When Aster finally found Jack, he and Joy were curled up on the couch watching corny fifties Christmas specials with a bowl of popcorn, Joy's bottle and a big cup of eggnog under a toasty blue blanket.

"Fwosty!" she squeaked, pointing at the screen.

"Eh, Frosty is a bit of a jerk in person." Said Jack, snuggling his daughter under the blanket. "Jolly happy soul? Ha! I don't think so." Jack smiled at Aster as he joined them on the couch, wrapping one arm around Jack.

"What's with you?" asked Jack, snuggling into Aster's fur. "You're not usually this affectionate."

"You don't like it?" asked Aster, moving. Jack snuggled deeper, glaring at him.

"Did I say you could move, fluffy?" snorted Jack. "It's just not like you. Can't say I don't like it though." Aster felt his ears go flat, and shivered.

"Are you too cold?" asked Jack, looking up at his mate. Aster shook his head, and Jack swore he could see a blush clean through Aster's fur.

"No." He said. "Jack, um...Ya see, Pooka's...after we, um, mark a mate...we go into-uh, rabbits..."

"...I'm not following you..." Aster opened his mouth to explain, when Phil lumbered in with a letter on pale blue paper. He handed Jack the paper as a small explosion and cloud of smoke came from the workshop, yetis yelling angrily and elves running from the scene with flaming hats and maniacal grins on their faces. Phil lumbered off, yelling in the garbled yeti language, the couple watching him go as Joy clapped at the reindeer on the screen.

"What the Hell is that?" asked Aster, Jack reading the neat cursive.

"It's from Old Man Winter..." said Jack, brow furrowed. "He...he's warning me to stay away from you, or else."

"Or else what?" asked Aster, touching his boomerangs.

"I don't know." Said Jack. "But...he's capable of so much...what if he goes after Joy?!" Joy snuggled her Mother, Jack tightening his grip on the little Pooka.

"Not while I still got a breath in my body." Said Aster. "Relax. I'll take care of it."

"You don't stand a chance." Said Jack. "You're a spirit of SPRING. He'll freeze you solid."

"It's my job to protect my mate and my kit." Argued Aster.

"Joy needs protection, but I don't!" said Jack, glaring at Aster. "The worst he can do is give me a cold and rough me up. I'm the closest thing to his own powers, so I can withstand most of it. You can't! Have you even MET him?!"

"Of course!" said Aster. "I've met almost every spirit! No new ones, but the old fogeys that love to make life miserable, everyone knows them at least by reputation."

"Then you should know that no matter what, you cannot beat him." said Jack. "If he does something to take me away, Joy needs you! I'll be fine, no matter what he does to me. If children don't believe in me, I don't weaken or vanish. He cannot hurt me!"

"And I am telling you, I will NOT let him do anything to you without a fight." Huffed Aster. Jack groaned in annoyance.

"Why do you have to be such a stubborn-"

"AHEM!" The arguing couple turned to see North and a red haired woman, a green leaf dress hugging her thin figure with flowers blossoming about her skin. Shimmering wings buzzed as she floated, glaring at the two.

"Crikey." Said Aster, ears flattening. "Long time no see Mother Nature."

"Aster." She said, smiling. "Why haven't I seen her yet?" both Jack and Aster looked confused.

"Her?" asked Jack.

"The kit!" she said, fluttering over, green eyes twinkling. "I am LIFE, Jack Frost. In a way she is one of my creatures, and I will not stand for not meeting one of my charges. Especially considering how close I am to Aster. It's insulting!" Aster laughed nervously, Jack starting to grin. Aster felt impending doom at the smile on his mates lips. He'd have to ask North if he had Tylenol later. Jack was NOT going to let the 'close' comment slide.

"S-sorry, Mother Nature." He stammered, picking up Joy who, seeing her Father, forgot about the Christmas special and giggled happily. "This is Joy." Mother Nature let out a squeal, picking up the kit and fluttering about with her, which only made Joy giggle louder.

"I KNEW she would be precious!" she said, examining the kit while lovingly cradling her in her arms. "Such soft fur, such spirit! Powers developing nicely and-oh! Toothiana must be excited about the little darling's baby teeth. She's a special one, so full of life!"

"I don't see you yelling at her for flying with her." Huffed Jack, not looking Aster in the eye.

"She doesn't do loop-de-loops in the air." Said Aster, Mother Nature still fawning over the kit.

"This is perhaps the one thing Pitch Black ever did right." She said, handing back Joy. "Despite his motives, he has given a gift of light and life. My child has finally done some good."

"Your child?!" exclaimed Jack, re-settling Joy in the blanket.

"EVERYONE is my child." Said Mother Nature. "Not by blood, but I am the spirit of life itself. In a way, everything that lives is my descendant, as with Father Time. We were here since the beginning, when the world came to be. Spirits of nature, like you, me, Old Man Winter and others like Cupid, Pitch and the Sand Man will not disappear if we have no believers, just because we have always been there. The pattern of the world and the things in it are a part of us, and as long as this world exists we will never disappear. But, Joy is something new all together. She needs no believers, yet she is not a nature spirit."

