Disclaimer: I don't own the North Pole, and I don't own Elsa's Ice Castle. Enough said.

… … …

Chapter 24: Dad Gives Momma Cooties

Elsa stormed of the Conference Hall, leaving frost in her trail. More than a year after the Eternal Winter, the queen had managed to get a better hold of her powers when dealing with stress. But somehow she was struggling to get her bearings back.

Her heels clacked against the ice crusted floors as she went farther and farther, the area all but deserted as the lamps died. The window panes were obscured by snow and darkness as night fell upon the kingdom of Arendelle, not helping with the situation with the Snow Queen trying to suppress her anxiety and rage.

Not only were the members of the Union getting on her nerves, but she was dreading the minutes that continued to pass by.

Where was Jack and Snowflake?

"Control it…." Elsa muttered nervously to herself as she paced through an empty corridor far from the hall she had escaped from. "Don't feel… don't feel… don't feel…"

Elsa almost wanted to laugh at herself, feeling nostalgic that she had been in that same predicament sometime before. It was obvious that the mantra still came natural to her when extremely anxious. She had let the noble's words bother her more than she'd care to admit.

What if Snowflake didn't return?

"Jack promised." Elsa berated herself as she closed her eyes in concentration. "Jack promised he'd take her back."

The queen pictured Jack's blue eyes and the promise of trust within them. She bit her lip, trying her best to convince herself that he would stay true to his word. But the ticking hours had dissolved whatever trust she had built with him on that day, realizing that she had indeed known very little about the Winter Spirit to ever consider him trustworthy. She knew she was being double-minded in her distressed state, what with the Union scheming against her and all. She knew she could trust Jack, but the other half of her mind that had clung to the belief that you can't instantly trust a man you just met kept nagging at her heart.

It was already three hours past sundown and there was a slight snowstorm swirling from the outside. Elsa knew that the storm was of her own conjuration, and if she did not get her bearings soon, the Union might instantly declare her as a threat. She knew that Anna and the others were looking for her. But she could not face them now… not yet. She needed to stay calm first.

She thought of Anna, of Kai, of Olaf and Marshmallow. She thought of her servants and her people, and all the others she had sworn to protect. The frost receded a little as she named the important people in her lives one by one, from her Mama and Papa down to everyone else…

But when her thoughts became that of the snow child in the winter spirit's arms, her fears had returned. Along with the fact that the Union was pressuring her into marriage, thoughts of losing what was hers had once again struck a nerve in her calming remedy. She paced the corridor back and forth, clasping and rubbing her hands together while her brows scrunched together with worry. Her breaths came out in puffs of cold air, slightly clouding her view.

Please be back soon… please be back soon…

What if something happened to them? What if a snow storm hindered their journey back? What if they encountered some evil spirit which wasn't surprising since Jack did say his job was to guard children from things? What if…. What if…

"Please be back… you promised Jack… you promised." Elsa whispered to herself over and over again.

She needed them back soon. Or else it would be impossible to calm her down.

… … ….

When Jack and Snowflake emerged through the portal from the snow globe, they were welcomed by a sight they were startled to see.

A small storm cloud had begun to swirl on top of Arendelle Castle.

Jack felt Snowflake stir in his arms, knowing that the child must have woken. He frowned upon seeing the puffiness of her eyes and the red that dusted her nose. Her tear tracks were still evident across her cheeks, and he was sure Elsa would be cursing at him for whatever might have caused her daughter's sadness.

"You okay Snowflake?" Jack asked when she finally lifted her head to face him. "What happened back there kiddo… you can tell me."

Jack raked her smooth hair with his free hand as they hovered above the clouds over Arendelle. The child sniffed and wiped at her red eyes while her other hand clung tighter to her father's blue hoodie. She merely shook her head and gave her a smile that was more Elsa's than Jack's.

"I'm okay now." She answered before letting out a chuckle. "I was just lost and I got scared."

