AN: Hey everybody. I got grounded from my laptop for a bit, so this is rather late. But I'm hoping to make up for that with a (belated) Valentine's Day special, which will hopefully be ready later this week. Not much Pitch in this chapter, and I'm not exactly pleased with how it turned out, but I had to get this chapter out of the way as it paves the way for the rest of the child Jill plot. But anyway, read and review, please and onward to the drama! (Also, we've jumped about another year forward in Jill's childhood.) ~Kathryn xoxo

Chapter Sixteen

Twelve year old Jill was still giggling as she exited the woods. Once again her father had gone out of town, for reasons unknown to Jill, and thus, she had spent the day with her best friend. Today, Pitch had decided to show her how exactly his Nightmares were created and had actually let her try it out. She wasn't afraid of the fearlings much anymore, and they had seemed content to leave her be.

Afterwards, they had played an elaborate game of hide and seek in the woods. Elaborate, because Pitch cheated, at least in Jill's eyes. But it wasn't fair to creep about in the shadows like that. They had stayed far away from the lake, though. Jill still wasn't quite brave enough to face her brother's watery grave just yet.

Jill knew something was wrong the second she came into view of her home. Her father was waiting for her at the door, and he didn't look happy. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes teemed with disapproval as he caught sight of the slight form of his daughter.

"Get on in here, girl," he grumbled, moving aside far enough to let Jill into the house. "I leave for two days and you're off cavorting all over Lord knows where."

"I apologize, Father," Jill says quietly. "Was the journey kind to you?"

"It was fair enough," he replied, pulling off his boots. "Would be better if there wasn't all of this demmed snow. Now where were you, Jill? You know better than to leave the house while I'm gone."

Jill looked down at her feet as she sat opposite of her father in the living area. If only she was a better liar…. But there was no avoiding it.

"I was spending the day with my friend. We were only in the woods, father-."

"Not that cock and bull about your demmed "Nightmare King" again, Jill." Her father groaned. "When are you going to stop all of this "Pitch" nonsense, girl. You are nearly thirteen years old."

"It isn't nonsense, father," Jill cried. "Pitch is real. He is the Nightmare King and he's my best friend. You don't understand, father-."

"Enough, Jill!"

Jill shrank back against her seat, the words dying on her lips. Her father stared at her through narrow eyes, but she could still see the anger and disappointment there.

"Enough is enough, Jill." Her father's voice lowered, but the stern tone did not leave it. "I understood this whole "Pitch" fantasy when you were younger and Jack and your mother had just died. But it is time for you to grow up, Jill. You are very nearly a young woman. It is time you began thinking of your future. You are almost at marrying age and no suitor will-."

"Suitor?!" Jill exclaimed. "Father, you can't be serious!"

"I am quite serious, Jillian." The stern tone increased. "It is necessary for the survival of this family that you marry into a good family and keep our prospects bright."

"But Father, I do not wish to marry." Jill protested. "At least, not for such political reasons. I wish to choose my own husband, for love-."

"This is exactly what I am talking about!" Jill's father shouted. "Love is an illusion, Jill. Perhaps it can be found in a marriage, but to marry for such an insubstantial reason. Love won't keep food on your table, or provide for a family. Put aside such naïve ideals, Jill, right next to that demmed "Pitch" character."

"No!" Jill said, standing up quickly. "Father, this is completely unfair. I am nearly an adult and I wish to be treated as such. I will choose my own husband and I absolutely refuse to simply 'put Pitch aside.' He means something to me, Father. He's my best friend, and I will have him in my life, my children's lives, and my children's children's lives! And you cannot tell me otherwise." She turned on her heel and began to storm away.

"Jillian Marie Overland, you get back here this instant!" Jill froze. Slowly she turned around and walked back to her father.

"From now on, you will not leave this house without a chaperone. I will hear no more of you running off into the forest or running around like some wild child raised by the wolves. I wish to hear no more of this "Pitch" nonsense and you will put away such childish notions of love and fantasy. You have until your thirteenth birthday to do so. On that day, you will meet the suitor I have chosen for you and you will accept him as a proper young woman should. Do you understand me, Jill?" Her father's eyes were unyielding as he looked at her. He would brook no argument; Jill would have to agree.

"Fine," she muttered, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Her father then dismissed her and Jill ran up to her room, tears forming in her eyes. She may have agreed to her father's terms, but it didn't mean she was going to follow them. Forget Pitch? Jill could never do that; even at the age of twelve, she knew that he needed her as much as she needed him. If only her father would listen to reason.

As for this suitor business, she wasn't sure what she could do to stop it. Any plan she thought of would inevitably backfire upon her when she finally wished to marry, especially once she fell in love. And Jill wanted love, she wanted it with a fierceness that seemed unbelievable in one so young. But unless she could find a way out of her father's plans, she was stuck. Jill would have to fight hard to win not only love, but the ability to keep Pitch in her life.