A/N: May I just say that I had originally planned this story to be about fifteen chapters long. But it's been fun, more so than I thought it would be. So, it's with a heavy heart that I say that this is the final chapter of this story. Yes, I know, I know. A lot of you will be upset and disappointed, but like I said, it wasn't supposed to be this long anyway. And don't worry; the last chapter will definitely be worth it. Thanks for all of the support and feedback. You guys rock my socks. R&R. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-One

In Which There is Always Love

Jack was more than content, lying on top of Aster on the couch, watching Santa Claus is Coming to Town. He loved those old Christmas specials; they were his favorites and he watched them every year they were on. His dad would often join him, but he was at his toy company, finishing up some last minute paperwork on an order before he took his usual Christmas holiday. Dad always took a holiday during Christmas time, starting at seven o'clock every Christmas Eve without fail. So he'd be joining both Jack and Aster for the Christmas specials, but he'd be missing his favorite one, which was the one they were watching right now.

Not that Jack was lonely, because he wasn't. Aster was with him and he'd never felt alone when he was with his boyfriend. And as he'd be spending the night, Jack didn't even mind the fact that his dad would be coming home in an hour or so. From what Aster had told Jack, and from what Mr. and Mrs. Bunnymund told him, all of Aster's family had arrived for the Christmas holiday, as was the norm. Between deaf grandparents and loud and obnoxious cousins running all throughout the house, Aster had wanted to get out and get away. Jack understood; he'd probably lose his mind if he had to put up with a large family every single Christmas. It must have been nice though, in an I'll-laugh-about-it-later-but-definitely-not-right -now-when-you're-all-here kind of way.

With his head resting on his boyfriend's shoulder, Jack cuddle closer to the taller teen and grinned as he watched Chris and Topper jumped across the roof tops. He had seen this special a thousand times – well, not literally, but whatever – and it never got old. Winter was Jack's favorite time of year and he loved all of the Christmas specials that came along with it (except for the second Misers' movie; that was a piece of crap). Being able to spend this Christmas with someone he really, truly cared about made it that much better. Cuddling on the couch, watching Christmas specials on Christmas Eve, and drinking hot chocolate was pure heaven, especial considering that he definitely needed a break from high school drama and drama as a whole.

The school dance was only two nights ago and it had been mostly boring and tense. It wasn't until Tooth apologized did things get better and less awkward. They were all talking to each other again and seemed, for the most part, happy. After Christmas Day, they all had plans to go out to the movies and then to the Coffee Stop afterwards. Pitch was even invited, which made sense because he and Jamie were dating now. He wasn't sure what movie they would see, but he hoped that doing things with Pitch would help settle things down, at least with Tooth. Not that they were at each other's throats, because they weren't, but one never knew. Anything could happen, Jack knew that, and he'd rather good things happen than bad things. Aster didn't seem to mind Pitch coming along. Things would probably never go back to the way they were before everything, but Jack hoped that they'd become good friends again at least.

Jack turned his eyes away from the TV and towards the Christmas tree. It was a real one because Dad always insisted on having a real one every single year, and Jack, Aster, and Dad had decorated it the night before the dance. There were bulbs of every color on it and in various shapes. The star on the top of the tree changed colors and when the tinsel caught the light just right, it made the tree glitter with rainbow colors (and no, he doesn't want to even think about the fact that his Christmas tree might be all for gay pride because, well, it's dead). Decorating it had been a lot of fun. Between Dad talking to Aster about anything and everything and trying to stop Dad from eating all of the candy canes before they made it to the tree, Jack could say that it had been a blast.

There were Christmas presents under the tree. Dad and Jack always put them underneath on Christmas Eve; it was a tradition that dated back to Jack's thirteen Christmas, when he stopped believing in Santa Claus. In a way, he never actually stopped believing in Santa because his dad was a lot like the Big Red Man, what with being the Big Man of his toy company. Jack's presents to Aster were under the tree as well and he was kind of surprised that his dad had gotten Aster a few things as well. Then again, he probably shouldn't be, but still. They hadn't been together for that long, but his relationship with Aster has been the longest one he's ever had. And Dad likes Aster, so it's all good in the end.

"What time's your dad gettin' home?" Aster asked him suddenly. Jack looked up at his boyfriend for a second before he checked his phone.

