Hiya guys! No, I'm not dead; sorry for the ridiculously slow update, but my poor computer barely escaped my crazy family with his life...:) I just wanted to thank you all for all the nice reviews, and the favorites, and the follows. Man, you guys are the greatest!

Anyways, I won't keep you any longer. Here's your disclaimer (honestly, I hate writing these things. So awkward...:D) I do not own Rise of the Guardians (Dreamworks and William Joyce)

Oh, and Megadracosaurus: Jack does get a polar bear! *squeal!* Only one, though. :'( But, I think you're gonna like him! :)

Chapter 2: Nightmares Come to Play

"Are you sure zat you vill be okay, Jackie?" fussed North, his large hands fluttering over the winter spirit.

"North, you know I'll be fine." She grinned and held up the writhing white fur ball that lay in her arms. "After all, who's gonna come after me when I've got Tiberius here?"

"He's so adorable!" cooed Tooth, buzzing over to give the baby polar bear a scratch under the chin.

The cub, however, had different ideas. He buried his face against Jack's cool shoulder with a small grunt, pressing his chilly nose against the wool of her hoodie.

Jack gently stroked the bears ears as she said apologetically, "He's still a little shy. We're gonna have to work on that."

"Do you have enough warm clothing?" signed Sandy with his cheeky, trademark grin.

The girl rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sandy. Plenty. Promise, guys, I'll be fine."

"We'll come visit as soon as you're settled in, honey." Tooth twittered between directing her fairies.

Jack nodded. "Mmmkay. See ya later, guys!" With that, the wind snatched her, and Tiberius, from the small balcony outside of North's work room. The three disappeared in a flurry of white flakes.

Bunny nibbled on his lower lip as he watched Jack vanish into the clear blue sky. "I'm worried 'bout 'er, North."

The Russian glanced at the Pooka in surprise. Of all the Guardians, Bunny was the one most likely to say something along the lines of, 'Jack's been living on her own for 300 years! She'll be fine!"

Curious, North asked, "And why iz zat, my friend?"

"It's jus' tha'…well, if Pitch showed up and…"

"Pitch! Ha ha! You make me laugh! Pitch iz gone! Will be for very long time! Loosen up."

"I dunno, mate. 'M not so sure." Bunny muttered. A twinge in his lower belly had him gasping, his hands reaching down to try to hold everything in. He frowned as he stared down and saw nothing wrong. His stomach hurt.

Several Weeks Later

Bunny's ears were the first thing out of hole. The sensitive appendages twitched and swiveled for several second, picking up every microscopic sound. When nothing appeared to be out of place, they were followed by a pair of emerald eyes, darting about nervously. He could see no danger, so he rose enough to allow his large pink nose to…

"Sheesh, Bunny! It's perfectly safe! North's right you really are paranoid!" Jack laughed.

The flustered Pooka leapt out of his tunnel, a scowl plastered firmly on his face. "'M not paranoid, mate! I'm just…cautious, is all."

Jack relined on her overstuffed armchair. "Yeeeaaaahhhh. Cautious."

Bunny rolled his eyes as he sat on a fluffy brown couch across from the winter child. "How've ya bin doin', Frostbite?"

"I'm good. Winter in the southern hemisphere is going awesome! Don't tell Jamie, but I think those kids in Australia have the best snowball fights. Man, they know how have fun! Oh, and thanks for the decorating tips. Your ideas actually worked. I was shocked." Jack gestured at the blue and brown furniture scattered tastefully throughout the living room.

Smirking, Bunny leaned back against the cushions. "Maybe ya should listen ta me more often."

"Not on your life! It was all…ooooffff!" The air rushed out of Jack's lungs as a huge white blur slammed into her stomach.

"Hey Tiberius." the imp said weakly, gently rubbing the bear's ears.

"Wow, he grew, didn' 'e?" Bunny, sliding from his seat, crouched and held his arms out to the oversized cub. "C'mere, ya li'l ankle bitah."

Tiberius gazed at him curiously, then glanced up at Jack and gave a small, huffing grunt.

She nodded in response. "It's okay. Uncle Bunny's a friend."

The Guardian of Hope looked up at the girl as the white fuzz ball tottered into his arms. "'Uncle Bunny', huh?"

Jack grinned, unashamed. "Well, it's either that or Uncle Bun-Bun. Your pick."

He winced. "Bun-Bun. I just can't git rid of it."

"Admit it. You like it."

"I hate it." The rabbit let out a gasp as Tiberius buried his wet nose in the crook of his neck. "Cold!"

