Frost and Stories: part 25

    This week I'd had an anniversary that, no matter how much I wasn't thinking about it, I always remembered, without fail.  I'd now been immortal for twenty years and five days.  It wasn't like I'd forget about the day, I mean, it was right close to my birthday, so there was little chance of me forgetting.  But, even when I wasn't thinking about it, the second I woke up, or the second the sun rose or whatever made me feel like the day had started, my brain automatically said - in a mildly morbid way - 'Happy Anniversary'. 

    It wasn't like anything big happened, I just always knew exactly what day it was.  It was actually a little annoying.  I mean, why couldn't my mind be this punctual with other dates and crap that I actually gave a flying whoop about?  Anyway, five days later and I couldn't help but note the significance of this particular year's passing.  Not only was it an even number, and so easier to keep track of, but a milestone for any immortal.  This year, had marked something more for me.  For my entire mortal life, I'd wished and waited for magic.  I'd wished on every star, searched for fairy rings, been ready to kiss frogs, talked to the moon, everything.  And then I got it right when I'd thought it was too late. 

    But this year, I'd officially been Story Tale, longer than I'd been Tori Rodriguez.  I'd been immortal longer than mortal.  Not only had I gotten the life and adventures I'd always dreamed of, I'd had it longer than I'd wished for it, if only a few days more, it was still longer.  And that was something, to me. 

    And look at what I'd done in these twenty years.  I'd made hoards of friends that I could count on and who I knew wouldn't grow away from me.  I'd met nearly every person of impact for my childhood.  And that didn't only mean the Guardians.  I'd met everyone, with a few exceptions.  I'd earned my own believers, with a little help here and there.  I got to watch my little brother grow up, get married, and have a kid.  I had a niece I adored.  I had my own home, that I shared with no one.  I'd seen every place I'd ever dreamed of.  Everywhere that was on my bucket list.  And I still had scores of other places to see.

    I could fly.  I'd dreamt of flight longer than anything else.  I'd waited for Peter Pan to come bearing pixie dust.  I'd waited for a pair of wings to sprout from my back, be they feathered or leathered.  I'd wished for a Solar Surfer.  I'd wanted a broomstick, for crying out loud!  I didn't care how I'd do it, but I'd craved flight.  And now I could do it, on my own. 

    And quite possibly the simplest thing that made these twenty years amazing, was the fact that I hadn't spent any of them being diabetic.  For fifteen years, I'd been diabetic.  I'd taken shots, pricked my fingers, worn pods, counted carbohydrates... and not once since becoming immortal, had I had to worry about any of that.  Not once did I have to stick a needle in my body somewhere.  Not once did I have to keep track of my blood sugar.  Not once did I have to go for a tri-monthly doctor's visit.  Not once, in twenty years, had I not been eternally grateful for that. 

    I hadn't been lying to Jack when I told him that I didn't care that I'd had to die for it to happen.  I didn't care, at all.  I don't.  If dying and coming back was the cure, then I'd gladly pay that price over and over and over.  My diabetes might not have ostracized me like many of the others who'd shared my predicament, but it was a cage in it's own right.  It had made me rely on money to stay alive, when I'd rather have packed a backpack and thumb my way across the globe.  It had kept me from volunteering for survival shows, and from living in the wilderness because of it's need for electricity and medical expertise and refrigeration.  And now, I'd been defying that.  For twenty years.

    And not a day went by that I didn't thank Many at least once for bringing me back.  Even when I lost Caeden and Tanya as believers.  Even when I saw the decline in their belief.  I'd meant what I'd told Korri.  So long as I had people to share eternity with, I was happy.  And I had some of the best friends I could have ever asked for in Jack and Sam.  The only thing better than the twenty years I'd just lived, was the prospect of thousands more to come. 

    So, all in all, it was a good week, despite the anniversary that hung over my head.  And it was about to get even better, because I was on my way to one of my favorite people in the world.  And she was so much like me, it was laughable.

    I swooped in through the Chicago skyline, circling around until I got my bearings enough to find the apartment.  When I did, I landed on the terrace - which was a fancy way of saying a tiny balcony, barely five feet long, and less than three feet deep.  Once my feet were firmly planted, I knocked on the glass door, peering into the living room for the tiny terror.  Seconds later she came running into my sight at breakneck speed wearing only a t-shirt and a diaper.  Had I not known that she did that all the time, I may have worried a bit.  Screeching in delight at the top of her lungs she slid open the door and I quickly slid inside before her dad came running after her.  I had to hand it to the toddler, she was fast.  

