A/N: Hey guy's! This is a special chapter, and it does contain cutting but in a different aspect, through the eyes of someone trying to help. This might happen for the other Guardians too, not just Bunny. Sorry if anyone is OC. Thank you to all of my lovely favoriters and followers! Special thanks to my reviewers for last chapter: PeachtreeAmuto (Thank you so much for the review. It really made my day. And thanks for the idea!)and AyameKitsune (You'll just have to wait and see!). You guys are awesome! But all of you reading are. Again please R&R (Or just read) but most importantly ENJOY! (oh if you love Teen Titans I'm writing a story about them too, if you're interested. Sorry had to self promote there.)
Disclaimer: I don't own ROTG. I'm not that good or rich.
Bunny's POV
"Told ya I would beatch ya." I jumped out of my tunnel seconds before Jack flew out. He landed a bit roughly though.
"Yeah, yeah." He gasped. He didn't look good. There were dark thick bags under his eyes, he was a pale gray, and his whole body read exhausted. But his face carried his usual playful smirk. "Just wait till I'm better Cottontail." He was going to say something else but he started swaying. I caught him before he kissed the floor. "Whoa." His eyes began to take on a dazed overlook.
"Why don't you get some rest and I'll tell North that you're here?" Jack honestly looked out of it.
"Okey dokey. Haha. Okey dokey. That sounds funny." Yep, he was definitely out of it. Poor kid. I helped him up. I was going to help him to a room but he pushed me away. "I am not baby. I am Jack Frost the show pony!" He yelled proudly.
"Yeah you are. now get going." I shook my head as Jack swayed into the nearest guest room. I was thankful that my tunnels could open from anywhere. I was about to turn around to head towards North's office until I heard a loud thump. I took a look into the room and I had to hold my mouth to stifle my laugh. Jack's legs were sprawled out on the floor while his upper half was laying across the bed, drool coming out of his mouth. His staff laid carelessly beside him on the floor. I put a medicine cream that contained a herb that helped patients sleep. I didn't want to tell Jack because I knew he would refuse but he needed some good rest to heal. I fixed him onto the bed gently not wanting to wake him up. He only snuggled into the bed more and moved into a fetal position. I ruffled his head. I was surprised as he hummed in appreciation and leaned into the touch. He reminded me of little Sophie. I removed my hand and I swear that I heard Jack Frost whimper. I bounded out of the room as quickly and quietly as I could closing the door behind me.
Even before I'm a Guardian I'm a warrior. I fought to protect my people. I fought to survive. I fight to give kids hope. And because I've fought for so long and so much I've seen things that could break people many times over. But I've survived. I've survived seeing my people died. I've survived being alone. I thought nothing could break me after that. But as the sound of Jack's whimper reverberated through my ears I realized that he broke me. His hopelessness and fear broke the walls I had. But the ever burning hope in him to be seen, to feel accepted, to have a family was what drew in me. It was what let me know that he wanted help. Before I thought Jack was just a troublemaker who wanted to be left alone. So I left him alone. I thought if I left him alone he would leave me alone. I saw a disrespectful, selfish, arrogant teenager. I didn't see the boy that cried out for attention, nor did I know the pain of invisibility. But most importantly, I ignored his hope. My ears drooped back in grief as I entered North's office. Tooth had barely let me enter North's office before she pelted me with questions.
"Bunny! Is he alright? What happened? Where is he now?" I gave a small chuckle.
"Relax sheila. He's just asleep in one of the guest rooms." Tooth visibly relaxed and lowered out of my sight. "And thanks for getting the others." Tooth nodded.
"Bunny, vhat is matter that you asked all of us here without Jack?" North asked in concern. I took a deep breath. I knew I should tell them what I saw but how much was too much?
"What do you guys think of when you see Jack?" I asked curiously. Maybe I wasn't the only one that saw what was really going on with the winter spirit. Sandy signed a snowflake holding makeshift hands with a tooth, an egg, a candy cane, and a little Sandman.
"He's right. Jack need family. And in time we'll be family." North exclaimed simply.
"If only it were that simple mates." I squeezed the bridge of my nose.
"Vhat do you mean? It is that simple." North stated in confusion. Sandy signed a clock above his original picture getting closer as the hands moved forward.
