Chapter 7: Story

His arm wrapped around her a little tighter as he felt warm tears gently soak his cotton sleeve. Helplessness was all he could feel. He couldn't make her smile. He couldn't fight away her fears. He couldn't protect her. He could do nothing. He lay silently in the dark, listening to soft whimpers and small sniffs. Jack could only draw her closer hoping she knew he was with her.

Nightmares terrorized Pippa as she slept. Images of Jake haunted her as she watched him tear her doll apart in her dreams.

"Give it back!" Pippa cried, but he wouldn't stop. "Please Jake stop!"

He threw the broken doll into the mud as she watched in fear, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes grew wide with worry, yet she felt safe and her heart felt braver as someone stepped in front of her, giving her a cocky smirk.

"Everything is going to be all right. I won't let him lay a finger on you."

Jack. She wanted to scream. She wanted to stop him, but her body wouldn't move. Her lips wouldn't form the words she wanted to say.

"Leave her, Jake."

"Come and get me then."

He left her side leaving her in the dark. Her heart thundered in her ears as fear surround her. Pippa tried to run after her brother, but he had disappeared into the dark, chasing Jake.

"Jack! Come back!" She screamed. "Don't leave me!"

Alone, she strained her ears to hear him, but he never said a word in return.

"Jackson Overland Frost! Come back!"

Her brave cries turned into whimpers and sobs as panic slowly consumed her. She ran as fast as she could only to lose footing, unable to find him. Sobs and screams pierced the lonely silence as tears fell in the dark.

"Sh, sh Pippa it's all right."

He tried to comfort her, but she couldn't hear him. She screamed softly in her sleep as he drew her closer.

"Pippa, it's all right. It's all right."

No longer able to watch her cry, Jack slipped out of bed.

Carefully he lit the candle as the small light reveled her shaking form. Her bangs had fallen into her eyes while she had slept, hiding her face.

Kneeling to her level he stroked her bangs from her eyes. His breath caught in his throat as anger boiled in his chest seeing the black and blue.

She screamed a little louder as she shifted a little, rubbing her face into her pillow. Making her bangs fall into her eyes once more.

"Sh, sh, Pippa it's only a bad dream."

He brushed back her bangs as her eyes wearily opened.

"Sh, sh, don't cry. I'm here, I'm here. Everything is going to be fine."

Smiling gently he softly whipped away her tears as he caressed her cheeks.

"It's just a bad dream. You're all right."

"Jack, I'm scared."

Her frightened wide eyes looked to him as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Sh, sh, hey it's all right, I'm here. I won't let anything hurt you."

He dried her eyes, but he could still see the terrorizing fear.

"Hey, do you want to hear a story?"

A small spark of joy ignited in her eyes as she eagerly nodded her head. Quickly she sat up letting her legs dangle over the edge of the cot as she watched her brother stand up, ready to act out the story.

"All right, all right, how about a new story for tonight? Huh?"

She nodded her head and gave small smile, anxious to hear her brother's new tale.

"Once not too long ago there was a boy named Jack, who lived in a small cabin in a village called Burgess. He had a little sister, who he loved with all his heart. Her name was Pippa."

He softly poked her noise when he said her name. Making her laugh. "Jack!" He smiled at her and continued.

"Jack would always play tricks on her. In the spring when the leaves on the trees were green and when the wild flowers bloomed all around, he would climb the tallest trees and swing upside down from their branches to give her a little scare. Making her shout. 'Jack get down from there!'"

Pippa burst into a fit of laughter as her brother tried to imitate her voice.

"During the summer when the weather was really hot and when there was not a cloud in the sky. He would take her down to the lake. There they would play in the water. They would splash each other and have water fights."

Pippa squealed, quickly taking refuge under the blanket as Jack lightly splashed water at her with the water from the face bowl. "JACK!"

She laughed along with him as he burst into a fit of laughter. When he calmed Pippa crawled out from under the thin blanket, anxiously standing on the bed.

