Alright guys, I'm sorry this took so long, but I promise I have a good reason. I originally had over half the chapter written out a few days ago, but when I went to clear out a bunch of unnecessary documents on my computer, I accidentally deleted it. *headdesk*
So yeah I had to start over. But here's the good news. This chapter is really long, way longer than any of the other chapters. So I hope that helps. Anyways, please leave reviews and tell me what you think of this chapter. IT IS FLUFFEH, FINALLY SOME FLUFF. I hope you guys don't mind that. XD

EDIT 2/8/2013 - Okay guys, I've gotten through a really busy time, and I've gotten a good break from writing. I'm gonna update this weekend. Either tomorrow night or Sunday night. I promise. Thanks for being patient with me.

This was as close to peace that he was going to get, sitting in one of the infirmary's cushioned wooden chairs, body completely slack in the material's soft embrace, gazing out into the frozen tundra that surrounded the Pole.

The weather was fair today, partially clouded skies blanketed the blue that hide behind them. The tinniest flakes of snow drifted through the air, swirling erratically to the ground below. Every once in a while the sun would show its face, breaking through the light gray clouds that trailed slowly by.

Sandy was having a hard time keeping himself awake as the streams of golden sand drifted out the windows and into the world outside. The cushioned chair he had nestled himself in was starting to feel too comfortable, and the steady breathing of the two guardians healing in their beds almost acted like a lullaby to the worn out golden man. He may be the Sandman, Guardian of Dreams, but he also needed rest time and again.

After what seemed to be the hundredth time his golden eyes had fallen shut, Sandy decided that it was time to get up and move around. Now was not the time for sleep, not with Tooth and Jack still in such critical condition. He shook his head lightly as leaned out of the warm embrace of the chair he had found himself so relaxed in. He balled his hands into tiny fists and rubbed his eyes harshly in circling motions. As he floated slowly into the air he yawned and stretched his arms wide, willing his body to waken from its tranquil state.

Cautiously he drifted over to the bed that contained Tooth's sleeping form, looking over her lovingly as he commanded more dreamsand to swirl above her head. A silent laugh escaped him as the sand shifted into the shapes of baby teeth. Some things were sure to never change, and Tooth would always dream of teeth, or children waking up with smiles on their faces as the pulled out a gift from underneath their pillows.

He continued to let his eyes observe her; to his relief it looked as if his dreams were working, she looked completely content. But at the slight of the dents in here wings, the patches of disheveled feathers littered across her body, and the bandages wrapped tightly around her injured forearm and torso, he was reminded that she was not going to be back to full normalcy for a while.

Once Sandy was sure that Tooth was still stable and sleeping soundly, he decided it was time to check on Jack. He had to try to swallow down the dread he felt as he drifted above the resting fairy and over to the bed holding the fragile winter spirit. He hadn't gotten a close look at the boy in the past few hours and he knew in his belly that the wounds were going to look worse before they started to look better. The Guardian of Dream's rounded face winced visibly as he got closer to the boy.

He was right; the wounds that assailed the boy's body did look worse. The bruises on his face had darkened to shades of purple and black, the bandages that rested over the cuts on his cheek were not enough to hide the angry red that encircled the wounds. Any patch of flesh that wasn't covered in gauze was a shade other than the spirit's normally pale skin.

Sandy even noticed that the boy had faint circles around his eyes, no doubt from the lack of actual rest he was allowed to receive. Sandy wasn't stupid, he knew that Pitch had more than likely cast nightmare after nightmare on the boy during his time of imprisonment. It seemed to him that the only attribute on the boy's body that remained unchanged was his snow-white hair.

He hadn't noticed it before, but even the teen's breathing came out in raspy breaths. Tears stung at Sandy's eyes as he wished he could take some of the pain away from his friend. It wasn't fair, he had just become a Guardian, he'd barely had time to actually go out and earn believers of his own before Pitch had done this to him. Everything was so new to Jack, his life was supposed to be getting better, he was supposed to be part of a happy new life, with a family and a home. Not this, this wasn't supposed to happen.

The smallest squeak pulled the Guardian of Dreams out of his thoughts. He blinked his lids rapidly as he tried to keep the build up of moisture from escaping from his eyes. Once he was sure the tears wouldn't fall he looked down at the source of the chirp and was met with Baby Tooth staring back up at him worryingly.

