A Nightmare.. For the Big Four

Edited just as promised!

Little prince safe and sound,

from the nightmares that lurk around,

he is a handful the Guardians discovered,

but there is more to uncover...

By: Me

The Guardians walked through the Santoff Claussen doors, their new household member following closely inside their tight little circle they unconsciously formed around him. Jack's mood had lightened up very much during the chaotic sleigh ride, thank goodness, so when he skipped inside through he big wood doors, he was smiling brightly as if nothing bad had happened before. "Haha! Kangawoo scream like Mommy when she sees a spider!," the tyke squealed. North snickered, pointing mockingly at the ill looking Pooka that had gotten sleigh sick apparently.

"We're takin' mah tunnles next time," Bunny growled and slapped North's hands away from him, only to have the jolly man rage with laughter. Once he calmed down, North began, "Okay, Nephew stay put, ve don't vant..." Just as the Cossack turned around, he saw the small figure of Jack, darting away, and knew exactly what the toddler wanted.

"Toys!," Jack squealed with hands in the air. He disappeared around the corner and surely through the crowd of North Pole workers. "Oh no," North whispered. "What's the matter, North?," Tooth asked for she was amused by the little Winter Sprite's energy. North turned to her with a horrid gaze stretching his face. "Jack's ran off... Yetis just installed knew voodchipper, large oven eez more zan likely on, sharp objects and tools are scattered along ze place, and vorst..."

Simultaneously, they all followed North's gaze and turned to see a elf doing a chaotic dance in the middle of the room for no apperent reason. "Elves..." The other three Guardians placed together what North was trying to say and gasped. As they understood, elves, sharp objects, heat conducting material, and woodchippers... did not mix with a wild, joyfull, curious like Jack Frost. North could barely even handle Jasper!

"Search every small place and every room!," North ordered and rushed away to look for his nephew. The others got to work as well.

Jack wandered around the workshop, looking for at least a toy, but found nothing useful. He did not have the chance to bring some of his toys from home simce they left in a hurry. But no matter, his Uncle North was the Santa Clause. Toys would not be such a problem. But so far he could not find one. Christmas was not until a full nine months to go, so North was on early schedule; if there wqs a toy, it was either too big or incomplete. There was only one more place that he could go to that would surely have a toy at his disposal.

Uncle North's office.

And when Jack trotted into said office, he immediately spotted it. Placed high on a shelf, he found just what he needed, and just what he wanted.

A stuffed, white bunny, sandwiched between other materials that meant no interest to him.

Instantly, his child excitement jumped into motion. Never minding the jar of scissors or the sharp tools, the young Winter Prince stood on his tiptoes and reached a small hand onto the shelf. His fingertips brushed against the soft fabric of the bunny, probably the foot, just not quite there, so he reached even more until he accidentaly swept off a nearby hammer... That fell cenemeters from the side of his body. Jack paid not a single thought to it. He wanted the bunny; he will get his bunny.

Just before he tried reaching for it again (his fingers brushing against the glass jar of nails) the ajar doors of the room swung open, revealing Phil, North's head yeti. Once Phil saw Jack's hand and body near the deadly objects, his eyes went wide as a deer in headlights. The Winter Prince! Oh no oh no oh no!

"Oh! Gwarbalablag!," he cried, rushing forward.

Jack swished his head toward the yeti and instantly shot up in fear. So big, so hairy, and looking so feirce, Phil looked like a monster to Jack, and the tyke did one thing a child does if they see a monster.

Shriek.

"DAAADDDYYYYYYY!"

Since Jasper had been a hero and protector to Jack, he came to mind first. Instantly, frost shot over everything and the wind flung open the windows, scaring the wits out of Phil. Jack began crying out loud in fear; his wails were intensely loud. Phil covered his hidden ears, bearing the most terrible noise had ever heard, and would anything to stop it. His eyes noticed the stuff bunny on the shelf and connected the dots. Jack must have been trying to get ahold of it, so very quickly, he snatched it up in his gigantic paws and held it out to Jack. Jack's wailing faded almost instantly into a low whimper. He looked down at the offering with big eyes.

"Gwarablaga?," Phil said, giving the object a shake. The Winter Sprite blinked up at the yeti. This isn't a monster. Monsters don't help others and he didn't eat me.

To this thought, his face immediately lightened into joy and with a laugh, he grabbed the stuffed animal and brought it close to his chest, snugglinh his cheek to the cotton. "Hoppy!," he named it.

Phil breathe four a relieved sigh and watched in amusement as Jack made hopping motions with the bunny, chanting, "Hop, hop, hop!"

Gently, the Yeti picked the boy into his big furry arms. The Winter Prince is safe. Thank MIM.

Again, the doors swung open, and North ran in like he was set on fire. Once his eyes caught sight on Jack, he exhaled loudly, relieved to see his nephew in one peice. If anything would have happened to Jack, North would have never forgiven himself. He walked up to his second in command, gave him a thankful nod, and took Jack into his massive arms. "Oh! Thank Man in Moon you are alright! Don't run off like zat, Jack! Vhat vould Mariah say?," North scolded. Or do, the dreadful part of him wondered.

Jack didn't look the least bit sorry for he was too happy.

