"Light is meaningful only in relation to darkness, and truth presupposes error. It is these mingled opposites which people our life, which make it pungent, intoxicating. We only exist in terms of this conflict, in the zone where black and white clash."

Louis Aragon

~Elsa~

Elsa did her best not to show how uncomfortable she was. Jack was expecting a reaction from her, and she certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. The apartment building was more rundown than she had been expecting. The wall paper was peeling, the ceiling was stained, showing clear signs of water damage, some of the apartment doors were chipped, and the carpet of the hallway was ripped up. It was a far cry from the well maintained rooms of her family estate, or even the pristine condition of her own condo building. Each step she made created an echoing squeak when she put her foot down. Each breath she took filled her nostrils with an unpleasant odour. She was definitely out of her element.

Still, Elsa kept her chin up as Jack begrudgingly led her towards his apartment. Occasionally her classmate would cast her a glance over his shoulder, so their eyes could meet for half a second, only to then immediately turn back. She could tell by his closed off posture and the flashes of nervousness in his eyes that he was very unhappy with this situation. It was understandable, Elsa could admit that. She had him in a box, and was forcing him farther into the corner by exposing more and more of his secrets. It would be a frustrating situation for anyone.

Elsa felt a bit guilty for invading his life like this. Forcing her way into his home. Forcing him to put his powers on display and show her what he could do. She knew that if she was in his position, fear and anxiety would flow through her like blood. She probably wouldn't be able to breathe. The thought of putting her powers on display as herself instead of her masked alter ego never failed to make her uneasy. But the knowledge of him stealing from random shop owners for personal gain lessened her guilt a bit.

Coming up to a worn door with rusted metal numbers displaying his address, Jackson turned to her with a sardonic smile. "Home sweet home."

After he jiggled his key within the lock a few times, Jackson opened the door. He motioned for her to enter and she quickly did, casting him a distrustful glance on the way. Stepping through the open doorway, Elsa took in her surroundings. This apartment had clearly seen better days, but it wasn't in as bad of shape as the hallway outside. Obviously someone made sure to keep the flat at least a bit presentable.

Elsa turned her head back to Jack as he closed the door with a heavy thud. With brown eyes narrowed, he gave Elsa the coldest stare she had ever received. She returned the look, straightening her back and crossing her arms. Pride emanated from both of them, and they stared each other down with a challenging spark in their eyes, daring the other to make the first move. Before either of them could say a word, a third voice ripped through the tension.

"Hey Jack!" a young female voice exclaimed from behind her.

Elsa turned to see a young girl, probably in her preteens, jogging towards her and Jackson from the other side of the room. There was a noticeable resemblance to Jackson in the girl. They shared the same chocolate brown eyes and the same chestnut hair. Even the sunny smile on her face was eerily similar to the wicked grin that would usually grace Jackson's lips. Catching sight of Elsa, there was a spark of mischievousness in the girls eyes and her joyous smile morphed into a playful smirk. She stopped in her tracks in front of a startled Elsa, shifting her gaze to Jackson for a split second before looking back at the blonde.

"Hellooooo," she greeted, letting the word roll off her tongue and her voice raise in pitch. She stuck out her hand. "I'm Pippa, Jackson's sister."

Blue eyes widened a fraction at the quick introduction. Actually seeing Jackson's sister in front of her was more than a little surprising. So he hadn't been lying about that. Did it mean he had been stealing in order to support her future? It wouldn't be surprising, given the state of the apartment they lived in. She doubted they had much in terms of savings.

Elsa took the hand offered to her and shook it lightly. She offered a polite smile. It didn't seem to compare to the twenty watt grin of Jackson's sister. She wondered if this girl and the boy beside her shared the same observational skills. It would be difficult not to note how cold Elsa's hands were in that moment.

"Elsa," she replied. When her hand was released she tucked both her arms behind her back. "Nice to meet you."

The girl's gaze didn't leave her and the knowing smile on her lips made Elsa shift uncomfortably. Did she know of her brother's double life? Had Jackson told her about the Snow Queen's true identity?

Jackson stepped forward and ruffled Pippa's brunette locks with his hand, and Elsa was stunned by how light and joyous his smile was. It was like looking into the face of a child instead of a cocky teen. Looking down at his sister seemed to make him forget about her presence and wiped all former hostility from his eyes.

