Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" =D For a temporary cover, I took a picture of one of the many baby Jack sketches that I have in my sketchbook. =) The real one's still a work in progress, but I hope to get it out in the next month or two. ^u^

Other than that, I don't really have anything else to say. So, I hope you guys enjoy this new chap. =D

~ IV ~

Mischievous Antics

He was little but troublesome

Mischievous being a better word

He'd get into his things

Which poked at his nerves

But he was only a baby

He was still learning and growing

Soon enough he'd learn what was okay and what's not

...

"Jack! Put that down, moy mal'chik!"

Said snow sprite jumped in surprise, his little hands dropping the delicate contraption that North had meticulously crafted over the past few days. The sound of gears, wood, and metal clamored against the ground, causing North to cringe. Jack blinked, pretending that he wasn't responsible for the damage. North sighed and walked up to his desk, which Jack was sitting upon, and he bent down to pick up the shattered pieces.

"You have to be careful with these, Jack," said North. "They are very fragile and break easily. This is fifth invention you have broken."

North was surprised that he was even keeping track of the inventions that Jack had destroyed. The winter child's lip trembled, and he whimpered. Tears welled in his eyes.

"No, no, it's okay, my boy," North quickly reassured him. "It may take a while to get materials, but these can be replaced."

Jack's gathering tears disappeared, and he brightened. North smiled, and placed the invention pieces aside, making sure they were far from Jack's reach.

Aster wasn't kidding when he said that Jack was a mischievous child. North knew that Jack had a habit of getting into trouble, but he didn't think that it'd grow to the point where he was constantly breaking his things. Jack would pull out his tools or contraptions, fiddling with them until they gave in and broke. Jack was only a child—a baby really—so he didn't understand what he could touch or not. Still, he needed to learn how to behave, and North needed to find a way to teach him…and from destroying his work.

Some way, somehow, Jack managed to get into his study. How he entered, North did not know. He'd tuck him in for a nap and head downstairs to work as the winter child snoozed. He would come upstairs to check on the boy, only to find that he had mysteriously vanished. Panic would grip North, and he would fear something happened to the little one. Then he'd find young Jack in his study on his desk, playing with whatever plans, inventions, or tools babies shouldn't touch or handle. North made sure to place these items out of Jack's reach, but the impish child still found a way to them even though they were hidden.

Jack watched as North placed the remaining pieces of the broken, box-like creation on a separate table. The baby pointed at the shiny gears. "Dabwa," he said in his baby talk, requesting the metal gears.

"No, Jack. You cannot have this," said North. Jack pouted, but North picked up Jack's rattle, which was lying on the ground, and handed it to him. The winter child took it, debating whether or not it was a worthy replacement for the burnished gears he had played with earlier. Jack shook the rattle, the shk, shk sound bringing a smile to his face. He giggled as he shook the rattle again.

North smiled, but he still wondered what he was going to do about Jack's mischievousness. He didn't punish him, since the boy was far too young for that. And he wasn't upset with him either. His inventions and machines did take a long time to make, but they could be replaced, unlike a certain baby snow sprite. The ex-Cossack wasn't sure how he was going to keep his items out of reach from Jack; he had already tried hiding them. But the winter child managed to find them faster than when the wind blew by. If he didn't find a solution soon, Jack could get hurt. And North didn't want that to happen.

Suddenly, North heard something crash to the ground. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, the ex-Cossack turned around. Jack had pushed his tools off the desk, so they now lay in a metal and wood heap on the floor. North frowned disapprovingly at the baby snow sprite. Jack smiled innocently.

"Oh, Jack…" said North. He sighed deeply. "I think it's time we put you down for nap."

…

A few days later, North was working in the study once again. A pair of glasses were perched on his nose as he poked at the gears of the clock he had made, checking for blemishes. It was nearly due for delivery, and North wanted to check that he hadn't made any errors when he had made it. If he found any, he would go back and fix them. North made sure that all of his customers received gadgets or tools that were of the best quality.

As North turned the gears to see if they were operational, he took pleasure in the silence that sounded throughout the house. Jack was sleeping soundly upstairs, which meant that North did have to worry about the little snow sprite getting to his things and damaging them.

