"Phew... okay, we need to change you first. Boy, when you make a stinky you sure make a stinky!" Roxas giggled at Jamie's face and Jamie set to changing him before carrying him off to the infirmary to see Jack. Jack woke instantly, yelling out from the nightmare; he looked around worriedly as he panted.

"Was that a dream?" He asked an empty room, just about that time Jamie walked in with Roxas.

"Look at that, seems he's awake."

"Dada! Dada!" Jack smiled.

"Roxas, how are you sweetheart?" Jack found he couldn't move his limbs, paralyzed from the waist down temporarily from the fight against the bond; he still wanted to hug his baby though. Jamie walked over to Jack and sat on the edge, setting Roxas in Jack's lap. Roxas looked up at Jack with a grin.

"I fwew 'ester'ay dada." Jack smiled before he replied.

"I know, daddy felt sick." He nuzzled against Roxas as tears started to form in his eyes.

"It... it wasn't good."

"Don't cwy dada." Jack wanted to pet the boy's hair and tell him that he was okay but the truth was that he never would be, at least he was certain he wouldn't be now that the truth was out. Now that Jamie knew what he really was. Jack nuzzled the boy.

"It's okay. Daddy's okay. Just don't worry about me okay?" Jamie wasn't sure who Jack was trying to convince, himself or the boy. Tooth fluttered in to check up on Jack; she smiled when she saw he was awake.

"Hey Jack." Jamie looked over at her.

"Hey Tooth, would you mind watching Roxas for a while?" Jamie had a feeling he really needed to speak to Jack alone.

"Not at all." She picked the boy up and fluttered out the door, meeting Baby Tooth in the hallway, who chirped at the boy who giggled at the little fairy. Jamie waited until he was sure that they were gone before he slipped his arms around Jack, not saying a word as he rested his head against Jack's shoulder. He wasn't sure what hurt most at that moment, what he sensed from Jack or the night before... or the hurt from being lied to that was still raw. His hold on Jack tightened a little, though it was still gentle. Jack winced a little.

"J-jamie." He didn't want to spoil the moment, but the fact that he'd lied to Jamie about his entire life made him want to cry.

"Hmmm?" It was all he said.

"I-i..." He closed his mouth again, steadying himself before going on.

"I was created b-by not just the moon... Malfor scouted out to find a way to destroy the Guardians, Manny's creation." He was a spirit, claimed by the moon to be a Guardian, but created by Malfor to do battle with the Guardians.

"That it?" Jamie asked after a moment. Jack nodded.

"I was created, Jamie, t-to cause destruction. I'm no Guardian, I'm a monster;" Tears fell.

"And... I lied to you about it. I should have told you b-but I didn't. Do you remember when all the Guardians turned against me?" How could he forget? Jamie had known something was wrong when the Guardians had suddenly turned on their comrade without there being any reason at all...

"That wasn't Jakoul. That was Malfor punishing me!" He snapped out, tears falling faster. Jamie shifted to wipe the tears away.

"You're not a monster. We could have helped you sooner. Why didn't you say anything?"

"B-because of my mission; if I didn't obey he would kill you." Jack replied, shaking as he remembered the order.

"You don't do it I'll kill your precious Jamie, Jack, now DO AS I ASKED!" Jack shook.

"I set up the attacks... Malfor let out your darkness as well as my own to its full potential."

"Didn't have much faith then, did you?" Jamie asked gently, but he wasn't mad about it. Jack squinted as memory after memory came.

"Death was a friend of Malfor's. He was trying to make you lose faith so Death could turn me into the perfect soldier for him, but as you can see that didn't work." Jack sniffed.

"It was all a trap, tricks... I... I... I'm a monster; I made you lose the trust we had in each other and threw it back in your face." He said, about to burst into tears; Jamie sighed softly.

"I won't deny you did that, trust is a fragile thing; it's hard to rebuild after it's been broken..." He trailed off, his eyes meeting Jack's.

"But I love you enough to want to try. You're not a monster Jack, you never have been; that much I know for certain."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T I FIGHT HIM WHEN IT STARTED, JAMIE, WHY!?" Jack cried, snapping as he clenched his fists so tight that he drew blood.

"Maybe because you didn't know then that you could, or perhaps you didn't think it was possible or ever thought of it because the control was stronger." He replied gently, his soft gaze never leaving Jack; his embrace just as gentle as before. Jack panted a little.

"B-but I could have stopped myself... what is wrong with me? Ever since Manny and the Guardians... you, especially you, managed to free me enough to fight Malfor and now look at me. I'm a mess."

