"I don't want to talk about it."

Those six words were whispered so vehemently that the one who dared ask such a loaded question was forced to step back, a hand on her heart.

It had started innocently enough, with a conversation about his past, his sister, and his family life. How he pranked but was careful never to hurt anyone with his fun, how his sister looked up to him like he was everything in her tiny world, and how he looked fondly on his memories now that he had them back. The conversation turned to her next, and she told him of her adventures on the job, her little faeries origins, and how she looked at him as the son she never got to have.

Then That Question was dropped as he gazed fondly into the little ponbd that sat in front oif the tooth mural, stirring the water with his staff and watching the ripples. He froze the water a bit, tracing the frozen bumps and enjoying the sensation of rough against smooth...how different it was, how gentle the contrast. That Question was something he didn't realise he still struggled with even after coming to terms with his origin until it was asked so casually, so curiously...and so randomly. That Question was something he never thought she would ask at all. Yet there it sat in the air between them, staring at him through sound, accusing him with its bite. That Question was:

"What did it feel like...when you drowned?"

Only Pitch and himself knew the answer to that Question. Only he knew the tragic reality of that day, of that moment. Only he knew the extent that That Question hurt as it was asked so cluelessly, so carelessly. Only he knew…

And he had no desire to relive it. Not even in the telling. Not even for her, the one person who knew the importance of retaining memories no matter how horrible or morbid. He had no desire to remember the cold. The dark. The fear as water filled his lungs, his throat, his stomach...NO! No he refused to remember!

He refused to remember the crack, the fall, the sudden loss of movement as the biting cold snatched all ability to move right out of his limbs. The agony as air was replaced by frigid wetness and the sounds of his sister frantically screaming his name until the darkness took his senses and swallowed him. He couldn't bring himself to even think of the terror that joined the water in filling his being, the helplessness that overtook his mind as blackness slowly engulfed it, one section at a time disappearing as he sank further into the depths. Unable to scream because numbness stole his voice. Unable to call out because opening his mouth let more painfully cold wetness inside his body. Unable to breathe because he was not a fish. Still he sank...until nothing but the moon watched his descent.

He didn't want to remember. Yet That Question forced the horror back to the surface.

"Sweet Tooth?"

He couldn't breathe! He felt dizzy, the pond blurry as it seemed to get closer, his senses leaving him lightheaded and finally, his body pitched forward.

"Jack, Honey?"

He swung his arms out, trying to catch himself as the water swallowed him whole, the depths embracing him again, welcoming him home. A soft touch was at his shoulder. He took a deep breathe and water filled his lungs again, making him gag and inhale, and gag again as wetness coated his throat.

"Hey! Easy there mate...Jack, yer free mate come on! Breathe!"

He gazed at the one who had saved him from the inky blackness with hollow eyes. He was trapped still in the nightmare that was, the waters choking the life from him, the cold seeping into every cell and freezing there, causing him a numbness that would never go away.

"He's not comin outta it. JACK! Oye Frostbite! Breathe!"

Breathe? He couldn't breathe! Breathing meant more water invading his windpipe. Breathing meant death. He didn't want to die...again. He couldn't risk taking in water...not now. He sank further, collapsed where he stood...collapsed into the void.

"BREATHE!"

He finally surrendered to the whims screaming at him and took a deep breath, prepairing himself for the pain of water rushing into his body, through his nose and into his throat. He prepaired himself for the ultimate torture, to be sinking once again into the abyss…

"There! There ya go, brumby, ay? There! Take it easy mate, you're not drownin. Easy."

Air! Oh he was actually taking in blessed air! He panted heavily, coughing now and again as the sweetness tickled his throat. The darkness lifted, and he realised that he was in the Tooth Palace. Bunny was sitting next to him, paw on his shoulder. Tooth was fluttering nearby, looking worried and a bit sick. He noticed Baby Tooth was flitting about as well, squeaking in panic until she noticed his eyes were open, then she barreled into him, much to his amusement.

"What...what happened? I was...what was I even doing?"

"It's my fault. Oh Jack I'm...I'm so sorry! I must have triggered you in some way and for that...I'm sorry."

Jack cocked his head "Well, can't really blame you for my head trauma can I, Tooth? It's not your fault. Flashed just happen. You could have sparked it, or the water itself could've sparked it. I don't know. But, just to be sure...if I say I don't want to talk about something...I usually have a good reason."

He sighed "I don't fear the water you know. Never have, never will. But the act of...of drowning? Yeah, I can admit to fearing that, no problem. It's not just because of how I died either, though now I can add not being able to move due to temperatures being below freezing to my nightmares. No...I've almost drowned twice in my living life prior to that...and one time it was because someone was actively holding my head down in the water."

Tooth gasped "But why?! Why would anyone do that to a child?"

Jack snorted "You actually have to ask that after what the hell happened to Jamie?! Come on, Tooth, there's only one reason for an act that evil!"

Everyone dropped the topic shortly after that, although Tooth promised never to ask her question again. A gesture that earned her the reward of seeing the whiter-than-snows beam at her full force, and that was a kingly reward.