"Hey Pip," he greeted, laughing a bit as the girl shoved his hand out of her now tangled hair. "Elsa's just here to," he paused for a moment, thinking of a convincing lie. "Finish up a school project, due tomorrow."

Pippa lifted a skeptical brow as she cocked a hip out to the side. The irritated glint in her eyes at having her hair messed up was replaced with a flash of suggestiveness. "A project huh?" she asked with a complete lack of belief. "Is that what you kids are calling it these days?"

Jackson crossed his arms and cast a look of annoyance at his younger sister, reminding Elsa of the look she would give Anna when she tried especially hard to get on her nerves.

"I have no idea what you're implying Pip," Jack stated flippantly. "But I think you should go back to you're room before you start making wild assumptions"

"Why?" Pippa asked with narrowed eyes and a mocking smirk. She tilted her head like a confused puppy, a look of faux innocence on her face. "Am I embarrassing you in front of your new GIRLFRIE-"

A hand clamped over the young teen's mouth, cutting off her sentence, though Elsa was already sure of what she was going to say. Though the word was never completed, Elsa flushed in embarrassment as if it had been screamed from the rooftop.

Jackson quickly ripped his hand away with a disgusted yelp. "Gross! Don't lick my hand!"

The delighted giggle that escaped the girls lips prompted her brother to cast her a dangerous grin, a spark of madness in his wide brown eyes.

"Oh, you asked for it."

Elsa watched in stunned silence as Jack wrapped a firm arm around his sisters waist in order to hoist her off the ground. He slung the struggling girl over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. Pippa's legs were flailing in the air as she yelled out loud protests through fits of laughter. Jackson carried the girl off the room that was closest to them, which Elsa assumed was his sister's bedroom.

Cautiously, she followed behind them, unsure how to act in this entire situation. This was a side of Jackson that she didn't even know existed. A soft and joyful side that she hadn't contemplated when she blackmailed him into keeping her secret, or when she planned on extorting his unnatural abilities for her benefit.

She hadn't prepared for meeting Jackson's family. She hadn't prepared for him showing anyone affection of any kind. For some reason, when she thought of Jackson during all their years of high school together, she imagined him to be the typical rebellious teen. The type to be distant and rude to his family while being caught spray painting the sides of museum buildings.

Sure, he was still a thief and a jerk, but it seemed like her first impressions were more than a little faulty. That fact was enough to throw her for a loop.

The shallow impression she had of him was shifting rapidly these past two days. She never would have guessed that he would have powers. She never would have guessed that he would be using these powers for several years to commit several accounts of robbery. She never would have guessed that he had a sister, who loved and cared for him and who he loved and cared for in return.

There was clearly a lot more to Jackson than she would have ever thought.

Elsa contemplated silently, thousands upon thousands of thoughts running through her head as she tried to wrap her mind around this other version of Jackson. Meanwhile, the boy and question was slamming his sister's bedroom door in her face, despite her giggling protests.

He turned to Elsa in a flash and latched onto her wrist. The blonde would have ripped herself away if she weren't so shocked by the sudden movement.

"We gotta move before she comes after us," Jack claimed as he dragged a petrified Elsa down the hall, not noticing the stunned expression on her face. He quickly whipped both of them into the next room and shut the door as soon as they were both inside. It was only when the door locked with a satisfying click that Jackson was able to breathe.

He turned to look at Elsa over his shoulder, who was now absently rubbing her newly released wrist. One could take him for sheepish with the way he rubbed the back of his neck, fingers tangling in the more unruly strands of hair.

"Sorry about that," he apologized, leaning against his door. His body slumped with exhaustion. "She's not one for first impressions but her weirdness grows on you."

"She seems nice," Elsa commented with a nervous smile. She paused as she looked towards the now closed door, imagining the girl on the other side. She lowered her voice to a whisper before speaking again. "Does she know...about you?"

The sharp glare he gave her was the only answer she needed. He stared at her for a moment, as if trying to gage her next move. Elsa could only guess what he was thinking as he turned away from her. Jackson didn't look at her again as he walked towards an old dresser, pushed against the far wall. His hands gripped the siding, nails digging into the wood grain. His back continued to face her, and she could see the tension between is shoulder blades.

"Please don't tell her," he whispered, his voice becoming so much softer than she thought possible. He took a deep breath that caused his shoulders to rise high and fall low. "If she knew..."

