Chapter Six: Bitter Words

It had been six weeks…what was that, a month and a half? What was important is that it was entirely too long. Jack's new cell mate; Pitch, was a quiet guy, was pretty good at art and brought with him stationery and pieces of work that Jack had taken the time to politely appreciate and admire. But the emptiness he felt deep within couldn't be filled with a decent new cell mate. Though such a fact was a great achievement, the white haired prisoner couldn't help but want Bunnymund back. He was his protector. Pitch was nice but he wasn't going to help him out against any of the brutes.

Bunnymund wasn't faring much better, ironically he was in a cell on his own, a new cell mate would be assigned in another month but he didn't want another inmate pal. Fuck that, he wanted to make sure Jack was alright. God knows what Groundhog was doing, but one thing Bunnymund knew for sure was that if he harmed Jack one more time, he was going to get his ugly muzzle cracked with his fist.

"Well haven't you explained the circumstances, surely with your own alibi they must not believe Bunnymund is guilty" Pitch remarked to Jack who was continuing to worry over the situation.

"Hardly, Groundhog got them believing I was drugged into thinking I liked the Aussie, but…"

"Have they taken any tests?"

"…Come again?"

"Well, surely they took a medical overview on your condition to confirm you were drugged"

"…They never did…no they didn't"

"That hardly seems fair, maybe you should request one"

Pitch had slicked back hair in curved spikes and silvery grey eyes that glittered like moonlight. Pale blue overalls that contrasted oddly with the greyish pallor of his flesh and he wore tall black boots under the material along with a black T-Shirt. His voice was like velvet.

Apparently he had been victimised by others so he and Jack shared that strange mutual agreement. Jack honest to god didn't mind the new inmate and would have really enjoyed his company any other time but he…missed Bunnymund more than he could say.

The moment Pitch recommended this, Jack waited at the front of his cell and reached his arms through, calling for a guard. Someone eventually came over and raised his eyebrow at the flustered younger man.

"What do you want?"

"I want a medical overview, on drug intake; I want to prove I wasn't drugged"

"Kid, you know that case is closed, move on"

Just as the Guard started to walk away, Jack grabbed his sleeve and the employee looked back with surprise, ripping his arm away from the prisoner.

"Fine, jeez" he answered, slightly dumbstruck by the pleading, marble round blue eyes.

Jack grinned and thanked him eagerly. The guard rolled his eyes and went to go fetch the nurse.

In the meantime, Bunnymund was lying on his bed, staring up at the wooden beams of the higher bunk and sighed. Whenever he had tried to see his old cell-mate during association time in the yard, he was kept away by guards and he recalled the many times Groundhog has smirked with his dark eyes and his even darker intentions. It was odd he hadn't gone for Jack yet, especially now he was more unprotected. It only made sense the bastard was planning something.

Bunnymund had been subconsciously visiting the gym more often, doing weights without effort as his mind wandered and twisted into the fearful possibilities of what could happen to Jack, what was Groundhog planning. Other inmates glanced over to see the Australian naturally pull down hard weights; Bunnymund had always been naturally good with keeping in shape, even without the necessities of dieting or exercise, so the toning of his arms and chest were easily defined with each strain.

Why he suddenly cared so much about his strength was beyond him but he had a pretty good idea it was to do with Groundhog and the potential he was more of a threat than he thought before. How the asshole had gotten away with a story like that was beyond him.

Jack was sitting in the nurse office, the medical chief was a young, rather attractive middle aged woman with dark blue eyes and scruffy brunette hair tied back in a ponytail. A dark red coat hooked up on the door and her lunch packed in a brown satchel on the desk. Her name was Nurse Blanchette Hood.

"I have your results here that you took a couple of days ago Jack?" she double checked her sheet on the clipboard she held and the young man nodded nervously. She smiled a genuine smile and sat down opposite him at her desk.

"Well, I don't know how you will take the news as I only ever heard snippets of the ordeal between you and the prisoner known as Bunnymund. But your results are negative for traces of a drug that could cause a lack of mental and physical loss. In fact you are clean of all drugs, well done for that" she chuckled and placed the information down beside her.

