"AHHH! IT'S A MOTHER!" Jack screamed and crashed into the wall only for the babies to fall on him.
"AHHH!"
"Oh for heavens sakes..." Jamie shoos the spiders away. Jack quivered a little, the mama hisses at Jamie before taking off; the little ones just crawled away.
"Let's go somewhere else." Jamie isn't put off and just shoos her away.
"Yeah, somewhere with less bugs maybe." Jack nodded.
"Agreed."
"Alaska maybe... I hear they have good fresh fish." Jack nodded.
"Ok then." He picked Jamie up and what food they had only to find a nasty surprise so he left it there.
"Yuck."
"Awww man... did it spoil?" Jack nodded.
"Yes it did."
"That's too bad."
"Well no reason to stay now accept maybe see a rainbow." Jack looked around all of a sudden, a volcano went off.
"FLY! FLY!"
"Oh crap!" Jamie flew off as fast as he could. He didn't think any of the island volcanos were still active. Jack protected Jamie as they flew, protecting them both from the rocks of lava and ash.
"GO! GO!" Jamie weaved through the air, blasting a rock that flew at them both when he glanced over his shoulder briefly. Jack covered Jamie from the exploding ash that hit him; grunting a little he pushed Jamie along, dodging any more debris until they were safely away.
"You okay?" Jamie asked once they were a safe distance away, he was covered in ash himself and it made him look slightly off color.
"I'm fine it's you I'm worried about." Jack looked at him worriedly as he flew with Jamie.
"I'm fine, although a dunk in the ocean should probably be a good idea." Jamie did just that to rid himself of the ash, shaking off the frozen water when he surfaced and hovered above the waves, clean again. Jack sighed.
"Yeah, ok." He followed suit only he didn't surface as soon as Jamie had, he'd gotten ensnared by a squid. Jamie frowned when Jack didn't surface like he had and dove back into the water after counting to twenty. When he noticed the squid Jack was struggling with he zapped the critter with ice, forcing it to let go and he wrapped his arms around Jack as the two surfaced. Jack spat salt water on him and gasped for air.
"Let's go." Jamie shook his head a little. Jack and critters... it never ceased to both amaze and annoy him in various ways. He flew off with Jack, hoping that the other winter spirit wouldn't have a relapse. Jack was fine, it seemed, just taking in air.
"To Alaska." Jamie smiled a little, glad that Jack seemed to be okay as he flew with him towards Alaska. The air wasn't too cold, but it was nice and crisp.
Jack sighed tiredly, the cool air nipped at the wounds that neither noticed until Jamie felt the slick wet blood on his fingers; frowning in concern, Jamie looked Jack over for wounds. It appeared the squid used its sharp beak to attack. Jamie iced over the wound he'd found. Wondering if ever critter found him tasty or just wanted to coddle Jack like their baby... They keep going for a while until Jack sighs.
"Let's find a place to rest." He looked to an abandoned palace full of warmth and cold air.
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Seeing the abandoned place, Jamie headed for it; he didn't recognize the place for what it was or that they'd been there before... Jack followed closely, it looked old but still furnished for a ball room party.
"Huh... weird place." Jamie comments as he looks around. Jack looked at a mirror, giggling.
"JAMIE LOOK! IT'S LIKE A FUN HOUSE!" Jamie chuckled at their reflection when he joined Jack.
"Looks like." Jack flew under the table looking at a ring or two a moment.
"Look what I found!" The chandelier in the middle of the floor definitely told its history, it reminded Jamie of the story of Anastasia then he realized this is that palace. Even realizing this didn't jar his memory of the last time they'd been there or what they'd gone through.
"This place is kind of amazing."
"It is." Jack looked down, finding a music box and a necklace attached.
"Jamie, come look at this." Jamie floated over to see what it was that Jack found. Jack turned the old key, winding it up; it opened, playing a melody.
"It's a mirror music box." Jamie watched the music box, listening to the music that flowed from it so sweet and beautiful.
"Interesting key." He remarks once the music stops. Jack looked at the necklace.
