Disclaimer: Not mine
undescriptive non-con.

Chapter 7

Pitch led Jamie through the city, the boy not looking around or showing any sign of curiosity despite being in foreign country. Not that he would remember America anymore either. The boy was still technically human and therefore able to be seen. It would take longer for him to become a Spirit, but nothing could stop the transformation. Now was a test of his obedience because he doubted very much that the boy he had been would ever do what he was about to tell him to. He started out with small things, working up to having Jamie steal which he did without hesitation, not even a flicker of unease in his eyes.

He smirked as he sent the boy off on his final test, watching as he joined a few others in an alley. A man walked down the alley and Pitch laughed as he approached Jamie, oh what would the Guardians think of their precious Light now as he clung to an older man, oh so eager to give him whatever he wanted. Yes, it had definitely worked, the boy had no free will, no thought of doing anything but obeying him. And it would destroy the Guardians to see him like that. When the two left the alley he followed them to a rather…cheesy hotel, letting the man get his money's worth before sending him back to the alley. At the end of the night he collected the boy and returned home.

Once there, he began working on his combat skills.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jack stared at the horrified Guardians, temper frayed and barely keeping the storm outside in any form of check. He'd heard vague stories due to the age of some members of the Court, stories of creatures that had concerned even the Seelie and Unseelie courts, had them on the verge of mobilising in defence of the planet, something that had never happened. The idea of Jamie in Pitch's hands made him feel sick. "Do you know where Pitch's lair is?" he asked to get them moving.

"There was an entrance in Burgess, but it sealed after Pitch was dragged down. We've never pinpointed the location of the lair itself."

Jack swore, pacing, not caring that they were staring at him. There had to be some way to track them down.

"Can you track the remains of the token Jamie is wearing?" North asked him.

Jack shook his head; he'd been trying since he realised Jamie wasn't with the others. Something was blocking him from tracking it, he knew Jamie was still wearing it but that was it. He couldn't even tell if he was healthy…or still human. "It's blocked, he's wearing it but that's all I can get."

"Come," North motioned him towards the globe and the controls below it. "We see if we can boost the signal."

Jack nodded and they went to work, he'd try whatever he had to.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Pitch had his weapon against the Guardians, all he had to do now was decide when and where to use him. If he waited too long, then he would no longer be at all recognisable as their precious 'Last Light' but rushing in when they were likely still on alert due to the Piper would be risky. "Jamie."

"Yes Master?" the boy was kneeling beside the globe, head lowered, now dressed properly since his old clothing had been destroyed during his night out.

Perhaps he would keep the Guardians alive long enough to witness the end of his transformation, to see what he would become. Not even he knew for sure, the spells used were ancient, older than he was, and very powerful. With the Nightmare Sand added in as well, who knew what Jamie would become but it would be amazing to see. Should he prove useful as more than a diversion, perhaps he would rebuild his forces with others changed in the same way.

"Who are the Guardians?" he asked, curious as to what his response would be.

"The enemy," he spat viciously, hands curling into fists. "May I kill them for you Master?" the question was hopeful, anticipation obvious and Pitch chuckled.

"We shall see. First, we have preparations to make and your continued training to see to."

"Yes Master." Jamie obediently followed him from the room and up to the mortal world.

He had limited time to ensure the boy could not only fight but to work out what powers he may be gaining and how they could be used against the Guardians.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Skaði, meet me in Venice," he whispered to the wind as the Sleigh took off. They had narrowed the location to somewhere beneath the watery city and Jack had managed to pull in his rage enough to lessen the storm around the Pole so that they could travel via the Sleigh. There were other ways to get there, Bunny had offered his tunnels and Jack technically probably could have gotten them there, but it would have left him too tired for the upcoming fight.

With the Court ready to move…his Title was going to come out. He sat back in the seat as a portal opened, fidgeting with his staff. He looked up as Tooth sat beside him and they went through the portal.

"Jamie wasn't just your First Believer, was he?" she asked gently.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Tooth was terrified for the boy who had saved them all but Jack Frost's anger…it was something more. Seeing the devastation in his eyes, the massive storm she was sure was due to him, well it was an educated guess.

