Disclaimer: not mine

Chapter 4

They exchanged a look; Manny was not happy. While he was relieved that Pitch was no longer a threat, he was unhappy with Jack's disappearance. They'd spun the story of Pitch kidnapping the boy and of them going to rescue him only to find him being sucked into some kind of portal, Pitch being killed in the ensuing battle since he'd drained himself doing whatever he had to the frost spirit. The Man in the Moon would be looking into it, to try and find a way to save Jack. The Tooth Fairy was eager to have him back, she'd been having fun with him. They still didn't think he was needed at all, but it would be nice to have an obedient little thing around.

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Aster chuckled softly when he found Jack dozing on the couch, he was just thankful the kid had shown up during the slowest part of the year for him, enabling him to be around more, to help out. "Jack? Come on Frostbite, you'll be more comfortable in bed," he called softly, knowing better than to shake him awake, even gently.

Sleepy blue eyes opened slightly, gradually focusing on him. North had mentioned something that had them all concerned so now was as good a time as any to see for himself if North and the Yeti were overreacting.

"Come on Jackie, on your feet," he cajoled.

Jack sleepily got up, stumbling slightly, rubbing at his eyes with one fist. "Mmm," he mumbled.

He looked kind of adorable like that, younger, like their Jack. it wasn't enough though to prove or disprove what North had said. He was just wary to push, not wanting to break Jack's tentative trust in them. "Come on, let's get you to bed," he urged, and Jack followed him down the hall. The kid nearly walked into his own door and Aster quickly stopped him, opening the door for him. "Better clean those pearly whites or Tooth will give me a tellin' off."

Jack had been heading for the bed, but he stopped and moved to the attached bathroom, Aster following to find the boy obediently brushing his teeth…and brushing.

"That's enough Jackie," he told him gently and Jack stopped brushing, worrying Aster even more. He carefully rested a hand on the younger Spirits shoulder, and he didn't tense or anything. "Rinse and spit kiddo," he filled a cup for him and then guided him back to the bed. He pulled back the sheet and got Jack settled under it, stroking the soft white hair even as he grabbed the small container of dream sand, sprinkling some over the sleepy face, waiting until Jack was fast asleep.

He headed straight for North's office; he knew why the other had been concerned now. North took one look at him and sighed, moving to sit before the fire and Aster followed him.

"You saw it?"

"Yeah, I saw mate. He just…went along with what I said. How often is it happening?"

"When the boy is very tired he becomes…docile, obedient."

"Didn't the other-Pitch's message say that was what they were doing to him? The memories were erased but that kind of magic would leave a mark."

"Hmmm," North stroked his beard. "Too weak to affect when Jack is awake but once tired enough it can influence? Possible. Will ask Tooth and Sandy, it was perversions of their powers that did this, perhaps they can undo."

Aster nodded; it was their best bet. While it wasn't dangerous so long as Jack lived with one of them, if he was anything like the Jack they had known, sooner or later he would need to leave, to fly free with the wind. There were Spirits out there who would definitely take advantage of him should they discover his weakness when tired…and if Pitch had survived the battle…well, they needed to figure out how to protect Jack.

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Tooth smiled as the Sleigh landed on one of the many platforms that made up her home. She flew down to meet them, seeing Jack looking around in awe, blue eyes wide, hair rather windswept looking since it was loose. "Welcome to Punjam Hy Loo, the Tooth Palace, Jack."

"It's…amazing," he floated up out of the Sleigh and she smiled again at the obviously unconscious use of his powers. It had been obvious to all of them, even after Manny's approval, that he was nervous about calling on the wind or using his powers beyond very small things. Jack then laughed as Baby Tooth flew down to greet him happily, several of her sisters shyly following to see his teeth, swooning over them and making him blush violet, frost dusting his cheeks to everyone else's amusement.

