AUTHOR'S NOTE: Once again, we're still on Drafting Hiatus, but my Christmas Present to Me was allowing myself to write the next chronological chapter anyway. Like the last, this really isn't drafted (I am SO sorry!), but I felt like putting it up anyway. You are all fantastic, thanks for reading, HUGE thank you to the WONDERFUL people who have reviewed, and I hope you have a fantabulous day! :)

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50: FANGIRL

"NOTHING!"

Jack looked up as the Ice Powers Girl groaned in frustration, slamming the back cover of the volume of court transcripts shut. After the morning audiences and duties, they had joined Queen Anna and King Kristoff for lunch, but now—forty-five minutes of political debate, one snowball fight, and an afternoon of research later—Elsa and Jack were once again in the library.

He shifted in his seat, his eyebrows lifting. "You know what you need?" Jack suggested, "You need to have some snow fort time. Or we could race sleds. Or maybe another snowball fight—"

"—Noooooooo," Elsa groaned, burying her face in her hands as she leaned onto the table, "What I need is statistics. I need funding, time, and interest, so that I can get the research I need, to get the support I need, to get everyone to pay attention to the whole situation, to get this confounded reform ROLLING, ALREADY!"

And she collapsed her head forward onto the table.

BANG.

As long, delicate spirals of frost began to slowly swirl out from where her forehead was touching the tabletop, Jack restrained from a laugh. Shaking his head and grinning quietly to himself, he swept his hand through the air.

The glistening snowflake danced and twinkled as it floated across the bench, landing on the nape of Elsa's neck. With a faint blue sparkle bursting over her skin, Jack watched her muscles relax, her tense shoulders sinking slightly as she let out her breath.

"Thanks," she whimpered.

"Anytime, Snowflake."

She nodded weakly, pushing herself back up and resting her chin on her fist. Sinking into it, flicking the edge of the enormous book with her finger, she sadly looked back up into his eyes.

"I mean," she said quietly, "This—I'm not just on a wild goose chase here, am I? This is really happening? It's really as common as you say?"

"Yeah," Jack sighed. "But don't worry. We'll find the research you need."

"We had certainly better," Elsa retorted, "Because what I'm currently going off of as evidence is a combination of your word, and my complete lack of faith in humanity."

"Which makes for a surprisingly strong argument."

"Gaaaurgh—"

"—Kidding, Snowflake."

She sat up straight again, reaching for the volume of court records and pulling it back towards herself across the table.

"Well," she shrugged, "If there's one thing that we've figured out, it's that a reform is required—ESPECIALLY if I can get it done before Anna comes back to the throne. I mean, I don't know about you, but I'd say that our total lack of evidence is pretty good evidence itself."

"Agreed."

With a sigh, Jack shoved his chair back, getting onto his feet. He groaned, stretching his hands into the air. "Weeeeeeeelp," he chuckled, letting out his breath as he dropped them back to his sides, "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for another break."

"But we just—"

"—That was over an hour and a half ago, Snowflake."

"Really?"

She looked upwards to the skylight, and Jack restrained from a laugh as an expression of shock swept over her face, seeing that the early afternoon sky was already lavender with sunset.

"How long before we've got to go to dinner?" he asked.

"We probably have another couple hours or so," Elsa sighed. She looked back to the volume of records on the table in front of her, finding her place with her finger.

A few seconds passed by in silence.

Pulling in his breath, Jack bit the edge of his lip.

"I was—okay, you know those—records—you researched me in?" he ventured, measuring his words carefully.

She looked up from her volume. "The psychiatric case files?"

"No, before that," he corrected. "I mean—stories. You started on stories, didn't you? Like—oh, whats-his-face—the professor?"

The Ice Powers Girl raised her eyebrows. "Borstad?"

"Yeah. Him." Jack pulled in his breath, stepping back from the table and sticking his hands into his front pocket. "I—I was kinda wondering if there were—more?"

Elsa glanced down to the records, contemplating the statement. After a few moments, the tiniest hint of a smile twitched out of the side of her mouth.

"Oh," she laughed softly, raising her eyebrows again, "There is—definitely—more Jack Frost material in this library."

The Snow Queen leaned forward onto her fist, her piercingly blue eyes practically sparkling as she gazed up at him, the snowflakes in her hair catching the sunlight.

