𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐂𝐄 》 JACK FROST

X. The Team

THE TEAM

2007 AD

20th February, 16:15

North Pole

North smiled as he threw the two large doors open, entering straight after. Agatha and Jack had to quicken their pace before the doors swung closed on them. As soon as Agatha entered, she felt multiple stares on her small figure and, as usual, she felt like letting the ground swallow her whole.

Tooth was floating in mid-air, her legs slightly brought up to her chest, her fists clenched to her chest too as her anxious eyes were on Agatha's figure. A few of her little fairy helpers flew around her, as if trying to warn her danger was nearby. She saw Tooth physically gulp.

Sandy was smiling softly, looking like a very short child as he stood next to Bunny. He gave her a small wave, his feet coming a few inches off the floor for a few seconds as he did. Agatha wondered why he was so excited. Maybe it was because the two had encountered on their own one time, when Sandy died during a fight with Pitch Black, Agatha had brought him to the other side. Maybe it was because he knew she did what she did, not out of choice, but out of purpose. He had seen the spirits happy, celebrating their death.

Agatha had been the one to struggle for weeks when she had realised the Guardian's weren't going to win without Sandy. She had been the one to stay up for days on end trying to get Sandy back. She had never done it before - not even for Cupid - and it had taken a lot out of her. She remembered passing out as soon as Sandy had re-entered the land of the living, yet she had awoke with a golden blanket on top of her.

Bunny, was different entirely. He wasn't afraid, or happy. He looked hostile, ready to attack at any moment, one hand scratching his chest, not at all 'obvious' as to what he was thinking. He wasn't prepared to grab the explosive eggs from his belt that went diagonally across his upper torso. And it wasn't obvious at all. His foot was repeatedly tapping the floor out of impatience, his ears stood tall on top of his head, twitching every few seconds. He was just waiting for Agatha to make the wrong move.

Agatha tried not to shuffle uncomfortably under their gazes.

In the end, it was Bunny who spoke first, taking a step forward. He must have seen Agatha flinch at the sudden action, because his eyes softened, even if it was only for a few seconds before he shook his head and looked at North.

''I don't like this mate. How do we know Sheila over there isn't secretly working for Pitch?'' Bunny asked.

Before North could give his calm reply, and before Jack could step forward and defend his friend, Agatha took it upon herself to speak first. Her voice was shaky at the beginning, but it soon evened out as she tried to appear confident, ''You don't, I suppose. Just like I don't know any of you are. But I know you don't because I've seen what you do. You don't because you've never seen what I do. But that also means you've never seen me do bad either.''

Bunny took a step towards her, Agatha flinched once more - though it was more controlled this time - and Jack stepped next to her, glaring at Bunny, daring him to do something he didn't like. ''Thing is, Sheila, you kill people.''

Agatha sighed, not having a response to that as her shoulders sagged slightly and her gaze became down-cast. Jack opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Sandy flying in front of him and Agatha as signs began to appear above his head, his facial expressions rapidly changing as he tried to talk to Bunny, to explain something.

''Whoa, whoa, whoa,'' Bunny said, putting his hands up to Sandy to try and calm his angry and defensive signing down. ''Slow down, Sandy.''

So he did. All eyes were on the golden man as he began to explain something. Agatha's face flushed slightly as she realised what story he was telling and her head bobbed down as she began to twiddle with her fingers modestly.

Sandy went on to explain how Agatha had been there to comfort him when he had first realised he had died, how he had come to except it in his last moments before letting him through to the other side. How she had given him a mirror that let him watch over the other Guardian's  and communicate to them without them knowing.

He also said he had used it to watch over her too, which Agatha felt her face flush at. She didn't know Sandy had been looking down at her, guiding her.

He explained how he had found his family from his past life and had been able to catch up with them too. Then he explained how Agatha had began to speak with him through a portal - though she appeared scary and all-knowing as her hood was up, he said now that he realised she was nervous - and how the two had discussed that the remaining Guardian's at the time were beginning to struggle.

He went on and on about how Agatha had stayed up for weeks, never sleeping as she read multiple books left by the previous Grim Reaper and had asked the Moon for help - though the only help she got from him was riddles - and how she had tired herself out and had actually passed out from bringing him back.

Once he had finished, he let himself descend onto the floor as he stood proudly in front of a bashful Agatha.

Her face heated up even more as Sandy finished signing and all attention was back on her. She peaked at them from behind her shield of hair. They all looked completely shocked, even guilty at having so strongly disliking her when she had actually helped them out so much and heaven knows what she had done other times.

''You did that?'' Jack asked, the smallest of cracks in his voice. Sandy's death had taken a deep toll on him.

Agatha looked up, accidentally making eye-contact, as she nodded.

''Christ, Sheila,'' Bunny said, his voice light and his eyes wide, ''Why didn't you tell us?''

''Well, you had already made up your mind how you felt about me, and I didn't know what Sandy thought of it. I suppose I was worried that if I had told you, he would've claimed it was untrue out of pride or hatred or something, I didn't want to make you hate me more,'' Agatha shrugged. ''Besides, if you do come to like me, I don't want it to be because you think you're in debt to me or anything.''

Jack placed a hand on Agatha's shoulder, a new found feeling of respect for his friend, as he smiled at her. She sent him a modest one back, rubbing her upper-arm nervously. She looked at the other Guardian's.

''Not ready, claims to not be able to, doesn't want to be. Cant't be one,'' North muttered under his breath as he repeated what she had said when first confronted with the whole Guardian-thing, obviously mocking her. He had his arms crossed as he shook his head in disbelief at the words she had once said.

Tooth fluttered forward, now eye-level with Agatha. Her eyes were brighter, but there were still the slight sense of worry behind them. She hesitated before sticking her hand out towards Agatha, a bright, toothy smile on her face. ''Thank you.''

Agatha looked at the hand, not wanting to take it. But when here eyes locked with Tooth's she realised it was a hand-shake to state the start of a new friendship, not a hand out to hurt her. So, with her own awkward smile, Agatha took Tooth's hand.

Unlike the sense of a cold chill Tooth had been expecting upon making contact with Agatha's direct, pale skin. A warm sensation spread through her and when Tooth lowered her hand, she found she kinda missed it. The sensation reminded her of happy things - not of death or an endless, unforgiving cold - like the happy memories she had ever experienced, mortal and spirit ones. But most of all it reminded Tooth of the warm glass of milk and a chocolate cookie you would take before bed. The comfort before falling into a deep slumber of dreams.

Bunny was the next to speak, scratching his neck as he cringed, thinking of all the mean and angry things he had said to her before he had this new piece of information.

He looked up at her, making eye-contact for the first time since he had met her. When her hood was on, her white, gleaming eyes showed death, but when her hood was down and he was able to see them, though the iris was only a slight shade darker than the whites of her eyes, he could still see the emotion held back in them. The cracks, though he had no idea what they were from.

He realised she was running out of hope, the very thing he was meant to protect in children. She needed a fresh start, the thing he was meant to bring every Easter.

So, with a sigh and a slight shake of his head, he sent her a smile and a nod. ''Welcome to the team.''