Ok so here is a new chapter. We get to learn about the 'thinking' yay!

To be true this was one of the hardest chapter things to write for me. Oh well I got it done. Tell me what you think.

Thank you you wonderful people for reviewing, following, and favoriting.

I don't own ROTG

Anyway onto the thingy!

The Guardians were all gathered at the North Pole for their monthly meeting. That is all the Guardians except Jack. North had sent out the Northern lights almost an hour ago and Jack was still not here. The four Guardians were all feeling the same emotions if some not a little stronger than others. They felt worry; was their young Guardians hurt or in trouble? But they also felt irritation; Was Jack just wasting their time for a snowball fight? Just as North was about to suggest looking for the winter spirit, the cold wind swept in through the window, it was left open for Jack, and in flew the said spirit.

Jack flew in silently with soft, barely audible hey. There was something in his voice that sounded pained. But that wasn't all. The boy had his hood drawn up, face shadowed. One hand was hidden in his hoody pocket, while the other was gripped his staff tightly. In fact it almost looked as though he was using his staff to support his weight. The arm with the hand in the hoody pocket was being pressed close to his side as if he had to put pressure on something and/or to conceal something.

"Jack! Where have you been?" North asked.

"Sorry something…..came up." Jack answered softly again with something of pain in his voice. He went to go sit next to Bunny, but as he moved, he had picked up his staff and it looked like he was going to collapse any second. Jack made it to the seat and gasped as he sat down, then began to take deep and shaky breaths.

"Are you alright Sweet-Tooth?" Tooth asked

"I'm fine….let's just start the…meeting. I've kept you waiting long enough, right Bunny?" Jack said turning his hidden face slightly towards the Easter spirit. Bunny couldn't understand why, but there was a smell coming off of the boy, it was the smell of…no it can't be, right?

North took one more glace at Jack, then began the meeting. Everything seemed fine but they did notice a change in Jack. When Sandy told about his job through a game of charades, Jack didn't participate. In fact he only really spoke when it was his turn, and even then it was short and vague. But they finally brought up his odd behavior when everyone, except for Jack, laughed at a joke North had made.

"Alright Frostbite what's going on?" Bunny asked as he leaned forward trying to see his face under the hood.

"Nothing." Jack mumbled.

"Jack can you please pull your hood down?" North asked.

"I'd rather not." Jack replied.

Sandy formed a question mark above his head.

"Because I don't want to." Jack snapped.

"Why not Sweet-Tooth? Don't you trust us? Why can't you tell us what's wrong?" Tooth asked.

Jack faltered, "N-No I just feel more comfortable with it on right now." He shifted nervously but ended up hissing in pain.

"Jack!" North and Tooth cried.

"That's it Frostbite." Bunny growled and reached for the hood.

"NO!" Jack screamed trying to get away, but he wasn't fast enough. Bunny grabbed the hood and pulled it down, the others gasping in shock at the sight.

Jack's white hair was stained red from a head injury. He had a split lip, a black eye, and cuts covered his face. There were burn marks on his neck in the form of had prints, like he was choked. Jack flung himself from the seat and fell to the ground, biting his lip to hold back a cry of pain. Now they could see more. His left hand, which had been in the pocket, looked mangled and the side that had been blocked was a crimson color, almost covering his entire side in the color.

All the Guardians could do was stare. Then North broke the silence, "Jack what happened?"

"It's nothing." Jack said backing away from North as he stepped closer, "Look I'm fine. I don't need your help. I'm just going to go and get out of your hair. Besides I can heal up just fine. In fact I would be already but I didn't want to miss a meeting." Jack had on a forced, pain filled smile.

Jack then began struggling to stand up, but succeeded and once again used his staff to support his weight. Jack began to slowly walk to the window, but Sandy saw what he was trying to do and used a whip to take the spirit's staff so he didn't fly off.

As his staff was ripped from his grip, Jack lost his balance on his weak knees and began to fall towards the ground. He would've hit it if North had not caught him. The older Guardian then picked to boy up into his arms, one arm under his knees and the other behind his back. Jack began to struggle but it was very weak.

"North put me down. I'm fine. North!" North looked down at the spirit and shook his head.

"You are not fine Jack. You are injured and need help." And then North headed towards the medical bay, the other Guardians following behind. Jack continued to struggle and whine, though it grew weaker by the second. Soon it just stopped. All the Guardians looked to Jack who was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, his icy eyes dull and eye-lids flickering.

"Hey Frostbite! You have to stay awake for us!" Bunny shouted, hoping to keep the boy awake. There was an obvious wound on his head from the way his hair was colored. Bunny was worried he had a concussion. Though the shouting proved futile and Jack's eyes slid shut, his head rolling onto North's shoulder.

"Come we must hurry." North said as he walked fast to the medical bay but was careful not to jostle the unconscious spirit in his arms.

They reached the medical bay and North put Jack on one of the beds. Bunny and Tooth were trying to wake up Jack, which still proved futile, while North and Sandy looked over the boy. The crimson spot on Jack's side had grew, but thankfully not by much.

Sandy shooed Bunny and Tooth away from Jack's head as North slipped off the hoody. What they saw made them gasp.

