Alaia Skyhawk: Had a busy couple of days, but made sure to get this done as soon as possible. Since yes, I was a bit mean with that cliffhanger lol :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.
~(-)~
Chapter 95: Letter from the Heart
When he'd told Marcia that the families of the fifteen Lieutenants would go public eventually about being related to an immortal, never had it occured to him to consider the same of the Bennetts. Not only that, but never would he have considered that they'd do so without speaking to him first.
Jack dashed to the Bennett House and in through the back door, discovering that no one was there. With it being almost half-an-hour since the original broadcast, that meant they were still at the museum and still talking to the Press. Which under the circumstances he really wished wasn't the case.
He left the house, flying towards the centre of town and groaning when he saw the mob of reporters and photographers outside the museum. They were milling around, kept away from the doors by the two police officers that stood the other side of the rope barriers around the entrance. But a glimpse through the glass of those doors once Jack landed next to them, revealed that a select few reporters were inside doing interviews much to the frustration of those stuck outside.
Jack bypassed the door with a mirror, rather than have the police officers freak out when it opened. Once inside he approached the small and rather orderly gathering within, stopping once he was in view of David to regard the old man with a distinctly displeased expression.
David glanced up at the movement, pausing mid-answer with a smile.
"Ah, Uncle Jack. Good of you to come."
The reporters all gasped and turned, although only about two thirds of them could actually see the Spirit of Winter. Jack's frown silenced most questions they might have asked, and his tone as he spoke silenced the rest.
"Nephew, might I have a word with you in private for a few minutes?"
David eased round the reporters, pointing towards the entrance to one of the exhibits.
"We can go in there and close the door." He glanced at the reporters and pointed to the door of the classroom suite. "I shall be back shortly. If you go in there, there are refreshments on one of the tables."
Jack followed him into the exhibit, let him close the door, and then tugged him through an ice mirror into one of the deepest and remotest parts of the Winter Sanctuary before closing it. Allowing him to use the full volume needed to express his opinion on this matter.
"Are you completely and utterly CRAZY?!"
David raised whitened eyebrows beneath equally greying hair, seemingly unfazed by the minus ten Celsius chill of the little cavern in which they stood. He sounded almost like a grandfather trying to encourage a grandchild not to continue with their screaming temper tantrum.
"You knew we wouldn't continue to hide forever. Not with the world changing as it is."
Jack scowled at the man's tone of voice, more than a little upset.
"You didn't even tell me in person! I found out from watching a news-feed! If you had this planned, you could have told me days ago!"
David sighed.
"So you could spend those days ranting and flailing in an attempt to make us keep quiet?" He reached out to place a hand on Jack's shoulder, the Spirit of Winter twitching as if to resist the urge to slap that hand away. "We timed this deliberately. Within another hour, those reporters will receive calls from their employers. A call about the existence of fifteen more similarly connected families, who I believe you just reunited with the fifteen Lieutenants of yours you took to see them."
Jack paused, his scowl becoming more of a bemused frown.
"Wondering who those fifteen anonymous families are, even wondering about the others that will be reunited with immortal relatives and announced over the coming months, won't be that big of a distraction. Why scramble around tying to learn who they are, when there's a family that is known who you can harass instead?"
David started to smile.
"Which is why I will be retiring as Curator of the Burgess Museum, and taking up a full-time role as representative of the Bennett Family. With an accompanying Court Order, dictating that the Press is not allowed to approach any member of the family except me, outside of official functions. A breech will result in hefty fines for the companies who's employees overstep the line. Craig will be the Curator from now on."
Jack continued to look bemused and uncertain. Part of him wanted to continue ranting about this, and yet when it came down to it he had no right to tell the Bennetts not to go through with their plan. He was related to them, yes, but as an immortal he could not intervene in their choices.
He let out a sigh of defeat, one that held a hint of worry.
"And what about the nutjobs out there, who will be more than happy to target anyone known to be related to an immortal?"
David continued to smile.
