Chioniphobia

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"You want me to what?"

North beamed at Grim, his wonder-blue eyes sparkling. "I want you to help me with Christmas presents!"

Grim laughed disbelievingly. "And what on earth makes you think I'm qualified for that?! I'm the Grim Reaper, Nikolai- Smert's kosoy, remember? Ask Tasha-"

"He did," the party in question broke in as she descended a flight of stairs with a tray of milk and cookies. "Your helping with the presents was actually my suggestion."

Grim stared at her friend. "Why would you suggest that?!"

Tasha shrugged. "I thought it might be fun for you."

Grim bit her lip. "I suppose...I'm not certain if that feeling would be shared by the poor children receiving my gifts, however."

"Well, will not know unless you try!" boomed North, using one giant hand to half-lead, half-push the Reaper along. Grim glanced over her shoulder at Mrs. Claus one last time and mouthed "help."

Natasha chuckled and mouthed back. "You're on your own."

Grim sighed and turned her attention to the project North had led her to. She blinked.

"What is..." She glanced up at North, then back to the bench in front of her. "What is this?"

"Is jewelry-making station!" North proclaimed proudly. "Candy Cane mentioned you have talent for jewelry, yes?"

Grim smiled at North's fond little nickname for his wife. "I don't know if I'd call it a talent. I've made pendants before in my spare time."

"You are having spare time now, yes? Go on, try!"

Grim laughed again, this time with some genuine amusement to the sound. "I'll try my best, dear, but I can't promise it'll be worth giving away. Hopefully the results will at least be salvageable enough to reuse."

North nearly knocked her over the desk with his hearty pat on her back. "Bah! Do not worry about that. Now, you make!"

Grim nodded as best she could whilst winded, reaching for some beads in a nearby container.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Jack turned the snowflake charm over and over in his hand, marveling at the nigh invisible threads of metal connecting the dozens of tiny blue and white glass spheres.

"North, how'd you make this?" he asked, glancing up at his fellow Guardian.

"He didn't," Natasha answered for him. "That's Grim's work."

"Grim?" Jack turned it over in his fingers again, squinting. Upon closer examination, he could see the metal was black like the chains looped around the Reaper's neck.

"Yeah, mate, Grimace's been flat out making these things," Bunny remarked, holding up a pin in the shape of an egg. "She's got one for everyone- North, Tasha, Tooth, Sandy-"

Jack blinked. "Tooth?"

"Tooth," Bunny confirmed. "Dunno why, but Grim made her a bracelet. S'got a bunch of little charms on it that look like teeth."

"Mine is like candy cane!" North cut in, showing off a brooch that was indeed reminiscent of the distinctively shaped peppermint sweet.

Tasha smiled, proudly displaying a barrette with two ruby-red beads set in it to resemble holly, complete with two emerald-colored bead leaves. Sandy floated up next to her and showed off a dreamcatcher decorated with nearly a hundred miniscule golden beads. Jack whistled.

"Hey, nice."

"There are others," North pointed out, indicating the pile of beaded wires on a nearby desk. "Will be presents for children."

"Where's Grimace now, anyway?" Bunny asked, pinning the bead egg to his bandolier.

"Is making delivery to rainbow girl."

Sandy's smile faded. Jack noticed, walking over to the little man and kneeling down to meet his gaze.

"Rainbow girl?"

(Gabby,) Sandy signed. (My girlfriend.)

"Your girlfriend? What happened to her?"

(Died. She got really sick, and...)

Sandy trailed off. Jack put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, man."

(It's okay.) Sandy smiled again, sadly. (I know she didn't suffer, at least. She passed in her sleep.)

"Grim made something for her too?"

(Yeah, a little rainbow feather.)

Bunny frowned. "Really? I thought she was making something else for the sheila."

Jack turned and squinted. "Something else? Like what?"

The Guardian of Hope shrugged. "I dunno. The last thing I saw her making wasn't rainbow-colored, I know."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Grim placed the rainbow-colored charm amongst the flowers on the grave.

"Hello, Bee," she murmured. "I hope you like this."

She turned and drew something else from a pocket in her robes- a black locket, with matching chain.

"And this is for you," she remarked, handing it to the Boogeyman.

Pitch glanced at it before tucking it in his own pocket. "You know I'm not one for jewelry, darling."

"Ah, but that's not just any jewelry! I put a bit of my heart in it," Grim explained cheerfully.

He snorted. "Just a bit? I'm not worth your whole heart, then?"

"Don't be like that. I couldn't fit my whole heart in there. Besides, it was difficult enough cutting out that small piece- I'm not about to hack out the whole thing."

Seeing her companion's disturbed expression, Grim burst into laughter. "Oh, darling, you should see your face! No, I didn't actually put a piece of my heart in there. I did put a lock of my hair in, though."

He wrinkled his nose. "Hair? Who puts hair in jewelry?"

"People who mourn."

"A couple centuries ago, perhaps. And I'm hardly a mourner."

"Well, you can throw the hair out if you like, but at least keep the locket."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Down in his lair, Pitch opened the locket with a click. There sat the lock of hair, tied with a bit of yellow ribbon.

He closed the locket and looped the chain around his neck, tucking the necklace away so that his robes hid any sign that he was wearing it at all.