A/N: Here we are, ladies and gentlemen. We've finally arrived at the conclusion of my first Rise of the Guardians story, "With Spring, Hope Comes." I'd like to thank all for you for the enthusiasm, but frankly, I know that you don't care. You just want to see how this ends. Also, if you'd be so kind as to check out my friend, Humble Tales. Lastly, I apologize for the three week delay, it won't happen again!

With Spring, Hope Comes

Chapter 3 of 3

If anxiety was a virus, Bunny would've been completely infected. As he bounded through his tunnels, fast approaching his destination, he felt his nerves beginning to get the best of him, and it made his ears twitch sporadically. The air rushing past him caught his eye, and he blinked viciously as he hopped up out of his tunnel and landed firmly on the grassy ground before the Tooth Palace. He appreciated that Tooth had offered to be a good host, so in light of his frustration, he hadn't once forgotten him manners. Bunny huffed, and then he continued his travels until he came to the foot of the large building nestled in the mountain. He'd heard that Tooth had also brought Jack there as well.

"Great."

The word slipped from Bunny's mouth at the thought, and couldn't have been more sarcastic. Bunny walked into the Tooth Palace, and the faeries surrounding him immediately alerted Tooth to his arrival. She sped through the dwelling like a torpedo, and was anxious to talk to Bunny.

"Bunny," she said erratically. "I'm so glad you could make it. Jack's already here. He's waiting for you."

The oversized rabbit snorted and placed his hands squarely on his hips. "Can't believe I actually agreed to this." Tooth disregarded his statement and escorted him up the palace and onto the top floor.

As he walked up, his ears fell back, the same as they had numerous times over the last several days. It made Bunny start to feel very awkward, and he was trying him best to try and keep the fear and agitation inside him from running what was supposed to be a clarifying experience. Tooth could sense the discomfort growing in him, but luckily for Bunny, and arguably for Jack, Tooth had a secret plan in the works to dispel the tension. It was something that she'd been concocting ever since she found out that she'd be hosting the two of them, and she was eager to try it. With this confidence, she wasted no time in bringing Bunny to the top of her palace where they both saw Jack sitting on the edge with his staff.

Bunny blushed upon seeing him, and he felt a pit form in his stomach. However, he frowned and crossed his arms with denial as Tooth flew in front of him to get his attention. Jack stood up following this, and when he turned around, both Bunny and Tooth could see his shoulders drop. He was nervous, as Bunny was, and with one last exhale he tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever was about to happen. Jack blinked and meandered awkwardly over to Bunny.

"Hey, Bunny…" he said with a fluctuant voice. "I can't help but wonder how many eggs you've painted in the last several days."

If Bunny's face wasn't red under his fur before, it certainly was then. His ears shot back up, as they'd still been down, and his feet began to shift. Tooth was starting to see the stress that Bunny was under from such a simple question, and it made her start to wonder if the issues between the two were worse than she'd previously thought. Either way, she remained neutral until she could at least get a glimpse of with what she was working. "That's no business of yours, snowflake. Not unless ya have done somethin' in the last few days that concerns me."

Jack shook his head. "Nope, nothing. I've been busy bringing fun to children. Remember, that's kind of my job now. I also paid North a visit. I hear you got a visit from the Sandman as well."

"And what of it, hm?" Bunny got highly defensive, and everyone on-looking was confused. Thusly, Tooth decided that it was time for her to bring out her incantation, least of sorts.

Both Bunny and Jack watched her fly away from them, and when she came back, she was carrying a small container of teeth. With her was Baby Tooth, and she was also carrying a box of teeth. Baby Tooth waved to Jack as she handed Tooth the box, and then she flew away to be with her friends. With that, Tooth spun in circles around both of the guardians, and handed each one of them a box. Jack looked at it, and realized that was similar to the boxes that contain the memories of children, but wasn't quite the same. Bunny found this too, and then they both looked at Tooth with confused gazes.

