A/N: You know what? I love you all. This is the most amazing fandom in the world. How did I ever manage to get more than 100 follows? I know this is too soon to say, but I'm looking forward to reaching the 100 review mark.

A bit of a heads-up:

Also, I've changed Jamie's age to ten. After doing a little more research, I found out that that was his actual age, not eight. If you're a veteran to this story, I just wanted to let you know. If you're a newcomer, WELCOME! I hope you're enjoying this so far.

"If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."
– Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), 'Meditations Divine and Moral,' 1655

Chapter Seven: Restoration of Belief

Jamie stared long and hard at his stuffed pink rabbit. Conflicting emotions were currently warring in the boy, making him doubt everything. The Easter Bunny had to be real, right? Jamie had seen him in his room last night. For ten straight years, Jamie had believed in the childhood legend.

But now . . .

"Okay, look," Jamie began, speaking his worrying thoughts aloud, "you and I are obviously at what they call a 'crossroads.' So here's what's going to happen – if it wasn't a dream" (because Caleb had thought it was, and Jamie knew it wasn't) "and if you are real, then you have to prove it. Like, right now."

Real or not real? Real or not real? flitted across his mind as he spoke.

Magic creatures supposedly knew everything. The Tooth Fairy always knew whenever a kid lost a tooth. The Easter Bunny gave everyone eggs. Santa Claus even knew if someone was naughty or nice by checking a list!

If anyone were watching, they'd surely know to pass on the message to the Easter Bunny.

Jamie leaned closer to the stuffed toy's face. "I've believed in you for a long time, okay?" he said desperately. "My whole life, in fact. So you kinda owe me, now. You don't have to do much. Just a little sign, so I know.

"Anything," he continued, still trying to cling onto hope. "Anything at all."

Jamie stared into his bunny's blank button eyes, and a foolish hope welled in the ten-year-old's being for five seconds (they would come! They would! – even though he wasn't exactly sure who "they" even were).

Then his brown eyes began to dull with sadness as he dejectedly dropped the toy to the floor. "I knew it," Jamie said, his belief beginning to fade. He had been told to grow up so many times – and he should've listened. Anything to keep this crushing feeling from hurting his heart.

Then suddenly, a crackling sound startled the boy from his miserable thoughts. Jamie turned his head . . . and he saw frost begin to bloom onto his window. It was kind of weird – he had never seen frost just randomly appear like that.

Then, lines began to appear in the ice. A normal kid probably would've screamed, but Jamie had believed in the supernatural and in fantasies his whole life. Curiosity like his didn't go out that easily, no matter how much he tried to admit it earlier. As Jamie watched with wide eyes, the drawing began to complete itself. When it was finished, he was stunned to see that it resembled an egg.

More specifically, an Easter egg. Jamie gasped in shock as the revelation registered in his mind. He glanced down at the fallen toy, then quickly stood up on his bed as more frost began to appear on a different pane.

A drawing of a bunny began to form in the ice.

"He's real," Jamie whispered, the words tumbling from his lips. This, this definitely was a sign. Somehow, a magical being was in his room, telling him that the Easter Bunny was real.

And then, before his very eyes, the drawing of the rabbit came to life.

"Whoa!" Jamie said, laughing as the frost bunny raced around his room. It scampered around his head, moving swiftly. It was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Jamie held his hands out to try and catch it, but at the slightest contact, it burst into tiny, little, delicate flakes of –

"Snow?"

Jamie was pretty sure that snow didn't just appear in people's rooms. He stared in confusion at the light snowfall, but then a single flake landed on his nose. As that small flake melted, memories of yesterday were brought forth . . .

"You don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose!" his mother had said. Jamie struggled to recall more of that exact moment, and the magic that momentarily ran through his veins (though the boy didn't know it) created an image of ice-blue eyes and silvery hair.

And Jamie wondered, if the Easter Bunny was real, couldn't Jack Frost exist as well?

To try it out, Jamie said aloud, "Jack Frost."

Jackie laughed along with Jamie as her little frost bunny ran around the small room. She was still in awe at the extent of her powers – she had no idea she could create animals out of ice, but a small feeling inside inspired her to try.

Jamie was still trying to catch the creature, but at his touch, the bunny exploded into little snowflakes. The flurries floated gently around the boy's head, landing in his brown hair, and probably on his face as well. Jackie smiled at Jamie, who had just said with a confused tone, "Snow?"

Seeing that her work here was done, Jackie made a move to leave. She had reignited the Last Light's belief in the Guardians, and she wasn't needed anymore. She had just taken her first step, but Jamie said something that made her freeze.

