Jack and the Mortal

by Birdie Biscuits

Jack takes a break from the Northern Hemisphere and Passes through Texas. On his way he stops in a tree to rest an meets a girl that will change his world forever. In this story is a series of one shots that shape their relationship. Tell me if you want a sequel.

I climbed up the tree, my hands gripping the branches of the tall tree, the wind strong in my face but not harsh. The wind felt solid and smooth, tugging at my curvy frame like it wanted to pick me up. A cold blast would disturb the decent breeze every now and then causing me to hiss in frustration. I pulled myself up but my head collided with a leg. I shrieked with shock as i let go by my hand was caught before I could fall too far. I swung my legs on a branch and stumbled back. Who was this kid and why were they in my tree? I stared at him in anger. He was in my tree!

"Who are you?" I asked swinging myself acrobatically onto a branch level with the blue eyed stranger. "And why are you here?" He had a blue hoodie with thin silver frost like patterns around the shoulders and front pocket. Brown pants that looked really old. White spiky hair, handsome face, mischievous smile. I was definitely going to have to be cautious.

"Do you really want to know?" The thick wind blew cold and a soft crackling made its way to my ears. My face whipped towards the sound and frost was being created under his fingers. What? I watched as the fern like pattern spread towards me. "I'm Jack Frost."

"What." I stumbled back. "you aren't real." I closed my eyes and touched my forehead just to make sure i wasn't running a fever- i wasn't. "Jack frost." I exhaled and straddled the thick branch just incase I faint. "Okay." I inhale deeply. Exhale. I slowly go and pinch the skin on my wrist and yelp. I'm not dreaming. This is real. I stand and swing up to reach the spot he is at on a crook of the tree where five branches came off, creating some kind of cradle. I stared at his bluebonnet colored eyes. "I lied. You are definitely real. I think."

And a huge smile stretched across his face, and he laughed in disbelief. And then he jumped up but didn't come back down. I startled in shock as he whooped with joy and flew in the air. He settled back down and I was a little taken aback.

"You can fly?!" I question incredulously as he settled back down in front of me, balancing on the balls of his feet. He nods happily, content in the fact that he had some one talking to him. "Yeesh, and to think I thought was cool for climbing trees."

I sat in silence while we studied each other. The shadows on the trees moved by the time I spoke again. "Why on earth are you in Texas." It was more of a statement than a question. "In May. Won't you melt or something?" He made a face and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not made out of ice, you know." His voice was sarcastic. "I was just taking a break really."

"I swear it looks like you're melting." I retorted smiling at him. And it did because he was sweating and on his pale skin it looked like he was melting. He looked down at himself quizzically, the frost on his sweatshirt was gone and had soaked the fabric. .

"Huh." And he reached behind his back and I was confused for a second before the fabric started to lift. I jumped back in embarrassment and landed hard on a branch below. Jacks worried face peaked over me in concern aaaaaand no sweat shirt.

I wheezed out an apology and a reassuring smile. My face was red as he helped my up onto the branch. No shirt. He wasn't wearing a shirt. My mind started to be weird. I looked away from his (beautiful) body to collect my thoughts. I sighed and when I looked back his face was riGHT IN MINE WHAT THE FRICK?! I squealed and pushed forward on his bare chest. He leaned back and I tumbled forward.

"Jerk!" I laughed angrily and made an exaggerated angry face. We settled down and after a day of being goofy and the comfortable heat along with the therapeutic rustling of the leaves and gentle sway of the leaves, I started to get tired. I rested my head on his shoulder and then pointed out a little humming bird with odd markings humming above us, busily darting back and forth coming closer...

"Thats not a humming bird." Jack lazily held out his hand and it happily flew into his grasp, chirping. "Its baby tooth. One of the helpers to the tooth fairy." The little fairy fluttered out of his hand and to my face.

"Hey there baby tooth." I drawled, suddenly aware that Jack still doesn't have a shirt on. "How are you?" I yawn widely and I stretch. She answered with a fine thank you and snuggles in my mess of brown curly hair. I shift into as branch and start staring the odd clouds in the sky.

A tapping was at my window. It was a week since I had met Jack and we were bestfriends now. I opened the windows and Jack was waiting for me. His white hair haloed by the light from the lanterns on the garage below. I stepped aside and let him in, my keen ears barely picking up the sound as he landed on my plush blue carpet.

