Author's Note: Due to popular request, I decided to listen to your demands (*COUGH* - I'm just kidding ='D) and write a part two to my previous one-shot "Breathe." =)

...Well, this is technically a two-shot now with the addition of this part. XD

This part contains a lot of mentions to "Breathe, Part One," so I suggest reading that one-shot before proceeding with this one. =)

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this second part! =D

Breathe, Part Two

The ride back to the North Pole was miserable.

The feeling of shock and despair that hung over the Guardians the entire flight back, was just too much to bear.

Bunny hadn't let go of Jack since he found him in the jungle. He held the beaten winter spirit close as the Guardians sped to Santoff Claussen. The sleigh was blanketed in an apprehensive hush, and Bunny felt the gaze of Tooth and Sandy watching the unconscious boy in his arms.

They had all been shocked when the Pooka approached with the bloodied, bruised winter spirit. Tooth nearly went into hysteria at the sight of him but pulled herself together not to further increase tension. But everyone could feel it.

The anxiousness. The dread.

The fright, the shock.

And the subtle, boiling anger. Like a volcano about to erupt.

Bunny explained what he had found in the clearing he found Jack. The Guardians were all aware that Jack did not get along well with the other elementals and seasonals, but they didn't think he would be assaulted for simply nothing.

Though all were angry at this revelation, it was Bunny who could be labeled as infuriated. He wasn't only angry at the spirits who had done this to Jack, but, the winter spirit himself.

Why was he so hesitant to tell him what happened? After a year together, Bunny thought Jack would be a little more open to speaking with them.

But 300 years was a long time alone; he still had much more to learn about Jack. And Jack had several more walls that needed to be cracked.

As the forlorn winter wind blew by and the sleigh tore through the sky, Bunny could only hope that if Jack woke up, he'd give a proper explanation.

When. When he woke up.

…

Santoff Claussen went into a frenzy when the Guardians returned with Jack. North immediately ordered the yetis to prepare a room for the winter spirit. He called Phil and the others to bring all the medical items needed to treat Jack's wounds.

Everything was a blur as Bunny was rushed to the room set up for the frost spirit. The Pooka laid Jack down on the bed, his brow furrowing at how much worse Jack looked from when he had found him. The bleeding had slowed on most of his cuts but was still caked with dry blood. He was barely breathing, and his clothes were tattered and torn. Red stained everything and his black eye was swelled like a grape.

The yetis quickly shoved the Guardians out, though they wanted to stay by Jack's side, they needed room to work. The door was shut in front of them. All they could do was wait until the yetis called them in again.

A few seconds of silence passed until Tooth's light voice came through

"H-He'll be okay…right?" she asked. Bunny turned around. Her eyes were sparkling, but no tears fell. The Tooth Fairy's feathers twitched anxiously. "He's so banged up…"

North sighed, and he sunk into a chair. "I'm sure he will. Jack is tough."

Several images flashed over Sandy's head. A question mark, a snowflake, and a jungle. "What I'm wondering is what happened to him. Did he not clue you into anything?"

"Not a thing," replied Bunny, his eyes drifting back to the door. "But I know without a doubt this wasn't an accident."

"But who would go out of their way to do such a thing? And to Jack of all people?" Tooth asked, anger seeping into her voice. "He didn't do anything wrong; he was just passing through!"

"There isn't enough to go off of," said Bunny, running a paw over his ears. "All we can do is wait until Frostbite wakes up. Hopefully, he's willin' ta explain then."

"But didn't he refuse to say anything before?" asked North.

"He did," Bunny said, crossing his arms. "But that's the thing. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to—but because he was afraid to."

The Guardians had spent enough time around Jack to know when he was hiding something. Whether it was wearing his hoodie more often, or suddenly evading conversations, Bunny and the other Guardians had taken note when he was purposefully trying to avoid discussion. And from the way he looked when Bunny found him, he was keeping something.

Not only that, but Jack did not give a good reason why he wouldn't tell Bunny what happened. He was too tired to tell a decent lie, so it was rather obvious Jack wasn't telling them something.

"Even if he is afraid, he still needs to tell us who did this to him," said Tooth. Her expression grew fretful. "We won't be able to prevent this from happening again if he doesn't."

"I know," said Bunny. "But Frostbite didn't seem like he wanted to be pried into at the moment."

"Why don't you talk to him again, Bunny?" North proposed. "You know more details than the rest of us. And, if Jack is speaking to just one of us, perhaps he will feel more compelled to explain."

Bunny pondered for a moment. He didn't know if he'd manage to get Jack to speak. The winter spirit could be very stubborn, even when he was injured.

But the Guardians needed to know who attacked him. And Bunny was yearning to find whoever that was and give them a pleasant beating with his boomerangs.

He gazed at Sandy, Tooth, and North. All of them looked so worried and desperate.