She had woken a short while ago, about an hour or so after North and Bunnymund had left the room, she was worried sick about Tooth and Jack and had flew back and forth between them frantically before Sandy was able to settle her down. After she had looked over Tooth, she made a decision that had honestly surprised the golden man. She had decided to nestle herself beside Jack, and not with Tooth. Maybe it was because she knew that Jack was hurting more.

Sandy smiled the best he could at the tiny fairy, giving her a thumbs up as a sign that he was okay. She chirped with uncertainty before fluttering over to Jack's hair, curling into the side of his head.

With Sandy's dreams being the only way for Jack to escape his pain, he wasted no more time in summoning a stream of golden sand over the boy, adding to the mass that was already there. Jack would not suffer in his dreams, not if he had anything to say about it. He watched intensely as the sand shifted, forming new images of a brand new dream. As he watched the dream unfold it warmed his aching heart, and a smile found itself onto his round face.

Jack's Dream

The night air was frigid, biting into the skin of anyone who dared to wallow out into it, but for a certain winter spirit, it had no effect. The weather reports in North Carolina were calling for snow that night. Anywhere from four to eight inches were being called for across the state, and Jack was going to make sure the reports were right.

He hollered in delight as the wind hurled his body through the night sky, over the thick clouds that glowed blue with the moon's light. The clouds were thickening upon his arrival, barely holding in the flakes of snow that were predicted to fall that night.

Right now he was positioned over the city of Charlotte, flying wildly over its brightly lit neighborhoods and city streets. He loved cities like this, located right in the middle of the United States. There was something special about areas like this because they valued the sight of snow so much more than those who live in places like New York or Canada.

In places farther north, snow was nothing special, it was expected, a part of life, nothing out of the ordinary. But here, it was an event; even if he made two inches of snow the children would be giddy with wonder and excitement. The very sight of snowflakes sparked happiness in them, and finally the conditions were just right for him to give them a really good storm.

He slowed his speed down a bit as he came lower to the ground, not wanting to smack into a tree or telephone pole on accident. He grinned mischievously as he frosted trees, cars, mailboxes and anything else he could get into contact with.

Just as he was about to glide out of the heavily treed neighborhood he came abruptly to a halt, landing with a slight tap on top of one of the street lights.

Crying…he had heard someone crying hadn't he?

His blue eyes searched as his ears reached for the sound. It wasn't long before he heard a child whimper and sniffle faintly. He knew this wasn't the type of crying over something arbitrary or unimportant, this child was really hurting. After 300 years of living he knew the difference between a spoiled kid crying over not getting something they wanted and a child that was hurting over something that was actually important.

He whirled around searching for the crying form; the strings on his frosted hoody swaying lightly as he did. There was no use in calling out, he knew that, but looking for the kid couldn't hurt.

He took to the air again and flew further down the street he was on. Upon reaching the corner of the street he took a right, eyes still searching for the child.

His body jerked slightly as he stopped, eying a tiny form curled up on one of the driveways.

He dropped down onto the street, holding his staff tightly as he approached what appeared to be a little girl around the age of eight or nine. She was sitting on the edge of her driveway, knees drawn up against her chest with her arms around them. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she stared hazily in front of her.

"Come on, what are you doing out here at night? It's way too cold to be just sitting out here." Jack said in concern as he approached the upset girl.

She didn't move, clearly not hearing a word he was saying.

"You'd think after becoming a Guardian things would be easier…" Jack sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

This girl needed to be inside, he knew that much. Where were her parents? Why weren't they looking out for her?

Jack knew he couldn't leave her, not until he was sure that she was safe from the cold, so without a second thought he walked up beside the girl and sat, laying his staff over his shoulder. He watched the girl in frustration as another sob escaped her chapped lips and she buried her face into her arms. He didn't try to touch her, because he knew he couldn't no matter how much he wanted to. Another sigh slipped through his lips as he looked up at the sky.

"I wonder why you're hurting so much…" He said softly.

He got his answer a few minutes later when the sound of yelling emanated from the brick house at the end of the driveway. One of the voices was male while the other was female. He couldn't make out any of the words they were saying but he didn't need to. He knew that those voices belonged to the girl's parents. They were fighting, and it sounded horrible.

