A/N:

So, I tried doing something productive and ended up with this. Forgive me for I am inexperienced in writing in first person POV, that only happens when I write up excerpts and drafts in my notbook. sadness. Yeah, cliche right? Well...while i was reading a jack frost fic (which was damn good and it's called How to Make a Believer Believe by Marshmellow), inspiration got to me. AND, I thought what if i were to tell a story from an alienated pinay's point of view? well...sort of my point of view. AND if Jack were a human and so were the rest of the guardians. but since i'm busy with a pile of fics, i aggravated myself with this. URGH. WHY DAMN IT!? Funny names are funny no? HAHAHAHA. anyways, tell me what'cha think okay?

So i decided to make this out of fun, and will probably update this when i feel like it.

Disclaimer: RotG belong to Dreamworks, any names here are purely and HIGHLY coincidental.

reuploaded: 12/10/12. You know that feeling when you've uploaded something but feel like something's missing or just had to fix up? Well...that's what I just did ;w; you'll know why. Read on~

Dear Readers, new or not, please note that this has been revamped for the umpteenth time due to heavy errors and me being a perfectionist and all

Spring.

February 10, 12:03 PM

Blank hazel eyes stares out the car window, as I sigh for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. I am met by this new environment surrounding me; it's so vast and wide and new. I sighed despondently once more as I buried my hands deeper into my pocket and slumped back on my seat, gazing out at the long highway I am to be yet to be familiar with.

Even through my earphones, I could still hear my Tito rambling over at the phone and my bubby 7-year old cousin's soft snores beside me. He's snuggled close to me for warmth, I tentatively withdrew my hand from my pocket allowing my ebony black hair to fall off my shoulders, and wrapped a secure arm around my snoring cousin, bringing him closer to me.

A soft smile that I was never aware of crossed upon my face as I stared down at my angelic looking cousin. I love kids as much as I love this little bundle of joy snoring beside me.

After ensuring him a good nap, I returned my attention out the window where I was met with a commercial ad after a sign after a commercial ad, after a poster sign. Signaling that I had already reach town, Burgess.

Mentally, I groan. This is it, my subconscious says. I feel alienated already. I mean, I'm not used to this kind of environment. I'm new here for crying out loud! My stomach unleashes a queasy uneasy feeling, mirroring my nervousness to this whole new world around me. Oh boy, this is happening.

The car stops at a red light. My uncle's rambling had died down and was now paying directing his attention to the radio, fumbling with the right radio station until he managed to settle with one.

I slumped once more into my seat, just wanting to get this over with.

My name?

Lia Ellen Dela Rosa.

16 years of age, standing 5'2 tall, with ebony black hair that stretches to my mid-back, round hazel brown eyes, chubby physique with a complexion that would be mistaken for a tan.

Can you guess my dilemma right now?

No?

Guess I'll tell you later then.

Anyways, after a while, the car started to move. My uncle turns to me and announces that we were almost there, I merely grunted lightly with a forced smile on my lips.

Don't get me wrong, he's my uncle and we have quite a good relationship.

Just ask my sleeping cousin, Bobby, beside me!

It's just that, I think he gets the whole 'I-need-some-time-silence-thingy' to me. For short, adjusting to a whole new continent to a whole new lifestyle to this mediocre living that I've probably witnessed more than a million times on television package.

A while later, the bustling little city was out of sight and replacing it is a quaint little village with homes built atop on small slopes, fresh cut green grass, smiling children running, a small park at the heart of the village, a monument of the town's founder and a little forest not far from this village. Rather, subdivision. The city was not far from here, probably just 20 to 30 minutes' walk from here tops or 15 if you have a bike or car or something.

I stared blatantly at the red, green, blue houses until I've realized that we're slowing down. The car stops right outside this 2-storey house with red bricked walls, brown roof, white windows and a teeny tiny flag I spot from the side I presume to be the kitchen. Rolling my eyes good naturedly, I gently shook my cousin awake, he was groaning unceremoniously that it made me chuckle heartily. I unbuckled my seat belt, hurriedly grabbed my backpack and helped myself out the door.

