A/N: The first part of this chapter is dedicated to a very, very special "friend" of mine.

Elsa's POV-

A few days passed before I headed back to the castle. Jack and I didn't matter. Not right now. We had bigger, worse things going on and we can't waste any more time. If I don't kill Brone, he's going to kill Jack… again. If Jack dies (again), then I'm not so sure if I could take it then fun would die with him. Children need him, more so than I do. That's why… when this is all over… when everything's back to normal… I'm going to let him go. I… I love him, but I guess this is the way things have to be.

I needed time.

I needed… to think.

I needed to be alone. I was a lone wolf. I guess to be honest, we bring out the worst of each other. Ever since he's been with me, I've been different. And when he's gone, it's like my world crumbles, but then he comes back, which makes things more complicated, because it will happen over and over again. I can't be turned like a light switch. I have to stick to one side. So when, he leaves… Maybe I have a chance to be normal again. To have a chance at life, and he will too. I hope he will.

I arrived at the castle, and I didn't need a mirror to know I was a mess. Life's been hard on me, what can I say?

It's getting harder to stand on two feet.

I walked inside the dining hall, no one noticed, I was used to it. But I had important news to give.

I figured out more about Brone.

So, I cleared my throat which got everyone to look at me.

"What's the plan?" I said, flatly. Jack was the last one to look at me. The last one to stare. For one second, there was a concerned look in his eyes, but it was covered by hatred. I can't give him the privilege. I can't let him break me. I guess I learned the hard way to never let him go that far. I can barely handle myself. I'm broken. I feel doomed. Doomed to fall. As he looked at me, I couldn't bring myself to look at him. I could barely hold my tears. He hated me. Hate is a strong word.

"You're not fighting." He said, as his eyes squinted.

"Jack." Mundy warned.

"It's not her fight! It's ours!" He yelled. "Let's face it, she's not even supposed to fight! We're only letting her!"

"Jackson Overland Frost!" Tooth reprimanded. "How dare you! It's her fight, too! She's one of us now! Stronger than any of us!"

"We don't need her!"

"Yes we do!" North bellowed.

"North's right, Frost." Mundy spat out his name like he was saying insane. "Don't let your personal life get in the way of our jobs−her job!" Then there was silence. He looked at me and so did North.

"Why don't you join us, Elsa? We were just discussing it."

"N…no. You don't need to include me in this meeting, I could catch up anytime, really."

"Elsa." North said, firmly. "Join us." So, I sat down on the only seat available. Next to Jack. It was like being stuck in lessons all over again. Minus the mathematics. "Plan is, we hunt down Pitch," I raised my hand as Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes, Elsa?"

"There's one major flaw." I said. "Pitch isn't working alone."

"What?" Jack asked, incredulously as I looked at him.

"Are you deaf?" I joked. "Pitch Black is not working alone." I repeated myself. I was too cold to care. Too cold to love at the moment. Nothing else mattered but my duties. With that, the meeting was adjourned. I walked to my room, taking my time as I saw the one and only Jack Frost catch up beside me.

"Hi." He started.

"Hi." I replied. There was a moment of silence between us, just before we both spoke at once.

"I'm sorry about earlier," I said.

"I'm sorry about being mean." He said at the same time as we stopped and looked at each other before looking down. "You first." He offered as I nodded.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I was being rude and I think we had gotten off at the wrong foot." I said, keeping my eyes down before meeting his.

"I think that, too. I'm sorry for being mean, too."

"How about we start over? From the moment you woke up."

"You want to go to the garden and have myself lie down at midnight again?" I rolled my eyes as he said that. I nudged him a bit before we started walking again.

"You know what I mean." I said as he chuckled.

"Yes, I do. But I figured that we could use some fun."

"That's your job, guardian of fun." I smiled. We got in front of my room before I spoke again. "So… What do you want to know? I mean, I assume you have questions and I have the answers so…"

"Maybe we could play twenty questions later. How about after dinner?"

"Maybe." That is, if I eat dinner, I thought to myself before nodding. He gave me a small wave.

"See you later."

"You too." I replied, returning the wave as he walked away. Could there be anything left to our story? I got into my room, locking the door behind me. Would I do something I regret?

I think all I needed was time. Time to think. Time to myself.

But then, we didn't have that. We didn't have all the time in the world like everybody else. Because he would have to leave. He'd have to leave me. Like a change in the seasons. With every snowfall, fun would be sure to come along. Unfortunately for me, Jack had that responsibility. And there was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing I could do at all. If only I could stop time, but then again, it would be inconsiderate.

I needed to let him go.

Let Jack go.

A/N: UNDERLINE.

What's so different about tonight?

Things just don't feel right.

Maybe then you will see,

What you really, really, mean to me.