Jack's breath caught.

"Why?" Elsa asked suddenly.

"Oh—uh," he laughed nervously, a little blood rushing to his face as he snapped back into focus, "I—I was just—sorta curious. You know."

"You want to see what people have written about you?"

Jack shifted on his feet, awkwardly kicking at the carpet. Looking up, he let out another nervous laugh, a self-conscious smile creeping over his face.

"Yeah," he muttered.

Elsa shrugged, twisting around on her seat to face him. "It makes perfect sense," she said kindly. "And, there are quite a few interpretations of—well, of you."

"So," he asked, "You wouldn't mind if I—?"

"—Not at all."

Jack let out his breath, easing his toes underneath his staff on the carpet and kicking it into his hands. Flipping it back over his shoulder, he turned away from the table, walking towards the towering bookshelves.

"You're going the wrong way."

Jack paused, turning back to her. Elsa shifted on the bench, nodding to the side.

"The—um—most of the Jack Frost commentaries are in the other direction. Downstairs, in the open part of the library," she explained. "You know, with the classical mythology stuff. I haven't been in the open-access part of the library for a while, but at least, the commentaries usually ended up getting shelved in the same place," she said quickly. "Most of it's back on the less popular side. If you go past all of those bookshelves past the door, there'll be another door on the wall. Go through that one, down the hall, and then it'll take you to the stairs. They let out through a private exit that leads into the open part of the library."

"Oh. Great," Jack nodded. "Thanks."

She beamed, looking back to the volume of court records as he turned around, starting to walk towards the row of bookshelves, After a few moments, he came to a stop, slowly looking back to her.

"Um… Elsa? Just... just wondering," Jack said carefully, turning back around as she looked up from the book, "Do you happen to remember what shelf it's on?"

"Oh, yes!" she said excitedly, "Almost all of the Jack Frost material is on aisle R9, fairly close to the bottom. It should be about three shelves up, and the most relevant commentary is about two-thirds of the way…"

Jack was smiling, leaning into his staff and raising his eyebrows.

"About… um," Elsa squeaked. "About two-thirds of the way down… on the left?"

She bit her lip, swallowing hard and staring into her lap with embarrassment. After a few moments, she pulled in her breath.

"I… think," Elsa choked.

A few flurries of snow began to materialize out of the air around her. Jack smiled sheepishly, leaning into his staff and seeing the color rising to the Ice Powers Girl's cheeks.

Dawwwww…

"Wow," he chuckled, dropping his voice to a whisper. "That specific, huh?"

Elsa shifted uncomfortably on the bench. "Maybe I just have a really great memory."

"Mmm. That's gotta be it."

He shot her a flirty grin, picking up his staff and letting it fall back onto his shoulder as he walked back towards the table. Elsa gave her head a quick shake.

"You were a storybook character with ice powers!" she protested, blushing a deeper and deeper red as he came up to her, "I mean, all that time alone, and I was scared, and then there was you, and I—"

"—Casually became the world's leading authority on Jack Frost."

She closed her eyes, as if in pain, staring into her lap again. Shifting his fingers on the staff, Jack turned around in front of the bench, silently sitting down next to her, with his back against the table.

"Hey."

Elsa kept determinately staring into her lap. Jack let out his breath.

"Look at me."

The Fifth Spirit of the Enchanted Forest swallowed hard, biting the edge of her lip. Brushing her arm with the back of his hand, Jack dropped his voice to a whisper.

"Elsa—look. You were lonely. I—get—loneliness. Okay?" he said softly as she looked up. "I'm just giving you a hard time. Can I leave this here?"

A smile twitching out of the side of his mouth, Jack stretched his foot out, easing it under his shepherd's crook in the carpet. Kicking it into the air, he caught it, and she snapped her head up, her eyes bulging.

"Your staff?" Elsa gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Well… I need both hands for the books. Right?" Jack shrugged. "And, I think you'll keep an eye on it. Won't you?"

He smiled knowingly, peering up at her through his eyelashes as he reached around her, dropping the shepherd's crook in front of her on the table with a clatter. The Ice Powers Girl opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out as he straightened up and stepped back from the table. Restraining from a laugh at her expression, Jack Frost then spun around, walking for the wall by the bookcases.