Oh yeah, this is happening. I thought to myself, taking a deep breath of this new air.

Spring air, which just doesn't feel the same, it's far from what I'm used to.

"LING!" an old voice calls of which I know so well.

Pivoting with my heel, a flour scent swarms over as this warm person is engulfing me into a big bear hug, swinging me around while giggling happily at me, my grandmother – Caridad Dela Rosa, or as we call her, Lola Carrie.

"LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIING! APO KO! MY GRANDDAUGHTER! I TAUGHT I'D NEVER SEE YOUR FACE AGAIN!" she wails to me happily, too happily in my case.

"H-Hi Lola…"I mumbled from her vice grip hug trying in vain to breathe.

Taking an arm's length from me, she takes time to take in my features. We haven't seen each other since she decided to immigrate here a few years back. She's your typical grandmother – round glasses, chubby round face assorted with wrinkles, big warm brown eyes, and gray hair in a bun with strands of white, dress underneath a sweater.

I on the other hand am just in my simple cropped jeans, yellow t-shirt, my favorite hoodie, and trusty almost worn-out checkered Vans and my trusty old cap. And then she starts cooing at me, weird old Lola.

"LING!" and there she goes again with that infamous nickname of mine "You're so pretty!" oh god how I'd love to roll my eyes on her. Of course she thinks I'm pretty, I'm her only female granddaughter. I'm her flesh of her flesh of her flesh, so of course she thinks I'm pretty. Even when I look plain Jane, she always thinks I'm pretty.

I say nothing, just giving her a faint smile as she leans close to kiss both my cheeks then cups it afterwards. Her wrinkly hands puff my cheeks as she looks at me proudly once more, her eyes crinkle with adoration.

"I'm so glad you're here hija," she says; dropping both hands and grabs my hand leading me towards my new home. "How was your flight?"

"Erhm, good, boring yet achingly numb to my nerves… "I admit, craning my neck to the side to prove my point.

She chuckles a bit. "Are you tired hija?"

I nod slowly. "All I did was sit, eat, read and observe during the whole duration of the flight." I grumbled as we neared the door.

When the front door opened, the faintest smell of pasta lingered throughout the house reaching my nose, as well as a few chatters that was heading towards our direction. The first person to show herself is my Tita Helen, she's Bobby's mom. She's where he got his dark hair and gleaming brown eyes. And a while later, I am engulfed into a big bear hug from Tita Helen who coos into my ear about how she's missed her only niece and how pretty I've turn out to be.

"LING! I AM SO HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE WITH US! YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS HIJA!"

I want to freaking roll my eyes at them.

Really, what is it with relatives and their tendency to call each and every one of their nieces pretty?

I am shifted though from the thought when I find two very familiar people in front of me. Two people I haven't seen or spoken to in a very long while – my mother and my father.

"Ling," my mother, Irene, croaks, unshed tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she hurriedly approaches to give me a hug. Behind her, I see my father, Galileo, watching me in awe. His identical hazel eyes like mine shine with recognition and affection.

"Lia," and soon he walk over to join my mother.

I am pent up with heavy emotions, unable to speak, unable to hug them back, and unable to return the fervor of their affections. From my eyesight, I can see my Tito holding unto my Grandmother as they watch us in tears. I hear my Uncle and cousin unloading my things from the car, trying to distract me of my thoughts, but fail at my two folks holding me.

For what seemed to be an eternity, they break away. They have one hand on my shoulder and hair, reliving the moment to take in that I am really here, with them. In the other side of the planet instead of being in my bunky dorm back at home. No longer a little girl, but a growing teenager at hand.

"Erhm," I clear my throat awkwardly causing everyone's eyebrow to raise in question. "C-Can I walk out a bit? I need to stretch out. You know jet lag and all…"

As soon as I'm out of the house, I find myself watching the kids play in this park. Somehow, I can manage easily finding this place and lead myself back without my cousin's help.

