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!"

"Overland, huh?" Jack nodded. "Hm. I have to say, Jack Frost suits you a lot better." She tried to humble him, and luckily she'd earned a grin in return. Their smiles came naturally when they were around one another. There was something oddly intimate about the moment. It was quiet, they were alone, and for once, they weren't worried about anyone seeing them. They slowly leaned closer, neither completely sure. Jack closed his eyes...

"You're sure it's Overland?" Elsa had stopped and a disappointed Jack blinked his eyes open.

He raised a brow. "Y-yeah?"

Elsa nodded, making yet another mental note of it. She stood up. "I think we should be going to bed now."

Although Jack was hoping they'd get their moment back, he realized how sore and exhausted he was and agreed. Elsa showed him to one of their guest chambers, where he had the most comfortable sleep he'd had in years.

...

Jack hadn't slept in so late in the longest time either—he'd slept too deeply for dreams. To him, it was as though he blinked and the sun now up. Moaning a little and rubbing his eyes, the teenager leaned over to the curtains and opened them, only to be blinded! He squinted and quickly swiped the curtain back closed.

Jack swung his legs over the bed and was surprised not to be swiping any dustings of frost off of his clothes. Maybe sleeping in a real bed with real bed sheets had done the trick. How late was it? Someone knocked rhythmically at the door.

"Yes?"

Gerda opened the door. "Oh, good. You're finally awake.

"Uh... Morning." He wasn't sure why the castle servant was even bothering with him.

"You mean midday. This is the third time I've checked up on you."

"Wow. I must've been tired."

"I'll say..." She nervously fiddled with her hands. Jack could tell he was making her tense.

"Don't worry. My powers are under control—"

"Oh, it's not you, my dear... The king and queen have been busy since late last night you see... and they're waiting for you at the castle doors."

He raised a brow. "May I ask why?"

"I think you should just go see for yourself." He didn't know why she was being so cryptic and vague, but he went with her down to the front doors. She opened them for him.

Jack Frost's eyes went opaque and glassy. Agnarr and Iduna stepped out of the way and in front of them were Emily and Nicholas Overland. They were shocked to see their once brown-haired, brown-eyed son now looking like winter incarnate. Neither one of them could take their eyes off of another.

But in between the two parents was another... A nine-year-old girl with straight brown hair and fawn eyes... Just as he remembered her. With an awe-struck gaze, the young girl looked up at him as if she were looking at a stranger. "Sophie...?" He had to be dreaming, but the young girl nodded.

Emily went to say his name, but instead, burst into tears. Dream or no, he needed to feel them. He lunged forward and got lost in each of their arms. Jack's eyes filled with thick, euphoric tears as he held Sophie; she fit the most perfectly in his embrace.

...

Elsa hadn't a clue the Overlands had already arrived. She was walking down the hall towards the bathroom when she heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the library. It was a very gruff voice—that of a logger man. "We searched for months, months! Everywhere looking for you!" It exclaimed. "If we'd known you'd gone so high up in the mountains–"

"I'm sorry." That was Jack's voice!

"Why didn't you come back?" Emily demanded. Sophie was keeping quiet since this was 'grown up' talk.

"I was afraid! Don't you remember what happened?" Jack's eyes were glassy and empty. Sophie barely remembered that incident, but the thought of it made her uneasy. And whenever she was uneasy, she played with her hair—twisting it around her finger.

"None of it matters now... we're here together, just as it always should've been." Nicholas continued. "My son, isn't time for you to come home?"

Elsa listened nervously from behind the wall. She wouldn't blame Jack for wanting to return to his family... But she also didn't want him to be gone.

"I– You have no idea how long I've wanted to go home." Jack replied. "But what about the other people? Are they going to be okay with me just skipping back in with my freak-of-nature powers?"

"We'll protect you." Emily assured.

"Mom, I'm an adult now, I don't need protecting." Not to her, he wasn't. He was fourteen the last time he'd seen her, and in her mind, he was fourteen since. She'd nearly fainted when she saw the grown-up young man step outside of the castle. "Besides, wouldn't that mean just keeping me locked up again?" His parents hadn't any better ideas.

The family was silent for a bit. Elsa's heart, meanwhile, was pounding; nervous about what she would hear. Her father suddenly appeared before her with a grin. He didn't rat her position out and instead, he entered the library. "May I offer any of you some freshly-brewed tea?" The two parents both eagerly accepted while the long-estranged siblings just glanced at each other. Jack couldn't take the silence anymore and stood up.

