"Please, we can't not go." Jack whimpered.
"We will, his first will be just a few days off. I've already talked to Sandy about it and he's taken care of things okay?"
"Fine." Jack sighed and calmed down. Jamie gently nuzzled against Jack.
"Want something to eat?"
"Ok." Jamie went downstairs to fix something light, just in case, and came back up with a sandwich and a glass of water.
"Thank you." Looking at Jamie, he gave him half of the sandwich.
"You look starved." Jamie chuckled a little and ate the offered half; Jack smiled and started eating his. When they both had finished he put away the plate before coming back up.
"Shall we watch that movie now?" Jack nodded. Jamie set up the movie and made a fresh batch of popcorn, which he came back up with and settled the bowl between the two of them before pressing the play button. Jack looked at the screen drowsily and was completely out of it only three minutes in; he fell asleep. Jamie tried to stay awake for the movie, but half way in he's out like a light himself. Its 3:00 in the morning and that's when Jack awoke, screaming in pain; the demon half had struck from his core and he fought against the dark half as he was attacked; after the pain it had endured it wasn't letting anyone get away with what happened. Jamie is jolted from his sleep from the scream. He gently wrapped his arms around Jack, trying to comfort him though he wasn't certain it would do much good. Jack moaned in pain, beating back the monster he held within himself; the beast he wish he didn't have inside him. Jamie did what he could to help. He beat the monster back into the hole from which it came; shaking in Jamie's arms, crying. Jamie held Jack close.
"Shhh, it's okay love. Promise." He babbled nonsense while crying.
"Please, please... make it stop." Jamie did what he could, but he's not certain he can make it all better... he's just another winter spirit... and less powerful too in comparison to Jack. It doesn't stop him from trying, but he's not sure what he can do has much effect... if any at all. Jack shuddered, as if he wasn't awake at all; he went limp, unconscious. Jamie sighed quietly, lying close; Jack tossed and turned in his sleep but it evened out, becoming less and less as he clings to Jamie. Jamie held Jack close against him; mindful of the healing wounds though. His wings flap a little bit, flustered and pained, but not hitting Jamie. Jamie gently stroked one wing, as if trying to soothe it; it flapped a couple minutes more before settling. Jamie attempted the same thing with the other, his touch light and gentle; it persists but it too settled. Jamie gently ruffled Jack's hair next, his touch still gentle and loving. Jack smiled, happy.
"Mmm." It's all the noise he made in his sleep. Jamie smiled at this and gently pressed a kiss to Jack's forehead; they'd been through a lot... Pitch... Jakoul and Gale... Death... Angel... a body change... the birth of their son... the darkness... now this. He wasn't ever going to leave Jack's side. Jack clung tighter, dreaming of happy things; his home with Jamie and Roxas. He dreamt of them both and what the birthday party would have been like if he hadn't been nearly beaten to death. Jamie happily kept close, eventually drifting off himself and dreaming of Jack and Roxas.
Jack smiled happily at Roxas and Jamie.
"Jamie look at Roxas!" Jack said, pointing out that he was flying with wind.
"YOU'RE DOING GREAT SWEETIE! SLOW DOWN THOUGH!" He giggled and looked at Jamie lovingly. Jamie grins.
"You're worrying too much, look how easily he takes to it; just like he was born to fly." Jack glared at him.
"Do you want our baby to break his neck hitting a tree?" Jack said angrily as he remembered his own first flight; he'd almost fallen and broke his neck, but caught a tree branch instead.
"Anyway if he's anything like me he'll have trouble on first flights." Jamie gently frosted the tip of Jack's nose.
"You worry too much. This is why we took him out here, away from trees remember?" A grin spread; his cheeks grew warm as his nose tipped blue from the coldness briefly.
"O-Oh yeah, I f-forgot." Jamie chuckled, slipping one arm around Jack as they watched Roxas fly about.
It was then that Jack awoke.
"Ugh." He blinked his eyes into focus, pain eating at every part.
