My Guardian

Chapter 4 - The Beginning of Forever

"We didn't just come here so you would believe in us..." Bunny began.

"Then why did you come here?" I asked.

"To help you believe in yourself," Santa finished.

y6Jack's POV

I could only sit there and listen. I knew that I could've asked the other Guardians to tell Belle I was real. But I wanted to be the one to help her believe in me. To help her see me. Instead of her just finding out. I mean, she might not believe Jamie, but if the Guardians told her, she would almost instantly believe. And I didn't want that. I wanted to work for it. To earn it.

So sitting there, I listened to everything they said. Even that cheesy line North said about wanting to help Belle believe in herself. That was one of the main points of this whole thing, but it sounded so much less cheesy in my head. He pulled it off pretty well though. Twice, Bunny looked back to me. I don't know why though.

"And how do you expect to make me believe in myself?" Belle asked after a moment of hesitation. Tooth fluttered over to Belle's closet again and pulled out black military boots.

"Why do I need these?" Belle asked, curiously, looking at and grabbing the shoes Tooth held out for her.

"We're goin' somewhere," Bunny said with his obvious Australian accent, crossing his arms. I sat up a little straighter. I was really excited to see Belle's reaction. She chuckled nervously, slipping on the shoes. I couldn't help but watch her as she did it too. So delicately, as if the shoes were a living thing she needed to care for.

"It kind of sounds like you're kidnapping me," she awkwardly rubbed her arm and half smiled. Almost uncomfortably, she stood before us, unsure of what would become of her and what would happen. She was slightly scared by what we were going to show her.

"The Guardians would never, they're too strict," I chuckled. I only spoke out of habit as I tend to make fun of the other Guardians every now and then. I felt like someone was going to say something, revealing that I was real.

"Right. Not here. Sorry," I shrugged as the Guardians turned to look at me, gazing at me like I was an idiot, especially Bunny. I threw my hands up in surrender, as if apologising, before putting my hands back on my staff.

"What are you looking at?" Belle asked, searching through me to see if there was anything there that they might have been looking at. To be honest, it hurt how she could just look straight through me without the slightest care. I wanted to be looked at the way she looked at Jamie, the way she looked at the other Guardians; like I was important to her.

"Nothing..." Bunny said.

"Oh. Okay then... So where are we going?" she asked, nervous still.

"We'll show you. But you have to know, that no other mortal has ever gone to these places we're taking you to," North began.

"Except Jamie's little sister who went to the Warren after stealing your stupid snow globe..." Bunny added, a hint of anger in his voice. I don't know why he was angry about that. He enjoyed those hours Sophie was with us in the Warren. I suppose it wasn't that a human had gone to his home, it was more that an unknown person had invaded it without his being aware. It made him feel vulnerable I guess.

"Aunt Sophie has been to where you're taking me?!" Belle almost squealed before realising she had to be quiet.

"Yeah. What's happened to the little squirt?" Bunny asked.

"Married with two sons. One's eight the other's eleven," Belle replied. It was so hard to believe that little Sophie was married with kids! Last time I saw her, she was chasing Easter eggs around the Warren! Wow. I suddenly regretted not coming sooner. I should have visited ten, maybe twenty years ago. But I guess there's nothing I can do about it now.