Chapter Six:

Tooth finished pinning up her hair and stood up from her vanity, smoothing out her skirt. The light blue fabric was decorated with shimmery beads that caught the sunlight, sending little flecks of light to dance on the walls.

After slipping on her shoes she pattered down the hallway and made her way down the stairs, Bunny and the others would be arriving soon and she wanted to be downstairs to greet them.

When she reached the Head Footman she suddenly stopped and turned to face him. She lifted a finger, as the idea seemed to grow in her mind. "Take the day off."

The footman blinked before leaning his ear closer to her, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't believe I heard you correctly."

Toothiana just gave him a bright smile, "You, and the rest of the crew can take the rest of the day off."

The footman's mouth opened and closed like a fish as his eyes boggled, completely in shock over what had just transpired. "I'm so sorry my lady, but I don't think Lord Pitch would-"

Toothiana held up a hand, "Leave Pitch to me," she gave him and assuring smile, "now go tell the rest of the staff to enjoy their day off."

The head footman hesitated before he finally sighed, "Very well, my lady." He straightened his uniform and walked past her, down the hallway towards the entrance to the worker's quarters.

When she looked at the clock she saw that Aster, and the kids should be arriving soon.

Toothiana quickly walked into the dining room to make sure everything was ready. There were enough plates and silverware, but she'd dismissed the footmen before they could finish putting the flowers in vases.

She smiled softly as she trimmed the flowers to the appropriate length and placed them in their glass containers. She then straightened them until they reflected the light on the walls and danced like tiny little rainbows.

She sighed, Toothiana honestly missed doing work, it made her feel good when she felt like she was leading people, making a difference no matter how small.

She often felt that way when she directed her fairies in the theatre, after all, she had trained Fye ever since she was small, and she showed a great deal of promise.

However, the amount of time that she actually spent at the theatre was scarce. She had memorized all the routines and only needed to refresh on them every once a week or so. It hadn't been like that in the beginning, though. It had taken long hours when she was working with Pitch, and even back when she still performed for Mr. Greene.

How strange that she should be longing for the days where she had to work for taxing hours… she was practically sitting in the lap of luxury, and yet…

Toothiana sighed and rubbed her forehead. Sometimes she found herself wondering if this was what she really wanted…

She jumped at the sound of someone knocking at the door.

Toothiana hurried to her feet, making sure to straighten her dress and assure that her hair was not mussed. She didn't really know why she cared so much about how she looked, it couldn't be for Aster, and she was married after all…

And we're just friends! She reminded herself stubbornly as she opened the door smiling widely to reveal…

Aster. Just Aster, no Sophie or Jamie… "Where are the kids?" Toothiana asked, looking around to see if the little ones were hiding behind his legs, but there was no one. She did her best to hide her disappointment as she looked back up at Aster, who was smiling at her apologetically.

He had actually dressed up pretty nicely, wearing a button up white shirt and black pants with suspenders. It didn't seem like he had a dress jacket though… oddly enough, Tooth preferred him without it; the relaxed look of it suited him just as much as bright colors suited her.

"Sorry, sheila. " He rubbed the back of his head nervously as he smiled sheepishly at her, "the little ankle-biters caught a cold, and they didn't want to get you sick."

"Oh." Tooth said, genuinely worried for the children she'd gotten so quickly attached to. "Are they alright?" She asked, looking up at him earnestly.

"Yeah, it's just a little bug, they'll get over it real quick." He chuckled.

Tooth bit down on her cheek, holding back the remark that had hopped into her mind as she leaned against the doorway.

"What is it?" he asked, his soft green eyes lighting up with amusement as Toothiana held back a laugh.

"Quick as a bunny?" She asked before she giggled. It was a stupid joke, but she'd still thought it was hilarious.

"Oh… I bet you think you're real funny, don't you?" He flicked her nose lightly. She giggled again, surprised that he'd been so forward, she'd only known Aster for a few days, and yet she felt so incredibly comfortable with him.

It was nice.

"So…" Bunny scuffed the toe of his dirt covered boot against the pavement on her doorstep and then looked up at her, "I s'pose I'll just be leaving then." He turned to go just as Toothiana crossed her arms and called out to him.

"Well, I thought we were going to have breakfast…"

Aster turned around and raised an eyebrow at her, "You still want to eat with just me and your husband around?" Bunny shook his head, "sorry, sheila, but the guy and I don't really get along that well-"

Toothiana shifted uncomfortably before she finally lifted her mauve eyes to his. "Pitch isn't here." She said softly, twirling one of the beads on her dress as she bit the inside of her cheek. Maybe she should've told Bunny that from the start, but at the time it hadn't seemed like a big deal, and yet the more she thought about it, the more it would've made sense to tell him Pitch wouldn't be home.

