Cathy ran through the woods, excitement barely being contained. Mom was having her baby today! She was going to get a little sister! Her father insisted that it would be a boy, but she knew it was a girl. So her father made a bet that if it was a girl, she would get to name her, but if it was a boy, she would have to muck out the stables where their two horses were kept.

She even had the perfect name for her. Catherine ran into her home, anxious to meet the infant. Being six, she couldn't wait very well. The hat that was ALWAYS on her head didn't help. She just wanted to rip it off, but there were other people in the house, so she couldn't. So instead she fiddled with her necklaces.

Her parents had told her all about the night they found her, and how they didn't know where she got either, but Cathy never dared to take them off. Not even when she took a bath. After what seemed like hours, but was really only three minutes, her father entered the room, looking tired, but smiling.

"Come, Catherine. Don't you want to meet your sister?" Cathy jumped up, pumping her fist triumphantly.

"I told ya so!"

Her father laughed and nodded, admitting his defeat. "Yes you did. So what is my angel going to name her sister?"

"Emily. Emily Swan Tandoori!" Her father smiled at that, happy that the name wasn't something ridiculous like chocolate or something.

"Well, let's go tell your mother what your sister's name is." They entered the room and Cathy almost ran out when she saw how her mother looked. Sweat plastered the woman's hair to her face while dark bruises painted the underside of her pretty mahogany eyes. Shoulders were slumped, and the skin gaunt. Greasy strands of honey colored hair stuck up in places, and overall, the picture had the air of exhaustion. To most people, it wouldn't be that surprising to see this sight, knowing what she had just gone through. But Cathy, being six, didn't KNOW what her adoptive mother had just gone through.

The only thing keeping her in the room was the small bundle in her mother's tired arms. It was pink and loud, and TINY! But to Cathy, it was the most perfect thing in the world. Sure the cries hurt her sensitive ears, but they weren't THAT bad. The little pink infant sure had a set of lungs on her, and a tuft of blond hair sat atop the little head.

"Mama, do you want to hear her name?" Cathy asked. Her mother nodded and mentally prepared herself for a childish name. She was pleasantly surprised when she found herself loving the name Emily Swan Tandoori.

"Do you want to hold her?" Again, her mother was surprised that Cathy wanted to hold the screaming infant. She showed Cathy how to hold her correctly, before setting the baby in her arms.

Cathy nuzzled the infant close, humming quietly. The baby's cries tapered off, becoming happy coos. The babe's eyes opened, revealing spring green. They stared into icy blues, and the two sisters became inseparable, even as green eyes closed in sleep.

Their parents soon found that Cathy was the only one who could get Emily to fall asleep. Cathy insisted on sharing her own room with the child, if only to let her parents get some sleep. Emily grew quickly, years seeming to pass in mere seconds, and before anyone knew, she was four, and Cathy was ten. They still shared a room, though instead of a crib, there was a bed for Emily. Four years was also the year the Boogieman became a problem. He had found that even though he couldn't give CATHY nightmares, he COULD give Emily nightmares. Nightmares became a nightly thing, until Cathy thought of the solution. She plucked the girl from her bed and curled up next to her, providing a comforting presence to the tyke. No more nightmares came after that. It was one thing to risk sending nightmare sand in on Emily when she slept across the room, and an entirely different thing to send it to the girl when she was sleeping right next to Cathy, and the sand could easily go to Cathy instead.

Emily's favorite holiday was Christmas, which was normal for a girl her age. She loved the idea of Santa, the lights, the snow, and the promise of good times. So she was ecstatic when she lost her first tooth on Christmas Eve. When she had asked Cathy what her holiday was, she had cooly declared that it was Easter, and left it at that. But she HAD softened up enough to tell Emily of the wonderful Tooth Fairy.

~_~_~_~ Finding Courage ~_~_~_~

Toothiana herself was flying down to collect the tooth. Ever since she had sent a mini fairy to retrieve Cathy's first tooth, only for it to come back empty handed and with a stern message from Achilles that Tooth and ONLY Tooth could come to the cottage on the edge of the woods to collect the teeth, she had been coming there herself.

With every visit, Tooth was very nearly seen by the light sleeping child. Unfortunately for Tooth, she had forgotten that. The Guardian of memories also forgot her bag of dream sand that she used for just such children. Flying over Maine, where the little cottage on the edge of the woods sat, she shivered in mid air against the cold temperature. Finally getting to the cottage, she magically flew through the window. She shivered again and shook snow from her feathers. Jack Frost must be in the area. Was it really Winter already? She had trouble remembering the dates, what with getting all the teeth in the world and all. But she had a feeling that that night was important, that she should know what day it was.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt a knife tip under her chin. "Are you the Tooth Fairy?" A ten year old Cathy asked warily, eyes looking as if they glowed, reflecting the moonlight.

"Yes, little one. I won't hurt you!" Tooth sad nervously while mentally sending a mini fairy to get help. She really didn't care who it was. She just hoped they could get there before an accident happened. She also really hoped that the child would put down the knife. It was a dagger, really.

Thankfully, Cathy did pull the knife, er...dagger, away, but didn't put it down. "Sorry. I'm always a bit jumpy on Christmas Eve. It's hard to go to sleep when you KNOW that someone is going to break into your home, even if it IS Santa."

"It's Christmas Eve? I guess I forgot!" Tooth exclaims quietly, not wanting to wake the other child. Cathy smiled, pearly whites showing that caused Tooth to instantly latch onto for a better look. Cathy staggered back, and Tooth noticed that the girl was wearing a hat… At night.