Jackie stared at the little boy. "Did he just say –"

Then she shook her head. No, it couldn't be! she thought stubbornly. It was just something she thought she heard. It was impossible. It was –

"Jack Frost?" Jamie repeated.

Jackie took a sharp breath. "He said it again!" Could this be? She stepped back, still staring at Jamie. "He said – you said –" she stammered, trying to find words to voice her shock.

Then Jamie turned around and looked at her. "Jack Frost!" he said, jaw slack.

"That's right!" Jackie said instinctively, her hands flying to her head. Though it wasn't really her name, it was the variation of it. And that was good enough for her. "B-but that's me! Jack Frost – that'smy name. You said my name!" she said, her voice breaking from the emotions rushing through her.

Then Jackie realized just how intently Jamie was staring at her. "Wait, c-can you hear me?" she asked, coming closer to the boy. And to her utter surprise, he nodded. "C-c-can you see me?" she clarified, peering straight into the boy's warm brown eyes.

Jamie nodded again, his face breaking into a joyful smile.

Jackie's breaths came out in short, strangled gasps. And then she smiled, tears of joy threatening to spill over her cheeks. This was really happening. A child could see her, after all her years of wishing and dreaming and hoping.

A child could see her.

"He sees me," she said, voicing her thoughts aloud. "He – he sees me!" she said again, the tears now freely streaming down her face.

Not even thinking, Jackie backflipped with a loud whoop onto Jamie's desk in her undiluted happiness.

Seeming to get his voice back, Jamie said, "You just made it snow."

"I know!" Jackie replied, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, but still smiling.

"In my room!"

"I know!" she said again, spreading her hands. As she hopped off the desk, Jamie asked, "You're real?"

"Yeah, man!" Jackie said excitedly, wanting to speak quickly just in case this beautiful dream decided to come to an end. "Who do you think brings you all the blizzards, and the snow days –" Here she stopped, another wondrous memory rippling across her mind. "And you remember when you went sledding that other day?"

"That was you?" Jamie asked incredulously.

"That was me!"

"Cool!" he cheered, flinging his hands up in excitement.

"Right?" Jackie laughed, seeing the boy beginning to bounce up and down on his bed.

"B-but what about the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy?" Jamie added. "And, I mean –"

"Real, real, real!" Jackie said joyfully, reaching down to pick up Jamie's stuffed rabbit. "Every one of us is real."

Jamie grinned as though he heard that Christmas was going to be every day. "I knew it!" he crowed, now visibly jumping on his bed.

"Jamie, who are you talking to?"

He cringed after hearing his mother's voice, and met Jackie's eyes with a pleading look. In response, she tilted her head to the door, smiling teasingly. If you must.

"Um, Jack Frost?" Jamie called uncertainly, the statement sounding more like a question.

To Jamie's apparent relief, his mother laughed. "Okay," she said, her tone making it clear that she thought her son was joking.

Jackie and Jamie shared a knowing grin at the woman's response. My First Believer . . . Jackie thought contentedly. I never thought that this day would ever happen. It feels nice to have his smile directed at me.

"I didn't know that Jack Frost was a girl," Jamie said in a hushed voice, interrupting her thoughts. He was clearly trying not to draw any attention back from his mother.

The statement took her by surprise. "How'd you know?" Jackie asked, stunned. Even with her shock, she thought that it was kind of funny that a ten-year-old figured out her true gender in less than ten minutes, while the Guardians only found out after three hundred years.

Jamie shrugged. "You just look like one."

Huh. "You're the first person in a long time to realize that I'm a girl, kiddo," Jackie said wryly. "And my name's not Jack – it's actually Jacqueline, but I like to go by Jackie."

"Wow," Jamie breathed, still staring at her in wonder.

They smiled at each other again. But then they jumped when a loud crack echoed outside, sending the shutters flying open. What in the world . . .?

"Meet me outside," Jackie instructed, grabbing her staff and leaping out Jamie's window.

When she landed on the pavement outside, she lowered her weapon, realizing that the noise wasn't a threat – it was actually the Guardians. They must have seen Jamie's light on the Globe, too. She was still staring blankly at them when the sleigh landed shakily, making the reindeer run off.

Jackie wasn't exactly sure how to act around them, as they had practically banished her from their group. What would they say when they saw her here?

"North, are you okay?" a female voice asked.

"Is official," she heard a man with a Russian accent say in response. "My powers are kaput."