"I wish pain wasn't real." Jamie was curled up, fast asleep, when Jack woke up. He winced as he carefully removed Jamie from his chest and put a pillow there; biting his tongue, he stood up and, legs shaking, he hobbled downstairs. Jamie stirred a little, but didn't wake up. Jack sighed, wincing as everything hurt to move; he ignored the pain and walked outside, still seeing the storm in place he forcefully dispersed it.
"Jamie... god that's gonna make you exhausted." He whispered, with that he walked into the woods. The storm had more than exhausted Jamie, but he'd kept it up to make sure that they wouldn't be disturbed. Jack sighed, wincing at every tree branch or rock that he stubbed a toe on accidentally; he picked up a few rocks and set them about in a circle, got some dry leaves, two stones, twigs and a log... at least not to close to catch on fire, and started a fire. Jamie slept for several days; beyond exhausted from all the exertion lately. Jack was worried most of the time, having run himself ragged cleaning the cabin, keeping Jamie company, and also cooking food to feed a whole planet... for Jamie. After day five, Jamie began to stir from his slumber; Jack was making dinner again, he felt so lonely, sad, and worried for Jamie and Roxas.
Meanwhile Roxas squealed and ran fully buck naked as he escaped Sandy from putting his clothes on, after he'd stubbornly fought to get away from bath time.
"Come here ya little rascal." Bunny said, scooping up the naked child and tickling him a little as Sandy caught up. Roxas squealed with joy.
"HOP! HOP! BUNNY HOP! HOP!"
Jack sighed, holding his head in his arms; wanting to escape with Jamie back to Roxas. Jack? Jamie murmured sleepily along the bond as he pulled himself from the bed. He hated feeling that in the bond...
Between the two of them, Sandy and Bunny got Roxas clean and dressed again. Roxas giggled and was absolutely being adorable.
"Please, I wanna go back to my baby; I need him with us." Jack said to himself, muttering nothing and nonsense strangely.
Jack? Hun? Jamie tried again as he pushes himself out of the bed. He winced, his mind was a war zone of conflicting emotions.
"No, I won't let you out. No, if I keep myself away they're safe." For forty or so minutes he spoke his birth language. Jamie finally makes it down stairs.
"Jack?" He murmured, trying to shake off the sleep. Jack growled, claws digging into his scalp, speaking his native tongue words that sounded strange to Jamie. Jamie yawned as he slowly moved forward.
"Jack?" He still didn't hear, finally he snapped out of his fast talking... at 39 words a second.
"Huh?"
"What's all the rambling about?" Jack looked at him curiously.
"What? I wasn't rambling who says I was rambling?" He said fast, quite worried he was doing it again... that he was letting him out again; he wouldn't allow it, not again.
"I donno you were saying something but not something I understood though I am still -yawn- tired." Jack ignored Jamie for a second.
"C-Can we please go back to Roxas?" He was shaking, needing something something to tell him to hold on... Jamie was enough, but not enough... Roxas and Jamie were enough; he needed them both with him.
"Alright hun." Jamie murmured, he was too tired to argue and this vacation hadn't gone as well as it should have anyway. At least nothing could go too wrong at the pole... at least he hoped. He grabbed Jamie and took, off leaving everything behind except Roxas' toy. Jamie leaned against Jack as they headed off to the pole; he's still tired, but not so much that he couldn't make the trip. Jack landed slowly, hearing the laughter of his baby boy.
"Roxas." Roxas giggled as he chased a "not-so-fast" Bunny around the room.
"Is it too late for us to join the chase Roxy?" Jack asked with a chuckle. Roxas turned, squealing happily.
"Dada!" He ran straight towards Jack and Jamie without hesitation. Jack picked him up and swung him around.
"Aww, how are you bud? Miss us I see."
"Dada! Mmmm! Miss you dada, papa." He said as he snuggled into Jack happily then looks at Jamie with a smile.
"I missed you too little one." Jack said calmly and tiredly as he handed him to Jamie and smiled.
"Look, I got you a present champ." He smirked, handing the wrapped robin plush off to him; he instantly ripped into it.
