Author's Note: When you tell yourself you aren't going to post late and then you post late...QwQ

Hello everyone! =D Welcome back to another chapter of "The Winter Child!" So I told myself yesterday that I wasn't going to post late anymore, and then I did. Whoops. OuO But I have a fair excuse! XD My family and I were out of the house for a few hours, and I can't drag my computer with me in the car because, well, no wifi. =') Thankfully, we didn't come home to late that I wouldn't be able to post soooo...yeah. XD I promise, promise, promise the next update will be on time! =D And if it isn't, I'll bang my head into a wall. QwQ

*Ahem* Anyway...I had some difficulty writing this chapter, and I frankly don't know why. OuO I had to scrap it three times until I finally was satisfied with the final result I got. TwT I'm still not feeling 100% happy with it, but eh. XD I hope you guys enjoy it! =D


~ XIII ~

Wawa

She was his partner in crime

His secret to sweet slumber

His first mate and friend

He never let her out of hand

He never let her out of sight

The stuffed arctic fox called Wawa

Which he loved with all his might

...

Jack loved his Wawa.

No, he loved his Wawa.

The stuffed arctic fox was never far from the young snow sprite's grasp. Jack dragged Wawa along with him everywhere: to the kitchen, through the living room, in the tub. North often had to tell him to leave the stuffed animal in his bedroom, as Jack wouldn't have liked it if his favorite toy got wet. Jack wasn't happy about separating himself from Wawa; the two had been inseparable ever since North gave the plush toy to him. But when he found the stuffed arctic fox waiting for him in the bedroom, Jack would be glad to have Wawa in his grasp again. She (as Jack referred to her) was his best friend and secret to sleeping well. Or, at least that was what he claimed.

Since she was brought along everywhere Jack went, Wawa had been torn in a few places, resulting in patches on her right ear, left knee, and back. Jack didn't mind the sewed-on pieces of cloth; he thought they gave Wawa an interesting appearance. "She looks like she's been on a lot of adventures!" Jack would gleefully proclaim, which North, frankly, had to agree with.

North hadn't expected Jack to grow so attached to Wawa when he had first given it to him. But as he listened to the imaginary starship battle taking place in the living room, the ex-Cossack couldn't help but feel amused by his previous thought.

North was in the kitchen accompanied by Aster and Sandy, who had stopped by a little while ago. Sandy had filled Aster and North in on the current happenings at Lunslruna Capital: Tsar Lunar was sending more troops to Darksualth, where suspicious activity was beginning to stir. No one knew what Pitch was planning; he had been dormant since his last attack ten years ago. But whatever he was plotting, whatever dastardly deeds he was planning to execute, would most definitely not be pleasant for Lunslruna and its inhabitants.

Pitch's upcoming return worried all of the Guardians. Tsar Lunar had told them to be ready to be called to the palace in case of an emergency. And even though North looked forward to an adventure of any kind, the thought of traveling to the palace and facing Pitch made North feel uneasy. When Pitch had attacked ten years ago, North hadn't faced him head-on. He and the Guardians—along with some of the adults of Santoff Claussen—used what weapons and tools they had to fend off the attacking Nightmares. North had only caught a glimpse of Pitch, but as quickly as the Nightmare King arrived, he and his Nightmare Army were gone in a flash. Leaving behind terrible nightmares that plagued the children even weeks after the attack had occurred.

North hoped with all his might that Pitch would stay where he was, but he knew that those chances were rather slim, and the Boogeyman's return was perhaps inevitable. North didn't know what he would do with Jack if he were called to the palace to fight…Ombric would be glad to watch him, but the old wizard had a girl of his own, and North didn't want to burden him with another child to look after.

"If Pitch does come back, we ought ta be prepared," said Aster firmly. His entire race had been wiped out by the Boogeyman, so North and Sandy weren't surprised by the solemnity in his tone. "We can't just wait for 'im ta arrive."

"That is why Tsar Lunar has sent more men to monitor the activity in Darksualth," said North. "There have been no breaches at border, so things seem calm at the moment."

"But we shouldn't stay in that mindset for long," prompted Sandy. "Pitch is as crafty as they come. We need to be prepared for what he might bring."

"Tooth's out lookin' for more information on Pitch and his possible return," said Aster, crossing his arms. "Hopefully, she finds somethin' useful."

North sighed. "I did not think Pitch would try and make he come back so quickly," he said. The ex-Cossack sighed, remembering the terrible battles that took place years ago. "To watch the children go through such pain and fear…it was terrible."

"Then we'll do what we can so they don't have to go through that fear again," Aster said. Sandy nodded in agreement, and North concurred as well.

