Authors note: Two things. First off, there are a lot of scenes I could write about what happened in the countries Jack and Baby Tooth visited in November and December last chapter or even their time in the Alps from earlier, but they would all be very similar since none of those children can see Jack yet and nothing special happened there. I felt it would get a bit repetitive and slow the story. If enough of you really think it's important I can try to add more details about those times, but you're not missing much other than Baby Tooth's reactions as she gets to see the world up close for the first time and some epic snowball fights.
Two: I'm sorry for the last chapter's length. I finished 9 and thought I was done with Burgess, but then I realized I really ought to add a scene where they take Jamie home. I didn't want to repost the chapter, as several people had already read it, and I was afraid they would miss the edit.
It was the time of year when the sun never rose on North's workshop and Jack loved that fact. Unending night made sneaking around easy.
"Couldn't we just go through the front door?" Baby Tooth was leaning against her staff, looking on as Jack snuck along the roof top.
"Shh." Jack was looking at her like she was crazy, "Now, what fun is that? I've spent years finding ways to sneak into this place, but now I've got an insider's knowledge to help, too."
Baby Tooth held back a giggle and snuck after Jack. "Now, the yetis know I'm coming, so this will be tricky."
"Won't they just let you past?"
"Nope, not unless I tell them I give up!"
Though Jack had been a Guardian for some months, he still enjoyed this game. The yetis and he had come to a mutual agreement. Jack would try to sneak in at the start of every visit and they would get to test out their security skills.
"Now, let's get inside!"
A few moments later and the couple was standing on an ice ledge, looking into a well-kept room that was currently devoid of life. Baby Tooth watched as Jack tapped the window pane, sending streaks of frost scurrying along the wood. A few of these darted through the window seal and the window opened with a soft click.
That was a neat trick. "How come I can't do that?"
"Because teaching you how to pick a lock would put me on the naughty list until the next millennia," he deadpanned before pushing the window open. Now was the hard part, holding back the arctic breezes that were begging for a chance to flow into the workshop and play. This mission was about stealth.
He jumped inside and turned around, taking Baby Tooth's petite hand in his and helping her in. He knew she was excited to play this game. Sneaking around was something she considered herself an expert at.
He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "Okay, I'm gonna let you lead the way. Right now we're in the yeti's dorms. The workshop is downstairs. To win we have to get there before they catch us. Got it?"
Baby Tooth nodded and scampered to the door. A tiny click sounding as she opened the door and peered into the hallway. The coast was clear for now.
The two snuck into the empty corridor and lifted into the air. Baby Tooth took to the air, darting towards the rafters, and motioned for Jack to follow and stick as close to the ceiling as possible. He winked back, gliding up to join her. She was very good at this. Two yetis turned the corner, but they passed right under them, not thinking to look up.
Maybe the reason Jack had never made it into the work shop was that the chance to send two yetis slipping down an ice coated hallways was far too tempting? He held back today, though. He had told Baby Tooth he was going to follow her lead and a promise was a promise.
When the yetis had vanished into a room Baby Tooth gave a tiny wave and darted forward. Jack followed along.
Soon they reached the hallways end and a long curving stairway. There were no rafters to hide in here.
Baby Tooth considered the challenge for a moment before pointing her staff at the curving wall of the stairs and shooting a beam of ice. An ice mirror formed, allowing her to see the bottom of the stairs, which was currently free of yetis. She zipped down the steps, melting away the ice mirror as she past, Jack following in her wake.
The next floor was another hallway of dorms, but Baby Tooth knew how to handle these now. She and Jack darted along the rafters, avoiding a few more yetis, down another stairway, and along another hallway until they reached a massive elevator shaft.
Jack was impressed.
Baby Tooth didn't bother to wait for the elevator, opting to fly down the shaft instead until they reached the spot where the wall opened up and gave them a full view of the workshop. Here she stopped, peering down into the shop, readying her attack plan, but Jack shot right past her.
He landed before a grey yeti and gave a mischievous bow.
The yeti stared down at the Spirit of Winter before slowly starting to clap. All across the shop the other yetis stopped their work and joined in until the whole roomed echoed with the sound. Jack held up a hand, stopping the applause. "Thank you, thank you, but I'm afraid I can't claim this victory. Our game will go on."
He turned back and motioned for Baby Tooth to join him. "This is the true victor, Phil. I just followed her lead."
Applause broke out once more, louder this time, as the yetis congratulated Baby Tooth on her achievement.
Drawn from his workroom by the noise, North's eyes landed on Jack and he clomped over to greet his, wrapping the boy in a monstrous hug. "Jack! Is good to see you!"
