Stay

A/n: Very sorry for the late update guys, been to China for holiday and back! I love Catching Fire, its perf! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and followed this story. Please keep reviewing your opinions they're very important. Love you all3 And yes I'm still alive haha

BTW the puppy is a Husky, my favourite!

I love Jack Frost and Justin Bieber. Buy #Journals on iTunes now!

Merry Christmas!

Chapter 11

As the days went by, Jack's leg healed tremendously fast. I changed his bandages and spent most of my time watching television in my room with him. He would sometimes doze off to sleep, and when he was awake we talked about random stuff. I had him help me with my History project. Jack's memory was amazing, he could remember almost everything that happened everywhere, but only within the last three hundred years though. I was still pretty sure I could score a decent A on it. I had also made him change into one of my dad's pants so I could patch up his own with some similar material I found.

After the night we met Pitch, Jack and I never talked about what happened between us. It's almost like he forgot about it the morning we woke up. I had spent almost the whole night thinking about Jack's words. Did he really say it, or was it my mind playing tricks on me? My heart secretly wished it was true. I knew that he did kiss me on the forehead because I felt it, then again it could be my imagination. I sometimes catch myself staring at Jack as he slept peacefully on my bed. So I distracted myself by teaching the little puppy how to do tricks. At night I'd sleep beside him, but there seemed to be an invisible border between us now. He'd sleep on one side and I would take the far other, always trying to resist the urge to move over and cuddle up to him. One afternoon when Jack wasn't awake, I had called up (bf/n) and talked things over with her. She confirmed that what Jack had said was real when I told her about what I thought I heard.

A small bubble started to form in me, only to be burst by Jack himself.

'Well, I guess I'll see you around.' Jack had grabbed his staff and was walking towards the window the moment he could stand without wincing. 'But…are you sure you…can walk properly? I mean, you still look a bit wobbly to me,' I half-whined, a bit shocked that he was leaving so quickly. Jack turned to gaze at me. 'I'm sorry (f/n), but other people need snow days, too. I haven't been doing my job properly these last few days, and I don't want to disappoint anyone around the world.' He reached over and gave my hand a squeeze, trying to cheer me up. 'I'll see you when I do, okay?' I nodded, looking at the ground. I thought he was gone when I heard his voice again. 'Uh (f/n), are you alright?' That's when I noticed I was still holding his hand in mine so tightly until my joints were numb. Jack gently pried my fingers open as I stared at his face, which was so near I could just tilt my head up and kiss it. Instead I hugged him, leaning my head on his shoulder. 'Take care of yourself,' I whispered. Jack locked his arms around my middle. 'I will. You too,' he muttered into my ear. I don't know who let go first, but it was quite some time before we did. I walked him to the window and watched as he flew off into the falling snow. Waiting until he disappeared into the whiteness of the evening, I closed my window and locked it. Then I collapsed onto my bed and sobbed myself to sleep.

I woke up to Diablo licking my face. 'Stop it, boy. I'm awake already.' I got up and almost hit the floor, if it weren't for Diablo cushioning my fall. My eyes were so swollen I couldn't open them so he had to guide me downstairs. I fumbled around in the freezer until I found a pack of ice. Pressing it onto my eyes, I endured the pain and numbness until I could open them again. My eyes landed on the calendar. Thursday 19th November. Almost a full week since I first met Jack. His leg had only taken three days to heal, if he was really telling the truth about it. I was surprised that my feelings for someone could develop so quickly in such a short time. The sky was already dark outside. A chill ran up my spine as thoughts of Pitch and his nightmares seeped into my mind, which was immediately soothed by a small furball nuzzling my hand. 'Why hello, little buddy.' I smiled down at the white fluffy creature, who was trying to stand on its hind legs. I lifted him off the kitchen counter and put him on the ground beside Diablo. Diablo had taken it upon himself to have as little to do with the puppy as he could help it. Except for getting food out of the bag on the floor for it, he seemed to not take any notice of the pup at all. 'What should we name it, Diablo?' I asked him. He snorted and went away. 'Well fine, if that's how you like it. I guess we should just stick to…Buddy. How's that? Like it?' Buddy gave a few short squeaky barks then went off to find Diablo. I heated up a shepherd's pie I bought this morning in the microwave, bringing it up to my room to eat. I was relieved to find the two dogs in there, sleeping on the floor. I really needed company now as my mind was starting to haunt myself with creepy thoughts. I flipped through some books I needed to read for the holidays, trying to concentrate on the tiny little words which seemed to be jumping about. I slammed the book shut then scraped the rest of my dinner up. Too lazy and scared to go down and wash, I quickly brushed my teeth and threw on some bedclothes before rushing back to my room. Shooting a glance at the clock, I groaned. Nine o'clock only? I was totally wide awake thanks to the long nap this evening. Grabbing my phone, I dialled (bf/n)'s number which couldn't be reached even after trying a few times. She must be at a spa in the Bahamas getting a massage or something.

Looking down my contact list, my eyes landed on Cameron's number. I considered pressing 'Call', but a small voice in my head kept my finger hovering above the screen. A thought that this would be like betraying Jack flashed across my mind. This is ridiculous, I thought to myself, but I eventually scrolled past his name.

What about Mom? I hadn't spoken to her or Dad since last week. I felt a bit hurt thinking that they hadn't called me at all before, but wiped away the thought as I pressed down on my mother's number. Beep—beep—'Hello? (f/n) is it you?' I smiled as I heard her voice. 'Yeah mom, it's me all right. What's up?' 'Oh honey, this trip was simply wonderful! Your father has been upgraded as chief executor of his company. Isn't it marvellous?' I sighed. 'That's great, Mom. Help me congratulate him.' I said dryly. 'Oh sweetie, I'm really sorry that you have to go through this every time, being alone and all. But you have your little pooch, right? What was his name again, uh, Daisy?' I almost burst out laughing. 'Mom it's Diablo. Daisy's a name for girls.' 'Oh right. Yes, I see. Well (f/n) darling, I have to hang up now. Your father's calling me. We'll see you soon, okay?' 'Wait, Mom!' I shouted. 'Yes dear, and there's no need to shout like that,' she said with a tone of displease. 'I'm so sorry, but will you be home for Christmas?' She didn't answer right away. 'Mom?' 'Um, I'm very sorry (f/n) but…no, not this time. The work here is not done yet. We'll see you in January, hopefully. Sorry, my love. Goodbye.' Then she hung up on me.