    He ran over to the sliding glass door and slid it shut, locking it before turning to regard his daughter.  "Elizabeth, you know you're not supposed to open the door."

    She grinned up at him.  "But daddy, Auntie Story's here."  She fiddled with the hem of the t-shirt she was wearing, stretching it towards her knees.  "I had to let her inside."  Elizabeth was far more eloquent than most other kids her age, but that may have been because of who her aunt was.  Namely, myself.  I stood back a little, arms crossed and a huge grin on my face.

    My brother smiled down at my niece. He crouched down so he was at her eye-level, arms braced on his knees. "Is she now?" Elizabeth nodded her head like crazy. Back when she'd first vocalized to her parents that 'Auntie Story' was always around, both Caeden and Tanya had assumed I was an imaginary friend of hers. Both of them played along by telling her stories about their 'Aunt Story'. At first, it had been bittersweet for me to listen to, but after a while, I learned to take the stories as proof that they remembered me. And that was enough.

    Tanya walked into the room to see what was going on. "Lizzie, what are you doing?" The most common phrase in the household.

    "Letting Auntie Story in." She said it so as-a-matter-of-factly that I couldn't help the giggle that burst out of me. She looked up at me, grinning her gap-toothed smile.

    The adults glanced at one another knowingly. They didn't really know, though. They just assumed that Elizabeth had a really good imagination.  Tanya smiled down at her daughter. "She is? Well, how long is she planning on staying this time?"

    Elizabeth looked up at me, question plain on her face. I shrugged. "Probably just today and tomorrow kiddo." She relayed my words, not quite exactly, to her parents.

    "Well, so long as she doesn't eat all of the cookies this time." Her tone was accusatory, her thinking along the lines of every parent's. Even though Elizabeth and I had shared the contents of the cookie jar, I'd been the mastermind of the scheme. She was innocent in that endeavor.  They still thought she was blaming things on an imaginary friend. I, however, take full blame for my actions, scouts honor. Just kidding, I was never a scout. 

    I smiled slyly down at my niece.  "Don't worry, I brought my own snacks this time, girly-girl." 

    "She says she brought her own."

    "Uh-huh."  Mommy crossed her arms, eyebrow raised.  "Well, Story, I expect you to stick to your word."  I stuck my tongue out at her, even though I knew she couldn't see me.  Without missing a beat, she bent down a little and addressed Elizabeth.  "And I don't want you sneaking anything, got it?"  The three year-old nodded, not quite solemn.  "Good.  Well, I'm going back to the laundry."  She shot the last statement to Caeden.

    Said dad glanced at the wall-clock.  "And I have to go to work in a little bit."  He turned back to Elizabeth.  "Since Story's here are you two going to be getting into trouble?" 

    "No daddy."  Now, contrary to what you may be thinking, I was actually a very good babysitter.  Not that either of the adults would know.  "Can we go play in my room?"

    "Sure.  Don't open your window."

    "Okay."  She grabbed my hand and pulled me after her into what used to be the spare room back when they'd first bought the place.  The room was covered in shades of yellow and pink.  Barbies were strewn everywhere as were children's books, and crayons.  Never forget crayons.  And tacked on every wall, in every available space within her reach, were drawings done in a child's hand.  Drawings of people whom I considered family. 

    Before I could inspect any of them, Elizabeth abruptly grabbed my hand and dragged me across the room towards the window.  "I made this ones the other day!"  She pointed at a batch of all yellow drawings of a short, round man with fluffy and spiky hair.  Having never seen Sandy in real life, she had no clue what he looked like except from my descriptions and drawings for her.  However, she was close enough.  It was actually really close to William Joyce's sketches of him. 

    "Oh, Lizzie, these are great!"  There were four of them, all seemingly done with the same crayon.  "What color did you use, baby girl?"

    She stuck her hands on her hips indignantly.  "Gold, I'm not a baby!"  I giggled a little.  Elizabeth was known to talk like that.  Answer a question and take offense to a comment all in one sentence. 

