I feel HORRIBLE! The reason for lack of updates is because I had a Big Hero 6 inspiration explosion and began working on a oneshot series for that too! Because I was naughty, I gift you all with an extra long chapter! Enjoy!

It took five long days for Jack to recover. Pippa never lweft his side. Jamie had to be torn away so he could go to school. Mother Nature and Pitch both were in and out, checking on the recovering winter sprite and feeding off the little overland's strong terror.

Pippa woke up screaming, and Jack was unconscious. The little Autumn needed comfort and now

Carrie hurried over and wrapped Pippa up in a hug. "It's ok, everything is gonna be ok."

She clutched Carrie, sobbing uncontrolably,

"Jackie...Jackie!"

Carrie began to rock Pippa gently humming a lullaby.

"It wasn't the first time." The little girl said sadly after her tears were used up. "You won't want to hear it, but I need to tell, or else it wont leave me alone."

Carrie nods. "Ok, tell me."

"Uncle Nigel was still there when Jackie had pneumonia. He acted like he was taking care of him, but the soup he gave was always chilled, and Jackie refused to eat any of it. So he got switched. He ate after that, but the cold soup made his condition worse, and I nearly lost him. Uncle told him to get up one day. Jackie couldn't, so he switched him. Of course that made him even weaker, and by the time our parents got home," she began to sob "The doctor said he wouldn't last the night!"

Carrie hugs Pippa tighter. "It's ok, he survived and now that jerk can't come near either of you again."

"Promise?"

Carrie nods. "I promise." She then thinks, 'and if he does I'll kill him. There can be a new Famine...'

There was a thud from upstairs, and a painful yelp

Carrie blinks putting Pippa down and heading upstairs. "Is everything ok?"

Hiccup was there, wrestling a skeleton to the ground. Jack was on the floor, a noose around his neck.

"Where did that come form?" Carrie asks as she hurries over to Jack and removes the noose.

The skeleton laughed and declared

"I am Skeletor, the Skeleton in the closet! Jack has a date with hotsprings, and Pele' would prefer he not miss it!"

Carrie whistles. "Abby here girl!" Abby the Greyhound comes bounding into the room. Carrie points at the skeleton with a grin. "Look Abby bones! Go get the bones!" Abby barks happily leaping onto Skeletor and immediately beings to chew on his bones.

"AAAAAAAAGH Cursed MUTT get OFF ME!" Skeletor roared, ttrying to pry off the jaws of the beast "AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Carrie smiles. "Good girl! Get the bones." She says pulling Jack to her.

"Mom?" he asked softly. "Pippa...Where is she?!" he began to panic "I'm not going to let them touch her! TAKEW ME! Take me! I'll come! Please!"

Carrie hugs Jack. "It's ok they don't have her." She reasuress him holding onto him tightly.

"She is safe?" his wild eyes calm "I'll die for her AGAIN if I have to!"

"Jackie Jackie I'm ok! I'm here!"

Hearing her voice, Jack calmed down.

"Mom?" he said softly "I'm going to pass out."

"Go right ahead honey." Carrie says. Carrie looks at Skeletor then at Pippa. "Pippa sweetie can you go get either Pitch or Mother Nature for me."

"I have been here for a relatively long time." Pitch said, stepping out. "It seems dogs are a certain boney Spirit's biggest fear. I shall thank the mutt for giving me a banquet."

Carrie nods. "Good then you can help me get information from him."

"Information?": Pitch was curious

"Yes he said that 'Jack has a date with Hotsprings and Pele would prefer he not miss it' I want to know what he meant by that."

"Oh. I know what they meant." Pitch said "The Council has often entertained ways of roasting Jack Frost. Obvious;ly the Lava Urchen Queen wants to make him drown and burn."

Carrie gives him a long look. "And you didn't interfere why?"

"Why would I when the burning heat of Summer already was handling things?"

Carrie nods. "True. Do you know who else is involved with this?"

"Of course I do. Even Mother Nature knows of the council."

"Ok who are they and are they going to show up here looking for Jack?" Carrie asks running her hand through Jack's hair.

"They arent stupid." Pitch growled "They won't try again. Not so soon. And as for the members, there are a lot I'm afraid. A lot who want the boy to burn and die."

Jack wimpers and snuggled close to her "Death..."

"Yeah that's not gonna happen." Carrie tells Pitch before looking down at Jack in concern.

"We have a guest." Pitch said, stepping away.

The grim reaper himself stood there, scythe upright, hood drawn over bony features. A sigh escaped the figure, and he rasped "Oh Frostchild."

Carrie blinks as the grim reaper appears. "... Hello." She finally manages.

"Hello Carrie Bennet. Allow me some time with the Frostchild. You may stay."

Pippa ran into the reaper, franticly crying "YOU CANNOT TAKE HIM! I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE HIM AGAIN!"

A hissing laugh escaped the bonedry throat.

"Relax, little Autumn. I have not come to take your brother away. Not yet. No, the frostchild will remain here with you a bit longer. That is...if he cooperates."

"Cooperates?" Carrie asks.

"Yes." he says, ""As you may or may not know, Jackson Overland was snatched from me by MiM. I own him. He was mine and he was stolen. The debt must be paid."

he reached out and stroked Jack's chin with a boney finger.

"Now he comes knocking on my door again. I can easily take him. He is mine after all. But I see that he has many things keeping him here. As I said, the debt needs to be paid."

He sighs "He will work for me."

Carrie nods slowly. "Doing what?" She ask curious.

"With Winter there is death. He has seen it. He knows it. Up until now, he has avoided it. No more."

The reaper paused to put his hand over Jack's face, a strange glow enveloping the winter child.

"He will help me reap in his season. Frostbite victims will call to him to make their pain stop. he will cause Hyperthermia sufferings to end in peace. He really will, in a manner of speaking, be an offshoot of death."

Carrie bites her lip. "Ok..."

"Do not fight me, Frostchild." he said gently "You know this is necessary."

Jack wimpered something, and Reaper chuckled softly, "Yes, I know it is the oposite of what you are tasked as a Guardian. You will have to reap children as well. That is the nature of Winter."

When he was done, Reaper turned to Carrie with a smile gracing his thin lips

"I will go, for unfortunately I am very busy. But we will meet again, Carrie Bennet."

He disapeared, and Jack cried. "I really am Death now!" he wailed

Carrie hugs Jack tightly. "It's ok it's ok this isn't nessisarly a bad thing." She coos.

"Yeah Jack!" Pippa encouraged, hugging her weaping brother. I hate seeing him cry.

"How? How is me freezing people to death a good thing? ESPECIALLY children?"

Carrie sighs. "Because some of them might be beyond saving and it would be kinder to kill them swiftly then let them suffer a slow death."

"Would you say that if it was Sophie?" he asked softly

Carrie flinches. "If there was honestly no way to save her I wouldn't want her to suffer."

"Then I will do this. To the best of my ability." he said, sobbing still "But I won't enjoy it."

"I don't expect you too." Carrie says softly.

Jack sighed. He knew sooner or later the Guardians would notice Lights disappearing, and would investigate. Wether they found him in the act or he told them at the next meeting...he was in for a very bad time.