She couldn't believe it. Two months had passed since she had come to live with Aster Bunnymund and she loved every moment of it. He had been awkward at first, but now seemed very comfortable around her. Which she was glad about. Raylynn didn't want to cause more trouble than she was worth. School had even picked up for her. She still got into the odd fight, but things were better now. She had someone to talk to about that kind of stuff.
Bunnymund couldn't have been happier. He was a father again, something he hadn't expected. He was loving every minute of it. He still checked in on the Warren every now and again. Easter was only three months away after all. He doubted Pitch would try to disrupt it this year. He had done that already and didn't seem like the kind of fellow to do the same trick twice, at least so close together. The thought of Pitch had him on edge. He would protect Raylynn no matter what. He drove her to school and picked her up after wards. He went to every event or meeting that had come up so far. He loved how active his daughter was. He loved saying that word. Daughter. It had quickly become one of his favorite words, right up there with 'Easter' and 'Dad'.
Raylynn was working of an art project in the office. He had bought her a few art supplies when he had found out that was a passion of hers. She was quite talented. He stepped outside and walked down to the mailbox. Not that anything ever came, but it was an excuse to be outside and to see if there was a call for the guardians. He reached to the end of the driveway, opened the mailbox, closed it, and looked back up to the sky. Radiant streams of color floated in the blue expanse above him. Cursing to himself, he ran back to the house. He quickly went to his room and gathered his bracers, boomerang and its harness. Slipping both on, he walked into the office.
"Raylynn, I have ta go out for a bit. A friend of mine called and he's gotten himself in trouble again. Nothing bad, just needs help with something. And no he didn't tell me what it was about." She looked up from her sketch pad and smiled.
"I'll be fine. I have some more homework I can finish while you're out and there are leftovers in the fridge. I'll be good. Tell your friend hi for me." She went back to working on the picture. He walked into the room gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the forehead. He told her to be a good girl and to not wait up for him. She nodded before wishing him luck and returned to her picture once more.
Bunny left the house and got in the truck. He would drive it out a ways and leave it. North had given him several snow globes so he could check the Warren and get to the Pole if needed. Finding the right spot for the truck, Bunny pulled off, parked, turned it off and locked it. He held the snow globe up said 'North's workshop' and through it in front of him. The portal appeared. Hesitating only briefly, he walked into it.
Walking into the large workshop meant little to him. He was on edge. If North had called a meeting then Pitch was possibly up to something or there was another threat that he hadn't even thought about. He was also worried. It was the dead of night, at least in Australia. There was a sleeping child back at home, one that didn't know about any of this and thus would worry if her legal guardian was not there when she awoke.
North was standing by his large golden globe, watching it with a critical eye. He had yet to acknowledge his arrival, but he Yetis had. They were all glancing up at him uneasily.
"This had better be good, mate." North turned and smiled at his friend.
"Good to see you made it! I was worried you would be kept away Bunny." North laughed.
"She's working on homework, but th't doesn't mean I'm goin' ta stay longer than necessary. I don't like lyin' ta her." Bunnymund narrowed his eyes a bit. He wanted to make sure that North got his point. "So if Frostbite tries anythin' I'm outta here." North just laughed at his friend. Of course Bunny would say that. Shaking his head North returned to looking over the globe while he waited for the other three Guardians to get there. Somewhere behind him Bunnymund shuffled off to a book case needing something to do.
"North!" Two sets of eyes looked at the newcomer, though only one was noticed. "Look who I ran into on the way here!" Sandy and Jack stood next to Tooth as she continued to talk excitedly. She kept rambling on until she had completely lost the original topic. Jack looked around. Yetis making toys, elves getting into trouble, Tooth taking a mile a minute, North smiling at her while attempting not to listen, Sandy half asleep, and Bunnymund…Wait where was Bunny?
"Alright, now that we are all here, to business!" The large man cut Tooth off mid ramble, not that she seemed to care. Jack stared at North. Everyone was not there. Bunny was missing. Tooth and Sandy seemed to be thinking similar thoughts for they kept glancing around looking confused. Sandy had even taken to making sand images above his head, not that North seemed to notice.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where's the Kangaroo?" Jack leaned on his staff as he looked expectantly at North. He opened his mouth, but an object hitting Jack in the head cut him off.
"Not a bloody kangaroo!" Jack turned quickly around expecting to see a very pissed off six foot tall rabbit. All he saw were the yetis and some random guy over by North's books. He kept looking around. Wait….random guy.
"Who are you?" Holding his staff out in front of him, Jack kept his eyes locked onto the stranger. He could feel Tooth and Sandy come up behind him. North, however, didn't move.
The three battle-ready Guardians inspected the unknown male. He was tall. About Bunny's height if any of them had to guess. He black hair that almost covered the tattoo on his forehead, a tattoo that looked suspiciously like Bunny's fur marking. His arms were crossed. Jack absently noted that he was pretty muscular. A leather bracer was clearly visible. The gem studded item looked familiar. Racking his brain Jack blinked in surprise. Those were exactly like Bunnymund's. It was then he noticed the marking on the stranger's upper arms. Once more they resembled Bunny's fur markings. His clothes too reminded him of Bunnymund, if only for their color. Looking back up at the man's face, Jack took in the scowl. He knew that look. It was how Bunnymund always looked at him after the kangaroo comment. He looked up at the eyes. Locking with them. Ice blue met spring green. Jack blinked again. There was no way. Absolutely no way.
"Bunny?" He breathed. He didn't what possessed him to say that thought out loud, but he knew that the others were looking at him.
"What's it to ya, Frostbite?" The voice. Bunnymund's voice. It came from the stranger's mouth. He was about to ask more when North once more decided to rejoin them.
"As I was saying. Now that we all here, is time to know why I called you." Jack heard North's voice but was still locked on the man before him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tooth trying hard to focus on North, but she kept glancing back at the 'stranger'.
"Alright, tha's enough, mates. Ya, it's me. Now could ya stop strarin'? It's bloody annoyin'." Yep. That was Bunnymund. Jack's brain lock up. It couldn't handle the information. It was Bunnymund, but it wasn't. He felt himself falling as the world faded to black. Last thing he remembered was the sting of the floor and a weight falling on top of him.
A/N:
And that is where I will end this chapter for today folks. I know. I know. I'm evil and Pitch is back already! But never fear. I do have plans. But I knew all of you were waiting intently for this, so consider it a Christmas present of sorts. I will warn you that I do not know when I will I will be updating again. As my parents and siblings are coming in on Friday and Christmas being next week. I may not get another chapter in before then. If I do, I do. If I don't, please be patient. Also, the Japanese culture club at my university is attempting to make 1000 cranes for Relay for Life in August. I was wondering if any of you would like to help, either in donating a crane or two or many, or money. We hope to raise $500 before then. If you would like to help that would be great and I will give you an address to send your support to. Have a merry Christmas!
