Table for Three

by asksillysisters

Punzelsanna M-AU. Two sisters and a cousin falling in love...in San Francisco, and all over the world. (And their gang of friends.) Future updates will be sparse. It's all here, even partial scenes and several timeskip events. Ultra-dense chapters. ANNA SEZ "EAT SOME BURRITOS!"

1. Chapter 1

"Last kiss!" Lynsey insisted, stamping her foot and pouting sourly.

Sighing, Anna set the duffel bag down and kissed her girlfriend, grinning as the taller, brown haired girl slipped her hand into Anna's blue windbreaker. Pulling away with a nibble, Lynsey grinned, palming a stick of gum removed from Anna's jacket pocket. "I'll pick you up some more gum tonight, babe."

"Uh huh, that's what you said last time." Anna rolled her eyes, shouldering her duffel bag and unlocking the barred door to the store. She held it open as her most conscientious employee, Hiccup, carefully stepped inside while precariously balancing a stack of records a foot taller than him. "Thanks, Anna…" the brown haired young man mumbled awkwardly, hitting the light switch with his foot as he made his way inside.

"Don't be late tonight, babe. I'll pick up lo mein from Wong Hau's!" Lynsey promised, waggling an index finger in a semi-wave as she made an abrupt about face and stepped off the curb.

Anna groaned as she set her bag on the counter in the middle of the store and began removing records. "What do you think, Hiccup? Will Chinese food four times a week kill me?"

Hiccup paused, scratching his head with a 'Message to Bears' album. "Maybe if it's their orange chicken...I wouldn't feed that to the rats in these walls."

A groan from the front door drew their attention. In stumbled a short redhead, curls absolutely everywhere, wearing jeans and a Local Natives t-shirt. "Speaking of rats…" Anna mumbled, shooting the newcomer a sour glare. Hiccup ducked his head to stifle a chuckle. Anna waved an album threateningly in the redhead's direction. "Holy shit, Merida. Do you know what 'open the store' means? I think it means you get your ass in here by 7:30!"

"Calm your tits, Anna." Merida groused, massaging her temples. "Long night...shitty band with a shitty playlist at Foxy's. No one picked up any of my shots…"

"First world problems…" Anna smirked.

"And I DID get here on time, but your stalker girlfriend had the front door staked out and this hangover has zero tolerance for her whiny bullshit." Stumbling over to a push broom, Merida made a half-hearted attempt at sweeping the floor.

"She isn't a stalker, she's just...enthusiastic." Anna finished lamely. Merida grunted in response, and the freckled girl knew her hungover employee had a point. Her mind wandered as she idly placed the new shipment of records in their correct alphabetical locations. A mouse scurried by underfoot and she tried shaking the sleep out of her eyes. Heavy philosophical ponderings such as the latest in a string of half-hearted attempts at relationships were impossible without some serious caffeine.

Sensing his boss's annoyance, Hiccup set down the album he was about to play on the store's sound system and offered to run over to Starbucks for a pick me up. "Sure, yeah, appreciate it. Just take it out of the register today and grab something for everyone." Anna cringed. She hated dipping into business money when they were behind on rent, but some days one just needed a damn coffee. "Even for Sadpants McHungover there."

Hiccup quickly removed a twenty from the register and pocketed it, walking quickly out of the store with the hunch and gait that Merida claimed looked just like a penguin on drugs. With the record player now free, the Scot suddenly brightened considerably and nearly bounded over to the machine. Stuffing Hiccup's record of choice in the filing cabinet, behind the folder for 2012's receipts, she eagerly removed a Righteous Brothers album from under her shirt and put the record on.

"Nice hangover there, ass. Almost felt sorry for you." Anna smirked, rolling her eyes. Merida and Hiccup were only hired under the pretense of part-time help, but after awhile they'd just started showing up every day. She didn't have the heart to turn two good employees away who clearly needed the money. Well, one good employee and one...whatever Merida was. Said curly haired fireball was currently doing a horrible solo tango down the aisles to 'Little Latin Lupe Lu'.

"Hey, I totally saved you from whatever sad sack album penguin boy was gonna play, and you know it!" Merida shot back cheekily, ruffling her boss's hair as she danced by.

"Okay okay, child, yes good. Wear yourself out now before we get any customers. We need to make some sales today, not scare off or insult middle aged dads." Anna chided, swatting at Merida with a stack of record sleeves.

"Don't you defend that guy's shitty taste! 'I Just Called to Say'...that song sucks the big one!" Flipping through their 'gold star' customer notebook, Merida picked out a few recently absent favorites. "Get your cousin in here, I ain't seen her around in weeks! She'd buy something."

Snatching the notebook from her, Anna pursed her lips. It was true...Rapunzel hadn't been to the store in two weeks. It was mid October, so she was probably finishing up pre-winter projects for her special customers, but Anna hated guilting her cousin into stopping by. To make a sale...or for anything else. "Give her another week. We're getting in some Earth Wind and Fire next Wednesday and I know for a fact she's missing some of their stuff."

"Weird 70s taste runs in the family, I see." Merida snickered. "What about Elsa? Any supergroup obsessions there?"

Anna held up a hand abruptly, silencing Merida. "Not today...not…" Groaning, she rubbed at her head. Calloused fingers traced a scar three inches long, before sliding down a streak of off-white hair that stood in stark contrast to her majority of copper locks.

Putting up her hands in acquiescence, Merida nodded. "Roger, space captain. I'll go clear the trash those damn skater punks left outside."

Nodding mutely, Anna took a few deep breaths and slapped her hands against her face. "Focus! Sell some shit today!" The Righteous Brothers didn't help her throbbing head and she wished Hiccup would get back with that coffee quickly.

"Order up!" Gaston boomed. Sliding several plates with bacon, eggs, and french toast onto the hot plate, the burly chef spun the now empty order holder. "Let's go, Hank's Diner doesn't do slow service!"

Grumbling in frustration, a petite, short haired brunette appeared on the other side of the counter. "Look Gas', I can get the shit out to people faster if you'd stop being a douchebag and dropping three orders on me at once!"

Chuckling, the black haired man stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Can't handle it? Too much pressure? You better get your butt in gear, Rapunzel, or this job's gonna go just like your last relationship!"

Sighing, Rapunzel nodded glumly. Her fingers were just itching to paint, without having to rely on part time work employed by the likes of muscle-brained Gaston. "Is he...is he alright?"

Smirking, Gaston raised an eyebrow. "If five nights a week at Foxy's is alright, then Flynn's just great! I'm not gonna deal with your bullshit, my roommate has enough of that to handle already. I don't even know why he recommended you here after what happened."

Shutting her mouth before a snarky retort could slip out, Rapunzel pursed her lips in frustration and headed out to the dining room to deliver some meals. Overtime was good, at least until freelance work started up for the year. She hated the idea of signing onto some big named paint roller company, but money was money and shitty apartments like the one she shared with several cats didn't pay for themselves. It had been much more manageable when Eugene was living with her, but…

Clamping down on that thought, Rapunzel swiftly cleared a table and scrubbed furiously at the crayon coloring marks some dumb parent had let their kid put on the table. Scrub. Scrub. Scrub harder. Sometimes people just don't want the same things...and nobody was to blame for that.

Biting her lip and willing herself to not cry, she shoved the rags inside the front pocket of her apron and shouldered the tray of empty dishes. She really needed to chill the fuck out and listen to some mellow music with a certain cousin.

Dropping her briefcase and collapsing on the sofa in her living room in an exhausted heap, Elsa let herself fall apart a little. Her usually neat hair bun had come half undone in her panicked run up the stairs to her apartment. She hoped nobody had seen. Seen her like that. Her mind played the day's events back to her, with an intense focus on her last conversation with her boss.

"Miss Arendelle, please have a seat." Mr. Weselton began, drumming his fingertips together as the slightly flustered blonde, the firm's youngest junior associate, took a seat opposite his large desk. "You've been able to distinguish yourself quite commendably in your eight months with Foster and Associates Architecture."

Fidgeting nervously, Elsa fought the urge to check her hair bun. "Thank you, sir. I don't mean to oppose this...opportunity you've given me. I just feel my specialties would be of greater use here at the office."

Her direct superior nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, yes, normally I would agree with you. Sterling university marks, glowing recommendations from several professors whom I consider close friends. We knew you would be an asset to the firm." Adjusting his spectacles, the white-haired man continued. "However, we don't intend you to be a specialist."

"Sir?" Elsa queried, unsure of her boss's implication.

"It is imperative that associates be well versed in all areas of operations. Both design and implementation. That includes dealing with people, not just plans." The gentleman gave her a small smile.

"It's...I...Associate?!" Elsa only just managed to restrain the volume of her voice, but her jaw went slack and her eyes grew wide.

Putting up a finger, Mr. Weselton continued. "Grooming. Preparation. The higher ups wish to see how you comport yourself in the field, as it were. Flawless designs mean little if the meaning behind them cannot be properly conveyed. This is just another angle of your training while we determine a...suitable timeline for your future promotion prospects."

Taking several deep breaths, Elsa responded evenly. "I understand, sir. I will perform to the best of my abilities in representing the firm. I do not feel I've earned this level of trust or opportunity, but I will put my all into Madtown Music."

Nodding, Elsa's boss pulled a folder from behind his desk and handed it to her. "The first of a franchise. If the owner is pleased with both construction and operations, it could be the beginning of a lucrative long term agreement building similar entertainment superstores for Madtown all across the country." Following the folder with an envelope he handed to her, he finished. "I cannot guarantee a promotion from your success, but…" and he winked as he cracked a grin, "...your prospects would be very bright, indeed."

Elsa nodded once more, attempting to match his infectious smile. "Understood, sir. I take it this is a plane ticket?"

Her boss nodded, absentmindedly signing several forms. "Yes, as well as a standard issue company credit card. I assume you've read the permittable charged expenses, and that you are capable of locating living quarters near the construction site."

"Of course, sir." The blonde placed the folder and envelope inside the satchel by her feet.

"Also included is the contact information for the head foreman on location...a Mr. Bjorgman, I believe." Pausing, he considered the young woman across from him thoughtfully. "Elsa Arendelle...on the Associate track at 25. If your father could see you now…"

Elsa ducked her head in embarrassment. "Yes...he always spoke fondly of working with you, sir. It is a great hope of mine to continue the streak of architecture excellence that the Arendelle name carries. I won't let you, or pa-or my father, down."

Smiling sadly, her boss reached across the desk and briefly patted her hand. "He saw you graduate in spirit, and he will be with you every step of the way in life. You won't let him down. You will make him proud."

Elsa gulped, blinking back tears and trying to still the tremors running through her body. "Make him proud...that...that I will do. Thank you, sir. If you will excuse me."

Mr. Weselton nodded, and Elsa stood up and walked out with as much composure as she could muster. Conceal. Don't feel. Be the good girl. Make mama and papa proud.

Proud. Don't misbehave. Elsa felt anxiety grip her, and a sudden flash of hot nausea had her tearing open her blouse. Several buttons scattered on the pinewood floor and her breath came in strangled gasps. Tears burned at the corners of her eyes.

"San Francisco…" Elsa whispered hoarsely. She needed somebody. She needed to talk to Rapunzel. Her cousin would know what to do. How to calm her. How to make her feel as though this wasn't a death sentence for her psyche. "Can't let mama and papa down...I promised…" Her body shivered uncontrollably as the tears finally fell, hot and bitter.

"Don't feel…" Elsa moaned softly, clutching her knees to her chest. "Don't let her know...I'm still...I'm still sick…"

"...Anna. I'm...I'm still si...sick."

Gnawing on the pencil in her mouth thoughtfully, Anna triple checked the sales receipts for the day and made a decision. "Mer...we're gonna have to sell your liver on the black market to make rent this month. Sorry."

Snatching her emergency raincoat from the worn locker Anna gave her in the storeroom, Merida stuck her head back out and replied, "Fine, but at least grab a drink with me at Foxy's tonight before you spoon that shit out of my belly, yeah?"

Anna howled with laughter. "Your belly?! Mer, didn't you have a fucking Health class in high school?"

"She was too busy skipping half of her classes to smoke under the bleachers with Gaston's crew." Hiccup mumbled, meticulously resorting the disheveled albums customers had disturbed during the day. "Only passed because I let her copy off of me…"

Slapping the lanky young man on his back hard, Merida guffawed. "Yeah, those were the days. But hell, I kept your head from getting dunked in a toilet at LEAST twice during senior year!" Buttoning up the coat, the curly redhead yanked the shutters down on the front windows while whistling the theme to "Cats Don't Dance".

Picking up the albums Merida's slap had jarred from his hands, Hiccup added, "...and you put it there once, too, if my memory serves me correctly."

"See?! I'm a positive force in your life!" Reaching over the counter to yank gently on one of Anna's pigtails, Merida put on her best pout. "So you'll come tonight, right?!"

"I dunno." Anna didn't feel like being on the receiving end of another barrage of prying questions from her intense girlfriend. "Lynsey gets...pissy if I'm too late for dinner."

Flicking her hand with an added whip sound effect, Merida prodded. "One drink, that's all! The No-Tones are playing at Foxy's tonight, and they're worth missing a couple minutes with your precious lady love."

Hiccup nodded. "I hope I can get them to sign this collector's edition album I got." Merida rolled her eyes, while Anna smiled at his childlike enthusiasm.

Slamming the register shut with a bag and locking it, Anna grinned. "One drink...just one! And Mer, if they suck, I'm gonna make you listen to my special 'Fridays Suck Ass' mixtape tomorrow!"

Throwing an arm around her boss and dragging Hiccup by his shirt out the front door, Merida cackled. "Boss, all your mixtapes suck ass!"

Pushing the door to her studio apartment open with a foot, Rapunzel stepped inside and breathed a sigh of relief. Two bags of clean clothes were perched precariously on her shoulders, and she was instantly assaulted by the indignant meows of three hungry cats. "Yes my dears, yes...mama brought you more food today. Just one second."

Tossing her clean uniform bag onto the couch, she rummaged through the other bag and withdrew from it a bag of dry cat food. Her feline friends immediately increased the volume of their whining and pressed up against her legs, causing her to stumble. "Yes my lovely little shits, make mama fall, that'll get you your food much faster!" Dipping each cat's dish into the bag, she placed them back on the floor, where her cats happily indulged.

Flopping on the couch unceremoniously next to her clean laundry, Rapunzel pulled out her phone and browsed her missed text messages with tired eyes. Landlord. Landlord. "Damn, is it already that time of the month?" she mused bitterly. Scanning a text from a freelance painting friend, the brunette's spirits raised slightly at the prospect of actual creative painting work the following week. Lastly, a text from Anna. Sighing, Rapunzel felt a small smile crawl unbidden across her face. 'At Foxy's being held against my will. Stop by if you aren't too tired and save meee!'

"Foxy's…" Rapunzel moaned dramatically, draping the back of her forearm across her forehead. Despite her current state of exhaustion, she could usually muster the energy to make the ten minute walk down to the dive bar if it meant a pick me up from her adorable younger cousin. "If what Gaston said about Eugene is right, though…" the brunette shook her head, shutting off her phone's screen. Their breakup was still too fresh, and she didn't want to chance running to him, surrounded by shot glasses and his well meaning but jerkass roommate Gaston. "Not yet...maybe soon, I hope." She really did want to remain friends with her charming and often times sweet ex-boyfriend.

Thinking better of it, she returned to her phone's text messages section and sent Anna a quick courtesy reply. 'Long day, beat to hell, relationship exploded in a messy fireball. If you see Eugene there, don't let Gaston get him too wasted. Be in to the shop tomorrow. Luv, P.' She didn't want to get into details through text, but she knew Anna would have a hug trap set for when she walked into the redhead's music store. Good. Rapunzel could use a hug trap right about now.

"No hug traps tonight, though." she mumbled glumly. Her grey and white tiger striped cat, Miles Davis, sensed her distress and rubbed affectionately against her calf. "You're a sweetie, Miles. Let's go cuddle in bed and listen to the trolley piss off the neighborhood dogs, hmm?" Rapunzel cooed sweetly, picking up the affectionate feline and stepping over his two play fighting siblings on her way to a suddenly altogether too big and empty bed.

Shove. Push. Elbow. These were just three of an arsenal of attacks Anna was forced to employ in order to carve some breathing room amidst the drunken, carousing patrons of Foxy's. Leaning over to Hiccup, who was nursing a (probably alcoholic) lemonade drink, she half-shouted, "Why can't the No-Tones play more gigs at someplace a little less...shitty?!" The young man ducked his head in agreement, nervously swinging the band's album he'd brought along to get autographed.

The lead singer of the No-Tones, a gnarly looking dude with a brown leather vest and a Jayne style knit cap, took a swig from a suspicious bagged bottle before launching into their (only) hit single, 'Freezer Lady'. Their drummer, a spikey haired female Anna was sure she'd seen playing for one or two other bands in the area, surveyed her obnoxious bandmates with an air of disinterest while lazily keeping time. Anna couldn't be sure, but she thought the twin bassist and guitarist were banging their heads together more than they were actually playing anything. Just another night at Foxy's.

The crowd before Anna and Hiccup momentarily burst apart, and Merida burst from between the other patrons, clutching a drink in each hand and turning to curse somebody out. "Watch your fuckin' hands before I bite 'em off, asswipe!" Grinning, she handed Anna her requested drink, a custom beverage she called a 'Jazeroo', equal parts blackberry Manischewicz wine and brandy on ice. "Your brain cell killing beverage of choice, boss. I had to hop the counter to show the new bartender where the damn Manischewicz was. Jasmine obviously hired him for 'dat ass', because the guy can't mix a drink to save his life." Shaking her head ruefully, she gestured towards the clueless bald headed man behind the counter. "I might have to go babysit him so the poor little guy doesn't get overwhelmed and have a stroke."

Sipping her drink thoughtfully, Anna remarked, "I think the twins actually play better when they're trying to give each other brain damage."

Merida nodded, facepalming. "Yeah...speaking of brain damage, I think I saw your cousin's boyfriend and his asshole beefcake roommate. Gaston's gonna get Flynn killed if he keeps ordering him shots."

Worry flashed across Anna's features. Eugene was here, drinking? Alone? Without Rapunzel? This warranted investigation. "Thanks for the hot tip, detective. I'll go have a word with him."

While Anna pushed her way through the raucous crowd towards the bar, Merida sidled up to Hiccup and elbowed him in the ribs, grinning lecherously. "Oh Hickie, I think I saw some pretty young thing eyeing you up from across the way…"

Rolling his eyes and clutching his No-Tones album tighter against his chest, Hiccup hunched down and shot back, "Nope, still not gonna tell you which way I lean, Mer. You'll have to do better than that."

"Argh, fine, be that way Haddock." Merida eyed him challengingly. "Keep your secrets, but one of these days I'll figure it out and get you a damn date!"

Returning her challenging look with a rare grin of his own, Hiccup chuckled. "Keep trying, Mer."

In the meantime, a handful of stiff-arms and challenging glares of her own later, Anna arrived at the bar counter with her sanity and drink mostly intact. The bartender was kinda cute, in a head shaved ex military completely flustered kind of way, and she gave him a little smile which he returned. In the next moment he fumbled the glass in his hands and made a very ungraceful save just a second before it hit the counter.

"Nice save, Roy! You'll go first round to the 49ers no problem!" a boisterous voice boomed several seated patrons over to her right. Groaning, Anna steeled herself. She'd recognize Gaston's overbearing voice and presence anywhere. Sliding several seats down, said man was half seated on a barstool, one booted foot on the floor and the other resting against the bar. Between him and her, seated in an unusually closed position, was Rapunzel's drunk and obviously depressed boyfriend, Eugene.

"Anna Arendelle if I'm not mistaken." Gaston drawled, tipping his drink in her direction. "I really hope you weren't sent here tonight by...anybody in particular."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm here tonight as a friend." Anna huffed. "Could you...please...give us a few minutes?"

Considering her thoughtfully, at length Gaston nodded. Moving away from the bar and brushing past her, he quietly said, "I think he'll be alright...I won't let him have too much."

Blinking at the usually gruff man's admission, Anna blinked, before returning, "Thanks...yeah, thank you."

Nodding grimly, the broad shouldered Gaston turned towards the crowd of dancing patrons, and with a simple parting of his hands the patrons made a path for him to pass. Anna looked on with mixed feelings. How could somebody command the title of 'Supreme Lord Jerkface' and yet do a complete one eighty for a down in the dumps friend? She knew they'd grown up together...maybe she'd have to buy Gaston a drink sometime to satisfy her curiousity about his personality.

As if noticing just then that his roommate had wandered off, Eugene turned his head and his bloodshot eyes met Anna's in vague recollection. "Arendelle...hey there, what brings you to this fine establishment tonight?"

Anna winced at the discrepancy between his charming words and the utter despondency that seemed to radiate from every part of his body. "Hey, Eugene. So...tell me. Do the No-Tones actually sound great tonight, or does the alcohol just make them sound less shitty than normal?" Cringing at her half hearted attempt at levity, the brown haired man was at least able to crack a little smile in return. Taking a seat next to him, Anna put a hand on his forearm. "Talk to me, guy. What's going on?"

Inhaling deeply, Eugene shrugged. "Figured you'd be the first one she told. Punzie and I are...past tense. Has been. No longer the greatest thing since sliced kielbasa." Folding his arms on the counter, he rested his head on them and was completely drained of wisecracks. "I sure didn't see it coming…"

Lightly squeezing his arm, Anna waved to the bartender and mouthed the words 'water, please', to which he nodded in understanding. Returning her attention to her dejected friend, Anna continued. "I won't bug you about it. Just remember that I'm your friend too. If you need somebody to talk to...or somebody else besides Gaston to grab a drink with." The redhead smiled wryly. "You have my number."

Eugene's concentration blurred as the alcohol burned in his veins. "Yeah...you're good people, Anna. Keep an...keep an eye on your cuz, will ya? I'm not really into her whole relationship scene these days, but I still...still love the hell outta her…"

The water Anna had ordered arrived, and she pushed it towards him gingerly. "You'll be alright in time, my buddy."

Managing a half hearted smolder, Eugene gently knocked his fist against Anna's chin. "Good people, that's you...yeah...we'll be okay." Taking the water glass and sitting up straighter, he called out, "Gasto! Get over here and help this poor shmuck put his vomit in a toilet and not on the floor!"

Anna chuckled as he stumbled away towards his taller friend who quickly told three girls he was engaged in conversation with to scram. Thinking it was time for she to head home herself, and thankful that Rapunzel hadn't come tonight after all, she was surprised when her phone buzzed insistently. Flipping it open, she read Rapunzel's text reply and cringed. Pocketing her phone and waving to Merida and Hiccup, Anna added 'make a top five songs to get over breakups' mix tape after she got home. Lynsey would be pissed that she wouldn't have the redhead's undivided attention, but Anna had friends to take care of. That, and the scar on her scalp was throbbing like a motherfucker and she reeked of dive bar and mediocre music.

The airline clerk glanced at his monitor in disinterest as he filled in Elsa's personal information. "Will you be carrying on any luggage, ma'am?"

"Yes...two pieces, please." Elsa replied, indicating her purse and the ratty backpack by her feet. The straps were well worn, and brightly colored patches were sewn haphazardly all over the front of the bag.

Retrieving Elsa's freshly printed airline ticket from the nearby printer, the clerk stamped her luggage options and neatly indicated her departure and arrival gates by double circles in green marker. "Please give yourself half an hour to go through the security check. Have a nice flight and enjoy your time in San Francisco, ma'am."

Nodding absentmindedly, Elsa collected her carry on luggage and headed towards her flight's gate. The weight of the bookbag and the texture of the coarse straps in her hand brought back memories of high school. Slinging it over her left shoulder, the blonde woman let her feet carry her to her destination while her mind wandered back to her first day at her new school, almost 12 years ago.

13 year old Elsa Arendelle clutched the straps of her new backpack tightly as she quickened her pace to keep up with the upperclassman giving her a tour.

"Right, so administration's down hall E. Detention room's also down that way. If you're going to get detention, don't get it when Goethel is supervising. That witch won't even let you go to the library to get a book."

Nodding dumbly, Elsa swallowed in nervous anticipation. Her throat was parched and in her anxious stupor she'd already forgotten this upperclassman's name. "Um..ex...excuse me? Could you show me where sixth year homeroom is?" Her voice cracked at the end and she winced in embarrassment.

Her raven haired guide shot her a quizzical glance. "Aren't you seventh year? Eh well, guess you've had enough of 'boring tour time' and are eager to get to learning or some shit." Tossing her jet black hair over a shoulder, the upperclassman gave a hearty chuckle. "Enjoy your time at Pricetown Academy...and the sixth year homeroom is room G-3. Give your 'girlfriend' there a kiss from me!" Winking playfully, the upperclassman walked off.

"She isn't my...I don't have a girlfriend!" Elsa squeaked in protest, clutching her bookbag's straps tighter as a mortified blush spread across her cheeks. "That's...that's not allowed…" Glumness washed over her features, and the 13 year old trudged towards the wing the upperclassman had indicated.

Her ears perked up at the sound of singing, and Elsa looked to her left to see the choir doing their morning warmups. It brought a small smile to her face. "I hope Anna is getting involved in choir at her school this year. Her voice really is the prettiest…" Abruptly halting that thought, Elsa grimaced and yanked on her bookbag's straps, wincing as they cut into her shoulders through her blouse. "No...be the good girl. Good…" She kept her head down, lips silently mouthing a quiet mantra that only she could hear, all the way to her destination.

Turning the brass handle to the door of her destination, Elsa pushed it open and winced as a loud creak drew attention to her. Luckily, she saw that the classroom full of sixth years was sufficiently busy with pre-class day bustle that nobody noticed her intrusion. Nobody...except for a bubbly, long haired blonde haired girl who was in her face instantly.

"Elsa! You made it! I mean, of course you made it, you're here! Not that this place is all that great or anything." Rapunzel gushed, snatching Elsa's hands from the death grip they had on her backpack straps and squeezing them tightly.

"Ha...Rapunzel...you still haven't cut your hair, have you?" Elsa couldn't help but admonish her younger cousin, but she did it with a small, amused smile.

The blonde furiously shook her head back and forth, long blonde locks bobbing playfully. "There are a few benefits to havving a stepmom on the staff, hee hee." Giving her pale cousin a once over, Rapunzel let out a long breath. "Alright, lesson one from me!"

Rolling her eyes, Elsa laughed. "Yes, lesson one, please teach me." She gave an eep of surprise when Rapunzel snuck around her and put both pairs of hands on Elsa's bookbag straps.

Squeezing Elsa's hands with hers, Rapunzel spoke softly but firmly. "Do you feel that?"

Blood rushed to Elsa's face and she awkwardly shook her head, unsure of what she was supposed to feel besides rather warm for some reason.

Yanking on the tight bookbag straps harshly, Elsa let out an indignant "Ouch!"

"Mistake number one, silly." Rapunzel sighed, pressing her fingertips gently against the straps and where they'd cut into Elsa's shoulders. "Don't wear your bookbag so tight. You carry that weight around all day...may as well make it as comfortable as possible." Demonstratively, she loosened each of the straps, until Elsa's backpack hung loosely on her lithe frame. "Isn't that better?"

Elsa ducked her head in guilt. "Yeah...I'll try to remember that one.' Before she could mope any more, however, her feisty cousin had already yanked one of the straps completely off.

"Lesson 2. Double strapping your backpack is for nerds!" Rapunzel guffawed, while Elsa tried to rebalance herself thanks to the shift in her backpack's weight.

"Well hey...maybe I like being a nerd." Elsa grumped, testing the shifted weight by swaying from side to side. Rapunzel responded by tickling her sides lightly, earning another indignant squawk from her taller cousin.

"You make a great nerd...but there's no reason you can't be a cool nerd." Rapunzel smiled impishly with a blush.

Elsa swallowed nervously. She was supremely grateful to have such a good friend at her new school, but Rapunzel was certainly...testing her boundaries. "Okay then, why don't you show me around, Miss Cool." Elsa offered, keeping her backpack slung over one shoulder and taking Rapunzel's hand hesitantly with her other. Rapunzel scrunched up her nose in a wide smile and marched off happily, with Elsa in tow.

25 year old Elsa gripped the bookbag strap over her left shoulder tighter, the strap pressing into her shoulder as a harsh reminder. However, she resisted the instinct to slip her right arm through the other strap. She couldn't help it. Some of her memories of her cousin were inappropriate. Not natural. The thoughts of a bad girl. But a small voice in a lonely corner of her mind still insisted that they were warm memories of a beautiful person. A beautiful person who made her feel. Rapunzel...Anna…

A harsh yank of the strap sent biting pain through Elsa's shoulder and arm. Disgusting girl. Keep the pain hidden. Pain controls...those thoughts.

Elsa stood ramrod straight in the security check line, face betraying no hint of discomfort. She pulled out her phone, mentally composing a perfunctory text she was going to send to Rapunzel to inform her of her imminent travel plans.

START CHAPTER 2

The next morning saw Anna and Merida at the record shop, playing their 'subliminal sales' game.

"Well played, boss." Merida grinned, legs dangling while she sat on the sales counter. "Now watch me sell four albums by that old favorite, Tom Lehrer." Twirling one of the albums from said 60s artist between fingerless gloved hands, she set it on the record player and dropped the needle. Jazzy piano and a smooth, easy low tenor voice floated through the shop. Customers browsing stacks of albums began to subconsciously get caught up in the easy beat and began to bob their heads to the beat.

"Ohhh, hard mode engaged...you're gonna need a bit of luck with this one, Mer." Anna playfully taunted, checking out the backside of the album cover. "You know, I think I have one of his albums autographed at home."

"Yeah, well if you're missing it you might want to check Hiccup's place. Kid's got more signed albums than eBay." Merida noted, idly folding a piece of notebook paper into a paper frog.

"Yeah, I don't think he's really the stealing type. Thought he was gonna hyperventilate when he got his No-Tones album signed." Anna grinned, scrolling through her phone to read Rapunzel's text message from the previous night.

"The band was pretty excited too. Probably because they finally met one of the actual owners of the three albums they sold." Placing her new paper frog on her lap, Merida carefully flipped it towards the cash register. It overshot the mark, skipping off the counter and onto the floor next to Anna. The copper haired young woman grinned evily at Merida, before stomping the life out of the poor paper frog. "You frog killing bitch!"

Before Anna could respond, the front door was pushed open and Rapunzel trudged in, carrying a bag of laundry and what appeared to be the weight of the world, judging by her sagging shoulders. Slapping the full sack unceremoniously on the counter, she buried her face in it, and moaned, "Is ANYBODY having a worse day that me?! Is it even possible?"

"What about your ex boy toy?" The words tumbled from Merida's mouth, followed immediately by her hands slapping over the offending mouth in embarrassment.

Anna followed that up with a hard punch to the curly haired girl's shoulder. "Mouth, meet fucking brain filter." Turning back to face her cousin, and remembering the look on Eugene's face the night before, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Yeah...you're definitely right there." Opening the laundry bag and sticking her head inside, Rapunzel moped even harder. "I'm never coming out of this bag. Never."

Gently patting the lump of mixed laundry and Rapunzel head, Anna sighed. "You'll bounce back from this, Punz. So will Eugene. I...we saw him at Foxy's last night, and his ass of a roommate is keeping an eye on him."

"At least he's treating Eugene well...he's absolutely shitting on me at the diner. If he sends more than four orders to me at once again, I'll ram those dishes where the sun don't shine!" The feisty short haired brunette removed her head from the laundry bag, full of piss and vinegar, but she brought it down a few notches. "We were happy...weren't we?"

Smiling softly, Merida interjected. "Maybe happiness is just something temporary while we're looking for something else."

Rapunzel nodded, the frustration on her face growing more apparent by the second. "But I wasn't looking for something else...for someone else. I was...there was…"

Realization dawned on Anna like a slap in the face. "Mer, go sell a couple of those wager albums for a few minutes, please."

Merida opened her mouth to protest, but Anna gave her a Look, and the curly haired spitfire made a hasty exit.

Anna looked back to her cousin. Rapunzel pointedly avoided the younger woman's stare. Reaching out, Anna lightly flicked her nose, earning her a pout and reluctant attention. "Level with me, Punz. You didn't...you never told him, did you?"

"Anna, it was never an issue!" Rapunzel waved her hands frantically to drive the point home. "You know me...it's never an issue until it is." Hopping the counter in two seconds flat, the shorter brunette was face to face with her cousin in the blink of an eye.

Anna pieced things together slowly. "You don't...you were waiting to see if somebody else came along...who'd be a fit for you and Eugene?"

Folding her arms across her chest and hunching over, a deep frown was set on Rapunzel's face. "Anna...the things he told me. The things he confided in me. I knew him. Knew him." Slapping her bag of laundry in frustration, she blinked back tears and continued to whisper-shout. "You know me. I care for two much better than I do one. I didn't just want to hop out of bed one morning wearing a 'I'M SO DAMN POLY' cape or something."

"So you were meeting with people. Going out with people...to see if they'd be a match for him…" Anna sighed. She could see where this was going.

Rapunzel sniffled, rubbing furiously at her eyes. "...he saw me with somebody else. He saw, but he still trusted me! He...it wasn't until I told him why…" The next second, the brunette was weeping in between hiccups, and Anna drew her into a secure hug.

"He doesn't hate you…" Anna cooed.

"It's just...too much for him. He's simple." Pulling away from her cousin briefly, hands balled into fists, Rapunzel's face was a mixture of helplessness and frustration. "He's so wonderfully simple. We could have been happy, just us two...if only I wasn't so damn...not simple." Her arms dropped again and she leaned back into Anna for another hug.

"Okay you, this is not a big deal." Anna whispered comfortingly, smoothing her cousin's short, tousled hair. "The truth came out in a hard way...but it's good that it did. If Eugene doesn't understand it...doesn't agree with it...no amount of sugar coating or 'searching for another match for him' will get him to understand." Taking her sad cousin's face between her hands, Anna gently squashed those red, tear stained cheeks, and continued. "Anyway, you're selling yourself short. You need people who you love, and who love you back. You say you're complicated, I say...why'd you have to go and make things so complicated?"

Rapunzel snorted, despite her tears. "Wow, 2000s pop from this elitist hole in the wall?"

Anna rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah yeah. So now you know, you can't be his one and only. He can't be one of the only ones for you. Seek love elsewhere...it's easier to find than you think!"

"You...are...a…" Rapunzel carefully enunciated each syllable, wiggling Anna's nose between her fingers. "...mega dork! And absolutely wonderful." Standing on her tip toes, Rapunzel brushed Anna's copper locks away from her forehead and pressed a kiss to that spot.

Anna felt her cheeks positively glow. "Heh. Aw...you know. Whatever…"

"And so modest." Leaning back on her heels, Rapunzel enjoyed the embarrassed look Anna had. "I hope that girlfriend of yours is keeping you on lockdown."

Scratching her cheek in awkward hesitation, Anna sighed. "Yeah...we had a bit of a blow up last night…"

Hopping back up to sit on the counter, Rapunzel gently tugged a copper braid, and stared encouragingly. "Go on…"

"Ew, get a room you two!" Anna admonished the two rats who were either fighting or having sexy time on her apartment's welcome mat. Nudging the frantically copulating rodents carefully with her foot, she made a sour face and resolved to clean the welcome mat again. Horizontal bar lights hung by chains up and down the hallway, swaying with an uncertain flicker. She'd brought up the unsafe nature of the lights, as well as several other building hazards, with her old landlord, but the guy seemed more interested in his daily Polish soap operas than in any useful building renovations.

Her head still buzzed from the potent combination of her Jazzeroo drink, the lackluster No-Tones performance, and Eugene's startling revelation. She would press Rapunzel on why exactly it happened, but knowing her cousin she had an idea or two. Checking the doorknob and discovering that it was still unlocked, meaning that the three pissed off texts she'd gotten from Lynsey during her 15 minute walk home weren't enough to make her irate girlfriend give up on the night,

Pushing the door open, Anna braced herself for a stern lecture on not breaking plans, but was surprised and vaguely thrown off to hear nothing but the soft bump of the door against the wall. Her living room was in the exact same state of disarray she'd left it that morning, minus a few bags of chips and plus one sprawled on the couch, snoozing girlfriend.

Anna sighed. Grabbing her favorite snowman blanket out of the closet, she draped it over Lynsey, whose eyebrows fluttered as she snuggled further into the sofa. "Maybe I'll just make a sandwich…" the redhead mused thoughtfully, tiptoeing into her mini kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, and her heart skipped a beat when a plastic container fell out and smacked against the linoleum floor. Wincing, she bent down to pick up the container while her girlfriend mumbled incoherently from the living room. "Saved me some chinese food...aw, I'm kind of a dick for making her wait."

"Mmm...babe? Izzat you? What...what time is it?" Lynsey pushed herself to a standing position and kept the snowman blanket half draped around her shoulders. She took three steps towards the kitchen before Anna came around the corner, guiltily holding the leftover chinese food container in front of her face.

"Sorry, Lynz...friend was having a rough night. I had to…" Anna began.

Lynsey closed the distance between them, a wry smile and quirking nose hinting at her mood. "Counselor Anna to the rescue again...and you smell like Foxy's." The wry smile changed to a pout. "I would have met you there too…"

Shrugging guiltily, Anna bumped their foreheads together gently. "I know, hon. But the music is shitty by ninety nine percent of the world's standards. It was a long...long day, and I just wanted to be home."

Tapping her dragon image painted nails on the food container in Anna's hands, Lynsey sighed. "Well, you're home now, and you found the leftovers. I moved tonight's double shift to tomorrow, so I might just head home and get some sleep."

Pouting fiercely, Anna brushed her girlfriend's bangs aside and felt her shoulders sag. "You could...you don't have to go right away, do you?"

Shaking her head, Lynsey replied. "I'll sleep better...hell, I'll get some sleep at my place." Anna had the decency to blush. "Feels lately like your life is your work, your friends, and your music. I get...I get this…" her voice lowered sadly at the end, and Anna felt her wiggle the leftover food container.

"I...I didn't know you felt that way, Lynz." Anna stuttered. "I'm trying...I'll try harder to balance. You want more time and...and I'll give you more time, damnit."

Chuckling, Lynsey mussed her girlfriend's hair playfully. "Don't just give me what I want, babe. It should be what you want, too. I'm just...I'm gonna go-"

"Now hold the fuck on!" Merida interjected, startling Anna and causing Rapunzel to leap off the counter with a panic stricken cry. She floundered into a box of record cleaning supplies, which flew off the counter and crashed onto the floor, contents scattering everywhere.

Hiccup chose that exact moment to come back into the store off break. He surveyed the scene, saw Merida with a righteously hostile look on her face, and groaned. He picked up a plastic bag and went over to quietly clean up the mess.

"Sorry, Hic." Rapunzel winced. To Merida, she growled. "Ass. Hole."

"Hey, I'm not the one lying to make my girlfriend sound better than she really is!" Gesturing to Anna, Merida fixed her with a stare. "What's up, boss? That's not the way you told me it went down."

"Treason!" Anna accused, folding her arms across her chest in a huff. "Now you have to sell SIX albums to win the wager!"

"Whatever, I've sold five so far. Now tell her, or else I will." Merida threatened.

Groaning, Anna recounted the prior night's actual events. Her profuse apologies, the complete lack of any leftover Chinese food, Lynsey's accusations of her sleeping with everybody from Hiccup to the No-Tones' drummer.

"And don't forget your 'Save Rock and Roll' vinyl!" Merida finished, grabbing Anna's shoulder and lightly shaking her.

"Yeah...she was pissed and decided to frisbee one of my Fall Out Boy vintage collectibles." Anna sulked. Rapunzel stared at her with wide eyes and mouth agape. "Oh, it just got a little chipped. My frisbee skills just aren't what they used to be."

"Your frisbee skills?! ANNA! That kind of shit just shouldn't happen!" Rapunzel grabbed Anna's other shoulder and shook her more vigorously. The redhead's twin braids bobbled comically and she pointedly avoided any eye contact with the two frustrated girls in front of her. "Jesus, I knew Lynsey was a little intense, but. Come. On."

"I don't say this kind of shit often Anna, but you deserve better than that. I mean, Ariel might have had a mean silent treatment, but at least she didn't go around breaking your shit when she didn't get her way!" Merida finished.

Putting up her hands defensively, Anna finally acquiesced. "I know...our thing is kinda winding down...right off a cliff, probably. Heh."

Rapunzel opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by her phone buzzing. Hiccup, having finished repacking the scattered contents of the box, took that moment to offer his two cents. "Yeah, Anna. You do...uh, you do deserve better. Like Eugene said last night...you're good people."

"Heh, you heard that...you and your Superman hearing." Anna chuckled, blushing awkwardly.

"Ohhh, so you got the hots for boss lady, now do you Hic?" Merida ribbed the suddenly aghast young man playfully. Hiccup's mouth opened and closed two or three times, before he remembered how to form words.

"What?! I didn't...fine, I'm going to tell the customers how much Tom Lehrer sucks!" Hiccup threatened, heading out to greet the first customer he saw.

"Damnit, wait up you little shit! I was joking...son of a-" Merida hauled ass after him, already seeing her wager with Anna going up in smoke.

Anna smiled, grateful for her little group of friends keeping her honest. Turning to ring up a customer's Velvet Underground album while complimenting them on their excellent taste, she failed to notice Rapunzel's face going white as a sheet. Bagging the customer's album, and giving him a mock salute, Anna shut the register and turned to her cousin. Instantly she could tell something was wrong.

"Punz? Punzie? What's wrong...what's the news?" Anna cautiously queried. Her cousin's hazel eyes darted back and forth and her hand was shaking from the force of the white knuckled grip she had on her phone. Looking up abruptly, her mouth went slack, and Anna's heart skipped a beat.

"We need to...we need to talk. In the back room. Now."

White. All white. White walls, white floors, white bedsheets. White...hair?

Gingerly touching her scalp, Anna felt a heavy duty bandage wrapped securely on the top of her head. It was extremely sensitive to the touch, so she left it alone. On her lap, as her vision cleared, she was able to pick out a few bits of grey, almost white, hair. "Wha...hello?" Her voice sounded alien to her, throat clearly cracked and dry giving a harsh rasp to her normally sunny voice.

The accident. That's right. Slowly, achingly slow, fragments of memories came back to her. Trees. A lake. A red and white checkered...blanket? Peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches laid out with...no…

A sharp sting interrupted her attempt at remembering and took her breath away. Elsa. Elsa...had Elsa been there too? "El...sa? Elsa?" Anna forced her weak vocal chords into producing an uncomfortably loud and harsh cry.

The door across from here opened swiftly and before she could register who'd entered, her mother was at her side. Kneeling down, Idunn threaded her fingers with her daughter's. Dark rings under the older woman's eyes and prominent crows feet told Anna a clear story of forced sleep deprivation. "Anna! Anna...my baby girl. Look at me, sweetie. Does it hurt?" Idunn's soft, lilting voice managed to both carry a sense of urgency and wash over the frantic ten year old. Anna's breathing slowed as her mother's thumbs traced small circles on the back of her hand.

"Mom?" Anna noticed her mother's usually well kept clothing was wrinkled with what looked like coffee stains here and there. "Talk to me, mom. H...how are you doing?" Anna's throat scratched annoyingly and she let out a tiny cough.

"How am...I?" The older brunette's eyes went wide for a second, before releasing a tear or two. An involuntary laugh escaped her lips, and she brought her daughter's hand to her lips to press a tender kiss there. "My little...my little caregiver. Oh Anna, we've all been awake for three days now, worried sick about you. Things were looking up, but then you…"

"Oh…" The gears turned in Anna's mind, and the child slowly nodded in understanding. "I was awake before...wasn't I?

"Oh honey...do you remember being awake before?" Hope flashed in Idunn's eyes, though Anna couldn't discern what it was about.

"No...just a guess. You...you look really tired, mom. You should go...go get some sleep." Anna patted her mom's cheek, giving her an impish smile and holding back her concern about not being able to...remember.

"Yes, doctor." Idunn joked, folding Anna's hands back on her lap. "Is it okay if I send your father in to see you for a short while?"

"Oh yeah...yeah, daddy can come in." Wringing her hands on the hospital bedsheet, Anna's brows knit with worry. "Um, mama...I know you're scared and don't want to...freak me out." A beat. Three deep breaths. "I just...I think Elsa was with me. Is she...did she get hurt, too?"

Idunn bit her lip, but quickly schooled her face into neutral compassion. "Your sister is okay, honey. A little banged up, but she'll be alright. After you're feeling better...we'll let her visit you."

"Okay, mama." Anna whispered. Everyone was okay...but there was something wrong. Something.

Stacks of old records surrounded Rapunzel and Anna as the brunette relayed Elsa's text message, sent that morning from the airport before her cross country flight departed. Everything was happening too quickly. The scar on Anna's scalp burned with a throbbing pain, and would have derailed any train of thought the redhead tried to engage, except that the news of Elsa's impending arrival removed her ability to think entirely.

"...na? Anna, Anna! Look at me, Anna. Breathe, and look at me, hon." Rapunzel urged encouragingly, gently snapping her fingers, but her cousin's head was lolling and her eyelids fluttered briefly, before her legs gave out completely and she collapsed. Fortunately, Rapunzel was close enough to be able to lunge forward and catch Anna under her armpits. Kneeling down with care, she propped Anna up against a Cat Stevens Vinyl bin, and gently massaged her temples with petal soft fingertips.

After a minute or so, Anna became cognizant to give Rapunzel a tired half smile, followed by a "What am I gonna do?"

Continuing her massage ministrations, Rapunzel pursed her lips before replying. "I'd ask you what you want to do, but you and I both know that you want to see her again. She's the only one who can tell you what happened that day. Why she left." Placing a hand over Anna's heart, Rapunzel gave her a crooked smile, and continued. "This has been running at half speed ever since your parents sent Elsa away. I don't know why Elsa continued to stay away, even after graduating a year before me. Even after...your parents passed away."

Tearing up, Anna brokenly responded. "I...I'm afraid of wh-wha...why...what if she left because of me, Punzie?" Eyes closed and shoulders slumped, Anna huffed in exhaustion. "I'm tired of not knowing my place in her life."

Tilting the redhead's chin up, Rapunzel made direct eye contact. "And you have to decide what place she has in your life. You have to decide how far to let her in." Lightening her gaze and stroking Anna's chin affectionately with her thumb, Rapunzel added one last bit. "I know she hasn't given you any reason to believe in her. But...if you can trust that 13 year old Elsa loved little ten year old Anna with all of her heart, then you just may be able to find that lost, lonely teenager who was sent away from you all those years ago."

Sniffling happily, Anna groaned. "Since when did you get so Hallmark-ey?" Standing up and dusting herself off, she helped Rapunzel up and they looked around the room. "Yeah...I really have to clean this place up sometime."

"Later, later!" Rapunzel insisted, pushing Anna gently towards the door. "I'll meet up with Elsa when she gets in town, but I won't say anything about you. You handle that however makes you comfortable."

"Slowly...I'm comfortable with very very slowly." Anna chuckled.

"Slowly works. And while you're at it, you can slowly ring me up that one Tom Lehrer album you've got playing right now," Anna turned around, giving her cousin a look of incredulity.

"Noooo, not that one! If we sell one more, Merida wins our bet!" Anna dramatically tossed her hands over her head. "That would be the worst possible thing!"

Shrugging nonchalantly, Rapunzel countered, "What can I say...the dude made stuff in the 50s and 60s, yet he has a direct line to my funny bone!"

As Elsa exited the plane, the stale, recycled air of 150 passengers was replaced with the stale, recycled air of the San Francisco International Airport. The text she'd received from Rapunzel in reply was a short and sweet "Okey dokey", and left much to the imagination. Chief among those things, if the blonde was going to meet her at the airport. And where she'd meet her. And if Elsa was going to crash with Rapunzel for the evening before settling into her own place.

All these questions, plus many more, bounced around in the blonde's head while she heded towards baggage claim. Purse in one hand and a tour guide book of San Francisco, her backpack had found its way back across both shoulders. San Francisco looked to have a pretty happening music scene, and Elsa hoped that her firm's little addition could enrichen that atmosphere, if even just a little.

Thinking it prudent to get in touch with her lead project foreman right away, Elsa closed her little tour book and traded it for her flip phone. Scrolling through her abysmally short contacts list, she selected 'Bjorgmann' and hit autodial.

The phone rang a grand total of six times, and Elsa was about to hang up in mild exasperation, when the other end was picked up and a rushed "Hey, hi, sorry to keep you waiting. Charlie's Steak Shop and...uh...what the hell else do we sell?"

Clearly flummoxed, Elsa muttered, "Um...excuse me, I think I…"

"Hey...HEY, Kristoff I said no hamster football! TRUCE! TRUCE! TRADE!" Several loud bangs followed, making Elsa hold the phone away from her assaulted ear, followed by clacks and what can only be described as a handful of loud, painful thumps, finished up with a muted "Motherfucker!"

"Hi, okay wow I'm sorry about that." A different voice this time, deeper and more friendly.

Elsa cautiously offered, "Is this...Mr. Bjorgmann?"

"Yeah, that's me. I apologize on behalf of my roommate...he's been thoroughly punished." Kristoff chuckled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Arendelle."

"Likewise. I'm just collecting my luggage after a long flight, but would you like to meet tomorrow to discuss the particulars of this project?" Stopping to rifle through her purse for a pen and paper, Elsa continued to listen to the foreman.

"Yeah, sure, tomorrow's fine. Can you do 10:30 in the morning...at, say, Bartlett's Diner?" Pulling several rolled up documents from a desk draw, Kristoff laid them out and initialed each one with a 'E. A.'.

"That's fine, I'm sure I can find my way there." Elsa replied, jotting down the place and time. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Well, it's been a long day of traveling, so I'm going to find somewhere to sleep for the night."

Kristoff chuckled. "Don't sleep in the airport...they like to kick you out if you do that."

Elsa smiled, giggling lightly. "No, no airports, but I might not say no to a park bench."

"Ha! Okay, I'll let you go then. See you tomorrow, Miss Arendelle."

"Likewise, Mr. Bjorgmann." Snapping her phone shut, Elsa looked around, momentarily lost before realizing her feet had taken her right to baggage claim during her conversation.

Scanning the different luggage carousels, Elsa headed for the one marked E-5. A minute of hard staring later and her unique, snowflake embroidered suitcase came around the corner. With somebody sitting on it. Said somebody was wearing tan slacks and a pink blouse over a white undershirt. Chestnut brown hair framed her face in a disheveled manner. Chin propped in her hands, she seemed to be scanning the crowd for somebody. There was something about that nose...something that struck Elsa as extremely familiar. She wrapped her hands around her backpack's straps in curious anticipation.

The young woman seated on Elsa's suitcase locked eyes with Elsa. Her chin left her hands and her mouth opened slightly. A wave of nostalgia hit Elsa hard enough to leave her breathless. The young woman slowly stood up on the moving luggage carousel.

A wide grin split her face as she cried out, "Elsa, you NERD!" and leapt off of the carousel. Not quite far enough, she discovered, as her foot snagged on Elsa's suitcase handle and she flopped unceremoniously to the ground. Several audible gasps and murmurs came from nearby travelers, but before anyone could lend a hand to help, Elsa was kneeling at the facedown young woman's side.

Putting a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, Elsa gently pushed her over and onto her back. The younger woman wriggled her nose and blinked the dizziness out of her vision. "Hey...hey you. Still being a cool kid and doing cool things, I see?" A warm smile erupted on Elsa's face as she gently joked with her cousin.

Groaning, but not yet ready to sit up, Rapunzel sulked a little. "That was...decidedly not cool." Looking up at Elsa, her smile lit right back up. "What about you? That's not how I showed you to wear a backpack." Tugging on one of the straps, Rapunzel started chuckling.

"I decided I wanted to be a cool nerd." Elsa grinned in response. "Come on...I'm starving and practically dead on my feet." She started to gently tug on Rapunzel's warm hand, and almost fell backwards when her cousin bolted upright and wrapped her up in a crushing hug.

"You're in my town now, you nerd." Rapunzel squealed, tears at the corner of her eyes. I'll take you anywhere you want for anything you want."

Elsa gently returned her hug. "I don't want to impose…"

Pulling away and gripping her shoulders with a determined expression, Rapunzel stated, "Nonsense. I have room and you're staying with me as long as you need to!"

Reaching over to grab her suitcase on its next trip around, Elsa tried to demur, but her cousin wasn't having any of it. "This may be a work trip, but we're going to work on some other things besides a job...okay?" Her eyes searched Elsa's cautiously.

"O...okay." Elsa relented. "I know I haven't called or written much…"

"So we'll take it slowly. Like we did in school." Rapunzel finished, softly yet optimistically. Elsa's left hand squeezed a backpack strap warningly, but Rapunzel latched onto her right hand before it could find the other strap. Her other hand snatched Elsa's snowflake suitcase.

Exhaling loudly, Elsa murmured. "Let's see what cool kids drive these days…"

Cackling gleefully, Rapunzel shot back, "Heck, I drove my skateboard here! I'll totally carry you."

"After seeing your Olympic long jump skills back there..you want me to ride a skateboard with you?!" Elsa groaned. It was going to take some getting used to, slipping back into the push and pull comfort level of being around her favorite cousin.

CHAPTER 3

'The package is secure'. How could a cryptic one liner from Rapunzel make Anna snort mirthfully and cause her heart to slam to a halt at the same time? Clad in sweatpants and a Motley Crue t-shirt, she was dividing her time semi productively between the umpteenth reorganization of her 'birth year' record collection and rereading the handful of letters Elsa had sent her from private school before she mysteriously stopped all communication.

Each letter was written in a way that hinted at knowledge or memories Anna had lost in the accident. But only hints, nothing more. Trembling hands holding her oldest letter, the first one she got from Elsa after the accident, gently rubbed the paper and took her back to that afteroon many years ago when it had shown up in their mailbox, out of the clear blue.

Anna was busy clearing the table after dinner, having quickly demolished a cheesecake dessert, when Idunn casually remarked. "You know, Anna, I think there's a letter on the counter for you."

"A letter?" Anna queried thoughtfully. "Who'd write me a letter?"

"Why don't you finish clearing the table and find out for yourself?" was the joking reply. The ten year old redhead hustled the rest of the dishes into the sink, where she scrubbed them like mad and haphazardly shoved them into the dishwasher. Dumping way more detergent than was necessary into the device, just to ensure the dishes got EXTRA CLEAN, Anna quickly wiped her hands on her knee length jean skirt before snatching the letter and bounding over to her parents.

"Okay, it says...guys! It's from Elsa!" Anna gasped.

"You don't say." Her father chuckled.

"No no, you don't understand." Anna scrunched up her face, eyebrows knitting together. "This is a. Letter. From. ELSA. E L S A!" Whooping mirthfully, Anna waved it around like a trophy. The envelope lid flapped open and waved about wildly. "Oh, huh...it's already open?"

"I uh...I think all your vibrating opened it, sweetie." her mother casually offered, giving Agnarr a pointed, unreadable look.

"Can I...may I be excused to my room to read it, please and pretty please?" With a nod from each parent, Anna bolted down the hallway, swinging around the banister and pounding up the steps in great, three at a time strides. Down the hall and through her door, she completed the mad dash with an ungraceful dive flop onto her bed.

The child's heart pounded with abnormal intensity. She couldn't wait to read about how her sister liked her prestigious new school!

Anna. I hope you are feeling better. I'm at my new school, in case you don't remember. The work is very challenging and I've made several friends already, in addition to Rapunzel. Keep doing well in school, and listen to Mama and Papa. I'll write again soon. Elsa.

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, ten year old Anna realized that something didn't seem right with Elsa's letter. It was so short...so...just a letter. Before she could ponder the thought further, searing pain shot from her scar and radiated through her head, sending the young girl stumbling down the hall to find her parents with her headache medicine. She was sure she'd get better letters from Elsa as her older sister got comfortable with classes.

However, 22 year old Anna had no new insights about her mysterious sister. Elsa was, at that very moment, somewhere in town with Rapunzel, but Anna still felt a million miles from her. The only tangible connections she had were the small pile of terse letters and the now splitting headache she had courtesy of her scar.

Pouring herself one last glass of wine for the night, Anna tromped down the short hallway to her bedroom. How could she be so incredibly fearful of seeing her sister again, yet at the same time be so unexplicably drawn to somebody who seemed to be shrouded in the same veil of uncertainty that the six months of her life leading up to the accident was also shrouded in.

Cat number one insistently nuzzled between Elsa's legs as the young woman stood over the kitchen sink, glass of water in hand. It was 3 AM and her body clearly still thought it was on the east coast. Cat number two had found its way up on the counter, and demanded attention more directly. Elsa rubbed the feline between his eyes, feeling the rumble of a purr throughout the cat's pleased body.

"Do you remember their names?" Rapunzel's voice came from the living room, startling Elsa into nearly dropping her glass. Cat number two got spooked and hopped off the counter warily.

"I don't think I'd remember anything you told me tonight, Rapunzel." Elsa sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose. "I have enough trouble sleeping as it is...I should be overwhelmed and unconscious right now, but…"

Nodding sympathetically, Rapunzel stood next to the tall blonde in amiable silence for a few minutes. The tick tock of the kitchen wall clock reverberated through the old apartment, but Elsa's heart hammered loud enough for the rush of blood around her ears to drown out any other sound.

Keep it in. Keep...it…

Elsa's world briefly went dark as her legs gave out beneath her.

She came to a little while later. Lying on the kitchen floor, the first thing she heard was the soft beating of another person's heart. The rise and fall of their chest. Their warm breath on her forehead after each exhale.

Rapunzel giggled helpelessly. "Honestly...what is it with you Arendelle girls and fainting in my arms?" Wiping the light sheen of sweat that had accumulated on Elsa's brow, she felt the other woman tremble in her arms.

"Anna didn't...she didn't take news of my arrival...well?" Elsa held onto her cousin's blouse tighter and pressed against her more closely, as if trying to hide from the world.

"Now I wouldn't say that." Rapunzel replied on recollection. "She's a little...incomplete, you know. She doesn't know the whole truth." Gently rocking Elsa back and forth, Rapunzel continued. "I know I don't have the whole story, either."

Elsa's breath caught in her throat. Punishment. Later.

Rapunzel felt the tense action. "You...I know you used to...hurt yourself." Elsa winced. Hadn't she always been careful to hide it? "It's not obvious...but you did it then." Pressing her lips to Elsa's hair, the brunette murmured, "I'll never press you to talk. Never."

Elsa relaxed a little, before letting out a shaky admonition. "Something's wrong...wrong with me."

"I see my pretty cousin is hurting. It does seem like something is wrong." Giving Elsa an extra squeeze, Rapunzel added, "It can't be as bad as all that."

Saying nothing further on the matter, Elsa tried changing topics a little. "Is...does Anna want to...see me?"

"Every day. Elsa, like I said...she's missing something. Something besides memories." Frowning thoughtfully, Rapunzel continued. "When you left...when you were sent away...you took part of her with you." Before Elsa could interject, her cousin found her lips and put a finger over them in silence. "I know you didn't mean to."

Shrugging helpelessly, Elsa floundered. "How...how am I supposed to face her again?"

"By being brave. By being the Elsa she knew and loved."

Elsa cringed, the guilt washing over her. "She doesn't remember the Elsa she loved."

The two fell once more into silence. Half an hour later, Rapunzel checked on her cuddled cousin. "Hey there...do you want to go back to bed yet?"

Elsa shook her head in the negative. "Just...a little longer...Punzie…"

Shaking her head in defeat, Rapunzel warned her sleepy cousin. "'Kay...but if we fall asleep here, you're fixing my back in the morning."

"S...mmm...m'sorry Punz…"

"And no more apologizing, or you'll get a spanking."

Elsa mumbled something unintelligible as she buried her face against Rapunzel's tummy, and the younger woman bit back the urge to shriek from the ticklish feeling. "What are you doing to yourself, my little nerd?" the brunette unhappily mused, before starting to hum an old bedtime lullaby to ensure her cousin had a few hours of restful sleep that night.

Feet propped up on her desk in the back room, Anna squirmed in her creaky plastic recliner. It was 8 am at the store, Merida was probably offending another customer, and she'd gotten way too little sleep the prior night to give a shit about anything. Even thinking about Elsa now just brought a dull thud to her head. Then again, that could be the murderous hangover.

A timid knock preceded the gentle creak of the door opening slightly. Throwing an arm across her eyes to block out some of the offending light, Anna miserably grumbled, "Hiccup, you have precisely eight words. Go."

"Umm…" the young man stammered.

"Seven…" Anna groaned in warning.

"Merida Lynsey-" Hiccup began, and Anna willed herself to stumble out of her chair, pounding head screaming in protest.

"I'll handle it." Hiccup swore he saw a dark cloud over Anna's head, and wisely scooted back to helping customers. Anna snatched a pair of dark sunglasses in an attempt to ward off full blown head trauma.

"...damaging my calm, woman! You need to get out before I show you the hell out." Merida growled threateningly.

Lynsey wore an equally pissed off look, but upon seeing Anna stumble from the office, instantly put on her most wounded expression. "Baby, I heard you got some news. Somebody's coming into town to visit?"

"Yeah, see, like four people knew about that. Hellooooo stalker!" Merida taunted, clawing the air like a cat.

"How can I stalk my girlfriend!" Lynsey demanded, fuming.

Slapping the counter in frustration, Anna spoke in short, clipped phrases. "Mer, heel."

Retreating to the pop-punk corner, Merida whirled around to flip Lysney off one last time for good measure, following it with a messily blown raspberry.

Approaching Anna slowly, Lynsey reached out to touch her sunglasses. "Long night, babe? Let's talk about-"

"You, out. Talk later." Anna held up her index finger in warning to leave it at that.

Lynsey decided, however, to press the issue. "It's your sister, right? What's the big deal?"

"Out." Anna growled, her rising voice causing the pounding in her head to intensify.

"What's got you so worked up? You never see her, you never even talk about her!" Lynsey insisted, then lowered her voice. "Just...take off, today. I got us a little treat to share, it's out in the car and-"

Anna saw red. Rushing at Lynsey with frightening intensity, she whirled her around and grabbed the collar of her jacket, forcefully pushing her towards the door. "You just shut your fucking mouth about Elsa! Jesus! Fucking! Christ! Leave me the hell alone and shove your passive aggressive bullshit onto somebody who wants to fucking deal with it. I'm. Done." Slamming the front door with a loud bang, Anna whirled around and headed back towards the storeroom.

Doing a secret victory fist pump, Merida closed the back door to give her boss some much needed privacy. Turning to their stunned customers, she waved her arms and exclaimed, "A knockout from our champ! She'll take exactly zero questions, and don't go asking for an autograph unless you want to lose some teeth!" Looking back into the room just to make sure Anna hadn't wrecked half the stock, Merida saw she had sat back down at her desk, head down in her arms, with her winter coat pulled over to block out all the light.

Hiccup wordlessly handed Merida a tape labeled as "Top Five Headache Relievers", to which she nodded grimly and popped the tape in. She made sure to keep the volume on the low side, and store slowly returned to a peaceful equilibrium. "Right, now I think boss lady needs that ray of sunshine who calls herself her cousin. Where's that frickin' notebook with the phone numbers and shit…" Merida wondered, shuffling through several notebooks and groaning at her boss's lackluster organizational skills.

"Is that...did you spill a drink on these blueprints?" Elsa asked Kristoff in between sips of coffee. Suspicious dried wet spots aside, the amendments he'd made to her final designs were more than passable, and she felt no shame in showing her respect for his clear talent.

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Kristoff admitted, "Yeah...well, maybe? Some of that was probably from my jerk roommate who you met...briefly on the phone. My two golden retrievers might have laid a paw or two on them as well...aww, geeze, I was kinda hoping to look a little more professional than this." Chasing the last bit of omelet around his plate awkwardly, his ears perked up at Elsa's lilting laugh.

"I'm certainly impressed by your natural talent, Mr. Bjorgmann. And I can definitely appreciate a little...personality, in people I work with." Kristoff sighed in relief.

"Do you have a place to stay? I mean, not to pry...I know of several nice leases in the city…" the blond man's words trickled off, not wanting to overstep his bounds.

Opening her day planner on the table, Elsa reassured him. "I appreciate the thought. I'm staying with family for the time being, and I think they'd be angry if I didn't accept their hospitality."

Kristoff laughed. "Family...yeah, I know how that works. So, we're going with four months to completion to be safe, but I'd like to wrap up in November if possible. Avoid any weather colder than we have to."

"Of course. But...cold weather? Here?" Elsa couldn't believe it. Compared to the east coast, it was positively stifling here.

"I know what you east coasters think about this area...but you'd be surprised." During their chat, the waitress had noticed their conversation and quietly dropped off the bill. Kristoff went to pick it up, but Elsa coughed pointedly. "Oh boy...are we gonna have a problem here?" he grinned jokingly.

"Oh, there's no problem, so long as you were planning on handing that bill to me." Elsa countered with a challenging smirk.

Holding up his hands in acquiescence, Kristoff exhaled. "Okay, a deal then. Meet here once a week for breakfast so I can update you on construction progress? And take turns footing the meal check, sound fair?"

Surprised at such a good idea, Elsa nodded while jotting that down in her planner. "A great idea. I'll probably stop by in person now and then to see it taking shape, if that's alright."

He grinned, handing her the bill. "Of course, I get it. It's your baby and you want to see it grow up."

"And punish it with redesigns if it misbehaves structurally." she added, smiling gratefully when he gave a hearty laugh at her attempt at architecture humor. "Please, call me Elsa."

He shook the hand she offered, returning, "Kristoff, likewise. Do you need a lift anywhere?"

"Thank you, but I think I'll walk." Elsa assured him. "I'm picking up a rental car this week, but I want to investigate the local music vendors in the area. See how much business this will be taking, and if there's any way to mitigate that."

Kristoff stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That's really stand-up of you. I know of a pretty great place on south Browning street, older vinyl stuff mostly. Might be a good place to start."

Elsa thanked him for the suggestion. While heading out of the diner, her mind went back to the morning pep talk she had with Rapunzel about places to see. "Now what was it about Browning street Punzie said? It was worth checking out? Or not to go without her?" Elsa mused thoughtfully. Oh well, she'd find out what was there when she got there.

Rapunzel grimaced, clutching her painting portfolio awkwardly at her hip while she stood in line. She'd hoped to be more prepared for a work opportunity like this, but it was a last minute option Elsa had made available to her after she expressed disgust at working more overtime shifts at the diner.

"Rapunzel, you were talented back in high school." Elsa had assured her, carefully arranging her work hairbun for her appointment with a project foreman in an hour. "I'd like to get you working on the furnishings and painting for this project. It's...it pays very well, but more importantly, I'm trying to bring a warmth to this location that people don't often see in music megastores. The same warmth you exude in life...is also what I love about your art."

Ducking her head in embarrassment, Rapunzel only half restrained a squeal. "I'd beg you to stop saying such nice things, but you have no idea how much I want to be painting and decorating full time. Also, I think busting my ass at Hank's is giving me a bad back, and I'm not looking to be hobbled by age 30!"

Sighing, Elsa chided her younger cousin. "It's probably been a lifetime since you had a proper checkup with a doctor. Don't think I don't remember those countless afternoons when you should have gone home early with a fever, but insisted on staying late to help the theater production club finish set pieces and landscapes."

"Hey, the work got done, didn't it?" Rapunzel huffed.

"Yes, yes it did, but it also required a little cleaning after several hundred errant sneezes." Elsa smiled, pushing a plate with eggs and fruit towards her cousin who was snapping up her favorite pair of 'paint professional' coveralls over top of a collared shirt. Not many could make such a look seem even remotely professional, but even the handful of dried paint splashes just gave the brunette an aura of legitimacy to go along with her sterling portfolio. "Eat your breakfast, cool kid. Heaven knows how many of those you've skipped since I saw you last."

"Yeah, I dunno...I just don't feel as hungry when I eat alone." Rapunzel admitted, face lighting up when she saw her vibrantly colored breakfast.

"I am sorry it didn't work out with your boyfriend. Maybe...maybe when I'm ready to tell you a few things, you'll be able to share some with me as well." Elsa tenatively offered, before rising to wash her own breakfast dishes.

"There's more...there's always more. But there will be time for that later."

Between mouthfuls of food, Rapunzel did her best to keep talking. "You know...you don't have to find a place right away. I mean...you can stay if you want. If you're comfortable here, I mean…"

Placing her dishes on the rack to dry, Elsa walked over to her cousin and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know that after I see Anna again...I'm probably going to be unbearable to live with."

Looking up, Rapunzel smiled, several bits of egg clinging to the corner of her mouth. "Then you might need me around even more than before." Her smile faltered and she blushed when Elsa wiped away the errant egg from her face with a swipe of a thumb.

"We'll work on each other...like last time." The blonde's smile was strained, but Rapunzel was pleased with her bold action. Shouldering her satchel, Elsa snatched up the spare set of apartment keys. "I might also pick up some of the remodeling supplies you were going on about last night…"

Face suddenly incredulous, Rapunzel protested. "What?! No, don't you dare! That stuff isn't cheap, and...wait, I thought you were asleep then…"

"You just spoke so passionately about it, I had to hear you out." Elsa giggled. Patting her cousin's still disheveled hair affectionately, Elsa turned to head out the door to her meeting.

"Don't forget! Browning street is off limits...until I can go there with you. To, uh...have fun!" Rapunzel reminded the blonde.

"Yes, of course. Don't forget your portfolio today. I'll see you later this afternoon." Elsa gave a small wave, before heading out the door.

"Bye, nerd! Love you!" Rapunzel cheered, before demolishing the rest of her breakfast.

Looking around at all the other interior decorator applicants, Rapunzel noticed they were all on their smart phones. Nobody else was toting a bulky portfolio, except for her. She really needed to get with the times and start doing things digitally. But first, she had to get this gig so she could make some money. When Eugene was staying with her, her run down apartment seemed less ramshackle and more of an adventure.

But now, if Elsa was going to be staying with her for the long term, Rapunzel suddenly felt like she had to make those improvements she sometimes daydreamed about but never put into action. Surely her cousin would feel better...safer...in a nicer, friendlier, less falling apart apartment.

"Number 42, you're up next." A young man in slacks and a polo shirt with a clipboard called out.

"Th...that's me!" Rapunzel waved her free arm, nearly dropping her portfolio. Squeezing out of the line, she hustled up to the front. The young man motioned for her to follow him into the next room. After a deep breath and nervously running a hand through her short hair in a futile attempt to tame it, she went in for her interview.

Stepping out of the department store, Elsa brought a hand to her head to make sure the wide brimmed hat she bought was on tight, and that little of her platinum blonde hair was showing. She wanted to have a look around the city, but was not quite ready to accidentally run into her sister. Adjusting the cuffs on the new jacket she purchased, a sudden brisk breeze convinced her to also fasten the two bottom buttons on the light jacket she purchased.

"Okay. Disguise bought, interior decoration supplies ordered for delivery…" Elsa mentally went through her checklist, noticing with pleasure that Browning street was just one more block down. "I'll just tell Rapunzel about any neat things I find over here…" Turning the corner, the first thing Elsa noticed was a lower quality of the buildings on Browning street.

A barbershop with two faded candy stripe poles out front. An Indian food restaurant right next to a Lebanese cuisine place. Several young men and women hung around outside the vapor cafe, kicking around a hackey sack. Elsa was pretty sure they were skipping class somewhere, but it was not her responsibility to say. Further down, a beleaguered dog walker was put through his paces by two great danes and a black labrador.

While Elsa saw a few areas that were in disrepair, for the most part it was a clean street. The buildings spoke to her as though they had a long, colorful history, and that was something any city planner worth their salt would recognize and not fiddle too much with. Residents of an area could feel subtle changes in the environment if their neighborhood got fixed up too much in the name of 'modernization'. In fact, Elsa was so enamored with noticing Browning street's little eccentricities, that she almost failed to notice the music store directly to her right.

'Vinyl for Losers'. Elsa chuckled at the self deprecating name choice. The front display, windows partly obscured by a series of vertical bars, was plastered with advertisements for local music lessons, clubs and bars on the local scene, as well as store hours that were mostly labeled as 'when we're in, we're open'. A string of pale red lights was strung around the door frame, reminiscent of a Christmas decoration from years past that somebody never took down. Elsa knew that the music superstore she was overseeing construction for would deal only sparingly in high priced individual vinyl resale, and would probably do little to affect this store's monthly sales. However, musically knowledgeable people might be good contacts to provide to management of her store. With that in mind, she gave the front door an extra hard tug, finding it stuck at first, before it finally opened alongside the tinkling of a bell signaling her entrance.

The first thing Elsa noticed was that the inside of the store was a lot cleaner than the store front would have had her believe. Several aisles were lined with records, some stacked on the floor, with poorly constructed end caps holding even more records. It looked like somebody had gotten frustrated cobbling together the end caps and just decided to put a hammer to some nails and be done with it. What appeared to be high quality instruments, ranging from guitars, basses, keyboards, and synthesizers hung on the walls. Several were autographed, and accompanied by certificates of authenticity.

The back wall was populated by different kinds of microphones, full recording suites, as well as several types of music editing hardware. A handful of customers were idly browsing, nodding their heads to the older tune playing on the sound system. A lanky, brown haired young man was browsing several magazines behind the counter of the checkout 'island'. To her right, Elsa noticed a boisterous curly haired woman making an enthusiastic attempt at selling a middle aged guy whatever the store was currently playing. The young woman noticed Elsa making eye contact, giving her a little half salute and a smile, before going back to her sales pitch. Elsa gave a tiny wave in return, but suddenly felt too exposed, and retrieved her sunglasses from a jacket pocket. Putting them on, she took a deep breath, and decided to browse the music selection until an employee became free.

A scant several minutes later, the curly haired spitfire of an employee finished her discussion with her customer, and moseyed on over to Elsa. "How you doing, lady? The name's Merida, and to answer your question: no, we stopped selling rats to the Chinese food place a year ago."

"Excuse me?" Elsa shook her head quickly, quite sure she'd misheard the employee.

"Okay okay, no jokes about food, I gotcha." Grinning, Merida continued. "But for reals, can I help you find anything today? Anything, as long as it's not too...tacky."

Elsa laughed, starting to get a feel for Merida's vibe. "A little less sixteen candles, a little more under a glass moon?"

Clapping her hands gleefully, Merida cackled. "Oh, a prog fan, are you?" Grabbing Elsa by the elbow, Merida led her to the opposite end of the store. The dragged blonde woman put a hand to her hat to keep it from falling off. "Edgar Winter, Rush, Opeth, King Crimson, and yes, even your hoity toity Dream Theater, are all here in our 'songs that last forever' section." Sensing Elsa had been a little spooked by her quick, enthusiastic movements, Merida eased away. "I'll leave you to it then. Just give a holler...or a whisper...if you wanna know about anything else, okay?"

Elsa nodded with an embarrassed smile, and that seemed to be enough to appease Merida, who went back to the counter to harass the brown haired young man, who in the meantime had put away his magazines and was meticulously polishing the sales countertop.

The door ringer tinkled as Rapunzel entered the record shop. Making her way to the sales counter, she noticed only two other customers in the store.

"Yo Picasso, about time you got here!" Merida admonished her.

"Yeah, sorry, I got caught up in an interview." Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "But I think I got the job!"

Elsa, still in the progressive rock section, froze when she heard her cousin's voice. What was Rapunzel doing here? What the hell? As to avoid drawing attention to herself, Elsa began edging slowly down the aisle, headed for the door.

"Good, you've been slacking on blowing cash here." Merida informed the brunette gravely. "But more on topic, we had a surprise visit from Lynsey…"

Elsa reached for the door handle, failing to notice the rack of blank CD cases next to her foot.

"Oh hell, today of all days, too." Rapunzel groaned, before the click of the storeroom door drew their attention.

"She came, she bitched." Anna grumbled, shielding her eyes briefly from the harsh light. "I tossed her out." Shaking the sleep from her eyes, she shared a meaningful look with Rapunzel. "It's been...a hell of a 24 hours."

"You shoulda see Anna though! I swear Lynz was just about to shit-"

A crash from the front of the store interrupted Merida's gushing. Elsa froze. Why did I look back? Why why why. That could have been anyone. I...it's too soon. Get out. OUT!

Elsa took a step back. Anna leapt into action. "Merida, THE DOOR!" Elsa turned in panic, stumbling in her heels before kicking them off in frustration and shoving the door open, taking off at a run. Anna managed to close the distance and get a hand on her purse, breaking the strap as Elsa's harsh jerk tore it off.

Gritting her teeth, Anna made to run after the shoplifter, but her still sleepy body was having none of it. Her left calf cramped right up and she stumbled, arms flailing wildly. "Fucking...STOP, JUST...FUCK!"

Elsa stopped, about ten yards clear of the store. She did not turn around. Anna stood up on wobbly legs, holding up the purse she grabbed. "Do the math, shit for brains. That one album, for everything in here. And maybe I'll have the cops pay you a nice little visit at home." Unzipping the purse and putting her hand in, Anna fished out the first thing that felt like a pocketbook. "Now then...let's get a name to go with our little thief, here."

Elsa dropped the album she mistakenly carried out. Adrenaline surged through her body. Her mind went blank and the only thought she had was: Anna cannot look in my purse. She launched herself blindly at the redhead. Anna looked up in time to see the woman let out a strangled cry and latch onto her purse.

"LET GO! LET GO-HO-HO!" Elsa bawled frantically. Anna's righteously angry face instantly changed to one of confusion and mild terror, mixed with dogged insistence.

"Hey...the fuck?! You stole from me!" Anna grunted, tugging back on the purse for no other reason than this woman had been the last straw in a fucked up day.

Rapunzel burst out of the record store, cheeks flushed. "Anna, relax, Merida's calling the cops. They'll be-"

Elsa's wide brimmed hat was ripped off by a gust of wind. Gripping the purse harder with one hand, her other hand grasped Anna's wrists and she yanked, head down and crying in terror. "JUST LET ME GO! I'M SORRY!" Hot tears ran down her face.

Snarling, Anna planted her feet and twisted her body. Her judo lessons as a child instinctively kicked in, and Elsa's feet left the ground.

"Anna, wait! Stop!" Rapunzel tried to get in between the two, but Elsa was already in mid-air, sailing over Anna's hip. With little else to do, the brunette grabbed Anna under her armpits and braced her arms tightly. Her quick thinking caused Anna's hands to release their grip on the purse.

Elsa's body did a half roll before coming down hard on her side, right on the sidewalk. The contents of her purse scattered into the gutter and across the street.

"Fucking let me go, Punz!" Anna shouted blindly.

"ANNA!" Rapunzel shrieked right into her cousin's ear, simultaneously yanking an earlobe and forcing the copper haired girl's head down. Rapunzel's voice wavered piteously. "Look…"

Anna opened her eyes.

She was ten years old again, looking down at a pretty blonde girl. Light blue dress over a petite body, limbs splayed in the grass, a gently smile with soft dimples accentuating pale skin. No, now she wasn't looking down. She was looking up...up at this same girl. Now the girl was crying. Crying and holding her head...why were those pale hands red?

Anna was 22 years old. Memories thundered through her brain and her head exploded in pain, but her face betrayed no hint of it. She knelt down gingerly next to this blonde woman. Skin pale...so very pale. A moan. The lithe body shifted uncomfortably, chest heaving and white knuckled grip refusing to let go of the torn purse.

Elsa's eyes remained shut. Screwed tightly shut. No light could enter. Maybe if I die now. Maybe she'll be hurt...less. Die. Why...why can't I?

Then Elsa felt the warm tears on her face. But they were not hers. Soft wisps of hair tickled her cheeks and nose. Feeling returned to her body. The arm she was laying on burned with pain. Trembling hands gently brushed away the dirt on her cheek.

"Ha...how do I know if it's you…" Anna stammered between hiccups and body wracking sobs, "...if you won't look at me?"

Be brave. Rapunzel's words echoed in Elsa's mind from the only area not screaming at her to hurt herself. Give her the choice.

Elsa opened her eyes. Opened them so wide, they stung. Anna was real, all too real. Real, crying, angry, the same vibrant spirit. Elsa had no words. Nothing she could say. There was nothing to say.

Except maybe a wince. Followed by a timid, "I...yes. A broken arm is fair trade...for stealing."

Anna's face screwed up with emotion. "Whu...what about a broken huh...heart?"

"Mine...mine hasn't been whole since...since…" and that was all Elsa got out, before the intensity of the moment and the shooting pain in her arm reduced her to a combination of soft weeping and muttered pleadings of "Don't hate me…".

Merida and Hiccup quietly closed up shop for the day, while Rapunzel went to sit on the sidewalk with her reunited cousins. Placing one hand on Anna's shoulder, and the other gently squeezing Elsa's ankle, she whispered, "The ambulance will be here soon."

Anna looked at the brunette, mouth opening and closing several times, unable to form words.

"You ride with her, honey. I'm going to grab some things, and I'll meet you at the hospital." Rapunzel squeezed Anna's shoulder tenderly.

"I did this wrong…" Anna hiccupped miserably.

Cupping the side of her face and massaging the ear that was yanked just minutes earlier, Rapunzel consoled the redhead. "You did this. There is no 'wrong'. Now you get to decide what is done next."

Dashing into her apartment, Rapunzel's three cats immediately scattered. "Sorry dears, mama's got no time for loving." Raiding her fridge for some basic snacks and bottled water, the brunette tried to consider what Elsa would like to have for her likely several day stay at the hospital. Shrugging her shoulders, she settled on grabbing Elsa's backpack, her laptop, and her day planner. Rapunzel could always return to pick up more things.

Cursing her luck, Rapunzel pretty much destroyed any plans she'd made to work on bringing Elsa's protective emotional walls down piece by piece. She'd hoped to have at least a few days with her older cousin, before bringing Anna around to see her. There were no doubt things Anna couldn't remember about Elsa because of the head injury that separated them. Similarly, Elsa had confided in the brunette on a handful of occasions while the two were in school together. Perhaps naively, she considered herself something of an Elsa expert, but it had been a handful of years since their high school graduation.

Sighing, Rapunzel slung Elsa's backpack over her shoulder and headed back towards the door, snatching a laundry bag of her clean clothing as she headed out. Perhaps Anna's 'judo chop', straightforward method of handling her sister would be better in the long run. Or at least, perhaps a combination of their methods. Two heads were always better than one, and the brunette's cousins were much too important to her to give them anything less than her best.

A small part of her was almost thankful she wasn't in a relationship at the moment, and could afford to devote most of her time to patching up her precious little family. Even if they did sometimes do dumb things like dress up and shoplift, or accidentally injure the other.

Getting out to the curb, Rapunzel whistled for a taxi. She hoped Elsa's injury wasn't too serious. They should be at San Fran General right about now, getting treated. Probably by a nurse. "Oh, son of a bitch." the brunette cursed in frustration. Please let somebody else be on shift. Anybody else but her.

"Good evening, Miss Arendelle. Let's get some vitals, shall we? Arendelle...I've heard that name…" the nurse murmured, turning her attention from Elsa laying on the examination table to the polite cough behind her.

"Hi." Anna deadpanned from her corner chair.

Lynsey bristled, name tag on her scrubs rattling as she quickly turned her attention back to Elsa. "I see you have visitors already...that's quite nice." Quickly taking the blonde's blood pressure and temperature, both of which were satisfactory, Lynsey gently wrapped Elsa's forearm in a temporary splint to immobilize the break. Elsa's breath hitched once or twice, and Anna silently dared the nurse to find out what happened if she made Elsa cry. Thankfully, Elsa gritted her teeth and Lynsey treated her injury with care. She followed that with making several quick notes in Elsa's patient folder, before politely excusing herself to find the doctor.

On her way out, Anna held up an index finger to Elsa quickly, before stepping out after the nurse. "Hey...hey."

Lynsey turned, face impassive but eyes already darting back and forth. "Hey, what? Let's...not. I don't like to bring personal business here. Short and sweet version: I think we're done."

Anna blew out a breath she didn't even know she'd been holding. "Yeah...I don't really know what we were doing, anyway."

"Oh ouch, one last parting shot, huh?" Lynsey winced, and Anna opened her mouth to object, but was interrupted. "Don't sweat it. I'm actually impressed you had the balls to do what you did today...to stand up for yourself. You really should do that more often."

With an unhappy sigh, Anna muttered, "That shouldn't be something that impresses you about me."

Chuckling, her ex girlfriend gave her a shrug and a half smile. "I'm not easy, and you're kinda preoccupied with...everything. If you thought were doing anything more than just passing time...you might need to grow up a little more." Turning on her heel, she called back in a professional manner. "I'll get your sister's doctor, Miss Arendelle. Be about ten minutes."

Anna blinked. That was the least messy break up she'd ever been through. Letting her shoulders sag and rolling her weary head from side to side, she gathered herself to go back into the treatment room and try to string together more than a few awkward words to the sister she hadn't seen in over a decade.

Elsa sat on the exam table, back towards the door as Anna entered. The blonde woman's clothing was wrinkled and torn in several places, with scuff marks and dirt stains that looked to be permanent. She slowly rocked back and forth, cradling her arm, and Anna could tell her sister was gently picking at the wrapped splint.

"You shouldn't mess with it too much." Anna offered, sitting back down so Elsa could see her. "You don't want to see that nurse when she gets pissy."

Elsa immediately took her hand off of the splint and looked down with guilt. She hadn't made eye contact with Anna aside from the few minutes the younger sister had been holding the older one on the sidewalk. "Do you...do you know her?" Elsa ventured, wincing at how scratchy her voice sounded.

Chuckling, Anna awkwardly tucked a stray copper lock behind her ear. "We have a...history. But that's in the past now."

Elsa let out a dry chuckle, and Anna felt like she'd won the lottery.

"Still a fan of lame pun jokes, huh?" the redhead offered, hands wringing together nervously.

It was a full minute before Elsa responded. "I...I get the feeling there are a lot of questions you want to ask me."

Restraining the urge to get up and rush to her sister's side, Anna settled for gripping the chair's armrests and leaning forward. Softly, but intensely, she replied, "I won't talk about anything you aren't comfortable with. So, please…" her voice faltered and she smacked her palms against her cheeks several times to ward off another bout of tears.

Nodding with a tremble, Elsa's eyes met her sister's for only the second time that evening. "I have to accept...that I hurt you. A lot." Wiggling her fingers experimentally, she continued. "My job will keep me here for the next six months."

"And you'll be staying with Rapunzel?" Anna quickly interjected, slapping her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

"For now...I feel safe there." Elsa cringed as she correctly guessed what Anna would think.

You don't feel safe with me? Anna thought, but bit her tongue. Elsa and Rapunzel had gone through all of high school together; of course they would share a bond. She awkwardly tried to change the subject. "You were always so good at math...but I never knew you liked designing buildings…"

Grinning a bit, Elsa returned, "Well, I seem to recall you adoring all kinds of music, so what you're doing now must be very fulfilling."

Shrugging with eyebrows raised, Anna confided, "Well, you'll never guess what mom and dad said to me using my entire second year of tuition on…" She froze. She hadn't meant to bring up their parents so soon. Their deceased parents.

"Oh, Anna…" Elsa's head dropped and she brought a hand to cover her eyes.

Anna immediately leapt to her feet, knocking the chair backwards with a loud crash. "No!" Half terrified, Elsa looked up at her in shock, eyes bright with barely contained tears. "Just…" Anna lowered her voice, desperately trying to control the tremor in her throat. "...that's not a question for today."

Lips tightly pursed, Elsa nodded hesitantly, and her posture relaxed a little. After several moments, she made another effort to communicate. "Maybe I...maybe sometime I could come visit your store...and not steal something?"

Anna did a double take, before barking out a laugh. "Yeah...we're, uh...well, we're kind of a bunch of jerks to customers anyway." Motioning to her sister's injury, she continued. "You got the worst of it today. We really should work on our customer service…"

Brushing some of her messed up bangs from her forehead, Elsa murmured, "I don't think you're a jerk. You just...had a bad day."

Nodding in agreement, Anna looked hopeful. "It's looking up now, though."

"Just a little bit?" Elsa offered, indicating an inch of space with her index finger and thumb.

"An eensy weensy bitty bit." Anna countered, squinting her eyes and showing the width of a strand of hair's distance. "But it's a start…"

Anna felt a gentle but insistent pressure on her cheek. "Mmm...go 'way...leave the bacon…" Rapunzel snorted, setting her bag on a spare chair, along with Elsa's personal effects. Shaking her cousin gently by the shoulder, Anna's head did a loopy loll, and Rapunzel sing song whispered, "Wake up sleepy head, the midnight train has come to take you away."

Eyes opening, Anna licked her dry lips and looked around in a daze. "Oh yeah...okay, so that wasn't all a dream." Sitting up straight in the chair, she pulled her knees to her chest and enjoyed the protesting popping sounds her back made. "So…" she began, casually eyeing her cousin, "...we have a situation on our hands."

"Sensei would have been proud of that flip, Anna. But, uh...yeah…" Rapunzel trailed off, indicating the closed door to the room in which their dear relative was sleeping off the bone setting and cast application.

"Yeah…" Anna agreed, exhaling harshly. "So...you really only found out the other day that Elsa was coming into town?"

"Scout's honor." Rapunzel crossed her heart solemnly. "I heard from her a few times after graduation...during her freshman year at college…"

"What college did she go to?" Anna interrupted her hotly.

"Uh...oh boy, she really didn't update you about anything, did she?" Rapunzel considered her cousin carefully. Anna shook her head in the negative miserably.

"No...uh, hey. So uh…" Anna fiddled with her jacket awkwardly. "I don't wanna step on any toes...or, like, talk to you about things I should ask her about...so, you know. Don't tell me anything Elsa told you in confidence, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Rapunzel placed a hand on her cousin's forearm, squeezing gently. "Yeah, I kinda got the idea that she was on a big self loathing kick in high school, and it may have gotten worse since then."

"Yeah, I just…" Anna shrugged helplessly, gesturing towards the closed door. "Right now, you know her better. She feels safe...safer...staying with you." Scuffing her shoes on the tiled hospital floor, the copper haired young woman suddenly sounded very young. "I don't know what I...can't remember. Whatever it is...I think it's why she went away."

"Anna...she was sent away." Rapunzel said, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Anna gasped. "No! She...she got a scholarship!" Gesticulating with her right hand, she continued frantically. "I got some letters. Elsa talked about getting a scholarship while I was...lights out…"

"Your parents made the arrangements, Anna." Placing a hand on each of her cousin's shoulders, Rapunzel set her jaw firmly. "Elsa knew, and she was agreeable...but it was your parents who sent her to my stepmother's school."

Anna suddenly felt very dizzy. Colors flashed in her vision, before she growled in frustration and stamped her feet on the hospital floor, causing Rapunzel to jerk in surprise. "I...I can't be here...any more. Not right now." She had a far off look in her eyes.

"Anna…" Rapunzel gently tugged on a braid, drawing her attention back. "Are you...do you need anything? Can I do anything?"

Smiling with a sudden edge of exhaustion, Anna shook her head again. "You're wonderful, Punzie. You're doing it all. Elsa even told me you're gonna be working with her on her new project. That's amazing...you're so good for her." Patting the brunette's cheek as if she was a child, Anna stood up and shook the tiredness from her limbs. "Keep doing what you're doing. Tell Elsa...I had to go get ready for work. Tell her...I'll be by to check on her after work tomorrow."

Standing up and pulling Anna's jacket tight, Rapunzel zipped up the front. "She's here until Sunday afternoon. I'll tell her to expect you tomorrow." Giving Anna the biggest hug she could muster, Rapunzel whispered to her warmly, "She may trust me more, but she needs you most. Don't you for one second forget that. Go get some sleep, sweetie."

"Yes'm." Anna gave a half hearted salute, before adding one last comment. "Oh, and if Lyns comes by, don't give her too hard a time. We may not be together any more, but she did take good care of Elsa."

"Don't worry, I'll be...relatively gentle." Rapunzel winked. "Now we can have singles movie nights like before!"

"Horray, singles movie nights." Anna chuckled, doing a half hearted fist pump in celebration. Turning down the hall, she began the slow trudge out to the taxi lane, already dreading the barrage of questions she was going to get from Merida the next morning.

Clicking through several subfolders, Elsa squealed in excitement as she nudged Rapunzel awake for what had to have been the tenth time. "Oh, and look here! This is the daycare design and layout. People can drop their kids off while they browse the store at their leisure, and we'll have safety versions of several instruments for kids to play on. The franchise owner likes to keep an employee on hand who's musically trained to teach any children who show interest."

Rapunzel snored indignantly, spluttering at being poked again. "Oh..oh! Hm, that's a cute idea." Flopping her arms across Elsa's lap, the brunette groaned piteously. "Low on energy! Request pudding pick me up!"

Absentmindedly handing over yet another sugary treat courtesy of the hospital, Elsa made an offhand remark. "You know, I'm not going to heal properly if you keep eating all my food."

"Bah, who needs food?!" Rapunzel grinned, sucking half the butterscotch pudding out of the cup, before revealing a messy grin. "I'm healing you right now, with the power of my MIND!"

Elsa chuckled, wiping her messy cousin's face with a napkin by use of her good arm. Her broken arm, now immobilized in a cast, rested on the blonde's stomach. Rapunzel had already taken the prestigious honor of being the first to sign it, along with adding several cute flowers and kitten drawings. Every so often Elsa would flex the fingers that protruded from the cast, always earning a disapproving grumble from Rapunzel, as well as a promise that if Anna caught her doing that she'd give her another Judo toss. The mention of not pleasing Anna always got Elsa to mind the doctor's orders...at least for awhile.

Flipping through Elsa's day planner absentmindedly, Rapunzel noticed the lead foreman's business card. "Mr. Kristoff Bjorgmann, huh? So that's who we'll be working with. Kinda handsome, if you go for that rugged, outdoorsy, built like a brick steamroller type." Nudging Elsa playfully, Rapunzel gave her a cheeky grin. "Is that your type, Elsie? Hmm? How 'bout it?"

Elsa considered the picture thoughtfully. "Why yes, Rapunzel, I do believe he is my type. A good mind and a strong upper body are always admirable traits to look for...in a lead foreman."

Groaning, Rapunzel threw her hands up. "Oh, you're not playing my game!"

With a chuckle and a wink, Elsa retorted, "I play the game, dear, only by different rules than you."

The brunette's eyebrows shot to her hairline. "Hmm...you know, I feel like that's a clue of some kind!" Catching a glance at the clock on the wall, Rapunzel frowned. "Looks like this mystery will have to be continued...I have one more crappy shift at the diner to cover before my butt is yours for this project on Monday."

Elsa smiled fondly. "I'll be sure to put it to task."

"And don't disobey the doctor's orders! I WILL find out, and you will get it!" Rapunzel play threatened, gathering up several of the interior designs she and Elsa planned out together. Seeing the vaguely forlorn look on her cousin's face, Rapunzel put a gentle hand over her cast hand. "She'll be here soon...she gets off work in a little over half an hour. Don't worry, Elsa. Anna won't forget."

Like a child, Elsa pouted a little. "Doesn't she...isn't she the boss? Can't she leave whenever she wants?"