Suddenly, from the living room, Jack cried, "We're under attack!" This briefly startled the three Guardians in the kitchen until they remembered Jack was only pretending. The little boy had constructed a pillow fort for a ship, and a small pot sat upon his head for his captain's hat. A wooden spoon that he had borrowed from the kitchen acted as his sword. His first mate, Wawa, lay inside the pillow fort, soft and snug in the pile of blankets.

Indignent, Jack huffed. "Come on, Wawa. This is a starship battle!" he exclaimed. "There's no time for sleep! Ready the mainsails!"

Aster's somber expression shifted into a smile. "Ya can never catch the kit without that stuffed fox, eh?" he chuckled.

North smiled. "No…he takes it with him everywhere. He has never let it out of sight."

"Where did the name come from?" inquired Sandy through his dreamsand.

"Jack named stuffed fox shortly after I have it to him," explained North. "When Jack was one, he couldn't pronounce white properly, so he settled on Wawa, since that was easier." North chuckled. "Sometimes he'll talk to it as if it's actual person."

"Well, with all things, Frostbite will soon grow out of it," said Aster with a shrug. "Soon ya'll find him sayin' that he's too old for toys or something along the lines of that."

North hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps when he gets older, he will let stuffed toy go," he said. "But for now, Jack is utterly attached to Wawa. I want him to enjoy his time as a child. No need to rush things, da?"

Aster and Sandy nodded in agreement, and North called Jack for lunch. The young boy ran into the kitchen, a grin on his face.

"Finally! I'm soooo hungry!" said Jack. North smiled, and Aster and Sandy laughed.

When the sun had dipped into the horizon and Aster and Sandy had long left, it was time for Jack to get ready for bed. The winter child was bathed and put into his pajamas, and North was lowering him into bed. Jack yawned; he was rather tired after spending the whole day playing. The imaginary battle that had taken place in the living room had been won by him, Wawa, and his soldiers (which, of course, were also fictitious).

Jack rested his head against his pillow, his eyes drooping closed. North tucked the covers over him.

"Sleep well, moy mal'chik," he said. The ex-Cossack was about to leave when Jack sat up, wide awake. North asked what was wrong.

"Wawa? Where's Wawa?" Jack asked. He searched under his covers and looked under his pillow, but the stuffed arctic fox wasn't there.

"Didn't you have her with you earlier?" North said.

"Yes, but I can't find her now!" said Jack. He crawled out of bed and sifted through his toy chest, peeked inside his closet, and examined the area around his desk. North helped him search around the room too, checking the higher locations that Jack couldn't reach. But Wawa was nowhere in the small bedroom, and Jack couldn't remember where he had placed her last.

"W-Where is she?" the winter child wondered. His lower lip trembled, upset that he couldn't find his beloved stuffed toy.

"I do not know, my boy," replied North. He guided Jack back to bed. "You will have to sleep without Wawa tonight."

"W-Without Wawa?" Jack exclaimed. "B-But I can't sleep without her!"

"We can look for her tomorrow," North reassured, lifting Jack into bed. "It is getting late now, and you need to sleep."

Jack was still upset, and he was more than reluctant to go to sleep without his favorite stuffed animal. But he complied and lay down. His hands felt so empty without Wawa. Jack had grown used to the feeling of Wawa's soft, almost cloud-like fur. He'd run his fingers through them until he could no longer keep his eyes open. When he was upset, he hugged her close for comfort. Wawa was very special to Jack. North had given her to him; she was more than just a toy to him. Jack carried Wawa anywhere and everywhere, and he couldn't believe he lost her

The winter child whimpered quietly. North ran a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry, moy mal'chik. We will find her. I promise," North solaced.

Jack sighed, and he closed his eyes, trying his best to get some sleep.

Jack wasn't happy about sleeping without Wawa. He tossed and turned all night, missing the stuffed arctic fox's soft fur. Since he fell asleep late, Jack woke up the next morning tired and cranky. The young snow sprite refused to touch his breakfast and bathing him was a battle.

North hoped that they'd uncover Wawa soon so Jack could sleep more soundly the next night. So once he had helped Jack dress in his clothes, the two headed downstairs to resume their hunt for the lost toy fox.

"Try retracing your steps," advised North. "When and where did you last have Wawa?"

Jack tapped his chin and hummed. "Well…I woke up with her yesterday. And I brought her with me to breakfast. And after bathing, I went to my room to play. I still had Wawa with me then."

"Do you remember anything else?" asked North.

"I went downstairs to see what you were doing in the study," continued Jack. He thought for a moment. "And…then I went to play in the living room while Bunny and Sandy were here. You called me for lunch, and I played the rest of the day until it was time for bed."

