Jamie smiled a little at that, gently threading his fingers through Jack's hair lovingly; he nuzzled Jamie, quivering as he was dreaming more happily. Jamie stayed with Jack until he realized he should probably get the boys some supper and so he'd gently settled Jack on a pillow before leaving and going to the kitchen to prepare the boys their meal. Roxas and Merix were now playing dinosaurs instead of batman and robin.
"Boys, wash up for supper." Jamie called from the kitchen.
"OKAY PAPA!" When the boys had washed up they were treated to a meal of what looked like meatloaf. Roxas sat in his high chair while Merix kept poking his loaf in his own high chair, which Jamie had fashioned from ice to accommodate the younger boy, but without it being cold for him.
"It's not going to eat you Merix." Jamie said, feeding Roxas a bite first before cutting up Merix's portion so that the child could simply pick up the meat and eat it without choking. He sniffed it and then took a bite.
"YUMMY!" Jamie smiled and left Merix to mostly feed himself, though he kept an eye on him to make sure he didn't choke as he fed Roxas. Merix finished in record time.
"Would you like some more or are you full?" Jamie asked, noticing the boy had emptied his plate. He smiled, his baby canines gleaming in the light.
"Yes." Jamie got him another slice and cut it up for him.
"Num num!" He ripped into it as if it were going out of style. Jamie chuckled a little and looked at Roxas who just finished his first.
"Want some more Roxas?"
"No." He said with a giggle. Jack woke a little after noon.
"Alright." Jamie let him down from his high chair after wiping up his mouth and then cleaned up the high chair. He did the same for Merix when he was finished.
"W-What happened?" Jack asked, coming into the dining area; as he'd slept, something in the blood had made him forget what he was sad about.
"You just slept through lunch dear. Do you want some?"
"Y-yes, um why does my face feel like it's been hit by a truck?" He looked down at the floor.
"I imagine the cut still stings. I iced it over earlier, but I imagine that it's worn off in terms of deadening the nerves."
"W-What did you m-mean?" Jamie held up an ice mirror he formed so Jack can see; he noticed a large purple bruise with blackened nerves all around.
"Shit."
"It's not as bad as it was. It's healing nicely really." Jack quivered.
"Why does it feel like something or someone is missing within me?" He knew that one spot in his soul, his love and care for Baby Tooth, was withered a little as he realized once more she was gone.
"No, no please have been a nightmare!" Jamie didn't say anything to that. What could he say? Roxas walked over, small tears at the reminder but he calmed down soon enough. Jamie gently ruffled his hair as he walked by before walking over to Jack and hugging him.
"She's really gone... is-isn't she?" Roxas just hugged Jack; he hugged his son right back. Roxas hugged Jack tightly while Jamie did the only thing he could at the moment, he distracted Merix. Merix missed his mother and began to cry.
"MOMMY, I WANT MY MOOOOMMMYY!"
"I know, but you have to let her heal okay?" Jamie said gently, trying to calm the boy and reassure him. Seeing this, Roxas hugged his new best friend. Jamie shifted so that he can include both Jack and Roxas in the hug, comforting the group as best as he could. Merix hugged tightly to Jamie as Jack wrapped his tail around his small family and friends' child. He wanted Roxas to have a sibling but he didn't think it'd work well, but when they came to that bridge they'd see. Jamie simply held the group close silently, offering what comfort that he could. Jack smiled happily at his family.
"Why don't you boys go play hmm?" Jamie suggested after letting go.
"Okays." Jamie smiled a little as he watched Roxas take Merix's hand and tug him over to the toys to play. Merix sniffled, playing half heartedly as Jack looked down.
"I'm gonna go check out how his parents are doing." Jamie nodded a little.
"I'm sure he'd like that." Jack sigh worriedly as he flew from the cavern, Roxas was learning and growing way too fast for his liking.
Jamie kept an eye on the boys. The two tire of playing with the dinos and end up playing with a variety of stuffed animals next.
"WION ATTACKS BEAR! RAWWR!" Merix roars back with the bear he's got, among the other stuffed animals are a seal, two tigers - one that's white, a dog and an elephant.
Jack sighed tiredly just as he stopped at the cavern like door near the forest. Jack knocked at the door.
"Hello?" Audino wheezed heavily.
"L-love who's at the door?"
"I'll check." He replied and went to find out. Jack awaited for either one to answer the door and worried a little bit for Audino, who was in great pain at that moment. After a few seconds passed Kry opened the door, he had a swath of cloth over his left eye.
"Hi." Jack looked at him worriedly.
"I-... its Merix; he really misses you both." He smiled a little.
