The Melting Point

by xxBadWolf

Jack Frost meets a girl, and neither of them knew how important they'd be to each other. Read on to see how Jack shows Hannah his world, and he slowly gets pulled into hers.

Jack Frost Fanfiction

Omniscient

By Hannah Cartwright

Jack soared through the night, making it snow over a small town in New Hampshire. Christmas had ended a month or so ago, but this place hadn't seen so much as a flurry of snow all year, or last year. He felt bad for missing the place so Jack was going to give them a big snowstorm. He heard laughter and shrieks of joy below as a family went outside to look at the snow. Jack smiled, since he was able to bring so much joy in such a simple way. He decided to get a closer look at the people who were out so late, so he landed in the snow below, bare feet and all. He walked over to the edge of the yard, and studied the members.

A dog was running around with a young girl, who was about ten. Two parents stood, watching them by the door, smiles on everyone's faces. Movement nearby caught Jacks eye, and he looked over to see a girl who looked about 14 or 15, getting ready to scale an icy tree, not far from Jack. The girl's mom called them back in. The younger girl ran back to the house, her dog was quick to follow.

The girl that was close to Jack called back "I'll be in ten minutes Mom!"

Her mom reluctantly nodded and followed the rest of the family in. The girl on the other hand, grasped a branch on the tree and began heaving herself up. Jack moved closer to the girl, curious as to why she didn't follow her family. Maybe she didn't like spending time with them. That would explain her black coat, which was thin for winter, and her silent moves, as if she had a darker personality that didn't like to be around others.

He was near the base of the tree when the girl reached a solid branch. She sat down on it, but there was a slippery icy patch where she put her hand to keep her balance. Her hand slipped, and she was thrown off balance. Before she could steady herself, she fell off the branch, falling down a height where the least damage that could happen was a broken leg.

Jack gasped and jumped up to stop her from falling, catching her in midair. The girl gasped, catching her breath and wondering why she stopped falling. She couldn't see anything that stopped her fall. She shut her eyes tightly, thinking she'd been knocked out, that she was dreaming, hoping she'd wake up soon. When she felt her feet touch the ground again she opened her eyes. She hadn't been dreaming, and she was perfectly fine.

Jack smiled. "Hey, are you alright?" he asked her. His smile faded when she didn't acknowledge him. She didn't believe in him? But, how was that possible? Jack thought. If she didn't, she would have slipped right through my arms and fallen. Unless, of course, she only partially believed. Jack knew that a girl around her age didn't usually believe in the guardians, but what if she did? He shook his head. Nah. It was just a freak-miracle that happened to save her life.

The girl had already begun sprinting inside, before Jack could have even taken a second look at her.

Once inside, Hannah took off her coat and gloves, and ran up to her room. She was really confused. What was it that had stopped her from falling? A miracle at the least. Her encounter with a near-death experience had shaken her, and a tear ran down her cheek as she reconsidered her idea to climb the tree. It was dark, cold, and icy. If her mom had known she wanted to climb the tallest tree near the house she would have said no.

Still scared of what could have happened, Hannah curled up, wrapping her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. She could hear her mom telling stories to her little sister, Natalie. One caught her attention. It was about a boy named Jack Frost. He lived in colonial times and was a very funny boy. "He played pranks on his friends, and he told stories to little kids that made them laugh.

"Jack had a little sister who he loved very much. One day, when he was seventeen, he took her out to teach her how to skate. The ice was thinner than he expected and it cracked under their weight.

"His little sister was terrified that she was going to fall in. Jack tried to comfort her, but she was afraid he was playing a trick on her.

"Then Jack decided to turn it into a game of hopscotch. He gave an example, moving so he reached a curved stick. The ice wouldn't hold much longer so he wrapped the stick around his little sister and slid her to safety. Before Jack could move, he fell through the ice, and he drowned.

"But do not worry. Legend has it that Jack was brought back to life, as the creator of winters. He controls the wind, ice, and snow. So watch out, or he may nip at your nose."

Hannah smiled, hearing an old childhood story again relaxed her. She forgot about all the drama created with friends, and others. She turned her lamp off and lay in her small bed, drifting off to sleep, and thinking of the story of Jack Frost over and over again.

Jack stood outside the little girl's window, listening to the story. He sighed, remembering his past. All it would ever be to them is a story for little ones, but, when he heard the story, he decided to stick around awhile longer. Maybe the younger girl still believed in him.

After listening to the story, he flew up to a tree and decided to sleep. He realized, right before he drifted off, that this was the tree that girl had fallen out of. He could see why she'd wanted to climb it. You could see everything from up here. The snow glistened in the moonlight, and coated the trees everywhere. The tops of mountains were covered in clouds, which had parted to let the full moon shine through. Jack smiled, knowing it was his work, and drifted off to sleep.

An alarm went off the next morning, and Hannah fumbled around for the snooze button. She sighed, slid her legs out of bed, and turned the alarm off completely. She glanced out her window and smiled. The snow hadn't stopped through the night. It looked like she had a solid two feet, right outside.

Hannah got up and changed into a T-shirt and jeans. On her way out of the room, she stopped, taking in the warmth. It wasn't really that warm. Her room never was, especially not in the summer. She had a window fan making her room a freezer in the summer. Now that it was winter, her room was warmer.

When she got downstairs, her mom was still in pajamas and drinking a cup of tea. Hannah was a bit worried her mom had forgotten about school.

"Uh, Mom?" she asked, concerned. "Why aren't you ready?"

Her mom smiled, and set down her tea.

"The school called earlier, there's a snow day. The plows can't get out of their driveways, so everyone's home today," her mom explained.

Hannah smiled. A day off from school. FINALLY. Vacation was in two days anyways, but she felt like she needed a break.

"Oh okay." she laughed, relieved. "I'm going outside." she said.

She slipped on a coat and gloves, and she slid outside before her mom could tell her to put snow-pants on.

She went back to the tree where she fell last night to see what may have broken her fall.

Jack woke up, hearing the girl below. He looked over the side of the tree, and leapt down. He landed near the girl, who was actually kind of pretty.

Her brown hair fell down a few inches past her shoulders. It was straight, but something about it seemed false.

She probably straightened it herself. He thought.

Side bangs were on each side of her face, but were barely noticeable on the left side. Her eyes were icy grey, but had a tint of blue in them. The girl's lips were almost naturally red, and her nose was nearly perfect. He could see under her black coat she wore a white shirt that was signed with a lot of different names, probably friends. She also wore blue-jeans that were VERY blue. She definitely didn't look like the isolated, dark girl he thought she was last night. She looked slightly overweight, but not so much that she didn't look nice.

She looked up at the tree. When Jack followed her gaze, he saw she was looking up at the branch she had fallen from.

"Jesus that was a big fall." she whispered. Jack smiled. He didn't say anything, knowing she wouldn't hear him. She turned in the direction of him, and when Jack breathed out, the girl felt the cold frost. She jumped in surprise at the sudden flash of cold. Jack felt sort of guilty that he'd surprised her, but it was funny nonetheless.

A flash of cold hit Hannah. She jumped a bit, startled. She didn't expect it, but she smiled and laughed at herself. She muttered something about Jack Frost, but she was still smiling. She gave up looking for what broke her fall and settled for 'invisible slide.'

Since she had the day off, Hannah walked down the bank of the creek that went into the forest. She followed it to her clubhouse and slipped inside.

Jack's attention had been caught when the girl muttered something about him. He followed her down the creek. When he got to her fort, there was writing outside on the wood that read "Carsen + Hannah" Jack shrugged, guessing that Carsen was the girl's boyfriend or something. The girl, who he assumed was Hannah, had walked into the fort. He pushed open the door, and when he did, Hannah looked over in surprise. She got up and locked the door, so nothing could open it.

Jack looked around. It was a neat place, but for some reason, it was slightly warm. When he turned around, Hannah had taken off her jacket, and was lying on her hammock, drawing. He smiled, and walked over to her, to see what she was drawing. It was a snowy scene, with a small figure flying in the distance. She had titled it, Jack Frost. Jack laughed to himself.

Hannah curled up in a hammock and began sketching a scene with Jack Frost in it. She got the idea when her mom read the story to her sister last night. Since she was still tired, and drawing was a relaxing activity to her, Hannah drifted off, dropping her pencil. Her sketchbook rested on her chest, which rose and fell at a steady pace as she fell asleep.