Jack frowned. He knew better when a child was lying to him. Three centuries of watching over kids had educated him well enough of a child's behavior when there was something they didn't want to discuss. In Snowflake's case, she handled the situation like how grown-ups would. She would smile that toothy smile and wave him off. He suspected that it was probably a trait she got from Elsa.

"You sure?" he asked her doubtfully.

Snowflake nodded enthusiastically, "Uh-huh! And I'm okay now because Papa saved me!"

Jack pressed his lips into a hard line. He knew the child was hiding something from him. It seemed it wasn't only North or the other guardians who were suspiciously being secretive these days. He decided not to press the issue further, but he also knew that he will discuss this with her again once stuff settled down. His search for answers had all been for naught, leaving him even more confused than ever. But Jack was only glad that at least he got to introduce the kid to the guardians, and hopefully he might take the queen to them someday.

Maybe the whole phenomenon had something to do with her too. She was the only human he knew that had magic in them after all.

"Tell you what," Jack grinned as he swooped down at a steady speed, making sure that his control over the wind would protect them from the small storm below. "How about we play another game?"

Snowflake's eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief at the thought of playing another game. Somehow the quiet exchange of playful smiles struck an idea at them as they slowly turned their gaze to the castle below.

"Mama might be upset that we got back late." Snowflake murmured with hidden intent.

Jack smirked, "You know what would make your Mama freak out even more Snowflake?"

The little child giggled as she figured out what her Papa was thinking.

…. … …

Elsa stomped towards the garden as she realized that the castle interior was becoming too chilly for a normal human being. She had to distance herself pronto and find a place where she could calm herself down. The queen knew that this action might prompt her little sister to panic once again, but decided it was the wisest decision she could think of before the storm got worse.

The storm wasn't entirely ballistic. It was small enough for travelers to still make it through the night. No one would even suspect that it was the Queen in her stressed state that might have caused it. But with the Union still inside and probably still panicked about her sudden walk-out, they might do something drastic that could put her name on the line. She was only glad that Kai, Eugene, Radcliffe and Anna were still there. And although all ounce of respect she had for the Duke for Strabald were thrown out the window, she knew that the man had enough sense of principle to defend her name for it was he who had caused her in such a manner of distress.

She cast power over herself, transforming her teal dress into the icy gown she had not worn in such a long time. It exposed her shoulders and a little bit of her leg through a small slit in the skirt, and a trail of ice and snowflakes dragged behind her like a thin cape as it billowed in the winds. She pulled at her bun, releasing her hair into a wild and unkempt style, letting the locks whip across her face. She didn't care if the look made her appear like a wild ethereal ghost of winter. Somehow, this had become her mechanism of letting go of the stress that was her life as royalty, being symbolic of her desire to just be free of her worries even for a moment.

She hiked up her skirts and started on her way until two figures above her caught her eye.

She let out a soft gasp.

… … …

Jack could not believe the sight he was seeing.

They were only a little over eighty meters above ground, over the same garden where he first saw Queen Elsa. It was the place where the small storm seemed to swirl the strongest, and it was the only area with one of those big doors open towards the inside of the castle.

He didn't expect to see Elsa there… wearing a dress made of…

Was that dress made of ice?

"Papa, we do it now!" Snowflake encouraged him with a wide grin. "Mama's already down there to see. Look!"

Jack ignored the girl who was tugging at his hoodie as his jaw dropped open in a comical fashion. Elsa was looking up at them with wide, relieved eyes. Almost instantly, the storm around them died like it never happened, leaving the garden in a somewhat frozen state. The trees and bushes had leaves and flowers made of ice, the snowy slopes from the benches and other shrubberies forming white landscapes that came close to a child's winter wonderland. Fractals glimmered from the icy peaks that hung from the tree branches, and the lamps were coated in frost that seemed to shine when light touched them. Among all these wonderful things, the winter spirit's eyes were glued to the Snow Queen below them, her neck and shoulders exposed leaving his mouth dry. Her hair loose and slightly messy, but still perfect, her cheeks flushed a soft pink due to the cold, and her eyes a mystic blue that welcomed the sight of both of them. It seemed that they sparkled a bit, trying to hold back what were perhaps tears of relief… or maybe it was Jack's wild imagination that caused him to think that way.