"Yeah... I've felt it, but I don't think it's good for him to be with us yet. As you can see, we're not in the best of health and not in the best position to care for him, give me at least a week or so to finish healing. Audino is still very weak."
"At least let him visit you." Jack said worriedly as Kry moved to invite him inside.
"If you agree to stay here and keep an eye on Audino for an hour or so I'll go visit him... but Audino needs watching." Jack nodded.
"Promise." He smiled and headed towards her room only to be greeted with a shocking sight; her stomach was patched up where the wound was, but had heavily bled through giving the impression of a gaping hole in her stomach.
"Hey Jack." She greeted him while Kry flew off to the pole. Jack smiled a little and talked with Audino. She smiled and responded back, telling Jack all that's happened since the incident that wounded her and how she needed to be watched to ensure the wound didn't reopen so she didn't bleed out.
Merix was crying again.
"I WANT DADDY AND MOMMY!"
"Calm down Merix, Jack went to go talk to them for you okay? I'm sure at least one of them will come visit you." Jamie said, trying to comfort the boy. Merix flailed and bit Jamie who sighed, despite the pain.
"Son! I taught you better than that!" Kry barked from the window he'd just reached.
"DADDY!" He ran to his angered father but his expression soon softened to love as he saw him. Roxas looked at him confused but ran and hugged too. Kry sighed and landed into the room, he knelt down to scoop Merix up.
"Merix, really now. I thought I told you to be good." He ruffled Roxas' hair with his free hand while Jamie tended to the bite even while watching the reunion.
"BUT DADA I MISSED YOU!" He cried as Roxas hid behind Jamie's leg; he hadn't really ever talked to the man directly before.
"That's no excuse." He replied sternly and Merix looked down.
Jack smiled, making a great soup for Audino.
"Hmm, this is something my mom taught me right before... well, I died."
"Smells good from here." She called back.
"Yeah, mom always was a good cook."
"I hope this isn't too personal of a question but... how old are you?"
"Wait, you mean when I died or my 300 some years?"
"I mean your real age dear. Do you know? My husband and I know about your true nature... I just wasn't sure if you knew or if my asking would be too personal."
"I... I ac-actually don't know." He said, setting the bowl down at the coffee table.
"Would you like to?" She asked after a moment of silence.
Merix snuggled his father to death, clenching on and not letting go once. Kry sat down with Merix held close.
"I'd like to take you home son, but it's not possible yet... your mom isn't well enough and I can't care for you both at the same time right now."
"WHY CAN'T I'S HELP YOU WITH MOMMY!" He cried, pulling away, now angry.
"I WANTS TO HELP! WET ME HELPS!" He said beating against his father's chest in frustration.
"Son, I know you want to help, but you're too young yet. There's not much you can do alright? The best way you can help is by keeping your friend company for just a little while longer. I promise we'll be with you again soon."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." Kry replied. Merix smiled.
"I missed you."
"Y-yes please, anything to know that age."
"You'd have to find my mother... I can give you an idea of her current location... but I cannot guarantee you will find her."
"Thank you, now eat that soup before it's cold."
"Yeah. It's a strange ability she was born with apparently. Thanks for the soup by the way. Also, if you get me a piece of paper and a pencil I'll draw you a map to her last known location. I should warn you she picks some strange places to be at... so I'll give you a few other options as well in case she's not there." She said before taking her first bite.
"You're welcome and thank you." He did just bites she began to draw a map and then listed other places beneath the first place that she'd drawn a map of Isla de las Munecas. A place the locals called "The Island of Dolls." The other places she listed were:
The Overland Bridge, Milton, Scotland
The Sedlac Ossuary, Sedalac, Czech
Matsuo Ghost Mine, Northern Japan
Hellingly Hospital, Hellingly, England
Aokigahara Forest, Mount Fuji, Japan
"I've heard of these places and not much good comes from them."
"I know, she's mostly responsible for that... she doesn't think highly of humanity, but you aren't human."
"So she's okay to talk to right?"
"She's pretty harmless. Though I imagine she's scared her fair share of people." Jack smiled.
"I can see that."
"Donno why she does it. You'll have to ask her that."
"Thank you for everything."
"Of course. " She smiled a little.
"Hey bud, I should get back to your mother. I'm sure Jack doesn't want to spend the night with her." Kry said, setting his son down.
"No daddy pleases no go!" He cried.
"Sorry son. I'll be back again soon. I promise, next time I come back it will be to bring you home okay?" He gently pressed a kiss to Merix's forehead. He smiled.
"Okay daddy." He whined a bit.