Jack blinked. So…now he had evidence, now he could get Bunnymund back with him and together they would find some way to beat Groundhog senseless at his own ghastly game.

"I assume you will be wanting these information sheets as proof for something" she winked and Jack blushed harshly.

"W-What do you mean?"

"Well, you have been here for a while Jack, I know you and I know you have been a few times with…injuries. But since that new Aussie walked in, not a single issue and that is a comfort for me at the least so if I can help get your…kind of cute ranger guy back, I am going to" she smirked, raising an eyebrow and leaving Jack to gulp and blush even harder.

"Th-thanks Blanche, see you soon" he grins, taking the papers from her and leaving with a new feeling erupting in his chest making him feel light and excited.

"Hopefully with a little less blood and stress though" she remarked as the door closed and Jack left. Blanchette sat there for a few moments, thinking about the whole situation and shrugging.

"Well he is cute" she murmured to herself.

The guard looked doubtfully down on the information Jack had presented him with and turned to his friend who was looking irritated to say the least, he looked disgusted with the evidence the prisoner had put forward and he rolled his eyes.

"This doesn't mean he is returning to cell 68, there is no point, sure you have cleared this up, but you have a new inmate partner now who isn't doing any harm so just leave it be"

Jack felt the sudden urge to punch the man very hard in the face. It was their fault they had believed the word of a low life scum rat known as Groundhog rather than Jack, who had been there long enough to prove he was harmless. But he couldn't go babbling about enjoying the Australian's company, which would lessen his chances of seeing Bunnymund even more.

The guard who handed the papers back to the blue eyed prisoner hesitated before sighing.

"This does mean you won't have to be restrained from seeing him in the yard though" he mentioned and the guard beside him, the one with the scowl and the smoky eyes, made a sound of dismissal.

"I don't see why, you saw those two, something has to be going on" he spoke to his colleague.

Jack was becoming more and more pissed off with the guard and inhaled sharply.

"Oh gods forbid I have friends in this hell hole!" he snarled and before either of the guards could say anything, he stormed off back to his cell.

Pitch was there writing something and looked up with mild interest as Jack hauled himself in angrily, throwing the papers on his head, hard enough that one escape and fluttered down to the ground for a chalky grey hand to reach for it gracefully and Pitch ran his silvery eyes over the print.

"So it came up negative?"

"So did the fucking guards"

Pitch chuckled sadly and stood up, placing the files back on the top bunk before leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

"Well it isn't your fault that most of the guards are being bribed"

Jack stopped his fuming as he pressed his head against the edge of the bunk bed and turned slowly to Pitch.

"What?" he voice was stern, cold.

"Groundhog is bribing several of the guards around this area to stop you and your rabbit getting back together"

"Are you serious? He is going through all this trouble…all these payments so he can get in my overalls…" Jack muttered off to himself with incredulity.

Pitch simply shrugged and stepped off the wall to return to his desk.

"Unless you can get a higher bribe, you are not going to be sharing this cell with anytime soon"

"…What about you, are you not bothered by me…apparently wanting you gone, because I don't mean it like that, Pitch…" Jack trailed off apologetically, god his emotions were everywhere.

A dark but genuine laugh escaped the velvet throat of the older man and he shrugged.

"I don't care; I hardly take to your impulsive nature and pining"

Jack raised an eyebrow but smiled without humour.

"Well as long as there are no hard feelings"

"Oh please, there are none, I just hope you sort this out because my, you are vexing"

Jack thought of Pitch differently after that but not without a kindness, he couldn't blame the older man for being so pissed off with how desperate he was being.

"…Pitch, why are you even in here?"

"Burgled from the museum I guarded"

Jack blinked and couldn't help the laughter welling up inside him.

"Really, what did you take?"

"Ancient artefacts, jewels"

Jack rolled his eyes and shook his head as Pitch gave him a deviant grin.

