"Thank you." I said quite shyly. I could feel the heat came rushing to my cold cheeks and tried whatever effort to hold it. "I really like it. It's … cold, I mean…."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, you still got a little tongue-tied though. I already have a backup plan to heal you, I wonder if you'd like it." His eyebrows pulled together as he examined my reddened face. I was curious of his tone, "Well, let's hear it."

"You might not fit in there but because people started believing in you for the first time and you've read enough books and you look like you're a junior of 14 so an idea, it might offend you…." He blinked and waved his heavy head back and forth and scratched his not-so-smooth forehead. In my faint impression of North, I've never seen him this hesitating about something before.

"Get to the point." My eyes narrowed. This isn't going to be something awesome.

"I …. We would like to have you study…" he paused to read my expression, I composed my face unchanged, he continued, "learn to find friends … at school." His voice broke at the last word, it made me chuckle. Well, I understand this, maybe not that awful.

"Why are you so hesitating about it?" I grinned and reached for my wooden staff across the room against one of the dark chairs.

"Will you like school? Most children don't find that appealing."

"Well, if I don't try, we'll never know, will we?" I weighed my staff and held it close to me as a kind of habit.

"Don't you think it'd be … naive?"

"Probably not for me. I can change me into a kid." It'll be easy, won't it? Kids love Jack Frost. Without a doubt.

"You're agreed to it just like that?" His voice held earnest curiosity, making me think twice.

"What are you referring to, big guy?" I looked at him through cautious eyes. There must be something I'm missing.

"Well, I believe you're smart enough to catch up fast and it will be fun to hang out with teenagers but you're going to have to lie a lot, you've got to have an ID card and other papers like …" I didn't pay attention to what he was saying, lie a lot? Lie about who I am and what I'm really like?

I interrupted him, "Why would I lie?" He continued drabbling as if he didn't even hear me, "and oh, you'll have to have a driving license." A smile played around the corner of his lips, clearly I was missing a joke here.

"Hold on, what do you mean about lie a lot? I can't be myself?" I looked at him in pretty despair. I won't feel safe without feeling my staff around my fingers.

"If the kids see Jack Frost being in the same classroom with them, how would they concentrate? If they don't know you're you, they would think you as a psycho if you have a stick with you all the time." He added when I chuckled, "I'm not joking."

"I know you're not." I answered in the same tone.

"So your name, it couldn't be Jack Frost anymore, would you rather use your human last name Overland or I pick you another one?" He smiled.

"Try…." I couldn't help but smile back.

"Jack Filterbert?" I shook my head as soon as he added no.

"Steward?" I grimaced.

"Jack Bunnymund?" He laughed. I pushed my lower lip up.

"How about Heartness?" I suggest.

"Not bad, but is that a family name?" He seemed impressed.

"I don't care. They don't bother it, right? Jack Heartness sounds right."

"If you like it, I still prefer the idea of Jack Bunnymund."

"North!" I growled at him.

"Jack Heartness… Jack Heartness… Jackart…" He was still mumbling my new name as he turned toward the door and answered a question from the yetis which I can't understand. I was suddenly reminded of something…

"North? Wait a second." I caught his sleeves as he was heading for the door, "You've kind of said I was to have a license of my own, what's going on? I'm driving?" I could never picture a winter spirit holding a steering wheel and waited for the traffic or enjoying himself on a ride. How could I make sure I wouldn't freeze the whole engine? Would any car run after that? I grinned on that thought. North nodded, not knowing what made me grin.

I answered, "If that's what you're thinking, I would be glad to try. But, must I have a license to do it?"

"Maybe not, if you're really good at it. Licenses take loads of time."

"Time is my most unique weapon." I answered with a smirk, "But wasting it still doesn't feel cool. If you would teach me and I can drive pretty well, would you let me go without a license? I'm really looking forward to this."

"Ahh…" He thought for a moment, "I may help you and bless you."