Giggling, Jack said, "Buck up! You're in an ice castle, hanging out with a winter spirit."

"Yeah, but I wasn't expectin' a bloody polah bear at stick 'is nose through me fur."

The sprite merely laughed, and Bunny couldn't help but stare. She was so beautiful. But, by far, her most enchanting features were her eyes. They shifted colors constantly. Every time he saw her, Jack's eyes were a different shade of blue. And there were so many! Sapphire, cerulean, indigo, cobalt…but, his favorite was the ice blue. The color reflected her personality; it was Jack personified.

Suddenly, Bunny realized he'd been staring. For a time far longer than could be considered…normal.

Jack peered at him with a concerned look in her eyes (they were a gorgeous shade of sky blue at the moment). "Bunny? Are you felling okay?" She leaned forward to press a cool hand to his forehead and he sucked in a startled breath. She was so close…he was centimeters from those pale pink lips…just lean forward a tich and…

No. He was not going there. Jack had no interest in kissing a giant kana…rabbit. Oh, crikey, now he was starting to think like her!

Taking a deep, steadying breath, he slowly pulled his attention from those hypnotizing eyes and back to the squirming polar bear cub trying to get back to his surrogate mother. Bunny released him and watched as Jack scooped him up and cuddled him to her chest, swaying back and forth.

An unfamiliar emotion swelled in his chest. Oh no. He was not going to stoop so low as to say he was jealous of a bear. Anxious to get his mind off these new feelings, Bunny stammered, "So, um, I was wonderin' if ya wanted to ta come to the Warren tomorrow. Fer lunch, or somethin'?"

Jack smiled up from the writhing mass of white fur. "That sounds like a lot of fun! I'd love to. Here, do you want to hold him while I run grab his bottle?"

Bunny blinked in surprise. That bear made her so much more responsible. "Sure. I'd love ta."

Bunny left later that evening.

As she closed the door behind him, Jack couldn't stop a little happy dance. He'd asked her to lunch! She'd always had a bit of a crush on Bunnymund, and had been happy when she joined the Guardians, for the chance to get to know him better. Over time, he'd become more than a crush; he'd become a best friend.

But, he was still a crush.

Tiberius's head cocked to the side as he gazed at his leaping winter spirit. What on earth was she doing?

She led out the strange hiccupping cough that was her laugh and snatched him up. She spun him around for several seconds, then pressed her nose to his in a kiss.

That's when he knew her jumping dance was a happy one. And if Jack was happy? Well, he was happy too.

It was 11:37 pm. Tiberius was in bed, and Jack was already in her pajamas. In fact, she was just finishing up brushing her teeth (Tooth would be proud), just about to climb in to bed when there was a knock on the door (it had been charmed so that even the smallest ping against it would reverberate throughout the entire house-she had to get that fixed).

She yawned and shuffled down the two flights of stairs. She wore her usual tee and boy shorts, not caring to pull on a robe. In retrospect, she really wished she had.

With a little tug, the front door swung open to reveal…Pitch Black, bona fide Nightmare King. Oh, the man was little more than a shadow, and one with haunted, sunk-in eyes cupped by large purple bruises and a nearly skeletal frame, but he was still there, right outside Jack's door.

"Oh, sweet MiM, why did I leave my staff upstairs?!" Jack panicked. After a slight pause, she glared at the night mare king and in (what she hoped was a) low, confident voice, growled, "What do you want, Pitch?"

He looked down at her with tortured eyes. "Jack…I'm…I know you have no reason to believe me, and I know I have no right to be here, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm so…so…so sorry. I've made a lot of mistakes in my life, but trying to kill you Guardians was the worst."

The Guardian of Fun leaned against the icy door frame, crossing her arms and looking very unimpressed. "You're gonna have to try harder than that."

The Nightmare King sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat, eyes downcast. "I don't blame you." A tired laugh. "I wouldn't believe me, either. It's just…I finally realized being trapped down there with all those nightmares, just how horrible I've been. I never knew how much they could hurt people. It gives you a whole new perspective when what you have done to cause others pain is inflicted upon you."

"Still not buying it." Though her voice quivered as she said it.

"Come on! Don't you believe in a change of heart?" For emphasis, Pitch pressed a grey hand to his chest. "Don't you believe in second chances? In forgiveness?"

Jack paused at this. If there was one thing she knew, it was second chances. She's had so many over her 300-some-odd years that she hadn't bothered to keep track of them. And she'd lost count of how many times she'd had to ask for forgiveness in this month alone.

