A/N: and here is the talk with the Guardians.

Chapter 22 – Guardians… What?

3rd POV

Sandy and the others watch the sack fly through the portal landing hard on the ground. Sandy huffed at the two Yeti's and glared at North. He still hated this part of the plan but had to accept it because he wanted nothing to do with it in the first place.

"He's here, quiet." North told tooth as he moved forward a little. Tooth stops instructing her fairies instantly and smiled widely as Jack turned around.

"Hey, there he is! Jack Frost!" North greeted the boy with arms wide in welcome.

Jack stared at the guardians in disbelief, well besides Sandy that is. He knew his dreamer friend was a guardian of childhood. Though he still didn't know why he was here, did he do something wrong? Or was this an intervention because Jack knew he was on the naughty list; but it couldn't be that because besides the rabbit the others were smiling.

"Wow…" he trailed off still in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me." He grumbled slightly.

North clapped his hands as the Yeti's stood behind Jack, "I hope the yetis treated you well?"

Jack looked at the man in disbelief and agitation. Sandy knew his friend was truly displeased as the room temperature dropped ever so slightly and his hand clenched while he moved to pick up his staff. Sandy couldn't help but feel the same annoyance at North, you couldn't just throw people in bags.

"Oh, yeah. I just love being shoved in a sack and tossed through a magic portal." Jack snapped back sarcastically, though by the pleased look on Santa's face he knew his sarcasm wasn't detected.

"Oh, good! That was my idea! You know Bunny, obviously." North stated proud as he gestured to Bunny. Jack just smirked as the rabbit a hummed his acknowledgment from the pole he was leaning on.

Jack just snorted, "Obviously."

"And the Tooth Fair…" North was cut off as Tooth took the opportunity and fluttered forward excitedly, her fairies in tow.

"Hello, Jack. I've heard a lot about you and your teeth." She coos excitedly, her hands twitching to touch and peek at them.

Jack blinked and leant back so he could see more that amethyst eyes and green-blue feathers. "My, my what?" he asked confused and slightly wary, he knew what the baby teeth were like so what was the queen like when it came to his teeth? He knew for sure that he was about to find out.

Tooth flutters closer, her hands on his face and eyes locked onto his mouth. "Open up! Are they really as white as they say? Yes!" she gasped as she opened his mouth. "Oh, they really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow." She stated in a coo to her fairies that were swooning and chattering back in their awe.

When Jack winced and flinched away as the fairies begin to scream around him and wanted to touch his teeth did Tooth finally settle. "Girls, pull yourselves together... Let's not disgrace the uniform." She tutted seriously before fluttering back to North's side.

North just shrugged and gestured to Sandy. "And Sandman."

Sandy smiled and waved to his friend excitedly, now that caught his attention. Sure Sandy was excited to see him but this time it was more enthusiastic, the questions of why he was here surfaced once more.

"Whoa, hold up! Man of Sand you want to tell me why I am here?" He asked before kneeling down to Sandy. North raised his brows at the nickname and looking at Aster who just shrugged.

Sandy smiled and nodded quickly before flashing signs above his head. Jack squinted before gesturing Sandy to stop. "Whoa, bit too fast for me Sandy but thanks." Jack chuckled as he stood; Sandy shrugged and watched as his friend twirled his staff and freezing the elf that walked towards him with cookies.

"I must've done something really bad to get you four together." He chuckled before turning back around and pulling his hood down, a smirk on his face. The others who hadn't seen his face before held back their gasps of shock, even Aster. He was just a boy, barely out of his childhood and early teens.

"Am I on the naughty list?" he asked chuckling before turning back and looking towards the giant globe as Santa laughed.

"HA, on naughty list?" North began with a laugh before sobering up. "You hold record. But no matter. We overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate." He stated while brushing his hand across the naughty tattoo on his forearm.

Jack whirled around suspicious, "how come?"

Aster laughed sarcastically, "ha good question."

"How come?" North starts holding back excitement. "I tell you how come! Because now...you are Guardian!" He cheered while two yeti light torches.

