Note: This is the final chapter. I thought that I needed to have Tessa and her father talk things out and you seemed to feel that too. I have a fic called Bunny Talk coming out soon. It will be a few one-shots that deal with Crush and Bunnymund. I am still working out the reboot and trying to find the best opening for it. If you want anything to be addressed, tell me. Enjoy the last chapter and thank you.

"Daddy?" Tessa asked as she tiptoed towards her father. She had left Jack in Greenland to make a snow storm. She had thought it best to speak to her father alone. "Daddy, have you regained yourself?"

"I am not upset...but regained myself? I did not know." He answered. He was studying the model train in front of him. "I remember you used to love my trains." He smiled sadly.

"I recall that you loved your trains and I loved to do anything with you." Tessa replied. "Mom enjoyed us working together." She added after a pause. "I would have tried anything to see you smile."

"Hmm, did I ever know you? Was I mistaken to think I understood?" North asked as he kept his eyes on the train in front of him.

"Yes, I think you were." Tessa said. North turned to look at her at last. She seemed older than he thought. She had a hard look in her eyes. It was the look of ages. It was the look of one that bore pain, trails, and laughed through it all, though that had been the last thing she wanted.

"You look like a woman that has seen too much pain." North pointed out.

"I am." Tessa stated firmly. "There was a lot that I kept from you...because I wasn't ready to deal with my issues... and weren't ready with it either."

"You have no idea what I could deal with." North stated as he stared her down. Tessa waved a hand out him. She was dismissing his words.

"The loss of mom broke your spirit. I did not want to add to that." Tessa stated as she walked to a chair. She slowly took a seat. "It was about six years after her death that I lost my soul mate." North seemed taken back by her words. "Cherubs do poorly when they lose their soul mates." She reminded her father.

"You seemed well enough." North recalled.

"I did not see you much after his death and when I started to see you more... that was after... after I had his memory removed from my mind." Tessa was picking her words with care. She wanted her father to understand her and why she needed him to be okay with Jack. She, also, didn't want to get Tooth in trouble.

"Removed? How?" North asked.

"It's not important how." Tessa remarked as she crossed her legs. "They weren't completely removed. They returned slowly over time. Those were hard days for me."

"Why are you telling me this?" North stated. "If that boy is gone and you have dealt with the pain, why tell me now?"

"Because he came back." Tessa said with a teary smile. "A gift from the Man in the Moon. Although, I most say, I did not believe the words he said many years ago. Sorry. I'm confusing you." Tessa laughed out dryly. "Let me start over."

"Please do." North stated. "Short and to the point." He stated. He knew his child well enough to know that she would try to over explain.

"Right." She nodded out as she thought were to start. "When I went to live with Crush, there was a boy that I was friends with and we grew closer. When I left, he and I kept in touch. I loved him very much and I guess he loved me to. We never got to talk things through. He died... saving his sister." Tessa hoped that her father understood what she was implying. It was clear that he did not. "He was Jack." Tessa stated firmly with a roll of her eyes.

"What?" North questioned in shock. "How are you sure?"

"Daddy, I think I know the boy that I loved better than you do. Plus, as I said The Man in the Moon told me he was still in my reach." Tessa stated as she looked past her father. She was gazing at the moon. "I didn't understand what he meant. I thought he was saying that when I died, I would be with him, but the Man in the Moon did not mean that at all. He was honest and I didn't want to believe. It was hard for me to."

"After all that I told you." North stated. It was meant to be a question, but it didn't come out as such.

"I tried to believe." Tessa stated. "It drove me mad because he didn't form alive in front of me. I prayed and repeated 'I believe, I believe, I believe.' You said it brought a wizard back from the dead. I didn't know that at time Jack was alive and without any idea who I was. I thought if he were alive, he would find me. There was no doubt in my mind of that."

"And when you met him? Did you not think that he was the boy you grow up with? The boy felt so much pain in not knowing himself." North stated coldly.

"I told you! I didn't have my memories of him at that time!" Tessa yelled out as she pushed herself off the chair. "Have you not been listening?"

"It seems an odd story." North stated. "You were in love and he died, but came back and befriended you years later. But by that point you did not recall him at all and he not you. But now you both know each other? Does not sound right."

"Whatever." Tessa sighed out. "Just know that I am dating Jack and he makes me happy."