Jack laughed when Hannah fell asleep. She was kind of cute when she slept. He picked up her pencil, and pulled her sketchbook towards him. He wrote, below the sketch

"-Jack Frost.

"Sorry if I confused you last night. I was just trying to catch you."

Jack wondered if she'd believe in him after he wrote this. He set the sketchbook down on a chair near the hammock, and he put the pencil down, right underneath the sketch. He smiled at Hannah, who was still asleep, and left, leaving the door unlocked.

When Hannah woke up she groaned. It was freezing! She looked over at the door, which was wide open. She could have sworn that she had shut it. Even locked it.

She swung her legs out of the cloth hammock, and walked over to close the door, making sure she has locked it. When she looked down, she saw her sketch was on a chair, but she never remembered putting it down.

From the door, she looked at the sketch and saw something scrawled below it. So someone HAD been in here. That's how the door was open.

Hannah walked over to the sketchbook, picked it up, and read the writing.

"-Jack Frost

"Sorry if I confused you last night. I was just trying to catch you."

Hannah's jaw dropped. When she saw the signature, she thought a friend or someone had been playing a trick on her, but the part about last night confused her. No one had been there to see her fall or her stopping in midair. She hadn't told anyone either.

The only thing she could think of made her laugh at herself. Don't be silly. Jack Frost can't be real. She thought to herself, almost reassuringly. She wasn't exactly sure if she believed in him currently, or not.

Well, if he was real, that explained what stopped her fall last night. It would also explain why the door had been opened. She looked back at the handwriting. Only her friend, Carsen, knew of this place, and she didn't have any talent with penmanship. She'd never be able to write like what was below the sketch.

Hannah sighed, falling back into the hammock. She was confused. Nothing really made sense. She tossed her sketchbook back into the chair and thought things through. She sat there for what could have been minutes or hours. She couldn't tell.

Jack got bored and decided to freeze some things. He went out around the area, within a ten mile radius of Hannah's house and made it snow. He skated over a pond, freezing it, and then flew back to where he last saw Hannah. To his surprise, she was still there. He pushed on the door, which was either stuck, or locked. He heard movement from inside, and saw through a crack in the wall that Hannah had been startled.

"Hello?" she called out.

Jack froze. He didn't know if he should answer. If she didn't believe he was there, it wouldn't matter, but what if she did? What would her reaction be? He smiled. It didn't matter THAT much.

"Yeah, someone's out here," Jack said, trying not to laugh.

The fort went silent. Any sound that had been from Hannah moving had ceased. The only thing either of them could hear was their own breathing.

Jack smirked, and decided to play a bit more.

"Yeah. Y'know, I've been around. Chillin'. Nice place you have here." he said, casually. "Oh, and, that was quite a fall from last night."

When Hannah heard the voice, her breathing became shaky.

"Y-you're not real" she said, trying to convince herself.

"Well, how do you know that if you haven't checked to see if I'm here?" Jack's voice sounded cocky, almost as if he was teasing her.

Jack heard Hannah get up and walk over to the door. She fumbled with the latch for a second, and unlocked it. When she looked outside, she froze.

There was a young boy outside, who looked 16 or 17. He was tall, with frosty white hair, and he had bright electric blue eyes. He wore a blue hoodie that had snowy designs around the collar and hood. His pants were a light, frosted brown, but, despite the cold, he wore no shoes. The boy held a long staff that was about as tall as him, maybe even taller. Something about him was VERY attractive to her.

Jack smiled at her and said, "Am I still fake?"

Hannah laughed, and smiled.

"I guess not!" she laughed. She was glad her cheeks were red from being cold so he couldn't see her blush. The wind began to pick up and she realized she wasn't wearing her coat. Hannah began shivering and turned to go inside the fort. She grabbed it, and slid it on. When Hannah turned back around, she ran into Jack.

"Oh, sorry!" she couldn't help but smiling.

Jack smiled and put his hands on her shoulders to steady her. "Ha! It's my fault. Really."

Hannah tried not to show her surprise when he touched her. He was as cold as ice. Not like the expression. He was LITERALLY the same temperature as the ice outside.

"So... You're really Jack Frost," Hannah said softly, moving away from his hands slightly.

Jack's smile faded a bit. "Yeah. I am. Sometimes I don't want to be. I want to be normal, like you or your sister."

Hannah smiled reassuringly.

"The only different thing about you is that you're cold. I mean REALLY cold," she laughed.

Jack smirked, playfully. "Well, I could show you something REALLY different," he said.

Jack grabbed Hannah's wrist before she could protest and ran outside the fort. He grabbed his staff, and, before Hannah could say anything, he took off flying into the cold winter air.

Hannah gaped at the view in awe. She'd never seen where she lived like this before. She was a bit worried of falling, but, even though she barely knew him, for some reason, she trusted Jack not to let her fall. He DID catch her when she fell out of the tree.

"Wow," she breathed. "Jack, this is beautiful."

Jack smiled. "Yeah. It is. This," he said gesturing to the snowy landscape, "Is what I'm capable of making. So I guess that qualifies me as not normal." he looked at Hannah. "Are you ready for some fun?"

Hannah looked doubtful at first, but then nodded. Jack somehow knew she would. He dove down closer to the ground, not letting go of Hannah. He flew them over a pond which he froze over with his staff.

Hannah watched, almost amused, as the pond became a sheet of ice with no more than just a touch of his staff. She did laugh though when they flew back up to go home.

"Jack, this is great!" she exclaimed, looking out over the town. "I can honestly say, I wouldn't have even imagined this twenty minutes ago."

Jack grinned, "I'm glad you liked it so much," he said setting her down near the fort again.

"You're cool. You know that? I wish you could stick around," Hannah said, regaining her balance.

During the flight, her hair became unbelievably tousled, and she had to shake it into place. Her cheeks were a brighter pink since the wind had been so cold. The pink cheeks around her eyes turned them entirely ice-grey, which made Jack look at her closely again.

"Did your eyes CHANGE color?" he marveled, leaning close to her. "That is so cool." he breathed.

He was so close to her, Hannah could feel his frosty breath. She could see every detail of his face now that he was so close. He had dark eyebrows, and his nose was perfectly rounded. His teeth were snow white, and his skin was pale, with a hint of pink in his cheeks. His pale skin made his eyes stand out, which were such a beautiful shade of blue that they were hard to look away from.

She smiled at his compliment, tilting her head forward a bit so that her hair draped in front of her face. Jack reached for her, and tilted her chin up.

"Hey, it's nothing to be shy about. You're eyes are unique," he said, looking at them again. "You even have a cute little brown dot in your right eye."

Jack was trying to make her blush, because he could do that with most girls he met. It wasn't working though, which disappointed him a bit because it always made him laugh when girls began flirting with him. This girl wasn't like that. She seemed... Self conscious about something.

Hannah smiled a bit. Why was he complimenting her like this? She wasn't exactly sure she liked it.

She giggled a bit, shyly. "Thanks. I really like the color of your eyes. They're really bright." she couldn't really think of anything to say, so she looked down at her watch, which read about twelve. Her mom would be calling her inside about any moment now.

Jack looked down at Hannah's watch.

"Wow. It's already noon," Jack chuckled. "You'd better get going; you've been out almost six hours."

Hannah nodded and smiled again. Before either of them began to leave, she looked at Jack and asked "When will I see you again?"

Jack didn't exactly understand why she would want to see him again. Well, there was no problem with making new friends, so he replied, "Later today I guess."

Hannah smiled. "Okay!"

Jack laughed and took off flying, leaving Hannah by the fort. She went back inside it to grab her gloves when she realized her hands were freezing. After she slipped them on, she sprinted up the hill that lead up to her house.

Her little sister, Natalie, was headed outside and tried to beg Hannah to go back out with her.

"No Natalie! I'm cold, and bored of being out there. Besides, you're eleven. You can go outside by yourself," Hannah said, immediately irritated.

She closed the door and continued inside. She hung up her jacket and put her gloves in the pockets. Her hair was frozen in clumps of ice, and she debated whether she should shower again or not.

When Hannah decided against showering, she walked up to her room, pretending to be a ninja, doing her best to make no sound. When she got into her room, she collapsed on the bed in a fit of giggles, which ended with her saying, "I have no life," with a grin on her face.

She reached for her iPhone to text Carsen.

"Hey! You wouldn't ever guess what happened to me today."

After a few seconds, Carsen replied, "I bet I wouldn't. What?"

Hannah: "I'm not sure if I should tell you. You may call me crazy."

Carsen: "Hannah, you are crazy. What was it?"