"Nothing is wrong with you. We all need help sometimes. There wasn't any way I could have helped you on my own... so I asked the Guardians to help me and they did. You're no more of a mess than you were two days ago. I can promise you that." Jack whined.

"But I..." He trailed off, deciding to stay silent now as he realized it was useless. He calmed down and fell into the darkness of sleep. Jamie spent the rest of the day with Jack, curled up at his side as he had always done since he was just an innocent human boy who had dared to believe. Jack woke an hour later from hunger pains as as he hadn't eaten in a week. Jamie made sure that Jack ate when a yeti came in with food; insisting on feeding Jack himself and taking bites of various things himself every now and then too. Jack whined when it came down to the medicine filled food.

"No please, I'm full, no more." He whined, still feeling undeserving of food or medicine... he didn't even want the medicine. Jamie ignored the whining and insisted patiently that Jack eat the last of the medicine ones.

"No, no more." Jack whined.

"This is the last one." Jamie insists.

"No."

"Come on Jack." Jamie said gently and the next time Jack opened his mouth he popped the small piece of cheese in and kissed him to keep Jack from spitting it out. Jack whimpered but swallowed the piece of cheese. Jamie deepened the kiss, if only because he could before he pulls back. Jack giggled, dazed.

"Wow." Jamie smiled a little before stretching out next to Jack. The peace they enjoyed was broken by Roxas' crying and sudden scream of pain. Jack bolted up right.

"Roxas! Sweetheart!" Jack instantly was up and went to find his child with Jamie seconds behind him; wondering what on Earth could have happened in such a short amount of time. Roxas was in a toy room covered in tools and his leg was bleeding from a cut.

"ROXAS!" Jack removes the boy from the tools while Jamie ices the wound he finds, numbing it and Roxas' crying began to subside as he clung to Jack who patted his head.

"It's okay baby." Roxas hiccuped now, his tears ceasing to fall; Jamie wondered how this happened. He gently prodded Jack back to the room with Roxas. He was going to have some words with Tooth later on... Jack hugged his little boy close, hushing him and rocking him.

"I know it hurts. Where's Tooth damn it." He growled the last part, angry that his son was hurt because of her inability to watch a child.

"Stay here. I'm going to find 'Auntie Tooth' and figure this mess out." Jamie said evenly so not to upset Roxas but the look in his eyes says there's gonna be hell to pay when he finds her. He walked out of the room to find said fairy. Jack was furious, even more so than Jamie; hot anger spiked through the bond though not to Roxas least the boy got the wrong idea. Jack rocked and hushed him.

"Here, how about you lay here with daddy and I tell you a story, hmm?" He said as he lay on the bed, hoping that it would mean the boy would go to sleep and feel better.

"Ohtay." Roxas replied. When Jamie did find Tooth he found the others as well, all searching a room full of toys frantically.

"Looking for something?" Jamie asked, his tone cold as his gaze took in the Guardians who froze at the words, all of them looking guilty. Had it been Jack, they'd have been dead just from his glare; as it was they were lucky, but Jamie wasn't any less upset with them.

Tell Tooth she's not allowed to watch him anymore; especially not North either, only Sandy can watch him. Jack says over the bond.

"Alright, Jack is just about as pissed as I am. What the hell happened... someone better start talking and FAST." When they all opened their mouths Jamie held up a hand.

"ONE at a time." Back in the room, Jack hummed a song as he fell asleep; Roxas cuddled into his neck. Jamie listened patiently as North explained that he'd found Tooth reading a story to the boy and he'd looked bored so he and Bunny had said they'd play with him too. It had ended up in a game of hide and seek and that despite asking the child to stay within the room he apparently hadn't done so when it was his turn to hide. Jamie rubbed his eyes with one hand.

"Roxas is far too young for hide and seek. He's smart, yes, but he doesn't have a great enough attention span yet for a game like that. Tooth, you're not allowed to watch him anymore.. not for a while I think. Jack is... saying he's ticked is being nice about it. He's only trusting Sandy to watch him at this point."

"Now wait a tic... how is that fair to US?!"

"Can it furball, you'd be dead meat if it was Jack handling this instead of me so stuff it."

"I know accidents happen but Jack doesn't take these things well. He didn't even like it when I was younger and got a paper cut that was my own fault. That was years ago. He's going to be that much more protective of Roxas. Next time I ask one of you to watch him keep within the bounds of what you've seen US do with him. Got it?" The four nodded mutely and Jamie left them to clean up the mess they'd made looking for the boy without a word; heading back to Jack with a massive headache. When he got back he found the two asleep with discarded books nearby. He couldn't help but smile at the scene that greeted him; he moved the books out of the way and draped a blanket over the two of them before he settled in the bed nearby.