    "Sorry, sweetie.  You're not a baby, you're a big girl."

    "Yes I am!"  She said it with such pride that I didn't bother reminding her that she was only three and still wore diapers. 

    I pointed to the one closest to how Sandy actually looked.  "Do you want me to show him your drawing?"

    Her eyes lit up and her jaw dropped.  She stayed that way for a minute or two before her brain apparently caught up with her and she jumped in surprise.  "Yes!"

    I giggled again as I unpinned it from the wall.  "Can I borrow a crayon?"

    "What color?"  She dropped to her knees and started pawing across her floor for an unbroken crayon.

    "Doesn't matter."

    She finally found one - green - and held it out for me.  "Here you go."

    I grinned at her, flipping the paper over.  "Thank you."  I took the crayon from her and scribbled a note to Sandy on the back.  I then folded the page into a plane and opened her window a little.  "Watch this - and don't tell your parents."  Her eyes were wide as I threw the plane out the window.  Instead of falling, as I'm sure she was expecting, it lifted higher and soared off towards Sandy.

    "Wow...  Where'd it go?"  She cocked her head to the side.

    "It's gonna find Sandy for us.  He'll see your drawing and then send it back."  I closed the window and sat cross-legged on the floor.

    "What'd you write on the back?"  She climbed up onto her bed, bouncing a little on it as she did.  She was so happy when she'd graduated from a crib to a big girl bed.

    "'Hey, Sandy, Elizabeth drew this for you, when you're ready, please send it back.  You know the drill.'"

    "What's that mean?"  I raised my eyebrows at her in question.  "What's the drill?"

    I smiled.  "It means he knows what to do."

    "Ooooohh."  She thought about it for a minute before seeming to accept it.  "How'd it know where to go?"

    "I told it to.  When I tossed it out the window, I told it that it was for Sandy.  It's gonna find him and when he's done, he'll tell it that it's supposed to come back to me now."

    "Wow..."  She sad wide-eyed for a minute before looking at me dead serious.  "Can I do that?"

    I giggled.  "No.  That's something special only I can do, Lizzie-Beth."  I grunted a little as I hoisted myself up onto her bed, purposefully bouncing to jostle her.  She giggled in response and almost fell over.  "You have to use the phone or video-chat."

    "Oh, oh!  The friends wanted to know when you came back!  Are you gonna tell us another story this time?"  By 'the friends' she was referring to my Chicago believers. 

    "Maaaayyyybeee.  I don't know."  She pouted.  Before she could say anything, I poked her gently in the stomach.  "But you get a bedtime story from me.  And I might even sing for you."

    Her eyes lit up once more.  "Really!"  Before I could even nod in response, she'd jumped off her bed and was dancing around her room sing/chanting.  "Auntie Story's singing!  Auntie Story's singing!"  I smiled, laughing a little as my niece made a complete fool of herself.  A beautiful, happy fool.  And I couldn't be prouder.

---

    Three days later, I left a hyper child with minor guilt for what her parents had to deal with.  Minor.  She was a generally hyper kid, but my visits made her more so.  It's like when you get a kid excited right before bedtime, and then they don't go to sleep.  Same thing, basically.  But hey, when you're the coolest aunt ever, that's the price you pay.  Forgive my big-headedness, but I'm allowed to be smug from time to time.
    
    In any case, I was heading home.  I'd been out for about two months straight now, first visiting Mnemosyne, or as I'd found out from my time at Legends, Nosy Mosy.  Turns out her gossipy nature had a reputation.  But yeah, Mosy, then I'd stopped by the Tooth palace for my time with Tooth and the girls, then my movie night and storytelling session in Salem, then a few days of wandering before Chicago.  I was starting to feel homesick, if you could believe it.  Or maybe it was just knowing that, at home, I didn't have to worry about people walking through me, or keeping track of my believers, or interacting with people.  I could just relax and let go of responsibility until I ventured out again.  Home was like a vacation. 

    Hell, my whole life was like a vacation.  From what most people considered reality.  Even though I really didn't like it, most of the world still didn't believe in magic.  However, in the past twenty plus years, ever since Rise of the Guardians had come out, people had it in their minds that immortals could be real.  Some people, who'd seen the movie as children, had gone on to research legendary figures to attempt to prove that they really existed.  And most of them were right, not that other people believed them.  But, the more they brought it up, the more everyone was going to start thinking there was merit to it.  Like I'd told Sam, all it takes is a spark. 

