Well, here is it ladies and gentlemen. The epilogue. The finale. Initially this wasn't meant to be a cavity fic but it just kinda ended that way and I thought it was fair. I might add a few more chapters to follow up on this storyline when I have the time and if I think people want it enough.

We've...come a long way. I could've finished this a lot sooner but for the fact that I am infinitely lazy and couldn't find the words. But, I digress. I hope you enjoy it. It rounds up quite a few loose threads. And follows one of my favorite ships in the process! Enjoy! And thank you.

Pitch left mere seconds after Sophie's pronouncement, disappearing into the nearest shadow with his practically trademarked creepy laugh. Sophie giggled. And that was the last the Guardians would see of Pitch for almost half a year. Of course they still had questions about the whole affair and Manny tried to fill them in as best he could, but only one person knew the whole story and he was dead.

Manny himself left not long after Pitch did with a farewell and a request that this was not to be openly spoken about to the spirit realm. This was a Guardian matter, he told them. And no one else's business but theirs. The Guardians had agreed, of course, and he had left in a spiral of silvery moonlight. Not quite so impressive as Pitch's exit, but that's not the point.

The Guardians were then left to deal with all the aftermath, entirely alone.

Well, not entirely alone. They had each other. And, consequently, they now had Jamie and Sophie to look after, which was a massive part of the problems they were faced with. Not that children were a problem, everybody loved them. Aster doted on Sophie like a princess and Jack, who finally confided in Jamie that he was related to him- which was a massive heart attack in and of itself. The look on Jamie's face... priceless.

After occupying the kids, the Guardians sat around the massive meeting table to discuss just what was to be done about the children. North was appalled at the idea of having them move back to Burgess into an empty house to live alone, which was what Tooth had hesitantly suggested.

"I mean, we know Jamie was able to sustain both himself and Sophie without any adult supervision," she defended. "So I'm guessing it's reasonable to assume he's mature enough."

"That's not the point," Jack argued. "He's just a kid! He shouldn't have to deal with this!"

"Could we drop them at a local orphanage?" Bunny suggested. "Somewhere safe?"

This was where North put his foot down. "Santoff Clausen used to be a safe-haven for children! It still is! Why should we drop de children off into some unknown place when we can take care of them right here?"

"Because, North!" Tooth moaned, rubbing her face exasperatedly. "You're always working! The workshop isn't the place for children, not with all the machinery and yetis lumbering around!"

"Well we can't take them to live at the Palace," North argued. "Or the Warren, or Sandy's castle. We all work, Tooth. That cannot be an excuse."

Aster spoke up. "Maybe we could take turns," he suggested. "The tykes live at one place one month, then we switch the next month. We'll make it so that North doesn't have to do it in December and I don't haveta in March."

And...surprisingly, everyone liked that idea. Especially Jamie and Sophie. Sophie was ecstatic to be going back to the Warren again but Jamie had a few concerns.

"What about all our friends?" He asked, looking wide-eyed at the Guardians. "And school? And our house? Why can't we stay at our house?"

Jack explained to him that children shouldn't have to grow up like that. "You're entitled to your childhood," he explained. "Plus do you know how fun it'll be? You'll get your own room at the Palace, Warren, Dreamsand castle and here at the Pole."

But Jamie's words did resonate with them and, after conferring once more, they decided that the kids couldn't be asked to uproot their entire history to move around each month. So instead, they were allowed to stay at their previous house during the weekdays, but weekends and holidays and days off in increments of two or more were to be spent at any of the Guardians' homes.

"Speaking of which," Jack said when they were talking about how best to make the housing situation stable. "How did you live, Jamie?"

All eyes turned to the boy who shrugged. "I managed."

North leaned forward, peering at the boy intently. "Jamie, you know you can tell us anything." He said gently. "We are family now, yes?"

Jamie nodded, looking down at his hands on the table. Cards down. "My dad died in a car crash right not long before the Nightmare War." He admitted finally, to the horror of the others. "Mom tried to get over it with medication and therapy, but it didn't work. She left one night to re-fill a prescription and didn't come back." Tooth's arms were around his shoulders before anyone else could even blink.

"Oh...you poor child..."

