Making Friends

"Alright guys, let's get a move on!" Jack clapped as they finished the delicious-ness that was blueberry pancakes. Sandy, of course, was dripping in syrup and in horrible need of a wipe down but he was, thankfully, the only casualty to the sugary syrup.

"Where we goin'?" Anna asked through the last bite of her breakfast.

"Mouth closed, Anna." Jack reminded.

"Sorry." She offered after she swallowed the bit of food.

"But where are we going?" Aster reiterated.

"Oh, we're going to the college today!" He said, exactly as excited as he sounded. "I need to pick up some textbooks and we're gonna stop by and introduce you guys to the daycare people, just in case." He explained over his shoulder as he started to rinse off their plates in the sink.

"You mean we're going to your school?" Nick asked in awe.

"You betcha." He borderline chuckled at their excitement. It was incredibly encouraging to say the least. It was really hard not to be excited about all he was about to attempt when they were so incredibly enthused about it too. He was going to be in college and taking care of them which seemed monumental but he was incredibly pumped because they fed his passion for it.

Once he was done with the dishes and he had wiped Sandy down for the second time within the hour he herded them out the door, making double sure everything was locked down and that he had his keys. When he marched them straight past their car he caught their confused faces and chuckled.

"Why aren't we driving?" Aster asked.

"Because walking is great exercise and it's not that far." He offered.

"But we never walked before." He insisted. Jack bit back the urge to tell him that they had been in a bad part of the city where walking would have gotten them shot before and opted for the more kid-friendly explanation.

"We never had a reason to walk before. Now we're close to everything and we can." He provided. That seemed to pacify the boy but not really make him any happier about the situation.

Frankly Jack's nerves were taking a pounding because now they were loose! The four of them romping about all over the sidewalk! He was certain Anna would give him a heart-attack yet. She had almost run into traffic twice on the same block, and Burgess didn't have big blocks. Aster had tried his best to keep a hold of her and Nick but they weren't having it.

"Alright, settle down or we won't be having ice cream later." Jack bribed. The difference was astonishing. They immediately fell into line like ducklings. He chuckled at the mental image and the speed they quieted down with. "That's what I thought." he nodded, content that they would behave.

Sandy was unconcerned about ice cream though, and wiggled out of Aster's grip to chase a butterfly.

"Sandy? Hey buddy come back here." Jack called the toddler who listened about as well as he spoke. "Sandy?" Jack tried, nothing. With a heavy sigh he took off after the boy, urging the others to follow close.

He scooped the little one up right before he entered the intersection.

"Jeeze, you're gonna scare me half-to death one day, you know that kiddo?" He asked as he ruffled his semi-messy blonde hair, frowning to get his point across. Sandy just gave him the 'I'm sorry' look and he let it go.

"Anna!" Aster yelled as he snatched his little sister away from the curb.

"What happened?" Jack spun to see her looking a bit shell-shocked.

"Almost wandered off the curb chasing Sandy's butterfly." Aster offered. "Don't do that sissy, you could get hurt." Aster admonished, scared for her as much as Jack was.

"Sorry Aster." She apologized while having a staring contest with her shoes.

"Hey, it's alright sis, just be more careful, alright?" She nodded and Jack let out a huge breath. Thankfully Nick still had his hand and Sandy was now snuggled into his shoulder. Aster hung onto Anna's hand and they made their way the other two of four blocks without incident.

"You'd think he'd be put off by all of this. It's a whole lot of responsibility and the boy's only eighteen." Pitch mused to himself as he watched them run around the big field on campus by the dining hall. Anna was again wearing a frilly skirt (purple and gold today) and a white shirt. She even looked like she use to as the Tooth fary. It was striking. Sandman hadn't changed much to be honest, and Pitch was shocked to find him...rather adorable. Nick was self-explanatory in Pitch's mind. Santa had always been over the top and even as a seven year old he was boisterous, loud and still wore a lot of red. He had to admit though, the lack of his Russian accent was throwing the nightmare king off a bit. Aster, or the Easter Bunny, was pretty much the same exact person made a little younger. It was almost as if he had all those jaded memories locked away in his mind somewhere.

The only one who seemed really different was Jack, only because he was much more hard-work and deadlines than his previous form had been. Pitch guessed it was his loss of memories that did it, but he was still inexplicably the same old guardian of fun he had been.

Something else puzzled him more than that change though, more than any of the changes and false memories the five seemed to have adopted. A change in himself.

He found himself cringing in horror as Anna almost jumped off the curb, or as Sandy wandered away. He wanted to snatch them all up and dump them back in the apartment Jack had rented where they would be safe. It was a small urge but it was there, and watching them play was not helping to squelch it.

When Jack led them all inside, keeping a tighter hold on the proverbial reigns because of their placement inside a store and knowing how that could go badly, he seemed to visibly tense. Of all the times to be worried, this was the least of them, Pitch thought sarcastically.

He watched like a hawk as little hands grabbed for knickknacks and children's books until they made the counter and he paid. They were out in, mercifully, much less time than he imagined and he hadn't paid as much as he thought he would. With that relief in mind he made straight for the daycare center.

