Secret of Frost and Moon

Reunion of Belief

Alaia Skyhawk: Prepare for smiles and fluff :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, or any related characters etc. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes.

~(-)~

Chapter 68: Reunion of Belief

Pale, cold hands tugged at the collar of the crisp new shirt, before moving on to pluck at a front held closed by snowflake-shaped buttons. They then began to check the close-fitting grey trousers that were briefly replacing the usual tattered brown ones, before returning upwards to tug at the hem of the smart midnight-blue jacket.

Seeming to be satisfied that his clothing was tidy and not somehow on backwards, Jack now began to check his hair despite the fact it looked the way it always did. And yet today he seemed to be obsessive about looking 'just right', to the point he was failing to keep track of the time. A fact evidenced when the door of his room opened and a certain Pooka peered in.

Bunny stood there staring for a moment, before he shook his head in exasperation and stalked over to drag Jack away from the mirror.

"You look fine, Snowflake. Tonight is a family reunion for the Bennetts, not a court case. Stop acting like you're about to be put on trial."

Jack tried to dig his heels in, a rather futile effort on a floor made of ice. In the end he used his staff to lift up off the floor and allow himself to be reluctantly towed.

"I'm just nervous, all right? It's been almost sixty years since the last time Andrew's sister Mary was able to see me, and almost as long since their brother Callum last did. Besides Andrew's branch of the family, none of the others coming tonight except David's brother Ian have ever seen me."

Bunny glanced at him, still walking towards the Ice Palace's entrance.

"That didn't seem to bother you five months ago? In fact you were downright itching for tonight to come."

"Yeah well, that was five months ago."

Jack fell into step beside Bunny as soon as the Pooka let go of him, the two of them entering the burrow the latter of them created just outside the palace doors. That was a new rule Jack had made, to make sure he wasn't disturbed while doing frostdust distribution or sleeping. Portals of any kind to reach his sanctuary, had to open at the plaza and nowhere else. This being due to North using a snow-globe to arrive at the Hall of Mirrors, resulting in him getting a blot of frostdust to the face and left in a fit of chuckling that lasted half an hour.

The two of them came out of the burrow in the Workshop, where the other three Guardians were stood waiting and ready to go.

After pausing to pet Baby Tooth when she whizzed over to greet him, Jack glanced at his peers looking a little bemused.

"Ok, Craig, David, and Andrew have planned this whole thing out. You guys are to stay in one of the small lounges at the lodge until after everyone in the family are able to see me. That way, we hope to avoid any incidents of 'ghosts' and panic and all that awkward stuff."

North shrugged cheerfully, even as the rest of them nodded.

"Sounds like plan to me." He brandished a small yet bulging sack. "And once we can come in, I have some early Christmas presents for children."

Tooth glanced at him, amused.

"Isn't that preferential treatment?"

The Russian huffed, although he was still smiling.

"Bah! No rule says we can't have favourites. They only children for so long, and we owe the Bennett family big time for help Jamie gave us. I couldn't just give gifts to him and sister, and not the other children who will be there too."