    But still, it was good to get away from it all for a while and head back to the Treehouse, which is what Jack and Sam had taken to calling my house.  Jack had said that, since other immortals had official names for their homes, I should too.  I agreed.  And so I flew back to my magically gown Treehouse on my paper wings.  Man, could my life get any weirder?  And by weird, I most definitely mean cool.

    It took me a few hours of flying to get home from Chicago.  The winds were AWOL but I didn't mind.  They were good company, and they were nice if I was in a hurry, but I was as much of a loner as I was a people person.  I'd always considered myself a social hermit.  I was good with alone time.  So by the time I was flying over the sequoia forest, the sun was starting to set.

    Truth be told, this was one of my favorite times of the day to come swooping in.  Because of the angle that the sun was at, there was a stark contrast between what was in shadow and what was lit.  The western side of everything was bathed in golden light from the setting sun, and, with the sky ablaze, it was really beautiful.  Even after living here for thirteen years, I still managed to find new things to marvel at.  Actually, I did that with everything, come to think of it.  My home, the world, life itself.  I don't know if I did that because I didn't want anything to become boring, or because that's just how I am.  Time would tell, though.

    I landed on the roof, which had become my usual landing by this point.  I let my wings go and the pages fluttered away with the wind, back to whatever book or wall they'd been ripped from during my departure.  I watched them go until they were out of sight, a faint smile on my face.  I sighed a happy sigh before turning and starting down the stairs.  I stepped into my bedroom, depositing my bag before heading down to the main floor.  I was hungry having depleted my snacks at Caeden and Tanya's house.  My plan was to grab something and then head back upstairs for a book.  Before I could get to the kitchen though, I was met with a little surprise. 

    "Surprise!"  A roomful of beings greeted me, all yelling at a volume I almost winced at, compared to the silence of outside.  Maybe not such a little surprise.  I took in who was in my house.  Sel, Tooth, Sandy, Mosy, Shady, Artie, Gaia, Mors, Sam, and Jack.  A moment later, I heard the thunder of wing-beats and Del's face appeared outside the doorway to the porch. 

    I was staring open-mouthed at them, though I tried to throw a smile onto my face.  "What's going on?"  I come downstairs for a snack and I'm bombarded by everyone I know. 

    Jack stepped forward a little, smirking at me.  "Happy anniversary slash birthday.  You've now been officially immortal for more than half of your life."

    "You guys... threw me... a surprise party?"  I was almost speechless.  Almost, because I always have something to say, but...  I couldn't believe they'd actually thrown me a surprise party.  I mean, everyone wants a surprise party at some point in their life, even if they hate surprises.  They show that people care enough about you to celebrate you, without you having to plan it all and invite them.  And considering the significance of this year, it was a really great surprise.  Plus, unlike every other Latino girl on earth, I didn't get a quinceanera.  And unlike every sixteen year old of every other nationality, I didn't get a sweet sixteen either.  And as I'd died before my twenty-first birthday, I didn't get my alcohol christening.  I had planned on kicking my twenty-first year off with a margarita from Hacienda.  I'd been deprived of parties in my honor for my whole life.  Hell, even my graduation party had been crappy. 

    "Jack did, actually."  Tooth flew up and hugged me, the few fairies who'd tagged along doing so as well.  "Happy birthday, Story."

    "Well, I mean...  My birthday's not for four more days."  I shook my head and blinked.  "Doesn't matter."  I hugged her back.  "Thank you."  When we broke apart, my eyes darted between her, Mosy and Sam.  "How did you guys not tell me."

    Sam winced a little.  "I actually thought you knew for a minute there.  When you told me that you and Tooth had 'had an interesting conversation' I thought you were talking about the party."

    "I wouldn't have told her!" Tooth bristled next to me and I chuckled along with most of the other guests.  Like how a cat's fur stands on end, her feathers were doing the same.  She noticed and started smoothing them down.

