"You did nothing wrong, Jack," North said softly from the driver's seat of the sleigh. They weren't far from the Pole, but each second passed with agonizing slowness.

A clouded, dazed sort of look filled Jack's eyes. "I tried–I tried–but none of you would ever listen. You all hated me."

"We never hated you," said Tooth.

"Bunny does."

"The hell I do," said Bunny. "I don't hate ya, and I never did." Jack gave him a look that had Bunny's hackles rising before he knew it. "Look, I may have been pissed at ya sometimes, but I never hated ya."

Jack seemed to shrink, and Bunny tried to will the sleigh to go faster. "Not even when I ruined Easter? Both times?"

Both times.

"Sixty-eight was a long time ago," said Bunny. "I forgave you for that. And ya didn't ruin Easter," he admitted. "It was Pitch's fault. There's no way you coulda known it was a trap."

"But if I had just–" said Jack in a small voice, before going absolutely still.

The hand that was wrapped tightly in Bunny's fur was suddenly pushing against him. "Jack?" asked Bunny. "What's wrong?"

Jack squirmed and Bunny grabbed his arm to try and steady him–there was a sharp cry of pain as Jack jerked back. Bunny let go as if he had been burned. Jack landed on the hard floor of the sleigh and curled protectively around himself with a groan.

"Bunny!" called North's voice from the head of the sleigh. "Vhat ees happening back zhere?"

Sandy and Tooth leaned in, trying to see if Jack was all right.

"What did you say?" Jack asked, and his voice was stronger, more aware with the resulting consciousness the bout of pain had brought.

"What?" asked Bunny.

Jack sat up, his arm cradled to his chest. He turned sharp eyes on the Pooka. "What you just said. You said... You said there's no way I could have known that it was a... But how could you know? None of you listened to me."

Tooth flinched.

"None of you listened," Jack repeated, confirming it to himself as he ran through what happened in his head. "I never got to tell you what happened. Did... did Pitch talk to you?"

Bunny swallowed and looked away from those blue eyes. "No, Jack. Pitch didn't... Pitch didn't say anything."

Jack furrowed his brow, the delirium of his fever slowing his ability to think. "Then how...?"

"We saw your memories," Tooth admitted. "Oh, Jack, you should have told us what happened. What Pitch did was–"

"You what?" Jack asked, his voice hoarse.

"Jack," said Bunny, reaching out a paw to help him up.

Jack pulled away. "You saw my memories? All of you?"

"Ve did," said North without looking back. His voice was low. Gentle. Calm. "And I, for vun, am glad zhat ve did."

"North," said Bunny, who saw what North could not, as Jack's eyes hardened, and his body stiffened.

"No," continued North, "I stand by it. I am glad. Because now I know vhat happened. Ve vere wrong to accuse you, and Pitch hurt you because of it. I am glad ve saw your memories, because zhat means now, I can apologize. Jack. I am so very sorry for how ve treated you on Easter. It vas not your fault."

Bunny could see the confusion in Jack's eyes, and he jumped in, encouraged. "We're sorry. None of it was your fault."

"You tried to save my fairies," said Tooth, averting her eyes. "You tried to help Baby Tooth. You gave your staff to Pitch for her. Thank you."

Jack struggled to his feet, a wild, frantic look on his face.

"Whoa," said Bunny, jumping to his side when Jack got far closer to the edge of the sleigh than Bunny was comfortable with. "Steady, mate. Yeh shouldn't be on yer feet." Then, to Aster's utter bewilderment, the kid leaned over the edge, a manic sheen reflected in his blue eyes. This time Aster did grab him. "Are yeh outta yer bleedin' mind? Sit down, ya gumby!"

"My staff," Jack muttered frantically, his eyes darting back and forth, seeing something that wasn't there, "Pitch, he–"

"I've got yer staff," Bunny assured, gently pulling Jack back to the center of the sleigh, careful not to touch the arm that he was favoring. "I got it right 'ere."

Jack looked at him then, with wide eyes and such an open expression that Bunny had to pause. The white hair whipped in the wind in thick strands, still clumped together and wet. The deep bruising on the side of Jack's jaw was disturbing, and Bunny could only begin to suspect what was wrong with that arm.

"Aw, Jack," Bunny sighed. "What did he do to ya?"

Jack swallowed. He held out a weak hand. "My staff."

Bunny reached into his bag and pulled out the four pieces of Jack's staff.

Jack's face fell.