Jack tucked in Audino and grabbed the map and said places she wrote down.
"Good luck Jack." Jack was just returning when Kry left.
"I'm home." Roxas ran into his arms.
"DADDY!" Roxas hugged Jack tightly. Merix kicked a dinosaur toy away as he sat somewhere in the other room, he was upset. Jack smiled, hugging Roxas.
"Go play Rox." Roxas nodded and went over to his friend, he didn't think Merix wanted to play though and just hugged him instead. Shaking his head, Merix cried, clutching to the boy's shirt tightly; soaking it as he cried. Jack took Jamie to the living room.
"Jamie, I never really knew my age a-and I want to know. A-audino's mom might s-so I'm going on a trip to find her." He showed him the map and list of places he was going to go.
"Those are some pretty creepy places Jack... just... be careful okay?" He nodded.
"Love she haunts most of them." He said before he kissed him goodbye before taking off.
"First stop, Maryland." He muttered to himself. Jamie watched Jack leave before going over to the two boys. Merix became exhausted from crying, tear tracks stained his face; Jamie and Roxas do their best to distract Merix and cheer him up.
Jack finally made it to the haunted hospital after the other places turned out empty; he kicked the door down; making it seem as if there was a door shutting itself to anyone living who saw it move in the hospital. Swallowing, he walked into the darkness, using his staff as a light torch of sorts as the edge sparkled with his frost lightning.
"Stop making so much noise. The humans aren't far away." Came a quiet voice in the room. Sitting in a corner was what looked to be a hunched figure; small from the looks of it, perhaps a child, but Jack would know it wasn't a child. He glared.
"You're Audino's mother correct?" She stood and stretched out, it was then that it was apparent she was an adult and a pair of wings stretched out before settling again.
"I am." He sighed.
"I came to talk to you about something you probably or might have answers to."
"You want to know how old you are." It wasn't a question. He stared, dumbfounded.
"Y-yes please, I wish to know."
"Many come to me, asking that question. You are young yet. Born only one day more than you believe young Frost. Yes, I know who you are. I can see what others cannot. You were born a day before the boy you remember becoming. You took the place of the child who was stillborn." He growled, hating how she could see straight through him and just by looking at him she seemed to know exactly everything.
"W-what is that supposed to mean?" He snapped.
"Young frostling, you assume too much. I can only see your aura and what auras are around me. I know of you only because I have been around a very long time. I am... how you would say... blind?"
"You know m-me." He smiled.
"B-but what can you tell me of my age... a day... a year anything would help me to know."
"You were, to be precise, born on December 21st, 1698."
"What?! B-but I was born December 25th 1699!" He looked at her as if to say 'please tell me this is a joke!' She shook her head.
"You were born before you replaced the child who was stillborn, as I said. You were adopted by the Overland family. You know this. Why should it shock you that your day of birth is not what you thought?"
"O-oh god..." He felt as if his whole world crumbled all over again.
"Young Frost, your past is not what makes you who you are. A truth you must always keep in mind." He took deep breaths.
"Then what am I?"
"You are you, who you choose to be."
"She was right you are cryptic; i-is there anything else you can tell me about... w-well my life, what else of my life wasn't real?" She shook her head.
"I only know so much. I have not spent my life looking only after you. I, like so many spirits, know of you and yet do not know you personally. I only know what I can read from your aura."
"Who would you suggest should I ask that then?"
"Only the Moon knows all."
"Yeah that's helpful... I can't go back there."
"I see... perhaps then you can find the only other spirit who knows... Father Time." Jack swallowed; Father Time. He hadn't seen him in a long time.
"Good luck." He decided to talk to Jamie about it; as Roxas and Merix were just put to bed Jack flew in, very distressed. Jamie closed the door softly, leaving the boys to sleep by the nightlight. He knew Jack was feeling distressed and beckoned him to quietly follow to their room to talk.
"Yes love?" He was quite confused as to why he wanted him in there. He gently tugged Jack onto the bed next to him and put his arms around him.
"What's wrong?" Jack shivered.
"Honey, how much have I told you about my life, my fake life, and how much have I told you of my demon one?" Jamie thought a moment.
"Well, I can't say I know exactly. You did say you had a human family once, a sister and a mother. Told me about your first meetings with three of the four Guardians before you were a Guardian and we met... about what you did to fill your time. As far as your demon life... I don't really know much about that beyond your origins, your need to eat... and various physical things." Jack swallowed.
"So how much have I told you as of the truth?" Jamie shrugged.
