Hello again! Thanks so much for the feedback on the last chapter. I'm glad this story is being enjoyed! I realized that I might have to bump the rating up a little bit for some topics that might get talked about later, but it won't be anything too heavy. I'll consider it a writing challenge to present the themes in a way that will keep them reader-friendly without detracting from their impact.

But that's not happening anytime soon! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

One change happened to the first chapter: I added a name for that chapter.

"...hm?"

Apparently, Tooth hadn't processed what Jack had said. Judging by the confused expressions on each face, neither had anyone else.

"I haven't been completely alone," Jack said, slower this time. "Maybe I went for the attention of bigger spirits like you guys or, you know, humans, but...I wasn't isolated."

He turned around and walked toward the Globe room. The door was usually half-shut when everyone was gathered, so he pushed it open until he could see the soft glowing lights. Jack heard the others walking up behind him.

"It hurt that the Moon stopped talking to me after just...telling me my name." Jack gripped his staff with both hands. "You know? So I just…" he sighed. Jack was never good at spilling his feelings to people - at least, not with them actively listening. He'd talked to the Man in the Moon, sure, but it was more like talking at him since he never responded. Over centuries, Jack had vented, bargained, and complained to someone who felt like an object, and it was totally different from having to gauge reactions and monitor his tact. He rubbed his thumb over a particular knot in the crook of his staff before speaking again.

"For a long time, I just tried to be noticed by anyone and everyone. I wanted someone to be with. Not in any special way, but…" he shrugged.

"All of those years trying to sneak in, then…" North clapped a hand down on Jack's shoulder, making the shorter spirit flinch. "You were trying to get attention plus a look at the workshop, da?"

Jack wasn't sure what expression to make with his mouth. It felt strange knowing that his new friends - well, new family - were feeling guilty about what they thought they knew about his past. They'd taken it upon themselves to shower him with love and gifts, which he wouldn't turn down, but the more he thought about it the stranger it seemed.

"...Did you guys really think I had no friends for 300 years?"

"A lotta spirits are tempermental, mate," Bunny spoke, folding his arms across his chest. "But I don't have to tell you that."

"Oh yeah, I know too much about that," Jack replied dryly, raising an eyebrow at him. Bunny didn't seem very ashamed by that fact. "Not just you, but pixies, nymphs, ghosts...either they like ya or they don't."

Jack heard the soft shifting of sand, and looked to see Sandy forming a scene with both hands. Jack could see a little figure of himself surrounded by random figures, question marks floating around them.

"So you're asking who these friends are, huh?"

"You've never talked about your friends, Jack," Tooth chimed in, holding her hands together and flitting up into the air. "We really didn't know...most of the time, you go out playing with the kids in Burgess."

"I...can't really tell you how that happened." Jack sighed. Then he frowned, feeling like he was sighing far too much. He twirled his staff from hand to hand, trying to find some lighter words. "We all get busy, right? We all have things we want or need to do. I guess I was impatient with Mim-"

"Mim?" North interrupted.

"Man in the Moon. I cut it to that."

"Oh…"

"I was impatient with Mim and how he wouldn't tell me what the heck I was supposed to be doing. I felt...lost. So I wanted more attention than just a few spirits could give." Jack's eyes widened as soon as the sound of his words reached him again. "Not that they're unimportant or anything! They're not 'just a few spirits' but...ugh, I don't know. I don't know!"

This whole ordeal was nonsense. Why was he stressing himself out over it? Jack huffed and drew a stream of frost on the floor in front of him. He watched the others back away, and his frown deepened.

"They're still my friends. I just...felt a different kind of lonely after they fixed the other kind."

"I'm not sure we all understand, Jack." Tooth said softly. "But...if nothing else, I'm glad to know that you weren't completely by yourself." she smiled, and Jack couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah. You know, I haven't gotten to talk with them for a while."

"Who are these friends of yours, Jack?" North asked, hands on his hips. "Are they spirits we might know?"

"You may know them, but a lot of them are younger than me," Jack shrugged before adding, "I mean that most of them have been spirits for less time than me."

"They gotta have a lot o' patience to hang around you. Or they're just trouble themselves." Bunny quipped, his lips curling in a good-natured smirk.

"You wouldn't stand a chance with us, cottontail," Jack grinned. "I can take you guys to them. It'd be good for you to get to know them. Who knows, maybe that party will have a few more people." he glanced at North, who sheepishly puckered his lips. "Anyway, I know the other season keepers, the Halloween spirit, some reapers…"

"Now hold on a tick. You're friends with REAPERS?" Bunny's smile was incredulous now. "Since when d'you hang around spirits like them?"

"They're not that bad. And that's exactly what I'm talking about!" Jack said, waving one hand and pressing down against the floor with his staff in the other. "Even if you do know of them, you don't know about them!"

"Why not go see them, then! A great idea!" North's eyes grew big and wide. Jack shrunk back as the jolly man started ranting about readying the sleigh, and how this idea worked wonderfully for their relationship with the children, so why should it not work now? Jack had to agree; the Guardians were a bit more in touch with the kids they protected. It wasn't really surprising that their work had kept them away from mingling with other supernatural creatures.

Jack could see Tooth and Sandy exchanging happy smiles as they listened to North. Those two were always so optimistic. Bunny, on the other hand...seemed unimpressed. Maybe by the reaper comment? Jack leaned against his staff. Same old stubborn kangaroo.

"How 'bout we meet the seasons first?" asked Jack, making everyone quiet down. "I know them the best, and I'm probably gonna be able to figure out where they are faster."

"Very good!" North looked like he was close to bursting into excited cheers. "Jack can show us the way! This will be good for you." the infectious grin made its way to Jack's own face.

"Half the world is in winter and the other half's in summer. I know exactly who to start with."

Please leave a review of what you thought! I really hope I'm doing the canon characters justice and no-one is acting too weird. Hey, if you've read some of my other stories you should know who they're gonna visit first ;3