    Sel was the next to glide over and give me a hug.  And when Gaia did, it felt like I was being swallowed by her hair.  The rest of the guests weren't really the hugging type.  Shady, Mors and Artie all either gave me a side hug or clapped me on the shoulder.  Mosy did that double cheek kiss thing.  Sandy flashed a smile at me from across the room and Sam waved, also smiling.  Then I turned to Jack.

    "You threw me a surprise party."  I still couldn't get over that.

    He shrugged.  "That's what friends do."  Before he could protest, and before he knew what was happening, I was hugging him.  "Whoa!"

    "Thanks, Jack."

    "Uh..."  He was thrown off by my abrupt hug, I could tell, but a moment later, he smiled.  "No, prob."  He hugged me back, though it was quick.  When I pulled away I could see that his cheeks were faintly pink.  I smirked at him, knowing exactly why. 

    From behind me, I heard a very familiar voice.  "Happy birthday."  I turned to see Sam grinning at me.  "What, this is the twentieth time you've been twenty, right?"

    "Ha, ha.  You're so funny."  I punched him on the arm.  Not hard enough to leave a bruise or anything, but still, I punched him. 

    He laughed in mock offense.  "Hey, watch it!  I might just take my gift back." 

    I blinked.  "Wait, gift?"  I glanced at Jack who's eyes darted to one of the tables near my couch.  It had a small pile of boxes on it.  "You guys got me presents?"  Now this was too much.  gotten a lot of those in my life, but they were always expected.  You know, Christmas gifts, birthday presents from family members, graduation gifts because that's the politically correct thing to do.  You know, expected.  I'd stopped celebrating my birthday by my second year as an immortal. 

    "What,"  Jack was smirking at me.  "You don't want them?  'Cause we can take 'em back."

    "No!"  He was already laughing before my protest was even out of my mouth.  "I'm just surprised, is all."

    "Well, that's kind of the point of a surprise party."  I punched him on the arm.  "Hey!  What is it with you and punching people?"

    "Jack, don't you know by now that I have an aggressive personality?"  I smiled innocently at him and batted my eyes.  His response was to stick his tongue out at me. 

    "Aggressive my ass."

    I snorted at him and took another look around the room, spying food set out on a few of the other tables.  "Wait a minute, did you raid my kitchen?"  I looked at Jack accusingly.

    "Uh, no?"  I swung at him but he ducked out of the way.

    "You better replace it, buddy!"  He laughed at me as he ducked outside and out of reach.  I shook my head at him, even though I was grinning.  I never could stay mad at Jack.  Not even when he pulled a stunt like when I'd moved out.  Sam was laughing behind me, holding a Red Solo cup of something.  Probably water, since the only drinks I had in my house were fruit waters and Diet Dr. Pepper.  I shot him a stink eye.  "You helped didn't you?"

    "Me?  Nope, not at all."  I swatted him, though it was halfhearted.  I couldn't stay mad at him either.  Hell, I couldn't be mad at him.  Plus I didn't want to spill his drink and have to clean it up later. 

    "Thanks."

    He shrugged.  "No biggie.  Hey, you wanna dig into your food before we eat it all?"

    "Well, considering it's mine, duh."  I went to the nearest table and saw, to my distain, that they'd gotten into my pickles.  "Dude, really?  Those are mine!"

    "It's all, yours."

    "I know, but these are for my enjoyment only!"

    "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I supplied desert.  I raided my stash."  He gestured towards another table and I saw bowls filled with assorted candies.  I grinned, seeing that one was filled with gummy bears.  "So it's not like you provided all the food."

    "Well, thank you, again."  I helped myself to a plateful of my food and turned to see how the guests were getting along.  No big surprise, everyone was grouped off with people thy knew.  Jack had come back into the room and was chatting with Tooth, who was completely enraptured by whatever it was he was saying.  Sel was over by one of the windows, talking to Del who couldn't fit inside.  Shady, Artie, Mors, and Gaia were all clustered around one of the paintings and chatting with each other.  Mosy was being nosy and was hovering at the edge of their group.  Sandy had nodded off in one of the chairs.  And Sam was over here with me. 

    I shoved a handful of crackers in my mouth.  Hey, I was still hungry, sue me.  "Man, I love Club crackers.  I really hope they never go out of business."

    Sam shrugged.  "Well, that's always a possibility.  I can't tell you how many companies whose products I became all but addicted to that shut down.  My suggestion is to stockpile if there's ever any indication that they will."