"I do believe you have been working with North to create protective charms. Jamie has been assisting him, so naturally I know all about them and what they will do. As we speak, my grandson should be approaching North to request the exact number of them we'll need, and who there are to be given to. And if you fear Burgess will be attacked, then think on this. The town is already known as the core home of your strongest believers, and the risk is already there that those fearful of the Immortals will target it in some way. But by having it be publicly known that there's a family there with a long tie to and experience of dealing with The Immortals, we create the opportunity for the Bennetts to help guide the changes the world faces. Because we can be seen as the 'Mortal Perspective' on the matter.
Jack turned to face him fully, with dawning suspicion.
"Just how long has the family been planning this?"
David's expression softened, becoming almost wistful.
"The original outline, which has been passed down to each Head of the family and modified to match the present era each time... Was written by your sister, Emily. It included her instruction not to tell you of our announcement before we make it. She knew you too well, Jack. She did not want you to dwell on it with dread or worry, in the same way she insisted you not be told she was ill on her deathbed until you arrived back with winter all those years ago."
He reached inside his jacket, pulling a very old piece of paper from the pocket inside. Holding it out to Jack. "This was also passed down, for this day."
Jack's eyes were wide, his hand trembling as he told hold of the letter. The creases of the paper unmoved from the folds they had been placed in over two centuries ago. When he opened it up, within lay line after line of heartbreakingly familiar writing. The sight enough to make tears well up in his eyes even before he began to read.
My Beloved Brother, are you well?
How I wish I could be there with you, standing at the threshold of the bright era I know must now be at hand. Do not be angry at our family for following my instructions, because I know just how silly you can be when you get all worked up. You get that from our father, I'm certain, or so Mother would say. I ask you to trust and believe in them, as I have always trusted and believed in you. You do not have to face the challenges ahead on your own. Protect them as you feel you must, but do not hold them back... If they walk out onto thin ice, I know you'll be there just as you were for me.
See that bright future for me, Jack, and know that my love and belief in you will last forever.
Your sister, Emily.
Jack closed his eyes against the tears that tumbled down his cheeks like frozen diamonds, taking a shuddering breath just short of a sob before he spoke.
"Who will be involved, and what can I do to help?"
David accepted the letter that was carefully folded and handed back to him, at once solemn and serious.
"I will be the acting ambassador who travels around, along with my wife. As I said, Craig will take over as Curator for the Burgess Museum and be contact point here in the town. Jamie plans to speak to Bunnymund, to act as ambassador for him in presenting technological advancements that will improve on current ones. Several other cousins and half-cousins are also going to come forward as ambassadors over the coming months. Jamie will be in charge of handing out the protection charms, although I doubt he will want one himself."
Jack opened his eyes, frowning.
"He'll get one whether he wants it or not. What the family does is in your hands now, and I can see your minds are made up. But at the same time I don't think it would be wise for Jamie to reveal that he's a wizard."
David sighed.
"You can't stop him, Jack. Jamie is of the opinion that to hide it would be to act as though it is something to be ashamed of. I agree with him on that. In between being a technology ambassador, he wants to visit schools to demonstrate Belief Magic and inspire the children."
Jack reopened the mirror to the museum, pausing a moment to compose himself. Thankfully, unlike for mortals, crying didn't leave him flushed pink in the face.
"Tell him he either wears one willingly, or else. I'll let him imagine what things I might come up with to express my disapproval of his stubbornness."
David stepped through the mirror, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"He gets that from your sister, I'm certain, or so I believe you would say."
Jack managed a quiet chuckle at that as he came through and closed the mirror, before he set off towards the classroom where the reporters waited.
"Come on, let's finish talking to these guys. They might as well get a confirmatory interview from me, to back up everything you've been telling them."
David chuckled as well.
"Then I think the both of us will be on the front page of every major newspaper in the world tomorrow. Let's show them how Mortals and Immortals can work together."
~(-)~
The Guardians were all gathered in the room, spread out across the collection of couches set around the magically-modified TV that was the latest addition to North's main lounge. None of them seemed inclined to move as they waited for the adverts to end, not even North who should normally have been prowling the toy-making areas now that Christmas was just a week away. Nope, they all wanted to see this... A live transmission of a public seminar about the Immortals, presented by none other than David Bennett.
