Heat was slowly dawning upon Burgess, and with the fresh smell of flowers in the air, spring was promising its long-loathed return. I gripped my staff in frustration, feeling sweat rising on my brow. I groaned.

I had plans for this week, plans with Jamie and Sophie to be specific. But I'd forgotten to take into account the fact that the weather was slowly rising and that I might be forced to leave before some nasty spring-time sprites came and found a (and I quote) "Stupid Winter Spirit who doesn't know when to go away," melting on their watch. I had no intentions to get called names or to get lectured by the spring sprites (or, if she was around, Mother Nature).

Sighing, I allowed the wind to pick me up. "Take me to Jamie's school." It whistled about me; it seemed almost worried, in the way only wind can be. "I'm fine, I'm fine," I reassured it, pulling my hoodie sleeves up to my elbows.

Was the wind hotter too?

I exhaled irritably when I realized it was; the colder wind had already jumped ship. All those plans, cancelled, or delayed, depending on the weather.

It didn't take long to find Jamie, he was already heading home from school, and his face lit up when he saw me, "Jack! What's up?"

I grinned, letting myself step down from the warmer wind's protective shelf. "Jamie!" I ruffled his hair, and he dodged, a laugh escaping him. I didn't want to do this, but it was inevitable. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm probably not going to be staying around here for long."

Jamie sobered, his eyes wide in full-fledge puppy dog mode. "But… Why?" He inhaled sharply. "I didn't do anything, did I? I mean, I know you have winter stuff, and you're a Guardian-" I stopped him with a pointed look. He blushed. "Sorry."

I laughed at his rambling, but guilt edged its way in. "It's not you, Kiddo. Just…" I gestured at the sky, as if that would explain everything. "Weather."

"Oh…" Jamie murmured. Interest sparked in his eyes, and I mentally prepared myself for a barrage of questions. "So does, like, heat, bother you?" I raised an eyebrow at that, crossing my arms.

"Do the words 'Winter Sp-"

Jamie blushed again. "Sorry." He apologized. "It's just… Will you be back?"

My heart clawed a little. I ruffled his hair again, but he didn't attempt to move away. "'Course I will be, Kiddo. I'll try to stop in while I can, but," I wiped some fast-forming sweat from my forehead, "it's getting a little too warm around here. And I don't think Mother Nature will appreciate with me messing around with the seasons." I shuddered. "Not after what happened last time."

Jamie cracked a smile. "I guess I get it, Jack." His puppy dog eyes made their return. "But try and come back soon, okay? I was looking forward to that other snow day. I mean, if Mother Nature lets you."

I grinned. "Of course I'll try. I never forget my promised snow days." I let the wind lift me. "Tell Soph bye from me, 'kay?"

Jamie nodded, a hand already raised in farewell. He looked almost serious for his age.

Too serious.

I laughed as I hit him with a burst of frost magic from my staff. A bright sheen of mischief came over his eyes as a smile formed on his lips. As the wind carried me off, I saw out of the corner of my eye him balling up some of the last of my fallen snow, aiming the already melting projectile at another student. "Snowball fight!"

I've taught him well.

0o0o0

The hot wind carried me for miles before I was finally passed into the hands of the familiar, chilling wind that was my constant companion. The wind whirled around me as I made my way through towns and cities, weaving my way through people (mostly made up of non-believers) and giving them little jolts of cold.

There was one town in which I had managed to fly through a house and completely freeze the water a woman was trying to boil on the stove. Her reaction to that, I have to admit, made me laugh so hard I managed to frost the windows over without realizing.

That being said, I was in a good mood when I was flying over head of another small-ish town somewhere in the northern regions of a place I was assuming to be the United States. It might've been border-line Canada, but I wasn't sure. Frankly, I didn't really care.

Anyway, back to the town.

I was gliding through the air, jumping from one wind current to the other in a mad game of hopscotch. My staff was clutched in my left hand, and I twirled it around my fingers. The constant swirl of it left snowflakes trailing behind me.

I wasn't really paying attention to the town, engrossed in the wind's game, but an obnoxiously large sign managed to catch my attention. Which was a good thing, because I was about to slam into it.

"Whoa!" The wind swerved up, and I teetered before regaining my balance, leaning forward into the cool air. "What was that?"

The wind sensed my curiosity. With a silent agreement, the wind carried me back down, until we came to a stop before it. The sign was a giant flashing arrow with the words 'Fenton Works' on it. It sat atop a building, drawing attention to it. The building itself was only two stories, almost four, counting the odd metal contraption perched on the roof.

And it was sort of hard not to count it. It looked like a giant steel spaceship. Floating up to it, I saw the walls were actually tinted glass windows, stretching from floor to ceiling. Inside it was what looked like a huge, wrap-around control panel. The gadgets were beyond anything I'd ever seen, (and I've seen a lot). Screens flashed from the controls and reflected on the windows.

