Protector of Lost Children

| CHAPTER XVI |

Hello, Readers! Sorry that it's been so long since I've updated. I was taking a... sabbatical... if you will. I had a lot of volunteering and schoolwork keeping me busy, but I hope that you like this chapter.

~CSP2708~

| Chapter 16 || The First Confrontation |

A frightened gasp clawed its way out of Lupa's chest. Her throat tightened, her lungs ached, and her head burned. Who had set her brain on fire? She wondered briefly before regaining her thoughts. Blinking her eyes open, she squinted at the lights. What were those? Were they angels? Were they stars? Were they just fluorescents? She wracked her brain, trying to figure it out when suddenly, everything was darkened by the appearance of a blurry face.

Jack.

It was Jack. What was his full name? Was it just Jack?

No. Frost. Lupa's thoughts returned to her as she studied the white strands of Jack's hair.

His name was Jack Frost. Is Jack Frost. She knew him.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled, despite being right next to her ear.

She just blinked up at him blankly. "What?" It was the only word that she was able to wrap her tongue around, and yet, it still sounded as if she had her mouth stuffed with marshmallows. And not the small kind either, more like those mega marshmallows that barely fit between two crackers for smores. She'd seen a child try that once. She'd worried about his jaw.

Her cheeks felt swollen, and she almost cursed a dentist before remembering that she hadn't been at the dentist, ever, in her immortal life. No, her brain corrected, but she had seen so many children whine about the man or woman who worked on their teeth, she'd begun to feel their pain.

"Are you alright?" Tooth's voice repeated airily from somewhere on her right. Lupa sat up, immediately regretting it as her brain throbbed some more, causing black spots to appear in her vision.

"Whoa," she said, blinking quickly to clear the blanks in her brain, "Trippy." Her upper half wobbled slightly, and she was grateful that they'd moved her to the couch because her whole body felt bruised and the wood plank floor wouldn't have helped. Bringing her hand up to her forehead, she gripped her temples tightly in hopes of stopping the pain. Maybe if she focused her mind on something else, the pain would stop.

Needless to say, it didn't stop.

As soon as her fingers were placed on her head, she froze. There was a bump. A large bump. Her head was swollen. What happened? How had that gotten there? Had she hit her head? Had she been attacked?

Lupa fell back on the couch once more, groaning as she covered her eyes to avoid the bright lights, though being careful of the swollen knot on her face.

"What happened?" North's voice boomed, almost echoing in the building. It echoed in Lupa's skull for sure, bashing painfully against her brain.

Lupa groaned, moving her hands to cover her ears. "Tell the unicorns to stop dancing."

Jack's eyebrows sprung up, nearly escaping his forehead. "Excuse me?" he asked. He had a slight smile on his face, amused despite his concern.

Lupa was lying back down by the time she answered, though it didn't make what she was saying any clearer: "We need to paint it again, dad. The fur is melting."

Jack turned to the others, shrugging. His face made his thoughts so clear that he didn't even have to mouth the words, 'I don't know.'

"It's obvious what is happening here. If only you buffoons weren't so clueless."