Time is free, but it is also priceless.


Jack couldn't keep himself from smiling as he hopped into his pickup truck, ignoring the cold seats and sticking his key into the ignition.

Both his sisters had gotten new ice skates for Christmas, and Pippa had not-so-subtly hinted that her and Sophie were dying to try them out. And, thankfully, one of the few things Jack brought with him during the move was his own pair of skates. He hadn't really been big on skating for a while, but the thought of spending some quality time with his siblings sounded great.

Sitting in the cab of his truck as the heater slowly warmed the air, Jack texted Jamie an invitation to join them on their outing. After all, the kid shouldn't spend all of his time playing video games.

Deciding not to drive until after his step-brother replied, Jack glanced back at the café before him. He could barely make out the silhouettes of the two Arendelle sisters as they continued enjoying their coffee. Anna was probably the cheeriest person he had ever met – which was a nice change from all the painfully-polite people he had encountered so far in Arendelle. Most of the townsfolk treated him like something they stepped in, while the strawberry-blonde showed him nothing but kindness.

Unfortunately, he couldn't say the same about her sister.

Elsa was still treating him coldly, though he was now under the impression that she did so with everyone. She came off as incredibly reserved, and though he had always found himself attracted to outgoing girls, the puzzle that was Elsa Arendelle intrigued him.

Feeling his phone buzz beside him, Jack picked it up and hurriedly read Jamie's response; ice skating apparently sounded 'nICE'.

Shaking his head in amusement, Jack put his car in reverse and began backing out of the café's parking lot, idly wondering how he'd fit all three of his siblings into the cab of his truck.


"Just make sure you adjust all the mirrors, and if you need to, go ahead and adjust the seat as well – there's no point in being uncomfortable."

Jack rolled his eyes fondly at his stepmother, who was busy zipping up Sophie's bright yellow jacket as she explained her SUV's quirks.

"And the face of the radio likes to fall off, so don't be alarmed if that happens. You can just push it back in until it clicks into place. Also, the cup holders in the back are broken, so I'd really appreciate it if you don't let the girls bring back any drinks. They love the ice rink's hot chocolate, but they both drink so slowly. If you don't think they'd have time to finish it there, then don't even waste your money," Mrs. Overland continued as she wrapped a maroon scarf around her daughter's neck.

"Don't waste money on the beasts; got it," Jack confirmed, earning a playful growl from Sophie and an irritated huff from Pippa.

"You're not funny," his sister quipped, though he could see the sparkle of amusement in her brown eyes.

His step-mother merely chuckled, before standing from her kneeled position and giving all of them a quick once-over. "Everybody warm enough?"

Jack glanced at his sisters, who were both bundled up in several jackets, before his gaze shifted to Jamie, who seemed content in his winter coat. Jack, himself, was adorned in a light windbreaker, though he was never too affected by the cold. The rink they were going to was indoors and had a nice little warm-up room with a concession stand, so he figured if he did get cold, he could warm himself up with a hot chocolate.

"I think we're all good," he declared, shooting his stepmom a grin. "Thanks again for letting me borrow your car."

Mrs. Overland returned his smile. "It's no problem at all, Jack. You guys have fun!"

A chorus of goodbyes filled the entry way as Jack exited the Overland Residence, silently thanking the heavens that his father hadn't been home. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Don would flip at the notion of Jack driving his wife's SUV, even though the silver-haired boy was a very capable driver.

Unlocking the doors once he reached the driveway, Jack hopped into the driver's seat as Jamie made his way around to the other side, needlessly calling shotgun. Their sisters excitedly piled into the back, playfully bickering over who would have to skate with Jack.

"Everybody buckled up?" Jack called as he started the car. He was answered by three clicking sounds, followed by an impatient kick to the back of his seat. Shooting Pippa a playful glare, he quickly adjusted the rearview mirror, before backing out of the driveway and onto the road.


"And then you take this next left, and then it'll be on our right," Jamie explained absently, his eyes glued to the cellphone in his hands

"No, you turn right!" a squeaky voice countered from behind them, causing Jamie to sigh impatiently.

"No, Soph, it's a left."

"Right!"

Unsure of what was corrected, but still far enough from the intersection not to worry, Jack waited for his siblings to come to an agreement.

"Which hand makes the 'L'?" Jamie responded, the flat tone of his voice giving Jack the feeling that this was a common argument.

The sound of shuffled clothes followed Jamie's question, along with a hushed "Oh!"

"Take a left!" Sophie exclaimed happily, while Jamie shook his head and resumed staring at his phone.


Finding a nice place to park, Jack and his sisters hopped out of the SUV and raced towards the ice rink's entrance, while Jamie lagged behind, furiously typing on his phone.

