A/N : Just a little warning, someone gets stitches in this chapter. And I make a second pairing. I promise not to get too far into it though, unless you guys want to hear more about it. If not, that's cool too. Lemme know!
Chapter 29
"JAAAACK!"
I continue to sail through the air, unable to stop myself. I leave the safety of the light and dive into the blackness, immediately ready to fight. I stay in a crouch, looking for anything, Pitch or Jack, either one will do. There is no movement though.
My eyes swing around, squinting and widening, doing anything to see something. To my joy, then hate, I see one of the things I'm looking for.
Gold.
I lurch straight into the air, sailing straight for the gold with a sword held high above my head. At first, anger blinds me, but as I begin to descend, my vision becomes filled with overwhelming blue and white. The sword disappears as it nears Jack's face. I exhale sharply, standing in front of Pitch and Jack, empty handed at the moment.
His blue eyes stare down at mine in terror. I almost cut his head off. Pitch's eyes are amused and filled with hope, as if I'll happen to accidentally swing out and kill Jack for him. They cut down at me, and his mouth twists up into a smile as his eyebrows draw together.
"Why must you make things so complicated for me?"
Jack stands helpless, his feet flat against the ground. His neck looks strained, and he stands straight and tense. I vaguely wonder, where is his staff? Sand is twisted messily around his torso, binding his arms and holding them crossed against his chest. It reminds me of the way the dead appear in their coffins at funerals.
"Let him go. Now."
My bow and arrow raise seamlessly, even though I don't consciously make the decision to form them. I can see something flash in the gold of Pitch's eyes.
"No."
He says it much like a child would, a spoiled child that doesn't want to give up something very, very valuable. I meet Jack's eyes for an instant, searching for the blue that would calm my temper. I find them, and they are still wide with... Realization? What could be donning on him?
I need to keep the pressure on Pitch, though, so I pull my arrow back tighter. His heart is in my sights. I squint at his robe and see the spot where the first arrow plunged in. It's a hole, and the sand that makes him up seeps out as if he were an hourglass keeping time. I find the irony though, I don't have much time to barter for Jack.
Pitch shatters the silence with his even voice.
"Do you honestly believe that I'll give this Guardian up for nothing?"
My jaw sets and I feel my teeth creak and grind against each other.
"Yes, Pitch. I think you will. Because if you don't, I'll kill you, right here. And besides that, you've underestimated me."
He looks like he's about to laugh off my threat, but my last sentence sinks into his mind. I keep my face straight, void of emotion. I must look threatening now, because for a split second, I see a sliver, a minuscule hint of interest.
His eyes don't narrow, and his brow doesn't furrow, but I can feel the confusion radiating off of him. He's going through everything he knows about me, and what exactly he's managed to miss. He must come up empty.
"How could I have possibly underestimated you?"
His smile takes its place again, a mask to his curiosity.
"You think you called off the other Guardians."
His mouth opens a fraction at my statement, especially my word choice.
"Really."
I put on my best defiant smile.
"Yes, really."
His eyes remain completely relaxed.
"You're lying."
"I thought you were clever, Pitch. Why would I lie to you? Especially when you have Jack?"
His mouth forms a tense line, and his eyes look dead.
"You're stalling."
"For who? The Guardians? If you believe they're not coming, I don't see where your logic is going with this idea."
He looks a bit surprised, but regains his composure immediately.
I focus all of my willpower on not making eye contact with Jack. I need Pitch's attention. Surely he's almost done it...
I decide to take a risk.
My bow disappears, and my hands become free. I reach into my pocket, my eyes staring back into Pitch's. I form what I need away from his vision, then pull it out.
He stares at my hand without a word.
I provide an explanation, though I can guess from his eyes that he already knows what it is that I'm holding.
"North gave me a second way to call the Guardians."
Finally, I see real emotion in Pitch's eyes as he glares down at me.
Without hesitation,I press my thumb down on the device that resembles a bomb detonator from a spy movie, and a white light blinks in response. And now, I wait for what I know will happen next. It seems to unfold in slow motion.
Pitch sees the light, realizes its indication, and turns his head, unable to control himself, his basic instinct to confirm if I'm lying or not. His eyes search for the panels of glass that offer a view of the outside tundra and dark sky. As soon as his attention is drawn I direct my eyes to Jack, wrapped up in the darkness.
