Disclaimer: I own nothing in this remarkable universe, it all belongs to William Joyce and Dreamworks.

Author's Note: It's been a hugely long time since I've published anything, and I apologize to all my readers who have loved my stories. My creative energies have mostly been invested in teaching scores of students to love reading and love learning-hopefully adding a few authors to our ranks in a few years ::winks::. I've recently come across the universe of the Rise of the Guardians movie by Dreamworks, and the Guardians of Childhood book series by William Joyce. I've just started the books (and I'm thoroughly enjoying them), but I've fallen in love with the movie, and-particularly-Jamie and Jack's relationship. This story will focus on that-plus, it will be an additional creative outlet for me when I have the time. When I get the inspiration, I will work on my other stories, too-but this is the one I'm working on for now. I hope you enjoy it!

Summary: Jamie Bennett had always been an extraordinary and precocious child. Befriending Jack Frost had only reinforced that...[Multi-Chapter. Movie- and Book-Based. Familyfic.]

"Speech/Dialogue"

Personal Thoughts (Italics)

.:Dream-Bonded:.

By Sentimental Star

Prologue: The Man in the Moon

When the Man in the Moon had chosen Jackson Overland as a Guardian, he'd spent the better part of two centuries despairing over how far apart the other four had grown.

(To be fair to Toothiana and Sandy, they had tried…)

He'd watched as the Guardians' unity weakened, and Pitch gained more power little by little. He'd grieved the Lights gone out too early, and the ever-growing peril of the Earth's children.

Then, he decided to do something about it. And who better to take on that task than a child-Guardian? Someone who could re-teach the other Guardians how to pick up the mantle again, one that had faded as the weight and importance of their other duties swallowed their first—their duty to the children.

He'd not accounted for how difficult it would be to encourage belief in such a new Guardian, without Katherine's stories and particularly not one so vulnerable and sensitive as Jack, who'd reacted badly (to put it mildly) to the inability to be heard, seen, or touched. Who then began causing mayhem and wreaking havoc in a bid to gain the other Guardians' approval and attention.

(Perhaps MiM had lost sight of Earth's children a little, too.)

When the other Guardians responded, their reactions ran the gauntlet from fond tolerance (Sandy, and, to some extent, Tooth) to irritation and anger (Bunny).

MiM realized then that Jack would need a little help.

But Father Time and Mother Nature were really particular, and only so much could be altered, even for the benefit of a Guardian.

It was another couple of centuries before MiM could finally put the last piece in place, and by then, Jack had lost nearly all hope, and begun to grow bitter.

Then Pitch attacked, and Jamie Bennett surpassed even MiM's expectations for him.

So did Jack Frost.

TBC