North suggested that they check the places Jack mentioned, excluding his bedroom since they had already checked there the previous night. North and Jack started in the study, where many of North's tools and inventions lay around. It was quite unfastidious, but he had been working a lot recently and hadn't found the time to tidy up yet. It was easy to lose something in the study—especially considering how messy it was—but Jack hadn't spent that long in North's office. He had stepped in and stepped out as fast as he had come.

So, the ex-Cossack and snow sprite moved to the kitchen. They checked the counters and searched the cupboards, but Wawa was nowhere to be found.

"She's not here!" Jack frowned.

"I think is time we call for help," said North. "I will invite Tooth, Sandy, and Aster over. Perhaps if we search together, we will uncover Wawa faster, da?"

"I hope so," Jack mumbled.

Aster, Sandy, and Tooth gladly came to help search for Wawa. They felt sorry for the winter child, so when North requested their help in finding Wawa, they headed over to North's house and started looking.

The Guardians couldn't clearly remember the last time they had seen Jack with Wawa. Aster and Sandy knew that he had played with her while North worked on lunch. Tooth hadn't been present at the time, so she couldn't state when she had last seen Jack with Wawa apart from last week when she had last come to visit.

Searching thoroughly, the Guardians scoured the house for any sign of Wawa. They checked the locations Jack had brought her, every spot, crack, or nook that a stuffed arctic fox could hide in. But alas, Wawa still hadn't been found.

Jack sniffed and tears welled in his eyes as the Guardians regrouped in the living room. "W-What if we never find Wawa? Is she gone f-forever…?"

"We'll find her Jack," reassured Tooth. She turned to the others. "Right guys?"

North, Aster, and Sandy nodded. They knew how important the stuffed animal was to Jack; they promised that they'd find Wawa. Even if it took days. Weeks. Perhaps even months. But none of them thought the hunt would last that long. The information Jack had given about Wawa's whereabouts could guide them to finding her quicker. They needed to think more than just location. They needed to look deeper.

"Alright, mate. Tell us again where ya last had yer stuffed animal," asked Aster, kneeling in front of the four-year-old sprite.

"This was the last place I had her," replied Jack.

"Go through everything ya did in this room from start ta finish," Aster said. "Guide us through."

Jack was confused, but he obeyed and pointed out everything he did in the living room the previous day. "Well…I had Wawa with me when I came in here. And as I played on the floor with my blocks, she was still there."

Jack walked over to the fireplace. "Then we sat over here and started our fort," Jack smirked. "I laid out all the blankets and pillows myself."

The winter child headed to the couch. The Guardians followed his movement. "After that, we played Starship Battle. I mainly stood on the couch, but Wawa kept on falling asleep in the fort."

"Sounds like someone we know," jested Aster. Sandy sent a brief look in his direction, but he was far from offended. Tooth and North chuckled.

Jack smiled and stood in the middle of the room. "We won the battle anyway. And then North called me for lunch, so I climbed off the couch and—"

Jack's eyes widened. "I didn't bring Wawa to the table with me 'cause I didn't want her to get dirty!" With this epiphany in mind, Jack looked around the living room. "I set her down…there!" Jack pointed at the armchair tucked in the corner. "On top of that chair!"

Tooth flitted over to the armchair and peeked behind it. "And look who it is!" She pulled Wawa out from behind the armchair. Jack broke into a grin.

"Wawa!" he exclaimed. Tooth smiled and she handed the stuffed animal to Jack, and the winter child embraced it. Wawa's soft, cool fur was pleasing to touch as always."I promise I'll never lose you again!"

North chuckled. "Just remember to be more careful with her next time," he said.

Tooth nodded. "She must've fallen off and gotten stuck in the back," she said. "She was a little hard to see and reach."

"At least we found 'er," said Aster. Sandy nodded in agreement.

Jack held Wawa close and he scuffed his foot against the rug. "Um…thank you for helping me find Wawa," he said shyly. "I probably never woulda found her if you guys hadn't helped…"

Tooth hugged Jack and the winter child giggled. "We were happy to help, Jack. That's what family does after all."

"Findin' lost toys is our specialty," Aster added playfully.

Jack grinned, glad that he had a family to help him whenever he needed it.


Author's Note: Had a little trouble on what pronouns to use for Wawa. XD It or she...I always refer to her as she in my mind because she's more than a stuffed animal to Jack. =3 I ended up just going back and forth depending on the context of the conversation, so yeah. XD I hope that isn't too confusing for ya'll. =')

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one! =D

Oh, and a quick shout-out to MixitupQueen. Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! =3

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203