Chapter 4

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The Guardians had been closeted in the third family room for hours now, and the yeti and tooth fairies were beginning to worry – and to hope. The four of them had hardly spoken for years, and now they were alone for hours?

Several yeti were clustered around the door, muttering among themselves but refusing to touch the door. Elves ran among their feet, not helping as per usual for elves, not being as respectful as the yeti as they pressed their ears against the thick door, running off when the thick and magical wood resisted their efforts to eavesdrop through it and they got bored.

The few baby teeth who had come to see what was taking their mother so long to come home were talking among themselves, squeaking excitedly. Oh, they so hoped their mother and her husbands were making things right with each other! A few of the yeti nodded, sharing that sentiment. It would be a shame if it took something this big to get them to realize what the yeti, eggs, elves, mermaids, and baby teeth had known for years, but if this was what it took then so be it.

It wasn't as if any of the things they'd tried over the years had worked, after all.

Inside the room, the four Guardians were still collapsed in front of the fire, though more emotionally drained than before. The last few hours had seen more tears than they'd shed in centuries as they talked and talked, trying to salvage what they could of what they'd had.

The conversation was rambling at times, and they couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other, even during the most sober discussions. Tempers had run high more than once, and it was only those soothing hands that brought them from the edge of full on arguments.

Everything was being pulled out and laid bare – just how irritating it was to have your holiday dismissed, how each of them had gotten so wrapped up in their own work they neglected everything else, every little thing that had been dismissed or set aside for a later that had finally come.

Finally out of things to say – for the moment, at least – they just laid together in front of the fire. Idly, hands began to roam, no real intent behind any of them beyond reassuring touch.

Sandy's hands found themselves preening Tooth's feathers, running between them softly, while North stroked through Bunny's fur. It took him a few strokes to remember just how much thinner and more sensitive Bunny's skin was than the yeti's, since it had been so long since any of them had helped Bunny comb out his winter coat or just help him to brush it out, to deal with tangles.

It was comforting, almost sleepy, as they stroked and petted each other. Bunny found himself sleepily nudged against North's leg, and the buzzing of Tooth's wings was slow, just an occasional flicker of motion.

Bunny cracked an eye open in time to see Sandy's eyes turn mischievous, and he blinked sleep out of his eyes to see what Sandy had planned.

Then Sandy leaned forward to press a kiss to Tooth's mouth, and Bunny heard the little gasp she gave as he deepened it further than she was expecting, the sleepy grooming suddenly turning heated.

She broke away and giggled, bright and happy. "You're as bad as Nightlight," she said, half scolding. He grinned, unrepentant, and gave her another kiss, sleepier and gentler than the last.

"I hope they'll be back soon," Bunny mumbled, arching a little into the hand North slid down his back.

"We will have big surprise for them, is sure," North agreed, stroking changing to rubbing at the base of Bunny's ears, where only fellow Guardians were allowed to touch. Bunny started to rumble and the others went quiet to simply listen, refusing to think about how long it had been since they'd heard such a sound.

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