A/N: Just a shorty this time, but I like this chapter. But maybe that's because I like Phil and like to imagine the relationship between Jack and Phil.

Enjoy!

Oh, and on a side note, I don't know how regularly I'll be updating my stories. Classes just started up and they are a pain in th PERIOD!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

Jack was still unconscious the next day when the others woke up in the cold room with stiff limbs and frozen fingers, wings, and paws. There was still no sign that Jack was beginning to wake up, and Sandy shook his head when asked if the boy was, at the very least, sleeping rather than unconscious.

"But, he was unconscious for three days after his fixed his staff," Tooth said, trying to convince herself that everything was okay. "So this isn't unusual, right?"

"How should we know?" Bunny demanded. "I still don't understand the kid."

"None of us do," North said. He had thought he was getting to know Jack better, but he was quickly learning that he had only scratched the surface.

All four guardians were freezing, but all four were still rather reluctant to want to leave Jack up in his room all alone.

"Go warm up," North directed. "I will stay."

"Nah mate, I'm okay," Bunny said, despite the chattering of his teeth. "You go get warmed up."

"I can stay with him," Tooth protested.

Sandy shook his head and pointed to himself, clearly indicating that he could stay.

"You are freezing," North pointed out to the other three.

"So are you," Bunny and Tooth shot back.

Phil put an end to the discussion when he arrived and shooed all four guardians from the room, or well, bodily pushed them from the room and slammed the door on their faces.

"Well I never!" Tooth exclaimed, but she was relieved. She could already feel the warmth washing over her, making her skin tingle and her wings flutter as the blood began to flow through them once more.

"The nerve," Bunny muttered, already enjoying the warmth that now surrounded them.

Sandy shook his head, but sighed. It was probably for the best that they all left for a while. They would take turns watching over Jack later, for now, they all needed to warm up.

North frowned at the door, but he knew that Phil would not let anything happen to Jack, and would get them if something changed.

"Hot chocolate, I think," North said. "And cookies!"

"You always want cookies," Bunny pointed out, but followed North nonetheless.

Phil grumbled good-naturedly at the retreating voices on the other side of the door before settling in a chair beside Jack's bed. He looked the boy over with a frown marring his features. Ever since Jack had first broken into Santoff Claussen all those years ago in his ratty brown cloak Phil had decided he liked the boy.

Not that he had had much chance to let the boy know. He had been worried when the boy had fallen from the window and into the snow below, but by the time he actually managed to make it outside where Jack had landed, the boy was gone, leaving no trace of his being there besides the ice covering the burned wreckage of a cookie experiment gone wrong.

But the boy had been okay, because he had been back not long after that, looking for another way into Santoff Claussen. Phil had stopped him once more, after all, his orders were his orders, he was not allowed to outsiders in without North's permission.

But Jack returned once again.

And again.

And again.

It became a sort of game between the two, with Jack finding new and more innovative ways to enter, coming at all times of the day or night, at any time in the year. But Phil always caught him before he managed to break in farther than getting in a window.

After shooing the boy away from the factory, Phil always offered him a plate of cookies (they were always in excess around here), and Jack would take one, grin, and take off to the skies with a laugh.

The first time Jack came through the workshop with North during the Pitch crisis, Phil had been surprised, but pleasantly so. Of course he would never to Jack that, but still.

After they defeated Pitch and Jack became a guardian, he also became a regular visitor to Santoff Claussen. A regular, accepted visitor.

Phil had to admit he sometimes missed their games of sneak and entry. Jack obviously did to, because he often meandered into places he shouldn't, and grinned when Phil shooed him out and offered him cookies.

But now, for the third time since Jack had become a guardian, he was unconscious in this bed. And Phil did not like it one bit. The first time had been frightening. The second, anger inducing that someone could do so much damage to the fun loving winter spirit. But this time, this time Phil was plain unhappy. Never had any of the other guardians experienced anything like this. None of them ever passed out from exhaustion and injuries. Phil didn't think it was fair that Jack should have to.

That, and he missed playing with the boy.

His only hope was that the boy would recover soon.

Phil sighed, grumbled a bit more, and hunkered down to watch Jack Frost as the wind ruffled through his fur, keeping him pleasantly cool.