Jack did something he never thought he'd do in his life. He'd tried all his life not to swear, because-at least according to his memories-his parents had taught him that swearing was a sin, and besides, he hated hearing so many people-even kids-swearing all the time like it was no big deal. But this time was different. He was in a situation that he knew was all his fault that would probably likely lead to the demise of everyone he cared about. He needed a way to let it out, but since he wasn't going to lower himself to the absolute pits of crassness, he chose a word that he knew was strong enough to express how terrible he felt but that didn't make him feel the urge to wash out his mouth with North's gingerbread-scented soap.

"Hell."

For a few moments, the other Guardians stared at him in utter shock. Jack almost laughed at how wide their eyes were when they witnessed this rather uncharacteristic behavior, but instead he covered his mouth and looked down, ashamed. "Sorry. I….I don't normally do that, but…I kinda had to do it. I mean, what with Pitch escaping and all…"

North put an understanding hand on his shoulder. "Is all right, Jack. Besides, what you said was not really so bad. Have heard far worse, sadly. But in future, if you need to swear, well…I know many Russian composers whose names you can use instead."

Jack smiled in spite of himself. "Thanks, North," he said softly. He glanced around at the other Guardians, unsure of what to do next. "So…where do we go from here?"

"Well, I say we kick this clown out once and for all. Sorry, mate, but…we can't have ya gettin' Pitch on our trail every few days. It's been nice knowin' ya, Jack, but we've got to protect the children, and if that means gettin' rid of you, then I say we do it," Bunny announced.

Jack stared at Bunny in dismay. He'd been afraid that this would happen, but he'd somehow figured that Bunny had left all of his doubts about him behind once he and Bunny had come to trust each other. He thought that Bunny really cared about him now, but he should have known better. He should have known that it would take longer than a couple of days to get Bunny to fully put aside his suspicions. He didn't want to leave the Guardians, but he didn't want to make Bunny even angrier than he already was. It looked like he had no choice but to live on his own again-at least until the Guardians figured out a way to take down Pitch.

Tooth fluttered forward and put a hand on Jack's shoulder as he walked towards an open window. "Jack, don't listen to Bunny. He does this all the time, trust me. He's just mad, and he's only just gotten to know you. It takes him a while to trust people, but he likes you. He really does. Please, Jack, don't go. North and I will keep Bunny from bothering you while we figure something out. Besides, you're one of us now-you can't leave us when we need you the most!"

Jack shook his head. "It's okay, Tooth. Maybe we just need a break. I don't mind being on my own for a bit while you guys sort everything out. What if Pitch comes after you while trying to get back at me? It's safest for everyone if I'm gone. Bunny won't fight me, and if Pitch goes after me, you won't be involved."

Tooth's lower lip quivered. "Jack, please, don't leave. You haven't even done very much as a Guardian yet. This is your chance to really prove yourself! And, I, uhh-"

"-You want to marry me?" Jack teased. Tooth blushed and hung her head. "Okay, Tooth, I was kidding, but honestly, it's not as if I'm going away forever. I'll keep in touch somehow. I'll be doing a little scouting of my own. It's my fault that this happened, and I need to figure out a solution. When I meet up with you guys again, maybe I'll know what to do about Pitch. I can take Baby Tooth with me, and she can act as a messenger between me and the other Guardians. Really, Tooth, it won't be bad. Tell everyone I'll miss them, but I'll be helping however I can."

Tooth nodded, although it was clear from the look on her face that she was disappointed that Jack would be leaving so soon. "I understand, Jack. I'm sure Baby Tooth will keep you safe. I-I'll miss you, but….good luck. Just be safe. You haven't even seen the worst of Pitch, and he's capable of….of…well, I don't want to say it, but….Jack, whatever you do, please don't die, all right?"

Jack nodded. "I won't." He motioned to Tooth's cloud of mini-fairies, and Baby Tooth stepped forward. She twittered sadly at her sisters, then hopped onto Jack's shoulder and stared back at Tooth. She continued to stare back at Tooth and the other minis as Jack flew out the window and disappeared into the sky.

…

Jack flew over Burgess, sprinkling snow over the streets as Baby Tooth clung happily to his hair and chittered. It had been three days since he had left the Guardians, and he'd searched just about everywhere he knew for Pitch, but, troublingly, Pitch had been nowhere to be seen.

