Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Welcome back to "Delirious!" =D Man, am I looking forward to the weekend. Summer break needs to come and fast.
Anyway, here's chapter three! I hope you guys enjoy it! =D
Chapter Three: Motherly Care
The next hour arrived rather quickly, but Tooth didn't mind. She assigned the rest of her fairies out to go and collect children's teeth. Once the last mini fairies had flown out the window, Tooth let out a small sigh of satisfaction. Baby Tooth chirped happily at her side, being the only mini fairy to stay behind. Baby Tooth and Jack shared a strong bond, which Tooth deeply admired. The little fairy was equally worried about Jack as the other Guardians were, and she wanted to visit him too.
Toothiana turned to the other Guardians in the room. "Well, it looks like it's my turn to visit Jack now." Baby Tooth chirped loudly and Tooth smiled apologetically. "Oh, sorry. Our turn."
Baby Tooth perched on Tooth's shoulder and nodded, satisfied, while Bunny stood up from his seat.
"I'll head back to the Warren and grab some more medicine for Frostbite. The vile we have is probably runnin' low."
The Guardians watched as Bunny tapped his foot against the ground, and a tunnel appeared soon afterward. The Pooka saluted each of the Guardians.
"I'll be back in a flash," he said. With that, he hopped into his tunnel, and it closed behind him, leaving an orange flower in its place.
"We'll be back too," said Tooth. She waved to North and Sandy, who returned her wave, and the Fairy Queen fluttered out of the library in a blur of colorful feathers.
As Tooth and Baby Tooth made their way to the infirmary, the Queen of the Tooth Fairy Armies couldn't help but let her concern seep in. Like all of the Guardians—even though Bunny would never admit it—Tooth was worried about Jack. She saw the winter spirit as her own son, so it was completely natural for the Tooth Fairy to feel anxious for the Guardian of Fun. He had only hit his head, but despite that, Toothiana was still worried. Jack had gone through much worse, however, which brought a little comfort to Tooth knowing that Jack's injuries could've been worse than they were at the moment.
Baby Tooth chirped from Tooth's side, pulling her from her thoughts and alerting her that they had crossed into the infirmary wing of the North Pole, and Tooth flew up to the door which served as the entrance to Jack's room. Tooth didn't know what to expect; the story of Jack acting like Pitch was both amusing but a little concerning at the same time. Tooth hoped that when Jack woke up, that he would act in a way that was bearable. And a small part of Tooth hoped that he would act like a young child as he had when he first awoke. Tooth fluttered up to the door, Baby Tooth hovering at her side, and she slowly opened it. Tooth fluttered backward in surprise when a blur of feathers dashed into the bedroom immediately when the door was opened. Baby Tooth fluttered over Jack and perched herself on Jack's headboard, watching as the winter spirit slept on. Tooth smiled softly; Jack was Baby Tooth's closest friend, so Tooth wasn't surprised that the little fairy was so desperate to see him.
Tooth entered the room soon afterward and fluttered over to Jack's bedside. Jack was still asleep, and Tooth couldn't help but run her hand through his unruly white hair. Jack's lips twitched into a smile, and Tooth found herself smiling as well. Jack was so at peace when he slept, and Tooth sometimes forgot that Jack was enthusiastic, always moving, and continuously active whenever he was asleep. When Jack slept, he was still. Completely still. So still, that Tooth sometimes thought that he wasn't even alive until she saw the steady rise and fall of his chest when he breathed.
Jack shifted in his sleep and his brow furrowed. The winter spirit let out a soft groan, and Tooth drew her hand back, knowing that Jack was probably waking up. Baby Tooth chirped from her spot on the headboard, and Jack's eyes soon fluttered open. The winter spirit's eyes gleamed as he looked around the bedroom, and Tooth didn't miss the slightest hint of fear in his eyes. Two sapphire orbs landed on Tooth's colorful form, and Jack softened upon seeing her.
Tooth smiled warmly. "Hello, Jack." She lowered herself on the bed and cocked her head at the winter spirit. Baby Tooth perched herself on Tooth's shoulder, eyeing Jack with a look of relief in her eyes. "How are you feeling?"
Jack rubbed his forehead with a pale hand. "What happened?" he asked. The winter spirit's voice was a little raspy, and Tooth knew that it had been a while since he had a cup of water.
"You hit your head, Sweet Tooth," replied Toothiana. "Does it hurt at all?"
Jack rubbed the back of his head, and he winced when he touched the bump on the back of it. "O-Ow…"
Tooth removed Jack's hand from his head. "You might not want to touch the back of your head right now. That's where the main injury is."
Jack looked up at Tooth. "Oh, okay, Mama."
