Welcome back my lovelies! I am sooooo sorry for it being so long between updates! I have been having a very long lover's quarrel with my muse! Anyway! I'm back and ready to give you guys what you want! Can you believe it took me a week...A WEEK to write this?! Q_Q It's killing me!

Thank you to all of my amazing reviewers!

:) I'll have a challenge for you all at the end!

-Wolf

Chapter 26

Pitch grabbed Jack, pulling him close, when the door flew open. The shadows started wrapping around them, but he stopped when he realized it was North in the doorway. Pitch pulled the blanket around himself, and Jack, who hadn't even woken up. He glared at North, a growl working into his voice. "For someone who is constantly complaining about people forgetting to knock, you sure don't lead by example!"

When North didn't respond, Pitch raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to complain again, but froze when he saw a glint coming from North's sides. His eyes went wide when he registered that the larger man had his sabers in hand. He suddenly feared for his life as he locked eyes with North, whose face was contorted into a look of absolute hatred.

Pitch wrapped his arms tighter around Jack, and reached for the shadows, suddenly feeling uneasy. Seeming to sense what he was thinking North charged forwards, stabbing one blade into the mattress where Pitch had been moments before. Pitch finally got his hand into the shadows, starting to melt in when North yanked Jack out of his grip.

Pitch slid completely into the shadows, snarling as he moved across the room , and out of danger. "What the hell do you think you're doing North?" He watched from the shadows, being ignored when Jack's eyes flew open. He struggled for a moment as North wrapped him tightly in the blanket.

Jack looked around, looking horrified. "Dad? What's going on?" He struggled against the blanket, but couldn't get free as North picked him up like a baby. "Where's Pitch?!" North pulled his saber from the bed, sheathing it before he turned towards the door.

Pitch snarled again, slamming the door with the shadows. "I don't know what your problem is North, but I am not going to let you storm in here and simply abduct Jack!"

Jack struggled against the blanket again, snickering slightly. "At least I'm not in a sack this time." North growled, pulling Jack tighter against his chest as he kicked the door hard. Both Jack, and Pitch went silent in shock when the door shattered, falling into a pile on the floor.

Pitch couldn't bring himself to move as North stormed through the doorway, taking a protesting Jack with him. He simply stared at the doorway. He wasn't sure exactly what he had done to anger North, but it must have been horrible.

Jack struggled as North carried him through one of his magic portals, glancing around when he noticed they were in the infirmary. "What's wrong!? What did I do!?" He huffed when North dropped him roughly on one of the beds. "Will you answer me?!"

Jack cringed when he locked eyes with North, sighing when he saw the anger melting from the larger man's face. North sat on the edge of the bed, gently unwrapping Jack. "He was hurting you." Jack blinked, blushing when he realized that he was still naked.

Pulling the blanket over him again, Jack blushed brighter. "What on Earth makes you think he was hurting me?" He couldn't meet North's eye as he looked him over, touching the bite mark on Jack's neck. Jack blushed, looking down at the bed.

North tilted Jack's chin up gently, examining any mark he could find. After a minute Jack realized that Pitch must have been rougher than he had thought. North had found at least a dozen bruises before the older man's eyes went wide. Jack gulped when he realized that he had let the blanket droop, and North was looking at the bruise on his hip. He tried to yank the blanket back up, but North yanked it away.

Jack was too worried to be embarrassed as North stared at the bruise. The anger was back, and was worse than before. "How dare he!?" He spun towards the door, and Jack dove after him. He only got a few steps before his leg went weak, and he fell to the floor. North spun, fear mixing with the anger on his face.

Jack clung to North's arm as he was lifted back into the bed, and covered up. "I know how it looks, but I swear he didn't hurt me like you think!"

North growled, but kept his voice calm as he spoke. "He bruised your hip so bad you can't even walk, not to mention the bite marks! It is not good Jack!"

Jack whimpered, looking down again, and fighting back tears. He had to admit that the way North phrased it made it sound very bad. He sighed. "Don't hurt him. I'll talk to him, and make sure it doesn't happen again."

North sat back on the edge of the bed, pulling Jack into a hug. "I will come as well." Jack cringed at the thought. North chuckled weakly. "I promise, will not kill Pitch as long as he apologizes." Jack couldn't help but chuckle.

Jack blushed when he heard a bell ringing from the direction of the doorway. When North turned Jack yelped, pulling the blanket up as high as he could. Standing in the doorway were 3 concerned looking Guardians. Tooth shot forwards, hovering by Jack. "Oh no! Jack? Are you alright?" Jack simply nodded, pulling the blanket tightly around himself.

Sandy tugged on the blanket, and Jack blushed when he realized they had all gathered around his bed. "I am fine! Dad overreacted, and tried to kill Pitch."

Tooth suddenly dropped to the floor, quickly standing, and staring at North. "'Dad'?" North beamed proudly, patting Jack hard on the shoulder. Jack cringed as the larger man's hand came down on his bite mark. Sandy hopped up onto the bed beside Jack, looking at the bite marks.

