The changes came gradually, not noticeably at first. For half a year or so both of them doubted, ever so slightly, if what Pabbie had said was true. But you can't spend so much time close to someone and not notice new things about them. When Jack held her hand, she noticed it was warm. When he stood next to her, she thought he'd grown taller.

And when she touched his face to kiss him, she felt the strangest thing beneath her fingers.

"This is weird," Jack said, when Elsa dragged him in front of the mirror to show him the stubble that had appeared on his jaw. "Does this really mean I'm getting older?"

"Yes, I suppose it does." Elsa put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Jack, you look fine."

That was the last thing Jack was worried about. In the snowy courtyard he joined Kristoff as he played with his son and Olaf. Little Agdar, named after Anna and Elsa's father, was already very noisy and very active, nearly on the verge of crawling. As snowflakes began to fall, Agdar stuck out his tongue trying to catch them, and Jack held out his hand.

A snowflake landed in his palm and began to melt before his very eyes.

"I'm losing it," he told Elsa later that night in her study. "The wind doesn't follow me anymore. Snow melts between my fingers. And..." A chill breeze blew in from an open window. Jack wrapped his arms around himself. "It's cold."

Elsa shut the window and guided Jack to the couch. She wrapped a blanket around him.

"Jack, I'm so sorry about your powers," she said. "You know, I almost didn't think you'd really lose them."

"I can get through this, Elsa. I'm gonna be fine." He smiled at her. "Some people are worth melting for."

Now it was Elsa's turn to smile. "Okay."

Outside the snow slashed through the darkening sky as Jack curled up beneath the blanket and leaned in closer to her, putting his head on her shoulder.

"Baby," he whispered, "it's cold outside."

He rounded out the family up very nicely, Elsa noticed, watching Jack make Anna laugh by the fireplace, as he held Agdar on his knee, as Kristoff strummed his lute softly. She noticed his movements had become less light and quick, more easy and relaxed. He couldn't fly like he used to, couldn't freeze anything he touched no matter how hard he tried, now he got tired and needed sleep like everyone else, and the long staff he always held on to was soon reduced to just that- a staff. But he was happy. Elsa thought she'd never seen him so happy.

They knew the change was final and real when the people of Arendelle started seeing him, too. Within the year that had passed since his last real thaw, Arendelle had officially accepted Jack as the queen's consort- and the children's favorite playmate. It had been a bittersweet experience for Jack as he'd bid goodbye to his magic and embraced real life.

"Auntie Elsa!" Agdar exclaimed, cutting through her happy thoughts. "Snow? Please?"

Elsa laughed. "All right, Agdar." She knelt next to him. "You ready?" The boy nodded vigorously.

"Watch this." Elsa formed a snowball above her hand and tossed it into the air, where it burst into fine, glittering powder. Agdar squealed in delight.

Anna laughed out loud. "That never gets old!"

"Uncle Jack, you do," Agdar said. His limited vocabulary apparently didn't prevent him from giving order like a prince.

Jack grinned. "Not anymore, kid, but your auntie's pretty darn magical enough for both of us."

"Jack, language!" Anna scolded teasingly.

Elsa watched her nephew play with Olaf in the snowdrift she'd created inside the room. Jack crossed the floor- walking, like a normal person would- and sat nearby her.

"You still want one?" he said tentatively.

Elsa looked up. "Do you think-?"

She'd pushed the thought away for so long, thinking that it was impossible and Anna would always have something she never could. But maybe...now, after Jack's return to mortality...

"Really?" She said.

He smiled. "It's worth a try."

He said Sit back down where you belong

In the corner of my bar with your high heels on

Sit back down on the couch where we made love the first time

And you said to me

Somethin', somethin' about this place

Somethin', 'bout lonely nights and my lipstick on your face

Somethin', somethin' about my cool Nebraska guy

Yeah something about, baby, you and I