Baby Talk

What if something odd happened to Bunny? Set a year or two after the movie.

"Blimy, where are they coming from?!" Allie grouched as she surveyed the land around her. The blue-ish grey bunny stood as tall as she could to find the source of the sand beasts but nothing really caught her eye. Granted she was barely over five feet, not including her ears and unfortunately those don't count, she had argued the case several times and always lost. The sea of attackers wasn't helping.

She slashed at a nightmare with a steady kick that dispersed it.

"What the bloody hell?" Her ears swiveled to follow the sound of the angry Australian man. It was strangely familiar but she didn't really think much of it being in battle as she was.

"On your left!" She looked over and saw a mass of nightmares and a boomerang slicing through them to little effect. That was another voice, a woman?

"North, watch out!" A younger voice called. A child? It really didn't matter at that point as she dispatched the last of hers and saw the mass of sand engulfing the area where those voices were coming from. A pained cry sent her into overdrive.

She hopped into action.

She spun through them with her own boomerangs made her way to the center leaving a black trail of sand in the dirt as she went. Burgess was really not the place she would have thought the nightmare king would be gathering himself but who was she to judge. She was just some random spring spirit.

She didn't stop to greet the people fighting beside her until the battle was won. They were all panting like they had run a marathon and she was spent, fur clinging uncomfortably to her face. She surveyed the group and upon catching sight of the Easter Bunny her jaw dropped.

"Aster?" She asked in surprise. The bunny in question was standing there staring into the similar green eyes of...

"Allie? Holy- Allie?! How is this even possible? Mate, where've you been? What happened? What..." He was rattling off frenzied questions in his confusion, forgetting the others and rushing up to the smaller bunny who was immediately engulfed in a bunny-hug. Bunny-hugs, in case anyone wondered, were like bear hugs only snugglier. She returned the gesture with a chuckle.

"Well, I had heard stories but no one ever calls you Aster, or Bunnymund and frankly you don't seem to get out much." She chuckled.

"But, But mate, the tunnels? The warren, why, why didn't you..." She shook her head at his lack of speech skills, shock still not worn off.

"I tried but all the entrances are shut down and at you have to be let in for the tunnels to work and I don't have that magic." She offered, understanding dawned on him.

"I'm sorry mate, I'm so sorry I thought you were dead." He squeezed.

"Diddo." She squeezed back with a chuckle.

At this point all they'd heard was Bunny's rather loud questioning of her, they hadn't quite caught that last bit. They waited patiently a few moments while the shock wore off the two and they were introduced.

"Well, this is Allie, she's my sister." He announced happily, "Allie, you know the guardians?" She nodded.

"Hi. I've heard the stories." She grinned shyly. It was a solid hour of introductions before things settled down. It had been centuries since he had seen his baby sis and the four other guardians had literally never seen him so happy.

They had dinner together that night and discovered that she was chosen as a lesser spirit of spring. She was good at it too. They all crashed at the pole and Tooth had to suppress a giggle at how adorable Bunny was all curled up with Allie under his arm protectively. In her defense Allie had just fallen asleep on his shoulder, he had added the arm.

The next morning though, things got interesting.

"Crikey, what've you gone and got yourself into now, sissy?" Bunny asked of the newly de-aged Allie who had her little paws in a bucket of water, splashing about happily. She couldn't have been more than two, if that and the sight melted his heart. Her answer to his question was a tiny paw on his face as he scooped her up and giggle. She bumped noses with him in greeting and he almost forgot to breath from the cute.

"Ater" She tried, he chuckled. She was horrible with the 's' sound. At least she hadn't just called him 'ass' for four years, that would have been bad.

"Yeah, that's me sis. Can you say your name? Allie? Huh, Allie?" He urged, just to see how little she was, he thought, but it was really because he was more than happy to raise her again.

"All-... Allie." She cooed. He beamed.