Still, she liked to think that she wasn't that naïve. "I dunno, Pitch. Some of the stuff you done…"

He glanced up through his disheveled black hair and said in a quiet, broken sort of voice, "I understand. It's just…I thought you, of all the Guardians, would understand. Would know what it fells like to have to beg, on hands and knees, for forgiveness. But I guess…" The boogeyman left it at that as he began to walk away into the cold, dark night.

"Jack Frost, you are an idiot!" She thought to herself, even as she yelled the words. "Pitch, wait!"

He turned back, a bit of hope shining in his otherwise dead eyes.

It was the hope that tipped her over the edge.

"I suppose…I could take you to the other guardians."

"North will know what to do with him," Jack added in a whisper too quiet for him to hear.

The naked relief that shone in Pitch's eyes nearly broke her heart. "Really?! Thank you so much, Jack." Suddenly, the relief and hope dimmed. "But we can't go now. They'll be asleep, and waking them up in the middle of the night isn't exactly the kind of first impression I wanted to make."

Well, she couldn't just leave him outside. It would be downright rude. "You can stay in a guest bedroom. There's plenty of room in this ol' place.

Pitch's gold eyes sparkled with grateful tears. "Thank you. So much."

"Knock knock."

Pitch Black turned to see Jack standing in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. A large pile of heavy, blue and brown patchwork quilts were piled in her arms. "I just came to give you some extra blankets. It can get awfully cold here at night."

Pitch smiled in a convincingly warm fashion as he took the quilts from the delicate creature. Really, she did look absolutely delectable in those shorts. "Thank you."

She slowly backed out of the room, seeming a bit nervous to have her archenemy sleeping just down the hall. "Yeah…well…um, I guess I'll see you in the morning." She slammed the polished oak door behind her.

Pitch let a rather sadistic grin crawl over his features as he heard her settle into her bed a few doors down. Everything was going according to plan.

Jack had been a natural choice for his schemes. She was the most trusting and forgiving of the Guardians, as well as the most powerful. She was also the one responsible for his defeat.

And the most attractive, but that hadn't been a determining factor.

At least, not a very large one.

Pitch glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table. The glowing green numbers 3:27 glowered back at him. Frost should be asleep by now, right? And if she wasn't, he could always lurk in the shadows till she was. Now that he had been invited inside, those blasted wards North had placed outside the building to prevent him from shadow hopping no longer applied. He grinned to himself. Stupid, stupid Frost. She'd played right into his hands.

Chuckling quietly, Pitch allowed the darkness to pull him in. With a sense of well-practiced ease, he directed the shadows to Jack's room. He stepped soundlessly out of the gloom, and towards the winter spirit curled on round bed. Her room was simple-an oak wardrobe, a large, bulging book-case, a small nightstand. Nothing to distinguish it from any other bedroom in the palace. Except, of course, the girl sleeping before him.

Pitch stood silently at the edge of the bed and gazed down at Frost. Her lip quivered in her sleep, eyelids fluttering softly. She was so beautiful.

H pushed a lock of soft, white hair from her forehead, sprinkling a small amount of nightmare sand over her as he did so, ensuring she would sleep soundly through the procedure.

Her only reaction to the feeling of warm flesh on her skin was to whimper and curl into a tighter ball.

Pitch smirked as he felt her nightmare take shape. Her fear tasted of mint, pine, and crisp winter air, with a hint of…something sweet. Honey, maybe. Delicious.

Unsheathing his sharp, obsidian knife, he meticulously-almost gently-took Frost's wrist in his hands, and made a small, but deep, incision where he knew the vein to be. Three small drops of blue blood oozed sluggishly to the surface. It was thick, as if it had already been congealing inside the vein.

"Interesting." He mused silently. "the other winter spirit's blood was just like this." He filed the information away for later study.

With the corner of the bed sheet, Pitch wiped away the blood and pulled out his small pouch of 'special' nightmare sand. In one precise motion, he poured the sand into Frost's blood stream.

He couldn't stop the small smile of satisfaction that tugged at his thin lips as milky white hair was slowly overcome with darkness.

"Jack." He sang quietly. "It's time to wake up."

Two large eyes flashed open with a shimmer of frozen amber.

:)

I'm so evil.

Will update ASAP!

P.S. Sorry for the crappy writing. I've been stuck in a funk lately. And sorry for the twenty million line breaks. I don't know what came over me...=D