"That I can't say. I just have to trust that what you've told me is true." Jack couldn't take it; he didn't even know what his past life was anymore. He beat against the wall closest to him. Jamie tugged him away before he could make too much noise or do it again.
"Jack, love... talk to me. Please."
"I DON'T KNOW WHO I AM OR WAS BEFORE ANYMORE!" He shrieked.
"Quiet down a little. It's going to be okay, alright? I'll help you any way I can." He pulled back from Jamie.
"Jamie I can't, not if I'm gonna basically keep lying to you about my probably fake life!" Jamie sighed a little.
"As far as I know you haven't lied to me since I found out you weren't human."
"BUT WHAT DO I KNOW IS TRUTH?! HECK WHAT IF THIS FORM IS A LIE!" He screamed and stood up; anger of not knowing coursing through him. Jamie embraced Jack gently.
"I know, believe me I do... I understand how you're feeling but it's not going to change anything. We'll find someone who can tell you for sure okay?"
"Father Time is only person I can reach for that." He whined.
"Well, we'll find him then." Jack nodded. The next day Merix played with Roxas all day but he was feeling blue again near the end of it. Roxas did all he could to keep Merix distracted. Merix calmed down after a short crying fit and decided to wait. Jack sighed as he watched the two, turning to Jamie.
"Who's gonna watch kiddos while we talk to Time?"
"We could ask Bunny, Easter is over now and he doesn't usually work much until the weeks before. I'd say North but that didn't turn out well... the guy doesn't know the meaning of the word "responsibility" I think... and Tooth and Sandy are a mite too busy."
"Bunny it is then." He smiled as he went to tell Roxas and Merix put on a coat. Jamie smiled and nodded and went to get a comm from North so he could alert Bunny before they just dropped in on the lagomorph... after all, he wasn't sure exactly WHAT Bunny did during his down months. Jack smiled as Merix and Roxas ran in circles trying to find their jackets until he caught each one and slipped them into their coats. Jamie came back into the room in time to see that the two were ready.
"Alright kiddos hop on." Jack knelt so they could easily get on his back, his wings flared out as they climbed onto his back; Merix is still learning how to fly unlike Roxas who already knows how to but he'd rather keep him close this time. Jamie opened the window and stepped out onto the balcony, waiting for them as the boys clung to Jack like monkeys. He chuckled.
"Hold on tight boys." He smiled as Merix giggled and then took off like a rocket. Jamie followed behind. They make it in record time to the Warren. Bunny was waiting by the entrance of the tunnel to his Warren, that he knew Jack would use, when they arrived. Jack smiled.
"Hello kangaroo we got a favor to ask of you." He said as Merix and Roxas "yabadabadoo" down his tail Flintstones style.
"Ya. Jamie told me. You two be careful ya?" He leaned down to look at the two boys.
"Ya grown last I saw ya. Who's yer lil mate?" Bunny asked Roxas. Merix blushed and hid behind Roxas, scared and shy.
"M-my name's Mer-merix Mr. Bunny." He said shyly.
"Well then, Mr. Merix what do ya like to do?" Jamie smiled a bit at the two before following Jack out.
"Umms umms I wike to paints and pway dinosaurs and batman and robin go on a dates." He said as well as listing off the things he liked to eat including rabbit. Jack smiled.
"Off to Father Time now." A twitch of an ear is the only indication that Bunny has heard Jack, his attention on the two boys now.
Jack smiled as they reached the Time Palace in good time; he knew, of course, that Father Time knew he'd be visiting.
"I take it you've been here before." Jamie said as they arrived at the palace. There was no other reason that Jack would know where it was... right? After all, to most people time was an abstract concept so that there was an ACTUAL Father Time escaped most... so Jamie knew next to nothing about the individual spirit they were about to speak with.
"Yes, many times he's meddled with my life and timeline." He growled.
"Many of which were lessons."
"Not sure I like the sound of that..." Jamie murmured as he followed Jack.
"Don't ask why they were lessons, I deserved each and every one of them." He snapped and flew off a little faster than he was before. Jamie didn't ask, he had a feeling it's a part of his life he'd rather not share any time soon and Jamie was okay with that. He didn't say anything really as he simply followed Jack around the palace in search of this spirit... if Father Time was expecting them then where was he? Jack was just as curious about that.
"FT?" He called, using the nickname he had created.
"Two doors to your left." Came the reply. Jamie wasn't sure if he should be surprised or not that the voice sounded like that of a young man in his prime. He wondered about what he would find. What would Father Time look like? Old? Young? Both? Somewhere in between? Jack glared at the doors as they passed and sighed.
"Morning FT or should I say afternoon."