David had joined Marcia's team as a private consultant, leaving him free to go to other countries without stepping on any political toes. This seminar was to be about the immortals that the Bennett Family had had considerable contact with, and also about those they'd met occasionally and/or knew a fair bit about. It was being shown live on no less than fifty-three channels across various countries, and no doubt re-runs of it would be shown regularly for weeks.
As for who was financing all the travelling about that was to come, Jack had directed that most of his current funds go into an expenses account. The Spirit of Winter had also created nine new sculptures ranging from 'medium' to 'very large', that would be appearing for auction in the near future. No company who attempted to offer 'sponsorship' would be accepted. The Bennetts were going to remain neutral in that respect.
But for now David would remain in Washington DC, attending conferences and interviews. This seminar was just another thing on a very long 'to do' list.
The Guardians sat in silence, their attention fully fixed once the seminar started. So much so that they didn't move even during the recess when the footage changed to a couple of people talking about and debating upon when it might be revealed who some of the other near forty presently anonymous families were. Between Jack and a few volunteer immortals, more and more of the younger ones were being helped to trace descendants or descendants of relatives. The furthest back one had been traced from so far, was for a guy who became an immortal in 1806. Whether any further back than that could be traced, largely depended on if those immortals had kept track of their families the way Jack had. Not hugely likely, but possible.
The idea of perhaps being related to an immortal had become a sudden crazy among genealogy buffs and casual family-tree researchers alike. Instead of being uncertain about the Immortals, now people were beginning to become excited about the chance of being able to say 'I'm related to that one'.
Which was coming across rather clear during this recess debate. Enough so that Bunny snorted and glanced at Tooth.
"Look at em. This keeps up, and the hype about Immortals will have them as excited as you were while we collected teeth back during the Easter Fiasco. You were pretty out there that night, flying into billboards and window-frames."
Tooth picked up a loose cushion from her couch and threw it at him.
"Like you were any more composed, after you learnt you weren't the last of the Pookas. You literally bounced off the walls for three days."
Over the other side of the set of seats, Sandy glanced at North and pointed to Jack. The Russian nodding as he too noted the Guardian of Fun's distracted state.
"How are you holding up, Jack?"
Jack sighed, finally turning his attention from the TV and over to them. He then shrugged.
"It's tough. I'll admit it, part of me wants to wrap them up in cotton-wool and hide them away. Harder still is being told in no uncertain terms, not to attend any of those events unless the family member there invites me. I'll just have to trust and believe in them, and be ready to help them if they need it. They have their work to do, and I have mine... Speaking of which, I'm due to 'Sneak into Santa's Workshop' in about twelve hours. I'm gonna go catch some fresh air before finding out what Phil has planned for me this time."
The other four Guardians chuckled as Jack left his seat and headed for the window, Bunny calling out after him.
"Good luck with that, and also... Have you still never heard of using a door?"
Jack smirked at him, even as he opened the window in preparation to leap out.
"But where would the fun be in that?"
In a flurry of snowflakes he was gone, his laughter echoing on the wind through the pane he'd deliberately left open.
Bunny got up to close it, muttering even as Tooth and Sandy giggled. Whatever had made Jack take a step back and leave the main work now to the Bennetts, it had clearly lifted a burden from him. His true self showing through properly for the first time in a long while, despite his understandable concerns for his family. And as North glanced once more at Sandy, both of them nodded and smiled.
Because they knew that Jack, like the rest of them, would now focus solely on the next generation. On those who would grow up to help shape the bright future ahead. Leave the adults to the Bennetts. For the Guardians, the important ones would always be the children.
~(-)~
Alaia Skyhawk: Yep, Jack's gonna be chillin' again now. And Marcia is just going to have to find some other immortal to bug, or ask one of the Bennetts. As for the 'craze' to find out if you were related to an immortal, it's impossible to deny. If something like this really happened, people definitely would do that hehehehee :)