Pitch was still grinning at Jack he slowly pulled Baby Tooth from his coat. Jack could hear her terrified little chirps, but forced himself to remain completely calm and to not rush at Pitch and rip his throat out with his teeth.

"So you have her, then?" Jack asked.

"Yes. I was going to use her as leverage, should you turn down my offer, but now I see I don't have to." Pitch continued to grin.

Jack was admittedly getting uneasy with Pitch's bright yellow eyes scrutinizing him, but Jack remained calm under his gaze.

"Just to test this new partnership, why don't you hold on to her, yes? When the time comes, I want you to snap the little annoyance's neck right in front of her equally annoying mother."

Pitch's unwavering smile made sense now, and Jack fought back a growl at what the Boogeyman said.

"Sounds easy enough." Jack walked over to Pitch calmly, and took Baby Tooth out of his hands. He felt the tiny fairy squirming in his grip, and her chirps were louder than ever. He tried not to let his hold be too tight so as to not squish the fairy.

"This is all very grand, but we do need to be on our way. I want to watch as the last of the lights goes out. It should all be very splendid. Especially now that we can experience it together."

Did Pitch sound… flirty? Jack shuddered internally when he noticed the grey man's eyes rake his body up and down. It made him feel filthy, but Jack simply lifted an eyebrow at him in response.

"So, that's the kind of partnership this is going to be?"

Pitch started grinning at him again and gods Jack wished he would stop because he has the worst smile. "If that is what you desire…"

Jack only nodded in his direction. "We'll see. We should get going?"

Pitch laughed darkly before he started using his nightmare sand to fly next to Jack as the made their way out of Antarctica.

Pitch had decided to go to North's workshop, and luckily, none of the Guardians were around to watch as Pitch gleefully stepped all over the globe. Jack would have had a hard time explaining why he was doing what he was doing, and honestly, he probably wouldn't have been able to.

All Jack knew, was that he had a plan. Maybe a shitty one, but at least he had one. He just had to wait for a good time to put it into motion.

And that moment was now, apparently. As Pitch made comments towards the yetis and the elves, he had momentarily forgotten about Jack's presence.

So he made his move.

"Baby Tooth." Jack looked down at the fairy in his hand. She glanced up at him with a terror filled gaze. "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you, and I haven't turned against the Guardians."

She looked at him doubtfully, but made a singular chirping noise to tell him to continue.

"I have a plan."

As he told her about said plan, her eyes grew wide with all of the information he was pouring over her. But they also grew wide with understanding and hope.

"Alright. Do you understand everything? Do I need to run it over again real quick?" Jack asked her.

But she shook her tiny head vigorously.

"Good, now get going. And hurry, please."

Jack released her into the air, and she flew off as quickly as she could. She moved lethargically, but considering there was only one believer left in the entire world, Jack couldn't blame her.

Jack turned to watch as Pitch snapped his fingers, waiting for the last light to go out. It didn't.

Jack could see where the last light was.

"Jamie…" Jack whispered in awe.

Pitch turned towards him. "So you know who it is?" Pitch let out a deep chuckle. "Let's go and finish this, now."

Jack nodded and flew off with Pitch. He hoped that his plan would work.

Jack didn't know how he had done it, but he had somehow convinced Pitch to wait to make Jamie stop believing. He had said that it would be more gratifying for him if he waited until the guardians were here, so that he could watch them fade away.

Pitch's vanity knows no bounds, apparently.

Jack laughed a little at himself, but remained impassive on the outside. It had been over two hours since he had sent off Baby Tooth, and Pitch had yet to notice her absence. Jack was grateful for that small fact. His plan pretty much hinged on Pitch's obliviousness to his surroundings.

Speaking of Pitch, the man had gone off to call forth as much of his black sand as possible so that he would make a formidable foe even though the Guardians were all extremely weak. Jack sighed at this. It would have been nice to have some help from them, but if what Pitch said was true, then they would all be pretty much moments away from falling apart.

Jack felt bad as it was his fault that they were like that, but he was trying to make up for his mistakes, even though he knew he would never be forgiven for them.

Jack closed his eyes for only a moment before he heard it. Chirping.

Baby Tooth!

