Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Prologue

Ever since the accident, Elsa had been alone. She never meant to hurt her sister. That was the last thing she’d ever wanted. She had made a mistake. A mistake that cost her friendship and ultimately her life. She’d told her parents she was sorry. It wouldn’t happen again. But of course they didn’t believe her. Every night she’d lay awake in her room, the guilt driving her deeper and deeper into isolation. Every day she would hear the pleas of her sister, and it killed her. She’d die a little more inside each day. The moon shone above her as she’d gaze out her window, unable to sleep. Why? She’d ask him. What am I supposed to do? One night as she pleaded with the moon and stars, she realized a distant figure fly across her vision. Was it her imagination? No. It couldn’t have been. She saw it again, but then it was gone. Snow began to fall. Who was that mysterious figure? The next day she asked her parents. They just shook their heads with pity. “No man can fly,” they told her. So the next night she stuck out of her room to search the library. She quietly flipped through books upon books, everything they had about winter and moons and mystical flying creatures but to no avail. There was nothing about the flying shadow of a man she’d seen. She started to think it had just been an illusion created by the moonlight. Just a shadow glimpsed from the corner of her eye. Then she found it. Her small hands grasped the book tight as she read. Jack Frost, the spirit of winter. The flying, the moon, the snow. Could it be? She shuffled back into her room and closed her door with a click. Elsa rushed to the window. “Jack Frost?” she asked in a tiny voice. “Jack Frost?” She watched the snow fall. With a flick of her hand she made her own, large snowflake and watched it float through the air. She felt dismay. Suddenly it exploded, sending frost through her room. She gave a small yelp, then buried her head in her arms. She couldn’t even control the snowflake. Conceal, don’t feel. That’s what her parents said. They were right, of course.
“Hey, how’d you do that?” a voice asked from outside her window. She gave a gasp and lifted her head. Before her, floating in mid air, was a boy with white hair and deep blue eyes.
“Jack Frost?” she whispered. His eyes grew wide.
“You can see me?” he asked with amazement. She timidly nodded. He gave out a laugh of joy and flew into her room. He landed in front of her, and bent down to her size.
“What’s your name?”
“Elsa.” His smile grew, and it started snowing inside the room. Elsa gaped at him.
“You’re… doing this?” He nodded. “I can do that too!” She raised her hands and started to made frost and snowflakes. For a few short seconds the frost swirled and soared with majestic power. But it began to quiver, and suddenly it shot across the room, freezing the walls. She sunk to the floor with despair.
“I can’t control it,” she sniffed. Jack knelt down to her.
“Hey, it’s okay. You have an amazing gift. One day you will learn how to control it. I’ll help you.” Elsa shook her head.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Jack smiled. “It's going to be okay. Lets have a little fun instead. Now why don’t you show me that again?”
***
Jack stayed with Elsa and watched her grow. Her powers were still strong, but behind the locked doors of her room, Jack was trying everything he could to tame them. For the first time in forever, Elsa had smiled a few times. Often Jack would fly up towards the moon, demanding to know what he was supposed to do. How was he supposed to help her? What else could he do? The moon never answered, of course. Her parents would sometimes ask to whom she was talking to, and Elsa just claimed he was her imaginary friend, Jack. In some ways, she really did believe Jack was kind of like an imaginary friend. She was the only one who could see or hear him.
It was very slow, but still, little by little, she started to improve. Everytime Anna would come knocking on her door however, Elsa would still feel the pain of loneliness. She missed her sister. A lot. And it pained Jack to see her that sad. But he knew there was nothing he could do about it as long as her powers were out of control.
One day Elsa’s parents came in and told her they were leaving for a little bit. She eyed them skeptically.
"Do you have to go?"
“Don’t worry, honey. We’ll be back soon,” they told her. She nodded, and hugged them both goodbye. As her dad leaned down to hug her, he whispered in her ear, “Try to let go of that imaginary friend of yours. I’m worried about you, Elsa. You’re getting older. It’s time for you to grow up.” She just stared at him. Of course she didn’t want to let go of Jack. She thought of him as a sort of guardian for her. He was the only one who had ever been there for her. She gave a meek smile and bid her parents goodbye. Afterwards she rushed back to her room, but Jack wasn’t there.
“Jack? Jack Frost?” she called out. No answer. “Jack, this isn’t funny. Where are you?” Silence. “Jack please. Don’t you leave too!” Nothing but the chill morning air. She waited all day, but he never came. At night she opened her window and watched the moon high in the sky. The atmosphere of her room felt different. The complete and utter loneliness was setting in. A tear slid down her small, soft cheek, and froze as it fell to the ground. Soft snowflakes began to fall from the ceiling. She couldn’t stop it from falling.
When she got the news about her parents, the tears began to fall like snow. Died at sea in a terrible storm, they said. She sat in her room, back against the door. Her room was completely frozen over. She’d never felt so alone in her life.

Chapter Text

“Elsa hurry up!” Anna called from the hallway.
“Patience, Anna!” Elsa called back. She quickly threw her dress on and pulled her boots onto her feet. After braiding her hair she opened the door to find Anna standing there with wide eyes and an eager expression.
“Finally! You take so long!” she yelled. Elsa scoffed.
“It only took me five minutes, Anna.”
“Well, that’s five minutes too long then. Let’s go, let’s go!” Anna began to pull Elsa down the castle halls and out the front doors. As they passed the townspeople, they bowed to her. She would smile, but she couldn’t stop to pay her respects. Anna had her by the wrist and was determined not to let her get distracted. They ran until they reached the end of the town where the lake was. Anna quickly slipped on her skating shoes, and yanked Elsa onto the ice with her. They went sliding across the lake. Elsa created a thick layer of ice so their skates wouldn’t cut through it. They skated and danced and laughed. Elsa drew frost pictures on the glossy surface. She watched as Anna’s eyes lit up with joy. Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Kristoff smiling at them both.
“May I?” he asked, putting out his hand for Anna to take.
“Of course.” Elsa stepped back, letting Kristoff take her place. Anna and Kristoff took off, laughing and skating together. Elsa stood on the side, watching her little sister. As she watched Anna with Kristoff, she couldn’t help but feel the underlying sadness that her sister was close to grown up now. Elsa remembered the years locked away in her room where she couldn’t watch Anna grow up. It was like time travel to Elsa. Anna used to be a small child, begging for snowmen, and now, well now she was grown and in love. Elsa often missed the years that they couldn’t spend together.
She shook herself and pushed those thoughts aside. She looked down at her gloveless hands. Never again. She was happy and free, and so was Anna. And that’s all that mattered.
Anna and Kristoff flew by, and Anna grabbed Elsa and began to pull her along from behind. They were gliding for hours across the frozen lake. Elsa wasn’t sure when she’d had that much fun. After a while the townspeople joined them and they were all skating in circles together. Elsa stared at all the giddy people around her with pure amusement. They all enjoyed her gift. She was free to be herself. Nobody was scared.
Just then a shadow crossed through her peripheral vision. She turned her head but there was nobody there. She shrugged and continued frosting the air around her and blowing beautiful snowflakes at a passersby. But there it was again. A figure flying across the sky. Could it be? No, she told herself harshly. It couldn’t be. She forced those thoughts away and continued the day carefree with Anna. Once the moon rose high in the sky the day’s snowy festivities were done, and Elsa was exhausted. She bid Anna goodnight with a smile and a long, embraceable hug, then retired into her room. Changing from her dress into her nightgown, she migrated towards the window to gaze up at the moon, a habit from her childhood.
A shadow flew across the moon. This time she was sure of it. “Jack Frost,” she murmured.
“Well, if it isn’t my little Elsa,” a voice replied. Elsa gasped and backed away from her window, falling onto her bed.
“Jack?”

