A/N: I'm a terrible excuse for an author, I'm aware. I'm sorry. My depression has been really bad. No excuses really, other than that. The story isn't abandoned, I've just lost inspiration, motivation, energy, and a will to live basically. But school is out now, and I might try to write some more to fill up my time. Sorry again. Enjoy!

The Guardians and Elsa regrouped at the Ice Castle. Jack was reluctant to let them into he and Elsa's sanctuary, but it was too much of a time suck to go all the way back to the workshop, and the castle was out of the question, especially with most of Arendelle's citizens now believing in them. Jack angrily walled off all but the open foyer where they had just eaten lunch with Anna and Kristoff (who had left thankfully, with supplies of food for Elsa and Jack). Elsa expanded the table to accommodate the Guardians, and crafted some more chairs. She made Jack's chair more of a bench so that they could sit closer together without her being on his lap. She was unembarrassed by his hand resting between her knees as they sat and stared at the rest of the Guardians. She didn't care what they thought anymore.

The rest of the Guardians were still looking at Jack sheepishly and refusing to meet his eyes. Elsa glared daggers at Bunny when he opened his mouth to make a comment and he sunk deeper into his chair. Tooth was flitting around nervously, her fairies hovering silently. Only North seemed able to act normal, though it still seemed like forced cheer.

"We have to find the children. Pitch's and the other's plan does not matter as much as the children's safety." He started. Tooth nodded vigorously.

"I agree. We need to prioritize." Jack's eyes narrowed but he said nothing. Elsa whipped up a three-dimensional rendering of the town, marking the houses of missing children with snowflakes. There was no discernible pattern. She frowned.

"You guys say you know these kids right?" She asked, peering closer.

"Yeah. They helped us against Pitch a while back. He was trying to make them not believe in us by keeping them too scared to hope." Bunny sneered.

"Didn't work out well did it, ya bugger?" He muttered more to himself.

"So the children would know Pitch on sight?" Elsa hedged.

"Well some of them would. Jamie, Sophie. A few others." Tooth nodded.

"And the rest?" Tooth shook her head. Jack leaned up and glanced at Elsa's face. Her mouth was tight and she was melting holes into her ice town with her gaze.

"What're you getting at Els?" He asked. She sighed and leaned back.

"It's just a theory. But I'm thinking that it wasn't Pitch who took the children. They'd know him. They'd be on guard. But the others? What's to stop the others from pretending to be Guardians? Why wouldn't they belief that? After all, they watched Jack become a Guardian, so it's possible that in the past year since they've seen you, you've added more spirits as recruits. They might not have been kidnapped, per say."

"I don't know Elsa, those kids are too smart to just let themselves be fooled. After all, why wouldn't Jack tell them we've gotten new Guardians? He still visits them all the time." North questioned the flaw in Elsa's logic. Jack piped up finally.

"I actually haven't been to see them in like a month." He said guiltily. "I kept meaning to but…"

"What if they thought that you were in trouble? And they were rescuing you?"

"That seems like something Jamie and the gang would do. But what about the rest of the children? There's at least a dozen missing and only five or so are a part of Jamie's crew." Tooth added.

"I'm not sure." Elsa admitted. "But it's a place to start."

"Where do we look for them then? If they're looking for us?"

*POV Switch*

"Jamie, what's goin' on?" Sophie tugged at her older brother's shirt sleeve and looked up at him with big eyes.

"We're here to see Jack, Soph! And Bunny. You remember Bunny, yeah?" Jamie answered his sister with a smile.

"Bun Bun!" Sophie squealed excitedly. She toodled ahead of the rest of the group, singing softly to herself. As they walked, Jamie let his hand run along the edges of the wall. The stones were cold and wet, exactly as Jamie would expect, given that Jack lived here. Jamie was glad that Lethe had came and brought them to see Jack.

But something was off. Jamie couldn't put his finger on it, but he wondered why Jack hadn't come out to greet them yet. And why were they walking down stairs? Surely Jack wouldn't be in the basement of his own castle? But then again, knowing Jack…

Cupcake fell in stride with him.

"Hey, does this seem weird to you?" She asked bluntly. Jamie shrugged.

"It's Jack. He's weird." Cupcake didn't look convinced.

