Chapter Ten: Things That Fall Apart… And Come Together

Toothiana sat at her vanity. She had just finished pinning up her brown curls, using little pins with diamond accents to hold the chignon in place, although she did let a few strands fall around her face.

She had slipped into the new dress the moment Pitch had gone downstairs to make sure the driver was ready; he wanted to make sure they got to the party on time. Tooth would be lying if she said her heart wasn't pounding at the thought of Pitch seeing her in such a short dress. As she draped her pearl necklace over her head, she tried to ignore the fact that her hands were shaking ever so slightly. Breathe. She commanded gently as she slipped off her wedding ring, setting it on the wooden table.

Her breath hitched slightly. It had never affected her to take off her wedding ring, but doing such a thing now… Toothiana quickly pulled on her long white gloves, sliding the ring on as quickly as she could.

For some reason she felt as though Pitch seeing her with her ring off-even if it were to put her gloves on- would be dangerous. She quickly shook her head, reaching for her lipstick. It was just silly of her to worry. Pitch… he would never hurt her.

Once she was done with her make up, she stood up and pulled on her shoes: simple black straps with a slight heel. Tooth took a deep breath, trying to slow her quickly beating heart as she smoothed her dress, the beads clicking together gently as her palms passed over them.

Then the door opened.

"Toothiana, the driver is ready now-" Pitch suddenly stopped speaking as Toothiana turned around to face him. She shivered when she saw his brow furrow and his jaw lock. "What are you wearing?" He asked coolly, calmly.

He was furious.

"Fye helped me pick it out." Toothiana said, smiling through the fear that pulsed through her veins. She'd never seen Pitch look so angry. His eyes seemed to shimmer with rage, but he remained so stoically collected. It sent chills down her spine. "She said that people in the circus tend to favor brighter, shorter dresses so-"

"Take it off." Pitch said sharply. Toothiana nearly flinched at his tone, but somehow… even in her fear… the way he was speaking to her made her angry.

"No." Toothiana replied with such firmness it nearly surprised her. Pitch however was clearly shocked. His eyes widened and his brow shot up. Pitch's lips curled.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" He asked smoothly, dusting off his black suit and refastening his gold cufflinks.

"I-" Tooth swallowed before taking a deep breath, "I like this dress." She said strongly. "And I'm going to wear it tonight."

Pitch scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, Toothiana." He said, stepping closer to her. Toothiana resisted the urge to back away as he loomed over her, gold eyes glowing in the low light of their bedroom.

Tooth simply forced a fake laugh, "Pitch, please. It's not a big deal-"

He snapped his hand around her wrist sharply, sending little rockets of pain shooting up her arm. Toothiana gasped in pain, shrinking back as Pitch leaned down close to her face, so close that she could feel his breath on her cheeks. "You look like a harlot, change it now."

Toothiana felt a soft whining in the back of her throat as his grip on her deepened. "Please, Pitch." She pleaded, "You're hurting me." Suddenly his eyes widened and he released her, stepping back as though her skin were burning hot.

Toothiana struggled to catch her breath; she felt energy rushing through her veins, burning like fire. She swiftly moved past him, forcing the air in and out of her lungs as she walked. He- he didn't mean that. Toothiana assured herself. It was just an accident.

She quickly hurried towards the car, slipping inside and folding her hands in her lap, squeezing them together until her knuckles turned white.

It was just a mistake.

TTT

Bunnymund tucked Sophie into bed, her shaggy blond hair lying across the pillows as she snuggled up closer to Jamie. "Now you go to sleep right away, sheila." Bunny said, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"But I don't want to!" She yawned as Jamie rolled his eyes, smiling at his younger sister. "I want to dance with everyone." She whined as Bunny pulled the covers up to her chin.

"When you're older, you'll be able to go to all of North's parties, but for now you need to go to sleep, alright you little ankle-biter?" Bunny teased, winning a soft giggle from Sophie.

"Okay…" Sophie grew quiet for a moment and looked down.

"What is it, Soph?" Bunny asked, frowning slightly as the sadness in her eyes.

