Author's Note: Here's a little update for you guys! I thought you'd like it if it came a little early. To address reviews:

Thanks for the night terror info, from CrossoverJunkie. Natalia Faye gave me warm fuzzies with her review. That is honestly the nicest thing anyone has ever said about my writing. :) Thanks!

As for suggestions, a guest suggested that I have Jack's sister come back with powers, which I take to mean as a Spirit of some sort. I'm undecided on this. If it happened, it wouldn't be until later on in the story. I kinda like the characters I have going now, and their dynamics. I'll definitely keep this in mind though.

Since there were no more suggestions (other than updating!), on with the story!

Chapter Thirty-Six: Toy Time

Pitch took in the sight of all the Guardians being there with a raised eyebrow. Even though no one had mentioned it, he assumed that North would be the only Guardian present. Apparently he had been mistaken.

Jack must have had the same thought, since he looked surprised as well to see all the Guardians present. They had been sitting when the three spirits arrived, but now they were all standing with big smiles on their faces. Well, except for Bunny.

Bunny looked friendlier than Jack had ever seen him, but Bunny wasn't the sort to have a big smile on his face usually. Jack gripped his staff a little tighter and held it to himself a bit, like a teddy bear. Today he was wearing his trademark blue hoodie and his brown pants.

Lillian was wearing a spring green dress with a matching ribbon in her hair and was holding her notebook. From the big smile on her face, she was oblivious to Jack's apprehension on seeing all of the Guardians.

"Santa!" she squealed and ran right over to North. "Hi!"

North chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Hello there! Is good to see you," he said with a smile, then looked over at Jack, who didn't seem inclined to move. "Jack and Pitch too."

Pitch nodded at this and walked forward to stand by Jack. He nudged Jack a little, and Jack glanced at Pitch.

Pitch gave Jack a 'Well? What are you waiting for?' look, and Jack blushed a little. With another not-so-subtle nudge, Jack walked over to join Lillian in chatting with North.

Pitch shook his head at Jack's back, then noticed that someone had wandered over to say hello to him as well.

A little golden someone.

Pitch looked down as he recognized the burst of golden dreamsand images over Sandy's head and looked at them thoughtfully for a moment.

"Ah," Pitch said, interpreting the message. "You wish to know if the dreamsand has been effective?"

Sandy nodded an affirmative and Bunny and Tooth exchanged looks at this. Dreamsand?

"Yes, it seems to be doing its job quite well," Pitch said quietly to Sandy, so that Jack and Lillian wouldn't overhear.

Sandy took in Pitch's appearance. While Pitch looked like his normal self (his normal non-gray self), he seemed to be a bit paler than normal and those dark circles under his eyes, weren't very attractive, even if they did go with his normal dark attire.

Sandy raised a knowing eyebrow at Pitch, who rolled his eyes in response.

"I can handle my own sleep just fine," Pitch snapped in response to Sandy, looking a little edgy.

Tooth glanced at Bunny again, wondering if they were supposed to be hearing this conversation. But Bunny wasn't looking to share another confused look with Tooth, he was watching Pitch's conversation with Sandy intently, with a frown on his face.

Tooth internally rolled his eyes. Oh honestly, did Bunny still suspect Pitch?! They'd been over this!

Sandy started to form golden dreamsand images over his head to lecture Pitch about the value of a good night's sleep when Lillian ran over, practically skipping with happiness.

"Come on, Pitch!" she beamed up at him. "You said you'd make toys with us!"

Pitch ignored Sandy's half-formed lecture and instantly his irritated look vanished as he smiled down at her.

"I do recall saying that," he said fondly to her.

"Come on!" she grabbed Pitch's hand and tugged him after North, who was leading Jack off to the workshop.

Bunny snorted at that.

"Pitch Black is going to make some toys?" he said skeptically.

Tooth reached over and smacked Bunny on the shoulder.

"We talked about this! He's changed, remember?" she scolded Bunny. "You need to give him the benefit of the doubt!"

"Oh please - " Bunny started, but Tooth interjected by grabbing Bunny's arm.

"Then you'll have to see for yourself!" she said as she dragged him off after the others.

Sandy stood alone, his lecture on a good night's sleep going unheard. The normally good natured spirit looked irritated at being left behind and he floated off after everyone else.

Obviously Pitch needed a nap, not a toy making spree!

Sandy arrived at the workshop in time to see that Jack, Lillian and Pitch had been set up with their own tables.

Jack was talking animatedly with North and Phil about his toy, probably on the mechanics of getting it to work. He could see that Lillian was doodling in a sketchpad with her notebook open nearby.