"Any minute now. It's almost seven. He always stops work on Christmas Eve around seven and it takes him about fifteen minutes to get home," Jack told him.

"Oh, okay. So, are we making dinner then or is he?" Aster said as his fingers ran through Jack's snow white hair.

"Usually, I make dinner since he gets home late. But I could always use an extra set of hands in the kitchen," Jack teased, grinning up at his boyfriend. Aster arched a brow and grinned back at him.

"Oh, ho, ho, ho. If that's the case then, I'll be more than glad t' help. What're ya makin' anyway?" Aster continued to play with Jack's hair and the smaller teen pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I was thinking about making something simple. Like chicken alfredo," Jack said.

"Shouldn't we get started then? I dunno about you, but I'm starvin'," Aster said. Jack rolled his eyes but grinned despite himself.

"I can't see how you can be starving. You had, what, three Big Macs from McDonalds, a bag of popcorn, and a bag of Tootsie Rolls in the past three hours. How can you be hungry?" Jack asked him, kind of in awe. "I had two Double Cheeseburgers and a large fry and I was stuffed for, like, ever." The fact that Aster could probably eat an entire elephant by himself never ceased to amaze Jack. It was both cute and kind of gross, especially if they went to fast food joints like Mickey D's.

"I'm a growin' boy, Jack! I need m' nutrients to help grow big and strong," Aster protested, his green eyes light with laughter.

"You're plenty big and strong as it is," Jack told him. Aster chuckled and waggled his brows.

"I can show ya how big and strong I am later if ya want," he replied. That made Jack blush, but he rolled his eyes again to cover up his embarrassment.

He had already talked to Aster about sex and that when he was ready he'd let him know. Aster, being the totally amazing boyfriend that he was, understood completely and told Jack that he hadn't had sex with anyone ever himself. That had made Jack feel a whole lot better about the whole thing. Untangling himself, albeit reluctantly, from his boyfriend's warm and welcoming body, Jack stood up and stretched. His blue eyes watched as Santa Claus is Coming to Town ended before he snatched up the remote and stopped it.

"Let's get cooking, my handsome assistant of mine," Jack declared, starting for the kitchen. He heard Aster stand up and stretch behind him before he followed suit.

"Are you going to wear that lovely red and white checkered apron?" Aster asked, laughing.

"Um, no. That's my dad's," Jack told him. "Can you start on the chicken? I've got the noodles and the sauce."

"Sure," Aster pulled the boneless chicken breast out of the frig and opened it up. "Um…what do I do now?"

Jack laughed and pulled out a skillet from in the compartment that was attached to the stove. Setting it on the stove, he turned a burner on medium and grabbed some olive oil and garlic. Pulling a knife out of one of the drawers, he placed it on the counter top beside the cutting board.

"First things first: wash your hands." Aster did as he was told. Jack continued. "Now, slice up the chicken and grill it in the skillet. If you slice the chicken into small pieces, it won't take so long to cook."

"Sounds easy enough," Aster mumbled to himself as he began slicing up the chicken. Jack watched him to make sure he had it before he went back to pouring water into a pot.

"It is. Haven't you ever cooked before?" Jack asked him.

"Not really, no," Aster admitted. "I can make soup and Top Ramen, but nothin' fancy like this."

Jack set the pot on the stove and turned the burner on. It's take a few minutes before it would begin to boil, but he'd use that time to get the rest of the things he needed for dinner. Making his way to the frig, he started pulling out the milk, butter, cream cheese, zucchini, and broccoli and placed them on the counter. Then he took a box of fettuccini pasta out of the cupboards.

"Chicken alfredo isn't all that fancy, but it's good. One of my personal favorites," Jack said. "Now, when you're done with the chicken, put it in the skillet with the olive oil and garlic and don't overcook it."

"I think I can handle that," Aster replied as he finished slicing the chicken.

They continued dodging each other and working side by side in the kitchen until the front door opened. Jack knew it was Dad before he heard him call out "I'm home!". With a big smile on his face, Jack turned and stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

"In here, Dad!" he called out. North hung his heavy winter coat on the coat rack and made his way to the kitchen, his boots making loud footsteps on the floor.

"What is going on here?" he asked as he entered the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, he smiled. "Smells nice."

"Chicken alfredo, Dad. It should be done soon," Jack told him.

