A/N: Wow, guys. I feel like its been forever since I've uploaded. I might need to write more so I can update more frequently... Anyways, hope you guys like this chapter. I've also noticed my chapters getting longer, its very exciting. ^-^
"What would you say to teaching me yetish?"
Jack's simple question had opened Phil's eyes on one thing about the winter spirit. He was quick to learn.
Phil had agreed to teach Jack, but since he still had work to do at the workshop, he could only meet with him maybe once a week. They had decided that the lessons would happen at Jack's lake. That way, Phil wouldn't be distracted by what would be happening in the workshop, and he couldn't be pulled away for some 'emergency' that would have ended up being rather minor. He did have a way for the yetis to contact him in case there really was trouble. For Jack, he would not be tempted to sneak into the workshop or any other part of the North Pole. He also wouldn't be a distraction for the yetis who were actually working.
At first, Jack had protested when Phil had suggested that the boy would use their lesson time and try to sneak in. He professed, with a mocking pain in his voice, that Phil lacked a certain trust in him. Even though Jack was only joking, Phil felt that his proposal of a teaching spot left a bit of a sting in Jack. It's not that he didn't trust him to not make trouble... okay, maybe he was a little worried about that, but the main reason Jack was kept from the workshop was because Phil wanted to keep that as a reserve, as a trump card he could use if Jack ever got too depressed or upset. If the winter spirit ever felt so low from everything that he had to go through daily... The first moment when Jack would open the workshop doors, and see the wonder and magic that happened in there, Phil knew that his spirit would be lifted higher than any of the winds could take him.
In the end, Jack did agree to meet at his lake, saying it'd be nice to show Phil some of his favorite spots.
He also admitted that, with all that would be going on around them, Jack would have been a bit distracted at the Pole.
At the first official lesson, Phil had been at a lose at what to teach Jack. He had never taught his language to anyone before. When he confessed to Jack that he didn't know where the start, the teen just smiled and immediately gave out suggestions. Seems he had done this a lot, learn a language, that is... Phil found out that Jack was fluent in French, and Germen, and was on his way to mastering Russian, though Jack sheepishly replied that he was slacking off with that one. 'Why are they all European languages?' Phil had asked. It took a few lessons for Jack to understand the question, but when it was finally understood, he replied with a "They were they first languages that came to mind that would be easy for me to learn." He gave shrug and added "I would have also gone for Spanish, but they're a bit too south for my liking."
Jack loved the lessons. He even made up a game to help him learn. It was just a simple guessing game where Phil would start out with a sentence, with Jack knowing most of the words, then him adding something that he didn't know. It helped him learn quickly, and made it so, in the future, Jack could easily figure out what a yetish sentence was, even if he didn't understand the exact wording. It was all about context.
To help with the learning, Phil had often brought books from North's library. Only one or two that were relevant to that week's lesson were taken and each were carefully taken care of so they wouldn't get damaged. Today, however Phil had decided that they would have their lesson in the workshop. He was going over Christmas, and seeing how it was such a big deal to the yeti, they both figured it would be easier in the North Pole.
When Jack had first entered the pole, he was ambushed by a few elves. It seems like they missed his annual break-ins. Ever since the lessons started, Jack had broken in less and less. He mainly only came to the pole to meet Phil on the way to his lessons, or to just ask him a quick question or something. Jack just laughed as they tackled him to the ground. He gave a sly grin to Phil then brought out a cookie.
Immediately, the elves froze. One shot off, running away like mad. The other looked like he was about to feint. A brave one took a hesitant step towards the treat, and reached out his hand. The last elf thought it better to just leave it alone. He grabbed his companion's hand and ran off before they could be tempted by the cookie any longer.
Jack let out a ringing that laughter. Phil joined in as well. It had already been 2 months since that day, but it seemed the elves were still weary of any freely given treats. They had some how found out that Jack had made the cookies, so while they would still attempt to steal the yeti's goodies, if Jack Frost offered them...
"Do you think they'll ever get over it, or will it stay with them forever?" He wondered aloud. Phil rolled his eyes in amusement, and started down the hall. Jack quickly caught up and the two of them continued on their way to the library.
Jack looked around as they walked. It was nothing new, just the hallways. He had flown through them enough times, but this one looked familiar. If he recalled correctly... Jack looked to his left at the set of double doors he was passing. He quietly started opening one, and gave a little winch as it creaked. Jack excitedly peeked in, but before he could get a good look at the workshop the door was forcefully shut closed, and Jack pulled backwards to avoid any fingers getting smashed.
He looked sheepishly at Phil, who was now standing above him looking slightly annoyed, but Jack could also see a hint of amusement somewhere beneath all that fur. "What?" He grinned. "You can't honestly expect me to behave all the time." The winter spirit pointed out. Phil just ushered him away from the door, but Jack heard someone about to exit the room, and he quickly put a patch of frost by the doorway. When he heard the door open, he smirked as a cry of surprise soon followed. A large THUMP told Jack that he got a yeti, instead of the usual elves that seemed to slip on his ice.