His words trailed off and left a hollow silence. It didn't stop her from filling in the blanks of that final sentence. After all, Elsa had a younger sister who looked up to her as well. This fact alone may have been the reason for the truth that solidified on her tongue.

"I won't tell her," she whispered, trailing her hand up and down her forearm. The speckles of ice clinging to her uniform blazer.

Brown eyes met blue, looking wider and more innocent than they ever had before. As her classmate turned his head, ever so slowly, Elsa could see the vulnerable and raw expression. There was a shadow of relief in his face and hint of gratitude in the corner of his eyes. He was so human in that moment, leaving no traces of the walking high school cliche she had seen skateboarding the halls day after day. It made her feel even more like an intruder.

Elsa decided to woman up and ask the question that was nagging in the back of her mind, even though she was unsure if he would answer it truthfully. "Jackson," she started, nearly loosing her nerve before continuing. "If you think she'll be disappointed in what your doing, why are you doing it?"

The gratitude slunk away and his eyes turned to stone, even though Elsa could clearly see the cracks. She had never noticed how his emotions seemed to pour from him, how he was always fully enveloped by them. She had never really looked so closely.

Jackson sighed before speaking. Elsa could hear the wood creak as he released his grip on the dresser top. He was facing her fully now but refused to look in her direction. "When I was fourteen, something happened me," he explained, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Pip and I went ice skating and I fell...through the ice, into the water."

Elsa's eyes widened a fraction at that statement. She lowered herself down onto the bed as Jackson continued. He reached behind the dresser, never breaking in speech.

"I was pulled out of the water before I could drown." He pulled a long stick with a curved end out from behind the dresser. "But I was unconscious and I couldn't wake up."

Elsa was quick to recognize the long shepherd's staff in his hands. The thin lining of frost seemed to crackle in his grasp, growing thicker and swirling more elaborately. It was the same stick he had been holding when she caught him the night before.

"After being pulled out of the water, I was in a coma for two months," he admitted quietly, gripping the staff so tightly that she could hear his skin straining against the wood. "And my mom blew all her savings on my treatment. She was only trying to keep me alive. But she didn't have much to begin with. She was already in debt when I woke up."

Elsa nodded slowly, understanding what he was getting at. "And that's what you needed the money for," she concluded. It explained why he would be desperate enough to negotiate with her. He needed to pay off his mother's debts, and he would resort to stealing in order to help her out. She remembered how he said he needed the money for his sister. And given the fact that his mother was so entrenched in hospital debts, she didn't find it hard to believe that part of his motivation was ensuring his sister's future.

Elsa idly wondered if she would have ever resorted to stealing for Anna's sake of she were in more desperate circumstances.

Jackson only nodded in response, his eyes lingering along the coarse ridges of the stick. His fingers rhythmically thrummed against the wood, giving an air of indecision and impatience. He didn't speak for a long while, lost within his own musings. Elsa couldn't help the awkward shuffling at her feet as the discomfort gnawed deep within her gut.

"Ugh," she growled, slinging her backpack around so she could reach inside. Digging around the front pocket, she pulled out a small check book with a huff. "How much do you need exactly?"

Jackson's head jerked up and he stared back at Elsa with wide eyes. "But...I thought-"

"Look, I need to give you the right amount so that you never steal again," she said.

Jackson's eyes narrowed upon hearing her statement, his face hardening within a single beat. "I'm not a charity case," he sneered, lips twitching with barely restrained rage.

"It's not charity," she snapped back. "Think of it as a bribe. Extra insurance so you won't reveal my identity to anyone."

"What about your whole 'hero for hire' angle?" he shot back with a skeptical arch of his brow.

"I don't need the help," Elsa answered honestly, putting her hands on her hips. She managed enough perseverance to ignore the soft scoffing sound he made to continue with her explanation. "And I don't want to force you to be a hero. Nothing good would ever come of that."

Jackson's face skewered in offence and confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Elsa rolled her eyes before continuing. "Look, if you want to do something worthwhile, then it has to be your choice," she said, tugging a pen out of her pack's side pocket. She scribbled a rough estimate of what he needed on the check. "You can't expect other people to shove you along the right path."

She shoved the check into his hands. Before he could throw it back at her, he caught sight of the number she wrote onto the check. It was apparently enough to leave him frozen stiff.

"Is it enough or not?"

He could only stare dumbly at the paper within his hands before offering a hesitant nod. Elsa only then allowed herself a slight sigh of relief, relatively glad that he didn't put up a fuss.