"No," he admitted softly. "We…became a lot closer than that. I used to visit them all the time, them and their friends. I heard about your fight with Pitch and went to Burgess to investigate, met Jamie in the park." Frost smiled softly. "I found the snowmen shaped like all of you, turned one to ice, and he called out. He couldn't see me, but we managed to communicate using frost. He guessed my name and then got all his friends to see me too. We were friends, I used to help with his history homework, I'd stay with Sophie…"

"They're family," she said, and he nodded.

"Sophie is going to be family now; I interrupted the Fey magic."

That was a relief, the idea of little Sophie as Unseelie Fey made her feel rather ill. "How old is she now?"

"Eleven, Jamie's nearly seventeen. Jamie…Jamie and I…we were."

Oh, well. She'd never heard of a human and a Spirit. Could that even work? At least he was physically around the same age as Jamie, depending on when it had begun. She felt sorry for him, to get into a relationship, knowing how it would end… "May I ask, how old you are?" she asked, and he shook his head but not in denial, more mild amusement which was better than rage.

"Coming up on four hundred."

And Jamie was… she couldn't imagine being unseen for so long. "We'll get him back." They would, no matter what it took. The problem was, whether or not he'd still be Jamie when they did, and it would be something they could reverse.

"We'll have backup," he told her.

"Your friend from the Markets?"

"No, others." He looked out at the night sky as they began to descend. "The Winter Court."

"What?" her eyes were wide as she stared at him. "You're part of…"

He sighed and looked at her before glancing up and she saw the clouds gathering, the temperature beginning to drop. Was that him? Or the approaching Court members. "I am."

"Then Jamie…Sophie…"

"Were never in danger," he told her firmly, blue eyes narrowing. "I would never hurt them. I love them; Sophie's like a little sister and Jamie…well. The Court isn't what you think, I know the old stories but that's what they are, old. The current Snow King is not the one in those stories. We don't steal kids or hurt people."

She hesitated but there was such…conviction, honesty…like he knew for a fact that…oh…was it possible? "Jack…are you?"

He sighed and slumped back, running a hand through his hair before chuckling. "You know, Jamie worked it out when he was twelve thanks to a class on world myths and some offhand comment I'd made. Yes, I am the current King. My predecessor was Jokul Frosti. The stories come from his time and back, not mine. Yes, people call on me, especially children but I do everything I can to get them into good, loving, human homes. And yes, sometimes older children and adults choose to join us, but they always know exactly what will happen."

She listened to his explanation as they got closer to the ground. She knew how long it could take stories to change. "How many Kings have there been?" They landed and the others turned, she knew Aster had likely heard everything due to his hearing.

"That I know of? I'm told I'm the third and that there was a Snow Queen a very, very long time ago." He stood up and then seemed to realise everyone had heard or been told by those who had. "So are we doing this together or not?" he asked, meeting their eyes even as the snow began to fall.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Pitch looked up, sensing something…the Guardians. In Venice? All together…and the other presence he had sensed in Burgess. They had completely missed the entrance to his lair in that town, but had they somehow tracked the actual location? How? They'd never managed to before? Just who was…oh…well, that could be a problem if they were all working together. Or had the Guardians declared war on the Winter Court for their child stealing after confronting the Piper for the same crime and this was the first battle? No, it was too great a coincidence they would meet in Venice, a place not known for the snow and ice.

He looked at where Jamie was kneeling, obediently waiting for orders. His eyes were now fully gold, no brown left, the pupils beginning to change shape. The veins under his skin were becoming darker, the skin itself becoming thinner. Perhaps it was good the Guardians had come; the boy would be unrecognisable soon. The Winter Court though? Surely they weren't working together?

"Jamie," he called, and the boy raised his head, staring at his shoulder, knowing not to make eye contact.

"Yes Master?" his voice was changing too, beyond the monotone he spoke in the majority of the time, it was becoming somehow whispery and guttural all at once.

"We have company coming. You know what to do."

"Yes Master," he stood and moved into the shadows.

