Chapter Text
A few commands to the yeti had them dragging the assistant out of the dock and to the witness stand, shoving the sword into his trembling hands.
Lady Justice stared down at him sternly. “Will you speak now, or do you need motivation?”
The young man quailed against the seat, clutching the sword as if afraid of dropping it. His eyes darted about the courtroom, and whatever he saw obviously frightened him more as he began babbling.
It was more a rush of frightened words than anything coherent, and although quite a few spirits seemed to enjoy his fright – after the fear he'd caused Jack, it only seemed fair – Lady Justice didn't seem to have the patience for it at the moment.
She gestured sharply and he sputtered to a halt, still clutching and nearly dropping the sword as if he was afraid to hold it yet afraid of what would happen if he did drop it. “Enough,” she said, ignoring everyone in the room but the assistant. “After your actions, it is right that you should fear now – but more than your fear, we need your words. Start, then, at the beginning, when they first told you of Jack Frost.”
“Don't tell them anything,” rang out over the courtroom, and they turned to stare at Ruthvan, who was glaring at the cowering young man in the witness stand.
“If that is how you feel,” Lady Justice said, giving a small, tight smile, “then you shall trade places with him. Then he need not tell us anything at all.”
“I believe it is my turn, actually, if you are done terrorizing my assistant,” Dr. Shuu said, calmly, and Jack pressed a little against North. He knew technically Ruthvan was the one in charge and therefore the most dangerous, but the doctor had been the source of all his misery, and his resolve for justice almost broke every time he looked at him, with his bored, almost superior expression as he looked around at the courtroom.
The two men had a short, intense argument as the yeti redeposited the assistant into the dock, cutting them off as they dragged the doctor – none to gently – to replace the assistant in the witness stand.
Lady Justice gave them both an unreadable look before saying, quietly and calmly, “You do realize that for any other spirit, the truth of Jack Frost's story is already enough to condemn you.”
“Then why are you asking us anything at all?” Shuu asked, equally calm, as though he didn't care what she answered. For all Jack knew, it was the truth, that or he didn't believe they would harm himself and the other humans. He certainly hadn't worried about Jack's retribution, even though he didn't know that Jack needed his staff, which he'd been missing, to properly conduct his power to take his vengeance and couldn't do much worse at the time than what he'd done at the end.
And maybe it was petty, but seeing the bandages on the doctor's hands and knowing he was responsible felt like it evened things out a tiny, tiny bit.
“Because I, like so many others here, have a simple question for both of you,” Lady Justice answered, cutting over Jack's thoughts. “Why?”
“Why Frost, or why in general?” Shuu replied, eying the sword dumped into his lap with distaste.
“Let's try both,” Lady Justice said, obviously at the end of her patience, which many in the room had, before this, thought was endless.
“Ruthvan wanted profit, I wanted to study a spirit,” Shuu said dispassionately, moving the sword gingerly into a more secure position.
“That's what you call studying?” Puck called, to agreeing mutters. Jack may not have given details, but he'd given enough for more than one spirit to get a clearer picture than he'd intended.
“As if any of you wouldn't have done the same, given the opportunity!” Ruthvan snapped. “Surely you know what he's capable of! We all know that's the only reason you're concerned about what we did.”
The murmuring grew louder, angrier. Jack clutched at his staff, torn between anger and fear, angry that that man would say such things and how true it was that until recently, no one would have cared that he was missing, and fearing that they would reveal his tears. He may have been debating letting the secret out a little more, but after three hundred years, he still wanted to keep it to those he trusted.
“We wanted what he could give us, and we used the best methods on hand. Surely you all can understand that?” Ruvthan continued, the spirits looking at each other in confusion and muttering to each other. Why could Jack possibly give them that was worth this? “We simply stopped trusting to luck and went straight to the source, that's all.”
“I believe I have heard enough,” Lady Justice declared, cutting Ruthvan off before Jack could, and silencing the murmurs. “Will any claim I have not given them a fair chance to defend themselves? ...besides the accused, that is.”
When her words were met with approving shouts, many of which called for her to finally just punish them already, tired of the glacial pace Lady Justice favored.