Jack looked up in the direction of the chirping to see her fluttering weakly towards him. Once she was within arm's reach she fell limply into his hands.

"Baby Tooth! Are you alright?"

She nodded at him weakly.

"Did you talk to them? Are they ready to come at my signal?"

She nodded again.

"Thanks, Baby Tooth."

She grinned at him before yawning. Gazing at her tiny body in his hands he slowly covered her with his palm.

"Do you want to rest?"

She gazed up at him, looking even more tired than before, and nodded once more.

"Here. You can stay here. It should be secure enough. And warm enough."

Jack lifted her from his palm and placed her where his tooth box was resting. She crawled in with it and chirped a few times before her movements stilled.

Jack waited to make sure she was completely asleep.

Well, that was adorable.

Jack smiled softly before making his face have no emotion again. Pitch could show back up at any time, and he needed to be constantly prepared.

Jack decided that while he waited, he might as well feel where his backup was waiting. He shut his eyes and opened his mind before he began to feel them a couple of miles out. He smiled internally. He thanked Moki before flying away from Jamie's bedroom window.

Gliding to where Pitch was in the sky, he was able to see where the Guardians suddenly appeared out of nowhere in North's sleigh. Jack and Pitch watched as it crashed a street away from Jamie's house. Jack was glad for that little bit of distance.

"Are you ready, Jack? Our lives are about to change for the better in every aspect of the word." Pitch looked down at him with a glint in his eye. The man then reached up to stroke Jack's cheek, but Jack forced himself to not shudder and move away. He needed Pitch to believe he was with him wholly.

"I can't wait." Jack heard himself say. It didn't feel natural, or right at all, but he pushed his feelings away for now.

They traveled together to where the sleigh had landed. They both watched as North hobbled out of the driver's seat, and how Tooth could barely stand up, let alone fly. Jack became worried when Bunny didn't appear from the sleigh as well.

"Well, well, well. It seems you've finally arrived, hm?"

North and Tooth looked up instantly, startled by Pitch's voice.

"Pitch, we will stop you-"

North's voice paused as he looked at Jack floating silently behind the Boogeyman.

"Jack?" North sounded hesitant and distant. Like he wasn't all there at the moment.

Jack chose not to say anything. Pitch laughed loudly and started talking.

"You've made some mistakes in your lives, but how could you make the mistake of ever letting Jack go?" Pitch grinned at them and made some of his sand slither around their feet.

"I d-don't understand. J-Jack why w-would you g-go to h-him?" Tooth was shivering, and so many of her feathers were missing that Jack could see the pink flesh underneath.

"I had to, Tooth. I had no choice."

Tooth looked like she was about to cry, and North looked like he could barely believe his eyes.

Jack couldn't help but ask. "Where's Bunny?"

North looked down at his feet, but almost fell over doing so. He leaned on one of his swords before saying, "Losing Easter took its toll on all of us. But Bunny… he was affected most of all."

Jack watched in fascination and horror as a tiny grey ball of fluff started hopping out of the sleigh.

"That's Bunny?" Jack questioned in disbelief. He couldn't help but start to laugh.

"Stop laughing, Jack. This is no time for that." Pitch growled.

"Yeah, yeah. Fine." was all Jack replied with before going silent.

"Oi! You blubberin' arsehole! You think you can take us on? I might be small but -"

Aster stopped talking, and his huge, bunny eyes turned towards Jack. He seemed to notice him for the first time.

Aster's eyes widened in disbelief and pain. "…Jackie?"

Jack had to look away.

"I do think I can take you on. I could take you on with my eyes closed in your current states. Besides," Pitch strode to where Jack was and possessively ran a finger down from his temple down his neck before resting his palm on his chest. "I've got 'Jackie' now."

Pitch grinned at the Guardian's horrified looks. "It's time to take care of the boy, but first, do what I asked about the fairy."

Pitch was frowning at him, and Jack looked at each of the guardians faces as he slowly pulled out a sleeping fairy from his pocket.

Tooth looked both relieved and horrified, North looked confused, and Aster looked angry beyond belief.

Jack slowly bent his head towards the tiny fairy. "Baby Tooth. Wake up."

