Christmas approached faster than anyone anticipated, even the Guardians. I had seen Jack hanging around more often, particularly near Jamie's house, which meant I ran into him quite a few times while babysitting the Bennetts. He had explained that North and the other members of the Big Four were hard at work preparing for the coming holidays. I had yet to formally meet the other Guardians, but everything Jack told me about them made them seem larger than life and absolutely wonderful. Jamie knew that I was still spending time with Pitch, though he hadn't seemed to tell Jack because the Guardian of Fun never questioned me about the Nightmare King.

Speaking of the devil, Pitch had been in a foul mood for most of the month. Clearly, he did not care for Christmas. The thought of that was unsurprising, but it still managed to sadden me. I wished Pitch could enjoy the festivities of the season, even if they seemed trivial at times. When I had inquired about Pitch's opinion of the holiday, he simply shrugged and scoffed. "Persuading children to behave by reserving a day to give them gifts and threatening to take them away if they do something their parents view as wrong is hardly something to celebrate," He told me. "Christmas is about more than presents, Pitch. It's about being with our loved ones and celebrating the fact that we are all together. It's about wonder and hope and all the positive things in our lives. It reminds people that even in the coldest of the seasons, there is still warmth to be found," I explained. Pitch shook his head, definitely not buying my attempt to persuade him. At least I tried....I breathed out softly.

A few days later, I had almost finished helping my mother decorate our home for the holiday, both of us working on the last touch. Our eight foot tall christmas tree was standing in the center of our living room, waiting to be decorated. Boxes of ornaments and ribbon and lights littered the couches and carpet. Artemis and Aphrodite watched me lazily, lying on the floor together in front of the roaring fireplace, the shadows of the flames dancing across their fur. My mom and I were flitting between the living room and kitchen, checking on the sugar cookies in the oven and trying to string the tangled multi-colored lights around the wide branches. Pitch slid out of the corner of the room, slinking over to sit in a chair. Though I could not acknowledge his presence verbally, I gave a short nod and smiled at him. He returned the gaze evenly, crossing one long leg over the other and leaning back in the chair. My mom and I exchanged jokes and sang along to the Christmas songs on the radio, wrapping a deep purple ribbon and sparkling gold tinsel around the tree. I could feel Pitch's eyes on me; he was staring at me for one reason or another.

The sensation of being watched remained until my mother and I had already begun to hang the pretty bulbs on the plastic branches. The sharp ringing of a timer went off in the other room, and my mom scurried away to pull the cookies out of the oven before they burned. I turned to Pitch, knowing I had only a few moments to speak before my mother returned. "Hello, my dear. You look...joyful." He smiled slightly. I grinned back, nodding my agreement. "I like the holidays, but you already know that." I reminded him.

Glancing between the tree and Pitch, a wonderful idea came to me. Picking up another shining silver crystal decoration, I looked up to the top of the tree. A branch that I could not reach hung over my head. I could've used a step stool to place the ornament where I wanted it, but I wanted to try and get Pitch involved in the festivities. I suspected that most of Pitch's resentment toward Christmas was that he didn't have anyone to celebrate it with. "Pitch...could you...help me put this up there?" I asked quietly, pointing at the bare spot I was too short to reach. Pitch stood, slowly approaching me and the tree like it may harm him. "I suppose..." He replied wearily. He grasped the tiny hook between his fingers and lifted the crystal from my hold. He scrunched his nose as if in disgust, holding the decoration far away from him as though it was toxic. I rolled my eyes at his dramatics, using my fingers to hide my smirk as he placed the ornament on the tree without incident. I watched him visibly breathe out a sigh of relief, stepping away. "There. Anything else?" He inquired, looking rather proud of himself. "Well...now that you mention it...could you put these ones on either side of that crystal?" I smiled at him hopefully, lifting a white snowflake and a black lace heart out of the nearest box. I held them out to him, and Pitch grunted but did as I asked, accepting the decorations from me and placing them where I had directed.