"Mom, Dad?" He'd gotten the three's attention. "Can I talk with my sister... alone?" Though hesitant since they'd just gotten their boy back, they agreed. Elsa didn't react in time and was approached by Jack and Sophie. "Oh uh, Elsa." He stammered. "Sophie, remember how much you loved Princesses?" She didn't speak. She just nodded. "Well, here's a real one. This is Princess Elsa." She just shyly clung onto his wrist.

Elsa grinned and curtsied. "I'm happy to finally get to meet you."

Sophie said nothing and drug Jack's wrist so that he'd walk away with her. Jack shrugged at her anxiousness and walked out of the castle with her. Elsa couldn't stand the thought of Jack leaving. Though she wasn't sure, she had a gut feeling Jack was right about being closed up once again back at his home village. Feeling like she needed to say something, Elsa entered the library.

...

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Jack walked with Sophie along the harbor. Compared to where he grew up, he was sure Sophie had never seen the fjords like this before. But she wasn't interested in that. "So, you got to go inside your first castle, and meet your first Princess!" Jack tried to act as though nothing had changed, but that was impossible. Even though she was a child, the two knew there was a much-needed explanation for the too-young-to-understand girl whose brother had run away. That wasn't to mention the disillusioned Jack whose sister had appeared back from the dead!

They silently walked on; it was bizarre. He began to wonder whether if Pitch had misunderstood or if he'd blatantly lied... had he been bleeding what little fear he could out of him even then?

"I missed you, Jack." She spoke. Her voice had matured so much since she was six. She sounded less like a baby and more like a young girl. She was much more reserved than he remembered; he was sure she was thinking the same about him. "I really missed you." Sophie began to tear up. "Sometimes I'd sleep in your room because I missed you so much."

Jack couldn't take the guilt—he stopped and kneeled down to her height, looking into her eyes. Sophie still barely recognized her older brother. "I missed you too." He swallowed his tears down his throat and pressed on. "But I had to leave."

"Why?" She demanded, hysterical.

"I was scared! After you fell into that pond because of me, I was never the same!" Jack tried to make her understand. "I never wanted to see you shivering-cold in shock like that again!" Jack felt the haunting memories return. "When I first pulled you out, you couldn't even move!" Sophie was starting to comprehend his motives but wished it hadn't been so. "And not just you; I didn't want to hurt Mom, Dad, anyone!"

"Why do you have magic and I don't?"

"I don't know. I'll never know. And neither will anyone else... But it took me a long time to accept them... even longer to accept myself." He wasn't sure if she'd understood that last part, but she would someday. "Sophie, I know I hurt you by running away, and I'm sorry I did without saying goodbye. But I never stopped loving you." He looked into her eyes. "Don't you know that? I thought about you and Mom and Dad every day... It's okay if you hate me now, but one day you'll understand."

Sophie was quiet... and then she punched his ribs. She was definitely his sister. "Don't be stupid, Jack! I never hated you!" She finally hugged him tightly on her own. "I just wanted you to come home." Despite her nine-year-old wisdom, she still didn't understand that not returning home was what had been harder than returning home.

Jack thought some more. Perhaps what their father had said was true. Maybe it was time to start over once again... but he hadn't seen those people in so long, and he was barely recognizable! And they didn't know him, they knew what he'd done. The lonely child that was always cooped inside his home... had that been how Sophie had been since he ran away? He couldn't continue to do to her now that he knew she was alive. "I think maybe it's time."

Sophie looked up at him with wide eyes. Had she heard him right? Jack hadn't seen such a wonderful face in so long—it made him both smile and choke up. He pushed a lock of hair out of her face. Sophie jumped into his arms and he held her. God, she was so heavy now! But he didn't even care. He propped her up to his chest and let her practically squeeze the air out of him.

He'd had everything he needed again... but then it hit him that now he had a new goodbye to get through.

...

Sophie sprinted giddily into the castle. Jack wanted to share her enthusiasm, but he knew what was coming.

"Mama! Papa!" She looked around. She had no clue where any of the rooms were. A servant offered to guide her to the library. Elsa stepped out to the hallway and she and Jack spotted one another. She looked content at first, but then noticed his nervous face. "Jack's coming home!" Sophie's voice echoed from the library. Elsa now knew why. Jack's heart began pounding. He tried to veil his sadness, but he wore his feelings around his neck. Elsa's expression didn't seem to flinch.