Laughing out loud, Rapunzel mussed her cousin's hair affectionately. "Yes, Elsa, she is the boss. And she isn't ten years old any more." Pressing her thumb against Elsa's cheek, drawing her mouth into a forced half smile, the brunette finished with, "Her employees require some...uh...management sometimes. But by all means, play up this 'neediness' card in front of her. She'll just eat it up."

Elsa gasped in shock. "I am not needy!" she squeaked insistently, but Rapunzel had already stepped out, skipping down the hall with a merry giggle. Looking at her cast sourly, Elsa's face softened. "I'm...I'm not needy. But I do need you...both of you."

Not in that way. You disgusting girl. Elsa cringed, hoping Anna would arrive soon.

"C'mon boss, play it!" Merida begged, holding up a battered Cat Stevens album under her nose and hiding her fierce pout. Anna continued cleaning records while pointedly ignoring her friend.

"I solemnly swear I'll come into work early for a week straight if you play this one song!" Merida proclaimed, placing her hand on a stack of sheet music as if it were a Bible.

Slapping down the bottle of cleaning solution, Anna fixed Merida with a hard stare. "No, I'm not going to play fucking 'Wild World', because then Hiccup will start crying and I know that's what you want!"

Hiccup's nasally pitched voice rang out louder than usual. "That was one time in high school, thanks to Merida! And it was our class song. AND it was played at prom, so that time didn't count!" Huffing in frustration, he went back to translating the directions for the display case which had only been printed in Chinese.

"No way, boss! Rickey here has never heard Cat Stevens and that's a crime!" The redhead gestured to an elderly gentleman in a tweed jacket and bow tie.

"Actually, it's Dick, and like I said twice already, I'm here looking for 'I Just Called to say I Love You'..." the man insisted.

"Rickey, you go wash your mouth out with soap and do seventeen Hail Marys!" Merida grumbled, making the sign of the Cross with her Cat Stevens album in front of the frustrated man. "Most Stevie songs are tolerable, but we do NOT call ANYONE to say WE LOVE THEM here!"

Throwing his hands up in disgust, Dick turned and left. "Maybe I'll just wait for the new music store down the road to be built! I bet they'd like to make a little money!" Shoving the door open in frustration, the man turned to flip Merida off.

Throwing him a bone, Merida called out, "Props on the bow tie, though, Pops! Just because you have shitty taste in music doesn't doom you to a life of shitty taste in fashion!"

"Ugh...fuck you!" the man spat, before doing an abrupt about face and storming out of the store.

Merida did a slow turn towards Anna, throwing her hands up in a questioning manner and putting on her best impersonation of a Steve Urkel face.

Anna glared at her, giving her a little golf clap. "Oh yeah, real smooth Mer. Just...top quality customer service."

"Anna…" Merida pointed a corner of the Cat album right in her boss's face, "...top five records to play after you break your sister's arm, go! SUB QUESTION: is Elsa's little VH1 countdown music store abomination gonna put us out of business, or will she and her evil minions show mercy and hire us as her minimum wage slaves?"

"Mer! Holy fucking shit!" Anna swatted at Merida, who blocked her swipes with the Cat album. "God damnit!" Brandishing the cleaning fluid, Anna unleashed several squirts on her unsuspecting friend.

"Jesus Christ Anna, I'm just asking!" Merida groused, wiping the liquid from her face. "This fuckin' vest is vintage, and I swear if that doesn't come out, I will totally sock your nose!"

"Just...go wipe off that damn album. And don't ask about that...store." Anna fumed, checking her watch for the seventh time that hour. She was literally counting down the minutes until she'd hand the keys off to Hiccup and she could go see Elsa.

"Yeah, I know I know. We'll survive because we cater to a very specific group of musically elite douche bags who make a special effort to come here." Merida drawled, using air quotes and mocking Anna's voice.

"Uh huh." Anna added. "Why would you be worried anyway? Your sterling customer satisfaction rating has new customers running for the hills!" Snatching her duffel bag out from under the counter, she hammered her time card and jammed it into the register drawer. "I'm out, laters."

"Give your ex a big wet one right in the ear from me!" Merida jeered, sneaking the Cat Stevens album into the record player.

Walking past Hiccup, who was setting up a display case, Anna casually tossed him the store keys. She also muttered a cryptic warning, "It's about to become a wild world in here." The lanky young man seemed to get the message, producing a set of earplugs from his pocket and plugging his ears securely.

Stepping out into the humid afternoon air, Anna wondered how the night had treated her sister and cousin. She hoped they both managed to get some sleep. Her phone buzzed, and she went to her messages folder, spying a new one from Rapunzel. Huh, she only just left? That's a hell of a long time to have spent at the hospital. But I guess they have a lot of catching up to do. Anna sighed. She wasn't jealous...she loved them both dearly. But she hoped she'd be able to start making up for lost time with Elsa. And maybe, just maybe...start piecing together the missing fragments of her memory as well. Her scar pulsed with a painful foreboding, and she quickened her pace, not wanting Elsa to be alone for long.

Elsa just finished up replying to Kristoff's slightly panicked email about her condition. She assured him that she would be fine, and that she would still be meeting with him at the construction kick off on Monday. She went on at length about her reasons for choosing Rapunzel for interior design responsibilties, going so far as to include samples of the brunette's work and a list of her references. Not that she thought he'd jump to conclusions, but she was family and she didn't want him getting the wrong idea.

Kristoff included his list of material suppliers, as well as an invoice for Elsa to forward to her boss, Mr. Weselton. Stifling a grin, Elsa noticed the blonde man had attached a picture of himself with his two dogs, with the caption reading "We all hope you heal quickly!". Forwarding her boss a copy of said invoice, Elsa glossed over her injury, claiming it was a simple in and out of the hospital procedure. She also didn't go into great detail about her family reconnections, merely that she was back in touch with them. Closing her eyes as she shut her laptop, she grimaced.

They wouldn't want to be close if they knew. "Well, they never will know." Elsa reasoned with herself bitterly. She'd fallen back into her sister's and cousin's lives, and she'd keep her feelings hidden forever if it meant they'd accept her back into their lives.

Nervously wringing her hands, Elsa failed to notice the door slowly opening. A knock brought her out of her internal monologue. She looked to her right and saw Anna poking her head in the door, glancing at the floor, body language looking like she wanted to run away screaming.

"You can come in...if you want." Elsa offered, throat cracking as she gestured to the empty chair next to her bed.

Scurrying over to take the seat, Anna set her duffel bag on the ground, and Elsa noticed she had a balloon in her hand. The turquoise colored balloon's front read 'World's Best Patient' and had small, red hearts on the back. Passing the string over to her sister self consciously, Anna murmured, "All the other ones were taken...I think a lot of people went to the hospital yesterday."

"Oh good, so it's not just unlucky me then, huh?" Elsa jibed, tying the balloon neatly to her bedpost and flicking it, causing it to sway back and forth.

Eyes brightening, Anna offered, "Well you remember how I was two left feet? Still am...but taking self defense classes did help a little with that." Self consciously reaching down to make sure her shoes were tied, Anna looked up at her blonde sister timidly. "I could get you into a class if you want. It really helps to stay in shape. Umm, not that you're out of shape! Or too thin! Or, well, you know…" Anna gestured helplessly.

"Anna," Elsa exhaled, smiling, "I'm hardly Goldilocks."

It took Anna a minute to realize what her sister was getting at. "No, you aren't perfect. But...you are just right." Elsa gulped, hands squeezing her bedsheets. "S-so!" Anna pressed on, undeterred by embarrassment. "How did you sleep? Did you have a nice time Punzie?"

Nodding lightly, Elsa put a hand over her laptop. "Yes, we had a nice time catching up a little. I don't know if she told you, but she's going to be working on the interior design for the store I designed."

Clapping her hands together in excitement, Anna nearly vibrated out of her seat. "Oh, that's totally awesome! She's so very talented, and her rates are super reasonable. She was even able to help me out with some neat advertising campaigns for my store two years ago."

"She did come highly recommended, and I'm glad she's been able to help you out so much." Elsa fiddled with the latch on her laptop, looking at Anna with concern. "Would...you like to see some of what we're going to do?"

"Oh, definitely!" Anna buzzed, scootching her chair right up to Elsa's bed and resting her forearms on the edge. While Elsa powered her computer back on, Anna took a moment to inspect her cast. "Hmm...I see the doodle fairy already visited your cast." Elsa heard the pout in her voice, and glanced over, an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Anna. She offered, and...would you like to sign it too?" The blonde produced a black magic marker.

"Oh, yes please!" Anna took the marker, her heart thudding when her hand brushed Elsa's. "I'm not a good artist like her or anything…" she added, uncapping the marker self consciously.

"Just sign it, you goof!" Elsa chuckled.

Narrowing her eyes in concentration, Anna wrote her first name very slowly and deliberately. Elsa giggled at her sister's scrunched nose and the tip of her tongue that was sticking out between her lips in cute concentration. Those lips…

She'll hate you. Anna's pinky finger had barely brushed the tips of Elsa's fingers when the blonde jerked her cast back abruptly. The marker drew a jagged line from the last 'a' in 'Anna' and ended on the sleeve of Elsa's hospital gown. Blushing profusely, Anna stammered an apology. "S-sorry, Elsa. I didn't mean to...oh damn it."

Swallowing guiltily, Elsa replied, "No, no it was my fault. I got...I got stung by a bee on my shoulder, I think."

"Oh! Stupid bee!" Anna groused, glad it wasn't her fault Elsa jumped. "Messed up my...oh hell, let's be honest, it was gonna like a three year old signed it regardless."

Elsa shook her head. "That's okay. I bet...I bet it will help me heal faster." Taking the marker in her good hand, she carefully drew a heart around Anna's name. The look on her sister's face made it absolutely worthwhile: Anna positively glowed.

"You know," Anna remarked, scratching her head self consciously, "Punzie might be jealous that I got a heart and she didn't."

Elsa laughed. "You know, I think you're right. And we can't have that...she'll end up eating even more of my hospital food." Drawing another heart around Rapunzel's name, Elsa capped the marker and set it aside.

"She's eating your food?! I'm gonna have to have a talk with that girl." Anna slapped the back of her right hand in her left palm in a mock threatening manner.

"Don't worry, Anna, she only eats the disgusting pudding." While speaking, Elsa produced one of the supposedly sub par pudding cups.

The dark color immediately called out to Anna. "But, Elsa! That's chocolate flavored!"

"Still tastes bad."

Anna shook her head vigorously. "No no, Elsa. CHOCOLATE." She spelled out the word to make it clear how wonderful it was.

Passing it over to her, Elsa sighed. "I'm sorry if I like my chocolate flavored products to not also have a strong aftertaste of cardboard. But if you want to give it a go, be my guest."

Anna didn't want to deprive her sister of food, but it was chocolate. And it was a gift. And...it was chocolate! "Okay, I'll just eat this one, then." she solemnly vowed. "In the meantime, let's see what my so called competition is gonna look like!"

Elsa's jaw dropped. "No no, Anna, I promise there is very little overlap between your store and what I'm doing! I swear!"

Poking the blonde's shoulder, Anna gave her a faint smile. "I know, Elsa. I'm not worried...and I am very excited to see you bring this place to life. Now, on with the tour!" The redhead winced at the end, touching the scar on her scalp gently.

"Anna, are you okay?" Elsa regarded her with concern.

"Yeah, it's...normal." Noticing Elsa's questioning gaze, Anna added, "Just another one of the questions between us. There's...no rush to get to the answers."

Somewhat mollified, Elsa started walking her sister through the basic exterior. The two shared ideas animately late into the night.

Sunday afternoon came quicker than everyone expected. After Elsa had talked Anna's ear off for a few hours about her new building, and Anna had offered helpful ways to rearrange the store departments to make them more customer friendly, the two dozed off. Elsa half hunched over her computer and Anna slouched down in her seat. Such is the way Rapunzel found them when she arrived back at the hospital ahead of Elsa's check out time.

Smiling affectionately, Rapunzel took great care in gently waking up Elsa, while being completely ruthless in the tickle attack she launched on Anna. The redhead squealed in such indignant surprise and protest, that Elsa's sides hurt from laughter.

"Elsa, as I'm sure you kind of already know, Rapunzel is the literal definition of a 'butt'." Anna groused, cracking her back and giving her cousin the stink eye. Rapunzel blew a raspberry back at her, smoothing some of her mussed hair afterwards.

The doctor, a silver haired woman with glasses, poked her head inside. "Almost ready to go? You're all checked out here, Miss Arendelle. If you'd like to get changed, I'll go over some post operation reminders and follow up appointments with you.

Looking to Anna and Rapunzel, Elsa inclined her head. "Can the two of you handle that? I'll...get changed in here…"

Rapunzel nodded, clasping Anna on the shoulder. "Wha? But I...okay I'm going!" Anna stumbled out the door after her cousin, leaving Elsa alone to change into fresh clothes her cousin had brought over.

"What's up?" Anna asked, unable to wipe the blush from her face. "I mean, we're all girls…"

"Elsa likes her privacy...she's a little self conscious." Rapunzel sighed. "Been that way ever since high school. She'd always wait until everybody else in gym class was done showering before she'd wash up."

"Oh, gotcha…" Anna felt a little guilty. She didn't mean anything by it. Elsa was just really pretty.

Approaching them with Elsa's patient folder in hand, the doctor introduced herself. "Miss Arendelle, Miss Corona. I'm Dr. Sheeran."

"Like the singer songwriter!" Anna exclaimed with a cheer. The doctor nodded absentmindedly, clearly having heard that one before.

"Elsa had a clean break, and with proper treatment and sufficient rest she should be ready to have the cast off in five weeks." Jotting down some notes on the inside cover of the folder, the doctor turned her attention to Rapunzel. "You can pick up her painkiller prescription at the pharmacy before you leave. Her next check up is in three weeks, but if she experiences severe discomfort or develops a high fever, please don't hesitate to bring her in."

"Understood." Rapunzel nodded, taking the folder and shaking the doctor's hand. Anna followed suit, thanking her for her hard work.

Smiling, the doctor finished with, "I hope she enjoys her time in San Francisco, and that you all enjoy catching up on missed time." Ducking her head shyly, she felt the need to elaborate. "I overheard some of the nurses talking about Elsa. Family is...important, as I'm sure you know."

Nodding seriously, Anna assured her. "We're definitely going to make the most of this time." Her cousin agreed, and the doctor left them to go make her rounds.

"So...any plans for the rest of the day?" Rapunzel asked, putting Elsa's patient folder into her duffel bag.

"Nothing really. Hiccup is out of town for the day, and Merida conned another band into letting her tryout for their lead singer vacancy, so the shop is taking a sick day." Anna shrugged, looked at Rapunzel hopefully.

"Well, I barely got Elsa settled in before this little...fiasco. Do you wanna come over for the evening, order some Mexican, and be lazy slobs?" The brunette knew about her cousin's preference of spicy food, and ribbed her endlessly about it.

"Yeah...yeah. We could all use some lazy relax time. Plus…" Anna turned her head, looking towards the faint sound of clothes being put on.

"I know…" Rapunzel warmly smiled. "She's really here."

"Yeah…" Anna sighed, tearing up. "Nope, not gonna fucking cry again!"

Rapunzel responded with a laugh, but before she could get a sarcastic jibe in, Elsa squawked indignantly from the room. "Rapunzel? Anna? I uh...this sleeve won't do the thing it's supposed to do…" Chuckling, the two girls went back inside to help their beleaguered girl put her jacket on.

"Ahh, home, shitty home." Rapunzel crooned, turning her apartment key and giving the stuck door handle a good smack and a jiggle, before it clicked open and the three girls were assaulted by an equal number of lovingly insistent cats. "Girls, you remember your sister, Anna. And this is your other sister, Elsa, who you met for about five seconds." Setting down her bags on the counter, Rapunzel stepped aside to let her cousins in.

Anna threw her bag into a corner, while gently setting Elsa's work paraphernalia next to Rapunzel's bags. Motoko, a black tabby, repeatedly nuzzled her calves and meowed in protest until Anna picked her up and gave her some attention. "Yeah, Tokes. I missed you, little girl."

Facepalming, Rapunzel took issue with her cousin's nickname for her one cat. "Anna, do you have to give my babies nicknames as though they're druggies?!"

"Whaaat?" Anna cuddled Motoko and waggled a finger at Miles Davis, who was pawing at Rapunzel's shoelaces. "That's my Highbaby, and Little Tripper is having a grand old time getting to know Elsa." she chuckled, as the runt of the three had already made herself at home cradled against the blonde's chest by her cast.

"I actually love the name 'Dipper'." Elsa remarked, nuzzling the kitten. "Not that I've seen that show...uh, what's its name…"

"Yeah Anna, we're gonna have to introduce Elsa to Gravity Falls." Rapunzel informed her. "I think it's on netflix now, and if we're watching that I know you're gonna insist we watch…"

"Gay space rocks!" Anna cheered, rocking Motoko like a baby.

Putting a hand on Elsa's shoulder in a comforting gesture, Rapunzel sighed. "You're gonna...learn to love cartoons here, Els."

"Cartoons are fine!" Elsa insisted. "Oh! Did you, umm...did you check your mail yesterday?"

"I don't think so." Rapunzel replied, unpacking Elsa's patient folder and pinning several documents to her wall mounted bulletin board with short nails. "Should I be expecting something?"

"I don't know…" Elsa responded vaguely, a gleam in her eye.

With a squeal, Rapunzel ran back outside to check her post box. Anna gave her sister a sidelong glance. "What did you do?"

"It's nothing." Elsa shrugged. "I saw something that just screamed her name, so I had to get it for her." Biting her lip nervously, Elsa added, "I...I hope it's okay if I get to know you better...so I can surprise you. With things. Gift things, maybe." The blonde shook her head, blushing profusely.

"Elsa." Anna warned gently. "I'm gonna hold your hand, okay?" Elsa nodded, and Anna gently squeezed Elsa's good hand between her two warm ones. "I want to get to know you too. There's so much we missed...so much we don't know."

Elsa shivered, and Anna felt her hand tremble. "But...we can take our time. Right?" the blonde whispered.

"We'll go extra slow." Anna murmured, releasing Elsa's hand slowly. Both immediately missed the contact.

"Holy shit, Elsa!" Rapunzel's overjoyed voice boomed down the hall, and the sound of her pounding feet soon followed. She appeared at the door, hair dishevelled, and brandishing several opened boxes from Michael's Arts and Crafts. "You do know this is illegal, right?!" A deep breath. "I'm so gonna have to pay you back!"

"You don't have to…" Elsa began, but was cut off.

"I am gonna work SO HARD FOR YOU!" Rapunzel gushed. Stumbling towards the blonde, Rapunzel leaned forward quickly and gave Elsa a peck on the cheek. "I'm also gonna spoil the shit out of you while you're getting better. ANNA!"

"Whoa, I'm right here Punzie!" Anna jumped.

"Come check out those cool stuff Elsa got for me to fix up this place!" Rapunzel gushed, hauling her presents over to the kitchen table.

"Such a child, huh?" Anna joked, sharing a smile with her sister.

"Yeah…" Elsa nodded, still stunned, but smiling.

"Anna! Why aren't you over here yet fawning with me!" Rapunzel instructed gleefully. "Elsa! Go pick out a dumb movie for us to watch...I'll call in for so many tacos your bellies are gonna burst!" The sisters were quickly overtaken by their cousin's infectious energy, and the apartment became a bustling hub of happiness and cats.

Nibbling on an extra container of shredded cheese, Elsa glanced to her left and right. Rapunzel was on her left, hanging over the arm of the sofa and moaning about one taco too many. Anna was on her right, thoroughly engrossed in Jurassic World. Elsa herself had already replied to two text messages from her boss, addressing the state of her health and the state of startup operations the next day. Eager to find out what her family had planned for Monday, Elsa posed the question.

Sitting back and kicking her shoes off finally, Anna put a finger to cheek in consideration. "I think we're getting a batch of obscure soundtracks tomorrow. Spaghetti westerns, B horror slasher flicks. It's not what people usually come looking for, but you never know when somebody's only able to sleep to the soundtrack of Blazing Saddles, or Evil Dead, and want the delicious sound only vinyl can offer." Spooning herself another helping of extra spicy rice, the readhead chuckled. I think Merida is bringing her 'band' over tomorrow...if she didn't scare them away with her recent audition.

Rapunzel shrugged. "Well, nothing too exciting for me. I'm only starting work with the most awesome cousin in the world!" Noticing Anna's sour pout, the brunette laughed and reached across Elsa's lap to squeeze Anna's nose gently. "Silly, you're both my favorites."

Elsa went momentarily light headed from how nice her cousin smelled; even with the permeating odor of mexican food in the room. Shaking her head to clear it, she offered, "I'll pick up breakfast for you from the diner, Punzie. I'm meeting the lead foreman there every Monday morning for regular project updates...matter of fact, our regular time is 10 a.m. if you'd like to join us?"

Tugging on Elsa's jacket impishly, Rapunzel smirked. "Oh, so I finally meet the handsome, down to earth Mr. Bjorgmann, eh?" At seeing Anna's confused look, Rapunzel elaborated. "I saw his picture yesterday and was bugging Elsa about what her 'type' was."

"Ohhh, really?" Anna's interest increased a thousand percent. "How about it, Els? What is your type?"

Elsa fiddled nervously with the buttons on her jacket. "My type...I don't really...know if I can say. Maybe you two tell me yours first?" she offered hesitantly.

Anna grinned. "Some nice thai food usually gets me pretty hot and bothered…" Rapunzel swatted at her dork cousin, who giggled. "Nah, I'm just a sucker for soft skin and curves. Yeah, curves are nice…"

"You know, Hiccup has REALLY soft skin. I bet he moisturizes daily." Rapunzel offered, pinching the flesh on her arm and frowning thoughtfully.

"Ew, okay, yeah that kid's skin is like a baby's bottom, but...no. Too many man parts for me." Anna stuck her tongue out petulantly. "Not a problem for you though, huh Punzie?"

Elsa did a double take at her cousin. "You're...bisexual?"

Nodding, Rapunzel shrugged. "If you wanna call it that. I wouldn't rule anybody out. And if somebody else comes along who just fits, well...more can definitely be merrier."

Elsa blinked, realization dawning on her. "You did always like group hugs back in high school…"

Barking out a laugh, Rapunzel shrugged. "Yeah, that's part if it. But hugging is its own thing that I really just love."

Anna interjected with a grin. "I'd like to hear more about the hijinks you two got into in high school! Public school for me was probably boring by comparison."

"Well…" Rapunzel eyed Elsa, who had a funny blush on her cheeks, "...I'll let Elsa be the one to tell you the good stories. But I'm actually interested in hearing how it went down with Lynsey at the hospital." Anna pouted at the brunette again.

"Lynsey...that nurse who saw me the first day?" Elsa looked between the two girls briefly. "You're dating her? She seemed a little...hostile."

"Heh, yeah, hostile's a good way to put it." Anna rolled her eyes, leaning back into the sofa and picking up Motoko for a cuddle. "We dated for...I dunno...three or four months, maybe." Clutching the cat to her chest in demonstration, she continued. "She's sorta kinda...pretty possessive."

"Loses her mind just a little bit." Rapunzel nodded, indicating a centimeter between her thumb and index finger.

"She's a good person, though." Anna finished. "I think that's sort of a prerequisite for becoming a nurse. My bed's certainly a little bigger lately, though."

Holding out her glass and clinking it with Anna's, Rapunzel grimaced. "Here's to big, empty beds, Banana. Eugene called me while we were out today. Said he's going up to his dad's hunting cabin for a few weeks. Hope it helps him feel a little better."

Patting Rapunzel's thigh, Anna shook her head. "He'll be fine. He's a friend. He respects your choices...he's just down that he can't be 'the one'." Clinking her plastic cup with her cousin's glass, Anna looked at her sister. "So...you look like you're deep in thought…"

Elsa quirked her mouth momentarily, before offering, "Polyamory? Is that...what it is?"

Rapunzel nodded. "On the list of modernly acceptable relationships, it's...not too high up there."

At least it's not as low and shameful as liking your own family members. Filth. Elsa drew her knees to her chest. "If it makes you happy...that's what's important. F...fuck what other people say."

Throwing her hands up with a whoop, Rapunzel gushed unabashedly. "Elsa, you cute little cusser!" She tossed her arms around the blonde, and Anna quickly followed suit.

"Double hug attack!" Elsa eeped in surprise, quite certain she was going to blush herself out of existence. That's good. If they're hugging and you're blushing, you don't have to talk and say anything that would make them hate you. More than they already do, anyway. The blonde cringed. She was thankful she wouldn't have to say anything about her specific attractions. Or non attractions, as it were.

The following morning at the diner, Rapunzel met up with Elsa and Kristoff, as was the plan. The three had barely sat down, before the brunette politely excused herself to go raid the breakfast buffet. Kristoff watched her hop out of the table and skip towards the food with a grin. Immediately after, he and Elsa placed their quick orders.

"So that's our interior designer? Feels like a colorful personality...and she's your cousin, right?" the blonde man sipped his black coffee, taking out several documents for Elsa.

"Yes. I didn't want to make it seem like I was playing favorites or pulling rank to get her a job." Elsa shook her head.

Kristoff agreed. "I heard, too. Her portfolio speaks for itself, and the way she conducted herself in the interview. Well…" he coughed awkwardly. "...easy to be enamored with that one."

Said young woman returned in short order, belgian waffle topped with whipped cream and blueberries, next to sides of bacon and scrapple. "This is on the company account, right?" Rapunzel double checked, to which Elsa gave an exasperated smile and nod. "Good, I intend to make every dollar here count. Especially with how much of that Mexican food ended up in the toilet last night."

Elsa looked away in guilt. "Yes...I heard you, but I didn't think there was anything I could have really done to help."

Waving a hand dismissively, Rapunzel brushed away her errant bangs. "Nah. Now if my hair was as long as it was in high school, you'd be my official hair holder and braider."

"You mean like I was in high school?" Elsa blushed. You loved how it smelled then. Sicko.

Their waitress returned mid-conversation and dropped off their food, topped off their drinks, and trudged away looking half asleep.

Rapunzel nodded eagerly, before turning her attention to Kristoff. The man wore an easy smile, and engaged her in more conversation. "So, our boss is staying with you, then? She's a bit of an over worker, that one…"

The brunette nodded in agreement. "Yeah...me and my cats do our best to keep her in line. And if we need a hand, her sister is just on the other side of town." Winking with a smile, Rapunzel finished, "She won't be using that arm for anything on my watch."

Chuckling. Kristoff dug into his steak and eggs, while Elsa made quick work of her oatmeal and fried egg. The three fell into companionable silence, satisfied clinks of silverware joining the bustle of the morning atmosphere in the diner.

The three spent fifteen minutes after eating discussing project particulars. Kristoff told them they'd broke ground at 8 a.m. sharp, and that their usual work day was 8 to 5, with a rotating hour for lunch. He gave Rapunzel the address for the interior design company she'd be partnered with for materials, as well as an overview of her available budget. "And just between you and me, they're looking to fill some associate slots." Kristoff hinted, and Rapunzel's eyes widened perceptibly. "One senior spot, as well. That's usually reserved for a number of years in the business, but if you have good recommendations and wow them with a particular project, who knows…"

Elsa squeezed her arm and gave her a warm smile. "You'll blow them away, I know it."

"Alright, I'm sufficiently pumped up!" Rapunzel cheered. "Oh, I can't wait to tell Anna!"

Looking down with a blush, Elsa inquired. "If you're planning on visiting her after work, maybe I could come with? Give you...a ride?"

"I dunno, the boss driving me around. Could seem like I'm getting special treatment…" Rapunzel mock worried. Elsa jabbed her in the ribs, and the short brunette squealed indignantly. "I'll sue for employee harrassment!"

"Rapunzel!" Elsa cried, aghast. "Don't even joke...that's a serious matter!" But Kristoff was already laughing, and Elsa just rolled her eyes at the talented children she was working with.

A 'Gorge' bootleg from a 90s Dave Matthews Band show played easily over the loudspeaker. Anna loved DMB because it was something she could put on, and either enjoy or just choose to ignore, and it would sit in the background like elevator music. Hiccup was checking and moderating their forums online. He liked to stay on top of whatever new trend was hitting the music scene, and the internet made it much easier to communicate that. Even when there was troll trash mocking their 'daring' musical tastes.

Monday afternoon passed slowly, with several regulars showing up to make small talk. Anna took her time sorting the new rare soundtrack shipment they received that day. Merida was still a no show, and the copper haired young woman wondered if her bandmates murdered her for taking one too many solos and chopped her body up, tossing it into the bay. Stranger things had happened.

Stranger things, like...Elsa being back in their lives. Rapunzel seemed to be handling it with greater ease, then again, the short haired brunette had spent five years with Elsa in their teens. Anna hadn't seen her since she was ten. The fog that surrounded her memories from the time leading up to her accident was usually accompanied by crippling headaches, centered right on the spot on her scalp where an unusual white patch of hair stood in stark contrast to the rest of her copper locks. Her go to cures for the pain up until this point had been very loud music, copious amounts of alcohol, or one of Rapunzel's fantastic scalp massages. She supposed she would have to add one more thing to the list of discomfort alleviators.

Rapunzel's little bird clock was on the verge of chirping for 11 p.m., when Elsa looked around at her two sleepy, couch bound relatives, and remarked, "Maybe it's time for good little adults to get some sleep, hmm?"

Rapunzel grumbled, sitting up slowly and tapping the power button on the DVD player with her big toe. "Yeah. I guess we all have somewhere to be in the morning." She tried to share a meaningful look with Anna, but her cousin had sunk so far into the corner of the extra plush couch that her body was half buried, and her arms and legs stuck out in a comical manner. Waving them around frantically, she almost slapped Elsa, before grasping firm material and hauling herself out of the comfortable coccoon.

"Well, your couch doesn't want me to leave, Punz." Anna huffed, making a half hearted attempt at fixing her hair. "It tried to eat me again." Elsa chuckled, regarding her sister fondly. Anna's white streak jutted out of her braid, like it was trying to secede from the rest of her hair.

"Anna." Elsa murmured affectionately. "You have your crazy hair again."

"My what?" Anna reached over to touch her signature white streak. "Crazy hair...I swear I've heard that-urgh!" Sharp pain coursed through her skull and down her back, causing the redhead to slam her eyes shut. "Hu...haaaa..." she gritted her teeth, heels on the floor, pressing her body back against the couch helplessly.

"Oh, hang on sweetie!" Rapunzel grunted, vaulting over the couch and stepping behind Anna. Pushing up her long sleeves, she slowly worked her fingers through the copper locks, until they were pressing firmly against the painful scalp. Rapunzel looked to Elsa, who was stricken with fear. "This...happens with her scar, sometimes. Some memories give her pain...or sometimes just bad food. This is how I help her ride it out." Anna continued moaning piteously as her cousin massaged her scalp.

"Oh, Anna…" Elsa whispered morosely. "...I, I won't say anything-"

Reaching out blindly, Anna grabbed her sister's good hand. A thin sheen of sweat on her forehead, Anna managed to get out, "No...I want to remember, Elsa. D-don't keep things huh...hidden."

Elsa pursed her lips, eyes bright with tears. Bringing Anna's hand to her mouth, she gently kissed each fingertip. Her own hand shook, but she didn't stop. Each time she reached the redhead's thumb, she went right back to her little finger for another round. After several minutes, Anna's breathing became less labored, and she was able to open her eyes.

"Wow, that was...oh god, okay rebound headache, fuck my life…" Anna groaned, throwing an arm across her forehead and wiping the sweat away.

"Yeah...that was quicker than normal." Rapunzel remarked, looking meaningfully at Elsa. "Els, this is what I do...but if you're with Anna and it happens again, you give her those magic kisses, okay?"

Elsa blushed, still holding her sister's clammy hand. "They aren't magic...but, okay." Squeezing Anna's hand tenderly, Elsa whispered, "So many good memories...you deserve to have them back."

Anna returned the smile with a lazy one of her own. "Maybe they'll come back, but if not…" she pressed a finger to Elsa's nose. "...we can always make new ones." Putting her other hand over her cousin's, her smile grew wider. "All of us."

That was a nice surprise. Breaking down several cardboard shipping boxes, Anna found she didn't much care about the old memories these days. But Elsa helping her like that...certainly meant that she still cared. It had to, right?

Hiccup was cleaning the front window display, when he dropped his rag in surprise. Across the street, a small group of people walked down the sidewalk, immersed in animated conversation. Chief among them, a curly haired redhead, waving her arms animatedly and gesturing towards the store. "Hey, boss?" he called back to Anna. "I think Merida finally showed up...and with her band, too."

Anna groaned. "Hopefully this new group might actually buy some shit." Pulling down several tubes full of vintage posters, she hopped back behind the counter and tried to look semi professional.

Slapping down the lids on several paint cans, Rapunzel scooped up her mixed samples and mix information cards, toting them all back over to her new favorite person. "Mrs. Kass, I have another bunch of samples for you!"

Mrs. Kass, the middle aged woman in a long, orange blouse and multicolored, ankle length skirt, regarded Rapunzel with good cheer. Taking the samples from the energetic brunette, she remarked, "Ah, more excellent choices! You certainly don't waste my time with poor samples." Entering the sample lot numbers in her computer, she turned the monitor halfway to allow the younger woman to see. "I'm fairly confident you'll be coming in well under budget. Especially if you really want to as much of the work at home as you say you plan on."

Rapunzel nodded, impatiently drumming her fingers while waiting for the computer program to show her the color mixes she chose and how they'd look on the pieces she selected for store decoration. "My cats are a big help with inspiration. Anyway, I'm sure there are other projects that can use this space more than me!"

"That may be so," Mrs. Kass tapped her chin thoughtfully, "but none are quite as entertaining as you, dear. You just brighten up this dreary place." After several more moments passed, a scale model of the inside of the music store, complete with various angles of view, appeared on the monitor. Two sets of eyes studied it critically.

"Yes, I think your boss and my boss will be pleased with this." the older woman grinned. She offered Rapunzel a high five, which the brunette returned with vigor.

"Okay okay okay!" Rapunzel giggled uncontrollably. "I'm going to call Elsa-uh, Miss Arendelle, and find out when she's getting out of work. Do you need any other information from me?"

"I don't think so, I have your home address and phone number." Mrs. Kass confirmed with a smile. "If I need anything else, I'll just bug your cousin. I mean boss." she shared a laugh with Rapunzel, before turning to finish her work.

Snatching her phone from her backpack, Rapunzel did a quick check of messages, before tapping Elsa's auto dial button. After three rings, her older cousin picked up.

"Good afternoon, Punzie. How are you finding everything over there?" Elsa asked, flexing the fingers outside of her cast experimentally. It was more than a little painful today.

"Elsie, it's AMAZING here!" Rapunzel gushed, glancing around with an embarrassed blush to make sure she wasn't making a fool out of herself in front of too many people. "They have software here that lets you do all the planning, and they'll even let me take some of my work home to cut down on cost!"

Elsa chuckled. "Well, most people try to cut corners in bad ways when it comes to saving money. You're probably a breath of fresh air to those folks."

"Uh huh." the brunette agreed. "So boss, how was your day? What time are we gonna go see Anna?"

Elsa groaned. "Don't call me boss, please. I don't care if it's unprofessional. You're my cousin and my friend, and anybody who can't appreciate that can...can...go to hell!"

Rapunzel was practically rolling on the floor. "Oh my, I like this new cursey side of you, Els!"

"What can I say, the two of you just do funny things to me." Not like that. Sicko. Elsa cringed, abruptly smacking her cast against the counter she was leaning on. She let out a pained whimper, biting her tongue quickly, but her cousin noticed the sound.

"Hey, I...whoa Elsa, are you okay over there?" her cousin's voice took a sudden worried tone.

"Ye...yeah, I just...bumped my stupid cast." Elsa grumbled, self loathing just blanketing her.

"Geeze, be careful you goon." Rapunzel sighed. "Take one of your pills if it hurts, and come get me soon. Seeing your sister will get you feeling even better." Feeling in her pocket for the special cream she had dropped off, the brunette added, "I also picked up some special lotion for your hand. It'll help with chafing and easing the numb feeling from the cast."

"Okay…" Elsa sighed. "I'll...I'll be over in maybe half an hour."

"Sounds good. I'll take real good care of you tonight...you're my special patient." Rapunzel finished tenderly.

"I don't need...oh hell, fine fine." Elsa grumbled reluctantly. Quietly, she added, "This was easier in high school...you know?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "It's like a muscle, Els. You just haven't used it in awhile." Voice taking a warmer tone, she finished. "Give it time and practice...it'll come easier. Now hurry over and get me...boss!"

"I'm not your…!" Elsa began, but her sneaky cousin had already hung up with a quick laugh. Elsa pocketed her phone and withdrew her keys. Her injured arm still smarted. Once she got to her rental car, she'd fish out a pain pill and try to take her mind off of...hurtful things.

The shop was abuzz with more activity than Anna could recall in recent memory. Hiccup hovered around the newcomers, fretting over their dirty shoes and muttering curses under his breath at Merida as he went to fetch the mop and bucket for the third time that afternoon. Said fireball of a redhead had Lars, her bassist, and Chelsea, her drummer, under each arm. Grinning, she'd been recounting how they stole Chesea away from the No-Tones.

"Wait wait, holy shit!" Anna exclaimed. "I knew I'd seen you before! You used to be with the No-Tones, that shitty-I mean, that cover band at Foxy's!" The copper haired young woman cringed at her slip, but the now pink haired drummer waved off her remark dismissively.

"Don't sweat it, I was just killing time with them and doing a favor for my brother."

Shaking Chelsea by her shoulder, Merida grabbed the attention back. "So yeah, this jerkoff gets pissed and hurls her sticks at Lars. And HE..." gesturing to the well built Hispanic guy on her other side, "...straight up CHUCKS his bass at her, completely Pete Wentz style!"

"Oh, so FOB is okay now, huh?" Anna sarcastically jibed her friend.

"Eh, most of the songs are still teenybopper bullshit, but at least they've got character." Merida grinned. "Then I challenged them both to shots 'til two drop, and I of course won!"

Anna chuckled darkly. Anybody who was brave enough to get into a drinking competition with Merida better have damn good life insurance. That would also explain why her new bandmates seemed unsteady on their feet.

"And you couldn't even wipe your feet?!" Hiccup grumbled behind them, sloshing the soapy water around with disgust.

Lars stepped over towards the lanky young man unsteadily. Hiccup gulped, shrinking back. "Sorry about that…" the taller man said in apology. He followed Hiccup's disapproving gaze downwards, right down to his muddy boots in the clean, soapy water. "Sorry...about that." His deep bass drawl was slow and a little confused. Taking another step forward, he went to clap Hiccup on the shoulder, and instead slipped on the soapy water, landing his back with a hard *THUMP*. "S...sorry...about…" he struggled with the phrase a third time.

"Just...just don't move any more." Hiccup sighed, blushing a little. Lars just sat there while the brown haired young man got him cleaned up.

In the meantime, Merida had beckoned Anna over and replaced Lars with her under the other arm. "So boss, what do you think? Drums, bass, guitar...all we need is a little 80s grunge soul voice. I know you still do Rock Band at home sometimes, even if I haven't seen you karaoke at Foxy's in months…?"

Anna scrunched up her nose, the stench of tequila on her friend's breath overwhelming. "Mer, even if I wanted to play with you and your, uh...friends…" she looked around at the ragtag crew. "...between work and Elsa coming back into my life, I'm barely gonna have time for a girlfriend, much less a real commitment like being in a band again."

Merida grinned. "Band over girlfriend, huh? At least your priorities are still in the right place." Nudging her boss in the ribs and making her squirm, the Scot egged her friend on. "C'mon...we picked out an awesome name. Bet you'll never ever ever ever guess what it is…"

Anna met the older girl's challenging grin with a deprecating one of her own. "Covers for Shots?"

"Ha ha ha. Try again, you looney tune!" Undeterred, Merida grinned at Chelsea, who returned it with a queasy one of her own.

Hiccup interjected. "If you're gonna lose your lunch, for the love of god go outside!" Dumping three towels on Lars, he muttered, "Okay, you're...relatively clean. Dry yourself off...and please don't fall agian." he finished lamely.

"Hey, you're pretty...nice." Lars drawled, grinning lazily.

"Focus, focus!" Merida snapped her fingers on Anna's earlobe, too plastered to notice the young woman's wince. "Band name, say it!"

The front door banged harshly against a display case, bell jangling discordantly, and Elsa burst into the store with a wild swagger. "The Four of Hearts, bitches!" she shouted, waving to the stunned people in the store.

Merida was the first to recover. "Well, shit! THAT name's actually better!" Shaking Anna's shoulder roughly, she grinned. "So this is your sister, huh? Seems a little different from that crying wreck of a record thief you chased down last week!"

"Um...Elsa?" Anna said, shaking out of her friend's grasp and walking to the front of the store. Her sister was flitting about, fixing up display areas that were a little messy. She stopped in front of Hiccup, half stumbling into the guy, and shook his hand vigorously, introducing herself as 'that dirty little thief'.

Several seconds later, Rapunzel appeared in the doorframe, cheeks red and chest heaving from exertion. "Forgot...Elsa...cross country...fucking heart...explode!" she gasped out, sitting down against the door. Anna quickly went over to her.

"What happened today? What's going on now?!" the copper haired young woman whisper shouted. "Is she...is Elsa drunk?"

"Oh Anna Anna Annnnnnnnna!" Elsa crooned twirling around and throwing her good arm around her sister's shoulders, leaning in close. "I had an ouchie, so I took a thingie and now I'm feeling AMAZING!"

Anna looked back down to Rapunzel in confusion. "She took...she took one of her pain pills for her arm."

"Only ONE?!" Anna replied incredulously, holding onto her sister's good arm to keep her from swaying too much.

"Yeah...well, she doesn't drink, and she never really hurt herself seriously before." Rapunzel shrugged with a half hearted grin. "She'll be fine...she'll come down after a few hours. I'll make sure to cut all her pills in half from now on."

"Half a pill, half the thrill!" Elsa pouted, before pushing off of Anna and introducing herself to Merida's bandmates. Anna helped Rapunzel off the ground, and they both watched the stumbly blonde be more socially uninhibited than either could ever remember.

"Other than...this…" Rapunzel gestured towards their high relative, "...today went well for both of us. We had breakfast with the project foreman, who is totally and completely not handsome at all." Anna shot her a Look. "Elsa picked up her rental car, she showed me to the interior design office where I made a couple friends. Convinced them to let me do some work from home."

Exhaling in relief, Anna leaned heavily against her brunette cousin. "Okay, so a good day all in all...just with an interesting ending."

Elsa, having reached the back of the store following all of her introductions, turned around with a pout. "I lost my favorite people!" Slowly making her way back to the front of the store, dopey grin plastered on her face, Elsa patted everybody on the head and told them what a good little boy or girl they were. When she arrived back at Anna and Rapunzel, the two of them with eyebrows raised to their hairlines, she drew them into a big hug and declared, "These are my favorite people! I call dibs, they are mine and I will take good care of them!" Both girls blushed, and Anna made eye contact with Hiccup. He grinned lightly, nodding, and she tossed him the shop keys.

"And you're our favorite person too, Elsa." Anna sighed.

"What do you say we go home and make our favorite person her favorite dinner?" Rapunzel cooed, sidestepping out the door with Elsa sandwiched between herself and Anna for support.

Anna tried to remember what that was, without straining her brain and causing another headache. "Umm...I think it was...chicken nuggets with broccoli?" she suggested hopefully.

"Heh, close one, dear." Rapunzel remarked. "The academy made a broccoli and jerk chicken casserole that Elsa went absolutely crazy for."

Anna sulked for a second. "Guess I gotta get used to that...all her favorites are probably new things now."

Gently tugging Anna's white haired braid with her cast hand, Elsa leaned over and whispered, "One of my favorites hasn't changed...that's you, Anna!" The copper hair girl stumbled and nearly tripped over her shoelaces when she felt Elsa's warm breath on her ear. Elsa giggled like mad and Rapunzel chided the two.

"Are you over there telling secrets, Elsa? Don't make me bake shoo fly pie for dessert!" Rapunzel mock threatened, winking at Anna.

"Nooo, not the pie with flies in it!" Elsa howled in desperation. "I love you too Punzie, please don't make the evil pie!"

Anna chuckled as they approached Elsa's rental car. Quietly, she fished the car keys out of Elsa's jacket pocket and handed them behind her back to Rapunzel. She also made a mental note to split her sister's pain pills into quarters. Elsa was clearly sensitive to them.

Hitting the remote unlock button, Rapunzel loaded her bag back into the car, while Anna did what Elsa joyfully requested and danced her around to the passenger's side. Helping her carefully into the seat, Anna made sure she was securely buckled and that her cast was comfortable.

She shut the door, and Elsa, after several failed attempts, located the window button and lowered it. Leaning her head out of the window slightly, the blonde grinned and spoke softly. "Sorry for bothering you with silly Elsa today…"

Anna grinned, nose scrunching as she bit back a giggle. Leaning forward, she whispered conspiratorially, "I love silly Elsa. I love serious Elsa. Every Elsa you have in there…" she softly tapped Elsa's forehead, causing the blonde's eyes to cross as she tried looking at her sister's finger.

Chuckling, Anna pulled her finger away, but Elsa snatched with her good hand, and looked at her sister with unreadable eyes. Pressing her lips to Anna's index finger, Elsa murmured in a soft, sad sing song voice, "There's one Elsa you won't love love love. She loves you the most." Releasing Anna's finger, Elsa blinked in confusion before sticking her good hand out and waving enthusiastically.

Anna looked on in adoration and vague concern. As they were pulling away, Rapunzel made eye contact and mouthed the words, "Secrets. She's hurt. Needs us." Anna bit her lip and nodded.

Eleven year old Elsa Arendelle looked left. Then right. Then left again. Completely sure the road was clear, she gripped her little sister, Anna's, hand tightly and stepped off the curb. "And march, fireball!"

Saluting with her free hand, little Anna giggled, firing back, "Marching, sir Snowball!"

"Anna, I'm a miss!" Elsa giggled, automatically adjusting her longer, quicker strides to match Anna's shorter, slower ones.

"Sorry, miss!" Anna gave a more enthusiastic salute. "Ew, no, now you sound like a teacher!"

Giving Anna's hand an extra squeeze when they were at the curb, Elsa stepped up and pouted. "Hey, I bet I'd make a great teacher!"

"Oh yeah? And what would you teach?" Anna asked, letting go of her sister's hand and clasping her hands behind her back, hopping ahead and turning around to skip backwards while facing Elsa. The cool spring air hinted of a rainstom to come later that day, and the shadows of the trees with their new leaves rustled peacefully in the wind, covering the girls with a wavy fan of shade.

"Probably calculus...I am pretty good at math, and people will always have to know how to use numbers!" Elsa reasoned, tapping her chin with a pinky finger. "What do you think I should teach?"

"Mmmm…" Anna made a serious attempt at pondering, and stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk, barely righting herself before toppling over. "Hehe...yeah, I can see you doing math. Or maybe something that uses math, like a construction worker?"

"Do you mean an architect?" Elsa questioned, body tensing slightly in case she needed to make a lunge for her little sister. She tried to convey that worry with her eyes.

"Yeah, that's right!" Anna nodded with a grin. "You're pretty tough, but maybe you oughta leave the heavy duty lifting to me!" To prove her point, Anna flexed her biceps and growled menacingly. "I'll be your rough, tough construction worker lady! Just point me towards the lumber, boss!"

Elsa put a hand over her mouth, chuckling lightly. "You should be a motivational speaker, Anna. You're very charismatic and have a wonderful way with inspiring words."

Grinning cheekily, Anna shoved her hands into her pants pockets, and returned to Elsa's side. This time, she made sure to avoid every crack on the sidewalk with dexterous hopping. "I'll inspire you to build legendary things! I'll inspire youuuuu~" Anna agreed, finishing in a sing song voice. Her note cracked at the end and she made a sour face.

Elsa's smile grew even wider and more tender. "No, but you should teach music, Anna. You love it so much. You'd be able to inspire kids and share your love for it with them! You could open your own music school!" The blonde was so excited she began to hyperventilate a bit.

"And I can sing you lullabies. They'll calm you down right before your eyes~." Anna sang, dropping an octave lower and winking at Elsa. A moment later, she frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe I'll let somebody else write the lyrics. Like maybe...Punzie!"

Elsa nodded. "Yeah, she's got an artistic flair...words and pictures are definitely her thing." She folded her arms self consciously. "I wish I was better with words.."

"Huh? But Elsa, aren't you in the advanced English class?" Anna asked.

Elsa nodded. "Yeah, but it's not the same. You can know a million words, but having the creative talent to put them together in a way that just...opens peoples' souls. I've got math Elsa, grammar Elsa, and snowman Elsa in here…" the blonde 11 year old knocked on her head for emphasis. "...but there is no linguistically creative Elsa. Instead there's just boring, wordy Elsa." She chuckled self deprecatingly.

Stepping in front of Elsa and bringing them both to a halt, Anna put her hands on her hips and stood on her tip toes so that she was only a few inches shorter than her sister. Pressing one finger to the blonde's forehead, she said, "Boring Elsa is creative enough for me. Boring Elsa makes snowmen with me. Boring Elsa builds cardboard castles for my Transformers. Boring Elsa makes log cabins out of green beans and carrots when mom and dad aren't looking." Smiling vibrantly, Anna traced a heart on Elsa's forehead, and pressed her fingertip in the center of the heart. "Math Elsa is great. So are Ling-whatchamacallit Elsa and Snowman Elsa. I love them all. But I also love Boring Elsa. Every little Elsa in there gets love from me!" Smiling impishly, Anna concluded with, "So make sure every little Elsa in there gets love from you too."

Elsa blushed a deep crimson. "That was...that was wonderful. Maybe you can write your own song lyrics after all." Shaking her head several times and snapping out of her stupor, Elsa grabbed her sister's warm hand. "C'mon, Boring Elsa is gonna treat every Anna in there to a huge ice cream sundae!"

Anna pumped her free fist. "Yes, ice cream victory is mine!"

Elsa drank another full glass of water, only pausing enough after the prior one to catch her breath. Rapunzel was busy scraping the rest of the broccoli casserole into a tupperware container, but she kept an amused eye on her cousin.

Halfway through the drive home, Rapunzel had pulled over and quickly tied Elsa's jacket into a makeshift sling in order to both support and restrain the injured arm. The blonde woman was making up her own hand jive choreography and singing along to her cousin's Katy Perry cd. Rapunzel was just a little concerned Elsa would smack her cast on the dashboard. After they got back to Rapunzel's apartment, Elsa shook the hand of everybody they ran into between the parking lot and the apartment door. Once inside, Rapunzel prepared the promised dinner while Elsa played an enthusiastic game of hide and seek with the cats. They were decidedly not interested.

Halfway through dinner, Elsa's painkiller had begun to wear off, and she complained of a 'foggy head', as well as not remembering much from the last three hours.

"Yeah, I took another look at your medicine bottle, and I'm surprised the doctor prescribed you that high an amount of oxycodone." Rapunzel had said while Elsa pushed part of her third piece of the delicious casserole around her plate in a tired stupor.

"Definitely don't need that much. Good god, I think I would have danced with complete strangers if I'd have been given the opportunity!" A snort caught Elsa's tired attention, and she looked up to see Rapunzel focusing intently on her meal and trying not to laugh. "Oh for crying out loud!" Hesitantly, she asked, "Um...Punzie...did I say anything...you know. Weird?"

Rapunzel thought for a moment. The way Elsa was furiously wringing her hands meant whatever she had been worried about saying was part of what was hurting her so much. Maybe. It was a possibility, anyway. Shelving her Sherlockian deduction for the time being, the brunette smiled and said, "No, Elsa. You just acted silly. You were friendly to Merida's new bandmates, you called Kristoff and told him you were going to send a letter to his boss insisting he get a raise, because you were just so impressed by his first day of work. Umm...you danced with Anna. I think you complimented the hell out of her singing...even suggested she should sing in Merida's band, too." Smiling faintly, she questioned. "Is that all...okay?

A small smile managed to cross Elsa's lips, despite her droopy eyes. "Yeah. That's...Anna loved singing when we were children. I mean really, really loved it. You could see her eyes just sparkling like stars when she sang in the elementary school chorus." Laying her head in her folded arms, Elsa's smile grew to dopey proportions. "I always loved watching her sing the most. Or do anything musical. And when she sang to me…"

Reaching a hand across the table, Rapunzel gently squeezed her cousin's good arm and met her emotional eyes. "She still loves music just as much. And I know for a fact she would like to share that with you again, some day."

Elsa's smile became pursed lips after a few moments, and she seemed to hunch into herself further.

"Now…" Rapunzel gently admonished her in a whisper, "...I see what you're doing there, Elsie. I...I remember that look, that posture, from high school." Elsa's eyes met Rapunzel's. "Tell me if I go too far today...but...you're still punishing yourself for something."

Elsa's pupils constricted and her breath caught in her throat. Immediately, Rapunzel reached her other hand across the table and continued massaging the blonde's good arm.

"Shhh, shhh, I won't push you, dear. I won't ask what it's about. I would never do that." Smiling at the blonde with a bit more strength, Rapunzel abruptly put her face down...right into a hearty scoop of the broccoli casserole. She brought her face back up, and it was just covered in bits of green vegetable, four different kinds of cheeses, and bacon bits for added hilarity.

Elsa snorted, spittle flying from her mouth and hitting her cousin in the face.

Scrunching up her eyes, Rapunzel deadpanned, "Oh my, the secret ingredient. Well, now the recipe really is complete!" Her half grin grew three times in size when she felt Elsa reposition her hands so that their hands were joined in the middle of the table. A thrill ran up Rapunzel's arms, and when Elsa squeezed her hands she felt like she was going to faint.

Taking a slow, steadying breath, Elsa leveled a steely stare at her cousin. "I know I'm not ready to face...certain things. But I'm...I'm done hiding from them and letting them rule my life. I'm...I don't want them to hurt me any more." The blonde almost choked up at the last admission, but she swallowed thickly and pressed on. "I've relied on your help so much in the past...you are nothing less than my angel, Punzie. I'm sorry to have to ask you to keep at it for awhile longer. I don't know what's going to happen with Anna...but I want the best for her. I want her to remember. I want to make new memories with her."

Rapunzel opened her mouth to interject, but another hand squeeze from Elsa kept her mouth closed.

"I want to tell her...why I went away. That will...that will probably change an awful lot of things, and I can't honestly tell you if I'll be mentally or emotionally stable when that happens." A final deep breath. "But...I want to be brave. Like you told me many, many times. I want to be brave."

Rapunzel couldn't take it any more. She'd been worrying a hole through her bottom lip with how much she was biting on it in adoration. Sniffling, she said, "Of course. Of course I'll be here for you, nerd. Everything happens at your speed, in your comfort zone. If what I'm thinking is right…" She gave Elsa's hands a gentle squeeze. "...you're in this for the long haul. You want to build a lifelong relationship with Anna, and you want her to know everything. I know you know how hard that's going to be. And this is just the latest in a hundred mile long list of reasons for why you, Elsa Arendelle, are my nerdy hero."

Chuckling, Elsa blushed lightly, withdrawing her squeezed out hands. "I...I say these things for Anna. But you damn well better know that I mean them for you too." Going back to awkwardly pushing around food on her plate, Elsa mumbled, "You saved my life countless times in high school. Whatever you see in me...I'm gonna do my damndest to live up to even just a fraction of that."

Rapunzel blushed, waving her hand dismissively at Elsa's face. "Oh my, Elsa. At least wait until the third date before you pull out flattery like that!"

You're gonna break her fucking heart and kill all the faith she has in you. Horrifying little girl. Jaw tensing slightly, Elsa quickly reached for her glass of water and began to chug it quickly.

"Heh, damn Elsie...thirsty much?" Rapunzel said.

Finishing the glass and wiping her lips with the sleeve of her shirt, Elsa replied evenly, "I'd like to be thinking without this stupid foggy brain...hopefully before I go to bed tonight. Maybe if I drink enough water I can pee the medicine out faster?"

"Haha...I'll be sure to leave the bathroom wide open for you tonight!" Rapunzel winked, standing up with her dishes. "Can I get you anything else while I'm up?"

"Yes, please." Elsa replied, a determined glint in her eyes. "A couple more cups of water would be great." The good hand in her lap gripped her pants leg and squeezed until her arm trembled. For the first time in ages, Elsa steeled herself, and fired off a shot at the dark. The dark part of her mind. "Yeah, what's up, you little shit? You may rule me with fear, but you know what you cannot ever rule? My love for them, and their love for me. I know it's not the same kind of love, but I don't give a fuck. I will love them the way they love me, with every ounce of my being, and I will not let you hurt me. You can't hurt me."

A beat. A breath. A world of possibilities, opening from one tortured present.

Little girl. I am you. This is our truth. We are an abomination. They will leave us if they discover our horrifying truth. We will be alone.

"And if that happens...at least we'll be alone together. But until that happens, I will love these women with everything I am." Elsa continued downing glasses of water. For the moment, she was on top of the world.

Flopping down on the counter in front of Anna with all the grace of a slug, Merida waved a flyer in her face. "Yes, that's right, I got a gig at the one and only Foxy's tonight!" Anna considered her for a moment, before rolling her eyes and going back to counting the day's receipts. "Aww, c'mon boss, don't be like that. You know we need a vocalist...are you really gonna subject that drunken crowd to my voice?"

"I'm not subjecting them to anything...you're the one who's making plans before you found somebody to sing your screamo lyrics." Anna chuckled, pulling out the receipts to make sure they matched the dollar amount in the register.

Waving a hand dismissively, Merida persisted. "No original lyrics tonight, I swear. We're just looking to stretch our legs, get comfortable...three bands, all covers." Leaning forward conspiratorialy, the curly haired guitarist whispered, "We've picked two, and the third is vocalist's choice."

Anna met her stare casually. "What two did you pick?"

Merida held up two CDs that had 'Van Halen' and 'Metallica' scrawled on them. "Mainstream safe bets for the crowd, and it's something everybody knows. You pick a relatively well known third group, give me four songs, and you're in."

Trying hard to hide her excitement, Anna pulled out her phone. One text from Rapunzel. 'Going out for some Italian tonight. Join us?' Lips pursed, the copper haired young woman thought for a few moments. "25 percent of the cut?"

Merida nodded, grinning maniacally.

Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Anna bargained, "I'll take half of that to do my set at the end. Deal?"

Chuckling, Merida clapped her boss's shoulder. "Diva vocalist gets what she wants." Fist pumping, the redhead cheered. "Text me your songs in the next half hour and I'll let the others know. I'd ask what band you're picking, but uh...just leave the damn fedora here, deal?"

Anna laughed heartily. Composing a quick text back to her cousin, she willed her hands to stop shaking from excitement. 'How's 8 sound for food? I'll be embarrassing Merida's band at Foxy's from 6:30 to 7:30 if you guys wanna stop by for a laugh. And oh yeah...put on your war paint!' Chuckling, Anna warned her friend. "We better really suck tonight. I'm so not signing on for dive bar gigs and playing for peanuts when it's 40 degrees and raining cats and dogs outside."

Clapping her on the back, Merida grinned. "Warm up those vocals, boss! Hiccup's downtown spreading the word of our triumphant return!"

Groaning, Anna slid over the counter and grabbed her duffel bag. "Songs sent. And what the hell, what if I didn't agree to do this?!"

Patting her back, Merida said, "I know you, boss. You just can't resist saving rock and roll." Slapping the lights off, the pair headed out of the store and towards the bar.

"But Rapunzel, it was a long day and I'm hu-hu-hungry!" Elsa complained, untangling her cast from the seatbelt. Her cousin rolled her eyes, hustling the blonde out of the car.

"Okay grumpy, I promise we won't be here long. Just a quick drink and a catch up with a few old friends, then we'll go meet Anna for dinner." Helping Elsa out of the car, Rapunzel checked her watch. 7 p.m. on the dot. "Awesome, right on time for the big show!"

"Wait, what big show?" Elsa considered the flickering neon lights and barred windows of the drinking establishment. Foxy's seemed a little seedy.

"You'll see...it's a surprise, after all!" Rapunzel pulled the door open, and a blast of warm, stale air hit Elsa full in the face. Leading her cautious cousin by her good arm, Rapunzel nodded to the bouncer and made her way through the crowd.

People jostled Elsa from the left and the right, and she kept her cast tucked in close to her body. They passed the bar on their right, and the closer they got to the back, the more she was able to make out the sounds of music. Guitar, drums...there was a live band here?

"C'mon, make a hole, outta the way!" Rapunzel grunted, deflecting tipsy patrons off to her left and right. Tightening her grip on Elsa's arm, she turned back and yelled, "We're almost there...I hope you're ready for this!"

The band finished their current song just as the two girls broke through the crowd and found themselves at the foot of the stage. "Alright, fuckers, that's enough Metallica for you nutso metal heads." Merida growled into the microphone, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "Our last set of the night is a favorite of a friend of mine. She's filling in on the mic tonight, but maybe if y'all get loud as fuck we can get her to stick around for awhile!"

A sweaty, freckled young woman made her way from the back of the stage up to the microphone. Taking a last swig from a water bottle, she capped it and hurled it out into the crowd. Her hair was done up in a messy bun, and she took a wide stance, straddling the microphone stand.

Elsa clutched Rapunzel's arm and her eyes went wide. The crowd got even louder. Fists went up and feet stomped on the floor in a frenzy.

"Alright you glorious bastards!" Anna yelled, gripping the microphone and wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Do you wanna feel fucking beautiful?! 'Cuz it's time to save rock and roll!"

The crowd screamed. Rapunzel screamed. It took Elsa a second to realize she was screaming as well. Anna looked down and grinned even wider, seeing her two favorite people in the world. Pointing down at her sister and cousin fondly, the sweaty, freckled young woman spoke lowly. "I love you...I've missed you. This is for you."

With that, the band launched into a raucous rendition of 'Alone Together'. Anna's raspy voice carried over the thundering guitar and hammering drums. Merida traded off in a duel with Lars. Hiccup was off to the side, nursing a drink and bobbing his head. Lars grinned at seeing the young man and pointed at him, causing Hiccup to blush and duck his head in embarrassment.

"SAY YEAH!" Anna howled. Elsa and Rapunzel screamed their reply, bodies shaking and hands gripping the front of the stage.

"You crazy bitch!" Rapunzel shouted, throwing up horns. "I fuckin' love you!"

Anna grinned wildly, waving an arm back and forth for the crowd. Giving her girls a tender look, she sang at them in a half-invitation. "LET'S BE ALONE TOGETHER! WE COULD STAY YOUNG FOREVER!"

Tears streamed unabashedly down Elsa's cheeks, and the blonde woman closed her eyes and leaned her head back, lost in the beat of the song and the melodious, raspy, angelic voice of her beautiful sister. She felt herself falling backwards, overwhelmed by the moment, before hands wrapped around her front and pulled her securly against their body. "I've got you, Elsie. Look up there. Look at your amazing sister. She's doing this for you!"

Elsa shuddered, bringing one of her cousins hands up to kiss the sweaty palm. Laughing, Rapunzel swayed back and forth merrily with the blonde woman in her arms. Elsa reached a lithe hand out to her. Anna knelt down, lowering her volume and intertwining her fingers with her sister's, singing directly to her two loves. "I don't know where you're going but do you got room for one more troubled soul."

Elsa's lips quivered as she pressed her palm to Anna's sweaty one. "Y-yes. Y...yes! YES!" she cried with a trembling smile.

A tear ran down Anna's freckled cheek, mingling with her sweat, and she squeezed her sister's hand tightly, one last time. Releasing her hold with longing in her eyes, she rubbed a fist against her cheek roughly and returned to jacking up the crowd for the last chorus of the song. The last set only took twenty minutes, but Elsa and Rapunzel felt like they'd been there for hours, swaying in each other's arms, and reaching out to Anna as her singing drew them further in.

"Welcome to Gustav's!" A tall, lanky young man with an explosion of shockingly orange hair greeted Anna and Rapunzel. "Well heck, if it isn't Anna and her partner in crime, Rapunzel! Was there a show at Foxy's tonight or something?"

"Why yes, matter of fact there was a show tonight!" Rapunzel crowed proudly, shaking her cousin's shoulder. "And this little diva was the star!"

"Ahh...it was just an hour of lame covers, you didn't miss much, Lingy." Anna insisted, blushing awkwardly.

The ginger haired young man slapped his head with menus in each hand in shock. "Didn't miss much?! Anna, you're singing shit again?! Did Merida manage to round up another possee of wannabe rock stars?"

Chuckling, Anna said, "No...believe it or not, our drummer and bassist are actually pretty talented."

"Oh shit, did you hear that?!" Merida gloated from the doorway. "Did I hear an 'our' in there?! Somebody sure is talking like they're a permanent member!"

Rapunzel groaned, leaning over and whispering to Anna, "Damnit. I don't wanna be rude to them, but...I was kinda hoping it'd be just the three of us."

Anna pouted in return. "I know...believe me, I tried to get them to take the hint, but Elsa insisted they come along."

"So how many will it be for this awesome celebration?" Linguini asked, fingering several more menus.

Counting quickly on her fingers, Rapunzel sighed, "Seven...sorry for not calling ahead. Caught us by surprise, too."

"No big!" the server grinned, sliding out from behind the podium on his trademark roller skates. "The more the merrier...I just got these bad boys a week ago, and the more I move the faster they get broken in. Right this way...superstars!" Anna scoffed, but followed, while Rapunzel ushered everybody else in. Merida had her arm slung around Elsa's shoulders, and the blonde looked mildly uncomfortable but listened to the redhead go on and on about the band's plans, and posed thoughtful questions now and then. Chelsea and Hiccup followed, immersed in technical talk about her kit and drummers she modeled herself after. Lars brought up the rear, but after several stares and gasps from nearby tables, Chelsea punched his arm and reminded him to put his jacket on. The top he wore did very little to cover his chest and stomach.

Showing the motley crew to a large, round table in a corner of the restaurant, Linguini easily skated around it, casually flipping a menu on each placemat, followed by a set of utensils wrapped in napkins. "Y'all have a seat, make yourselves comfortable, and I'll be back shortly to take your drink and dinner orders." Before skating away, he put his hands up. "Attention, patrons of Gustav's! I apologize for the interruption, but I just wanted everybody to know that dining with us tonight is a professional band!" There was a smattering of applause, and Anna ducked behind her cousin, face burning up. Looking to Anna, Linguini proudly continued, "The star of tonight is Miss Anna Arendelle, who came out of retirement to lend her sterling vocals to the band...the band…"

Linguini petered off, leaning over and nudging Anna quickly. "What do you guys call yourselves?"

Clutching her cousin's blouse and burying her face into the fabric, Anna let out a muffled, "I don't know kill me now."

"Yes, their band called 'I Don't Know Kill Me Now'!" Applauding the group himself, Linguini concluded. "If you'd like to book them, make an appointment at the record store on Browning street. That's all; please enjoy your meals!"

Anna cautiously peeked out from behind her cousin, and sighed in relief. Everybody had gone back to eating their meals. Linguini skated off, oblivious to the fact that he just signed his own death warrant. Anna felt a tug on her shirt.

"Come on, Banana. You know he meant well...now sit down and I'll get Elsa over…" Rapunzel began, but was disappointed to see Merida had already seated the blonde between her and Chelsea. Merida did have the gall to give Anna a thumbs up and a wicked grin, though.

"How 'bout that free advertising!" the redhead cackled. "I just might take that boy out for a date for that thoughtful shit!"

Clinking her knife against the upside down glass on her placemat, Rapunzel cleared her throat commandingly. "Hey...hi, folks! I just wanna say a few words. First of all, mad props to the band tonight for absolutely killing those covers!" Shaking her head with an exasperated smile in Merida's direction, the brunette, continued. "Mer, you definitely deserve an award for persistence in putting bands together. Between Lars, Chelsea, and our very own Anna here, you might have hit the jackpot with this crew."

In a rare display of self consciousness, Merida scratched her forehead and looked away. "Aw...you know...everybody did their thing, and it worked!" Anna slugged her in the arm.

"Look at you, you humble little shit!" she laughed. Her Scottish friend cursed in her native language and nudged Anna back playfully.

Rapunzel continued. "Hiccup, I see you over there and I saw you at the show." The brown haired young man blushed and ducked his head shyly. "Foxy's isn't really a good venue for tech support to show their stuff, but if this group of goons manages to land a respectable gig somewhere, your talent is probably what will get them out of 'garage band' status and give them the polish of a band that can put out and sell a record."

Anna could barely see Hiccup; Lars was directly to her right and his imposing stature all but blocked her view of the young man. She saw the bassist's shoulders shake with a quiet laugh when Hiccup gave a muttered 'thanks'. Glancing over to Merida, Anna couldn't believe the guitarist didn't have a clue yet.

"And last...but certainly not least." Rapunzel's eyelids lowered tenderly as she looked at Elsa. The blonde suddenly found the napkin in her lap utterly fascinating. "I won't embarrass her. Much. This is my cousin, and Anna's sister, Elsa. She works for a big time architecture firm across the country, and is here to oversee the construction of a new music retailer and education center."

There were several gasps at the table, but Rapunzel pressed right on. "Now I know what you've heard, but I'm working on this project too. It's going to have minimal impact on music stores already in the area, and Elsa is working hard to network other niche vendors with this one. More people than ever before will be exposed to all kinds of music, and she hopes to inspire a real sense of community between music retailers in the area."

Elsa had gained enough self confidence to sit up straight and give a little wave to her table mates. "I know for some of you, I made an...interesting first impression. And then, yeah...quite a second impression." Folding her lithe hands on her place mat, she finished with a small smile. "Hopefully, this third impression will stick. I look forward to getting to know everybody who's involved in the lives of my sister and my cousin." Ducking her head, an indication that she was all talked out, Rapunzel concluded the spiel.

"Have a good time tonight, the meal is on me! We have a lot to celebrate!" Sitting back down, she sighed, and felt Anna place a hand on her shoulder.

"That was really sweet, Punzie. Really nice...but I'm paying for half of this meal." Anna stated challengingly, as though her word was the law.

Pressing her finger to Anna's freckled nose, and laughing when the copper haired girl's eyes crossed involuntarily, Rapunzel gently refused. "Let me get this, Banana. For once I'm working on something I'm really proud of, and it pays exceptionally well. Besides, don't think I didn't hear you giving the Mexican restaurant your credit card info. over the phone that other night!" With a half pout, Anna relented, and Linguini returned a few seconds later to take everybody's orders.

Anna, Rapunzel, and Hiccup devoured a sausage and pineapple pizza. Merida and Lars tackled a large anchovy and bacon calzone. Elsa and Chelsea were each satisfied with Caeser salads. For the first five minutes after Linguini brought them their food, the only sound was that of happy munching.

Merida was the first to take a breath. Licking her lips clean, she tried to corner Anna. "So, how about it, boss? I know what mister roller derby said earlier, but I'd like to hear it from you. What's up...wouldn't you agree this is the most talented group we've had in, like...ever?"

Anna inhaled a loose piece of pineapple, and coughed in surprise. Her face contorted as she let out a series of violent hacks. Rapunzel alternated rubbing her cousin's back with well place slaps, and Elsa was halfway out of her chair in panic before a thoroughly abused piece of pineapple shot out of her mouth and right at Hiccup. The young man cringed, but Lars saw it coming and threw his hand up, catching the errant piece of fruit between his thumb and forefinger.

Everybody went slack jawed for a moment, especially Hiccup, while Lars just shrugged and muttered a quiet "Look out, buddy." to the brown haired young man.

Merida was the first one to compose herself. "So yeah...like I was saying...most fucking talented group ever." Elsa shakily sat back down next to the Scot.

Taking several deep breaths, Anna followed those with a gulp of iced tea, before replying to her friend. "I dunno, Mer. I just got out of a relationship. Elsa's...well, she's here." Nervously tapping her index fingers together, Anna looked up to see her sister smiling and giving her a blushing thumbs up. "Yeah...not gonna lie, I did have a fucking blast. How about we take it one show at a time? I promise I won't dump you guys if another band wants a piece of this action." Anna laughed.

"Nah, you'd only dump us if Charlize Theron wanted a piece of your action." Merida countered, chuckling at her friend's blush. "I won't bug ya about Lynz, but really...that was a rare brunette in the usual ocean of blondes you usually fall for."

"It's not all about hair color, you twit." Anna grumped. "I...I might have been messing around with some lyric ideas. Are we looking at actual, scheduled practices...or more like, when you're sober and conscious?"

Chelsea chuckled, speaking up before Merida could retort. "Lars and I work at UPS...he's my stepbrother. So yeah, we'll be on a schedule and keep this one in line." She jerked her thumb at Merida, who gave a pissy huff.

Lars spoke up quietly. "I...I have some lyric ideas too, if that's okay."

Anna nodded enthusiastically. "The more the merrier. Covers are fun, but making real fans comes from our own stuff." Turning to Chelsea, she added, "Most days Mer and I are at my shop on Browning street. Usual business hours...we can work with pretty much anything that you guys are good with outside of that." Chelsea gave her a thumbs up.

Merida felt the need to get in one more ribbing. "Yeah, let's get to doing our own stuff quick. Outside of your usual Fall Out Boy shower songs, I definitely heard entire mumbled sentences. I mean, come on Anna...fucking Battery?!" Slapping the table mirthfully, Merida shook her head. "Brush up on that Rock Band, girl!"

"In my defense, the only thing I had for reference was a crappy Youtube rip of the San Francisco Orchestra show they collabed with." Anna insisted. Elsa had been attentively silent this whole time, but Anna saw a stinker of a twinkle in her sister's eyes.

"Now Anna, be fair. You write inspirational lyrics, but sometimes you don't quite remember them right." Elsa smiled gently.

Turning to the blonde and resting her head on a palm, Merida grinned with interest. "Oh, is it embarrassing childhood story time now?"

Anna turned to pout at her cousin, but Rapunzel had a knowing grin on her face and had diverted her full attention to Elsa. Throwing her hands up in defeat, Anna relented with a smile. "Go ahead Els, I kicked ass tonight. I can take any embarrassing story you have!"

Clasping her hands as they rested on the table and tapping her index fingers together repeatedly, Elsa recounted the brief tale. "I think we had company over for dinner. The neighbors brought their eight year old daughter with them. Anna was ten at the time, and the parents let us three children eat our hamburgers outside. Anna insisted we take our neighbor to our hideout in the woods." Everybody at the table was hanging onto Elsa's every word, Anna included. She seemed to concentrating especially hard on Elsa's words.

"We knew those woods; we knew where all the logs were and where all the rocks were. Our neighbor however, the poor dear, had no idea. Of course she stumbled on a hidden rock and fell down, skinning her knee and ruining her hamburger. The poor thing started bawling something awful, and I never saw Anna look so guilty before." Looking at her sister, Elsa smiled tenderly. "She insisted on carrying our neighbor the rest of the way to our hideout, where I kept a little medical kit in case of boo boos like that one. Anna patched her up, insisted she eat Anna's hamburger, and then…" Elsa snorted mirthfully, covering her mouth.

"Spit it out, woman! What'd she do?!" Merida begged.

"She...she sang a song for this little girl. She sang 'You Are My Sunshine' to her. It was really...very sweet. The little girl was so enthralled. But...you know the line that says 'you make me happy when skies are grey'? Well, she...she sang 'oooh ayyy eee ahhh eee, ee ii ee ii ooh'...and she just started singing Old MacDonald with this terrified look on her face like she didn't know what she was singing!" Elsa broke down in tears. The story drew laughs from all around the table. Merida threw an arm around Elsa's shoulders and guffawed the loudest.

Wiping a tear from her eye, Rapunzel shook visibly with mirth. "Oh Anna, honey. You tried so hard...you were doing mash-ups before they were even a thing!"

Anna had her face in her hands, shaking her head back and forth and chuckling. "Oh my god...hahaha...oh wow, you got me there, Elsa." Sitting back up, face bright red, Anna looked at her sister fondly. "Okay...okay I think I peed myself a little. I'm gonna go...go to the bathroom." Standing up suddenly, she swayed towards her cousin and her legs trembled. One hand slapped the table in front of Rapunzel and the other pounded on the top wooden bar of the brunette's chair.

"Whoa there boss, take it easy!" Merida giggled. "Catch your breath or you might pass out from laughing too hard!"

Putting a hand over top of the copper haired girl's hand that rested on the table, Rapunzel turned to make sure Anna was okay to walk. "You okay, honey? Laugh too hard?"

Anna's jaw was clenched and her pupils were the size of pinpricks. She let out the faintest groan through clenched teeth, and Rapunzel saw the sweat beading on her forehead. Eyebrows knit furiously. An effect of concentrating obscenely hard, the brunette swore she saw Anna's eyeballs tremble. Concentrating on something that wasn't there. Anna managed to force out the word 'hurts' in a quiet, desperate, guttural growl. Rosy cheeks were being quickly overtaken by a pale, sickly color. Rapunzel saw the signs and quietly leapt into action.

"Bad food...keep an eye on that sausage, Hiccup. I think our poor girl has to pay a visit to the porcelain prince. Back in a flush." Rapunzel stated evenly, quickly sliding a supporting arm around Anna's lower back and holding the redhead's clammy right hand in hers. Sparing a glance towards a clearly worried Elsa, she tried reassuring her. "Food poisoning's a bitch Elsie...don't worry, we'll be quick as quarters." Rapunzel helped her cousin towards the restroom as quickly as Anna's unsteady feet could manage.

Elsa thought something was suspiciously alarming, but nobody else at the table had noticed anything out of the ordinary, so she decided to stay and make small talk with her little family's friends. But she knew...something wasn't right.

All you do is hurt them. I think you like it.

Anna sat down hard on the tiled floor of the bathroom. Her breath came in gasps and Rapunzel flopped down behind her, hands pressing into her scalp. The two sat there for several minutes, the faint hum of elevator music the only sound accompanying Anna's ragged breathing. Slowly, slowly, her breaths evened out and some color returned to the freckled face. Her cousin reached over to the sink, wetting a paper towel, and wiping the damp paper across her forehead and over her cheeks, down to her chin.

Anna blew out a harsh breath and felt her tense limbs going limp. Smoothing damp bangs out of her eyes, Rapunzel continued making light combing motions through her hair, pursing her lips so that a gentle 'shhhh' sound came from them, flowing right next to Anna's ear. "Saw you try to hold it in." the blonde woman admonished her cousin, tousling a lock of hair between short fingers. "Thought we talked about that...how bad it gets."

Grinning weakly, Anna put her hands palm up in frustration. "No reason to break up a party just because my stupid brain can't remember shit."

"I wish you weren't in pain so I could swat you." her cousin muttered in exasperation. "Your brain isn't stupid. You need to tell Elsa about this trigger."

Tracing a finger on the tiled floor, Anna pouted. "But...I like when she tells me stories about stuff I can't remember."

"Well, we have to figure something else out...it kills me when this happens to you." The two fell into contemplative silence for a few more minutes, before Anna put a hand on the sink and gingerly pulled herself up.

"Thanks as always, nurse Sunshine." the redhead joked, running cool water on her wrists and splashing a bit on her face. Rapunzel stood up and washed her own hands.

"Think this party is just about over with, anyway." The blonde smoothed out her slacks. "I'll head out and send everybody else home...give you a little time to tell your sister about...this." She headed for the door, but turned back with a wink. "I'll order you a little dessert to share."

Anna nodded gratefully, retrieving another paper towel to dry her less pale face.

Merida made a fuss that the sisters were the only ones who would get any dessert. Chelsea promised them all dessert shots back at Foxy's, to which the redhead thoroughly agreed. Elsa stood up with everybody else, but Rapunzel approached her and asked the blonde to wait a bit.

"Anna wants to talk to you about what happened tonight." Rapunzel said, giving Elsa a wary look. "And don't forget...this is not your fault. If I even get a whiff of self blame I'll light all your underwear on fire."

Elsa chuckled dryly. "I'll do my best...I just want to know what I can do so that happens less often.

"She'll...you guys can come up with something." the brunette said. "I'm about to start charging her for all the free head massages I give out." With a smirk, Rapunzel promised her cousin she'd be waiting outside when they were done.

Several minutes passed, and Elsa started nervously folding her napkin into a swan. The swan came out lopsided, with a bent head and crooked wings. She groaned. A rich piece of chocolate cake with butterscotch toffee icing arrived soon after, and Linguini complimented Elsa on her attempt at napkin folding.

The blonde woman was just about ready to dive in. Her fork was poised...when suddenly, a voice made her jump.

"No honor among dessert sharers, I see!" Anna cackled, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. Elsa dropped her fork with a light clang on the dish.

"Gah! Well I...it just looks so good." Elsa finished lamely. Anna smiled at her, tongue poking out between lips, as she took a seat next to her sister.

Letting Anna have the first bite, Elsa studied her carefully. "Are you...feeling better now?"

Anna nodded. "I know, it doesn't do me any good to hide it like I just tried to." she saw Elsa nod minutely, before the blonde took a bite of the dessert. "I just didn't want to freak everybody out when they were having such a good time." Elsa's eyes were closed and her eyebrows knit together as she savored the first bite, lips smacking daintily. "You, uh...do you need a minute alone with the cake there, Els?" the redhead snickered.

Blushing, Elsa returned, "Yes, as a matter of fact I might have to steal the rest for later!"

Anna pouted hard, jabbing a finger through the icing and into the cake. "I claim half of this cake in the name of Ginger-dom!"

Chuckling, Elsa held up her hands in defeat. "Oh, but I'm no match for Ginger-dom. I surrender my half of the cake to your superior forces."

Elsa didn't think it was possible, but her sister deepened her frown and pouted harder. "Well it's no fun if you give up, either!" the freckled girl withdrew her finger, putting it in her mouth and sucking the cake and icing off.

Elsa blushed hard, looking down at the cake and cutting off a small bite. "Maybe...maybe I can be a princess in Ginger-dom. You're most definitely the queen."

Grinning, Anna put up a fist. "Victory for the monarchy!"

Wiping her mouth thoughtfully, Elsa continued. "So...you get those headaches when you try to remember things?"

Anna nodded. "With a catch...most things I can remember just fine. It's usually...it gives me trouble when people talk about or ask me to remember things from when I was ten." Tracing a finger on the tablecloth, Anna paused, unsure how to continue.

Elsa, however, read between the lines. "I see. I...let's keep it to non specifics, then. Mama wrote to me at school...she said doctors couldn't find any evidence of brain injury. There were just six months of memories you were missing. No explanation, other than...the fall." The blonde's response was punctuated by pauses as she tried to carefully choose her words. She didn't want Anna accidentally trying to recall anything specific.

Another glum nod from Anna. "Whatever happened, there are holes in my mind like swiss cheese, so it's always been safer to not think about you." A bitter smile, followed by, "But it's so hard, Elsa. We had something wonderful."

Elsa nodded minutely, doing her best to remain composed. "So...so what if you can't remember old memories. If they hurt you like that, I'm not going to talk about them. We can...we have the chance, now, to make new ones."

"So the old ones are gone forever? That doesn't seem fair." Anna grumped. "I don't wanna sound selfish...but that's exactly what I am! Why do you get them and I don't…"

Giving a watery chuckle, Elsa shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "Why does anything happen the way it does? I could tell you that you thought I was a horrible, ugly, mean warthog back then, but it wouldn't change anything. But no, I wouldn't do that...to our past." Straightening up and brushing away a tear, she finished. "There was love back then...so much love, I didn't know what to do with it all. We were...happy."

Focusing hard on not trying to remember, which seemed very strange, Anna reached out and held the blonde's hand. "Let's try not to cry tonight, hmm? But...I don't get it. If we were so happy...why, why did you go away? Elsa, why did mama and papa send you...away from me?"

Elsa grit her teeth, squeezing her sister's hand tightly. "You can't...you can't ask me that question, and then not let me cry." Taking a deep breath, she pressed her fingertips into the butterscotch icing, and then pressed them into Anna's cheek, smearing the icing around messily.

Anna was dumbstruck for a moment. Elsa chuckled at the sight. "You...oh you…" Anna hiccuped with a goofy grin. "You little shit." she whispered.

"Sorry." Elsa replied, not looking sorry at all. "A little trick I learned from Rapunzel...a cheap tactic to end difficult conversations." Dipping her napkin into a glass of water, she began cleaning off her sister's freckled cheek. "I want to tell you. I want to tell you why...but I don't want to hurt you again. How can I talk about the past without making you think about it?"

Anna got a determined glint in her eyes. "If it means the truth, if it means answers, I don't give a shit. Just give me some pillows to pass out on and tell me everything."

Shaking her head at her sister's persistence, Elsa drew a firm line. "I won't hurt you again. That I refuse to do. But I will find a way to let you know."

"Sounds mysterious...I might have to brush up on my secret codes." Anna replied, scrunching her nose in a serious manner. "But don't forget. If I'm not allowed to suffer physically for this, you aren't allowed to suffer emotionally. It happened. It's in the past. Let it...let it lie."

Nodding grimly, Elsa agreed. "We'll build something new, here and now."

"Just the three of us." Anna finished, rising from her seat and taking her sister's hand. Together, they went outside to find their cousin and make the most of the rest of their evening together.

Stepping around wooden planks and a neat pile of unprepared scaffolding, Elsa made sure her hard hat was on tightly. Given her family's short history of head injuries, she didn't want to take any unnecessary chances. Several workers laying drywall had noticed her on the property, and were now moving a hundred percent faster and with greater efficiency. Elsa chuckled, musing on the motivational pressure of a visit from a 'big boss' on the employees.

Rounding a large stack of insulation and water pipes, Elsa found Kristoff. The blonde foreman had some blueprints unrolled and laid out on several wooden boards supported by buckets of concrete. His tan pants featured several small rips on the knees, and the usually tucked in navy blue polo shirt was rumpled and dirty. He munched casually on a banana while making notations on the blueprint, and was so engrossed in work he didn't notice her approaching.

"There's my favorite foreman!" Elsa grinned, causing Kristoff to jump slightly. He gave her a halfhearted stern look, before returning the smile.

"Good morning, boss." Elsa gave the man her most businesslike pout. "Sorry, Elsa. What can I do for you today?"

"Figured I'd stop by and pick up the vendor invoices today instead of waiting for Monday morning." Tapping her clipboard on her hard cat, she grinned. "Just trying to stay ahead and keep everyone satisfied!"

Kristoff smiled. Miss Arendelle - Elsa was, by far, the most thoughtful and understanding designer he'd ever had the pleasure of working with. "No problem, I'll email you the digital copies right now, and if you'd like to join me at the office in a few minutes I can get you the hard copies, too." Pulling out his phone, he prepped the email he planned to send to her.

"Oh...well, that works." Elsa muttered in surprise. "Yeah, actually, if you just email me copies I won't even need the hard ones." Peeking around him at the blueprints and humming in approval, she added, "I'm definitely recommending your company for future business in the area too, unless you're already booked up next year?"

With a laugh, Kristoff shook his head. "No no, more business is great, and I can always pick up more workers if we take on too much."

Stepping back to admire the progress, a shiver went up Elsa's spine. The building she designed, her baby, was coming to life right before her eyes. Her boss, Mr. Weselton, was right. There really was no substitute for actually being on site and seeing a project start to come together like this. The building's steel frame stood tall and solid against the San Francisco skyline. Elsa took a deep breath. It was a beautiful day, and she was feeling really good. Well, aside from her arm still being in a cast, but she reminded herself of her doctor's appointment later today. Hopefully they'd be able to give her a firm date as to when they cast could come off.

"Getting sentimental, Elsa?" Kristoff grinned, rolling up his blueprints.

"Hey, a mother is allowed to be proud of her baby." Elsa defended with a smirk.

"Ah. Well, if you're the mother, then…" the blonde man scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Yes, the father has equal visitation rights." Elsa joked, earning a hearty laugh from her foreman.

"Damn, Elsa...your sense of humor kills me. Hey…" Kristoff remarked as the two started walking back to his office. "I'm taking my boys, my dogs, to the park this weekend to meet up with a friend. They're proposing a community center near the park, and wanted my input on the project. I'd, uh...well, if you're not busy Saturday and are free to give some input." He gestured vaguely, at a loss. "I'm sure my dogs wouldn't lick you too much…"

Elsa laughed, clapping him on the arm. "I'd be happy to help out. Maybe I'll bring a friend or two and we can have a little picnic. I've been here two weeks already and I haven't seen the park yet."

"Great!" Kristoff whooped, as the two reached his office and he went to unlock the door. "They have public grills there...I'll bring hamburgers and hot dogs enough to feed an army. Bring whoever you like...the more the merrier!"

Smiling optimistically at the prospect of a fun day outside, Elsa pulled out her phone to text Anna and Rapunzel about the plans. "I've certainly got the 'more' covered. Say, how big a fan are you of...rock music?" She grinned, a plan already forming.

"You're breathing wrong...again." Hiccup muttered, cutting off Anna's scale practice. Placing his hands on his chest, he continued. "You don't want to feel it here." Moving his hands lower, to his diaphragm, he pressed for emphasis. "You want to feel the breath here. In through the nose and out through the mouth. Breath control...you don't want to be gasping halfway through a line."

Anna put her hands where Hiccup indicated, and breathed in and out several times. "This is weird...it's different from a hollow mouth. As dumb as that sounds, I at least get it. It makes sense."

Shuffling through the papers on his little podium, he replaced the one on his boss's music stand. "Try this one. I'm gonna give you, like, a billion hours of sight reading homework, I swear." The young man sounded tired, but he still had a smile on his face.

Anna was decidedly less optimistic and more grumpy. "Yeah yeah, not all of us are blessed with perfect pitch, Haddock." Snatching the sheet from the stand, she was about to give it a shot, when her phone buzzed. Exhaling in relief, she told Hiccup they were gonna take a break. She got a pout in return, and the young man went back out to the sales floor to stop Merida from getting into a boxing match with a Matchbox Twenty fan.

Her mood brightened considerably and a dopey grin spread on her face when she noticed it was from Elsa. "A picnic, huh? And why would we have bring our instruments?" Anna clicked her tongue thoughtfully. "Elsa, what in the world are you planning?"

She was about to give Rapunzel a call and see if she had any idea what Elsa was planning, when her ears caught the dull tones of a familiar song over the loudspeaker on the sales floor.

~Ooh baby I love your way~

The redhead's right eye twitched involuntarily.

~Every day~

Anna bolted for the door handle, throwing the door open and storming into the sales room. Hiccup heard her and turned, throwing his hands up and silently claiming innocence. Merida was leaning against the wall next to the record player, arms folded with a smug smile. Anna stormed over to her, eyes wide and cheeks puffed out. Getting in her friend's face, Anna jabbed a finger at her and spluttered, "Is that Peter fucking Frampton?!"

Merida shrugged. "It was that or Matchbox Twenty, boss." She jerked a thumb over to a young man in board shorts and a tank top, bleached blonde hair looking very unwashed.

Anna made a beeline to the young man, standing on her tip toes. "Is that Peter fucking Frampton?!" Spit flew from her mouth.

The guy stumbled backwards. "Hey lady, easy, I just asked to check out one of his albums. I really came here for Matchbox Twenty, but your pal over there said she'd disembowel me if I talked about 'em any more."

"What does the fine print on my name tag say?!" Anna growled, leaning forwards.

The guy squinted his eyes. "Umm...Anna Arendelle. And then…'if you can read this, you made a Frampton fuckup'? The hell does that even…"

He couldn't even finish his question before Anna shoved him viciously towards the door. "Get out! Get out!" She shoved him repeatedly, snarling obscenities as the guy tripped over his own feet in fear. "Get you lame fucking taste out of my store! Peter fucking Frampton, get the fuck out of town!" Hiccup was holding the door open as the guy stumbled out, turning and running down the sidewalk in a panic. Anna leaned out of the door and hollered, "Go to the mall for your fucking Frampton, you loser!"

Smoothing her blouse as she walked back into the store, Anna chuckled darkly. "Why do we even have that shit tastic record here?!"

Patting her on the back, Merida grinned. " 'Cuz, boss. It's funny to see you go into a Frampton rage. I always keep a couple of his albums hidden in very secret locations around here."

Anna tweaked her friend's nose gently. "You're a sick, sick girl, Mer." Shaking her head until most of the Frampton rage was gone, Anna retreated to the back room to call up her cousin and see what Elsa had planned for the park on Saturday.

It was Friday afternoon, and Rapunzel had agreed to accompany Elsa to the hospital for her broken arm checkup. The brunette noticed her cousin had been extra busy after work hours the last few days, and suspected it had something to do with the mysterious surprise she was planning at the park on Saturday, but she said nothing. She'd let Elsa have her little surprise.

Turning to wave one last time to the kids in the daycare, Rapunzel admired the artwork they made together one last time. Volunteering at the hospital daycare was one of her favorite hobbies, and the imaginations of the children never failed to light a creative fire in her own mind that she put towards whatever home or work related project had her stumped. A short, black haired little boy ran up to her and hugged her leg tightly. Ruffling his hair, she promised, "Hey, I'll see you next week, alright little man?"

Checking her watch, Rapunzel saw it had been about forty five minutes since she left Elsa in the waiting room. Her appointment should be over shortly, so the brunette began to idly wander back to the waiting room. She looked to her right as she passed the x-ray rooms, the complex machines tickling her science fiction side. A sharp screech caused her to jerk her head to the front and stop suddenly.

"Be careful where you're-oh hey, it's Artsy Fartsy." A nurse in blue scrubs with long, brown hair pulled back into a ponytail had stopped short of running into her with a wheelchair. She wore an especially sour expression. It clicked.

"Lynsey...always a pleasure." Rapunzel groaned, wanting to get away as quickly as possible.

"So I'm sure you heard, Anna and I called it quits." Chewing some gum casually, the nurse couldn't look less interested if she tried.

"I heard. Nice to see you aren't too broken up about it. It's good to just get on with life." Rapunzel responded, straightening her skirt uncomfortably.

Lynsey nodded, cracking her neck. "Always time for everybody else, never much time for me. Well, that's just the way it goes sometimes."

Rolling her eyes, Rapunzel folded her arms. "Well, chin up. There might be somebody out there who will give you the attention you want. And bonus points if they let you walk all over them the way Anna did, am I right?"

Chuckling, Lynsey shook her head. "Girlie's gonna have some problems in the long term relationship department if she doesn't stand up for herself more. I'd just had enough of her wishy washy-ness."

Rapunzel was about to fire back, when Elsa walked out of the waiting room just down the hall, turned, and saw her. "There you are!" the blonde called with a smile. "Doctor said everything looks good, and I should be able to lose this clunky thing after two more weeks!" Waving her cast in demonstration, Elsa saw Rapunzel's conversation partner and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah! Elsa, this is Lynsey. Anna's...ex girlfriend." Rapunzel's voice absolutely dripped with sarcasm.

Lynsey stared at the leggy blonde for a few moments, remembering where she'd seen her. "Oh right, broken arm that night. You're a friend of Anna's?" Giving her a flirty wink, Lynsey continued. "I'm done with her, but if you wanted to go my way...I promise I won't bite."

Elsa regarded the young woman with an air of indifference. "Ex? Good. Anna doesn't need toxic trash like you in her life." Looping arms with her cousin, she said, "Hey, let's go check out that Cinnabon store on the corner. My treat!"

