"Come on, just jump. I'll catch you."
"No! It's too high! And I'm too heavy."
"No you're not. Besides, how else are you gonna get down?" A fifteen year old Jack looked up at his small sister, arms outstretched. She had all four limbs clamped tightly around the tree branch she was clinging to. Jack could see bright red scratches etching themselves on her unprotected skin. Her skirt did something to protect her legs, but her arms were vulnerable. He had to get her down. She was hurting herself. "You're only up a foot or so taller than me."
"But you're tall!"
"For my age, maybe. Definitely not for a tree."
"No! I'll fall and break my thigh bone, just like Jonathan Hanson. He said it hurt so bad he wished he were dead, and he's a boy!" Jack realized this tactic wasn't working. He retracted his arms, folding them.
"Fine, fine. But if you-" he cut off abruptly, his eyes yanked to a spot on the underside of the tree. "Whoa." He breathed. "That's huge..."
"What?" Asked Pippa fearfully. Jack glanced back at her nervously.
"Nothing! I'll just... Move it. Or blow on it. Or something." He brought his attention back to the tree.
"What is it?" Pippa craned her neck around, trying to see underneath her.
"That is the biggest spider I have ever seen..." Her brother said quietly. His eyes then widened in horror. "Oh, no no no no! Don't crawl on her hand! Pippa-"
An ears-splitting scream cut him off and Pippa flailed wildly to get away from this, apparently, monstrous spider and lost her precarious grip on the branch. Jack held out his arms, stepped forward slightly, and caught her easily. She looked up at him in surprise, hair disheveled, full of twigs and leaves. He smiled down at her.
"Told ya I'd catch you." Pippa's eyes widened, then her eyebrows pulled together in anger.
"Jackson Overland Frost, there was no spider, was there!" She slapped his chest and wiggled away from him. He set her down, laughing loudly.
"But I got you down from the tree, didn't I?"
"You're the meanest ever! I could have died!"
"I would never have let you hit the ground."
oOo
Present day Jack gripped Tooth's hand a little tighter. He knew her! Every word she spoke, very movement she made was instantly familiar to him. While reliving the memory, information was issuing into his mind. Words, so new, yet his mind was absolutely accustomed to. Burgess. Pippa. Overland. The only thing anchoring him to reality was the feel of Tooth's hand in his own. If he didn't focus on it, he was sucked into this dream world so completely, so entirely that he could feel his little sisters weight in his arms. Memories flooded from every side, all at once. He was caught up in another as he tried to focus.
oOo
"Mom!" Pippa yelled, running to her mother who was making her way home just up the road. "Jack put my bed on the roof!" Mrs. Frost froze mid-step, giving her daughter her full, wide-eyed attention.
"What?"
"My bed is on the roof!" Pippa repeated, gesturing wildly in the general direction. Her mother shifted her gaze compliantly to the house they were heading towards. She burst out laughing as she saw the her daughter's simple, four posted bed completely constructed on top of their humble, flat topped home.
"It's not funny!" Pippa said in displeasure, though couldn't stop a small giggle from escaping as she realized their absurd situation in its entirety. Her mother laughed heartily until they reached the door of their home, where she stopped to compose herself a bit. She smoothed back her hair, straightened her face, and went in with Pippa at her heels.
"Jackson Frost, why is your sister's bed on the roof?" Jack froze as the door to the living room swung open. He had a piece of bread halfway in his mouth and he looked at his mother with innocent eyes. Well, comparatively innocent, anyway.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." His words were garbled around the bread, but neither of his family members doubted their interpretation.
"Don't lie, Jack! Who else could have done it?" Pippa was trying to maintain her anger, but her fun loving brother was not making it easy for her. He winked at her good naturedly, so she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Are you telling me that Pippa's sleeping quarters have somehow mysteriously relocated to the roof of our home?" His face was a perfect picture of quiet disbelief. Too perfect.
"I don't know about mysteriously, but your sisters bed is on the roof. And I am very interested in the story of how it got there." His mother folded her arms. Jack scrutinized her carefully. Yes, she appeared stern, but he could see the glint in her eye that meant she was trying not to smile.
