Red Glass 6:

"Bunny! This is not appropriate behavior for Guardian!" North tried to reason as he pulled the Pooka off the Spirit of Fear. The Guardian of Hope struggled against the Russian's arms in attempt to get at the man rising off the floor.

"Shadow-sneaking rat bag, how'd you get back up here?!" The rabbit snarled, looking like he was about ready to bite North to get to the Nightmare King. No way was he going to let this- this- psycho loose around Rose. Not after she just woke up.

Sandy stepped forward slowly, making the pictures above his head match the previously held conversation. Then after a pause, the little man made a picture of a thumbs up, then a question mark.

"Oooh no. No way he is going anywhere near her! She almost died!" Bunny shook his head as if the very idea was too horrifying to contemplate.

"It doesn't seem to be up to you, Rabbit." Pitch coughed out, regaining his speech, "And if you hadn't noticed, the woman won't die period."

Everyone except for Jack froze for a moment, giving the Boogeyman an incredulous stare.

"Pitch... What do you mean...?" Tooth asked slowly, wondering if it was possible that the man hadn't notice, "I mean it wouldn't be that odd but still..." the fairy thought, looking to the man for his answer.

"She is a spirit. She already died." Pitch stated his gaze lingering over the Guardian's faces in mild suspicion, "She won't be seen, but she won't vanish."

"Pitch, Rose is-,"

Rose clapped her hands loudly, shocking the group quiet before giving the Guardians a look which promptly ended the line of conversation. Stepping away from the Boogeyman, the woman smiled at the group disarmingly, "I was hoping to get this matter settled as quickly as possible...maybe we can talk about this another time?"

Of course, that reminded Bunny of what was being suggested. He promptly threw a fit. "No. No! Not gonna happen. Rose, you can't think this is a good idea!? This guy-" Rose threw a sharp look at the Pooka, silently advising him to choose his next few words very carefully, "...hurt you." the rabbit finished lamely, glaring at the woman.

"He didn't know I would fall unconscious Bunny. He didn't do that on purpose." The redhead jotted down, looking annoyed.

"And what about your face? You can't tell us he didn't do that on purpose!" The Pooka growled, looking like he was going to lunge at the Spirit of Fear again. Rose stepped in front of the man slightly, making the strategic move subtle.

"Rosie...perhaps is not such good idea, yes?" North asked calmly, edging closer to the young woman in an attempt to get between her and Pitch, "You are not well."

Rose moved closer to the Spirit of Fear, her body tensing, "Pitch didn't cause this," she wrote, gesturing sharply to her face, "Rampant Nightmares did. They attacked me before he showed up. If fact, I'd most likely be in real trouble if he hadn't knocked those things off me in time!" the woman looked ready to spit as she violently punctuated her last sentence.

"And how'd he know where you were?! Did ya ever think of that?! He probably sicked those things on you himself!" Bunnymund raged, his whole body tense.

"He followed a friend! I didn't get home when I was supposed to so Pitch followed a friend to the fight. Does it really matter?! I'm still alive aren't I?" The girls writing was becoming more harried and agitated. The argument had quickly gone from a group discussion to a one on one verbal battle. Rose's curls were framing her face as her eyes flashed dangerously. Bunny's fur was on end as he glared at the little woman indignantly.

"And what's he doing around your house?! You live as far away from humans as you can get! Doesn't anyone else find it alil' odd that he just happened to walk by and help a gal he barely knows?!" At this point Bunny turned towards the rest of the Guardians with an air of exasperation, pinning them under a hard stare. The group shuffled uncomfortably under the rabbit's unforgiving glare.

...

Pitch was done. He was stressed out, emotionally exhausted and ready to leave.

So he dropped the metaphorical bomb.

"I happen to like my hostess's company. I had no idea it was such a heinous quality in a house guest." The Nightmare King polished his nails on his robe as he waited for havoc to ensue.

And ensue it did.

Rose flopped face first into the couch as shrieks of concern and anger washed over her.

"He was in your house?!"

"She's gone an' cracked a fruity!"

"You poor thing, are you ok?!"

"Is no good for your health, Rose!"

Everyone rose their voices into a cacophony of sound to the point that no individual voice could be heard. All the while, Rose glared at Pitch over the top of a pillow she had clutched under her nose. She watched as his disinterested look became a smoldering smirk that made him look like the black cat who had cream. The Guardians were worried, that translated into a meal for the Nightmare King.

So as the group whipped themselves into a frenzy, Rose calmly got up and walked out of the room. The Big Five didn't even notice as the young lady walked out the door, being too interested in their own chaotic musings.

But the Boogeyman saw.

Checking to see if the Guardians were paying attention to him (which they most certainly were not), Pitch took the chance to fade from the parlor and into the hallway just as the redhead turned a corner. It took a while of ninja-like stalking but Pitch was able to finally track Rose back to her original room, the ornately carved door clicking shut behind the young woman as he rounded the bend.

Raising his hand to knock, Pitch brought his knuckles close to the door before pausing. "Perhaps now is not the time." He thought before fading out of view and back to his cozy dark cell.

...

Laying in her bed, Rose glared at the fire in the hearth. Pitch had to find out that fear. Flinching at the memory, the little woman tried to put the feeling of millions of legs out of her mind. What would have been a squeak slipped silently out of her mouth, making her place long fingers delicately over her damaged vocal chords.
"Of all the things it could have been, he had to pick spiders..." She thought miserably.
"But then again, he could have found out about him..."
With that though she quietly slipped into a fitful sleep.