Jack had been worried about Pitch before, but Tooth's words of warning had haunted him ceaselessly. He'd known Pitch was capable of great cruelty, but he was concerned that there was more to Pitch than he'd ever imagined. Sure, Jack had heard of how Pitch had turned children into Fearlings and had seen firsthand how he'd threatened Jamie, but what if Pitch was capable of worse? What if Pitch could not only kill children and turn their souls to darkness, but do the same to the Guardians? Sure, Pitch's main goal was to steal believers away from the Guardians, but maybe now that Pitch had been rescued and had had some time to plan, perhaps there was worse in store.

Jack shuddered at the thought. He'd been hovering around Burgess more closely than usual lately in the hopes of protecting it from Pitch. Of course, he'd be willing to protect children everywhere in the world if their lives were threatened by Pitch, but Burgess was his home, and the last thing he wanted was for his home to become a place that was no longer safe for him. Burgess was the closest thing he had to a realm of his own, and besides, Jamie lived there. After his sister, Jamie was the person who meant the world to Jack, and Jack knew that he'd never forgive himself if Pitch harmed-or killed-Jamie.

Baby Tooth tugged at Jack's hood and started squeaking wildly. "Baby Tooth, what's wrong?" Jack asked. Baby Tooth squeaked again and pointed at something on the ground below. Something that looked terribly shadowy, tall, and horsy-faced. Could it be Pitch? Jack gulped and slowly drifted towards the ground, hoping that whoever it was wouldn't see him.

When Jack got a closer look at the figure, he realized that the strange figure was wearing a cloak made of black sand. How odd. Why would Pitch want to conceal himself? He can already hide in the shadows, Jack thought. He landed on a rooftop and leaned over, trying to get a better look at Pitch without drawing attention to himself. Baby Tooth let out a squeal of alarm, and Jack clapped his hand over her mouth. "Shh, Baby Tooth, we don't want Pitch to notice us," Jack whispered, praying that Pitch hadn't heard them.

Baby Tooth bit his hand and fluttered away from him. "Ow! What was that for?" Jack complained. Baby Tooth frowned and crossed her arms at him, then tugged on Jack's sleeve and frantically pointed at Pitch again. Squinting, Jack realized that Pitch was holding a match in his hand. Immediately, Jack tensed up and clenched his staff, prepared to quench a fire if Pitch was about to start one. Jack didn't know what Pitch needed a match for, but recalling Tooth's words, he knew it wasn't good.

As Jack snuck closer, he heard Pitch let out a low, twisted cackle. "What better way to destroy ice…than with fire?" Pitch mused. He struck the match against the side of a matchbox, and just as Jack shouted, "No!", an enormous wall of fire, strengthed with nightmare sand, sprang up around Pitch.

Laughing, Pitch directed the flame with a wave of his hand. The flames licked the walls of a nearby house, setting off a fire alarm and sending the sleepy inhabitants tumbling out of it. Panicked, Jack dove towards the fire and quenched it with a blast of snow. By the time Jack had put out the fire, Pitch's flames had moved on to the next two houses.

To Jack's surprise, Pitch didn't seem affected by the fire at all. Instead, he was able to walk through it as though fire were his native element. So that's what that cloak was for. It's to keep him from getting burned! Jack realized as he put out more fires. And what was that that he said? "What better way to destroy ice…than with fire?" He's getting back at me by harming children. And I think he's heading towards Jamie's house…Tooth was right! He IS capable of killing….and, even worse, he's about to kill Jamie!

Horrified, Jack turned to Baby Tooth, who was watching the scene play out in horror. "Baby Tooth, I can't handle this on my own. You've got to go back to the Guardians and tell them that Pitch is causing a huge fire in Burgess. Tell them that they've got to come right away because if they don't, then a lot of kids might get hurt or even die. Go as fast as you can, ok?"

Baby Tooth nodded and flew off into the sky as fast as she could. Jack watched her go for a second, wondering how the Guardians would feel about answering the call. What if they didn't…? No, they wouldn't. If the children are in danger, they'll put aside their feelings for me. We're in this together, after all. Jack flew off to fight more fires, knowing that the Guardians would back him up. It was their job to protect kids. Maybe they could even help him figure out just exactly what Pitch was up to once they'd made certain that everyone was all right.

