Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed. To the reviewer waiting for the other shoe to drop, well.. I can't give away any of the story, but you DO remember what happened in the movie, right? Dun dun duuun. This chapter features some time skipping around and snapshots of a few things that happened to Lillian and Jack during their years. They also get to meet Sandy again under more favorable circumstances, even if a certain child spirit is going through a rebellious phase. We also get to see a bit of what Pitch is up to.. Bad Pitch!

Chapter Thirteen: Through the Years Part 1

After the new year, Lillian found herself wearing a backpack filled with school supplies. Lillian was amused that Jack had a backpack as well, and that the backpack had the dogs from One Hundred and One Dalmatians on it. Her own backpack was a mixture of pink and blue and had Sleeping Beauty on it.

Lillian had pointed out her backpack was the best because it had both her and Jack's favorite colors on it.

"You remember the plan, right?" Jack asked her as they walked into town.

"Yup," Lillian said. "No spring or winter magic in the classroom, don't draw funny pictures on the chalk board and listen to the teacher. If you gotta write stuff, do it in a corner where nobody will see you. And Jack, you make sure you watch over Lillian.." she paused dramatically and mock-glared at Jack. "Or else."

Jack laughed at Lillian's imitation of the speech Pitch gave, but Jack wasn't forgetting the look Pitch gave him in a hurry. He knew this was important to Pitch, and Pitch felt she should start from the beginning.

Soon they found themselves in front of a school building, with some kids playing on the playground equipment, and others streaming into the building. Lillian started to walk more slowly and hung back. She suddenly wished that Pitch had been able to come, since the school seemed so much bigger this close up.

As she looked at the building, she could see the windows looked more like eyes and the doors were a big mouth that was eating kids up. She wondered suddenly about how big the school was and if you could get lost in there. Maybe she'd be lost for hours and Pitch wouldn't be able to find her!

She was so lost in her thoughts, she jumped when Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with wide eyes and he gave her a soft smile in return.

"It'll be ok," Jack reassured her. "I'll be right there with you."

With that, he took hold of her hand and led her inside. Lillian looked all around and saw that there were a few hallways leading off from this entryway. There were a lot of things posted on the walls, such as pictures in frames and a few drawings that some art class had made.

Jack pointed out where the little kids were going and they followed. Soon they found themselves in a small classroom where a woman was smiling at all the children. She looked very friendly.

"Too bad she can't see us," Lillian said as she and Jack got comfortable at the back of the classroom.

"If she could, she'd probably wonder why I'm here," Jack said with a smile.

Lillian and Jack spent the rest of the day singing along with the class, painting a picture (Lillian drew with her crayons since for some reason Pitch 'forgot' to get her any paints. Jack secretly thought this was wise since Lillian kept wondering aloud what she'd paint on her walls back at home if she could), and lastly concentrating on learning the alphabet. After that the teacher read them a story, and before Lillian and Jack knew it, their day of kindergarten was over.

Lillian, who hadn't wanted to go to school in the first place, was a little sad when their first day was over. Jack pointed out that since there was still much of the daytime left that they could always do a little work at home. He said it would probably help Lillian learn how to read better.

Lillian wasn't too crazy about that until Jack pointed out that she could better understand comic books. He had been very startled when a giant flower ate BOTH him and Lillian, and soon they were deposited right into Lillian's room.

Lillian had grinned when Jack face planted into a wall and then raced to get her book on fairy tales.

So, a routine was born. In the early afternoon, she and Jack would go to school. Then they would come home to practice reading for a bit and then they would go outside to work on Lillian's spring powers some more and generally goof around.

On the weekends Lillian insisted she needed a break from school work, so she and Jack solely worked on her spring powers or Lillian suggested they wander off to go find some comics to read.

This went on for a few months until it was March. Lillian felt like March snuck up on her, and Jack explained it only felt like that since they were so busy. Lillian was excited since soon it was going to be Easter, and that meant collecting Easter eggs.

She was lounging around by Jack's lake with Jack one weekend while they were discussing how many eggs they were going to collect. Jack hadn't wanted to participate, but Lillian said that the Easter Bunny got them both Christmas presents, so he wouldn't mind, right?

Jack wasn't so certain, but let the subject drop for now.

"Jack?" Lillian asked as she threw a rock into the lake.

Normally Jack kept the lake frozen year round, but Lillian had wanted to skip rocks, so he had let it unfreeze for awhile. For some reason this made him uneasy and he didn't like how the rocks Lillian chucked into the lake splashed into the water.

He tore his gaze away from the ripples in the middle of the lake.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"The Easter Bunny asked me to visit him in his letter, right?" Lillian asked, her voice sounding a little smaller than normal.