Still, North felt a little lonely without the usual sound of Jack's giggles or warbles whenever he sat in the area in the study that North had set aside just for him. North had laid a blue blanket on the floor and provided a basket filled with toys to entertain the baby boy. Jack would sit and play here while North worked. He was able to keep an eye on him this way and enjoy Jack's company. The winter child wasn't sitting there now, but North knew he would wake up soon.

From the front of the house, North heard a knock. It was gentle and light, but North could still hear it since the home was silent. North took off his glasses and set them down on his desk. North pushed himself out of his chair and walked out of his study and to the front door. When he opened it, the stout, golden form of the Sanderson Mansnoozie was on the other side. He held a small pouch in his golden hand and a kind smile that would've calmed anyone down.

"Ah, Sandy! It's good to see you!" North said happily. He made sure to keep his voice down so he wouldn't disturb Jack. Sandy's grin widened, and he nodded. North invited him inside and closed the door.

"How is the job?" asked North as Sandy removed his coat. "It has been a while since I have seen you."

Sandy tilted his head from side to side, shaking his hand in the "so-so" motion. A few images flashed over his head. "I haven't seen anything of Pitch or his nightmares. But these strange attacks across Lunslruna still have Tsar Lunar and his men stumped."

North nodded. "Toothy told me that something was going on. There isn't any evidence pointing to him?"

Sandy shook his head. "None at all. And that makes things more ominous."

North wove a hand through his beard pensively. The Sandman worked not only as the bringer of good dreams to children but also patrolled the area around Santoff Claussen, searching for any sign of Pitch's darkness or shadows. Sandy was associated with Tsar Lunar and his highest fleet of soldiers, but the Sandman preferred to work separately from them. Being a part of Tsar Lunar's troops would mean moving to fanciful Lunslruna Capital, and Sandy wanted to stay close to home. The Sandman did search beyond Santoff Claussen's borders in his golden blimp of sand, but he always returned home in the earliest hours of the morning.

Sandy's job required a lot of energy, so he often slept during the day and was active at night. When he was awake during the daytime, Sandy was prone to dozing off at the most unpredictable moments. Tooth, Aster, and North eventually got used to finding him sleeping midair or under a pile of blankets. They all admired Sandy's dedication to his job; North often wondered if the Sandman ever considered joining Tsar Lunar's official group of soldiers.

"There is some eggnog in the kitchen," said North. Sandy's glow brightened at the mention of his favorite drink. Before floating over to serve himself a cup, Sandy handed North the small pouch of dreamsand. The golden dust glittered in the air when Sandy dropped the bag in North's palm. The ex-Cossack had been running low, and he had requested more when he had last seen Sandy.

Sandy headed into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of eggnog. Turning to North, a dreamsand question mark coiled over his head, a bed, and a snowflake. "Has Jack been sleeping well?"

North nodded. "Ever since I started using dreamsand, he has been sleeping much more soundly. I think I'll eventually stop using it, just so that he doesn't get attached."

Sandy nodded in agreement, and he downed half the eggnog in just a few gulps. North didn't understand the Sandman's fondness for the drink, but he didn't question him.

"Speaking of Jack, I should go check on him. I set boy down for a nap a while ago," said North. Sandy waved a hand, ushering North to go. He settled himself in a chair as North walked up the stairs. He arrived at the door to his room (since Jack's cradle had been placed there), and he opened it carefully. The door sometimes squeaked when pushed too quickly, and North didn't want to wake the snoozing snow sprite.

North stepped into the room and walked over to Jack's crib side. He expected to find Jack sleeping inside, but much to his surprise, the blankets were bare and empty. Fear choked North; Jack was gone!

"Jack?" North called, looking around the room frantically. "Jack!"

There was no babbling. No giggling. No sound of the winter child at all. North placed the dreamsand pouch on the dresser and ran downstairs. Upon seeing his worried expression, Sandy floated out of his chair, a question mark poofing over his head.

"Jack is gone," said North quickly. An exclamation point burst over Sandy's golden hair.