Rapunzel squealed in delight, latching both arms onto Elsa's, as they walked down the hall.

Bitterly, Lynsey spat, "Yeah, fine. Get out of my hospital, you and that stuck up bitch."

Elsa froze. Turning around with a bored, disinterested stare, she pulled out her phone. "Insulting a hospital administrator? Good. We needed an extra locker for janitorial services."

Lynsey went pale and slack jawed.

"You have five minutes to collect your belongings before they are deposited...in the trash." Elsa punched in a phone number, hit dial, and turned to leave with Rapunzel on her arm. The brunette looked back to blow a raspberry at the incredulous nurse.

Halfway down the hall, Rapunzel leaned her head on Elsa's shoulder as they continued walking. "You are so bad." the brunette grinned.

Elsa put her cast hand over top of her cousin's hands. "Nobody fucks with my family."

As they left the hospital, Rapunzel let out a whoop of joy. "Hell yeah, cursing Elsa is back!"

Anna's limbs tangled in the sheets and she rolled around her queen sized pull out bed. Arms flailed momentarily and another two pillows hit the floor, casualties of the night's thrashing. Stacks of records littered her bedroom floor, next to a dresser covered with half burned candles. Next to that, her closet was half open, shoes and clothes peeking out in an obvious state of disarray. Books on music theory and several notebooks titled 'stupid lyrics', 'bad lyrics', and 'holy shit i was drunk lyrics' were trapped under last night's clothes. Several drawers in the smaller dresser were half hanging out, with spray bottles of cleaner and a couple of rags sitting on top.

Sunlight peeked through half drawn blinds and slowly made its way across the bed, illuminating freckled shoulders and causing copper hair to glow like the morning sky. The sunlight passed across Anna's face, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut tighter and bury her face into the covers. Colorful greetings for the sun came out muffled, and her brain only dimly registered the gentle rattle of keys in a door.

Oh, somebody's breaking in. I hope they brought breakfast. Squeaky floorboards echoed down the hall and there was a rustle of plastic. Is there an army coming for breakfast? Anna's bedroom door squeaked slowly, and the redhead wormed her way further under the covers, trying to melt into the mattress. Lyns? Oh fuck, that's right. Then, there's only one other person…

Several loud, quick footfalls.

Oh fuck me sideways-

A warm, dead weight flopped gracelessly onto Anna, sneaky hands finding prime tickle locations and launching an immediate attack. "Noo ho ho ho nooooo!" Anna shrieked, thrashing as she drew the sheets and remaining pillows tighter around her body, squirming like a bull trying to throw off her cowgirl of a cousin.

"Ohh wake up you, wake up!" Rapunzel crowed gleefully, stymied with her usual tickle location of ribs being hidden, but this ended up in an exposed neck, which she viciously attacked. "Robbers are here to steal your tickles!"

Anna howled, ducking her head and shrugging her shoulders, trapping Rapunzel's hand with her chin and blubbering, "Don't do it, dooooon't! I'll wrap you in a blanket and mail you to Timbuktu!" She made a dive for the edge of the bed, almost completely sliding off before her cousin grabbed her by the calves to haul her backwards. Anna's tank top snagged on her elbow, and she threw her arm backwards to free it.

"Oh, ohhh, haven't seen those before!" the brunette grinned with a blush. "Anna stole Lynsey's underwear! Now she's wearing it!"

Anna's face flushed red. "You little brat, I did not!" Scrambling to grab another blanket, she flipped over and wriggled out of Rapunzel's grasp.

Her cousin crooned hilariously off key. "Black with white puppy faces? Yeah...definitely not your style~"

Setting down several plastic bags on the counter, Elsa shook her head with a chuckle at the screaming and the several thumps that followed from her sister's bedroom. She'd been offered the honor of waking Anna up, but the blonde demurred, saying she'd get breakfast started in the meantime.

Taking eggs, flour, french toast mix, brown sugar, and bananas from the bag, Elsa did a quick survey of the available kitchen space and her face paled at the pile of unwashed dishes in the sink. "Oh Anna...dishes go in cupboards, not...not records!" Shaking her head with a smile, the blonde really wasn't surprised. Removing her jacket, she decided she'd clean up for her baby sister before making breakfast. She'd just hung it over a kitchen chair, when a door opened with a bang, drawing her attention to the hall.

Anna tromped out backwards into the living room, grasping and dragging a bunched up blanket. Rapunzel's head and a single arm poked out of the blanket sack, the brunette howling in protest. The redhead's feet squeaked as she braced herself and squatted lower to get more leverage on her bag of a cousin.

"Timbuktu, send a postcard when your tickle stealing ass gets there!" Anna grinned.

"I'll send you more underwear too so you don't have to steal any more from your ex!" Rapunzel playfully fired back, wriggling to free her other arm from the blanket trap. Anna had just hauled her prisoner into the living room, when Elsa poked her head out of the kitchen to see what the ruckus was.

She caught an eyeful of Anna in a tank top and black underwear with...were those white puppy dogs? Elsa's jaw went slack and her face turned beet red with a sharp gasp. Anna heard something and looked to her left. The redhead's face mirrored her sister's. Her mouth opened and closed, but the most she could manage was a string of guttural gurgles.

Closing her eyes, Rapunzel sighed. "Sorry. G'morning. Anna, go put some clothes on."

Anna squawked indignantly. "Bleeeark! Elsa!" She leapt over her cousin, bouncing off the opposite wall and throwing herself back into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her with a piteous wail. "MY PLACE IS A MESS I WAS NOT PREPARED ELSUH HUH HUH!"

Elsa sat down hard at the kitchen table, palm in her hand. Rapunzel finally managed to flop out of her blanket trap and dragged herself over to the blonde. "Sorry about that."

Elsa smiled shakily. "A heart attack is a great way to wake up."

Chuckling, Rapunzel patted her cousin's shoulders. "You stay put...I'll handle breakfast. She'll make herself presentable." Skipping over to take over cooking duties, Rapunzel turned on her portable MP3 player and started jamming to 5th Harmony.

"Not the way I was planning on waking up." Anna grumbled, raised eyebrows and expectant, outstretched hands holding a large plate contradicting her grumpy statement. Rapunzel shook her head with a smile and added another piece of french toast to the redhead's pile.

"That last one is an apology slice." Swatting her cousin away gently with the spatula, she beckoned Elsa over. "Can't have a sluggish lead vocalist for your first stadium performance today!"

Anna sat down, replying, "Stadium?! Punzie, it's the park."

"Yeah, well. It's outside. There's a stage. Use your imagination!" Elsa stepped forward and the brunette slid two slices of banana brown sugar deliciousness onto her plate. She held up a third, but Elsa demurred. "You lost out today, though. Before your butt horribly scarred her, Elsa was gonna cook breakfast this morning. Compared to her, I'm midnight shift at the diner quality.

Laughing at the comparison, Elsa sat down across from her sister. "As I recall, we both had the same ruthless Home Economics teacher, who accepted nothing less than perfection when it came to the cooking portion."

Rapunzel nodded solemnly. "Skinner. May the short shit rest in peace." She made the sign of the cross, and Anna quirked an eyebrow.

"What, did your teacher die?" Anna asked, storing a half chewed bite in her cheek. Rapunzel snorted mirthfully.

"No, but he probably wishes he had." Elsa replied, buttering her french toast and gawking at the fact that her sister had demolished half of her stack already. "He was trying to balance opening a new restaurant with his teaching responsibilities. He apparently forgot to have the grounds investigated for rodents."

"A mowth?!" Anna mumbled curiously. Elsa rolled her eyes and reached her syrup covered fork over, tapping her on a food filled, freckled cheek.

"More like a thousand mice. Rats. Some were at least a foot long and looked like they'd been cross bread with bears." Scraping the last few slices of french toast onto her plate, Rapunzel slid the pan into a sinkful of hot water and joined her cousins at the table.

"You and your stories, Punz." Elsa shook her head. "But yeah, he got shut down in the blink of an eye. Aunt Goethel seemed to think his bad luck, and the mice, would follow him to the academy, so she canned him as well."

"Wow...sucks to be him." Anna decided, picking up her plate with both hands and unashamedly licking the remaining syrup off.

Elsa opened her mouth to admonish once more, but Rapunzel interrupted her. "Ah ah, I don't think so. Pumpkin pie, Els."

"Don't…" Elsa said warningly. Anna's eyes flicked between the two interestedly.

"Oh no Punzie, do...I demand the story!" Anna did a drumroll on the breakfast table in excited anticipation while her sister facepalmed.

"Not much to say, really." Rapunzel stood up, telling the story while she went around clearing plates and utensils. "Our little nerd loved helping in the cafeteria, so they always gave her little extras when she was in line. A cherry tort here, a brownie there. But her absolute favorite was the pecan pie with whipped cream. This one sweet old lady always gave Elsa a mountain of whipped cream on her pie. Like, I'm not even kidding...it was obscene. And without fail, Elsa would eat every last bit of it." The brunette slid the dishes into the sink with the pan.

"End of story." Elsa grumbled.

"And she'd always lick the plate clean." Rapunzel added with a smirk. Anna snickered.

"Okay I'm embarrassed!" Elsa buried her face in her arms.

"AND she'd usually have a bit left on her nose, which I'd conveniently forget to remind her about until the end of the next class!" Rapunzel threw her hands up like she'd scored a touchdown. Anna howled with laughter.

"Thank you, little shit, for the rest of the story." Elsa mumbled from her face down position.

"Okay okay, I'm gonna go feed Larry...is that cool, Anna?" the brunette sauntered off merrily.

Anna chuckled, returning her attention to her embarrassed sister. "She still thinks sloths are so easy that they'd forget to eat. I mean, come on, who could forget that?"

Lifting her head up, Elsa smiled. "Certainly not you"

"Heh, yeah...and sorry you got an eyeful back there. God I feel so bloated these days." Anna grumbled bashfully.

"What? No!" Elsa stuttered, trying to backtrack. "I mean you eat a lot and that's good! Healthy! And um, you look great! Best butt I've seen!"

Anna chuckled with a blush. "Best? Who's butts have you been looking at, Els?"

"None! Butts aren't my thing!" Elsa slapped her hands across her face and groaned. "Your butt is acceptable and in no way mentally scarring." Laying face down on the table again, the blonde didn't move or speak.

"Punzie!" Anna shouted, barely holding back her laughter. "I think we broke Elsa!"

Rapunzel stuck her head back into the kitchen, Larry wrapped securely around her shoulders. "Hey, it was your butt...it's your problem!"

"Can we please just go to the park already?!" Elsa squeaked miserably.

After a quick stop off at Anna's record store to pick up some of the band's personal effects, the three piled back into Elsa's rental car and headed to the park. Rapunzel had won two out of three games of paper, rock, scissors, and reveled in her prize of riding shotgun and music selection choices. Anna may have sulked and muttered music critic type detractions from each sunny, pop hit, but it escaped neither Rapunzel nor Elsa that the freckled girl knew the words to every song and unabashedly sang along with her cousin.

Arriving at the park without incident, Elsa directed her two crew members to haul the band's equipment over to the little stage underneath the park's pavillion and begin setup. Anna made offhanded funny complaints about how she couldn't be both band crew and in the band itself, but she and Rapunzel took the work in good spirits, deciding they'd had enough fun at Elsa's expense for one day.

While the other two set up, Elsa trekked over the nearby grassy hill, and spotted a cluster of water fountains. True to his word, Kristoff was waiting there, tossing two different colored balls with bells attached to his two dogs. Waving to him, she walked over for greetings, but momentarily cringed when both dogs came charging back towards them, balls jingling in their mouths. The blonde woman covered her face in anticipation, but when no furry canines barreled into her, she relaxed and saw them sitting obediently at Kristoff's feet.

Kristoff had a nice little laugh at her distress. "Hi, Elsa. Don't sweat these two...they look kinda rough, but they're as meek as lambs." Removing each ball from their mouths, he offered the slimy things to his boss. "Want to give them a toss?"

Smiling with a hint of queasiness, Elsa declined. "Thanks, but no. I just...dog slobber." Examining the toys more closely, Elsa remarked, "Dogs are colorblind...right?"

Kristoff nodded, juggling the two jingling toys while his dogs watched with rapt attention.

"Then...how do they tell the difference?" Elsa asked as the blonde man threw both balls in the same direction.

"Sound. Each bell has a distinctive ring." Kristoff smiled, clearly proud of his special training. "My boys may stare at you like you're a lump of meat and they've got rocks in their heads, but they definitely know a thing or three."

The two fell into companionable chit chat for a few minutes as Kristoff showed Elsa the way to the building site his friend proposed. She told him about the people she knew were invited, and that he was free to stay for the little show or go whenever it suited him. He assured her he'd stay at least long enough to make sure everybody was fed and happy. Upon reaching the designated location, the two of them took a seat on a park bench, and Kristoff pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket that had rough notes and a general outline scrawled on it.

Anna had just set down the last set of amps with a huff and a wheeze. Rapunzel was already lying flat on her back on the stage, fanning herself with an issue of 'Metalheads Monthly'. "If I ever volunteer to road crew for you guys, just...push me off a cliff." the brunette gasped, eliciting a tired chuckle from her cousin.

From somewhere behind the stage, a horn gave a shrill honk, startling the two. Dragging themselves off the ground, they went around back to see what the noise was about. There, in a small gravel clearing right behind the pavilion, sat Hiccup's beat up 1980s van. Merida stuck her head out of the shotgun window and hollered, "Oh hey, they beat us here after all! Lars owes me two bucks, hah!" Noticing their sweaty faces and run down appearances, the curly haired woman had to remark, "Whoa, you two look like shit!"

Chelsea stuck her head out behind Merida and appraised Anna and Rapunzel. Eyes widening, she chuckled, "You parked in the main lot, didn't you? And you hoofed all the gear all the way out here? Damn, that'll put some muscle on those bods."

Rapunzel flopped down miserably in the grass and wailed dramatically. Anna spat and grumbled, "Fuck a bod, I want a fucking cigarette."

Lifting her head up for a second, Rapunzel informed her cousin, "Don't mention smoking in front of Elsa. She'll go all 'third grade health class' on your ass."

Anna nodded miserably, settling for tilting her head back and dumping the remaining water in her bottle over her forehead and in her hair. Shaking her head vigorously, Anna gave a half wave to Lars, Chelsea, and Hiccup as they left the van, each hauling their personal equipment. Pulling Merida aside, Anna had a quick pow wow. "Sorry this is kinda last minute. Elsa wanted to do a fun thing for everybody and…"

Merida clapped her friend on the back. "Hey, don't sweat it boss. We may have to keep it a little more PG than at Foxy's, but practice is good and gaining young, impressionable fans while horrifying their parents is just icing on the cake!" Slinging her guitar on her back, the curly haired woman jogged ahead to join her bandmates who were already setting up on stage.

"Oh good, you all got here all right." Elsa grinned, just then arriving back at the pavilion with Kristoff in tow. The blonde man's dogs quickly took a shine to Lars, and the tall bassist delighted in roughhousing with them for a few minutes. Taking Kristoff around and introducing him to everybody, he stopped when he got in front of Chelsea.

"Wait, wait, I remember…" he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Terrace lane...four years ago?"

Chelsea stared for a minute, before blinking in recognition. "Holy shit! That was you?!" Kristof nodded sheepishly, clearly a little embarrassed by the incident. "Hey no, don't sweat it. I think you told my parents about a hundred times that this was only your first house during your apology. They've really grown to like that 'improvised' skylight'."

"They do?!" Kristoff asked, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Yeah. Hey, accidents happen and they know that. You did a great job, um...improvising. It's definitely their favorite window now." Elsa looked at the pink haired drummer inquisitively, and she explained, "Three days from finishing my parents' home, this fella accidentally runs a forklift into the side of the house. He managed to turn the gaping hole into this really swanky, post modern window frame. My parents dug it, forgave him, and even threw in a little extra for his hard work."

Elsa glanced sidelong at her foreman, now friend. "Yeah, he'll surprise you with his reliability and hard work, that's for sure."

"Heh heh...yeah. Alright, that's enough embarrassing stories for me. I'll go grab that frozen meat and fire up one of the grills over there." Tromping away with a shake of his head, Kristoff let out a sharp whistle. Sven, the older and larger of his two dogs, followed him immediately. Olaf, however, decided to hang around Lars and watch the young man tune his bass.

Having finished setting up his synthesizer equipment, as well as attaching the speakers and amps, Hiccup wandered over to where Lars was running through some warmup exercises. He stood off to the side and swallowed thickly, shoving his hands into his pockets, and stuttering, "Smooth line you're playing there. Sounds downright...spooky." The young man cringed, desperately hoping his obscure bassist reference would not go unnoticed.

Lars offered a lazy smile, not slowing down his playing. "Myung is the master of spookiness. This is off of his side project, 'Platypus'."

Hiccup nearly fainted in relief. Composing himself, he pulled out a couple of dollars, and handed them to Lars. "Sorry you lost the bet. I really did think that was a shortcut...god damn traffic."

Lars chuckled. Taking a hand off his bass, he gently pushed the young man's hand with the money back to him. The taller man's were downright warm compared to Hiccup's poor circulation ones. "Save it and buy yourself some gloves for those cold hands. I recommend the Ultra Grip keyboardist gloves. They're on Amazon; you can't go wrong." Hiccup gave him a questioning stare, and he replied, "Sometimes UPS packages get destroyed and we have to rebox them. I see all kinds of cool stuff come through the mail."

Nodding awkwardly, Hiccup continued to watch the Hispanic man hone his craft. Lars didn't seem to mind his one person audience, and continued the rhythmic strumming.

"Alright then, here's your root beer and your ginger ale!" Elsa chirped happily, handing Merida and Chelsea their respective drinks.

"Thanks, Elsa!" Merida grinned, tipping her cup towards the blonde woman. "Gotta say, you really do make a great third impression. Also, Anna's doing a hell of a lot better since you came around."

Elsa blushed, wringing her hands and giving Merida a tender look. "Really? I mean...I don't know how much you know about our past…"

Waving her hand dismissively, Merida pressed on with confidence. "Hey, I don't ask unless she offers. I know you've seen her...headaches. Ain't shit we can do about that. But she's...well shit, she's happier. She's standing up for herself a little more, maybe?" Downing her drink in a few gulps, the redhead finished with, "Look, I have 11 older brothers. I don't know what it's like to have a sister. But uh...whatever shit happened between you two when you were kids. Well...fuck it. You're working miracles with her now, so keep working on the now." Giving the blonde a friendly shoulder punch, Merida sauntered off to bug Kristoff about a hamburger.

Elsa blinked, suddenly overcome by emotion. Chelsea put a hand on her shoulder. "That was...that was…" the blonde stuttered.

"Unexpected?" Chelsea offered helpfully. "Yeah, Mer's like that. Shit, I mean go to the store any day and she and Anna will be this close to smacking the crap out of each other. But those two...thick as thieves. Mer seems rough, but the gal's got a heart of gold and she knows when to back up a good person." The pink haired drummer pointed at Elsa, giving her a thumbs up. "Just...you look like a crier. Don't you cry on me."

Elsa gave a hearty laugh, pinching her cheeks. "Anna has wonderful friends here, and I'm so damn thankful for that. But no, I'm not here to cry...I'm here to help her, and by proxy all of you, in any way I can. I know this band means a lot...to all of you."

Chelsea actually blushed a little. "We're trying. You get too old and your dreams just sort of slip away. I'm sort of the responsible, schedule setting one of the crew, but…" clapping a hand on Elsa's shoulder as she started to walk past her, "...I would sure love a little help there."

Elsa nodded. Her heart swelled, and a goofy smile stuck to her face. How could something as simple as making friends make her feel so damn good?

Placing the last of the frozen hamburger patties on the grill, Kristoff bunched up the empty bag and tossed it in the trash. He whistled off key while lighting the charcoal, and his older dog, Sven, barked happily. "Okay okay, big guy. No-look throw this time, alright?" Shaking the ball, bell tinkling, the blonde man tossed it casually over his left shoulder. His dog bolted.

An indignant cry of "Ow! Hey!" came from behind him, and Kristoff turned around quickly to see who he'd hit. A short young woman with copper braids held the ball between her hands, a smirk on her face, and Sven trotting happily at her side. She tossed him the ball back, and he caught it smartly.

"Heh, sorry about that." Kristoff apologized, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

Anna grinned, shaking a finger at him. "Normally I'd be mad, but your dogs are adorable, so all is forgiven. Tossing the ball back to him, she peeked around his shoulder. "So, you're the one Elsa roped into cooking for this little event?"

Kristoff held up his spatula reverently. "It's almost, completely, totally a volunteer gig. Her being my boss has absolutely nothing to do with it." The two shared a laugh. "So, you're the sister...Anna, right?"

"Got it in one. Part time microphone screamer, full time record vendor whose musical taste is always better than yours." She grinned smugly. "And you're the foreman on this new project...this ultimate music store, huh?"

"I'm afraid so." Kristoff sighed, pushing around a few thawing hamburgers.

"A shame. Guess we won't be celebrating each others' birthdays then, you being my mortal enemy and all." Anna appropriated the tongs and occupied herself with lazily rolling the hot dogs around on the grill.

"Sucks more for you. I only miss one birthday in four years...you lose out on four chances for presents in that time!" Taking out a shaker of seasoning, the blonde man liberally shook the contents on the cooking meat.

Anna squealed. "Oh wow, an actual jokester person in the flesh!"

"Yup. Card carrying member of the April 1st club...6 years old next year and everything!" Shrugging, Kristoff chuckled. "Gets kind of old as a conversation breaker, though."

Anna shook her head. "Nope, first time meeting one for me, so color me impressed!" Seizing the opportunity to flip some of the hamburgers with her tongs, Anna changed the subject. "So, you're working with my sister, the sister I haven't seen in 12 years, on something she loves...AND you get to spend more time with her than me. I feel like I should be jealous."

Tossing a few more coals under the grill, Kristoff replied. "Don't be. I practically had to sit her down with franchise management for this future store and have them lay out their entire sales plan, all because she was worried the store might take too much business from you." Using an iron poker to stoke the fire, he continued. "She talked them into making some changes, becoming more integrated with the music scene in general. Promised them a lot of goodwill from the community in exchange for not specializing in areas they know nothing about. Like vinyl."

Anna pursed her lips, feeling a warm ache in her chest.

"She really does a lot for you...cares for you an awful lot, too." Kristoff tossed the ball a ways off, and Sven gamely chased after it. "Even if she's loathe to talk about the good things she does."

"What, Elsa? A poor communicator?" Anna sighed dramatically, snatching a half cooked hot dog in her tongs and pointing it at the blonde man. "Perish the thought."

Kristoff was about to respond, when Merida walked up to the pair, butting in. "Yo, mister cook! Everyone's dying of no meat-itis! Is the food almost done?"

Flipping over one of the burgers, Kristoff responded, "Hmm...I think they'll be done after you throw the ball for my dog, say, maybe eight times?" As if on cue, Sven came back, bell tinkling merrily. He saw the curly haired newcomer and buried his snout against her stomach, sniffing and pushing her playfully.

"Oh yes, oh who's a good asshole?" Merida crowed, scratching his ears and retrieving the slobbery ball from his mouth. "Yes yes, there's my little asshole. Let's go play!"

Anna groaned. "Don't...can you not call him that?" As if to prove her wrong, Merida skipped away and Sven charged, tripping the girl up and sending her to the ground. She was positively howling with laughter.

Kristoff gave a hearty laugh of his own. "Oh, you can check his breed card. I'm pretty sure 'asshole' runs in his family." Flipping the spatula into his left hand and picking up a serving platter with his right, he grinned. "But only I get to call him asshole. These guys are done...wanna help me plate them and pass 'em out?" The blonde man inclined his head towards Merida, who was fake throwing the ball, causing Sven to run about ten yards before stopping and looking back at her, confused. He then pointed to a small, thoroughly crispy hamburger patty. "Your rambunctious asshole friend can have this little one."

Anna cackled merrily. "Yeah, she's a good friend, but definitely qualifies as an asshole, too." Working quickly, the pair tossed all the hot dogs and hamburgers on the platter and headed back towards the pavillion. Merida, in the meantime, was chasing Sven. The dog had finally gotten the ball, and every time she went to take it from him, he'd prance happily away and stop ten yards from the thoroughly tired young woman.

The band members scarfed down their food quickly, because they were all enthused to get in some playing time. Before they took the stage, Merida had managed to swap her shrimpy black burger for one of Hiccup's. The young man took a bite of it, before gagging and pouting. He went to get a drink, and while he was gone, Lars snuck over and replaced his subpar hamburger with one of the bassist's own. Everyone had a good laugh when he said, "No really, there is a hamburger fairy, I swear!"

The band opened with some mainstream favorites from Green Day and Blink 182. Their friends cheered encouragingly between bites of delicious hamburgers and hot dogs.

Rapunzel stood in the back watching, and every so often she noticed Anna would get rambunctious. The copper haired woman would start hopping around on stage, guitar dueling with Lars or Merida, and jamming next to Chelsea. By this point, more than a handful of random park goers had wandered over hearing familiar songs, and were bobbing their heads absentmindedly. Every time there'd be an impending cuss word in the lyrics, Rapunzel would hold up a large, cardboard sign with glitter sequins. In bold letters, she'd written, "DON'T SWEAR!" Anna would catch a glimpse of the sign, look around and remember where she was, and calm down slightly.

Near the end of the show, Elsa took it upon herself to mingle with the small crowd that had gathered to listen and watch. Many were local music enthusiasts, and she was able to network with more than a few about possible future opportunities with the band. Rapunzel stuck by her side, writing down whatever contact information and any other noteworthy items their new friends talked about. At least one person complimented them on how cute a couple they made, and while Elsa nervously giggled and wrung her hands, Rapunzel glowed with pride and said how the blonde woman was her 'special little snookums'. It was right about then when Elsa politely excused herself and went back to watching the band finish up their closing set, thoroughly embarrassed.

"Really? We have another new name, now?" Merida groused, hands busy attempting to untangle the mess of cords between her guitar and amp.

Anna shrugged. "Eh, blame it on my shit memory. Maybe that can be our new thing! Every show we do, we'll change our name!"

Chelsea groaned, disassembling her kit and packing it carefully in plastic cases. "Yeah, it'll go great when we put out a CD and there are, like, a thousand different names people will be looking for it under!" Shaking her head, pink bangs sticking to her sweaty forehead. "Ah well, not like anybody remembers our first name, anyway."

Not looking up from his post-gig tuning, Lars muttered, "I don't know kill me now."

Giving the bassist a sour glare, Chelsea sighed. "No need to get dramatic, dude. We'll find one that sticks." Lars just gave a quiet little grin, shaking his head.

Anna watched as her three band mates started loading their gear back into Hiccup's van. Rapunzel was helping Kristoff clean the area from their meal, and was clearly smitten with his dogs. The copper haired young woman bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. Would they make a cute...I dunno. Punzie might want somebody else, too. Anyway, I remember her telling me she didn't like lots of...muscles and stuff.

She was so concentrated on her cousin and Kristoff, that she failed to notice Elsa step on stage. The blonde woman quietly walked over to where her sister was seated on the ground, guitar cords wrapped around one forearm and pieces of her microphone stand held loosely in the other. Taking a seat on the speaker behind the redhead, Elsa noticed the sweat running down the back of the younger woman's neck. Her updo had become messy and a little undone from her on stage antics. Moving slowly and deliberately, Elsa put her hands on Anna's hair bun, and untangled it.

Anna's breath caught in her throat and her upper body went rigid. She heard a whispered. "Hang on. I'll fix you up."

Relaxing as soft hands played with her hair, Anna gently rolled her neck and eased her tense, sweaty shoulders. "Did you...did you know we'd have more people coming?"

Elsa hummed thoughtfully. Hair successfully untangled, she gently ran her fingers through it, like a makeshift comb. "I figured anybody who appreciated good music would stop by for awhile, yes."

Anna let out a pleased sigh, leaning back so her upper back rested against Elsa's knees. Soft hands braiding her hair gently felt so warm. So familiar. Where was it that…

"What are your plans for tonight?" Elsa interjected, breaking Anna's train of thought?

"Hu...what?" Anna shook her head, noticing her copper locks fell straight across and in front of her shoulders, as well as resting on her chest. Her sister's gentle touch was mysteriously absent.

Elsa smiled, voice quivering slightly. "I said...are you doing anything special tonight?"

Anna shook her head. "Just me and netflix...and a shower. Yep, definitely a shower." Jerking forward slightly, she made a sour face. "Oh gosh I'm sorry, here I'm a sweaty wildebeast just getting your nice pants all...gross."

Elsa's giggle tinkled like bells. "I don't mind...and you aren't gross. You're alive. I loved...love watching you come alive on stage."

Smiling impishly, Anna shrugged and leaned back again. Noticing her hair for the second time, she said with a pout, "So...I don't get any braids today?"

Elsa took a few moments before she responded. She chose her words carefully. "I don't...I don't think your memories are gone, Anna. If I do something, or I'm with you, and something reminds me of a memory from...that time. I'm going to stop. And I'm going to let you know." Placing a hand on each freckled shoulder, Elsa leaned over, and whispered, "We don't need to rely on old memories that might hurt you. We're making new ones every day."

Anna quirked her mouth, before nodding slowly. Elsa's touch wiped all doubts from her mind. "So what, if I start to have a...flashback. You'll, like, slap me?"

Elsa reached around and gave both freckled cheeks a loving pinch, eliciting a squeak from her sister. "If I have to. So, about tonight...after you get cleaned up. Would you like to come over for a...sleepover?"

Anna thought for a minute. She looked up at her sister, all soft skin and blonde tresses hanging down, tickling her face. "I dunno...netflix is an awfully good date."

Anna never saw it coming. Insistent hands attacked her ribs, tickling her mercilessly. Rapunzel grinned, assaulting from the front. "I saw you hesitate! You're coming with us!"

The copper haired woman shrieked, scrambling backwards, pressing closer against her sister's legs. "Elsa, save mee hee hee!" she squealed, arms jammed against her sides, swiping feebly at her brunette cousin's attack.

Elsa hugged her sister, hands pressed against the base of her neck. "Why would I save you...when I've got you right where I want you?!" Mercilessly, the blonde attacked Anna's sensitive neck with nimble fingers. Anna positively howled in protest, tears streaming down her cheeks and curling into a little ball.

"Give up! Give in! You're our prisoner!" Rapunzel pressed the advantage, attacking Anna's bare feet. The redhead's chest heaved from laughter and stimulation.

"I guh-I give! I give! Oh my god-I'm duh. I'm DYING!" Anna moaned, rolling onto her side and rolling away from her attackers as quickly as she could. Netflix could wait until Sunday night. She was about to be a willing prisoner of her favorite people.

Merida had poked her head around the side of the stage to let them know they'd be heading out. She watched their antics for a few minutes, before rolling her eyes and muttering, "Morons." She headed back to the van, ready to inform Hiccup that they'd probably be opening the store tomorrow without their boss.

Rapunzel haphazardly hurled several plastic cases of art supplies into her linen closet. Paint cans were stacked on top of those, along with a plastic garbage bag jammed with used paint brushes of various sizes. Turning and squatting down to hurriedly bunch up the heavy, paint stained tarp covering the hallway, she frantically called to Elsa. "Hey Elsie? Can you pretty please feed the stinkers?"

Elsa shook her head humorously at the frantic edge in her cousin's voice. Retrieving the bag of dried food, she shook it a few times, and immediately was the most popular cat lady in the Westview Heights apartment block. Scooping an equal amount of dry food into each dish, she set them back down. The three cats, as usual, pointedly ignored the nametags Rapunzel had lovingly embossed on each dish and all crowded around the same dish, happily munching away.

"You know Anna doesn't care how the place looks." Elsa mused insistently. "She knows you're bringing some of your work home with you. Anyway, she's gonna love the fix-ups you've implemented here already."

Her cousin dashed by the kitchen, arms waving frantically as she nearly fell face first on the wooden floor. "Elsa, there's personal work, and then there's work work! I'm trying to be professional here and separate my home life from my work life...at least when friends are around!"

Elsa leaned over the counter between the kitchen and the living room, pouting. "I'm a part of your professional life. I'm your boss...should I go hide in a closet too?"

Groaning, she stalked back over to her blonde haired cousin and held the other's jaw in her hand, squeezing pale cheeks until Elsa was making a duck face. "No negative talk, even if it's joking. You're my Elsa and you belong everywhere." Pecking the older woman on the lips, she watched Elsa turned beet red and gently wiggled her jaw back and forth, before dashing off to find a change of clothing.

"Th...that was a low blow!" Elsa squeaked, falling backwards and resting on the counter.

"Keep up the low talk and you'll get more!" Rapunzel play threatened. "I'm gonna jump in the shower and wash this park smell off. You wanna go ahead and toss that pizza into the oven? Love ya bunches!"

Elsa stuttered an unintelligible reply. Her cousin certainly was good at pushing her comfort boundaries, and in a different way than Anna did.

That's because she knew the letter was from you, idiot.

Elsa frowned, yanking the pizza out of the freezer and preparing the pan for the oven, which she set to preheat. "She had, and still has, no idea."

She doesn't think you'll press the issue. She doesn't want you to.

"Asshole. She loves me anyway. She'd love me even if she knew."

She loves you because she pities you. Not that a disgusting thing like you deserves pity. You remember the way she looked at you when she saw that letter. You can't not remember.

A torrent of sunflower colored hair streaked down the hallway, punctuated by the clack clack of school shoes. "Elsa!" a cheerful voice shouted.

Elsa adjusted the pictures and magnets inside of her locker one last time, before closing it and affixing the number lock. To her right, she saw Rapunzel madly dodging the outgoing wave of upperclassmen as she diligently made her way towards the platinum blonde tenth grader. Rapunzel's hand shot out above the heads of the other students. Short, ruddy fingers grasped an envelope. An envelope with a torn snowflake sticker hanging off of the lid.

Elsa gasped, stumbling against her locker. Her mind berated her for being so stupid. Furiously, she dug through the front pouch of her backpack and found...an empty envelope. She could have sworn she changed her mind at the last minute and had deposited an empty envelope inside her cousin's locker. Not her confession letter. That was...that was just to get it out. So it wasn't eating her up inside.

Stupid girl. She's going to find out. She's going to hate you and have you kicked out of school.

Elsa blinked back hot tears and panicked. Rummaging through her backpack quickly, she ripped out the pack of telltale snowflake stickers she always had on hand, and haphazardly jammed them into the bottom vent of her locker. They got stuck, lodged halfway in.

Mama and Papa will find out. They'll hate you more.

Kneeling down, Elsa shoved desperately at the stack of stickers, trying to force them into the locker. She heard her cousin's voice getting closer. Her palms were sweaty. She pressed desperately against the offending stickers.

Look at you, on the ground. You disgusting worm.

A sea of students surrounded her, but none noticed the panicked blonde. Her chest heaved. Her vision swirled. Heavy footfalls echoed dully in her ears, and her cousin's voice grew closer.

Game's over.

Desperately, Elsa wrenched the stack of stickers out of her locker and slid them across the hall. Eager underclassmen trampled them underfoot, kicking, smudging, and tearing the little snowflakes in their rush to class. Elsa sat back, feeling blood rush to her head. "Great. An embarrassing, horrible confession letter...and now I get to pass out."

Warm hands pressed against her cheeks, and thumbs gently massaged her temples. The dizziness melted away, and she opened her eyes. Piercing hazel eyes met her own, and small, plump lips frowned worriedly. "-lsa? Elsie? Nerdface?" Rapunzel's melodious voice eased through the haze.

Elsa shook her head. Momentarily dumb and tongue tied, she managed to stutter, "Fell. Pushed. Hit head." The blonde girl hung her head miserably. Everything was wrong, and now she couldn't even speak.

Sidling up next to the blonde and removing her backpack, Rapunzel took Elsa's hand in her own. She made small circles with her thumbs on the older girl's palm, and the stress and nasty voices gradually faded from Elsa's mind. "Why didn't you use your bodyguard whistle?" she chided the older girl gently.

Elsa flushed. "I'm not gonna use a whistle in high school. People think I'm weird enough as it is."

Rapunzel sighed, drawing her cousin into a half hug. "How's your bodyguard supposed to know if you need help, when you don't ask for it? Oh and I'm your bodyguard, in case you were thinking about replacing me!"

Elsa shrugged helplessly. "How can I replace you...you know I'm in trouble even when I don't say anything." Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a single snowflake sticker on the other side of her cousin. How it had managed to remain untrampled, was just another example of the universe denying her peace. Her worried eyes met her cousin's, but the sunny blonde was already bringing out the envelope with the same sticker affixed.

"It's my Elsa sense, just one of my gifts. And speaking of gifts…" Rapunzel grinned brightly. "Look at this! I got a note from a secret admirer!"

Elsa blanched. Sweat beading on her forehead, she replied, "H...how do you know it's from a...one of those?"

"Just a feeling. A sense...another gift." Rapunzel grinned, wrinkling the envelope in her hands. "Feels like love. I wanted to open it with you."

Elsa slammed her eyes shut. Her hands trembled and her mouth went dry. Suddenly, her cousin was speaking again.

"Oh, hey look. This is...hey! It's just like the sticker on my note!" Rapunzel cheered, holding up the snowflake sticker she found on the floor. Looking around, she gasped. "Wow! There's another...and another over there! What the heck...what does this mean?!"

"Mmmm...maybe somebody...maybe they dropped them…" Elsa stammered, praying for the universe to swallow her up.

Rapunzel nodded, a serious look in her eyes. "A mystery...maybe reading this note will give us a clue?" Her hand slowly opened the flap, and she bit her lip in anticipation.

"D...don't." Elsa whispered.

Rapunzel looked at her cousin. "Don't?"

Shaking her head, Elsa summoned every ounce of courage she had, and forced back her tears. "Don't open it."

"Why not?" Soft hands held Elsa's clammy ones.

Elsa's lips trembled. "If I'm...if you're my bodyguard...you don't need any admirers. You don't...because...I admire you."

Resting her forehead against her cousins, Rapunzel murmured, "You...admire me?"

This is going to end horribly.

Elsa's voice cracked and she miserably warbled, "I admire you most. I'm...I'm selfish. I want my bodyguard...all to myself."

The two sat on the floor, backs against the cold metal lockers, for several minutes. Students passed by left and right. Elsa watched her snowflake stickers get trampled and torn underfoot. Rapunzel turned the envelope over and over in her hands, eyebrows knit and tongue poking between her lips in thought.

The sound of paper tearing rang clear in Elsa's ears and, for a moment, she heard nothing else. She looked over, and saw Rapunzel offering her the envelope and note, torn in two.

Elsa's jaw went slack. Her mouth opened and closed several times, unable to form words.

"I'm your bodyguard." Rapunzel said simply. "You're my admirer. That means, I protect you best and you like me most." Touching her forehead to Elsa's again, Rapunzel whispered, "If somebody else tells me they like me most, I need you to be brave and come to my rescue, okay?"

Elsa nodded dumbly. She took the note from her cousin, trembling hand shoving it deep into her jacket pocket. Rapunzel stood up, and offered her hands to Elsa, who took them and gingerly stood up herself. At a loss for anything else to say, she mumbled, "We should...get to class."

Her cousin nodded, but put up a hand. "Yes, in a minute." Most of the students had, by now, cleared out of the hallway. "First, want to help me pick up these stickers? I bet whoever lost them might want them back...and maybe there are still a few we can salvage." Elsa could only nod and follow her cousin's lead, but for the rest of the day, one hand remained in her pocket, clutching the torn note tightly.

Slamming the door on the oven shut, Elsa silenced the dark voice in her head. "So fucking what if she knows. She hasn't abandoned me, and she loves me anyway. I'm her number one admirer, so you can fuck right the hell off."

Silence reigned in Elsa's mind. She breathed deeply, setting the timer for the pizza, and was only slightly started by a knock at the door.

"I smell pizza! Sleepover prisoner wants pizza!" the unmistakeable voice of Anna begged from right outside the apartment. Elsa smiled uncontrollably, and went to open the door.

The two sisters sat on opposite sides of the sofa, awkwardly stealing side glances. After Anna showered, she took the definition of sleepover literally and was curled up on the couch in her snowman onesie. The carrot nose dangled laughably from the front of the hood, and she was absolutely mortified. Elsa had changed into pink and grey silk sleeping pants, with a short sleeved red top with a blue heart in the middle. The copper haired young woman blushed and tried to sink into the sofa, feeling every bit the juvenile younger sister.

Anna felt a tug at the arm of her onesie, and peered over cautiously. "I really like your pajamas." Elsa admitted, rubbing the fabric between her fingers nervously and staring at her knees. "It's really cute...and suits you,"

Anna waved her hands dismissively. "No no no, I just got this thing at Wal-mart. It was like, I dunno, maybe five bucks. But wow! You totally look like you're right out of a sleepwear catalog!" Gushing unabashedly, the freckled girl continued. "Those pants look super soft...are they silk?"

Anna touched the fabric over Elsa's knee, and the blonde woman jumped a little in surprise. She jerked her hand back. "S...sorry! I should have asked...but 'can I touch your pants' sounds mega creepy." She hung her head in shame.

Elsa tugged at the onesie again. "You can touch my pants, miss snowman." She blinked, then laughed. "Wow, I think I just topped you for strangeness!" The two shared a giggle, and the atmosphere lightened considerably.

Anna clapped her snow paws together. "So...what's on the schedule for tonight's sleepover? Besides pizza, anyway?"

Elsa shrugged. "Punzie is usually the schedule maker and ringleader for evening activities. Sometimes I get a little too wrapped up in work after hours…"

Changing the subject, Anna nudged her sister playfully with a fuzzy, white shoulder. "So, how has it been staying with your old 'partner in crime'?"

Elsa sighed. "A little exhausting, to be honest. But it's sort of the push I need. I still get down about...about some of the decisions mama and papa made for me, but Punzie helps me kind of keep it in perspective. It's a lot like high school…"

Anna sighed. "I know I would have only been there for your last two years...but you have no idea how many times I wished I could be smart enough to go to school with you and her. See you in the halls and stuff." Batting her carrot nose absentmindedly, she added, "I know it's dumb…"

Elsa swatted her snow sister's carrot nose. "It's not dumb...I would have loved it too." Jabbing a finger at Anna's real nose, she continued. "And you're plenty smart, yourself. I won't tolerate hearing otherwise. Punzie told me you own over five thousand records at your apartment alone…"

"Six thousand…" Anna corrected with an embarrassed mutter.

Elsa continued undistracted. "That's...and she says you can name the artists, album titles, years of release, and top hits in chronological order."

"Aw, it's a stupid party trick…" Anna sheepishly replied.

"Forwards and backwards. While juggling eggs, if the stories are true." Elsa leveled a glare at her sister. "Brains, talent, and beauty. If I hear differently from anybody else, they're gonna get hell from me. If I hear differently from you...well...I can and in fact already have added a second 'person I admire most' to my list."

Anna blushed curiously. "Second person you...admire most?"

The bathroom door burst open, and Rapunzel bounded out, fresh, clean, and wearing a grass-green Elf costume. Soft, red slippers with jingle bell toes were over top red and black striped, thigh high socks. Her little elf dress reached to just above her knees, and she pranced around like one of Santa's magical helpers of legend. "Number 1 on that list with me!" the brunette winked, slinging an arm around her cousin with a wink. "I don't give up my bodyguard for anybody, but I can certainly be persuaded to share."

Elsa looked between her sister and her cousin. She frowned thoughtfully. "Hmph. A snowman and an elf." She looked at her own sleeping attire with disdain, adding in a sad sing song voice, "One of these things is not like the other…"

Anna and Rapunzel shared a look, and absolutely devious grins spread across their faces. "We must go…" Anna began.

"To that magical place…" Rapunzel continued, walking slowly over to Elsa.

"Where crap is cheap…" Anna stood up and took her sister's hand in her snow white one.

"And fun is a RACE!" The brunette elf howled joyously, grabbing Elsa's other hand and the two pulled her up.

"Uh...and that would be?" Elsa inquired timidly.

"WAL-MART!" the two cried in unison. Rapunzel pulled Elsa to where her tennis sneakers sat by the door. "Grab your purse and keys...the most responsible person has to drive!"

Anna skipped over to the kitchen, snatching the large serving platter they used at the picnic earlier. "I'm grabbing the pizza to irresponsibly eat in the car!"

Elsa grumbled, slipping on her shoes and slinging her purse over a shoulder. "Hey, I didn't say I liked being the irresponsible one!"

"Oh, don't you worry my dear admirer." Rapunzel winked, gently pushing her cousin towards the door. "When we're done with you, nobody on Earth will mistake you for a responsible person."

They headed out the door, Rapunzel's jingly shoes tinkling merrily down the hall and Elsa's right shoe only half on, causing the blonde woman to squawk indignantly. Anna was hot on their heels, steaming hot plate of pizza sliding precariously left and right on the platter. "Hey miss jingle butt, it's my turn to sit up front! Fair is fair!"

"Come on Elsie, just park already!" Rapunzel complained from the back seat, groaning at her cousin's vehicle habits. Anna nodded, smiling i exasperation.

"Hey, this is a rental car in my name. I need the perfect parking space that'll ensure nobody clips it and jacks my rental insurance up." Elsa stated matter of factly, circling around to the fifth aisle of parking spaces. "I swear, I'm only, maybe half as careful with my car back home."

Anna bit her lip and was glum momentarily. It had only been a few weeks, and she'd already forgotten her sister was here on business. Six months and she'd be on a plane back to the east coast. Shaking her head and refusing to dwell on the negative thought, she squeezed the blonde's shoulder. "Els, Walmart customers don't follow normal rules of...umm, stuff. You'd have to park on the roof to be totally safe." Rapunzel snickered, and Elsa hmphed, choosing a space in the back half of the lot, surrounded by empty spaces.

The three young women exited the car, which Elsa locked, and then double checked the lock. Together they made their way to the 24 hour superstore, arms linked and in lock step.

"When was the last time made a pilgrimage to this sacred place?" Anna asked her sister.

Placing her cast hand on her cousin's green, ribbon endowed sleeve, Elsa shrugged. "I don't know. Work keeps me kind of busy at home, so I usually eat out, or have dinner delivered to my office. I'm also probably 's number one customer." Suddenly self conscious of her admission, she ducked her head in guilt. "I don't have much of a social life at home, I guess."

"You aren't there right now, sweetie." Rapunzel gently reminded her cousin. "You're with family, and family means you're never gonna be alone."

Anna nodded enthusiastically, carrot nose flopping in earnest. Elsa chuckled and nodded.

"Welcome to Walmart!" a greying gentleman wearing a smartly pressed red vest said, roll of yellow smiley face stickers in his hand. "Oh wow, carrying the Halloween spirit into November, I see."

The three young women stepped up to him. Anna and Rapunzel wore million watt grins, while Elsa stared with embarrassment at her ordinary getup. "We're having a sleepover tonight, and this pretty lady right here asked for something just as fun as what we're wearing!" Rapunzel grinned, shaking Elsa's arm gently. Inclining her head towards the man, she whispered, "She's never actually been to a Walmart before, so this trip is super important."

Elsa was positively mortified, but the man winked conspiratorially. "An extra special guest, huh?" Unrolling his sticker bunch, he pressed one to Anna's belly and one to Rapunzel's. "I wonder what outfit you'll pick for her?" he mused with a smile. Then, turning to Elsa, he affixed one sticker to the blone's left shoulder, and one to her right. "Extra smiles for our extra special guest!" he winked, and Elsa felt a dopey grin form on her face. He waved at the three shoppers, wishing the the best of luck.

"Hee hee...I got two stickers." Elsa bashfully gloated.

Anna beamed at her thrilled sister, and remarked offhandedly, "Look at this nerd. One extra sticker and suddenly she's hot stuff!" Rapunzel nodded in agreement, poking her happy cousin on her glowing cheeks.

"Now then, to the sleepwear department!" the brunette announced, bells jingling in time with her footfalls.

As the crew passed by various aisles, Anna and Rapunzel pointed out and explained the several 'Walmart people' they saw.

One young man was talking to an elderly woman in the shampoo and deodorant aisle. "There's your typical 'Vine hound'. They take seven second videos of themselves, doing silly things and talking to themselves or other people. They're like seven second sitcoms. Punzie actually has one. When I get you alone, I'll show ya some and we can laugh at her."

"Hey, my ten thousand followers think I'm hella funny!" Rapunzel defended. Several aisles further down, a brown haired young woman knelt in front of a selection of Carnation Instant Breakfast diet shakes. She'd already pulled out at least ten cases, and was currently examining another closely. "And this is the elusive 'Expiration date hunter'. They shamelessly pull out every product on a shelf, checking the expiration dates on every one and only taking the one that will be freshest longest. They also can't stand dented goods." Rapunzel said, talking like Steve Irwin used to on the Discovery Channel. "Don't make any sudden movements or it might run!"

Sensing eyes on her, the brown haired young woman turned from her spot on the floor. Her eyes grew wide and her jaw went slack.

"Oh crap...well, this is awkward." Anna muttered, half in pity and half in amusement. Ha...hey. How are you doing tonight, Lynz?"

Lynsey clutched the bottled drinks to her chest, eyes darting warily between the three girls. A strangled gurgle that resembled a cross between a badger and a goat came unbidden from her throat. Face flaming crimson, she turned back to the meal shake shelf and remained as still as a statue.

Rapunzel coughed awkwardly, before tugging her two cousins away, lips pressed tightly together as a prison for the riotous laughter that threatened to erupt.

"Well then." Anna said lowly. "That was just...a Kodak moment if I ever saw one."

Rapunzel couldn't stand it any more and let her giggles leak out. "Oh my GOD, Anna, I totally forgot to tell you!" Anna looked over at her cousin quizzically.

Elsa groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, here we go." However, the blonde also wore a small, guilty smile.

"I went with Elsa to her arm checkup a couple days ago...which, by the way, went great and she'll be getting her sweet cast off in two more weeks!"

"Awesome!" Anna exclaimed, giving her sister a firm one armed hug.

"So anyway, I'd just got done with doing artsy stuff with the hospital daycare kids, when I nearly ran right into Lynsey. Long story short, words were exchanged and she activated bitch mode. Then, who should appear but this stellar gal!" The brunette squeezed Elsa's forearm. "Lynsey said some not so flattering things about you, and then had the sheer audacity to hit on your sister!"

Anna's eyes bugged out.

"I know, right?! Anyway, Elsa puts her in her place, and we turn to leave. Lynz had to get in a parting shot, and well, she just pressed the wrong buttons. Elsa fucking pretends she's a hospital administrator and has the girl fired on the spot!"

Anna wore a look of shock as she stared at her sister. Elsa looked at her, a little embarrassed, but eyes tender.

"Totally whips out her cell phone all authoritative-like, pretends to make a call, and we just about face and strut right the hell out of there!" Cheeks pink, Rapunzel lowered her voice and scratched Elsa's back gently. "Definitely top three 'I'm so fucking proud of you moments', nerdface."

Elsa shrugged bashfully. "I just told her that nobody messes with my family."

"Ah ah!" Rapunzel corrected with a sly grin. "I believe you said 'nobody messes with my fucking family'!" Elsa groaned, turning and blowing a raspberry on the brunette's ear, causing her to squeal indignantly.

Anna pursed her lips thoughtfully. "We talked...kinda agreed we were just killing time with being together. I know...I know I get involved with people who...well, kinda walk all over me. Yay self esteem, yaaaay." she cheered sarcastically, before looking up at her sister and brushing her bangs behind her ear. "Thank you for standing up for me. I'm working on the whole...self deprecation thing, but it really, really, means a lot." Anna sniffed, rubbing her nose with a snowy paw.

Elsa gave a watery sigh and pulled her sister in closer. "Hey, no crying, that makes cute snowgirls melt. And standing up for people is any older sister's job." Pinching Rapunzel's arm lightly, she added, "And any older cousin's job, too." Turning back to Anna, she finished with. "I don't know how much you want me sticking my nose in your personal business, so I'll try to keep my thoughts on your relationships, um...to myself."

Anna rubbed her sister's back warmly. "Caring about me like that is something I've really only gotten from elf girl over there these last few years. I may get pissy and difficult when you guys tell me stuff I know is true but don't wanna believe, but...don't stop." Pulling her snowman hoodie down over her red eyes, she finished with, "I'll tell you when it gets to be too much, but until then...gimme gimme that sweet sweet lovin'."

Rapunzel chuckled, and Elsa ruffled her adorable little snowman's fuzzy head. They continued walking, before Rapunzel indignantly burst out, "Hey wait! I said fucking! G! Priority one cursing from our little angel here!"

Anna laughed, snowy sholders shaking mirthfully. Elsa groaned. "Okay okay, we get it I can say curse words and you can spell them." Rapunzel's laughter doubled at her cousin's quip, and the three continued walking towards the sleepwear section.

Buzz Lightyear. Pocohantas. Donald Duck. Jack Sparrow. Shelves and shelves jammed full of cute pajamas, sexy sleepwear, and even boring tops and bottoms like Elsa's. She pursed her lips, and for a second she felt eight years old again in a land of imagination.

"Hey Mikey, I think she likes it!" Rapunzel snickered, and Anna rolled her eyes at the dated cereal commercial reference.

"Wow, these are all...and so reasonably priced!" Elsa took down several, all under twenty dollars. "Trust me, you guys do not want to know what I paid for the set I'm wearing."

"Oh, but we do!" Anna insisted. Rapunzel nodded enthusiastically.

Shaking her head, Elsa replied, "Two hundred dollars from Ralph Lauren. And they don't have any return policy!"

Her sister and cousin both acted as though it was chump change, though she knew that much could pay for almost half of the rent for their respective apartments. Slowly perusing the selection, Elsa softly hummed a lullaby.

In an attempt to be helpful, Rapunzel offered, "Well, what are you favorite movies? TV shows? I mean, you could just pick a Santa onesie to match our theme, but sleepwear is an important investment."

Anna nodded earnestly, toeing one of the brunette's toe bells and giggling. "The right PJs bring sweeter dreams and make your morning coffee or hot chocolate taste all the better." Leaning in and whispering conspiratorially, Anna said, "Also, PJ or onesie cuddles are the absolute best things ever."

Elsa blushed, slamming down on the voice in her head that had a word or two to say regarding her less than pure thoughts. Shuffling through several more costumes, she froze, gripping one in her hands. Rapunzel and Anna both squealed and approached her to see her choice. Elsa shoved it underneath her top. "Nope! I have to try it on first...you can see it then. It's a surprise...hehehe."

Anna and Rapunzel shared a look of excitement, and quickly dragged the blonde to the nearest dressing room, nearly shoving her inside before closing the door. "Wow...you two are more excited than me!" the blonde remarked, the sounds of shuffling clothing replacing her voice soon after.

"She's just like a kid sometimes...god, I think she really needs this kind of stuff." Anna said, sitting down and stretching her furry snow legs out.

Rapunzel nodded thoughtfully. "She really does. When we were in high school, my stepmom wouldn't let her live with us. She had to stay in the school dorms...she was already a fish out of water as it was. I tried to get over to spend time with her every chance I got…" the brunette trailed off uncertainly.

Anna placed a reassuring hand on her cousin's wrist. "Hey, you did plenty. As far as I'm concerned, you saved her, Punzie." Squeezing the green clad wrist, Anna continued. "I see how much you mean to her, and likewise. Though, not gonna lie, I'd love to see that school of yours some day and hear some stories. If...if you don't think that would be too hard for her?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "It's in Colorado, in case you didn't know. There are a couple of teachers I'd like to visit again...catch up with. People who really inspired me to be the half-baked fake artist person I am now!" Thinking on it for a moment, she finished, "I'll...talk to Elsa about it later. Maybe if we can get ahead on the music store project and she can leave Kristoff in charge of a few extra things...and assuming Merida doesn't murder you for taking time off for once…"

Anna's eyebrows rose hopefully. "Road trip?"

Rapunzel grinned. "We'll see. I can cover any extra expenses on Elsa's rental to take it out of the area...the money I'm making now." The brunette shook her head in disbelief. "Elsa better not be playing favorites with me, but I mean...shit I'm getting braggy, sorry."

"Don't even be sorry, Punz." Anna grinned. "You know I'm your biggest fan...your work's been deserving of and screaming for recognition for a long time now. Just remember us little people when you have your own gallery and stuff." the copper haired girl finished with a wink.

Shaking her head with a laugh, Rapunzel sat down next to her snowman cousin and wrapped her in a big hug. "You...if I get rich I'm buying you your 'top five dream albums list', and setting up a permanent music studio in my place. To, you know...entice you to visit and stay for awhile."

The two hugged for a few moments, before a polite cough interrupted them. "Aww...you two are just the sweetest things." Elsa grinned, head poking around the corner. "Now stay sweet, and swear you'll keep the laughter to a minimum!"

The snowman and the elf put their right hands up in a solemn promise.

Elsa slowly walked out and stood in front of her sister and cousin. Fuzzy, black socks ran up Elsa's legs stopping at just above her knees. The socks were embroidered with stitching that made them appear like boots, with several stitched buckles running ankle to knee. The back of the socks had several white stripes and X marks at the top. A few inches of pale legs came after, followed by a short black dressy top. The neckline swooped round and revealed a slender collarbone. Strips of white cloth wrapped around her waist in the form of a belt, and vertical white cross stitches also wrapped around the skirt. A fuzzy, black choker around Elsa's neck completed the look.

Anna and Rapunzel sat, completely transfixed. Elsa fiddled with the hem of her pajama skirt. "So...any guesses?" she asked nervously.

"Uh...umm…" Anna was forced to lick her dry lips, and Rapunzel quickly wiped a dribble of drool from the corner of her mouth. "Can we...can we have a clue?" the brunette elf asked, voice cracking in the middle.

"Oh, umm…" Elsa thought for a moment. She stood awkwardly at attention and saluted. "Thank you, sir!" After a few moments, she saluted again. "Thank you, ma'am!"

Rapunzel slapped the bench they were on with glee. "Holy shit, I totally forgot you were an NCIS geek!" Anna groaned, slapping her forehead and claiming she should've known it because Pauley Perette was one of her celebrity crushes.

Elsa sighed in relief. "So...I guess this meets with approval? Walmart trip was a success?" Her answer was her two girls hug attacking her. After a minute, she coughed uncomfortably and suggested they get back home. Movies, after all weren't going to watch themselves.

On the drive home, Anna suggested they stop at Dairy Queen and pick up celebratory blizzards for Elsa's awesome pajama selection. Rapunzel ordered Butterfinger, Anna requested pineapple and Oreos, while Elsa went with Kit Kat. Rapunzel had graciously offered Anna the shotgun seat on the trip home, which she accepted with zero fuss.

The radio was on, and Anna was absentmindedly singing along, when a phone rang. Tapping the snowman on the shoulder, Rapunzel indicated the radio's volume, and Anna set the ice cream on the floor before turning the power off.

"Hi...mom." Rapunzel said, folding one arm across her stomach as she leaned her head back against the headrest.

Elsa shared a brief look of concern with her sister.

"No mom, I'm fine. I'm out with my cousins, Anna and Elsa. We were shop-" Rapunzel huffed at the interruption.

"Sorry, we only went out for, like, half an hour. What's up?" Biting her lip in concern, the brunette listened intently.

"Mom...mom. MOM! You're going in circles, please just spit it out."

Rapunzel's pupils constricted and her hand holding the phone shook. She reached over to steady it with her other hand. "Th...that's, that's horrible! It's not even trash day! I mean, why was-"

Several moments of silence passed. The brunette's voice wavered ever so slightly. "Mom, wh...where's dad?"

A brief, delaying reply.

Rapunzel felt her chest constrict. Her vision clouded and her eyes unfocused. "Mom. MOM. Put on dad. P...put on daddy I need to talk to daddy right n-"

Anna was frozen with worry. Elsa spared a glance at her distraught cousin in the rear view mirror.

"N...no...he doesn't. I m-I." the young woman's entire body shook.

Elsa began to slowly pull the car onto the shoulder of the road.

"W-when. I c-come." The color drained from Rapunzel's face. Her eyes glazed over.

Elsa stopped the car and flipped the four ways on. Anna was giving her a sidelong look. A freckled hand lay, trembling and outstretched, on the cup holders. Elsa slid her hand over and grasped her sisters, feeling the tremble.

"Y-yes. I. Tuesd-day. I...yes. I wuh… I will. Okay." The phone slid from the brunette's hands and bounced off the car seat, landing on the plastic mat with a soft thump.

Elsa and Anna ventured tenative looks back to their cousin. Rapunzel's face was stark white, breathing in gradually faster breaths. "My daddy…"

The sisters tenatively reached out hands to place on their cousin's knees. "Duh… daddy… my da…"

Fingertips brushed the green cloth on the brunette's knees. Rapunzel's entire body shook violently and she slapped her palms to her face, jerking her knees against her chest. A primal cry of grief tore through her throat and hot tears splashed from her eyes. Fingernails dug into pale forehead skin, hands dragging down her face and leaving nasty red streaks. "DAA HAA HAA DEE!" The young woman was overcome with sobbing convulsions.

Anna reached out to touch her cousin's leg, but Rapunzel viciously clawed at her. "DON'T TOUCH MEEEE!" Her voice grew hoarse and her hands dug into her elf hat, clawing holes in the fabric and ripping it to shreds with an anguished wail.

Elsa quickly whispered, "Anna, you take her left door, I'll take her right." Anna, momentarily stunned, shook her head and reached for her door handle.

There was nothing in Rapunzel's world now. Nothing but hot, bitter tears and soul searing grief. She thrashed violently in the back seat, curses spewing brokenly from her lips. "Fuck everything and FUCK GOD AND FUU HUU HUU-" The distraught young woman tore at the very hair on her head, throat now completely hoarse. She did not hear the back doors opening.

Instantly she was surrounded on all sides. Arms gripped her, and she clawed at them. Thighs pressed against her legs, and she thrashed wildly, kicking and screaming and not caring about damage. Still, Anna and Elsa persisted. The louder she screamed and more violently she fought, the tighter they clung.

An indeterminate amount of time passed. Rapunzel had managed to scream and thrash herself into unconsciousness. Her soft breath, mingled with that of her cousins, was the only sound in the car. Elsa slowly opened her eyes, loosening her grip on her cousin's torso. She looked over to Anna, who was breathing raggedly. One freckled arm was trapped between Rapunzel's arms. The other was shakily touching one of the nasty claw marks their cousin left on Elsa's collarbone.

The sisters remained in the back seat with their unconscious cousin for ten full minutes, collecting themselves. When their breathing had settled down somewhat, Elsa reached a hand over and brushed Anna's cheek, another location of nasty scratch marks. "Are...are you okay to stay back here with her while I drive us back?"

Anna nodded, lips trembling in a frown and eyes puffy and squinting with the threat of imminent tears, but her voice was resolute. "Let's get her home and in bed." She gently put her hand against Elsa's, still resting on her cheek, whispering, "We...we know what this is like. She'll need us n...now more than ever."

The drive back to Rapunzel's apartment was quiet, dark, and foreboding.

"Rapunzel Corona." The dean of the academy, and Rapunzel's stepmother, stood stiffly as she spoke into the microphone on stage. A blur of blue cap and gown, trailed by an outrageously long and intricate blonde braid, bounded onto that stage. Coming to a stop awkwardly, hand holding onto her cap to ensure it didn't fly off, Rapunzel turned to the audience and waved enthusiastically.

A few high clouds did nothing to darken the sunny day and perfect weather for a graduation. The blonde haired young woman looked over to her classmates, easily able to pick out her fellow art clubbers from their raucous jumping and hollering. She blew those special friends a kiss. Eyes scanning her family section, she giggled at her two years younger cousin, Anna Arendelle, hollering joyfully and holding up a cardboard sign that read 'PUNZIE FOR PREZ'. Rapunzel put a hand to her mouth, stifling a heart chuckle. Next to her cousin sat her father, Thomas, camcorder in hand. The two made eye contact, and it was obvious to her that he'd been crying. They shared their secret mutual wave: three fingers rubbed across the temple and pointed at the other.

The blonde graduate's heart sank a little at her older cousin's lack of attendance, but she stood up straight, took a deep breath, and marched smartly to her stepmother. Accepting the diploma, and a brief hug, Goethel whispered to her stepdaughter, "You've done us proud, dear. And I know you always will."

Walking to the end of the stage, Rapunzel stopped just before stepping down. Bringing her diploma to her lips, she pressed a kiss against the blue ribbon, and pointed it towards the sky. "Thanks, mom." the blonde whispered, hurriedly running off the stage and back to her seat before a tear could fall. There she sat, surrounded by friends, mind abuzz with the unlimited possibilities that lay before her.

Despite the euphoria and distraction, she made a mental note to get a copy of the graduation tape to mail to Elsa. Her older cousin had called her a week prior from university, amid a stressful finals week, but had nothing but warm wishes and love to send.

The rest of the ceremony passed in a whirlwind of activity: tassels moved, caps tossed, and plans made. As dean, Goethel had to stay long after the ceremony for administrative duties, so it was some time later that the proud blonde graduate found herself seated next to her younger cousin and across from her father at her favorite Italian restaurant. Eyes alight with plans, Rapunzel eagerly told her father and cousin about her plans.

"Okay, so SFIA doesn't actually need the first semester's payment until February. I already have two part time jobs lined up with friends in the area. The scholarships will help a little each year, especially the one from the Sunwoods Retreat…" The blonde had a yellow legal pad with expenses thoroughly detailed, and was going through her list of income sources, before Anna excitedly interrupted her.

"Omigosh, Sunwoods! Yes, I'm totally applying for that one this year!" the freckled girl said, clinging excitedly to her older cousin's graduation robe. "Wow, that's supposed to be really hard to get...then again, you are pretty amazing so I'm not too surprised!"

Rapunzel blushed, putting her copper haired cousin in a headlock. "I also have some idea for what the music and theater director looks for, so this summer I'll come visit and help you get your app into spanking shape!" Anna squealed with excitement, giggling when her cousin gifted her with a noogie.

Thomas had been quiet for most of the meal, content to sit and watch his daughter and niece talk about the graduate's plans for the Arts Institute. A sly smile played at the corners of his mouth, hands folded beneath his chin, impressed by his daughter's careful financial planning. When there was an appropriate lull in the conversation, he spoke up.

"Well, you've certainly got a solid plan for this considerable undertaking, Beary." Thomas mused, using his affectionate nickname for Rapunzel.

She nodded, exhaling loudly. "It's only money, and I could take a year off now to save more, but the sooner I nab a degree the quicker I can put myself out there to people and places that offer me more money to do what I want." Her father nodded, swelling with pride at the attitude of his eccentric yet responsible daughter. Sliding her notepad over to himself, Thomas took a good look at her savings and expenses with a critical eye.

"Well, if you don't mind, I have some alterations to suggest." he said with a wink. Rapunzel and Anna both looked on in curiosity as he pulled out a green pen and made several notes on the paper. After a few minutes, he flipped the notepad back around for his daughter to see.

"Hmm, okay...wait, why did you cross out my savings account with a green 'x'?" Rapunzel sighed, looking at her father and explaining her document as if he was two years old. "Okay daddy, look, this side is expenses and this side is money I have right now. This column over here is scholarships, and this one is what I can make working."

Thomas' smile grew so wide that his eyes crinkled. "Yes, Beary. But your savings is something you earned through hard work. And…" he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out an envelope, "...I haven't given you your graduation present, yet." Handing the envelope to his daughter with barely restrained enthusiasm, his eyes lit up.

"Daddy, what did you do?" Rapunzel gently chided her father, wide smile on her face nonetheless. Opening the envelope, which had a red heart drawn on the front, she pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. A check. "Oh daddy, you don't have to give me money, I really do have this all worked out…" the blonde murmured warmly.

Her father shook his head, smile threatening to explode. "Open it…"

Rapunzel unfolded the check, and the first thing she noticed was that it wasn't made out to her. "San Francisco Arts Institute...Sixteen th. Sixtee. Saa. No. Noooo-" Her voice stuttered and became shakey as her hands trembled. "Daddy...no…"

Thomas attempted to regain some composure. "Years two through four are grade dependent. Your first year...this is from us." His eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Happy graduation, Beary."

Rapunzel's face teared up and she lunged across the table, wrapping her father in a giant hug. "Oh daddy, you shouldn't have…" Her heart twisted sweetly, and she clung to her father. Anna sniffled, putting a hand on her shoulder and rubbing.

After several moments, Thomas coughed. "Okay honey, let's...let's not get your robes all mussed up with pizza." The blonde reluctantly took her seat again, and saw that her father was pinching the bridge of his nose. He was always bad at hiding tears. "Now then, if I may make a suggestion. I really think you deserve a vacation. Travel a bit, before you begin your new studies in the fall. You know I have more frequent flier miles than I could ever hope to use, so if you'd like to take a friend with…" he chuckled at his niece.

Anna was positively vibrating with excitement. "Wow, you should go EVERYWHERE! I mean, not everywhere, but gosh you could go see the Buddhist temples in Thailand! And you love the old castles in Scotland and Ireland, and and I always see your nose buried in some German restaurants tourbook!" Clutching her cousin's graduation robes, she squealed, "Don't think, just do it! Do it, do it now!"

Rapunzel smiled affectionately at her bubbly younger cousin. Always so excited, always so supportive. She looked back to her father. "Daddy...do you think…"

Her father was one step ahead of her. "I already checked. Anna, I trust you'll keep my Beary safe while you're gone. Your parents gave the go ahead, and cleared your schedule for the next three months. That is...if you're interested?"

Anna went silent and slack jawed for a full minute. It took Rapunzel grasping her by the shoulders and shaking her until her braids bounced wildly to bring her back around. "Wake up you dork, you're coming with me!"

Anna started crying and babbling incoherently. She buried her face in her cousin's graduation robes, tears staining the fabric a darker blue. Holding her bawling cousin, she looked to her father and mouthed the words, "Thank you daddy." Her father only nodded, reclining back in the booth and basking in the happy moment.

From the edge of a light, dreamless sleep, Elsa felt a pull towards consciousness. Her head turned and she swallowed thickly, eyes slowly opening to a dark room. She was sitting in a kitchen chair, apparently in Rapunzel's bedroom. Her gaze slowly drifted around the room in mild confusion, wondering why she wasn't in her room. Another tug at her sleeve, and her eyes fell on Rapunzel. Standing in the darkness, cheeks puffy and lined from a night spent tossing, turning, and crying bitterly into pillows. The brunette wore a frighteningly vacant expression. Elsa's voice caught in her throat for a moment.

"Punzie?" Elsa offered hesitantly.

Rapunzel's first action was to reach out and touch Elsa's cheek, fingertips sliding along the twin bandaids there. "Elsie...you look like shit." her flat voice causing the words to tumble out with zero inflection.

Elsa said nothing, weighing her words carefully and observing her cousin's erratic behavior.

"Where are your pajamas?" the brunette questioned absentmindedly. "You picked something, I think...what did we get you?" Turning, she walked over to her closet slowly.

"Rapunzel...sweetie." Elsa whispered, hands grasping the chair, ready to stand.

The closet doors opened with a slow creak. Rapunzel's arms moved slowly. Methodically. Robotically. "Maybe I put it in here. Maybe it's still in the Walmart bag." Her continued flat tone unnerved Elsa greatly, and the blonde stood up.

"Punzie, honey...I wore the pajamas out of the store, remember?" Elsa prompted, hearing a shuffle from the living room. She saw her sister, sprawled out on the sofa, reach blindly before finding a cushion and slowly pushing herself upright.

Rapunzel's arms stopped moving, but her eyes remained locked on the inside of her closet. "Oh, that's right. You were Abby." she mumbled. Elsa nodded hesitantly.

Anna quietly walked down the hallway, poking her head into the room. "Elsa?" she murmured, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Elsa glanced over to the freckled young woman and put a finger to her lips.

"We ate pizza." Rapunzel continued, reaching up to the top shelf of her closet. "We drove to Walmart." She stood on her tip toes, pulling several shoeboxes with lids taped shut off the shelf. They hit the floor behind the brunette, the shattering of glass inside each making an unmistakably jarring sound.

Anna flinched, immediately turning towards the sound. Elsa took several hesitant steps towards her cousin. "Sweetie...let's sit down and talk."

"I was in the back seat." Rapunzel's soft, clipped tone pierced the heavy atmosphere. Her hands grasped for something at the back of the shelf. "I was...in the back seat." The brunette pulled something else off the shelf, and the sisters braced themselves for another crash.

Rapunzel turned around slowly. Hugged securely to her chest was a stuffed teddy bear. The glow of the hallway light revealed the animal wore a red shirt with a brown paint brush on it. The bottom and sleeves of the shirt were frayed, loose threads indicating its age. Small clumps of fur were missing from the bear's head, looking as though it had been in the hands of a barber still in diapers.

Elsa was crawling across the bed towards her cousin. She stopped halfway, noticing Anna was almost at the brunette's side. The freckled girl's hands trembled, yearning to embrace her cousin.

Bottom lip quivering, Rapunzel's voice showed the first bit of inflection since waking up. "My duh...daddy called me Beary." She swayed side to side, gently rocking the bear in her arms. Her neutral expression fell away, and her tired face sank into sorrow. "My daddy...died."

The brunette's legs gave out, head bowing, and Anna reached out to catch her. Staggering a bit under her cousin's limp weight, and avoiding her dragging feet, Anna slowly pulled her over to her bed. Elsa was seated on her knees and reached out, pulling Rapunzel into an embrace. Anna clambered onto the bed and sat cross legged behind her cousin.

There were no violent thrashings. Rapunzel was completely sapped of strength. She wept softly, quietly, clinging to her stuffed childhood friend and reminder of her father. Gentle hands comforted her and soft voices sang lullabies holding promises of a brighter tomorrow.

Over the next forty five minutes, Elsa and Anna had shifted so that they were on either side of Rapunzel, arms draped loosely around her shoulders and tummy. The brunette would speak in short, stilted sentences every few minutes, usually about some fond memory of time spent with her father. She had retrieved her cell phone, miraculously undamaged, from her elf skirt pocket, and was quietly tapping on it.

Anna was the first to break the silence. "Whatcha doin' there, miss?" She'd been lightly scratching the base of her cousin's neck, and made no effort to stop.

Rapunzel sighed wearily. "There isn't going to be a viewing. The funeral will be Wednesday afternoon." Swiping several times with her thumb, she continued. "It's twelve hundred some miles from here, so I'm scoping out round trip bus fares that leave tonight. Two days should get me there with enough time to stay with my stepmom for the night, before the...event Wednesday. I might stay over Wednesday night too...I don't know what family matters I'll be needed for."

Elsa had heard enough. Gently putting her hand over her cousin's phone, her tone carried no room for argument. "You aren't going there alone, and you certainly aren't going by bus."

Rapunzel let her phone drop and hung her head. "Elsa...look, I really appreciate it, but that's...too much." The exhaustion never left her voice. "A couple days out...I checked. Tickets are a thousand bucks a pop, and that's for bucket seats with the luggage. You have building construction to oversee. Anna, I know you're worried that if you miss more than one day in the shop, Merida will scare off every customer you have. I...I can work on more designs during the bus trip, and...and make up for lost time on the store's interior after I get...get…" The brunette wasn't crying, but her shoulders shook and her voice had sunk into a wavering tremble.

"Now, listen to me." Elsa whispered, voice gentle but authoritative. She made eye contact with Anna, who nodded resolutely, before beginning. "I'm buying three round trip plane tickets. We'll leave tomorrow morning and get there with plenty of time to spare. I'm sure your stepmom already has his affairs in order, and will guide you through everything." Gently rubbing the brunette's tummy, Elsa continued. "Kristoff will be fine without me nagging him for a few days. You work for me, and aside from the fact that your work is sterling and you're two weeks ahead of schedule, this is a direct order from your boss to take time off."

Anna quietly interjected, "The store will be fine. Hiccup likes the opportunities to prove he can run the store himself. Anyway, Merida would have a shit fit if I told her I actually consider Hic my second in command." Pressing her face into her cousin's hair, she finished, "You are our number one priority, and we will see you through this."

Rapunzel shrugged helplessly, speechless from the consideration shown by her dear cousins. Her voice was still flat, but she struggled to put on a smile. "I don't know what I did to deserve you two. Even if...even if you do act like nosey brats, sometimes." The three shared a quiet chuckle.

Sitting back with a groan, and already missing her cousin's warmth, Anna groused, "Well, I should get cleaned up and drag my ass to the shop to let Hic and Mer know what's up. Can I bring something back for a late lunch...or an early dinner?"

Rapunzel spoke softly, but with a hint of optimism. "Burritos might be nice."

Anna nodded, squeezing the brunette's shoulder tenderly, before flouncing off of the bed and moving towards the bathroom. Elsa quickly reached out and grabbed her hand, startling her as the copper haired young woman looked back at her sister. Elsa's eyebrows knitted together and she bit her bottom lip, devoid of words. Anna smiled warmly, squeezing her sister's hand and pressing her thumb into the older woman's palm.

After Anna was in the bathroom, and the shower was running, Elsa pulled out her own cell phone. Navigating to Priceline's website, she held her phone in front of her cousin and kept an arm around her while navigating. "I'm going to buy the tickets now. After that, I'll settle everything on the business end. Then...then, we'll get your suitcase packed." Rapunzel nodded, leaning into her cousin's touch.

The two were interrupted when Anna poked her head back into the bedroom, shampoo in her eyes, hair soaking wet, and dripping everywhere. Rapunzel actually snorted out a half laugh.

"I didn't see that, but I heard that!" Anna said. "Hey...do think I should. Do you want me to, um...would you like Eugene to come?"

Rapunzel pondered the idea thoughtfully for a few seconds, facial expressions showing signs of life. "I think so...yeah. Dad liked him, and I…" her expression took on a more somber tone, but she managed to finish, "...if he would like to come, it would be greatly appreciated."

Anna gave a soggy nod, flipping droplets of water in the doorway, before retreating to the shower.

Rapunzel sighed. "Do you think...is that selfish of me to...ask him to come?"

Elsa shook her head. "It's not selfish to offer. To ask. It's never selfish to want support." Satisfied with that response, the brunette relaxed in her cousin's embrace and idly stroked the fraying fuzz on her teddy bear.

"Yo, you've got Bertha the Butcher on the line. You pop 'em we chop 'em." Dark brown boots rested lazily on a banister, pushing back and forth while the rocking chair creaked in time. Eugene Fitzherbert leaned back in the old wicker chair, cell phone in one hand and a bag of pistachios in the other. The voice on the end sounded tired, but accusatory.

"You aren't killing any innocent bears or moose out there, are you? Moose? Mooses? Meese?" Anna rested at her desk in the back room of the record store, palm in one hand and phone in the other.

Eugene cracked a smile. "No, Anna. Just a beer can here and there...maybe a squirrel with a death wish. What's up?"

Anna sighed, considering the best way to approach this. "A lot, actually. I've called to ask a favor. Well, not a favor per se, more like an offer. A...god fucking damnit. Rapunzel's dad died yesterday."

Eugene stopped rocking, dropping his bag of snacks and switching the phone to his dominant hand. Planting his feet on the deck of the log cabin's porch, he stood up and began to pace. "Jesus Christ...Anna, I'm sorry. I...how's Rapunzel handling it?"

Anna knew she couldn't keep her voice neutral, so she didn't bother trying. "She's half a wreck. Sort of in her head a lot. I...I'm worried. I've never seen her like this."

The brown haired man nodded, stepping down off the porch and walking out towards the forest that surrounded the cabin. "I know, I know. You know she's working through it when she's angry. But sometimes...yeah, she skips angry and just shuts right down. But...damn, Tom. The guy was about as good as dads came." Scratching the back of his head with a frown, he reminisced a bit. "Gave good advice, and not just about his daughter. Helped me out of a few, shall we say, situations."

Anna nodded, closing the folder of receipts she'd opened on the desk. Hiccup could sort them while she was gone, and she'd be sure to have some extra root beer in their mini fridge for him. "Punzie...look, I hope you're doing better. About her, anyway. I'm not asking you to come for her...but, if you'd like to come pay your respects…" Anna petered out at the end, unsure of what to say.

"Hm." Eugene picked up a small, flat rock. He flung it up into the nearby trees, nailing a few leaves off which fluttered slowly to the ground. "He's good people. I'll come for him. She's...I don't really get her lifestyle, but I figured out it doesn't matter if I get it. Goldie's a chip off the old block...and I'd be lying if I said I didn't still love the hell out of her. If she needs another shoulder...I'll be there."

Anna let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Thanks. I...yeah. There's a plane ticket for you if you just say the word, I'll-"

"Don't bother." Eugene interrupted, fishing his keys out of his pocket. "I appreciate it, but it's only a five hour ride from here to Denver. Some road time before I get there will do me good." Thumbing his keys awkwardly, he muttered, "Look, I'm not trying to be selfish, but I...how's she doing otherwise?"

Anna drummed her fingers on the oak desk. "She's dealing. She...you probably know about the blowup between her and her stepmom a few years ago. She really wanted to change who she was...to be with you. It's, you know…"

"I know." Eugene nodded, spinning the keyring around his index finger. "You don't ask somebody to change something so...a part of themselves. She's who she is and I...well fuck, you know, I miss my friend." He felt tears at the corner of his eyes, and exhaled. "I'll be up there tomorrow night. I guess she'll stay with her stepmom...I wish she'd…"

He trailed off, but Anna agreed. "I know, man. I know. Hey, I'll text you the hotel I'm staying at if you wanna meet up Monday night, alright?"

"That works." The young man shook his head. "I feel like a dirtbag for skipping town while this went down...thank god you and your sister were there…"

"Can it, Fitzherbert." Anna said with a smile. "You're good people too...see you tomorrow."

"You got it." The brown haired young man snapped his phone shut, taking a deep breath of the forest air. He was about to put his phone away, when an incoming text message caused it to buzz.

It was from his roommate, Gaston. Hey man, can you check if your ex can cover Jake's shift at the diner tonight? Groaning, he shot back a return text. Her dad died. She'll be out of town for a few days. So will I. Any more questions and you'll get fucked with a broom.

Pocketing his cell phone and kicking up some of the dead leaves lying on the ground, he mused wryly, "Guess it's back to the real world." before heading back to the cabin to pack.

Anna yawned, slowly getting up from her desk. Rapunzel's sofa was not the comfiest place to catch forty winks, and she was dead on her feet, but she still had to inform her friends she'd be out of town for a few days. And leave them with direction that both let Hiccup know he was first in command, and didn't give Merida the idea that she was working for him. She stopped at the door, touching her microphone stand, and feeling the surge of adrenaline that singing always gave her. "Back to it soon enough...soon enough."

Miles Davis struggled valiantly, but he couldn't escape Rapunzel's grasp. "Oh yes, mama's even going to miss you, you little rascal." She had already given a goodbye cuddle to each of her cats, and was just finishing with round two. "Behave while I'm gone, and uncle Hiccup will be by to check on you a couple times. Be nice to him."

Elsa came out of the bathroom, scooping up her carry on bag. She was dressed in black jeans, and chose a sweater and light jacket combo, prepared for the colder weather. "Anna should have everything packed. If you're ready...we should head down to the car."

Rapunzel nodded, nuzzling a clearly perturbed Miles Davis one last time, before he scampered away to play with his siblings. She slung her own duffel bag over a shoulder and, with a deep breath, said, "Alright...let's do this."

After locking the apartment door, they'd barely taken ten steps from the apartment before Elsa's phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she pinched the bridge of her nose, and told her cousin to go ahead down to the car.

"Alright…" Rapunzel said uneasily. Elsa looked mildly distressed. "Don't get lost on your way down, okay?" The blonde woman smiled with good cheer, and sent her cousin off with a gentle pat on the back.

"This is Elsa Arendelle. Oh, yes, good morning, sir." Elsa groaned inwardly. Last minute calls were almost never a good thing.

"Everything's right on schedule. Ahead in several areas, if I may say so."

"I'm...I. Actually, there was a death in the family and I was preparing to head out of town, just for a few days."

"What's the problem? The project is…"

"Changes? At this stage of construction? Who would authorize that?"

"I understand. Have his secretary email me the changes and I'll speak with the foreman about…"

"He wants to meet in person?"

"Tomorrow?!"

"Sir, with all due respect, my cousin's father passed away. Her mother is already deceased, and…"

"I'm aware of the value of this contract, but if we could postpone it for only three days…"

"Sir, I am afraid that by that definition, my sister and I have no remaining immediate family."

"She is already accompanying our cousin."

"Yes sir, I understand."

"No, sir, I will handle the matter personally. Please inform the franchise owner that I would consider it a tremendous personal favor and be greatly indebted to him if he could manage to expedite the timetable of these meetings."

"It is what it is, sir. Good day."

Elsa hung up abruptly. The conversation had sapped what little strength she'd kept in reserve for the trip and funeral. Strength she'd have moved heaven and earth to lend to her cousin, but now. Now.

Don't worry. She's used to you letting her down. This will hardly be the first time.

Elsa felt the bile rise in her throat, and she swallowed hard. Forcing her feet to carry her down the hall and descending three flights of stairs, her mind could not piece together an adequate explanation.

Rapunzel was already in the back seat of the car, one arm wrapped securely around her stuffed bear. Anna stood outside of the shotgun seat, arms resting on the roof. Catching her sister's eyes as Elsa exited the apartment building and headed towards the door, Anna said, "Punzie said you took a call. Everything alright?"

Elsa stopped, hand on the driver's side door handle. Leaning over the roof and keeping her voice low, she said, "Something came up at work. I can't go with you. Please sit in the back with her."

Anna just stared at her sister. Elsa's normally pale skin was even more ghostly than normal, and her sagging shoulders spoke volumes. The freckled young woman nodded, adding, "We will get through this, Elsa." The blonde woman managed a tired half nod, exhaling raggedly.

Opening the back door, Anna plopped down next to Rapunzel. The copper haired woman fastened her seatbelt, nudging her cousin's shoulder, offering a half grin. "Don't let me crowd you...you can slide that butt over if you want!"

Rapunzel looked over at the redhead with a dull expression, until a treasured memory brought a small smile to her face. The brunette laid her head on Anna's shoulder, nuzzling a copper braid, and mumbling, "My travel buddy."

Anna's grin grew more tender, and she hooked arms with her affectionate cousin. "Someday we're gonna go back and visit all those places together. Take more pictures. Eat more food."

"Smoke more MJ." Rapunzel added, tittering merrily.

Anna put a hand gently over her cousin's mouth, the warm breath on her palm making her stomach flip not unpleasantly. "Easy on the illicit substance talk around Elsa, you goon." Rapunzel giggled again, and her lips pressed against Anna's hand made the freckled young woman blush awkwardly.

Elsa overheard the exchange while pulling out of the parking lot and despite her distraughtness, managed to reply, "Oh no, my precious innocent family has smoked marijuana before! It's positively scandalous!" The three young women shared a heartwarming group chuckle.

Anna stood with Rapunzel at the terminal gate while Elsa checked their baggage in with a clerk. With Thanksgiving being only a week away, airline traffic was increasing and the airport was filled with more hustle and bustle than usual. Anna squeezed her cousin's hand, and Rapunzel laid her head on the taller woman's shoulder again.

"I...I don't know if I could do this...if the two of you weren't here with me." Anna almost didn't hear the quiet confession escape her cousin's lips. "I'm...it's like I'm falling apart. You and Elsie are the only things keeping me from just blowing away...like dust or something." Rapunzel clung tighter to her younger cousin's hand, treating it like her only lifeline to the present. "Don't let go of me."

Anna was briefly overwhelmed by the childish inflection in Rapunzel's voice, and brought their joined hands to her lips to place a kiss on the back of the brunette's hand. "I'm never letting go of you. We'll get through this. All of us...all of us will." Her voice was firm, but a tremor went through her hand, and she took a steadying breath.

The clerk finished ticketing the luggage and handed Elsa the plane tickets. She turned and headed back to her sister and cousin. Each step dragged her body down, and her feet felt as though they were made of lead. A great sinking feeling made her nauseous, and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to just throw caution to the wind, take the flight with her family, and possibly lose her job. She wanted to provide so much for her little family. She had to keep her job. She had to do as she was told. She had to...she had to…

You have to break her heart. Again. You monster.

Elsa came to a halt in front of Anna and Rapunzel. She saw the heartbreakingly supportive look Anna was trying to give her. Rapunzel fastened her teddy bear to her waistband and reached her other hand out to Elsa.

"Hand." the brunette commanded in a childish tone. Her eyes wandered down to Elsa's hands. Tickets in one hand and a suitcase in the other. "That's...a big carry on." Rapunzel mused. "They let you take something that big up with the passengers?"

Elsa fought to stay lucid and not break down. "Punzie…"

Rapunzel's dull senses suddenly shifted into overdrive. Something was wrong. Something about Elsa was wrong. Her mind played over and over again what she saw. Suitcase. Tickets. How many tickets? How many tickets?

"You only have two tickets." Rapunzel said plainly.

Elsa strained to keep her lips from quivering or her face from contorting into a sorrowful mess. "I...I'm sorry. My work made demands of me that...that I could not refuse." The blonde winced as a stutter or two found its way into her speech, but she pressed on. "I tried to get out of...it's so fucking unreasonable." Her hand that held the two tickets trembled, fingers squeezing and wrinkling the paper. "I know I promised you I'd...I promised. I wish I-"

Suddenly clutching her teddy bear in her left hand again, Rapunzel released Anna's hand and snatched the two tickets from Elsa's trembling hand. Eyes bright, barely restraining tears, Rapunzel's quivering lips frowned and her hot voice venomously lashed out at the blonde woman, "You've promised me things before. I'm fucking tired of you breaking them." Short hair whipped through the air as the brunette turned smartly and made her way towards the terminal gate. She did not spare a single glance at the crumbling emotional mask of bravery her cousin wore.

Anna looked to Rapunzel, and the back again to Elsa. The copper haired young woman closed the gap to her sister in a flash, wrapping strong arms around the blonde and feeling the older woman sag bonelessly in her arms. "Breathe, Elsa. Breathe and survive. I know you made the best choice." Tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, she put a hand to her sister's face and brushed away the bangs, revealing the frightened eyes of a child.

Elsa clung to her sister. "I'm not going to cry. Not going to cry." Her eyebrows knitted in confusion and her cheeks twitched rapidly, eyes darting to and fro.

"ELSA." Anna whispered hotly, smacking her sister's cheeks in between her hands. Elsa's eyes went wide and she was in the present again, staring into Anna's stern, supportive, fiery gaze. "I'm going to call you tonight. I'll call you every day. Three times a day."

Elsa's attention seemed to waver and her eyes darted to where her cousin had wandered off. Rapunzel had walked about ten yards, before suddenly looking around in a disoriented daze. She looked down at her empty right hand and muttered, "Anna?" before slowly sitting down on the airport floor, drawing her knees to her chest and rocking back and forth slowly.

"I hurt her again." Elsa bitterly said.

Anna heard the last call for boarding their flight, and knew she was out of time. Apologizing silently, she gripped Elsa's cheeks between her thumbs and fingers and pinched as hard as she could.

"OwwwOWOWOW JESUS FUCK ANNA!" Elsa howled, brought back to the present jarringly from the sharp pain. Her cheeks were numb and she wasn't even sure they were still there. Several travelers whirled about in surprise, gawking at the pair.

"You didn't hurt her." Anna growled, keeping her hands on Elsa's red welted cheeks. Pressing on them hard enough to cause her sister to wince in pain again, a tear escaping her right eye, Anna continued. "You're not going to hurt yourself." Wiping the tear away with her thumb, Anna finished. "I love you."

Suddenly Anna's lips were pressed against Elsa's, forcefully, noses bumping and wet cheeks touching. Before Elsa's mind could register the change from pain to pleasure, Anna had pulled away. The redhead felt a dull throb where the scar on her scalp was, but sheer hot emotion willed any impending attempt to recall memories away. Walking backwards quickly, she pointed at the blonde woman. "Call you soon."

Elsa remained rooted to that spot for a full ten minutes. She saw Anna take her cousin's hand, retrieve the plane tickets, and lead her through security. She saw the two of them disappear around the corner of the terminal gate. She felt the swelling of the welts on her harshly pinched cheeks. She felt forceful, hot lips pressed against her own. She tasted watermelon chapstick. Her chest heaved from exertion, even ten minutes afterwards.

What she didn't hear was a hateful voice in her mind, damning her.

A concerned security guard approached Elsa slowly, watching for erratic behavior. "Excuse me, miss?" the man offered. "Are you...are you alright?"

Elsa's brain finally finished processing everything that had happened, and she had absolutely no more brain power to expend. She looked the security guard dead in the eye and said, "Excuse me, I need to go home and molest myself." The blonde woman took hold of her suitcase and left the airport in a daze.

Sadly, before she could return to her cousin's apartment, Elsa felt it prudent to stop by the construction site and have a word with Kristoff to make sure her foreman was up to speed on the impending administrative visit and changes. Pulling into the lot, she noticed a group of workers huddled around a makeshift drawing board. Her blond haired foreman was right in the middle of the group, talking animatedly and gesturing to the laid out blueprints.

Shutting the engine off, Elsa stepped out of the car, and leaned against the hood for a few minutes. She had no desire to run right into another conversation, and was not yet mentally prepared to unravel the events of the last hour, so she merely shut her eyes and let the cool early afternoon fall air lull her into a state of relaxation. The stinging of her cheeks had subsided quite a bit, leaving only a dull ache, similar to the ache in her heart from both her sister and her cousin.

Relax. Breathe. Elsa checked her phone idly. No new messages, and she shouldn't expect a phone call from Anna for at least another three hours. Lazily digging a small hole in the gravel lot with the toe of her tennis shoes, she wondered if her cousin would want her to move out now. The blonde almost felt relief when the first knife twisting sting of betrayal in her heart was directed not at herself, but at her superiors for their poor time management.

As wrapped up in her own thoughts as she was, Elsa did not notice the group of construction workers break up, nor Kristoff approach her and call her name several times.

"Elsa? Boss? You...did you come to see me?" the foreman offered, waving his hand in front of Elsa's face. As if waking up from a trance, she blinked, shook her head, and looked at him in a slightly startled manner.

"Kristoff…I'm sorry. I...well jesus, I don't need to tell you what kind of a day it's been, now do I?" Elsa said, smiling wryly and wincing at the discomfort smiling brought to her cheeks.

Her foreman raised an inquisitive eyebrow and replied, "I don't know, no offense but you look like you're having a worse time of it than me." Shoving work gloved hands into his coverall pockets casually, he tenatively said, "Anything a good set of ears for listening might help with?"

Shaking her head, Elsa walked towards Kristoff and clapped him on his shoulder. "Honestly, the best thing for me right now is a distraction." She looked up at the more than half completed frame of the music superstore. "And we sure as hell have a big one of those hanging over our heads for the next few days."

Nodding grimly, Kristoff headed back to the drawing board he'd laid out earlier, and Elsa followed. "I don't know if you got the email with the changes yet…" he remarked. Elsa shook her head in the negative, so her foreman nodded before continuing. "It's mostly exterior cosmetic changes. Aside from some, ah, creative changes to the basement's structure, there shouldn't be much of a progress delay." Elsa raised an eyebrow at his use of the phrase 'creative changes', and he held up his hands with an uneasy grin. "Nothing funny, boss. It's all solid work."