Shortly after opening their gifts and declaring it the best Christmas ever, Jack had read Bunny's letter to Lillian out loud.

Pitch had scoffed at it, but hadn't told Lillian not to go. He knew she wouldn't. That blasted pooka had ruined his chances and good riddance.

"Yeah.." Jack said slowly, not really knowing where Lillian was going with this.

"..Do.. you think I should go..?" Lillian asked uncertainly as she tossed another rock into the lake.

Even though she said she was skipping the stones, she really was just throwing them in with a big splash.

"Uh.." Jack said, distracted by the sound of the rock hitting the water. "Do you want to go?"

Lillian shrugged.

"I don't think Pitch wants me to," Lillian said. "He doesn't like the Guardians 'cuz they didn't help me out after I first met him. I don't want Pitch to be mad at me."

Jack scratched the back of his head. Hoo boy.

"I don't think Pitch would be mad at you," Jack said, while wondering how Pitch really would feel if Lillian went to visit Bunny.

Maybe a little upset.

"I think.." Lillian said hesitantly. "I think I'll wait a few years. The Easter Bunny never said when to visit."

Jack blinked at her.

"That's.. really mature of you."

Lillian stuck her tongue out at him in response.


Soon Easter came, and Jack and Lillian had fun searching for eggs in the forest. Lillian pointed out the clearing that she had first met Pitch at to Jack, and as they wandered more to the edge of the woods, they found quite a few Easter eggs, but no Bunny.

Jack suggested they wander to the park, and sure enough there were more eggs and children as well.

Lillian was having such a good time finding eggs that she forgot to watch out for other kids.

Jack winced when he saw a small boy run right through Lillian.

Lillian dropped her Easter basket in surprise and stumbled a little, clutching her chest. It made her feel so empty.

Before she knew it she was in Jack's arms as Jack moved her just in time to avoid being run through again.

"The first time is the worst," Jack said softly to her. "Even then, you don't really get used to it."

Lillian sniffled and buried her face in Jack's sweatshirt. She never told Jack, but Jack had the fluffiest hoodie that made his shoulder almost as good as Pitch's to cry on.

Jack rubbed her back as he felt her tears getting his hoodie wet.

"You want to go somewhere else?"

Lillian shook her head.

"I wanna go home.. We have enough eggs, right?"

Jack laughed a little.

"Only enough for an army. We'll be eating eggs for a long time."

Keeping a hold of Lillian, he carefully scooped up her Easter basket. Jack called for wind to take them home as he awkwardly juggled two Easter baskets, his staff and Lillian in his arms.

If they had only stayed a minute later, they might have seen Bunny hop out of a hole, ears twitching to see if he could spot the two spirits.


The Guardians, Lillian and Jack continued to have near misses. Jack and Lillian hadn't really met with any of the Guardians, despite the Guardians' best efforts. The Guardians couldn't have known that during the daytime that Jack and Lillian were at human school, nor at nighttime that Lillian was usually at Pitch's. It was rare for Lillian to be out after dark, as she was still somewhat avoiding the Sandman and Pitch didn't like her to be out that late.

So it wasn't until Jack and Lillian finished elementary school that they finally ran into Sandy one night on a weekend. Lillian was excited to be done with the fifth grade and felt she had a good grasp on reading and writing now. It was the middle of summer, and Pitch had already left to go spread nightmares.

It took a lot of pleading on Lillian's part, but she finally got Pitch to agree to a sleepover with Jack. While Pitch had agreed to a sleepover, he hadn't insisted that Jack and Lillian stay at home, so they snuck out.

Jack didn't like the heat as he called it, even though it wasn't a hot summer night. Lillian thought it was perfect out, but Jack had asked the wind to keep a cool breeze on him.

Pitch's place was actually perfect for Jack, since it was underground and a series of caves, so it was naturally quite cool. Lillian thought it was great in summer, but in the winter time it got pretty cold. It was the one time that Lillian wished Pitch had electricity, so they could have a heater.

Jack and Lillian wandered around town, happily chatting away about Lillian's favorite subject: comics.

"And they just came out with these neat comics that are giant-size! They're extra long." Lillian gushed.

Jack shook his head.

"Don't tell me you're stalking kids at the grocery store again," Jack said.

Lillian sometimes liked to wait around the grocery store to see if any kids bought any comics she wanted to read. She would then follow that kid home and then later on sneak into their house to read the comic.

"It's not my fault I don't have any money!" Lillian pouted. "And the library is SO behind on their comics."

Jack ruffled Lillian's hair.

"You know, when Pitch said he wanted you to read more, I don't think he meant giant-sized comic books."

Lillian rolled her eyes.

"Pitch wants me to read A Wrinkle in Time, but I'm reading The Hobbit."

Jack smirked at that.