I can see that his face is set in determination. He's been working on freezing the sand around his wrists this whole time, just like I hoped. And then, bright light sparks out from him, and the sand holding him captive freezes the rest of the way.
In the next instant, Pitch realizes that there aren't any Northern Lights activated, and that I was indeed lying.
The ice explodes away from Jack, and he pushes his arms off of his chest where they were held. He shoots upwards out of the grip of Pitch's sand.
All of this, starting with my false trigger activating, occurs in seconds.
Pitch's face twists in rage when he turns back to Jack and I in realization.
I smile back, arrow poised and ready to sail forward.
And then, I let it.
It travels forward for his heart, but he dodges and the arrow ends up embedding itself in his ribs. I quickly fire another, but Jack beats me to it by punching Pitch in the jaw. I'm surprised that he's managed to get that close. He's having some trouble flying though, and I realize he needs his staff for his full power. I tear my eyes away from their fighting, and search the floor for the staff. My eyes land on it.
It's right at the edge of the light of the Globe where Jack was pulled back. He must've dropped it there, and I launch myself with my wings to reach it in time. My hands wrap around the soft wood, and I pull it to my chest as I turn around in a swirl of feathers.
Jack is quickly getting himself backed up against the dark, glass window panels. My wings pump and my feet leave the ground as I head straight for Pitch. He stands tall and menacing and his back is facing me. I bring the staff down in an arc on his head, bashing it into his dark hair and feeling the staff reverberate in my hands. Then, as Pitch cringes and brings his hands up to his head, I throw the staff to Jack like a harpoon over Pitch's shoulder. Jack's hand reaches up and catches the staff before swinging it towards Pitch, the crook glowing dangerously.
I quickly move to stand by Jack, brandishing my bow towards Pitch. His golden eyes are wide with anger.
Then, something changes in them. He's forming a plan in his mind.
I release an arrow into his stomach, and he hunches over in pain, but manages to start moving closer to Jack and I. I step back and get up against the freezing glass and Jack follows suit. Pitch finally straightens up after wrenching my barbed arrow from his torso. Now, he stands, holding his stomach, smiling down at us. He is only 10 feet away.
He looks like he's lost his sanity, and I subtly switch my bow for a sword.
"I'm not about to let you two take me down. No, no, not you two... you two children!"
Jack narrows his eyes and his staff shines brightly in the darkness around us.
And then, Pitch charges at us with himself and a wall of sparkly black sand.
Everything is dark for a moment, and the painful brushing of sand rips at our skin. I can only hear Jack yell out at the onslaught, and I refuse to slash my sword about blindly. Sand starts to go into my ears, so I clamp my hands over them to keep my sanity.
"Jack?! Where are you?! Jack help me, please!"
I hear his muffled voice to my left, and see blue light. Then, I'm blinded.
My vision is white, and I stumble backwards several steps, feeling smooth glass against my wings. It's freezing. I feel my mouth open to yell, but my throat is dry to my surprise. It scares me. What's happened? Even the air hurts to touch. It's biting at my clothes and skin, and I squeeze my eyes shut at the ringing in my ears. I'm vulnerable.
The whiteness starts to fade, and my vision gets spotty. Then, I can see faintly after blinking several times. The ringing refuses to go away, and my throat burns from the cold.
Jack did something.
It's completely dark, but I can see the frozen sand all around me. The formations are spiked and severe looking. They're translucent, and the black sand sparkles under the ice encasing it. Where are Jack and Pitch, though? I spin around quickly, thinking I've heard something, but the ringing persists, mocking me.
And there is the glass, shattered and gaping to the silent, black world outside.
My heart rate climbs as my eyes take in the red framing the edges of the glass opening. A single drop seems to explode onto the wooden floor at my feet. I can feel my eyes widen painfully in the frigid air, and my feet leave the ground as I plummet out of the window head first.
My heart physically hurts at the stress straining it. The wind pushes at my face, and my eyes dry quickly. Below, there is snow spreading out to the arctic circle. I have to find Jack. Pitch is strictly second. The ground approaches swiftly, and my wings unfurl without a sound thanks to my hearing. In my mind's sense, I imagine the muffled snap they make as the wind catches them, but in reality, there is only ringing.
