you come back to the Pole, please stay in your room, I'll come to you once I have finished my work. There's something we have to talk about."
It sounded more like a command than a request. Jack suddenly felt a lump in his throat. Had he screwed up again? He mentally recalled everything he had done in the past few weeks but couldn't pinpoint anything that could have upset North or any of the other guardians. It was obvious that he and the yetis were busy with last-minute preparations so the last thing Jack wanted to do was cause trouble and disturb their hard work. He honestly had no idea what this was about.
"Uhm, sure, will do." he mumbled insecurely.
The Russian Santa nodded, walked towards the fireplace, looked back at them one last time and waved before he vanished in the chimney as fast as he had appeared only moments ago.
"Woa, that was awesome, wasn't it?!" Jamie exclaimed while jumping up and down on the couch.
"Yeah..."
Jack's mind was still busy trying to find a reason for North's desire to talk to him later. It sounded pretty serious. Unconsciously he grabbed his staff tighter, something he always did when he felt upset, sad or just confused.
"Jack? You alright?"
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. So, I wonder what's in those boxes." the frost teen distracted himself from the unsettling thoughts by focusing on another subject.
"Yes, me too, I'll tell you about it the next time you visit me. Oh, I almost forgot, you said you never got a present in all your life, right?" Jamie inquired and looked at him expectantly.
Great, from one unpleasant topic to the previous one. Jack couldn't prevent himself from sighing weakly and nodded his head.
"Yeah...but like I said it's-"
"It's high time you get one!" the brunette boy declared and pulled a small item out of his backpack which had been hidden under the coffee table.
The Guardian of Fun stared at him dumbfoundedly as he held it out to him. It was obvious a child had wrapped it since it looked more like an abstract shape than a gift but he didn't mind at all. To him it was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen.
"For...me?"
"Of course, for you!" Jamie laughed and pushed it into his friend's hands.
Jack stared at the dark blue gift wrap which was adorned with silver stars and crescent moons. It was as if he was paralyzed and had no idea what he was supposed to do with it.
"Come on, open it!" the young Bennett urged him.
Pale fingers clumsily removed the paper and a moment later sapphire eyes gazed at the unfolded gift. It was a silver frame with a snowflake in each corner and a picture showing Jamie on a sleigh and Jack flying above him. The boy had drawn it himself. Tears welled up in Jack's eyes and he had a tough time forcing them back.
"What's wrong? Don't you like it?" Jamie asked crestfallen and for once it was Jack who unexpectantly hugged him.
"I love it. Thank you, Jamie. You have no idea how much this means to me."
The brown-haired boy beamed with joy about his gift being so well received. Suddenly there was a sound coming from upstairs. A door opening and closing, followed by footsteps.
"Jamie? Is that you down there?"
Crap, his mother had eventually woken up. At least she didn't catch him before he had the chance to meet Santa Clause. Knowing looks were exchanged between the two males.
"Guess that means it's time for me to go. See ya later!" Jack bid his farewell and headed for the balcony door.
"See ya!" Jamie whispered.
As the winter spirit stepped out he glanced in direction of the stairs where was coming closer.
"Oh and...good luck!" he added and closed the glassy door behind him, just in time so the woman wouldn't see it and wonder how it could shut on it's own.
Morning had approached when Jack arrived back at the North Pole. Fortunately the yetis didn't accidentally close the windows of his room anymore so he could easily enter. He stretched his limbs and leaned his staff against the bedframe before pulling the silver frame out of his hoodie pocket. Blue eyes scanned his surroundings, looking for the best spot for his present. After walking around his room for a while he decided to put it on his desk, which was pretty empty anyway, with the exception of a few adventure books. Jack stepped back to get a better overview. Yep, that was a good place.
He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact he had gotten his first christmas gift after 300 years. That it came from his first believer made it even more special. But...he didn't have anything for Jamie in return. Since Christmas had turned into a day like any else because he had never had someone he could have given a present to he hadn't even thought about doing it now. And he felt really bad about it. Maybe North could help him finding a good belated gift for Jamie.
Oh, that reminded him of what the Cossack had told him the night before. He was supposed to stay in his room. Thankfully he remembered in time, he had already planned to pay a visit to the kitchen due to his belly screaming for chocolate milk. Usually he would have sneaked out anyway but it was Christmas and North had sounded rather serious about the order. Better not upset the big guy on this day of the year. Jack wondered how long it would take him to finish his journey around the globe. Having nothing else to do he lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. After about five seconds he came to the conclusion that this was terribly boring. He might as well take a nap until North came back.