"Tooth," asked Bunny, "What's this for?"

"For the memories of course, of you two." Neither had the slightest clue of what she was talking about, but before they had the chance to ask, Tooth clicked open the box that Bunny was holding and watched him stare into the tiny treasure trove. "These boxes are special. Normally, the memories of children are stored in these, but these ones actually have all of our own memories in them." Jack was more surprised than Bunny, not to say he wasn't surprised. "I've pulled them out just for you guys. I know that you've been fighting for some reason lately, and I just wanted to remind you of what's really important." Her explanation hadn't been very clear, most certainly not to Bunny, but she wasn't about to linger any longer. He chuckled softly, and then she patted Bunny on the shoulder. "I'll leave you guys to it then, I hope you work it out." And then Tooth flew away. Bunny was left bewildered, and Jack scared.

It was evident that both were unaware of what needed to be done as they stood across from each other. Bunny tinkered around with the container of teeth in his hand, but he couldn't seem to figure out what exactly he was supposed to be doing with it. Jack, while he'd used one before, still wasn't entirely sure was Tooth was trying to accomplish by showing them their memories. Both however were well aware that Tooth had been trying to diffuse the tension that lingered in the air around them, but the second she left, both felt it quickly return.

Bunny, ever the aggressive one, put the box of teeth on the ground and crossed his arms as he looked at Jack. He watched the white-haired lad swing his staff around as he fiddled with the box of teeth, and even though his intentions were fruitful, he couldn't help but snicker. Jack heard this, and like Bunny, he became oddly defensive. "What?" he asked him gruffly. "It's not like you're having a piece of cake with this tooth-box-thing!"

"True, mate. I never said I wasn't. I just think it's funny to watch ya make that face." Bunny kept snickering, and it soon evolved into a full on laugh. "I must admit Jack, before that whole deal with Pitch, I really thought ya didn't have any redeeming qualities, but I think that just singlehandedly changed my mind!" Bunny grasped his side as the laugh erupted straight from his belly, not bothering to wonder why he thought it was so funny to start. Never once before had he found one of Jack's expressions so hilarious, and for seemingly no reason. Bunny hadn't seemed to notice as he continued to humorously vociferate, but Jack had caught wind of it. He frowned and did his standard tilted head stare. He watched as Bunny's mouth opened so that he could breathe in the midst of all his bellowing, and once he did, more babble came out.

"I don't follow, Bunny. You've never reacted this way around me before." Then Jack had a flashy realization. He'd said something almost identical to Bunny several days prior when they'd first fought. In essence, Bunny was doing a lot of things for the first time that Jack had never seen. Jack started to wonder if there was a specific reason, but Bunny seemed to still be recovering from his deep belly laugh. "So," he said, "How's the prep for Easter going?"

Bunny wiped his eyes out and sighed. "I've not laughed like that in ages." The deific rodent inhaled vigilantly, and then he stared right as Jack as he answered. "In regards to ya question, snowflake, it's been going fine. No hitches, nothing of the sort. Sort wondering why you're asking, though. Not like you've ever cared before."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, things have been very odd between us lately. I've been seeing a lot of firsts from you, as well."

"And I from ya too, Jack." The Guardian of Fun was baffled by this statement. He knew for a fact that he'd observed some very odd behaviors coming from Bunny over the course of those few days, but he didn't once stop to think of any strange behaviors that he himself had committed. Jack was curious, and not entirely in the creative way.

"What does that mean? What firsts are you talking about?" This was spoken loudly, not terribly loudly anyway, but still audible enough to make one of Bunny's ear twitch.

There wasn't any uncomfortable shifting on Bunny's part, least not then. He'd done it before, but for some reason, upon Jack asking this question, nothing seemed to flow as it once did. Bunny didn't have to think awfully hard to come up with some examples, and he'd be sure to spew them. To Bunny, it was like painting eggs, for it felt natural. While Jack stared at him determinately, Bunny smirked, and his eyebrow rose.