He probably felt so uncomfortable. God, she was such an idiot!

She heard Bunny's footsteps climb up the stairs, and when she looked up he was standing right above her.

It was only then that she realized how tall he was, and he had much broader shoulders too, not at all like Pith's slender muscle…

When she met his eyes they were flashing with anger, she almost wanted to shrink back for a moment; she'd never seen Bunny look even remotely angry before. "Does he leave you alone like this all the time?" He asked, a sharp edge in his usually gentle voice.

Toothiana shrugged, not wanting to make her husband sound like a bad person, he truly was kind to her, it was just that whenever he got a new act he would get a little wrapped up in it… as soon as the act was over everything would be back to normal.

That is until the next act… she caught herself thinking bitterly, stop that! She inwardly chided, Pitch does a lot to take care of you, the least you can do is be a little grateful.

"It's not often." Tooth lied, crossing her arms. The look in Aster's eyes told her that he saw right through her façade. His eyes softened and he stepped past her and into her home before pausing to turn back to her.

He placed his large hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, "Whenever he leaves you alone, I want you to call me, alright sheila?" he said firmly. "I don't want you to have to spend all that time in this house by yourself. He looked up at the high ceilings and expensive furniture.

"I'm not usually here alone," Tooth said, quickly brushing at her eye. She was not crying… it had just been a long time since someone had cared about how she felt… how she really felt was all. "We usually have footmen, but…" She laughed lightly looking at the eerily empty hallways, "I sent them away today because I thought the kids would have more fun baking themselves."

Bunny chuckled, his eyes shining in their usual happy manor. "They would've liked that, sheila."

Tooth felt herself smiling, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. Bunny cleared his throat, "so… you said that we're baking?"

Tooth clapped her hands together, nodding and smiling brightly. "Yes!" She chirped, "Follow me." She waved him over to follow her.

Tooth led him down the large hallway, and past the staircase to a small door hidden inconspicuously by a large vase. She tried to ignore the eyebrows Bunny raised at the expensive paintings that adorned the walls.

She pushed open the door and they walked down a tiny stairwell that led to the kitchens. Toothiana had been down there once before when she and Pitch had been throwing a party in order to celebrate their first successful show together.

She had barely opened the kitchen door before Pitch had swept her aside, telling her that she no longer needed to do such mundane things herself. It had been a way to show her that he cared, and while Tooth appreciated it, she couldn't help but sometimes feel that the staff was underappreciated.

The kitchen was well lit and all the necessary appliances were already lain out and ready. Tooth felt herself slowly beginning to beam. It had been years since the last time she'd baked something.

She eagerly grabbed a cookbook from the shelf above the stove, flipping to a random page. "What would you like to eat, Aster?"

He hummed, sticking his hands in his pockets as he came up behind her. Peering over her shoulder, he turned the page, which had a picture of a powdered sugar covered crepe with a red strawberry on top.

"How 'bout that, sheila?" he asked, pointing at the picture.

Toothiana quickly scanned the recipe. It seemed easy enough; all they needed was flour, eggs, milk, water, salt, and butter, all things that they would have in the pantries.

"This doesn't seem hard…" She quickly looked over the directions. "Could you grab these things from the cupboards?" She asked, pointing to all of the ingredients. Bunny nodded and disappeared into the large pantry, while Tooth set up the necessary bowls and spoons.

He reemerged a moment later, his arms filled with the items. Tooth rushed forward, taking the eggs from him so that he wouldn't drop anything.

Once they had set everything down on the counter, Tooth looked at him brightly. "Are you ready?"

TTT

"My lord?" A voice called. Pitch turned around, looking somewhat agitated at the interruption. He'd finally gotten the dragon rider to teach his Night Fury pet how to do his routine.

The beast would soar across the stage, and then over the audience, close enough for the viewers to feel the heat, the rush soaring above them, but just far enough not to touch.

The dragon rider would then guide him back to the stage where he would fly through flaming rings of fire that would rise up from the trapdoors in the floor.

Finally the dragon and his rider would land and take the final bow with the rest of the performers.

They were still fine-tuning, however. If they tried to perform the show now it would be incredibly sloppy, and Pitch would be damned if he didn't have a performance that would leave his audience gawking and begging for more.

"What is it?" He asked, turning his head, almost disdainfully at his 'nightmare'. Pitch truly did hate being interrupted.

"He says he's your head footmen, he said something about your wife-"

Pitch crossed the room a second instantly sweeping the phone out of his worker's hand. "Hello?" he said quickly, pacing from side to side. "What is it? What's happened?" He paused for a moment, worried about the possible answers that he could receive. "Is Toothiana alright?"

