Chapter Twenty-Three: Engagement Rings & Parties

Elsa (P.O.V)

It was over a week after giving Jack the cold medicine that I finally seen him again. It was Saturday and we both ended up at The Lucky Cat Café. It was one of my favorite places to go. The pastries were amazing! I smiled at him hoping it wasn't to wide and awkward. I was sure I looked like a complete idiot but he didn't point it out.  Which was surprising I mean this was Jack Frost, he hadn't held back before.

Maybe he didn't notice. "Hey!" I said.

"How you feeling?"  We both asked. I laughed looking at my feet before moving them to look back at Jack. He wore a small smile. His eyes were glassy and his nose was a slight pink. He sniffled slightly.

 "I'm feeling great!" I answered after a moment. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous but since our cold day my minds been jumbled with thoughts of him. I caught my self picturing his eyes a handful of times. What was going on with me? Maybe my cold had imbedded itself in my sanity.

He nodded showing that he also was feeling better. He looked tired but cheerful. He looked better than the last time I saw him. Which was in my room, where we spent that time surround with tissues. That day we seemed to sneeze in unison, and had matching fevers.

Jack had spent most of the with me, blaming me for getting him sick. Which wasn't my fault at all. He was the one who decided to stay with me. Instead of having a cold day part two, we simply just watched reruns of The Walking Dead and Once Upon A Time.

At some point I dozed off and he left. Not before tucking me in, and oddly putting socks on my feet. I found it sweet until I got out of bet to find chocolate bar candy wrappers on the floor near my bed. Turned out before he left he ate all my chocolate. I was pissed to say the least. However I moved on...sort of.

  Before he could reply to our unison question, it was my turn in line. I looked at Cass. "Is there anything I can get you honey?" she asked. I loved Aunt Cass she was sweet and was like family to me. Id met her through Merida who had been bestfriends with her oldest nephew Tadashi who passed in a fire awhile back.

Now there was just Hiro, a complete geek with relationship troubles. Or at least from what I've heard from Merida. Hiro had a crush on Gogo, the bubble gum girl. She was as good person, just not for Hiro in my opinion. I always thought him and Vanellope would be cute.

However that didn't look likely at the moment. Vanellope had been avoiding him, Merida said Hiro's been quite down about it. I felt bad for him, and I worried about Van. Id seen her a couple days before, she looked better. Ralph told me she's been going to counseling, and seemed happier.  

"Hot Chocolate and a chocolate cupcake," I gave Cass my order. She laughed slightly, I seriously was obsessed with all things chocolate, "Is Merida here?"

"Yes she's upstairs you can go up and see her but I think she might be asleep," Cass tells me before getting my order. I thought of a snoring Merida and me waking her up. What worse than disturbing a bears hibernation? Disturbing a pregnant Merida's beauty sleep.

"I'll come by later when she's awake," I said taking my cupcake and drink.

I said a thanks and a bye before turning walking pasted Jack brushing his arm.  I shivered I saw him smirk making my cheeks inflame as I walked outside into the cold frost biting air. It was snowing lightly and the ground had started to get covered by small white spots. The streets weren't very busy, few cars passed and not many people were out on the sidewalks.

There was a handful of joggers, an a dog walker here and there. I wind blew slightly ruffling the remaining leaves in the trees. Most were taking on a brown color now.  

Jack was by my side just when I made it across the street. I was heading to the park to sit and enjoy the weather. Also I was planning to read a little before the sun went down completely. He held a cup of hot chocolate and a box of cookies. He was facing me walking backwards.

Which caused me to chuckle as he almost slipped on the slightly slick sidewalk. He steady himself, not bothering to turn forward and walk correctly. "Hey, are you busy?" He asked, "I need to talk to you."

"No, I'm on my way to the park to sit, and well read, you can join me we can talk there," I offered. He smiled and nodded. Turning the right was he shoved a cookie in his mouth. We didn't say anything as we walked side by side a small gap between us. In my thick white jacket and blue jeans. I felt almost self-conscious.

