Huzzah! A fast update!

So I had WolfieOwl ask for a follow up of the previous chapter, and so here we are, complete with angst and (hopefully coherent) answers.

NorthernMage, your request should be next.

Disclaimer: IDORotG

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Not Worth Thinking About

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As they'd planned, the Guardians (sans Sandy) retired to the North Pole, sleeping off their midnight adventure. Sandy had turned up sometime in the night, slipping silently into a guestroom. When morning had come around, they'd had their meeting, hearing (or rather, interpreting) a statis report from Sandy. Apparently the Nightmare group hadn't been much of a threat and were easily destroyed with Lleu's help (whose heat had, apparently, turned them to glass and made them fall out of the sky to shatter on the ground below). As long as they kept an eye on Pitch's movements, everything should be fine.

With that out of the way, the Guardians found the more concerning matters of the previous night returning to the forefront of their minds, and Jack found himself on the receiving end of four inquisitive stares.

"What?" he asked self consciously, despite having a very good idea.

"You know what, mate," Bunny said pointedly.

"We're just worried about you, Sweet Tooth," Tooth added, sparing the Pooka a glance.

"I'm fine, guys, really," Jack told them. And it was the truth. He was pretty sure nothing like last night had happened before; at least, the part where people had turned up and he'd lashed out at them. In fact, he was pretty sure the whole incident wouldn't have even happened at all if whoever it was that had crept up on him hadn't. But he didn't think the others were going to believe him.

"Forgive us if we do not agree," North said with a small smile.

And he was right. Heaving a weary sigh he said, "Look, I already told you what happened. There's really not much more to tell."

"But there is more," Bunny pushed, sharing a look with Sandy.

They weren't going to let it drop, were they? Why did they always have to push him for answers? He knew they meant well and just wanted to get to know him better but he really hated talking about himself and his 300 years of solitude. And this was one of the darker of his stories.

"Why does it even matter?" he huffed, still trying to defer their questions.

"Because that wasn't normal, Frostbite, and we're still trying to understand what happened."

"Fine!" he snapped angrily, fed up with it all. "I spent some years out in a forest where no one could walk through me – sometimes it was just easier to disappear – and I guess I just… lost track of time. There was this wolf pack that lived there and I guess they must have thought I was impeding on their territory or something. Anyway, point is when you're being pursued by wolves with no one but yourself for company you can kinda… lose yourself.

"I was dreaming about that when the mooinjer veggey or whoever turned up and I guess I was still stuck in the dream. Happy?"

He'd said it all rather quickly and without bothering to conceal his irritation. He didn't dare meet their gazes, staring down at his hands with a prominent frown on his face. In all honesty he wanted nothing more than to run back to his lake or somewhere secluded to calm down – they were just trying to help and really there was no reason to get so worked up over it – but he knew there was no point. They would follow him anyway and he didn't want to become more of a burden to them than he already was. And running away from your problems doesn't solve them, no matter how much you may want to.

"How long is 'some years'?" Tooth asked quietly, sounding very much like she didn't want to know.

Jack still refused to look up, thinking the answer over carefully. He hadn't lied when he'd said he'd lost track of time; but it hadn't really mattered at the time. Yes, he'd been neglecting his duties as a winter spirit, but it wasn't like the season depended on his presence nor did anyone miss him in his absence. He doubted they'd even noticed. But, if he remembered correctly, it had to at least have been… "I don't know; maybe 8-10 years. Give or take."

The silence that followed his words was long and uncomfortable. As the seconds ticked by, feeling much more like minutes or hours, Jack's discomfort grew until he couldn't take it anymore and chanced a glance at his fellow Guardians.

None of them were looking at him and all appeared somewhat stunned by his admission. Tooth's eyes were distinctly wet with unshed tears.

"We are sorry, Jack," North said, finally making eye contact with him.

"What for?" Jack asked in genuine confusion. That just seemed to upset them all the more.

"You should not have had to go through that."

Bemused, Jack hesitantly replied, "It's not like you can change the mentality of wolves."

"He means you shouldn't have had to feel like you needed to go into isolation in the first place," Bunny cut across, sounding angry but Jack was 90% sure it wasn't aimed at him.

He wasn't sure how to respond to that and it took him a moment to process a reply. It was true that he shouldn't have had to do what he did; if Manny had just spoken to him, told him of his purpose – heck, left him with his memories or at least returned them later (because he did understand what impact those memories would have had on him if he'd never lost them and it was, in the end, perhaps better that he hadn't) – he probably wouldn't have felt as lonely and helpless as he had. As he still did, occasionally. He was aware that the Guardians could have reached out to him before the Man in the Moon had told them to. And he was aware that if Manny hadn't, if the incident with Pitch had never happened, he would still be alone, wandering without truly knowing himself or his purpose. But, most importantly, he also knew that the past could not be changed. What was done was done and there really wasn't all that much point on dwelling on it or wallowing in regrets and what ifs.

"You have no reason to apologise," Jack told them. "It wasn't your fault – it wasn't," he said firmly, noting the way Tooth had opened her mouth to protest. "Besides, the past is the past, right? Being upset about it now isn't going to help anyone."

"But that doesn't mean it didn't happen, mate," Bunny refuted, interpreting Sandy's symbols and sounding like he whole-heartedly agreed.

"No, but it does mean it's not worth thinking about. And honestly I'd like really not to," he said, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet. He gave them all a grin he hoped looked care-free. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some snow days to deliver."

"Jack," Tooth called softly after him, but he pretended he hadn't heard, slipping out the window and letting the wind catch him.

He wasn't alone anymore, and while it was important to remember your past to learn from it and to let it shape you into a better person, his particular story truly wasn't worth thinking or dwelling on. That trail of thought only led to pangs of loneliness and regrets for things that could have been or might have happened differently.

It wasn't worth thinking about.

Guest Review Responses:

ROTG Revolution: Thank you ^w^ Hahaha definitely a feels chainsaw XD And instead of petrol it runs on feels so it's self sustaining. Naw you're so sweet! And I'm sure you'll be able to write your own wonderful stories :3 Keep at it!

Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :3 Thank you for the cupcake *nom nom nom* (it's nice to have variety, but no less fattening haha (not that I care about calories))