Pitch stood and looked around, if the two groups were working together it seemed he was likely to lose his home of many centuries. He could rebuild, it would take time, but he had done it before. The boy would keep them occupied, he would put enough of a show on to make it seem like he was running and not strategically retreating, and he would start again. He would take what he needed and who knew, Jamie may actually take out one or two of the Guardians.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

This kid was the Snow King?! He'd wondered if he was connected to the Court with the power he'd shown but the King? Could they believe him, that he was a different one to the one the stories were about? His anger at the kids being taken seemed genuine. He'd bought them to save them and then freed them, had spent time hunting down the Piper's residence to get to the others, then his rage at Pitch having Jamie… the idea that Frost had been…involved with Jamie, that he didn't know what to think or feel about. Then again, they'd only seen Jamie as a little kid. Well, Frost had better not done anything when he was that little or he'd kill him.

Aster's ears flicked, nose twitching, they weren't alone! He looked around as figures emerged around them and he tensed. A tall woman with long white hair and carrying a bow approached, bowing to Frost. "We are ready my King."

"Guardians, Skaði. Skaði, Guardians," Frost introduced. He tapped his staff to the ground, and it glowed, seeming to melt away and they watched as his clothing changed into white silk and fur, a circlet of ice forming on his brow. The staff moved up his arm, becoming a tattoo or something before his sleeve hid it. He really did look like a King now.

A distant howl sounded, and Jack smirked. "Found them."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

They moved through the shadowed tunnels, Sandman's sand flowing around them for light. Jack didn't need the help, his vision adapted for the dark since a lot of his work was at night. The wolves were fine too, as were many of his people. The rushed out of three different tunnels to find themselves in a massive room with staircases everywhere, including places that should be impossible. Cages hung from the ceiling and from the look on the Tooth Fairy's face they'd been used against her fairies at some point.

Pitch Black stood, waiting for them, smirking, and Jack fought the urge to blast him. He felt bad for Venice and the massive dumping of snow and artic chill they were getting but at least it wasn't as bad as what the Palace or Pole got hit with.

"Where is Jamie?" Bunny snapped out.

"Jamie? Oh…he's around," he waved his hand and Jack barely bit back a scream.

Jamie… No, please, no. Cold golden eyes stared at them hatefully, although…there was no recognition at all when his gaze skimmed over Jack. He was dressed in all black, blending into the shadows.

"Jamie," North called in alarm.

Jamie stared at him in pure hate and North looked shocked. "Guardian," he sneered and his voice…what had Pitch done to him?

"What's the matter? Don't you like my new soldier?" Pitch smirked, reaching out to run his fingers through Jamie's hair. "Completely obedient to any order given and yes," he chuckled darkly. "I tested it; would you like to know how? Oh know you would! Jamie, tell them what you did when I took you to the surface," he ordered, and Jamie began to speak.

Jack felt sick as he listened to Jamie recount a night of crime and then…oh Jamie… he hoped that Jamie wouldn't remember any of this once brought into the Court. He stared at Pitch and then slammed a blast of ice into him, sending him falling back, ignoring the horror of the Guardians at hearing what Jamie had been made to do in order to focus on the real threat.

"Did I hit a nerve?" he taunted and then blinked as he took in Jack's appearance. "And what business does the Snow King have with little old me?"

"You took something precious from me, I came to collect," Jack's voice was as cold as the artic.

Pitch looked a little confused but then Nightmares attacked, and the battle was on. Jack saw Pitch slinking away and snarled in rage, but he couldn't go after him, not with Jamie launching himself at Tooth. He cut Jamie off with a wall of bright ice, using it to push him towards a wall, trapping him for the moment without any shadows. Then he went after Pitch.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Pitch was a bit shocked to find the Snow King himself had come. What could the Spirit think he had taken of…the boy…the magic that had lingered, it had been the Snow King's. So he had marked the boy to take him and hadn't done so before the Piper showed up. Well, if he'd wanted him so much he should have taken him immediately.

He was surprised to see the boy sidelined immediately, trapped by ice, and the King coming right for him. Did he really think he would be any match for the Nightmare King? He was older than life on the planet, the Snow King couldn't be more than a few thousand years old at most. He'd put him in his place and free the boy to do his job.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jack stared at the creature that had caused so much pain. He had brought the Piper to Burgess to take the kids, had taken Jamie and twisted him into whatever he was now…he would pay! If liked fear so much then it was time he learned why people feared Winter. He stalked the other 'King' through his lair, paying little heed to the battle except to ensure nothing got in his way. Normally pale skin was paling further, appearing almost ice-like, bright blue eyes glowing, as he let go of the careful hold he usually kept over his powers.

