Jack slept for most of the next few days. A lot of the time that he was asleep there was a massive storm outside - one that was as bad, if not worse than, the one he'd thrown up when I moved out. Sel, Del, and I didn't think he knew he was doing it, but I was pretty damn certain that Jack was releasing his emotions over this in the form of a blizzard the size of the continent. While he was sleeping, that is. The few times he woke up, he tried so hard to not get eaten alive by the hole I could see growing inside of him. The rest of us were quiet the whole time. We wanted to let Jack grieve the way he needed but we also didn't really know what to say to each other.
The one constant in the sanctuary was always that Jack was laughing, smiling, having fun. There was an air of effortless laughter for everyone who set foot inside. Even when Korri had lived there she'd scowled less than out in public. But with Jack the way he was currently, the lighthearted feel that permeated everything was stale and it put us all on edge - like we were walking on eggshells that were they to crack would wake a sleeping giant. Even Del tiptoed around - which for him was a feat in and of itself.
One of the few consolations was that Ombric stopped by every night. After the twins had gone home he would come to see Jack for a few hours before he had to go home and get some sleep. The rest of us let them have that time to themselves - we figured that we'd known Jack for most of his life, or at least most of ours in my case. Ombric deserved a chance to get to know Jack without us interfering. Jack almost looked happy, then. He wasn't his usual self but he wasn't wallowing in desolation either.
When the day of the funeral arrived, Jack and I flew to Burgess and I was astounded by the sheer number of people that showed up. I highly doubted that those not from Burgess were all his family but I didn't really have another reason for there being hundreds of people there. Later I found out that Daniel had sent word to the web about the funeral for those who believed and wanted to pay respects to the one who saved everything. The one that started everything. There was a good number of Immortals there too. Most were trying to be incognito, but some were standing blatantly close... Until Jack and I got there anyway.
Everyone who knew who we were - or who at least knew who Jack was - sort of stepped away and left us alone. The mortals who didn't believe in either of us still stood their ground, but enough people saw Jack to let him have a more or less clear path wherever he wanted to go. When we got inside he hesitated. At first, I thought it was because he was trying to chicken out but then I saw who he was looking at. A little old woman was hunched over in a wheelchair holding a napkin to her eyes, but even with about five hundred wrinkles and glasses blocking the view, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere. "Sophie..." My heart went out to the girl. I mean, she just lost her brother. We know how that feels.
The pain was clear on his face. This girl was his niece and he couldn't even try to comfort her. She didn't believe in him anymore. We know how that feels too... I watched him for a second, the pain in his eyes somewhat masking the indecision. "Do you want me to leave you alone for a little bit?" His eyes shot towards me for a second before he nodded. I patted his shoulder before I turned away. I walked outside and around the side of the funeral home, trying to avoid the mortals. Most of the Immortals must have had a similar idea though because they were there too. One in particular that I knew but hadn't expected to see there. "Annie? What are you doing here?"
She looked up when she heard her name, scanning the small crowd before her eyes found me. "Story." She started to smile, but then shot an apologetic look at me when she realized she was smiling at a funeral. I walked over and took a seat on the retaining wall next to her. "I didn't expect to see you here today." Something glinted in her eyes before I could respond. "Oh, that's right. I forgot that you're friends with Frost. How is he taking the news?"
I shrugged halfheartedly, my grimace giving everything away. "As good as I can expect him to. And yeah, I'm here with him." I looked through one of the half-covered windows to see a flower arrangement in the corner that had a hint of frost creeping over it. "But I'd have come regardless. Jamie was a good kid. I owe him a lot."
Her brow creased in confusion. "You weren't created before the Blackout were you?" I shook my head. "I didn't think so." Her gaze roved the other immortals as she gestured to them. "That's why almost all of them are here. The Last Light saved us..." Her eyes darkened. "The club was open when it happened. Some of the people there started fading in front of my eyes. They went from tip-top shape to transparent in an instant. Panic was spreading like wildfire and no one knew what was going on. Sunny, Shady, and Artie stepped up to try and keep people calm while I was running around and trying to keep everyone from tearing down the walls to get outside and figure out what was happening. It wasn't until a few days later that someone found out what Pitch had done and spread the news around. At the same time, we all found out that Frost was the new Guardian and that our immortal lives were saved by a mortal child."
