AUTHOR'S NOTE: Phew! Out of the dark part-at least for a while (MWA HA HA HAAA). Seriously, though, I have a favor to ask of everyone. A few days ago, the traffic counter thingy on which I can see the numbers of views, etc., broke! This is another way of saying that I currently have (literally) NO WAY of gauging audience response, except for reviews. Here's my request: If you're enjoying this fanfic at ALL, please oh please oh PLEASE let me know, through reviews or PMing me. If people are reading it, it's worth my time to keep writing it-and I certainly hope that people are reading it, because I'm having a lot of fun (although, maybe not in the last couple chapters; I can't lie)! I'm fully aware that this desperate request for feedback will probably expose me to some trolling, but hey, welcome to the internet. I LOVE YOU ALL, and have a fantabulous day!

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20: CHILD OF SNOW

After a few moments, Elsa broke away from the kiss, and Jack stumbled back a step, his head spinning as he gasped for breath.

"DANG IT, Elsa!" he sputtered, "What IS it with you and the KISSING?!"

"I—I'm s-sorry," she choked, "I—"

"—I'm so confused!" he squeaked, "Forty-five minutes ago, you were kicking me out of Arendelle, and now you're all like, hey, actually, LET'S MAKE OUT! Is this just how you respond to emotion, or something?!"

"I've never had emotions like this before," Elsa stammered, her cheeks flushing a deeper and deeper shade of red.

"Well, THAT makes two of us!"

Jack shook his head, running his fingers through his hair as he leaned into the staff, gasping for breath. Anxiously twisting her spike heel into the carpet, Elsa pulled in a long, shaky breath.

"So… um," she whispered, nervously fidgeting with her fingers as Jack looked up. "Do you wanna make out?"

"Yeah, okay."

Jack's heart skipped a beat as they leapt into each other's arms, hardly having the chance to gasp for a quick breath of air before he and the young queen were suddenly kissing again. Hardly knowing what to do with his hands, Jack found himself wrapping them around her waist, feeling the icy chill of her dress beneath his fingertips as he pulled the Ice Powers Girl's body up against his own.

And it didn't go through.

His heart swelled. His face flushing with relief, Jack closed his eyes, frantically trying to memorize the moment, the exact sensation of what she felt like, as he pulled her tighter.

Breaking for the second time, the Snow Queen leaned away from him, her hands still clasped behind his neck as they stared into each other's eyes. Smiling sheepishly, Jack ran his thumb over the ice-cloth, practically feeling the three hundred years beginning to fade away as the Ice Powers Girl pulled in her breath.

"I—I can't believe in you!" Elsa blurted suddenly, shattering the moment and yanking Jack back into focus as she pulled back away from him, "I was supposed to be cutting myself off! For Arendelle!"

"MOTHER of NORTH, Elsa!" Jack groaned, "For the number of times that I've been interrogated in the last two days, will somebody please, PLEASE explain to me how I am a threat to Arendelle," he said, gesturing to the unconscious man on the floor, "And HE is NOT!?"

Elsa, suddenly remembering the man on the floor, gasped. "Oh, no!"

"What? What have I messed up now?"

"You—you haven't messed up anything," Elsa stammered, her face going pale, "I mean—him! They're going to think I used my powers on him! What do I do?"

"It's not like he didn't deserve it—"

"—You really don't understand politics, do you?" Elsa stammered, "How can I possibly explain this? There will be a WAR if anyone finds out! I can't just wake him up and be like, oh, sorry, Jack Frost just dropped a vase on your head—"

"—In my defense," Jack muttered, spinning the staff on the ground, "I didn't drop it on his head. I intentionally swung it into his thick, Neanderthal skull."

Suddenly crossing her arms over her chest, Elsa looked back into his eyes, her own wide with fear. Seeing it, Jack felt his stomach twist.

"And you can't just tell the truth?" he asked quietly, "That it was self-defense?"

She shook her head. "He'll just tell everyone I'm lying."

"Okay. Um—okay."

Biting his fist, the Guardian turned away from her, his mind racing. The creep would have definitely felt the vase hit him, so they couldn't just pretend that he had just fainted. And he wasn't quite old enough to pull the "he just fell" defense, and—well, if something in the room had fallen on him, the castle breaking apart would probably be a scandal, too.

