AN: Thank you all for reading and especially to those who have reviewed. I couldn't keep you waiting too long on this chapter. DragonWriter357, I agree, it would be interesting if Jack were to finish Pitch off, not Sandy. However, as shown in this chapter, all of Jack's courage has been used up and he is afraid again. Also, there is really no need at this point. Without further ado, I do not own Rise of the Guardians and here is the chapter.

Recap: There stood the Sandman, shaking his finger as if to admonish a small child. He punched the Nightmare King straight up into the air and summoned a gold hat, sweeping it off his head as he dropped into a bow.

Smiles were seen all around, even by the currently hurting winter spirit who was still on his knees. Pitch tumbled to the ground with a sharp boom, knocking him unconscious. "Sandy!" most of them cried.

"Mate, you are a sight for sore eyes," Bunny announced.

Sandy swept into the air, dreamsand tendrils snaking their way out from him. They entered windows, formed into dreams, created large creatures of dreamsand and generally illuminated the night sky. The children were looking on, star struck, until Jamie threw a snowball, nailing one of his friends. There was suddenly laughter sweeping through the air.

Tooth swept the golden man into a hug, showering him with kisses. He laughed silently, extricating himself from the grip. The joyous mood of the children managed to uplift the Guardians for a moment before they remembered the trembling winter spirit behind them. Sandy floated over to the beaten boy, wondering idly what had happened exactly.

He laid a soft hand on Jack's shoulder, causing a flinch but he still didn't look up. Sandy placed a hand under the winter spirit's chin, gently lifting it up until blue orbs met his golden ones. "I'm sorry Sandy," Jack whispered, averting his gaze.

The golden man showed a question mark, but the frost child didn't respond. The dream spirit looked up at the other Guardians in confusion. North paced forwards, crouching down in front of the boy. Jack scooted backwards until his back was pressed up against the wall right behind him. Blue orbs betrayed fear.

"I'm not going to hurt you Jack," North said softly, trying not to startle the child even more.

Tooth flew forwards. "We're not going to let anyone hurt you again." Her expression was fierce yet gentle, violet eyes gazing at him with a tender undertone.

A million thoughts raced through his head, but Jack didn't voice any of them. There was nothing that he could say. He couldn't trust them, that was for sure. He couldn't trust anyone. It would have been better if they had just let Pitch kill him. Better for him, better for everyone else.

All of these thoughts were cut short as he was nailed by a snowball to the face. Glancing around, he saw Jamie, another snowball being tossed in his hand. Jack cracked a small smile and then a tentative laugh. He launched back his own ammunition, hitting the boy squarely in the chest. Then, they were laughing and the Guardians joined in on the snowball fight. So this was what fun felt like. Jack loved it.

The Nightmare King was roused by all the laughter. His head whipped around as if not understanding the sight. "You dare have fun in my presence," he called. His eyes then locked on Jack who looked back with shock and fear. "Especially you," Pitch growled, advancing on the winter spirit. However, a running child, passed right through him, giving the dark spirit pause. The Guardians stepped in front of Jack, shielding him from Pitch's view.

Then, the Boogeyman ran. Ending up on the frozen lake, he wasn't looking where he was going and knocked directly into North, sending him flying.

"Leaving party so soon?" North asked, anger riding his voice.

The Tooth Fairy tossed him a coin to which Pitch looked at it in confusion until she punched him in the face, knocking out a tooth. 'Ach' the Boogeyman groaned.

"That's for my fairies and Jack," she announced, shaking her hand out.

"You can't get rid of me, there will always be fear," Pitch yelled, grasping at straws.

"So what, as long as one child believes, we will be here to fight fear," North retorted.

"Then what are they doing here?" the Boogeyman questioned, waving his hands towards the pathetic assembly on Nightmares.

"We're not afraid, ya gumby, it's your fear they smell," Bunny said confidently.

The Nightmare King was dragged away, kicking and screaming by his own Nightmares. But before he was lost below ground, he locked eyes on Jack, "Be afraid Jack, be very afraid. I will get my revenge." Then, he was gone and the clearing was quiet.

"We won't let him touch you," Bunny reassured.

The winter spirit looked up, and they were all staring at him, making him shift uncomfortably.

North stepped forwards and almost imperceptibly, Jack stepped back. "Will you become a Guardian?" the jolly man asked.

"You don't want me," the winter spirit stated, eyes downcast.

"We really do, don't believe word Pitch says. You don't need take oath now, we wait till you're ready."

Jack nodded, scarcely able to believe his ears. They weren't going to force him into anything? They were actually waiting for him to be ready? Where was the catch?

Suddenly, the sleigh came swooping down, once again harnessed to the reindeer. The children cheered, staring on in awe. "Time to go," North announced, gazing down at the winter spirit.

Sandy shot into the sky, dreamsand erupting like fireworks in the air and raining down like golden snow. Everyone was smiling, gazing up at the magnificent creation.

The other Guardians began saying goodbye to the children, climbing into the sleigh. Jack was about to turn and do the same when he locked eyes with Jamie. The boy stared up at him and then began to speak, "You're leaving? What if Pitch comes back? What if we stop believing again?"

Jack crouched down, on level with the boy. "Whoa, whoa," he laughed, forcing a smile. However, gazing at his first believer, the reassuring smile became genuine. "Slow down Jamie. Do you stop believing in the moon when the sun comes out." The boy shook his head. "Do you stop believing in the sun when clouds block it." Another negative response. "We will always be there Jamie and now, we will always be here." Jack lightly put his finger over Jamie's heart, not touching the boy though. "That kind of makes you a Guardian."