Hannah: "Uhh... I may or may not have met Jack Frost today."

Carsen: "You did or you didn't."

Hannah: "I DID! And the weird part?"

Carsen: "Sure. Like meeting someone like that isn't weird."

Hannah laughed at the text. Yeah, Carsen didn't exactly believe her. She could tell.

Hannah: "No, Carsen. I'm serious. Jack Frost is real."

Carsen: "I believe you. But what was the weird part? O.o"

Hannah: "He was REALLY cute."

Carsen: "Wow, wouldn't expect that."

Hannah: "LoL. Yeah. Hey, when's the next time we get to hang out?"

Carsen: "My mom says it's okay if I come over today."

Hannah set the phone down and ran outside her room and shouted across the house, "HEY MOM, CAN CARSEN COME OVER TODAY?"

She could hear her mom rustling around the calendar, checking schedules. A muffled "sure" met Hannah's ears. She went back to her phone.

"Come over any time, we'll get sushi if you want." she texted back Carsen.

Carsen answered "Kk. B over in a few."

When a car drove in the driveway, she could tell it was Carsen. Hannah stopped everything she was doing, which wasn't much, and sprinted downstairs, across the house, and outside, ignoring putting her shoes on. She ran over and hugged Carsen.

"Oh my god! We get to do such cool stuff today. We're going out for sushi, and you get to meet Jack... Well, hopefully," she smiled, as if teasing Carsen.

Carsen was Hannah's best friend. She had black hair that was longer in the front than in the back, and her side bangs draped over one eye. Whenever Carsen flipped her hair, Hannah would tease her in a funny way. Carsen always wore dark colored clothes, which fit her personality as well, but Hannah was able to bring out the best in her. Both of the girls loved sushi, and art.

Carsen smiled. "I can't wait," she said, grinning.

Hannah made a face, and Carsen looked at her confused.

"I'm not wearing shoes!" Hannah breathed out, dramatically as if she was in severe pain... Which she was. She was standing on icy gravel, which was WORSE than standing on Lego's.

Carsen looked down at Hannah's feet.

"Oh," she said, not sure what to do. "Let's get you inside."

Hannah nodded gratefully, and the two girls raced each other inside, pushing one another out of the way. The cold floor of the garage was hard so neither of them lost their footing. They flung themselves through the door and laughed when Hannah tripped over the step and fell onto the floor clumsily. Hannah's mom came in and smiled at the two girls.

"Alright you two, get your coats and shoes on and we'll head out for some sushi," Hannah's mom said.

The girls nodded, and Hannah put on her jacket. She slipped her still numb feet into a pair of really soft UGGs she'd gotten for Christmas, and they opened the door to the garage again. The girls jumped into the car, laughing and telling each other about their mornings. Carsen's was MUCH weirder than Hannah's.

"So, this guy, he's like sixteen or maybe seventeen, he said he's been interested in me ever since my family moved into the forest. THEN since no one in my family was home, he spent the night, which was even MORE awkward since I just met him. I think he's still at my house."

Hannah looked at her, a bit worried.

"If anything gets REALLY weird, please, call me, or 911, or SOMETHING! Okay?" she asked Carsen, who gave a nod.

When they got to the sushi restaurant, everyone went inside and sat down. Carsen and Hannah got soup and sushi, while Hannah's mom got fried rice. They had a great lunch, and Hannah and Carsen were laughing, telling stories, and playing out, 'what if this happened' scenarios.

Meanwhile, back at Hannah's house, Jack stopped by since he told Hannah he would. He knocked on her window, and when no one answered, he pulled open the window. He slid inside her room, which was actually really nice. A black bed with purple sheets and zebra stripes was next to him. All of the walls were white, except one, which matched the purple color in her bed. The closet was thin, but was as long as one of the walls. A desk that was black and white lay across the room from him, and a beanbag chair was brushing his leg. The colors of the room were sharp and cold, but a colorful lamp let of a nice warm glow that balanced it all out.

Jack looked down at the fuzzy chair and sat in it. There was a guitar stand right next to the chair, and next to that, a guitar case was overflowing with songbooks. A phone was next to him, and he picked it up.

He unlocked it, and felt slightly guilty about looking through her stuff. He read her conversation with Carsen, who Jack still believed to be Hannah's boyfriend or something. He looked through it and laughed. She thought he was cute. He silently promised to himself he wouldn't mention it to her. He scrolled through her other texts and he pitied her. Some of the girls were really mean to her. Like, REALLY mean to her. They would accuse her of things she swore she never did, or things she had no control over. They called her horrible names, insulted her, and to his surprise, she tolerated it. She defended herself, but she acted like it didn't matter to her. He noticed the texts always ended with the girl's apologizing a few days later. Jesus, hormones turn girls into weapons of mass destruction. He could barely understand why.

After her mom paid for the meal, Hannah and Carsen grabbed a mint and walked out to the car in silence. Sometimes there was nothing left to say, but being in a friends company is just comforting.

When they got home the girls were talking again, telling jokes. They walked through the house up to Hannah's room. Before they opened the door, they stopped, to finish Hannah's story.

Jack heard them outside and locked Hannah's phone again, putting it back where it had previously been. He relaxed in the chair and looked at the girls when they opened the door. Hannah jumped when she saw him.

"What-" Carsen broke off when she looked around Hannah's shoulder. "Is that..." she trailed off.

Hannah looked back at Carsen and nodded before talking to Jack. "What are you doing in here!?" she demanded, and then saw the open window. She couldn't help but laugh a bit. "I guess it's okay. Just close the window next time."

Jack looked back at Carsen, and he laughed with joy. "Hold on. She can see me?" he said happily, getting up. "You're serious?"

Hannah laughed. "Yeah, she'll believe anything I tell her."

Jack beamed and went over to Carsen. "Who are you?" he asked her, but it didn't really matter. He liked her all the same since she believed in him.

Carsen backed away a bit. "Umm, my name is Carsen," she explained.

Jack smiled, thinking he was being tricked. Carsen was Hannah's boyfriend, wasn't he? "No seriously, Hannah. Who is that?" he asked, the smile still on his face.

Hannah looked at him, confused. "That's Carsen; I'm almost 300% positive that's her. Why wouldn't you believe her?"

Jacks smile faded, then he said, "Wait... Carsen's a girl?"

Carsen made a face, offended. Hannah tried to stifle a laugh, but she ended up on her knees, laughing really hard. Jack couldn't help but giggle a bit as well.

"Sorry! Sorry," he apologized to Carsen, but he was still smiling.

She gave up being mad and sighed a bit, amused. "You don't have to be. Plenty of people think I'm a guy before they meet me. Hannah's told some stories about me and a guy I dated once, and all her friends ask 'are they gay?' Then she explains I'm a girl."

Jack felt a bit awkward around the two girls, like he was intruding. He clapped his hands together and announced, "Well, I'll be going now. I'll come back later, Hannah. I just don't want to bug you guys." he waved goodbye, grabbed his staff, and flew off, out the window, which Hannah shut.

Hannah and Carsen hung out the rest of the day. They did really stupid things mostly. They made paper airplanes and had a war. Carsen talked Hannah into doing the cinnamon challenge, which she failed immediately. Carsen almost did it. Then, to end the day, they each grabbed a two-liter bottle of sprite and a banana. They were going to do the banana challenge. They did it up in the bathroom in case one of them failed, and threw up. Carsen completed it, but felt really sick afterwards. Hannah ate the banana and got through two thirds of the bottle, before her stomach twisted. She leaned over the toilet, holding her hair back, and threw up. The bile and citric acid of the sprite burned her throat. She flushed the toilet, and cleaned her face quickly.

"NEVER tell my mom about this," Hannah pleaded.

Carsen just laughed. "Okay, I won't."

When Carsen was gone, Hannah's parents went out on a date, and Hannah was still feeling really sick. Her sister left her alone most of the night, but someone else came to see Hannah.

She was curled up on the couch in the basement watching a movie. She forgot to lock the basement door after she let the dog in, and Jack took advantage of that. He walked in and sat down next to her. She started a bit and moaned, the surprise making her stomach hurt more since she tensed up.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

Hannah sighed dramatically. "I took the stupid banana challenge! Now I'm sick as a dog," she explained miserably, letting her head roll back on her shoulders. "It hurts to do anything."

Jack smiled at her sympathetically. She really looked like she was trying to be as comfortable as possible. She was wearing fuzzy pajamas and a soft robe. She hugged a stuffed animal close, and her hair was wet like she just got out of the shower. She was holding a soda can as well, and she looked at him.

