Chapter Two

One year had passed since the passing of Elsa's and Anna's parents and Jack was stuck at a crossroads. Several days earlier Jack had finished teaching Elsa all that he could teach her whilst she was cooped up in this room. She had incredible powers and unlimited potential but she couldn't control it. If any doubt or fear crept into Elsa's mind then her powers would spiral completely out of control . Most of the time she couldn't even touch anything or anyone without it freezing over and becoming incredibly cold. The only time her powers were somewhat perfect and under control was when she was with Jack.

Jack couldn't leave Elsa. She was his only friend, his best mate- and he was hers. Jack had spent eleven years in this country with this girl and neither would know what to do without the other. One might think that in the life of an immortal being, eleven years would seem like a blink of the eye. but when in these eleven years you have met the only person who has ever seen you it seems much, much different. Jack knew he couldn't leave her anyway- he was too in love with her to do that in any such sense. But Jack was starting to get bored. Not with Elsa in any way, but with Arandelle and it's people. Jack wanted to see the world again. He wanted to fly, he just wanted a few weeks to be his old self. The cold was not meant to be confined, it was meant to be free.

Jack and Elsa were doing little things to pass the time. Today it was ice skating. Elsa, after Jack's command, had covered the floor in layers of coloured snow. Jack had told her to construct patterns of snowflakes in the ice.

"Patterns", he commented, whilst looking from the air on Elsa's handiwork, "Patterns are my favourite. They're beautiful, don't you think Els?"

For hours the two friends danced and played on the snow. It was rare moments like this when both Elsa and Jack forget the worries and sorrows of their lives and just acted like proper kids. A light snow fall fell from the ceiling.

"Look Elsa", Jack laughed, balancing on his staff and not his feet. Elsa clapped her hands and laughed as Jack toppled off and fell flat on his face onto the snow that covered part of the room. Jack grabbed Elsa's hands and the two of them danced together around the room just as Anna and Elsa did when they were young and still close, before ice had ruined their lives. They spun around and around, again and again until suddenly Elsa lost her footing and slipped backwards. Without a second thought Jack pulled her close to him and the two toppled onto a pile of snow. Elsa landed on top of Jack as they lay in the freshly layed snow. Their whole world seemed to stop. Even the snow falling lightly from above stopped with suspended particles strewn above their heads. Elsa's breath hitched in her throat and her face became flushed, but even then princess made no attempt to get off the boy. Jack too, did not move a muscle as he gazed into Elsa's striking blue eyes. In all their years together, they had never been that close.

"Elsa, I-", the words died on Jack's lips as Elsa bent down and kissed him forcefully on the lips. Even though Jack had been wishing for this for the better part of two years, he found himself in such an utter sense of shock that he was unable to reciprocate the kiss. and Elsa had pulled away before he had a chance to react.

"Jack, I'm so sorry I just-", Elsa started but this time she was cut off when Jack pulled her into a long sweet kiss to which she greedily replied. The two teenagers spent what seemed like a millennium together like that, just taking in each other's presence when Jack suddenly pulled away and placed his forehead on Elsa's.

"Elsa, I- I love you Elsa.", Jack breathed out his voice shaky at the thought of an imminent letdown.

"I love you too Jack, God you don't know how long I've wanted to say that."

"We went out for a couple of months", Jack said, looking his friends in the eye, a smile dancing throughout his young features, "Well as far as you can go out when one of the party never left the comfort of her own bedroom. It was sweet, we had both been alone for so long and now we had each other."

"You might have said that we were childhood sweethearts but she was nineteen and I was well, over one hundred years old. But, unfortunately, I knew that it couldn't last", Jack's voice dropped and his eyes turned grave, "I loved her with all of my heart and she loved me. I loved her to the end of my days, but that was the problem wasn't it-," he gave a stark laugh," I was never going to age. I would stay seventeen forever while every day I would watch her age. I would watch her grow old, I'd see wrinkles cover her beautiful face and the pain in her eyes as she feebly tried to open her crippled hands to build I don't know a snowman or something. I would watch as the girl I loved started to forget me and everything we had been through." Jack became silent, as if remembering a painful incident or moment. The other guardians exchanged sad looks, they understood what Jack was going to do next.

"So one day I sat Elsa down and I told her I was leaving. I told her that we couldn't be together because of my immortality. And she scoffed to it, "So what of immortality", she sneered, "What's the point if you can't have a bit of happiness". I really did try to explain to her, she was also going to be queen and was expected to have a husband, a noble man who would help her rule all of Arandelle. How could I be king when no one else could see me?!"