"If I catch you out stealing again," she warned, voice low and face coming threateningly close to his. "I won't hesitate to give my evidence to the police and get you incarcerated for life.

Before he could stop her, Elsa headed towards the door, mentally kicking herself for her weak will power. It may have been useful to have someone like Jack Frost on her side, but the idea of blackmailing someone into working for her, even a jerk like Jackson, left her uneasy in the gut. Finding out about his family and his motivation made her even more unsure of herself.

In the end she would rather just put this entire thing behind her than spend another minute fighting with herself over questionable morality. God knows she had had enough of that in her life.

So Elsa left the small apartment without a word, a few thousand dollars poorer and all too happy to forget this lapse in judgment.

Unfortunately for her, she had already set things in motion. Besides, fate had a way of playing out, despite all attempts to avoid it.

~Poor Shmuck~

Too much tequila, not enough water, not enough energy and definitely not enough warmth. Where the hell did he put his coat? Had he left it at her house?

Well screw that then, he would rather freeze his ass off on this beach than go crawling back to that shrew. He didn't need her or that damn coat.

Beach.

God, he hadn't even noticed he had been walking towards the beach until he was standing amongst the pale sand. Their beach. The beach where she would dig her wet feet under the sand, and watch in amazement as it rolled of in clumps. The beach where he would take a dollop of sunscreen and bop it onto her adorable nose. The beach where he believed he would have proposed to her, if she hadn't been such a huge pain.

He kicked at the sand with a clunky winter boot, watching as the grains scattered in the overwhelmingly strong wind. Christ, it was freezing. And with the kinds of winds he saw, there was no doubt that a storm was coming. He should find some shelter. Maybe the nearest bar. Getting more drunk could only help him at this point.

Casting one last look at the rolling waves, that were getting choppier with every gust of wind, he turned towards the stairs that would lead him back to the path that went down town. Only to freeze mid turn.

His brain registered what he had just caught a glimpse of, causing him to turn back and look out at the ocean once more. Had he really just seen that?

Within the roaring tides, he could just make it out. A dark shape that bobbed at the surface of the water. It seemed to be moving towards the shore. It was too dark to see it clearly, and with the lack of streetlights or man made lights of any kind, it was near impossible to tell what he was looking at.

Out of curiosity, he wandered closer to the crashing waves. With a bit of a better look, he could tell it wasn't some kind of water marker to warn of boats. No the shape seemed almost like a head. Though perhaps that was the tequila screwing with his vision.

However, even in his drunken state, he couldn't have been hallucinating the head getting closer and rising out of the water. The head was followed by the broad shoulders and chest of a solidly built man, dressed like a barbarian from one of those old movies. He was starting to doubt that this was merely the tequila.

The man waded through the roaring waves like they were nothing, marching towards the shore. He was enormous, nearly seven feet with thick muscles and an huge Viking axe in his hand to boot. He looked like one of those body builders that you only could ever find on google images. But the thing that through him the most of about this burly man were the eyes. Beady eyes that were darkened by the shallow black rings that surrounded them, but had a glowing white reflexion over the iris.

What the hell was this ren fest reject doing in the freaking sea?

He could only stand there in stunned silence as the man made it to shore, the heavy boots he wore sinking into the wet sand. The barbarian observed the area that surrounded him in mild interest, only letting out an occasional grunt of breath.

"Jesus," he couldn't help but mutter. This single word drew the barbarians attention, causing those glowing eyes to hook into him. "What happened to you, man? Are you okay?"

The man made a low noise, sounding almost like a growl. "What is this place?" the barbarian rumbled, in what was probably the deepest and most gruff voice he had ever heard. He had a thick Scottish brogue that made it difficult to understand.

"Um, Insinius," he answered, voice shaking when he met this enormous man's threatening stare.

The man didn't seem to react to the cities name, he just let it roll off him like water. He looked around once again, scanning the beach like a man on a mission. He was looking for something.

"Were you in some kind of boat accident or something?" he asked. It was the only reason he could think of that would explain why this guy had just walked out of the ocean without a clue as to where he was.

The barbarian looked at him again, eyes somehow sharper and more deadly than before. He ignored the question for favour of his own. "Where is the dragon?"

His eyes widened at that. Okay, maybe this guy wasn't the victim of some boat crash. Maybe he was just nuts. That would explain a lot.