Loud knocks on the door ripped Jack from his dreams. He had no idea how long he had slept. It didn't matter anyway, he was wide awake now after the sudden noise caused him to jerk into a sitting position. The person who had disturbed his slumber didn't even wait for him to allow them inside and opened the door right away. The Guardian of Wonder stepped into the winter-themed room and glanced at the still somewhat startled teen in front of him.
"Jack, my boy, nice to see you listened to me!" the Russian exclaimed, obviously suprised that the well-known troublemaker hadn't pulled any pranks or sneaked through the workshop while he was gone.
"Yeah, well, guessed I could do that since it's your special day and all." the winter spirit smirked, followed by a yawn.
"Sorry, so...did everything go well?"
"Haha, yeah, you might say that! Was faster than average, everything went smooth, children are happy, so I can proudly say it was a successfull night!" North blurted out in joy.
Jack mimicked his expression for a moment before the smile faded from his face and he almost looked...anxious.
"But that's not why you wanted to talk to me, right?"
He just wanted to get over with it. Whatever it was, he was worried that he had screwed up and North had only waited with the lecture till now because he was fully occupied with the preparations for Christmas before.
"No, as a matter of fact, it isn't. There's something I have to show you." the Russian replied with an unusual calm voice and held the door open as a sign for Jack to follow him.
Grabbing his staff the teen climbed out of the bed and walked along North's side, wondering where this was leading to. It didn't take him long to figure out they were heading towards the Globe Room. There, in a side section of the main hall, Jack was faced with the biggest christmas tree he had ever seen. It was almost 100 feet high and decorated with all kinds of ornmanents you could imagine. Glitter balls, figurines, straw-ornaments, tinsel, garlands, and lights in every possible colour, but still so skillfully chosen and set up that it looked like one gigantic masterpiece. Jack stared in awe, his eyes wide with wonder. It didn't go unnoticed by the Russian and he grinned from one ear to the other.
"Ah, you like tree?"
"It looks amazing!" the frost teen stated the obvious, not being able to tear his eyes from it.
"Haha, yes it does! Now come on, the others are already waiting for us." North laughed and moved on.
"The others?" Jack repeated questioningly and ran after the Cossack who didn't reply but kept walking downstairs.
Shortly later they arrived at the bottom of the tree. Not far away from it was a big table with so much food that Jack wondered which country was invited for the feast. Everything from roast turkey, duck and pork to fish, mashed and grilled potatoes, sauces, several kinds of vegetables, puddings, cakes as well as many other variations of desserts and so much more. He had to make sure he didn't drool at the sight. Around the table sat the other three guardians, all of them smiling at him.
"Took yer time again, mate, eh?" Bunnymund 'greeted' him with a smirk.
"Jack! Merry Christmas to you!" Tooth squealed and dashed towards him for a glomp hug while Sandy gave him a thumbs-up.
After the hummingbird-hybrid finally let go of him again Jack glanced back at North.
"Are you guys always celebrating Christmas together?"
"Ah, well, actually we don't. This is the first time." the Russian explained and rubbed his neck.
"Why now?"
"You see, what happened earlier this year brought us all closer to each other. We are family now and you should spend Christmas with your family. And we thought it's about time you experience a real Christmas feast!" North winked.
Suddenly it dawned on Jack.
"So that's why you wanted me to stay in my room? So you could prepare all this?" he inquired and pointed around him.
"Haha, yes, it should be a surprise! And it is, isn't it?"
"You bet!" the winter spirit blurted out and grinned like a Cheshire Cat.
"Good, but suprise isn't over yet."
"What do you mean?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow, curiosity sparking in him.
"Have a closer look at what lies underneath the tree." the Guardian of Wonder smiled.
Sapphire eyes wandered to the bottom of the huge Christmas tree and his gaze stopped on the four neatly wrapped boxes which were placed near the trunk. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he looked at his friends dumbfoundedly and insecure.
"Are those...for me?"
"For whom else, Frosty?" Bunny chuckled and leaned back in his chair.
Jack stared from one guardian to the other and each of them returned his questioning expression with a warm smile.
"But, I don't understand. I'm on top of the Naughty List, how can I get presents?"
"Don't you remember? When Manny chose you to be a guardian we wiped clean the slate." North answered patiently.