His full name is Bobby Andrew Valdez by the way, 7 years of age, loves arts and craft, dreams to be a painter and can mistakenly pass up as my little brother. Sporting a boyish disheveled black hair, coffee brown eyes and matching skin tone from that of mine.

Bobby and I are really close. Though we have a huge age gap and we communicate via Skype, he stills knows me better than anyone does. We have this bond together that is ever sacred and can never be broken. He could be my brother anytime of the day.

I watch as a bob of his disheveled black hair runs around with a few other kids, I assume to be his friends, play a game of tag. They laugh merrily, and I can't help fight this heavy feeling lodging up in my chest, how I miss my friends.

So, can you tell my dilemma now? Not yet? Well, I'll tell you in a little while.

So, as I watch my cousin have fun while a pang of heavy emotions get me, I tear away and find myself walking towards some trees nearby. I study them before finding one I deem climbable – this old pine tree with really sturdy trunks and barks. I take the branches with both hands and pull myself up, furthering hoisting myself from the branches and lift myself higher, climbing at a fast pace without looking back. Once I've found a good spot, I settled comfortably 3-feet off the ground and dangle off my legs with my back against the tree trunk. The playground was just close from here so I'll be okay. Plus, Bobby will have an idea as to where I am sooner or later.

Staring from the tree branches, I take in once more this quaint little subdivision that will soon be my humble town in a few weeks.

Funny how this place already feels empty and unfamiliar. The smell of fresh pine and flowers are all too eerily inviting to take in. Children's laughing was a familiar sound, but not so much as the ones I'm used to. Clean roads, well-painted playground and colored houses were all too…frustratingly unusual for me to take in. I find myself taking deep breathes as I take in my surroundings.

A few weeks.

A few freaking weeks.

A few weeks of adjusting in this environment, then to this neighborhood, then to town, and then to this new world.

A few freaking weeks would not be enough to be used to.

But then, what choice do I have?

I bring my knees closer to my chest, wrapping my arms around them as I bury my face.

I know I told myself that I'll be okay and I'll manage, but I never forgot that it was always easier said than done. Everything was a lot more difficult than I had expected it to be.

I feel so alone all of a sudden.

"Hey, are you okay?" a foreign voice asks me, shaking me off my thoughts by surprise.

I look around me, finding the owner of the voice but find nothing. I could have sworn I heard someone.

"Ha…?"

"Up here." The voice calls from above me. And the way how deep the voice sounded, I assumed it was a boy.

I look up only to find a blur of brown and red dropping in front of me, I shrieked in shock. A light chuckle condoned after. I then realized that he's hanging upside down in front of me - A pair of his mystifying dark amber orbs staring straight down into my hazel ones, while he has this carefree lopsided grin on his face. Those dark amber orbs take me by surprise; they are far most the most amazing eyes I've ever seen. Almost completely matching his brown locks if that was even possible.

"Hiya~" he greets, fanning my face with his hot breath.

"H-Hi." I quietly greet back, my tone almost in question as I fidget in place. He was too close damn it. And though we just met, I can't help but find myself losing into those alluring orbs of his. He gazes at me curiously.

"U-Uh…" I stammer, awkwardness filling the air. "Aren't you gonna get dizzy from hanging like that?" I ask, cocking my head to one side questionably.

He mirrors my look, and then hums in his throat. Realization got to him and before I know it, he swiftly drops from the branch he's hanging to and helps himself to sit across me. A good distance set between us to my relief.

Now I can fully take in this strange guy, scruffy dark brown locks with matching dark amber orbs, peach skin dressed in a red plaid shirt with a white undershirt, loose jeans and a pair of running shoes. He looks my age, possibly older.

"What's your name?" he inquires me, grinning ear to ear.

I furrow my brows, not used to this kind of introduction. But before I can stop myself, my mouth acts on its own, "L-Lia Ellen Dela Rosa." I just said my full name, I want to punch myself.

"Lia?" he repeats and I nod, his smile widens and I get a glimpse of his pearly white teeth. "I'm Jack, Jack Snow."