Jamie nodded, tears starting to well in his eyes. "Mom won the lawsuit against the driver," he told them, pain twisting his words into almost whimpers. He hadn't told anyone, not his friends not Kozmotis, nobody. "So we had money coming in and no one ever came to check on us because they knew mom was a shut-in since the accident. All I had to do was get the mail and checks would be there, along with the bills. I took care of that because we didn't use too much water or power. And the rest we spent on food and whatever else we needed."

"Jamie..." Aster said quietly. "Why didn't ya tell us boyo? We could'a helped..."

"I had it under control." Jamie replied shortly, though without any hostility. "And I still do. We keep getting checks for another seven years and by that time I'll be old enough to get a job."

"That doesn't mean you have to go it alone kid," Jack told him seriously. "We are your family now, and we care about you. You're not alone anymore..."

It was decided. Jamie would be allowed to stay in his home with Sophie and Jack as a care-giver. Since he was technically related, that made Jack Jamie and Sophie's legal guardian. Food was to be supplied through North, who had the yetis send enough to last them plenty of time through a snow globe. The money they received by mail could be used to put away for a college fund for both kids of they wanted or for other things, and the Guardians would let them live like any other normal kids. Except on weekend, holidays and in summer.

That was the easy problem solved. Their next issue was what to do about Pitch.

As per Manny's instructions- and the Boogeyman's own threats, they didn't go barging into his caves or stalk him during the night. In fact, they hardly ever saw him. Every so often Tooth of Sandy would catch a glint of shadows that moved in a more lively way. But if it was Pitch, he never made any indication of wanting to approach them.

Nightmares sighted were monitored moderately by Sandy who kept a good watch over the world and didn't report anything unusual that might signal Pitch's want to over-throw them again. It appeared that the Boogeyman had simply...vanished. Which all the Guardians collectively agreed was for the best. They weren't entirely sure what they would do when he eventually did resurface, but in their own private thoughts they hoped it wouldn't be for a long, long time.

All of the Guardians, that is, except Tooth.

Out of all the Guardians, she was having the most issues with what had happened. But she didn't show it to her fellow Guardians. For three months she would have nightmares- not the kind Pitch created, nor the kind he would have induced. They were nightmares created out of her own mind and she would lie awake in the middle of the night, gripping the sides of her bed and trying not to go back to sleep.

Darkness awaited her behind closed lids. Darkness that had teeth. A human's face being torn apart by those silvery teeth, illuminating the darkness to be a massive, gaping maw that was crushing the life out of Kozmotis's corpse.

And that was on a good night.

On the wort nights she would dream of both Pitch and Kozmotis screaming back and forth at each other- unintelligible words but the rage on both their faced was plain to see. And when she tried to make a noise they would turn to her, narrow their eyes and charge, brandishing swords and slice her in two, then throw her to the Fearlings.

But the worse of all were the chessboard dreams, when she was trapped within the stony form of a queen chess-piece while the other Guardians stood alongside her: Jack as a pawn, North as the rook, Bunny was the bishop and Sandy was the knight. Pitch stood as the king on the opposite side of the board while Manny loomed above them, knocking down pieces mercilessly, only to have them shatter into black dust and re-form as a dark opponent.

"Shall we play?" The opponent hissed, golden eyes glinting with evil malicious intent.

It was during one of these nightmares that Tooth finally saw him again. It must've been the exuberant amount of fear coming off of her, she later realized. Frankly she'd been surprised he hadn't visited her before now.

But tonight was the night.

She was being picked up, still trapped in her nightmare body of stone, by Manny and she tried to scream but her mouth felt like it had been sown shut. He brought her up to his eye, examining her. "Hmm, something defective." He muttered and threw her away over his shoulder. Tooth plummeted through darkness, unable to scream or even move in any fashion and she felt for sure she would shatter on some floor and then wake up screaming, like she always did.

But she didn't. Instead, just as she expected to hit the ground, a hand swooped down and caught her. It curled around her lightly into a fist, lifting her back up from the darkness. "Such a shame to throw a good piece away Lunar," said a smooth, unimpressed voice. "Haven't you learned anything from our many games?" The darkness receded and Tooth felt herself able to move again, back in her own form. She sat up shakily, looking up at her savior.

It was Pitch Black.

"You never, ever throw away a good queen." He said, looking directly at her and Tooth held his gaze fearfully. Was this really him, or a product of her nightmare? Then he smiled and threw her up in the air. "Fly away little queen, back to the world of the waking."