He may be able to move through the shadows, but Jack had tagged him with his ice, and could track him. The air around him was dropping ever further in temperature, diamond dust swirling around him. The place was a crazy maze, designed to confuse, but it didn't slow him down with a tracker to follow.

Jack knew he couldn't kill Pitch; you couldn't kill Fear after all. Fear was necessary after all; it served a purpose. It just needed a better Spirit than Pitch. As much as he hated to even consider it…could Jamie?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Pitch moved into a hidden tunnel with everything he needed to start again. Should Jamie survive, he would be able to find him. If he didn't survive then he'd have served his purpose in causing them grief, although bringing them into even a temporary alliance with the Winter Court had not been part of the plan.

He turned, barely managing to dodge a blast of ice, shocked that the brat of a King had found him. He blinked as he took in his changed appearance; the Snow King now appeared almost made from living ice. His body may be frozen, but those glowing blue eyes burned with rage.

"Well now, coming here alone was a mistake."

The Snow King smirked at him. "Really?" he lifted a hand and Pitch watched as ice and snow swirled over it. "The consensus seems to be that you cannot be killed. Shall we test that?"

,,,,,,,,,,,,

Skaði frowned as she shot another Nightmare, something was…oh! She knew her King and friend loved the boy, would not take what had been done to him well. But she had never felt anything like that from him before and a glance at the others showed they were just as shocked even as they kept fighting, able to hear the boy trying to escape his icy prison the whole time. They had all known their King was powerful, he had defeated Jokul as a mere child, but this powerful?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jack stared at the frozen form plastered to the wall. He wasn't…dead, exactly. He dropped to his knees, feeling the temperature rise, his skin returning to normal. That had taken a lot of power, more than he'd used in one go since the fight with Jokul. Pitch would never hurt anyone ever again though, so it was worth it. it would take a nuclear explosion at the minimum to begin thawing Pitch so they should be fine, who would nuke Venice? The place was more likely to sink, and the cold water would be an extra heat deterrent.

After a minute to catch his breath he got back up and began making his way back to the others, keeping a hand on the wall as he walked but gradually moving away as the cold already present helped him recover. Several of the Wolves bounded up, pressing against him, sharing magic with him and he smiled and petted them in thanks.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Nightmares seemed to go crazy all of a sudden even as the Winter Court members all seemed shocked by something.

"What is it?" North called.

"Our King is rather angry," Skaði smirked.

Was that good or bad?

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jack walked back into the main room, finding the others still fighting.

"Pitch?" Bunny called.

"Dealt with!" Jack answered, looking over at the ice prison he'd created. "You got this?" he looked around.

"Go," Skaði called and Jack nodded.

He took a deep breath and then walked through the ice, ducking as Jamie attacked. Jamie snarled at him, darkness pulsing under his skin and Jack held his hands up.

"I don't want to fight you Jamie. Please, try and remember, you know me," he told him gently.

"The Guardians must die for Master," Jamie told him.

"No Jamie, he isn't your Master. He had you kidnapped, and he's done this to you. I know you; I've known you since you were a child. Remember your sister, Sophie? He had her taken too but we got her back," he was moving carefully closer to Jamie as he spoke. "It's Jack, Jamie. Please, let me help you." He ignored the continuing fight beyond the ice, trusting his people to handle the battle.

Jamie snarled at him and lunged, and Jack dodged, hampered by the fact he couldn't hurt Jamie. Jamie was fast and vicious, but Jack had centuries on him, despite his weariness from dealing with Pitch, and he had real battle experience unlike the newly…no the still changing Jamie. Whatever was happening to him, whatever he was becoming, it was still in progress – which meant there was a chance to save him still. Jamie overextended and Jack grabbed his wrist, twisting, pulling him around to pin against the wall, his body pressed firmly against Jamie's.

