"I don't like this" Bunny said for the hundredth time, sharpening his boomerangs. He was sitting side by side with North, a few meters from Pitch. "If the girl really saw him, there must be something seriously wrong with her. We should get the hell out and away from here."

"You're being too harsh, Bunny," North said gently, his blue eyes sparkling. "Serafina's had hard times behind her. When she was very young, her mother told her there was no Santa and they could not afford Christmas presents!" The Guardian's expression turned grim. "When an eight year old is forced to take care of hung over mother, there is not much hope and wonder in life. Besides, she doesn't see him anymore; does she? I say we stay, so we can keep eye on her." North nodded in firm belief of his decision, crossing his tattooed forearms.

Bunnymund looked at North incredulously, opened his furry mouth to argue, but snapped it shut, grumbling as he crossed his arms defiantly. "Well, I still don't like it..."

Sera sat on the windowsill, staring outside with absent eyes. She had tossed the drawing of Pitch in the closet before leaving for work this morning. Yes, she didn't see Pitch anymore. Apparently she needed to be in a vulnerable state of nightmares to truly believe in him. It was frustrating, really, because Pitch knew exactly how he could make her believe. However, that couldn't be done as long as he was entrapped. A slight smirk formed on the Nightmare King's lips and he hid it quickly. The Guardians had no idea what a favor they had done for him, placing him so close to a person so broken, with so many fears. It had been two days since her nightmare and it had somehow unleashed everything she was afraid of. Pitch felt stronger every moment when she was around. At nights the girl stared at the television, coffee-mug in her hands, and refused to take her pill until she passed out and dreamed of nothing. Pitch fed on her fear of sleeping. Few months before, the Sandman's bonds would have been unbreakable, but when he had made them there had been only a handful of children believing. Without anyone noticing, dark sand gnawed the bonds from the inside.

Bill returned from work, carrying two big shopping bags full of groceries. "Hi, honey!" he said, getting the usual no response. He turned the radio on and started to cook dinner, dancing around the kitchen. It still didn't make sense to Pitch. He was so perky and Sera was so… everything but that. Pitch could see how it annoyed her, him always making a fuss out of everything and constantly trying to take care of her. And still she tolerated it, like an adult who benevolently ignores an annoying child.

A new song started on the radio and Sera's shoulders suddenly tensed. "Hey, isn't that the song they named you after back in the gang; Poison?" Bill asked over the music.

"Yeah," she muttered as he turned the volume up. "When did I tell you that?" First there was a guitar riff and then Bill started to sing along with the lyrics:

Your cruel device,

Your blood like ice

One look could kill

My pain, your thrill

I want to love you, but I better not touch

I want to hold you but my senses tell me to stop

I want to kiss you, but I want it too much

I want to taste you, but your lips are venomous poison

You're poison runnin' thru my veins

Sera was rigid, her lips absently moving along with the words. Interesting, Pitch thought. Poison used to be her name, and that's why it was tattooed on her back.

"How cool it would be to be named after Alice Cooper's song!" Bill continued his cheery chattering. Sera just scoffed ironically. Pitch continued listening to the song.

I hear you calling, and its needles and pins

I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name

Don't want to touch you, but you're under my skin

I want to kiss you, but your lips are venomous poison

You're poison runnin' thru my veins

You're poison, I don't want to break these chains

'I want to hurt you just to hear you screaming my name…' Yes, that sounded about right. Pitch could see why she had been named after the song.

"We'll be eating steamed veggies and mashed potatoes today," Bill announced happily. And there it appeared: the fear on Sera's face. It took a while for Pitch to identify it, since adult's fears were more hidden than a child's that was more pronounced: It was her fear of eating. Yet another thing about Sera Pitch couldn't quite get his finger on.

"Bill, please," she begged quietly, to his surprise. "No potato-mash."

Bill sighed. "Fine, but let me make a dressing."

Sera wrapped her arms around herself uncomfortably as the song faded out and a new song replaced it on the radio. Bill turned the volume down as he set to work with the dressing for the vegetables.

Half an hour later, a plateful of food was placed on the table. "C'mon, before it gets cool!" Sera stood up grudgingly and slowly made her way to her chair. Bill sat opposite of her and started wolfing down his food. Sera drank a big glass of water and moved her food around with a fork, glaring daggers at the vegetables.

"Eat," Bill gave her a look as he watched her. "You ruined your singing voice already. Do you want the same thing to happen with your dancing?"

Sera stared at him sourly for a moment and relentlessly stabbed a carrot. Pitch loved the waves of fear and anxiety that came from her as she slowly swallowed one small bite after another. After eating about half of her portion she broke the silence: "How many cal-"

"Hey, no c-word, remember?" Bill cut her off.

Sera huffed. "How much energy-content does this have?"

"It's the same thing, that's cheating." Bill cracked a smile.

"Fine," she gave up and stabbed another carrot.

It took Sera a long time to struggle down most of her dinner, but Bill sat with her patiently, chatting about meaningless stuff to distract her. When she pushed the plate away, he smiled and ate the rest. Sera drank some more water and went out for a run. Bill started to clean the dishes, smiling like he had done a very good deed.

oooOooo

The next day, Sera was walking back from work again. She still couldn't bring herself to use the metro. The girl cursed the existence of her ex-boyfriend, Sid, once again. He was causing Sera nightmares, which caused her to be afraid to sleep. So she avoided sleeping as long as she could and got up early. It was affecting her job as a dancer and she hated it.