"Okay…umm, h-hi Jack Snow." His grin widens again.

"You're new here aren't you?" My mouth tightens into a line, and then I nod meekly.

"Cool." Was all he said, and I suspect that he's gonna ask where I live being a sudden creep. But he surprises me with his next question: "Are you okay?"

My head quickly rises in a flash to him; I'm gaping if I'm aware that I am. "Ha?"

He stares at me in shock, a gentle shock. "I heard you, breathing. Like, hard. It woke me from my nap. I think you were hyperventilating. Are you okay?"

"I-I was?" Whoa, I wasn't aware that I was.

He nods, putting hands in front of him as he inches his face closer to gaze at me seriously. Seriously, that was getting me. His dark amber eyes were getting to me, almost like, staring into my soul.

"Are you okay?" he asks once more, sincerely this time.

For a moment, I feel cornered. He's a cat, and I'm a mouse. He's got me cornered, I'm not going anywhere. He got me. Closing my eyes to this realization, I rub my temples to soothe my nerves knowing that he's not gonna leave me be. My first day and I get to be interrogated by this random guy.

"No," I find myself confessing to him as I breathe, parting my fingers to peek at him. He stays rather impassive, but focuses his attention to me. He wants to know more.

"I-I…I feel…homesick."

There, I said it – my dilemma.

I'm not from here and I don't feel completely at ease here.

"You're much more than not from around here?" I hear him ask in bewilderment, dark amber orbs widen in surprise.

I nod my head, back slumping against the trunk dejectedly.

"Where're you from?"

"Cagayan de Oro City." A single thick brow rose in question, I sigh. "Philippines."

He's quiet for a while. I watch him impassively, staring at me intently before he says "…whoa"

I smile sadly at his response. I was kinda expecting that kind of response of no-sympathy, and frankly, I don't have time to fill him with more. But he takes me by surprise.

"What made you come here?"

My brows furrow, I look up from beneath my lashes still leaning against the tree trunk to watch him across me with those curious dark amber eyes.

"My folks, they wanted me to live with them and give me a better life than I had back home, or so they thought."

"Why do you say that?"

I scoff before stopping myself. I forgot, kids like them have an easy life here than we have back at home. They don't live in a country struggling to make ends meet, where living had almost seemed impossible. They don't have parents having to push themselves to work abroad and leave their children just so they could earn profit for their needs. They have it all here, the easy life, good food, shelter, a promising lifestyle and the tendencies of being a family. The total opposite of what I had back at home.

But surprisingly, I find myself telling this, to Jack Snow, an itty bitty detail of my derange, deluded-like, but happy life I had back at home.

"…the end." I finish, I'm surprised that I managed to tell a complete stranger a bit of my story line when I should try and adjust to this new continent while I'm at it. But what really surprises me is that, the whole time I was talking, sharing and revealing unwanted scraps of my life, he was listening. Paying attentively to every word I say, assessing my mood and never wavering his perfectly round dark amber eyes of his. It felt like he knew me better than anyone else, understood me better.

"Ate Lia?" somebody suddenly calls my name from a distance; Jack doesn't look away from me. I shift a bit from my spot.

"Ate Lia?" he calls again and I can tell that he's below us and I gradually look down. My face automatically softens at the sight of Bobby; he knows where to find me, that smart kid.

Without looking at Jack, I climb down the branches and jump down, landing on my two good feet. Walking towards my dear young cousin, I playfully ruffle his black hair. Bobby looks at me, curiously unaffected by my sudden action. Behind him, there's a girl around his age with hair and awfully familiar eyes that's lighter from the boy I was with. She was rather cute, especially with the mole on the left side of her face.

"Who's your friend Bobby?" I ask, curious to know her name and because I caught a slight flush on his face when I looked her way.

"Ah, erm…w-well…" he begins to stammer.

Then another kid walks next to her, this time, which of which has a cute unkempt brown hair with gleaming light brown eyes, so they're both watching us expectantly. I almost hear him sigh in relief at the arrival of his other friend. He grabs my hand and tugs me toward them.

