Warnings: Currently rated T for language, though liable to change in future chapters for dark imagery and mature content.

Disclaimer: I claim no copyright ownership to Rise of the Guardians or any recognizable characters depicted by DreamWorks, William Joyce, or other miscellaneous fairy tale creatures. However, the plot and original characters are my own.


Chapter Eleven


One time when Alice was about five or six she got lost in the mall. Well, according to her mother anyway. Alice could remember the day pretty clearly for how long ago it was and from what she recalled, she'd purposefully stepped away from her mother for a few minutes to hide in the coat rack next to where she was skimming through some clothes.

Her mother first got angry, demanding that she come out right away and stop playing games. When Alice simply cackled and didn't move, her mother descended into full-blown panic and grabbed the nearest associate she could find to alert them that her daughter was missing. She rattled off the description of every single person that'd been nearby as if it'd give the associate some sort of lead as to who took her. She also listed from head to toe what Alice had been wearing that day including what color hair pins she had in her then-brown hair.

In retrospect, it'd only been about seven or eight minutes before Alice revealed herself once deciding the innocent trick had gone on long enough. She was quite literally dragged out of the store by the sleeve of her jacket as her mother fumed, steam practically coming out her ears as she promised Alice the longest time out of her life once they returned home.

Alice was in tears, whining and begging for her mother to understand that she was just playing and never meant any harm by it and please don't put her in time out. Her mother grabbed her shoulders and kneeled down in front of her outside their old brown Chevy Suburban in the parking lot and lectured her on why stuff like that wasn't funny and how she should've come out the second her mother started calling her name. Alice didn't understand why it made her so mad, didn't understand the vice of terror that ensnared her mother's heart the second she realized her daughter was gone.

It was something Alice was never able to understand, but it was also something she never forgot. It was the first time her mother was ever properly angry with her and it was also one of the last. She may not have understood at the time what it meant to lose someone like that but it made a strong enough impression that she never did it again. If only to escape the inevitable wrath of her mother and another hour-long time out with no dessert.

But now Alice had a feeling she knew how her mother felt all those years ago.

She stared at the place in the bed Max's body once occupied, feet cemented to the ground as she stared blankly as if her mind hadn't quite caught up to what was happening around her. She wanted to scream, could feel it bubbling up in her throat threatening to burst free from between her lips but it never did. Instead she felt incredibly sick to her stomach and a bit dizzy like maybe she'd throw up or pass out.

Jack scrambled to the window, kicking the big shards of glass out of his way and crushing the smaller pieces beneath his bare feet as if he never felt them pierce his skin. He rested his hands on the window sill, the delicate clanking of glass echoing faintly into the room as his palms spread over the carnage of shattered pieces. He tossed his head left to right and then up into the sky, narrowing his eyes and looking for signs of a retreating form or maybe a getaway car barreling down the road.

When nothing immediately caught his eye, he ran back to Alice who hadn't moved from her spot in the doorway except her skin had lightened considerably into a pale grey that rivaled his own. He placed his hands steadily on either side of her face, forcefully pulling her gaze to meet his and eventually their eyes met and she exhaled shakily.

"I'm going to fly outside real quick to see if I can catch anyone. Do not leave this house," he stressed, shaking her head as if to rattle the words permanently into her brain. She blinked at him, pupils shrunken to the size of a grain of sand as she watched him without really seeing him. "Do you understand me? Don't even leave this room. Matter of fact, just stay in this exact spot. I won't be more than a minute."

He ran into the living to grab his staff before returning to her room and plunging out the open window, commanding the wind to carry him as high as it could. His eyes carefully scanned the neighborhood below him, snow sparkling beneath the glow of the moon as the clouds began to fade away. It smelled of rain and wet trees and the air was a chilling cold that Jack could feel ineffectively biting at his face.

Lightning flickered above, cascading across the night sky like pulsing veins and Jack felt the hum of the electricity on his skin as he flew higher. His eyes didn't immediately catch anything suspicious in the streets or the woods bordering the outskirts of her neighborhood but once he pulled his head up to glance out into the black horizon, he caught sight of something dark wavering in midair like thick smoke that evaporated in on itself. As it disappeared, Jack could physically feel the disturbance in the air and he knew immediately that someone—or something—had just teleported.

It felt the way it had when North first brought him to the Pole when he was pulled through a magic portal. His body felt like it was being stretched across an entire continent like a rubber band without much slack and the air had vibrated around him as his body was thrust through the void and across the northern hemisphere.

He knew North's portals though. They were light, colorful even. This one had been the exact opposite.

"Damn," he hissed, clenching his jaw before flying back down towards her house.

The curtains were being sucked through the open window from the breeze as he dove inside. Alice was nowhere to be seen once he gathered his bearings and he gritted his teeth, jogging through the house and nearly obliterating every door that got in his way as he searched through the rooms until he found her pacing anxiously in the living room. She was shakily holding a phone in her hands and he could see her muttering to herself as she began to dial 911.