"Yeah, that's you!" He snuggled the little bugger and sent a paw down her ears and back a few times so she would knock out. Worked up until she was seven, always put her right to sleep. He decided he wanted her asleep when the others got up. She would need to meet the others carefully. He hoped North didn't trigger anything.

"Hey Sandy." He greeted the golden man, who was the first one he met in the living room. "Allie got her butt into something and I'm not sure how, but I'm content to leave it be." He offered still doting on the little ball of fur in his arms. "But we need to re-introduce her to everyone and I'm not sure how well that's gonna go." He sat beside his friend on the couch. With her laying still she was hard to spot for a second and when he saw he he understood why he was content to let it be. He made a happy little grinning face of pure appreciation.

A Question mark bounced over his head.

"I haven't the slightest." He shook his head, Allie finally opened a little green eye and yawned. "Hey mate." He watched her run her little paws over her face and shake her fur out. If he had been in doubt over his manliness, that would have shot it straight to hell. She looked about in question before her eyes settled on Sandy.

Her little head tilted to the side, one of her ears not quite able to prick up anymore flopped over and the result was awe-inspiring. She looked up at her brother in question and back to the little man who smiled and waved at her. She returned the gesture and Sandy almost fell over from the cute. Then she giggled at him, sensing he wasn't a threat. He was pretty sure his heart stopped.

"Yeah, that's Sandy, can you say hi?" he asked her, holding her little paws so she could stand upright like she was trying to do. Her nose twitched in that confused way and that ear picked itself up. "Say Hi." He nodded to him.

Sandy held out his hands to the little bunny and she hoped. It was a disaster of a hop, she was only two after all, but she did it. She landed on him and he steadied her. She had landed face first on his lap and Bunny chuckled.

"That wasn't sayin' hi, Allie." he messed up the fur on her shoulder. She seemed to then remember what she was supposed to do and looked up at the little golden man, hoping as she tried.

"Hi!" She chirped, straightening out to stand and falling over again. Sandy caught her and helped her stand up between her brother and himself, the soft couch not helping her balance. Her little nose twitched as she touched his own with hers in greeting. The little man had to smile.

"Good job!" Bunny encouraged. "She likes you." He offered to Sandy. Allie giggled and smiled up at him, causing her to fall over into Bunny's lap backwards with a little squeak. She giggled, not concerned, and grabbed at his boomerang's holster to pull herself back up. He righted her and she settled down in his lap. "Can you say 'Sandy?" He asked, "come on, you can do it." He encouraged as the toddler grappled with the syllables.

The word ended up not much more than gibberish but she did manage to come close. Not quite getting the 's' out. Too precious.

Sandy made little birds and butterflies for the little bunny to chase.

He noted immediately that even with her ears she was shorter than him by at least a head's height. With. Her. Ears. He tapped Bunny's shoulder and flashed an image for time and a music note.

"Oh, about two I'd say. If that." He offered, keeping her from falling off the couch with a steady arm.

A question mark and a gesture to her.

"I have no idea. I found her rompin' around in a small bucket of water they were using to clean off excess paint from the toys." he chuckled. He had knocked all the muddled water off and the result had been shiny, soft fur that was puffed out a little more than usual.

He nodded. Allie saw something else in the room that caught her attention and tried to hop off the couch. Bunny was tipped off by the little preparatory shifting of weight on her back feet and her hunkering down so he was ready. She gave a valiant effort but ended up dangling in the air with his arm around her waist.

"Good try, mate. Maybe next time." He chuckled.

Bunny hadn't stopped smiling, even as the little nut tried to climb him, giving his gut a thorough kicking in the process, ending up dangling from his right ear.

"Oi, mate. I know you think you're a climber, but you're not." he informed the little rabbit as he pried her tiny paws off his ear. "Plus, it's not nice to climb people." He admonished lightly. Her little ears dropped a little in apology. She tried to say something that may or may not have been 'sorry' but her little two-year-old voice just produced gibberish. He chuckled.