"Wait." North cried out as he reached for his daughter. "I did not mean to-"

"It's fine. It's whatever." Tessa said as she shrugged him off. "I should never have said any of this. Tooth said it didn't matter. Too many years had past, but Flare said I should bring it up and Crush... she was talking... I have no idea what she was on about." Tessa said as she thought it over.

"What? Does everyone know your story, but me?" North asked in horror.

"It shouldn't matter who knows. It's a thing of the past and there's no need to talk about it." Tessa replied. "I would like it if you didn't say anything."

"I can not promise such a thing."North stated.

"Fine, at least be kind to Jack." Tessa chuckled. "He seems afraid of you. He thinks that you are going to hurt him."

"I would hurt him if you he upset you." North stated.

"We are dating." Tessa reminded her father. "He is going to upset me. It's the natural order of love. You have highs and you have lows."

"He best no be near me during your lows." Tessa let out a laugh of joy.

"Mom would have been cross with you for saying that. She liked Jack a lot. Said he was a good boy to have around." Tessa smiled at the thought. "You made her upset often enough. Questioning her over if I should be trained as a cherub or not."

"That was different." North stated. "We were talking about what was best for your future."

"Things like that will come up for us too." Tessa stated. She rushed to make this clear. "Not anytime soon. But it is in our future."

"You said Bliss liked him?" North asked in thought as he leaned back.

"Very much." Tessa tried to think of something else to say. It had been years since she had seen her mother and just as long since Bliss had said anything about Jack.

"I guess I will give him a try." North stated. Tessa beamed with joy. "But if he touches you like that boy did..." North didn't need to finish. His daughter understood what he was saying.

"Jack won't do that." Tessa said. "He never would do that to me... Not all men hurt women." Tessa stated. "You shouldn't hold all men accountable for what one person did."

"I know. But you are my baby. I fear for you." North tried not to look at her. It hurt to know that he had let Hallow hurt her. He had seemed like a good boy.

"But you know Jack. You know that when it came down to it he does the right thing. You know him. You said that on the battle field you learn things about a person. Are you telling me that what you saw me Jack is not good enough for me?"

"That is not what I am saying."

"What are you saying than?" Tessa asked. "I don't understand why you are against this."

"I never said I was against."

"You all but attacked him." Tessa pointed out. "He thinks you are willing to kill me and we knew that you are." She paused to let out a sigh. "Grandfather didn't think you were good enough for mom. He didn't like you for her. That was why things were so hard for you two. He tested and tested you until he gave up. It was very hard on mom. It hurt her to know that you had to fight to show that your love was true. Would you have that for me?"

"It is true that it was hard for your mother and I. Cupid did not like me and blamed me heavily for her death. He does not speak to me. I know how much it hurts you for how he treats me." North looked at the child he would die for. "I believe that Jack is good. But he is still finding himself. He knows little of himself."

"To be fair, it was not that long ago that I know nothing about myself." Tessa recalled that year she used the drugs and the drinks to feel better. It took years for her to recover. She lost herself to the sea of feelings about things she didn't recall. She lost herself to the forgotten memories of her youth.

"But you have found yourself now."

"It is easy to lose yourself." Tessa remarked. "Jack made me smile again. He didn't know why I was upset or what had happened to me, but he knew he missed my smile. So, he did his best to make me smile. In those moments, I felt that someone could truly love me and find me amazing."

North was taken back by her words. She found them to match what her mother had once told him. 'North, I recall how much it meant to you to make me smile. It was the first time we met and all you wanted was to see me smile. It was in that moment that I felt I was worth something. I felt that Ora was wrong and that I could be loved for who I was. In that moment, when all that mattered was to see me smile, I felt that I could find happiness. It was silly of me to need you to show me that, but it meant that you would always be important to me from than now.'

"I will give you two a try." North stated as he stood up. "I will watch and if I think he treats you well... than you have my blessing."

"Thank you daddy." Tessa smiled as she reached for her father's hand. "This means a lot to me."

"It means a lot more to me." North replied. "I may be giving you up soon."

"You can't give me up." Tessa kissed her father. "I will always be your child. That can never change."

"I am glad for that." North brushed a finger a long her face. "Be careful with your heart. It beats for both of us."

"He will treat it well." Tessa promised. "Don't let fear push me away."

"I will try not to be your grandfather."

"That is good enough for me." Tessa stated. "I have to go. I have things to do, but I will visit. I will work on us," She waved between her father and herself. "If you will be nice to Jack."

"I will take that trade." North hugged his child. "Be safe."

"You too."