Chapter Text
It had been over a year since Jack had been inducted as a Guardian. The first couple of months after Pitch's defeat had been about doing clean up work more than anything. The next few months after that were used for getting into the swing of his Guardian duties, learning and understanding what he was supposed to do now, as well as being introduced to other spirits. Then the holidays had been in full swing, and he had winter to bring and children to play with.
As the months rolled by, Jack became less and less worried about the Boogeyman. But that didn't mean he wasn't cautious. He had learned the hard way what underestimating Pitch Black resulted in. He had plenty of things to distract him; it had been a hectic year for the frost spirit. And yet, it was a relatively quiet time overall.
This time around, Easter had come and gone without a hitch. There had been no more signs of Pitch. His defeat seemed to be total. Jack still came upon nightmares every now and then, but they were mere shades of the beasts they'd been before. Their numbers seemed less and less as time went on- Sandy made sure of that. Children's dreams were good again.
Now that winter was over, he found himself unsure of what to do with his time. Most days, he rode on the wind, keeping an eye on the children. There were still other countries he could visit, but most of them didn't need much help bringing snow days, for they already had plenty of snow. It was fun though, playing with the children. No matter what part of the globe he was in, fun remained the same. Right now, however, he was bored. the children were all in bed safely entertained by Sandy's dream sand.
He was considered moving on for the night when he spotted the nightmare. It was a relatively small one, only coming up to his knees. At first glance, he might have mistaken it for a stray dog, but the way the moonlight reflected off the shifting sand caught his eyes.
“Well, hello there.” He said to himself as he flew behind the creature. It's ears twitched, hearing the frost spirit behind it, and it darted down an alleyway. Jack smiled. A game of tag was just what he needed right now. The nightmare led him on a merry chase through the town. They twisted between buildings, picking up speed as the town gave way to woods and dirt roads.
“Run run run, as fast as you can!” Jack said with a laugh as he dodged a tree.
The nightmare was harder to spot in the dark between the trees where the moonlight didn't shine. Jack paused when the nightmare leaped over a fallen tree, before vanishing into a hole in the ground. And then it hit him where he was. Pitch's lair. The entrance had been sealed over after the events of last year, but now, the hole appeared to be opening again. Was Pitch planning another attack? Maybe it had been so quiet the past year because Pitch had been saving up all of his strength to attack again. Jack shook his head. He couldn't allow the Boogeyman to hurt the children again. His mind made up, he aimed his staff at the ground with the intent of making the hole wide enough for him to pass through. If Pitch was up to something, it was his duty to stop him.
Jack dropped into Pitch's lair, taking a moment to look around. It was even darker here than it had been in the woods, and it took his eyes a while to adjust. The last time he had been down here, sunlight had streamed through in odd patches, illuminating the carved stone and hanging cages. This time, there was utter darkness. Not even the moonlight shone here. It made him nervous; had Pitch figured out a way to keep the Moon out? He could hear skittering in the background, but nothing moved in the room he stood in. He moved warily as his eyes adjusted to the utter blackness, carefully exploring the halls as he looked for any signs of Pitch.
From what he remembered, it looked the same as it had a year ago. Not that he'd been looking too closely last time. The damp stone walls frosted as he walked past them, and cages creaked overhead. He paused in mid stride. Was someone breathing? Now that he was listening for it, over the scuttling and creaking, there was the faint huffing sound of breath. No, not breathing. Crying. Jack whirled around looking for the source. There was a broken bed frame in the corner, from which he was reasonably sure the sound was coming from.
“Pitch?” He called, and the breathing stopped. Jack glided over to the bed, staff drawn before him in a defensive pose. There was a ripped mattress laying on top, but no one was in the bed. Realization dawned on him, and he got on his knees to peer under the bed. He didn't see anything at first, but eventually a body began to form in the shadows.
“Hello there.” Jack muttered under his breath. Two golden eyes turned to look at him, but something felt off. “What are you doing under there, Pitch?” He couldn't help asking. “Hiding under the bed, isn't that a little cliched?” Jack raised an eyebrow, waiting for some snarky reply. Pitch didn't answer him. They stared at each other for several seconds.
“Come on, can't you talk like a normal person?” Jack hesitated a moment before offering a hand out to his old nemesis. “Oww!” He yelled pulling his hand back. He'd bit him! “What the heck?” Jack exclaimed as he looked at the tiny bite mark on his hand. “What in the world?” He wondered as the pieces slowly started to fall into place.