To my delight, Pitch started tilting his head back and forth, his eyes flicking from the boxes to the tree. He began to reach for the ornaments himself, hanging the bulbs and ornate shapes in different sections along the top of the tree on my side. Smiling to myself, I joined the Nightmare King, continuing to adorn the thick branches with whatever baubles I felt like. My mother returned a few minutes later, resuming the work on her side of the tree. Pitch stayed clear of her, careful not to disturb the parts of the tree where she was working. Both of us knew she would freak out if ornaments appeared out of nowhere, especially if they were ones she knew neither of us had put there. No words were exchanged as the three of us made quick work of the decorating. The corner of Pitch's mouth was turned upward, telling me that even if he didn't say it, Pitch was enjoying himself at least a little bit.

When it was time to place the star on top of the tree, my mother pulled the stool around for me to stand on in order to reach the top branch. Pitch's eyes fell on the miniature ladder before he shook his head and raised an eyebrow at me. I winked at him cheekily before climbing the steps and stretching to place the large silver star upon the top branch. When I climbed down, my mother and I stepped back, admiring our work. Pitch leaned down, his breath ghosting over the shell of my ear. "You've been spending too much time with me, darling. You're becoming quite skilled in the art of deception...You convinced me you needed help just to get me to partake in this Yuletide ritual..." He whispered. I shivered from our close proximity, but glanced over my shoulder at him. "I learned from the best..." I mouthed silently. He nudged me with his shoulder, shaking his head. Thankfully, he did not appear upset, but rather amused by my ingenuity. The glowing lights on the Christmas tree illuminated Pitch's face, revealing the hint of a toothy grin.

The following evening, I went shopping for Christmas presents with a certain spector in mind. I had told him that I was going shopping, but he was pretty distracted, seemingly a bit on edge about North's coming visit to town, so I didn't worry about him following me to the mall. Taking my time, I wandered through the shops of the store, admiring the colorful decor as I went. I'll admit, I wasn't necessarily watching where I was going, so when I walked into a fellow shopper, I felt pretty bad about it. That is, until I realized who it was. Priscilla. The taller blonde turned to me, her eyes landing on my fallen form. "Oh my God, Anara! I am so sorry! Are you alright?" She held her hand out, offering to help me back up. I scrutinized her for a moment, wondering if she would drop me right back on my tail. Her normally cold eyes were softer than usual. She seemed genuine.

I accepted her offer, allowing her to help pull me to my feet. "It's okay. I wasn't paying attention. Thank you." I replied. Priscilla looked around, as if searching for someone. "Where's Jade?" She asked. "At work. Why?" I inquired. Her curiosity was unusual. "I'm just surprised she's not with you. Are you Christmas shopping alone too?" Her voice was small and unsteady. "Yeah. You're not with Jason?" I couldn't help but ask. Priscilla shook her head quickly. "No. We broke up last month. Once I got suspended, he dropped me." She admitted. "Dang. That's harsh. I'm sorry about that Priscilla. And about the suspension..." I tried to be cordial with the girl.

After the discussion with Mr. Winborne, Priscilla had been rightfully suspended and had apologized to everyone she had hurt. And it seemed like she really was trying to turn over a new leaf. Incidentally, Priscilla seemed happier now, and I was happy for her. If she was willing to change, I was willing to show her respect. And I knew what it was like for Jason to suddenly break up with someone. He had done that to me. "It's alright. He's a douchebag anyway. I don't know why I ever dated him. We are both so much better off without him. And honestly, my suspension was the best thing to happen to me. Being at home by myself really gave me time to evaluate my life and open my eyes to how I had treated people. I was so awful to you. Truly, I am sorry for putting you through such hell." Priscilla smiled kindly at me. "I'm glad that so much positivity came from that, Priscilla. Thank you for the apology. I appreciate it." I responded politely. "Hey, this is weird but can I help you shop? Ladies gotta stick together right? The world can be a dangerous place for young women like us." She offered. Contemplating her offer, I nodded slowly. "Sure, I'm heading over to the jewelry shop. Is that cool?" I asked. Priscilla shook her head positively, gesturing for me to lead the way. Spinning around, I walked across the hall, heading for the pastel colored establishment.