"Well, snowflake," the rabbit began, "First, ya have never sought to give me a present before. Nor have ya ever thought to give me any kind of token signifying our friendship…that is…if we even still have one." Jack was shocked and hurt to hear this, and to him, it felt like someone had just melted his icy heart.

"What are you talking about, Bunny? Of course we're still friends!"

"Are we?"

Jack was at a loss. He didn't quite understand what it was that Bunny was trying to say. Aside from his oddly placed feelings, which he still couldn't quite identify, not he was being bombarded by a barrage of questions that he felt he couldn't answer. He'd been under the impression that their friendship hadn't been damaged, and that what had happened was merely a spat. Jack listened on, for he felt he couldn't say anything to Bunny after that.

"Look, snowflake," and Jack listened intently, "I just don't know what our problem has been. Maybe it's just I've never been given a gift before, especially not from another bloke like ya. However, I'm starting to think it's something else."

"Something else?" inquired Jack.

"Yeah, like that thing ya see in those young sheilas walking down the road in the springtime after Easter." Jack was on board, but now he was just starting to feel confused. He'd been with Bunny up until the point about this odd tension having a different cause, but now he was starting to make verbal similes that were utterly foreign to Jack ears. The frosted lad tried to make sense of it, but before he had the chance to respond, his discord was noticed. "Ya ain't with me?" asked Bunny. Jack shook his head. "What I mean is, I think I may already know what's going on here, but before I know for sure, I just need to know something. And that something can only be answered by ya!" he said and pointed to Jack.

If Jack was confused before, now he was even more perplexed. It was as if Bunny had started talking in riddles, and the answers were even more elusive than a straight man in Compton. What was even more confusing to Jack was that Bunny just said that he thought that he already knew what the issue was. If that was the case, then why would be talking Jack around in circles? It was all very confusing to say the least, and the fact that Bunny was acting so nonchalantly irritated Jack even more. Jack was still holding his box of teeth, and then he started to realize something.

"I think we need to look at these," said Jack.

Bunny stopped and looked over at his own little canister of teeth. It took him a second to realize it, but the box didn't contain his own teeth, but instead Jack's. He looked at it strangely, and the confusion was beginning to set in. He wanted to call out to Jack and let him know about this, as it must've been some kind of mistake. However, as Bunny thought about it, the more he began to realize, perhaps it wasn't a mistake after all. Jack seemed oddly happy to hold a box full of Bunny's memories, and while Bunny didn't exactly feel the same way, he assumed that there must've been some kind of method to Tooth's madness. Not wanting to waste any more time, Bunny clicked open the box, and before him, he saw not teeth, but white light.

Before him flashed a bright strobe of beams that rained down into his sightline. It was odd, like some kind of light spectrum, and then he heard echoes of Jack's voice crashing down into his ears. It was blurry, but he could see the image of the first time that he had met Jack. It was cold, midwinter, and they seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The town was rugged, one could almost see it as rustic. Everywhere there were scattered log cabins and timber-framed homes, and all throughout town there were playful children running about looking for all the eggs that they could find. Bunny watched them from the forest, and as he watched, small droplets of snow fell from the silver pine needles above him head. It stabbed his ears with an unnecessary chill, and when he looked up to see the problem, another drop got right in his eye. He wanted to groan, to vent, but if he made any such noise the children would hear him. As such, he ran back into the forest and rubbed is eye out. Once it was neat, he heard something. He wasn't sure what it was, but it sounded like the pitter-patter of toes dancing across the freshly fallen snow. He turned to look, but there was no one, only a trail of new footprints in the raw snowfall. Bunny was curious as to who had found him, but then he felt a wad of snow impact him in the shoulder. He turned around, and there sat a teenager, white-haired and holding a staff, sitting on a branch.