"I'm gonna kill you rabbit..." Jack mutters in his sleep. Jamie winces a little at that; he'd gotten the idea it would be a very long while before Jack got over what had happened and forgave the Guardians for the mishap. Roxas stirs a little.

"Sweep sweep dada." Jamie gently picks him up from Jack and changes him then tries to feed him.

"Papa, I tired no hungry." He murmured.

"I know, but you need to eat at least a little." Jamie said, coaxing the boy to eat a little before putting the leftovers in the fridge for later. He took the boy back to the room then and settled in the rocking chair; he gently rocked with the boy as he quietly told him a story to help put him to sleep again. Roxas fell asleep faster than expected; Jamie smiled a little as he continued to rock until he fell into a light doze himself, listening for the slightest sounds from the boy in his arms. Jack woke up tired, but Jamie and Roxas continue to doze. Jack shuddered, his body hurt a lot; for a moment Jamie and Roxas make an adorable picture but Jack's whimper disturbed his sleep and Jamie opened his eyes with a yawn. Jack held his stomach, he was hungry but in too much pain to do anything about it. Blinking away the sleep, Jamie sensed both the pain and hunger along the bond; he carefully shifted, so not to wake Roxas, and lay the boy on the bed next to Jack, who'd managed to get up from the chair and make it there. He then left the room, when he came back he had some things to eat, including things that had medicine in them to ease the pain as soon as Jack ate them. Jack shook his head when he saw this.

"Please, no food." He was shaking now, trying to calm himself down but failing.

"Shhh, don't be loud. You need to eat. It will help with both I promise." Jamie said softly, starting with a bit of cheese that was laced with the medicine. Jack shook his head again.

"It hurts too much." He whimpered softly, so not to wake Roxas.

"I know love, but I promise this first one will help with the pain." He said softly. Jack whimpered more quietly, but he swallowed the cheese; it took all his will not to spit it out. Jamie waited patiently until the medicine started kicking in and soothing Jack's pain before he offered more to eat. Jack winced after a few bites.

"No more." He turned his head away so he wouldn't see it and throw up what he had just ate.

"Alright." Jamie set it aside before settling on the other side of Jack on the bed. Jack winced.

"Stupid bond, stupid pain." Jamie didn't comment as he slipped an arm gently around Jack who sighed.

"Jamie, Malfor won't give up; you know that right? He'll send others for me." He said, tears starting to fall.

"I'd be disappointed if he didn't. I don't care how many that monster sends, I will send them packing... one at a time or by the hordes. It doesn't matter." Jack sighed.

"Please just don't, Jamie, I'll figure something out myself."

"Well too bad, 'cause I'm not aiming to let Roxas be without both his dads." Jack sighed again.

"Please, Jamie." He looked at Jamie with pleading eyes.

"I'm not going to make a promise I'll break." Jamie replied quietly. Jack shook his head; he knew he was free of Malfor's influence, even if he was his creation. He was always rebellious to his orders, he remembered his birth as a spirit... after he'd drowned as a human Malfor knew it was the perfect time to bring out the darkness in him. At the same time Manny had chosen him at the near exact same time to be a Guardian. Jamie had to wonder, after all they'd been through... why would Jack ever expect less? It might not be in Jack's nature, but it was in Jamie's. He was going to protect Jack if he could, come hell or high water... and they'd already been through hell hadn't they? Granted he hadn't been able to do anything useful then... He shook away the thoughts. He had nearly given up everything then. Jack winced as it was about time for him to take a pill for his pain; Jamie was aware of it, but said nothing for the time being. Jack whimpered.

"Fuck, I hate this. I hate this to hell... how long did Sandy say until I'd be all healed?"

"He didn't exactly. He only gave a range."

"And what was that fucking range?" He said angrily but winced when he noticed Roxas stirring.

"Oops." He said quieter. Jamie glanced over at the boy, waiting until he settled down again before he answered.

"Months to years." Jack nearly choked on his own saliva.

"D-d-did you say y-y-years?" He wanted to die right on the spot.

"Oh God, please no..." Jamie sighs softly but nods. Jack whimpered, wanting to scream or something at the fact that he'd be stuck in this pain for years, but he didn't want to wake or worry Roxas. Jamie hugged Jack gently; he'd purposely said nothing to the winter spirit before about what Sandy had told him because he knew Jack wouldn't take it well, but he wasn't going to outright lie either. Jack fell asleep around the same time that Roxas woke from his nap. The boy giggled and hopped onto Jack.