"It's okay, mate." he offered and she was over it. One of her ears flopped over on her again, muscles once again giving out. Then the other one fell over into her face and she snorted, jumping in surprise. Sandy had to laugh with Bunny at that one.

"Hey, it's just your ear, little bugger." he picked the offending thing up off her face and her little paws reached for it. He dropped it again and she was thoroughly confused. She leaned backward, shaking her head and brushing down with her little paws. "Hey, it's your ear, mate." He explained again. She caught it and pushed it back, pulling on it to try to catch a look at it. Bunny shook his head as he laughed.

He then proceeded to teach her where her ears were by playing peekaboo with his own, causing lots of giggles and happy clapping from the toddler, along with a fair amount of gibberish.

Sandy watched this happen with an enormous grin plastered on his face. Bunny really was an amazing brother, and he knew what he was doing. It was magical watching him interact with her. Patience didn't cover this, he oozed love for the little fur ball in his lap when she was older, and now it was almost baby-talk level.

It was about the end of said game that Jack came sliding in, floored by the presence of the baby rabbit.

"Bunny? what happened?" He asked.

"Like I told Sandy, not a clue." He informed, not looking away from her, as she was currently trying to catch his ear. That could be problematic. Hers had flopped back over behind her head.

"You don't seem bothered." He observed. Bunny chuckled and shook his head.

"Nah, little sucker's adorable." he offered as the little girl twisted to find out who that new voice belonged to. She couldn't spin so she just improvised, flipping backward, hanging off the couch to look at him upside down.

"Hey there." Jack greeted, sitting on the carpet in front of her.

"Hi!" She chirped more readily this time. Bunny gave her belly a pat.

"Good girl." He cooed. She chuckled and, still upside down, waved at the new arrival gleefully.

"What's your name then?" He asked, picking up that she had fully reverted. Bunny had to smile. Jack got it.

"Allie!" She offered happily.

"That's right, Allie, good job." Bunny encouraged.

"Hi Allie." Jack greeted, she sat back up and looked between the two, Bunny and Jack, in question.

"Yeah, that's Jack." She struggled with the name for a moment while Jack chuckled behind her. Bunny contained himself, barely. Sandy didn't even try, it was so unbelievably precious. She couldn't wrap her little mouth around it.

"Jack?" She finally spat it out with some effort. Much less than with Sandy's name, but still grappling with it.

"Yup, that's me." Jack gave her back a tickle that sent her reeling and laughing right into Bunny's chest.

"Good girl!" he held up a paw and high-fived her. They noted the massive size difference and vaguely wondered at the gentleness he was able to produce around her. It had a calming effect.

"From what I've heard, I don't expect she'll be saying it again soon." Jack observed, "but that's impressive. What is she two?" He asked. Bunny nodded at his understanding.

"Maybe barely. Yeah, I'm impressed." he grinned over her head where her ears were trying to prick up again. He smoothed them back and she shook out her fur.

Jack had opened his mouth to reply when Tooth and North poked their heads in.

"Oh jeeze. Sandy?" He looked at the golden man who immediately figured he wanted her out. He didn't ask why he just did it, trusting him.

"What was that for?" Jack asked, "You're worried North'll scare her to death aren't you?" He asked. Bunny didn't even try to hide his concern.

"I know he would." He offered. "I want to make sure he's quiet when he meet her so he doesn't trigger her. She's got a bit of a panic problem, but it's trigger-induced." He explained. Jack nodded in sudden understanding. Tooth caught sight of the sleepy baby first and alerted North by way of cooing over her.

"Awww, she's precious." Tooth gushed. Bunny chuckled.

"I know right? Little bugger's adorable. Poor thing hasn't grown into her ears yet either. It's that age when they're trying to prick up." He offered, picking one floppy little ear up as the other twitched upright shakily.

North laughed at the sight, admittedly quietly, but loud enough to cause her to twitch. Bunny made eye contact with him.

"Easy mate. She may be a bit skittish around the two of you, mostly you, I would be very quiet, calm, and slow." He cautioned. North nodded, pulling up a chair and sitting. Tooth followed his lead, perching herself on the opposite side of the couch from Sandy.

