Chapter Twenty-six-I claim you
As Jack wound through the sky his mind never left the image of the big four, sitting around in his lap soaking in every word their big brother told them. The huge eyes, the trusting smiles, the overall cuteness. He wondered breifly if the others remembered anything about that time. He combed through the false memories and really could imagine it happening, although he was fairly glad it hadn't. Thinking back he had known something was off about the situation, and he had always been surprised to see himself in the mirror.
He guessed he knew why now.
His thoughts drifted to Jamie and his mom, and then to the old house they had been living in. Why on earth had they moved? He launched in the window of his old apartment, marveling at the fact that he had paid for it, and slipped up the stairs to their apartment as he remembered it. He knocked, knowing Jamies mom making that much less odd than it would have been. It was like he was still twenty-something and he was dropping by after class.
He shook the feeling off, leaning casually on the wall.
"Hey Jack! What brings you, and why the front door?" She chuckled, nudging his shoulder and shooting him a teasing smile at the different approach to visiting.
"Oh, I wanted to make sure everything was going smoothly after everything that happened and say hi. I can't help wondering about the sudden move either." He commented calmly. Her brown eyes dulled and she looked away quickly, smiling as he led her in but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Yeah, everything's fairly normal here." She assured, not commenting on the move question.
"Hey, i-I'm sorry if that was-"
"Don't worry about it." She cut him off, not letting him finish his apology. "You couldn't know, unless Jamie had told you and he obviously didn't, but that's the second time I've been asked and it's not something I want to talk about, Jack." She offered, clearly hurt and stressed. Jack held up his hands in fearful surrender.
"Okay, okay." He said calmly. "I don't mean to pry, just curious is all." He set his staff down and put his hands in his hoodie pocket. Jessica sighed, turning back to him. She had sort of snapped on the boy.
"Jack, I'm sorry. That was harsh." She apologized sweetly. Jack grinned a rare, real smile.
"It's okay, really. I understand. I do the same thing sometimes, you don't need to apologize for being upset." He assured. She grinned at him.
"I do though." She sat heavily. "It's just touchy."
"Wow, I've said that so many times I should copyright it." Jack chuckled, sitting beside her. She tiled her head in question.
"The guardians like to quiz me about my life before them, before I was a spirit, and they tend to get a bit over-zealous sometimes. Eventually I get fed up and do exactly what you just did, and I always feel bad for it but I know they earned it." He explained with a little smirk at the end.
"All you did was ask, Jack." She offered, but she was smiling this time so he figured it was better now.
"That's true, but I know when to stop. How's the kiddo?" He asked, leaning back onto the cushions like he use to when he was mortal for that brief time.
"He's asleep, and he's fantastic. Now that he really knows you all, he's just been so happy." She smiled, a hint of another unspoken thought running through her head.
"Yeah, I'd noticed he wasn't as energetic recently, figured he'd tell me why if he felt like it." Jack confirmed, sitting back up.
"He hasn't been this happy since…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Well, in any case no nightmares or any unusual anything's from us." She grinned, back to reality.
"That's what I was hopin' for." He smiled his brilliant smile, the real one not the smirk. "I'll keep an eye out, let me know if somethin' goes weird. I've gotta go though, tryin' to clean up the proverbial mess is getting to be troublesome." He offered, standing back up and picking up his staff.
"Well, I know you aren't human anymore, and I know you've got things to do but please, don't hesitate to drop in. We can always set another plate at the table." She offered, smiling as if thinking of all the times they had eaten around the table laughing, and pining for it.
"Definitely. I love hangin' out with the two of ya!" Jack agreed happily.
"You're sure? You aren't gonna try to be too polite and only show up once a month?" She half-teased.
"'Course not." Jack beamed. "You're family, after all." There was the smirk.
"Jack? In all honesty you know that, right?" She asked, stopping the teen in his tracks.
"Wh-What?" He turned cautiously.
"You're family, Jack." She half-chuckled. "You're always welcome here." She assured, resting a hand on his slightly cool shoulder. His expression melted into something that looked so much like the adult version she couldn't contain her smile.
"Thanks, Mrs. Bennett." He grinned.
"You don't have to call me that, you know." She offered.
"Well Jessica is too odd." He chuckled, shoving a hand in his pocket.
"Well, it's better than calling me what the kids in school call me." She shook her head.
"You know, I think I've got an idea, and well…" He was starting to turn purple in the cheeks. She barely contained an 'aww'.
"What is it, Jack?" She asked sweetly.
"Well…you just look a whole lot like someone I use to know, someone from my life…" Jack offered.
"Who sweetie?" She prompted.
"My…mom." He muttered. "Even when I was human here, for a while, you just, I don't know, took care of us, of me." He shrugged uncomfortably.
"Jack?" His head snapped up like he was afraid of what he would see. Instead of the rejection he was half-terrified of he was met with a smile and her arms open for a hug. He let her give him a squeeze. "I like that better."
She felt Jack tense up, then relax as he returned the hug.
"Me too." He chuckled.
"Be safe, Jackie." She teased.
"I will." He grinned, shooting out the window gracefully, as was his norm.
"Now, how do I tell Jamie we claim Jack Frost, the spirit of winter as his older brother?" She chuckled to herself as she made herself the snack she had come to the kitchen to make when Jack knocked.