Pitch also appeared to be drawing on a piece of paper and he kept glancing over at Jack and Lillian from time to time, probably to check on them.

Tooth and Bunny hovered nearby, curious on what Lillian and Pitch were up to, but hesitant to ask.

Sandy rolled his eyes at them and wandered over to Lillian first, in case Pitch still needed a moment or two to cool off.

He gently tapped Lillian's shoulder to get her attention, glad that the child was more his height.

Lillian stopped her drawing and looked surprised to see Sandy there.

Sandy grinned at her and gestured at her drawing.

"Oh!" Lillian said, as she got his meaning. "What am I doing?"

Sandy nodded, and Tooth and Bunny wandered over to listen in on the explanation.

"Well, I'm making a storybook on all the Seasonals, right?" she said as looked from her drawing to Sandy.

Sandy nodded his understanding.

"I decided the book is going to go in order of the seasons, so I have to start with Spring first," she said with a small grin at this. "I started writing down all the information I know about myself and my powers, so I could organize my thoughts."

She gestured at her notebook.

"I wanted pictures to go along with the story, so I'm sketching out possible spring scenes I could paint. Pitch said that North probably doesn't have the kind of paints I'd use to paint a picture. He said North's paints are probably more towards painting toys, so I'm sketching right now. I can figure out the painting part later."

Sandy noticed Tooth and Bunny nearby and shot Bunny a look.

Bunny, taking the hint, cleared his throat.

"Ya know, sheil - er.. Lillian, I have all kinds of paint at my Warren. "Yer welcome ta come by any time ta paint if ya want."

Lillian paused and looked over at Bunny, with her eyes a little wide. She remembered when he had made that same offer at dinner, a couple of weeks ago.

Lillian paused, looking a little hesitant.

"Could.. could Pitch come too?" she asked.

Bunny inhaled sharply at that, but before he could get started Tooth elbowed him.

"I think that's a nice idea," she said with a smile at Lillian. "I bet Jack would like to come along too. You guys could have a painting party!"

Bunny rubbed the spot where Tooth had none-too-gently elbowed him.

"I guess.. that'd be alrigh'.." he said after both Tooth and Sandy glared at him. Yeesh!

Lillian's eyes immediately lit up, not noticing that Bunny had almost been forced to agree by his fellow Guardians.

"That'd be so much fun!" she grinned at Bunny, but her grin faded a little as she looked over towards Jack. "I dunno if Jack will come though," she said with a little less enthusiasm.

"Why not?" Bunny asked, although he was pretty sure that he knew why.

Lillian shrugged, looking uncomfortable.

"He did say you guys were pretty mean to him.."

Bunny looked a little affronted. How many times did they have to apologize?!

"We already apologized fer that!"

Lillian nodded and looked away from the upset Bunny back down to her notebook. She didn't like seeing anyone upset or angry, and thanks to her horrible memories, now she knew why. She shivered a little and forced her mind on other things.

"I know, and Jack knows you meant it," she said quietly to her notebook. "It's just.. I think it's hard to forget. And sometimes even if you say you're sorry, you wind up doing the same thing again, even if you don't mean to. I think he's kinda worried you're going to do it again. I could be wrong.. He won't really talk to me about it."

Bunny deflated at that. Jack really had so little faith in them? He supposed they deserved it.

"But I'll see if he'll come. Everyone deserves a second chance."

With that, Lillian picked up her pencil and resumed her doodling.

Bunny pointedly ignored Sandy's knowing look and after a moment, Sandy wandered over by Pitch.

He tugged on Pitch's black shirt, surprised that Pitch decided to forgo his usual black cloak. Pitch was still dressed in all black, of course, but that combined with his non-gray complexion made him look much more normal than before.

Pitch sighed and looked down at the golden form of Sandy again.

"Yes?" he asked in a long-suffering voice, as if he were trying very hard to tolerate this interruption.

Sandy gestured at Pitch's sketch, curious what the spirit had come up with.

Pitch quickly looked over towards Jack and Lillian, to see them absorbed in their tasks.

"If you must know," he said quietly to Sandy, though he noticed that Tooth and Bunny were hovering nearby, listening in, "I thought of a new toy that Lillian would enjoy. I thought of a way to make it work for Jack as well. I was just working out the dimensions for the size, and how much fabric and stuffing I would need."

Sandy looked curious, and formed a golden question mark above his head.

Pitch sighed but nodded.

