* The author, 'Nathalorial' made a great ROTG story called "Jack's Present". It was beacuse of that short story that I had the inspiration to write out this one-shot. Don't worry, I received the author's permission to post this (We also have different plot lines, so I'm not copying or stealing). Again, if you guys have any problems with anything I post, please let me know. I don't wish to anger anyone.

I referenced the movies "The Polar Express", "Monster House", and "How To Train Your Dragon". I don't own "The Polar Express", "How To Train Your Dragon", and/or "Monster House".

Two previous chapters of this story (Chapters 8 & 10) were also referenced.

Requested by: lightning lynx

Room of Memories

Jack shut the door behind them, effectively blocking out the noisy twittering of the little fairies. They weren't being annoying, but the trio would need to be able to focus; Jamie was expected home within the hour. Tooth struck a match and lit several wall lamps, lighting the span of space. The small room was filled to the brim with toys, knickknacks, clothes, objects of all sorts stored accordingly in piles throughout the room.

"This is where it would be," Tooth said. "I'm sorry to say it's not our best organizing system, but we're working out the kinks."

Jamie ran his fingers over a cracked black-and-white portrait of a married couple. "What is all the stuff doing here," he asked.

"While my fairies are making their rounds," Tooth explained as Jack floated on top of a pile of books belonging to a variety of time periods. "They often come across objects that are forgotten or lost. Sometimes they find these items in the streets as they zip by, sometimes the objects end up in a kid's trash bin. Whether or not these things were discarded on purpose, they were of value at some point, so we bring them here."

She let her gaze slip. "They may not be used much," Tooth continued softly. "But at least they're not in a landfill, forgotten." She placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder as the two stared fondly at a moth-eaten ragdoll. "The thrill of losing a tooth and the comfort of hugging a stuffed animal is what keeps me and my fairies going. It's our obligation."

"Obligation?" Jamie looked at her.

Tooth nodded. "These objects aren't baby teeth, but the memories they hold are just as important. And that's our job, to preserve those memories."

Tooth and Jamie smiled warmly at each other, until a loud crash of a brass candleholder resonated, interrupting the moment. They both snapped their gazes to a guilty-looking Jack who was trying to somehow fit the holder back on its ripped and cracked wall mount. When he noticed that all eyes were on him he smiled sheepishly.

"Um," he muttered, tossing the holder away into a far corner as if no one saw him do that. "I don't think it's supposed do that." Tooth sighed at this while Jamie just laughed. "So," Jack decided, clapping his hands together. "Are we going to start looking for it or would you rather look for your missing socks instead?" He jabbed a finger at the mountain of clothing on the far side of the room.

"So that's where all my left socks go," Jamie commented.

"That's how this collection first started," Tooth said, gliding towards the door. "Vikings just didn't know how to keep track of their stuff," she muttered to herself. "I'd like to stay and help," Tooth continued. "But Baby Tooth probably wants to be relieved of her duties. If you two have any questions, flag down any of my fairies." The boys nodded to her as the door closed again, leaving them alone.

"Okay," Jack said, sifting through a mass of stuffed animals. "Let's find him, and get you home."

"It's, um…"

Jack looked at Jamie who was digging through a pile of old-fashioned toys. "What?

Jamie pursed his lips. "My stuffed rabbit," the little boy explained. "is a she." Jack flashed a crooked grin and a comical laugh. A light flush rose to the child's cheeks. "I was five, okay."

"I know," Jack nodded as he flew over the boy's head to inspect a countertop filled to the brim with even more stuffed animals. "I was there when you got her on your fifth birthday."

"Really?" Jamie's eyes widened. He would never have guessed that Jack had been a part of his life for that long. And he was about to question him further until his ankle hooked around a tangle of strings, forcing him to trip and fall onto the pile of clothes he was standing on.

"Smooth," Jack commented.

Jamie stuck out his tongue and reached for his feet, trying to detach himself from the mess. Only it wasn't a lot, just two strips of leather, and when the boy finally freed himself he got to his knees and started digging into the clothes. And when he finally found the clothing attached to the leather, he laid it in front of him, curiosity flashing over his features and making him forget about his beloved rabbit.

"Hey," Jack exclaimed before kicking off the ground and landing on a pile of classroom knickknacks, right next to Jamie's mountain of clothes. He held out the ratty, but soft, stuffed bunny in front of him, very reminiscent of when the child saw Jack for the first time. "Found it. I mean, her."

Before Jamie could respond, the winter spirit was already kneeling in front of him, a swift gust of breeze following as if Jack was faster than wind itself. The spirit released a breathy laugh, slowly running a finger over the leather shawl. Jamie looked at his Guardian, ready to ask him where he found the rabbit, but his words caught in his throat.

