WARNING: NIGHTMARES ARE PROHIBITED FROM READING THIS FANFICTION

In the North Pole, I sat by the fire with a heavy blanket around me. Since I had no time to grab shoes (or a bra) I had spent most of my time trying to thaw out. The Guardians stood nearby whispering to themselves. My present company was a couple of elves that tumbled over each other while trying to sit closest to me. I heard pieces of their worried conversation: "Jack… Pitch is back… Manny… what now?"

A hand rested on my shoulder, and Sandy floated down beside me. The elves scurried away, a sort of hurt look on their faces. He rubbed his hands and held them out towards the fire, a snowflake popping up above his head.

"Yea, it's freezing." I pulled the blanket tighter around me, though I had a feeling that he was talking about Jack. Not knowing what else to say, I tried to take comfort in how Sandy was so…nice. It was like it rolled off of him in waves. It enveloped me, and it made me feel very calm.

Toothiana's fairy, Baby Tooth, buzzed around my head once and sat on my shoulder. She was adorable, and twittered in her own little language at me. Then she nuzzled against the spot that my neck met my shoulder. In moments I could hear her calm breathing. Sandy had fallen against my arm, nodding off as well. I sat their awkwardly, feeling their warmth flood my skin, but not really feeling it. All I felt on the inside was a bottomless chill that no amount of kindness could evaporate, not while Jack was still out there.

Sandy was heaved off of me by Toothiana, who glanced at me apologetically and set him in a short, plush chair before returning to my side. Bunnymund and North still spoke in harsh whispers behind us and I tried no longer to decipher what they were saying. Instead, I looked hard into the fire and felt the icy wave roll up and touch my heart.

"She really likes you," Toothiana said quietly, nodding at Baby Tooth. She had curled into a ball and her wings fluttered once in her dreamy state.

"I like her, too." I said, since that seemed to be the right thing to say. I rubbed the top of Baby Tooth's head with my finger and she nuzzled up against my neck. Then, "Tooth?"

Toothiana looked at me expectantly, patiently. I could feel the tears building up behind my eyes, but bit the inside of my cheek to force them back.

"Tooth," I started again, "What… what's going to happen to Jack?"

The pale, happy light faded from her face, and she turned to the fire. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. For a moment I imagined her being a teenage friend, and that we were at a sleepover and only talking about boys like any normal teenage girl would. But she looked older, wiser, though she had a sparkling agelessness about her. Toothiana took a deep breath and simply said, "I don't know."

I don't know what else I expected her to say, but hearing that out loud made me crumble inside nonetheless. I brought my knees up and hugged them, stirring Baby Tooth awake. I dropped my faces onto my knees and hugged myself, letting as many icy tears roll down my face as I could before feeling weak inside. Something snagged my hair and I lifted my face from my knees.

Baby Tooth's bottom lip wobbled, and she dropped my lock of hair. She fluttered forward and stroke beneath my eye, wiping away the tear that lingered there. I gave a half-laugh, half-sob before stroking the top of her head. Toothiana let her hand fall on my shoulder.

A gentle shadow loomed over me and I look up at North. His face was sad and tired – I didn't know Guardians could get weary – and his gaze was not on me, but on the fire.

"Manny says that there is only one thing we can do to get Jack back."

My heart leapt. Bunnymund awoke Sandy and they stood behind me, waiting for North to continue. He took a deep, heavy breath and released it.

"We must find his new lair. A few years ago, it was a cave beneath a lake. Now…" He let out a defeated breath. "Now we have no clue as to where he could be."

A heavy silence fell around the room before something clicked in my mind.

"Tobias."

"What" – and – "Who?" they said in unison.

"He's Pitch's henchman, or something," I waved my hand but could feel the wheels in my mind turning. "He's always around me, always close. Which means –"

"Which means that Pitch's lair is also close!" Bunnymund interrupted. I glanced at him and he grinned, knowing that he totally just stole my thunder. "He's gotta bet back to Pitch quick to keep him up with everything.

North snapped his huge fingers, a light sparking into his eyes. "Exactly! Good job, Bunny."

I ignored that fact that it was my idea and look up at North. "But… I have one teeny, tiny question… or two…"

They all turned their faces towards me expectantly. I swallowed a little harder beneath their gazes. "Why was Tobias following me? And what about Jack, how do we plan on getting him back? We can't just run in blindly, once we find his lair." I remembered the black smoky horses that huddled around Pitch and felt the hope flee from me.

Bunnymund pointed a finger at me. "That was two questions, mate, and a statement."

"But they are good ones," Toothiana looked to North. "She's got a point. Once we find Pitch's lair, what next? Who's to say he hasn't got something stronger than the last time he attacked?"

North began to pace, only half-hearing what Toothiana was saying to him. "Sixty-six Richmond… four blocks from the park, another three from the… the…" He stopped suddenly and pointed a finger into the air. "I've got it! His lair, his lair is the Hubermann!"

"The what?" Bunnymund looked to Sandy, and a golden question mark appeared above his head.

I racked my brain, trying to figure out why that name sounded so familiar. Then it clicked. I stood up. "That's the hotel on the corner of my neighborhood. It shut down decades ago, it–"

"It is perfect," North put in before I could finish. I paused and the looming, damaged building sprang up in my mind. It was scary enough before, but now that I know that I had walked by it, every day, to meet Nikki at the café, with Pitch or Tobias – or both – watching me every step of the way… I shivered involuntarily.

"So," Toothiana straightened up and hovered beside me. "What do we do?"

A sparkle in North's eyes gave way to his brewing plan, and with a mischievous look, he turned his face towards the full moon.