A/N: Alright! I'm back at writing again. I apologize for the long break, thank you all for being patient. I'm not sure if it notifies you all or not, but I did update the last chapter so the kiss scene is much better. Thanks again for bearing with me!
I woke the next morning to find Jack had already left. A pang of disappointment and slight relief set in. Would it be awkward between us now? I didn't know what to expect. The Guardians had most likely already spoken with Jack about my father. I would have to ask him what they had said.
A knock sounded at the door as I was sliding out of bed. "Yes?" was my groggy response
"Ava! It's me, Tooth. May I come in?" the Tooth Fairy's high pitched voice jingled like a tiny bell. My heart sank. She was going to tell me to leave. That they wouldn't trust me. As the door opened, I prepared to explain myself. "Ava-"
"I'm sorry about my father. I couldn't do anything. It's my fault that this even happened. If I hadn't been around none of this would have happened. Whatever he did or is doing, I am so horribly sorry. I can't help who my father is though. I just want a chance. I need a chance to undo this. All my life I have been raised to hate you, and fear you. And then I met Jack and my whole world suddenly changed. Now my father wants me to lead him to you anyway and I don't know what's going to happen or what he's planning. And I-"
"Ava, I wasn't going to tell you to leave."
"I need this- what?" I looked up, shocked, "You mean...I can help? I can stay?"
Toothiana smiled, "Of course. I just came to tell you that breakfast is ready. But before we go down, I think there's some things we need to talk about." Toothiana's smile was grim, "Your father attacked Jack's home in Burgess two days ago. He's captured Jack's human friends. That's why North turned on the Northern Lights."
My heart went into my stomach. "They're just children..." I said softly. Jamie was in college, but to the Guardians, and to me, he was still child. A child who believed. How could my father do this? "We have to stop him!" I shouted, red hot fury taking over my emotions.
"I know. I know, we're going to come up with a plan today. You'll help us then?"
I nodded slowly. I had lost everything. My family was gone. Maybe this could be my new family. I thought of Jack again. His face surrounded with a soft blue glow. The cold of his skin that made mine feel so wonderful. I could soon get used to seeing his wonderful face more often. I stood and walked with Toothiana down to the dining room.
"Jack, she could be a potential danger to the plan. What if she is still in contact with Pitch? The sheila could ruin-" before I could hear anymore from the Easter Bunny I coughed loudly.
"Uhmn. Good morning." Tooth said, a tinge of annoyance in her voice.
I walked into the dining room red-faced and slightly upset. Jack glared at the Easter Bunny with more than a slight amount of displeasure. He looked up at me as I walked into the room, and his face lit up. All thoughts of awkwardness faded as I saw his smile. I returned the gesture, albeit nervously, and took the empty seat next to him.
The silence in the room was almost deafening. If it was going to be this awkward every time I walked into a room I would go crazy. Now, with almost all of them here, I was going to have to step it up and earn their trust. I cleared my throat and prepared myself for a speech, "Look, I know that I am new, and I understand that you aren't just going to accept that I'm not here to spy on you or harm you. Tooth has told me that my father has kidnapped friends of Jack. My father is angry, and vengeful. He is desperate. So much so that he felt he needed to hurt me to get me to want to hurt you all. My father is hurt, and for all of the wrong reasons; all of us here know that there is no talking him down. The only way we are going to beat him is to fight back. And with all of us, I think that there is a huge chance of beating him. But trust me when I tell you that it won't be easy. He has fearlings and nightmares prepared and has grown strong. I need you to trust me when I say I am fully in on this. My father is beyond repair. At one point I thought he was better than the lies and the blackness. But he's not. He is corrupted and beyond anyone's help. I want to help you all, but in order to do that I need you all to trust me." I took a deep breath and looked with intensity at the large rabbit, "Can you do that?"
He was silent for a moment. Then he glanced at Jack and Tooth with a strange look in his eyes. "Let me tell you something sheila. Not many people have my respect. But you just earned it. I'm going to trust you. So you better not screw this up." I smiled with relief. It worked.
"I vwill trust you as vwell." Santa Claus stepped out from the doorway, his large hands on his hips and a giant smile on his face. The Sandman stepped out from behind the large Russian man and nodded towards me. I could feel myself start to heat up with happiness. For the first time in forever, people could see me for who I was, and what I wanted. Finally, I belonged somewhere.
I smiled to each of them, lastly smiling at Jack, who reached out and gripped my hand tightly in his, "Ava," he grinned, "I think they like you."
Throughout the whole morning I could feel nothing of my father's presence. This worked well to our advantage as Jack and I explained all that had happened to us thus far. We told them of our plans to meet spirits, and how we came to the North Pole. I explained how my father had used a charm to see what I saw, and how Lauren had cast the reverse charm so that I could feel his presence. I told them about how Jack and I met, and I told them of my father's former plan. This raised some discussion about what he could be up to now. "I think he's trying to lure you all out. He's using Jack's friends as bait." I looked nervously at Jack, "You're his main target. After you led in his second defeat, he developed this obsessive hate. That's why he specifically chose you to be..." I trailed off, not wanting to talk about the torture.
"To be what?" Tooth asked
I gave Jack a pleading look. I really did not want to talk about what my father had done. Jack seemed to understand and gave me a small sympathetic nod.
"I'll explain later." he said, emphasizing the word later. The Guardians nodded with confusion written all over their faces.
"Anyvway," Santa, or North, said, "Vwe need to make plan. Pitch could strike at any moment."
I nodded in response, grateful for the subject change. I tried to think of something to do against my father. Anything. All I could think was that he would figure it out. What if Lauren's charm didn't work? What if my father had found out about it and found a way to remove it? "What if, when my father is watching, we make a fake plan to attack him in two days. We discuss coming up with a secret attack on his lair. But even when I don't feel him watching, I'm still nervous that he might have some way of watching through me. I don't think I should be near you when you're discussing the real plan. When you all have it, tell me what I need to do, and I'll do it. I just can't risk him knowing. I can't endanger any of you. I can't let him win."
The Guardians nodded when I had finished speaking. "Alvright." North agreed
I stood, ready to leave them to it. "Alright."