She slowly opened her eyes before sitting up in his palm. She chirped at him a few times before rubbing at her eyes.

Jack felt Pitch tensing up in anticipation next to him.

"Jack no! Whatever you're about to do, please don't hurt my fairy!"

"Crikey, Jack, let the bloody fairy go."

"Jack, son, please think through what you're about to do, yes?"

Jack ignored all of them before setting Baby Tooth down on his shoulder. He reached up to pull down his face mask before turning to Pitch. He let his face slowly change appearance.

"Are you ready, Pitch?" Jack asked slowly as he deliberately made his voice go down a couple of octaves.

Pitch said nothing but looked at him in confusion and suspicion.

"Because I've had about enough of this farce." Jack looked them all in the eyes before shooting a bright ice shard straight into the night sky. It went up and up before exploding into a bunch of sparkling ice crystals.

Then there was silence.

"What was that?" Pitch snarled at him. "You were supposed to -"

Then they heard it. It was the sound of glass shattering over and over again. It was the sound of ice and snow snapping and crunching underfoot. It was the sound of wolves howling, and winds blaring in one's ears. It was winter.

Jack straightened up to his full height, and watched as Pitch's and the Guardian's eyes tripled in size.

"Holy Dooley…"

Jack tried not to grin at Aster and his mannerisms, but failed miserably. Jack looked away smirking as he saw his army approaching. He didn't notice the looks of shock that the Guardians were giving him.

Jack turned to Pitch with his grin still plastered on his face.

"Pitch, you are no longer going to be able to torment the children of the world for as long as I live." Pitch looked afraid of Jack for a moment before trying to dash away. Jack shot a blast of ice at the man's feet, causing him to trip and become frozen to the ground.

"You will become my prisoner, and you will remain in my hands until my time as Host of Winter has come to an end." Jack spoke these words with fangs out and claws bared. "And after my time has passed, I shall make sure that my successor will keep you away from the children as diligently as I will."

"Host?" Pitch shrieked. "Of Winter? How? How could you, an insolent brat, be Host?" Pitch gaped as Jack's fangs lengthened in reply.

"You, boy, think that you have more power than you actually have." Pitch snarled. Jack growled when Pitch sank into the shadows beneath him, the ice crackled and caved in where his body had been.

Jack hissed in response when he felt something sharp slice at his neck, but Jack managed to jump away. He shot icicles at Pitch's receding back, making sure he was heading away. Pitch must have sliced his neck. He had been cut deep, but not deep enough to incapacitate. He felt his black blood begin to seep out of the wound, but he ignored it. He could worry about it later.

One of the Boreas came up to him as they watched Pitch go to his nightmares and gather them in the distance.

"My Host, what would you have us do?"

Jack glanced at the Boreas and the rest of his army. The group of ice sprites, ice ladies, Boreas, Yuki-onna, ice wraiths, and even his most loyal Amarok, all awaited his command.

"You and the other Boreas take to the sky and cause enough wind to inhibit the nightmare's flight abilities." They nodded and flew off. Jack already felt the wind pick up in speed and force. Jack picked up Baby Tooth off his shoulder and allowed her to crawl back in his pocket. She would be safer there.

"Yuki-onna-sama's?"

The old and wrinkled and slightly decaying women shuffled up to him. One answered him. "Yes, master?"

Jack grinned at them. "Eat as many nightmares as you can. Take your fill."

They grinned right back at him.

"Filtiarn, you're with me." The large wolf that was almost as tall as Bunny when he was at his normal size padded over to him gracefully before nudging him in the chest. Jack stroked the beast's fur before turning to his remaining forces. Pitch and the nightmares were now heading towards them.

"Pitch's nightmares are almost upon us. The rest of you, take care of yourselves, yeah? But under no circumstances do you let Pitch or his nightmares follow me and the rest of the Guardians. Understood?"

The winter spirits all nodded and some even yelled in agreement.

Jack nodded darkly to all of them. "I know that as Winter spirits, some of you crave causing pain and suffering unto others, and that since my reign I haven't allowed such actions. But I'm giving you permission now. Destroy every last nightmare. Cause Pitch pain. As much as you want. But do not let him get away. We will take him prisoner."

