Elsa always hated overtime.

The full moon hung over the earth, bathing it with its pale, silvery glow. A cool night breeze brushed against Elsa's cheek, taking some loose strands of her hair with it. Despite the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the night, Elsa was stressd and exhausted body and mind beyond reason. All she wanted to do was get a drink and some sleep.

At least she already got the drinking part behind her. A few rounds of alcohol at the nearest pub - enough to make her tipsy, but not enough to make her absolutely wasted - with her colleagues took her mind off of most of her problems, but not all of them. The laboratory director's incessant ordering got on her nerves and would probably stay there for the next week or so. One of her colleagues even offered to give her a ride home. An offer she so politely, yet firmly, refused because she knew what kind of a manipulative and opportunistic bastard Hans Westergard could be. So she decided on walking home instead, deciding that taking a nice, moonlit stroll would wean her off her slightly-intoxicated state so she can down another can or two at home and pass out in bed stress-free.

She had one earphone stuck in her ear, the other hidden inside the chest pocket of her jacket. She was tuned into Axiom FM, a radio channel that was open practically all the time with its various disk jockeys commonly discussing things like gardening and innovative ways to recycle waste among other things like bizzare smoothie recipes and luxuriuous lifestyles between their musical broadcasts which consisted mostly of old songs and soft jazz. For Elsa, however, the channel became most interesting late at night, just after one of her favorite segments where Otto talks about astronomy in a weird, robotic voice. Usually around eleven at night, Wally and Eve took center stage - and Eve loved in sharing whatever strange things she found while digging through the internet and Wally delighted in sharing nostalgia with whoever was still tuned in.

"Apparently, they found another one." Eve began enthusiastically. "Another vampire victim."

"Vampires don't exist, Eve." Wally sighed. "What part of the internet are you even searching?"

"Don't they? These bodies were found with nothing that could tell how they died on them. Nothing but a couple of punctures on their necks and absolutely no blood at all. Not one drop. Who knows?" A light chuckle from Eve. "Whoever this could me might be just like Nosferatu..." The noise of teeth clacking came through the radio and Wally whimpered in response.

"Stop that! I don't think that story's even legit. You always dig around creepypasta."

"That's why you shouldn't be scared of it. It's just a story. Lighten up." Eve cleared her throat. "Alright, intermission's over, so we're going to play another song for our night life friends to enjoy or fall asleep to."

"And if you want to say something or just get something off your chest before you hit the hay, we'll be accepting calls after this. Until then!" Wally finished and the broadcast switched to a soft jazz song.

The smooth sounds of saxophones and pianos filled Elsa's ear. It made her a bit drowsy. Combined with the feeling the alcohol left her with, she had to get home quickly or she might just pass out in the middle of the street at night. She quickened her pace in a hurry to get home. Not quite walking and not quite running, she didn't want to spend another second beyond the soft and warm embrace of her bed.

In retrospect, walking home at night obviously wasn't the smart decision.

As she walked briskly, a familiar figure came into her line of sight. Alice walked aimlessly under the moonlight, her eyes glazed and her expression blank as if she were sleepwalking. Elsa was about to say hello and ask what the girl was doing outside so late at night, but Alice made a turn into a dark alley just as Elsa raised her hand.

Is she using psychedelics again? Elsa wondered. Alice had a history of hallucinations from substance abuse and thus would often be found wandering around at night to meet with some shady figures, but Elsa knew she was attending rehab sessions. So why the girl would return to using drugs, Elsa had no idea. Concluding it wasn't her business, she shrugged it off and continued making her way home. But curiosity won her over in the end and she snuck to the mouth of the alley, sticking close to a wall to get a peek of what transacted in the shadows.

Alice was looking down on something. Elsa squinted her eyes to try and get a better view of whatever was in the darkness. In the shadow, she saw a pair of glowing disks staring up at Alice. A cat with fiery, red fur streaked with gold stepped out of the darkness and closer to the dazed girl.

To Elsa's surprise, the cat stood up like a human and... transformed. A dark haze surrounded the cat as it grew to the size of a human, its fiery red fur retracting except for its head, where it extended into two braids, the gold streak decorating one of them. Its claws retracted and its paws changed into human hands. A cloak as black as the shadows surrouding it covered the figure's body, and on its face, a pair of sharp fangs protruded from its mouth, gleaming in the faint moonlight.

What once was a cat turned into a woman, one whose eyes were as red as blood. Elsa shook her head. Maybe the alcohol must be playing tricks on her. Maybe she actually passed out in the bar and was having a drunk dream. Because there was absolutely no way a cat can turn into a human. But the way the cool nocturnal air brushed against her cheek and the chill it brought her were all too real to her.

