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Crystal stood up quickly from her desk and ran to her locker to throw her bag and books into her locker. Not seeing Jack so far was making her anxious; she woke up ready to say 'Good morning', then remembered that he wouldn't see her till they met up in the clearing.
She used to sneak glances out to the tree that Jack always sat on and fell asleep. She felt safe and comfortable knowing he was around. Crystal couldn't help herself from watching Jack when he was around. She thought her feelings would subdue the older she got, but it seems they just grew larger everyday she was with him. It went from a crush, to a strong liking of Jack; this feeling wasn't one of brotherly love, or one of a friend, she knew that much. This feeling was one of feelings coming from the heart for the one you wanted to spend a long time with personally.
As she ran from the school, her heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest with how much her heart wanted to see him. Not seeing him as much as she normally did just strengthened the need to see him and be near him. She knew Jack didn't feel the same as her, but she didn't mind as long as he stayed next to her and treated her like he always did.
It was easy to just head for the clearing, seeing as no one really like to be around her because of what happened to her family. She knew it made them feel awkward to be near her; so she staid alone at the school, and didn't have any friends. Since she didn't have any friends, she could easily leave from school and do anything she wanted.
She could see the clearing in sight as her breathing was heavy, and her limbs were aching from the long run. Though it was getting harder to run, the second she saw Jack standing at the clearing, waiting for her, her body pushed itself to run faster and reach him quicker.
"Jack!" Crystal yelled as she jumped and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.
Jack chuckled as he caught her around her waist and hugged her back. "That didn't take you long. You excited to see me?" He teased her.
Crystal drew back, but still hung onto him, as a smile had spread across her face. "Of course!"
The answer surprised Jack as he let her go and stood there. Crystal realized how it had sounded and her face flushed in embarrassment. Crystal squealed as snow was dumped on her head, and Jack's laughter could be heard running away.
"Why you," Crystal grumbled/laughed underneath her breath.
Crystal chased after Jack with a snowball, laughing as snow flew through the air to hit each other. Crystal followed after Jack onto the ice, but slipped as her shoes couldn't grip the ice. The ice underneath her cracked from the impact, but Crystal didn't notice as she grumbled and started to slide her shoes off. As she stood up the ice spider webbed around her making the ice want to fall from under her. The sound snapped her to the cracks and she finally notice how dangerous the situation was.
"Jack," Crystal breathed out worriedly.
Jack turned as he laughed thinking she was going to show him something, but he stopped as he saw her looking down at the ice still cracking beneath her. He saw the worried expression plain on her face as she looked from the ice to him. His heart squeezed as she saw the helplessness in her eyes, and the begging for him to help her.
"Jack," Crystal said again starting to lean forward to walk out of it.
Jack heard the ice strain beneath her, and threatened to break and pull her into the icy waters. "Don't move!"
Crystal froze as she looked at Jack again, then at the ice that was slowly moving apart, tormenting her about falling. Her heart was beating quickly as Jack gently walked forward and slid his staff along the cracks, making them disappear. The closer he came, the more cracks disappeared.
"Stay right there." Jack told her gently. "I'll get you out of there."
Crystal's fear subsided a bit at his words as she held as still as she could. Jack swiped his staff close to her feet, and the cracks disappeared as ice closed them up. Jack lifted himself off the ice as he gently blew over to Crystal.
"It's okay," He soothed. "Just hold still."
Crystal looked up at him as he reached down and grabbed her hands. Crystal gripped his hands tightly as her arms shook. Jack pulled her up before his arm wrapped tightly around her waist and lifted her from the ice. Jack slid his staff along the ice, freezing it back over from where Crystal stood. He set her down gently back on the ice away from where it had cracked and made sure she was stable before letting go.
"See? Everything is fine." Jack said with a smile.
Crystal looked up at Jack while a smile cracked across her face. "Never doubted you."
Jack bowed teasingly as he held his hand out. "Shall we?"
Crystal looked at where she had stood before, to make sure the ice was fully solid again and the cracks were gone. Satisfied that it was safe on the ice, and knowing that Jack would help her if something happened, she smiled and placed her hand in his. Jack skated along with Crystal at his side, as one hand held hers and the other was around her waist. Jack turned with her making them skate backwards, swiveling their feet and madding a 'figure 8'.