Down at the yard, Bunnymund was sitting at the bench near the phone, he didn't even want to glance up to check for Jack because it hurt knowing he couldn't get close to him, hurt knowing he couldn't protect him or know how things were going for him. The Australian lay back and stared up at the sky; it was blue today, cloudless. Ironically charming for how he felt inside, he inhaled the fresh air and sighed, blinking slowly.

That is when a familiar face blocked his vision, right up in his face, upside down with crisp white locks and eyes that put the sky to shame. Bunnymund didn't do anything at first, but a grin covered his face as Jack's smile lit him up more than any good weather, his eyes were like sapphires encrusted with snow. The pale flesh of his skin toned well with the sunshine that crept into the yard.

God the kid was fucking beautiful.

Jack loved the way Bunnymund's beam crept over his lips as he noticed Jack leaning over, his green eyes widened and shone lightly compared to the dull stare beforehand. The velvety ears perked and his hair rustled with the movement. God knows if they were not in a prison yard, Jack would run his hands through those locks like meadow grass-wait…what. NO, no, he meant see how soft they were, if they were softer than his, obviously not though.

Eventually he had sat up and they sat beside each other on the surface of the table away from everyone else, once Bunnymund had confirmed that Jack had been alright and actually had a few silent chills run up his spine at the thought that Groundhog was planning something and hadn't struck yet.

"So you reckon he is going to try messing us up at some point?"

"I'm more worried about you Frostbite"

Jack gulped and sighed, not saying anything to that. Groundhog had been after him three years into him being at the prison. More on one occasion had he nearly got there and it made Jack feel unimaginably unclean. But…the protection he was slowly gaining from Bunnymund made it feel like the sickness and tainted motions were rubbing off.

"I guess" he eventually replied and Bunnymund blinked, eyes gleaming with concern. Jack decided to change the subject; he didn't get Bunnymund back to discuss negative issues.

"So you look like you have been hitting the gym" he commented with a sarcastic laugh.

Bunnymund flexed.

"You jealous, snowflake?"

"Oh please, as if I want to be all guns and muscle"

"So you think I'm in shape?"

Well that question was sufficiently awkward and unfair; Jack ran his eyes quickly over the tall, undeniably muscular frame of the older man. The lean strength of…well a ranger.

"By all means, in fact, you keep hitting the gym; you might even look as good as my granddad"

"Oh, that was a good one, Jack; you want a medal for that comeback?" Bunnymund laughed loudly. That earned a playful punch on the arm, but Jack didn't mind.

A/N: Wuhey, things are looking up! And so fast!

Sorry this took so long to write, I have just been being lazy and kind of…dead for inspiration, but now I have a plan so hopefully this shouldn't take much longer, thanks to everyone who is sticking by!

-LAW09

To AyameKitsune: Hehe, more up and coming, thanks for the review!

To slyangelfox: Oooh, maybe he does. Thanks so much, it means so much I am so high up in your ranks! And my birthday was wonderful, more is in store and more is coming up. Thanks for the review!

To Cookie Guest: Bonus points for your new name. Well, Jack wasn't attacked thank god…yet. OOOOHHHHH. Thanks for the review! Glad you still love what's going on here! :D

To spiritsong15: I appreciate your metaphorical beard indeed. *ponders on admiring moustache* what will happen to that low life Groundhog indeed, I'm still not sure who is going to get their own back so let's see, thanks for the review!

To I'mBelleGoose: Can't blame you for being bummed out in all honesty. I'm glad I have made such a villain out of groundhog, let's hope he gets what is coming (I am still deciding how) thanks for the review!

To Guest: *holds back* whoa, hold on there. Damn straight I've been evil, but maybe soon, I will appeal to your better nature, no? Thanks for the review! :D

To Lady Minuialwen: OOOOOOOHHHHH.

To Kid Darkness: Thank you for such a lovely review, I am glad you appreciate my writing and yeah, I guess I am trying to keep people on the edge of their seats as well as glued. Hehe, protective Bunnymund is wonderful, glad you liked it! Why I did end it there, I don't know *shakes head shamefully* but more is definitely coming!

Thanks to all of my followers and favourites, bless you!