A/N: Greetings! What started out as a funny back-and-forth idea between CountingSinfulStars and myself turned into an idea for a oneshot, which turned into this. If you haven't read Call Me Again, there's only minor references to that story; those that have, this takes place sometime after chapter 55, if you want a timestamp. While it's part of the larger story, it's also a standalone so you can enjoy it without context.

It was passing sunset when Jack and Esther made their way home from the party. By the time they crossed the border into guardian territory, the sky had turned into an inky black, glittering with stars.

Of course, any other time Esther would've been more alert. Jack paused to adjust his grip underneath her legs. They had barely reached the end of Morwen's driveway before Jack told her to climb on his back so he could carry her. To Esther's credit, she was able to stay awake part of the way home. Now she lay along Jack's back like a snoozing sack of potatoes.

Jack didn't mind the silence. With all the things that had happened to them, it gave him time to think. Then again – he froze as he approached her door – the slow puffs of breath that danced against the bare skin of his neck was more than a little distracting. Mulling over things would have to wait.

The door was locked, and he didn't have the key.

"Esther?" he tried to shake her. "Es, wake up."

Jacks' answer was a muffled groan in the crook of his neck.

"C'mon, Es! You gotta wake up and unlock the door!"

With a little more nudging, Esther became awake enough to fish her keys out of her pocket. Jack turned sideways so she could reach and unlock the door. He shifted her on his back again and went inside.

"You can just drop me anywhere," Esther mumbled into his shoulder.

Jack knew better. "The last time I did that you almost never let me hear the end of it." He carried her through the house and into her bedroom, backing up to set her on the edge of her bed. Jack turned around just in time to see Esther start to lay down. "Oh no you don't!"

"I want to sleep Jack…" she whined.

"Then point me in the direction of your pajamas. You're not sleeping in those clothes if I have anything to say about it." Chances are the swimsuit she was wearing underneath was still damp, and he could only imagine the hell she would give him if he let her sleep in a wet bikini.

Esther visibly pouted as she pointed Jack towards her dresser. A quick glance through the drawers and he was able to find a baggy shirt and pair of shorts. He tossed them to Esther and turned his back while she changed, all the while he could hear her irritated mumbling. "You'll thank me tomorrow," was his only response.

"Jack, I just want to sleep…" At her grunt, he turned to see her visibly slumping forward on the edge of the bed.

"And you'll get plenty of it," Jack turned the covers back for Esther as she settled in. "I'll lock the door on the way out," he said as he tucked her in.

"Thank you Jack…"

"No problem…Icchy. See you tomorrow." Jack was pretty sure Esther was sound asleep before she had heard the horrid nickname. 'Oh well,' he mused, 'there's always next time.'

Jack made good on his worked to lock the front door as he left. Not that there was much reason to worry, but it was a habit that she had grown accustomed to. Now that he was alone, he had time to process things. But where did he even begin?

The thought of what Esther went through after his death was too overwhelming and made him want to freeze something.

The idea that they were once planning to marry was conflicting. And she had kissed him that time. He still wasn't sure how to handle that one. Sure, he could look Esther in the eye now, but that moment was one of those things that one didn't easily dismiss. The strangest part of it was that he anticipated it happening again. And that led back to their former mortal lives.

Did she want things to go back to the way they were when they were mortal? Jack couldn't recall Esther saying those specific words, but it was something else to chew on.

Fortunately for Jack, the telltale signs of dream dust led him to the perfect person he could confide in at the moment.

There were times that Sandy wished that he could speak vocally. Listening to Jack once again rehash his personal dilemmas was a prime example of his desire to shout at the boy "shut up!".

He could understand Jack's reasoning to seek him out. Unlike North, who could have the patience of a saint, Sandy was the one people came to to talk out their problems without interruption. He could gesture frantically to get their attention, but unless he carried an air horn with him he could only stand and watch them work the problem out themselves.

Right now that air harm sounded pretty good. Jack was talking himself in circles, as well as walking in circles across the night sky. Sandy finally reached out and grabbed the staff in the boy's hand. Jack nearly lost his balance at the sudden jerk.

"What's going on?" Jack asked, meeting the exasperated gaze of the sandman. "I'm…spinning my wheels, aren't I?"

Sandy nodded quickly.

"What do I do?" Jack's shoulders slumped. "I don't want things to be weird between us, but I also don't want to get Esther's hopes up if she's looking for something else. I -I don't even know if I have that something else."

The tiny guardian thought for a few minutes before gesturing with some of his golden sand. The words "Wait and see" appeared before Jack in a fancy golden script.

"That's it? That's your advice? To wait?"

Sandy shrugged. What did he expect him to say?

Jack sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. I guess that's my only option, all things considered."

It took everything Sandy had not to roll his eyes.