OK…I have no excuse for my VERY VERY VERY long absence. Let's just say life caught up to me and really brought me down what with about 3 human deaths in the family and then 2 of my Saint Bernard's died this year. It was one hell of a bad year.

It was quite recently, after re-reading my chapters and reading the amazing feedback I had gotten from everyone that I slapped life in the face, sat down at my computer, and typed. It's rather short, a lot shorter that the other chapters but I just had to give you something.

So here you go and please forgive me for the delay.

I own nothing but my OC's

The next morning, everyone woke to the smell of food cooking; Eggs, bacon, home-made pancakes, and even fresh biscuits. Someone was cooking down in the kitchen.

Jack awoke almost with a jolt after he had reached over to grasp Reap, and found nothing there. She had gotten up early in the morning to get breakfast ready, everything that was warm and good. Jack rushed out and practically flew down into the kitchen.

It couldn't have been all a dream. She was alive, she had to be, and she had forgiven me Jack thought, going over what had happened yesterday.

The doors burst open and there stood Reap, in her pajamas and a simple white apron. She looked over her shoulder as she flipped a pancake and smiled.

Jack sighed with relief.

"You ok, Jack? You look like you have seen Many Moon in the flesh." Reap asked as she turned to 7 plates, served portions, and set the table.

"I am now. When I woke up this morning and you weren't there, I thought that yesterday was nothing but a dream. A very good and happy dream." Jack said, walking over to her and resting his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms comfortably around her waist as she worked on some more food.

"Sorry for not waking you, but you looked so happy while you were asleep." She said, offering him some bacon.

He took it in his mouth and practically inhaled it, moaning as he chewed. "I had forgotten how good your cooking was. It's one of the first things I feel for when we were alive."

"So you did love me." She commented, putting the second helpings on big plates in the middle of the table.

"I never said I wasn't back then, I just wanted you to be more like…well…you" He said, kissing her cheek.

"Ewwwwwww, greasy!" She complained, trying half heartedly to push him away as he made the kissy face at her.

"GOOD MORNING MATES!" Bunny yells, making both Reap and Jack jump and glare at him. "I don't know about you mates, but I had a very good sleep last night."

"Why are you still in human form?" Reap asked.

"No real reason." Tooth said, slowly flying in, some of her feathers were a bit out of place.

"No reason, huh?" Reap said, really looking at her. When Tooth winked at her she split into a very big grin.

"Well looks like I will have to collect some things from North and Sandy. I just won the bet!" She smiled and Bunny and Jack stared at her.

"What bet?" Bunny asked as he shoveled food into his mouth.

"Careful Bunny; don't ask questions you aren't prepared to receive the answer for." Reap said in a sing song voice.

"I don't care, tell me!" Bunny said, almost growling, going back to his bunny form.

"Fine, we bet on when you and Tooth would finally hook up!" She said and snickered at the sound of Bunny spitting all of the food out of his mouth.

"I warned you but would you listen?" she said with a smile, cooking up some more food. She turned around and had to really work on keeping her laughter down to a minimum because Jack was at the receiving end of that spew. He had half chewed food all over his face.

"Did I hear something about Tooth and Bunny finally hooking up?" North asked, holding a big keg of hot chocolate in his hand.

"Yup, I win the bet." Reap said, sitting down at her spot.

"She has a knack for winning bets, something I learned early on." GR said, following a particularly stern faced Sandy into the kitchen.

"Hey where is Grim?" Reap asked as everyone started eating.

"No idea, I thought I saw him leaving last night but I was sure he would be back by morning." GR said, sounding a little worried.

"He will be back, that boy loves Reap's cooking." North said, already plating himself up for seconds.

"And no wonder – I actually forgot how good her cooking is!" Jack said, practically groaning with every mouthful of food he took.

"Jack, really. How could you have forgotten?" She said, taking his food away.

"HEY! It wasn't my fault. I completely forgot about the time before I became Jack Frost. I forgot everything." He complained, trying to take back his plate of food.

She playfully kept the food out of his reach, a mischievous smile on her face but gave in once he started actually whining like a puppy.

"I just want you guys to know how honored I am to have friends like you. The family I have always dreamed of!" She said with a smile.

"To family!" Bunny said, raising his mug of juice.

"To family!" Everyone else repeated and drank.

She smiled at all her friends enjoying their meals but something kept tingling at the back of her mind. She was very worried about her little brother.

oOo

"That's it, Grim. Forget all those happy feelings that brought you down. Let the anger and hatred that you have for Jack spread through your body." Pitch said, watching the boy writhe beneath him.

The boy had very easily succumbed to the darker emotions festering in his heart. It was rather vulgar, yet intriguing to watch the boy change in front of him. The bone wand turned into a blade, black marks began to form on his skin, and even his clothes began to change to a darker style with tears and strips off the edges. The Grims were surrounding him protectively, not knowing what to do but knowing that something was off.