Oh, yeah, he had totally forgotten about that. And still...
"But...I wasn't exactly a model student afterwards. I...pulled a few pranks...okay, quite a bunch of pranks and you didn't really have an easy time dealing with me. There's no way I have landed on the Nice List after all those screw-ups." Jack said feebly, his voice almost a whisper.
And yet the sympathetic looks on the others' faces didn't vanish.
"Yeah, it's one big mystery." Bunny remarked cynically but the glare from Tooth immediately shut him up.
North cleared his throat and proceeded to further explain the matter at hand.
"Well, it would be inappropriate for a guardian to be on Naughty List. Actually you're not on any of the two lists anymore, it's up to us to decide whether you deserve presents or not. And we all agreed you do deserve it and so much more."
"Wait, what? So becoming a guardian means that I can't land on the Naughty List again?" Jack probed warily.
"Not exactly. You see, Manny chose you because he knew your center long before we and even you yourself did. As the Guardian of Fun it's kind of your job to be a little naughty from time to time and you shouldn't be punished for doing what you're supposed to do. Of course I'll reserve the right to draw the consequences should you go too far. But I'm quite sure you won't take advantage of this privilege, will you?" the Cossack added strictness at the end to emphasize that this was no complimentary ticket for mischief.
"I won't, promise!" the winter spirit assured him, knowing full well how generous North's decision was.
"That's what I expected to hear! Now, don't you want to open your presents?"
Jack smiled widely and walked towards the tree where he knelt down and grabbed the first present. It was decoratively wrapped up in bright red paper with green fir tree prints and had a big dark red bow on it. He removed the paper excitedly and opened the cardboard box that was revealed. What was inside made him gasp in amazement. A snowglobe with two ice-skating figures in the middle of a lake which was surrounded by a winter forest, a tall brunette boy and a small girl with the same hair colour. Without a doubt it was supposed to be his little sister and him. He had told North about his past a few times, minus the part about his death. Instead of the usual styrofoam-like contents of an average snowglobe this one had countless tiny snowflakes inside which glistened and sparkled whenever he moved the sphere around. The base was made of silver and showed reliefs of several snowflakes in unique shapes.
"North, this is...beautiful."
"Look at bottom." the big man winked and Jack did as he was told.
There was a small silver ratchet lever and just then he realized it was a music box. He carefully wound it up and listened to the song that followed. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized it. The lullaby his mother always used to sing to him and later to his sister as well. But how did North know? Suddenly he remembered that he had hummed the song quite often after he had watched that particular memory. One day North had asked him where he had heard it and he told him about it. It had been months ago, he had never expected the Cossack to actually keep it in mind.
"I-I don't know what to say, I...thanks, North." Jack stuttered, his eyes fixed on the wonderful gift.
"You're very welcome, my boy." the Guardian of Wonder smiled gently.
"Can ya please hurry a bit with the unwrappin', mate, gettin' kinda hungry here." Bunny interrupted the sentimental athmosphere and longingly gazed at the amounts of food on the table next to him.
To everyone's surprise the winter spirit didn't shoot back a witty remark but put the snowglobe back into the box, so it would stay unharmed until he brought it to his room later, and moved on to the next present.
This one was light green with colourful flowers and a dark green bow. He ripped the paper off and found a wooden case that had a snowflake engraved on it. After opening it he saw that it was a painting kit with many different tubes of paint and brushes in several sizes. Without taking a closer look he was aware of this equpiment being no standard merchandise but created by none other than the Easter Bunny himself. Under the case there was sketchbook with a beautiful painting of a snowy landscape and his name written across it in big calligraphic letters.
"Thanks, Bunny, this is pretty cool! I had wanted stuff like this for a while already." Jack said with a honest and grateful smile.
"No big deal, mate, I thought ya could use it for practicin'. In case ya wanna help me with the egg designs again." the pooka replied nonchalantly, trying to hide every sort of emotion from his voice.
And yet, everyone knew that the Guardian of Hope had started to see the youngest one of them as a little brother and that he was secretly overly happy and satisfied his present was appreciated.
"You bet!"
The next box was purple with intricate Asian-like green ornaments and a blue bow. Of all the things he could have imagined to get from the Tooth Fairy this one surely surpassed his expectations. Never would he have thought she would part from the item which belonged in her palace just like the millions of similar ones. His toothbox.
