A/n: I am a bad person to have kept you waiting so long… Also I drank a lot of coffee so I'm sorry if this chapter seems like a squirrel wrote it. One more thing! This chapter gets a little dirty. If you don't like dirty I suggest not reading it. If you do like dirty, then yay! It's my apology for taking so much time off from writing.

.:23:.

"It's beautiful…" Jack breathed as he clutched Sophie's petite frame to his chest. She hummed a happy little giggle in response as his breath left crystals of ice in her hair.

He shifted her weight in his arms, then gently lowered her feet to the ground, all the while keeping his gaze on the pond. Sophie reluctantly let go of his shoulders and took a step back to give him some space. She wanted him to get a chance to really take it in without her distracting him. He brought his staff up across his chest and gripped it, and Sophie was reminded of a child holding a security blanket. She smiled to herself as Jack moved forward to take a look around.

"It was my idea, but North was the one that did it for you." She said quietly.

Strings of lights had been wound through the trees surrounding the pond. The lights themselves were shaped like snowflakes, and even in the dim midday light they glowed cheerfully against the bare branches. A few benches had been moved into position on the edge of the pond, and a picnic table rested under the boughs of a large tree near the water. It didn't seem like much to Sophie, but she knew it went deeper than that with Jack. His lips parted with something akin to awe, and he turned slowly to gaze up at the trees, clearly enjoying the new ambiance of his pond.

"How..?" Jack's voice trailed off as he glanced up at the lights in the nearest tree, and Sophie moved forward to point up into the branches.

"They're connected to little solar panels. They charge all day and then stay on all night. Technology is fun." Sophie laughed when Jack gave her an odd little grin.

"It's wonderful, thank you." Jack said softly. Sophie smiled for him, and Jack walked slowly out onto the ice, his feet as sure on the slick frozen surface as if it were concrete.

Sophie glanced up to see a few tiny snowflakes begin to fall, just wispy little things that seemed to reflect Jack's mood. It was calm and quiet and contemplative. She raised her face to the sky and sighed peacefully, putting her hands in her pockets and enjoying the moment. Jack set the end of his staff on the ice and Sophie glanced down at him. He smiled happily at her, and the snow immediately increased. Thick flakes fell from the sky, and in the silence of that moment it was simply her and Jack, and if the rest of the world had vanished neither of them would have noticed.

"I love you." Jack said confidently.

Sophie was snapped from her reverie and her cheeks lit up in surprise, but a sheepish little grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. She felt like her chest might burst as she stood there with him gazing so softly at her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and she lowered her chin to let her hair fall down over one eye as she fought back the shyness she still felt in his presence.

"I love you, Jack." She said softly, still grinning to herself as her cheeks burned.

He ignored her blush and held a hand out to her, inviting her out onto the ice. She accepted, and very carefully stepped out onto the frozen pond. Her boots slid a little beneath her, but she managed to stay upright and mostly stable. She made it to Jack's side, and he pulled her in close as the snow fell around them. Sophie looked up at him, and Jack chuckled a little and put the back of his fingers against her flushed cheeks. She jumped at the shock of cold and snatched his hand from her face. Jack laughed softly at her reaction, but it was cut short when she tilted her head just right and brought his attention instead to her mouth.

Happy to accept such an invitation, Jack leaned forward and kissed her. A thrill went through her body, bringing to mind things that she wasn't sure she was ready to consider. It didn't help that Jack dropped his staff and used both hands to drawn her as close to him as possible, pulling her off balance. She didn't know if he'd planned it or not, but they slipped and she landed on Jack's chest in surprise. He maneuvered her expertly into position so she was straddling him, her knees resting on the ice on either side of him. Jack brought one leg up and braced her in position, and Sophie shivered from more than the cold as Jack slid his hands down to her hips. She was surprised at his sudden self-confidence, but she knew he'd been through a lot lately. He'd practically lost a brother, and she understood how deeply he needed her right now. He needed to know that she was there for him, and that she never wanted him to be alone again.

Sophie brought a hand up and brushed her fingers through his hair. His eyes slid closed and the snow was immediately so thick she couldn't see the trees anymore. Her musical little giggle made him snap his gaze to hers, and as she stared down into his icy blue eyes the snow nearly stopped. He reached up and caught the back of her neck, bringing her down for a kiss. She braced an elbow on the ice, her hair draping over one side of their faces like a curtain. One of her knees slipped and Jack let out a soft sound of approval as her weight settled entirely on him. Color touched her cheeks again, but she tried to ignore it. Heat was spreading through her body, and she was all too aware of how inappropriately close they had gotten. Finding herself unable to think of a good reason to move, she simply relished the feeling and shifted a little to get comfortable. A low moan rumbled in Jack's chest, and Sophie realized exactly what effect she was having on him.

Wiggling her hips a little, she enjoyed the way Jack's grip suddenly tightened on her. A devilish smirk crossed her features, and she braced both elbows on the ice and cradled his head between her forearms, offering him an innocently generous view down the neck of her shirt as she spread out over him. His hands moved to her waist and he stared up at her hungrily. She leaned down and pressed soft kisses to his slightly parted lips. Jack let out a shaky breath, and his hands slowly slid down her body to rest on her thighs. Sophie surprised herself by letting out her own gentle groan of pleasure, enjoying the way Jack rubbed the backs of her thighs through her jeans.

Sophie knew her hormones were going wild, giving her all sorts of ideas on how this lovely Christmas day could end. Her body felt like it was on fire, and she was overly aware of the gentle little movements Jack was making beneath her, and her own subconscious responses to him. His hands slid up under her shirt, caressing the bare skin of her lower back, and she was so worked up she didn't even feel the cold. A knot of dread had formed in her stomach, and Sophie wondered if she'd let herself go to far with him already. She gazed down at him through the haze, and recognized the look in his eyes. He was thinking the same thing she was, and Sophie sighed gently and leaned forward to rest her forehead against his. Jack understood and removed his hands from her skin, bringing them up to cup her face gently.

"Take your time." He said affectionately. There wasn't a hint of irritation or bitterness in his eyes, and Sophie smiled in relief.

"Thank you…" She murmured, then gave him one last gentle kiss before gathering herself and climbing off of him.

She sat beside him on the ice, hugging her knees and realizing that she was trembling. Jack stayed spread out on the ice, his eyes closed peacefully. He almost looked like he was meditating.

"I'm sorry, I want to, I just…" Sophie started in a small voice.

"You're not ready. Don't stress about it, it's not important. I don't want it to be like that with us." Jack sounded much older than he looked just then, and it suddenly hit Sophie just how old her boyfriend truly was.

Jack opened his eyes and turned to smile up at her. He offered her a hand, and Sophie breathed in happy relief as she took it. She laid back on the ice beside him, and the snow slowed to a complete stop as Jack got his emotions under control again. They stared up at the sky together, neither of them speaking as they enjoyed their time together. After a while, Jack looked over at her.

"You know, just because you're not ready to go that far, it doesn't mean we can't… you know." A slight tinge of color appeared on his cheeks and Sophie laughed.

"You mean fool around? Perv. Well, I guess three hundred years is a long time to keep you waiting. I'm game for a little fun." Sophie laughed at the slight embarrassment on his face, but Jack grinned in triumph all the same and rolled over to nestle up against her.

"Besides, I like you better when you're confident and open. It's sexy." Sophie giggled when Jack leaned back to give her a sly look that said 'oh, really?', then his hand was up under her shirt again and he rubbed a thumb against her hip. She rolled onto her side and draped a leg over his hip, then rested her head on her arm and smiled happily at him.