Elsa stood against her bed breathing heavily. A dark figure was standing on her window sill. Even in the darkness she could see those bright blue eyes. She wanted to say something, to say anything, but she couldn’t get a single word out. All those rehearsed conversations she’d been planning alone in her room had faded from sight. She was surprised, to say the least. She didn’t think she’d ever see him again. She’d spent so long telling herself that her parents were right, he was just imaginary. It saved her the pain of knowing that he’d left her. But now, here he stood, tall and handsome, with the moon glowing brightly behind him. He laughed and smiled. Oh, that smile. She’d forgotten how lifting, how perfect, it was. It had been so long… A sudden anger built up inside of her. It had been so long. So long since he’d left her with no note, no explanation. Just silence and dead parents.
“Jack Frost!” she yelled, finally finding words. The sudden outburst startled him and he fell off the window sill and came tumbling into her room. Before he could get back up she was already fuming. “JACK FROST! Where have you been for the past three years?! You left me! You left me all alone, just like my parents! How could you? You were supposed to help me! Because of you I almost killed my sister. I couldn’t control it, Jack. And where were you?” Jack stood there in awe, staring at Elsa’s furiously red face. He’d never seen her this angry before. The red soon faded though. She looked him straight in the eyes. “Why?” she asked in a much quieter tone. “Why did you leave me?” Her head sunk into her hands. Jack stood there for a second, not really sure what to do. If this was still the little Elsa he used to know, he would have known exactly how to react. But this wasn’t his little Elsa anymore. She had grown up. She was queen. And he? He was the same old Jack. Hadn’t aged a bit, hadn’t done anything more with his life after he left her besides create a bunch of snow.
“Elsa…” he hesitated, then stepped closer. His hand reached out towards her chin and picked her head up. Her blue eyes rose to his. My, how she’d grown. She was a young woman now. A beautiful one.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.” She closed her eyes for a second. She could feel his fingers lifting her chin. The small feeling of loneliness that had resonated inside of her had diminished.
“So, are you here to stay?”

Chapter Text

“Of course I’m here to stay.” That smile grew on his face again. “So I saw you out with your sister today on the ice. It must be great to have her back again.” Elsa nodded. “What happened while I was, uh, gone?”
“Well… I sent our village into an eternal winter…” She watched Jacks stunned face with amusement. “I almost killed my sister.” His eyes grew wider.
“Gosh, Elsa, you’re a mess.” She glared. “Sorry, keep going.”
“Everyone found out about my power. But I did it, Jack. I can control it. The villagers don’t hate me. I’m queen!”
So you didn’t need my help after all,” he smirked. “I knew you could do it on your own.”
Elsa’s smile faded. “Where were you, Jack? Why did you leave?” Jack stood there for a second, tapping things with his stick to make frost grow. She kept her intense gaze on him, waiting for an answer.
“I… The moon talked to me, Elsa. It was the first time he’s talked to me since he told me my name when I first woke. I had to go.”
“What did the moon tell you?”
“That’s between the moon and myself.” Elsa sighed, but she knew that if he didn’t want to talk about it, he wouldn’t. She began to yawn.
“Oh, right, I guess you’re tired, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not tired. I’m fin-” she was interrupted by another yawn. Jack laughed.
“Go to bed Elsa. I’ll be here in the morning. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do you need a place to sleep?”
"No. I'm immortal, remember? I haven't slept for one hundred years."
“Oh, I almost forgot. Well, good night, Jack Frost.” Elsa laid her head down, her blonde hair sprawled out on the pillow. Despite her excitement, Elsa drifted off into sleep as soon as her eyes closed. Jack watched her chest rise and fall calmly with each breath. It had been a long while since she was able to go to sleep with such calmness.
“Hey, Sandman, give her some good dreams, okay?” Jack called out into the night. He stood perched on his stick for a while, then flew out into the chill night.

The sun began to rise high above the horizon, shining its bright light through Elsa's open window. The morning air was crisp, and the smell of spring hung in the air. A few rays of light fell upon Elsa's sleeping face, drenching her in a golden light. The rays pierced through her eyelids, waking her from sleep. Her blue eyes flashed open. She rose from her bed with a stretch. Her tired eyes swept across the room. Something seemed to be missing…
"Jack?" she called out. No answer. "Jack?!"
"Hey now, don't go calling too loud or somebody might hear. We don't want rumours about the queen of Arendelle going crazy, do we?" She turned to find Jack leaning against the wall by the window.
"Where were you?" she ordered.
"Take it easy, my queen. Don't you trust me?" She kept staring at him.
"Ouch. Fine, you don't have to trust me. But I told you I wouldn't leave, and I didn't. I was just scoping out the village. I haven't been here for quite some time. Things have changed." She held her gaze for a few more seconds, then dropped it and sighed.
"So what are the plans for today, my lady?"
"Stop calling me that. Just because I'm queen doesn't mean you have to give me that title. My name is Elsa, just as its always been." Before Jack could reply, a knock sounded on the door.
"Elsa, who are you talking to?" It was Anna.
"Nobody… I'll be out in a minute!" Elsa yelled. She eyed Jack nervously.
"We'll talk later," she whispered. "Now get out! I have to change!" Jack sighed and flew out the window. Elsa hurriedly threw off her nightgown and pulled her blue dress over her head. She opened her door to find Anna standing there in her green dress with her hair in braids. Anna pushed passed Elsa, barging into the room. She observed the room with skepticism.
"Who were you talking to? I know you were talking to someone," Anna accused.
"Anna, I told you I wasn't speaking to anyone. I just woke up!" Anna shrugged.
"Whatever you say, queen Elsa." Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. She'd wish people would stop using proper titles to address her.
Just then Jack flew back in through the window. Elsa looked from Anna to Elsa with panic.
"She can't see me, remember?" Elsa nodded once. She would have to get used to being the only one who could see Jack.
"What are you looking at? Honestly, Elsa!" Anna followed her gaze to where Jack stood, but, as Jack was invisible to most eyes, she didn’t see anything. Elsa quickly averted her eyes from Jack.
"No one. Now lets go. I have some things to do." Elsa left the room with Anna on her heels. Jack flew next to her.
"So what are the plans for today?" Jack asked. Elsa ignored him. She couldn’t answer with Anna right there. A rich smell wafted down the hallway. Elsa paused.
“Is that… Chocolate?”
Anna smiled. “It is chocolate! Come one!” Anna began pulling Elsa down the hallway,
forcing Jack to fly faster to keep up.
“Anna, hold on! You going to bruise my wrists if you keep pulling me everywhere! You can’t eat chocolate for breakfast.”
“Yes you can!” Jack and Anna said at the same time. Elsa glared at them both.
“Please, Elsa? You love chocolate!” Elsa rolled her eyes.
“Fine. Chocolate for breakfast.” Anna squealed happily. “But we’re not going to make it an everyday thing. Only this once.” So the three of them headed into the banquet hall where chocolate truffles, pancakes and chocolate syrup, and little chocolates sat waiting for them. They gorged themselves with chocolate all morning. Eventually, Elsa had to dismiss herself. She got up from the table to join a few of of her advisors in the map room. Jack followed her, and they left Anna alone to finish stuffing her mouth with chocolate.
Jack stood and talked to Elsa (it was only a one-sided conversation, for Elsa couldn’t answer him in front of other people) until Jack eventually got bored and went to the corner of the room, where he observed Elsa while perched on his staff. Elsa talked with her advisors about the daily things in the village, the crops being planted since it was spring, the finances, and a bunch of things Jack just zoned out. The topics almost put him to sleep - that is, if he could sleep - but he enjoyed watching Elsa. Her dedication to Arendelle, the way she interacted with other. This older Elsa would take some getting used to.
The door creaked open and Anna came prancing in. “Let’s go sledding, Elsa!”
“Anna, I’m in the middle of something.”
“Come on, please?” Anna pleaded.
“Yeah, Elsa. Lets get outside. I’m snowballs and fun times, not diplomatic discussions,” Jack piped in.
“It’s okay, my lady. You can go,” one of the advisors said. Elsa thanked him, and her and Anna left out the door.