Jack smirked as he took his arm from around her waist and raised the one holding her hand, spinning her around. As she spun Jack's eyes widened; Crystal's hair caught the light and looked the sun was in her hair, her eyes shone as she smiled and laughed, and she seemed to glow from the sun hitting off the snow around them.
Jack let her go as she spun for a couple more seconds before gliding backwards and skating around the ice. Jack followed after her as they swerved around each other, and hung onto each other. He finished it off with grabbing Crystal and lifting her into the air above him. He slowly let her down as he realized how close they were; close enough that he could lean forward now and kiss her. His cheeks reddened at his thoughts, staring into her eyes and watching her face flush; from exertion or embarrassment, he didn't know.
Jack shook his head, denying the fact that he has those kinds of feelings for Crystal. He knew that it would never work anyways; he was seventeen and she was eleven, he was immortal and she was human. There was no way for them to be together, so he can't have these feelings for her.
Crystal froze as she saw grey out of the corner of her eye; she looked closer and noticed that Bunny was standing there in the shadows.
"Bunny!" She yelled as she waved and ran over to him.
"How you doing squirt?" Bunny asked her as he ruffled her hair, making her pout and quickly fix it. "Having a little couple's moment there?"
Crystal and Jack flushed as they both argued quickly.
"We were just having fun." Crystal said quickly, then flushed in embarrassment. "I mean hanging out!"
"I told you it's not like that!" Jack said as Bunny smirked at them teasingly.
"What are you doing here?" Crystal asked to change the subject.
"Making sure Jack isn't messing with people." Bunny said. He flinched as a snowball hit him square in the back of the head. He turned to see Jack whistling innocently behind him.
Crystal smirked as she grabbed a snowball and threw it at Bunny also. Jack grabbed her hand as they flew off away from Bunny who was trying to catch them and get payback. Jack flew them both over the town, letting the snow and frost cover the streets again, and having the wind cause up quite a stir among the people. Once Crystal hit the floor she grabbed a nearby sled and pushed off on it, ready to slide down the hill close by. Jack laughed as he flew next to her and sped her up with the help of the ice path he was creating. She flew up the hill and into the air as she began to spin and flip uncontrollably.
She landed with a thud as the snow took most of the impact and laughed as she began to slide backwards and even faster than before. She reached out and grabbed Jack out of the air to pull him in next to her. She leaned back against him as he told the wind to push them along, and the sled sped up to incredible speeds, while the ice path slid them by easily.
"Jack!" Crystal squealed as he turned the sled quickly from an oncoming tree.
Crystal began to squeal every time they had a close call with a tree or rock, but would laugh afterwards in excitement of the dodge.
"Hang on!" Jack yelled to her over the roaring wind in their ears.
Crystal had just barely grabbed onto him and the sled as the path went into the air with them following soon after. Crystal screamed as Jack laughed in excitement at the height they had gotten. He once again created the path to catch them and slide them down to the snow once they began to fall towards the Earth again. The sled slowed down till it completely stopped and left a laughing Jack and Crystal as her face was flushed from the wind biting her cheeks.
"That was awesome!" Crystal said jumping off the sled. Crystal looked up quickly at the sky and noticed how late it had gotten. "Oh no!"
"What?" Jack asked as he got up.
"My aunt and uncle are coming back today to see how I'm doing! I'm going to be late!" Crystal said panicking. She knew how much her aunt and uncle already hated her for being the only one to survive her family. Their temper with her ignites quickly; she knew that was the whole reason why they always left her alone at the house. They knew no one talked to Crystal, and that no one knew where the house was; so simply, it's as if Crystal doesn't exist except for school. "I'm going to be in so much trouble!"
"We better hurry then," Jack said smirking.
Crystal looked at him confused, until she saw his hand laid out to her, making her smile and grab it quickly. They once again flew into the air, as he flew her to her house.
Crystal gasped. "Oh no! They're already there!" Crystal saw her aunt and uncle hop out of their car and enter the house.
Jack quickly flew down and set Crystal inside her window. She fixed herself up and took her jacket off, before she realized she had forgotten her shoes at the pond.
"My shoes!" She whispered quickly.
"I'll get them." Jack said preparing to fly off at the window.
