This is a sequel to Prince of the Ice Kingdom and A Box Full of Memories.


"Hurry up! Hurry up! We won't have time to skate!" Jade shouted as they neared the lake.

"Calm down, Jade," Ashley said, laughing. "We have several hours before we have to go home. You'll get cold before we run out of time."

"No I won't. I don't get cold."

That was one boast Jamie knew not to be true. Jade was just stubborn about admitting she was cold. Like Jamie himself had been at her age. And maybe he still was a bit stubborn about that. But they could drag her home if need be. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve and he didn't want anyone to be sick. But the weather was mild so far, with only a light snow falling. A very familiar kind of snow. It reminded him of all the times he came to skate here as a kid. Laughing, he grabbed Ashley by the hand and ran after Jade.

When she reached the edge of the lake, the girl wasted no time in tearing of her boots and throwing them aside, shoving her feet in the skates. Ashley's breathless laughter made him silently thank Jack for suggesting they come here together. She sat on a bench near Jade and put down her brand-new skates on the ground as she started to remove her own boots. Jamie glanced around the lake to find his friend. He spotted the winter spirit crouching on a tree branch and looking at them with a grin. He looked a lot happier than when they had spoken earlier today. Jamie gave him a subtle wave. Jade was a lot less subtle, waving her arms with a big smile as she jumped on the ice, shouting his name. Jamie caught her when her feet slipped from under her.

"I know you're really eager, but you need to take off your skate guards, first."

Jade gave him a sheepish smile when he pulled her on the bench. He could hear Jack laugh. She sat only long enough to remove the plastic guards and returned to the ice, taking off in Jack's direction. He flew from his perch to land on the ice and slid on his bare feet in a ring around the lake, grinning as she tried to catch him. Ashley laughed as she finished lacing her own skates, her eyes on their daughter.

"She reminds me of myself at her age. I came here a few times, even if I didn't live nearby. We used to believe that this was the home of Jack Frost. Most kids did. I guess she does, too."

"She does. I've taken her here often. I told her all the stories we used to believe as kids. I lived very close to here. We used to come here all the time, to play with Jack Frost."

He wondered what Jack had been thinking, when he came here with Jade. What was it like for him to see Jamie, the first person to believe in him, to see him, coming here like he had so many time before, but unable to see his old friend? He had taught Jade to skate here, just like he had taught Sophie many years ago, only that time he had the Guardian's help.

"Jamie! Are you going to stand there all day?" Jack shouted at him. He took a sharp turn as he reached the edge of the lake. Jade, who had been skating just behind him, cried out and flailed, unable to stop or turn in time and instead landing face first in the snow. The Guardian winked at him. Jamie laughed and sat on the bench to pull on his own skates. Ashley was done by now and stood in the snow just off the ice, looking at it warily.

"It's been so long, I'm not sure I can still do this."

"Of course you can."

Ashley tentatively moved a foot on the ice, then the other. She stayed in place, unsteady on her skates and unwilling to try moving. Jamie joined her, hooked his arm through hers and skated forward. She hanged on, letting him drag her across the frozen lake, her eyes a little wide as if she was afraid she would fall anytime. Jack slid in front of them, moving backward across the ice with a grin.

"Do you need a little help?"

He waved his hand in their direction and they were hit in the face by a flurry of snow. Jamie felt a snowflake land on his nose and the many worries that had been nagging him just seemed to melt away. All that was left was a childlike desire to have some fun. He picked up speed and spun, took off in a random direction, still dragging Ashley behind him. She shrieked and promised him he would pay for that, but there was a large smile on her face and she had started to skate on her own. She had to, if she didn't want to fall on her face.

On the other side of the lake, Jack had let Jade catch up to him and was now talking to her in a low voice as they continue their rings around the ice. They looked in their direction and Jade nodded like she was accepting a mission. She turned around and joined her parents with a large smile, taking her mother's free hand.

"Mom, I can help you skate."

"Oh, really? I won't end up in a snow bank like you did earlier?"

Jade pouted at her and tugged on her hand. Ashley patted her on the head with a smile, letting herself be pulled away. She was skating just fine by now, but she let Jade think she needed her to keep from falling, making a show of being worried when they neared the rocks and of being relieved when they avoided an unlikely collision. Jamie didn't follow, guessing that Jack had wanted a word with him. The Guardian caught up to him soon enough and grinned up at him.

"So, having fun yet?"

"Yeah," he answered softly. Ashley might be busy, but the lake wasn't so large that she wouldn't hear him talk if he spoke any louder. "I hadn't seen Ash have fun like that in a long time. We should do that more often."

"You should. It's good to see the whole family laughing together. Speaking of, you're visiting your mother for New Year's Eve, right?"

"That's right."

"And Sophie will be there?"

"Yeah, why?"

"If you can speak to her alone, would you tell her that she is formally invited to visit my Ice Kingdom?"

"Oh, so it's a kingdom, now?"

"I'm calling it that. It's your own fault."

"And when can we visit that kingdom of yours?"

"Whenever you're ready. Make sure you have a few days, you don't want to go all the way to Antarctica and be back for supper, do you?"

Jamie grinned. He was looking forward to that. Going to Antarctica with his sister to visit Jack's little ice village that he called a kingdom, that was something he would only have dreamed of as a kid. But he still didn't know what to tell Ashley. Jack must have guessed what he was thinking. He patted Jamie on the shoulder with a reassuring smile, doing a decent job at hiding the guilt Jamie knew he felt over that.

"Tell her you and Sophie are visiting a childhood friend. It's pretty true."

"Without taking the car? Or a plane?"

"I'm picking you two up here at the lake."

"All right, all right. I'll tell her as much of the truth as I can without her thinking I'm crazy."

"Jamie, who are you talking too?" Ashley called from across the lake.

"Jack Frost," Jade answered for him.

Ashley's smile was a little nostalgic as she looked around the lake, almost as if she was expecting to see winter spirit she used to think lived here.


This is several days later than I had planned, but I'm lacking motivation lately. I might need a little break. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, or what it will be.