"YAY! ROB ROB ROB!" He said happily and Jack smiled.
"Happy birthday Rox." He grinned up at Jack and Jamie.
"T'ank you dada, papa!" He hugged his new plush happily.
"Looks like the dynamic duo is complete eh?" He shakes his head.
"What do you mean?" Roxas smiles.
"W-what about Alfwed." Jack slaps his face.
"Oh... Batman's butler; ok we'll get him for you." Jamie chuckled.
"For Christmas." Jack nodded.
"Perfect." He smiled, watching the boy run around playing with his two toys. Jamie smiled and Bunny did too as he looked at both Jack and Jamie.
"It's good ta see ya mate. I see the spell wore off ya." Jack's wings appeared to feel very painful as they shifted sudden.
"OOOW!" Bunny hopped over to inspect the wings a moment before rubbing his paws along specific nerves to ease the pain and sent relief into them.
"Ya been sleeping on 'em have ya?" He asked while Jamie raised an eyebrow at the Pooka... didn't Jack say the others didn't know except Sandy? Jack winced, realizing Bunny already knew. He could smell it, plus he saw me change a few years back when you were hiding.
"Too right mate. Figured it out even before I saw it, donno why ya keep it from the others, but I ain't no snitch."
"HAVE YOU SEEN ME?! LOOK AT ME! I LOOK LIKE A DEMON! HOW ELSE WOULD YOU REACT?! I ALREADY KNOW HOW HUMANS FEEL ABOUT ME!" His stitches reopened at the sudden movement and he fell to his knees, the pain unbearable, and Roxas started to cry.
"Hey, hey, no, no; it's ok baby." Instead of a normal baby cry it was a screeching sound, a demon's screech; his eyes widened and the pupil slit white as something seemed to be controlling Jack and he went unconscious. Roxas clapped and crawled over to him and some kind of psychic power took him to the bed, tucked him in, and Roxas crawled away. Jamie and Bunny shared a knowing look... apparently Jamie wasn't the only one who'd had this talk with Jack.
"I'll keep an eye on Jack and speak wi'h him when he wakes if ya watch tha' lil' tyke." Jamie nodded and went after Roxas. Roxas giggled as he was crawling on the ceiling like all demon spawn could; Roxas laughed at Jamie as he was on the ceiling and Jamie was on the ground. Jack groaned, growling in his sleep.
"MMm rabbit stew." It's all he said, scaring Bunny. Bunny stared at Jack, scared a moment before he got himself together.
"Geez frostbite..." Jamie flew up and plucked Roxas off the ceiling.
"No, no Roxas. No crawling on the ceiling. It's dirty." He giggled and disappeared like liquid and rolled around on the floor instead, giggling. Jack groaned, waking up a few hours later.
"What happened... where am I?"
"North Pole mate, ya haven't moved much. Ya look like ya had it rough."
Jamie chased Roxas around the room.
"Come here lightening bug." He said with a mock growl, causing the boy to laugh as he scrambled away on the floor. Jack smiled but it slightly faded after a few seconds.
"Um hey, where's Jamie and Roxas?" He heard the squeals and laughter along with a crash and Jamie's pained cry that followed.
"OOh... what happened while I was out?"
"Last I knew the two were playin' in the other room. I'd say that kiddo of yours has the upper hand." Bunny replied with a shake of his head. Jack giggled.
"Hold on while I get my munchkin and save the pole." He walked into the other room to see the boy giggling darkly and holding Jamie with his psychic demonic powers. Jamie crossed his arms.
"No fair Roxas." Jack snickered.
"Alright little one, enough of that." He pushed the influence off of Jamie, catching him; Roxas tried using his influence on Jack who groaned, using his own demonic powers, which has been developed for years since he was bored; he took Roxas' power, which he would hold onto until he was older, he stopped floating and Jack caught him too.
"It's best I hold onto his demonic capabilities 'til he's much older and at least goes through the change a couple times."
"Agreed." Jamie said, snuggling against Jack in contentment. Jack smiled and hugged Jamie close, shifting Roxas in his arms, he walked with Jamie in his arms, and Roxas being held by Jamie, to his room.
