Chapter 13 - Unfinished

Daya opened her eyes to see Pitch screaming in agony, he writhed on his knees scratching at his chest where she had wounded Jack. 'How did you? What did you do!?' Bellowed the impostor as he tried to get to his feet. Daya had tears streaming down her cheeks, she pointed Jack's staff at Pitch and shook her head. Jack's real screaming echoed in her mind, she could hear every decibel as if he was next to her, his begging and pleading for it to stop.

'What I had to,' she sobbed as she fought to stand tall in front of him. Though some things had changed she was still looking at her lover and best friend, the black hair and other differences hadn't taken away the core of him. 'His pain will remind him who he is, that that is his body! That you are a trespasser!' She said firmly, her voice rising with every word. 'Flee Pitch,' she commands. 'You've got everyone believing that you can't be removed without killing Jack but we both know that's not true. You can feel it can't you, his body, his mind is winning,' she says sadly watching him contort in pain.

'I will kill him!' Pitch threatens as he thumps the ground splitting the skin on his hand in the broken glass. 'My pain will overcome his!' He declares as he feels the bolt rush through his arm. He could feel Jack's mind increasing with strength, forcing his grip to weaken.

The young woman pulls in her wings as she steps forward and shakes her head. 'No, it won't,' she states simply as she presses Jack's staff into his chest. Pitch gasped as he saw and felt the flooding frost wash over him. 'You will leave,' Daya says softly. 'Flee, now,' she murmurs as the frost begins to dance over his body, the crackling echoing in the uncanny silence. Pitch tried to twist away from the staff but he found that he couldn't control his body, the light died in Jack's eyes and his hair began to pale until pure white once more, with an unholy screech black smoke poured out of his mouth and sunk into the shadows. Daya released the breath that she had been holding as Jack slumped on the floor, she allowed herself a little smile as she moved over to him and pulled him half upright and into her arms. She wasn't as strong as she once was, but she'd be able to carry him, for a short while at least. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered as she kissed his forehead lightly, she didn't want to cause him such pain but it had to be done. She doubted that he would wake up anytime soon, that was okay though, she didn't want him to rush, now that she was here they could take all the time they needed. She moved an arm under his knees and shifted her other around his back and lifted him as she stood up, omph, how was I ever this weak? I can't even lift him, she mentally sighed. Her heart was pounding with the confrontation with Pitch, she wasn't sure it would work, she just knew she had to try. Daya had tucked the staff between them so that she didn't have to carry it and it would be close to Jack. Where to? Should she go to the Pole, the Warren? Home? Though she doubted that the home that they used to have would be in any sort of acceptable state. She walks to the window and manages to climb onto the ledge which thankfully was quite large, 'at least we're a few floors up huh,' she said to Jack knowing that he wouldn't reply. 'This is gonna be cold,' she shivered, the frost that the staff was emanating and Jack who was always cool. With a powerful jump she leapt from the window and beat her wings furiously to gain height and hopefully catch a current. Jack's weight was reassuring and comforting as she flew, gliding on a couple of thermals, 'I've missed this, we used to fly together all the time,' she mused as she gripped him tightly. There was a flash of colour and she pulled upright hovering for a moment before she had to flap. There was some frantic squeaking as the streak of feathers returned and buzzed around her before flitting off again. Daya raised a brow and had to suppress a smile as she figured out what was causing the fuss. One blur of rainbow became two and then suddenly she had about ten surrounding her and never sitting still. Each beat of her wings sent them scattering with the wind pressure, 'okay, okay, look I'm waiting,' she said as she tried to find comfort in her burning muscles.

Next thing she knew she heard screaming and a large mass of feathers collided into her making her drop thirty feet or so before she was able to regain her senses. 'Oh it's you! It's really you! And you have Jack! And he's okay!' Daya heard crying and figured it was a happy scream that she heard earlier.

'Tooth! I can't fly, carry Jack and you!' Daya said as she struggled.

The spirit pulled away sharply. 'I'm so sorry! I just... It's really you... I thought Zoe and then I sent out the fairies... we couldn't find you... but look you've found Jack and he seems to be normal?' She asked wiping her tears.

'Pitch has left his body for now but I can't say that he won't be back. As for me, I joined Zoe's mind and well, took over her body,' Daya said quietly. 'Not much different from Pitch am I?' She mumbles. Tooth looked shocked and reached out to touch her shoulder but Daya moved away a little and held Jack tighter. 'I was going to the Pole, I figured everyone would be there and Jack would be safe,' she smiled a little bitterly.

Tooth nodded and they began to continue on their journey, 'what happened to Jack?' Tooth asked curiously as they flew.

