"Jack!"

Jack laughed as he pelted a young girl with snowballs. The girl frowned, before collecting some of the leftover snow, and threw it at Jack. Jack was quick to dodge, chuckling as the girl fumed.

"Come now, Regina, you're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat the spirit of winter."

"I know. Achoo!" Regina sneezed, shivering in her freezing wet clothes.

"Gesundheit." Jack smirked at the look of confusion on the girl's face.

"What? What does that mean?"

"It's a word you say after someone sneezes, meaning 'Health!' I learned it from a friend."

Regina was about to respond, before her mother's voice was heard, screaming her name. "REGINA!"

"Oh no! Mother has found me. Quick, Jack, you must hide, before I'm forbidden seeing you." Regina made a move to push Jack, urging him to fly away.

"Woah, kid! You know how it goes, if you're mother doesn't believe, she won't see me..." Jack trailed off sadly, sighing as he flew around Regina, who grew more distressed by his presence.

"Jack!"

"Alright, alright. If it makes you feel better, I'll take my leave. But just so you know, I'm taking the fun with me, so don't be too depressed while I'm gone," Jack finished with a smirk, taking flight aided by Wind. Regina had a sullen look on her face as she watched her friend's departure.

"How long has this been happening?" Peter demanded, grabbing a fistful of Felix's shirt. Felix struggled to maintain his calm and stoic facade in the face of promised pain, if his answer was less than desired. The rage in those green eyes and the Shadow's presence behind the angry boy shook Felix to his core, but he was sure to keep a tight leash on his fear, lest it provoke the boy's wrath.

"I'm not sure. I just found it like this today. It's possible it just started or..." Felix hesitated, shooting the two immortal beings unsure looks.

"Or?" Felix wasn't fooled by Pan's quiet demand. If anything, it terrified him even more

"Or, this," Felix bent to his knee, his hands reaching for the snowshoe hare, "has been going on since Jack's abrupt arrival and departure."

"Felix. Give. Me. The. Hare."

As Felix gently deposited the sick hare into Peter's hands, the Shadow whispered into Peter's ear.

"Felix, I believe it's time."

"Leroy! What is it? What's wrong?!"

Jack turned around, standing from his crouch as he heard Ruby's voice. The former spirit slowly peeked out his hiding place, witnessing the devastated looks on his friends' faces.

"They're gone. They're all gone," Leroy brokenly whispered.

"No. They were stolen." Jack stepped out from the shadows, cue disgusted shudder, scaring his friends.

"What? What happened, Jack?"

"I'm so sorry. By the time I came upon them, it was too late. Regina and Rumple have stolen the diamonds."

"This way, guys! I can feel the magic," Jack shouted, cutting through trees alongside Henry and Ruby. Mr. Gold and Regina's figures soon came into sight. Henry ran ahead.

"Mom?"

Regina and Rumple turned around, Jack sending the two disappointed looks. Rumple caught sight of Jack and opened his mouth to speak, but Jack angrily shook his head and held up his hand.

"You're not helping Emma and Mary Margaret, are you?" Henry asked.

Regina bent down. "I'm helping you, Henry."

"Does helping involve this well? Cause all I see is this glowing, green vortex of doom. It looks promising," Jack said, sarcastically. Ruby sent him an exasperated and reproving look before taking a step forward.

"You're going to kill them!"

Rumple lifted up his hand, before apologizing, "Sorry, dear." Ruby was magically thrown across the land, knocked unconscious.

"Sorry Rumple!" Jack flung out his hand, knocking down Mr. Gold with a cold blast. He tried not to hurt him too much, but his skills were rusty and frost clung to his old friend in various places.

"Oops! Sorry about that, didn't mean to hurt you too much." Jack rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, tuning back into the Mills' conversation.

"We can't let Cora come through the portal. You have no idea, what she would do to us!"

"Emma and Mary Margaret are going to defeat her, they're the ones that are going to come through!"

Mr. Gold groaned and shivered as he struggled to get back up. "Henry, your mother's right! It's going to be Cora."

"No, it won't! Good always defeats evil," Henry argued.

"That's true. I mean, no offense guys, but you really haven't grasped that concept yet. But it's not like you're still "evil", so I guess you're okay. But then again, this is very evil. Not cool," Jack admonished, shaking his head.

Henry continued. "Yeah, you should know that more than anyone."

"What I know, is that my mother will destroy everything I love. And that means you. And Jack," Regina glanced at the teenager crossing his arms, before continuing, "And I can't let that happen!"

"Ughh, I'm so tired..." Jack flopped onto his bed, staring at his plain white ceiling. He lifted his arm, inspecting the pale white skin for any traces of water. He smiled as he found none.

"Finally!"

To celebrate, Jack pointed his finger at the mirror in his room, watching as misty frost slowly flew out and decorated the glass with magical designs. Jack grinned boyishly, delighted by the simplest of things. He sighed as a thought occurred to him.

"Now, if only I could talk to Manny, life would be great." Jack released another sigh before placing his arms over his eyes. His mood worsened as he felt a drop of cold liquid slide down his face.

"Just great."