„Ya talked ta whom?!" Bunnymund blurted out and stared at the frost teen with wide green eyes, terror written all over his face.
Jack heaved a sigh, mild annoyance and confirmation accompanying it. Of course this was the reaction he had expected
The conversation with Morticia had taken place a few days ago and now all of the guardians had gathered in the workshop at the North Pole for their regular meeting. Like every time everyone had told the others about their work and how they were doing in general. Even though nothing out of the ordinary had happened, each of them kept on explaining in detail how much effort and accuracy they poured into their tasks.
As usual Jack had been rather bored during the procedure and more or less patiently waited for it to finally end so he could tend to funnier things again. After an hour...or two or three, he couldn't tell because it felt like eternity to him, it had been made clear that the Christmas present production was going fine, next year's Easter eggs would have even more oustanding designs, the tooth fairies were collecting teeth as fast as possible and children had the most amazing dreams they could wish for.
Unlike the ancient four guardians the youngest member of their team had stayed quiet and not even shown an attempt of joining the discussion. Instead he absent-mindedly chewed on a piece of gingerbread and pondered whether he should tell them about his new friend or better keep it a secret. He knew them well enough to be rather sure they would freak out, but on the other hand he believed that he should be honest with them and that they were mature enough to accept Morticia. She was a spirit just following her fate like them, after all.
Jack was ripped away from his thoughts when Tooth curiously asked if he had experienced anything special since their last get-together. Briefly he wondered if the others had noticed his lack of communication and just ignored it or if they were too absorbed in their own stories to pay attention until now.
Since four pairs of eyes were focused on him more or less expectantly he had no choice but to answer. Better be straight forward, he decided.
"I talked to the Spirit of Death, she's pretty nice." he said so casually it made his friends do a double take before his words sank in.
There was an uncomfortable silence with everyone staring at him as if he had just confessed he would team up with Pitch. Until Bunny exploded verbally.
"Are ya crazy? Do ya even know what she's able ta do?"
"Yes, she told me about it." Jack replied dryly.
"Then ya should have enough reasons ta stay away from her! She's dangerous and unpredictable and no good company for ya!"
The guardians were rather startled about Bunny's sudden outburst. He looked like he was about to grab Jack by the shoulders and shake him until he agreed to never approach Death again. It was hard to miss that the Australian was genuinely concerned about the teen's well-being. He imagined the frost teen bothering the death spirit until she got so annoyed of him that she ended his life. It wasn't an overly dramatic and exaggerated scenario but a very possible outcome in his mind that moment. Everyone had experienced how carefree and curious the Guardian of Fun could be. When he even managed to tick off his closest friends, mainly Bunny, then how much patience would an unfamiliar gloomy spirit have with him?
"Ya can't hang out with someone who's killin' people!"
Jack took a deep breath to remain composed, even though he already felt like shouting back the same way the 6'1 rabbit did. But that wouldn't be helpful in the current situation. For once he had to be the mature one.
"Firstly, that's exactly what I was accused of for 300 years. That I was killing people by spreading winter, that I was freezing them to death intentionally. So everyone refused to talk to me or only did so to tell me how much they loathed me." the white-haired boy retorted unusually calm and rational.
To make his point even clearer, he glanced at Bunnymund sternly when he had finished the last sentence.
"Secondly, Morticia doesn't kill people. She is able to do it, that's beyond dispute, but she doesn't do it. It's not what she's supposed to do and she takes her job extremely serious."
"What...is her job then?" Tooth asked hesitantly.
"She guides people's souls to the afterlife."
"Just because she told ya it doesn't have ta be the truth, mate." Bunny remarked, still not convinced that all the stories and rumors regarding the Spirit of Death had been false.
"It is the truth. I've seen it myself." Jack stated firmly.
Confused and startled faces were staring at him as soon as the words had left his mouth.
"Does this mean you've witnessed someone dying?" North asked concerned, hoping the answer would be 'no'.
"Yes...a girl from Burgess..." the young guardian started and had to take a deep breath to focus and continue.
"She and her parents had a car accident. I tried to help them, but it was too late...I got the girl out of the car and she died in my arms. Then Morticia appeared and trust me, I was as shocked, frightened and angry as you must have been when you met her."
Jack glanced at North and Sandy who were visibly surprised he knew about their encounters with the dark lady.