"Please remember Jamie, I love you," he whispered before pressing his lips to black veined ones, keeping Jamie's hands pinned above his head.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jamie snarled and snapped, trying to get free, to follow his orders, to please his Master. He didn't know the one restraining him, wasn't a Guardian, wasn't one of his targets but it didn't matter, he was stopping him so he would die. He didn't believe a word the Spirit said, Master had created him, there was nothing before. He couldn't feel Master, but it didn't matter, he would do his job, and then Master would come back for him.

He snarled and lunged, he would kill him and then the Guardians. He couldn't hit him! He was fast but so was the white haired one. He snapped and struggled as he was grabbed and slammed into the wall, hands pinned over his head, his attacker only using one hand to do it! A cold body was pressed hard against him, keeping him immobile no matter how he struggled.

"Please remember Jamie, I love you."

Love? What was that? Cold lips pressed to his, confusing him, what kind of attack was that? He didn't understand but he felt his body relax, going limp, his own lips parting. What was happening?

A cold hand rested against his face as his opponent pulled back. "You're still in there, somewhere," he whispered. "It's going to be okay; I'm going to take you home."

He tried to struggle, body still feeling relaxed…(safe?) but not as much. He jerked against him, refusing to give up. "Master!" he cried out but there were no shadows in the icy prison, no way for him to get away or for Master to get to him.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Aster ducked, hurling his boomerangs at the rampaging Nightmares. They were uncoordinated, dissolving more easily…what had Frost done to Pitch? Looked like more damage than they'd managed. Jamie was locked behind a wall of ice with Frost but none of his people appeared worried, actually they looked like they were having fun tearing the Nightmares apart.

He was close enough to the ice to pick up the occasional word through it, picking up on Frost trying to talk Jamie down, then the sounds of a fight. It went dead silent and he felt a flicker or worry but then…a burst of hope from Frost, had Jamie stopped fight? Recognised him? Frost was talking, too soft for him to hear, but he heard Jamie's call for Pitch, hating hearing the kid call him Master. Jamie, the boy who had saved them…was gone. He wasn't a Fearling but whatever Pitch had done to him was undoubtably still as permanent.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jack was shocked and relieved when Jamie went limp, lips parting, letting him deepen the kiss. His mind may not consciously remember but obviously some part of him did. He gently caressed his cheek, feeling the unnatural clamminess and chill to his skin, his body was still human, struggling to remain so as the infection of whatever it was spread ever deeper. Jack could feel his pulse, his heart was struggling, his breathing rasping a bit. "You're still in there, somewhere," he whispered. "It's going to be okay; I'm going to take you home."

Jamie tried to struggle; body still mostly relaxed. "Master!"

Jack had made sure the ice produced enough light to ensure there were no shadows for Pitch or Jamie to use, not that Pitch could. "He's not your Master, Jamie. Please, try to remember."

He felt the tapping on the ice that was Skaði telling him the fight was done.

"I won't hurt you Jamie, but I need to make sure you don't hurt anyone," he told him, and Jamie tensed, trying to get free. "Shh, go to sleep," he murmured, stroking his face and Jamie snarled, but then began to slump, eyes fluttering as he struggled against the magic, but he was still human enough that it worked and he went limp, eyes closed. The Sandman wasn't the only one who could put someone to sleep and his magic worked on adults as well as children, part of the magic involved in being the Snow King. Jack kissed slack lips, giving the First Kiss to numb him to the cold before gently lifting him in his arms and letting the ice wall dissolve.

"Jamie!" Tooth called in alarm.

"He's alive," Jack told her. "Just unconscious."

She hesitated but then flew closer, looking down at Jamie sadly, reaching out slowly to touch his forehead. "Oh Jamie," she whispered sadly.

"I need to get him back to the Court fast, he's still human but barely."

"Wait...ya think this can be fixed?" Bunny demanded.

"We are the Winter Court," a gravelly voice answered, and Jack bit back a smirk when the Guardians jumped. No one knew his name, he was even older than Skaði, a recluse, and yet he had answered the call to act against Pitch. "The boy still retains some humanity and that is all we need. Time is of the essence."

Jack nodded, holding Jamie's limp body close. He inclined his head to the Guardians and then they vanished, returning home.

TBC…