Bloody Ice

Outed By Tragedy

Jack's P.o.V.

        I paced beside the bed Vlad lay in, both soothed and stressed by the continuous beep of the heart monitor telling me he was still alive. It had been two days and he had yet to wake. This was my fault. I drew Pitch's attention to him and now he was hurt. Badly hurt. 

        The door opened and closed on the other side of the room, but I didn't look up from my incessant, panicked pacing. Begging, praying to whatever being would answer my call, that Vlad would wake up. 

“Jack...this is no good. Beating yourself up over this won't help him.” North said, stopping my motions with a hand on my shoulder. Tears welled up in my eyes and I threw myself into his arms.

“Its my fault, North! Pitch wouldn't have focused in hin if I hadn't been spending so much time with him!” I cried, not caring anymore that I was trying to keep a secret from him. It didn't matter when the object of the secret lay in a bed, unconscious, a mere foot from us.

“Vladimir Tod is on nice list. He is your friend. The only one to blame for this is Pitch. You saw those cages. He wasn't the only one that Pitch held and tortured. He the only one we could save...don't blame yourself, Jack. He needs you to be strong right now.” North said, giving me one of his bone crushing hugs and letting me go.

“Thank you, North...I just hope he wakes up soon.” I said, letting him leave as I walked to the bed and crawled up beside my beloved. 

“I need you to wake up, Vlad. Please. I love you.” I whispered, laying beside his still form and watching him rest. 

Vlad's P.o.V 

“No more, please!” I cried, trying to run again as tendrils snaked out from the walls after me. The walls seemed to be made of whatever the tendrils were made of. One caught my ankle and dragged me down, more of the tendrils snaking over my skin scrabbling for entrance wherever there could. I thrashed, fighting not to scream.

“You are mine. I've made you mine. It doesn't matter if you've escaped me for now, I'm inside you now. Nothing can erase me from you.” Pitch’s voice came from around me as the tendrils engulfed me and I fell through the floor into someone's arms. But it was Pitch, grinning maliciously at me. I screamed and thrashed.

“Jack! Help me! Please help me!” I cried, darkness engulfed me once more.

Jack's P.o.V 

          I came awake to a cry, my eyes focusing on Vlad, whose eyes were wide and terrified. I gasped and sat upright quickly. 

“Vlad, it's okay! I'm here.” I exclaimed, wrapping my arms around him. He hesitated as he wrapped his arms around me. 

“Is it really you? Jack...please be real…” Vlad sobbed, burying his face into my shoulder. I held him close, rocking him gently, soothingly. 

“Shush...it's really me...you've been unconscious for two days...you need to feed quickly so you don't hurt any of the others.” I said, worried about him as I held him close.

“I...I don't want to...I could hurt you...that's what he wants...he wants me to kill you. He hurt me cuz I wouldn't.” He said, holding me close and desperately.

“What...do you mean?” I asked, a knot forming in my stomach at the news. It was my fault. 

“Pitch tortured my dreams...for as long as I've known you...but I refused to hurt you...so he hurt me instead. But I would do it all over again. I would never hurt you, Jack...I love you...I know this is probably another nightmare to torture me, but I love you and I would do it all over again for you.” He said, tears spilling down his face as he kissed my cheek. Tears still spilled from my eyes as I held him. 

“You still need to feed...you won't hurt me. Please...so I can go get the others to check you over and make sure you're healthy.” I said softly, my voice cracking. I love him so much. 

“I...I alright…” He whispered, nuzzling into my neck. I shivered as his tongue ran along my pulse. Then groaned lowly as he bit down. There was a moment of pain but then came the pleasure. I shuddered, holding him close. I froze as the door came open, but Vlad yanked back, startle. Blood dribbled down his chin and coated his fangs as he looked up in shock. I turned toward the door hesitantly and found a shocked Bunny. 

“Bunny...this is not what it looks like…” I said slowly, getting up from the bed.

“What do you mean it's not what it looks like?! It looks like he's biting you! Is he corrupted by Pitch?” Bunny asked, grabbing for his boomerang and heading toward us, talking loud enough a few elves peeked in.

“No, he's not corrupted. Keep your voice down. Vlad, he's...a vampire. But he'd never hurt me.” I told him, standing between him and Vlad, who had cleaned up the blood from his face. 

“Does North know about this?” Bunny demanded and I rubbed the back of my neck nervously.

“No...not yet…” I said, biting my lip and I looked at bunny. “I was gonna tell you guys...just not right away…” I added, pulling Vlad close when he gets off bed, yanking off the sensors monitoring his heart. Even though I knew he was alive, the screech of the monitor not sensing a heartbeat made my stomach drop. 

“Please don't be afraid. I would never ever hurt, Jack. I...I love him...very much.” Vlad said softly, blushing deeply as he wound an arm around my waist. 

“Go get the others, Bunny...please. So we can get this all out into the open and so no one decides to hurt Vlad because of it.” I said, voice serious and authoritative. 

“Fine. But keep the little neckbiter in your sight. I don't trust him.” Bunny replied, turning and lopping out of the room.

“They're going to hate me, Jack…” Vlad whimpered in my ear, curling into my side. The whole ordeal had shaken him to the core and left him timid. My poor Vlad.