The Ties of Family (RotG Fanfic)

Chapter 17

Sophie stood akimbo, her head tilted to one side, her green eyes scrutinising her brother's face. She looked at him questioningly, her face had the ghost of a smile.

"You are so weird. I can't believe I have such a weird brother. Can't you be just like the other boys? Your peers, those around your age, I mean. Not the ones mom is going to offer to babysit," she said, a small smirk creeping onto her face.

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Look, Soph. I know very well you don't believe in this sort of stuff, but you could at least help me out here. You do read fantasy books, right? But you..."

"I don't read them anymore," the 11- year old replied, letting her hands fall to her sides. "And I think what you've just written is so silly." She snatched up the manuscript and flicked through the pages before stopping at one and reading out Jack's resurrection. "This is so illogical! How can someone just rise out of a frozen pond? And the moon told him something? How can the moon tell anyone anything? The moon can't even speak! And..."

"Sophie, that's what we call 'fantasy'."

"True, but you kept insisting earlier that this was 'based on a true story'."

"Well, it is..."

Jamie trailed of as he heard a soft tapping sound in the window. Sophie must've had heard it, too, for her gaze left her brother and travelled over to the window instead. Jamie glanced over his shoulder.

Jack was right outside the window, staff in hand, smile in place as usual. As he tapped the window, frost swirled on the pane in abstract patterns, melting after several seconds due to the summer heat. Sophie's eyes widened. Jamie smiled slightly to himself.

"I'll answer it," he said, resisting an urge to laugh out loud at the sight of his sister's face. He crossed over to the window and unlocked it, letting Jack in. As soon as the winter spirit entered, the temperature in the room dropped drastically and Sophie shivered slightly.

"Jamie... what's going on?" she asked, slowly. There was a hint of fear in her voice. She took a tentative step back, looking around, but seeing no one.

"Sophie, do you believe in Jack Frost?" Jamie asked, although he knew what the answer would be.

Sophie's shocked expression changed to one of exasperation. "Seriously, Jamie! Talking about Jack Frost right now! What is going on?"

"Feeling like you're in a horror movie, eh?" Jamie teased. "It was Jack Frost I let in earlier. Since he's the winter spirit..." Jamie trailed off, never finishing his sentence as Sophie turned and took to her heels. She slammed the door behind her as she left the room and Jamie had a feeling she wasn't going to be entering it for some time after that. Or ever talk to him again. The 16- year old turned back to Jack.

"I don't think she'll ever believe again, Jack," he said, flopping onto the bed. "Tell Bunny I'm sorry."

"Hey, this doesn't seem like the Jamie I know," Jack said. "The Jamie I knew would never give up. Just like he didn't give up hope when his family fell apart." Those last words stirred something inside Jamie. It was like some sort of realisation, a wake-up call. He would probably never have a proper family. Those memories he had had with his parents and sister when he was younger seemed like dreams at that moment. Jack noticed he had obviously said the wrong thing and changed the subject by pointing at the manuscript on Jamie's desk and asking, "You're done with that?"

Jamie couldn't help but smile. "Yes," he said. "I was just asking Sophie if she could help illustrate scenes from it, but you saw how things turned out. Anyway, she thinks I'm crazy because I still believe and I claim this whole thing to be based on a real story. Well, actually, it is true, but it just earned me a one-way ticket to the nuthouse."

Jack smiled. "Don't worry. Bunny already has a plan. Anyway, what's this?" Jack peered at Sophie's painting of the Warren which rested against one of the legs of Jamie's desk. "Is this... the Warren?"

Jamie nodded. "Sophie did it, not me. She claimed it was some sort of place she dreamed about. But we know better. I was thinking, perhaps you could take it to Bunny."

"Yeah, it might soothe his nerves," Jack responded, still gazing at the painting. "Bunny's rather worried Sophie might stop believing in him for good. I've never seen him so tensed. Guess he really does like your sister." Jack turned to look at Jamie, who was flicking through his manuscript. "Gonna get that in print?"

"I have to type it out on a computer somehow," the 16- year old said. "But I don't have one and it's kind of a hassle to go down to the internet cafe, what with my summer job. It's usually pretty packed in the afternoon. And I need to read it through again, to minimise the amount of mistakes."

Jack looked surprised. "Why don't you just write out a better version and mail it to whatever publisher? I'm sure they accept handwritten manuscripts..." The winter spirit trailed off upon seeing Jamie's amused look.

"Times have changed, Jack," Jamie said, putting on his coat. "I'm heading out to one of those cafes now to see if they have word programs. Coming?"

...

"So, let me get this straight. I can use the word programs but not the USB port? So, I'll have to email whatever documents to myself?"

"Mhm."

"Right. Thanks."

Jamie walked over to one of the available computers, and opened up the word program and began typing. He was rather slow at first, trying to locate the alphabets on the keyboard with Jack helping him. Those seated at computers near the duo kept looking around for the source of that slight chill. Jamie tried not to move his lips too much when talking to Jack, which he did in a low voice.

Halfway through the second page, Jamie couldn't help opening up the Internet browser and out of curiosity, he typed 'Jack Frost' in the search engine and hit 'enter'.

"Jamie?" said Jack, as the search results appeared. Jamie smirked slightly as he clicked the first one and brought up a page on the lore and history of the winter spirit.

"'Jack Frost is a sprite and the personification of crisp, cold, winter weather, a variant of Old Man Winter. He is also at times shown as a mischief-making spirit, carefree and happiest when he can behave as he pleases. With no obligations, he is able to flourish'," Jamie read out. He turned to look up at Jack before turning back to the computer hurriedly, and checking to see that no one had noticed. "Kind of true, eh?" Jack merely smirked as he stared at the computer screen.

"That certainly doesn't look like me, though," he remarked, pointing at the picture. Jamie returned to the search engine and typed in 'Easter Bunny'.

"Wow, didn't know Bunny was that cute," Jack said, as pictures depicting cartoonized rabbits with colourful eggs appeared. Jamie couldn't help but grin. The next Guardian he looked up was the 'Tooth Fairy'.

"A fantasy figure of early childhood..." Jack read. "Hm, not many of these pictures of fairies look in the least bit like her. None of them have feathers."

Jamie resisted the urge to laugh out loud. "Ah, but she's not just the Tooth Fairy. She's Toothiana, Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies. One of the titles in the Guardians of Childhood series. Let's try Sandman next..."

"... a mythical character in Northern European folklore who brings good dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto the eyes of children while they sleep... yeah, that's basically who Sandy is," said Jack. Jamie scrolled through the search results. "Whoa, look at those pictures. That really doesn't look like Sandman. But more like Pitch."

Jamie chuckled. "You truly know nothing about the Internet, do you, Jack?" he asked. The winter spirit smiled sheepishly.

"That's true and the bad part about it is that I have no interest in learning about it. I mean, there are the children of the world, and what fun can you find on the Internet?"

"People usually play games or go on social networking sites," Jamie replied. "Have you played computer games? Video games?"

Jack shook his head, discerning the amused tone in Jamie's voice.

"I've got an idea. Wanna try out the arcade after this?"

Jack turned to look at Jamie's amused countenance for a moment before shrugging. "I see no harm in it. It could be fun."