Secrets 9
The Globe of Belief as brightly lit and it took a while for North to distinguish the difference in the millions of lights. He scanned the globe carefully, searching each continent and country until he found the baby blue one that represented Jack. His eyes narrowed as he searched. There were a number of times that he thought he spotted it but it would only be a large cluster of lights that casted shadows over another one. It was a far larger challenge than he ever expected. Usually Jack was rather easy to find when he was upset, the Artic, Antarctic, or Burgess. The longer it took to find Jack's light the more anxious North became. Even Phil and Doris were helping search with no luck. If Jack wasn't where in his usual haunts where could he be? If Pitch took him had he figured out how to hid Jack's light?
North's belly twisted with growing worry. Where was Jack? Was the boy in trouble? If Pitch so much as touched a hair on the child's head he'd gut the shade.
Phil gave a yell and waved his arms wildly for North's attention. He stood at the controls and rotated the globe so that Northern China faced North. There shining dimly was Jack's light. It was so much paler than usual, as if it was on the verge of going out. North's eyes widened. "What's there?" he demanded as he moved to take the controls from his loyal friend. "I need the exact location." His brows furrowed when he saw the mountains. "Alright, I have it. I'll be back soon."
Grabbing several magical globes he shoved all but one in his coat pockets. Giving it a little shake he whispered the location and threw it in front of him. He glanced at Phil and Doris. "I'll contact you if there's any trouble," he assured knowing they would be worried about him.
Since the battle again Pitch five years ago they tended to worry more about him and all the Guardians. The fact that the Guardians had almost been completely destroyed by the Nightmare King didn't help matters. If it weren't for Jack none of them would exist any longer and the yetis were not afraid to remind the elder Guardians whenever they would dismiss something Jack said or did as childish. Phil in particular had a soft spot for the youth and while he would always be the first to discipline the boy he was also the first to run to his defense, often before the Guardians had a chance to. Now he looked ready to charge into the portal with North to find the frost child and save him from any possible danger. Phil gave North that look that said he better call if Jack was in any sort of danger and would faithfully await a portal or some form of communication.
North stepped through the portal and was swept off to the faraway lands of China. The problem with using the portals was that if he didn't know exactly where he was going he could end up miles away from his destination. It was why he preferred his reindeer and sleigh. They may have been much faster in this situation but not very subtle. Thankfully luck was with him. In the distance he could see Jack and Pitch sitting in the snow and chatting. He raised a brow. He had learned shortly after Jack officially became a Guardian that Pitch was rather fond of the boy even if he did stick the child in some rather dangerous situations. He wasn't sure if the shade would ever truly hurt the boy but he wasn't about to take any chances. He'd already had to travel to a number of hot locals to retrieve Jack after Pitch had whisked him off and abandoned him then dumped his staff in another location rather than destroy it. Who was to say Pitch wouldn't do it again if provoked? So North approached the two with caution.
"Friends don't keep secrets, Jack," Pitch was saying in a sickly sweet voice, his hand on the center of Jack's back in a comforting manner. "And when Family does it its far worse. Who can you trust if not your family?"
Jack hugged his knees. "Maybe I did something wrong. What if I messed up again? I mean, I know Bunny can be short tempered with me when I do screw up but usually he'll just get in my face and bitch for an hour or so then let it go. Sometimes it'll last a few days or weeks but never this long. I mean nothing I've done recently could compare to blizzard of '68, right?"
Pitch was silent for a moment as if considering his words. "Did you do anything to upset the rabbit?"
The boy shrugged. "A few pranks. Maybe one got a little out of hand."
"Perhaps," Pitch agreed but he doubted that was the reason for all the secrecy. He watched the youth for several seconds and then did something he rarely allowed himself to do. He wrapped an arm around the child's shoulders and pulled him to him, letting Jack rest his head against his shoulder. "It doesn't matter what you may have done, family is supposed to stick together. They don't hide things from one another. I would never lie or keep secrets from you, Jack. You can ask me anything and I will answer but I can be brutally honest with my answers and you may not like everything I have to say."
It felt odd to be touched so gently by the Nightmare King, usually he was shoving Jack away, one moment wanting nothing to do with him the next stalking him. If he didn't know about their connection with Mother Nature he would be worried that Pitch was putting the moves on him. After a moment he relaxed and simply enjoyed the shade's company. Right now he needed a shoulder to cry on and since Sandy wasn't available and no doubt somehow tied into the secret Pitch was a nice substitute.
"Ah, they you are!" North's booming voice called to them.
Jack jumped and nearly tumbled over the edge of the cliff while Pitch jumped to his feet, nightmare sand whirling through his fingers ready to create his scythe in the time it took for a heart to beat once. The large Russian didn't pay him any attention, his gaze solely on Jack as he smiled brightly but Jack could see one hand was on the hilt of one of his swords also ready to fight if necessary.
"Oh…ah hi North. What are you doing here?" Jack asked shyly as he rubbed one arm. He glanced up at Pitch but the shade kept quiet, his steely gaze on the Guardian of Wonder.
North's smile grew tender at the child's obvious discomfort. It didn't take a genius to figure out Jack thought he was in trouble again for being with Pitch so North decided to use that to his advantage. "Looking for you, my boy." He gave Pitch a nod. "Thanks for keeping him distracted, Pitch. We couldn't have finished without your help."
The confusion on Pitch's face was well worth it as he fumbled for words and looked to Jack who was just as surprised and now frowning at Pitch for keeping the secret as well. The shade raised his hands defensively. "I have no clue what he's talking about, Jack," he said quickly when it looked like the boy might get mad.
North stepped up to the youth and placed his large hands on his shoulders. "Don't be mad, son. He really doesn't know what's going on and was only meant to keep you busy."
Again Pitch was floored and his hands curled into fists as he glared at North. He was speechless that the Guardian would dare to drag him into this whole fiasco when he was so close to winning the boy over to his side. But he couldn't form any form of objection that wouldn't turn him back into the bad guy.
"Why?" Jack asked now more confused than before.
North smiled a little wider. "Why don't we go find out, no?"
The frost child hesitated, fearful of what might be awaiting him but this was North and no matter what Pitch might say he knew that the Guardian of Wonder loved him like his own son. Pushing his fears aside he nodded in agreement. "Okay," he said with the tiniest smile.
The Russian was beaming as he wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders and steered him toward the forest where he opened a portal to Jack's pond in Burgess. He paused before stepping through with the boy and glanced toward Pitch as if they were old friends. "Are you coming?" he asked, surprising both the shade and Jack. "Oh, and Jack will be needing his staff back if it's not too much trouble."
The Nightmare King flushed deep scarlet before composing himself and following. "Of course, how forgetful of me," he grumbled before following the duo. Why? He was not sure other than the fact he was also curious as to what this big secret was.