The tug on his sleeve from his daughter brought him back to earth, a smirk playing across his lips as they made a silent agreement to initiate their course of action.

… … …

Elsa didn't fight a relieved smile upon the sight of both of them. She was glad that Jack stuck true to his word… although he had failed to bring her back by sundown but, at least she was back in one piece.

Or so she thought.

"Woah!"

It was too quick for her eyes, but suddenly she found Snowflake falling rapidly from above from Jack Frost's hold.

"Weeeeeeeeeeee!" the child giggled, her voice echoing through the air like happy warning bells.

"Snow!" Jack yelled as he dove to catch her.

Panic replaced relief as the Snow Queen automatically raced to catch her fall. Elsa pushed both her arms forward and zapped power across the garden, creating a large pile of snow to break Snowflake's fall.

But even before the child hit the snowy cushion, Jack Frost had caught and pulled her up by his staff before landing in his embrace. The momentum caused the both of them to fall on the snowy pile tumbling down until the both of them were at Elsa's feet, with Snowflake giggling on top of a snow-covered Jack, laughing and squealing with delight.

"Oof!"

"Again! Again!" Snowflake laughed heartily.

Elsa stared down at them, her eyes wide with shock and her breath uneven from running. Her hand was clutched against her heart, relief and pending anger directed at the man who was smiling cockily up at her in that goofy fashion of his.

Jack found it amusing from his upside-down view of the snow queen how her cheeks flushed a darker pink and how her eyes slowly narrowed into angry slits at what they had done. Just like he thought, he had scared the wits out of Elsa, taking advantage of her protective motherly instincts by fake dropping little Snowflake. Of course, the snow hill did help the both of them, adding to the fun of it all. His mouth opened to voice his apologies until he felt the words get stuck in his throat.

"What…. the heck Jack?!" she yelled in a deep and dangerous tone between huffs.

Even when angry, he found the woman treacherously attractive. He just stared at her like a fool, watching as her lips quivered in anger…. Her soft… luscious… pink…

Focus Jack!

And for the thousandth time that day, he silently cursed his frozen hormones about thinking about the wrong things at the wrong time.

Suddenly it dawned on Jack why he found his wayward thoughts harder to control this time. Slowly he lifted his left hand and eyed the metal object that hugged his wrist rather uncomfortably. It was glowing with a faint amber glow that triggered the promise of a painful burning sensation should his thoughts turn hot-blooded. He moved his lower jaw a little, slowly licking the inside of his lip tasting the ghostly tang of the potion Santa Claus pranked him into drinking hours before. Anything that came from the hands of Cupid was a force he didn't want to deal with… and now, Jack knew exactly what the juice he drank was.

A love potion.

Crap!

He quickly sat up and helped the little girl up on her feet before he stood. He patted the snow off of his hoodie and pants and spat a few slush of ice that invaded his mouth. Elsa in turn patted snow off of the child's hair before pulling her by her hand and half-dragging her inside the castle.

"Come inside. It's getting dark." Elsa muttered, sounding more like the queen than the mother.

Jack sensed that the queen did not like their little joke. He was aware that Elsa wouldn't be pleased with it at all, but something from her troubled expression told him that this wasn't the only thing she was angry about.

"Look, Elsa I'm so—"

"Inside, now." Elsa commanded. It was more for Snowflake than it was for him. She was ignoring her.

Oh boy…

The little girl didn't seem to mind as she was happily skipping behind her mother, but Jack didn't quite like her hold on Snowflake's hand. The wind billowed against their tresses as she walked ahead, her trail swishing from side to side along with the breeze. There was a terrifying aura that associated the Snow Queen in that get-up. Not only was she devastatingly beautiful in it, but she was also emitting a warning beacon that promised chaos. Jack narrowed his eyes. It was either the woman was on her period or something might have happened that made her mood turn sour. Still, that wasn't the way a mother should welcome her child home.

