The next morning found Jack waking up to a face full of soft fur. It was warm, but not unpleasantly so and she found herself snuggling against whatever it was that was wrapped around her. Hearing a soft snort and something snuffling at her hair had her waking up a bit more and looking up at what was there. Her eyes widen when she sees that it is Bunny she is wrapped up with and frost blooms across her cheeks at the thought of having shared a bed with the oversized rabbit.

"You awake there Snowflake?"

Her frost blush deepens when she realizes Bunny is awake and she turns her face down." Yeah, you haven't been awake this whole time, have you?"

There is a pause before Bunny takes his arms from around her and moves to sit up then stand. "Nah, woke up about when you started to move a bit more. Uh, you should probably change. I'll go let North know you're awake and get you some food ready."

"Right, thank you." It hadn't been until he mentioned it that she had remembered what had happened to her skirt. The frost thickened as she watch Bunny leave the room. She dressed quickly before realizing her staff was nowhere to be seen. It had her panicking a bit. She didn't remember Pitch taking it with her, she had dropped it in Burgess, she was sure. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on feeling for her staff and realized it was still whole even if she didn't know where it was. Maybe Bunny had seen what had happened to it, she would have to ask him.
Mind set she left her room and headed down to North's living room where she heard Bunny talking to North. Not bothering to listen in she opens the door with a knock.

"Hey, I'm up."

She gives them a small smile and notes that Sandy and Tooth are there as well. She sends them both a small wave as she walks in.

"Ah, Jack. It is good to see you are feeling better, did you sleep well?"

"Yep, but uh, hey Bunny do you know what happened to my staff?"

"Staff? Oh, right. Jamie grabbed it up and took it home with him. Guess the little ankle-biter figured you'd have to come see him if you wanted it back. He was worried about you though."

"We all were." Tooth flutters over to her and gives jack a hug. "How did you manage to hold Pitch off long enough for North and Bunny to get there?"

Jack shifts uncomfortably as frost covers her cheeks. "Uh, well I was able to form ice on my, uh, underwear and I just kept making it thicker. Pitch couldn't get through."

"Haha, is clever."

Jack nods as North pats her on the back. Clever it may have been but it was exhausting without the use of her staff to help her. She still felt a bit tired., but knew she needed to get her staff back before she could rest soundly. Not that she hadn't with Bunny holding her. The frost that had faded sprung back at her thoughts. Why had she enjoyed Bunny holding her like that. She had felt safe and secure, something she had needed, would still want now that Pitch had so blatantly tried what North had mentioned the other Guardians were worried about for her. Shaking her head she knew she couldn't be afraid. That would mean Pitch had won and she refused to let him win, not with this.

Jack approaches Bunny and draws his attention. "Um, would you mind taking me to get my staff. I'll be better the sooner I have it back."

Bunny nods and they wave to the rest of the Guardians as he creates a tunnel and leads jack down into it. They are silent for most of the trip through the tunnels, but eventually Jack breaks it.

"Thanks."

"For what Snowflake?"

"For staying with me. It means a lot."

"No worries."

She stops, grabbing his arm as she does and studying her toes intensely. "That's. I can't just brush it off Bunny. What happened, it scared me. What if he tries again and no one is around when he does. Or you are all just a little too late. I can't maintain that defense forever, I was on the verge of losing it when you came this time."

Bunny felt more than saw the shaking in her hand as she held his arm and he pulled her to him, wrapping her in his arms.

"You know, I was scared too. I was worried that we wouldn't make it in time. When I saw Pitch on you like that, I wanted to sock him one good. Drongo ran off before I got much more than a swing in though."

Jack smiles, laughing a bit as she wraps her fingers in Bunny's fur, nuzzling him. That safe feeling was back and she could feel her heart picking up its pace, in a good way.

"Hey, Bunny?"

"Yeah."

"Can, can you close your eyes for a moment?"

He looks down at her, noting the frost on her cheeks before closing his eyes. Carefully Jack goes up on her toes, so her lips can just reach Bunny's cheek. Gently she presses her lips to the fur there, kissing him just at the corner of his mouth. She pulls back as he opens his eyes and looks sheepishly at the ground as he stares at her, mouth slightly agape.

"Its, to thank you, properly, for the rescue."

"So you going to give one to North too then?"

More frost, he notes as she toes the ground, not stepping out of the circle of his arms.

"No."

"So that was just for me then?"

This time she just nods, refusing to meet Bunny's eyes. He manages a small smile before tilting her chin up so he can see her eyes.

"Well Snowflake, that sure was a special 'thank you'. Let me give you a 'you're welcome' to go with it." And so he leans down and nuzzles his nose against hers, slipping to the side slightly her goes to her ear and noses just under and behind it. Jack shivers but does not push him away, in fact she pulls him to her more tightly.

"Bunny?"

"I love you."

That has silence reigning down over them once more as Jack looks to the side, frost thick on her cheeks as Bunny watches her for some sort of reaction. Eventually she looks back up at him.

"I, I think I love you too."

Bunny raises a brow, smiling despite the unsure answer. "Really?"

She nods. "Being like this, I feel safe, secure, like nothing in the world could harm me."

Bunny smiles down and her and pulls her more tightly to him.

"Then I guess I better never let you go."

Jack smiles and wraps her arms around Bunny in return, sighing in agreement. "I could live with that."

I squeed when I wrote this, too cute! There will be an omake for Stingy Jack going up tomorrow but other than that this is done so yay! Please review.