Disclaimer: No! For the fifty bajillionth time! I do NOT own ROTG!

Galimatias: That is a very cute story idea, and I will try to make it my next filler chapter in between the installments of Broken!

LillithDemon: Yes, Bunny does pull off Kakashi rather well when you think about it, doesn't he? As he said, he made that look good. And yes, Jiraiya was Naruto's God father, and North has become Jack's father. So sweet!

Magiccatprincess: Yes, I am obsessed with brotherly bunny, especially when it is fics where Jack is crying and Bunny helps him through it. Lord knows I'm such a huge softie for those.

Pokeshadow55: I would love to write that, but since I have yet to see the movie, I have no idea the personalities, or even the names of the kids, and I know I could learn that by reading fanfiction, but I would rather base my stories off of the source. So since I am currently overseas in Korea until spring, do you think you could wait a little while until I can buy the movie and watch it?

WRATH77: Honestly…if you think about it…there was no one else that he COULD pick LOL!

Guest1234: Thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you. LOL I'm glad you like the fic thus far!

OK! Now that THAT is over with! Here is the next installment of Broken!

The world seemed to slow down as the voices faded away, and Jack was lost in his own world of pain, panic, and a palpable sorrow so deep the winter spirit was sure that he would suffocate under its weight. He vaguely remembered screaming for everyone to leave the room, a demand which Tooth, Sandy and North had complied to with grief filled looks in his direction. Bunny had lingered, trying to reach out to the boy, but Jack wouldn't look at him, and the brokenness within the boy's once bright crystal eyes only proved to solidify that he wasn't in the mood for company.

Lying on the bed, Jack brought trembling hands up to his face, and clenched his fists, squeezing them into his eyes. As if the added pressure would somehow stop the sobs creeping up his throat. His ears pricked at the soft undertone of voices outside his door. Random phrases floated in through the wood, things like "Axial Burst fracture in the spine" "Might need surgery" "He will need several months to heal" and worst of all "Hopefully he will walk again". Jack turned his head towards the window, and as the full realization that he was paralyzed from the waist down bore down on the boy, the tears he had tried to hold back for so long finally found release.

Bunny stood outside the room, his sensitive ears picking up every broken sob, every hitch, and every hiccup. Dragging one paw down his weary face, the Pooka heaved a sigh full of sorrow for the winter spirit. What lay ahead was going to be difficult, and Bunny could only hope that Jack would have the strength to endure it. But as that last thought flickered through his mind, the Easter Bunny gave his head a firm shake. No, Jack was strong, of this the rabbit knew. He was weak right now, but who wouldn't be after being attacked, and waking up to no feeling in their legs? What Jack needed now was his family. Yes the future was bleak, but they could get through this dark tunnel together. Jack just needed to realize that he wasn't going through this alone. Green eyes full of determination, the Pooka squared his shoulders, and took his official post as caretaker to the winter sprite. Even if he spent most of his time out of the room, he was not going to move from the boy's side, not until he no longer needed a pillar to lean on.

…

Three weeks went by with a surgery being done on Jack's back to remove the shard fragments that had broken off his spinal column. North had left the surgery with hope gleaming in his eyes. If Jack were a human, the outcome would look very grim, but the boy was a winter spirit, an immortal, and a guardian. He would heal, and they would have their Jack back again. Yes it would take time, and healing, but eventually this nightmare would end. Unfortunately the sprite did not quite see it that way.

Jack hated being in bed, and right before winter too. He could feel the wind calling him, could hear the mountains sing their song of lament for their fallen friend, and all he could do was stare out the window, his blue eyes dull with pain and grief. In the three weeks since he had been brought to Santoff Claussen, since that fateful night when he woke in the infirmary, the boy had not spoken not a word. The silence was deafening, and no one even knew how to help him, though all had tried. Even the yeti's had done their best to revive the once mischievous smile that had always adorned the pale face, but to no avail. Jack had crawled within himself, and for all they knew, he had died. But Bunny wasn't about to give up, no sir, he was going to get Jack back on his feet both literally and figuratively.

The Pooka had spent hours in the library at the Pole, and he had done his research on the best treatments to encourage fast recovery from a Burst fracture. One of which being a specially designed brace. It was decided that they wanted to avoid any surgery in the near future, and so the Pooka began helping North craft a TLSO, or in medical terms a Thoracic Lumbar Sacral Orthosis. This full body brace was made to help keep the spine stable during the healing process, and with the help of a specially designed wheel chair, Aster was determined to get the kid out of his room, and out of his funk.

"Oi, Snowflake!" Bunny called as he entered the room "I got a present for ya!"