"Now it makes sense…." He said sadly as the girl shivered and shed a few more tears.

Jack did his best to fend off the chilled air and the freezing wind coming from the storm he had brought with him, but it wasn't doing much. The little girl continued to shiver and he could now hear the chattering of her teeth in the quiet night. He fumbled with one of the strings to his hoodie as he racked his brain for ideas on how to fix this.

"Oh!" He said happily as his eyes widened and a smile sprang forth onto his face. "I know what will cheer you up!"

As quickly as he could he rose to his feet and looked up at the thick clouds.

"Hey wind! Take me to the skies!" He shouted enthusiastically his eyes shining with determination.

The wind listened to his command and instantly lifted him into the air, shooting him towards the clouds. He gripped his staff firmly as he held it out in front of him. Electric blue raced through the wooden rod and shot out the G shaped end. He watched proudly as the blue sank into the storm clouds above him.

"Come on, time for a snowstorm." He whispered expectantly as he waited for the first flakes to fall.

The seconds crawled, but finally the first thick flake fell through the air. Another and another followed it, and soon snowflakes were raining down everywhere. He turned towards the ground and raced back down to the distraught girl he had left, hoping that his gift would be enough to lift her spirits.

Once he landed he saw the girl standing, grinning wide at the flakes that fell into her hair and onto her clothes, sticking there like glue. No longer was she crying, though there was still a damp trail left behind on her rosy cheeks, besides that there were no signs that she had been upset. She giggled happily as the white flakes continued to gather on herself and on the world around her.

"Snow!" She shouted before jumping up and down in delight.

"It's snowing! It's snowing! It's snowing!"

Jack couldn't help but laugh along with her, he was beyond happy at seeing the once distressed child was now bouncing around her driveway in excitement.

"Glad you like it kiddo." He said as another lopsided grin found its way onto his face.

He was about to turn and leave when the girl said something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Jack Frost is here…" She whispered in awe as she reached out her tiny hands and caught some of the snowflakes.

Jack felt his heart beat faster in his chest as she spoke his name, holding onto his staff so tightly that his knuckles were white. He knew that she didn't believe in him yet, because she hadn't seen him, but still, she said his name like she did.

He turned slowly, waiting, hoping that the girl would see him. If she did, she would be one of the first to believe in him after receiving his title as a Guardian.

"I'm here…right in front of you…" He breathed as the girl continued to smile at the snow.

"Thank you Jack…I was sad, because my parents are fighting, but you made it better." She said softly. "You're real aren't you? I've heard stories about you…I think you are…"

Jack walked carefully towards the girl, watching her like a hawk, searching for any sign that she might recognize his existence, but not yet. Nothing was there yet; she was still searching, still looking for that belief.

He crouched down in front of her, once again placing his staff over his shoulder, looking up at her hazel eyes.

"I'm right here, come on, you must know it by now." He said with a hint of desperation in his voice. "Please…see me."

The little girl closed her eyes, feeling the cold air around her, nipping at her nose. "I believe in you…Jack Frost."

There it was, those words he was dying to hear. His heart leaped into his throat at he sat frozen as a statue in front of the girl.

Her eyes slipped back open and narrowed before widening to the size of saucers. "J-jack frost…" She gasped, jaw hanging agape as she looked at the boy who had suddenly appeared in front of her. He was unlike any other person she had ever seen. Barefoot in the bitter cold, wearing disheveled brown pants, a modern looking blue hoodie with frost patterns littered across it. His hair was white as snow and his eyes an icy blue; clutched in his fingers he held what appeared to be a large wooden stick. What also surprised her was that he was staring back at her with the same wide-eyed expression.

"You can…you can see me?" He asked with apprehension clear in his voice.

"Y-yes." She said without hesitation, her face still awe struck with wonder.

She flinched slightly as he jumped into the air excitedly, laughing and hollering like a child that had just gotten the best toy in the world.

"You can see me! Yes!" Jack shouted happily before landing back on the ground again, flashing a lopsided grin at her. The girl looked back at him for another moment before a smile slowly formed on her face.

"You are real! I knew it!" She cried before jumping up and down again. Then she did something he wasn't prepared for. In one big leap she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his thin body in a snug embrace. She continued to laugh, and the air that escaped her lips tickled his ear.

