Child's Play 20

MiM's message was all but forgotten over the next three years. Jack and Bunny were tighter than ever. A few months after they made up Bunny announced he was carrying and while Jack was just as shy about making the announcement as he was the first time they became pregnant. He smiled shyly, rubbing his toes in an area rug as Bunny bounced around in glee but everyone could see how excited his was. The one thing Jack had come to love most in life was being a father, even if it was only for a few decades until they were physically older than him. While his and Bunny's kits would always look at them as their parents Jack lost that dad feeling and returned to being a carefree teen. Yes he would always look after them but when you never age it was a little hard to keep continue acting like a father when those you brought into the world grew up and you never aged. It was why Jack wanted to have more kits. One he was helping Bunny repopulate his species and two he loved children and feeling needed. He especially loved taking care of Bunny. The Pooka had never been so spoiled, not even the first time they went through this. Nope, Jack pulled out all the stops. He pampered Bunny, took over doing the majority of duties as well as his own and became the worried sick expecting father right up to and even after their newest kit was born. This time there was only one, Nathaniel, named after Jack's human father. Eamon and Forsythia were ecstatic to have a baby brother and their children fell in love with him. North was happy to have the children fill his home and gladly played with the young kits, showing off his latest inventions or thrilling them with stories. All the Guardians loved them and their newest addition.

It was around that time that Tooth became extremely ill. At first she tried to shrug it off as a flu. After all she and her fairies travelled the world every night to retrieve teeth so it was possible that while visiting a child who was ill that she caught something, except Tooth never got sick. Hell, she never had a headache. When she passed out in mid-air and fell to the ground while visiting Jack and Bunny at the Warren North was beside himself. Jack had rushed to Santoff Claussen, using one of the emergency globes he kept on his person to get his adoptive father. He spoke far too quickly for North to understand and all but shoved North into the portal back to the Warren. Tooth had slept for over twenty-hours and Baby Tooth had to take command of the fairies in order to keep teeth collecting running smoothly. It was while she was sleeping and Bunny caring for her as Jack cared for their son that he discovered the slight swell of her belly and put two and two together. Pitch and Sandy confirmed it, detecting a second mind and heartbeat. When they broke the news to North it was the Russian, who first thought they were teasing him, who passed out when he realized his friends were deadly serious.

Of course it didn't help that Pitch had cracked up laughing as Sandy caught the large man before he hit the ground and maneuvered him into the nest next to Tooth. They later argued over "how to be supportive of expecting parents, especially when they're friends who never excepted to ever have children". When North awoke almost an hour later he was still flabbergasted but cuddled up to Tooth. He was the one to break the news to Tooth and became just as worried and frantic as Jack had been, only more so. In fact he was a thousand times worse. He refused to let Tooth continue her duties other than to instruct her fairies where to go. He wanted her to move her entire operation to Santoff Clausen and went so far as to try and move everything. Of course Tooth would have none of it and ended up having to pose one of her swords at his throat, threatening to gut him if he didn't back off and give her some space. Reluctantly he gave in. The other Guardians took bets on how long that would last. Every moment North was separated from Tooth was filled with worried pacing and frantic looks to the sky in hopes that she would return. She always did or he would go to Punjam Hi Loo but that never stopped him from worrying and it effected his duties. Jack was the one to give him a kick in the rear and get him back to work. As Jack put it, North had a child on the way who would be in need of toys just as much as the other children of the world and he only had a few months to get them done so he best get to it. That got the Russian moving and in the months up to the baby was born he designed more toys than he had in many years. Hundreds upon hundreds of toys were designed and created, the designs he made for his unborn child also being used for other children. The yetis were extremely busy that year.

When the big day came Mother Nature (Seraphina) and Mother Goose (Katherine) volunteered to deliver the baby. While Katherine and Tooth usually didn't get along very well Tooth was happy to have more women around, especially for this. The labor seemed to last forever and by the time the baby was born she was more than happy to have the little girl out of her. Both Seraphina and Katherine cooed over the infant, treasuring her like the rarest jewel in existence before finally allowing the men in. Katherine had chased North out of the infirmary, teasingly telling him that while he was the greatest warrior in history that not even he could handle what Tooth was about to go through. She had even locked the door on him and posted two yetis at the door to keep him out. Of course they never would have been able to stop North if he really wanted in but the threat of Sandy knocking him out was enough to make the large Russian stay out. When he was finally allowed in the look of wonder on his face made her hug him tightly.

