Protecting Genie

Chapter 22

15 years later

Jack's POV

Here I stood once again, looking over the ledge of a cliff that was positioned right at the Pacific Ocean. The bouquet of flowers I held in my shaking hand moved in sync with the light breeze. Purple lilacs and pink roses. Her favorite.

Even now, 15 years later, I still remember. No matter how much I try to forget, I just can't. Everything I knew about her seemed to be permanently engrained into my brain. The more I try to forget, the stronger the memories become.

As if I'm not suppose to forget.

I wish I could though. It would make life so much easier; and to think, I have to suffer the rest of eternity like this.

Looking down at the flowers for the 20th time in 2 minutes, I smirked and chuckled at the random memory that passed through my mind. When Genie was younger, she would always say that she hated the color pink; said that it was too girly for her. She'd even gone through a random Goth stage in her late high school years that transitioned into college. Despite this facade she tried to keep up, I would always catch her eyeing the pink roses when she would walk the sidewalks of her college campus.

Once, she even took a picture of them with her cell phone. Whenever she was alone, she'd stare at that picture for hours; her fingers would then trace the screen, following the delicate contours of the beautiful flower.

Deep down, I think she always liked the color but held too much pride to admit it.

The smirk on my face was immediately replaced by a frown, my eyes moving from the flower to the 'grave'.

I can't believe it's been so long since I lost the love of my life. 15 years....15 long years.

While the rest of us were forced to move on with our lives, Genie was forced to lie in the ground. It wasn't fair.

Not one bit.

She deserved a life. A chance to finish school, see Jaime and Sophie grow up, maybe get married...if I was lucky, maybe it would have been to me.

Yes, I, Jack Frost, would have happily married the human Genie.

This ledge served as her grave. Just as Pitch requested, it had the perfect view of the Pacific Ocean. There was no tombstone to indicate where she was though. It was just a big mound that eventually molded perfectly with the rest of its surroundings.

Anybody that somehow manages to pass by here would never know that there was a decomposed body under here.

It's been so long, would there even be a body?

The only reason I could even find this place is because Abril had showed me the day after she buried Genie.

That stubborn spirit wouldn't leave me alone at all. I've lost count of how many times I wanted to punch her for her persistence.

But I also wanted to hug her and thank her. She's been the only one to deal with my horrible mood swings and not judge me one bit.

That day I had put up a huge struggle. I wanted nothing to do with the Guardians, with Man in Moon, or with Abril. Like a moody teenager, I just wanted to be left alone to mourn in my own way.

Alone.

While the rest of the Guardians, including a now regular sized Bunny, were cleaning up the mess that was still left over from the battle that resulted in Genie's and my capture; I had locked myself up in the room that had been hers for the short time she had stayed with us.