I stared at the phone disbelievingly. I couldn't believe it. They always came home for Christmas! Why did they have to care so much about work when they have a daughter who needs them for the holidays? Frustrated, I threw my phone across the room. It landed with a muffled thud on one of the couches. I surveyed my room. It was bigger than most girls' rooms, too big for my liking actually. It felt lonely to be here by myself, with no friends to invite over. I looked at the two dogs, which had awakened and were sniffing at the ground. At least they had someone whom they could communicate with properly. Only when Jack left did I realize how lonely I really felt inside.

I went to open the cupboard door and dug out the thickest and woolliest blanket I could find. Dragging it towards the window, I wrapped it around myself like a cocoon and wriggled onto the wide windowsill. Sitting with my back against the side wall, I leaned my face onto the freezing glass of the window pane and closed my eyes, trying to relive the happy moments I had with Jack. I had absolutely no idea how long he would be gone, and how long I could stay sane with him not by my side. I really liked him, but I didn't want to ruin the friendship we had. What if we weren't meant for each other? What if we were taking this too quickly? I didn't want to end up like the people in school who only cared about looks and one-night-stands and how many people they could play in a month. It was a miracle that Lauren could stay with Cameron for so long. But something told me Jack wasn't like any of them. I wanted to believe he was special, not cheap and vain like everyone else. Okay maybe a little vain, but under all that he was really charming and kind. I opened my eyes to see the two ice palominos prancing around on the glass table a few feet away from me, their little hooves making tiny clicking sounds on the surface. Turning away from them, I found frost patterns creeping up the glass. I gasped, straightening up and almost losing my balance on the windowsill. I looked into the night sky to see if I could catch a glimpse of Jack. My search resulted in a good neck strain as I spent five minutes craning it around. 'Oh Jack…,' I whispered as I traced the frost with my finger. Slowly, ever so slowly, my head drooped and I fell asleep.

Friday passed with no sign of Jack either. I woke up very early and spent the day at the mall, window shopping and buying a few books at the bookstore. Saturday dawned bright and sunny with no trace of a cloud in the sky. I watched as the sun climbed up the mountains far away, shining rays of light into my face. My sleeping pattern was getting really crazy. I'd sometimes fall asleep on the couch watching TV, which would result in my not being able to sleep until late at night. Then I'd wake up before dawn and not be able to fall back to sleep. This sucked when I was dreaming about Jack. I had tried to force myself to snooze in the hope that the dream would continue. But all in vain.

I dawdled around the house, cleaning up a bit here, wandering about there, clanking on the piano, going outside to trample in puddles made from melted snow. I had no direction at all. My homework pile was down half, but I had no motivation to continue doing it. Finally night came. I dragged myself to bed and plopped down, falling straight to sleep. Big mistake.

The first nightmare hit me unexpectedly. I saw Jack being thrown into a roaring furnace, where he shrieked in agony. I held my hand out to pull him free, but he couldn't see me. When I drew my hand back, it was burnt all over with nothing left but angry red flesh. I screamed.

Then the scene changed abruptly. I was in somebody's house. It looked very familiar. An old man walked out from a back room to sit on the couch in front of me. He picked up a photo from the small table and gazed lovingly at it. Moving to get a better view, I realized I had the same photo at home. It was of my grandfather holding me in his arms. Then was this man…my grandfather? 'Grandpa!' I shouted, waving a hand in front of him. 'It's me, (f/n)! Grandpa!' He obviously couldn't hear me as he put the picture down and lay back on the couch, closing his eyes. I gazed at the face of the person I loved so much. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a black shadow take form. I whipped around to see Pitch, looking the same as he did that night on the field. Grandpa seemed to sense his presence, for he jumped to his feet the moment I turned around. 'What do you want here, Pitch?' Grandpa growled angrily. Pitch gave an evil cackle. 'To have my revenge, of course. You do realize that your believing in the Guardians has been a large nuisance to me?' 'So what? All you bring is fear to the world. You don't deserve to be believed in anyways.' Pitch pursed his thin lips, rolling a strand of black sand around his finger.

'Whatever. You are getting old, anyways. How's about you keep that mouth of yours shut or else she…' Here the black sand flew to the picture Grandpa held earlier and encircled itself around my face. Grandpa's face went white. 'No, not her. Don't you dare hurt my (f/n).' Pitch rolled his eyes. 'Face it, Jeremy. Your belief has brought your own death to you, and I won't stop before all believers are eliminated from the face of this earth!' At this, black sand started to coil around Grandpa, pulling him down to the ground. His hands grabbed at his head as he thrashed around, shouting 'No! Please, leave her alone!' repeatedly. I was terrified out of my skin, bending down beside the wizened old man, trying to shake him to only have my hands disappear through him. 'Wake up, Grandpa! I beg you, wake up!' I screeched myself awake, not able to stop as I sat up in bed, stuffing the covers into my mouth to muffle the sound. Grandpa was being attacked, and I had to get there now. My hands trembled as I threw on my thick coat and boots, scrambling out the door and into the moonlit night. I raced ahead, my mind shouting instructions to my legs. I crossed bridges, ran over a frozen stream, cut across housing areas until I came to a forked path in front of me. Even after all that running, I was shivering. Sweat ran down my forehead and stung my eyes. Kneeling down in the middle of the path, I wrapped my coat tighter around me. Harsh winds whipped my face as my teeth chattered uncontrollably. I should get up, continue down right, and stop that devil from torturing poor Grandpa…

Out of nowhere a pair of hands gripped my shoulders from behind. I screamed, turning around to punch the attacker, only to have a cold hand grasp my fist. The moon shone on the stranger. Jack's calm face met my eyes. '(f/n), what are you doing out here?' he asked firmly. I was speechless, my heart overwhelmed to see him, touch him, have him right in front of me. His lips were pursed in a thin line, his eyes filled with worry and, I think, fear. '(f/n)!' He gave me a small shake. I found my voice. 'Jack! Pitch has my grandfather, he's giving him nightmares. We have to get to him quick!' Jack gave me a look like I was crazy. 'But you told me he was dead,' he whispered calmly. 'No I saw him! He's at home, on the ground. Pitch is making him suffer. Please Jack!' I started to struggle, to escape from his hold, though that was the only thing I had wanted since he left. '(f/n), stop it! Get a hold of yourself.' I couldn't run as Jack firmly pinned me to the cold ground, his body preventing me from getting up. 'Sandy, help me!' he shouted to a small golden man who I hadn't noticed earlier watching us in amazement. He floated over to me and started to sprinkle handfuls of golden sand onto my face. That was all I remember before passing out.