Chapter Text

Elsa and Anna spent the whole afternoon sledding down the hill. Jack helped Elsa create the snow, and together they iced over a path to make them slide down faster. By the time they were back in the castle, the moon was already out. Anna thanked Elsa, and bid her goodnight with a smile. Elsa then went into her own room and shut the door behind her. Jack landed and leaned against the wall.
“I’ve got to say, you do know how to have some fun. I’m beginning to like this new Elsa,” Jack commented. Elsa smiled. She migrated towards the window, looked up at the large moon suspended in the dark sky. She could feel Jack beside her. They stood in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts.Jack’s eyes wandered towards Elsa. The moonlight shone down onto her blond hair and reflected from her bright eyes.
“When I was little I didn’t believe I would ever be able to control my powers. I thought that I would hurt anyone I got close to. That I’d be isolated forever, stuck inside my room. I thought that no one would ever love me, and that I’d be alone forever. Sometimes I thought about running away, so I wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else. After my parents died, I knew I couldn’t run, though. I owed it to Anna. Sometimes I still fear that they will get out of control again. That I’ll lose the command I have over it. I couldn’t bear to hurt Anna again.” She looked down at her hands. Jack stepped closer, putting his hand on her shoulder.
“Look at all you’ve done, Elsa. You can control it. You’ve come so far. And Anna is happy again. You guys are together. I believe in you, just as you believed in me. As long as you have one person that believes in you, your power will never fade.” Elsa looked up to give him a small smile. She placed her hand over his. Though she was icecold, her touch felt warm over Jack’s hand. A strange foreign feeling suddenly shot through him. Then he did something completely unexpected. He leaned in towards Elsa and put his lips onto hers. He knew what he was doing was wrong, random, and completely insane. He just couldn’t stop himself. He closed his eyes and brought his hand up and grasped her head, her blond hair weaving through his fingers. At first Elsa just stood there, taken by complete surprise.
Then something even crazier happened. She kissed him back. She couldn’t help herself. The way his frosted hair fell just above his snowy blue eyes, his smile, his laugh. Her hand rose to his shoulder, grasping the material beneath her palm tightly. The moment seemed to last for eternity, but not long enough. Jack suddenly pulled back. Confusion was clear on his face. Elsa felt just as confused herself.
“Jack-” she began, but he was already flying out the window, into the dark night.

Elsa lay awake in her bed, her mind racing. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t find sleep. What had she done? What had he done? He was her childhood imaginary friend! She felt like she had just met him, but at the same time that she’d known him all her life. She technically had. He’d come to her when she was a child. But she wasn’t a child anymore. Was it correct to let herself feel this way about Jack, the immortal spirit of winter? That made her practically in love with winter itself. Although, cold never bothered her anyway. She stared at her ceiling for hours, playing with snowflakes. She also realized that she might be falling for a completely invisible person. To anyone else she had just been kissing the air. They’d think she was insane. She let out a large sigh and began to wonder where Jack had run off to.

Jack sat at the top of a tree, absentmindedly poking at branches with his staff and watching them frost over. He couldn’t believe what he had just done. Elsa, the scared, innocent child. But that Elsa was no more. She was now older, confident, strong, powerful, beautiful. The way the dresses she wore fit onto her body… her hair always put in that loose braid… her sweet smile, the way her eyes glinted in the moonlight…
“No, Jack! Stop this!” he yelled at himself. He broke off a branch and angrily through it into the night. He gripped his hair with both of his hands and sunk to his knees with a frustrated grunt. What was this feeling? He’d never felt it before. He couldn’t control it. He could feel it rising like a winter storm inside.
His mind strayed to what the moon had told him that one frightful night. The reason he had left Elsa in the first place. Maybe coming back had been a mistake… maybe he should have listened to the moon…
“What am I supposed to do?” he screamed at the glowing orb in the night sky. “Did you know this would happen? Is this why? Did you know I would fall in love with-” He stopped himself. He had said it. He had said it and now he could never take it back or unfeel it. Love. A terrible word. A wonderful word. A word he thought he could never find. But he had said it. And had he meant it?
He flew into the darkness. “I think I might… l… love… her.” he said and fell back to the ground. What had he done? Why must he feel this way when he knows how it’s going to end? This wasn’t like him at all.
“I’m snowballs and fun times, not this ooey gooey stuff,” he told himself. But still he couldn’t make the feeling go away.
“WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?” he yelled at the moon again. No one answered.