She squared her shoulders like she was shrugging off bad vibes. "We lost a few, though. They were so reliant on their believers that, when they were gone, there was nothing holding them here." She worried her hands together a little while she paused to take a deep breath. "That is why I'm here. I needed to see the being that brought about a miracle that kept half of my clientele from vanishing." She smiled lightly, trying to show that the mention of them being customers wasn't the only reason.
The way she phrased it brought something to my mind, though. "Hey, have you heard about the immortals that have been disappearing?" Her eyes focused before she met my eye - which to me was an indication of a yes. "Why does no one care? You said there was mass hysteria when the Blackout happened, so why doesn't anyone care that their friends are becoming figments of history?"
She took a calculated breath before answering. "A good many of our peers don't believe it is happening - or if it is, then they are just fading quickly. Those that do believe chose to pretend that it doesn't mean anything. The same thing when those Nightmares started running amok before Pitch made his move. A good number of immortals had seen them but hadn't bothered to tell anyone who could do anything until it was too late." She shrugged. "They assumed the same thing then that they assume now. That The Man in the Moon will handle things as he has always done." She cocked her head a little, bracing her arms on her knees. "As far as their memories serve." She stood up and gave me a curt wave before walking away.
It wasn't until she was out of earshot that I realized that she didn't tell me what she thought about all of it. After a minute, though, I followed her example and tried to take my mind off of things. I walked towards the mass of believers that were either huddled respectively away from the crowd - in the case of those from Burgess - or clustered together and excitedly trying to name the various immortals amassed in back - in the case of those there because of Daniel's announcement. I walked towards the former group first, most of them knowing me and definitely in need of something to lighten the mood. When I got close to the Burgess believers smiles lit their faces as they rushed me. I smiled back at them, mentally promising to take Jack there later if he was up for it. He needed some infectious smiles.
Kari was one of the first to guess why I was there. She was a natural born leader and managed to get the younger kids to leave Jack alone if he didn't come and see them on his own. I was grateful for her prep work on them. As much as I wanted to chill with them for hours, my heart wasn't in it, so I politely steered them off in another direction, telling them to let Jack do what he wanted, and headed for the interlopers. Daniel was among them with Buster and Madelyn as well. They both greeted me warmly with hugs and condolences. Daniel shot me a sheepish look and apologized for not letting me know beforehand about the web announcement. "I just thought that Jamie was the sort of person who'd have wanted people to know what happened."
I waved it off. "It's alright. He didn't like being at the center of attention, but he deserved it."
Bust glanced towards the funeral home. "Is Jack okay in there?" He was still the Shaggy lookalike that I'd first met almost forty years ago, although he was now in his sixties. He was also still a goof that spoke without thinking from time to time and fanboyed over the various immortals he'd come in contact with. There were actually a good number of immortals who thought that new believers made this was would be a great thing, and so I'd gotten then in contact with the bloggers way back when. Daniel ran things now while Bust and Madelyn were retired blissfully. They had moved to Oregon a while ago and had come a long way for the funeral.
I shrugged. "Well, the whole place isn't covered in ice, so not as bad as he probably feels." There's also not a blizzard overhead, so there's some good news. "He's been taking it about as bad as I expected, but he's making a really good comeback..."
"You sound as if that's a bad thing." Madelyn had never met Jack though she had been educated on the movie. Bust had made sure of that. So she knew how important Jamie was. To all of us.
I glanced at Bust, remembering what I'd said to him a long time ago when we'd first met. "I always knew that the longer Jamie believed in Jack the worse it would be on him when it inevitably ended. I never thought he'd hold out until he died though." My throat was starting to feel a little hoarse. "Jack has to deal with both things all at once. Don't post this, but Jamie was his nephew. He didn't just lose a believer, he lost family."
