The Child of Frost

To thaw the heart

Fawn's P.O.V.

With Ron's help, it wasn't as difficult for us to find Jack's location than it would have been on our own. He had told us that he has been told to search for his location countless times for Father Winter that had developed a certain skill for that.

"So, even if it was as you say, and Jack is running around somewhere with Fear, he wouldn't go far. I believe he is in this area." Ron pointed at a lake on the map. "I'm sure you wouldn't know this, but for some reason, this area is one of Jack's favorite places. We've tracked him down plenty of times to know that."

Taking a look at the location of the lake, we decided to start the short trip. Despite the fact that there were four of us in total, I still couldn't help but feel we were missing something. How were we going to destroy Fear? Is it possible to destroy something that has been around for centuries? What am I asking... Of course it's possible. What's going to happen with Jack? Will we get there on time before his time is up?

Ahead of me, the boys wouldn't make a sound. They watched carefully for any sign of enemies or Jack, probably wondering if we were walking into a trap. I knew that we would have to be careful, especially if we want to avoid Fear's wrath for now, but we don't know if Jack's going to attack us.

As we got to the lake, I noticed something was lying in the middle of the frozen water. It was slightly moving, and the sight of a familiar blue sweater made my chest hurt. "Jack?" As I got closer, I saw my friend unconscious with a pained look on his face. He was shivering, his hair turning brown once again.

"What's going on with Jack? I've never seen this happen before?" Marcus said, clearly shocked to see the condition Jack was in. "Is that really him?"

Unable to help myself, I ran over to him, accidentally hitting Marcus in the face when he tried to stop me. I fell to my knees beside him, hugging him. I ran my hand through his hair as I tried to wake him. "Jack, please open your eyes. Please, come back to me." His skin felt colder than usual, making me wonder what happened to him.

"He's not going to open his eyes like that." A sudden voice made us look up, just as Jack began to scream a bit. A mix of black and icy blue swirled around in a miniature twister before revealing Fear staring back at us with a smile. Shard fired a few arrows, but Fear instantly dodged them. "Young lady, it was never my intention to exchange Jack's lifespan. My original plan was to keep Jack by my side, but if I want to destroy Father Time, I have to sacrifice the boy he loves."

"What did you do to him!" I shouted, holding Jack close to me. "Why are you putting him through so much pain!?"

With a smile, he answered, "my nightmares are freezing his heart and harvesting his power. With Jack gone, no one can stand in my way. The more fear Jack experiences, the stronger I become."

I shook my head no, looking down at the boy on my lap. I can't let this happen. What can I do?

"Coward." Marcus stepped closer to Fear as he said, "you were afraid that the youngest member of Frost will defeat you, so you try to kill him. That is something only a coward would do."

"Whether it is the way of a coward or not, I will rid the world of Jack Frost, and with no one to control winter, Frost itself would seize to exist. Including the members." With that, Fear disappeared, making Jack scream out in pain again.

His skin was turning blue, freezing him as I tried to warm him up. "What are we going to do? How do we thaw his heart?" I asked, looking up at the other boys. "What can thaw a frozen heart?"

"Love. It's the only way to help him," Shard said as he met my eyes. "You have to love him if you want to help him. Do you love him?"

I nodded, realizing what I had to do. If I love him, I had to prove it to him. With Jack still laying on my lap, I brought my lips to his, kissing him softly. I leaned down to his ear and whispered, "Jack, I love you, so please, open your eyes."

When that didn't work, I held him close as tears fell onto his face. The thought of loosing him forever hurt my chest. I would be so lonely without him. Jack was the one who, even after all these years, watched over me alone. I don't want him to be alone anymore. I wish I could stay with him. "Jack, please..."

The weather around us calms down. The wind surrounds us, lifting Jack's body in the air. As we stared in amazement, Jack's hair begins to turn white before our eyes. His skin was returning to it's natural pale color. Jack's eyes open slowly, revealing his clear blue eyes again.

"Wha... What happened to me? Why do I feel... so weak?" he asked, unable to stand on his own when the wind put him down. "Fawn?"