Song: Mean

By: Taylor Swift

Start song at (1)

Bunny at first was too shocked to say or do anything, then it started to sink in. Adults, teens and kids, these guys were all looking at him. Or at the very least in his general direction. Without really noticing it his breathing kicked up a notch and his heart started to speed up as well. Instinct said run! He tucked Jack under his arm and tried to make a dash for his tunnel, leaping over the heads of the people around him. Sophie let out a giggle since she still clung to his leg.

When he landed there were gasps of: "I see him!", "Is that a man sized rabbit!?", "I've never seen such markings!", and "He's got Sophie and Jack!"

These words only added to bunny's confusion and spurred him on even faster. Running with three legs -Jack tucked under his left arm and Sophie clinging to his right leg- he went towards the table and the open hole in the floor, only to have something bonk him on the head and send him sliding, getting a very bad rug burn on his chest.

When his eyes focused he saw that it was a shoe that had smacked him. A good quality ladies boot to be precise, complete with thick wedge heel. He also noticed that his tunnel had closed, probably from his loss of concentration when the boot hit him. His next unfortunate Realization was that the woman who had thrown the shoe, miss Stern face, was now standing promptly in front of him. She picked up her boot and put it back on, then she disentangled Jack from bunny's arm and gently plucked Sophie and bunny's leg.

Clapping Sophie cheered: "bunny, hop, hop, hop! Again, again!"

The stern faced woman handed Sophie over to her mother then placed Jack on the ground. Bunny watched as she checked the winter spirit over making sure he wasn't hurt in any way then her steely eyes turned back to him. She leaned forward, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and pulled him to his feet.

Keeping a firm grip on his scruff she pulled him till they were face-to-face, mere inches from each other. "I don't take kindly to people, or in your case creatures, who mess with my family! You've come into this home, grabbed Jack by his hood, and nearly choked him as you dragged him towards your escape tunnel. If you don't start talking in the next five seconds my boot is going to be the least of your worries!"

Bunny's ears were plastered to his head, his eyes had grown as big as dinner plates, and he was actually curling in on himself. If it wasn't for aunt Greta's firm grip on his scruff, Jack had no doubt that bunny would be in the fetal position right now.

Not wanting to set her off on him, Jack slowly walked up to on Greta and put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay aunt Greta, you can let him go. He'll probably be more willing to talk that way."

Aunt Greta did not even turn her head. "I don't think so, soon as I let go he'll be gone in a flash and he's got some explaining to do."

"What if we hold him?" Suggested Jamie. Having been on the receiving end of aunt Greta's stared downs, Jamie agreed with Jack that bunny was not going to talk unless he was free from her grip.

"Yeah we can do that!" And to make their point all the kids and teens quickly grabbed an arm, a hand, a leg, a foot, or even an ear, whatever they couldn't get a handle on.

This seemed to satisfy aunt Greta, if only slightly, and she released her grip on bunny's scruff.

Bunny, now weighed down by a multitude of gripping hands, turned his plate sized eyes to Jack. "What's going on here mate!? How can all the adults and teens see me? What do they mean, that your family?"

"This isn't really the way I wanted to let you guys know about all this." Jack said, obviously uncomfortable. "Short version, last year when I attended the Bennett Thanksgiving dinner, we all found out a few things. Turns out that my sister, from before I was Jack Frost, is the Bennett families many greats grandmother. Which makes me there are many greats uncle." Bunny stared at him without saying a word. Jack snapped his fingers in front of bunny's face a few times and got no reaction. "I think I just overloaded his mind."

This statement caused everyone to get the giggles. Eventually it was decided that the kids would carry bunny to the sofa and lay him down until his mind could start functioning again.

North stuck his head out of the fireplace and looked around, Claud and Caleb's house was filled with delicious smells of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, and many more delicious scents. He strained his ears, and picked up the sounds of people happily chatting and wishing each other happy Thanksgiving.

"Iz Thanksgiving already?"

Tooth arrived at the street where Monty and Piper's houses sat right across from each other. Both had warm glowing light coming from their Windows. The fairy zipped first to pipe's house and spotted a Cornucopia decoration sitting on a window mantel. Plastic fall leaves were sticking to the Windows and a wreath made of harvest gourds was displayed proudly on their door.

She went across the street to Monty's house and found the boy gnawing his way through a turkey leg as he watched a football game with his father and three brothers.

"Thanksgiving, I didn't know it was Thanksgiving!"

Sandy had let himself in, via a window, and was now watching as cupcake had a rowdy tussle with her strong cousins. It seemed that the whole family was a rough-and-tumble crew. Then a man, who Sandy assumed was cupcake's father, said: "if you don't calm down in their you can forget about pumpkin pie!" That got everyone's attention.