Elsa smiled tiredly. "I trust your judgment, of course. Tomorrow afternoon I'll be meeting with the franchise owner at the interior design office, and then Wednesday afternoon we'll be convening here at 2 in the afternoon. I...hate to task you with this dog and pony show…"

Kristoff interrupted with a wave of his hand. "All part of the deal. I'll make sure everything here is in tip top shape. You...you certainly look like you'd rather be elsewhere this week."

Elsa's shoulders sagged, and she briefly told her foreman about the news. He sighed, giving her a sympathetic look. "It's absolute garbage that they put you on the spot like this. Well, you never know...maybe we'll be able to get that second meeting moved up. Then you can redeem your ticket for a Wednesday morning flight and still make it up there in time."

The blonde architect shrugged, resting a hand on the drawing table and leaning heavily on it for support. "If it happens, I'd consider it a miracle, but at any rate we have to manage our end with what we know."

Elsa stayed at the job site with Kristoff for another half hour, talking about work related particulars. The last ten minutes saw them seated on a concrete divider, watching the sun approach the San Francisco skyline. An unusually cold breeze blew in from the bay, and Elsa gave her friend a wry smile. "I say it's about time to head home. Tomorrow morning comes awfully early and today was hell on earth."

Kristoff let out a boisterous laugh, promising his boss he'd have coffee waiting for her whenever she showed up on site. Elsa tried to demur, but the foreman wouldn't hear of it. "I'll make a phone call or two tomorrow; see if I can't get that second meeting moved up." At the blonde woman's skeptical look, he replied, "Hey, I may not know many people, but one of them just might be the right one for this."

The two said their goodbyes, and Elsa quashed the sudden and intense need she felt for a hug. Kristoff must have seen something in her eyes, because he reached out and squeezed her shoulder, encouraging her to keep her chin up. The blonde man turned to close up his office. Elsa zipped up her windbreaker, feeling just a bit more relaxed, and whispered her thanks into the wind for the coworker who was slowly becoming a trusted friend.

"This is your captain speaking. We will be descending into Denver Regional Airport shortly. The flight attendants will be coming through the cabin to ensure all garbage is properly disposed of. Please make sure your tray tables and seats are in the full upright and locked positions. We ask that passengers please discontinue use of portable media devices at this time. There may be a bit of minor turbulence as we descend, so please ensure your seatbelts are securely fastened. On behalf of American Airlines, we thank you for flying with us today, and hope you enjoy your stay in Denver, Colorado." The intercom shut off with a crackle, as two flight attendants began to walk through the plane cabin, collecting plastic cups and empty meal trays. The plane began to slowly descend, light wisps of clouds becoming slightly more dark and dense.

Rapunzel stared listlessly out the window, eyes watching the gradual change in cloud color outside. The stuffy air of the pressurized cabin had done little to revive her deflated spirits after her blow up with Elsa in the airport. She had managed to have half an hour of enjoyment from perusing the collection of travel magazines with her seatmate, Anna.

Her freckled cousin was able to find pictures from several locations the two had visited on their two month long exploration vacation following the brunette's graduation from high school. They'd even found an article on famous local cuisine in Frankfurt, Germany. Anna had read the article to her cousin in excited, yet hushed, tones. Rapunzel spent most of the magazine browsing session with her head on her cousin's shoulder, arms interlocked. Afterwards, Anna tried to bring up the topic of her sister, but Rapunzel had shut down almost immediately. She spent the last hour staring vacantly out the airplane window, though one hand still grasped her cousin's.

Anna, meanwhile, was quite quickly coming to terms with her hatred of airplane landings. The cabin rattled slightly, the lights flickered, and her teeth chattered. A thin sheen of sweat beaded on the redhead's forehead, and she spared only a brief glance out the darkened window before her eyes slammed back to staring at the seat in front of her. Everything felt hot and a small voice in her head was shouting that something in the plane was broken. Her vision blurred.

Anna blinked. Her hand suddenly felt cold...as did her cousin's hand. Cold and...wet? The redhead lifted their joined hands, looking at them carefully, and noticed Rapunzel was also looking at her with a sympathetic stare. The brunette's right hand shook a cup of ice, cubes rattling pleasantly.

"You look hot." Rapunzel said, smiling impishly. "Pun possibly intended. Still not a fan of the descent, huh?" The brunette took another cube, sliding it slowly across Anna's forehead.

Anna chuckled nervously. "What, you mean we're landing already? I had n-n-no idea."

Giggling herself, Rapunzel slid the ice cube down the side of her cousin's face, underneath her chin, and cupped it against the freckled young woman's pulse. Gradually, Anna's hammering heart slowed its breakneck pace. Her breathing returned to normal, and soon after, the plane descended below the clouds. From the window, a clear view of Denver could be seen.

Anna squirmed, exhaling heavily. She squeezed her cousin's hand. "I am wet and absolutely filthy." she stated, scrunching up her nose. Turning her head to look at Rapunzel, Anna opened her eyes and smiled groggily. "But my travel buddy takes good care of me."

The brunette returned her smile, hand lingering on the freckled young woman's neck for a few moments longer, before withdrawing.

"If I call Elsa later...could you please talk to her?" Anna whispered. Rapunzel blanched slightly. The redhead tried again. "I'm not saying to apologize. Just...to tell her we got here."

Rapunzel's pout became a gentle frown. She laid her head on Anna's shoulder. "I could've handled that better. I don't really...have the energy to adult right now?"

"We all need a break from adulting now and then." Anna agreed quietly.

Rapunzel shook her head slowly. "High school graduation. College graduation. I...I didn't expect her to come, but I was still sad when she didn't show up." The brunette thought out loud for a moment. "Sad? Mad? Who even knows. I...I do know she didn't deserve my getting bitchy."

Anna said nothing, merely unfastening her seat belt and unclasping their hands. She put her arm around her cousin and drew her into a cuddle.

"The flight attendant people are gonna yell at you." Rapunzel whispered.

Anna's only reply was to hold her cousin closer.

"If...if you call her, I'll talk to her." the brunette relented, letting the warmth of the freckled young woman wash over her tired body and mind.

The scent of lavender and rose drifted through the bathroom. Hot water plied Elsa's muscles, melting away her bone deep weariness and leaving her limbs limp and useless. Reaching lazily over to the shampoo rack, the blonde woman removed a bottle of Aloe Vera. She squirted a liberal amount onto her hands, gently massaging her puffy, red cheeks. Her sister definitely had a strong pair of hands.

Elsa sunk lower into the bathtub, water rising up over her ears and framing her face neatly. She licked her lips, heart sinking when her tongue only tasted a hint of watermelon chapstick left over from the kiss. Maybe she'd run down to the corner store and pick up some more.

You really are extra grotesque tonight.

Elsa splashed the hot water in frustration, shutting her mouth and quickly dunking her head under the hot water. The heat soaked her swollen cheeks, making them feel worse, and the blonde blew out a few frustrated bubbles. "You don't kiss somebody you hate."

That was a mercy kiss. You pretty much ripped your cousin's heart out. Anna had to get your hallucinating ass back to the present somehow.

Elsa could not argue with that. It was only natural for Rapunzel to be angry. The blonde had missed both her high school graduation and college graduation. She was pretty much as unreliable as they came. Arriving in San Francisco, her vibrant cousin was the only truly positive influence in her life, and the guilt Elsa felt for needing and wanting to rely on the brunette was crippling.

Her oxygen starved lungs protested the submersion, but Elsa stubbornly fought to remain under water. If she could manage to move Wednesday afternoon's meeting to the morning, she might be able to make it in time to be there for Rapunzel and Anna during the funeral. She was her cousin's number one admirer. She absolutely could not fail her again.

From somewhere off in the distance, Elsa could have sworn she heard a faint ringing. She vaguely supposed that was what happened when you held your breath for too long. Maybe it was time to come up for a breath of…

It's your phone, you complete waste of air.

"Phone...go away work...wait, it's night time. ANNA!" Elsa erupted from the tub, water and bubbles splashing everywhere as her hands scrambled to find purchase on anything and she attempted to learn how to stand all over again.

The phone rang a second time.

Her feet slipped precariously in the tub and the blonde woman flung her arms around the shower curtain, clinging to it and praying her weight wouldn't rip it off. One soaking foot gained traction on the bathroom rug, and she hurled herself at the door, grasping the handle and twisting at it fruitlessly with wet hands. It finally turned, and she threw the door open, dashing into the living room and scattering drops of water everywhere.

The phone rang a third time.

Elsa's wet hands slapped on the coffee table, scattering magazines. No phone. Her ears picked up the sound of a buzz. Eyes shot to the kitchen table, where her phone was lit up as if it was Christmas. Naked as a jaybird, she threw herself into the kitchen, feet sliding across the linoleum floor. Her hip collided with the kitchen table, wet chest falling forward and slapping soggily on the oak wood. Wet hands scrambled to grasp the phone, which just began its fourth ring. Feet still slipping on the kitchen floor, Elsa leaned heavily on the table to keep from falling, and pressed the call accept button while smooshing the phone against the wet hair that covered her ear. "Hello? Anna? Hello?!" she gasped.

A beat. Several moments passed. Finally, Elsa heard soft breathing on the other end.

"Anna, please answer. I literally fell out of the tub and dove naked and wet onto the kitchen table to answer." Elsa tried to steady her ragged breathing, not trusting her wet feet to support her just yet. "Did you land okay?"

A timid voice finally responded. "So we leave, and you have a naked dance party, huh? I see how it is."

Elsa's heart clenched painfully. "Ra...Rapunzel?" Her body suddenly felt very cold and damp. "You...I mean...are you there okay?" Pressing her left hand against the table, Elsa leaned on the edge and attempted to push herself up.

Her knees wobbled. She heard a sigh on the other end. "Yeah...we landed. It's...I don't know what time-" Elsa's left hand slipped and her torso smacked against the kitchen table. Her cell phone was knocked from her soggy, pruned hand and took a lucky bounce onto the living room carpet. The blonde's feet slid out from under her and she fell backwards on her naked butt. She threw her forearms behind her in a panic and managed to break her backwards fall, sliding gracelessly to the edge of the linoleum floor.

"Elsa? Elsa? What the hell was that?!" Rapunzel's suddenly alert and panicked voice shouted from the phone.

Elsa rolled over, crawling into the living room, and groggily reached for her thankfully unbroken phone. Bringing it back to her ear, she rolled onto her back, stars swimming in her vision and afraid to move again. "I...I'm here." her wavering voice assured her frantic cousin.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital again?" Rapunzel's voice was clear and direct. Elsa hadn't heard her this aware since...since before the news of her father.

"I fell." the blonde said plainly. "I'm alright. I'm just gonna lay here on the living room floor until I'm all dry." Elsa groaned, already feeling the tremors of a headache approaching,

Rapunzel let out a heavy breath. "You worry me to death...nerd face." Elsa couldn't bring herself to hope she was hearing a smile in her younger cousin's voice, but her heart swelled at hearing the affectionate nickname.

The blonde woman's worry over her cousin finally won out over the shock of her fall, and she shuddered. "I...I won't keep you, then. I know you're tired. Both of you."

"Hey...hey." Rapunzel cooed. "Shut up for a minute. We're in a taxi right now. Anna fell asleep, like, right after she handed me the phone. She snores...in case you were interested." Elsa's heart clenched sweetly. "Look, I...I'm handling this badly. You know I told you the past is in the past...and it is." The blonde woman heard her cousin breathing softly and unevenly. "It feels like...like I aged twenty years in a day. Regardless...whatever the fuck ever. I'm sorry I went mega bitch on you. I love you...and don't you fucking dare forget that." Elsa could hear the thorough exhaustion in the brunette's voice, and she had a sudden and desperate need to embrace her.

Elsa sucked in a sharp breath. "My last meeting is Wednesday afternoon. I'm going to get it moved to that morning...or die trying. I'm not promising anything. I'm...hoping." she finished lamely, but with a fierce resolution.

The blonde felt the warmth swell in her cousin's response. "Then I'll hope, too. Now get off the floor and get some sleep, nerdface. Put some clothes on too." A beat, followed by, "I...I love you."

"I love you too." Elsa replied. Several seconds later, the phone clicked, and went dark.

She's right, you know.

"She thinks I can make it out there?"

No, that you'll fucking freeze to death lying here. Put some clothes on, holy shit.

Elsa groaned, dragging her mostly dry, nude body to a sitting position. She flexed her left arm, counting her lucky stars that it hadn't been re-broken in that little escapade. Having had enough of falling down for one day, the blonde slowly crawled to her bedroom. She knew she'd need both energy and charisma if she was going to convince the franchise owner to move up the meeting timetable.

The taxi pulled up to the stately manor of Rapunzel's deceased father, now inhabited solely by her stepmother, Goethel. Staring from the taxi window up at the wrought iron gates, the driver turned back to Anna and Rapunzel, and drawled, "So, what's the plan, ladies?"

Anna squeezed her cousin's hand gently. "I don't want to impose on family...I mean...on shit snacks…" The freckled woman's tongue fumbled over her choice of words.

Rapunzel shook her head with a small smile. "No, it's okay. I know you're going to meet Eugene at the hotel, and I don't want him sitting around wondering if you got lost or something." The brunette grasped her carry on duffel bag tightly. "She's my stepmom. She's...family. Regardless of what...what happened in the past. Daddy would want me to...to try. Bring a little sunshine…"

Anna nodded, bringing her cousin in for a tight hug. Pulling away, she pressed a kiss to a wet cheek, giving a watery chuckle as her thumb wiped away some of the wetness. "No tears, now. She'll think I've been manhandling you. Give me a call later, when you're settled in for the night, okay?"

Rapunzel nodded, but before turning to leave, she added quietly, "I...don't wanna be here longer than tonight. Can I...tomorrow…"

Anna shushed her with a boop on the brunette's nose. "I'll make sure the room has extra blankets and pillows for the bed. I'll send Eugene for you when you're ready tomorrow, okay?"

One last hand squeeze, and Rapunzel exited the taxi. She retrieved her rolling suitcase from the trunk, extending the handle and dragging it up to the intercom. Anna rolled down her window and blew a kiss to her cousin, who caught it with a small smile, and sent back one of her own. With that, the taxi pulled away, leaving the 24 year old brunette alone in front of her childhood home.

Steeling her nerves, Rapunzel pressed a shaky index finger to the intercom button. "Goethel? It's me. May I...may I please come in?" Her voice wavered uncomfortably, and there was no reply over the speaker. A full thirty seconds later, the intercom buzzed, and the black, wrought iron gate slowly opened.

Hauling her luggage through the gate, Rapunzel pulled it shut, and began the long walk down the driveway. A row of ornate lamp posts were on her left and right, each surrounded by fancy shrubbery. Oddly, though, not one lamp was on. Several lights were on at the house, however, the dark driveway lane struck the brunette as foreboding and scary. Nothing like her childhood memories. "I suppose...I guess she's mourning, too." was what Rapunzel told herself.

Upon arriving at the front door, Rapunzel was assaulted by several bittersweet memories. Prom and pictures in front of the house. Being seen off to her first art camp by her father on this very porch. Six years old, all blonde hair and wide eyes, sharing breakfast with her mother and father on the old porch swing. So much had changed. The brunette's strength faltered, and she took a minute to collect herself before approaching the door and ringing the bell.

Several agonizingly long minutes passed. A familiar Colorado chill swept through the air, causing Rapunzel to pull her coat tighter around her shoulders. The same weather she used to celebrate with her mother and father. With Elsa…

The door handle clicked, and was slowly opened from the inside. Dressed in a maroon turtleneck sweater and black slacks, Goethel, the brunette's stepmother, was as refined and poised as ever. A few more grey hairs, a face slightly more gaunt, but still the same Dean of the Academy.

"Rapunzel. It breaks my heart for you to have had to return under these...sorrowful conditions." Goethel's voice oozed sincerity. "Come in, child. Come in."

Hauling her suitcase inside, Rapunzel briefly basked in the heat of the home, chilled bones already feeling thawed. Her stepmother stood at the entrance to the sitting room, beckoning her forward. "Leave your luggage at the door. Come, sit and have tea with me. I will...relay events as they have happened, and are going to happen." The brunette nodded briefly, setting her duffel bag down next to the suitcase, and joining her stepmother in the adjacent room.

Several ornate sofas were in the 'sitting room'. A grand china display case, featuring silver and gold dinnerware sets, sparkled in the dim light. Tea had been set out at the small table that sat by one of the large windows which looked out to the driveway. Goethel took sure, confident steps over to a seat, while Rapunzel looked left and right, stepping hesitantly, unused to the home being so poorly lit. She already wished Anna was still with her.

Wan face betraying little emotion, Rapunzel's stepmother recounted the events of the accident outside the manor gates. Thomas was expecting a delivery of lumber later the following week, but had been informed of a last minute shipment that made it available for delivery Saturday morning. The crew was short handed, and could not promise same day delivery, but Rapunzel's father had insisted he could help unload the planks.

The day of delivery came, and as the planks were being unloaded by forklift, the machine malfunctioned. Thomas was trapped underneath it, and in his panic, the forklift operator hit the cargo release button.

Goethel visibly shuddered. "I know you will take no solace in knowing it was a quick, painless death." Her eyes closed and she took another sip of the now cold tea.

Rapunzel hadn't touched her drink. She felt sorrow, but no urge to cry. Anger, but no desire to scream. Her voice seemed to act of its own accord, outside of her command. "Will charges be brought up on the crew or the company for this accident?"

Goethel shook her head. "Unfortunately, the company was not insured. You remember your father's hobby of constructing boats? He was trying to partner with a fledgling supply company, building custom seaworthy vessels for high paying clients. I told him repeatedly that an uninsured company posed a risk, but he was dead set on helping them." Rapunzel shuddered at her stepmother's poor choice of words, but the older woman showed no reaction.

"I would ask why there is no viewing, but I suppose...the answer's obvious." The brunette's voice was hollow and empty. Her mind would not allow her to picture her father in the state the accident most likely left him.

Goethel nodded again, draining her cup of tea. "The family will executor will be here at 7pm tomorrow night. Your presence will be required for that. The funeral is at 2pm Wednesday at Oak Hills Cemetary."

Rapunzel nodded dumbly. "If that is the extent of the important information, I think I'll just...go lay down for the night."

Her stepmother nodded, rising from her seat. "Did you travel with somebody who is picking you up, or shall I request a taxi?"

Rapunzel's mind locked down. A faint, persistent ringing buzzed in her ears. Dimly, she was aware of herself saying, "I...wait. I can't...there isn't a room for me here?"

Eyebrows knitting in confusion, Goethel's voice was laced with exasperation. She spoke as though she were addressing a child. "Well, no, of course not. Your father has passed away, but this does not change the past." Taking two steps towards the bewildered brunette, her stepmother loomed forebodingly. "Neither your father, God rest his soul, nor I have received any indication of you renouncing your...deviant lifestyle."

Rapunzel's could hear each beat of her heart. Each squeeze and pump of blood as it rushed through her body, flowed past her ears, dulled her hearing further and made her vision swim.

Her stepmother sighed dramatically. "Or have you already forgotten the visit on that day, almost...what? Nearly six years ago, if memory serves me correctly.

"They're doing that thing again…" Nicholas groaned, face buried in two pillows. He shifted uncomfortably, feeling Sarah's improbably warm toes press against his calves. "Holy hell Sar, them feets is dangerous!"

The full figured, raven haired woman cursed in Russian, rolling away and lazily propping herself up on her elbows. Eyes still half shut and pixie cut completely disheveled, she slurred, "What thing? Oh, you mean that thing where they need to eat food, so they make noise?" She gave him a pointed look, scratching the brown haired young man's shoulder playfully.

He blanched. "What's that look for! I fed the children yesterday!" Grabbing her hand, he kissed the pinky finger and then pointed her own index finger back at her. "No no no, I'm pretty sure today is your day."

Sarah shook her head tiredly. "Nope, nuh uh, don't even play me like that. I was the day before, and there's no way I'm leaving this bed with as cold as the floor is this month." Her eyes flicked endearingly to the foot of the bed. "Guess that means…"

Nicholas grinned, following her gaze. "Gotta be…" He looked to the foot of the bed as well, where a short, brunette young woman was completely cocooned in blankets, tangled among the legs of the other two and making an overly dramatic attempt at snoring.

"Oi, lazybutt, it's your day to be mama cat!" Sarah giggled warningly. "I'm gonna launch a pokey attack if you don't tend to those noisy children!" A muffled, unintelligible sentence escaped from the blanket cocoon, but the young woman made no attempt to wake up. In fact, she grasped Nicholas' left leg and locked her own legs around Sarah's knees even more insistently.

Sitting up in bed, Nicholas spoke with an audible sense of foreboding finality. "Right then, damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!" Together, the brown haired man and the raven haired woman each grabbed a section of the cocoon of blankets, and quickly yanked. A pouty, short, wild-haired brunette tumbled gracelessly out of her hiding place. "We found a Rapunzel!"

Sarah grinned, tickling a stray Rapunzel foot that kicked out impetuously. "Pokey pokey, you're in for it now!" The brunette squealed hysterically as her two lovers assaulted her without mercy, hands finding feet, ribs, armpits, and any place that was unguarded.

"Ohhhhhhh, okay okay!" Rapunzel moaned, slamming her arms against her sides. "I give, I give, mercy!" After Nicholas and Sarah relented, the brunette kissed each of their feet, earning the usual affectionate chuckle and smile from them.

Standing up unsteadily, the brunette cried, "God damn Sam, the floor is cold this month! I'm gonna slap the shit out of the super until he gets the heating fixed properly!" Quickly hopping into slippers, she tossed an extra large, grey knit sweater over her spaghetti strap top and workout shorts. When Rapunzel reached the bedroom door, she turned to her two loves. "Oh, I made a reservation at La Chez Pierre for two nights, during the ol' parental unit visit. Penthouse suite for my honey bunnies!" Winking and blowing a kiss, she headed out to heed the insistent meows of their two cats.

"Trying to soothe our feelings of abandonment with fancy hotels, huh?" Nicholas called out, failing miserably to inflect his voice with believable hurt.

Sarah gave her brown haired love a conspiratorial grin. "I think she needs to be reminded of just how serious we are." Nicholas returned her grin with one of his own, and the two quietly put on slippers.

Out in the kitchen, Rapunzel had just finished giving both cats their morning eye drops, when a gentle knock came from the front door. Setting the eye drops down, she muttered, "Don't worry, dears. Mama's gonna see who's here at this ungodly hour of the morning, then you'll get your noms, okay?" Prancing to the front door, Rapunzel made sure the low hanging collar of her sweater wasn't hanging too low, before opening the door. "G'morning, what's the…"

Her father's face filled her vision. "Baby Beary!" Thomas cackled, embracing Rapunzel and hauling her back inside the apartment. Goethel quickly followed the two inside, noting her stepdaughter's look of absolute surprise and...was that shock?

"D...Daddy! Goethel! Um...is it next week already?!" Rapunzel choked out, mouth caught between a halfhearted grin and a terrified cringe.

Goethel interjected. "Well, sweetie, I rearranged some business meetings to next month, and your father managed to complete his latest masterpiece a whole week early, so we decided to surprise you!" Giving Rapunzel a suspicious wink, she walked into the kitchen, and wasted no time in policing the area. "Oh sweetie, you shouldn't just leave dishes out like this. Especially if you have adorable little kittens running around, isn't that right…"

Thomas chuckled, regarding his daughter proudly. "So Beary, I promise we won't get in your way today. Whatever you have to do, we're happy just to tag along and watch our big, grown up girl in the big city!" He hugged his shocked daughter again, before she gently extricated herself.

"Daddy...I mean, it's awesome to see you guys. I...do I have plans today? Umm…" Rapunzel stammered, eyes darting to and fro nervously. Her stepmother was already shelving dishes and checking cupboards, supposedly for mice, but the brunette had her doubts. There was no time to waste, though. "Daddy! I think the three of us should run out and get breakfast now!"

Thomas chuckled at his daughter's enthusiasm. "Right now? But Beary, you're...barely dressed!"

Goethel snickered from in the kitchen. "Oh honey, there you go with your 'dad' jokes…"

Rapunzel protested. "No no no, I'm fine! Really, there's this great cafe just down the street that-"

"YOUR BODY IS OURS!" Nicholas and Sarah cried, flinging the bedroom door open and stampeding down the hall towards the living room.

Rapunzel froze in absolute horror. Her father looked over towards the shout, muttering, "What in the blazes…"

Tromping around the corner, Nicholas and Sarah burst into the living room. He was in naught but underwear, and she in only panties. "It's feel good time, Punzie Wunzie! Drop your socks and…" the two young adults faltered at the sight of Rapunzel's father staring at them.

Thomas' jaw went slack. His mouth opened and closed several times, unable to speak. Nicholas and Sarah mirrored his actions, looking to and fro in nervous confusion.

"Daa...wait I can…" Rapunzel began, before her stepmother strode from the kitchen.

Goethel surveyed the scene calmly. "What are...why are...you two are Rapunzel's friends from school, are you not?" Nicholas and Sarah looked at each other quickly, unsure how to respond. It apparently didn't matter, because Goethel continued her questioning. "Why are you naked? What are you doing with our daughter?"

Thomas finally found his voice. "Bea...Rapunzel? What is...what is this?" His hands found her shoulders, and his eyes trembled in confusion.

Goethel had somehow slithered her way into the bedroom already, and poked her head out, voice accusatory. "There's only one bed here, and it's not your bed, Rapunzel! This bed...are you sharing this bed?" Rapunzel's lips quivered, and she fought to regain control of the situation.

"Listen, I can explain! These people, these…" the brunette gestured vaguely at Sarah and Nicholas, who regarded her with an ever increasing expression of hurt and confusion.

"I...I can't...this can't be what I'm…" Thomas stuttered, stepping backwards. His wife caught him by the shoulders.

Goethel muttered soothingly. "Now now, dear. Listen. There must be some kind of...explanation." The last word positively dripped from the older woman's tongue as her eyes burned into Rapunzel's.

Nicholas, at last, spoke up. "Mr. and Mrs. Corona. My name is Nicholas Sakh and this is my partner, Sarah Fostudil. Rapunzel is our partner, and we love her dearly. Everything she's told you and-"

"Disgusting!" The word came shrieking from Goethel's mouth. "This is...this...abomination!" She pulled at Thomas' shoulders, eyes wide and never leaving Rapunzel's. "What...what have you done to our family?"

Rapunzel's heart clenched and her stomach twisted. She felt as if she would vomit right there. Wrenching her eyes from the accusing ones of her stepmother, she cast a pleading stare at her father. "Daddy...I didn't mean to...I love these…"

Thomas' face was starkly pale. He stood in the doorway, eyebrows knitted and lips trembling. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes. "I don't...I don't understand. Did we...did I...I raised you wrong?"

Rapunzel took a hesitant stumble towards her father, but he put his hand out to stop her.

"Don't...I can't." the greying man's face contorted in misery. "I...Beary. I can't...can't see you...here." Goethel's hands were wrapped around her father's midsection, and Rapunzel watched Thomas stumble shakily backwards through the door. His haunted gaze never left hers, and before the door was slammed shut, Goethel shot her one last venomous glare.

"You've destroyed your father." With that, the woman slammed the apartment door shut.

Something in Rapunzel's mind broke that day. She sat right down on the floor. She didn't move, didn't speak, didn't eat for a week straight. Something basic, fundamental, a part of who she was. She was only drawn out of her near comatose state when her younger cousin, Anna, arrived in the city to visit.

Nicholas and Sarah did their very best to care for the affected young woman. Rapunzel, however, remained mostly unresponsive, apart from Anna's visits, which became more and more frequent as the freckled girl began to understand how seriously the brunette had been wounded. She was affected in such a way, that would not happen again, until five years later, when she learned that her father had died.

Goethel stood, holding the front door open. Rapunzel somehow found herself clutching the suitcase and duffel bag she'd brought with her. Standing toe to toe with her stepmother, the brunette struggled to voice any words with real meaning.

"What…" Rapunzel croaked, tears springing anew from her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. "What...what did you do?"

Goethel's gaunt face drew into a sneer. Voice lashing like a whip, she spat out, "I took home your father, who you broke. You are not welcome to sleep under this roof. I will see you promptly at 7 PM tomorrow for the final execution of Thomas' last will and testament."

The brunette's face contorted, limbs losing all feeling. "What...did I ever do to you?" was all she could whisper.

Goethel offered a wan, humorless smile. "You will never know. Begone."

The door slammed, and Rapunzel found herself back in the cold, biting air of the fall night.

Her heavy footfalls led her through the gate, which creaked closed with a metallic grind after she had crossed the threshold.

Lights of cars, trucks, and motorcycles flashed and illuminated the cold, broken brunette as she stumbled along the side of the road. Town was in this direction. She had nowhere else to go. Her phone lay in her duffel bag, fully charged, but she did not have the presence of mind to use it.

Her breath came out in cold puffs and her lips were thoroughly chapped. A loud roar came from behind her and seemed poised to swallow her up. All around her became bright.

Hands. Warm hands. Four hands? Voices.

"What was she doing out here? Why wasn't she at home?"

"That fucking bitch. I'll fucking kill her myself."

"Eugene, just get us back to the hotel. I'll hold her in the cab and try to warm her up."

"I'm gonna put your roof up to keep the heat in there. Hang onto her, and anything else you can."

Hands touched her. A body. So warm. Copper and white. Moving fast now. Warm breath.

"You're my travel buddy, and I'm not leaving you."

Hope.

"You're my bodyguard, and I'm your number one admirer."

Can't leave just yet. Still people here who love me.

Elsa's phone rang again. The blonde woman twisted uncomfortably in bed, grumbling about 'fucking devil phones'. Cracking a bleary eye, she peered at the alarm clock on her nightstand, which read 11:48 PM. Three hours of sleep had done little to refresh her, but she grabbed her phone anyway, mashing the call accept button.

"Mmmna...Anna?" Elsa mumbled sleepily, rolling onto her back and drawing the covers up to her neck. "What's the story?" A yawn punctuated the middle of the question.

Anna giggled slightly. "Good evening to you too, sleepyhead. We...we have a problem."

Elsa sat up in bed, all traces of sleep leaving her voice. "What...where's Rapunzel?"

"She's here at the hotel with us." The redhead slowly paced down the hall, headed towards the vending machines. "Eugene got here after I dropped Rapunzel off at her old house. I told him I left her there for the night to talk about...family things, with her stepmom. He was...let's just say, not pleased." Fingering several dollars bills in her jeans pocket, Anna mentally double checked the drinks her friends wanted, while filling her sister in on the evening's events. "I thought...I thought things had gotten better from what happened between them a few years ago. I was...wrong."

By now the blonde was sitting on the edge of the bed, both hands cradling her cell phone. "What happened, Anna? What did she do?!"

"Goethel…" Anna spat bitterly. She'd dropped the 'aunt' label for the woman long ago. "She told Punzie she couldn't stay at the house. She...Elsa, she sent her stepdaughter away. Punzie had to walk in the cold along the highway. She tried to...walk all the way to Denver…"

"But she's there with you now? She's okay?" Elsa stammered hotly,

Anna sighed. "Yeah, all thanks to Eugene. I rode in the cab of his motorcycle to find her after she didn't answer her phone. We crisscrossed the roads she would most likely take to get into town. She's okay now, I think, but Elsa...her lips were blue and she was so cold when we found her." Anna's voice cracked at the end and she sniffled.

Elsa was already standing, yanking on slacks. "As long as you're sure she doesn't need medical attention. I'm calling work and telling them to go fuck themselves. I'll call again when I'm at the airport, alright?"

Anna's breath was heavy, and Elsa heard the hitch.

"Anna, talk to me, honey. Do you get what I'm-" Elsa had the phone squished between her head and her shoulder, arm haphazardly snapping buttons on her long sleeved shirt, when Anna interjected.

"Don't tell your boss to 'fuck off'." Anna whispered in a gentle chide. "But...hurry up and get here. I...we both need you."

Elsa whispered a fierce 'I love you' before hanging up. Slamming her feet into shoes, she eyed her still-packed suitcase in the hallway, thankful she hadn't bothered to unpack yet. Flipping through her call log, that morning's phone call with her boss still fresh in her memory, she hit 'redial'.

The phone rang four times, before going to voicemail. "Fuck that." Elsa breathed, staggering out of the bedroom with shoes not yet tied. Tossing her carry on over her shoulder, the blonde grasped her suitcase and headed for the door. "I'll call until his fucking phone explodes."

Three missed calls later, phone currently ringing on the fourth try, Elsa was tossing her suitcase into the trunk of her rental car, when somebody finally picked up.

"Mmph...Miss Arendelle? What is the meaning of multiple calls at this time of night?" Mr. Weselton sleepily reprimanded from his bed. His wife shifted uncomfortably next to him, and the old gentleman reached blindly for his eyeglasses.

Digging into her jeans pocket, Elsa pulled out her bluetooth earpiece, powering it on and affixing it to her right ear. "Sir, I don't have much time to talk, so listen closely." The blonde woman yanked the driver's side door open, hopping in, and starting the engine.

"Listen...what? There's no good reason to-" her boss began, but was hotly cut off.

"I said shut up and listen." Elsa slammed the car into reverse, spinning the wheel furiously to pull out, before barely pausing to shoot out into the night street. "My sister and cousin are in Denver right now." Throwing semantics right out the window, Elsa went for the quickest possible explanation. "My stepmom almost killed my cousin. My family needs me there now. I'm getting on a plane in forty five minutes. If this costs me my job, know that I don't blame you. I just love my family more."

Mr. Weselton remained silent for a few moments. At length, he spoke quickly and evenly. "Can you get a hold of your lead foreman? Based on your previous updates, he seems more than qualified to cover things in your absence."

Elsa grunted an affirmative. "He's next on my list to call. I will walk him through anything he's unsure of, but Kristoff is extremely competent and a trustworthy friend."

"Understood. I will get in touch with the franchise owner and coordinate the change in meeting location, as well as inform him he'll be speaking with Mr. Bjorgmann." The greying man yanked open his nightstand drawer, quickly thumbing through a rolodex of contacts.

"Thank you, sir. I do apologize for the great inconvenience this-" Elsa began to apologize, but was herself cut off.

"Apologize, my ass." her boss chuckled grimly. "Just make sure your family is safe, Elsa. I'd be doing a great disservice to the memory of your parents if I said anything different. Take care."

"You do likewise, sir." Elsa replied, a hint of sentimentality in her voice at the goodbye. The line went dead, and the blonde took all of three seconds to compose herself and take note of how far she was from the airport. Shortly afterwards, she barked a command, "Dial Kristoff." The blonde's phone began making the connection, however her mind was already churning through scenarios that her sister and cousin could be facing in Denver at that very moment.

"I'll have an iced tea, pretty please." Rapunzel murmured, wriggling comfortably under the veritable mountain of blankets and comforters. The hotel room's heating was cranked up to a sweltering 80 degrees, and the brunette's lips were now much closer to their usual off-pink color.

Seated by her bed, on a desk chair turned backwards, Eugene shook his head and gave his former girlfriend a rueful grin. "You would want something cold to drink after the hell you went through, Goldie. Only you." He ruffled the brunette's bangs playfully, and she sighed in contentment.

Anna resisted chiding her cousin. "Fine, iced tea, but I'm getting you hot chocolate to go along with it."

Reaching out and grasping her cousin's hand, Rapunzel scrunched her nose and smiled tiredly. "Hey, what do you know, I actually love chocolate." Even tired, the playful sarcasm was still evident in her voice.

Anna squeezed the hand in return, murmuring, "My travel buddy." She turned to Eugene. "Can I get you anything?"

He shook his head in the negative. "Thanks, but I'm only staying a few minutes while you're out. Make sure this one doesn't crawl out the window and go swimming in the freezing pool water on a lark." Rapunzel stuck her tongue out and tried to blow a raspberry at the young man, but she found herself too tired, and her little pink tongue just waggled back and forth lazily.

Anna nodded, releasing her cousin's hand. "I'll let Elsa know what's going oin while I'm out. I won't be long." Rapunzel nodded, smiling encouragingly at the mention of her older cousin. The redhead crept outside, and closed the door quietly.

The sleepy brunette and the roguishly handsome young man spent a minute together in amiable silence, fingers laced together gently. Softly, he was the first to speak. "Not gonna lie, Goldie. You're looking pretty hot these days. Such a charmer...ain't nothing cool about you."

Rapunzel gave a dry chuckle, wiggling her wrist and enjoying the feeling of his fingers on hers. "What about you? What's that...aww, is that a beard? I think it's a beard anyway...a little baby beard."

Eugene scratched his scruff thoughtfully. "Hey now, this was three weeks of hard work to grow! I…" and just like that, he was out of quips for the night. "I'm not...back there yet, you know? Not yet...but it's getting there."

Rapunzel nodded somberly. "Me neither. I...you don't know how much I appreciate you coming."

He nodded with a smile, pressing his thumb against her palm. "I'm here, but I can't stay. I'll be blunt...your stepmom's bad news. I know you didn't give up on her...even after the bullshit she pulled a couple years ago."

Rapunzel bit her lip, looking away. "Yeah...can't change who somebody is. Takes a couple tries for lessons to stick for me, too."

Eugene's eyes misted over, and he gently put the brunette's hand back on her lap, covering her with yet another blanket. "I'm gonna...I'm gonna go see my dad."

Rapunzel's eyes went wide with disbelief. "What? Why...why now?"

"To put it bluntly, Goethel's a conniving little shit. I know my pops isn't gonna be thrilled to see me, but...some shit just doesn't add up." The brown haired young man had a cryptic, unreadable face at that moment.

Rapunzel nodded. "Sounds like detective intuition or something. That's why it's such a good fit for you…" she fluffed the blanket on her lap to accentuate the point. "Can't teach that at detective school."

Eugene shared the grin with her. "Your plate's full, so let us handle this. Say your goodbyes to your dad...remember that he's always in here." he murmured, pressing a hand against her chest.

The brunette sighed, nodding and blinking away imminent tears. "Hey...don't do anything...you know…"

"Stupid? Perish the thought." He held a hand over his heart. "Keep those cousins of yours around you at all times...got it?"

"Got it, detective." Rapunzel gave Eugene a mock salute, then somberly remarked, "I'm glad you're gonna talk with you dad. Not about this...but...dads, you know."

"Family is family." He agreed, patting her covered hand. "Even when it's not by blood. Even when it's...back to friends. Still family."

A tear slid down Rapunzel's cheek. "Still family," she croaked.

The hotel room door clicked and opened with a slow creak. Eugene stood up and, giving Rapunzel's lap a final pat, he headed to the door to have a word with Anna. The redhead stopped in the doorway, iced tea in one hand and hot chocolate in the other, and was relieved to see smiles on both of her friends' faces.

"Right, so I'm actually gonna go...check out the background on Worst Stepmom of the Century." Eugene said, scratching his hair thoughtfully.

Anna gave him a curious stare. "You think...she was involved somehow?"

He shrugged. "It's worth checking out. You know...hunches and shit. I'd love to get her locked up for about a thousand years."

Anna nodded wryly. "Not before I slug her one."

He chuckled. "I'd definitely look the other way." Slowly brushing past the freckled young woman, he bumped her shoulder with his own. "She's doing...better. On the other side of it, I think. Don't...don't let her go, will you?"

Anna bumped his shoulder back, giving the young man a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere." One last shared nod, and Eugene quietly left the hotel room, door clicking on his way out.

Making her way to her cousin's bed, Anna sat down on the edge, and placed both the bottle of iced tea and the cup of hot chocolate on the short dresser. Cocking an eyebrow, she remarked, "I see you sweet talked yourself into another blanket."

Rapunzel shrugged, giving the freckled young woman impish smile. "I'm the baby...gotta love me!"

Shoulders sagging, Anna let out a weary sigh. "Punzie, I have some newwoooOH!" The redhead squealed in surprise as warm hands grabbed her jacket, pulling her head down onto the collection of pillows. "Sneak attacks are no fair." she pouted.

"They're completely fair." Rapunzel insisted, lifting three blankets. "Now, step into my office and tell me your news, young lady."

"Office? More like sauna." Anna joked, demuring. Kicking off her boots, the redhead sidled up next to her blanket burrito cousin. Resting her right hand on one of the brunette's thankfully warm ones, Anna continued. "I called Elsa...told her what's going on."

"Oh…" Rapunzel whispered breathily. "Was she mad? Worried? She pretty much never trusted my stepmom. Scary accurate judge of character, that one…"

Anna flipped onto her stomach, looping an arm around Rapunzel's blanket pile of a stomach. "She's coming out here right now."

The brunette's eyes went wide with disbelief. "She's coming...but what about work? Won't she lose her job?"

Anna shook her head, copper locks rustling on the pillow. "Her boss is okay with it. But she was ready to tell everybody there to go fuck themselves."

Rapunzel sighed, emotional confusion evident, which she voiced. "I...I don't know whether to feel happy or...or guilty." The brunette looked down for a few seconds, before receiving a harsh tug on her hair. "Ouchies!"

"That's how important you are to her." Anna whispered fiercely, then added a correction. "To us. I can't even tell you how...how scared I was when we saw you on the highway…" Words failed her, and the redhead snuggled up against her cousin. "Fuck, I can't...this is…" the redhead's voice was thick with tears, and she quickly sat up. Shrugging off her jacket and yanking her jeans off, followed by her socks, she mumbled waterly, "I'm joining the burrito."

Rapunzel smiled tenderly, lifting her pile of blankets. "Come to mama." Anna crawled under the covers and drew her cousin against her body.

The brunette was practically a furnace, radiating warmth and energy. "You were so cold and tired…" Anna stammered, chin resting on top of Rapunzel's head. Her hand combed through the brunette's hair, earning a purr from the older woman. "I don't even remember...what I did to warm you up. I couldn't think. I…"

A warm hand pressed against Anna's lips. The redhead felt the sheets rustle for a moment, then she felt bare legs pressed up against her own. One leg slid in between hers, while the other hooked around her left calf. A tremulous voice whispered, "You did this."

Thumbs hooked into the bottom of her shirt, drawing it up to expose a freckled tummy. Soft hands massaged in slow circles on the front, before slowly working their way around to ticklish sides. They traced a lazy path around to Anna's lower back, where they continued gently massaging. Another breathy whisper. "You did this."

Warm breath ghosted over the redhead's face, and Anna's heartbeat quickened. Rolling carefully on top of her cousin, Rapunzel's lips found an earlobe, and took it between her lips. Hot puffs of breath on her ear caused Anna's stomach to twist sweetly. She grew light headed, and her mind swam with the briefest hints of desire.

Pink lips pulled away, whispering hotly, "You did that." The brunette's lidded eyes met her cousin's wide ones. Anna's bottom lip trembled nervously.

Rapunzel's mouth found the tip of Anna's nose. She kissed it, tongue pressing against the tip, before sucking gently. The brunette felt her cousin trembling, shoulders twitching and shaking subtly. Pulling away with an awkward smile, she finished. "And you did that. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable…"

Anna was giggling. The giggle turned into full on laughter, tears streaming. She embraced Rapunzel tightly under the blankets, mind abuzz with raw emotion. Stammering between gasping laughs, she managed to croak out, "I sucked on your nose?! You are so totally lying!"

"Hey, I'm just telling it like it happened!" Rapunzel insisted, ears positively dancing at the melodious tinkle of her cousin's infectious laughter. She snuggled her head back underneath Anna's chin and pouted. "It was nice when you did it. Sorry I don't suck noses with the same skill that you do."

Laughter dying down, Anna was overcome with a strange feeling of contentment. Pressing a kiss to her cousin's hair, she whispered, "That was all very awkward. And I loved every single bit of it." Rapunzel was now the one whose breath hitched. Anna continued. "I would do anything to keep you happy, warm, and safe."

Rapunzel shivered, causing the redhead to draw her even closer. Wincing at the slight stammer in her voice, she croaked out, "'Anything' is a loaded word, Anna. I might need another funny nose kiss again some day."

Anna's entire body hummed pleasantly. Squeezing her cousin's shoulders, she replied, "I'd give you a funny kiss every day, forever." The demonstration was over, but neither young woman made to move away from the other. Their legs remained loosely tangled, their body heat continued to mingle, and as the lull of each heartbeat carried the two off to dreamland. Thoughts of Rapunzel's stepmother and the impending funeral drifted away for the time being. Butterflies in two tummies creating wholly unidentifiable, but not unpleasant, feelings of longing, gently prodded at the subconscious of two exhausted minds.

Elsa stumbled into the hotel, completely exhausted, and dragging her suitcase. Sleep had been the last thing on her mind for the entire two and a half hour long flight. She'd spent most of the travel time updating the down and dirty guide she wrote for Kristoff, in which she detailed what project information the franchise owner would want to discuss. Her discussion with the blonde foreman took place over ten harried minutes before her flight boarded, with her rattling off instructions while he took notes, still half asleep. Elsa did trust her friend, but thought it prudent to write him a backup outline in case he missed anything the prior night in his sleepy stupor.

Now that the blonde was finally in Denver, some of the adrenaline from her earlier conversation with Anna had worn off, and the familiar weariness was seeping back into her bones.

The front desk clerk turned to Elsa, grin entirely too sunny for the blonde woman to process, and chirped, "Welcome to Best Western! How may I assist you today?"

Struggling not to slur her words, Elsa carefully said, "I'm supposed to meet my family in their hotel room here. Can you tell me what room Anna Arendelle is staying in?

Nodding curtly, the clerk pulled up the information on his computer. "I'll need to see your ID, please, just to confirm you are related." Elsa let out a tired grunt, and dug around in her purse, at length fishing out her driver's license and handing it to the man. "Wow." he remarked, after comparing the picture to the young woman. "You look as tired here as you do in real life!"

Leveling a deadpan stare, Elsa smacked her right hand hard on the counter. The clerk yelped, bobbling her license in the air for a few moments, before snatching it and letting out a sigh of relief.

"Just give me the fucking room number, Smiley." the blonde spat, eyes wide open and bloodshot. The clerk stammered out the number, even going so far as to hand over a spare room key, and Elsa did a half nod in understanding. However, after she nodded, her eyelids fluttered shut and her head dipped towards the counter.

"Um, ma'am?" the nervous clerk stuttered, reaching a tenative hand towards the exhausted blonde.

Elsa suddenly sensed an invasion of her person space and jerked awake, shoving a finger in the now twice frightened clerk's face. "No touching!" she growled, right eye twitching and left eye still half closed. Tromping away from the counter, suitcase banging against her calves, Elsa walked towards the elevator. Luckily, it just happened to open as she reached the door, and the blonde pretty much just fell inside.

"H...have a nice day?" the clerk murmured, wiping his brow on his shirt sleeve. Redeye travelers were a strange breed.

Mashing the button for the third floor, Elsa closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the elevator door. Precisely one nanosecond later, the door opened with a sharp ding, and the blonde stumbled gracelessly into the hallway.

Feet like lead trudged slowly down the hall, until she stood in front of room 320. Staring at the door through rapidly deteriorating vision, Elsa opted to just swipe her room key instead of just knock and wake up her sleeping family. She figured she could manage a few hours of precious sleep before having to get up and determine a plan of action for the day. The key was inserted, a green light blinked, and Elsa quietly opened the door to step inside.

Making sure the door closed quietly, Elsa fell into a microsleep while standing, forehead against the closed door. Half a minute later, the blonde's head jerked upright, and she spun around in mild confusion.

"Bed. Find bed." Leaving her suitcase and carry-on at the door, Elsa trudged into the room. Arms dropping at her sides, her jacket slid right off and plopped onto the floor. There were two beds. Strangely, one was missing all sheets and pillows, while the other was an absolute disaster of twisted sheets and pillows.

Elsa debated for only a few seconds. "Comfy bed." she thought, turning towards the mountain of sheets and pillows.

No, you fucking idiot! Do you not see the arm over there sticking out?!

But Elsa was so exhausted that not even her negative internal voice could reach her. Stepping out of her sneakers, but leaving her shirt and slacks on,the blonde lifted up the top sheet and slid her body underneath, pressing far enough onto the bed that only her feet and lower calves stuck out from under the sheet. There, feet dangling off the edge of the bed, her body sunk into the strangely warm and oddly lumpy mattress. Her last thought before sleep claimed her was, "Did I put a quarter into this vibrating mattress?"

About a minute later, Rapunzel squirmed uncomfortably. It was suddenly entirely too hot, and the air was punctuated by Anna's quiet snores just to the brunette's right. Exhaling fondly, Rapunzel slowly brought the covers down over their heads, and she noticed she'd actually fallen asleep on her back, laying diagonally on top of her cousin. It was either Anna's elbow or wrist that was digging uncomfortably into the brunette's spine, so Rapunzel tried shifting her body.

However, she quickly discovered her body couldn't move. Something was pressing on it from the mountain of blankets on top. "What the...c'mon, blankets aren't that heavy." the brunette muttered, parting a few of the offending sheets. "What the hell is so…"

A messy tangle of platinum blonde hair greeted her beneath a sheet. Rapunzel gasped, heart clenching. Hesitantly, her hands reached into the blonde mess, and fingers gently combed through, pressing gently against the scalp. Just above and behind the hair, the brunette saw a back rise and heard, as well as felt, a very distinct inhale. Followed by an exhausted, piteous moan.

"ELSA!" Rapunzel shrieked, body thumping on top of Anna's. The brunette's hands reached down to grasp her older cousin by the shoulders. She tried to sit up, forcing her butt down on Anna's stomach, which caused the redhead's eyes to shoot open as she let out a series of hacking coughs. Arms flailing, the freckled young woman wrapped her arms around her cousin's waste, attempting to roll the shorter girl off, but she was entirely too heavy.

All the noise and jostling finally roused Elsa from her slumber. A sheet had fallen back down, obscuring her vision, and she felt hands jerking her shoulders. There was screaming...quite possibly from two people. Mind half asleep and half panicked, the blonde woman lunged towards the voice, groaning when her head collided with something hard.

Rapunzel saw stars, and started to lean to her right, which gave Anna enough leverage to heave the smaller girl onto her stomach. However, there was somebody else who had been on top of the brunette. Somebody who was now next to Anna on the bed, flat on her back with arms flailing. Groaning, Anna ripped the sheet off.

"Elsa...ELSA?!" Anna croaked in disbelief, still caught in a coughing fit. Rapunzel pushed herself off her older cousin in a daze, now straddling her, and shook her head.

"Hey Anna...hey lookie, it's Elsa!" the brunette grinned, vision still blurry and eyes unfocused from Elsa's accidental headbutt.

Elsa looked up and saw her cousin. She looked to her left and saw her sister. Her bloodshot eyes watered, and her brain slammed on the brakes. She shakily raised a hand to each of her family members' faces. Palms forward, she pressed her hands against their mouths, and with trembling lips, she groaned, "Yes, I made it. I love you both. But please god...no more yelling...just sleep for...a little…" Then her hands moved to hook around each of their necks, and she drew them to her chest as her eyes closed and exhaustion delivered her a knockout blow.

Rapunzel coughed, and turned her face out from being pressed against Elsa's chest. Locking eyes with Anna, who was trapped with her forehead right against Elsa's jaw, the brunette mumbled, "I guess we're going back to sleep, huh?"

Anna's reply was a small, tender smile. Gently taking Elsa's left hand in hers, the redhead tenderly kissed each finger, before wrapping her other arm around her cousin and settling back in for a bit more sleep.

Rapunzel looked up towards her older cousin whose face was haggard and completely drained. Craning her neck upwards, the brunette pressed a kiss to the blonde's jaw, and held it there for a solid minute. She inhaled the smell of Elsa's skin, and a few tears fell unabashedly. "I hoped you'd come." was her throaty whisper. "I hoped…"

The cool, crisp fall weather nipped at Anna's cheeks. Her arms and legs, always staying in motion, rarely suffered from cold weather. However, it would always show on her bright crimson cheeks; such a deep red that it would make her considerable smattering of freckles all but invisible. Today found the twelve year old redhead dressed in play shorts and an old, ratty t-shirt as she took long, confident strides through the woods. The occasional thorn bush would snag on her shorts, or scratch her calves a little, but today was laundry and laundry day meant only play clothes and good formal wear were in her closet. She could not wear her good, formal clothing today. She was saving them to wear tomorrow.

Wincing as a dark brown briar bush, well camouflaged against the dry leaf bed on the forest floor, grazed her thigh. Anna brandished an old metal rake she found near the vine wall, snagging the stabby bush on metal tines, and yanking it off of the walking path with a quick jerk of her arms. The path had to be as clear as possible. Tomorrow, she and Elsa were going to their special place near the vine wall.

Tomorrow, Elsa will destroy the family, and you will allow it.

Anna shook her head, attempting to clear it of the negative thought. Stepping out into the clearing, the old stone wall, covered in vines, rested against the embankment. Directly next to the vine wall, the hill dropped off in a steep, rocky slope, fifty yards down to the base of the little gorge. To her immediate left and right, the redhead took stock of the two large piles of pretty rocks she'd collected over the last month. Pulling a piece of string from her pocket, Anna tied it to her pinky finger, assigning the string the meaning of reminding her to lay out the stones on either side of the walking path when she was ready to head back for the day.

Tomorrow, Elsa would tell Anna that she loved her.

You could be wrong. Maybe you're just a stupid child with an immoral crush.

Sighing, Anna almost let herself plop down on the hollow log in the middle of the clearing, but she resisted the urge. No, that log was for fun, happy, and good things. Long talks making up stories about the familiar squirrels and rabbits that frequented the clearing. Dream houses in exotic locations if money was no object. Heated debates regarding chocolate versus vanilla in desserts.

Sharing kisses with your sister.

What if you just didn't go, tomorrow? You could be a good girl instead of a disgusting sister kisser. You've had health class. You know where that leads. Do you want mama and papa to see that?

Anna shivered briefly, gripping her metal rake tighter, before beginning the arduous task of raking out the entire clearing. She and her sister had been skirting around this impending moment for nearly six months. Secret letters stored in even more secret places. Hushed whispers during the walk to school. Nervous hands holding hands at night, in bed, when the world was asleep. The only thing that knew their secret was the sky, because the sky was always watching. The sky was always awake.

Anna carefully raked the leaves from the middle of the clearing to the outside, making neat little piles in a pretty ring. Rings like the ones she and Elsa would stare at for hours, just before cutting them out of catalogues and pasting them into scrapbooks.

Girls will be able to marry girls, some day. Sisters will never be able to marry each other.

Anna groaned in frustration, raking her hands through her hair, and undoing the neat twin braids Elsa had carefully woven for her. Their relationship was just as carefully woven, but stronger than the weave of delicate hair. Far stronger. She hoped.

Leaning the rake against the vine wall, Anna tromped alongside it, running her hand along the mossy rock interspersed with thick vines. Fairly thick, but not thick enough to hold one's weight for very long. Anna had discovered this four months prior when, on a lark, she declared she would climb the highest point of the wall using the vines. If she could reach the top, she would earn a kiss from Elsa.

The blonde teenager had outright refused, saying she would give Anna many kisses if she would refrain from risking her life like that. In response, Anna had snatched up her trusty metal rake, and furiously gathered a formidable pile of leaves against the wall to cushion her if she fell. Satisfied that it was relatively safe, Anna began climbing. Elsa reached up to the freckled girl's sweatpants and gave a sharp tug, causing her to fall back down into the leaf pile immediately.

Anna shook her head with a grin. She had stubbornly tried to climb the wall half a dozen times that afternoon, and each time Elsa had prevented her from climbing so much as a yard. "You'll crack your head open and lose all of your brains! What am I going to do with a brainless sister?"

The redhead had pouted fiercely. "You can still kiss me if I lose my brains!"

Elsa had sighed dramatically. "Yes, but you shouldn't have to lose your brains to earn a kiss." Her older sister placed her hands on top of Anna's head. "What's inside here, stays inside here. If you want to let it out, you let it out through here." Pale fingers touched a grinning mouth. "Or here." Clean hands grasped dirty, moss covered hands. The freckled girl gave in and promised not to scale the wall to get kissed again.

This is a stupid idea. Being a disgusting sister kisser is one thing, but you can't be anything with your head busted open.

Anna shook her head. Elsa was right. Climbing the wall while her blonde sister looked on was not worth risking for a kiss. But for a declaration of love? The redhead looked up the twelve foot high wall. It looked much higher than only twelve feet today. She shivered again, deciding to make certain the blindfold was in its proper place near their sitting log. Elsa would surely stop her unless she could climb out of reach before the older girl took off her blindfold. If they were truly meant to be together. If their love, disgusting and wrong as it may be, was really meant to last. She would make that climb, and she would make it tomorrow.

Fingering the piece of string tied to her pinky thoughtfully, Anna scrambled over to start laying out the pretty rocks she'd collected. Laying them out perfectly for Elsa.

You will both fail. You will both fall. But at least you will do it together, I guess.

Anna awoke several hours later with a sudden, pounding headache. Sitting up in bed quickly, the redhead barely acknowledged her sister and cousin still tangled in the sheets. Stumbling into the bathroom, she dug through her travel bag of toiletries, and found a couple of Excedrin, which she quickly took. Knowing she'd have to pee soon, she took a seat on the toilet and let her head hang down, hands massaging her scalp blearily.

A half remembered dream. She was in the woods, doing...what, with a rake? Rocks, a vine covered stone wall. Elsa? Maybe. Anna shook her head slowly, parts of the dream fading just out of grasp even as she tried to hold onto them. Stupid dreams. Stupid headache.

*knock knock*

Stupid knocking.

"Anna? Are you okay? Or at least decent?" Rapunzel's sleep addled voice called softly from outside.

Shaking her head once more, Anna felt a chill, and was suddenly self conscious about her lack of pants. Snatching a towel from the nearby rack, she draped it over her lap, and groaned, "Decent enough. Come join the potty party."

A few seconds later, Anna felt strong fingers pressing into her scalp. She looked up at Rapunzel, happy to see the brunette more bright eyed than she'd been in the last four days. "How are you feeling today, champ?" the redhead asked, eyelids fluttering as some of her scalp pain melted away.

Rapunzel laughed quietly. "Me? I'm not the one with a pounding headache, hiding in the bathroom and wearing a bath towel as a skirt." Playfully rustling hair, she continued, "Better, now that both of my favorite people are here. I think I'm coming out of my funk…but I don't know how much that is accepting my dad isn't alive any more, and how much is realizing how horrible a person my stepmom is."

Anna leaned against the brunette's tummy. "You always give people way more chances than they deserve. This isn't the kind of thing friends can make you see." She hugged her cousin's waist. "Nick and Sarah, high school with Elsa...I don't know how far back her fuckery went."

Rapunzel bit her lip, idly rubbing Anna's back. "She...she didn't know Daddy and I were writing letters back and forth this last year." Anna looked back up at her, eyes wide with a lopsided smile. "Sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't tell anyone...it was sorta like our little secret."

Anna's eyes watered. "I...aw, I'm glad he was reaching out to you again."

Taking a seat on the towel over her cousin's lap, Rapunzel continued. "Took me awhile, but I figured out their 'surprise' visit was something she planned. To out me on purpose to him. Didn't really wanna believe it for awhile, but...that's just what happened." Anna opened her mouth, but her cousin kept talking. "I can keep them separate now, I think. Mourn and remember him, and keep her in the garbage where she belongs."

Anna leaned her head against the brunette's shoulder, hugging her tightly. "I'm so fucking proud of you."

The two sat there for a good ten minutes, before Anna started fidgeting.

Rapunzel chuckled. "Are you cold? Or are you gonna make this awkward and start peeing?"

Anna groaned in embarrassment. "My legs are numb." Her cousin stuck a mildly insulted tongue out at her at the insinuation. "And I have to poop."

Rapunzel hauled ass out of the bathroom, making gagging noises while Anna stayed there, slapping the feeling back into her legs with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

Elsa, meanwhile, was just beginning to stir in bed. The blonde's body twisted in the sheets, arms stretching and an involuntary squeal escaped her lips. Stretching her arms up to the headboard and making small circles with her feet, she opened her eyes, feeling extraordinarily refreshed.

Amused, hazel eyes were the first things Elsa saw. "You make funny noises when you're waking up." Rapunzel grinned cheekily, wiggling her older cousin's nose between a thumb and a finger.

Elsa scrunched her nose, replying nasally, "I've been living with you for weeks, and you're only just now realizing this? Good morning, by the way."

Rapunzel shrugged, standing up and going over to turn the coffee maker on. "Anna's pooping right now."

An incensed voice squawked from the bathroom, "You don't need to tell her that, ass!"

Elsa chuckled. Shaking the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up. "I was so tired...heck, I didn't even think I'd gotten here. Thought it was all a dream."

Pouring the blonde a cup of coffee, Rapunzel replied. "Oh, you definitely got here early this morning. You pretty much passed out right on top of us. Nearly suffocated me. It's afternoon, by the way." She handed the coffee to her cousin, just as Anna stumbled out of the bathroom.

"Hey, it was a little worse for me. I was on the very bottom, and my stomach still isn't right from when you sat on it!" Anna groused. She took three steps, before stopping and sniffing under an arm.

Rapunzel shot up, approaching her slowly. "Don't you dare…" But Anna had already turned around and ran back into the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it. Three seconds later, the sound of running water could be heard. The brunette clawed at the bathroom door in dramatic fashion, complaining, "I'm funky and I want a shower too hoo hoo!"

"I can't hear you!" Anna's muffled voice gleefully cackled.

"You brat! Don't you dare use up all the hot water!" Rapunzel changed her tone to sweetly cajoling. "C'mon, unlock this door and we can share the hot water…"

Anna replied with an indignant bluster. "We aren't gonna shower together!"

Rapunzel pouted. "But you nearly pooped while I was on your lap! If that isn't an example of modesty being knocked out cold, I don't know what is!" However, Anna suddenly began belting out 'Nine in the Afternoon' by Panic! at the Disco in an attempt to drown her cousin out. The brunette slunk back to Elsa, defeated.

Elsa shook her head, smiling. "You two. So...the execution of your father's will happens at 7 pm. I'm guessing it's at your old house." Rapunzel nodded glumly. "Do you want us to be there with you?" Elsa asked gently.

The brunette's mouth opened and closed several times, but no words came out. At length, she meekly nodded in the affirmative.

Elsa placed a hand on Rapunzel's knee and squeezed. "We'll be there. We're not leaving your side." She was rewarded with a million watt smile from her cousin. "Let's go grab some lunch from that cheesesteak place, if they're still in business. Afterwards, if we have time...would you be interested in stopping by the academy to give Anna a little tour?"

The enthusiastic squeal and subsequent hug attack that left Elsa smothered by her brunette cousin was all the answer she needed.

Anna was positively ecstatic. After a delicious cheesesteak lunch, which Rapunzel had declared was even better than six years ago, the three young women caught a cab to Elsa and Rapunzel's old high school. The blonde and her brunette cousin's breath had caught in their throats when they stood in front of the old double door main entrance. Squeezing each other's hands tightly in fond remembrance, they went to corral an exuberant Anna who had already started her own personal tour.

A quick stop off at the office, and soon the girls were tromping through the locker filled hallways, guest name tags on each one's chest. The hallways were mostly empty, as the majority of the students were in end-of-day homeroom. Anna thrilled at seeing awards her cousin and sister had won for the academy, pressing up against the glass display cases for both the arts and mathematics.

Shortly after passing by the cafeteria, Rapunzel was pleasantly accosted by her high school art teacher. With an encouraging little shove from her cousins, the brunette wandered off with her old favorite teacher, both gesturing wildly in a mad whirlwind of reacquaintance. The last either sister saw of them, Rapunzel's teacher had darted into one of the classrooms, hauling the gleeful brunette along with her.

"Seeing old teacher's is such a great feeling." Anna mused, fingers lazily intertwined with Elsa's. "I'm glad we came today. Punzie needed another good mood boost."

Elsa nodded. "She was a year behind me, but very popular with many teachers." Shaking her head as her eyes swept by a gaggle of Homecoming posters, the blonde continued to reminisce. "Even in classes like history and math, which despite my tutoring, weren't her best. She never failed to apply herself, and always brought an optimistic attitude to class. That means a lot, even to strict, by-the-book teachers."

The two continued down the hall in amiable silence, before arriving at a large set of double doors. Elsa opened the door for her sister, and ushered her inside.

"Oh holy cannoli, this is one heck of an auditorium!" Anna gushed, spinning around several times to take in the enormity of the stage and seating. "A double balcony! How swanky!" Her attention was drawn to the front of the stage, where several students were quietly singing an a capella version of 'Tambur'.

Elsa watched her sister slowly walk to the front of the auditorium, seemingly drawn to the sound of singing. The blonde blinked and shook her head, realizing that Anna had indeed begun singing the bilingual song in time with the a capella group. The students on stage looked momentarily startled, but Anna just stood in the front row, singing along with them and swaying side to side. Just before the last verse, one of the students beckoned her up on stage. The redhead looked around briefly, before clambering up and standing next to the teenagers, who were now singing noticeably louder and with much more enthusiasm.

The song ended, and a now seated Elsa watched her sister applaud the small group excitedly. Anna appeared to be saying a few words to the students, using her hands to emphasize whatever archaic singing advice she was trying to give. The teenagers all listened with rapt attention, nodding and posing questions, which Anna enthusiastically answered.

Trading high fives with each student, Anna hopped off the stage, and jogged back to where her sister was watching. Elsa's hands were clasped at her chin, and a silly grin played at the blonde's lips. She watched Anna huff and puff, cheeks red from both exertion and excited passion.

"Elsa, did you hear them?! Wow, they are really really great!" Anna cheered, waving her hands wildly to accentuate the point. "And so smart...and so frickin' passionate about singing! They had awesome questions for me!"

Elsa shook her head, standing up slowly. "I see you some day teaching music, Anna. To students just as bright and passionate as the ones you just engaged with. You connect with them, and that's...really very rare."

Anna suddenly blushed self consciously, waving a hand dismissively. "Hah...maybe some day. When I'm old and none of my records will play…" Clasping hands with the blonde once more, the two headed out of the auditorium. The last sounds that reached Anna's ears were those of students inspired to sing much louder and much more bravely. It made her insides twist in an endearingly pleasant way.

Elsa and Anna stood outside the administration office, badges in hand. Most of the students had left school for the day, and Anna texted their cousin, who was apparently in the bowels of the art department helping her beloved former teacher move several projects. She promised she'd only be another ten minutes.

Elsa noticed her sister slowly dancing from one foot to the other, a look of consternation on her freckled face. "Hey, what's up? You look like you have ants in your pants." the blonde woman said with a smile.

Anna gave a grin that ended up closer to a wince. "Yeah. I gotta go pee. I was gonna hold it until later, but Ms. Fuckface might do something horrible like lock all the bathrooms at the house. I'm gonna go use the potty right over there...maybe add a little cute graffiti to the stall!" Giving Elsa's hand a quick squeeze, the redhead hopped awkwardly to the restroom.

Elsa let out a long breath. The visit had gone better than expected. Rapunzel reconnected with a teacher, Anna got to see where the two of them went to high school, and Elsa. Well, the blonde young woman was just glad they'd been fortunate enough not to run into anybody in particular.

The door to the high school office opened on her right, but Elsa paid it little heed. Until she heard somebody address her. A voice that was quiet, reserved, yet dripping with...venom.

"Well, as I live and breathe. Miss Elsa Arendelle." Elsa's head whipped around to see Rapunzel's stepmother, Goethel. Dressed in the same Dean's uniform Elsa remembered from eight years earlier, the greying woman still cut an intimidating figure. The difference now, being that Elsa was no longer a student.

"Dean." Elsa spat, turning to face the older woman. She managed not to ball her hands up into fists.

Goethel practically purred. "Oh, come now, Elsa. It would have been improper for you to call me 'aunt' while you were a student here, but surely now that you've graduated, what...eight years ago?"

A wry smile flitted across Elsa's face. "I'd call you that if you were family. But you're just a sad, power mongering old hag who leaves her stepdaughter out in the cold to die."

Goethel's eyebrows raised perceptibly. Touching a thin hand to her face, she muttered, "Oh my, I see that shy little kitten's grown sharp little claws! I hardly know what you're talking about, though. Rapunzel had her phone on her. Why she didn't call for a taxi is beyond me."

"Why you continue to try to tear her down is beyond me. Were you jealous that her father favored her over you? You may look ancient, but your mind certainly operates on the level of an infant." Elsa's arms crossed in front of her chest solidly. She could feel the enmity radiating from her body. This woman had said and done such things to her cousin.

"Oh, the vigor of youth!" the older woman chuckled, eyes piercing Elsa's darkly. "I am surprised to have seen you with your sister, of all people."

Elsa's lips pursed, drawing her mouth into a fine line. Lowly, she growled, "Don't you dare bring Anna into this."

Putting fingers to her chest, Goethel's eyes shone mirthfully. "Bring her? Oh no, I'm just surprised she could stand to be around you."

Elsa faltered slightly. "It's been many years, yes, but she is as important a part of my life as ever."

"As ever?" Goethel grinned evilly. "So then, she remembered your abominable feelings for her?"

"Abom...feelings...what are...what are you…" Elsa stammered hotly, pupils constricted and chest feeling tight. The woman was just trying to play her.

"Ah, I still remember that hushed phone call with your father before your enrollment. He was so...so frightened." The older woman stepped right up into Elsa's personal space. "I may have been the only person they confided in." One step closer brought Goethel's shallow breaths falling on Elsa's face. "May I be the one to tell poor Anna? Please? I want to see your face when her faith in you shatters."

Scars of half buried memories lashed out at Elsa's psyche, tearing at her consciousness and causing her to stumble slightly. Summoning every last ounce of strength she had, the blonde woman remained standing. "I will see you tonight, Dean." she stammered, lips trembling but eyes locked onto those of the older woman.

Goethel regarded her for a few seconds, and Elsa prayed to every deity she knew that neither Anna nor Rapunzel would return just then. The blonde woman counted it as the greatest blessing when the grey haired dean of the academy shot her one final sinister chuckle, before turning and walking out through the building's main entrance.

Elsa stood, watching the older woman strut away, and only when she was out of sight did the blonde's legs nearly fail her. Stumbling backwards, her back slapped against the concrete wall, and her breath came in ragged gasps. "Breathe. Stay calm. Don't freak out Anna or Rapunzel."

She knows. She's going to out you as the monster that you are.

Elsa bit back a vocal snarl, and instead growled at her internal tormentor. "Shut...the fuck...up." Wiping the sleeve of her jacket across her sweaty forehead, the world slowly stopped spinning and gradually came back into focus. Her breathing slowed.

The door to the girls' restroom opened just then, and Anna walked towards her sister, all smiles. At exactly the same time, Rapunzel came around the far corner, arm in arm with her art teacher. Seeing her blonde cousin out of sorts, the brunette gave her mentor a hug and said they said their goodbyes, before she went to join Elsa and Anna.

Elsa pushed off the wall and stood, still a bit shaken. Anna put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "What's going on? You look...what the hell happened?" Rapunzel arrived wearing a concerned expression as well.

"I ran into the Dean...while she was leaving school for the day." Elsa muttered.

Rapunzel's face screwed up angrily. "Did she say something to you? What did she say?! I am one thousand percent done with her bullshit and I swear if she steps out of line at all tonight…" The brunette was interrupted when Elsa leaned heavily on her.

"Let's just...go." the blonde said, clasping each of her family members' hands. "Tonight will be an administrative, procedural affair. If we don't take her bait, don't sink to her level, she won't get the satisfaction of hurting others that makes her life worth living."

Nodding wordlessly, Rapunzel and Anna followed alongside Elsa out of the school and towards their car. The brunette steeled herself especially, wanting to honor her father's last wishes, and not give her former stepmother the benefit of any twisted psychological victory.

"Ah, I see our guests have arrived. Welcome, welcome and please come in." Goethel trilled, opening the front door and ushering in Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna. "Girls, if you would please, remove your shoes. I'm trying to keep this old house as clean as my dearly departed husband would want.

Silently, each girl deposited their footwear against the wall adjacent to the front door. Rapunzel's face barely remained composed, and the brunette grumbled to Anna, "Daddy always came inside tracking mud and dirt everywhere." Anna squeezed her cousin's hand briefly.

"Rapunzel, dear, hand me that old bear, would you?" Goethel indicated the stuffed bear the brunette was hugging to her chest. "Perhaps I can clean it up a little." Rapunzel snarled at the older woman, who backed off tepidly. Anna bit down hard on her tongue to stifle a giggle.

"Very good, then. Right this way, girls. Your father's lawyer is in the sitting room, prepared to read Thomas' last will and testament." The greying woman, who had changed out of her dean's uniform and into a maroon evening dress with a wide, black sash, brought up the rear of the little group. Rapunzel stepped into the indicated room first, and saw a portly old man, wisps of dirty blonde hair mixed in with mostly grey. The patches on the elbows of his suit jacket were fraying, and he kept having to adjust his wide rimmed spectacles, which constantly slid down his small nose.

Choking back a sob, Rapunzel timidly whispered, "Professor?"

The old man turned in surprise, eyes widening from his chair as he surveyed the new guests. "Why, my goodness, that absolutely cannot be little Rapunzel! It's absolutely impossible!" His eyes crinkled as a great grin spread across his weathered face.

Anna and Elsa stood awkwardly off to the side, while Rapunzel slowly walked to the lawyer. "It's me, professor. I...oh, no wait, allow me." Gently, she took his glasses in her hands, and set them back in their proper place, giving the nose hold an extra little squeeze to keep it in place.

"By the gods, you were no taller than this when I saw you last." the professor sighed, remembering fondly and gesturing with his hand. "And as I keep reminding you, I no longer teach at the university…"

"...but you can still help people learn a thing or two." Rapunzel finished, sniffling unabashedly. The professor took her other hand between his.

"My deepest condolences, my dear. Your father was...a downright scoundrel." The brunette snorted mirthfully, rubbing at her wet cheeks. "The finest man I ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. My heart goes out to you and your family at this time. But I hope you will focus on the good that he did. The good...and the happiness that he brought into your heart." Nodding sadly, Rapunzel took several deep breaths and tried to regain some composure.

Anna and Elsa stepped up behind the brunette, each placing a comforting hand on her shoulders. Rapunzel bowed her head, and whispered, "Thank you."

"Now then, I will honor Thomas' memory in the only way I know how." The professor adjusted his glasses, turning a folder open on the table. "He was never one for standing on ceremony. He grew bored with beaurocracy, and had little patience for wasting words. With that in mind, the following is Thomas Corona's last Will and Testament."

Goethel fidgeted anxiously, wringing the hem of her dress. Rapunzel's breath came in short, frenzied gasps. Anna and Elsa acted quickly, each taking one of her hands in both of theirs.

The professor's voice rang out, "To the city of Denver, Colorado, I leave my house and all property unless specifically noted. Please find good homes for all the literature I've collected, be it in museums or libraries. All else will be auctioned off for the 'Arts for Children' charity."

Happy tears sprang anew on Rapunzel's face. "My daddy is the best." she whispered. Anna and Elsa nodded in agreement. Goethel seemed to be muttering unintelligibly under her breath.

"To my wife, I leave the Grand Oriental mirror which hangs in the living room. May it constantly serve as a reminder that...actually, ours was a rather loveless marriage. She reminded me to take out the garbage and never let me forget to mow the lawn. I feel obligated to give her something for her efforts."

The professor took a breath to compose himself, though he was fighting to suppress a chuckle at his good friend's wit and humor. Goethel was completely slack jawed, unable to form words.

Lastly, the Professor turned to Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa. A softness overtaking his features, he read on. "To my daughter. My precious sunshine. As I am no longer living, I do not wish to cause you additional hurt. I was an old man, short sighted and quick tempered. I cannot speak about your life choices, but then again, they are not mine to speak about. Your life is the sun, and I could never deny your wish to spread that light into however many lives you wish to. You've always carried a bit of my love with you, Beary. Always. And I pray that, when you depart from your childhood home today, you could find just a bit more room in your heart for a lovesick father. Inside of Beary, you will find a key and a passcode. Take these to the Denver Regional Bank. There is a safety deposit box under the name of the only woman I loved as much as I love you. Build your future, and shine the light of your love into as many lives as you can, for as long as you can. Until I see you again on the other side. Daddy."

Rapunzel was crying. Arms and legs boneless and wobbly, she let herself be held up by Elsa in a tender embrace, while Anna rubbed her back comfortingly. The brunette's body wracked with sobs, and she softly moaned, "Daddy...daddy…"

Goethel saw red. She'd been married to the man for fifteen years, and this was what she got in return? Her lips turned down in a snarl, and her left hand clenched into a fist. Her right hand reached behind her slowly, palm pressing on the table by the sitting room window.

The professor closed the folder, slowly standing up and limping over to the crying brunette. "That's everything, little one. Wherever your father is, I know he's looking down on you with a great big smile." Rapunzel nodded in between sobs.

Goethel grasped a knife from the table and lunged with an animalistic cry at Rapunzel's undefended back. Elsa saw the movement from over her crying cousin's shoulder and her eyes narrowed. Gripping the brunette tightly, she swung the smaller woman's body around, throwing her back towards the blade. Slamming her eyes shut, the blonde woman grit her teeth and waited for the pain.

Anna cried out, lunging in front of her sister. Freckled right arm extended, palm forward and fingers splayed out. Goethel slammed the knife down in shock, piercing Anna's palm. The redhead's forward momentum jerked the older woman's wrist. She lost her grip on the knife, stumbling to the ground.

Anna slammed into the table with the will on it, groaning as her knee collided with a solid oak table leg. She fell on top of the table with a grunt, pierced hand hitting hard on its side.

Struggling to her feet, Goethel screamed at Rapunzel and Elsa, "No! I get nothing and this disgusting little bitch gets...it's not right! You're all horrid abominations! And you are the worst of all!" A sinewy, shaking finger pointed at Elsa. "You ruined Thomas' daughter exactly like you ruined your sister! I don't know what your fucking stupid parents-"

Goethel's mad tirade was cut off by Rapunzel slamming her fist into the old woman's gaunt face. "Leave my family alone, you sick fucking freak!" the brunette roared. Greying hair slammed into the floor with a thud, rendering the woman unconscious immediately.

Without any warning, the front door burst open and several police officers swarmed inside the house. "Denver PD, Goethel Corona, we have a warrant for your arrest!" a blonde officer shouted, followed closely by Eugene, who was himself trailed by Police Chief Fitzherbert, the young man's father. Rounding the corner and hustling into the sitting room, the officer called out again, "Denver PD, Goethel Corona, we have a...uh…"

Rapunzel stood over her stepmother's unconscious body, fists tightly clenched, with hot, angry tears streaming down her face. Elsa and the professor froze uncertainly, both pointing down at the unconscious woman. The officer turned back, unsure himself. "Uh, chief?"

Stepping through the crowd, the police chief quickly took the woman's pulse and got a good look at her face. "That's her. Get her out of here. You can read her her rights after she, uh...wakes up." The police chief regarded Rapunzel coolly, but with a hint of sentimentality. "I'm betting this was one face that was just asking to be broken." The brunette nodded slowly.

Eugene ran over to Elsa and Rapunzel, eyes wide with shock. "What the hell...okay, it looks like we were a little late. Are you guys okay?"

Elsa nodded, and Rapunzel grumbled out a quiet "Now I am.".

The three turned to see Anna struggling to regain her footing from her fall on the table. The redhead stood up shakily, face pale and sweaty. She turned around. She held her right hand up in front of her. "Whoa...there's a fucking hole in my hand." Anna muttered dazedly as she inspected the knife that was still lodged there. "This is so...fucking...metal…"

"Anna!" Elsa and Rapunzel cried out simultaneously. The freckled young woman stumbled forward, a delirious grin on her face. She fell into the arms of her sister and her cousin.

Eugene quickly called an ambulance to the location. Anna remained conscious the entire time the group waited, while Eugene stabilized the wound as best as he could without removing the knife. Elsa and Rapunzel did their best to keep the redhead lucid and talking.

"Banana, you looney toon, now you'll have to hold the microphone stand with your left hand!" Rapunzel chided her younger cousin, lips trembling and trying to keep a grin.

"Oh yeah, this is totally gonna get me a hella scar." Anna chuckled. "It's okay, I know you guys are totally jealous."

Elsa bit her lip, squeezing Anna's left hand and kissing it repeatedly. "You are my hero, you know that? You're absolutely stupid, but absolutely my hero." The blonde did her best to avoid devolving into a sobbing mess.

"Oh god, thanks Elsa, now...now I have Chad Kroger's dogface in my mind. Oh god…" Anna laughed, before going into a brief coughing fit. Her pupils constricted. "Hey guys, is it cold in here? Holy...oh wait, oh. I was wondering when it would start hurting…" The redhead had started slurring her words, and the adrenaline of the fight seemed to be wearing off.

Pain radiated from her hand, and Eugene did his best to apply pressure without jostling

the knife. He didn't know much about stab wounds in the hand, except that there were many ways to mess up fine motor skills. "Stay still, champ. You're totally coming up with me on my next hunting trip." the brown haired detective chuckled.

Anna made a wincing pout. "No killing the deers...deer? Just kill cans…"

Eugene nodded, attention drawn to the paramedics who were just arriving on the scene. "We'll only kill evil cans, that's a promise."

The EMT duo quickly assessed Anna's situation, removing the knife and placing it into an evidence bag. Wrapping her hand securely with bandages, the redhead winced once more.

"Are you allergic to anything?" the raven haired medical technician asked Anna.

Anna looked over to her sister. "Hooza whats it why now?"

Elsa wiped her brow, fighting to remain calm. "No, she doesn't have any allergies."

The medical technician nodded. "We're going to take her to the Denver Regional Hospital. We have room if one of you would like to ride along."

Elsa looked at Rapunzel, but the brunette grasped the blonde by her shoulders. "You're going with her. I'll hitch a ride and be there super fast." Elsa nodded shakily, squeezing one of the hands on her shoulders. "We...we really need a fucking vacation after all this."

Rapunzel managed a small grin. "If cussing Elsa wants a vacation, cussing Elsa gets a vacation."

Even though Anna insisted she could walk, the EMTs didn't want to chance her stumbling or falling, so they hauled her out on a stretcher. Elsa stepped quickly, hand clasping Anna's cold and clammy left hand.

"Anna, Anna…" Elsa repeated, on the verge of tears.

Anna smiled sleepily. "Easy Elsha...I'm not gonna die from a hand stabbing my knife...I mean...yeah, the thing…" the redhead's eyes went loopy for a second, and the EMTs loaded her into the back of the ambulance. Elsa clambered in behind them, tiredly watching a helpful police officer close the back of the ambulance doors. The sirens roared to life, and the ambulance took off to the hospital.

As soon as the sirens faded in the distance, Rapunzel went over to give the professor a nice, long hug. The old gentleman quietly recommended that Rapunzel take a vacation as well.

"Haha, yeah. Maybe after my next couple of paychecks come in." the brunette joked, rubbing at a few errant stress tears.

Her old friend gave a hearty chuckle and bent down. He picked up Rapunzel's stuffed bear and placed it in her hands. "I think you may want to...gently...open this little guy up and take a look inside." The brunette looked at him with a questioning stare, but all he did was tap a hand on the folder containing the will, before collecting his personal effects and slowly walking out.

Eugene felt a tug at his trenchcoat. He didn't even have to look to see who it was. "Come on, Goldie. I could really go for some bland, scalding hospital coffee." The two quickly made their way out to his car, which headed in the same direction as the ambulance.

Rapunzel tromped down the hospital hallway like a woman on a mission. The memory of slugging her former stepmother still fresh in her mind, the brunette could only pray the old hag didn't need hospital level medical care. If Rapunzel ever saw her again...oh boy.

"There's my travel buddy!" Anna hollered. She was seated on a gourney, right hand being taped by a nurse, and left hand waving enthusiastically at the brunette.

Rapunzel grinned tenderly, walking quickly to her cousin's side. "You traveled without me!" she pouted, gently wiggling the freckled woman's nose. "But, do you want to know a secret?" Anna nodded, clearly loopy from whatever pain medication she'd been given. Rapunzel leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You're my hero, and the three of us are going on vacation."

Anna's eyes went wide. She clapped her hands together in glee, causing the nurse to squawk and chide her about remaining still and not using her right hand for anything.

Anna shrugged at her cousin. "Didn't even hurt!" she chirped, blissful smile still on her face. "But a vacation! Yay, we can all be travel buddies! Where on where are we gonna go?"

"Well, we'll see what kind of budget we have to work with." Rapunzel muttered, catching a glimpse of Elsa standing with a doctor by a computer. She was nervously wringing her hands and focusing intently on his every word.

Anna followed her cousin's gaze and watched her sister's interaction for a few seconds. Sighing, she groaned, "Great, Elsie's gonna totally keep me in bed and not let me eat chocolate or do anything fun."

Chuckling, Rapunzel ruffled her cousin's hair. "That's because she loves you, dummy. I bet you she might even take a couple days off from work and spend them with you while you recover."

Anna got extremely excited at that notion. "Oh wow, you think so?" Leaning forward with a grin, her eyes unfocused from the pain meds, she whispered conspiratorially to her cousin, "'Cuz I'm totally gonna cuddle the shit out of her!"

Sighing dramatically, Rapunzel said, "Aww, so Elsa gets cuddles but I don't?"

Face switching from a grin to extra serious, Anna waved her bandaged right hand in Rapunzel's face. "After I cuddle Elsa to sleep with my left hand, you hop in bed and I'll cuddle you with my right. On the DL, got it?"

"Very DL." Rapunzel winked. She gave her cousin a thumbs up, just as the nurse chided Anna for being reckless with her right hand again. The brunette ambled over to where Elsa seemed to be scrutinizing the doctor intensely.

"So you're entirely sure she will heal with full use of her hand, all fingers included?" Elsa questioned. The doctor nodded, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead from the intense questioning.

"Her thumb as well? Musicians need their thumbs for many things." Rapunzel chuckled dryly as she listened to her well meaning cousin go on and on.

Nearing a panic attack himself, the doctor interrupted. "I assure you, Miss Arendelle, your sister's wound was clean and there was no tendon or bone damage. She may experience slight numbness in her hand from time to time, but that is entirely normal given the circumstances and not at all dangerous. The scarring will be minimal…"

Rapunzel interrupted. "Well, she'll be mad to hear that."

Elsa jumped at hearing her cousin, startled out of her line of questioning. "Oh, Punzie." she sighed, leaning against her cousin. Giving the doctor a half wave, she thanked him for his hard work, and apologized for taking up so much of his time. He demurred, but quickly hightailed it out of there before the intense young woman had time to change her mind.

Rapunzel hugged her exhausted cousin to her side, feeling Elsa's body sag. Elsa groaned. "S...sorry for leaning on you like this. These last few days have been so h-"

Rapunzel clapped a hand to her cousin's mouth. "I'm still here for you, nerd face. We got through this, and I don't know about you, but I'd say we deserve a fucking vacation."

Elsa gave her a weary smile. "So, what do you say? I'm thinking a four star hotel tonight. Tomorrow we'll attend your father's funeral. Afterwards...well, what do you want to do?"

Pursing her lips, Rapunzel exhaled. "I really...really don't wanna be here any longer than we have to. I think I have some business at the bank to take care of after the funeral, but aside from that, I'm really just ready to be home with you two."

Elsa nodded. "It'll be just so, then." Glancing over, the two women saw Anna hop down from the gourney and give her nurse an enormous hug. The exasperated nurse finally cracked a smile and returned the hug.

Afterwards, Anna ambled over to the two of them, all smiles. "Wow guys, so I didn't know this but getting stabbed totally makes you hungry! It's like the food just leaks out of your belly...through your hand...eh, the human body, it's a fucking mystery." Throwing an arm around Elsa's and Rapunzel's waists, Anna pressed them onwards. Elsa made sure to cradle Anna's bandaged hand tenderly. "So, I have no fuckin' clue where we're going now, but I feel great and I could eat a horse! Wherever we end up, can we get, like, all the food?"

"I just got off the phone with Hiccup," Anna said, rummaging a hand through the mini bar of their new hotel room. "He was only moderately pissed off for me waking him up, and reported that all cats, sloths, and other fantastical creatures are doing well. He says everybody at home sends their best, and they hope we all come home soon."

"I dunno, a girl could get used to a bathroom this big." Rapunzel hollered from the bathroom doorway. "Seriously, y'all have to check out this massive whirlpool tub!"

Elsa came up from behind the brunette, carry on in one hand and tapping her on the shoulder with a piece of paper in the other. "Dinner menu for tonight, Punzie. Circle anything you want, check with Anna, and I'll put the order in."

Rapunzel turned to her older cousin and took the paper, rubbing her cousin's shoulders. Elsa's entire body sagged and she let out a pitiful half moan. "Yeah, honey, you go get unpacked. I'm gonna run those weary, old muscles of yours a nice, hot bath. With hot water jets." The brunette waggled her eyebrows, and Elsa nodded tiredly.

Trudging into the bedroom, the blonde woman noticed there was only one extra large king sized bed. Despite the fact they all shared a smaller bed during the previous night, she still blushed. It was one thing to be dead on your feet and pass out in a pile with others, and it was another to find two people incredibly attractive and willingly crawl into bed with them.

Shaking her head clear of any impending negative thoughts, Elsa walked over to the dresser to unpack, noticing that her cousin's stuffed bear taken up residence against the large, fluffy pillows. A small incision had been made in the center of the teddy bear's belly, and had also apparently been carefully restitched closed. The blonde figured Rapunzel had talked some hospital employee into performing the minor operation. She was curious if the brunette had found anything inside her treasured memento from her father, but she knew Rapunzel would speak up about it when the time was right. Flopping her suitcase onto the large bed, Elsa unzipped the top and got to unpacking a few things.

Rapunzel tested the bathwater temperature for the fourth time with her left hand. Her right hand idly withdrew several small candles from her bag of toiletries. Arranging them carefully around the rim of the tub, she double checked to make sure her lighter was in her pocket. Left hand sufficiently satisfied with the water temperature, she plugged the drain and let the tub fill while she went to hand off the dinner menu to her younger cousin.

Anna, meanwhile, had lined up several small bottles from the mini bar. Next to her little bottle wall, she'd placed some cash. She heard somebody approaching, and peered over the counter to give Rapunzel a suspicious grin. "Drinks are on me, tonight!" the redhead cackled.

Rapunzel gave her an encouraging smile in return. "Your meds are all worn off, right?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, they last about four hours and it's been close to six. Anyway, we won't have any adult beverages until we get some food in our tummies." Wincing slightly, she raised her bandaged right hand a bit and wiggled the wrist. "Looks like I'll be left handing microphones and instruments for the time being." The freckled young woman sounded a little glum.

Rapunzel took the bandaged hand between her own and kissed it gently. "I owe you magical healing kisses, anyway." Anna wriggled her nose playfully, causing the brunette to chuckle. "If your nose gets busted, maybe I'll give you a funny kiss, too."

Anna went back to rummaging through the minibar. Offhandedly, she commented, "I'm happy to see you working through this...but I'm really looking forward to being home."

"Around your vinyl babies?" Rapunzel grinned, inspecting the menu to see what Anna chose.

"A little of that, yeah. But we all have things going on back home. I'm excited to see how you and Elsa, and that foreman buddy of hers, bring that building together." Anna tugged thoughtfully at a loose bandage strand on her right hand, before muttering, "What do you think Elsa thinks of him?"

"Who, Kristoff?" Rapunzel asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I know she's older and I probably shouldn't worry about her, but…" the redhead gestured hopelessly at the end.

"I think you're allowed to worry about anyone, no matter how old they are." Knocking on the counter, Rapunzel winked. "If you worry about 'em, it usually means you love 'em."

Anna nodded, before lowering her voice further with a new question. "If you don't wanna answer, that's fine. But...what did Goethel mean when she said that Elsa ruined us?"

Rapunzel shrugged, eyebrows knitting. "I don't really know, to be honest. I know she...look, I don't want to tell you anything she should be telling you. But I know this...your parents weren't looking to send Elsa to the academy. They...something happened to make them want to send Elsa away from you." Tapping a finger on the counter nervously at her redheaded cousin's wide eyed look, Rapunzel continued hesitantly. "Maybe Goethel thought I got the idea of being intimate with two other people together from Elsa." The brunette snorted with mirth, and Anna relaxed considerably. "No...I'm sure you noticed that Elsa's a little shy when it comes to physical contact and...even talking about sex. She told me back in high school that she found both guys and girls attractive, but...well, hell. Your parents knew you were hella gay before they...passed away, right?"

Anna nodded, closing the minibar and standing up.

"So whatever the reason they sent your sister away...we can bet it wasn't because of that." Rapunzel finished.

The two stood at the counter, saying nothing for a few moments, before Elsa's panicked voice called out from just outside the bathroom, "Um...the water's overflowing?"

"Motherfucker!" Rapunzel swore, yanking her socks off and bolting into the bathroom. She shut the water off, relieved to see it had only just started to run over the edge. Turning back to Elsa with a sheepish, apologetic look on her face, she muttered, "Sorry, it'll be...just another minute! God damn technical difficulties!" The brunette went to work draining the tub a bit and drying the candles.

Anna approached her sister slowly, a wry smile on her face. "Baths are hard to run, aren't they? Well...oh my damn, candles?!" Rubbing Elsa's back warmly, Anna noted, "Looks like somebody likes you a lot!"

Elsa blushed. "I heard you talking about making...drinks tonight. No more medication if that's the case, okay?"

Anna waved her good hand dismissively. "No problem. Getting some food in my tummy will take away at least half of the discomfort."

Rapunzel tromped out of the bathroom with two wet towels, face aflame with a blush. "Ignore this lowly slave! Mistress, your bath is drawn and ready." She scurried off to wring them out in the mini kitchen sink.

Anna poked her head in quickly. The lights had been dimmed, all ten candles had been lit, and their light danced playfully off of the bubbles on the water. Scents of rose, cherries, and vanilla wafted through the air. "You certainly got yourself the royal treatment here, Els. Enjoy it, because next time I might insist on joining you."

Elsa gave her a small smile. "You two could join me any time." Anna's blush was clearly visible in the low light, and Elsa blanched. Stammering, she mumbled, "With bathing suits of course! And plenty of space! And a bigger tub! And lots more bubbles! And-"

Anna chuckled, taking pity on her flustered sister. She gently pushed the still stammering blonde into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Shaking her head, she whispered to herself, "You dork. I was just talking about sharing a bath. That's all…" A single image of Elsa reclining in the hot water, candlelight flickering off her soft, pale skin, caused the redhead's mouth to suddenly become dry. She swallowed quickly, shaking her head. "It's just a bath, dummy."

The freckled young woman left the hallway to go place their dinner order, while her sister slid further under the hot water.

The lights of the master bedroom were dim. The television, muted about half an hour ago, was looping the ending credits for 'High Fidelity', Rapunzel's choice for the movie that night. Elsa had never seen it, and the brunette insisted it be the entertainment to go alongside their delicious room service meals and custom drinks made by Anna.

Anna balked at the similarities her cousin repeatedly pointed out between the movie and her own record shop. The redhead and the brunette had gone shot for shot, but stopped at five because they were getting entirely too noisy, and Elsa feared they might get kicked out of the hotel. The blonde woman sipped on a couple of screwdrivers the entire evening, pleasantly buzzed and quite enjoying her salmon with broccoli. Anna had demolished a half rack of honey barbecue basted ribs, while Rapunzel proudly ate an entire medium feta cheese and tomato pizza all by herself. The last third of the movie saw Elsa and Anna, heads propped up with arms on pillows.