"Alright." North offered, Bunny relaxed immensely.

"Hey, wake up sleepy." He gently roused the fur-ball in his lap who proceeded to stretch and do the little face wiping thing, shaking her fur out, yawning, and once again looking a bit confused. Both little ears were pricked up successfully but he could see them starting to shake. She wasn't concerned.

Tooth shuffled and her little ears twitched to track the noise.

"What's that?" He asked the toddler.

She found the colorful blue fary and her eyes lit up with excitement as they had for Sandy. She loved the pretty colors and Tooth was less than threatening. She reached up for her over her brother's leg and giggled.

"Hi little one." Tooth cooed. Aria chuckled, waving at the fary.

"Hi!" She provided shortly but happily.

"That's Tooth." he said as she looked to him for an explanation. She struggled with it but much less so than she had with Jack.

"Toof?" He chuckled. Close enough. He tried to help her with the 'th' sound but it wasn't happening. Tooth couldn't help her little 'aww' noise.

"Yeah, that's me. What's your name sweetie?" She asked sweetly, sensing a pattern. She looked at the fary for a moment, trying to unlock the information.

"Allie!" She cheered, finally remembering what she needed to say. He loved how well she was doing as opposed to last time she was this age, she hadn't been able to speak until she was at least five last time. It still was a bit heartbreaking that she had to try so hard. He gave her a little scratch behind her ear.

"That's right, mate. Good job." She nudged the fary's hand with her nose in greeting. "That'd be a hello, Tooth." he explained. "It means she likes you." Tooth cooed at her for a moment until an elf came running in. It pulled her attention away and she wanted to chase it but Bunny held onto her.

"Hey, not right now mate." She looked up at him as if to say 'but Aaaasteeer!'. "Nope, there's someone else for you to meet." He informed. Her floppy little ears pricked up again and he nodded to North. She was fairly oblivious sometimes. He chuckled. She tilted her little head to the side for what had to be the billionth time in Bunny's mind, ears falling over.

"Hi." North smiled and gave her a small little wave. She seemed a bit apprehensive. She backed up a little nose going a mile a minut, looking at Bunny for confirmation.

"It's alright, yeah. That's North, he's a friend, I promise." he offered. That seemed to clear her hesitation right up.

"hi." She greeted, leaning out to him. He provided a hand which she nudged and then placed an itty bitty little paw in. North's little appreciative chuckle spread to her then through the group like wildfire.

North was about to say something but one of her little ears fell in her face again prompting an indignant sniff and look from the toddler.

"Ears are too heavy are they?" he teased lightly, picking the little ear up where she saw him and chuckled. That second Bunny knew the Russian had won her over by saving her from the dreaded droopy ear.

She hunkered down again, feeling that need, and when she wiggled in preparation Bunny nudged the top of her head.

"What're you doin'? What're you up to you little stinker?" He asked the eager toddler who's answer was to giggle. She launched herself from his lap and he trusted the others to catch the little stinker. She was still horrible at hoping, but bless her heart she tried. Bunny shook his head at the uncoordinated little fur-ball which landed roughly in both of North's huge hands, sideways, limbs flailing. She was pretty much the size of one of them though.

"Woah." North said in shock as he caught the air-born bunny. "You gave it good shot." he said encouragingly. Bunny was still laughing.

"Now how are you supposed to hop when you can't stand up mate?" He asked of the toddler who blinked owlishly up at him, almost in challenge. She tried to stand up, pretty much walking up the big guy with her little paws. She wasn't gripping at his beard, though, which as surprising as it was to the others was expected of Bunny.

"I won't lie, I fully expected her to be yanking on his beard." Jack commented for the group. Bunny chuckled.

"It's an instinct, mate. Anyone with fur knows, you don't grab the fur, never grab the fur, and to her that's what his beard is, fur." He explained. North chuckled at the toddler who was giving her big brother the proudest little grin.

