The Naughty List

Chapter Two: Trick Or Treat

When Halloween had stormed out of Santa's workshops, she had no destination in mind. She could have easily whisked herself back home, but she had no desire to. How was she meant to simply carry on when she had learnt of Pitch's latest crimes? She had a feeling North knew that as well, which is exactly why he had decided to inform her. North may present himself like a harmless fool, but she knew there was a rougher side to him beneath the cheerful pretence of Santa Claus, if his tattoo's were any indication.

With a frustrated huff and with a childish kick to the snow, she starts walking aimlessly. She knew it was weird when Pitch Black had stopped showing up these past few years for Hallows' Eve, but she had passed it off as that he had no wish to partake in the holiday any more.

She supposed the very least she could do was attempt to change Pitch's mind. They were far from friends, but they had shared a partnership for centuries. That had to count for something, right? Yes, that's what she would do, and if he didn't listen? Well, then at least no-one could say she didn't try.

Halloween snaps her fingers and within seconds one of her familiars materializes in front of her. Sure, North may have Yetis and Elves working for him and Tooth an army of fairies, but she had alive and functioning pumpkin dolls at her service with a brigade of nights creatures at her beck and call.

"How can I be of assistance, Miss Halloween?" The pumpkin doll—Lantern, one of her closer assistants—asks.

She cuts straight to the point: "I want every pair of eyes we can spare on the look out for Pitch Black."

If Lantern had eyebrows they probably would have flown away. "May I ask why?"

Now that's a good question, she thinks. She really shouldn't be getting involved, but...

"Take a look at the state of the Fairy Palace on your way back, that should be enough explanation."

The doll nods, fully used to her vague answers by now. "It will be...difficult to pinpoint his location. The Nightmare King is an expert of blending into the shadows."

"I'm aware of that," she reluctantly agrees. It's a known fact that you don't find Pitch Black unless he wanted to be found. So really the only logical way forward would be to know what Pitch was after... and she already knew very well what that was.

Revenge on the Guardians.

Halloween groans, placing her head in her hands. She had already flat out refused to help them! Now she realises it would be more beneficial to stick close to them to end this mess quicker, hopefully without a fight. After all, sooner or later the Boogey man would show up to cause the four Guardians chaos.

Oh boy, she could already perfectly picture the smug look on Bunny's face when she walks back in with the sudden change of heart...

"Uh, mistress?" Lantern says, black spheres trained on something behind her. He points a wooden limb upwards and she follows it to see a figure flying high up in sky. The blue hoodie stands out even through the snow, giving away their identity.

Jack Frost.

From the way he was swerving back and forth it was a safe bet he was looking for her, and even better; he was alone.

This could easily work to her advantage if she played her cards right.

"Inform the rest that I won't be back for a while," Halloween orders, dismissing the pumpkin with a wave of her hand, all the while letting her alteration magic close around her as she heads in the direction of her pursuer, a plan already building in her mind.

The wind had never failed Jack Frost in getting him where he needed to go, so he completely trusted letting the element take full control in guiding him through the gale of snow. Usually he would have loved to stick around, this was exactly the kind of weather he lived for, after all, and here in the North Pole he didn't even need to conjure it himself! If he wanted any chance of catching up with Halloween though, he'd have to skip out on this beauty of a snow storm.

His eyes skim through the snow below, as familiar as the very staff he holds, yet there was no flash of the mix of red and black he was hoping for and he moves on, letting his thoughts wander.

Halloween, huh? He'd gathered that there were many more immortal entity's out there that he had yet to meet, but he was surprised that they had never cross paths before. He thinks back to all the Halloween days he's actually lived through (which is a lot), trying to pinpoint if he had caused any... trouble on those particular days. If there is one thing he's learnt in his life it's not to mess with the holidays that people were in charge with. No doubt Bunny would hold that Easter Sunday over his head for many, many more years to come. (It was totally worth it, just for the priceless expression Bunny had worn the majority of that day.)

Halloween had made no sign of recognising him though, so Jack figures he has a good opportunity to set things right between them and possibly even get her on their side. And if there was one thing Jack was good at—apart from making a fantastic snowball, that is—it was being persuasive.