Quickly paying for their admission, along with rental skates for his step-brother, Jack herded the group towards the warm-up room, where they could comfortably lace themselves up. The small room was definitely warmer than the rink, though Jack absently wished he had worn some sort of scarf as he ushered his siblings towards the grey couches in the corner.

"I can skate by myself, you know!" Sophie declared proudly as Jack tightened her skates.

Holding back a smile, Jack's eyes widened. "Wait, what?! So you're just gonna leave me to fend for myself?" he replied, feigning fear as he held his hand to his heart.

His half-sister looked up at the ceiling, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "Hmm, I guess I can help you, if you're really that bad," she mused.

A snort of amusement sounded from behind them, and Jack turned to see Pippa innocently lacing up her own skates.

"Well, I'm not as bad as Pip," Jack teased.

He could see determination fill his sister's eyes as she shot him a fierce look.

"I'll have you know that I am the best ice-skater in this family!" Pippa announced, crossing her arms before her defiantly. "I didn't take four years of lessons for nothing!"

Jack chuckled at his sister's exclamation, before the sound of cracking ice and a terrified scream filled his memory. Quickly shaking away those thoughts, Jack focused on the proud smile Pippa was wearing. Forcing himself to smile back, Jack quickly finished up with Sophie's skates before moving on to his own.

It was a fairly large rink, surrounded by a standard barrier, with paint-chipped benches behind the short wall. There were only a few people out on the ice, their ages ranging from Sophie's age to Jamie's, with one elderly couple skating hand-in-hand on the outskirts. Pippa had immediately dashed towards the barrier's opening, her ankles threatening to snap as she awkwardly ran in her skates. Jamie followed close behind, though at a much safer rate. Sophie lagged back with Jack, slipping her hand into his as she struggled with keeping her balance, though Jack knew it wouldn't be a problem once they were on the ice.

Pretending to suck at ice-skating was surprisingly easy when you hadn't gone in years. Jack was proud of himself for not falling, though seeing Sophie whiz past him was definitely a blow to his ego. Pippa was naturally showing off as she preformed a few jumps in the middle, and Jamie wasn't doing too bad himself as he successfully texted while skating.

Deciding to watch from the sidelines for a bit, Jack headed for the benches along the edge of the rink. Hanging out with his siblings probably wasn't the coolest thing a guy his age could be doing, but Jack couldn't think of a better way to spend his time. He rarely ever got to see Jamie or Sophie, and he was grateful that the novelty hadn't worn off yet for any of them.

Sitting down on the nearest bench, Jack continued to watch his siblings skate as he idly traced the small blue handprints painted on the wall before him. Despite the stained carpets and peeling paint, he couldn't help but smile at the cheery feeling the ice rink oozed, though his musings were cut short by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Turning his head towards the noise, Jack was surprise to see an incredibly tall guy looking at him. Quickly pulling his hand away from the wall, Jack quirked his brow curiously.

"Um, hello," the stranger began awkwardly, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. "Is that your sister out there?"

Confused, Jack looked to where the guy was gesturing, catching sight of Pippa coming out of an impressive spin.

"Yeah..?" he replied warily, his blue eyes darting back towards the blond. "Is there a problem?"

Letting out a hearty chuckle, the blond sat himself down beside Jack. "Oh, no – no problem at all!" he replied. "I just wanted to let you know that she's really good."

"Thanks?" Jack continued, unsure of why this stranger felt the need to tell him that.

Seeming to sense his confusion, the blond let out another laugh. "Sorry if I seem weird. My family just bought this place, and we've been trying to revamp it; you know, make it all it can be. We've already got enough kids to form a hockey team, but we also want something for girls to do, too, and we were thinking about starting a figure-skating club. It's not exclusively for girls, but the tutus and sparkles seem to appeal to them more than mouth guards. I was just wondering if your sister would be interested in signing up; like I said, she's really good!"

Jack cocked his head to the side as he mulled over the blonde's words. "Uh, maybe? I can ask her, I guess," he supplied awkwardly.

"Awesome," the blond smiled, before reaching his hand towards Jack. "I'm Kristoff, by the way."

"Jack," the silver-haired boy replied, shaking the blonde's hand.


Despite his stepmother's warning, Jack found himself standing in line at the concession stand, waiting his turn to buy him and his sisters hot chocolate. Jamie had turned down the offer, insisting that he would get something for himself when he got thirsty, though the teen was still glued to his phone.

Jack idly wondered what could be so interesting to capture his stepbrother's attention like that, though he figured it was most likely a girl. Jamie was a college freshman now, and a handsome kid at that, so it wouldn't be too surprising if that were the case. Though, Jack couldn't help but feel a tiny bit jealous. He had yet to get a single phone number since moving to Arendelle.