"Good job!" North encouraged, thankful for the lack of yanking on his facial hair. She pushed off of him to stand on her own but wobbled, falling back over on him.

She turned around in a crawl and North sat her down on his lap.

"So she can't walk yet? How old is she?" Tooth asked.

"Almost two I think. She hasn't learned yet. Frankly she's doing better now than she was when she was origionally this age." He offered as the little rabbit giggled at snowflakes and kept pulling herself up on North's arm.

"Maybe we can teach her." Jack offered, north had picked the little girl up and now sat on the floor with her, ready to do as Jack suggested. Everyone else seemed to think it was a great idea too because they had formed a tight circle on the floor leaving a spot for the bunny who smiled fondly, conceding.

"Okay, at the very least we'll be entertained." He offered.

That they were. She was horrid at it, her little legs nowhere near coordinated enough yet, but she kept trying. She liked to try to hop, but that was instinct. Sandy picked the little toddler up from the floor again and helped her pull herself up on her tiny little feet. She wobbled and Bunny just had this proud look on his face through this huge grin that was becoming infectious.

"Come on, mate." He called her but her ear flopped over and, past being afraid of it, tripped to sitting in Sandy's lap as she examined it, enthralled by the thing. Bunny shook his head. "Distractable little sucker, aren't you?" He asked of the little girl. She didn't hear him. Sandy pulled the ear back and let it flop backward. She looked up at him, giggled, and got back on her feet (with no small amount of help).

"Allie?" Jack called, her left ear twitched and the little bunny found that he had made a little snowflake that twirled around her. She reached for it, he made sure it stayed just out of reach, but not up or down far enough to topple her and had it advance toward Bunny slowly and carefully.

"Good girl!" Bunny encouraged excitedly. She had managed four or five little steps and was standing in the middle of the circle holding the perma-frozen snowflake in her paw. She looked up and saw him with his arms out and took the last couple steps excitedly, stumbling into him. "Yay! Good girl!" He was lit up impossibly and he picked the little bunny up where she giggled excitedly, feeding off the energy he exuded. Everyone was clapping or cheering in some way, they had done it!

The little fur ball yawned, ears flattening to her head as she did, and snuggled her big brother who smoothed back her ears only about twice before she was out like a light. He shook his head.

"That's just amazing." He mused.

"What's amazing?" Jack asked.

"Well, when she was really this age, the first time, she was...underdeveloped. She never learned to walk, or even talk until she was five. Even the little sounds she's making, those would have been a stretch." He explained. The four looked even more awe-struck and understood their friend's total elation.

"So, this is really super amazing." Jack confirmed. Bunny nodded.

"Yeah, hopping should be natural, that's why she tries it, but there's somethin' goin' on in there it messes with her muscles. You notice she looks like she's got it down until she moves. Poor little nut." He mused.

"So, do you think she'll learn now?" Tooth asked.

"Well I can't imagine why not, she's already four years ahead of where she was originally." He was beaming.

"How do you teach hopping?" North was suddenly curious.

"That's the thing about it, normally you don't have to. Basically she has to keep watching me, and trying until she gets it." He offered then got a mischievous grin. "Interestingly, this is how I knew it wasn't a muscular problem."

He found a spot behind the sleeping bunny's ear and scratched. She leaned into it until she fell over and one little back leg went nuts kicking in time to the scratching. There was lots of snickering at that.

"So, that's like the reflex test in humans?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, mostly kids though. Most grown bunnies won't sit still long enough." He chuckled. The little bunny yawned and snuggled back into him. Hugging his arm.

They were awe-struck with all the cute. She was snuggled into him and actually looked a lot like any kid's pet bunny, the way she was curled up. He wasn't unaware of that fact and was indeed petting her like one would a pet bunny. It was beyond the cutest of the cute things that had ever cuted in the history of cute.

I hope you enjoyed Bunny turning into a mushy baby-talking big ol' softie! Thanks for reading!