Warning: A child's death feature's prominently in this chapter. If that is something that makes you uncomfortable, then please skip this chapter. Suicide is also mentioned in this chapter as well.

Please take care of yourself.

Disclaimer: I don't own rise of the Guardians or Guardians of childhood.

Reaping

Jack hadn't meant to say those words, but subconsciously he'd always suspected that Jane's death hadn't been an accident. She died on a cold April morning; it wouldn't have been cold enough to hurt her unless she'd been trying to die.

"Jack…" Jane said… gosh why did this Grim have to have the same name as his sister. She looked up at the building they were in front of, and Jack distantly remembered why exactly she was in Burgess in the first place. "Can you promise me, you won't stop what's about to happen? No matter what?"

Jack remembered the warmth he felt, the powerful desire to go to the gate, and the sudden feeling of home. He would never want to deprive a child of that feeling. He looked at Jane, "No matter what." He echoed nodding at her.

Jane smiled and held out her hand and Jack took it. "I should warn you. The Cancer ward can be very…" Jane struggled with the right words. "It can be hard for many people, so If you get there and you can't handle it, feel free to wait outside."

Jack nodded, "I've seen the cancer ward before." He told Jane, "I'll be ok."

Jane smiled, and they walked into the hospital together

"Is she in heaven?" Jack said as they walked through the hospital. "Did… did Flee's suicide…"

Jane looked slightly nostalgic for a reason Jack couldn't understand. "She regretted her suicide just before she died," Jane said. "You're mother found her just before she succumbed."

Jack breathed in deeply out of relief. "So, she's in…"

"Not yet," Jane said with a grim smile. "But soon."

Jack didn't like that she wasn't beyond the gate, but the 'soon' gave him hope.

"Does she suffer?" Jack asked, he wonder how much of what he'd heard when he was human was true and how much wasn't.

Jane shook her head. "No." she said, they hurried up the stairs, Jack practically flying to keep up with the Reaper.

"How do you know," Jack asked,

Jane smiled as they reached the fourth floor and turned onto the cancer ward. "Trust me, Jack," Jane said softly.

Jack wanted to demand more answers, but they came across a small room, filled with people all wearing sombre expressions. A weak little girl lay in bed with tubes, and wires connecting her to all sorts of machines keeping her alive. A monitor should the girl's heart read a slow beeping emitting from a monitor tracking the girl's heart rate.

The girl wasn't breathing on her own, and the only part of her that was moving was her eyes.

Jack could tell she was a believer by the way her eyes lit up when she saw him, "Jack Frost!" She smiled her eyes lighting up.

Adults looked around but upon seeing nothing shook their heads, obviously believing the girl was imagining things.

Jane stared at Jack and waited to see what he would do, but Jack smiled and walked toward the young child.

"Hello." He said smiling gently at her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm sick." The girl whispered, "Did Lena tell you about me? She talks about you all the time."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a girl sixteen years old, looking guilty before she smiled. "Of course, Aggie. I told Jack all about you."

Jack remembered Lena; he'd only known her for a year before she stopped believing in him. She must have kept up the stories to help the sick child.

"She did, Aggie," Jack said.

The smile that graced Aggie's face seemed to light up the room.

"Can you make it snow?" Agatha said softly. "Please, I haven't seen the snow in so long. Can you give me some?"

That hurt Jack's heart. He looked up at Jane, and she smiled and nodded. "Go on." Jane.

"How about I do one better?" Jack said. He held out his hand and moulded a little butterfly out of the ice he created. It flew around the room, snow falling off its wings as it flew higher and higher before it burst into snow around Aggie's head.

The adults around the room started muttering, and Lena started to blink in surprise. Lena stepped forward. "Jack…?" She breathed tears in her.

Aggie's laugh filled the room and lifted Jack's spirits. The snow landed gently on Aggie's hair, if it made her cold Aggie didn't care.

"Are you here to take me away?" Aggie asked when the snow had ended.

That question broke his heart, but he shook his head. "No sweetie, but I accompanied the girl who will."

Aggie's face fell. "Is she nice?"

"The nicest." Jack agreed.

She smiled and looked around, Jack smiled and held Jane's hand Aggie's eyes travelled before they widened, and he knew she saw Jane.

"Hello, little one," Jane said, she took the hair clip out of her and watched as it lengthened into a scythe. "Are you ready?"

Aggie eyed Jack, and he nodded encouragingly. She swallowed and nodded, "Will I be alright?"

"I know for a fact that you have your grandmother eagerly waiting for you on the other side," Jane said. Jack looked at Jane surprised, was that part of her reaper abilities or did someone tell her about Aggie's grandmother when she was given the assignment?

Aggie's eyes widened, and she smiled. "I'll see Gammy?" She whispered.

"Of course. You didn't think you'd be alone, did you?"

Aggie shook her head. "How much longer."

Jane pulled out her watch. "A couple of minutes sweetie."

Aggie nodded she turned to her family. "I love you," Aggie said. "Thank you, Lena." She said.