My eyes squint down at the dark landscape under me. Where would he have landed? Right beneath the window, if he couldn't summon the wind without his staff. Did he even have it when he fell? I silently hope so, clenching my freezing fingers into fists at my sides.
I decide to not call for him. Pitch could find me, and I would be on my own then. I double back and glide even closer to the snow. In the distance, I finally see something. My wings pump furiously as I'm propelled forward.
Jack is on his back. His eyes are closed, relaxed, not squeezed shut. He must be unconscious. If he felt pain, his eyes and face would be stressed. This is good and bad. He might be ok, but I'm on my own at the moment.
And the blood on the shards hundreds of feet up doesn't belong to Pitch.
Scratch the idea that Jack's fine.
I kneel down beside him, not bothering to try and change my jeans into snow pants. I don't see any blood anywhere. Maybe... It's on his back. He had to have fallen backwards. Pitch could've pushed him.
My hands tug at the fabric of his hoodie on the furthest arm. He lifts out of the snow a bit, but not enough to where I can see anything. He didn't react either. I let him back down for a moment.
I tug harder and manage to get him higher off the ground, and hold him there so that I can lean over his shoulder. The ringing in my ears intensifies.
The snow looks odd. It has a deep indention,as if someone stabbed it with a stick and pulled it back out.
Oh, no.
Something had to have done that.
My fingers gingerly brush over Jack's back, and I feel them stop when they bump into something sharp. My hand draws back immediately, but I force it back to the spot, leaning over to see for myself. I can't though, so I gently roll Jack onto his stomach in the snow.
My breathing stops, and my mouth grows cold and dry. That's... That's not good.
My fingers close around the glass shard, stained dull red in the dark. Jack's blood is dripping back down the shard onto his back now that he's on his stomach. Should I take it out?
It's acting as a cork to the wound, though.
But it looks terrible, just sticking in him!
I'm suddenly thankful that he can't feel anything.
Too bad there's no wood to knock on out here. The staff has yet to make an appearance.
He makes a mumbled noise in the snow where his face is partly buried.
My hearing must have come back, and I notice that the ringing has left. Silver lining.
"Ok..."
I take a deep breath and haul Jack up from the snow. I manage to sit him with my arm at his back and shoulders, keeping him up. I can't let him fall, it'll only lodge the glass deeper. Then, his eyes become stressed as he squeezes them shut. Seconds pass, and he opens them in shock. He jolts forward and I use my other arm to stop him from landing face first in the snow. His teeth are set and his eyes are full of pain.
"ARGGH! Wh-WHAT THE?"
"Jack?! Listen to me, ok?! You've got a piece of glass in your back. Don't move. Please don't move."
He locks his wide eyes on mine and I see how much it must hurt.
"Ok, just... Hold on... I have to get you back in the workshop before taking it out."
He nods tersely and I help him stand in the snow.
"M-my staff..."
"I haven't seen it yet. Hold on as best as you can, I got you."
He wraps his arms around me, and I do the same to him, minding the glass. I pump my wings once to clear the snow, then several times in succession to rise straight up. I flashback to my flying lessons with Tooth at her palace. It dawns on me that I've never really used this type of flying until now. I'm grateful that she taught me.
My arms tighten around Jack as we near the window. The hole is risky to get back through because of its size. I kick at the surrounding cracked glass and widen the entrance a bit more before going through. I can feel Jack shaking against me, and activate the Northern Lights on the way to the medical center. The lights are still out in the workshop, but I swallow my fear and glide through the hallways until seeing the red cross up ahead.
Inside, there are a few emergency lights on powered by batteries. I set Jack on his side across the nearest bed. There is more blood when I look at the injury. I hop in place frantically thinking for a moment before dashing off towards the cabinets nearby. The painkillers are injectable, and I grab a scalpel, gauze, cotton balls, and hydrogen peroxide. I set everything down in a clatter on the metal tray beside Jack's bleeding back. The painkiller is easy to inject, and he grimaces as the cold liquid takes over. I have no idea if it'll make him unconscious though.
I form a pair of white scissors in my hand, and cut a circle of fabric away from Jack's hoodie around the shard. The fabric sticks to his bloodied skin, but comes away without much of a fight. His skin is even paler when contrasted with dark red. I blink hard, then open my eyes and get to work on taking out the shard.
I pour peroxide over the scalpel to clean it, then tell Jack that I'm about to cut near the glass. I get no response, and see that the pain meds have knocked him out. Good.