"Good Grim, almost there. Now let those feelings spread to your pack!" Pitch said, smiling with pointed yellowed teeth.

Right as he said the words, the black dogs began to slowly change right in front of him. They contorted in pain, their bodies becoming longer and leaner, and the muscles being stripped, leaving nothing but powerful looking bones under the fur. Their teeth became large and sharp, their eyes dark, and they began foaming at the mouth. When the transformation was finished, they no longer looked like black dogs; they now resembled black starving rabid wolves from the darkest parts of people's nightmares.

"Very good, Grim. You are finished with your transformation, my boy." Pitch said. "How does it feel?"

"It feels…..it feels strange. I feel like I can do anything and no one can stop me!" Grim said, his voice changed to a throaty growl. He looked to his pack that waited patiently for orders (Necessary detail? Can it be its own sentence?).

"Yes, embrace this feeling Grim, because that's exactly what we can do. And no one will stop us!" Pitch shouted triumphantly, an evil grin spreading across his face.

"What about the Guardians?"

"With your pack of Grims and my nightmares, there is no way they will be able to stop us. We will wipe them out!" Pitch yelled. "All of them!"

"Except Reap. Remember, the only reason I agreed to this was so I could have her instead of Jack!" Grim practically growled out.

"And so you shall, but first we must make her vulnerable so that you can save her."

"And how are we going to do that?"

"We make her worst fear come true…so to speak" Pitch added the last part at the look Grim gave him, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"And what would that be?"

"All in good time. Now let's see what your Grims can do." Pitch commented, sending a cloud of nightmare energy toward him.

oOo

The day passed with everyone going here and there. Bunny and Tooth disappeared at times, and Reap played on her piano.

Jack did his best to stick to Reap, but he also wanted to explore the workshop. He had dreamt about seeing this workshop for a long time. Thankfully, Reap took pity on him, and gave him a map she had made years before. He vanished into the workshop with a grin.

Reap shook her head, and grinned at his boyish innocence. She had not seen him again since he disappeared around 1 PM.

Reap and North were having a very in-depth conversation about the next generation's kids being so engrossed in electronics that it may hurt them more than help them. (Removed a bit) Sandy made a few comments here and there.

When dinner came around, Reap headed down to the kitchen to find that the plate with Grim's portion of food was still there. This greatly unnerved her.

"GR! I think something is wrong!" She yelled behind her.

"What is it?" GR asked as he phased out of the wall like he always did, and then looked at the table. "His food is still there. This is most unsettling." GR said, shaking his head.

"What's going on?" Bunny asked, hopping into the kitchen with Tooth, Sandy, and Jack behind him.

"Grim hasn't come back at all." She said, shakily pointing to his plate. (Removed a bit). What if something had happened to him?

"Something is very wrong…." GR said quietly.

"You think?" Reap asked, looking at him.

"I can't call any of the Grims to me." GR said in alarm, looking right at Reap.

There was a long moment of silence broken only by Jack clearing his throat. "How is that a bad thing again?"

"Grim is the pack leader of the Grims. The black dogs that give people omens of a death in the family. They are directly tied to Grim and through him GR. If GR can't call any of the Grims then that means something has happened to Grim." Read said in a dead silent voice, fear coursing through her, then determination. "We need to find him."

"Yes, we do." North said, coming from the sled area. "I knew something was up around mid afternoon when I came here for some food. I saw Grim's food was still here and knew something was wrong. I have been prepping my sled. We should split up, and contact each other if we find anything odd." North said as he handed everyone a cell phone.

GR took his and it broke in his hand. "I think I will just 'port to the nearest person if I find anything odd."

"OK, let's go!" Reap said (try exclaimed here), heading to Asia. (Removed a bit) Jack headed to Europe while Bunny went to Australia, and Tooth headed to Africa. Sandy would look in South America and North in North America while GR would be searching the smaller islands of the world. (Maybe try putting this part in dialogue stated by the leader, using an imperative form. As in, have the leader tell each person where they are going, then end with, "And I'll be going to…")

Not 15 minutes after Reap and Jack split up, she heard someone screaming in the distance. As she came closer to the screaming she could hear her name being called. In the middle of a clearing there was a wooden bed frame with a hole in the middle.

"Reap, help me!" She heard Grim yell as she flew over the hole.

"I'm coming Grim!" She stopped mid-flight and dove toward the hole.

"I have found a hole leading to Pitch's place and Grim is screaming from it in the middle of a clearing in western Russia. I'm going in!" She said after calling everyone and hung up before anyone could answer as the screams became louder and more pained.

"Hold on little brother. I'm coming!" She said, and then she took a deep breath, clearing her head, and dove down into the Boogey Man's lair.

So there you go, Grim has become a bad boy and seams to take to it naturally. This doesn't look to good for our leading lady. What's going to happen to her and Grim, find out next time on The Reapers Partner!

Please any questions or comments please don't be afraid to hit me up in the reviews!