Believe in Me

Part 1: Trouble Yet Again?

Admin Note: Just realized something, how its September for Jamie in this story =-= whoops. The movie took place around Easter. And its only been about a month. So it should be around May >.>'' :s well, deal with it ^^' I like September right now, just please, go with the "Auta-Logic" and enjoy your read!

After another hour or two, Jack admired his work, standing on top of a snow-glazed lamp post looking out at the small town. Snow was falling lightly as promised, ice was sleek as ever over the sidewalks, and windows were fogged with moist chill. He smiled, like Tooth said around a month back, it was always nice to see the children when they woke up to the work of the guardians. He couldn't wait to visit Jamie's house in a month or two and see how he would react the the freshly fallen snow. Jack missed the kid, but every time he aimed to visit he would get swooped up with sudden meetings or missions or cold fronts needing to be delivered. He hated that he couldnt just drop the responsibility and go anyways like he used to be able to do, but jobs were jobs and his job was important. "Dont worry, Jamie, I'll be there as soon as you know it," he said reassuringly to the night sky, hoping that the message somehow reached the boy. After a few more seconds of staring up at the moon in small, peaceful thought, he turned on his balanced heel and jumped off the pole, using his staff to help him push off of buildings and objects as he shouted a "Whoop!" for the wind to pick him up. As he was being flown unsteadily back to his lake, he got a flicker in his mind, like a tiny light of realization went off. Then it was gone just as quickly as it started. He shrugged it off and landed softly on the water's surface, it frosting in a floral design at the gentlest touch of his feet. He looked over at the barely visable lights in the distance as he paced the frozen pond. Jamie's home was pretty nearby. Even if he wasn't bringing the cold in, he could still stop by right? He glanced to the moon again. It was far too late, probably around two in the morning by now. "I'll be there as soon as you know it," he repeated out loud as he stretched, hovering up to the lowest tree branch and leaning back against it, turquoise eyes closing as he lowered. A part of him was too excited to go to sleep, the same uneasy feeling running through him even still. But the other part of him overtook power, lulling his exausted form to sleep.

 That night, something went terribly wrong. Jack started up, wide eyed, sweat sticking his hoodie to his arms and chest. It was still night, but something had to be wrong for him to have woken like this, he was having sweet enough dreams and there wasn't too much on his mind. He stood, raising the cane he was hugging in his sleep up diagonally in front of him in case he were to be attacked. The air was tense, there was a certain smell to it, something deadly familiar... but Jack couldn't put his finger on it. He looked around; nothing was there but the usual coldness and the shadows of the towering trees in the independant light of the full moon. "Hello?" He called out, jumping from his branch to the higher one on the tree at his side. Nothing. "Hello?" He repeated but still there was no answer. "Alri....agh!" Just as he was about to accept that nothing was there, a bright round burst of light appeared blindingly a few feet in front of him, his eyes immidiatally shut with reation to the light in the adjusted darkness. It took him a second to figure what it was, he was only reassured that he was right by the tall, bulky figure standing in the middle, coming closer as his eyes dialated to suit. "Jack! Good to see you again, old friend!" The familiar voice called out. Jack had been going to meetings with the other guardians every once in a while, just to check things out, but with Christmas just a few months away, he hadn't seen North much at all. His cheeks were as red as ever, the black fur cap positioned on his head to prepare for the cold that was naturally lurking around Jack. The boy smiled weakly, it forming into a real grin once the light was gone and he didnt have to squint to see at all. "Hey, North!" He said welcomingly, jumping down from the tree and landing with a small "plunk" into the snow at his feet. He hadn't grown taller and probably never would since guardians didn't really age physically and all, so Jack still had to look up uncomfortably to see him. He didn't have much of a chance for a good look though as he was yanked in for a full body bear hug. "Jack, Jack, Jack!! Oh how I've missed you, dear friend, how have you been!?" Jack gave a tiny gag in reply, the best effort to both say he was fine and that he was being squeezed by arms that were probably each the same weight as him. The Santa Clause got the message, giving a tiny squeeze tighter before setting him down genly. It was sore, but Jack didn't show it in all favor to the jolly man standing before him. North had his usual excited smile, wonder filled eyes. It was nice to see after all of the usual "work stress, human stress" he went through as he brought the chill and ice to the streets of the cities he had last been through. That was probably why he liked the kids so much. More fun, less stress, more imagination, less negative.  