Daniel's eyes widened. "Jack has relatives? I mean, mortal ones?"
"Yeah, most of us do. We don't always keep track but you'd be hard-pressed to find an immortal who doesn't have some family." My mood dimmed a little, old wounds reopening and such.
Bust noticed. "Elizabeth's doing fine by the way. We still talk occasionally, she mostly likes to brag about Kevin. He started kindergarten this week." He gave me a smile, trying to raise my spirits.
On the inside, my eyes widened. Kindergarten? The last time I'd seen Kevin he was an infant. I don't even know what he looks like. I guess some of us stop keeping track sooner than later. On the outside, I forced myself to smile. "I miss them." That was not what I meant to say. I was gonna just say thanks for the update, but my mouth spoke on its own. I winced a little. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."
Madelyn reached out and pulled me into a hug. "Lizzie told us about her dad. I'm so sorry for you." She squeezed a little before releasing me.
I swallowed. "It's okay, really. I'm back to my usual self." I looked over my shoulder into the home. "The one I'm worried about right now is Jack." I have them all a quick hug. "I should go check on him." I smiled at them as I walked away.
Inside it was crowded enough that I had to really pay attention to where I went. As it was, three people walked through me in the first room alone. By the time I found Jack I was jittery and shaking a little - which I tried to hide from him. "How are you doing?"
His eyes were the faintest bit pink like he'd either been crying or holding tears in. He swallowed before he spoke, and when he did his voice was hoarse. "I've been better. Where have you been?"
"Outside, people watching.". I glanced around at the bodies inside. Most people were dabbing at their eyes with Kleenex. "Have you been standing here long?"
"Why?" My random question had shaken the gloom off of his face for the moment.
I pointed to the flower arrangement near us. "Because the roses are frosted over."
He glanced behind us. Upon seeing it he swore and moved farther away from said flowers. "Why are there so many people here?"
"Jamie was a great guy. He had a lot of friends." Even though I was ok with the random people dropping in to see the living legend, I want about to tell Jack about them.
"I mean the immortals." He gestured out the window to the swarm that was still hiding behind the building.
I shrugged. "Jamie was the last light. He saved them too." Having recently been informed by Annie, I now knew just how important he'd been to some of them. "Did you see him?" Jack clenched his jaw and half nodded like he didn't believe his own answer. "What happened?"
He shook his head, swallowing. "I can't walk past Sophie. I've been waiting for her to move or leave, but she just keeps sitting there." He weakly threw out his arm towards her.
"She's accepting condolences. Close family is supposed to stand near the coffin during the viewing." He looked at me like I had a second head. "Don't you know how funerals work?"
"Considering that the last time I attended one I was alive, I'm going to let you guess how much they've changed." The deadpan look he gave me held a little of the sarcasm he was so well known for.
"Well I've been to my fair share in life, and they haven't changed all that much since my time." I glanced at Sophie, who was starting to shift uncomfortably in her wheelchair. "It looks like she's probably gonna need a bathroom break in a minute or two so I'd move quick one she goes." I looked back at him, seeing the hesitation in his eyes again. "Do you want me to come in with you?"
He grinned for a second while he thought about it. After a second he sighed and nodded. "Just... Give me some space one we're in there? Okay?"
"Done deal." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sophie flash down one of her grandkids to have them cart her to the bathroom. "The time is nigh." I gestured towards the disappearing former Warren invader.
Jack floated over the heads of everyone until he landed in the adjacent room where the coffin lay open for the viewing. I followed him and got inside to see that most of the other people had taken a momentary reprieve from the room in Sophie's absence. Jack was alone. He was standing a few feet away, trying to work up the nerve to move the last few steps to be in full view. I hovered in the back corner to give him space.