“Why ask if I want to testify if you'll just ignore me?” Shuu asked angrily as the yeti reached for the sword he still held, pulling it out of his grip when he ignored them.
“Perhaps I wished you to know what it is like to have those with power over you ignore your cries,” Lady Justice said dryly. “Neither of you have believed, from the beginning, that any of this is more than a formality, or that we have the power or will to punish you for what you did – or even that you should be punished.”
“Of course not!” Ruthvan snapped. “Jack Frost is a minor spirit, an irritation at best. It's ridiculous to have this much fuss over something so insignificant.”
There was uncomfortable shifting at that from those who had viewed Jack as inferior before his ascension to Guardian status and indignant glares from Guardian and friend alike.
“Jack Frost has never been insignificant, no matter what others may have thought, and even the most minor of spirits deserve justice,” Lady Justice said quietly. “Their voices deserve to be heard when they call for help, and they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. You took all of that from Jack Frost for the sake of monetary gain.”
She sighed heavily before looking back at the men before her. “I've heard enough. I am ready to pronounce my judgment.”
Ruthvan and Shuu both tried to protest, angrily raising their voices and either not noticing or ignoring the power that began to infuse the room as more spirits began to lose their temper, the temperature dropping as Jack's frost began to creep over the seats he and the Guardians were seated in.
Bunny nuzzled the side of Jack's head and North gave his shoulder a squeeze, and Jack jerked as he realized what he'd been doing. He muttered an apology even as Lady Justice stood, glaring.
“You will be silent,” she commanded, and the humans' mouths snapped shut, obviously not by their choice as their shocked faces showed. Ruthvan glowered at her, seething.
How dare this, this...spirit, think she could pass sentence on humans! Without humans, spirits wouldn't even exist. And for all of them to act so pretentious about it – if any of them knew that Frost was the source of the Snow Gems, they'd have done the same, and they knew it. Hypocrites, the lot of them!
Even as he fumed, he tried to plot. Let them pass their sentence, let them try and carry it out. Sooner or later, he would be free, and they would pay for this insult, Frost most of all, and he'd lock the spirit away so far they'd never find him, and reap the benefits of his revenge in tears.
“Your men, while not innocent, were not directly involved in Frost's torture. Therefore, spirits whom I trust shall be set to watch each of you. I shall give each of you a year to balance the scales, good in exchange for the evil you have done. Those who do not shall be appropriately punished.”
The men in the lower dock, for the most part, seemed relieved, though a few appeared resentful. They'd been doing well at their chosen profession before these spirits interfered, how were they supposed to just stop with no other way to support themselves?
They were ignored as Lady Justice turned her attention to the three men in the upper dock. “For you, I will not be so gentle. I have asked the assistance of Lord Mansnoozie, Lord Pitch, and Robin Goodfellow to assist in this, and they have consented.”
Jack started at that, craning his head to see where Puck sat, surrounded by the other tricksters and looking insufferably smug. They caught Jack's eye and winked. A bit worried but willing to trust Puck – to a point – and more willing Lady Justice's judgment, Jack sat back, fiddling with his staff as he waited to see how this would play out.
“Everything that has happened has been a direct result of your choices and greed. You have never shown regret or guilt for anything you have done or the pain you have caused. Therefore, there are no mitigating circumstances to soften the punishment you have earned by your actions.”
Lady Justice gestured, and at the base of her stand a portal opened, solid white bordering restless swirls of gold and black.
“This portal leads to three sections of the Unformed in Underhill that have been specially prepared for each of you. It is doubtful if you should be able to die in there – and for two of you, at least, even more unlikely that you shall ever be released. To be released, you must come to truly, deeply, and completely regret what you have done to Jack Frost, take responsibility for your choices and actions, feel guilt for them, and wish to make amends.”
The yeti seized the threesome, dragging them out of the dock and toward the portal, struggling and protesting all the way.
Ruthvan's voice rose the highest, over the assistant's frightened pleas and Shuu's indignant protests. “You can't do this! He's just a spirit! A minor one at best! We captured him, he was ours to do with as we pleased!”
