Chapter 4

(Jack's POV)

I took Rapunzel roughly by the shoulders and her beautiful blond curls whipped along with her delicate head. Her green eyes were a mask of surprise as she faced me. She felt so small and vulnerable in my arms, and I felt the sudden urge to protect.

"Are you out of your mind," I exclaimed. "Because there is absolutely no chance I am losing you!"

When she heard my words, her eyes softened. She slowly took my hands away from her shoulders and stood up. She took my hand and I also stood. I could feel every eye in the shop zeroed on us. But I didn't care. All I could see was her. She smiled at me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I stood there in shock. I barely know her and now she's hugging me? And you know what I did? I just stood there, rock-still.

I am such a jerk.

Sometimes.

I caught a whiff of her hair.

Hmmm…. Strawberry. It smelled like home to me. She raised her head from my chest and smiled.

"You won't lose me. I'll always be your friend," Her eyes twinkled. "But if you're talking about me being dead, then you don't have to worry either. I babysit Merida's brothers when she's away. I've had experience."

When she said the part about her wanting to be my friend, somehow I didn't like it. At the back of my mind I knew I wanted to be something more, but I've only just met her. Then she said the next part….

"Wait," I looked at her. "What has babysitting got anything to do with being dead?"

"Wow. You really are new here, aren't you?" Merida said, still sitting at our table. By then the people had gone back to their business and were now ignoring us.

"Huh?" Hiccup looked at her and cocked his head to one side, confused. "Is there something we missed?"

Merida glared at him. "Stop interrupting or I'll do something about it."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "But I talked when you stopped talking!" He argued.

Merida turned her head and crossed her arms. "Whatever," she said. "my brothers are more like wee little devils running rampage. Rapunzel and I are like their leashes." She looked at Hiccup and narrowed her eyes. "And if they don't have their leashes on, they will do…" She leaned over the table and poked Hiccup's chest with each syllable. "Unspeakable things."

Hiccup gulped and backed away, looking at me with fear in his eyes.

I laughed and patted him on the back. Then I leaned in and whispered. "Just keep her cool, man."

Then I stood upright again and rubbed my hands together. "So," I said. "Where do we find this guardian guy?"

Merida stood, grabbed her jacket, and headed to the glass doors.

"Where are you going?" Hiccup asked, standing up and taking his leather jacket. Rapunzel and I followed.

"I'm going to the one place that might have an answer." She replied and headed out the door towards her car.

(Merida's POV)

Two hours later we were sitting down at the library, looking through the pages of books.

"Guys, we've been here for two hours and we still haven't got a single clue about this guardian guy." Rapunzel whined.

I sighed and stood up. "Come on, Rapunzel," I took her hand. "Let's go find some more books." She groaned and got up. Jack and Hiccups hadn't even raised their heads to acknowledge us. They sat at a far corner and where sorting through piles and piles of books.

We went to the mythology section and started sorting through.

About ten minutes later, Rapunzel yelped and I immediately rushed to her side.

She pointed at a page:

The Guardians include Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, and the Tooth-fairy. They are called the Guardians because their main purpose in life was to protect children. A British legend says that another Guardian was added. It was said that that guardian had white hair, blue eyes, and a staff. Some call him the Frozen One because of how he handles frost as his magic.

I gasped and looked at Rapunzel; Both our eyes wide. Rapunzel shut the book and we ran to the boys. On our way there, however, we collided into Hiccup at the science section.

"Woah!" His face was that of surprise as he looked at us. "What are you girls up to?"

"We need to ask you a question," Rapunzel said sweetly. I rolled my eyes, grabbed him by his front shirt, and shoved him at the shelf.

"No more time for politeness," I said through gritted teeth. He seemed shocked at first but then he smiled.

"You are one tough girl, Merida," he drawled.

I was getting really annoyed by this guy. I tried punching him in the stomach but my fist made contact with rock-hard abs.

"That's cute," he chuckled, not hurt at all. "I'll answer both your questions."

"What are you hiding from us?" I asked him as I slowly released him.

"Well, for starters, I'm Scottish," he said, grinning at me.

My jaw dropped. "But you can't be Scottish!" I exclaimed. "You don't even have a Scottish accent!"

"That's because I grew up in America, sweetheart." He said, which only intensified my frustration.

I pulled back my fist to punch him but he engulfed it in his big hands, stopping me.

"Stop it, you guys!" Rapunzel intervened. "They're only questions!"

We both looked at her and nodded. We stepped away from each other and let Rapunzel do the asking.

"What's Jack's full name?" Rapunzel asked him.

"Jack Frost." Hiccup replied casually.

"What a dork," I muttered under my breath.

He turned to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Did you say something Red-Head?"

I punched him again and he blocked it perfectly, taking my fist in his hands again.

"Rapunzel asked you a question," I said through gritted teeth. "What's his full name?"

Hiccup thought for a while. His eyebrows scrunched up together. His bottom lip went out and I thought of kissing him.

What?! Ew. Gross. I shook my head to clear the thought.

"If you count his mother's last name as a maiden…." Hiccup trailed off.

"Well?" Rapunzel urged him on.

Hiccup's face turned pale and his green eyes widened.

"Jack Guardian Frost," he whispered.