Chapter Text

Elsa awoke the next morning to an empty room. No frost, no chill. Jack hadn’t come back. She groaned and rolled over in her bed. She could still feel him on her lips. There was a heaviness in her heart. Her head was in her pillow for the next hour. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to get up. Her duties could wait. She was having an internal crisis. What happened between her and Jack last night… she wasn’t sure what to think of it. He was just her guardian, right? So what was that feeling deep inside of her?
There was a knock on her door. “Elsa? Are you awake yet?”
“I don’t feel good, Anna. I’ll be staying in bed today,” Elsa lied.
“Oh. Well let me know if you need anything.” Elsa heard Anna’s footsteps trudge back down the hallway. The wild commotion of the town’s daily chores could be heard from Elsa’s window. She listened to them for a while, hoping to catch a glimpse of Jack, or to hear his voice, but was only disappointed. A panic shot through her heart. A thought she hadn’t considered before.
What if Jack had left for good? Maybe he wasn’t just away thinking, but decided to leave her again. Her body went rigid. No. He couldn’t leave her. Not again. Not now.
“Let it go,” she told herself. “Let him go. If he wants to leave, then fine. I was doing perfectly fine without him.” But no matter how many times she told herself to just let it go, she couldn’t.
“Jack, where are you?” she whispered, but no one but the empty air heard. She closed her eyes and began to drift off when she heard a knock on her door.
“Anna, I told you-”
“Lady Elsa, I need to speak to you.” It was the voice of one of her advisors.
“Come in.” The door opened and in walked the chief advisor. He handed Elsa a letter. “I think you ought to read this, my lady. It’s from a neighboring village.” Elsa grasped the parchment in her hands and began to read, “Queen Elsa, this is a demand for you to step down from the throne. You’re powers are out of control. You are a monster fit for the dungeons, not for rule. We have gotten feet of snow cast down upon our village and we know it was from you. It is spring, therefore planting season. You have killed all our crops, and by doing so are going to kill the people if you keep this up. We cannot grow crops in snow, and by the time it lets up, it might be deep into the summer. You have offset the ways of nature. We ask you with kindness to step down from the throne, or we will be forced to implement this demand ourselves. We will be expecting your immediate reply.” Elsa stared down at the parchment.
“Are they threatening me?”
Elsa was confused. She'd never even visited this town before. They traded; she thought them good allies. So why the sudden change? Did they feel threatened by her? And what was that about snow? It wasn't her doing. Or at least she desperately hoped it wasn't because of her.
Maybe it was just some thing done by nature. They were just looking for someone to blame for their hardships.
"It was me," a voice called from behind. She quickly turned to find Jack hovering behind her. He put a finger to his lips and pointed back at the advisor. “We can’t talk in front of them.”
"Please, leave me in my room to think this over and get ready. I will reunite with you in the library. Get Anna and bring her too," Elsa ordered her advisor. He bowed and left the room. As soon as the door clicked shut, Elsa began to speak.
"What do you mean this is your fault?"
"It was last night and I was so confused and angry. I flew over their village. I made it snow. Its what I do, Elsa. I didn't think much about it."
Elsa groaned. "Well, what are we supposed to do? I need to dress myself. Go wait with Anna in the library." Jack flew put the room, leaving Elsa alone once again. She pulled off her dress and changed into a clean deep blue dress. She put her hair up in a bun to keep it out of her face. Then she left her room and rushed through the halls to the library. By the time she arrived Anna, Jack, and a few of her advisors were already there.
"Oh, Elsa!" Anna called as she saw her arrive. "I read the letter. What do we do?" Elsa thought for a moment. She didn't want to step down from the throne. She wouldn't let them take over Arendelle. Giving in would disappoint her father, she knew.
"I'm not going to step down, Anna. I'll figure out something."
"But if you don't, they'll come after you! Like Hans did. I don't want that to happen again."
"It'll be okay this time. We have each other." Elsa assured her sister, but she wasn't even sure herself. Was there a way to convince them it wasn't her? She looked to Jack for help.
"You need to leave here," he told her. She shook her head. He continued despite her silent protests. "At least for a little bit. Elsa, they don't sound like they'll give up on you. You need to leave, Elsa. I'll take you some place safe and Anna and your advisors will talk to them. With you there all that will be on their mind is hurting you." Jack persisted. Elsa stayed silent, trying to think of another tactic. She wouldn't leave Anna. Not again. Her freedom isn't worth risking Anna's safety.
"You need to leave," Jack repeated.
"Jack, no!" She finally yelled. The advisors stopped their discussions, Anna stared at Elsa quizzically. She realised she had spoken out loud.
"Who's Jack?" Anna asked.
"Everyone, please leave. I need to speak to Anna alone." The advisors reluctantly began to file out of the room. Jack began after them, but Elsa held up her hand. "No, not you, Jack. You stay." After the last advisor left and the door shut, she turned to her sister.
"Anna, I know I might sound crazy, but please. You've got to believe me. Standing in this room is Jack Frost, the spirit of Winter.” Anna looked around, confused.
“Uhh… Elsa? There’s nobody in here but you and I…”
Elsa sighed. “Anna. You can’t see him unless you believe.” Anna took a hesitant step backwards.
“Elsa, this isn’t going to work. Stop before they think you’re insane. Nobody believes in me,” Jack tried to tell her.
“No, Jack. This can work!”
“Elsa, who are you talking to,” Anna interjected.
“I told you, Anna. Jack. Please, just try to see him. If you don’t believe you won’t see.” Elsa pleaded. Anna looked skeptical at first, but then closed her eyes.
“If I believe in him, I’ll see him?” Anna asked. She started murmuring, “I believe in Jack Frost.” Then she opened her eyes.
“I thought you said he was standing right there,” Anna began. Elsa looked down, dismayed. “But he is clearly floating, not standing.” A smile grew across Elsa’s face.
“You can… She can… see me?” Jack asked with amazement.
“So, Jack Frost, why are you here?” Anna asked.
“We’ll explain everything when this whole thing is over. Right now we need to figure out what to do. I won’t back down and I won’t leave. So how do we convince them otherwise?” Just then the door bursted open.
“My queen! They are in the town. Their soldiers are armed and making their way here now!”
“No!” Elsa yelled. Fear rose up inside of her. They were running out of time and options. Ice flew everywhere. The air grew cold. She looked down at her hands. “No, no, no.” The letter in her hand began to frost over.
“Elsa!” Jack rushed to her side. He grasped her shoulders. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.” He turned his attention to Anna. “I know what needs to be done. You love your sister, don’t you?”
Anna nodded. “More than anything.”
“Then let me do this. I know you can try to talk to them and handle this. I know you’re smart enough and strong enough. I will be back soon to help you. I need to take Elsa away from here so they don’t hurt her,” he explained. Anna quickly agreed.
“No! Anna, I can’t leave you. Not again. Not ever.” Elsa began to back up. The floor beneath her feet iced. “No, I was doing so good. I was controlling it. Maybe they’re right. I should step down. I’m a monster.”
“No, Elsa. You’re not a monster, you’re scared. It’ll be okay. But you have to leave.” Elsa opened her mouth to protest again, but Jack flew over and picked her up. She squirmed and fought back, but he held her tighter. Anna faded into the distance as Jack opened up the window and flew away.