Jack stumbled back, his eyes roaming the room as elves marched out playing music; the noise making his ears ring painfully. Confetti began to drop in the room as he watched the yeti twirl the fire closer and closer to him; the elves surrounding him.

A kick to his foot caused him to look down to see an elf pointing angrily to his bare feet and then to a pair of shoes. Shoes they want him to wear shoes? No, no way. Jack screamed in his head angrily, his eyes flashing as he saw Phil hand North a book before scurrying away.

Sandy raised himself in the air as he saw Jack's hand clench around the staff, his eyes widening as the snow began to form around them all with the confetti. The others ignored it completely as they looked on in what seemed to be humour or just plain obliviousness at the discomfort of Jack.

Jack let out a silent snarl as he raised his staff and then as hard as he could, slammed the butt on the ground. Frost swirled out from under his feet while the wind swirled and pushed out bitter cold air, then there was silence as everyone stared at him in shock.

Phil peeked out from behind the pole he hid behind as he saw the signs of agitation. He knew the devastation Jack could bring, oh how he didn't feel sorry for what was to come next.

"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?" He asked them sharply, his eyes shooting to all of them.

North let out bellowing laughter, of course the child would want to be a guardian; every spirit wanted to be one. "Of course you do. MUSIC!" he bellowed for everything to start again, missing the sheer glare Sandy sent him.

"No! No music!" He yelled, once again silencing the elves. North looks on with wide eyes as he saw the displeasure the frost child was showing. Tooth and Aster just watched on in disbelief, though Aster was unsure as to why he was a bit disappointed that Jack didn't want to join when mere hours ago he was against it.

"Look, this is all very flattering, but ah-um...you don't. Want me." He told them, jumping up softly onto a table, his eyes never leaving them.

"You're all hard work and deadlines, and I'm snowballs and fun times." He chuckled, sitting on the edge of the desk and cradling his staff to his chest. "I-I-I'm not. I'm not a Guardian." He sighed resigned. The Guardians had children who believed in them, Jack… Jack has – had – one believer a long time ago.

"Yeah! That's exactly what I said!" Aster chuckled nervously and nudged North's arm, his failed attempt to clear the odd thoughts of Jack becoming one of them; being close to him. North shot him a look before shaking his head.

Tooth swoops in and gestures Jack to look at the globe. "Jack...I don't think you understand what it is we do. Each of those lights is a child."

Jack hummed as he stared at the globe; still not getting the reason as to why he was here besides the fact he was to be a Guardian. But didn't they know he had no believers?

"A child who believes. And good or bad, naughty or nice, we protect them." North sighed out the oath softly, before glancing sharply at Tooth when Jack grunted and tried to talk. "Tooth...fingers out of mouth." He scolded the Queen with exasperation.

North finally having enough decided to announce the reason why Jack was here. "Okay, no more wishy-washy! Pitch is out there doing who knows what!"

"You mean- You mean the Boogeyman?" Jack scoffed with a laugh, something in his three hundred years he was able to master. He had never met the Nightmare King, only hearing tales of him from human children and parents. Pitch seemed like someone who just took advantage of the dark.

"Yes! When Pitch threatens us, he threatens them as well." North stated while gesturing to the globe.

"All the more reason to pick someone more qualified! Someone who can help you and someone who has the strength of having believers." Jack hissed bitterly before turning sharply, he was going to say goodbye to Phil and see Joy before leaving.

"Pick? You think we pick? No, you were chosen like we were all chosen. By Man in Moon." North rushed out as he saw the Frost child beginning to leave.

Sandy stepped back a little as his friend spun quickly and looked at them, his eyes sharp as ice instead of the swirling blue he was used too. "What?"

"Last night, Jack. He chose you." Tooth uttered softly.

"Maybe." Aster added as he shrugged.

Jack stared at the moon in disbelief and shock. "The Man in the Moon… he talks to you?" He asked, turning to look at the Guardians, trying to hold back his pain as he looked back up.

