"It doesn't matter that he has her now!" Pitch laughed, "Because she's broken inside and he obviously isn't keeping her when they get back!"
"Why don't you shut you're trap!" Bunny yelled angrily, throwing a boomerang and hitting another fearling.
"Hey Pitch!" Jack suddenly yelled from below. They all looked down and noticed him standing alone, holding his staff, "Why don't we settle this one on one?"
Pitch merely rolled his eyes, "Please, you and I both know I don't play fair! I'd merely destroy you, boy."
"I'd like to see you try." Jack smirked, "But personally I'd like to see the little daisy that took my sister and see just how tough he really is."
At the insult Pitch snarled.
"Oh! I'm sorry; do you not like being compared to sparkles and rainbows?" Jack taunted, "Cause that's all you are in my head."
Emma giggled from her hiding spot in the cave, her eyes lighting up again as she watched her brother. He'd always made her laugh growing up and to see him having 'fun' for a second really brought back how much she loved him.
"Do you not know whom you speak to?" Pitch hissed as he slithered down towards him.
"Jack!" North yelled protectively as he watched, not sure if what Jack was doing was necessarily safe.
"What's that?" Jack teased, "Oh, the uhhh slithering slime ball I'm going to cream in a few seconds? Yeah…I think I do." He shrugged lazily as he looked at his nails.
"Where's your sister then, Jack? How about I gain back some of that fear and respect I so deserve."
Jack narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on his staff, then quickly shot Emma a look who nodded from behind her hiding spot.
"Why don't I show you who the Boogeyman really i-OW!"
Emma and Jack cracked up as the snowball Emma threw hit him square in the face.
"Good shot, sis!" Jack applauded, "See, he isn't so scary now, is he?"
"Nope!" Emma giggled.
Pitch began to look really annoyed as he wiped snow off his pale face.
"Hit him again Emma!" Jack called right as Pitch aimed some black sand at him. Jack dodged it, practically flying and used his staff to shoot out ice, not that it worked as well, being he was very new at this.
Emma was throwing snowballs like crazy and laughed as she did, Jack managed to roll up a few more and toss them to her. And every time a fearling came by neither grew scared, because both were able to turn them into golden sand.
At that realization the Guardians smiled happily, knowing that both had found a way to beat Pitch.
Pitch was covered in Emma's thrown snowballs and growling angrily at this point and Jack was ready to finish him off. He held his staff in front of him, "It's over now. You're not coming near me or my sister again, you got that?"
Pitch sneered, ready to sink into the shadows before Jack could hit him.
Jack suddenly tried and nothing happened.
"Jack! Your hair!" Emma cried as she came over.
Jack felt his hair and then noticed how much colder he was getting. His time must have run out.
She ran over to him, worried that he might be hurt. He reached his hands out to stop her but all that came out were a chattering of teeth as he shivered and held his stomach in pain.
They all heard the laughter echoing and Pitch formed right before Jack, wielding a scythe over his head.
"Jack! Look out!" Bunny cried.
Jack turned and held his hand up to protect himself when Emma stood before him, ready to take the blow for her brother.
"Emma, NO!" Jack cried out, reaching for Emma right as Pitch brought the scythe down.
The Guardians all paused in horror as it did. Time seemed to stop and all Jack could to was reach out and pray to anyone who was listening to keep his sister safe.
Emma held her hand out and the scythe turned to golden sand.
Pitch jumped back in surprise and stared at this brave little girl before him. She stood there angrily as she stared him down, "I'm not scared of you anymore!"
Pitch seemed shocked and a little confused about what was happening. This little pixie wasn't supposed to be brave; she was supposed to be a hollow shell of fear. Her brother should be done for by now. Instead both were alive and facing him down.
"You leave me and my brother alone!" she said one last time and then turned from him.
"It's done Pitch." North said as he advanced, "These two are under our protection now. Leave before we make you."
"It's not over." Pitch snarled.
"Oh, it is." Bunny smiled as he joined North, "These two don't believe in you anymore."
"Then why is she speaking to me?" Pitch asked, his eyebrow going up.
"Is she?" Tooth smiled, crossing her arms.
They looked over to see Emma hugging Jack who squeezed her tight.
"He's gone now Jack, I scared him away!" Emma said happily.
Jack could still see Pitch however as the Guardians practically ran him out of the cave. But he chose not to mention that to Emma; for all intents and purposes, she beat the Boogeyman!
