I ran inside. Home at last! I looked at the counter, 4 days, which actually meant 3 days, till Christmas. I checked the clock, 4 a.m, which means I should be very quiet. I did a little twirl then headed up the stairs, quietly.

Everyone should be really happy I'm back, or upset because I disappeared from them, or they didn't like me and were glad I was gone, but I doubt that would happen. I just realized something; I missed a week of school. That's good and bad. Good because I don't have to work, and bad because I missed 5 lessons from each class. Jill will have to catch me up.

I made it to my room; I hoped Jill wasn't having a nightmare. Luckily she wasn't, Sandy was also there.

"Let me guess, you're here to help me get to sleep?" I whispered.

He nodded. I got under my covers, and closed my eyes, and then I was asleep.

I dreamt of coming home to the loving arms of my family, my first good dream in a long time. I saw golden sand around the images of my family, I think cried out of joy.

I awoke, being shaken and someone crying my name.

"EMMA, oh Emma you're back, you're back." She was crying. I bet it was out of joy, she doesn't hate me, they even said she was distressed.

I woke up and was immediately tackled to my bed again in a hug.

"I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Jill. This is nice, but I can't breathe, do you mind?"

"So sorry." She let go, then hugged me again, but gentler. "I've been a wreck without you. Don't worry, if Pitch tries to take you again…"

"Jill, he's not going to take me again."

"He's not?"

"No."

"But he said..."

"He's a liar, remember?"

"Oh, good thing I didn't stop believing, huh."

"Yup."

"What happened to you? You look terrible."

"Do you need to know, or could I tell you later?"

"Later's good. Everyone else would want to know you're here."

"Let the crushing hugs crusade. Wait, what am I going to tell them? I can't tell them I was with the guardians, they won't believe me."

"That's a good question."

We came up with a story as of a thief (of good dreams) came into the house, I caught him in the act, but before I could defend myself, he caught me. He took me back to his lair, so later I could be used as a hostage. Luckily someone knew what was going on, then he came in to see if I needed saving and find out what his plans were. Later he brought in the police, they apprehended my captor. After interrogating me, they gave me a ride home, and promised it wouldn't happen again. Basically we twisted around what really happened.

Jill ran down the stairs yelling "Mom, Dad, Emma's back!" everyone then came in to see me. They all crushed me in a big group hug.

I was so hungry, I had a huge breakfast. A Banana, a slice of Cantaloupe, a cheese and onion omelette, 2 pieces of toast, 2 strips of bacon, a muffin, and 2 chocolate chip waffles with syrup and butter. I could have eaten a horse.

"He didn't feed you did he?"

"No." I said, as I gulped down my chocolate milk, I love chocolate. "He doesn't eat."

After that, I told her what he did to me, what happened, I didn't mention the almost dying part, that would freak her out. Instead, I said the void thing was a dream.

"You saved the guardians?"

"Yeah, I know, hard to believe."

"Hey you said that much detail, I wasn't there, we interacted with the guardians, I'd believe anything you say, except the imaginary friend thing."

That is when my toy phone rang, I answered it.

"Hello."

"Hey, there's a party over at my place, celebrating your safe return home." Bridget.

"Look, maybe later. I'm going to spend the day with my family, and tomorrow my neighbors are throwing a party to celebrate my return, so maybe Christmas Eve Eve."

"Come on, Jill can come too."

"Bridget I already spent time with you, I want to spend time with people I haven't seen in a week."

"Okay if you say so, hey, welcome back."

I hung up. Jill stared at me in awe.

"Okay, now I believe you."

I thanked Adam for sending the letters, and each of the mice.

"You mean you really were…"

"Yes, why else would you send the letters?"

"I thought it would bring luck in the search."

Jill talked some more about the adventure.

"You know, if you were to be made a guardian, I think it would be of imagination."

"You think so?"

"You have a vast one, so why not?"

"You would be too. We're one in the same."

"Oh yeah, the personality thing. You know, in a way, you're like Jack."

"I am?"

"Yeah, you both like winter and the cold, you both kind of have invulnerability to it, you both like playing in the snow. You're both a little sarcastic, you're both loners, and you both care about people. You are even a little bit mischievous, and you both have a little sister."

"Not by much."

"still." She went to the window, there was like 3 feet of snow out there. "Been snowing ever since this mourning."

"Want to go out and play in the snow?"

He kept his promise, I had to keep mine if I wanted it to be a white Christmas.

That Christmas, my wish came true, it was white. Thank you, Jack. Thank you Guardians.