He froze a moment, his brain not working properly. Sure this had happened with Jamie already, but this believer was brand new, and the feeling of being believed in was something he was still getting used too.

Finally he snapped out of his reverie and returned the embrace, hugging her back as warmly as he could manage.

"Thank you Jack!" She said loudly as she detached herself from him.

He laughed again as she let go of him, "I should be thanking you…um"

"Jenny, my name is Jenny!" She said happily.

"Jenny." He said, nodding in confirmation, his hair bouncing slightly as he did.

"Why should you thank me though?" She asked curiously, her hazel eyes wide as she continued to take in the image of the boy in front of her.

"Because, you believe in me, and when you believe in me, you can see me. It means that you acknowledge me as your Guardian." He explained proudly.

She nodded in understanding before a giggle escaped her, "I always thought you had elf ears."

He couldn't stop the laughter that tore through him. "Yeah most people do think of me that way." He said as he felt a tinge of embarrassment.

"But it doesn't matter, you're better than anything I've imagined." She said warmly. A moment of silence and snowfall passed before Jenny spoke again.

"I'm so glad…I got to see you." She whispered.

He smiled and stood to his feet, "I'm glad you see me too, you have no idea."

Jack knew that he couldn't keep Jenny out much longer, he could see her shivering more violently and red flush on her cheeks and nose growing brighter.

"Listen, you need to go back inside, it's really cold out here and it's getting late."

Just as the words left his lips he heard the sound of a glass door opening.

"Jenny, get inside right now, it's freezing out here! You can play in the snow tomorrow!"

Jack knew that was her mother calling out. Jenny spun around and shouted back, "I'm coming mom, let me just say bye to Jack Frost first!"

Jack grinned widely at the thought of how funny that must sound to the girl's mother.

To his surprise her mother laughed. "Okay honey, but then come inside!"

"I will" Jenny called back quickly before turning back to Jack.

"Will I see you again?" She asked quickly.

The question threw him off for a second, this girl already wanted to know when she would see him again? Many emotions swelled in his heart before he could muster up the confidence to answer.

"Of course, how about tomorrow?" He said cheerfully. "We can have a snowball fight."

Her face lit up like a Christmas tree at those words, "you mean it?"

He nodded back, "of course!"

One again he felt the girl latch herself onto him before letting go quickly. "Then I'll see you tomorrow!" She shouted as she turned and sped off down her driveway. "Bye Jack!" She shouted before opening the door to her home.

"Bye Jenny!" He called back, smiling ear to ear.

He sighed in content, completely taken over by the feeling of happiness. He found another believer, and it had merely been a few weeks since becoming a Guardian. This was just the beginning, the more believers he found the more powerful he would become, and the more believers there would be.

The night couldn't get much better, well except for the fact he still had a snowstorm to spread.

He was just about to jump into the night sky when pain suddenly shot through his entire back. A harsh gasp escaped his lips as he fell back to the ground, his staff falling idly beside him.

The pain continued to twist through him, causing his body to shake and his hands to clench into fists. He leaned forward, curling into himself, his breath coming harshly as the agony assailed his back. He had no idea what was going on, he wasn't hurt, so there was no reason for the pain he was feeling. Panic built up in his chest as he silently begged for the pain to stop. The snow fell harder in response to his desperation, the wind picking up and swirling it around him.

"I'm still here Jack."

A silky voice slithered through his mind, echoing in his head harshly before fading away. His eyes jumped around, looking for the source. Instead his eyes found his staff, he weakly reached out for it, needing to have it in his grasp desperately.

"Your dreams are not as safe as you think…"

The voice came again, ringing loudly in his ears. Another wave of pain wracked through his backside and he had to fight back the whimpers that desperately wished to flee from his lips.

"This is just the beginning…"

As the last words crashed through his mind like a tidal wave, he found that all of the pain suddenly stopped. His breaths came rapidly, his chest heaving up and down erratically. His fingers searched for his staff, claiming it desperately as he felt the wood brush against his fingertips. He trembled slightly as he sat up, looking around fearfully. Everything around him was the same. He was still at the edge of Jenny's driveway.

All he could do was sit there, brushing his fingers against his back, only to feel smooth skin residing underneath his hoodie.

"What…what j-just h-happened…?"