Jack Frost looked back to the beautiful Ice Powers Girl, who was tightly crossing her arms over her chest and staring at the floor, anxiously twisting her heel into the carpet as snowflakes glistened in the air around her. Jack's stomach twisted again, and looked back to the unconscious king lying on the floor.

You know, the Guardian thought, My job would be WAY easier if creeps like you didn't exist.

"Um… okay," he started, "Let's see… what we need is… um…"

Elsa looked up to him, her eyes wide with fear. Suddenly, it occurred to him.

"A scapegoat!" Jack exclaimed, a burst of relief rushing through him. "What we need: is a scapegoat."

"Someone to take the blame?" Elsa quavered, "But—b-but there was no one else here! I mean—no one—he could see?"

"Exactly!"

"Wait, what?"

Jack threw down his staff, leaping forward and picking up Elsa's gloved hands. "There was no one else—King Scumbag could see," he whispered, "See? That's it! There was someone else in the room, that he didn't see."

"But they don't believe in—"

"—I'm not talking about me," he scoffed, "I'm talking about your alibi. While King Worthless was cornering—well, uh, somebody else came in, saw what was happening, and WHACK. Like—somebody that really loves you, and could have slipped in unnoticed, but—"

Jack's face fell as he realized the flaw in his own plan, his voice trailing off.

"Yeah," he mumbled, "Never mind. That's not going to work."

"Why not?"

"It's like—it's like you need a kid, or something," Jack groaned, "You know—someone small enough to sneak in unnoticed—naive enough to attack a royal—and somehow also lovable, and blasted innocent enough that everyone would forgive them."

"Small, naive, lovable, and innocent?" Elsa repeated, her eyebrows lifting.

"Yeah. Oh—and, don't forget," Jack sighed, walking back over to his staff and easing his toes underneath it, "They'd have to be master of breaking into locked rooms, too. So unless you've got some cute little kid with a master key to the castle bumbling around somewhere, we've got to think up something else."

He scoffed, shaking his head and kicking his staff into his hands, then flipping it over and sitting on it in the air. Just as Jack was leaning forward to rest his chin on his fist in thought, he realized that Elsa was staring into space, clearly hit with inspiration herself.

"What?" Jack asked, "What is it? Have you got another idea?"

Elsa pulled in a long breath, closing her eyes. Then, folding her arms over her chest, she opened them, slowly shaking her head.

"Actually…" she breathed. "I don't think we need another one."

Jack looked up in confusion as Elsa, her arms still folded tightly across her chest, turned and walked back behind the thrones onto the platform. Then, pulling on a string three times, she opened a small hole-cover in the wall.

The Spirit of Winter's eyebrows lifted as she waited for a beat, bending down to the hole. Listening for a minute with tense muscles, the young queen then exhaled.

"Anna? Oh, thank heaven you were in your room! I'm in the throne room," she whispered into the pipe, a wave of relief sweeping over her face. "I need you to find Olaf. Now. Send him here through the secret entrance. I'll explain later."

Drawing in her breath, Elsa closed the cover over the pipe. It blended perfectly into the wall behind it, and she looked back to Jack.

"These pipes were installed back during my grandfather's reign. He was… a bit paranoid," she sighed. "But our scapegoat is coming."

She stumbled forward, shakily sitting down on the edge of the platform, about twenty feet behind the unconscious King Edvin. Watching Elsa bury her face in her hands again, Jack walked over and joined her, holding his staff as he sat down.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"You—um," Jack started softly. "You doing okay?"

She didn't look up.

"I don't know," Elsa whispered.

Jack said nothing, staring at her. After a few beats, the Fifth Spirit slowly pulled her hands away from her eyes, slipping her fingers into her hair. Pushing ber bangs back towards her bun, she closed her eyes, then opening them and staring into space with her expression apparently devoid of emotion.

But it was snowing.

"Well… " Jack started again carefully. "To be completely honest, I'm sort of surprised how calm you are right now about what just happened."

"It hasn't really sunken in yet," she said. "I'm a little bit in shock, I think."

Jack grimaced. "Well, let's try to keep it that way until we can get rid of him, I guess."

He turned away from her and absent-mindedly spun his staff on the ground, watching the top of the shepherd's crook spinning in the air. Finally, he sighed, not looking at Elsa.

"Look," he said softly, "I know that you wanted me to leave. Okay? If you still want me to, I will."

"Want you to leave?" Elsa breathed, starting to take down her hands from her face. She glanced to him, her face filled with shock. "What—what made you think that I wanted you to leave, Jack?"