Jack looked in the distance. Pitch was less than a mile away with his huge cloud of nightmares.

Turning back to his army of several hundred winter spirits, he smiled gleefully. "Have fun."

His forces started charging against Pitch's own, and Jack could already see nightmare after nightmare being torn down by wind, ice, teeth and claws.

"Now," Jack declared to the Guardians who were all staring at him in different levels of disbelief, "I'll explain everything later, I promise."

Jack paused. "That is if you want me to stay around long enough to do so. Until then," Jack huffed a laugh. His mood had shifted from gleeful to downright murderous. He had made it so cold outside that his breath clouded in front of him. "We need to go speak to the last light."

Jack had ultimately decided to pick up Bunny. He was so small, he was scared that he would get left behind or stepped on by his Amarok.

Filtiarn was almost completely silent as he ran with the guardians on his back. He was carrying North and Tooth. That was hardly anything for the large wolf though. Jack was flying down the street next to his wolf, and turned the corner with Bunny in his arms. It was strangely silent between the Guardians. He had expected questions from them, but they all remained relatively quiet save for the occasional groan of pain from North's aching bones.

When the approached Jamie's bedroom, Jack flew with Bunny in his arms to open it up. The wolf allowed for Tooth and North to sit on his large head to peak into the boy's bedroom. They all watched as Jamie spoke to a small stuffed bunny.

"Okay look, you and I are obviously at what they call a crossroads, so here's what's going to happen."

Jack sat Bunny down gently inside Jamie's room before floating in himself. Jack also changed his appearance back to normal. Jamie didn't notice any of their presences.

"If it wasn't a dream and if you are real, then you have to prove it. Like right now."

Jack watched as Jamie scrutinized the bunny, waiting for it to do something.

But nothing happened.

Jamie started sounding desperate. "I believed in you for a long time, okay? Like my whole life in fact. So you kinda owe me now." Jamie shifted a little on his knees. "You don't have to do much, just a little sign so I know. Anything."

Jack spared a glance down at Bunny and saw the pained and haunted look on his face. Jack couldn't take that expression being there anymore.

"I knew it…" Jack turned back to Jamie and stared as the bunny fell to the ground before he thought of an idea.

Jack turned to the window a made it frost over. Jack noticed how Jamie heard it and stared in awe. Using his finger he drew an egg with designs on it. Then, above that, he drew a bunny. Jack stared down at his own hands before trying something.

He focused his magic on that one figure on the window, and pulled. The strong magic that connected him with the frost on the window responded, and a frost bunny pulled out and started hopping around the room. Jamie laughed and giggled in amazement.

Jack laughed as well. He hadn't known he could do that…

"Jack Frost?"

He froze. "Did he just say -?"

"Jack Frost."

Jack looked at Jamie in doubt. "He said it again. He said…" Disbelief started to creep into his voice. "You said…"

"Jack Frost." Jamie's eyes locked onto his face and widened.

"That's right!" Jack shouted amazed. "That's me! I-I'm Jack Frost! That's my name!" Jack walked a few steps towards Jamie. "You said my name!"

Then Jack realized.

"You can hear me?"

Jamie nodded slowly.

"Y-you can see me?"

Jamie nodded faster.

Jack completely forgot about the battle outside and the other guardians because a child could see him and if he was being completely honest with himself he had been dreaming of this since he had first been walked through and he couldn't believe it-

Jack was suddenly so overwhelmed with joy that he yelped and did a backflip.

Jamie was still staring at him.

"You just made it snow."

"I know!"

"In my room."

"I know!"

"You're real?"

"Yeah!" Jack exclaimed. "Who do you think brings you all the blizzards and snow days, and you remember went you flying on that sled the other day?"

"That was you?" Jamie gasped.

"That was me!"

"Cool!"

"Right?!"

Jamie suddenly looked hesitant. "But what about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy I mean -"

"Real, real, real! All real! Every one of us, real!"

"I knew it!"

"Jamie?" They both froze. "Who are you talking to?"

It was his mom. Jack nodded in the direction of the door with a smile.

"Jack Frost?" Jamie yelled somewhat uncertainly.