It wasn't a new feeling. I mean when being compared to my sister all the time, and dealing with the way my step-parents looked down on me. It was a quit common discomfort. I mean I've always had a low self-esteem. Which made me an odd one out in my three musketeer posies.  Rapunzel was perfect, at least my definition of it. She was loved by everyone. Merida she was confident and didn't care what people thought.

Most people didn't give out opinions about the redhead in fear of being ripped to shreds. I kept my eyes on my white boats for most of the walk. I then looked at Jack who was dressed in his hoody and jeans. He had no reason to be self-conscious he was gorgeous. I cant believe I just admitted that. 

But it was true, he was handsome, girls swarmed him, and he wasn't bothered by it. Most of time it looked like he didn't notice. How could you not notice looking at you like a pack of hungry wolves?

He was looking at me, we locked eyes for only a second before snapping our heads in unison forward. We then laughed softly under are breaths. It was an attempt to rid of the sudden awkward feeling that overwhelmed us for a second. I felt my checks fluster and it hurt as I tried to swallow my blush.

The park was empty not unusual for a cold day like this one. There was a handful of nature trails and a small playground. I was about to sit on a bench when Jack grabbed my arm. "Come on," he said. He pulled me to the swings.

"I thought you wanted to talk," I said. My blush increasing with every shiver his touched caused. Something was wrong with me. Something had to be. My face has never burned so badly.

He let go of me setting down his stuff and sat on the blue seated swing. "We can swing and talk, its called multitasking."

I sighed setting my bag down and cup of hot chocolate shoving the last bit of my cupcake in my mouth before taking a seat in the one next to him. The swing squeaked. Jack swung silently and I know he wouldn't talk unless I did to.

Backing up with my feet so I stood on my tippy toes I kicked my legs up swing forward. The sound of screeching metal and wind whistled in my ears. I listened to it for a while before I finally asked, "What is it you wanted me to talk about?"

Jack leaned back far as he swung an he looked at me as we passed on another. He went forward I went back and vise versa. "Oh, the wedding might be coming sooner than planned, and  Racheal told me to have you come over early next Saturday, so she can make sure you bridesmaids dress fits and also to have a wedding rehearsal, still not sure on the exact date of the wedding."

I nodded, "Okay I'll be there, is that all you wanted to talk to me about?" My blush was gone now, and all was left was a light pink from cold air.

"No actually," He said stopping his swing, and I did the same. "I really need the wedding bands back, I know the whole redmailing thing but I need them just in case my father asks for them."

I didn't have time to reply before he continued. I nearly forgot I even had the wedding bands. The ones that were tucked safely with my marriage certificate between my mattress, and box spring, along with money, candy, and family photos. I wasn't very creative with hiding things.

"I won't even tell Hiccup about it so Red can have her bike, which I'm not sure Hiccups gonna let her have anyway, with the whole baby thing...he's kind of going a bit crazy about the whole dad thing, an I though marriage was hard and complicated," He says.

I punched him in the shoulder, "Hey! I'm not a complicated wife!" I exclaimed.

He smirked, "Sure your not," It was sarcasm and I hit him again for it. He fell back off the swing, smacking the ground, "Abusive wife," He chocked out after he finally was able to catch his breath, from laughing and getting the wind knocked out of him.

I stood up, "I'll bring the rings to the wedding rehearsal."

I grabbed my bag knowing that I should start home. It was about to be dark there was no reason to read when I'd have to stop before I could even get into the story. 

"Wait you can't leave we haven't went down the slide!" He yells. I turned looking him with a 'are you serious' look and he nodded running toward the small metal platform. It had slides, a latter, and monkey bars connected to it.

Jack beat me to the top sliding down the slide. I rolled my eyes resting my head on the bar right above the slide, "I'm kind of curious were did you and your siblings inherited your fun playful attitudes?"

Jack shrugged running back up the slide grabbing the bar I leaned against. I lifted my head slightly so we were looking directly at each other.  Well sort of, he avoid looking into my eyes for more than three seconds at a time.

 He shrugged slightly, "Obviously not my father," He said with a sad smile, and I smirked slightly. His father was no where near a happy camper. "My mother she was, a ball of sunshine, at least from what I remember."

