Along For The Ride(ROTG Fan Fiction)(UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 12

We step through the portal to the Pole. North carries Jack's body. Once we get there, he walks over to the leather couch and gently lays Jack's body down. North turns to us as Sandy floats over to Jack's body.

"Sandy will try his best, but there is no guarantee." he says.

Then he walks off to his office. Bunny walks over to Tooth and I. He wraps us into a warm, comforting hug. We stay like this for a few minutes. When we finally break apart, Sandy turns to us. I'll try again tomorrow. For now, we should get some rest. He signs. He floats off to his room. Tooth walks away to hers, leaving Bunny and I alone.

"I'm really going to miss him," he says, then walks away to his room.

I walk back to mine. I climb into bed. Everything feels empty without Jack. I easily fall asleep. I wake up later than usual. I climb out of bed and don't bother to put on my sweater. It reminds me too much of him. I leave my sweater laid out on that chair, the one Jack was asleep in when I woke up that morning. I walk out of my room and up the stairs. I see Sandy carry Jack to Jack's room.

Bunny comes up to me and holds out Jack's staff. "He'd want you to have this."

I stand there for a second, looking at the staff, then take it from him. He walks off and I slowly spin the staff in a circle. Then a thought hits me. Jamie needs to know, because he's Jack's friend, maybe best friend. I grab two of North's snow globes he left out on that table. I use one right now. I step through the portal and land in Jamie's backyard. At that moment, he walks outside.

"Hey, Jess. What's going on?" He asks as he walks up to me.

"Jamie, you need to know this," I say.

He stares into my eyes. I stare back. "You see, last night Pitch was here, and what happened was..." It's a struggle, trying to tell Jamie. "And what happened was, Pitch shot an arrow at us. At Jack. I tried to help, but I was too late. The arrow hit Jack and...he's gone, Jamie. I'm sorry." I look down then look back up at Jamie. I see tears in his eyes. He hugs me and cries into my blue shirt. My blue shirt. I start to cry again, as well.

"I'm so sorry, Jamie." I whisper. We stand there, hugging each other for a few minutes, then Jamie lets go of me and I kneel in front of him. "Don't worry, I'll come back when I can to see you. Stay strong for me, okay?" Jamie nods and wipes the tears away.

I watch as he walks back inside his house. I use the other snow globe. I land in the main room near the front doors. I walk into the dining hall, which is where I assume the others will be, besides Sandy. I walk through the door and take seat at the other end of the table this time. I stare out the window.

"Jess, you should eat," Tooth says.

"I don't want to." I say as I continue to stare out the window.

"Jess, it's important."

I look up at them. "I told Jamie that Jack is gone."

"You what?" Bunny asks.

"I had to. Jamie is Jack's best friend. He deserved to know."

"She is right," North says. "Jamie was the first one to actually believe in Jack."

"And me," I add, even though it's completely unimportant. It's silent.

"Jess, eat something. I am going to talk to Sandy for a minute," North says. He gets up and leaves.

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*North's POV*

"Sandy, you have got to try harder. Without Jack, winter dies. No more snowball fights, no more snowmen, no more fun."

I'm trying my hardest. Can't you see that, North?!

"I'm only telling you that without Jack, winter dies. I'm only reminding to... to keep going, keep trying."

Sandy turns back to Jack's body and I walk out of the room.

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*Jess's POV*

I didn't eat what I normally do. I eat a blueberry muffin as a kind of tribute to Jack, because I know his color is blue, like how mine is green.

Tooth sits on my right and Bunny sits on my left. "You should eat more than just a blueberry muffin." Tooth says.

"Fine, I'll eat two," I say and grab another one.

Tooth snatches it from me. "I meant for you to eat something else, not just blueberry muffins." She puts the muffin back and hands me a banana. It starts with a 'b' so it technically counts as a tribute to Jack, as well. I peel the banana and start eating it. North walks into the room and moves down to sit next to us.

"So, what are we going to do today, North?" Bunny asks.

North sighs. "I do not know. I guess you can do whatever you would like." He starts eating again.

I finish my banana and get up from the table, alone. I remember when eating breakfast was as enjoyable as flying, and flying is extremely fun. I walk over to one of the windows and stare off into the distance. I hold tightly to Jack's staff. If Sandy can't save him, this is all we'll have left of him. I want to hurt something, or someone, but I'm not going to leave the Pole to do that. I want to let my anger and sadness out on something.

"Jess-"

I turn and run out of the room. I run towards the doors and try not to trip on anything, but I do. I trip over my own feet and fall face first to the ground. This is a good place for me, here, on the floor.

"Jess!" Tooth exclaims.

North and Bunny pick me up off the ground so I'm standing. "It's my fault he's dead." I say as I start to walk towards my room.

Bunny stops me by grabbing my arm. "It's not your fault."

I turn around to face them. "Yes, it is. I could've saved him like how I did before, but I didn't... because I'm incapable of helping anyone."

"Knock it off, Jess," Tooth says to me sternly. "It is not your fault. It's Pitch's fault. He's the one who killed Jack. There's nothing you could've done about it."

"Well, I wish there was!" I shout. I fly up to the highest beam that holds up the roof. I sit on it and clutch Jack's staff to my chest.

"We just need to leave her alone for awhile, so she can cool down." Bunny says. I watch them walk back into the dining hall.

It's quiet now. I fly towards the large window. I fly out and sit at the top of the roof. If Sandy can't save Jack, everything will be completely different.

*{{That evening}}*

As the sun starts to sink below the horizon, I climb down to the large window and enter the work shop. I float down to the floor and walk into the dining hall. This time, Sandy is here. I grab a plate of spaghetti and sit in the window sill of one of the large windows at the back of the room. Until now, I really didn't know that the windows had these comfy benches. I'm keeping my distance from them, which is wrong, I know that, but I feel like I have to. I stare out the window as I eat my dinner. Once I'm finished, I set my plate on the bench and get up. I start walking towards the door.

"Jess, why are you doing this?" Tooth asks

I stop and turn around. "Doing what?"

"You're pushing us away, Jess. It's bad enough that we might lose Jack. We can't lose you, too."

I didn't realize how much I was effecting them by doing this. "I'm just upset. I don't want to lose Jack, either. This is kind of the only way I know how to cope with this right now."

"Jess," I look Tooth in the eye. "We'll always be here for you. Always. We'll protect each other, that's what Guardians do. They not only protect the children of the world, but they protect each other." She says, quoting Jack. I smile and take a seat next to Sandy. "We'll get through this, Jess. We really will."