Cupcake followed everyone into the main room where a football game was going. But then kept walking into the kitchen. There she helped her mother do some basic cleanup while the boys shouted about Fowles and replays.

Sandy went back out through the window and headed to meet with the other three guardians. He had a sneaking suspicion that today being Thanksgiving and Jack being missing were connected.

The first comprehend thing bunny's ears picked up, in who knows how long, was a tune that sounded suspiciously like a guitar. He groggily sat up, finding himself on a cushy couch. His ears swung back and forth until he located the sound. It was coming from the kitchen/dining area. He quietly made his way to the door and saw that an elderly gentleman, who he assumed was Jamie and Sophie's grandfather, was playing a guitar while none other than Jack Frost caused a spectacle of performing coats. No doubt Jack had well mastered his Locomotion spell.

(1)Jack sung about words, and how they could cut just like knives. How it was easy for someone to be knocked down and made to feel like they were nothing. He sung of how voices could sound like nails on a chalkboard, especially when armed with harmful intent and aimed at those who couldn't fight back.

Bunny wondered what he was going on about! Then the guitar picked up speed and the meaning of the song became very clear.

"Someday I'll be living in the big city. And all you'll ever be is mean! Someday I'll be so big you won't be able to hit me! And all you'll ever be is mean! Why you gotta be so mean?"

Is that what this is all about? Frost got picked on? Bunny pondered. He listened again, hoping to figure out what was happening.

As Jack told about people switching sides, telling lies, and spreading humiliation, the coats created a scene that resembled a school yard mob. They pointed and shook like they were laughing at a single coat in the center of their circle. Jack continued with things like how people could cruelly point out others flaws, as if that person didn't already see them. And how that caused their victims to walk through life with their heads down and left they wishing that everything would just be ok again.

Bunny had a flashback of the night Jack had first been brought to the poal. "None of them believe in you, do they? You see, your invisible mate! It's like you don't even excited." Followed quickly by the day of the Easter Fiasko. "He has to go! We should never have trusted you!" Am I the mean one he's talking about?

"I bet you got pushed around, somebody made you this cold. That cycle ends right now though, because you can't lead be down that road!"

Bunny had to admit, Jack didn't let others determine how he would act. As Jack sang the chorus again the Guardian of hope stepped out from beside the doorway.

"I can see you years from now in a bar, talking with that same big loud opinion. Nobody will be listening, as you'll be washed up and ranting about the same old things. Cause all you are is mean! And a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life and mean! But someday I'll be living in the big city. And all you'll ever be is mean! Someday I'll be so big you won't be able to hit me! And all you'll ever be is mean! Yeah, yeah! Someday I'll be living in the big city. And all you'll ever be is mean! Someday I'll be so big you won't be able to hit me! And all you'll ever be is mean! Why you gotta be so mean?"

"Frost?" Jack turned upon hearing bunny's voice. The large rabbit was standing there ears half dropped off to the sides of his head. "Is there a reason your singing that song right now? Or is it just- something your sharing?"

Before Jack could answer aunt Greta stepped forward.

Jack had suggested that they let bunny rest, the Pookas eyes had closed after a few minutes and he'd slumped into a almost comatose sleep. Leading them into the kitchen he had told them that bunny was a guardian, and that they had nothing to worry about. "He's probably just annoyed with me that's all."

"Annoyed with you about what?" Max said unconvinced.

"Not sure. This isn't the first time that I've annoyed him for unknown reasons."

"Is he one of the spirits that bullied you?"

Jack wasn't sure how to answer that. In all truth bunny had been one of the most antagonistic spirits in his 300 years before becoming a guardian. But Jack could never hold it against the guy, his words stung sure but Jack had gotten his fair share of jabs in as well. In the big picture he saw bunny as a kind of friendly/antagonistic rival. In the end he settled for telling them that bunny and he had crossed paths plenty of times before but that was all water under the bridge.

"I'm still not sure about him!" Aunt Greta said.

" Don't worry I can take care of myself."

"You shouldn't have to! Yes being self-sufficient is an important quality but also is knowing when to ask for help and giving that help in return."

"And that's what I have now." Jack assured her. "I am surrounded by both the guardians and you all! All those other spirits and creatures there just mean. They can't hurt me anymore!"

That is what gave Jack the idea for his latest performance. As he had sung his song and waved his magic aunt Greta had calm down and even broke a smile!

Now that all seem to have disappeared under her gruff attitude once again. "If it isn't the rabbit man! Are you coherent enough to start explaining yourself?

The locomotion spell is a reference to a chapter in my "songs of 300 plus years" story.

Did anyone catch the reference I made to coco in the beginning of this chapter? See if you can find it.

So what do you think? I love to read P.M's and reviews. Thank you all for reading!