Author's Note: Thanks to all the many follows and faves! I'm also glad that I didn't turn you guys off the story with all the sadness in the last chapter. I was a little hesitant to post it, but you guys seemed to like it anyway, so I'm glad. I'm happy to say that this chapter is also sad, but has some happy in it too. I also cannot wait for the Guardians to start getting along with Jack and Lillian, as I'm super curious to see how the two groups mesh together and how Pitch will fit into all this. Anyway, without further ado, the next chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Best Dad

Jack was stunned. He hadn't expected Lillian to start crying like that. Then the sheer surprise of it all started to wear away and panic took its place.

Oh man, they hadn't even been home five minutes and Lillian was already crying?! What was he going to do?!

Jack stared at Lillian. She had cried here and there over the years, but he was like all guys in this aspect - he simply had no idea what to do with a crying girl.

Well, at least Pitch wasn't there -

"What, may I ask, is going on here?" Pitch's smooth voice came out from a shadow, soon to be followed by Pitch himself as he gracefully stepped out of the shadow and into the corner of the room.

It would have been intimidating, if not for the fact he nearly tripped over a forgotten article of clothing that was on the floor and hit his knee on that blasted table again.

"P-Pitch!" Jack said, his voice a full octave higher than normal and a look of panic on his face.

Pitch took one look at Jack, full of guilty panic and rolled his eyes. He maneuvered his way through the small room and over to where Jack and Lillian were. He settled down on the bed by Lillian and looked over at the both of them seriously.

"Now what - " Pitch started, but was cut off as Lillian launched herself into his arms.

He caught her with a startled look, which softened as he took in her appearance. She was sobbing her heart out and it reminded him of that day, that horrible day that she had died and the Guardians had let her down so terribly.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as he had wanted to that day, but they weren't that close yet. He rubbed her back comfortingly and just held her until she finally stopped crying enough to talk.

Jack watched, concerned for his friend, but also amazed at Pitch's skills on dealing with crying females.

"How did you do that?" he asked, his voice awed.

Pitch gave him a 'not now' look, then turned his gaze down on Lillian.

"Now, what's all this crying about?" he asked her gently.

Lillian sniffled as she arranged herself on his lap and looked up at him with tear stained cheeks.

"J-Jack and I looked at our memories," she started to explain. She looked away to gesture at her tooth case, which had fallen on the bed, and missed the piercing look Pitch gave Jack and didn't seem to hear Jack's gulp.

Pitch gently stroked Lillian's hair and sighed sadly.

"I hadn't meant for you to see them," he said softly to her. "I could tell by how I saw you before you became a Child of Spring, that they would most likely be very sad."

Lillian nodded as tears filled her eyes again.

"They.. they make me feel s-small," she tried to explain in a voice that sounded so very young, "and.. and my.. M-Mommy.."

Lillian couldn't continue as she burst into tears again.

"Did your mother die?" Pitch asked in that same soft tone. He didn't want to pry, but he had to know what was causing her so much distress.

"..Y..yes..!" she wailed. "I saw it! Daddy hit her and she fell down the stairs! Sh-she wouldn't get up..!"

Pitch's arms tightened around Lillian and for a moment his eyes darkened and he looked very much like the more dangerous version of himself. But then the moment passed and his eyes looked down sadly at the girl he was coming to regard as a daughter.

"That is a terrible memory," he acknowledged, "especially for one so young."

A memory niggled at the back of his mind. A long time ago, he remembered looking in at a girl who was buried under the covers, crying as her parents loudly argued.

He shook his head slightly to rid himself of the thought.

No.. this wasn't the time to let his mind wander.

Lillian clung to Pitch as she cried, even though it was so long ago, having just relived all her memories, the pain was still sharp and fresh as if it had happened just yesterday.

"Some memories are good, however," he continued. "Surely you must have some happy ones? Why don't you tell me about some of them."

Lillian's crying slowed as she thought of other things. A small smile tugged at her lips as she wiped her eyes.

"Mommy.. I mean, my mom, used to sit with me in my room a lot. She would read to me or sing sometimes."

She glanced up at Pitch shyly.

"When I first met you that day, you sort of reminded me of her. She would stay in my room and hum softly to help me get to sleep."

A torn look appeared on Pitch's face for a moment as he remembered that awful, awful day. He was glad to have helped her, but he didn't like to think of her like that, in her dying moments.

"You know, I had a family once," Pitch said in a strange voice.

It was a difficult subject for him that he never, ever brought up with anyone.

Until now.

"You did?" Lillian asked with wide eyes, her tears forgotten.

Jack scooted closer, so he could hear better.

"Yes, a very long time ago." Pitch said as he played with Lillian's hair, his fingers trailing lightly through her curls. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love forever. And even if thinking of them makes you sad, you have to remember the good memories you had with them. Those are the ones you should treasure the most."

Lillian nodded and leaned back against Pitch.

"So I shouldn't dwell on the sad memories and should focus on the happy ones?" she asked.

"Yes," Pitch said, and his voice held a twinge of sadness and longing in it.

"Pitch," Lillian started. "What happened to your family?"

Pitch's fingers stilled, still tangled in Lillian's hair. He froze, even though he should have been expecting the question.

"You don't have to answer," Jack butted in. "We know it's a personal question," he continued as he shot Lillian a look.

"They're gone," he finally said and his voice made Lillian want to cry again. It held such sadness. "You and Jack are all the family I have now."

Lillian turned in Pitch's lap and wrapped her arms around him. She motioned Jack over and Jack hesitated for a moment and then wrapped his arms around Pitch too.

It was the first hug he had initiated in so, so long. It was also the first hug he could remember ever giving as a spirit that didn't involve Lillian.