"Norf! Big hairy puppy gafe me Hoppy!," Jack said, shaking his new stuff friend in his Uncle's face. North gazed amusingly at Phil and said, "Aw! Very cute, Phil." Phil shot an offended glare at North, reading 'don't push it'.

"Gwarbalabargal!"

"Hey! No language like zat shall be used vith me, sweetness," North teased.

"Phil?," Jack questioned, catching the yeti's name. He beamed. "Phil!"

"No'th? Did ya find 'im yet?," Bunny's voice suddenly hollered from outside. "Yes Bunny," North replied. Instead, Tooth was the first to zip through the door, and as soon as her big violet eyes caught sight of the tyke, she snatched Jack from North's arms. She spun the boy in a hasty embrace and started checking for any potential injuries. "Jack! Oh, thank goodness, you're alright! Tsk, tsk, tsk, you won't last a day in North's care."

"Hey!," North cried, offended by her words.

She glared back. "Well it's true! Jack could have been seriously injured!"

Sandy shook his head at his friends and floated to Jack. After giving him a silent scolding, he smiled and patted the boy on the head, earning a giggle from the child. Jack then spotted Bunny and jumped from Tooth's hands to which he then ran up to the Pooka. "Look! He looks just like you!" he said, holding up Hoppy. Bunny couldn't help but smile in amusement. "Aren't ya just adorable, mate?"

That night, he regreted saying that, because little did the Guardians knew, Jack wasn't just a child... But he was the mini personification of the living Hell.

"No! I don't wanna!" Jack pouted.

"Jack, you will get in this shower right this instant!," Tooth demanded.

"No!"

Only three hours that the Guardians have had Jack and already North had taken the liberty of covering his own ears, Bunny was repeatedly banging his head on the table, and Sandy was silently rocking amd looking miserable in the corner. Tooth, on the other hand, was trying to catch Jack to take him a bath, but Jack refused to get cleaned.

Clearly he liked the feeling of being covered from head to toe in glue and glitter from 5 minutes of arts and crafts, and painted in a mahogany of colors from paint fight with the elves. "How in the 'ell does Jasper and Mariah put up with this?!" Bunny groaned.

"How about ve ask zem?" North replied bluntly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a big snow globe. He shook it several times. Moments later, Jasper's face appeared, both alerted and grateful. Clearly, he had been mourning for the loss of Jack's presence by the looks of the dark bags hanging from his eyes, but that did not seem to stop him from holding the globe close by in case North contacted him.

"Yes, Nicholas? Any news of my child? Is he alright?"

North felt his chest tighten by the anxious tone in the Winter King's voice. "Yes, um Jasper, ven Jack eez running up and down valls... Vhat do ve do?" he asked.

Jasper shook his head. "Damnit, North. Three hours and you are already having problems with a three year old?!"

"Your three year old."

"... You rated a good point. Get me Jack, please."

North held the orb to Jack (Tooth had the boy in a tight grip in her arms depsite his squirming), who's eyes brightened at the sight of his father's face. "Daddy!" he cried and slipped from Tooth's grasp. Jasper's eyes widened in horror by the look of the messy Jack.

"Dear Man in Moon, Jackson. Get in the bath."

Jack surprisingly instead folded his arms and frowned. "No!," he protested. Jasper sighed by his son's stubbornness. Perhaps he needed another tactic. Which meant he had to use the one thing he knew that would work the best. One brutal thing that would frighten a strong man to death all cards down...

"Mariah!~" he screamed.

Just like that, Jack gasped with terror in his eyes and ran into the bathroom, holding Hoppy to his chest. "Don't call mommy, you meaner!" his high pitch squeal echoed.

The Guardians all exhaed. Thank MIM for creating a powerful creature such as Mariah. "Thank you, Jasper," North said.

Jasper nodded and ran a tired hand down his face. "Take care of my kid, North.I beg this of you."

The orb then dimmed and North stuffed it back in his pocket. "'E calls his wife ta scare the little wanka?," Bunny questioned, baffled. North snorted a chuckle. "Yeah. Eff he did zat to me, I vould be scared too."

Sandy nodded in full agreement.

All tuckered out, Jack laid asleep on a small bed in a guest room North held for him. Both the leader Guardian and the Toothfairy watched the tyke sleep at the door entry. "He sure is a handful, North. How long will this go?" Tooth asked in a small whisper.

"As long as eet has to," North replied ,"I vill keep Jack safe as promised, even eef it kills me... I owe Jasper my life for vhat he has done to keep my home in place. I vill not fail him."

Tooth's eyes flickered to the floor. Something related to fear flashed in her violet orbs and she wrapped his feathered arms around herself. "But what if Pitch-"

"I von't let zat demon get him," North interrupted in a low, deadly tone.

Tooth smiled softly, sure that she shouldn't say another word, then flew out the room, leaving North with Jack. The eldest Guardian's pale blue eyes lasted on the child's sleeping figure and inside, a burning desire to protect and smother the boy with care engulfed his entire being. "I vill fight for you, Jack. It eez vhat makes me Guardian... Your Guardian."

With that, he gently closed the door until on a crack of light was left revealed. But the moon's rays rested upon the Winter Prince the entire night...

whoo! Almost done! Thank MIM!