Larrin still refused to speak to any of them. A full day had passed since Jack had regretfully told her of her...condition, and she was still silent as death. Most of the day she just stared straight ahead with dull dead eyes. She just didn't understand. And nothing Jack, Joey, or Pitch said made her any less confused or hurt. She felt so empty, but the uncomfortable feeling of something inside of her made sure she knew better. The immortal child of the Nightmare King grew abnormally fast and it made her squeamish.

"Please, you need to eat!" Jack was trying to plead with Larrin, offering her a bowl of steaming soup for the dozenth time. Larrin didn't even bat an eye, just stared right through Jack and the soup. Jack sighed heavily and looked to Pitch, asking what to do. But Pitch could only shrug. Hell if he knew how to reach the girl. All he'd ever been able to do was hurt her, make her afraid. Now he wanted to help, to comfort, but he was sure he would mess it up and just make it worse. So he stood to the side, praying for something to help.

"Let me." They were all startled by the female voice. Even Larrin blinked and looked to her left before the blankness returned. Seraphina took the bowl from Jack, who dumbly surrendered the meal and uncomfortably stood by Pitch and Joey. The latter was obviously just as confused as Jack, but Pitch glowered at Mother Nature. He had not wanted Seraphina to come see Larrin. But, amazingly, it looked like Larrin was responding to his daughter's care! She let Seraphina slip a spoonful of soup past her chapped lips, and a bit of sparkle came back to Larrin's eyes.

"Who are you?" Jack finally summoned the nerve to ask.

"Seraphina Pitchiner, Mother Nature, Pitch's daughter, take your pick." Larrin's eyes flicked from Seraphina to Pitch and back before a low shudder went through her. "I don't like it either my dear. But he was a good father at first. Before the Shadows took him." Seraphina confided to the still silent girl. Pitch's eyes narrowed even more, and he pointedly ignored the looks of shock coming from Jack and Joey. Seraphina offered another spoonful and Larrin took this too, a bit of color returning to her cheeks.

"I thought you weren't going to show unless she asked for you." Pitch pointed out.

"Obviously she needed me. Never send a boy to do a woman work, no offense Jack." Jack was shocked to hear she knew about him. Seraphina noticed as much and gave him a gentle smile. "I know all about you Jack. I was there when you were reborn. I was the one who asked MiM to make you an elemental. A Frost Spirit. I guess in a way, I'm your mother." Well that was just weird for both Jack and Pitch.

"So Pitch would be like...my grandfather?" He made a disgusted face and Pitch too looked less than thrilled. Larrin watched their reactions to this and an honest, if not small, smile touched her lips for the first in nearly three days. They all immediately noticed it. But as quickly as it was there, it was gone and she was staring blankly again. Seraphina sighed and soothed back the girl's hair over her shoulders and out of her face. She'd almost broken the shell, but it would take some time for Larrin to be okay with what was happening. Especially surrounded by three men and no woman to take care of her. But Seraphina was intent on changing that, whether Pitch wanted her there or not. Despite her distaste for how her father ended up, Seraphina did still care greatly for the man he used to be. And this girl, the poor child, may be the key to bringing him back. She needed Larrin as much as Larrin needed her.

"One more bite, just one." Seraphina coaxed, feeding the spoon into Larrin's mouth. True to her word, Seraphina didn't make her take another. Instead she put the bowl down and helped Larrin lay back, humming a gentle melody. "Baby steps honey. Don't you worry. Everything is going to be okay." She promised, stroking Larrin's cheek. The younger girl kept her eyes locked on Seraphina's until the fuzzy peace of sleep crept into her vision and she fell into a dream. Pitch, tempted as he was, let the dream sand be, not turning it dark. Seraphina kept a close eye on him all the same. It wouldn't do for him to give her a nightmare. Not now that she was finally sleeping after two days! Once she was sure Larrin was asleep, she gingerly slid off the bed.

"How did you-" Joey began.

"I'm Mother Nature honey. I can do everything. Now, there's much to be done. Her pregnancy will only take nine weeks, rather than months. That means a high risk pregnancy. She can't have anything stressing her. That means you make him mortal again Pitch." She pointed to Joey and sent a glare at her father. The proud Nightmare King only snorted a laugh.

"You must be daft if you think I'm going to just let you come in and call the shots now Seraphina." He narrowed his eyes darkly, but Seraphina didn't back down.

