Author's Note: *Bunny's voice* 'Ello, mates, and welcome back ta "The Winter Child!" =D Free chocolate for all because why not! X)

Ahhhhhahaaaa, chapter three already (yeah, I decided to call these chapters, AHAHA XD)! Soon we'll be at chapter ten, and then I'll probably say something like "Chapter ten already? I feel like I posted this yesterday!" X) But eh, I'm enjoying the journey which is this story so far, and I hope all of you are too! =3

I don't have anything else to say, so I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! ^u^ (Wow, real smooth transitioning, Moon =')).

~ III ~

Parenting 101

He thought it'd be easy

Thought it wouldn't be hard

But raising a snow sprite

Was as difficult as it was tough

Luckily he had friends

Who were willing to help him to no end

So that little Jack would grow up to be grand

...

"Wahhhhh!"

North groaned and rolled over in bed, hoping that in a little bit, Jack would stop crying. His hopes were damped; however, when the little snow sprite's wails grew louder and louder until North couldn't ignore them. North sighed, pushing himself out of bed and slipping on his slippers before making his way to Jack's cradle.

This was the fifth night that Jack had woken North up with his crying. The child couldn't seem to go through a night without crying, and this wasn't good for North. The ex-Cossack would wake up the next morning tired and weary from tending to Jack, and he'd have to get through the day with a lack of sleep. Tooth, Aster, and Sandy had noticed this, and they kindly offered to help him out, but North would reassure them that he was fine, even though he wasn't.

North was tired. And he needed to catch up on sleep, but this wasn't the only thing he needed to catch up on. Ever since North had taken Jack under his care, he found that he was falling behind on his work. North had several inventions he needed to fix or start, multiple deliveries that needed to be sent out, and many, many orders piling on his desk. North had managed to do some work here and there, but Jack required a lot of attention. Sometimes, he'd accidentally hand the boy a screwdriver instead of a toy.

North had to stop working to tend, feed, or care for Jack. And when he cried, North spent a great deal of time trying to calm him down. Especially at night. The winter child would begin to wail, and North would have to drag himself out of bed. He'd spent some time comforting Jack until he fell asleep again. But when he placed the boy down in the cradle, he'd begin to cry again, and the tiring process would repeat.

North loved Jack, and he wanted to care for him, but he didn't know how to balance his work time and his time with Jack. The two always clashed and overlapped each other, and North knew that if he didn't find a way to divide his time, he eventually wouldn't get any work done.

Sighing, North walked over to Jack's cradle, where the baby was crying loudly. Large tears cascaded from his cheeks, and his cries and wails only seemed to get louder. The sight of the poor boy tore at North's heart; he couldn't stand to see the child cry.

North lifted Jack into his arms and began to rock him back and forth, whispering words of comfort into his ear. He rubbed the baby's back and even sang an old, Russian lullaby, which calmed Jack down. Soon, the snow sprite's cries receded to sniffs and hiccups. Jack looked up at North, his cheeks tear-stained and blue eyes sparkling in the dark. The little boy managed a smile, and North couldn't help but smile back. He continued to rock Jack, singing softly until the baby yawned and his eyes slipped shut. Jack sighed in sleep. North sighed as well.

"What am I going to do with you, Jack?" he asked softly. North then placed Jack back into his cradle, chuckling lightly when the boy poked his thumb in his mouth.

His amusement was brief as his thoughts began to travel to Jack's nighttime problem again. North pursed his lips. What was he going to do? He couldn't continue waking up in the middle of the night; he had work to do and get some sleep. North knew he could always ask Aster, Tooth, or Sandy for help, but he didn't want to burden them with Jack's many needs. They had work to do as well. And North didn't think Jack was ready to be left with someone else…The boy was used to only having him around, so he'd be uncomfortable in the hands of someone new. North wanted to keep Jack close for now and make sure he was safe and comfortable.

North was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard Jack whimper. The ex-Cossack looked down as Jack shifted in bed, his face taut. The boy looked like he was on the verge of tears again. North quickly picked him up and sat in the rocking chair in the corner of his room, and he began to rock gently. Jack's face immediately softened, and he smiled, snuggling closer to North for warmth. North smiled as he continued to rock Jack, admiring how adorable the baby was. Soon, North yawned and drifted off, holding Jack close in his arms.