"Either will suffice, depends on what point in time you're coming from." The man before them looked to be in his prime with a short beard, the sapphire blue eyes that twinkled at the sight of them were both full of wisdom and at the same time a child-like merriment. Jack sighed and his wings drooped a bit.
"Father Time I h-have something to ask that's crucial to my life at the moment a-and I need to know... what i-is my age a-and is all my life been a lie? W-what was my life?" He was shaking a little, tears streaming down his cheeks. Jamie wrapped his arms around Jack.
"I know why you've come. It's because you saw that seer creature... Delilah, as that is her name, is not wrong in what she told you. You do not likely remember the first year of your life because you were still in that other realm. It took you a year and a week to break free of your own accord. As for what your life is... the only parts that have been a lie were those you chose to make so. The aspects of your former self that you wished were not so... such as taking a human form." Jack grit his teeth, tears forming.
"S-so y-your s-saying only half of my real life w-was real, m-my sister w-was real... b-but the memories, weren't t-they were just some figment of my mind. Something to grasp onto to make as my own to defend the true person I was." He shook, unable to handle this news.
"The 'family' that adopted you was very real, if that is what you are asking. Your sister, mother, father... they took you in but it wasn't long before the family that adopted you realized you weren't human as you appeared to be. It might be why the man you once called father became so cruel to you... because you weren't human he didn't think it mattered what he did to you. No one would condemn him if they ever found out you weren't human in that era because if anyone ever found out... they would have driven you from the village. No one would have been hospitable to you. The time you appeared in the human world was not a very compassionate one in terms of spirits of any sort. I don't think it helped any that you arrived just at the time that the son they wished they could have had was stillborn. You probably weren't told of it because no one took such things as they were and thought it was an ill omen, so they adopted you as their own and claimed you as their son; unaware of your true nature at the time." He sighed a little.
"For their time period... they were... rather compassionate people. To an extent." Jack shook and fell to his knees, wings curling around his body as he beat a fist against the floor; tears slipping freely, he sobbed quietly as he took it all in. Jamie kept Jack close the entire time, wondering what all of this meant.
"W-What else of my adopted life is real?" He shook more and more. Father Time sighed.
"Perhaps it's best to simply show you rather than sit here and go through it all. Stay put one moment please." He got up and left the room. Jamie wondered what the heck the other meant by that and just what it was he didn't know.
"Jack? You okay?" He asked quietly. Jack didn't answer.
"Jack?" Jamie began to worry a bit now... what could have shaken Jack so much? He didn't say anything as he waited for FT to return; he was scared. He struggled. I should run... but if I do I will never know my life. But I want to get out of here, those memories hurt... everything hurt. Jack shook his head and pushed Jamie off and ran down a few halls trying to escape; he wasn't staying but FT was several steps ahead of him, he knew Jack needed to know. Of course, able to control his palace and time, it was an easy task to send Jack looping back to the room after two doors. It was when Jack realized he'd come back into the room through a different door that Father Time reappeared. Jamie stared at Jack in just plan concerned confusion.
"J-Jamie let's go home." He started backing up not wanting to do this anymore, but whether or not he wanted to was no longer an issue.
"Now Jack, you should know better than trying to navigate my home without proper guidance." Father Time said calmly as he moved over with a mirror that he held out towards the two.
"You did want answers after all, here." The mirror gave off a soft blue glow a moment and their reflections vanished to show the small cabin that Jack would know all too well as the place he had once called home... like a movie his life began to play before his eyes... watching as the grieving father was out in the woods one day only to stumble upon the demon child who looked like a normal human... this child was Jack. The child's cries loud and inhuman yet child like all the same. His eyes were brown as he had taken human form but his wings were there, even then his horns showed through but weren't visible to the man.
"No." Jack shook his head, he wasn't sure he wanted to know but something pushed him to keep watching. Gurgling the child he'd been looked at the man and said one word.
"Dada."
"You poor child." Jamie found himself transfixed as he watched the man pick up a young Jack and carry him home. The scene changed where the man stood with his grieving wife. There was blood everywhere on the sheets, but the child that lay in the swaddling clothes in the man's arms made no sound and didn't breathe.
"Oh God... John... I..."
"Hush, we tell no one. We're far enough away that no one will know but us." She nodded.
"I found a boy in the woods while looking for a lost sheep. I did not find the sheep though." The man wrapped up the body of the baby.
"I... I'll deal with this.. f-for now... say nothing. The boy I found seems to have no name. He is a blessing, we will call him Jackson." The woman nodded and washed in the room while the man stepped out. A young Jack was asleep in a bundle of furs as the man went outside only to come back in without the bundle that would have been his child. He picked up the sleeping Jack and moved over to the other room; the young demon woke sleepily.