Sophie sighed and turned to look at him. "I miss Miss Toothiana."

Bunny felt a pang of pain in his chest. It was his entire fault, wasn't it? He sighed. He couldn't hide from it any more: he'd fallen in love with Toothiana. How could he not? She was so kind, so beautiful. She made him feel as though he could do anything.

At times, he even felt as though she was his everything.

"Bun-Bun?" Sophie asked, tilting her head slightly to the side.

"Yeah, Soph?"

"Do you remember that stories you sometimes tell me?" She asked, blinking her wide green eyes.

"You mean the fairy tales, sheila?" Bunny asked, raising an eyebrow. It had been a while since she'd asked for one, usually she was so tuckered out by the end of the day that she went right to sleep, even now, Jamie was sleeping soundly next to her.

Sophie nodded. "Good always wins, right?" She asked softly, her quiet voice almost seemed strained.

Bunny felt his heart twist. Did good always win? He wondered as his throat closed up. In fairy tales, yes. But what about in life? Did things always turn out the way people wanted them? No… but sometimes it could lead to better things, right? He thought of Sophie and Jamie's parents, they were dead and the two children had been left orphans, but it had brought them all together.

Bunny smiled softly and leaned down giving Sophie a kiss on the forehead. Maybe now it seemed bad… but there was always hope that things would turn out all right, despite the strife it took to get there. Hope had never let him down before.

"Yes, sheila. Good always wins."

TTT

Tooth watched the buildings rolling by as the car sped down the street towards the circus grounds. She tried not to think about what had happened in the bedroom, despite the aching pain that pulsed in her arm.

She gave Pitch a fleeting glance; his arm was resting against the window with his chin in his hand. His fingers tapped as the car rumbled on: the only sound in the entire car.

It was driving Toothiana insane. She wanted to speak, but found herself unable to say any words. She felt as though she was drowning. Even if she screamed… she felt as though no one would hear.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the circus grounds, the big striped tents were nearly obscured by the darkened sky. Tooth quickly got out of the car as the driver opened it for her. How should she act? Would anyone know what had happened? What should she-

She felt a hand on her back. She looked up to see Pitch, looking down on her with solemn amber eyes. "Shall we be go then, my dear?" he said, guiding her towards the tents. Toothiana took a deep breath and nodded, letting him lead her towards the light she could see glowing in the cracks between the tent flaps, music filled her ears: a heavy mix of beating drums and quickly paced horn of some kind, along with the cheers and clapping of the various party goers.

Pitch held open the flap for her and Toothiana stepped inside, instantly being greeted with a chorus of bright colors and sound. The sound of pounding feet danced around her ears mixing with the laughter and cries of glee as the song picked up its tempo. A dark-skinned woman in red swept by; swaying her hips in a way that made several men in the room crane their necks.

Toothiana caught sight of Jack swiping a cup of beer from a large table overflowing with all kinds of treats and alcohol. Tooth waved to him and gave him a wry grin. He smirked and took a swig of the drink, shivering at the shocking taste. Toothiana gave him a look of accusation, but he simply broke of into a bout of laughter and jumped off onto the dance floor, easily mixing in with the pulsing crowd.

Tooth laughed and shook her head, turning away just in time to be swept into a bone-cracking hug. "Oh Tooth! Is good to see, no?"

Tooth gasped in laughter, "It's been a while, North." She said as he released her. The giant man laughed, turning to clap Pitch on the back, smiling greatly.

"We are glad to see you both, please, dance! Drink! Celebrate all your hard work!"

It was then that Tooth noticed how red in the face North was. "Oh my," she laughed as he moved along, jumping right into the dance floor right into a Charleston singing along to the beat of the music. Several circus folk burst into cheers and Tooth noticed a few people from the theatre jumping in. She was sure that she saw Fye get swept into a dance by someone.

There was a gentle tapping next to her. Toothiana looked down to see Sandy smiling at her softly, his round cheeks appeared to glow in the light, or perhaps he was feeling a little drunk as well. The small man offered her a goblet. For a moment she hesitated, Pitch didn't usually like her to drink since she was such a lightweight and it made it easier for her to get drunk. Tooth took a deep breath and grabbed the cup, downing it in a few gulps.