I moved slightly so he could slide through the entrance of the slide and taking a seat on the cold metal platform. He seemed slightly sad for a moment. I felt guilty for causing him sadness. I sighed taking a seat by him. "I'm sorry," I said.

"What about my mother?" He shrugged, "It was a long time ago." He looked at his fingers it getting dark out. The sun was going down slightly.

"If you don't mind me by asking, what happened to her?" I asked softly.

"I don't exactly remember much," He says quietly, "Uh, we were going somewhere... Emma and Jamie were playing in the back seat...I think...I guess we slid off the road...anyway somehow were crashed into a frozen lake...um only half of the car went in, at least that's what the witness say... ice broke though Emma side window she was smacked into it and the remaining glass in the window...Jamie he had his legs wedged between the driver seat and his seat.. 0..Only me and my mother were in the water."

He stopped talking looking quite sick all of a sudden. Maybe his cold hadn't fully went away. He moved forward so he was laying down on his back. I could see his breath, and the tears glittering in his eyes. I wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't remember, what happened, only what was told to me E.Q.," He pushed his hand though his hair. Closing his eyes he sighed, "I do remember we were all in the car...but I was told somehow Emma and Jamie had gotten out...im not sure how, but I know they were unconscious on impacted, this might sound crazy but someone got them out of the car... and me."

He paused, I waited for him to say something more. Which he did only above a whisper, "Someone saved us but not my mother," He sighed, "What about you? What happened to your parents?"

He looked at me as I laid down next to him. Our eyes met for a second before we looked away and back to the sky which was covered in dying light. "My parents died," I said softly, "shipwreck, Anna was adopted along with Olaf, both taken from me but I was lucky enough to be reconnected with them...Dan and Charlotte almost didn't adopted me, if they hadn't changed there mind who knows where I'd be."

We both laid there in silence not sure what to say to one another. A slight sadness hung in the air. We both knew of loss. I could feel Jack looking at me but I didn't meet his eyes. But I wanted to and I wasn't sure why. Tears whelmed and I felt one escape running down the side of my face.

Jacked moved to wipe it away but  I beat him to it. I then tried to change the subject and hopeful lighten the mood, "So uh...how's the twins and Sophie?"

"There great, I mean Jamie I think has a crush at school, Emma has been busy working on a project for some class, and Sophie she ate a couple crayons yesterday," He tells me. I laughed at the last part.The mood lightened slightly, "What about Anna and Olaf?"

"Oh, Olaf he's great he lost a tooth, learned how to use it to whistle, which is all I've heard all week, and Anna I haven't seen much of her," I replied, "We aren't exactly close, she also been gone a lot lately."

"You confronted her about ditching school the other day?" He asked. He was still looking at me. I couldn't breath correctly.

I shook my head. "No," I said, "I mean every teen does it at least once, if she does it again then I will."

"What if she already has?" He asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know!" I suddenly became frustrated, "I cant do anything until I catch her again, besides I'm sure it was just that one time, Anna is know to get in trouble but she's not someone who goes looking for it, she not one to keep taking risk just because she didn't get caught the first time."

Jack didn't say anything, he was so quiet it was like he wasn't there. The only reason I knew his presents was because I felt his breath on my cheek. An I blushed again, for the millionth time in the last hour or so.

"You look like someone scribbled a red crayon on your face, " He whispered.

"Shut up!" I squeaked. I looked at him glaring hard, with hot cheeks. He was smiling a real smile, not a smirk or a cocky grin, but a smile. His eyes sparkled with fever, I was sure he was still sick.

"I don't like not remembering things," He tells me suddenly, "Like the crash, the party, whos behind the forgotten night, marrying you...meeting you."

It was quite again, and I took small breaths watching as his smile turned to anger. He closed his eyes tightly. I took his clinched fist, "We will figure it all out," I tell him.

He shook his head, "You told me that Merida had talked to someone that said, that once whoever did this to us gets what they want they wont need us anymore...what did they need us for to begin with?"

"I don't know," I said.

"But we do! Its there! We just cant reach it!" He was frustrated, "Doesn't that just tick you off?"

I didn't reply for my phone buzzed a text from Rapunzel 'I'm with Mer, we're at Lucky Cat Café u coming?'