She approached him and, just as he did before she knew of his powers, he backed away from shame. "Elsa, I–"

"No, I understand..." She played with her hands. "You have a great family, I'm glad I got to meet them." How was she so serene? He thought she'd be at least a tad disappointed!

"Maybe we can visit... I know that it's a day-long trip by carriage alone, but, maybe–"

"Jackson." Nicholas called. "Would you come here?" Right this second? He grumbled in his head. Elsa gestured that he should obey. Why did she have such a coy little smirk? She escorted him to the library, where the king and queen waited with the rest of his family.

"Yes?" He lightly bowed his head. Being around royalty was something he'd never get used to.

King Agnarr spoke. "We've been thinking about your actions... we've perhaps punished you too severely for an honest mistake, but even so, you chose to protect our kingdom rather than abandon it. That is more than any stranger has done for Arendelle."

"I don't follow..." At least Jack didn't think he was hearing them correctly. Just what had they been talking about. He glanced over at his family. Sophie was also confused, but his parents seemed eager for them to continue.

"To put it simply, there is plenty of room for those loyal to Arendelle in my court."

Jack's heart skipped a beat. Was he hearing him right? Was this all in his head? He looked at his parents for reassurance, but they were nodding their heads; Emily seemed to be holding back tears.

Iduna held Agnarr's arm, "From now on, we won't be so hostile towards anyone who comes through our gates... both you and Elsa have taught us that it's worth giving outsiders a chance."

Elsa welled up just hearing those words; for the first time, they'd truly listened to her. She embraced both of her parents. Agnarr stroked her chin, "Our daughter's brought courage back to this family... sometimes it skips a generation." She then turned around and held Jack tightly in her arms. It had been so sudden he almost jumped back, still not used to the contact. She felt so warm... he didn't make her bristle up in chills.

"Wait." Sophie pondered. "We're staying here?"

"Well, once we get all of our things from home, yes." Nicholas said.

"We'll have our handlers assist you in the entire process." Iduna said.

Sophie jumped around and cheered. "Jack! Did you hear that? We're gonna live in a castle!" She darted into his arms; even if she made her a little chilly, his hugs were the best in the world. Jack beamed at everyone in the room. He was still waiting to wake up... and if he did, he'd kill whoever ruined this dream. As long as this lasted, he was going to enjoy his new life.

A new start for the boy of winter had been long overdue.

...

Days later, a majority of the villagers were gathered in the castle square. As Jack's family and the royal family standing across from one another on the steps, Elsa walked out of the open doors with an eager, but uncertain Jack by her side. No one reacted, they just waited.

Elsa smiled brightly and called out to her subjects. "Who wants a little piece of winter in the summer?" They all started to smile and soon enough were cheering. Jack couldn't believe it. "Let Jack Frost show you what he can do!" She pushed him out and he walked down the castle steps.

Though apprehensive from all the staring faces, Jack still managed a smirk. "Are you ready?" Soon enough, the villagers were cheering and clapping—that was a first. Jack had never felt this way before.

He pressed his foot into the ground and the stone became an ice rink. Emily and Nicholas watched in astonishment as did the rest of Arendelle. They all clapped, giddy for more. There were two fountains at his left and right, raising his arms, he one at a time froze them both and then, unleashed a flurry of snow into the air. Children and adults alike began to play and wander, amazed at the beauty. It was the moment he never imagined he'd truly be living. None were prouder than Nicholas and Emily, the latter catching the snowflakes in her palm.

Sophie ran around in happiness – just as excited as the first time he'd shown her his powers.

Lost in heaven, Jack was knocked into reality when he felt a snowball strike the back of his neck. Turning around from the surprise, he saw a very smug Elsa. As he was about to retaliate, she pulled him by the collar of his vest and gave his lips a passionate kiss. A first for both of them. Jack closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment he'd waited so long for, delicately stroking her face... and then used the distraction to drop a snowball down the back of her dress!

Squealing from the sudden act, Elsa declared war and began to pelt him, even Sophie had betrayed him and was armed with snowballs! Jack had his own set of ammunition, ready to take on anyone. He'd be living his days from here on out bringing fun and laughter to those around him.

Why?

He was Jack Frost.