What Kills Fear?

Chapter 7

He quickly went inside to check on Rapunzel.
After the last encounter he had with Jack, Jack lost his fear. He was no longer afraid of anything. Pitch couldn't beat him, not yet, not without Rapunzel. The chances of Jack even finding her were slim. But Pitch wasn't taking any chances.
He ran into the main room, he couldn't see Jack anywhere. Either he had already left or found one of Pitch's secrets.
The first room he checked was the one with his dear Elsa in it. He was doing all of this for her and if he lost her, he doesn't know what he would do.
After doing a thorough search he discovered Jack wasn't there. But his heart stopped beating for a moment when he figured that Jack might have taken Rapunzel, the main component he needed to bring back one of the only people he's ever loved.
He didn't even bother running out and just teleported into the kitchen of his little "house"
"Rapunzel." Pitch yelled from the kitchen.

Rapunzel jumped, using the cane for comfort she squeezed it tight. Then she remembered that's one of the things she needed to keep hidden so she threw it under the bed and poked her head out her room door, "Yes father?" She asked.
Pitch's heart rate went back to normal. He found himself smiling, relieved Rapunzel hasn't gone. He ran and hugged her, "I'm sorry, I just thought--" he stopped himself, "Nevermind what I thought, all that matters is you're here. And I have the paintings you asked for."
Rapunzel smiled and looked down at his hands, containing two filled canvases.
He handed them to her and she hugged the objects. "Thank you so much dad!" She exclaimed looking at the pictures. "Wow, is this what night time looks like?" She asked.
Pitch shook his head, "No, this is during the day. I couldn't find anything made at night."
Rapunzel didn't care, she was happy just to be able to see anything at all.
"It's beautiful, thank you dad, I love it." She jumped up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "I'm going to go hang it in my room." She smiled.
Pitch couldn't help but feel like he disappointed her, he knows her well enough that even if she was upset about something she would never tell him. Because her fear was Pitch not loving her.
"I can get you another one tomorrow," he suggest while she headed to her room, "one during night. I think you'd like it." He added.
Rapunzel also felt guilty, "No, you really don't have to," she said turning around, "these are enough and I love them."
Pitch looked down, "It's really no trouble, Sunshine, I'll get you another one."
Rapunzel felt awkward accepting the gift and it showed, "Ah, if you... Insist, I can't really stop you. The dinner is ready." She finished before going into her room. She was looking for places to hang them up.
"It smells amazing, when you get done we can eat together." He said from the kitchen.
She hung one on the wall by the closet, "Well, I'd love too. But I'm not really hungry so I wouldn't be able to eat much." And she placed the other on her bed, she didn't want to keep her father waiting for long. She figured she would put it somewhere later.
She ran then slid out into the kitchen, it was more enjoyable for her to enter that way.
She grabbed a bowl but didn't fill it up much, then she took a seat across the table from her father.
"So, Sunshine. How was your day?" He said before sipping the stew.
"It wasn't the most productive, but I enjoyed it. After cooking dinner I just spent the rest of the day talking to Pascal." She said, not lying but not telling the whole truth. Much like Pitch does with Rapunzel. "Uhh, what about you, father?"
He smiled, avoiding eye contact, "Well, it was pretty average and plain for me. Even at the market I had no trouble obtaining the pictures." He kept eating, "This stew is amazing, you should be proud."
Rapunzel nodded, "Thank you, that's means a lot." she smiled.

After dinner the two parted ways and headed into their rooms. Rapunzel let out a deep breath after shutting her door and turning on the light. It felt so weird to hide something from Pitch. She looked at the closet. She felt confused about the old man. An old mortal is nothing like she read in her books. She would imagine wrinkly people, low in energy with raspy voices. But this guy was the exact opposite. She is learning how little she actually knows about the real world. But things were only just getting started.

She heard some banging and immediately woke up. Pascal just went deeper under the covers.
"Oh no, he's up." She whispered.