"Let me guess.. You liked the word 'hobbit' and decided to try reading it."

"Duh," Lillian said with a smile.

"Do you like it?" Jack asked, curious.

While Jack had a lot of time on his hands, he didn't actually read all that much. He usually was too busy spending time with Lillian and Pitch or else messing with people and spreading Winter.

Lillian nodded.

"I feel bad for Mr. Baggins though. He likes being boring and staying at home and all these dwarves show up and mess up his house! Then this wizard guy.. uh.. Gandalf, I think, tells the dwarves that Mr. Baggins is a thief! He sounds kind of mean," Lillian said. "But I haven't gotten too far yet, so I don't know for sure."

Jack and Lillian were so busy discussing books, that they failed to notice the golden cloud descending towards them until it was right in front of their faces. They were startled to see Sandy magically appear before them.

Sandy smiled at the pair, who looked pretty much the same as the last time he had seen them, all those years ago.

Jack felt a little awkward since while they exchanged Christmas presents every year, he never had gotten to know the Sandman or any of the other Guardians. They had time to send him and Lillian gifts, but they didn't have time to spend with them, it seemed.

Sandy waved at Lillian and was delighted to get a shy wave back from the girl. She also wasn't hiding behind Jack this time, he noted.

Having put the kidnapping incident with Bunny far behind her, Lillian no longer felt so afraid of all the Guardians.

Sandy made a golden picture of a clock, then he pointed at the both of them.

Jack exchanged a guilty look with Lillian. They were both out way past their bedtime.

"Um.." Lillian said, thinking frantically. "Pi-!"

Jack had hurriedly covered Lillian's mouth as she was about to say something about Pitch.

"She means that we're sorry to be out so late and it'll never happen again," Jack covered for her.

He gave Lillian a warning look, and Lillian suddenly realized she was about to give away that she and Jack both knew the Boogeyman. She had forgotten about her promise.

Sandy raised an eyebrow at the two. They were up to something and he knew it. He looked from one guilty face to the next and decided to go easy on them. There was no point in pushing for information when he hardly knew them. He knew it would do no good to push them away now.

Sandy made a picture of a bed appear above his head and once again pointed at the two spirits. Then he crossed his arms and gave them a stern look.

Lillian pouted at this, since she wasn't even tired.

"You're not my dad!" she exclaimed.

It was something she heard a kid say a little while ago, and she'd been waiting to try this phrase out on somebody bossy.

Sandy gave Jack a look as if to say "Really?"

Jack looked sheepish.

"She's got this rebellion thing going on," he explained to Sandy. "She's driving - er.. everyone crazy."

Sandy wondered who everyone was, but merely rolled his eyes at Lillian. Then he held up one finger.

Lillian looked puzzled until Sandy held up two fingers.

"You can't count at me!" she said suddenly, realizing that Sandy was using that parenting trick, where the parents would count and if the kid didn't do what they wanted, then the kid would really be in trouble.

Sandy held up three fingers and gave Lillian a 'don't make me do this' sort of look.

It took Lillian about two seconds to cave.

"Fine," she huffed. "We were going home anyway."

Sandy pretended he didn't notice her stick her tongue out at him as she and Jack left.

He gave them a good ten minute head start before he headed to Jack's lake. He was surprised to see that neither of them were there.

He thoroughly searched the area, but they didn't seem to be anywhere. Sandy gave a silent sigh of disappointment, since he was planning on giving the two spirits very good dreams.

With a shrug, he flew off to go spread good dreams elsewhere.


Inbetween school, run-ins with Sandy at night and all the other hijinks they got up to, Jack and Lillian also found plenty of time to try and break into the North Pole.

Phil always caught them, and despite Jack's claims every year that they would both be on the naughty list and get nothing from Santa, 'Santa' always came every year for them.

Lillian told Jack that it was because she was so awesome, so they always got gifts. Jack knew she was just teasing however and laughed whenever she said it.

North still remained mostly oblivious to the break in attempts, although he did wonder why Phil always seemed so extra busy every year around Christmas time.

Lillian had also started a new tradition with Jack: Pranking Salem on Halloween.

Salem was the Halloween spirit whose very presence seemed to annoy Pitch, so Lillian figured Pitch wouldn't mind much if she and Jack tried to scare the spirit. So far the closest they had come was when Lillian found that tall guy in the black robe with the pointy thingy again.

She asked Mr. Dark and Scary Guy if he would go up to Salem and wave his pointy thinger around.

Mr. Dark and Scary said he needed something to break up the monotony, and agreed.

"My job is deadly boring," he had said, in a voice that somehow sounded like coffin lids closing. "You haven't seen a wizard, have you?"

Lillian indicated that she saw a Merlin wandering around somewhere, and the Scary Guy sighed.

