She could barley remember that night—The first night. The one that changed everything. It was so long ago, but if she closed her eyes, and held her breath, sometimes she could see it again.

Memories flutter through our minds, brushing like feathers against tender wounds of the heart

Her hair fell in curly ringlets around her pale face, wide green eyes staring through the window as she knelt on her bed, clutching a beat up stuffed animal to her chest. She was so young, innocent, pure as the new fallen snow that fluttered just outside her window—which she stared at with such amazement.

It was long after her bed-time. Nearly one in the morning, but the chill from the leaky window had woken her. She wasn't old enough to remember the snow, and so it's falling was fascinating to her, as she pressed her tiny, white hands against the frosty glass.

Her rosy lips parted in a delighted smile as a snowflake clung to the glass opposite her fingers, and she giggled quietly.

Blonde curls fell across her face as she pushed the window up and reached out over the open air, clutching for a snowflake. Her eyes squinted in determination, leaning farther, grasping for the beautiful ice-crystals.

With a breathless squeak, she pulled her hand back, watching as the ice melted in her palm. Her smile dropped and she glared at the small spot of wetness. Her lip stuck out in a childish pout and she let out an exasperated grunt before leaning out the window once more.

Her face screwed up in concentration, she pushed herself as far as she could out the window into the winter night.

The whole world seemed to glow and sparkle in the light from the moon as the snow blanketed the earth. Biting cold breezes brushed against her arms and turned her nose and cheeks a bright rosy red, but still she pushed herself out over the ground.

Her hand closed around a large snowflake and she smiled triumphantly, unthinkingly wiggling around in victory, when she felt herself start to slip from the window.

A short terrified scream escaped her mouth as she saw the ground hurtling up to meet her, before she covered her face and waited to hit the hard frozen ground.

There was a thud and she was suspended in a pair of cold arms, held against a hard chest and wintery fingers brushed her hair. "Careful there, kid." A voice said in her ear.

Opening her eyes she stared up into the face of a Teenage boy, with delicate features and icy blue eyes, white hair that fell into his eyes in a tangled mess and a lopsided, michevious grin. "What were you trying to do anyway?" He asked her. She gaped for a moment, before gaining back her breath and opening her hand, revealing a melting snowflake in her palm.

"They're so pretty. I wanted to catch one, but they keep melting.." Her voice was a sweet whisper, and he smiled at her as she stared mournfully at the wetness in her palm. She looked up at him with those wide green eyes and he was struck with wanting to see her smile. Slowly he drifted to the ground, reaching down to gather a small amount of snow, he closed his eyes, feeling the snow harden and become solid, his power changing it. When he handed it to her it was hard and smooth like stone, almost clear, like looking inside a snowball.

"Here you go little one, this one wont ever melt." She sqeualed in happiness and hugged him tightly, her face burried in his cold blue sweatshirt. "Say, what's your name Little one?" He asked as he patted her back.

"Ailis." She said looking up at him, a small smile on her innocent face. "What's yours?"

"Well, Ailis, my name is Jack." The boy said smiling down at her. She giggled and shivered slightly, and for the first time he realized she was only wearing a thin nightgown. Bending down Jack gathered her up into his arms and began to float back up to her window, while she gazed around in wonder. "Jack Frost." He said as he set her back in her bed beside the window.

Ailis giggled. "My momma always says "Jack Frost is nipping at my nose!" But I didn't know she was talking about you!" Jack smiled as the little girl fell back against her pillows and held the snow he'd given her tightly in her hand.

"Yep, that's me alright." Jack said, ruffling her hair. He knew he had to go, the sun was threatning to break open the sky and pronounce morning, and he still had much work to do. He sighed and turned twoard the window.

"Where are you going?" She asked, not really like she wanted him to stay-but like she was simply curious. "Are you gonna make it snow again?"

The question is so innocent, so childish, so silly. He has to laugh. She can't be older than 4, so sweet, like untouched snow. How it looks just as it falls, before the kids have played in it, and the shovels have been pulled out of the sheds. She's so young. "Yeah. Yeah, kiddo. That's where I'm going."

"Will you come back?" He pauses with one leg out her window. No one has ever really asked if He'd come back before. No one since Jamie, but that had been a long time ago, and Jamie had since grown up, and forgotten about Jack. So he was hesitant to answer. But when he looked back at Ailis' hopeful eyes, he found that he had missed having someone to go back to. Someone who honest to god believed in him, and wanted him to come around.

"Sure kid. I'll be back."

Someone had once told her that promises were meant to be broken.