    "Like those people who bought cases of Twinkies for thousands of dollars?"

    "Exactly."

    "So..."  I attempted to seem nonchalant.  "What'd you get me?" 

    He laughed in a way that said he wasn't gonna fall for my tricks.  "It's a surprise.  You're gonna have to wait until you open it to find out."  I stuck my tongue out at him. 

    Gaia came over to me then, smiling and looking like her bubbly self.  "I had no idea you were friends with Nosy Mo - I mean the Muse."  She smiled sheepishly, eyes wide with embarrassment.  "Though it does make sense."

    I shrugged, popping another few crackers into my mouth.  "She's not that bad."  I said around my mouthful.  "I mean, look at me.  I have no manners whatsoever."  I grinned and threw more food into my mouth.  "Who cares if she's nosy?"

    "I don't think anyone does, really.  But she's the type of person who doesn't make friends easily."

    "But I do.  I made friends with Jack didn't I?"  And Pitch Black.  Even if he won't admit it or reciprocate it.  Gaia laughed lightly.  "So, have you talked to her yet?"

    "Off and on over the years.  Not tonight though." 

    "Well, you should go and talk to her."  I gestured towards said nosy immortal with another cracker in my hand.  "Meanwhile, I'm gonna dig into my presents."  Because I had a plate in my hands, I couldn't rub my hands in glee, but believe me, I wanted to.  I took a seat on my couch, next to the gift table and set my plate down.

    Everyone had noticed my seat change and had stopped what they were talking about to watch me open my gifts. Whether it was to see my reaction to their gifts, or to compare theirs to everyone else's, I didn't know. And I didn't care. I got presents! I grabbed the first gift, which was a little over two feet long, around six inches wide, and wrapped in newspaper. Shady held up her Solo cup a little, which looked dull next to her mane. "Tha's mine." I tore off the paper to find a basic box underneath. When I opened it, I found about ten thousand packing peanuts. I looked at her. "It's in there. Just be careful when yer fishin' around." With minor suspicion I gingerly dug through the Styrofoam pellets.

    My hand brushed something hard and smooth. I grabbed it and pulled out a knife that was about as long as my forearm. My jaw dropped. "Holy shit!"

    "It's a short sword. I remember you tellin' me how you always wanted a sword and how much you like yer machete."

    "Ermagerd, I love it!" I had to physically restrain myself from swinging it around then and there. So instead I laid it back in the box and set the lid back on it, so I'd be less tempted. Not that it really worked. "I'm now gonna try and ignore it while I open the rest of them."  There was a round of chuckles at that.

    As I reached for another gift, Artie cleared his throat.  "Er, you might want to open mine next.  Shady's and mine sort of go together."  His British accent was light, and easy to understand.  However, I had no doubt that, if he ever had worldwide believers, there'd be a line of girls just for his voice.  "It's the one wrapped in the brown paper."  He pointed at said gift, which was about two feet square. 

    When I picked it up, it was about as heavy as the sword had been, and I wondered if I was getting a pair.  I tore the paper off and pulled off the lid to see a pair of arm bracers.  They were some gray metal - I assumed steel or something similar.  I picked them up and saw that there were leather straps on the undersides so that they'd fit.  They each had a shallow pattern carved into them as decoration.  They were beautiful.  As excited as I'd been by the weapon, I was as touched by the armor.  "You guys." I looked up to see Shady grinning and Artie avoiding my eyes, embarrassed.  I dropped the bracers back into the box and went over to the two of them.  I attacked both of them at once in a double hug.  "Thanks, I love them."

    Artie was blushing now.  "Well, I figured they'd be better than a shield.  And you're going to need defense.  Especially with her training you."  He hooked his thumb at the Celt beside him.

    "Training?"  I raised my eyebrow at her.

    "Well, you don't expect me to give you somethin' ye can't use now, do ye?"  I grinned at her as I went back to my seat. 

    I grabbed another gift, eyes roving the room for it's owner.  Sel smiled, raising her hand a little.  I smiled back and tore into the paper.  As bad of a cook as she was, she was really good at wrapping gifts.  It looked almost professional.  Under the paper was a book.  It was older, but I recognized it right away.  "You gave me your copy of the Hans Christian Andersen stories?  Oh, Sel."

