Thanks again, bluefrosty27! I can always count on you for a little feedback. I don't know why everyone else is so shy; maybe they're just busy.

CHAPTER SEVEN: Precious Memories

Once we hit an area that had already dropped below freezing, I brought us down to the ground on a glorified roller coaster of ice. I whipped up a flash blizzard to give us a fresh pile of sticky snow. Pitch and I started rolling snowballs while Jamie scratched out a fort design on the ground. With the help of my magic we were able to get a small castle together within half an hour. There was even an upper level at the front, so you could pelt intruders with snowballs from above as they approached the open gate.

Well, then of course we had to make a slide down from the upper level and packed it good and hard. I melted its surface just a tiny bit and re-froze it so there was a perfect crust of ice to slide down. We didn't really need the toboggan since it was so slick, but we took turns on it anyway, sliding out of the castle and partway down the hill until the snow ran out and we hit the stubbly grass beyond.

Next, we played a sort of Capture the Flag game. We each had a little fort about ten yards from the castle. If you got hit with a snowball, you had to run up and touch the castle and run back. If someone stole your flag (a scarf tied to a stick) before you got back to your fort, you were out. The others told me I wasn't allowed to use my magic, and I didn't... but I may have held back a little to let them win a few rounds. After all, my legs were a lot longer than theirs and I could run much faster.

We'd been playing a couple of hours and Pitch genuinely seemed to be having fun, but it was he who said reluctantly, "We'd better be getting back."

I knew Jamie didn't want the fun to end (and neither did I), but he's a good kid. He didn't make a fuss.

We had a "last hurrah" knocking over the top level of the castle, making the whole thing look more like a big snowbank than a fort. Then we took to the sky again, me pulling the sled, the boys holding on and enjoying the ride (Pitch in front this time, looking much less grumpy than on the way out), their scarves drifting out behind them in the breeze.

Jamie was worn out by the time we got back to his house, and I figured he would go right to sleep once his head hit his pillow.

"Jamie," I said when he was back through his window with all the snow clothes.

"Yeah?" he whispered sleepily.

"You remember the Boogeyman?"

He sniffed and nodded, looking like he was trying to concentrate.

"Well, when people stopped believing in him, he lost all his power."

"Mm. Good."

"Well, he got to be small and not really dangerous at all."

Jamie yawned widely. "Sorry," he said, blinking.

"Just let him sleep," Pitch said. "He's not awake enough for this. Besides, he'll have to go to school in a couple of hours."

I sighed. "OK. I'll tell you more about it later," I told Jamie.

The boy nodded. "Thanks for coming. I had a great time," he mumbled, tottering off to his bed.

"So did we," I said. "Good night."

"G'night." He pulled up his covers and was asleep right away, just as I figured he would be.

I took Pitch home, and we didn't talk until we got there.

"I'm not sure when I'll be back," I said, wanting to make sure I didn't set any unrealistic goals.

He shrugged, as if it made no difference to him. But he said, "I feel a little better now."

I smiled. "Good. I think we're on the right track, Pitch."

I helped him make up his little bed-under-the-bed. "It sure was nice of Jamie to lend you some of his snow clothes," I said, my head propped on my hand supported by my elbow on the floor. My hair brushed the underside of the bed. "You know what you could do? You could write him a thank-you letter."

"A letter?" Pitch repeated scornfully.

"Sure. Tell him you had fun with him and say thank you."

"Sounds like a lot of bother," he said.

"Yeah..." I agreed involuntarily. "But it's a nice thing to do."

"I bet you never did."

"Only when my mother made me. But I can see why she did."

"Jamie's a kid. I don't think they care about thank-you notes."

I shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe not. It was just an idea."

"You don't have to stay here," he said suddenly. "I know you're bored."

"I... haven't had time to get bored yet," I protested. "But I did think I should go see Tooth again. I have an idea that might help."

"Go, then."

I didn't like how snappy he was being, but I supposed he might just be trying to get his image back after being so carefree earlier. "OK. I'll try to come again soon."

