Title: To Make it through the Day

Summary: The one where we take it back to the start and Bunny and Jack have to learn to get along.

Characters: Jack Frost, Bunnymund, Pitch Black

Rating: T

It was a long time ago, back shortly after he had entered the world when it was cold and dreary and while the wind wasn't the only one who was sent the invitation to greet him, it was the only one to show up, that Jack needed a hero.

Jack was learning how to fly, not just glide or hover like he had those first few days but really fly. He wanted to fly so badly, it was something he had never done before but to accomplish it he had to do something he had never done. That was difficult, he fell a lot, he got hurt, but he didn't give up. Because he was Jack Frost and while he wasn't sure what that meant, he knew what he wanted it to mean.

"Jack Frost," said the Groundhog, looking Jack over as if he were a prize horse waiting to be bought. "I must admit, I was expecting a bit more."

"You'd be surprised how often that happens," said Jack, casually leaning against the tree. "It's okay, I'm a disappointment to most. I'm used to it."

"I didn't say you were a disappointment," said the Groundhog, looking insulted. "Quite the opposite, actually."

The Groundhog wasn't as tall as Bunny, was fluffier, more on the round side than the fit side, but his face was sharper and this teeth more violent looking, if that was a thing, which Jack had decided it was.

"So you're, what? Pleased?" said Jack. "You like that I'm not some buff old guy with a staff?"

"No, I like that you're not afraid of me," said the Groundhog.

"Why would I be? You're just an overgrown rodent."

The Groundhog chuckled before pushing away from his tree and stalking towards the young Spirit of Winter. Jack thought it was a bit like walking, but it was stalking in the most primal sense. It went against everything a groundhog would normally do. It was as if he wanted to sneak up on Jack, get the jump on him, but that would be impossible because Jack already knew he was there.

"And what are you, Jack Frost? Spirit of Winter, Guardian of Fun, boy, child, killer, flirt, goofball, what are you?"

"I like to think I'm the next James Tiberius Kirk or Han Solo," said Jack with a grin. "I'd love to have my own spaceship. Oh! I could be the Doctors companion! That would be fun!"

"I'm just going to pretend that I understood whatever you just said," said the Groundhog. "But Jack, I think you're all of those things, but mostly I think you're just a scared little boy afraid of losing the only family he's ever known."

Jack paused for the first time, going absolutely still.

"What do you want?" asked Jack.

"Don't worry, Jack," said the Groundhog. "I'm actually in your corner. I want you to keep your family."

"That's not what I asked," said Jack although he did relax minutely.

"Look kid, I don't want you to get hurt," said the Groundhog. "Which is why I'm giving you this warning. She's back and she's not in your corner. Happy hunting."

Jack knew what he meant. There was only one person who would have that term applied to them and he was not eager to meet up with them again. However, it wasn't the first time he had a threat against him and he really didn't think it would be his last. So instead of making it a big deal, he decided to ignore it and go on until something happened.

Several months later, Jack and Bunny were off in the woods together.

"Bum, bum, ba, babum, babum. Bum, bum, ba, babum, babum."

"You have got to stop that incessant noise!" snapped Bunny, glaring up at the white haired boy humming in the trees.

"Sorry," said Jack meekly, hopping from branch to branch easily on his pale bare feet.

As soon as he stopped humming, Bunny wished he would continue; he had forgotten how silently Jack moved and without talking, it was nearly impossible for the larger companion to locate the boy. They were on a scouting mission, having heard that Pitch, while still weak, was up to his tricks again, trying to gain strength by sowing fear. With Easter months away, Bunny had volunteered to check out the area, itching for some action. North had insisted that the Guardian of Hope take Jack with him. Jack, ever energetic, was up for the challenge but it took more convincing from North before Bunny agreed to take his supposedly least favorite Guardian with him. Jack was slowly growing on him but he was sometimes too energetic for his own good and drove Bunny up the wall.

Suddenly, the flighty winter spirit was at the larger Guardian's side, looking small and slight against the wall of fur, as if a strong wind would carry him off, which it frequently did.

"What are you-" began Bunny, shocked at Jack's proximity.

Out of all of the Guardians, Jack and Bunny were the least touchy-feely.

"Hello boys," came a chilling, sinisterly familiar voice.

They simultaneously turned to the sound, Bunny impressed that Jack had sensed something off before he had. The spring spirit wrote it off as Jack being on his own for 300 years and therefore needing to be aware of his surroundings at all times.

There, amongst the winter kissed trees, stood the tall, dark, shadowy form of Pitch Black. He was taller even then Bunny but willowy like Jack, without the grace the young spirit possessed. Before either Guardian could react, Pitch sent a stream of dark between them, throwing them back from each other and into the trees and bushes of the landscape.

"I'm only here for the boy," stated Pitch. "You don't interest me, Bunny."

Pitch was forced to dodge a bolt of ice from Jack.

"Now, now, Jack," sighed Pitch, sending an unnecessarily large force of fearlings to the boy. "We can't have any of that."

Bunny bounded forward, trying to get at Pitch.

"You see, Jack," said Pitch as the boy screamed in pain from the fearlings. "No one cares when you scream. The Easter Bunny won't help you, the other Guardians don't care. They left you alone for 300 years until they needed you, but they don't need you now. See, really, I'm doing you a favor. So just give up."

"No, Jack!" yelled Bunny, hitting Pitch with a boomerang, causing the weakened dark spirit to disappear before the bunny destroyed him completely, taking his fearlings with him.

Jack swayed on his feet for an instant before his thin legs folded under his weight and he collapsed on the trampled soft forest floor. Bunny ran over to the newest Guardian to find his normally pale skin bone white. Jack's breathing was labored and blood dripped from his hands at a rate Bunny did not like.

"Jake?" said Bunny uneasily, shaking the blue clad shoulder. "Come one, mate, answer me. Jack!"

Jack's eyes fluttered open.

"Bunny?" whispered Jack, trying to sit up as his world swam into focus.

"Easy," cautioned Bunny, placing a large paw behind the slight Guardian's back to support him.

"Ow," groaned Jack as all of his ouches came sharply into play.

Frightened, Bunny picked up the winter spirit, ignoring his weak protests, tapped the ground with his large foot, and set off for the North Pole. Jack had never made those sounds of pain before, he had always bounced back from everything Pitch had thrown at him, and it scared Bunny to see him that way. For all of Jack being a Guardian and 300 years old, he was still so childlike that he evoked protective emotions from all of his fellow Guardians, even the ever surly Easter Bunny.

"Hang in there, mate," whispered Bunny as Jack gripped at his warm course fur with his tiny fists in pain, staining the fur red with his blood as he did. "You're going to be fine, almost there."

Jack just bit down on his lip and shut his eyes tightly in response. He wanted to tell Bunny to relax, he wanted to tell him that he was fine, that it was just a game, that he could fly away because that's what he did, he did the things he had never done and he could fly away from this. But he couldn't fly away from this. And he wanted to say that he didn't need Bunny or any of the Guardians to save him now, that he had needed that centuries before when he had first been born, but he didn't say that either. Because that's what he did, he kept his silence when his words would hurt more than help. Because years ago, when he needed a hero to help him, he had become one.

*Alright, no one get up in arms, I know and I made the choice to make my other story an arc here. Why? Because it's short enough to be an arc, it's being rebooted so it can be an arc, and I wanted it to have a nice home with friends it could play with.

On another but related note, I am now finding myself with a bit more time on my hands (May was too busy for life, I swear) so I hope to be writing and positing much more frequently. Always- Ari