"These are my two best friends! Guys, this is my cousin, Ate Lia. She's from the Philippines." I wave at them with a smile, they do the same. Oh how I love kids.

"Ate, this is Emma Snow," he points to the girl, his flush ever evident. "Hi!" she says happily that I could die, she was seriously too cute. She was wearing a light red jumper with a white blouse underneath and wore simple tennis shoes.

"And this is Jamie Bennett." Bobby addresses to the boy all clad in yellow shirt, simple blue jeans and sneakers smiles at me the same way he did when he first saw me.

I could be good friends with these kids, I think. I adore kids, plus, I get along with them better anyway. Before I am to be engaged into a friendly conversation with these adorable kids, someone behind us asks, "What does 'Ate' mean?"

The voice is immediately familiar that I had almost forgotten that there was someone else up that tree other than me; he does not sound the slightest bit happy. Curious he is, yes, but annoyed that he was left out, that he is.

Looking over my shoulder, I am met with Jack's rather annoyed face directed straight at me. I manage to smile apologetically.

"Jack?" Emma is suddenly happier at the sight of him, rushing to his side and hugging his torso. He chuckles down at her.

"Heya Em," he says, his expression softening down at her as he strokes her hair affectionately.

"Hey Jack!" Jamie and Bobby say in unison, the brunette looks up and waves.

"Yo Bobby and Jamie." He walks toward us with Emma still hugging his torso, until he's a good distance away from me. It is then that I notice his albeit tall stature, a head and a half taller than me I estimated.

"So what does 'Ate' mean?" he repeats the question, completely unaware of my keen observation. I inwardly roll my eyes. This guy does not drop his questions.

"Ate?" Jamie tries to pronounce the word confusingly. He succeeds though.

"It means 'big sister' in Filipino, you use it to address a girl older than you." Bobby explains to Jack. Jack in return turns to me and smirks. I think I find that smirk rather annoying.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

His smirk widens if possible. "Heh, sixteen eh?"

"Are you calling me old?" He shrugs playfully.

"Cool, you're the same age as Jack!" Jamie exclaims.

I pointedly stare at him blankly. He smirks right back at me. I avert my gaze down to the kids, not wanting those dark amber orbs to get to me.

"Are you staying here long?" Jamie asks.

Sigh. "Fortunately, yes. I just got here by lunch."

"What made you come here?" Emma asks. The question stabs me deep that I almost flinch, gladly no one notices.

"M-my folks." I silently mumble, feeling myself die inside. I don't let it show.

Soon after, I find myself being bombarded with questions by a couple of 7-year olds. I feel like a celebrity all of a sudden, the attention on me is unnerving. But thank god these are just kids. Them, I can deal with just fine. But with peers my age like Jack, that's gotta be hard to start with.

Speaking of which, he hasn't been asking me much questions. Instead, all he does is watch me from the side. It's as if he was observing me, studying even. His questions involve of – my favorite color, my mediocre height and such. It was unnerving. Somewhat, I had shifted to his side andI'm surprised that I suddenly feel familiar and comfortable with him already, for day one.

So now we're walking home.

And by we, it's me, Jack, my cousin, Bobby and Emma.

Little Jamie Bennett had gone home first after remembering about some chores that had to be done leaving us to note that it was getting darker and that we should be getting home too. I'm left to wonder if he lives near because I'd love to hang out with him again. He's a fun kid.

As we walk home, Jack is beside me while Emma and Bobby walk in front of us. They're having a lively conversation about school-

Shoot! I almost forgot about school!

Wait, it's a Friday today…so technically that means.

I let out a heavy breath of relief. I have time to adjust to a lot of things here by then, Thank God.

"Say, you're alright are you?"

And there he goes again. I sigh.

"Are you always going to ask me questions?" I snap not looking at him but at the darkening sky above us.

He shrugs with a smile.

"Depends, you're quite a mystery Li."

My brows furrow together. Wow, never been addressed before. That's an amusing statement.