"How odd!" He ran outside to confirm their words. "Golly, would you look at that!" He said, staring up at the roof. He had to shade his eyes against the warm summer sun. "My sisters place of rest is indeed atop our modest abode!"
"Cut the fancy talk." Said Pippa, though she wasn't even trying to keep her giggles in check at this point.
"It is 'atop our modest abode'. Any idea how it got there, Jackson?" Their mother seemed more curious than angry. This new antic was relatively harmless, so she was ready to just laugh at it. She had to play something of a mother role first, though.
"Destiny, probably." He concluded with a shrug. "It was obviously divine intervention from the heavens!"
"What exactly was intervened?" His mother asked. Pippa mumbled the word to herself quietly, never having heard it before.
"Our princess has never seen a shooting star before. So I put ...I mean, the heavens... put her bed on the roof so she could see one tonight."
"You want me to let your sister sleep alone on the roof so she can see a star?"
"I'll be with her, naturally. Yes."
"Then why aren't there two beds on the roof?"
"Uhh... It took the heavens quite a while to figure out how to put one bed back together, let alone two."
Pippa had stopped listening at 'sleep on the roof'. "We're gonna sleep underneath the stars? Together?" She squealed, running to him in excitement. "No way! That's amazing!" She hugged him around the waist. He laughed and patted her head. An unspoken moment of communication passed between mother and son.
You'll be safe? And warm?
Yup. And I'll take the bed down right the next morning.
Fine...
Jack smiled broadly. "Get your wish ready, princess." He told Pippa, disengaging himself gently. "Chores, pack food and extra blankets, then to the roof!"
oOo
He must have loved his sister very much, thought Tooth as the last memory came to a close. I'll have to ask Jack later if they ever saw a shooting star.
While Jack saw the memories and gaps were filled in instantaneously, the others could only see the memories he was focusing on. So they would really only get a small taste of his memories, while Jack, after this, would have them all.
Sandy was smiling to himself as he watched the siblings hug through his minds eye. He could tell with that special sense of his even through a memory that the small girl had been having nightmares recently. He wondered if anyone besides Jack and he would ever know the true kindness behind the gesture he had given his sister that night. It had been impossible for her to have a nightmare while wrapped safely in her brothers arms, surrounded by the beauty of he night. He was yanked from his own thoughts, though, as another memory began.
oOo
The smell of animal was strong in his nostrils. He gripped the neck of the cow he was clinging to even more tightly.
"Jackson Frost, you get off of that cow right now!" His mother was bright red with anger. "And if you put one more dab of purple paint on her, I'll throw your sled in the river! You know I will, too."
"I'll never let you sell Buttercup!" he yelled back.
"Buh-da cup stay." Repeated a two year old Pippa as she tugged on her mother's skirt. "Jack and Buh-da cup my fav-o-wit."
oOo
North laughed out loud as he watched the youngest version of Jack they'd seen yet straddle the purple-splattered cow. At first, the cow had tried to run, but it couldn't very well escape from its own back. Paint the cow so no one will want to buy it. He shook his head affectionately. Only Jack would come up with such a plan.
Bunny was chuckling, also amused at Jack's ridiculous scheme. Even though the Jack in this memory was quite a bit younger than the Jack sitting nearby, he could still picture the Jack of today coming up with and executing a hair brained idea like that perfectly. Some things never change, do they Frostbite. Not even after three hundred odd years. He refocused when he saw a new memory beginning.
oOo
"It's okay. It's okay. Don't look down, just... Look at me."
"Jack... I'm scared." Wide eyes shot from the traitorous ice to Jack and back again.
"I know... I know." he needed to keep her from panicking. "But you're gonna be alright. You're not gonna fall in," he soothed in a calming voice. "Uhhh, we're gonna have a little fun instead!' He continued. Cracks were spiking out in the ice around them like lightning, ominous groans accompanying each new bolt.
"No we're not!"she nearly sobbed.
"Would I trick you?" he asked, trying to distract her. The words sounded ridiculous the moment they left his mouth. Pippa wasted no time in calling him on it, either.
"Yes! You always play tricks!" Jack gave an explosive, nervous chuckle. He couldn't exactly deny it.