The scalpel slices cleanly into his skin, and I'm able to loosen the shard's grip in his back. I gently wiggle it back and forth, careful to not crack a piece off. It would be difficult to retrieve. I suddenly wish that I knew what I was doing, or that I was a surgeon, but bring my attention back to the shard. It's finally ready to come out. I grip it with one hand, and steady the other on Jack's back. Then, I slowly, painstakingly pull. I hear something when I do, something I ignore to stomach what I'm doing. It sounds gross. I toss the shard onto the tray beside me, and grab the cotton balls. I grimace as I push them onto the wound, watching them transform crimson. Finally, the blood seems to have stopped, the shard must have missed the major things. I refuse to smile though, because Jack will need stitches.
Oh gosh. Sewing.
I rush back to the cabinet and grab a suture needle. It's curved and thin compared to my mother's sewing needles back in my room at the cabin. I decide on thread opposed to wire, and bring back the supplies to Jack.
I hope the injection lasts a long, long time.
The needle is easy enough to thread, and I ease my hand closer to the puncture. I'm about to press the steel tip into Jack's cold skin when someone rushes inside the infirmary.
"Little one! Are you ok?! Oh my! Jack?! What's happened?! Explain!"
Bunny, Tooth and a smaller fairy I've never seen follow right behind North in their questions and exclamations.
I gulp, and bring my hand away from Jack's wounded back, relieved that I can give this job to someone more capable.
"North... I need you to listen. I'll explain to everyone, but Jack needs to be sewn up. Right now."
North steps forward, and I place the needle in his hand as he sits down in my place. He immediately begins the sewing, and I turn away from the sight. It looks terrible.
"Ok. So... Pitch came here after all."
Tooth gasps at the news as her bright eyes widen. Bunny grits his teeth and narrows his green eyes. North simply raises his eyebrows as he stares down in concentration on his sewing. The tiny fairy quickly flits over to Jack, squeaking and fluttering about.
"Are ya a'right sheila? Or do I need to go tear Pitch limb from limb?"
I give a weak smile at Bunny's remark, then look over my shoulder at Jack.
"I'm fine. I just- I want to know what happened. I couldn't see, couldn't hear, when that light went off. I mean, it was definitely Jack, but what exactly did he do?"
"Well sweety, he must've hurt Pitch pretty badly if he's still gone. What did you see after the light faded?"
I turn to Tooth, noticing her concerned expression.
"There was nightmare sand, but it was frozen in long spikes. Jack must've let out a lot of his power when he did whatever the light thing was."
"Tell us more, little one."
The three Guardians and the fairy, named Baby Tooth, listen to my account of what happened, starting with Jack and I searching the workshop, and my discovery of dark Jack, all the way to Pitch's entrance and finding Jack in the snow. I'm careful to leave our kiss out, though. Maybe later, when I can figure out what exactly is going on between Jack and I.
After I finish explaining what's happened, North stands from his work, washes his hands, and tucks a sheet over Jack's sleeping form. His white hair doesn't seem as stark when he's surrounded by everything else white.
"So you found my library of Naughty and Nice."
North smiles at me through his long beard, his eyes crinkled at the edges.
I let out a small laugh.
"Oh, I've gotta admit, it was pretty impressive."
"I thought you might like it."
I walk over to the sink and wash my hands off, noticing the dried blood for the first time since the Guardians arrived. The water swirls the red into lighter shades until it runs clear down the drain. North ushers us out of the room.
"Let him rest. He needs it. Baby Tooth, you can stay with him, if you like."
The doors are closed as quietly as possible, with a muffled thump and click, and then we leave the hallway and head towards the Globe. The entire workshop is still in the dark, so North heads off on his own to the power room.
"I'm going to get lights on now."
A couple of yetis appear from the upper floors and make their way down to follow North. I'm confused as to why they didn't help Jack and I, but realize it was probably for the best. At least they didn't get hurt, and maybe they had procedures to follow when the power goes out. That would explain a lot.
Tooth, Bunny and I look up at the Globe. I'm sure Tooth and Bunny see it as a symbol of happiness or hope, that all of those kids believe in them. I see it as something that held off Pitch for precious moments. His eyes flash by in my mind, so I focus my attention on a single light somewhere in Australia. Then to the entire continent of Asia, roving over to Africa and its huge expanse,then north to Europe and all of its peninsulas. I cross the Atlantic and find North America, and move down to South America, taking in everything. There was even a light in Antarctica. Poor kid.