"Ahh." She said, handing the cup back to Sandy, whose eyes were wide with shock as she blinked quickly, steadying herself as she tried to regain her balance. "Thanks, Sandy." She said, smiling as she patted his shoulder. The stout man blinked in surprise at her eagerness, but smiled and raised his arms as though her were just about to try and convey something when Tooth felt a hand on her arm.

"What are you doing?" Pitch's low voice snapped quietly, his lips brushing against her ear chillingly "you know you'll get drunk if you drink too much."

Under normal circumstances she would have been afraid, but she'd had just enough beer to make her feel a little loose. A little free. A Little unafraid.

"Come on, Pitch. It's a party." Tooth said, slipping out of his grasp, not noticing how his eyes widened. "I'm not a child, I don't need you to watch over my shoulder all the time, okay?" She said it softly, but she could see him flinch at her words.

At her rebellion.

"You're acting like a child." He said, gritting his teeth as he did so. That did manage to draw some attention. A large man- the one Toothiana though she heard was called Ralph- glanced over, frowning slightly.

"Everything all right, folks?" He said, crossing his arms.

Pitch paused for a moment, giving Toothiana a hard glare before he coolly said "Everything is fine." Then he straightened up, folding his long arms behind his back and turning towards Toothiana, "Is it not, my dear?"

Toothiana swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling dry. She quickly cleared her throat when she could have sworn she saw Pitch's eyes darken. "Yes, everything is fine." She said stiffly, giving Ralph the most reassuring smile she could manage.

Ralph hesitated, but eventually turned away.

Pitch smoothly spun towards her, his frustration was apparent, although she doubted anyone else would notice through his usual calm demeanor. "What is going on?" He asked pleadingly, his eyes softening for a moment. "I don't understand."

For some reason… his words just seemed to make her even more upset. She couldn't speak her mind, and then he got upset when he didn't understand. What gave him the right to do that? She'd spent so long being patient, submitting to his every whim for years, and for what? Why did she keep doing it? In the beginning… she loved him that much was true, and in the early days she would have done anything for him. He'd saved her from a life of poverty, so had she even loved him in the first place? Toothiana didn't know. Had it been just a sense of responsibility towards him that stirred her affections for him? Or had it been a real connection?

Looking back on their early budding relationship, all she could remember was happiness… the success she felt at working her way into his stone heart. The comfort of feeling his arms around her. Then Aster came and she… lived.

Then everything between her and Pitch just seemed to… break apart. It reminded Toothiana of the winters in her childhood home, sometimes ice would freeze in the large rocks on the hillside, forming small cracks, and then when spring came, the sun melted the snow and the rocks would split apart with a loud crack.

She no longer felt love for Pitch, at least the romantic kind… yes she still cared for him, how could she not? But did that mean she should continue to pretend? Or should she...?

"It's nothing." She said simply, looking off into the pulsing crowd of swinging dancers and bright skirts. Pitch locked his jaw for a moment before he opened his mouth to say something, but a familiar booming laugh fell upon them and a large, meaty hand swung Pitch away.

"Come Pitch, we must give you drink, no? To loosen the collar, ha ha! Is good saying, is it not?" North boomed, leaning on Pitch's lithe figure with most of his massive force as he spun the lanky man around and led him towards a table piled high with wine, beer and ale.

Tooth took the moment to slip off into the crowd, her head was feeling somehow… feverish, and all she could think about was Aster, he should be here, shouldn't he? She couldn't explain her desire to be with him- no that's a lie- she knew exactly why she wanted to be with him. It was the softness in his eyes, the warmth of his touch, the way she could tell him anything, how when she was with him she somehow seemed to feel whole.

She loved him. She… she loved him. A rush of feelings overwhelmed her, maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the heat, or the music that wafted around her, a smooth voice rolling through the air, slipping over her shoulders and around her waist, maybe it was the warm, calloused fingers that gently brushed her bare arm.