After a few more minutes of unsuccessful searching Jack almost turns back, figuring it's a lost cause, when he notices a splash of black jumping out against the clear snow and he dives, executing a perfect skid in the frost for...

...a cat.

"C'mn Jack you've seen stranger things," he mumbles to himself, because there is no way he has reached the point of insanity where he starts talking to animals. "It's just a cat...in the North Pole...sitting alone...during a blizzard. What's weird about that?"

The black cat meows.

He sighs. "Fine, fine, I give in." Leaning down he offers his hand, curling his fingers in a come here motion. "You're actually quite a cutie, aren't you?" Jack feels the tension leave him as he stares into the felines red orbs—

...wait, red?

Before he can follow that thought through any longer the cat leaps at him, claws digging in, and with a spark transforms into the very person he was looking for. Halloween uses his surprise to her advantage and drags him down, making Jack lose the grip he had on his staff in the process.

"Why are you following me?" Halloween hisses on top of him, and up this close Jack can tell her canine teeth are slightly pointed. "Is it because I've refused to help and now the big four no longer have use of me? Is this their way of getting rid of dead weight?"

Jack chuckles, which seems to be the wrong action because he feels the press of what feels like a blade against his throat. Top of the naughty list, indeed, he thinks. "Are we taking about the same four here? The jolly Santa Claus? The harmless Tooth Fairy? The furry Easter bunn—no wait, I agree with you on that one. He is pure evil."

She tilts her head, staring at him like he was a complicated puzzle. "Then why are you out here?"

Jack goes for the truth. "I wanted to see you again."

Her responding smile is so small he probably would have missed it if they weren't so close, and he thinks it's most possibly one of the saddest things he's ever seen.

"Sure you did," she says, but she moves off him all the same and offers her hand. Jack gladly accepts it, already missing the slight warmth Halloween had provided.

He straightens his hoodie and heads straight for his abandoned staff, Halloween's eyes following him all the while, and Jack instantly feels a thousand times safer with the staff back in hand. (Not that he was scared of Halloween—not at all. A spirit couldn't be too careful around another one of its kind, that's all.)

"So, you can turn into cute animals," Jack prompts when Halloween seems content to simply stare at him.

"Of course. I'm the spirit of Halloween, and therefore I have many tricks," she explains with a mischievous grin. "Shape shifting is just one of my many talents."

Jack nods thoughtfully, eager for any information about her. "Why a cat then?"

The question seems to throw her façade off-balance for some reason, but only momentarily.

"Not a cat person, Jack?" Halloween inquires, her smile all teeth.

He smirks back, feeling the sensation of fresh claw marks burning on his hands. "Not any more."

"That's a shame," is her clipped reply before she's walking past him. "Come on then."

Jack blinks, his reactions slowed to the unexpected change in the already bizarre situation, before he gathers himself and follows after her. "Where are you, uh, we, going?"

"Back to the Guardians. I've reconsidered their offer."

Jack makes a noise of astonishment and she looks back in questioning. "I know I'm a sight for sore eyes but to have your compliance already?" His pale hand threads through his silver locks. "Clearly, I need to stop being so appealing and tone it down a bit."

Halloween seriously considers saying screw it and flinging the confident winter spirit off the mountain, but her common sense wins out and she resumes walking.

"Sheesh, and they call me cold," Jack mutters, close behind. "Alright, not the flirting type I see. That's fine, I can deal."

She rolls her eyes in response but otherwise concentrates on fighting through the snow, which had grown several inches taller during the time she had spent out here. North's home was still not in sight, even after several minutes of backtracking. Did she really walk out that far? She pulls her cloak tighter around her.

A bite of cold nips at her and she gasps in surprise before realising it's just Jack's hand on her shoulder. His eyes hold something that could be concern.

"You know I can easily get us both back there in minutes—seconds, even, if I carr—"

"Touch me and I will turn you into a pumpkin for the rest of eternity."

Jack quickly releases her shoulder. "Fair enough." He wears a thoughtful expression. "In that case..."