"Da?"
"Yes son, we're going to greet your mother. She is most anxious to see you." The younger Jack smiled as the man carried him to the other room and to the loving arms of the woman. Jack's breath came out in heaves, body trembling, his pupils shrunk. Jamie hugged Jack tightly as the man handed the young child over to the woman who embraced him.
"My little Jack." It was all she said as she hugged him tightly.
"Mom." He barely whispered the word, he shook his head; that woman wasn't just an adoptive mother, she was his mother and always would be in his mind and heart. The scene shifted to the night that Emma had been born. Jack and the man he'd come to call father were in the living room while muffled cries of pain came from the other room. The man was worried, he paced the room and things got quiet, the man seemed to go still until he seemed to simply sag as a new sound filled the air... the unmistakable cry of a newborn. The newborn wailed and his father seemed to pull the younger Jack in; his mother held his adopted sibling... no his sibling, his sister, Emma... and looked at Jack as he stared at the infant in curiousity.
"Meet your new sister, Emma." She said softly, she looked exhausted and the midwife had already cleaned everything up and was now bustling away with the soiled sheets after a quiet "congratulations" to the man. He climbed up on the bed so he could see her better.
"Mm Emm Emm Emma!" He finally said after a few tries, the newborn opened her eyes for the first time and stared at him with brown eyes like his own.
"That's right. Emma, this is your big brother Jack." She stared at him before yawning cutely and going back to sleep again. The next scene shifted to when both Jack and Emma were a few years older.
"I have something for you Jack. It's time you began to learn the family business." His father said as he held out the Shepherd's crook to the young boy who was barely half as tall as it was, but would have only a little trouble holding it.
"This, son, will be your best friend in work. Take care of it." Jack looked at the staff, grabbing it as he held it with both hands; he smiled and with determination said.
"I will papa, I promise I'll be the bestest shepherd there ever was!" The man smiled.
"I know you will son. Come on, time to get started." The man led Jack out of the house to the fields. Those days and months went fast, but the times he needed to feed were the worst; his father knew as well why some sheep were missing. Jack had killed and eaten them. He knew because he caught him eating them; the cries of the sheep could be heard throughout the whole village, that's when he started seeing the monster instead of the boy. Jamie shuddered as he watched... whether it was mordification or anger at the man, because he knew what was coming next... Jamie really wasn't sure he knew himself...
"I promise you Jack it'll be all right, just sleep it'll all be over soon." Jack cried at this part of his life.
"NO NOOO!" He beat against the mirror to stop it, but it was no use. Father Time watched the two impassively, it wasn't really that he didn't care so much as that he'd seen things like this so many times... Jamie clutched Jack to him.
"Sweetheart..." He murmured gently as the scenes continued to flash by. As soon as that time ended another bloomed; his mother had found out and yelled at him for it. Jack wouldn't say anything it to anymore after that. She told that monster to get out, in turn he killed her with the very staff he gave Jack; he'd screamed and grabbed his sister. Jack's death was no accident, he'd done it... he caused it. He knew Jack would go there.
"You monster of a child I should never have picked you up hell spawn!" Jack forced his sister off the ice but it was too late for him; the ice cracked at his feet from his father having pounded on it and he fell to his death. Jack cried out as the realization struck hard.
"Oh God... Jack..." Jamie murmured quietly, his grip not lessening even the slightest as the scene changed to Jack's emerging from the ice. Jack glared at Father Time.
"Why d-didn't you show me this sooner." He hissed, after all those times he'd visited FT and the lessons given, not once had he said Jack wasn't who he was or that his life wasn't at all what he'd thought it was.
"You neither asked nor insinuated that you needed to know so badly as you do right in this very moment Jackson. As I said before with many of the times we have met... you learn what you need to when you need it the most. There are rules about messing with time and interfering with others. They are there for a reason. Even Aster must abide by them." Jack cried as his life continued to show, the first spirits that ever beat him up was actually Bunny and a few springs. Jamie frowned, he'd already nearly beat the crap out of Bunny for that one a while back. Needless to say... the pooka had been trying to make up for it ever since Jack had been named a Guardian. The next was, of course, North; angry as he had seen the deaths of those people, the sinking ship and cries screaming in Jack's head as North was shaking him. Jack looked at him fearfully eventually he slapped Jack.
"Looks like I'm going to have to pay him a visit too..." Jamie muttered quietly, his eyes darkening. The next attacker was Death, and Malfor had visited him as well in dreams.
