Wooden Castle || Jelsa Fanfiction

Chapter 22

Elsa would never forget the look on his face. That face Jack made when Elsa was crying out for help was etched in her mind.

He didn't move.

He didn't run towards her.

He didn't even reach out.

What bothered Elsa the most was the fact that no one was stopping him to reach out. He wasn't held back, he just stood there as Elsa cried his name out multiple times.

Elsa's mind was full of questions. "Does he not care anymore?" She asked herself. "This is all my fault. I didn't mean it."

           "Let go please! I don't want to go!" Elsa finally said something besides Jack's name.

She struggled to get off the guard's grip but she was weak compared to them. Elsa could hear Thia calling out to her, reaching for her. She had a worried look on her face.

Elsa was already crying. Her tears flowing continuously as she begged for them to let go. When she looked up her eyes met Jack's again. One last time she screamed. 

            "Jack!" She yelled reaching out.

With a blink of an eye she found herself back in their room; wooden walls that made it feel more like home, the moon that served as their nightlight. Elsa was still there. She was still in their wooden cabin, there was no guards to be found. Her body was shaking and her face was filled with tears and beads of sweat. Elsa's breathing was heavy. She could her Thia talking to her, but it sounded a bit muffled, as if her mind wasn't interested at all.

Without thinking twice she took her blanket off and ran towards the door, almost stumbling on her way. The moment she opened the door of their room she saw Jack with a worried face, his breathing also heavy.

Before Jack could say anything Elsa embraced him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. I don't want to go. I want to stay, don't let them take me please." She cried.

Jack also hugged her, his hand gently caressing her hair as he tried to comfort her. "It's okay. I didn't mean it too. I'm right here now, it's alright." He said. 

         "I'm sorry." Elsa said as her grip got tighter. "Don't let them take me."

         "It's just a dream, I won't let that happen." Jack assured her.

         "I don't want to go. I was lying, I didn't mean it." She said.

         "I know, I didn't mean what I said too. I'm sorry. It's going to be okay." Jack kissed her forehead before caressing her hair again.

They stayed like that for a while until Elsa calmed down. Jack pulled away for a bit to kiss her forehead once more. "Do you feel better now?" He asked her.

Elsa gave him a nod as a reply. She was finally smiling. Jack couldn't help but smile too. "You should go back to sleep." Jack said tilting his head over the direction of the bed where Elsa and Thia sleeps. Thia was there sitting on the bed, looking at the two with relief. 

Jack was about to head out until Elsa grabbed his hand. "I don't think I can sleep yet." Elsa said looking away to hide her blushing face. Jack laughed silently before dragging Elsa to a settee in their living room. They sat beside each other, imitating the position they had before when they were underneath the tree at their backyard; Elsa leaning on Jack as he held her. 

          "Look Jack I'm-"

          "Sorry, I get it. I'm sorry too. It was anger getting the best of us." Jack laughed. "You don't have to apologize to much."

Elsa also laughed. "Sorry." She said not realizing she once again apologized. "Ah, no I mean... sorry. I wanted to say sorry. Wait, what?" She just ended up laughing again. After a fit of laughter from the two there was silence until Elsa spoke up. 

          "I'm serious though, I'm sorry. I was just scared and you've never been angry at me like that before." Elsa faced Jack. He immediately noticed her worried face. "I thought you hated me. Are you still mad?"

          "Are you kidding me? I could never stay mad at you for that long. Plus, I could never hate you." Jack held her cheeks, leaned in and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you too much." He said as he rested his forehead on Elsa's.

          "So you're not mad at me?" Elsa asked. Then she remembered his face in that dream she just had. It looked so real to her that it scared her. The uninterested look on his face as she got dragged away flashed in her mind. As if she could faintly hear herself crying for help.

           "Of course not." He said quickly erasing that nightmare Elsa remembered.

Elsa hugged him once more which surprised Jack for a little while before he embraced her as well. "I'm sorry for making you mad. I promise I won't make you mad anymore. I know you told me about not wanting me to go and not wanting to lose me and I was stupid for trying to talk you into making me go to the castle, I was just so worried about Anna. You were right, you were only looking out for me, I couldn't really think of that when my mind was fogged."

         "We were both at fault for letting anger get to us. I know what it's like to get worried about my sister and I should've understood you better. I let myself cowardice and selfishness get to me. I'm more mad at myself for making you cry." Jack said. 

         "I don't like seeing you cry." He added.

         "Thank you Jack." Elsa suddenly said.

         "For what?" He asked.

         "Everything you ever did to me. For putting up with me, for all this effort that you're doing even though I feel like I'm taking you for granted. Thank you." Elsa said. In her head she was telling herself, asking herself; do I even deserve all this?

          "Thank you too." Jack said.

          "For what? I barely did anything. You do all this amazing stuffs for me yet I have not given anything for you in return. You have nothing to thank me for."

          "There is." Jack insisted. Elsa stared at him, waiting for the continuation. "Thank you for staying."

Elsa's face was beet red. She was silent for a moment, his reason surprised her for a moment. It wasn't deep but at the same time it was. She still felt like it wasn't something she should be thanked for. "Why would you thank me for that?" 

Jack shrugged. "Just because I want to."

Silence, it was all that can be heard that time. The two never let go of their embrace. Jack was switching to gently caressing Elsa's hair to patting it, occasionally removing strands of her hair that covered her face to be able to see it. Elsa eventually fell asleep. For a moment, Jack stayed like that, watching her sleep made him feel happy for some odd reason. 

He carefully broke off their embrace, got off the settee to carry her back to the bed. He carried her the way one would hold a child, carefully and lovingly. He took light steps on his way, making sure he wouldn't wake anyone up. After setting her down the bed and tucking her in, he planted another kiss on her forehead.