"To Anya in Paris forever." Jack thought about who it belonged to but couldn't come up with a person she ... or he, was probably dead by now but he still set the box back where it had been.
"Huh... someone must have really loved this Anya person." Jamie commented before going off to see if he could find anything else. Jack smiled walking about, unaware that there was weak flooring upstairs; Jamie was unaware of how weak the structure had become as he landed on a weak spot himself, he had two seconds of listening to it creak before it collapsed beneath him and he fell with a yelp, grabbing onto the floor. Jack ran to Jamie.
"JAMIE!" He grabbed his hand, floating with him in his arms.
"Let's go somewhere more safe."
"Y-yeah... man... didn't realize this place was falling apart."
"Me either." Jack flew them out of the rotting palace that should be knocked down, but as it's monumental history it can't be taken down because of the wars and the people who perished or escaped from there. Jack smiled at Jamie.
"Let's go to a nice little hutch around here." He flew them to a hutch he knew of that used to be a friend of his who believed, he'd passed on not too long ago but his kids still believed in Jack.
"Sounds like a good idea."
Opening the door revealed it was a really nice cabin, except if you don't like stuffed animal heads of bears and many other animals; some were birds and others prized fish trophies.
"He was a good hunter, only took the dead body of animals who died naturally or killed ones that needed to be." Jack sniffed, remembering last time he'd seen him.
"Anyhow, make yourself comfortable." He set Jamie on his feet again; there was a nice comfy couch and old television set.
"Sounds like he was a good friend and a good person." Jamie said, looking around.
"Yeah he was." Jamie could see a few pictures of Jack and him; he was a young boy in one of the photos; black hair and green eyes with skin like an eskimo made him stand out. It looked like he was an eskimo child and he and Jack had known each other for a very long time.
"I didn't know we could show up in photos." Jamie had never considered the possibility, but then again human technology revealed truth of things as it was. Belief was never a factor in such things.
"Oh only we can see ourselves in photos and believers too, most adults wouldn't though." Jack smiled.
"So if you were an adult likely you'd think it's a bunch of pictures of him instead of me and him." Jack said nonchalantly as he made some bread bowl soup.
"Huh." Jamie said, finding a place to sit. He wasn't hungry just yet. The TV didn't work unless someone held the antennae which is why it was off, plus the owner hadn't watched much TV. Jack gasped suddenly.
"Oh, it's you Shira." Jack spoke to the mountain lion head that looked ready to take a bite out of his ass.
"Damn, I told him not to put her low." He put the head up, feeling sad but this kill had actually was by Jack as it had tried to kill his friend once.
"You have a NAME for that one?" Jamie asked, wondering at that.
"Yeah." He glared at it, but set it in a box with other things that reminded him of trouble.
"A story for another time though." He said as he started finishing cooking the bread bowls he'd began. Jamie nodded, thoughtful.
"So, how'd you meet him?" Jack froze a little before replying.
"A trip to Russia; I rammed into his sled dogs because the snow got thick... And from there I helped him get home and since I had no one else that I knew believed in me then well... I stayed with him."
"Hmmm, I guess that's one way to meet someone." He didn't ask further about anything, sensing that it was still a touchy subject. It bothered him a little, why hadn't Jack told him about this person before? He thought he'd been Jack's first believer, but obviously not... then again Jack had never outright said he was the first... He'd just always assumed... Jamie shrugged it off as Jack finished the bread bowls, sitting down near him, he handed Jamie one. Jamie absently ate, studying the room around him. After finishing his, Jack searched through a couple boxes.
"Aha!" He came back with a book of myths in Russian.
"Me and him loved myths almost as much as you do Jamie."
"Oh?" Jamie was intrigued now, having finished his bowl; Jack smiled.
"These are our notes on what we found and pictures... even have fur from a yeti and a direct picture." Jack showed Jamie the picture of a yeti, of course it was taller than two of North's yetis combined.
"That's awesome." Jack smiled.
"Here's the Lake Cuzocowa lake monster pic." It was a pitch black photo, underwater, but the outline of a really, really really big fish with red eyes and giant claw like fins that glowed was visible as well as teeth that were like those of a saber tooth cat.