"How about the part where you said I didn't exist and walked straight through me?"

Elsa bit her lip, staring at the floor again in embarrassment. "There's a big difference between wanting you to leave Arendelle and knowing that it was best for you to leave Arendelle."

"Once again, could you please explain to me why I'm such a threat?"

Elsa sighed, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"Jack…" she started slowly, staring determinately at the floor. "I'm a queen."

"REALLY? You don't say."

She closed her eyes, exhaling.

"Sorry," Jack mumbled. "Please continue."

She bit her lip. Then, Elsa took in a deep breath, starting again. "Well—you saw—that," she said quietly, gesturing to King Edvin's unconscious body. "That's the problem with having a throne—even when it's not really even mine anymore. Everybody wants it. I have to be extra cautious when I choose who my friends are."

"I can see that."

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, folding her arms tighter, and nodded. A few more moments passed in silence.

Jack scooted an inch closer to her on the edge of the platform.

"You were saying about choosing your friends…?" he prompted softly.

"Ah. Yes," Elsa blurted, jumping back into focus. She shook her head slightly. "I have to be extra careful."

"But what have I done that would make me a threat?" Jack pressed, "I mean, the thing with the necklace—that was just stupid of me. But you can trust me, Elsa. I swear."

She looked up, staring into the air in front of her. Then, Elsa shook her head, laughing bitterly under her breath.

"Jack…" Elsa looked down into her lap again. "The reason that I think you're a threat is because I feel like I can trust you."

A wave of confusion swept over him.

Jack scooted another inch closer to Elsa, and she looked up in his direction, noticing. But she didn't move away.

"So… uh," Jack started softly, gesturing to the man lying on the floor, "If I'm a threat, then what's he?"

"Oh, he's definitely a threat," Elsa stammered, "I—I know I can't trust him."

Jack sat back onto the platform, stretching his legs out in front of him onto the carpet, contemplating the statement. He leaned forward again, kneading his eyebrows.

"So," Jack said slowly, "I'm a threat because you've decided I am trustworthy… and he's a threat because he isn't."

"Um… right."

Burying her face in her hands, Jack bit his lip as he watched the edges of the young queen's ears turn pink in embarrassment. Then, laughing bitterly under his breath, Jack kneaded his eyebrows.

"Suddenly, I'm understanding why you're sticking to the nature spirits," he groaned, "Seeing as you just eliminated the entire human race from your circle of potential friends."

"It's complicated, okay?" Elsa looked up slowly from her hands, shyly glancing to Jack. "I said that I wanted to be friends with you. I never said that I was good at this whole friendship thing."

The man on the floor groaned, beginning to stir. Elsa sucked in her breath, and Jack leapt to his feet, spinning around and kissing her hand.

"Would you please excuse me for a moment, ma'am?" he said, peering up at her through his eyelashes.

Standing up and silently walking over to the man, Jack picked up the vase from off the ground. After a moment of holding it up in the air, he then dropped it directly onto King Edvin's head.

CLONK.

With the man satisfyingly unconscious again, Jack then calmly walked back over to Elsa, spinning around on his heel and sitting down next to her on the platform.

"How on earth is that vase not broken?" Elsa laughed breathily. "I need to track down whichever artisan made it and give them some sort of permanent job here."

"It's definitely good-quality glass," Jack agreed, "Clear… even… makes a very nice cracking sound when hitting someone's skull…"

"Wow."

"I think I might start carrying that thing around, actually."

"Have fun with that."

The quiet fell over them once again.

"Well—one thing's for certain," Jack laughed bitterly, letting out his breath as she turned to look in his direction. "This is not how I was thinking today was going to go."

"What do you mean?"

He pulled his hand away from his face. "Does the phrase emotional whiplash mean anything to you?"

Elsa nodded weakly. "Yeah," she choked. "It sort of describes the last 2 days of my life."

"That's fair."

There was a suddenly a humming sound, echoing far off, as if through a tunnel. It was getting closer. Jack abruptly stood up, kicking his staff into his hands and leaping in front of Elsa.

After a brief moment, he felt her gloved hand resting on his shoulder.

"It's okay," she sighed. "That would be our scapegoat."

Jack then watched in shock as Elsa walked over to a delicate carpet on the side of the room, stretched underneath a table. Kneeling down, she pulled it up, revealing a trapdoor.