Maybe it was the way his gruff voice uttered her name, "Tooth,"

Toothiana turned around, smiling softly as she let her own slender fingers brush the skin on his forearm as she looked at him. He wore simple black pants and suspenders; the sleeves on his white shirt were rolled up past the elbow. He looks almost the same as he did the first day we met… Tooth thought fondly.

Her eyes traced his strong jaw, his sideburns, the way short his blue-gray hair looked so soft it made her want to run her fingers through it.

His clear green eyes that seemed to see straight into her heart.

"Aster." She said, smiling simply as she began to slowly slide her hands away. Bunny's brow furrowed for a moment before he closed her small hand in his large one. Tooth knew she should pull away. She should back away. She should apologize; she should go back to Pitch…

Then again, lately Tooth had been getting in a habit of doing things she shouldn't.

Tooth slowly closed her fingers around his. It felt so easy. So right. So whole.

Bunny's eyes widened for a moment, and then he smiled, looking as though he wanted to pick her up right then and there and swing her off her feet.

They both seemed to move at the same time, stepping out away from the crowd towards the tent flap. Bunny took his free arm, pushing it aside for her. Toothiana ducked under his arm and out into the cool night. The light air tussled a stray hair that had been pinned back, leaving a soft brown curl the rest against her face.

Bunny followed after her, letting the flap fall so that no one would notice they had gone. He then crossed over to her, the dirt crunching under his shoes. Tooth looked up to him, her heart pounding quicker and quicker as he drew closer.

He stood above her now, almost looking shy somehow. "I –uh-" He cleared his throat. "I missed you, Toothy."

Tooth felt a lump begin to form in her throat. He hadn't even been angry with her. He had been just as sad and lonely as she had. "I missed you to." She said, feeling warm tears begin to well in her eyes. "So much."

"Tooth," Aster said, stepping so close that their chests touched. A gust of wind rippled through the air, rumpling the tarp of the tent and sending a shocking jolt through Toothiana, clearing the haze of the alcohol and the party from her mind. She gasped when she felt Bunny's hand on her cheek.

She shouldn't be doing this. Toothiana felt a twinge of remorse, not for her feelings towards Aster, but for how much she knew it would hurt her husband. God, how could she do this?

She leaned into his touch despite herself. Maybe she could –just for a moment- allow herself some peace, some happiness. Maybe just a moment would be enough. She could hold onto it, and maybe –just maybe- that could help her carry on.

It's just for now. She told herself.

"Tooth," He said, lifting his other hand from hers and using it to cup her face in his hands, tilting it up so that they met eyes. "I need to tell you something."

Toothiana's eyes snapped open and she immediately began to try and back away. She knew what he was going to say, and he couldn't say it! He just couldn't! Because if he did… then it could never just be a moment, she would want it forever. As soon as the words leave his lips, she'll never be able to go back to the way she was before.

Nothing would ever be the same, and that was terrifying.

It was terrifying how much she wanted to hear the words. It was terrifying how much she wanted to say them. Because she had never felt so strongly, so passionate about someone before.

She had never loved someone the way she loved Aster.

"Don't run away." He said softly, dropping a hand to her waist and gently pulling her back to him. "Please," he begged, leaning down and letting his forehead rest against hers. "Please don't run away."

Tooth closed her eyes, pushing her eyelids together tightly as the warm tears threatened to slip down her cheeks. She wanted to hear him say it, no matter how much she tried to convince herself she shouldn't. She needed to hear him say it.

She felt his breath on her cheeks, and his forehead resting against hers. "I-" He began, sounding somewhat breathless. "I love you."

Toothiana's heart clenched and the tears slipped through her closed eyes, falling down her cheeks and shimmering in the silver light. Her body seemed to move of its own accord, throwing her arms around his shoulders and raising up onto her tiptoes as she buried her face in his shoulder. Tooth took a shuddering breath, twisting her fingers around the cloth of his shirt before whispering back, "I love you, too."

And just like that, he swept her in his arms, pressing his lips to hers.

It was like the world faded out. There were no fireworks, no booms, no flashes of color. Just the simple warmth of their arms around each other, their hearts beating in time as the music, the lights, the cheers, all faded out.

