Jack flew through and above the old rickety bed, now covered in snow from the last week of winter in the Burgess forest where Pitch and he lives. Apparently, Pitch may not have liked Jack after the fight with the guardians and his rejection, but neither did he like that Jack slept on a snow covered tree. He never liked that fact actually, and if Jack is being honest with himself he doesn't mind living with the man. Yeah he has to make sure that there aren't any stray nightmares when he plans to go to sleep but hey the bedrooms in Pitch's lair aren't so bad.

Right now though, Pitch is out giving nightmares and since his own nanny nightmare is nowhere to be found - he can finally go looking for the Sandman's Island. He'd heard North talk about it at one of their meetings and he was even able to get some information about it out of Pitch. The stories he's heard so far is that Sandy's island is made up of pure dream sand, mermaids visit him, and there are dolphins that go to swim in the area constantly!

'Real mermaids, not just figurines or movies but real life freakin' mermaids!' Honestly mermaids are things Jacks only heard about in stories or disney cartoons, he may have been forced to watch The Little Mermaid with Sophie at one time or twenty, but Jamie needed to get the new - whatever game was on sale that day! Anyways, he'll find out when he gets to Sandy's.

'Or not.' Jack decided he hates his nanny nightmare, because just when he was getting clear of the thick forest a familiar figure shadow jumped below him.

"Frost, come down here right now!" Jack flinched at the tone in the grey mans voice. Lowering himself to the ground Jack shifted on his heels while standing five feet away from an annoyed looking Pitch Black.

"Hi Pitch." Pitch narrowed his eyes slightly at the look of innocence Jack took on.

"What are you up to so early in the morning, the sun hasn't even begun to rise."

"How did you know I was even out, aren't you supposed to be - don't know working right now?" Pitch let out a huff and went to grab Jack's staff.

"It is four in the morning Jack, a little late to be having nightmares. Also speaking of Nightmares your nanny-mare told me you decided to take a little late night flight." Jack cursed under his breath, ever since he moved in with Pitch little by little the man has been starting to treat Jack as if he was his son, which again he doesn't mind since it seems that Pitch's desire for another Dark Age has been seceding from his mind. Though the overprotectiveness and - and NANNY-mares is getting a little bit out of hand.

"Pitch, I'm 310 years old plus 18 human years. Don't you think a nanny-mare is a little but um - unnecessary?" Pitch made a sound between a snort and a chuckle.

"Jack compared to me you're an infant, and honestly though you may be able to take care of yourself due to the many years of semi-solitude, that does not mean in any way you are old enough to be left alone without some form of protection or guidance." Jack just leaned against his staff, which he had been able to keep away from Pitch, and pretended to listen to Pitch's very boring and highly articulate argument as to why Jack should still be in bed, why he needs a nanny-mare, why he shouldn't be trying to fly at night and la la la la la. Neither seemed to notice the little golden man floating above the group of trees they're standing under until Pitch moves to take Jack's staff again and is instead sent flying into the trees.

Jack jolts awake at the yelp that leaves Pitch and stands ready for an attack.

"Jackie, you alright!"

"Jack what you are doing here?"

"Are you okay Sweet Tooth!" Looking around and still partly asleep Jack was able to make out the voices of Bunny, North, and Tooth. Bunny must have taken care of Pitch with his boomerangs.

"Where's Pitch?" Worry began to fill Jacks being as he realized that the guardians still didn't know that he was living with Pitch.

"Frostbite, you alright?" Shaking his head Jack pushed away from the guardians and nearly tripped over Sandy.

"Where is Pitch!"

"No need to shout Jack, I'm right here - and I'll stay here so don't any of you even think of attacking me again!" Irritation could be heard in the man's voice as he appeared behind Jack who turned into his arms. Three of the Big Four looked shocked to see their youngest friend being held by their enemy.

"Jack, what are you doing?" Pitch tightened his hold on his boy.

"He's tired, what do you think he's doing fairy." Bunny came up to where Sandy was standing in between them and Jack before Tooth could say anything else.

"Sandy said he saw you two arguing."

"Well of course," Pitch looked at the group as if him arguing with Jack was a natural event, which it technically was. "You're nearly as old as I am rabbit and Jack is only 310 years old, wouldn't you be worried if he decided to sneak off out of your home in the middle of the night." Pitch enjoyed the varying looks of confusion, betrayal, and sadness that ruled three of the guardians faces. The single look of delight from a certain golden fellow was strictly ignored.

