A/N: Hello all, so here's the next part of the story! Yay! Sorry it has taken so long, school is crazy and this past week I have been a complete scatter brain. Forgot my wallet one day at work, didn't take a quiz for a class, was late to a class one day and only showed up after a friend texted me to ask where I was (I completely forgot I even had class that day), and I mixed up my shifts at work, causing me to be three hours late to work the other day. It has just been an awful week where my brain is just deciding to shut down.

I guess I just need a vacation :)

Anyways, since I can't have a vacation, I will bring you this! Get my mind off of work and school and stuff like that, so, here it is!

Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows. And thank you to those who have supported me and congratulated me on my test, it means a lot.

And to all of my readers, you are AMAZING! Never forget that!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians...

~~RiseOfTheGuardians~~

"Shhh, shhhhh! He is waking up," North said, fluttering his hands up and down.

Jennalie and the other 8 fairies that were checking up on Jack settled around Jack as North, Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy all leaned in.

Jack's eyes fluttered open, blinked once, before taking in the scene. "Okay, this is weird," Jack croaked.

"You are awake," North said.

"I noticed," Jack said, licking dry lips. "Why are you all staring at me?"

"We were worried," Tooth said.

Jack's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why?"

"You've been out for another three days mate," Bunny said.

"Huh," Jack said, wishing that everyone would back up at least a little, he was beginning to feel claustrophobic. "I've never been out that long."

"Yes, well," North said, nodding slightly before pausing. "What do you mean you've never been out that long?"

Jack's eyes widened in surprise as North shouted at him.

Sandy waved his hands, sensing Jack's discomfort, before he dragged the others back out of Jack's space. A relieved smile spread across Jack's lips as he met Sandy's eyes in a show of gratitude. Sandy nodded in return.

Four of the tooth fairies fluttered over with a glass of water. Jack took it from them gratefully and sipped it, letting the cool water wash down his throat as he concentrated on not freezing it.

The others watched in silence for a moment before Sandy gave them all a meaningful look. Bunny nodded and stepped forwards slightly.

"Listen, mate, we uh," Bunny began, although he wasn't sure how to continue.

"Jack we just," Tooth said, but she too, was at a loss for words.

Jack rubbed his head. He felt a million times better than he had the last time he had woken up, but still, he had just woken up and he was having a hard time processing everything. It didn't help that the others were acting so weird.

"Well, you see mate," Bunny stumbled forward again. "We just, uh, North?"

"Jack," North said, but couldn't seem to say anything after that. How did one apologize for what happened a year ago? And was it right to bring it up now, make Jack relive that? North glanced to Sandy, whose expression turned stern. Sandy pointed at Jack before folding his arms and tapping his foot.

North sighed. "Jack, we just, that is to say, well…"

"What's going on? Did someone break my staff again?"

"No! No, nothing like that," Tooth fluttered.

"Well then, what is it?" Jack asked.

North, Tooth, and Bunny all shared a look.

"Just say it."

"We wanted to say sorry," Bunny finally blurted out.

"For what?" Jack asked, confused. "It wasn't your fault I got on the wrong side of April and the others."

"No, no," North said. "Not for that, although we should have been there for you."

"You were," Jack said, sitting up and looking the others in the eyes one at a time. "You were all there for me, to help me. And you took care of me after. Just, thank you. I've never had anyone who would do that for me before."

The others looked down, feeling guilty. They should have been there for Jack before, long before the incident with Pitch.

After the silence had stretched to near awkwardness, Jack spoke up once more. "Than I don't understand what you are apologizing for."

"For, uh, well," Tooth said. "Jennalie here filled us in. On what happened. The other time your staff broke."

"Oh," Jack said, looking down at Baby Tooth, who chirped softly and offered Jack a smile. Jack smiled back at her. "Yeah, well, you know, these things happen and well, it all worked out in the end."

"But it shouldn't have happened," Bunny said.

"We should have listened to you," North said.

"We shouldn't have turned you away," Tooth said.

"We are sorry, Jack," North said.

Jack, who was still looking at Baby Tooth, glanced down at his lap for a moment.

The others held their breaths. They wanted Jack's forgiveness, needed it, because otherwise, it would be too hard to live with themselves.

North watched Jack anxiously. The past few days had come to show him just how much Jack meant to him and the others, how much the boy made them a family, and he feared losing the trust and respect that was growing between the two of them.

Bunny couldn't bring himself to look at Jack, couldn't bare the thought that Jack would reject him, reject them all, like they had rejected him. And the thought that Jack, this crazy, fun loving winter spirit who had warmed his heart and become like a brother, might reject him, well, it made Bunny want to tunnel to the center of the Earth and never come out again.

Tooth fluttered anxiously side to side, wishing not for the first time, that she could read Jack's mind. She was nervous that bringing this up would remind him of how badly they had failed him as friends, as family, and she didn't want him to realize that. Because if he realized that, he would realize that they didn't deserve him, he would desert them, and Tooth didn't want that. Jack had made their lives full of wonder, hope, and fun. He had created memories with them that Tooth treasured above all the other memories she cared for.

Sandy watched Jack closely. He was still angry at the others for what they had done, still could not believe that they could shun one of their own, especially at a time they needed each other most. Sandy knew that he would not forgive the others what they had done. At least, not until Jack had forgiven them.

Jack twisted the blanket that rested across his lap between his fingers, watching as the frost created patterns on it as he tried to find the words he wanted to say.

At long last he looked up.

And smiled.

"There's nothing you need to apologize for," Jack said. "I've already forgiven you."

North's eyes widened in shock as he let the breath he'd been holding out. He had hoped for it, but hadn't expected it to be so simple, so easy.

Bunny had to stop himself from leaping on Jack and hugging him. He felt elated, lighter than he had in a long time, to hear those words.

Tooth did throw herself at Jack, pulling him into a hug.

"Oh Jack," Tooth said. "I'm so glad to hear it."

"But how?" Bunny asked. "When?"

Tooth let go of Jack, settling on the bed next to him.

"Basically right after it happened. Before I had even run into Pitch," Jack said. "As to how, well…" Jack thought. How could he explain that for him, holding grudges was dangerous? How could he explain that for him, anyone who spoke to him, talked with him, interacted with him, was a potential friend, and to stay mad at a friend was just, well, it was stupid. "We're friends," Jack finally said with a shrug. "So we fought a little, had a disagreement. Went our separate ways for a bit. It all worked out in the end."

A huge grin lit up Sandy's face on hearing this and he shook his head in wonder. How was it that Jack, who was practically alone for three hundred years, knew more about friendship and family then they did? But, he did, and that knowledge made Sandy proud to be Jack's friend, his family.

"But, mate," Bunny said. "What we did, it led to getting your staff broken."

"It's not like you broke it though," Jack said.

"Still," Tooth said, her fists clenching. "I'll never forgive Pitch for doing that. Or April and the others."

"Me neither," North said.

"Same here," Bunny added as Sandy nodded his head. "And we'll make sure they never bother you again, mate."

Jack laughed, causing everyone to look at him in concern. Baby Tooth and the other fairies chirped in surprise, fluttering away from their perches on Jack momentarily before settling back down.

"What is so funny?" North asked.

"Aren't you mad at them for what they did?" Tooth asked.

"Sorry," Jack said when he stopped laughing. "It's just, if I stayed mad at everyone who's broken my staff, well, things would get a little awkward."

"What do you mean?" North asked.

"Pitch and April aren't the only ones who have broken my staff," Jack pointed out.

"WHAT?!"