"Wow.." he looked around the large room. "this is really nice" and then he walked over to my mural of a forest and pointed to a small figure a little over a foot tall. "Is this me?" I shrugged and he squatted on the balls of his feet and put his hand over it. "Where is my hoodie?" He looked up at me in such a way that made me blush profusely and want to play with my hair.

"I haven't got to that part yet.." I put in nervously because I actually wanted him to be shirtless in my painting.

"Looks like an awful lot of shading for it to be just a layer." He smiled at me.

"I need to let the paint dry first." I snapped, flustered but he then he picked up a few papers that held copious amounts of sketches of him at different angles, with different expressions, and a lot were of him shirtless. Almost 30. And that was a lot. He gave me a mischievous half smile that made my stomach drop.

"Oh really. Is that so?" I snatcched them up and threw them onto my bed with a precise flutter.

"It is." I sat on the bed with my legs hanging off. "You are just a little too fun to draw." I added with a smile. "Really drawable."

"Is that even a word?" He sat next to me and I stretched forward, curling my torso over itself.

"If it isn't, then it is now." I smiled again and then I noticed his staff. It seemed so pretty and intricate. I stared at it for a second longer and wanted to draw it. I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his torso. He glanced down at me, lifting his arms in surprise. "Can I see your staff?"

His face flushed. "What? No."

"Pleeeeeeease, Jack?" I reached for the staff in his hand. He looked down and then to me then to his staff. Then he handed it to me.

"Don't break it, snowflake." I held it in my hand and grabbed my charcoal and weighted paper and started to sketch furiously as the patterns started to melt.

"Ugh. What made you suddenly want to give me your staff, again?" I inquired my face still focused on the staff, glancing down often to make sure i got it down right. then I leaned and stretched as far as I could to grab some blending tools and a blue colored pencil.

"Because you didn't want to break it." I blushed furiously, and he toyed with my hair. I made a sound of sleep and gave pointed look at him. He shrugged. "Its happened before."

I shrugged and handed the staff back to him when I was done sketching. A yawn escaped and surprised Jack quite a bit. "I'm getting sleepy frosty." I curled up in the corner of my bed and bundled myself in the sheets. "I might not be awake for much longer." I reached out my hand and squeezed his and he sat next to me while I closed my eyes peacefully and drifted to sleep. Jack was definitely a friend I could keep.

It wasn't too surprising when I saw Frost start to creep on my window. It was late October and I was busy studying but it was late and I was nearly done. I was busy placing the B-side of a record on my record machine when the familiar cracking started and I opened the window to see his face drop down from the top making me laugh. I moved to the side and he dropped in with a cold blast of wind. "Hey snowflake," He knelt down next to the small painting of him and looked up at me again. "So I see you finally put my hoodie back on." I grimaced at him awkwardly.

Then a temperature change was in the room and stopped me from speaking. It was my adoptive mom. "Bernadette?" Oh no.. She only used the full name when she wanted to have a serious talk. I braced myself and Jack came after me, following close behind, placing his hand on my shoulder comfortingly. "We need to have a serious talk, okay?" I nodded, gulping, nervous, a lump formed in my throat.

I sat down just incase the stress started to get to much or perhaps when I got angry, and I knew that it would happen, I could stand. Jack stood behind me, with his staff right next to him, just in case. SHe knelt down in front of me, took my hands and looked into his eyes. "I need to know why you created this Jack Frost character. I need you to tell me if you have been feeling any bit of isolated or excluded from this family and thats why you created a persona and then proceed to talk to them and then draw them and suddenly indulge in all of these fantasies..."

"I don't know. I just guess I need something to believe in. And its only imagination. Besides, I'm almost off to college so you needn't worry" I smiled at her, if only she knew he was real. If only she knew how they were all real. I blinked at her, glad a fight was avoided.

"Just tell me if you... if the thoughts get to be a little over bearing. Okay?" I nodded before she left she looked me straight in the eye. "Just remember that one thought or idea can bring down an entire kingdom okay?" I nodded and then she left.

"Don't ask questions." I warned the winter spirit and he shrugged and came up to me, arms wide. I hugged him and he hugged back and I looked at him. He looked so happy when he was around me, when he ducked his head in- now more frequent now that it was getting colder- his hesitation was always evident but I loved watching his face as it lit up when I recognized him.

"You want to go flying?" He asked suddenly and I lit up and bounced around in joy.

"Is that even a question?!" I flung the window open and climbed nimbly onto the roof. "Come on!" I watched as Jack wrote out a quick note and then shut the window. He joined me on the roof and put me on his back. "You have no idea how happy this makes me!" It was true.