There was no one but the two of them in the world.

Bunny slipped his arms around her waist, lifting her up until her toes barely touched the ground. Tooth slipped her fingers into his hair, gently stroking at the soft strands as she returned the kiss completely.

They were in love.

And in that moment, it was just the two of them in the world. In that moment, they could be together.

Then there was the sound of a tent flap being pushed aside and Bunny immediately set Tooth down, stepping away, but not removing his hand from her waist. Toothiana gasped for breath and turned toward the silhouette that was blacked out by the bright lights of the party. Toothiana blinked for a moment, allowing her eyes to adjust, then she looked again.

Her blood seemed to freeze.

Pitch.

He glared at her, but it was nothing compared to the look he gave Bunnymund. It was, dark, chilling, murderous. Toothiana felt a chill sweep through her, but Bunny simply returned the look and gave her waist a comforting squeeze.

Pitch's amber eyes immediately shot to Bunny's hand, and his lip curled. His gray hand snatched up her wrist, yanking Tooth out of Bunny's arms roughly, so that she slammed into his own chest. Tooth yelped quietly at the feeling of the bones in her wrist grinding against each other.

"Oi!" Bunny shouted, leaping forward, ready to rip Pitch away from Toothiana.

"Stop!" Toothiana shrieked, holding out her free hand to ward Aster off. If he attacked Pitch… he could be hurt, Pitch would send out his nightmares. She wouldn't let it happen. She couldn't

She loved him too much.

Bunny instantly stopped, a mix of confusion, shock and anger playing across his face. "Please. Don't fight." Tooth begged, looking between the two men.

Bunny paused then turned away and kicked over a wooden bin, sending it crashing to the ground. The music within the tent quieted, along with a few curious voices arose.

Pitch leaned down to her ear, whispering with a biting voice, "We are leaving now."

Bunny grit his teeth and clenched his fist, beginning to open his mouth and say something, but Tooth quickly shook her head. They had been stupid to think that they could have ever been together…

It was like hoping for sunlight in the middle of the night: it was impossible.

Toothiana hung her head, holding her hands in front of her as Pitch turned her around, his slender fingers gripping her shoulder as he led her towards the car. Toothiana spared a glance from the corner of her eye and immediately looked away. Any remenants of the warmth she'd felt moments before instantly dissipated with the single look of Pitch's face.

Cold, dark, fury.

It was like a pan that had been sitting on the stove for too long: boiling and about to overflow. Toothiana had had experience with such things, and she remembered exactly what happened when the steaming water spilled over.

She got burned.

TTT

"You spend all your time with that man!" Pitch shouted, yanking his tie off and throwing it on the floor.

Toothiana felt her anger flare up. She had been patient for so long, never arguing when he said he had to work late, or when he was leaving early to not return until long after she'd fallen asleep. Well now, Toothiana was done being quiet, and she was fed up with being treated like a second priority. She was going to tell Pitch exactly how she felt.

"At least he tries to spend time with me!" Toothiana argued, her voice rising slightly. "You're gone all the time! Do you want me to just sit at home by myself all day long waiting for you?" She flung her arms down in exasperation as she felt the rage building in her chest.

She hadn't realized how much frustration she had been holding in.

"I have to work, Toothiana!" Pitch shouted, flinging a hand. "That's how I pay for all the things you have-"

"I never asked for these things-" Tooth tried to interject.

"You shouldn't have to!" Pitch countered, slamming his fist down on his palm. "I want to be able to provide what you want-"

"I wanted to spend time with you, but you never asked me what I wanted-"

"You could have fooled me, Toothiana." Pitch seethed, his amber eyes darkening. "Traipsing around with that dirty-"

"Don't talk about him that way!" Toothiana shouted, her cheeks burning red with anger as she stamped a foot. "Aster is-"

"Ohohoho," Pitch laughed dryly as he unbuttoned the collar of his dress shirt. "You seem to be very close to him." He squeezed his eyes shut before he cracked them open, glaring at her darkly, "What is it you do while I'm gone, Toothiana?"