"Yes, my lord-" the voice on the other end replied. The irritation once again flowed back into Pitch's body. He straightened his back, the cool venomous edge returning to his voice.

"Please tell me that there is an acceptable reason for interrupting-"

"It's about the lady of the house-" Pitch stilled.

"Tell me." He ordered, already making his way to the staircase, stretching the telephone cord all the way across the room.

"She has dismissed all of the staff-"

Pitch's heart began to thud quickly in his chest. Why would she do that? He wondered just as he ran out of space to walk with the cord, forcing him to stop halfway down the staircase. His mind easily went to the worst possibilities: she had been torn up about the loss of her ability to carry children, but he'd been hurt too. He had longed for children just as much as she had… she wouldn't think of that would she?

"So I stayed behind, in order to make sure she was safe-"

Pitch sighed; of course the head footman wouldn't have let anything happen to her. Relief swelled in his chest for a moment… until the footman finished his sentence.

"She invited a man in-"

"What?" Pitch snapped sharply. Toothiana wouldn't just invite someone she didn't know into the house, and why would she just dismiss the staff like that?

Unless…

No. Toothiana wouldn't do that. She wouldn't cheat on him; it wasn't something she'd do…

And yet…

"I'm on my way there now." He said quickly, letting the phone clatter to the staircase. He quickly swept down the stairs, making his way quickly towards the doorway.

He most definitely did not doubt Toothiana, he trusted her whole-heartedly. He was just going to check on her, and make sure that she was all right.

He pushed the door open and waved his driver down.

That was it.

TTT

"Asterasteraster!" Toothiana shrieked as Bunny whisked the eggs and flour a little too quickly as she poured in the milk, sending a splash of crepe batter all over the length of her arm.

Aster chuckled as he reached for a towel hanging on a rack above the counter. "Sorry, sheila." He said, smiling at her as he wiped away the mess.

"You are not." Tooth giggled as he tossed the towel down on the counter. Bunny smiled down at her.

Toothiana looked at the sack of flour resting on the counter. A mischievous smile crept onto her face. Bunny looked at her, the smile slipping off his face. "No, Toothy! Don't you-"

Toothiana leaped forward, sinking her fingers into the soft powder and whipping it around, spraying it all over the gruff man.

The fine, white powder got caught in his blue- gray hair and slid down the sides of his face, landing on his shirt. He looked at her, mouth agape as he tried to brush the flour off his shoulders.

"Ohhhh" He chuckled quietly, sinking his own fingers into the bag. "You…" He looked at her from under his eyebrows, "are going to regret doing that." A grin spread across his face as he smeared the flour across her face, earning a gasp and a loud bout of laughter from the small woman.

"Aster!" she shrieked, scampering away. A long tendril of hair slipped out from her up-do and brushed against her cheek, right next to the long white flour stain that ran across her cheekbone.

He chased after her, swinging an arm around her waist and lifting her up into the air, spinning her in a wide circle.

Toothiana curled her small arm around his in order to stay upright. She didn't notice the small smile that danced on his lips as he spun her… or the fact that the slight flush on his cheeks wasn't from the heat of the stove…

The door slammed open, causing Toothiana to immediately slam her feet onto the ground, skidding both her, and Bunny, to a stop.

Pitch was standing in the doorway, looking slightly out of breath. His amber eyes shifted from Bunny to Tooth for a moment, his brow pulling together in a frown.

Toothiana tucked the strand of hair behind her ear. "Darling-" She started, folding her hands together. For some reason she felt ashamed, even though she knew she'd done nothing wrong. There was nothing wrong with having breakfast with Aster, after all, they were just friends.

Pitch held up a hand, looking at her darkly and Tooth instantly snapped her mouth shut. She didn't catch the wary gaze Bunny gave her, his thick eyebrows pulling into a frown, or how he drew himself up to his full height, glaring at Pitch as he did so.

"You." Pitch said smoothly, pointing at Bunny with a gray finger. "Leave."

Bunny stepped forward, opening his mouth to speak, but Toothiana quickly stopped him with a gentle hand on his arm.

"Just go." She said softly. Bunny looked at her with gentle green eyes, as if asking 'are you sure?'

Tooth just nodded, giving him a slight nudge forward. He looked at her hesitantly before turning back to Pitch and walking towards him, straightening his suspenders.

When they passed each other, there was a moment where their eyes met, clashing like knives. Then the moment passed and Aster disappeared through the doorway, leaving Toothiana and Pitch alone in the kitchen.