Tooth woke up with a jolt, sweat pouring down her face. It was still night, the gentle breeze wafting in through the open skylight window that let in just enough lamplight from outside to see that she was not, in fact, alone.

"Hello Toothiana."

Tooth nearly leaped out of her feathers. He was sitting there, right at the foot of her bed, smiling. And not the normal feral, I'm going to rip your throat out smile either. Or one of his shit-eating grins. This smile was more gentle and amused.

"P-Pitch," she stammered. "What- how did you get into my room?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you being serious?" He gestured around at the shadows being cast by various lighten amphora lamps and candles of bright hues. "Your room, as you put it, is a shadow's paradise."

Tooth raised an eyebrow. "Ooookay then. Why are you here?"

He tapped a finger impatiently on her bed-spread. "Again, I assume you are joking." She remained silent. "Toothiana you have been putting out enough fear over the past few months to draw me here like a fly to honey." He told her, frowning at her apparent stupidity. "Either you are trying to get my attention, or you are deeply disturbed about something. And, much as I hate to admit it, my job does apply to other spirits as well as children and adults."

Tooth nodded slowly. He was here...for her? "Why should you care?" She asked bluntly, though she was more curious than trying to offend him. "I mean, I'm a Guardian. One of your enemies."

"Did I not just explain that you are also one of my charges?" He answered testily. "Honestly, you'd think a woman of your stature would be more intelligent."

Tooth bristled. "What did you-" she began but he held up a hand. She was outraged. "Did you just shush me?!" She demanded.

"Yes," he deadpanned. "And apparently it's not working."

"Why you-"

"Toothiana," he interrupted. "I'm not here to fight. I'm here to figure out why on earth you are having such brutal nightmares."

Tooth sat back on her bed, sighing tiredly. "Pitch, I'm tired. I haven't slept well in weeks. Can't you just come here tomorrow and we can talk about it then?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You would invite me willingly into your home?" He asked, as if astounded by the very idea.

She nodded idly, massaging her temples. "Yeah sure, whatever. Just not tonight, please? I don't care if you show up at six in the morning with a herd of nightmares but I need sleep."

"All the more reason for me to stay," he insisted, leaning forward to look her straight in the eyes. "You won't be able to sleep well until you face your fears. Believe me, I know." He added when she opened her mouth to protest. "Now, if you really insist I will leave."

"Yes please," she moaned, covering her face with her hands.

"But I will return tomorrow." She heard the creak of the bed and footsteps. "However, I have a parting gift. Two actually."

She cracked open an eye. "What?"

He reached inside his robe and brought out two golden objects. One was a pouch of dreamsand which he handed to her. The second was a metal tube which he placed on her bedside table, grinning as her eyes widened at the sight of it.

"The first is to help you sleep. Obviously." He told her, still grinning as her eyes flicked from him to the pouch resting in her hands, her mouth open in awe. "The second is a thank you."

"A...a thank you?" She echoed, mentally berating herself for sounding so idiotic.

He nodded. "Without you and that tube, Kozmotis would have become the next Boogeyman and I would've been exiled off into oblivion. You saved my life with that tooth, Tooth." He chuckled once before returning to seriousness. "I now owe you a debt that I will continue to repay as long as I deem it necessary."

Before her brain could even formulate a response, Pitch took her hand and kissed it, dropping into an elegant bow. She watched dumbly as he straightened up, still holding her hand, and smiled.

"It's late, and you need your sleep." He told her. "The sand should be enough to keep you asleep through the nightmares. I will see you tomorrow and then we shall talk." And then he left in a swirl of shadows and glistening eyes, leaving Tooth wondering if this in itself had been a dream.

But when she woke up the following morning and found the tube lying on her bedside table and the empty pouch of dreamsand, she knew it had not been.

All day, as she flitted around the Palace, directing her fairies she fretted and stressed. Would Pitch show up? Or worse, would he not? Her doubts were assuaged about half-way through the day when she heard a soft voice calling out her name as she passed by a tree. Tooth looked up and almost jumped out of her skin as a pair of golden eclipse eyes peered down at her from the canopy.

"Pitch?!" She hissed, flying up a few feet so that she could see him clearly. It looked like he was hiding up there, sitting on one of the branches like an owl, watching mice in the field. "What the hell are you doing up there?!"