As soon as he was out of sight behind the first bookcase, he stopped, walking straight down the aisle. Rolling his feet so that he didn't make any sound in the carpet, he walked faster, nearly running for the other end of the bookcase.

Taking a moment to try to calm his racing heart, Jack slowly walked to the edge of the bookcase, struggling to keep his breathing even. Pressing his back against the bookcase's end, he held his breath, slowly peering around the corner.

At the table in the grand, open section of the library beneath the skylight, Elsa was still sitting, frozen, on the bench, staring at the shepherd's crook in front of her. Jack then watched as she hunched over by the edge of the table, the ice particles on her dress sparkling as she hesitantly reached forward to the staff with her pointer finger.

Tap.

Clapping her hand over her mouth, Elsa jumped, anxiously looking around to make sure she was still alone.

She stood up, silently pushing back the bench and leaning over the table. Holding her breath, she bit the edge of her lip, gingerly reaching out and picking up the staff.

Her eyes wide, Jack watched as the young queen sat back onto the bench, turning the old shepherd's crook over in her hands as if she were handling a sacred relic. Her eyes glazing over, she giggled breathily in disbelief, shaking her head as she traced her fingers down its length.

After a few more moments of awestruck silence, Elsa suddenly snapped back into focus, letting out a self-conscious laugh as blood rushed to her cheeks. Bumping the ice bench back across the carpet again, she abruptly stood up, adjusting her grip on the staff. Jack Frost then watched as she leaned all the way over the table, the snowflakes on back of her skirt sparkling in the sunlight as she carefully began to lower the staff back into its place.

Clunk!

Elsa gasped, sucking in her breath as she accidentally dropped the staff, its straight end smacking the tabletop. A shimmering layer of frost flowered over the surface of the wood, and she froze, her eyes widening in shock.

Still frozen in her place, she looked back to the staff. Drawing in a long, shaky breath, Elsa then silently lifted the shepherd's crook up again, stepping back from the table.

Jack gasped and leapt back out of sight as she nervously glanced around the room. His heart pounding as he pressed his back into the end of the bookcase, he waited for a few seconds, then hesitantly peering back around the edge again.

Her long, sparkling capelet trailing behind her on the floor, the Fifth Spirit was now standing back a few feet from the table, gently tossing the staff in her hands. Closing her eyes, she pulled in a deep breath, sweeping the staff through the air.

Shinggg!

Elsa gasped as a swirl of snowflakes swept through the air, ice particles shooting forward over the carpet and catching the sunlight as they fell. Looking back down to the staff, she let out another breathy giggle, stumbling back a step. Biting her lip excitedly and adjusting her hold again, she then gracefully swung the staff in the other direction.

Shinggg!

Another elegant, glistening streamer of snowflakes flew through the air, and Elsa laughed, jumping back with a tiny squeak of delight. His heart pounding, Jack eagerly watched as she looked down at the staff, then pulling her arm back and sweeping it forward.

Shinggg! Shing Shing! SHINGGG!

Shot after shot of glistening snowflakes erupted into the air, and with the angelic, ringing sound of her laughter peeling through the library, Jack's heart leapt as he watched the Ice Powers Girl spin around and around, her arms outstretched, giggling with delight as she sent streamer after streamer of sparkling frost shooting out of the end of the shepherd's crook.

Jack Frost's heart swelled, and he straightened up, grinning dazedly as he leaned his head back against the end of the bookcase. Closing his eyes, he sank down a little against it, letting out a contented sigh. She was so beautiful when she was smiling…

He glanced back towards the open part of the library, smiling as his heart swelled again.

Have fun, Snowflake.

Shaking his head, the Fifth Guardian pushed himself away from the end of the bookcase, silently reaching up to feel the snowflake medal through the fabric his hoodie. Feeling it for a moment—his heart leaping as he ran his fingers over its hard, icy edge beneath the wool—Jack Frost grinned sheepishly, sticking his hand into his front pocket as he turned to walk back towards the staircase.

Far too soon, he was standing in the doorway, looking down the dimly-lit hallway towards the stairwell. Pausing for a moment, Jack glanced back down the aisle where he had been standing mere moments before, secretly spying on the most wonderful, and—well, okay, honestly adorable—display of fun that he'd seen in a very long time.

A dreamy, vacant smile crept over Jack's features.

Oh, Manny, the Snow Queen was cute.

.

.

