"They'll be so relieved te see yoou alive, Jack." Merida said to him, "They love yoou very much."

Jack simply looked up at her and nodded to her statement. But to Merida, Jack did not seem as eager and excited as he should be. Why isn't he? This is his family! The people that loved and cared and raised him. How could he be so calm, almost as if he wasn't even interested?

"Aren't yoou excited te see 'em? Merida asked.

"I'm glad I know who I was," Jack spoke honestly, "I'm glad I have a family. But I can't be eager to see them if I don't remember them."

Merida didn't know what to say to him. She couldn't image the position Jack was placed in, not being able to remember anyone he had met and loved, and she pitied him. But not just him, his family as well. They must be so heartbroken, so devastated by Jack's death, Merida couldn't even fathom such grief. If something had happened to her mother or father or the triplets, Merida wouldn't know what to do with herself.

By the time they had reached the small clearing where Jack's little house stood, it was an hour past dawn. Merida didn't remember his house being so far from the DunBroch castle.

"They'll be surprised at first. But let me do the talking," Merida said, "Ah don't want yoou messin' things up."

"How would I mess things up?" Jack asked with a mischievous grin.

"Ah'm serious Jack." She warned, "We don't want yoour mother and sister scared of yoou."

Jack rolled his eyes while holding his smile. "They won't be scared of me. They'll recognize me the second they see me."

The two approached the wooden door of the house. Merida knocked and stepped back, leaving Jack in full view of the doorway. Seconds after, it was little Mary who opened the door. Jack knelt down to Mary's height, his weight shifted on the balls of his feet.

"Recognize me?" Jack asked playfully.

"Hi Merida," Mary croaked with tears
in her eyes.

Jack rose to his feet, his expression nothing but confusion. Of all things her to say, she chose to greet Merida? Why not, "Jack, you're alive" or "Jack, I was so scared" or "Jack I missed you"? Did she truly not recognize him? And as he stared down at her, Mary looked as if she was deliberately avoiding his gaze. As if she didn't see him. Jack looked back at Merida who was equally confused. The two quickly turned back to the sad little girl. Jack was about to say something to Mary, about to reach out and touch her, but the moment Merida started to speak, he retracted his hand.

"Mary, don't yoou-" but before Merida could finish, Mary had started to run.

And she did run. She ran straight through Jack who gasped in horror and started to breathe deeply as if he had been punched in the stomach. He looked back to see that Mary had embraced Merida and started to cry. Merida was looking back at him with shocked eyes, but not a word came from her mouth. Jack brought his hand to his chest. To him, he felt solid. He felt real. But his own sister walked right through him! How is that possible?

"What just happened?" Jack exclaimed, "She ran right through me! How did she-"

He stared down at Mary with accusing eyes, "Can you not hear me?"

"Are you here to pay your respects?" Jack turned to see his mother standing in the doorway, staring right over him and down at Merida who remained shocked and even a little afraid.

"Uh yes-yes." Merida said as Mary relinquished her hold on her.

And just the same as Mary, Mrs. Overland walked through Jack like he didn't even existed. And he didn't holler or panic. He didn't gasp or pant. He simply gave Merida the same look he gave her when she tore out his heart, that hurt, mortified look, and took off into the air, above the trees and out of sight.

Merida watched where he vanished and promised herself she would find him as soon as she was able. She had to speak with the Overlands first.

"All day I've been seeing him," said the tearful Mrs. Overland, "I see him even though I know he's gone."

"He's not as gone as you think," Merida thought to herself, "How could they not see him?"

"Ah... Ah miss 'im too. He was my best friend." Merida replied slowly.

How was she to tell them that Jack was alive? How was she to explain that the Man in the Moon brought him back to life but for some reason they couldn't see him? But she had to try right?

"Mrs. O'erland," Merida rubbed her arm and linked her fingers together, "Ah 'ave somethin' te tell yoou about Jack."

"What is it Merida?" Asked Mrs. Overland with a melancholy smile.

"Ah- Ah found Jack." She replied, still unsure of how she was to explain things to them.

"How? I saw him-" Mary choked back a sob, "He fell through."

"But he's alive." The words were beginning to spew from her mouth.

Merida saw Mrs. Overland's smile transform into a glaring stare. "He would be home with us now. If this is a joke, Merida, please stop."

"Ah found 'im last night. He was saved-"

"Saved?" Mrs Overland's eyes went wide, "You saved him? Where is he then? Where is my boy?"

Merida's tongue was tide. How could she tell them? She knew she was going to break their hearts. She stared down at the frost covered ground. "Ah don't know why, but yoou can't see 'im."

Mrs. Overland and Mary were left silent.

"But he's changed." Merida explained, "He says he's Jack Frost now and that the Man in the Moon saved 'im and he-"

"Merida, stop." She didn't notice that Mrs. Overland had started to cry along with Mary, "Jackson is dead. I know he was your friend, and you want to believe he's still alive but he's not."

Mrs. Overland paused and took Mary under her arm, "We don't need any false hope no matter how much we love and miss Jackson. And that little delusion of yours was rather cruel."

She then looked down at her sorrowful daughter, "Come on sweetie. Let's go inside." Turning back to Merida, Mrs. Overland said, "Goodbye Merida."

"Goodbye," Merida replied woefully.

Before the Overlands entered the house, Mary glared at Merida and it sent a shiver down Merida's spine. The door to the house closed, and Merida walked back to Angus. She petted her horse, replying the conversation in her head and it saddened her. She already knew it was going to be next to impossible to convince them that Jack was alive and well, but knowing she had failed her hurt. But not only that, she knew she could no longer have a relationship with them. By the look in Mary's eyes, the disappointment, the sadness, the anger, Merida could see that she wasn't welcome anymore. And it broke her heart.