"Secret escape route," she explained, seeing the surprise in Jack's face. "Again, curtesy of my grandfather. Anna and I used to play in here when we were little."

"It looks fun."

She looked back up to him, smiling shyly.

"It was," she admitted.

Something knocked on the other side of the trapdoor. Elsa pulled up on the old, rusted handle in the ground, revealing a long, dark tunnel beneath.

Jack leapt back in shock as a gleaming, sparkling something caught the light, shooting out of the hole and being held in the air. The two twigs, moving like arms, then carefully set the icy teddy bear down on the carpet, a chortling giggle echoing through the tunnel as the sticks retracted into the darkness.

The Snow Queen smiled kindly, restraining from a laugh as she reached into the hole, grasping a large, white something as the twig arms reached for her. The white mass giggled again as she pulled it up, and as she set it down onto the carpet, Jack's eyes bulged, suddenly realizing what it was.

It was: a snowman.

"Wait," Jack stammered, "Is that—did that snowman just—!"

"—HAI!" the snowman squealed, spinning around to face him, "I'M OLAF. And I like WARM HUGS!"

Jack Frost's mouth fell open in shock.

"And it talks?" he gasped.

Elsa laughed. "Olaf is a dear member of our family."

"But—b-but he's a—"

He looked to Elsa helplessly, his voice trailing off.

"Snowman?" she prompted.

Jack abruptly shut his mouth. Clapping his hands together and touching the tips of his fingers to the bridge of his nose, he then spun around, looking back down into its large, brown eyes.

"And you're—alive," Jack breathed.

The snowman raised his frosty eyebrows, stretching out his stick arms.

"I…" he warbled, "Think… so?"

Jack's eyes bulged. Looking up, he suddenly realized that a tiny, almost-translucent storm cloud was hovering a few inches above the living snowman's head, snowflakes falling down to him in his own personal flurry.

Touching the tips of his fingers to his nose again, Jack slowly turned back to the Snow Queen.

"Elsa, can I please talk to you for a minute?" he squeaked.

"Why, what's—eep!"

Having grabbed her gloved hand, Jack Frost was already pulling her away from the snowman, stomping to the side of the room. A few paces down the carpet, he then let go, whirling around to face her.

"How?" Jack choked, "HOW is it that—it—"

"—Olaf?" she asked in confusion. "What about him?"

"I know that this may come as a shock to you," Jack laughed breathily, "But until about ten seconds ago, I was pretty convinced that the world's leading authority on snowmen was me?"

"I—"

"—Tell me, Elsa," he whispered, staring into her eyes, "Do there happen to be any OTHER earth-shattering revelations that you'd like to take this moment to share? First, it was the cloth thing! Then, you're MELTING the blasted stuff, and now, you've got talking snowmen!?"

"—I SING, TOO!"

"GEAUGH!"

Nearly jumping out of his skin, Jack startled into the air and looked down. The little snowman was suddenly standing right beside them, holding his head aloft above the rest of his body and goofily beaming up into their faces.

"And I can dance," the snowman added proudly. Elsa laughed softly at Jack's expression, covering her mouth with her hand as the Spirit of Winter hesitantly floated back down onto the ground, his heart pounding.

"But he's—he's—!" Jack sputtered in disbelief, "Out of snow! HOW is that even possible?"

"Maybe—um," Elsa said softly, "Maybe it's because I'm a woman?"

Jack looked at her in confusion. "Because you're a woman?" he repeated.

"Well—you know. Life?" Elsa explained, dropping her voice to a whisper as her cheeks flushed slightly, "Like—creating—life? It would make sense that I could bring snow to life, when you think of it that way. Like having a child."

"But—without anybody else—involved?"

Elsa nodded as a look of hurt confusion swept over Jack's face.

"Um…" she said slowly. "Yes?"

Jack's face went pale. Half a second later, he then set his jaw, his previously offended expression hardening into a death glare.

"Um—can I respond to that?" he whispered, "Like—on behalf of the entire male population of earth?"

Elsa shrugged. "Well, I suppose if—"

"—NO," Jack gritted forcefully.

"Hey, what are you guys talking abou—"

"—NOTHING!" Elsa and Jack blurted together, suddenly remembering that little snowman was still standing beside them.

"See? Olaf will tell you," Elsa started again, walking behind the little snowman, "I made him. I made him all by myself, and I, a woman, did it without any help from any silly old man!"

"This is true," Olaf confirmed.

