Child's Play 3
For those who haven't read Finding Understanding or Mating Seasons Jack and Bunny are mates/lovers, and Pitch became the Guardian of Courage after the Guardians discover that he is in essence Jack's grandfather (Jack being reborn through the magic of MiM and Mother Nature/Seraphina, Pitch's daughter) and has been watching over Jack for 300 years even if they rarely spoke and Jack did turn him away. It's still a rather tense relationship between Pitch and the other Guardians as he doesn't exactly see himself as one of them and they have trouble with his past crimes against children and the constellations, especially Bunny.
Sandy's smile fell as his eyes darted from each of his fellow Guardians back to Jack and then to his feet in embarrassment. He began fidgeting as images appeared above his head. Everyone stared at him in confusion, their expression going from questioning to confused to shocked.
"Sandy?" Tooth asked when the images sped up too fast for her to keep up with and even North was having trouble deciphering everything their friend was saying.
Pitch on the other hand watched intently, his brows furrowing. "What do you mean Bunny's asleep? He should have woken up hours ago." Anger started to darken his face. "You put to sleep? What on Earth for?"
More images flew over Sandy's head, faster now as he tried to explain exactly why Bunny had not responded to the signal.
Now Pitch looked confused and even took a step back. "Jack and Bunny have been fighting lately," he told the others before sighing. "Jack said they'd been having problems." As the newest Guardian and the others former enemy it was hard for them to confide in Pitch but Jack – who had a better handle on what it was like not to be believed in and the loneliness Pitch had experienced for so – told Pitch just about everything. He turned to Pitch for advice when he had issues he didn't think anyone else could help him with, usually issues with his mate. Pitch watched as Sandy explained what he learned from Bunny which wasn't much different from what Jack had told him only the day before. "Jack wanted to have more kits now that Eamon and his sister have grown up but Bunny refused." He blinked in surprise. "Jack left Bunny. They broke up."
Tooth gasped. "What?" she asked just as surprised.
North nodded as if that explained everything. "I thought something might have happened when he returned early yesterday afternoon. He didn't wish to speak of it but I knew he was upset."
Pitch shook his head, trying to keep up with Sandy but now the images were blurring together. "Sanderson, slow down. Bunny what? Alright, alright…he wanted to sleep. For how long? Well go wake him up!"
Sandy jumped back in surprise and then frowned at the taller dreamweaver, his eyes narrowing and sand blowing out his ears. Then with a huff he flew off, much to North's and Tooth's bewilderment. Normally Sandy would have given Pitch more of an ear full – or in this case eye full – before even budging but this time he hurried off with little more than a glare.
"Maybe we should get Jack to bed," Tooth finally said as she brushed her fingers through Jack's hair. "He's so sleepy."
"Dah," North agreed, reluctantly to move from his comfy spot cradling his now miniaturized adoptive son. "I suppose we should. Although I must admit I rather enjoy holding him."
She smiled sweetly at her two boys. "I know but your back will cramp if you sit still for too long. Come on, hun."
Pitch rolled his eyes as North adjusted Jack's sleeping form before awkwardly getting up. The man obviously had little to no experience with children. Nonetheless the Nightmare King couldn't stop looking at Little Jack. The sight of the child so young and small and utterly defenseless tugged at something deep in his heart. He felt a need he hadn't felt in many long years and before he could stop himself he had stepped up to North. "North…may I hold him?" he asked, not realizing his words until they had already left his mouth. He expected the Russian to say no and claim the child for himself, but after only a moment of inner debate North very carefully laid Jack in the shade's arms.
"Of course, Kozmotis," the white haired man said with a gentle smile, as if to remind Pitch that he was one of the Guardians now and all was forgiven.
Pitch would have made a snarky remark but he was completely enthralled by the sleeping child in his arms. Oh it had been so long since he held a child, especially one so small and fragile; not since Seraphina was a toddler. Holding Jack was just like holding her the only exception being Jack was a boy with shocking snowy white hair rather than raven black. Regardless, the peacefulness of Jack's sleeping face was so similar to Seraphina that it made Pitch's heart soar. He didn't hear North's chuckle or Tooth's cooing, not until North took his elbow and steered him toward the lift.
"How you ever became Boogeyman I will never know," North remarked with a chuckle. "You scare children yet you love them as much as we do if not more."
"Button it, old man, before you wake him up and I have to do something drastic in retaliation," Pitch warned although his voice was far from threatening.
North and Tooth exchanged a look and smiled at one another.
"The most powerful weapon against the Boogeyman," Tooth said with a soft giggle. "A baby Jack Frost."
"Shut it," Pitch said firmly, not once looking up from the child in his arms. Jack was a beautiful boy, all soft and pale and pure perfection. Whatever he had done to become this small child was extremely foolish but Pitch wouldn't complain. How often was Jack Frost so sweet and quiet without having some silly prank up his sleeve? And if this was a prank…well they will deal with it when the time came.
. . .
Sandy arrived at the Warren in record time. He was still fuming over Pitch's attitude. He was the Sandman man not some errand boy. Okay, so he had been the one to put Bunny asleep but he had been asked and honestly thought whatever the problem was that they had been called for could have been handled without the Pooka. How was he supposed to know that Jack had somehow changed himself into a toddler? And how exactly was he supposed to wake Bunny up? Sandy specialized in putting people to sleep not waking them up.
He flew to Bunny's borough hidden in a large thicket. Next to a small vegetable garden sat a large bucket of water. Grinning with mischief, he grabbed the handle and carried it into the borough and down the hall to the master room deep underground. Inside the room, curled up on a nest of grass, fur and leaves, lay Bunny deep in sleep and having happy dreams. It was almost a shame to have to wake the Pooka, Sandy had spent a lot of time conjuring that particular dream for him. Oh well, he could always make his friend a new dream once Jack was back to normal.
Sandy pulled back his dreamsand from Bunny and then, using his dreamsand, he lifted to bucket above Bunny's head and turned it over, dumping its contents all over the Pooka.
Bunny jolted awake with a surprise cry. "Frostbite!" he snarled, rearing back. His fur, although wet, went on end and claws extracted. He looked about wildly before his gaze settled on Sandy. The anger left and confusion replaced it. "Sandy?" he asked as he forcibly retracted his claws. He brushed a paw over his the wet fur of his head and ears. "Have you lost it, mate? I could have gutted you if you weren't made of sand."
The little man laughed silently, gracing his friend with a large smile before growing serious. Sand images appeared above his head as he – very slowly, Bunny was still half asleep after all – tried to explain the situation.
Bunny shook his head in confusion and it took two more tries before the Pooka got all the sleep out of his eyes. "What? Jack… Is something wrong with Jack?"
Sandy nodded but before he could explain further Bunny had leapt off the bed and was already racing toward the tunnel that led to Santoff Claussen. The dreamweaver blew sand out of his ears once more as he gave chase. Nobody ever listened to him. He just hoped Bunny opened the tunnel inside the fortress and not outside otherwise he would be frozen solid long before he reached the ice elf.