Guys! Guys! I love you.
I hadn't meant to post anything before September, but I wrote this little chapter tonight after realizing that this fic now has exactly 800 followers. So take this as a thank you. I actually got a lot of new readers, which is pretty different from the last time I took a break. I hope I didn't lose too many of you, this time. Thank you to everyone still reading this, for sticking with me. I couldn't have kept this going for so long without you guys. I got close to 2000 reviews and it's a little baffling. So, thank you.
Also, thank you for being pretty understanding about my need to take a break. No one complained and that was a relief. And almost no one freaked out at the ending of last chapter (seriously, I had a real concern about that).
"Hey, Phil."
The yeti hooked a big furry arm around Jack's waist to keep him from flying off. It was the first bit of physical contact he had in months. He had no desire to run away, but he made a show of struggling as Phil threw him over his shoulder and turned back around, away from the dead-end he chased Jack into.
They breezed past other yetis hurrying down hallways on their way out of the workshop. They stopped to shake their fist at him and he grinned and waved. He knew most of them by name, A laugh bubbled out of him. He felt almost giddy, being surrounded by people who could see him, who acknowledged him, who acted like what he did mattered, for better or worse. A yeti slipped on a patch of ice, sending colorful boxes flying across the hallway. Jack laughed even louder as the yeti shouted curses after him.
Phil ripped the staff out of his hands and gave him a glare. As vulnerable as it made him feel, Jack let him have it. Phil had never harmed his staff before and he had no reason to believe he would do so now. He twisted around in the yeti's grasp to try to sneak a peek through one of the partly open doors leading deeper in, but all he could see was more hallways and some storage rooms. He shrugged. He was curious about the workshop, but that wasn't really why he kept coming here.
The blast of freezing air when Phil pushed the front doors open came as both a relief and a disappointment. He was glad to see the sky and feel the Wind in his hair again, but it meant his little visit was over. Jack sighed and unclenched his fingers from the yeti's fur to allow him to set him down. He stood there with an innocent smile as Phil scolded him, shaking a big furry finger in front of Jack's nose.
"Sure, Phil. Got it. Can I have my staff back, now?"
Phil narrowed his eyes at him, but reluctantly handed it to him. Jack gave him a radiant smile and it didn't even fade when the door was slammed into his face. It was time to leave, but that was alright. The workshop wasn't going anywhere. Phil and the other yetis would be right here next time he needed them. He took a deep breath of cold Arctic air, ready to go back to the world that didn't know he existed.
"Wind! I think some kids in Russia could use a bit of fun right now!"
So, I might not be back to frequent updates, but I'm kind of back. Next few chapters might be pretty short.