"Where do you wanna go?" He asked mischievously. I buried my face into his shoulder.

"Italy." I cheered but then squeezed his sides harshly, making him land back down on the roof.

"Oh my god snowflake," he let me down. "What on earth was that?"

"Lemme get into some warm clothes." I informed him. "I want you to take me. I want you to take me to somewhere with snow." He helped me into my window and turned away as I started to get dressed.

I pulled on a white, long sleeved shirt and a black leather jacket. THen I grabbed a purple scarf and wrapped it around my neck and the went through my drawers. I spotted my pants with the navy to white gradient skinny jeans. There was perhaps what you could call one of those zig-zaggy with the ines kinda pattern with the diamonds, the kind that you see on sweaters going up and down the leg in black print. They were definitely baggy as I bought a 28 waist when i was a 20 but i liked how they fit loose over my long legs and how if i wasn't careful at all when I had them on then they would go over my heel and make me slip if I was barefoot. I undid the large safety pin that kept my pants up because I hated belts and pulled them on before redoing the pin before grabbing black suspenders and attaching them.

"Ready." I smiled while pulling on small brown oxfords. He turned and his eyes grew wide as he took me in.

"Wow, snowflake." He smirked but it was a different one this time. Softer and more dream like. "You look great." He picked me up over his back where i twisted until i was in piggy back mode. "Did you get the idea off of me?"

"Not everything is about you, Jack." I smiled into his sweat shirt. "But yeah. I did." I closed my eyes as he took off to the North. "Because I look great in blue."

In the long flight, I had done quite a lot of breathing. And when I got tired of that, I started smelling. SOme people get that confused lot- especially if you're breathing through your nose. Breathing is manual, you do it without thinking and is necessary to survive. Smelling, on the other hand, is so much more complicated. You think, associate, remember, and live when you smell. It can bring good memories or bad. And right now, I was getting a face full of Jack Frost. People smell like their personalities and right now, this was by far my favorite smell. It was sharp like mint, sweet like burned sugar, cold and tingly like eucalyptus and spicy like pepper, cozy like the stuffy smell of steam, and it would dance its way into my mind, making it go all twisty and silly, then it would smell clear and fresh like rain but more distinct, pure and wild, so I guess that is what snow smelt like. I loved all of the confusing scents that were fun and seductive and mischievous but I couldn't call it anything but Jack Frost.

When I was little, I had terrible eyesight and started identifying people by their scents and started to be able to tell their emotions and most importantly, who was good and who was bad. Quite useful really. I snapped out of my daze and back to reality when he jerked to a stop. I lifted my head and he turned to me with a strange, scared look on his face. "Nightmare." I wasn't really paying attention to what he said but rather the look on his face. One of pure terror. "Thats not possible. We destroyed them with Pitch!" his head whipped around in panic. I became scared myself but I just held on tighter.

"Jack?" My voice trembled because obviously, we were in danger and over ten thousand feet in the sky. "Maybe we should la-" And then I was cut off and suddenly the strong support that I had was gone and it was Just me, the wind rushing past my body, and gravity. I was screaming and flailing and panicking before I realized that this not how i'm going to go. Weak and screaming, accepting of the situation and being passive. I remembered how to fall. i reached my hand out and steadied myself before spreading myself out and then bending my legs slightly and I jerked upwards and slowed and I sighed in relief although I was still scared. I was terrified.

The pine trees came rushing up to me and I closed my eyes. Not today, death. Not today. I thought fiercely because I'm sure that if I had said it I would Have started crying. I kept my chin up for the sole purpose that if I let it down I would have started spinning and would have fallen faster. Then I smelt Jack and I smiled because I liked that. I would rather have individuality of Frost than the deathly unity of pine. Then I jerked upward and screamed, my eyes flying open wide even though I didn't want them to. I turned my head to the side when I saw Jacks worried face staring at every detail of mine and he landed on the ground. I was too scared or shocked to move, maybe both, until he whispered my name, like he was handling something so fragile that he might break it if he spoke too loud. Something was awakened in me and suddenly I gasped for air, air that I was deprived of in my fear.

"Jack," I breathed and then grabbed him in a fierce hug around his neck and pulled him down next to me where I rolled over him in such a way that my legs we still slung over his lap. "Don't you ever do that again or I will turn you into a puddle." I cried into his shoulder before tears started leaking out of my eyes angrily. Then I started to shake and sob. My hot tears soaked into his Jacket and he just kind of looked away and let me rest on his shoulder, quiet as he held me, guilty because he thought it was his fault.