Chapter Text

Jack didn’t stop flying until he was far away from Arendelle. Finally, he came across a large castle of ice sitting high upon a mountain top. He stared at it in awe. It was a masterpiece. Only Elsa could have made something that beautiful.
Elsa hadn’t spoken the whole while they were flying. She gripped him tight as they flew because of her fear of falling, but not a single word was exchanged between them. Just infuriated stares. He let her down from his arms as he landed inside the castle.
“Jack, how could you?!” she finally yelled. “Why couldn’t you have left me to deal with it? We could have all come up with something together!”
“I couldn’t leave you there. They were threatening you, Elsa!”
“I don’t care! I can’t leave Anna there! Take me back, Jack!”
“No!” Jack yelled back.
“Why?” Elsa challenged.
“Because I love you, Elsa!” There was silence. Elsa stared at Jack.
“Jack I…” Elsa could feel her heart skipping beats. She thought back to last night, when they had kissed. It seemed like ages ago. The way the kiss had felt, how she’d felt after… she knew from that moment that she had loved him. But to say it outloud was a whole other thing. It was sticking to her tongue. She took a deep breath. “Jack, I love-”
“Don’t.” Jack interrupted.
“What?”
“Don’t. Please don’t. It’s hard enough that I love you, Elsa. Please, don’t say you love me back.”
“I don’t understand. Why? I can’t lie. Wouldn’t it be better if I did? I can’t hide that I lo-”
“Please, Elsa. We can’t do this.”
“Why not?” Elsa asked. She was confused. She loved him. Was that wrong?
“Don’t you see? I’m immortal. I don’t die, I don’t age. You will grow old. Someday you’ll be gone. What am I supposed to do then? What am I supposed to do without you? My whole life has been meaningless. I don’t know who I am or why I’m here. Nothing felt right until I saw you that one day a long time ago. Little Elsa making snowflakes by the window. You showed me that I’m not alone. I had a purpose. I had to help you. You are the only thing that had ever made sense in my life.”
“Then why did you leave me all those years ago?” Elsa suddenly asked. Jack turned away. “Please, Jack. You have to tell me why you left me alone for so long! My parents were dead, my powers were out of control, and you were gone. Why?”
“Because the moon told me that as long as I was with you, you were going to die.”
There was a long stretch of time where neither of them talked. Elsa didn’t know what to say. She had been so angry at him for so long. She had felt betrayed. She thought he didn’t care about her. But now she knew that he left because he cared so much.
“Jack… why didn’t you just tell me?”
“What? Tell you that you were going to die? Tell you that because I was selfish enough to stay with you, you would die? No. I couldn’t do that to you. You were young, Elsa. You still are! I couldn’t put that burden on you. I knew you would say you didn’t care.”
“Well I don’t! Don’t leave me again, Jack. I love you. I’m sorry, but Jack, I am completely and utterly in love with you. I don’t care that you don’t age or die. I don’t care if I am going to eventually die if you stay with me. I don’t care. So don’t you ever-” Jack flew to Elsa and kissed her hard on the lips. This time Elsa didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. She ran her fingers through his white hair. Finally, the kiss released. His blue eyes fell to hers.
“Have I ever told you how beautiful you look?” Jack inquired. Elsa blushed, bright and red against her snow white skin.
A series of shouts suddenly sounded from the distance, dragging Elsa back into reality. “Anna! We have to go help her. Jack, you have to take me back.”
“No! There’s are men out there threatening you. I’m not taking you back.”
“If you love me you’ll let me go back and help my sister,” Elsa retorted stubbornly.
“And if you love me you’ll understand why I can’t.” Elsa turned her head away, looking out her distant town. Jack reached out and grabbed her hand. “As long as you stay here you’ll be safe. Anna will be able to take care of things. She has complete faith in you, so please have faith in her. She’ll be able to handle them and convince them that it wasn’t you. I know she will. You tend to forget that I also watched Anna grow up. She never stopped believing in you, never stopped trusting you no matter what you did. Now it’s your turn to trust her.” As he stared at Elsa, his heart began to thump hard in his chest. She looked so beautiful. It was in that moment that he finally understood exactly what love felt like. He’d never felt anything like it before. He had been so alone his whole life. And now there was someone who believed. And she was the most amazing person in the whole world. He knew that he would do anything to protect her. The moon had told him she would die, but he wouldn’t let that happen. Not to her. Not ever. He would search his whole life if he had to to find some way to prolong her life so they could be together forever. Forever seemed like a long time, but he was okay with that. As long as he was with her, he was okay with anything.
He watched as her eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of what was going on. He hated to see her so scared, but he knew he had to keep her away from there. He looked down at their intertwined hands. They fit together perfectly. Her hand felt soft and delicate in his, but not cold. She never felt cold to him.
He gave her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be back by sunset, I promise."
Jack flew out the castle, leaving Elsa alone.