Jack pressed back against North and Bunny, into their circling arms, as the trio were pulled across the floor. He buried his face in North's shoulder for a moment before forcing himself to watch as the three were thrown unceremoniously through the portal.
Ruthvan landed heavily on a tiled floor, grunting at the impact. Confused, his eyes shot about. The room was tiled heavily in white, a dentist's chair bolted in the center, metal cabinets lining the walls.
...the fools sent him back to his own basement! Ruthvan began to heave his way to his feet, plans beginning to form, when he heard movement from behind him.
He spun and looked up, into eyes cold and dead, and he bit back a scream as it grabbed his arm.
“I would rather he not be too badly damaged, if possible,” he heard his own voice command, bored and disbelieving. “Unless you have to, of course. Do whatever you think necessary.”
“Of course, sir,” the figure purred, looking down at Ruthvan, “leave it to me.”
The portal closed and nearly all the occupants of the room heaved a sigh of relief in the sudden, ringing silence. Lady Justice inclined her head to Jack solemnly.
“So I have seen justice served,” she said quietly. “I wish you swift healing, Jack Frost. May you not have need to call upon my services again for a very, very long time.”
Jack returned her respectful nod, silently thanking her. She gave a slight smile, sending a tiny nod to Bunny and a larger one to North before stepping down from her desk. One of the yeti met her, leading her away for refreshment before she left the Pole.
The courtroom was quiet as the yeti led the last of the humans out, a soft murmur rising as the spirits began talking about what had just happened, debating and discussing and dissecting it.
Jack sat in the stands, a little stunned. All that, and it was over in an instant. His secret was still safe (and oh, how sure he'd been that the humans would have revealed him, out of spite or because they could), they'd never hurt anyone again, spirit or human, and he...wasn't sure where he stood.
The chatter of the spirits washed over him as he sat there, confused and silent, until he felt the others standing around him. Blinking at the paw suddenly offered, he followed the arm up to meet Bunny's eyes, smiling a little as he accepted the hand and stood, surrounded by his new family.
The group made their way out of the courtroom, Jack sandwiched between North and Bunny, leaning on his staff to spare his foot while trying not to be too obvious about it. It seemed to Jack as though the exit were miles away as they were mobbed by the spirits that had come to view the trial. Condolences, commiserations, apologies, regrets, and offers all fell about his ears, mixing together into a cacophonous whole.
It was just too much right now, though Jack did his best to smile, weak as it was, in response. Bunny watched as Jack's face grew more and more strained before he released Jack's hand, ignoring the little flinch he got when he did, to clear a path for the Guardians out of the courtroom.
“Will answer questions and deliver messages later,” North's voice boomed over protests at their retreat. “Need space for now. Was long day for all of us, yes?” he added with remarkable tact, for North.
There were more muttered regrets at that, but no more protests. Those who'd still tried to block the path moved out of the way, forming little groups instead as they discussed what they'd seen.
Jack, with his family by his side, left the courtroom and never looked back.
A week later, Jack was making longer excursions out of his room. Physically, he was healed – all but his foot, which thanks to his near depleted magic and sheer exhaustion was taking longer, but looked to be fully healed in the next few days. Mentally, he found himself trapped – he wanted the sky, needed the sky, and at the same time, was afraid to fly.
It was frustrating as all hell, and hard to articulate, enough that he still wasn't sure he'd managed. Still, most of the others had apparently understood anyway when he'd tried.
He cursed it, every time he found himself at the window, ready to leap into the air and sail away and that tiny bit too afraid to make the jump.
The others kept telling him not to force himself or rush it, but it was hard not to despite that – and harder not to be angry with himself for being so afraid.
Bunny spent as much time as he dared with Jack, joining Katherine and Nightlight as the four of them spent time in long, rambling discussions, often joining in halfway through as he kept having to return to the Warren. Easter may have been a way off yet, but the egg plants needed tending, the color river needed checked to be sure it didn't dam or the colors become muddy, and the color plants needed weeded and watched.
The best conversations were still the two times all seven Guardians squeezed into Jack's room with marshmallows and cocoa, talking well into the night about everything and anything, sprawled over each other and Jack growing more comfortable with their touches with every absent pat or stroke, cuddle and quick hug.
