Warning: some nudity in this chapter and mentions of rape/discussion of rape and non-consensual body modification. Just an FYI

Chapter 13

Bunnymund rubs a paw at the back of his head. This is not good at all. He should have thought this through better, should have tried to just talk the kid down, not resorted to punching first and asking questions later. He had no idea where Pitch was though, if he'd be back before one of the others found him, and it wasn't like Frost was being at all cooperative.

He bends down to pick up Frost's staff, somewhat relieved to find that dropping it hadn't done it any harm. The kid seemed pretty attached to it and it wouldn't do to get even further in Frost's bad graces after punching him out. If Pitch is somehow behind whatever was happening with the waters, Frost might be useful leverage against him.

The Pooka crouches, wincing a little at the light blue bruise that's already forming on the winter spirit's face. Stars and suns, he wasn't looking forward to the kid waking up, even if he probably did deserve whatever yelling would probably ensue.

The robes that are swaddled around the winter spirit make picking him up a little difficult and after a moment of trying to tie off fabric that seems to evade and swirl around paws that are not really made for this sort of thing, Bunnymund decides that stripping the robes down to Frost's waist and tying it off there will minimize the likelihood of any more tangles or the fabric flying in his face. Not to mention he wouldn't put it past Pitch to have given Frost clothes that would try to strangle anyone the Nightmare King wished.

Bunnymund lays the staff down and pushes back the guilt he's feeling. While they should be relatively safe in his tunnels, Pitch coming back and finding his... whatever Frost is to him, gone is more than enough reason for him to take measures to make his journey through his tunnels as smooth as possible. He curls his paws around the collar of the robes and maneuvers Frost's arm through the opening, then pulls the fabric down-

He stops, brain not quite computing what he's seeing, which is a smallish lump on the winter spirit's chest and the beginning of a wound that's only beginning to heal. He pulls the fabric over further and sure enough, the wound continues down to just over the top of Frost's other breast. "What the..." Bunnymund says aloud incredulously before pushing the fabric back up to preserve the winter spirit's modesty.

This made absolutely no sense. Jack Frost was supposed to be male, a mischievous asshole who delighted in tricks and snowstorms. Not to say that girls couldn't be or do those things, but "Jack" was altogether a very male name. Why would Frost pretend to be a boy? Scratch that, why would Seraphina, Mother Nature Herself, go along with this, because there was no way that this had happened without her knowing.

Unless... Pitch was capable of using the shadows to change things for him. Could he have done this? Frost doesn't look like he's been created or touched by shadows, quite the opposite actually, with white hair and pale skin and looking vaguely corpse-like lying so still like this.

Bunnymund doesn't like this at all. Not wanting to waste any more time, he gathers more power than he normally would and taps on the ground with his foot. A tunnel opens up, branching from the one they're currently in, and he picks up the staff, then Frost, and jumps down it.

He comes up in the middle of North's workshop, a little out of breath from creating that much of a shortcut. The hubbub of the elves and yetis working, even as Christmas is months away, stops at the sight of the Easter Rabbit in the middle of the shop holding a limp figure clothed in black under his arm. Paying no mind to everyone staring at him, Bunnymund starts towards North's office.

Either the silence aroused suspicion or someone told North of Bunnymund's arrival, because the door to his office opens and the man himself comes out, expression carefully blank. "Bunny," he says, both curious and yet accusatory.

"I know this looks bad," Bunnymund admits as North escorts him into the office and closes the door behind them. "But he - Frost wasn't gonna come willingly."

"Jack Frost?" North's eyebrows are just about level with his hairline. "Why did you kidnap Jack Frost?"

"It wasn't-!" Bunnymund huffs and sets the staff against the wall and then the winter spirit in a chair. He carefully makes sure that Frost isn't about to fall off the chair before turning to North. "I found Pitch's lair and the kid was there. We had words."

"Words that ended with a fight?" North gestures towards the winter spirit's face. "Sokolovsky, Bunny, what did you do?"

"If there'd been some other way I woulda taken it, believe me I woulda!" Bunnymund insists. "But - North, I'm pretty sure Pitch has been raping the kid."

There is silence a moment before North says in a voice like the calm before a storm, "What do you mean Bunny."

"I mean that the kid said he - she - they were healin' and fer me ta scram before Pitch came back and there's no clothes under those robes and a nasty wound and stars above, North, the kid's got breasts and I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure they weren't there before!" Bunnymund knows he must look a sight, waving his arms around, but when it comes to Pitch he has a sore spot a galaxy wide and that he's been doing something like this under everyone's collective nose-!

"This is a very serious accusation Bunny," North says quietly, brow furrowed. "And just how did you discover this?"

"So I might've punched the kid in the face to get 'em to come with me - look, I panicked okay!" Bunnymund cuts North off before he can even say anything. "It wasn't the best idea I've ever had and I'm sure to catch it later. I dunno what those robes are made of but they were makin' it hard to carry the kid and so I thought maybe takin' some of 'em off would help and..." He trails off with a guilty and embarrassed expression.

North pinches the bridge of his nose. "Well, there's nothing we can do about that now. Kenitroi!" A yeti pokes its head in cautiously. "Please take Jack Frost here to one of the guest rooms and make sure no one disturbs." He turns back to Bunny. "We will discuss this later Bunny. For now we have more important things to discuss."

A/N: Sorry about the late post everyone! Work interfered -.- Hope everyone liked the chapter, and remember that con-crit is very welcome!