Author's Note: This is a shorter update, but tea time with Pitch got all angsty. Nothing like some angst right before Christmas! :) It didn't start off that way, but oh well. I'll work on a chapter throughout break and post it sometime. Hopefully it won't take too long, but don't be surprised if it's posted after the new year.

Now for reviews..

I had a request to put a Guest's OC into the story. This OC would be a sprite, a helper to Jack or Lillian or any of the Seasonals. The Guest wanted this character to be like a child to Pitch. I think if I did put this character in, it would be a more minor character. The sprite would probably always have been a magical creature, since I would think that Sprites are not chosen like Guardians and wouldn't have died before hand or have been human before. If I had sprites at all in my story, they would be small, more fairy-like and only have powers pertaining to the Season that they help. So no multi-power kid running around. I would probably include this character at some point as Spring Sprite. If this isn't ok with you, then I'll leave it. If it IS however, then I might introduce Sprites at some point later on. We'll see.

PudinFeliz gave me an awesome review that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They also suggested that I do birthdays! I hadn't thought of that, really, other than mentioning something about Lillian's at some point, but that would be fun. I think a surprise party for Pitch is in order at some point. :P Thanks for the idea!

CrossoverJunkie also gave me some more info about Mother Nature, whom I imagine is a young woman by now. I am DEFINITELY including her in the story later on. I have to! She might actually help out the plot a little, when it turns more serious. I can imagine some seasonal sprites turning up, Jack and Lillian being totally clueless about them and then oh, hey! Mother Nature! I can also imagine her coming up with some answers about basically shirking her duties to her Seasonals by declaring that it wasn't time for their meeting yet or some such thing. Plus it would be fun to annoy the Guardians with her.

Anyway, those are reviews done, so on with the story! I'm sorry for the angst!

Chapter Thirty-Four: Tea Time Again

The next week Lillian and Jack faced more of the same torture - er.. exercise routine from Pitch. Pitch didn't want to hear any whining from the spirits and he was grateful for the routine as it made Jack too tired to cause havoc around the lair due to boredom.

He figured that when Jack and Lillian were finally let out of their grounding, that they'd spend a few glorious days outside and he'd have some peace and quiet to himself. However, he knew that came as a double-edged sword, since while they were there, he craved the quiet, but then when he had it he missed the noise.

Right now however, Pitch was enjoying a nice cup of tea while he enjoyed the solitude that came in the mornings before Jack and Lillian were up. He carefully avoided dwelling on a certain Easter or what had happened when he was so out of it. Every time his thoughts drifted in that direction, he felt a horrible, squirming guilt in the pit of his stomach.

As he sipped he enjoyed a nice, leisurely few minutes before Jack wandered in, looking a little sleepy. Jack was rubbing an eye sleepily, with his hair tousled. He was also holding his staff in his other arm, cradling it to himself like a teddy bear.

Jack was dressed, but clearly not quite functioning yet for the day. Nor did it seem like he had woken Lillian up, as Pitch didn't hear her yelling at Jack for one of his rude awakenings.

Pitch watched as Jack wandered over to the table and sat down. Jack stifled a yawn and tried to look more alert when he noticed that Pitch was watching him.

Jack studiously avoided Pitch's assessing gaze and looked down at the table top while Pitch eyed Jack. This was very curious. Jack hadn't done this yet. Perhaps something was bothering the boy?

Pitch shoved down the feeling that this was somehow his fault and abruptly got up from the table. Hurt flashed across Jack's face for a moment, but a moment was all Pitch needed as he soon returned.

Jack blinked when he saw the steaming cup of tea placed in front of himself, with the string of a tea bag dangling over the side.

"You'll need to let it cool, of course," Pitch said as he resumed his seat.

Jack nodded mutely, flushing slightly as he mentally scolded himself for thinking that Pitch had just up and left him there. Of course Pitch wouldn't do that!

..Well.. he had done it before.

But he was different now!

Right?