He stood there staring for a minute before he gulped and moved closer. I could see the wince from where I stood. I could see how much it pained him to be there. As he worked his jaw trying to find the words, the temperature in the room dropped about ten degrees. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away from you when you needed me." He broke off for a second and I could hear his voice cracking. "I just...I needed you more and I didn't want to face what was happening." I saw a tear escape from the corner of his eye. "I was so excited to tell you something amazing, and when I got here you weren't home. I found you in the hospital and I - I got scared. I thought if I ignored it, nothing bad would happen, but..." He clenched his jaw so hard I could hear his teeth squeaking against each other. "So I'm telling you now. You're my family. By blood. But you always have been to me, so it doesn't change anything. I should have told you that in person before but I am now, so I hope that makes up for me running away."
He sighed deeply and I could hear the echoes of his sobs from that first day in it. "I don't want you to be gone. Jamie, you were everything to me. You believed in me when no one else would, and that meant the world to me." He drew a shaking breath and I could see another tear leak down his face. "I never thanked you for that. You were there when I needed you and when you needed me I ran away." He wiped at his eyes with the heel of his hand. "I'm a screw up no matter what I do. I don't know what people see in me. But you were the one person who always smiled when I came to see you, no matter what. You made me believe that I was capable of being a Guardian. Sometimes I don't see it, but you believed in me more than I deserved so I'm gonna stick to it. Besides, if I didn't you'd probably find a way to chew me out on it from beyond the grave."
His voice cracked with those words and he curled in on himself. I ran over to him and gave him a side hug. He didn't see it because his back has been turned but I'd been bawling behind him at his words. I had no idea that he still questioned being a Guardian. I looked at Jack and saw the most worthy person I'd ever known. How could he see his actions on the world and not think he deserved it?
After a few minutes, I heard there squeaking that foretold Sophie's return and gently nudged Jack up. He wiped at his face and unsteadily got to his feet. "Come on, let's go." I wove him through the throng of people, somehow miraculously keeping anyone from walking through him on our way out. I wasn't so lucky, having taken about ten non-believer walk-throughs while we moved. By the time we were outside I was shivering like I was coming off an adrenaline rush, though it didn't feel as nice.
Jack glanced at me wincing. "Are you okay?" He looked over my shoulder to see that one or two of our believers had noticed us.
I shook my head, still shaking. "I'm fine." I rolled my shoulders and clenched my jaw to keep my teeth from chattering. "It'll go away in a few minutes." I winced as my arm jerked a little involuntarily. I took a deep breath and attempted to reign in my haywire nerves, but only succeeded in sending a big shudder down my spine. "Damn I hate that." I grimaced and glanced inside. "You'd think that more of Jamie's friends would believe in us."
He 'hmm'ed with a distant look in his eyes. As I watched, he slowly looked a little less desolate, but still sad. After a minute or two, I only felt a little littery. "How are you feeling?"
He snapped out of it and eyed me. "I should be asking you that." I stuck my tongue out at him and he sighed resignedly. "I feel... surprisingly better." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "I hate it when you're right."
I smiled at him. "Well, I don't. I'm glad this helped, really I am. I can't stand to see you stirring up the apocalypse every time you go to sleep." I realized that I'd mentioned the superstorm he kept making and winced a little even as I tried to keep my face nonchalant.
He squinted a little. "What do you mean?"
Shit. "Well... every time you fell asleep back home for the past few days you had a blizzard rivaling Ragnarok above ground." I shrugged looking sheepish. "We didn't think you knew so we didn't bring it up. It's not hurting anyone anyway. The scientists there all know how to hunker down during bad weather." I shrugged. "I figured you were venting subconsciously."
Before Jack could respond, I heard footsteps behind us. I turned around to see Sam coming towards us. "Hey, it's good to see you out of the house." He shot Jack a smile which was returned but strained. It felt really weird for me to see Sam there. He'd never been to Burgess before and I didn't know how to feel about it.
"What are you doing here Sam?" I didn't think about how insensitive that could come off until I said it out loud. He was obviously here to support Jack and pay respects to Jamie. You're an idiot. Inner voice apparently agreed with my own conclusion. "Forget I asked." Both of them laughed a little at that. Jack's laugh almost sounded like his normal one. That was the best thing that happened that day.