Hearing his triumphant laugh resounding through the library, Elsa gasped and lunged for the table, leaping to the bench and dropping the shepherd's crook back into place. As Jack Frost reappeared from around the corner, his arms filled with books, she had bit down hard on her lip, determinately staring at the volume in front of her and trying to appear casual again. She had of course melted the evidence of her, eh, distraction, from the research, and—for as far as Elsa could tell—Jack Frost hadn't the faintest idea of what had happened.

Oh, thank heavens.

And so, sitting side-by-side on the ice bench again, they studied their separate books as the last of the sunlight above them drained from the sky with his arms around her waist. After a long, calm study in silence—

"HA!"

Elsa startled, whipping around to face him as Jack suddenly stood up, yanking his hand away from her back. Slapping his hand onto the tabletop and leaning over it, he clapped his opposite hand over his eyes, bursting out laughing as he sank back onto the bench.

She shifted on her hips, smoothing her skirt. "Found something interesting?" Elsa laughed.

He pulled his fingers down his face, groaning as he looked to her. Jack's face then cracked into a grin.

"Sorry if I scared ya, Snowflake," he chuckled, "I just—these are hilarious."

Elsa shrugged. "Well—as the reinstated Queen of Arendelle," she said smoothly, licking the end of her pointer finger, "I'm delighted to hear that you've found reason to enjoy the Royal Records Collection. Mr. Frost."

She smiled, raising an eyebrow as he blushed. The Snow Queen then looked back to the table, reaching forward and daintily turning the page of her court records volume.

"But seriously. This stuff is a crack-up," he laughed nervously. "How much of this do you remember?"

"That stuff? Not much," she admitted. Looking back to him. "I was pretty quick to throw out the irrelevant interpretations. I mean—I believed that Jack Frost was real."

"Yeah, I appreciate it."

He shot her a flirty grin. Pulling in her breath, Elsa felt a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth, as well.

"So… what are you finding?" she asked.

"OH. Let me tell you!"

Jack leapt onto his feet again, whirling around and leaning back against the edge of the table. Reaching around to the nearest pile, he pulled out a slender book, holding it up.

"According to this," he scoffed, "I'm a metaphor for the upcoming Western expansion."

"Really."

"Oh, it gets better," he laughed. Elsa watched as Jack snapped the book shut, tossing it onto the pile and picking up another.

He leaned forward, gazing into her eyes and dropping his voice to a whisper. "And according to this guy," he drawled. "I'm a girl."

"No!" Elsa gasped dramatically, slapping her hand over her heart.

Jack's face flushed, and she restrained from a laugh as he reached around, picking up another two books and holding them up in turn. "In this one," he started again, "I am a modernization of the character Plyades from Sophocles' Elektra, and in this one—personal favorite," Jack chuckled, "I am: The Plague."

Her eyes bulged. "Wait, what?"

"No—literally. That guy doesn't even think it's symbolism." Jack scoffed, closing the book and tossing it onto the pile. "I am—literally—the plague. After all this time. I am the plague. My, if only I'd known."

Elsa laughed. "Yeah, Borstad couldn't have possibly meant that Jack Frost, mischievous winter spirit, would actually have been Jack Frost, mischievous winter spirit."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Snowflake."

"Ah, academia," she sighed happily as he reached for the next book, "What is the purpose of life, if not searching for deeper meaning in places where it doesn't actually exist?"

Jack snorted. "Don't say that around North," he chuckled.

"Santa Claus?"

"You mean, Professor Claus?"

His hand on the cover of the next book, he paused, slowly looking back to her and raising a single eyebrow.

"Santa Claus was a professor?" she gasped, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Big time," Jack chuckled, "The guy was a scientist. Everything calls for a lecture. And any excuse for a ceremony… oh, boy."

His eyes widened, and he exhaled slowly, shaking his head in horror at the thought. Elsa laughed, twisting around on the bench.

"A science professor, though?" she asked, "What kind?"

"Well, it was forever ago, so—the fields sort of melted into each other. Astronomy, physics, engineering. That kind of thing."

"Wow. And after all this time?" she breathed, "He must be fascinating."

"If you can stay awake through the math, then, yeah. Don't worry, though," he laughed. "If he can't explain it in under two minutes, he calls it 'magic,' and we're all good."

He grinned, leaning back as she rolled her eyes.

