I HAVE FINALLY UPDATED! YAY!

I am working on the next part right now. I cannot apologize enough for all these delays. Just know I am not giving up on this story. I'm just very slow and a heavy procrastinator. Sorry guys.

I WILL FINISH THIS STORY, JUST KNOW THAT.

I'm sorry for the lack of action in this chapter too. I was going to put it together with the one I am currently writing but I felt you all needed an update, no matter how small.

It had been a few days when Jack passed by a reflection, and marveled at how pale he actually was. His appearance finally relented and he returned to his favored pale complexion, snow white hair and ice colored eyes; the entire embodiment of a winter spirit, of someone who belonged in the snow. He hadn't realized how adjusted he'd grown to this lighter, much paler complexion. Thinking of a time he had darker hair and eyes were foreign, and to his surprise, something he didn't want back. Sure, they were nice at the time, but the thought of Jack Frost in any other shades than that of blues and whites made him laugh. He tried to pretend he couldn't see the hints of black under his hoodie.

He heard the sound of heels in the hall and saw his sister in the reflection peering eagerly in. When she spotted him through the creaked door she beamed and he flashed his trademark grin in return. She stepped in, leaving the door creaked open.

"Watcha doing, Jack?" Like a curious child she skipped inside and hopped onto the sink, observing him carefully. She crossed her legs and Jack paused in his observance of the mirror, staring with distrust at her form. He was reminded, yet again, of how she was much older now. A strange and familiar feeling washed over him as he scrunched his eyebrows at the long appendages. Emily looked perplexed and tilted her head.

"Do you have to wear heels? Your legs are long enough, sis. Trust me." He huffed and she barely caught the hissed, "I'm going to have to beat the boys off you…"

"I see someone's older brother instincts are as strong as ever." Emily hid a laugh behind her hand and shook her head. "I am old enough to date, you know. I'm old enough to make decisions for myself, too!" She raised a digit to emphasize her point and Jack groaned. He returned his gaze to his reflection, ignoring his sister piping on about boys.

"Well I better get to meet them first. They aren't allowed to touch you on the first date, either."

"But Jaaaaack." Emily groaned and pouted at the mirror, giving her best puppy dog eyes. Jack seemed determined to not look at her and she crossed her arms, grinning. She'd really missed her older brother. It seemed their antics ran high as ever, too. She waved him away and leaned back against the mirror, choosing to look at him rather than his reflection.

"Hey, Jack…?" Tentatively she brushed some hair behind her ears. She pursed her lips and tilted her head curiously. "Why are you so entranced with your appearance lately?"

Jack blinked and his eyes widened. "Am I that obvious?"

She clucked her tongue. "I've not even seen a girl primp herself as much as you've been doing."

He couldn't help but laugh at this and shook his head. "Yeah, well, it's not every day a crazy girl tries to, literally, rewind my entire existence." They both laughed at that statement, but Emily sensed something deeper, and fiddled with her hands. The silence they had lapsed themselves into was overbearing. Jack broke the awkward tension first. "Why did you do it?"

She knew this question was coming. She knew with all her being. While it had been brought up it hadn't been truly touched on by just the two of them. After all, it was only the two of them this mainly revolved around. Though, she did push everyone together purposefully.

But still, she was nervous about the whole subject. She feared explaining it and now the time had come, and it was all simply for her stupid and selfish reasons. Emily swallowed at the hurt whisper in her brother's tone and looked down, waving her hands back and forth, her voice faltering. "I…I missed you."

Hurt blue eyes flashed to her. "You missed me? Didn't you see what it was doing to me? Didn't you see how happy I was? Before you messed with everything?"

Hurt flickered across her eyes this time and she let out a slight wheezing exhale. "I didn't realize it would hurt you so much. I don't think it registered, either." She allowed her right hand to roam over her left arm, the gesture sheepish and submissive. The last thing she wanted to do was further upset the being in front of her. She had already broken the laws of everything she clearly knew. Jack being upset would be more than a right to his memories being tampered with. For a long period he said nothing, but it was clear a dilemma of sorts were going on in his head. She feared what conclusions he was coming too and grabbed his chin to direct his gaze to her. She tried to ignore the fact that she was a little taller than him in her heels, that she was older now, in a technical human sense, and that everything was so much different. "Please. I am sorry, Jack. I didn't mean to hurt you. I promise I didn't. I was scared and alone and I didn't realize you were even here. I thought you died."

He swallowed but gently swatted her hand away and she bit her lip. He recognized the feelings spinning in her speckled eyes. The fears of abandonment lingered, along with anxiety and pressure, and the hardships of the job and title she bore. He knew all those feelings so well and patted her head. He smiled gently, even when she attained the kicked puppy look she still had. She chose this moment to jump down from the sink and pace, her boots slapping the ground as she tapped the ceramic nervously.