Bunny sighed and shook his head.

"Alright," he said. "I'll talk ta him. But if he doesn't say anything, we're goin' to have ta try a different approach."

"I'm sure you'll get him to speak," Tooth said confidently.

Bunny wished he could be just as sure himself.

…

He was warm. Far too warm for his liking.

Though his eyes weren't open, Jack was awake. By the aches in his arms, back, and legs, he had been lying in bed for quite a while. And he wanted to get out of it.

The covers laid upon him were thick and weren't made to conserve his chill instead of heat. Jack shifted but quickly regretted the action as a sharp, belting pain rushed up his chest.

The winter spirit hissed. D-Darn it….stupid ribs.

The pain slowly faded back into nothingness as Jack returned to his original position. He let out a small sigh, wondering if he should go back to sleep or stay awake and wait for the Guardians.

The winter spirit knew that he was in Santoff Claussen, and he vaguely remembered the jungle's events. He knew that Bunny had found him shortly after Elianna and the other Summer Sprites left him for dead and carried him into North's sleigh. After that, he remembered nothing. He had blacked out again shortly after they took off.

Jack chewed his lower lip, realizing how bad the situation looked. They had found him wounded in the middle of nowhere, and he hadn't explained what had happened. And there was no way he could pose this as an accident.

The Guardians were going to ask what happened—Bunny already had, but he didn't want to explain. He couldn't explain. If he did, he'd only put himself in more danger. And the Guardians might find themselves in trouble too.

Jack gripped his sheets. He did not want to drag them into this. He could handle this on his own.

But was that worth leaving the Guardians in the dark?

Jack sighed, and he nestled back into his pillow.

Perhaps sleep wouldn't be too bad after all.

…

The yetis had treated Jack's wounds the best they could. All they had to do now was wait for him to wake up.

Jack had some stitches to close up his slashes bandages were wrapped around his torso to keep his rips in place, and more were wrapped around his head to cover up the large, welling bump.

The yetis had done a few cold compresses to his black eye to help reduce the swelling, and they had worked. Jack looked a little bit better, but he had a long way until he was completely healed up.

As much as they wanted to spend all their time by Jack's bedside, they still had work to do. During their downtime, the Guardians would come to visit Jack. Tooth and Sandy would stop by most mornings before heading to work later, while North and Bunny would occupy the room long after their workdays had ended. Every time they entered, they hoped to find Jack sitting up, awake and smiling.

But every time, he was still lying in bed. Pale and motionless.

Out of all the Guardians, Bunny would spend the most time at Jack's bedside. He had promised the Guardians that he would get Jack to tell them what was going on. He too hoped that he would wake up soon—not only for his sake, but so he could uncover who had dared to attack their winter spirit.

Bunny had concealed it that day, but finding Jack broken and damaged in the woods had made him feel a fear that he hoped he'd never experience again.

Though Jack was a pain in the tail, he was like a younger brother to Bunny and he couldn't afford to lose another family member.

Bunny's expression was sober as he gazed at the unconscious winter spirit. His breathing was labored and uneven. His head lolled to one side, a strained whimper leaving his lips.

The Guardian of Hope took Jack's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. The winter spirit softened.

Bunny refused to lose another family member. Not again.

…

It was just another day.

He was flying on the wind, as high as he could go. A laugh bubbled past his lips as he weaved streaked through the air. The Northern Lights danced across the sky.

Jack urged the Wind to go faster; he didn't want to be late. But he knew would even if he did try.

It was just another ordinary day.

He was looking forward to seeing the Guardians. It had been a while.

A shadow approached in his peripheral vision, and suddenly, he was on the ground. Burning.

It was supposed to be an ordinary day.

He tried to stand up to face them, but they wasted no time and were upon him in an instant. Elianna's words were toxic and bitter, ringing his ears as he tried to push through.

"The Man in the Moon must've been desperate…"

"You're nothing but a low-life…"

"You're a criminal…!"

Their knifes dug into his skin and he screamed as the heart began to overtake him. He was red, their blades, everything was red.

He was burning, burning—melting, melting.

No one was there to save him.

Not the Guardians. Nor the Wind.

It was supposed to be just another ordinary day.

Then went limp and moved no more.

…

Bunny was at Jack's side in an instant when he began to scream.

The rest of Santoff Claussen had just turned in for the night, but Bunny had stayed late so he could look after Jack. North had told him if he needed anything, he could take anything he wanted from the kitchen or storage. Bunny thanked him, and urged the ex-Cossack off to bed—he looked exhausted, and he desperately needed rest.

Nothing had occurred much during Bunny's stay with Jack. He checked his wounds and changed his bandages. The Pooka examined Jack's black eye closely; the swelling had gone down some more, but he still applied a few cold compressions to help speed up the process.