Everything faded; the memory oozed from Bunny's sight like watery paint on a canvas. He was thrust back to the Tooth Palace as quickly as he'd been thrown into the memory, and before him, he started seeing a different side of Jack. True, it was same person that had been standing in front of him before, but now, but started to remember few things. He remembered the first time that he saw Jack, and though it was indeed a painful memory, it wasn't one that he regretted. Bunny had been unsure of Jack since the beginning, in regards to both his guardianship and his status as an immortal. All those long suppressed emotions were starting to come to light once more, and as Bunny stood there, trying to take it all in, he could see that Jack was beginning to feel the same. His face bore an abstract expression, and he was unusually still.

"Snowflake," said Bunny. "Ya alright?"

"Not really, no. But what're you gonna do? I suppose, uh, Tooth wanted to show us that…for some reason."

"I think I may know why." Bunny caught Jack's attention, and he was starting to become nervous.

The rabbit paused, but it seemed more like he'd been silenced. His breath stopped, and while his ears were once perky, now they drooped like weary eyes. "Why?" asked Jack. It wasn't that Bunny was scaring him with his sudden halt, he simply wanted an answer.

"I think it may have been because she, along with the others, is under the impression that there's something happening between the two of us…" Jack was confused, but he listened as Bunny spoke further. To Bunny, it was evident that he wasn't making much sense to Jack, so he did his best to try and clarify where he could. "Ya know, mate. Don't make me say it. Like between a bloke…and a sheila."

Jack's face flushed red like a tomato, but he was too shocked to quiver. "You mean, like…" the words dripped with uncertainty, so much in fact it was poisonous. "Like, dating?"

"Worse than that, mate." The levels of doubt running through Jack's mind were propelled through the air at Mach speed, and it was beginning to suffocate him.

"What makes you think the idea of dating is a bad thing? I mean, it's not something I have much experience on, but that doesn't mean it's bad." Bunny turned backed around and headed for a different side of the platform they stood on.

He stared out into the yonder beyond the Tooth Palace as he sat down on the ledge. Jack soon joined him, and together they felt the cool breezes from the shearing mountain winds cross over their bodies. It was somewhat revitalizing, but Jack had a hunch it was going to take more than a mere gust of wind to lift up Bunny's spirits. He wanted to say something, but with Bunny's last comment, Jack officially knew that whatever he was dealing with was in no way a subject in which he was fluent. As a matter of fact, it was likely just as foreign to Jack as it was to the Guardian of Hope, but that didn't matter. Whatever it was that Bunny was feeling, Jack made up him mind on the matter, and determined that however illiterate he may have been on the topic, he'd help Bunny. If for no other reason, it's what one is supposed to do for colleagues, for friends.

"So," Jack started, trying to belligerently to ignore the awkward tension hanging between himself and the oversized rodent. "This is clearly an odd topic for you, Bunny. If you talk about it…"

Bunny groaned at the notion of speaking to Jack about his feeling. It wasn't because he was trying to hide the fact that he was having any, but rather that it seems more like Bunny didn't precisely know how to formulate his words. Bunny, at least among the guardians, was always known for his stalwart personality and heighten ambition in the face of danger and suspense. To think that central issues were the quintessential bane of his existence was a shocking revelation for Jack.

"Look, Bunny…" said Jack. "These last few days haven't been a picnic for me either, okay? I've been having a lot of confusing emotions tumbling around inside me too. But I'm willing to trying and talk through it. If you're not, then it seems like whatever this is, it's not that important."

"But it is, Jack!" the rabbit hollered over the wind. Jack smirked, and Bunny was staring at him with an entire inferno raging in his eyes after the snide comment.

"So that's what it takes to get a reaction out of you?" Jack coyly asked.