"Good. Good," North said as he sat down at the table. "How are you, Aster?"

"'M good, North," Aster answered as he kept watch on the chicken in the skillet, stirring it every so often. "You?"

When the water started boiling, Jack poured the fettuccini noodles into the pot and stirred them. He then started on the alfredo sauce, melting the butter and cream cheese first before he added the milk and seasonings. As he worked on dinner, he listened to his dad and Aster talk and would occasionally put his two cents in. Before it was time to drain the noodles, he grabbed some breadsticks from the freezer and popped them into the oven to bake. And then, he drained the noodles and mixed everything together creating a very delicious dinner, breadsticks included.

After dinner was over, Jack, his dad, and Aster went into the living room – North sat on his chair while Jack and Aster took up their original seats on the couch – and started watching Rudolf and Frosty's Christmas in July. They remained in the living room watching Christmas specials until Dad declared that it was time for them to get to bed, and no one was going to argue with him. So, Jack and Aster made their way upstairs to Jack's bedroom, taking turns to shower before they hopped into bed.

Jack woke up in the morning with Aster curled around his smaller body. His body was so warm and his arms felt so good around Jack's waist that the white haired teen didn't feel like getting up just yet. It was Christmas Day, after all, and he was allowed to enjoy his boyfriend's presence as much as he wanted to. Snuggling back against Aster's body, Jack closed his eyes and listened to Aster's steady breathing.

"It's Christmas!" came his dad's loud, booming voice that seemed to be shaking the entire house. Jack was so surprised that he jumped up and fell off of his bed. Aster shot straight up like an arrow.

"Wha?! Wha's goin' on?" he asked, his blue-grey haired messy and tangled.

"Dad. That's what," Jack answered. He yawned and turned to look at the alarm clock on his bedside table. Jesus Christ! It was only seven twenty-three in the damn morning! Why, oh why, did his dad do this to him every single year?

"Crikey, it's only seven twenty-three!" Aster said before a gigantic yawn took over.

"Yeah, well, that's my dad on Christmas morning," Jack said as he stood up and rubbed his head. It ached where he hit it on the floor.

"You fell on the floor?" Aster asked as he moved from the bed.

"Yeah, but I'm fine," Jack answered. "Wanna get down stairs and tear into some presents?" he asked with a grin.

"You mean watch as your dad tears into his presents?" Aster said as they left Jack's room and made their way down stairs.

"That's exactly what I mean."

They meandered down the stairs and entered the living room where North was crouched down in front of the Christmas tree. Already there was a lot of wrapping paper and bows strewn all over the floor. The sight made Jack shake his head and laugh all at once. His dad was quite the character, but he loved him for it. Sitting down on the floor beside his dad, Jack grabbed one of his own presents.

"Merry Christmas, Dad," he said. North paused and turned to him.

"Merry Christmas, Jack," his dad responded before bringing Jack in for a big bear hug. Looking up at Aster, North pulled him down into the hug as well. "Merry Christmas, Aster."

After a few seconds of gasping for air, North released both Jack and Aster and the three of them set about unwrapping their Christmas presents.

…

Skype, Sandy had decided, was a useful invention after all. He had rarely ever used it before and, to be honest, he wasn't even sure how to use it. But now, now that he was with Tooth at long last, he had to find some way of communicating with her. Talking on the phone was one thing he absolutely refused to do and texting was just so impersonal. Using Skype to talk face to face was a wonderful solution to the problem.

"How's your Christmas going?" Tooth asked him, a smile on her face. Sandy always thought that she looked beautiful when she smiled.

He nodded and gave her a look that asked the same question only directed at her. Tooth shrugged and giggled softly, a bright smile breaking out on her face. "Mine's been pretty good. I can't wait until tomorrow! It's gonna be so much fun hanging out with everyone. I'm not even bothered that Pitch will be there."

Sandy smiled at her, his eyes crinkling, and he laughed quietly. Tooth's laughter was always so contagious. There were so many things about her that were all so wonderful. He knew the first time he laid eyes on her that he would always love her no matter what, and after having known Tooth for most of his life, Sandy could say (or not say) that he'd probably always love her. Loving her came so easy to him, so natural, that he didn't even have to think about it.

