Meeting Jack Frost

Part One

Ten Years Old

"Okay, Pip, are you sure you'll be okay home alone for a few hours?"

The little, bright eyed girl nodded to her father, smiling sweetly for reassurance, "Yes Daddy, and I have Smokey Bear to keep me safe, remember?" she added and as if on cue, the large Husky barked from his place on the couch. The little girl, Pippa, looked at her father. He grinned and gave her a pat on the head.

"Alright Pip darling," her mother said softly, bending down to give her daughter a kiss, "You know the rules and you know our number, call if anything happens okay?"

Pippa nodded and watched her parents leave, closing the front door behind them. The little ten year old ran to the window and pressed her face up against the cold glass as she watched her parents, arm in arm, walk out through the snow to their car and pull away. Grinning, Pippa ran from the entry way to the living room, her tangle of red curls fanning out behind her.

"Guess what Smokey Bear?" she cried excitedly to the Husky, "We have the house to ourselves!"

The dog looked up from the couch and wagged his tail as Pippa walked by, giving him a pat on the head. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge, pulling out milk for hot chocolate.

"Mom and Dad will be impressed when they get home, I'll never need another babysitter again," Pippa said to Bear, as he was her only company for the night. She set the mug of milk in the microwave and started it, glancing out the kitchen window. Snow fell steadily and frost was creeping it's way up the window pane and around the glass. Just beyond the property lay a thicket of dense trees that stretched on for miles; looking tall and menacing in the dark. Pippa watched as her warm breath fogged the cool glass, smiling as she tore away from the window to get her milk.

Smokey looked up from his perch on the couch, letting out a soft whine. He jumped down and made his way to the kitchen's sliding glass door that lead to the back yard. He sat and watched intently at the winters night.

Pippa, now humming, started mixing up the cocoa as she glanced at the dog, "Whatcha see boy?" she teased lightly.

Suddenly, Smokey barked loudly, standing on his hind quarters and putting his front paws on the glass. He growled and barked again. Pippa froze, her heart skipping a beat, as the mug slipped from her small hands onto the wood floor where it shattered, sending milk and ceramic flying. She watched her dog as he barked out the glass door at nothing, startled by the dogs abrupt behavior.

"Smokey!" she snapped, finally swallowing the uneasy feeling that had bubbled up inside her, but the dog did not stop barking, "Bad dog!" she scolded, poking his side to get the dog to stop. He glanced at his owner and sat slowly, still growling and whining quietly.

Pippa picked up the mug pieces and began whipping up the half way made hot chocolate, eyeing her dog. Smokey Bear continued to look out the glass door, seemingly whimpering at nothing, his ears perked forwards fixedly. It unsettled Pippa. Smokey Bear was infamous for his barking, so his behavior was not particularly unusual, however being home alone at night made for a much more ominous situation. She set the dirty rag in the sink and walked over to her dog again, heart beating from adrenaline and anxiety.

"What is it Smokey Bear?" she said gently, glancing out the window. She cupped her hands around her eyes to block the glare as she looked through the glass, everything was too dark see any kind of detail. The Husky had stopped growling and now looked at his owner, who looked down at him, "Need to go out?" she asked and Bear barked at her, this time wagging his tail. Pippa opened the sliding glass door but as soon as it opened just enough for the large dog to squeeze through, Smokey was off, tearing across the lawn and full speed and barking like a mad dog.

"Smokey!" Pippa cried after her dog but it was useless. The Husky had his sight set on something and his chase was not going to be deterred.

"Oh no," Pippa groaned and ran to the laundry room where she slipped on her coat and a pair of her fathers old boots, grabbing a flash light as well before following her dog out into the cold winters night. She no longer feared what Smokey Bear was barking at, but rather what her parents would do if they found out Pippa had lost the family dog.

"Smokey! Smokey Bear! Come here boy!" Pippa called, shinning her flashlight over the tree trunks and snow covered underbrush that made up the forest. She never minded the forest before, but now, with the trees barren and and moonlight casting an eerie glow, she couldn't help but feel uncertain. Branches reached out like boney fingers, grabbing at her hair and coat. Her breath came out in small puffs and the snow crunched beneath her feet. Pippa let out a small squeal when something to her left snapped. She shined the flashlight around frantically but saw nothing, her insides twisting with sudden worry.

"Come, Smokey!" Pippa tried again, shivering, "Smokey Bear, come here!"

No answer.

Pippa could feel the fear take over. She needed to get back home, to call her parents. Pippa glanced around again, the flashing light illuminating the surrounding darkness. Just as she did, it flickered off.

"Oh no," Pippa cried softly, "No, no, no!" she said, smacking the flashlight against her her palm. It sputtered a bit of light and then died completely. Pippa could feel the hot tears spilling over her cheeks, feeling very alone without the comfort of the flashlight. Looking around, Pippa tried to get her bearings. The light from the moon reflected off the snow, obscuring her vision somewhat but giving her sight none the less. Just then, Pippa heard a faint bark.

"Smokey?" she called and started running towards the noise. Another bark replied; yes, it was definitely her dog. More tears came, this time relief flooding her and the fear slowly fading away. She ran, bursting onto a vast clearing of packed snow, her dog just on the other side.

"Smokey Bear!" She cried happily but the dog was not looking at her, instead he was faced to the side, barking at something off to the right of the clearing. Pippa saw nothing.