"For telling Jack Frost about me."

The young teen looked ready to cry. "You're welcome, sis."

"I love you too." An older woman was sitting beside the bed holding her hand. "So, so much. Save a seat for me in heaven?"

"Ok, momma."

"We love you, Aggie." Everyone echoed to her.

She leaned back, she closed her hand. Jane took Aggie's hand and made a small cut.

She didn't die right then, but she closed her eyes, her breathing slowed and then the monitor flatlined, and let a long beep.

Every adult started to cry. Jack wanted to but before he could Aggie sat up outside of her body.

She looked around.

Jane bent down and smiled at little Aggie. "Hello Aggie." Jane said. "Are you ready to go?"

"They're crying," Aggie said.

Jane smiled sadly. "They are. But they'll be ok." Jane said. "Are you ready to see your gramma?"

Aggie looked around. "Can they come?"

"Eventually." Jane said, "But not for a while." She said. "But you're special, you want to know why?" She whispered conspiratorially.

"Why?" Aggie whispered.

Jane picked up the little soul "Cause you get to experience it before all the rest of them do. So, when they are ready, you can show them around."

Aggie looked at Jane eagerly. "Really?"

"Really, really."

"And I won't be alone?"

"Nope, your gramma is waiting for you."

"Ok!" Aggie said kicking her legs, Jane let the little girl down. "Where do we go."

"Want to see a magic trick?"

Aggie nodded eagerly, clapping her hands together.

Jane slashed her scythe through the air, and the rift appeared, showing a beautiful land that Jack had only seen hints of it before. The pull he'd felt just outside the gate going to the Grim's home was nothing compared to the pull he felt now. It took everything he had not to run through the rift with Aggie.

On the other side of the rift, was an older woman who looked to be in her late 20s or early 30s. She smiled through the gate, knelt, and raised her arms. "Aggie!"

"Gammy!" Aggie screeched, running through the gate. Once Aggie was through the rift closed behind her, the pull that Jack felt released him so suddenly that he nearly toppled over.

"You, ok?" Jane asked. "Shoot your hair. It took moments last time…"

"The pull was stronger," Jack whispered. "Wow, is it… is like that for you?"

"No," Jane said. "I don't belong there yet, so I don't feel a pull," Jane said softly. "Come on." Jane took his hand they made their way out of the room.

"Jack!" They turned to see Lena making her way out of the room.

"Lena?" Someone said from inside the room.

Lena looked back at her family and turned back to Jack. "I-" Lena looked as though she was ready to start crying again. She ran toward him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you!" She whispered crying in his arms. "Thank you so much." Jack looked at Jane, but she just gave a small smile.

Jack held Lena tightly. "Let it out," Jack said softly.

He thought of his little sister and wondered if she'd had this when he died.

It took a while for Lena to finally calm down long enough for her to return to her family.

Jack was contemplative on his way from the hospital. Jane didn't know what he was thinking of. His family? The afterlife? The fact that exposure to the afterlife was clearly bringing for the part of him that died. The little girl he made happy before she died?

The brown hair was back. It wasn't much, not even half his hair was brown, but it was more than before and the fact that hair was turning after so little exposure was a bit worrying.

The moment they reached the outside, where the moon was bright and looking down on him, Jack's hair returned to being as white as the freshly fallen snow.

"You, ok?" Jane said. "You're hair's back."

Jack looked at Jane wide-eyed then he looked up. "Oh, good." He said, though his expression didn't really match his words.

"You want to tell me?"

"Do you know if Jane had anyone to comfort her like I comforted Jane after I died?"

Jane's thought back and remembered Thomas her future husband, who just sat with her and let her be sad he was one of the few who just instinctively knew when she needed to be left alone; when she needed company, and he never made her feel lesser for her feelings. "I wasn't a reaper by that point. But I'm sure she did."

Jack nodded distractedly. "Good."

So instead, she decided to distract Jack by blurting out the first thing that came to mind. "Bunny doesn't like reapers." Jane said.

Jack turned to stare at her confused before what she said caught up to him. "Because of his friend."

"And… admittedly I don't have much fondness for them," Jane said, her cheeks glowing red.

Jack looked at her intrigued. "Is there a story there?"

"Yes."

Jack waited for a moment, but when jane didn't seem as though she was going to be forthcoming with the story, he prompted her. "What is it?"

"When I was a young stupid reaper, I tried to ask the Guardians for help with something. They said no, out of turn, before even trying to let me explain."

"And that is why you and they don't like each other."

"Yep." Jane said popping the 'P.'

Jack chuckled a little and the sound filled Jane with hope. Then he looked at her curiously.

"What did you need help with?"

"Sorry," Jane said with a grin. "That's a story for another day."

"Come on Janey" Jack sang, "You've got me all curious now. I must know."

Jane stared at him for a long moment, before Amelia appeared, "Jane, Jack, it's time to assemble."

A/N Yeah, a story featuring Grim reapers had to have a death at somepoint. Let me know what you thought.