…

The next morning was just like others. North woke up feeling tired from lack of sleep, but he still pushed himself to get up. He found that Jack was still asleep in his arms, so North decided to place him in the cradle he built downstairs and start making breakfast for the both of them. Hopefully, Jack would wake up by then, and he could attempt to get started on his work.

North dressed and carried Jack downstairs, placing him in the cradle and covering him with a light blanket. He then walked into the kitchen, where he began to prepare breakfast. The smell of eggs, toast, and warm milk began to flood the home, and it was when North finished cooking he heard a knock at the door.

As North walked over to open the door, he heard the telltale fluttering wings from the other side. North smiled, immediately knowing who his guest was. He opened the door, revealing Toothiana, one of his closest friends. The fairy was bundled in a light pink coat, white mittens, and a scarf. Unlike Aster, Tooth's Sister of Flight background was known to everyone. She wasn't being hunted down by unknown enemies, so the Tooth Fairy could come and go where she pleased without worry.

Her usual troop of fairies wasn't with her, so North assumed that the mini fairies were delivering letters or sorting through the teeth that they collected. Tooth acknowledged North with a bright smile, her teeth shining like the winter sun in the sky.

"Hello, North!" she chirped happily. "Sorry for showing up on short notice. Bunny told me about Jack, and I just had to come see him for myself!"

North waved his hand. "Bah, is completely fine, Toothy! Come in, come in!"

Tooth smiled, and she fluttered inside. North closed the door behind her. Toothiana removed her coat, scarf, and gloves and set them aside. She wore a pair of green and orange pants that grew thicker and heavier as they went down. A golden strap with pouches hugged her waist. Her long-sleeved shirt was also green and orange with splashes of light blue. Curved, pointed shoes were on her tiny feet.

Noticing the smell of food, Tooth asked, "Did I catch you making breakfast?"

North nodded. "I just finished. Would you like some?"

"No, that's alright. I already ate," Tooth informed him. Her bird-like head looked this way and that, her amethyst eyes sparkling with excitement. "So, where's the little snow sprite I've heard so much about?"

North chuckled. "He is asleep right now, but you can go see him in living room if you want."

The sound of Jack's babbling came from the living room. Tooth smiled.

"Well, it looks like someone's awake," she said playfully. North laughed, and Tooth fluttered into the living room, hovering in front of the cradle Jack was inside. The Tooth Fairy squealed at the sight of him.

"Oh, North! He's so adorable!" Toothiana exclaimed. Jack looked up at the bird-woman curiously. She didn't seem threatening, so Jack flashed a smile, and he giggled. Tooth cooed with delight, and Jack raised his arms, asking to be carried.

"I think he wants to be picked up," Tooth said. "Is it fine if I…?"

"Go right ahead, Toothy," North allowed. Tooth grinned, and she happily plucked Jack out of his cradle, holding him close to her chest. Jack nestled against Tooth, and he sneezed when one of her feathers brushed against his nose. A burst of snowflakes appeared, twirling in the air like elegant dancers before disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Tooth fluttered to where North was preparing the table and sat down in a chair, bouncing Jack on her knee. Jack laughed, making Tooth smile again.

"He's so sweet," she remarked. Tooth looked up at North. "It was very kind of you to take him in, North."

North nodded. "I didn't want him to live alone," he said. Having experienced this personally, North couldn't stand the thought of Jack growing up without parents. Alone with no one to care for him. North knew he wouldn't have lasted any longer out in the woods. Jack was so young, and he deserved a chance to live life.

Tooth rubbed Jack's back as she bounced him on her knee. The winter child garbled in delight. "Has he begun to show any form of power yet?"

North shrugged, walking over with a plate of toast and eggs for himself, and a bottle of milk for Jack. "He sometimes makes small patches of frost appear when he touches something. And every time he sneezes, snowflakes appear. I think his abilities will grow as he gets older."

Jack whimpered impatiently, and Tooth stopped bouncing him, her face shifting into one of concern. North smiled.

"He's fine," he reassured her. "He's just hungry."

"Oh," Tooth said, a relieved laugh leaving her lips. She handed Jack to North, and the baby huddled against him. North held up the bottle of milk, and Jack began to down it almost immediately. Tooth giggled at the sight. She then fluttered up from her chair, her expression becoming pensive.