North . . . and Tooth . . .

Then Tooth gasped and pointed at Jackie, making her flinch slightly. Unsteadily flitting out of the broken-down vehicle, she called out, "Jackie!" Tooth fell to the ground, but Jackie reflexively reached out her arms to catch her.

Her voice . . . Jackie thought. Tooth sounds . . . relieved, somehow.

"Jackie!" Tooth repeated, her wings fluttering uselessly.

"You okay?" Jackie instinctively said, letting go of the feathered woman.

Tooth simply chuckled nervously and smoothed her crown of feathers back.

"What are you doing here?" North asked.

Jackie forced out a small smile, as she was still feeling hurt from their rejection earlier that day. "Same as you," she replied, glancing back at the house's front door. A creak was heard, and Jamie Bennett rushed out, staring at Tooth and North like they were celebrities.

And to Jamie, they might as well have been.

"The Last Light," North said, staring at Jamie with equal wonder.

"Wow, it is you! It really is you!" Jamie cried, smiling hugely at North's large frame. "I knew it wasn't a dream!" he said happily, turning to face Jackie.

"Jackie," North said slowly, "he sees you!"

Jackie smiled softly, looking down at her First Believer with affection. Then she frowned, grasping that the group was missing one person. "Wait . . . but where's Bunny?" she asked, her wariness of the Guardians being replaced with concern. She wasn't sure that it was a good thing that she still cared for them.

North frowned as well. "Losing Easter took its toll on all of us," he said carefully. "Bunny most of all."

Jackie turned on him with wide eyes. For a heart-stopping moment, she wildly thought, Bunny's dead? But then a small figure hopped out of the sleigh – a figure with very familiar green eyes. "Oh, no . . ." she mumbled, sweeping a hand through her hair.

Jamie laughed at the sight of Bunnymund absently twitching his nose and looking downright adorable. "Wait, that's the Easter Bunny?" he said, chuckling in disbelief.

Bunny raised his tiny, furry paws. "Now somebody sees me! Where were you about 'n hour ago, mate?"

Jackie and North shared a look as Jamie asked, "But what happened to him? He used to be huge and cool . . ." –Jamie stretched his hand to the sky, miming Bunny's former height– "but now he's . . .cute," Jamie finished, gently scratching the Easter Bunny's neck.

By the look on his face, Bunny had clearly been enjoying the affection. But as Jackie met his green eyes, Bunny disgustedly swatted Jamie's hand away. "D-did you tell 'im to say that?" he demanded, leaping off the wing of the sleigh.

Jackie flinched as Bunny's cute little paws began attacking her leg, remembering their last meeting. Though she knew that he didn't pose that much of a threat now that he was tiny, and that they had been friends in a past life, she couldn't help but feel wary. Her cheekbone had been growing darker in color with each
passing hour.

"No," Jamie defended, rushing quickly to Jackie's side to shield her from the "attack." "She actually told me you were real . . . just when I was starting to think that maybe you weren't."

Bunny stopped in his rampage. "S-she made you believe? In me?" Bunny said, his green eyes growing adorably large.

Jackie hesitantly met Bunny's gaze, and was a bit surprised to be met with a small, grateful smile. She slowly smiled back, remembering a time when he was taller, and she was human.

Then Jackie realized – Bunny had referred to her as she.

He knows.

Then thunder boomed and lightning flashed, making the Guardian of Hope flinch violently. Everyone whirled at the sudden noise, clenching their fists or gripping whatever weapons they had (in Jackie and North's case).

Jackie glared hatefully at the dark figure up in the sky. "Get Jamie out of here," she commanded no one in particular.

"Be careful, Jackie," was North's reply as Jackie prepared to take off into the sky. She was the only one really at full power among the four spirits, and her First Believer needed to be protected. Then something tapped her leg. She glanced down, and was met with a pair of unwavering green eyes.

"Be careful out there, Jackie," Bunny said, staring directly at her. "And I'm sorry. F-for everything."

Jackie gave him her trademark mischievous grin, though she could feel that it wasn't as confident as it was before. "Thanks. But tell me that again later, E. Aster Bunnymund," she said, giving him a two-fingered salute. And then she flew off into battle.

Bunny kept looking back at Jackie (he still couldn't get over the terrible guilt he felt whenever he saw her) and Pitch. As he watched, he could see the winter spirit grip her staff firmly.

Pitch's voice echoed across the sky. "Jacqueline Frost?" he said in surprise, as though he couldn't believe she was here. Then his expression became hard. "Let's end this, shall we?"

