A/N New Chapter! Hope you enjoy

Disclaimer: I don't Own Rise of the Guardians.

Panic

Jack blinked, once the two Grim Reapers had closed the door to Jane's room and he could no longer hear Sarah his mind cleared. He blinked rapidly as the compulsion wore off. He looked around wildly trying to collect his bearings. His breathing was heavy and erratic as his lungs suddenly felt as though they weren't getting enough air.

Jack was barely aware of Jane beside him, forcing him into a seated position, as she spoke to him. He couldn't make out the words she was saying, his mind too focused on what Sarah had just done.

Eventually, words started penetrating his mind again, and he heard Jane's soothing voice whispering to him.

"She's not here," Jane said while Amelia rubbed his back. "Come on slow your breathing. You can do it, Jack. Breathe in for four, hold for 2 Breathe out for six, come on, it's okay, you can do it."

It was a struggle forcing himself, but eventually, he did as Jane said.

He breathed in for four seconds, held his breath for 2 seconds and then breathed out for 6 seconds. And did it over and over again.

Breath in,

Hold.

Breathe out,

Breath in.

Hold.

Breathe out.

Breath in.

Hold.

Breath out.

And over and over and over he did exactly as Jane said, just following her lead until it was no longer a struggle to breathe again.

After a few moments, he stopped and looked up and was met with Jane's eyes the look so familiar it almost hurt.

Jack was reminded of his little sister and how her face had looked when she'd been stuck on that ice. He wondered if she was happy in her afterlife. If she was enjoying her time with their parents. Did she miss him? Were she and his parents proud of him? Or were they disappointed in how he'd spent his first 300 years? Was his mother who was always so prim and proper disappointed that he'd gotten a girl pregnant out of wedlock? Was dad, who had had to always remind him that there was a time for play and a time for chores, proud of his role as the guardian of fun, or disappointed that he'd spent his entire immortal existence goofing off?

Maybe, now that he was here, he could look for them. Apologize for everything he'd done, and all the wasted opportunities.

Too late he realized that Jane had started speaking again.

"I'm sorry what?" Jack asked.

"Are you better?" Jane repeatedly calmly.

He smiled at her, "Thank you yes. Where did you learn that technique?"

"I'm a reaper," Jane said with a smile. "You quickly learn different ways to calm yourself down,

besides - not every death is peaceful." Jane said, "Especially when the soul I'm collected is a child's, many of them are traumatic and terrifying. So, it's good to have a few good ways to calm someone down before you send them away. And I've had many charges in my 300 + years who did not take kindly to reaper life at first." She said then she stared at him more intently. "Are you ok?"

Jack stared at her. "I'm better." He said.

Jane heard what he wasn't saying, but she nodded. Then she frowned and put touched his hair before her eyes widened. "I think it's time for you to go."

"What? Why?" He touched his hair, but it was too short for him to pull into his eyes.

"You've been here too long." Amelia stepped forward her scythe melted into a handheld mirror and held it to his face, and there he could see his hair had streaks of brown in it. His eyes widened, as he stared at himself in the mirror.

"Don't worry," Jane said as she flipped her hair clip into the air, and it transformed into a scythe. "Sarah will be safe here until he can deal with Krampus for good." She sliced her scythe through the air and a rift appeared before him.

Despite proof that he was transforming into the colonial boy, he'd once been. Despite what he'd just endured from Sarah. He didn't want to go. This was home, this was where he belonged. His family was somewhere around here, he could almost sense it. He wanted to speak to them, the pull from before came to the for front of his mind.

He turned to Jane wildly wanting to explain.

She saw what he wanted to say. "I know." She said. "But trust me, your daughter needs you, now more than ever. You can't stay."

The reminder that he had a daughter helped. The feeling of that pull receded slightly at the reminder that he had unfinished things to attend to on earth.

He nodded once and turned to the rift but before he could go, he stopped and turned again

He looked past Jane to her room, "What about…?"

Jane and Amelia smiled, "We wouldn't be very good, Grim Reapers if we could be manipulated like that. We'll be fine." Jane said then she lowered her voice and whispered as though sharing a secret. "It's why Sarah asked me to teach her."

Jack nodded once turned toward the rift and before he could change his mind he jumped through the rift.

A/N Was I attempting to shove alot into this chapter? Yeah. Did it come together well? I'll let you decide. Hope you liked it, feel free to leave a comment or fave.

The Breathing Technique mentioned is based off of one I found in self care app that I use.