A/N: So, here it is. The last chapter to my first ever fic. Wow, it's gone pretty fast, and the response was way better than I ever expected. You can definitely hold out for more fics in the future. My next one will start pretty soon, so keep your eyes peeled. Also got the collab story with I Am The Eleventh to look forward to ( Rise of the Brave Frozen Tangled Dragon with a bit of Harry Potter thrown in. I can assure you, that's gonna be EPIC. We're both putting a lot of work into it.) Go check her out. Without further ado, enjoy.

"NO!" Jack screamed, throwing himself towards Jamie and the others.

Inferno flew forwards, hands outstretched for Jack's staff.

"Jamie! Run!" Bunny yelled.

Jamie didn't need telling twice.

Clutching the staff close to his chest, he darted to the side, his friends following his lead. They weaved behind a tree and ran with all the force they could muster towards to the Guardians. Inferno pulled short and started to gain the distance he'd lost.

"Jamie!" Jack shouted, eyes wide in terror. "Jamie, throw me the staff!"

Jamie continued to run, glancing behind his shoulder to locate their pursuer.

"Jamie, now!"

With a determined look on his face, Jamie thrust his arm forward. Everyone watched as the staff span through the air in slow motion. The world seemed to lose it's sense of time as all eyes followed the spinning weapon as it flew through the air. Jack jumped to wrap a hand around the branch. The effect was instantaneous.

Ice slithered from the point of contact with its master and a loud crackling noise echoed around the area. A bright white light burst from the hooked end, shooting to the floor and under the feet of the scarpering children. Each of them fell to their hands and knees, but doubling their speed along the path of ice. A second flash of light. Inferno's ear-splitting roar made Jack's insides shake. Growing fingers of ice were slowly encasing his legs and proceeding to blanket the rest of his body. The frozen prison was snaking over his hips, then stomach, then ribs, then neck and arms. It continued to spread until it reached the crown of his head, his face frozen in a furious expression. Inferno was Ice.

"Well, that's ironic." Jack said at last. Once again, everyone gaped in disbelief at the spirit's untimely humour.

"You've just frozen a man in a second skin of ice and you're cracking jokes?" Bunny said, exasperated.

"It's not going to last forever!" Jack rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Just until we get him somewhere safe and secure."

Sandy was tapping at the ice with a curious frown. His bemused expression and cautious taps amused Jack. But now was not the best time to laugh.

Tooth and North joined Sandy in examining the sculpture-like statue of the 'Blaze-Man' while Bunny rounded up the kids.

"Hey Jack?"

Jack looked down just as small arms engulfed him in a tight, warm hug. Smiling, he bent down, leveling with the young boy. His first-believer ...

"Yeah?"

"You're my hero."

The words were so innocent. So ... honest. Jamie still clung to Jack's torso.

"And you're mine."

Jamie pulled away from his tight grip of the spirit to gape, open mouthed, at the immortal teen before him.

Placing a hand on the boy's shoulders, Jack looked at Jamie with a gentle expression.

"You were a hero tonight Jamie." The young lad's features twisted into a mixture of shock and pride. "Without you, Inferno would of won. Without you, we would still be under his power. Without you, none of us would of had the strength to keep fighting. It's your belief, your bravery and faith Jamie, that keeps us fighting. You saved more than just your friends tonight, you saved the Guardians. And that makes you more important and powerful than you know. You're a hero Jamie. You're a Guardian. And we all believe in you."

Looking up from where he was blushing at his feet, Jamie cast his sight about the area. His friends, North, Bunny, Tooth and Sandy were all smiling at him broadly. Immediately filled with a new confidence, a new sense of worth and wonder, he turned to look at his audience and said-

"We're all Guardians."

XXXX

"So, Inferno's all locked up in the Pole. The yeti's were pretty quick about whipping up some kind o' contraption ta hold a power-hungry highly flammable spirit. Honestly, I think we give 'em less credit than they deserve."

The Guardian's sat on the tall towers of Tooth Palace. North had brought them all hot-chocolate, except for Jack who was more used to a less-warming beverage. It had been a week since the incident with Inferno. After they had safely taken the children back to their houses, and with a little help from Sandy, seen them off to sleep, they had returned to the Pole where the yeti's had began constructing a cell-like room for the evil-spirit to be kept in. Here they were, a week later, sitting together and listening to the flutter of tiny wings.