Jack reached her in three quick strides and placed his hand over hers to prevent her from calling anyone. She jumped nearly a foot in the air the second their hands met and she glanced over at him with a wild look in her eyes.

"They won't be able to help," he told her firmly, grabbing onto her hands tightly in his as he squeezed and laced their fingers together to try and anchor her. He didn't bother scolding her for not listening to him because now probably wasn't the best time. "Trust me."

Alice swallowed thickly, the phone dropping to the ground from her convulsing. "Max is gone," she said quietly. "He's gone. They took him from me. He's gone…"

"It wasn't them, princess," he said, breathing heavily as he turned his head a bit to scan the dark house. It felt like eyes were on his back no matter which way he turned and it was making him incredibly uneasy. "I don't know who it was but we're going to find out," he promised, bringing his eyes back to hers.

Her brown eyes were shiny and red-rimmed and her lower lip was trembling as she tried to hold her tears back but she just couldn't resist any longer and she let out a quiet sob. She brought an unsteady hand up to her mouth, the one Jack wasn't holding, and cried into it.

"Max…" her voice sounded broken and it felt like Jack's heart was being ripped out of his chest.

"C'mere," he pulled her tightly into him, wrapping his arms around her as violent sobs wracked her body.

He could feel the weight of her loss in the air, could feel the longing to have Max home safe and sound just as strong. He didn't know who took him or why. It made him angry and his fists glowed a dim blue at the thought of someone bursting into the room while Max was asleep and grabbing him before he even had the chance to scream.

It'd been a while since Jack was this angry and he wanted to feed that anger, wanted to take it out on something. Everything in the house seemed fragile in that moment, like he could snap the coffee table in half like a twig or crush her end tables with his fist, but that uneasy feeling was catching up to him and he knew they couldn't linger. He didn't know if whatever got Max would try to come back for her and he wasn't going to risk sticking around to find out.

"We can't stay here," he said finally, pulling back to try and get a good look at her face. Her fingers were gripping his hoodie tightly leaving wrinkles and indents in the fabric and he didn't complain. "It's time to call in the cavalry," he said and she had the sense to look mildly confused between her hiccupping. "Well, technically we'll have to go to them," he added as an afterthought before wincing.

There'd be no easy way to get there, but Jack figured North's workshop was the safest place. He inwardly cursed himself for not carrying around any snow globes because it was going to take a while to get there and it was certainly too cold out for Alice to handle, especially at a high altitude, but they didn't really have any other options. Bunny's tunnels would probably be second best to North's snow globes but Jack didn't exactly have a way to get a hold of him, either.

He scowled to himself. That'd have to be something for them to figure out after finding Max. Jack was sick of always having to go find one of them when things went wrong. He deserved a shortcut too now that he was an official Guardian, damn it. Preferably something cool that could maybe terrify Bunny like North's sleigh.

"Alright," Jack said to himself. He gently peeled Alice's fists from his hoodie and grabbed the blanket that was tossed precariously over the arm of the couch. He turned from side to side, pursing his lips as his eyes scanned her living room, and he quickly ran to grab the coat hanging from the rack near the front door and tossed it over his shoulder. "Shoes, shoes, shoes," he murmured. Of course she didn't have any left out in the open somewhere. "Damn perfectionist," he muttered to himself fondly before making a quick trip to her room to grab the first pair he could find in her closet.

"Put these on," he said softly, dropping the shoes to the ground near her feet when he returned.

She wiped her eyes, face void of any emotion. He tried not to worry about it.

"Where are we going?" she asked, voice quiet and rough.

"Somewhere safe," he told her, hoping he wouldn't have to elaborate because he didn't know how her mind would react to visiting the North Pole in the state she was in. By sheer luck she managed to somehow have enough faith in him to trust wherever he planned to take her like the angel she was and stepped into the shoes without any more questions. He then handed her the coat to put on and she did so robotically. Her cheeks were stained red, streaks following the flow of tears that had dried along her face and her nose was red and irritated.

He then wrapped the blanket around her and held it together in a bundle near her chin, motioning for her to grab onto it. She did.

"Time to go for a ride," he said with a sigh.

It's not that she was a burden for him to carry but he dreaded the flight because it wasn't like they were flying one state over this time. They were going about three times the distance and he kind of hoped his arms wouldn't get tired but at the same time he was worried about having her on his back in case she didn't have it in her to hold herself up.

They made it outside and Jack had the courtesy to lock the front door behind them before a thought occurred to him and his lips thinned as he contemplated the idea. Alice was shivering next to him but her mind seemed on an entirely different planet as she watched the snow pillow the ground in front of them with a faraway look in her eyes.

He quickly pulled the dial out of his pocket and closed his eyes for a second, focusing his thoughts on the act, before waving his hand slowly over the dial's face and a small light erupted from it. The world stilled around them and he licked his lips before pocketing the item and turning to the redhead as if he hadn't done anything.