I replied with a 'yes'. I looked at Jack his hair taking on a blondish color in the orange rays of the sunset. "I have to get going," I tell him softly.

He sighed, "Yeah me to, I have dishes to forget to do," He tells me. I rolled my eyes following him down the slide.  I had nearly spilled my hot chocolate on me as I slid. The gravel crunched under our feet.

I was about to walk away when Jack yelled out, "Do you still have it?" 

I paused a moment turning slightly watching as he got up off the ground. "Have what?"

"The ring, my engagement ring to you?" He asked. It was a sudden out of the blue question.

I turned to face him nodding slightly, I reached in my bag pulling it out of a small pocket which I had stuck it in some time ago. I hesitated a second before holding it out. It was cheep plastic and I acted like it was worth millions in that second.

Jack reached for it plucking it from between the to fingers which I held it. I flinched, a sudden panicked feeling overwhelmed. What if he broke it? I then felt stupid. It was worth a quarter, only 25 cents, 50 at the most.

He looked at the blue snowflake ring, "Why'd you keep the useless thing?" He asked.

I felt like I'd been punched. He insulted his engagement ring to me! I felt stupid again,  it wasn't like he actually proposed to me, this wasn't a real marriage. "I don't know...anything  we have from the forgotten night is a puzzle piece," This was true but it wasn't the reason why I kept it.

The ring was important to me. I think Jack seen it, "I hope one day when you get married for real, your husband does better than what I did," He took my hand and slid the piece of plastic on my finger. It  almost was to small, "You deserve a real ring."

I felt warmth spread in my chest, "I don't care if its a plastic ring, a real one or a simple twisted paperclip, it only matters whos giving it to me," I tell him, "Love starts with a 'L' one that doesn't stand for luxuries...at least not my version of love."

"What does the 'L' in your version stand for," He asked curious playing with my hand and the ring on it.

"Life...I want someone who gives me a meaning in life...not someone who gives me luxuries," I tell him. We locked eyes something we do a lot. For a moment I thought he was gonna kiss me. However he didn't instead he let go my hand and I let it fall to my side.

"Cheesy," he smirked, "See you later E.Q," He turned walking away from me. I watched him go.

"Yeah...later,"

RAPUNZEL (P.O.V)

"I'm just saying, Hiro Junior would be the perfect name for one of your future wee devils," Hiro tells Merida who was sitting at the foot of his bed, "Or you should name one after a superhero or better yet Marvels!"

"Yeah, im definitely gonna name my child Spiderman, or Ironman, how about Hulk?!" Merida was being sarcastic, Hiro ignored it.

They were currently playing video games, while I laid on my stomach next to Merida. My paint scattered  everywhere. I had a art project done in couple days.  As I dipped my brush in yellow paint, I used my other hand to grab a hand full of skittles shoving them in my mouth.

One fell in my pink paint. I groaned. Paint getting on Hiros floor slightly. "Dont get your paint on anything important," He tells me.

Just then Elsa walked in. I smiled up at her slightly, she seemed flustered. "Hey," I said.  She fell on Hiro bed causing him to bound and nearly tumble onto the floor. This caused him to die and Merida to win.

It was hard to tell who would win at the end of each game. They were both very competitive and extremely good at vidoe games.

The redhead cheered, and the small teen threw Elsa a glare. "Sorry," She tells him.

"Tell me again why Iceskates and Haircut are here?" Hiro asked Merida.

I rolled my eyes at his nicknames for us. An I thought Fred nicknames were a bit much. Hiros were almost just as bad, he called Elsa Iceskates because he made her a pair every year, with some off the wall addition. Last year was hover skates that didn't even touch the ice surface, the year before rocket busters.

Sounds cool but both complete fails. He called me Haircut because he believed I need one. He had no right to judge my hair, he was called Porcupine. Merida set the controller down, standing up. "Don't acted like you don't love our company," I said with a smirk.

Hiro just rolled his eyes at me, "I'm going to the garage, don't touch my stuff, and I swear Redhead, if you eat my gummy bears again-"

"Yeah, yer bore me ta death with the pi ay can't eat," She cut him off. He huffed marching out Merida took a seat on Tadashi old bed, laying down. We didn't say anything until Elsa let  out a frustrated screech.