Jack swatted the smaller man's hands away, sighing. "Stop touching them! Yes 'Dad'. I live with him, he takes care of me, I go to him for advice, and we bond! He's everything a father should be."

Sandy, and Bunny looked at each other, and Sandy shrugged. Tooth simply hovered nearby, looking thoughtful. After a moment she smiled. "Well we are a family. If North is your dad, then who am I?"

Bunny slapped his forehead, groaning. "Tooth! We are not playing house!" He crossed his arms, and huffed.

Jack snickered, biting his lip. "Whatever you say Grumpy Uncle" Bunny snorted, glaring at the teen. Jack smirked, looking at Tooth before answering. "I kind of see you as a motherly type actually. Though I guess it would be weird to call you 'Mom'." Tooth blushed slightly, and looked at North, who was laughing uncontrollably.

Jack looked at Sandy when he tugged on his arm. Jack grinned when a question mark formed over the small man's head. "Well you're my Nice Uncle Sandy!" He shot Bunny a teasing smirk. "I need one to balance out the grump over there."

Bunny crossed his arms as the others burst into uncontrollable laughter. After a minute he growled, storming towards the door. "That's it! I'm disowning you all!" Jack started laughing so hard he fell off the edge of the bed.

After a moment of laughing on the floor, Jack stood slowly, and wrapped the blanket around himself. He had to lean a bit to one side, but at least his leg was supporting him now. "Look. I'm going to go get dressed. After that we can go have that talk with Pitch." North frowned, opening his mouth to protest, but Jack cut him off. "You left my staff, and clothes when you, as he phrased it, 'abducted' me."

North sighed, nodding. "Alright. We will go." Jack grinned, limping out of the room as fast as he could. He hurried to his room, quickly locking the door once he was inside. He stopped when he heard Midnight snort. He turned, a grin forming on his lips, but froze in shock at what he saw.

Midnight was in a small metal cage, and a box was sitting beside the cage. Jack stepped forwards, and spotted a small card on the box. It was just a bit of scrap paper with his name on it. He lifted the box with a shrug, ignoring the panicked whinny from Midnight. "It's alright girl. I'll let you out in a second." He opened the box, crying out as green, and purple confetti burst out.

Midnight screamed again, but Jack hardly heard her when a female voice behind him shouted. "Surprise!" Before Jack could even react a cloth was over his mouth, and he was suddenly feeling light-headed.

Jack's knees went out and he fell to the ground, staring at a pair of jester shoes, one green, the other purple. They had little bells on the end of the curly toes. Jack's last thought before he passed out was that they looked a lot like the shoes the elves had tried to make him wear when he had become a Guardian.

Pitch twirled Jack's staff in his hand. He was simply sitting on the bed, and staring at the doorway, trying to will the door to fix itself. He sighed after a while, standing. He figured that North would be too upset to bring Jack back any time soon, and the boy was practically helpless without his staff.

Deciding to take Jack his staff, and hopefully find out what had enraged North, Pitch stepped into the shadows. He appeared in Jack's room, looking around. The first thing he noticed was that Midnight was caged again. She was screaming, and kicking at the bars. "If you would quit being such a troublemaker they wouldn't contain you." He stepped over a pile of confetti on the floor, figuring that Jack had decided to have some form of party.

Pitch paused when he tried to open the door, finding it locked. It struck him as odd, seeing as he had never known Jack to lock any door, but he shook his head. Jack had probably locked in on accident, or to keep the elves out of his room. HE could always come in through the window after all.

Pitch opened the door, moving towards the globe room, where he could hear North talking loudly with someone. Pausing in the doorway to look around, he saw North chatting with Sandy, who waved. Pitch looked around, searching for Jack.

After a moment Pitch realized that North had gone silent, and turned towards the large Guardian, who was now watching him. Pitch put his hands up. "I simply came to bring Jack his staff, and be sure he was alright."

North motioned to the chairs around the large table, and Pitch took one hesitantly. North sat across from him, eyeing him as if he would attack at any minute. "We were just about to come visit. Jack is in room getting dressed."

Pitch raised his eyebrows, setting Jack's staff on the table. "I was just in Jack's room, he isn't there. You really shouldn't cage Midnight so often. It makes her restless."

North's eyebrows rose even higher than Pitch's. "I did not cage. Last I saw of Midnight, was sleeping on Jack's bed." Pitch felt unease gnawing at his chest. Something was very wrong with this situation.

Standing quickly, Pitch looked around. "He couldn't have gotten very far without his staff, or a snow globe. Does he have any?" North thought for a second, then shook his head. Pitch nodded, moving towards the hallway.

North, and Sandy hurried after him. North's voice was full of concern when he spoke. "Where are you going? We must find Jack."

Pitch rolled his eyes. "I'm going to let Midnight out. If Jack is anywhere in this workshop, that Nightmare will find him." Pitch felt his heart fluttering as they got closer to Jack's room. He thought about Jack's locked door, and the dread he had started to feel grew stronger. He had the distinct feeling that Jack wasn't in the workshop anymore.

Hey folks! Challenge time! 5 points to anyone who can guess who the new villain is! 10 to anyone who can guess her name! PM me, or review with the answer, whichever you wanna do.