Pitch smirked. "It's comfortable," he replied, reclining back against the trunk of the tree. "Honestly I do understand now why Jack prefers to sleep in these things. I've never had a bed as soothing as this. It moves slightly in the breeze, did you know that? If you stay completely still you can feel it."

Tooth's eyebrows shot up. "Um...Pitch I don't mean to be rude but you're acting sort of..."

"Odd?" Pitch opened his eyes and rolled off the branch, ignoring Tooth's gasp of horror. She went to catch him but he summoned a platform of Nightmare sand and righted himself as he fell so that he landed without apparent effort, feather-light on the roiling mass of sand. He grinned at the expression on her face. "Yes, I know that Tooth. Which is part of the reason I wanted to come and talk with you. But partly so that I could keep my promise."

They were floating on the same level but Tooth was still a few yards away, so she flew closer. "Again, why should you care?" She wondered aloud. A good night's sleep had revitalized her to the point where she could deal with this. Mostly.

He gave her that annoying patronizing look. "I care, Tooth," he replied, drawing even closer to her until they were standing here inches from each other. "Because whither you like it or not, fear is my element and all who are susceptible to it, my charges. Also I think we might be able to help each other, but that is a discussion for another time. Right now, I want to hear why you are having these nightmares."

She frowned, catching the last part. "Help each other? In what way?"

"Discussion for another time," Pitch repeated. "Do you have somewhere private to talk?"

Tooth let out a sigh and beckoned him to follow her up to her private chambers. None of the fairies would disturb them there. She let him right through the bustling crowd of fairies who stopped to ogle at Pitch and their mother unashamedly. Contrary to his previous behavior. Pitch didn't growl or threaten any of them. Instead, he simply smiled as they passed by.

By the time they reached Tooth's room, she thought Pitch's smile had been plastered on.

"You never smile like that," she told him as they sat down across from one another at the table. "It's really creepy."

That just made him smile all the wider. "In case you hadn't noticed dear," he said softly, holding her gaze. "Creepy is part of the job description."

She shivered, turning her amethyst eyes towards her own fingers. His voice certainly hadn't been creepy just then. Well, it had, but it hadn't been just creepy. "So," she said, trying not to sound flustered. "You want to know why I've been having nightmares."

Pitch nodded, stippling his own fingers together and leaning back in his chair, the picture of the attentive listener.

"Well... Ever since the night of...you know..."

"Kozmotis's death." Pitch prompted. "Yes, I know."

"Right, that." She took another deep breath, trying to contain the well of emotions curling up inside her. "Well, ever since then, something hasn't sat right with me. I don't know if it's guilt, grief or just plain revulsion at what we allowed to happen, to both you and Kozmotis."

He nodded, "Mmhmm"ing thought fully. "Yes, I suspected it was something like this." He murmured. "Please continue."

She shrugged helplessly. "Well, I just hated it! I hated listening to Sandy read your diary to us, seeing all the hell we've put you through and knowing that, while sometimes I didn't directly partake in your beat-downs I still stood by and watched it happen. I let them-"

"Stop."

His hand was on her arm, squeezing it gently before either of them could blink.

"Tooth, I'm not going to say you're not at fault," her gaze fell and he caught her by the pretty chin. "But you aren't wholly responsible and by no means should you be attacking yourself over things that happened over a century ago."

"How can you say that?" Tooth pulled away, pushing her chair back and staring at him in disbelief. "After all that's happened to you!"

He stood as well. "I just don't feel bitter anymore," he told her. "It's not worth my time, nor my effort. But this isn't about me, this is about you. If you feel guilty over my fate then don't, because I'm here to tell you I don't harbor any more ill will."

"You should," she said reproachfully.

"I did for centuries, Tooth. There comes a time when you just need to let go of all that hate and pain. It poisons the body just like fear does."

She sighed. "I know that it's just...It's really hard, hearing all that's happened to you and not trying to feel guilty."

He nodded knowingly, that small smile never leaving his lips. He knew.

They spent quite a while talking, straight into the night actually. They talked about everything from her nightmares- which Pitch explained to her in full and walked her through exactly what each nightmare represented, how to combat it, and some helpful hints on how to manage stress and the other influences that cause nightmares. Then the conversation shifted to other, more personal topics. Stories, anecdotes. Basically anything that entertained them. They talked so much that by the time the sun went down, Tooth felt more like they were old friends than enemies.

