Icy Shadows

Summary: After visiting Jamie, Jack finds some fearlings attacking someone. He rescues the person only to find out its...a injured teenage Pitch? How did that happen? Jack/Pitch

Finally got around to writing this chapter. And guess what? I actually really enjoyed writing this chapter. I didn't feel like what I was writing was terrible, I was actually thinking this was going really well.

...

Oh my god! That must mean it's awful doesn't it?

Chapter 13

The wind howled, whipping through the snow and tossing the flakes into a snow flurry, making it impossible to see beyond a few steps in front of him. The air was freezing and as it hit him, along with the snow, that felt more like ice daggers to his skin, he felt his body grow painfully numb, after shivering for so long.

Is this really a good idea?

"Shut up, brain!"

Pitch's words were said through gritted, chattering, teeth as he dragged his feet through the snow. One good thing about the cold was that he could no longer feel the aching pain in his arm and his leg, both them having protested from the minute he had left Santoff Clausen.

As much as he wanted his crutches, or even his wheelchair, Pitch knew they would only slow him down, even before he realised just how deep the snow was. And he had to get out of Santoff Clausen immediately.

Did you really have to?

"I said shut up!" Pitch growled.

He was getting extremely annoyed now. He could hardly see at all where he was going through this storm, he was freezing cold and he probably made both his arm and leg even worse then before; he did not need a lecture coming from his own mind to add to that.

You know you could have avoided that if you had just stayed and waited for Jack's-

"W-What did I just say?" Pitch snapped, cursing as his chattering teeth made him stuttered and took away most of the menacing threat from his tone.

I'm your mind. I can't exactly shut up, there's not exactly a switch on or off button, you know.

"There should be..." Pitch muttered, "Anyway, you've shut up when I've told you before!"

Yes, but that wasn't when you were doing something stupid, like this!

"Oh great, my brain is contradicting itself now!"

You know that's not the point.

Pitch let out an annoyed snarl, completely fed up, "Well, if you don't want me dead, I suggest you kindly remained silent, for one minute, so I can find some shelter from this storm!"

I know where there is shelter. All you have to do is turn around and go back.

"Not that shelter!" Pitch screamed. If he wasn't so cold and past caring at this point, he would be thankful for the storm, wiping out the sound of his voice and covering him from sight, so no one could hear or see him yelling at himself.

Pray tell me, what exactly are you trying to accomplish here?

"I'm not trying to accomplish anything! I just don't want to be there anymore! North said I could stay there as long as I want, and I've stayed there as long as I wanted, so now I'm leaving! How is that hard to comprehend?!"

It's hard to comprehend, because we both know that you're lying.

"Oh, play another record!" Pitch yelled crossly, pulling his arms tighter around himself as he shivered.

You left because you were scared of how Jack would respond to that kiss.

"I just said play another flipping record!"

I will not! His brain shouted and Pitch jumped, surprised to hear just how angry it was.

You keep trying to fight me, when you know what I'm saying is right! You know the logical thing to do was just wait and see Jack's reaction. If he feels the same, great, if not, it'll be heartbreaking, yes, but you can at least focus on your friendship instead.

"It's not that simple!"

Only because you make it not! Only because you are so afraid that, at any chance of happiness you actually get, you just throw it away, before it even gets a chance! You know what, Pitch Black, you are a coward!

"I'M NOT A COWARD!"

Silence.

The wind howled once more, sending several more icy daggers into his face. His teeth were clattering so violently, Pitch felt they were even louder than the roaring wind. But there was no angry yell or snarky comeback from his brain whatsoever.

Pitch felt tears streaming down his face, freezing on his grey cheeks and making him even colder. But he ignored that. Fists clenched tightly, he seethed violently, waiting, just waiting, for his mind to say that again, so he could attacked it viciously with poisonous words. How dare it? How dare it call him a coward?

"I'm not a coward!" He shouted again.

Still there was answer.

Confusion wormed its way through him and Pitch paused. Anger dwindling for a second, he tried to figure out why his brain, which was just happy yelling at him mere seconds ago, had now gone deadly quiet.

"I'm not a coward." He repeated once more but quieter this time, "I'm n-"

And then he realised.

All this time, he had been arguing with this voice in his head, acting as if it was some external voice not actually connected to himself. Sure, he called it his brain and his mind, making snide comments on the fact he was talking to himself. But calling something out as it is and actually fully acknowledging that fact were two very different things.