Feeling the inherent danger of being on a deserted beach with a mad man wielding a large axe was enough to sober him up. At least enough to get his priorities in order. Immediately, he began to back away from the Scotsman. He had to make it to the stairs and just make a break for it. There was no way he was sticking around.

In order to evade suspicions, he stuttered out a reply. "I don't know what you're talking about, man," he let out a small laugh, because this was ridiculous and couldn't possibly be happening. He didn't have enough control in his limbs to stop himself from stumbling as he backed away. He tripped over his own feet and fell back with a thump. The man standing above him simply watched. The glowing eyes traced over their surroundings once again, twitching when they didn't find what they were looking for.

"If you're keeping the night fury from me, you are disrespecting me and my clan," the rough voice growled, sounding increasingly inhuman. "And I will not let that stand."

He watched in frozen fear as dark thick hairs sprouted from the man's pours, growing at an impossible rate. The man's face shifted and malformed before his very eyes into the face of an animal, facial bones cracking and jutting out against their nature. He grew in size, arms and legs becoming thicker and longer, until he was nearly twice his previous height. His hands morphed into enormous paws with razor sharp claws and the axes he held dropped to the sand with a heavy thud. As his transformation was nearly completed, he let out a battle cry that that turned into a monstrous roar before his lungs gave out.

Where there was once a man, there was now an huge black bear. The only thing that remained the same were those sharp glowing eyes.

He couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe. He saw her face for a moment in the back of his mind, and wished he had never left her apartment. The last thing he ever saw was the swipe of a giant paw before its black claws ripped through the flesh of his face.

Two guesses as to who that is. Sorry for the wait guys! University has been kicking my butt. But I was listening to the Moana soundtrack and it gave me a jolt of inspiration.

Some of the reviews I've been getting haven't been showing up in my email and they didn't show up on fanfiction for a bit, so I'm just going to answer all past questions from chapter 12 and 13 right here.

SMrFreeze: Iceland was awesome! You lucky if you live there. And yep I'm gonna keep him a thief.

YoKoChi150: Yeah, I know Artemis is a character in young justice. Honest to god, it is so hard to find superhero names that haven't been used yet.

Kaisuky: I always found Merida to be a very cocky character, but she's gonna have to do a bit more to prove herself. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. :)

SharKohen: Pacific Rim rocks! Though the creatures I'm thinking of aren't as big as Kaijus. Lol. Your first two guesses on the Unnaturals are correct. The third one is actually Aladdin. I know he's really from Asia, but I wanted them to be a bit more spread out. Also I figured someone like that would have been chased out of Saudi Arabia pretty damn fast.

I love that about teen heroes as well. They're still teenagers, so honestly the scariest thing to them is an angry History teacher.

Captain Knight: yeah, I've never been very big with Mericup for some reason. To be honest I've never shipped Merida with anyone. And I really like hicstrid.

Guest 1: Well they were sisters in the movie. *shrugs*

Gilly the Fish: yes, I agree that Jack would be like an TV Arrow figure in that he's a bit more of an anti hero at this point (while Elsa would be more like a TV daredevil or spiderman). He steals for his family, and for the adrenaline rush. He loves to be Jack Frost because it feels good. I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

HopelessRomantic183: Thank you very much for your review! It was really helpful. I like your analysis of the stuff that's happened and your ideas. For your question on Rapunzel and Eugene, Elsa doesn't want to intrude on their lives since she doesn't really know them. But they will be showing up again.

wildkat0122: thank you for the encouragement! :)

Guest 2: thank you!

PolarPanda: thank you so much! I'm glad you like the story. It's a good idea to show more of Jack and his family to show his soft side. Thank you!

You know Who (yeah, you can bet I know who you are you fart!): (ง'̀-'́)ง

Guest 3: thanks :D

lils: I'm glad you like it! I'm having fun shaping the story up too.

Irisrox: thank you! That's so nice! I'm glad you consider it a good jelsa story!

Wendystopian: dude, I am all about the banter. With their opposing personalities, they are great to write for.

DreamsAreMagical: thank you! I love finding quotes that match the chapters! I'm glad you like them!

Guest 4: I like your idea! I'm pretty sure I know who you're referring to when you say you know who. I already have a pretty solid idea of how this character is going to be. But I may be able fit your idea in, or if I can't you should write it! I'm sure you would make an awsome story out of it on its own. (This ship needs to be a bigger thing!)