Jack hugged his staff a little more closely to himself as uncertainty filled his eyes. He couldn't help it, but he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Pitch was being so nice and so were the Guardians.

The Guardians..

He had trusted them, once.

He had trusted Pitch too.

And where had that gotten him?

He bowed his head, so his mop of white hair covered his eyes.

Pitch watched Jack's emotional display with growing frustration. The boy was practically an open book, so of course it was easy for him to see that something was bothering Jack. But the boy just kept sitting there, so very unnaturally silent and still.

Jack Frost did not do still.

"It will help," Pitch said trying to keep his voice calm, "if you talk about it."

Jack didn't move for a very long moment, but he finally took a deep breath and gently set his staff down, so it was leaning against the table. His hands reached out for his mug of tea and fiddled with it gently, careful to avoid touching anything other than the handle for the moment, as it was far too hot for him still.

"..Do.. do you really know what happened on Easter?" Jack asked Pitch softly, still avoiding Pitch's gaze.

Pitch took a long sip of tea and set his mug back down.

"I know what you told the Guardians of it," Pitch said a little stiffly, as he tried his hardest not to think too much about it. "But I have to admit that the finer details are a bit.. hazy."

Jack nodded, looking completely miserable, as if he had expected that answer from Pitch.

"Bunny asked us to help him paint Easter eggs after..." Jack trailed off, blinking suddenly as his eyes looked suspiciously shiny. He cleared his throat and continued on. "We were all exhausted and Lillian looked especially tired. A little girl, Sophie, had snuck into Bunny's Warren, and tired herself out helping to paint the eggs. I offered to take her home and Lillian tagged along."

Pitch nodded, tightening his grip on his mug. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like where this was going.

"Baby Tooth came along as well and we got Sophie all tucked in, but then I heard a voice.. I had to.. to find out what it was. So I took off after it and brought Lillian along with me.. Baby Tooth followed along. They were trying to talk me out of following the voice, but I didn't listen. We found ourselves in your lair.."

Jack trailed off as he gripped his mug handle more tightly. He hadn't noticed, but his mug of tea was no longer steaming as his powers kicked in a bit at his upset.

"..You..." Jack sniffled a bit. "..You were c-cruel. You taunted me, and.. and.. you tricked me. You told me the Guardians wouldn't really.. that they didn't really want me.. In the end you gave me my tooth case and shoved me out of the lair through a shadow. Lillian and Baby Tooth.. they were trapped in your lair."

Pitch closed his eyes in an overwhelming wave of guilt and regret. He could only imagine the Guardians' reactions as Jack returned very late, without little Lillian or that wretched fairy. He remembered seeing the mound of teeth canisters in his lair and realized that the Guardians probably knew exactly where they were. That meant they knew exactly where Jack had been..

Jack grabbed up his staff and hugged it tightly to himself as his bottom lip trembled.

"They.. they didn't even let me explain!" Jack burst out suddenly. "They thought I was h-helping you..! And B-Bunny.."

Pitch gave Jack a sorrowful look.

"..Is known for his temper." he supplied for Jack. "He must have been very harsh."

Tears slid down Jack's cheeks as he nodded.

"..What.." Pitch started, then stopped. Did he really want to know? A tiny part of himself told him that he had to know. No more hiding behind vagueness. He steeled himself for Jack's answer and continued on. "..What happened after that?"

Jack shuddered as the memories flooded in.

"I flew away to where I went b-before I met you and L-Lillian.. To Antarctica. I tried to throw away my tooth case."

"..Your memories.." Pitch breathed in horror.

Jack shook his head, his shoulders drooping in defeat.

"I c-couldn't do it.. And.. and then you came. With Lillian."

Pitch's eyes widened. He came to Jack when he was most vulnerable when he, Pitch, hadn't even been in his right mind. Jack had just admitted that he had been terribly cruel to the boy. What else had he done?

"..She.. she was all dark.." Jack said in a small voice. "..She looked... Evil. She looked like you."

Pitch looked down at his mug, looking as if he had just been slapped.

His Lillian...