Cold waves crept up Sera's back as she recalled the events from a few years back. The night she had left Sid, she had taken some of their money with her. The gang had caught her before she managed to get out of London and dragged her in some dark, stinking room…

"I love you so much… But I can't forgive you for what you did to me, you're making me punish you," Sid had whispered in her ear, over and over again. The next recollection she had was waking up in hospital, beaten half to death with a chest and stomach decorated with scars. The psychologist they had arranged to meet with had said the memories were so painful she had smothered them. Oh, really? Sera hated that bitch.

She shook her head, trying to think of something else, like the fact that Bill was really starting to get on her nerves. He's trying to make me fat; Sera thought, but guiltily pushed it away. No, it was good he was making her eat, and she knew that. But there was something else. Bill was starting to get a bit too attached. Sera felt the l-bomb coming from him soon and if he said that, she would have no other choice but to let him go.

When she finally arrived at her front door, she felt anxious about going inside. Bill was still at work and she didn't like to be there alone anymore. It felt like there was something… wrong; something that didn't belong there. As soon as she thought about it, she realized how stupid it was and stepped inside. Sera was many things, but not an irrational person, or so she liked to think.

She clicked the lights on, took off her jacket and threw her stuff to the corner. She was just about to get her laptop, when a familiar voice made her freeze.

"'Ello, Poison. Did you miss me?"

oooOooo

Pitch, Jack and North followed with interest as Sera slowly turned around to face a man that was leaning casually on the kitchen counter. He had broken in only half an hour ago.

"Sid," she hardly managed to croak out. Her fear and anxiety slowly started to increase as the man dressed in shabby jeans and a leather jacket slowly started to approach her. Sera stood her ground, her hands clenching into fists. "It didn't take you long to find out where I live," she growled hoarsely.

Sid stopped in front of her. "Honey, you should know I have a lot of friends around here. It's actually kinda weird you stayed around. You hoped to see me again, didn't you?" He ran his fingers on her cheek, down to her neck. Sera cringed.

"What do you want?" she asked and flinched, as if expecting a violent outburst.

Sid merely grinned, his yellowing teeth showing. He let out a small chuckle, leering down on her with dark eyes as he answered with a rough voice: "Just to finish what I started."

He reached towards his pocket.

That's when Sera's fear took over. She slammed against Sid with full force and they both fell to the floor. Pitch inhaled her negative emotions deeply and almost laughed aloud. When Sera was afraid she didn't freeze, run, or hide. She fought. Fantastic, the Boogeyman mused. Sera was straddling her enemy's hips and didn't stop her fists from punching. Though Sid fought back, earning Sera some heavy blows to the face, she defended herself well.

Jack quickly jumped up to aid the girl, but that was obviously debunked as useless. "We need to do something!" he yelled desperately to North, but the bearded Guardian sadly placed his large hand on Jack's shoulder. "We can't. They're both adults."

"So we're just gonna stand by and watch?"

"There is nothing we can do, Jack." The winter spirit looked outraged.

Sid tried to get up, but Sera hit his head aside with her elbow. Even Pitch winced at the painful sound of that. Sera, hopelessly fragile compared to her opponent, eventually got overpowered by Sid. He hit her head hard against the floor and started to strangle her with his large hands.

Pitch didn't have time to worry about the state of his little dancer girl as he felt his powers slowly starting to overpower the golden bonds around him. Sera was so afraid, it gave Pitch a great boost. In addition to the chaos, Frost and North were too focused in following the fight to notice Pitch slowly start to wriggle out of his bonds…

Sera coughed, desperately trying to get some air. Sid reached for his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. That's when she blindly reached her hands out, grabbed something and hit him to the face with it. It was a desk lamp. Sid cried out and held his head with his free hand. Sera coldly took the advance of it and hit him repeatedly. Eventually, Sid fell, either unconscious or dead, next to her, his hair slick with blood. Sera breathed heavily on her knees, not sure which fated she hoped for more.

"Well… that was terrible," Jack slowly stated, stunned.

"Oh indeed, Frost. But I know of something much worse."

The Guardians, noticing the voice's owner, turned quickly to check on their prisoner, only to find the Nightmare King free of his golden bonds. Before getting the chance to take action, black Night Mares pinned North and Frost to the floor. Pitch laughed gloriously, stretching out his arms and marveling in his success of escape. Sera spun around in the midst of this, searching for the source of the dark voice and laughter.

Pitch then slid to her quickly through the shadows, placing his mouth to her ear. "Thank you, precious. I'll get back to you later." His whisper was silky and full of danger, quiet enough so that the Guardians didn't hear. With that said, Pitch sunk thorough the ground, leaving only a pile of black sand after him.

Back in his lair, Pitch stretched his limbs and rubbed the place where the gag had chafed uncomfortably. As an immortal, he really didn't need to eat, sleep, or move, but he still didn't particularly enjoy being forced to sit in the same position, day after day.

Pitch ran his hand across his globe that was filled with flickering lights once again, thinking about his next move. There was obviously the urgent revenge matter, but he also felt tempted to pay a certain girl a visit. The Guardians wouldn't (unfortunately) go anywhere, after all. The Nightmare King grinned widely. Yes, he did feel like playing with something. He had his plan ready. The only thing she had to do was fall asleep.

oooOooo

AN: Oh my! As you can probably see, shit is going down in the next chapter. First I was all like "I need to get the next chapter of my other fic out before writing this!" but then I got all these awesome reviews and couldn't help but write. So here we are.

But seriously, all my readers are so awesome! *hugs* The reviews just feed my muse so much I can't help but write. I'm a bit scared of writing the next chapter really, I don't want to mess up when my story's main characters finally officially meet… Well let's hope for the best!

Let me know what you think!

~Janice