At first there was no response, but sure enough, a small glint of their Jack shined through when his curiosity got the better of him. Bunny couldn't resist the relieved smile that there was still a small piece of the boy still inside of the broken shell currently lying on the bed. Strutting over to the bed, Aster held up the brace like Vanna White on Jeopardy.

"Ta da!"

Jack's brow furrowed with confusion, then opened his mouth, causing the Pooka's heart to leap at his first words in almost a month.

"What is it?" the boy said in a dry rasp.

"This" Bunny said in the most cheerful voice he could muster "Is a TLSO, it's a special brace to help keep your spine in alignment while it heals. This type is called a Charleston Bending brace, and is the most popular type of brace used for kids and teenagers. Technically you're only supposed to where it at night, but I thought we could give her a whirl, and see how she feels?"

With a muttered "Whatever" Jack turned his face back towards the window.

Bunny felt his proud chest deflate at the winter sprite's lack of enthusiasm, but quickly picked himself up again. Well, the little blighter didn't say no, which means that they could give it a try. Walking up to the bed, the rabbit grabbed the sheets covering the boy and pulled them off.

"Hey!" Jack yelped "What are you doing?"

"I just told ya!" Bunny replied, an evil grin lighting his face at the reaction Jack had given "We are gonna try on this brace and see how it makes your back feel!"

"I didn't agree to this!"

"Yes you did." Aster couldn't resist goading the boy. This was the most life they had seen out of him in three weeks, and by Manny, he was going to get the most out of it "You said 'Whatever', which by layman's terms is a noncommittal answer, leaving me to do what I want."

Jack felt his jaw drop. Never before had Bunny been able to argue him into a corner before. Normally the two could bicker for hours before either of them gained even the slightest headway in whatever they were arguing about. But somehow the Pooka had managed to shut him up in record time. A firm pout replaced his once dull lifeless look, and Aster had to use all the strength within him to keep from whooping in joy. He knew the brace was a good idea, even if Jack may end up hating it, the simple fact that he had managed to not only get the sprite to talk, even argue, was enough for him.

"All right ankle biter!" the bunny said smugly "Let get this doohickey on ya, and see how it fits."

With gentle hands that were used to handling fragility, Bunny turned the child onto his stomach and began the long process of strapping the complex brace onto the boy. At first Jack would hiss in pain where the pads of the brace pressed against sore spots in his back and ribs, but as soon as the brace had been strapped on, he suddenly found he could breathe. As if the metal worked a magic spell keeping his back straight and not letting so much stress bear down on it. Turning the boy back over, Bunny propped him up on some pillows allowing him to at least have his head elevated a little bit off the mattress.

"How's she feel?" the Pooka asked hesitantly.

"Good" Jack smiled "Really good."

Bunny released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding "That's good" he almost whispered from relief, but the rabbit quickly shook himself, and gruffly cleared his throat "I've been doing a lot of reading, and I thought that we could try having you wear this contraption every night for a while, then depending on how you're doing, we could try out some basic physical therapy."

Jack nodded, and then silently let the rabbit take the brace off of him. Bunny turned towards the boy and gestured to the brace "I will come back later to put this thing on ya before bed, ok?"

"Sure" the sprite nodded, but as he watched the Pooka leave, he quickly yelled "Bunnymund!"

Aster turned around, his eyes confused and curious as to what the boy would want. Jack opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Clearing his throat he tried one more time "Bunny, I… I mean, what I want to say is… Thanks, I mean thank you…you know…for helping."

Hanging the brace up on a nail on the wall, Bunny swiftly walked back to the bed, and gathered the boy up in a hug. Jack felt his eyes widen as moisture crept into the corners of his vision. With trembling hands, he gripped the soft fur, and buried his nose into the Pooka's shoulder. Aster smiled at the returned hug, and nuzzled the white head with his nose.

"I'll always be here Snowflake," he murmured softly "that's what family is for, right?"

He didn't know why, he had thought that he had drained himself of tears, but the reassurance from the large bunny only served to prove him wrong. This contact, this strength, this assurance that despite the pain everything would eventually be ok, Jack craved it the way a starving man craved food. Everything in his inner most core screamed for someone to acknowledge how much pain he was in, and take it away. And so Jack found himself once again sobbing, but this time he was not alone in his room grieving over seemingly impossible injuries, this time he was in the arms of his brother, and finally finding comfort in the midst of the storm.

ALRIGHT! You know the drill everyone! Read and REVIEW! I wanna see MUCHO GRANDE reviews, ok? As I'm sure you probably have already guessed, the next chapter will be a filler, so no the next chappie won't be another Installment of Broken, but it will be Family fluffiness! Thanks for reading!