He hadn't been arguing with some voice with thoughts of its own. He was arguing with himself, his thoughts and opinions, and he was just so caught up in his mindset that he couldn't be with Jack that he just pretending they weren't his own just to make pushing them away easier. Because he was just too afraid.

His brain was right.

"I am a coward." He whispered.

Dropping down onto the ground, he raked both hands through his hair and let out a choked sob.

"I'm a coward. A rotten coward."

He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled at his hair, so hard, he was surprised he couldn't feel any coming off. Not that he would care that he did. All he could think about was how his 'mind' had been right all along.

He could have been happy. He could have finally been Man in the Moon damn happy, if he just wasn't a coward. But no, once again he let his fears take control of him and now he was sitting out here in the snow, freezing to death, because of it.

He could change that. He could stand up now and make his way back to Santoff Clausen. He could find Jack and ask him if the kiss hadn't scared him off and whether he still wanted to remain friends or something more. He didn't know what Jack's response would be, but at least it would be something.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to get to his feet and just do all of that, he couldn't move from his spot off the ground. Despite the fact he had realised and accepted that he was a coward, it did not make the fear ago away. He was still too afraid!

"You stupid-" Pitch growled, scarcely believing himself.

Suddenly, several squawks cut him off and forced him to open his eyes. He glanced up, eyes widening at what he saw.

"Baby Tooth! What are you doing here?!"

Baby Tooth fluttered down and Pitch instantly reached up, letting her land on his cupped hands, and bringing her into her chest, in order to protect her from the cold. She was shivering like mad, her wings flapping at a much slower pace, having started to freeze over as she flew through the storm.

Yet she still managed to squawk crossly, her body language making her point clear, even if Pitch couldn't understand exactly what she was saying. 'I could ask you the same question!'

"You shouldn't be here!" Pitch said.

Baby Tooth huffed, again gesturing to him, telling him that he shouldn't be here either.

"Look, don't worry about me! I can take care of myself," He ignored the sarcastic look she pulled at that, "And you're only a tiny fairy. It's much too cold for you!"

Baby Tooth simply crossed her arms.

"And don't remind me. I know I left you in the Antarctic that one time, but there wasn't a storm and you were with Jack. Case's closed."

Baby Tooth rolled her eyes but didn't push it. Instead, thanks for the few moments of warmth Pitch had given her, Baby Tooth shot up and began pulling at Pitch's hair, trying to get tug him back to Santoff Clausen.

"Hey – ow! Stop that!"

'Well come on then!' Baby Tooth seemed to say as she let go and started towards Santoff Clausen, giving a loud exasperated shriek when Pitch did not follow.

"J-Just give me a minute."

Pitch could feel himself shaking but now he couldn't honestly tell if it was because of the cold or because of the fear, clenching him in its tight grip.

Baby Tooth screeched at him, clearly telling him that they didn't have a minute. She was about to attempt dragging him again when she stopped short. Her gaze was no longer focused on Pitch but behind him.

Pitch turned around and gasped.

For there stood a large black spiral, hissing angrily as it shadow devoured everything within its wake. The snowstorm seemed to drown out its noise, but if it wasn't for that, Pitch was pretty sure its roars would be heard for miles.

"A portal," He whispered.

Not just any old portal. His portal.

Often when he wanted a quick getaway in the past, he would use these to enter the shadows and disappear from sight. He did, on more than one occasion, used these to mess with the Guardians as well, taunting them from the shadows where they couldn't attack him (Pitch tried to ignore the thoughts that screamed that had been utterly cowardly). But they were mainly ways of escape.

At least they were, until the fearlings ripped his powers from him and caused him to lose that escape route.

Trapped and under the mercy of the fearlings, Pitch had long to see his portal again. But now, he was apprehensive. Mainly because of the sheer size of it.

Normally he didn't have to make the portal so big to use it; in fact, a lot of his portals he had used in the past were the size of his hand, hence why his enemies never saw him use them. For it to get this big, he must have been really distracted...or it had not been created for him at all.

Once more, Pitch did a quick internal search, trying to find the source of his powers, praying he wouldn't come up empty.

He was pleasantly surprised when he did feel a hint of them there. But that pleasantness faded when he realised the power he was feeling was very small. Meaning that his powers had sprung to full, while he had been too distraught to notice, and had conjured up the portal before fading to what they were now. Or he had just gotten a small dose of his power back now and the portal was not of his own making.