Jack's snowy bangs fell in front of his eyes as he looked down at the material, as if trying to wave him out of his current stupor. Even when his gaze drifted away from the cloak, he appeared distant. Jamie snapped his fingers in front of cerulean orbs, but got no response; Jack's eyes were glazed in whatever memory his was submerged in. When his pale hands fisted the cloak, he blinked slowly, looked directly at Jamie, and opened his mouth.

"Where did you get this?" His voice dropped to an unusually soft whisper.

Before Jamie could respond, Jack abruptly stood, clutching the tanned cloak to his chest as if it were his lifeline.

"I saw her!" Jamie jumped from the volume and energy in Jack's voice. "Sh-she was…!" A wide grin revealed all his pearly teeth and his laughter bounced around the room, as if the echo was laughing with him. "She-" he tried to say.

A grin splayed across Jamie's features. He knew that smile. "You saw your sister?!"

Jack's gulp was quickly smothered by another hearty chuckle.

"We were…," he breathed. He flung his cloak out in front of him for a better look, wrists cricking at the sudden gesture. "It was springtime," he said, a gentle smile slowly lacing upon his exuberant face as he calmed down. "We were looking for Easter eggs." His fingers slid to the inside of the leather, dipping into a hidden pocket. He pulled his hand away as if disappointed. "She would sometimes find eggs and then hide a few in the pockets of my cloak." He paused. "This cloak," Jack enunciated. An intricate band of ice weaved around the edges of the material, as if the frost even missed the familiar outfit.

"Easter," Jack repeated, dropping into his well-known crouch. "It was her favorite holiday." The smile on Jack's face suddenly vanished, eyes widening with dread. "And mine, too, apparently."

Jamie laughed, moving to sit next to the Guardian. "Don't let Bunnymund hear that."

Jack snickered and, even in the delerium of his lost memories, rubbed a hand into the child's hair. Jack's thoughts wandered in confusion, but he soon realized he didn't need baby teeth to get any of his memories this time. The vision of him and his sister during Easter came straight from the cloak, right when he touched it. Jamie yelped when something snagged under his arms, bringing him against the hoodie-clad chest.

"I lost this," Jack explained quietly, eyes closed and heavily nudging his face against the little boy's temple. "a long time ago. I was racing the wind and the knot that held it around my neck snapped. I tried going after it but when the clouds cleared, I found myself flying over a beach in North Carolina. I thought the ocean might've taken it away."

Whether it was from finding his cloak or reclaiming a lost piece of his memory, he hummed gratefully under his breath, crossing his legs in order to pull Jamie impossibly deeper into his hold. "Thank you," Jack whispered. "So much."

The child tried to shift in Jack's arms, but he felt the winter spirit trying to tighten his grip. Maybe Jack was keeping him rooted there for fear of the child disappearing, fading away like he did for three-hundred years. Jamie tilted his head at this thought before nuzzling against the Guardian's hoodie.

They stayed like that for another moment before Jack relaxed and released his hold around the boy, but Jamie stayed in his lap and watched as Jack inspected his old cloak. As Jack's eyes wandered over every stitch, every crease, he couldn't help but remember that summer in Burgess was currently in full swing.

"Hey, kiddo," Jack asked, picking up the child to have him stand in front of him. "You interested in an early birthday present?"

Jamie grinned from ear to ear. "You bet!"

Jack chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm, fingers idly skimming the cloak. "It may not be flashy and it may not be a glass snowflake," Jack shrugged with a knowing grin, presenting the cloak in front of Jamie's small chest. "But I still owe you a present from your fifth birthday, the day I first met you."

Jamie's mouth dropped and he brought up his little hands, but soon recoiled. "I don't want to lose it."

"You won't," Jack said firmly. "I should expect my apprentice to be practicing in this. Let's say…" He flexed his jaw for dramatic effect. "Tomorrow?"

"You're going to teach me magic!" Jamie was nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Only if you promise to take good care of this." They looked at the cloak which was now covered in a thin layer of emotionally uncontrolled frost.

Assuredly, Jamie nodded, and this made Jack smile with a certain pride.

The Guardian swung the cloak over the kid – his heart skipped at the familiar clapping and flicking of the leather in the air – and tied the drawstrings securely, but comfortably, around the child's chest.

* North Carolina, the state where I said Jack lost his cloak, is where the headquarters of "Champion Sportswear" is. "Champion Sportswear" claimed to have made the very first, modern-day hoodie. I thought it was interesting, and ironic to the plot of this chapter. (I don't own "Champion Sportswear".)