I woke up in a warm red room with a little fire burning in the hearth across from me, still in my loose tee and long pants. My coat and boots were nowhere to be seen. Sitting up, I took in my surroundings. This bed was at least twice the size of my own at home, only it was perfectly round in shape with light blue covers. There were many pillows of different sizes at the head of the bed, and a beautiful sun was carved into the headboard. I ran my finger along the intricate carvings, admiring the workmanship. My eyes looked around to see bookshelves lining the walls which were covered in red of different shades. I moved to the edge of the bed then stood up, instantly falling onto the carpeted floor. My hands gripped onto the bed covers as I shakily stood up, testing the strength of my legs. Deciding I could walk, I edged along the walls until I came to the first shelf. The books were surprisingly clean, with not a speck of dust on them. I skimmed the titles. How to Train Your Reindeer? The Mystical Myth of the White Pegasus? The Tales of Bidouin the Giant and His Many Minion Elves? The more I read the more ridiculous they seemed. 'Where the heck am I?' I wondered aloud when I heard someone open the door to my left. Jack stood in the doorway, his hands holding a small tray. He looked towards the bed, then caught sight of me beside the bookshelf. Jack quickly set the tray on the bedside table, his surprised eyes never leaving mine as he closed the distance between us in three strides.

'Jack—' His cold lips crashed down on mine as he snaked his arms around my waist, pulling me in toward him. I desperately kissed him back, bringing my hands up to touch his hair and face, at the same time trying to remain standing on my weak legs. Jack seemed to sense that I couldn't hold on any longer, so he picked me up and carried me to the bed, his lips never leaving mine. As he lay me down, I playfully bit his lower lip, sending a moan through the winter spirit. Jack's hand cupped my chin as he slowly licked my lips with his cold tongue, his bright eyes bearing into mine. I opened my mouth, having no clue why I did, then almost yelped as I felt Jack's tongue slide in between my teeth. He explored my mouth as I lay there dumbstruck, not knowing what to do. It was weird having someone else's tongue in me like this. I decided to copy Jack again. As I was about to venture into his mouth, his tongue forced mine out of the way as a low growl ripped from his throat. Startled yet angry in some way, I pushed back harder. This must have surprised Jack as he withdrew his tongue. I kissed him lightly on the lips before having my way with him, feeling his perfect teeth and savouring his cool wintry taste. I looked up to see Jack's eyes closed. Was he…enjoying this? I felt his hands on my face, then entwined in my hair. A small warning bell in the back of my head told me this was enough, but I didn't want to listen. I cupped Jack's smooth face with my hands, withdrawing my tongue from his mouth as I kissed him gently. Jack's hands moved to take mine, removing them from his face, pinning them to my sides. He broke the kiss and we tried to catch our breath, our eyes looking into each other the whole time. I whined a bit at him pulling away as Jack gave a satisfied grin, pulling me up and sitting down beside me. 'Well, looks like you haven't cracked for real yet.' I frowned. 'What do you mean?' Jack got up and brought the tray he placed on the table to me. 'Here, you have to eat something.'

He set the gold tray on his lap and gave me a chocolate cookie. I took it and examined it curiously. The cookie was big and perfectly round with lots of little chocolate chips on it. My stomach growled and I bit my lip, glancing at Jack. He just gazed at me with this amused smirk on his face. Taking a huge bite of the cookie, I was mindblown by the deliciousness it offered. I munched the rest in three bites, then moved on to the others. There was also a large cup of warm milk to wash it down with. As I ate and drank, Jack stroked my hair and hummed soft tunes which I'd never heard before. I decided to nibble slowly on the last cookie as Jack returned the tray to the table.

'Feeling better?' he asked me. I nodded as I moved closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder. 'So what happened?' I looked up at his face. Jack smiled down at me as he took my free hand in both of his. 'You…ran out of your house, to your grandfather's I suppose, with only an extra coat on, sprinted phenomenally fast for almost a mile then stooped down at a fork in the path. I flew down to see if you were okay when you wanted to punch me. So I had no choice but to make Sandy put you to sleep.' I frowned at him. 'Yeah, I do remember that. But who's Sandy? And what were you up to the last couple of days?' Jack bit his lip, making me subconsciously lick mine. He didn't seem to notice as he remained silent. 'Jack?' I nudged at him. He raised his eyebrows and sighed deeply. 'I sent snow days around the world then spent the night talking to Sandy, the Sandman. Didn't you see him?' I wondered. 'That little golden man that send mounds of sand onto my face?' Jack nodded. 'He's really the Sandman?!' I sat up, looking at him disbelievingly. 'Hey (f/n) cool down. The other Guardians are outside and you'll be meeting them in a while, so don't freak out.' I almost choked on the last bit of cookie I had shoved into my mouth. Jack thumped my back as I finally swallowed, regretting that I finished the milk so soon. 'Where are we?' I blurted, ashamed of being so unlady-like. 'Why we're in North's house, (f/n). This was the only other place I had in mind after finding out you'd locked your window.' So he carried me all the way here, to the North Pole? I blushed slightly at the thought, then noticed something fishy. 'Wait, how'd you know where I was? Were you following me?' Jack bowed his head, a slight tinge of pink on his pale cheeks. 'Yeah I was. Every night I'd check on you before going off with Sandy. We were passing your place last night when I saw you running out like crazy. So we followed you.' He cleared his throat. 'I left so that we wouldn't, or rather I wouldn't get too attached to you. And also I was scared Pitch would harm you more because of me being near you. You know he hates me.'

This was all too much to take in. 'Jack, even though you were gone, Pitch still gave me nightmares. I don't think it's because of you, because he must hate me too. And my grandfather.' I told him everything about my second nightmare, the first one I pushed into the back of my mind. 'So I think he's getting revenge on Grandpa, but I don't know why. It's all too confusing.' I buried my face in my hands, then looked back up at Jack. 'Why would you think it was because of you?' He seemed to be struggling to tell me something. His hands grasped mine tightly, then relaxed as he spilled it out. 'Because I love you so much I'm afraid he would use you to hurt me.' I was shocked, covering my hand with my mouth. So it was real that he loved me? Pain and sheer disappointment shot through Jack's watery eyes as he watched me move away. I grabbed a big pillow and bit onto it, gripping it in between my legs and chest as I curled into a ball and rocked backwards and forwards on the bed. I was so glad that he did love me back, even though I had never told him I loved him before. Which I so did. Now I had to make the biggest decision I'd ever made in my life up till this time. Relaxing my jaw on the poor pillow, I moved back to where Jack was sitting with his head in his hands. He looked so forlorn and beautiful I desperately wanted to make him happy again, to see that amazing smile of his.

