Ok, next part

They'd taken Bunny to the Warren, hoping that maybe some familiar surroundings might help. Jack was the one left to look after him. It wasn't a decision anyone had come to lightly, but Jack was the only one Bunny would let near him, and they hoped that maybe if they were not around, Bunny would start to come back to himself.

That had been weeks ago and Jack was starting to really despair. He'd done his best to make sure Bunny was ok, had made sure he'd eaten and stayed out of the way as much as he could, trying to draw him out. But Bunny had made a beeline for the smallest place he could and hidden there.

How long was it supposed to take? Was he doing the right thing, leaving Bunny to himself? Should he be pushing harder, trying to break down whatever defences Bunny had put up to keep himself safe from Pitch? The other Guardians were as helpless as him, more so, because they could not even get near Bunny.

He lay, stretched out on one of the grassy knolls, picked specially so he could see Bunny's little hideout easily, and contemplated what he could do. It would be winter in a few weeks and he would need to start bringing the snow, but fun might be a little harder to do.

His mind then flashed to Easter, what was going to happen if Bunny wasn't better by Easter? Would they be able to pull something together? Jack didn't want Bunny to stop existing, but what could they do to make it work?

He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he almost missed it. He stilled completely, hardly daring to even breathe. Bunny was at the riverside. A series to terrified thoughts ran rampant through his mind, Would Bunny jump in? Did he intend to try and kill himself? Could he kill himself? Long grass had hidden Bunny's journey from his little hideaway to the river, and Jack wondered how often Bunny had left his hole to be outside.

Was this a good sign?

He tensed when Bunny leaned close to the colourful water, ready to spring up and pull him clear if he had to. But Bunny's paw darted down and into the water, coming back up soaked in paint and with a quick, nervous look around, focusing the longest on Jack himself as if to determine if he was sleeping or not, Bunny turned and disappeared back into the grass.

Jack relaxed a little, turning onto his side and curling up so he could watch more closely, but Bunny did not make a return trip.

It was a good sign, Jack decided, because he really, really needed it to be.

So… still enjoying this? I hope you are anyway.