Skyla, as usual, startled awake. Reaching next to her, on the floor, she found her mp3 and immediately started playing it. It was the first time she remembered the entire nightmare, along with the ones before it. There was no way to escape Pitch and his deal, not even with the Guardians help. She couldn't contact them anyway. She had to wait it out. Wait to see if Jack would find his way back to her on his own. She needed help. But who could she talk to that wouldn't relay the news to Jack? She couldn't even trust Brandon, and that just crushed her.

She started singing softly as a more comforting song started playing. She'd been singing about as much as she used to, though in private. She didn't have much reason to get up in front of a crowd or anything. She tried to forget about Jack. If she thought about him, she would only want him back, and she would call to him. The bracelet wasn't much more than an accessory by that point; she only had to concentrate to have the same connection with him that the bracelet allowed. The most the accessory did was look good and help her focus. She had to be careful not to concentrate on him.

With that one Taylor Swift song playing in her ears, it was barely possible. She remembered singing it at the Nephilim on her last night. She remembered how she felt about Jack at that point. And about everything else. It was not fun for her to look back on that. She figured it wouldn't be much fun looking back on anything because there's always those painful memories that found ways to push themselves to the surface.

For the first time in a long time, she just wanted her mother to be there with her. Skyla missed her so much, but it was too hard to think about. The memories, though lovely, were painful. She would know what to do though. Skyla could explain everything in a rush and her mother would understand. They would have raspberry tea, laugh and joke, and together everything around them would just become brighter as they talked; their optimism renewed.

"I love you, mom. And I miss you" she whispered. Taking a deep breath, she sat up. There was a reason she didn't think about her mother so much. She reached a point where she needed to distance herself before it really became too painful.

Skyla turned off all the lights, locked all the doors and, with just her keys, mp3, and red coat over her pajamas that she tucked into her high-tops, walked out of the apartment building. There were still puddles from when it rained what she assumed to have been a few hours ago. She walked along sidewalks, headed blindly in a random direction. She crossed streets, turned corners, and got almost immediately lost. She didn't care. She would find something familiar eventually. She turned her music up slightly higher than usual and continued walking.

It really was a small town. She was the only one awake at that time. Maybe it was even later than she thought; there was no way every place in town was closed and every person was asleep. She turned onto a road lined with houses and finally saw a sign of life. A man walking his dog. Well, at least she knew she wasn't still in a nightmare. He nodded at her as they crossed paths and she smiled back, just being friendly. She was just thankful that his dog wasn't overly friendly and kept walking, dragging its owner along with it.

The only lights she saw apart from the street lamps were from nightlights and little lamps that had the same purpose; to keep the Boogeyman away. Skyla hoped they didn't all take it too seriously. That they would all outgrow their fears eventually. There was enough fear in the world without Pitch having his way with it. And she agreed with night lights. Little lights in the darkness. Just like the stars. She looked up and, thankfully, saw them lighting the dark sky.

At some point she turned and found herself in the forest. Not where she meant to go. She wanted to leave but there was a problem; which way? The trees towered above her and she couldn't even see the lights from the town. Trying to retrace her steps, she turned around. Then turned again. She didn't even know which way she had come from and which way she had been going.

"Dammit." She took her earbuds out and stuffed her mp3 in her coat pocket. She wished she could call for Jack, just so he could fly her over the trees- She rolled her eyes and said determinedly, "I can fly" It was a guess. It was a chance. She took a shaky breath. "I'm insane"

She wasn't sure if she had to do anything with her hands. She wasn't sure if that was necessary. If nothing else, it would help her focus to hold her palms towards the ground. She did, and tried to envision herself floating up. She concentrated. Eventually, she called fog to herself and tried to gather it up underneath her. It was more like mist though, and it hovered just above the ground, not obeying her.

"Useless." She scolded. Then she thought about how Jack usually did it. He called to the wind and it somehow lifted his body. Skyla was sure it had something to do with how he's also able to walk through people. There's no way she can do that. Still, she tried. Calling the wind, she waited for it patiently. A slow breeze started, and soon it was enough to lift her hair. But not her whole body. She frowned at the ground, then at the trees above her, "What the hell"

"Skyla?"