And, of course, there was a random fridge smack dab in the middle.

I shook my head. This building was the weirdest thing I'd ever seen. And I've seen eggs with limbs voluntarily leap into a pool of rainbow dye.

I frowned. This place was odd. Really odd. What could possibly be going on here? I wanted to explore this insane building. I drifted down, looking for some opening. And there one was. A window had been left open, blue curtains fluttering in the wind. Inside, I saw a cluttered desk. Random knick-knacks and papers were scattered haphazardly on it, including a model rocket, which unlike the other objects, seemed to have been made carefully and delicately. NASA posters were arranged neatly along the walls. An astronaut? That might explain the spaceship.

But looking closer, I could see dirty laundry strewn on the floor and an unmade blue bed. It was a bedroom. Wait, people lived here? This was a house? I flew closer, preparing to jump in, but I was distracted by a huge, tank-like vehicle barreling down the street, knocking other cars off the road and running over fire hydrants. I winced. Ouch.

It came to a stop in front of Fenton Works. I raised an eyebrow. Should have known. I floated down to the scene. As I watched, a red headed girl with an aqua headband jumped out of the tank and stormed into the house, slamming the door behind her. A bulky man in a bright orange jumpsuit leaped out of the driver's seat with a bag in his hand. He stumbled to the door, "HONEY! I'M HOME!" He swung the door back open, and somehow forgot to close it as he ran inside.

I quickly flew through the door. A giddy grin worked its way onto my face. I was in! Now I could finally see what this place was all about.

"I GOT FUDGE, MADDIE!" A loud voice boomed from the place that looked like the kitchen.

I flinched at the ground-shaking voice but drifted towards the area, "And who are you people…?" I wondered out loud, knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to hear me.

Two people were standing in the kitchen. One was the man, now holding some sort of package in his hands with a big smile plastered on his face. But other than that, his expression seemed a little strained.

The other was a lady with a blue HAZMAT suit and short-chopped red hair, assumedly Maddie, "No need to yell Jack, I'm right here," I jumped as she said my name. I wasn't really surprised to see that she wasn't looking at me, but at the loud man in the HAZMAT suit. But that didn't stop the tug in my chest that I'd never quite gotten over. I dismissed the thought. Didn't matter. I had believers now. I turned back to Maddie, who was pulling something out of the fridge and bringing it over to the oven. Her movements had a slowness to them. I wonder what happened here?

"Jack," she said chidingly. "You got fudge the other day, remember?" Her eyes softened. "But it's okay. I guess we all need a little pick-me-up after the portal, huh?

Portal? What was she talking about? Jack's expression drooped. "Yeah." He stroked the package, almost lovingly. "You don't mind, do you?"

I was surprised by his sudden change in mood. Just a second ago…

Maddie crossed the room to give him a hug. "Of course it's okay, honey." She walked back over to the stove. She brought out a knife to cut up whatever she had removed from the fridge. She sighed, and then let out a short shrill scream, "JACK! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT PUTTING ECTOPLAMIC SAMPLES IN THE FRIDGE?!" She jumped back and what seemed to be a head of lettuce had sprouted eyeballs and was in the process of very funnily rolling around on the counter. Menacing indeed.

I grinned and shot a blast of frost at the thing, turning it into a block of ice. Maddie stopped shrieking, "What just happened?" Her eyes narrowed, and to my surprise, she got into a martial arts pose, and whipped out a scary-looking green gun from behind her back.

"IT WAS A GHOST!" Jack shouted, "COME OUT GHOSTIE! COME OUT AND FACE US!" He threw the fudge to the table and got out a neon bazooka. I backed away, even though they were aiming past me. I rolled my eyes as clarity came over me. These two were total whack-a-doodles. But at least they weren't depressed anymore. I chuckled as I walked out of the room that held the paranoid couple.

I wandered through the house, which, compared to the people that lived here, looked pretty normal, with disregards to the busts and portraits of Jack that adorned it in every possible place and the name Fenton displayed across every visible surface. I found myself disappointed. It didn't seem as interesting as I thought it would be. I turned to the front door, when I heard the faint sound of voices creeping out from behind a crack of an open door.

Hey! This is Mimi's and I's first collaboration together, or, well, at all. This was going to originally be a one-shot, but we decided to cut it in half, due to my infamous impatience.

We brainstormed the original story line, she wrote it, and I went through, and as we called it, 'ripped it apart and taped it back together again', which became this.

I should seriously become an editor. This is the most fun I've had on a project. Ever.

This was also supposed to be posted on Mimi's page, but because of her vow to give up FF for a while to regain a social life, it's on mine. (Stay strong, my friend. But... If you're reading this... Girl, get off your computer!)

Yeah... I probably should try that before I become a cackling hermit crouched in front of a screen... Anyway...

We both beg you all for constructive critism!

So, part two shall come out at some undecided later date, but until then, farewell from Mimiscout and Writeous!

*Mimiscout approved