You're safe when you're with me

Sleigh ride

"Sit by me?" I smile pulling on his arm. He nods his head. Ok. He says climbing in to sit next to me. "Do you want one too?" No thanks, that's ok I'm not scared. He shakes his head.

"When you've been alone for as long as I have nothing scares me." He signed to me. "Why didn't you say it out loud?" I frown. "Because you're the only one that cares." He signed back with a shrug. "That's not true!"

Sure it is he whispers. Uh I think my tunnels will be faster mater. And not to mention safer. Sure you don't want to come with me Sheila? Bunny asks me. I shake my head frowning.

Bunny frowns laying his ears down flat. "What can I do to make you be my friend?" I'm nothing but nice to ya?" I frown looking down at the ground. How can I be your best friend like I was asked if you don't let me within 10 feet of ya?

"I'm sorry Bunny." "Not your fault." He signs back. It's just that its been 300 years and you've been silent mostly ever since North brought ya home, and you didn't speak until recently. The only person you let touch you is your dad.

Sandy shows a picture of a clock above his head. I know Sandy I know but how much more time does she need? He whispers to him. She'll come around my dad tells him. Not sit, and buckle up.

But the only real seatbelt is the one that I have. Dad takes the sleigh nice and slow, but just fast enough and high enough that we could keep doing what we were doing.

"Jack?" Hm? He questions. "Want me to prove to you that even Bunny cares about you?" I smiled. You have a pretty smile Farrah. "Thank you." "Even though we've really only known each other for the last several months you're my best friend."

You are too. You're the first anything I've had in 300 years. He whispers. "You look familiar to me, like we've met before like I know you from somewhere."

I know you do too. "You don't have to whisper just because of me." I just don't want to scare you off. "Where am I going to go?" I smile again. I'm in the air, I can "fly" but where would I go?"

"However, when I look at you I see this picture in my mind that you have brown hair and brown eyes, but I'm not sure why." "Can I tell you a secret?" "Of course Jack who am I going to tell?"

Point taken. He shrugs smiling. "I'm scared that I'll never find my place in this world, because I don't know who or what I am. All I know is what the moon told me and that was 300 years ago."

"I'm worried and scared that I'm doing something wrong. Why can't children see me? I've tried everything to be noticed." "But Bunny is right no one believes in me, and I'm invisible."

"Oh, don't let what he said get to you." I give him a forget about it motion. I'm not it's just.... He's right. Jack frowns. "IDK why MIM wants me to be a guardian there's nothing special about me."

"That's not true!" "Don't say that!" It's true Farrah I'm sorry. There just isn't. "I believe in you, I'm not human but I believe in you." He chuckles a sad chuckle. Thanks kid but unfortunately it's not the same as.... "As really being believed in."

Yeah, you get it. He nods. And.... "And?" "I'm not sure if its really more of a fear or what but..." "But?" But.... "Contact." IDK but it is. Like at some point, IDK but maybe that's where or how I got them and I just don't remember.

"I know the feeling." They said your dad was the first one. What does it feel like? "To be loved?" "To be talked to?" No, Jack shakes his head. To have contact?

"It's a good feeling but I know in the back of my mind it hasn't always been." I know what you mean. But IDK why. "I guess I'm worried or scared that it will never happen and if someone does finally see me finally believe in me...."

"That they won't be able to touch you." Yeah, you understand me. You get it. That and I guess water and wolves but again IDK why.

"Water is one of mine too, but not wolves, they've always been my friends and I can talk to animals and transform into a wolf." "If I turned into one, would you be afraid of me?" I frown.

No, he shakes his head, not of you. It's just like the water another irrational one. IDK why. He shakes his head. "Roll up your sleeve."

Ok? Why? "I wanna trace the pattern again." "It's a funny feeling." "I won't if you don't want me to." No it's ok you of all people I trust not to hurt me. "never!"

He rolls up his sleeve and I roll up mine. I look at my tattoo and then at his. And like I did before I lightly trace my finger over the mark on his arm in curiosity.

He shifts and squirms. That feels strange. But I guess any kind of contact is.... "Good?" After 300 years? I guess so. But if there are still bad feelings when it comes to contact, I'd rather myself get hurt than you.

I mean its a familiar concept to me anyways. I have this vague memory of people getting hurt because of me or me getting in the way so that others didn't. "Me too."

All the while dad had a "rearview mirror" watching us. And of course through his whispers dad and Bunny could still hear him. Dad trained himself to listen because of me and Bunny just has good hearing.

Dad was reading our S.L. looking up every now and then frowning at our convo, and the parts Bunny heard he almost felt sorry for Jack.

But any of that went away when he did the next thing. Hey Bunny check out this view. He encouraged as he looked like he was gonna fall off the side, as he hid himself on the side.

I leaned over and he smirked. North he North.... He looked over at Jack's smirking face. Awe you do care. Aw rack off ya bloody show pony.

I knew I should've taken my tunnels Bunny groans. I say Tooth Palace dad says into his snow globe as he tosses it into the air and we jet forward. Nightmare horses and baby teeth everywhere. Dad *gasps* in confusion. We'd never seen anything like it before.