She whipped around, "Jack?!" Her heart lifted. He was home. Finally.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, ten feet away from her. He stared at the scene in front of him. Misty forest floor, Skyla's hair blowing in the wind, moonlight finding its way between the branches to make it all glow... He frowned, "You had another nightmare, didn't you."

"Yes" she breathed out and took a couple of steps towards him, stopping so she was in a ray of moonlight, "But that's not why I'm out here. I needed to-"

"If you're here to see me-"

"I wasn't" she smiled, "But now that I know you're here-"

"Where else would I be? This is my forest, Skyla. You're the one that doesn't belong here."

She froze. He didn't want her there. He didn't even want to see her. "Jack... I thought, maybe... Won't you come home?" She asked desperately. She needed him to say he was going to go home with her. She had a week but if he rejected her right then... Pitch would expect her to deliver sooner. "Please?"

"I'm sorry about what I did, Sky. But I didn't even react like then when I found out about you kissing Brandon. It was unfair of you. And, I guess, I need some time to think about all of this." He looked her up and down and settled his eyes on her legs, "You should get back to your apartment. Even in your bunny pajamas you won't stay warm forever."

"My apartment?" she scoffed, folding her arms across her chest, "It's our apartment. And how much time do you need?"

"Does it matter?"

"Actually, yes." She stepped forwards again, out of the light, "I need to know, Jack. We can talk later about whatever you want but just come home-"

"I am home, Sky. Burgess is my home. You're a guest." He shook his head, "Possibly an uninvited one."

"What?" she hissed out, "You're the one that invited me in the first place! You told me you love me, you told me you never wanted to be apart... You made me fall for you! You even got me to- Oh, stars." She covered her mouth with her right hand, the other holding at her elbow. "Jack, please tell me you're joking about all of this. Please tell me you're coming home to be with me!"

He stared hard at the ground, his staff clutched tightly in his hand. Skyla wanted so badly to invade his privacy and find out how he's feeling. She held off though and just watched him, no longer finding his thinking face adorable. "I told you, I need time to think. A week, maybe. Maybe two-"

"No!" she walked towards him and stopped at arms length when she saw him flinch. "Jack, please. I need you to come home!" She couldn't tell him. If she did, she forfeits the deal. If she said any more than she had, she would have to break the Nightmare King out of his prison. "I can give you a few more days, but you need to come home before the week is over!"

"Why?" He asks, straightening up. "Why should I if there's going to be a double standard like that? Where you can do whatever you want but you can kick me out if I do something wrong? You never even felt bad about cheating on me, did you? You never have! But you know how it tore me up inside! You know how-" He paused, cursed, and looked into her eyes, "You hurt me, Sky. Again. You told me to leave. With everything I'm putting on the line for you, with how much I've just had to live on trust- I don't know. I think I've had enough."

"Jack- No!" she pressed forward and clutched his hoody, "Don't say that!I'm asking you to come home! I over reacted, I know that! Sleep deprivation makes people cranky, that's all it was! I love you, Jack! And I'll never love anyone like I love you!"

"Just let me think!" he yelled. Skyla took a step back and let go, a sob escaping her lips. His eyes flashed with regret but it disappeared soon and his expression blackened. "So you need help getting back to the roads?" She said nothing, just stared at him with tears in her eyes. After several moments he grabbed her arm and shook her slightly, "I said; do you need help?"

"I need you." she whispered.

He let go of her arm and pointed in a direction, "Go that way. I'll watch you until you're out of the forest."

"Walk with me."

"No."

"Then I'm not going anywhere. I would rather freeze to death out here than go back to that stupid apartment not knowing if you'll ever show up. I might as well just-" She didn't finish her sentence. She couldn't. What would she say anyway? That she might as well walk in the opposite direction and search for the spot where she was supposed to find Pitch? That she might as well assist Pitch in jump starting a new dark ages because the one she loved wouldn't go home with her? There was more to it than that but that's what she felt like. She felt like a kid.

"You don't want to do that." he said. The soft way he said it surprised her and gave her hope. "Please, Sky. Go home."