Chapter Text

Elsa stood on the balcony, looking out at Arendelle. It looked so small. When she was little it seemed as if Arendelle was the whole world. She smiled at her memories of the past, playing with Anna and her parents before she had ever hurt her sister and when her parents were still alive… things seemed much simpler back then. If her parents were here now, how would they handle the situation? What would they think of her? It was something she often thought of.
She wondered where Jack and Anna were, desperately hoping they were okay. The sun was setting. Jack should have been back by then. Her eyes scanned the skyline. Fear rose inside her chest. Snow began to fall from the sky around her and the wind began to pick up. The whole castle was covered in sharp ice crystals. She took a deep breath. "Control yourself, Elsa," she told herself. If something happened to them…
"The sunset is beautiful," a voice said behind her.
"Jack!" she exclaimed with relief, rushing into his arms as he landed. He chuckled and held her tight. She looked up into his blue eyes.
"What happened, Jack? How is Anna?" she questioned.
"Anna is fine. Her friend, Kristoff came to help her too. We convinced them to put a hold on the argument until tomorrow and gave them fresh food. The commander is demanding to see you, though. His actions may be halted for tonight, but we still have a long way to go before they leave," He explained. Elsa was relieved that they were safe, but fear for tomorrow bubbled inside her.
"I still dont understand why you wont let me help," Elsa said.
Jack laughed "I think you do understand, you're just in denial"
Elsa sighed. "It isnt fair."
He looked at her and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Life isn’t fair. But I dont want you getting hurt. It will all be over soon. I have to leave; I just wanted to give you an update." He began to lift off the ground when Elsa caught his hand.
"Take me with you! I can help. I'm the queen, aren't I? They want me, so let them have me. I can’t hide from this any more. I’ve hidden for eighteen years, I can’t stand being alone any longer. I can’t hide forever."
"Elsa no."
"Jack please don't leave me." Her plea made him lower back to the ground. He could see the nervous look in her eyes. His arms wrapped her into a hug.
"I guess I could stay for the night." Anna wouldn’t need him until morning.
"Good." Elsa smiled.
They spent the rest of the night sitting down on the iced floor and discussing different things about each other. Jack told her about the first memory he had, waking up in the ice. He described when he found out he wasn’t able to be seen by anyone, and the loneliness that had followed. Elsa discussed all the events that had transpired since he had left. For a few moments as they sat together everything seemed to be alright. She leaned her head on Jack's chest and listened to him talk. She enjoyed the determination and happiness she could hear resonate from his voice despite his rough past. Every time she’d look up at him sparks would fly through her body and her heart would beat hard inside her chest. She watched the passion expressed in his eyes as they talked, and the light feeling of playfulness that radiated from him.
Jack absentmindedly played with a strand of her blond hair as he watched her lips move as each word left her mouth. He studied the look of maturity, love, and power that was always painted on her face. He noticed the shadow of fear in her soft blue eyes. After all those years the fear still hung over her like a noose. He wished he could extract the fear from her. If everything went okay these next few days, he wanted to do just that. Even if it took one hundred years, one he would make the fear diminish. He made a silent vow. He smiled to himself. When he was with her he was happy, he was seen, and he was loved. It was more than he could have ever hoped for. Once this whole mess was over, he would do everything with her. He imagined them sitting in the snow and drinking hot cocoa together, laughing at each other’s chocolate mustaches they would get from drinking it. He imagined himself taking Elsa in his arms and flying her around the world. He pictured him, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff lunging snowballs at each other, the air filling with laughter; himself snickering at Elsa as his ball of snow hit her face. Elsa had missed out on so much of her childhood play and he wanted to give that back to her. He saw the lazy days they would spend together, just sitting in the library and talking. He looked forward to those days.
They sat for a bit in a peaceful quietness, enjoying the other’s presence. Elsa stirred, pulling herself up to be level with Jack’s face, and then lips met lips. She embraced him with a long kiss. Her fingers ran through his white frosted hair, and he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.
Finally, the kiss broke, and Jack looked into her eyes. Oh, those amazing blue eyes. Jack put an arm around her.
“I love you, Elsa.” Elsa smiled, a rosy blush growing on her face.
“I know.” Jack returned the smile and laughed softly. “Jack?” she called his name.
“Yes?”
“Don’t ever leave me again.” Jack took a deep breath.
“Never again,” he promised.
“You have to take me back to Arendelle tomorrow. I can help. Please, Jack,” Elsa pleaded with him. He closed his eyes for a few short seconds, then they reopened.
“I’ll take you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
After a few hours she was asleep. He sat on the floor, looking around the castle. It really was an ice masterpiece. Using the hand that wasn’t around Elsa, he played with frost on the frozen ground, covering it in intricate frosty designs.
Jack looked down at her with a smile, and combed his fingers through her hair. He could feel her head and hand on his chest as he breathed. She looked most peaceful when she slept. His eyes glanced out the window at the dark night. Anna would be wondering why he hadn't returned yet. He returned his gaze to Elsa. This castle had no place to sleep. He grabbed his staff laying next to him and created an ice bed similar to the one she had in her castle, then lifted Elsa in his arms and carried her over to it. With careful movements, he laid her down. He watched her for a second, then kissed her forehead. Guilt rose up inside of him. Elsa may never forgive him for leaving her here, but he couldn’t take her back to Arendelle until this mess was over. It was safer this way.
"See you later, Elsa. Sleep well," he said and fled out the ice castle.