Soon the three of them were settled in her rooms with hot tea, barely warm in Jack's case. "Jack…there is something important we need to discuss with you," she told him, and he tensed slightly. She reached out and touched his hand. "Did your Pitch mention any linger effects because of what was done to you?" she asked gently.

"No?" he looked between them and North clasped his shoulder, gently for him.

"Yeti and I noticed something so asked Bunny who agreed. When you are very tired, you change."

"Change?" Jack asked in alarm and she gave North an unimpressed look at wording it like that.

"You become rather…compliant," she finally chose to say.

Jack paled even more than his normal colouring and she squeezed his hand gently.

"It's alright Jack, none of us would ever use that. It only happens when you are very tired so there is little risk," she soothed, and he relaxed a little.

"But…there's still some risk," he whispered, and she nodded. "If…if…They found me…or your Pitch," he actually stuttered which alarmed both older Guardians.

Tooth reached out and drew him closer, running her hand through his hair. "We will do everything we can to protect you Jack," she promised.

"Of course we will!" North agreed.

Tooth sat on the cushion, cradling the teen in her arms, rocking him gently. One day, he would be happy and free, she swore it. She was thankful that several of her girls could now direct their sisters for her because she was not moving until Jack was ready. He may not technically be a child, but he was also not an adult, too traumatised by events he didn't even remember anymore.

"Can I be fixed?" he eventually asked, face still pressed to her shoulder.

"You are not a broken toy Jack," North told him firmly.

"North is right," Tooth murmured. "There is nothing to 'fix', you aren't broken Jack. It was Memory and Dream magic that hurt you, I've talked with Sandy and we are willing to look and see if there is any of it still lingering inside of you. If there is then we can look into how to remove it without hurting you."

"Please," he whispered.

Just give her five minutes with that other Tooth Fairy! The fact that Jack was clinging to her, letting her hold him without the slightest flinch would normally have her jumping for joy over him beginning to trust her. But under the circumstances it was heartbreaking. "Of course we will help you Jack," she promised, still stroking his hair, it was really soft. "But you'll have to trust us, to let us in," and she didn't think he was anywhere near that level of trust in them, not that she blamed him for that.

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Sandy had received Tooth's message and it had him steaming mad but also sad. As much as Jack wanted their help, they all knew he didn't trust them enough, not yet. At least now they all knew to be careful when the boy was very tired, and Sandy made sure every Guardian had a supply of sand to help Jack have happy dreams. He did not understand Jack's original worlds Guardians at all. How could they have gone so wrong? Though, he wished their Pitch was more like the one who had given his life to save Jack. Could he find that kind of balance? Could they ever forgive him even if he did?

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Aster looked up as one of North's portals opened and then Jack was stepping through, clutching his staff, a bag over his shoulder. The teen froze, looking around with wide eyes, and Aster smirked. "Welcome to the Warren," he greeted, and Jack grinned.

"It's so green…"

It was good to see him grin and the awe felt good. The kid had grown up around Burgess in the 1700's, so that would have meant lots of old forest and not a lot of large grasslands. Then his first memories after his death were of whatever kind of home that Pitch had, then the Workshop. Kid had probably never seen anything as lush as the Warren. "Not too warm for ya?" He'd adjusted the weather slightly in preparation, raised the humidity a little too so Jack could use the moisture to cool himself if needed, so it was a relief when he shook his head.

The Warren really was the safest place on Earth for him, not even Pitch at his strongest could get in. He'd sent his Nightmares into the tunnels to the surface yes, but not the Warren itself. He'd fully breached both the Workshop and Tooth's Palace and while they had tweaked and added to their defences no one knew if they would keep him out. They didn't even know if Pitch was still out there and even if he was, the odds of him knowing about Jack were ridiculously miniscule. Still, know they knew of that vulnerability, it was hard not to worry about Jack being taken. Maybe they were being a little paranoid, but better safe than sorry.