'Jack.' I took his hands away from his face. He gazed at me through teary eyes, his nose pink from crying. I knew this was all my fault for holding back so long. 'Are you okay? Please don't cry.' I pleaded him, wiping a tear rolling down his face. Man, he looked hot even in this state. Jack stood up and looked at me, his cold hand stroking my cheek before sliding it down to cup my chin. 'You rest for a while. I won't bother you any longer.' I stared at him as he made his way over to the door. Just as he turned the doorknob, I jumped up and marched over to him, taking his shoulder and turning him around to face me. I pried his hand off the knob and pinned it to his side, my other arm clutching the front of his hoodie. 'Stop. You didn't even listen to what I have to say.' I demanded as he tried to struggle free. I pushed him harder against the door, amazed by my own strength. 'Jack, you have to stop putting all the blame onto yourself. Really, you couldn't have stopped the nightmares from coming even if you tried. And stop acting like you're PMSing, you've been doing that a lot lately.' Jack gave me a slightly bemused expression. I bit my lip, then loosened my hold on his clothes. 'I'm sorry for being so…slow in understanding how you felt about me, because I didn't even know how I myself felt about you, and I'm really sorry for hurting you like this…' I looked away and would have rambled on if Jack had not reached a hand out to turn my face towards him. 'Say what you want to say,' he uttered reassuringly in his warm voice. I sucked in a huge breath then collapsed into him. Jack's arm caught me just as my legs buckled. '(f/n), what happened to you?' he exclaimed. Freeing his other hand from his side, he locked me firmly in his grasp. I clung onto his shoulders, all my fierceness and confidence gone. Nuzzling into his chest, I breathed in the comforting smell of winter air and pine cones. 'I'm fine, Jack,' I smiled into him, the whole of my body shaking.

'Do you want to lie down? You're trembling,' he said in a worried voice. I took deep breaths and tried to force energy into my legs. This was so embarrassing, but maybe it'd make me appear more cute and appealing. Haha right, I thought to myself. I slowly tilted my head up to see Jack's face not more than two inches away, staring down at me anxiously. My head quickly lowered to the frost patterns on his hoodie front as I felt my cheeks get warm. 'Jack?' I murmured. He lifted my head up gently so my (e/c) eyes just had to meet his warm blue ones. 'I want to say that, even if you think you're the cause of my nightmares, you can help me get through them too.' Jack frowned, his perfect eyebrows knitting together. 'How can I?' he mumbled, a bit taken aback. I bit my lip. I had to say this right now. 'Because…because I need you. You're the only one who can comfort me.' I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer than we had ever been. 'I love you, Jack. Could I be your girlfriend?' My voice was so soft I almost couldn't hear it myself. Now I was scared, really scared. Maybe he wouldn't want me anymore? I thought I was imagining things when I felt his heart seem to beat faster. Jack put his head on mine as he kissed my hair. Gently pulling away, he pursed his lips at me, a bit of a scowl on his face. 'Hmm, I'll have to think about it, considering you might crack anytime soon.' I put on a fierce glare, trying to figure out if he was joking when a delighted grin lit up on his face. He kissed me on my forehead as he laughed, '(f/n) I'll be more than happy to be your boyfriend, even if you do go crazy.' A tear rolled down my cheek as I rolled my eyes at him. 'Don't scare me like that. You don't know how I almost died when you were gone.' I choked out, clinging onto him like my life depended on it. And it did.

'You were gonna die?' Jack mumbled into my hair. I nodded my head, sobbing for a bit. 'Please don't do that again.' I murmured into his chest. I felt Jack chuckle. 'Of course I won't. But you'll have to pay me with more pizza.' I scowled up at him as he smiled cheekily. Disgusted, I gave him a small punch on the shoulder. 'You're the worst person on earth.' I said through gritted teeth. But Jack just smirked annoyingly at me, his thumbs tracing little circles on my cheeks. 'But you love me,' he breathed, leaning his forehead on mine. It was all I could do to not smash my lips against his, which were only an inch away and looked very tempting. 'I hate you,' I shot back, tearing my gaze back to his eyes, which had a kind of wild, hungry look in them. 'No, you love me. You said so earlier.' Jack said as his hands slid slowly down to the small of my back. I could feel his coldness seep through my thin clothes and hit my skin. I hoped I wasn't drooling, because that was a hard thing to control when you have an ultra handsome and seductive winter spirit just an inch away from kissing you. 'Shut up,' I ordered, though I knew it was no use. Jack gave a small growl, his eyes darting down to glance at my slightly open mouth, then coming back up to gaze at me. 'Make me,' his husky voice sending shivers up and down my spine. This was too much. If he wanted me to shut him up, then that's what he'd get.

I attacked him with a kiss so sudden even I got startled. Jack crashed back against the door, resulting in a deafening bang, but I didn't care. I licked his lower lip, making him open up for me to slide my tongue in again. Jack moaned softly as one of his hands reached up to my neck, while both my hands travelled up to his hair. I tugged at the soft white locks I loved so much, making Jack frown and kiss me harder. Our lips parted for air, then joined together again. Jack reached down to my thighs and hitched them up on either side of him, holding me as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I liked this new position and smiled into the kiss. Jack turned around, pushing me against the red wall beside the door. His lips broke contact with mine as he gave me a one-sided smirk which always made my head faint and my palms sweaty. Then he tilted his head to my left, trailing soft kisses up along my jawbone to my neck. I bit my lip as I tried to make sense of what he was doing. This foreign sensation felt so good, I wanted more. I jumped a bit when I felt Jack nip the delicate skin on my collarbone. Trying to hold in a large moan, I closed my eyes as he slowly bit and sucked on that spot.

