Hello everyone! Sorry for such the loooong wait - holidays got in the way but I wanted to send this out before the new year! hope to have more ASAP! Also - Thank you to everyone for all the kind words and criticism! I really appreciate it and it helps get me to get motivated to write more! Hope everyone had a good holiday season and I wish you all a happy new year!

Chapter 7

It didn't take long before Tooth and Sandy had arrived at the Pole. Tooth fluttered in her anxiety obviously showing while Sandy followed suit.

"What's going on?" she asked trying to hush a few fairies that were fluttering about her head waiting for orders to pick up more teeth.

At hearing Tooth's voice Bunnymund and North almost pounced on her but they controlled themselves only enough to talk far too much in a short period of time.

"Woah woah! Slow down!" She protested, "is there something wrong with Jack?" Tooth added looking up at their worry stricken faces.

North went into the story of what had happened and demanded to know who he could have left alone and what was his fault.

"You're the guardian of memories it has to be something from when he was human - what else could it be? He's been alone for 300 hundred years..."

As soon as Bunnymund had said it - it left a deafening silence among all the guardians (Sandy was no exception). Jack had been alone for 300 years - that was their fault. Jack didn't have any memories before he came to be as he is now. Also their fault for not helping him regain them. So now all of this - what was happening to their newest friend and guardian - was their fault...

Tooth cleared her throat attempting to break the silence "I think I may know what he was talking about - you said that he mumbled 'I left her all alone'?"

When Bunnymund and North nodded making her eyebrows furrow.

"So that's what Pitch is doing!" Toothiana suddenly burst out making everyone jump, "Jack never had a chance to come to terms with what happened - ever since he got his memories back I knew - I knew - that would be such a huge weight on him but he never wanted to talk about it and-"

"Tooth!" They all cried in unison (Sandy displayed a picture of her with an exclamation mark).

"What is it you are talking about?" North demanded.

Tooth ran a delicate hand over her feathered head calming herself, "sorry - It's just...well let me explain."

Tooth told them the whole heart breaking story of how Jack had sacrificed himself to save his little sister from falling into the ice and that was how he came to be. For several minutes they all simply stared at Tooth - wishing it was just some kind of joke or perhaps they had heard her wrong. But the grave look on the colourful fairy's face was more than enough proof they needed.

"So that's who he left alone is it?" Bunnymund said just above a whisper, "and Pitch is twisting that memory to the point where it's making Jack how he is now!"

"But Pitch can't see memories," Tooth reminded him, "he can only feed a person with fear making the fears they have within them grow exponentially."

Bunnymund opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it - he knew Tooth was right even if he maybe didn't want it to be so... This way the blame pointed back at themselves. One thing was certain: if they had helped Jack sooner - he wouldn't be hurting now.

Bunny was about to press Tooth further for information about Jack's past but his question was interrupted by a loud crash that came from Jack's room followed quickly by a yeti being thrown out of it.

"What in the-?" North asked as all the guardians gaped at the door before they quickly ran towards it.

When they reached the door they saw Jack pointing his staff at them (where the yeti was undoubtedly standing) frozen to the spot but shaking like a leaf his eyes wide with terror.

"Woah take it easy mate" Bunnymund tried as he gingerly stepped into the room but Jack raised his staff and shot ice at him missing the Pooka and hitting a picture behind him freezing it before it hit the ground.

"Jack it's us you can calm-"

But Jack wasn't listening - or rather he was hearing something else. He shot ice again and this time hit Bunnymund's hand incasing it in ice.

North's eyes were darting from Bunny to Jack before they settled on Sandy.

"Sandy knock him out before he freezes anyone else!"

The smallest guardian nodded gravely conjuring a golden sand ball and aimed for Jack - just as he was about to throw it Jack suddenly became aware of his surroundings - his eyes lit up rather than their dazed counterpart.

Jack looked around the room frantically before he looked at all of the guardians, "what-?"

"Jack is alright!" North said gently to him stepping into the room ever so slightly, "is alright - you are safe."

Jack frowned and tilted his head about to ask what in the world was going but before he could his entire head felt like it exploded with pain from the loud, piercing scream that filled his ears. Doubling over he clasped both hands over his ears and fell to the floor.

Of coarse the other guardians couldn't hear this eardrum bursting scream as they all rushed over to Jack who was now in the fetal position clamping both hands to his ears.

"What's going on?" Bunnymund demanded trying to break the ice on his hand by hitting it against the wall.