"LIFE SUCKS!" She cried out, "I mean one minute I'm living a boring nerd life, my only worries were exams and periods! An now it seems like everything a damn problem!"

Merida snorted, "Tell meh about it," she said pulling out her phone probably checking some texted from Hiccup who hasn't left her alone since he found out he was gonna be a dad.

"Why did we have to go to that party?" Elsa groaned, "WHY THE HELL DID I LISTEN TO YOU MERIDA!"

This caused me to jump at Elsa sudden out burst. An I let out a silent 'oh no'. Hell was about to break loose. I stood up Elsa's inflamed with anger and Merida slightly confused.

"What are ye talkin about lass?" Merida asked sounding quiet bored.

"Its all your fault! If you wouldn't have pressured me into going to the stupid party I wouldn't be married," Elsa exclaimed getting off Hiro's bed.

Merida rolled her eyes, this enraged Elsa. I could see it in her face she was about to rip out Reds curls. I wasn't sure why Elsa was so upset. She wasn't one to start a fight out of the blue. She also wasn't one to talk much about her feelings.

She must be really stressed. "Aw, little Arendelle gonna cry because she's married, boohoo I'm pregnant and yer cryin because ye got a ring on yer finger," Merida was on her feet now. I could see the anger rising in her casting a red glow to her skin, "Its not my fault ye were married."

I stepped between the two, "Guys stop yelling, we don't remember enough to blame anyone, and guys things happen okay life sucks, but we'll fix it okay!"

"You can't fix what you don't know," Elsa replied after a moment, she seemed calm now, "Sorry Mer, sorry Rap...I'm just..."

"Scared," I finished.

"Terrified," Elsa corrected.

Merida nodded softly walking back to her side of the room. She was looking at her phone again throwing it on the bed and sighed. Elsa with a look of guilt fell back onto Hiro's bed.

I walked slowly around the room, "Has anyone remember anything?" I asked curious.

"Nothing," Elsa said.

Merida suddenly gave me a look, I wasn't sure how to describe it, "Don't ye think it weird that ye haven't remember anything?"

I froze feeling guilty. I hadn't told them about the gun, or Eugenes brother. I wasn't sure how, besides I couldn't help but feel like it should remain secret. "I thought we established that so far I seemed to not be apart of the forgotten night."

They had said they had no glimpse of me in there memories. "Well you had to be you don't remember anything that happened, which means you were forced to forget just like us," Elsa pointed.

"Ive asked around, nobody that was at the party seems to remember anything," I tell them, "Its like it never happened, nobody else seemed bugged that they dont remember."

"Thats weird, if whoever did this made everyone forget at the party why did they choose us individually to do there dirty work," Elsa asked, "I mean theres got to be a reason right?"

"Maybe we were just in the wrong place wrong time," Merida says reaching over to the plastic store bag that had been sitting on the nightstand. She dumped the content of the bag on her bed.

As she rummaged through it I took a seat by her. My fingers laced around a bottle of colorful candy look things, "It still doesn't explain why these people had to make everyone forget," I said reading the label on the bottle, "Vitamins? Since when do you take these?"

Elsa walked over standing at the doot of the bed. She picked up a book. "Baby names? Aunt cass get this stuff for you?" She asked. The rest of the stuff was similar all things for pregnant people.

"Believe it or not, no," she say almost annoyed, "Hiccup dropped it off, hes kinda creeping me out."

Me and Elsa laughed shaking are heads. Elsa suddenly went quiet, her face turnning serious,"Speaking of Hiccup, how are you gonna tell Astrid about you know?"

Merida sighed, "Im not, she doesn't 'ave ta know its not like Hiccups cheating or something."

"We know that but don't you thinks she has the right to know that you carrying her boyfriends children?" I said.

Merida face turned red, "Listen ay 'ave enough ta deal with as it is, ay don't need any of my family or Hiccups family ta know about this, that will just cause more problems."

An that was that we didn't talk anymore about it. Instead we sarted to go though the memories of them and the boys, and trying to put them in a possible order. Adter that we tried to fill in the blanks.