As Jack swooped around the town, sending flurries of snow down onto the flames, he saw several kids watching him, huddled together in fear and in awe. "Jack! Do you know why our houses are on fire? I saw Pitch walking around wearing a cloak, but I don't know why he's hurting us. We didn't do anything wrong, did we?" Pippa asked.

Jack hesitated for a moment, glancing around to see if the firemen had arrived yet. He didn't want to put more kids in danger by stopping to talk. To his relief, he heard sirens and saw firetrucks racing through the streets. Satisfied that the fires would be stopped even without his help, Jack landed and walked over to Pippa. "No, no, of course not! None of this is your fault. It's mine. I rescued Pitch, and now he's getting back at me. I don't know why, but he's mad at me, and he's trying to hurt you to get back at me. I know it isn't fair, and I'm sorry for putting you in harm's way. But don't worry, kiddos. I'm doing the best I can to make sure you're safe, and I sent off one of Tooth's fairies to get help. The other Guardians should be here soon. Don't worry. Just stay together, and everything will be ok."

The kids stared at Jack, still terrified. "But Jack….why would Pitch want to hurt us because of you? We didn't do anything wrong, and we almost died!" Monty whimpered.

Jack stared at Monty, unsure of what to say. He didn't want to tell them that Pitch didn't care about them, that Pitch saw them as a means to manipulate and harm the Guardians. Then again, what could he do? These kids weren't dummies. They knew full well what was going on. They wanted to know what they had done to deserve such a fate and if they were going to be ok. And those were things that Jack couldn't necessarily answer.

Jack hung his head. "I…I don't know why. I don't know a lot about Pitch, but I do know that he will stop at nothing to come back. And if it means hurting you, then he'll do it."

The kids look at each other, then back at Jack. To his surprise, they weren't upset or terrified, but seemed to understand the unfairness of the situation. "But you'll keep us safe, right, Jack?" Caleb asked.

Jack nodded. "I will. Anything I can do to help, I will."

Cupcake raised her fist in the air. "C'mon, guys! Let's go help Jack!"

She rushed off to find a bucket of water, by Jack grabbed her by the collar before she could get very far. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, kid! It's not safe for you to help. The most important thing is that you let the firemen-and me-do their jobs and make sure you're safe. But if you've got any pets or toys I need to rescue, I'll see what I can do. Just stay put, and this will be over soon, I promise. By the way, have any of you seen Jamie?"

"No. I don't think the fire's spread to his house yet. But I'll let you know if I do," Pippa said.

Jack gulped and tried to ignore the knot of fear rapidly growing in his stomach. That was exactly what Pitch wanted-now was not the time to freak out. He needed to be strong for the kids and help them while he waited for the other Guardians to arrive. "Okay, well, if you see anything, be sure to let me know. Now, does anyone have anything for me to get out of harm's way?"

"Well, my friend Sam's goldfish is still in there. Can you go and see if it's okay? His house is right next to mine," Claude asked.

"Sure thing," Jack replied. He flew off into the air and dove through the window. To his relief, the goldfish was still swishing about in its bowl. By some miracle, the fire hadn't reached Sam's room yet.

"Sorry, little guy, but it's gonna be a bit rough. Hang in there," Jack said. As he picked up the fish bowl, he could've sworn the thing blew bubbles of reproach at him. It was then that he realized, with some amusement, that it was the same goldfish whose water he'd once frozen over.

"Sorry about that, uh, Mr. Fish. No hard feelings?" Jack asked. The fish gave no indication as to whether it forgave him, but it did look quite relieved to be deposited safely on the street.

"Thanks so much! Sam is gonna be so relieved!" Claude said happily as he picked up the fishbowl and held it close to his chest.

Jack smiled and ran his fingers through his hair. "No problem, kiddo. Now, does anyone else have pets or toys or anything they need rescued? If not, I'm gonna go look for Jamie."

"Jack, you can go find Jamie. We will do the rescuing," a familiar booming, Russian-accented voice said. Jack whipped around to find North, Tooth, Bunny, and Sandy behind him, with a very proud Baby Tooth fluttering in front of them.