"Crystal!" Her aunt yelled through the house, before opening her room door. "Crystal! Why do you have your window open? It's so cold!" Her aunt complained as she walked passed her niece and to the window, shutting it in front of Jack as her arm passed right through him.
Crystal held back a laugh at Jack's face, showing he felt invaded by the women. She looked over and saw her uncle standing in the doorway looking annoyed at the moment.
"We've already paid for the bills for the month." He said in a gravelly voice.
"Here's a little money to by some food with." Her aunt said as she dropped an envelope on the nightstand. "Honestly I don't see how you can eat so much. I mean once a day should be fine!"
Jack's jaw clenched as he listened to the lame excuse Crystal's aunt was giving.
"Plus the expense of her school." Her uncle pitched in. "Why she would need an education anyway, when she won't go anywhere in the future. She's stupid, hopeless, and a whore."
Her aunt nodded. "Who knows what she's been doing in this house when she's alone."
Crystal stood there listening to her aunt and uncle talk as if she wasn't there at all. She was used to them talking like this, but Jack wasn't. They were lucky they couldn't see him or hear him, or he would be telling them off and kicking their asses. He didn't like how they were calling her names that weren't true.
Though he has known Crystal for years now, not once has he met her aunt and uncle who were taking care of her. She always sent him off to do something for her when they were "visiting". To think she went through this every time and held it in while they did so, he couldn't stand it. Jack wanted nothing more than to give them a couple rounds of ice to the head.
The wind reacted to Jack's anger and blew the window open, sending an icy blast to her aunt, and snow from the room at her uncle.
"My god!" Her uncle yelled in irritation.
Her aunt quickly shut the window and straightened her hair. "We are leaving again."
That was all they said as they walked out of her room and out of the house to who knows where. They always say they're going on 'business', but they never really specify on that.
"How can you deal with that?" Jack asked annoyed.
Crystal shrugged her shoulders as she sat on her bed, drained from all that happened today. Jack sighed as he watched her; she rubbed her eyes and he saw the sleep trying to fog her mind. Yellow sand began to drift down into her room and Jack smiled knowing it was Sandman.
"Go to sleep," Jack told her calming down. "I'll grab your shoes."
"Night, Jack." Crystal said yawning. She knew how tired she was, and wasn't going to argue against the sleep she deeply needed.
"Night," Jack replied as he watched her pull the covers over her body. He laughed as he realized she didn't even change into her pajamas or take a shower like she normally did.
He flew off with a soft chuckle as he gave a slight wave to Sandy overhead, and flew off to the pond to grab her shoes. As he landed in the clearing, he had an ominous feeling hit him, but as he looked around, nothing was there. Little did he know that Bunny wasn't there to watch Jack or protect Crystal; Pitch had found the clearing where Jack and Crystal met, and he saw how Crystal could touch, see, hear, and speak to the Guardian and Jack.
Pitch's plan was becoming more menacing by the moment, as soon enough Crystal would become a major player in destroying the Guardian's. He hid in the shadows watching Jack and the Winter King picked up the girl's shoes and flew off once again. Pitch couldn't act on the plan now, he had to become stronger, and the plan had to be full proof before he could do anything. Instead he vanished into the shadows, waiting till they met there again.
Every day after school, Crystal would run to the clearing and see Jack waiting there for her. It never failed to please her to see he was ready to spend his time with her. Some time's they would just hang out and talk, other's they would play and skate, but when Jack still needed to work, she would tag along and watch him spread snow and frost across everywhere.
Pitch hung in the shadows watching their every move, and soon left them as his plan formed into one of much bigger proportions. Jack still had the ominous feel around him, and kept a close eye on Crystal when he felt it. He knew she could feel it too, but they both brushed it off as the feeling of cold seeping into both of them, or the dread knowing they don't have long left of the day.
"Don't be so dramatic," Jack said as Crystal whined to him.
"But Jack!" Crystal groaned. "It's no fun when I have to leave! Homework is stupid, and there is no point to it!"
"It'll help in the future." Jack told her as he ruffled her hair.
Crystal sighed as she fixed her hair and grumbled to him. "So now you're a psychic?"
Jack laughed warmly as he flew her up to her window. "Nah, but I know it will."