"So, you're the next one to feed me?" The woman spoke, a light, clear voice, sultry yet playful. With a come-hither motion from the woman, Alice came closer. The cloaked woman opened her mouth, giving Elsa an eyeful of her abnormally long and sharp canines. As if on command, Alice craned her neck and the woman brought her fangs closer to Alice, ready to take a bite.

The news Elsa heard earlier came back to the surface of her mind. She may have been watching an actual vampire feeding. A thought she was all too happy to discard on account of it making absolutely no sense, but she just watofched a cat change forms into something more humanoid - not something she could easily explain without having to question her education and rewriting the medical texts she helped write. Logic was out of the window. She had to do something before Alice died in the hands of the monster. Bracing herself, she took a deep breath. "Hey!" Elsa shouted at the top of her lungs out of impulse. The woman froze and her gaze fixed itself on Elsa as if it was boring into her soul. Elsa's legs shook when her eyes met the bloodred eyes of the vampire.

I have made a mistake, she told herself as she swallowed a lump in her throat. It's a good thing I already peed before leaving.

"A witness..." The vampire mused. "Tell you what, I'll give you ten seconds to turn around, leave, and forget any of this happened. Or else," a smirk crossed her lips. "I'll feed on you instead."

"Y-you..." Elsa swallowed her spit. Fear welled up in her and every fiber of her being screamed at her to run away, get a good night's sleep, and wake up feeling like all of this was a drunk hallucination, but Elsa knew she had to do something or else Alice and her mysterious murder would be the next one Eve would be talking about in her broadcasts. She stood her ground, hand in her pocket, a can of mace in her fist. "You let go of her right now, or so help me..."

The vampire threw her head back and laughed. "This is amusing. You're amusing. I definitely don't want to kill you now. Run along."

Elsa remained where she stood. The amused smile on the vampire's face faded until her face contorted into an ugly scowl. "Last chance, human. I'm giving you ten-"

"No!" Elsa screamed her response. She pulled another item out of her pocket and threw it above the vampire's head. Her eyes followed it, and the moment it hit the floor, the silence of the night was broken by a shrill alarm.

The vampire covered her ears, an irritated look flashing across her features. "What is this unpleasant noise?"

"Buzzer alarm!" Taking advantage of the vampire's disorientation, Elsa grabbed Alice's arm and ran, dragging her along. "Alice! Use your legs, dammit!"

No response came from the girl. Her eyes were still glazed over, as if she were trapped in a trance-like state.

Elsa kept running with Alice as far as her legs could take them. She went with no particular destination in mind, turning anywhere she could turn, ducking through every alley, crossing several streets, just as long as she doesn't stop, even if she goes on until morning. Just as long as that monster doesn't catch them.

Her stamina wasn't endless, however. And Alice only dragged her feet along.

Eventually, she reached the forest at the ends of the city. She dragged Alice into the underbrush, but not deep enough as to lose sight of the lights of the city center. "She won't find us here." Setting Alice down beside a tree, Elsa sat on the forest floor, not minding the dead leaves sticking to her jeans. Her lungs burned and her legs ached like never before. Her shirt stuck to her chest from her sweat, and her bangs were plastered onto her face. Going to bed never sounded so enticing, but not before she took a long, hot shower.

She took deep breaths, trying to restore all the energy she lost and trying to slow down her heart, which felt as if it would burst out of her ribcage at any moment. "Elsa?" A voice began and Elsa looked up. Alice was coming to her senses. A dazed look still decorated her face, but her eyes were focused on Elsa. "Where are we?"

"Forest." Elsa wheezed. She was still too out of breath to speak complete sentences. "Outside city."

"Why are you sweaty?"

"Ran. Saved you."

"From what?"

Elsa met Alice's gaze. A look of genuine confusion. "You don't remember anything?" Alice shook her head. "Vam-"

"Found you." A new voice cut through the chirps of crickets. The rustling of leaves and light footsteps followed. A chill ran up Elsa's spine. "Thought you could run from me?"

Alice's eyes shot wide open. "Alice," Elsa began, "Run. As far as you could."

Alice nodded. Shakily, she stood up, and ran towards the city, leaving Elsa alone with the vampire.

The vampire's gaze followed Alice as she ran out of sight. A disappointed grunt escaped her lips. "There goes my dinner." She turned her gaze to Elsa. "Thanks a lot."

Elsa made a thumbs-up. "How..." she took a deep breath. "How did you even find me?"

