Hey. it's only been a week! This is actually excellent news, I was afraid I wouldn't have this one out for a while. It's been a bit of a tough one to write, but hopefully you'll like it! It's also the longest chapter I've written yet, by about 100 words. Hurrah! I hope this one doesn't fall flat. I don't know how well I did the yelling portion of this one. Jack's reactions may be off. I don't know, this may just be a horrible chapter. Obviously I'm nervous about this one, so if you like it, please let me know!

Disclaimer: If I owned Rise of the Guardians and the books, I could probably get someone else to drive me everywhere.

"Father, if you plan to do nothing but complain, then please, spare me. I've had my fill of the guardians and the Man in the Moon. You're ruining my good mood." She pouted as he laughed at her. "It's not funny! I'm entirely serious right now!"

"I know you are my dear." He gave her a gentle pat on the arm.

Without the power he had possessed before, she found her father far more personable. It was far better than having to deal with him when he was at full power, which she readily acknowledged.

"I don't think I've ever seen you that angry." He was way too amused.

"I've seen you angrier." That shut him up, at least.

"Seraphina" he sighed, "What am I going to do with you and your vivacious spirits?"

She just smiled.

She wasn't exactly uncomfortable with her father, but she still had not completely forgiven him for what he'd done. It put unnecessary strains on the relationship.

"You know I love you, right dear?" the echo of her own words made her close her eyes almost in a subtle rebuke. They were not a normal family, never could be. It was one thing she regretted more than any other.

"Of course I do, father." She smiled at him, opening her eyes to look into his calm golden ones, currently filled quite a bit with misery.

"It's getting late. We both need to make our rounds. We shouldn't be so-" she straightened in her throne, cut off by the sudden knowledge that someone had entered her realm. The cold core and power was all she needed to know it was Jack. Her father had stiffened as well.

"I'd know those fears anywhere."

"Hide. Please father, it is too soon for him. Don't show yourself. I will speak to my son." She could tell that he wanted to protest, but he held his tongue and slipped into the shadows. She called the wind to her, knowing the winter wind would be the one to answer her and trying to see if it couldn't tell her what was wrong. All it could say was that Jack had called it suddenly from North's workshop.

Oh this was going to be trouble, she could feel it.

"Jack." He had stopped in one of her hallways, leaning against the wall and looking miserable. "What has happened?"

"The Guardians hate me!" he looked like he was crumbling.

"Why would they hate you my darling?"

"I got really angry at them, and then I accidently froze half the workshop!"

She could understand his horror, then. Not only was it a major blow to the friendships he'd built, as far as he was concerned, but such a loss of control had not happened since his first decade, which had to be embarrassing on top of it all. But what had they done to get him that upset?

She almost didn't want to know.

"Why were you angry Jack?" He flinched. He really must not have wished for her to know, but there was no real way for her to let this go. If he honestly thought she'd let him go back after they'd made him that upset, they all had another thing coming.

"They said... They may have mentioned..." he stumbled off into silence, causing Seraphina to sigh. She just pulled him into her arms, rocking him back and forth, feeling him relax in her embrace. She noted her father had not retreated to his room. Instead, he was making pictures with his sand behind Jack's back. North and Bunny were in the picture, she gave a slight nod to show she got the message, and it switched into a picture of a snowflake, she saw it melt some... she frowned.

"Winter over?" She mouthed at him, and he nodded, and then pointed to Jack and made an X in the sand. At first, she didn't quite get it, but when it clicked, she couldn't stop the rapid change in her colors. Even her dress, where the flowers decorating it normally stayed the same kaleidoscope of colors turned bright blood red in her anger.

North and Bunnymund had said that since winter was over there was no use for Jack, or he had no job to do, or something similar.

Did they NEVER learn? Cursing several Gods and Goddesses in her mind, she took a calming breath, and looked down at Jack.

"Did they say something about it being between seasons?"

"How-how did you-" as Jack's wide eyes pulled themselves off of her chest, he suddenly realized the change she had taken. "Don't be mad at them! I-I don't want to lose them and if you go after them-"

"If they do not believe you when you tell them the truth, then they are not friends worth having. Tell me what happened. Exactly Jack. Exactly."

"Well they were saying that I should probably stay at North's more often now that it's the off season, so that none of the other spirits would get the chance to go after me. But they tried to give me a curfew and make it so I could only go out once or twice a week-"

"Once or twice a week? For how long?"

"Only a couple hours-"

"What did they say when you told them you couldn't do that?"

"Stuff about taking one for the team and not risking myself."

Oh they were going to pay dearly for this. They had tried to trap her winter spirit. It didn't matter if they thought his job was less at this time. They couldn't suddenly insist on all these rules. It wasn't fair to Jack, who first of all, needed to literally be in his element to continue gaining energy, and second of all, could not remain permanently in any indoor residence while retaining his control.

She had no doubt they would have forced him to, had these rules been enacted. Jack was good at his job. He'd have risked his friends for it, if he'd been forced to make the choice.

Oh she was going to make the Guardians suffer for this.

"-Then they started in on how they were going to have to watch my food habits because I obviously am not getting enough-" she had been wrong before. She'd make them suffer, and then she was going to kill them.

"-So I accidently froze half the globe room because they weren't listening-"

"I think I've heard enough," she pulled him up and called the wind to her, which pulled them both up and towards the North Pole.

...