Pitch stalked over to her, his face cold and stony. Toothiana felt her heart beating as quick as a hummingbird's wings in her chest. He stood in front of her, forcing her to crane her neck to meet his gaze.

His usually warm eyes seemed to send an icy chill down her spine, raising goose bumps on her arms. There was a brief flash in Pitch's eyes, a faint glimmer of sadness… of betrayal.

Toothiana stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his chest. She searched for something that she could say to assure him that she was sorry, and that she loved him. She opened her mouth, still at a loss for words, but he instantly pins his lips against hers, backing her up against the counter.

She ignores the pain that shoots up her back for a moment when her back slams into the wood, and instead focuses on bringing him closer, curling her slender fingers around the soft fabric of his coat.

One of his hands slipped to her back, trailing up and down her hip. Pitch bit down gently on her lower lip, tracing the marks with his tongue. Then, he pulled away so that he could leave a trail of kisses down her neck, all the way to her pulse. He nibbled and kissed her there gently, leaving a bright red mark on her throat.

He pulled away, breathing heavily and let his head rest on her shoulder, taking a deep breath through the nose. Toothiana hooked her arms around his neck, holding him close to her, feeling his heartbeat through the fabric of his shirt.

"I'll be home for a while." He muttered huskily in her ear, already searching for the zipper on the back of her dress.

"Not here." Toothiana giggles, kissing his cheek gently, letting her eyelashes flutter against the soft skin.

"Seductress…" He breathed against her skin, picking her up easily in his arms.

"You flatter me," She smiled. If this was the way to make it up to Pitch for not telling her about spending time with Bunny that day, then she would be happy to oblige.

TTT

Bunny sat at the table across from North, shoveling the slices of cooked carrots into his mouth. "I'm tellin' ya North, Pitch is bad news."

"Ah, Bunny-" North started, running his fingers through his thick beard. "Pitch is rough 'round the edge, no?"

"No, no, no-" Bunny pointed his fork, rubbing his sideburns as he looked at North, "You didn't see it, mate." He shook his head, tossing his fork on the plate with a clang. "That guy…" He paused, "He's a slimeball-"

"Bunny," North said sternly, "Pitch is very old friend, and has been very good for business-"

"Not everything is about the bloody circus, North!" Bunny stood up abruptly, sending his chair clattering to the ground.

The Russian looked at him for a moment, then his eyes lit up with realization. "You are in love with Toothiana."

Bunny felt a strange churning in his stomach and his cheeks suddenly burned red. "What?" He shouted, "Have you gone crazy? Toothy and I are friends-"

North looked at him darkly.

"Bunny, you can not act on your… feelings-"

"I don't have feelings for her!" Bunny argued, refusing to meet North's eyes.

North spoke gravely, "Bunny, I will not argue with you, but I will tell you," He placed a hand on Bunny's shoulder, poking him in the chest. "Is not safe to take what Pitch sees as his."

Bunny scoffed, shrugging off North's hand, "I told you, mate. I don't have feelings for Toothy." He then walked towards the door, sticking his hands in his pockets as he walked down the small hallway before he turned into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

He sat at his desk and grabbed a charcoal pencil, dragging his sketchpad towards him. He flipped sporadically through the pages, needing to get to a blank page.

He had to draw something.

He needed to vent.

The sketchbook flipped to the page with a petite young woman, sitting on a chair with a soft smile playing on her lips, the sun dancing off the beads of her dress.

Toothiana.

All the anger and frustration that had stuck to him like tar immediately washed away, and he gently set down the pencil.

He gently stroked the curve of the woman's chin before he could catch himself. He quickly slammed the sketchbook shut and pressed his hands against his forehead.

Damn it, sheila. He thought, sighing as his gaze found the dream catcher resting next to a pile of paintbrushes. What have you done to me? He quickly stood up and left his room, once more; making his way down the hallway, only this time he stopped at the room on the far left hand side.

He knocked quietly on the door, peering inside to see Sandy sitting at his desk with a book in his hands.

"Oi, Sandy." Bunny said raising his hand in greeting. The mute raised his hand and looked at him expectantly.

Bunny sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "I was just wonder'n if you could show me how to make a dream catcher again.

Sandy quickly nodded, pulling up a chair and patting on it welcomingly. Bunny smiled and walked inside.

So maybe he liked Toothiana, but there was no way he could be in love with her, that was impossible. They'd just met.

He sighed as he watched and copied Sandy's motions, forming another dream catcher.

Or maybe he was just crazy.

A/N: I appreciate your support! Please review, it helps me update quickly! The next chapter may be shorter, but the ones after should be normal after that :) thanks, and please review!