I owe every single one of those kids my life. And so does Jack. Their lights kept us safe. Even if it was only for a couple of moments. And they'll probably never even know it. But that's ok. I'm going to make sure they're safe. They did the same for me, and its my job now.
I smile at the warm light given off by the Globe, and realize that soon, the workshop will be fully lit again and I won't get to appreciate the glow the same way. It makes me a little sad, but I put those feelings aside and look forward to seeing Jack wake up soon.
All too soon, the lights flicker back to life, and the golden glow of the Globe is diminished. North makes his way back to us, and we all go over to the fireplace that's covered in nightmare sand. That would have to be taken care of. North motions for some yetis to come and sweep the sand into red bags, and they toss it through a portal that deposits them far away from the workshop. The yetis also set to work on thawing the frozen sand and replacing the glass window. I watch as they carefully remove the rest of the pane, and the shards of red tinted glass.
Then, right beside me, Sandy floats by on a golden cloud, waving. My eyes widen and a shocked smile plays across my face.
"What the-? Sandy?"
Bunny hops up to us.
"Where ya been, mate?"
Bunny watches as Sandy explains how he encountered Pitch outside of the workshop on the way here.
"Ah, ya rough 'em up, did ya?"
Sandy nods enthusiastically and forms an image of sand whips above his head. Bunny laughs at that.
"I wish I coulda seen that myself."
I speak up excitedly.
"So, you beat him? He's gone?"
Sandy nods and shows me an arrow over his head. And icicles.
"He still had that arrow in him? And, he had icicles?"
He nods yes, then shows a Popsicle.
"A Popsicle... Was he... Frozen?"
Bunny watches on as Sandy tries to explain.
"Only partly, sheila. Looks like Jack did a little number on him, and you were probably caught in the middle of it. That's why you couldn't see. The light must'a been blindin'."
I smile at Sandy and give him a hug.
"Thank you so much for beating him."
When I step back, Sandy tips a top hat in my direction, and does a little bow. Bunny starts talking to Sandy, explaining everything that's been going on, and I'm happy to let him do it instead of myself. I move away from them, and see North join in on their conversation, his blue eyes wide and enthusiastic.
I walk back towards the center of the workshop, and stare up into the rafters, unaware of my company.
Tooth notices my gaze, and pulls me back to reality.
"Hey, um, do you want to talk?"
My head turns to face her brightly colored form, hovering nervously beside me. I consider her offer.
"Sure. Just, not here. Follow me?"
She nods and I notice her feathers bobbing with her head. They're so pretty, and I suddenly wish that mine weren't a boring white. A pang of jealousy resounds in my heart as I lead her to the highest part of the workshop, where the guys won't hear us below.
I take a seat on one of the large rafters, and Tooth does the same on one in front of me. Our legs dangle in the air, and I break my view of the Globe below to talk with Tooth.
"So..."
I'm not sure where to start. Or what she wants to talk about. She speaks up, though.
"I just wanted to make sure that you're ok. You did just face the Nightmare King, ya know."
I nod. That'a not all though. She's forgetting someone, and I speak up.
"And that dark version of Jack. He was... I don't know. He really got to me."
She looks even more concerned, her cerise eyes slightly narrowed, brows raised.
"What do you mean by that?"
I let out a breath, and decide that I should tell her. She could help me get over the feeling bottled up in my stomach.
"He said that I was just like him. And he was right. I almost killed him-"
"But you didn't, did you? You stopped yourself."
I feel ashamed and can't bring my eyes up to meet hers. My hands are suddenly very, very interesting.
"No. I didn't... Jack had to. I was so close. I just wish that he... I... I'm not sure. I don't know what I wanted to happen."
"_. Listen, ok sweety? You're not a killer. No matter what that dark Jack guy told you. You may think you would've killed him, but you couldn't have. You're too good. I know you wouldn't."
I wish she wouldn't defend me, because she's wrong. I was going to, I had every intention. The blade was coming down, and I wasn't planning on pulling it back.