"Huh, never thought I'd see the day that I'd be a mystery to someone."

Jack chuckles lightly, "You're also quite funny, and I'll give you that. But now you do," he smirks genuinely at me, "You're a mysteriously funny individual Lia."

Those words take me back. I'm flushing red as a beet. Thankfully, he doesn't notice. I gingerly look at him shyly, cursing the gods for those damn amber eyes for seeing right through me.

"You're a creep Jack Snow," I shove, walking onward "I hope you know that."

Jack chuckles once more and scurries behind me. "Only for you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Secret~"

I roll my eyes at him.

"By the way, how is it that you're speaking perfect English?"

"..."

Dear God, please give me the strength not to hit him.

"It's a second language. My Grandmother was very keen with us speaking English rather than our native tongue."

"...what's that supposed to mean?"

I shrug, "Beats me."

Jack smirks amusingly. And he's beginning to get on my nerves and I don't get the feeling if it's a good thing or not. I turn away from him and continue head-on, silence filing between us two. Unwelcoming silence goes between us and a distance of just a few inches.

"About what Emma said back then…" Jack quietly says, and I stop walking.

Bobby and Emma haven't noticed us two so very behind them, so the distance is safe for us to have this talk.

He shuffles nervously "I'm sorry about that."

It takes me a while to realize what he's talking about before I shrug it off. "You noticed that?"

He nods.

I shuffle a bit, feigning sad emotions away.

"Well don't be. What's done is done…and after all, It looks like I'll be here in a while whether I like it or not."

Jack stares at me dubiously, dark amber eyes staring at me in disbelief. I think I've revealed too much to him already. The next few moments are left with us walking silently.

We're nearing my place. I can tell because I suddenly notice that there is a big tree between my house and my neighbor's. A few meters away from our house and Bobby is already inside, Jack sprints by me to meet up with his sister. He whispers something to her ear before she nods politely and heads off to the house right next to ours.

…

…

…

The house next to ours.

The house next to ours…is theirs.

Their house.

Jack and Emma Snow's humble abode.

Their house is right next to ours.

…

…

…

SAY WHAT!?

I am gaping in shock, darting from her retreating form, to Jack, my house then to Emma's retreating form, Jack, my house, Emma, Jack, house, Emma, Jack, house with my fingers mirroring me.

"W-We-W-We're n-neighb-bors?" I am in shock, not comprehending the situation at hand. Jack seems amused at my shock, smirking like the devil as he nods.

I shut my eyes quickly and bury my face into my hands, forcing myself to laugh ironically but fail miserably as I sit on our fence. Jack is unfazed though as he calmly approaches me, he never stops creeping me out this guy. I swear.

"If anyone asks, tell them I'm depressed and trying to retain myself with a forced fit of laughter." I tell him sarcastically. He's watching me in amusement I think.

"So do you need a friend to go with that?" Jack says casually burying his hands into his pocket, sitting beside me with an assuring smile. And I find myself gawking at him, about to ask if he's serious when I remember who I'm talking to. I let out a defeated sigh.

"You are really such a creep Jack Snow," he's about to retort, but I beat him to it with a punch to his shoulder "But okay, you'll be my friend Jack Snow."

So that's how my friendship with Jack Snow began…oh boy.

Yeah, it's weird.

His sister's name is Emma because it seemed like it suited her and because in the movie and based from my observation, they lived in the early years of America and i felt the name matched. I laughed at the surname 'Snow' because that was the only name that came to mind. You guys will have a laugh at the rest of the guardian's names soon.

btw: Tito means uncle, Tita is aunt,Lola means grandmother, and Ate is big sister. In our place, you can address those titles to people you aren't familiar with. It's a very polite mannerism we Filipinos have.

I added that second language thing because I thought it was accurate.

So please tell me what'cha think of it please.

And as you write me a review or laugh at my horrendous fic, excuse me as I go in a corner and bawl about everything. /sobs

12/30/12. There are things that I must do to kill anxieties. HAHAHA. But srsly, changed info that's been bothering me.