    "You already have the Grimm's Brother's fairytales and 1001 Arabian Nights.  I thought you needed a complete set."

    "But your copy?  This is from the original round of publication.  It's older than I am, hell it's older than America!"

    "And you appreciate it wholly.  Which is why I am giving it to you."

    "Thank you..."  So far, the gifts were touching beyond reason.  I was almost worried that the others wouldn't hold up.  I was just as worried that they would, and that I'd end up crying.  As I've said before, I detest crying, so I didn't want that to happen.  I shook the thoughts from my mind and grabbed another gift. 

    Gaia smiled at me, widely, so that I'd know this one was hers.  It was a brightly colored, round box that looked like it used to be for hats.  I lifted the lid to find the entire box covered by yellow flowers.  I looked at her confused.  I mean, I knew she was the spirit of spring, and that flowers were kind of her thing, but what were they doing in the bottom of a box?  "It's something for your roof.  You can leave it up there and it'll spread like wildfire.  Soon you'll have a carpet of it.  And the best part, they come back every year.  And in the summer, the flowers fall off and the leaves leave it nice and green." 

    I carefully put the lid back on.  "I think I heard about it before.  I always sort of wanted it in my backyard when I was growing up."  I looked up at her smiling.  "Thanks."  She grinned back as I placed the box on top of the others.  I turned back to the stack of gifts.  "Okay, who's next?"  I picked up a flat gift that was vaguely the size of a book, except for how flat it was.  Sam cleared his throat and sheepishly raised his hand.  I grinned at him, understanding his nervousness.  Sam had major stage fright.  He hated being the center of attention in any group larger than ten.  I pulled the paper off to find a DVD underneath.  I laughed, smiling.  "Hocus Pocus?  Aw, thanks Sam."  Trust him to get me an old favorite that had something to do with him.

    Next, I grabbed the biggest box, yet surprisingly, not the heaviest.  Mosy appeared over my shoulder.  "I hope you like it, even though I know you will."  She smiled in a way that betrayed her confidence.  I ripped the paper off to find a wooden case stained with old paint and ink and who knows what else.  I opened the clasp and lifted up the lid...  Then I almost dropped it.  I looked at her, openmouthed.  Inside was over a hundred tubes of paint, brushes of every length, shape, and size, and a palette, the old kind with a spot for your thumb to go through and everything.  "The box belonged to some famous painter or another that I mused a lot.  I don't remember his name, but he was around during the renaissance.  Everything else is more or less new."

    I hugged her backwards over the couch.  "Thanks, I love it."  I closed the box and ran my hand over it before setting it on the floor next to me.  The next box I grabbed was small.  My eyes roved the room and landed on Mors who was pointing to himself/herself with his/her thumb.  I pulled the lid off to see a necklace inside.  I pulled it out to find that the pendant was a small, black, metal bird skull.  I looked closer, noticing that there was some pattern.  When I got it close enough I could see that it was words, though they were so small I couldn't make them out.  "What's it say?" 

    "It's the words to Edgar Allen Poe's 'the Raven'."  He/she shrugged nonchalantly.

    "Thanks Mors.  It matches one of the pieces I have hanging in my library.  I'll show you later."  I put the necklace on, instead of back in the box and turned back to the table that looked decidedly more empty now.  I noticed an incredibly ornate box that looked incredibly similar to the tooth boxes.  "Let me, guess, this one's from Tooth?"

    She smiled at me.  "Actually, my gift is the box.  Sandy's is inside though."  I lifted the lid to see that the box was filled with Dreamsand.  Sandy flashed his symbols that this was the same kind he gave to the Guardians at Christmas.   He added that he knew I'd be able to make a great story out of it. 

    "Thanks guys."  I shot Sandy a smile, knowing exactly what he was getting at.  I spied similar wrapping paper to what North had wrapped my Christmas gift with all those years ago, and I raised an eyebrow.  I snatched up the box and saw that there was a tiny card on top.  'From North', it read.  'Happy birthday and anniversary.'  I tore the paper off to find a repeat of my Christmas gift as well.  "Aw, North gave me another sketchbook.  Would one of you guys tell him thanks for me?"

