This actually wraps up this part of the plot, but there is more to come.

Pitch is happy to toy with Aster's feelings. The Bond is severed, but Aster's confidence is shaken. But Jack is freed, and they return home together.

(-)

It must have been inside my head
I've lost the hope that I have lived
And now, at last, it comes to pass
We sleep, we dream, we have no less
Along the path we lost our way
It's all a game that I must play

Dark of You- Breaking Benjamin

The only misstep they had in directions was Jackson leading Aster to open a tunnel at the bottom of the crevice that Jack and the fairy had been trapped in. Apparently, that was where they'd gone to get Jack's teeth, but it was an easy mistake to correct. A couple taps opened another tunnel that led to the top of the crevice.

And Pitch was there, sitting on the ice and looking up at a vicious-looking mess of spikes pointed toward the sky. And it was made of frozen Nightmare Sand. Bingo.

Pitch's posture looked strange. He was lying on his back but propped up on his elbows. "Hello, Bunny." His voice lacked its usual dripping distain. It was more of a lazy drawl.

"Pitch. I see you've come to admire your handiwork. Clever, tricking Jack into Bonding with you." Aster couldn't keep the venom from his voice.

Pitch laughed a little. Again, not his harsh, spiteful laugh. Honestly amused. "I didn't intend for anything like this to happen. I thought I might find an ally in him. After all, who knew what it was like to be invisible, forgotten, and hated like Jack Frost? Especially after I lured him to my lair to keep him sidetracked while I destroyed Easter. You all responded precisely as I knew you would. Your so-called 'acceptance' was a lie."

That was spoken in more Pitch's tone of voice. It had faded from the lighter tone into regular Pitch, and Aster thought he realized what was happening. "Jack said you aren't just bleeding into him through the Bond. He's bleeding into you, isn't he?"

Pitch turned and met Aster's gaze with bright blue eyes twinkling with mischief. "I take it he's discovered again the hard way that you'll never really accept him. If I'm 'bleeding into him' that means that he's lashing out. We have some overlapping anger, and it's bound to come to the surface when my darkness does."

"We take care of our own. And Jack is part of our family."

Now that harsh laugh sounded, and the eyes became a silvery gold. "Family? Take care of him? The boy is miserable and alone. I can feel it."

Aster felt a stab of anxiety that maybe North wasn't keeping to his word. He assured himself that even if North was fulfilling his promise, Jack would be miserable and alone without Aster there. Jack was safe, if not happy.

"So, you are controlling the Bond," Aster said.

"Of course not. This thing is quite out of control. You know as well as I do that personality shifts are the mark of a bad Bond. And however nice it is to have the ability to…be happy, it isn't worth losing myself to some reckless, irresponsible child."

"Shut your bloody mouth. You have no idea who Frostbite is."

Pitch grinned at him, sitting up and crossing his legs as he watched Aster. His eyes went blue as he teased the rabbit. "I know better than you, Bunny, what it's like to be inside Jack."

And Aster couldn't stand that. "Listen, you miserable shadow-creep, you are not going to keep Snowflake twisted up with you. You are going to destroy this monstrosity and go your separate ways."

"'Snowflake'?" Pitch gave him an intense stare, silvery gold eyes gleaming. "Is he your little Snowflake? Do you want to hold him, to tell him that everything will be okay? Do you want to touch him, hear his screams and moans made just for you? You, Bunny, want to bury yourself deep inside your little Snowflake and fuck him until he cums with your name on his lips as you fill up every bit of him until it overflows."

Aster wasn't sure what to say to that. It was all true. He wasn't sure why Pitch wanted to describe it all in graphic detail, but this couldn't be leading anywhere good.

"But you don't touch him. Not the way you want to. You're afraid. Afraid that your Snowflake will change his mind and leave you. Afraid he'll see your animalistic anatomy and cringe in disgust. He was originally a human boy; how could he possibly want a giant rabbit with a retractable cock?"

