Lazing around on the rooftop, Jack watched little Jade make a snowman in the courtyard bellow. She did not know he was there and he planned on keeping it that way. In the many years since he became a Guardian, he learned that it was better to keep his distance with children. Else they might have a hard time growing up. He did not go out of his way to avoid being seen, and certainly Jade had seen him before, but when they did, he gave them a wave, a wink and a flurry of snow before moving on.

He watched, though. He always had and he always would. But even when they did not see him, the children knew he was there. He could never stop the grin whenever he heard them thank Jack Frost for a snow day, a perfectly smooth frozen surface to skate on or a snowball that came out of nowhere and started a snow war. Just like Jade had, an hour earlier, when she enthusiastically ploughed through the heavy wet snow to build her snowman.

He chuckled as she struggled to hoist the third ball of snow above her head to put it on top of the other two. After a little wave of his staff, the snowman's head all but floated in place. The little girl clapped cheerfully and ran off to pick up some branches to serve as arms. Bellow his perch, the back door opened.

"How is the snowman going, Jade? Your mother is making hot cocoa."

"It's ready now? I just put the arms then I'm done!"

Jamie chuckled as he joined his daughter by the snowman, watching her stick two of her three branches into the snow.

"Take your time. It's not ready yet and it'll need to cool before you drink it. You don't want to burn your tongue again, do you?"

She shook her head, sending her blond hair flaying around her. The girl reminded Jack so much of Sophie at her age. Returning her attention to her work, she carefully placed the third branch in the fork of one of the 'arms', as if the snowman was carrying a staff in its wooden fingers.

"It's Jack Frost," she declared, gesturing grandly. Jamie laughed. Jack stifled a laugh of his own. Jade tugged on her father's sleeve.

"Daddy, will you tell me that story again? The one with Jack Frost and Santa and all the others?"

Jack swallowed. He had heard the story before and it did not get any easier to listen to Jamie tell it.

"Alright. Once upon a time, the Boogeyman decided that the children didn't fear him as much as he would like, so he cursed the Sandman's sand so that, instead of giving the children sweet dream, it gave them nightmares. The Sandman was horrified by this, so he went to see his old friend Santa Claus and asked for his help. Santa realized that it must be the work of the Boogeyman, so he decided to call others to help as well. And who did he call?"

"Jack Frost! And the Tooth Fairy! And the Easter Bunny!"

"Wow! It's almost like you heard that story before," Jamie said in a falsely impressed tone. Jade giggled.

"Continue!"

"Alright. So, they were all very busy doing their thing, like spreading winter, collecting teeth and preparing for Easter, but they knew this was too important to ignore. The children were in danger and they had to help. So they all gathered together, dragged the Boogeyman from under the bed where he was hiding and forced him to lift the curse on the Sandman's sand. And never again did the Boogeyman try to scare the children."

Jack knew it was just a story to Jamie. Something he and his friends came up with when they were kids. He did not even remember his own part in it. But these tales about the Guardians brought back fond memories in Jamie of the time when he still believe in everything. That was why he shared them with his daughter, so she would believe like he had. So her childhood could be filled with magic.

A light snow had started to fall at some point during the story and Jamie looked up to take in the sight of snowflakes dancing on the breeze. He had his back turned to Jack but, from his vantage point, the Guardian saw as a large snowflake landed on the man's nose and released it's magic. Jamie's expression cleared as a bright smile spread on his lips. In that moment, he looked like the boy he used to be.

The moment passed and he frowned in slight confusion, still looking up at the sky. It was almost like he was searching for something. Or someone. Jack's breath caught in his throat. Somewhere inside, a woman's voice announced that the hot cocoa was ready. Jade cheered and ran up to the door, turning back when she saw that her father did not follow.

"Daddy?"

Jack wanted nothing more than to fly over Jamie's head with a laugh and a wave and land in the backyard like he had so many times before. He was not certain the man would see him, but he would not know unless he tried. Several heartbeats passed. Jack did not move from his spot on the roof. Finally, Jamie shook himself and turned to his daughter.

"Would you like to make some paper snowflakes while we drink that hot cocoa?"

In his head, Jack repeated the words he had repeated countless times already.

It's better this way.


I hope you guys like this chapter, because it's likely to be the last one. I just don't have the motivation to continue this anymore. I spend hours trying to type a few hundred words and it feels more like a chore than anything else and I know it's just not as good as it used to be. Sorry for those of you who are still reading this story (which, I guess, is all of you, otherwise I don't know why you're reading this AN). It's not 100% sure that there won't be another chapter, but don't hold your breath.

On a different note, I may or may not have named Jamie's daughter after one of my nieces, because it's her birthday. But don't tell her, her twin sister would be jealous. But I wanted a simple, relatively common name.