Rapunzel was sleeping hard after her poor stomach started digesting all the bread from her pizza, mixed with the remaining alcohol. The brunette was sprawled out in the middle of the bed, clutching her teddy bear. Anna was cuddled against her left side, and Elsa by her right. Each still had a hand tangled in the brunette's hair, smiling and sharing quiet, drunk giggles whenever a funny noise came from their sleeping cousin's mouth.

Anna's mind buzzed with the alcohol flowing through her body. The nearby clock radio was tuned to an alt-rock station, softly playing current hits as well as callbacks from the nineties. Her face felt unusually warm, eyes wandering between Elsa and Rapunzel. Her blonde sister's eyes never left her face, and seemed to be communicating subtly.

Elsa watched her sister's lips move in time with the lyrics on the radio. The blonde didn't know most of the songs, and it looked as though Anna didn't know a few as well, but the redhead always managed to improvise the tune damn accurately even without lyrics. The alcohol gave Anna's voice a scratchy, raspy edge that it didn't normally get until an hour into belting out covers at the top of her lungs. The almost hoarse, raw voice sent chills down Elsa's spine.

Hozier's 'Take Me to Church' came on next, and Anna's eyes fluttered shut. Her lips pushed out the words effortlessly, fingers crawling spider-like through Rapunzel's short hair. They came to rest atop Elsa's hand, fingertips pressing against cool, pale digits.

"A fresh poison each week. We were born sick, you heard them say it."

Elsa trembled, craning her neck and laying her head against the cool pillow. Memories swam through her mind. Crisp, autumn leaves. A mossy, half rotted log. Rows of quartz along a wooded path.

"The only heaven I'll be sent to...is when I'm alone with you." Anna's forehead pressed against her sister's. The freckled young woman didn't know which was cool and dry, and which was warm with a thin sheen of sweat. Her eyes opened. Elsa's pupils were wide, locked on hers. A thumb pressed against pale, trembling lips. A half formed memory of a tall rock wall littered with mossy vines.

"This is hungry work." Elsa's hand held her sister's thumb to her lips, pressing one kiss to it. A second. A small, pink tongue pressed between lips and tasted the other's skin. The blonde's eyes shimmered, unblinking.

"I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife." Anna's vision clouded, a dull throbbing in the redhead's skull tugging against the burning of alcohol in her veins. Her eyelashes fluttered, voice barely above a whisper. Her thumb passed between her sister's lips. Was it pressed in or pulled it?

"There is no sweeter innocence…" Elsa's eyes suddenly closed. No, not closed, they were blindfolded. Thirteen years old and seated in a wooded clearing. Anna looked down. Dizzy. The corners of the freckled woman's mouth tasted of salt. Her head burned. Her hand fell away from her sister's mouth. Her twenty five year old sister.

"Amen. Amen." Anna's voice cracked. Her lips trembled subconsciously into a grief streaked frown. Small hands clung to the collar of a Sunday school dress. Black dress shoes scuffed and dirty.

Elsa's hands pressed against hot, tear stained freckled cheeks. The alcohol twisted and dulled her consciousness. "Stop. Don't remember. Come back to me." she uttered brokenly. repeatedly pressing against her sister's cheeks, Pressing hard. "Don't go back there."

"Take me to church." Anna murmured, body trembling. One hand grasped Rapunzel's cotton pajama top, while the other tangled in Elsa's hair, keeping their foreheads pressed together. Inches of space between two pairs of lips.

Lips found lips and tasted salt. Elsa's eyes were shut, yet her hand seeked out and pressed against her sister's childhood scar. Fingers tangled in a lone white lock of hair. Anna's trembling ceased, and her breathing became slow and even. A freckled hand, fisted among platinum blonde locks, loosened. The blonde's lips pulled away, moistening her sister's lips with slow drags of her tongue.

"Sleep...sleep and forget…" Elsa mumbled, curling an arm protectively around Anna's back and pulling her gently against the blonde's chest. Elsa's other hand naturally found Anna's, pressing them into Rapunzel's hair.

The brunette moaned in her sleep, inching towards the headboard and rolling towards Anna. Two different hands ended up on Rapunzel's cheek, and the artist was calmed back to sleep.

Sleep, alcohol, and memories overcame all three and buried them in a muddy, uneasy world of dreams.

At 5:45 a.m. sharp, tables were set up in the empty room adjacent to the hotel lobby. Two long, compact tables, and a large collection of small, circular tables. At each circular table there were two to four chairs placed.

Both long, rectangular tables had white tablecloths draped over them. Lastly, both long tables were filled from end to end with metal trays full of various hot breakfast foods. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage links, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, and several other breakfast favorites peeked out from underneath metal lids. Cold drinks, hot tea and coffee, and various pastries were also available.

At 6 a.m., the early morning risers hit the breakfast buffet with gusto. Businesspeople of various trades, hikers going up to the mountains, and a few who just hadn't gotten to sleep yet all partook of the first batch of hot and ready food. Silverware clinked noisily, newspapers were read, and folks chatted amiably about notable morning news.

The early morning hours dragged on, seeing hotel guests arrive, eat their fill, and head out for the day. Minutes ticked by, and the time slowly dragged on. The hotel staff kept an eye on the flow of guests, and eventually 8:45 a.m. arrived. Dish carts were prepared, dishwashers were filled with soap, and the breakfast crew waited for the word from their shift manager that it was time to clear the buffet for the day. 8:48. 8:49. The shift manager looked around, noticing that the sitting area was empty. He was on the verge of giving his crew the clean up order, when there was a minor ruckus across the lobby.

An elevator opened with a ping, and Elsa stomped out. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was wild. In one hand she tugged along Anna, and in her other hand she was towing Rapunzel. The redhead's eyes were completely shut and she was missing a sandal. The brunette was drooling and clinging desperately to her teddy bear.

Anna flexed her fingers in the bandage experimentally. Apparently it was too early for her brain to register pain. "I don't think...yeah, my heart is definitely not beating right." she groaned, stumbling on her sandal-less foot.

Next to her, Rapunzel looked around in confusion. "Are those other humans over there? Where are we? What year is it? Why does my brain feel like a mashed potato?" the brunette mumbled, smiling and waving her teddy bear at the amused hotel staff.

Ahead of them, Elsa pressed on towards the breakfast buffet, a determined glint in her eyes. "Best cure for hangover. Eat and drink. Free eat and drink here. Eat drink then sleep more. No talk eat drink." her monotone voice struck her sister and cousin as hilarious, and both started cracking up. The three paraded into the buffet room, just as a hotel staffer emerged from the kitchen pushing an empty dish rack. Elsa turned and snarled at the poor young man, who quickly retreated.

Three miserably hungover girls slapped lukewarm food onto three plates, magically transported it from the plates into their bellies, then trudged pitifully back up to their room. They were quite determined to stay in bed until an hour before their 1pm checkout time. Woe unto any who disturbed them before then.

The sky was overcast and a light rain fell at the cemetery. Elsa's watch read 3:05, and everyone had left except for the three of them. The service had been simple, as Thomas would have wanted, and only his personal friend and lawyer, the professor, had any parting words. Rapunzel had placed a kiss on the casket just before it was lowered.

The brunette wore a simple, short black dress. She'd been standing in front of the gravesite for nearly half an hour. Anna and Elsa were several yards away, underneath an old oak tree. Its branches offered the two some respite from the dampness.

Anna leaned against her sister, and the redhead's eyes would occasionally drift between their cousin and the grey horizon. Elsa had an arm around Anna's shoulders, and in her free hand she was making flight reservations for their return trip.

"She's kneeling down." Anna murmured in observation. Elsa looked up in sympathy. Indeed, Rapunzel had knelt down. The brunette traced her finger in the grass over her father's burial site, and quietly said a few unintelligible words. Leaning over, she kissed the tombstone, and after a few more respectful moments of silence, stood up, gave a little wave, and headed back to her cousins.

Rapunzel's shoulders sagged heavily as she joined Elsa and Anna under the tree. "Well, that's that. Daddy's on the other side of the veil now."

Anna drew the brunette into a hug, which Elsa jumped in on. The redhead murmured, "Whatever your last words and stuff to him were, I'm sure they were very special."

Rapunzel laughed, a hint of embarrassment in her tone. "Oh, that was just a little...I had put a protection spell on him after. After they came and surprised me in San Francisco. I was worried, so...yeah." Putting a hand on each of her cousins' shoulders, she continued. "He's passed on now, so I wanted to transfer it." Idly tracing a few symbols into her cousins' shoulders, Rapunzel grinned cheekily. "Consider yourselves under the protection of Helia, Goddess of the Sun."

Elsa squeezed her thoughtful cousin's hand tenderly, and Anna gave her other hand a little kiss. Staring off towards the parking lot, the blonde remarked, "Alright. If we're ready to go, I have a flight booked at 8pm. That gives us plenty of time to take care of your business at the bank, get a little dinner, and make the flight with time to spare." Both girls nodded at Elsa's plan, and hand in hand the three walked out of the cemetery. As they approached the car, Elsa and Anna looked up in surprise to see the sun breaking through and warming their cool, damp skin. They were surprised, but Rapunzel just cast her eyes skyward and blew a kiss in that direction.

"Very well. What name is the safety deposit box listed under?" the bank teller asked Rapunzel. Elsa and Anna were sitting in the bank lobby while their cousin was taking care of this last bit of family related business.

"Amelia Primrose." Rapunzel replied, spelling the name just to make sure the teller inputted it correctly. She clutched her teddy bear in her left hand, and in her right was the piece of paper with the access password for the deposit box. The key lay in her pocket.

The teller entered a few commands into her computer. At length, she slid a numbered keypad towards the brunette, instructing her. "Please enter the passcode for the deposit box. Ignore all spaces, and press enter when you are finished."

Carefully, Rapunzel typed in the passcode number for number. Double checking to make sure it was correct, she hit 'enter', then tucked the slip of paper into her purse.

Several seconds later, the teller smiled at Rapunzel. "Please step over to the door to the right of the teller row. I will request an employee to take you to your deposit box."

Rapunzel nodded nervously. "Um, excuse me? Is it..may I please take my cousins back there with me?"

The teller nodded, relaying that relevant information to the bank employee she was already on the phone with.

Anna groaned, slapping her phone against her thigh in disgust. Elsa chuckled, saying, "Did those nasty angry birds get you again?" The redhead nodded glumly.

Suddenly, Anna noticed Rapunzel waving them over to where she stood. "Hey Els, I think Rapunzel wants us to go with her." Elsa and Anna stood up and headed over to where the brunette was waiting.

Rapunzel's eyes were wide and her breath was shallow. Elsa placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You okay, Punzie? Breathe, it'll be alright."

"Sorry." the brunette gasped, shaking her arms and cracking her neck anxiously. "I just. The last person to go to this deposit box was my dad. It's...weird. I don't even...what do you think will be in there?"

Anna pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "Maybe it's adorable home videos of when you were a baby. I know you have a couple, but there's always room for more adorable baby blondie videos!" She tickled Rapunzel lightly, and the brunette giggled in relief.

Elsa's reply was much more pragmatic. "I know the majority of his investments were tied up in the house and property that are going for charity...but didn't you say he kept his small boat crafting hobby in a separate account?"

Rapunzel nodded thoughtfully, biting her bottom lip in consternation. "It was only a hobby. At least, that's what he always told me."

Scarcely a minute later, a bank employee met with them and had them all following him back through rows of safety deposit boxes. Stacks and stacks of precious items and precious memories contained in the gloomy recesses of the bank vault. At length, they all stopped in front of a modest sized box.

"I assume you have the key, correct?" the employee asked Rapunzel. She nodded, and the man withdrew the box. Stepping over to one of a long hallway of empty rooms, the man instructed. "Take all the time to add or withdraw items in this room. The curtain may be drawn for privacy. Pick up this handset and speak with the operator when you are ready to leave."

Rapunzel jerked her head nervously in an awkward nod. The employee set the box on the counter and closed the curtain, leaving the three young women alone.

The blonde woman withdrew the key from her pocket with a trembling hand. Taking several unsteady breaths, she rested her palms on the cool metal of the deposit box. Memories of her father swirled in her mind once more. What could he have left her?

Rapunzel's train of thought was interrupted by Elsa placing a hand on the small of her back. Lightly, the blonde said, "You don't have to open it if you aren't ready to."

Following suit, Anna added, "It isn't going anywhere, and you're still the same person you were before this all happened. Except now you're stronger."

Rapunzel gave a watery chuckle, blinking back tears. "And I understand just a little better how important the two of you are to me." With one final deep breath, she inserted the key, and turned it.

The lid opened slowly, but automatically. Three sets of eyes peered curiously inside.

There was a folded piece of paper on top of a smaller metal box, about the size of a shoebox. Breathlessly, Rapunzel unfolded the paper and read its contents.

Beary. I won't rehash things already said. The bottom line is: you graduation college with top marks, and aside from the first year, you did it all on your own. I made you a promise, and even though I am gone, I am still going to fulfill that promise. With a little extra. Go out into the world and spread the light of your love.

Love, your dad.

Sniffling, Rapunzel folded up the little letter and placed it carefully inside her purse. Next she removed the smaller metal box. Sharing an excited look with Elsa and Anna, the brunette lifted the lid with a flourish.

Green and white met their eyes. Neat, even stacks of cash. Anna gave a low whistle. "Wow, hey that's an awful lot of ten dollars bills. Like...a lot lot!"

Elsa shook her head with a dry chuckle. "Those aren't ten dollar bills, Anna. Those are hundred dollar bills."

Anna's pupils constricted and her voice grew exceptionally quiet. "Oh." she eked out.

At the back of the box there was a slip of paper sticking out. The smell of the paper money was awfully strong. Rapunzel reached in and pulled out the slip of paper. She recited the numbers she saw on it. "One hundred times seven thousand. Seven hundred thousand. Oh."

Elsa and Anna blinked.

Rapunzel blinked, taking several short breaths.

"Seven hundred thousand." the brunette repeated, the number not sounding real. A single tear fell down her cheek, but it was more out of surprise than sadness. "Daddy, I didn't know your cute little boats were this popular."

Turning around to face her cousins, Rapunzel hopped up and sat on the counter next to the box containing her inheritance. "So." she began, cheeks flushed and chest heaving. "I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a vacation." Locking eyes with Elsa, the brunette continued. "Once the inevitable first frost of the year hits."

Anna looked at her sister curiously. Elsa grinned. The first frost of the year for San Francisco construction companies meant that all work ground to a halt for at least two weeks, until the weather was consistently warmer. Putting a hand on the redhead's shoulder, Elsa said, "I think she's asking us if we want to go on a vacation with her."

Down the hall, a bank employee was filing away old time cards. A sudden, ecstatic shriek echoed among the stacks of lockboxes, startling the old woman, who scattered the time cards all over the floor in surprise. Clearly, somebody's day had just gotten a whole lot better.

Elsa sighed, reclining her armchair just a bit further while taking a sip of complementary hot chocolate. She had to admit: first class seating really was a considerable improvement over coach. Heated leather seats, cushy pillows, and even optional vibrating massage options. The blonde had a rocky enough time the last few days as it was...she definitely didn't need any more shaking. Especially on board a plane. However, looking across the aisle to Rapunzel and Anna, both fully reclined while sharing a travel magazine, Elsa couldn't help but giggle at their vibrating bodies. Murmured voices about exotic destinations shook and trembled along with the vibrating chairs.

Returning her attention to her cell phone. the blonde finished composing an email to her brunette cousin. In it, Elsa restated the details of the plan they devised for her inheritance money. The first, and most pleasant surprise, was that they managed to fall into every no tax clause regarding inheritances. With the help of a thoughtful senior banker, Rapunzel opened a diverse, low yield, and low risk investment portfolio with $500,000. The second account, a platinum verified checking account, would hold $150,000 and be available to the brunette in case of emergencies, or possible future investments. Elsa had suggested a house for her at some point, but Anna's idea of having Elsa design and build a house really grabbed Rapunzel's attention. The final account, holding the remaining $50,000, was dubbed the 'funny money' account. This would be used to help with the brunette's day to day expenses, the trip that she was taking her cousins on, and anything else Rapunzel deemed 'fun enough'. It was a solid plan, and would ensure her cousin's financial stability for a long time to come.

While leaving the bank, Rapunzel had remarked, "Yeah, the money will come in handy. It's nice not having to worry about it so much, but I really just wanna get back home doing what I love." Punching Elsa's shoulder lightly, the brunette had chuckled, "And that's working for this nerd."

Anna, meanwhile, had been on the phone with Merida. The fiery Scot assured her friend that the record shop hadn't burned down, and they even made a respectable number of sales. She reported that Lars and Chelsea had come by to hang out and jam several times, and everybody was anxious to see how their frontgirl worked a microphone left handed. Merida also informed her boss that Lars brought Hiccup some spicy curry from the local Thai place, and she figured it was only a matter of time before there were wedding bells.

Hiccup had brusquely interrupted her at that point, stammering something about a customer who needed help finding the Bob Dylan album 'Blonde on Blonde'. He then assured the redhead that her sloth was healthy and had pretty much taken over her entire apartment. He also told her to tell Rapunzel that Miles Davis had upped his 'little shit' game, managing to trip the lanky young man a total of three times in two days. Anna thanked them both for all of their hard work, and promised them a day or two of actual paid time off. Merida scoffed at the idea, saying she'd believe it when she saw it.

Elsa was yanked from her recollection when she suddenly felt something strike her cheek. Looking down to her lap, she spotted a folded up piece of notebook paper. The blonde woman carefully unfolded it and read the contents. "The Supergirl Contract. By signing your name below, you certify you are a Supergirl. This elite club gets you all kinds of special perks. Stuff so secret they can't even be put in writing. x-Rapunzel Corona x-Anna Arendelle x-"

Elsa chuckled, shaking her head. She looked directly at her sister and cousin, both of whom quickly hid their faces in their travel magazine. Fishing a pen from out of her purse, the blonde woman signed her name underneath her sister's. She refolded the contract into a paper airplane, and lobbed it back across the aisle. It made a crash landing in Rapunzel's short, brown hair, which set the two young women into a fit of giggles. Rapunzel quickly refolded the special document and placed it in her purse.

Downing the rest of her hot chocolate, Elsa blinked wearily. She was still a bit fuzzy from the prior night's drinking, and hoped she hadn't acted too silly. Turning to face Anna and Rapunzel, Elsa draped her blanket over her body and snuggled into her pillow.

The other two women were just staring at her. Both wore incredibly tender smiles. Elsa groaned, "Yeah, I don't know if I can sleep when I'm getting stared at like that."

Rapunzel winked. "You should come over here then and sleep with us."

Elsa blushed hotly. "There are rules on planes, and I don't wanna get kicked out when we're thirty thousand feet up."

Anna leaned over her brunette cousin and her smile widened. "I'd jump out after you."

Rapunzel chimed in too. "I'd be right behind."

"Yeah, uh huh." Elsa yawned sleepily, closing her eyes and doing her best to ignore the two sets of eyes boring holes into her. It worked for about ten seconds, before a piece of paper hit her in the nose. Then another bonked her on the forehead. Opening her eyes groggily, the blonde grunted, "Oh, so it's gonna be like that, is it?"

Both Rapunzel and Anna nodded, grinning like mad.

Huffing with a small pout, Elsa unclasped her seatbelt, scooped up her blanket and pillow, and shuffled across the aisle. Anna and Rapunzel each scooted over, making room for the blonde woman in the middle. "You two are so bad." Elsa noted with a wry smile, lying down on her back and drawing the covers up to her neck. "I really don't know what to expect on this mysterious future vacation."

Rapunzel sighed, snuggling under Elsa's blanket. "You'll just have to wait and see, nerd face."

Anna shuffled over on Elsa's other side. "Yeah, but don't worry. We'll initiate you in the ways of a...travel buddy."

The three sleepy women passed the remaining flight time lightly napping. They were only woken up by a flight attendant when it was time to land, and a grumpy Elsa hauled her tired, protesting body back to her seat. She really, really wanted to stay with her sister and their cousin.

"And its, no. No, hang on. Oh yeah, right over here." Anna said, leaning to the far back of the record shelf and quickly flipping through several selections. Slowing down when she came to the Richard Pryor section, the redhead thoughtfully thumbed through a few albums. Drawing one out, she presented it to the older black gentleman, who graced her with a wry smile.

"Those are some very pretty glasses, young lady. Even if your one eye is kinda...hanging out." the man chuckled, poking at the more dangly of the two spring loaded eyes on Anna's funny glasses.

"Well, shit, I guess you're too offended to ever come back again!" Anna laughed, briefly checking out the back of the album the customer had asked for. "1982's live album, huh? Vintage Pryor...are you rounding out a collection?"

The man carefully took the album from Anna, replying, "No, I'm trying to broaden my grandson's comedy horizons. He thinks the last word on funny shit begins and ends with Kevin Hart."

Anna chuckled. "Doing the Lord's work, that you are. Think I'll throw on another one of his standup albums and shock a few people." The customer gave a hearty laugh at that, clapping the redhead on the shoulder, and causing her springy bobble eyes to bounce up and down jerkily.

The storeroom door opened slowly, and Hiccup backed out, plastic tote case in both hands. "Boss, I found the Roberta Flack you were talking about." he grunted, red and blue 3d glasses sitting cockney on his narrow face. Setting them on a corner of the sales counter with a grunt, he added, "Are you grabbing lunch with your sister soon?"

Anna nodded, ears dancing at the lively conversation Merida was having with her Richard Pryor customer about eighties comedians versus fifties comedians. She loved being in her little vinyl shop, hearing vinyl geeks similar to herself go on and on about a tradition that spanned many, many years. "Uh huh, Elsa should be around in a few minutes. We're grabbing some Chinese, then she's taking some back to the job site for Kristoff. Want me to bring you back anything?"

Hiccup shook his head in the negative. "Thanks but no, I had a sub delivered earlier."

Merida waved cheerily as the vinyl comedy customer exited the shop. Her gaudy, star shaped Hollywood-esque sunglasses had enough glitter to make certain vampires jealous. Muttering with teasing snark, the woman added, "Delivered by Lars!" Hiccup ran his hands through his long, brown hair, grumbling in embarrassed frustration, and busied himself with unpacking the crate of Roberta Flack albums.

With an album identical to the one they just sold, Anna skipped over to the record player, and before long the store was filled with the comedic stylings of Mr. Pryor, in a show from Sunset Strip. The next ten minutes passed amiably, with plenty of cussing and a few customers laughing out loud amid their vinyl browsing.

The ring of the front door bell caused Anna's ears to perk up, and the redhead turned to see Elsa step into the store.

"Just get the fuck outta my face! You know I love you, but god damn!" crackled through the store's sound system. Elsa blanched, shaking her head with a grimace.

Waving back at her friends, a stray piece of bandage from her injured right hand flapping errantly, Anna jogged up to meet her sister. "I called in our order. Are you...ready to...go?" the redhead huffed.

"I'm ready. Are you okay? I think you need to work out a little, Anna." Elsa chided, indicating flushed freckled cheeks and a heaving chest.

Anna waved her hands. "What? No way. I just ran at least forty yards, Elsa. That would make anybody tired."

The blonde reached out and tugged gently on one of the spring loaded eyeballs on her sister's funny glasses, and smiled fondly. "I think it was more like ten yards, but if you say so." She blushed when Anna linked arms with her, and led her back outside and across the street to their destination.

Anna found a table, which she polished to a near shine with the sleeve of her Def Leppard sweater. In the meantime, Elsa picked up their orders, as well as the one she promised to bring Kristoff back, and joined her sister at the table.

Anna noticed the blonde pouting a bit at the steamed vegetables and chicken on her plate. Carefully, the redhead tilted her plate towards her sisters and she grinned. "This Pad Thai is super amazing, Els. You should totally have some!"

Elsa smiled tenderly, waving off her younger sister. "No no, I'll eat what I ordered. I think I gained five pounds from our trip to Colorado. I'm not gifted with your furnace of a metabolism, so I want to lose a bit if possible.

Anna shrugged, swallowing the noodles in her mouth. "If you say so, but you look amazing." Elsa blushed and tried to hide her face in her food, offering mumbled thanks.

The two sisters ate in companionable silence for a few minutes. In the meantime, the door bell jangled, and another customer brushed by them. Anna didn't think anything of it, until she heard the soft, melodious voice up at the counter ordering sweet and sour chicken with teriyaki sauce.

Cuffed jeans. Harley Davidson jacket. Ruby red hair. Sweet and sour chicken with teriyaki sauce. Anna's eyes went wide and she took a large gulp of air. Unfortunately, that gulp of air had a mouthful of noodles sucked in with it.

The freckled girl let out several hacking coughs, startling Elsa. Anna's eyes became wide, and she hit her chest with her bandaged right hand. Pain seared through her arm.

"Anna, don't do that! Hold on." Elsa bolted out of her seat and around to her sister. Thumping her on the back solidly, Elsa looked around in a panic. "Is it out?!" she stuttered, alternating back slaps with circular rubs.

Gripping the edge of the table, Anna stood up unsteadily. She let out several more full bodied hacking coughs, torso and neck tensing with each one. A bit of noodle flew out of her mouth, and she stumbled against the table.

"Excuse me." A quiet but authoritative voice said behind Elsa. The blonde looked behind her, seeing the redhead in the biker jacket.

Elsa stepped aside, panic stricken. The woman moved up, wrapped Anna in a half hug, and gave several hard tugs back and up. Anna's body jerked against the other woman's several times. At last, a disgusting glob of noodles and chicken dislodged from Anna's throat and flew across the room. It landed on the floor with an unpleasant plop.

Anna let out a ragged breath, sagging in the other woman's arms. They helped her gently into her seat.

Elsa instantly grabbed the woman's jacket, eyes shining. "Oh, thank you so much for your help! You saved her!" Turning to her sister, Elsa knelt down and blinked as a fear tear escaped and slid down her cheek. The blonde tenderly wiped the freckled young woman's messy mouth, while Anna drew in ragged breaths. "Don't breathe and chew your food. This is an important lesson. You scared me to death."

"Sometimes it takes Anna a few tries before lessons stick. Isn't that right?" the bright red haired woman said, exasperated smile gracing her features.

Elsa's eyes went back and forth between the two. "You two know each other?"

Anna managed a half chuckle in between gasps. Raggedly, she muttered, "Hiya, Ariel. Didn't even...let me know you were...back in town."

"So you're the mysterious sister!" Ariel exclaimed, soft voice belying an intensity about her. Hands folded beneath a petite chin, the young woman's dark brown eyes stared intensely at Elsa.

"Never mind that! So you're telling me the whole time the two of you dated, Anna managed to fall off of your motorcycle SIX times?!" Elsa gasped incredulously.

Anna groaned, hiding her flaming face in her arms again. She mumbled, "We were only going, like, five miles an hour every time."

Ariel laughed, airy and lilting. "Yes, she was still a baby gay at the time, and was endearingly shy about holding on when I told her to. Earned her a healthy helping of bruises and scrapes." Brushing some of her big, ruby locks out of her eyes, Ariel continued. "But it looks like you're doing well, mostly, anyway." She nodded at the bandaged hand, before continuing. "And I'm happy to see your sister is back in your life."

Elsa blushed. This young woman was not at all like Lynsey. She was open, earnest, and friendly. It made Elsa feel curious...and a little embarrassed, though she wasn't sure why exactly. "I'd like to take you out to dinner, if that's alright." Ariel and Anna both raised an eyebrow. Elsa continued quickly, "All of us, I mean. I'm sure you want to catch up with Anna, and I'd love to know more about you, and you just seem so...nice…" Elsa trailed off, ducking her head in mild embarrassment.

"You seem nice, yourself." Ariel responded sweetly. "I'm also seeing where Anna gets a bit of her over eagerness." Elsa's blush deepened, which brought her sister to laughter. "How about this. There's a new club downtown. Just opened. Two Turtle Doves."

Anna chimed in. "Oh, I heard about that place! Fine dining. Sweet dance floor and bar. Hella gay."

Ariel nodded with a soft grin. "How about we all meet up there, say, around 8pm? Enjoy an evening of fun, respectable, adult entertainment." Anna cackled at her ex's use of the word 'respectable'. Turning to Elsa, Ariel finished, "And if you have a special someone, or a friend, please feel free to bring them!"

Elsa nodded dumbly, shaking Ariel's hand again before politely excusing herself back to work. The blonde hurried out of the restaurant, last words falling on her ears were from Anna. "She's a little shy, but she's my one and only sister."

Several minutes later, a thoroughly mortified Elsa trudged back into the Chinese food restaurant. Slinking up to the counter, she collected the order they'd prepared for Kristoff, paid, and quietly crept back out. Catching Anna and Ariel looking at her curiously, Elsa stammered, "Food forgot. Forgot...food." The blonde ran into the door, spitting out a soft 'fuck', before giving the two amused women a half wave, and retreating to her car.

Wow, could you have embarrassed yourself any more in front of an old flame of Anna's?

Elsa had no answer for the sardonic voice in her head. She only hoped that her cousin could offer a little advice towards her...situation.

Rapunzel froze. Breath left her in tense, puffed gasps. Steady hands carefully applied each glue-ended popsicle stick to the ever more complex model. This new conversation piece would be her masterpiece, and would look wonderful in the music store's lobby. The brunette just had to attach a few more pieces. After that, she could let it alone to dry.

Three more sticks.

Now two.

The front door burst open and Elsa bounded into the apartment, moaning, "Who is this Ariel girl?!" Rapunzel let out a surprised squawk, falling forward and smashing her popsicle stick centerpiece mode. Several bits of wood jabbed her uncomfortably on the tummy, and she looked up at the blonde with disdain.

Elsa blanched, having the sense to look sheepish. "S...sorry. Did I interrupt your work?"

Letting out an exasperated breath, Rapunzel replied, "No no, artistic genius always likes interruptions." The brunette started picking up glue stained popsicle sticks and putting them in a plastic bag. "So then, I gather you met Anna's favorite 'hog riding marine biologist, huh?"

Elsa took a seat on the couch and dropped her purse. Miles Davis came over and demanded attention, which the blonde absentmindedly gave. "Marine biologist, huh? She's...pretty. How did they meet?"

Finished cleaning up the popsicle sticks, Rapunzel lifted up the cardboard display mat and moved it over to the kitchen table. "Anna was a couple months into her freshman year at the Arts Institute, and very much a baby gay. Ariel was finishing up her master's degree at San Diego State University, and she was doing an internship at the Bay Area Aquarium while finishing her master's thesis. I think the story goes that they met by the porpoise tank, and Anna began the first of several...wait, Ariel's really back in town?"

Elsa pursed her lips and folded tense arms across her chest. "Is this something we should be worried about? Ariel doesn't seem at all like Anna's last girlfriend."

Rapunzel shook her head, shooing her cats away from the ruined display model. "Ariel was only in town for eight months, and it was Anna's first real relationship." Elsa blushed hotly, but said nothing. "Your poor sister had no idea what she was doing, but she absolutely worshipped Ariel for eight months. They parted on friendly terms, but for a first relationship, Anna sure picked a hell of a woman to set the bar obnoxiously high."

Elsa let her arms fall, slapping the sofa petulantly. "We ran into her at lunch. She invited Anna out to some new club downtown. She told me I could come…"

Rapunzel interrupted with a cheeky grin. "Well that sounds like fun! It'll be good for you to get out and meet some people. Maybe nab yourself a hot, young thing to take home." Winking, the brunette drew an X over her heart. "You won't hear a peep from me if you bring somebody here for a little nookie, Elsie."

Elsa blushed hotly, screwing her eyes shut and flapping her hands in front of her face. "I'm not looking to bring anybody here! But I don't even know anybody to take tomorrow night, and I don't want to be the awkward third wheel." Chin hitting her collarbone, the blonde sulked, "Maybe I'll just politely decline and let them go out...have fun."

Getting in Elsa's face, Rapunzel smooshed the blonde's cheeks between her thumb and fingers. Shaking an accusatory finger, the brunette chastised, "Oh, so you don't know anybody, huh? Not even a super cute artist who's been busting her butt with work for the last week and a half?!"

"S..sorry Punzie. I...you've been so busy. I was gonna speak up, because sometimes I think you forget to eat when you get too involved in your work…" Elsa trailed off uncertainly.

Rapunzel sighed overdramatically. "Nerdface, those are exactly the moments when I want you to speak up! Here I am, in my prime, and growing mold! No. No...I'm going with you to that club, and we are going to shake our buns 'til we get some butter!"

Elsa buried her face in the arm of the sofa, positively scandalized. "I...I do not want any...butter! You may come with, but I'm just going so Anna's friend isn't put out."

Rapunzel snorted mirthfully. "Oh, I guarantee she won't be put out, but I bet you she might put out!"

Elsa tackled the cackling brunette onto the sofa, smothering her with several pillows. "You and that mouth of yours, I swear!" Arms were waved in a sign of mercy, and Elsa removed one of the pillows, revealing her cousin's flustered face.

"We do have to do one thing before tomorrow night, though." Rapunzel grinned. Elsa regarded her cousin carefully, afraid to ask. "We're gonna go outfit shopping!" the brunette cheered, tugging on her cousin's jacket playfully.

Elsa groaned in defeat. "Fine, but I'm paying for whatever you pick out for me."

"Nope!" Rapunzel grinned, batting her eyelashes. "You just let your sugar mama take care of you."

Friday night four Anna and Ariel standing outside of Two Turtle Doves. The club was already packed, and a long line stretched out the door. Two bouncers stood at the door, gradually letting people in as others left. Each held a clipboard with a list of names for VIP guests.

Ariel checked her watch. "Fifteen minutes. That's about how long they'll hold my spot on the list." She wore a blue and white plaid shirt with the arms neatly rolled up, grey button up vest, and grey slacks.

"It's Elsa's first time down in gay town, go easy on her. She's probably freaking out about getting her rental car scratched." Anna explained. The freckled young woman wore a small black and red Slayer tank top with dark, flared leather pants. Black leather gloves were on her hands, and she tenatively flexed her right hand to ensure it was securely wrapped. After several minutes, she heard the boisterous voice of her cousin.

"You classy bitches, we're finally here!" Rapunzel shouted gleefully, raising one arm in greeting and the other clung to Elsa, following gamely behind, The brunette wore a bright yellow sundress with brown, knee-high buckled boots. Stopping before Anna and Ariel, she gave a mock salute. "For your consideration, ladies. Miss Elsa, on her first night in gay-town!" She stepped aside, making a big deal of 'presenting' her cousin.

"This was...this was Rapunzel's choice, but I like it because it looks. You know. Fun." Elsa murmured the last word, dipping her head with a blush. She wore a black button-up vest over a collared short sleeve white shirt and black tie. Black shoes, black skinny jeans, and a thick belt completed the look her brunette cousin put together for her.

Anna had to stop to catch her breath. Her eyes traveled up her sister's striking, shapely form. Upon reaching Elsa's clearly punk-imitation hair, the redhead gasped. "Elsa, your hair!"

Elsa grinned awkwardly, hand touching the black streak she'd allowed her cousin to dye into her platinum blonde hair. "Heh. Yeah. Black and white…" the blonde muttered, gesturing between the two of them.

Grasping her sister by her shoulders, Anna addressed Rapunzel hotly. "A plus plus plus! Holy shit Punzie, don't let this Supergirl out of your sight tonight. She's gonna turn so many heads!"

Removing Anna's right hand carefully, Elsa turned it over between her hands. "You've got this wrapped properly, right? No pain with wearing that glove."

Anna chuckled, taking her gloved right hand and lightly patting Elsa's cheek. "It's fine, Els. I won't block any knives tonight...promise." To Rapunzel, she reiterated, "Seriously. So many heads."

Rapunzel saluted again, this time adding a wink. "No worries, her bodyguard will keep her safe." Nodding to Ariel, she finished, "Okey doke, ring leader, I think we're all ready!"

Grinning, Ariel inclined her head towards the door. Interlocking arms with Anna, the two couples bypassed the long line of grumpy people, got checked in under 'Ariel Neptune and guests', and made their way into the dark, loud, and flashy club.

The four women reclined in a booth towards the rear of the establishment. Shortly after arriving, Ariel had arranged to have their drinks delivered to that table. Anna waved eagerly at familiar faces, body already moving in time with the music. Elsa clung to Rapunzel, but her attention was everywhere. At the fancy, crowded bar, surrounded by young people sporting fashions she'd never seen before. Over to the sprawling dance floor, and the DJ's setup at the front. A casual restaurant-type atmosphere in the rear, complete with booths and menus. It looked quiet, and Elsa was relieved when that's exactly where they headed first.

Rapunzel swirled a finger in her drink, laughing. "Wow, you can really tell that whoever made this place basically just threw money at a designer and said 'MAKE THIS PLACE COOL!'."

Ariel nodded, sipping at her drink. "The atmosphere's trying a little too hard, but at least the music's decent. Am I right?" She grinned, nudging Anna, who was still slightly mesmerized by Elsa's new look.

"Well, it's not vinyl, but it's way better than some Youtube playlist." Anna remarked, popping an ice cube from her drink into her mouth. Across from her, Elsa was carefully studying the menu, and studiously avoiding the looks other patrons were sending her. Anna looked over at the small crowd near the bar, feeling a hot flash of possessiveness sweep through her. "She's not interested, creepos, back off!"

Placing the menu in the middle of the table, Elsa spoke up. "I vote for the party platter. It's Friday night and I for one am starving."

"That's 'cause you eat like a bird during the week, silly." Anna chided her sister playfully. "I second the party platter...we're gonna need energy for all the dancing tonight!" Nudging Ariel, the freckled young woman informed her pals, "This one over here took eight years of ballet. So if your toes get stepped on, you can be pretty sure it wasn't her!" Anna grinned cheekily at the marine biologist.

"Oh, I'll step on your feet if you ask for it!" Ariel grinned challengingly, waving a waiter over to place their order.

Rapunzel grabbed Elsa's hand. "Elsie, let's go check out the action at the bar!" Elsa blanched, but her cousin pouted extra hard and she eventually relented. Polishing off her drink, Rapunzel scooted out of the booth, hauling the blonde out with her.

"You keep an eye on her!" Anna scolded the two, receiving two waves in response. Sitting back next to Ariel, she groaned. "God, I sounded forty years old just now."

Ariel bumped shoulders with her former girlfriend good naturedly. "It's only natural. You've got a hell of a nurturing instinct, and that's coming from somebody who studies the mating habits and newborn raising of sea creatures." Placing a hand on Anna's forearm, she whispered, "You look like you're doing well. I hope that's true."

Anna nodded with a blush. "You look, and seem, like things are going well also."

Resting her head on the taller freckled woman's shoulder, Ariel sighed. "You really aren't that wide eyed nineteen year old any more." Clasping their hands and holding them up, she mused wryly, "Meanwhile here I am, getting old."

"Well, you sure don't look 28." Anna smiled good naturedly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Elsa looking around in a panic, before Rapunzel fought through the crowd again and hauled her towards the bar. Shaking her head a little, she focused on her current, very pretty, company. "We're only as young as we feel, I guess. Tonight we can get a little stupid if we want."

Ariel sighed, reveling in Anna's enthusiasm. "Well, I'm feeling like a dance or three. You game?"

"Oh, I'm game." Anna grinned, smile growing wider still when she saw Rapunzel enthusiastically introducing everybody at the bar to the beautiful blonde with the black hair streak. She held onto Ariel's hand and followed her out onto the dance floor. "I'm very much game."

After downing her third shot, Rapunzel turned back to address several other people who had gathered around her and Elsa. "So, yeah, this building is really gonna bring together the San Francisco music scene like nothing you've ever seen. And it's all the brainchild of Elsa, here."

Elsa demurred for what felt like the hundredth time already that evening. "It is going to be special, but I really just drew some pictures for it."

"Hah! 'Drew some pictures', she says." Rapunzel guffawed, putting a hand around a nearby raven haired woman and whispering conspiratorially, "She's a million bucks, but she swear's she's only a buck twenty. The modesty on this one, it's something else." The brunette studiously ignored the repeated requests for a dance with a brown haired girl in glasses, preferring to let the desire simmer.

The Asian woman nodded in agreement. "You certainly don't see it every day."

Rapunzel agreed with a vigorous nod of her head. Turning back to Elsa, the brunette spoke seriously. "Okay Elsie, you take this next shot." Elsa was about to politely decline on the grounds that she'd driven there, but Rapunzel was having none of it. "And I already have a taxi for us on speed dial. I'm gonna get you to loosen up just a teensy bit more tonight and lay some awesome architecture know-how on these fine folks!"

Sliding Elsa the next shot, the feisty brunette leaned over to the thoroughly amused bartender and ordered another. "Just hand it to her when she starts to get worried that people are staring at her, okay?" He nodded with a chuckle. Handing Elsa the shot, as well as palming another of her own, Rapunzel counted her cousin off, "Alright, down in three, two, one!" They both tossed the throat burning drinks back, Elsa coughing a little.

"That's my girl!" Rapunzel whooped, rubbing Elsa's back. "Okay, I'm going to dance with my new glasses friend over here. I expect you to have educated a few folks by the time I get back!"

Elsa nodded absentmindedly, already feeling the alcohol from the evening rushing in her veins. "Be careful and don't break too many hearts!" the blonde shouted, grinning. The brunette blew her a kiss, before leading her new brown haired friend out to the dance floor.

Turning back to the bar's patrons, Elsa looked around. Several people were staring at her curiously. The short-haired Asian woman who Rapunzel spoke to earlier was among them, smiling encouragingly at Elsa. She leaned forward and said, "I think you were going to educate us about this place, isn't that right?"

Elsa turned to find a pad of paper and pencil in front of her, right next to another shot. Shrugging, she downed the next shot, and picked up the pencil. "Okay! So now I'm going to show you all why you might think this place looks nice, but in reality it's an architectural disaster!" Several patrons, the raven haired Asian included, leaned in curiously as the blonde started sketching on the paper while talking a mile a minute.

Ariel had only made the offer of dancing for three songs, but Anna managed to convince her to stay out for an additional two. The freckled young woman was just all pent up energy since the funeral, and not was her chance to let it out. The two women cleared a little space on the dance floor, and Anna twirled, hopped, and sidled circles around the older Ariel. After five songs, both women had worked up a bit of a sweat, and had earned more than a few compliments. Hand in hand, they started making their way back to the table to grab some food and more drinks.

On the way off the dance floor, they passed Rapunzel hauling another girl towards the floor. Anna stopped her for a moment, noticing the wild grin on the brunette's face. "You okay there, champ? How many have you had so far?"

Rapunzel looked at Anna's pretty face, and forgot where she was for a second. She held up a hand, looked at her five fingers curiously, and said, "How much is this?!"

Anna laughed heartily. "Is Elsa still at the bar?"

Rapunzel nodded enthusiastically. "She's teaching people some architecture stuff, but you should totally go and surprise her!" Agreeing to do just that, Anna watched her cousin haul the brown haired girl off to the dance floor with a fond amusement.

Leaning over to Ariel, Anna shouted, "I'll meet you back at the table in a few. I just wanna make sure Elsa isn't getting creeped on, okay?" Ariel nodded with a laugh, claiming her tired old bones needed a break anyway.

"Wait, I'm sorry, who are you again?" Elsa asked the short, raven haired woman, currently the only one left who was still paying attention to her. The blonde's cheeks were tinged light red, and she had recently put on her glasses.

"My name is Mulan." the woman replied with a pleasant smile.

"Mulan! Well, my name is Elsa, and it's a pleasure to meet you." The blonde woman shook her new friend's hand thoroughly for about ten seconds, before she muttered, "And this is probably, what, the third time I've introduced myself?"

A winning smile caused Mulan's nose to scrunch up adorably. "The fifth, actually. But don't worry. You're somehow managing to be even more endearing than the previous times."

Elsa pouted, resting her head on an open palm. "But I wasn't going for endearing, I was going for helpfully informative!" Tearing the top piece of paper off of the pad with a groan, she sighed. "That's what I get for trying to use my brain tonight."

Continuing to give Elsa an encouraging smile, Mulan held out a hand. "I think your brain is very beautiful, but if you want, you could give it a rest and possibly dance with me?"

"Oh, well I…" Elsa began, but was interrupted when Anna managed to squeeze through the crowd to the bar. "Oh, it's Anna!"

Anna huffed, straightening her top. "Jerks are out in full force tonight! Elsa! I heard you were giving a lesson." Spotting the blank pad of paper, the redhead frowned. "Guess I missed it." Noticing Mulan sitting next to Elsa, Anna waved. "Hi! Was Elsa teaching you awesome things?"

Before Mulan could respond, Elsa blurted out, "Oh shit, how rude of me! Anna, this is Mulan! She's one of my students. My...what the hell do I call you?"

Mulan barely restrained a laugh. "You could call me a friend, if you want."

Elsa nodded, quite pleased with herself. "Yes, that's the word, friend. Anna, my new friend asked me for a dance!"

Anna chuckled. "You dancing?! Well, this is a special night!" Clasping Elsa's arm, Anna leaned towards her and said, "Go enjoy yourself. But save a dance for me, please?"

Elsa blushed hotly. "Y...you know I will." she quietly stammered.

Waving goodbye with a waggle of her index finger, Anna turned and slid back into the crowd to make her way back to their table.

Left alone with Mulan, Elsa was suddenly self conscious. "I...yeah. I'm not all that good a dancer."

Gently taking her hand, Mulan assured the blonde. "That's alright. We can just stand still and let the people around us do the dancing, if you prefer."

Elsa's heart thudded against her chest, and she let herself be led out to the dance floor.

Arriving back at the table breathless, Rapunzel immediately gravitated to the enormous appetizer platter. "Ohh, those spicy cheesy things!" she exclaimed, happily popping several fried snacks into her mouth. Looking at Anna and Ariel, she gave them a cheesy smile, and asked, "What's up, kids? All danced out for the night?"

Ariel shrugged mopily. "I asked for a break for a few songs. That was about half an hour ago." The ruby haired woman jerked her head towards Anna, who was fixated on the crowd on the dance floor. More specifically…

"Oh, Punzie, look look look!" Anna cried, finally noticing her cousin had showed up and physically directing the brunette's gaze out to the dance floor.

"What, I-ohh, thanks for the neck adjustment there Banana!" Rapunzel squinted at the crowd, eyes scanning for familiar faces. Finally, she saw them.

Near the middle of the floor, Elsa was dancing with Mulan. Or, more accurately, Mulan was gently stepping and swaying around the blonde, who was nodding her head, shimmying her shoulders, and bouncing back and forth gingerly from her left foot to her right.

"Holy shit, Anna! Elsa's totally killing that Texas Two-step! But who's the asian sensation spinning her like a top?" Rapunzel asked, lips quirked in a half pout. "When I told her to take a girl for a whirl, I didn't think she would! Or maybe, at least she'd whirl me or something…" the brunette trailed off, shimmying her shoulders in an attempt to copy Elsa's simple movements.

Anna outright frowned. "I don't trust her. I thought she looked sneaky!" Shaking her head, she joined Rapunzel's pouting party. "Well, Elsa promised me a dance tonight, but Miss Shiny Hair out there has been taking up all of her time!"

Ariel gently interjected, "Well, we could go out and dance a little more if you wanted."

"Nope, don't trust her, not one little bit!" Anna declared. "Elsa shouldn't be dancing with black haired people! Or dating them!"

Giggling madly, Rapunzel replied, "Well be fair now, honey. Who can Elsa date?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders furiously, finishing her drink with a flourish. "I don't know, but definitely not people with suspiciously black hair!" Hauling herself out of the booth, she looped arms with her cousin and towed her towards the dance floor. "C'mon Punzie-poo, Supergirl dance party right frickin' now!"

Rapunzel howled, dizzy with laughter, waving a tipsy hand at Ariel. "You can come!" she insisted, but the ruby haired woman just shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of her drink.

Elsa blushed hotly, feeling the stares of more than a few people on her. Timidly, she muttered to Mulan, "Are you tired yet?"

Mulan shook her head. "No, I'm fine, but we can stop if you'd like. Maybe something to drink?"

Elsa was about to respond, when the DJ threw on an uptempo number. Suddenly, as if by magic, Rapunzel and Anna were dancing right next to her. The two shimmied and jumped as if their lives depended on it. "Supergirls!" Rapunzel hollered.

Mulan grinned softly. "I think your friends are here for you." Leaning close, she pressed a soft kiss to Elsa's cheek, deftly slipping a piece of paper into the blonde's vest pocket. "Maybe we can dance again sometime."

With that, the petite black haired woman disappeared into the crowd. Elsa spun around once or twice in mild confusion, before catching sight of Anna and Rapunzel again. "My Supergirls!" the blonde whooped enthusiastically, completely abandoning her timid dance habits with Mulan and joining her sister and cousin in spinning, swaying, and dipping each other with over the top flourishes.

Sweat beaded on Anna's forehead, and the redhead's skin was positively aglow with energy. After the uptempo number was over, she reached out and placed a kiss on both Rapunzel's and Elsa's cheeks. For Elsa's kiss in particular, Anna made sure to kiss right on the spot where she saw Mulan place a kiss.

A slow song followed, Stairway to Heaven, and the three young women swayed back and forth, arms around shoulders. Rapunzel and Anna hollered the lyrics as loudly as they could, and Elsa just hollered gibberish in time with her fellow Supergirls. It was another several songs until the three tired young women found their way back to the booth.

Surprisingly, even though Rapunzel had outpaced Anna and Elsa in amount of alcohol drunk that evening, she was the first one back to the table and the most coherent of the bunch. Ariel was dutifully scraping the many remaining appetizers into 'to-go' boxes. She caught Rapunzel's questioning stare when the brunette returned, and said simply, "They were getting cold. I figured somebody would want to take them home."

The bill for the evening's festivities was sitting on the table. Ariel saw the brunette eyeing it, and the redhead lunged for the check, but Rapunzel snatched it first. Ariel groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Ugh, just...let me pay the damn thing, will you? I invited you all out here tonight, after all."

Rapunzel sighed. "Look, I appreciate it, but this one's on me. It's been forever since you've been in town...and I feel a little guilty that we sorta monopolized Anna's time tonight." Ariel blanched, shrugging and preparing to protest, but the brunette continued. "It's just...they haven't seen each other for twelve years. Things are bound to be a little...weird for awhile. I know Anna isn't the same fresh-faced, eager to please nineteen year old you remember, but she really does still think the world of you."

Ariel grinned halfheartedly, scratching at a bit of dried cheese on the table awkwardly. "Was I...that obvious?"

"Only to me, hon. Then again, I'm an expert on the whole 'jealousy' thing." Rapunzel chuckled. "Stick around for a bit, yet. Elsa and I are gonna bail, then you and Anna can do...whatever it is two crazy kids do on a Friday night." Ariel had the decency to blush as the brunette elbowed her ribs, lecherous grin on her face.

The marine biologist was about to respond, but pursed her lips pleasantly when Anna and Elsa arrived at the table, a bit more sober than they were on the dance floor. Elsa sidled up next to Rapunzel, looking like a guilty school child. "Punzie...I don't think I'm okay to drive home."

Rapunzel patted Elsa's shoulder consolingly. "Don't you worry about that. Sugar mama will make sure we get home safely, and we can come for your car tomorrow." To Anna, the brunette muttered in a shocked tone, "Can you believe this child was going to pay the bill for us, then leave?!"

Anna gaped at her cousin for a moment, and Ariel went from pleasantly regarding the crew to swearing a curse on Rapunzel of a thousand thousand pantyhose runs. Anna, however, nudged the older girl playfully. "You just let her pay this time. We haven't seen you in forever. It was enough of a treat for you to even get us into this awesome place."

Ariel shrugged. "I'm only in town for a couple of weeks. I just...wanted to reconnect or something, I don't know."

Anna caught Rapunzel mouthing 'we're gonna go', to which she gave a tired little wave. Elsa was half asleep on her feet, and grinned at Anna for a second, drool hanging at a corner of her mouth. "Come on, Casanova." Rapunzel joked with the sleepy blonde, slowly leading her to the door. "Let's get home so you can drool into your pillow."

"MMnn...Supergirls had fun tonight…" Elsa sleepily insisted, to which her cousin nodded in agreement. Wrapping an arm around Elsa's waste, Rapunzel guided her outside, other hand already dialing for a taxi on her cell phone.

Ariel looked back across the booth to see that Anna had taken a seat. The freckled young woman mused, "They didn't take any leftovers...more for me!"

Ariel giggled wryly, stacking the take-away boxes neatly in the provided plastic bag. "I'm assuming you still open the shop every morning you're not dying from the flu or something? I can take you home now...it really was nice seeing you tonight." She blushed at the end, fiddling with the plastic bag in her hands.

"Hey." Anna insisted, suddenly appearing much more sober than she seemed earlier. "Believe it or not, I do actually have employees now, and I'm mostly fine with letting them run the shop for awhile. Unless there's somewhere else you'd rather be, I know a cozy little after hours place where we could catch up for real." Pressing her hand against Ariel's paler one, Anna smiled tenderly. "And then…"

Ariel gulped, feeling the heat radiating from her former girlfriend's hand. Had it been three years already? "And then…?"

"Well," Anna grinned, standing up and giving Ariel's hand a soft tug. "Let's see how tired and old we're feeling when we get to that point." Stumbling out of the booth, leftovers bag slapping against the back of her thighs, a pleasant tremor ran through Ariel's body. At the moment, she didn't feel old at all. Holding onto this vibrant young woman's hand, she felt positively electric.

The following morning, Elsa and Rapunzel took a taxi over to where they'd left her rental car the night before. Elsa told the brunette she didn't need to come along, but the moment Rapunzel heard her older cousin was planning on stopping by Benny's Biscuits to pick up Anna's favorite breakfast bagel sandwich, well, there was no way the brunette could possibly miss out on one of their epic breakfast burritos.

After picking up the breakfast order, Elsa's first thought was to head to Anna's shop, but Rapunzel had a hunch she might have slept in. However, Rapunzel was still half asleep, so she may not have enunciated the words slept in as much as she wanted to, so any hidden meaning behind the words was lost on Elsa.

After parking the car and making sure that her cousin hadn't actually fallen back to sleep face down in a half eaten burrito, Elsa exited the car and trotted into Anna's apartment building.

While riding the elevator up to the third floor, the blonde mentally went over the day's schedule. She could drop Rapunzel back off at the apartment. She knew the brunette did want to finish a few models for set pieces in the music store that day, but she could do all of that work from home. Elsa herself did have plans to go into the office later for an hour or two. Possibly give Kristoff a call about next week's schedule, but she knew the young man liked to go hiking on Saturdays. The world wouldn't end if she couldn't get ahold of him.

Elsa's feet automatically carried her to Anna's door. Pulling Anna's order out of the bag, the blonde rapped on the door. A full minute went by. "The poor thing's probably still worn out from all of that dancing last night." Elsa mused. "I know my feet still hurt!" She knocked one last time, figuring she'd leave if her sister didn't answer in another minute.

Suddenly, the blonde heard the faint sound of bare feet stumbling on the wooden floor inside. A warm smile easily found its way to her face, and the door opened. Elsa said, "Good morning, sleepyhead!"

"Um...oh, hi Elsa." Ariel, hair an absolute mess, and clothed in a Van Halen t-shirt with an extra large collar that looped down to the middle of her right bicep and ended at an area far too north of her knees without actually being lewd. The marine biologist blushed. "Rough night for all of us, I guess, huh? Hey, thanks again for coming last night, I really was happy to meet you."

Elsa nodded, grin on her face now feeling pasted on and fake as hell. "L...likewise!" the blonde stammered awkwardly. Her eyes drifted south a microscopic amount again.

Looks like somebody got some action last night. Oh, wait, is that a lipstick mark I see on her collar?

Dropping Anna's order into the brown paper bag in surprise, Elsa quickly held the breakfast bag out to Ariel. "I uh...I felt guilty for, um...taking so much of Anna's time when she really wanted to see you. So I. You know. Got breakfast for you both. Even though I don't know what you like…" The blonde trailed off lamely, praying Anna's friend would just take the bag so she could leave quickly and start her new life as a McDonalds freezer stocker. She'd live in the basement of the restaurant, never leaving, and nobody would ever see the permanent shameful blush on her cheeks because it would always be cold. McDonalds had WiFi, so it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe she could even sneak secret messages to Rapunzel, hidden in intricate ketchup drawings on certain hamburgers.

Ariel's tired yet melodious voice interrupted Elsa's internal world abandonment plans. "Thanks. That's really...sweet of you. Hey, I know a really amazing Italian place, if you and your cousin don't have any plans for dinner?"

Elsa was almost positive she mumbled something resembling agreement to those plans. She was nearly ninety eight percent certain she'd managed to end the conversation with Ariel and walk away without suffering any more horrifying embarrassment. The walk to the car seemed to take a hundred years.

The moment Elsa was seated at the wheel, Rapunzel sleepily spoke up. "Did Anna like her sandwich?" When her cousin didn't respond for a minute, Rapunzel repeated the question, then gave the blonde's expression a closer look. "Oh my god, did Ariel answer the door?!" the brunette half shrieked.

"I'm going to live at McDonalds forever and there is nothing anybody can do to stop me." Elsa's hoarse, throaty whisper caused Rapunzel to devolve into a helpless cry-giggle that continued their entire ride home.

And don't forget...you don't have any breakfast now. You gave yours to her. Moron.

Ariel returned to Anna's bedroom, shaking the paper bag as she locked eyes with the freckled young woman. Anna had burrowed back underneath the covers, with only her head, shoulders, and hands now showing. "Your sweetheart of a sister brought us breakfast." Ariel said, sitting down on the bed and handing her lover the bag. With a guilty shrug, she added, "Also I think I might have traumatized her a little."

Anna chuckled, rummaging through the bag. "Elsa's sort of new to a lot of things. We're slowly trying to figure it all out." Removing and reading off the toppings on one of the sandwiches, Anna pursed her lips. "But I am pretty damn sure this is her favorite sandwich."

Ariel shrugged guiltily. "I swear I didn't con her out of it. She really...I mean, you two really hadn't seen each other for twelve years, huh?" Anna handed her the sandwich anyway, which she hesitantly accepted.

"Yeah, I know she's having a hard time. And between me and my messed up noggin…" Anna rapped gently against her head where the roots of her lone white lock were. "...there's still some stuff I know I'm missing that she doesn't want to tell me. But we have time to figure all that out." Taking a bite of her breakfast bagel, Anna crawled over to Ariel and pulled the older woman backwards onto the bed.

"I'm getting crumbs all over your bed!" Ariel helplessly yelped, mouth full of food and hand awkwardly slapping her croissant on the nightstand.

"The key words there being my bed." Anna grinned, giving her lover an egg-tastic upside down kiss. "I didn't get to give you a proper flexibility test last night."

Ariel purred, fingers intertwining in Anna's copper locks. "Not my fault you passed out after only one. Are you sure you aren't the old one here?"

Flipping around and straddling the ruby haired woman, Anna balked. "Back talk in my shirt?! I don't think so!" Cackling, she pulled it over Ariel's head, revealing a pale torso and freckle spattered breasts. "It's only round two, and I intend on going the distance." She captured Ariel's lips with hers, trying to shake the sleep out of her muscles and thoughts of Elsa and Rapunzel out of her mind.

Running a hand through Saturday's comparably messy hair bun, Elsa tried to put her thoughts in order and push that morning's embarrassment to the back of her head. Two new jobsite worker complaints to file and address. Seven proposed changes to the interior design, six from the franchise manager and one from Rapunzel. Thankfully all were minor changes. One residual miscommunication from Kristoff's meetings with the franchise owner to clear up.

The blonde exhaled a long breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Workers always came up with things to complain about, and just in case they were in regards to safety standards, they were always worth investigating. Design changes were the norm, though she'd probably ask her cousin to go over the owner's proposed changes and 'alter' them in any way the brunette saw fit. Lastly, if one miscommunication was the only issue from Kristoff's back to back meetings with the same franchise owner, then he'd even managed to exceed her not light expectations. She wondered if it would be out of place to cut a Christmas bonus for several of her employees, being as they were well under budget.

Speaking of under budget...your stomach's under budget from giving away your breakfast.

Elsa groaned, feeling her midsection protest harshly. Her mind went back to the conversation she had with her cousin, just before dropping the brunette back off at the apartment.

"I mean the thought never even occurred to me!" Elsa groaned, slapping the steering wheel of her rental car in frustration. "She was just there wearing a t-shirt and nothing! You don't think...maybe she and Anna didn't…" the blonde trailed off in embarrassment.

Rapunzel gave her cousin a sympathetic look. "Elsa, sweetie, I'm gonna ask you a question. And I don't want you to be offended, okay?" Taking a deep breath, the brunette continued, "Are you a virgin?"

Elsa blanched, stammering hotly while attempting to scratch a hole into the steering wheel console and hide there. "So what if I am?! Everybody's all sex sex sex, screaming sex everywhere I look!" Pausing, with a hurt expression, she muttered, "Is there something wrong with me that I just don't see what's so special about...about...peoples' naughty bits?"

Rapunzel drew her cousin into a fierce hug, shushing her. "No, you nerd, there's nothing wrong with you. Now, mind you, there's nothing wrong with Ariel or Anna, either." Settling back into her seat, the brunette chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Tell me, what do you fantasize about" Elsa shrunk back, but her cousin quickly added, "I don't want to know names. Just...what does being 'intimate' mean to you?"

Hitting a little close to home, isn't she?

Stuffing the negative voice to a dark corner of her mind, Elsa spoke. "Holding hands. Cuddling. Kissing is okay, usually. Touching...feels kind of personal and dependent on the person, maybe." Gaining a bit more confidence in her analysis, the blonde continued. "It's more about being with them. Doing things with them, helping them. I guess I never really thought about it, since there was never really more than one or two people I…" Just like that, her lips sealed and her mind slammed the intimacy gates shut.

Rapunzel was sitting cross legged on the car seat, chin resting on her joined fists in rapt attention. "Are you ready for me to blow your mind?"

Elsa gave an uneasy nod.

"Elsie, I think you might be asexual." the brunette whispered intensely.

Elsa whispered back, a dark blush on her cheeks. "Is that something we should keep, you know...on the 'down low'?"

"HELL NO!" Rapunzel whooped, startling her blonde cousin. "You're learning more about who you are, and that's always a good thing!"

Elsa found a tenative grin spreading across her face. Concern still shone in her eyes, though. "So, alright then. The way in which I love somebody is most definitely not the most interesting thing about me, but...are all asexuals the same?"

Rapunzel shook her head. "See, this is where it gets only as interesting and complicated as you want it to be. If calling yourself an asexual helps you to understand your feelings better and feel more comfortable being you, then that's all you need. If you feel like you want to, say, convey to others a more specific meaning, there are qualifiers you can add onto that label." Sighing and reaching out to massage Elsa's shoulders, the brunette grinned. "I really need to get you on tumblr, nerd face. But the engine's still running, and I don't want to keep you from your important work stuff."

Elsa sighed, head drooping. "I'm asexual. It...it sounds right." she mumbled, chuckling dryly. "And, then that means, you and Anna are…"

"Banana identifies as homosexual, lesbian, muff-diving taco chaser." Elsa blushed hotly again, but nodded, wanting to be comfortable with her sister's sexuality. Even if it still made Elsa jealous that Anna was sharing that with somebody else. "And me, well, I really don't feel the need for that kind of a label. But if somebody really needs to know, I'm okay with being called 'pansexual'." Stretching her arms out wide, Rapunzel grinned. "That means I could find anybody attractive!"

Elsa pursed her lips for a moment. She could have sworn she'd seen somebody like that on mainstream television. But who? A lightbulb went on in her head. "Oh, like Captain Jack!"

The brunette nodded enthusiastically, opening the passenger door. "Yes indeed, like the Harkness, I don't limit myself. But we'll put a hold on Sexual Orientations 201 until another time. In the meantime...check out some of this stuff on the internet!" Smiling and blowing a kiss, Rapunzel exited the car and closed the door. Elsa blushed. She most definitely was still embarrassed at seeing Anna's maybe former girlfriend half naked, and she was also definitely a bit jealous that Anna was sharing that part of herself with somebody, but she now had some understanding of her own feelings.

Even going back to her initial feelings of love towards her sister and her cousin, they made much more sense now. The blonde's fantasies had never gone beyond chaste hand holding, romantic getaways, and building a life together.

That doesn't make those things any less disgusting, you know.

"Say what you want about my feelings," Elsa replied to her negative internal voice, "but I'll be damned if I'm not gonna learn more about who I am and be happier just being me."

Drifting out of her daydream, Elsa did a double take at the several new website tabs she'd opened while recalling her conversation with her cousin. Wikipedia, Google, and the blonde architect had even managed to find one of those mysterious Tumblr websites Rapunzel had mentioned earlier. Several deep breaths later, the blonde was ready to investigate the Wikipedia page, when her phone gave a surprising ring.

"Eep!" Elsa squeaked, slapping a hand down harshly on her laptop. It shut with a jarring *snap* that left the blonde momentarily concerned she'd cracked the screen. Groaning and cracking her neck, she answered the phone. "This is Miss Arendelle."

The dry, jovial voice of the secretary, Ms. Kass, came through the speaker. "Yeah, there's a Kristoff Bjorgmann and guest here to see you?"

Elsa smiled. The blonde foreman had never actually come over to her office, even though it was located on the floor right above the interior design floor. She was fairly sure he'd be coming by more often as construction moved to the inside, and Rapunzel's input would become increasingly valuable to him. "Please send them in, thank you." The blonde briefly wondered about who his guest was, but figured it was probably one of his workers.

Reopening her laptop, Elsa quickly closed the recently opened tabs, promising herself she'd do more 'research' later that night, after she was home. She just managed to find and open the document pertaining to the single correction she needed to inform Kristoff of, when there was a knock at the door. "Come in, Kristoff."

Pushing the door open, Kristoff stepped inside, and removed his hardhat. "Afternoon, Elsa. I just wanted to let you know-"

Elsa's jaw went slack and she stood up. "Oh, you didn't cancel your usual Saturday hiking plans to come in, did you? The snafu with the franchise owner was really just an oversight on his part...but you're here now. Damn." The blonde exclaimed, frustrated at herself for apparently overstressing the one missing detail from Kristoff's earlier meeting.

The blonde foreman quickly put his hands out to placate his boss. "No no, Elsa, it's really fine. I read your email and totally understand where the miscommunication was. Also, Sven had a rotted tooth, so I had to take him to get it removed."

"Oh, the poor dear. I hope he recovers well." Elsa said in consolation.

"I'll relay the message to him." Kristoff said with a light laugh. "Anyway, I wanted to make sure I knew how to get here, since I figured I'd be collaborating with Miss Corona."

Elsa chuckled, taking her seat again. "I think she'll be fine with you calling her Rapunzel."

Kristoff nodded in acceptance, stepping aside from the door. "There is one other reason I stopped by. Somebody was at the jobsite this morning looking for you. They'd been waiting half an hour before even I showed up. She seemed...really keen on seeing you, so I brought her over here." The young man wore a sly half grin that Elsa couldn't quite read.

Behind him, the door opened again, and a petite, raven haired Asian woman quietly entered the room. Sleek, shiny hair barely touched her shoulders. She wore a navy blue blouse, a matching pencil skirt that ended just above her knees, and black high heels. Her movements were fluid, and Elsa momentarily found herself unable to take a breath.

Chuckling, Kristoff turned to Mulan. The small woman shook his hand, thanking him sincerely, to which he merely shook his head and told her to take good care of his boss.

Elsa didn't actually take a breath until Mulan was several feet from her desk, regarding the blonde with a hint of a smile. Gasping, Elsa croaked, "Please, please have a seat!"

"Thank you." the quiet reply came. Mulan sat down, and Elsa half fell back into her chair. "I was worried you might not remember me, but now I fear I may have left a poor impression?"

Waving her hands wildly in the negative, Elsa spluttered, "No no no, not at all! If anything it was I who left a bad impression! I think I talked your head off about boring architecture related things for half an hour, then I just...oh my god, nobody would call what I did 'dancing'." Blushing, she facepalmed, and the familiar feeling of wishing the world would swallow her up returned.

Mulan laughed, a quiet, low toned giggle, and the sound washed over Elsa's ears. "You spoke very enthusiastically about your profession, and your passion was endearing. I could tell it took a bit of courage for you to dance in a crowd, so I was especially grateful you danced with me" Folding her well manicured hands on her lap, the raven haired beauty continued. "I put my number in your pocket, but I worried you may not have noticed."

Elsa blanched, laying her face down on her desk. "I washed that clothing this morning." Straightening and attempting to regain some dignity, she extended a shaky hand. "Maybe we can try this again? My name is Elsa Arendelle."

Mulan took the offered hand, squeezing it gently. "I am Hua Mulan, but please call me Mulan. I am glad to see you and your...friends...made it home last night without incident."

Elsa chuckled. "Oh, those were my cousin and sister. I've been a bit of a homebody growing up...they're trying to corrupt me." Sliding her laptop and papers to the right side of her desk, Elsa folded her hands and regarded the woman in front of her. "Well then, Mulan, I guess you know an awful lot about what I do, but what about you?"

"I am a psychologist employed at the Arts Institute. I work with students, but please do not think I will ever try to 'analyze' you." Coughing politely, the petite woman elaborated. "I enjoy giving people my full attention, and they sometimes read ulterior motives into it."

Well, this should go swimmingly. Of course you have nothing to hide.

Elsa scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I'll let you know if I'm uncomfortable, but do I really look like a student?" The blonde intended for the last bit to come out as a joke, but as it left her mouth it fell flat.

Mulan's smile grew into a small grin, revealing pearly white teeth, and filling Elsa with the strange and sudden desire to go brush her own. "Your knowledge and expertise proves you are no student, but your youthful beauty belies that fact."

"Oh. Well...oh." Elsa said, feeling a little hot under the collar. She idly checked her watch. There was only fifteen minutes before she had to leave to get changed for dinner out with her cousin, her sister, and Ariel.

"I'm sorry, am I keeping you from something?" Mulan gently inquired.

Waving her hands again, Elsa stuttered, "Oh no, not at all! Well, it's just...would you like to get together sometime and do something? Maybe involving food? Or no food?" She cringed, smile turning into a panicked grin at her awkward turn of phrase.

Mulan purse her lips thoughtfully. "Yes, I was actually going to propose that, but it seems you beat me to the punch!" She giggled.

Before Elsa's brain could filter out the idea as a poor one, her mouth spat it out. "Would you like to come to dinner with my family and a friend tonight?" As soon as the offer left her mouth, she immediately regretted it and cursed her damaged brain. "I mean, I know it's last minute, but I'd love to talk with you more, and right now the balance of conversation is heavily in my favor and it's only getting worse and I'm stopping now." The blonde's lips pressed into a thin line and she willed herself to not plant her face into her desk.

"What time are we meeting, and where at?" was Mulan's simple, easy reply.

Elsa pulled the information from the same area of her brain that kept the unnerving image of Ariel half naked, and she quashed the desire to shudder. "7:30 p.m. at Gianotti's. But I completely understand if it's too short notice."

"That's fine. I will meet you and your friends there." Mulan reached over, patting Elsa's jacketed forearm gently. "I really just wanted a chance to see you again."

"Well, you'll get that!" Elsa laughed nervously. "I'll try not to let my well meaning cousin get too...intense. She has a thing about meeting new friends of mine. Is that...are we friends?" Suddenly realizing she was wringing her hands in her lap, Elsa jerked them apart and pointed her clenched fists down at the floor.

"I consider you my friend. If you would consider me yours, it would be...very nice." Mulan agreed. Sensing Elsa was a little overwhelmed, she began to stand. "I think I will take my leave now. I do not want to be late and make a poor first impression on your friends."

Elsa laughed nervously, also rising from her chair. "Oh don't worry about that, I'm sure Rapunzel and I will be the latest of all. Well, we won't be too late. No, we'll definitely be early." Gesturing lamely to the door, the blonde tiredly muttered, "Please allow me to show you out."

As Elsa accompanied Mulan out of the office, the blonde was already frantically composing texts to her sister and her cousin in her mind. The first would go something like "Anna, is it okay if I bring a new friend to dinner tonight?", while the second one would be more along the lines of "I'M BRINGING THAT GIRL FROM THE CLUB LAST NIGHT TO DINNER, WHAT DO I DO?!".

"Elsa Arendelle! You're bringing a girl you just met last night to dinner? That's rude! Ha ha, just kidding, of course she's welcome. Make sure to let Punzie know she's being replaced as your date, though!" Anna's return text had a jokingly chiding tone, though Elsa wasn't sure which was more evident. She'd decided to wait until she got home to tell Rapunzel about the slight change in plans.

"Aww! You mean I'm uninvited?!" Rapunzel pouted, sitting on the floor surrounded by half painted sculptures, her face streaked with reds, purples, and yellows. Throwing a hand to her forehead and smearing that with paint in the process, she sighed dramatically. "Alas, I've been stood up for a cuter model!"

"No, no of course you can still go as my date!" Elsa insisted, stepping cautiously around her cousin's large workspace.

"Elsa Arendelle!" Rapunzel's voice sounded absolutely scandalized. "Are you gonna be two timing on me? Or is this a taste of something more up my alley?" Hopping up, the brunette chuckled at her blonde cousin's awkward attempts at babbling out an excuse. She touched the blonde's hand. "Relax, nerdface. I'm looking forward to meeting your new friend again. As I recall, she was quite a looker, and you know how hard it is for your bodyguard to trust other people around you!." Prancing off to the shower, Rapunzel released Elsa's hand, and she cringed when she saw a murky mixture of green and orange on her fingers.

Elsa sighed. The plans were all set. Now all she had to do was not make a complete ass of herself. Then maybe...maybe she could give a relationship with somebody a real shot, instead of relegating herself to romantic fantasies about her cousin and sister.

Well, I'm sure Mulan will totally be game for an exciting, passionate, sexless relationship. Who wouldn't want that?!

Elsa groaned inwardly. Nobody actually expected to do sex...things...after only one date, did they? Wait, did Mulan count this as their first or second date?! Were there heavy sex-related implications that went hand in hand with a second date?!

Hurrying to the bathroom, Elsa pounded on the door, crying, "Punzie, hurry up! I have more. Um. I have more questions about...the naughty bits!"

Classical music gently floated through Gianotti's, while patrons happily clinked wine glasses and carefully spun forkfuls of pasta on large spoons. Anna and Ariel were already seated at the large, round table. The younger woman was holding two ends of a broken breadstick in each hand, waving them in an animated fashion while exuberantly informing her lover of both the minor success of the record store and the even more minor success of her new band. A frayed end of the bandage on Anna's right hand flapped errantly.

"So yeah, overall I'd say things are looking up for now." Anna chewed the end of a piece of breadstick thoughtfully. "I'd like to get some more formal vocal training. Maybe I'll look into taking another class at the Arts Institute."

Idly swirling her glass of wine, Ariel pressed her lover. "If you're making enough money to have two full time employees, maybe you should think about, you know, pursuing your degree again."

Anna shook her head sadly. "The store was...I mean, I wanted to do it. I did, but a big part of dropping out and using the money for that was because I was pissed off at my parents." Pressing the two ends of the breadstick together, her voice grew quiet. "The more I...learned about Elsa from my cousin, the more I resented what they did. Going back to school sort of means forgiving them. Which...I guess I did that awhile ago. But I still wanna find out what exactly happened." Putting the battered pieces of bread down, her sad face changed to a look of determination. "And I'm not gonna force Elsa to say anything until she's ready to."

Wrapping Anna in a warm half hug, Ariel muttered, "Well, she sure is lucky to have a sister as patient as you."

Anna shook her head. "If I was really that patient, I would have understood how amazing an opportunity that field study you got to do was for you. Especially right out of college with a fresh master's degree." Sipping at her iced tea, the freckled young woman inquired, "So, where do you see yourself this time next year?"

Pressing an index finger to her lips, Ariel forced out an exhale. "By then I might have enough practical application experience and 'boring lab time' to be taken on as a full time colleague." Giving Anna a sidelong glance, Ariel winked, "Of course, other possibilities might bring me back this way, too."

Anna spluttered on her iced tea, causing the ruby haired marine biologist to giggle and pat her back good naturedly. "Well ah, you know, I'm not really going anywhere…" the redhead mumbled awkwardly.

"Relax, Annie. I'd be the last one to put pressure that kind on anybody." Squeezing Anna's hand, Ariel gave her a meaningful look. "But if we're both free when the time comes...we're certainly capable of making the time pass constructively." She emphasized the last word.

"Hah, constructively...you're so bad." Anna blushed, feeling as though she was nineteen again.

"Speaking of constructively, I...oh, hang on, looks like the rest of our party is here." Saving her creative ideas for ways they could pass the time, Ariel smiled pleasantly and waved at the three newcomers.

Elsa stammered out a greeting, right before quickly introducing Mulan to the two girls. She pulled out the black haired woman's chair for her, before nervously taking her seat. Anna noticed Rapunzel's put out expression at not getting seated by Elsa as well, and snorted mirthfully before leaping out of her seat and helping her cousin get situated.

"M'lady." Anna uttered, bowing in an exaggerated manner.

"Oh my, well I guess chivalry isn't dead." Rapunzel grinned, patting her younger cousin on the head. Elsa looked over and instantly blanched at her cousin who was sticking her tongue out childishly.

Thankfully, Rapunzel took pity on Elsa's flustered state and nudged her good naturedly. "Don't sweat it, cuz. Everyone knows I keep you around for your good looks!" Everybody had a chuckle, and Elsa visibly relaxed.

Shortly afterwards, a waiter came and took their dinner and drink orders. After Elsa ordered the battered cod with penne alfredo, Mulan tittered. The petite woman ordered the exact same thing next. Mulan gently insisted she'd already picked that out beforehand, but Ariel still decided it was the most adorable coincidence she'd witnessed that month. Anna shrugged, saying that when she and Elsa were children, they'd always get the same dessert at their favorite restaurant.

Several more cups of wine were poured, and light, friendly banter persisted right through the serving of the meals.

Rapunzel wiped her mouth with a napkin, dropping the seventh clean chicken wing onto her plate. "So, Mulan. If you're game, I'd like to have a friendly little wager with you."

Putting her knife and fork down, the petite woman considered the brunette thoughtfully. "Oh? What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I saw you very discretely slip the waiter your credit card." Half heartedly shaking a finger at the black haired woman, Rapunzel continued in a gently chiding tone. "I was actually planning on paying for tonight's meal…"

"Oh, come on!" Ariel complained, quickly swallowing a bite of veal parmigan. "I'm never gonna get a chance to foot the bill!"

"First world problems." Anna muttered amusedly, squeezing her lover's shoulder.

Pointing at the marine biologist, Rapunzel said, "You're here for a few weeks, you'll get your turn!" Turning back to Mulan, she continued. "Here's the wager. If you can guess three out of four of our orientations, I'll leave the honor of paying the bill to you. If not, it goes to me. You can choose whether or not to use your super secret psychologist skills. Do we have a deal?"

After only a second of thought, Mulan responded, "Deal." Reaching across Elsa's lap, causing the blonde girl to stiffen, Mulan grasped the brunette's hand and shook it.

Looking to her immediate left, Mulan considered Ariel for several moments. The marine biologist tried to throw off the other woman's studying by crossing her eyes, but she only succeeded in eliciting a smile from the smaller woman. "My gut is telling me bisexual."

Anna whooped loudly, earning her concerned glares from nearby customers. Ariel pouted slightly, while the freckled girl rubbed her shoulder in consolation. "Aww, don't worry honey, you're trained to be flexible."

"It was just one guy!" Ariel grumped, taking a large gulp of her wine. "Well done." she admitted to Mulan, who shrugged gingerly.

"Yeah, dreamy mister Eric, and that was right before our very own redhead here if my memory serves me correctly!" Rapunzel gushed sappily.

Anna was next up, and the freckled young woman leaned on her elbows and stared intently at Mulan, who stared right back and regarded the redhead with care. The waiter started to approach the table, but decided the party was busy with an intense discussion. Slowly, the black haired woman said, "My goodness."

"What, no idea?" Anna chuckled.

"No, it's just...I think you might be the gayest person I've ever met." Mulan replied with a cheeky grin.

"OHHHHHHH!" Ariel and Rapunzel crowed simultaneously, causing Elsa to jump in her seat. The blonde quickly looked around, praying that nobody would call management and get them kicked out. Even if this wasn't the most comfortable of topics, and she really didn't want Anna to find out this way.

Why does it matter if Anna finds out?

"It just...it just does, alright?!" Elsa responded to her negative internal voice tersely.

Anna shrugged, leaning back and sporting a lopsided grin. "Hell, not like I even hide it!" the redhead chuckled.

Rapunzel turned to look past Elsa and at Mulan. The brunette put her right elbow on the table, and rested her cheek casually against her fist. "Give me your best shot, sister."

Mulan considered the brunette for longer than she had the other two women. "You know…" the black haired woman mused slowly and at length, "...I'm really getting an 'all or nothing' feeling from you. But I'll go against what my gut is telling me and guess that you're asexual."

Rapunzel's eyes went wide. Ariel chuckled, while Anna's jaw flapped in the breeze. Elsa froze.

Noticing her companions' reactions, Mulan sighed. "I suppose I should have gone with my gut. Pan, then?"

Rapunzel nodded gleefully. "No hard feelings, though. If you hung out with me for, like, one more hour it would have been screamingly obvs."

Gentle yet piercing eyes moved to consider Elsa. Mulan muttered, "Well then, I suppose you're my last chance." Elsa smiled crookedly, gripping the napkin on her lap.

Rapunzel also looked at her older cousin. Mulan probably wasn't going to get this one as well. She saw a bead of sweat slide down Elsa's forehead and hit her left eyebrow. The brunette's stomach sank as she remembered the revealing conversation she'd had with Elsa just that morning. "Fuck me, why did I have to have a brain fart and pick this game?!" the brunette thought worriedly.

"Any ideas?" Elsa stammered good naturedly, doing everything in her power to smile and not bolt from the restaurant.

"Relax…" Mulan whispered, fingertips brushing against Elsa's hand. The black haired woman saw it in that moment. Elsa's constricted pupils. Her sweat. The chill and tremor evident in the soft contact between their hands. Mulan blinked several times, in sudden understanding.

Rapunzel was just about to call a time-out, when Mulan announced in a clear, conciliatory voice, "I'm afraid I honestly have no idea with you, Elsa. And yet, even saying that...I'm glad."

Elsa felt the nausea pass almost instantly as kind, hazel eyes regarded her with care. "Why glad?"

"Glad, because…" Mulan began, then leaned over and whispered into the blonde's ear, "...because I'd like the opportunity for you to show me who you are."

Despite the blood that had been pounding past her ears and clouding her ability to hear, Elsa had heard Mulan's soft words of encouragement clearly. Shoulders sagging, the blonde woman tenatively squeezed the soft fingers pressed gently against her own. She didn't have the clarity of mind to say 'thank you', but the reciprocated touch spoke volumes.

"Oh thank GOD." Rapunzel groaned, half collapsing on the table, before quickly comporting herself. "I mean, yay, I get to pay for more stuff!"

Leaning over, Rapunzel shook Mulan's hand, the smaller woman saying, "Fair is fair."

Rapunzel nodded. She felt both extremely comforted and oddly conflicted by Mulan's tender, considerate nature. "Thank you...for being a good sport." she said, emphasizing the last two words with a tremor in her voice. The older woman merely nodded.

Anna watched the three women closely. She was sure Elsa had just felt pressure of some kind, for some reason, but couldn't put her finger on what exactly. And something about Mulan just struck her as...encroaching on the redhead's territory,

Pausing with a spoonful of tiramisu in her hand, Ariel tapped the side of her dessert dish. "So, Mulan. Do you have a private practice for counseling and therapy, or do you work with others?" Looking over at her date, Elsa's eyebrows also quirked in interest.

Mulan smiled pleasantly, taking a small, cream filled cinnamon pastry from the dish in the middle of the table. "I counsel for a nearby school; perhaps you have heard of it. The San Francisco Institute for the Arts?"

Rapunzel gasped, while Anna started choking on the bite of chocolate torte she'd just swallowed. Ariel slapped her back several times, succeeding in getting the freckled young woman to cough up the bit of dessert. "I'm glad to see it isn't just me that causes you to choke on your food!" the ruby haired woman muttered with a wry smile.

Elsa took her seat sheepishly, not realizing she'd stood up in worry. Addressing Mulan, she explained, "Yeah. We actually have a graduate…" pointing to Rapunzel, who wiggled her right hand in a 'no sweat' signal. Elsa continued, indicating his sister, who had just finished gulping down a hefty amount of water. "...and a student who's taking a break to pursue personal interests."

"Hah, yeah. Well, it sounds a lot better than 'college dropout', and I wasn't anywhere near failing." Anna grinned. "Anyway, the ol' record shop brings in enough money for the time being. When the time is right, I do plan on returning to finish that degree."

"I am pleased to hear that, Anna." Mulan praised the young woman, who blushed a bit. "Without breaching privacy protocol, I've discovered that arts students approach mental, emotional, and physical traumas differently than those less inclined. I've always been an avid patron and supporter of the arts, and it really makes me feel like I'm pitching in to help future generations of artists by being the person they can go to with their troubles." Looking around for a moment, the petite woman let out a blush, feeling as though she'd put herself on too high a pedestal, and quickly put another cinnamon pastry in her mouth. Elsa found it extremely endearing.

Rapunzel grinned at Mulan, giving her a thumbs up. "It's okay, Mulan. You're allowed to say that artists are weird, because it's pretty much a universal truth."

The black haired woman nearly spit out her bite of dessert. Finishing with an embarrassed swallow, she innocently replied, "Those are your words, not mine!" Directing her attention back towards Anna, Mulan said, "When you are ready to return to the Institute, please let me know. I will do my best to get you all the student aid offers that I can."

"Th...thanks." Anna said, taken aback. "Things are a little busy right now, between managing the shop, avoiding errant knives," at that she grinned wryly, waving her bandaged hand, before continuing, "...and starting up with a new band for the first time in, well, forever! But I might look into taking a class in the spring, if I'm reasonably happy with where our 'family situation' is."

Mulan nodded thoughtfully. Elsa reached a hand across the table, clasping pale fingers over Anna's ruddy ones. Anna blushed. "You know Rapunzel and I will support you if you want to go back to school. Whatever you need. Tuition, a kick in the butt to do homework...even if I have to come over and pretend to do schoolwork next to you."

Giggling, Anna explained what her sister meant. "Yeah, years and years ago, I used to hate doing homework unless Elsa was doing hers with me. Especially that one time...was it in fifth grade?" Anna's eyebrows knitted, and her breath hitched.

Seeing where her sister was headed instantly, Elsa pinched the skin on top of Anna's hand sharply. "Fuck." Anna winced, shaking her head and blinking several times.

"Are you alright?" Mulan asked, noticing Elsa's facial expression asking that same question wordlessly.

Anna was taking several deep, steadying breaths, so Rapunzel replied. "Anna fell and hit her head when she was a kid. Nasty little skull fracture, rad scar, and it gave her that permanent white streak in her hair. She also has a lot of trouble remembering stuff from around that time." Smiling tenderly at Elsa, the brunette added, "Since Elsa's been back in our lives, though, it's been a lot easier to keep a handle on."

"Yeah." Anna wheezed, smiling tiredly. "Elsa can just tell when I'm trying to remember something from that period of time. Then she'll pinch me, punch me, or pull my hair." Sticking her tongue out at her sister, she winked. "She's a buttface, but she's my buttface and I love her to bits."

"We love her to bits!" Rapunzel corrected cheekily, squeezing Anna's shoulder.

The table fell into amiable silence for a few minutes. Suddenly, Rapunzel spoke up. "Hang on a second. Didn't I see the waiter come by here just a little while ago?"

Ariel replied a bit too quickly. "I didn't see anybody."

"I coulda sworn I saw him holding the bill for dinner." the brunette muttered, suspicion dripping from her voice.

Just then, their waiter returned. Handing a receipt to Ariel, he said, "Thank you for dining with us at Gianotti's. I hope you have a pleasant evening and come to eat with us again sometime."

Rapunzel glared at Ariel. The marine biologist shrugged, a guilty grin playing at the corners of her mouth. "Woman, you're messing with my generosity!"

Anna bopped her cousin on the brunette's head. "Punzie-poo, heel. Ariel wanted to do this nice thing. You can have a turn next time." Looking at her watch, she added, "Anyway, I think it's just about time for good little girls and...girls to be safe and warm in bed."

Elsa blushed, Mulan smiled in amusement at the blonde, and Rapunzel pouted extra hard. "Next time I'm gonna order everybody's food ahead of time and pay before anybody even eats!" All the girls had a nice laugh at the brunette's stubborn insistence.

The evening was cool, but not unpleasantly so, as Anna and Ariel made the twenty five minute stroll back to Anna's apartment. They'd parted ways with Elsa, Rapunzel, and Mulan at the restaurant, thanking the young, black haired woman for joining them. Arm in arm, bellies full and minds pleasantly buzzed from a bit of alcohol, the two leaned against each other and reveled in their shared body heat.

Down the street a ways, a young boy ran across the street and down the sidewalk opposite them. Several seconds later, a handful of girls appeared, chasing after him.

Anna chuckled, pointing at the kids with her bandaged hand. "Reminds me of a little bit after we started dating."

Staring for a moment, Ariel squeezed the redhead's arm and asked, "What, would I be the boy?"

Anna nodded, nose scrunching as she smiled widely. "I just...it was maybe two months after you and Eric broke up. I'd seen you at the aquarium a few times, and you always had a fan club chasing you around."

Ariel blushed, protesting indignantly, "They were not my fan club, and they weren't chasing me!"

Anna nodded sarcastically. "Uh huh. Okay, maybe they weren't running after you, but they definitely were politely chasing you. Anyway, I was extra extra early for a date, and I was waiting by the ticket prize building. You were, like ten minutes late, and all of a sudden, way on the other side of the orca tank, I see you hauling ass behind the railing."

Ariel chuckled, shrugging. "I probably didn't want to be late!"

"And then, right behind you, there were maybe four or five girls just RUNNING after you!" Anna took a few moments to laugh, catch her breath, and pinch Ariel's cheek good naturedly. "You must have jumped down a Bay Aquarium secret tunnel or something, because next thing I knew you were standing behind me, all breathing hard and hair messed up."

"Breathing hard and hair messed up? Future me sounds like a disaster." Ariel muttered, to-go bag from Gianotti's lightly slapping against her left leg.

Anna gently corrected herself. "Breathing hard, hair messed up, and still taking my breath away like the goddess I saw you as." The redhead's smile was less exuberant now.

Speaking softly, Ariel looked at her lover. "So, you don't see me as a goddess any more?"

Anna shook her head, releasing Ariel's arm and clasping her hand instead. "Come on. You were my first real relationship. I had unbearably high expectations, and you somehow managed to set the bar even higher before the end. Then you had to leave, and I...I took it badly."

"I may have been twenty four to your nineteen, but we were both still kids." Ariel reasoned, swinging their clasped hands back and forth idly. The girls on the opposite side of the street ran past them, hooting and hollering as they chased the much faster boy.

"And now we're mature, responsible adults." Anna joked with a shake of her head. "No, to me you're just an ordinary person, now. An ordinary, amazing person, who I can look at and see flaws and a future."

"Shit, I have flaws now? I really have to work on those." Ariel replied with a small smile and a rare cuss word. "What kind of future do you see for me?"

Anna ruffled the older woman's hair playfully, and Ariel didn't even attempt to fix it. "You'll find somebody who wants to go to those far off places with you. Somebody who lives for the thrill of that on-the-go life. Somebody who can tolerate breathing the briny air of the ocean for months at a time."

A hint of sadness shone through Ariel's response, and she made no effort to mask it. "That somebody doesn't sound like you." She squeezed Anna's hand extra hard.

"As much as I might like to travel, home is home for me." Anna mumbled, brushing windswept locks out of her eyes. "I...sorry if this sounds like a kiss-off. It's not. I just don't...don't want to get your hopes up in only a few short weeks."

Breathing in deeply and letting out a cleansing puff of air, Ariel pressed against her slightly shorter lover's side. She wasn't crying, but her voice held a wistful happiness. "My only hope is to spend a little more time with you while I'm in town. Even if I'm not your goddess any more, your bed is still my favorite place to be on a Sunday morning." Anna nodded, wrapping an arm around Ariel's shoulder and holding her closer as the two neared her apartment.

Since the parking lot at Gianotti's was full, Mulan and Elsa had each parked their vehicles in a nearby parking garage. The three walked in quiet, amiable silence. The overcast sky had cleared by sunset, resulting in an ever darkening, star-filled sky.

Rapunzel, who was a step or two behind the side by side Elsa and Mulan, tugged gently

on the shorter woman's sweater. Stepping back to join the brunette woman, Mulan raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Hey, sorry to butt in, but could I have a word with Elsa in private, please?" Rapunzel asked, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Of course." Mulan acquiesced. "I know a lot of this is new to your friend, and I respect

how much you care about her." Falling back a few paces, the raven haired woman nodded to Rapunzel, who increased her pace to catch up with and walk alongside her older cousin.

"Hey, heartbreaker." Rapunzel muttered, causing Elsa to do a double take.

"Ah. What can I do for you, miss ninja of the night?" Elsa chuckled.

Rapunzel took the blonde's hand in her own briefly, bumping shoulders. "I...I wanted to apologize for the game I played. It wasn't my intention to out you before you were ready, and I feel like a grade A jerkass." The brunette looked down at her shoes, a light blush of shame gracing her cheeks.

Elsa sighed. "I was a little freaked out, but I think Mulan saw. That's probably why she didn't even try to guess." Squeezing her cousin's hand in return, the blonde woman added, "And I know you didn't mean anything bad by it. I'll tell everybody soon enough...though I'm sure I'll need my 'teacher' for a long time, yet."

"My services are always at your disposal." the brunette giggled, feeling a weight lifted off

of her shoulders. "Also, not that my opinion really matters, but you found yourself a really great woman in Mulan."

Elsa chided her cousin. "Your opinion will always matter. And since I still have almost no idea what I'm doing...do you think I should date her?"

Rapunzel gave a helpless half shrug, smiling crookedly. "I think you've already made that choice, nerd face. But just remember: this really is your first relationship. I know I don't have to tell you to take it slow, but...I won't be able to answer all of your questions." Sharing a meaningful look with the blonde, Rapunzel elaborated a bit. "Even if I do know some answers, I might not tell you. Each relationship is different, just like each person is different. Learning how some things work on your own will give you more confidence in who you are, for your future." Blinking back sudden, unexpected tears, the brunette clasped Elsa's hand between her own.

Elsa's voice wavered. "I...I'm still gonna be bugging the hell out of you."

"Good," was Rapunzel's soft reply. "I'm gonna hand you back over to your girlfriend,

then." The brunette tried to go for a jesting inflection on the word 'girlfriend', but her voice ended up cracking embarrassingly. She quickly dropped back to Mulan, giving the raven haired woman a thumbs up.

The three had just reached the parking garage, when Rapunzel loudly and abruptly announced, "It's a pretty night, so I'm gonna enjoy the stars and the Lady Moon and walk home!"