"Ready?" he asked as joyfully as he could manage considering the circumstances and she nodded, jerking a bit out of her thoughts as she returned to reality. "Just hold on to me," he instructed, pulling her close and she wrapped her arms around his neck loosely.

Clenching his jaw, he wrapped an arm securely around her waist before thrusting his staff forward and the wind lifted them into the air with a clean swoop. She gasped as they plunged upward, stomach dropping at being sky bound and her grip tightened around his neck which made him feel much more confident that she wasn't going to slither out of his grasp and plummet to her death.

Jack didn't like how much she was shivering against him the further they flew. She stuffed her face in his neck not long after they started making their way north and he held her as close to his body as he could. In all actuality it was probably only making her colder and he grinded his teeth at the thought.

His arm ached and her face was cold as ice by the time they reached the snowy mountain passes and shifting sea ice that littered the barren wasteland of the arctic a few miles south of the workshop's back entrance. Occasionally Jack felt Alice's grip around his neck slipping and he had to hoist her higher so his arm could get a firmer grasp around her waist. He worried a few times that she was falling unconscious but her shivering relieved him even though it shouldn't because it at least told him she was awake.

Jack spotted the beacon near one of the snowy mountains and he made his descent, clenching onto Alice for dear life as he tried to make a steady landing near the base of the mountain. The workshop was hidden within the mountain concealing it from any radar which was the slightly annoying part because he'd tried sneaking into the workshop more times than he could count before he became a Guardian and all of his attempts had failed. The place was well sealed and secure; exactly what he was looking for, but not the most convenient considering he was trying to get in for a good reason this time.

He kept an arm around Alice's waist as she whimpered at the cold winds that nearly knocked the two of them over. Frost and snow decorated her hair which looked stringy and damp from the flight there and Jack felt dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

He knocked roughly at the door that rested a few feet away from the beacon. It blended in well with the mountain and he wouldn't have known it was there if he, well, didn't already know it was there.

"North!" he shouted loudly over the raging winds. He kicked at the door as hard as he could, unsure if it was actually making any sound at all considering the door was metal and nearly six inches thick. He cringed every time he kicked at it because his feet weren't invincible and it hurt like hell.

"Phil! Frank!" he shouted the names of the first yetis that came to mind. Sometimes the yetis lingered near the door to stand guard.

Jack clenched his staff angrily and the tip sparked a fierce blue as he considered blowing the door in as a last resort (if it would even work) but then the beacon began to flash a bright white and the seal to the door began to spin.

"Finally," he muttered as he readjusted his hold on Alice whose breathing was becoming labored and her shivering was fading.

The seal stopped suddenly and there was a beat of silence that thickly coated the air before the door was thrust open with a loud swoosh and Jack jumped as a large burly figure appeared in the threshold.

North stuck his head out the door, beard whipping up into his face from the harsh winds and he sputtered before brushing it out of his eyes and gazing intently around the area with squinted eyes before they landed on the two smaller figures huddled together.

"Jack!" North shouted, taken aback. "What are you—" his eyes narrowed as he saw the body latched onto Jack's side. He lowered his eyebrows, eyes shifting over Alice's trembling form before turning a glare onto the boy who, for all intents and purposes, was trying to look vaguely innocent. "Why did you bring human here?" he demanded.

"Because—"

"You know that is against rules!" North snapped, clenching his fist for emphasis as if he'd said it a million times. "No humans allowed!"

Jack squinted in irritation. "You're making that up."

North looked stunted for a moment and he stared at Jack with a blank look before his fierce glare returned. "Well it is rule now!" he bellowed with fervor and Jack felt like he was a few seconds away from losing his mind.

"North, as much as I would love to argue with you about this and believe me when I say I would be happy to continue this conversation later," he hissed through gritted teeth, "would you mind letting us in before she catches hypothermia? I don't think I'm exactly helping much considering I have zero body heat," he raised his eyebrows meaningfully, gesturing to the girl who continued holding onto him weakly as he practically had to lift her up on his own to keep her level.

North's eyes widened a bit once Alice's face was exposed to the climate and he saw that her lips were turning a vital shade of blue. He began wildly flailing his beefy arms.

"Alright, alright, bring her in! Quit standing in cold, she is probably freezing!" North scolded as if it were Jack's fault they were still outside succumbing to the freezing weather and he rolled his eyes dramatically with a look of exasperation before pulling her inside.

North's eyes lingered on the snowy plateau outside before pulling the door closed and re-sealing it. The sudden drop in noise as the blizzard was trapped outside made Jack's ears ring and he blinked in the slight darkness of the narrow passageway. He could see a pair of eyes down the hall reflecting off the light at the top of the sealed door and a giant, furry outline of a dark figure and he waved slightly at the yeti and it grunted before scurrying down the passageway and out of sight.