Jackson was speaking up at last, squeaking in Aster's ear. Aster was fairly certain the fairy was trying to reassure him. "You can shoot your mouth off all you like; nothing's changing the fact that I'm not leaving until that piece of shit is destroyed, and you and Jack are separated."

Pitch looked casual. "I was waiting for Jack to show up. But since you've showed up with his staff, I suppose he isn't free to come here himself. Feels like he's baking instead."

Aster wished he could have suppressed the shiver that drew from him. He'd been cloaking his fur in powerful Springtime heat just to survive, so the shiver might actually look out of place. "I'm here to do whatever needs doing. If you were waiting for Jack, you want this gone too. Let's get it done."

A wide smile (that was missing a tooth) grew on Pitch's face. "How do you propose we break a Bond with only one of the two we need?"

And the rabbit realized what Pitch was getting at. Aster would need to give Jack's staff to the Nightmare King if they wanted the elements of both participants. Jackson was immediately squeaking in Aster's ear, distress painting every high-pitched sound. Yes, Aster knew what had happened the last time Pitch had made a bargain for Jack's staff.

"I'm not giving you Frostbite's staff. Last time you went back on your word and snapped it in half."

Pitch chuckled. "You don't have much choice, do you? Though annoying, I can live with the side-effects of this Bond. I'm not sure we can say the same for Jack."

Aster's fist clenched as his other hand tightened around the staff. Pitch was bluffing. He wouldn't be sitting around here waiting for Jack to show up if he didn't want the Bond broken. "Your sparkling personality leaves something to be desired. But you want this gone too. And I have something to offer in exchange for your cooperation."

Fishing out the black box, Aster opened it to show its contents to Pitch. "Courtesy of the Tooth Fairy. If you'd prefer to run around looking like a gap-toothed hillbilly, by all means, keep playing games. If you want to fix your broken mouth, you'll work to get this done."

Pitch's eyes had lighted with interest when he saw his tooth. "Very well. Give me the staff, and I'll use it to break the statue."

Aster laughed. "I'm not some trusting young spirit you can pull one over on. You are a treacherous snake. Your word alone can't be trusted." The rabbit had already been thinking of a way to ensure the staff's safe return. "Swear by the Moon. Our bargain is this: I will give you the staff to break the Bond after which you will immediately return it to me. In exchange, I will give you your tooth, and we will part ways without harm to each other."

There was a sour look to Pitch's expression. Clearly, he didn't like Aster's idea. Swearing by the Moon meant Pitch had to honor the terms unless he wanted the Wrath of the Man in the Moon coming down on him, and nobody wanted that.

"Fine. I swear by the Moon to honor the terms of our agreement, as long as you take the same oath."

"That's how bargains work. I swear by the Moon to honor the terms as well."

And only then, with the iron-clad promise made, did Aster feel safe in turning Jack's staff over. "Can you even use this?"

But the second Pitch touched it, ice formed on the staff the same way it did for Jack. The only difference being that the ice was black. Pitch's eyes also immediately glowed a bright blue. "I'd stand back, rabbit," was Pitch's only reply.

The crackle of the black ice as Pitch shot it at the statue sounded more like lightning than actual ice, but the spikes began to glow a bluish-black. Aster took quite a few steps back as a sound akin to the earth splitting open sang out as cracks formed on the surface of the ice. A minor earthquake ensued as the statue exploded into millions of tiny particles of frozen Nightmare Sand.

Pitch wasted no time but handed the staff back to Aster. "Here you go. Now, my tooth."

Aster dumbly pushed the box into Pitch's waiting hand. It had been so easy. And now Jack was un-Bonded. His subconscious now pushed to the front of his mind the lurking implications. Jack was free to form a Mating Bond.

As if he had heard Aster's thoughts, Pitch said, as he walked away, "And speaking as someone who's just been inside of Jack, feeling his feelings and peeking at his thoughts, I'll confirm that he's curious about what you're hiding under that fur."

