Warning: tears were shed in the writing of this chapter… no really, they were.

"Ice skating Ice skating." Pippa jumped around Jack as he cleaned plates from the morning meal.

"Hold on I'm almost done." Jack laughed. The pond near the house had finally frozen, and Jack was to take Pippa out and teach her how to ice skate. Latter their parents said they would bring lunch and watch them skate for awhile. Jack putting the clay bowls back in the cupboard finished with his work. John watched his son's work from the corner of the room. John had decided to leave the forge closed for the day, only because Emily had asked for a family day with all of them.

Jack picked up his skates in one hand and his tunic in the other. As Pippa tugged him out the door, Jack heard his mother call "Be careful!" as she a merged from her bed room to see them off.

"We will." Jack laughed. Bouncing in excitement the two rushed down the forest trail. When the pond came into view Jack knelt and began to unlace his boots. They were an older pair of his, as he had worn out his newest pair last night. Pippa quickly kicked hers off and shoved her feet into the hard leather of the skates their father had made for her at the beginning of winter.

Pippa jumped up and skipped on them to the edge of the pond, trying to stay balanced on the thin metal blades. Jack finishing his laces pulled of his boots leaving him barefooted. Pippa tentatively placed on skate on the frozen surface. Smiling she rushed forward on the ice. Jack laughed at her excitement and reached down to pick up his skates. Listening to Pippa slip about the frozen surface Jack loosened the laces of his skates so he could slip his feet inside. It was the first time John had allowed Pippa to come ice skating with Jack. Jack thought his mother had something to do with his father's change in heart. He doubted the John would ever let Pippa do anything "dangerous" if his mother didn't put her foot down.

"Jack!"At the sound of his name he began looking up. Pippa's voice sounded odd to Jack's ears. There was no longer excitement in her words. Jack saw nothing wrong, Pippa had not even fallen. Jack narrowed his eyes searching for the cause of his sister's distress. He followed his sister's gaze and there beneath her shoes, he saw it lines fished out forming odd angles and spirals, cracks.

"Don't move!" Panic bubbled up in his stomach. With his skates still in hand he dashed to the pond shoeless. Carefully walking across the ice he neared his sister.

Setting down his skates Jack knelt in front of his sister merely feet away. "It's ok, it's ok, don't look down look at me." Jack tried to sound brave as though he knew it would be ok. Inside however his mind waged war on itself trying to remember what you were supposed to do on thin ice.

"Jack I'm scared." Pippa eyes were wild with terror

"I know. I know but you're going to be alright. You're not going to fall in." Jack's voice was close to breaking. Looking around for some way to get out of this mess he stuttered. "Aaah… were going to have a little fun instead," he improvised.

"No we're not!" Panic edged into her words now.

"Would I trick you?" Please, Jack thought, don't fall, don't fall. I will give anything just don't fall.

"Yes you always play tricks!" Jack felt his heart breaking. Not Pippa. Not Pippa.

"Well aright, but not, not, not this time." Words wouldn't come out of his mouth right. Why was this happening?

"I promise." Jack held her gaze." I promise." Jack put every ounce of himself in those two words. "You're gonna be, you're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me." She was crying. No don't. He thought biting back tears of his own.

"You wanna play a game? We're gonna play hopscotch, like we play every day." There was a long staff like branch just to his right. He could use it to pull her to safety. Just sound confident, he told himself.

"It's as easy as one." Jack stepped towards the branch, ice cracking under his foot.

"Wahoo." Jake balanced on one foot pretending to have trouble keeping his balance. Make her laugh.

"Two." Another hop.

"Three." He reached down for the branch. Once it was in his grasp he reached it out towards her. It wouldn't reach. COME ON!

"Alright now it's your turn."

"One, that's it that's it," Jack winced as ice cracked more under her feet. Please.

"Two." Closer but not enough.

"Three." He lunged forward hooking the curve of the branch around her middle, and threw her from the cracking surface of the pond. The momentum pulled him forward. Jack struck his knees and plums against the hard ice surface, it stung. However jack didn't stop to care about the sharp pain he felt. Jack looked up eyes wide looking for his sister who was now on the edge of the pond once more. Thank you. He thought as she looked up at him from the spot she lay on far from the cracks that threatened her moments before. Laughter burst from his mouth. He did it she was ok. Jack forgetting where he was began to stand.

AN: wow this was so hard to write there were a couple of times I had to take a break and do something happy. This will be a continued in the next chapter. I promise I am just mean not evil. Please tell me what you think. Well now I am off to work on homework.

Guest, Luna Frost: I have written something really interesting for him, so don't worry it caused me feels just writing it. And I feel evil just thinking it.

Guest, random fandom: there is no official name for Jack's sister, and I named Jacks mom Emily/Emma so that name would not work. Not only that but I really like the name Pippa and it is the one I have heard the most. I know it is not necessarily cannon but there is no cannon name so it is fair game.

Thank you for every review. They make my day and I wish I had time to name and think each of you personally. I will always answer questions though.