North began to pace, worry nabbing him like greedy claws. "I set him down for nap not too long ago…And he was there when I checked on him earlier! Where could he have—"

North cut himself off, the answer dawning on him before he could ask the question. A feeling of exasperation washed over the man when he realized where Jack was. Sandy tilted his head in bemusement; a question mark twisting over his head once again.

"I know where Jack is," stated North in a tone that sounded a little upset. Sandy followed the man in red as he walked to his study. The door was still left slightly ajar, and North pushed it open. He and Sandy stood in the doorway.

Inside the study was none other than little Jack, who was happily fiddling with the clock that North had been working on minutes before. Gears were strewn across the desk, and the winter child laughed as he waved the round pendulum in the air. He didn't notice North and Sandy in the doorway, and it wasn't until a few moments that he sensed that he had company. Jack turned, his smile slipping from his face when he noticed North frowning disapprovingly and Sandy watching him in curiosity.

Jack blinked owlishly, and he gulped. North marched up to him.

"Jack…you know you're not supposed to play in here," said North sternly. "These aren't toys."

North took the round pendulum out of Jack's hand. The baby immediately protested. "Abaflwak!"

North shook his head. "No, you cannot have this," he said. Jack frowned, and he crossed his arms, turning away from North with a petulant "Hmph!"

Sandy looked between the two as the scene rolled on, interest flickering in his eyes. He floated up to North and pointed at Jack, the clock piece in his hand, and produced a question mark over his head. The golden little man had a hunch about what was happening, but he wanted North to explain first.

North sighed. "Jack keeps on getting into my things and damaging inventions that I haven't finished," he explained. "I don't want him hurting himself, but he keeps getting into trouble. I put tools and inventions on top shelf, and then he finds them again." North gestured to the pouting snow sprite. "And he keeps on getting out of bed somehow!"

Sandy looked at Jack and tapped his chin, wondering what he could do to help both North and Jack. Suddenly, an idea popped into the Sandman's mind. A golden lightbulb even appeared over the little man's head.

North noticed this, and he asked, "Do you have idea?"

Sandy nodded. "I'll need Jack for a couple of minutes, though," he said through his dreamsand images.

North turned to Jack, who had been watching the conversation. "Sandy is going to watch you for a little bit while I clean up in here, moy mal'chik."

Sandy picked up Jack and the winter child looked up at him curiously. Sandy told North that he'd be done in a little while, and North watched the pair leave for the living room. As the ex-Cossack gathered the pieces of his clock, he wondered what the Sandman had in mind for young Jack Frost.

…

Sandy stared at the young snow sprite who sat before him. Jack stared back, an impish grin on his face. By just looking at the bairn's smile, Sandy could tell that he was a mischievous one. And that his mischievousness would either be handled or simply get worse if not tended to right away. Jack was already climbing out of bed and getting into North's things, and the ex-Cossack was beginning to grow tired of it. Luckily, Sandy had an idea that he hoped would help both the baby snow sprite and North.

Jack yawned, and he got to his hands and knees. He began to crawl off, but Sandy stopped him with a wall of dreamsand. The winter child frowned, turning to Sandy with a whine. He was bored, Sandy knew, but he needed to learn how to behave sooner than later.

Sandy had flown all over the Tsardom of Lunslruna in his aircraft. He'd seen children of all kinds, especially the troublemakers, who always stood out from the rest. Whether they clowned around in school, fidgeted more than most, or were hyper and full of energy, Sandy always made sure to give these children a little extra dreamsand so they could get a good night's rest. Sandy knew that dreamsand wouldn't help Jack's mischievous antics, but he could still use it to show what he could touch and couldn't.

Sandy waved his hands, fashioning a dreamsand replica of one of North's many tools. Golden gears interlocked with each other, and a lever protruded from one side. It was a box in shape, but a useful tool. A sharp, metal point stuck out from the front. As complex as its structure was, the box-shaped object was just a simple drill.

Jack's blue eyes caught sight of the object, and his eyes sparkled with yearning. Jack crawled forward, reaching out for the dreamsand tool, but Sandy pulled it away before he could get his hands on it. He wagged his finger in front of the snow sprite.

Jack tilted his head. "Fwabla?"