Jack pressed his lips together. After a moment, picking up the staff, he pulled in his breath to object again just as the little snowman continued.

"I have always longed for the unique, inimitable connection a paternal figure supplies," Olaf sighed dramatically, gesturing to nothing with a wistful expression on his face, "If only! But, who knows the ways of men?"

"Wait," Elsa stammered, suddenly looking uncomfortable, "You've wanted a 'paternal figure?' Don't you have Kristoff?"

"Kristoff isn't my daaaaaaaad," Olaf giggled, "I'm a snowman! Kristoff could never hope to understand the intricacies of functioning inside of a freezing body or environment. I would need someone who can relate to flurries, and slush, and ice, and snow!"

The Ice Powers Girl shifted on her feet. Biting the edge of her lip, she pulled in her breath.

"Like—Jack Frost?" Elsa asked.

Jack looked to her, his eyebrows lifting as their eyes met. Her face filled with anxiety, the Snow Queen then blushed, looking away.

"Oh, yes, exactly like Jack Frost. That would make sense," the little snowman bubbled with a shrug, "In fact, I've read ALL about him! You know," he bubbled, turning to Elsa, "From that big pile of books you have hidden in your old room."

Jack's eyes widened. He looked to the Ice Powers Girl, realizing that her face had gone pale.

"You found my Jack Frost book collection?" she squeaked.

"How else could I have read it?" Olaf snort-giggled, "I know ALL ABOUT him. He's supposed to be skinny, and has ice powers, and white hair, and he's supposed to be REALLY fun, and he has BIG blue eyes, kind of like yours, Elsa, did you know that? And—!"

Looking upwards, Olaf suddenly caught sight of Jack again, his voice trailing off. Seeing Jack's white hair—and blue eyes—and finally the ice particles webbed across his hoodie—his eyes bulged.

"IT'S YOOOOOOU!" Olaf shrieked, leaping into the air, "It'sYOUit'sYOUit'sYOUIt'sYOU! I can't BELIEVE it; it's YOooooOOOOOOU!"

"Uh—yep," Jack admitted, shrugging self-consciously, "I'm—me—um, it's nice to-OOF!"

Jack Frost stumbled backwards as the little snowman lurched into his legs, embracing them as he giggled uncontrollably, hopping up and down and practically sobbing with joy.

"It's YOOOOOOU!" Olaf squealed, "IT'S-YOU-IT'S-YOU-IT'S-YOU-IT'S-YOU, and—waitaminute. I just had a thought!"

"Uh—"

"Look at us! All together at laaaaaast!" he bubbled, glancing to Elsa, "Because, you're here to be the queen, and I'm here to watch the Hill, and he's here to—"

His eyes widened. An insane, ecstatic smile spreading over his face, Olaf sucked in his breath, spinning back around to Jack.

"YOU'RE HERE TO FILL THE EMOTIONAL VOID IN MY LIIIIIIIIFE!" he squealed.

Jack's face went pale. "What?"

"Oooooh! I've always WANTED a strong, positive male role model to guide me as I navigate the dangers and road blocks on the path to maturityyyyy!" Olaf exclaimed with a giggle, grabbing Jack's hand and starting to pull him towards the door, "We need to go bond now. Did you know that, in Canada, father-deprived children make up 72% of teenage murderers?"

Jack's eyes bulged. "Uh—"

"—I am SO glad you're heeeeeere!" the snowman squealed again, stopping and spinning around to hug Jack's legs again, "And I simply cannot WAIT for you and Elsa to fall in love and get married so that my full snowy family can be complete at laaaaaaast!"

Jack's eyes widened, and he looked up to Elsa in shock. Her mouth was hanging open, her face flushed as she stared at her tiny snowman with disbelief.

Looking up to the Spirit of Winter again, their eyes met. Elsa gulped.

"Well?" she squeaked, "You—um, you said you like kids?"

Jack looked down, realizing that Olaf was still hugging his legs, giggling and trembling uncontrollably with joy. Holding his arms up, and still unable to move, Jack shrugged, giving a tiny nod and looking up at Elsa.

"None of them have ever claimed to be mine before," he squeaked.

"How do you know that he isn't?" Elsa asked, "I mean, technically, if I just arranged the snow on the mountain, there's actually a small chance that—"

"—I think I'd remember having a kid, Snowflake."

Elsa blushed a deep shade of red.

