Second chapter for today! I'm feeling productive, even if the other one was a super short chapter that should have been up yesterday.

This takes place sometime after I Just Wanted to Help (that's the Ikea bed chapter).


"Are you sure you don't want to build a snowman? It's your last chance this year."

"Last chance? You mean you're finally going away?"

"Aw, Pitch, don't be like that. It hurts my feelings."

"That's the point, Frost."

Jack laughed. Pitch was barely trying to be mean and that felt like a victory. He still made a show of merely tolerating his presence, but Jack didn't feel unwelcome. Pitch Black appreciated the company, even if he would die rather than admit it.

"All right, all right, I'm leaving!" He might as well. They were well into spring already and Bunny wasn't above coming here to make sure he didn't hang around too long. Maybe he should drop by the Pole and visit North before heading south for the northern summer.

Just when he landed on the edge of his lake to plan where he would go next, the ground opened under his feet. Jack gasped as he fell a short distance before the Wind picked him up to pull him out of potential danger. Or tried to. A furry hand wrapped around his ankle and he was dragged in the tunnel, kicking and screaming.

He blinked in the sudden light, too disoriented to make a graceful landing when the hand released him. He crashed in a flower bed, shook his head and glared at the Pooka who just dragged him on the other side of the world. Bunny glared back.

"Did you have to do that? I was about to leave! It's not like it was summer, or anything."

"Who were you talking to?"

Jack breathed in sharply. This could get messy. He stood, brushed his pants with deliberate casualness.

"What are you, my over-protective dad? You're worried that I'm talking to strangers in the woods?"

Bunny grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him until they were nose to nose and the Pooka's angry green eyes filled Jack's vision.

"When that stranger is Pitch, of course I am! When did you plan on telling us that you were befriending the enemy?"

Jack sighed. This was not a conversation he had been looking forward to. He knew the others wouldn't approve. He had not mentioned it before. But it still didn't give Bunny the right to drag him here and yell at him. Jack raised his chin and would have stood straighter if the Pooka's grip wasn't already forcing him to stand on the tip of his toes.

"So you could freak out like this? Look, Bunny, we're not friends. But that doesn't mean I can't be civil when I see him."

"You shouldn't be seeing him at all! Jack, did you forget what he did to you? Breaking your staff? Twice. Infecting it with fear? Forgot about that?"

"No. And you should be happy I don't hold grudges."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Jack didn't answer. He didn't want to go into this yet, not if he could convince Bunny without having to hurt him. He didn't know if that would be possible.

"Bunny, I'm not a child. Alright, maybe I am, but I can take my own decisions. I've survived three centuries on my own; I don't need you to hold my hand and approve of who I talk to."

Bunny loosened his hold, letting him stand normally again, but he didn't let go of his shirt. His eyes turned a bit more desperate than angry.

"Jack, this is serious. You're going to end up getting hurt, mate."

"Getting hurt?" Jack raised his voice, angry, now. "If that's all I cared about, I would have gone with Pitch instead of giving you guys a chance. He had never hurt me before I decided to help defeat him. Unlike you."

Bunny looked like the Spirit of Winter had just punched him in the gut and he couldn't catch his breath. He let go of his shirt, took several step back and sat down on his haunches, ears flat against his head, eyes averted. The Guardian of Fun sighed, his anger fading.

"Jack..."

"I'm not a fool, you know?" he said softly. "I'm not expecting him to change. But no one deserves to be alone and ignored forever. I can't let that happen. I'm just asking you to respect that."

"Jack..." Bunny tried to speak, his voice so full of guilt that it made Jack regret his earlier words. The Pooka swallowed and tried again."Jack, it's Pitch you're talking about. He not like you. He just a selfish, manipulative monster."

"And you kept telling me I was just a selfish, irresponsible nuisance."

Bunny flinched. Jack didn't take any pleasure in hurting his friend, but he needed to make his point clear.

"I... you're not... I was wrong, alright? And I'm sorry. But this isn't the same. Pitch is dangerous. He's hurt you before, because he wanted revenge."

"I know. And I'm not gonna be happy if he does it again after I tried to be nice to him. But I'll take that risk. I can forgive a lot, but that doesn't mean I forget. Like I haven't forgotten what life was like before you decided you needed my help. He was one of the few who ever talked to me back then."

Bunny lowered his head, curling up on himself, a meager protection against Jack's words.

"I'm sorry, Jack..." he whispered. "We're all sorry. About everything."

"I know. And I won't mention it again. And I promise that if things go wrong, I won't come crying to you."

Bunny kept looking down for a long time. Jack waited, letting him take all of that in. Finally, Bunny raised his head, his eyes a little misty.

"Alright, Snowflake. I don't like it, I even hate it, but it's your choice. I won't question it. But I have one condition."

"What condition?"

"That when things go wrong, you do come crying to me. I'm not letting you do this until I can be there to pick up the pieces."

Jack felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"Deal."


Another dialogue-heavy chapter. I feel like I've written a lot of those, lately. I'll try to write something with more action tomorrow? Well, maybe not "action", since, if I look at my index cards, next chapter should be "princess tea party". Maybe I'll write the sequel to Children of Winter instead. Or something with Tooth, since I do have one planned and she hasn't shown up in a while.