He floated behind them with a small glare at the woman's back, resisting the urge to pry the child away from her near-death grip on her hand. "Do you have to hold her like that?"

The queen ignored him until they entered the castle, still having a tight hold on the child's hand. The soonest Elsa's heels clacked against the floor, electric gold frost shimmered through the floor, coating the beams in mere seconds. The ice reflected against the bright lights of the empty corridor, but what beauty it reflected did nothing to appease the queen's hold on Snowflake.

Only when the child squirmed did the woman stop and look back at the both of them. Her eyes were stern and fierce, a look of anger and disappointment mixed beautifully across her heart shaped face. Jack warily hid his left hand in his jacket pocket, feeling a numb burning sensation in the skin of his wrist while he bit the inside of his cheek.

Elsa lowered her gaze and sent a chilling glare at the child. Snowflake's smile disappeared, replaced by a confused and worried look at her mother.

Elsa knew she would regret her words later, but the stress and panic bubbling within her could not hold her back. She was scared of losing Snowflake and she was angry at Jack for not keeping his word and making fun of her. She was angry at the Union, angry at the Duke, angry at the monarchy…

But Elsa was mostly angry at herself for not keeping her emotions under control.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she whispered. The question was for Jack, but her gaze was on the child. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? Of what might have happened to the both of you when you took so long?"

"Look Elsa—"

Elsa lifted her gaze to Jack, her eyes wide, but her brows scrunched together in frustration, "You promised to have her back by sunset!"

Jack retorted with a deadly calm voice, "There was a setback, okay? I'm sorry I didn't bring her back on time! But I at least I brought her back safe!"

"Safe?!" Elsa nearly shrieked, her fists fisted against the sides of her dress. "Safe?! She nearly fell a hundred feet above the ground when you brought her back here!"

Jack flinched at the intensity of Elsa's anger. He gripped his staff to the side, choosing to be the calm one in this situation knowing that it wouldn't help. He glanced warily to the side, aware that tears were beginning to well up at the corners of their daughter's eyes. He knew well enough that parental fights scarred children more than they cared to admit. If Elsa was having her little episode, it was best that Snowflake wasn't there.

"Go find your Auntie Anna Snowflake," Jack told the girl, his gaze fixed on Elsa. "Your mother and I need to talk."

Elsa's gaze narrowed at him, but she agreed to the notion.

"Go Snowflake," Elsa commanded in the same voice she used when giving orders to her servants. "Your aunt is in the Conference Hall down the west wing."

Snowflake hesitated until Jack gave her a reassuring smile. It didn't reassure the girl, but she knew better not to interfere with grown up business. Every hour she spent with grown-ups, she found them more and more complicated. But one thing she understood though, from the heated glances her Mama and Papa exchanged, was that they were going to have one big fight.

And just like that, she scampered away, biting her bottom lip to fight the frightened sob. She'd rather be away than see her parents fighting.

When Snowflake disappeared from the hall, the intensity of Elsa's glare magnified tenfold. Jack realized that Elsa had been trying to suppress her anger from the start, although she had extreme difficulty doing so. He noticed the speeding up of the ice scattering all around them, and how she fisted her hands on her skirts in a knuckle white grip to suppress her frustration.

"Calm down Elsa," he said firmly.

"How can I just calm down?!" Elsa yelled. The loudness of her voice surprised the both of them. It almost sounded like a cry, and Elsa could not stop her shoulders shaking as she hugged herself and turned away. She covered her lips with her right hand before turning back to the face the winter spirit, resisting the urge to slap him on the face or shot an ice arrow at him.

It surprised Elsa how she could ever think so violently. All the built up stress was getting to her, and the control she lost over her powers didn't help her at all. She knew she was being both irrational and emotional, but she was just so tired… and she was just so worried…

"I was scared, okay?!" Elsa admitted, her eyes wide with honesty and weakness. "There were problems in the meeting and I was so darn scared that you took her away!"

