Bunny's POV
As we walked, I watched Jackie as closely as I was able to get away with. I saw her and Tooth glance over at me often so it made it very difficult. I decided to try to figure out where it was she was planning on going to look for decorations.
"So where are we headin' anyways?" I asked her.
"Wherever the forest ends," she said, seeming to not have a care in the world. Thanks to Anastasia and paying attention to Jackie, I could tell that wasn't the truth. She was good at hiding her emotions, I'll give her that.
"So you do not remember vhat it is that is outside dis forest?" North asked her. She shook her head.
"Not really. It's been so long since I was away from home, a lot of things can change in a couple hundred years," she said. We all looked at her at the same time with the same incredulous expressions.
"You mean that you haven't left your house in that long of a time?" Tooth asked her. She shook her head. "Why?" she asked.
"I just never really felt like it. Sending the spirits out always took too much out of me even after I had my second meal," she said it like it was the truth and it may have been for some years but I could sense a lie when it was told. The others seemed to believe it except for North who always knew when someone lied. He reacted the same as everyone else but I knew better. He knew she was hiding something too.
"Hey, North? Can I talk to ya a second? About somethin'…personal," I asked him. I hopped that she wouldn't pick up on what it was that I really wanted to talk to him about. North understood though and just had to make something of it.
"Ah, Bunny, if you wanted to know about vemen why didn't you just say so?" he asked, trying to be as embarrassing as possible. I growled a little under my breath and we walked away from the rest of the group until I knew we were out of hearing range.
"Why did you have to say all that?!" I said in an infuriated whisper. He grabbed my shoulders.
"Did you vant her to suspect or not?" he asked me. I shook myself out of his grip.
"Honestly, I think she already knows we know she's lying. Look, all I know is that Anastasia has indicated that she's lost control in the past too. I think we need to find out what it is. Even if it may have happened so long ago, it still seems to be bothering her, whatever it is," I said. North looked at me thoughtfully. "What?"
"Oh nothing, is just dat I have never seen you so perceptive of keeping an eye on someone like dis before," he answered.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. I absolutely had no idea of what he was talking about.
"I think dat if it was anyone else being bothered by something, I do not think you would notice. At least not the way you notice vith her," he said.
"What are you implying, mate?" I asked, getting a little worked up. He laid a hand on my shoulder.
"In all the time we have known each other, my friend, I have never seen you notice the tiny details of someone like dis before. I think, at the very least, she has made you start thinking of more than just yourself. To pay attention more to others," he said. I was about to protest when I actually stopped to think about it. The first time that we met, she didn't bother to attack me. She just dodged and waited until I was done. Then she did the same thing on Jack's outburst the first meal that we had ate together. She taught me to wait and watch rather than just to jump in as I usually did with situations. I looked back up to North who had that look on his face that said, 'see? I told you'. I sighed.
"You're right, okay? You're right. Bein' around her has changed more than just a few things," I said, gesturing to how I was now human rather than a rabbit. He laughed at that and I smiled.
"Let us work together to find out what is causing her such pain," he said to me. I nodded with a smile as we rejoined the others.