'North, North,' Jack called urgently, zooming out of the portal in front of the globe.

'Down here lad,' came the familiar Russian reply. Jack dived over the railing, down to the vacant floor below.

'North?' Jack tried again, listening for the reply that took him through corridors and deposited him in the sled bay. North sat atop his rickety sleigh, reigns in hand, as elves hurried about busily fastening harnesses, securing bells and trying to control the playful creatures.

'Jack,' North greeted, spreading one arm wide. In light of the recent situation, North was grinning widely. Trying to stay positive, thought Jack. That was always the way with him. 'Where is your pretty friend?'

'North something has happened,' Jack said, looking grave. The smile on the elder man's face evaporated immediately. 'Pitch found a way to cross dimensions and attacked Elsa's kingdom. He's not just contained to this realm anymore. If he can attack Arendelle, he can attack anyone, anywhere, in any dimension whenever he sees fit.'

Silence followed Jack's announcement. All noise ceased. There was no chatter of elves, no jingling of bells on impatient reindeers' harnesses. Everything was still. Silent. Dead.

It was North who spoke again. 'It seems he has grown more powerful than we could've ever imagined.' His voice was barely a whisper. 'No wonder we haven't heard anything from him, any sign of his activity. He's been a step ahead of us this whole time.'

Jack nodded solemnly. 'North, what do we do?'

North was silent for a moment as he considered. Then everything seemed to happen all at once. 'Hop up here, my boy,' North declared, patting the seat next to him. 'We're going to Arendelle. I need to see it for myself before I can decide anything.'

Jack flew onto the sled and sat next to North.

'Just as soon as these blasted elves get a handle on these feisty reindeer, of course,' North chuckled. Jack glanced at the man beside him. His face was lit up like a Christmas tree, all smiles and jolly good times, but his eyes, however, lacked the twinkle of stars. They remained as dull and lifeless as mud. Trying to put on a brave face, Jack thought.

Jack waited impatiently for the elves to ready the sleigh. He shoved his fidgeting hands between his legs in an attempt to calm them. It was no use. His knees began jiggling.

North turned to Jack. 'She seems like a good girl,' he commented, breaking Jack's thought process.

'Huh?' Jack stared at North.

'Your lady friend, she seems like a nice girl.'

'She's not my "lady friend",' Jack corrected hurriedly. 'She's just a friend. My student really.'

'Ah, I see. Your "student",' North repeated, emphasising "student". 'So,' he continued. 'You would do all this for any "student"?'

'Of course I would,' Jack answered nervously. Elsa, he thought. I hope she's alright. 'I'm a guardian. It's my job to protect children.'

'Ah, yes. But Elsa's hardly a child now, is she?'

Jack said nothing. Worry for Elsa consumed his thoughts. He tried to push them away but they resisted. Elsa doesn't love you the way you love her, he told himself. Stop worrying about her, she can take care of herself.

'Jack, let me tell you something. At the end of a man's existence, he regrets the things he didn't do more than the things he did. Man often suffers continually by keeping feelings locked away.'

'But I'm not going to die,' Jack replied.

'I know, but Elsa is. Don't you think that when she does, you won't regret not telling her how you felt?'

'I don't have feelings for Elsa, if that's what you mean,' Jack replied quickly. A little too quickly. 'And besides, even if I did – which I don't – she's made it quite clear to me that she has no interest in me.'

'If you say so,' North said. 'I just thought I'd share that life lesson with you. It can be implied to more than one situation. Ah, the elves are done. Ready Jack?' North retrieved a snowglobe from the floor of the sled. He threw it into the sky where is exploded, showing Arendelle, calm and content. 'Alright then,' he announced. 'Here we go,'

The sled sped off into the sky. The rocking and bumping of the sled became background noise to Jack. All he could think about was what North said. "At the end of a man's existence, he regrets the things he didn't do more than the things he did."