She watches with interest as Jack raises his staff and then abruptly slams it down upon the snow. The effect is instantaneous—the snow they had stood on was now flattened considerably, now a perfect smooth slate to walk upon.

"It's clear your power is control over winter," Halloween gestures around them, at the snow-globe mirage that now surrounded them, causing the raging blizzard to bounce away, as if hitting an invisible wall. (She'd never admit it but his powers were rather impressive.) "So tell me, what is it you do exactly?"

Jack looks up to the sky, his staff a comforting weight on his shoulder. "There's not much to tell."

Halloween doubts that very much. "But..the Man In The Moon chose you, correct?"

"Yeah," Jack says, his tone heavy with resent. "To be a Guardian, of all things. I have no interest in being bound by rules and regulations." He fake shivers to show his disgust. "I'm not a Guardian. No way."

"Yes, that's what you said back at the workshop, however..." Halloween grins at him, "your actions really contradict your words."

His dark brow furrows. "Really?"

"You were most...passionate at displaying your anger when I refused to help the children. Honestly, I thought you were going to freeze me on the spot."

"Oops, my bad." Jack chuckles nervously. "Trust me on this, you're the least likely person I'm considering turning into an icicle."

Halloween feels a bit warmer at the comment but she chooses to ponder on it later, when Jack Frost's sharp gaze wasn't on her. "Who's the most likely then?"

"I'll give you a hint if you come closer," he bargains. Halloween narrows her eyes at the shifty proposal, but curiosity wins out and really, what harm could come of it? She stops walking and steps closer, raising her eyebrows as to say, well?

Jack's face breaks into a wide grin and apprehension swiftly builds in her because that's the exact same expression she wears just before tricking the kids on Halloween. Before she can do a thing about it, a cold arm latches around her waist and in a flourish of elevated snow they're in the air.

Her world is pure white and blue eyes for a few seconds before she gathers her bearings enough to shout at him.

"What the hell!"

"Don't worry, this one ride is free. My treat."

"I wasn't joking about that pumpkin threat you know!" Halloween yells, unconsciously gripping his arm in an attempt to steady herself (a lost cause really, since they were, you know, flying).

Jack laughs, the sound light and carefree. "Yes you were."

It's clear to see that this is Jack Frost's area of expertise and where he is most comfortable, with the way he rides the wind at certain angles to get the best up-draft, looking down at her from time to time in satisfaction.

The trip is over before she can really grasp the concept of what just happened and Jack lands softly, and very precisely; they were only centimetres from North's workshop's entrance. As soon as her feet touchs the ground she's springing from his hold on her, hastily pulling the hood on her cloak up to hide the beginnings of what felt like a blush.

Get it together, Halloween! Since when do you blush?

Since Jack Frost, apparently.

"I could've easily used my powers to get here myself," she mutters, partly for lack of anything better to say and partly because it was true; once she has the idea of the place it's a simple matter of concentrating to make herself emerge there.

Jack looks at her strangely. "Then why didn't you?"

"I can't go showing every single one of my tricks to you in a single day, and..." Halloween stares at the very doors she had rushed out of earlier and sighs, letting one truth slip out, "I wanted to delay this for as long as possible."

"Oh goodie, if it ain't my favourite rebels, back to torment." Bunnymund is the first to 'greet' them.

He is quick to receive a simultaneous fiery and icy glare off the two and his survival instincts kick in, keeping him from adding any more comments while he is alone with the spirits.

Thankfully Tooth then buzzes in, accompanied by Sandy, and their eyes land on Halloween.

"You have decided to help? Oh, this is marvellous," Tooth says happily. "I knew you would aid us, Halloween, I—"

"Actually," Halloween is fast to interrupt, knowing how carried away the Fairy can get. "I didn't really have much of a choice."

Tooth and Bunny exchange a look of confusion and Sandy expresses his bewilderment through a question mark. Jack wears the most puzzled expression though, since he knows it was entirely her own choice to come back. Heck, he had followed her for most of the way back.

Halloween looks down, lower lip trembling, and suddenly it seems like her cloak is engulfing her small frame. "Jack forced me to come back and aid you."

...what?!