"I wish you hadn't seen me like this." Hannah muttered. Jack just laughed and put a cold hand on her shoulder. She smiled at him. "I'm watching Hachiko if you wish to join me." Before Jack could answer, she said, "But by the time the movie's over I WILL be in a puddle of tears."

Jack laughed and settled down next to her. "I'd love to watch," he answered.

The two of them sat there in silence. Jack realized the stuffed dog Hannah was holding looked like the same breed of dog in the movie. He wondered if she did that on purpose. He smiled at it and petted it, surprised at how soft it was.

"Well he's cute," Jack said pleasantly.

Hannah just answered with a tight smile. Her eyes were beginning to water, and when Jack looked back at the screen he saw why. The dog's owner was dying. Hannah shifted herself so she leaned against Jack. He could feel her shaking, but not because she was cold. He could tell it was because of grief and sorrow. He wrapped his arm around her to comfort her.

When the movie was over, Jack was surprised to see Hannah hadn't been exaggerating. She had tears running down her face, and he could tell she was trying not to sob out loud.

He pulled her in a bit closer and touched his lips to the top of her head. "It's okay," he whispered softly, trying to comfort her. He could feel her shaking like crazy. "Aww. You really weren't kidding, were you? Then why did you watch the movie?"

Hannah smiled and laughed at bit. She sniffed, and stopped crying, before saying, "Because I love it," but it was hard to understand her because her voice cracked and all Jack could understand was, "Because I love-"

He smiled and pulled away from her. If something bad had happened to her, he would feel bad, but since she was just reacting to the movie, he couldn't help but be amused. Hannah looked like someone who just lost a family member. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and her cheeks were wet. She was curled over, holding her stomach because she still felt sick.

"Come on," Jack said, getting off the couch, let's get you to bed." Hannah nodded and followed him.

Jack led her up the stairs to the main floor of the house, then up another set of stairs. He opened her room door and watched her walk over to her bed. He laughed a bit as she threw every pillow, except the two she used, into a corner and pulled the covers around her.

"I'll see you soon," he said to her before he left. Hannah nodded, and smiled at him.

Jack ran back down the two flights of stairs, grabbed his staff and left. He'd be back in a few days. Right now though, he needed to visit Jamie.

Hannah woke up the next day and felt horrible. She was sore, and had a headache. Apparently, watching sad movies when you're sick didn't do any good to her. She got ready for school by putting on her favorite outfit, and straightening her hair. It seemed to take forever, like usual, because her hair was so thick. When she was done, she brushed her teeth, thinking about Jack a bit. She wondered where he went, and when he was coming back.

When she went downstairs she grabbed a breakfast bar, packed her school bag, and waited outside for the bus. It was a gorgeous morning.

The new snow covered everything. The ground sparkled in the sunlight, and trees were covered entirely in white snow. Icicles that formed on her roof gleamed. She smiled, thinking she was glad Jack came around this year.

A few seconds before the bus arrived, her sister came out and joined her. The bus pulled up in front of them, and the two girls got on it. Hannah sat at the back of the bus with all her guy friends, telling jokes, and making fun of each other. This went on for the whole ride to school, and the day continued like normal.

She had all of her regular classes, talking with her friends, waiting until lunch where they could really hang out. Carsen wasn't at school that day, so Hannah hung out with Noah, one of her other really close friends, most of the day. He was cool. She sat with him and some other friends at lunch, which was a dangerous thing. Some of the guys in her class would make you laugh so hard you could choke. She learned this firsthand last year, after laughing while she had food in her mouth, and choked, passing out on the cafeteria floor. After lunch she had art, then gym, then English. When the school day was finally over, she took the bus home and sat with the same guys as she did that morning.

When she got home, Hannah did her homework, which was a ridiculous amount, like normal, because teachers have nothing better to do than grade homework. Then she worked out on the treadmill, running a 'mile' or so, acting weird and dancing while she was doing that.

By the time dinner was ready, Hannah had time to watch a few episodes of Dr. Who in between that and working out. This schedule repeated itself the next day.

Friday was the first day of winter break, and Hannah put on her jacket and boots to go outside. When she put on her gloves, she slipped out the door, and went down to the fort, hoping Jack would be there. Before she got to her fort, a snowball hit her in the back, throwing her off balance.

She reached down to grab one of her own, and turned around, releasing it immediately, before even seeing her attacker. Like usual, it missed by a few inches, but Hannah saw the person who threw one at her and smiled. It was Jack.

She ran over to him and hugged him, without thinking. Laughing, she said, "I missed you!" before she let go of him.

He smirked, playfully. "God, I'm gone for two days and you act like I've been gone for a year," he teased.

Hannah blushed. The days did seem to take forever ever since he left. School was normal, but afterwards, with no homework left to do, everything seemed kind of boring, but he was back, and she was happy.

"Where were you?" she asked curiously.

Jack smiled. "I went to visit a good friend of mine, he's a bit younger than you, but I think you'd like him."

Hannah smiled and nodded. "I probably would. I like just about everyone..." she hesitated a bit when she said everyone, and her voice caught in her throat as if she were choking on the word. There were girls who had been her friends, but Hannah did something she didn't even know about that made them mad. Now the girls were spiteful towards her. They'd ignore her or act annoyed if she was around them or talked to them. So she became irritated and stressed out. One of them made her cry the night before, insulting her over texts. They'd called her fat and said her drawing sucked. So currently, she didn't like EVERYONE. She tried to push it away and smiled again.

"I'm sure I'd like him, if he's one of your best friends," she said, pretending she hadn't stopped talking before.

Jack looked at her, inquiringly. He wondered what was wrong with the term everyone. He tried to read her expression which showed for a split second, but he couldn't. Maybe he just imagined it.

"Okay. Come on, let's go inside. Let's watch a movie," he suggested, leading her inside.

Hannah nodded and followed him inside, and down to the basement. When they got down there, she turned on Netflix, and then began watching Dr. Who. She liked the show. Her friends Sydney and Carsen both loved it. They were the ones who taught her about it.

"Hey, do you mind watching Dr. Who?" she said, looking at Jack.

"Doctor what?" he asked, confused.

"Not 'what', Who," she explained with a smirk on her face. She knew she was confusing him.

After Jack looked really confused, Hannah laughed and sat down next to him. He looked over at her, with a funny look on his face. What the heck were they watching? He tried to understand all the weird terms like 'TARDIS,' 'sonic screwdriver,' or 'TimeLord.'

Hannah watched the show, and when she felt like Jack was so confused he was going to go crazy, she looked over at him and laughed. "You really can't understand anything until you start watching from Doctor Nine. I made that mistake and decided to start from there," she explained.

Jack looked at her, baffled. "Doctor NINE? How many are there?"

"Eleven," Hannah said simply.

Jack just laughed. Hannah seemed like she was in a really good mood. She was laughing, and watching a cool TV show, but something seemed off about her. Like she was hiding an emotion... He shrugged it off. It'll come up later. He thought.

A phone buzzed, and Hannah took hers out of her pocket. She read the little message, showing the text she got. Her lips parted as if she wanted to cry out, but no sound came except a little squeak. Her cheeks burned, like she was about to cry, and a tear ran down her face. Jack moved closer to her.

"What's wrong?" he whispered, concerned.

She handed him her phone. "Read it," she murmured.

Jack looked through the last conversation with the girl that made Hannah really upset. From what the texts said, Hannah wasn't showing her that she was upset, which showed a lot of control, looking at what the other girl had said to her. She'd insulted Hannah almost every way possible. She'd called her names, called her fat, and glancing at Hannah he could see she definitely WASN'T, and wished she'd never met her.

Jack handed Hannah back her phone.

"How long?" he asked.

"What?" Hannah looked at him, puzzled.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked, his question more clear.

Hannah looked down at her lap. "It had been going on for a few weeks, but it got worse last night. I cried myself to sleep. I wish they were still my friends. I think it's just stress making them overreact. They acted somewhat similar last year about the same time for the whole second quarter."

"They?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows.

Hannah nodded, moving her head so all her hair fell in her face, covering her eyes.

Jack pulled her in close and held her close to him. He could hear her softly beginning to cry. This was different from a few nights ago. Her crying wasn't over false heartbreak from a movie. This was real. She was being bullied; he could see that it was torturing her inside. He ran his fingers through her brown hair, which was the same shade his had been before he changed. She was really hot, probably from the crying. He put his other hand on her arm to cool her down.