"I just followed the scent of your sweat." The vampire answered flatly. Despite the emotionless mask the vampire wore, Elsa knew that anger stirred in her red eyes.

"I really need to change my deodorant."

Silence hung over the two, the only sounds being the chirping of crickets and the heavy breaths Elsa took. Finally, the vampire spoke in an emotionless voice. "I'll still have to feed," she said, the slightest hint of anger lacing her words. "Since you're here... any last words?"

Elsa's grip on the can of mace tightened. "Yeah." She breathed. Now that her thoughts were clearing to an extent, a mad idea began forming in her head. If emptying the entire can of pepper spray on the vampire wouldn't work - and it certainly wouldn't, seeing how she just effortless tracked Elsa to a place well beyond the city limits - she would have a plan B. Something that if executed without a hitch, would keep her alive and the vampire satisfied. At least enough that she won't decide to just kill Elsa at a whim.

Steeling herself, Elsa took another deep breath. She was going to question her sanity later if she makes it alive through the night. Meeting the vampire's gaze, she began. "How about a deal?"

A spark of interest crossed the vampire's face. "A deal?" She echoed in an amused tone. "I'm listening."

Elsa cleared her throat. Her grip on the pepper spray tightened even more. She can just imagine her knuckles being paler than the vampire's sickly pallor. "Yeah... yes." She began, trying to control her stammering. A show of a lack of confidence doesn't do well in negotiations, so she remembered her father saying. "On the condition that you stop hunting down other people," She swallowed more of her spit. She was shaking more intensely now. Not from the exhaustion of running very far nonstop creeping its way into every muscle in her body, but because of the sheer insanity of what she was about to propose. If all else fails, at least she can go with macing the vampire's face and run away while praying to whoever was listening that she can make it home alive. "I'll... I'll be a willing donor for you to feed on."

The vampire was taken aback by Elsa's words. "A donor? How bold. And why would I agree to that?"

Why would she agree to that? This is madness! "Um..." Elsa racked her brains, trying to find an answer that will satisfy the vampire and seal the deal. "With a donor, you know what you're going to get. No bloodborne diseases of any kind. And I'm a good physical specimen. Nothing bad in my blood."

The vampire didn't look convinced enough. "Plus, it saves you the effort of having to use whatever mind tricks to lure in your prey if one just comes to you willingly." Elsa added. The vampire nodded solemnly.

"That does sound nice. I am kind of lazy..."

"See? It's a win-win."

"For me. But for you?" The vampire pressed, her piercing red stare burning through Elsa's confidence. "You're going to be a living bloodbag for a vampire. That's the equivalent of being a slave. I don't see how that will benefit you."

"Well, I get to stay alive tonight and on subsequent nights." Elsa answered. Hearing the word 'slave' wanted to make her forget about her idiocy and just run away, but the fact that her life was hinging on these few critical moments made her want to choose her words wisely instead. At least like this, she had a chance of not dying. "And blood donation's always a good thing for my health, so I guess that's a bonus."

The vampire faltered for a moment, an unidentifiable emotion crossing her red eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

No. Hell no. "Yeah. Absolutely."

"Hm." A single fluid motion and the vampire looked like she became a shadow. She reappeared behind Elsa, the vampire's lips uncomfortably close to her neck, hot breath crashing upon Elsa's nape. "Then let this seal the pact." Cold fingers moved to slide Elsa's shirt a bit, revealing a part of her shoulder. Without warning, the vampire dug her fangs into the exposed flesh, and Elsa felt her veins being pierced by sharp teeth. Warm blood pooled where the vampire's mouth met Elsa's shoulder and the blond could feel herself getting dizzier the longer the vampire kept drinking.

Finally, the vampire removed her fangs from Elsa. Satisfied, she smacked her lips. "You're right, your blood is sweet." She took something out of her sleeve: a silver necklace with links gleaming in the moonlight, and a small, red-jeweled flower hanging from the chain. "This is a symbol of this deal."

Elsa was still too dazed to say no to the piece of jewelry as the vampire put it around her neck. "Don't take it off. I'll know."

Elsa nodded groggily and the vampire smiled - more of genuine amusement this time. "Good. Now, you better get home. You'll need your rest after everything tonight." The vampire began to dissipate in the same black haze Elsa saw earlier when she changed from cat to human. "By the way, my name's Anna. Good to meet you, Elsa."

With that, the dark cloud vanished and Elsa was left alone in the silence of the forest.


A/N: If anyone still remembers Nocturnal Queen, it's back but with several major changes. So, yeah, not Nocturnal Queen anymore, but still building off of its unfinished plot. Oh well. Have another Elsanna fanfic.