Priscilla was actually...helpful...as we strode through the tiny aisles, different sorts of jewelry hanging from shelves and glittering under the bright neon lights. Jade had mentioned that she was wanting a new belly-button ring, her eye on a two-toned green and purple skeleton hand holding a pearl. She had not been able to afford it, most of her funds going toward helping her dad with bills at the house. I bought her a second belly dangle with a glittery silver feather hanging from it. Jade had always held an affinity for feathers, so I knew she would like it. Meanwhile, Priscilla had found a pretty set of cubic zirconia studded hoop earrings for me to give to my mother. I found a similar pair in gold, that way she could wear them with any color during the evening or day. My mom's favorite silver earrings had tarnished over time, and no matter how much we cleaned them, they weren't shining any brighter. She deserved a nice new set of sparkles. She had always been there for me, no matter how many late hours she worked to bring home money, and she sacrificed so much for herself to take care of me. It was fun for me to give back, and this was the best way to start.

I followed Priscilla into a nearby art store, aiding her in her search for a new painting easel for her parents. They were well known artists in our town, which is why they had so much money. Priscilla wanted to show her support for them, as in her own words she had been a rather spoiled child who was hardly ever nice to them. She bought them a whole load of new oil paints and acrylics, as well as new brushes and palettes. I had to admit that Priscilla was going all out to make things up to people.

The two of us wandered into the mall bookstore, a brightly lit shop with rows upon rows of novels stacked on shelves that towered high into the air. We chatted along the way, neither of us delving too deep into each other's personal business, simply elaborating on what information was offered. Pitch was now the only person I had left to shop for. Hopefully, I could find something for him here. What do you get for the Guardian of Fear? If I had thought of it at the time, I would've got him something from the Halloween store in town during the fall. Unfortunately, that was out of the question during this time of the year. I strolled down the bookshelves, running my fingers along the colorful spines as I went, my eyes scanning the titles for something that Pitch may like. "You said this guy likes creepy stuff?" Priscilla called to me. I nodded absentmindedly. "The scarier, the better." I answered. A determined expression distorted the blonde's face, and she scurried out of the aisle.

I finally made my way to the horror section of the store. Every big name in the genre was listed by alphabetical order. Hmmm.... I stopped and stared at the signs. Wait a second... I have a lot of these at home... Realization dawned on me and I turned around to tell Priscilla not to worry about finding Pitch a gift. She was already jogging toward me, a small scarlet book tucked under her elbow. "Here! Anara, look what I found!" A self-satisfied smile was on her face. I looked at the novel as she held it out for me. It was a story many of us had read in school when we were younger. Certainly targeted toward a younger audience, but frightening all the same. "I know it's not particularly freaky, but it scared the crap out of me for a long time. Would this work?" She asked hopefully. Accepting the book, I nodded my head again. "Yes. Thanks Priscilla. He'll like it a lot." I told her. Exchanging pleased looks, we headed to the front counter to pay.

Counting down the days to Christmas was the hardest part. I was itching to give Pitch his presents and he obviously didn't suspect a thing. When the morning finally arrived, I jumped out of my bed and ran downstairs to my living room. Packages of garnet and emerald tied with golden and silver string were littered all over the floor. My mother and I unwrapped each other's presents. My mother fell in love with her new jewelry, and I adored the new holiday dress made from emerald velvet she had found for me. There were more little trinkets that were addressed to my mother and I from North, making me think that perhaps Jack had put a good word in for our little family.