"I thought it would just take time too Sandy. That if we continuously showed him that he was cared for that we would become closer." Tooth said softly. She was close to the ground her wings fluttering lightly. Even though she was a warrior, Tooth had a motherly side to her that always wished for a family. Before Jack, we never considered becoming family. We were just friends. And the only reason we became friends was to help Tooth when she was going against the people that were hunting her. Then it hit me. Maybe we didn't need Jack just to defeat Pitch but we needed him to become more caring, better, closer Guardians. "I recently talked to Jack, showing him that I cared. Now I might've been a little forward but as soon as he saw me he looked confused and on guard. And when I did say that I cared he looked, he looked scared. Then he pushed me away. We could give it time yes. But we might have to do more than that and he might not give us that time."
"Vhat else-"
"Look North, Jack has not only been alone for three hundred years. He's been ignored, probably abused, and walked through for three hundred years. I could barely last a day being walked through. Could you imagine three hundred years of that." I looked as shock and realization dawned on them. I breathed deeply. "When I first met Jack I ignored him and saw what I wanted. Because of that I've failed as a Guardian. And I didn't suffer for it, he did. I won't let him suffer again because I'm waiting for him to make a first step he might not even know how to make." Silence filled the room. Tears fell from Tooth's eyes, Sandy's normally joyous face was sorrowful, and North looked so melancholy, all trace of wonder gone. Yet all I could think of was Jack's whimper when I left. He must be so confused. He wants attention but based on years of experience and just pure survival has taught him that attention is bad. And I certainly didn't help. The blizzard of '68 came to my mind. Was it really just a prank or was it a call of attention? I'll have to ask him.
"Bunny." North called me out of my thoughts. He was staring at me curiously but the curiosity didn't hide the seriousness. "Why now?"
"What?" I knew what he was really asking but I needed to stall the question.
"Why can we not wait? Why does he needs attention so badly now?" I sighed. I really do forget how perceptive North is, which wouldn't be a bad thing, it's his curiosity that makes that perception trouble.
"North, I don't even feel comfortable talking to y'all about this, like this." My hands gesturing to them. That seemed to make them even more confused.
"Bunny, you're not making any sense." Tooth said calmly. I sighed.
"Jack's not here. I feel like we're stabbing his back talking like this. But I needed you guys to know that Jack might not be ok and," I paused looking for the right words. "I want to help him. He's an amazing kid. The way I treated him was, it was less than he deserved." I looked at the floor feeling shame overtake me.
"Bunny," North called in a soft voice. He walked towards me and laid a hand on my shoulder. "Jack had try to break into shop before and I never knew. I ignored him as well. We all did." North rotated to look at all of us. Everyone looked ashamed. "But now, we fix mistake and make new what is old." I gave North a small smile at his mispronounced saying.
"He's right Bunny, don't blame yourself. We're all at fault." Tooth came flying towards us. Sandy followed nodding solemnly. Now that we were closer together I really felt the guilt from before. Sandy tapped my paw and signed a question mark.
"I get what you all are sayin' but you don't understand. To be walked through, to not be believed in, it feels like someone punched me in the gut but worse of all is the emptiness. You feel so empty and cold. For a second I questioned my own existence." I shuddered. Even though it happened more than a week ago, I could feel like it just happened. North squeezed my shoulder. I looked up at them, their eyes were patient. They knew I had to get this out. My paws had subconsciously tighten and I focused on relaxing them to continue. "That's how it felt. And I just threw it in his face." I still remember the tears that he held when I was belittling him. He was trying so hard to hold back the tears. Then when Easter happened I snapped. At the time all I could feel was hopelessness from all of the kids and myself that I didn't realize that one of the people losing hope was Jack himself.
"We should talk to Jack." North stated.
"What?" Tooth and I exclaimed at the same time. But North removed his hand and started pacing. One hand on his hip the other on his chin. He was thinking. When he stopped he started nodding.
"This vill work. Yes!" North yelped.
"North! Jack is sleeping." Tooth scolded. North blushed and visibly calmed down.
"North what in the bloody hell are you talking about?" I asked in confusion. I knew he was always an optimistic person but I knew that he could go from one extreme to the other.
"We give Jack one-on-one time for week. We apologize and get to know on personal base." North was grinning from ear to ear as if it was the best idea ever.
"North that's-"
"That's a great idea!" Tooth squealed and Sandy nodded excitedly.
"Tooth." North smirked waggling a thick finger at her. I was still trying to wrap my mind around the idea. How did they see that North's plan was a good idea?
"Sorry. It's just that your idea is amazing. I could talk to Jack and get to really know him." Tooth was practically chirping. "And I could show him the palace! It's been so long-"
"Ho-hold up!" I stuttered. Tooth gave me an irritable look. "Sorry sheila, but what makes you guys think that Jack would be ok with this?" I asked flabbergasted at them. They looked at me like I grew two heads.
