A/N: Disclaimer: Any and all magic/spells in this chapter is purely fiction and is in no way related to anything that may or may not actually exist. This was purely from the imagination of the authors and no research was done for the following scene. Any similarities to anything that is considered real by any individual is pure coincidental.
Jamie didn't bother finding the children, instead he hunted Jack... it took him only a few minutes and when he did he managed to save a child as he slammed into Jack before he could hurt the child. Yelping in pain, Jack shook his head.
"You're quite annoying you know that." He snickered seeing the horrified child's face as they hid by Jamie.
"Please help me find my sister... she's still out there!" He cried and Jack snickered.
"Ohh, she is... is she?" Jack laughed and disappeared to catch her and bring her to her brother for the double kill. He wanted to but he couldn't escape to do that as wind surrounded him.
"ACK!" Jack yelled in pain when the street light turned on.
"NOO AHH!" He yelled in pain more and more as the light was burning him.
"NO LIGHT WILL PURGE ME FROM HIS BODY! NOT NOW!" He disappeared inside Jack to protect himself; he gasped.
"Jamie." It's all he could say, tears falling from his emerald green-blue eyes and went unconscious. Jamie caught Jack as he fell and looked over at the children.
"Go home now. I'm sorry for this... I promise I'll protect you." He took Jack back to the cavern, glowing like a lightening bug... He then set about instilling various parts of the cavern with his inner light to keep it lit up. He sighed as he set Jack on the bed. Jack whimpered in his sleep, tossing and turning.
"NO! LET ME GO LET GOOO!" He yelled, waking up from his dark half.
"Jamie-" His throat closed, he was soaked in blood and guts, and other types of things. He pushed Jamie away before vomiting on the floor.
"OH GOD!" He wailed, crying and wailing after remembering the children he'd killed.
"NOOO!" Jack covered his face with blood soaked hands, shaking and crying.
"I failed. I failed to protect the children. I k-killed them. OH GOD!" Jamie went to the bathroom, coming back with a wet towel and he walked over to Jack; beginning to slowly clean him up. Jack shook and pulled away, crying more and more.
"The stains will never be clean... Jamie, their blood will cover me forever. I'm a monster!" He screamed. Once he was done, Jamie tossed the towel into the trash and went back over to Jack. He gently took Jack's head in his hands and kissed his forehead. His words soft.
"You aren't a monster." Jack whimpered.
"Yes I am, Jamie... look at the children."
"No. That wasn't you. Who knows better than I? " He murmured gently, keeping Jack close. Jack sniff in pain, clawing at his head.
"Shut up." Jamie kept Jack close, trying to soothe him; wondering how long it will be before the OTHER showed again... Jack shivered.
"The stains will never be gone... I murdered them, Jamie. I murdered innocent children... the thing I swore to protect and I failed." Jack said, going into another fit of tears and pain filled moans and wails. Jamie just hugged Jack close and wiped away the tears. Jack hissed in pain.
"Stop it." He hissed, talking to the other half who was only forcing the images of what he had done to weaken Jack... to take control.
"NOOO!" Jack screamed and held his ears, closing his eyes tight.
"No... please I..." Jack shook his head, tears falling and freezing to his face.
"NOOO!" He hiccuped from the repeated sobs. Jamie wasn't sure what he could do, he just held Jack close. Jack shuddered, the stress getting to him, causing him to go limp in Jamie's arms. Jamie gently pressed a kiss to Jack's cheek; Jack panted and moaned in his sleep. Nightmares, of course, attacked him at every chance he got to sleep.
"NOOO! PLEASE STOP!" Jamie did what he could to keep the Nightmares away. Jack cried, shaking and fighting until it was morning; he still had not waken up, of course Jamie knew he'd sleep in after a restless night like that. Jamie didn't sleep himself, but he wasn't tired oddly enough. Jack awoke, eyes more glassy than usual.
"Jamie." It's all he says before gasping for air and vomiting some black gunk; his body was fighting the bastard.