Jack felt a wave of relief crash through him. "I-I didn't know you guys would come! Thanks so much! I was so worried about the kids," Jack said.

"Of course we'd come, Jack. We're a team, right?" Tooth said gently. "Believe it or not, Bunny was the one who insisted the most on coming here. He was worried that Pitch had burned you to a crisp."

"Oh, shut up, ya bloody liar!" Bunny snorted. Tooth glared at him.

"All right, mate, ya got a point there. But promise to never tell anybody else about that!" Bunny insisted.

Jack grinned. "I won't. Now, have you guys seen Pitch? He's heading towards Jamie's house and I don't want him to-"

"-Do not worry, Jack. Saw him and his family outside. Even Abby. They are fine. Can probably get to them before Pitch attacks. Go. We will stay behind and help firemen and help everyone else rescue pets," North reassured him.

Jack heaved a sigh of relief. "Thanks, North. Well, I guess I'll see you later." He gulped, clutched his staff, and flew down the street. He thought he heard Tooth wishing him good luck, but he didn't have time to stop and listen. If Jack were to save Jamie, it was now or never.

Jack swooped down next to Jamie just as Pitch rose eerily before them like a flock of ravens. Jamie rushed to Jack's side and clung to him in terror. "Jack! Why is Pitch back? I thought you guys kicked his butt!" Jamie cried.

Jack put a comforting arm around Jamie. "I don't know, but don't worry. I'm gonna kick his butt again, and this time he's not coming back," Jack said, trying to hide the fear in his voice. He knew it was no use, but he didn't want Jamie to be terrified out of his wits. Jack knew that Pitch was willing to do anything to destroy his spirits, and Jamie didn't deserve to be killed-or worse.

Jamie looked back at him, unconvinced. Jack would have tried to reassure Jamie again, but at that moment, Pitch began to circle them.

"Oh, how lovely. A little reunion between two precious friends," Pitch sneered. "I do so hate to ruin moments like these, but I'm afraid that I must. Come with me, child." The boogeyman reached out for Jamie with hands like talons.

Jamie pressed himself into Jack even more. "No! You can't scare me! And I won't let you hurt Jack!"

Pitch's smile grew even more twisted. "Oh, how sweet. You think you can protect your beloved Jack. Well, unfortunately, the Guardians have misled you a bit. You may have been able to defeat me once, but you won't be able to this time. I've learned quite well from my mistakes."

Pitch grabbed Jamie, and before Jack's cry of dismay had even left his lips, Pitch had pinned Jamie to the ground and a cloud of nightmare sand had enveloped him. Jamie screamed as the nightmare sand writhed up his nostrils and squirmed as he was corrupted. Pitch let out a low chuckle. "You thought that I would kill a child in front of everyone? That would have been far too obvious. But since no adults can see my nightmare sand, well…what better what to punish you and remain unseen than to turn Jamie into my very own Nightmare Prince?"

Jack lunged forward. "NO!" He kicked Pitch's arms away from Jamie and shielded Jamie with his own body. Gradually, the nightmare sand subsided and Jamie sat up, shaken but unharmed.

Pitch looked amused. "Nice try, Jack. But you can't stop me from succeeding this time. Hand over the child, unless you want to take his place."

Jack stood up and shoved Jamie out of the way. "Take me, then. If it's me you want so badly, then have me. Why do you hate me so much anyway, Pitch? I've never done anything to hurt you! Are you just jealous that I'm believed in and you aren't?"

Pitch flinched and slapped Jack. "HATE YOU?! HATE YOU?! You frozen, heartless bastard! You claim to understand NOTHING? You, who were alone and unseen for as long as I? You, who rejected a potential friend to take your place among those useless Guardians? Jack, the Man in the Moon cares nothing for you. He would rip your soul to pieces if it meant keeping children safe. The Guardians are a lie. For years, I was the true protector of children. You don't realize it, Jack, but fear was what kept everyone safe for years before those stupid Big Four came along. And once they did, everything was ruined. Innocence cannot protect you from a murderer, Jack. Nor can joy protect you from being hit by a car, or wonder from running away from a stranger. Only fear can do that. And now you've gone and taken it away! Jack, with fear, everyone was safe. But because of you, nobody can protect themselves! Do you feel good about that, Jack-taking away the only instinct that kept children safe without being turned into the pets of a bunch of fools like you?"