A shiver ran down the young woman's spine as she stepped towards the door, feeling herself shrink back. "It's not like that-"

"But it is, isn't it?" Pitch stepped towards her, his upper lip curling up slightly. "I saw you two together tonight-"

"That?" Toothiana panicked as his hand closed tightly around her arm. The kiss. The kiss that could never- would- never happen again. She'd known it the moment Pitch had found them. It hurt. She loved Aster, and he loved her in return, but where did that leave Pitch? Maybe it had been hopeless from the beginning… maybe they had never been meant to be together anyways. Would it help to tell Pitch the truth? She remembered the throbbing pain in her arm. No. If she told him… what whould he do? He wouldn't hurt her… no he wouldn't Pitch would never-

"Tell me!" He snarled, squeezing his hand around her tightly as thunder boomed from outside and slow pellets of rain began to patter against the window.

"That was nothing-" She winced as his fingers pressed tightly into the soft flesh of her arm. "Ahh" She gasped in pain, trying to pull her arm out of his firm grasp. "Please Pitch, you're hurting-"

White lightning flashed. "Do. Not. Lie. To. Me." He seethed, leaning in close to her. His amber eyes flashed menacingly as Toothiana's widened in fear. "How many times has he held you like that? Kissed you?" He suddenly released her, stepping away as though her skin had burned him, but the fury engraved in his features never dissipated. "How many times has he had you?"

Tooth's eyes widened, "What?" She asked stepping forward. "He's never- we've never-"

"Then what exactly do you do while I'm gone?" Pitch advanced forward quickly, forcing Toothiana to skitter back before he ensnared her in his grip. "What is it that you keep from me?" Her breath hitched as he shook her, "Why do you do this to me?" His voice was laced with pain, "Don't you know how much I love you?"

His fingers sunk against her skin, forcing her to yelp in pain. Toothiana yanked herself away from him, grabbing onto the vanity for balance as she stumbled. She looked up, huffing as the adrenaline coursed through her veins, flashes of thoughts blurred through her mind. Her flying emotions mixed with the drink she'd had at the party blurred her thought made her careless, they made her say things she'd regret. Toothiana shook her head, tears of anger, fear, and frustration spilling down her cheeks as she shouted, "Sometimes, I don't think you do!"

She instantly gasped, covering her mouth. His eyes flared as she saw him raise his hand, his face curling into a furious glare as a dark blur swung towards her.

Toothiana felt a sharp stinging sensation as something cracked painfully against her cheek.

She felt herself slam back, the edge of the vanity jamming painfully into her side as she collapsed to the ground. Tears burned against her eyes as she tentatively touched the red-hot flesh on her cheek, where a pink, hand shaped bruise was already taking form.

She gasped as the tears ran down her cheeks, burning like fire against the sensitive skin. How could he do this? How could he hurt her? She'd trusted him. Toothiana remembered her kiss with Bunny. Did she deserve this? She'd been trying to tell him the truth, she was trying to make things right, but she'd let her emotions run wild. She was stupid, stupid, stupid. She'd done horrible hurtful things to Pitch, and she knew it, but she couldn't help but feel utterly betrayed and hurt by what he'd done. Why? She thought as she slowly curled up, tucking her knees to her chest. She'd never thought he'd do something like this, and that hurt even more than his slap.

She heard the soft creaking of wood beneath feet and then, "Toothiana-" She heard a soft voice say gently. She looked up from her legs and through her tears to see Pitch hovering over her, his gold eyes filled with remorse. "I'm so sorry, love. I- I didn't mean to-" He said softly, kneeling in front of her and holding his arms out soothingly, as though to a wounded animal.

Toothiana tucked her knees to her chest and scooted back towards the wall, trying to shrink into the shadows.

Pitch shifted forward; opening his arms to her, "please," he said gently, "Whatever you've done I'll forgive it, please." He begged, his voice shaking with desperation. "Please don't run from me." His fingers brushed her skin and Toothiana jumped to her feet, skittering away from him and flinging open the door.

She heard Pitch clatter after her, "Toothiana," he shouted desperately, "Wait!"