"You didn't need to let it out on the child!" Jack berated her, whipping his staff to the side to dissolve at least fifty spikes of ice that protruded from the walls. Elsa gasped, unaware that she had almost harmed Jack with her magic… Luckily, Jack Frost was the Spirit of Winter.

Elsa gritted her teeth. She didn't care if what she was about to say was selfish. She was angry and tired and fully aware that she would regret everything she said in the morning. But for now, she was willing to say anything in front of him, throw blind threats at him, curse at him, in order to let all of her frustrations go.

At the same time, she was grateful that he had told the child to leave them. With that, Elsa hated herself all the more.

"And you promised to take care of her!" Elsa yelled at him, not caring that her voice sounded more vulnerable and less demanding. "Yet you dropped the child the soonest you came back!"

"Look, I'm sorry about that okay?" Jack replied in exasperation, quickly raking the back of his head. Gosh, this woman was irritating him! "And that was meant to be a joke! Snow and I agreed to just scare you off a little!"

"Well it wasn't funny! And if I hadn't made that snow, she would have died!"

Flashes of her little sister Anna falling from a hit of her powers came flashing back in Elsa's mind. She shook her head violently, trying to dismiss the unwanted memory of a fatal mistake. Jack noticed that her shoulders began to shake… but what he assumed was anger was in truth signs of Elsa's past coming back to haunt her.

"Look, you don't have to yell your majesty." Jack hissed as he struck the floor with his staff, destroying the icy spikes that Elsa unconsciously pointed towards the both of them. "I can hear you perfectly. And would you cut it out with the spikes!"

Elsa saw in her peripheral vision how the whole corridor was now covered with her ice. She closed her eyes, trying to fight for control, trying to gain her bearings with every ounce of power she could muster. She tried to think of the people that mattered to her, to think of the time she had thawed the Eternal Winter with the help of her sister.

"I don't want you taking Snowflake places again." she spat in a low tone. She didn't mean it. She just felt the childish urge to blurt it out.

Jack looked appalled, "What?!"

"In fact I don't want you within ten feet of her!" she went on. She didn't mean any of it… but she could not stop herself.

"What the hell did I do?!" Jack asked her angrily.

"Until you learn how to do what you promised, I will not allow you to take her anywhere!"

Jack blinked. If it was any other situation, he would have complied just to appease the woman. But he needed to take Snowflake with him on future journeys in his search for answers.

Clearly, Elsa was not in her right mind and was strangely out of character. He didn't think she would go all bratty on him.

She started to walk away when Jack gripped her by her elbow and turned her around to face him.

"Now look here, your majesty, I don't know what's got your panties in a bunch, but you have no right to tell me what to do with my daughter." Jack hissed, his eyes narrowing into slits. He was vaguely aware of the bracelet that was now scorching hot against his alabaster skin.

Elsa jerked away her arm from his strong grip, "Don't you dare touch me! And how dare to talk to a queen like that!"

"Look, all I did wrong was taking her home late and do that nasty prank on you, alight?" Jack said, making angry gestures while he defrosted yet another spiky structure that threatened to pierce through his gut. "But apart from that, I did nothing wrong that got her in any harm's way, and I did bring her back!"

"You don't understand!" Elsa retorted, her eyes close to betraying tears. It annoyed her to no end that she was not being herself. It annoyed her and struck a blow to her pride how Jack was the one who remained calm in the situation. It annoyed her that she was being mad over nothing, that she was making a big deal out of what was happening.

But her mind was riling up the past. And at the same time, her doubts and insecurities of the present were gnawing at her and ruining her better judgment.

Within the back of her mind, the source of this irrationality was her fear of losing to the schemes of the Union, of not being good enough for them and for Arendelle , of losing Snowflake… but more than that was the fear of losing her daughter to Jack Frost.

She was jealous of him, and his control.

"What don't I understand Elsa?" Jack answered back, taking one step towards her with challenge in his eyes. "I think you're just jealous that Snowflake prefers to spend time with me more than she does with you!"

