I know I've been away for too long and I know this chapter is way too short, but real life has been terrible to me. I apologize for the huge delay but I promise I'll be back soon with a good chapter. For now, I hope you enjoy this one.

Chapter IV.

It had taken him a good couple of hours of silence and Wind's gentle, soothing touches to finally start believing what that weird version of Bunnymund had told him. The enchanted forest surrounding Santoff Claussen was the perfect place to clean his mind and try to comprehend what had just happened to him, even if it still needed to make some sense. It was just... too much. Too much to think about, to understand, to accept. He had been dragged to another universe by a different version of someone he already knew because of some... failed experiments. And that Bunnymund was simply... nothing like the giant grumpy Easter Bunny he had met before. If he had gotten it right, every Guardian he had met had their own versions in this new place... Well it wasn't like his life couldn't become even more messed up than it already was. First being brought back by Man in Moon only to be left alone for three hundred years, then the Guardians and their little war with Pitch Black, and now that. What else could happen? A soft sigh escaped Jack's lips as he slammed his head against the tree supporting him, the sudden bolt of pain that rushed down his spine forcing his logical mind to accept it wasn't a dream nor a nightmare - as if he still had any doubt about it. He had been completely awake for that whole week, being touched by people, talking and playing with them as if it was just another normal day of his life.

So why...why couldn't he simply accept the truth?

Because if it's true... a voice replied gently, almost sounding like his own. It was something that sounded deep, barely a whisper cutting through the fog that consumed his mind in that moment. They'll try to send you back. And you don't wanna leave.

He scoffed at his own thoughts before it him him with the finesse of a punch.
He didn't want to leave.

Why would he, after all? That strange, inexplicable week had been the best days of his entire life. No one had ignored him or walked through him. Everyone could see him! Santoff Claussen was a place beyond imagination, ready to be explored through and through. Maybe the bright boy (Nightlight that was his name) could be the perfect company for some new adventures! And for the first time in forever Bunnymund had been... so nice to him (and it didn't matter if it was a different version of Bunnymund, it didn't matter at all), offering him chocolate and a clear explanation of what had happened... why would he want to leave this perfect place? Why would he want to go back to being walked through, ignored, casted away because he didn't have the same experience the Guardians had, because he was different from them... the old wood of his staff creaked almost painfully under his sudden tight grip and the winter child let go of it, resting the conduit between his crossed ankles, adjusting himself into a more comfortable position on the branch.

Well, he could always blame everyone in the magical village for spoiling him with so much attention, for treating him like a lost child that had nowhere else to go.

Another scoff. He had nowhere else to go, no home nor nothing but the Wind by his side. His lake started to mean less and less since the day he recovered his memories (because how was he supposed to feel at ease on the same place he had died?) and the Guardians... Pitch would become a good guy the day Jack Frost considered the Guardians of Childhood his family.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?"

The winter child took a moment to recognize the voice that reached his ears, blue eyes scanning the ground below until he finally spotted the girl. Katherine, if he remembered it well. She was smiling as before, yet there was something different about her smile. Something quite sad... or maybe he was just a little paranoic because of the whole situation. It wasn't like he knew her well enough to point if something was wrong or not. But he should worry about her, shouldn't he? For good or ill, he was still a Guardian (and he was still trying to understand why he took that blasted vow that day) and he was supposed to watch over every child in the world - and for a moment, his childish mind decided to wonder if he should really follow it, because that was surely a different world and those things shouldn't even been taking seriously, because for once it'd be nice to have someone looking for him instead... and she was talking to him again. Jack quickly pushed the silly thoughts away and forced himself to pay attention to whatever she was saying now.

"...said he can fix the machine to take you home." And in that right moment he felt his heart sink deeper than ever before. Going back was just... the last thing he wanted. He couldn't go back to that life of solitude. He didn't want to, and for a second he felt like an infant crying over some toy that had been taken away, but he allowed himself to feel so pathetic. There was no one around to jugde him but Katherine, yet he noticed her expression changing ever so slowly until she seemed to finally understand his reaction - or some part of it, at least. "You... don't have a home, Jack?"

He couldn't help but look away, suddenly uncomfortable in his own skin. He hadn't talked about that, about the centuries of loneliness he had faced, to no one in Santoff Claussen. He had been too busy having fun and playing and just... being himself around people that wanted him around. Why would he ruin a perfect week full of fun with those stupid, gruesome details about his life? He didn't need people pitying him, thank you very much. Katherine sighed from her spot on the ground and moved slowly to sit on the base of the tree, arms wrapped around her knees, looking strangely sad. He considered going down to give her some comfort but again, he knew almost nothing about her. How was he supposed to comfort someone when he didn't know what was going on? Instead Jack welcomed the silent moment that passed by and Wind's soft touches on his hair, brushing it away from his face.

It was so peaceful...

And he thought about the fights with Bunnymund, about how the Guardians refused to understand him, his manners. He loved Jamie and the other kids of Burgess, he truly did, but... only that wasn't enough anymore. He wondered when it had been enough, and he couldn't find an answer. Why would he want go back to all of that, all the suspicion and rejection, if he had so many wonderful things in here, at Santoff Claussen? It was true he didn't belong there (he had fallen through a dimensional portal or whatever Bunnymund had called it), but for the first time in a long time... he wanted to belong. But what if something happened because of him, of his little travel and Ombric and the others decide to send him back home? That wasn't an option he'd like to think about right now... Jack groaned, smacking his head against the poor trunk that had nothing to do with his sudden frustration. Why did things have to be so complicated?

"You could stay, if you want to." Katherine said at some point, the soft sound of pages being turned filling the air. "After the last battle with Pitch... everything changed. We could use some extra help."

Oh right. They had their own, twisted version of Pitch Black here.
Jack almost laughed at the irony.

"I just... need some time to sort things out. It's been a long day."

She didn't reply right away, and he never noticed the exact moment Katherine started reading one of her stories loudly, too lost in his own thoughts to really pay attention to anything else... but ever so slowly, the gentleness of her voice and the Wind's cold touches lulled him into sleep.

To be continued...

I'm not sure if I've replied everyone's last reviews so... thank you very much! I never expected all those lovely reviews, really. Thank you so much! The other Guardians (of book!verse) will be showing up pretty soon, and then we'll go back to the real story (if there's one...)

Again, thank you for your wonderful reviews, follows and favorites! You guys are great!

See you soon!