Crying was the worst thing- Elsa was sure about that. She had cried so much in her life, and she wasn't even yet out of adolescence. Her eyes stung, and her body was shaking uncontrollably. Jack had been gone when she stumbled into the castle, so she had cried alone- with no one to console her. It was, if she shut her eyes, as if she had never left her bedroom in the first place. She was still alone, except, this time, Anna was knocking on her bedroom door, or calling her name. Anna wasn't there anymore- Elsa had sent her away with a monster made of snow. Elsa was sure the monster would not hurt Anna, but, still, she worried.

She was sniffling miserably when she heard a voice call her name. It wasn't Anna, and it didn't hold Anna's gravity or love. It held a kindness though, and a soft, gentle touch. "Elsa," he was behind her, and then he was kneeling next to her, "I got us food since I'm guessing you can't use your magic to produce food…" he trailed off when he noticed how her body was shaking with her quiet sobs, "Elsa, what's wrong?" he put his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him. He looked so concerned; it almost broke Elsa's heart. "Elsa, what is it?" his eyes froze in alarm, "Is Anna okay? You didn't…" he didn't want to say it, and he didn't have to either; Elsa knew what he meant.

"No, no," she murmured, rubbing her tears away with the backs of her hands, "No!" she exclaimed with more force behind her words. "I would never hurt her! Never, ever, ever, ever-" Jack pulled Elsa against his chest, holding her there until she relaxed against him and wrapped her arms around his torso. He circled his arms around her waist, rubbing her back. He whispered a soft 'shhh' in her ear, trying to comfort her.

He thought of all the times he had watched in silence as she cried, all alone. He hadn't been able to comfort her then, but he could now, and he was proud of that. He was proud to be the only one who had ever held her as she cried like this. He was there for her, and he felt that it was quite an accomplishment.

She sobbed, "I didn't hurt her- I wouldn't hurt her!" she cried in his chest, her arms wound tight around him. She had never thought of how much better it would feel to cry on someone. It had always been just her, and she had never expected that to change. "I told her to leave." She told him, pulling away just enough to meet his eyes; the blue pools were liquid, warm and kind. "I made her go." She said.

Jack nodded, "I know." He told her, "I saw her with that guy- and the moose… and the talking snowman…" He ignored the weird look Erza gave him, and carried on, "She will be alright, Elsa. You don't have to worry about her anymore." He pushed her white-blonde hair out of her eyes before he caressed her cheeks tenderly, "You can worry about yourself now."

She scoffed, "Worrying about someone is not a choice, Jack. I can't just…" she sniffed pathetically- it was adorable to Jack. "I can't just stop worrying about her." she wiped her eyes again, "But at least now I know that I won't be the one to hurt her." she frowned sadly, "No one would ever be able to hurt her as much as I could."

"Elsa, don't-" Jack started, not liking the way she convinced herself she was a villain. She was a victim in this; she had not chosen this life- it was thrust upon her the same way it had been thrust upon him, and her young shoulders had had to carry the sole weight and responsibility all her life.

"No, Jack, you don't. I am a monster." She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from crying again- crying was pathetic, she told herself, don't be pathetic. "I did the right thing. I know I did. You were right to make me talk to her." her expression was as cold and frozen as her magic. "I am the threat. Only I can remove the threat."

"Elsa," his voice was low, "You are not a monster." He promised, meeting her eyes and not letting her icy glare scare him away. "You are a good person."

She scoffed again, her expression one of bitter pain, "I am not a person, Jack." She told him, exasperated. She pulled herself away from him, standing up with the perfect posture of a Queen. "I am a monster. If I wasn't a monster, I would be able to do this-" she broke off abruptly as she threw her hands up, making fast spinning gestures. Jack looked up, and a dark cloud had gathered above them, swirling ominously- inside the castle.

Jack was impressed at the magic, and he stared at the cloud in awe. "If that makes you a monster, Elsa," he stood too, and he picked up his staff, twirling it lightning-quick in his hands. A white blur formed around the fast moving staff; a perfect circle. Jack made a sudden movement, and the ring of white flew away from him, stopping above Elsa. She gasped. From the ring came flurries of snow. The snow landed atop her head, its ivory colour no different to the girl's hair. "If that makes you a monster," he repeated, his voice calm. The snow clung softly to her dress, adding more intricate detail to the blue gown. "Then this makes me a monster too."

Elsa's jaw dropped, and she refused to meet his cool stare. "No, you aren't a monster, Jack." She said quietly. "You're magic is beautiful." She caught a tiny snowflake in her palm, looking at its individual shape. "My magic is ugly and dangerous." She frowns.

"Elsa, how can you say your magic is ugly and dangerous?" he asked, his brows furrowed and his lips pulled into a deep frown. "Look at where we are standing- this is beautiful. You're magic- it's glorious." He stepped towards her, "And you've never hurt me with your magic, Elsa."

She looked up at him, her eyes sad and distant- with the past. "Do you know what I did to my precious baby sister?" she asked finally, her tone miserable, "I hurt her, Jack. She was unconscious, and I thought that I might have killed her. I have never been so scared in my life, Jack, as when I thought Anna was dead."

Jack's smile had dropped immediately, and he looked at her with concern and care. She had been through a lot- he knew that already- but he didn't know her perspective. He stepped closer to her, and touched her hand; it was ice cold.

"I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had of killed her, Jack. I would have rather died than let any harm come to her. I still feel that way, Jack, and she doesn't know." She sighed, "Anna thinks I don't love her. She thinks I find her a nuisance, and she thinks I want nothing to do with her. She doesn't know that I love her more than anything in this world."

"It's okay, Elsa, I understand." He frowned, "My little sister would have died. I died for her. I drowned- I froze- so that she would survive. I understand how you feel."

She shook her head, "I know that you understand, Jack. You understand everything. But it doesn't matter. All that matters is Anna understanding. Because I can't die to prove that I love her." Jack dropped his eyes to the floor at that. "I can't show her- at all. The only way I can save my baby sister, is by pushing her away." She sighed again. "I have to push her away. I know."

Jack pulled her to him very suddenly, and she gasped against his hard chest as his strong arms wound around her small waist again. He buried his head in the crook of her neck, leaning over her slightly. "You deserve so much more than this magic, Elsa." He told her. And she didn't reply, she just let her head lay against his chest.

Everything was peaceful- strangely so.