Chapter Text

A light breeze swept through the ice castle, carrying the sounds of birds and rustling leaves from the forest beyond with it. In the distance faint voices could be heard from the city of Arendelle. Elsa woke with a yawn and a stretch. She opened her eyes and grasped for Jack. Her hands found only the chill morning air in place of where he should have been. She bolted up, looking around frantically.
“Jack?” she whispered. No answer. “Jack?” she asked again, this time yelling out his name. There was only silence. Panic flooded her heart. Where was he?
She looked down at the bed she was on, suddenly confused. There had never been a bed in her castle. Jack must have made it for her. She rose off the bed and quickly went to the balcony. She looked over Arendelle, her eyes searching for Jack, but to no avail. He promised her he’d stay the night. So where was he? A nervous anger rose inside her. He had left her. She was supposed to go back to Arendelle with him. He lied.
**
“Where’s the queen?” a voice shouted from behind the locked door.
“The queen isn’t here!” Anna called back. “She’s… on vacation!” Kristoff laughed at Anna’s failed attempted to lie. She looked back and glared at him.
He quickly apologized, shrugging and saying, “But you’re so cute when you lie.” Anna rolled her eyes.
“What do we do? If we don’t think of something they’ll break down the door!” Anna paced back and forth. Jack hovered in the air near by, deep in thought. He knew the question was directed towards him, however Anna couldn’t speak directly to him, for Kristoff was in the room. What could he do?
“Tell them you’ll share the food you harvest this fall to make up for the loss of food the snow costed,” he suggested. Anna nodded. It was worth a try.
Another bang sounded on the door. “Elsa isn’t here. In her absence, I am left in charge. I am willing to give you a share of our crops to make up for the crops lost.”
“Crops or no crops, your sister is a witch and needs to answer for her crimes!” the deep voice yelled back. Anna sighed, looking at Jack, and then at Kristoff. What were they going to do?
**
Elsa walked back and forth across the ice floor of her castle. She knew if she went after Jack he would be angry. There was a reason he left her, right? She hoped there was. But if she didn’t go after him, she’d be mad at herself. What if something happened to him or Anna? She couldn’t risk that. She and Jack could have their quarrels later, but for now, she knew she had to go back. She loved them both too much not to. She ran out the ice castle doors and began her descend down the north mountain. She made it all the way down to the fjord and froze the water under her as she ran across. She stopped half way across, and scanned her surroundings again. Still no sign of him. Would he be in the castle or in the village? She looked around, wondering where she should start to look for him.
The almost inaudible sound of something flying through the air was detected. She looked around for the source. Suddenly, a sharp pain appeared in her abdomen. She grunted and put her hands to the source of the pain. Something sticky was forming and she felt something wooden.
Elsa raised her hands to her hands and inspected them. Red. They were covered in red. Blood. She looked down at her chest. A wooden stick with feathered fletching stuck out in the middle of where the red was beginning to stain her dress. An arrow. She’d been shot. Her head began to spin and she felt like she was moving in slow motion. She grasped the arrow with her hands and pulled it out, not sure what else she could do. The pain shot up inside of her. Her head hit the ice beneath her, but she couldn’t feel herself falling.
“Jack! Anna!” she tried to call, but her voice was weak.
**
“Sir!” Anna heard another voice call out from behind the door.
“Yes?”
“We’ve found Elsa!” Anna exchanged worried glances with Jack and Kristoff. Her heart began to speed up. Jack flew down to her and together they moved closer to the door, making sure they could hear the conversation.
“She was shot with a crossbow out on the fjord. She should be dead within a little bit.” Jack felt like he’d been pierced through the heart. He gripped the wooden staff in his hands until his knuckles were white. He could barely breath.
“Elsa no,” he thought desperately. He fled the room, flying as fast as he could towards the fjord.
Anna fell to the ground. “No. No, no, no, no, no.” she whispered to herself. Kristoff rushed to her side, and lifted her to her feet.
“Anna, we have to go to her. There may still be hope to save her.”
Beyond the door they heard a chuckle.”My work here is done,” the deep voice of the other village’s commander said. There was the sound of retreating footsteps, then it faded as the men left, leaving Anna and Kristoff alone.
“Come on, Anna. We have to get to the fjord before it’s too late,” Kristoff urged. A tear slid down Anna’s face, but she couldn’t seem to move. Her body was in shock, frozen still. Kristoff briskly picked her up in his arms, and together they fled towards the fjord.
***
The bells rang, making Elsa smile. Today was the day. She waited by the doors. A few minutes passed, but she didn’t show up. Elsa began to pace back and forth. She could hear the people inside the doors begin to murmur. She peered inside. He looked nervous. What could be taking her so long?
Jack appeared at the end of the hallway, and quickly flew towards Elsa. “She won’t come out,” he stated. Elsa sighed, and quickly followed Jack to the room. When they got there, the door was closed. She looked to Jack.
“I got this. Go wait by the doors,” she instructed. He gave her a hopeful smile and left. Elsa raised her hand and knocked on the wood four times. “Anna?” There was no answer. “Anna please, I know you’re in there. People are wondering where you’ve been. Have courage, just try to. I’m here for you. Just let me in,” she pleaded. Slowly, the door opened. Elsa rushed inside.
“Elsa, I’m not sure I’m ready for this,” Anna said. Elsa smiled softly.
“Of course you are. You’ve been planning this for months.”
“Then what if he’s not ready for this?”
“If he wasn’t then he wouldn’t be standing at the end of that aisle,” Elsa pointed out.
“You’re right. Okay. I can do this. I’m ready. I was born ready!” she grabbed Elsa by the hand and started to leave the room. Anna stopped abruptly and began to back up. Elsa groaned. They were so close.
“What now?”
“Elsa, are you sure you give your blessing?” Elsa laughed.
“I’ve told you one thousand times, yes.”
“But what if it turns out like… like Hans?”
“It won’t, I promise.”
“What if he doesn’t think I look pretty?” Anna looked down at her dress with a concerned look and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear that wouldn’t stay in her bun.
“You look beautiful.” Anna eyed Elsa skeptically, noting the beautiful blue dress with an intricate snowflake pattern on the bodice that she wore.
“But you look beautifuller. I mean, not fuller, of course not fuller, just-”
“Anna!” Elsa said, stopping Anna’s panicked speaking. “Please, stop being so nervous. Everything will be fine. You look amazing. Although maybe a just a small touch up…” Elsa raised her hand and blew a steady stream of sparkling snowflakes, showering them onto the bottom on Anna’s dress. Anna gasped and twirled around, watching her dress sparkle and glow. She lunged herself towards Elsa and gave her a big hug. The girls laughed.
“Now I’m ready.” Together they made their way down the hall to the room where everyone was waiting. As the large double doors opened, the music started to play and all the occupants stood. Elsa, in place of her father, walked Anna down the aisle. She smiled as she passed Jack, who was sitting in the pews.
The look on Kristoff’s face as Anna and Elsa floated down the aisle was the loveliest thing Elsa had ever seen. He looked stunned, and like the happiest person alive. Elsa couldn’t be more pleased or more proud. The room began to spin, and her vision blurred. The image faded.
Elsa was in a room, her room, looking out at the village beyond. A hand was on her stomach and a smile was on her face. But she was also nervous. Shouts of children were heard, and feet pounded through the hallway, followed by Anna’s voice. Elsa smiled again.
Anna entered the room, followed by a small boy with red-blond hair. She came and pulled up a chair. Elsa looked from Anna to the small child running around the room and laughing.
“Is being a parent hard?” she asked Anna.
“Of course it is. But it’s the best thing in the world. Watching your child grow up, raising him, it’s fun. A challenge, but a fun challenge.” Elsa rubbed the bulge of her stomach.
“I hope I’m ready. What if they don’t like me though?” Anna gave a soft laugh.
“Of course your kid will like you! How couldn’t they? Having an ice queen as a mother and the spirit of winter as a father? You’re going to have one amazing kid.”Elsa grinned. She hoped so.
The room began to spin around her once again, grasping her and taking her from it. She struggled against her own mind, trying to take herself back there, but she was losing the fight. Suddenly, she was back at the ice castle, standing with Jack.
“I don’t care! I can’t leave Anna there! Take me back, Jack!”
“No!” Jack yelled back.
“Why?” Elsa challenged.
“Because I love you, Elsa!” There was silence. The images began to dissolve, and she was taken from the memory and stranded in the darkness. I love you, Elsa… I love you, Elsa… the words circled around her head. She desperately tried to fight her way back to those future times, wanting to see Anna get married, wanting to see her child, but she couldn’t get back. She began to realize the terrible truth. Those weren’t memories. Only mere daydreams, only wishes. And they left her for the darkness.
Elsa… Elsa… she heard her named called and immediately knew who it was.
“Jack! Jack!” she tried to call back, but her voice was lost in the blackness around her. She felt herself fading. She was losing herself. Giving into the darkness.
Then suddenly she felt something tugging on her, dragging her out of the dark. Harder and harder it pulled. A sharp pain exploded in her abdomen. The pain was unbearable. The dark didn’t seem so bad compared to the pain. Brightness exploded all around her.
“Elsa! Elsa! Elsa!” a voice called. Slowly, her eyes opened, bringing her back into reality, retreating herself from the recesses of her mind.
Her vision began to focus. Jack was kneeling next to her, frantically shaking her shoulder and calling her name.
“Elsa, please! Stay with us.”
“Jack,” she choked out weakly. A look of relief flooded his features.
“Oh Elsa, I thought you were gone!”
“Jack,” she said again. “It hurts.”
“I know, I know. We’re going to make it go away though. They’ll fix you and then you’ll be better,” he tried to reassure her. He grabbed her hand and gave it a loving squeeze. Her skin was burning hot and her hands were shaking in his.
“Elsa you’re burning up!” he told her. It was the first time she’s ever had a fever.
She shook her head. “I’m… I feel ice cold. It’s… it’s so cold.” She had never felt so cold before. The cold had never bothered her. Jack gave her a worried look. His eyes darted between her eyes and her terrible wound, the blood still trickling out of it. He had to get her to the safety of the castle where someone could help her.
“I’m going to take you back to the castle, okay? They’ll be able to help you.” He put his arms around her and tried to pick her up, but she gasped and shook her head.
“It hurts too much, Jack. Please, just leave me here.”
“No. I won’t leave you. I’ll never leave you again. I promise.”
“Promises don’t mean anything anymore, Jack. You promised you’d stay with me and take me with you, but you lied. Your promises mean nothing.” He turned his head away. Her words stung, but he knew they had truth to them. He had lied to her and now she was dying. It was all his fault. Tears filled the brims of his eyes, but he blinked them away.
“I’m so sorry, Elsa. I will never lie to you again. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anything before. I love you more than winter itself, and I will never stop loving you.” She reached a shaky hand up and brushed his snowy white hair out of his eyes, then laid her palm on his cheek.
“I love you too.” She attempted a weak smile. He put his hand over hers and smiled back, a tear sliding down his face. She moved her hand and wiped the tear away.
“Don’t cry. I don’t want you to be sad.”
“Then let me take you back to the castle,” he pleaded with her, but she shook her head again.
“No, Jack. They won’t be able to help me anyway. Please, just leave me be. I’m a nuisance to everyone. It’ll be better if I’m gone. I know I’m going to die. Just promise me one last thing and please, keep this promise. Don’t leave me until I’m gone, okay? Promise me you won’t leave me.” He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed her hand.
“I will never leave you again.” She took a deep breath, and instantly regretted it. Pain shot through her body.
Anna and Kristoff ran up.
“Elsa! Elsa!” Anna yelled frantically. Elsa raised her eyes to meet Anna’s.
“Anna…” she whispered with a smile. Anna rushed to Elsa’s side and knelt down.
“Elsa, we have to get you back to the castle!”
“There’s no point, Anna. I’m dying and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Tears welled up in Anna’s eyes.
“Elsa, no.”
“You can’t deny it. I’ll be… dead… within m...minutes…” Elsa tried to explain, but her voice was growing weak.
The tears began to fall in a steady stream down Anna’s cheeks. Kristoff put his hand on her shoulder, and looked at Elsa with sad eyes.
“You can’t leave me, Elsa. I spent so much of my life without you. I just got you back. I can’t spend the rest of my life without you, Elsa. I need you.”
“No, Anna. You don’t need me. You grew up to be a beautiful young woman without my help. You don’t need me.” Elsa shook and cringed as another wave of sharp pain ran through her body. Salty water wet her cheeks. She looked from Jack to Anna, imprinting their faces into her mind, knowing this would be the end.
“I...can’t… believe this is… the end…” she said in barely a whisper. “Anna, I was supposed to walk you down the aisle at your wedding… I was supposed to help you with your dress… Jack, we were supposed to be forever… our children… we were supposed to…” her voice was fading. Anna sniffed as the tears kept coming. Jack held her hand tight.
“I’m… I’m free…” she said and her eyes slid closed.
“Elsa, Elsa please!” Anna pleaded, her crying getting heavier.
Jack finally let his tears fall freely. He hadn’t wanted Elsa to see him cry. He put his head to her heart, but found to beat. Just an empty silence that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Kristoff picked Elsa up, and carried her in her arms as he and Anna made their way back to the castle. Jack stayed where he was, frozen. It felt as if an ice cold dagger had pierced his heart.
“Elsa,” he called through choked sobbs. He fell against the cold ice. “Elsa…”

