Chapter 1

"Hmmph."

Jack sighed as he rolled over. He was uncomfortable in this big four poster bed. Silently he wished for the coziness of a snowbank, but his personal room at the Pole was still being remodeled. North wouldn't let Jack ice anything because this was his best guest room, and he refused to let Jack sleep outside either. He had replied with a "hmmph" of his own to that idea.

"Don't trust you, Jack. Might run off before month is up." North had said with a raised eyebrow and reproachful look in his direction.

Jack had now been an official Guardian for 8 days, and though he liked the attention and belief, after 300 years of being on his own, it was starting to get to him. The Guardians weren't all hard work and deadlines, he thought as he lay on the bed, they were togetherness and hug times. He appreciated all the embraces and pats, as he had barely been touched by any spirit for years. Seriously, though, couldn't a guy walk in the room without getting hit by an avalanche?

Getting up, Jack went over to the one window in his room and looked out. And was greeted by a furry thumb's up and cheeky grin. Phil the yeti seemed to have been assigned to making sure he stayed put for this one-month thing. Jack groaned and leapt back on the bed, grabbing his staff off the chair next to it. He quickly iced the bedsheets. Too bad for North. Then he settled in. How had he gotten into this?

8 days before, as they were leaving his pond, Jack ached. He had been thrown down an ice trench by Pitch and fallen from the sky with only a dumpster to break his fall. Part of being immortal (or maybe half-dead) was that he didn't feel all the pain, but it still hurt. A lot. At the moment though, he didn't care. His brain had finally caught up to him. Jack started crying, for only the second time in his 300 years of immortality.

"Sandy! You're alive!" He collided with the Sandman. "You're alive, little man!" Jack hadn't realized how attached he had gotten to all the Guardians until Sandy "died". The golden spirit smiled up at him, then saw the dark circles under Jack's eyes. He flashed out some symbols, his smile turning into a frown.

Bunny answered. "You've only been out for a couple of days, mate. But a lot's happened."

"Go over details later," added North, "but now, to other Guardians' homes! We need rest. To the Warren!" The last words he roared to a snow globe as Bunny fell to the floor, his motion sickness back. He was only riding in the sleigh because the little kiddies probably shouldn't see any more of his tunnels, so as not to give them any ideas. Besides, they'd think it was weird if the big Pooka didn't leave with the others . . . in the sleigh. North smashed the globe, and into the Warren they flew. Bunny leaped over the side.

"Thanks, mate! No thanks to that bloody sleigh," he added under his breath. "Meeting in a week at the Pole?

"Yes, Bunny," said North, but he was interrupted by Jack, who leapt lithely up on the sleigh's side and shouted, "See you soon, then, Kangaroo!" Everyone laughed, even Bunny, who simply replied, "See you there, Frostbite!" Then he hurried deeper into the Warren before Frost could ice his whiskers.

They dropped Tooth off at her restored palace, where she immediately began gathering her fairies to recollect all the teeth Pitch had stolen. Sandy was left on his slowly re-growing dreamsand island.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" asked Jack. "You just came back from the dead."

Sandy gave a determined nod. He threw up a sand pillow and a few ZZZ's then an arrow pointed at Jack and North.

The two spirits reluctantly left Sandy in the sleigh. North turned to Jack. "I don't know where you want to go, but Pole is always open."

Jack gave him the tired grin that North noted he always hid his feelings behind. "Thanks, North, but the bustle of the Pole isn't what I need right now. I need peace, quiet, and maybe a couple of penguins. I'm going to head for Antarctica."

North reached for a snow globe, but Jack stopped him. "I'm just going to fly. I could use the thinking time." He floated up from the sleigh. North reached up to pat him on the back, but Jack flinched away. "Sorry," he said blushing. "Not quite used to all the physical contact yet."

"It is okay, Jack," said North, retracting his hand. "But will be at the Pole in one week, yes?"

"I'll be there," said Jack, his grin coming back again. "But you might want to be prepared. You did spend 300 years keeping me, Jack Frost, out, after all." And he flew off, with a gust of his friend Wind that almost tipped the sleigh.

North chuckled. "The boy will be good for the Guardians," he thought aloud. "We need this fun."