Hey update here! :D I can't think of anything to say so I'll let you get to the story. :P Enjoy Chapter 3: Past and Present!

The snow had picked up after Lily left her brother in the cave. She ran through the woods like a jackrabbit, dodging this way and that just like her brother had taught her. Jump, duck, catch self after tripping, keep running.

After what felt like forever with her legs and arms sore and numb she burst into the village square. Running past people who shouted in surprise she ran straight to her home at the end of the village and throw open the door.

Her mother and father, who had been sitting next to each other looking worried, bolted up and hugged her.

"Where have you been!" Her mother exclaimed.

"Can't….talk…' Lily pants. 'Must…Save Jack…Cave…Hurry!"

"What are you talking about?' Her father says soft but hurriedly. 'Where is your brother?"

"In our cave!' She exclaimed once she got her breath. "We stopped there to take a break but I sneezed and the snow fell in the opening. Jack pushed me away and he got trapped in side! We have to save him!"

Her dad quickly jumped up and ran outside to go get some men to help. Her mother pulled a small quilt over her and set her in front of the fire.

"Lily, you need to warm up your ice cold!" Her mother scolded when she tried to get up.

"I don't care!' She cries out. 'I have to help save Jack!"

"No. You are to stay here while your father and I look for him." She mother says.

"No, I sneezed and made it trap him in there. I have to go back, I promised I would!" Lily protests.

Her mother looked her over and sighed. "I know you will just sneak out if I don't so fine."

Lily cheered and got out of under the quilt as she shot outside to join her father with her mother behind her. Her dad was already talking to a small group of six men; all had ice picks and hammers. Some had some medicine that she was pretty sure would be for Jack.

The group set out and half way there Lily could have sworn she saw a bright flash from where the cave was. She shook her head and just told her self it was their lanterns shining of the snow.

Once they got there she gasped, like many others in the group. It stead of the snow wall being there like she left it, it was gone and the cave looked empty.

"Is this some kind of joke, Jack is pulling?" A gruff-y man from the village asked.

"Dear are you sure it was this one?" Her dad asked, ignoring the other man.

"Yes! If you look there is higher snow around the edges of the opening. Someone moved the snow before we got here!' She says as she runs forward. 'Jack? Jack! Jack, where are you?!"

She rushed into the cave and looked around, her brother wasn't there but his lantern and coat was.

Both frosted over.

She cried in fear as she picked up the coat and held it to her chest. It nipped at the skin under her dress but she didn't care. "Jack! Jack come out this isn't funny!"

She moved around the little room and searched for any sigh of him, but there was nothing.

Her dad walked in and held her. "Lily, if this is a joke I need you to tell be now where Jack is."

"It's not a joke!" She cries. "Jack was trapped here, he told me he would be here when I got back with help. He promised! Why isn't he here?!"

Her father shushed her and walked her out of the cave, he turned to the other men. "Keep searching I will return after I take her home."

Some nodded in understanding, others grumbled but did as they were told.

Lily was quite while her dad was gone, and did not move from her place in front of the fire till he opened the door. She jumped up and ran to him, looking behind his from both sides to see if she could find Jack.

"Where is Jack?" She asks hopefully, jumping up and down as she waited to hear her brother's voice and give him the biggest hug she ever had.

Her dad sighed sadly as he looked to her mother, who had just walked up behind her, and shook his head. "We couldn't find him. He just…disappeared. No tracks, no trail, nothing."

Lily stopped jumping in shock, then she backed away as hurt and fear came to her eyes. "No. No that can't be true! Jack promised, he promised he would be ok! You just didn't look hard enough! He can be out there hurt or something and your just standing here!"

Lily tried to run out the door to go find her beloved brother, but her father picked her up and held her as she screamed and wiggled in his grasp.

"No!' She screamed as tears ran down her face. "No! He has to come home! He is out there! I know he is! We have to find him, let me down!"

She began to calm down as her parents moved to their couch and whispered sweet nothings in her ears. Soon she felt the darkness of sleep come to her and she fully grasped it, hoping to wake up from this horrible nightmare.

(A month later with Jack and co.)

Jack had become a part of the family right away. It took about a week for Glace to accept he had no ill-intents and cared for her brother as much as she did. Manuel took about a week and a half, in that time Jack had began training for his powers. He was really good at snowballs and could put in some kind of magic in it that made even grumpy Old Man Winter join into the fun and joy of a snow battle.

It had surprised them when Jack had first used the magic and couldn't figure out how he got it, since they couldn't. Johnston finally came to the conclusion that it must have come from Manny, who he then needed to explain who that was to Jack, and they all agreed.