That did not help the apprehensive feeling one bit.

Baby Tooth finally got over her shock and swooped back, pulling at Pitch's sleeves as hard as she could, trying to get him away from the thing. Pitch moved in the direction she pulled, scared in case this wasn't his creation. But then he stopped.

If it was his portal, then it had been summoned because he needed it. For one, it would get him out of this freezing snowstorm much, much, quicker than walking back the way he came would do.

And, although Pitch still was uncertain of its origin, he had an inkling on what this portal was for.

It was an easy way out. A way out from having to face Jack and, most likely, his rejection. An escape route from having to face the Guardians reaction when they found out he had kissed Jack.

An option to run away from the situation entirely.

Pitch wished he had the voice in his head back. To have it yell at him, to call him out for even considering the cowardly option. But, he didn't, and that was what making the choice harder. He wasn't sure if he was brave enough to turn away.

Baby Tooth started speaking in again. Pitch looked at her and then back to the portal. Finally, he made his decision.

"Go back to Santoff Clausen, Baby Tooth."

Baby Tooth objected with a loud screech. But before she could do anything that might convince Pitch otherwise, Pitch suddenly flicked her from his shoulder.

Caught out by surprise, it took a few minutes to regain her balance and get her wings working against the storm again. During that time, Pitch had already stepped through the portal.

For a moment, Baby Tooth stared in shock at the black portal, watching as it begun to close, unsure what to do. She immediately thought of rushing back to Santoff Clausen to get the Guardians. But by then, who knows what trouble Pitch had gotten into.

The towering black spiral scared her though. For a second, she remembered when she had been separately forcibly from Jack in Pitch's lair. She remembered how fear had gripped her tiny form as the shadows had swallowed her and how she was unsure she would see Jack, her mother or her sisters ever again.

But then she remembered how she had instantly focused on the memories of all the good times with them and how they filled her with hope of seeing them again. And it wasn't long before she was back with Jack again and that had filled her with joy, even though they were trapped in that frozen alcove.

Now she was remembering all those moments she saw Jack and Pitch grow close together and, by the Man in the Moon himself, she wasn't about to let that idiot nightmare king throw it all away for nothing! Especially after she had spent ages flying out in the blizzard trying to find that idiot!

With a squawk that sounded like a battle cry, she flew straight into the portal, just as it fully shut, leaving nothing but the silent snowy landscape.

Only a hour or so before, Jack was searching frantically searching through the building, trying to find Pitch.

He had already searched, twice in fact, but he was praying that he had just zipped past him by accident and, by checking again, he would find Pitch resting in his hospital bed, or checking his new room, or reading in the living room, or eating a snack in the kitchen, or feeding the reindeers...or...or...

Jack let out a cry of frustration. Who was he kidding? Pitch was gone. Where, he did not know. Would he find him, he did not know.

Sinking back down to the hallway floor, Jack tugged at his hair. He barely noticed Baby Tooth next to a window that was opened by an inch, watching him in concern. Nor did he noticed Sandy, until the small man reached up and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Where did he go?"

Sandy sighed, unable to answer that question even with sand images. Jack pulled away, pacing the corridor.

"Why did he go? I mean, I know why, he was scared of how I would react to that kiss but why?"

Sandy couldn't answer that question either. He glanced anxiously at the window, noticing the storm was picking up and snow was flying through the crack and into the room. Eyes following the snow, Sandy saw the floor under Jack's feet begin to freeze over. Jack didn't even notice the snow whipping about him as he continued to pace.

"I took too long to figure out my feelings, didn't I? If I hadn't just stood there after he kissed me, told him to wait, asked him to give me time or maybe if I..."

Sandy tried to grab his attention, waving his arms about. But Jack seemed to have already forgotten about him, too wrapped up in his frantic thoughts. Helplessly, the golden man looked around the corridor, trying to seek out an elf to shake or anything that would make a noise to snap Jack out of his thoughts.

"Frostbite!"

That would work.

Sandy sighed with relief as the other three guardians appeared, Bunny's shout finally catching Jack's attention.

"What?!" Jack snapped, frustrated.

"What the heck's with the blizzard of '68 part two?"

"What?" Jack asked again, now confused.

Finally he glanced about and realise the storm he had unconsciously created.

"Oh sorry!"

