A/N :

LBIGreyhound13 : Glad you like this better than Dark!Jack. I love father-son relationships and the brotherly bond between Jack and Bunny, so expect more of that in the future.

Q-A the Authoress : Don't worry, they will.

Natalie : Awwww, I'm not sure if I should feel flattered or guilty now. Hope you'll feel better after this chapter. The original version basically lacked the whole "Jack sees shadows while being awake and unknowingly fights the guardians"-part. I just added that later on.

insaneshadowfangirl : *lol* XD

Breyannia : Jack will get over it, he's strong and the guardians are there for him. ^^

SaiyanPrincess : I'm glad I succeeded at portraying the panic well, it was fun. Gosh, I sound really sadistic now. ^^"

Xion5 : I bet especially Bunnymund and North would love to invent some torture devices just for Pitch, hehe.

AinsleyWright : I feel bad for him, too. And that after writing all this myself. I'm evil.

FFX2player : Aww, that's cool. I wish we had a real winter here but seriously, all we got in the last 4 months was not even an inch of snow, it was pathetic. And North Germany isn't even known for its warm weather, we should have gotten some more snow, damnit. :(

I believe in myths : Thank you, glad you like my stories!

Spottedowl88 : Wow, all at once! Glad you like my writing so much! I had no idea lemonade in the USA wasn't carbonated, it is in Germany so I assumed it's the same everywhere. Those ideas come to me very spontaneously, can't tell exactly how, they just suddenly pop up in my mind.

Also thanks to Hamato Miwa, Shamangirl1, AyameKitsune and Frozenjaqulinefrost for their comments. ^_^


Thanks to the magical portal the voyage back to Santoff Clausen did only take a couple of minutes. And yet it could as well have been hours for Jack as he fought against the increasing weariness which threatened to pull him back to sleep. Bunny and Tooth, who were sitting on either side of him, kept him in a sitting position and every time his head dropped forwards and he almost lost consciousness Baby Tooth intervened by pricking her beak into his foot, knee or arm. The short stinging pain temporarily snapped him out of his drowsy state, but every time the little fairy repeated the tactic it appeared to lose the desirable effect more and more.

After they finally arrived at the workshop they immediately took Jack to his room, assuming he would feel most comfortable and safe there. North gently laid the barely responsive teen down on his bed and right when he wanted to ask about the next steps Bunnymund's nose suddenly started to twitch and his green eyes darted around on alert.

"Do ya smell that, too?"

Neither the three guardians nor the small fairy seemed to have noticed that anything was different, so they just looked at each other in confusion.

"No, what is it?" Tooth wanted to know, but she already had a strange feeling in her stomach.

"Not sure, but-" the pooka stopped to get a sniff once more, "I think it's comin' from that wardrobe."

As soon as he had uttered the words he jumped to the other side of the room and opened the wooden door of the piece of furniture. Even though his back was turned at his friends, they could literally see the shiver running down his spine when he stood still as if he was frozen in place.

"Bunny?" the hummingbird-hybrid asked with building up concern in her voice.

Concern which doubled and tripled when he slowly turned around and held up a familiar blue hoodie. It looked like an identical copy of the one Jack was wearing, but instead of the intricate frost pattern this one was covered in dried blood, so dark red it was almost black. Tooth let out a short gasp and put her hands on her mouth in shock while she stared in horror at the bloody fabric.

"Oh my..."

North and Sandy applied their attention back to the half-unconscious winter spirit, wishing they had been there to prevent this all from happening. Baby Tooth yelped when Jack's blue eyes dropped shut and didn't waste a second to ram her beak into his arm again. His body merely jerked, most likely it had gotten used to the random pain or was simply too weakened to further react to it. At least he opened his eyes a little more again, reassuring them that he was still awake. Bunny examined the blood-soaked shirt in his paws and frowned when he discovered a small hole in it, the hint of what kind of injury the young immortal must have sustained. After throwing it carelessly on the floor next to the wardrobe he hurried to the teen's side and carefully took off his hoodie, earning a very startled look from the Tooth Fairy.

"B-Bunny, what are you-" she didn't even have time to blush at the sight of Jack's bare chest as she and everyone else immediately noticed the half-healed stab wound on his left shoulder.