"Wake up dada! WAKE up!" He said, peeling one eyelid open.

"Uhhh..." Jack rolled over, almost taking Roxas with him but Jamie scooped the boy up before Jack could roll over on him.

"Not now lightning bug, your father needs his rest. He's healing from a hurt okay?" Jamie said quietly as he took the boy into a different room to play with some plush blocks while Jack got some sleep. Roxas instead wiggled out of his arms and landed on a tray a passing yeti was carrying that had cookies and other sweets. The yeti lowered it and shooed him off, not having time for this. The boy ran back towards the room Jack was sleeping in.

"DADA! DADA HURTY! NOOOO!" Jamie scooped Roxas up again before he could reach the room.

"That's why he needs sleep Roxas. Let him sleep okay? He'll be better soon, promise. It's not serious." It was though, but Jamie wasn't about to tell their son that. Roxas struggled stubbornly, starting to cry.

"DADA!"

"Shhh, it's okay. I promise he'll be better when he wakes up. Kind of like when you got hurt okay?" Jamie tried to reassure the child as he carried him back to the other room. Jack groaned in his sleep.

"No, stop Malfor... I can't... I won't!" He tossed and turned in the grip of the nightmarish memory dream. Roxas, meanwhile, whimpered.

"But papa..." He folded his arms, upset.

"No buts, that's just how things are." Jack, meanwhile, struggled against the invisible being from his dream.

"STOP! STOP!" He woke, crying out in pain; he gasped, looking every which way.

"J-just a dream." He repeated to himself over and over again. Jamie sent reassurance over the bond to both Jack and Roxas as he tried to distract the boy in the other room. Roxas stamped his foot.

"No, I want Dada!" He screamed before running off.

"I WANT DADA!" He cried and ran straight to Jack who was standing shakily in the doorway of his room, Jamie had given chase of the little boy; Jack's eyes were glazed over.

"I have to get out of here." Jamie picked Roxas up again, frowning at Jack.

"You need more rest." He turned a stern glance to Roxas.

"YOU need to listen young man." He gently swatted the boy, only hard enough to surprise him rather than to really hurt as he carried him back to the other room. Jack followed Jamie in a daze.

"I can't sleep no more, no more..." He began talking in a foreign language, his native tongue, for a brief moment; then he switched back to English.

"DADA BED!" Roxas squeaked in protest. He pointed but Jack didn't go back to bed. Jamie sighed and set Roxas down to steer Jack back to the bed with a gentle, but firm hand.

"Stay, Jack." Jack just kept talking, back in his native tongue; it was then that Jamie realized he was sleepwalking. That was new. Jamie had never known Jack to sleepwalk... though he had always talked in his sleep every once in a while... that wasn't new. Jack returned to sleep normally when he laid down. Jamie tucked Jack in before going back into the other room to read Roxas one of his favorite stories. Roxas listened to the story until he started to drift off to sleep; Jamie picked him up then and tucked him into his bed as he quietly continued with the story; it was one he knew by heart... it was the story of how the Guardians had beaten Pitch and how he and Jack had first met. It seemed like forever ago and at the same time, like yesterday. He didn't care what came in the future, he would always look on that night fondly. Jack tossed and turned in his sleep.

"GO AWAY CHARLIE! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" He shouted, a child with black goop flowing from his eyes, pupils blood red, flew out of his head much like a ghost; Jack growled.

"I'm not coming back Charlie, so tell Malfor he can go fuck himself!" The other replied with a hollow voice.

"Fffine bbbut I don't thiiink heee'll liiike itttt." The other spirit disappeared in black embers. Roxas turned in his sleep as Jamie left the room.

"Leave daddy alone!" He mumbled in his sleep, glowing softly. Jack gasped as a light suddenly entered his body.

"Roxas!" He gasped out as another spirit was forced out of Jack; she was skinny as a twig, her eyes black as coal; she looked a little like a character from the Mortal Combat video game except that her weapon, swords, were in her body.

"Kitana." Jack growled, but before she could say anything she screamed in pain as Roxas' light burst from Jack and destroyed her physical form for the time being. Jack panted, he was in a lot of pain still. Jamie didn't say anything as he settled near Jack. There's no point in him saying anything at this time and he still was unsure about their relationship as it stood. It's an odd thing, he thought, loving a person you realize you really don't know. Jack had explained but all it meant to him was that nothing was as it had seemed since that night. What else had he not been told? He didn't press but the questions were there as much as the one question he had fought for months to answer for himself when he'd discovered everything he had known was a lie. Jack turned away from Jamie, tears streaming down; Roxas was asleep between the two of them but Jack's shivering was making him stir. Jack tried to move up so not to disturb him but the boy clung to him like sticky caramel. Jamie shifted and gently embraced Jack; no matter what, he would always love and support him. Jack shivered again.

