IT'S FINALLY FINISHED! At long, long, LONG last, I have finally finished my first Rise of the Guardians story! I think I need a break after this; I'm probably gonna take a little hiatus while I try to recharge the old creative batteries. Plus, I'm trying to get into college and Pinning things to beat the band!

Let me begin by saying I feel like I'm facing a formidable opponent in the Jelsa fandom. I haven't seen Frozen yet, but I've seen spoiler clips, a couple of the musical numbers, and I read the Little Golden Books story version, so…I know everything that happens. But I'm still going to go see it!

I know I'm going to sound biased, especially since I created Joanna before we even KNEW about Elsa, but just because you're both emotionally damaged and gifted with incredible ice powers doesn't mean you're an OTP. It's not gonna happen anyway because they're two different universes (holy crap, so it's like a Romeo/Juliet deal. DANG IT!)

What do y'all think? You still like Joanna, right? I really do want to see Frozen, though! Idina Menzel FTW! And yes, I know I sound insecure, and I will press on through thick and thin! In the words of Garth Brooks, I will sail my vessel til the river runs dry! I will carry my ship to port! Let the storm rage on! The cold never bothered me, anyway! (Actually, that's a lie; this winter's been miserable for me.)

But, yeah—I want your comments, reviews, and what you think of the Jelsa pairing. I'll stop rambling now and give you the long-awaited epilogue I promised you. It will be predominantly sappy and smarmy because it's a wedding, just to warn you, but it'll be fun, too!

One more thing: The soundtrack for this chapter is "In Her Eyes" by Josh Groban and "Stay The Night" by James Blunt.

"And thus, Nagisa and I began our new life together." – Tomoya Okazaki, CLANNAD: After Story

Epilogue: Nice Day For A White Wedding
They held the wedding the very next night on the pond. Joanna had managed to sneak Jamie and Sophie out of the house, dressed in their best winter clothes. Jamie had a plaid scarf and a fancy trench coat and Sophie looked like a Christmas portrait in red and white. Joanna had thin gold ribbons twined into the braid in her hair, having decided to keep it at shoulder length. She was wearing her blue turtleneck that had the skirt like hem again, only now it was the same shade as Jack's hoodie.

They arrived at the pond to find Jack waiting for them alone.

"Look at you guys!" he greeted, "Best looking bunch I've ever seen!"

"Where is everybody?" Jamie asked.

"On the way," said Jack, "You get to meet Mrs. Claus!"

"Mrs. Claus?" Jamie popped, "Oh, cool! Is she bringing cookies?"

"I don't know!" he laughed, "Hey, can I ask you something, Jamie?"

"Sure!" Jack squatted to his level and leaned on his staff.

"How would you feel about being my Best Man?" he requested.

"What do I have to do?" Jamie asked.

"You just stand beside me while North does the ceremony," he said.

"Okay," the kid shrugged, "I was gonna do that anyway." He thought for a moment. "Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Even though you're getting married, you're still gonna be my friend, right?"

"Of course," said Jack with his hand on Jamie's shoulder, "Nothing will ever change between you and me, Jamie. Wherever I go, whatever I do, whoever I meet, you'll always be my best friend." He stuffed a hand behind the child's head in a brotherly way. "You saved me, Jamie. You saved me because you believed in me. I can't…I don't even have the words for what that means to me."

"You believed in me too, Jack," Jamie smiled, "You believed I could help stop Pitch. I didn't know I could do anything that important. But you made me believe I could do it and I did! No one's ever believed in me like that before! Thank you, Jack. You'll always be my best friend, too."

Just then the sleigh bells rang out overhead and North's jolly laugh circled them as the sleigh came spiraling in to land. All the Guardians jumped out, as well as Anya, who had a picnic basket on her arm covered with a cloth.

"Jo." Jamie tugged on her sleeve with wide eyes. "Is that Mrs. Claus?"

"The one and only!" she chirped, "C'mon, I'll introduce you!"

"Jamie Bennett!" Anya chimed with arms wide open, "And Sophie, my little darlings!"

Jamie stopped short.

"You know my name?" he blinked.

"Of course, darling!" she smiled, "You don't live with Santa Claus as long as I have without learning a few tricks of the trade! Besides, I know all about the Last Light." She wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you, darling," she murmured, "You saved my husband's life."

Jamie went wide-eyed; he'd never thought of it quite that way before. All he could think to say was an awkward "You're welcome."

"Oy! Sophie!" Bunny called as he hopped over. Sophie joyfully trotted to meet him; he smoothly scooped her up in one arm and finished hopping up to Jo and Jamie.

"Here's our little bride-to-be!" he greeted, "You nervous?"

"A little," she confessed with a smile, "but I'm more excited!"

"Beauty," he nodded, "And how are you, Jamie? You've grown a bit!"

"Nah, not really," he waved off. Bunny chuckled and hopped off with Sophie.

"You want to know something, Joanna?" said Jamie, "This pond is where Jack took the Guardian Oath. It was really awesome. The Sandman shot off Dream Sand fireworks and everything!"

"Wow," Jo exhaled as she looked around; the snow and everything it rested on was soft silver under the light of the full moon, shining through the blue of the darkness. Her gaze turned down to the ice they were standing on and she squatted to put her hand on it. She closed her eyes, feeling the importance of the pond in her heart.

'This is where he died,' she thought with intense reverence, 'and was reborn as Jack Frost. This is where he took up the mantle of Guardianship. Now he shares this place with me; now I will be reborn and swear an oath, an oath I took as a child, to love him forever.'

Jack's hand gently covered hers; her warm Honey Eyes met his bright blue ones and they both smiled softly.