North reappeared at his side once the door was sealed.

"Come, come," the jolly man ushered and Jack sighed heavily before hoisting Alice's arm over his shoulder as he urged her to walk with him. North could've offered to help carry her since Jack's arm felt like it was asleep and she was falling more and more limp in his grasp.

Jack managed to keep up with North's long strides until they reached the workshop which, despite the fact that Christmas just passed, was as crowded as ever with yetis painting toys and tinkering with inventions and little elves scuttling at their feet waving their tiny arms about. Jack avoided a few collisions with the yetis and nearly growled when a group of elves trotted in between him and a retreating North. He had to practically kick them out of the way as they gazed up at him and Alice with wide eyes, completely unmoving.

Alice was too focused on the cold to really notice anything that was going on around her and Jack's fingers stroked her side in a desperate attempt to soothe her even though his fingers tingled when he moved them. The arm was definitely asleep.

They eventually reached the atrium that housed the Globe and a grand fireplace. North pulled a rocking chair close to the billowing flames.

"Put her in front of fire," he ordered, disappearing momentarily out of the room to grab another blanket since the one that was currently wrapped around her was covered in melting ice.

Jack gently eased her onto the chair, feeling the flames licking uncomfortably at his skin as he turned his back to it so he could pull the icy blanket away from her before it started to do more harm than good. North held the new blanket in front of the fire for a few seconds to warm it up and Jack looked over the redhead's face with his brows pulled taunt in concern. Her skin was ashen and white, lips colored a grey-blue with frost in her hair and eyebrows. When he went to place his hand on her cheek, he immediately jerked away out of instinct because her skin wasn't supposed to be the same temperature as his.

North finally brought the blanket over and Jack took it from him before he could do anything and carefully place it around the girl's shoulders, bunching it up at her chin just like he did with the previous one. Her eyes were closed but he could see her teeth slightly chattering which made him feel somewhat less worried knowing she was still conscious. She'd walked with him through the passageway but he'd been carrying most of her weight.

"Do you have another blanket for her legs?" Jack asked, feeling the cool cloth of her cotton pants.

"I shall find one," North said and he disappeared behind the corner again.

Jack moved from between her and the fire to not block the warmth and he saw her fist clenching the blanket together to keep it from falling.

"You need to warm up, princess," he said quietly, gazing up at her and unsure if she heard him. If she did, she didn't acknowledge it. He was resting his hands on the arms of the chair when North returned a second time. Jack accepted the outstretched blanket and covered her legs and feet.

Once satisfied that she was properly covered, he stood and backed away to look her over once more.

North watched with his hands on his hips for a brief moment before turning to gaze at Jack with an intense look.

"What is meaning of this?" he asked quietly as if to not disturb Alice.

Jack gave the girl one last calculating look before tilting his head off to the side and North allowed himself to be pulled aside. They stood near the Globe and Jack crossed his arms over his chest, taking a deep breath.

"Her son was taken," he said. He felt the sorrow build up in his chest but he ignored it. North's bushy brows furrowed.

"I'm very sorry but that is not our job," the look North gave Jack was a disapproving one and Jack rolled his eyes again.

"Except for the fact of what took him," Jack said pointedly and North blinked. "I'm fairly certain it wasn't human."

"How do you know for sure?" North asked, sounding skeptical. "She could be in shock. No proof of what she saw."

"I was there with her," Jack stressed. "Something came through the window when Max was asleep in her room. We were in the living room when it happened and when we got there he was gone. I flew out to see if I could spot anyone and I didn't at first but then I saw this cloud of smoke that just," he waved his hands about, "vanished into thin air. I know it was some form of teleportation because the air felt weird when it happened, like when you use your snow globes."

"And you did not see anyone?" North asked, seemingly a bit more convinced now that Jack had explained.

Jack shook his head. "I didn't have time to. Maybe if I'd flown up there a second earlier…" he pursed his lips at the idea and shook it away before the guilt could pool in his stomach. Now wasn't the time.

The burly man narrowed his eyes. "Why were you in her house in first place?"

"I… that's not the point, but I'm glad I was," Jack said heatedly. "We don't know if whatever took Max wanted her, too. That's why I brought her here. Well, one of the reasons," he gave North a pointed look before glancing up at the sphere that loomed over them, sparkling with tiny golden lights. "Do you think you could find him on the Globe?"

North shrugged a shoulder. "It is worth a try."

He ambled towards the Globe's control panel and began tapping the screen. The Globe flickered to life and began highlighting certain sections of each continent, supposedly in search for Max.

Jack left North to handle the Globe in favor of checking on Alice. She was still bundled up in the rocking chair near the fire. Color was slightly beginning to return to her cheeks, dusting them with a light pink. Her lips didn't look as blue and her breathing seemed to be evening out. Jack figured a mixture of the stress and the weather had put her to sleep for the time being so he let her rest, knowing she wouldn't be as serene as she looked just then when she finally awoke.