-
After that, Jack and I went back to the Sanctuary for a little while. Over the course of the next few weeks, each of the Guardians made time to stop by and give Jack their condolences. He didn't mention to any of them that Jamie was his sisters descendant, or that he was related to Ombric. I don't know if he just wasn't ready to bridge that gap yet, or if he wanted to keep this little secret for himself. Either way, they all stopped in for a short time before having to run off back to their lives.
I'd made a few food runs for the twins and had made sure that the globes were re-stocked, grabbing some of my supplies while I did. I was working on some costumes before all of this has happened, planning on spending my first Halloween back at full speed in Salem with Sam. Jack was almost his normal self - come mid-October - so I thought I might be able to sneak away for a few hours to at least make an appearance. I didn't think he'd offer to come with two days before the ghostly night.
"Come again?" I looked up at him from where I was hand sewing the collar on my costume. I didn't own a sewing machine regardless, but with the sub-zero temperatures in the sanctuary, my fingers kept fumbling and were raw from pinpricks.
Jack suck his hands in the pocket of his hoodie. "I haven't been trick-or-treating in a long time and I wanted to go with you guys." He stood leaning against the doorframe to my temporary room, looking nonchalant... if you didn't look at his eyes. If you did then you'd see that he was going stir crazy being cooped up inside but he didn't want to go outside alone in case... well.
I didn't blame him. "You don't have a costume."
"I'll borrow one from Sam." He shrugged like it was nothing.
I stared at him. "You do realize that Sam is almost six feet tall, and you're 5'5", right? And that he's way bigger than you to boot." I sewed another few stitches. "You'll drown in his stuff."
He pushed himself off the frame. "Hey, he told me how you borrowed his clothes when you were so hungover you couldn't stand up. You're smaller than me."
"I'm shorter than you. You're the size of a toothpick and my boobs can rival cantaloupes." I shot him a look. "I'm not 'smaller' than you." I went back to looking at what I was doing while I spoke. "And as it was I had to roll half of the legs up on the pants he gave me just so I could walk. And you know I like clothes five times too big."
He was quiet for a second and I think he was trying to find a response. "I can always wear my old shirt."
I squinted at that. As far as I knew, Jack didn't own any other clothes period. "What shirt?" I set down my costume top, turning my full attention to what I had a sneaking suspicion was going to be big. For me anyway. He waved at me to follow him and I stood up creakily, my legs numb from nealing on the floor. He lead me to his room - which was more or less commonplace for me now... okay less. It was still Jack's room which until two months ago, had been an enigma. Under his bed was a small chest which he pulled out and opened. Inside was something instantly recognizable but that I didn't think existed anymore. "That shirt?"
He held up his white pirate style shirt that he'd died in, along with his cloak and vest. My inner fangirl was drooling at knowing the original ensemble was real and still existed, while the rest of me was wondering how in the hell it hadn't disintegrated by now. "I swapped it out for another shirt that Sel made for me a long time ago. I didn't want to throw it away because... well..." He glanced at me for a second.
I finished his thought for him. "It's one of the only things you have left from before."
He kind of shrugged in a way that meant yes. "It's pretty thin by now and it's been torn a few times, but I can still wear it. Everyone knows me in my hoodie so it'd be good enough, right?"
I gingerly took the garments from him. He wasn't wrong about how thin they were. They almost felt like silk with how light they were by now. And there was a giant tear along the back of the shirt that cut through part of the vest as well. The cloak had been unaffected though, so it would hide the gash. I was worried about how they would hold up though. "How are they still in one piece?"
"I've been careful with them." He gently placed them back in the chest. "You've seen clothes in museums before, most of those are older than me." He shrugged again. "I probably would have worn them longer but I got caught in an avalanche and tore them on a tree that tried to kill me." He plucked at his hoodie. "Besides, this is more comfy." He looked at me expectantly. "So, what do you think?"
