Jack had his eyes closed, holding back tears, he sat in the snow leaning against an ice berg. He cuddled himself, he whispered comforting words to himself. He had, like Tooth had said, lost track of time. He had not moved from this spot, he had spent all his time attempting to convince himself to go back to the Pole. But he had failed miserably...

He began to cry, cuddling his legs closer "North... I'm sorry..." he whispered "please... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"Jack..." a cold... no, dark voice whispered in his right ear.

Jack eye's widened as he recognized it, jumping to the side he pointed his staff at the familiar black figure that stood by his side, looking regretful "Pitch!"

"I see you are well" he said sarcastically before shaking his head "I should have know does guardians would fail at being real guardians."

Jack growled "what do you want Pitch?"

"Jack, have you not learned by now that I do not come to hurt you, I wish only to help you Jack. Does guardians failed to look after you, so I came to help you."

"Last time yo offered me help you broke my staff and abandoned me here! This time you don't have Baby Tooth though!" he shouted.

Pitch grinned "but I do have you alone."

"I am strong enough to defeat you!"

Pitch laughed "if you manage to keep that staff in yours hands" Pitch grinned and suddenly pounced attempting to get the staff, Jack's eyes widened and he held it tight trying to attack with ice, Pitch dodged and grabbed hold of the staff.

"Let it go!" Jack shouted putting at it. Pitch just laughed and pulled as well.

They fought for a while until Pitch let go with one hand, and grabbed Jack by the throat, blocking Jack's oxygen. Jack struggled "let go..." he whispered still holding onto the staff with both hands.

"Jack, let go" Pitch ordered, Jack hesitated but he felt himself falling into unconsciousness so he did as he was told. Pitch grinned throwing the staff out of Jack's reach. Jack pushed at Pitch trying to free himself but Pitch did not let go. Finally Jack lost consciousness and Pitch dropped him, letting him fall onto the snowy ground, laughing.

When Jack woke up, he was sitting crossed legs in one of the bird like cages hanging from the ceiling. His ankles where tied together, his wrists attached too. Leaving him stuck in the position. He struggled for a second before looking around. It was dark, too dark. He whimpered as the silence began to sink in, not even the wind blew down under the ground.

Jack took a deep breath and wished he had gone back to the pole. He had really messed up now.

"Oh Jack, you're awake" came a cold voice that made Jack whimper trying to hide his face "oh, hiding are we?"

Suddenly Pitch appeared behind Jack, grabbing Jack's hair he forced the kid to look up, making Jack whimper. Tears filled his eyes "let me go" he whispered, taking deep breaths.

"Scared now are we? Fought you said you could take me on?"

"Shut up!" he shouted, regretting it immediately as Pitch banged the boys head on the metal. Blood fell but he did not lose consciousness.

"You are not very wise are you? When your tied up in a cage, I suggest you behave or I'll have you gagged, is that understood?"

Jack would have nodded had Pitch not been grabbing his hair, instead he just let out a small whimper. Pitch grinned letting go "good boy."

Jack pulled his head close to his bound hands, hoping Pitch could not reach it there "what do you want from me?" he whispered, his voice shaking slightly with fear.

"I want many things Jack, and I believe you can assist me with obtaining a good few of them."

"I-I won't help you..." Jack whispered.

"You don't need" Pitch replied "just by keeping you here you're already assisting me with obtaining my goals."

Jack looked up at Pitch confused and scared. Trying to figure out what Pitch was up to. It all clicked when he heard North calling for him, he struggled wondering how long he had been unconscious for.

"Seems I have company" Pitch cooed happily.

"Don't you dare!" Jack shouted.

"Jack!" North obviously heard.

"It's a trap! Don't!" Jack called back, not even sure if it was a trap, simply guessing.

"Jack are you okay?" it was Tooth this time.

"If his hurt you..." Bunny growled sounding angry, they where getting closer.

Pitch grinned and vanished into the shadows, Jack looked even more scared at that and began to struggled desperately against his bonds "Pitch what ever your planning it wont work!" he shouted.

"Jack!" North shouted and Jack turned to see them all running towards him. Tooth and Sandy where by his side within second, Bunny next jumping up from one cage to another. North struggled not finding a way to climb up but still the most worried.

