Sandy is noticing a trend.

Just when things were settling into a normal routine, Jack started acting off. No one else seemed to notice, of course. Jack was good at lying, for someone who had no one to lie to for a long time.

Besides himself, that is.

Sandy tries to shake the thought off. It was better now. Jack had people to talk to now, people to trust and confide in. It was better. They were making up for their past mistakes, slowly as it may be.

And it was working. They were better than when they started off. Masks are coming off, and falsehoods are giving way to truth. But if the lies came back, would they notice?

He's afraid, just a bit. He owes it to Jack to not allow things to go back to the way they were. He would make sure. Keep his unspoken promise.

So when he sees the winter spirit out, he waves and beacons him over. They are making an effort to include him, to not go back to their solitary ways (that they had accidentally fallen into). He smiles at Jack as he softly sits down on the cloud, expanding the sand so they can both sit comfortably.

The hood over Jack's head deters him. Not enough to stop him, but enough to make him worry and question. He gestures at it, and Jack acts surprised, quickly pushing it down and looking down.

It's suspicious behavior, which only worries Sandy more. He grabs Jack's attention, and only then does he see the dark bags under his eyes, a sure sign of too little sleep. His sand flares up, signing out questions rapidly. Sleep is very important, after all, and Jack needs it more than the others do.

Jack still acts surprised. "Oh? Yea… I've been busy. I haven't found the time to take a nap yet…"

There is silence for the moment it takes Sandy to make a question mark.

"Umm… I've been busy….with umm… Starting autumn."

The lie is obvious, but Sandy doesn't call him out for it. Pushing didn't help from his experience with Jack. He instead offers a picture of a dolphin and a question mark.

"Uh… yea, that would be great. I kinda came here for a nap… I hope that's okay?" The tension in the question is thick, almost greater than the uncertainty. Jack didn't like asking the others for favors. Sandy reassures him with a nod and a smile, making the cloud bigger once again so Jack could lay down. He sends his sand over, and Jack offers him a grateful smile before he slumps down and falls asleep.

He wonders why Jack's dreams have changed from snow and dolphins to a smiling girl skating safely on ice, her silent laughter drowning out the other elements of the dream.