Jamie gave him such a heartwarming smile that the winter spirit couldn't help but feel better, as if the future wasn't so uncertain and scary. Jack moved to leave but was brought short by his name being called. Turning back around, he saw the child barreling towards him, arms extended as he wrapped the winter spirit in a hug. The contact, especially such a kind one felt so foreign, but good. After a second, Jack relaxed and returned the gesture.

He pulled away, smiling down at his first believer. Then, the wind lifted him into the sleigh and he sat at the back, away from the other Guardians. They took off into the air with children waving and cheering behind them.

There was silence, except for the whistling of the wind and within moments, North had pulled out a snow globe, whispering to it his destination. They arrived momentarily at the North Pole, touching down harshly and Jack gasped out in pain, trying to keep quiet.

"You okay, mate?" Bunny questioned, sensitive ears picking up the low sound of pain. The winter spirit nodded, not meeting the Pooka's eyes.

They all dismounted from the sleigh and North called out in Yetish, grumbling and growling. There was a response and several yetis trailed after them as they arrived in a room with a few hospital type beds.

The Guardian of Wonder rounded on Jack causing him to flinch back. "Now, to get your injuries looked at."

The frost child shook his head, blue eyes widening with fear. "I'm okay, really."

"Jack, you're hurt, please, we can help you," Tooth encouraged, gazing at him warmly.

He backed up another step, "I d-don't need help. I'm okay on m-my own. I'll just be t-taking my leave now and I'd like to thank you for your kindness."

"We want to help, you don't need to be on your own," the fairy tried again. She was met with another shake of the head and another step backwards.

Bunny mentally apologized before stepping forwards. "You are going to let us help you and let the yetis look at you," he growled, stepping even closer to the winter spirit. The boy looked down submissively and nodded his head. The Guardians exchanged triumphant yet anguished looks as they got Jack to sit on the bed.

North stayed while the yetis looked at Jack, as he was the only one to understand their language. The others paced restlessly outside the room. "Okay Jack, take off your hoodie please," North asked.

Reluctantly, the spirit obeyed, slowly peeling off the blood soaked fabric. The Russian winced in sympathy, staring down at the numerous bleeding cuts all over the pale body as well as the innumerable scars and massive bruising around Jack's ribs. His wrist also seemed to be bent at an unnatural angle.

One of the yetis stepped forwards to treat the spirit who shrunk back against the bed, curling in on himself.

"They aren't going to hurt you, Jack," North murmured soothingly. The boy nodded but the distrust was so thinly veiled that the older man's heart hurt. He could only imagine what caused this level of distrust. He had already seen part of it in Jack and Pitch's interaction.

The winter spirit forced himself, shaking and shivering with fright, to endure the ministrations of the yetis. Periodically, North chimed in, trying ineffectively to soothe the terrified boy. After some stitching, a cast and taping up of two broken ribs, they were done. The Russian nodded to the yetis who walked out of the room, ushering the other Guardians in.

"You'll stay here, won't you Jack?" North asked hopefully. However, it was taken differently by the winter spirit. He nodded his head submissively, blue orbs staring down towards the bed upon which he was currently sitting.

Tooth flew slightly forwards and the frost child instinctively withdrew. "We aren't going to let Pitch hurt you again," she assured, eyes shining with repressed emotion at the broken child in front of her. He was scarred and scared, beaten down to submission but they were going to change that.

Sandy also drifted forwards, going so far as to sit on the end of the bed. The winter spirit tensed but glanced up when he saw the glittering symbols. There was a bed, a few 'z's and a question mark. Jack shook his head, eyes widening. The dream maker showed a few more symbols, a horse with an x through it and two pinkies linked together.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," the teen whispered, ducking his head as if expecting to be struck.

"Sandy said he promises you won't have nightmares," North translated, glancing towards the golden spirit as he signed again. "You must be tired and sleep will heal your body."

Jack nodded, white locks swinging in front of his face. The Sandman placed a hand on the spirit's knee, fully expecting the flinch. However, when blue orbs met his, he held up a ball of dream sand, making sure that the teen knew exactly what he was going to do with it. He slowly inched forwards, raising his hand above the spirit's head before sprinkling the sand down. Slowly, eyelids began to close over the cerulean orbs and eventually, he was asleep, dreamsand playing over his head.

The Guardians glanced at one another, eyes filled with heartbreak. "What do we do?" Tooth whispered, as if afraid to break the silent grief of the moment that was stealing its way through each of them.

"We stay vith him and help him adjust," North declared, blue eyes set with determination.

"Hate to say it mates, but it ain't going to be easy, who knows how long Pitch had him," Bunny added, hating to bring down their already low spirits.

Sandy strode forwards, taking another look at the black metal around the winter spirit's neck now that he was asleep. The dream spirit placed a golden hand on black, concentrating his sand into finding a hole or flaw he could exploit. Unfortunately, even when he found the unlocking mechanism, he found it coded only to respond to Nightmare sand as it simply repelled the dreamsand. He shared his finding with the others.

"That's … unfortunate," Bunny summed up, "We could never to get Pitch to unlock it."

"Alright," North boomed, momentarily forgetting the sleeping spirit, then he dropped his voice. "Who take first watch?"

They settled it up while the rest of them went to sleep in other rooms around the Pole. It was going to an interesting next few days … or months … or years. All four were determined to help this boy adjust. It was their fault in the first place that he was like this. They should have known, should have seen, should have helped him. They needed to fix their mistake.

AN: I think this may be the last chapter and then I will go into my sequel/drabble series following it.