"I'm here Jack." He said as he moved to settle close. Jack coughed, sucking in air; one eye pure red, blood dripping from it, from his pain. Jamie cleaned Jack up with a towel he's kept nearby. It's all he's sure he could do for him at the moment. Jack shuddered, clawing desperately for something... to get a grip of reality as the pain intensified and his muffled cries became wails; keening wails that slowly turned into screams of pain that scared all the children who were in the area playing. Jamie stayed by Jack's side, regardless. Jack cried breathlessly.
"MAKE IT STOP!" He screamed as it felt like his heart was being pulled in half and replaced with something else... Jamie attempted to send his light into Jack to help combat the darkness, but it's all he could do to help beyond keeping at Jack's side. Jack shuttered.
"NOOO! LET ME GO!" He coughed, it sounded like gagging as he heaved for air before passing out from sheer pain. Jamie sighed, he'd been hoping he could help... but what else could he do aside from all he was? Jack became restless in his sleep; he fought to stay awake several times but it wasn't working to his advantage. Not knowing what else to do. Jamie asked the wind to send out some of his snowflakes; reaching out to the Guardians for help, hoping they could. Jack squirmed in pain; shaking, arching and crying for help. Jamie stayed with Jack, doing his best to soothe him; to keep him calm even as he waited for an answer... but waiting was agonizing. Jack gasped, coughing; just coughing, sometimes throwing up black sludge-blood stuff. He would sometimes scream in agony and look like he was having an epileptic seizure. Jamie did what he could, wishing he could do more... Jack turned his head to Jamie, whimpering.
"J-j-jamie, m-make it s-st-stop." He stuttered in pain. Jamie clung to Jack. He didn't say anything. He wished he could make it stop... oh how he really wished he could... Jack sighed tiredly and shook in pain as Sandy and the other Guardians arrived. Jamie looked over at them, hoping they could help. Bunny looked at Jack in concern; Sandy tried to expel whatever was causing the pain was but couldn't do that without Jack screaming bloody murder in pain. Jamie kept close to Jack the whole time. Not saying anything, just... hoping... Bunny mashed up some herbs, he sighed.
"This is about to get ugly." Jack looked at him in fear suddenly, he gave a silent look to all of them to hold one of his limbs and no matter what... don't let go. Jamie nodded and he kept a hold of Jack while the others took other limbs. He's not sure he wanted to know what Bunny's prepared... His ears pinned against his skull, Bunny asked Jack to drink it but he shook his head, tightening his lips.
"Doubt this will be voluntary..." Jamie shifted to gently pry Jack's mouth open. Jack shook his head against the attempts.
"Won't taste bad Jack, promise." He shook his head, tightening his jaw more. Jamie fought against it to get Jack's mouth open; he winced, having no choice but to open up. Instantly the liquid was forced down his throat, he sputtered, coughed and whimpered. Jamie stroked Jack's throat to activate the swallow reflex. Jack whined and struggled; suddenly there was a red dot on his chest, shining beneath the blue hoodie; it appeared to be coming out from there. Jack screamed in agony, thrashing and pulling. Trying to end the agonizing pain in his chest. Jamie looked at the dot then at Bunny. Bunny brought out a strange incense stick and lit it.
"By Order of MiM, nature and all of light, I command you to leave this spirit be!" Jamie just watched, a little confused. It's like static electricity shocking through Jack, he arched and cried as the orb turned blacker and redder by the second, fighting something against the light upon Bunny's incense, he repeated the words louder and faster as Jack cried and thrashed. Jamie wasn't sure what's going on, but he wasn't sure it's good... or bad really... he's just confused at this point. Bunny sighed, the spell could only be completed by the one whose heart loved Jack the most.
"Jamie." He called gently.
