I managed to grind out this chapter between revision for my English Literature Exam. Exams have started so updates will be less frequent. My dad has been pressuring me (it kinda feels like he's bullying me to do well) and if I try to do fanfic at the same time, I think my mental health will snap.

So sorry if it takes a long time to update, because I've also got to go to my aunt's engagement party.

Guest Reviews:

Sofie Rose: I think you'll like the small change he makes in this chapter.

Iloveanimals: It's okay, and thank you for the praise. I'm not that talented but I'm happy you think so:)

Picasso Penguin: it's alright. I'll be busy for the next while as well. We all have lives outside of fanfic, but thank you for still making it a point to review.

R&R

"It's okay, it's okay!" He found himself saying. His voice was calm and gentle, hoping she would understand she was fine. He stuck his hand out and brought it to his chest as he said, "Don't look down, just look at me."

She looked away from the ice which was cracking underneath her and instead looked at him hesitantly, trying to not give in to the urge to look down. Her eyes were locked with his and showed massive amounts of fear and terror within them. "Jack," she said, her voice wavering a bit. "I'm scared." She whimpered as the ice made another large cracking sound.

Jack shot up, similar to yesterday. He felt his heart pounding. The details of the dream faded quickly. Again, all he remembered was someone calling out to him. He held on to the memory as long as he could before he realised it was girl calling him. Feeling proud that he remembered another detail, he was ready to sleep, again.

He sat up. He heard a small clinking sound coming near the back of the house. Jack stood and went into the kitchen.

No one.

"Geez. I really am sleep deprived." He moaned. He turned to return to bed when there was a sound equivalent to a 'bang!' He noticed the sound come from the garage door so that's where his curiosity took him.

He opened the door and was met with the sight of a frantic North running around. He was muttering a mix of Russian and English curses as he hammered items together.

"What on Earth?" North stopped short seeing the tired albino glare at him.

"Hello, Jack." He quickly greeted before going back to painting a toy train.

Jack walked in.

"What are you doing at.." Jack checked the clock. "2:41 in the morning!?"

"Sorry." North apologised as he began to check off items on a list. "Very busy."

"Busy?! Doing what!?" Jack groaned. He didn't sleep the night before either and it was starting to take its toll on him.

"Making toys." Was the short reply.

Jack forgot his sleep deprived state as his interest piqued. "Toys?"

"Yes. For children in orphanage. I need to finish by Christmas."

Jack sat on an empty chair that was in the room. "You're leaving it a bit late, aren't you?"

North shook his head. "With everything that has been happening, I forgot."

The albino frowned. The Russian was obviously talking about his sudden moving into their home. He glanced at the list, noticing only a handful of the toys had been finished. As he scanned the remaining items, he realised North was never going to finish by Christmas. He pointed this out. "You can't finish this in time. It's too late."

"No!" North shouted at Jack, scaring the blue eyed boy of the chair. "No! No such thing as too late!" He sat at the desk and started scribbling notes.

'There's no way he's gonna to finish in time. It's one person and two tonnes of gifts.' Jack thought as he sat up, again. If he wasn't doing it alone...

"I'll help you."

Nicholas stopped writing immediately. "Really?"

Jack rolled up his sleeves. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it for the kids. No child should be left without presents on Christmas."

He locked eyes with Nicholas. The elder could see conflict behind those sparkling eyes.

"Alright. You can paint those toys there, while I make the rest. There will be sheets next the them saying what colours they need to be."

North turned away and began cutting out wood for another toy.

When he finished the toy plane, North decided to check on the unusually quiet Jack.

The boy had finished painting five or six toys and was in the middle of painting a doll house. He was bent over, tongue sticking out in concentration as he carefully painted the bricks.

North left him to it. After all, Jack needed him to make the toys so he could paint them.

Two hours later, Jack had finished painting the complete toys and had began to assist North in the making. North made the parts while Jack hammered, screwed and fused pieces together.

He felt his eyes droop close several times, but quickly resolved that by running up to the bathroom and splashing his face with cold water. He had a job to do.

Another two hours later, Jack put the finishing stroke on the last toy.

"There!" He said, impressed at how neat it had turned out. He looked up and saw North tick off the last few items on the list with a grin.

"That's all of them!" He said ecstatically.

"Finally." Jack yawned, slumping into the chair. All the building and painting had exhausted him. His eyes drifted to the clock. 7:50. They were going to leave the house at 8:35.

"Are you alright?" The albino looked up at Nicholas and gave a small grin.

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"I spent 8 years with Aster." North deadpanned. "I can tell you are lying."

The Russian expected Jack to shout at him for being nosy, or even just stomp out of the room. Instead, Jack sat there, thinking.

"If you were given two options, and you pick the bad choice, would that make you a bad person?" Jack asked, eventually.

Nicholas pondered the question. After a moment, he answered. "In my opinion, it doesn't matter if you pick right choice in first place. If you realised you made the wrong decision, then you have to be willing to make it right. If you aren't willing to change, you will be seen as bad."

Jack nodded and mumbled, "I'm gonna go, get ready."

When he left, North packed up the blueprints and was about to stuff them in his draw, when he saw a blueprint he thought he had lost years ago. He shoved it in his pocket before finishing the tidying and leaving to get ready for school.

At breakfast, everyone noticed Jack's drooping eyes and continuously dropping head. He kept snapping it back up, before it dropped again.

Aster sighed as he poured some strong coffee for the kid.

"Here." Aster said, pushing the cup towards him. "Drink it." Jack didn't have the energy to insist he didn't need it. He obediently sipped the drink, eyes widening at how strong it was. He quickly drank the rest and felt his fatigue leave him, for now.

"Didn't you sleep?" Sandy asked him, after seeing the way Jack inhaled the drink.

North answered for him. "I accidentally woke him up and he helped me make the rest of the toys."

Everyone looked between the two, not comprehending.

"Nick, can we talk for a moment?" Without waiting for an answer, Annaliese grabbed him and pulled him into the hall.

"Did he really come and help of his own free will?" Annaliese asked.

North inclined his head. "Like I said, he heard me working, and said he would help."

"Don't you think that's a little, I dunno, strange, that he helped you?"

North frowned. "He told me it was for the children, not me." North looked Annaliese in the eye. "He could come back, Anna."

"That's what we were told years ago, and he's still not here. What makes you think he's coming back now?"

"I feel it... in my belly!"

Any tension Annaliese was feeling over their lost friend was released as they both laughed before rejoining the others.