"Yep, you scared him good!" He told her happily, still shivering. He glanced up at the Boogeyman and glared at him threateningly and nodded to the Guardian's to take it from there but hopefully away from Emma so she wouldn't see anything.
"Alright…" Bunny mumbled happily to himself, "Time to take care of business."
Jack held Emma close as he heard the horrifying screams of Pitch. He knew he should be happy but it almost felt like a horror movie wondering what was happening around the corner. And if anything, it terrified him. He shivered violently in the cave as the moon shone through the ice above them.
"Jack are you cold?" Emma asked, trying to rub his arms and take care of him like he would for her.
"I-I'm…o-k-kay." He sputtered, trying to smile. She looked around nervously and then crawled into his lap and hoped she could keep him warm.
"Jack?" she asked quietly, "Am I going to get taken away?"
"N-no." Jack said as firmly as he could, shaking his head, "I'm…I'm n-not le-letting them."
The Guardians rushed back in and Jack felt something warm wrap around him and realized it was a black and red fur coat and he couldn't have been happier to have one.
North stood behind him and smiled, a hand on his shoulder.
Bunny and the others gathered around and smiled at him.
"Jack…if you could have one wish in the world, what would it be?" North asked him.
"What?" Jack asked as he finally felt warm again.
"We, all of us, saw strength in you today. Not from Jack Frost, but from Jack Overland. You have something very special inside of you."
"That said," Bunny continued, "You get one wish."
Emma smiled proudly at her brother who smiled back and then looked up, "I want Emma…I want her to be happy, and I just want to see that smile every day for as long as I live."
"Stand up, Jack." North encouraged.
Jack stood, holding the coat and Emma's hand tightly.
North suddenly held his hands together in front of him and smiled, "Will you, Jack Overland, vow to watch over Emma? To guard her with your life, her hopes, her wishes, and her dreams? For she is all that you have, all that you are and all that you will ever be."
Jack looked down at Emma who nodded at him. He looked back up, smiling wider than he ever had. After every social worker practically warned him that he was never fit to take care of her, that she would get taken away, here were three mythical Guardians telling him that she was his. How could he ever say no?
"I will." He said proudly.
"Then congratulations, Jack, for you are now and forevermore Emma's Guardian."
Emma bounced up and down excitedly and Jack couldn't stop the relief from flowing out of him as he laughed happily and hugged her. She was his! She was finally his!
"Okay, as happy as this all is, can we please get back to Hawaii?" Bunny asked as he hugged his furry arms and shivered.
"To the sleigh!" North said, "And hot cocoa and cookies on me!"
"We are not making a pit stop!" Bunny argued.
Jack laughed as he held his sisters hand and followed them out. She was skipping happily and he couldn't have been more proud.
"You were real brave in there Em." He told her.
"Yeah? I sure showed that Boogeyman." She nodded, rather proud of herself.
Jack laughed, "And you actually listened to me for once." He commented.
"One time thing. Don't expect me to make it easy on you." She told him.
"I wouldn't expect that." He chuckled, "But seriously, I'm real proud of you."
"I think Mom and Dad would be really happy Jack."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." She nodded.
"I think so too."
"Let's get back so you can finally date Hiccup."
Jack rolled his eyes and wondered how the man he was definitely professing his love to was holding up.
…..
"And that's how I got this scar, right here!" Hiccup said proudly as he rolled down his shorts a ways to show Cobra Bubbles the large scar on his back thigh, "Nasty wave, dude. Total wipeout!"
Cobra was looking very annoyed at this point but stationed himself to watch as some of the islanders came to rally for Jack and Emma and help clean up the messy house. Hiccup had been distracting the social worker from making any calls or going anywhere for the past hour; regaling him with stories that Cobra wished he had not heard. But it worked as he relaxed by his rental car and watched half the island's young adults and parents were helping with the house, showing their support for the siblings.
It sort of made him wonder if taking Emma away was a bad or good idea. And Hiccup's father did just give Jack a very nice job at his store.
"Oh, and the one on my butt-" Hiccup started.
"Please stop before I arrest you." Cobra warned.
"Right…" Hiccup chuckled and then gasped when he looked up, "Jack! Emma!"
Everyone began talking excitedly and cheering as Jack came through the brush, holding Emma's hand. Both looked fine and Cobra noticed how happy they were. People rushed over to hug them, Hiccup being the first.
He was about to go to them and get Emma when his phone rang and he answered it, rather surprised at who was calling him.
….
"Jack! You're okay!" Hiccup laughed, "Man I was worried. And not gonna lie, I miss the hair." He laughed.