Bunny continued to talk to North and Sandy about how the yeti's could be of use to him in his warren. Tooth, however, swiftly flew next to Jack. The normally spriteful spirit now hung his head and swung his legs over the edge of the tower with a troubled expression clouding his features.

"Jack?" As Tooth approached him, she laid a delicate hand on his shoulder. Her smiled at the gesture and peered out from behind his hanging curtain of silvery locks. Ruffling up his mop of shaggy hair with his spindly fingers, he turned his head to look at Tooth as she spoke.

"What's wrong?" Her high-pitched melodic voice held a wave of worry. As did her eyes. Not wishing to lie and very much wanting to console in someone, Jack decided to be honest with her.

"Do you think I really was to blame?"

It took Tooth a while to realise what he was on about. Oh, she thought, Inferno.

She looked deeply into his eyes before saying simply, "No."

Jack's shoulders sunk and he turned away once more.

"Jack, what happened to Inferno ... or Amos, whichever, was not your fault. You are not to blame for his death. As horrible as it may seem, you were not to know. He was as much to blame as anyone. He lit the fire, he ran away. He was the one who fell asleep near an open, un-controlled flame. It could of happened any night, in the slightest wind. And it's frequently cold in the evening, anywhere. He would of had to light a fire under any circumstances."

Jack raised his eyebrows and looked painfully towards Tooth again. She looped an arm over his shoulder and pulled him into a soft hug.

"Jack, don't blame yourself for something that wasn't your fault." She whispered comfortingly.

The two remained silent for the rest of the evening, Tooth still holding Jack in a protective and reassuring embrace.

XXXX

"Jamie?"

"Urgh! What is it this time?"

"Claude, roll him out of bed!"

Jamie fell to his floor with a bang as his quilt was whipped from his hold, exposing the cool morning air to his still warm skin.

"Hey-"

Caleb and Claude hoisted him to his feet while Cupcake thrust a coat and hat into his chest.

"Mmphf."

"Careful Cupcake!"

"Sorry ..."

Still sluggish from just waking up, Jamie blinked the blurriness from his eyes and looked around his room. Monty and Pippa stood near the window, holding his sledge, Cupcake his scarf and gloves and the Twins were still clutching his elbows.

All were clad in their winter clothes of a thick woolen coat, and set of Winter coverings.

"What are you guys doing?"

"It's that time of year again."

"Our favourite."

"You should see outside, there's, like, ten feet of snow!"

"Stop exaggerating Caleb."

"Ok, more like five, but it's white over."

"Jamie, Jack's been."

Everyone was speaking at once. Snow, ten feet, six, Jack- Jack! Of course, his signature snow days. His kind-of Christmas present to them all. Every year, the last two weeks of December, would be Jack's famous snow days. Every inch of Burgess was covered in frozen flakes of ice. And for the kids, that meant sledging, igloos and awesome renowned snowball fights.

"Come on Jamie! Get a move on. We'll meet you outside." Pippa propped the sledge against his wardrobe and followed the others out of his bedroom, shutting the door with a soft click behind them.

Ten minutes passed and Jamie joined his friends in an epic snowball fight. They played from dawn to dusk. Smiles and carols were seen and heard everywhere. Children were laughing and parents were watching on contently at the competition between the group of kids.

High up above the Burgess rooftops, drifting in the wind, Jack Frost beamed down on his group of children. Happiness radiated off the scene, like it was contagious, and the Guardian of Fun welcomed it generously. "Merry Christmas," He whispered from the clouds, "Guardians."

Authors Note:

Oh. My. Goodness! I'm done! I really hope this didn't disappoint anyone. 15 Chapters later and I managed to actually finish it happily. Well, I know I ended it in the wrong season, but hey, think of it this way. You'll just have to come back and read it again come Christmas. ( Mwahaha ) Anyhoo, thank you all for your reviews and follows. Keep the favourites coming and look out for my future fics. It's been an honour guys, see you soon - Ellie x