Yup, another of Jack's secrets/abilities revealed! (One of my faves so far I think... Maybe...)
Oh, and Thanks to ProwlHawthorne (both for faving the story, and adding me to your favourite authors list),Destiny-FaithAngel, illusionary science and Compliment Giver, (who followed and faved,), and Darky Jacky and Sheeijan who have faved since the last chapter was uploaded :D
*hugs to everyone*
Enjoy :D
North sniffed the air and blinked.
"What in Earth..." he said to himself, sniffing again, and, almost unconsciously, got to his feet and started following the almost visible trail of the scent. One of the most appetizing scents, if not the most appetizing scent he had ever encountered.
It led him to the kitchen, where he had to blink. Once... Twice, then a third time as Jak turned around, first in surprise, then with a grin on his face, a tray of freshly baked... Well, it looked like a whole tray of chocolatey goodness.
"Hey North. I hope you don't mind... I got a little bored and decided to try out my cooking skills. They're a little rusty."
"No problem at all Jack... If I may ask, what are you cooking?"
"Oh, these? They're my own little invention. Half cookie, half brownie. Basically, gooey, brownie flavoured cookies with chunks of brownie. Not the best batch I've ever made but... Hey, wanna try one?"
North grinned, having been more focused on the smell coming from them, and blinked.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. Why not."
A single bite later, and the guardian of wonder thought he had never tasted anything so wonderful.
"Jack, they are delicious!"
"Really?"
"Most definitely! Hey, do you know how to make normal cookies? And cakes? And-"
Jack cut him off with a laugh, as he lay the, now half empty tray thanks to the elves that had swiftly stolen the small treats before running off, down on the side.
"Hey, I actually learnt something's that were useful over the last 300 years you know. Not only how to play music, and how to sign and stuff, but I can cook too. Anything from cakes and biscuits to full course meals. And anything from the last century to the most recent kinds of dishes. I never really got much of a chance to practice myself, but I spent a lot of time just watching... "
He trailed off a bit, a sad look in his eyes that the guardians had come to realise signified he was thinking about the many years he spent alone, and North was about to say something when Jack blinked, coming back to himself, and smiled.
"So yes. I can definitely make cakes and other flavours of cookie."
He blinked as he realised that the tray was now empty, an elf making off with the last of the brownie cookies, and sighed.
"Ah well. I can make more. You want some?"
North nodded, scowling after the small elf that dared steal the cookies, and grinned.
"You know, I think even Tooth would not be able to resist these."
Jack rolled his eyes.
"She might if she knew the amount of sugar that went into them..."
"I beg to difference Jack."
"Hmm? Oh. Well we'll see. She's coming over today isn't she? To help you design some of the outfits for the new dolls?"
"Ah yes! We shall corner her then!"
He laughed, eagerly, as he made his way out and Jack grinned as he pulled the ingredients towards him again, taking his Hoody back off and feeling thankful for the coolness that the t-shirt offered.
The kitchen really was hot at times...
It wasn't long before he had more batches in the oven, and several trays of various flavoured cookie dough and brownie bites ready to bake.
Let's see the elves steal all of those...
Luckily enough they didn't, and Jack threw a few of each cookie and brownie onto a tray before flying to North's study, knocking on the door and heading in.
North appeared from behind a full sized model of a toy castle, and grinned.
"You have been cooking this whole time?"
"What? I like experimenting. For example, there are now several different flavours of cookie and brownie on this plate."
Jack gestured to each as he named them.
"Normal cookies, Peanut Cookies, peanut and chocolate chip. The brownie ones, Oreo chunk ones, chilli and chocolate ones-I know, sounds so wrong, but tastes so right- Then mint chocolate chip, cinnamon, cinnamon and chocolate and chestnut and chestnut and chocolate and caramel... And there are hazelnut brownies, mint chocolate chip brownies, chocolate orange brownies, cinnamon brownies-I'm not too sure about those, but why not?- and caramel brownies. I'm not sure what kinds you like but-Oh, hey Tooth!"
Tooth had just flown in at the window, and had apparently heard all he'd said.
"Oh Jack," she exclaimed, "There must be so much sugar in those!"
"Well... Yeah, but I was just experimenting and I-"
"You cooked them?"
North gave a booming laugh.
"He did at that, Tooth. And they are the best I have tasted in a long time. And that was just one kind of cookie... There are so many more..."
