Chapter 28: Sandy and Tooth
I woke up to the sound of someone knocking at my door. I groaned loudly in protest because I had been having a pleasant dream about father finally understanding my need for freedom. It was silent for a moment and for a second I though that I made up the noise but just as I was about to close my eyes and resume sleeping, the door opened just wide enough for Jack to peek his head through. Upon seeing me awake, he walked in and sat down on the edge of my bed with his smirk playing on his lips.
"Morning, Sunshine," he said in a teasing tone and I groaned. It was too early for this.
"Five more minutes," I said as I pulled the covers past my eyes and attempted to fall asleep again.
Jack chuckled, "Oh no, not this again. Remember the last time I tried to wake you up for something important."
"I don't think teaching me how to skate classifies on the same importance level as not being killed by the other guardians," I mumbled into my pillow. Jack chuckled and pulled on the blankets and succeeded in pulling them away. I curled up in a tighter ball to try and keep the heat that the lovely blankets where providing. I groaned again.
"Jack," I whined before finally unfolding from the ball that I had curled up into, "Alright, fine. I'm up."
Jack chuckled, "are you always this difficult to wake up?"
"Sometimes," I responded before I noticed that I was still in my black dress from a couple of days ago. It was torn in several spots along the bottom of the hem and there was a large hole in my leggings as well, which I assumed came from running through the forest. I was a mess and I looked up sheepishly at Jack, "You don't suppose that North would have some cloths that I could borrow, do you?"
Jack chuckled once more, "Probably. Come on, let's go ask."
As it turns out North did have some cloths for me which consisted of a pair of black pants and a green t-shirt. I was thankful that my jacket was still intact and threw that on top of the shirt. North also gave me a new pair of black boots as well to help complete the outfit. North had also taken the liberty of making a belt to hold my axe. With my multitude of weapons carefully attached to my person, I felt stronger. Before leaving, I also changed the gauze on my head and saw that the bruise and the bump were looking a lot better and I was glad that it no longer throbbed any more. I quickly braided my hair once more and with a good bye to North, Jack and I were on our way.
"Before you go," said North interrupting us as we were about to take off. North smiled and in his think russian accept said, "there is little friend here to see you."
North stepped to the side to reveal the small golden man that we were about to go off and find. Of course he was already here. Who else could have given me that dream last night? I smiled at Sandy and said, "Thank you."
The dream last night was proof that he already forgave me because it held all of themes that I was striving to obtain; freedom and acceptance. Sandy nodded his head as if saying you're welcome and I separated myself from Jack to give the small man a hug. I wasn't one for touching people, choosing to keep to myself because of all of the time that I spent alone as a kid but in this moment, it seemed like the best way to express my gratitude to the small man.
I should have known from the moment that he stepped forward to stop father from taking me away that he was always on my side and that even though I betrayed him, he understood that I never meant any harm. After all, you can't help who your born under. All that you can do is go with it. The guardians were born under the instructions of the man in the moon, where as I was born under my father's name and blood, but at the end of the day, I knew that Sandy understood that the only thing that you can do with family is learn to love them and carry on with your life. They can only drag you down as much as you let them.
Sandy returned my hug and I turned to North, "Thank you as well."
North laughed and clasped a hand on my shoulder, "It is pleasure."
I smiled up at him and then down at Sandy, suddenly feeling much more confident. Jack came up beside me saying, "Ready to go?"
I nodded as I turned to face him with a soft smile, "Who's first?"
Jack smirked, "The tooth fairy."
I nodded once more and gently wrapped my arms around Jack's neck. He wrapped his arms around my waist, taking care in holding his staff so that it didn't hit me as he tightened his grip on me and flew into the air. The arctic air was exceedingly cold not only because of the altitude that we were flying at or because of the time of year being around late October at this point but because the sun had yet to rise. I suppose that with it being so late in the year already and being so far north, the sun doesn't rise until much later in the day and sets very early.
The flight to the tooth palace was a cold and tiring one. We flew over the open ocean to asia where the palace resides. Jack began flying in between mountains until at last the palace was in sight. It was breath taking with golds and pinks showing on the outside of the structure. Tons of little humming bird type of creatures were entering and flying away from the place. I assumed that these were her helpers.
Jack flew us inside of the palace where I saw large pillars of the same colour as outside. They were beautifully decorated and I noticed that each pillar had little holes that wore covered with a gold plate and every now and then a little fairy would press one of the gold plates and a tube came out, where they then placed something inside and the tube slid back in the pillars.
"What are they doing?" I asked Jack.
"They're mini Tooth's so they're putting the teeth they collect inside of a container to keep the kids memories," explained Jack. He suddenly decided to change flight direction and we flew up higher in the cavern to where what looked like thousand mini tooth fairies were swarming around. When we finally got at the top of that pillar, I saw that it was actually Tooth shouting out instructions to her fairies. Jack was able to land on the pillar and set me down before Tooth noticed our arrival.