He felt her stiffen from the cold of his touch, but she relaxed quickly. He moved his hand down her arm, trying to cool her off. She shifted, sitting up, and smiled half heartedly.

"Thanks," she said gratefully, "you're great Jack. I really needed that hug."

He gave her a silly smile and laughed a bit. "Well, cheer up. You shouldn't let those girls get to you," he said. "They're just insecure and stressed out about something. They obviously like you enough to think you are strong enough to take it, so they direct it at you for some silly reason."

She thought about that for a second. "That would make sense, but what if I'm not strong enough? I can barely handle one, let alone THREE," she said, but before Jack could say anything, she changed the subject. "Anyways, it's a nice day out. We should go have some fun outside."

After teaching her how to properly throw a snowball, Jack and Hannah had a snowball WAR. They built catapults out of pieces of wood, and pelted the snowballs at each other, laughing whenever one hit them.

Hannah had forgotten about the girls that had been bullying her. She was just having fun with Jack. She would tease him every now and then, taunting him to throw more. She moved quickly, dodging many, but Jack had an unfair advantage. He could fly. Hannah hit him a few times, but she wasn't nearly as good as him.

Jack laughed whenever he hit Hannah with a snowball, because they were both having a ton of fun, but then he threw one that had a chunk of ice in it, and it cut her cheek. Immediately, he dropped everything and went over to her.

"Whoa! I'm so sorry, are you okay?" he asked her.

She'd dropped to her knees, clenching her teeth in pain. Her cheek burned, but she didn't want to touch it. When Jack got over to her, he could see blood in her hair where it was sticking to her cheek. He pushed her hair gently behind her ear. It was just a scrape, it definitely wouldn't scar, but he felt guilty either way. He wiped some of the blood away, and stopped when she winced.

"Sorry," he said again.

"It's okay. I've felt a lot worse," she said, taking off her glove, and pulling up her sleeve, showing him a long scar, about three or four inches long.

Jack was very startled by it. It looked like she'd purposefully put it there. "How'd you get THAT?"

"Carsen turned off the lights in the locker room, and I tripped. While trying to catch myself, metal stuck out on the edge of the mirror and I slit my wrist. It was a deep cut," she explained.

Hannah picked up some snow and melted it in her hand, using the cold water to clean up the cut. Jack helped her up.

"So it was just an accident?" Jack asked, just making sure.

"All scars I have are accidents except one." When Jack looked at her, horrified, she quickly hurried on. "Not like that. My sister and I were fighting, and she sunk one of her fingernails in my arm and inch or so below my elbow. I didn't think it would scar, but a year later it's still there."

Relaxed, Jack laughed a bit as they walked up to the house.

"So your sister cut you with her NAILS?" he asked, amused.

"Yes! And she's bit me... But that didn't leave a scar," Hannah replied.

"How old was she?"

"She bit me two years ago, and she cut me last year, and a week ago. This time she cut my hand," she said, showing Jack a little cut on her hand.

He made a face, showing her that it looked like it hurt, but then he laughed and walked alongside her in silence. When they reached the garage, Jack opened the door for Hannah, letting her in first. When he turned away to close the door, Hannah silently sprinted to the door leading inside.

"Hey, slowpoke. Hurry up!" she laughed and called across the garage.

Jack followed her inside, laughing with a cocky little smile on his face. "What if I don't want to?" he said, stepping inside the warm house.

Hannah stuck her tongue out at him, but couldn't help but laughing a bit. She led him up to her room, running up the stairs, down the hall, and closed the door.

Jack went over and sat on her bed, Hannah sat next to him, and something came to her mind that worried her.

"Winter will be over in a few weeks. Does that mean you're going to be gone?"

Jack frowned a bit. "Yeah, sorry about that," he answered. "But, I will be back the next year!" he said encouragingly, putting his hand on her shoulder.

A smile crept onto Hannah's face. "Yeah, it looks like we'll have to make the best of it."

She moved her free arm so that her hand rested right above her knee, rubbing a little stain. She had accidentally bleached the bottom of these pants, and decided to make it look like a snowy design, all the way up to her knees.

Jack's eyes followed her hand to the bleach stain. He really saw her jeans in detail for the first time, and they looked like a blizzard from the knees down. He smiled at her.

"Those are some neat jeans." He paused for a moment, thinking about her last question. "I need to move along though. Other places need snow, and I've spent a little too much time in this area. Really, I loved spending time with you, but I have to get going."

When Hannah's face fell he added quickly, "I'll be back every now and then. I'll definitely come to see you then, okay?"

Hannah's heart sank, but she nodded. She didn't want him to leave. Spending time with him was fun, and she still found him really attractive. Now that she'd spent time with him, she liked him even more.

She only had one request for him. "Tomorrow, I'm turning Fourteen. Will you stay until the end of tomorrow?"

He wrapped his arm around her. "Of course! If I had any idea, I wouldn't have left for those two days." he gave her a little squeeze and smiled. "So you're currently thirteen? I could have sworn you looked almost fifteen."

Hannah laughed. "Yeah. For some reason, I get that a lot."

Jack got up and stretched. "So, what're you doing today?" he asked, casually.

Hannah smiled and got up as well. "I was going to watch all the Harry Potter movies. Have you seen them?"

Jack looked curious. "No, but I've heard of them. I'd love to see them."

Hannah smiled, and laughed a bit. "Okay. They're really cool."

After getting a bowl of popcorn ready, and some lemonade, Hannah headed down to the basement where Jack was waiting. She handed him a glass of lemonade and set the popcorn next to him. Then she turned on the movie, and sat down next to Jack.

They finished the bowl of popcorn through the first movie, and Hannah didn't want to make anymore. Through the second and third movie, Hannah glanced at Jack occasionally to see him smiling most of the time.

Before she put in the fourth movie, Hannah asked, "Hey, how do you like them."

"They're really cool. So, by the looks of it, you never got your letter to Hogwarts?" Jack teased her.

Hannah made an overly dramatic face. "Is it that obvious all my childhood dreams failed?" she joked. When she turned on the fourth movie, she made peanut butter sandwiches for her and Jack for lunch. They watched the fifth and sixth movies in silence, and then Hannah turned them off.

Jack looked at her, confused. "Why'd you do that?" he asked.

Hannah stared at him. "Jack, that wasn't lunch. Those sandwiches were for dinner! It's past midnight."

He smiled and laughed. "Ahh, well, that's too bad. I wanted to see the next movie!" he said, smirking.

"Well, I guess you could, but I'm going to sleep... Eh, what the heck. Let's watch them," Hannah said, before turning on the first part of the seventh movie.

She went over and sat by Jack, leaning on his shoulder. He was cold, like ice, but his jacket was soft. She curled up. I'll just close my eyes for a minute. She thought.

The next morning, when Hannah woke up, the TV was still on. Hannah was lying against Jack who had fallen asleep as well. She tried to get up carefully, not wanting to wake him up, but Jack was a light sleeper. When Hannah moved, he woke up and blinked the sleepiness out of his eyes.

"Hey, what time is it?" he asked, still tired.

Hannah checked her phone. "8:45..." she gaped. "I'm fourteen in less than a minute!" she said excitedly.

Both of them waited for the minute to pass. When it did, Jack leaned over and hugged Hannah.

"Happy birthday," he murmured.

Hannah smiled and hugged him back. They stood there like that for a minute, before Hannah pulled away.

Jack smiled at her. "So what are you doing for your birthday?"

Hannah thought for a minute. "Nothing really," she answered. "My dad's on a trip, and my sister has a basketball tournament. I may have Carsen over for awhile, but that's a small chance. So I'm home alone all day."

"Well then, I have a present for you, but we'll be gone most of the day," Jack smirked. "So your curfew will be broken."

Hannah laughed. "Okay."

After everyone was gone, Jack took Hannah outside. He grabbed her wrist and up they went, flying north. Jack wouldn't tell Hannah where they were going, but she could have guessed. Jack told her stories along the way, about defeating Pitch Black and what nightmares really looked like. She listened closely to every one.

After an hour or so they reached their destination and Hannah smiled with delight. They were at Santa's workshop. On the way to the door, Jack briefed her about all the other guardians and about the yetis. She nodded, trying her best to remember everything. When they got to the door, a yeti stopped them and looked disapprovingly at Hannah.

"She's a friend," Jack explained.