Which was hard when nearly everything was a blank. So eventually we gave up and decide to head our separate ways when Hiro returned. His face was red and he was texting his finger murdering the screen.

We didn't ask. We could assume it had something to do with Vanellope. We couldn't be sure but it seemed like a pretty good guess. I was the first out the Cafe, waving by to Cass as I stepped into the frigid cold.

The roads were slightly slik but weren't to bad. Id offered Elsa a ride home but she said that she would walk. She liked the cold, for some reason. I didn't mind it however I liked summer and spring air more.

Very relaxing, couldn't wait to go to the beach and get a tan. I slid into my car turning it on. The heat bursting through the vents. I turned slightly to throw my art stuff in the back seat when only to jump back and scream.

"What...what are you doing in my car? Eugene you almost gave me a heart attack!" I demand.

He shrugged a smugged look on his face, "Your not happy to see me? And im not Eugene guess again."

I narrowed my eyes, "Flynn!? Why...what...?"

"You should really lock you car doors," He smirks, "Listen I now were not friends or whatever,  but I need a favor do you think you could give me a ride?"

My heart still pounding, I spoke softly trying not to seem afraid, "I...ride where exactly?"

"Just to a friends like a block or two near were you live?" He asked, "You might know him, his name is Hans?"

I nodded slowly. I knew Hans, hes hit on me a handful of times. He was one of our school players, a complete jerk. He was on the school football team with Merida. She didn't like him at all.

Said he was way to fool of himself. When I had talked to him, he was a gentle men until I turned him down when he asked me out. He was a complete...well all the curse words that could finish that sentence.

Rumor has it that hes a drug dealer, or atleast he hangs with them. Either way the druggies in school were always around him. An im sure they aren't friends with him because hes a good guy.

I started driving ignoring the eyes of Flynn. My skin scrawled just knowing he was looking me. I know he looks just like my boyfriend, but the thing is he wasnt. He was the evil twin.

An there was something in his eyes if you look close enough. I couldn't describe it but it was the one thing that revealed he wasn't Eugene. You could just tell if you looked long enough to catch the shimmer, of....im not exactly sure, but it was kind of wild...kind of scary.

I don't think I breathed the whole ride. My fingers shook and I gripped the steering wheel. *I gribbed the gun.* The images slammes against my skull. "You okay?" Flynn asked.

Like he actually cared, which he didn't.

"Yeah just tired," I replied. I picked up speed hoping it wasn't to obviously how desperate I was to get him out of the car.

Hans had a nice house.  It was rather large, it had to be to house all twelve of his older brothers. Most had moved out for what I heard. Three were in my grade. I wasn't exactly sure where they all were, or what there names were.

I really didn't care. The house was lit up. It was obvious a party was going on. Flynn opened the passenger door but didn't get out. "Why don't you come in," he said, "Have some fun."

I shook my head Ive had enough with parties. An anyone Hans through definitely attracted trouble. I could already see him by his front door smoking pot most likely with a bunch of his druggie friends.

"I have to be getting hom-" I stopped my eye's spotting someone familiar standing outside the house, near Hans. My eyes widen, and I was rolling down my window before I can think, "Hey!"

I don't think they heard me. I got out the car rushing up the lawn. My phone already in hand. When they saw me there eyes widen and cheeks flustered.  "I...I," they started.

I grabbed there arm, "Im taking you home,and Im calling your sister!" I said, "What do you think are you doing here Anna!?"

(A/N: I know its not very interesting, writers block is killing me. I dont know why people read this, I went back and read what ive wrote and everything seems kind of stupid to me.

I started this because I was bored and I wanted to try and be funny, im not a very funny writer in my opinion. I try though. I had imagined the forgotten night in my head millions of times and I keep changing tbings, it hard trying to make everything connect.

Im sure I'll figure it out but just to warn you, it might be really far fetched. Not that this story isn't already.  Anyway I hoped you liked this chapter. Please tell me who P.O.V you want. Im planning on putting Vaniro in this. When I started I wasing sure if I like Gogo or Vanellope with Hiro more, but I definitely a Vaniro shipper one hundred percent,  sorry if you dont like it.

Bye Cornflakes

-SKYE