Chapter Thirty-Nine- Girl Talk

"This place really is amazing." Jessica offered, completely in awe of the palace around her. Too much pink for her taste but still stunning.

"Thanks! It's been here as long as I have. Somewhere around nine hundred years ago it was built and I was chosen a few years later. I still have no idea who built it." Tooth explained as she ducked around her faries, sending them this way and that on tooth-retrievals. Jessica couldn't help watching the way her feathers moved, her wings bent and her tail twitched. It was odd to think that she must look eerily similar.

"How do you know where they need to go?" She asked.

"Well, since I was chosen the directions have all been in my head somehow." She shrugged, waving her over to the center of her palace. "You just have to relax and let it happen."

"But…I don't even know what I'm supposed to be letting happen." Jessica explained, her bright plumage flattening to her head a bit. Tooth frowned and touched down beside her.

"Sweetie that's okay." She assured. "Just think about the feeling of your magic, okay?" Tooth coached.

"That feels weird." She offered. Tooth chuckled.

"I know, it'll get better, I promise." Tooth assured sweetly. Right before she was going to say something else to help Jessica's wings picked her up and she looked excited.

"Wow! There's so much. I never-oh!" Something seemed to click and Tooth floated up with her waiting patiently, whispering to her faries as she waited. A little red fary, not unline Tooth's own, flew up to her excitedly. A few chirps later Jessica found her voice.

"Yes, that'd be me." She smiled sweetly. "Go ahead, I trust you." The little fary zipped off and she could feel a pull in her gut. A warm red glow flashed quickly and she raised her hands on instinct. A line of nature magic shot out to wherever the rainstorm was needed.

"Okay, so I think you're getting the hang of it." Tooth chuckled. "What did she say?"

"She's the leader, apparently there are a whole mess of 'em. She explained that she could call me if I had any variations in weather I wanted, otherwise she'd be directing them and they'd pull magic through me to make the weather." She shrugged. "Asked if that was okay. I figure if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

"That's a good plan, at least for now. But aren't there spirits that do that too?" She asked.

"hm…I guess they're for setting the seasons in motion and paying careful attention to the season so that it goes just right." She explained, then stopped dead. "I have no idea where that came from." She chuckled.

"You'll have that." Tooth said with a sympathetic shoulder pat. There was a dip in the action and she floated down to sit on one of the lattice work patterns, patting beside her. Jessica sat and finally started to relax a bit.

"So, about earlier…" Tooth started and Jessica tilted her head to the side. Tooth couldn't stop smiling, that was cute. She was just a baby in terms of how long she'd been around, and she couldn't help feeling like a momma bear.

"What?" She asked innocently.

"I think Bunny's got a little crush on someone." She nudged.

"Oh?" She asked, her little face getting pink. Sometimes I forget she's a mom.

Tooth couldn't fathom the adorable factor. "Yeah, and I think someone has a little crush on him, too." She continued casually.

"Well, that's good right?" She asked.

"Of course, come on. You can't pretend you are getting the vibe." Tooth bumped her with her shoulder. Jessica crossed her arms and pulled her legs up onto the thin ledge with her.

"I know." She sighed. "I just don't know if…I mean is it…" She shook her head.

"Sweetie, the two of you obviously have something going on there, I think it's up to you but I'd give it a shot. What's the worst that can happen?" She asked.

"Well…we aren't even the same species!" Jessica fretted, throwing up her hands. "And I think he's just being friendly anyway." Tooth put a hand on her shoulder.

"I know he's not just being nice, and who cares?" Tooth asked. "You know he can shape shift, and so can you." She offered. Jessica fell off their perch and onto the floor.

"We can do that?! He…he can do that?! What?!" She fumbled.

"Well yes, but it takes practice. The point is, you can be the same, if you want. I don't think he minds though, sweetie." Tooth tried to gather everything into one thought, but it wasn't working as well as she'd hoped.

"How?" She asked.

"Hey, you've only just figured out your magic, why don't we wait until you've had some experience with that. It could really hurt you if you change too much. It's been too soon." Tooth plead in an attempt to keep her head screwed on right.

"Okay, okay." Jessica shook her head. "I guess you're right. One step at a time."

"Right." Tooth floated to the floor with her, getting comfortable. "Now, what on earth is keeping you two from getting cozy?" Tooth teased.

"Well nothing I guess, we just met each other but I don't know." She shrugged. "Actually, I'm sort of semi-living with him. Or um, I guess I kinda moved in." She squirmed.

"Aww, that's so sweet, do you think he's…" She prompted.

"Well…he did kind of sound like he was trying to ask something today…"

"I think it's perfect. You two are so cute." She nudged.

"I don't know, we'll have to wait and see." She shrugged. She was hoping it wasn't quite that obvious, but she doubted it was as subtle as she had thought. They sat and talked while arbitrarily doing their jobs in the background for a while.

"This is nice." Tooth thought aloud from seemingly nothing.

"You don't slow down often, do you?"

"Not really, generally I don't sleep until meeting nights." Tooth admitted. "But don't tell Sandy, I've had him fooled for years." She whispered, looking around like he might have been magically conjured by the speaking of his name, or of sleep. Jessica chuckled.

"Sweetie I hate to put it to you like this, but I doubt Sandy can be fooled. He probably knows."

"Oh I know, but I can hope, can't I?" She asked.

"Of course you can, I won't ruin the delusion farther for you." She teased, then yawned.

"I think someone needs to get home." Tooth prodded and the prospect of heading back to the warren put a smile on her face so bright she couldn't conceal it. Tooth raised an eyebrow. "I knew it. You're excited to see him, aren't you?" She asked.

