The Ties of Family (RotG Fanfic)

Chapter 11

Jack leaned against his staff, a worried look on his face. North stood beside him, listening intently to every word he had said. "Well, that's what happened," Jack said.

North sighed and sat beside Jack. "We have been believed-in Guardians longer than you, Jack, and we understand that not all children will believe in us for the rest of their lives." North gestured up towards the giant globe where all the lights were. "I have observed the globe. A light goes out, another comes on. Children will not be children forever, Jack. They will stop believing. It is reality. But as they grow, more children are being born into this world. More children start believing. All those adults you see? They were children once. They believed. But that's ancient history for them. The same will go for Jamie and his friends. As for Sophie, there have been children who stop believing when they're around that age. But I think Bunny is not going to like it."

Jack said nothing, mulling about what North had just said. There was truth in it, no doubt. But Jack couldn't believe that Sophie and Jamie's friends who had been involved in the battle with Pitch would actually stop believing.

"There's something else," Jack said, finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, during which North had stayed silent and waited patiently as Jack thought all of it over. North raised an eyebrow. Jack then proceeded to tell him about his relationship with Jamie. How he had found out about how he was related to the boy at the manor six years ago.

"I never really told you about that," Jack said. "And there's also one more thing. That girl, Jamie's cousin. Estella Warren. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm partly to be blamed for her death. She was only twelve."

North looked at Jack. "Jack, we the Guardians are supposed to protect the children of the world, but even we, cannot save every child." North's eyes seemed glossy. He looked on the verge of tears, Jack noticed. North gestured at several newspapers which lay in a table nearby. Jack looked over and noticed different headlines on each of them. Headlines about plague, shooting, mass murders, all of which had stories attached to them, stories which reported a number of children's deaths. "We cannot save every child," North said, gently. "But we will protect and save those we can.

"And as for your relationship with Jamie, it is normal, Jack. We all have families out there. Everyone except Bunny, probably, but don't tell him I told you this. It might hurt him." Jack looked up at North. "Tooth definitely still has her descendants out there, roaming the world, probably some of them being children whose tooth she collects. Sandy was also someone before he became the Sandman, and he probably has distant living relatives living out there. Even me, Jack. We all had lives before we became Guardians. As for Bunny, there was a genocide. There isn't anyone out there who is related to him. It is normal that your sister would've grown up, Jack, and gotten married, and had children. In fact, I think Jamie is not only your descendant, but he could also be your sister's reincarnation. Perhaps that is why you feel such a bond with him."

Jack didn't give an immediate reply. "Thanks, North," he finally said. "I should be going." With that, the Guardian of Fun flew out of the window and away, without a backward glance. North watched him go.

...

Jamie flipped through the Guardians of Childhood books which used to belong to Estella. Sophie was taking an afternoon nap. Jamie was trying to figure out a way to make her believe again, but none of his plans had worked. He had told her stories of the Guardians, but she just took them as exciting fairy tales. He had enthused to her about Christmas, but she had dismissed him by saying Christmas was a long way away. Jamie knew the last thing he could do was give her the books as a gift, but that may not even work.

A loud noise coming from downstairs interrupted his reverie. He hurried to the top of the stairs and listened.

"Do not think I have no idea what you're doing!" came his mother's voice. "You were out late last night! How dare you? How could you do such a thing?"

"Do you have any evidence? How can you prove..."

"Proof? Oh, I can give you proof alright! Now,..."

Jamie sighed silently, as he sat against the wall at the top of the stairs on the second-floor landing. His parents were arguing again. They seemed to do a lot of that lately. Jamie tuned out the rest of their conversation, merely sitting there, dreaming of the Guardians and wondered what had came over Jack. He wondered where the winter spirit had gone to and when he was coming back. He wondered if all of his friends had stopped believing. He wondered if Cupcake would stop believing because she thought it was embarrassing to still believe in such fairy tales. He certainly hoped not. He remembered six years ago, she had been the second one to stand up to Pitch, after him.

"Fine! Since we hate each other so much, let's just get a divorce!" yelled his father.

Jamie sat up straight, snapped out of his reverie and looked down the stairs in horror.

[It was stated in the Art of Rise of the Guardians book that Jamie and Sophie do not have a father. So I decided to add some family conflict. Hope you don't mind.]