I was planning on ending the story at the end of this chapter...then i thought Nah! So i'm not sure if i'll make a sequel or just continue with a chapter 11. Either way, i hope you enjoy!
Justin gazes steadily at his step-daughter. As a lawyer, he has been trained to look for loopholes and lies. Cassandra returns his stare appearing, if anything, contrite. Justin knows her story is riddled with lies, but can't bring himself to dig for the truth. His wife just seems thankful she is home, alive. After two weeks gone during winter, it is almost a miracle.
Cassandra, exhausted and freshly-showered, sits at the kitchen table. Her mother won't stop touching her- brushing her hair and holding her hand.
Cassandra is almost chocked with guilt. She can't exactly say 'I've been at the North Pole falling in love with Jack Frost.' They would have her committed, for sure.
Her mother cries as she tells about falling through the ice and hitting her head. Cassandra recites to her that a family by the lake took her in stay until she was better. Her parents hadn't heard of a house being so close to the lake. Honestly, neither had she. It hurts to lie, but she knows she has to.
Later, as Julie and Cassandra open presents and lay on the floor in a sea of torn wrapping paper, Cassandra tells her the truth. Julie lays on Summer, the Labrador, and listens without speaking. Her older sister recites every detail, from the encounter with Pitch to the blue of Jack's eyes. She keeps Pitch's role to a minimum, not wanting Julie to believe and be frightened. She doesn't want her baby sister to find him lurking in her dreams.
When Cassandra is done, the sisters sit in silence for a minute. Julie finally waddles to Cassandra, curls up in her lap, and kisses her cheek.
"You were right. Jack Frost did keep you safe in the winter," she says softly. Cassandra holds the little girl tightly and allows herself a few moments to cry.
The pavement is crunchy from dirty, mostly-melted ice. Two girls walk home from school in the middle of January. The little blonde girl darts off towards the community park. Her older sister jogs after, almost slipping on the gray snow.
Other boys and girls attempt to make a snowman of the limited supply. Julie joins them, grabbing shabby sticks to make the arms.
"This is horrible. He's a midget!" One of the little boys exclaims, gesturing wildly to the pathetic snowman. He yanks off his red beanie and throws it angrily to the ground.
Julie picks it up and dusts the ice particles off.
"Jack Frost ought to make it snow again," she sighs, wistful. The last time it snowed was Christmas day and she misses the crisp, fresh snow.
"Who's Jack Frost?" the boy asks, curious as he takes the hat back.
Julie's eyes light up and she begins to talk a mile a minute. The other children gather around her, mesmerized by her tale. She points at Cassandra.
"My sissy loves him," she confides.
The little girls sigh dreamily and the boys stick out their tongues.
"If you believe, he'll bring you the winter day you want. Maybe even give you a snow day tomorrow, with no school," Cassandra enthuse as the kids giggle and cheer.
She presses her hand to her heart and smiles at the clear blue sky. She misses him, more than she is willing to admit to a bunch of elementary school children.
A pure white blur flies past and gently explodes against Julie's back. She whirls around and pouts at her sister.
"Where did you get that snowball?" she demands. Cassandra holds up her hands.
"I didn't-"
Another perfect snowball comes flying through the park and hits another kid. They all laugh and look around.
"Where is it coming from?" a little girl with pigtails asks Julie.
The kids race off behind the trees, away from the swing set and entrance to the park. With a curious smile, Cassandra follows.
The clearing beside the park is powdered by freshly fallen, pristine snow. She gasps and turns in a slow circle, taking in the winter wonderland before her. The kids start a snowball fight, giggling and screeching.
Out of the corner of my eye, she sees him.
Jack Frost leans against an iced tree, his staff casually under his arm. He bounces a snowball in his right hand before lobbing it after Cassandra's sister. The kids race by and Cassandra wonder if they see him as clearly as she does.
He catches her staring and grins. She takes a few running strides in his direction and he turns to dart away. Cassandra follows, guided by the sound of his laughter. Just far enough away that the kids can't see her but she can hear them, Jack's laughter ends.
Jack watches her, her breath coming out in quick clouds of vapor. She is just as beautiful as her remembers…more so, if he thinks about it.
"Ja-ack," she sings, glancing around.
Jack shivers even though he is immune to the cold.
He steps behind her, his bare feet padding softly on the new snow.
"Baby, it's cold outside," he breaths against her neck. She turn in his arms, her hands going to his shoulders. Without warning, she yanks him close and embraces him tightly.
"I missed you, too," he chuckles. She pulls away and takes in his appearance. His white hair is as bed-ruffled as usual and his blue eyes shine like frozen sapphires.
He takes a step forward and Cassandra takes one back until her shoulder blades press against a frosty tree trunk. Jack lifts his hand to her neck, tilting her head back.
"I love you," she murmurs, her eyes alight.
He kisses her, then, and the world melts away around them. Jack keeps one hand on her waist and brings the other to twine his fingers with her own. He deepens the kiss and after a moment she feels the cold sweep of his tongue on her lower lip.
Cassandra pulls away, breathless, her lips tingling and on the verge of going numb. Jack leans his forehead against hers, panting slightly.
She smiles and brushes a stand of silvery hair back. Jack kisses the tip of her nose. Cassandra giggles. She can't help it. Her Jack is back and she's deliriously happy.