"But then it all went South", Jack remarked, "I didn't mean to say it, but it just came out. I was so confused and so upset. I couldn't leave her but I had to- I didn't mean to say it, really. I told her that my job there was done. My tutoring of her was complete and that there was no reason for me to stay there anymore. It was the only way that I could see her letting me go- If she hated me. It's easier to get over someone when they don't think they love you back."

It was silent for a long time. The fire was starting to splinter and go out and by now everyone's tea was stone cold. But no one was going to get up and leave. They all knew that Jack just needed some time to get himself together before he continued on with his story and this was a story that they each desperately wanted to hear the end of. It was a good ten minutes before Jack turned again to face his friends. Without looking up at the other Immortals, he continued,

"She told me to leave. She told me to leave and to never return ever. I think she expected me to hesitate or even refuse but I didn't- I couldn't. Elsa was furious at this. The sound of cracking ice could be heard from miles away, she was losing control. This hadn't happened in a long time and I knew that I had to get out of there before I caused anymore damage." He paused. "I didn't even say goodbye. I- I just jumped out that window and didn't look back."

"Oh Jack", Tooth exclaimed, embracing the teen in a long hug. They had never seen this side of Jack and something was breaking inside of all of them.

"I went back that night though", Jack said, still being held in his friend's arms, "I had to see her one last time. The room was colder than normal and there were sharp shards of ice coming from every direction in every shape or size. But this time it didn't look beautiful, just scary. I hadn't seen it this bad in over eleven years. I found Elsa sitting with her back to her large bedroom door, her knees at her chest. She was sleeping. I lifted her up into my arms and placed her in our- her bed. All I said was 'goodbye Elsa' and then I kissed her forehead and I was gone from her life for what I hoped was forever."

"I flew as far away as I could from Arandelle. I got all the way to Alaska, it was cold and snowy and desolate. I mean, it was my kind of place. I travelled around America and Canada for over a year trying to forget all about Elsa and Arandelle and even Anna but I wasn't able to. After so many years I was alone again, no one could see me. No one believed in me. Yes, I did have some fun. I mean that whole Washington crossing the Delaware in snow thing, yeah that was me", North shot Jack a filthy glare as he remembered that fateful Christmas day, "I made my way back to Europe. Not for Elsa, just because I preferred the place. America is so big but yet so the same. Then one day I was up in what's now known as Germany. I was sitting on top of some building at a port. There were boats coming in and out and let's just say I was having a little fun with the local traders. But then I heard some of them talking,

"I heard she has magic powers", one was saying, "She can conjure snow and ice from her finger tips." Another one looked around as if he expected someone to be listening in, "They call her the Ice Queen because she attacked everyone at her own coronation and froze the whole kingdom in an eternal Winter". Dread filled my heart and I flew close to them. Another man laughed, "And how do you know this. Queen Elsa was only made Queen of Arandelle two days ago."

_Jack didn't listen to the rest of their conversation but flew as fast as he could north, up towards Arandelle. Even after a year and a half, he could remember his way completely. But what Jack found was terrifying. That bright, lively city which he had spent a great portion of his life in was now covered in layers of snow. The town looked bleak and the people looked miserable. Adults were trying to find spare clothes, fire and fire wood while children sat in huddles and sobbed. Jack remarked later on that no one was even playing in the snow. Even Jack felt a chill in his bones and he feared for what the people must be feeling. How could his Elsa have done this? It was his fault really. He had left her alone, she had no one to understand her, no one to help her. She was a prisoner in her own home, in her own kingdom. He had missed her coronation. She must have been so nervous, so scared. Even with all the people in the palace, the one person she wanted, needed was nowhere to be seen.

Jack went straight to find Anna, but was outraged that she nor the man she had placed in charge were not there.

"If hope Prince Hans finds Princess Anna in time", some maid with a large red headpiece was saying, "We need someone to lead us."

"I just hope Princess Anna finds Queen Elsa and convinces her to bring back Summer", another servant said silently. So it was true. Elsa had brought this Winter and now Anna had gone to find her. And what of this Prince Hans, Jack was getting a bad feeling off this guy already.

