Pitch sensed the moment someone had entered his domain and he turned his attention from prying at the ice around Jack in order to determine who would be intruding.

"What giving up already?"

He glances back at Jack, she is breathing heavily and it is clear sweat is beading on her brow from the effort of maintaining the icy protection she has been fighting for. He sends a sneer her way before moving back and directing a few shadows to halt the intruders. He's barely sent them away before a shout echoes in the dark halls and tunnels of his home.

"Jack!"

"Bunny? Bunny!" Jack seems to be renewed by the sound of her friend's voice and she struggles once more against the shadows holding her. "Bunny!"

Pitch is on her, his hand covering her mouth to muffle her shouts.

"Jack!"

She manages to bite his hand, causing him to pull back so she can shout again. Bunny's reply this time is louder, closer. Jack struggles under Pitch's weight as he sinks against her, trying desperately to prevent her from drawing the Guardians in closer. After several minutes of struggle and a few more shouts the two Guardians are barreling through the door, weapons drawn.

"Get off her Pitch!" Bunny charges with his cry, swinging his boomerang and releasing it right at Pitch's head. His shadows manage to block the weapon but it has him reeling back for Jack a bit at the ferocity, especially when Bunny is quick to follow his weapon's path and lunges for Pitch.
The Nightmare King finds himself being forced back, still weak from last year's encounter. He had been hoping to make quick work of his revenge, but he had been delayed and somehow the Guardians had found him, despite his precautions in hiding. Realizing he had lost he pulls back and hisses at them all. "This is not over yet! I will have my revenge on you Jack, if its the last thing I do."

He fades away into the shadows, leaving Jack to be unbound by North, who had kindly removed his coat and draped it over her first.

"Jack, you are alright?"

"Yeah." She is a bit breathy as North breaks the bonds on her wrists and legs, she rubs the raw flesh, wincing at how delicate it now seems.
Bunny tightens his grip on his boomerangs as he notices the bruises littering her arms and legs. He lets his ear lie flat against his head as he asks his own question. "He didn't..."

"No, he tried, but I managed to hold him off with a bit of ice."

That had Bunny relaxing. He didn't know why but somehow the thought of Jack being taken like that by Pitch, well it left him feeling hollow inside. He was glad she was safe and relatively unharmed given Pitch's intentions.

"Good, then let us be getting you back to Pole. Others will be worried."

"They aren't here with you?"

Jack stumbles a bit as she gets to her feet and Bunny reaches out to stabilize her.

"Nah mate, we left before they got there. Stingy Jack came barreling into the workshop telling us about Pitch's plan. We didn't think we could afford to wait."

"Stingy?" that has Jack leading into a big smile as she lets herself lean into Bunny, her legs, just a bit too wobbly for her to walk straight. "He's a good guy, I didn't get to see him last Halloween, we usually try to pull a few pranks together each year, but I was busy with Guardian stuff and didn't get out to see him. I'm glad he helped you guys. I don't know how much longer I could have held Pitch off."

Bunny noticed that Jack seemed to be getting more and more lethargic as they walked and without even a word he was scooping the girl into his arms and carrying her. North seemed a bit surprised but managed a smile when he saw her snuggle against the furry Guardian and let herself drift to sleep.

They soon arrived at the exit and the sleigh and Bunny hopped into the back, settling down with Jack on his lap. North climbs in after them and guides the sleigh gently back into the sky before using another snow globe to get them back to the Pole. When they arrive they find Tooth and Sandy both there. They both spot Jack, still wrapped in North's coat and give the other two Guardians questioning looks.

"Bunny, you know way to Jack's room, please take her there while I explain what has happened to these two."

Bunny nods and heads off with Jack, North watching after them before turning to the two worried Guardians.

"Pitch took her." He holds up a hand to stall their questions. "When we heard what he had planned we could not wait for you to arrive. We got lucky that Jack was able to delay his plans until we got there."

"What was he planning to do?"

"I do not want to say, but it was lowest of low."

Sandy makes a silhouette with a question mark.

"It was spirit of Halloween, Stingy Jack. He overheard Pitch's plans and came to us right away. Is good man at heart, if nothing else."

Tooth made a disgusted face at hearing the man's name. "He is quite possibly the only spirit with teeth worse than Pitch."

North chuckles and leads his friend to what would be best called his living room.

Meanwhile Bunny had gotten Jack to her room and was settling her down on the bed. as he tried to stand straight and move away he found he couldn't. Jack had tightened her arms around his neck and was holding him down awkwardly.

"Hey, Snowflake, ya gotta let me go now."

"Mmm, dun wanna."

She snuggles against his fur, and if one could have seen it his face would have been as red as North's sleigh.

"Come on now, you need your rest and you can't very well get it if I'm here with you."

Bunny feels Jack tense around him, "Please, Bunny, I don't want to be alone."

At the almost broken note to her voice Bunny frowns, but adjusts himself so he is more on the bed. He wraps his arms around Jack and holds her.

"Alright, I'll stay, but you got to lie down, deal?"

She nods and lets herself be laid down, holding tight enough to Bunny that he is forced to lie beside her.

"I was scared."

"Of what Snowflake." Bunny began stroking her hair.

"That you wouldn't make it in time. I knew you would find us eventually, but he kept saying that you wouldn't find us fast enough."

"Yeah, well he was wrong."

"You said you got lucky."

"We did, doesn't change that he was wrong."

Silence fell upon them after that and Jack just buried her face against Bunny's chest, letting her breathing even out and eventually she managed to fall asleep. Bunny continued to hold her, stroking her hair and eventually he too managed to fall asleep.

Yay! So cute at the end there, aren't they? Please review.