A/N Did I write this solely so I could include Jamie Bennett? Yes. Do I regret it? No.

Phonecall

"It's not fair"

"You just admitted to freezing your mother's feet to the floor." Jamie's unimpressed voice came in from the other line.

Jackie rolled her eyes. "She was stopping me from fighting." She argued, "and tried to do so in the most underhanded-"

"Yes. How dare a mother try to stop her thirteen-year-old daughter from fighting a monster from hell." Jamie said sardonically she could almost hear the eye-rolling.

"You're not on my side, are you?" Jackie complained.

For a moment there was silence, "She was wrong in being underhanded, but Jackie, your mother had a point you're only 13." He argued

"You were 9 when you fought Pitch," Jackie argued back.

"Pitch doesn't eat children or drag them into hell," Jamie said. "And no one ever said that it was the right thing to do. Had they not been up a creek, they likely wouldn't have bothered us at all. Besides Pitch was coming for me regardless, better to have made me a moving target at least."

Jackie rolled her eyes before changing the subject "How's Auntie Isabelle." She asked trying to sound a bit more chipper

"You really enjoy calling her that don't you?" Jamie teased.

"Have you stopped enjoying calling her "My Wife" Yet?" Jackie shot back.

"Fair point." Jack laughed before she yawned, she looked up and around for Sandy, but she didn't see him around.

"You, ok?"

Jackie nodded rubbing around. "Tired."

"Maybe you should go to sleep, Sweetie."

"I'm fine," Jackie said. "How's your first Christmas, as a married man, going?"

"Going fine." Jamie said, "I'm more concerned about you right now. I'm sorry you've had to endure what your enduring right now."

Jackie shook her head, even though Jamie couldn't see it. "I'm fine. It's Will I'm worried for. And Sarah when she finds out about it."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Jamie said. "If there's one thing I know, it's that the Guardians will never give up on a child."

Jackie smiled, "I know. And someone who's close to her apparently brought Sarah to a safe place. So, she's fine. I just worry about what'll happen when she finds out about Will. Sarah's not the type to stand by while other people get hurt."

"Sounds like a lot of other people I know," Jamie said.

Jackie laughed before she yawned again.

"Ok, assuming your mother is still planning on taking you to the Bennett family Christmas party tonight. Get some sleep."

"But Krampus…" Jackie started, but Jamie cut her off as gently as he could.

"If Krampus shows up now, you won't be in any state to fight if you're too exhausted to stand up straight." Jamie soothed. "Go to sleep."

Jackie looked down. "Fine."

"Promise?"

From the other end of the line, she heard Auntie Isabelle shout. "How's the pole?"

"Oh, I'll tell you in a minute," Jamie called back to Isabelle. "Jackie?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going. Tell Auntie Isabelle 'Hi' from me."

"Will do," Jamie said. "I love you, Jackie."

Jackie smiled. "I love you too." She said before they hung up together.

But before she turned to head to her guest room, she decided noticed that her mom and dad were having a conversation and headed toward them instead.

Then Jackie saw her father wrap his arms around Sophie, and bury his face in her shoulder, his shoulder's shaking as though he was crying. She hadn't expected that the first time she saw Jack after he'd returned from the Grim house, was for Jack to be crying on Sophie's shoulder.

"What happened?" Jackie asked her stomach churning. Had Sarah been hurt? Had Jane been lying?

Jack and Sophie broke away, "Nothing." Jack said wiping his eyes quickly.

"Your crying," Jackie said. "Is it Sarah? Did something happen?"

"Sarah's fine." Jack said in a clipped voice, "Jane was telling the truth. She's safe and well."

"Oh…" Jackie said. "Good." Then she frowned and stared at Jack. "Then what's with the tears?"

Jack shook his head, "I'm ok." Jack said with a forced smile. "Just trust me alright, Sweetie?"

Jackie wanted to push, but before she could she yawned again.

"You should sleep." Sophie cut in. "It's been a long night for you."

Jackie wanted to argue, but then she remembered the thin ice (pun unintended) she was already skating on and decided not to argue with her mother on the topic and just turned around and headed off to bed.

"Wait," North said, and everyone stopped and turned to stare at him. "Perhaps we should open presents, now, yes?"

Jackie shared a look with her mother. "My best friend is missing, and another child has been held, hostage. I don't want to open gifts without my best friend."

Then before North could say anything against it, she turned and hurried to the guest room she'd claimed for herself

A/N Hope you enjoyed it! Yeah, I had Jamie and Isabelle marry before these events. Originally I was going to have it after the events of this story, but I decided "Wanting to spend first Christmas morning alone" was a semi-decent reason for Jamie and Isabelle to not be at the pole. (They spent the evening before at Isabelle's house, and are heading to Jamie and Sophie's mother's house for the evening and they wanted to spend the morning together.