Chapter Thirty-One- Naps and Plans

The next morning everyone somehow woke up at the same time, they didn't know how, but there was one question on their newly refreshed minds; where would Jamie go?

"Well…we aren't lettin' ya get stuck in foster care, that's for sure." Bunny offered, nipping that in the bud right off the bat. Breakfast was being served via Phil who was more on top of things than he usually was, and that was saying something.

"Do ya have some family you can stay with?" Jack asked thoughtfully.

"Not really, no. None I want to be around or that would want to take me." Jamie explained uncomfortably.

"Well sure you do." James offered with a grin. "Technically I'm your great times I don't even want to think about that number grandfather." Jamie grinned.

"Hey yeah, you are aren't you?"

"Yeah, but can people see ya mate?" Bunny understandably pondered.

"Might be spell we can use…" North stroked his bushy beard in thought.

"Alright, I think I know what you're thinking and I think it'll work." James nodded.

"But what would you tell people?" Tooth asked.

"Well, I could say I'm his older brother, couldn't I? No one would believe I'm his uncle." James ventured.

"But Mom talks about us all the time, everyone knows her really well. They would wonder about that." Jamie pointed out, getting more animated by the moment. Everyone internally cringed when he mentioned Jessica for fear that it was going to hurt him, but he kept on trucking. Something had definitely changed in the air.

"Good point, kiddo. You could say you were his uncle no problem, age is a funny thing and people can have nieces and nephews the same age as them all the time. You won't have a problem passing for an adult either." Jack offered.

"Hey it's kinda like a spy movie, where you need a whole new identity!" Jamie had his little epiphany and they couldn't help their happy laughter.

"I wouldn't go that far." James chuckled.

"But you're pretending to be someone else and you're moving and everything!" The boy insisted. By the time Jamie had laid all the evidence of the situation being a bad spy movie everyone had an irreversible grin on their face. Laughter slowly but surely filled the room and games began. They were playing charades and telling stories. None of them had any idea why they were all so happy or how, but they decided collectively to not look the proverbial horse in its mouth.

By the end of the day everyone was beyond wiped. Tooth departed for her home to both do her job and get a solid night of sleep. Sandy and Bunny stuck around in case they were needed, but still got back to their work, Bunny with a brush and Sandy focusing more on sending out his most vivid and creative dreams.

Both of them had their own rooms at the Pole, and they used them. James and Jamie didn't have specific rooms, but North made sure they were settled down in their own guest rooms before heading to his own. They put Jamie beside Jack's room on the end and James beside him. That put Jamie across the hall from Sandy's room as well.

Later that evening Jack came back to the Pole to sleep rather than running himself into the ground and sleeping where he fell. He was getting better about that, as he knew they hated to think that he might get into trouble because he was too asleep to pick a decently hidden spot, forget that it would be uncomfortable. As he made it in he heard someone moving around in the next room, which he assumed was Jamie.

He knocked lightly and heard a tiny little not-so-happy noise so he cracked the door open and quietly poked his head in. Jamie was having a nightmare.

"Hey, hey easy there kiddo." Jack called out instinctually as he rushed in to him. He was flailing around and coming dangerously close to falling out of the huge bed. "Hey, Jamie? Jamie wake up buddy." He coaxed in the most soothing voice he could manage. Instead of instantly waking up like Jack was afraid he would, he stopped flailing and visibly calmed down and curled up tightly. For a second he thought it would be fine to leave him asleep until he jumped and let out a little yelp.

"Alright, alright, wake up. Jamie?" He shook the boy's shoulder gently but enough that he opened his eyes.

"Jack?" He asked, looking more than a little concerned. He sounded scared.

"Hey, it's okay kiddo. You're okay." He assured him as he launched himself into a hug. Wow, you'd think this kid would've been frozen solid for how many times we've hugged. Does this kid even get cold? Jack wondered fondly.

"What's wrong?" James asked, poking his head in and immediately rushed to sit with the two.

"Nightmare?" Jack asked of Jamie, who nodded. "Nightmare."

"Come on." James opened up for a hug and pulled Jamie in. He held the poor thing tight as he continued to take panicky, ragged breaths. While James continued to calm Jamie, rocking slightly and rubbing his back, Jack set to figuring out exactly what was going on. 'nightmare' wasn't exactly what he would call specific.

"Alright kiddo, talk to us. What'd you see?" Jack asked, settling down beside the two.

"I-I don't remember…something about…about Boogey and us and…" He was starting to get worked up again.

"Shh, hey it's alright buddy. It's alright. Big breaths okay? Big breaths." James almost cooed.

"Yeah, don't worry about it kiddo, he won't bother anyone again." Jack tried to assure him.

"Right, I doubt it was anything more than stress coming out." James agreed thoughtfully. Jack looked up and saw North standing in the door looking as worried as they were. Jack gave him a reassuring grin and realized he had tuned out the conversation for a second.

"Jack? Why don't you go back to bed, he'll be okay." James offered.

"Okay." He nodded, realizing he must look really wiped. On his way out he closed the door carefully behind him. Turning around he ran his hands over his face and leaned back on the wall. For what had to be the first time ever he had actually forgotten that North was there.

"Jack?" North's cautious voice and gentle hand on his shoulder snapped him back to the waking world.

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly, not wanting to wake anyone.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just sleepy." Jack offered fairly convincingly, although the slight waver was enough to tell North he was fibbing just a little bit.

"Jack…" He drew his name out. A while with the boy and North had learned to call his bluffs, and Jack had learned to be alright with that, depended on it sometimes. He sighed.

"It's…it's just…" Jack shook his head, not really feeling like trying to explain anything at the moment. He was a guardian, and he had already done a whole lot of failing at that recently, he didn't need to be something else they had to deal with. And I have, I have been someone else they needed to help. Shouldn't I be able to handle myself? He asked himself angrily.

North didn't say anything, he just pulled him into a hug. Jack froze, not knowing what to do with himself for a second. No. No no no. No. Everything's fine, everything's fine. He tried to convince himself that he was okay, that there was nothing wrong, he could handle it, he wasn't going to cry. He didn't feel like crawling into some hole for a week, and he certainly didn't think any of this was on him. No.

Suddenly he was in his bed in his room and North had him wrapped up in his special magical blankets and slung and arm around his shoulders. With his head on North's shoulder and the comfort of the cold-sealing, super soft blankets he forgot why he was trying so hard to be okay. It didn't take long for both boys to exhaust themselves and fall asleep again. North headed back to his room, knowing his presence would keep Jack up without meaning to.

James stayed with Jamie that night. Whenever he would wake up from nightmares or his mind playing with him and the recent tragedy he would talk with him about life, plans, and stories until he fell asleep again.

"So, a hammock instead of a couch?" James asked.

"Yeah, that's so much more fun than a boring old couch." Jamie agreed.

"But that's a little dangerous, maybe something that looks like one? Like a beanbag chair." James tried. The thought was considered and the all-important compromise was reached. They even made plans to see about going back to their old home. He had made sure Jamie knew that it was his decision alone. He wanted the boy to be as comfortable and happy as possible. He had grown up in that house and weather Jessica and Sophie and his Dad were there anymore or not Jamie had decided that he really did want the familiarity of his old home again. His friends lived close and he was familiar with the neighborhood, so it was settled. He managed to stay asleep for a few hours after that.

As everyone finally fell asleep, someone else was watching, waiting, and hoping for nothing but the best. If only they could know what was in store for them.

Here you go! I hope it's not getting too slow for ya, I promise to try picking up the pace in the next few. I just can't make myself skip around too much. As always let me know what you think, and y'all are wonderful! :)