Jack woke up in a small space, his jaw was in agonizing pain. He rubbed his jaw, "God, what happened?" He felt around the small space. "Where am I?" He whispered.
"No, wait. I remember I did the exact opposite of what North said to do. And I seen that girl, Rapunzel. I think she knocked me out for trying to flirt with her?" He questioned. He shook his head and pressed his hands against the opposite wall. "That doesn't explain why I'm in a coffin though."
He couldn't think of another way out so he began banging on what he assumed was the lid to the "coffin".

Rapunzel ran the the doors of the closet and began untying the strings that was keeping Jack in there.
"Shh," Rapunzel whispered, "my dad is asleep."
Jack's eyes widened, "How long have I been knocked out?" He asked.
Rapunzel shook her head, "I'm not sure, long enough for me to eat dinner and go to bed." She said untying the last knot. She opened the door. Jack just looked at her, he forgot how she looked and couldn't help but stare.
"I bet you're hungry," Rapunzel stated, "I can go get you left overs but stay in here sir."
Jack narrowed his eyebrows, "Sir?" He asked her annoyed.
Rapunzel's eyes widened, "Are you... are you not an old man?" She asked unable to see his face in the shadows of the closest.
"Do I look like an old man?" He asked unknowingly rude.
Rapunzel nervously played with her hair, "Uhh, truth be told I haven't... really seen your face."
Jack rolled his eyes, "Well I'm not an old man-- Well, actually maybe age wise? What ever, I'm young."
"I'll be right back." Rapunzel whispered before leaving.
Jack reached for his staff but realized it wasn't with him. He jumped and his heart started beating fast, "Oh no, oh no. Where is my staff?" Jack exclaimed looking around the closet.
Rapunzel came back with a bowl of the now cold stew. She walked in the room to see Jack freaking out.
"I uhh, I brought you food." Rapunzel said. She closed the door and turned on the light. Then proceeded to set the bowl on the floor.
"Are you okay?" She asked. Jack turned to face her.
Rapunzel looked at him. She tilted her head and squinted. "Have I seen you somewhere before?" She questioned quietly.
Jack didn't heard what he said. "Have you seen my staff?"
"Staff? You mean the cane?" Rapunzel clarified.
"The cane-- okay, what ever. Where is the cane?" Jack gave up on explaining things, he wasn't in the mood.
Rapunzel looked up at him, "I hid it, you can have it back tomorrow night. I just need to keep you hidden until my father goes to town."
Jack sighed, "It's fine, I can deal without it for a day." He said to himself. He sat down in front of both Rapunzel and the soup, "Your father? Do you mean Pitch?"
Rapunzel looked at him confused, "Who is Pitch?" She asked.
Jack began to wonder how little this girl actually knew, "The scary shadow man?"
"My father is a shadow but he is not scary." Rapunzel said.
Jack grabbed the bowl, "I don't even know if we're talking about the same person. I didn't know Pitch had a kid, how old are you?" He asked.
Rapunzel fiddled with her hair, "Ahh, I should be turning nine teen next May. What about you?"
Jack shook his head, "I honestly haven't kept track." He ate a spoonful of the stew, "Wow, this is... This is great. Woah."
Rapunzel tilted her head again, "Why did you want to know who my father is?" She asked.
"Because, from my knowledge, Pitch hasn't had any love in his life for centuries. I just wanted to see if the math added up. And it doesn't."
Rapunzel glared at him, "Well then we must have been talking about someone else, yes, my mother has passed but she died during my birth. Eight teen years ago."
Jack raised his hands up, "Hey, I'm not trying to start an argument."
Despite his latest sentence Rapunzel continued giving him a cold stare.
She put her hand over the bowl of soup, blocking him from taking another sip, "How did you get in her and who are you?"
Jack put the spoon down and playfully hit his forehead, "Right, introductions, how rude of me. I am Jack Frost." He bowed trying to press more buttons. "And as if how I got in here, I'm not so sure your dad would be happy if I told you where the door is." He winked, "Unless of course you're willing to do me a favor."
Rapunzel was intrigued, "What do you want?"
Jack leaned in, "I want you to leave with me."