Letting out his breath, Jack looked up, awkwardly glancing about the room. Looking down the carpet, he jolted, suddenly realizing that the passed-out suitor was still lying on the floor.

Right.

"So—Olaf," he started, reaching down and carefully prying the snowman's arms off of his legs, "The reason we called you here is because—ah—we need to ask you for a favor. Do you think you could help us out?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"That man over there," Jack explained as he crouched down in front of the snowman. "Do you think you could take the blame for knocking him out with the vase?"

"Yeah! Why?"

"Why do we need you to take the blame?"

"Why is he knocked out?"

Jack looked up at Elsa, who had crossed her arms across her chest again, slightly hunched over with worry. He could see from the pleading in her eyes that she didn't want to tell Olaf what had happened.

He looked back to the snowman. Yeah, he doesn't need to know, he thought.

Jack then pulled in a deep breath. "He was—um—being mean—to Elsa," he explained carefully. Elsa's face relaxed a bit. "And I kind of got a little angry, and then I sort of swung a vase into his head."

"Why do you need me, then?" Olaf asked, wide-eyed.

Elsa sighed, biting her lip and kneeling down next to Jack. "Olaf, Jack is invisible to most people. So, if you don't take the blame, they'll think I did it, and there will be war."

"Oooooooooooh. Okay!" A look of confusion then swept over the snowman's face, and he looked up again. "So, we're going to use deception and violence to protect Arendelle! Like when your grandfather build that dam to hurt the Northuldra, but told them that it was actually a present so that they'd come out and show their full numbers so he could attack!"

Jack's eyes widened.

"Not like that," Elsa squeaked.

"A little bit like that."

"Olaf, we're trying to prevent a war."

"By lying?"

The Snow Queen's face went pale. As she looked down—suddenly terrified—Jack leapt up to her, leaning in close to her face.

"Snowflake, he doesn't have context," he whispered, "It's okay."

She didn't look comforted, twisting her gloved fingers together. "But isn't he right?" she choked, "Nothing good comes from lies, and this isn't a solution, and—"

"—We're not going for a solution right now. We're just buying some time," Jack told her, "So we can get you taken care of. We'll figure out the rest later."

She looked up, fear clearly written in her expression as she nervously chewed on her lip. Then, the Ice Powers Girl nodded.

Okay. Good sign.

"Olaf! Kiddo. Buddy," Jack huffed, forcing a friendly laugh as he turned to the snowman, "I know this is a little weird, but—I need you to trust me on this one. Okay?"

"And use DECEPTION!"

"No! Well, yes. For now!" Jack stammered, his stomach twisting as he felt Elsa cringe again, "But we don't have a lot of choice. Elsa comes first, and that means we have to get rid of this guy."

Olaf considered this for a moment. Then, he grinned.

"Aaaaah," the little snowman sighed wistfully, "I can't wait to older, so that I know when I get to redefine my morality based on the convenience of the situation!"

Jack's face flushed. "So, you'll do it?"

"Yeah!"

A pang of guilt hitting him, the Spirit of Winter let out his breath, straightening back up. He looked to Elsa. "See? It's fine."

"Okay!" Olaf bubbled cheerily, "As long as nothing could possibly go wrong! I'm sure that we'll never live to see any kind of negative repercussions from this at all."

He beamed, his eyes completely sincere.

King Edvin was suddenly groaning again. Jack glanced to Elsa, and realized that her face had suddenly drained of color.

"Showtime," he whispered. "You can do it."

Elsa looked nervously at the king, who was beginning to turn over on the floor. Jack put his hand on her shoulder.

"This will all be over in about a minute," he reassured her.

She said nothing, but nodded, as Jack stood a step backwards, sitting down on one of the chairs. Then, rushing over to the king with Olaf beside her, Elsa let out a long scream.

"OLAF! How COULD you?" she shrieked suddenly, "Guards! GUARDS!"

The door crashed open, and two heavily-armed men in uniforms came rushing in, along with King Edvin's two attendants. "Your majesty!"

"Oh, King Edvin, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed dramatically, bending over his body, "My—my snowman—he dropped a vase on your head! Bad snowman!"

The men gasped, running forward and offering assistance as King Edvin started to sit up, holding his head in his hands. He turned back to Elsa in absolute confusion as the men helped him to sit up, and then stumble onto his feet.

"S-s-snowman?" he stammered, "There wasn't a—"

"—I was showing him my snowman, Olaf," Elsa interrupted nervously, looking pleadingly to the attendants, "Olaf was here the whole time. King Edvin, don't you remember?"