"Why would Jack be sneaking out of your home, why would Jack even be in YOUR home!?" Bunny questioned as his voice rose.

"Regardless of what you may think of my place, it's not all that bad compared to a snow covered tree or iced over lake, honestly. Plus with me Jack actually has protection from the other bloody seasonal spirits. Uh! Don't even get me started on the Spring and Summer twins - oh and let us not forget the other winter bastards." All four guardians just stood and watched as the Nightmare King unconsciously picked up the now sleeping Jack, cradling him against his chest while he began pacing and ranting on about how the spirits have harmed his Jack one way or another.

"Oi, Pitch your pacing a hole." Pitch stopped mid stride and looked down to see that he was in fact pacing a hole in the snow. Huffing he looked up to see three pairs of wide-eyes and a smug smirk on the Sandman's face.

"What, and what are you smirking about?" Sandy formed a few pictures above his head, one of a sad face and pitch alone, then a happy face above the sand forms of Pitch and Jack.

"He doesn't make me happy, he's just too young to be left alone and you four aren't exactly the best caretakers for the boy seeing as how your jobs take up most of your time."

"What about you, you whacker!" Bunny said while pointing one of his boomerangs at Pitch.

"Please, even if I'm out I have a nightmare watching Jack at all times to make sure he stays out of mischief, and if not then I send the nightmares out to do my job - face it I'm more flexible than any of you amazingly and Jack is still a child who needs attention and to be taken care of. Your monthly meetings and abnormal visits aren't going to cut it." North listened to Pitch, while watching Jack curl into the his side. Pitch adjusted his hold on the boy and used his black sand to move the boys staff to his back.

"How long has Jack been living with you?" Everyone gave a slight jump at hearing the russians voice in the otherwise quiet forest, North noticed how Pitch shifted his stance to where he and Jack were closer to the shadows caused by daybreak.

"Officially, a month after my attack on Easter." North closed his eyes, Tooth let out a pained sound, and Bunny's ears drooped.

"Officially?" Bunny asked this time. Pitch glared at the group as he answered.

"For MiM's sake, the boy and I were practically neighbors!" Pitch nearly yelled at the Guardians except that Jack gave a whimper at the loud noise. "I have looked after him for 300 years and believe me it was not easy, and it wasn't until after our battle that I realised that even if Jack had you four, it wasn't enough." North looked at Pitch questioningly.

"None of you have ever actually had any children to take care of and sadly after certain past event some of you never will, but think about it - if Jack hadn't helped you with the children would you have been able to defeat me?" Silence reigned for a moment as the thought sunk in.

"Jack himself is still a child at heart," North spoke understanding what it was Pitch was trying to say, none of them had known what to do with the children besides give them gifts and dreams. However, Jack had been able to help them. Both with Sophie and with helping Jamie believe again. Thinking back North could only shake his head.

"Ten years, and we never noticed." The sound of sand floating through the air brought the Guardians attention to the Sandman who was sprinkling sand above Jack's head as well as filling three velvet bags with sand. Looking up at his friends Sandy shrugged sheepishly and Pitch sighed in irritation.

"Obviously, I can't give Jack good dreams and on the nights that Jack did have nightmares I had to get Sanderson to be able to put Jack back to sleep - don't even ask about his sick days, please." Taking in the lightness of the sky and the time, Pitch made a split second decision.

"Jack usually wakes up at seven, it is still dark enough out and I am going to assume that all of you are tired, if you'd like I do have spare bedrooms and we could continue this talk when Jack wakes up, which today might be around eight to nine." Sandy was the first of the group to take Pitch up on his offer already having been in the newly redesigned lair of the bogeyman. North was next followed by Tooth. Bunny agreed to stay on the condition he stays with Jack. Pitch couldn't help the eye twitch that followed.

"Sandersons room is right next to Jack's room, you can stay there or in the room opposite his, but no one - and I mean no one, will be sleeping with the boy or in his room. Not even you." Pitch said to a young looking nightmare who butted its head against his side. Following Pitch, the four guardians agreed on one thing. This was not how they thought their night would end.