"So how's Earth son?"
"What!?" That was before he knew of him being his creator. Jamie was silent as he watched the next scenes, thinking to himself that Death had gotten off too easy...
"N-n-no more." He begged.
"Please stop showing me my life." The scene faded to black, the next one to come was something Jack might not have noticed... a happier time... but not necessarily in his own life as a man was crouched in the snow, watching anxiously a toddler who took his first steps in the snow... then looked up at Jack with a happy grin. Jamie's mouth dropped open a little... the toddler... it was...
"Dad..." He mouthed, staring at the man who was watching the toddler whose eyes stared up at Jack with an innocent curiosity, wonder and joy sparkling in eyes so innocent that they didn't yet need to rely on knowledge to believe. The toddler's eyes met Jack's for a moment in time until the man called out.
"Jamie! Time for lunch!" The toddler giggled and toddled back towards his father. Jack looked a little at the young Jamie; he'd always hung around that house, it was same exact spot he haunted all those years and that first day he'd met Jamie his life brightened for the better. Jamie was silent then as he seemed to watch himself grow up. Jack had always been there? He wasn't sure what to say exactly as he watched the various years seem to slip away and most of them were the same, but as he grew older the pure innocence that had allowed the toddler to see Jack was gone and he had not seen Jack... until... The scene switched from the night to day and Jamie could only smile a little... watching as Jack began a snowball fight, hitting him square on the head after he'd asked his mom who Jack Frost was. He'd always suspected that Jack had been there... that he'd started that fight... but now he knew for certain. Jack started laughing happily and then a little uncontrollably, like he couldn't stop; he fell unconscious then. Jamie held Jack close and looked over at Father Time as the mirror's images faded away. It was a lot to take in. Jack didn't stir.
Merix and Roxas were definitely a handful for Bunny as Merix was biting his tail and Roxas was on his head chewing his ear; they were hungry and Bunny didn't have the food they needed.
"Oi! Now cut that out! If ya hungry why don'tcha say so!" He plucked Merix off his tail then Roxas off his head.
"I know ya ain't one for veggies... come on. I know someone who will have what'cha need." He held the two hungry children, one in each arm as he bounded off to the tunnel to the pole. North stockpiled all sorts of meats after all. Moments later Merix watched as North cut up something that smelled absolutely wonderful to him and Roxas. Bunny wrinkled his nose, ever the vegetarian.
"Thanks fer doin' this mate."
"Iz no problem!" Roxas and Merix ate all their food the instant they saw it.
Jack awoke hungry himself.
"Mm." Jamie looked at Jack, not saying anything as he was still trying to wrap his head around all he'd seen. Jack nibbled on Jamie's arm 'cause he was hungry but didn't want to eat Jamie. The feel of it shocked Jamie out of his thoughts.
"Ah... guess we'd better get you something to eat." Father Time simply watched as Jamie led Jack from the room, allowing the two to leave.
"Mmm." Jack was weak and leaned into Jamie for support. Jamie flew back to the cavern as fast as he could, there was a stash there still of the food he was certain Jack needed at the moment. He was surprised to find the place was still intact, clean... and ... quiet? He wondered where those two had gone. Well, he could worry about that later, he needed to feed Jack first. Jack moaned in pain, coughing up blood from the lack of meat. Jamie made a quick sandwich of the meat, barely heating it up before he gave it to Jack to eat.
Jakoul hugged Gale close to him, their new home was wonderful and no one would ever suspect it was there. Gale snuggled against Jakoul.
"Jak... do you think they'll be okay without us?" He asked after a moment.
"Yeah probably fine." Jakoul and Gale also had their own little bundle of joy; after finding out about life cradles they'd spoke with Bunny a month ago and they now had a baby boy with red tipped, brown and black haired with blue and green eyes with freckles on his cheeks. Gale smiled a little.
"I can't help but worry sometimes, you know."
Jack panted, having eaten it in one bite.
"Do you want me to make another?" Jamie asked as he waited patiently for Jack to catch his breath. He thought for a moment.
"One more." Jamie made a second sandwich and handed it to Jack. He took two big bites and smiled.
"Thank you." Jamie smiled in response. Jack sighed.
"We should probably go get Roxas and Merix before they eat Bunny." He said as he swallowed the rest of his sandwich.
Jakoul smiled.
"Yeah me too, but anyways we got a child to take care of now isn't that right Rin?" The child gurgles happily.
"Doesn't stop me from worrying." Jakoul sighed and decided to let Rin go play on the floor for a while. Gale watched Rin roll about.