"Not without you." A tear finally escaped her and she sees his hand flinch like he wants to wipe it away. She stepped forwards, invading his space and resting her head against his shoulder, "Come on, Frost. I'll even sing so time passes quickly!"

He hesitated. Then his one arm went around her and he told her, "I want to, Sky. But I'm going to lose my train of thought..."

"Get off the train, Jack. Come home with me before I-"

"Alright, alright. We'll walk, and you sing. I'm not promising I'll stay. But I do need to get you inside. Rain's been a bit..."

"I thought you would like the rain?" She pulled away from him and looked around. The mist was still there and the breeze hadn't stopped. "You know, for snow and stuff?"

"Snow and stuff?" he frowned, "I see you still haven't taken an interest in my work. Rain is fine but not when it refuses to freeze. I don't know what iss wrong with it, but I don't like it. If I find out something is messing with the weather-"

"You'll do what exactly?" she asked, stepping back and crossing her arms.

He stared at her, "Why do you care?"

"Because..." she trailed off, not sure if she should really tell him. She uncrossed her arms and turned away from him. She held her palms up and willed the mist to leave and the wind to stop, "Because the rain is my fault." the area calms.

"That was lucky, Sky. You do not control the weather."

"Humph. Just call me Pudge the Fish." She looked back at him and rolled her eyes, "You seriously need to watch Lilo and Stitch." Her palms still up, she reluctantly called for the rain to come back. It did, slowly at first. She's happy for the cover of the trees, though it doesn't do much. She looked at Jack and he's still unimpressed. She faced him fully and smirked, putting her hands down. He relaxed a little, probably hoping his girlfriend had given up on another crazy idea. Then she brought her right hand up again, her fingers spread out. One finger goes down, followed by another. His face falls and in his mind she's insane again. Two fingers, one.

Jack jumped in surprise as thunder erupts in the skies, sounding like a large animals roar. "What the-"

"I told you!" She laughed, clasping her hands in front of herself. "It was the electricity thing that made me think about it! Then just earlier tonight I-" She stopped. If she started talking about what had happened that night, she's not sure she would stop. "I just tried it out. So, about that walk?"

"Can you... Stop the rain first?" He hung his head and it shook back and forth, "That sounds crazy."

"I know!" She nearly started jumping up and down. As the rain calms down she walked forward, grabbed his right arm, and started dragging him the way he'd indicated. He stepped in pace with her, his staff swinging by his left side. "I love you, Jack."

"Mm." He responded, not looking at her. It's not much of a reply, but she accepted it and held onto him as they walked.

She started singing and when she looked sideways he was always trying not to smile. She knew she should apologise. It wasn't all her fault but her reaction was, and that's all Jack seemed to care about. She still needed to tell him something. Something she'd rehearsed about a thousand times since their fight. It wasn't a for sure thing that it would fix anything, but at least he would know.

"Here you are." Jack announces as they reach the apartment building. Skyla hadn't noticed they'd made it, and she realized she'd been silent for the past ten minutes. She looked at Jack and wondered what to do. He said he might not stay, and it was time for him to decide. "Go up and get some rest."

"You're not coming?"

"I don't think so. Whatever reason you have for wanting me to come back to you-"

"What reason?" she asked, dumbfounded. "You've lost your mind, haven't you. I love you, Jack. And you love me. I forgive you, I did the morning after. And I know it's difficult, but I know you'll forgive me, too. I'm sorry, Jack. I shouldn't have asked you to leave but it was... I needed time. I understand if you do too, but can you take it later? Next week, maybe? Just stay with me for now."

"For now? What, you're giving up on forever?"

"Never. But I'll give you space if that's what you need. We have my whole life time to fight and make up. But I still need to ask you for this one week."

He thought it over for a while. "No. Stop with the rain and do not try to find me." He jumped up and let the wind catch him, taking him suddenly high into the sky.

Skyla had barely blinked and he was nearly gone, "Jack!" she yelled, "I was there when you really needed me and now what? You can't return the favor?! I need you, Jack! I need your help-" He's gone. Quieter, she continued "If you hate me now... Just wait till next week."