Then he saw Baby Tooth, standing beside Phil, looking around in awe. He let Jack down and moved past him, bending down to Baby Tooth's height.
"Hello, Baby Tooth."
Both winter spirits' eyes widened and Jack was about to ask how the Guardian of Wonder knew when it hit him. He chuckled and walked to North's side. "Guess that whole knowing every child in the world thing has it's perks, huh?"
North let out one of his booming guffaws and Jack swore the floor shook a bit, "Is true. You two may be immortals, but you will forever be seventeen, Jack. I will always know where you are, should need arise."
Jack had always sort of assumed that fact, but the conformation of it still startled him a bit. "So, if you can tell who she is right away, what age is she?"
"Sixteen years, four months, twelve days. Now, I may know name and I may know age, but I am not knowing how she got to be this way. Come, there is much work to be done and I am looking forward to hearing story, my friends." With that, North stood up and began marching through the workshop, calling out comments to yeti's when his gaze fell on a toy that needed an extra touch. Jack looked at Baby Tooth and shrugged before running after North. She was about to follow them when a furry paw took hold of her shoulder.
She stared up at Phil, suddenly nervous. Was he mad that she'd won the game? He didn't look mad.
The yeti let out a few grunts and waved around the workshop with a furry hand.
She immediately understood, "A tour?"
The yeti nodded, quite happy to be so easily understood. A victor deserved a prize, right?
Baby Tooth was so excited she leapt into the air and gave the fuzzy creature a huge hug. "Yes, please! I'd love one!"
As Jack and North discussed weather patterns and schedules Baby Tooth and Phil toured the workshop. She'd seen the main toy room before, but there was so much more than that! First, they took the elevator down to the next lowest level. Here, she discovered, there was a huge workshop where a horde of yetis were busily working away at sewing machines. As she looked around she noticed a familiar pair of shoes in the corner of the room.
"Did they make those for Jack?"
Phil nodded. He had been skeptic that the boy would accept the odd gift, but the sewing yetis had made them anyway. There was no use for such shoes now, but they were far too lovely to throw away, so in the corner they sat.
Then, Baby Tooth saw what the yetis were currently working on and she let out a tiny gasp. Dresses of all colors, shapes, and sizes were being made for little girls the world over. Baby Tooth snuck forward to the first yeti, a brown color female, entranced by the garment in her massive paws. The yeti looked up and gave a furry smile. It was a wonderful feeling to actually see a child admiring her work.
Baby Tooth reached out towards the dress and then stopped, treating the yeti to a hopeful gaze. "Can I touch it?"
She looked at the snow child's hands, they seemed clean enough, and nodded before returning to work. Christmas was too close for long breaks.
Happily, Baby Tooth ran her fingers along the dress. It was silky smooth and made of a glossy blue fabric. She imagined what a dress like that would look like on her and blushed. Guardians and their helpers gave gifts, they did not get them.
She turned back to Phil, who was watching the exchange curiously, trying to wipe the dress from her thoughts. "Where to next?"
The next stop was an enormous kitchen. Yetis bustled about making candy canes, toffee, and other winter treats as they prepared for Christmas. Baby Tooth started to go inside, but Phil held her back and shook his head. The kitchen yetis had only a few days before Christmas to make all of their treats. Perishables were a hard business.
Baby Tooth nodded in understanding and followed Phil back to the elevator that had brought them here.
Next stop was the sleigh chamber and stables. The yetis who worked here happily let her feed the reindeer and talk with them as they went about their work. After she'd greeted each reindeer and given them a piece of sugar, courtesy of a large yeti named Mark, she turned back to Phil and gave a tiny bow.
"Thank you for showing me all of this."
Phil nodded and motioned for her to follow him back to the elevator. When they arrived back at the workshop Baby Tooth found herself suddenly grabbed in the worried embrace of a hoodie clad spirit. "I was so busy with North I didn't notice you were gone until a minute ago. I was just about to go and find you."
"Phil was giving me a tour!" She replied, happily returning Jack's hug.
North watched this scene unfold, stroking his beard as Baby Tooth began to tell a laughing Jack all about what she'd seen. The boy had almost caused a blizzard inside the workshop when he'd realized Baby Tooth wasn't in there. Something was going on between those two, but he didn't think they'd realized it just yet. He thought back to what Jack had just told him about the nature of Baby Tooth's transformation and silently hoped that the two would remain happily oblivious to the feelings that seemed to be growing in their wintry hearts.
Pushing these worried from his mind North stalked back to his workshop. Christmas Even was in 5 days and there was work to be done.
While he went back to double check his list, Jack and Baby Tooth waved good-bye to Phil and the other yetis before heading out into the chilly night. It was time to start working on their Christmas blizzard.