"Tooth, but...I thought you couldn't give this to me. Why-"
"Well, if North can make an exception concerning the Naughty List I assumed I could do the same. I realized how much your memories mean to you and that this is the only way for you to recall them."
"But, what about the rules?"
"Let's say exceptions prove the rule. Though I have to insist on you taking good care of it and store it in a safe place. It's a very valuable gift but I'm sure you're aware of that." Tooth explained, making it obvious that giving away one of the toothboxes hadn't been an easy decision.
Jack couldn't find the words to express how deeply touched and grateful he was. He didn't need to say anything, his face was like an open book.
"Thank you...I promise I'll keep it safe." he assured her eventually.
Now there was only one present left. A golden wrapped one with golden animals covering it as well as a golden bow. After he had removed the fancy paper he held two items in his hands. One being a light brown velvet bag with golden snowflakes adorning it and a fair amount of dreamsand inside, to make sure Jack would get pleasant dreams whenever he needed them. The other one was a small dolphin riding a wave made of golden sand. But unlike the dreamsand which used to dissolve after moments this one was solid, like a sculpture while still maintaining the typical texture and glow.
"Wow, that dolphin looks great! And thanks for the dreamsand, too!" the frost teen grinned and Sandy returned the smile happily.
In his mind Jack already pondered the many possibilities for pranks this gift brought with it. It was just so very, very tempting. No, he wouldn't abuse the sandman's dreamsand. At least not for the rest of the year.
"So, I assume you like your presents?" North asked rhetorically.
"Are you kidding me? This is the best Christmas ever! I-I, gheez, I'm at a loss for words."
"Well, that surely is new." Bunny chuckled and the rest of the group joined the laughter.
When Jack suddenly fell silent it didn't go past the others who stared at him with worried and questioning expressions.
"I'm sorry but...you had all those awesome presents for me and I have nothing for you..." he whispered bashfully.
"Don't worry about that, we never give presents to each other, we're all hundreds of years old so imagine how stuffed full our places would be after a while and we don't really need anything anyway. That you became one of us and brought us back together is the greatest gift you could have given us. We're a family now and we owe it all to you." North spoke for everyone of the original guardians and they nodded in agreement.
Jack hadn't felt this happy since Jamie had seen him for the first time. That wet sensation was back in his eyes and he casually brushed it away with the sleeve of his hoodie. When he looked up again his friends had come closer and North was the first to start a group hug. Even Bunny, who never was the person for sappy moments, muttered a semi-annoyed "Whatever" and awkwardly put his arms around them. It didn't take long until he broke the silence, though.
"Ya know..I wish ya'd make this fuss about Easter as well." he grumbled while still embracing Tooth and Sandy who had Jack squeezed between them.
"Oh come on, don't ruin the merry mood with your jealousy now, kangaroo." the white-haired boy laughed in a good-natured way.
"I'm not jealous, I just feel...underpriviledged." the pooka shot back.
"Awww, poor Bunny." Jack mocked, still smiling at him.
"Shut up, Frostbite."
"Boys, enough!" North demanded in a fatherly strict tone.
Jack shrugged innocently while Bunny rolled his eyes and let out a grumpy snort. After everyone parted from the group hug they gathered around the richly-set table and clinked mugs of eggnog to officially start the feast. Even the yetis and elves joined and celebrated with the guardians, all of them being relieved, happy and proud that their hard work had paid off and that Christmas had gone according to plan once again.
When Jack felt a huge furry hand on his shoulder and turned around he saw Phil standing behind him and raising his mug to him. The frost teen returned the gesture and was met with a very jolly, and obviously a little tipsy, yeti who grinned and talked gibberish for a moment. Probably it was a kind of toast, Jack wasn't entirely sure so he just smiled as if he had understood every word. Phil laughed out loud, patted the boy's back so hard he almost spilled the contents of his mug and walked towards the other yetis again while taking a big swig of his own eggnog.
They sat there until it was late at night, eating, drinking, laughing, telling stories and enjoying the joyful athmosphere which filled the whole workshop.
Jack had never cared much about this holiday but now that he had a family to celebrate with he loved it. 300 years had to pass until he experienced his first real Christmas and he decided it was totally worth the wait.
A/N : Merry Christmas everyone! And thank you so much for all the support and feedback! ^_^
May North bring you all a lot of presents! And yeah, I totally needed a reason for Jack not landing on the Naughty List anymore because he deserves a big pile of gifts!