"It's late," Pitch said suddenly, cutting her off in mid-story. She had been relating her first meeting with Jack and was just about to tell him how she'd accidentally mistaken the winter sprite for a girl but stopped, frowning and looking around.

"Wow, it is late." She murmured, looking out the window into the night sky. It was clear and starry. "I'm sorry I...didn't realize how much we had been talking."

"Times flies when you're having fun," Pitch replied, standing up and bowing. "But I am afraid I have a job to do and cannot risk missing it."

"Right, right. I do too." She stood up, smiling. "This has been...interesting."

"Very much so. I would like to do this again sometime. Say, tomorrow?"

Tooth nodded. "Tomorrow works for me."

They bid each other goodnight and as he was leaving Tooth spontaneously called out his name. He turned around to look at her and she said the first thing that came to her mind. "Pleasant dreams."

He looked a little surprised, but not unpleasantly so. "The same to you, Tooth."

And then he left, only to return the next afternoon.

And the next. And the next.

It got to the point where Tooth started expecting his visits and prepared little meals for them to enjoy while they talked. One night, Pitch had gotten there late and as a result their talks had gone a lot later than usual. One of the topics, which Tooth was particularly keen on hearing about, was the source of Pitch's apparent personality transplant.

Pitch laughed when the subject came up but answered it all the same. "Being reborn seems to have given me a much-needed mood-lift." He admitted. "I think it's part of having Kozmotis taking over my body for so long, because he was younger and part of that youth and energy carried over to me. Oh I'll probably be my normal, brooding self in a few years again," he replied, waving a hand when Tooth raised an eyebrow. "Although I very much doubt it."

She was curious, in spite of herself. "Why's that?"

Again, Pitch rolled his shoulders in an elegant shrug. "Because, if I'm to be frank, I'm sick of it." He replied. "Laugh if you want, but there really is so long one can go in the mentality of everything being doom and gloom and woe is me." He frowned. "That's...probably his residual influence talking but I'm really starting to think that's true."

"Is that why you're here, talking to me?" Tooth asked, narrowing her eyes. "Because you want to change?" She gasped as a sudden thought struck her and she smiled teasingly. "Pitch, do you want to join the Guardians?"

He recoiled as if stuck, proving there was still at least a bit of the old Pitch under the new skin. "Darkness no, I would never go that far!" He sounded utterly disgusted by the idea, then his revolted expression slowly faded. He sighed. "No, Tooth. I don't think that, given our past histories, I could ever join the Guardians. No, hear me out." He added when Tooth went to open her mouth again. "I couldn't join them, but I'm hoping that, eventually, we'll be able to co-exist with each other in a safe, productive way. And...I was hoping you would be a part of it."

Tooth frowned. How had they gone from talking about their mutual reading habits to something so...serious? "Wait, what? What do you mean, you want me to be a part of it?"

He took a deep breath. "I've been waiting until the right time to tell you this and... I think now is that time."

Her eyebrows lifted. "Tell me? Tell me what?"

"Well, like I said I seem to have inherited a sudden burst of energy from being killed and brought back to life again," Pitch told her. "But I've also...ahem...inherited something from Kozmotis that I think you might wish to know about."

Tooth frowned. "What?"

Pitch shuffled his feet, suddenly nervous.

"Pitch, what is it?" She demanded, suddenly on-edge.

Pitch finally looked her in the eyes and she was taken-aback to see that his cheeks were flushed pink. "Kozmotis had...feelings for you, Toothiana." He finally admitted.

"What? He was married!"

"Not really," Pitch countered. "It was just a figment. And besides, he wasn't really there anyway."

"So...what are you saying? Are you saying you have feelings for me?" Tooth could feel her heart hammering at just the thought. Pitch was...well...in all honesty he was a gorgeous specimen of spirit. And, while they hadn't had the best history, there had been worst relationships in the world.

Steady on girl, she told herself, forcing her hammering heart back into her chest. I'm not even sure that's what he's saying yet!

"Well... Yes and no." Pitch ran a hand through his hair distractedly. "Gods this was so much easier in my head," he muttered to himself.

"Pitch..."

He looked at her, smiling hesitantly. "I...have the inclination of feelings for you, Tooth." He told her, saying the words with the utmost care, lest he piss her off. "With Kozmotis it was more of an infatuation and I didn't originally think much of it but... over these last few weeks I've sort of...grown fond of the idea."