It was my turn to shrug. "Well, if you wanna go as yourself, who am I to stop you? Ye olde Jack might be fun to throw the kids for a loop." I shot him a grin, more excited myself to see him in person wearing the full outfit he'd had when he'd first became Jack Frost.
He grinned back, his old excitement shining through. "That's what I thought." We went back to my room. I only had two days to finish my costume and I was way behind. As he idly watched me work, he also kept up idle chatter. "What's Sam going as?"
"A surprise, like every year." Unless any of us actually saw him working on his costume, he never told us what he was going to be. However, having known him for shy of a century and having seen the level of skill in his costumes, I was in a constant competition with him... even if it was one-sided. "I think he's on a superhero kick, though - if the spandex I spied means anything."
Jack rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face. "Sam's always been on a superhero kick. Ever since they became a thing he was a huge fan." He nudged me a little. "His favorite is Superman."
I rolled my eyes in return. "Of course it is." I grinned a little, remembering how he'd tried to come to the rescue when we'd first met.
"Is that the queen from Enchanted?" I looked up to see him squinting with a slight grimace on his face. "The one that's a rip off of Maleficent?"
"Queen Narissa is a rip off of a lot of Disney Villainesses. The whole movie is a parody of Disney movies." I held up my handiwork. "And yes, yes it is."
"So... Sam is going as a hero, and you're going as a villain." After a pause, we both burst out laughing.
"Well, then I guess we're gonna be a group costume, huh?"
"Then where do I fit in?" He calmed down a little, raising an eyebrow at me.
"Well, back then you weren't a Guardian, so I guess you'd be the neutral party." I shrugged. "So it still works." I chuckled to myself as I picked up the crown, which needed another coat of paint before it was done. Painting sucked in the Sanctuary because it never wanted to dry. It did teach patience though, so I guess there's that.
"How much do you have left to do?"
I kept painting as I spoke, glancing over my pile of a partially created costume. "Well, after this is painted, I need to add the shadow paint, so that's a few hours. I need to plan out how I'm gonna do my hair. I still need to attach the wings to the dress, and add some more paint to the bust area." I hesitated for a second, staring at the collar I'd just finished. "I also need to try it on and make sure I don't need to take it in anymore." I grimaced. "And do my makeup day of." After a second of painting I swore. "I forgot I need to add the feathers to the wrists!" I set down the tiara and sifted through the pile of supplies frantically. "Where are they?" I mentally ran over when I packed everything. "Fuuuuck. I left them in my studio."
"You want me to go get them?"
I shook my head. "Nah, I'll just send Ain a note, ask her to grab them and make a detour here by the end of tomorrow." I pulled a paper to me. "There should be enough globes for them to afford it." I paused to scribble everything I needed them to grab. "If you wanna help, though, you could up the temperature in here a little so my paint can dry faster." I made a bird and watched as it flew off, picking the tiara back up as I did. As I grabbed my brush it was considerably warmer. "Thanks." I cocked a grin at him.
"I can't make it too much warmer or the Ice will get thin, and it's a hassle to rebuild the walls." He sneered. "I tried to make Del's room barely under zero once and the walls crumbled when he accidentally hit one with his tail. There was a hole between his room and the kitchen for months - not that he was mad about it, but Sel was nagging me to fix it the whole time." He shuddered a little. "She was full-on Harpy mode."
I chuckled from where I sat. "I can imagine."
After a few minutes of silence where I finished up the paint on the crown and switched to the bodice, Jack hopped onto my bed and set down his staff. "I've missed you here. It's not as fun without someone to joke with constantly."
I shot him a smile. "Yeah. Sometimes the Treehouse gets boring, but with everything that's been happening lately I feel like I haven't had a second to breathe." I took a breath then and shook my head, thinking about how exacerbated the twins were making me. "Those guys were driving me nuts for a while. I'm hoping that they'll be good to start interacting with the public soon."
"Trying to get them out of your hair already?" He snickered over my shoulder.
I shot him a look. "What do you think?" I turned back around. "No I don't wanna throw them out, but man are they annoying sometimes."