His mom chuckled. "Okay then."

"Listen, Jamie." Jack said, quickly serious. "The others are in trouble, they're actually right there." Jack pointed in the direction of the window. Apparently Jamie could now see them standing behind the window.

"But that's only the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus? Where's the Easter Bunny and the Sandman?"

Jack flinched. "The Sandman… can't be here right now, but the Easter Bunny is-"

"Right down here."

Jamie jumped a little at the unexpected voice. He looked down at the floor to see Bunny, sitting cutely and breathing quickly.

"What? That's the Easter Bunny? What happened to him? He used to be so cool!"

"Wha- I swear this is right peachy… Oi! Kid! We've got some really big trouble goin' on outside. Any chance you can get your friends to come along an' help with somethin'?"

Jack looked at Aster exasperated.

"What do you mean? What's happening?"

Jack stepped in. "Jamie, these nightmares that everyone's been having… they're being caused by a bad man. The Boogeyman."

Jamie's eyes widened but Jack continued before he could get to scared. "We have some allies outside fighting him right now. He's got no chance at all if you can help get some more believers. You're the last one right now."

Jack pointed at Bunny. "That's why he's so small. There are no believers left other than you. We need you to get your friends to believe again. Do you think you can help?"

Jamie still seemed hesitant before admitting to Jack, "I'm…I'm scared."

Something seemed to resonate in Jack at that moment. He didn't know why but…

No he would come back to it later.

"Don't worry, Jamie. I'll protect you."

So Jack scooped Bunny up again and grabbed Jamie by the collar of his shirt and flew him to the windows off his friends. He eventually got them all outside and they all started to see Jack and the other guardians. Tooth could fly again, and North was regaining his vitality. Bunny was still small, but Jack had a feeling he would be back to normal soon.

Jamie and his friends turned the last corner of the street before they saw it. It wasn't a bloody battle, per se, but there was definitely black sand and ice shards everywhere. If it had been humans fighting there would be plenty of blood.

Thankfully, Jack saw that his army hadn't taken significant losses, and that the nightmares seemed to be on the losing end of this fight.

Jack told the kids to wait there and that if any nightmares got close to them that they had to realize they were just that. Nightmares. They couldn't physically harm them. That thought seemed to make the kids seem more prepared and stronger.

"Pitch is a complete schmuck." Aster mumbled under Jack's chin. The tiny rabbit was warm and fuzzy and Jack didn't want to let go but he had to find Pitch and apprehend him.

"Aster, I need to put you down. Feel like you're going to get any bigger soon?"

Bunny looked down at his fluffy chest. "Yah, mate. I can feel the hope rising as all of the nightmares are being defeated. And the kids really helped." Aster stared at Jack with something indiscernible in his eyes. "Go, Jack. Go get Pitch."

Jack nodded and set him on top of a car. He would be safer up there than on the ground at least. Turning to the Amarok, Jack commanded he stay and guard Bunny until he got bigger, the he could join the fray.

Jack flew away and joined the battle after one more glance at Bunny.

The battle seemed to fly by. North was swinging his swords around and Tooth was throwing punches left and right. Eventually, Jack noticed boomerangs flying around and taking down ten nightmares a piece.

Jack grinned as he found Pitch. The Nightmare King was swinging a huge black scythe around. Jack managed to surprise him by freezing his leg entirely solid. Pitch let out a pained yelp as he noticed that Jack was back and fighting him. Jack dodged easily whenever Pitch swung the scythe towards him. Jack barely had to do anything. Jack managed to get close enough to shove the blade on his staff through Pitch's arm, forcing his scythe to disintegrate.

Before Jack could do anything else to Pitch, he heard a scream of terror.

Shit, the kids. Jack froze Pitch's hands together before smacking him over the head with the crook of his staff. He commanded the surrounding ice sprites to watch him. Then, Jack leaped over the other spirits and flew to the children. Jack watched as a single nightmare reared up in front of Jamie, but the young boy had his hand outstretched.

The nightmare brought its front hooves down on Jamie's hand, and then…

Everything was golden.

