Chapter 21: Those Unspoken Words

Jack and Elsa walked into the dining room holding hands, to find Eleanor, Gregory, Eugene, Anna (who had obviously been carried downstairs), and Kristoff already eating. At the sound of the double-doors opening, they'd all turned towards the door-frame.

"And where have you two been?" asked Anna, visibly fighting a grin. Jack saw Elsa blush furiously, but he smiled widely back at them, winking.

"We were out," he simply said, the both of them sitting down next to Kristoff. Jack realized with a jolt that Gregory was staring right at him- Eleanor must have told him about the Spirit of Winter, who had been in on all their conversations.

"Hi, I'm Jack," he introduced himself, stretching out a hand towards Gregory. The poor guy looked stunned as he stretched out a hand, shaking Jack's hand in his own.

"This looks good," interrupted Elsa, looking down at the food on their plates. "I'm famished."

"I bet you are," grinned Anna, wriggling her eyebrows. "Any physical activities that would have caused such hunger?"

"Anna," warned Elsa, and Jack noticed with renewed amusement that Elsa's face was as red as the curtains of the dining room. Kristoff chuckled, looking back and forth between Elsa and him. Elsa tried her best to ignore him, piling potatoes on her plate.

She began eating in silence, Jack shooting looks at Eugene and Kristoff, who were shaking with silent laughter. He bit the inside of his jaw, stopping himself from smiling.

With a clang, Elsa dropped her cutlery in her plate.

"What's going on?" she asked sharply, blushing again. Kristoff tried to calm himself enough to be able to speak.

"Sorry, El'," he said, his eyes shining with hilarity, "But you two aren't exactly discreet."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean," she said regally, raising her chin a little higher. Jack fiddled with his staff, avoiding eye-contact with Eugene or Kristoff, sure that if he crossed one of their gazes, he would burst out laughing. And he didn't want to make Elsa more uncomfortable than she already was.

"Really?" said Anna disbelievingly, "Because I'm not really getting innocent vibes over here."

"I'm sorry, I'm not getting what we're discussing here," intervened Eleanor. Anna opened her mouth as if she was going to explain what exactly she was trying to make her sister admit, when Elsa interrupted her.

"Geez Anna! This is not a convenient topic of conversation for us to have here!" she hissed.

Anna waved her hand dismissively, as if talking about Elsa's 'physical activities' was a completely normal, and suitable, topic of conversation to have around dinner.

"I'm just wondering where my sister was for the day," she shrugged innocently.

"What do you expect me to say? 'Anna, guess what, I disappeared because I wanted to have sex with Jack'?"

Anna yelled triumphantly, as Kristoff and Eugene burst out laughing, no longer hiding their laughter. Jack looked up, a startled grin erupting on his face. She looked mortified.

"And that," he said proudly, "is why she's my girlfriend."

The boys laughed harder, and Elsa smiled too, though her face was still beetroot-red.

"I knew it!" said Anna, jumping up and down excitedly. "Was it good?"

Elsa shook her head, resigned.

"Yeah, Snowflake, was it good?" he repeated, ignoring Eugene and Kristoff's laughter.

"It was pretty great, yeah," she admitted, rolling her eyes at the renewed hilarity. "You two are really immature," she said, raising her eyebrows in the direction of her in-laws.

"My first time was pretty awkward," babbled on Anna, "Kristoff didn't really know what he was doing."

Elsa hid her face in her hands, trying to swallow back laughter at the same time Jack burst out laughing, and Kristoff shouted in protest.

"That wasn't what you said at the time," he objected. Before Anna could retort, Elsa coughed, regaining their attention.

"As pleasant as I find this conversation, we've got to talk about more… important things."

Kristoff and Eugene stopped smiling, and Anna frowned, looking worried.

"Anna." Elsa sighed, looking around at all of them, before turning her gaze back to her sister, who was watching her anxiously. "I've decided to send you away."

"What do you mean?" asked Anna quietly.

"Arendelle has become too dangerous. You're pregnant, and if we were attacked tomorrow by Pitch's forces, and something happened to you-"

"I'm not leaving Arendelle," Anna said firmly.

"You are. Tomorrow. You're going to Corona with Kristoff, Lucinda, and Jack."

Anna turned to Jack, fixing him with a blue-green stare.

"And you've agreed to this?"

"You need protection. Jack can provide it."

"Elsa I don't know if you've noticed, but it's the dead of winter. It could take weeks, hell, months-"

"I can speed us up a bit," said Jack, "And once you're safe, I'll fly back to Arendelle as quickly as I can."

"Are you insane?" gaped Anna towards him. "How did she convince you? You do realize that an attack from Pitch while we're gone is a very real threat?"

"That's why you have to go," said Elsa.