"Throughout the winter when snow fell and the trees were bare. They would make the biggest snowmen and have snowball fights."

"How big were the snowmen Jack!?" Pippa asked barely able to contain her excitement as she jumped up and down on the cot.

"They were as tall as Pippa herself!" Jack chuckled. "When the lake turned into ice and would shine in the sunlight. Jack took Pippa skating. Teaching her how to fly."

He spread out his arms and ran around the small room, pretending he was flying. He stopped in front of her and stretched out his hand.

"In the fall when the leaves in the trees turn color and when the wind became crisp and the harvest was ready to be picked. He taught her to dance. Teaching her to follow her own beat as they danced in the square around the fire pits under the harvest moon."

Pippa took his hand as she began to dance around the room. Fear surrendered to fun as joy gleamed in her eyes. He smiled, seeing her smiling and laughing as she danced.

She laughed louder as Jack rushed in towards her scooping her up and spinning her around as if she were truly flying like the birds in the spring and summer. He spun her around the room until they both were too dizzy to spin any more, collapsing onto the cot.

Pulling the blanket over themselves he held her close to him. Her face saddened as fear slow crept back into her eyes. She didn't want to go back to sleep. She didn't want to return to her nightmares.

"Sh, sh," he hushed seeing her eyes were becoming full with worry. "And at night, when the moon was high in the night sky and when the sun fell asleep and when she was afraid of the dark. He would take her hand and chase after the night with a candle. He would hold her tight and tickle her pretending to be the tickle monster making her laugh.

He gave her a mischievous smirk as he gently tickled her tummy making her giggle.

"And when she was scared and her dreams turned into nightmares, frightening away her smile and laughter. He would tell her stories about funny and silly things Jack would do that made her laugh and smile again."

Sleep filled her eyes as she struggled to keep them open, unwilling to dream.

"Hey are you getting tired, sleep head?"

"I want to hear the end of the story."

He smirked as he could see dreams starting to take her away.

"Sh, sh just close your eyes. I promise everything will be fine. I won't let anything hurt you."

He wrapped his arm around her waist as he tenderly stroked her hair. She snuggled close to him letting out a sigh of relief knowing he would be right there. Her trusting brown eyes looked to her brother as she let them close, surrendering to fatigue.

"When the moon was high in the sky and the stars twinkled brightly and when she slept safe and sound in his arms. He would whispered promises in her ear."

A small smile crept onto his lips as he realized Pippa had fallen asleep.

"Jackson Overland Frost promised he would be the best big brother Pippa Elizabeth Frost would ever have," he softly whispered. "He promised to find the prettiest eggs the Easter Bunny would hide in the spring. He promised to stay up with her on a special winter night to see Santa Clause and to catch a glimpse of the Tooth Fairy when Pippa lost a tooth. He promised the Sandman would always bring her good dreams and scare away the nightmares that made her afraid. Jack promised he wouldn't let anything... Hurt... Her..."

His face slowly fell, realizing his broken promise.

"That... he... Would always... Protect her..."

He lightly brushed back her bangs, uncovering her black and blue eye. Mixed feelings fought and toiled inside of himself. Anger and frustration simmered in his chest as hurt and confusion stabbed his heart. Concern and worry filled his eyes as he softly gazed at her.

He wanted to wake her up. He would go on his knees and beg. He wanted her to tell him what had happened. He wanted to know who and make sure that person never touched her again.

There must be a reason. There must be a reason why she won't tell me. Jack thought, desperately trying to reassure himself.

He shifted a little closer to her, letting his forehead softly press against hers. Wordlessly his lips wondered to the black and blue eye, planting a small kiss. She stirred slightly, cringing at the light pressure. He let his hand slowly fall from her face, allowing her bangs hide her eye. Leaning up he extinguished the candle's flame. He settled down close to Pippa, wrapping her tight in his arms, surrendering to sleep. But dreams wouldn't come to him.