"So why are you here?" Jack leaned on his staff as he asked, not meaning to sound rude but more out of curiosity, He knew for sure that Bunny hated the cold, Tooth wasn't as good at flying in it, and though Sandy probably could visit, Jack couldn't picture it happening. To be honest, Jack couldn't picture anyone really coming to see him except maybe Jamie. It was a concept he was still getting used to.

In reply to Jack's question, North's face got grim, serious as Jack had seen him before. His own smile faded. What took the happiness out of the jolly fellow's eyes so quickly? "It's Pitch, Jack. We've sensed him very near by. I'm sure you did too, no?" Jack looked back and remembered almost immidiatally. The uneasiness of the past few days, the sudden jolt awake for no apparent reason. "But.." Jack said with slight doubt, looking down at his toes slightly dusted with snow, "Pitch was wiped out, wasn't he? Sure, no spirit can die like that, but I didn't think it would happen so.." 

"Fast?" North finished, then bowed his head as the younger spirit nodded. "I believe he would be gone for very long time too. I fear that he is getting the energy he needs from a different source."

"Different source? He can do that?" Jack started to feel a deep sense of nervousness. 

"Of course," North replied, seeming almost a little surprised that Jack didn't know. "Pitch is the spirit of fear, the boogieman! So long as he has enough fear, he has all the power in the world. We saved the children from not believing but we cant stop fear. It is a natural emotion," 

Jack nodded, sighing sadly. It seemed he wouldn't be seeing Jamie after all if Pitch was back and quickly recovering as it sounded. For some reason it was like he cared more for the kid than for Pitch. They took him out once didnt they? Why couldn't they again? "One more thing, Jack." The kid looked up, his blue eyes showing his worry, his disappointment. "We need you to find where he's getting this source of power from." 

"But you just said it was from fear, right?" Jack replied. He was confused. How was he supposed to find fear? Or, as a better question, how wasn't he? Fear was everywhere, from fear of being late to a meeting or fear of falling into a lake. He suddenly got a tiny jolt in the center of his throat from the thought, the memory. No, he wasn't going to let his own fearful memories get in the way. He cleared his throat and let the large man, eyes narrowed with caution on Jack's sudden surprised look, continue. After a few seconds of assumed calm, he did. "Yes, fear of course is obvious, but alas! Pitch is recovering too quickly to assume it's just fear he's getting power from. We feel it would be an item of some sort, or even another spirit in itself." Jack blinked in slight confusion again. There were more spirits? Now that he thought about it it was pretty obvious but... he never considered there could be any spirit out there other than him, Pitch, and the guardians. "So you want me to find and take whatever he's using?" Jack questioned, raising his eyebrows, in an "Okay, I can do that, easy," sort of look, a small reassured smirk on his pale face. North smiled at the confidence, reassured by Jack's attitude towards it. He had been a lot more willing to do work as of late, maybe he was growing into a good guardian after all. "Bring whatever it is to North Pole, yes, Jack?"

"Got it." The spirit laughed. North loved the laugh, a lot of others did. It was a laugh of reassurance, a laugh of calm and happiness all mixed together. "Good!" His belly shook a little as his voice boomed; a few night birds resting in the trees crawked angrily as they soared out of their nests. "Then I shall be back to North Pole! Good luck to you, Jack Frost!" There was a loud, jolly laugh as the portal rebursted open. Jack knew better by now, sheiding his eyes from the sudden brightness with his forarm and smiling, waving slightly with the hand that wasnt guarding as North slowly vanished, along with the light, from sight. 

Jack jumped back to his branch, laying back but not finding the lack of energy to close his eyes anymore. Maybe he could just go to Jamie and ask for help. It was an excuse after all, maybe Jamie would see something that might relate to Pitch. The winter spirit knew with almost all certainty that the kid probably wouldnt know much of anything about matters that even Jack barely knew about but.. it was an excuse to start an early snow and visit his favorite human before anything got out of hand. Before it got out of hand.. Jack replayed that in his mind, his smile fading just a bit. It was like every sense in him knew for sure that something was going to happen. He was being warned; the calm before the storm. He swore to visit Jamie that morning right at sunset. Just in case he didn't have a chance otherwise.