"You know what the weird thing is?" she said quietly, "I can't even feel the cold anymore. Everything just feels warm to me." She covered his hand with her other one. "And you, Jack Frost, are the warmest thing I've ever felt." Jack touched her face and she closed her eyes for a moment; the stars sparkled inside them and the words she spoke next seemed to come from the Man in the Moon himself.

"Jack Frost," she vowed, "This night, beneath the light of the full moon I take you for my own. I swear to uphold and support you in your duties as a Guardian. As you defend the children of the world, I swear to defend you. I will stand beside you through trial and in triumph. I will fight for you and protect you with my life. And I will love you," she smiled through her tears, "til all the stars are dust."

Jack smiled back and removed her snowflake necklace from his hoodie pocket. He was going to give it to her during the ceremony in lieu of a wedding ring, but this seemed like a better time, especially since everyone had gathered around them anyway.

"Joanna Fitzgerald," he said, "I take you humbly and gratefully to be my Companion and my wife." He put the necklace on her and held the snowflake in his hand. "As a Guardian, the children must come first in my mind…" He closed a fist around it and looked emotional. "but you are first in my heart and always will be…for now…and for all time."

The moonlight radiated from them like an aura. They turned their heads to look up at the moon and saw North smiling with his giant Guardian book open in his hands. They got to their feet and held hands as they stood before him.

"And so," he said happily, "by authority given me by Man in Moon, I now pronounce you Guardian and Companion, as well as man and wife!"

Jack wrapped an arm around Joanna's waist and plucked her off her feet. While they kissed to the cheers of their friends, Jack smoothly raised his staff straight up and shot a chill blast into the sky that exploded into a thick, beautiful snowfall!

"Now that was smooth," Bunny smirked appreciatively.

"Best wedding kiss ever!" Tooth gushed.

"What's the matter, Jamie?" Jo asked. Jamie looked in awe of them.

"Your clothes turned white," he said softly. Jack and Jo looked at themselves and each other; their clothes were snow white and Jo's necklace was shining! The moonlight was still on them, too!

"It was same for us when Anya became Companion," North explained, "You take vows, Guardian bestows special charm on Companion…" Anya showed off a beautiful bracelet. "And Manny gives blessing. You'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

"We may be normal tomorrow," Jack grinned and took Jo's hand, "but I don't think we'll be back tomorrow."

"Of course," North winked, "You two go now and have fun. We'll take children home."

"Thanks but no thanks," said Jack, "We'll take 'em. The kids come first, remember?"

"Especially these kids," Jo added, "After all, I'm still the nanny."

Sophie giggled and bounced holding onto Jamie's hand; Jamie smiled at her then at Jack and Jo, the first adult friends he'd ever had.

"Congratulations, you guys," he said at the window in his room, "Have a fun trip, okay?"

"Thanks, we will," said Jack, "And don't worry; I'll have Jo back home before too long." Jo kissed the child's forehead (Sophie was in bed already), Jack scruffed his hair, and the wind whisked the newlyweds away, leaving Jamie to wave from the window.

(Several hours later…)

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Frost strolled out of a thicket on the outskirts of town hand in hand with the soft pitter-patter of fat snowflakes making the only sound other than the crunch of snow under their feet. It was the quiet blue of the morning before the sky would begin to brighten and signal the arrival of a new day.

"You know," Jack said quietly, "I've had all kinds of fun in 300 years, but that back there…" He glanced backward. "That was brand new."

Jo smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek with an arm around his waist. Jack put his around her neck and kissed her temple.

"From now on it's you and me," he murmured into her hair, "Forever, okay?"

"You bet," she agreed and side-hugged him. They came out on a big ledge with a lovely view of the city. Jack looked over to his left and his mischievous grin came back.

"Check it out." He jerked his head over at a young couple snuggled up in winter clothes and a big sleeping bag under a tree. Stifling a giggle, Jo followed her new husband up the tree and watched as he lightly knocked a heavily snow-laden branch that in seconds was no longer snow-laden. The invisible couple high-fived and laughed as the other two scrambled awake. Jack and Joanna joined hands and slipped into the wind, leaving a fresh snowfall in the sky.

THE END

Author's Review:
As I was typing "The End," Animaniacs was playing on my DVD player. It was the episode where they write a movie and I was right on the part where Yakko says, "And most importantly, it's done!" I love how your shows can illustrate your life sometimes!

But man, am I glad to finally finish this! It was fun, but I really struggled with writer's block through the last half of it. That's why I'm taking a creative snooze for a little while (not TOO long, I expect).

You know, that's the first time I've ever written a wedding without a wedding dress. I was planning to make Jo a snow dress like on Nanny McPhee, but it ended up not happening. But their clothes still turned white like Nanny McPhee, so that's cool.

Did you notice the latest Twilight jokes in this one? Jack now feels warm to Jo and they're slipping into their own little bit of forever!

So let's go over the list, shall we?

Jack is forever stuck in a sexy young age (I'm guessing 18) and is probably ice cold, though the movie doesn't go into that.

He gave Joanna how many piggyback rides now?

They climb trees together.

The Nightmares were attracted to Jo's fear the way vampires are attracted to Bella's blood (which is also true for Yuki Cross in Vampire Knight).

Jack keeps using Jo's window.

They reminisce about their time periods and do the "What if we'd met back then" thing.

Jo's body temperature adapts to Jack's, if a bit more gradually than Bella.

That's all I can remember; if you remember any more, let me know. I hope you guys enjoyed this story. I enjoyed writing it and I'll enjoy writing more (after I've taken a little vacation). I hope you'll check out my other stuff and I hope you'll follow me into the next Companion story ;)

Until then, I am

Sincerely Yours,

-samuraistar =^.^=