Okay, big news: I won't be here ALL next week. Plus a day or two.

So, enjoy this story.

Chapter 10: A New Home

Lucinda was awoken to a bright light streaming through her window. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, vision blurred with sleepiness. Was it all- the giant Pooka ...the children and... North- just a dream? If it was, then that was one long, painful dream. She stood weakly and started to walk to her window, when she noticed the tear in her sleeve, and a bruise against her skin. So it wasn't a dream after all! If it wasn't, then... what about my home... my family? She raced to the window and pushed it open, ignoring the numbness in her leg.

The sun was in the middle of the biggest trees Lucinda had ever seen. Children were running around, playing tag and hide- and- seek, using machines... the same children Lucinda had met earlier. The adults were walking around, chatting and laughing, watching the children play. It was the most beautiful village Lucinda had seen... then again, she had only laid eyes on this village twice before actually seeing it from the inside. Santoff Claussen was much different than the now, non- existing Saint Clarksion. A smile crept across her face. Almost immediately, she went to get her coat.

...

North smiled down at the children as they re- played the Battle of the Earth's Core. This time, Tall William (who was playing as Bunnymund) came sooner than usual. Of course, North knew the rest: Katherine and Nightlight escape from their lead prison; Pitch sees the locket Katherine was holding and disappears; North falls from the wound Pitch gives him; Bunnymund heals him. Now, this was a peacetime. Pitch may never return again. He continued carrying his material for swords towards Big Root-

"OOF!" He bumped into someone. At once, they started talking at the same time.

"I- I'm sorry-" The other person began.

"No, let me." North started to pick up a few pieces that had fallen. That's when he saw who he had bumped into. "Lucinda!" He stood up quickly.

"North!" She picked up the last piece and stood up as well.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Well, a little bit. Not completely." She dropped the metal she was holding. At the very same time, the two squatted down to get it, and as they reached for the metal, their hands touched. Slowly, their eyes met. "What kind of metal... is this?"

"Sapphire." North's voice was quiet and gentle. Lucinda gave him a confused look. "I- I mean... asteroid." He gripped the metal and stood, just as she stood up. there was an awkward silence between the two.

"Mr. North!" William the Almost Youngest raced over, the other children following right behind. "Did ya meet Miss Lucinda yet?"

"Yes, I have." North smiled. When he smiles like that, Lucinda thought, his eyes lights up. What did I just say? She shut the thoughts out of her mind.

"She's nice, isn't she?" Fog was saying.

North's response was, "Yes, she is."

Sascha piped up, "Don't forget about lovely! She is beautiful, Mr. North-" the little girl smiled up at Lucinda "- just like you said."

"Oh?" Lucinda looked over at North, her brow cocked. North's eyes met hers and he quickly turned around. "I'll be at Big Root." He walked inside.

Lucinda smiled down at the children in front of her. "So, is this my new home?"

"Do you like it her?" Petter asked.

Lucinda paused as she looked around it. It was the village she had longed to visit, ever since she'd heard of it- even if the rumors were not so good. She'd seen through the lies, and now, she was here.

"I love it here."