He smiles at Aster, and although it is obviously sincere, Aster can still see the pain behind his dimmed blue eyes. Although he and Jack never usually see eye to eye, he can't say he doesn't care deeply for the boy and seeing him like this is unnerving. Jack's childish and mischievous nature can get a little on the pooka's nerves sometimes, but it is a constant in his life and something that Aster has found himself depending on in times of crisis.
And yet, it's not as constant as he thought as he looks down at Jack, who's returned his attention to the eggs. He murmurs a question, the nervousness permeating his voice, and although he tries to quickly dismiss it, Aster won't let him get away with it so easily.
"What are yah kiddin', Frostbite? S'not stupid. 'Course I stuck around a bit; wanted tah see the look on those little ankle-biter's faces once they got a load of my prize googies."
Aster smiles, his thoughts returning to the times he spent in Burgess, hiding eggs in trees, bushes and underneath piles of snow for the children of the town to find. Their screams of delight filled the air and because he kept himself well-hidden he was always able to see the looks of utter happiness that graced each of their features once they discovered their prize eggs.
"There weren't many believers back in Burgess when I visited, not that that ever stopped me ya know? I was determined to spread Easter cheer wherever I could, even if a few ankle-biters didn't seem to think I was all that."
Aster grimaced slightly, thinking back to the times he had been spotted once or twice, the children never seeming to register his existence. They thought that their parents were responsible for the eggs that were laid out each Easter morning and although he grumbled at the thought, he understood why they would think such a thing...
Yet there were always exceptions. One in particular, seemed to come to the front of his mind, her likeness reminding him of someone he'd seen...
"Actually, yah kinda reminded me of one of my well favourites ya know? Every Guardian has a few, ya know? It's not just you and Jamie. Take North for example, he's absolutely smitten with these pair of Russian twins but between you and me I'm really sure the bugger's just in love with their cookie recipe. And well for me.. There's been a few, and well they're long gone now but I still remember'em from time tah time. One was right here in Burgess. A little girl. She was an excitable little bugger, always chasing after me tail, she never caught me though. Kinda wish she had, to be perfectly honest..."
Maybe than she wouldn't have forgotten about me, Aster wanted to say but he held his tongue. He wouldn't burden Jack with that. Save that deep and meaningful session for later. Later being never.
She had never seen him up close but each time he graced the village of Burgess with his presence, he'd noticed her eyes following his movements in the trees and bushes. He wondered about showing himself to her once or twice but those were the days of old, when Guardians did their jobs and they did them well-hidden. Interaction with children wasn't exactly on their lists of things to do.
Yet one day when he visited that village yet again, he noticed her absence almost immediately. Thinking the worst, he had returned home heartbroken. It was silly really. It was only one child. But she believed in him. And the loss of a believer was more than he could bear in those days. He had already lost so much. He almost considered leaving Burgess out that next year but he couldn't bear the thought of causing the children any sadness and so he continued.
And each year he searched fervently for her but she had stopped coming to the lake, and had stopped searching for him. And so eventually he filed her away in his memory, until Jack brought her back.
"Why'd yah ask, Frosty? Didja know someone back here? A sweetheart or somethin'? 'Ey?"