"I didn't come just to see Jack, North," Tooth admitted. North gave her his attention as Jack continued to suck from the bottle. "I also came to tell you that you're due to ship some of your orders. Some of your buyers have been stopping by the post office, wondering where their inventions are." Tooth folded her hands in front of her, her expression concerned. "They're beginning to grow impatient, North. And I can't tell them you're behind because you're taking care of a baby snow sprite. We still don't know how they'll react."

North sighed. "I haven't even started on most of the orders that were placed," he conceded.

"Is Jack still keeping you awake and busy?" inquired Tooth.

North nodded. "Yes, he is," he admitted. "I just don't know how to separate my time. Everything is always crashing into each other. I want to care for Jack, but I still have my work to do."

"You know Aster, Sandy, and I are always willing to help," Tooth reminded him. She could see that North was tired, but he was stubborn. It took him a little longer to admit that he needed help. Tooth, Aster, and Sandy were all worried for their friend, and they offered to help with Jack numerous times before, but North always said that he was fine, even though he did need the extra help. Perhaps this time he'd allow them to assist him.

Jack finished the milk bottle with a sigh, and North set it aside. "I don't want to take you and the others away from your work," he said.

"You won't be," said Tooth. "We can always put some time aside."

A small hiccup from Jack reminded North that he still had to burp him, and the ex-Cossack placed the boy over his shoulder, patting his back. North knew that he had to start on the piling orders that he had, and he did need some help with Jack. He thought caring for the little boy would be easy, but it wasn't. Who knew that parenting could be so hard?

Weighing his options, North realized that both he and Jack would benefit from Tooth, Aster, and Sandy's help. North would finally be able to sleep regularly and get back to work, and Jack would still have all his needs and demands met. After a few moments of thought, North nodded slowly.

"Alright," he agreed. "I'll take the help."

Tooth smiled brightly, and her feathers twitched with enthusiasm. "Alright! I'll let Bunny and Sandy know as soon as possible!" She placed a hand on North's shoulder. "We'll do everything we can to help you with—"

Tooth was interrupted by a loud and very sudden burp from Jack. North pulled Jack from his shoulder; the winter child looked surprised and a little startled. His stunned expression made Tooth and North laugh.

Toothiana turned to the clock, realizing that she had to head back. "I have to go, but I'll let Aster and Sandy know that you want some help." Tooth flew over to the door and slipped on her coat, mittens, and scarf. "We'll come up with some ideas on what we can do."

"We'll be waiting," said North. Tooth smiled, and she fluttered up to Jack, pressing a small kiss to his cheek. The winter child giggled.

"I'll be back soon!" Tooth promised. She waved to North and Jack and fluttered out the door. North shut it closed, feeling glad that he'd be receiving some help, but he wondered what Tooth, Aster, and Sandy had in mind when it came to helping him with Jack.

North felt a light tug on his beard, and he looked down. Jack was looking at him; he tugged North's beard again and laughed.

Smiling, North held Jack close. "Well, moy mal'chik, it looks like you and I will have company soon."

…

The next day, Tooth, Aster, and Sandy arrived at North's front door. The ex-Cossack was rather bemused by what they carried with them. Aster was holding a portable chalkboard and a pack of chalk. A satchel was hanging from his shoulder, and inside it was a yellow egg that appeared to be glowing. When North examined it closer, he realized that it was indeed glowing.

Sandy brought along a pouch filled with his golden dreamsand, and Toothiana held a shiny new tooth box and a book tucked under her arm. North assumed that it was about teeth. Tooth was very tight when it came to dental hygiene.

"What are you all doing here?" asked North, making room for everyone to enter.

Aster snorted. "Ya forgot already?" The Pooka placed his things down and began to set up the blackboard. "We're here ta help with Jack."

North nodded, and Sandy floated up to him. Sand curled and twisted over his head, creating the image of a question mark and a cup of eggnog. North smiled.

"Yes, Sandy. There is some eggnog in the kitchen," North answered. He watched with an amused smile as Sandy went over to grab himself a cup. The Sandman had a strange addiction to the drink, and North frankly didn't know why he liked it so much.

Tooth fluttered into the living room, finding Jack playing on the floor. At the sight of her, Jack brightened and lifted his hands toward her. "Ba! Ba!"

Tooth laughed, and she picked Jack up. The baby boy immediately snuggled against her.

"He's so cute!" Tooth chirped.

Aster rolled his eyes. "The little ankle-biter nearly bit my finger off. I can tell he's gonna be a troublemaker."