He ran a hand through her hair with a ghost of a half-smile before turning towards North who was mumbling to himself.

"Come on Maximilian, where are you…"

Jack returned to North's side as he watched the man work, selecting all different kinds of options on the screen in front of him that made the Globe zoom in on certain areas and shift. Jack wasn't able to follow any of it, had no idea how the controls worked and it was giving him a slight headache trying to watch, but when North huffed in frustration a ball of dread began to twine in the pit of his stomach.

"You can't find him?" Jack asked, trying to keep the hysteria out of his voice. North didn't answer, instead rubbing his fluffy white beard in trepidation, but he didn't have to. "What does that mean? If you can't find him? Does that mean he isn't here or…" Jack swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, unable to say the words. He wouldn't unless he had to. He wouldn't believe it.

North continued scratching his beard. "Let us assume for now that whoever took the boy has placed some sort of cloaking device on him. It would prevent me from finding him," said North, staring intently down at the control panel as if searching for something he might've missed.

Jack didn't like where his train of thought was headed. "That would mean that whoever took him knew we'd come to you for help," he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "They're one step ahead of us. This is useless."

"I believe we can assume that they have always been one step ahead of us," North gave Jack a look before glancing up at the Globe in irritation. "There must be something else."

Jack wasn't one to give up so easily but he had a bad feeling and the last time that happened the Man in the Moon came to give him an ominous talk in his sleep which didn't work out so well since he still had no idea what it meant.

"Who could even hide him from the Globe anyway?" Jack asked, feeling the need to speak his thoughts aloud. He paced a bit in front of North who continued pressing random buttons on the panel. "That thing is practically faultless," he tossed a hand towards it as if to emphasize his point. "It'd have to be someone who knew how your magic worked."

"With the right tools I suspect anyone could do it," North murmured, leaning back with a defeated sigh. As if Jack didn't have enough reasons to panic.

"Well that's just great," he snapped, throwing his arms in the air. A spark of frost emitted from his fingertips, shooting towards the ceiling. It cascaded down in a brief but heavy snowfall, colliding with the elves nearby and sending them toppling to the ground with high-pitched shrieks. "It could be anybody. We literally have nothing to go on. That's fantastic. We don't have time to sit around and guess."

Jack's gazed instinctually shifted towards Alice who remained sleeping in the chair. He didn't even know where to start. How was he supposed to tell her that?

"You are close with this human," North acknowledged. Jack sighed, peeling his eyes away to stare at the ground instead. "That worries me, Jack. You aren't supposed to get attached—"

"Oh spare me the lecture," Jack snapped, lip curling as he glared at North.

North squinted at him. "I think you need to hear it. You are a Guardian, Jack. If you get close to human then you will only end up hurting yourself. And her. There is a reason we don't associate with adults, Jack. If you get involved with one—"

"I'm not involved with her," Jack rolled his eyes.

"If you get involved with one," North continued as if Jack hadn't spoken. "What do you think is going to happen when she grows old and you do not?" there was a beat of silence as Jack gazed at him, unwavering but also unsure. North waited with a knowing look, unsurprised that he didn't receive a response. "Well?" he asked again and Jack glared, biting the inside of his lip. "Someone is going to get hurt," North said softly. Jack absently trailed his eyes to Alice's sleeping form. "And you do not want it to be her."

"I saved her life," said Jack, still watching her. "I saved her life and because of that she believed in me."

"So I was told," said North with a hint of a smile. Jack turned back to him, shocked.

"Did she tell you that?"

"She did," North nodded.

Jack bobbed his head in a silent nod. "Right," he licked his lips. "Well, it's kind of my job to do it again," he said. "Her son's her world. I have to find him. That kid…" Jack shook his head, feeling an overwhelming sense to just collapse. Or hit something. "… he means a lot to me, too. I have to save him."

North contemplated his words before he nodded. His face was soft in understanding but his words were somber with warning, "I hope it does not go beyond that."

Jack clenched his jaw. "I'm close with the kids. Jamie and Max. How is that any different?"

North raised his eyebrows. "You know how."

Jack remained silent though there were troubled lines creasing his forehead. North turned back to face the Globe once more, eyes scanning its smooth surface and mapping every inch of the golden lights that twinkled like stars in the night sky. One of the elves hobbled by, bells clanging on its hat as it bounced, wiping the snow off its shoulders and glaring as menacingly as it could at Jack who simply raised his eyebrows at it. The elf stuck his tongue out at him before stomping off. Jack made a face at its back.

"Well," North breathed, pushing away from the panel before he started fussing over it again. He turned to face Jack who glanced back at him with a disheartened tilt of his head. "I guess it's time to call the others."

