A/N: It's been awhile again... I am sorry for how long these updates have taken. I swear I have a solid idea for this story but I rarely have time to separate and write out the chapters. I'll definitely keep on keepin' on though!

This one is kind of just angsty in my opinion. I feel like lately they've all kind of been that way but we have to get through the drama right? haha.

Enjoy!

Chapter 14

As Rose cuddled in the warmth of the fire, waiting for her father to return from work, she finally began to really contemplate the meaning of the events from the past few days.

It had happened so quickly! Meeting Jack and having her world turned upside down and then developing feelings for him and actually kissing him!

She had never moved so fast into a relationship before and it was scary now that she thought of it. Not that Jack was at all scary to her (though he had frightened her quite a bit when they had first met) but the thought of whatever this was turning into going so quickly was now seeping into her mind and making her question her every move concerning Jack.

For that matter, what were they exactly? Neither had said anything about where this was going but that hadn't stopped them from holding hands and acting like a couple… Thinking back on her time with him, going through every tiny motion, made Rose puzzled.

She couldn't quite figure out where it had all come from. At the time, it seemed so easy, so natural to hold his hand or even to kiss him. So natural, in fact, that it hadn't seemed like strings were attached or expectations made. It was simple.

Rose smiled at this. She couldn't help the fluttering feeling in her chest when she thought of Jack. Shaking her head, she chastised herself for a minute thinking how she was acting like a love struck schoolgirl.

Still, his sweatshirt, now completely warm and frost free, clung to her skin, and in that strange way, made her feel safe.

Definitely, something had to be said about this. Rose would have to clear the air with Jack on this whole manner. Could she even be in a relationship with him? Wasn't he some kind of legend? Certainly, he wouldn't age and then where would they be? That was something to consider for sure, not that she really believed they would be together that long… People can't just fall in love casually and most certainly not with someone… immortal.

That thought suddenly seemed so alien to Rose. Jack wasn't human anymore. No, all of this had to be wrong. Surely, there was no other way…

Slowly, the smile faded from her face as the lines of worry and doubt crept into her features and she huddled closer to the fire for comfort. She would have to stop seeing Jack at some point, right? It was inevitable.

Of course it would be my luck that I would love someone I can't have, Rose thought as she leaned her head back on the couch, suddenly feeling tired. No! Not love! She reminded herself, I am not in love with Jack...

Jack flew about the town for a while, checking on the children, seeing them dream happily, still on a high from the excitement of Christmas morning! He was flying in a leisurely manner, not bothering to make it snow. The town, by this point, was very well-covered in white powder and Jack figured it was time to give the working adults a break from the winter wonderland for awhile.

The whole time he had been flying, since he dropped Rose off at her house, he couldn't manage to wipe the giant stupid grin off his face. It was almost painful by now but no matter how much his cheeks protested, thoughts of Rose kept causing the corners of his mouth to twitch and curl upward. He supposed it was only natural, being the Guardian of Fun, for him to be constantly smiling anyway.

Coming to a stop, lightly, with one foot first on the top of a chimney, he paused just long enough to see the first few telltale signs of his good friend, Sandy, approaching. The all too familiar golden sand drifted down into the windows of each of the sleeping children in the town.

Jack, spotting Sandy up in the sky, quickly ascended to say hello and catch up on anything he might have missed the past few days while he was with Rose.

Seeing Jack, Sandy gave his usual friendly wave as a greeting and counted the number of nights it had been since he had last talked to Jack with moons made from the golden sand above his head followed by a question mark. Where have you been?

"Sorry, Sandy" Jack replied. He scratched the back of his head for a moment while continuing, "I've been sort of in my own world the past few days. Is there any news?"

Sandy looked Jack up and down with a puzzled expression, noting the lack of blue sweatshirt before deciding it wasn't important. He shrugged and shook his head. As far as he knew, nothing had changed.

"Well that's always a relief" Jack replied, a little too briskly. "I'll let you get back to your dreams then."

With a wave, Jack returned to the pond in the woods and settled himself in a tree branch to watch the moon for a little while as Sandy continued to spread his dream sand.

Man in Moon still never really talked to Jack… Mostly, all the Guardians were called to the Pole if there was a message that needed to be conveyed. Still, Jack found some comfort in talking to the moon when he needed advice or just needed a friend. It was a habit formed from years of isolation that he still couldn't quite break himself of.

"I don't know how all of this happened," Jack spoke softly, "but I'm so glad that I met Rose."

He took a deep breath, "I just don't know what's supposed to happen now… Why would this happen? Why would you allow me to find the girl of my dreams but keep her out of my reach? I mean, everything has happened so fast and it's getting harder and harder to tell myself that someday, I'll have to say goodbye…"

Jack's voice became a choked whisper on those last few words. All traces of his boyish grin now gone; wiped clean from his immortal face.

That's what he was, after all, immortal. Jack looked at the staff in his hand. He had held it for so many years, he hardly noticed it anymore. It was an extension of his arm and it carried with it the weight of the responsibility thrust on him in his death; a weight that had doubled in the past few years as he accepted his duties as Guardian.

It carried with it the freedom from death, from cold and discomfort. It carried powers beyond human belief! It carried the look on the face of a child experiencing the pure fun and excitement of a snow day!

It carried a chain that bound his soul to this responsibility and seemed to prevent him from being with Rose.

He grasped the wood tighter, holding onto the memories, the frustration, and the joy that it came with.

It seemed to be lately that every time he took a step forward with Rose, it came with two more backward. Every time he thought things were getting better, something new was standing between them, keeping them apart.

Jack couldn't see a way around this new road block. This was the one he had known all along; the fate neither of them could escape. Now, still without fully understanding the extent of their relationship, he was coming to terms with the cold truth that there could be no relationship in the first place.

Something had to be done about this. Jack knew he would have to talk to Rose about these prospects. He knew he would have to tell her it needed to end before either of them could get hurt. Maybe it was even too late to spare that pain but still, Rose deserved a chance to understand this and move on…

That thought hurt Jack more than anything else. How hard would that really be to let her go and see her find someone else? Thinking of all the young girls he had watched grow older, get married, and, eventually, die now made him sick.

They had been different. What was that old saying though? If you truly love someone, you have to let them go?

This was a tough thought for Jack to consider. Was he really in love with Rose? He didn't know what love felt like…

The pain in his chest at the thought of what needed to be done however, gave him an inclination for the answer to that question… and Jack didn't like what the repercussions of that meant.