In response, Jackie sent a strong wave of ice at Pitch, but the Nightmare King just seemed to deflect it. "That – little trick – doesn't work on me – anymore!" Pitch roared, moving closer in Jackie's direction. With mounting horror, Bunny saw the two spirits' powers collide, and Jackie began to fall freely to the earth.

"This way, this way!" Bunny yelped, racing down an alleyway. "Dead end," he corrected himself, "other way!"

Then Jackie's thin frame slammed into a nearby dumpster, and he could hear her groaning in pain. Her staff clattered on the pavement. Bunny made a move to run to her aid, but the little boy beat him to it.

"Jackie!" Jamie cried, running over to her side. He grabbed her shoulder and attempted to pull her up to an upright position.

As Jamie was struggling to help, North said optimistically, "That was good try, Jackie. 'A' for effort!"

"H-he's stronger," Jackie gasped out soon after, and Bunny noticed that Tooth, North, and Jamie seemed hesitant to help her again after hearing her weak voice. "I can't beat him."

Then lightning flashed again, soon accompanied by thunder. Bunny's eyes narrowed. He raised his tiny fists and prepared himself to protect the four people who were situated around him.

Pitch's laughter sounded from all around them. Jackie lifted herself up off the floor, ignoring her aching back and limbs. She would protect Jamie and the others, no matter what the cost.

"All this fuss over one little boy," Pitch's disembodied voice said, "and still he refuses to stop believing." At the start of the Boogeyman's speech, Jackie moved so that she was in front of Jamie – if Pitch wanted to get to her friend, he would have to get through her first.

And the boy reminded her so much of Emma . . . the protective instincts had already been kicking in.

"Very well," Pitch's voice continued softly, responding to Jackie's defensive stance. "There are other ways to snuff out a light." His shadows struck the lamps surrounding them, and Jackie put her arm in front of Jamie, because she needed to keep him safe.

She would protect him with her life.

Bunny bounded in front of the group, spreading out his tiny arms like a shield. "If ya want them, you're goin' ta have to get through me!" he threatened, still sounding so odd with his deep voice and small body.

In response, a long black shadow snaked toward the Pooka. "Aw, look how fluffy you are," Pitch crooned. "Would you like a wittle scratch behind the ears?"

Bunny cringed and raced up into North's arms. "Don't you even think about it!" he shouted, his voice trembling slightly.

Jackie bit her lip as the Nightmares began to walk closer. She and the others began to move back at the same pace as the shadows, and even though she was no Boogeyman, she could definitely feel the fear in the air.

"I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see you all like this," Pitch said, his voice louder. "You look awful."

Jackie spotted his glowing gold eyes in the darkness, and as he came into the dim light of the remaining lamp, she saw that he was riding on one of his Nightmares. She narrowed her eyes as the shadows crept closer at an alarming rate. They shot past everyone's feet, causing Jamie to take a few steps back.

As Pitch's laughter grew, Jamie spoke. "Jackie?" And his voice sounded so, so small. "I'm scared."

Jackie immediately went down to his level and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her mouth was about to open to murmur some words of comfort, but then her eyes widened slightly as she began to process those three words. And she remembered a little girl . . . one with brown hair and warm eyes, who had spoken that same sentence three hundred years ago.

"Jackie, I'm scared!" Emma had cried, trembling on the surface of the cracked ice.

"I know, I know. But you're gonna be all right," she had replied back with a reassuring smile. "We're . . ."

". . . going to have a little fun instead," Jackie murmured, realizing everything. Then she smiled. "That's it! That's my center!" Jamie looked absolutely bewildered at her statement, staring at her in confusion.

"So what do you think, Jamie?" Pitch whispered, causing Jackie to tear her eyes away from her friend's. As Pitch continued to speak, she stood up and moved to an innocent patch of snow. "Do you believe in the Boogey – aughhh!"

Jackie grinned as her snowball cut off the Nightmare King's speech. "Bull's-eye," she murmured with satisfaction. Almost immediately after, Jamie let out a sharp laugh, but quieted hastily, looking at Jackie with wide eyes.

She tossed another snowball up and caught it in mid-air. Glancing quickly to the side, there were enough discarded materials to add another part to her forming plan. "Now, let's go get your friends," she said, taking Jamie's hand and leading him to the objects.

With North's help, they were able to quickly construct a makeshift sleigh for each of them to ride on. Jackie spread a patch of ice, and they all shot off past Pitch, past the darkness, past the fear, and into the light.