But the injury itself wasn't what made their eyes widen in alarm, it was the spiderweb of black veins surrounding it in a radius of several inches. He would kill Pitch, that thought kept repeating in his head as the Australian rabbit realized what the bastard had done to his friend. His time would come, right now they had to find out how to help their youngest teammember. For that however they needed to know more.

"Mate, what did Pitch do ta ya?" he asked as calmly as he could.

Blue eyes, which appeared so uncharacteristically dull, lazily wandered through the room, not making the impression that he perceived anything of what was going on around him. Bunny leaned forwards and gently grabbed the boy's cheek and turned his face so he was looking straight at him.

"Jack, how did this happen?" the pooka queried and pointed at the dark spot on the pale shoulder.

"Pitch...tried to...to kill Jamie...he...threw a...dagger at him...and I...I...took the blow." the teen whispered weakly and undoubtedly had a hard time even uttering a few words by now.

He wasn't aware of the frowns forming on his comrades' faces and their fists clenching in anger. Bunny shortly glanced at Sandy who formed a nightmare, a dagger and then a question mark over his head, but they all knew the answer already.

"Was the dagger made of nightmare sand?"

Jack nodded faintly and leaned his head back against the pillow when the furry paw eventually let go of him and Tooth spoke out what each of them feared.

"There's nightmare sand inside of him, right?"

It was more a statement than a question and she wished someone would deny it but they had to face the harsh truth. She sent a pleading look at the Sandman and sighed in apprehension when the worry in his eyes was answer enough. Golden images appeared over him and North translated the message just in case the others couldn't follow his drift.

"Dreamsand can only destroy nightmare sand when it's external. Black sand got in Jack's bloodstream and spread though his body. When he's asleep he can't fight it and..." he shot a quizzical glimpse at his ancient friend when he read the next part of his explanation, hoping he had misunderstood something but the little man gave him a sad nod and gestured for him to continue.

"Seems like it corrupted his mind and switched off part of his brain which is responsible for movements. Which means...when he's sleeping he's in a paralyzed state and can't do anything against it."

"Oh no..." Tooth murmured and patted Baby Tooth's tiny head to comfort her since she was as worried as the rest of them.

"Well, but now that we finally know what we're dealin' with there must be a way ta help him! Sandy, ye're the dream-nightmare-whatever-sand expert, do ya have a clue what we're supposed ta do now?" Bunny inquired on edge.

The Sandman stared at the floor and then out of the window, his arms crossed and his expression turning into one of deep concentration while he searched for a solution. It didn't take long until he hit on an idea, but the look in his eyes was anything but promising. As soon as they noticed it they were convinced that whatever lay ahead of them wouldn't be pretty. And they were proved right when they saw the golden images. A miniature of Jack, a scalpel cutting into his shoulder and a gust of sand flowing out of it.

"We...have to cut his wound open? Are you sure that will be enough to get rid of the nightmare sand?" the hummingbird-hybrid asked nervously.

Sandy further explained and showed a miniature version of himself pulling the sand out of dreamsand-Jack's body. Only the Guardian of Dreams himself could remove the cursed black sand. None of them were eager to cause the winter spirit even more pain but it seemed to be the only way out. All of a sudden Baby Tooth's upset squeaks caught their attention and to their shock they had to realize that while they were talking, Jack had succumbed to fatigue and fallen asleep, eyes closed and twitching with brows knit together. He didn't even react to the small sharp beak poking into his hand anymore, which was alarming enough.

"Let's hurry, Jack needs help, now!" North bellowed and shouted for a yeti to immediately bring him a first-aid kit from the infirmary.

Shortly afterwards they were ready. The necessary supplies were put in place and Sandy comfirmed that he was going to take the unpleasant part of opening the wound himself. The males tried to persuade Tooth and her little fairy to leave the room during the procedure but they stubbornly insisted on staying with them. No way they would leave the frost teen's side now when he needed them most. At least he wouldn't feel any physical pain as long as he was stuck in his own mind, though she was incertain about what was better.

The night terror didn't waste any time. The moment he had closed his eyes it was there, looming over him and wrapping its long and thin fingers around his throat. He couldn't breathe, but couldn't die either, doomed to suffocate until the dark entity got bored with torturing him.

