The Ties of Family (RotG Fanfic)

Chapter 36

The two of them scrambled off the bed and towards the window, which they pushed open to welcome the winter spirit. Jack flew in and landed on the carpeted floor, causing frost to swirl across its surface. He glanced at the two siblings.

"What's with the long faces?" he asked.

"Kind of a long story," Jamie said. "But first things' first, you have to see this." Jamie's solemn expression changed instantly to one of excitement and joy as he grinned widely at Jack before turning and fetching the book. He waved it in Jack's face. "It's real! Can you believe it?"

"Whoa." Jack flipped through the book, just like everyone else who had held it previously had done. He realised one thing as he viewed the realistic illustrations, the book may be a recount of Jamie's experiences, Sophie's art expertise and printed for the entertainment of others, but it was also... a 'tool of belief'. Children who had not heard of one or two of the guardians could pick up a copy and be introduced to those guardians, and with the words and illustrations, they were bound to start believing, which could just about lead to saving the Guardians' lives. As Jack glanced up at Jamie's pleased expression, he couldn't help thinking that it was something Jamie had knew all along and had done it for the sake of that.

"Well, congratulations," Jack said, with his usual smile, as he handed the book back to Jamie. The smile faded almost immediately, as he caught sight of Sophie and remembered that there was something up. "Hey, what happened? Don't worry, you can tell me. Who knows? I might be able to help." Jack smirked, but the siblings didn't seem to lighten up. Jamie explained.

"Hilarious, our lives are," Sophie spoke, once Jamie finished. "Really interesting. Never a dull moment! One thing is sure to follow the other." She sighed. "Well, 'live' is an anagram of 'evil'..."

In spite of himself, Jamie rolled his eyes. "Come on, Sophie, don't be so dramatic," he said. He, too, sighed. "Maybe we should give this guy a chance. Who knows? He might be nice, nicer than dad." Jamie almost regretted those last words as Sophie turned and glared daggers at him. "Well, yeah, my first conversation with him wasn't exactly all that cheerful, but like I said, we should give him a chance."

"Who is he? Is he in the house right now?" Jack asked. Jamie shrugged.

"I suppose. Is the black car still there?"

"He's still here," Sophie snapped, as Jack was about to look out the window, as he had not quite paid attention to the presence and absence of vehicles along the road as he flew to Jamie's home. "He stays for as long as possible, or he would take mom out to some fancy restaurant."

Jack's eyes flickered to and fro from Jamie and Sophie, noticing their expressions. Sophie looked downright depressed and Jamie seemed pretty nonchalant, but there was something behind those brown eyes. "So, is there something you're planning to do about it?" he tried.

Jamie shrugged, but Sophie didn't seem to be able to let go so easily. "I have to stop the wedding," she said, firmly, before turning to her brother. "And we have to do it together since I can't do it all on my own."

Jamie rolled his eyes again. "Sophie, please, we're not Charlie's Angels. And this is mom we're talking about. Maybe she's finally found her one true love and you're just going to snatch everything away from her? You don't even know this guy?"

Sophie turned to glare at him, which was something she seemed to do often, of late. "You think I don't? I'm not the one who spends my days and nights outdoors hanging out with my friends!"

"So you're saying I don't know anything about what's going on in this household just because I spend a lot of time with my friends?" Jamie retorted, scowling. "Now, you just..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop it," Jack spoke, getting both their attentions. "Now's not really the time to argue, don't you think?" He turned to Sophie. "Maybe Jamie's right. Maybe you should give this guy a chance."

Sophie frowned. "Yeah, I guessed so much you would take Jamie's side. But I'm not..."

"Hey, Soph," Jamie said, cutting her off. "I have an idea. We give this guy a chance, we try to get to know him, to get along with him, to see how he and mom are getting along..."

"I'm not doing anything you just mentioned," she snapped, not waiting for him to finish. "And if you don't want to help me, that's fine!" With that, she walked out of the room and slammed the door. Almost instantly, a shout came from the lower floor.

"No slamming doors!" their mom called.

Jamie sank onto his bed, Jack joining him. The boy was starting to adopt Sophie's depressed look. "Sophie is still fantasizing that someday dad and mom will make up and we will all be together again," Jamie spoke, burying his head in his hands. There was a short silence between them. "Well, I guess I can't deny having such thoughts as well, but I know..." he trailed off.

Just then, there was the sound of Sophie's bedroom window being opened and she chucked something out, before slamming it shut. Jamie got up and ran to his own open window, and looked out to see a crumpled ball of paper falling into a bush way beneath the window. Jack flew down and retrieved it from the bush, before handing it to Jamie, who smoothed it out on his desk. It seemed to be a list of items of some kind. Jamie noticed a seal in the corner.

"A preparatory school," he muttered. It was a list of items required by the school, but why would Sophie be in possession of something like it? Unless, of course, she was switching schools, which was pretty impossible, as she had her friends in the public school and she seemed happy there. While he was ruminating, a loud knock on the door snapped him out of his reverie.

Jack zoomed over to the window and ducked outdoors before shutting it silently. The room temperature increased slightly as Jamie hurried over and answered the door. Outside stood the burly man. "We're going out for dinner tonight- the four of us- and so, I don't want you to go anywhere. Your mom tells me you roam the streets at night with your posse..."

"My what?" Jamie interrupted.

The man's brows furrowed. "So, stay put and don't go anywhere tonight. And be sure to let your sister know," he went on, ignoring the question, before turning and heading back to the stairs. Jamie watched him go. Not five seconds had passed before the man turned again and said, "Oh, and I heard loud voices earlier. Were you and your sister arguing?"

"Er... yeah," Jamie, who was honest to a fault, said, slowly. "We weren't really arguing, we were just having a really loud discussion. It happens all the time."

The man eyed him with a severe look. "I want none of that," he snapped. "I have low tolerance for kids who shout and make all sorts of noises. Ensure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes... sir," Jamie responded, unable to help himself. The man seemed to glare at him before hurrying down the stairs.

The 19-year old returned to his bedroom where Jack was seated on the windowsill, watching with undisguised interest. "Pretty controlling, huh?" he asked, a small smirk on his face, as Jamie let him in.

"It's not funny, Jack," Jamie said. "Strange why he's behaving like that. Is it part of his character or is mom behind it? Though I don't think she 's that controlling." As his eyes fell on his desk where the piece of paper lay, a thought occurred to him. He leaped to his feet, horrified. "Wait a second. Is Sophie really switching schools? Was it his suggestion? But why on earth...?"