"I don't think you have any say in making Jack do something he does or doesn't want to do. Last time I checked you gave him an ultimatum." Tooth shot towards me till she was in my face and angrily pointed a finger at me. "So you are not going to be a hypocrite, got it?" I looked at the other two hoping they would be of some help but North and Sandy were right beside each other stifling their laughter.
"Look, Tooth there was, there was something," I didn't know how to finish. I couldn't tell them something Jack had to tell them himself. Plus I wanted to talk about them with him first. Tooth stared at me and the anger slowly faded from her violet eyes and was replaced by worry. She knew how a person on the run could fell. And she was only on the run for about a hundred years. I could see in her eyes how she was trying to imagine being on the run for at least hundred. Especially when the enemy is yourself.
"What did you see?" She asked quietly so only I would hear. Her eyes begged me to tell her but I only shook my head.
"Sorry, but that's his business. And forcing him to come to the Warren was one thing, he needed medical attention, but forcing him, a spirit that rides the wind, to stay somewhere. Don't you think that's just too much?" I asked directing everyone back on topic. Tooth gave me some space looking dejected.
"Well, you need to talk to Jack still, no?" I nodded slowly. "And he needs to rest?" I nodded again. "Winter is over for a while too, no?" I just rolled my eyes at North.
"Your point?" I asked gruffly. I didn't like people who beat around the bush. North just chuckled. Cheeky drongo.
"It is perfect time for one-on-one. He get rest and we can make sure he gets rest right. I will go first since he is in my workshop. Then Tooth, Sandy, and you." He said confidently, hands on hips.
"Why am I last?" I asked. Now, everyone looked at me like I was stupid. Sandy rolled his eyes and made simple mini-sand figures of me and Jack fighting with a clock above that had hands always moving forward.
"You said it Sandy." North smirked. They both chuckled as I rolled my eyes.
"How about we let Jack choose?" Tooth offered. North and I stared at each other.
"Alright."
"Sounds good, Tooth." We agreed at the same time. Tooth just smiled.
"Well, me and Sandy better go, right Sandy?" He nodded at Tooth. "Get us when he wakes up."
"Will do." I nodded towards Tooth. Her and Sandy gave a quick wave as they flew out of the office.
"Vell, I must get back to work. Are you going to stay?" North asked me setting up his tools.
"If you don't mind I'm going to stay with the bugger till he wakes up." I stated. North nodded already humming some loud classical music playing from the radio.
"That's nice Bunny." He came and patted me on the cheek. "I will be checking up on you two after I get some vork done." Then North went behind me going the opposite direction of Jack's room to his ice room. I rolled my eyes at him. I headed back to Jack's room. He was still lying in the bed in a tight fetal position and snoring lightly. I chuckled quietly. I never thought I would see Jack look so cute. He looked so small and fragile just like one of the snowflakes he creates. I went over and started to pet his snow white hair. His head leaned into the touch, coming out of his position somewhat and his body relaxed more.
"Was something bothering you in your sleep Frostbite?" I whispered. Jack didn't respond. "You must've been real tuckered out then." I looked at him. Really looked at Jack Frost. In his sleep he looked like a pale teenage boy at peace but I knew better. The way his body curled around itself showed how he really felt. Jack Frost felt cold and alone. "Look Frostbite, I know you can't hear me but I know you're not ok." I looked at him his soft content face as I continued to pet his hair. "You were walked through for three hundred years. You should hate the world. You should hate us." In his sleep Jack looked incapable of hatred but part of me knew that even when he was awake he probably hated only a few things. And for some reason one of them wasn't us. "I remember how guilty you sounded when you asked me about Tooth. The fact that we have failed you so badly but you care about us so much, you're really somethin'. What's worse is that I'm afraid that the thing you hate the most is, is you." The scars that littered his arms burned my eyes. "I was walked through for a day, and," I swallowed down the feelings that I felt. "And I'm not ok. Everyday I feel like I had to work to bring Easter back, to prove my existence. I work for most of the day till I konk out but sometimes, I still dream of that day. So I understand the scars, they probably reminded you that you, that you existed." I looked at Jack's still sleeping face, except it was blurry from the tears that sprang to my eyes. I lightly moved one of his sleeves up. The ones on his left arm were straight and clean, purposeful. Only three were pretty fresh. "I let this happen." I whispered quietly. When I saw them the first time I felt so disappointed with myself. Jack looked so, so broken and I was one of the people that probably helped break him. I wiped at my eyes as I felt tears start to fall. I stopped petting Jack and the whimper came back, softer this time but his body curled back into himself. "Now we know that you're not ok. And if you let us we, I would like to take care of you."