A large knock on the door brought us back to our senses. 'Is everything alright in there? I heard a bang,' a booming voice with a heavy Russian accent resonated in our ears. Jack put me down and gave me a kiss on my forehead. 'You know, if annoying you like that results in a kiss, I'd do it again in a heartbeat,' he smirked. I just rolled my eyes. 'Go lie down,' he smiled at me before walking towards the door. I skipped over to the bed and immersed myself in the midst of a sea of pillows. 'Jack!' the voice thundered, almost scaring the living daylights out of me. 'Coming, North.' Jack turned the knob and I caught a glimpse of a white beard and a red suit before he closed the door behind him. I gaped. Did I just see Santa? I started to hyperventilate, my mind whirling and wondering how the other Guardians would look like. Before long, the door opened and Jack walked in. 'They all want to see you, (f/n). Come on.' He held out a hand to me. Taking it, I stood up and smoothed my hair and clothes. 'How do I look?' I asked him. 'You look beautiful, as always,' Jack complimented. I blushed, but I just had to get my hands on a mirror. I turned to see a dresser on the other side of the bed. Why hadn't I noticed that before? Still holding his hand, I dragged him over to the large oval mirror on the wooden dresser. Everything looked fine, when my eyes travelled down to see a reddish mark where Jack bit me. Crap, there goes my life. My tank top couldn't ever cover that. Now Santa would see it and put me on the naughty list thinking I had done that thing with the winter spirit and my reputation would be ruined and the other Guardians would hate me and—

'Hey slow down. Just get a scarf or something,' Jack was giving me one of his amused looks. I figured I had been thinking my thoughts out loud again. Jack held a hand up and gently brushed his fingers against the bruised skin, then walked over to a mahogany wardrobe a few feet from the dresser. After some fumbling around, he brought out a magnificent purple silk scarf. He wrapped it loosely around my neck, hiding the mark under the soft material. 'Just say your throat doesn't feel very good,' Jack smirked at me. I grinned and nodded, planting a small kiss on his cheek. 'Thank you,' I whispered in his ear. The faintest of blushes appeared on Jack's face then quickly disappeared. He pulled me into a tight hug, his body pressed onto mine as he rocked us to and fro gently. '(f/n), about that thing, you do know I'm perfectly fine with it, right?' Eww, this was way too disgusting. I pulled away and stuck my tongue out at him. 'TMI, Jack!' I shouted. He simply laughed before pulling me to the door and out of the room. He led me down a broad hallway with different doors scattered on both walls. Our footsteps could hardly be heard on the thick, heavily patterned carpet beneath us. After climbing down a large flight of steps, I followed Jack to a pair of tall, imposing doors which seemed to be made of gold. He turned to me to see my teeth chattering. 'It's okay, princess. They're gonna love you.' I almost snorted. 'Jack, charming people isn't exactly one of my best traits.' I fiddled with the tassels on the end of my scarf. 'Well, you charmed me, and that's really something already,' he encouraged me. I gave a small smile, my heart pulsing fast. Jack took my hand, and after giving me a peck on the lips, knocked on the door. 'Yes, come in!' the same huge voice boomed. The door opened of its own accord and we walked in.

I entered a room about three quarters the size of a football field. Awed by the vastness of it, I looked up to find a massive chandelier hanging from the ceiling. A few queer figures surrounded the round table in the centre of the room, staring at Jack and me. All this I took in before a flash of green and purple engulfed me in a hug. 'Oh Jack she's so beautiful!' a sweet, musical voice chirruped. The person loosened her embrace and held me at arm's length. She was very pretty with bright purple eyes and a long nose. Her smile showed two rows of little pearly teeth. Peering behind her, I saw two large wings fluttering which explained her hovering above ground. She was covered with colourful feathers except for her face and hands. 'Let me guess, you're the Toothfairy?' I questioned her. 'Toothiana, I told you to contain yourself and not scare the poor girl!' The voice, which surly belonged to Santa, boomed out. 'Oh North, she's not scared! She looks absolutely adorable.' The Toothfairy smiled at me, her eyes seeming to laugh. 'Yes I'm the Toothfairy dear, but you can call me Tooth. Don't you remember me?'

Remember her? I was pretty sure I'd never set foot in this place before. Finding Jack at the table, I raised an eyebrow at him. He just shrugged, looking as confused as I felt. 'Uh, I don't think I've seen you before,' I said slowly. Tooth cocked her head at me. 'But you did. You came here before.' After gazing at me strangely, she let it go. 'Let me check something first,' she quipped before opening my mouth and peering inside. I was too stunned to shout or fight or do anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack snickering. Tooth whispered to herself, 'Oh my, you haven't been flossing, have you? Is that a cavity I see? Well there is only one.' Finally she let me go. I massaged my chin, testing my jaw to see if it still worked after her iron grasp on me. 'You must take better care of your teeth, (f/n). I see signs of more cavities in there. Stay away from sugary substances and floss at least once a day.' She was really starting to sound exactly like my dentist. What did I expect? Heck, she was the Toothfairy herself. 'But how do you know my name?' I inquired.

'We all do,' came an Australian accented voice from the round table. Tooth took my hand and led me to where the other Guardians were seated. I took a chair next to Jack, who put an arm around my shoulder. Tooth sat on my other side and kept shooting inquisitive glances at me. The person who just spoke was a bunny. Really, a huge bunny about six feet or taller, with large long ears and huge feet which I noticed from under the table. He was staring at me with piercing eyes, making me want to dig a hole and bury myself. Santa, or North, stood up and surveyed the table. 'You are cold, (f/n)?' he raised his eyebrows at my scarf. 'Uh…I don't feel really good in my throat,' I squeaked, hoping(f/n), we all heard about your little incident last night, and before we move on to more urgent matters, I must introduce you to all of us again.' Again? What did he mean by that?

'First, I am North, or better known to you as Santa Claus.' The burly man beamed down at me. His snow white beard poured over his chest, and his arms were tattooed with the words "naughty" and "nice". This was getting balmier by the minute. I looked up at the man dressed in bright red and felt a sense of comfort despite being totally unprepared for this. He felt like a grandfather to me. Then he gestured to the Sandman who was waving at me, a delighted smile on his golden face. 'This is Sandy.' I smiled back at him. 'Hey Sandy. Sorry about last night, I didn't make a very good impression eh?' A few images popped up above the Sandman's head. 'He said it's okay and that he likes you very much,' North translated. I laughed a little. 'I like you too, Sandy,' I replied. He blushed a little and continued to beam.

'The oversized kangaroo is Bunnymund. No prizes for guessing what he actually is, though.' I heard Jack declare with a grin in his voice. The bunny turned to glare at Jack. 'I thought we'd settled this the last time, Frosty,' he fumed. Jack gave a low chuckle and held me tighter. 'Now stop it, you both.' North warned in his deep voice. I turned to see Jack stick his tongue out at Bunnymund, earning a scowl from the latter. 'Jack,' I pleaded him. 'It's okay, (f/n). We do this all the time,' he explained. I gave Bunny an apologetic look. The Easter Bunny gave a small nod at me, then turned his glare back to Jack. North sighed at them both. 'And last is Tooth, which you have already met.' I grinned at the hummingbird human beside me, who gave me a sweet smile.