Elsa gasped, clutching a hand to her heart as if the words had pierced through her the way a blade would. She fell silent, knowing that he was right and knowing that she was fighting a losing battle she had started.

The next thing she did was the most preposterous thing she had ever done in her life as a young queen.

She slapped him in the face.

… … …

Shock was the word that described Jack's face the soonest her dainty hand met with his left cheek. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw how Elsa was surprised at the action herself with the small squeak she let out. Slowly he turned to face her, a blank expression in his steely blue resolve as he watched the woman stare at him with wide-eyed fear. She could sense how she had tried so badly to suppress it, but the winter spirit knew that he had hit the right nerve.

Usually, he would feel sympathy and know understanding in such a situation. But right then, he was annoyed at the selfishness Elsa displayed. Jack thought that they had agreed to do whatever that was needed for Snowflake's welfare, and here she was being a brat. He didn't care whatever it was that happened in the meeting like she said. Elsa needed to get an earful from him.

"Is that all you're going to throw at me, Elsa?" Jack said as he glared down at her. "Do you think after this little tirade of yours I'm going to let Snowflake stay with you?"

Elsa glared back at him, "I'd never—"

"Between you and me, I'm doing a better job at being the Dad." Jack muttered. "To think I thought highly of you, your majesty. But your behavior is no better than a snotty little teenage brat."

Elsa knew she was in the wrong… but pride got the better of her.

"I won't let you take her away from me." Elsa hissed.

"Who says I would?" Jack said in an attempt to scare her. He didn't mean any of it. But he wanted to see her reaction. "She just might come with me willingly."

Fear flashed across the woman's eyes.

Jack let out an aggravated sigh. He did not want to do this to Elsa, knowing that the whole argument was pointless. He'd make it a point to learn from Anna or Eugene and Rapunzel on what happened while they were away. The conversation was getting ridiculous.

"Look, I don't know what's gotten wrong with you. I told you before that I won't take her away but—could you please cut it out with the ice?!"

The Winter Spirit struck his staff against another spiky structure that poked his lower back before glaring at the woman in front of him.

"Make me," Elsa challenged.

Now Jack was pissed. He had wished that the conversation would end up in a civil manner, but instead the Snow Queen wanted to whip up another snow storm. He raised his staff and struck the floor with it, defrosting all of the ice that coated the corridors until it returned to its former iceless arrangement.

Jack had meant to show off his power to faze her. But if anything, it only made Elsa even more frustrated and jealous of his abilities. He did not see the pain and anguish behind her unrelenting glare that was dreading her ghosts from the past and her trials of the present. But instead he saw something else.

He saw a raging ember behind her cold blue gaze. He saw cheeks that burned a rosy hue and lips pressed together in bravado. He saw skin that looked soft to the touch and textured hair that fell messily over pearly shoulders. Even in her anger, the Snow Queen was a sight to behold, displaying resilience and power and might and elegance even in the heat of battle.

It stirred something inside Jack, something akin to anger and… wild curiosity. All coherent thought flew out the window when he threw his staff across the floor rather violently and walked towards her in two long strides. The motion caught the queen off guard, thinking that he was advancing towards her to attack her or strangle her as his eyes were narrowed with dangerous intent and his jaw was tensed in determination.

What he actually did shocked her tenfold.

The Winter Spirit kissed her.

… … …

The first few seconds when Jack Frost planted his lips over hers, Elsa froze.

The next minute that passed, she was slapping and hitting his chest, pushing with all her might to make him let her go. She was punished by having her shoved against the wall without preamble.

The following minute, she felt his cool hands rubbing at her sides before an arm circled at her waist while the other hand moved to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss.

The following moments, Elsa's thoughts melted into a puddle of goo…

Jack didn't know if he knew anything about kissing girls. He barely remembered anything from his former life if he had any experience. But judging how his lips naturally moved against hers, both angry and passionate, he guessed that he either had experience or was a natural kisser. This however, was the least thought that troubled his mind, for he could not find rhyme or reason on why the heck he was kissing the Queen of Arendelle!