Jack's torso was covered in scars. Any type you could find on there. But what had drawn their attention what his arms. There was scars on his wrists that traveled up his arms. Where the ones on the torso looked randomly placed and caused by random things, these looked like they were self-inflicted. Sandy was the first to snap out of the shock. His moving to inspect the boy's wounded side snapped the others out of their shock. They set to work in helping their youngest member, but they were not going to leave the subject of the scars untouched.

When Jack opened his eyes, he was met with a blinding light. He moaned and shifted a little. When he moved he felt pain and he quickly pit his lip. He opened his eyes again this time without any blinding pain, and looked down at his torso. His bare stomach was wrapped as well as his chest. He sighed as he remembered what happened and figured the others must have taken care of him, even if he didn't approve.

Jack was about to relax when he realized something. His bare chest!? They took off his hoody?! He shot up and looked around the room. It was empty of other beings but his staff as in the far corner. He shook his head rapidly. No, they weren't supposed to see his scars! And there was no way he could pass them off as new scars.

Jack was suddenly aware of a searing pain in his side and chest. He couldn't help the small cry that came from the pain. No sooner as he laid down again did the door swing open, and Jack quickly covered himself with the covers of the bed

"JACK!" North boomed, "How are you feeling?"

"Um…ok I guess." Jack mumbled.

"Are you in any pain Sweet-Tooth?" Tooth asked flying up to Jack.

"I'm fine Tooth." Jack said, "Er…what happened?"

"Well after you passed out Frostbite, we fixed you up. A nice gash in your side that needed stitches, a cracked rib, a few burn marks like the ones on your neck, and a scratch to your head. That's not counting all the other small scratches." Bunny explained

"What happened?" Sandy signed.

"Not much just got in a fight with a few summer and spring sprites." Jack said looking down at the bed

"Oh right I forgot to mention something we found, Frostbite." Bunny said. He was going straight to the point, "We found that you're covered in scars."

Jack tensed. He did NOT want to talk about this. Jack responded with a nervous laugh, "Is that so?"

"Yeah mate, so where'd you get all those scars?" Bunny pushed on.

"I-I have no idea." Jack said, keeping his head down.

"Come on Frostbite. We all know that's not true." Bunny was not letting Jack out of this. The winter spirit did not respond.

"Jack please tell us where they came from. We just want to help." Tooth begged. Sandy, North, and Bunny all nodded in agreement.

"Well most are from fights, wars, etc." Jack explained.

"And the others?" Bunny asked. Jack didn't answer.

"Jack please tell us." North said to the boy.

Jack shook his head, "I don't need to."

"Why is that Sweet-Tooth?" Tooth asked gently. Jack looked around the room, his eyes landing on Sandy whose eyes were wide in realization. Jack gave a sad smile and a hollow laugh, "Because Sandy's already figure it out."

The others turned to Sandy silently asking for an explanation. Sandy formed one simple above his head that everyone understood.

"thinking,"

They all turned back to Jack who had a sad smile on his face as he looked down.

"Jack does that mean-" North said.

"For 300 years! Oh Sweet-Tooth!" Tooth said interrupting North.

"It's not like I did it all the time." Jack said with a shrug, "I just did it when I wanted to be numb or if I was too close to becoming Jokul again I would distract myself."

"Jack when was the last time you did this?" Bunny asked.

"Was it recently?" Sandy asked. Jack bit his lip and shook his head.

"Please tell us Sweet-Tooth." Tooth said.

Jack looked at them, "You promise you won't blame yourselves."

"We make no promises, mate." Bunny said.

Jack sighed, but nodded in understanding. He probably wouldn't be any better. Jack looked at Sandy, "Do you promise to keep your temper."

Sandy crossed his heart.

Jack sighed, there wasn't a smile on his face anymore. "I last 'thought' on…Easter." He mumbled the last part so low that even Bunny couldn't hear it.

"Sorry Frostbite but can you say that a bit louder." Bunny said.

"I said it happened on Easter after you sent me away!" Jack said as he squeezed his eyes closed and clutched the sheets.

The others gasped and Sandy had to restrain himself from lashing out at the other three.

"Jack we're-" Jack cut Tooth off.

"Don't Tooth. That was in the past and I've forgiven you all already. Besides I haven't done it since so it's fine." Jack said as if everything was perfectly fine.

The older Guardians already knew that Jack had forgiven them, but discovering they had caused their youngest member to harm himself. The guilt just kept growing. They were going to try so hard to make it up to him.

"That is good. And Jack you can always come to us for help. We'll always be there for you." North said.

Jack nodded but then yawned and laid back down. Ready to go back to sleep. Sandy smiled and sprinkled dream sand on the boy. They all watched as the dream formed to into them as a family.

Sandy then turned to the others and glared. Yeah he promised Jack he wouldn't lose his temper. But he meant when Jack was aware of it. He rapped a whip around each of the three and pulled them out of the room and far from it.

The next morning the others visited Jack. Bunny, Tooth, and North all sporting bruises while Sandy just grinned. Jack laughed at them all and the others felt relief. After Jack ate the food he was brought, he wanted to get up and move around. It was obvious the wound on his side still bothered him so to keep him from moving Sandy put him to sleep. The others smiled and went to the globe room. Before Tooth, Sandy, and Bunny left the four of them looked at the globe.

The only light in the North Pole grew brighter and flickered less.

So that was that. Still so far my hardest one to write.

So feel free to review, comment, suggest, flame, ask questions, etc.

Until next time! :D