"They should be getting to the North Mountain by now", the same maid announced to her freezing counter parts, "the hunting party left here two days ago". Jack was furious, a hunting party, after Elsa and Anna. Nobody hunted the girl he loved and got away with it. With a flick of his wrist Jack removed a small bit of ice from beside the servant who had thought of Elsa's well being. Elsa must have been very upset, Jack's powers barely worked against hers. He grabbed his staff and flew with purpose towards the North Mountain.

Jack stopped short in awe as Elsa's Ice Palace came into view. The whole place was magnificent with masses of ice everywhere. Jack smiled, she was good, very good. she was almost as good as him. The palace gleamed purple with the reflection of the sun and with that Jack could make out thousands of snowflake patterns throughout the buildings. Jack smirked, so she still liked the patterns.

Jack surveyed what was going on in the basically see through palace. He could see two men clad in red, running up the icy stairs as another group of men tackled a snow monster outside of the castle. Jack remembered that day years ago when Elsa wanted to become friends with the snowman. Jack suddenly realised that he had feelings, not of love though, for Elsa back then too. He wanted her for himself. Jack's gaze followed the two men and then he saw her. Elsa was running, scared from the men to the top most floor of her new home. But Elsa looked amazing. Her usually pristine gown was replaces with an amazing light blue dress which hugged her in all the right places. The slit in the leg made Jack smirk with delight. The dress looked to be made of ice. Her normally tied back, perfect blonde hair was let loose in a messy French plait with snowflakes intertwined in it. Elsa looked stunningly beautiful. The queen looked free.

Jack growled as the two men circled Elsa with the cross bows in each of their hands aimed at the frightened girl. Without a second thought Jack launched at the building and pushed the iced ceiling back with all of his force. Jack landed in a crouched position with his stick extended on the floor just in time to create a barrier in front of Elsa as one of the men fired an arrow at her. Elsa whipped around in disbelief," Jack?"

Jack just gave her a small, loving smile before turning back to the men, his eyes alive with an icy fire. "If you ever even point that thing at the girl that I love again I swear to God I will not hesitate to kill you." Both men cowered backwards at his tone and Jack noted that they could probably see him because, well, after Elsa they would basically believe anything. Jack growled and launched spears of ice at one of the men so that he was captured in a cage of ice so close to him, that one move would kill him. To the other man Jack built up a large wall of ice and pushed him until he was dangerously close to falling off the edge of the balcony. Suddenly a large group of men burst into the room and stopped short as they watched the scene unfold in front of them,

" Jack!", Elsa screamed, turning to the boy she loved so much, "Don't be the monster they fear I am."

Jack dropped his hands at Elsa's cry and caused the ice to slowly recede from the two men.

"Elsa", Jack said, stepping towards Elsa, taking her hands in his, "They tried to hurt you, they tried to kill you, how can I not be angry at them."

Elsa smiled at the boy and embraced him in a warm hug, "Jack, I-, what are you doing here. You left Jack."

Jack sighed and looked his Elsa in the eye, "I heard what happened Els, I was so scared for you and I knew that it was my fault, I wasn't there for you Els. I love you."

"Oh Jack", Elsa whispered, "I love y-".

Suddenly the chandelier directly above them came plummeting down as Hans pushed one crossbow out of the couple's direction, shards of ice smashed like glass around the room. Both Elsa and Jack tried to avoid the fall of ice, Jack jumping up, Elsa leaping forward but both were caught in the blast. Jack was quite distracted as he jumped away from the chandelier, away from Elsa, and hit his head really hard before crashing through the building in a state of unconsciousness. Elsa too was hit in the fall of oncoming ice and was trapped beneath it. She was left alone. She was left in the hands of Hans and his men.

Anna, Kristoff and Olaf were just leaving the council with the trolls when they saw a large pool of red blood at the side of the forest. Anna, even though slowly dying from Elsa's strike, insisted they check it out. "Always the princess", the Ice Harvester remarked. The trio had made their way into a small clearing when they saw a boy, not much younger that Anna herself lying in a small pool of his own blood. The boy looked ghostly pale and was dressed in quite unusual clothes. A large hooked stick lay clenched in the boy's hand. Kristoff ran towards the boy, he was awfully cold.

"Hey, are you okay", Kristoff asked, resting the boy's head in his own.

The boy opened his eyes into slits. Even then Kristoff could see the brilliant blue colour. "Elsa-..Ice-, Hans. Love-h". Anna made her way, as quick as she could in her state , to his side as soon as she had heard both her sister and her Fiancée's names in the same sentence.

"What did yo- Jack Frost?"

"Anna?"