Julie peers around a barren tree, the sole witness to the couple's reunion. She sneezes softly into her pink mittens. Jack and Cassandra, still wrapped in each other, glance in her direction.
Jack sees her blue eyes focus on her sister and disappointment fills him. She doesn't seem to see him.
"She probably just saw you make-out with the air. That's awkward," Jack snickers. Cassandra socks him in the arm.
"You brought my sister home," Julie says, her voice ringing. "Thank you, Jack Frost."
Jack's blue eyes soften and he kneels in the snow. The blonde runs to him and throws her arms around his neck.
"Come play with us?" she pleads.
Jack holds his hand out to Cassandra.
"Only if Cass does, too." He gazes at her with an endearing expression and her heartbeat stutters. Cassandra takes Jack's hand and lets him pull her through the trees again, the wind aiding their dash.
It's late March and Cassandra can't help it. She is…sad. It's a huge understatement, but she can't concentrate long enough to decide a better word to describe her emotional turmoil. She munches down Special K cereal, then swallows a mug of peppermint tea, before sneaking back to her bedroom.
Jack lies on her bed, his pale head on her purple-covered pillow and his arms bent, his fingers laced behind his neck.
"I wish I could go with you," she breaks the silence.
Jack closes his eyes, the exchange already hurting. The thought of not seeing her for months pains him.
"We still have today," he says, feigning optimism. "We could go to the park or watch movies or-"
"I just want to stay in. Just you and me," Cassandra admits. She sits on the bed beside him, running her fingers through his shaggy hair. He smiles without opening his eyes.
"That sounds perfect."
He moves forward suddenly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pinning her against his side. She giggles and they wind up wrestling until they fall off the edge of the bed, landing in a tangle of limbs and hair. Jack spits out a clump of her hair and Cassandra dislodges his elbow from her side.
Still laughing, they make for the door, Jack chasing her.
They spend the entire day together, curled up against one another on the sofa. After a rerun of FRIENDS, Jack pulls her close for a long, intimate kiss.
"I'm really going to miss you," she breathes, leaning her forehead against his. The tips of their noses brush together. He smiles and tilts his head in for a deep kiss, the tip of his pink tongue sliding easily along her lower lip.
He's never kissed her like this before. He's never kissed anyone like this before. Jack can feel the heat of her body, the softness of her lips, the curves of her body pressed against his. It's overwhelming. He gathers her against his chest, her knees on either side of his hips.
She can feel the intensity behind the kiss, the adoration, too, because when they separate she is trembling slightly. She exhales and her breath fogs as it meets Jack's.
"Jack?" she inquires when they catch their breath. He leans back so they both are lying down with her against his chest. She straightens her legs and twines them between Jack's.
"Why were you there…that day at the lake?" she clarifies.
Jack's fingers are knuckle-deep in her dark brown locks, trying to carefully unweave her braid.
"Before your father died, he asked me to keep an eye on you. When you went to school, when you went out sledding with friends, I was always there. Making sure nothing happened to you.
I met your father by accident. He had been skiing and had crashed into me."
Jack smiles at the memory of one of his only believers.
"He told me he was sorry and I was so surprised he could see me I almost tackled him in a hug."
The Winter Spirit blushes and Cassandra giggles sweetly.
"You believed, too, when you were little. I know you don't remember, but we used to talk. When you went with him to Aspen when you were, oh, five I guess, you kissed me on the cheek." Jack's blue eyes burn into Cassandra as she fights to remember. She can't seem to. How, is beyond her. Jack isn't someone she could easily forget.
"Then he passed."
The room is silent for a moment. Jack finally pulls her dark strands free and runs his fingers through the silky locks.
"You couldn't see me after that. You stopped believing."
Cassandra leans up, her body arching into Jack, and presses a loving kiss to his lips.
"That will never happen again. I promise you," she swears.
They talk for long hours, holding each other. When the sun slips below the horizon and Cassandra knows her family will be home soon, she walks Jack to the front door.
"I'll be back before you know it," Jack promises, embracing her once more. She holds his face between her hands, memorizing his face with doe-brown eyes.
"I love you, Jack Frost. Don't ever forget that."
She knows the months will be long. He knows the months will be hard. They are already counting down the moments until they see one another again.
"Love you, too, Cass," Jack says. "One day we will figure out a way to stay together."
"I know."
Jack steps back, the ice design on his blue hoodie glistening in the light of the full moon. He presses his fingers to his lips and holds them to her. She does the same and they smile. Jack waves his staff and the wind slowly lifts him into the dark sky.
Cassandra can't watch him go, closing her eyes and pressing a hand to her kiss-swollen lips. Tears don't come, but she can feel her heart splintering down the middle.
In her room later that night, she sits by her window, the panes open wide and a pencil in her hand. Her sketchpad rests against her knees. Moonbeams shine in as her only light. Her pencil flies across the page, sketching in details.
Soon enough, she's gazing at a near-perfect image of Jack Frost.
She tilts her head back, the creamy moonlight bathing her in white. The tip of her nose is cold and pink but she can't bring herself to close the window.
"Jack Frost nipping at your nose…" Cassandra sings softly, her words carrying on the last winter breeze.