"Maybe." She answered in true shy-teen form. She tried to ignore the pit in her stomach as she took off, waving a goodnight to Tooth and shooting off eagerly to find Bunny's warren. On her way she ran into Sandy, who waved her over.

'Lost?' He asked quickly, noting the overwhelmed and lost look on her little feather-rimmed face. She slumped forward.

"That obvious?" She asked.

'That's not the only thing that's obvious.' His eyebrow was taunting her.

"Oh hush. Incidentally, I was supposed to meet Bunny in the warren, and I'm having trouble finding it…" She informed him while rubbing the back of her head bashfully. She was giving more fuel to this fire and she knew it.

'Oh really?' He "Said" slyly. She could see some teasing coming up quickly.

"You too? Ugh." She let herself flop down on the cloud he had expanded for her dramatically. Sandy was learning more and more about how she and Jamie/Jack/James were so close. She really was a big kid.

Sandy patted her shoulder. 'You and Bunny are the only ones who haven't seen it, or accepted it.' He teased.

"Oh lord." She sighed.

'Come on, we're behind you a hundred percent if you decide to go for it. You two would make a great couple.' He assured.

"I suppose Bunny's probably getting the same speech?" She asked.

"Oh you know it."

Meanwhile, back at the warren, Jack was bouncing around teasing Bunny about how he should just court her already and stop padding around the bush, so to speak. They were perfect and besides that, it would really creep Jamie out and he was all for it. Bunny had spent all evening chasing the nut around and trying to catch him. Threats went unheeded that if Bunny got his paws on him he'd sit on him and tickle him until he peed.

It hadn't taken long for Jack to do his rounds and return to the pole while Bunny thought about what he had said, waiting. Maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to ask.

When Sandy showed her to the entrance she thanked him and he took off, winking at her in teasing. She made her way in, wings buzzing nervously as she floated toward their home. Our home..I quite like the sound of that. She self-teased.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Bunny asked casually from his place by a tree. She had missed him, floated right by him. She tried to contain her excitement when he spoke down to a surprised smile.

"Really well!" She grinned, sitting beside him and holding back a yawn. "I think I've got it figured out, I just need some practice."

"I knew you'd get it." He grinned, looking up from his painting for the first time in a while.

While they talked James was making his way back through the Pole. North had told him that he was welcome here, and part of him doubted that but he was tired. He knew there was a room there waiting on him, and he was about to pass out. He was quiet when he came in the ever-open window (why did North even keep that front door open anyway?) but quickly realized how pointless that was. The place was booming.

Something in him, something dormant for ages, woke up as he watched the toys circulate around the room. Yeti were busy, elves were ever under-foot, and smells of various fruits and cakes wafted from the kitchen. It was paradise and for the first time since everything had happened, he felt like he was truly home. It was wonderful.

He couldn't figure out why, but suddenly he didn't feel so old, so tired. He wanted to play, to try out one of the toy cars, fly a kite, laugh, make mischief. He found himself wishing his little girl were there, he'd have a reason to be silly and not be judged for it. His wife, his baby, he missed them so much it was like it had been mere months.

He leaned on the banister in the Globe-room that overlooked the workshop.

If only you were with me. He found himself crushed under that weight. Boogey hadn't helped him let go, like he had secretly hoped he would when he had realized his mistake. He had hoped that maybe this mistake would have a silver lining but, as Sandy had made him realize, there was no silver lining, only more pain. He had kept every last problem preserved for decades to be resurfaced with his absence.

He started to feel very young, and very much alone. He had been distracted by the job, of being the only guardian, he hadn't had time to worry before everything was turned on its head. He wished he had, maybe he'd know how to handle it, but he just had no idea. He was clueless and lost. It was like wading through a sea made entirely of syrup. Thick, heavy, bittersweet, and exhausting. Not that he or anyone else had ever done such a thing.

Running his hands over his face he made for the living portion of the Pole's expansive building and to his room. It was a wonderful room, a perfect representation of himself in room form. He actually smiled at the description. Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe Jack and Jamie are too. That's got to be a side effect of being a spirit so young. He mused.

When he laid down to try to sleep he ended up staring at the ceiling and wondering what others would think of him. He knew he had done wrong by many, and there was no way to make that right. He wracked his brain trying to think of any way he could come close to helping ease the pain and discomfort his mutated form had wrought before. All he could think of was Jamie's terrified face in that alley on Easter Sunday. His friends stepping up to defend the weakened Guardians. He had done that.

Me. That was my fault. All that worry, pain, and Sandy…Sandy died because of me. But they say they've forgiven that because it wasn't really me. I think the only people who might still be worried would be the other kids, but they can't see me anymore. If only I could explain, let them know I was sorry, that things would change…

He fell asleep pondering that and North felt something.

He woke up to that familiar feeling, a new child with a new belief so strong it was palpable. He could feel it sometimes if the child had his center strongly enough, and most definitely if they were in one of the northern countries closer to the Pole. However this one woke him up because it was beyond any other he had felt. It was at the pole, and it wasn't a small child. It was a young one, caught between adulthood and childhood who actually believed in the Guardians and who's wonder had come back with a vengeance.

"James." North realized with a broad smile.

Beyond that, someone else in the Pole felt that belief return, and to him it was the most amazing feeling ever. A new believer for one who barely had any, and had never been able to feel them at all.

Jack's eyes shot open in amazement. He had felt a child believe in all of them! He barely felt his own numbers go up and down, now he felt this?! He actually chuckled, broad smile in place and tempted to do a backflip. However the golden sand that was still swirling lazily over his head urged him back to sleep, and he had to give in.

And so, the gap closes. Mani smiled down on his children. For once, he had done them right.

Yes I'm evil, sorry for making you wait, but this really is turning into a soap opera in my head. I've got big plans for them! Let me know whatcha think! Thanks y'all!