Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D So, this chapter is a bit of a short one, and yet it was actually pretty difficult for me to write. QwQ *Shrugs* I don't know why...I had my outline open and everything, so I shouldn't have had much of a problem writing this out. XD Oh well, there's always going to be one of those difficult writing days. =')

Anyway, by the title of this chapter, ya'll can problem make a bit of a guess on what this chapter's going to be about. X) So...yeah. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! =)


~ XVI ~

The Bitter Truth

He had turned six

And with the new age came questions

North knew they'd come soon enough

And so he placed the boy on his knee

Told him to listen carefully

As he told the boy the tale

Of how he found him, young and frail

...

A slow day in Santoff Claussen was as rare as finding buried treasure. This was why North was surprised to find the village relatively quiet one pleasant morning. It wasn't a suspicious silence, and nor was it comforting. But it sat in a place in between. North had grown used to the constant hustle and bustle of Santoff Claussen and its inhabitants. New potions were invented and remarkable inventions were crafts. Spells and mystery were at every corner, but today, all was calm.

The streets were mostly empty apart from the few that strolled the town's paths. As for North and Jack, they stayed inside, despite the beckoning of the sun's rays from the outdoors. The ex-Cossack and Guardian of Wonder sat on the couch, reading a book that he hadn't touched in a long time. Jack was on the floor, just as silent as he played with his stuffed animal, Wawa. Neither thought of what was to come next, for they had no plans for the rest of the afternoon. The two simply settled and did as they pleased, not thinking much of what the day would bring.

The grandfather clock that sat contently in the corner ticked away the minutes as time passed on. Eventually, Jack set Wawa down and sighed, feeling a little tired of the sluggishness of the day. He was a boy of action and movement. He never liked staying in one place for long. Quiet moments like these made him feel restless and fidgety. Jack wanted to do something. Something fun.

But the thought soon left the boy's mind as a question arose, one that he found himself pondering for a while. The six-year-old chewed his lip nervously, debating on whether or not to bring up such an inquiry to North. He knew it was a topic that they'd never discuss, if not intentionally. And Jack wasn't sure if North would even answer to it. It took a few moments of silent debate when Jack finally decided to pose the question.

"Um…North?"

The ex-Cossack looked up from his book. "Yes, moy mal'chik?"

For reassurance, Jack gripped Wawa tight. "H-How come…" he hesitated. "How come we don't look the same?"

North paused, his expression inscrutable. Jack couldn't tell if he was upset or pondering. Perhaps he wondered if he should respond. Jack waited, the tenuous silence piercing his pointed ears.

"Y-You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," said Jack, shifting nervously. "It's just that—"

"No, no, my boy. It is alright," North reassured. Jack felt a little relieved. The ex-Cossack set his book aside and asked the young snow sprite to join him on the couch. Jack walked up to him, and North hoisted him up, placing him on his lap as he explained.

"I knew you'd eventually ask this sooner than later," North said. He appeared doleful, but Jack couldn't place why. The ex-Cossack heaved a sigh. "I guess it is time I finally tell you."

Jack tilted his head. "Tell me what?"

North looked down at the boy. "Jack, do you know who your parents are?"

Jack smiled. "Well, of course, I do! You are."

North felt his heart sting. He didn't realize how much of an imprint he had made on the boy. He had found him at a young age, however, so the ex-Cossack wasn't too surprised by Jack's immediate referral to him as his parent. And why wouldn't he? The two looked almost alike. Both had white hair (Jack's being natural), and both shared the eye color of blue. The only thing that would stir questioning was Jack's pointed ears and his incredibly pale skin. There was also the fact that Jack called North, well "North" instead of "Dad" or "Papa." But North didn't encourage the latter, and Jack heard his name more than the fatherly titles anyway.

When Jack was young, he never thought much about where he came from. He seemed perfectly happy living with North, and the occasional visits from the other Guardians of Childhood. They were a makeshift family, an odd, but loving one. Jack never thought about his ancestral roots, mainly because he never learned much about them.

Though the winter child was ignorant of his past, he knew that he was different. Playing with the other village children was sometimes a struggle since he didn't quite fit in with the others. While summoning snowflakes or fabricating frost was a wonder, some turned a suspicious—or, more rather a daunted eye—to Jack's extraordinary abilities. Santoff Claussen was aware that he was a snow sprite, and Jack was in light of that too. But where had he come from? He didn't know. And nor did he know his relations to North. All he could recall was the ex-Cossack tending and caring to him ever since he was young. And that was all Jack needed.

North placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Moy mal'chik, while I am honored to know that you look up to me as your parent, I have to tell you that I'm…" North drew in a breath. "I'm not really your father. Not your biological one."

Jack blinked. Then he blinked again. His expression shifted into that of blatant confusion, and the slightest bit of hurt. "W-What do you mean? Of course, you're my Papa. Why wouldn't you be?"

North stayed silent for a moment, wondering what would be the best way to explain to young Jack. But he could think of no other way to tone down the painful truth that he had been abandoned by his parents in the woods. He couldn't hide the truth from him—that would only make the young snow sprite question him even further. And North didn't want Jack to poke and prod at him; the ex-Cossack would feel guilty knowing that he was hiding such information from the little boy. He deserved to know. He needed to know. Jack stared at North, unyielding. The man in red sighed.