Inside of the workshop, North and Bunny, as well as quite a few yetis and elves, were trying to maneuver out of and through the ice.

"Bloody Frostbite." He grumbled, "I'll bet he did this on purpose to."

"I didn't! It was an accident!" The entire room looked up to see Jack, curled into the side of...Mother Nature. All the other spirits cowered. The elves and yeti that were free decided now was the time to do other things-namely be out of the globe room.

"That's quite alright Jack. You actually did far less damage than I was expecting. I thought they'd be pretty much literally up to their eyeballs. Even losing control, you suppressed a great deal of power, and kept them safe enough." She beamed down at the squirming spirit. Her hair and eyes, though still red, had lightened a few shades, while her dress released a few warm colors into its design.

"I'm quite proud of you." He blushed blue. He looked so sweet like that.

"Now." She scowled, turning entirely red again as she looked at the Guardians, "what is this, exactly, I'm hearing about some sort of house arrest?"

"It wasn't house arrest! He's just makin'-" He stopped talking when the ice he'd nearly escaped starting snaking back up his leg.

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, rabbit."

Jack was tugging at her side "You really don't need to be so harsh, it's okay..."

He quieted at her look.

"Okay, Okay! You think this is okay?" Jack looked away as she began to curse.

"What language is that?" Jack never did manage to hone his curiosity.

"Romanian. I'll teach you later if you really want to know. But right now, THIS is what we need to focus on." She waved her hands and most of the ice disappeared, releasing all the elves and yeti.

"Leave."

The yeti and elves scurried out as though her father had suddenly appeared in front of them with thousands of nightmares. The only ones still around were the trapped Guardians.

"Jack, how about you go and help the yeti and elves who still have some ice on them?"

"But-"

"Now, Jack." Reluctantly, Jack left, looking somewhat embarrassed and probably wishing he hadn't brought her. It was strange, but it made her really feel like a mother to know she'd caused such emotions.

"Alright, first off." She gave them a glare, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? DO YOU THINK THIS IS SOME SORT OF GAME YOU EGOTISTICAL PRICKS? THERE ARE PLACES THAT SNOW YEAR ROUND, THERE ARE PLACES THAT ARE HAVING AUTUMN, WHICH JACK HELPS WITH, THERE ARE ALSO CURRENTS AND WIND MOVEMENTS THAT JACK DIRECTS OR AIDS WITH. HE IS A BUSY SPIRIT WITH AN IMPORTANT JOB, TREAT HIM AS SUCH, OR," she forced herself to speak in a calmer, sickly sweet voice. "I'll castrate you."

It took a moment for the threat in her words to sink into the two Guardians opposite her. It may have been petty, but how could she not enjoy watching their eyes widen and the slight shift they made to protect themselves? Honestly, it brought joy to her heart.

"Second, Jack is also a spirit you've IGNORED FOR THREE CENTURIES. THE FACT THAT HE MAY NOT BE WILLING TO PROTEST SOMETHING DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN GO THROUGH WITH IT, NOR THAT IT'S RIGHT. IT ONLY MEANS JACK IS UNWILLING TO RISK YOUR FOOLISH FRIENDSHSIPS FOR A FIGHT, THOUGH WHY HE WANTS TO BE FRIENDS WITH SUCH UPPITY BIGOTS, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND. I expect you to help me in discouraging that behavior."

She glanced toward the door, ignoring their scared looks at her constant change between yelling and more restrained scolding, not sure if she was hoping Jack was listening in or if she was hoping he wasn't.

"Third, don't you DARE pretend you're his parents." She waved her hand at Bunny, igniting the very tip of his boomerang and making them both shout before the fire snuffed out, unable to find something to burn.

"As much as I hate to even think about it...Jack raised himself."

She closed her eyes, and felt as she began to regain her usual colors, her voice falling in volume to match her mood.

"Jack is an independent soul, and he's lived alone and been alone for too long to be held down. Have him check in every other day or something, but don't tie him down to any one place. He goes where he wants to, when he wants to. It's who he is. We can't change that."

She swallowed, sorrow overtaking her. "The past cannot be changed." She sighed bitterly.

"I am going to speak with Jack, and if he stays, I will be coming by to check on him. He better be healthy and happy by the time I get back."

"How can we make healthy if he does not eat? Near impossible, no?" North asked, blinding her with his ignorance. She couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to slap a hand to her face or to his.

She was really glad she didn't give them much chance to talk. She wouldn't have been able to leave for months, she'd be yelling at them so much. She gave a long sigh, than talked to the two of them in a slow voice most used when talking to small children.

"When Jack was mortal, he was skinny. He's a spirit now, so he's going to be forever skinny. It doesn't matter how much he eats. Did you honestly never figure that out? God, I'm surprised he didn't freeze your idiotic mouths shut."

She shook her head. It seemed that they just put on thousands of blinders when it came to Jack, if this kept up, they'd end up hurting him instead of helping him.

"After I have spoken to Jack, I expect the both of you to apologize to him. I'm holding both of you to that. Or else you'll find that Jack is no longer within your realm of influence. Don't make me turn him against you by pointing out just exactly what you've all done wrong by him... including the things he doesn't know about."

With that, she turned and walked straight over to the door Jack had disappeared behind, throwing one last glare behind her as she put her hand on the doorknob.

We'll get more of Jack's reactions to Mother Nature's Mama bear tendencies next chapter!