Elsa blanched, turning around quickly and muttering, "You don't have to do that." A blush from imagining spending time alone with Mulan again crept onto the blonde's face.

Sticking her tongue out in a juvenile manner, Rapunzel winked. "Nope, already done!" Reaching out and shaking Mulan's hand, the brunette grinned, "It was a real pleasure meeting you, Mulan. I'm sure I'll see you around."

Mulan nodded quietly, returning the handshake with a serene smile. "The pleasure and honor were all mine. I will do right by the trust you place in me."

"We'll see about that." Blinking several times in surprise, Rapunzel immediately quashed the completely foreign negative thought. Nodding quickly, the brunette turned and walked away from the other two women, a spring in her step.

"Was she...crying?" Elsa thought, cringing at the idea of saying anything to Mulan that could possibly come out wrong. "I'm the one who's in unfamiliar territory here! I'm the one who's freaking out!"

"Thank you again for the invitation." Mulan gently interjected into Elsa's panicked thought. "Your friends and family are a real pleasure to be around. As are you." Stepping forward and pressing the 'up' button on the garage elevator, the door opened in short order, and the shorter woman gestured for Elsa to enter first. "Shall we?"

"I suppose we shall!" Elsa replied jovially, smiling uncomfortably wide and quickly planting herself in a safe corner of the elevator. Mulan joined her, the door close, and the transport ground into motion with a muffled *ka-thunk*.

The two women watched the ground grow slowly smaller in view through the elevator windows. Elsa scratched at a loose thread on her skirt in irritation. Numerous, tiny rust spots on the metal handrail in the elevator caught the blonde's attention, and she had an overpowering desire to scrub each one off right then and there. She felt Mulan's gentle eyes on her and grew hot under the collar. "Maybe I won't have to ask. Maybe she's already sick tired of my nervousness." The negative thoughts caused Elsa's shoulders to slump slightly. Then the memory of her cousin and sister cheering her on broke through, and the blonde woman regained her proud posture. "Fuck it."

The elevator door opened, and Mulan exited. The raven haired woman turned and saw Elsa still in the elevator, taking several deep breaths. "Elsa?" she quietly asked.

"Okay, I have something to say!" Elsa exclaimed, causing Mulan to take half a step backwards, an amused half smile on her face.

"I'm listening." the psychologist said quietly.

Elsa found herself tongue tied for a second, before continuing. "I recently started coming to terms with the fact that...that I'm asexual. I'm not sure what you look for in a relationship, or even if you're looking for a relationship right now...oh shit I mixed those up…"

Just then there was a ding, and the elevator door started to close. Simultaneously, Mulan warned loudly, "Elevator!"

"What? Oh-elevator!" Elsa panicked, lunging for the closing door. It closed on her arm, and for a split second the blonde woman pictured herself in another broken bone cast, causing her to slam her eyes shut and cry out, "Open!" The elevator did just that, door opening back up, but not before leaving a dark brown smudge of grease on her blouse.

Mulan quickly grasped Elsa's right hand, leading her out of the elevator. She lead the taller woman over to a nearby bench, where they both sat down. The black haired woman said nothing, and stared intently at the asphalt parking lot floor.

At length, Elsa groaned. "I just suck today."

Smiling faintly, Mulan replied, "No, you don't suck. You're nervous. Everybody gets nervous."

Letting her shoulders sag, Elsa found she didn't have the energy any more to be nervous. Thoughts of Anna and Rapunzel flowed through her mind, and the blonde carefully tucked them away into an unused corner of memories.

Oh, so you're going to take a crack at being normal?

"Did you know I was asexual?" Elsa asked tenatively, not looking at Mulan.

"It was my initial thought, yes. But your reaction spoke volumes, and I apologize for my part in your discomfort." Mulan quietly admitted.

Elsa grinned wryly. "Would you date an asexual?" She didn't have the energy to be apprehensive about the psychologist's answer.

Mulan shrugged. "Your sexuality is only one part of who you are. But to answer, yes, I would be open to that idea." The woman tucked several strands of her perfect hair back behind an ear.

"Sometimes I'm a poor communicator." Elsa added, cringing.

"We could all stand to communicate better." Mulan reasoned.

Closing her eyes, Elsa prepared herself to deliver the finishing blow. "I have things I'm not ready to talk about, and I may never be ready to talk about them. I've never dated anyone before, and…"

Mulan interrupted Elsa, squeezing the sleeve of the blonde's grease stained blouse. "Why don't we save a few surprises for the next date."

"Next date." Elsa muttered absentmindedly. Then she squawked, "Next date?! So we're girlfriends now?"

Mulan chuckled. "Yes, I believe that is how things work. You have had quite an evening, so I think it's a good time for us to part ways, though."

"O-oh, okay then." Elsa stammered. She watched the black haired woman pull out a pad of paper and a pen.

"Would you like to give me your phone number?" Mulan asked. Her girlfriend mumbled out a series of digits half lucidly.

Elsa was still spacing out a bit at the idea that she had a girlfriend, when she felt something prodding her arm. Mulan was pushing a piece of paper towards the blonde. Elsa took it and read the contents. "My email address." her girlfriend explained. "In case you could ever use an alternative to talking on the phone."

Elsa gasped, before carefully folding the paper and placing it securely in her purse. "That's…" the blonde struggled to find the right words. "That might be the single most thoughtful thing anyone's ever done for me."

Mulan gently patted Elsa's arm, smiling contentedly. "I look forward to sharing more thoughtful experiences with you. I have no expectations aside from enjoying the pleasure of your company." The two went quiet, merely sharing meaningful glances.

Well, Elsa gave the black haired woman embarrassed, meaningful glances. Mulan

stared at Elsa for several minutes, smiling softly. Eventually, Elsa began to feel self conscious. "Why is she still staring at me? Is this the end of the date. Is she expecting an end of date kiss? Is that okay with me? I mean, I know I've kissed Anna and Rapunzel...no no no, keep them out of this! Oh god, she's looking at me strangely. No, no, I'm too much in my head! She's gonna end the relationship already!"

"I am sorry." Mulan quickly said, standing up. "You are beautiful, and I...found myself enchanted."

"Oh. Oh...I. Thank you?" Elsa mumbled, collecting herself from her earlier worry.

"I will never, never kiss you until and unless you tell me it is okay." the older woman assured the blonde. "Have a wonderful night, Elsa. I look forward to when we see each other again. Sleep well." Mulan finished, giving the blonde a small wave, before turning and heading towards her car.

Elsa sat on the bench for a good ten minutes. She watched Mulan drive away, and she was proud of herself for summoning the courage to wave at her new girlfriend as she drove away. Her new girlfriend. She slapped her palms against her cheeks. It still felt too unreal to be true.

Here it is. The first step to being a normal, decent person. Don't screw this up.

Elsa rose, scrunching her toes and shaking the pins and needles out of her legs. "Don't screw this up." she muttered. She knew she was going to need Rapunzel's help and input more than ever before.

Rapunzel sat cross legged on her bed, putting charcoal to a large newsprint quality tablet. On the paper, the image of a little girl holding a large, wrapped present was taking shape. Brushing the side of her writing hand across part of the drawing to achieve a desired blur effect, the brunette suddenly heard the sound of keys at her front door. Gasping, she tossed her art supplies onto her bed haphazardly. Miles Davis was spooked and scrambled off the bed and underneath the nightstand, while Rapunzel crept to her bedroom door and opened it just a crack.

The bit of viewing space allowed her to see the front door and a small portion of the living room. The brunette's heart hammered in her chest, and her hands grew clammy. "Oh my god, this is ELSA, I should just run out there and hug her like I always do!" she reasoned, but her feet remained oddly glued to that spot.

The front door opened, and Elsa slowly walked inside. Rapunzel noticed her cousin's shirt sleeves were dirty, and she wondered how that happened. Tired looking legs haphazardly kicked high heels into the corner, just by the coat rack. Elsa sat down hard in the middle of the sofa, just at the edge of Rapunzel's view. Pale hands grasped a decorative pillow and pulled it to a heaving chest. The blonde woman looked completely spent. Her cousin had just about worked up the nerve to leave her hiding place and see how the other's night went.

Suddenly, Elsa toppled over onto the sofa. Slamming the pillow to her face, she let out a ridiculous, muffled scream. She rolled onto her back, kicking her legs in the air bicycle style, and squealed uncontrollably again. Several more outcries happened.

The blonde's hands gripped the pillow tightly. Rapunzel's knees felt wobbly all of a sudden. A sudden rush of blood to her head made her dizzy and nauseous. Feeling the bile quickly and inexplicably rise up her throat, the brunette panicked in her refusal to make her presence known. Spying an empty plastic container next to her dresser, she lunged for it and just managed to bring it to her face before vile, foul smelling liquid and chunks of dessert erupted from her mouth. Sweat formed on her forehead as she knelt down, retching miserably. Her mind swam in memories...memories of her and Elsa. "Why am I feeling this way?!" the brunette thought bitterly. "I'm not jealous...I don't get jealous!"

The answer eluded Rapunzel that night. Elsa, however, did not. Ten years of recollections of her older cousin paraded through the brunette's mind all night long, making sleep long in coming.

"Little Miss Sunshine, this is by far the most often I've ever seen you come around the office in one week!" Ms. Kass exclaimed, phone pressed between her ear and her right shoulder. The secretary idly tapped a pen in time to the music playing over her little desktop radio. "Are you sure you don't have anything fun to do today?"

"Work is fun, Ms. Kass!" Rapunzel insisted, hauling a tarp across the wooden floor towards her makeshift office. A cardboard box full of spray paint cans, a stack of empty buckets, three large, plastic-wrapped blocks of clay, and a host of other assorted art supplies laid on top of the tarp. "Thanksgiving is coming up this week, and I'm really trying to get ahead on this project before crazy Christmas time gets here, you know?"

The secretary nodded. "Oh, I know. Harold's taking the grandchildren to the aquarium on Friday while I go claw some peoples' eyes out for their Christmas presents." Groaning as the recorded voice on the other end of the line thanked her for her patience, and assured her that a customer service representative would be with her shortly, Ms. Kass quirked an eyebrow at the busy brunette. "Still, it's Sunday. You know, the day of rest?"

Rapunzel grinned from her office, letting the tarp fall on the floor. "Well, there's nothing in my witchy book of spells about resting today."

Giving a hearty laugh, the older woman nodded. "I'm supposed to ask you something, too. Your other cousin, the one who runs that record shop on Browning Street?"

"Anna?" Rapunzel grunted, hauling the box of spray paint cans off of the tarp.

"That's the one. See, my oldest grandson's school is having a Thanksgiving dance on Wednesday night. The DJ broke his leg doing some fool stunt on a skateboard or roller skates, I don't know." Pointing the pen at Rapunzel, the woman continued, "Anyway, it's three hundred bucks for three hours of relatively clean music. Would your cousin's band be interested in filling in last minute?!"

Dropping the cardboard box, Rapunzel scrambled across the wooden floor, sliding to a stop at Ms. Kass's desk and breathing hard. "Are you...serious?! Of course they'll take the gig!"

"That's good." the older woman grinned. "I'd rather have people I'm familiar with playing for those kids." Handing Rapunzel a phone number, the secretary groaned as somebody finally picked up on the other end of her call. Quickly mouthing 'call them' to the brunette, Ms. Kass turned her attention back to her phone call.

Skipping back into her office, Rapunzel withdrew her cell phone and dialed the number on the paper. She proceeded to have a brief, pleasant conversation with the assistant principal of the high school. He told her, the band's assistant manager, what time the dance started. They discussed appropriate language and appropriate music for the band to play. Rapunzel hesitantly inquired if original songs were acceptable, and the school administrator assured her that as long as they were clean language-wise, they could be played.

"We greatly appreciate your band filling in at the last minute." the assistant principal said amiably. "I hope the students enjoy their music."

"Not to worry, sir." Rapunzel assured him. "We'll prepare a setlist that they will absolutely love." Hanging up her phone, her body buzzed with excitement. A real show! A show she had coordinated! Thoughts of Elsa and Mulan were pushed right out of her mind as she hammered out a quick text to Anna, just to ensure the redhead was at the store. The brunette wanted to surprise the hell out of her younger cousin.

Ms. Kass had just hung up her phone, when she witnessed Rapunzel hurriedly dragging her tarp and supplies back to the storage room. Grinning wryly, she bugged her young friend. "What's this? I thought Sunday was for working!"

"I am working!" Rapunzel grinned happily. "I'm working on an awesome setlist for the band to play at the dance!" Tossing the supplies into the storeroom haphazardly, the brunette quickly locked the door and bounded out of the office, blowing a kiss to the secretary on her way out.

"There's that familiar spunk that girl's been missing lately." the relieved secretary smiled.

"Wow, really, Merida?! That's a straight up dick move." Rapunzel chastised, hopping up on the record shop's sales counter after making her grand entrance. Anna was sucking happily on a lollipop behind her, Merida herself was by the record player looking extremely hungover, and Lars and Chelsea were sitting on the floor, still in their sleep clothing, and half asleep. Hiccup shot Merida his tenth glare of the afternoon, before reaching out to keep the duo from toppling over.

Immediately after leaving the interior design building earlier, Rapunzel had sent the same text to Anna, Merida, and Hiccup: Emergency band meeting, I'll be at the record shop in twenty to fill everybody in. After a minute's consideration, the brunette decided to send Elsa a slightly less urgent message, knowing that she and Mulan were visiting the Exploratorium that afternoon: I got a lead on a little gig for the band. Heading over to the shop to fill them in. Luv ya.

"What?!" Merida retorted, massaging her temples and adjusting her sunglasses. "You said was an emergency band meeting, and they are members of the band!"

"Yeah but, c'mon. I think they could've phoned it in to find out what was going on. I mean, look at them, they're wiped out." Rapunzel sympathetically indicated the half asleep drummer and bassist. "What time did they get off of work?"

"They had a 4 a.m. to noon shift today." Hiccup said pointedly, blushing a little when Lars wrapped his arms around the brown haired young man's knees and nuzzled them sleepily. Carefully extricating himself, he continued. "So, a high school dance, huh? Be a good opportunity to see how your sound plays with a younger crowd."

Anna nodded, removing her candy on a stick with a wet pop. "Yeah, I'm definitely down. We might need our 'no swearing' sign holder to make a return appearance, but it'll be good practice to stretch our range and cover really modern stuff."

"Ugh, tell me we aren't going all pop happy." Merida grumbled, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

Grinning at her friend's malcontent, Anna punched her shoulder lightly. "Hey, I'm not about to go all 'One Direction' up in here, even if 'Story of Us' was a little inspired. But even if it means cleaning up our act a little, let's see where we stand with kids today." Stepping up behind Rapunzel and hugging her from behind, Anna finished. "Anyway, this flower child got them to agree to us playing some originals!"

Rapunzel blushed, patting her cousin's forearms. "Assistant principals are a pushover. It's principals that can be hell to haggle with. I was on plenty of dance committees in high school, and I'm not just saying that because of my former douchebag stepmom-dean."

"Right then, all in favor of going back to that lovely time known as high school and melting some teenage faces, hands up!" Anna said, putting her bandaged hand in the air. Hiccup followed suit, as did Rapunzel. Grudgingly, Merida followed. Dropping his arm, Hiccup raised Lars' and Chelsea's arms while they slept.

"We're missing one vote, but I think it's safe to say that…" Anna began, but was interrupted by the door bell chiming and a familiar voice.

"I'm here, sorry! I don't know where the show is, but I vote yes as well!" Elsa grinned, cheeks flushed from running as she put her hand into the air enthusiastically.

Waving enthusiastically, Anna cooed, "Aww, it's my favorite sister! Better late than never!"

"Late?" Elsa huffed, flopping her purse down on the counter. "I didn't really get the hint that it was a mandatory meeting. I was...umm, actually never mind, hahah." The blonde chuckled at the end, scratching her cheek awkwardly. Turning around, she gestured to the front of the store, where Mulan had followed her in. "Come meet the band, Mulan." Elsa said, a tremor running through her voice as her hands shook a bit.

"Woo, Elsa got a girlfriend!" Merida whooped gleefully, all traces of exhaustion gone.

Anna snickered at her friend's enthusiasm. "Hi, Mulan. Welcome to the shop."

Mulan inclined her head, waving at Anna as she approached the group. "Hello again. You have a wonderfully impressive record collection here. If my family could see this place...well, let's just say they're avid vinyl enthusiasts and will probably be begging me for Christmas gifts provided by your store."

Anna felt her ears reddening. "Well, we're open whenever the light's on! And family gets a discount, provided Elsa is happy." Tugging on Elsa's slightly faded black lock of hair, Anna's smile grew small and tender. "Are you happy?" she intoned quietly.

"Anna!" Elsa whispered hotly, looking absolutely mortified. Mulan considered the blonde with a gentle, slightly amused smile. Eyes darting between Mulan, her sister, and Rapunzel who was now looking at her with what seemed to be a mixture of guilt and curiosity, Elsa choked out, "I'm happy, very happy!"

"That's good." Anna gave her sister a one armed hug, whispering to her, "It wasn't a trick question, Els. You're happy, and that's the best thing."

Elsa blushed in return, mumbling an apology, before shaking her head to clear the embarrassment. "Everybody, this is my girlfriend, Hua Mulan." Quietly, she whispered to the shorter black haired woman, "Was that right?"

Mulan whispered reassuringly, "Just fine, Elsa." To the group, she introduced herself as a psychologist at SFIA. Anna went around and introduced the band members, even Lars and Chelsea, who by that time had managed to awaken somewhat and stand to shake the petite woman's hand.

When Hiccup shook her hand, he coughed awkwardly, and spoke stiltedly. "Dāng jīntiān nǐ qù yǔ ài ěr shā?

Mulan's eyes lit up, and she animatedly replied, "Wǒmen qù tànsuǒ bówùguǎn. Hěn yǒuyìsi. The Exploratorium." Everybody in the group looked back and forth between the two, eyes wide.

Blushing, Hiccup said, "Sorry, I won't butcher the Chinese language any more. I only had two years of it in high school." Lars was gazing at the brown haired young man like he wanted to kick everybody else out of the store and have some alone time for just the two of them.

"No, no!" Mulan gushed. clearly thrilled at the young man's fearlessness. "Your inflection was spot on! Really, I may put you to task a little when next I visit!"

While Merida pulled Hiccup to the back of the store and harassed him about how he'd been holding back what all he could do, and wondering what other skills the young man had that he just never talked about, Anna gave Mulan a brief tour of the store. "We carry pop-punk, ska, trip-hop, electronic, all kinds of totally awesome international stuff...and your usual mainstream classics." The raven haired woman nodded with interest, posing questions now and then, as the redhead led her around the store.

Rapunzel cornered Elsa in the meantime. "Hey, sorry if you felt left out. I knew it wasn't an emergency, Merida was just being an ass, and I didn't want to interrupt-"

Elsa waved her hands, placing one on the brunette's shoulder. "No no, it's fine, really. Now I can stop losing my mind over how to introduce her to everyone."

Rapunzel looked over to where Chelsea was cheering with Mulan. Both were apparently four feet eleven inches, and the pink haired drummer insisted they were going to start a small girls' club. Mulan chuckled and gave her enthusiastic approval.

Having finished the tour, Anna returned to her sister and cousin. "Alright, like Sherlock says, the show is afoot!"

Elsa chuckled, ruffling her sister's copper bangs. "I think you mean 'game', Anna."

Waving a hand dismissively, Anna was insistent. "Rock and roll is not a game, Els! Okay, so, Punzie, we get to bring our 'crew' along to set up, right?"

"Uh huh." Rapunzel muttered, squirming in surprise when Elsa poked her side playfully.

"Sweet. Our crew will be the two of you, Ariel...and Mulan. At least, if she's interested in coming and that's okay with you, Elsa?" Anna said, not wanting to burden her sister's new girlfriend with too much, too quickly. But, really, she had to be a fan of the band!

"I'll ask her." Elsa mused, picking up her purse and slinging it over a shoulder. "I don't see there being a problem, though. I'll let you know for sure tomorrow, okay?"

Anna nodded excitedly, and leapt off of the counter, retreating to the back room to call Ariel and invite her to the show, where some high school kids would happen to be dancing. Elsa and Mulan took their leave of the store, deciding to grab a bite to eat before calling it a day. Hiccup drove Lars and Chelsea back to their apartment, not even about to let them drive home as sleep as they were. Merida sat in the boss' chair and propped her feet up on the sales counter, mistress of all she surveyed. Lastly, Rapunzel trudged back over to the library, determined to channel some of this mysterious jealousy over the sweet as pie Mulan into something artistic.

Entering the apartment and immediately kicking off her heels, Elsa slung her purse onto the coat rack and bent down to give Miles Davis a little love. She stood upright, suddenly seeing the large easel Rapunzel had erected in the middle of the living room.

The easel and the young brunette both stood on top of a paint splattered tarp. A face, with intense eyes and skin colored with dark oranges, reds, and greens, stared back at her. Elsa took a step back, feeling the intensity of the painting, and she bumped against the door, jangling her car keys.

Broken from her intense concentration, Rapunzel whirled around, paintbrush clenched between teeth and color palette in her left hand. Orange paint dripped from the brush. "Ew-ha!" the brunette exclaimed, before giggling and removing the paint brush. "Blech, there we go. Good thing I'm back to using non-toxic paint, huh?"

Elsa smiled faintly, stepping up to the edge of the tarp to admire her cousin's work. "That's quite...intense. It's beautiful."

"Heh, thanks. Just working through some feeling-things." Rapunzel gave her best aw-shucks response, before turning back to add a few more strokes. "How was your dinner?"

"Fine." Elsa said absentmindedly. "We were lazy and just picked up some street vendor pizza. Are...this picture really evokes a feeling inside me. Envy? Hm, no that's not quite right." Walking around the tarp slowly, Elsa observed it from a few different angles. "Aha, jealousy! That's what it looks like."

Rapunzel paled, stuttering and trying to change the topic. "Ha, jealousy, well I guess that's one way to look at it! No, I call this, um...P.M.S. Pre Menstrual Sourpuss." the explanation sounded farfetched, and the brunette cringed a bit, but Elsa bought it with a chuckle.

"I was wondering." Elsa began, sounding a little nervous. "I've been busy this weekend, and you've been working a lot. Maybe you'd like to...oh, what did that tumblr person call it. Netflix and chill?"

Rapunzel choked out a laugh that quickly turned into a minor coughing fit. Pounding her chest several times, paint dripping everywhere, while she waved her worried cousin away, the brunette chuckled dryly. "Nerd face. I know it says Netflix and chill. But with you I think it'd be more 'Netflix and run for the hills'."

Elsa looked at the brunette with a curiously innocent expression. "I don't get it." she insisted with a small pout.

"Oh my god, I have got to tell Anna what you want to do with me tonight." Rapunzel chuckled darkly, not even trying to hide her blush.

"What are you telling Anna about?!" Elsa squeaked, continuing to hound her cousin who was currently dialing Anna's phone number. "Is this something lewd?!"

"O ho ho ho, sweet summer child of mine." Rapunzel smirked, putting the phone to her ear, which was answered almost immediately. "Oh, hello Anna!"

Stamping her foot and about one second from launching a tickle attack, Elsa squealed, "Oh Rapunzel, you little brat!"

Assistant Principal Anderson adjusted his tie one last time before leaving his office. Staring longingly at Principal Shaufferton's room, nearly twice as spacious as his own, he locked the door in mild frustration. It was nearly 6pm. "Guess I'd better go make sure the dance committee doesn't need anything else from the supply room." the blonde haired, bespectacled man thought, eyeballing each clock as he walked past them to make sure they told the correct time. "The replacement band should be here in the next half hour. God, I hope they don't suck."

He passed several teachers in the hallway, who gave him little more than a nod in acknowledgement. The insistent buzzing of his Samsung smart phone made him slap his pockets in confusion, before drawing it out with a groan. A text, from Principal Shaufferton. "Out buying last minute groceries for Thanksgiving tomorrow, won't be at the dance. Keep it fun, yet reasonable." Fun yet reasonable. Of course. The assistant principal got the reasonable portion, while the principal took all the fun opportunities.

Eventually, however, his superior would retire, leaving the school district in his capable

hands. Picking up the intercom at his waist, Anderson pressed the talk button and spoke quietly. "AP, office locked, making 6 p.m. rounds. Security check, over." He holstered the walkie talkie, quashing the tinge of embarrassment at knowing the school's lone security guard never once responded to his routine walkie-talkie communications. Not even one time to placate him in over two years.

Rounding the library on the corner of his wing, he strode quickly towards the double doors that lead to the auditorium. Hopefully the students were nearly finished setting up. There was an awful lot of noise coming from the room; had the band forgotten to use the school's main entrance?

The band and crew tromped through the back entrance Rapunzel had pointed out. Hauling various pieces of equipment through a dimly lit, black painted hallway, there were more than a few curse words uttered. Most of them came from Merida.

Anna, at the front of the troop, encountered several heavy curtains. Pushing through them, she found herself under the bright lights of the auditorium stage. A handful of students were off to the side, apparently setting up decorations. Several more were arranging tables in the mostly cleared auditorium.

One by one, Merida, Lars, Chelsea, Hiccup, Rapunzel, Ariel, Mulan, and Elsa all filed out from behind the curtain. Once everybody was there, Anna attempted to responsibly distribute duties.

"Right then...umm, yeah. Kids here, all that jazz. Do your thing!" Anna grinned, balking

when everybody just stood there, staring at here. Holding her hands out and flicking her wrist, she tried a different command. "Uh, shoo! Disperse! Umm...ninja vanish?"

That last one drew a chuckle from Rapunzel. Merida shot a glance over to Elsa. "What's up, boss lady?"

Coughing awkwardly and patting her sister on the back, Elsa spoke with a clear, authoritative voice. "High school dance. We've all been to high school. If it's passable language in class, it's passable on stage."

Looking to Lars, Merida, and Chelsea, Elsa instructed, "Go and be awesome." Merida pumped her fist and gave an enthusiastic holler, jarring several nearby students.

Turning to Ariel and Mulan, Elsa grinned, saying, "Personal Relations. Find the principal and let him know that we're here, as well as our requirements. Feel free to lend students a hand with setting up the giant pile of fold-out chairs they have on the cart over there." Both women gave her a thumbs up, and Mulan quietly said, "I'd never believe this was the first high school dance you set up for." Elsa grinned bashfully in response.

Pointing two fingers at Rapunzel, Elsa said, "I think you can hang your 'No Swearing' signs on the pillars over there. Then. I don't know. I'm sure the kids could use a hand with whatever dance theme they came up with." Rapunzel saluted smartly, before leaping off the stage with a giddy shriek, signs under her left arm.

Anna moved to stand next to her sister. The redhead wore a little pout, but it quickly turned into a sheepish smile. "You really are good with the whole 'delegation of authority', huh?"

Elsa shrugged. "When your employees are getting paid for just standing around, it's usually best to get them on task as quickly as possible."

Breath catching in her throat when Anna grasped the blonde's right hand between the two of hers, the freckled young woman whispered, "Are you authoritative with Mulan?"

"A-Anna!" Elsa stammered hotly, looking around to make sure no students were nearby.

Anna chuckled, pressing a finger against Elsa's forehead and pushing off of her. "God, I'm just kidding Els! Though, it does make a girl wonder." The redhead finished with a wink, reveling in how thoroughly embarrassed Elsa was. Teasing her older sister about her new relationship seemed to make the whole thing bug Anna less, so until Elsa told her to stop, she'd just keep doing it.

"Good evening, sir. We're the road crew for 'I Don't Know, Don't Ask Me'." Ariel said, greeting the first man in a suit they came across. The two women figured that would be the assistant principal. Both she and Mulan shook the blonde man's hand.

"Thank you for getting here promptly. I'm Assistant Principal Anderson." he said, eyes flitting about the auditorium, deflating slightly at the few preparations that had been done. "I assume the band understands what language is appropriate, as well as behavior."

Mulan nodded confidently, speaking in a low tone. "Of course, sir. Rock and roll is a raucous experience by nature, but we assure you it will be of a clean and controlled nature." Anderson, seemingly impressed by the professionalism of the two young women, passed on their offer of speaking to the band's manager, but was very grateful when they offered to help several students set up tables and chairs.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel had managed to track down the president of the dance committee, a freshman in pigtails wearing wide-rimmed glasses, who looked as though she was about to have a heart attack. "I hear you're the boss in these parts." the brunette said, smiling good naturedly. "I'm with the band, but you look like you're having a heck of a time here. What's up?"

The girl just exploded. "Hi, I'm Melanie. Okay so I'm not actually the president of the dance committee, I'm just the treasurer! The president is a senior, the vice president is a junior, and the secretary is a sophomore. And-and-and, GUESS WHAT?!" she gasped bottom lip quivering.

"They all had better things to do the night before Thanksgiving and left you alone to do the dance?" Rapunzel answered sympathetically, putting a hand on the freaked out girl's shoulder in comfort.

Melanie nodded jerkily. "There's a million things to do, I don't have half the supplies I'm supposed to, and I think my last two volunteers are about to bail on mee hee hee." The teenager hiccuped, stubbornly refusing to cry, but her eyes were wet with tears nevertheless.

Rapunzel's face hardened into a determined stare. "Okay, Mel. Here's what we're gonna do. What's your theme?"

Melanie sniffed, opening her notebook miserably. "Th-the committee voted on Nascar as the theme-"

Politely but firmly, Rapunzel interrupted the girl. "I didn't ask what the jerkass committee voted on. You're here, so this is your dance. What is your theme?"

Smiling shyly, Melanie replied, "I wanted...I wanted to do invaders from space. It's stupid, I know, but-"

"No. It's not stupid. It's inspired." A devious, maniacal grin spread across Rapunzel's face. "Okay, grab your two volunteers, all the supplies you have, and meet me over by that fire extinguisher." Melanie nodded enthusiastically, but Rapunzel asked her to wait a moment before leaving. "Hey...uh, can you please not mention the whole 'jerkass committee' thing to your boss? Principal person?" the brunette half-begged.

"Oh, don't worry…" Melanie replied, pointing a finger at Rapunzel confidently and winking. "They are jerkasses!"

The clock read 7:15 p.m., and the band was ready to go. The decorations were all set, the refreshments were prepared, and Elsa was standing by Assistant Principal Anderson. "Hey, so, I…" Anderson began, unsure of himself. "I know this was only for the band, but the students...I...heck, we all appreciate the way your crew pitched in to help bring this together."

Elsa gave the man a warm smile in return. "We've all been through high school. Dances should be fun and imagination-sparking. Students can take the positive energy they get here and apply it to both their coursework and their extracurriculars."

Anderson looked taken aback for a moment. "That's quite a forward thinking philosophy you have, Miss Arendelle. It's thinking like that that gets you the position of superintendent.

Elsa chuckled, demurring politely. She never even told the administrator that her daytime job was a top-ranking junior associate at a prestigious architecture firm. She somewhat enjoyed the thrill and who-knows-what-problem-will-come-up-next mystery of being the manager of a band.

The blonde woman watched her sister shuffle through her ipod quickly while hammering out a few minor technical details with Hiccup. Black skinny jeans emblazoned with white stars, a red tank-top with a quarter moon on the front, and glittery gloves completed the redhead's look for the evening. She saw Elsa staring and gave the woman a thumbs up, which Elsa happily returned.

Hauling some kind of giant helmet, Rapunzel had managed to track down Ariel. Flagging the ruby haired woman down, the brunette implored, "Ariel, I need you!"

"Easy there, tiger. I'm spoken for and there are kids around." Ariel chuckled.

In a rush, Rapunzel dismissed her joke, quickly producing the large helmet she carried. "In another life, snookums. I need you to pretty please go outside with the students checking people into the dance. Wear this, and repeat this to everybody who walks by."

Ariel huffed in confusion. "Okay, first of all, rude. Secondly, the space helmet rocks. And last of all...what is this quote even from?!"

Rapunzel went slack jawed. "It's from 2001: A Space Odyssey! Now I don't have time to berate you for not having seen this classic, I need you outside. But only for, like, twenty minutes tops. I wouldn't dream of you missing any of your lady love's rock show!"

Blushing furiously, Ariel slapped the helmet on. "I'll lady love you!" Moving as quickly as she could manage without tipping over one way or the other, Ariel tottered out to join the students at the main entrance.

Rapunzel skipped back over to the edge of the stage, joining Melanie. She noticed the girl was wringing her hands. "Everything okay there, superstar?"

Melanie looked up at her new friend. "Oh no, this is all...really, what you did here is amazing. I don't know if the other kids will really appreciate the wit and all the amazing in-jokes the way I do, but...I guess we'll see."

Rapunzel offered a high-five, which the teenager gratefully returned. "We'll see indeed, my sci-fi sister!"

"This girl is my destiny! Ooh, ooh! Shut up and dance with me!" Anna sang out, hopping across the stage and high fiving Merida. Lars was lying on his bag, playing the bass with his mouth in reckless abandon. Chelsea was goading the crowd on to get louder and louder, randomly hurling drumsticks to different areas of the dance floor. Hiccup's fingers danced across his synthesizer, accompanying the rest of the instruments in a blaze of harmony.

Ariel had handed off her space helmet to Assistant Principal Anderson, who had slapped it on about halfway through and was leading a conga line of students around the dance floor. While none of them had known the Macarena when they walked into the auditorium that evening, the administrator was amazed at how quickly they were picking it up. The aforementioned ruby haired woman was dancing with Rapunzel on-stage. Anna had promised there wouldn't be any PDAs on-stage, but that didn't stop her from dancing around Ariel while she sang, and serenading the woman in several instances.

But Anna was an equal opportunity serenader, running from stage left to stage right. She'd hopped down during the band's rock-throwback rendition of 'Young MC', stood on the edge of the 'dance battle circle', and had managed to call out assistant principal Anderson in his space helmet. His jazzy rendition of the Macarena was the start of the twenty student strong conga line now jazzercising around the dance floor.

Elsa had remained in the back of the auditorium the entire time, enjoying the whole show. She even took it upon herself to man the punch bowl, so students wouldn't get their nice clothes stained. The blonde had noticed Mulan observing the band up close for a handful of songs, but the black haired woman had thereafter made her way back to stand next to Elsa. It made the blonde woman blush, but she was surprised to discover she was quickly growing comfortable in the presence of her graceful and intelligent girlfriend.

"It really is something that you're doing all of this for your friends." Mulan noted quietly, handing a young couple two bags of popcorn with a smile.

Elsa shrugged, passing the same two teenager cups of punch. "They're my family, and I love them. I guess I show my love easiest by supporting what they like to do."

Raising an eyebrow perceptibly, Mulan asked, "Is that also why you accompanied me to the Exploratorium?" Elsa's mouth flapped open and closed several times, the heat under her collar increasing.

Her Chinese girlfriend giggled, tugging gently on the blonde woman's long-sleeved shirt. "I didn't mean it that way. But it was my idea, and you were very accommodating."

Calming down some, Elsa replied, "It was worth it. I mean, you were just so excited when you got to hold those different displays. The lunar lander, the space station model, the Milky Way Galaxy model." Putting a hand to her lips to stifle a giggle, she instead sighed. "You were pretty adorable."

Mulan made a 'hmm' sound in appreciation. "Perhaps next time we can attend an event that interests you." Before Elsa could speak up, the shorter woman added. "I know supporting your sister's band interests you, but I would like to know more about your hobbies."

Elsa blushed. "My hobbies? I'll...have to think about that. However, you have a deal. The next date will be a place of my choosing." She sighed, enjoying the last few songs of the dance, heart aflutter at seeing her sister and cousin so energetic and so alive.

Mulan's breathy voice was almost unnoticeable. "Would you like to hold my hand?"

Elsa froze, blush creeping onto her face yet again. Her left hand suddenly felt cold and clammy. Even though it was biologically impossible, she was quite certain a coating of slime had grown on the skin of her palm in the last three seconds. However, she wanted to be brave.

This is a chance. Don't mess it up.

Taking a deep breath, Elsa mumbled, "My hand is gross...but okay." Slowly, she uncurled her fingers and extended her arm ever so slightly. She expected the brush of a cool finger of Mulan's. Perhaps the hesitant contact of skin against skin, before proceeding.

All at once, her hand was in Mulan's. Elsa felt the light pressure of fingers barely pressing against her hand. Just the slightest pressure. Mulan was giving her the freedom to break contact if she wanted. But Elsa held on.

Trembling slightly, Elsa whispered, "Do I look as nervous as I feel?"

A slight waver in her own voice, Mulan's quiet reply was, "You still look beautiful." A quiet giggle, followed by, "Perhaps a bit nervous...but no more so than I."

Elsa drew in a sharp breath. Her hand was dry and no longer clammy. She let the sound of the music and the gentle touch of her girlfriend wash over her.

"Thank you, Waldorf High. Seniors, enjoy being kings and queens this year. Stay frosty, everyone!" Anna grinned, flashing a heart symbol between her hands. Merida, who had switched her Gibson out for a break apart guitar, made a spectacle of smashing it onstage. Lars brought out a pillow from behind one of the speakers and pretended to go to sleep, while Chelsea tossed up double horns in a salute to the drum gods and goddesses who came before her.

The students were going absolutely berserk. They cheered wildly and with enthusiastically reckless abandon. Merida sat down on the edge of the stage and returned several high fives. One of the young men exclaimed, "You guys should come down to Florentina's for ice cream and to hang out later!"

Merida chuckled. "Florentina's, is that where all the cool kids hang out?"

The teenager responded, "Seriously. Bring some of your albums along. I know a bunch of people want to buy your shit."

Nodding and assuring the young man they'd try to get over there, Merida saw Elsa making her way up to the stage along with Mulan, and she ran out to greet then. "Yo, manager lady. These kids said there's a sweet after party at an ice cream place!" the redhead spat out enthusiastically.

"Well, I know I can't say no to ice cream." Elsa smiled, still holding Mulan's hand. "We'll head over that way after everything's cleaned up."

"Aw, c'mon boss, real rockers leave the scene trashed! It's a mark that they were there and they made it happen!" Merida implored, shaking her unruly curls with raw emotion. "Also, they were asking about our album!"

Elsa met her raw emotion with raw pragmatism. "Yes, and real rockers would stand to make a whole lot more if promoters didn't have to deduct so much from their paychecks for cleaning up after so much 'private property destruction'." Merida pouted, but she could not fault the blonde's logic. Elsa addressed her last concern. "Also, I guess if they're asking about your album...you should really get working on making that, shouldn't you?" Merida nodded, unable to formulate words for a short time.

Several students had already begun to make their way out. Just before the last song of the night had been played, Rapunzel had hauled a still starstruck Melanie to the auditorium exit. "Do we have to stand here?" Melanie moped uncomfortably. "We'll be, like, right in everyone's way and we'll have to hear all the negative things about the great work we did!"

Rapunzel patted her new friend's shoulder sympathetically. "Yeah, there will be criticism, but there will also be compliments. You take the good with the bad, so that next time you produce something even more spanktastic!" As the first students approached them, the brunette quickly muttered, "You also don't give trolls the time of day."

"Wow, that was fucking awesome!"

"Did you two really make all of this today?!"

"I've never seen a school dance theme so well done!"

"Will you please come decorate for my little brother's birthday party next week?"

With every question and compliment, Rapunzel simply gave a little shrug and deferred to Melanie, the 'brains of the operation'. "I was just here for grunt work. This project was Melanie's baby." The bespectacled brunette girl was both flustered and pleased, receiving invitations from several different groups to hang out at Florentina's later on.

"You'll come too...right?" Melanie said, not ready to be parted from her inspiration just yet.

Rapunzel's nose scrunched from an impish smile. "For ice cream? You couldn't pay me not to come!"

Assistant principal Anderson, meanwhile, was attempting to extricate his head from the space helmet for the fourth time that evening. Anna noticed the administrator was having difficulty, and went over to lend a hand. A minute or two more of pulling and twisting finally got the helmet off. Anna had expected the man to look annoyed, but to her surprised, he was all smiles. Flushed and hair rumpled, but grinning from ear to ear.

"I really can't tell you the last I had fun chaperoning one of these." he admitted with a touch of embarrassment. "Would it be too presumptuous to ask about booking your band for future dances?"

Anna rubbed the back of her neck shyly. "That's, umm...that's great to hear! I guess if you talk to my sister, the blonde woman over there, you can hammer out the details with her."

Anderson nodded, shaking the young woman's hand, and heading over towards Elsa. Suddenly, the freckled young woman was hugged from behind. Ariel's throaty whisper met her ears. "You were so fucking hot up here."

Anna blushed prettily. "Heh, thanks. It's no big, just another gig. It's what we do."

Ariel shook her head, turning her lover around. "No, you guys were amazing! And talented! Amazingly talented!" She jabbed a finger in Anna's face mock-threateningly. "I know I'm just a dumb marine biologist, but it really seems like you guys can go farther than playing school dances."

Anna shrugged. "Well, the kids seemed to like it. I dunno, I kind of like the idea of playing bars for free booze, restaurants for free food, and high schools for. High schools for...what the heck do kids have to offer us aside from lunch money?"

"No idea, but I'm sure you'll come up with something." Ariel's expression saddened a bit. "Wish I could stick around to see it, but...my study got moved up to the 29th."

Anna's face fell, and she pulled her lover in for a tender hug. "Less time, but we'll make the most of it. I'm gonna treat you to some fantastic ice cream tonight."

"Ice cream!" Anna whooped enthusiastically, clacking two spoons together over her head.

Chelsea stole a spoonful of the freckled young woman's Reeses Pieces peanut butter sundae, chiding, "Hey, that's my lead-in! Maybe I'll take your job!" Shoving the bite of ice cream into her mouth, she pulled the spoon out and held it like a microphone. "I been really tryin' baby! Tryin' to hold back that feeling...for so long!" The pink haired young woman sang, voice muffled by the ice cream in her mouth.

"Oh, now who are you gonna get it on with, huh?" Rapunzel grinned lecherously, elbowing Chelsea.

The brunette's response caused Elsa to blush. "Punzie, language!"

Rapunzel reached across the table and wiggled her older cousin's nose playfully. "Ah ah, we aren't in school any more, miss manager. Back to being our wonderfully foul-mouthed selves!"

Taking a large bite of her drumstick, Merida seconded the motion. "Here here, fuck yeah ice cream!" Several servers looked pointedly at the band's table in modest disapproval. Merida sat back down. "Why is it me who always takes it too far?!" the guitarist sulked.

Anna wrapped an arm consolingly around her friend. "That's why we love you, Mer. Always taking one for the team." Several milkshakes clinked at that response, along with hearty cheers.

Florentina's was noisy and packed with high school students after the dance. The band had managed to procure one long, rectangular table in the middle of the serving area for their nine members. Elsa had reluctantly taken the seat at the head of the table, with Mulan on her right and Anna on her left. The blonde woman was just about to remind her sister of an embarrassing story involving a precocious eight year old Anna and a Reeses Pieces sundae, when several students cautiously approached the blonde.

"Excuse me, are you...are you the manager?" a young man with a dark brown buzz cut asked Elsa. He seemed a little nervous, and his friends stood behind him awkwardly.

Elsa turned to address the students. "Yes, how may I help you?"

"My name is Danny." the teenager said, holding his smartphone in against his chest. "I run a...a Youtube page for a couple of underground bands. Nothing fancy, just promoting new and different sounds that jive with my group's musical influences. We...I recorded most of your set. Would it be okay if I posted it on my Youtube page?" He turned on his phone and handed Elsa the video, showing the band rocking out in a fairly good quality recording. "Of...of course you would get all the credit, and my page isn't monetized so I'm not making any money off of this. I want all the credit to go towards the bands."

Anna leaned forward, eyeing the teenagers. "Who are your musical influences?" she asked, grinning curiously.

Danny counted them off on his fingers. "Kraftwerk, Falco, Hasselhoff...a lot of foreign stuff." Both of Anna's eyebrows shot up perceptibly. The record store owner was mildly impressed.

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention and not just uploading it." Elsa said, giving the teenagers an appraising look. "How many subscribers do you have?"

"Just over fifteen thousand right now." Danny replied, wringing his hands nervously.

Pursing her lips and running a few scenarios in her head quickly, Elsa responded with the beginnings of a business plan. "Alright. Post the show. I'll send you my email address, and attach it to the video's description if people wish to get in contact with the band." Removing a slip of paper from her purse, Elsa jotted down her email address, as well as the band's name. "We're going to be starting our own Youtube page for the band in a week. But you have a subscriber base that's crafted and hungry for material. In exchange for viewership from your subscriber base, you'll get one video of the band either performing a cover, in practice, or working on new material." Scribbling out the terms of the archaic contract on another sheet of paper, the blonde woman finished, "Lastly, to show you how much this partnership means to us, I want you to monetize the site. My research shows an average of three dollars for every thousand advertisement views."

Danny nodded, eyes bulging and doing his best to keep up with everything Elsa was outlining. "Wow, okay! Um, so how would you like to split the ad revenue?"

Clasping her hands on the table, Elsa proposed, "You keep all revenue while the average is at or below three dollars per thousand views. Anything that exceeds that will go to fund arts initiatives at this school. Does that sound fair?"

Danny nodded enthusiastically. "Wow, that's...that's amazing! Yes, of course!" He quickly signed the contract and shook Elsa's hand. "Wow, you guys are the coolest!"

Elsa chuckled as the teenagers excused themselves, claiming they were going right home to upload the video and spread the word about Anna's band. The blonde woman went back to taking small bites of her banana split, studiously ignoring the intense stares and shocked looks everybody at the table was giving her.

"Holy shit, Elsa! That just happened!" Anna gushed, leaping out of her seat and hugging her sister tightly. "That was amazing! You are amazing! Wow! Wow wow!"

Mulan nodded, brushing Elsa's left hand gently. "An impressive demonstration of quick thinking and shrewd business practice."

Hiccup leaned forward, chin resting in his palms. "Did you know I'd been getting a Youtube page set up already, or was that just coincidence?"

Elsa grinned at the young man. "I figured you'd be a little ahead of the game there, so I took it upon myself to get educated on how the Youtube ad revenue service works. It won't make us rich, but it's nothing to sneeze at."

Chelsea shook her head. "My god, it all really does happen that quickly, huh?" Patting Lars on his forearm, she finished off her milkshake before saying, "I guess we really have to work on putting out our first album now, huh?"

Elsa nodded, and was about to respond, when she experienced an all out hug attack. Rapunzel embraced her cousin, nearly lifting her out of her seat. "An arts initiative at the school?! You thoughtful, beautiful Supergirl! That's gonna help so many students!"

Nodding while trying to gently extricate herself and get a bit of breathing room, Elsa replied, "I saw the limited supplies your dance committee leader had to work with. Completely unacceptable."

Bouncing excitedly on the heels of her boots, Rapunzel cried out, "I'm gonna go find Melanie and tell her! Ohh, this is just awesome!"

The band went back to eating ice cream happily, before Anna interrupted. "So, I don't know what everybody's plans are for Thanksgiving tomorrow, but like last year, there will be a very informal holiday dinner and celebration at the shop." Rolling her eyes as Elsa cleaned her cheeks fussily with a moist towelette, Anna continued, "Bring friends, bring family, bring food! I know Punzie will be bringing a turkey the size of a horse, but even if you can't afford to bring anything, bring yourself."

Chatter at the table devolved into quiet food and fun plans for the following day, and the band members let the afterglow of the show and the energy of all the high schoolers around them carry them late into the night.

"Ohh, go away kitties, mama's too full of ice cream to roughhouse." Rapunzel pathetically brushed away the cats, who looked at her as though she was about as interesting as pre-calculus. With bleary eyes, the brunette watched Elsa rapidly hit keys on her laptop, firing off emails that probably wouldn't be read by her bosses until Friday. "Where do you get all this post-ice cream energy from, Elsie? God, I feel a hundred years old after that sundae."

Considering her cousin with an amused yet tender expression, Elsa reasoned, "Next time you should probably stop after the first sundae, hmm?" At the same time, the blonde's phone buzzed with a text message from Kristoff. "We do thanksgiving in the morning at my grandparents' place, but I'll definitely stop by around 1 p.m. or so. Thanks for the invitiation, Elsa!" The blonde woman smiled, happy to round their numbers out to an even ten. It appealed to the small part of her that was a teensy bit OCD.

Rapunzel grumbled, rolling onto her side and dangling an arm off the sofa. "It's rude not to eat ice cream that somebody buys you as thanks." Rubbing her stomach tenderly, the brunette smiled in recollection. "I hope Melanie rubs the awesome work she did in her group members' faces. Then she needs to kick them all out and find people who really want to do cool stuff."

"Punzie has a crush on a high-schooler!" Elsa sang, offhandedly and off-key.

Rapunzel groaned and threw a pillow at her cousin. The pillow landed about five feet off the mark. "Don't be gross, nerd face. She actually reminded me a lot of you in high school."

Ha ha ha. Did you hear that? She called you gross for suggesting she liked somebody who reminded her of you. Isn't that rich.

Elsa's pleasant mood soured instantly at her mind's attack. "I apologize for being gross." Elsa spat, realizing a split second too late that she'd said that out loud instead of to herself. The blonde cringed, hoping her cousin hadn't heard the venomous retort.

She had. Rapunzel's expression grew concerned, and with a grunt the brunette rolled off the sofa and onto her feet. She ambled over to where the blonde was hunched, hitting keys extra hard in her effort to focus. "You shouldn't hit them so hard, Elsie. They'll fly off."

Elsa gave a short shrug.

Rapunzel stood behind the older woman and pressed her hands into tense shoulders, causing Elsa to jerk slightly. "Relax. Hey...I'm sorry about what I said. I know you didn't mean anything by it." the shorter woman murmured, thumbs pressing into the blonde woman's shoulder blade muscles. "I don't think you're gross."

Elsa continued typing, doing her best to block out the spiteful voice in her head, and replied shortly to her cousin. "I think I'm gross. I'm sorry, I'm just tired. You should go to bed."

Strong hands remained pressing into tense shoulders, and Elsa's upper body sagged. Rapunzel leaned down, whispering, "What's going on? Is this about Mulan...or something else?"

"Yes. No. I don't...maybe a little." the blonde woman shrugged, arms folding over her keyboard and forehead resting on her forearms. "It's several things. Mulan...she's been so patient, but I can't help feeling like I'm denying her something she wants. Something she should want."

Kneeling by her cousin's lap, Rapunzel stroked the black lock of hair hanging down the side of Elsa's face. "Is she pressuring you for anything?"

Elsa shook her head. "No. She's nice and...and a lot of fun. And so accommodating."

Rapunzel's throat grew dry. "Do...do you want to take it further with her?" The brunette's heart hammered in her chest, and the uncomfortable nausea of jealousy flared in her stomach.

"I...I don't think so." Elsa stammered. "It's not that I don't feel safe with her. Completely the opposite, really. I just...what if I only want to be friends? What's the difference between loving somebody as an asexual and loving...just another friend?" The blonde's voice wavered as if she were on the brink of tears, but her eyes just looked tired.

Rapunzel smiled helplessly, brushing back a few locks of her cousin's hair. "That's one of those things that I can't answer for you, nerd face. It's never black and white." Pursing her lips thoughtfully, she timidly asked, "Do you love Mulan?"

Elsa thought about that for a full minute. "No, not...not yet. But I don't think those feelings are far off."

"Okay then. Do you think you'd love Mulan if the two of you were just friends?" Rapunzel continued, squeezing the blonde's bicep gently.

Elsa paused for a moment, before nodding in the affirmative.

"Sometimes we date people, only to find out we'd rather be friends with them. They may not fill our desires to love and be loved romantically, but they just might fit the friendship peg perfectly." Rapunzel reasoned, tapping her index and middle fingers against Elsa's arm as she tried to explain her thought process. "And if we happen to fit their friendship criteria as well...those can be some of the most important relationships we'll ever have."

Elsa smiled despite her mental exhaustion. "Sounds like you're speaking from experience. Eugene?"

Exhaling with a grin, Rapunzel nodded. "He and I got lucky. Even when we didn't fit one way...as friends, we get to keep more of the good stuff while avoiding the bad." The brunette reached up to poke her cousin's cheek. "I know that's not everything that's bothering you."

Tell her. Tell her. Tell her. Tell her.

Elsa's mind went blank before she could slam down her mental and emotional walls. "Have you ever liked somebody that you shouldn't?" Immediately she covered her mouth with a pale hand, eyes wide with surprise.

Rapunzel watched her cousin for several long moments. Carefully, she replied, "I think everybody has been there at some point, Elsa. Even...even me." The brunette willed the blush on her face to recede as much as possible.

Elsa trembled slightly. "Does...does it make me bad to be with one person, but want somebody else?" Her hands clenched the fabric of her slacks.

"No." Rapunzel mumbled, clearing her throat and repeating herself more assuredly. "No, no, no. It makes you human."

The blonde's eyes darted to and fro, a thin veil of sweat collecting on her forehead. Voice barely above a whisper, Elsa mumbled, "And if I want two people?"

Rapunzel's eyes gazed at her cousin searchingly. She grasped the blonde's hands, which were cold and clammy. The brunette felt a dizzying rush as blood pumped past her eardrums, the hard thump of her heartbeat like a drum in her brain. "You're keeping a secret, Elsie." her voice cracked. "Whatever it is...it's not worse than mine. I would never ever judge you."

Elsa gave her cousin a heartbreakingly watery smile, eyes shining with unshed tears. Her mind roared. Her heart hammered relentlessly, threatening to cut off the blood to her brain and just make her pass out. She quashed the tremors in her voice, and said, "If you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

The look of horror that swept across Rapunzel's face made Elsa instantly regret her offer. She fell out of her chair onto the floor, sweeping her cousin into her arms and embracing her tightly. Neither woman was crying, but both felt cold.

Rapunzel's voice came, softly and almost disconnected from her body. "If I told you, you would leave. You would leave me alone, and I'm selfish. I don't want to be alone."

"I would never leave you, never never never." Elsa insisted, voice hoarse and throat dry.

"I never knew what jealousy was. I'd never felt it." Rapunzel spoke lowly, but evenly. "Then you started going out with Mulan, and I...I couldn't stand her!"

Elsa shook her head in surprise. She pulled back to regard her cousin, arms on the brunette's biceps. "You're...you're jealous of Mulan?"

"Yeah, I'm jealous of your girlfriend." Rapunzel smiled pitifully, finally letting a few tears fall. "I ha...haven't even been with anybody since you moved in. You just...fuck, you make me happy." Shrugging and shaking her head bitterly, Rapunzel sighed. "Maybe I just need to force myself to get out and date again. Stop hanging all over you like some lovesi - like an annoying, bratty kid."

Elsa shook her head, replying brokenly, "I had no idea...I had no fucking clue." Kissing the brunette's forehead tenderly, she rested her cheek on top of the shorter girl's head. "Maybe I need to give things with Mulan a fair shot, too. But that doesn't mean I want to spend less time with you. You might be a brat sometimes, but you're my brat." She briefly pinched her cousin's cheeks, causing the other girl to let out a surprised "Eep!".

Well, I'll be damned. That's the closest you've ever gotten to telling either of them. Oh well, you live to be disgusting another day, I guess.

Elsa visibly shuddered, holding Rapunzel close again. "You make me happy, too. That, I am not nor will I ever be ashamed of."

The two stayed that way for a long time; sitting on the floor and holding one another. At length Rapunzel grumpily said, "I can't feel my stupid feet."

Elsa giggled, much more calm now. "But your tummy is feeling a little better?" Her cousin nodded impishly. "Good, because we'd better get to bed if we're gonna wake up early tomorrow to start cooking that monster of a turkey."

"Oh, yeah, I've got it all ready to throw right into the oven at a-aahhhh?!" Rapunzel squawked indignantly when Elsa gripped her lower back and the back of her thighs, and stood up with a grunt, holding the surprised brunette in her arms.

"Whew." Elsa breathed, grinning as her legs only slightly wobbled. "You know, I don't think you put on any weight since high school. I am gonna feed you so much food tomorrow!"

Rapunzel blushed prettily, and insistently replied, "Oh no, I can assure you I've put on plenty of weight, much of it in very unflattering places. You're just...really strong." her voice trailed off to a shy whisper at the end.

Elsa shook her head, heading towards her cousin's bedroom. "Say what you want, but you are gorgeous. And even after I make you eat five pounds of turkey and stuffing, you will still be gorgeous."

Rapunzel just kept right on blushing, but was unable to shake the nagging feeling looming. "So…" she muttered self consciously. "Are we just gonna ignore the...secret problems we have?"

Elsa shook her head, thoroughly exhausted. "Tomorrow, I'm going to talk to my girlfriend and try to communicate better. Tomorrow, you'll think about where you'd like to go meet somebody...or somebodies...who can satisfy your needs. A problem delayed...is a problem denied."

Rapunzel nodded sleepily. Perhaps if she was in a relationship again, she could start to put these crushes behind her. Both of them.

"Would you like to hear some good news, though?" Elsa mumbled, setting Rapunzel down on her bed. The brunette nodded sleepily, letting out a half moan when her cousin drew up the big comforter and tucked her in securely. "Winter's coming early this year. A full week of lows right around 30 degrees."

Rapunzel's eyes went wide, but she was unable to speak. Grasping at Elsa's shirt sleeve, the brunette's face said it all.

"Finish your current projects and clear your schedule. The first week of December. Pick a place that speaks to your heart, and your fellow Supergirls will come with you." Elsa gave a half-bow, and Rapunzel sleepily squealed in delight.

"Apple pie! Pecan pie! Pumpkin pie! Cherry pie!" Merida cackled gleefully, slapping each pie down on a table as she called them by name. Across the room, Hiccup was retrieving the whipped cream and mixed fruit from the refrigerator. "Hic, did you bring any of that amazing homemade vanilla bean ice cream?" the redhead asked, eyes looking as innocent and begging as she could manage.

"Yeah...um. I brought the ice cream, but I forgot the damn scooper." Hiccup groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll give Lars a call and see if they have one they can bring along."

Ariel, who was setting up some festive autumn decorations along the storeroom door frame, remarked, "Why do we need a scooper? I'm just gonna be sitting my ass on the couch, eating it all out of the carton with a regular spoon, right?"

Drawing a line across her neck execution-style, Merida glowered playfully. "Test my ice cream boundaries woman, I double dog dare you." Long carving knife in hand, she made several vicious hacks at the pumpkin pie, resulting in eight equal sized pieces.

"Yeah? Well, I triple dog dare you!" Ariel muttered, though she cringed away from the brutal knife chops.

Just then, Anna crawled backwards out of the cubby hole, dragging a television stand out with her. "Sounds like somebody's about to get their tongue stuck to a pole!" the freckled young woman grinned cheekily, wiggling her hips awkwardly back and forth in an attempt to gain some momentum.

"Yeah." Ariel replied dumbly, before pinching herself and replying with a chuckle. "Hey babe, didn't anybody ever tell you that crack kills? I mean, not that I'm not loving the view."

"Ha ha ha. Enjoy it while you can, because I know for damn sure these pants aren't gonna fit for a solid four months after this!" Anna retorted, bringing a hand around the back of her jeans and yanking them up. Ariel pouted at being deprived a peek of her lover's butt.

"Oh thank god, I usually don't throw up until after shoving half a turkey down my throat." Merida joked, finishing the division of the final pie. She yelped when Anna swatted her behind playfully with a rolled up Rolling Stone magazine.

"Don't make fun of my ass, ass!" Anna threatened, shaking the magazine at Merida like she was a misbehaving puppy. "You may have won the wishbone pull last year, but your year of good luck is just about over!"

"Better make use of my last few hours while I can, then. Oh boss big butt!" Merida guffawed, blanching when Anna hurdled back around the sofa to snag her again. Merida burst into the closed shop sales room, with Anna hot on her heels, before they both slammed to a halt.

Rapunzel's eyes were wide and she held the large, metal serving platter with lid high above her head. Her eyes had dark rings beneath them and she scowled at the two band members. "I love you two, but if you make me drop this turkey I will consume your souls."

Anna and Merida quickly jumped out of the way, Merida bowing before the mistress of turkey and Anna holding the door open for her in a subservient manner. Elsa giggled, watching Merida follow Rapunzel inside to put the turkey on the hot-plate until it was time to eat.

"You two look like you might have woke up a little early to get that thing ready." Anna surmised, walking over and standing next to her sister.

Elsa nodded, leaning her head over and resting it on Anna's shoulder tiredly. "I only woke up at 7 a.m. Punzie's been awake since 4, so yeah, she's a little bit on edge."

Anna put an arm around her tired sister. "Aww, you two worked so hard. Don't worry. This is your first Thanksgiving with us, but we're very informal." Squeezing and rubbing Elsa's shoulder, the redhead continued. "Everyone gets here, somebody tosses out a prayer to whatever God or Goddess they want, and it's everyone for themself. Then we'll all pass out on those sofas watching Planes, Trains, and Automobiles."

"Mmm...which, of course, I haven't seen." Elsa mumbled sleepily, nuzzling against her sister, who smelled especially pleasantly of pumpkin and spice.

"Another travesty which will soon be corrected." Anna grinned, chuckling as her sister was dozing off on her shoulder. "Hey, what time is Mulan coming?"

"I am here right now." Mulan quietly spoke from behind them.

"Oh!" Anna said in mild surprise..

"FACK!" Elsa barked, surprised by her girlfriend's sudden appearance. She threw herself off of Anna and right into a shelf full of Carpenters' albums, scattering them on the floor. Hands flailing, she gripped the table, trying to calm down her thudding heartbeat.

Having a sweet little daydream about your sister, weren't you? Oh well, your girlfriend is here now.

"Elsa, are you alright?" Mulan quickly stepped up and offered her hands, which Elsa gingerly took, to pull her upright. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you like that."

"No no, it's okay." Elsa insisted, shaking her head and running a hand through her already mildly distressed hair.

Anna put a hand on Mulan's shoulder. "You'll have to excuse her. She and Miss Moody-pants were up at the crack of dawn to get the turkey ready."

"Ah, well then I am quite sure it will be excellent." Mulan said, giving the sisters a warm smile. She bent down and started picking up the scattered records.

Elsa quickly joined her. The blonde woman tried to tell her she didn't need to help, but Mulan insisted.

Anna caught herself pouting briefly. It had been awhile since she'd gotten quality cuddle time with Elsa, and now that the blonde woman had a girlfriend, that time was becoming even less frequent.

The three women quickly restacked all the albums. "Why don't you go on inside and set your dish on the table, dear? I need to have a few words with the proprietor of this establishment." Elsa chuckled dryly, to which Mulan nodded.

The black haired woman quickly took the lid off of the pot she brought. "This was my first time ever making sweet potatoes, so I hope they came out all right." Winking at Anna, Mulan added, "I added extra brown sugar, so at the very least, they will not be under-sweet!"

Anna laughed along with the other woman, holding the door open for her. When they were alone again, she addressed Elsa. "What's up, miss manager?"

Elsa pursed her lips. "I don't want to conflict with your plans with Ariel. Do you know what day she's leaving yet?"

Anna deflated with a small frown. "Couple of days. Sunday evening, to be exact."

Elsa gave her sister a hug. "Oh, honey. Well, this good news might help balance out that sad news." Anna's ears perked up and she pulled out of the hug, regarding Elsa curiously. "The Weather Channel says it's going to be an extra cold start to December."

Anna didn't react for several seconds. When she finally did, she spoke slowly. "That's...great, Els. Is there gonna be snow or something?"

Elsa laughed, tugging at Anna's braids gently. "Clear your schedule, you goof! We're going on vacation December 3rd to the 10th!"

Anna's eyes glazed over, and it was a full minute later when she shook her head and gave a loud cheer. "Wait wait, okay, so where are we going?!" the redhead asked with ill-concealed enthusiasm.

"Punzie said she wants a nice, relaxing vacation for the three of us. No big decisions to make, no heavy planning involved. That means...we're taking a cruise to Alaska!" Elsa smiled, removing a brochure she'd printed out that morning. "Here's our boat."

"The Royal Family. Oh, oh man, how cool is this?!" Anna gushed, fawning over the many amenities aboard the luxury liner. Her hands trembled as she took note of the rock wall, fully stocked bar, extra large pool, and enormous dance hall.

Elsa tapped the papers that her sister was looking at briefly, causing Anna's attention to go back to her. "I was going to check out the room we got, but Punzie basically said she'd roast me on a spit if I did. She wants to surprise you and me, but I'm going to hazard a guess and assume these are better than bargain basement priced rooms." The blonde winked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"Ahhh, I can't wait, can't wait, I cannot wait!" Anna whooped joyfully. "Our first cruise! Wait wait, have you been on a cruise ship before?" Elsa shook her head in the negative, and Anna's joy doubled. "Our first cruise! Can we please go tell everybody, please please please?"

"The honor is all yours." Elsa tenderly replied, stumbling as Anna hauled her into the storeroom. The blonde was also grateful since her stomach was grumbling, and she could hardly wait for Lars, Chelsea, and Kristoff to arrive so everyone could dig in.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen!" Anna announced, standing at the head of the wobbly fold-out table and surrounded by her friends and family. The redhead's fuzzy turkey hat perched hilariously on her head, feathers wild and bent at odd angles from being stored in a shoebox all year long. "Young!" she pointed to the nineteen year old Chelsea, who flexed proudly. "And old!" she indicated Ariel to her left with a grin. Ariel blew a raspberry at the freckled young woman, who responded by leaning over and hooking two fingers in the collar of the redhead's turtleneck, kissing her passionately.

Clearing her throat politely, Elsa replied in a mock-haughty tone. "Actually, my girlfriend is the oldest!" A dry chuckle from Mulan caused Elsa to do a double take, before facepalming miserably. "Sorry...you're not old...would somebody please hand me a turkey leg to shove in my blabbermouth?"

Pressing their shoulders together, Mulan tossed her head back with a merry giggle. "I do not mind being old. Experience is a virtue!" Merida responded with raucous cackling and a boisterous thumbs up.

Several folks at the table hooted and hollered, while Merida pounded the table enthusiastically. Grinning as she pulled away, Anna winked at her lover, muttering, "Old enough for me, and a hottie." Picking up the carving knife and fork, Anna brandished them over her head. "Welcome to the second annual shop Thanksgiving! We have a few sacred traditions to uphold! New to our table this year!" the redhead pointed at each new individual: Elsa, Kristoff, Lars, Chelsea, Mulan, and Ariel.

Hiccup snarkily interjected, "Well. last year it was only the four of us."

"Holy shit, the newbies outnumber the vets!" Merida gasped, pounding the table in outrage again. Elsa gripped the wobbly furniture warily.

"Traditions!" Anna repeated. "The winner of the wishbone pull is granted one year of good luck, as well as the honor of carving the turkey the following year. Merida, you won last year, so the carving honor is yours this year! You can't win again until next year, so get ready for a year of bad luck!" Anna grinned, handing her short-tempered friend the knife and fork.

Merida groaned as she accepted the utensils. "Well, shit, I didn't know bad luck came after good luck! Aw, the hell with it, who needs luck when I've got so many fuckin' great friends?!"

Rapunzel cooed abruptly, causing Mulan to grab the wobbly table in surprise. "Aww, Mer! That's gotta be the sweetest thing I've ever heard you say!" The brunette barely restrained herself from leaping out of her chair and embracing the curly haired woman, but Merida knew damn well a hug attack was in her near future.

"Don't get used to it, P." Merida grunted, already sawing into the turkey.

Anna, in the meantime, was passing out playing cards. "Only two people can pull on the wishbone, so we'll draw cards to see who gets the honor. The two highest cards get to have a shot at it!" As everybody pulled a card, Anna let them kiss the turkey hat for additional good luck that year. She blushed as Rapunzel started making out with the poor turkey hat. Yanking the hat away from her brunette cousin, Anna chided her.

"Hey, this girl could use a little more luck for the coming year!" Rapunzel grinned, lipstick smeared classily and hair more disheveled than usual.

Everybody finished drawing cards, Elsa last of all. "Good luck, Els." Anna whispered warmly.

Elsa leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to the turkey's beak. Taking her seat again, she quietly replied, "I've already been lucky this year. You and Punzie let me back into your lives." The blonde's eyes welled up, and Anna felt tears pricking the corners of her eyes too.

Reaching out, Anna gently pinched her sister's cheeks, and winked. "No crying, or you know what happens next." A pretty, dark blush stained Elsa's cheeks and she shook her head imperceptibly. Taking her own seat, Anna took the top card from the deck, removed her hat, and gave the turkey a kiss. "Alright then, on the count of three we'll show our stuff. One, two, three!"

After comparing cards, to everybody's amazement, Anna, Elsa, and Rapunzel had each drawn queens. Anna's brow furrowed. "Okay, the three of us will redraw!"

Another round of redraws, followed by another tie. This time, all kings. "Oh, come on!"

Chelsea groaned. "Anna, shuffle those cards better, you'd make a terrible blackjack dealer!" Anna blew a raspberry at the drummer, focusing extra hard on shuffling the cards.

Merida proudly announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the wishbone is extracted!" She proudly held up the small bone, before quickly moving the thoroughly carved turkey over to the food table.

Anna, Elsa, and Rapunzel drew their cards again. One at a time, they showed their cards.

"Two!" Rapunzel groaned in disgust. "Damn, I'm totes the loser."

Anna balked at her card. "Oh fucking...two also?! Come on!"

Both young women looked quickly to Elsa, who hadn't turned over her card yet. The blonde woman looked at her sister and cousin and felt the overwhelming desire to embrace the both of them, together. She flipped her card. "Oh my...two!"

"Uh, hey guys." Merida interjected, turning the wishbone over in her hands repeatedly.

"Not now, Mer. We know you found the wishbone." Anna growled, scattering the cards on the rectangular table. "We still have a damn three way tie going on here, and we gotta-"

"No, that's just it!" the fiery Scot held up the wishbone again. "Either this turkey was some kind of mutant freak, or P cooked it in the same ooze that made the Ninja Turtles. Check it...it's got three ends!"

"No fucking way!" Kristoff exclaimed.

Several people stood up and slapped the table in surprise. However, the wobbly legs had finally had enough punishment, snapping off at the middle joints. The entire table dropped to the floor, banging everybodys' knees, before sliding unceremoniously to the floor. The entire room filled with colorful cuss words, as plastic plates and metal silverware scattered away from the group. At that moment, Anna was very thankful she decided against using the glass dishes.

"Well, damn...that's gotta be some kind of a sign." Hiccup muttered, rubbing his sore knees.

"Amen to that." Chelsea agreed, scooping up her silverware and plate so she could hold them on her lap. "You three, pull the mutant turkey's mutant wishbone before it gives everybody bad luck for the year." Several others laughed, but they were nervous laughs.

Merida handed the wishbone to Elsa, while Anna and Rapunzel hustled over to kneel down on either side of the blonde. Anna looked at her two dear family members. Each shared a little smile with the others. The redhead said, "On the count of three. One, two...three!"

None of them moved. They all just stared at each other.

"What the fuck was that?!" Merida groaned, slapping her forehead. "Is it, like, fuckin' steel or something?"

Elsa sighed. "I'm sorry. I...I didn't pull. I want you two to get the good luck." The blonde woman ducked her head in embarrassment.

Rapunzel shook her head, laughing. "Yeah. Same here. Having you two in my life sorta makes luck unnecessary."

Anna shrugged her shoulders. "Well, shit. If we're all lucky to have each other, then let's just yank this sucker so we can eat!" Nodding, the other girls agreed. Anna did the countdown again, and each girl yanked their end of the wishbone.

It snapped.

Each woman investigated their bone. Then they inspected each others' wishbones.

Elsa waved her hands frantically. "It should be here, shouldn't it?! I don't get it. Where'd the damn thing go?!"

Rapunzel stifled a giggle. "Oops, looks like cussing Elsa is back for the holidays."

Anna took off her hat, looking around, before it finally caught her eye. "Oh shit, everyone...the bit of wishbone landed on the turkey hat!" Indeed, nestled in the feathers on the turkey's back was the head of the wishbone. Anna looked at her friends and shrugged cluelessly. "Fuck it, that mean's it's time to eat." Nodding to Rapunzel, she grinned. "Priestess, can you throw a really quick blessing our way before we starve?"

Rapunzel drew a circle in the air in front of her using her hands. "Helia, grant us Life, Laughter, and Love for the year!" Spreading her arms wide in recognition of all of her dear friends and family, she commanded, "Go and eat, you fantastic fuckers!"

The large group of friends hit the food table like a stampede. Anna paused for a moment to retrieve the broken wishbone from the turkey. She placed it in a small Ziploc bag, before nestling it back among her turkey hat's feathers.

Elsa blushed, staring at her modestly filled plate of food. She'd been given the honor of serving herself first, and was now considering which seat around the large television she wanted to take.

You could take the recliner set.

"You harass me about having a girlfriend every day, but you forget she's here, now?" Elsa snapped back at her internal negative voice.

That's what laps are for, dummy.

Elsa's blush intensified, and she quickly moved away from the recliner. The two beanbag chairs on the floor looked both comfortable and fun.

"Would you like to use the beanbags?" Mulan asked quietly, approaching the blonde with her own modest plate of food.

"If you like, I mean, if you don't mind lying down with me." Elsa stammered, unable to control her embarrassingly fumbling tongue. "I MEAN. Let's...sit here." Pursing her lips, Elsa sat down quickly, before her mouth could betray her again. She sat her wine glass on the floor next to her, held her food dish in her right hand, while she reached up with her left. "Here, let me hold your plate while you get comfortable."

"Thank you." Mulan gratefully replied, handing over her dish and carefully adjusting her knee-length skirt. The black haired woman was keenly aware that showing too much skin made Elsa uncomfortable, so she proceeded to drape a small blanket over her bare legs.

Elsa reached out a hand, gently grasping the blanket. Her fingers grazed Mulan's thighs. "You're hot, it doesn't need a blanket. I...the weather, I mean." the blonde spluttered in a heated fluster, jerking the blanket off of her girlfriend quickly. "Blanket go away."

Oh, classy. 'Blanket go away'. Somebody give this woman a Nobel Prize for flawless speech. Elsa grimaced, looking away as she held out Mulan's food plate.

By the time Elsa dared to look back, she noticed Mulan was fully reclined in her beanbag chair. The raven haired woman's cheeks also sported a very pretty blush. Quietly, and without making eye contact, the woman whispered, "I love when you speak your mind. Even if the words do not come out as you intend. The message is always clear."

Elsa gave her girlfriend a lopsided smile, disregarding the blonde's wrinkled slacks as she slouched in her own beanbag chair. "My girlfriend has beautiful legs. That's an objective truth that even my tongue can't mess up." Her smile grew in intensity when she saw Mulan take a quick breath and shyly adjust her already perfect bangs. "Wow. It's fun making her blush." Elsa thought, feeling strangely satisfied and enthralled.

Mulan poked her food a bit, fidgeting nervously. Elsa noticed, and spoke up. "What's going on? Is the food okay?"

"I hope it is." The shorter woman shook her head, taking a small bite of the sweet potatoes she made. "I never had these before, so I don't know if they taste alright."

"Let me see for myself." Elsa replied. Mulan smiled impishly, offering her girlfriend a bit of the same potato she'd just eaten. Elsa's jaw flapped a bit, and she hesitated.

Eat it! If you want to be normal, fucking eat it!

In a rare heeding of her internal voice, Elsa leaned forward and captured the bite in her mouth, drawing it off of the fork. Mulan's breath caught in her throat, and she couldn't help but stare at the blonde's full, pink lips.

Chewing the morsel thoughtfully, Elsa fought down her umpteenth blush of the day, and gave her verdict. "They're pretty sweet. I guarantee everybody's going to love them."

Mulan sighed in relief. She took a sip of wine, before adding, "The following is an objective, purely observational truth: my girlfriend has beautiful lips."

Elsa stared hard at her cranberry sauce, dopey smile forming on her face. She muttered something mostly unintelligible, but Mulan was pretty sure she at least heard 'lies, flattery and lies'. The two settled into their comfy beanbag chairs, while they waited for their fellow Thanksgiving celebrators to find seats.

The movie, Anna's selection of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, was only just starting, when Merida called out, "Shots game is starting! Who wants a shot at the title?" Several others answered her call enthusiastically, while Rapunzel was already polishing off her plate of food.

The brunette was seated on the couch between Lars and Hiccup, and Anna and Ariel. The two young men were sitting as close together as they could manage, while trying to appear as though they were not trying to accidentally have their arms or legs touch. It would have been adorable, if it wasn't so sickeningly sweet.

Groaning at her own negative attitude, Rapunzel looked over to see if there was any space for her to worm herself into the cuddle puddle between her sister and the marine biologist. Sadly, there was none. "That's fine." Rapunzel thought grumpily. "When I cuddle with Banana, I'm not all that big on sharing. Another week and she'll be all mine again!"

Eyes drifting towards the television, Rapunzel saw the top of Elsa's platinum blonde hair sticking out over her chosen beanbag chair. Flipping around to set her empty plate and glass on the table behind the sofa, the brunette eagerly hopped up and crept over to the beanbag chairs. "Excuse me, but you're in violation of…" she began, intending to say 'sitting alone', but her stomach sank when she saw Mulan in the other beanbag chair. What was even more frustrating, was that they were holding hands! Both women looked up at Rapunzel curiously, Elsa's face growing redder by the second. "Uh...violation of having...empty...glasses! Let me get you both more drinks!" the brunette finished lamely, snatching the glasses and hustling over to the food table, ignoring the 'thanks' she received from both women.

After dutifully returning the refilled glasses to her older cousin and Mulan, Rapunzel felt low, and she really needed a distraction that didn't involve her unnatural attraction to her family members. She was tempted to join Merida in slamming down some liquor, but instead, she decided to follow a bit of advice her father had given her. 'If you can't manage happiness, try a little helpfulness.'

Knowing full well that Merida was on cleanup duty, and that she was going to get extensively hammered, Rapunzel decided to start cleaning up a little to help the redhead out. She'd catch up with a few shots later on in the movie, after her cousins' girlfriends weren't bothering her quite so much.

"I don't know what the hell Steve Martin's going on about. I'd totally drive the burning wreck of a car down the road along with John Candy." Merida shouted, shaking a spoon caked with bits of pumpkin pie.

"I know, right? I mean, fuck...Candy, Belushi, Farley. Why does the funny die so young?" Chelsea slurred, mouth turned down in a mope. Suddenly, she struggled to sit up on the inflatable mattress, and wondered why her body was so heavy. Merida had passed out on top of her. "Wake up, you lazy fuck! Neal's trying to sleep, it's shot time!"

Merida shook herself awake, reaching a hand over to slap Kristoff's leg from the nearby recliner. "Yo muscles, you're still alive, right? Ante up!"

Kristoff groaned, a half smirk on his face. "Oh god, I was so close to the turkey coma that time. This might be my last shot of the day, guys." Planes, Trains, and Automobiles might be a Thanksgiving classic, but he swore it was going to be the death of him.

"Like shit you're giving up." Merida groaned, sloppily handing him the small glass. She gestured vaguely over to where Hiccup was curled up on the couch next to Lars, a blanket draped over the young man. "Sleeping beauty over there already quit on us! No one else is leaving this game, unless it's by a fucking ambulance."

Chelsea let out a boisterous guffaw, clinking her little glass with the other two participants. "I want a fucking car."

"Right fucking now!" The three drinkers cheered, roaring the last word in fits of laughter.

On the other sofa, Anna was sprawled out on Ariel's lap. A plate with bits of turkey and chunks of apple pie laid on the redhead's lap, and her little belly protruded comically from underneath her festive sweater. Fingers grasped slowly for another piece of turkey. "I can't sto-ho-ho-hop!" the redhead moaned pitifully.

Ariel laughed helpelessly, gently patting her lover's freckled tummy.

Anna haphazardly placed her plastic plate on the floor at the foot of the couch, and rolled so her face was pressed into the older woman's stomach. "Hahaha...oh, ouchies. Don't. Do. That!" the redhead protested weakly. Her stomach let out an orchestra of interesting and disconcerting sounds.

Ariel raised a cautious eyebrow. "Honey, if you're gonna put the machine in reverse, please please go to the bathroom." Anna merely mumbled a few half-hearted curses, rolling off the sofa into a crouching position, before slowly and carefully standing up.

Elsa came back into the party room, locking eyes with her pitiful looking sister. "Oh Anna, I think you might have eaten too much."

Anna shushed the blonde, leading her slowly but firmly over to where the movie was playing. "Shhh. You stop working. Watch dumb funny movie. Sit here." the freckled young woman indicated, nudging the twin beanbag chairs.

One was currently occupied by Mulan, who appeared to be on the verge of falling asleep herself. On seeing Elsa, the black haired woman lazily gave the free beanbag chair a pat, saying, "This movie is really something else. Relax, Elsa."

The blonde woman flopped bonelessly onto the chair, pathetic gaze directed towards her girlfriend. "I don't think I've ever been this tired." she complained, seeking the smaller woman's hand with her own.

Anna had just closed the bathroom door, when Rapunzel burst into the room. "Okay, everything's clean and ready to go home!"

"Get over here, woman!" Chelsea hollered, shaking the fresh bottle of tequila they'd just opened. "You are behind!"

Sighing, Rapunzel tromped over and deposited herself on the inflatable mattress, declaring, "Fine, I guess I've been conscious enough for the day. Unconscious mode, activate!" Immediately, the brunette took two shots and prepped her third. Noticing a plate of cranberry sauce and stuffing on the floor next to Kristoff, her eyes became large. "Oh, Kris, are you gonna eat that?"

The young man groaned. "Oh god no. By all means, take it away. Also, I swear that was my last shot. For Real."

Merida nodded lazily. "Yep. Uh huh. I know I've heard that at least four times already." The redhead cursed when she couldn't get any liquor out of the bottle. Kristoff was forced to lean over and show her that the cap was still on. "Drunk I am, fuck!" the redhead exclaimed, quite sure in her mind that she was sober, but not wanting to make her drinking buddies feel inferior.

Anna stumbled out of the bathroom. "Oh my god, I feel at least fifty times better." the redhead mumbled. From the sofa, Ariel put her arms in the air petulantly.

"Return to me, puppy of my lap!" the marine biologist sweetly commanded.

Observing her happy friends and family with a grin, Anna removed her cell phone and snapped a few pictures for posterity. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably when she snapped a photo of Elsa and Mulan on their beanbag chairs, heads touching and whispering in hushed tones.

Over on the far left, four of the others were engaged in a drinking game. Anna pouted and cocked her head in uncomfortable confusion when she saw Rapunzel lazily leaning back against Kristoff's shins. The young man was about three steps away from sleep.

Shrugging and deciding she'd had one too many turkey leg and glass of wine combinations, the redhead stumbled towards the couch and fell back on Ariel's lap.

"Ooof," Ariel grunted, wincing. "You could've dropped another pound or two in there." she chuckled dryly.

Anna reached her arms around her lover's midsection, grasping the older woman's shirt. She looked up at Ariel with a pout. "Love me!" her childish voice commanded. Her lover's giggle tickled her ears, and one warm hand ran through her scalp while the other clasped her own.

Rapunzel looked up at the nearly asleep Kristoff. Elbowing his shins lightly, she complained, "Your legs aren't very comfy."

Two steps from unconsciousness, the young man mumbled, "M'legs aren't s'posed to be comfortable."

The brunette looked over to her favorite cousins. Anna was getting a nice cuddle, and even Elsa was getting some cuddle action! The brunette let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine." She thought decisively. "It's like Elsie said. I'll look for my own cuddles." Taking one last shot, she crawled backwards up onto the recliner and slid herself in right next to Kristoff.

"Hu..wha? Is it Christmas yet?" the young man mumbled tiredly.

"Shush, back to sleep with you." Rapunzel sleepily replied, tucking her head under his chin.

Several minutes went by, before the brunette muttered, "You're comfy."

The sleepy ghost of a reply. "Back atcha."

The crew remained rooted in front of the television for the next hour, with nary a sound aside from a few drunken cheers, sleepy snores, or hushed whispers.

"I don't hear anybody." Elsa whispered to her girlfriend. The movie had ended half an hour ago, and there hadn't been a single sound from the room since.

"Do you think we can get up for more drinks without waking anybody up?" Mulan asked, tapping Elsa's fingertips lightly with her own.

Elsa blushed at the contact against her sensitive fingertips. "We'd have better luck if one of us went for drinks alone."

Mulan's lidded eyes met Elsa's, and the black haired woman sported a smug smile. "Normally I would volunteer, but since you were one of the wishbone champions, I believe your superior luck makes you the best candidate."

Elsa pouted, prompting a gentle sigh and a wistful smile from her girlfriend. The blonde woman grinned apologetically. "Did I do it again? I...I'm sorry. I didn't realize how...wait a second, this is your problem!" her whispered voice carried an edge of laughter to it.

"Not being able to kiss you when you look adorable is not a problem to me." Mulan replied, squeezing Elsa's hand affectionately. "I just want to make sure you are aware of how often I find you adorable."

Elsa's cheeks grew heated, and she muttered, "I still say it can't be nearly as often as you claim, you over exaggerater!" The blonde woman slid her hand out of her girlfriend's grasp, pressing three fingers against the other's palm before pushing herself up from her beanbag chair as quietly as she could manage.

Stretching quietly, Elsa surveyed her sleeping friends and family. Her eyes quickly passed over Anna and Ariel, not wanting to dwell on her sister cuddling the marine biologist and dampen the blonde's mood. She had to focus on not letting her jaw drop when she saw Rapunzel snuggled up with Kristoff on the recliner.

You did agree it would be good for her to date other people again. You know how affectionate she is.

"I know." Elsa reasoned with herself.

Sucks when she's not giving that affection to somebody as disgusting as you, huh?

Wrapping her arms around herself in a small hug, Elsa pointedly ignored the internal negative voice, and headed towards the jug of apple cider. Her eyes swept over Anna's sleeping form as she passed by the sofa. The freckled young woman shifted briefly in her sleep, mumbling, "...carrots...peas...ice cream...please…", before shifting again until she ended up drooling on Ariel's shirt. Elsa bit back a giggle, and was reminded of a Thanksgiving many years ago, when Rapunzel's family had come to visit.

The makeshift Thanksgiving table was set perfectly. Plastic plates, cups, and silverware were at each seat. Elsa regarded each guest with respect and dignity as she greeted them. "Mother. Father. Uncle Thomas." the blonde ten year old spoke seriously, giving a little bow to each stuffed animal. "First, please allow me to thank y-Anna! What are you doing?!"

Anna paused, teapot in hand. "I'm pouring the Thanksgiving coffee, Elsa! Mama and papa drink coffee all the time! And I know Uncle T likes it too, duh!" the redheaded seven year old responded, shaking her head and speaking to her older sister as if she were three years old and simple.

"Okay then, but why aren't you pouring Auntie coffee as well?" Elsa countered, indicating the seat of honor where their cousin had placed a framed picture of her recently deceased mother.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes while adjusting the blue bow on Beary, the teddy the long haired eight year old had offered for Elsa's Thanksgiving demonstration. "Duh, Elsie. Angels don't drink coffee. They drink milk, 'cuz the magic spells they use to fly take energy. Coffee doesn't give people energy, unlike milk. Coffee just makes people crabby."

Anna nodded sagely, adding, "You know that's true, Elsa. Mama and papa are always so crazy when we're getting ready for school in the morning. They should really drink more milk." The feisty redhead gave her cousin a high five to celebrate their shared victory.

"Fine, fine." Elsa relented, giving the other girls this one victory. "Coffee and milk it is, but can we please sit down and practice? Papa told me we have to be on our best behavior if we're gonna sit at the adults' table this year, so you both have to learn proper table manners!"

Anna and Rapunzel both groaned pitifully at the elder girl's insistence, but they grudgingly took their seats. "Now then. Who can tell me in what order we use our utensils?" Elsa asked. She was disheartened when two clueless faces stared right back at her. "Come on, you two remember this…" the blonde girl encouraged, holding her hands apart before slowly bringing them together.

"Ooh, ooh!" Rapunzel cried, throwing her hand up in the air and at the same time slapping her plastic fork right into Mama bear's face.

Groaning, Elsa pulled Mama bear from her seat and tossed her into a cardboard box that the blonde girl had drawn a red plus sign on. "Great, mama's now in the hospital. Yes, Rapunzel, what's the answer?"

"You work from the outside in." Rapunzel replied with confidence, to which Elsa nodded in the affirmative. Anna gave Rapunzel a thumbs up, after which the long haired girl said, "Can I go get Aunt Iduna out of the hospital with my right answer?" Her eyes were wide, glassy, and shimmered with pity.

"Tch. Fine. But she still has a fork in her eye." Elsa warned, waving her blonde cousin off to get mama bear back. Elsa addressed Anna seriously. "Remember, Anna. Actions have consequences!" Anna screwed up her face into the most serious look she could muster, and nodded.

Rapunzel quickly returned, plunking mama bear back in her seat, before Elsa asked the next question. "How do we ask for food at the table?"

Anna immediately slapped the table with both hands, knocking over papa teddy's coffee cup and uncle T's coffee cup. The redhead's hand shot up in the air and waved around fervently. "Oh pick me, Elsa. I know this, pick me!"

Snatching the two freshly injured bears, Elsa hurled them into the hospital box with ill concealed disgust. "Daddy and Uncle T. are in the hospital with second degree burns. Anna, what's the correct answer?"

"No carrots, no peas, only pass the ice cream, please!" Anna chirped, raising both arms with pride at her clever little rhyme.

Elsa facepalmed. "No, that's...no. Dinner first, which includes eating all your vegetables. The adult table has-"

Elsa, however, was quickly interrupted when Rapunzel repeated Anna's little rhyme enthusiastically. "No carrots, no peas, only pass the ice cream, please!" She fell forward onto the table, scattering the dishes and utensils.

"No, no, noooo!" Elsa moaned, running her hands through her hair in panic. They were never going to be ready for tomorrow's meal!

"Weeeeooooeeeeoooo!" Anna howled, running around the table and hooking her arms beneath Rapunzel's armpits. "Major injuries to the face and brain! The ambulance is here to take you to the hospital!"

The seven year old dragged her cousin away from the mock Thanksgiving table, Rapunzel repeating, "No carrots, no peas, only pass the ice cream, please!" over and over again in between breathless giggle fits.

Elsa, meanwhile, folded her arms in a huff and sat back on her chair. If Rapunzel and

Anna couldn't keep it together long enough to sit at the adults' table, then Elsa would have to join them at the childrens' table again. "But I swear, this is the last year we sit there! Next year, we will all be at the adults' table!"

Barely restraining a giggle, Elsa gazed at her sleeping sister fondly. She draped one of the two available blankets over the freckled young woman's comatose body. "All that trouble at Thanksgiving for so many years. Now, look at you...you're the head of a unique group of people in your own celebration. Family." Elsa muttered sweetly.

Snatching the other blanket, the blonde woman stepped over and draped it over Rapunzel and Kristoff. Brushing the brunette's bangs away from her eyelids, Elsa sighed, thinking back on the previous night. "My secret is worse than yours, Punzie. But let's...let's all try to enjoy this vacation. You've been through so much to get here. You deserve this."

Giving her chest a hug once more, Elsa walked over to get some apple cider for Mulan and herself.

"Are you sure you can handle that clunker 1980-something van?" Anna asked Chelsea, handing her a plastic bag filled with leftovers.

Chelsea nodded absentmindedly, taking a peek at the evening's haul. "Ooh, extra sweet potatoes! You my bitch!" she cheered. Anna handed over Hiccup's van keys, which the drummer took. "Yeah, I used to drive my grandpa's old van. Really similar. Right down to the fuzzy dice."

Lars followed Chelsea out, holding a still-asleep Hiccup in his arms. He smiled at Anna as he passed, and she held up a finger to her lips in silence. Waving as they left the shop, Anna sighed.

"What's up, pup?" Rapunzel asked, hauling several more goodie bags up to the front of the store.

"Band romance. Bassist and tech guy. Straight out of a dime romance novel." Anna giggled, looking only mildly concerned when the van backfired three consecutive times. It emitted a dark puff of smoke before finally engaging the engine and chugging down the street.

Plopping the plastic bags against the windowsill, Rapunzel snarkily replied, "More like 'gay out of a dime romance novel', hah hah haa." Anna pinched her cousin's nose playfully.

Kristoff followed Elsa out of the storeroom, the two of them finishing a business-related conversation. "Until December 10th, huh? Make sure to pack warm clothing for when you get up there." the blonde foreman grinned, pocketing his notebook.

Elsa chuckled. "I'll skype with you several times while we're gone. Twice a day during the times you'll be entertaining busybodies from my firm." Her eyes widened at the plastic bags next to her sister and cousin. "Oh wow, I guess we're taking home a lot of food."

Kristoff agreed. "Yep. Hey, did your girlfriend leave? I wanted to thank her again for that sweet potato recipe."

Nodding, Elsa powered off her phone so it wouldn't bother her the rest of the night. "Yeah, she was worried they wouldn't go over well. Seems to be just the opposite, though."

"Definitely give her my best. I didn't even see her sneak out, sometimes she's like a…" Kristoff began, but Elsa cut him off with a groan.

"Don't say 'ninja', please. It's so overdone." She pushed her foreman ahead towards the door with a shake of her head.

Kristoff laughed. "I was just gonna say 'like a quiet person', I swear!" Arriving at the front door, he shook Anna's hand. "Thanks again for the invite. Really means a lot that you'd let me be a part of this...family time."

Anna slapped his arm in a friendly manner. "You're welcome any time." Eyeing her cousin who was tying up several of the bags with neat bows, Anna added, "This one's always happy to have a new cuddle buddy." She indicated Rapunzel. "Ow!" The redhead grunted, reeling from the brunette punching her shoulder.

"Sorry I tried to steal your chair like that." Rapunzel replied with a little blush, while not looking sorry at all. She handed Kristoff his bag of leftovers.

"I didn't complain then, and I'm not about to start now." Kristoff grinned in return, slinging the bag over his shoulder and waving. "See you at work?"

Rapunzel nodded, biting her bottom lip and waving in return. "Stop by my office sometime!" she said in a sing-song voice.

The three young women headed back to the storeroom with bags of food for Merida and Ariel. Elsa raised an eyebrow at her blushing cousin. "Kristoff, huh?"

Rapunzel sighed in exasperation. "Guys, it was just a turkey coma cuddle!" She eyed the ceiling thoughtfully, avoiding both Elsa and Anna's looks. "Mama wouldn't say no to more cuddles."

Anna attacked, poking the brunette's ribs mercilessly. "I'll give you 'more cuddles', get over here!" Rapunzel squealed in surprise and ran down to the storeroom, barging through the door. Anna followed, laughing.

Elsa sighed. "I mean, they're both...people. If they're interested in each other. That's great, I mean. Everybody has somebody and...that's great." Her stomach flipped. Maybe if she kept telling herself that, it would eventually become true.

Two days later, Anna stood with Ariel at the train station. They embraced for several long, tender minutes.

"You know you always have a place here, right?" Anna muttered, blinking back fresh tears. The breeze grew suddenly colder, and the freckled young woman reached out and buttoned her lover's coat with trembling fingers.