"Oh, knock it off, snowflake. This is important, but I just don't know what to say. I want to figure this out as much as ya, but I've always talked with my boomerangs, or through my eggs. I've never needed to have a, whaddya call it…a heart to heart." Bunny was trying his best to explain, but only stress came out after each and every word. In his mind it was like a trail in the easternmost mountains: one clumsy step after another lead to the person in question tumbling all the way down the mountainside. To say the least, Bunny was embarrassed no matter what he tried to say. To say the most however, that was something that Jack had started to formulate on his own.

It was then that Jack had an idea; in his mind, it was a brilliant idea. Though it seemed a bit unorthodox, he started thinking that it was quite possibly the best thing for the situation. Bunny said that he wasn't good with words, and Jack couldn't have helped him even if he was anyhow. That was why when Jack first realized what needed to be done, he sprung up and smiled. Bunny watched him do this with utter confusion on his face, and as Jack hopped onto his staff and began floating around Bunny's head; all the furball could do was watch with a single raised eyebrow.

"Uh, snowflake? What are ya doing?"

"I've got a plan. Think you can keep up?" Jack asked, and this was followed by a smirked from Bunny.

"Is that a challenge, mate?"

Jack didn't answer, instead he rushed off into the distance. Bunny didn't bother saying goodbye to Tooth for the hospitality, he backed up a couple stepped and then lunged off the deep end of the Tooth Palace. Over the ledge he sailed, and came crashing down onto the ground, only to tap his foot and summon a rabbit hole. He jumped in and chased after Jack, who was soaring overhead on the bitter northern winds. Bunny knew where Jack was, for he could smell him. He smelled like disaster on a spick. The world for both guardians was rushing by in sheer flashes, and neither could clearly see where they were going, the only clear thing was that it was a race, and both wanted to win. Bunny was at a bit of a disadvantage because he didn't exactly know where Jack was headed, but that hardly mattered. As long as he followed close behind, and then made the final stretch to pull into first, he would be satisfied.

Bunny's tail flickered like mad, and up above Jack's smile couldn't have gotten any larger. Both were having an enraptured experience, but like any good thing, all such climaxes must come in due time. Bunny's nose detected a change in Jack's direction, it was getting stronger, meaning he was descending, and the finish line was nearing. Bunny picked up speed faster than a maglev train, and he erupted from the ground through the dirt like a meteor crashing to Earth. He continued his pursuit of Jack on land, miles from any watchful eyes. He bulleted between the trees, pines by the looks of them, and felt the air get colder as they ran ever northward. And then, he stopped.

Laid out before him was a vast field of spring flowers and blossoms, some of which the well-travelled warrior had never seen. He took a single step out into the field, and not a second after there were soft blades of grass puncturing his feet. It tickled almost, almost. Bunny flopped over a little more into the grassy terrain, and it wasn't long after that his attention was directed towards the center mound. Since the meadow was open and expansive, not to mention being surrounding by towering trees, it wasn't difficult for Bunny to single out Jack sitting on the grass up the hill ahead of him. Bunny hopped over in his direction with a frisky smile on his face, and his ears became more relaxed than they'd ever been previously. He stopped once coming within earshot of Jack, and then instead of hopping, he walked. Bunny was careful not to step on any of the flowers.

"What's this place, snowflake?"

"Oh, nowhere," the guardian said in response. "Just a little meadow I found while flying around some three hundred years ago. It's the perfect spot, isn't it?" Bunny was calmed, but this question riled him up a bit on the inside.

"The perfect spot for what?"

"Well, you said you weren't good with words, so instead I want you to try and tell me through actions. You're pretty good with boomerangs, no?" Bunny nodded. "Okay then, we'll start as soon as you're ready."

"Start what…?" asked Bunny in an inquisitive tone. "Are we fighting or something? If so, ya know I'm not the type to go easy, mate."