"Can yeh fix it?" Bunny asked quietly. "Yeh know... like yeh did before?"

Jack grabbed the curved piece that served as the top and examined the wood sadly.

"Do ya wanna try?" Bunny asked.

Jack grimaced. "Not yet. I can't... It's not a good idea."

Bunny nodded and placed the shards back in his bag. Jack hunched in on himself, his mouth thin and tight with pain. His eyes dulled.

"Where does it hurt?" Bunny asked.

Jack looked at him with a guarded expression and didn't answer. Bunny reached for him, and Jack took a quick step back.

"Please, Jack," said Tooth. "Let us help you."

Sandy let a stream of golden sand float towards Jack's arm, gesturing knowingly.

Jack's lower lip trembled once. He shifted on his feet. "My head hurts."

Bunny could barely hear the soft voice. He lifted a paw towards him again and hesitated. "May I?"

Jack shook his head, frantic, and he winced horribly.

"Yeh gotta let us help ya," said Bunny. "Please."

"No," said Jack, backing into the corner of the sleigh.

"Okay," said Bunny, lifting his hands up in surrender as Jack neared the edge. "Okay, I ain't comin' any closer, but Frostbite, yeh really need ta–"

"To what?" asked Jack. "Trust you?"

Bunny's ears flattened on his head. "I was gonna say sit down."

"You guys looked at my memories."

"Jack," said Tooth, stepping forward.

Jack jerked back unsteadily, and his back bumped the side of the sleigh. Aster felt his blood pressure go through the roof. "Would yeh quit goin' so close to the edge?" he snapped. "Yeh don't have yer staff! Just let us help ya!"

"I don't want your help."

"Well, we're gonna help yeh whether yeh like it or not!"

"Bunny," snapped Tooth.

"If you guys had questions, you could have just asked me," said Jack hotly. "Did you think I would lie to you? You went behind my back because you still don't trust me."

Bunny rubbed an irritated hand over his face. "Would yeh stop bein' a child and listen–"

"News flash, Kangaroo," said Jack, "I am a child."

"Yer three-hundred bloody years old–"

"Bunny, stop this," said Tooth, putting a small hand on Bunny's forearm.

"He started it."

"He's hurt," she said quietly. "And he's scared."

"I'm not scared."

Tooth's gaze softened. "Then why is that nightmare following us?"

Jack stiffened and looked over the edge. His mouth went dry. "Maybe Pitch sent it."

"It's okay if he scared you," she said.

Jack swallowed and hugged his arm tighter to himself.

"He took you," she said, "and he hurt you. You don't have to do this by yourself."

Jack's lips quivered, and he pulled them into a tight line.

Bunny's ire was forgotten. "You're safe, now," he said softly. "We came for you."

"You did."

"You didn't believe we would?" It was a question that had been bothering him since Jack had been taken.

"No, I knew you would," said Jack, turning away. "Near the end there, it just became a matter of whether you would be on time."

"Pitch is a sick bastard. When I saw him holding you under the water, I thought…"

Jack faced him and held out his arm. "Here. Pitch broke it."

Bunny wilted. "Aw, Frostbite. Lemme see." Bunny gently reached out to examine the arm and pulled Jack away from the sleigh's edge in the process. "How did this happen?" he asked.

"You know me and my big mouth," said Jack with a wince. "Said something I shouldn't have."

"This is gonna need to be set," said Bunny, carefully probing the arm. "Your head still hurtin'?"

"Yeah," Jack whispered.

"How did–"

But then Jack was burying his face into Bunny's fur in a furious one-armed hug as his shoulders shook.

"Aw, Jack," sighed Bunny. "It's okay, ya gumby. We got ya. Yer okay."

A soft whine escaped from the back of Tooth's throat as she refrained from stealing the boy from Bunny to hug him and never let go. North shot a concerned look over his shoulder and exchanged worried looks with Sandy.

Jack slumped in Bunny's grip.

"Jack?" As the lithe form slid to the floor, Bunny caught him with gentle paws. "North, we gotta problem, mate."

"Ve almost zhere!"

"That's not good enough!"

"Zhe reindeer are flying as fast as zhey can!"

"Well make em go bloody faster!" Bunny said as he scooped the boy into his arms. The head of white hair lolled back, mouth parted slightly. "I told yeh ta stay awake, Jack. Why can't yeh just do as I ask, fer once?"

The rest of the ride was silent, and despite the chill that permeated up his arms the longer he held the winter spirit, Bunny didn't let go.