"Why don't we ever use the door?" Crystal asked as she stepped down from the window pane and padded across the floor, dropping her shoes and jacket along the way.
Jack let out a small laugh as he squatted down on the window pane, "Because it's no fun that way."
Jack was about to turn around and fly away, before Crystal called out to him, causing him to turn curious as to what she wanted.
"Can you stay for a little bit?" Crystal asked him quietly.
Jack turned on the window pane as he draped his legs off. He stared at her confused, but got off the window as he saw the look of worry on her face. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Crystal said shrugging. "I've had a weird feeling lately like I'm being watched. It makes me feel scared to be alone."
Jack's face hardened as he realized she felt more than he though she did. He walked over to her bed where she was sitting. "Yeah, I'll stay till you fall asleep."
Crystal lay down and she smiled up at him. "Thanks."
Jack lay down next to her as he set his staff nest to her nightstand. He laid on his side as he watched her drifting off to sleep. His arm slid underneath his head as his mind became foggy. Jack was about to fall asleep when he felt a weight push into his chest and on his arm. His eyes open up and widen as Crystal is there laying on his arm and curling into him. Her eyes are squeezed shut in fear, but relax as Jack brushes her hair back from her face. Jack doesn't know what to do with his other arm as he looks around, but finally gives up and drapes it around her. He soon falls asleep, not caring if he was still in Crystal's bed, and that she was right up against him.
Jack hated to admit it, but he liked the feeling of Crystal being close; it made him sound like a pedophile, but he couldn't deny it. His feelings for her were growing and couldn't be stopped. "I give up. You win." He whispers to Crystal quietly, even though she was fast asleep and didn't hear a word he said. His mind shifts into dreams as he can no longer keep it awake and his eyes open.
"So, she's close to Jack, huh?" Pitch mumbled as he came out of the shadows and looked over the two fast asleep next to each other.
Pitch circled around them, trying to get a good look of Crystal, but could hardly tell as she was cuddled into Jack's chest and only part of her face was visible.
"I have everything I need now." Pitch said as he rubbed his hands together, forming black sand. The sand soon fell apart and died as it never fully harnessed what Pitch wanted. "Just a little more time, then I'll take you for myself. If Jack can have you, then I can take you for myself."
Pitch disappeared, leaving Jack and Crystal lying there feeling secure once again. Pitch never returned to watch over them as they continuously met in the clearing, letting their time together be fun and enjoyable.
"Something's going to happen." Bunny told the other Guardian's as he looked down at the picture the man on the moon was giving them.
Man on the moon had started talking to them recently and kept showing a picture of Pitch, then Crystal. They never fully know what Moony wanted to tell them, but it was always something that could permanently hurt them or others.
"What are we going to do?" Tooth asked worriedly as her hands covered her mouth and Baby Tooth fluttered closely around the picture.
Sandy put up a picture of Crystal with a fence around her, but North shook his head in disagreement.
"We can't do that without raising suspicion." North said rubbing his chin. "All we can do right now is hope Pitch won't do anything, and that Jack can keep her safe."
"Pitch is going to do something." Bunny said crossing his arms. "I know I saw him in that clearing the other day. He was watching them, no, observing them. He saw how they were together, and he's going to do something about it."
Tooth looked at Bunny worried and sad as she looked at the picture of Crystal smiling on the hologram as her dress spun around her, like the wind had gently blew around her. Sandy quickly left as he gave them a picture of Crystal of his own, telling them he was going to check up on them.
The Guardian's always kept a small watch on the two, waiting for when Pitch would attack, but they couldn't do much more than that. They were glad to find that every day Crystal was happy and safe as she met up with Jack in the clearing and he stayed with her through the night until she was fast asleep, and even then he would sometimes still stay with her.
"Them being close is going to make it so much harder." Bunny said with a sigh. "I hope he realizes that they can't be together forever. It'll just hurt them both in the end."
He hopped off, leaving the two playing in the water. As season's passed, and Jack stayed next to Crystal, not once did Pitch visit again. He stayed in his underground lair planning the day when he would take Crystal away from Jack, using her to destroy the Guardian's.
Pitch knew Jack's fear, his worst fear; the fear that Crystal would one day not believe in him anymore and he would once again be left alone.