Sandy pointed to the item in his hand and created a golden x over his head. He created more tools and inventions that he had seen in North's study and pointed to each one, shaking his head each time he gestured to one. When Sandy finished his presentation, Jack only blinked. The Sandman couldn't tell if he understood the message or not. So, he decided to test the young boy.

Sandy summoned the very first tool that he had displayed to Jack, and he placed it on the ground in front of him. Jack stared at it, seemingly about to snatch it. He looked up at Sandy, who was watching to see what he was going to do.

Then the baby snow sprite turned toward the study, where he could hear North cleaning up after him. Jack pursed his lips and looked back at the dreamsand tool in front of him. It sparkled and glittered temptingly. Its golden glow reflected in the winter child's sapphire blue orbs. Jack reached out to take it.

"It may take a while to get materials, but these can be replaced."

Jack paused. North wouldn't want him to touch his tools or gadgets. Tools and inventions could be replaced, yes, but it took a while to get the items needed to make them. And Jack knew that North had told him on multiple occasions that his things were easy to break. And could hurt him if he wasn't careful.

Jack pulled his small hand away from the glittering drill and sat down, knowing that he wasn't supposed to play with North's things. They weren't toys, he knew, so he wouldn't touch them.

Sandy smiled, glad that the winter child was finally learning. With a wave of his hand, the golden tool burst into sparkles of dreamsand. Jack looked around in awe, and he laughed, knowing that he had done something right.

…

After cleaning up his study, North stepped out to find Sandy and Jack in the living room. Sandy was creating shapes and animals with his dreamsand, and Jack chased after them on the floor, laughing with glee. He caught a dreamsand kitten, which burst into dreamsand on contact. A small amount of dreamsand splashed onto the boy, causing him to yawn. But he quickly got up and crawled after the next golden creation that caught his interest.

North chuckled as he entered the room. "It looks like you two have been having fun," remarked North. Sandy turned to North and Jack looked up and grinned. "What have you been up to?"

Sandy waved his hands, allowing his dreamsand to disappear. Jack seemed a little disappointed, but he didn't make a fuss. The Sandman gestured to Jack and nodded toward North. Then, he gestured for the two of them to head to the study.

North lifted Jack into his arms and followed the Sandman into his office. Sandy gestured for North to set Jack down on the desk, and he did so. Sandy then pointed to one of the many invention parts lying on one of the tables and asked the ex-Cossack to pick it up.

Bemused, North retrieved one of the gears that had fallen out of the last gadget that Jack had broken. Sandy then pointed to Jack.

"You want me to give this to him?" asked North. Sandy nodded. Although he was skeptical, North did as he was told, and he handed the piece of metal to the winter child.

North and Sandy watched in anticipation as Jack eyed the gear, turning it over in his hands. He seemed ready to fiddle with it until he looked up at North. He seemed concerned for him, and Jack knew that he had told him many times that he wasn't supposed to play with his items.

Jack blinked slowly, and he looked down at the shimmering gear in his hands. He set it down on the desk and turned to North, smiling happily.

Amazed, North laughed, and he lifted Jack. "You now know what you shouldn't touch!" he cheered.

Jack giggled. "Bah, bah!"

North turned to the Sandman, who was smiling warmly. "Thank you, Sandy. I owe you."

Sandy waved a hand, conjuring a few images over his head. "You don't owe me anything," he said through his dreamsand. "I'll help with Jack anytime."

North smiled. Now that he didn't have to worry about Jack getting into his things, he could focus on his work and catch up on what he missed.

Suddenly, there was another crash, and North and Sandy turned to see that Jack had managed to pick up the heavy gear, and had accidentally dropped it to the ground. The object was now broken in two. Sandy sighed and North shook his head.

Jack gulped."Wuh uoh."

But instead of scolding the boy, North, "Well, I guess Jack's mischievousness isn't completely gone." He held the little boy close and smiled. "But that is alright."

Jack cooed, and he leaned against North with a gentle smile on his face.

Author's Note: Jack is a master of mischief, hehe. X)

Wow, I am seriously at a loss for words today...haha. XD Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope to see ya'll in the next one! =3

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203