"I think Bunny can handle not being eaten. Besides, it will do the boys some good to have some trust in him and the others."
"Yes."
"Mr. Easter Bunny c-can't we go play in the garden?" Merix asked after he settled them back in his abode.
"Of course ya ken." He smiled and led them out to the garden.
"Long as ya don't dig up any plants yer more than welcome ta play about."
"We promise" They giggled and ran around playing tag. Bunny watched the two run about with a smile. He didn't really have anything that important to do. Watching them brought back bitter-sweet memories of his own youth.
Jakoul giggled as Rin crawled over his chest and lay there.
Weeks later, Jack swallowed an entire pitcher of water.
"Feel better?" Jamie asked when Jack stopped drinking long enough to take a breath. He looked at Jamie and panted heavily and then drank another whole pitcher of water; it looked bad, he looked almost skeleton, like it was clear he'd stopped eating meat for a while or rather that he'd stopped eating it all together. Jamie waited until he was done with the drink.
"Are you still hungry?"
"No." He said simply and looked away, biting his lip; hoping Jamie didn't see how starving he was.
"Jack... what's going on love?" Did he really think Jamie wouldn't notice? After they'd been together for so long... how could he not? Jack looked out the nearest window.
"It's nothing, please don't make me tell." He began crying.
"I won't force you to, sweetheart, but you know I can't just simply stand by while you do this to yourself." Jamie said gently. Jack looked at Jamie and knew that he wasn't gonna let go without a fight.
"I love you too much and there are those who depend on you love. You know this." He smiled faintly. Jack smiled happily for a moment.
"I-i saw myself, Jamie, in a broken mirror... t-the face that wasn't my face." Jamie wasn't sure what to say that, but waited to see if he would explain further.
"A-And the people... they w-were just so scared... m-my believers cried." He whined. Jamie gathered Jack close to him without saying a word.
Merix and Roxas had fallen asleep in the garden, having worn each other out. Bunny smiled a little at the two, he'd gotten them pillows and a blanket that covered them both. Merix unconsciously clung to Roxas tightly. Bunny couldn't help but sketch the cute picture the two of them made.
It was coming down to where Jamie would either have to force feed Jack or wait until he went to bed and then do it. Jamie knew it... and figured during sleep was the only viable option. Jack yawned but shook his head; he refused to sleep, not until he went and got the kids.
"Guess we should get the kids." Jamie said.
"Okay." Jack fanned out his wings, they drooped and he fell flat on his face; weak and tired.
"Actually maybe you should sit down and I'll go get them." Jamie said after helping Jack into a chair.
"No, I can do it." He was upset as he wanted to help, very much so.
"Sweetheart, you can't even stand on your own much less carry two boys. I'll be back soon. Stay put." Jamie said the last bit in a tone that left no room for argument as he headed towards the entrance of the cavern. He pouted but even that looked weak.
Merix giggled and wrestled Roxas to the ground.
"I win heheh!" Roxas giggled.
"That what you think!" He flipped the other boy over as Bunny watched the two continue to wrestle about. A few minutes later he heard a chuckle and glanced up to see that Jamie was hovering nearby, he'd been so caught up in the two boys' fun he hadn't noticed the winter spirit. Which surprised him a little, Jamie could tell this the way the pooka's fur had seemed to stand on end a little but had settled quickly as his senses had told him who it was.
"How did it go?"
"Well... it was enlightening."
"How ya figure that?"
"Oh, well apparently the love of my life stalked me from toddler-hood." Bunny stared at Jamie a moment, he wasn't sure if Jamie was joking or not.
"Yer yankin' my leg..." Jamie shook his head.
"No, he apparently was around my family from a very young age. I got to see my dad again..."
"Been a long while eh?" Jamie just nodded and looked over to the boys as they wrestled about.
"Boys! You two ready to go?"
"DADDY!" Roxas dragged Merix with him into Jamie's leg.
"Oof!" He fell on his bottom for a moment and then stood back up giggling. Jamie chuckled, leaning down to pick the boys up and hug them.
"I can see you missed me."
"YES! WE HADS WHOLE LOTS OF FUN AND BUNNY FED US A BURGER AND AND AND-" Merix laughed at Roxas' enthusiasm and they started fighting in Jamie's arms.
"Whoa! Save it for when we get home boys." Jamie replied with a laugh, holding them so they couldn't reach each other. He glanced over at Bunny, raising an eyebrow at the pooka.
"They were good. If ya ever need me ta help with 'em again just call." Jamie nodded with a smile, that was all he needed to know before he took off with the two squirming boys.