There were times Jack was glad of all the attention – North tried to give him as much as Katherine and Nightlight were, still beaming in his newfound father role, but production was picking up for Christmas, and he was called away more and more often than he'd like – and sometimes Jack had to send Katherine and Nightlight off to help North for his own peace of mind.
He appreciated the attention, and in a way understood why they would want to keep an eye on him, it just got a bit...much after so many years with so little, and thankfully they could understand that...well, they did after the first time he nearly threw a fit after being smothered with attention. For spirits who valued their solitude so much, they didn't understand the need for it in others very well.
Still, he could be grateful for the help when it came to the sudden influx of messages. Ever since the trial they'd poured in, letters and gifts and little spirits bearing messages for Jack from their masters.
Jack wasn't quite sure what to make of it all. Three hundred years they'd ignored him, and now they all wanted his attention.
“Why are they all sending these?” Jack demanded, waving another missive, this one nothing more than a bid for attention poorly veiled in sympathy. “I mean, I thought...well...”
“Thought they'd treat you like mortals treat victims?” Bunny finished for him absently, tossing another letter into the bucket North had provided. “Politics, mostly. Probably think you're so torn up you'll take any offer of help or protection without noticing what they're askin' in exchange. North'd like ta see 'em, make a list o' the names an' what they offered, so he knows who goes on th' special naughty list, if ya catch mah drift. Only reason I ain't sayin' ta burn 'em.”
Jack glared at the pile, suddenly obscurely offended. “So why do we have to go through them all anyway? Can't we just pass them off to someone to just take the names?”
Bunny shrugged. “'Cuz once in awhile, there's a genuine offer in there, just too shy or think they're too weak ta matter, so they send a letter instead o' doin' it in person.”
Jack snorted, and the Bunny grinned, pleased to see his humor nearly restored. “Well, let's have a party if you find one,” he groused.
“Can invite new friends,” North boomed from the doorway. He lowered himself to the floor by Jack, exchanging smiles with Jack when he leaned up against North's larger body. “Come, let me see.”
Two months later and there was one very small, party, as to Jack's surprise there had, in fact, been five honest letters in that pile. North hadn't been sure the Pole could handle the tricksters, (who suddenly included Coyote and Rabbit, both of whose reactions to Bunny were interesting, to say the least, and who'd been too busy with their own responsibilities to realize what had happened in time to help before), Jack, Cupid, and the two snow maidens and three kitsune who had written.
Thankfully for the Pole – and North's sanity – the trickster pack had kept it fairly low key to keep from scaring the snow maiden twins, who were shyly looking at Jack much like a big brother, and it was fairly obvious that, given time, he'd be just as much their big brother as North was Jack's father.
North was rather looking forward to it, really. The girls weren't Guardian material, too weak in power and too shy to fight, but they were sweet.
Plus, he had a feeling watching out for the girls would be a good thing for Jack.
Three months later, and Jack was going for short flights outside, still wary and keeping away from humans, keeping to the night sky and hanging out with Sandy or Tooth's fairies for nearly all of his flight time.
Six months saw Jack officially moved into the Pole, with a door in his room enchanted to take him directly to his den under his pond in Burgess, and an official announcement of his adoption of North as his father.
There was a freak major blizzard a few days later, thankfully in-season enough that most people were able to weather it out, as the stress of all the interactions finally was triggered by something, Jack could never say just what. All he was sure of was that one minute he was flying in the night sky, the next terrified out of his mind – and then he was waking up at the Pole.
He was out and about again within a week, refusing to let the backslide stop him, determined to be able to be alone and flying again.
A year later and Jack circled Bunny in his Warren, slow and cautious, watching Bunny with every wary, hopeful step, and Bunny could have wept for joy.
Even more important to Bunny than the beginning of a new courtship – Jack had flown to meet him in the Warren, and flew out again, in broad daylight.
It was just a beginning, but every day, week by week, month by month, with his family and boyfriend by his side, Jack was healing.
The scar would never be gone completely, but in the end, Jack was never going to be a victim. Time heals all wounds, and the Guardians had eternity.