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

Chapter 6

*Jack's POV*

I arrive at the Pole within a few minutes. I walk inside. It's quiet. The others aren't back yet from what I can tell. I carry Jess to her room and lay her down on the bed. I pull the blankets over her and go to walk out the door when a thought comes to me. What if Pitch comes back and tries to kill her? I mean, after what happened, it would be stupid to leave her here alone, and North would want someone to be with her anyway. I'll stay with her tonight, protect her. After all, she saved my life. I think I owe her the same.

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*Jess's POV*

As I open my eyes, everything that happened last night comes to mind. I sit up and realize I'm in my room at the work shop. I notice Jack's asleep in a chair a few feet away from my bed. I get out of bed and start walking towards the door. Then a gasp from behind me stops me. I turn around and see Jack, looking paler than ever. He has a kind of terrified look on his face. He sees me and jumps up. He hugs me. I'm confused by his reaction to seeing me. Then I hear the door open. Jack lets go of me and I turn around.

Bunny stands there in the doorway. Bunny looks at me with a confused look. I look back at him, confused as well. He gives a slight nod.

"North told me to come get you guys." he says.

"Thanks, Bunny," I say. "We'll be there in a minute."

Bunny nods again then walks away. I grab my sweater and look at Jack. "After you," I say. He walks out the door. I put on my sweater and follow him. We walk up the flight of stairs to the main room. Everyone stands around. North looks up and sees us.

"I am so glad you two got back safely," he says.

"Jess, are you okay?" Tooth asks.

I shrug. "I guess," I tell her.

We walk over to them.

"Jess," North says. "I am so sorry that we did not tell you about people believing in you and how it all works." This resurfaces the images from last night. I remember North telling me how pathetic I was.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bunny asks.

"What he did to me... I didn't know what to do," I say.

They all seem to be paying close attention to what I say. I stare at the ground, not wanting to meet any of their gazes. The images replay in my head. "You really thought that any of us would actually be their for you?" "I've never seen anyone so stupid." "You're pathetic, Jess. Really. You are."

For some reason, right now, it seems to be real. I fall to my knees as tears come to my eyes. "Yes, Jack," I say. "I really did think that you'd be there for me."

"What are you talking about?" I hear Jack say. He seems to be far off, his voice just an echo.

"You really think I'm pathetic, North? Tell me, do you really think that I'm pathetic and that helping me was a waste of time?"

"What...?" His voice is an echo as well.

Tears stream down my cheeks. "And I'm stupider than anyone else you've ever met, right Bunny?" "Jess...?"

Then I suddenly snap out of it. I look up and see that everyone's gathered around me. They're shocked, confused. Sandy starts to sign things above his head. I don't bother figuring them out. Tooth takes North aside and I think she tells him what Sandy just signed.

They come back over and North asks, "That's what you saw last night, right Jess?" I nod as more tears stream down my face.

"Look at me, Jess," Jack says.

I turn to my left, where Jack kneels next to me. "We will 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." This somehow makes me feel better.

Jack helps me up and I wipe the tears away. "Who's ready for breakfast, 'cause I'm starving." Bunny says.

We all walk to the breakfast hall. "After breakfast, we will take care of that ceremony." North says to me. I look up at him and smile.

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*Jack's POV*

We sit at the table in the exact same places we were in yesterday. As North speaks, I notice Bunny looking at me. He raises an eyebrow and slightly grins. He motions to my right. He's talking about what happened this morning. I glare at Bunny and he goes back to eating. He saw Jess and I hugging. And there's a perfect explanation as to why I hugged her in the first place.

It truly wasn't out of affection, but it was a kind of protective, happy thing, if you could call it that. It happened in my dream. It started when we came out into that clearing in the forest. Pitch did more than make Jess see her fears, he killed her. When I woke up, I saw her there, and I was happy that she didn't die last night. That's why I hugged her.

We finish our breakfast and talk for a few minutes before North says, "I almost forgot. We need to proceed with the ceremony." Jess gets an excited look on her face. It makes me happy to see her this way.

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*Jess's POV*

We all gather in the main room of the work shop. North had Phil retrieve a book from his office, I think. North opens the book and begins to read.

"We will watch over the children of the Earth, guide them safely from the way of harm. We will guard with our lives their hopes and dreams, for they are all that we have, all that we are, and all that we will ever be." North closes the book and looks at me.

"Are you willing to risk your life to keep the children safe?" he asks. I nod. "You are now one of us. You are a Guardian." I smile. Tooth squeals for like the hundredth time.