Frost at Birth (RotG)

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

*Abigail's POV*

"Please, please, please!"

"No."

"Daddy!"

"Abby!"

"Why can't I come?"

"The farther you are from him, the better."

"But...but Brandon's already there! He can do this and we can go to some town with kids or something and play!"

I was attempting to convince Dad to stay with me or let me go with him, but obviously it wasn't working. I hadn't seen much of him in the past week, and I missed him if I was honest with myself.

"Abigail, I need to go help him."

"Then let me come. Please, I'll be quiet and I won't say anything or let my temper get out of check if he tries to elicit a response from me."

"Why do you want to come so bad?"

"Because you're going." I simply responded.

He smiled. "We'll hang out later. But you're not coming."

"Aw, come on!"

"Nope."

I sighed. "Please, Dad? Where do you think if be safer? With you and Brandon, or here, alone?"

He copied my motion. "You really wanna come?"

"Yes!"

"Alright. Stay beside me and don't draw any attention to yourself." I nodded and flew behind him as we made our way over.

*Brandon's POV*

I scowled when I saw Abigail follow Jack in. "What is she doing here?" I had to make this look like I didn't have any protection for her in place. Jack would hate me forever if I told him what I'd done.

"She wouldn't take no for an answer." He shrugged. I sighed and shook my head. "Pitch, I'm not making any deals with you."

"Oh?" He asked.

"You will not touch Abigail. That's the end of it."

He smirked, slipping into the shadows. I hated it when he did that! I spun to face Jack and Abby and saw him pointing his staff at nothing, turning in circles to find Pitch.

"Abigail!" I shouted just as I saw Pitch come out behind her.

Jack shot at her head and she ducked instinctively. He smirked as it hit Pitch and made him tumble backward. "Nice shot," Abby smiled.

I ran over and got between her and Pitch, close enough that I held her hand and my arm was nearly at my side. Not that being between them would do much good. "I just told you to stay away from her." Jack said with a biting edge to his voice.

"How do you expect me to stay away from such an...appealing girl?" He smirked and reached out to brush her face. She reeled from his touch.

Jack shouted in anger and I saw what looked like lightning come from behind me. "Pitch!"

"Last time to get under your skin all I had to do was mention your invisibility to children. Now," he laughed, "I merely have to look at Abigail."

I took a step back, forcing her back with me. Pitch noticed our movement and looked from Jack to us. "Going somewhere?"

"No." Abigail hissed. "We're staying right here."

Jack turned his hate-filled glare at her and she whimpered behind me. Not noticing, he turned his attention back to Pitch. "You know what?" I said, my voice cold. "You two really are perfect together--cold and dark. Both of you are hating people that seem to enjoy it when others fear you. I'm leaving, and I'm taking Abigail with me. Jack, you just earned strike two. One more and you're out."

*Abigail's POV*

Brandon grabbed my hand to tow me away, but I stayed rooted to the ground. "I can't fly." I whispered.

He tossed me onto his back and flew out briskly. "I'm not letting you stay there."

I didn't reply, burying my head in his shoulder as the wind whipped past.

The farther we got, the more I felt his muscles relax. "Brandon," I finally said timidly.

"Yeah?"

"Why was Dad angry at me?" He'd never been that angry before, he would get upset sometimes but he was never mad. Then he turned that glare to me even.

"He wasn't angry at you, Abigail. At least I don't think he was. I think he was mad at Pitch. Either way he shouldn't have looked at you like that. He should not have scared you."

"It happened the first time I saw Pitch too. Dad got angry and tried to hurt him--again. I'd never actually seen him use his staff for defense and he scared me. But it's okay, I know he didn't mean to."

Brandon sighed. "You couldn't be more perfect, could you?"

"I have quirks, just not as many as you."

"Haha."

All was quiet then. A few minutes later I piped up again though, my voice quiet. "Brandon?"

"Yes?"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." I prodded a bit, but he wouldn't give me any more than that.

I sighed in defeat and laid my chin on his shoulder. "Brandon?"

"Yes, Abby?"

"What did you mean when you said Dad only had one more chance?"

"Are you sure you wanna know?" I rolled my eyes.

"Yes I'm sure, otherwise I wouldn't have asked."

"In baseball they give the guy up to bat three strikes. If he misses the ball three times, he's out and goes to the back of the line. Well, Dad ruined his first chance when Pitch killed Mom, then his second one just now when he scared you. He only has one more chance."

I snickered. "So, Dad?"

"Huh?"

"You called him Dad, not Jack."

He sighed. "You're beginning to rub off on me, Abby."

"Good. Dad deserves it as much as you do. And he ruined nothing. Him scaring me was not his fault and I don't think it was fair of you to tell him that he was like Pitch."

He didn't respond, but I hoped I'd at least set his gears turning. I was supposed to bring lost loved ones together, and I was sure this would be the easiest case in the years to come, so I need to figure this all out.