'Now it is time to tell you something serious, (f/n). You don't seem to remember us at all, though you had met us before.' Everyone was looking at me now. The tassels on my scarf were in the real danger of tearing off as I tugged at them. 'Yeah, you're right.' I mumbled. Santa huffed a sigh, 'Let's put it this way, you had come here before with your grandfather, whose life was taken by Pitch when you were seven. The police couldn't figure out the cause of his death, so they deemed it as natural. Your parents didn't tell you because they thought you were too young to understand. As your grandfather was the elder one of the last two believers at the time the Boogeyman wanted to take over the world, he was finished off first. That was right before Jamie and his friends managed to defeat him, with the help of Jack who was then officially appointed Guardian right away.'

'What?!' Jack shouted. 'Why wasn't I told all of this?' he fumed. 'We thought it would be best if you didn't know, for frankly you are a bit impulsive and would surely set out to avenge a believer,' North replied quietly. I was lost in thought when I felt Jack nudge me lightly, making me realize that everyone was looking at me for a response. 'Oh,' I choked, nodding stiffly. There was an uneasy silence before North cleared his throat. Facing me, he spoke, 'I think I speak for all the Guardians when I say that your visit, though sudden, has been a pleasure to us.' Murmurs and signs of agreement sounded around the table, with Sandy nodding his head vigorously and beaming at me silently. I gave a small genuine grin. 'Hey it's been great meeting you all too. And thanks for taking care of me.' North shook his head. 'I only provided the room, and Sandy the dream sand. You'll have to thank Jack for the excellent care.' I turned to see the winter spirit with his head down, examining his staff for splinters that weren't there. 'Thank you, Jack,' I took one of his hands and gave it a squeeze. 'It was nothing, just wanted to repay you for, you know, healing my leg.' Jack glanced at me, his smooth cheeks a cute pink. I leaned over and kissed them, blushing a bit myself. 'It was just a bandage.'

'It was the work of skilled hands, my child,' North piped. 'Your Jack wouldn't have survived if you had not kept your head and helped him.' My Jack? My eyes caught sight of the burly man giving me a knowing wink. I saw Tooth grinning from ear to ear as she looked at Jack and me. Sandy had a big heart sign above his serene face. Bunny just sat there with his mouth wide open, an eye twitching. Jack leapt out of his seat all of a sudden. 'Everyone,' he announced, his large hand locked with mine. 'Everyone, I want to say that (f/n) is the best girl I've ever met in my entire life. She's caring, beautiful, funny and smart all rolled into one. Now if it pleases you all, I'd like to make our relationship official. (f/n) is my girlfriend!' With that he bent down and gave me a sudden sweet kiss on the lips, leaving my head spinning when he pulled away. 'Oh, Jack! I feel so happy for you,' exclaimed Tooth as she went to give Jack a hug, planting a motherly kiss onto his cheek. She turned to me and engulfed me with her long arms, whispering into my ear, 'Do take care of him now, dear. He's a fine man, just difficult to handle sometimes.' I smiled reassuringly at Tooth as she removed herself from me. 'I'm sure I can manage,' I whispered back. North was crushing Jack in his big tatted limbs, releasing him only to ruffle his hair making it splay in every direction. Jack freed himself and looked over to see me giggling at the mess on his head which only added to his adorableness. He smoothed his locks and smirked at me.

Sandy floated over and took my hand, giving it a kiss. 'He's sending you his best wishes,' interpreted Tooth, reading the rapid signs above the golden head. Then he bowed gracefully, looking so grave and serious I had to stifle a laugh to not offend him. I tried to curtsy my best, thrilled at the approving nod he sent my way before going off to Jack. Looks like watching black-and-white movies really pay off. The Easter Bunny sauntered over to me, his warm grey eyes twinkling. 'You take care of yourself, mate. Don't let him get to your head too much,' he warned, eyes sparkling. I hugged the furry bunny, feeling the softness of his grey and white fur. He seemed so much like a brother already. 'Aww I won't, Bunny. Jack won't hurt me or anything. I trust him.' I felt the big paws hugging me back. 'Hey kanga, trying to steal my girl?' We broke away from each other to see Jack standing beside us with crossed arms. It was hard to tell if he was joking or serious.

I chuckled. 'Everything's okay, Jack. I'm still yours, don't worry.' At this he smiled warmly at me, fingers gently cupping my chin. 'I love you so much, you know,' he murmured, wrapping an arm around my waist. I blushed, really needing to get used to this. 'Sup, furry?' he turned to Bunnymund who rolled his eyes. 'Your big face,' was the retort. Jack frowned then threw a newly made snowball at the pooka's face. Bunny yelped, but lost no time in throwing a brightly coloured egg at the winter spirit. Jack let go of me and jumped away as the egg hit the high back of a chair. Soon the room was a flurry of eggs and snowballs. Nothing but North's frightening holler stopped them from attacking one another. 'You two should be ashamed of yourselves,' he scolded before apologising to me. 'It's alright, North. I think it was quite funny.' I grinned as I looked at the two rivals, one stained with egg while the other dripped melted snow onto the carpet.

They both looked ashamed of themselves. But when North's back was turned, Jack quickly wiped his egged hands clean on Bunnymund's wet fur. He was about to avenge himself when North came back with a small bag in his hands. 'Come on, (f/n). It's time we go.' Jack walked over to me. I burst out laughing. 'I am not gonna let you carry me in this state,' I gasped as I gestured to his body which was covered in egg. Jack pursed his lips and spun round to face Bunny. 'See what you did? Now I can't even touch her, thanks to you,' he complained. Bunny just gave a wry smile. 'That ain't my problem, mate,' he smirked before tapping twice on the floor. A hole appeared next to him and he jumped in before Jack's hands could grab hold of him. The dark hole closed, leaving a beautiful forget-me-not in its place.

'Dang it,' Jack cursed. North just shook his head at them then reached into the bag, producing a fine snow globe. 'I was figuring you may need this, (f/n),' he informed as he handed it to me. 'A snow portal?' I asked amazed, holding onto the perfect sphere. North nodded. 'Just throw it.' I bit my lip, closing my eyes as I threw it in front of me. A gust of wind hit my face and I wowed at the large tornado of colours. Tooth came hurrying up to me. 'You almost forgot these,' she said while handing me my coat and boots. I thanked her, deciding to put them on to ease the job. I heard Jack groan about the unfairness of having to use the blasted portal again. Giggling, I grabbed his hand and pulled him close. After saying our goodbyes, Jack and I stepped into the portal and North's house vanished.