Jack crossed his arms again and leaned against the wall near the grand fireplace as he watched North activate Aurora Borealis to summon the other Guardians. He kept a close eye on Alice, wondering if she'd wake up in time to see the other three arrive. She was stirring a bit in her sleep, face flushed with red as it returned to its natural skin tone. He bit his lip as he waited while North demanded one of the elves to bring a plate of cookies and milk. Jack would have much preferred her to meet the other Guardians under different circumstances.

It took a few minutes but eventually a tunnel formed in the floorboards near the middle of the room. North approached it and waited until a large figure burst through it, landing steadily on all fours before pushing itself upward on its hind legs and brushing its furry arms off.

"This better be good, mate," said Bunnymund, readjusting the straps on his shoulders. "There's eighty-five days until Easter and I still have a few hundred thousand eggs to decorate. I'm up to my ears in paint."

Jack noticed the tips of his ears were coated in light pink and he felt a snicker bubble in his throat before he could stop it, realizing that he'd meant it literally. Bunny whipped his head around to face Jack with narrowed eyes. "Yeah, um…" Jack gestured to his ears.

Bunny glared. "Don't say a word."

Jack threw his hands up in defense and didn't say anything else but he continued to smirk in the Pooka's direction much to the creature's upmost annoyance.

"What's this about?" Bunny asked, ears twitching as he glanced idly about the room. His gaze roamed over the open area of the atrium that led to the working yetis, across the way and past a chair with a sleeping girl, over to the roaring firepl—he did a double take. He thrust his paw in the teenager's direction with his mouth hanging open but North shook his head, lifting a hand to silence Bunny before he even started.

"Let us wait for others to get here first."

Bunny immediately faced Jack with a look of suspicion. "This is your fault," he stated.

Jack felt affronted. "Why does everyone immediately assume I did something?"

"Call it a gut feeling," Bunny deadpanned and Jack shook his head in aggravation.

A sparkly rope of golden dream sand floated elegantly into the room followed by a small man of the same gilded hue riding atop a yellow glowing cloud. It deposited him onto the ground next to Bunny who nodded stiffly in greeting. Many tiny question marks appeared simultaneously over the sandman's head. Once he noticed Alice the question marks multiplied until a mass of gold sand was swirling above his head in indiscernible shapes.

"Easy Sandy," North said a bit exasperatedly. "All in due time."

It took a few extra minutes for Toothiana to fly in and in the midst of waiting the four of them stood in thick silence, awkwardly choosing not to say anything in fear of having to repeat it when the fifth member of their group arrived. Jack was busy eyeing Alice out of his peripherals because she was beginning to shift more in her chair, a telltale sign that she was waking up. Bunny's nose twitched as he watched her openly with an abundance of curiosity and Sandy went between watching them watch her and watching North accept the tray of cookies one of the elves proudly offered to him. Another balanced a large pitcher of milk and several glasses precariously in its tiny arms.

"Sorry I'm late!" Tooth fluttered in sporadically. "Had to make sure the girls were okay in the field. Been training some new fairies lately, they're not used to the hustle and bustle of collecting teeth just yet," she laughed with chagrin, quickly readjusting the feathers on her head the way she always did when she saw Jack. Her gaze inevitably fell onto the girl in the chair and her mouth opened—

"Right, before you say anything," North quickly interrupted her. "Jack," North pointed towards him. "Explain situation."

"I knew it," Bunny said dryly.

Jack ignored him and proceeded to tell them what happened. For the most part they seemed upset to hear that one of their believers had gone missing and Jack was evasive regarding Alice, simply telling them what they needed to know. That Max was her son and she may or may not have been in danger. Also that she believed in them but they wouldn't go into that right now.

"She's…" Tooth started, glancing over at Alice with wide eyes.

"Older, yeah I know," said Jack. "That's not the point right now. I don't know who took Max, just that they vanished in a cloud of black smoke and North can't find his light on the Globe."

"Why would anyone wanna take the kid?" Bunny asked.

"Why does anyone want to take anyone?" Tooth asked sadly and Bunny regarded her with a grim expression, noting how the question was rhetoric.

Jack's feet padded to where Alice continued to stir every few seconds. He placed a hand on her forehead to gauge her temperature and felt much more relieved that her skin practically burned his own. It was one less thing for him to worry about. Her eyelids twitched the longer he kept his hand on her skin and his thumb brushed over the faded scar just shy of her hairline where she'd hit her head all those months ago; the accident that started it all. It looked like it'd be permanent.

Jack sighed, giving her a fond look as he continued stroking her hair. She moaned a little at the contact and Jack quickly pulled his hand away, afraid that maybe the spot was still tender and he hurt her. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned her head towards him, as if seeking out his touch. He carefully returned his fingers to her hair and she settled.

"Well," Bunny hummed, watching the events unfold with wary disbelief. "This is an interesting development."