"I'm sorry I dropped you." the coolness of his breath was causing tingles to run down my spine. "I got hit by a nightmare and let go..." I nestled into his chest. "It scared me so bad. When you fell, I thought I was going to die." I sat up and looked at him, he was serious.

"I thought I was going to die too. Although my death would be a little more real."

"Quiet, Snowflake." He hushed her

He flew at a slower rate, more cautious until we came to a large field. It was empty and I wandered around for a second when something cold landed on my nose I wiped it off. It was water. I looked up and small white flurries were falling from the sky, one hit me and I looked fast enough to see that it was a little peace of ice. White ice. I looked around me and at the flurries catching in my eyelashes and on in my hair and piling up on the ground gently.

Snow.

I twirled around in shock, my eyes starting to tear as I smiled wildly. Snow! THere was snow! A laugh escaped my chest, one that I had never heard before. It was light and free and euphoric. I was suddenly a child again, experiencing something new and different. There was no worries, no weight. I looked at Jack and then at the snow. Snow! I bounced excitedly.

I started running and then rolling in the cold substance, unsure what to think. It was amazing! It felt so great on my back, soaking through my skin and creating a clash with my high body temperatures. I giggled again and stood up and started dancing. It was fun, with a lot of spinning, jumping and ballet like moves. I was truly happy. I smiled up at Jack who was watching from afar leaning on a tree trunk. I ran up to him.

"Jack! Its snowing!" I cried and took his hands and led him out into the field. "Its so great!" I started to drag him around in dance before he caught on and started to dance with me. We spun and jumped and leaped and twisted in joy because I was happier than I had been in nearly a decade. It was just me, Jack, and the snow and trees and silence We collapsed into the snow as it snowed harder and I started making a snowman.

I kept trying to roll it in a ball but I didn't know how to work snow, or had any concept of how it functioned. I felt a hand about to touch my shoulder and I turned up but screamed when it wasn't Jack. But it was a man and I was scared. I rolled out of the way of his beefy hand and the blood rushed in my ears, I couldn't hear what he was saying but I sure as hell could hear everything else. I could hear the wind but not Jack. I flipped my long hair over my shoulder with a flick of my head and leaped over the persons arm with a twisting backflip, landing in a cat like crouch with one leg tucked under me and my other leg stretched out beside me.

"Jack!" I called out and took off with a springing leap, running as fast as I could from the stranger. "JACK!" I heard a calling out and I tripped, barrel rolled, and used that momentum to move faster.
"Snowflake!" I heard Jacks voice, and he was competing in speed with this stranger. "Get in the tree! Swing!" I listened and caught my hands on it, and catapulted myself on the branch and caught myself as Jack flew into me and carried me off into the sky. I looked behind me and the guy was pointing a camera at me as I flew away, carried flat against Jacks torso.

"He is filming us," I panted, winded from the run. "That can't be good." I shook my head thoughtfully. We needed to get back home, it was late and Ms. Dami would be upset if I didn't return before sunrise which was just on the horizon, the other kids would rat on me if they saw me come back late. I just knew it. I snuck out of the house with a boy and they were going to ostracize me. Suddenly, the man who I had almost been captured by was no big issue. I started to tremble. THis was going to be terrible but at least I had Jack.

It was February and since that was that was the coldest month here so guess who showed up at my window every night? If you guessed Jack Frost then you are right old sport. It was the night of Valentines day and I was crying because no one talked to me at school, no candy, no sweet remarks, no flirting, just couples being together and people getting together and everyone was being in love and snogging and I was left alone. Utterly alone all day and ignored.

I was busy devouring some cake that I had made and eating whipped cream straight from the bottle and crying when I heard the unmistakable tapping and opening of the window. I shot up like a bullet and ran for the winter spirit. He was taken off guard when I hugged up roughly, and brought him to the ground and let loose a flood gate of tears into that blue hoodie I loved.

"Ho-how d-d-d-dare y-you lev-v-v-v-e ma-ma-ma-me on V-v-valent-t-t-tines day!" I cried, balling my fists into his shirt. Hot tears poured from my eyes, creating black streaks from my so-called waterproof eyeliner. "I needed you, Jack! I was all alone and you were gone!" I felt his cold arms around my body as he sat up. He held me tight and I couldn't help but curl around him.

"I'm sorry, I wish that I knew that you would've needed me." he whispered in my ear, the cold breath tickling my neck. I heard the door open and I couldn't react fast enough when I heard Pearl Marie, one of the biological kids to Ms. Dami, ask "Who is that?"