"Oh man, Hic, you're not gonna believe what happened." Jack smiled as they hugged.
More and more people surrounded them and gave Emma hugs and Jack pats on the back, telling him that they were going to help him fight for Emma.
Jack never felt such Ohana as he did in this moment…until Cobra pushed through the crowd of cheering people and came before Jack and Emma. Both looked at him nervously.
"Emma…" Cobra started. He stopped when she held up her hand to shush him.
"I'm not going with you…I'm not going with anyone but my brother. He's my guardian and I want him to always be my guardian."
"Emma…" he tried again.
It was Jack's turn as he then spoke up, "You're right Mr. Bubbles…I could go back to college and get 'my own life' and I could let you take Emma…But I'm not going to. Because Emma is my life and I'm not trading that for anything. She's my center." He smiled, "I know that now. So…I'm sorry but if you try to take her…I'm going to court and fighting with everything I have."
"And we'll be next to him fighting for her too!" Astrid cheered.
Everyone else cheered along and Cobra silenced them all with a look. It got deathly quiet and he finally looked back at Jack, "Let's take a walk inside, shall we?" he said in his threatening tone.
Hiccup followed Jack inside with Emma.
"Mr. Haddock, you-"
"I'm staying with Jack and Emma. They're my family, sir. And I'm not letting Jack face this alone anymore." He said sternly.
Jack smiled at him as he took his hand too, both eyes meeting and words passing without a sound.
They all came to the kitchen table and Jack was pleased everybody had been so helpful in cleaning up.
Cobra took out some files and then laid out some paperwork for Jack and sighed, "I got a rather interesting call from a friend of yours." He said, "A Mr. North?"
Jack and Emma exchanged glances for a second.
"He said that you showed incredible courage to save your sister from a very dangerous person and not only that, gave her strength." He nodded and finally smiled, "I also understand that you took a very powerful oath to protect your sister and that should you be separated it 'may cause the end of the world' and such. Course Santa's a pretty bad liar so I took his word for it and hung up." He chuckled.
Jack stared in shock, "You know about-"
"Son, I've dealt with aliens. I think it's safe to say that Santa and the Easter Bunny are on my list."
"So…I get to stay with Jack?" Emma asked tentatively.
"Jack is a Guardian, but not just any Guardian, he's your Guardian. I can't take that away from a child now can I?" Cobra smiled at her, "I think you are safe and sound right here with everyone who loves you, Emma."
Jack laughed in relief and stood up to shake his hand happily, "Thank you so much! I promise things are really going to change around here, and-"
"Jack…" he interrupted, "Don't change a thing. Just sign the damn papers."
Jack immediately did just that and watched in anticipation as Cobra stamped the document. He then took the piece of paper proudly and vowed he was framing it.
"I'll be by off and on to check on you two and help where I'm needed."
"Thank you, sir!"
Cobra nodded and put on his shades as he picked up his briefcase and headed towards the door. Before Jack opened it he turned to him suddenly, "And Jack-"
"Yes?" he asked.
"Please just date this stupid young man here and give him something to do…he has too much time on his hands." Cobra told him softly, "It's starting to worry me."
He then left to head to his car and people watched anxiously as Jack came out and held up the document proudly, "She's staying!" he cheered.
Everyone was overjoyed and even more so when Snotlout shouted, "Party at my dad's bar!"
Jack was relieved to see everyone head out and he didn't even know how to thank all of them.
"Are we going to the party too, Jack?" Emma asked excitedly.
"We probably should…it is for us." Jack chuckled, "Go put on something cute and we'll head over, okay?"
She nodded excitedly and ran up to change.
Hiccup meanwhile watched Jack who couldn't stop staring at his document, touching it gingerly and practically crying.
"You did it, Jack!" Hiccup smiled as he came over to hug him.
"Yeah…" he sighed as he hung the document on the fridge for now. So many months of agony and stress and he could finally rest easy knowing Emma was his, he had a job, and so many people on the island cared about him.
"Say Jack?" Hiccup asked as he stood next to him, "This might be too soon and I understand if you wanna adjust and all first, but…" he said awkwardly as he rubbed his neck, "I was thinking of seeing that movie tomorrow and wondered if you wanted to go with me and-"
Jack grabbed Hiccup's face and kissed him almost fiercely, "You bet." He breathed and then kissed Hiccup again. Hiccup's eyes widened for a second but closed softly when he wrapped his arms around Jack and returned the kiss happily.
"About time!" Emma grumbled as she walked in.
A/N: The last chapter is coming next!