Broken Shells

Chapter 1: The rabbit's run…

(This does not mean all the rabbits run away. A run in a warren is a tunnel. The title is the Rabbit's (possession) run. His tunnel, or in this case his tunnel vision. )

My first Guardians fic..please be kind.

Pitch had returned, and had been defeated. It should have been at time for great joy, but no one celebrated as they returned to the Pole. North held the door open for Bunnymund who tried not to hop in. In his arms Tooth lay barely conscious. "Easy Love I got ya." Bunny tried to keep a positive note to his voice.

From the hallway Jack protested with the Babyteeth that began to congregate around the doorway. "No please let them look her over."

Bunny turned slightly, still holding the weak fairy in his arms. "Let them in, she needs them now." Bunny said quietly as he moved forward to the window and laid her out on the little berth. His paw came up over her head, his ears lay flat on his head. "Awe Tooth."

She gave a weak smile and reached up and touched his face. "I'll be okay." She nodded and winced.

Bunny shook his head looking at North. "What do we do?"

North pulled a quit out of a drawer built into the berth. "For now; let her rest." He said and lowered the quilt over the fairy. "BabyTeeth need to keep working." He said. "Some may stay; others must collect teeth for Tooth."

Bunny nodded. "Hear that little sprites?" The babyteeth flew down into the blanket with their keeper and nestled quietly with her. Cooing and rubbing against her arms and neck. "Awe come now someone's got to go manage the teeth collection." He sighed softly. d

Jack entered behind the two older Guardians and sighed. "Is there anything I can do?"

Bunny's head turned a moment. "Yeah Mate, warm water and a wash cloth would be great now." He took Tooth's hand his full attention on her.

North nodded turning. "Come we will collect."

Jack gave a longing look back at Bunnymund. "Is He going to be okay?" He asked the Guardian of Wonder.

"He …pines for her." North said almost sadly.

Jack had a double take backward. "He's in love with her?"

"Da." North nodded. "Long time, she states she is far too busy." North shrugged. "It is between them."

Jack blinked. "And here I thought the Hare was a grouchy loner."

North laughed softly. "Much to learn you do." He nodded gently.

Bunny smiled as he held her tiny hand in his rather large paw. It was almost lost in the fur between the little pads on his fingers and plam. "Tooth I-" he couldn''t speak. "Just…don't make me leave." He asked.

"Look I know ya …don't need some Love crazed rabbit following ya …stalking ya." He rolled his eyes. "But please; don't make me go right now."

Tooth smiled as she pet his face softly. "You cannot stay forever." Her voice was low and soft.

"Easter is months off I have time." He said softly. "I um can go manage your Tooth collections." He offered and she shook her head and looked down at her baby teeth.

The baby teeth rose up out of the quilt and came to Tooth kissing her face before flittering off. "Tooth I-" Bunnymund was at a loss. "It's me isn't it?" he frowned.

Tooth shook her head. "No." She turned her head to the doorway. "It's him." She murmured.

Sanny nervously stood at the door. Bunnymund looked back and nodded and stood backing away. "All yours Mate." He said with no animosity at all. Sadly, Dejectedly; he moved into the hallway.

His chest felt tight and his paws balled into fists as he tapped the ground with his foot and vanished through the rabbit hole that appeared.

North and Jack came around the corner to see the hole close up in the floorboards and they looked at one another. "Sandy must be here." North said softly and turned into the room. "SANDY!"

Jack felt unease in his mind as he walked with North and looked at the floor just before passing into the room.

Bunnymund looked around the area and smiled. Some of his eggs appeared and rubbed at his long feet. "Hey little ones." He lifted them up in his paw. "I got ya." He said and moved to one of his stone guardians. "I'll be taking a bit of a nap my friends…keep watch." The stone guards complied by lining up and sinking into the earth.

Bunnymund turned to his main tunnel and bolted down the run into his den. The small warren of one was very sparse. He didn't have any possessions aside from the large wall of brushes.

He turned to the large dent in the earth and smiled. Sunlight streamed in through a hole in the top of his den onto the large green patch of grass. He leaned down lowering the eggs into the small bed and then crawled in over the top of them to lay against the wall in the sun.

He fought, and barely managed to keep his emotions in check. This was doing him no good, fighting a loosing battle. He didn't want to fight anymore and all he wished was that he could free himself of the pain.

His back legs splayed out behind him he rolled onto his side, little eggs rolling up close into his fur. "Aster you're killing yourself over this." He shook his head and sighed lowering his head down his ears coming down over his eyes to rest over his three eggs. "Rest little monsters or I won't be able to." The eggs stilled as the rabbit did the same.

Jack blinked as he shut the door to North's private workshop. "He just left."

"Has lot on his mind." North explained. "You cannot ask him to stay if he feels he cannot."

"Will you at least go talk to him or something?" Jack plead holding out his hand and staff. "You know him better than I do."

North's gaze turned on the boy but it wasn't unkind. "What would you have me say? It's fine Bunny, Everything Okay Bunny? He will not listen; this you know."

Jack sighed. "He's our friend."

North nodded. "Da, but so is Tooth, and her injuries far outweigh a broken heart." He said softly placing a hand on Jack's shoulder. "He will in time come to see that." Turning he looked around. "COOKIES!" he called and elves began to scamper about him.

Jack had to hand it to North, for diplomacy he was pretty good. That said, however; he didn't feel any better. "North?"

North turned to him. "Yes Jack?"

"Talk to him." It was a very quiet little plea. "If only for a moment just, Please…Talk to him."

North's round eyes softened and he nodded. "For you, I shall do this." He insisted. "But if he does not listen…"

Jack held up his hands. "Than we tried, and cannot say we didn't." He smirked. "Thanks North."

"You need not thank me." North said. "But you could help the Yetis with their tasks…"

"Sure." Jack smirked and turned to exit the room as North picked up the snow globe on his desk.

to be continued