He sat in the cushioned chair positioned at Jack's bedside and watched the winter spirit as he slept on. Even though things were improving, Bunny still couldn't help but worry for him. It had been five days—Jack had to wake up at some point.

Bunny was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Jack stirring right away. The Pooka's eyes drifted over to him at the sound of Jack's first cry. Then he started thrashing, and that was when he began to scream.

The Guardian of Hope was on his feet in a heartbeat, pushing Jack down so he wouldn't further jostle his injuries. The winter spirit still screamed, his face contorted with pain and stricken with fear almost palpable…it broke Bunny's heart just watching him.

"Jack…Jack! It's okay mate, it's okay!" Bunny cried. He grabbed Jack's hand and squeezed it tightly. "Come on, Frostbite…you gotta wake up!"

Jack's eyes snapped awake and he sat up, instantly triggering his internal injuries. Jack let out a choked cry. Bunny gently pushed him back down.

"Oi, be careful. You're still healin'," the Pooka said. "Those ribs of yours took a lot of damage."

Jack's eyes drifted to Bunny; he appeared to be in a lot of pain. Luckily, the yetis had left some painkillers nearby in case Jack accidentally jostled any of his injuries.

Bunny filled a cup with water and handed a pill to Jack.

"Take this," he instructed.

Thankfully, the winter spirit didn't put up a fuss, and he took the pill. Bunny held the cup of water so he could swallow it down. He didn't want him to sit up and irritate his injuries any further.

Jack let out a sigh after finishing the water and Bunny set the cup aside. The winter spirit was now looking at the other side of the room. Bunny could feel Jack did not want to talk.

But he did the opposite.

"Jack—"

"No," the Guardian of Fun was quick to speak. He wasn't looking at him, but Bunny could hear the edge of his weak voice. "I don't wanna talk."

Bunny balled his fists. "I know, mate. But you're still going to have to."

Jack stiffened, but he knew Bunny was right. The Pooka was just as stubborn as he was when he came to getting what he wanted. But Jack wasn't going to give in so easily.

..Not that he was planning to tell him anything anyway.

Bunny got up from his chair and sat down across from Jack on the bed. The winter spirit didn't turn to look at him, but he could feel Bunny's gaze.

The Pooka sighed. "You know, you nearly gave us a heart attack when we found you," he said quietly. "We rushed you back here as quickly as we could, but none of us knew when you would wake up. Or if you'd recover as smoothly as we hoped."

Jack pursed his lips and didn't reply. Bunny glanced at him and shook his head.

"Look, mate. I know you're used to keeping to yourself, but you can't shut us out. Especially not in moments like this," Bunny said. "We're doing what we can to help, but we can't do much unless you let us."

The Guardian of Hope placed a paw on Jack's shoulder. "We only want to protect you. And I know it will take time until you can fully trust in us, but…we're here for you, mate. Just let us in. Please."

For a few moments, Jack didn't say anything, and Bunny wasn't expecting him to—but he hoped. The Pooka pursed his lips and turned away. Then, suddenly, Jack spoke up.

"...I-It wasn't an accident" he whispered. "I…I was on my way to the Guardian meeting when I was knocked out of the sky. I was passing over a jungle, so I wanted to get out as soon as possible so I would get affected….b-but…the-then—"

Bunny felt Jack beginning to tremble under his paw, but he continued.

"Th-They came out and started smearing me. I tried to get o-out of there, b-but I was outnumbered. Th-They were too strong, and I c-couldn't manage in the heat, s-so…they beat me up and left me there."

Jack finally looked at Bunny. His eyes were watery. "I thought I was going to die," he croaked. "A-And I didn't even do anything, but I guess that's what you get when you're the spirit of winter…"

"Who did this to you, mate?" Bunny urged.

Jack glanced at Bunny. What only could be described as pure fear flashed in his eyes. "I…I can't tell you," he whispered.

"You said that before. Why not?" Bunny urged.

Jack turned away. "You won't understand—"

"I won't understand anything unless you tell me," Bunny said firmly.

Jack pursed his lips. "I can't."

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter."

"This doesn't matter? They could've killed you!"

"I've dealt with worse."

Something snapped inside of Bunny. "That's not the point, Jack!" he burst out. The winter spirit flinched. "What if whoever did this to you comes back? What if they do this again? How are we supposed to protect you if you won't even tell us who's responsible?!"

"But if I tell you, they'll hurt you!" Jack snapped. Bunny was taken aback. The winter spirit comprehended what he had done, and he sunk under the covers.

"If I tell you who they are, they might come after you," Jack whispered. "And they'll come after me too. I don't want any of you guys getting hurt because of me and my problems."

A string of silence followed afterward. Jack wished Bunny would just leave him alone so he could rest, but he wasn't letting him out of this. He thought the Pooka wouldn't get anything out of him, but…

Perhaps there was a small part of Jack that wanted to get all that off his chest.