"Dangerous," North corrected, stepping closer to the warrior bunny as he lowered his voice, "a dangerous development," he said. Tooth and Sandy crowded together, eyebrows pinched at his words. "She is human, almost an adult. Jack does not understand that—"

"I don't like hearing my name in hushed whispers from across the room," Jack's voice resounded flatly, echoing across the wooden floors and startling the four who'd been leaning in to one another. All of them glanced at Jack with looks he couldn't describe. He sighed again, this time in irritation. "What?"

"So the girl, mate," Bunny said carefully with an underlying tone of threat. "Is she—"

Jack shook his head and stepped away from Alice before he could finish. "I'm not having this conversation again," he said firmly, jaw set.

Bunny stiffened and the fur on his back lifted. "Listen, Frosty—"

"No, you listen," Jack pointed an accusing finger in Bunny's direction. For a winter spirit he certainly felt like he was on fire. "I don't need to be told what to do. I'm not an idiot."

"That remains to be seen," Bunny glowered.

"I know what I'm doing!" Jack hissed with clenched fists, stomping his foot on the ground for good measure. A layer of wet frost coated the ground, causing Bunny to nearly lose his footing and slip.

North gave Jack an unimpressed look whether the act of using his magic was involuntary or not. "Stop acting like child, Jack," he scolded.

"Then stop treating me like one!" Jack roared. His words sounded like venom and he was breathing heavily as if they'd unleashed a beast. He was ready to dish out every word that was seizing through his brain whether he'd regret them later or not but a small, broken voice tore through the fiery haze.

"Max…"

Jack blinked back the anger and the red faded from his vision, his fists feeling sore and cramped from clenching so hard. He quickly turned to face the redhead who was blinking her eyes as if to will the sleep away. She was frowning deeply and he reached her in four quick strides, kneeling down to get a good look at her face. Her eyes met his and even though her expression was still tight with anxiety, some of that worry seemed to melt away once she saw him because he was the only one in the room she recognized.

"Jack?" she asked. Her voice was scratchy from lack of use.

"Hey princess," Jack greeted amicably, patting the wooden armrest. "Sorry for the past… three hours or so," he winced as he did the mental calculations. "We're kind of at the North Pole. I figured it'd be safer until we could come up with a game plan."

Alice let the blanket fall down her shoulders as she rubbed her eyes, squinting into the room and gazing intently at the fireplace as if the size alone had taken her aback before she carefully glanced further into the room and caught sight of the four figures standing on the sidelines watching her like a hawk.

"Oh boy," she whispered.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Jack said apologetically. "I really wish you didn't have to meet them this way but they're here to help."

Alice's jaw clenched and Jack could almost see the thought of Max cross her mind as a flicker of grief flashed in her brown eyes before she settled back into her seat. Jack turned his head a bit and called over his shoulder,

"Guys?" he gestured them forward and the four of them carefully meandered towards Alice's prone form and she watched them speculatively, eyes gleaming a bit as they grazed over Tooth's luminescent wings and Sandy's sparkling smile. He turned his eyes back to hers and smiled crookedly to ease the tension. "You've already met North," he saw the shadow of North's wave on her face and she gave him a ghost of a smile. "But this is Bunny, Tooth and Sandy. And guys, this is Alice."

"Nice to meet ya, Sheila," Bunny said gruffly though his tone was much lighter considering it wasn't directed towards Jack.

"Um, likewise," Alice said quietly. Jack had a feeling that the overload of information was doing a number on her already stressed mind.

Tooth fluttered around her and Alice watched her with a look of unconcealed awe that no one could really mask when seeing the colorful fairy for the first time. "How are you feeling?" Tooth asked with genuine concern.

"I'm… not too sure," Alice answered carefully. North circled around the group and offered a plate of untouched chocolate chip cookies to her. She eyed the plate warily and North flashed a kind grin.

"Trust me, they will help," he winked and she slowly took one and nibbled on it until an elf approached her and thrust a full glass of milk at her. She eyed the little guy for a good five or six seconds and the elf waved the glass at her impatiently before she took it with a small 'thanks'. She sat the glass in her lap and for the moment didn't drink it.

Her eyes landed on each of the Guardians, excluding Jack as he continued kneeling before her. "I appreciate your hospitality," she said softly. "It really is very nice to meet you all, but I need to find my son," she said earnestly.

"That's what we're here for," Tooth said smilingly and Alice cracked a small smile in return though there wasn't much emotion behind it. Jack nudged her hand with his and gave her a reassuring smile of his own and once they made eye contact she smiled again, this time with a bit more sincerity.

"Well they can work without me at the Warren for a while," Bunny announced to break the ice. "Think we should run by the town first and see if we can catch anything Frosted Flakes might have missed?"

Jack stood slowly and turned to face the other Guardians with a slightly sheepish look on his face. North immediately narrowed his eyes and Bunny glanced at North before turning to face Jack sharply.

"About the town," Jack began carefully. He could feel the dial weighing heavy in his pocket and he shifted a bit. "I may have kind of… frozen it?" he cringed.

"With ice?" Bunny growled.