"Woah, now hang on," Jack puts his hands up in a placating manner when three Guardians look at him in shock. "I didn't force anyone to do anything! She came here of her own free will—"

Halloween grabs one of Jack's hands. "As you can see I tried my best to hold him off," she points to the now red scratches heavily present against his pale skin, "but you know how the cold weakens me, so this is as much damage as I could do during the blizzard where he was at full strength..."

Oh, Jack realises with a stab of enlightenment, That's why she looked freaked when I asked why she transformed into a cat. She thought I'd figured it out.

"Jack!" Tooth scolds, disappointment filling her eyes. "I understand you want your tooth back as badly as I want my fairy's to be safe, but to go this far.."

A Tooth? Halloween glances at Jack; what interest would he have for a tooth, especially one of his own? To her knowledge they only contained memories... and what use do memories posses if you already have them?

"What? No—" Jack is quick to deny, tumbling over his words in his haste. "I—I'm innocent!"

"Then how do you explain those scratches, mate?" Bunny speaks up.

"She transformed into a cat and attacked me!"

His outburst is met with complete silence.

"He's gone bonkers, I tell ya." The Easter Bunny shakes his head in disapproval, looking at him with pity. "The snows finally got to him and sent him loony."

Halloween's earlier words ringed throughout his head; I can't go showing every single one of my tricks to you in a single day. They didn't know she could shape shift!

"Don't be too harsh on him," Halloween says, her former self peeking through the pretence as her eyes slid over to him, very much so resembling when she was cat. "He was just doing what was right. And besides, I want to help now. Jack made some," she fights against a smirk, "valid points."

The Guardians seem to accept that after a few more words from Halloween and soon move on to their own individual tasks, but not before Tooth drills into him the proper way to act to around a Lady. Jack only becomes animated when he notices Halloween also walking away. Not a chance.

"Hey!" He furiously whispers, grabbing her arm and spinning her around. "What's with the lies?"

"What can I say? I'm prideful and stubborn." She shrugs, only looking mildly ashamed. "This is a better alternative then admitting I changed my mind. Well, a better alternative for me." Halloween shakes his hold off her. "Plus, I have a reputation to keep with the other night spirits. I can't be heard of willingly aiding the dull work-bound Guardians, can I?"

Jack stutters in response. "All this," he gestures around them wildly, "because of that?"

She makes a thoughtful noise. "And it was also because you haven't really met me until you've been tricked by me. But don't worry," she leans in close, her breath caressing his ear as she recites his previous words back at him, "this one's free. My treat."

Jack's only response is to gape at her—the proximity of her disorientating him—and before he can do...something she is already moving past him, through the workshop, finding an interest in one of the Yeti's creations and apparently forgetting all about him.

"Wha—what just happened...?" He wonders aloud and the elves nearby ogle at the usually cocky spirit in his rare vulnerable moment. One of them attempts to hide a camera behind their back when Jack's gaze sweeps over to them and with a glare he freezes the object along with the elf itself. Great, even elves were getting one up on him now!

North comes up from behind him, having watched most of the drama beside his also amused Yetis. "Perhaps you will listen next time I tell you she belongs on naughty list, hm?"

Jack exhales heavily, briefly lifting up his white strands of fringe. "Listening is exactly what got me into this trouble in the first place."

North laughs heartily at his expense. "Don't worry, my friend, I know of your innocence and will be sure to let the others know. Although I have feeling in belly that Bunny and Sandy already know and are simply messing with you. Besides, you did it!" The Guardian slaps him on the back in congratulations, only Jack's tight grip on his staff keeping him up straight. "We now have another valuable ally in the fight against Pitch. This is a good thing, Jack."

"Yeah," Jack says half heartedly. "It's good."

He wonders how North would react if he told him the fight against Pitch had been the last thought on his mind during the time he spent with Halloween.

He wisely keeps it to himself.

Author!Note:

Poor Jack. He never stood a chance. Halloween is a time of mischief, after all and well, you didn't really expect this to be a love at first chapter story did you?

Thank you so much to everyone who left me feedback on the first chapter. Some of you even gave some really cool ideas about Halloween, which helped me a lot! :)

Please review if you're interested in future chapters!