“I'm not going to hurt you.” Jack said quietly to Pitch. “Why don't you come out from under there?” Pitch eyed him warily. “I won't hurt you.” Jack repeated, offering his hand again. Pitch shook his head, and Jack scrunched his face in thought before an idea hit him.
“Can I join you?” He asked. Pitch thought for a second then nodded. Jack crawled under the bed and rested his chin on his hands. The nightmares crawled along the edges of the room, sometimes advancing closer to the bed.
“So this is what you've been doing Pitch?” Jack eyed the former boogeyman. It seemed that much like loosing Easter had hit Bunny hard, loosing all of that fear had hit Pitch just as hard. And here he had been worried about Pitch attacking him. The Boogeyman was no more capable of scaring the children than Jack was.
“'Cawee.” A voice said, drawing him out of his thoughts.
“Wha?” Jack looked at Pitch.
“Scawee.” Pitch pointed at the nightmares, who had crept closer to the bed. They stood nearly two feet away, pawing the ground. The bed suddenly seemed really fragile, and Jack longed to be above ground again. Pitch hid his face in his hands. It was then that it hit him just how big the nightmares were. Unlike the ones that he had been dealing with, these creatures looked well fed, maybe even bigger than the ones he'd helped take down. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. Bunny might have thought it was Poetic Justice, the nightmares feeding off of their creator, but Jack couldn't help but shudder. It wasn't right.
“Hey. Wanna play a game?” Jack asked.
Pitch lowed his hands quirked his head.
“It's easy. Close your eyes, and give me your hands.”
Pitch hesitated before closing two golden eyes and thrusting his hands out at Jack. The Guardian took Pitch's hands in his own and in one swift motion, pulled them out from under the bed. He shuffled the boy in his arms long enough to pick up his staff and fly them in the air. The nightmares pawed at the ground below them and followed them as they flew to the entrance.
Jack flew upwards as quick as he could, eager to put as much distance between them and the nightmares as he could. He breathed a sigh of relief as they left the entrance to Pitch's lair and the moonlight bathed over him again. Thinking quickly, he threw a thick layer of ice over the hole in the ground. Hopefully that would stop them for a while. After he was sure that he had put plenty of distance between them and the nightmares, he glided to a thick tree branch before setting them down and examining the boy.
Pitch was tiny, much younger than the children Jack usually played with. Jack guessed he was around two or three. A very small two or three. He was wearing the robe, and only the robe, that Jack had seen him last in. Only now it was enormous on him. Pitch had started crying again during their flight.
“Hey, it's okay Pitch.” Jack said he rubbed circles in the boy's back.
“Peech?” The boy hiccuped as he wiped his nose on the robe.
“Uh,” Jack said taken aback. “Yes. Pitch. That's you.”
“Peech.” He repeated, trying the word out. “Peech.”
“I'm Jack. Jack Frost,” he said pointed at himself.
“Dak. Fwost.” Pitch chattered to himself.
Jack looked up at the moon. “What happened?” As usual, the moon gave him no answers. North would know what to do. But first, he'd have to find something for Pitch to wear.
A quick pit-stop at Jamie's house had led to an awkward conversation when the boy had found Jack digging through his sister's old clothes, but they'd eventually found something that fit Pitch well enough. Jack borrowed Sophie's jacket, promising to return it, and give him an explanation.
The boy had laughed. “It should be an interesting story.”
“You have no idea.” Jack had replied and had quickly stashed Pitch's robe among Sophie's things. Then they were off.
Jack flew to North's workshop as quick as he could, mindful of the shivering boy in his arms. Jack landed at the front door and banged with his staff. Phil let him in, but let out a confused noise at the bright bundle in his arms.
“Hey Phil! Do me a favor. Get North for me.”
The yeti left the two in the hallway, and Jack looked at the boy. Pitch had fallen asleep sometime during the flight, his head lolling back in the pink hood. Jack snorted and adjusted his grip.
"Nightmare King. Right. Not so scary now, are ya?"
“Jaaaack,” a booming voice interrupted his thoughts. North bounded up the hallway. His sabers were tucked into their usual sash, though he had shed his overcoat. He looked the same as the last time Jack had seen him. Cheeks rosy, and eyes twinkling.
"Heeey North!" Jack greeted him.