Tooth's wings skipped a beat and she froze. Even Baby Tooth seemed surprised where she sat. "W-What did you say?" asked the Tooth Fairy, her feathers twitching.
Jack blinked in bemusement. "I just said okay, Mama."
Tooth's wings returned to their usual flutter, but she still felt surprised. Jack thought…that she was his mother? Tooth's amethyst eyes looked down at Jack, whose eyes were filled with nothing but ultimate trust in her. Jack trusted her, and he looked so young and so much like a child, that Tooth's heart melted at the sight of him. Surprise gone faster than a flickering flame, Tooth smiled and she ran a hand through Jack's snow-white hair. The winter spirit smiled softly and leaned into Tooth's touch.
"Is there anything I can get for you?" asked Tooth. "A water, perhaps?"
Jack nodded; he did feel rather parched. "That would be nice," he said.
Tooth nodded, and she told Baby Tooth to keep Jack company while she went to get him a cup of water. As Tooth rose to leave, Baby Tooth hovered in front of Jack with a smile. Jack glanced at her warily.
"W-Wait, Mama!" called Jack. Tooth turned around. "Can't you just stay with me?"
"Don't worry, Jack," said Tooth reassuringly. A soft smile was on her face. "I won't be gone long."
While Jack still seemed to want Tooth to stay by his side, he nodded slowly and turned back to Baby Tooth, who gave him a friendly grin. Jack cracked a small smile, and Tooth smiled happily at the two of them. The Tooth Fairy then fluttered out of the room and toward the kitchen. Tooth wondered if Jack saw her as a motherly figure, which would explain why he was calling her "Mama." Tooth had also heard Jack mention that she did remind him of his own mother back when he was still human; Tooth's heart warmed at the thought. Jack never openly showed his feelings, but it pleased Tooth to know that he really did see her and the other Guardians as family.
Tooth soon arrived at the kitchen. When she did, she had to navigate through several elves and a few yetis, who all seemed to be preparing lunch. The Guardians didn't eat much, since they were all immortal and didn't require the energy that food brought to regular mortals, but the yetis and elves ate a great deal, so Tooth flew her way through the large kitchen, smells of soups, meats, and desserts brushing past her nose. It all smelled delicious, but the Tooth Fairy didn't allow herself to get distracted. Fluttering up toward a cabinet, Tooth opened the door and pulled out a glass cup. She flew over to the tap and filled it with water. Once it was full enough, Tooth made her way out of the kitchen and flew back to the infirmary, being careful to not spill a drop on the way back. Tooth arrived at Jack's door and opened it to find Jack laughing as he watched Baby Tooth perform various tricks in the air. Loops, twirls, and other stunts that seemed impossible for a fairy her size. Tooth smirked; Baby Tooth had been performing various aerial stunts that none of the other Tooth Fairies couldn't do since things had gone back to normal at the Tooth Palace. The little fairy could be quite the show-off when she wanted to.
While Tooth didn't know the clear reason why Baby Tooth was suddenly interested in performing tricks, the Tooth Fairy knew that Baby Tooth was rather skilled when it came to performing tricks in the air. Jack had even mentioned himself that she did much better than he had when he first started flying on the wind. Tooth smiled at the memory.
Jack turned his head, noticing that Tooth had returned and he smiled. "Hey, Mama! Your friend is really cool. She can do all sorts of things in the air! Did you know that?"
Tooth nodded. "I did," she replied. Baby Tooth greeted Tooth with a friendly chirp, and Tooth trilled back a response. Tooth turned back to Jack. "I brought you your water. Here you go."
Tooth handed the cup of water over to Jack and he took it, drinking half of the glass before setting it aside. Jack wiped his mouth with his sleeve once he was finished.
"Thank you for the water," said Jack.
"It was no problem," Tooth said kindly. She sat down on Jack's bed once again, just in case Jack needed anything else. A few moments of silence passed without anyone saying anything, and Tooth decided that it was probably time to give Jack his medicine. Tooth was just about to head over to the medical tray to receive it when Jack spoke up.
"Um…Mama?" said Jack hesitantly.
Tooth turned to the winter spirit, giving him her full attention. "Yes, Jack?"
Jack rubbed the back of his neck, seeming somewhat sheepish. "Am…Am I going to be okay?" he asked.
"Is your head causing you trouble?" asked Tooth. Jack nodded, confirming Tooth's assumption. The Tooth Fairy fluttered up from where she was seated and flew over to the medical tray where the medicine was lying. There wasn't much left, as Bunny had stated earlier, but there was just enough to give Jack the dosage he needed. Tooth turned around to see Jack rubbing Baby Tooth's check affectionately with his finger, and the small fairy chirped. Jack looked up to see Tooth holding a spoon and the medicine. The winter spirit cocked his head.
