AriArlene-Thank you! I usually struggle with having so many characters at once, so the fact you think I handled it well makes me really happy! I did write the banter with a massive grin on my face, so I'm glad I'm the only one who found it funny.

On a slightly different note. I'll admit I felt that the last chapter ended a little oddly. It's just that there wasn't really a good place to end off the chapter without it going on too long.

Anyway, enjoy!

Before we got in, Tina seemed to remember something. As we passed Billy her fist shot out and she punched him on the shoulder.

"That's for the Pixie comment." She said dryly as Billy yelped and rubbed his shoulder.

"That was uncalled for!"

"So was the Pixie comment!"

"Think that's the worst I could come up with Miss Prissy?!"

"Is that so, Rodger Rabbit?"

I could hear Jack cracking up in the background as Nigel, Sally and I looked at each other with the same, exasperated expression.

Sally grabbed hold of Tina with Dream Sand and Nigel got hold of Billy and physically pulled them apart before they could start trading blows. However, pulling Tina back now gave me the chance to get the heck out of here.

I started walking casually away from the group, looking shiftily over my shoulder. Once I thought I was in the clear I felt something wrap around my waist.

I looked down to see rope made of Dream Sand wrapped around my waist. My shoulders slumped and I sighed as I looked over my shoulder, seeing Sally on the other end, also holding onto Tina. Her expression was just 'Really?'

"You can't blame me for trying."

Sally shook her head and gave the sand around me a light tug.

"Please?"

"No, we've wasted enough time." She said, by now Tina and Billy had calmed down enough for Nigel and Sally to let them go.

Alexander coughed. "Yes, Miss Jeffries is right. We'd better be going."

Sally kept a tight hold of the Dream Sand until I was close enough for them to grab me if I tried to escape. I took one last, partially hopeful look at the Guardians, who I guessed by now weren't going to help, then I jumped down the Tunnel.

I had been made to go down the Tunnel first, so I couldn't pull off anything on the way down.

I took it as slow as I dared, really putting this off. Sadly I couldn't do it forever, and I entered the war base to enthusiastic applause.

Going redder than a tomato I walked out into the Main Cavern, my eyes scanning for somewhere to try to disappear to quietly. After some prodding from Alexander, I joined him and the other Heads on the ridge above the crowd.

The other four Heads seemed to wearing cloaks of different colours. Claire was in a deep purple one, the Head of the Descendants of Sandman was in pale yellow, Jason was in bright red and Alfred was in pale blue.

When Alexander walked up he got a dark green cloak passed to him furtively from Alfred, and Alexander quickly swung it over his shoulders, clipping the egg shaped clasp into place.

Once the noise had died down Jason began to speak.

"It is a delight to see you all safe and well. Later we shall discuss the implications of the past few weeks, but now is the time to celebrate!"

He turned to me with a huge smile on his face, as mine went even redder and I just wanted the ground to swallow me up.

"Miss Jacqueline Davies, Descendant of Jack Frost, for the second time you have sacrificed your own safety for the safety of the Order. For this we have dug out the war medals and crafted some new ones and we would like to award you an award for diligent services to the Human Order of Guardians!"

He held up a badge in the shape of a snowflake with a boar in the centre for the crowd to see, then turned back to me. He hung it on my chest plate and I went even redder as the crowd erupted into applause.

Can I please leave now?" I silently begged.

Thankfully this was answered as the crowd dispersed, heading to the Sleeping Quarters for the night, planning on partying and then heading back home the next day.

I really didn't want to have to deal with the attention at this point, so I headed straight for the Training Halls.

Some things didn't change over four years, and my dislike for the spotlight was one of them.

I went into the ice room, sat down against the wall and sighed, letting my body relax.
Instantly my chest, throat and back made their pain known. The worst was easily my throat, since it wasn't protected by armour for that particular instance.

I rubbed it, wincing at the pain, no doubt they'll be some bruising there in the morning.
My arm brushed against something and I looked down, seeing the plain metal medal on my chest. I plucked it off my armour and had a closer look.

It wasn't all that impressive. It was made from a silver coloured metal, and was in the shape of a boar against an eight sided snowflake. The ribbon was ice blue and white striped with a hook made of the same metal, so it could hang from anything I assumed. I flipped it over to see my name and the year imprinted on the back. I was honestly surprised that the Heads had had the time to make this.

"Jackie?"

I jumped and closed my fist around the medal before looking over at the door. In it was a young girl I hadn't seen a while.

"Hey Alice."

She'd grown up quite a bit since the war, her straight brown hair now hung past her shoulders. The last time I'd seen her was in the regularly organised workshops that Alfred put on, where all the known Descendants of Jack Frost got together to practice. I had a soft spot for her, maybe because she spent the first year trying to use me as a human climbing frame.

"What are you doing up here on your own? Everyone wants to celebrate with you, to hear your story." She asked.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Situations like this, I hate them. I actually tried to get away from this by heading home, but my Branch and Alexander weren't having any of it."

"But you're a hero."

"And I'd rather be a hero without the fuss. I can't handle it."

Alice walked over and sat down next to me.

"So let me get this straight. You have survived and can do the impossible, have taken on the Bogeyman and the Big Bad Wolf and lived to tell the tale, and all this attention has you afraid?"

"Got it in one."

"Doesn't mean you have sit up here all on your own. You could just explain it."

"I don't think they'd understand, and there's too many of them anyway. Better just to get out of the way for a bit, maybe even go home while no one's looking."

"Is it really that bad for you?"

I nodded, then looked over as she stood up. "Where are you going?"

"To get your bag, meet me in the Departure Cavern, okay?"

I turned my head to the side in confusion.

"You're really doing this for me?"

Alice nodded and smiled, and I smiled back. "Thank you."

I made my way past the partying crowd that had spilled into the Main Cavern and into the quiet of the Departure Cavern. Several minutes later Alice came back with my bag, having slung it over her shoulder. I took it from her, shouldered it and pulled her into a grateful hug.

"Thank you."

With that I tapped my fist against the right crack, and I was off home.

Unsurprisingly Jack wasn't at the lake yet, he probably had Guardian stuff to deal with, so I headed straight home.

My house still had lights on, so I knocked on the door instead of sneaking in through the window. It quickly opened to reveal my mother, with bags underneath her eyes and her hair a mess. She took in my presence, her eyes drifting over my armour, my slightly blood stained hoodie, my torn jeans and the medal I'd put back on, and a relived and happy smile appeared on her face.

"Jackie!" she cried and pulled me into a hug. I managed to get inside with her hugging me and closed the door.

"Welcome home." She whispered, and a contented smile spread across my face.

HOG wasn't too happy that I got away from the party, but they had started to understand my point of view on it, so Jason only blasted my ear for quarter of an hour.

My Branch were just happy to see that I was okay, so they didn't really get on my case.
Too much.

Tina did despair slightly at the fact she and Sally went to all that effort to make I came to the ceremony, and I didn't even hang around for the party. Although, all in all, they were pretty understanding.

And this brings us to the halfway point in this arc! There is a two week time jump, but I do have a one shot that fits in between the two halves of the arc. The reason it's not an actual chapter is because it doesn't really play a part in the overall story, it just shows that Jackie didn't get out of this completely okay.

I'll be uploading that one shot on Saturday, so keep an eye on the HOG Files if you want to read it!