The black sand of the nightmare immediately turned to the all too familiar gold sand of the Sandman, and Jack just about whooped with joy. Jamie looked on the golden sand with wonder, and the other kids decided to join the fray. They touched every nightmare they could. Jack didn't want them to accidentally get hurt by one of his ice spirits, so he shot up another ice shard that exploded a bright blue before falling down gently.

His forces started to retreat. The kids ran in to where his forces had been. The nightmares were no match for their tiny, hope-filled fingers.

After only a few seconds there was golden sand floating everywhere, and slowly, it started to gather in the center of the street.

The guardians watched with joy as their friend become whole once more. Sandy stalked over to where Pitch lay, still surrounded by the ice spirits Jack had told to stay there. Sandy bent down in front of his face and shook a finger at him.

Then Sandy decked him hard, right across the face. Jack heard the Guardians all laugh.

Pitch lay unconscious on the street, hands bound by ice, and the kids started cheering and laughing and high-fiving. The guardians all ran to Sandy who looked happy to be back.

Jack didn't join either group. He wasn't a kid, and he wasn't a guardian. He didn't belong to either of their groups. Jack sighed and felt a nudge on his shoulder. He looked up to see Filtiarn looking down at him knowingly.

"Oh, I know. I just… I don't know what's going to happen now."

Filtiarn just gazed at Jack with his wide, silver eyes. The Amarok's black fur moved with the wind that was still being created by the Boreas. It wasn't nearly as strong as it had been.

"Aeolus!"

One of the Boreas stopped flying through the sky, and traveled down towards Jack and the Amarok.

"Yes, Host?"

"Gather the others and return them to the fortress. I shall return soon to check on everyone and provide. Just give me a little time."

The Boreas, Aeolus, nodded before taking to the sky again.

"Filtiarn, you too. Return home. You should go and help those in need." The Amarok regarded Jack for a moment before speaking, his voice rumbly and deep as though it was hardly used.

"You are a most gracious Host, Jack Frost. It has been an honor to help you succeed in your battles on this night." The Amarok dipped his head before bouncing off around the corner of the street.

Jack barely noticed as less and less winter spirits remained in the area, until the last one was Jack himself.

Jack's mouth went dry. How was he going to explain all of this to the others…?

"Jackie!"

Well, I guess now's the time.

Jack watched as Aster hopped over to where he stood, the other Guardians followed after him.

"Jack, we have much to speak on, yes?" North bellowed, but he looked downright jolly.

"Jack, listen, we -"

"Tooth, not now, yeah? Let 'em take a moment to rest. 'Sides, we need to get the kids home."

Tooth nodded slightly before giving Jack and Aster a look. She flew away a few feet before darting back to him.

"Jack! Where's Baby Tooth? Is she okay?"

Jack paused before smiling. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the still sleeping fairy.

"Yes, she's okay. She slept through the whole thing, apparently."

Tooth looked down at the sleeping fairy fondly. Jack handed her over to Tooth who woke her up and started to talk to her.

Jack worked with the guardians to get the kids back home.

The last child to get home was Jamie, who was worried that he would never see Jack and the others again. Jack gave him assurances and promised to be back whenever it was winter in Burgess. That made Jamie happy and, finally, he let Jack go.

Jack waved at Jamie from the window before floating over to where the guardians stood a little ways away from Pitch, who was still laying on the ground.

Jack used his ice to pick up Pitch's body. The other guardians looked at him questionably.

"Tooth, I know where he's has all of the fairies and teeth. If you guys want to follow me, we can get them back now."

Tooth looked at him giddily, which both made him happy and confused. Weren't they still mad at him for Easter? Jack wasn't sure anymore…

None of them seemed to be overly… pissed at Jack for the moment, but he still felt like he was treading on thin ice.

He led them to the hole where Pitch's lair was located. Tooth and Sandy went into the hole, as they would be able to get all of the fairies out quickest.

Jack laid Pitch down and turned to look at Bunny and North who were speaking fervently about something. They were pretty far away from Jack, so he couldn't make out anything than the sporadic, angry, blithering that Bunny sometimes spouted out and North's occasional sentences of pure, hysterical Russian that Jack had no hope of understanding.

He couldn't even tell what they were talking about, and Jack tried not to let it bother him.