Jack and Lillian had watched, highly amused as the Scary Guy got the drop on Salem. Salem was also dressed up in a long black cloak and was carrying a fake scythe around. Salem had said something to the Scary Guy, and the Scary Guy lowered his hood to reveal a skull!

Even though the skull was grinning, there seemed to be a gloomy sort of menace around him.

Salem's eyes had widened at the Scary Guy and screamed that he didn't want to die, before he ran off.

Lillian and Jack both goggled at what seemed to be Death, as Death gloomily put his hood back up. He saw a passing cat and with a quick movement from his scythe, he took five of the cat's nine lives.

He also killed a gnat, but it didn't quite give him the same satisfaction that it would have if he had finally killed that dratted wizard. The wizard just didn't know how to keep an appointment!

Death stalked off towards his white steed, deciding to go looking in another dimension. It was highly depressing when small children asked you for favors, such as scaring people.

It was also that Halloween that Pitch made an important discovery. He had crawled out from under a small child's bed in order to scare him, but he had discovered that Sandy had already been there, since Pitch could see the golden dream hovering over the boy's head.

Furious, Pitch had swiped at the good dream, and as his grey fingers made contact with the golden sand, it had turned a deadly black.

The boy whimpered in his sleep as the good dream vanished.

Astonished, Pitch also found that he could manipulate this new black sand. With that, he gave an evil grin.

Oh he had plans for this.


Pitch had secretly been amassing large amounts of the black sand whenever he could. The trickiest part wasn't hiding all this from the Sandman, but hiding it from Lillian.

He discovered he could turn the sand into black horses (which he called his Nightmares), but he was having a hard time finding somewhere big enough to hide the sand. He finally settled for keeping a little at the lair, in an unused room and having the rest roam the Earth, hiding away from the Guardians.

So far this plan seemed to be working. He didn't count on Lillian though. He knew the Nightmares were attracted to children and loved spreading nightmares around. Pitch was quite happy at the increase of fear, as that also meant an increase of power to him.

He never realized that his Nightmares would also be attracted to spirit children.

So it was one night when he was out collecting more of the black sand that he had that urge to go home. Something was terribly wrong.

He was tempted to shake the feeling off, but he hadn't had this feeling in years and it had never steered him wrong yet.

Grumbling to himself that if Jack had made it snow in the lair again..

That thought trailed off as Pitch blended in with the shadows and went home. As he stepped out from the shadows in the globe room, he knew immediately he had made the right choice as he heard Lillian cry out.

Hurriedly, he ran to her room to see her still in bed, thrashing around. She had kicked her covers off and to his horror he saw that she had black sand hovering over her head.

The sand was an indistinct shape, as if it didn't know what form to take as it spread its poisonous nightmare to Lillian.

Pitch could see tears on Lillian's face and she whimpered in her sleep.

"..M-mommy..!" her small voice cried out.

Pitch's eyes widened at that, but then his gaze hardened. The black sand, his Nightmares, were giving Lillian bad dreams about a past she couldn't even remember. He knew that the memories were still in her mind however, and that was what the Nightmare was using to give Lillian her nightmare.

He stomped over to Lillian's bed and viciously yanked the black sand away from her. Lillian cried out in her sleep as the nightmare was harshly yanked away. Soon her bad dreams faded away into nothingness.

Since Sandy's golden dreamsand couldn't reach Lillian here, there weren't any sweet dreams to take the nightmare's place. Pitch frowned as Lillian's dreams faded away into nothingness.

He would need a way to rectify that, but it wouldn't be tonight. Hissing at the Nightmare that it would be extremely sorry if it ever bothered Lillian again, he sent it away to go join its brethren.

Looking a little guilty, Pitch tucked Lillian back into bed. As he smoothed down some of her curls, he wondered if he should stop messing around with this corrupted dreamsand.

Then the thought of finally getting believers entered his head and the thought of defeating Sandy came right along with it.

No.

He'd continue corrupting the dreamsand.

He'd just have to be more careful from now on.


Author's Note: So now we're leading into the movie a little more as Pitch discovers his Nightmares. I also couldn't help having another cameo with Death. I felt bad the last cameo was practically non-existent, so I made this one a little longer. The next chapter will feature more time skips through the years, since I realized I didn't actually have Lillian and Jack do all that much. If you have any suggestions for hijinks they can get up to, that would be great. :) I think I'm pretty much done with showing major holidays for now, since they would be repetitive. If the time skips aren't tooo long, then we'll get into the movie a bit. Or if not the actual movie, then some events that would take place before the movie that lead into the movie. If that makes sense. Anyway, I'll be working on the next update and it will come out.. well, within the next week definitely. If I get super inspiration this weekend, it could even come out then. We'll see.