Jack held his cheek, but remained silent for a few moments as he replayed Pitch's words in his mind. He hated to acknowledge Pitch, but he did have a point. He'd never really thought about it, but fear wasn't always bad. If his sister hadn't been scared, he never would've been able to comfort her and rescue her from falling into the icy lake. If he hadn't been afraid of Pitch, he wouldn't have known that joining up with him wasn't a smart idea. And how many times had he seen a child dart away from danger to safety, all because of their own fear? Perhaps taking it away entirely hadn't been such a good idea after all. Maybe there was a way for Pitch to live amongst them, after all.

"Okay, buddy, I'll admit it: You have a point. Maybe we can find a way for you to find your place in the world. As long as you're not trying to hurt kids for the sake of getting your revenge, we could work something out. What do you say?" Jack offered.

Pitch laughed again. "Thanks for your kind offer, Jack. But since I refuse to touch anything related to those vile Guardians, I shall have to take you up on your other offer. Say your goodbyes to your little friend, and then I shall take you as my own Nightmare Prince."

Jack lunged at Pitch, blasting him head to toe with ice. "Why do you want to make me your Prince of Nightmares? Why are you so desperate to make me join you? I've already told you-I'm a Guardian now and I am NOT going to change my mind! You say that I'm heartless, but you've never known what it's like to have a family! You never will, because you have no heart…"

"I DO! Jack, I've lost everything! You don't understand how miserable I've been! I know loss better than you ever will. To lose your own child…." Pitch trailed off. Jack stopped for a moment and watched as Pitch freed himself from the ice. Was it just his imagination, or did Pitch's lip quiver and tears well up in his eyes?

Jack stopped for a moment. "Pitch….just who did you lose? I know what it's like-really. I mean, I haven't had anyone in my family die, but when I became Jack Frost, I watched my sister grow old and die…and I didn't even know who she was because I lost all of my memories! But maybe now that I have them back and know who I am, I could help you figure out who you are too and if your kid's even still alive."

Pitch smiled bitterly. "You can't find her, Jack. I haven't seen her in decades. And even if I did find her, she would hate me for not trying to find her. It's no use. But if you really wanted to help me, then you could volunteer to take her place at my side."

Jack opened his mouth to reply, but he noticed that the fire Pitch had started was growing nearer. "Pitch, run! The fire's right behind you!" Jack called as he surrounded Jamie in a sphere of ice and pulled him into the air.

Pitch scrambled desperately after them as Jack deposited Jamie safely on a rooftop. Jamie looked down, shaking in terror as Pitch scaled the side of the house. "Jack, what was he saying about losing his kid and fear being good and all that?" Jamie asked.

Jack shrugged. "I don't know, kid. But I'm gonna have to find out."

"Yeah, but what do we do now? Pitch is going to die if the fire keeps coming closer. I know he's a bad guy, but aren't the Guardians supposed to help everyone, even if they're naughty?" Jamie asked.

Jack nodded. "Good point. I have no idea how I'm going to save him without putting us in danger, but…" Jack sent a wave of snow at the fire, beating it back long enough for Pitch to grab the edge of the roof. Pitch put another hand and an elbow on the roof a second later, forcing Jamie and Jack to retreat. Jack glanced around and realized, to his dismay, that the roof was smaller than he'd thought. He'd thought that perhaps there was enough room for Pitch to take shelter on the roof while still creating a good distance between him and Jamie, but Jack realized that that wasn't going to be possible. If Pitch were to finish pulling himself up onto the roof, he would be right next to them-and that would only lead to disaster.

Just as Pitch had put a foot onto the roof, North screamed, "Ho, ho, ho, Jack! Look out!" and flew towards Pitch. Jack and Jamie backed out of the way just in time for North to crush Pitch's hand under his boot and send Pitch falling down to his demise in the fire.

Jack stared at North, who was whistling and swinging his swords happily. "I don't know if you know what you just did, North, but….for once, protecting us from Pitch was NOT the right thing to do."