"What's that?" asked Jack.
"It's medicine," replied Tooth. She poured some of the brown elixir on the spoon. "It'll help your head."
Jack stared at the medicine skeptically. "It doesn't look very good."
"You've taken it before," said Tooth. "It'll help you heal faster. I promise."
Tooth held the spoon up to Jack's mouth, and after a little bit of convincing, Jack downed the medicine. He swallowed and stuck his tongue out at the taste. Tooth laughed softly.
"Yeah, it doesn't taste very great," said Tooth.
"It doesn't taste great at all," said Jack. He stifled a yawn and rubbed his eyes, sleep already overtaking him.
"You should rest," said Tooth. Jack looked up at her with weary blue eyes, which were just beginning to close. Jack laid down and he yawned again, and Tooth pulled the covers up to his chin.
"Rest well, Jack," said Tooth softly. Baby Tooth gave Jack a small hug and fluttered to her queen's side. Before the two fairies left, though, Jack spoke up again.
"Mama, wait," called Jack. Tooth turned around, and the winter spirit shifted in bed. "Can…Can you stay with me for a little while? Just until I fall asleep…"
Tooth smiled and she nodded, perching herself on Jack's bedside. Jack smiled sleepily and Tooth ran a hand through his white hair.
"Sleep well, Jack," Tooth whispered. And soon, Jack's eyes slipped closed.
…
Tooth returned to the library with a small smile on her face. She didn't mind at all that Jack had called her his mother for a while, and she was actually rather touched that he had done so. Jack had never openly stated that he saw Tooth as a mother, but Tooth knew that he did, even though he never said anything.
The other Guardians were inside as they had been before. Bunny had just returned, since he was still standing up unlike North and Sandy, who were sitting down. All of them directed their gazes toward the Tooth Fairy when she flew in. Baby Tooth perched herself on top of an arm chair and watched as the Guardians of Childhood spoke to each other.
"How is Jack doing?" asked North.
"He's doing pretty well," said Tooth."His head is the only thing that's causing him any pain."
"He didn't wake up actin' like Pitch again, did he?" asked Bunny. Tooth shook her head.
"No, he didn't," replied Tooth. She tilted her head side to side. "But he was a little confused."
Dreamsand coiled into a question mark over Sandy's head. "What do you mean?"
"What did Jack do?" asked North in equal curiosity.
Tooth rubbed her arm sheepishly. "Jack…he thought I was his mother," she said.
The room was quiet for a few moments; the Guardians were each rather touched that Jack really did see them as family, even though he had only been referring to Tooth during the time he was up. While they all knew that the winter spirit would most likely be embarrassed by his delirious behavior, the veteran Guardians did find his actions rather amusing during his delirium. Although none of them said anything out loud, the small smiles on their faces said everything.
"Well, at least Jack was not acting like Pitch again," said North with a small chuckle.
"If Frostbite wasn't actin' as disoriented as before, the medicine must be workin'," said Bunny. He pulled out the new bottle of medicine that he had retrieved from his Warren earlier, set it down on the table, and sat back in his chair. "Sandy'll give another dose of medicine to Jack when he wakes up again, and I'll check on him after Sandy."
Tooth settled in her chair that she had occupied before she left, smoothing out her rainbow colored feathers as she did so. "Why do you want to go last, Bunny? Don't you want to see Jack too?" The Tooth Fairy was only asking out of curiosity, knowing that Bunny was the least enthusiastic about having to take care of Jack while he was wading in delirium.
"I just don't want ta deal with a delirious Jack," replied Bunny. He picked up a paintbrush and began to paint another one of his eggs. "Jack's always been a bugger, but when he's delirious, he's as annoyin' as heck."
"But you still care about him, don't you," said Tooth. It was a statement, and not a question. Bunny sent her a frown, but Tooth only smiled innocently as well as the other Guardians in the room. Bunny was tough, and he never showed his softer side often. But since Jack had joined the Guardians, Bunny had loosened up a little, and despite the pranks and arguments that the two shared, the Guardians knew that Bunny did care…even though he hardly showed it.
Sandy waved his hands over his head to gain everyone's attention, flashing an image of his dreamsand drifting out a window, silently telling the other Guardians that he'd finish up sending out the rest of his dreamsand before heading to check on Jack when the time came. The Guardians all nodded, settling back into their places once again, waiting for the next hour to arrive.
Author's Note: Awwww, some sweet mother/son fluff between Tooth and Jack! =D Love these two so much; their interactions are so sweet. =)
And heyyyy, it seems like Jackie Boy is getting better (sort of...X))! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! =D
Until the next chapter!
~BeyondTheMoon1203
