Jelsa -ice alliance ?

Believe

6: BELIEVE

Queen Elsa's mouth fell open in shock.

Crossing her arms tighter over her chest, she abruptly looked down, stumbling back a step as her face went pale.

"Wh-who says I believe in Jack Frost?" she stammered.

Jack raised a single eyebrow.

"You believe in Jack Frost," he stated emotionlessly. "Please just trust me on this one."

"And—and that's n-not a question!" she protested, blinking frantically, "That's an accusation!"

"Is it a true one?"

"How would you know?"

"Ma'am, you're shaking."

She abruptly cut herself off, snapping her mouth shut. Frozen into her place, Jack watched as she stared even more determinately at the ground, a few flurries of snow beginning to materialize out of the air around her in the place where she stood.

Pulling against the handcuffs, he leaned forward again.

"Okay. I'm changing my question. And, you haven't answered it yet, so I get to do that," he added.

Elsa didn't look up, crossing her arms tighter over her chest.

"I don't want to know how long you've believed in Jack Frost," Jack said quietly. "I want to know why."

The Snow Queen closed her eyes, pressing her lips together as the few flurries of snow fell around her, floating towards the frozen carpet and glistening in the moonlight. Opening her eyes again—but not relaxing—she slowly looked up into his eyes, walking to the jail cell.

"This one will take another deal," Elsa shook.

Jack shifted in the handcuffs, letting out a breathy bark of laughter as she came to a stop in front of him.

"You know," he muttered under his breath, "For someone that doesn't make deals with assassins, and AAAAH HA HA HA, DEALS ARE GREAT; I LOVE DEALS!" Jack sputtered desperately, wincing away from the blade that was suddenly against his neck again.

"In asking me why I believe in Jack Frost, you are asking me to reveal what is nothing short of my deepest, darkest secret, to a total stranger," she quavered intensely, gripping the ice dagger as her eyes watered, "You have no—idea—what that name means to me. I have rational evidence that Jack Frost exists, and if I ever find him—when I find him—I will know."

Jack Frost bit his lip, nodding quickly as he tugged at the crystalline handcuffs chaining him to the bars. "Uh—yeah," he shook, eying the dagger. "And I think you're closer than you reaLIZE—!"

He abruptly sucked in his breath, cut off as she threateningly pressed the dagger against his neck.

"Do you not believe me?"

"ACK! NO! I mean, YES!" Jack sputtered frantically, wincing as she pressed the blade of the dagger harder against his neck, "I—I do! I believe you!"

She set her jaw, glaring at him suspiciously.

"Look," Jack pleaded, putting his hands up as far as he could in the handcuffs, "I know it's crazy, but this question is—really—important to me. And, uh, it's clearly a big deal to you, too."

She glared into his eyes, her hand trembling slightly on the dagger. As he stood, frozen, in the handcuffs, Jack then watched as she shakily lowered it away from his neck, taking a step back.

"Okay," Elsa quavered, "But I—have a condition."

"What's that?"

"If—if I tell you this—if I answer that question," she whispered intensely, "You must promise—on threat of your life—to tell me who you are."