All the other guardians didn't know what to say - or do for that matter. So North picked him up and shook Jack probably a little more violently than he should have.

"Jack snap out of it!" He roared trying to get Jack's attention.

"Easy North! You're going to snap his neck if your not careful!" Bunny grabbed on to North's arm abandoning his attempt at freeing his hand from the ice and tried to pry North's gigantic hands off of Jack's frail shoulders.

While Bunnymund and North were wrestling (Sandy and Tooth trying to calm down the situation) Jack had stopped hearing the horrid screaming and had come back to his senses only to be jerked around while North refused to let go of him and he and Bunny were having some odd sort of wrestling match.

"NORTH!" Jack yelled as loud as he possibly could (which was quite loud despite his size). This made everyone stop dead in their tracks. They all looked down at Jack who was staring up at them.

"Put me down...now" he said slightly breathlessly from being thrown around like a rag doll.

"Sorry," North chuckled setting Jack down lightly, "what was all about?"

Jack looked up at him confusingly, "you didn't hear it?"

North and the rest of the guardians shook their heads while concern filled their eyes but to their surprise Jack was smirking.

"Oh well - guess i'm just finally losing my marbles," he chuckled.

"That isn't something you joke about Jack!" Tooth replied.

"Ah c'mon Tooth - how else do you think i've stayed sane these past 300 years?" Jack rolled his eyes and kicked at his staff to make it stand up before he gripped it effortlessly with one hand.

"And where do you think you're going eh mate?" Bunny asked as he stepped in front of Jack blocking his path to the door.

Jack's smirk faded as he looked up at the pooka curiously.

"Uhm - for a walk?" Jack replied, "I just need a break from you all breathing down my neck if you don't mind."

"We do mind since you really are losing your marbles and we can't let you out of our sight without hurting yourself ya gumby!" Bunny snapped at Jack towering over him.

"Bunny that's enough..." North intervened putting a large hand on Bunny's fluffy shoulder before turning to Jack.

"Is not good idea for you to go wandering around by yourself Jack" North stated simply but firmly.

Jack's shoulders slumped instantly, "what it's not my fault-!"

"-No we know it isn't your fault but we have to keep you safe..." Tooth interrupted, "we have to find out what's going on in that head of yours Jack before we can feel safe that you're going to be safe."

There was a deafening silence in the room as all the guardians watched Jack and Jack stared for a long time into Tooth's eyes. She had a fair point - but that didn't mean Jack had to like it.

Jack groaned, "fine - whatever" he grumbled as he walked back over to his bed and plopped down hard onto the soft surface.

"So...Jack..." Tooth began after a moment of silence, "what did you hear just now?"

Jack glowered up at her for a moment before turning away and staring at the floor - it was hard to be mad at Tooth when her eyes were full of concern, "just a really loud, piercing screech I guess?"

"Did you recognize it?"

Jack hesitated - had he heard it before? - it sounded so familiar...

"Is that a yes?" Tooth gathered from the silence.

"No - I haven't heard it before" Jack replied rather quickly.

"Jack...you have to help us help you and by telling us what you know-"

"What will that do? and when do you suddenly all care so much anyway?" Jack snapped wishing instantly he hadn't.

The room fell silent and Jack started to feel like a rock was forming in the pit of his stomach.

"Look i'm sorry I didn't mean-"

"Don't be sorry" Tooth interrupted him brightly, "let's work together like we did when we first all defeated Pitch...okay?"

The other guardians were all silently thanking Tooth with all their might - she always knew what to say...especially to Jack.

Jack sighed, "alright" he smiled slightly lifting the darkness that hung over the room.

"So...did you recognize it?" Tooth asked again hoping for a more descriptive answer.

"Well...sort of," Jack replied, "but i'm not sure where i've heard it" he admitted fiddling with his staff.

"That makes sense since you don't have all of your memories back..." Tooth mused before her face lit up, "maybe that's what we should do!"

They all looked at her bewildered, "do what?" the asked in unison.

"Show Jack as much of his memories as I have on hand - maybe that way you can come to terms with what happened - feel more connected to your sister...do you think that might help Jack?" she asked her wide eyes staring curiously into Jack's pale blue eyes.

Jack looked up at her unsure of what to think - would it help if he knew his sister better? Would that really be the solution to getting rid of this power Pitch had over him?

"It's worth a shot I guess?" Jack replied with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

"Alright!" North bellowed, "We take sleigh to Tooth Palace, ya?" he stated as he lead the way out of the room.