“I was not expecting you so soon. What has a happened? Phil says you have a child?”
Jack shuffled the bundle in his arms. “Um, Kind of. Can we talk somewhere private?”
North nodded, and led them to his private study, closing the door behind them. The room was comfortable; several large bookshelves lined the wall and were filled with well kept tomes, a large cluttered desk sat under the window along the one bare wall in the room, and two over-sized armchairs overlooked the roaring, gated fireplace. Upon spying the chairs Jack dropped Pitch into one, grateful for the break it provided his arms.
“So you'll never guess who I found today.” Jack said as he pried the frozen jacket off of the boy. North leaned over as Jack held the boy up.
“Is Pitch!” North exclaimed.
“Yeah. Only he had no idea.” Jack rolled Pitch over onto his side, and slung the jacket off the back of the chair.
“Whaaat?”
“When I found him, he didn't even know his name.”
“Is not possible.” North said scratching his chin.
“Well it certainly is possible, because I found a toddler, who didn't know who they were, crying under their bed scared of the nightmares. And who knows how long he's been down there like this.”
“Hm.” North said as he bent over the chair to closer examine Pitch. Of course, that was when Pitch stirred. Gold eyes blinked open, and when they registered the large figure in front of him, he screamed at the top of his tiny little lungs. North jerked back instinctively.
“Woooah! It's okay, Pitch. I'm here.” Jack said as he threw himself between the two, picking Pitch up. He glared at North when Pitch started crying.
“What?” North said, throwing his hands up in the air. “I did nothing!”
Jack made shushing sounds as he bounced Pitch on his hip.
“Pitch, this is my friend. He won't hurt you.” Jack said once the screaming died down.
Pitch peered out from where he'd buried himself in Jack's shoulder. “fwiend?”
“Uh huh. This is Santa.”
“Sana?” He looked to Jack for confirmation. Jack nodded. Pitch tugged on Jack's arms and pointed to the ground. Jack got the idea and let him down. Pitch clambered across the room until he stood in front of North. He pointed at the older Guardian. “Sana,” then at himself. “Peech,” and the back to Jack, “Dack."
“Is nice to meet you Pitch.” North laughed as he bent down to Pitch's level. “Jack.” North said as a thought hit him. “Why is he wearing dress?”
“Um, about that.” Jack said as he sheepishly ran a hand through his hair.
Twenty minutes later had found them sitting at a table in the kitchen. The elves had scuttled about preparing something for them to eat. For lack of a proper chair for Pitch to sit in, Jack held the toddler in his lap, and attempted to make him eat. Pitch seemed more content to play in his dinner though, smashing peas between his fingers and giggling as they shot juice out. Jack sighed and let him be.
“So do you have any idea how this happened?” He asked the older Guardian.
North shook his head. “I have seen the smaller.”
“Like Bunny.” Jack input.
“Yes.” North said. He pushed his empty plate forward and looked at the children in front of him.
“Maybe he hit head on way down. Knock all the memories right out.” North imitated hitting his head.
Jack grimaced. “We can't leave him like this though. Right? I mean, he has no idea who he is or how to protect himself. He's just a kid.” Jack pleaded. “I couldn't have left him down there! The nightmares were really big! What if they'd gotten out and hurt the kids! We can't send him back.”
Pitch, sensing Jack's distress, struggled in his arms.
“Relax, Jack," North placated him. "We will take care of him.”
Pitch let out a squeal as he held his gooey hands out for them to see.
“Did you actually eat any of that you little twerp?” Jack asked with a laugh as he ruffled the toddler's hair.
“Weerp Weerp!”
Jack sighed. “I don't suppose you have anything that will fit him better? I borrowed some of Sophie's clothes, and this seemed like the easiest thing to get him into. And I should get these back to Sophie before anyone realizes that they're missing.”
North pursed his lips in thought. “The yetis will help.”
Jack nodded thankfully as he picked his charge up. “I guess I'll give him a bath now.”
“You remember way around?” North asked as he gathered their plates.
Jack nodded. “Thanks North.” Jack said with a smile.
“Aaack” Pitch squealed as he smooshed his hands together as Jack carried him out of the room.
“Ack indeed.” Jack echoed him. “No no! Don't touch me. Eww that's wet. And sticky.”
North watched them leave. “I hope you know what you're doing Manny.”
The moon twinkled in through the window pane in reply.