Jackie swooped close to the ground, spreading ice on the street. They swept past a man walking his dog (and Jackie wondered about how odd the situation would look to a nonbeliever), and Jackie alighted on the path of ice to skate along with the group.

Jamie was clutching the edge of his "sled" so tightly that his knuckles were white, but there was a huge grin plastered to his face. North sailed along on one of those wooden things that were usually found in wholesale stores (Jackie had no idea what they were called, though), Tooth was in some random, white bowl thing, and Bunny was small enough to use a fairly large cooking pan.

They all whooped with joy as Jackie created a ramp in the path, causing them to spiral into the air. She produced another road back to the ground, but formed yet another high ramp which shot them over an apartment building.

Or more particularly, Cupcake's apartment building. Jackie quickly formed a snowball and hurled it at the girl's window, smiling as she heard the thud of her projectile. Now that should've woken her up. The snowball was meant to do what the frost rabbit did for Jamie – awaken the lost belief.

The group hurtled back down to the ground, and Jackie smiled serenely as her eyes closed for a second, enjoying the feel of Wind's familiar embrace. After what had happened in Antarctica, Jackie never wanted that connection to ever fade again.

"We're heading to Pippa and Monty's next!" Jackie shouted over Wind, looking at Jamie to make sure he understood. He nodded, and Jackie lifted him up into the air.

The two of them went farther in front, so that Jackie had time to wake the rest of Jamie's friends. Jackie let Jamie throw the snowball at Monty's window, and Jackie winked as the blond, bespectacled boy seemed to gaze at her in shock.

Pippa lived practically next door, so Jackie didn't feel the need to attack her window. Instead she readjusted Jamie so that she was lifting him up by the collar of his shirt. "You know what to do," she said, smiling.

Jamie nodded, and he knocked eagerly on Pippa's window. As Jamie was knocking, Jackie sent a mini snow flurry into the girl's room. Pippa tossed aside her blankets and rushed to her window. Flinging it open, she cried, "Jamie, how are you doing that?"

From Pippa's point of view, Jackie figured that it looked like that Jamie was flying unaided. Oh, how wrong Pippa was. Jackie grinned as Jamie replied, "Jack Frost!" He looked back at Jackie, but then met Pippa's eyes again. "Come on, we need your help!"

Jackie blew a snowflake at her, and swooped down, now holding Jamie's arm. She glanced back at Pippa's open window and was overjoyed to see the shocked expression on her face.

Another believer, she thought happily. Just an hour ago, she had none. And now, she was getting close to having six.

North, Bunny, and Tooth were rapidly catching up to them. Jackie had already sent some snow showers into the twins' room, but judging from the pleased looks on the Guardians' faces, they must've done something, too.

And, well, from their cries of, "Merry Christmas!" from North; "Happy Easter!" from Bunny; and "Don't forget to floss!" from Tooth had hinted at that fact as well.

Cupcake by then had already joined the group. Riding on a sled of her own, the brunette looked absolutely thrilled. Claude and Caleb were next, sitting on top of their sleds. At their heels were Pippa and Monty, who were cheering, "Jamie, you were right!"

"The Easter Bunny's real!"

"The Tooth Fairy!"

"And Santa!"

"They're all real!"

Jackie was smiling at the children's words. Her job was almost finished. All of them had looped around almost the entirety of Burgess, and they were once again back on Main Street. Jackie looked back in front, and stopped, her grin fading.

A cold sliver of fear pierced her heart, but she forced it down. She needed to be strong. She couldn't fail. Never again would she lose another friend.

Jackie gripped her staff tightly, the frost crackling softly at her fingertips. Pitch's laughter echoed across the night sky, and waves of black sand rushed over buildings. The cheering vanished as everyone stared up into the endless darkness.

The final battle was about to begin.

A/N: Here we are folks . . . the story's starting to come to a close. I've actually been thinking of possible sequels during the last month, and something that came to me was a series of related oneshots about Jackie's life before and after Frosted Ferns. There would be a few chapters involving things like the interludes I've posted before, plus any requests.

If you're a fan of actual stories with a plotline, I'm not sure if I could ever write something like that without accidentally taking other people's ideas and/or giving up. I'm seriously open to any ideas, though.

On a totally unrelated note . . .

I'm being Jack Frost for Halloween! *throws streamers and confetti* My friends don't exactly know yet what I'm going to be, so I'm crossing my fingers that they don't see this. (And besides, they never read my stories anyway.)

See you all soon, and don't forget to leave any ideas or comments!

;)