"I need you to hold this, please; it will be ok." He told him to say what he loved most about Jack and tell this creature to take a hike. Bunny switched places with Jamie, holding Jack tightly as he yelled, panted, thrashed and cried. Jamie nodded a little, uncertain as he held the item. He looked at it oddly, thinking a moment before he spoke.
"I love his heart most of all, how it's always been so kind, and pure... Whatever you are... leave him, now." He's no idea if this would work but he was willing to try just about anything. It was like a punch to the gut, Jack cried and the orb became more weak, it screeched so loud everyone wanted to cover their ears, but instead kept their grip on Jack as he thrashed more now. His eyes flashed from red to blue over and over, hair blood black to white.
"JAMIE HURRY!" The rabbit was worried now, it should have already expelled itself. Jamie continued.
"It's not the only thing I love... I love the way his eyes sparkle, shaming the sapphires themselves. The way he can be so carefree despite all that he's been through." Jack arched higher, barely touching the bed now; Jack cried whimpering, one eye was staying blue the other continued to be red.
"J-jamie." He whimpered, the darkness latched on like it's life depended on it... in this case it did.
"I love you for your bravery, for being true to yourself, no matter what has happened; for always thinking of others..."
Jack cried out as finally, after what felt like hours, there was a sickening pop as it exploded from his chest. The dark being seemed to pulsate angrily in the orb and tried diving back in.
"NO! STAY AWAY!" Jack ran from the orb just in time for Bunny to capture it in a trap jar; it banged against the jar furiously wanting to be free and back with its counterpart. Jack shook, hiding behind Jamie. Bunny smiled.
"Yer safe Jack, this guy ain't ever getting out' he's harmless as a baby now." Jamie didn't say anything, hugging Jack close; feeling immense relief that this was all over now. Jack whimpered before collapsing.
"I also fergot to mention... he may sleep a couple weeks, maybe a month. 'pends on how long he's had this beast in him. It's healing the damage done by it." Jamie nodded as he settled Jack back on the bed again.
"Just glad it's over with." With that, the Guardians wished Jamie and Jack goodbye, Roxas started to cry over the bond; during that whole experience he'd cried. North brought Roxas back to Jamie who gently hushed him, reassuring him quietly that everything was okay now and that Jack was sleeping off the lost energy. Roxas reached out to Jack.
"Dada!" He loved Jamie, but he wanted to know if Jack was ok, safe and healthy.
"He's asleep now, but rest assured my little snow prince. He's okay now. " He settled down next to Jack with Roxas. Roxas giggled and looked most adorable.
"Let's leave him to sleep while we read a story hmm? I will read you a new story tonight." He said as he headed for the nursery while gently bouncing him. Roxas squealed in response, which was a very big way of saying 'yay' or 'yes.' Jamie smiled and settled in the rocking chair to tell him about the very first Christmas; a story of hope and how it was about the birth of a man named Jesus and he ended it by saying that this man would grow up to do great things.
"Some day, my son, I am sure you will do great things too." Roxas clapped happily.
"DADA!" He said, suddenly a burst of light floated about Jamie, giving him happy thoughts. Jamie smiled at Roxas.
"Liked that huh?" He nodded, giggling and the lights, as now there were several, glowed brighter. Jamie looked at the lights curiously then at Roxas.
"Did you make those?" Roxas controlled the lights and made a figure of Jack, Jamie and him all sleeping together. Jamie smiled.
"Guess maybe I should call you little lightning bug instead... your dad and I can't do that..." Roxas giggled and the lights went into Jamie making his heart filled with light and happy thoughts. Jamie smiled but also wondered at this power. What sort of power was this? He began wondering as well what his son's center might be. Roxas clapped.
"Fun." He said happily as Jack started to stir. Jamie smiled at him.
"That will be your new nickname, lightning bug." Jack sighed, opening his eyes he gasped for air; when he moved unimaginable pain exploded throughout his body. He cried out, Roxas giggled and light flew into Jack's body and he felt numb.
"R-roxas." Jamie took Roxas back into the room where Jack was.
"Hey."
