Just One Winter

(A/N) The count down has begun! After this chapter there are only two more to go! The next two are a two-parter finale, so get ready! This chapter is significantly longer then the past chapters have been.

For update notes and news about this story, please check out my Deviant Art account: blossom1976 ( )

This story is also now on Ao3 under the same name.

Key: (y/n) = your name. (e/c) = eye colour. (h/l) = hair length. (f/n) = friends name. (bf/n) = best friends name. (f/c) = favourite colour. (y/o) = years old.

-Chapter 11—

You and Jack spent the next couple weeks in bliss. You rarely saw Pitch again, but when you did, Jack was right there to help you through it.

Unfortunately, this meant the end to winter vacation was quickly approaching, which meant school would be back soon, and you didn't quite know what that meant for you and Jack. This bothered you, but you tried to put it at the very back of your mind and forget about it while you could.

You and Jack sat in the living room, as per usual with the two of you. You never did finish your game of Twenty Questions, so the two of you were just having fun being with each other.

"So, (y/n). What is it that makes you love all this," Jack gestured to himself. "so much?" He flashed you one of his winning Jack Frost smirks, which makes you laugh.

"You're such a dork!" You say and playfully shove him.

"Well that was not the answer I was hoping for," He said and found your hand, holding it tight.

"Why do you like bugging me so much?" You asked, squeezing his hand as hard as you could, but inciting no reaction from Jack.

"Don't you have any fun, (y/n)?" He laughs and scoops you up into his arms, ticking your ribs mercilessly.

"JACK!" You yelled though your fits of laughter and squirming. "STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET THIS!"

Jack finishes his attack with a soft kiss, apologizing and asking for forgiveness with one movement.

"Wow, she does have fun once in a while!" He sideways smirked at you.

"Only when I'm with you," you sigh dreamily and curl into Jack's chest. "You won't leave me, will you Jack?"

The question hung in the air. No response. After a few moments for the silence to register, your eyes bulge, and sit up to face Jack. With your head shaking you push:

"Jack? You're not going to leave me are you?" You ask more desperately this time.

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but before he could suddenly all the light in the room went out and the floor floods with black sand. Before either of you could react, you're suddenly pulled into the depths of the sand by the ankle, barely able to let out a scream fast enough before you're pulled under.

"(Y/N)!" Jack yelled and tried to follow you, but the room was nearly completely full of sand at this point. "PITCH, STOP THIS! DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!"

All at once everything stopped, froze in time in one place. Jack turns around, looking frantically for any other sign of movement, from you or Pitch. Instead of movement, Jack was greeted with a voice:

"Stop this! Don't hurt her!" Came Pitch's mocking voice, echoing around the room, imitating Jack's plea. "Please Jack, you really think this is about hurting her?"

The voice was coming from all angles now, with no origin for Jack to focus an attack on.

"Of course, hurting her is just an extra little appetizer before the main dish," Pitch cooed seductively with a chuckle under his breath. "I do love the fear she radiates, Jack. Poor little (y/n), alone, forgotten, unprotected by the one person who promised he'd keep her safe forever,"

Sandy tendrils suddenly emerge from the flood beneath Jack and hold him back against the wall, as Pitch's form suddenly surfaces from the inky shadows.

"You once said you wanted to be left alone, Jack. So why not BE alone!" Pitch's voice almost dripped with malicious intent. "You had your chance once to join me, but you'd rather hide out with your little guardians, and this weak little girl. Protecting children. Well Jack, I guess you can't protect every light, can you?"

Pitch suddenly lifts his hand and from the sea of sand rises (y/n), unconscious, and wrapped in the same black tendrils as Jack, only there were more and they were moving all over her body. Pitch was moving the sand with (y/n) tied up in it with some sort of Darth Vader force shit.

"Let her go, Pitch," Jack says with as much passion and vengeful intent as he could muster, pulling at his tendril bindings. "This is between you and me, leave (y/n) out of this," Jack pauses for a moment, closing his eves and taking a deep breath. "I'll leave her alone, just like you want. I'll be alone, and she'll learn to forget about me. Just let her go, I'll do whatever you want. Just don't hurt her,"

Jack was out of time, he knew this couldn't go on anymore. He just wanted (y/n) to be safe, but she will never truly be safe with Jack still in her life. Wherever Jack is, Pitch is inevitably going to follow close behind.

Pitch considered Jack's words for a moment. Finally deciding on a crooked grin, and moved (y/n) closer to him.

"Oh, Jack," He cooed. "But this is so much more fun,"

Pitch moved you inches from his face and snapped his fingers, rousing you from your endless nightmare fuelled sleep, and removing a few tendrils from your face and neck, but ensuring one stayed between your teeth, preventing any talking out of you.