He made some reserved answer so I would know he had heard me and I backed out from under the bed.

/'*

"I can't go looking at kids' memories without their permission," Tooth told me, but something in the way she said it told me she might have done exactly what she was protesting, and maybe more than once.

"Jamie wouldn't mind," I said reasonably. "I'd say you should talk to the kid himself, but he's asleep now and he has a long day of school tomorrow, so this is the best way."

She was frowning, but she wasn't arguing. I pushed on.

"You store kids' most precious memories, right?"

"Right..."

"Well, Jamie just spent some time with me and Pitch. All you have to do is check to see if if his tooth case holds anything from the last few hours."

"You exposed an innocent child to Pitch Black... on purpose?"

I rolled my eyes. "Jamie can take care of himself. You saw him. Now, will you stay on topic? Just check his tooth case."

She finally gave in and went with me to the area where the most recent teeth were kept. She got out Jamie's case and held it in her hands.

I couldn't see what she saw as the case shimmered and gave up its secrets, so I anxiously watched her face. I started to feel relieved as her features softened. Finally, she put the case away and sighed.

"One night spent with a child—and not harming him—doesn't mean that he's changed," she said slowly. "But... I admit it's more than I thought Pitch capable of." She looked at me and I could still see bushels of concern in her eyes. "Time will tell," She said. "I hope you're right to believe he can change. I really do. Please, promise me you're going to be careful."

"I am being careful," I said, but I can't say I'd taken many precautions so far. The only time I did much to limit Pitch, he had ended up getting hurt, so it was hard for me to judge how much caution to use.

"I mean it," she said, apparently sensing insufficient resolve in me.

"I know. And I appreciate your concern. But right now, Pitch is in less need of a jailer and more need of a friend. I know you're probably still mad at him for what he did to Baby Tooth and the others, but if he can change do you think you can forgive him?"

She looked away from me again, a war of emotions going on all over her face until she said, "Maybe."

I had to take what I could get. "Good," I said, as if she had answered yes. "Now... I'll try not to bug you again for a little bit, but I hope you'll be willing to try to help me if I ask you."

"I'll certainly hear out whatever crazy idea you come up with," she said, attempting a smile.

"Fair enough."

Progress is progress. Sometimes if you don't celebrate the little wins, you'll have no high points at all. But looking back on that night, I really did have a high point: I swear I saw Pitch smile more than once in that snow castle. An innocent, having-fun smile, not a calculating, rule-the-world-with-fear smile. I call that a win.

/'*

Back in this world again, Eren told me that his friend Leo (the guardian angel-ish guy I mentioned before) can go back to his own canon at whatever point in his timeline he pleases, even though his character isn't exactly a time travel expert in his world. That has got to be a very useful ability. I decided that next time I go back, I'll ask for Leo's help so I can arrive a little earlier. We've been so busy here that typing up this chapter took longer than I hoped, and I wish I could have gone back to my world yesterday. So, with Leo's assistance, maybe I can go back yesterday, weird as that sounds.

I'm hoping that being a Guardian, and him being a guardian angel ("White Lighter," Eren corrects me), we will have something in common and he'll be willing to help me out. In the meantime, the guys and I are enjoying the lead-up to Christmas. We have a little tree decorated, holiday air fresheners, candles, cookies, eggnog, hot chocolate...

Incidentally, I find that I get hungry and tired a lot more easily here than back in my world. Of course, whichever of us is "fronting" feels all of Mairead's frailties full-force, but even when I'm on our separate plane I don't feel quite like myself. It's not all bad, though. Getting truly hungry makes it more satisfying when you eat, and getting humanly sleepy makes you really appreciate a good night's sleep. And dreams. We had some crazy ones the last few nights. I don't remember them now, but sometimes I wonder if Sandman pays much attention to the direction dreams go once he puts them in someone's head.

But I digress.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you think and feel free to ask questions about either world. :p oxoxo ~Jack