I had changed into my new dress, admiring the way it accentuated my curves. I pulled on a pair of my silver heels and the jewelry I had worn to junior prom. I had no intention of going anywhere, but I liked getting dolled up for fun. My mother and I spent a good majority of the day together, watching the annual Christmas parade on the television and preparing our classic family dinner - roasted honey glazed ham, mashed garlic-butter potatoes, steamed vegetables, yams, and a pumpkin pie for dessert. It was a wonderful evening, full of laughter and love.

By the time the evening came upon us, our bellies were full and we were exhausted from such a wonderful day. Before heading to my bedroom, I crawled under the tree to retrieve the present I had hidden for Pitch, the small box covered in shiny black wrapping paper and tied with a golden bow. I carried it up the stairs, feeling excitement coursing through my veins.

The Nightmare King was already waiting when I walked in the room, fiddling lazily with one of the dragon figurines I had sitting on my desk. "Hello, Pitch. Merry Christmas!" I greeted the Boogeyman cheerfully. He half cringed when I finished my statement. "Hello Anara...Merry Christmas to you as well..." He muttered. Deciding to get straight to the point, I presented Pitch with my gift, holding it out for him. "Listen, I know you don't care for the holiday. But I care about you. I thought you might like these, so here are your first official Christmas gifts from me," I announced. Pitch looked at me quizzically. "You...got me a...Christmas present?" He asked slowly. I nodded shyly. "Please don't hate me for it!" I told him. Pitch's mouth hung open, no words coming out. I waited, hoping he wasn't angry that I had given him something. He lifted the box from my hand, carefully pulling on the string holding the package together. The paper was removed a moment later, Pitch taking his time with the gift. He looked as though he wondered if the gift would explode or something.

The Boogeyman stepped backward, sitting down on the window seat. I followed him, perching myself by his side as he finally lifted the lid off the box. His long fingers reached into the parcel, withdrawing the three books I had chosen for him. Pitch's eyes glossed over the novels, reading the titles thoughtfully. Two of the objects came from my personal collection. One was a series of stories by Edgar Allen Poe and the other was my favorite Stephen King story, IT. The third book was the one Priscilla had helped me pick out, something a little less heavy hearted as the other two. Pitch placed the empty box on the floor and continued to examine the gifts. "These two...these belong to you..." He shook his head, attempting to hand me the first pair of novels back. I pushed them back toward him. "They were mine...now I'm giving them to you. They have given me a lot of joy through the years. I hope they do the same for you, Pitch." I told him. Pitch looked completely shell shocked. "Are you sure?" He whispered. "Yes," I answered with a smile. The Nightmare King placed the books on the cushion next to him. "Thank you, Anara. You are too kind to me..." He said. I shrugged, clasping my hands together. "You're very welcome."

A few moments of silence passed between us, then Pitch turned to look at me. "I do not care for North or his attributed holiday. But I did prepare a gift for you as well, my dear. Would you like it?" He asked. Smiling at the idea that the Nightmare King cared enough about me to consider making me a Christmas gift, I nodded adamantly. "Very well," He replied, holding his hand out toward the other side of the room.

From the shadows, a small shape emerged out of the corner of my room. It was a miniature Nightmare, with the same glowing golden eyes of Onyx. Only, this one was about a foot tall. "I know Onyx fascinates you. I figured you may enjoy having your own personal Nightmare. She will do as you bid, without question, and she will remain loyal to you. I've perfected that aspect of the magic since my battle with the Guardians." He described his gift as we watched the small Nightmare prancing around the bedroom. "She will not harm your other pets though." Pitch seemed to sense the question I was about to ask. Satisfied with the answer, I reached for the Nightmare. The small horse trotted over to me, sniffing my hand. "What are you going to call her?" The Boogeyman inquired. I tilted my head, thinking for a moment. A name came to me almost immediately. "Obsidian." I spoke the name confidently. Pitch smirked, reaching down to pet the sand creature. "A fitting name, indeed," He agreed.