'I don't like it', said Bunny as he folded his arms.

He and Jack stood on the balcony of North's workshop. They could hear the activity from inside. It was only October but the cacophony of jingling bells, whizzes, bangs and bursts of music broadcasted that preparations for Christmas were in full swing.

Jack had brought Bunny out here to try and convince him of the plan. The guardians had already agreed at the start of the meeting that they would only try Jack's idea if the vote was unanimous. When Jack had explained the idea, there had been hesitation at first from the others but then Sandy of all people had endorsed it via a creative blur of sand symbols. After that, all it had taken was for North to express his feelings about 'second chances' and Tooth had softened considerably.

That just left Bunny.

Jack knew it was going to be difficult. Bunny's thinking could be very black and white at times and he wasn't a big fan of 'second chances'. Especially when it came to the person the meeting had been about.

'I know it sounds crazy', Jack said, perching on the railing, 'But I really think it could work'.

'I know you're worried about what's happening in Burgess mate', Bunny said, 'But letting a dingo in to take care of a baby makes no sense to me'.

'Weird: I always saw him as more of a snake. Or one of those creepy monkeys with the big eyes', Jack commented.

'The point is, he can't be trusted', Bunny snapped, in no mood for jokes.

'You used to say that about me remember?'

As Bunny scowled at him, Jack could see the blush forming under the grey fur on Bunny's face.

'That's not fair and you know it'.

Jack held his hands up in apology.

'Sorry. Low blow'.

'We both know that was different'.

'Yeah but maybe it wouldn't have been if that hadn't happened when it did'.

'Whatcha mean?'

'Look, when you guys first asked me to be on your team, you know I wasn't exactly thrilled'.

'I remember. 'Bribing kids' I think you said?'

'I said that because it felt like all of you were pressuring me to be something I didn't think I could be', Jack explained, shrugging, 'I'd spent years trying to figure out what I was supposed to do. If you and the yetis hadn't bagged me that night, I'd still be floating around trying to keep myself busy. And let's just say I'm not sure I could've stayed on the right side'.

Bunny's ears pricked up at the uncharacteristic solemnity of Jack's voice.

'The right side?'

Jack got up and walked along the railing for a few steps with supernatural balance.

'Bunny, when you have no one to talk to, you start listening to the worst parts of yourself. Every time a kid walked through me, I'd hear this little voice in my head yelling 'Just see me! Please see me!' It's so stupid now but I even got mad at you guys when I heard kids talk about you. How much they looked forward to Christmas or Easter. I hated how it felt. I got so angry…'

Jack trailed off. Bunny felt he should say something supportive but while he was trying to figure out what to say, Jack began to talk again.

'He doesn't have friends like you guys and I think that maybe he's just as lonely as I was. And he's been around a lot longer'.

'Jack, we tried to get him on side before. We all did'.

'Yeah, well, you didn't have me before'.

'What makes you think he'll listen to anything you say?'

Jack turned around, determination in his blue eyes.

'Cause I'm not leaving 'til he does. This is too important. I need his help'.

Bunny sighed heavily. His ears drooped in defeat but he returned Jack's stare with a confident smile. He'd decided.

'You need us, we'll come running'.

Jack winked and jumped off the railing. Bunny couldn't help but feel a bit worried until he saw the boy fly upwards from his descent. He knew the little blighter did it on purpose.

Fear didn't understand fun. It was how they had beaten Pitch before. Bunny just hoped Jack's theory about Pitch was on the money in turn.

'You grew up a bit when I wasn't looking didn't ya?' he whimsically remarked to himself as he turned to go back into the warmth of the workshop.

A snowball smacked him on the back of the head. The North Wind had decided it would be funny to carry his words straight to Jack's ears.

'Not that much', he grumbled as he watched Jack wave then disappear into the pale blue sky.

As Jack flew above a cloudy formation, he racked his brain for an idea of where to find the boogeyman's lair. He had already tried to find the entrance in Burgess Woods that he had used before when he had followed the sound of what he now knew had been his sister's voice.

But the entrance, including the old broken bed, had been gone.

On a hunch he had asked Jamie if he could check under his bed for an entrance. After all everyone knew that's where Pitch did some of his best work. But just like any parent that had ever checked under a bed, Jack had found nothing but some shoes and forgotten toys. Even checking the closet hadn't given a lead. Then again, there was the chance Pitch was deliberately avoiding Burgess. The place probably brought up bitter memories.

Flying a bit lower, Jack landed on the top branch of a huge fir tree to think.

Calling a meeting at the North Pole had been Jack's latest idea. He had figured that maybe one of the others would know of other entrances. However that had meant telling them what he was up to. The good thing was that they were now all on board but he was no closer to putting the plan into motion.

The deadline was the next day. He needed to find Pitch now!

North had mentioned something abstract about how 'fear finds us when we are alone and lost'. Jack had been alone for years and never laid eyes on the boogeyman. He wouldn't be at the Tooth Palace or Bunny's Warren: security had been stepped up since his previous intrusions. The North Pole was out. So where did that leave?

Where had fear found Jack before? Where had he been truly alone?

It came to him in a flash of memory.

He knew where the entrance was.

Leaping from his tree, he took to the air again heading for his new destination on the other side of the world.

The South Pole.

The wave-like, spiked sculpture was still standing even though it had been nearly a year since Jack and Pitch had had their confrontation at its base. Even now, Jack couldn't help but admire the scale of it and the unintentional beauty in the mirrored surface.

He walked around to the inside of the curved base and saw what he had been looking for. A dark tunnel gaped open in the snow like a hungry mouth. As he leaned over the entrance, a few stray particles of snow fluttered down to be swallowed by the shadows.

Jack supposed it made sense. The region was quiet, there were no people for miles and most importantly, there was never any reason for the guardians to come calling. The location would also be handy if Jack needed to remind Pitch of certain similarities between them. After all, hadn't the boogeyman once approached him using exactly the same tactics?

'What goes together better than cold and dark?'

Taking a deep breath, Jack put his foot forward and fell into the darkness.

He slowed his descent, relying on the pale blue light from the markings on his staff to illuminate his surroundings. He could make out black marble like stone with miniscule crystals reflecting the light like a thousand fireflies. His bare feet touched cool, smooth stone. Realising he had reached the bottom, he held his staff above his head and concentrated.

The blue light increased in strength and revealed he was in front of another tunnel. Uncomfortably conscious of the unnatural silence in the pit, Jack tiptoed down the passage.

A pair of yellow eyes watched him go and waited for the right moment to strike.