Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. As mentioned before this is the second chapter of the 3 part update.
Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 2: Secret wants
Jack awoke to a loud bang as the door hit the wall. Scrambling up Jack clamped down on his tongue to keep Mary's name from escaping. So much for forgetting his dream.
Turning to the doorframe Jack watched as North stood, obviously surprised to see him. At the large man's feet several elves armed with dusters the size of them sat. One even held a dustpan that quickly caused them to tumble over.
"Hello.." North muttered after a moment. "I did not know you were here."
"Hi." Jack started in a panic, rushing to his feet. "Sorry. I just needed somewhere to stay.."
"It's fine my boy." North said obviously trying to keep himself from speaking more. Bracing himself Jack could tell by the look in his friends eye he wasn't done yet.
"Umm..why are you staying here?" North said after a moment as the elves began cleaning around Jack. One even dusted the top of his foot, causing Jack to resort to hovering in the air instead.
"I-no reason, it's just it's almost spring in-in Burgess…I'd rather be somewhere cold…ya know." Jack lied lamely. At least it was a partial truth, he truly did hate the warmth and wet feeling that came with the snow melting and turning the grass to mud. To be true though he couldn't bear being in the town his sister had lived in.
To walk the woods she had once. It felt like her presence was constantly over his shoulder. Watching him. Waiting for him to acknowledge her.
Pushing past North, Jack hurried to leave the room. Perhaps if he could put enough space between him and North, the older man would drop the topic. However his hopes were crushed when North grabbed his shoulder. Flinching Jack gripped his staff and forced his body to relax.
"Yeah?" he asked in what he hoped came across as a cheerful voice.
"You do not need to leave. In fact, we need you."
"Excuse me?" Jack squeaked out in a quivering voice before his vision swam in gold. Before he could react he felt someone catch his body and a sleepy giggle escaped him. He felt as if his eyelids were being weighed down and his head felt fuzzy.
Reaching up, Jack barely had time to wipe a few stray grains of dreamland off his face before he drifted back to sleep.
0o0o0
"Jack." Mary's voice was pulling at him and Jack knew if he focused he would be standing on a pond of ice. However this time when he looked around he saw he was sprawled out in a forest, and instead of being stuck on the ice he was peacefully resting in a glade of snow.
Rising to his feet Jack adjusted the worn cloak around his shoulders and looked around the glade. The edges were surrounded by trees weighed down with snow and dead grass.
"Jack come home." Mary's voice was begging now and Jack turned to see a beaten down path had now appeared in front of him.
Move. Jack didn't though. He couldn't bring himself to. Standing there he could feel the snow melt into his boots and into the cheap stockings that were suddenly on his feet. The wind pushed into his back, seeming to encourage him to move, ruffling his shirt and hair every few moments.
Finally Jack took a step forward. Counting his steps he made to well past a hundred before he came across a small house next to a pond. The wood it was made of was breaking towards the bottom of it. (Jack reckoned a good snowfall would send it crashing in on itself. He hoped no one would be inside if it did.)
"Jack." A different woman's voice sounded from inside the house. Jack felt his body stiffen as he stepped away from the house. He didn't want to be here anymore, he didn't want to see the woman that would come through the door.
Silently Jack watched as a tall woman with short brown hair appeared in the doorframe. She was dressed in a long dark brown dress and torn white apron.
"Jack, look at me." Her voice was soft and caring. It made Jack feel loved. Something that he realized he hadn't felt in a long time.
It was a voice that brought him close to tears. Looking up Jack tried to meet her eye only for her to disappear. With a large breath Jack felt his eyes open.
Bolting upright Jack's hand went to something hot and wet sliding down his cheek and heard rustling to his side. Turning Jack saw Tooth standing next to him, a hand extended on his shoulder. On his other side Sandy stood with a ball of dreamsand, with Bunny and North crowded behind him.
It didn't take him long to put together what had happened.
"Jack." Ignoring Tooth, Jack grabbed his staff and stormed out of the room.
"We had to know mate." Bunny said as he hopped over to Jack attempting to block him in, only for Jack to freeze a clump of his fur.
"You..you had no right…" Jack said in a frenzy whirling around. Tears were still on his cheeks and Jack felt like he would burst down in tears if he thought of his dream a second more.
"We did, if you're having nightmares. Pitch..Pitch could be back…" Tooth began fluttering over. Her voice dropped as she continued to talk, as if she was realizing how weak her argument was.
"Then we should have had a conversation like normal people." Jack fumed, jumping into the air.