I felt being whirled around in a multicolour tube, zooming through miles and miles of space. All in a second I tumbled out onto my bed, gasping for air. Jack came falling on top of me before the portal disappeared. 'Ouch, Jack,' I groaned, pushing him off me. He playfully nipped my nose before getting off the bed. Fumbling around in my closet, I pulled out a sea blue hoodie that didn't fit me and a pair of light brown pants, putting North's scarf inside until I could return it. 'Here, go for a bath,' I told Jack as I handed him the clothing. He leaned his staff in a corner of the room. 'You're missing something, (f/n)…' He smirked at me, accepting and looking over the clothes. 'What?' I puzzled, then the answer clicked. I rolled my eyes and gave Jack a push which made him laugh. Going upstairs again into my parent's room, I rummaged about in my dad's drawers until I found where he stashed his…boxers. My hand randomly snatched up a box of new ones and threw it at him. 'Pick one and put it back,' I blushed furiously. Jack burst out laughing as he pinched my left cheek. 'You are so cute, do you know that?' he grinned. I pursed my lips and walked back to my room.

Diablo and his little friend had made themselves comfortable on my bed when I went in. 'Hello, my dears,' I smiled at them both. Buddy barked his cute little bark and raced to me, pawing at my feet. Picking him up, I kissed the delicate nose and ruffled his fur. Diablo barked too, demanding attention. I carried Buddy over and sat down on my bed. 'Yes Diablo, I didn't forget you at all,' I cooed as I scratched his favourite spot behind his ears. Taking a book, I settled down and enjoyed the quiet time with my pets.

I was reaching the exciting part of the storyline when someone yelling 'COMIN THROUGH!' crashlanded onto me, sending Diablo and Buddy scurrying off my bed. 'Jack Frost!' I exclaimed with the bit of breath that wasn't knocked out of me. I felt his cold body against mine and shivered. 'Yes baby?' he smiled. My heart leaped when I heard him call me that. Jack looked really good in the hoodie I lent him, bits of frost were already forming around the collar. 'Why in the world did you just do that? You almost gave me a heart attack!' I shouted. 'I'm sorry, ma'am,' he pouted, looking at me all so puppy-eyed that my heart melted at once. 'Oh it's alright, Jack,' I comforted, stroking his cheek. He gave me a sly grin and I knew that I'd fallen into his silly cunning little trap. I rolled my eyes as he chuckled, his cool fingers tracing circles onto my cheeks. Jack's blue orbs darted down to my lips then back up to meet my gaze. I was really amazed at how he good he was at getting me undone even when I resolved to be firm.

Jack slowly leaned down and put his lips on mine. My eyes closed as I smiled unconsciously, for I secretly wanted to feel him kiss me again. He took my lower lip between his cold ones and gently sucked on it, making my eyebrows knit together. My hands went to his damp hair, running them through the white locks. Jack cupped my face as he moved up to kiss my nose, then leaned his forehead on mine, gazing into my eyes. 'I feel so lucky to have you as my girlfriend, (f/n),' he whispered. I was at a loss for words as I never imagined someone would actually tell me that. So I just smiled and kissed his nose back, startling him. He quickly got up to hide the obvious blush appearing on his pale face. 'Hey do you have a hairdryer anywhere? I have to dry mine quick or it'll turn into ice soon.' I giggled at the thought and took the dryer out of my drawer and plugged it in. 'You control the temperature here and the speed here,' I explained while showing him the buttons. Then I went downstairs to heat up some macaroni as I was starving.

I was about to eat my first mouthful when I heard a yell from upstairs. Quickly running up to check on Jack, I burst out laughing at the sight before me. The winter spirit had somehow gotten a few locks of hair on the side was sucked into the other end of the dryer. He was trying to pry it out as I stood their laughing out tears. 'Uh a little help here, (f/n)?' I could tell he was annoyed, but he looked hilarious, sitting on my bed and looking at me with a helpless face. 'Alright, good thing you had the sense to turn it off. Just hold still,' I forced out between giggles. Most of his hair was gently coaxed out with no problem, but a couple were sucked in quite deep. 'Well there's nothing else to do but to cut it, Jack,' I informed him. 'Oh okay, just get this thing off me. I don't really care about my hair anyway,' replied Jack. 'But it's your beautiful hair! I'd be so devastated if I had to cut mine.' He just scoffed. '(f/n), it's just hair to me. The only reason I keep it is because it never grows so I don't have to tend to it.' I uttered a small 'oh' as I got out my scissors. 'Wait, you like my hair?' Jack said as I positioned the dryer so as little hair as possible needed to be cut. 'Yeah, it's just so unbelievably soft.' And it makes you look so unbelievably sexy. Oh stop it, (f/n)! I thought to myself fiercely.

'Well it can't be helped, baby. I'm sorry though,' he said with an apologetic look. 'It's okay, Jack. You do look funny though.' I grinned. Snip snip went the scissors, and Jack's hair was cut off, along with a bit of my heart. 'There, it doesn't look to bad,' I commented. The change wasn't that obvious except for some shorter strands on the side, so I could still live with it. Jack ran his fingers through it, messing the white mop up. 'Thanks, (f/n).' He stood up and took my hand as we walked downstairs. I ate my already cold macaroni as Jack made friends with Buddy under the watchful eye of Diablo. The friendly husky took to him at once, nuzzling into his lap while Diablo observed Jack carefully as the winter spirit played with his new friend.

I finished and went up to my room to complete the last bit of homework. Getting sick of it, I flung down my pen and sighed. A pair of cold hands covered my eyes from behind. 'Jack I know it's you,' I drawled out tiredly. Jack chuckled and let go as I stood up from my chair. Looking at him, I gave a very unladylike snort then started laughing as I looked at his hair and remembered the funny incident earlier. Jack looked bewildered, then caught on as his scowled at me. 'I-I'm sorry, Jack, but it's just-just so funny, ahaha.' I held my stomach as I shook uncontrollably. Suddenly Jack carried me up and plopped me down on my bed. 'Fine, you wanna laugh?' he smirked as he started tickling me. I laughed even harder, beating at him to stop as his cold fingers tickled my sides.