"I guess Pitch isn't that bad. He had to have been a decent guy if Aster was friends with him. And Jamie's a really good judge of character. But if Pitch hurts him, I'll punch him in his penis," Tooth growled. Sandy contemplated her words for a moment before he agreed. As much as he believed in giving Pitch a chance, he'd be all for punching him in his privates if he hurt Jamie in anyway.

They continued their conversation for a little while after that and Sandy found himself smiling more so than he had ever before. But, then again, he supposed that that's what people did when they were in love.

…

Pitch stared down at his phone, feeling uncertain and insecure. He wanted to call him, he wanted to call Jamie and talk to him, asking him how his Christmas went and if he was having a good time…but he couldn't. Although he really, really, really wanted to, Pitch just couldn't press call on his phone. Jamie was a really sweet guy and Pitch really liked him, which surprised the hell out of him, but part of him couldn't help but wonder… Was Jamie playing him or actually interested in him?

Oh yes, Pitch would freely admit on any given day that he was a dickhead. He could make Simon from American Idol look like a fluffy kitten. The only reason anyone ever seemed interested in him was because of his brains, his parents, or because they wanted a quick and easy lay. Honestly, the only person who ever seemed to care about him was his little sister. Even the people he had called friends had left him out to dry; both because of him and because of their own dickheadedness.

Currently, he was up in his room, door locked, and staring at his phone, feeling as unsure and frightened as he had been when Aster had broken up with him. Christmas Day was always a bittersweet holiday for him. His parents usually stayed home and they often made Pitch and his sister get up at seven on the dot for breakfast before they could unwrap presents. Pitch was never fooled by the presents; he knew that their butler was the one who picked out the presents and wrapped them along with some help from the maid. But, as long as his sister was happy, he was okay. He could even put up with his parents' not so subtle comments about how much of a letdown Pitch was and what he'd have to do in order to get into the college they had chosen for him.

A deep sadness, one he had lived with for far too long, welled up inside of him and Pitch was suddenly overcome with a strong feeling of utter loneliness and despair. He didn't want to feel like that, he didn't want to be alone. Making up his mind, he called Jamie and waited with baited breath, his heart pounding, as it rang once, twice….

Jamie picked up on the third ring.

"Pitch! Hey, how are you?" Jamie's voice, bright and cheerful, resounded throughout his room. Pitch always used the speaker when making a phone call in his room. His heart tightened and a small, genuine smile, worked its way onto his face as the thought that Jamie was actually happy to hear from him.

"I'm all right. You? How has your Christmas been?" he asked.

"Great! Oh, my gosh! Sophie got this tie dye kit and tried to use it on our dog! Luckily, Mom caught her just in time," Jamie laughed. "Anyway, how was your Christmas?"

"It was okay. Same old, just different year," he answered.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Jamie said and he sounded genuinely sorry and concerned. "At least we have tomorrow to look forward to."

"That's true. Are you sure that my being there won't cause any…problems?" As much as Pitch didn't care if people liked him or not, for once, he wanted this…thing between him and Jamie to work out. That meant that he'd have to get along well with the others. Jack was already a friend and his relationship with Aster was patching up. Sandy seemed to like him okay. Tooth was going to be the hardest to win over, but he kind of deserved her spite.

"They wouldn't have invited you if they thought you'd cause problems. Besides, you're pretty much friends with Jack and you're definitely friends with me and then some, who the others have no choice but to warm up to you eventually," Jamie told him, trying to cheer him up. The odd thing was that it was working.

"I suppose that's true," he admitted.

"It's definitely true. And it's going to be a blast!"

Pitch's smile widened at Jamie's obvious excitement. "It'll be nice to go out with friends for once."

"Yup. You're practically one of the gang," Jamie told him.

Pitch liked the sound of that. He really did. It had been so long since he actually hung out with people who he could call his friends. And it'd been a while since he went to a movie with someone who wasn't his sister. Although he loved his sister with all of his heart, he couldn't very well take her to see anything that was above a G rating.

"Hey, Pitch?" Jamie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, Jamie?"

"Merry Christmas," Jamie said and Pitch could practically hear the smile in his voice.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Jamie."

Things were going to be different now. Pitch could feel it. And although that thought scared him, it also made him feel excited. Besides, he wasn't alone. Not really, not with Jamie by his side. Perhaps things wouldn't work out, but he wouldn't know unless he walked down that path, and that was what he was going to do.