"Six years ago," North began, holding Jack close. The winter child listened intently. "I was out making deliveries. Fixed clocks, mended contraptions, and anything that I repaired and needed to return. The ride had started out smoothly, but once night fell, the sky darkened. I knew snow storm was coming, and I needed to get back home before it hit. It was still long way back to Santoff Claussen, but I knew I'd be able to get there in time on sleigh.

"As I was riding through snow, I heard soft cry. I did not know what it was, so I stopped the sleigh and listened out for it again. The sound persisted, so I decided to investigate. At first, I thought it was an injured animal. But what I found wasn't what I originally expected."

A reaction hadn't been pulled out of Jack. The boy only stared at North, waiting for him to continue. The ex-Cossack swallowed and resumed.

"Under a tree, I found tiny baby. He was so small and frail, and seemed to have been out there for long while. He cried and cried, but upon spotting me, he stopped. Seemingly begging for me to take him with me.

"I didn't want him to perish in the cold, so I brought him home with me that night. I didn't learn until later, but he turned out to be baby snow sprite. And regardless of what others said about them, I took care of him as if he were my own."

North looked at Jack, and the boy stared back. His blue eyes were wide, but North couldn't read his expression. Was he upset that North hadn't told him this sooner? Was he hurt by the fact that he had been forsaken in the snow? Now, North didn't know if Jack was actually abandoned by his family, but it had been years since that fateful day. The blanks had filled themselves.

Jack turned away from North; he appeared to still be processing. North laid a hand on the child's shoulder.

"Jack—"

"You lied."

North felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "Moy mal'chik…"

"You lied to me," Jack repeated, turning around to face the bearded man. His eyes were rimmed with tears, and his voice trembled. "Y-You lied to me all this time!"

North was crestfallen. "Jack, please—"

"Why didn't you tell me?!" the boy shouted. The temperature dropped several degrees, and icicles began to form from the ceiling. Snow fell, lightly at first but grew in strength as Jack's emotions heightened.

"I wanted to tell you, my boy. Believe me," North pleaded. "But I wanted to wait until you were older. I didn't want you—" North cut himself off, realizing what he feared of happening was already occurring regardless.

Jack didn't notice North's abrupt silence and carried on. "I thought for so long you were my papa, but you were lying! You were lying all along!"

North didn't know how to respond. He couldn't form the words or sentences that he wanted to say to Jack. He was trending on dangerous ground. One wrong word, and he feared that Jack would burst.

"Jack—"

"Where are they?" Jack demanded, eyes flashing wildly. "Where are my parents? My real parents?!"

North's shoulder slumped. "I do not know. When I found you in woods, there was no sign of them anywhere. Something might have happened to them, but…"

It was the reality that North didn't want to accept, but the more time passed on, it appeared to be true. Jack's eyes widened, and he shook his head furiously. Tears slipped down his cheeks.

"No…No, no, no…"

"Jack, I'm so sorry…"

"Th-They…they wouldn't do that," Jack murmured to himself. "M-Mama and P-Papa l-love me, don't they?"

North reached out to comfort the boy. "Moy mal'chik—"

"Don't call me that!" Jack yelled, shoving North's hand away. Unintentionally, a thick layer of frost burst from his hand, freezing over North' The ex-Cossack gasped in surprised, though he wasn't too pained. The cold was gnawing but wasn't unbearable.

Jack, however, was slammed with guilt, and he scooched away from North. "I-I'm sorry! I…I mean…I-I, agh!"

The winter child buried his head in his hands, shivering. "I…I'm n-not mad. R-really not! I-It's just…It's just that…I d-don't know…I don't know what to feel!"

Jack hiccuped. "A-All this time I thought you were my Papa, b-but it turns out you're not. A-And m-my real p-parents don't c-care about me…W-Where are they? Why did they g-go?"

North's heart shattered. "Jack…"

"W-Why did they leave me?!" Jack cried. Sobs wracked his small form, and North could hold back no longer. He scooped his boy up in his arms and held him close, rocking him back and forth as he wept. He whispered words of solace to the little boy. Tears poured down Jack's cheeks; he buried himself into North's chest, gripping the front of his shirt.

"I-I want M-Mama and P-Papa!" he sobbed. North rubbed Jack's back, holding back tears of his own.

"I know I'm not your real father," said North slowly. "But I want you to have wonderful childhood. I want you to grow up safe and sound, and have people there to care for you."

Another hiccup came from Jack and he buried himself into North's chest. The ex-Cossack held him tighter.

"I love you, moy mal'chik," North said. "And I hope you can forgive me for not telling you truth sooner."

Jack's cries had dialed down to soft sniffs. The miniature storm in the room had passed. The ice on North's arm melted away. He pulled away from North, his blue eyes sparkling like two ocean orbs. They were rimmed with tears, and his nose was runny, but his voice was clear.

"E-Even though you're not my real papa…" said Jack. "I-I still love you like one."

A lump formed in North's throat, and pulled Jack close, weaving a hand through his hair.

"And I love you as if you are my own," whispered North.

Jack returned North's hug, tears slipping down his cheeks. He wasn't happy, and nor was he upset but a feeling in between. And though he couldn't describe it just yet, that didn't matter at the moment.

Because right now, Jack was glad to have someone who was there for him when his parents couldn't be.


Author's Note: Looking back, I think I did a pretty okay job on this chapter despite my difficulty in writing it. OuO At least, that's what I think. XD You guys might think it totally sucks and I'm sitting here utterly oblivious to that. QwQ Ack, why do I always feel like the stuff I write is meh...Seriously. I need some help. TwT

Anywayyyyy, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! =3 And Happy Holidays! ^u^

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203