"I think I should turn my room into a nursery for Roxas, don't you think?"
"Might be a good idea."
"I'll second that mates... I'll get some stuff fer ya. Be back in a tic."
"Okay, then I should really move my clothes and stuff out of THERE." He indicated the wardrobe nearby.
"Probably, although keeping an extra set or two couldn't hurt... you know, just in case."
"Fine, okay." He kept an extra set in there, it was exactly the same as what he was wearing now. Jamie added an ice lock to it, just in case... He thought about asking Jack to put him down then thought better of it. After all... when was the last time Jack held him rather than the other way around? He relaxed against Jack for the moment. Jack sniffed his hair.
"You smell nice as always." He said and set Roxas into his bed with help of the wind, for now he'd sleep there until they got a crib in there. Jamie blushed a little, snuggling against Jack; after a moment he said along the bond.
Perhaps we should take our conversation to a different room while Roxas sleeps.
"U-um okay." He had the thought to snuggle Jamie to death for a while. Jamie snuggled close happily. Jack smiled, snickering as he proceeded to snuggle Jamie to death. Jamie happily snuggled back.
"I'd say he took that well. When do you think he'll have his first transformation? I know you said it would be around his birthday, he didn't seem like it might have happened and Sandy didn't say anything... so I wonder if it did." Jack looked at Jamie.
"Yeah, but it won't happen 'til maybe around 8 years old or younger depending on how much power he has."
"Hmmm, well guess we'll just have to keep an eye on him; he's a powerful little guy in my opinion. 'Cause it takes a LOT to put you to sleep... but he seems to manage it like flicking off a light. No offense meant, but I'd say that's a testament to his power wouldn't you?"
"Yeah, I wish it just wasn't so soon."
"Why's that? I mean, he took yours so well, I can't see him fretting over his own."
"It's a struggle Jamie, always a struggle; he's only a fledgling to his demonic powers."
"For a fledgling I'd say he has good control now. Somehow, I don't think it will be as bad on him... although I'm not certain I know why exactly."
"And that's why I'm holding on to it 'til he's older Jamie." His slitted eyes narrowing; Jamie raised an eyebrow.
"How much older we talking? Because you know he's smart, he's gonna figure it out sooner or later, you can't keep it from him forever."
"13 most likely." He winced.
"I don't want it to happen yet Jamie... he's so young." Jamie gently cupped Jack's face with his hands.
"I know, but our baby has to grow up some time. We shouldn't keep it from him for that long, the sooner it happens and he gets control the less chance he'll even remember it happening." Jack nodded.
"His first change may be sooner than we thought, tonight possibly."
"We should go back to be with him then, just in case." Jamie replied after a moment's thought.
"Jamie, you'll know when the change comes because of his cries of pain." He said lowly at the end, remembering his first change.
"All the more reason to not remember it then." Jamie replied with a bit of a wince.
"Jamie this is serious, he could die during this or worse... turn out like me with a split personality demon inside himself." Jamie sighed.
"I am being serious love, I read one of the books North let me have about babies and the earlier something is done the less they remember it later in life. Do you honestly want him to remember an experience so painful that it feels like he's dying?" Jack shook his head.
"No." He sighed, with a burst of power he shed his skin, true form returning.
"Alright, let's go see if he's ok." Jamie nodded, waiting for Jack to let go so he could get up... unless he's going to insist on carrying him into the other room. Jack let Jamie go.
"Come on, shouldn't be too long now; 12:30, to be precise, is when it begins."
"Alright then." Jamie got up and headed for the room, but he's quiet about it in case Roxas was still sleeping. As if on cue, a low light started from Roxas' face, chest, back, arms and hands. He awoke, crying; Jack's eyes slit as he hugged him, whispering to him in the native tongue. Jamie sat next to them both, murmuring quiet reassurances and love to the boy. Roxas screeched and shrieked in pain, wings sprouted from his back; to anyone it would sound like a sickening crunch of bones breaking in multiple directions, if anything the pain grew more intense and more changes appeared. His eyes slited similar to Jack's and fangs forcefully grew from his mouth, smaller horns compared to Jack's jutted from his head, tiny claws protruded instead of fingernails. Jack held him tightly, whispering sweet nothings to him.