She gasped as she saw me and balled her fist, "What are you doing here, Black. The last time one of you was in here, my fairies and the teeth were stolen."
Jack took a step forward, "Tooth it's okay she's on our side.
"Father stole the teeth and fairies?" I asked quietly as I tried to remember if I knew anything about this happening. Distantly, I remembered the quiet sound of chirping lasting about a day or so but I remember father specifically telling me that it was nothing to worry about and that I should, as always, stay out of the command room. I was ignorant and now the Tooth Fairy had paid. I bowed my head and said, "I'm sorry."
"Well, you should be," said Tooth as she crossed her arms, "Now leave me and my fairies and my teeth alone."
"Tooth, please just hear me out," I begged and gosh it was embarrassing, "Look,I don't want to live my life locked up in some hole in the ground. So, I've run away. Twice. I love my father but he's controlling and manipulative. I can't live like that anymore. I don't mean you or your fairies or your teeth any harm. I just want my freedom and some friends. That's it."
Tooth seemed to contemplate what I had told her before speaking, "Have you spoken with North yet?"
I nodded,"Yes and Sandy as well. They both trust me, please Tooth, I don't want to hide anymore."
An arm snaked around my shoulders and beside me Jack spoke saying, "I trust her too."
I smiled up at Jack softly before returning my attention back to Tooth. I hated how I had to beg for her forgiveness but I know that in the end it would only benefit all of use, save for father. As my attention was now fully on Tooth, I noticed the smile that adorned her features.
"Alright then. If they forgive you, I do too," said Tooth happily and I let out a relieved smile.
"I'm sorry about everything that happened, big sis," I said and she laughed.
"Well little sis, if you pull any thing, you do know that things will end badly," said Tooth.
I nodded and said, "nothing is going to happen Tooth. I promise."
"So what are you going to do about Bunny?" asked the feathered woman.
"I don't know," I answered both truthfully and uneasily. Bunny will be the toughest to sway when it comes to believing where I stand in all of this. Mainly because he had trouble trusting me before but now that he knows that I am the daughter of the enemy, things will be a lot more difficult to get through to him.
"Well, good luck then Hunter," said Tooth and I grimaced at the name.
"Please call me Scarlett, Tooth," I said politely and the feathered woman smiled.
"Alright. Good luck Scarlett and let me know what happens with Bunny," she said happily. I wrapped my arms around Jacks neck and he waved at Tooth as I said a good-bye to her and then we were off flying as the sun began to once again set. Signaling the end of another day.
Jack and I flew for hours until we had once again arrived at the pole. In my confusion, I yelled over the racing wind, "Jack, what are we doing here?"
"The easter Kangaroo-"
"Bunny," I corrected.
"Will be a royal pain to convince. So I figured that we'd talk to him tomorrow. "
I yawned and said, "Sounds good."
As we touched down in North's workshop, I reached up and planted a kiss on Jack's cheek. As I pulled away, I smiled at him noting that my face way warming up as I blushed and I whispered, "Thank you, Jack."
He sent me a dizzying smile that made my heart beat faster in my chest as it turned to on of a more mischievous nature, "What are you thanking me for?"
"Everything," I replied as I all but melted in his arms. He was breath taking and amazing. I still can't believe that he's stuck by me after all that I've put us through but at the end of the day I suppose that's just brought us closer together.
"Well then you own me, don't you?" said Jack as the mischievous look seemed to consume his features.
I smirked, feeling the mischievousness sweeping into my own system, "I suppose so."
"Well then, I'm going to save what you will be owing me for a rainy day," said Jack as his signature smirk grazed his features. I yawned once more and Jack chuckled, "For now, you need to get some sleep."
I chuckled and began walking towards the rooms where Jack and I had stay the night before, "Well so do you. Come on."
Jack chuckled and caught up to me in a moment, then taking my hand in his. I looked down at our linked hands. My skin was greyer than his creamy white and I suppose it's because of father. I really did look like him, now that I think about it.
"Hey, Jack," I said, breaking our comfortable silence as we continued walking. He hummed in acknowledgement and I continued talking, "After Bunny trusts me again, I'd like to dye my hair back to its original colour. I'm tired of hiding. "
Jack's free hand reached down and pulled my chin so that I was now looking up at him, instead of our linked hands. He smiled softly, "Yeah, I'd like to see that. Although the black does look good."
I chuckled, "Thank you."
We came to a stop in front of the door to my room and I bit my lip before saying, "Well, um, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Scarlett," said Jack as he quickly pressed his lips against mine. I didn't even have time to return the kiss or control the blush that sprung up to my cheeks once more before Jack pulled away and walked to his room without looking back. This must have been payback for last night when I had done the same thing to him.
I bit my lip as I opened the door to my room and walk in, taking care in closing the door behind me as I tried to contain my giddy smile. That boy really was something different and I wouldn't have him any other way.
A/N: for the guest reviewer asking about Scarlett's name, it's symbolism.