'Oh my gosh Jack stop it!' I laughed, noticing his long hoodie strings as I tried to lift myself up. Getting an idea, I reached to his back and pulled the hood over his head. Then before he could react, I tightened the strings, making the cap close tight over his face. Jack exclaimed and stopped tickling me, struggling to pull the hood off. The sight was too hilarious. I clutched at myself as I guffawed at Jack. He had pulled his head free and was glaring at me with wild eyes, his hair pointing everywhere. Something about him made the situation seem not that funny anymore. My laughs slowly faded as I looked back at Jack, who was cocking his head slightly and frowning at me. 'So you want to play it like that, sweetie?' he purred as a small smirk formed on his lips. Then my mind started to go crazy as he started to take off his hoodie.

'Oh my gosh, crap…' I whispered as my eyes grazed down the perfect toned torso of the Jack Frost, the winter spirit. There were hot guys at my school, but what they had was no match for what was in front of me. 'Unfortunately (f/n), I'd rather play it my way, and I can't have you spoiling my dignity like that, can't I?' I nodded timidly. 'I'm sorry.' Jack smiled and kissed my nose. 'I didn't really feel comfortable in that thing anyway. But I still have to punish you though,' Jack tossed the hoodie away somewhere in the dark. Wait, weren't the lights on? I glanced at the switches and noticed Diablo had climbed on top of a chair and turned it off. Then with a slight shake of his head, he led a little yapping Buddy out of my room and closed the door. 'What? Diablo, you can't betray me like this!' I shouted after him. I wanted to get out of here, but the dirty little piece of my mind kept me on the bed eyeing my boyfriend's body. Jack chuckled at me. 'I'm not going to hurt you (f/n),' he whispered into my ear. 'Oh, okay,' I squeaked weakly as I tried to tear my gaze away from his perfection. The both of us were bathed in beautiful silvery moonlight which glinted off his pale white skin. His toned abs and eight-pack were flawless, obvious but not to the extent of being overwhelming. '(f/n)?' Jack touched my cheek. 'Hmm what huh?' I looked up to see Jack staring at me quizzically. 'You seem to really like what you see,' he teased, grinning at me. I couldn't think straight anymore. Jack's hair was falling in his face making me become all the more undone. My head nodded subconsciously as I bit my lip. 'Gosh, (f/n) you're so cute,' Jack smiled before starting his torture on me again.

I screamed as he tickled my sides and tummy, his cold fingers never stopping. I should have known this was coming. Jack grinned in satisfaction as he pinned me down on the bed, preventing me from moving around and escaping him. 'How do you like this game, (f/n)?' he taunted playfully, giving me a moment to take a breath before continuing the dreaded tickles. I bit my lip and gave him a sharp poke on the side. He cringed back, and I seized the chance. My fingers ran over his cold body as I avenged myself, forcing Jack into peals of helpless laughter. Getting up, he was going to run away when I grabbed his hands and pulled him back. He tried to catch my hands but all in vain. I was enjoying myself when he finally locked his arms around me and pinned me down again. We both laughed hysterically, eventually stopping to catch our breaths. Jack was smiling and gazing at me with those radiantly blue eyes of his. I cupped his cheek as he smoothed down his wild hair, all the time gazing at me. 'Don't use my weak spot on me,' he pleaded. 'I won't if you do too,' I replied, smiling at him. Jack nodded and leaned down to kiss my lips. I kissed him back sweetly, putting my arms around his neck. Jack released his arms from my waist and moved them to my hair, curling strands around his fingers. Our lips broke apart then joined back together in a more heated kiss. Jack's tongue roughly brushed against my lips and I let him in. His thumbs softly rubbed my cheekbones as he explored my mouth greedily.

My hands started to work their own way down his neck to his shoulders, feeling the firm muscles there. I was scared to go further, like I was crossing the line on some unwritten rule of where I could touch the winter spirit. That sounded really wrong. Jack's lips left mine and moved to scatter light kisses on my jawline, then my neck,

occasionally nipping at the skin there. Well YOLO, I thought as my hand began slowly grazing down his chest. His fine smooth skin felt like silk underneath my fingers as I reached his abs. I kept running my hand down, feeling the contour of his muscles. When I reached his eight-pack, Jack gave a small moan. I panicked and stopped touching him there. Jack looked up at me and scowled. I tentatively put my hand back on him, giving him a small smile. He just frowned and went back to kissing my neck. I started to run my hand gently up and down his pack, my nails involuntarily grazing them. Jack suddenly bit down on my neck so hard I yelped. He murmured a sorry against my skin and licked the spot apologetically. I wasn't sure I was going to be ready to see how it'd look like in the morning.

Running my hand back up his chest, I tangled both in Jack's mop of soft hair. He broke contact with my neck and kissed my lips again. I cupped his face and smiled into the kiss. 'I love you Jack,' I mumbled. He broke away and kissed my forehead tenderly. 'I love you more than words can say (f/n). I'm so glad to have met you.' He rolled off me and pulled me close so my back was pressing against his cold chest. It was comforting, but direct contact with Jack's bare body was really making me shiver. 'I'm cold, Jack,' I muttered. He got off the bed and I sat up. Jack picked up the hoodie I lent him earlier and handed it to me. Slipping it on, I whiffed Jack's winter smell and grinned to myself. 'What's funny?' he asked, lying down next to me. I hugged my knees and looked back at him. 'Nothing. I just like your smell,' I giggled. I lay down next to Jack and pulled the covers up over me. He put an arm over me and I cuddled up to him, kissing his cheek. We lay there in silence, my head on his chest while he stroked my hair.

'Jack, have you ever wished you could become human again?' The question popped out of my mind. His stroking movement stopped and I was afraid that he was offended. 'I…don't know. I mean, I don't even know if Manny would really let it happen…' he said slowly. 'What do you mean? You've asked him before?' My voice rose a little in excitement. Jack sighed. 'I…we talked about it before.' I looked up at him shyly. 'Jack, I know this is selfish, but I just…I don't want you to go when winter ends.' My voice broke at the last word. Jack's eyes had a worried, sad look in them as he held me tighter and brushed my hair away from my face. 'I don't want to leave you too, (f/n). You're all I really have in this world.' He caressed my cheek, gazing at me lovingly yet troubled. A cold hand traced its way up to where he bit me on my neck. Jack bowed down and planted gentle kisses on the delicate spot. 'We'll find a way, my love. You should sleep now.' Jack moved to kiss my lips affectionately. Then I drifted off to sleep in his arms, shielded against the night and all bad dreams.