"You said that we could be a family again.." Jack continued in his small voice. "You said it would be like it was before."

"..Was it?" Pitch asked in an almost vulnerable tone that he didn't know he possessed.

Jack shook his head.

"You.. you attacked me.. You hurt me and some black sand went inside me. The next thing I remember is waking up on the lake."

"Oh, Jack.." Pitch said, his voice laden with emotion.

Jack sniffled.

"B-but the thing is.. How can I trust them again? I thought they believed in me once, but then.. then.."

Pitch understood what Jack was really asking. He wasn't asking how he could trust the Guardians again. Well, he was, but what he was really asking was how he could also trust Pitch again.

And that hurt.

More than Pitch could imagine.

As if reading Pitch's thoughts, Jack quickly glanced up at him.

"I know you didn't mean it," Jack said quickly. "You changed on the lake too, right? So.. so something must have happened to you, to make you different."

Pitch looked away from Jack's tearstained cheeks and down into his half empty mug of tea.

Memories from very, very long ago threatened to overwhelm him.

He tried very hard not to think about them.

"Daddy! Daddy save me! Daddy, help me!"

Pitch cleared his throat and took another drink of his tea.

"It was a long time ago," Pitch conceded softly.

"So you couldn't help it," Jack said, a little desperately.

Pitch shook his head.

"It doesn't excuse anything that I did. I manipulated you, I hurt you when you were most vulnerable. It's inexcusable."

Jack bit his lip.

"Whatever it is.. How do we know it won't happen again?"

Pitch shook his head again.

"I don't know.." he said heavily with a sigh. "I thought I had it under control, but obviously something happened to make it worse."

Pitch remembered the odd sound of hoof beats he had heard when he first arrived at the lair and frowned.

"But.. we've been here for a good amount of time and nothing has happened, so I suppose that for now, we're alright. As for your question about the Guardians.. That will take time. You need to ask yourself if they're worth it. Do you value their friendship? Would it be worth going through all that hurt again? They obviously regret what they've done, or else they wouldn't be so desperately reaching out to you and Lillian."

Jack nodded and finally took a long drink of his cold tea.


Meanwhile, Lillian wasn't asleep as two certain spirits thought she was. She was laying on her stomach on her bed, with her legs up in the air behind her, crossed at the ankles. She had her notebook open in front of her and was writing down ideas for her book and also on how to approach the other seasonal spirits.

She was actually disappointed that it was Spring now, as it meant that it wasn't Summer anywhere. She also didn't know where August Bay lived, so that meant waiting until it was actually Summer.

She swung her legs back and forth a bit as she thought of a good beginning for her story.


Author's Note: I know, I know. So angsty. But it's also something Jack had to get off his chest. Lillian's just happy that Pitch is back to normal, and she wasn't there for the Guardians' betrayal, so it's not quite the same for her. It'll probably take a long time for Jack to get over his anxieties, so I can imagine that he and Pitch will be drinking a lot of tea in the near future. Next chapter will probably feature the last of the grounding, and the subsequent visit to North's with toy making. I think since you guys didn't object to it, I'll post an interlude on Christmas as I wait for certain family members to get up (I always wake up at the crack of dawn). You get points if you can guess what it is! HINT: It involves North.

Anyway, I welcome your suggestions/whatever and thank you to all the follows, faves and reviews!

Edit: The italics where Pitch is trying hard not to think about things, that have the voice calling out for "daddy" are actually Pitch's daughter (or he thought it was at the time). Google Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians and it should have some info about Pitch's past. CrossoverJunkie posted some in his reviews if you want to look it up there too. It's from the books and I know I said I was just going to do movie-verse, but darn it.. I.. I.. dunno! It snuck up on me! Plus Pitch needs backstory and that works. So I'm kinda meshing the movie-verse and book-verse a bit.. Just a bit though, since I haven't actually read the books. So if everyone is Ooc, then.. then I'm sorry. I'm doing exactly the sort I thing I hate. Oh well.. Sorry for the rant. :)