Phil heard the noise and immediately turned around. When he saw the yeti crumpled on the floor, which was now covered in ice, he felt slightly guilty for the incident, and he quickly led the boy away before anything else could happen. When they were a few hallways away, Phil stopped and gave Jack a 'now why would you do that?' look.
Jack just shrugged it off. "My bad, couldn't help myself." When Phil continued to stare at him, Jack quickly finished with "I won't do it again...for now." He mumbled the last part, but with the extra glare that Phil gave him, Jack figured he heard it anyways. Jack wasn't worried, though. As they walked, he could see the yeti's shoulders moving in silent laughter.
They were almost to the library, well Jack could only assume that. They had been walking for a while, and the North Pole wasn't that big... Okay, scratch that, it was pretty big, but Jack felt like they were getting closer to their destination. Anyways, they were coming up to two yetis who were chatting in the hall. Jack smirked and tried to listen in on their conversation, hoping to see how much he could pick up on.
The two paused when they heard Phil call out a greeting to the two of them. They turned and saw Jack and he felt like he wanted to shrink back at the glares they gave him...
"What is he doing here again?" The first yeti mumbled to his partner.
"Why does Phil put up with him anyways?" His companion replied, folding his arms in frustration. "All he does is cause trouble for us, making our jobs harder..."
The first nodded in agreement.
They both thought back on times when they fell behind in their work because of something the winter spirit had done. A particular bad experience came to mind...
On a nice cool August day, just after one of Jack Frost's visits, there was a strange power outage. Being in the North pole, the biting cold winds brought an unpleasant chill the the workshop. With their thick fur coats, the yetis could have easily kept working, but their paints would have frozen quickly, and their tools would have been damaged by the cold, plus a bunch of them couldn't have been used without the power. The yetis only would have been able to work for a few hours before they would have needed to stop. North had decided it best to not work on the toys till the problem got sorted out, instead of working a bit, then ruining their supplies and having to replace them before they could get back to work. The yetis found a bit of pleasure in having a day off... or two weeks... but the work they had to make up was not worth the break. The amount that was missed had them trying to get back on schedule all the way till mid-December. It was worrisome to be behind so close to Christmas, but in the end the yetis got it under control, with no thanks to Jack Frost...
During the first week back to work after the incident, Jack had come by to annoy Phil yet again. The two yetis had seen Phil explain what had happened and why he couldn't 'play' for awhile. The winter spirit had just given a little laugh and wished the yetis good luck. He had quickly left that day, but in his absence was a chill that only added to their troubles...
He hadn't come back till the whole thing was over. He must have felt a bit of guilt eat at him and didn't want to deal with it, so he hid away from it.
Now, as Jack walked the halls, following closely behind Phil, they continued to recall other times when he had only brought trouble. They continued talking, never knowing that Jack had gained a new understanding of their language.
When Jack first heard their accusing tones, he quickly turned his head and looked away from them. He didn't want them knowing he was eavesdropping. It was bad enough that they insulted him behind his back... sort of. It would be much worse if they said it to his face. Jack did try to follow along in their conversation, and although he couldn't understand the exact wording they used, he got the main idea. They didn't want him here. He kept a playful smirk on his face as he passed them, even giving them a small wave.
When Phil heard what the yetis said, he just turned and looked at them. He shook his head in disappointment at the two of them. Jack had no part in the incident that they had referred to. Yes, it happened right after he came, but his powers hadn't caused the power out. To power the North Pole, North uses a mixture of magic and electricity, and while Jack could use his own magic, it would take a while for him to find out exactly where he could freeze in order for the whole workshop to stop working.
When Jack had come soon after it happened, he hadn't left so quickly because he was guilty, he left so Phil could fix it as soon as possible, and he didn't want to distract or annoy him in anyway. Phil had felt it though, the chill that stayed in the workshop after Jack left . The winter spirit would have to wait awhile before he could talk with anyone again, and he'd be alone till the problem got fixed.
Phil had eventually found what went wrong. One of the elves had gotten a hold of one of North's magical tools. It caused a flux in the magic/electrical connection and caused a power outage. It had nothing to do with Jack. He had found his way to Jack's lake to tell him that the problem was over, but since it was early September, he wasn't there. Phil could only hope the boy figured it out soon enough.
Phil just sighed. Some of the yetis never enjoyed the presence of Jack Frost, only finding him annoying. Those two were especially bad. Had one of them been the one to enter North's study the day Phil had found Jack with the ruined lists, Jack would have most likely been brought to North to face his rage. Jack may have changed for the worse that day...
Phil looked back towards Jack and was happy that he couldn't understand... them...
He immediately stopped which caused the boy to run into him. Jack took a step back and brushed his hair out of his face. "What's up?" He asked. Phil's eyes must have unconsciously drifted to the direction the two yetis were in, because Jack looked back and returned to gaze at Phil, his smirk still in place. "Those guys? Something about what they said? I didn't quite catch it so..."