He gave Jack a wink, and the younger guardian grinned, before turning to Tooth and giving her the widest, sweetest smile he could, with wide puppy eyes to match.
"Do you wanna try some...?"
Tooth was defenseless against his charms, and gave a sigh.
"Okay then... But just the one!"
That one turned into two... then three... then five... then seven... And the number kept climbing.
Eventually, the tray had been emptied, with a little help from a few enthusiastic elves, and Tooth gave a distraught look.
"Oh, I'm going to have to floss forever to get rid of that sugar... But they were great Jack! Do you think you could do some sugar free ones...?"
Jack shrugged, grinning.
"I'll give it a go. Oh, hey Bunny!"
Bunnymund blinked as he took in the empty tray, the very happy North and the guilty looking Tooth and grinned.
"Okay, who let Tooth at the cookies?"
North and Tooth hastened to rave about Jack's cooking abilities, and Bunny made a slight shooing motion with his hand, telling Jack to escape.
The winter spirit gave him a grateful smile and slipped out, heading to annoy Phil
But when he found Phil, he found he didn't have the heart.
The yeti looked tired, irritable and growled as a stack of rubber bouncy balls tumbled over his head again.
"Hey Phil... You okay?"
Instantly suspicious, the yeti span, eyeing Jack warily, but at the evident concern, he blinked and moaned in Yeti speak. Which Jack was really not good at.
None-the-less, he got the general gist and sighed.
"Why don't you ask for a day off?"
More yeti speak and Jack frowned.
"Already... too many having a break? But I'm sure North would- Oh... you want everyone to have the rest of the day off to just calm down?"
Growl... snort... whine.
"Oh. And North is not gonna let it happen." Jack sighed, before blinking and grinning.
"Hang on, I may just be able to give you a hand here. Make up for all the pranks I've played..."
Whine... growl.
"Yep, I'll see if I can get him to agree... I'm sure he'll listen if I use my... persuasive techniques."
Growl.
"No, I don't mean the innocent and adorable look. He's almost immune to it, and I don't want to use it on full power until the occasion is desperately called for. No, I have a better idea."
_
An hour later, he flew through the door to the study and lay another tray on the table.
Then he fixed North with a mischievous smile.
"The Yeti's want a day's holiday."
North blinked.
"But is too busy to allow-"
"I thought you'd say that-"
Bunny snorted.
"Mate, give it up. It ain't happening..."
Jack sighed, shaking his head at the Pooka.
"Oh, ye of little faith... Watch and learn. As I was saying, North, I have something to trade. Beneath this cover is a cookie. But not just any cookie. It is the result of hours of experimentation, of testing, of working... It is what I consider to be my masterpiece. My secret recipe weapon of a masterpiece if you will."
North was intrigued, they could all see it, and Bunny and Tooth sat back to see whether the man who was all but immune to Jack's persuasive charms would give in.
"Go on, Jack. I am listening."
"I thought you might. This cookie is a combination of all the things that make a cookie great. It is about the size of your hand, is both crumbly and gooey, contains chocolate chips, chocolate sauce, chunks of brownie, chunks of Belgian chocolate, chunks of white chocolate, small pieces of hazelnut smothered in cinnamon syrup and all of those in perfect balance. It is also topped with an expertly whipped cinnamon cream and melted chocolate sauce, and with a swirl of whipped caramel to add a little touch of class."
He gave them a couple of seconds to take that in, and Bunny leaned forward, suddenly interested. By the moon, the mischievous, conniving little underhand, bribery artist might just have managed it...
North was torn.
He sat, in his thinking pose, for several moments, until Jack finally gave a grin and a fake look of surprise.
"Oh, and did I forget to say that it was still warm?"
He swept the lid off, and they all gasped as a halo of light seemed to float around the cookie, inspirational and moving music filling the air...
"Sandy!" Bunny said, rolling his eyes, and the golden guardian, having arrived just in time to witness Jack's masterpiece of persuasion, gave a small grin and the music faded out, as did the halo.
But the cookie... The mother of all cookies lay in the centre of the tray, sending out enticing aromas and looking like... well, the holy mother of all cookies.
Wide, thick and still warm, chocolate still dripping slowly off of the sides, it was death by sugar, but even Tooth was entranced.
North took one look, and lasted the whole of three seconds before stamping a foot in childish frustration.
"Okay Jack, you win. I have been broken and am miserable excuse for role-model..."