"Look Pitch you want her live don't you?" He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. "Then you should listen to me. She loves her brother, deeply. Seeing him like this, it's breaking her heart. It's making her give up hope. Without hope, a person has nothing." Seraphina said with a deathly harshness in her tone. Pitch and her stared at each other for a full minute before the Nightmare King growled and stormed away. Seraphina was about to yell after him when suddenly Joey started swaying.

"Joey, are you okay?" Jack demanded, concern flooding his tone. Despite being a fearling, Jack still liked Joey. And he was concerned that something would happen to his friend. Seraphina stood back though, knowing what was happening. Maybe she was getting through to Pitch after all. The change only took five minutes before an exhausted Joey was human again, leaning against Jack with a blank expression. "What happened?" Jack looked at Seraphina with a questioning fear in his eyes. His "mother" only looked at Joey before sighing and crouching next to the empty eyed boy.

"How do you feel young one?" She asked, running her fingers through his bangs to sweep them back from his face. He looked like he might be in shock, but only mildly. He locked eyes with Mother Nature and his breathing started to even out. She smiled at him as he started calming down and then back at Jack. "Jack I think it's time you learned what kind of man Pitch is. It's time both of you do. He used to be a general. He fought in the war against Dream Pirates and Shadow Men. And he was sent to guard the prison planet where they were kept. After years of being taunted by them, they finally got to him by convincing him I was trapped in their cells with them. When he opened the door to save me, they corrupted him. Made him Pitch Black. But I believe, as I always have, that there is still a portion of the man he one was inside of him. And I am sorry she is suffering, but I believe Larrin is the key to bringing him back." Jack's face got pale as he listened to her explanation.

He didn't want to be hearing this. He wanted to hate Pitch for everything he'd ever done to him and the Guardians. To Larrin. But instead he found himself pitying Pitch. His "grandfather" so to speak. It was an odd concept, but one that oddly enough made sense to him. He felt guilty for refusing Pitch years ago. He felt like it wasn't completely the Boogeyman's fault that all this was happening. And besides, the Guardians had kinda brushed him off to be alone for forever after the Dark Ages. And then after defeating him, no one had gone to check on him. Even after they saw him be dragged away by his Nightmares. They were just as bad as he was.

"You miss him." Jack stated as these thoughts raced lightning fast through his head. One glance at Seraphina and he knew his statement was truth. She was surprised by the boy's boldness, but she gave him a weak smile.

"He was a good father to me. He loved me. And my mother. I've missed him every day since this all started." She admitted. Jack nodded. Joey had by this time passed out. The exhaustion of changing back into a mortal and finding out his captor had a good honest life before becoming evil was too much for him. Jack picked up the deceptively heavy kid and they brought him back to Larrin's room. When the girl woke up, hopefully not for a while as she needed sleep, it would be to a mortal brother by her side. Jack glanced at Seraphina, who smoothed both of the kids hair. She was a remarkably stunning woman. Could she really be his mother?

"Why did you choose me? Why ask MiM to make me your frost spirit?" He finally asked the question that had nagged at him. Seraphina only smiled, taking Jack into her arms. He didn't resist her, though it was weird. He'd only been hugged by North, Tooth, and Jamie. Sandy was more of a pat on the back guy and Bunny didn't touch him. And North only gave him the occasional hug in passing. Any hug he got still sent tingles up his spine. This one especially. Being in such close contact with the woman who had made him...it was spooky. But he hugged her back, all the angst and frustration and pain from the last days poured out as he started crying on her shoulder.

"You are special Jack Frost. You are special and you are my child." She murmured. And for the first time in his life, he really felt like he was special. That he did have a place and a family. Not even the Guardians had made him feel this way. And it all just made him cry harder.

OOOOO

Pitch, begrudgingly, thanked Seraphina for helping out when she appeared to tell him she had to go. She had given him a smile, and instructions on how to act and what to do when Larrin woke up. And despite being annoyed, he listen and committed it all to memory. He may not like Seraphina being around or helping with Larrin, but she was the only one who was able to get through to the girl, or so it seemed.

He took a seat next to Larrin's bed with an Edgar Allan Poe book, one of his guilty pleasure, to keep an eye on her. He wasn't sure how exactly she would react if she woke up to see him sitting there. Nor how she would react if she woke up alone. He figured if she woke up and wanted to talk to him, or yell at him, he would be there. And if not, then he would leave. But he would be there. Sometime a few hours later, Jack too came in and took a seat near Larrin's bed.

"So." Jack murmured.

"So." Pitch agreed.

"Should I start calling you Grandpa?" He couldn't fight the little smirk on his face.

"Bite me Frost." Pitch growled. And though neither of them saw it, Larrin smiled ever so slightly.