"Why are you wearing a hat at night? Tooth said, plucking the offending thing off Cathy's head. She gave a little gasp when she saw the ears nestling among the silver hair. The ears were flat against her head, like Bunny's when he was sad, guilty, scared, or embarrassed.

"Now why are you hiding these pretty little things?" Tooth cooed as she soothingly stroked the soft fur on the ears. At that moment, the help she had forgotten she had sent for finally came in the form of a very sleepy Bunny via a tunnel in the floor. In an instant, the hat was back on, and the dagger was pointed at the new uninvited guest. One hand was firmly holding the hat in place, the other steadily pointed the dagger.

"Tooth? Are ya okay, sheila?" The Aussie asked as he hopped out of the tunnel. The pooka saw Cathy's frightened look morph into one of curiosity as she cocked her head to one side and lowered the dagger. Tooth smiled at the positive change in appearance.

"Yes, Bunny. I'm fine. Just got scared by the dagger holding ten year old." Tooth said cheerily. Bunny raised his eyebrows at her tone. She was too cheery and understanding to comprehend sometimes. He turned his attention back to Cathy.

"Did Toothy scare ya?" Bunny asked, low to the ground, ears close to his head, trying to look as least threatening as possible.

Cathy nodded. "I was expecting only one break in tonight, but I guess I forgot that Emily lost her first tooth today. I don't know how, I mean, she wouldn't stop talking about it. It took me forever to get her to sleep. She was so excited that both the Tooth Fairy and Santa were coming." Cathy shook her head in disbelief. She finally lowered her hands fully at her sides, instead of being half raised.

"Ya don't like Christmas?"

"Uh, guy breaks into your house once a year, knows when you are asleep or awake, and judges whether you get gifts or coal based on your behavior, where the verdict could change every day? What do you think? I prefer Easter, personally." Comprehension crossed her young face as she looked at Bunny again. "So I guess that makes you the Easter Bunny? You are WAY cooler than what people say about you!"

"Ha. You make Bunny sound like he is better than me, da?" A Russian voice sounded from the door. Cathy walked over to her bedside and decisively set the dagger on the night table. She seemed to realize that if she hadn't put it down, she was going to stab something. Her hand snapped slyly under her sister's pillow, pulling out the tooth resting underneath and handing it to Tooth silently. Her eyes never left the armed Cossack that entered her room. Bunny glared at at the large man, putting a comforting hand on Cathy's shoulder.

Tooth remembered Cathy's ears. She zoomed over to Bunny and whispered in his ear. "Bunny, Cathy's hat. Take it off." Bunny tugged on it, snapping Cathy out of her stare contest with Santa Claus.

"HEY!" She tried tugging it back down, but Bunny was stronger and wasn't having any of it. He got it off before she could get a good grip on it and threw it to the ground, picking her up and holding her close so she couldn't retrieve it. Her ears were still flat against her head as everyone stared at them.

Bunny ran a paw over them, and they spang up at the contact. "Now why do ya think it would be a good idea ta hide these?" He scolded sternly. He kept petting the ears, never letting go of the girl.

"Mama and Papa don't want me to be picked on because I'm different. I have a tail, too."

Bunny nodded understandingly. He could see that point. "Who else knows about this?"

"Just Emily, Mama, Papa, and my Angel." Bunny nosed her temple at that, prompting her to continue. As he did, he saw her necklaces, paying particular attention to the one with the seven charms.

"Ah, you're the girl that softened Achilles heart." Cathy nodded eagerly.

"He says he's with Jack Frost to keep him company on Christmas. Normally only Sandy keeps him company." Cathy said, not getting the slightly guilty looks the adults were giving each other. She shrugged it off.

"Well, how about ya get ta bed, ya little ankle bitah." Bunny said, finally letting her go.

She gave them a deadpanned look. Did they really expect her to go to sleep after this? As if on cue, a golden glow filled the window, and three figures entered the room as the wind lifted it open. Achilles took one look at the still awake Cathy and pointed sternly at the bed. "No." Cathy defiantly declared, stomping her foot to get the point across. There was a staring contest as the two seemed to argue with looks alone. Finally, Cathy pulled out the most unfair puppy dog face in the world, ears tilted back, eyes glowing wide, and lip slightly out.

"Aw, come on, Valentine. Give the kid a break." Jack put in helpfully, or rather UNhelpfully, completely melting at the look. Tooth and North had fallen for it as well.

"Yes, Cupid! Give me a break!" Cathy's eyes, if possible, got bigger. Achilles didn't even flinch. He had dealt with it before.

"Bunny, hold her still. Sandy…" Achilles said quietly, almost breaking as the girl struggled then slumped against the pooka as the dream sand hit her. Bunny gently tucked her in with expertise no one had known he had. Achilles stood at her bed side, stroking her hair and ears. "Stubborn girl. Never could do as you are told." He scolded.

They stayed for a while until North and Sandy were brought back to their duties. Tooth left as well, claiming to have been gone for far too long from her fairies. Jack left, unable to stay in one place and NOT ice something for such a long time. Soon, even Bunny and Achilles were forced to go as the sun began to rise. But even years after, they found themselves going out of their way to check on the girl, watching as she grew. Then their hearts almost stopped one fateful day.

A/N: Mwa ha ha ha! I am going to leave you with a cliffhanger! But you probably can guess what happens. See ya soon! I love reviews and what people think of this, so please tell me! Love ya'll! Thank you to all my reviewers! All three of them!