"Smokey Bear, come!" Pippa commanded but the dog did not respond, only building on Pippa's fear yet again. She began walking across the clearing after her dog, slipping a little once or twice on a patch of ice. Bear now glanced between his owner and what he had been barking at at the edge of the clearing, whimpering as he did so. He looked like a little pup, his tail and head lowered and unsure what to do.

About half way into the large clearing, Pippa heard a noise. At first it was a soft crackling but then it grew. She looked at her feet and noticed what she was standing on was not solid ground but instead a small lake that had frozen over. Pippa knew the lake, she swam in it every summer; but how could she have been so naive as to not recognize it in the dark? Where her feet where placed, cracks fanned out like spider webs. Panicking, Pippa dropped to her knees.

"Smokey?" Pippa called, her voice choked with frightened sobs. She called to her dog, like somehow the Husky would be able to help her.

A loud, deafening clap sounded, and the ice beneath Pippa gave. She slipped under before she could even scream, releasing the useless flashlight in her hand and sending it skidding across the ice.

Water flowed around her, dark and cold. She couldn't see anything and when she began treading she felt like she was moving through wet concrete. The frozen lake had sucked her under like she was nothing. She couldn't hear much, just the water and Bear's faint, hysterical barks. Pippa broke the surface of the water and screamed, arms frantically searching for some kind of hold. She could see Bear barking and pacing and movement to her right before slipping under again. Pippa treaded water again, feeling her heavy coat weight her down. She came back up, spitting out water she had swallowed. Her arm grasped the ice around her and she pulled herself to it to keep from drowning. Pippa tried to breath but the water was so cold, it felt like a viselike grip was keeping her lungs from expanding. She looked up desperately, in time to see someone, a boy, burst through the trees after her.

She watched, freezing, as he ran across the frozen lake, eyes locked on her little, helpless form. He moved on the ice with ease, but Pippa saw nothing on his bare feet. Behind him trailed a long, curved staff, luminous blue where his hand held it. Pippa couldn't make sense of it and thought that she must be dying or dead or delirious.

Please God let me live, Pippa gave a silent plea as the boy made his way towards her. She could feel tears spilling over her already sodden cheeks.

The boy skidded to a stop a few feet off, pausing and looking down at her with bright blue eyes. Pippa tried to speak but her teeth chattered so loudly and her lips were to numb to form words. He was older than her, about eighteen, with white hair and torn brown slacks. She looked down at the ice she was clinging to for dear life and and closed her eyes; tired, worn and freezing to death.

"Here."

Pippa opened her eyes and looked at the curved end of the staff that was now in arms reach. She reached with slow and stiff hands before grabbing it as best she could. The boy's eyes widened with surprise as she grabbed the staff, as if he didn't expect her to. Once both hands clung to the staff, he heaved and Pippa felt herself being pulled from the water. Once she was a safe distance away she let go and rolled over, looking up at the young man. He leaned down to Pippa, tilting his head and leaning on the staff.

"Are you okay?" he asked curiously, his voice soft.

Pippa's lips moved but no words came.

"What's your name?"

"Pip," she barely managed to croak out loud.

"Pip," the boy repeated, testing her name. Again, his eye brows raised as he studied her curiously, an unreadable expression on his face now. Smokey Bear came bounding across the frozen lake after his owner, skidding on the ice next to her. He leaned over and licked at her face.

The boy smiled despite the situation, "Well Pip," he said, "you're safe now."

Pippa watched as the white haired boy took the staff in his hands, standing up as if about to leave.

"Wait," Pippa coughed but was to exhausted to try and make a coherent question. She had so many of them but she struggled to pull her thoughts together long enough to ask the name of her savior.

He didn't appear to have heard her. He merely gazed at Pippa with an odd look of reassurance before vanishing into with a wave of cold wind trailing him. Pippa was to in shock to react, her body shivering uncontrollably. Her legs were numb and her lips purple, her whole body feeling as through it was made of brick. Beside her Smokey Bear whimpered as she struggled to stay awake. She lived, she was out of the water and she would survive, Pippa was sure of it. Finally, she could take the ache no longer, her ten year old body loosing fight, and she slipped away into unconsciousness.

From the safety of the trees the boy watched as the girl noiselessly closed her eyes. Her red hair formed a halo of curls around her head, her lashes clumped together with water that had turned ice. Moments later, the dog ran off, only to return minutes later with two dark figures. They ran to Pippa and kneeled, one of them cooping her up in his arms and carrying her back in the direction of the house. The young man jumped, soaring from tree top to tree top, following the couple as they carried the unconscious girl through the forest. He leaned against a tree, watching them finally disappear into the house.

She had seen him. The little girl had gripped his staff instead of passing through him like he was nothing but a gust of cold air, like everyone else. He thought that trying to save the little girl would be a futile attempt, but he had been proven wrong. The boy grinned wide and crouched before bursting through the trees and hurtling through the air on the winds back.

He would be back. He would see her again. The girl that saw him, Pip, that must have believed in him else she would have passed right through him.

Authors Note: If you're here, that must mean that I snagged you with a clever title, interesting summary and witty first line, yes? What, no? You came here because you were bored out of your mind? Because you got in trouble and this is your punishment? Either way you viewed my story and I am quite grateful for it. Muahaha! If you like it, please leave a review and let me know!

This will be less like a story and more like a series of events during Pippa's life when she meets Jack. Random chapters and such but I hope you enjoy it. I will probably be involving my readers quiet a bit in this, so keep up with it!

Thanks for reading, leave a review if you'd like more!

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians but Pippa is indeed my own character as well as some others that will be appearing in the fan fiction. Any similarities are purely coincidental unless stated other wise. Thank's guys!