She had opened her eyes as she felt her lungs burn like fire, her heart suddenly pumping blood through her veins.

Oh, it burned her throat like acid as the water left her mouth at the same time the air got sucked in. She was cold, so cold, she was shivering uncontrollably as she continued to choke and vomit, her throat and lungs and her nose burning like fire.

It hurt so much.

She couldn't remember what had happened after she fell into the water but she was ever so grateful to be on the surface, choking out water and replacing it with air as Jack held her, his tears falling onto her shivering body. She didn't care about any of that right now.

She cared about the air. Oh, such precious air that she would never take for granted ever again. She drank it in like a thirsty woman, enjoying the burn in her throat, in her lungs because it meant she was alive, it meant she was no longer drowning, it meant she was safe in Jack's arms, which were practically crushing her right now but she didn't care.

She coughed and began to relax as her body began to calm down, slowing down her heart, her body still white and her lips blue as she shivered.

"You're alive. You're alive." She heard Jack murmur as he held her, kissing her every second so, as if to know she was okay, that she wasn't a hallucination of sorts.

"We thought we lost you, mate." Bunnymund said and she just nodded, shaking like a leaf as the blood rushed to heat her body up from the inside out. Jack tightened his hold on her, trying to warm her and she didn't want to say anything about how his lack of warmth wasn't doing anything at all, just making her feel cold but she couldn't say anything.

If she had almost drowned and Jack thought she was dead, Jack was not going to let go for selfish reasons. He was going to hold on until he felt that she was okay and she didn't know how long that would take.

"Here," North said, tossing a warm blanket that had appeared out of nowhere around her body, "You're shivering like a leaf."

The warmth of the blanket nearly burned her and she fought the urge to pull it away from her body but it was so good, feeling how the numbness began to go away in painful inches, causing her to snuggle closer to Jack who gladly let her and enjoy the feeling of warmth and the gratitude of life, the gratitude of air that she had never thought about but was not thankful for.

Tooth flew up against them and had warm, dry clothes in her arms and Kailani suddenly felt how wet she was in her clothes.

"Thank you." She said hoarsely and Tooth smiled.

"No worries. You should change before you get sick."

Kailani nodded and her face burned at the thought of changing in front of the Guardians, in front of Jack. Jack seemed to sense the change in her body and reluctantly pulled away. She mourned the loss but felt her heart squeeze at the lingering pain and grief in his eyes, the tears that had trailed down on his cheeks, the joy and love shining out of them, knowing she was alive, that she was fine.

He looked at her and she smiled. "I'm fine, Jack."

He nodded but didn't say anything. She saw his throat swallow something and she guessed it was held back tears he was fighting not to show. She raised a weak hand and placed it against his cheeks, goosebumps breaking out in her arms at how cold he was.

"I'm fine. I'll be fine." She murmured and he leaned in and kissed her, ignoring the Guardians' stare at them and she felt the burn in her cheeks as she leaned in and kissed him back, ignoring the cold he radiated, enjoying the feel of his lips against her, the tingles and electricity breaking out in her body like the fourth of July.

Someone cleared their throat and she quickly pulled away, her face burning like a furnace. Jack looked a little sheepish but saw no shame in his gaze and her chest warmed at the look. Tooth helped Kailani up, flying her away to a safe distance away from the rest of the Guardians.

Tooth held the blanket up to cover her body as she quickly shed her wet clothes, the cold biting her exposed skin like needles and she rushed to put on the thick, blue pajama pants, the thick long sleeved turtle neck and a hoodie similar to the one she wore, she pulled on thick socks that were soft like wool and warmed her numb toes painfully. She put on sneakers that Tooth had given her and wrung out the frozen water on her hair that fell like snowflakes to the ground. Tooth pulled away the blanket and put on a wool winter hat that covered her ears and had a soft ball on top of it.

She let her hair out so it could thaw out and warm her up.

She felt warm and the numbness was completely gone now.

"Jack cares for you." Tooth said and Kailani blushed and nodded.

"You care for him, too." She said again and she just nodded again, unable to say a word to her.

"That's good. I'm glad he has someone to help him." Kailani looked up at Tooth and saw the genuine appreciation and joy in her gaze.

She smiled back and they made their way back to the Guardians who looked worried but relieved. Jack saw her and flew towards her, enveloping her in his arms as his cold lips covered hers. She squeaked in surprised but she kissed him back, her arms reaching up to his neck to pull him closer, feeling his fear and relief in the kiss as his hands pushed her back closer to him.

He pulled away, looking at her like she was the best thing in the entire world and she blushed at how intense his gaze was.

"You're alive. I thought I lost you." His voice cracked with emotion and she leaned up to kiss him passionately, trying to let him know she was fine through her kiss. She pulled back, both of them breathless as they stared at each other.

"I love you, Jack."

He smiled down at her, arms squeezing her ribs and back but she didn't complain, not when he was looking at her like she was a jewel. Moonlight fell down, covering the both of them in a glow and they both looked up to see the moon in the sky, the dark clouds of Pitch's nightmares dissipating.

The Guardians walked to them, smiling and chuckling and Kailani stepped closer to Jack, rubbing her cheeks against his chest and she felt his rumble of laughter deep in his chest that made her insides warm.

