A/N: So sorry it took me so long to update. But seriously, you people are really not very helpful. Last chapter, I got three reviews.

Mysterie1985: Should be the stepfather

Kathryn51703: I want it to be that her father's there.

NorthernMage: I get the feeling that whoever it is, it's no one good…

Well. Thank you three for reviewing. But to everyone else, really? You people had one job! So I just kind of had to choose. So I'm sorry if you don't like my choice.

Jack was not one to get speechless. In fact, in all of her life, Jack could count the times where she had been speechless on one hand. However, she was grateful that this was one of those rare times. It she hadn't been so in shock she was speechless, she most likely would have screamed.

Because there were two people at the door. One of those people was her mother.

The other person was her father. Her real father. The one that was supposed to be dead.

Her mother's eyes lit up when she say that Jack was awake. "Jacklyn! Oh, we were so worried about you!" She rushed over and threw her arms around her eldest daughter. "Don't you ever scare us like that again!"

It took Jack a few seconds to hug her mother back. "I'm sorry." She couldn't bring herself to say any more. Already she was lying. She wasn't sorry in the slightest. Her little sister was sitting there, alive and well, and Jack would never feel sorry about that, even if it meant dying.

Her father stepped forward. "You're very lucky that man showed up. You would be dead if he hadn't."

It took all of Jack's willpower to not say, "Yeah, you would be too." Instead she just kept her head down and nodded. If there was one person that scared her more than Pitch, it was her father.

Jack's mother grabbed Olivia's hand and pulled her off of Jack's bed. "Come, Olivia. Jacklyn needs to rest. How about you come help me make dinner, alright?"

Olivia looked reluctant, but she allowed her mother to lead her away from Jack's bed. Jack's father leaned in close. "Don't think that this changes anything. The minute you recover, you're going back to working on the farm and I am finding you a husband. Understand?"

Jack angrily replied, "You know what? No! You're not finding me a husband. I need to be around here to protect Ollie from you. I'm sick of being afraid and letting you push me around. I'll be the one to decide who I marry. And there is nothing you can do about it!"

Or at least that's what she said in her head. In reality, she looked away and didn't say a word. Jack's father angrily huffed, but he wasn't drunk and both Ollie and Jack's mother would be able to see if he hit her. So instead he just walked away.

Jack wasted almost no time to go looking for Pitch. She told her mother that fresh air helps people recover strength, so she was allowed to spend the afternoon outside for a few hours as long as she didn't do anything that would push her too much.

Of course, Jack knew exactly where to look first. If Pitch was hiding, she figured that she would have to set a trap for him, because the chances of her finding the Boogeyman while human with no powers were minuscule. But, if Pitch wanted her to find him, he would be at the pond.

Walking through town was strange. In modern days, if a child had fallen in the pond and almost died, everyone would know and Jack would be surrounded by mother's that were concerned about her well being. But since she only almost died, no one knew. Or no one cared. Either way, the only weird looks she got were from the people that thought she was a witch. Yeah, there were one or two of them. Luckily that hadn't caught on. Drowning seemed a lot more peaceful than being burned at the stake like she would be if the whole town decided she was a witch.

Another strange thing to Jack was the cold. Her feet were bare and she was in a dress (ew) and it was December. By the time she finally reached the lake, her entire body was numb.

"About time. I almost thought you had gotten lost." Nope, Pitch wasn't hiding. Saved her the trouble of setting a trap then. He was standing on the edge of the pond, looking just as smug as he had years ago (or year to come) when he had attacked the first time.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that I was following a tight schedule." She took a step towards him. Pitch didn't scare her, but she couldn't deny that confronting her without her staff or any weapon at all was making her uneasy.

"I supposed you're wondering what happened to you."

"I'm wondering what happened in general. For starters, why am I here?"

"Come now Jack. Or is it Jacklyn here?"

Jack grit her teeth. "Do not call me that."

"Very well. I thought that it was obvious, Jack. If you are human, than no Jack Frost."

"Jack Frost will still exist. Just she will be a different spirit. Manny will choose someone else."

"Exactly! Winter isn't supposed to be as powerful as you are, Jack. Seasonal spirits should stand absolutely no chance against an ancient, powerful being like me. You have this sort of spirit about you that seems to make you far more powerful that you should be. A different Jack Frost won't have that."

"What makes you so sure you'll get away with this? The Guardians will find a way to fix this, you know they will."

"But are you sure you want them too?"

Jack narrowed her eyes. She knew what Pitch was doing. And the last thing she wanted to do was to fall into his hands. But she couldn't help herself. "What are you talking about?"

Pitch started walking towards her. "Have you already forgotten about your dear old daddy?"

Jack's heart froze. She took a few seconds to reply. "Why is he here? He should be dead."

"Oh my, is that fear I smell?" He started circling around the girl. "It smells delicious. I haven't felt fear this strong from you in a long time, if ever."

"Just answer the question."

"Simple. I came back here looking for some clues about your life, Jack. What makes Jackie Frost tick? How exactly is she so strong spirited, so strong willed?"

He leaned his head over her shoulder so he speaking almost right into her ear. "Then I saw poor little Jackie get hit by her father. And once again, I thought to myself, 'how is she so strong? An abused child, she should have been broken long before getting the chance to be a spirit. But then I realized it was because of her. Your little sister, Olivia."

Fear stabbed Jack in the heart. She knew Pitch could sense it. There was no possible way he couldn't. "You stay away from her."

"Olivia Overland, the one person that Jack Frost cares about more than anyone else in this world. You took beating after beating for her. You learned to deal with cold, with pain, just so she wouldn't have to. And then I realized the truth."

He laughed, a truly evil laugh. The kind that you only would hear in movies. "You won't allow yourself to be saved. I brought your father back for one reason and one reason only; to force you to stay. As long as he is around, you will be too. You will stay human and take all the pain and misery that comes with it. Because if you don't, then you will go back to being a spirit that no one can see, and the only person around that your father will have to take his violence out on will be your precious little sister."

"No!" Jack tore away from him. She couldn't help herself, she was sobbing. Strong, emotionless Jack Frost was sobbing her eyes out at the very thought of her father laying a hand on her little sister. She wanted to run away, but her legs wouldn't work so instead she just fell to the ground clutching her arms to her chest and shaking with tears.

Pitch was absolutely gleeful. He had never heard Jack cry so openly before, and he hadn't even laid a hand on her. The fear he was getting from her was more than twice the amount he had gotten from all of Burgess last time he had made a comeback and scared all the children. He had done it. He had found the perfect solution to deal with the pesky winter spirit for good.

He started walking away to fade into the shadows. "Just remember Jackie; it's your choice."