The Serene Butterfly 🦋 Jack Frost

ೃ⁀➷ 9 ༊*·˚ Not All is Lost

Jack stirs awake a few seconds later to Baby Tooth's frantic squeaking. He shot up, "Baby Tooth!", he sighed in relief but the realization hit him as hard as a snowball. "Althea..", he muttered and looked around, he saw a glimpse of green clothing a few steps away from him.

He stood up and ran towards her, he kneeled down and flip her body over. His breath hitched when he saw the dry blood on her abdomen, her eyes were closed shut and her skin was cold and pale. He lifted her body up and wrapped his arms around her carefully, bringing her head and tucking it on his chest.

"Althea?", he called out. No respond. "Althea?", he gently touched her face, wiping off some dried blood from the corner of her mouth and her cheeks. "Allie, please", his voice cracked and tears pricked in the corner of his eyes. "Please, don't leave me..", he sobbed, resting his forehead on hers. "You were supposed to stay with me, Thea..", he chocked. "I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry.."

He absolutely broke down, crying over her now lifeless body with Baby Tooth floating a few steps away, watching him sobbing over his now-dead lover.

"Jack?", a voice spoke up, accompanied by a humming sound. "Jack!". He finally composed himself, he wiped the tears in his eyes with his hoodie. But was startled when he notices a glow coming from his pocket.

He placed Althea's body to the side, caressing her cheeks before planting a kiss on her chapped lips. He pulled away and pulls the tooth-box out of his pocket.

"Jack!"

Jack looks at the box, then Baby Tooth. She puts her hand on it and nods at him. He touches the box and reality glistens away like the pieces of a kaleidoscope to reveal Jack's memory.

Flashback..

"It's okay, it's okay! Don't look down, just look at me", a chestnut brown-haired boy spoke.

"Jack, i'm scared", a little girl spoke as the ice cracked underneath her.

"I- I know, I know, but you're gonna be alright - you're not gonna fall in. Uh... We're gonna have a little fun instead!"

"No we're not!"

"Would i trick you?", the boy asks.

"Yes! You always play tricks!", he girl responded.

"Well, alright, well not- not- not this time. I promise, I promise you're gonna be- you're gonna be fine. Ya haft to believe in me", he said to her honestly.

"You wanna play a game? We're gonna play hopscotch! Like we play every day! I- It's as easy as, uh, one -", the ice cracks a little, "- woah! he almost falls over, but doesn't, and she laughs, "Two!", She laughs again. "Three!", he lands on a part that is not thin.

"Alright", Jack reaches for a stick on the ice. "Now it's your turn. One- ", she gasps because the ice is cracking. "That's it, that's it", he holds out the stick near her as she gasps, "Three!".

Jack grabs her by the knees using the crook in the stick and slides her around so that she is in the safe spot, but he has been flung into the cracking area. He sits up and smiles. She leans up on her arms, smiling too. He stands up, pleased, but his weight cracks the ice at last.

"Jack!"

Jack sinks into the cold water, looking up at the moon. As he's drifting below the ice, his hair illuminates in the moonlight and remains white as he opens his eyes, the memory fading.

End of Flashback..

Jack gasps inside the fissure, still holding the tooth-box and Baby Tooth blinks at him.

"Did you see- Did you see that?. "Baby Tooth shakes her head. Jack laughs as he picks her up and she chitters along with his excitement. "It- it was- it was me! I had a family! I had a sister! I saved her!", he laughs hysterically, then looks to the moon. "That's why you chose me... I'm- I'm a Guardian!"

Jack stands up, putting Baby Tooth in his hood. Glancing at Althea one last time, inhaling, and walking past her. But as he did, a faint glow shimmer over her abdomen.

"We have to get out of here", he knee-slides over to his staff. He tries to fit the pieces back together, but nothing happens, "Ah!". He stands up and focuses this time, creating a blue light in the crack of the staff. The light grows brighter.

"Yes!", he yelled in excitement when suddenly the staff pulled him back to where Althea was, "Woah!", he tumbled before looking up at the girls body.

His eyes widens in disbelief when he saw a glow over her abdomen and suddenly it shimmer and faded. Leaving her abdomen like how it was, no wound, no black marks.

He then placed his ear on her chest and let out a choked laugh, she was alive. Then, she started to groan, he kneeled beside her and intertwined their fingers. Her eyes then fluttered open, and he sighed in relief when he saw her beautiful jade-colored eye.

"Althea?", he whispered softly.

She groaned then smiled slightly at the sight of him, "I feel like i was hit by a truck three times".

Jack chuckled and immediately picked her up and wrapped his arms tightly around her, afraid she will slip away from his grasp. Tears were running down his cheeks.

He got her back.

"I'm so so sorry, Allie. I-i-"

"Jack, it's okay. I'm okay, everything's going to be okay", she pulled away to arms length to wipe some tears off his face.

"I-i thought i lost you..", he choked.

"You can't get rid off me that easily", she chuckled. "I have angel psychology, remember?".

He then placed a hand on her cheek, leaning in and placing a long passionate kiss. While his hand just caresses her cheeks lightly, he missed being able to hold her.. After pulling away, their face was slightly flushed but he couldn't careless.

"Can you walk?", he asked and kept his arms around her waist.

She nodded slowly, and wobbled once she got to her feet. "Sorry, being dead for a couple of minutes made me forget how to walk..", she smiled, sheepishly. "But i did regain some energy"

"Alright, can you fly?"

"I don't think so..", she shook her head, sadly.

"Okay, then you're going to have to hold on..", he said and she raised her eyebrows at him.

Althea tighten her grip on his neck as the two came flying out of the fissure, Jack cheering and laughing.

"Whoo hoo hoo hoo! Come on, Baby Tooth, Allie. I owe you one!"

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Inside Pitch's lair, Jack and Althea flew cage to cage, opening each locks.

"Come on, let's go!", the fairies respond plaintively. "But what- what's wrong?", not one has moved from their spot. "None of you can fly?", Althea then groaned, holding her abdomen and Jack Baby Tooth indicates Pitch's globe. "The lights...".

Jack looked at Pitch's globe up close, "They're all going out..".

----

"Only six left - six precious children who still believe in the Guardians with all their hear-- Make that five!", He chuckles as he steps on one on top of the globe, then another. "Four!", another step. "Three!", another. "Two!", he snaps his fingers.

He then glared at the last one.

"One"

----

Jack hops up onto the globe, kneeling over the last light. "Jamie!", realization hit him.