Tooth brushed off Aster's comment and fluttered over to where he, North, and Sandy were waiting. North was still confused about why his friends had brought a chalkboard, glowing egg, tooth box, and a pouch of dreamsand. It was an odd collection of items, and North didn't know what they were for just yet.

Once he finished setting up the chalkboard, Aster gave it a proud pat. "There. Now we can get started with the lesson."

Lesson? North thought. What lesson? He hadn't prepared for any lessons at all. North felt like a student who had forgotten to do his homework.

"What is going on?" North asked. Aster scribbled something on the top of the board. It took North some time to make the words out, but he eventually read "Parenting 101."

"We're going ta help ya with Jack," explained Aster, twirling the white chalk in his paw. "So we gotta teach ya what ta do."

"Aster insisted on bringing the chalkboard," Tooth further elaborated. She turned to the Pooka with a small frown. "I told you we don't need it."

"It's a part of Pookan culture that we teach things properly," Aster stated.

North shook his head in amusement, and Tooth handed Jack to him. Then, she took her place next to the chalkboard with Aster and Sandy. Aster was writing something else on the board; one that took North even longer to read since there were so many words. Aster's handwriting was very difficult to make out. After rereading the sentence a few times, North was able to comprehend "Raising a Snow Sprite."

"First of all, mate," Aster began as he finished writing. "Ya need ta know that Jack isn't any ordinary baby. He's a snow sprite, meanin' that he has a different body chemistry than a regular human. He's going ta show different forms of power, which is only going ta grow as the ankle-biter gets older. So yer gonna want ta do some extra readin' so ya know what ta expect."

North nodded, and Tooth took her turn.

"I heard that snow sprites have the whitest teeth on earth," she said. Tooth pulled out the beautiful tooth box that she had crafted for Jack. Ornate patterns and glittering gemstones shimmered on its golden surface. A small picture of Jack was on the front face of the box. "I know Jack doesn't have any teeth just yet, but I made this for him to keep them safe."

"Ya sure that yer not goin' ta take a peek in the box once his teeth start fallin' out, Sheila?" Aster asked with a raised eyebrow.

Tooth huffed. "I won't! This is just so Jack can keep his teeth and access any childhood memory he wants when he gets older." Tooth smiled warmly at Jack, whose blue eyes were glimmering with excitement at the sight of the shiny, golden tooth box.

North gently took the ornate box out of Tooth's hands; he knew how important teeth were in her culture. Tooth's parents and her distant relatives, the Sisters of Flight, were gone. North, Aster, and Sandy were the closest thing she had to family. Now, little Jack had joined the group, and Tooth was more than ecstatic to share a practice from her home with the winter child.

"Now that Jack's teeth topic is resolved, let's gear back ta the original subject matter," said Aster. At this point, the Pooka sighed. "Now, we still don't know how the others are goin' ta react ta ya carin' fer a snow sprite—"

"Which is why I'll keep Jack hidden for a while until we know what to do," North finished.

Jack was only a child, but he was still a snow sprite. The only people who knew of his presence were Aster, Sandy, Tooth, and Ombric, North's former teacher and friend. They were the ones North had turned to for help when he had first discovered Jack, and he wasn't intending on telling anyone else about the little boy at the moment. North knew that here in Norsurberian, people weren't going to act too kindly about a baby snow sprite from a region as far as Windskald was in their village.

The others agreed to this, and North watched as Aster wrote something else on the board. "Antics."

"Antics?" North read, puzzled.

"Antics," confirmed Aster. He looked at Jack, who was currently looking up at Aster with an impish smile. "He's a mischievous one. I can tell."

North had to agree with that. Jack had tried to climb his study desk, tugged on the tablecloth while there was still silverware on it, and he even managed to escape from his cradle and climb into his bed (a feat that North had to admit was rather impressive for a baby as young as Jack).

The white-haired bairn giggled innocently. Aster placed his paws on his hips.

"Don't ya laugh," he chided. Aster turned to North. "Whatever ya do, don't fall for the pleadin' look in his eyes when he's tryin' ta get somethin' from ya. If ya don't want him ta do somethin', don't let him do it. No matter how many times he complains."

"Jack doesn't complain," stated North.

"Not yet," Aster said. "Children try ta get things from their parents all the time. They try ta avoid bedtime, stay up late, sneak out…A whole lotta things I can list. And they have tricks ta make their parents give them what they want. Don't fall for them, mate."