"And if that happens," intervened Eugene, "We'll be there. We can hold them back until Jack gets here."

"Fine," said Anna, shooting another murderous look at Jack as if this was his fault, "Get rid of me, then, if that makes you feel better."

"It doesn't make me feel better," said Elsa quietly, and Jack swallowed back the urge to snap back at Anna. "I'd be much happier if my pregnant sister could stay in the castle with me. But this is war, Anna. People are losing their lives out there, and I can't- I won't allow you to be one of them."

"Elsa-" tried Anna again.

"My decision is final," said Elsa dryly. "Go pack."

…

"She hates me," said Elsa for the thousandth time, as she paced her room. Jack raised his palms to cover his face, laying down on her bed.

"No, she doesn't," he said exasperatedly.

"I snapped at her-"

"She was being unreasonable. Kind of like you right now."

"I'm not being unreasonable-"

"You are. She'll see sense in no time, don't worry."

"This could be the last time I ever see her-"

Jack sat up so suddenly Elsa stopped pacing.

"You'll see Anna again, Elsa. You know you will."

The white light of the moon reflected on her pale hair, highlighting her blue eyes, filled with anguish. He sighed, and raised from the bed, walked towards her, and pulled her in a tight embrace.

"I could stay," he whispered in her hair. "With you. You can send guards to look after Anna-"

"You are the only one I trust my sister's life with," she breathed in his sweatshirt. He closed his eyes, resigned. His gaze flashed to the clock.

It was midnight.

"Do you want to sleep?" he whispered. She looked up, her blue eyes glinting in the darkness. She shook her head, before pulling on his sweatshirt, forcing him to bend down. His lips met hers, and he pulled her in, savouring the way she melted into him.

She broke away.

"I need to take a shower," she said, smiling up at him. He nodded.

He lied back down as he watched her enter the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He heard the sound of water being poured into the bathtub, and he waited.

He closed his eyes, letting the sound of running water soothe him.

What seemed like a small eternity later, the door opened. He opened his eyes sleepily, looking towards the doorframe- and gaped.

Elsa was there, dressed in nothing but lacy lingerie, and a black cardigan.

"What are you doing?" he asked slowly, watching with attention the way she moved as she leaned back against the wall, gauging his reaction.

"Making the most of you while you're still here," she answered. Slowly, he stood from the bed, but didn't come any closer. His eyes roamed her revealed curves.

"Come here," he said, but she did no such thing. She leaned on her hands, who were pressed against the wall, biting her lip as she dared him with a single look. He took a step forwards.

"You're making this harder, you know," he said, his eyes raising back to her face, meeting her icy blue gaze. "Me leaving."

"If you want, I can go dress-"

"That-" he laughed, shaking his head, "That's not what I meant."

"Good," she smiled, and he could have sworn there was a glint of maliciousness there. She knew exactly what she was doing. She took a step forwards, and joined him across the room.

His sweatshirt fell to the floor, as she traced the lines on his torso with a finger. He was barely breathing.

"You're driving me crazy," he breathed. She met his gaze, tilting her head to the side, and smiled sweetly.

"I know."

…

Afterwards, they lied in bed, watching the stars out of the window.

"You've got- um- experience?"

He looked down at Elsa, who was determinedly avoiding his searching look.

"Are you asking me if I've had sex before?" he asked, hiding a grin.

"No- Yes? You don't have to tell me, if you had. I was just wondering. If- you know. Fell in love once."

"I didn't love her. I mean- I thought I did, but now, looking back… I know I wasn't in love."

This statement was met with silence- Jack knew she wasn't angry, but she didn't know if he would let her ask more questions.

"She was- from another village. She was called Dorothy."

"And then you died," she whispered, and he felt her lips move against his chest.

"It was a fling," he said, "I honestly didn't know what I was doing half the time. It was really awkward afterwards."

"What did you do?" she said, finally meeting his gaze as she looked up at him, smiling a little. He sighed, ruffling his hair.

"I don't want to tell you," he said, laughing softly. She raised herself on her elbows.

"Okay, now I really want to know."

"Trust me, you don't," he said.

"Come ooooon," she grinned, "Please?"

He looked down at her imploring gaze.

"Okay, fine," he groaned. "So, I grew up on a farm, and my parents never gave me the birds and bees stuff, so I had like absolutely no idea what went on behind closed doors."

"You at least had some kind of idea?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Well I'd- Promise me you won't laugh."

She giggled, bending her head, her hair covering her face.

"Fine, I promise," she said.

"Why don't I believe you?" he asked. She shrugged innocently, and he narrowed his eyes as he caressed her arm and shoulder. "I'd only seen it done by horses."

He forced himself to say the words quickly, scared that he would change his mind. She frowned, looking confused for a second.

