The other three Guardians had arrived on Christmas Eve as Jack and Baby Tooth slept, celebrating the night away with North as the yetis rested from the last few days of the Christmas rush. Every year the Guardians of Imagination, Hope, and Innocence helped the Master of Christmas decorate his workshop for Christmas day in a private celebrate that lasted all night long. Christmas day was just a continuation of that celebration, only on a much larger scale. Yetis, elves, and Guardians would spend today in a true yuletide celebration and all were looking forward to watching Jack join in for the first time.
Despite the fact that they spent their lives bringing joy to children, they so rarely got to watch those children enjoy their gifts. For the first time the big four had a child all their own, even if he was a three hundred year old one.
Though Sandy and Bunny were surprised by the addition of Baby Tooth neither one seemed to mind having two children at the Christmas table.
"And here is present for Phil!" North announced, pulling the final bundle from beneath the tree. Each year they all got the same thing, specially made hair ties that only North could produce, but they liked the gifts all the same. It was hard to find a hair tie that didn't slip off their soft fur!
Meanwhile the elves were more than happy with new socks and outfits.
North never gave his fellow Guardian's gifts, though. By some unspoken rule they had each decided long ago that there was really nothing any of them wanted or needed from each other. Their only gifts had always been friendship and time, both rare commodities indeed.
Baby Tooth, however, was longingly looking on as the yetis admired their gifts. Tooth fairies didn't get gifts, but then, there wasn't anything they needed that Mama Tooth didn't provide in excess.
Jack saw the look on her face, though, and came up with a plan.
He jumped from his perch by her side and summoned up a snowball. It was an act Baby Tooth had seen him do a thousand times over, but this snowball was different from the others. He placed it in her hands with a cry of, "Merry Christmas," obviously quite pleased with his gift.
The other Guardians watched on, curious what exactly Jack expected the girl to do with a snowball.
The Tooth Fairy spoke first, "It's a very nice snowball, Jack."
His proud air changed to one bewilderment for a flash before he realized his mistake. "Oh, right! I guess I haven't shown any of you one of these before."
He took the snowball back and ran a finger along the outside, applying just a touch of winter magic. With a magical pop, a line appeared along the diameter of snowballs surface. A little pressure from Jack's icy hands and the snowball flew open to reveal a hollow center. Inside the hollow sphere lay a coiled bracelet made of ice. Its frozen links were charms in the forms of snowflakes, sleds, and tiny tooth fairies.
He handed Baby Tooth the treasure once more and she pulled the bracelet out, letting the lights of the workshop play off of the crystal like substance that formed it as the other Guardians watched in awe.
Jack was beaming now that he was getting the appropriate response for his cleverness and Baby Tooth slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. It was the first present she'd ever gotten.
Seeing this exchange North jumped up from his chair, startling the group, and to his office.
He returned with a tiny package wrapped in deep blue wrapping paper, which he handed to Jack, "I am forgetting Jack's gift. Forgive me, Jack, is not often I have child here who is owed gift. In fact, is not ever before!"
It broke tradition, but the look and Jack's face was all it took for the other Guardians to find themselves perfectly fine with North's actions.
Jack fell to the floor, not even bothering to take a seat, and tore open the package. Inside, on a tiny chain, was a silver key. Jack stared at it for a few moments before looking up at North for an explanation.
The older man smiled, "Is key to workshop, Jack. You are Guardian now and, though I know you will be continuing to sneak in, I want you to know you are always welcome here."
It was a good thing that North was so sturdy, otherwise the force of Jack smashing into his arms would have surely knocked him down.
Bunny was happily snoozing by the fire, sand carrots dancing around his head. Jack and Baby Tooth watched the scene from their perch on the edge of the railing that ran around the room's perimeter. They weren't touching, just sitting side by side, laughing, talking, and making tiny frost pattern on the floor below them as the clocked ticked down the last few minutes of the holiday.
Across the room Toothiana, Sandy, and North were having a serious discussion.
"You saw him today," North whispered, "he is falling in love with her!"
Tooth, having only just learned of the changes to her former fairy's wish, couldn't help but agree. "I know, but what can we do, North? We can't control someone's heart!"
The large man sighed and looked over at the couple. Jack had never looked so happy. "Yes, but we can keep busy. If they don't have chance to realize they are in love then they don't have hearts broken when this ends."