Ariel grabbed Anna's shaking hands. She kissed her lover's cold fingers, then put each hand back in the younger woman's Nirvana jacket. "Don't worry about me, sweetie. I can take care of myself." Ariel's honest hazel eyes pierced Anna's teal ones, making the younger woman instantly more calm. "I need to to keep taking care of yourself. You sure aren't that same nineteen year old girl ready to drop everything and follow her girlfriend out to sea."

Freckled cheeks grew wet. "Do you miss that? Is that what you wanted?"

Ariel shook her head, pressing her palms against Anna's cheeks and wiping her tears away. "I wanted to take back my choices. Go back to that time." She leaned her forehead against Anna's. "I'm still living in the past...and you aren't. And I think that's fantastic."

Anna snorted mirthfully, despite herself. "Still stealing lines from the ninth doctor, I see. Good to know that some things from the past are still good for the present."

The ticketmaster announced last call for the bus to San Diego. Ariel smiled bitterly. "I'll look you up when I'm back in town, okay? If neither of us is seeing anybody...maybe…"

"You're going to fucking look me up regardless and we'll get together, okay?!" Anna insisted with a watery grin. She picked up the marine biologist's duffel bag and wrapped the older woman's hands around the straps. "Go. Go and do what you love."

Ariel nodded, rubbing furiously at her eyes. Turning just before she got on the bus, she waved shyly.

"And you'd better fucking write me letters!" Anna threatened playfully, waving back.

"I will...I will!" Ariel swore, stepping backwards onboard the bus.

Anna's breathing wasn't erratic. Her tears dried quickly. Memories of her lover shone, bright and warm in her mind.

She tried not to let the memory come. Anna desperately wanted to keep her former girlfriend in her mind. In her mind and by her side. But no, her renegade thoughts betrayed her, bringing her back to a moment long ago.

Anna pressed against her temples fruitlessly. Her mind wouldn't retain it. Fragments swirling in her long-term memory. A white room. The hospital? The redhead trudged over to a nearby bench and sat down hard. Her head fell into her hands. Her scar throbbed and her skull burned. A memory was coming.

"I'm sorry."

"I should have known what you were going to do."

"Did I pressure you? Were you just responding…"

"I. I have to go away."

"I'm...I'm not good for you."

"Find who you love. Do...do what you love."

"If you grow to hate me, it's okay. I...I hate me."

Anna awoke on the bus station bench several hours later. The sun was just setting, and a police officer was nudging her suspiciously.

"Ma'am. Ma'am, are you alright? I'm afraid you can't sleep here." he said, giving Anna space to stand up.

The redhead clutched her scar, legs shaking.

"Have you been drinking or consuming any illicit substances, ma'am?" the officer asked, reaching for a breathalyzer.

Anna repeatedly insisted she was merely suffering from a migraine, but the officer walked her through a battery of sobriety tests regardless. When she was at last free to go, with a gentle warning, her throat was dry and a dull throb still pervaded her skull. One thought remained. One memory, and only one.

Elsa saw me in the hospital...before she was sent away.

"You were asleep! I saw you!" Merida insisted, pointing an accusatory finger at Hiccup. The redhead furiously shoved Avenged Sevenfold albums between the band's dividers, ignoring Anna's meticulously thought out organization method. "I refuse to believe nothing happened."

Hiccup shrugged, continuing to push the broom down the aisle. "It's not my job to prove anything. You know you're free to get a boyfriend, girlfriend, or llama of your own if you wanna deal with relationship drama."

Anna snorted mirthfully while she stood behind the sales counter, idly flipping pages in the newest issue of Guitar Monthly. Merida heard her boss's laugher, and turned the accusatory gesture on her. "I know you saw something, little missy. God damn your strong tequila. If it hadn't of put me out so hard, I'd have concrete proof of this little twink's love games!"

Anna stage whispered over to Hiccup. "Dude, I think she's got a serious case of unrequited love for you!"

Hiccup grinned, shooting back, "Yeah. I think it's more like a crush on my autographed guitar from Carlos Santana."

Merida groaned, cursing in frustration and running into the storeroom. The door slammed sharply, and Anna blinked in mild surprise. Hiccup shrugged. "Hangover, maybe?"

Anna nodded thoughtfully. "May as well just assume that until we get evidence that says otherwise." Pulling out the receipt book, she decided to check with her assistant one more time. "So, are you sure okay with running the store for a week? I know I haven't been gone this much since that nasty flu two years ago, but...my god, the boat is huge."

"Still getting overtime hours, right?" Hiccup asked, to which the redhead nodded. "No problem, then. I'll hang out with your sloth and your cousin's cats for awhile, too. Those felines get downright pissy if they don't get human contact for more than a day."

Anna nodded absentmindedly, thumbing through October's receipts. "Feel free to hang out if you want. Pull out some of my old albums and give 'em a spin to shake the dust off. And, well, if anybody else happens to show up with you...just clean up after yourselves." Hiccup suddenly became very interested in the floor he was brushing, so Anna let the embarrassed young man off the hook. Anyway, any minute now she was expecting-

Just then, the front door bell chimed, and Elsa quietly stepped inside the store, offering Hiccup and Anna a small wave. The redhead shoved the receipts back in the drawer, and hopped the counter to giver her sister a warm hug. "I spy a travel buddy!" Anna grinned.

Elsa sighed, squeezing Anna extra tightly and lifting her off the ground, resulting in a pleased squeal from the freckled young woman. "You have no idea how much I've been looking forward to a real vacation with the two of you." she said.

Taking a moment to crack her knotted back, Anna grinned sarcastically. "What, you, excited? I had no idea." Giving her spine a few nice twists, the redhead asked, "What brings you to our humble establishment on this fine day? Did your poor little building fall down, and you need somewhere else to sell music?"

Elsa chuckled. "No worries there, Anna. My babies are tough as nails and pretty as pearls." Rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly, Elsa continued. "No, actually...I guess I just wanted to check on you. I know your...Ariel left to go on her oceanography study a few days ago. You seemed really...into her, I guess. Sorry, I'm bad at this I think." The blonde cringed, feeling helpless in general at comforting her sister.

Anna restrained herself from laughing, but bit her bottom lip. "I really had no idea she was coming back into town. The opportunity just sort of fell into our lap."

Elsa leaned against the counter, prompting her sister to go on. "And...you were both free, so you decided 'why the hell not'?"

Anna chuckled sardonically. "That's the thing about exes, Els. Sometimes you both do a little bit of growing up. Then, even if you split on less than good terms...you find you fit together differently in the future." The redhead hopped up onto the counter, idly picking at a few loose threads hanging from the holes in her jeans. "Ariel and I...we're comfortable together."

"And comfortable is...not something you'd want to build a relationship around?" Elsa asked, a tremor in her voice, hoping she would not cross any lines of appropriateness.

Anna gave her sister the best deadpan stare she could manage. "The longest relationship I've managed since I moved here was four months...and that was for my first go 'round with Ariel. I guess I...wasn't in too good a place in the romance department, and she seemed willing...sometimes friends with benefits really is all it's cracked up to be."

"Friends with benefits." Elsa mused, tapping her lips thoughtfully. "I suppose my benefits wouldn't be too enticing to any such potential friends."

Anna blinked several times, shaking her head quickly. "Wh...huh? What does that mean, Elsa?"

Elsa froze, retracing her words. "I...I, um…" the blonde reached for an explanation, stammering to find any words. She felt herself growing hot under the collar.

Suddenly, Anna grabbed Elsa's hands and squeezed them tightly. Locking eyes with her sister, the redhead spoke evenly. "I won't press you if you're not ready to talk about...whatever that was just now. Relax, breathe...I refuse to have you stressed for our vacation."

Elsa's entire body sagged. Slowly, she collected herself, and took a few moments to admire her ever-patient sister. She smiled nervously, but widely, at Anna, who looked at her curiously.

"Heh, what?" Anna asked, a little unnerved by Elsa's continued smile. "Oh my god, Elsa, what?!"

"I want to tell you a secret." Elsa quietly said. Anna's eyes widened and she rested her elbows on her knees, with her chin in her palms. "Well, it's not a secret secret, I mean. Punzie knows, because I had to tell somebody, and she honestly helped me figure it out and I hope you aren't mad that-"

"Elsa." Anna broke her sister's nervous ramble quickly and efficiently. "Tell me, please."

Elsa took a deep breath, clutching her purse strap with both hands. "Okay. Anna...I'm asexual."

Anna stared at the blonde for a few moments. "Okay. A sexual...what? A sexual woman? A sexual...taco?"

A jarring snort came from Elsa's nose, and she couldn't hold back the giggle. "No no, Anna. I'm Asexual. As in, I don't really feel sexual...feelings? Towards people?" She gestured rapidly with her hands, trying to make the words mean something more.

"Oh. Oh! Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, leaping off of the counter and embracing her sister tightly. The blonde woman blushed, but was also greatly relieved at her sister's reaction. "That's...well, I don't know if wonderful is the right word. It's wonderful that you figured that out about yourself! And Punzie helped you understand that?" Anna sighed, unable to release Elsa from the hug.

Elsa grinned bashfully. "Yes, it was...not an easy conversation. Nor was it a simple one. I had to talk to her...and, heck, I'll tell you too...that I'm a virgin and am pretty sure I'll stay that way forever."

"Oh, oh Els." Anna cooed. "Oh, my pure, beautiful sweetheart!" Anna held her sister's face and placed gentle little kisses on her cheeks, nose, and forehead. "Okay, 'pure' might be debatable."

"Brat." Elsa retorted, a challenging glint in her eyes.

"Okay, so. Asexual! That means…" Anna's eyebrows knitted in thought briefly. "Mulan...does she know?"

"Yes, she knows." Elsa looked so proud of herself. "I told her very early on, because I don't want to lead her, or anyone, on. She's been extremely accommodating."

Anna deflated a little. Oh my god, stop being such a baby already! Elsa has a nice, understanding, patient girlfriend! Just because I don't have one of those right now is no reason to get all selfish about Elsa being happy. Her thoughts struck at one another, both wanting Elsa to be with someone who treated her right, yet not wanting the blonde woman to pay attention to anyone else except for her. And maybe Punzie. That would be okay. "Elsa, I am so very proud of you. Was this...was this the thing you didn't know how to tell me about?"

Elsa's mind locked down immediately. "Don't hurt Anna. Stop hurting Anna. Take this chance. Bury the feelings."

Just say yes, you idiot. Say yes, have your little vacation, then keep making small steps towards being a normal person.

"Y...yes." Elsa croaked. Her throat was dry and tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

Anna embraced her sister once more, hands grasping the blonde woman's jacket and holding her close for a full minute. "Elsa." Anna whispered breathily. "No secrets. Not any more. I don't want there to be any space between us." The redhead's voice wavered as she rocked her sister slowly side to side. "Do you think we can do that?"

Elsa hurled her twisted love for her sister deep, deep, deep down into her mind. She covered it with their happy childhood memories together. Layered on top of that was her bright eyed, sunny-smiled cousin. Above that was Mulan, all shimmering black hair and quiet, thoughtful eyes. And on top, right on top, was the innocent love she shared with her sister and her cousin. That would always shine brightest. No matter what.

"I can do anything, Anna. Anything...as long as you love me." Elsa sniffled, feeling her younger sister rub her back softly in small, comforting circles. The two remained together for another several minutes.

At length, Anna muttered, "Elsa. I do love you. But did you just fucking quote Backstreet Boys in my shop?!"

Elsa cracked a wry grin, and reached out to wiggle her sister's freckled nose. "I think the most pressing issue, oh sister mine, is how you even know that that was a lyric from the Backstreet Boys." Anna could not form a decent counter argument to that point for the entire fifteen minutes that followed, and Elsa ended up leaving the store a good deal lighter emotionally and with a witty victory over her musically elitist sister.

Pausing for a moment, Elsa sat back on her haunches. Left arm fully extended with a minimum of tension, she wiped the back of her right hand across her forehead, collecting the sweat that had gathered there. The blonde woman took a few deep breaths, before dipping her right hand into the small pouch of powdery chalk firmly affixed to the small of her back. To her right, Mulan let out a grin that was neither restrained nor quiet.

"I must admit, I have never been rock climbing!" the petite woman grunted, her smaller body having to work harder in certain areas. Reaching for the next handhold on the 'orange path', she flexed the muscles in her back and hoisted her feet up to the next foothold.

"You're doing wonderfully." Elsa encouraged, making several smaller, more strategic movements, in order to gain a bit of altitude. "It's harder if you have shorter arms and legs, but you can definitely make up for a lot of that with sheer strength."

Mulan barked out a laugh, sweat running down her face and neck. Her biceps trembled furiously, causing her to quickly lean back a little for a breather. "It is more difficult, though. Perhaps I should not have gone to such a difficult route so quickly?" Looking over to admire Elsa's graceful, energy conserving form, the black haired woman could only imagine what she looked like, hauling herself up the slope with clumsy brute strength. "You have done the same route several times now, though. Do you not want to try a more difficult one?"

Elsa grinned, shaking out her right arm. "I may be a month out from rehab on my arm, and given the all clear from my doctor that it's as strong as it was before, but I want to make sure I don't stress it too much." Mulan nodded, impressed both by Elsa's determination and her restraint.

The two went on to finish their route. Afterwards, Elsa challenged her girlfriend to one more round on the most difficult path, with the loser buying lunch for the winner.

"I accept, but would it be too much to hope for a head start?" Mulan asked, a hint of a pout on her lips. Elsa chuckled, agreeing to give her girlfriend a fair head start.

The shorter woman attacked the difficult route with as much aggressiveness as was safely prudent. Before long, she heard Elsa call up warningly, "I'm coming to get you!" and she laughed, nearly losing her handholds.

Sweat poured from the two womens' faces as they continued the challenging climb. Mulan noticed that, while she looked down to see where her girlfriend was on several occasions, Elsa never once looked up. The petite woman's muscles strained and she gamely pressed on, aware that the blonde woman was gaining ground.

Seven feet from the top, and Mulan still felt as though it were a hundred yards. Her fingers ached and her back wanted to rest. She heard Elsa's steady, even breathing below her. The next handhold was just out of reach, so the black haired woman summoned her courage and reached out for it.

A desperate scrabble caught Elsa's attention and she looked up for the first time. Mulan had grasped the handhold she sought, but had lost both footholds and her other handhold. She hung on through sheer strength and willpower. The belay cord had four feet of slack easily, indicating that Elsa's girlfriend didn't have any support and her belayer below was being a lazy piece of shit.

Elsa's mind went blank as she quickly hauled herself up and as close to her flailing girlfriend as she could manage. The muscles in Mulan's forearm spasmed, forcing her right hand to release. Elsa made a two point lunge for her girlfriend's left hand with her recently chalked right, and snatched it firmly.

Mulan looked up in surprise, heart hammering in her chest. Elsa's left hand and left foot were still clinging to the black marked rocks of the challenging course. The blonde's right leg dangled freely as she held on firmly to the black haired woman's left wrist. "Holy...shit." Mulan gasped, emitting a rare curse. The smaller woman's eyes locked onto Elsa's right arm. "Elsa, let go." she insisted, voice shaking. "I have my harness on. Your arm…" But Elsa shook her head, gritting her teeth and watching tensely as her girlfriend's belay line slack was finally drawn taut.

Voices began frantically yelling from below them. Belay lines were shook and tightened. Elsa's face was a mixture of strain and sheepishness. "I...I think I got us in trouble." she mumbled in embarrassment. She took note that Mulan's belay cord was now as taut as hers, so she finished with, "Looks like it's time for a free ride down. Sorry." Elsa pushed gently away from the rock wall, dangling by her harness, and felt herself and Mulan begin their descent towards the still yelling voices below. The blonde did not release her grip on her girlfriend's wrist until they were both safely down.

Once on the ground, the two of them had been immediately banned from the establishment. Mulan stayed silent, unaware of the rules of rock climbing. Elsa had stood looking mildly disinterested, even as the belaying employee swore he could have filed criminal charges against her had there been any injuries.

"Alright, so I shouldn't have reached out and grabbed her." Elsa muttered, taking a step closer to the incensed young man. "Do you know why I grabbed her in the first place?! I wasn't trying to be a fucking hero." Yanking her own belay cord between her hands, the blonde woman angrily stretched out roughly eight feet of cord. "My girlfriend's cord was not taut. There was eight clear feet of fucking slack. Maybe they didn't fucking teach you what can happen if a person falls with more than five feet of slack. Their cord could snap and they could fucking die." Elsa spat angrily, jabbing a finger against the young man's chest.

The previously angered employee was now white as a sheet. His mouth opened and closed several times in fear, before he looked over to his friend, who was belaying Elsa. "I saw it, dude. Only at the last second 'cuz I was paying attention to my climber, but when she almost fell and you were yelling at my climber, I was yelling at you to fix your shit."

Mulan's belayer immediately apologized to the petite woman, on the verge of tears. He promised them both free climbing passes for the next year if they didn't complain to his boss.

Elsa's eyes narrowed at the young man's desperate plea. "We will take those free passes, but that's not all. You are going to request to retake the belay certification course, as well as the climber's safety course." With each new request, the angry blonde woman counted off another of her fingers. "I don't give a shit why you tell your boss you want to retake them, but you're fucking horrible at this and you need to know your shit before you belay for anybody else." The young man stammered out an affirmative, quickly dashing off to retrieve the passes.

Elsa, however, didn't have the patience to wait. She gave her address to her competent belayer, requesting the passes be sent to Rapunzel's apartment. The other employee apologized again, but the apology rang hollow in Elsa's ears. She gripped Mulan's hand tightly and left the facility, blood still boiling.

After they were in the parking lot, Elsa apologized profusely. "I'm sorry. I should have noticed your rope sooner. I don't think I ever even looked up until I heard you were having trouble. Jesus Christ, you could have fucking fallen for real." The distraught woman trembled as she spoke. Her skin felt cold and clammy.

Suddenly, Elsa felt warmer. She looked down, and saw Mulan was embracing her tightly. The smaller woman spoke at length, voice thick with emotion. "You saved me. You disregarded the rules and you saved me." Pulling back only slightly to look Elsa in the eye. "You are amazing." Elsa stared back, blush on her face growing, as she returned the hug.

After several moments, Mulan pulled away hesitantly. Fiddling with the waistband of her shorts, she muttered, "I am sorry. I told you I would ask your permission before doing anything like-" Whatever else she was going to say next was muffled by Elsa drawing the black haired woman back in for another hug.

"God, I should have been hugging you a long time ago." Elsa sighed. Mulan relaxed into the embrace, letting out a pleased hum.

So then, if hugging her feels so good, why then does it also feel wrong?

Elsa bit the inside of her cheeks harshly, willing away the negative thoughts.

Better question. How is hugging Mulan with romantic intent any different than hugging Anna or Rapunzel with suppressed romantic intent? There you go, being disgusting all over again. How many times will you cheat on this amazing woman when you go on your little cruise?

Elsa had no answer, except to embrace Mulan tighter and hope for the best.

- (scene of Kristoff dropping some stuff off at the office, running to Rapunzel at her office. She shows him around her workspace, what she's doing, and the two share some light, flirty banter.) -

"That does not qualify as a bathing suit!" Elsa exclaimed, holding the small pieces of yellow and red fabric her cousin claimed was her bathing suit. The blonde woman tossed the offending garment back to Rapunzel, a blush on her cheeks. "It won't cover anything!"

"Aww." Rapunzel grinned, holding the top up to her chest. "It'll cover plenty, and mama's got plenty to cover!"

Anna barked out a laugh, pretending to have a coughing fit so she could hide the obvious blush on her face. "Remember Els, our 'sugar mama' here is paying for this vacation. As long as it's legal, I wouldn't complain." The redhead pouted slightly at her more modest choice, strongly considering picking up something more fun at the shop on the boat. Her mind tormented her, "And you'll get to see her in that, too. Bonus!" The redhead's blush returned in full force.

Groaning with discontent, Elsa yanked out her neatly folded shirts and underwear. She was quite certain they could be repacked more efficiently, leaving her with more room in which to pack souvenirs. The blonde woman tried to sound completely casual when she asked Rapunzel, "So, I heard Kristoff paid you a visit at your office."

Rapunzel blanched, ducking her head in a guilty manner. "You heard about that, huh?"

Elsa chuckled dryly. "Our rooms are only twelve feet apart." She pretended to sound indifferent, but her mind grasped and mulled over every word from her cousin's mouth.

Anna also perked up with interest. "Oh, really. A gentleman caller, and a coworker at that!" the redhead purred, doing her best to not outright sulk.

"Oh my god you two, it's nothing." Rapunzel groaned, burying her face in one of her pillows. "We're gonna be working together over the next couple months, so we were just talking shop." Chuckling, she added, "I abide by the golden rule of 'don't fuck the help'."

Elsa shook her head, sharing a look with Anna. Addressing her sister, the blonde explained, "Punzie and I sort of made promises to each other. I'll try to communicate with Mulan better, and she'll keep her eyes open to get back into the dating world."

Rapunzel slapped Anna's shoulder wryly. "Be thankful. Out of the three of us, you're the one with the most people to choose from. Sounds like the start of a bad joke. 'An ace and a poly walk into a bar'."

Anna cut her cousin off glibly. "A badass lez walks out of the bar with one of them on each of her arms." She linked arms with her cousin and sister. "Be positive, damnit! We're going to have fun this week!"

"Yes we will." Rapunzel agreed, before stage whispering to Elsa. "Just imagine: she'll probably get taken by some hot young thing and do the nasty all week long, ignoring poor lonely us."

Elsa stuck her tongue out sourly. "Ugh, do I have to imagine it? I plan on taking full advantage of the spa, as well as getting several massages." The blonde stretched out her right arm, still feeling the strain of her tendons from the rock climbing incident.

The motion did not go unnoticed by Anna, who reached out a hand to gently touch her sister's right shoulder. "Wish I could have been there to see it." Anna mused, pointedly ignoring Elsa's crack about her sex life. "I mean, I know I would've been freaking out, but it sounds like you really did save Mulan's life."

Elsa shrugged awkwardly, continuing to repack her suitcase. Rapunzel grinned, slowly leaning back towards the edge of the bed. "Oh no, I'm falling!" she cooed dramatically.

Anna lunged towards the brunette, reaching out both of her hands. "I'll save you, fair maid-OOF!" The redhead lost her balance, and the two of them tumbled off the bed, crashing onto the floor and causing Miles Davis to leap four feet in the air, attaching himself to Elsa's head.

"Please don't claw my brains out, little one." Elsa sighed, carefully extracting the scared cat and sparing an exasperated grin at her silly cousin and sister. "I may not think myself all that cool…" the blonde said, throwing a pair of her underwear at the other two, "...but I know I was more cool than that!"

Withdrawing her luggage from the x-ray conveyor belt, Elsa extended the handle and pulled the suitcase behind her towards the security building exit. Anna and Rapunzel were already standing outside, unmoving.

"Elsa!" A tremor ran through Anna's squeal. "You have to get out here and see this!"

Lugging her suitcase bumpily over the metal doorway of the sliding doors, Elsa grunted. "Yes, it's a big boat with a lot of expensive things for...oh…" Her jaw dropped. The ship was enormous, An unbelievable number of decks stacked on top of decks, reaching up uncomfortably high. Elsa's mouth went dry. She supposed it might not be scary to look down at the ocean from way up there, but from here, on land. Her knees grew weak from the imagined vertigo. "Holy hot fuck." the blonde woman mumbled.

"This cannot be real." Anna whispered, reaching out an arm to draw Elsa away from the exit. Several other passengers swept by the three young women, barely pausing to admire the ship before heading right on up the ramp. "Crystal Serenity." the freckled young woman read the name emblazoned in deep blue along deck seven.

Rapunzel shook her head in disbelief. "They've...geeze, they must be old-hat at this cruise business. This is just...fucking breathtaking." Elsa already had her phone out and was snapping pictures, mind completely numb.

Slowly fishing the guidebook out of her pocket, Anna muttered, "Ten days. Seven at sea and three at different Alaskan ports." Reaching out blindly for Elsa's and Rapunzel's arms, her body trembled and she held onto her dear family. "If I die here, that...that would. Be okay."

"Wow…" Elsa whispered. She had since pocketed her phone, and found herself unable to restrain a tear from falling.

Rapunzel looked between her awestruck cousins, smiling goofily. She wiped the tear from Elsa's cheek. "The two of you were there for me. I hope you both enjoy this trip as much as I know I'm going to. Anything you want will be put on my tab. Do not even hesitate to treat yourselves like the princesses you are." Puffing her chest out with pride, Rapunzel picked up her luggage, and ushered the stunned, smiling sisters towards the ramp entrance. "Mama's gonna take good care of her girls."

"Welcome to the Crystal Serenity!" the blonde sales clerk greeted, all rosy cheeks and pearly white teeth. "Is this your first cruise?"

"Not for me, but it is for my girls here." Rapunzel grinned, handing over her driver's license before indicating the blonde and redhead standing behind her, still looking around in wonder at the fancy reception room. "I'm hoping to show them the best possible time." the brunette added with a sly wink.

The sales clerk returned her wink, punching in Rapunzel's personal information and quickly printing out information regarding the ship, as well as their suite. "Oh! I see the three of you will be staying in our deluxe Crystal Penthouse! On behalf of the entire staff here, let me assure you we will do our very best to give you an unforgettable vacation experience."

Rapunzel puffed out her chest a little more, feeling Elsa and Anna's eyes on her.

The sales clerk handed Rapunzel three little velvet boxes. "For our penthouse guests only, personalized so that you will always remember what a wonderful time you had with us."

Little tags were attached to each box, made out to the brunette, Anna, and Elsa. Turning with a dramatic flourish, Rapunzel presented each of her cousins with their box. "For my loves."

Anna quickly opened her little box. A beautiful silver watch, inlaid with small, blue stones was set inside. Squealing uncontrollably, the redhead hugged her cousin tightly. "Alexandrite! Punzie, you sappy little shit!"

Feeling her heart spin and squeeze pleasantly, Rapunzel giggled. "Let me put that on you, my Princess." Anna held out her hand, and her cousin slid the watch on.

Elsa opened hers as well, gasping at the silver watch with small rubies precisely laid at the center, as well as on the hour markers. Rapunzel took the box from the blonde's shaking hands, whispering, "If I may." Elsa nodded mutely, and the brunette slipped the watch onto her thin wrist.

Elsa admired it for several seconds, finally muttering, "Rapunzel...this is too...way too much."

Drawing the two young women together in a group hug, Rapunzel chuckled. "By the end of this trip, you will be so tired of saying 'this is too much'. Nothing is too much for my Supergirls. You gotta deal with it!"

Walking down the entry hallway arm in arm in arm, the three young women marveled at the intricate chandeliers. They gazed at the pictures of prior incarnations of the Crystal Serenity, beginning with the first in 2003 and covering its development in the last twelve years. They paused briefly, admiring the most recent updates made in 2013.

"2013 saw the most expensive renovations to this luxury cruise liner, in the form of an upper deck of five star suites known as 'Crystal Penthouses'." Elsa read aloud.

Anna looked at her pretty, new watch thoughtfully. "Crystal penthouses...didn't that check-in lady say something about a penthouse?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, turning slowly towards Rapunzel. "You little shit, do not even tell me…"

"This way to the elevator, ladies!" Rapunzel mysteriously encouraged, wearing a suspiciously smug smile. The wheels on Elsa and Anna's suitcases made small track marks as they rolled across the long, plush, Oriental carpet.

A ways down the hall, the three women joined a group of travelers waiting for the elevator to arrive. The guests were happily chatting, snapping photos, and impatiently hitting the 'up' button. Anna pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Hiccup and Merida, informing her friends they'd arrived safely. She also sent a picture she took from the outside of the boat with a wink face to Ariel. Anna snorted mirthfully. She knew she'd catch hell for that later.

The chime of a bell preceded the elevator doors opening, and everybody filed in. The girls were the last three to get on, but Rapunzel carefully and politely maneuvered them to the back of the elevator. "We're going to have a hard time getting off." Elsa felt the need to point out, but Rapunzel just grinned.

"We'll see." came the brunette's mysterious smile.

With each new floor, the elevator stopped. Anna didn't think herself classist, but she couldn't help but notice how everybody was dressed. The higher up the elevator went, the more expensive the outfits seemed to be on the remaining guests. Everybody it seemed, except for her. The redhead looked down at her Motley Crue t-shirt and Coheed & Cambria jacket derisively.

Elsa noticed her sister's distress. She reached out and took Anna's hand gently, causing the redhead to gasp. "Don't bother comparing yourself to them. You are beautiful."

Anna blushed furiously, leaning her head against Elsa's shoulder. "It's only the first day and you're embarrassing me. How am I gonna get through ten days of this?!"

Rapunzel chuckled, patting Anna's shoulder. "Oh, poor you. The horror of being complimented!" Looking around the elevator, the brunette watched a family of four exit. There was only one deck above them now...the penthouse deck.

Rapunzel's eyes met those of a couple who appeared to be in their thirties. They were the only other ones in the boat aside from the three girls. Brazenly, Rapunzel stepped forward and held out her hand. "Hi! We'll probably be seeing a lot of each other over the next several days. My name is Rapunzel, and these are my friends, Elsa and Anna." The sisters blushed and waved awkwardly when they were being introduced.

The man and woman each shook Rapunzel's hand enthusiastically. The woman, with long, sleek black hair that reached down to the small of her back, introduced herself and her companion. "Aren't you a regular ray of sunshine! I'm Delores and this is my partner, Ivan. It's wonderful to see such beautiful young women enjoying their youth in this way!"

Rapunzel laughed. "Yeah, these are my girls, and I'm spoiling them on this vacation."

Anna whispered to Elsa, "Wouldn't it be easier for her just to call us, you know, her cousins?"

Elsa chuckled, replying, "Like you said, she's paying for the vacation. Let her have her fun."

Anna bit her lip, finishing the conversation with, "I don't actually have a problem with it." Her nervous titter that followed caused Elsa to give her a funny look, before blushing herself and adding, "Me neither, honestly."

The elevator finally reached the top floor. After the door opened, and following a lengthy remonstrance, Delores and Ivan agreed to exit first. The three girls followed soon thereafter, and Elsa noticed Rapunzel was dialing a phone number. "What's going on?" the blonde woman asked.

Rapunzel waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it's nothing. Delores gave me her cell phone number in case we wanted to get together sometime." Elsa nodded in understanding, before her cousin continued. "They're swingers."

Elsa blanched slightly. Anna smiled nervously, mumbling, "Oh, well...that's nice!" Putting an arm around her cousin, the redhead said, "Hey, if you want to...you know. Don't worry about me. Us. I know it's been awhile for you."

Rapunzel laughed out loud, hugging both of her cousins around their waists. "You geeks! I told them I'd keep it in mind, but I'm looking for a drama-free vacation. You two are my first priority." Looking down the hall a ways, Rapunzel quirked an eyebrow and frowned slightly, before whispering to Anna, "Anyway, it looks like somebody's already got a claim staked on you."

The three made their way down to the lobby of the Penthouse deck. They came across two individuals standing at the entrance: a man in a fancy white, collared shirt and slacks, and a young woman, almost as tall as Elsa with reddish brown hair.

The man nodded. "Welcome aboard the Crystal Serenity, Miss Corona. And the same to the two of you, Miss Arendelle and Miss Arendelle. I am Captain Neilly, and this is my daughter, Megara Neilly."

Rapunzel shook the captain's hand eagerly, introducing herself and her cousins on a first-name basis. The captain laughed at and admired the brunette's friendliness and boisterous attitude.

"Please, feel free to let the staff know if you'd like a tour of the ship, the engine, or the navigational deck. I or my daughter would be happy to show you around." Captain Neilly said. Meg groaned, nudging her father impatiently. "My apologies," the Captain amended, "...my daughter is only available for ship tours from 2pm until 3pm. There, does that give you enough time to get in trouble?" he said with a grin and a nudge in return.

Meg groaned. "Yes, daddy, I'll be sure to get into plenty of trouble by then." Turning to face the three young women, Meg cocked her hips and folded her arms, grinning, "Welcome to the Crystal Penthouse." The captain's feisty daughter locked eyes with Anna, briefly. "Maybe I'll see you around."

Anna stammered out an embarrassed reply, and the captain asked the three of them to watch out for her daughter. "You look to be around her age, so don't let her talk you into doing anything funny. Funny as in launching lifeboats or anything." The Captain chuckled at his joke, while Meg rolled her eyes. The three girls took their leave, walking through the lobby and taking in the beautiful, modern decoration style.

"Rapunzel, did you hear that?!" Elsa whisper-shouted, grabbing her cousin and sister by their shoulders and shaking them excitedly. "A tour of the navigation deck!"

Rapunzel put a hand over Elsa's, sighing good-naturedly. "Yes, my little nerd. I figured you would be jumping out of your skin to do that." Elsa sighed happily, keeping one hand on each of her girls' shoulders as they headed down the hallway to their suite.

Rapunzel was in inspiration heaven. She wanted to sit down and talk the head off of whoever designed the interior of this deck for hours. The Crystal Penthouse Deck was aptly named, as fractalled crystalline designs were everywhere. Sunlight reflected and split from intricate black, white, and silver crystals all up and down the hall. The brunette crossed her fingers. Everything so far had gone perfectly. She hoped that the next several surprises also worked out well.

"207. 208. 209. Two...okay, here we are, suite 210." Anna counted off.

Rapunzel quickly amended her cousin's statement. "Ah ah, Banana. I think you mean penthouse suite 210." The brunette stood against the far wall of the hallway, encouraging her cousins to enter first. Anna swiped her key card, was granted access, turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Anna and Elsa stepped into the living room. Two posh, luxurious grey sofas and a leather recliner surrounded a beautiful marble table. Wall to wall carpeting, marble endtables, and double doors that led out to an enormous balcony. Gorgeous curtains and drapes hung from each beautifully silled window.

"Holy fuck my Christmas." Anna uttered, slowly turning around and around as she attempted to take in the size and luxury of their penthouse suite. Elsa had stumbled, wordlessly, towards the double doors leading out to the balcony.

Pushing the doors open and stepping outside. the blonde woman was greeted with a view of the San Francisco bay, all dark blues and white, choppy waves. The bustle of the decks below theirs reached her ears only as a faint murmur. A fancy table, with reclining chairs, was set up outside for balcony dining. Elsa closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, feeling the salty ocean air enter her lungs and make her heart clench sweetly.

Several yards to her left, she heard another door open. Anna stumbled out, wide-eyed and breathless. "Elsa! The bedroom is in here and it's fucking amazing!"

Elsa swore if her sister grinned any wider, her face would split. "Okay, I'm coming." the blonde woman stated evenly. She felt as though she almost had to speak evenly and walk slowly. It was all so beautiful, all too much, that she feared she might pass out.

Stepping into the bedroom, Elsa smiled to see her sister had already kicked her shoes off and was squirming on top of the bed. Anna moaned gratefully, "It feels so fucking soft!" Leaving her sister to enjoy their bed, Elsa poked her head into the bathroom. The blonde's eyes boggled at the size of the whirlpool jacuzzi. A large double sink was on the left side, as well as a two-sided deluxe shower setup on the right.

Rapunzel poked her head into the bedroom, eyes twinkling. "You two dorks totally missed the mini-kitchen and fully stocked bar! We even have a breakfast nook for when we want Belgian waffles and shit sent up here!"

Elsa wandered back towards the living room, but stumbled again. Her vision swam and grew a little blurry. Rapunzel rushed to the blonde's side, catching her around her waist. "Whoa, easy there my little nerd." the brunette reassured her cousin, guiding her to sit down on the bed.

Anna sat up slowly, putting her hands on Elsa's shoulders and gently massaging them. The redhead winked at her brunette cousin, who idly combed a hand through Elsa's hair. "It's a lot to take in at once, huh?"

Elsa nodded absentmindedly. "It's so...I'm not going to ask you how much this cost." Looking at Rapunzel with watery eyes, Elsa just smiled crookedly. "I'll just say thank you."

Anna reached over and tilted Rapunzel's cheek towards her. She kissed the blushing cheek softly, echoing her sister's sentiment. "Thank you. Let's enjoy this time together."

Shaking her head a bit, Elsa's vision cleared, and her eyes caught sight of something in the corner of their bedroom. "What the…" The blonde woman blinked several times, and following that, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "Is that...is that my fucking drafting table?"

Anna's gaze followed to where her sister was pointing, and her mouth flapped open as well. "Holy poopsicle...is that my apartment record player?!"

Rapunzel blushed sweetly. "I also had your 'top five albums to play while on vacation' placed inside the desk in the living room." Wiggling her way fully onto the bed, the brunette stretched out fully and laid down. "Just because we're on vacation doesn't mean we should leave the things we love at home." she said, patting Elsa and Anna on their lower backs. "Fuck, just seeing your reactions makes it all worth it."

Elsa and Anna looked at each other briefly, sharing a tender smile, before crawling back up in bed and hugging their amazingly generous, infinitely thoughtful cousin.

The three managed to remain cuddled in bed for a whole ten minutes, until Anna finally suggested they go exploring. Frankly, Rapunzel had expected to hear that from her dear younger cousin a whole five minutes earlier.

"This way, Elsa. This way!" Anna insisted, gripping her sister's forearm and hauling Elsa towards the main deck like a sack of potatoes. A voice crackled to life over the P.A. system, "All passengers, we will departing in five minutes. Please make your way to the main deck if you wish to say farewell to the land dwellers."

Elsa snorted derisively at the captain's use of the term 'land dwellers'. He seemed like a nice enough man, if a bit eccentric, and the blonde woman was greatly anticipating a tour of the navigation room. She had also been happily browsing a digital photo album breaking down the ship's designs deck by deck, when Anna suddenly pulled her away at warp speed. The two young women gamely wormed their way through the crowds and out into the last rays of the setting sun.

"Attention, passengers. Three minutes until departure."

"Almost there, Elsa. Punzie is saving us a spot right on the deck!" Anna shouted gleefully, gripping her sister's hand tighter as the throng of guests grew more dense and more exuberant. Turning back to her flustered sister, Anna gently warned, "And make sure to hang onto us so you don't fall overboard and drown!"

Elsa blanched, other hand grasping a bare, freckled forearm. "Anna! You aren't supposed to sa dr...say the D word on a ship! It's bad luck!" the woman chided, nervously glancing to her left and right as if she expected the ghost of Davy Jones to burst from the ship's hull and scare the life out of her.

Come now, I'm sure that having horrid, incestual thoughts about your relatives would bring worse luck than that.

Elsa bit the inside of her cheek, and pressed forward through the crowd to remain closer to Anna. The two could almost make out the throng of 'landlubbers' waving posters and streamers enthusiastically to their imminently departing loved ones.

Elsa felt a tug on her hand, and looked up to see Anna's face in profile, bathed in the light of the sunset. Her freckled skin shone with an ethereal glow and her eyes positively danced with energy. "Well, it's supposed to be even worse luck to talk to a redhead on a ship!"

Elsa pressed in closer to her sister, just as they began to break through the front line of revelers, and muttered sweetly, "That's some bad luck I'll just have to live with." Anna blushed at her sister's breath on the back of her neck, and the two pressed through to see their cousin waving enthusiastically.

"You're just in time!" Rapunzel cheered, handing each of her cousins a blue whistle decorated with festive red and green streamers. "Let's make some noise and show everybody that the Supergirls own this ship!"

Elsa and Anna put their whistles to their mouths and joined their cousin in tweeting loudly while waving their arms enthusiastically. Anna saw a group of adorable children in raincoats standing at the dock, jumping and waving their arms in a desperate bid to be noticed. She tweeted her whistle in their direction, waving her arms frantically and yelling, "Hey kids, nice raincoats!" The group of children cheered joyfully, waving at their new redheaded friend.

Rapunzel threw an arm around her cousins, blowing her whistle incessantly until she felt dizzy. Then she'd lean on Elsa and Anna while she regained her breath, her vivacious cousins renewing her energy and enthusiasm. Elsa laced her fingers with Rapunzel's and the two leaned their heads together. "I still can't believe you came out to Colorado for me." the brunette mumbled, turning her head and burying her face in her cousin's long, blonde hair.

Elsa smiled, replying, "I love you. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

The three young women renewed their cheers as the ship's foghorn let out a great blast, signalling the start of their journey. The great cruise liner pulled away from the dock, sun-kissed water rippling as the massive vessel parted waves as though they were nothing.

The P.A. system crackled to life once more. "On behalf of the staff and crew of the Crystal Serenity, we welcome you, and hope your stay is a magical one. All facilities are now open for your food and entertainment pleasure. Please enjoy the remainder of your evening."

Anna looked over to her winded cousin and sister, the freckled woman's face feeling sore from an excess of smiling. "So, then. What's first on the agenda, my girls?"

Rapunzel gave them both a smug smirk. "First on the list is...a teensy bit of shopping."

Anna stepped out of the dressing room, sporting a knee-length sleeveless black dress. It reached down to just above her knees, flared and frilled on the edges. A wide, silk, red waistband accented her hair, and a large bow rested on the small of her back. Black slippers with red accents completed the look, and went nicely with her new watch. She spun in front of several angled mirrors a few times, posing cutely and letting the dress flutter.

Rapunzel applauded enthusiastically, while Elsa did her best to keep her face neutral and applaud modestly.

No, you're still too happy. You look suspicious. Hide it more, hide it better!

Elsa pursed her lips, damning the voice in her head. "This is a vacation. I'm going to enjoy myself and give love to the people who deserve it." the woman thought, clapping louder and saying, "You look absolutely stunning, Anna." Her sister blushed, hiding her face and shaking her head insistently.

"Looks like we have a winner for our Banana." Rapunzel said, pumping her fist excitedly. "Formal occasions call for formal clothing!"

Anna turned to check the price tag on the dress, and quickly paled. "Punzie, this dress is so pretty. But it's...it's seven hundred dollars. I can't let-"

The redhead was interrupted when Rapunzel bounded up into the mirrored nook and clapped a hand over Anna's mouth. "Shh," the brunette chided playfully, "...do you hear that?" Anna shook her head, a chuckle already pressing small breath's against her cousin's hand. "That's the sound of the world not ending because I decided to spoil my girls."

Anna blushed and smiled impishly, leaning over to her cousin's ear. She whispered, "If we're your girls, then after we're done here, your girls would like some ice cream and a movie in bed."

Rapunzel's face became warm as well, and she grinned. "Whatever my girls want, my girls get." She turned and gestured to Elsa. "How about you, nerdface? Did you find something that suits your fancy?"

Elsa coughed, barely managing to mask a short laugh. She had been holding her clothing selection behind her back, nervously thumbing the fabric. "I...I found something. Since we're having fun and...playing roles on the cruise, I thought I'd try wearing something a little...different."

Rapunzel ushered her blonde cousin into the changing room, thrilled to see what Elsa's unique selection was. She took a seat next to Anna, and shot the freckled girl a grin. "So...am I gonna have to share you with the captain's bombshell of a daughter?"

Anna slapped her hands to her face. "Oh god, she really was into me, wasn't she? No, I'd rather be with the two of you. Anyway, holy shit...that girl is out of my league! And she's only 18...makes me feel like a cradle robber."

Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Rapunzel shook her head. "As I recall, you and Ariel are five years apart, but there wasn't any hesitation there when she first met you." Anna groaned, and her cousin giggled, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I won't blame you if you get some action. I want you to have fun, and that's okay if some of that fun isn't with me." Anna shrugged again, and Rapunzel felt her heart twist sourly with that familiar feeling. "Jesus Fuckballs, it's bad enough with Elsa. Don't tell me I'm gonna get possessive with Anna, too! God damn, maybe I should give our neighbors a call, before I do something...stupid." Her thoughts flooded her head so thoroughly that she barely noticed when Anna tugged on the hem of her sundress. Rapunzel was only brought out of her stupor when her cousin's warm hands, grabbed her face and turned it to look at Elsa, who had just exited the dressing room.

Black slacks, a white, collared shirt, and a two-buttoned black blazer covered a blushing Elsa. Nervously fiddling with the cuffs of her shirt, she hesitantly made her way to the mirror nook, careful not to scuff the calf-length patterned black boots on her feet. Her rebellious black streak of hair, which she'd had touched up in preparation for the cruise, tumbled down the side of her head and rested on the black shoulder of her blazer.

Anna squealed helplessly. "Elsa! You're so fucking handsome!" The redhead's eyes immediately noticed the way the blonde's contoured slacks framed her butt so nicely. "Holy shit, stop creeping on your sister and making her feel uncomfortable!" she thought sourly, jerking her head up to keep her eyes from wandering to places they shouldn't.

Elsa tugged uncomfortably at her collar, before flinching as another set of hands settled at her buttoned collar. "Hold on, just a sec, Elsie." Rapunzel murmured, soft fingers brushing against Elsa's neck. The blonde's breath caught in her throat. "Let me just get this…" the brunette muttered, unbuttoning the top two buttons on Elsa's crisp, white shirt.

"Oh yeah, that looks much hotter." Anna mumbled, blinking quickly and attempting to correct herself even as she blushed furiously. "Better, better, much better!"

Rapunzel nodded, giving her older cousin an appraising nod. "A look like that, you want a few buttons undone. Gives it that cool, casual look, but it doesn't show anything below the collar." Patting Elsa on her black blazered back, she grinned. "Lookin' good for a night out, or a morning in church!"

Elsa laughed heartily, glad to have the embarrassing situation broken. "Don't think I've been to church in at least eight years. But, I don't know...I'm exploring new areas of my...sexuality." The way the blonde's voice dropped to a mumble with the last word made her sister and cousin dizzy with love and care. "I just...sometimes I like the way suits look. You...you two would tell me if it looked silly, right?"

Elsa looked extremely vulnerable at that moment, standing in front of the mirror. Rapunzel and Anna each reached out and took one of her hands, leading her down from the mirror nook. Looping their arms together again, they squeezed Elsa's well-dressed arms tenderly. "We'd tell you if it looked silly, honey." Rapunzel assured the blonde. "And trust me...it looks anything but."

As the three headed over to pay for their new outfits, Anna asked, "Punzie, aren't you getting something for yourself?"

Shaking her head as she withdrew a debit card from her purse, Rapunzel replied, "You two really set the bar high for the look I'm gonna have to find. I'll come down here another day on my own time...I know it's going to take awhile to get me in the same ballpark as you two models." The brunette laughed when her cousins both blushed, Elsa stammering and Anna vehemently denying any model similarities.

After Rapunzel paid for the new clothes, the three young women strutted like peacocks around the main deck, taking in the sights of the lit up at night ship. The stars twinkled overhead, quickly reminding them of the long day they'd had, and whispering promises of a night of long, restful sleep.

Elsa awoke to a repeated, insistent pressure against her cheek. Rolling over, she pressed a hand to the offending appendage, pressing it away. A body somewhere on the bed squirmed and squealed sleepily in protest, and Elsa was struck by something hard on her head.

Groaning, the blonde sat up and rubbed at her noggin. Somehow, throughout the course of the night, Anna had ended up with her head at the base of the bed and her foot right in Elsa's face. Sighing, Elsa looked out their windowed door leading to the balcony. The horizon was just beginning to take on hues of a less dark blue in a preview of the eventual rising sun.

Shaking the sleep and dizziness out of her head, Elsa looked down at her sister fondly. Anna had captured one of Rapunzel's legs and had it hugged against her chest. The brunette had two pillows haphazardly slung over top of her head. Elsa blushed when she noticed Anna had pulled Rapunzel's fuzzy sleep pants down, revealing the side of a butt cheek. Sliding carefully out of bed as to not wake her girls, the blonde woman retrieved a spare blanket and spread it gently over top of the two sound sleepers.

Stopping briefly at the bathroom to brush her teeth, toss on yoga pants and an old workout t-shirt, the blonde woman yanked her hair back into a loose ponytail and quietly crept out the door.

Still half asleep, Elsa rode the fancy elevator down, nodding with a gentle smile at the small handful of early morning risers that joined her. After arriving at the main deck, she made her way to a posted schedule of events.

"Hmm...oh, morning yoga?" Elsa murmured appreciatively, taking note of its location. She stepped out onto the main deck, already feeling the cooler air of the open sea. The sky was just beginning to be painted in hues of purple and dark red from the approaching sunrise. Elsa peered cautiously over the railing, marveling at the dark, choppy waves below. They seemed to be straight out of a painting.

Knowing she was already a few minutes late to the yoga session, Elsa jogged across the main deck until she came across several rows of blue mats laid out. Perhaps a quarter were occupied, the participants engaged in an upward facing dog warmup. Quietly sneaking in and claiming an unoccupied mat, Elsa took several deep breaths, before joining the rest of the passengers in following the instructor's movements.

Several minutes went by, with Elsa gradually losing herself in the fluid movements and gentle swaying of the Crystal Serenity. She moved effortlessly between positions, pausing to appreciate the subtle ways in which her body compensated for the unpredictable lullaby-like rocks of the ship. Gradually, the sun peeked over the horizon, and the yoga instructor had his participants pause mid-move. The sunlight crept up the side of the ivory colored ship, enveloping the passengers in its warmth. Elsa felt her senses renewed and sharpened as her skin gratefully absorbed the sunlight.

Several minutes later, the instructor brought the passengers back to a resting position, and wished them a pleasant morning. Elsa took a few extra minutes to sit cross-legged on her mat and center herself. In and out breaths. Her lithe hands went to her diaphragm, pressing and releasing with each breath, until a serene calm overtook her. Opening her eyes, she grinned widely, invigorated for the new day.

"You look about a thousand percent more calm than you did yesterday." a voice behind Elsa remarked. Turning slowly, lazily, the blonde woman locked eyes with another, slightly older lady. But where had she seen her…

"Oh! Um...Dolores, right?" Elsa exclaimed, extended a hand sheepishly in greeting their neighbor. "Were you doing yoga this morning as well?"

Dolores nodded, adjusting her hairband and wiping the sweat from her face. "Yes, it really helps set the tone for my day. Every year it gets to be more of a workout, though." The raven haired woman smiled tiredly. "I'm quickly losing the youth that had you performing those movements flawlessly and energetically!"

Elsa demurred, blushing lightly. "I'm...I was just going to pick up some breakfast for my...ah, for my friends. Would you like to join me?"

Dolores gifted Elsa with a warm smile in return. "I was actually just about to do the same. My partner is much too lazy for pre-dawn exercise, but a cinnamon bun or two usually lures him out of bed!" the woman finished with a wink, extending a helping hand, which Elsa gratefully took to help haul herself off the yoga mat.

The two women made chit-chat as they leisurely strolled in the direction of the nearest breakfast bar. Dolores talked about her and her partner's shared business involving unique, hand-crafted lamps and lanterns. Elsa listened with rapt attention, sharing her passing interest in interior design as an architect. The blonde woman assured her neighbor that her 'friend', Rapunzel, would certainly love to have a conversation about interior decoration pieces.

The breakfast bar was, thankfully, relatively uncrowded, and Dolores ushered Elsa towards the plates first. "I...well, I have to fill three plates, and I don't want you to have to wait for me…" Elsa mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

Delores waved her hands pleasantly. "Don't even worry about it. Ivan won't be awake for another hour at least. Anyway, I would love to hear more about what prompted the three of you to take this trip."

Elsa recounted the events of the last few weeks, regarding the funeral, and the difficult times all three of them had faced. Her hands automatically seeked out the foods she knew her girls loved best. "Banana nut pancakes for Punzie. Chocolate scones for Anna. Bacon for both. Oatmeal and peaches for me. Homefries for Anna. Scrapple for Punzie." The blonde woman continued on down the line, finishing her little tale around the same time both womens' plates were full and securely wrapped.

"It sounds like the three of you really need this vacation." Delores mused, sneaking a cream pastry from her husband's plate and chewing on it thoughtfully. "You've been through a lot. Are any of you...together?"

Elsa blanched, blushing furiously. "N...no, no no, not like that." The young woman looked away in embarrassment, before groaning in frustration when Delores apologized for prying. Elsa screwed up her courage and replied, "No, no. I'm actually only now starting to understand some things about myself in that area. It's...difficult. But I love those two women more than anything." The blonde woman shrugged her shoulders helplessly as the two of them stepped into the elevator. "I don't know what that means, or what's going to happen."

Delores smiled fondly, as if half remembering a memory from long ago. "I think if you stay together long enough, your true feelings will come out." Elsa blushed further at that statement, prompting her neighbor to amend her advice. "They know you love them. They may not fully understand the way in which you love them, but I bet it shines through in all the little things you do for them." Holding up the bag of food she'd collected for her partner. "Things like this is how we show them we love them...am I right?"

Elsa nodded, giggling a bit. "Even if I mess other things up, I can always show them how much I love them through their stomachs." The blonde woman felt a pleasant shiver run through her body. She was thankful and oddly thrilled that she'd already met such a nice and easy to talk to person. Not to mention the fact that that person was her neighbor. Deciding she'd spoken enough for the morning, Elsa enthusiastically inquired about Delores' life leading up to the cruise.

The two women parted ways in the penthouse lobby, with the assurance that they'd see each other at least for yoga in the mornings. Elsa waved one last time, before hurrying back to her penthouse. As she made her way down the hallway to their suite, her phone buzzed. It was a message from Rapunzel. "yo, did you fall overboard? do i need to send out the dolphins?" Elsa snickered, quickening her pace. She wanted to surprise Anna and Rapunzel with hot, delicious food!

Anna pocketed her phone and bent down to lace up her shoes. "I've got my phone on me, in case either of you Picassos feel like coming down for a dance!" she said, waving to her cousin who was painting outside on the balcony. The brunette had appropriated Anna's record player, and was happily bobbing her head to George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic.

Anna walked through the living room, noticing Elsa hunched over her drafting table, earbuds blasting out some prog-rock band and completely in the zone. The redhead snuck up behind her sister and embraced her. "I'll be back later." Anna murmured.

Elsa hummed with pleasure, replying distractedly, "Mmm...you smell nice."

Elsa's compliment put a goofy, warm smile on Anna's face, and the redhead had just stepped out into the hallway when she heard her sister smack her hands against the desk, squawking flusteredly, "I mean. Your jacket. Nice smell. Ow, my fucking head…"

Anna restrained the impending laugh to a quiet giggle, deciding to spare her sister further embarrassment. She quickly shut the door and headed over to the elevator.

The ride down to the main deck grew fairly crowded, as the dinner hour was rapidly approaching. Anna shared excited grins with several other passengers around her age. A night of dancing lay before them, and while the redhead herself only planned on getting a taste of what the clubs had to offer, it had been awhile since she and ariel had gone out with Rapunzel and Elsa dancing.

Several minutes later, Anna found herself consulting the ship map and directory to save her half an hour or more of wandering, lost. "Pulse, Pulse...why does this damn display have to be so bright?!" the redhead grumbled, adjusting her Rolling Stones cap in frustration.

"You're headed to Pulse?" came a sultry, female voice behind the redhead. "I can show you the way. At least, if your front is as cute as your back."

Anna shook her head in surprise. Now, that was one hell of a brave pickup line. Turning around to give her flirter a lopsided, cocksure grin, Anna stumbled backwards briefly. "Well damn, I know pink and maroon isn't that original, but seriously Dusty, way to hurt a girl's feelings." Clad in a short, pink dress with a maroon waistband and a maroon collar that swooped low enough to leave little to the imagination, was the captain's daughter from the previous day.

Anna faltered for just a second, before regrouping. "Wait wait, hang on, I know your name, I swear." The young woman stood, hands on impossible hips, smirking. "You're with the crew, right?" the freckled young woman offered with a grin.

"Oh, well aren't you a feisty one, Dusty." the woman grinned. "The name's Meg. You're not so old that you'll forget it again, right?" Meg smirked, rapping her index finger on Anna's hat.

Anna put a hand over her heart in mock-pain. "Oh no, age jokes, my one weakness!" She held her hand out, indicating Meg should lead the way. "After you, I insist."

Instead, Meg looped her arm with Anna's, eliciting a small squeak from the redhead, "Anybody ever tell you you've got the kind of freckles that should be on a magazine cover, Dusty?" When Anna looked away with a blush, Meg continued. "So, your friends didn't come down with you?"

Anna nodded. "Nah, they're both artsy types. They barely noticed I left for the afternoon." she chuckled, shaking her head at the mad stampede of passengers attempting to get into the onboard steakhouse. "Holy shit, that must be some hella good meat!"

Meg shook her head with a chuckle. "It's nothing special. Don't worry, this lowly crew member will show you the best spots to nab some food."

"And maybe a drink?" Anna suggested, grinning wryly. Meg winked at her mysteriously, pulling her along towards the club.

"God damnit, my back and neck and shoulders and arms are all killing me!" Rapunzel groaned, dragging her weary body back into the bedroom after having put away the record player and her art supplies. Elsa was lounging on the master bed, dressed in sleeping shorts and a Rush t-shirt. She was laying back against several propped up pillows, idly sketching on a legal pad. On the television against the opposite wall, HGTV was remodelling somebody's suburban home.

Without looking away from her drawing, Elsa mumbled, "It's about time you took a break. Anna is still out doing her club investigation." The blonde woman slid over a bit, expecting an eventual guest in bed.

Rapunzel exchanged her jeans for a much more comfortable pair of silk pajama bottoms and a spaghetti strap top. "I think I'm gonna live in the spa tomorrow. Hire my own personal masseuse for the whole day." the brunette moaned, crawling into bed and sidling up next to Elsa. "Mmm...whatcha drawing there?"

Elsa was about to respond, when she felt locks of hair tickle her left shoulder and collar, and noticed Rapunzel had laid her head on the older woman's chest. "Future dumb ideas. I met our one neighbor down at yoga this morning, and she told me about the summer house in Wyoming she and her partner own. It gave me a few ideas." Elsa explained, heart thudding against her ribcage from her cousin's proximity.

Rapunzel merely grunted in understanding, shifting slightly until she was comfortable. The brunette woman found herself plenty of entertainment merely from watching her cousin's hands create the frame of a house. After awhile, Elsa grew used to Rapunzel's weight on her shoulder, and became absorbed in her work again. The brunette found her eyelids gradually drooping shut, lulled as she was by the rhythmic rise and fall of Elsa's chest.

Approximately half an hour later, Elsa let out a piteous whine and stretched her arms back over her head. Rapunzel's head slipped further down Elsa's chest, and the older woman yawned, bringing her arms back down. Her left arm draped lazily over the brunette's own left arm. Elsa's stomach made its hunger known with an immediate and insistent growl.

Rapunzel nuzzled her cheek against Elsa's breasts, muttering, "Elsie, your stomach is loud...and soft."

Elsa chuckled, embarrassment renewed somewhat. "Hey, lazybones, that isn't my stomach. Well, one of those isn't, anyway." Rapunzel murmured something unintelligible, and Elsa asked for clarification with a giggle.

"I said...we should have some food brought up." the brunette said after clearing her throat. Elsa reached over to the nightstand, half of her mind hoping her cousin would reposition herself to a bit less embarrassing a place, while the other half of her mind wished she'd stay right there. Unfortunately, the blonde's movement jostled her cousin, who grumbled and sat up, eyes lidded and clearly still half asleep.

Elsa perused the menu for a minute, before announcing, "I know what I want. Do you want to take a look?" She offered the menu to Rapunzel, who shook her head in the negative.

"I want you to go back there." Rapunzel insisted, pressing against Elsa's shoulders until she was laying back against the pillows. "Then I'll go back here." the brunette murmured, laying her head against Elsa's collar again. "See? 'Sperfect. Oh food...just get me what you're getting I guess, but with french fries too, please."

Elsa chuckled, heart thudding happily in her chest from the warm weight of her cousin. The blonde woman dialed the number and quietly spoke to the order taker, requesting their full order, as well as a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream. After she hung up the phone, Rapunzel cooed, "Well, you certainly know the way to my heart."

Elsa laughed again, poking her cousin's stomach and earning a glare from the younger woman. Faster than either expected, their dinner arrived, and they shamelessly had their feast in bed while watching two realtors on TV argue over whether to refinish a home or just sell it.

In the middle of stealing several of Rapunzel's french fries, Elsa pulled out her phone again. "I'm gonna text Anna and let her know she's missing an amazing dinner." Rapunzel laughed, saying something in reply, but her mouth was too full of salmonburger for Elsa to understand. "Yeah, no clue, but I'll agree to whatever you just said." Elsa joked, ruffling her cousin's messy, brown hair. The blonde woman shot her sister a quick text, "Hey rockstar, we ordered amazing salmon hamburgers up here. There's ice cream here right now, but it might be gone soon, so bring some more up if you want!"

Fifteen minutes of lazy snacking and idle cuddling later, Elsa's phone buzzed. Rapunzel's arm had managed to find its way around the older woman's stomach, so Elsa was forced to carefully untangle her arm before snatching her phone and checking for Anna's message.

"Hello, Elsa. I hope you are all safe and enjoying the cruise. Are your rooms nice? How much colder is it now that you're out to sea? Everyone here is fine. Hiccup let me accompany him to your apartment to help take care of your cousin's cats, but I think he was eager for me to leave. He seemed to have plans with somebody. Haha, I was embarrassing him about it. Okay, that's all, I hope you have a pleasant sleep. Maybe we can talk on the phone tomorrow? ~Mulan."

You forgot to let your girlfriend know how things are going. Did you even remember you have a girlfriend?!

Elsa bit her bottom lip, feeling a familiar nausea creep into her stomach. "I don't have to talk to my girlfriend every day." she argued with her conscience.

Never mind talking to her. Look at what you're doing right now. You're cuddling with somebody who you have romantic feelings for. Disgusting, romantic feelings.

Elsa's eyebrows knitted in consternation. "Yes? Your point?"

My point, you heartless bitch, is that you said you're asexual. That means the things you do with Mulan, you're doing with your cousin. Right. Now. How is this anything other than cheating?!

A chill ran through Elsa's body, despite the warm, drooling weight of Rapunzel at her side. The blonde woman looked down at the arm draped loosely over her midsection. Her stomach churned. She really was horrible. She shouldn't be doing this. Not to Rapunzel, and certainly not to Mulan. Her girlfriend had been nothing but pleasant and completely supportive of Elsa's...challenges.

Removing Rapunzel's arm absentmindedly, Elsa stood up, not hearing her cousin's unsatisfied grumble and not seeing that same arm reaching out for the warm body that got away from it. Cradling her cell phone in her trembling hands, Elsa bit back tears.

You're god damn right you don't get to cry. Text your fucking girlfriend. I know you won't tell her what you were doing, but at least pretend like you care.

Elsa didn't bother putting her robe on, instead stepping outside into the brisk, salty evening air. The sounds of water lapping gently against the ship's hull did nothing to calm her psyche. She composed a text message to Mulan. "Hi, Mulan. I'm sorry I didn't get ahold of you sooner. It's been very busy on the ship. Very busy and exciting! There are many decks to explore, and uncountable sources of entertainment. I'm exhausted tonight, but tomorrow I will email you many pictures I took that I think you will enjoy. Perhaps some day you and I could go on a cruise. Oh, but you might have already been on one. Regardless, I can't wait to share these experiences with you. Yes, I will call you tomorrow, if the afternoon works for you? Thinking of you. ~Elsa.

'Thinking of you'? Maybe you should be thinking of every time you touch them. Every look you give them. You are going to ruin your poor cousin's heart.

Elsa bit back fresh tears, rubbing furiously at her eyes. "I will live my life, and to hell with your judgement. My behavior is not...not cheating."

Whatever you have to tell yourself to sleep at night. Just remember who is sleeping in your arms, and who wants to be sleeping in your arms. Romantically. Monster.

Shivering uncontrollably, Elsa hugged herself and leaned over the balcony. The water was almost pitch black, aside from a few white crests of waves. How far down could it really be? A hundred feet? Two hundred? "I wonder if a person would survive the fall." Elsa mused wryly, burying the negative internal voice as best as she could.

"Nerdface?" Rapunzel mumbled sleepily from the balcony door. The brunette had draped a robe over herself, and held Elsa's robe in her hands. "What are...holy Christmas, it's fucking cold." Stepping over to Elsa quickly, Rapunzel draped the blonde woman's robe over her bare shoulders. "You're gonna get sick out here. Was that Mulan?"

Elsa turned abruptly, twisting out of the gentle grasp Rapunzel had on her shoulders. "Yes, she was checking on me. I'm going to call her tomorrow and send her some photos."

"Okay…" Rapunzel ventured, turning to watch her cousin quickly head back inside. The brunette ran a hand through her disheveled hair, mind racing with vaguely worrying thoughts. "Maybe I need a shower or something." Rapunzel thought wryly, though she knew it was a stretch with the way Elsa reacted.

Elsa was curled up on the far side of the bed, bathrobe still covering her, when Rapunzel came back in. The brunette lightly remarked, "You were cold outside, but wearing that in here is gonna get you too hot."

Elsa shrugged sharply, not bothering to pull up any covers, and continued to face the closet. "I'm fine." she muttered.

Rapunzel sighed, hanging up her bathrobe. "I'm gonna go take a shower. Then maybe I'll call it a night too." Walking by the foot of the bed, she gingerly put a hand out and touched Elsa's stocking feet. The blonde woman instantly jerked her feet out of her cousin's grasp.

"Okay." Elsa breathed, voice tremulous. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Push her away, don't cheat on your girlfriend, don't let your feelings show.

Stepping back quickly, Rapunzel blinked several times as a wave of nausea hit her. An immense sadness that she could not explain washed over her, and she quickly retreated to the bathroom. "Maybe a nice, hot shower will clear my head. This isn't more of that stupid Mulan jealousy. Or...Elsa…" The brunette's eyes slammed shut briefly, and she shook her head. "Elsa told me to delay. Deny. Delay and deny. Don't mess up things with her girlfriend. She's trying hard enough just to figure herself out." Turning on the hot water, Rapunzel shook off her clothing and stepped inside. She scrubbed herself hard with soap and a washcloth. Hard enough to make her feel clean. But something dirty always remained.

Rapunzel exited the shower quietly, noticing Elsa hadn't moved from her spot. The brunette guiltily slunk over to the light switch, turning off the lights, and crawling into bed on the side opposite Elsa. Her body screamed out to her to comfort her cousin. To share some small part of her forbidden feelings. She refused to let herself cry, settling for bunching a small bit of the covers around her body and curling up into a small, sad ball.

On the other side of the bed, Elsa remained awake. She heard Rapunzel's breathing. Felt the shift of her weight on the mattress. Smelled the watermelon shampoo the younger woman had used. Elsa desired her cousin. She wanted to take her in her arms. But every time the desire arose, she'd stomp on it. Tear it apart and bury it. "Don't make things worse. Don't make things worse."

Sleep was a long time in coming for either of them.

Meg scrunched up her face and let out several surprised, hacking coughs. She set her drink down on the bar, grabbing Anna's forearm and clutching it. The music of club Pulse pounded through their bodies as the two young women sat at the bar. Patrons to their left and right were abuzz with activity, but all Anna could do was give her drinking buddy a sympathetic stare.

"Couldn't handle the Jazzeroo, huh?" Anna grinned, taking a sip of her own beverage.

Meg wiped her mouth, wincing as the combination of wine and brandy burned in her stomach. "I'll give you this, Dusty. Your grandpap had an iron stomach for alcohol, and you seem to have inherited that. Holy shit." Reaching for Ramon, the bartender on duty, Meg slapped his shoulder to get his attention. "Hey Ramon, don't ever let me drink something this hellcat orders, even if she drinks the same thing, got it?!"

The bartender grinned and nodded, handing her her usual that he'd been expecting her to ask for. Taking a nice, long sip immediately, the chestnut haired young woman leveled a steady stare at Anna. "So, Dusty." she began, and Anna covered her nose with her hands in mild embarrassment.

"Can you not call me that? My freckles are not that prominent." the redhead groaned. Meg smiled even wider at the endearing motion.

"Sweetie, they're even more noticeable in this low light. They make you even hotter."

Anna blushed, scratching her finger awkwardly on the bar counter. "So, what's your story? Dad's a ship captain and mom's, what, a train engineer?" She grinned, wracking her mind for other clever quips to use with this pretty girl.

"My mom's dead." Meg deadpanned, and Anna immediately blanched.

"Sorry, I'm...sorry. I'm kind of a fuckup with words sometimes." Anna explained lamely.

Meg waved off her apology and gave her wry grin. "Don't even sweat it. Happened when I was really young. She was a gymnast, and pretty much the reason why I got into it myself and went professional." Lifting up her right leg, and in the process flashing a fair amount of thigh that had Anna quickly averting her stare, Meg flexed her calf muscle. "Yeah, you don't get these babies from swimming, I can guarantee that."

"So, you're pretty flexible, then?" Anna asked, feeling her phone buzz in her pocket. She pulled it out and quickly read the dinner message from Elsa.

"You could say that." Meg grinned smugly. "Wow, Dusty. You like to move fast, huh?"

Anna chuckled nervously, pocketing her phone again. "Oh, hah, I see what I did there. No, it's just that I have the flexibility of a telephone pole. The endurance of one too, probably." She nodded at her assertion before smacking her forehead at her following innuendo. "There I go again."

Meg grinned, swirling a finger in her drink and putting it in her mouth. "So, then. You're here with your friends. Are you here...with your friends?" The chestnut haired woman's eyebrows raised imperceptibly.

Anna waved a hand dismissively, smiling with a tinge of sadness. "No, we're friends who are just...friends. Even if sometimes I want more." Clasping her drink with both hands, she continued. "One's got a girlfriend back home, and the other...it's complicated."

Reaching out to scratch Anna's knee lightly, Meg smiled and winked at the ginger woman. "Well, I'm...not complicated. Taking the fall off to travel with dear old Dad before accepting my scholarship for gymnastics at Oregon."

"The ducks!" Anna exclaimed, and Meg laughed at her enthusiasm. "They have an awesome athletics program! I used to go up there for some track meets. Maybe I'll have to go up next year sometime and catch you at a competition."

Meg nodded, clearly amused and a bit enchanted by the vivacious, freckled young woman sharing a drink with her. "We'll see. So, are you tipsy enough for a dance yet, or must I ply you with more of that hellish stuff I tried?"

Anna shook her head, quickly finishing the last of her drink. The brandy tasted more of cough syrup than usual, and she shook the unique aftertaste out of her mind. "Thanks, but no. This trip is sort of a present from my one friend, so we're trying to do a lot of stuff together." She looked over to where the DJ was surrounded by scores of people dancing. "I think my girls want to take a tour of the wheel room tomorrow, so...maybe I could take you up on that personal tour offer? I mean, if it's still on the table."

Meg shook her head, polishing off her own drink. "The wheel room...you're too adorable. Yeah, I can do a 2pm personal tour. Are you and your friends planning on checking out the ballroom event tomorrow night?" Anna shrugged, telling Meg that her friend financing this trip also insisted on buying her a new, classy dress. "Hot damn, that's a sugar mama if I ever heard of one! Well then, maybe I'll see you there, too. Save me a dance, hmm?" the chestnut haired teenager said, squeezing Anna's forearm.

"Heh, yeah, not too many people on my dance card." Anna chuckled lamely, standing up and draping her jacket over a shoulder. "Tomorrow, then." she finished, tipping her Rolling Stones cap smartly.

Meg gave her a half-assed two finger salute. "'Til then, Dusty."

Anna grinned, ditty-bopping through the crowd of patrons in the club and towards the exit. Stepping out under the starry sky, she took a breath of salty ocean air and shoved her hands into her coat pockets. Several couples greeted her amiably, and Anna smiled warmly at them in return. She checked her new watch, and cringed when she noticed it was already 10:30 p.m.

"Shit, it's late. What should I tell them I was doing." Anna wondered momentarily, before her mind came to a screeching halt. She walked over to the railing and bent over, resting her arms and chin on the oak railing. Toes of a sneaker traced tiny circles on the ship's deck awkwardly.

Anna's stomach clenched strangely. "Why am I thinking about making an excuse?" Anna swallowed thickly, drumming her fingers on the railing. "What the fuck am I nervous about?! I can see whoever I want!" An image of Rapunzel and Elsa, snuggled together on the master bed, completely exhausted and eating french fries while half-asleep in their pajamas came to mind. Rapunzel dancing to 70s funk, haphazardly slinging paint onto her canvas on their balcony. Elsa's breath on the back of her neck, hot and causing the hairs on the redhead's arms to stand on end.

Anna drew in several, ragged breaths. She slapped her cheeks between her palms twice. "Jesus Christ, Arendelle. Ariel only left a week ago, and you have a desperate fucking need to get laid." The freckled young woman nodded to herself. That would surely shake her out of this disturbing funk.

"Hello? Any Supergirls home?" Anna whispered, nearly tripping over an overturned corner of the living room's carpet as she entered the penthouse. The redhead pursed her lips, looking around in slight disappointment. "Guess they had a fun, tiring evening." Shaking her head, Anna bit her lip. "Well, I had a fun evening, too! I made a new friend!"

Kicking off her sneakers absentmindedly, Anna shed her clothes in the corner of the bedroom. She tossed on a grey tank top and white boxers with red hearts. Ragged breaths were drawn through her mouth after she attempted to jump into the boxers with both feet, at the same time, and she nearly ended up falling and busting her face open.

Anna tiptoed over to the bed, and saw her two girls fast asleep. Oddly, though, Elsa was on the far left of the bed and Rapunzel was on the far right, facing away from each other. The redhead shrugged, too tired to fend off the altogether too comfortable thoughts, and merely cheered that she'd been left the middle. Anna clambered onto the bed, making sure to jostle Elsa and Rapunzel. "Not enough to fully wake them up, but just enough to let them know they don't have to hide on the edges." Anna snickered, rolling over and brushing her arms up against her sister and cousin for good measure.

Anna's efforts were quickly rewarded when Elsa moaned softly and rolled over, claiming Anna's right arm and nuzzling into her copper locks. Rapunzel followed almost immediately after, muttering, "...it's banana...pancakes...love me...banana…". The redhead was quite certain her cousin was drooling on her left arm, but she was too tired to care. Also, in an absurdly funny way, it made her feel loved.

Crammed between Elsa and Rapunzel, who were slowly encroaching more and more on Anna's personal space, the freckled young woman felt loved.

"Oh my god, you two need to get your asses in gear!" Anna chided, clapping her hands together furiously. "Drinks for brunch starts in one hour, and we are not gonna get stuck with the lame key lime margarita pie smoothie!" The redhead was already wearing her sleeveless black dress with the satin red waistband. She hopped over to Rapunzel, who was cursing as her hair was failing to cooperate. "C'mere, my goofy travel buddy. I'll fix up your 'do, and in return you can pretty up my sloppy bow job."

Rapunzel managed a half hearted chuckle, turning around to allow her younger cousin access to her unruly mop. "Heh. You said bow job."

Anna whistled absentmindedly, teasing her cousin's beautiful hair and using a bit of hairspray here and there. "Doesn't Elsa normally prettify you?" she asked absentmindedly, glancing around for the hairbrush.

Rapunzel ducked her head, face warming with guilt. "She's in the bathroom putting herself together, I think." The brunette handed her younger cousin the sought after hairbrush quickly.

"The two of you were sleeping funny last night, too." Anna mused, running the comb

through several particularly vicious tangles. "Did something happen between you?"

"Happen?" Rapunzel squeaked in surprise, palms nervously gripping the fabric of her dress. "Nothing happened between us! I don't know. She's just being…" the brunette sighed, lowering her voice before said blonde woman in the bathroom overheard her. "Maybe she misses Mulan. Maybe I was...trying too hard to make her happy here. I...am a poor substitute."

Anna spun Rapunzel around slowly on the office chair, until the two were face to face. Leaning down, the freckled young woman gripped the armrests, and looked her cousin dead in the eyes. "You aren't a substitute for anybody. You are you, and that's plenty as far as I'm concerned." Helping her cousin stand up, Anna squeezed her hands and finished her thought. "Maybe Elsa does miss...her girlfriend. But that doesn't mean she loves you any less. Her love for you is different than her love for Mulan."

"Yeah." Rapunzel's voice was still mopey, but she managed to force a smile onto her face after a deep breath. "Okay, let's make sure you're wrapped up all nice and pretty for your big debut."

Anna cheered, bouncing on the balls of her feet, before turning around. As an afterthought, she mentioned, "The stuff you just told me now? You should tell that to Elsa." Shyly tucking a few stray copper locks behind her ears, the redhead mumbled, "As much as I love being in the middle of a sandwich, last night was downright squish-tastic."

Snorting mirthfully, Rapunzel couldn't help but say, "An Anna sandwich? Why you kinky little fireball!" Anna spluttered indignantly, waving her hands in retraction and swearing off sandwiches for the rest of the trip.

At that moment, Elsa poked her head into the living room, clearly needing help with her scarf. "I heard something about a sandwich. Aren't we doing drinks for brunch?" Anna gave Rapunzel a half mortified, half threatening glare. The brunette only shook her head and muttered something Elsa couldn't understand about sandwiches.

"Okay, okay, we're all done!" Anna exclaimed after deftly tying Elsa's scarf. She had only moderately recovered from her sandwich embarrassment. "Let's go, let's go, morning deliciousness awaits!"

"But are you sure you don't want another sandwich?" Rapunzel snickered.

Anna shoved her cousin out the door, cheeks aflame. "Rapunzel, you're being a butt!" Elsa hurried after them, closing the door behind her, and still wondering where either one had managed to get a sandwich that morning.

"Welcome to Crystal Cove, may I take your orders, please?" a young server whose name tag read 'Ashley' chirped.

Anna folded her menu on the table and said, "Yes, please. I'll take a small peanut butter pie shake, and a medium mint chocolate sunrise mixer!" The waitress nodded pleasantly, taking the redhead's menu and complimenting her selections.

Elsa ordered next. "I will have the Six Shot Special. Two fruit salad, two Bloody Mary Mints, and two Orange Cream Mimosas, please and thank you." Again, the waitress took the blonde woman's menu and applauded her selections.

Lastly, Rapunzel had a question for the waitress. "What's your favorite of the day, cutie?"

Ashley blushed, staring intently at her order pad, before excitedly saying, "I had a Vanilla Champagne Sangria this morning, and yeah, it has me pretty over the moon right now."

Rapunzel chuckled, handing their enthusiastic server her menu. "Put me down for two of those, pretty please." The brunette winked slyly, and Ashley giggled loudly in return. Apologizing, she scurried off to put their order in. When Rapunzel turned back to face her cousins, they were each giving her a different look.

Anna grinned lecherously. "Oh, and you give me hell for having a drink with the captain's daughter, huh?"

Elsa's was one of exasperation. "Should I sleep in the living room...leave the bedroom free for you and...whoever?"

"Whoa, hold on here!" Rapunzel replied indignantly to both statements. First, she addressed Anna with a knowing grin. "Oh, so that's what you were doing last night, huh?" Anna blushed again, suddenly finding the Specials Menu fascinating. Right after that, the brunette spoke to Elsa. "I wouldn't do that. What's going on with you, anyway? Is this about Mulan?"

Elsa blanched, tugging at her scarf uncomfortably. "Maybe...I...I'm sorry."

Eyes softening, Rapunzel reached a hand across the table. Just before she made contact, Elsa jerked hers back against her chest. The brunette looked at her cousin, the hurt evident in her eyes. "Don't apologize, nerdface. Just tell me. Tell us."

Elsa looked around the restaurant. It was considerably more crowded than when they first arrived. "Later?" Rapunzel nodded hesitantly, giving the blonde a small smile. "Sorry...ah fuck, I did it again. I'm just bad at communicating over long distance." Elsa timidly tapped her index fingers together several times.

"You don't say." Rapunzel deadpanned, immediately regretting her little quip when Elsa's face fell further. "Hey, no. I...We know that isn't your strong suit. Mulan will be okay. But...later." The brunette dropped the topic completely.

Elsa looked down at her disheveled scarf miserably. Her breath caught in her throat when soft, freckled hands brushed against her collarbone as they untied the fabric.

"Let me get that for you, Els." Anna breathed softly, hands working to quickly retie the scarf. Completing her task, Anna addressed both girls. "Well, after this, I'm getting a tour of the ship."

"Oh, just you?" Rapunzel asked, stomach clenching in a nauseating manner. "I'm guessing this is more of a private tour?"

Anna rolled her eyes, groaning, "Yes, Meg is gonna show me around. I'll meet up with both of you for the ballroom dancing tonight though. Supergirl promise." The redhead finished by making a heart sign with her hands and kissing it.

A pale hand squeezed Anna's bare shoulder gently. Elsa muttered, "Have fun on your tour, Anna." Her stomach sank. "And have fun...doing...whatever." The blonde woman clearly looked uncomfortable.

Anna shook her head, smiling faintly at her sister. "Elsa, you don't have to joke about it. If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to mention it at all."

Elsa looked away, blushing lightly. She mumbled, "It doesn't make me uncomfortable. I just...you aren't a kid any more, but I'll still worry."

"And that's why I love you." Anna whispered, leaning over and kissing her sister's cheek.

Rapunzel cooed sweetly. "Aww, you two are just way too adorbs!" She was about to toss out another embarrassing compliment, but the arrival of Ashley with their drinks put all conversation on hold. "Holy hell, these look fucking delicious!" the brunette exclaimed, wasting no time in diving into hers.

Elsa chuckled, glancing over at Anna. "Maybe I'll draw on the balcony a little...maybe borrow your music?"

Anna's cheeks pinked. "If you think my dumb old albums would help, then of course." She sipped on her mint drink giddily, eager to expose Elsa to her eclectic musical tastes. The blonde woman also made a mental note to call Mulan after they were done ballroom dancing. She could only pray that she would make it through the event with a minimum of actual dancing.

Elsa sighed, zipping up her jacket as she added another clip to the unfinished hotel draft she was working on. The wind had been getting progressively more intense over the last hour, and the blonde woman had already packed away Anna's record player. She was strongly considering putting her design on hold until the ocean gale calmed down, although it was providing a much needed distraction from the conflicts waging war in her mind.

There aren't any conflicts. Call your girlfriend and drop the disgusting love for your cousin. I'd also include your sister, but you've come dangerously close on more than one occasion with Rapunzel.

Elsa unceremoniously smacked her head against the drawing board with a frustrated groan. The dull throb that echoed through her skull was not pleasant, but at least it shut up the venomous voice in her mind.

"Is that what they mean by 'back to the drawing board' ?" Delores asked from the balcony to Elsa's left. The blonde woman's head whipped around and she nearly dropped her pencil in surprise. Delores and Ivan were seated at their outdoor table, each one holding a book.

"H...hi! Ivan, Delores. I...um." Elsa floundered for something appropriate to say, at length settling on, "How long have you been outside?"

Ivan smiled faintly, folding the current page in his book and closing it before responding, "We heard you dragging your desk and record player outside over an hour ago."

Elsa looked away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry I didn't see you there. I hope I wasn't too annoying...or loud." The wind caught a free corner of her sketch, causing it to flap freely. She groaned in frustration, slapping another clip onto the piece of newsprint.

Delores waved a hand dismissively. "We enjoyed the music you were playing, and by the time we wanted to say 'hello', you were already so involved with your project there that neither of us wanted to interrupt." The older woman rose from her chair and made her way over to the railing that divided the two balconies. "May I?"

Elsa nodded dumbly, turning her desk around and pulling it towards the railing so that her neighbors could get a proper look. "It's nothing, really. I had a little idea for a hotel...it'll probably end up in the trash with many others."

"You really do talk down on yourself a lot, don't you?" Delores offered a small, sympathetic smile. Elsa looked down awkwardly and mumbled an apology. "You also tend to apologize quite often."

"God damnit!" Elsa groaned, smacking her drafting table and smearing the roof of her hotel design.

Ivan looked over at his partner pointedly. "Dear, maybe you shouldn't…"

Elsa interrupted the man quickly, massaging her temples in frustration. "No, no, I'm s...I'm just mad and confused. Mostly confused."

Delores folded her forearms on the railing and raised her eyebrows in curiosity. Elsa's shoulders slumped, and she spun her chair around to face the older woman. "I'm...right now I'm in the process of screwing things up fabulously."

"Fabulously?" Delores echoed sympathetically. "Talk to me, dear."

Shrugging helplessly, Elsa heard the words just spilling out of her mouth. "I have an amazing girlfriend, but she's the first relationship I've ever had. I really like her, but...like a horrible person, I think I'm cheating on her."

"You think?" Delores asked, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "What are your rules of cheating with your beau at home?"

"Rules?" Elsa reiterated. She pondered the word for a few moments, before smacking her forehead. "Yeah, rules. Apparently I need rules. But, I guess...you name it. Hugging, holding hands...cuddling…" The blonde woman as she listed off her cheating criteria.

Meeting Elsa's eyes without blinking, Delores continued. "And...it's with one of your friends, perhaps?"

Oh my, she is good. But only one? Be honest now, you filthy woman.

Elsa cringed. "Y...yes. One of them. I...I don't know what I'm doing." She felt hot tears prick the corners of her eyes, and her hands gripped the edges of her seat tremulously.

Delores spoke quickly, but forcefully. "Elsa. A little bit of advice. We all mess up. We have before, we probably are right now, and we will continue to. Do you know why?" she asked, knocking gently on the ivory railing.

Elsa looked up in shame. "Because we aren't horrible, disgusting people?" she blurted out.

The older woman shook her head sadly. "Because we are people. We're people, and messing up fabulously is what we do. It's how we learn...learn about who we are and who we aren't."

Smiling bitterly as she felt the first tear slide down her cheek, Elsa muttered, "And the people who we hurt are just...necessary casualties?"

Delores returned the blonde woman's wry smile. "Sometimes...sometimes, they are. And sometimes, they're also messing up, either in big ways or in small ways. The point is...you mess up, you figure it out, and you learn. Don't be afraid to mess up."

"And if somebody ends up hating me because of it?" Elsa croaked, wiping the heel of her hands at her eyes in frustration.

"Then...then they weren't your real friend. They weren't your real family. They didn't really love you." The older woman leaned over the railing to rub Elsa's head affectionately. "Whether you want to save your relationship back home, or pursue one out here, coming clean is the best thing you can do. Even if, or even when, somebody is hurt because of it."

Good. Do that. Hurt Rapunzel and try, try to be normal.

Elsa sniffled twice, followed by several hacking coughs. "Th...thanks. I really needed that."

Delores shook her head. "Remember, we're all messing up, every day. I still mess up."

"She messed up this morning. Didn't you, honey?" Ivan said with a cheeky grin. Delores turned and walked over to him, snatching his hand and yanking him to a standing position.

The older woman turned to Elsa one last time, ending with, "We all screw up. The key is in what we learn and how we apply that which determines if we can be happy." Immediately after finishing, Delores yanked her partner back inside the balcony.

"Oh shit, looks like I messed up now!" Ivan chuckled, before he, too, disappeared from Elsa's view.

The blonde woman shook her head, drawing her knees to her chest on the chair. The wind had begun to die down, and she merely sat with her thoughts for awhile. The only thing she knew for sure was, "Yeah, I should call Mulan and see how she's doing. Then...then get ready for ballroom dancing with my girls."

Anna strolled casually through the 'mall' of the Crystal Serenity, eyeing the various stores she passed. The young woman had traded her sleeveless black dress for jeans and a hoodie, on the off chance that Meg would have her crawling through vents on this 'mystery tour'. She had another two hours to kill before ballroom dancing later in the afternoon, but more importantly, she was already eager to get back to Elsa and Rapunzel to see if they'd worked anything out.

"Okay, so here's the Avenue Saloon." Anna mused, passing by the ornate oak saloon-style doors. A cursory glance inside revealed an 1800s style bar that almost made her want to pick up a cowgirl outfit and make the scene. "And to the right...yep, there's the Connoisseur Club." the redhead muttered. The strong odor of wine wafted from the doorway, and the club itself seemed to be rather dark.

"They've got a lot of cheese in there too, of course." Meg said, surprising Anna and causing the redhead to turn around quickly. "Great place to get drunk in the dark and have a nice, long nap."

"I slept plenty." Anna replied, waving and approaching her chestnut haired tour guide. Meg was wearing a black, collared shirt with the front tied off, and a maroon skirt. Edges of a blue sports bra peeked out around the shirt's low buttoned collar. The freckled young woman quickly averted her eyes, blushing profusely.

Meg chuckled. "Looks like you've already started your own tour." Turning around, the teenager beckoned Anna to follow her down the hall between the two alcohol venues. Anna stuffed her hands deep in her pockets, doing her best to look to the left and right at the different stores Meg talked about, but always found her eyes drifting back to the younger woman's shapely behind.

Anna whistled idly. Several staff members came down the hall towards them, pushing carts full of dishwasher-bound dishes. They quickly moved to one side when they saw Meg talking animatedly and pointing at a row of ivory statues on the wall. The two young women walked by the dishroom workers, each one nodding at Meg, who gave them a playful salute and the command, "At ease, gentlemen.

Pursing her lips, and waiting for a break in Meg's explanations, Anna hazarded a guess. "Military brat?"

Meg ran a hand through her luscious hair and laughed. "Full-time brat, actually. But yeah, daddy did twenty in the Navy before signing up with Crystal Serenity. That was right about the time he left mom, too." Anna offered her sympathies, and the teenager shrugged in return. "If people don't get along, they shouldn't be together. Anyway, dad's plan is to do another twenty for this company, then accept the 'room until you're dead' retirement plan."

"Wow." Anna breathed. "I didn't know cruise ships did that. There are certainly worse ways to go."

Meg nodded. "You should consider yourself lucky. I only give this tour to one person per trip." She abruptly turned left, heading down a dark hallway. Anna gamely followed.

Anna smirked sardonically. "It's my first cruise, too. How high are you gonna set the bar for my future ones?" Her breath caught in her throat when Meg turned and beckoned her closer.

The younger woman spoke lowly in the dim light. "Oh, a ship virgin?" She gave Anna a knowing grin. "I hope that's the only thing you still have your V-card for." Meg hooked two fingers in Anna's front-jeans belt loop, pulling her within a breath's distance.

"Don't worry. I'm sure I can teach you a thing or two." Anna whispered hotly. Meg's eyes lit up, and she deftly swiped her room key behind her back.

Meg yanked Anna into her suite, with the redhead letting out a startled giggle as she was hauled in like a sack of potatoes. The redhead's left foot found the door, which she kicked shut absentmindedly, throwing the two of them into pitch blacnkess.

"Couldn't wait 'til I hit the light, Dusty?" Meg quipped, breath hot against Anna's ear.

Anna shivered, sliding her hands up the other woman's back. "You need to be able to see to do this?" she fired back playfully.

Meg's response was to spin Anna around and push her away. The redhead stumbled, letting out an undignified squawk when she tripped and landed on something soft. Soft and bouncy. Anna's eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and she watched Meg strip off her shirt.

"You're in my room, Dusty. I'm the master here." the brunette's sultry voice sent shivers up Anna's spine, and she idly kicked off her sneakers.

"Oh...boy." Anna whispered, before Meg quickly closed the distance between them with a bruising kiss.

It had been awhile since Rapunzel had done a painting exercise that required only blues, greens, browns, and blacks. She stretched her arms over her head briefly, groaning at the several pops in her back. Several other artists in the large room smiled at her in sympathetic understanding, before returning to their own easels.

"Oh, there's our friend the whale shark!" the instructor, a middle-aged man with a bluetooth earpiece, exclaimed while he continued slowly pacing around the artists. Easels were set up at equal intervals around a thick plexiglass floor, concave in design and allowing for a clear view many meters below the ship. The sun's rays still penetrated the water at that depth, but brighter blues and greens quickly became murky, dark blues, fading off into the expansive depth of the ocean.

Rapunzel gasped gleefully as she watched the whale shark circle the viewing dome several times, before swimming off in disinterest. Her hand was painting of its own accord, and she'd already received both praise and advice from her knowledgeable instructor. "Oh, Ariel would get a kick out of this. I'll have to make a print of this one and mail it to her." she thought happily. The San Francisco Bay Aquarium was a nice place for aquatic life painting studies, but this expansive viewing arena topped anything her hometown had to offer in the way of sea life observation.

The brunette was also able to do a fair amount of thinking regarding her situation with Elsa. "Don't pressure her. Just have fun. Don't get in the way of what she wants with her girlfriend. But, she's so...Elsa."

Rapunzel sighed in frustration, swirling more brown into her little whale shark replica. A quick check of her watch revealed there was a bit less than an hour until ballroom dancing. Pursing her lips, she started adding the day's finishing touches on her oceanscape. There would be more time to paint later. For now, she wanted to get back to enjoying vacation with her cousins. Assuming Anna wasn't handcuffed to Meg's bed as some kind of love slave. Rapunzel frowned sourly, thinking, "Down, girl. Handle one illegal infatuation at a time."

"Elsa...hello." Mulan's soft voice came through only slightly distorted.

Elsa's pale hands cradled her cell phone to her ear, holding it as though it were as soft and fragile as the voice on the other end sounded. "Hi. I'm...sorry if I'm interrupting your institute work." she said, curled up on the leather recliner in the living room.

"It is no problem. I am happy to hear from you." Mulan's voice sounded warm and encouraging.

"Did you get the pictures I sent?" Elsa asked nervously.

Mulan laughed lightly, and the sound made Elsa's stomach twist unpleasantly. "Yes, I did. It looks like you are on quite an amazing ship! I am not sure I even want to hazard a guess as to how much a room such as yours costs."

Elsa shook her head, giggling nervously. "No, you really don't. This is only a one-time thing for Rapunzel, I think."

"How is she enjoying the trip? And how is your sister?" Elsa swallowed thickly. She wasn't actively trying to read anything into Mulan's tone or words. It just seemed to come automatic. As did the blonde woman's guilt.

"They're fine, they're both staying very busy. In fact, I hardly see them some days!" Elsa stammered, laughing uncomfortably at the end of her statement. Her hands felt cold and clammy. The negative voice in her head tormented her.

She knows. She's trained to read people, even if she can't see them. This is your chance to tell her, to come clean. To agree on rules.

Elsa bit her bottom lip nervously. There was a several second lull in the conversation, before Mulan breathed, "I am glad you are having fun. I cannot lie, though. I have missed holding your hand these last few days."

"M...me too." Elsa muttered, voice cracking in the middle as she forced back guilty tears. "M-Mulan!" her voice stammered out suddenly.

"Yes?" the soft voice replied, now with a hint of concern. "Are you okay?"

"I…" Elsa floundered momentarily. "I have a question. If...if I hold somebody's. I mean. Do you not want me to hold other peoples' hands?" The blonde woman felt nauseous at the half-measure she'd taken, but it was the only thing her brain could force her mouth to say.

Mulan's breathing on the other end of the line sounded louder for a few moments. At length, she spoke. "I am not sure I understand."

"I just…" Elsa began again, wracking her brain for a safe way to phrase her concern. "Is it...is it cheating?" The blonde woman's voice was very small, and almost childlike when she posed the question. She quickly tried to explain herself. "You know, because I...the no sex, thing. So things like holding hands...with you. Hugging you." Elsa trailed off lamely, praying for her girlfriend to take the metaphorical ball and run with it.

Which is, thankfully, just what Mulan did. "I think I understand what you are asking. Do you want...rules? For our relationship?"

Elsa exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Yes. I guess. I mean, I don't...I don't really understand how this works." Her subconscious lashed out at her.

You damn well do. You know what she's going to say.

Shaking her head violently, Elsa tried her best to finish her thought while controlling her rapid breathing. "I don't want to accidentally cheat on you. Should there be things...physical things, I mean...that are only for you and me?"