"However, that's when she let me watch the soul being sent to the afterlife and explained everything to me. She's really friendly and polite. All those horrible things you've heard about her aren't true."
"I had no idea…" North admitted and Sandy agreed with a nod.
They both felt guilty for simply assuming things. Back then they couldn't handle the situation and weren't in the condition to stay and have a discussion. They had been too shocked about finding a dead child and it had always been obvious for them that The Spirit of Death decided who had to die and who would live.
"Maybe you should have talked to her." the white-haired youth suggested more snarkily than he had intended.
Bad reputations and preconceived beliefs which forced someone into isolation reminded him so much of his own life. The loneliness, the sadness, the frustration. Maybe the similarities between him and Morticia were what caused him to take her side so devotedly.
By now even Bunny refrained from further denying the facts. No matter how extremely the image he had of Death in his mind differed from what Jack experienced, he couldn't merely shrug it off as opposing point of view. Arguments between him and the frost teen weren't uncommon to say the least, but he had rarely seen the boy so profoundly convinced of his stance. And that he was defending someone else so positively should have been a clear enough indication of that someone being worth his loyalty.
The Guardian of Fun noticed the awkward silence around him and felt the need to draw a final conclusion.
"Fact is, Morticia doesn't deserve everyone avoiding her as if she carried the plague. She's fulfilling her duties like everyone else of us."
With that being said he let out an audible breath and leaned back in his chair contently. That had been everything he had to get off his chest. It was up to them how they were going to treat this particular other spirit in the future. Although he suddenly wondered if the dark lady even wanted attention after all this time. A little late to ponder over this now that he was done with his speech, he thought. When he looked into the faces of his friends he noticed their mixed feelings right away. They seemed to have changed their opinion and believed his words, but at the same time weren't exactly eager to face the Spirit of Death themselves.
"Guys, don't worry." Jack began to comfort them.
"Chances you'll meet her anytime soon are slim. After all, how often have you stumbled upon her? North and Sandy one, Tooth and Bunny not at all. I just wanted you to know the truth and that you won't run away screaming IF you saw her again."
"I never ran away screaming." North interjected.
Sandy pointed at himself and shook his head as well.
"Ya sure 'bout that, mate?" Bunny taunted and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh wipe that smug look off your face." the Russian shot back mildly annoyed.
Jack couldn't suppress the mental image of the huge Santa shrieking like a little girl and jumping out of the next window while Morticia was standing there completely unimpressed. He a hard time not bursting out in laughter and cursed his imagination.
As if Sandy could read his mind he giggled silently to himself in agreement that the thought was funny. Tooth, totally unaware of what was going on in the frost teen's head, noticed that he was struggling to keep his composure.
"Jack, everything alri-"
"Bwuahahahahahaa!"
The hummingbird fairy flinched as the boy's lighthearted laughter filled the room. The guardians gawked at their youngest member and even though he knew he was the cause of it, North couldn't stifle a smile himself.
"Not funny." he tried to speak sternly, but failed miserably.
"Hahahah, sorry." Jack forced out during his laughing fit.
"You're not really sorry, are you?" the Guardian of Wonder declared.
It was more of a statement than a question. The winter spirit tried to hold the laughter in, but it kept bubbling out of him.
"Pffffff, hahahha, oh yes, I am, I pffff-hahah, I mean, I really am so sorry, pffffff!"
"Totally believable, mate." Bunny snorted with a snarky grin.
"Anyone want some eggnog and cookies?" North asked out of the blue.
"Tryin' ta change the topic?"
"Yes."
"Fair enough."
"I want cookies!" Jack yelled and raised his arm.
"Oh, now ya can suddenly stop laughin'?"
"You don't get cookies, you were naughty." the Cossack said with a firm and strict voice.
With crossed arms he gave his friend a death-glare. Jack's features fell and he looked like child who was sent to bed early and without dinner. There was an uncomfortable silence before North was the one to burst out laughing.
"Just joking! Everyone gets cookies!" he bellowed and walked past Jack, patting him so heartily on the back that he almost tumbled off his chair.
When they were enjoying the elves' baking skills shortly later the white-haired teen glanced at his friends and smiled softly.
"Thanks, guys...for believing me."
Hope you liked this story and thank you so much for all the reviews, faves and follows! I got an idea for a new one and hope to finish it faster this time. *crosses fingers*