"No just like…" Jack waved his hand about aimlessly before mentioning in a casual tone, "froze it in time?"

"Oh like that's any better!" Bunny shouted and North's groan was heard over the warrior bunny's complaints as he pinched the bridge of his round nose with his thumb and index finger.

"I let you come with me to visit Father Time once… once!" North lifted a finger in emphasis to prove his point. Tooth glanced between North and Bunny nervously before exchanging a cautious glance with Sandy who shrugged a shoulder half-heartedly.

"You see who you made a Guardian?" Bunny lifted his head, directing his question towards the ceiling as if the Man in the Moon could hear his vexation. "Regretting it now?" he asked sarcastically.

Jack grinded his teeth and grabbed his staff from beside the fireplace, pointing it dangerously at the Pooka. "Hey Bunny," he taunted darkly. "Remember the blizzard of '68? Just wait until the blizzard of 2016."

Bunny bristled at the open threat and opened his mouth to retort but Tooth lifted her hands and stepped between the two like a referee.

"Okay now you're both acting like children," she reprimanded in a motherly tone she typically only reserved for the fairies. "We have more important things to worry about right now so if you could just settle your differences."

Bunny and Jack exchanged heated glares and North stepped forward, holding out his large palm towards Jack who glanced down at it, blinking.

"Give me the dial," North demanded. Jack felt like a child that was being chastised and he had a petulant look on his face to match as he slowly pulled the dial out of his pocket and stiffly handed it to North. North gave him a reproachful look before clasping the dial in his hand tightly and waving his other above the face, dimming the purple constellations that had continued to glow within the dial's center.

"Time has resumed in Burgess, Pennsylvania," North said pointedly. Jack pursed his lips and looked the other way. "Father Time will have to match its time with rest of world now that it is several hours behind. I certainly hope you have not frozen time anywhere else," he said in an accusatory tone and Jack's eyes widened a bit before glancing downward, eyebrows raised.

"You see his face?" Bunny insisted, pointed to the winter spirit with one of his boomerangs. "That's the look of guilt."

"I didn't," Jack exclaimed, hunching his shoulders. When all he received in return were looks of disbelief he repeated more forcefully, "I didn't, okay? Everything's fine," he stressed. They hadn't been in D.C. that long anyway and it was over a month ago. Time magic was usually able to reset itself after a couple of weeks. Or so he hoped. "Let's focus on Max," he said in an effort to distract them from the topic.

"We don't even know who it could've been," Tooth mentioned. "How would we know where to start?"

"You said your Globe couldn't pick up on him?" Bunny clarified and North shook his head. "What kind of magic can hide him from that? Unless he's in a different dimension which would explain it."

"I don't think so," North denied. "Dimension traveling is no easy feat and if someone nearby tried crossing over we would have known. It is much different than using portals here to teleport, like Jack had described."

"Who do we know that can tamper with your magic?" Bunny asked, pointing towards the glittering Globe. His mind seemed to be on the same wavelength as Jack's had been earlier. "Who's been in here before that knows how the thing works?"

Jack bit his lip and pulled on the skin until he irritated it. "Do you think it could've been Pitch?" he asked carefully. He was met with four pairs of eyes and he shrunk beneath their gaze. The Nightmare King was still a sensitive subject, even for them, and it made Jack's skin crawl thinking about him considering his controversial thoughts concerning the boogeyman. "I mean, it could be possible. He's been inside the Pole before, he knows what the Globe is."

"I don't know," Tooth hesitated, wringing her fingers together. The action reminded him of Alice and Jack turned to check up on her. She was gazing between the Guardians with half a cookie in her mouth, listening intently to the conversation without forcing herself into it. She seemed to have calmed down a bit. North's cookies had that effect, plus the glass of milk was half empty. "Pitch has been lying low ever since the incident. I don't think his nightmares ever came back to him once they turned on him. He should still be powerless."

"Unless he found a way to get his powers back," Jack pointed out, unable to deny that it was the best lead they had.

Bunny shrugged, neither accepting nor denying the implications. Sandy seemed troubled at the thought of confronting Pitch again. The two of them shared a connection ever since Pitch manipulated Sandy's dream sand and even though it wasn't a pleasant connection, it nevertheless existed. Jack didn't want Sandy to have to face Pitch again considering what happened last time. He knew better than to underestimate Pitch, even when he was thought to be at a disadvantage.

"It is worth a shot I suppose," North ran a large hand down his face tiredly.

The atmosphere of the room shifted. The bad feeling Jack had been coping with for the past couple of months had increased tenfold.

"I guess it is time we pay our old friend a visit."


A/N: I just wanted to say that I had a lot of fun writing the interactions between the Guardians. Bunny is already turning out to be one of my favorite characters to write because he's so dynamic and witty and incredibly sarcastic. Also, it's always sort of been my head canon that even though Jack is a cold body he still has a fiery temper which is both ironic and totally awesome. Heh.