The realization that I was on the edge of becoming a killer fully hits me. My eyes prick, and my nose runs a bit. My breathing hitches over and over and over until Tooth hovers over me, placing her hands on my shoulders and bringing me into a feathery hug. My lungs burn from trying to contain the crying, I don't want anyone to hear me.
I haven't broken down like this for years.
I quiet myself as best as I can, and Tooth sits herself beside me, holding me to her like a child who needs a mother. And I really do need mine.
I wipe my eyes on my wrists and my nose in a handkerchief that I form. I make it disappear when I'm done, and sit cross legged and broken on the rafter beside the Queen of the Fairies.
"I'm sorry about that. I just needed to let it out. It's been forever since I have."
"Don't be sorry about it. Everyone needs to cry. It's part of living, even if you're immortal."
She smiles sympathetically at me, then pats my back gently.
"You're going to be fine, _. I know everyone says this, but it takes time. And I'm sure once Jack wakes up, you'll feel much better."
I catch her wry smile as she says this. What's she implying? Does she know?
"What do you mean, Tooth?"
"Pssh, YOU know what I'm talking about."
My cheeks blush at her accusation.
"I can tell you care about him. And he cares about you."
I can't help but smile. I want to tell her what happened.
"He, um, well... After he saved me, I mean, from dark Jack..."
"What? What'd he do? Come on, spill!"
I laugh nervously, my eyes darting around ashamed.
"He kissed me."
Her mouth makes an "o" shape, and her hands fly up to her face to cover her surprise. The feathers of her brow shoot up and her eyes widen. I'm not sure what her next words will be.
"Oh my gosh."
I clear my throat nervously, waiting.
"THAT'S ADORABLE!"
I throw my hands up and clamp them over her mouth.
"SHHHH! Are you crazy?!"
Her eyes sparkle at me above my hands, and I drop them. When she speaks again, she's much quieter.
"But you and him, I totally saw it coming. From day one, when he brought you to meet us."
My blush returns.
"Oh. Really?"
"Yes. You're so lucky! I used to have a crush on him myself a while ago."
She sees my surprised expression and continues.
"But not anymore, relax. I, um..."
My eyebrows raise in curiosity.
"You, um, what Tooth?"
She smiles down at the workshop below, and I follow her gaze to Bunny. He stands tall beside North and Sandy, the three still talking and drinking something steaming.
And then I know.
"Oh my gosh. TOOTH!"
Then it's her turn to slap her hand onto my mouth to silence me.
I pry it off, and continue quietly.
"Bunny? I shoulda known!"
She crosses her arms and looks dramatically away from me.
"Yes, Bunny."
Then she snaps her head back to face me.
"But you can't tell ANYONE! Ever!"
"Ok, ok. Fine. As long as you don't tell anyone that Jack and I kissed."
She lets out a sigh, then offers me her hand. I shake it and we end up laughing.
"I don't understand how you got me from crying like a baby to laughing about your crush."
She smiles her white teeth at me kindly.
"Me neither. You know, you're kinda like... I dunno..."
"A sister?"
Another smile and a nod.
"Yes. A sister."
"Well, you're like one to me, too. Especially since I never had one."
"I was also an only child."
I smile at her, then kick my feet in the air after unfolding my legs. Wonder how Jack's doing. My eyes open wide.
"His staff! I never found it!"
I stand, and Tooth follows suit. She looks at me, nods, and we jump off the rafters together.
The yetis let us out the front door, since the window is already repaired. We make our way over to the snowy plain and I find Jack's silhouette in the snow. There is some blood, and I kick snow over it.
"I'll go left, you go right."
We fly up high above the ground and look down for the wooden staff. Nothing stands out in the snow, so I drop lower, swooping over the snow flurries. After several minutes of sweeping the area, I still come up empty handed.
"_! I found it!"
I find Tooth in the dim sky, and she holds the staff in one of her hands, pointing to the ground below her.
"It was right there. He must have dropped it immediately as he fell for it to land this far away. The wind might have taken it, too."
"Alright. Lets get this back to him. And thanks."
"No problem. But I'm sure your BOYFRIEND will be much more happy to see you than this."
She gestures to the staff, and flits away as I chase her back to the doors, yelling for her to shut her fairy mouth. She laughs the whole way.
A/N : Please tell me what you think of this chapter! I tried throwing in something a little different as an experiment. Let me know if you want to hear more about Tooth's crush. :P