"Alright, alright." he admitted. He needed to think of some way to calm her down and get her away from the dangerous ice that surrounded them both. "Well, n-not... not this time. I promise." He met her gaze steadily, reassuring her with his eyes. "I promise. You're gonna be... You're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me." Pippa gave a breath, returning his eye contact. She was trying so hard to be strong. He could feel it the moment she completely placed her trust in him, relied on him completely. It terrified him.
"You wanna play a game?" He asked, desperation choking his thoughts. He lit on something they'd done just yesterday, while waiting for their mother in front of the local shop. Hopscotch. "We're gonna play hopscotch! Like we play every day. It's as easy as one..." He took a step, wincing as the ice groaned in protest. He wobbled on one foot, terror clenching his heart. He knew Pippa was watching, and he didn't need her panicking again. "Whoa!" He yelled comically. Pippa giggled, thinking he was joking. "Two..." He took another step, then hopped on to the safe ice. "Three!" He said triumphantly. He looked back at his sister, still in danger. "Now it's your turn."
Pippa nodded. "One..." He coaxed. She took a small, slippery step. She gasped, looking back up at her brother frantically when the ice cracked further. "That's it, that's it..." He soothed, reaching behind him to grab a nearby stick. "Two..." She gasped again with another small step. "Three!" He yelled, hooking the staff around her and hurling her to safety, by the bank. They smiled at each other for a moment, hardly believing their luck, when the ice gave one last heart breaking crack and caved.
oOo
Present day jack realized what was happening, and let go of Tooth's hand as if she had burned him. He knew where this was going. He wasn't going to let the others experience death with him. The others were plunged harshly back into reality.
"Jack!" She cried, jumping up. "No!" She shook his shoulder, than yanked his hand off the golden cylinder. His eyes flew open. She pulled him close. "You don't have to experience that." She sobbed, voice hitching with emotion, "not again."
He gently pushed her back. "I'm fine." He told her. He looked behind her, at the other guardians. They had all risen and were standing around him in concern. They all had a look of deep shock in their face. I did this. He realized. I almost forced them to live my death. They must have been so scared. I know because I was. He averted his eyes.
"Look, I just... I need some time alone." He stood with his staff in hand. He glanced at the crook in the top, could almost picture his little sisters small body in it, being thrown to the side of the lake. At least I did something right. Before any of them could say a word of protest, he launched into the air. Headed for burgess.
oOo
"Should we go after him?" Wondered North.
"No." Tooth replied. "If he needs time alone, that's understandable. I believe in him. He'll come back."
oOo
Jack was in Burgess an hour later. He didn't have a transport globe, but the winds were faster than he expected. He figured he could have made the trip even faster if he had more practice at flying. But right now, he was staring at the lake. The same lake from his memory. Also where he had woken up. He sat at the trunk of a large tree, beginning to sort out his thoughts. This was a lot to absorb. Unfortunately, he wouldn't get the absorption time he was looking for in coming here. His eyes drooped, and he fought to keep then open. He hadn't felt tired a moment ago, but now, leaning against this convenient tree and surrounded by snow, he drifted off. It was only minutes before he was twitching in the grips of an unseen nightmare.
Pitch peeled himself away from the shadow of a nearby tree, stroking the name of a nightmare. He clicked his tongue, summoning a second dark stallion. Pitch walked over to the sleeping teen and picked up his staff. He twirled it around his long fingers as he spoke.
"I want you to take Jack home with you." The stallion obediently grabbed the boy with his teeth and raced away. Pitch turned to the second nightmare. "And you," he continued. The staff stopped its revolutions around his hand, ending pointed at the horse. "I have something for you to deliver. Do not let yourself be seen. Jack is going to leave a note for the guardians. We wouldn't want them... Worrying." Pitch's cold, sharp smile grew more pronounced as dark tendrils of sand creeped up Jack's staff. He gave it a wave and ice shot from the tip. His new technique was flawless. He'd always wanted to use this staff. And now he could.
A/N: And there you have it! One long chapter to make up for last times short one. Yay! A cliffhanger too! Don't I just make your guys' lives exciting!? Also, heart ell me what you guys think of the new memories. Qwerty124 suggested that I add new memories, and hey, when the people speak, the people speak. Thanks you guys!
love, mariah