"My little lightning bug, you're growing so fast." Jamie murmured lovingly. He cried and cried, not as a beast, but the same cry as ever since birth.
"My little baby boy a demon." Jack smiled.
"Aww you got my eyes." The boy's eyes opened to reveal twin blues, like Jack's, slited the same.
"Don't worry the more times you change the less it hurts until it won't hurt anymore." Jack assured him as he started to giggle and poke at his wings; Jack couldn't help his smile.
"You'll be so handsome when you're older my son, just like your father... I'll be fighting off the spirits with a baseball bat." Jamie said with a soft smile. Roxas giggled and already started to fly with his wings; Jack winced as he hit the ceiling and fell on the bed. He pet his head gently.
"Not yet sweetheart, wait 'til I show you how it's done ok?" Roxas nodded and giggled. Jack sighed. He loved this part of parenting, how much the child was alike to the parents. Jack sighed worriedly.
"Jamie, I'll be back with Roxas; it's time he and I hunt for the blood we seek to feed." Jack growled as both he and Roxas could feel the blood lust hunger and the need to be fed soon or else they would go on a rampage. Jamie nodded.
"Be safe my lights." He said with a soft smile, kissing them both before Jack took Roxas with him.
"Come Roxas, daddy's gonna get us some dinner." He flapped his wings and watched as his son flapped his, soon flying next to him.
"That's it! That's it, come on." Jack opened the window, wind swirling around Roxas just in case he fell as he was going to learn how to use the wind as well. Jack smiled at Roxas as he giggled and flew.
"Come on Roxas, can't keep playing in the dark or else sun up." Jamie watched the two fly out the window, he began to understand just a little why Jack wanted to keep this sort of thing a secret from the others as he closed the window behind them, but kept it a small bit ajar so they could return quickly if need be. Jamie settled near the window in a chair to enjoy the bit of air that flowed in as if that was his intention all along. Jack headed to a small town where no one would really care if someone old or young went missing. Jack made himself and Roxas blend with the shadows, watching homeless people.
"See that Roxas?" He pointed to the one large homeless man.
"That is the blood we need so always bite for the neck." Jack smiled as he saw his son tense, ready to pounce.
"Hold on, daddy needs to show you first." He told Roxas to hush, instantly his own body language and personality changed; with a snap his eyes zeroed in, he prowled against the black wall, wings tucked between his shoulder blades. He watched as the homeless man dozed off and the others leave him, it was then he pounced and the man shrieked in pain as claws gutted and sliced him, teeth bit into his insides; ripping out intestines, surprisingly the man was alive, but barely so. Jack smirked.
"Come here Roxas, time for the kill." Jack watched with narrowed eyes as Roxas instantly bit into the man's jugular; drinking and swallowing his blood. Jack smiled and a shrill howl of happiness left him, scaring anyone within a ten mile radius who heard it. It startled plenty of humans and a few tooth fairies who were out on their rounds, despite that they'd heard it before; they recovered and went about their business. Jamie dozed by the window as he waited, he didn't notice Tooth come in and wrap a light blanket around him.
"You two have it tough... more than you should have." She murmured as she looked out at the window as if she could see Jack and Roxas before she left the room. Baby Tooth chirped at her from her shoulder.
"I know Baby Tooth, but there's as much a need for him as the rest of us. You might not quite understand yet, but I promise you will some day; you know his heart as I do." She murmured quietly as she walked from the room, not wanting to disturb Jamie. Jack picked the dead remains once Roxas had his fill and, carrying it between his teeth, said.
"Comff on Woxas homm nows." Roxas eagerly flapped his tiny wings to follow his father home.
