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Jaime's POV

"...You're safe. Shhh..."

I slowly open my eyes to Tooth wiping off the blood from my body.

"Tooth...?" I groaned.

She smiled softly. "Hey there, sleepy head."

I rested back on the mountain of pillows. "Where's Jack?"

Her eyes looked conflicted. "Probably brooding somewhere. You know that silly boy."

I smiled ruefully and nodded. Suddenly, the door thrusted open and Sandman charged in, tired from the sprint.

"Sand? What is it, mate?" Bunny said in the corner.

Tooth blocked my vision of Sandy as I heard him respond.

"Oh, no," Tooth gasped.

"What? What is it?" I demanded.

"N-nothing, Jaime," she stammered.

"Stay with the lad. Sandy, let's go," Bunny ordered.

Tooth nodded grimly as they ran out the room. She proceeded to fly from wall to wall, window to window. Each moment passed with the sound of her fluttering wings until the entire workshop was covered in a thick, black cloud.

"What...is that?" I whispered.

"Evil has come to destory the good, Jaime. I must stay and protect you. Come, let's get to the nest," she instructed as she gently helped me up and we walked through the dark, empty hallways.

As we entered and secured the room, the little fairies swarmed Tooth for answers. "Be calm, my darlings. Everything will be alright."

I felt a little tap on my cheek and I saw Baby Tooth. She cuddled up to me but still shivered with fear.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Baby Tooth."

She looked up at me and put her hand to her chest then to mine and nodded.

"She's telling you she'll do the same for you. She is the smallest but the bravest, Jaime. I see in her what Jack sees in you," Tooth explained.

Without warning, Santa's sled rushed past the windows, the room rumbled from the clipping and clopping of the reindeers' hooves.

"Girls, stay calm. We need to stay strong for ourselves and Jaime. Once we get the okay, we'll go to the mother nest," Tooth reassured.

"What exactly is going on, Tooth?" I demanded.

She sighed. "Don't worry but Pitch is storming the workshop. I must stay and hear from the others. He has brought everything he has."

I shook my head in defiance. "Where is Jack?"

She bowed her head, not speaking a word.

"WHERE IS JACK?!" I shouted at the top of my lungs.

She and the other fairies flinched at my volume.

"On the front line, Jaime. He's on the front line, trying to win for you," Tooth whispered with sorrow.

As the news settled, I turned my back to them. I didn't want them to see me cry. Baby Tooth tried to wipe away my tears but they were much too fast for her. She kissed and patted my cheek as she nestled in my hand and cried with me.

"Don't cry, Baby Tooth. Jack is going to come back for us. He always does, right?" I confided.

With a watery smile, she nodded. She rested back and dreamed. I sat on a cloud and gently secured her next to me. With a finger, I petted her softly while she slept.

As the time went by, the sounds of battle drew near. Each thump and shout becoming louder and louder. I remained on the cloud, watching the door shake slightly.

The little fairies were down into a fearful rest, while Tooth fought sleep. She buzzed from every corner of the room, sometimes drifting to the floor but manages to keep afloat.

"Tooth, please relax. You keep slipping and I'm afraid you'll crash to the floor," I pleaded.

"No, I must be able to protect you. This is my duty," she denied.

"There isn't any present danger so just please rest," I persuaded.

Her wings fluttered irregularly. She halted near the little ones and laid down. "Maybe you're right..." And she was sound asleep.

I lingered at my post before tip toeing to the door. The latch easily opened from the inside but it was very complicated from the outside. As I slipped past the door, I looked back at Baby Tooth.

"I promise I will come back for you, I always will come back," I whispered to her.

Creeping into the hallways, I subconsciously returned to Jack's window. It looked out to the front of the workshop and what I saw was terrifying.

Pitch's creatures fought hard against the Guardians. But the match was even. Santa assembled gadgets and weapons in the blink of an eye, Sandy conformed his sleep sand and tossed around the black creatures of the night and Bunny threw egg after egg and creating holes that the creatures fell or stumbled into.

But where's Jack?

"Looking for someone?" The wind carried out an evil tone.

I turned around and looked closely at everything. Every shadow, every surface, every scary, caressing breeze in the air.

Unfortunately, the chest my back bumped into was not the one I wanted. I turned and he was gone again.

Then I felt his cold, threatening breath against my ear. "Don't worry, I'm looking for him too."

I shivered at the menacing tone. "He will kill you, Pitch."

He chuckled as his hand brushed against my shoulder, up my neck and under my chin. He gripped my face to pull it up.

"On the contrary, dear little Jaime. It is I who shall kill him first," he addressed as if a secret. "Maybe I'll take his little piece of ass as a battle souvenir. Maybe I'll understand why he wants to fuck you."

I squirmed in his grip but he just held on tighter. He raked his other hand down my body and pulled me closer to his own. Just as he pulled my face closer to his, I was saved.

"You fucking touch him, Pitch, I'll make sure you're dead this time," Jack threatened.

"Ah right on time," Pitch cooed. "I've been thinking. Perhaps I could fuck your little love interest and make you watch as I turn him into my slave before I kill you."

"Listen, you sick fuck. I have not waited 8 years to get his love just so you can destory my life. I will fight and sacrifice everything to keep him alive," Jack assured.

He snickered humorlessly. "Strong words, Jackie Boy," Pitch mused as his black nails grazed my cheek. "But can you live up to it?"

Jack looked to me with heartbreak. "If I have to then it's no sacrifice. No thing is too good for my Jamie."

"J-Jack, no," I cried out. "I won't let you do this."

"But I have to, Jaime," Jack contradicted. "I regret this happening to you but after this, win or lose, I regret nothing of my actions to save you."

"No!! Pitch, take me. Leave the Guardians alone and just take me instead," I offered in desperation.

"Mmm...A very rewarding choice indeed," he appreciated. "It'll kill Jack slowly, you know? And that's much better. It will torture him with no avail of leniency."

The air was pushed out of me as Pitch's arms constricted and released me from his hold as Jack charged at him full force.

I scurried away from them as they tumbled over and wrestled each other. Like a bad car accident, I couldn't look away from the scene.

"Jaime!" Tooth called as she pulled me back.

I struggled in her arms as I tried to go help Jack. "Please let me go!! He needs me!!"

"He needs you to be safe," she wept.

I twisted and pulled as we got farther and farther away from the fight.

"Take him to your Palace," she instructed to someone.

"Right," I heard the Australian voice respond.

I turn back to see Tooth pass me off to Bunny. He held me strongly as he prepared the tunnel and Tooth went to the others at the window.

The last thing I saw as we jumped into the tunnel,

Pitch pulling a knife out and raising it up.

"JACK!! WATCH OUT!!!"

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