Chapter Text

The funeral was on a chilly day, the wind whipping through the air. Anna looked up at the sky, watching the clouds form above her. The wind blew her black dress back and fourth.
“A perfect day for her…” she thought, shivering. She stood next to Elsa’s grave with her head down, staring at the dew covered grass. The citizens of Arendelle had all paid their respects, and even a few from others from different cities. Her cousin had come all the way from Corona.
That had all been earlier that day. She just couldn’t get herself to leave Elsa’s side. Elsa was buried next to her parents. Her grave stone read Elsa, free at last. It was Jack’s idea to add that last part. Anna’s fingers brushed the cold stone. Hot tears streamed down her face as she thought of Elsa, buried deep under the ground in an unmelting ice coffin Jack had made her.
She sunk to the ground and leaned against the stone, hugging her knees to her chest.
“Do you want to build a snowman?” she whispered, but no one answered. The silence was painful. It came crushing down on her as heavy as a boulder. It weighed down on her chest and rang through her broken heart. The wind began to howl around her, but she didn’t mind. She wiped the tears from her eyes and scanned the sky, looking for Jack, but to no avail. She hadn’t seen him all day. He hadn’t come to the funeral or come to visit afterwards. Anna began to wonder if he had already left.
After a while Kristoff came to get Anna and bring her inside. He found her asleep leaning against the headstone, dried tears on her face. He picked her up and carried her back to the castle.

Jack flew down to Elsa’s grave. He’d been avoiding it all day, but he knew he had to talk to her one last time. He landed on the ground and hesitantly reached his hand out to touch the rough, cool stone of her grave. Grabbing his staff, he ran it along the rock, creating snowflake patterns of frost all around it.
“I miss you, Elsa,” he told her. “You were the first person who could ever see me. You’ve changed my life and now I can never properly thank you for it. You were… the most amazing person I had ever met. And I will never stop loving you.” He sat in the quiet night for a second.
“You should see Anna,” he began. “She really loved you. But you as well as I know that she’s strong and she will eventually get past this. And you were right about that Kristoff guy. He seems pretty alright. She’s in good hands. I hope you don’t mind, but I think I’m going to distance myself for a while. Anna doesn’t need me. Eventually she’ll probably stop being able to see me anyway. But I promise you, Elsa, as I promised you before. I will never ever leave you or forget about you. This promise I’m going to keep.”
And that promise he did keep. It started out as once a month he would come back and see her. Anna never saw him, though. Jack didn’t want her to see him. He thought it might bring back unwanted memories. But Jack would check up on Anna now and then, and report back to Elsa. He would tell Elsa about his travels, about the changing world, and about the snow. He told Elsa when Anna got married, had her first child, and then her second. Her grave stopped seeming like death to him and more like an escape from his loneliness. She was the only one he used to be able to talk to, and he didn’t want that to change. He told Elsa about the stories Anna told her kids about the beautiful Ice Queen and her friend Jack Frost. He told her how happy Anna was now, and how Kristoff had never left her side. Even when Anna got sick, Kristoff was there for her. Jack thought that would make Elsa happy. He told Elsa when Anna died, although he figured she already knew. They were buried next to each other.
As time went by the visits lessened to once every couple months. After a while it became once a year. But he broke his promise. He would always come back to tell her things, even after their graves were overgrown with nature, even when cities were built over it. He knew she was still there, and she was always listening. He told her about becoming a guardian, and about Pitch. He told her about Jamie, the kid who believed.
“Oh, Elsa,” he exclaimed to her one night. “Someone can see me again! He’s such a great kid, too. I think you would have liked him.” He smiled. “Yeah, you would have liked it. Only if you would have been here to see this all with me…” He looked off into the distance. He tried to picture her white hair, her beautiful eyes, the feel of her in his arms, but it was distant and fuzzy. Her image had faded throughout the many, many, many years since she’d been gone. But one thing was for sure. No matter how distorted or lost his image of her was, or how many years since he’d last seen her or Anna, his love for her would never die. He would never truly forget her.