Jack tilted his head with a perplexed coo. Tooth shook her head.

"Aster…he's only a baby," she said.

"Just because he's a baby, doesn't mean he can't get into trouble," Aster said firmly.

"Fine, fine," said North, popping in before an argument could take place. "Antics. Got it. What's next?"

Aster was about to pull out the chalk again when Sandy snatched it out of his paw. He floated up to the board, enthusiastically writing in perfect, swirly cursive, "SLEEP."

Aster crossed his arms and snickered. "Of course, Sandy's excited about his area of expertise."

Sandy nodded, and he turned to North. He produced the images of a bed, North, and a question mark. "Have you slept much lately?"

As much as North would've loved to answer "yes," he knew he couldn't lie to his friends.

North sighed. "No…I haven't gotten much sleep. Jack keeps me up at night with crying, so I'm tired most mornings."

And Sandy could tell; the dark circles under the ex-Cossack's eyes were perceptible.

"Ya need ta rest, mate," said Aster.

"I know," said North tiredly. He shifted Jack in his arms. "But Jack cannot sleep long by himself. Even if he is in my room and knows I'm there he feels…alone."

Jack looked up at North, sensing his worry. "Ahda?" he said in his baby talk. North ran a hand through the little one's unruly white hair. Jack leaned into North's fatherly touch.

"I don't know what to do," conceded North. "Jack needs me, but I don't know how to manage my time between him and my work."

Luckily, the Sandman had a solution. Sandy smiled, and he pulled out the pouch of dreamsand that he had carried with him. He kindly placed it into North's hand, and some golden grains burst out from the pouch. A couple managed to sprinkle on Jack. The child blinked and yawned.

A few images flashed over Sandy's head. An arrow pointing to the pouch, a snowflake, and three z's. "The dreamsand will help Jack sleep."

North wished that he had asked his friends for help sooner. Dreamsand was very powerful, and it was the perfect tool to use on Jack to ensure that he slept through the night.

"And this," said Aster, pulling out the glowing egg from his bag. "Will help him with the dark."

North was confused. "But…Jack's eyes are closed."

Aster's ears twitched. "Snow sprites can sense darkness, mate. It's a strange ability. Helps them with survival I think. But Jack is young, and the only darkness he senses is when the lights are out." Aster glanced at Jack. "He's afraid of the dark, mate."

I should've noticed that before… thought North, feeling guilty. He looked down at Jack, who had tensed a little at the mention of darkness. Even though he couldn't understand words and their meaning yet, the word "dark" seemed to affect him.

"But this right here," said Aster, mostly to Jack than the others in the room. "Contains the light that we Pookas swore ta protect. It chases away any type of darkness, and Pookas used ta give 'em ta their kits when they were scared of the dark too."

A distant look flickered in Aster's eyes as he talked about his past life in Gladsteryen. North felt sorry for his friend. Aster had lost his entire clan to Pitch, and even though he didn't show it often, he did miss his old life. He missed his family. He had closed himself off from people until he met North, Tooth, and Sandy because of this. He had wallowed in grief for years, and it took him a while to pull himself out of it.

Jack noticed Aster's change in demeanor, and he gave the Pooka a smile, which surprised the tall rabbit. Still, Aster couldn't help but smile back, and he handed the glowing egg to Jack, who accepted it happily. The winter child grinned as the golden egg brightened when he tapped it. Jack laughed.

Tooth smiled. "I think he likes it."

"He likes all the gifts," said North. He looked up at his friends. "I cannot thank you all enough."

"It's no problem, North," said Aster kindly.

"We all love Jack," added Tooth. She ruffled the little boy's hair, and Jack giggled. "We'll all help out in taking care of him."

Sandy nodded in agreement and North smiled. Jack grinned. "Waba!" he cheered.

North chuckled, and he held Jack close. "And besides…how hard can looking after baby snow sprite be?"

And little did North know, he was just about to find out.

Author's Note: I sense chaos in North's future. *Laughs maniacally*

*Coughs* Uh, er, sorry 'bout that. XD But yes, to answer MixitupQueen's question, there shall be some babeh Jack chaos in the next chapter. =D Well, not chaos, chaos but there is still some destruction. =) (Why am I smiling as I type that- XDDD).

Anyway, I really don't have anything else to say, so I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter (and feel free to throw your questions at me if you have any =D).

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203