    I looked back at the table and saw that there had been a huge gemstone hidden by North's gift.  From the doorway, I heard Del's voice.  "They grow all over the place where my family lives.  The last time I stopped in for a visit, I took one."  His brow furrowed and I could tell he was worried if he'd picked a good gift or not.  "Do you like it?"      

    "I love it, Del.  It'd beautiful."  I picked up the stone, only to find that it probably weighed around ten pounds.  In the end I just left it where it was.  I'll move it later... if I can.  There was one more gift on the table and it was egg-shaped.  I popped it apart, knowing what was probably in it, but hoping that Bunny hadn't been so cliché.  He had been.  Inside was a big white chocolate bunny, similar to what you could find on the store shelves this time of year.  "You, know.  Just because my birthday's right by Easter, does not mean he can default and give me chocolate bunnies...  At least it's white chocolate."  I shrugged, knowing full well that the rabbit would be gone by tomorrow. 

    Shady cleared her throat to call attention to herself.  "Annie wanted to come, but you know, with two of 'er bartenders 'ere, she was already short-staffed.  So instead she sent a little birthday present for you.  She ran into my kitchen and returned with a cake topped with a hoard of candles.  "It's red velvet cake."

    "How did she know that's my favorite?"  As touched as I was, and as happily surprised to see that even Annie had sent something, I couldn't help but notice that one person in particular had neglected to get me anything.  And it stung.

    Shady shrugged, still holding the cake.  "Yer not the only one who talks to the winds."  She grinned at me.

    "You guys aren't gonna sing me Happy Birthday, are you?  'Cause no offense, but some of you are tone def."  There was a round of laughter as my eyes shot to Sam, who blushed despite his own laughter.

    "No we are not gonna sing. Can ye just blow out the candles before I catch on fire?" She was grinning.
 
    "Yes ma'am." I obediently blew out the candles and everyone started doling out the pieces.

---

    Once the party was over, and everyone else had gone home, I finally confronted Jack about the absence of his gift. I found him on the porch, looking up at the moon - or lack there of, as it was just a sliver of light, and had been for a few days now. By tomorrow or the next day, it should be absent from the sky. "Jack, what gives?

    He turned to look at me, looking innocent. "What?"

    "You know what. You throw me a party but then didn't get me a gift. You were the only one who didn't. I don't know if the party was supposed to be your gift or what, but..."

    "Actually, your gift from me is more of a trip, so I had to wait for everyone to leave. And I had to make sure tonight was a good night to see it." He gestured towards the lack of moon. "So if you're good to go we can shove out."

    "Uh, yeah. I'm good."

    "Great! Follow me!" He darted off on the winds, barely waiting for me to follow. It took an hour or less before he finally turned around. "We're almost there."

    "Where are we going?"

    "You'll see, trust me." He wouldn't say any more, but a few minutes later he lead me down towards an island in the Caribbean ocean. I knew my maps well enough to figure out that it was Puerto Rico. I raised my eyebrow at him, but he didn't notice, he was too busy staring at the water. He lead me to a spot where the stars were reflected spectacularly and turned back to me, expectant. "Well, what do you think?"

    I didn't get it. Why drag me all the way out here just to show me a reflection of the sky? "I mean, the stars are pretty and all..." I didn't know what he expected.

    "Look closer at the water."

    "Okay..." I swooped down lower until I was hovering just above the water. "The reflection's pretty... Wait..." I leaned forward and noticed that the stars were moving. "They're not..."

    "Nope. They're these plant animal things that light up at night. You really can't see them when the moon's full, so you wanna come when the moon's AWOL."

    "Bioluminescence" I said under my breath. I laughed in wonder. "Oh wow." I watched as a group of the creatures moved a few feet over, creating a streaking effect. "Jack, this is..." I shook my head, completely floored by not only what I was seeing, but by the fact that this was his gift. I glanced at him, noticing that his gaze wasn't on the water, but on me and my reaction. A small smile played at his lips and one appeared on mine to match. "Thanks, Jack." I looked back at the display he'd brought me here for. "For the party, for this..." I looked back at him. "For being the best friend I could have ever asked for... Just, thanks."

    "My pleasure." He grinned his half-grin and I once again that week counted my blessings. Thanks Manny, for making my life possible... One day, I hope I can say it to your face.