With a huge gusto, Pitch loudly with arms up and outstretched to his nightmares surrounding the room began his torment:

"Well (y/n), today is your lucky day!" Pitch exaggerated, "It seems as though your little frosty prince has made my decision for me. You, my dear, will live every waking and resting moment from now on in a constant state of fear, and nightmares. Unrelenting, and unstopping fear,"

Tears begin to run down your face, and you try to turn away from this nightmare, but Pitch is everywhere.

"However, there is something that can stop this, and well," Pitch laughs from deep down in his evil core. "Lover boy, here, knows how to make this all go away for you, (y/n)"

With another snap, all the sand in the room other then the tendril across your mouth disappear, dropping you and Jack hard on the ground.

Propping two fingers under your chin, forcing you to look up at him from where you were on the ground, Pitch cooed, "We'll be seeing each other again soon,"

Pitch stands up to leave, allowing Jack an opportunity to rush to your side.

"I would say pleasant dreams, but," He lets out one last solid chuckle. "There aren't any left,"

And with that, Pitch snapped his fingers one last time, and he, as well as all his nightmares, and your bindings, disappear.

"(y/n), (y/n)! Are you okay?" Jack pleaded and put his hands on either side of your face, your eyes not focusing on anything in particular. "Please, (y/n), look at me,"

Jack wraps you up in his arms, and holds you close on the floor of your living room. Finally, life begins to come back into your eyes.

"Jack," You finally muster up the courage to say. "What was Pitch talking about?"

Jack sighs and holds you closer, hiding his face from you. After some time like this, he lifts his head and says:

"Snowflake, I think we need to talk about this, about everything,"

You and Jack take a walk. You don't talk much on the way, hand-in-hand you allow Jack to lead the way.

When the two of you finally come to a stop, it's at the bench where you first saw Jack. You look at the bench, confused, and turn to look at him with eyes full of sadness, already on the brink of tears.

"Jack, what does this mean?" You ask softly, a single tear falling down your cheek. Jack swipes the tear away with his thumb and caresses the side of your face as the two of you sit on the old wooden bench.

You squeeze your eyes closed tight, and jolt upright after only a few seconds. Keeping your eyes shut, you whisper:

"I can still see them," The nightmares, the golden eyes, dark sand, and the Nightmare King, all played behind your eyelids. Relentless, just like Pitch had said.

Jack grabbed your hand, and the images slowly began to subside. You open your eyes, starring into Jack's beautiful blue ones, which could seemingly chase away the darkness.

"(Y/n), you know I can't stay here forever. I can't make your town an eternal winter just to stay with you. I needed to leave eventually. Your school starts again in a couple days, so you're going to be busy again anyways, you won't have time for me," Jack couldn't stop his voice from wavering when he saw the tears falling down your cheeks freely now. "What would we do in the summer? I'd practically melt!" He tried to joke, invoking only a small smile from your lips.

"So all this time?" You asked, closing your eyes, trying to stop the tears. "All this time you had no intention of staying with me, all the things we did, they all meant nothing?" Jack began to shake his head, protesting, but you lift your mitten-clad finger to his lips, shushing him before he could even begin. "Did you even really love me?"

Jack takes your hand away from his mouth, and begins to explain.

"Snowflake, I had no idea what was really happening, I was just having fun. I've never had anyone over the age of ten see me, let alone one as beautiful and fun as you. Every time I turned around, you were immediately on my mind. How could I stay away?" Jack was babbling now, so he took a breath and calmed down before continuing. "I didn't realize what was happening until I realized I love you. I never thought about tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next season. All I cared about was you. How much I love you, teaching you how to loosen up and have fun, and keeping you safe.

"But, Snowflake, I can't keep you safe anymore. Pitch made that very clear to me. Either I leave you alone, or you have to face these nightmares forever," Jack finished with a shaky voice.

"I'd gladly face a thousand nightmares if it meant staying with you, forever," you say, fighting back all emotions, trying to sound brave.

Jack chuckled and pulled you closer, hugging you from the side.

"And I'd be right by your side as you faced them all," Jack smiled, but then his face grew serious. "(y/n), I have to go. You have to live a normal life, free from fear, and free from me," Jack drops your hands from his, and turns away from you.

"What can I do?" You plead. "I don't want you to go, Jack. Please. Won't you come back? I'll wait for you, for as long as it takes,"

Jack stands, leaving you on the bench. After a moment, he smiles and turns back to you.

"Live your life, Snowflake. That's what you can do for me. We'll see each other again, but until then," Jack gets close to you, and kisses you on your cheek. You put your hand up to the spot he pressed his lips to, trying to keep the feeling there forever. Jack backs up again, beginning to walk away, but stops and turns back to you first.

More tears fall down your cheeks, and you wait for Jack to speak, not trusting your own voice enough to speak. He smiles, and before flying off into the endless night sky, he winks and says:

"Don't forget about me, Snowflake,"