Said winter spirit swirled gracefully through the air, freezing strands of dark magic as he went. He decided he should probably find Sandy, but didn't actually get that far before exhaustion took over and he fell asleep on a rooftop somewhere in India.
Sandy himself was still mulling over James' dreams. They were beautiful, and more intricate than any he had ever given. They were beautiful and he couldn't help being sad for him, all that he had lost when he had become a spirit! It was cruel, really and Sandy wanted to make extra sure he got the wonderful dreams he deserved.
That particular Guardian was dreaming peacefully about his little girl, Lilly and his wife, Megara when Jack popped in with a smile.
"Fancy seeing you here." The white-haired ball of fun commented, perched on his staff.
"Oh, hi Jack. How'd we end up dream-sharing again?" He asked through a chuckle.
"Probably somethin' to do with the magic Mani used to start slash end this whole debacle." Jack speculated, stunning James with his choice in words.
"Jack? When you were human, were you, well…did you think any differently?" He asked.
"Well yeah, but it was like I couldn't come up with things I knew already or words I could swear were in my vocabulary before were just non-existent." He shrugged.
"That's interesting. You're more educated than a college student as an eternal fourteen year old…" James pondered. Jack just flipped over onto his staff with balance normal people didn't have.
"Hmm? I just had a lot of time is all." He shrugged. James grinned broadly, like he was looking at a son or younger brother he had been surprised by. He really was proud of Jack, that he was able to be so clever after all that time. An idea formed in his mind that he wasn't entirely convinced of yet. Maybe Jack wasn't changed at all when Mani pulled that crazy stunt?
Jack was twirling his staff absently and looking around the beautiful scene.
"Nice place." He commented.
"It was, yes." James agreed dreamily. The little girl tugged on the hem of Jack's hoodie, giggling.
"Daddy! Daddy who's this?" She asked, jumping a bit in excitement as she did. James chuckled, shaking his head slightly.
"That's Jack, Lilly." He told the excited little brunette who immediately attempted to hug the boy and ended up with an armful of leg, she didn't seem to mind.
"Hey there, kiddo." Jack knelt down to get a proper hug and almost got knocked over. "Is she like this with everyone?" Jack asked, still laughing.
"No, not really. I'm guessing she's a projection of my mind and I know you, it's natural that she's fond of you. He grinned at the boy, so good with kids that it wasn't a leap to think that his little girl would have been incredibly fond of him.
"Who's this, sweetheart?" The woman Jack had seen in golden sand earlier was now hugging James from behind, velvety red ball gown enveloping him and making it look like he was wearing a suit jacket and a red skirt. Her platinum curls mirroring Lilly's mocha ones.
"This is Jack, darling. Jack, this is Marian." He introduced quickly.
"Hi-ow!" He chuckled as Lilly tried to climb him. "Easy there kiddo." Jack teased. Marian's laugh was beautiful, likely a tiny bit exaggerated as it was James' dream, but it was wonderful just the same.
"She's a climber, sorry Jack." Marian apologized.
"Ah, don't be sorry, she's adorable." Jack chuckled.
"So…I think I know why you're here, Jack." James offered after watching them for a few moments.
"Why?" Jack asked, his big blue eyes trusting and so much like a child it hurt.
"Because I need to wake up. I need to let go, and there's got to be something for me for that to happen." He offered quietly, looking around sadly.
"Well, you've got us, the Guardians." Jack offered.
"That's not what I meant, Jack, but yes." He smiled.
"What did you mean then?" he asked simply, not turning from the little girl who had grown on him so quickly, even if she wasn't real.
"You're just like her, Jack." James smiled.
"Well, we are related." Jack shrugged, keeping the mood light as usual.
"Fair enough." James chuckled, sitting beside where Jack had plopped down to play with her.
"So, does this make me your however-many great grandson?" He asked casually, although James could hear the wonder in his voice.
"I guess so, but I'd peg you as more of a baby brother." James said through chuckling.
"Ah man! Why am I always the baby?" Jack threw up his hands playfully, falling over in mock-distress. The effect was ruined by his giggling.
"Well, you're young." James offered with a shrug.
"Well, yeah." Jack giggled harder.
"I don't know what you want from me, you're the baby and you know it. I've got nothing better to say." James crossed his arms, doing his best to not chuckle.
"Aren't you supposed to be the eloquent one?" Jack asked.
"What? Why do I have to come up with all the cool existential sayings and snappy comebacks? You're the expert on those!" James shoved Jack's shoulder playfully and Jack sat up.
"There's not a snappy comeback for everything!" Jack threw his hands up.
"Could've fooled me!" James prodded.
"Yeah, well…you stink." Jack stuck his tongue out and James couldn't keep himself in check anymore, he was rolling.
"Alright, alright, whatever…whatever you say." He couldn't breathe.
"Shut up." Jack grumbled.
"Aw, come here grumpy." He locked Jack in a headlock and proceeded to give him the biggest nuggie of his life. At which point they both woke up. Laughing.
Sorry I've been gone so long, but I've been working on my one-shots. They needed some love. I know this seems like a wrap-up but I swear it's not. I've found that I tend to write more life than plots. I just don't want to gloss over the stuff between plots because I want things to be established and less awkwardly squeezed in later. I hope the fluffy pieces in between the plot points are enjoyable! Let me know what you think and thank you so much for the wonderful reviews and I can't believe it, ten followers! Y'all are wonderful people! ^.^