"It's a trap!" Jack shouted "you... you..."

"Trap? Where's the trap Jack?"

"I... don't know but... I know there is one! Somewhere..." he looked around scared.

"Did Pitch do this?" Bunny asked placing a soft paw on Jack's head.

Jack flinched and weakly nodded.

"Did what?" North called down from bellow, worry clear in his voice.

"Don't worry Jack, we'll get you out of here" Tooth whispered looking at the lock to the cage.

Jack frowned as he watched Tooth uselessly try to break open the cage. Bunny and Sandy both rolled there eyes, when she stopped Sandy but in and opened it with her dream sand "oh very good Sandy!" Tooth praised, looking happy.

Bunny pulled out his boomerang using it to free Jack from the bonds, Jack sighed with relief as he looked down at his red hands, his eyes widened, it was worse then it felt. His hands had obviously gone slight numb.

"How long was I here?" he whispered.

"Not sure" Bunny replied "can we discuss this later? If there is a trap I'd rather we get out."

Jack nodded as Tooth and Sandy helped Jack out of the cage and down to the floor bellow where North looked relieved he quickly hugged Jack "I was so worried" he said.

Jack pulled away from North "too tight!"

"Sorry... but you have been gone so long! And then we found out Pitch had you..." he hugged Jack again, this time more carefully "are you okay?" he asked looking at Jack's wrists and then at his head "we need to get you back to pole and in infirmary!" he announced.

Bunny rolled his eyes at North's over protectiveness, Jack pulled away "can we get out of here first? Please?"

North nodded "can you walk?"

Jack rolled his eyes and nodded "he barely touched me."

"Then how'd he catch ya?" Bunny asked.

Jack moved his hands to his throat and hesitated wondering weather he wanted North to know, he was already worried enough, then again he could think of no believable excuse "he grabbed my staff, tor try and take it from me, then when I wasn't expecting it he grabbed my throat and... I lost consciousness from lack of oxygen."

North was immediately looking at Jack's throat checking for bruises or broken bones "did he do it tightly? Did it hurt? Lack of oxygen to the brain can cause brain damage at times!"

Jack tried to pull away but when it hurt more to struggle he gave in and just sighed "North... we need to go!"

"Oh yes, we need to go to infirmary" North began to lead the way.

Bunny snickered as he walked next to Jack "he won't be letting you out of there for weeks."

Jack raised an eyebrow "you think he can keep me locked up?"

"Well Pitch didn't have much trouble."

"I had just woken up..."

"You must have been unconscious for ages... you sure he didn't get to your brain" he ruffled Jack's hair.

"I don't know how long I was out for... and is that meant to be a serious questions or an insult? Either way, yes I am sure."

They exited the lair without a problem and to Jack's surprise, made it to the sleigh without a problem. They climbed into the sleigh and headed back towards the pole. Jack fell asleep on the way back, surprising all the guardians.

Once at the pole North lay Jack down on a bed in the infirmary. The other three guardians by his side as he checked Jack for any injuries Pitch may have caused. There was very little, he cleaned and bandaged up Jack's head, all do it wasn't really necessary. Then bandaged his wrists and ankles, again not really necessary.

"How long do ya think he was there?" Bunny asked.

North shook his head "I don't think long... what I want to know is why Pitch informed us about his presence in the lair. Had he made a trap or attempted a trade, it would make sense, but... he did nothing of the kind. In fact it felt extremely easy."

Sandy nodded, something was not right. Pitch did not act without reason.

"He'll probably have a pretty bad headache" Tooth whispered looking sadly at Jack.

"Serves him right, shouldn't have ran of in the first place!"

"Bunny! Don't be so mean!"

"It isn't his fault..." North whispered "I must apologize to him when he wakes up."

Bunny sighed "I don't see why you try to defend Jack... he shouted at you like you had done it on purpose! Did not accept your offer for help then hid away, getting himself captured by Pitch even!"

"How often do you blame a child when they run away?"

Bunny blinked "what do you mean?"

"Children don't just run away, if they do, they have been hurt... perhaps what I did with his home was not all my fault. But he is hurt, he is still adapting and I should have been more careful with him. It is not just my fault... but it definitely is not Jack's... he is just lost child."