"You see, you can not say no. It is destiny." North stated softly, his chest clenching slightly as he began to realize something as he saw Jack's face and emotions.

"But why? why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" He whispered out, before turning away in anger. "After 300 years this is his answer? To spend eternity like you guys cooped up in some-some hideout thinking of-of new ways to bribe kids? N-no, that's not for me." He spitted out in anger before yelling back up at the moon.

"No offense." He told the others, the last thing he wanted to do was be offensive; especially to Man of Sand.

"How- How… How is that not offensive?" Aster asked while walking forward, following the Frostbite as he turned to walk away,

"You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what's this clown know about bringing joy to children anyway?" He chuckled before hopping forward and down into the three point as he lifted his hind leg to get an itch.

Sandy tensed, his eyes shooting to the now tense frame of Jack. Aster was pushing the wrong buttons; Jack was all about spreading Joy to children. In fact he was the only one of them four who ever spent time playing with them; invisibility or not.

"Uh hmm, you ever hear of a snow day? I know it's no hard-boiled egg… but kids like what I do." Jack chuckled in his defence, oh why did he have to fight with the Easter Bunny.

"But none of'em believe in you. Do they? You see you're invisible, mate. It's like you don'even exist." He said calmly, moving to stand mere feet from the winter spirit. The others inhaled sharply, their eyes going to their friend in disbelief.

"Bunny! Enough!" Tooth scolded before looking worriedly at Jack.

Jack cringed and held back the sting in his eyes before doing what three hundred years alone had taught him, to be defensive and make a joke to hide the pain. "No, no, the kangaroo's right."

Sandy laughed silently from behind Aster's back, giving Jack the thumbs up. A long time ago Jack had called him that and Sandy told him to make sure he said it to Bunny's face.

Anger swirled around the Pooka as he loomed over Jack, "Th-the what? What'd you call me? I am not a kangaroo, mate." He spluttered out in his shock and anger. Well blimey the little bugger had a back bone after all, not many spirits had the gall to stand up to him let alone not flinch away.

"Oh. And this whole time I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, what are you?" Jack sarcastically asked gesturing to the Pooka as they leaned closer together.

"I'm a bunny, mate. The Easter Bunny. People. Believe. in me." Silence. No one dared to speak as they stared at the two heaving men before them, one in hurt the other in anger.

Sandy frowned as he noticed something; from his spot on the floor he could see the blue on Bunny's chest another shade darker and curly. Then his eyes shoot to Jack and he couldn't hold back the gaping as he saw that the once pure white hair now had strands of grey making it darker and shimmer in the light… no, that couldn't be… Sandy rubbed his eyes before tapping North's leg and jerking his head towards them to split them up.

As Jack and North left Tooth began to lecture the rabbit, Sandy let her because for now there wasn't much he could say that she wasn't saying. This gave him more time to think on what he saw. Aster long ago said that his mate had died. Words and images from the past fluttered across Sandy's mind.

Aster screamed as he clawed his chest… The announcing of a new spirit… It's a Pooka thing, when a mate is near or ready your mark grows in… When a mate dies the mark doesn't grow or change… It felt like ice burned through my veins, it was so different to when I lost my tribe and world… the blue markings, the grey hair…

"Sandy?" The sound of his name being called jerked him from his thoughts. "Are you okay? I know Jack is your friend, are you worried?" Tooth asked once she saw she had his full attention.

Sandy nodded and yet shrugged, flashing symbols over his head slowly for his reply.

"Oh! Jack is stronger than we think but yet Aster hit him where it hurt the most?" Tooth asked as she translated his sand images while sending another glare to the Pooka. She opened her mouth again before fear raced through her; panic began to grow as her head whipped into the direction of her castle.

"The Tooth Palace is under attack, I need to go. Get Jack and North." She rushed out before flying quickly out the window, her fairies need her.

A/N: Okay so long chapter bet this pleased you all… I also know that it is close to the movie and what not but I hope there were some differences. I skipped out the talk with North because I was always curious as to what happened with the other three...

Tell me what you think

E