Johnston told Jack he had a past life before becoming his son, which they were both comfortable with now, and Jack could have really cared less. He had a family and made friends with all the other animals that are awake when in winter. He was happy with what he had, and he didn't want that to change.

Sadly it did change when Manuel's time finally came.

Manuel lay on his bed and coughed weakly. "I truly hate this, why Manny is so slow to take me is really annoying."

Jack sat quietly as Johnston rolled his eyes at the older spirit, the trio of bears sat at the foot of Manuel's bed, which would have easily fit Jack and Johnston on there too and still have room, looking sad.

Manuel looked over at Jack. "Jack? Come over here, boy, why are you way over there?"

It was true. While Manuel's bed was in the middle of the room, Jack sat on the on the window-seat a little bit away from them. Jack stood and walked over, he shuffled his bare feet.

A few days after getting here Jack started to hate wearing his shoes because that made his feet sweat and didn't give his toes space. So he began to walk around with out them. Around that time Jack had also became friends with the wind, which surprised Johnston and Manuel greatly when they saw him flying around with ease. Normally the wind gave them at least a little trouble, but no when the wind twirled and twisted Jack round and around like a stray leaf he had no problem landing or knowing where he was going.

Jack came back to the real world when he was tapped on the shoulder. He looked up to see Manuel holding a smaller version of his ice staff, giving him a small and normally uncommon smile. Now he had been smiling a lot more since Jack came, but this was the grandfather or uncle-y type of smile. Not the teasing or bemused type of smile Manuel normally used around Jack.

Jack watched him curiously as Manuel sat up a bit straighter and the polar bear cubs stood from the spots they had been laying in and ran out of the room. Manuel beckoned him closer, and Jack came to where he was only a foot or so away.

Manuel's smile widened. "Jack ever since you came here, I have felt less like my season then I have in a long time."

Jack didn't know if he should take that as a good or bad thing so he just nodded.

"And since you have done that for me I think before my time is up I should return the favor. I know you have minor problems with your powers and have come up with a way to help you with that. Now I have worked a long time on this so don't try to deny it!' Manuel scolded when Jack tried to do just that, though he knew by the look in Jack's eyes that he really did want it but was trying to be nice. 'And now is the time I believe you should have it."

As if on cue the cubs came in with a long box in their mouths. Jack took the wrapped box with a smile and they grinned back before getting back on the bed.

Jack sat cross legged on the ground as he slowly un-wrapped it, when he finally got it open he gasped.

In side was a staff, but it was different from Manuel's or the simple walking stick-like one Johnston used. No this one was mad of a thin but strong looking wood. It was curved at the top, but while Manuel's was a small curl this curve made a hook.

Jack, and the others, watched in awe as it began to glow a light blue and frost grow over it when Jack held it. It fit perfectly in his hand and the hook was a head taller then him, it felt right.

"It's perfect." Jack whispers, he laid it back down and jumped onto the bed as he gave Manuel a tight hug.

Manuel looked shocked, but he soon melted into the hug. Soon Johnston and the cubs joined in too, and they all just sat there. For this might be the last time they all could do this and they wanted to remember it.

They finally let go and smiled at each other. Manuel smiled softly as he laid back, his form flickered slightly making the other look at him worriedly. He laughed softly. "You need to stop worrying, it is just Manny showing it is my time to go."

Schnee snuffled, which sounded weird coming from an animal. "We'll miss you."

Moroz, Glace and Jack nodded looking like kicked puppies. Johnston stepped forward and smiled as he and Manuel locked their hands around the other's forearms.

"I will miss you too, dear friend." Johnston says.

"Oh stop being so formal, boy." Manuel teasingly scolds.

"It's just how I am, old man." Johnston chuckles back, but then he smiled sadly. "But we really do mean it."

Manuel flickered again but smiled. "I know, I suggest we hurry Manny is becoming inpatient."

Jack had a few tears falling down his cheeks. "Thank you for the staff, Manuel, I really love it."

Manuel chuckled. "I had hoped you would, take care of the others and let them help you as well, ok?"

Jack nodded. "I will."

Manuel sighed. "Then I believe it is time for me to go, good bye."

Then Manuel just seemed to fall apart, he became a pile of snow that a kind of magical wind blew out the window and into the sky.

They all had small and large tear in their eyes and going down their faces as they huddled together, but that didn't take away the happy smiled on their faces as they watched they friend go somewhere better.

Where ever that somewhere, was.

R&R! Ta.

VGF