He was also hoping that he could work a bit with Jack, help him lean to defend himself. Maybe even get him exploring his powers more somewhere there was no chance of accidental blizzards or anything.

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Jack sat on a grassy hill just watching the little eggs run around happily. The Warren was peaceful in a way the Workshop never was and it was nice. Aster didn't crowd him, let him sit by himself or near him as he worked as he wished, even let him help cook, like he used to help his Mother sometimes.

He wondered how Pitch was, if he was keeping ahead of those monsters, without the liability of Jack with him, surely he was having an easy time of it. After all, he'd been managing it since the last fight at the end of the Dark Ages. He'd managed to get more of the history from Aster about this worlds Pitch and his had been right, this one had never found any kind of balance, then again, their beginnings seemed different too. This Pitch Black had killed Jack Frost and from the look on Aster's face, it had not been a quick or clean death.

Why did this worlds Manny accept him as a Guardian? Was it because he had died the same way as the younger Jack? No one had mentioned it since that day, but he couldn't help wondering about what it would mean. Could he step into the other Jack's shoes when it came to believers, did he want to? Sandy had been sending them dreams, showing them a Jack Frost who looked like him and it was nice of him to do that. He just…didn't feel ready at all to go out and do whatever it was a Winter Spirit did.

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The Guardians were definitely up to something. The protections around the Workshop and Tooth Palace had been drastically increased over the last few months…ever since the anniversary of the brat's well deserved death. It was frustrating, to know something was happening and to have no way to find out what. What Nightmares he still had under his control after the fight with Frost would never make it passed the protections and he lacked the strength to go himself. He may have won and killed Frost, but the boy had not made it easy. He had been right to go after him before he could gain even more believers and power.

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Aster stopped and smiled as he saw Jack sprawled on his stomach on the grass, legs bent at the knees, so his bare feet were in the air. Baby Tooth was sitting on a rock beside him, chattering away as Jack worked on a school book. It had been Sandy's idea, surprising them all, but Jack needed to learn about the modern world from scratch. So he was learning like a mortal child would, through school lessons. Getting the school books was North's job, he would also begin giving Jack basic technological toys to begin introducing him to the things he'd come across one day.

Jack had actually been excited by the idea, of getting to learn. Aster had the feeling that if given the chance, Jack would have liked to continue his education. The few years difference in his mortal life had matured this Jack more than theirs. Or was the maturity because of what he had been through?

Jack was looking better since coming to the Warren, more rested and relaxed, despite being surrounded by Spring. It was good to see him well rested since it meant he hadn't seen him half asleep and obedient again. He knew Sandy and Tooth were working on a way to stop that but even once they had a way, they would have to wait for Jack to be ready to give them that much trust.

"Hey mate," he greeted, crouching beside him and Jack smiled at him.

"Hi Aster."

"How's the work going?"

"Good, I think," he shrugged slightly, kicking his feet absently.

Aster reached out and ruffled his hair, smirking when Jack didn't tense or flinch. He was definitely getting more used to physical contact. He still had to use the Dream Sand every night, but during the day Jack was healing.

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Jack laughed as Sandy spun around him, sand images flashing around. Sandy was jumping for joy to hear the younger Spirit laugh. He moved higher into the sky of the Warren, urging Jack to follow and he hesitated but then the wind ruffled his bangs, the rest of his white hair tied back, and Jack nodded, lifting into the air as well. Soon, Sandy had him involved in a game of tag, getting him to move in the air, to learn what he could do without it looking like a lesson.

Finding time to spend with Jack was not easy but it was necessary and something he wanted to do. If they were going to help Jack then he had to trust them not to hurt him even at his most vulnerable. He may not have taken the Oath, but he was one of them, and he wanted to know him, to help him find his place in their world.

TBC…

Pitch probably should have mentioned that little issue in his message but he oopsed. How long will it take for Jack to trust them enough to help and will it be before this Pitch finds out about him? Or will the other Manny find him and think he needs retrieving?