Lillian looked up at Pitch, her eyes filled with a warmth that Pitch was not yet accustomed to seeing.

"You're a good dad," she whispered.

Pitch would never admit it, but his eyes became a little damp too.


When the sky was turning light with dawn, Sandy was finally free to go to the North Pole and visit North. He was surprised to see the other Guardians there, but perhaps he shouldn't have been.

Since everything that had started a few days before Easter, they had been spending so much time together.

He waved merrily at them and floated over. They were gathered in chairs around the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate.

Sandy helped himself to some eggnog and a cookie from an elf and settled himself down.

"Alrigh'," Bunny said as he swirled a small carrot around in a mug. "So we gotta save the little anklebiter from Pitch."

Sandy rolled his eyes and waved his hand to get their attention.

Bunny shot Sandy an annoyed look and Sandy leveled a serious gaze right back at Bunny. Bunny broke away first and took a drink out of his mug.

Sandy waited until he had Bunny's attention again and then he began to explain all about what had happened when he ran into Jack the night before.

He explained all about what Jack had told him, how Pitch was the first person Lillian had met as a spirit and how the two of them had waited all night for the Guardians to come for her - and how they never did.

All the Guardians shifted a little guiltily at that, and Bunny suddenly remembered the day that the moonlight had shone on the symbol for Spring. How could they not have known?

Sandy also explained how Pitch took her in and how it seemed like he took Jack in too. He explained how Pitch, Jack and Lillian were a family now.

"Whoa, wait a minute!" Bunny exploded. "If they're a.. a.. family, then why were Jack and Lillian all turned evil?"

Sandy shrugged at first, then looked thoughtful. He recalled how Pitch had to be healed by Manny too.

He explained as best he could that perhaps not all of Pitch was evil? But something had seemed to make the boogeyman worse than normal. But Manny helped him out, so maybe he wasn't the same Pitch they knew anymore?

Bunny huffed as he drained his mug and set it aside, crossing his arms once it was set safely down.

"So you are saying, Pitch has family now?" North asked Sandy.

Sandy nodded.

"Ah, so it would be bad to take Spring Spirit and Jack Frost away from him then. Would cause problems?"

Sandy nodded again and gave North a thumbs up.

"What will we do about Jack and Lillian?" Tooth asked, her wings fluttering a little nervously as she sat. "They're believers, but their belief is so weak."

Bunny muttered something about Pitch darkly that the others ignored.

North frowned as he thought.

"We should do something to help their belief, but what? Easter was not so long ago, and we treated Jack very badly. Is not easy to forget or forgive."

A golden Christmas tree appeared above Sandy's head.

North smiled fondly at his friend.

"Yes, is important to give the two of them best Christmas ever! But is long time from now, my friend. There must be something we can do in meantime, no?"

As the Guardians continued to plot, they were unaware that the two spirits they were talking about were getting ready for their day.


Jack had spent the night for the first time ever at Pitch's that night. It had been a little strange for him to sleep in any sort of bed, but even a bed in one of Pitch's guest rooms was very soft. He was surprised that when he woke up, there was an oil lamp burning merrily away.

Jack had remembered falling asleep in the darkness, but without the moon or stars to brighten things up, it had been a little creepy.

He remembered feeling a little afraid before the sleepiness had overcome him. He smiled as he sat up and stretched. Pitch must have sensed his fear and left the lamp for him. He got up and looked around. He was still wearing his clothes from the day before, but he spotted some fresh ones laid out for him.

He blinked as he looked them over.

Handmade brown pants complete with a black hoodie that had snowflakes embroidered on it.

He reached out to touch the material and found it to be very soft. With a soft smile, he changed into the fresh clothes and neatly folded his old ones and set it on the bed after he had made it. He found his staff in the corner where he left it and set about seeing if Lillian was up for the day yet.

He found Lillian in her bed in her room yet, tangled in the covers, her hair mussed from sleep.

She laid in bed perfectly comfortable for all of thirty seconds before a snowball to the face rudely woke her up.

"Wha?!" she squeaked as she woke up, snow dripping down her face.

Jack smirked at her in response.

"Jack!" Lillian said. "Oh that is it!"

In the very early morning, Pitch awoke to an all out war in his globe room. He had wandered in, still half asleep and an unfortunate snowball had flown right into his face.

Lillian and Jack both halted in mid-throw to stare at Pitch in horror.

"I trust," he said in a low, dangerous tone with snow dripping down his face, "that there is a good reason there is a rather large pile of snow in this room?"

Lillian and Jack both took in Pitch's expression and gulped.


Author's Note: I just had to throw in some of Jack and Lillian being silly to make up for all the sadness. Plus Jack doesn't want Lillian to dwell on her sad memories and what better way to distract someone than a snowball fight? Anyone have any suggestions for Pitch's punishment on the two naughty spirits? Heh. Oh, and to the reviewer who wanted Jack to see Lillian's memories and his reaction to it. Well, in the movie only Jack could see his memories, so I'm guessing that only the person can view their own memories, so.. nope. Besides, Jack was looking at his own memories at the same time. And yes, he will dwell on them later, it's just Lillian was so sad, so he had to cheer her up a bit.

The next chapter might feature a letter to Santa to help the Guardians out (depending upon how the chapter goes) and will have some family moments between Pitch, Jack and Lillian. I'm toying with the idea of Jack just moving in with Pitch and Lillian, since he's there all the time anyway. Any thoughts on that? Or should Jack just continue to live at his lake? I'm also thinking that he (or Lillian or both) should have some run-ins with the other seasonal spirits. I've mentioned the fall spirit, Jasper, in one chapter and the former spring spirit, but haven't yet mentioned the summer spirit. Oh well, we'll see. Anyway, if you have any ideas for future plot or anything, feel free to let me know!