Thaw (Jelsa Fanfic)

Famine

Jack let the wind carry him above the sleepy kingdom below, the towering pines that marked the edge of the forest, and then finally to the clearing. The meadow had seemed magical when he'd been there Elsa...now it haunted him. If only he'd told Elsa everything before Tooth had put on her show...

He landed near North's sleigh, parked near the treeline. The reindeer grunted and pawed the earth at his disturbance, but Jack paid them no mind as he began to walk toward the group, which had congregated near the pond. He'd managed about two steps when Tooth fluttered up, blocking his path.

"Jack, we have to talk. Privately." She was alone, not of her fairies in sight.

He was unprepared for the reaction the sight of her would cause. As the events of the evening ha unfolded, Jack had not had time to fully recognize just how furious he was with her. Now, face to face, the sight of her lit the flame of his rage and coaxed it into an all out inferno.

His blue eyes slitted in an icy glare, he all but snarled at her. "I've got nothing to say to you Tooth. Get out of the way."

Tooth's face fell as if she had been holding on to some great hope that he'd forgive her for what she'd done. "Jack, I didn't mean to cause this. If I had known how it would effect you..."

"Effect me? What about her? You don't know her...you dont know what she can do. God, she could have thrown this whole kingdom under snow with how upset she was!" Jack's voice was raising steadily, and had gained the attention of North, Bunny, and Sandy from across the meadow.

"Jack, it was a mistake. I was just trying to make you see that your work is important...that you couldn't just abandon it..." Tooth said softly, her violet gaze downcast.

"She was important too. You didn't even give me time to get her to trust me enough to listen. And now? She can't see me anymore. How am I supposed to warn her that she's in danger...how am I suppose to protect her...when she walks right through me?" Jack raged at her, holding his staff tightly in one hand to keep the impulse to use it at bay.

"Jack, I'm sorry..." Tooth began.

"That's enough, you two. Water under the bridge. Toothie's sorry Jack, and we have bigger problems." The rest had closed in on them. Jack glared intently at Tooth a few beats longer.

"It's going to take time, Tooth. I'll get over it, but not now. I just...I can't." Jack said finally, a heavy sigh escaping him as he turned to look at North. "What's happening? Why did you call me earlier?"

"We think you were right about Pitch." North nodded to Sandy, who was listening eagerly at his side. "Sandy saw something while he was working. It is strange..."

Sandy began to show various shapes made of sand, each one shifting into the next at lightning speed. Jack blinked in confusion. "Uh...thanks? North, you want to translate?"

"There was a shape in the night. A shrouded beaning...It was fast and too dark for Sandy to see clearly, but it wasn't any of the known myths. We are sure of that. And if not them...then Pitch is a likely explanation." North frowned.

Jack shook his head in disbelief. "A shadow? That's what you're basing this on?" Aggravated, he began to pace.

"Jack, there was black sand on the rooftop when Sandy investigated." Tooth added.

Jack looked at her, then at North. It just wasn't adding up...Pitch would have been sure to confront Sandy...it was just his egotistical way. "Something's not right. This doesn't feel like Pitch's work. He's never been quiet about what he's done-he thrives on seeing the damage he creates. In that nightmare I had...it wasn't like that. It was different. I can't explain it..." Jack rubbed his temples, closing his eyes against the frustration.