Tooth continued running, all the way down the stairs, past the servants and out the door into the rain. She ignored the calls of her name and the feeling of rain smashing into her skin; she ignored the flashing lightning and the booming thunder. She even ignored the aching bruises forming on her face, ribs and arms.

All she could feel was cold, hard, fear and an aching sadness. She needed to run away. She needed to get away from it all.

There was one person she could go to.

TTT

Aster looped and wove the leather strips of the dream catcher together, fastening little feathers at the end of each cord. He had nearly completed it, but there were still a few finishing touches that needed to be done.

Bunny sighed, setting the dream catcher down on his bedside table next to a cup of unfinished beer and leaning back on his makeshift bed. Toothiana had told him she loved him, and it had made him so happy-he couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt such a feeling

Then Pitch came… Bunny squeezed his eyes shut. That bastard didn't deserve Toothiana.

Bunny opened his eyes again. What would happen now? Would she pretend the kiss had never happened? Would he ever see her again? Bunny clenched his fist. No. He wouldn't let that happen he would see her again, and he would fight for her. There was no way he was letting Pitch Black keep them apart.

He loved her, and that was something worth fighting for.

Bunny heard a rustling mixed in with the sound of falling rain from outside, he instantly got up, reaching for the boomerang he kept hidden under his pillow. It may have seemed trivial, but Bunnymund knew his way around the object, and was skilled enough to use it as a pretty formidable weapon.

He held the boomerang at the ready as the tent flap was pushed aside, and in stepped… Toothiana, soaking wet with rainwater that trailed down her cheeks and arms.

"Tooth!" Bunny exclaimed, bolting forward and wrapping his arms around her. "You came back." He breathed into her hair as he gently stroked her hair. She was back. She was in his arms. She slipped her arms around him in return, clinging to him like a lifeline.

Then he felt her shaking.

"Toothy?" He asked, pulling back just enough do see some of the drops on her face weren't rain. They were tears. He felt his heart lurch as he instantly bent down to her height, tilting her face towards his. "What happened, Tooth?"

She simply closed her eyes, biting down on her lower lip and shaking her head. It was then that he noticed the large red mark on her cheek in the haunting shape od a hand print. Fury flared up inside of him at the sight of it. I'll kill that dirtbag! He thought darkly, but then he felt Tooth pull away from him for a moment. He watched her cross over to his night stand and take the small glass of beer in her hand. With a single gulp she downed it, letting the glass fall to the table with a clack.

She paused for a moment, and then she turned back to him, fresh tears tracking down her cheeks as her lower lip quivered. "It still hurts." She said softly.

Bunny let the anger out of him for the moment. She needed him now. He took her face in his hands and gently kissed her bruising cheek, then he moved to the next. He felt her rise onto her tiptoes, so he gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

He didn't know who started it, but somehow they ended up kissing more heatedly, more passionately. It felt so good, so wonderful to be close to her. To feel her fingers in his hair and her heart beating beneath his. He gently guided her to the bed, laying her down carefully so that he didn't accidentally bump her into any furniture. She pulled his arms around her, guiding him to the zipper at the back of her dress.

Bunny suddenly broke the kiss, panting heavily as he looked down at the woman beneath him. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen. Her makeup was running from the rain and her tears and ran down her cheeks. Her hair was mussed and halfway hanging out of its up do and splaying across the pillow.

She was beautiful.

"You sure you want to do this, sheila?" Bunny asked, gently nuzzling his nose against hers. Tooth's eyes flickered with thoughts that Bunny couldn't understand. She was a mystery to him, and yet she was the only thing that brought him clarity.

"Do you love me?" She finally asked, fear flickering across her face for a split second. Bunny paused for a moment and then smiled.

"Beyond the moon and back."

Toothiana leaned up to him, her breath against his lips, "Then I'm ready."

A/N: Sooooo…. Review? The good, the bad, and the ugly. What did you like, what didn't you like? What do you think or hope will happen? What are you afraid will happen? I hope you enjoyed and such, but just so you know, our characters aren't out of the storm yet.