"I know. I understand, too. I just…don't know what to do yet. I'm angry at you but I'll get over it. It doesn't mean I'll abandon my sister though." That seemed to pacify her and she stopped in her tracks and to Jack's regret, she only looked at him nervously.

"You promise? You won't suddenly leave me again?" He looked at her with a strange expression she couldn't identify. Had him dying, really affected her so badly? Was she so afraid of him leaving again?

He smiled playfully at her to break the thick tension, and shoved her, to which she squeaked and nearly fell into the nearby tub. "Hey, Jack-!"

"I won't leave. I promise." The look he sent her was filled with secret promises towards her. He kept his word. He always did. She heard his whispers from far, far away to a little girl about to fall beneath a layer of cracked ice. She remembered he kept that promise. Everything is all right. Her eyes widened. Then they lit up, and she smiled, wrapping her arms around him.

"Good, cause' it's gonna be hard to get rid of me!" He laughed and she peered up at him. "Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Everything will be alright. I'll make sure. I can protect you this time."

His eyes softened at the statement. He couldn't help but ponder if there were a deeper meaning to those words as well. He wondered if she knew the future to impend itself. Was…something going to happen to him?

She tugged on his wrists and pulled him from the bathroom before he could think on it further. He flailed his arms to regain his balance, but let her yank him into one of the many large hallways that claimed North's home. "Let's go, let's go! We need to practice your fighting!" She laughed joyfully. Beneath her tone there was a slight layer of nerves that caused her pitch to heighten slightly.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Jack questioned.

Emily looked over her shoulder. "I'm in no hurry."

He deadpanned. She was slouched over and, from the looks of it, attempting to rip his arm from his socket by the way she was dragging him. She looked away, but slowed her pace. "Okay, I'm in a little of a hurry."

And Jack wasn't quite sure why but he knew. He knew what it was bothering her. "You know what's going to happen to me." He stopped completely, forcing her to as well, though she never relinquished her hold. He felt his heart falling into his stomach when she didn't answer. "You know something bad is going to happen to me," He insisted. Her head fell in a dip; the only indication of a nod, and he was reminded of the infliction upon him. If one could call it such.

"Yes. I know." Her voice felt fragile and far away. "I do know. You have many futures in store for you. Some of them bad, some of them good… At this point and time, any of them are a possibility. It's up to you."

His voice shook slightly as he spoke. "Can you…tell me? Please? I don't want…to…I just…"

"You don't want to become like Pitch. A dark entity. A shadow that people fear, not respect. I understand. I…I can't tell you, though. I can't." She shut her eyes. She wanted to cry so badly. She knew this was going to happen too. "I'm so sorry, Jack." When he didn't answer she felt a single drop of fear pool into her stomach. "I saw everything happening. I saw Pitch planting something into you. I know what he plans for you, but in a way, I don't, so I cannot truly say what it is until the moment it happens. Time is a very sensitive subject. His future for you is much undecided. And, it was so selfish, but I could have changed the future in my own way. If I had not interfered he would not have found his way to you. In a way, you could say it was my fault. As for the future, that is entirely up to you. Yes, I could release information. What would that achieve for you though?" She turned to face him, his blue eyes wide and unreadable. "I would give you an option…an unfair one that others cannot have. Think of it this way, too: say I disclosed one of your bad futures. Would you truly, truly be able to let your mind leave that one possible outcome? Or would you have thought of nothing but that as your future, and in the end, decide to follow that path unintentionally?"

Jack's eyes were wide now at this information. Emily smiled gently and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Do not worry, Jack. You'll find the best way to fight this." She grinned and crossed her arms. Her brother blinked at the sudden change in mood. She went form so serious to a complete jokester that it sent him through a loop. She swallowed a lump. "Sorry, was that too heavy...? I can get carried away sometimes."

"You sound just like mom," He blurted, surprising Emily. She laughed gently and nodded.

"I look a lot like her. You look like her, too." The smile that spread was so wide Jack thought she'd split her face.

"How…was she? Y'know, afterwards…" He trailed off and continued walking, side by side.

"She…was different." Emily rubbed her shoulder. "I think we both were different. She found me on the ice hours later, standing next to the hole, and screaming and crying. I don't think she registered it at first. She only saw me and tried to ask where you were over my yelling. It was dark outside. I thought I had seen shadows around me. She turned and saw the cracked ice and your skates. She didn't see you. I don't think she put two and two together. When she did…I wish I could erase the look from her face. It's something I can't forget." She paused and looked towards the ceiling, lanterns and chandeliers so small yet so bright lining the walls. "How…"

Her hesitation was something he had grown familiar with. People often did when they learned of his rise to guardianship.

Jack tilted his head. "You can ask me anything, Em. I won't be offended."

She nodded hesitantly. It was a soft moment before she spoke. "Did you...I guess…remember?"