A few seconds later they reached the end of the corridor. A room opened up and they all piled into it. Looking around quickly, there was something missing.

Jamie whirled around to face the people that had brought them there.

"Where's Jack?" He shouted. Sophie skirted up behind him and hid behind his shirt.

"Bun Bun?" She asked. Cupcake and the rest formed a defensive line, a strategy honed by dozens of snowball fights, and one face off with Pitch Black. Slowly, two figures rounded the corner and entered the room.

"Oh, I knew we were forgetting something!" One female voice said. "What was it we were forgetting Lethe? Oh yes, that's right." She rounded the corner. Snow white hair fell across a harsh face. Icy blue eyes and round cheeks likened her to Jack, but the resemblance was merely physical. No humor graced her eyes, no laugh tugged at her lips. Instead, anger turned her eyes to glaciers and her mouth to a taut line. Her fingers curled around a staff, similar to Jack's, but instead of resembling a shepherd's hook, a tool, it far more closely resembled a weapon.

"Jack's not here." She finished. Her voice sent shivers up Jamie's spine. He forced himself to remain still and show no fear. If he could be brave in the face of fear himself, he could be brave now. This Jack Frost wannabe wasn't going to scare him.

"Where did he run off to again, Lethe?" A more familiar figure stepped out from around the corner. Her hair was dirty brown and limp, her eyes grey like old snow, as if the color had been washed away. She had come to Jamie last night saying that Jack had sent her, but Jamie couldn't remember why he had believed her. Had he even believed her? How did they get here?

"Stop being dramatic, Aergia." Lethe said monotonously. "They aren't going to remember anyway."

"Where is Jack?" Jamie said more forcefully. It came out a lot weaker than intended.

Aergia and Lethe turned away from their arguing to stare at them. Aergia smiled viciously, and Lethe's face was a blank slate.

"Where is who?" Lethe questioned. "Who are you asking for?" Jamie's head felt fuzzy. Who was he looking for? What was he doing here? Where was here?

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked sleepily. Aergia's face shifted in an attempt to seem comforting. In Jamie's foggy state he couldn't really tell the difference.

"It's nothing, child. Just relax and sleep. See? The rest of them are asleep." Jamie turned to see that yes, the rest of his companions were asleep. That sounded nice. Everything was so foggy.

"Ok." He agreed. He quickly curled up on the floor, wrapped his arm around his sister, and was asleep.

Aergia smiled again.

When Jamie awoke, it was to a bright light. Even from behind his eyelids he could see the brightness that was awaiting him when he opened his eyes. Warmth also permeated every inch of him, enough to be a little uncomfortable. All he really wanted to do was go back to sleep, between the light, the warmth, and the squirming of Sophie under his arm, it was impossible. He sat up and gingerly opened his eyes.

After they adjusted, his gaze fell upon the source of the brilliant light. The most beautiful woman Jamie had ever seen was sitting a few feet away, smiling kindly at him. The light was streaming from her pores and filling the room with its glow. Her hair was golden and curled gently around her soft face. Her eyes were molten gold, framed by long eyelashes and warm gold skin. Her dress seemed to be woven from light as well, flattering her figure and suggesting royalty. However, the kindness of her smile and the warmth that surrounded her suggested more of a motherly figure.

Jamie noticed that the other children were also starting to wake when her gaze drifted off of him and in between the rest. She clapped her hands excitedly and laughed. The sound filled the space and Jamie was oddly reminded of thunderclaps. He shook the thought to the side. Storms were dark and dangerous. This woman was the exact opposite.

"Oh I'm so glad you're awake!" She exclaimed. Jamie struggled to stand up.

"Where are we?" He asked. "Ma'am?" He felt the extreme desire to please this woman, to love her, and be loved in return. He almost shrunk back when her full attention turned back to him, and she seemed the slightest bit disappointed.

"Why Jamie, don't you remember?" She asked slowly, as if talking to a much younger child. He shook his head, ashamed.

"Do any of you remember?" She asked, looking slightly offended. Everyone else shook their heads and mumbled. She sighed.

"That's alright. We can just...start from the beginning!" She sounded excited again. Everyone's heads whipped up, happy that she was happy, disappointment forgotten.

"Welcome to the home of the Guardians!" She said invitingly. "I'm Idalia."