The yeti sighed and opened the door. The inside of the factory was beautiful. A warm light made everything feel soft and nice to look at. A certain joy spread through the air. Wonderful, creative toys flew through the air, and a large globe, covered in lights sat in the middle of the room. Hannah beamed.

"It's wonderful, Jack!" she breathed.

He laughed, smiling at her reaction. "Before I was a guardian, I tried everything to get into this place," he recalled. "Come on. I want you to meet the others!" He said, pulling her down a hall.

Hannah took a deep breath and focused. You're not shy. You love meeting new people. This is a once in a lifetime chance. Don't blow it by being shy. Be bold. Be nice. Be confident. They'll like you. She thought to herself, boosting her confidence. She had always been shy when meeting people older than her. A pep-talk always helped her when she really didn't want to be shy.

Jack slowed at the end of the hall and turned to Hannah. "You ready?" he asked, smiling.

She smiled back and nodded, though her heart was beating 300 mph. When Jack opened the door, she was met with a nice sight. The guardians were talking, as if catching up on old stories. The room went quiet when Jack walked in.

"Ah, Jack! You made it, North said, walking over and clapping him on the back. "So this is your friend?" he said, smiling at Hannah.

Hannah smiled back, and waved. "Hi!" she greeted him.

Jack laughed. "Yeah. This is her."

"Good!" North said in his loud, Russian accent. "Happy birthday!"

Jack and Hannah walked further into the room. The amount of guardians seemed... Small, as if someone was missing. The second she thought it, Tooth flew into the room.

"God, sorry if I'm late!" she called, zooming in.

Jack laughed. "No problem."

Tooth looked over at Hannah. "So you're the girl Jack's told us about? Gosh, you're prettier than he said," Tooth said, smiling admiringly at Hannah, who blushed a little.

"Thanks," Hannah giggled.

The party resumed, and Hannah got a chance to talk to everyone. She particularly liked talking to Bunnymund, because she loved his accent, and hearing his complaints about Jack amused her.

"I'd watch who you hang out with," he'd warned her. "Jack ain't too trustworthy."

Hannah just laughed a bit, and they talked about Easter. It truly was one of Hannah's favorite holidays, and she could tell Bunny liked to take pride in his work. Hannah had had Easter all over the world. Several of them had been spent in Texas, one in Germany, and a couple up in New Hampshire.

"That's quite a bit of travellin' you've done there, mate," he commented. "Well, for a mortal."

Hannah nodded. "Yeah, sometimes I just want to stay home though," she said. "I do have to thank you for always knowing where I am. I never liked waiting an extra week or so to celebrate something like Christmas."

At that moment, North looked over, and Hannah's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. Bunny looked at North and smirked, eyebrows raised. North just laughed.

"Waiting never did harm!" he said, smiling.

Jack came over to Bunny and Hannah. "Let's go somewhere else before this guy fills your head with nonsense," he said, laughing.

Bunnymund just glared at Jack. "It's no nonsense mate. Everything is nothing but the truth."

Jack just laughed and pulled Hannah away. "Seriously though. I bet he could make you hate me."

Hannah just shook her head. "Who, you? Never. You're only the guy who cut my cheek with a chunk of ice yesterday morning," she said sarcastically.

Jack smirked. "You would have beaten me if I didn't," he joked.

"Yeah, right after I win the Olympics," Hannah laughed.

Jack brought her over to a table with refreshments. There were some cupcakes, and cookies, with a few drinks.

"Have anything you want, but no one really ever trusts the cookies. So, have a cupcake!" Jack laughed, as he picked one up himself.

"Umm, okay," Hannah said, picking up a small, purple cupcake. The designs looked just like Easter eggs, so she knew Bunny had made them.

When she unwrapped it, and was about to take a bite, a devious idea went through Jack's head. Right before Hannah took a bite of the cupcake, Jack pushed the back of her head, so her face went into the cupcake! She gasped, surprised, and Jack laughed.

"Oh, god, you should have seen your face!"

Hannah pouted and muttered, teasing him, "Bunny was right." That just made Jack laugh more. Hannah couldn't help but smile, trying to hold in a laugh.

The only other person nearby was Tooth, who giggled a little, and went over to them.

"Jack, that was mean!" she scolded him, smiling a bit. Jack just shrugged.

"She's laughing too," he defended himself.

Tooth put a hand on Hannah's shoulder. "Let's go get you cleaned up," she said, taking Hannah out of the room before anyone else saw.

Tooth lead her down a few halls before reaching the girls bathroom. There, she grabbed a few napkins and wet them down, handing them to Hannah.

"Jack's a great kid, but sometimes he has a bit TOO much fun," Tooth said, smiling.

Hannah nodded her agreement, wiping the last of the frosting off her face. "Yeah, we had a snowball fight earlier, and a piece of ice in the snowballs cut my cheek," she said, tracing her finger over the almost unnoticeable scab.

Tooth laughed, "Exactly!" she agreed.

Tooth led her back, and Jack ran over to Hannah.

"Sorry about that, but it was a bit tempting," he apologized.

Hannah smiled evilly. "You'd better make sure you're not around the cupcakes the same time I am again." she teased him, ending up laughing.

Tooth laughed, still behind Hannah. Jack couldn't help but laugh as well.

"Okay. It looks like I'll have to watch myself."

When it was a little after two, Jack took Hannah home so they could try to make it back by the time her Mom was home. Jack took detours, showing Hannah beautiful, frosty landscapes he'd created. All of them were untouched, beautiful and bright. He taught her a bit about skating, which was fun; she'd never been skating before. The only person in her family who could skate was her sister.

When he got her home, it was about six; thirty minutes before her mom got home.

"Did you like your birthday?" Jack asked her, brushing some hair behind her ear.

She smiled, and nodded. "It was perfect. I'll never forget it."

Jack's smile faded. "This is the last time I'll see you for awhile." When Hannah nodded solemnly, he added, "I want to give you something to remember me by."

Before Hannah could say anything, Jack pressed his lips to hers, kissing her. His hands were on her waist, where they fit into the curve of her hips. Hannah kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Jack was the first to pull away.

"Bye, Hannah," he murmured to her, before he turned away and flew off.

Hannah was left, standing outside her house, feeling alone and confused. She sprinted up to her room, wanting to find comfort. When she got to her room, she just missed Jack more since they'd spent a lot of time together in there.

She curled up on her bed, with mixed emotions, but she wouldn't cry. She could NOT let herself cry. She didn't think that she loved him, but she wasn't sure. Had her heart broken? If you didn't love them in the first place, how could it?

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she was furious at herself for it, for just a second. She missed him. He was her friend. Like Noah. If Noah moved away, she'd cry about it.

Hannah turned off her lights and went to bed early. She didn't want to think about Jack, or anything for that matter.

As winter passed, Jack felt somewhat empty, not having Hannah waiting to hang out with him. He stopped by Jamie's house a few times, which was nice, but for some reason it wasn't the same. Even though they had never spoken of it, Hannah knew about things that Jamie didn't. He felt a bit closer to Hannah now than he did to Jamie. When spring came, as a promise to Bunny, Jack made it stop snowing.

When the snow melted away, Hannah knew she wasn't going to see Jack again for awhile. She'd been quieter at school, but soon went back to her normal self. Whenever someone asked what was wrong, she said, "A friend moved away."

The girls continuously bullied her through the rest of spring and into summer. As soon as she felt she couldn't take it anymore, summer break came and she was relieved. They'd be back to normal by the next year. Through summer, Hannah all but forgot about Jack except when she watched Hachiko or Harry Potter.

Her break was quick, and almost uneventful. She'd spent a lot of time with Carsen, but wasn't looking forward to school. She switched schools instead of staying at her old one, where all of her friends still were.

At White Mountains Academy, Hannah didn't know anyone, but she liked the classes more. They were more of a challenge, and they were more 'hands on' than at her old school.

Eventually, she made some friends, but none of them were as cool as Carsen or Noah.

That winter, it didn't snow up where she lived, to Hannah's disappointment. She wasn't going to see Jack this year after all. Her birthday passed, and she hung out with her old friends, and some new ones.

That winter melted into spring, where Hannah deliberately waited to see the Bunnymund. He never showed himself to her, which disappointed her. She was going to ask him about Jack, but realized a day or so later, asking Bunny about Jack wasn't a good idea.

When her sister lost her very last tooth, Hannah waited to ask Tooth about Jack, but her parents beat Tooth to it, which wasn't fair. She needed to know about Jack!