"You did great." Mouth free, hands gripping the meat he carried, the door open a crack. Jack smiled upon seeing a sleeping Jamie in a chair; he hushed Roxas so as to not wake Jamie as he took the bloody meat and put it in a mini fridge in the room. Jack looked at Roxas, as soon as sun was up he reverted back to his original self; Jack held him close as he went unconscious. Probably a bad time, holding his own baby and himself covered in blood, for North to walk in. Seeing Jack's form; Jack's eyes widened, North opened his mouth, but didn't get two words out as Bunny clapped a hand over his mouth and dragged the shocked Guardian from the room.
"I'll see ta the hard part mate... ya might want a bath first." North was too shocked to protest as Bunny shoved him down the corridor to find a room to talk in private. Jack nodded and tucked Roxas in. Great, how to explain this... but Bunny said he was gonna help with that... Turning on the water, Jack waited 'til it was hot, but not too hot, as he still had small injuries; he scrubbed himself for at least 30 minutes and then brushed his teeth. Jamie was awake by the time Jack was done and if the rooms didn't have silence spells on them the ruckus North was making a few doors down would have been more than enough to wake the sleeping Roxas.
"Hey love." He said calmly, but inside and through the bond he was not calm; he was scared. Jamie moved over to Jack and enveloped him in a hug.
"Hey, how did it go?" He asked, trying to reassure Jack as he realized what must have happened while he was asleep for Jack to feel scared.
"He did beautifully Jamie, he was smart, calculated; just like me... only North walked in at the wrong time. How am I gonna explain this?" Jack said, sniffing; tears streaming instantly.
"I had him in my hands, in my form, covered in blood... how do you think North thought of this?! How do you think it looked Jamie?!" Jamie gently wipes away the tears.
"I can guess, but you need to have a little faith. I imagine he'll understand once someone explains it to him. It will be okay, you'll see." Jamie gently kissed Jack's cheek and right after he did there's a gentle knock on the door. Jack winced and opened it, shaking.
"H-Hey." He looked at the floor worriedly.
"Jack, I am feeling we need to talk, no?" North said gently. Jack winced at the gentle tone, as if burned, and nodded slowly; he looked back at Jamie and Roxas before following slowly, but quickly behind North. North led Jack to his office, closing the door softly.
"I admit I am surprised I miss such a thing. Am very uneasy that you managed it, BUT... impressed too." Jack looked at the floor, glum and guilty.
"Y-yeah." He stuttered, worried and scared now.
"I am also saddened and concerned that I have done wrong by you. That you could not trust me with zis." Jack looked at North, shocked; waiting for him to start attacking with his swords, but he never did.
"I cannot imagine what burden zis iz, but you are Guardian and I have done great wrong that you feel you cannot trust me." He settled down in a wooden chair, seeming troubled by his own admission. He sits down in a chair across from the larger Guardian.
"I-I.." It's all Jack could get out as he nodded. It felt like a great burden, but he couldn't stop his own creator from creating him. North was thoughtful a moment before he went on.
"I want you to know, am here for you Jack. Whatever may be. Only want to be helping, not hurting." Jack looked at him, shell shocked.
"Y-you do?" His eyes filled with hope that he'd buried, that North would accept him for who he was; even if he was a demon from hell. North met Jack's gaze.
"Jack, you are comrade. Friend. Need no other reason to help than what have seen here." He gently touched Jack's chest where his heart would be were he human.
"Iz not just anyone can be Guardian, iz more than just having center; have seen for self what Man in Moon know already when he choose you." Tears fell.
"Thanks North." Jack laughed with a small sob escaping.
"I... I... thanks for everything." North gently squeezed his shoulder.
"Iz no problem. Be here, if you need." He said with a gentle smile. Jack smiled back, it was morning and Roxas was probably gonna sleep off the energy he used. Jamie slept in, next to Roxas, but roused before the little tyke did. Jack snickered.
"Morning Jamie, how you feeling love?" He asked since Jamie was probably still exhausted from waiting for them all night.
"I'm good... what's so funny?" Jack looked outside.
"Well... North knows and he accepted me." He sighed.
"I feel so stupid right now, why didn't I see it before? He would have done it. What stopped me from telling them?"