"We just wanted to help.." Tooth said feebly as she hovered a few feet away, her feathers twitching in anticipation.
"And do what?"
Nobody spoke for a few moments then North cleared his throat.
"We're sorry Jack but trust us we only wanted to make sure Pitch couldn't hurt you. It's clear you're afraid of something…you're avoiding Burgess like it's the flu."
"The saying is like the plague North!" Jack corrected "and, so what. There is obviously a reason I haven't told you."
The guardians flinched and Jack felt bad for almost a moment.
"Besides, maybe I don't want you guys to see my memories. Maybe I wanna keep that part of myself to myself."
"We just wanted to help-" North began. Turning to him Jack let out a loose laugh. One of spite.
"You wanna talk about backstories. Fine. How did you get the Mrs. Claus story…hmm? I always wondered that." Jack snapped, propping a finger to his chin in pretend thought. North flustered and turned red.
"Jack!" Bunny snapped.
"See not fun is it?" Jack spat. By now little pieces of ice were gathering around him.
"Jack.." North began softly. Jack felt guilt worm in his stomach from the Mrs. Claus' statement, as he met North's gaze. "Come with me."
"No." As guilty as he was, it was outweighed by his stubbornness. Waving his staff Jack felt the familiar embrace of a gust of wind as it lifted him into the air. He needed to get out of here. Out..somewhere. Somewhere that didn't involve the guardians or his sister.
"Mary." Jack paused at his sister's name. "You said the name Mary, we saw the girl in your dream. Is she why you're afraid?"
Jack tried to laugh it off. He truly did but instead he felt tears fall down his face.
"I am not afraid of some….some dead girl. One I barely even know." he stammered, fighting to keep his voice steady.
Tooth nodded and fluttered over to Jack. Gently she wiped the tears off his face and pulled him into a hug.
"I understand.." she whispered as Jack stood there. "And I'm sorry, we didn't mean to hurt you."
"Jack…" North shifted from foot to foot as if unsure what he wanted. "Would you like to say…umm a proper goodbye to your sister?"
Jack paused, mouth agape but silent.
"What?" his voice came out hoarse and croaky.
"If I were to take you back to where your sister was buried would it help? Help bring you closure I mean?"
Prying Tooth's arms off him Jack hesitated.
Did he really want to find the place his little sister was buried? Jack shook his head, no not his little sister. A grown woman who had a life. One he didn't know. It wouldn't be him saying goodbye to the eight year old in his dreams. It would be him saying goodbye to a woman who hopefully had a long and fulfilling story.
"Yes.." the request came out in barely more than a whisper and Jack felt his chest constrict.
"Then stay, allow us to help you."
Slowly Jack allowed the wind to lower him to the ground. At his next question small wisps of snow ran through the air around him.
"How.."
0o0o0
The north pole was always a bustle of activity. It was constantly in motion with the elves destroying the Yeti's hard work and toy orders coming in quicker than anyone could respond.
But in the quiet of North's office it certainly didn't feel that way. Jack was seated at North's desk, a mug of coca forced into his shaking hands.
A few feet away North rummaged through a box. From his spot Jack could see the shine of the magical snow globes North used. How they worked Jack wasn't a hundred percent sure but they certainly had done the trick in the past.
Letting out a cry of triumph North pulled out a small silver snow globe. The edges were decorated with some flower of sorts and behind the glass small white particles danced around.
"So!" North cried abruptly, turning to Jack. "this will take you to what you want."
"Like a normal snowglobe?" Jack asked skeptically as he bounced the silver ball in his hand.
"No, no is special, made from father time. It takes you to what you really want."
Jack grimaced at the idea.
"Okay…so do I have to be specific in what I say or?"
"No you don't speak. It'll do work, just throw it."
Tightening his grip on the snowglobe Jack nodded. "Can I do it now?"
"Of course of course, I'll let you be, I don't want to be distraction." North assured, waving his hands through the air as if beckoning himself outside.
Jack closed his eyes listening to North footsteps retreat outside. The door closing with a click, then the hum of the workshop.
What did he want?
To say goodbye to my family. Jack finally settled upon. Simple enough.
Tightening his eyes Jack felt the smooth glass beneath his fingers. Inhaling sharply Jack lifted the ball.
I want to say goodbye to Mary. The ball slipped through his fingertips and Jack heard it thud against the floor followed by a woosh.
I want to be loved. Jack's eyes opened as the thought flickered through his head. But it was too late, and too soon Jack felt himself being whisked into the snowglobes portal.
Jackie Boy, work on your intrusive thoughts buddy.