Sandy grabbed the freshly polished scalpel from a silver plate on the nightstand and placed it on the teen's shoulder, exactly where the dagger had hit him. Another look was silently exchanged between the guardians before each of them nodded and the blade cut through the pale skin.

A sudden sharp pain, which exceeded the twinge of a tiny fairy's beak by far, shot through his body and ripped the night terror away from him. His back shot up and he screamed in agony as fresh blood started to stream out of the opened wound.

"Quick, pin him down!" North shouted after Jack had pushed the scalpel out of Sandy's hand, forced him to lie back and put his hands on the frail chest to keep him still.

"NO!" he screamed, slashing around himself in a desperate attempt to break free, black eyes wide and terrified.

None of them had a clue where he suddenly took all the strength from. Bunny and Tooth each grabbed one of his legs and arms to keep the panicked teen from struggling so Sandy could follow through with the plan.

Shadows surrounded him once more, firmly grabbing his limbs and pushing him down. There was that dreaded pressure on his chest again, making it hard to breathe. He fought but they were too strong. A strangled cry left his throat when a small hand touched his wounded shoulder. It hurt, it hurt so badly. And he was in mortal fear.

"Is it workin'?" Bunnymund asked eagerly.

Cold blood flowed over the Guardian of Dream's tiny fingers as he concentrated to locate the nightmare sand in the teen's body. Most of it was circulating in his brain, successfully turning his mind into a horrifying mess. He focused on the grains of sand to force them out, but to no avail.

"Sandy, hurry!" North shouted while Jack continued to struggle against his restraints, though completely in vain.

There was only one solution left. And he dearly hoped it would work. Blocking out the scream of pain and fear which echoed through the room when he dug his fingers into the teen's injury he inserted a driblet of dreamsand into his bloodstream and directed it to the whereabouts of the nightmare sand.

The anguish kept increasing, when would this ever end? He was so scared and the pain, the pain refused to leave him. Something was inserted into his shoulder, he couldn't tell what, but it hurt. And yet, it felt warm and magical in a good way. It traveled towards his head and suddenly he noticed something changing inside of him. As weird as it sounded, the fear, it seemed to...dissolve?

Grain by grain the devilish black sand was turned back into golden dreamsand. The guardians heaved an insanely deep sigh of relief when Sandy had finished pulling the flimsy swirl of sand out of Jack's body. It was both hard to believe and disturbing that such a small amount of Pitch's nightmare sand could cause so much damage. They could see the tension and anxiety vanishing from the frost teen's face, just like his black irises changing to blue again. He visibly relaxed before he fell into the peaceful sleep his exhausted mind and body so desperately needed. To make sure he had really removed every last bit of the devilish sand the Guardian of Dreams engulfed the teen with golden dreamsand and smiled with joy when it took the shape of children having a snowball fight.

"Will he be fine?" Tooth asked hopefully and Sandy gave her the thumbs up.

After Jack's wound was cleaned and patched up they had to leave, though very reluctantly, to tend to their duties again while Bunnymund and North agreed to take turns at staying by their young friend's side.

One day later the pooka came back to the workshop to find the old Santa sitting on a chair next to Jack's bed and skimming through a pile of papers, most likely being related to the toy production. He didn't notice the other's presence until the door clicked shut and eventually glanced up at him.

"How's the kid doin'?"

"Still sound asleep, but he moves now and then and Sandy made sure he'll have sweet dreams all the while." North informed his furry friend and as if he wanted to confirm what had been said, Jack rolled from his back to his side to get into a more comfortable position, the relaxed and peaceful look never leaving his face.

"I swear when I'm through with Pitch he'll never be able ta leave the hole he calls lair again." Bunny stated out of the blue, earning him a warm-hearted smirk from the Cossack.

"Jack really has grown on you, hasn't he?"

Instead of denying it or starting an argument, which pretty much was what North expected him to do, the Australian rabbit merely glanced at the sleeping teen in front of them, his expression softening just the tiniest bit.

"Yeah, never thought that would happen. If ya told me that before he was chosen as a guardian I would have thought ya were nuts. He's like the lil' brother I never wanted ta have." Bunnymund admitted and the older man had to chuckle.

"Getting soft, old friend?" he teased, but Bunny simply chuckled.

"As if ya're one ta speak, mate." he teased back good-naturedly. "Ya practically adopted the kid and act like ya were his father. Ya think none of us noticed?"