Jack shrugged, grinning,
"But, on the other hand, you have the cookie that I consider to be my finest work to date."
Then he swept out a small tray and revealed three more of the cookies, smaller, but equally enticing, and grinned widely.
"Anyone else?"
To everyone's immense surprise, Tooth was the first there, and eagerly swiped a cookie, hovering over it protectively. Sandy wasn't far behind, but Bunny looked a little apprehensive.
"Ya know mate, I really don't want to have my chocolate shown up..."
Jack shrugged.
"Oh, well, in that case, I guess you don't want to-"
The delighted gasp from Tooth and the explosion of fireworks from Sandy as they bit into their cookies, and the fact that North had been stunned into silence by the awesomeness of the explosion of flavours and general too good to be trueness of the cookie in his hand had Bunny backtracking.
"Well now, I never said I didn't want to-"
"Oh no, If you don't want me to-"
"Give me the cookie, Frostbite."
"What if I don't want to?"
"Then I'll... I'll..."
Bunny blinked as he realised his boomerang was gone, and Jack took it from behind his back in mock concentration.
"This what you're looking for Kangaroo?"
Bunny blinked. How on earth had he... He shook his head. He had more important things to worry about.
"Give me the cookie Frost. I'm serious..."
The ecstatic moans from behind them had Jack rolling his eyes and Bunny even more desperate to see what the fuss was about.
Jack gave him his 'come get me then' grin, and the Pooka grinned, reaching behind his back grabbing a length of rope that was wrapped around his boomerang sheath.
Jack blinked.
"What you gonna do with that?"
Bunnymund grinned, and swirled the rope in the air where it became clear what it was. The lasso whipped out and landed around Jack's foot, much to the guardians startled surprise.
"Ya forget," Bunny said with a grin, "I'm an auzzie mate."
Jack gave him a look of grudging approval and sighed, flying closer and handing Bunny the small tray, though the Pooka had no idea how he had managed to keep it from falling, which he had kept balanced on his hand.
"I'll give you that. Very impressive. Now eat your damned cookie."
Bunny took it, and the last thing he heard before he took a bite and was lost to the land of day dreams and rainbows and dancing eggs was Jack calling Phil's name and saying something about a holiday...
Phil and the other yeti's were either dancing about, playing cards or lounging about, and generally having a great time. Jack grinned as Phil gave him a snappy salute and returned the gesture, before heading off to see whether the guardians had recovered.
Apparently they had. If it could be called that.
North was skipping around his study-yes, skipping- and whistling a random tune as he worked on his designs, Tooth was helping, in between doing cart-wheels in the air and uttering delighted giggles. Sandy was likewise cart-wheeling, or generally spinning in a daze and Bunny was... well... The Pooka was grinning like an idiot and idly staring into space.
Jack sighed, deciding that it might be best to leave off the cooking for a while, and rolled his eyes at Baby Tooth as she flew into the room.
"What happened?" She chirped, watching Tooth spinning and Sandy cart-wheeling and North skipping and Bunny dozing with a very bemused look, and Jack sighed.
"Well Tinkerbell, it all started this morning, when I felt like making cookies-"
"Ahh, sugary cookie goodness all bundled up in more sugar and chocolate and cookie..."
Tooth said dreamily, and Jack and Baby Tooth both stared at her. It was a few seconds before Baby Tooth managed to shake herself out of her shock, and pulled a small lock of Jack's hair to break him out of his.
The youngest guardian blinked, then rolled his eyes and sighed.
"Like I said, it all started when I felt like... cooking. Just casually cooking nothing in particular..."
So, Love it? Hate it? Thumbs up? Thumbs down?
I know it was more crackish...ey and OOC than most of my previous ones, but hope you enjoyed it all the same!
Anyway, please review and let me know!
Oh, and I'm afraid there will be only one update tomorrow. I want to get the April Fool fic done, and it should be up the day after...
Then, after that, It will hopefully be back to my usual two updates. For a while at least, because I have loads of exams coming up, and won't be able to update as regularly in a couple of weeks time...
(I'm not quite sure that made any sense, but yeah... I think I may have brained my damage with all the life and shizzle... wait, what? GAH!)
But enough about me, and my descent into a swirling spiral of insanity and doom...
Teeheehee... Unicorns and Bunny rabbits should be bestest buddies...
(You worried yet? I am... Hmm, must be a sugar high from imagining Jack's cookies, Lol :D )
Till next time, guys, Raven xx