Although, he hadn't really been trying, as his focus was more on spending time with his sister. And shamelessly flirting with Elsa.

Sure, he hadn't gotten her number, either, but it was definitely in his near future – after all, who could resist Jack Frost?

Grinning to himself, Jack stepped towards the counter to order.


"I just need Dad to sign the permission slip, and then I'm in!" Pippa announced, bouncing from foot to foot as she sipped her drink.

Jack had decided to hurry his sisters' enjoyment of their cocoa by making them stand outside the car until they finished it. Sophie had chugged hers down in record time, and was comfortably waiting in the car with Jamie, while Jack kept Pippa company outside.

"And I didn't even have to try out – they said that my free-styling was just so good, they didn't even have to question my skills!" his sister continued smugly.

"Cocky, much?" Jack teased, silently cursing his decision to forgo a heavier coat as the brisk winter breeze ruffled his windbreaker.

"You're the expert," Pippa bit back, unfazed by her brother's words. "Besides, they're not making Sophie audition, either, so it's not like I was completely singled out. They're trying to make it look fair, while still letting me know I'm wanted."

Jack rolled his eyes at his sister's reasoning. He didn't want to encourage her entitled behavior, though he couldn't deny the underlying truth in her words; Pippa was a good skater.

He hadn't been too bad himself, though a close call on a frozen pond back in Burgess caused him to be more wary of the ice. Thankfully, his sister wasn't as affected by it anymore.

"Don't forget to thank us little people when you're accepting your gold medal at the winter Olympics," Jack quipped sarcastically, again trying to distract himself from the painful memory. Pippa had been maybe a year younger than Sophie when she almost fell through the ice, and though it had barely been five years, she seemed to have forgotten the incident entirely. Sadly, Jack couldn't say the same for himself. He had nearly gone completely under when pushing his sister out of harm's way, and though he only suffered a quick dunk and a few scraps and bruises, the thought of what could have happened haunted him since.

"Don't worry, I won't," Pippa mused, before finally finishing her cocoa and handing Jack the empty cup. Quickly throwing it away in a nearby garbage can while his sister joined the others in the warm car, Jack silently chided himself for getting all worked up over something that happened years ago.


The drive back to the Overland's was eerily silent as his worn-out siblings willed themselves not to fall asleep. It was already dark, despite being fairly early in the evening, and Jack found himself driving especially cautious down the snow-covered roads, knowing his father was bound to be home by now. As he pulled into the driveway, he felt his heart sink at the sight of Don's black pickup, which was parked directly behind Jack's own truck. Not wanting to deal with his father, Jack quickly parked his stepmother's SUV, before handing the keys to Jamie.

"Give these back to your mom, and thank her again for me, will you?" he asked quietly as his sisters clambered out of the car. "Also, can you ask Don to move his truck so we can get back to campus?"

Jamie hesitantly took the keys back from Jack, arching his brow suspiciously. "Uh, sure…"

"I'll warm up the truck," Jack supplied lamely, before hopping out of the car. He quickly gave his sisters a hug, smiling slightly as they tiredly hugged back before making their way to the front door.

"Bye, Jack!" Sophie called sweetly, though she sounded moments away from falling asleep.

The silver-haired boy quickly waved goodbye, before making a mad dash to his truck as the front door began to open. Unlocking his door, he jumped inside and hurriedly stuck his key in the ignition, his focus entirely on turning his heater on as his sisters entered the house, with Jamie not far behind.

Not even a minute later, he could barely hear the sound of crunching snow over his engine as two pairs of footsteps neared him. Thankfully, his stepbrother was the only one to enter his truck as the other pair passed by the cab, before the sound of a second engine filled the quiet night. Jack averted his eyes as the harsh headlights of his father's truck shone into his rearview mirror, before they slowly began backing out. Not even bothering to acknowledge the dark silhouette waving the all clear from behind him, Jack quickly pulled out of the Overland's driveway and onto the snowy road, ignoring his stepbrother's surprised gasp as he drove over the curb.


So this chapter focused more on Jack's family and his relationship with his siblings, and also introduced Kristoff's character, who will obviously come in again later in the story. It also had a bit more of Jack's background, which I hope was easy to follow.

On a side note, I've gotten quite a few reviews wanting Hiccstrid rather than Mericcup. In all honesty, I'm not really a shipper of either (despite Hiccup being my baby and HTTYD being my favorite movie), but I wanted to let you all know I have kept your reviews in mind as I plan out this story. So far, I've decided to go through with my original plan with the characters (which I'm not going to spoil), but I think it's safe to say that Hiccstrid shippers won't be too disappointed (at least, I hope!)

If you guys have any other concerns or questions, please feel free to voice them! Also, if you feel the urge to review, please do!