"Remember?"

"How you…became Jack Frost."

The words hung in the air. He had stopped for a moment but continued walking, Emily trailing slowly after him. He wondered when it was that he ended up in front of her. Emily looked up curiously, wondering if she had gone too far with such a question. "I was just curious; you don't have to answer-"

"-It was cold," He interrupted quickly, and she imagined it was a sensitive subject. "I thought you would know about it, though."

"I do!" She answered a little too quickly, and cringed. "I just…There's a difference between seeing and hearing. I know what happened. I do know the details because of the past. But to assume I would learn everything from watching would be…ignorant. I have no clue as to how you felt that day. If you felt the transformation at all. Knowing and experiencing are quite different in comparison, are they not?" She nudged him gently. He reacted in kind and nodded, a bittersweet look twisting his face. Beats of silence passed before he was able to speak again.

"It was cold." He began. "Cold, terrifying, and…and lonely." He looked up at the ceiling and frowned, the chandelier above them now, a particular red and white striped one that let off warm embers. It reminded him of candy canes. He imagined he could even smell peppermint in the air. "I don't even know if I felt it myself. Not really. I might just be remembering my death. What I first felt when I fell into the lake. I'm not quite sure how long I was even down there."

"One year and sixty five days." Emily smiled gently. "Not too long."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "Only a year?"

"Yes. The water, while it felt like eternity, wasn't made to be a year round winter pond. The ice was preventing your body from decaying while the spirit of you caught up. Another summer in there and I'm sure you would have been decomposing. As…strange as it sounds."

Jack made a face and looked at his hands. "Well I'm glad that didn't happen."

She laughed. "Me too! Can you imagine? A zombie Jack Frost? Though considering how pale and lifeless you are you could be considered a zombie!"

"Hey, now that's just insensitive!" He punched her playfully and she darted away, running down the halls. He easily sped up and caught her off guard by blowing a frost ridden snow in her face.

"Hey! No fair!" Giggling she pretended to wave a white flag. "Okay, okay! I give!" She looped an arm through his and they continued their embarkement down the stretch of halls. It occurred to him that he could have easily swept them to the place they were told to meet in a matter of seconds. Then it also occurred to him that he was alone with his sister. He wanted to relish every single moment to make up for what he'd missed. He couldn't help but noting her hair had grown. That she seemed to have even more freckles. The way her wide eyes still shined with innocence and happiness. So lost in thought she didn't notice her giving him a strange look. He shook his head, her hand waving in front of his face.

"Earth to Jack! Ya there?"

"Sorry! I was thinking about things." He ran his free hand through his hair.

"What were you thinking about?" She prodded her finger against his side when he shook his head. "I still know where your ticklish spots are! I will use them if I have too!"

"Fine, fine!" He waved her hands away, laughing when her fingers danced across his ribs, and cursed the fact he couldn't have lost that of all things. "I was just thinking about how much we've both grown."

She quirked her head in his direction. "Of course. We've both changed, but for the better in the end, I think."

He nodded his agreement and they descended the last flight of stairs. Her voice rose in a soft whisper. "We're almost there. Is…there anything else you want to know?" His mouth fell open and she waited as he pieced together a single sentence. One she half expected. One she still wasn't quite sure of herself.

"Am…am I…dead?" The question, and the way he asked, made it clear he had pondered this for quite a while. His tone held no resentment, but only a curiosity to where he sat. Was he a part of the dead? The living? A creature of ice made to walk the Earth?

"It's a strange question. It's…always something I wondered about though." She was broken from her reverie, and paused before a doorway. "I have wondered it for…for a long time. I guess at this point I'm just really curious. I can feel my heart, but it's always felt cold. Icy and frosted over. I am Jack Frost, though. I thought I died but, I've never been sure about it."

She removed her arm from his, turning to face him. From the other side of the door she could hear Weiss shouting over a few voices, mainly Santa's, trying to give her input about something.

"Jack, I promised to be honest with you from now on. I believe you are neither dead nor living."

He deadpanned at her statement. "Seriously, Em? That doesn't make sense."

"If you would let me finish," She raised a brow, continuing on. "We are neither living nor dead. I believe you have died, Jackson Frost. In human terms you are dead. You revived as a wonderful spirit and creature from the depths of the lake where your demise was met. You are now living as something else entirely, something that we all are; spirits." She placed a hand on his chest, smiling gently. "You are as alive as you believe you are. We are immortals in every sense of the words, frozen in time by our believers who keep us here. You died there in that lake, yes. However, you are still here living, as something many believe impossible."

He was in awe at her speech. Still, how could something be so…complex? "That…still doesn't make any sense."

She gave a wicked smile. "Exactly. We don't make sense. We just are."

And, as simple as that answer was, Jack couldn't help but agree with that simple statement with every fiber of his being.