"I know…"

There was no stopping Jack after that. He was whisked away onto the wind, and Bunny was more than happy to oblige. He readied his boomerangs with one hand, and as he started to chase Jack around the meadow, he grabbed a couple explosive eggs with the other. Bunny quickly caught up to Jack, and before Jack saw it coming, Bunny threw the eggs and Jack found himself surrounded by puffs of blue, yellow, and pink. The shocks that emanated from the small blasts shook him from the wind, and he was forced to the ground. Jack smiled, as did Bunny. In retaliation, Jack kicked up more wind, and frosted it as it left the end of his weapon. It coated Bunny in a thin layer of powdered snow, and the part that had gotten the worse of it was his eyes. Bunny groaned, but it didn't hurt, it was just aggravating. Jack also twirled his staff, as he normally did and summoned a wall of ice that he slide on, forcing Bunny to continue chasing him. He tried going around in circles, but after one lap Bunny had had enough. The master martial artist positioned himself and skillfully aimed his boomerangs, and once he let them fly, Jack barely had time to hear them in-bound before his ice circuit was sliced and came toppling down. Bunny was faster than Jack had anticipated, and before he could respond, Bunny was bombarding him with a wave of more explosive eggs. Jack was bewildered by the barrage, and Bunny was fast enough to sneak up behind him and kicked him over, and then placing a foot firmly planted on Jack's chest. Bunny was sure he won, and then Jack pulled a last minute trick from his arsenal, and summoned one last gust to knock Bunny down, and give him a face full of flowers.

Jack was laughing more than he could consider, and Bunny chuckled as he got up. "Well played, mate. Well played indeed." He brushed his arms off of the remaining frost and started walking with Jack to the mound in the center of the meadow.

"So, Bunny," from his tone of voice, Bunny could tell what Jack was about to ask. "Feeling any better?"

"Quite better, actually. Not sure how ya did it, but I'm blooming faster than a desert rattler. Seems I owe ya one, Jack."

They arrived back at the mound and plopped over, Jack to the right of Bunny. Jack laid back and watched the clouds overhead, and Bunny hunched over with his back straight. He looked to his right and watched Jack, and he couldn't help but smile. As he did this, Jack turned his head and saw Bunny watching him, and then he sat up and reached behind him. Bunny wasn't sure what he was doing, but one Jack revealed that he'd picked a rose, Bunny started to understand what was happening. This time though, Bunny took the rose and smiled, and then he and Jack seemed to lock eyes.

"We're good, then?" asked Jack. Bunny nodded.

"Better than good, snowflake."

It was like gravity, because there was no stopping it. To Bunny it seemed odd, but regardless of what his head was telling him, he still felt himself leaning in towards Jack. Jack was doing the same, and with only inches between them, Jack closed his eyes. Bunny did the same, and it wasn't long after that both felt their lips meet. Bunny's ears dropped down, and Jack's heartbeat was propelled forward. There was a bitter awkwardness for the first few seconds, and then it evaporated into the serene environment in which they'd been. Bunny could feel his cheeks flush, and the same heat came radiating from Jack's forehead. Soon, it was like fire, and Bunny had to pull away. It may have seemed sudden, but both parties felt good, better even.

"Not bad." Said Jack.

"Not bad yourself." Bunny said back. "I think I understand now, but doesn't that make me…you know…different?"

"You've fallen in love, Bunny. Regardless of with whom, there's nothing different about that at all."

Bunny felt good in Jack's word, and soon after he found himself reaching his arm around Jack and pulling him in close. Jack was more than happy to return the embrace, and he wasted no time in leaning in against Bunny's finely honed pecks. Together they sat in that flower filled meadow, and winds from all sides came around and engulfed them in their beings. Bunny sat with the rose Jack had given him, and this time he'd be sure to treasure it. Everything had been sorted, and all questions had been answered. Bunny finally understood why he'd felt the way he did, and thanks to Jack, it was all about to get even brighter. Bunny was glad spring had dawned, because the hope that had come with it was more than anything he'd imagined. And thusly for the first time, Bunny himself felt that hope for himself, and that was something he could now share with Jack, then and ever on.

The End