Jack Frost

En Familie

Come nightfall, Arendelle and its castle were back to the way it was. It seemed that Jack had been absolved of his wrongdoings, because he was soon invited inside the castle for tea and questioned by the entire staff about his abilities, how he'd passed them into Elsa, where he came from. He was a bit overwhelmed and Elsa eventually shooed everyone out so they could have a moment of peace. All that happened in that one day was so much to take in.

Jack was still in a somber state, but she didn't want him to be alone. Elsa sat beside him. "Is there anything I can do?"

"No..." He continued to grieve the loss of his friend. The sculpture had cracked and broke apart, and then disintegrated into frost. There was truly nothing left of Pitch Black.

"Everyone's grateful for what you did... especially me. You were right; my parents do love me. And my father... no matter what, he's still my father." It took her coming close to losing him to realize how much she loved him. Jack didn't answer to any of it; something other than Pitch seemed to be on his mind: How ready to die he was for the man that wanted him dead, for the woman who didn't see him as a freak. It was a feeling he'd forgotten; when someone else's life other than his own mattered that much. "Maybe... I don't know for sure... but maybe we don't have to leave after all. You could stay here."

He looked up at her with wide eyes. Elsa meant it, but something didn't sit right with Jack. He was pondering everyone's sudden change of attitude towards him. It still made his skin itch. "I still don't feel like I belong." Elsa could understand that. Jack went on, "Even if I had everything I needed here in Arendelle... even you, a part of me still feels empty."

"Then what can we do?"

"It's not something you can just go get." He tried to explain. "I... I miss..." He started to trail off.

Elsa already knew. "Your parents must miss you too."

Jack thought of them quite often too. He felt his body temperature dropping, but not dangerously low. He turned away and said hoarsely, "They think I'm a monster."

"You don't know that." Elsa objected. "They probably think about you every day just like you have them."

Jack shut his eyes; he stiffened trying to hold in some sudden tears. How could anyone love their son after their daughter died because of him? How could he still live with himself?

"Can I tell you something?" He turned to her and she nodded with eyes that said 'of course' "I used to always have this dream that I'd be walking through my old village trying to find my family. But every time I tried reaching out to anyone or calling for them, they couldn't see me or hear me. But then towards the end of the dream I'd hear Sophie's voice calling for me. I'd get so excited trying to find her and when, finally, after searching everywhere I could think, I'd end up at the pond she fell into... And then I'd realize her voice was coming from under the water." Elsa wasn't sure what to say, but she listened. "The thing is, after I'd wake up, I'd always realize that it was the only way I could ever actually hear her voice again."

Elsa didn't know what to say, but she stroked soothing circles on his back. Just having someone to listen was enough.

"Sophie... that's such a pretty name." She mused. Then she began to ponder something else. "Is your name really Jack Frost?"

He gave her a bewildered look. "Why?"

"I doubt your parents just happened to be named 'Frost' and then have a child like you. Come on, you have to remember."

The thing was, Jack didn't. At least not without struggling. "It's Jackson. Obviously, but it was Jackson..." What was it? It had been so long since he even bothered remembering. "Overland!"