I own nor Rise of the Guardians neither the song.

This is a first in many ways, first story published, first rotg fic, firts songfic... unlike English, which is totally not my first language. Don't be too harsh.

Since it was kindly pointed out to me that it's not quite legal to do what I did, which is including quotations of a lyrics, try to imagine it's there, or listen to the song while reading. Have fun!

Guard you

After Jack died, everything turned terrible. She hadn't realized how much she had been relying on her big brother, but that was not the only thing she missed about him.

And then there was the guilt. It haunted here every single day and night, after all she was the cause of his death. And that's exactly what brought Pitch to her eventually. He became curious what kept his nightmares away from her, when there were no traces of golden dream sand. It was her own nightmares. He hadn't planned to stay, but he couldn't stay away. She would wake up from nightmares every night and the be comforted by the Nightmare King himself. At first, they didn't talk, then just a little, and by the time she turned sixteen, they spent half the nights talking, only half, because she still had to sleep.

And then she died. A war killed her, just as it killed so many others. Pitch, for the first time in his life, begged for Man in Moon's help, because for the first time, someone mattered.

And, as surprising as it is, Manny helped him. She came back, and now her name was Valentina, Tina for short, spirit of love and passion. No-one believed in her of course, but at least they had a Valentine's day. No matter, she would sing to them to wake their hearts. Then she met Jack. Though his colors weren't the same, it still didn't take more then a few seconds to recognize him. At first, she was overjoyed.

But he kept looking at her with that blank expression that broke her heart into little pieces. Jack didn't remember her. Then her pain turned into anger: the Man in Moon didn't let him. It took great efforts and a few decades for Pitch to calm her. But no matter what, she would go and talk to him, so that he would be a bit less lonely.

It was a bit less than three hundred years after her death that Pitch decided to attack the Guardians. She had nothing against it, she still held a grudge against Manny, and Jack wasn't involved anyway. Except he became involved when Man in Moon made him a Guardian. Tina's anger was nothing when she first met her brother in his immortal life compared to this time.

She refused to fight, and Pitch refused to give up. "It is exactly what he wants, I cannot let that happen." he said. He also promised never to harm Jack.

So, while Pitch was fighting, she was trying to remember the old Jack, who knew her and who loved her. Then Pitch came back with the news: he got Jack's baby teeth, and in them, his memories. For the first time in over two centuries, she had hope again. But at the worst moment possible, her job called her away, and when she got back, she found her brother in a huge crack of the ice of the Arctic. He was alone, hopeless ans seemingly at the verge of crying.

She sat down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and down to his lap again. In his hands, he held the little golden box containing his memories.

"You should watch them." she whispered. And so he did. When he came to his senses, he watched her for a moment with teary eyes, then hugged her. "I'm glad you are safe, little sister." he said. She hugged him so tightly, she didn't want to lose him ever again.

"But I saw you with Pitch many times. He is evil, how can you stay with him?" he asked when they both calmed. She looked at him sadly.

"He is not evil, you know. He is just not a spirit for children." she explained.

"What do you mean?"

"I know you never really had to grow up, but when you do, you have to face your fears and fight them. He helps with that. To learn that there isn't always somebody there to protect you from everything." He hung his head in shame.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, that I couldn't remember you." he said.

"It's okay, it wasn't your fault." She sent a glare towards the Moon.

"How come you are here?" He asked after a while. "And will you help us?" he looked hopeful.

"I'm afraid I'm not Guardian material. You see, I'm not a spirit for children either." she replied. "After all, have you seen any children in love?"

"Of course!" he exclaimed. "All those kids in the kindergarten, holding hands and kissing..." She couldn't hold her laughter.

"That's not exactly what I meant. I meat life-long love and passion." She said after she calmed down. He blushed. "Wait, you have never experienced that, have you?" she asked as realization hit her. Even though he had both longer mortal and immortal lives than her, in some ways, he was much more immature.

"Wait, have you?" he asked suddenly. She nodded. "Who? I have never seen anyone, and I went back to the village pretty often..." he seemed curious. Then he looked at her and knew. "That little shit, kidnapping Tooth's fairies isn't enough, he had to touch my little sister too! I will go beat him up!"

"Fine, your new friends probably need some help anyway, just don't hurt him too badly, you know, I still love him!" she shouted after him as he flew away with his freshly mended staff. Pitch would have to forgive her, after all, she just got back her brother after a three hundred year long wait.