'I hurt him,' Daya admitted. 'I took him back to that day where he was tortured and I made his mind think it was happening again,' she said quietly, Tooth could barely hear her but her heart dropped as Daya revealed what she had done. 'Pain, so much pain he thought he was dying, he could think of nothing else, just the burning and the stinging of it all. Then when mentally he had taken all he could, where it got to the point where he would have died, it pushed Pitch out. He's not dead, but his mind doesn't know that yet.'

'When will he wake up?' Tooth asked as she offered to carry Jack, she knew she would be refused but she had to offer.

'I don't know. I don't know what's happened to Pitch either,' she sighs as she shakes her head to Tooth's offer, 'we'll just stay at the Pole until we figure out what we can do,' Daya says as she looks down at Jack. She looked at the Tooth fairy, 'I'm sorry I had to, Tooth,' she apologised. 'You know that I would never hurt him.'

'I know Daya, I know,' she reassured. 'Come on, let's get you two back, North, Bunny and Sandy will be happy to see you.'

-x-

Daya sat on the floor reading a book as her dogs lounged by the fire, true to her word to Zoe she hadn't forgotten about them. They were the very embodiment of her wings and she was very secretly glad that they were in canine form and couldn't be hurt or taken. She sat with her back against the bed that Jack was sleeping on, she checked him every now and then but he was always the same. She thought it was a coma but with some gentle mental probing she discovered it wasn't. He was dreaming, something important by the feel of it. Her initial concern was that it was Pitch but she couldn't feel him anywhere near. So for the last three months she had taken care of him, everyone was happy to see her back and she had even met the Kitsune a few times since she returned. Some friendships are strong regardless of obstacles, she had a firm place in her heart for the playful fox. She sighed as she turned the page in her book, she still didn't know what type of spirit she was supposed to be and the man in the moon had been silent in that aspect as well. Daya was knocked out of her reverie by a tap at the door. 'Come in,' she said simply as she stood up. It was one of the Yetis who had brought her a hot drink and some food. 'Thank you, Seymor,' she smiled as she gratefully took what he had brought up. 'It's appreciated,' she adds. When he leaves she puts the food on the floor for the dogs and simply sips the drink as she sits back down on the edge of the bed. 'I remember when I surprised you on the bed. You were asleep and you didn't think it was really me, you thought it was some sort of dream,' she smiled to herself. 'All those years ago now. We went through some shit didn't we? Just to be together, and here it still hasn't ended,' she sighs. She grabs one of his hoodies and breathes in deeply inhaling the pine smell. 'All your hoodies used to have slits in the back, remember that?' Daya giggled. 'You'd try to wear one and you'd end up sticking your head through one of the holes. Then you would complain because all your hoodies had holes in them,' she reminisced. 'I know you'll wake up Jack, I just wish it was soon. It's been months and I just... I just want to be held by you,' she admits. She wiped the tear that dropped onto her cheek and then slapped her face a little, get yourself together Daya, you silly tart, she thought as she shook her head. Finishing her drink she yawned and stretched out, wings and all. There was a little clattering noise as she knocked a couple pieces off the mantle piece. Swearing under her breath she got up and crossed the room to pick them up before they became dog toys. 'Silly bloody things,' she said smiling a bit as she carefully put them back in their places. A cold breeze swept over the room making her jump, she spun around on her foot to look at Jack but he hadn't moved but still the breeze continued. Maybe somebody opened a window down the hall, she thought as she left the room to check. It was getting colder by the moment but she couldn't find what was causing it. Worried about the dogs she returned to the room, only to find that they were gone. Panic filled her heart as she looked around, she called for them and looked in the bathroom but there was no sign of them.

'I didn't want them to get cold,' came a voice from behind her. Daya's heart skipped a beat as she recognised who was speaking.

'But it's okay that I get cold?' She whispers as tears fall freely, she didn't turn around, not yet. She didn't want to ruin the illusion.

A hand rested on her shoulder, 'I've never had to worry about that. We've always kept each other warm,' he murmurs. Daya smiles as she bites her lip, wiping her eyes as she turns around. There he stood, usual bedhead and all smiling at her. 'Hello, Angel,' he says as she falls into his chest. He held her tightly, feeling her heat pour through him.

'I missed you!' She sobbed as she gripped him tightly, her nails digging ever so lightly into his shoulders. He nodded unable to speak as he buried his head into her hair, it had been a roller coaster for sure. 'I'm sorry I had to hurt you! Forgive me,' she begged.

Jack pulled away and cupped her face, wiping her tears aside with his thumbs. 'There's nothing to forgive, Angel. I have you,' he says before kissing her sweetly.

-x-

A few hundred miles away the Doctor lurched into a hotel room, he took off his sunglasses which hid his bloodshot eyes, and coughed. He looked into the mirror at his barely decayed flesh and pale demeanour. 'Disgusting,' he hissed and slammed the door behind him. He held up his hand and watched the sand begin to swirl between his fingers. 'Think you're the only one that can come back from the dead, Daya?' He snarled. 'Think again.'