Pitch sneered at the intruder in his realm. He had no idea how people kept getting into his domain, and right now, he was too frazzled and bitter to care.

"What do you want, Toothiana" he growled, not turning around to face his guest.

"I...I need to talk to you, Pitch. In your lair, not here."

Suprized, he silently agreed, and transported them back to his lair, next to the globe. Once there, he stood with his back to her, as he listened to news from a Nightmare. Tooth waited for him to finish, then sat on one of the fallen cages that scattered the floor. The Boogeyman sighed, and once again asked harshly.

"What do you want?"

"Pitch...your attitude today...with Jack...I just...I want to know why."

The Boogeyman sighed. It was clear to him that she would not leave until he gave her an explanation. Turning finally to face her, he simply said

"I do not want Frost broken. We have...a partnership. A growing...acquaintanceship, due to a bet he made with me."

"A bet?"

"He would get me what I've craved since you lot took over, and I in turn would leave you alone. The stakes are higher on his end, but I don't think he cares. He knows...he knows how it feels to be me. Alone, unloved..." He looked fondly at the globe, the purple dots shining brightly in Boise. "Unbelieved in."

He turned away from the globe and from her. Tooth pondered what he said, then asked in a whisper "What were the stakes on Jack's end, Pitch? They had to be something large, and tempting, otherwise you would have not agreed to the bet."

A light appeared in his eyes, one that had been dormant for a long time, and a sneaky, hungry grin creeped up his face.

"He would become a feast for me. I would keep him here, caged, while I fed off his fear and eventually his life. On top of that, I would extract my vengeance on the Guardians on him."

Tooth grimaced "High stakes, and more in it for you than for ..." she stood and put her arm on his shoulder, her voice dropping to a whisper "It's become more than a simple gamble, hasn't it? You've begun to change, Pitch Black. You're worried for Jack."

He pulled away, "Yes alright!" he snapped "I am worried! Can you blame me?!" he flung his hands up, pointing to the globe "I have believers now! I'm seen! I'm feared! But I'm also as popular and adored as the Guardians IF NOT MORE! All because Frost sought me out. He came to me to make a promise that I would no longer be hiding under beds, forgotten and alone! Because of HIM! I exist now because of that brat!"

Tooth shushed him with a look, and hugged him. Pitch at first stiffened, before realizing that his throat had cracked, and a tear was sliding down his face.

"Now he's empty...lifeless...a shell of what he was. And I can't do a darn thing. He's given me the most perfect gift...and I can't repay him."

They stayed that way for the rest of the night, Tooth hurting for the once-enemy, and he just sobbing like a man who lost his son to wolves. Jack had changed the man just by being the one to reach out and risk everything, including his reputation as a Guardian..heck even his very Guardianship, to help him achieve what Jack himself had achieved on that Easter when Jamie had seen him for the first time.

Tooth didn't know how, but sometime after making the deal, Jack must have stepped in and befriended and bonded with the Nightmare King.

And that bond was screaming to be reconnected, but with Jack broken, it wouldn't be repaired anytime soon, and Pitch feared that it never would be.

"Don't give up on him, Pitch Black." She said, releasing him and turning to leave "He will come back, if only to finish your bet. Jack was never one to stop a game just when he was starting to have fun."

After she left, the man looked again at the globe, with the lights from his believers shining bright, and a smile tugged at his lips, ever so slowly.

"This is true."