Aster's heart soared for a few seconds before Pitch added, "But curiosity killed the cat, and Jack isn't going to like what he finds. Few people are aroused by grotesque, beastly genitalia."

The rabbit didn't quite literally see red, but it felt like he did. He moved to attack the Nightmare King, and only Jackson flying almost into his ear squeaking as loud as he could saved Aster. As he shook his head violently to recover from the painfully high-pitched sound, Aster realized what Pitch was doing. Their bargain had stated that they would part without harming each other. Pitch was trying to turn their pact against Aster.

"Nice try, asshole."

Pitch laughed, his true spiteful laugh. "Just because I said it to make you angry doesn't mean it can't also be true. I do hope he doesn't break your heart too badly, Bunny." And with that, Pitch melted into a shadow on the ground that disappeared in seconds.

Aster just stood there, feeling sick. Jackson squeaked at him, gentle nudges trying to rouse him. Aster realized that he'd accomplished his mission and could return to free Jack. He didn't feel as triumphant as he wanted, though.

A couple taps opened a tunnel, and Aster raced back to the Pole. Whatever happened in the end, Aster would take care of his Snowflake, just like he promised.

(-)

"Jack's free," Aster told North as he leapt out of a tunnel. They were in North's personal workshop, and the big man was startled by his entrance.

"How can you know?" North asked, then noticed Jack's staff secured to Aster's back. "How did you get that? We had eyes on you!"

Aster chuckled. "I'm a rascally rabbit, mate." He'd heard humans say that (with bewildering speech impediments) and always wanted to apply it to himself. "I'm going to let Jack out, and you won't stop me."

The big man followed Aster out the door into the main workspace. "Wait! How can you be sure he is safe?"

"Because I was just in the Antarctic making a bargain with Pitch to break the Bond that had accidentally formed between the two of them. And their Bond wasn't symbolized with a Mark, it was sealed in a giant spike statue of frozen Nightmare Sand. I watched it explode myself, North."

"Bargain with Pitch?" North roared. "You cannot trust-"

"I'm not stupid, North. We swore by the Moon. I gave him Jack's staff to destroy the statue and got it back immediately. Even Pitch will behave himself rather than bring Manny down on him."

"But he-"

"But nothing. I'm going to get Snowflake, and unless you're hiding the fact that you didn't keep your word, you'll let me. I'm not leaving him to bake. Give me the key."

When the piece of metal was pressed into his waiting paw, Aster didn't let North slow him any longer. He charged down to the kitchens, his heart fluttering as bright blue eyes met his, and they shone with joy and eagerness.

As Aster hopped over to the boy, Jack said, "You did it! He's gone; I can feel it. I can't believe that worked."

The rabbit unlocked the door and was immediately knocked to the ground by the small spirit in his exuberance. Jack was on top of Aster, hugging and wriggling and making pleased sounds. It felt so good to have his Snowflake in his arms again, but it was dangerous to let this continue while a kitchen full of yetis and elves looked on.

So, still holding onto Frostbite, Aster got up, first sitting, then standing. Jack did not want to let go. "If you'll be clinging like a koala from now on, I'm going to feed you nothing but eucalyptus leaves."

Jack chuckled but didn't release his grip. "Do you want me to let go?"

Aster couldn't hold back a shiver at the low tone of the boy's voice, almost seductive. "Not especially. But you'll have to eventually."

"Then tell me when eventually happens."

The rabbit sighed and said, "I was going to take us right to the Warren, but if you'd rather stay here…"

Jack let go immediately, except for holding Aster's paw. "Take me. Please?"

Damn Snowflake and his choice of words. Aster tapped his paw twice, and they went sliding down the tunnel that opened. In a minute or two, they were emerging into the Warren.

I've never felt so free in all my life
Cause you were there for me in all those empty nights
Is everyone so blind?
It just seems so right
Cause you are all I find

Love Me Now- Nine Lashes

(-)

Next chapter is super-exciting! (And super-smutty.)