Then, her eyes widened.

"You mean- you tried-"

He nodded. She burst out laughing, burying her face in the sheets of the bed. Jack grinned.

"That poor girl!" Elsa said between hiccups of laughter.

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" he said defensively, though he couldn't help grinning at Elsa's hilarity. She was near-crying with laughter. "How could I have known?!"

"Jack, I never had anyone before you, and I knew how it was done!"

"Come on- Wait. What do you mean, you had no-one before me?" he asked, frowning. She stopped laughing, looking at him curiously. "You were a virgin?!"

"Of course I was, I told you-"

"You didn't tell me anything! Christ, did I do it right? Did I hurt you?"

"Jack, come on, I'm not a sensitive creature-"

"But how is that possible? You're twenty-one, and beautiful, guys must have thrown themselves on you!"

"The locked-up-because-dangerous-ice-powers thing might have been an obstacle to my dating life," she teased, amused at his fretting. "Honestly Jack, it's no big deal- it's not like my virginity was a treasure that needed to be guarded, you know."

"But-"

"I'm glad it was you," she said, blushing just a little. "I wouldn't have had it any other way."

He softened, resuming brushing his knuckle against her arm and shoulder.

"I'm glad it was me too," he breathed, and she knelt forwards, kissing him softly.

…

The morning sun glinted on white, freshly-fallen snow. Elsa lifted her shirts, avoiding a pile of snow, approaching Anna. The princess was lying down on a wooden sleigh, covered in furs and cushions. She watched Elsa approach with a forlorn look on her face.

"I'm sorry Anna," Elsa said, looking down at her sister's face. "I have to."

Anna took Elsa's hand in her own.

"I know," she whispered, squeezing her hand. Elsa bent, kissing her sister's forehead.

"I'll see you soon, alright?" Elsa said. Anna nodded. She started turning away, before Anna could see the tears gathering in her eyes, but Anna pulled her hand.

"Don't let that be a lie, El'."

She nodded, and turned to Kristoff. His dirty-blonde hair was hidden underneath a grey snow-cap. For a moment, she found she was at a loss of words. The brown eyes of her brother-in-law searched hers. Then, she threw herself in his arms, and he held her close. Their embrace said everything they hadn't ever said to each other- it was her thanks to have found her sister, her gratefulness that he was now part of her family, as much her brother as Anna was her sister. Finally, she let go, leaving a grim Eugene hug Kristoff, and turned to Lucinda. The small girl looked up at the queen.

"I name you Lady of Hildenburg. Do you know what that means?"

The girl shook her head.

"If there is no-one of my family left, you will be queen. So you have to be careful all right? And take care of Princess Anna. Will you do that for me?"

Lucinda nodded again, and Elsa squeezed her hand.

"I hope I'll see you again, Lady Lucinda."

Before she could raise back up on her feet, the little girl had wrapped her small arms around Elsa's neck, burying her face in her shoulder. After the initial surprise, Elsa wrapped her arms around the girl's small body. Lucinda broke away again, and kissed Elsa's cheek, before sauntering towards Anna. Elsa watched her go, a small smile on her face. She heard the sound of the gates opening, and the sleigh started to move.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" whispered a voice, and Elsa felt Jack's breath tickle her ear. She turned, to find him a breath away from her. She smiled up at him.

"I don't know," she said, lacing her hands behind his neck, "Who?"

"He's pretty good-looking," murmured Jack, an amused yet sad gleam in his blue eyes, "White hair. Amazing lover." She laughed.

"It does ring a bell," she whispered, and then, they were kissing, her hands in his hair and his around her waist, and tears- his or hers, they would never know- were on their cheeks.

"Jack," she said breathlessly- "I have to tell you something."

Something that she'd known since they'd talked about wishes and stars, since he'd held her when she woke up from a nightmare, since the diamond cave that she so desperately wanted to get back to…

I love you.

But before she could form the words out loud, Jack had shaken his head.

"Don't say it," he said softly, brushing her hear behind her ear. "This isn't goodbye."

She shook her head, and they were kissing again, and she wished so badly that she could tell him to stay, that he would never let her go-

"Jack!" called Kristoff, and their kiss ended. Jack looked back into Elsa's eyes, filled with tears, and squeezed her hand.

"I'll see you again, Elsa of Arendelle. Or die trying."

"Let's try to not die," she said, laughing amidst her tears.

He flew away, joining Anna, Kristoff and Lucinda, and Elsa watched him go, feeling at once as if something vitally important was missing-

And the weight of her unspoken words filled the air around her.

The doors closed, and Elsa sank to her knees. Eugene jumped forwards, and knelt beside her, holding her as she sobbed.

She dried her tears, and stood up again.

"Come on," she told Eugene, "We have some planning to do."