"Hello, how can I help you?" A brunette woman in a bright silver shirt and black pants greeted them cheerfully at the front desk. She seemed genuinely happy with her job and Jack had half a second where he genuinely hoped he would be that happy one day. Her name tag read Cassandra Bennett and her hair was pulled up in a tight bun, he immediately felt like he knew her from somewhere but he couldn't place her.

"Oh, hi my name's Jack and these are my siblings. I called last week about enrolling them, you know, just in case?" he quizzed. She smiled brightly in recognition.

"Oh that's right! I remember, I'm who you spoke to, let me guess..." She looked between the siblings, trying to remember what he had said. "...the little one's Sandy." Jack nodded.

"Yep, can you wave to the nice lady Sandy?" Jack asked, the happy little boy squirmed around and waved excitedly at the new person who chuckled.

"Aww, hi there Sandy. How old are you?" She asked, having wandered back around the desk to greet them.

He held up enough fingers to say that he was six.

"Oh, that's right, you don't talk a whole bunch do ya?" She asked with a smile. Sandy shook his head shyly. "Well that's okay. Nice to meetcha." She ruffled his hair and he giggled silently. Mrs. Bennett suppressed her 'aww' in favor of a wider smile.

"Good boy, bud." Jack gave him a squeeze. "You're one for one." Jack cheered happily to the woman who he was instantly happy with leaving them with.

"Alright! Let's see if I can keep the streak alive, um...Anna?" She asked as she pointed at the little girl who was indeed Anna. She giggled from her spot behind Jack's leg.

"That's her alright." Jack confirmed.

"Hello Anna." Anna peeked around Jack shyly.

"Go on Anna, say hi." Jack prodded.

"Hi." She said softly, smiling at the woman but not coming any closer. Mrs. Bennett had knelt down to talk to her, which was likely why she had said even a word to her.

"Two for two!" He encouraged her.

"Alright!" She giggled. "Now...this must be Nick, and Aster?" She pointed in turn. Both boys nodded.

"Alright, hi there Nick." She greeted the other seven-year old.

"Hi Ms. Bennett." Nick greeted much more quietly than usual, reading her name tag as he did. She grinned.

"Well how old are you?" She asked.

"Me and Anna are seven." he informed her.

"Well that means you two will be in the grade I teach, right? You're gonna be in second grade this year?" She asked.

"Uh huh." He nodded.

"And what about you Aster? What grade are you in?" She asked.

"I'm nine, fourth grade this year." He informed.

"Cool, nice to meet you all. When will they be coming by, and do they need a bus?" She asked Jack who pondered that for a moment.

"Well, usually if they're not in school and I am, or if something odd happens." He said. They went to a back room where the four could play while they spoke. They hammered out all the details and they were set. They would be bused after school to the daycare and Jack could come get them before nine. That last part gave him pause though.

"But I'm going to be working from six to nine on Tuesdays and Thursdays." He informed her.

"Well...if you'd like I can take them to your home and you can meet me there." She offered. Jack froze, unsure.

"Oh, I...I don't know I don't want you to have to go out of your way..." He fiddled uncomfortably with the hem of his shirt.

"Hey, it's not a big deal. It's not out of my way from the address you've given and it's not as if you work later than we're open, you just can't get to them before we close. You'll already be off work, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're really good about lettin' me out when they're supposed to." He confirmed.

"Then it'll be no problem, and I have a son who's around Aster's age, if you ever need me to help you out." She offered. "I'd love to watch them."

"Really?" He asked, stunned.

"Absolutely, here." She handed him a business card. "Let me know if you need me to watch them anytime. Can you think of a time off-hand you might need to do work or something?" She asked, sensing she may have to pull it out of him. He sighed.

"Yeah, actually. I work midnight to eight am on Sundays and I had intended on letting Aster watch them a little, I mean they'd be asleep, but I know that's a bad idea..." He trailed off, embarrassed that he had been planning that at all.

"Jack? Why don't they stay over with me on Fridays?" She asked.

"Oh, I..." He looked between them and her uncertainly.

"Jack? I understand but I swear, they'll be safe. I actually live in the building." She explained.

"Really?" He asked. "So they could just...go down the hall?" He asked in shock. She nodded, clearly amused by his reaction.

"Right, I could bring them home and maybe, hey maybe I can just come over and nap on the sofa while you're gone?" She asked. "That way we don't need to wake them." He marveled at her stroke of genius.

"That's a great idea. I can't thank you enough." he semi-gushed.

"I don't mind, and you don't have to. Jack your 18 and from what I've seen and heard so far you could use the help, and you've more than earned it." She smiled.

After exchanging apartment numbers and numbers and emergency info he made sure they were all in on the situation and they made the trek home with plans to have dinner upstairs on the third floor with Mrs. Bennett and Jamie, her son. It was a Monday too, which meant Jack would be working but thankfully it was still summer so he didn't have to get up early.

He mulled this over as they settled down for lunch at their place and waited for Mrs. Bennett to knock on their door.

Well this is my final update for the weekend, but with any luck I'll be able to get more up this week because there are two band trips this week and that means lots of face-time with my laptop. As usual let me know what you think! You're wonderful people! :)