Thank you to everyone who is following the story, and those who have left reviews! I'm enjoying the writing, and have some other things in mind. I think it's time Jack got to himself again, so we'll see what comes next!

Chapter 6

Home Sweet Home

Jack coughed on the dust as it swarmed him; exploding outwards from the tiny glass globe. He had meant to just swat it away from him, so he could continue to run and hide. He felt the glass against his skin but it didn't cut, it simply rolledalong his skin and fell to the ground. Jack closed his eyes as the dust seemed to cling to him, and he feared he would choke on it. When Jack opened his eyes, he was standing somewhere new; though it felt incredibly familiar to him. He looked around him, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darker area. The moon didn't seem as bright here, which Jack was thankful for. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he stepped forward, and heard the crack underneath him. He looked down to see the icey water he was standing on and gasped; his pond. He saw himself reflected in the icey surface and couldn't belive it, he was home. It was the sound in the distance that caught his attention, like a rustling overhead. Jack expected a flock of birds, or even bats to fly overhead, but instead he saw the bright wisps of dream sand peak over the tops of the trees. Oh dear. Jack thought, knowing that Sandy wasn't far away. He couldn't stay here.

It was decided and with it, Jack ran. He sprinted away from his pond, making his way through the dense trees of the wooded area close to Burgess. He hadn't picked a direction, so when he broke from the trees and found himself looking at the town of Burgess, he choked on his breath. Jack walked slowly into the town, though he wasn't sure why. It felt wrong to run through the town, he had regarded it as somewhere safe, somewhere he could play. Jack hear dit again and looked up, to see a whip of dream sand heading towards him. Jack swept his staff, one half of it anyway, and cut through the whip. It broke apart as it sailed past him, grains of Sand brushing against his arms. They were golden, bright and so beautiful in the night that was darker than he had been used to. The whinny came from behind him, and Jack turn where he stood to see the nightmare that had followed him from the woods, and was rearing down towards him. Jack fell and landed on the ground, staring up at the creature that threatened to crush him.

"Jack!" The voice came from behind him, and Jack recognised the soft lady's voice; Tooth. Jack thrust the sharpened of his staff upwards and hunch on himself, bracing for the horrot hat was to follow the nightmare reaching him. The nightmare crashed itself down onto the staff, and stopped once it reached the wooden tip. It thrashed, unable to remove the staff from it's chest, and Jack saw as the black sand became a bright blue, as the frost raced up from the wood and into the creature. It cried out as the ice took over and soon the creature was made up of brilliantly blue sand. The creature stopped moving and it's noises stopped; it then exploded. The creature exploded into a cloud of white and blue sand that fell against the ground, and Jack. The sand fell into his hair, and clung to his clothing. He didn't move; Jack didn't dare move, in fear the creature would reappear.

"How'd the blighta do that?!" the cry came from behind him; Bunny. That got Jack moving. He sprung to his feet and spun to see Tooth and Bunny standing nearby behind him, North even closer. North had a sword in each hand, though they were hanging by his sides now. Jack was surprised to see a sword in one of Toothiana's hands as well; it was thin, with a sharp curve in the blade.

"Been a long time since you last held that aye Toothy." Bunny said with a smirk at Toothiana as he put away his boomerang. Bunny looked at Jack, and they locked eyes for a second; jack broke it, looking at the ground.

"Jack, you came back!" Toothiana said with a smile. Gosh jack had missed it; it was so incredibly kind.

"Not on purpose." He said, his voice soft, on edge.

"What do ya mean mate; Northy said you disappeared and he rushed here and got us all along." Bunny said.

North nodded, smiling. "Jack! Is good to see yo-"

Jack was stepping backwards, ready to run. He was eyeing Toothiana, who was still holding her sword high, as if he was unsure if it was safe or not.