"Can't say I've heard of that one before." Jamie was fascinated.
"I call it king muck." Jack snickered and showed various more photographs of many other types of creatures before dozing off in Jamie's arms, tired from the day. Tired himself now, Jamie found a bed and carried Jack to it. He snuggled next to him in the bed and dropped off almost instantly. It's 3:00 in the morning when the sun rose from the depths of the icy tundra; Jamie sleeps through it soundly enough, easily content in his sleep with Jack nearby. Jack looked around the room; memories upon old memories played in his head, some making him cry and he didn't even know he was until Jamie got a large splash of tears on his face. Jamie stirred at that, slowly beginning to wake up. Jack sniffed, unaware he'd woke Jamie as he was mumbling something to himself, but it was too quiet for Jamie to hear it.
"Jack?" Jamie mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Jack immediately stopped crying and went silent, shivering as the final memory played, it was him and the 'boy' in a boat... he couldn't save him as the water froze before Jack could get to him and he'd drowned. Jamie put his hand on Jack's, wondering what was up. Jack sniffed, he wouldn't say why but he didn't have to; Jamie suddenly got a glimpse of the memory of how Jack couldn't save his friend. It was projected through the bond though Jack was unaware of it; the memory was awful to watch... he'd scratched and banged at a frozen surface of ice screaming and crying for days; days that had become weeks... the boy, who had become a man, had died underwater and was gone, frozen. Jamie didn't say anything, he simply pulled Jack close and held him. What a terrible memory... He did his best to send a soothing impression over the bond. Even as he held Jack close a thought crossed his mind briefly, if he hadn't been Jack's first believer... what had made him so special that he'd been brought back but that Jack's real first believer had not been? Why was he here? He shook it away, he'd think about that another time; for now he just wanted to offer what comfort he could to Jack who cried, and cried, and cried until he fell asleep again. Jamie simply held Jack close, saying nothing and watching over his dreams as he slept. Jack awoke an hour later in pain; Jamie hadn't moved, he still didn't. He wasn't sure what to say, what did one say to something like what he'd seen? It had been so tragic and sad... Jack grunted, slipping out of bed; he went downstairs, posture slumped; there was the sound of pots and cleaning from where Jamie sat. Jamie listened to the sounds, looking around the place; lost in thought. Jack slowly cooked a few pancakes and then some waffles. Eventually Jamie left the bedroom to go to the living room again to see what Jack was actually doing.
"Maple syrup... where is it... did the last of it get used, the tree syrup we made." Jack asked himself, he looked to find the old bottle untouched and unused in another cabinet as Jamie came into the room; cobwebs covered the thing.
"There you are." He cleaned off the lid before adding the homemade syrup to the waffles and handing it to Jamie before he sat at the bar stool near the table.
"Thanks." Jamie sat down to eat.
"You're welcome." Jack said tiredly he hadn't sleep very well last night; he sighed and after finishing his own breakfast he started sketching the boy on some paper as if he were standing right there in front of him. Jamie ate quietly, at a loss for words. Wondering if maybe it might be better to leave. Jack sighed, finishing sketching; he set it aside and hugged Jamie.
"Let's go see what we can't catch in the frozen waters today huh?" He said cheerfully.
"Like what?" Jamie was a little puzzled at the idea of catching anything for any reason.
"Like maybe the muck fish I showed you in the picture." He snickered.
"LET'S UNCOVER THE MIGHTY BEAST!" Jack had thought, after all, that his friend who had died would want Jack to show another the happy fun they'd had together. Intrigued, Jamie follows Jack out of the home once he's done eating and the dishes were put up. Jack pulled him to a shed; it had midnight gear, a boat, and what appeared to be giant pieces of raw pork. Jamie made a face at the raw meat that had obviously been there a while. Jack just smiled and held the biggest hook Jamie's ever seen in his life.
"We put this on it cause determining the size of it in the picture I say it's a small whale shark." Jack said with a laugh as he tossed Jamie the fishing gear and a rod he'd made strong as steel before he started getting the ice carving kit.