Jack was so lost in thought that he didn't hear ice behind him break.

The next thing Jack knew, he had three pikes of black sand being shoved through his chest. And they were big pikes.

They were pushed in as far as they could go, twisted a little, and then yanked out. Jack heard someone coughing and it sounded really wet and – oh. That was him.

Jack landed on his knees before yelling out a gargled 'Aster!'

Bunny turned and saw what happened and immediately let his boomerangs fly loose. Jack was able to see that Pitch didn't make it very far before he was, again, knocked unconscious. Aster and North ran towards Jack, and he could see Bunny's panicked look plastered across his face.

Jack wanted to reassure him, but it was currently very difficult to talk.

Thank god I don't have to breathe, or I would have drowned in my own blood by now.

Jack had to admit though, this hurt like hell.

"Jackie! Jack, what do we need tuh do? Will ya heal from this? Ya won't cark it, right?"

Aster looked down at him worriedly, and Jack tried to smile, but from the reaction Bunny and North gave him, it wasn't a pretty sight.

It probably wasn't. His teeth were most likely black and slimy looking and his clothes were ruined now and – not right now, Jack.

"B-blo…blood." Jack bubbled out. He felt some more of his black blood spill out over his mouth and down his neck when he spoke.

"He needs blood?" North questioned.

Aster immediately started to pick up Jack's body and held his head close to his neck.

"C-can't. N-not h-hum… human."

Jack felt Aster sigh and shift his head closer to his neck, offering it up. "Jack, Pooka and humans are closely related. Fair dinkum."

Jack would have laughed at Bunny's word choice if hadn't suddenly gotten so hungry.

Jack latched on to Bunny's throat quickly, the fur only a minor hindrance. He drank greedily, and oh gods.

This blood was unlike anything he had ever had. It was so much… better than any humans, regardless of if it was fresh or not. It was metallic, like all blood, but it held something within it. Something lively. That was it…

Aster's blood held more than just fulfillment until his next meal. It held life itself.

Jack guessed that made sense, Bunny being the Easter Bunny and all.

Jack's fangs dug into Aster's neck and after a minute of what must have seemed like Jack trying to suck the rabbit completely dry, Jacks fangs retracted and he slowly lapped up the remaining blood flow with his tongue. He delicately dabbed at the puncture wounds with the tip of his tongue, and he felt Aster shudder underneath him.

Right. He just drank from Aster. And his blood had been so much better than the shit he had been surviving off of for three hundred years that Jack would be surprised if he could even go back to it.

Jack pushed away from Bunny, a tried not to look at his face, but couldn't help but notice the concern that was still written all over it.

He wondered why he was so worried over him, and why he wasn't acting like Jack had expected at all.

He didn't worry about it for a moment as Jack reached down to pull the black shirt away from the closing wounds. He didn't want the fabric to get stuck inside.

That would hurt like a son of a bitch.

Jack managed to look down at his chest and stomach. The three gaping holes that had been there were now nothing more than a bloody dent in his skin. The flesh around the wounds were still purple and yellow. They would probably stay that color for a little while as well.

Jack managed to stand after a few minutes, and with the help of Aster.

When he could stand on his own and before anyone could do anything to stop him, Jack summoned all of his magic and threw it at Pitch, freezing him to the bone.

The ice was essentially un-melting. The only person who should be able to make it melt would be him, and that wasn't happening any time soon.

"Jackie, what'd ya do to 'em?" Aster looked astonished, and North appeared to be stunned.

Jack looked up at Aster, and then at North. He vaguely heard Sandy and Tooth coming out of the hole in the ground. He also heard the chirping of thousands of little fairies and Tooth's happy ramblings.

"I froze him. It shouldn't melt. At least," Jack yawned, "not any time soon."

"How…?" North muttered.

Jack just shrugged, not really wanting to answer, and yawned again.

"Alright, alright. You still look like you're about to cark it." Aster mumbled next to his ear, as he quickly picked Jack up bridal style before he could protest.

Not that he was going to protest. Jack grinned at him blearily.

"I agree, Bunny. Let us get him to medic wing, yes?"

Jack didn't get to object going to the Pole. Instead, he fell unconscious in Aster's warm arms.