"You've grown...fond of the idea?" She repeated, trying to understand but it just wasn't making any sense. Was he saying he wanted friendship, an alliance, or something more? "Just what does that mean?"

Pitch sighed, looking up at her from between his hands and she was utterly thrown to see he was beaming again. "I had it all worked out you know..." he told her idly, looking at the point just past her shoulder. "I was going to help you, provide a niche for myself within the Guardians and become your friend. I figured it would be easy. All I'd have to do was listen and talk to you. But now..." He let his hand slip from his face and groaned in utter exasperation with himself. "You know what, no. This is far too embarrassing. I'm not going to put either of us through this so I'm just going to leave."

"What!" Tooth fluttered to her feet, bolting for the doorway. "No, there's no way I'm letting you get away that easily!"

"Tooth, just let it go." He begged, trying to side-step her. "This was a stupid idea. I thought-"

"You thought you can change things," she answered for him. He nodded. "And you can! Just sit down and tell me, please? Please?"

It was the please that got him. He sighed, hanging his head. "This is what I get, I suppose." He muttered, resignedly walking back to the table and flopping down in the chair, his face buried in his hands.

Tooth could see that he was more than stressed. If he could breathe, he would probably have been hyperventilating. So she did the best thing she could think of. She slipped up behind him, laid her hands on his shoulders and began to rub what she was sure were aching muscles.

Pitch's head snapped up like a switchblade knife and he went to turn around but she plunked him right back down in his seat. "Sit." She ordered. "You are stressed beyond compare and I cannot abide all the negative energy you're throwing off."

She couldn't see his face but she suspected he was grinning. "Comes with the duty dear."

"I don't mean your fear," Tooth told him exasperatedly, kneading her fingers gently into his collarbone. "I mean all this nakaaraatmak oorja. Body poison, like you were talking about. I can practically feel it running through your Chakras. Don't you ever meditate?"

"Pardon me?"

She sighed and proceeded to give him an immensely long lecture while she worked the tension out of his body about the benefits of Chakra maintenance and keeping the energies balanced in your body. He seemed to find it fascinating because instead of just listening, he posed her questions every now and then about the composition of these so-called Chakras.

By the time she told him she was finished, both had totally forgotten about the awkward circumstances that had led to this situation and one was immensely sleepy.

Pitch turned around and stood, ready to thank her for the incredibly relaxing experience and found her wavering on the spot, her eyes flickering. "Tooth?"

She snapped out of it just enough to blink sleepily up at him and mutter, "Huh?"

Pitch knew what he had to do. He smiled and scooped the tiny- by comparison to him anyway, woman in his arms, bridal-style. She protested but they were sleepy protests which he pointedly ignored. "You need sleep," he told her when she tried to roll out of his arms. "You're lucky there wasn't a couch in that room, or else that is where you would be sleeping."

She sighed and leaned her head against his chest. "This is...nice." She yawned. "Don't know why I ever slept in a bed before when you're so comfy."

Pitch looked down at her, slightly surprised, then he chuckled deep in his throat. "Maybe this can work out after all..." he murmured as he ascended the stairs to Tooth's room. Maybe.

When Tooth woke up the next morning she was in her bed.

At first, she was shocked. That unnerving, confused surprise that comes to a child when their parents move them in their sleep. And then, just like the children, Tooth's surprise turned to amusement and delight as she sat up and yawned. "Mmm, that was the best sleep I've had in years!" She turned to her bedside table to check how much dreamsand she had left from Pitch's present and found the bag to be totally empty, which prompted her to frown. Was...it like that last night?

She picked it up and brought it to her, peeking inside. The pouch was bare of sand but inside, lying on the very bottom so deep that she hadn't noticed it before, was a little black object. She picked it up and couldn't help gasping.

It was a small, black sand figurine of her, standing, wings unfurled, on a pedestal and the universal chess symbol for queen resting on the stand beneath her feet. There was also a note with it. Glittering black ink on old parchment paper.

"You're out of dreamsand. I'll bring by more tonight, same time as usual, though you seemed to sleep just fine. I hope you like my gift. A queen from a king. Signed," and at the bottom there was an elegant flourish of black ink. But she didn't even need to read it to know who it was from.

A queen from a king...