Lies
Phil looked at him closely and saw the hurt that lingered in his eyes. Stop lying, You don't have to lie any more... Don't hide you pain, let me help... you're not alone anymore. Phil longed for Jack to trust him enough to be honest and open with him, but it would take much more time for that moment to come, especially if Phil was the only one trying to get through to him.
As he thought back to the words spoken about Jack, Phil felt defeated. He had been happy to teach him his language, happy that he had such an eager learner. He was also glad that Jack would soon be able to understand him. It must be frustrating to not fully understand one of the few people who enjoyed being around him. The winter spirit had really wanted to learn more, and with learning the language, Phil had also been sharing their history, which Jack also seemed to enjoy.
It had completely slipped his mind that, with the knowledge of yetish, Jack would hear some of the more unpleasant things said about him...
"Come, on Phil." Jack said, playfully shoving him, though it barely moved the big guy. "Not everyone's going to like me." He put on another smile. His first one had fallen when Phil had given him such a sad look. "Heck, I even bet there are some yetis here that don't like you." He pointed out. "What, with all your seriousness, and stoic nature." Jack tried to tease Phil enough to get him out of his mood, but it didn't work as well as Jack would have hoped.
Jack was silent for a moment before speaking up again. "Are you going to stop teaching me?"
Phil looked at Jack and saw the boy giving him the 'puppy dog' look. Phil rolled his eyes and just shook his head in disbelief that that was his only worry.
"You're not?!" Jack pouted.
The yeti realized what he had done, and quickly shook his head again, and tried to quite Jack down. When he finally got the winter spirit calm enough to hear him, he confirmed with Jack that he would continued giving him lessons.
"Good..." he mumbled. "If not, there would have been dire consequences."
Phil looked at him in disbelief. 'Really...'
"No, no, no... you got to think about it." Jack started excitedly. "Think back on those two yetis we just passed." He gestured down the hallway. "Now, they could have been talking about anything. The only thing I was able to get was that they were talking bad about me. Now, all they could have been complaining about was..." he paused and tried to think of something "... I don't know... my lack of shoes..."
Phil snorted at his statement,
"But me, with my childish mind," Jack dramatically continued, "I would jump to all sorts of conclusions, thinking they were talking the worst about me, and blowing it all out of proportion. Since I don't know exactly what they were saying about me, I would assume the worst!" Jack seemed very proud of himself after the speech was given.
Phil rolled his eyes at how dramatic Jack had made that, but then, something Jack said came to mind... He smirked to himself and started speaking. "I thought you didn't catch what those other yetis were saying."
Jack's face fell, and he looked at Phil with a guilty expression. "Heh, my bad. I guess I knew more yetish then I thought."
Phil looked at him, and a seriousness came over the yeti. "Why did you lie?"
"I didn't lie!" He defended. "I just didn't say the whole truth..." the last part was mumbled.
Phil gave him a pained expression, wishing that Jack would be more open with him.
When Jack saw his expression, he was unsure of what to do. He wasn't use people caring about him and how he felt. It made him a bit happy to think that Phil was like that, but Jack felt awkward on how to act now. He always put on fake smiles and laughs for others, building high walls to keep away any hurt, but he didn't feel comfortable putting those walls down yet. What if this was only temporary? He'd rather prepare for the worst then let his guard down.
Jack shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot and looked at the ground. A silence came over the two of them and lasted for several minuets. When it became too long, Phil let out a sigh and started walking down the hall. Jack looked up and gave a hurt look to Phil's retreating figure. He was just going to walk away...
Phil looked back and saw Jack standing there. He motioned for the boy to follow him, and let out some yetish, saying they needed to start their lesson if they wanted to get anything done today.
Jack's head shot up, and he smiled. A real smile. As the two continued to walk, there was a bit of awkwardness in how Jack should act with Phil after that little... uh.. scene, but as the teaching got underway, any strange behavior from the two of them slowly dissolved away. By the time Jack left for the day, the two of them were back to normal. Jack had tried to get one last peak into the workshop again before he left, and Phil had to come stop the boy, promptly throwing him out with a playful shove into the snow.
With a joyful laugh, Jack flew off, giving a final wave to Phil as the Yeti returned to work. After he had flown a ways, Jack slowed in his flight and became lost in his thoughts. The wind felt a unease come over him and gently tried to comfort him. "I'm fine... I was just thinking..." He mumbled. He was remembering the look Phil had given him. There had been small hurt in them that was all too familiar to Jack. There was a lack of trust between the two of them. He really wanted to trust Phil, but 300 years of isolation can make it hard for Jack to know where to start...
Jack gave a sigh and continued on his way. He'd just have to take it one step at a time, even if it took a couple of years. He was an immortal, he had all the time in the world to learn how to be a good friend to the yeti.
A/N: I wasn't quite sure how that ended... oh well. Thanks for reading, please review.