His eyes widened as his lopsided crown fell into his face. "What?"

The attendants, one under each arm, struggled to pull him onto his feet. Elsa, feigning anger, turned back to Olaf, holding out her finger. "Snowman! Apologize to King Edvin this instant!"

"Oh—right!" Olaf said suddenly, spinning around. "I dropped a vase on his head! Yes, I did!"

"It TALKS?" King Edvin sputtered.

"I AM SORRY FOR KNOCKING YOU OUT!" Olaf proclaimed enthusiastically, beaming. Jack restrained from a snort.

Elsa stood in her place, looking worried, as the horrified—and confused—King Edvin, leaning onto the shoulders of his attendants, tripped and stumbled out of the room. The guards bowed to her, with grave expressions on their faces, and then followed, with Olaf squeezing out behind them to continue with his less-than-convincing apology routine.

The doors closed behind them, leaving Elsa standing, alone, in the middle of the throne room.

Jack stood up, tossing his staff in his hands and walking towards her. She looked back to him, gasping for breath, her eyes wide with terror again.

"Do you—do you think that was okay?" she choked.

"You were fine," Jack reassured her, "We had the advantage, remember? The witness just got clonked over the head. He's questioning his sanity."

"Oh, good." She slowly exhaled, stumbling back a step and folding her arms across her chest. "I'm worried about Olaf, though."

"Don't be. He's a very convincing moron."

She let out a nervous, bitter giggle. Then, taking her arms down, she sighed, her eyes wide again.

"So… what now?" she asked him quietly.

Jack raised his eyebrows, taking another step towards her. "Well," he said slowly, "For one thing—now that that's done with—I can stop pretending not to notice that you're wearing gloves."

She blushed, biting her lip and looking down. Then, grimacing, she met Jack's gaze again. "I—the Council—"

"—I know." Jack placed his staff on the ground, gesturing for her hand. "May I…?"

Elsa shakily held out her hands. Jack gently took them in his own, gazing into her eyes as he pulled off her left glove first, and then her right. Then, with Elsa watching, he took a few steps back.

Suddenly spinning around, Jack flung them into the air, snatching up his staff and aiming.

CRACK!

As thousands of shards of ice erupted out of the end of the shepherd's crook and hit the gloves, the thick cloth turned into ice, plummeting towards the floor below and shattering into dust.

.

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(Additional) AUTHOR'S NOTE, added 12/19/19: In the ORIGINAL version of this, I was trying to go for something lighter/wittier, to rebound from the terrible plot twist of the last chapter, but this got changed, mostly because the tone-shift was WAY too abrupt. Also, that little "well, he could technically be your child" thing from Elsa was me not entirely getting rid of the fact that—in my last draft—this was actually the case, and that the Man in the Moon told Olaf that Jack Frost was his father. Because A) "Olaf's Frozen Adventure" kinda disproves this, B) it discounts Anna's involvement in building Olaf (via giving him his nose in Frozen 1), and C) the accidental symbolism was kinda weird, I got rid of it.

Also: the following chunk is no longer a part of the story, because it wouldn't work with Frozen 2's Olaf. That being said, I'm reluctant to get rid of it completely (I thought it was funny) , so here's a chunk from the former draft of Ice Alliance, if anybody's interested:

"Wait," he bubbled. "What's war?"

Elsa and Jack looked at each other. Jack then crossed his legs, sitting on the floor.

"Ooooookay," he started off, "Imagine that there are a bunch of kingdoms, with lots and lots of people, just like this one, alright?"

Olaf gasped. "Are they NICE people?"

"Oh, yes," Jack continued, "Very nice people. And they all get along perfectly and give each other presents and hold parties and love each other."

Olaf pulled in another long gasp. "And?" he exclaimed, trembling with excitement, "And?"

"And WAR," Jack said enthusiastically, getting to his feet again, "Is EXACTLY the opposite of that!"

"JACK!" Elsa exclaimed.

Olaf had frozen in his place. After a few moments, his smile faded, a look of horror sweeping over his face.

"Oooooooooh," Olaf said quietly, "That's—bad."

"Yes. War is bad," Elsa stammered, throwing a dark glare in Jack's direction, "Which is why we don't want one. So, you're going to have to pretend that YOU dropped the vase on the man's head. You're adorable. Everyone will forgive you."