"Are you ready now, Jack? To make it official." North said and Kailani felt a sense of pride swell in her heart and spread through her body. Jack looked at her, his blue eyes questioning and she cupped a hand against his cheek, smiling at him.

"It's okay. It's what you wanted this whole time, isn't it?" She asked him and he saw the relief in his eyes and realized that he would've turned it down if she had said something. She was really glad she hadn't said no.

He smiled at her and kissed her forehead before letting her go to stand in front of the guardians. North had a huge brown book in his hands as he opened it, saying, "Then is time you take oath."

She could feel Jack's excitement coming off of him and she stepped back, waiting excitedly as North began the oath for Jack to take.

"Will you, Jack Frost, vow to watch over the children and sighters of the world, to guard them with your life, their hopes, their wishes, and their dreams, for they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be?"

As North spoke, Kailani was being surrounded by the group of children who fought against Pitch and helped the guardians with their beliefs. Jamie stood by her side and she looked down at him to see him smiling up at her. She ruffled up his hair before placing an arm around his shoulder.

Jack looked at them and she smiled at him, nodding her head along with Jamie, letting Jack make the choice of beomcing what he had always told her he wanted to be.

A Guardian.

Jack turned back to North and answered, "I will."

"Then, congratulations, Jack Frost, for you are now and forevermore, a Guardian."

Everyone cheered for Jack, Kailani jumping and hugging Jamie, screaming out her heart's content. North had lifted up Jack, saying something in Russia, before kissing him on both cheeks and set him down when he was done.

"That's my boy."

Tooth's fairies formed a heart and Tooth replied, chuckling softly as she spoke, "Keep it together, girls."

Kailani ran into Jack's arms as he grunted and quickly held her with one arm as she showered him kisses and told him how proud she was of him. He laughed and set her down, never letting his arm drop from her back. He leaned down, kissed her passionately and she did the same, her lips greedy for his and he had no complaints.

A loud sound had them pulling back and looking up as someone yelled, "You guys, look!"

She looked up, hands holding onto Jack's shoulder to see a sleigh with reindeers as it came down from the sky and landed on the frozen pond. Her eyes widened at the sleigh as she saw all the kids, even Sophie who was holding Jamie's hand, exclaiming about the sleigh.

The thing was huge and she felt like a little girl looking at it again.

"Time to go."

Sandy made an explosion of fireworks hit the air above them as it showered down on them like rain. but Kailani wasn't paying attention to the fireworks. She had all her attention on Jack, worry making itself known around her heart.

"You're leaving?"

She saw the hesitant look in his eyes and the sadness in his eyes. He looked down at her, placing his forehead against hers. Panic started to flood her system at the thought of Jack leaving and never seeing him again. She didn't want him to go, not at all. She had just met him and had just revealed her feelings for him. He couldn't leave.

No, he couldn't.

"Hey, hey. You don't need to cry. I'll be back." He murmured to her as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist, rubbing her face against his chest, tears burning in her eyes.

"When? I just met you." She murmured into his chest and he heard him chuckling as he squeezed her tightly before pulling back.

"I'll find a way. I always do but until then, just keep on believing. I'll come back to you."

She smiled and blinked away the tears in her eyes before moving her arms around his neck. "Promise?"

She needed something to hold on to until he came back. She couldn't lose him. Not like how she lost her father when he left for a trip and never came back, a car killing him in a collision. She didn't want Jack to die. She waned him to come back to her.

"Of course. I love you." He said, face vulnerable with emotion and she couldn't help but kiss him. She reached up and pulled him down, kissing him passionately as her hands sunk into his hair, moaning at the feel of his lips opening and parting hers, his hands holding her close, his staff bumping the back of her head but she didn't care.

She just wanted to lose herself in him. But he had to go.

Jack was the one who pulled away and brushed back the hair that stuck to her face, moving it under her hat as he smiled at her sadly before giving her a kiss on her forehead. "I love you. I'll be back. Promise me you'll talk to your mother. She needs you and you need her."

She frowned, opening her mouth to say something until Jack stopped her. "Just try. For me. Talk to her. For me."

He was serious and his blue eyes were piercing her soul and she couldn't help but find herself agreeing to this. She nodded and even though she didn't want to, every part of her soul screaming at her to hold onto him tighter, she let him go.

He looked at her, blue eyes moving over her face as if mesmerizing every angle of it, he turned back and headed to the sleigh. Jamie called out to him and he ran past her, rushing to hug Jack and he was stunned before kneeling and hugging Jamie before letting him go.

He climbed up and North flicked the reins as the sleigh moved and lifted up into the sky. She and the children ran after it as they all waved and cheered as the sleigh began to get farther away. She stopped running, waving frantically and saw Jack smile at her before he waved also and she kept his eyes on him, on the sleigh until it was gone.

She stood there for a long time before she felt Jamie's hand slip into hers and she looked down at him, at his smile that had teeth missing and she felt the love she had for him grow in that moment.

"Ready to go home?" She asked, voice thick with emotion and Jamie smiled, nodding as they walked back with Kailani grabbing Sophie into her arms, her thoughts revolving around Jack Frost and her promise.


Whoo! The last chapter before the epilogue. Hope you guys enjoyed and don't worry. I am currently working on the sequel to this story. I'll let you know the name of the sequel in the epilogue so you guys can be on the lookout.

Review please and thank you so much for following, favoriting this story. it means a lot!