Quickly, Jack held up his staff and the snowstorm ceased. Everyone sighed with relief, the storm had caused everyone in the entire building to become anxious, as the snow had snarled viciously and the wind had banged menacingly against Santoff Clausen's walls.

Only Jack didn't look relieved, as Sandy noticed the worry only increasing on his face, the boy probably frightened that Pitch might have been out there and he might have just made things even worse.

"I've got to go."

With that, Jack flew towards the window – only to be suddenly yanked back by his arm.

"Oh no you don't!" Bunny cried out, not letting go of the winter spirit's arm, "Not until you tell us what's going on!"

"Didn't North tell you? Pitch is missing!" Jack exclaimed, trying to yank his arm free.

"That doesn't explain why you're freaking out!"

"You do remember the fearlings that's got it out for Pitch, don't you Kangaroo?!"

Bunny instantly bristled at the nickname and the sardonic tone Jack had said it in, but ignored it, instead quirking his eyebrow.

"You still wouldn't be reacting like this, mate. Ah!" Bunny held up a finger when Jack was about to argue, "I know you, Frostbite. If it was one of us, sure, you would be worried, but you wouldn't be panicking this much. So why are you?"

Jack fell silent, unsure what to say. Bunny let go of his arm but stayed on his toes, just in case the winter spirit decided he wouldn't answer and tried to escape again. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Jack," North said, stepping closer, "You can trust us."

Sandy and Tooth nodded in agreement. Jack glanced at all the guardians seeing concerned on North, Tooth and Bunny's face and reassurance from Sandy's face.

Finally Jack snapped.

"All right! Pitch kissed me and I didn't know how to react, so I spent last night and this morning just trying to figure it out, and I think I like him back, but now he's gone, before I could tell him I like him, and he's still injured, and there's fearlings, and now I just unintentionally caused a blizzard that he was probably stuck in and – why are we still standing here, we should be looking for him!"

The fast onslaught of words caught the Guardians by surprise, even Sandy who knew all of this, and it was just at the last second that Bunny managed to stop Jack from flying out of the window again.

"Pitch kissed you?!" Bunny asked, still trying to comprehend what Jack had said.

"Yes!" Jack exclaimed, tugging at Bunny's arm, trying to pull it off him.

"He didn't try anything else did he?"

"What? No!"

"'Cause if he did..."

"Bunny! Look, as soon as he kissed me, he ran away! He was scared of how I would react!"

"Wait." North interrupted before the argument got out of hand.

He placed a hand on Bunny's shoulder, squeezing it gently, before he focused on Jack. Jack's eyes fell to the floor, gripping his staff tightly, suddenly scared.

It reminded North of when the boy had stood in front of the hospital ward's door, desperately trying to prevent anyone from hurting an injured Pitch.

"You say you have feelings for Pitch?"

Jack bit his lip nervously, but nodded firmly.

"Yes." He said, "Yes, I do have feelings for Pitch."

Jack tensed when North raised his hands, wondering just how the Russian was going to react. But then he relax when North placed both of them on his shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"Then we'll help you find Pitch."

Jack blinked, "Huh?"

North beamed, "We must find Pitch so you can confess your feelings for him!"

The jolly old Russian sounded so excited that, even with Jack scared about Pitch, it was impossible for him not to crack a slight smile at North's enthusiasm.

"Are you three in?"

"Of course!" Tooth said instantly, Sandy also nodding quickly.

They all turned to Bunny.

"Are you sure he didn't try anything?"

"Bunny!" All of them shouted, Sandy just silently.

"Alright! Try to protect the boy, geez..." Bunny muttered.

He rubbed the back of his neck, before letting out a sigh.

"Look, I still don't one hundred percent trust Pitch. Even though, I admit, he isn't as bad as he was before." Bunny said, firmly.

"But..." He continued, "If he's what makes you happy, Frostbite, I ain't gonna stand in your way. I'm in."

This time Jack's grin was wide as can be, relief washing over him now he didn't have to worry what the Guardians would think.

Tooth suddenly glanced about the corridor.

"Jack, where's Baby Tooth?"

Both Jack and Sandy shot Tooth looks of confusion.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, pointing to the windowsill "She was right-"

But then he stopped when he saw that the windowsill was empty and the window had been pushed opened just slightly wider.

Just where are Baby Tooth and Pitch?

Hope you guys enjoyed. Hopefully I'll get around to writing the next chapter soon, if not you know it'll appear eventually :3