I jumped up from the floor with Jack who jumped up with me. I stuttered out a "You can see him?" Jack uttered a similar statement and she nodded.

"But who is that?" She asked again, her round eyes flaring as she realized that she had some leverage against me. She smiled deviously and snorted in her high pitched voice. "You have a boy in your room. I'm gonna tell Mama!" I lunged for her but she was too quick and I froze up and looked at Jack, to the door, and back to Jack. The little turd.

"We need to get out of here. If Pearl Marie tells Ms. Dami that she sees someone in my room than she is going to believe her and be able to see you and I am going to be totally screwed!" I panted in panic, tearing at my hair. "This is bad-" there was foot steps coming to my room. "This is really bad lets go!" I shouted and lifted the window and jumped. I fell for nearly a story before JAck caught me and we flew off and I could hear Ms. Dami getting angry and shouting for me to come inside right now. I laughed sadly as I heard the threat that she was going to kick me out. We flew for while and we got to the field where I was shown snow for the first time. I landed and watched as Jack created his own snowball. I laughed as he threw it at me.

We did this for a while until he offered to take me to the North pole. I agreed and he took out a snow globe, and created a portal, and we stepped through, him holding my hand in his the entire time. I didn't even know what was going on but I went with it. I stumbled into the work shop and he led me around and then shook another portal, into place but this place was sunny and there was a field and a picnic... I hugged him and we started eating strawberries and peaches and sandwiches and lemonade. It was so great. We lounged on a the picnic blanket and watched clouds drift past a blue sky. It was so much better like this.

Mother Nature was watching from the trees, blending in so that to any eye who wasn't looking there would be no aberration between her and the trees. She had been watching JAck for the past week and had discovered why he had been spending too much time in the south and neglecting his duties. Her winter sprite had fallen for a mortal and she knew how dangerous that was. He didn't know that the moon had other plans for the mortal. That she was to die very soon. It was inevitable. Her thoughts were broken when a sharp crack of laughter came from the girl, her arm pointing up at a cloud. She had other plans for the orphan. She moved to a higher space where she could see the winter spirits arm around the mortal. There was a time when perhaps they were meant to be together and knowing how the soul cycle worked, it was possible. Mother Nature was now watching and they were throwing tufts of grass at each other. They were so cute. She quickly swung her head to the side and saw a hunter coming and a deer heading the same way. The deer stepped in front of the couple and the hunter shot and it seemed to move in slow motion.

The bullet missed the deer, and sped towards the mortal who sat up to reach for a water. The bullet struck through her chest and sped out the other side. Blood started blossoming around the wound and she opened her mouth in a silent gasp. Her white white shirt had slowly started to turn read and spill onto the ground. Jack rushed to her aid and tried to stop the bleeding but it was too much. The damage had been done but that didn't stop them from trying. They bundled the cloth and pressed it to the wound, but nothing was happening, she was still dying. Suddenly she leaned into him and grabbed his hand and put it down. Jack shook his head in despair and tears started forming in the corner of his eyes. The mortal's lips were moving and sweet music was drifting from her mouth.

"Carry on my wayward son

There'll be peace when you are done

Lay your weary head to rest

Don't you cry no more

Carry on,

You will always remember

Carry on,

Nothing equals the splendor

Now your life's no longer empty

Surely heaven waits for you."

Mother Nature almost felt bad for the girl. She was curled into Jack, holding on like she could stay just by will power. She finally closed her eyes and Jack buried his face into her neck and Mother Nature caught hold of her leaving spirit and started to morph her physical characteristics. Changing her grey eyes to a brilliant blue like the ocean with a forest green around the edges. Her dark brown hair to the color scheme of a deer and splattered freckles across her nose. Then Mother Nature remembered how much she loved to fly and added small tawny wings to her back. A summer spirit. The mortal needed a name. Ora. That was Hebrew for light. Mother nature whispered the name to her spirit and then when she was satisfied with her work she pushed the spirit back to the body. In the shadows of the tree she could see the change start to happen and the amazement on Jack's face as she opened her eyes wide in shock. She clutched at her at her wound and then bolted up. They smiled then kissed and rolled around in happiness.

There was a difference between the two though.

Where there was frost from his touch, there was heat and life in hers. They were polar opposites. Jacks winters were of when the earth was dead from frost and ice but she was what let the earth live and thrive. He was a day of mostly darkness and her days were all sun. They most likely couldn't be together but she knew as the two lay together, arms and hands intertwined, that they would make it even if it killed them.