"Blimey Sheila put it away; kid's never seen it before." Bunny said to Tooth, who nodded, and placed the sword on her back. She smiled softly, apologising through expression alone. Jack felt something rub his neck, and he rbushed it away, realksing as he did he should have moved away. The string of dream sand looped his ankle and swept him upwards. Jack felt himself fly up until he was staring at Sandy, upside down. Sandy waved energetically at jack, smiling wide. Jack let out a soft chuckle at Sandy and smiled back weakly.

"Hey Sandy." Sandy beamed at Jack's words and put the boy back on the ground, right way up. Jack brush himself off and stood straight, picking up the two halves of his staff from the ground where he had dropped them.

"No luck fixing it mate?"

"Haven't tried." Jack said, not looking at Bunny.

"Baby Tooth... she told us." Toothiana said, quietly from behind Bunny. Jack looked at her, eyes wide, unable to force his legs to run. He so badly wanted to be away from them, he had expected anger, he had prepared himself for it for so long. The anger boiled inside Jack, he had held it for so long. It had hurt so badly, he had never betreayed them, and they had gotten rid of him so easily.

"So?" Jack asked, looking at Tooth.

"We- we are so-"

"Sorry?"

"Yes! Jack, so, so sorry. We never meant to-"

'Yes, you did. At the time that's exactly what you meant to do. You wanted me gone." Jack was surprised he could speak, he wanted to scream at them.

"Mate we didn't know."

"You didn't ask!" Jack shouted, feeling the anger boil over. It hurt his throat, it hurt his head but it felt so good to finally let it out. "You told me to go, you didn't let me even speak! The only one of you who even cared was Baby Tooth!" Bunny and Toothiana stared at Jack, it was North and Sandy who moved a little closer.

"He made a mistake!" jack shouted and with that, felt the anger melt away. He stared at the ground, his shoulders trembling as he held in the tears.

'Why at little house?" North asked, standing close to Jack but not wanting to frighten him off by reaching out.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Little house I find you; you point very sharp wood at old man." North said, chuckling. Bunny's ears stood on end.

"I didn't know it was you. I didn't realise what day it was, and thought someone had broken in." Jack's answer stunned North.

"Not know what day?!" North was aghast; Jack loved Christmas! North eye's lit up, and he pulled a msaller sack than normal from his back. Jack stepped back; the sack looked awfully familar. North pulled out a long wrapped gift, it was skinny, with a hook at the top. Jack blinked; in awe and confusion.

"Is magic bag!" North laughed, holding the wrapped gift out to Jack. Jack took it and stepped back again, not sure how he felt about being close to North.

"Uhh..." jack wasn't sure what to say.

"Is Christmas gift!" North beamed.

The gift was shaking in Jack's hands, and he checked, it wasn't his own hands doing it. The gift seemed to vibrate, as if it was excited. He pulled the paper away to see what seemed like an exact replica of his own staff. Jack stared at the staff in his hands, and looked at his older staff on the floor.

"We all have old things Jack, we mount on wall; do same for staff." North said, smiling.

"I don't have a wall North, I have a little ice pond. I don't have a home." Jack said, it was true in a sense; he didn't have a physical strcture like the others.

"North Pole!" North shouted, clapping Jack on the shoulder. Jack looked at the smile on the older Guardians face, and started to laugh. It was a bright, childlike laugh. North carefully picked up the pieces of the broken staff, and placed them in the bag. He dropped it through a portal, and Jack heard a noise as a yeti caught the bag. There was a grumble, as the portal closed. North shook his head.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Phil very mad at Guardians." North explained. "Not happy we got rid of cold one."

Jack was shocked; he was sure Phil of all people, er yetis, would be simply shaking with joy at his absence. Something crept along Jack's skin, up his legs and crept through the fabric of his clothing. It was cold, and wet and so familiar. The wind had found him again, and wanted to play. Jack held the new staff above his head, and let out a joyful shriek as the wind wind him from his feet, off into the air, and away from the Guardians. They heard the laughter grow quieter as the boy flew further from them.

"Jack!" Tooth shoute; they had only just found him again.

"Give time; has not been able to fly for long time." North said, patting her shoulder. They made their ways home, and North set to work on some projects in mind.