"Oh, c'mon, you can just drop it from the air or carry it through one of Bunny's tunnels, the car doesn't have to cross the border. I know the police's blind spots, I won't be caught." I made my voice sound so sure that North was starting to trust me with this illegal issue, he smiled blandly.

"Well, Jack, now you've just got a little too far." It wasn't something I expected.

"I…"

"I mean you don't even have a car!"

"Oh!" Crap.

He laughed at my stunned face, as if hiding a secret. He paused after a moment and continued quietly, "The room and your authority of being a Guardian are not the only thanks I offer to you."

"I don't want money!" I had to be polite now.

"Who says I'm only giving you plenty of money?"

My mouth hung open. It was all about who you know. Get your wishes come true when you pleased Santa Clause.

"Come on and check it, Jack, you'll love it." He pulled in a force I couldn't escape to the central clearing.

It was still the same clearing as ever, North pointed to a dark corner. Right there, in the shadows, was the car North prepared for me. I couldn't see the color outside its shadows, but I could tell from the lines and the shape that this wasn't a car that should be wasted by freezing the engine. I waited patiently as the tiny elves opened the top shed, lights came in and shone on the brand new silver car. It was an Audi A4. My chin drop again.

"So what do you think of it?" North chuckled.

"Of what?" I stunned.

"Your present."

"This? How did you…."

"It doesn't matter, it's yours, enjoy it."

"Oh." I stepped forward and carefully rubbing the smooth lens with my left thumb. My right hand still held my staff tightly against myself.

"This is perfect, are you joking me?" I nearly shouted when he was starting to get impatient with my silence.

"You've slept for more than 2 days, I got enough time."

"I'm going to learn to drive, I'm going to learn to drive." I voiced with enthusiasm, "Wait a minute, do you know how to drive?"

"Yeah, I mean… I haven't done it, but…"

Then it hit me. I blinked at its existence. It's a voice I've been imagining for 300 years, an inner person that's always with me in case I'll ever gone mad. It's like a teeny part of my mind jumped itself out of me, spun around to face the rest of it.

"Don't fool yourself." It spoke silently.

What?

"You will accept the car, but I know you'll regret it."

You're not me. And I know what I'm doing.

"Oh, that's just… Okay, I'll see how you turned out in 3 days."

And it vanished before I could response. So this is the hard work I've been creating for centuries. Great, just great. Another thing to look after. Call me a coward, yet maybe I shouldn't trust myself that much, that voice seemed to … know what it's talking about.

North was looking at the car proudly. But it didn't look radiant to me anymore. Damn that creation!

"Hey, big guy?" I tried to sound excitedly. His eyebrows rose.

"I guess it's better if I have time to get used to it. I mean I really like this. Just, not…not now." I looked at his face guiltily with an apologizing smile.

"Oh, no, that's okay." His tone didn't change, still as glad as ever. And why shouldn't he?

"Really, thx."

"I suppose you want to go out right now?"

"Ha…" I ducked my head, "Yeah."

"Come back soon."

"Can I come back a few days later? Probably say goodbye to my life before." I asked, I didn't want to have a specific time to limit my freedom.

He looked at me. "I'm not your parent, Jack. Do whatever you want."

"Then I'll see you guys some days later." There really isn't much to say to the others right now. I'll do that some other time.

He waved without looking at me, but was still smiling. I sighed silently and walked quickly to the window with my left hand in my pocket. Launching was easy, I was at the top of the house in no time. It's all daytime at the pole. And at that moment I didn't know where I want to go.

A/N:

If there's any questions, please review, I love to see people reviewing, no matter what they say.

Please let me see your trace.

One more thing, English isn't my mother language and that's why what I wrote was so dreadfully easy to read. I'm bringing up my best. I'll improve, hopefully. Sometimes what I say may be weird, be free to tell me about it. And I love making friends as well. I'm planning to write something big, for me, I believe it will take years, anyway...

Thanks for reading & please review!