"Then what is she?" asked Aster, looking at his daughter.

"A little girl." Said Mother Nature. "She's a miracle, and while I can't see ahead like Father Time, she will make a promising Easter Bunny when she is ready. Might even make the eggs keep longer with her control of temperature." Jack swore Aster's fur fluffed with pride.

"Wait, control of temperature?" said Jack, looking at Joy.

"Her power." She said. "She's able to create vast amounts of heat and cold at will. She can change things she touches. In a way, she could be considered a spirit of change, once she learns to control it."

"That actually explains a few things..." said Aster, remembering her habit of turning Sandy's dreams into glass ornaments. Mother Nature smiled softly, before a grin plastered itself on her face.

"So...why aren't there anymore?" Jack blinked.

"What?" he said, looking like a deer in the headlights. She patted Aster on the head.

"He's a Pooka." She said. "Big rabbit. Haven't you noticed Aster's in heat?" jack looked at Aster, eyes wide.

"What?!"

"It's not that big of a deal." Sighed Aster. Mother nature shook her head.

"It only hurts worse the more you resist." She said in a sing song voice. "I was surprised both of you were out! I was expecting you to be holed up in one of the guest rooms while these darling things looked after the kit!" She pet Phil, making him drop a bucket of water. Groaning he went back for the water, the smoke changing colors from the workshop. All heads turned as another bang echoed, an elf rocketing out wearing a doll helmet with his tongue out, crashing into the wall. North swore in Russian, stomping off to the workshop, yelling orders and threatening the elves. Another crash came from the workshop, the yetis screaming as North yelled.

"GAH! NOT THE PURPLE UNICORNS!" Aster got a good laugh, Mother Nature smiling as she giggled with a hand poised over her mouth as Elves ran out of the workshop, one attempting to ride a unicorn doll while others pushed it from behind, a Napoleon hat perched over his head, pointy ears making it look totally ridiculous.

"Mother Nature!" Tooth rocketed out, laughing loudly as she hugged the other spirit, babbling excitedly about girl time and teeth. While they were distracted, Jack turned to Aster.

"...Why wouldn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

"Tell you what?" asked Aster, enjoying the chaos with an amused smirk.

"That you were in heat." Said Jack. "Did you not want me to know?"

"Jack-"

"Why won't you tell me?" he said, Aster seeing small icy tears gather in his eyes. "Do you not want me around? Do you regret having me live with you?"

"No!" said Aster, being backed into a figurative corner. "It's just...I can handle it. It's not that big of a deal. I just don't want to...you know it's hard for me to open up."

"Yeah, but I'm your MATE." Said Jack, emphasizing the last word. "I want to know these things. I WANT to help you. I want to be closer, but you won't let me!"

"Jack, I just don't want to rush you." Said Aster. "I want you to be comfortable."

"I'm getting some more eggnog." Said Jack, getting up. "Stay here with Joy."

"Jack-"

"If you want me to be comfortable, stop hiding things from me." Said Jack, looking at Aster. "Especially when I can help you with it." Aster stared dumbly after Jack, not sure if he was being given the cold shoulder, a lecture or an invitation. Aster shivered, the heat in his body spiking again. He was better than this. He could control it.

"I'm not going to hurt him." he said to himself. "I can wait until he's ready." Meanwhile, Jack was sipping his eggnog, Mrs. Clause on one of her rare down periods and baking cookies.

"Aster's just stubborn." She said, putting the tray in front of him. Jack blew on them, instantly cooling the cookies enough to touch and eat. "He'll take a while to get used to sharing his life with you. It took North YEARS to figure that out."

"He doesn't trust me enough to even tell me he's in heat." Said Jack.

"It must be embarrassing for him sweetie." She said, smiling. "He probably doesn't want to force you into anything. He's rather insistent on your freedom since the whole Pitch incident. He doesn't want to hurt or scare you, and it's tough for him to begin with."

"But how can I make him see I am NOT scared?" huffed Jack. "He doesn't listen when I TELL him!" Mrs Clause smiled.

"Do what I did when I was sick of my husband beating around the bush." Said Mrs. Clause. "Cook an EXCELLENT meal with his favourite foods and desert, get a bottle of wine, and jump him. Claim your man for your own, show him who's boss!"

"Boss?" said Jack.

"You have the power to kick him out of bed." Said Mrs, Clause, grinning. "You the one having the children, you the boss. Handcuffs don't hurt either." Mrs. Clause laughed heartily as Jack did a spit take, cheeks turning blue with a blush.

"WHAT?!"

"You ALWAYS good for a laugh." Snickered the old woman, making Jack grin. Suddenly the air went cold, ice forming on the windows.

"I see we have another guest." Said Jack, shivering as the memory of the Titanic came back full force.

"It's been a hundred years, Jack Frost."