"Very well, I'll tell you, but you must not tell either Jack or Lillian. And that goes for you two as well," he shot at Bunny and Tooth, who were surprised that Pitch noticed them listening in.

After all of them had agreed, Pitch continued to explain.

"Lillian is still a child at heart so I thought perhaps a small stuffed animal would do. Her favorites are bears, so I decided on a small teddy bear. At first I was going to make a couple in a few different colors, but I decided to make it more special, she would like.. ah.. bear forms of yourselves."

Pitch pointed at his sketch.

"The limbs are detachable, as they are only velcroed on. Therefore, she could mix and match the limbs as she pleases, making silly combinations. I don't think I've seen a toy like this before, and thought perhaps if North liked, he could use the idea to make other bears. I decided to include in this set, a bear of myself and Jack.. then I remembered that Jack doesn't have much in the way of children's toys. I noticed he lugs that staff of his wherever he goes, and he seems to cling to it for comfort quite a bit."

The others nodded, looking wide eyed at Pitch's explanation. Pitch sounded clinical in his explanation, but there was no denying that gentleness that entered his tone when he was speaking about Lillian and Jack.

"Then I started thinking that Jack doesn't have much in the way of things that would give him comfort. He might look quite grown up, but in many ways, he's still a frightened child. So I thought perhaps he would like his own bear.. a full-sized one. A Jack Frost bear. I was going to make a little storybook to go along with it, and I was going to see if North would be willing to mass produce it. I believe that, along with Lillian's own book, would help immensely in Jack gaining new followers. I know it would mean the world to him."

"Pitch.." Tooth said softly. "Wow.. that's.. that's.."

Pitch, looking uncomfortable at the looks he was receiving, looked back down at his drawings.

"It would never be enough to make up for.." Pitch trailed off and cleared his throat, his voice rough with emotion. "..I thought perhaps he'd enjoy it."

"That sounds like a wonderful gift," Tooth said gently, with Sandy nodding vigorously in agreement.

Bunny blinked as he stared at Pitch. Pitch looked serious and his voice sounded very sincere. He actually cared about those two?

Pitch's grip tightened on his pencil, as his thoughts turned to Emily Jane. He remembered when he got her gifts, when she was small. He felt much like he did right now, picturing her joyous face when she'd open whatever present he had gotten for her.

"Oh Daddy, it's wonderful! I love it!"

"Daddy, I love you."

"Daddy?"

"Daddy, I'm scared! It's dark in here!"

"DADDY!"

"..itch?" Tooth's concerned voice cut in to his memories. "Are you ok?"

To his horror, Pitch realized he couldn't properly see the sketch book because there were tears in his eyes. He tightened his grip on his pencil again, accidentally snapping it.

"..I.." Pitch said, blinking the tears back. "Yes.. of course. I'm fine."

But they could tell he wasn't fine.

Sandy threw an exasperated look at Pitch, but this time, he didn't comment.

Author's Note: What do you think about Pitch's toy ideas? I think they're super cute. Plus Jack lugging around a Jack Frost teddy bear is adorable! Yes, the reviewer idea was for Pitch to actually do Lillian's previous idea of a Pitch Black toy of some sort, but I don't think Pitch would be like that anymore. Yes, he'd like some more believers, but he's not going to exploit North's workshop for it. He'll do it the old fashioned way, I suppose. And yes, it seems Pitch is still dealing with all his issues yet. I couldn't help throwing a little angst in there. Anyone have any suggestions on Pitch's choice of confidante? If it had to be a Guardian, I'm leaning towards Sandy a bit, since Sandy is an awesome listener. Even though Pitch and Sandy have had their differences, I bet in this they could actually become friends. Maybe not best friends, but they could have an understanding of sorts.

I also couldn't help the idea of dragging Jack and Pitch along on the Warren visit, which I'm thinking will happen pretty soon since Lillian will need to get painting some pretty pictures for her book. I think some family bonding time with Bunny will be good for all of them. Sometimes I want to smack Bunny for being so stubbornly dense like he is right now. He still just doesn't want to admit that Pitch is different now. I suppose I can't blame him though, since Pitch did ruin Easter something fierce.

Anyway! If you have any suggestions, comments or whatever, feel free to let me know! And thanks for all the follows, faves and reviews! This story has over 22k views now! Yay!

(Also, I was toying around with an idea for Jack in the future. It's mostly just because it would be super cute, but it could affect future plot. I haven't decided yet. If it happens, it would be temporary but insanely adorable. It could also be a way for Jack to get closer to the Guardians, maybe? Eh.. I haven't decided yet. Curse me for reading awesomely adorable ROTG fics!)