"Geez... A fish THAT big could probably snack on me." Jamie commented jokingly as he caught the various gear.
"Fishing net." Jack smiled, tossing it to Jamie as well; it was a giant shark catching fishing net, perfect for smaller but sometimes giant ass fish like as big as Jack had described to Jamie.
"Yeah, but what I've gathered is it only attacks if spooked." Jack slowly got a protective cage, just in case, and more carving gear.
"Alright, we're all set."
"Hmmm, okay." Jack smiled and started making a gigantic hole for the cage, making it a big enough hole to pull the giant fish from, being winter spirits meant they couldn't fall in the icy water but Jack kept the hole open. Jamie watched Jack work in silent fascination.
"Alright set the camera please to 20 minute video." It was a special waterproof camera for purposes of capturing strange things underwater and for extra protection it was in a cage in case the creature tried to break it.
"I'll send the meat down next." Jamie fiddled with the camera a moment before he nodded that he'd gotten it set. He wondered if they would have any luck. Jack sent the meat down first as he held the pole up and looked at a camera screen.
"Jamie, any movement?" He asked him what showed on the screen was strange; it was pitch black scales and suddenly bright red eyes opened at the camera.
"I wouldn't call that movement but I'd say something is looking back." Jamie remarked with a grin. Jack looked at the screen.
"HOLY FISH!" It started to move, opening its jaws to the camera.
"FUDGE! PULL THE CAMERA UP NOW!" The giant fish took notice of the meat and the pole was suddenly being pulled; Jack gasped, grabbing the pole.
"JAMIE HELP!" Jamie yanked the camera up, but at the call for help the thing was forgotten as it landed somewhere nearby and Jamie grabbed Jack to keep him from being tugged in the water. There was a gigantic shaped shadow in the water now, red eyes could be seen as well as the teeth and clawed hand-fins; Jack gasped.
"THERE IT IS!" He struggled with the pole as the fish put up one massive fight pulling and struggling to free itself.
"JAMIE THE NET! IT'S RIGHT THERE GRAB THE NET!" Jamie grabbed the net and shoved it into the water to try and ensnare the thing. It worked and, with Jack helping Jamie, three tugs was all it took before the fish was flopping above on the ice; Jack froze the giant hole so it would not escape, he gasped and made a ice tank big enough for it to move then filled it with water. Jamie quickly helped fill it with water, staring at the monster of a fish they'd brought up.
"Holy that is a giant fish!" It swam around its jaws opening and closing.
"What should we call this thing?"
"I didn't know such a thing existed! Um... Geez... I'd say that's Fishzilla right there..."
"Let's take a picture."
"Yeah, ain't no way anyone else would believe it otherwise." Jamie searched through the gear for a camera to take a picture. Jack stood by the tank, keeping it frozen so it wouldn't break; Jamie finally finds the camera and sets it on a barrel, hitting the timer.
"Okay Fishzilla... say cheese..." He shifted to stand next to Jack so he'd be in the picture too.
Jack smiled and at the right time the fish opened its giant mouth, showing all its teeth; it looked like it was gonna eat them. Jamie took the Polaroid picture, fanning the thing a little as it began to come into focus, he laughed when he saw it.
"That's a great shot! Couldn't have timed that better if I'd tried." He held the picture to Jack for him to see.
"Wow... like imagine if that was us underwater." He looked back at the red eyed "Fishzilla" demon.
"Should we send it back into the water?"
"Yeah... man what a catch though." Jamie stowed away the photo for safe keeping. Jack nodded, opening the hole again.
"Alright on the count of three you push the tank into the water and then I'll seal the hole and free him from the tank."
"Okay... on your count then." Jamie replied, looking at the tank; taking a last look at the huge fish. Jack counts with his fingers.
"1.." He looked at the fish in slight fear because of its frantic swishing.
"2..." He took a deep breadth.
"3!" Jamie shoved the tank into the hole that Jack's opened and it sank like a rock. Jack snapped his fingers and the hole is closed, the tank was gone, as soon as the tank's gone the "Fishzilla" swims away into the black abyss.