All he knew was he was so pissed at this woman for being an emotional brat and for being so wickedly captivating in her misplaced anger. His body commanded him to punish her with this untapped passion, to engulf her in a heat that so nearly tried to scramble his wits right from the moment he saw her in her room, looking so ethereal and beautiful, up to this point where everything about her seemed… more.

He was all too aware of the scalding hot sensation that now burned from his left wrist, crawling to every part of his body like spreading mercury. Jack felt it strongest at the left side of his chest, where he knew his frozen heart would be… and he could feel it slowly beating to life like a loud war drum as he continued ravishing the Snow Queen's lips with fiery kisses.

When a moan escaped Elsa's lips and vibrated through his own, he felt a shudder run up and down his spine and scorching heat flood throughout his system. He felt a cold dampness in his clothes, vaguely aware that the frost in them had melted. Screw it, he didn't care if the sensation was painful enough to kill him for the second time.

He felt Elsa lift up her hands to rake through his spiky locks. Stars, her hands felt wonderful against his scalp as she lightly tugged at her hair. She moved shyly against him, curiously responsive to his touch as his hands danced up to greet her platinum blonde hair. They felt like living gold in silver against his hands, encouraging him to deepen their kiss until his lungs burned for the need of air…

Wait…

Elsa didn't know what to do with what was going on. All she knew was that for one, her first kiss was stolen, and for two, her body was betraying her. They both breathed heavily, lips moving frantically against one another, and she knew that soon enough her lungs would beg for the need of air.

But her thoughts were too far gone, and she relished too much in the alien sensations of a man…spirit kissing her as if the world depended on it.

She opened her eyes and saw warm brown eyes darkened with desire for her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that something was terribly off.

Jack Frost did not have brown eyes.

Almost instantly, the both of them had pulled out for air and for the shock to settle in.

And there Elsa saw a better view of the man before her. He had the same height, the same jaw, the same nose, the same hair, and the same clothes as Jack Frost. He reflected the same shocked expression as her as he stared back at her at arm's distance, the way Jack Frost would when he was shocked at something he did.

There was only one problem. This man's hair was brown. And he had striking brown eyes.

Make that two.

They stared at each other, frozen in place with shock until a glass shattering from the nearest hall into the corridor snapped them back to reality. Jack and Elsa jerked their heads towards the sound, finding Helena, Duchess of Strabald and a servant girl of Arendelle staring at them with dumbfounded expressions.

"Oh my," the duchess whispered in surprise and amusement after a long period of silence.

… … …

A/N: Quick update because I am paranoid! XD

This chapter embarrassed me, to be honest. I had to prepare myself by reading a lot of YA books and Romance fan fiction because I really do suck at romance. I was so… I don't know…. awkward while writing this. Rereading this chapter made me want to flip a table and do a troll face. Forgive me if you guys think they seemed kind of OOC here, but take note that Elsa really is extremely under a lot of stress and still has slight insecurities about herself in this fic, and Jack is under the influence of you know what.

Thanks to hydro0228 for his suggestion on the fake drop, and to Gabriel Reyes for the long review about thoughts on voices. I promise to look them up when I have the time. ^_^ Just like every other writer, reviews are encouragements, especially when they offer thoughtful insights, suggestions, rambles or whatever it is readers want to share. So thanks a lot to all who reviewed.

Also, the reason why I updated early was because midterm exams for the graduating batch are coming soon, which means I might not have the time to write sooner again. I hope these successive two chapters make up for my long absence in the fandom. Have an early Merry Christmas everyone! Make sure to drop a review on your way out.

This is also a thank you treat for the 300+ faves and 400+ follows. This number of readers has never been my goal when I wrote this fan fiction, so thank you all for believing in me although I suck eggs TT^TT

-May the Fortress be with you-

P.S. PM me if you are a Naruhina and Sasusaku shipper like me. Naruto ended already…boohoo… I need a rant buddy to PM with because Kishi broke my kokoro. *le krie*