Spring passed quickly, as did summer.

Fall was a beautiful season as always, which Hannah spent helping Carsen with cosplays and costumes. On Halloween, Hannah went over to Carsen's and ate BAGS of candy. That night she looked in the mirror to see if the mounds of candy affected her weight, and realized, she had lost a lot of weight since she was fourteen. Her stomach was flat, and her chest had become fully developed. Her legs were skinnier and longer, she realized she was about as tall as Jack last time she'd seen him. Her hair had grown out much longer than before, and she never straightened it anymore. She had dyed the tips of her hair white to remember Jack.

Fall faded into Winter, and it actually snowed! Jack was nearby, and she hoped she'd see him soon. She'd stand outside, waiting for him to show up.

It was Christmas Eve eve, and on her way back inside, Hannah heard a familiar voice.

"So, a year ago, someone was trying to give kids nightmares AGAIN, and I had to skip winter in some places!" Jack's exasperated voice sounded behind her.

She whipped around, seeing him floating a few feet behind her, and ran over to him.

"Jack! I missed you!" she laughed.

He floated down, and looked at her, almost doubtful.

"You seriously can't be Hannah. You're too... Different," he joked.

Hannah hugged him. "It's me Jack," she said, reassuringly. "I'm almost sixteen."

Jack mouthed 'WOW' as if he couldn't believe it had already been almost two years since he'd last seen her.

"Well, let's get you inside. Looks like we have a lot to catch up on," He said, smiling.

Hannah nodded and led him inside. Jack remembered it almost immediately. He walked beside her, up to her room upstairs. Not even her room had changed; everything was in the same place.

"Is it only you that changed?" He asked, sitting down in her black chair.

Hannah glanced around. "Pretty much. My sister changed a LOT, but you never really knew her."

Jack nodded. "So tell me, what have I missed?"

Hannah smiled and explained everything to him. She'd changed schools, made new friends, and even had a boyfriend, but he turned out to be a cheater. She'd dieted and exercised a lot, and lost weight. She'd written a persuasive essay that she was sure convinced her class that Jack was real. She still hung out with Carsen and her other friends, seeing them every other week or so. No girls were bullying her anymore, and her parents were talking about getting her a used car for her birthday.

Jack listened closely to every detail. "Wow. A lot has changed in your life. I'm glad you were so insistent on remembering me, and trying to make others believe though. I didn't know you cared so much."

Hannah smirked. "I didn't either. At least, not until the night you left. I was left so confused, and I realized, I really did care about you. Y'know. As a friend, and a great one at that. I tried to make others believe in you and the other guardians, and I think I succeeded for the most part. As for my family, I either convinced them, or they think I'm going crazy."

Jack laughed, smirking a bit, and walked over to stand next to her, taking her hands in his. "I missed you a lot, Hannah. I promise I'll never be gone that long again," he murmured.

Hannah blushed a little. "I missed you too," she replied.

Jack pulled her in closer to hug her, taking in the warmth of her body. They stood there like that for awhile, no words were spoken. Hannah was sure Jack knew what she was feeling, and Jack was positive Hannah knew what he was thinking. No words needed to be said. Jack pulled away, and smiled at her.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look very pretty?"

Hannah smiled and rocked on her heels. "Just family and a cheater," she said in a sarcastically cheery way.

"Well, if you're wondering, you are. You were pretty back when I last saw you, but now, you've grown up, and changed for the better."

"Aww, thanks." Hannah smiled. "You haven't changed a bit," she commented about him. "You're even wearing the same awesome sweatshirt."

Jack laughed. "So what was that about your family believing in me or not?"

Hannah smirked. "I'm still not sure, but if they do, they're in for a HUGE surprise. Let's go watch a movie."

Hannah raced Jack downstairs, jumping about the last ten, landing with a loud bang.

Someone shouted across the house, "Is everyone okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom!" Hannah called back. She looked at Jack. "I beat you."

He laughed. "Yeah, you did."

When they got down to the basement, Hannah picked out the second part of the last Harry Potter to watch.

"Right where we left off," she said smiling.

Jack laughed, and Hannah turned on the movie. They watched it, but not very quietly. They talked about different things throughout the whole movie. Jack believed Pitch would return for a third time, and they wouldn't have anything to do to stop him. Hannah just shook her head. If kids still believed they weren't going to stop. Jack saw reason in her beliefs, and he eventually forgot about it.

Hannah curled up against Jack. He was still as cold as ever, but it was nice to have him nearby. He put his arm around her, and watched the end of the movie with her. The battle was well done, but he felt peaceful through the whole thing, with Hannah's warm body leaning against him.

When the movie was over, Hannah stretched, sitting up. She smiled at Jack, and began talking. "I'm TIRED!" she yawned. She checked the time. It was ten 'till nine. "Come on, Mom'll be down here in a few minutes, and I'm not sure how to explain you to her yet. Or the rest of my family for that matter."

Jack got up and followed her up the stairs. When they got to the second flight of stairs, he scooped Hannah up and flew up to Hannah's room. Hannah laughed with joy as Jack dumped her on her bed. She bounced back up, giggling.

"Well you haven't changed a bit! I know you would have done the same thing two years ago," she teased him.

"Not a bit. I'm glad I haven't changed as much as you. You're hardly that girl I remember, but let's not go over this again."

Hannah laughed and shook her head. "I've been waiting for you though. Ever since it started snowing, I'd spend hours outside, waiting for you to show up. Well, you or the Doctor."

Jack looked at her, puzzled.

"You don't remember the Doctor!? You know, from Dr. Who? That show that confused you so much?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. I remember now," Jack laughed, sitting down next to Hannah.

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling at his cute smirk. His eyes seemed to glow when she looked in them. The colors of them were beautiful, almost hypnotic. It would be easy for her to get lost in his gaze, but she wouldn't let herself. She looked away quickly, still smiling.

"You know, there's something I want you to do," she began. When Jack looked at her curiously, she continued. "I want you to come to my school with me tomorrow. To see if my classmates believe that you're real."

Jack smiled and laughed. "No problem. I'd be glad." he paused for a second. "And what about your family? How are you going to introduce me?"

Hannah smirked a bit. "What, you think I really paid attention in the movie? No, I figured it out. The best option is to just walk up to them with you, and introduce you. Simple as that."

Jack laughed. "It took you a whole movie to figure that out?"

"I suppose," she said, smiling. "Or, we could wait for them to come up here in like..." she looked over at the clock, "...Five or ten minutes."

Jack shrugged. "I'm cool with that."

Jack and Hannah stayed in her room, laughing at each other's jokes, and funny stories. When her mom came upstairs, she heard them, and wondered who was in Hannah's room. She knocked.

"Hello?" She asked, waiting for an answer.

"Come in!" Hannah said, still laughing.

When she opened the door, Hannah's mom saw Jack, and started. "Who is this!?" she demanded.

"So you DON'T think I'm mental!" Hannah said, relieved. "You did believe me!"

"What does that have to do with the boy in your room?" her mom demanded.

"Mom, this is Jack Frost," Hannah said. "You know, the boy I've told you about."

Her mom was astounded. "So you haven't been making it up? Prove that he's Jack Frost."

Hannah looked at Jack, who shrugged. "Well, show her something," she said.

Jack thought for a moment and held out his hand, making a snowflake appear. He looked back at Hannah, one eyebrow raised, as if asking "Is this what you wanted?"

Hannah smiled at him. Her mom stared, amazed. "That's a real snowflake? I never thought... Wow. Well, um, okay. Just don't stay up too late," she said in a motherly way before leaving.

Jack looked at her. "Really? You actually convinced people?" he asked her.

Hannah was staring down at her hands. "I'm just as amazed as you. The real problem is my dad. How will I tell HIM!? 'Oh hey. Yeah, Dad, this is a boy you didn't think was real, and he's going to be in my room with me most of the time.' HOW do I tell him that!?"

Jack laughed. "Well calm down. It's no problem. I'll deal with it when the time comes," he said, wrapping his arm around her, giving her a little hug. "No problem at all."

Hannah smiled, and breathed out a laugh. She lay back on her bed, relaxing, and Jack sat down at her feet.

He sat there in silence a little while. "So, tell me, what's it like to be normal?" he asked her, softly.

"These days, you mean? You were normal once. But, honestly, I'm not normal. I'm weird. That's what all my friends are as well. Everyone's weird in their own little way." she laughed a bit. "But to be normal? Hmm, I guess I can't really explain it. Why don't you live with me for awhile, and you may understand."