He still felt he had admitted too much than he had wanted. To be frank, Jack had more issues than he let on to the Guardians. He still feared they would leave him. He feared what they would do if they discovered he wasn't as strong as he appeared to be.

He was scarred by the past. And it would be a long time until he was healed again.

But perhaps he didn't have to do that alone.

Jack felt Bunny get up and heard him walked across the room. Suddenly, there was a cold whoosh! of air, and Jack felt the Wind's presence wrap around him in a tight embrace.

Jack couldn't help but laugh at the comforting touch of his longtime friend. "Hey, Wind," he said softly. The Wind whistled and brushed over him and his blankets. Jack chuckled. "I missed you too."

Jack looked at the window and found Bunny standing there. Jack wondered how he knew he was feeling so warm. Or perhaps this was a way to bribe more truth from him.

Jack frowned at the thought. That didn't sound like Bunny.

The Pooka sat down in the chair next to Jack's bed and watched the winter spirit converse with the Wind. She had been so lonely the past few days without him, and Jack promised that they would have a long, huge flight once he was healed and well.

The Wind had to leave to tend to winter's responsibilities. She whirled around Jack one more time and flew out the window, leaving a comforting chill behind to keep Jack cool.

Bunny hadn't said anything the entire time they had spoken, and Jack wondered what he was thinking. As much as he didn't want to tell him anything, Jack knew Bunny only wanted to help him. And he was right—if he did not let the Guardians know what was going on, he was at risk of this happening again.

And Jack didn't want that.

The Wind even seemed she had wanted him to speak up during her time here. She was the one who had gone and found Bunny so he could rescue him.

Feeling her presence reminded Jack how much she had done to protect him. And the Guardians had done just as much in their short time together to defend him.

If he could trust the Wind with his life, then why not the Guardians?

Jack looked at Bunny. His pensive green eyes still rested on him. Jack chewed his lip and looked away.

"I-If I tell you…you promise no one will get hurt?" Jack asked quietly.

Bunny sat up in his seat. "Someone will get hurt, mate. But it'll be those blokes who did this to you."

Jack hesitated, but in a few moments, he told Bunny everything. He and the Summer Sprites had a serious past and they had never gotten along well. This wasn't the first time they had done something like this, and they weren't the only seasonals who got away with this either.

As Jack explained to Bunny, the Pooka grew more and more enraged. "I'll make those bloody bastards wish they had never been born," he growled.

"Please don't," Jack pleaded. Bunny looked at him surprised. "If you get involved, they'll know I told you everything. Then they'll come after you and me and—"

"Jack," Bunny interrupted. "I know you want to keep us safe, but we've been working in this field for centuries. We know how to handle aggressive spirits."

Jack clamped his mouth shut. "B-But what if—"

Bunny placed a paw on Jack's shoulder. "We'll be fine, mate. And so will you. We'll let Emily Jane know what's been going on and see that those sprites get a proper reprimanding. But as an added safety measure, we'll have one of the yetis, or even one of us, escort you to meetings until things have settled over."

It sounded like a good plan, but Jack was still scared. The seasonals and elementals always found a way to single him out.

But if one of the Guardians were there with him, they may be less inclined to do so.

Bunny gave Jack's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Everything's going to be okay, mate," he soothed. "We'll make sure this doesn't happen to you ever again."

And for the first time during the entire conversation, Jack believed him. Tears welled in his eyes and Bunny gingerly pulled him into a hug as he cried.

"I'm so sorry, Jack," Bunny murmured, running a paw through the winter spirit's hair. "I'm sorry we weren't there for you sooner."

Jack shook his head and he leaned into Bunny's embrace. "You're here now," he mumbled. "And that's more than enough for me."

A lump formed in the Pooka's throat, and he held Jack tighter.

And that was the first time Bunny had ever cried in centuries.

Author's Note: I originally started this back in August 2023, so if the writing style sounds different somewhere around the middle, that's why. XD

I honestly wasn't expecting this to be so long, but I guess I had a lot I wanted to pack into this. XD I found Jack's situation of not wanting to tell the Guardians for fear of causing trouble extremely relatable for me because I also feel that way a lot when faced with conflict (I just want peace QwQ).

I also really wanted to write some good ol' brotherly Jack and Bunny because (as everyone probably knows at this point XD) they're my favorite relationship to write (and I freaking love hurt/comfort ='D).

I hope you guys enjoyed this second part (I planned for this to be last part, but if requested for a part three in which Jack tells the Guardians what happened, his recovery, the talk with Emily Jane...yeah, this might not be a one-shot anymore at that point- OuO) I might write some more.

But I make no promises.

...You know what, I think I'll just leave things here. XDDD

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this two-shot, and I'll see you in whatever I post next. ^u^

Until the next story!

~BeyondTheMoon1203