"Magic," she laughed.

"Yeah—the shpeel on 'Magic Is What We Call All Scientific Phenomena We Do Not Yet Understand' has got to be his favorite lecture." Jack chuckled, "But back last spring, he got this idea that he had to physically figure out my powers, and he made me his personal lab rat for a couple weeks. That was just weird."

"Did he find anything out?"

"Yeah. Not that any of us can understand what the blizzards he's talking about," Jack chuckled. "According to North, I apparently manipulate low-density pressure gradients, or something."

"What does that mean?"

"No idea. But North says it's ironic."

Elsa nodded. Biting her lip, the Fifth Spirit then looked back to her volume of court records on the table, the words seeming to swim on the page in front of her.

Keep going. It's for Anna, she groaned inwardly, willing herself to concentrate. You need to get this done, for Anna. And Arendelle. Think of Arendelle. The children of Arendelle need this refor—

"—Now, the best part," Jack said suddenly, making her jump as he took one of the books and walked over to her, "Is seeing you in these books."

A wave of confusion swept over Elsa's face as he sat down next to her on the bench, leaning back against the table and facing her. "Seeing me?" she asked, "What do you mean?"

He smiled good-naturedly, flipping open the book and pulling out a scrap of parchment. Realizing what it was, the Snow Queen felt a little heat rise to her cheeks as he unfolded it.

"I believe these are… your notes?" Jack said softly.

She took the parchment, taking a deep breath. Slowly unfolding it, her eyes fell onto a few words written in a shaky, but elegant, handwriting.

A princess's handwriting.

SILENT CHARACTERS

SOPHACLES—OUT OF ACTORS

SILENCE PARALLEL, J. F.

"Well," she stammered, "J. F. is you."

"Yeah, I got that much," he laughed. "How about the rest?"

"Okay—memories, come forth," Elsa sighed, flicking her hand through the air. "Um—alright, you know how ancient Greek playwrights would each get three actors and a chorus in their theater festivals?"

"No."

"Oh. Well, they could switch out different masks for different characters, but every playwright only could have three speaking actors at a time," Elsa explained, "It was part of the rules of the competition."

"So, Plyades was one of them?"

"Nope. That's the point," she said softly, gesturing to the note, "He was a silent character. Get it? Because he was silent…?"

Jack looked at her in bewilderment. After a few moments, his face fell.

"Unheard," he sighed. "Like—me."

Elsa nodded. Letting out her breath, she stared back down at her old note, folding it shut along its worn creases. Looking back up into his eyes, she pulled in her breath.

"So," Elsa asked, "You've never studied Greek tragedy?"

Jack jolted, snapping out of the phase with a snort. "Uh… that surprises you?"

"Well, you clearly knew your Shakespeare."

"I pranked Shakespeare!"

Elsa giggled, shaking her head. "Okay. So I'm off by a few years—"

"—Like, a couple thousand years!"

She burst out laughing in spite of herself, covering her hand with her mouth.

"Sheesh!" Jack breathed, "I'm not—that—old—!"

The Snow Queen pulled her hand away, smiling and blushing self-consciously as she turned back to her volume of court records.

"Speaking of old, though," Jack said suddenly, changing the subject and leaning close in to her face, "You should probably find a good stopping point. After dinner, I think you need to go straight to bed."

"What? Whatever for?"

"You're going to need your sleep," he laughed, standing up and reaching for the pile of books. "And I can wake you up when it's time. I figure that two or three in the morning will be good."

"Two or three in the—!"

Her voice trailed off, and she gasped, her eyes widening with the realization. Jack smirked, nodding as he thwacked the last book onto the pile to take back downstairs.

"My Council!" she gasped, "Three in the morning?"

"Do you know a better time for spooking geezers?"

"Operation Spooking Geezers?" Elsa chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "My, what am inspiring name for an underground revolt."

He laughed, walking back around the table and reaching for his staff. "Operation Invisible Phantom, then?"

"Hmm…"

She contemplated this, shrugging as she stood from the bench, closing the volume of court records. As she pulled it towards herself, heaving the enormous book into her arms, Elsa felt a mischievous grin tug at the edge of her mouth.

"No—Operation Ice Alliance," she laughed softly. "Now, come on, let's put these back. My sister will have a fit if we're late for dinner again."