Lol, I hope everyone enjoyed Jack's and Pitch's bath time XD that turned out better than I thought it would. I was tempted to have everyone get muddy but... All I kept thinking was my son and me at camp time trying to splash my ex, wouldn't have been the same if everyone joined in. Hehe..may the cuteness continue!

Child's Play 15

North held Jack tightly but just as he turned to enter the portal back to Santoff Claussen he heard Tooth gasp, Bunny stifle a giggle and Pitch laughing far louder than he ever heard the man before. He turned back to see Sandy blowing sand out his ears as he glared the shade.

"Now Sandy, calm down it was just a little fun, no harm done," Pitch was saying, his hands up in surrender as the rather soggy looking Sandman bared down on him. "I was just trying to get the mud off." But the smirk on his thin lips said other wise. There was a teasing, challenging grin there that belayed a playful mischievous nature one would normally associate with Jack Frost not Pitch Black.

Shaking his head North stepped through the portal. The two dreamweavers could fend for themselves and he caught the wink Sandy sent his way before forming his sand whips. Whatever the two of them were up to he didn't want to part take. He had a sleeping child to contend to and a Man in the Moon to question.

Tooth giggled at Sandy and Pitch as she moved to follow North. "So you two...hmm...behave yourselves," she called to the two.

"Doubtful," Bunny muttered, hesitant to leave even if Sandy was grinning.

"Put away the whips before I dunk you in the stream," Pitch warned the Sandman but there was a hint of laughter in his voice. "Sandy...Sandy...wait! No, I just had a bath!"

Tooth flinched as Pitch was thrown back into the water. "Yeah, I think they're fine," she said before darting after North.

"Bloody gumbies," Bunny muttered. He hopped toward the portal when Sandy cracked his whip, a sure sign he was next if he made one more quip about them. "Going, going. Have fun."

At the Pole North carried Jack to his room, his mind still trying to calm from the panic of losing the child. He never felt such panic before, not even when Pitch was there enemy and had kidnapped Jack. No, this was primal, almost like those old saying of mother bears. Well if a mama bear was dangerous than the papas must have been absolutely deadly. His head had all but ceased when Bunny had told him Jack was missing and if he hadn't been a spirit he may have had a heart attack right on the spot. He never ever wanted to feel that helpless again. The world was a very big place for one small child to get lost in. Although it was rather funny finding Pitch out of everyone giving the boy a bath. but he couldn't help but wonder what the former general meant by Jack and Manny having a talk. Did MiM lure Jack away from Bunny just to talk? Manny did love Jack even if he had a funny way of showing it, and North was almost certain he was the one behind Jack's change, but why? What could Manny gain from changing Jack into such a tiny and helpless being? Would this change last forever and was Manny going to change him back? It had already been three weeks and while North wasn't complaining, he loved Jack with all his heart and enjoyed every moment they spent together, summer was half way over and Jack would need to start his duties soon. Surely he couldn't do them in this state. However, North was reluctant to let this little version go. He liked caring for this little Jack just as much as he loved watch over the boy's older version.

He wanted to bang his head off a wall. He'd like to think he could let Jack go so he could grow up once more but a part of him knew that it would be nearly impossible. Why couldn't he have the same amount of time with Jack as a normal parent? It was selfish he knew. Jack had his own life to live, was already a parent himself but North couldn't help wishing that he could keep little Jack forever.

When he reached Jack's room he laid the child on the large bed, arranged the pillows around him and set about finding the child something to wear. He didn't bother pulling out one of the costumes this time, only a pair of little trousers and a sweater, clean underwear and flurry slippers. He dressed Jack slowly, savouring every moment and wondering just how much time he had left with this small boy that had changed his life so much in such a short time. It was sort of like when Jack first joined them so long ago. They had all been so set in their ways and even after the battle with Pitch had been set to return to their regular routines, but Jack had turned that all upside-down. He had made them a family, had bridged the gap between the Guardians and Pitch. In under five years Jack had accomplished that which North couldn't, he had changed Pitch's dark heart and made him a Guardian. Jack was the glue that held them all together no matter what form he took.

"It doesn't matter," North said softly to himself as he stretched out next to the child. "You'll be my son no matter how big or small you are."

Bunny watched from the door, a small frown creasing his lips as Tooth flew past him to lay on the other side of Jack and comfort North. They were like a happy little family together. A father, mother and child. As much as he loved Jack seeing this just made him feel completely out of place. Regardless of the cause North finally got the little family he always wanted. Too bad the one member was once Bunny's entire world. He turned away from the scene before him and hurried away, feeling more lost than ever before and wishing with all his heart that his Jack would return to him.

Sorry for the short chapter, I promise we'll find out what MiM is up too soon.