Jack smiled. "I guess could try that. So I'm going to your school tomorrow?"

"Yeah, and I wouldn't worry about like, visitors pass or anything. I'm sure none of the teachers can see you," she stated simply.

Jack nodded. "Okay. What was that about you telling your mom about me? What exactly did you tell her?" he said, smirking.

Hannah's face turned red, and she pulled the covers up to cover her cheeks. "Do I have to tell you?"

Jack studied her for a second. "From the way you're acting, yes. You do."

She sighed, and muttered something under her breath. "Fine," she said reluctantly. "BUT, you have to go sit in the chair."

Jack laughed, as he went over to the chair. "Is that a punishment? If it is, that's a shame. I always liked the chair."

Hannah smiled, and sat up. "No, it's to make me feel a bit more comfortable." She thought for a moment, and began talking. "I told my family that you were perfect. You were funny, and handsome, and one hundred percent real. There was no reason that we should have ever stopped believing in you, or any guardian. You were a wonderful friend, and I would give ANYTHING, to spend time with you again. Or, something like that. It took the time of a few weeks... Or months."

Jack smiled. It sounded like she liked him a lot. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way. If you hadn't told me, I would have bothered you FOREVER about it. But now," he said, glancing at the clock, "You need to sleep. It's nearly ten."

She nodded, yawning. He walked over, and helped her get tucked into bed. He sat down by her feet again; her bed was too small for him to sit anywhere else. They talked for a bit, about some different, unimportant things. Eventually, Hannah fell asleep, and Jack leaned against the wall behind her bed. He listened to the music, softly playing from a speaker clock, and he drifted off as well.

The next morning, Hannah's alarm went off, and she fumbled for the snooze button. When she was able to pull herself up completely, she turned the alarm off. She looked down at the end of the bed and started, seeing Jack was still there.

She yawned, and rubbed her eyes, before sliding out of bed. She walked over to her closet, and tried to find something to wear. She pulled out a pair of jeans, and dug around for a t-shirt that would match them. She grabbed a pair of socks, and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. The only thing she could think was, "I get to sleep in tomorrow."

Jack stirred, and got up much quicker than Hannah. He saw her for a second before she left the room, and slumped back down on the bed. The air around him was warm and relaxing, he could see why it was hard for Hannah to wake up. He sat up, and stood, stretching.

Jack looked around her room, noticing that it had changed very slightly. There was a small coffee table next to her bed, and some paintings had been hung up on the walls. A small horseshoe hung above her door. Her desk was now piled with school papers, instead of neat and organized as it had been before.

When Hannah came back, Jack had woken up completely. She smiled at him, running a brush through her hair.

"Hey," she said to him, still tired.

"'Morning!" he replied, happily.

She walked over to her desk, and picked up a binder, muttering things like wondering if she got ALL her homework, and making sure she had grabbed everything. When she slipped them in her bag, she slid it onto her shoulder and turned to Jack.

"Ready?" she asked him.

"For what?" he asked, confused.

"School... Didn't you say you were coming?"

"THIS early!?" He said, surprised. It was six in the morning. How could she be going to school?

"Yeah. It takes forty five minutes to drive there, and school starts at seven fifteen. I always get there to talk to friends," she explained her morning schedule to him.

"Oh, okay..." Jack replied, unsure of if he still wanted to go through with this.

Hannah told her mom that she was taking Jack to school, so he was riding in the car with them. Her mom said it was okay, and after grabbing a granola bar for each of them, Hannah, Jack, and Hannah's mom piled in the car. Hannah gave Jack the granola bar for breakfast, and passed one up to her mom.

On the ride to school, Hannah told Jack about each of her friends, who to avoid, and what not to do. He listened closely, and laughed.

"Would I REALLY be in trouble if I did something wrong?" he said, smirking.

"No, but you said you wanted to see what it was like to be NORMAL. Freezing the gym, for example, wouldn't be normal," Hannah replied with a teasing grin.

Jack laughed, and nudged her arm. "So I can't even try?"

"Sure, go ahead. It was your decision. Change it if you wish," She answered, laughing a bit.

Jack sighed. "So I can't do any tricks for one day?"

"Not unless you think I could do them," she said, smiling.

Hannah's mom dropped them off at the academy, and some of Hannah's friends ran over. They all wanted to know who Jack was, and he was happy to prove to them that he was Jack Frost. When the bell rang, Hannah heaved one of her friends on her back, and carried her inside, laughing.

"Come on, Jack! It's time for class!" she called, waiting for him.

Jack followed her quickly, laughing. Hannah smiled up at him, and, while still carrying her friend, she led Jack to her first class. When they got there, Hannah's friend jumped off her back, and they laughed, waiting for the teacher to get there.

The rest of the class got there before the teacher, and they were also curious about Jack. Hannah explained the teacher wouldn't be able to see him, so try not to pay too much attention to him. After she said that, she turned to Jack.

"Don't draw attention to yourself either," she said, teasing him.

Jack just laughed. A few guys came over to him to talk, and Hannah smiled at him from behind. He may not hang out with her the whole day, and that was okay. She was happy that he was meeting more people.

When the teacher got there, everyone who was talking to Jack stopped talking to him, turning to each other. The girl Hannah had carried in, Tanya, began talking to her. They laughed about some different things, like movies and TV shows.

"Your friend Jack... So he's the real Jack Frost?" Tanya asked, as they walked in the class.

"No, he's Jack the Ripper," Hannah said sarcastically, laughing.

Tanya smiled. "Okay, just making sure. He's pretty cute."

Hannah smiled, and looked over at Jack, who was several feet off. "Yeah. He is," she said, before she and Tanya burst out in a fit of giggles.

Tanya was a short girl. She had very tan skin, and beautiful brown, straight hair. Her eyes were almost a shade of gold, and she was very skinny. She was one of Hannah's really good friends, and they had several classes together. Tanya had been new at White Mountains Academy when Hannah was, and they met at an assembly introducing all the new freshmen.

The day passed by quickly, Hannah introduced all her friends to Jack. The popular girls decided Hannah was 'one of them' that day, just to hang out with Jack, but Hannah backed off. At lunch, Hannah ate outside with a friend of hers, who always made fun of her for eating out in the cold. After all the classes were over, Hannah's mom came back to pick them up.

Jack and Hannah were laughing about something. When they saw her mom, they both ran over to the car, slid in the backseat, and Jack finished something he was saying. Hannah's mom didn't ask any questions, not wanting to interrupt their conversation. They were arguing over something in biology in a friendly manner, there wasn't a chance the argument would turn into a fight.

When they got to Hannah's house, Jack gave her a hug, and said he'd be back later tonight. When he left, her mom began bugging Hannah with all the motherly questions that came after school. Every question was answered with "Yes," or "Fine."

She ran upstairs to finish her homework, which didn't take her long, and she ran back down the stairs to go watch TV.

That night, when Hannah turned on Doctor Who, Jack came in through the basement door, which Hannah again forgot to lock. He walked over to her and sat down. When the episode was over, he looked over at her, smiling.

"I had so much fun today; all your friends are great. Spending time with you is great."

Hannah blushed a bit, smiling back at him. "Jack, I love spending time with you. I'm glad you had such a good time."

Jack laughed, and pulled her in close, hugging her. She laid her head on his chest and relaxed. She couldn't help but thinking to herself, why couldn't it always be like this? Why couldn't he be hers?

Almost as if he read her thoughts, Jack began talking again. "I love spending any time with you. Every second I spend with you, I feel like I'll never forget," he said. He leaned in close to her ear and murmured softly, "I think I love you."

Hannah looked up at him. "Jack-" she said, almost distressed. He was immortal, but she wouldn't live forever. She couldn't dedicate herself to him, but looking into his crystal blue eyes, she knew there was a way. There was some way that she could spend forever with him, and she loved him too.

Before Hannah could say anything else, Jack leaned closer to her, bringing his lips to hers. He kissed her, softly, and she kissed him back. He put his hand on her waist, and she moved her hand to rest on his shoulder. She pulled away, gently, looking up at him with her blue-grey eyes.

"I love you too," she whispered, leaning on his chest again. "I think I have for a long time, but I wasn't ever sure."

Jack smirked, and hugged her. "Well aren't we just that cheesy couple you see on TV? Who could have ever guessed that's reality?"

Jack kissed her again, gently at first, then more passionately, and Hannah kissed him back. He had helped her reach the melting point where her heart melted and she fell in love.