Big blue eyes stared at him dumbfoundedly. North knew that it was a kind of open secret but no one had ever said it out loud.

"Gotcha." the Guardian of Hope smirked.

Jack's recovery sleep lasted a few days. Each of the guardians as well as Baby Tooth had visited as often as they could to see how their youngest was doing. Their happiness knew no boundaries when those cerulean eyes finally opened, that familiar sparkle shining through them winter spirit had to stoically endure one hug after the other, mainly from Tooth, and once the relief about his well-being had worn off they began to give him a lecture about trust and seeking help when needed.

"Seriously, mate, what made ya think ya couldn't talk ta any of us? I thought we were over this 'I can solve my problems alone' crap." Bunny grumbled and crossed his arms as he waited for a good reply.

Talking about this matter was really the last thing Jack wanted to do right now, but he knew they wouldn't release him before he hadn't given them an explanation.

"I just didn't want you guys to worry, because you definitely would have freaked out if I told you Pitch attacked me, and grounded me for life just to make sure I was safe."

"Yeah, and now ya suffered for almost a whole week, we did worry and freak out anyway and knowing North he'll probably really lock ya in yer room until we're all convinced ya'll come ta us whenever ya're in trouble again. So, I guess yer plan failed."

"Obviously." Jack admitted in defeat and sighed.

"It would have saved you lots of distress, you know." North chimed in. "Next time, though I seriously do hope there won't be 'next time' , you have to tell us about it."

"Please, you have to promise us. We'll always be here when you need us. But you have to realize there are things you can't manage completely on your own." Tooth spoke in a motherly tone.

Sandy and Baby Tooth nodded their heads in agreement and Jack knew they were right.

"Okay, I promise. It's just that I...didn't want to be the cause for your concern again. I really thought I could handle those night terrors myself."

"Apparently not. But honestly, I'm glad ya're alright again, ya gave us quite a scare, Frostbite."

"Sorry, that wasn't my intention, kangaroo." the winter spirit apologized with a smirk.

"I still can't believe Pitch seriously tried to kill Jamie, what was he thinking!? That's a new all-time low, even for him." the Tooth Fairy changed the topic, her ruffled feathers indicating how upset she was about it.

"Yeah, we should teach the bastard a lesson, he can't get away with it." Bunny suggested and already forged out plans how to punish him when Jack suddenly interjected.

"I don't think that's necessary. He's been in a pretty bad shape last time I saw him and I doubt confronting him will have any use. It's not like he'll suddenly realize he went too far."

"Ya sound like ya wanna protect him from our wrath, and that after all he made ya go through. Can't believe ya feel pity for him."

"Because I don't. I'd like to kick his butt but I've already done so...twice. And I guess that's enough for the time being."

"Twice? You only said you fought against him once when he attacked Jamie." North inquired.

"Uhm, yeah, but when the night terrors got worse I...went to Pitch and tried to force him to remove them. I admit that wasn't my brightest idea and it kinda went downhill from there." the frost teen explained sheepishly and rubbed his neck.

"Wait, lemme get this straight. Ya walked into the Boogeyman's lair totally on yer own and demanded help from him?!" Bunny burst out, causing the younger man to wince.

"Like I said, not my brightest idea. I wasn't really in my right mind with the lack of sleep and everything so yeah, it was stupid and reckless, can we call it a day now?" the Guardian of Fun begged.

Groaning in disbelief Bunny buried his face in his paws for a moment before getting a hold of himself and regaining his composure again.

"I badly hope ye clobbered him good." he said matter-of-factly.

A mischievous half-crooked smile formed on Jack's features.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure of that."

Back in the black and grey underground hideout which was his gloomy lair, Pitch groaned as he finally came back to his senses. What in blazes had happened? His head hurt like hell and he had to blink a few times until his eyes adapted to the dim light which was still far too bright for his taste right now. He couldn't remember when he had ever felt so awful before. After trying to get back on his feet and his sore body refusing to let that happen anytime soon the only thing he was able to do was to lean against the cold wall for support, so he would at least not lie on the ground with his face pressed against the grey concrete anymore. He felt like he had been hit by a train. A frosty, cheeky train.


A/N : Hope ya enjoyed this arc! Next oneshot will be something less angsty again. ;)