"Jamie." He said quietly.

"You'll always love me, right?" He asked, tears falling.

"Always. I'm with you to the end." Jamie replied quietly so that the boy, who shifted again to curl up into a ball between them, could sleep.

"Would you still love me even if I was a horrifying demon?" The tears fell faster. Jamie gently turned Jack to him and wiped away the tears.

"Even then." He said gently; he didn't wonder why Jack was asking, simply offering the reassurances and love along the bond that he knew Jack needed.

"You are everything to me." Jack sniffed.

"Okay." He started to glow a deep crimson, black, leathery bat wings erupted from his back; gray, curved horns that looked to be powdered white grew from his head. Jack's eyes retained their color, but they became slited like a cat's; he gained fangs in his mouth and his fingernails became claws. His hoodie didn't change, but there was the scent of brimstone, ash and death that clung to it and his pants were more torn and bloodstained. Like his hands, his feet had claws instead of nails. When the light died down, Jamie took it all in without a word; Jack's voice was the same, when he spoke, except that it had a touch of a hypnotic edge to it.

"So. You still love me... right?" He asked, waiting for Jamie to scream; to call him a demon just as anyone else would. Jamie wasn't as surprised by the transformation, however, as he thought he should be; it explained the questions though. He met the slited eyes with something of curiosity; this was new to him, sure, but why would it be a bigger surprise than anything else? Maybe if it had been anyone but Jack... if they hadn't been through so much... maybe he would have reacted like any normal, rational being and probably screamed out of shock... if not terror or fear on some level, but Jamie didn't feel terror or fear.

"Jack... love... I can't imagine how hard this had to be." He said after a moment; he really couldn't because he didn't have anything he knew about himself that he hadn't told Jack at some point.

"It doesn't matter what you look like, it's what's inside that I love." He murmured before he gently kissed Jack, as if to prove he meant his words. Jack smiled when the kiss ended, flashing his fangs.

"Jamie, you know what this means for Roxas don't you?"

"If you mean he's part demon thing, then yes. Though to what extent remains to be seen." Jamie was quiet a moment in thought.

"Does anyone else know?" Jack winced.

"Sandy, yes; the others, no." He said with a clipped tone. He pulled at his hair, his claws becoming entangled in the silky threads.

"I meant to tell you sooner, but I didn't know what you'd think of me; also, you were my first ever believer... I didn't want you to fear me." Jack said the last part with a whimper. Jamie gently untangled Jack's claws from his hair.

"I can't say if I would have then or not, but I highly doubt it. Anyway that isn't here or now. I'm not scared of you in any sense of the word." He threaded his fingers through Jack's once he'd finished untangling the claws, lightly squeezing. Jack smiled at that.

"I knew eventually my form wouldn't and couldn't be contained for long."

"Depends on your definition of 'long' in this case. Considering you've managed to keep it from the other Guardians and most everyone... I'd say long is relative." Jack sighed.

"I'm just worried for Roxas mostly because his first transformation will happen when he's about five months old." Jack scratched his neck.

"He's already four months, Jamie, four months!" He almost shouted, the only reason he didn't was because he remembered Roxas was still sleeping soundly nearby on the bed. He looked at the boy, mostly worried about how he would feel about all of this.

"Will he be scared? Will he be scared of me? Of himself?" Tears fell down his face like amber liquid.

"Calm down Jack, I think as long as we're both with him when the time comes he'll be okay. He's a smart boy, I doubt he's going to be scared of his own father. Especially if we explain to him that what is happening is normal for him. He might be startled with the changes, but I don't think he's going to be scared really." Jack groaned.

"I lied to him though Jamie. God damn it I lied to YOU!" He clenched his fist until it was white and blood seeped through his fingers from his claws.

"I lied to him about his true self, his existence... My own. God I'm such an idiot." He sat up, his wings flapped anxiously and furiously in his upset state as he moved from the bed altogether so not to wake the boy. Jamie followed and gently put his hand on Jack's shoulders, gently shaking him a little.

"You haven't lied to him. Not telling him something because he's not old enough for it yet isn't a lie. He's still just a baby, there's a LOT of things he doesn't know about yet but that doesn't mean that you or I have lied to him. Now calm down before you accidentally wake him up. He's sensitive to your moods."