I've been sitting here for the past few weeks, worried, tired and crying. He's breathing so he's okay. I was lucky enough to get him here to Bunny's hideout. Easter's coming up and he's been busy, but I felt like I'm not really annoying him, because I just had to wait for Jack to get better.

It's been so silent by his side. I was furious, at first. Why did he show up and disappear and then show up again and faint. But my heart started to melt when I realised how dangerous this is. Bunny said that his reaction is worse because he's a Guardian. But I wasn't so sure.

I watched him wake up, sometimes screaming, sometimes crying, other times laughing uncontrollably, but the worst one was when he just opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling, no movement, no reaction, no life. His state reminded me of the waves of the ocean, dragging him to the sand, me trying to pull him ashore, but the water collapsing over him again and again as I get my hands on him. Sometimes the waves pull me in, too, keeping me from the air, but I always manage to surface.

I couldn't resist the urge to close my eyes, sleep pulling me deeper and deeper. As I layed down on two wooden chairs, I heard a slight groan come from the bed by my side.

"Jack?" my head shot up so I could whisper the question, hope keeping me awake.

"Hey, Hazel." His smile showed as his blue eyes adjusted to the light, fixating on mine.

"I-, you were out for so long…"

"Well, I'm here now." he announced. And I was so tired, so sleepy, so cold and his eyes were so consuming, his arms so strong, his body radiating heat. Without asking, I crawled up next to him, in that small bed, he seems surprised at first, didn't know what to make of the situation, but then tightly wraped his arms around me.

"You're shivering, Audrey."

I freezed at the sound of my middle name leaving his lips. Then I turned my head so I could face him, inches away from his, and I just stared at him, puzzled. How could he know that? He pulled his arm away in his moment of confusion and asked:

"What?" He raised his dark eyebrows, hurt. "What did I do now? I just woke up! What could've I possibly done."

"Audrey… How did you know that?"

"I-" He stopped to think about his answer. But the answer didn't come.

"Jack…? Have- have you been in the cellar? Through my files?" I said the last sentence already crawling out of his bed, standing up and almost shouting at him. Who does he think he is? Why on Earth would he go to the North pole, probably break into Snow's cellar and read everything there is to know about me? As I tried to take a few steps away from him, a strong hand caught my wrist, forcing me to turn around. His grip was so strong… it almost seemed impossible, since he'd been so weak these past few days.

"I just wanted to get to know you-" he tried to help himself out of this situation, but there was no way I'd just wave it off.

"And you didn't come here? To meet me? In person?"

"I couldn't bring myself to do it!" He sat up ever so slightly only to slump back on to his bed. I tore my hand away and realised it was green from bruises. He hurt me. I let that sink in.

"Do you think it's fair?" I said in such a hushed voice, I didn't think he could hear me, but what did I care? " And I feel like I shouldn't even care. You're just a temporary mistake… a problem I'm about to solve. Is it okay, these days, to barge in and out of someone's life?"

"I'm doing it to protect you, Hazel!" He yelled at me. He yelled. He never did that, he's always so laid back and, even when a little teasing, he's always so kind. Then again, he had already hurt me.

"Well," I said, feeling the hot tears stream down my face as I made my way to the only exit I could see out of this place. "if it's like that… Think we're both better off alone."

Alone hung in the wet air of the cave, consuming, crushing us both. I didn't want to look back, but I stopped at the opening of the cave. I took a step outside to get away. Away was the only thing I knew, the only place I was going. All at once a cold current blasted me back, then catched me, careful not to hurt me, how funny. It took me by the wrists and ankles, forming shackles that fastened me to nothing but air. My feet left the ground as I release a sound of fear I couldn't really describe, and I got turned around to face a standing, cold exprecionned Jack. But he wasn't looking at me, I couldn't see his eyes at all, he was staring straight at the floor, his fists clenched, tears flowing down his cheeks and dropping to the floor from his chin.

"Let me go!" I ordered, straining against his chains. No use.

"No." His voice is much steadier than I expected. "No, I won't."

"What's wrong with you?" I cried. He wasn't himself, he was not the Jack I came to know. "What are you doing?" Again, winter, not what you expect, and this time in the bad meaning.

"I can do anything with you right now…" He said shaking his head like this sentence brings so many possibilities, good and bad. Then he started laughing such a foreign, such a maniacal laugh, sending shivers down my back.

"This isn't you!" I managed. He became blurry from all the tears, but I blinked them away just to glance at his eyes for a second. My heart stopped for a second as I realised they were such a light colour… almost like the blue faded completely. Such a storm was coming.

"Yes, it is! I just don't let anyone see me like this!" He screamed. "This is a part of winter, too. The snow storms, the frostbite, the danger."

"NO!" I shouted, more determined this time. "Something's still messing with your head. You're still ill, still in bad shape, still… weak."

"I am strong! At least stronger than you!" Wow! Okay, OUCH!

"No…"

"What was that?"

"I said," I gritted my teeth. "NO! No you're not!" And to prove it I sent my own wind at him knocking him a few feet back. "I'm much more." A swarm of leaves flooded the cavern, drowning him in brown waves. "You are ill," I broke an invisible shackle. "You are scared," The other three melted away as he disappeared in the leaves. When I lowered myself to the ground the leaves parted to reveal a gasping boy. "You are weak." I whispered and he finally went back to sleep.

And watching him like that on the floor, so peaceful, I just wanted to help him, because the previous Jack wasn't himself. With that came a thought I couldn't get rid of:

You're so many things… I walked out the entrance. But you can't be mine.

Sorry for the late chapter!

I'm happy to announce that this is the 10th chapter *insert enthusiastic clapping and trumpets and drums here*. I really hope you liked it! And if you like something or don't and have some helpful advice please let me know!