"She's beautiful," Katherine said, kissing his cheek. "Congratulations Nick."

He gave her a small hug back, his gaze glued to the small child Tooth cradled in her arms. He returned the kiss with a small thank you before walking briskly pass to take up the seat next to the large bed, too afraid to climb on the bed next to his love without disrupting them. He leaned over to kiss Tooth on the lips before staring down at the tiny child in her arms. He fell absolutely in love in that moment and swore to be the most protective father in history – perhaps over protective but it didn't matter. For the next hour he spent some much needed alone time with his new family.

When the others were finally allowed to come in there was much hugging and congratulations all around. Everyone loved their newest family member but it was Jack North called over as he held his daughter.

The eternal youth smiled lovingly at the little girl. She had lovely brunette hair and large hazel eyes that seemed to change with the reflection of the light. Her skin was slightly darker than North's, closer to Tooth's. She was a beautiful combination of the two.

North carefully stood and asked Jack to sit then gently deposited the infant in his arms. The youth held the girl with as much care as he did his own children. "Jack," North began, kneeling before the boy as if Jack were still a small child. "I'd like to introduce you to your sister…Emma."

Jack's head shot up in surprise and his arms tightened ever so slightly around the baby. "Emma?" he asked.

Pitch's breath hitched as did Bunny's. They both stared at Jack, watching his reaction carefully and ready to intervene should this not go well.

North nodded, his large hands on Jack's knees. "I hope you don't mind. I once knew a little girl who had a brave older brother who gave his life to save hers. Every Christmas she would write to me asking if I could bring him back to her. I couldn't of course but I remember the love and dedication she had for him. She grew up to be a very strong woman just as dedicated to her children as she was her brother. She was very inspirational."

Jack blinked, tears shimmering on his eye lashes. "I…"

"Tooth and I would like to honor her and her brother," North continued. "Jack, you gave me a chance to be a father. You gave your life for your sister and while I can never reunite you with her would you give us this honor? Would you allow us to name our child after your Emma?"

The boy was in tears now and he gave a curt nod, fearful that if he did anything more he might break down. He carefully adjusted the infant in his arms so he could hold her in one and then opened the other so he could hug North. The large man leaned up to gather the boy in his arms, careful of his daughter.

"Thank you," Jack sobbed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. She's perfect. She's absolutely perfect." He felt Tooth's small hand run through his hair as her lips pressed against his temple.

"No, Jack, thank you for making us a family," she whispered, wiping away his tears.

Jack sniffled and smiled her and North. "I love her. Can I keep her?"

North laughed. "She's your sister, Jack, of course you can."

Nathaniel wobbled up to them, holding Bunny's hand. The little Pooka had Jack's face and a thin dusting of white fur. His body was like that of a Pooka with the exception of his hands which were human and ears which while larger than a human's were on either side of his head. Bunny placed a hand on his tiny rump as he clambered up the chair and into Jack's lap to see the baby.

"Nathaniel, meet Emma, my sister," he said, holding his son on one lap as he held Emma on the other. "She was named after a very special girl I loved a long, long time ago…" He told his son the story of his Emma, a story he would later tell his new sister.

North held Tooth in his arms as they watched their children and grandchild interact. He nuzzled into her and hugged her, careful of her tender belly and groin. She leaned back against him, her fingers intertwining with his. Eventually the rest of the Guardians gathered around, all taking turns holding Emma or Nathaniel. Even Pitch had fallen in love with the girl, promising to care and guard over her as he did Jack and Jack's children and even Jack's children's children. For the first time that little something that always seemed missing in North's life was finally filled. He now possessed the greatest treasure in the universe. He woman he loved with all his heart, a child of their own that neither of them ever thought possible, an adoptive son who was just like a blood relation – maybe closer – and a loving family that was growing constantly as the once destroyed Pooka race was renewed. North was happy, finally and truly happy. He smiled lovingly at his family. He had a son and daughter, two of the most beautiful beings he had ever laid eyes on. And while his daughter would one day grow up he knew that there would always be children in the Guardians future and that brought forth a Wonder and Joy unlike any he felt before.

fin