"That is a difficult question, Elsa." Mulan replied, a small amount of strain in the older woman's voice. "My first instinct would be to consider the intent of the action. If we are pursuing a romantic relationship, and you hold my hand, it is with romantic intent. On the other hand, if you will pardon the pun, if you hold hands with a friend. Well. That is not romantic intent, correct?"

Elsa shuddered, wrapping her right arm around her nauseous stomach. "With a friend. No, that's not romantic intent. I see what you're saying. That's a helpful way to think about it."

The two remained on the line for another thirty seconds without speaking. Elsa merely listened to the sound of her girlfriend's breathing. At length, Mulan quietly said, "Is that okay? I mean, is that agreeable for you?"

"Yes." Elsa whispered hotly, fighting back guilty tears. "Yes, that is a great help. You are a great help. You...thank you."

Mulan sighed. "You sound tired. Perhaps you should turn in early tonight and get a good night's sleep before tomorrow's activities."

Elsa nodded, feeling thoroughly exhausted. Suddenly, she spoke up loudly. "Wait! How are you? How are...things?" she finished lamely, guilt washing over her.

Mulan's giggle made the blonde woman's heart flutter and wrench. "I am fine. Work is extra busy, as students always face additional stress from final exams. But I am fine." A pause, several breaths, followed by, "I miss you."

"I miss you too." Elsa mumbled hotly, voice cracking on the last word.

"Perhaps I will call you tomorrow, or the day after?" Mulan asked quietly.

Elsa nodded for several moments, before smacking her forehead in self derision. "Yeah...that would be nice. I'll talk to you then. Soon. Then. Okay, take care."

"You take care too, Elsa. Bye bye." Mulan spoke warmly.

"Bye." Elsa's voice sounded tired and defeated as she heard her girlfriend hang up on the other end. The blonde woman sat on the chair, breathing heavily for a few minutes. She did all she could to calm her thudding heart and ease her rapid breathing.

After another ten minutes, she checked her watch. "Oh, the girls will be back soon to change. I should get...cleaned up." she muttered. Rubbing her eyes one last time, Elsa slowly stood up and tromped over to the bathroom. She was quite sure she would be greeted by a red eyed, puffy-cheeked mess, and the last thing she wanted to do was worry Anna or Rapunzel any more. Especially Rapunzel. Elsa's heart squeezed again. The young woman could not tell if it was unpleasantly or pleasantly.

You knew Mulan would talk about intent. You knew because you know your intent towards Rapunzel. You liar.

Rapunzel chuckled, walking over to where Elsa was seated on the living room sofa, fiddling with her half-tied scarf. "Let me see that thing, nerd face. I may not have Anna's knot tying skill, but I'm sure I can manage." Sitting down on the sofa next to her smartly dressed cousin, Rapunzel slowly grasped the half-done knot on the collar, and breathed a silent sigh of relief when Elsa did not jerk away. "Did you try texting her again?" the brunette asked softly.

"Yeah." Elsa replied, checking her phone for the tenth time that afternoon. She felt Rapunzel's knuckles brush against the nape of her neck, but she honestly didn't have the energy to avoid all contact. Plus, as much as it shamed her to admit, her brunette cousin looked absolutely stunning in her orange and magenta strapless dress. A smattering of freckles on the fair skin of Rapunzel's chest caught Elsa's eye, before she looked away in embarrassment. "Her freckles are almost as prominent as Anna's." Coughing as she made a display of flipping through her phone's texts again, she added, "I texted her three times. That must be some tour she's getting."

"Yeah." Rapunzel added mopily, finishing the fancy scarf knot and leaning back to appraise her work. "It'll work, I guess."

Elsa looked down, nodding and smiling in approval. "That more than works. Thank you." she said warmly, meeting her cousin's gaze.

Rapunzel quickly looked away, blushing heavily. "S'no problem, nerdface. But I think we can only wait five, maybe ten more minutes, for our tardy Banana."

As if on cue, the door burst open and Anna stumbled into the living room, wild-eyed and hair a hot mess. "Guys!" She spluttered, catching herself on the ivory framed coffee table in front of the sofa the other two girls sat on. "You're ready to go!"

"And you aren't!" Rapunzel chided, grinning and eyes twinkling. Elsa looked at Anna and, noticing makeup smudge marks on the redhead's jawline and neck, looked down at the floor awkwardly.

"Just hold on! I'll be ten minutes, tops!" Anna assured them, shrugging off her turtleneck and running right into the wall next to the bedroom doorway.

"To your left, Banana!" Rapunzel cried, bursting into laughter. Elsa had just looked up again, only to catch a view of Anna's shirtless, bare back, complete with several more kiss marks. Rapunzel howled mirthfully again. "Somebody forgot their bra somewhere!"

Elsa and Rapunzel watched Anna fall into the bedroom, heard the shuffling of her shedding the rest of her clothing, punctuated by squeals of "Fuck!" and "God damnit Meg!" The sound of running water filled the penthouse soon afterwards, and Rapunzel sighed.

The brunette swallowed thickly, burying the usual feelings of jealousy, and turned to Elsa. Putting an arm on the blonde woman's bicep, Rapunzel gave her a sympathetic smile. "Sorry about that. Not something you're entirely comfortable with, I'm sure."

Elsa's shoulders slumped, and she leaned into Rapunzel's touch, causing the brunette's heart to thud pleasantly. At length, the older woman replied, "No, it's good...I guess she had a good time. We should all try to have...a good time."

"I think tonight I'd rather just have a good time with you." Rapunzel whispered thoughtfully, before blanching and backtracking madly. "I mean...not like that, of course you're asexual and I mean fun dancing! Yes, dancing!" The brunette slapped both hands to her face in mortification.

She was so embarrassed that she barely heard Elsa's quiet reply. "I'd like to have fun too...and just spend some time with you."

Rapunzel slowly withdrew her hands from her beet red face. "I think you just like watching me act like a damn fool."

"You're acting?" Elsa quipped wryly, giggling as she got a hard shoulder nudge from her cousin.

"Nerdface." Rapunzel retorted, feeling a goofy smile grow on her face.

"Hey, I hear yelling out there!" Anna cried out from the shower, slapping at the water knobs ineffectively as she desperately tried to blink the last bit of shampoo out of her eyes. "Are you trying to make me slip and bust my head open?!" Snatching a towel from the rack, the redhead quickly began drying off. "I'm blind and I'm late and you're having fun without me!" Anna bleated hotly. She was not about to be the one who caused them to be late to the dance.

The ballroom dance floor was divided into two sections. On the left, the more experienced and knowledgeable dancers performed tangos, foxtrots, waltzes, and whatever other dances were appropriate for the varying music selections. The right side was reserved for more 'freeform' styles of dance. Or, in the case of Rapunzel and Anna, people, who just wanted a reason to hang onto each other and wiggle around.

"Oh, hey, you still have a little makeup right here." Rapunzel grinned, moving one hand from Anna's lower back to wiggle her nose playfully. Anna scrunched her nose, before releasing a jarring sneeze. "Oh yeah, that's exactly what I needed." the brunette chuckled sarcastically, rubbing the spittle off of her neck.

"Sorry." Anna ducked her head guiltily, before snarking back, "Maybe you should've just funny kissed it instead." The redhead made a kissy face, smooching noises included.

"Oh, I would, but I wouldn't want the queen of the boat to get pissy at me for horning in on her action." Rapunzel shot back, spotting Meg dancing with a guy on the proficient dancers' side.

"Oh, god." Anna groaned, resting her forehead against her cousin's neck. "She's fucking exhausting."

"Pretty girl problems." Rapunzel snickered, tousling Anna's copper locks. She looked over Anna's left shoulder and spotted Elsa at the buffet table, making chit chat with another couple. "She's treating you good, right?" the brunette asked.

Anna raised her head again and nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry I've been...absent sometimes. Maybe it's frustration about Ariel being gone."

Rapunzel shrugged, pinching her cousin's freckled cheeks. "Or frustration at being gone from your little shop for so long." Anna smirked, sticking her tongue out playfully. Rapunzel continued, "Don't sweat it. Elsa and I are...alright. She's working through some stuff with Mulan, and I'm keeping an eye on her in case she needs a willing ear. We're all working through some girl issues."

"What are yours?" Anna asked, also spotting Elsa in the crowd. The blonde woman had taken a seat on the edge of the dance floor. She appeared to be turning down another gentleman's request to dance. "Yeah, that's right, scumbag. She's not interested!" Anna smiled, giving her sister a little wave, which Elsa warmly returned.

Rapunzel's shoulders sagged. "Just trying to redirect some...desires. I'd rather not get involved here." Giving her cousin a sympathetic look, she assured her, "Nothing against you and Meg. Long as she's treating you right, that's what matters." Exhaling loudly, the brunette thought, "Even if I don't like it. I've got enough...too much...on my plate right now,"

Anna nodded, and the two continued to dance close together for another several songs. At length, Rapunzel whispered, "Do you wanna try to get Elsa out here for a group dance?"

Anna nodded gleefully. "We've been here awhile. She might be comfortable enough to shake her money maker for a little bit."

Pulling away, Rapunzel let out a guffaw. "Money maker. You've been dipping into your eighties albums too much lately, I think." Anna laughed as well, and the two slowly made their way over to the edge of the dance floor in time with the music. They had almost broken through the crowd of dancers, when Rapunzel felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Excuse me, sunshine." Meg said, sporting her day one pink and maroon dress. "Mind if I cut in for a dance?"

Rapunzel locked eyes with Anna for a moment, and the younger woman shrugged. "You get Elsa out here, and I'll take care of this dork." the redhead grinned, squeezing her cousin's hand.

Meg stepped in front of Rapunzel, turning back to her with a wink. "By the way, loving that dress there, sunshine."

"Likewise." Rapunzel muttered, folding her arms and arching an unimpressed eyebrow, while Meg swept Anna skillfully back onto the dance floor. "Megabitch." her jealous mind insisted.

"So I am a dork, now am I?" Meg pouted, twirling Anna gracefully.

"You're a dork because your lipstick just doesn't quit." Anna shot back with an exasperated smile. She stumbled as she did her best to complete the twirl. "Side note: I know less than nothing about formal dance, so any fancy moves you try to pull might end up with me on the floor and a broken ankle."

Pulling Anna extra close, Meg gave her a sultry whisper, "Well then, I better keep things simple. I need you fresh and healthy for tonight's main course." She kissed the redhead's neck, causing Anna's breath to hitch. "At least, if this afternoon's appetizer was any indication of what's still to come."

Anna nearly stumbled, flushing sweetly and fighting not to let it show. This push and pull with Meg was exciting, but also exhausting. "We'll just have to wait and see. What are your thoughts for tonight?" she mumbled warmly.

While Meg talked about the different places they could eat, as well as after hours spots for drinks, Anna's eyes drifted over to Elsa and Rapunzel. The brunette had just reached her sister, and was trying to coax her onto the dance floor. Elsa bashfully had her arms folded across her chest, but was obviously trying not to laugh.

Anna watched Rapunzel get down on her knees and begin openly pleading. She heard the brunette's hilarious imitation of a heartbroken voice. "Truly, you are the prettiest girl in the world! If you would grace me with just one dance, I could die happily!" Anna nearly snorted out a laugh when she saw her cousin turn to another couple and address them.

"Excuse me! Could you guys please help me convince this wonderful woman to dance

with me?" They politely ignored her, so Rapunzel turned to another couple. Before she could address them, Elsa had grabbed her cousin's shoulders and muttered hotly, "I'll dance with you! Stop embarrassing yourself!"

Anna chuckled, smiling warmly at their exchange. "...then I know this great club on Jupiter, it's a little dry, but the monkeys smell great." Meg finished sarcastically. Anna just caught the end of her lover's statement, and jerked her attention back.

"Wait, what?" Anna spluttered, blushing sheepishly.

"Uh huh, figured I lost you." Meg laughed, shaking her head. "We can do this another time, if you'd rather hang out with your little friends."

Anna pouted. Rapunzel was shimmying in circles around Elsa, who was bringing back her Texas Two-step, and the redhead felt a strong desire to spend the evening with them. But they were both laughing, and the both just looked so happy.

"No, no." Anna whispered, drawing closer to the chestnut haired young woman. "Like you said, today was only the appetizer. I'm excited to see what's in store for our main course." Her hands went to the small of Meg's back, scratching the maroon waistband lightly. She felt the younger woman shiver in anticipation, and quashed the feeling that she was going to be missing out on...something between Elsa and Rapunzel that night. The two danced off deeper into the crowd, leaving the blonde and the brunette on the edge of the dance floor.

"Now you're making fun of me." Elsa pouted, blushing as Rapunzel's hands squeezed hers tenderly. She was suddenly, extraordinarily self conscious of her simple, safe, back and forth steps and swaying hands. Now that her cousin was matching her movements, while holding her hands, no less, the blonde woman felt burdened.

Rapunzel smiled sympathetically at her nervous cousin. "I'm sorry if this makes you nervous. I'm just...I'd like to dance with you, and at your speed." She wiggled Elsa's rigid arms playfully, sighing.

"It's not so much the dancing as it is...the touching." Elsa mumbled, face downcast but keeping her eyes on her cousin's reaction.

Rapunzel's eyes widened, and she tried to restrain the hurt she felt. "Hey...I'm sorry. If I've been crossing any boundaries lately, or at all. Ever." She released her hold on Elsa's hands and stepped back a foot. She did keep mimicking Elsa's dance movements, even if they were done with less enthusiasm now. "I know you've been figuring out things with Mulan...and...I'd rather be a help with that than a hindrance."

Elsa looked at her now empty hands. She felt the warmth of Rapunzel's touch seeping out of her skin, and it made her indescribably sad.

Don't talk to her about this. Don't.

Elsa shook her head, took an unsteady breath, and looked her cousin in the eyes. "Do you want to know what I talked to her about?" Her voice was unsteady, but she kept dancing.

Rapunzel shrugged helplessly. "Only if it's not going to make any more of a mess." The brunette wrung her hands together, still moving from side to side. The dance was nearing its end, and the ballroom crowd was starting to thin up, giving the two of them more room.

The brunette was surprised when Elsa gave a wavering chuckle. "Somebody recently told me that messing up is a part of life. If you aren't messing up now and then, you aren't being true to yourself." Elsa closed her eyes, while not losing her rhythm, and muttered, "I spoke with Mulan about cheating. Cheating in a relationship and...and how I feel like I'm cheating on her."

Rapunzel's eyebrows shot up, and she nearly stopped dancing. "Cheating?!" she whispered hotly. "Have...with who?!"

"It doesn't…" Elsa began but then she remember her cousin telling her to be brave, nearly two months prior. "With you. And Anna, but…" Rapunzel had stopped dancing completely, arms slack at her sides. "Punzie!" Elsa whispered hotly, grabbing the brunette's hands and dancing side to side with her until Rapunzel began to move with her.

"What...do you mean?" Rapunzel asked, voice sounding monotone and distant.

You're destroying her. Right. Now.

"It's...look, I need rules for my relationship." Elsa explained hurriedly, feeling her palms grow sweaty. "I like to hold hands, hug, and sometimes cuddle with Mulan. You know. The 'no sex' thing." Elsa explained, and was relieved to see Rapunzel blink and shake her head lightly.

Rapunzel coughed, before saying, "You're talking about intent, right?" Elsa nodded, worry fading from her features a bit. The brunette relaxed slightly as well, squeezing Elsa's hands. "Okay nerdface, let me tell you a little story. Do you remember several years ago, when I got into a relationship with two people...at the same time?"

Elsa nodded, having temporarily forgotten about her discomfort with touching. Her body shivered with delight now that Rapunzel was holding her hands again.

"The three of us were together. Incoming sex alert: the three of us had sex together, and in the same bed. We had an agreement that we wouldn't have sex with anybody else...that was a rule." Rapunzel explained, watching Elsa's face and thankfully only noticing a hint of discomfort. "But that didn't mean we couldn't see other people. I dated a handful of other people, off and on, while the three of us were living together."

Elsa nodded, blinking several times. "Wow, poly really means poly." she muttered, before stammering out an apology. "Wait, no I didn't mean that in a bad way, I just...go on, please." The blonde woman shook her head in self exasperation, and Rapunzel giggled before continuing.

"No offense taken, nerdface. Anyway, yeah, that was a rule. No sex, but yes to hugging and hand holding and cuddling. And, the intent could be platonic or romantic." Rapunzel's thumbs gently pressed against the tops of Elsa's hands, and the brunette watched her cousin taking in the story as if she was learning from a teacher.

"And that worked?" Elsa asked, not incredulously, but still with a note of surprise in her voice.

Rapunzel nodded, inching closer to her cousin. "It worked for us. It worked because the rules were clear, the intent was clear, and there was trust. Does Mulan trust you?"

"Yes...I think, I mean. She's been so accommodating." Elsa said, looking down derisively. "I don't know what I did to earn that trust."

Rapunzel looked at her cousin with a dry smirk. "You mean, aside from saving her life?" Elsa shrugged noncommittally. "Alright, so you're worried about cheating on your girlfriend." The brunette's heart sank at the last word. "You don't have sex, and right now you're limited on the ways you can show love physically. This is where intent is important, and in this case, is your friend." Her throat grew dry, and her heart began to thud furiously. "What is your intent towards Mulan?" Rapunzel asked Elsa at length, feeling suddenly queasy.

Elsa also felt dizzy and disoriented. She muttered, "Can...can we please go sit down first?" Rapunzel nodded dumbly, and the two young women made their way over to leather recliners facing a window that looked out onto the expansive Pacific Ocean.

Body abuzz with unusual nervous energy, Rapunzel gripped her chair by the armrests and turned it until she was facing Elsa at an angle. Elsa merely plopped down on her seat, weary, but frazzled.

At length, Elsa spoke. "I think I love Mulan. I don't know. But she's my girlfriend, so my intent towards her is romantic." The blonde woman nodded at her sound logic.

Rapunzel pursed her lips, willing herself not to run back to her room crying. She forced a neutral expression onto her face. "Remember, Elsie. Just because you're dating somebody doesn't mean that feelings automatically come with that label. They develop over time. However…" Her dress bunched up around her thighs as she slouched back in the recliner, covering her face with her hands. Several pinches of her own cheeks, as well as two deep breaths, later, she sat up again and looked Elsa right in the eyes. "Easy question. What is your intent towards me?" It was a miracle that the words came out as light and carefree as they did. "This is it." The brunette's mind prepared her. "Here's where she snuffs out the little flame of hope that one dark corner of your mind held onto. Do not cry. Do not run away. Be here for Elsa."

Elsa blinked twice. Her heart hammered relentlessly in her chest. She saw her cousin in front of her, and everything else just faded from sight. "I...I'm sorry, what?"

Rapunzel bit her bottom lip, refusing to let it quiver. "This isn't a trick question, Elsie. You love her romantically. You love me platonically. They're two different expressions of love." She placed a shakey hand on Elsa's knee, and the blonde woman didn't even flinch. "One isn't bigger or smaller than the other, they're just different. You make your own rules for how you express each, in and out of a relationship."

"I…" Elsa drank in her cousin. Every little bit of her. Lopsided grin, unruly brown hair, calloused hands, knobbly knees. Sunshine, love, and bravery. Selfless support. Bodyguard. Hero. Love. The blonde woman's lips quivered uncontrollably, and hot tears ran down her cheeks. "Ahh?!" she exclaimed dumbly, looking around in confusion.

Rapunzel also teared up, feeling her cheeks scrunch in heartbreaking sadness for herself and worry for her sad cousin. "Elsie...no, sweetie, don't cry. It's okay...it's g-good. You'd never hurt anybody...you didn't want…" Tenderly she pressed a clammy hand to Elsa's face, thumb brushing tears away.

Elsa jerked away, throwing her body back against the recliner. "I love you." she croaked, raspy voice pulling the words up from out of her gut. She winced as tears continued to fall. Her throat burned as though just saying the words scratched it to hell.

Rapunzel leaned forward, a trembling frown now shining through. "You don't want me to touch you then? That...that's a rule?" The brunette's facial muscles spasmed, quickly alternating between a heartbreaking smile and a quivering frown. She held up her hands in a placating gesture, vision blurry and heart aching. "Okay. That's...I love you and respect your ruh...rules."

"Stop." Elsa's guttural cry dug into Rapunzel's heart. The blonde's hands were stark white from gripping the armrests. "I love you."

Go drown yourself in the fucking ocean, you disgusting monster.

Rapunzel was outright crying now. "Oh...oh...okay, I…"

"I've loved you for years. I cuh...can't hide it any more." Elsa pushed herself up, legs trembling. She looked down at her cousin, cheeks wet with tears and eyes puffy and red.

She'll hate you. She'll tell Anna. Everyone who matters will hate you.

"I don't care!" Elsa spat. Her vision blurred, and Rapunzel tried to stand up. "No. S...stay. Don't come up...to the room. I'm disgusting." With that, Elsa wandered off unsteadily across the now empty ballroom dance floor.

Rapunzel sat on the recliner, mind feeling as though it was made of mud. Thoughts conflicted with each other, rammed into one another, tore her rationality apart. Gradually, tears stopped falling. Voices in her mind faded, thoughts grew still. One small voice remained.

"She said she loves you. Do not leave her alone."

Rapunzel felt her dress tear. A long, jagged slit from the end all the way to her upper thigh. Another small voice complained quietly. "Great, there goes a six hundred dollar dress." The voice was instantly relegated to the background. The brunette's legs were moving. Running. Sprinting. And with each footfall, the little voice in her head grew louder and more insistent. Insistently encouraging.

"Elsa loves you." it said.

"Elsa loves you." it insisted.

"Elsa loves you!" it cried.

"Elsa loves you!" it sang.

"Fuck my dress!" Rapunzel screamed, bolting down the hall towards the elevator and garnering looks from several shocked passengers.

Forking a piece of veal, Meg casually pointed the piece of meat at Anna. The redhead looked up, hands full of a greasy cheesesteak and currently taking a large bite. "What?" Anna mumbled, mouth full of bread and meat.

Meg snorted mirthfully. "Nice table manners. And compliments on the dress. You've been getting stares all evening, and not just from me."

Chewing her bite and swallowing quickly, Anna wiped her mouth with the napkin and grinned. "We aren't out to impress each other. We're out to have fun." Picking a mushroom off of her plate, she handed it over to Meg, who used her mouth to remove it, chewing the morsel languidly. "Took a guess on the mushroom." Anna snickered.

Swallowing, Meg made a vaguely disgusted face. "Well Dusty, you guessed wrong, but points for forwardness."

Anna grinned wider, taking a sip of her Vodka Cranberry Redbull, before replying, "It was my co...close friend's idea. She's really spoiling us here."

"Mmm...a sugar mama. Must be nice." Meg mused, directing her attention to the server who approached them. "Yo Chad, what's the latest?" As the chestnut haired young woman waved to her friend, she mentioned to Anna, "Ship gossip buddy of mine. I like to stay informed."

"What's up, Megasaurus?" the young blonde man in blue sunglasses said, smiling. He glanced at over to Anna, jerking a thumb. "Is this the weekly date?" Meg nodded, returning his infectious grin.

"Hi, I'm Anna...Megasaurus, really?" Anna chuckled, while shaking Chad's hand.

"She loves it." the young man insisted, swiping a mozzarella ball from Meg's plate.

She swatted his hand away. "Get somebody else's balls to put in your mouth!" Meg snapped playfully.

Chad grinned and popped the cheese into his mouth, retorting, "Had some in my mouth this morning. Heyooo!"

Shaking her head, Meg cut to the chase. "Alright, out with it, I am...on the clock." she said, winking at Anna.

"Right, okay. So apparently there was some brown haired girl running down the halls, dress torn from ankle to hip!" Chad recounted, using his hands to show the precise length of the tear in the dress. "And she's just hauling ass, yelling 'fuck my dress!'. Dunno if anybody got a video of it, though."

Meg cackled, replying sardonically, "Some bitches just lose it out at sea." She smacked Chad's butt, muttering, "Alright, scram and let us finish our dinner."

Chad skipped off with a half salute, firing back, "Later gator, don't be a hater!"

After he was out of earshot, Anna folded her hands beneath her chin, asking, "Cruise ship tabloids?!"

Meg shrugged. "Why not? New people every week means new drama every week." Tossing another mozzarella ball into her mouth, the young woman finished. "Just another way to pass the time."

Anna shook her head, shaking an index finger at her lover. She'd also begun rapidly bouncing her knees beneath the table, though she was not yet aware she was doing it. "Just another time killer...like me, huh?"

Reaching under the table to put her hands on Anna's vibrating knees, Meg winked. "Some are more fun than others. But it seems like you've got energy to spare now...wanna hit Pulse again, or shall I show you to its slightly more grungy 'cousin'?"

"Grungy cousin!" Anna cheered, quickly getting out of the booth. Her body buzzed pleasantly between the alcohol and the energy drink, however, an indiscernible melancholy hung over her mind and made the redhead's stomach turn uncomfortably. "She said 'cousin'...I wonder what Punzie and Elsa are up to. I'll spend more time with them tomorrow...still plenty of vacation time left." Anna reasoned to herself, taking Meg's hand and letting the younger woman lead her onward. A small part of her, though, felt a little bit second-rate at being categorized a 'time-killer'.

There was a frantic scrabble at the door of the girls' penthouse, before Rapunzel finally managed to swipe her key card correctly. She stumbled into the living room, trailing the torn remains of the lower half of her dress behind her. Sick of hauling the extra fabric around, she muttered, "Oh just get the fuck off." and unceremoniously tore the dress off at mid-thigh. Rubbing her eyes with the useless fabric, she was quite sure her makeup was a mess, and had absolutely zero fucks to give.

Rapunzel quietly walked through the living room, heart thudding, and wanting nothing more than to yell her older cousin's name with unrestrained joy, but she didn't know where Elsa was. Cautiously, the brunette poked her head into the bedroom. "Elsie?" she squeaked, looking around, but not seeing anyone.

The bed had been made by housekeeping, but laying on the middle pillow, was an envelope. Rapunzel walked over to the bed and took the envelope, turning it over in her hands. It had apparently been torn in two at some point, and then retaped back together. There was also...was that a snowflake sticker? "Oh my damn." Rapunzel muttered, pupils constricting as she held the envelope to her chest. "This was...it was...oh, Elsa."

Rapunzel looked up, and through the door leading to the balcony, she saw her older cousin. Elsa, with her hair down, leaning against the railing and staring out over the ocean. The wind tousled her platinum blonde hair, but she didn't pay it any mind. Rapunzel's heart swelled, but she did her best to stay calm and go slowly. For Elsa.

What do you think? Two hundred feet down? That would do the trick. If not the fall, then the near-freezing water.

"Please, it's definitely above forty degrees." Elsa argued, lacking the strength or desire to block out her subconscious.

Semantics. You don't actually intend on living now that at least one, and probably both of them, think you're a disgusting monster?

Elsa shrugged, barely feeling the forty degree chill in the air, despite the brisk breeze. "They might hate me. They probably will. I'll have to find another place to live...but no, I'm not going to fucking kill myself over this." Hugging her arms to her chest and leaning over a bit farther, she sighed. "If I was going to do that, it would've happened a long time ago."

Well, if word gets out, you can probably kiss your job goodbye. Also, your sister and cousin will probably get restraining orders on your creepy ass.

"If that's what makes them able to live comfortably, then that's fine." Elsa didn't notice the shadow at the balcony door, nor the sound of it slowly sliding open.

Maybe you'll get lucky and Mulan won't find out. She is sort of your last link to being a semi-normal person.

Elsa gritted her teeth, nodding her head and smacking her forehead on the railing. She cursed softly at the pain, but thankfully, it stopped her subconscious from assaulting her further.

"Maybe I won't be happy ever again." Elsa muttered absentmindedly. "But I will be brave and make choices...even if they are colossal fuckups."

"Don't say that." Rapunzel whispered, fresh tears stinging the corners of her eyes at hearing her cousin's statement. Her hands clenched the taped envelope behind her back.

Elsa became rigid. She turned her head only slightly to acknowledge her cousin. "I'm guessing you found the letter." The blonde woman motioned vaguely towards the murky ocean. "Go ahead and toss it overboard. I'm sure you found it disgusting."

Rapunzel scrunched her toes and clenched her hands, willing her voice to stay steady. "What I find disgusting is how long it took for you to tell me." Despite her best efforts, she stammered several times. The wind picked up a bit and the draft chilled her to the bone.

Elsa lowered her throbbing head, raking both hands through her loose, messy hair. Her knees trembled, but her voice was still unnervingly detached and sardonic. "Would you rather push me overboard?"

No replay came from Rapunzel. Elsa's shoulders sagged, and she began to feel the chill of the evening air throughout her body. "Maybe she went to burn the letter. Maybe she went to tell Anna. Maybe she-"

Strong arms wrapped firmly around Elsa's midsection. She grunted in surprise, before finding herself tipping quickly backwards. Her bottom hit the balcony deck with a muffled thump, and her back fell against something soft. Something soft...and trembling. Elsa sighed, dredging up what felt like the last bit of emotion left in her body, and wearily insisted, "Punzie...I wasn't...I'm not going to kill myself over this. I get it. You...you don't feel the same. I never expected you to. Just go back inside and…"

The blonde woman trailed off in mild confusion. Rapunzel's fingers dug into Elsa's stomach, pulling her snug against the younger woman's chest. The brunette's chin came to rest on Elsa's right shoulder, and the blonde woman's dry cheek was smooshed against her cousin's wet cheek. "She's really taking this badly, I didn't…"

"I'm more disgusted with myself as a bodyguard, for...for hurting you, because I was too scared to tell you…" Rapunzel stammered hotly, voice cracking just as she finished with, "...I love you, first."

Elsa's brain shut down. Her emotions shut down. Her body suddenly went limp, and her pupils became fully dilated in a matter of seconds. For one terrifying second, Rapunzel feared her cousin had suffered an aneurysm.

"Oh." was Elsa's monotone reply.

Rapunzel sniffled wetly, resting her chin fully on her cousin's shoulder for a full minute. In that minute, Elsa did nothing except shiver a bit. "Well, at least she didn't throw me off and claim it was a trick to reveal my disgusting feelings." The brunette thought sardonically. With that not-negative thought, Rapunzel screwed up a little more courage and whispered, "I'd kiss you to prove it, but you seem to be malfunctioning as it is."

"Oh." Elsa mumbled again. This time, her hands seemed to regain a spark of life as they slowly slid up her thighs, and came to rest atop Rapunzel's trembling hands. The older woman didn't squeeze; she just stayed right there.

Another several minutes went by. The temperature had dropped another few degrees since their confrontation had begun. Despite Rapunzel already looking like she had the flu, what with her rosy, wet cheeks and puffy, red eyes, she didn't fancy the idea of actually getting it. "Do you wanna go back inside and talk about this?" The brunette's voice was no longer tearful, having been replaced by a slight chatter of teeth.

Once more, Elsa replied with, "Oh." However, Rapunzel noticed her blonde cousin had started breathing harder. Her chest expanded and contracted more forcefully, and she was beginning to shiver as well.

Sighing in loving exasperation, Rapunzel unclasped her hands and pushed herself unsteadily to her feet. "Okay then, I'm just gonna go for a swim."

She hadn't taken two steps before Elsa's hands shot up and grasped her left forearm. Rapunzel turned and saw the first spark of emotion she'd seen in the older woman's face all night. "Dummy." Elsa breathed, teeth chatting as well. A puff of condensation escaped between her lips, followed by several more.

"We're going inside." Rapunzel whispered softly, but resolutely. Elsa responded with a small nod, hanging onto her cousin's forearm as the brunette helped haul her to her feet. Leaning against each other, the two cold and exhausted cousins slowly made their way back inside the warm penthouse.

For the remainder of the night, their sadness remained outside, tossed and tumbled on the gentle ocean breeze.

"Oh hey, you have those cute little mini alcohol of bottles here!" Anna slurred, apparently having lost her way from the bathroom back to Meg's round bed. The younger woman laid out on the bed, butt naked, with her head propped up on a hand lazily as she watched her inebriated lover navigate her suite. A thin sheen of sweat clung to Meg's back, and her mind was still abuzz from orgasm number three.

"Dusty, you are too much." Meg grinned, stifling a chuckle as Anna grew increasingly frustrated with the tongs in the ice bucket failing at gripping ice.

"Fuck you, ice!" Anna exclaimed, turning the bucket over and dumping all of the cubes over top of their glasses. Several made it inside the targets, but most slid across the counter and onto the kitchenette floor. Sloppily mixing the drinks, Anna went to pick them up, but winced as a sting shot through her right hand. "Owie owie poop!"

Meg raised a curious eyebrow. In between Anna's 'pleasure scratches', the younger woman had managed to feel the scar on her lover's palm. "So Dusty, what's the story behind that hand scar?"

Anna carefully stepped out of the kitchen, momentarily panicking when she slipped on an ice cube, but managing to regain her balance with the luck only a drunk person could have. Letting out a little cheer, she handed Meg her drink, before briefly recounting the tale of her stab wound. "I got stabbered trying to be a hero." The redhead pointed an arm vaguely in Meg's direction, proclaiming, "Be a hero, I highly recommend-end-end it!" Anna quickly downed her drink, pausing afterwards to look around in confusion. "Where's Elsa and Punzie? Oh...they're together. And I'm here. Doing...things."

Meg smiled sympathetically at her lover's clueless look. Sneaking three fingers into the waistband of Anna's Doobie Brothers panties, she gave a gentle tug, mumbling, "Get over here, cutie pie. Everything you're looking for is right in this bed."

Anna stared at the naked young woman dazedly, before giving her a crooked grin and falling forward into bed. Repositioning herself properly, the freckled woman began kissing her lover's calves tenderly, while simultaneously humming Come Away With Me by Norah Jones.

Goosebumps raised up on Meg's arms, and she sighed in contentment. "A girl could get used to this kind of treatment."

Elsa and Rapunzel were stretched out on the bed, flat on their backs, and on opposite sides. Their hands were inches apart. The two had lain down side by side after coming in from the cold, and were content to let the warmth of the room wash over their bodies. Neither had an urge to say a word.

That is, until Rapunzel whispered a hushed query. "Can I touch your hand?"

Elsa's reply came just as quiet, and a bit scratchy. "Not yet."

Rapunzel nodded minutely, replying, "Okay." The brunette's tone was light, and not at all sad.

Elsa's eyes were wide open, perhaps wider than ever before in her entire life. Her heart was also open. Uncomfortably, unbearably open and vulnerable. She brought her left hand to her face, pinching the bridge of her nose in utter exhaustion. "It's just...it's different now." The words tumbled out, burdened with multiple meanings.

Rapunzel absentmindedly pulled at a few loose threads on her torn dress, idly wondering if she should have it altered to be an ultra mini-dress. "A different love?" she asked quietly.

Elsa nodded, not caring that her cousin couldn't see her. "Yes. But also...it's you." The blonde woman's answer came out in fragments, and Rapunzel couldn't tell if it was because Elsa was choosing them carefully, or she was so exhausted that pushing them out was a chore. "It's...you. I can mess up all day long when it's just me. I've...accepted that. But, you...I'm afraid of messing things up. More." Elsa took several deep, calming breaths, before adding, "And…"

"Mulan." Rapunzel added, feeling the guilt radiating from her cousin.

"Yeah." Elsa responded weakly. "And…"

Rapunzel swallowed thickly. "The whole 'related' thing."

"Yeah." Elsa mumbled shamefully.

Wiggling on the bed a bit in an attempt to get feeling back into her feet, Rapunzel felt her dress ride up to her butt. She yanked it southwards with her right hand, doing her best to minimize any additional potential discomfort for Elsa. "Wanna just lay here for awhile?" Rapunzel said at length. She gently rubbed her left hand against the bed, attempting to rid it of the nervous sweat that was collecting there. "Why am I nervous? Oh, that's right. Because everything is new."

"Yeah." Elsa breathed raggedly. Two chests slowly rose and fell. Two sets of eyes stared up at the ceiling, and into an uncertain future. Two hearts squeezed and fluttered, dancing together in the most hesitantly hopeful of ways.

One hand crept slowly towards another. Elsa's pinky brushed lightly against Rapunzel's pinky. The brunette's entire world came grinding to a halt. She felt her cousin's little finger slide over top of hers, before curling around it and squeezing ever so gently. Second by second and minute by minute, Rapunzel's world began moving again. Her little finger closed gently, tenderly, against Elsa's. The two women let their exhaustion from the day's events carry them off to slumber.

The P.A. system on the main deck crackled to life shortly after sunrise the following day. "Good morning, passengers. We will be pulling into port at Juneau in approximately four hours, where we will be docked for the next three days. Please enjoy all that this famous port city of Alaska has to offer!" The announcement ended, and passengers who had paused to listen, resumed their morning activities.

For Elsa, that included a brisk walk around the main deck, following sunrise yoga. Now wearing tights beneath her yoga pants and a winter coat over her sleeveless top, the blonde woman could not believe how much colder it had gotten since yesterday. Watching several breaths form puffy, white mist in front of her lips, she wryly supposed there had been a hint of this morning's chill last night.

Stubbing her toes on the step leading into the main hall, Elsa cursed softly. The pain in her foot throbbed with a dull ache, but it could not erase the startlingly vivid memory she had of Rapunzel and the prior night.

"Everything has changed." Elsa thought, wringing her hands together in the warm hallway air. "Never in my wildest...alright, perhaps in my wildest dreams…" She let the small, hesitant flame of hope warm a small corner of her consciousness. It was at clear odds with the rest of her mind, in turmoil over all the ramifications their shared confession came with.

"Punzie is a grown up. She accepts responsibility for her actions. But I'll still put her first." the blonde woman realized with a wry grin. Elsa didn't...couldn't make any solid promises yet. "Does this mean...this could go horribly wrong. If we tried to date in secret, and it didn't work out…" Elsa shuddered, banishing the thought. They weren't even dating yet, after all.

Pushing the thoughts to the warm corner of her mind, the blonde woman stopped by the breakfast kiosk on her way to the elevator. Even though Anna hadn't come back last night, Elsa still picked up her favorite. "Maybe it's best that she's out having fun on her own. Rapunzel and I need some alone time if we want to have...any chance of figuring this out." She felt guilty, and a little sad, that her dear sister was pursuing other avenues of entertainment on their group cruise, but perhaps it was for the best. Elsa had more than enough on her plate as it was.

"Here you go, miss. Stay warm, and enjoy visiting Juneau today!" the server said with a smile, handing Elsa a bag of hot breakfast goodies. The blonde woman smiled and gave her thanks, before heading towards the elevator.

"Let's just...try to enjoy the town today. Keep stress at a minimum. Don't put any pressure on Punzie." The plastic bag cut into Elsa's fingers, and she casually slid the handle into her palm, while pressing the 'up' button with her other hand.

Don't let Anna find out.

Elsa nodded to herself with a grimace. That was quite possibly the worst thing that could happen at this point. The elevator opened with a 'ding'.

The breath was knocked from Elsa's lungs, when the opening door revealed Anna already inside the elevator. The copper haired woman was leaning against the back corner, eyes closed and head nodding. Her hair was down, and a verifiable mess, with dark circles underneath her eyes. She still wore her dress from last night, however, it was rumpled and disheveled an alarming amount.

Quietly, believing it was possible to not alert her sister to her presence, Elsa crept into the elevator and pressed herself against the opposite corner. She reached out and hit the 'door close' button, wincing at the impossibly loud ding that followed. The elevator began to rise.

Elsa's breath sounded extremely loud to her ears. She hazarded a sidelong glance at Anna. The freckled young woman's head was lolling gently side to side, and Elsa almost barked out a laugh at her comical nature. Messy, copper hair came to rest on freckled shoulder, and Anna slowly raised her head. Her head turned to the right, eyes fixed in a tired squint. Elsa froze, eyes locked on Anna's tired ones.

Anna leaned forward slightly, opening her eyes a microscopic amount. Elsa grimaced, offering a small wave.

"Fuck!" Anna spat, throwing herself back against the elevator wall with a loud *bang*. The collision reverberated through the metal transport, causing the cable transfer device to groan in protest.

Elsa paled, gripping the pole, both in surprise at her sister's outburst as well as dread at the elevator possibly malfunctioning. "Anna!" the blonde woman hissed, clutching her chest with her free hand. "Don't do that!"

Anna put one hand to her head, using the other to clutch the railing in a steadying gesture. "God damn...Elsa. G'morning." the redhead said lamely.

Elsa sighed, walking over to her sleepy sister and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Good morning, yourself. You look like death thrown into a microwave on high for about a minute." the older woman said, smiling gently. "Long night."

Anna blanched, looking at Elsa carefully. "Phrasing…" she croaked, followed by a half smile, then a series of hacking coughs.

Elsa cringed away, blushing at the same time. "I did not mean it like...oh Anna, your...your breath."

"Oops, sorry." Anna sighed, leaning back against the elevator wall again. "It was a long night, and...really not all that rewarding, either." The copper haired young woman's shoulders drooped, and Elsa's heart went out to her beleaguered little sister.

"Come here, stinky." Elsa cooed, drawing Anna into a one-armed support-embrace." Anna leaned heavily on Elsa, right hand grasping the thick material of the older woman's winter coat. A freckled face leaned into her parka covered shoulder, and she inhaled deeply.

"Mmm...you smell like winter." Anna muttered, body relaxing in contentment, as the elevator arrived at their floor.

Elsa chuckled, ushering her sister outside. "I'm doing yoga in the mornings. It's pretty cold outside now." She carefully supported the redhead in their slow tromp down the hall.

Anna sighed, guilt creeping over her again. "I...I didn't know you liked yoga."

Elsa let out a shrug. "I haven't done it in a few years. It...feels nice to out here, I guess." She carefully handed Anna the bag of hot breakfast, instructing her, "Hold this, please." She proceeded to fish out the key card to their room.

Anna pouted. "You got breakfast." The redhead put the bag up to her face and inhaled. She smelled cinnamon rolls. Elsa was thinking of her. The combination of tiredness, a fierce hangover, and guilt hit her and she was suddenly struck with an overwhelming urge to cry. Tears failed to come, but her shoulders still shook.

Elsa felt the change, stopping before opening the door. She took her rumpled sister in her arms and hugged her tightly, while Anna clung to her soft, fluffy parka. No tears came, but the redhead's body shuddered and she hiccuped a few times. "You're so wonderful, Elsa. I love you. Even if I've *hic* been d-doing my own thing lately."

Elsa smiled warmly, rubbing Anna's back with affection. "Let's get you inside, hmm? You can change into your sleep clothes, and I'll warm up your breakfast after you've rested some. But you are going to brush your teeth and take some Advil with a tall glass of water first, okay?" the blonde woman cooed.

Anna nodded, sniffling. "Yes, doctor." Pulling away slightly, the redhead looked up into her sister's flushed face. Anna was sure she looked like fifty shades of hell, but she muttered, "Can...can you and Punzie wake me up if I sleep too long." Tears pricked at the corners of the freckled girl's eyes, but she smiled hesitantly. "I'd like to go with you into town today, if that's okay."

Elsa nodded, willing herself not to make a sour face at Anna's fantastic morning breath. "Yes, yes, of course. We would never leave you behind. You're a Supergirl." The blonde woman opened their door and ushered her sleepy sister inside.

"I feel like a Superloser." Anna moaned, the small hangover headache she felt in the elevator now coming back with a raging vengeance.

Closing the door behind them, Elsa led her sister towards the bedroom where she could still hear Rapunzel lightly snoring. "We all feel like losers now and then. But right now...right now I feel like a winner. I finally get to take care of you." the blonde woman whispered, her heart swelling.

"Attention, passengers. Welcome to the port city of Juneau! Please remember your room key, as it is your ticket back on board the ship. My personal recommendation is a tour of the Alaskan Brewing and Bottling Company. Also, Mendenhall Glacier Bed and Breakfast is a fantastic choice for anybody who would like a night on land. Be safe and have a pleasant day!" The P.A. system to the girls' penthouse cut off with a *click*.

Elsa sat up straight at her drafting table, groaning as her back cracked. After she'd put Anna to bed earlier and enjoyed a bit of her oatmeal, she'd received an email from her boss, Mr. Weselton. He sent his best wishes to Elsa and her family in Alaska, and asked her if she could take a look at the interior plans for the social networking section of the music store. The blonde woman could have used a bit more sleep, but she decided to use the remaining time while Anna and Rapunzel slept to draft any alterations that came to mind after viewing the design plans. The blonde woman's mind was grateful for the work-related distraction, and after taking several clear photographs of her ideas, she composed a short return email for her boss and sent off the email with her photos.

Getting out of her seat, Elsa tiptoed over to the bedroom and poked her head inside. Anna was sitting up in bed, hair somehow even more wild than when Elsa encountered her in the elevator that morning. The redhead was considerably more bright-eyed now, though, and was staring at Rapunzel as the brunette still slept. "What are you doing?" Elsa whispered.

Anna looked over to her sister with a grin, whispering back, "C'mere, Els. Watch this." Elsa shrugged and crept over to the bedside to observe.

When Anna was sure her sister was watching, she slowly pressed her index finger against Rapunzel's rosy cheek at the same time the brunette was exhaling. When Rapunzel inhaled, a chirping cry gargled from her throat and out of her mouth. "Khyraaaah."

Anna nearly barked out a laugh, covering her mouth mirthfully and removing her finger. Elsa snickered as well, blushing lightly. "She sounds like a baby bird!" Anna cooed sweetly, patting their cousin's tousled hair. "Okay, now you try it, Elsa." the redhead encouraged.

Elsa stared at Rapunzel's sleeping form, the events of last night coming back to her with

crystal clarity. Her heart thumped longingly, and she rubbed a hand over her face absentmindedly. "No, that's alright. I'll leave the job of tormenting her to you." Her words were spoken warmly and with love, but her eyes were slightly distressed. Anna shrugged, going back to prodding her snoozing cousin.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower. Feel free to poke her until she wakes up." Elsa muttered, sliding her slippers off and shoving them under the bed. She made her way over to the bathroom, pausing when she heard Anna softly call her name. She turned around, raising an inquiring eyebrow.

"I...thanks." Anna whispered, smiling sadly and wringing her hands together. "I was a mess this morning...and you took care of me." She looked down, blushing.

Elsa returned her smile, replying, "I will always take care of you. Always." With a quick wave, she disappeared into the hallway.

Anna stared at the spot where her sister had been, sporting a dopey grin. Her finger went to poke Rapunzel's cheek absentmindedly, but she frozen when she felt warmth around her finger. Warmth and...wetness. Rapunzel's eyes shot open, just as she let out a hacking cough. Anna yanked her finger out of her cousin's mouth quickly, face aflame with embarrassment.

"Anna!" Rapunzel exclaimed between coughing fits. "What the double fuck?!" She sat up in bed quickly, wheezing, and trying to slow her heart rate.

Anna rubbed her back soothingly in apology, adding, "Sorry, Punzie. I was poking your cheek. I missed."

Rapunzel smiled wryly at her cousin, wiping a forearm across her own mouth. "Damn right you missed." Tasting the residue in her mouth, the brunette blanched. "Holy hell, why did your finger taste like alcohol." She got right up in Anna's face, and the redhead blushed while her cousin sniffed her. "You reek of alcohol! Alcohol and…" Rapunzel sniffed a bit more, before her eyes suddenly widened. She sat back on her butt, grinning smugly. In light of the previous night's events between her and Elsa, the brunette found her usual jealousy towards Anna's sexual escapades oddly absent. "Somebody got laid!" she sang, folding her arms gleefully.

Anna huffed and pouted, complaining, "Do you have to tell the whole world?!"

"Somebody got laid!" Rapunzel shouted, cackling madly. Anna immediately tackled the brunette, giving her the tickle attack of a lifetime.

Elsa's embarrassed voice spluttered loudly from the bathroom. "Oh my god, I know, that's enough naughty bits talk!"

"Yeah, you little brat!" Anna grinned, attacking her squealing cousin's sides mercilessly. After a few seconds, she let up, but didn't get off of Rapunzel's midsection. Both girls were breathing heavily.

Rapunzel smiled at her wild-haired younger cousin. "You had a nice time? She treated you well and you're happy?"

Anna paused, considering the questions for a moment. Craftily, she replied, "She treated me well...and I had a nice time. But I'm happier now." With that, she renewed her tickle attack, easily evading Rapunzel's frenzied attempts at blocking her quick hands. "This'll teach you to announce my bed fun-time to the whole world!"

"You're...right!" Rapunzel wheezed, tears streaming down her face. "Next time I'll...I'll yell louder!" Anna redoubled her tickling efforts, and only gave up when her cousin was a quivering, babbling shell of a woman.

"Alright, that's enough punishment. For now." Anna promised, even if part of her wanted to keep going for a long time. "We're parked at Juneau, and there's apparently more than just snow and ice to see here."

"Parked?" Rapunzel gasped, crawling backwards feebly to get herself out of the line of fire. "Don't you mean 'docked'?"

Anna looked at her brunette cousin with a glint in her eye, mimicking a raptor with her hand movements. "Don't test me, Corona!"

The bathroom door opened, and Elsa seemed to drift out, already dressed, on a billow of steam. She straightened her pink Tinkerbell embroidered sweater, calling out, "The bathroom's free!"

Anna raced into the bedroom from the living room and blew by Elsa, blowing a kiss right before closing the door. Elsa shrugged, muttering, "Somebody must have figured out how much they stink."

"I heard that, Elsa!" Anna chided from inside the bathroom, causing Elsa to giggle. The blonde woman picked up her now fully charged phone, idly checking for any messages as she strolled into the living room. She didn't find any new messages, but what she did find was Rapunzel sitting cross-legged on the leather recliner, staring out the window at the port city of Juneau. The brunette's cheeks were flushed, and her look was very wistful.

Quietly, Elsa took a seat in the leather recliner next to Rapunzel's. The two sat in silence, before Rapunzel muttered, "Do you remember what happened the last time we sat next to each other in leather chairs?"

Elsa nodded, hands rubbing against her jean clad thighs nervously. She opened and closed her mouth several times, with no words coming out. At length, she managed to say, "I'm...sorry about your dress."

Rapunzel let out a hearty laugh. It was hardly appropriate, but she just had to. After shaking her head, she turned to regard her blonde cousin. "Apology accepted. Although, I could just as easily have walked back here...it was my decision to run." Smiling impishly, she shrugged. "I'm sure a handful of passengers got an eyeful that evening."

Elsa managed a faint smile. "Obviously...we have more pressing things to address than just the dress. I'm trying, I'm…" she trailed off uncertainly, watching a light snow begin to fall outside.

Rapunzel quietly interrupted her. "I never dreamed, I mean...shit, I'm sure you never thought...returned feelings. That's...what are the chances?" The brunette shivered, hugging her bathrobe tightly around her chest.

Elsa nodded. "You get so used to hopelessness. The idea of even...even a contingency plan if your feelings turn out...I. It's still not real." She furrowed her brow in minor confusion, before quickly adding. "I know I love you. That's as real as it gets. And I know you...you love me." The blonde woman shivered pleasantly when those words left her mouth.

Rapunzel was watching her cousin's reaction to her own words, and she smiled knowingly. "It really...affects you. Being able to say that, I mean." She gestured vaguely, opening her arms towards the ceiling. "You just...you feel so warm, all over...goddess, words can't do it justice." Both women were keenly aware when they heard the shower in the bathroom shut off, and Rapunzel turned to face Elsa. "Look, the truth is out now. There's nothing to be scared of, I mean." she spoke softly, but with surety. "I know you need time. I know...hell. Fuck. Shit."

"Let me talk with Mulan soon." Elsa whispered hotly, interrupting Rapunzel's confused rambling curses. "I...I apologize for any awkwardness the next few days. I...I don't know where she and I stand...or where we're going to be." Tenatively, the blonde woman reached out a trembling hand and pressed it gently against Rapunzel's own.

The brunette gasped, cheeks pinking. Her body felt as though it was on fire, and the hottest point was right where her skin contacted Elsa's. Rapunzel observed Elsa's face, and she saw the hesitation. No fear, just...embarrassment. Slowly, Rapunzel pushed Elsa's hand away. "You're uncomfortable. I get that, and I'm not offended. We aren't touching as friends any more, or even as...family. It's…"

"Romantic." Elsa gulped, nervously smiling. Both women nearly jumped out of their skin when the bathroom door opened.

Anna hollered, "I'm done in here! Punzie, get moving, so we can take this party into town!"

Rapunzel leaned in close to Elsa, whispering quickly, "We're not telling Anna?" Her eyes desperately searched Elsa's.

Elsa steeled her resolve and calmed her thudding heart and thundering emotions. "No. We love her, but...let's work on us for now."

Rapunzel nodded, giving her blonde cousin an intensely tender, loving look, before getting out of her seat and heading to the bathroom. On her way there, she swatted Anna's butt playfully, crowing, "Took you long enough, Miss Party Pants!"

Anna squawked indignantly, swiping back at her cousin but narrowly missing. The brunette bolted into the bathroom and locked the door, cackling. "You've gotta come out some time! Then you're going to Posterior Prison!" she threatened playfully, opening her closet and deciding which band's coat she would sport in town today.

Elsa exhaled in relief, resting her forehead in her palm. The short, intense discussion with Rapunzel was harried, but revealingly helpful. They were at least on the same page.

The same page of a book that's going to end horribly. For both of you.

Elsa grimaced wryly. She was already thinking about the text message she would send Mulan later that day, and how she could sort through the torrent of emotions that comprised her feelings.

"Where's all the snow?!" Anna complained, skipping around the dock while she waited for Rapunzel and Elsa to exit the ramp.

Rapunzel pointed up at the small, white flakes falling from the sky. "It's falling on your head right now, smarty pants." The brunette walked tall and proud, wearing the boots she'd just bought as they were exiting the boat, in an impulse buy. "What, did you think there's a foot of snow all over Alaska all year round?"

Anna blushed, sulking with a huff. "I didn't say a whole foot."

Elsa brought up the rear, shaking her head again at her cousin's purchase. "Punzie, are you sure you want to wear those boots into town today? I can almost guarantee you're gonna get sore feet or blisters."

Rapunzel dismissed the blonde woman's fears with a wave of her hand. "No worries, nerdface. That Banana over there owes me a nice foot rub after choking me with her finger this morning." She pointed over to Anna, who turned around and blew a raspberry at the brunette.

"I'm gonna buy some hot sauce in town and mix it with the lotion, then!" Anna grinned evilly, putting a hand over her back pocket just to make sure she remembered to bring her wallet.

"Oh, ouch. Anna, that hurts just think-" Elsa began to chide her sister, but stopped short. "Oh, hell."

Rapunzel stopped and turned back towards Elsa. "What's up?" she asked.

Elsa jerked her head back towards the ship. "I left some mail up there that I want to send out. Can you hold my purse while I run up and grab it quickly?" she explained, unslinging her off-white purse and handing it to her cousin.

Rapunzel nodded, replying, "Sure, but you know there's a mail service on the ship."

Elsa shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose. "There's no reason to pay as much as they're asking for the simple service of just taking letters to a mailbox. You're paying enough as it is. Don't argue with me." She warned with a small smile.

Rapunzel smiled back, a noticeable tremor in her voice. "I like when you're authoritative." Her voice was quiet, but clear, and she ducked her head while blushing.

"Ah...y...yeah." Elsa stammered in return, scratching the back of her head awkwardly.

"What are you two doing back there?!" Anna yelled, already down at the sidewalk.

Elsa groaned, pushing the purse into Rapunzel's hands. "Also, I'm expecting a call from Kristoff today. He has a few questions about the interior, which I know you can answer just as easily as I can. Please pick up if my phone rings." The blonde woman started walking backwards, finding it suddenly difficult to tear her eyes away from her pretty, brunette cousin. "I...I won't be long." she finished lamely.

Rapunzel nodded, muttering, "We'll hang out in the port souvenir shop until you get back. Bye bye." The brunette's little wave and childish farewell made Elsa's heart clench pleasantly, and the blonde woman stumbled while walking backwards up the ramp. She cursed softly, turned around, and walked quickly back to the ship.

One thirty yard jog later and Rapunzel had caught up with Anna. She was also sorely regretting wearing her fancy new boots into town. But she'd be damned if she would tell either of her cousins that they were bothering her. Anna asked where Elsa had gone, and Rapunzel replied, "She wants to grab some mail to send out here. Let's go find some sweet Alaska magnets to take home and add to the collection!"

"Woo, magnets!" Anna cheered, pumping her fists. The redhead looped arms with Rapunzel, and the two made their way over to the port souvenir shop.

Several minutes later, the two women were in the souvenir shop, and Anna had already engaged the shopkeeper in a heated debate, instigated by the freckled young woman's 'The Who vs Guess Who' parka. Rapunzel shook her head, quietly bowing out while her younger cousin exchanged stories about concerts from the 1970s with the intense shopkeeper. The brunette quickly located the store's impressive selection of magnets, and was inspecting several with the Alaska state flag, when Elsa's phone suddenly buzzed.

"Oh crap, Kristoff." Rapunzel muttered, unzipping Elsa's purse and fishing around for her phone, which the younger woman quickly located. She pulled it out, saw an unfamiliar phone number, and took the call with a cheerful greeting. "Yo, mister foreman!"

The other end of the line was silent. Rapunzel spoke once more, in a slightly more formal greeting. "Hey, Kristoff, this is Rapunzel. Are you there?"

"Oh...hello, Rapunzel." a soft, familiar voice replied.

Rapunzel shook her head briefly. She knew the voice sounded familiar, but couldn't place from where. "Oh! Hello...you." she drawled lamely, quickly deciding to reveal her cluelessness. "Sorry, Elsa told me somebody would be calling soon. You aren't...who are you?"

"SEE?!" the shopkeeper bellowed, pointing at Rapunzel and startling the hell out of her. The portly middle-aged man turned back to Anna, grinning in triumph. "There! Even your little friend over there agrees that the best song between either band is one by The Who!"

Anna groaned, throwing her arms up in frustration. "What the hell, Punzie! Where's your frickin' Canadian spirit! I know you have three Guess Who albums at home, and…"

"Holy fucking shit." Rapunzel muttered, confused and distracted beyond belief. Waving absentmindedly at Anna, she hurried out of the store, before pressing the phone back to her ear. "Sorry, sorry." the young woman apologized. "People were being...idiots. Now then, who am I speaking to?"

A soft, melodious giggle. "This is Mulan. It is nice to speak with you again, Rapunzel." the older woman's voice was a bit distorted from the distance.

Rapunzel suddenly felt nauseous. She was speaking with Elsa's girlfriend. "H...hey, Mulan! How's it going back in good ol' San Fran?" the brunette stammered, trying to keep her nervous giggling to an absolute minimum.

"It had gotten a bit colder lately. I am guessing that the weather in Alaska is much colder, though!" was Mulan's polite reply. "How are you all enjoying the ship and the amenities?"

Rapunzel clutched the phone with both hands, nausea making feel as though she wanted to run to the nearest bathroom and evacuate her lunch. "We're good! Fine!" she squeaked. Coughing several times, the brunette cleared her throat noisily, before continuing, "There's a ton of stuff on the boat to keep us busy. Elsa actually ran back there just now. See, we're in town but she wants to mail some letters, and they're back in the room, and...wait, what was your question again?"

Mulan laughed, the sound light and carefree. It washed even more guilt over Rapunzel. "It sounds like the three of you are very busy, today. I apologize for interrupting. Could you please give Elsa my warmest regards?" she finished quietly.

Rapunzel's shoulders slumped. "O...of course I will. Is there anything else you'd like me to do?" she asked nervously, trudging over to a nearby bench to sit down before she got too dizzy.

"Perhaps, if it's not too much trouble." Mulan quietly said. "Could you please give her a hug from me? And...well, I know, you are her cousin and have always looked out for her. Please keep doing that. I'm learning it's important for Elsa to always be reminded that there are people who care for her and...yes, care for her." The soft voice had hesitated near the end, and Rapunzel could almost hear the unspoken 'love her' in Mulan's tone.

Rapunzel smiled bitterly, swallowing any tears that threatened to emerge. "Of c...course, I will. I will hug her just for you...and I'll pass on your sweet message. She'll be...happy to hear that." the brunette said, forcing herself to sound upbeat and chipper. She spotted a public restroom right across the street.

"Thank you. I wish you and Anna an enjoyable trip, as well. Perhaps we can all get together again for Christmas, if there is another event similar to the one Anna hosted at Thanksgiving." Mulan suggested optimistically.

Rapunzel nodded, unable to conceal a sniffle or two. "Yeah! I'll talk to her. We'll make those plans, and of course you'll get an invite. Oops, Anna needs my help with something. I'm gonna go, okay?" the brunette's voice finished hurriedly, cracking at the end.

"Of course, take care of yourself. Goodbye." Mulan quietly said.

"Bye." Rapunzel replied, nauseous and completely exhausted.

She only had a minute to sit on the bench before Anna exited the store, proudly toting a bag. "Hey Punzie, check it out! Even though that guy and I had a huge argument, he still gave me a discount on this magnet set because of my…'encyclopedic knowledge of 1970s supergroups'. Ahh...finding more of my kind out in the wild is an awesome treat." Anna bragged, swinging the bag back and forth.

Rapunzel suddenly clutched her stomach, rising quickly from the bench, and moaning, "Oh god, my lunch isn't agreeing with me, Anna. I'm gonna run across the street and use the potty over there." She quickly handed Elsa's purse to the redhead, telling her that her sister should return any minute now.

Rapunzel had barely passed into the womens' restroom when a tear fell. She stumbled to a bathroom stall, falling to her knees and dry heaving. Her heart weighed heavy with guilt. "I know I love Elsa, but...Mulan does too. Does Elsa want this opportunity to have a normal relationship?" Rapunzel bit her lip, cursing. "Just...no. Give Elsa her space to figure things out. Don't be a brat. Elsa told you she loves you. Trust that she'll do what's best for everybody."

Sweat beaded on the brunette's forehead, and at length, she decided her lunch was not going to pay her another visit. She stood up on unsteady legs, and trudged to the sink to clean herself up. Elsa would be back any minute, and her blonde cousin didn't need any more reasons to worry.

"Oh my gosh, Changing Tides is my new favorite store." Rapunzel declared, gently setting one quilt pattern book aside and reaching for another on the long, oak table. Quilts of every size and color were hung, draped, folded, and packed from floor to ceiling in the festive little shop.

Elsa nodded in agreement, idly browsing the collection of animal-themed quilts. "It feels so warm in here...and that's not just from the heat being turned way up." she grinned.

Rapunzel returned Elsa's smile, before quickly looking back to her book. She had told the blonde woman about her brief chat with Mulan, but she'd failed to pass on the promised hug as of yet. The guilt over the situation, as well as the desire to give Elsa the space she needed, gnawed at Rapunzel more and more with each passing hour.

Just then, Anna swooped down from the second floor, wearing a quilt as a cape. "I found the Supergirls' quilt!" she declared happily, swinging it off of her shoulders with a dramatic flourish.

Setting her patterns book aside, Rapunzel patted the empty space on her desk. "Let's see what you uncovered, oh travel buddy of mine."

Anna spread the quilt carefully over the desktop, smoothing out any noticeable wrinkles. She stood on Rapunzel's left side, and Elsa moved to stand on her right. Rapunzel blushed, swearing she could feel heat radiating from her blonde cousin.

"Alright, what do you think?!" Anna grinned, holding out her hands over the image. Three women were sitting in a hot tub, sharing drinks, and laughing. The knitted caption read 'Just Us Girls'. "Oh, and look look! The hair colors match! And! These two are wearing two-piece swimsuits, while the blonde is rocking that more modest shawl and beach-skirt like a pro. It is US!" she exclaimed happily.

Elsa chuckled warmly, tracing a hand over the three embroidered girls. "It's got my vote." she mumbled with a tender smile.

Rapunzel cleared her throat and stood up. "Well then, it's time for the final test!" Walking around Anna to the end of the desk, the brunette took hold of the quilt and spread it out over her cousins' backs. "Grab onto it and wrap up, Supergirls!" she proclaimed, holding onto one corner and pulling it down over her shoulder snugly. Elsa snatched the other end and hauled it down. Both young women sandwiched Anna in the middle, and the redhead squealed happily as the blanket fell over her shoulders and back. They all huddled together under the quilt.

Elsa nudged Anna's shoulder and smiled at her tenderly. Anna put an arm around Elsa's waist and another around Rapunzel's, drawing them in closer together. Rapunzel made eye contact with Elsa before looking down at the desk, sporting a massive blush.

Several quiet, tender moments passed. Three bodies shivered, despite the ample body heat beneath the warm quilt. Three little stomachs performed gentle somersaults. At length, Anna purred. Her soft, happiness-infused voice declared, "I think we have a winner." Rapunzel and Elsa both nodded their heads in agreement. "And...since I found the quilt…" Anna began, drawing it back to her arms and folding it carefully, before blurting out, "...I get to pay for it!"

Rapunzel tried to lunge for the freckled young woman, but Anna made a clean getaway. The brunette snapped her fingers, muttering, "Oh, you brat!"

Rapunzel's jacket had slipped off, and Elsa picked it up, draping it over her cousin's shoulders. Rapunzel flinched at the contact, and Elsa noticed. "Hey...are you okay?" Elsa asked. She quickly rolled her eyes at her question. "I mean, of course you aren't, we're...things are up in the air."

Rapunzel released a guilt-laden sigh. "Mulan had another message for you." she revealed, quickly embracing Elsa. The brunette's body shook slightly, and Elsa's eyes were wide.

Elsa gasped, "I'm...I'm sorry you had to speak with her." She tugged at Rapunzel's jacket collar aimlessly. "I'll talk to her tonight."

Shrugging her shoulders, Rapunzel put on a brave smile, replying, "Don't rush it, Elsie. Figure it out at your speed. You know I'll always be here for you." Worrying her bottom lip, the brunette added quietly, "It's just hard to be...close to you sometimes."

Elsa nodded. "I...I love you. You're giving me so much...patience and space. I know I've put you in a horribly difficult spot, so I'll try to...not get too close while things are." Elsa shrugged helplessly, putting her hands right up above her head, muttering, "Up in the air. Whatever. I still love you."

"And I still love you." Rapunzel whispered hotly, voice cracking at the end. The brunette shivered, and pinched her cheeks in frustration. Meeting Elsa's eyes one last time, she finished with, "Take your time. Do what feels right for you. But don't take my avoiding you as meaning I don't love you. Staying away hurts like hell, but it's also the only thing that'll keep me sane." While Rapunzel was speaking, her hand had inadvertently grasped Elsa's and squeezed it tenderly. The blonde woman had clearly looked a bit overwhelmed, but Rapunzel immediately let go when she realized what she'd done.

Anna was just getting the quilt bagged up, so Elsa left her emotionally weary cousin with a reminder. "I want to be comfortable touching you again. Whether that's as friends or...as more. Just...wait for me a little longer. I promise."

Rapunzel smiled, pinching her cheeks to keep a tear from falling. "Your track record with promises has gotten better lately. What do you say we head in early...maybe find a little boat entertainment?"

Elsa smiled tenderly and nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"What sounds good?" Anna asked, holding the plastic bag with the Supergirls quilt inside behind her back. Elsa informed her sister of their thoughts, and she pursed her lips. Putting on the most intense puppy dog pout she could muster, the freckled young woman timidly asked, "I saw a piano bar lounge below the main deck. Simple, yummy foods and relaxing jazz. Maybe I could...escort you two there tonight? Make up for some of my absences…" She scuffed the toe of a shoe against the hardwood floor nervously.

Rapunzel latched onto Anna's right arm, grinning. "Sounds like a date, Banana."

Elsa clasped her sister's left hand to her own, nodding. "Lead on, oh Quilt-Mistress." Anna's blush intensified, and her heart fluttered madly. Whatever these beautiful feelings were, she never wanted them to leave.

Rapunzel had repeatedly insisted that even though her dress was ruined, Anna and Elsa should still wear their fancy outfits. She'd wear one of her simple sundresses, and would go find another high quality dress tomorrow.

"Hell no!" Anna retorted, yanking out a pair of tan slacks. "All for one and one for all, and the Musketeers don't have shit on Supergirls!"

Elsa agreed, unfolding a sharp-looking, long, black skirt. "We go together, we dress together."

Rapunzel pouted, and made them swear they'd wear their snazzy new outfits at LEAST twice more during the cruise, but secretly she was pleased they wouldn't be outclassing her by too much. She loved her girls, but she also wanted to look damn fine for them, too.

The atmosphere at the piano bar and lounge was quiet and pleasant. Smooth saxophones, horns, and piano sounds floated easily through the dimly lit place. People spoke in hushed tones, clinked glasses of wine, and partook of simple appetizers and salads. After the last few days of action, both physically and emotionally, the three young women were thrilled to be able to kick back and relax.

Anna in particular appeared to be in heaven. Slouched in their small corner booth between Elsa and Rapunzel, the redhead let the music carry her to wonderful places. Every so often she'd tilt her head from resting on one woman's shoulder and move it to her other neighbor's open shoulder. The three of them shared light chit chat about what was going on back home, and what their hopes for the new year were.

"Let's see. Band practice, land a few more gigs. I know Mer's ready to be signed yesterday, but we really need to tighten our sound and kick out several solid originals before we even think about approaching a label." Anna mused, quite enjoying the peach smell of Rapunzel's perfume. "I talked with Hiccup yesterday. Shop's fine, business is a little slow. Pets are all fine, and your cats are even treating him nicer." the redhead said, winking at Rapunzel knowingly.

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, they are little shits, but mama loves them anyway." She put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands thoughtfully. "Next year? Work, work. Mostly for that nerd over there, through winter and spring." Rapunzel giggled, sharing a hesitant look with Elsa. "Try to get some of my stuff shown at local galleries. Start planning my new apartment...again, with the help of our talented, beautiful architect." Elsa blushed at the compliment, coughing politely.

"I'll admit, what you told me about your plans does sound...exciting to design." Elsa replied, shivering pleasantly as Anna moved her head from Rapunzel's shoulder and onto the blonde's. "Keep up with the band's finances. Believe it or not, 'Don't Ask Me I Don't F-ing Know' has landed that high schooler's youtube page five thousand new subscribers." Anna's jaw dropped in surprise. Elsa chuckled, before continuing. "Patience, dear. The music store is ahead of schedule, which means it's almost at the halfway point. The project was slated for six months, however, it looks like it'll be closer to five." The blonde woman trailed off uncertainly, fiddling with her napkin.

A pang of sadness struck Anna and Rapunzel in their hearts. "March…" Anna muttered wistfully. She gently hooked arms with Elsa, shivering. Rapunzel bit her bottom lip, looking out into the restaurant in barely restrained sadness.

Elsa shook her head quickly, realizing the somber mood she had set. "Oh, well, Jesus. Of course I'm not going back to New York after this project is done, you dummies!" she blurted out, understanding what had her girls so down in the dumps.

"You're staying?!" Anna blubbered happily, hugging Elsa's left arm tightly.

Rapunzel said nothing, but Elsa saw her subtly brushing a tear from the corner of her eyes. "Nerdface." she whispered at length, voice cracking and grinning widely.

"Of course I'm staying." Elsa confirmed, mildly exasperated. "Granted, I don't exactly know where I'll live long-term, or where I can find work here-"

Without thinking, Rapunzel interrupted her older cousin. "Elsie, you're gonna fucking live with me for as long as you want to!" she exclaimed hotly, blushing immediately afterwards with a grimace at her emotional outburst.

Anna giggled warmly, elbowing her cousin fondly. "I guess that's settled. And don't even play, Elsa. You're so fucking talented, you'll have firms here lining up around the block to hire you. And I know you're gonna kill this latest project, guaranteeing a frickin' awesome letter of recommendation from your boss." The redhead nodded after her explanation, satisfied that her sister really was amazing.

Elsa shrugged self deprecatingly. "They won't be pleased I'm leaving...I was on track to make associate. But...they know about my commitment to family." She shared meaningful looks with both Anna and Rapunzel. "My family."

The rest of the evening passed in a quiet haze of warm conversation and warm smiles. Every so often Anna would peer around, expecting to see Meg. She was fully prepared to hide under the table to avoid being spotted by her boisterous, energetic lover. She was quite sure they'd get together again before the end of the cruise, but not tonight. Tonight she was with the women in her life who she loved.

"Alright travel buddy, out with it!" Anna pestered, nudging Rapunzel as the two sat at the bar. The redhead's eyes kept drifting back to her cousin's new dress. The different shades of brown and orange really complemented both her hair and her figure. "Her figure? Damn, how much alcohol is in these things?! I mean, of course Punzie has a rockin' bod...wait, what was I saying?" Anna's thoughts swam as her several nights of drinking on the cruise were beginning to take a toll on her.

Rapunzel pouted, folding her arms and rolling her forehead on the bar counter. "Out with nothin', I'm out and proud!" she proclaimed confidently. "I'm not hiding anything, I love you and I love Elsa and I love Captain Hot Hips and I love little miss perfect Mulan."

Anna gave her cousin a lopsided smile. "Yeah, how about that little minx. Just sneaking in and snatching Elsa up. What's up with that?!"

Rapunzel shrugged, plastering on her best impression of a 'who the fuck even knows' face while she threw her hands up in the air. "I don't know and I won't worry! Elsa will handle it. She's a big...pretty...pretty big...girl." The brunette's face grew wistful, just as Anna let out a roar of laughter.

"Elsa's pretty big! Oh my god, I'm so telling her you said that!" Anna squealed, slapping the counter.

Rapunzel moaned piteously, clinging to her cousin's right arm and rubbing her hair against it. "No no no, please pretty pleasies, don't tell Elsa that. She's tough but she's so...bubbles, you know?"

"Bubbles?!" Anna exclaimed, now positively dying of laughter.

Rapunzel growled in frustration, smacking herself in the forehead. "No, I mean she's...so damn...fragile too! She's tough but fragile!" The brunette put a finger to her lips and slung an arm around Anna's freckled shoulders. "Shh, must keep quiet, keep the secret. No telling, no hurting Elsa. Right?"

Anna shook her head, mind dizzy from all the words Rapunzel was lobbing at her. But she clearly made out 'no hurting Elsa', and that was, without a doubt, the truest thing she'd ever heard. "Right. No hurting Elsa."

Rapunzel's shoulders slumped. She folded her arms on the bar again, muttering, "Oh, I'm drunk very...and I have a dress pretty…"

Anna leaned over, tenderly squeezing her dazed cousin's bicep, and whispered, "And no hurting you, love. No hurting you."

"No. No. No." Elsa grumbled, mashing the backspace button with her sore thumb. Rapunzel had informed the sisters she was going to do a bit of dress shopping, but Anna refused to let the brunette go alone. Thus, Elsa was alone in the penthouse at 9:30 p.m., attempting to compose a text to Mulan that was not an outright lie, but there was no way she could tell her girlfriend the truth.

It's a foregone conclusion at the point. It was decided the moment Rapunzel confessed.

"Maybe I am just ignoring the obvious." Elsa muttered, absentmindedly sticking another pillow behind her back so she could sit up straighter in bed. "We'd never be able to reveal our relationship. Or at least...we'd have to be very selective with who we told." The blonde woman pursed her lips. "Fuck it." she thought stubbornly. "For Punzie, I'd do it. I'd do it all."

"Mulan. I got your message, and your hug. Thank you. I hope you're doing well, also. We went out to walk around Juneau today, and were able to visit several interesting stores. We bought a-"

"No." Elsa ground her teeth in frustration. "Delete. Delete. Delete." She shook her phone harshly, roughly three more failed texts away from hurling it against the wall. "Don't waste her time. Basic pleasantries, then get...get down to it." A new message began to form in her mind and, heart weighing heavily, she again began to compose.

"Mulan. Thank you for your warm wishes, and I hope this message finds you well. I am having...relationship related difficulty right now. My intent is not to alarm you, but I think we may have rushed into a relationship before I was fully emotionally ready to understand the difficulties I would face. There are things I don't understand, and I think we would both be better off if we took some time apart. It's cliche to say 'it's not you, it's me', isn't it? But you truly are wonderfully patient, kind, intelligent, and beautiful. I apologize if I have wasted your time, but I do wish to remain in contact, and remain friends, if that would be acceptable to you. Until next we speak. Elsa~"

Exhaling loudly, Elsa stared at the composed text. Her thumb hovered over the 'send' button for several agonizing minutes. Each minute seemed to stretch on longer than the one prior.

Do it. Just break her heart and get it over with. Do it so you can be with Rapunzel finally.

Suddenly, Elsa's breathing calmed. Her heart slowed from a stampede to a trot. A serene peace settled over her thoughts. Closing her eyes for several seconds, she took a deep, cleansing breath. She opened her eyes, and pressed 'send'. Immediately afterwards, she placed the phone on the nearby nightstand, and went out to the balcony.

Unlike the other night, tonight's chilling air felt invigorating. She'd made a decision, and she'd made it for herself.

Yes, good, now send Rapunzel a message. Tell her you're ready to be with her.

"But...I'm not ready to be with her." Elsa thought, somewhere between wryly and flat out honestly.

You're not...look, you'll never be a perfect partner. It's impossible.

"I don't expect perfection from myself any more. But I can be better. I can communicate better. I'm going to have to. Punzie is used to maintaining relationships with three or more people at the same time!"

Just one person has the potential to be more complicated than a handful all at once.

"Even so. I don't want to just agree and rush into it. I want to talk about it. That...that's what we're going to do."

Every point Elsa's subconscious brought up, she refuted easily and confidently. She knew there would be screw-ups, by both her and Rapunzel. If this was going to work: if they were going to believe this would last until death, there could be no closing of eyes before leaping. Elsa would keep her eyes wide open, for each step forward, and each step backward.

Because it wasn't about being perfect. It wasn't about the destination. It was about learning together. Succeeding together. Failing together.

The blonde woman shook her cold limbs and turned to return to the warmth of the penthouse. Her subconscious had one more thought for her to consider. One she did not have an answer to.

Rapunzel likes sex. Apparently more than Anna does. Do with that information what you will.

"Elsa. Thank you for your honesty. I hope you are still well. I think I was too confident about my own ability to be in a satisfying relationship with you, an asexual. I did not consider your relationship niavete to be a difficulty. I should have. If you believe you are not ready, then I respect that, and I respect you telling me up front. I would greatly like to remain friends with you, however. If for no other reason than to try rock climbing again, ha ha. I consider you a dear friend, and should you ever have the need to talk, I am just a phone call away. Mulan~"

Elsa whistled lowly. "Thank god." she muttered, breathing a sigh of relief at her girlfriend's favorable response. "Wait. Ex-girlfriend, I suppose." the blonde woman thought wryly. She briefly considered how people might feel after a girlfriend became an ex. Despite her limited experience, common sense told her that her outcome with Mulan was among the more favorable.

And she'll be both the first and last 'ex' you'll ever have. Unless things fall apart between you and Rapunzel, but I know you don't want to think about that outcome.

"No." Elsa thought grimly. "I don't...but I will. We will. We'll talk about it and prepare for it, because that's part of communication and being prepared." She shook her head, slapping her cheeks several times to wake up. The girls should be back any time now, which meant-

Elsa's train of thought was interrupted by the front door being pushed open with such gusto that it banged into the rubber door stopper with a loud *BANG*. Elsa's body jerked and she bounced nearly a foot off of the mattress in shock.

"Lady and...that's it!" Anna announced, curtsying in the doorway dramatically before stepping inside and presenting the brunette behind her. "Tonight, for your very special entertainment, we have the Burrito Dress!"

Elsa poked her head into the living room, hair comically disheveled and glasses akimbo. She brushed her black lock of hair behind her left ear and watched as Rapunzel sauntered into the room. She wore a sinfully short dress, colored with a mix of sepias, browns, and oranges. A sunshine yellow waistband set the entire look off, and Rapunzel twirled playfully, declaring, "Everybody loves a burrito!"

Elsa shook her head and chuckled at the two women. "I'm guessing there was a stop off somewhere for a drink?"

Strutting past Elsa and giving her a pat on the cheek, Anna grinned, "Or three. Light stuff, so we won't feel bad in the morning." Leaning in to whisper in her sister's ear, Anna said, "Play up how nice her dress is. She's been down about something lately, but won't tell me what." With that the redhead sauntered into the bedroom, proclaiming, "I'm getting my PJs on for bed! The bathroom is mine!"

Rapunzel took several steps more, clearly a shade further than tipsy. When her eyes finally met Elsa's, she blushed and looked at the ground. One high heel insistently toed a small divot into the oriental rug.

Elsa took the last few steps, stopping a few feet from her cousin. Leaning down until she made eventual eye contact with the suddenly bashful brunette, Elsa lowly said, "That is a very beautiful dress. But the dress means nothing if the body underneath it isn't beautiful as well, and you've got that covered."

Rapunzel smiled impishly, giving Elsa a scandalized stare. "Elsie! Are you picturing me naked?!" she whispered fiercely.

Elsa blanched. She stammered out, "No, I'm not. I...I wasn't! I mean, of course you are, look at you!" She stopped babbling at that point when she noticed Rapunzel giggling madly. The brunette's face was bright red, and she stumbled briefly. Elsa took her lightly by her shoulders and guided her to a seated position. "Okay, okay there, smiley. Just sit down...Punzie, you're gonna pass out if you keep laughing like that." Shaking her head wryly, she added, "I am glad I can get that kind of a laugh out of you...even if it is at my own expense."

After several more seconds, Rapunzel's giggles faded away, and she was left slowly catching her breath. "I'm sorry, Elsie. Sorry I'm acting like a lonely butt." the brunette mumbled, slurring a few words despite the fierce look of concentration she was wearing.

"Don't you worry, dear." Elsa assured her. "How about we get you in bed, hmm?" She stood to guide Rapunzel to the bedroom, but the brunette tugged on Elsa's sweater insistently.

"I didn't tell Anna anything, nope, no, nothing." Rapunzel swore, waving her hands side to side in front of her face for added emphasis. "I mean, there's nothing between us yet, or ever, but you know, I'm patient, so patient. I'm so patient it makes me throw up sometimes!"

The brunette looked as though that last statement was about to send her into giggle fits, so Elsa quietly whispered, "I texted with Mulan tonight."

Rapunzel went completely silent. A somber, wistful look appeared on her face, and had Elsa not known better she would have sworn her cousin had sobered up instantly from her last statement. The brunette licked her lips nervously, before whispering, "Mulan is so nice, really nice. A real sweet-pea sweetie pie." She traced small circles on the lap of her new dress for several moments, before standing up and moving towards the bedroom. "I think I'll go to bed now." she spoke in a monotone voice."

"Rapunzel…" Elsa whispered, standing up to go after her, but at that moment Anna exited the bathroom and saw her still-dressed cousin moseying towards the bed.

"Oh, come here sleepy-face, let's get you out of that dress and into a nightie." Anna cooed, deftly unzipping her cousin's dress and tossing it over her dresser. Quick as lightning, she retrieved one of Rapunzel's little nightgowns and slid it over the older girl's head.

Elsa sighed wistfully, standing next to the doorway and listening to Anna take care of Rapunzel. "Okay, Sleeping Beauty. You pick where you want to sleep." Elsa heard the soft rustle of fabric, followed by Anna humming softly. "Now point to where you want me to sleep...okay, then."

A wave of longing crashed into Elsa's heart. Quietly, she rummaged through her cousin's purse, until she found the younger woman's cell phone. She crept into the bedroom, and locked eyes with Anna. The redhead was laying in the middle of the bed, almost spooning against Rapunzel, who had one hand loosely clasping Anna's.

"Lights?" Elsa whispered, to which her sister nodded sleepily. The blonde woman turned off the lights, and removed her sweater, deciding to sleep in only pajama bottoms and a sports bra for the night. She whispered a quiet prayer to Rapunzel's Goddess of the Sun, and tiptoed over to the brunette's nightstand. She didn't make eye contact with Rapunzel, instead choosing to lay her phone face-up next to the alarm clock.

Crawling into bed on the opposite side, Elsa's head hit the pillow, and she felt completely drained. There was one thing yet to do. No, wait, two things. Anna's right hand slapped against the blonde woman's right arm several times insistently, until Elsa intertwined their fingers. The redhead sighed pleasantly, and snuggled deeper into her pillow collection.

Elsa composed one more text for the evening. "Punzie. I broke up with Mulan. I want to be brave, but I don't want to be reckless. Can we please talk tomorrow night about...our relationship? Elsa~" Swallowing thickly, Elsa hit 'send', and squeezed Anna's hand gently for good luck. Anna squeezed hers right back.

Several seconds later, Rapunzel's phone buzzed, and the screen flashed. Elsa's heart was in her throat, wondering if her cousin had already fallen asleep. A tired sigh, followed by the movement of the soft glow of her screen across the bedroom ceiling told Elsa everything she needed to know.

Elsa waited. One minute. Two minutes. Five minutes. Perhaps Rapunzel had fallen asleep before she got her message?

Suddenly, Elsa's phone buzzed in her hand and it nearly gave her a heart attack. Scrolling dumbly to the top of her messages, she saw one from Rapunzel, and her heart lodged in her throat. She selected the message, and read its contents.

"nerdfaec. well talk 2moro. im druk and my herat hurts. i lov you so much. im tireddd look over heer so i can go 2 slepe. punz~"

Elsa blinked several times, before quietly rolling to face Anna's back. She propped herself up on her arm and peered over her sister's shoulder.

There, head buried in a pillow and face lit by the soft glow of her cell phone, laid Rapunzel. Tear streaks shone prominently in the dim light, and her eyes were half closed. She locked eyes with Elsa, and the blonde woman swore her heart was going to pound right out of her chest. Rapunzel smiled crookedly, and blew Elsa a little kiss.

"I love you." Elsa thought, and her mouth moved to silently form those same words. She watched Rapunzel's eyes positively light up with joy. They shared a stare for ten minutes, broken only by necessary blinking.

At length, Anna began to snore, and Rapunzel choked out a giggle. Elsa gave her precious sister a lopsided smile, before receiving another silent message from her cousin. "Go to bed, nerd." those pouty lips said. Elsa bit her bottom lip in barely restrained joy, and rested her head on her pillow once more.

Sleep would be long in coming, but love had finally arrived.

Rapunzel opened a bleary eye, and the first thing she noticed was that the sun had already risen to bathe the bed in sunlight from the balcony window. She found herself pressed up against Anna's back, with her face full of copper hair.

Apparently, at some point during the night, Rapunzel had made a sleep-lunge for Elsa. The blonde woman was still fast asleep on her back, still holding Anna's other hand. Anna's head rested on her sister's chest, while the redhead's legs were oddly canted and stretched across Elsa's knees.

"Mmmph...hot." Elsa grumbled in her sleep, rolling to her left and swinging her right arm over, swatting Anna's shoulder accidentally. The blonde's left hand kept gripping Anna's other hand tightly, and her legs kicked feebly in a vain attempt to get the freckled legs off of hers.

"Hnnngh...hand…" Rapunzel moaned in confusion when she was unable to wiggle the fingers on her right hand. The brunette thrashed uncomfortably for a few seconds, before she froze. "My right arm's asleep. Anna has it trapped and I can't feel it. If I move wrong I could break it!" Her heart roared to life as she squealed in panic, directly into Anna's ear, while leaning backwards in an attempt to pull her arm free of her cousin's iron grip. "Anna! My arm fell off!"

Anna was startled from sleep, feeling suddenly accosted from both sides. "Whu...wazzit? Arm?" She looked down at her chest, still half asleep, and noticed Rapunzel's now pale arm clasped between hers. "Punzie...found your arm…" the redhead sleepily mumbled, rolling towards Elsa and finishing with, "Mmm...Elsa you escaped me…"

"Fucking fuck!" Rapunzel screeched, feeling a tug on her lifeless shoulder. She groaned, before lunging on top of Anna, thrashing and wiggling her limp arm.

"Oof! Hey...ow!" Anna groaned, catching one of Rapunzel's knees to her belly. She released the brunette's arm, and Rapunzel just collapsed on top of Anna, who then fell on top of Elsa.

"Aahhhh?!" Elsa cried, feeling the weight of two women spill onto her back.

"Nobody move!" Rapunzel shrieked, flopping on top of the pile like a fish out of water as she wriggled her arm free of the pile of bodies. Blood flow slowly returned to the limp limb, and she groaned pitifully, "Oh god, pins and needles, kill me now."

With a mighty heave, Anna managed to push herself and her cousin off of Elsa. Tilting to the side, she unceremoniously dumped Rapunzel back onto the bed like a sack of potatoes. "Somebody needs a straitjacket when we share a bed." she groaned, lightly patting Elsa on her shoulder while she massaged her sore stomach. "You okay there, champ?"

Elsa shook her head groggily, rolling onto her back to look up at Anna. "Yeah, I love you both, but sharing a bed is like doing extreme sports." The blonde woman scrunched her face, eyes blinking several times in the sunlight. Anna stared down at her, unblinking. Her mouth hung open slightly. "What, do I have a black eye from last night?"

Anna squawked in embarrassment. "Wardrobe malf...malfunction!" she mumbled, falling backwards off of her sister's lap, and right off the bed as well. She hit the carpeted floor with a solid *thump*.

Elsa and Rapunzel sat up, leaning over the edge of the bed to check on the fallen redhead. "Eight point five for style." Rapunzel wisecracked, giving her cousin a wry grin. She looked over to Elsa, who was still looking down in concern. "Oh." the brunette breathed, lips suddenly going dry as she noticed the right half of Elsa's sports bra had been peeled off during the night. A pale breast and a modest pink nipple were on display for all to see. Rapunzel's face felt on fire, and she blurted out, "Elsa, your boob!"

"My what?!" Elsa looked down, eyes going wide and mouth gaping. She quickly corrected the sports bra slip, tucking the escapee back in its fabric prison. Shoulders drooping in mortification, she retreated out of bed and towards the bathroom. Anna sat up groggily on the floor, rubbing her backside. "Are you okay?" Elsa asked her sister in a small, mortified voice.

Anna nodded, wincing as she gave Elsa a soft grin. "Yeah. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable. But from a mostly unbiased viewpoint, you know, uh...two thumbs up." Rapunzel snorted mirthfully, and Elsa gave her sister a sheepish half-grin.

"You dorks. I'm going to take a shower forever." Elsa muttered. Anna nodded, deciding she hadn't quite had enough sleep, and hauled a comforter off of the bed and onto the floor. She rolled up like a happy little hot dog, face still red from Elsa's incident.

Rapunzel caught Elsa's gaze as the blonde woman headed towards the bathroom door. The brunette rubbed her eyes sleepily and smiled tenderly at her cousin. She offered a tiny wave, which Elsa returned. The older woman's blush tripled in intensity, and despite her recent wardrobe snafu, a dopey grin spread across her face.

"We love each other." both women thought at the exact same moment in time.

"Don't take forever, Elsie!" Anna's muffled voice chided from her warm hot dog blanket. "There's an epic karaoke bar in town that I'm dying to take you guys to!"

"Music is played for love. Cruisin' is made for love. I love it when we're cruisin' together!" Anna and Elsa sang, finishing the Huey Lewis and Gwyneth Paltrow remake of the Smokey Robinson hit with a flourish. The karaoke bar erupted in raucous cheers, with several patrons calling for an encore.

Rapunzel whistled boisterously from their booth, standing up on the seat and waving her BLT in the direction of her cousins. Her right hand held her smartphone as steadily as she could manage, recording the two young womens' duet.

The warm stage lights shone down on the two young women, illuminating their flushed faces. Anna took several grand bows, thanking the crowd. The thrill of performing caused a heady rush of adrenaline to pump through her body, and every nerve of hers was singing. She quickly stepped aside, presenting Elsa, who gave a small, embarrassed wave. Anna grasped her sister's hand, squeezing it, and raising them both overhead. Quickly, the blonde woman yanked that same hand, hauling her off-stage as the patrons continued to applaud.

Soon after, they arrived back at their booth, to the unadulterated gushing of Rapunzel. "Anna, well shit, nobody can tell you what you don't already know! And nerdface, you've still got that academy choir girl swagger!" She reached out and pinched each of their cheeks enthusiastically.

Elsa quietly took her seat. "I said I'd do a song, and that's exactly what I did." she muttered, bowing her head as close to her plate of tilapia and mashed potatoes as she could without actually getting a face full of food. The blonde woman's thudding heart slowly calmed down, and the adrenaline left her body as she took small bites of her meal.

Anna, however, was simply over the moon. "That was a damn fine dual mic and sound system setup for a regular old karaoke bar!" she exclaimed, popping a cold french fry in her mouth. "And my duet partner. Thank you." She muttered tenderly to Elsa, hugging her mid-bite sister.

Elsa nodded, face still flushed, replying, "It was kind of exhilarating. I...I wouldn't be

opposed to doing it again some time." Anna's face positively lit up, and Elsa quickly amended that to, "Some day."

The redhead chuckled and nodded, making meaningful eye contact with Rapunzel. She quietly slid her hand across the table, and the brunette slipped her phone back into her hand. The two shared a secretive smile.

Elsa mumbled around her mouthful of fish, "I saw the red light, you clever girl." Rapunzel sighed and hung her head at being caught, while Anna chuckled dryly. "I will never ever ever watch a recording of myself singing!" the blonde woman vowed.

Anna took Rapunzel's hand again, exclaiming, "Well, we sure will. Our star vocalist made her epic debut today." Elsa shook her head, face aglow and muttering something about 'god damn phones'.

"Star vocalist indeed!" came a familiar voice from the booth next to theirs, behind Anna and Elsa. Rapunzel was the first to look up, and spot Meg's smug grin. The chestnut haired teenager was peeking over the booth divider at the three young women, and the brunette felt mildly annoyed.

"You mean daddy actually lets you off the ship?" Rapunzel joked, grinning sardonically at Meg.

Meg scratched the air in front of her playfully, remarking, "Rawr. Kitty's got claws! Dusty, you didn't mention you were so fucking talented!" she said, tousling Anna's copper hair.

"Dusty?" Elsa chuckled, coughing on her bite of fish as she laughed at the nickname. Wiping her mouth daintily with a napkin, she remarked, "Never heard that one before, Anna. Makes you sound like a cowgirl."

Meg grinned challengingly. "Oh, she knows a thing or two about riding." Elsa's jaw went slack and she blushed profusely. Anna intervened.

"Alright Meg, what's up? Elsa doesn't like that kind of talk." the freckled young woman said, feeling mildly intruded on.

"Sorry, I'm sorry." Meg replied, holding her hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "I didn't see you around yesterday, and I wanted to show you around to a few of the hot spots while we're docked."

Anna folded her arms, arching a wry eyebrow. "You could show all of us…" she began, but Elsa quietly interrupted her.

"Anna, it's really okay. I think I've had enough excitement for one day." Elsa said, patting her sister's forearm lightly.

Anna's shoulders slumped. "Sorry. You really weren't that comfortable up there. I didn't mean to pressure you and wear you out." she apologized, sulking a little.

Elsa shook her head, placing a hand on a freckled shoulder. "No, no. I wanted to do that with you. It...it really meant a lot to me." She leaned forward and whispered to Anna, "I think Rapunzel's a little homesick. Why don't I take her back to the ship for a little R and R, while you explore the town some more with your friend, hmm?"

Anna nodded, wanting her cousin to feel better than she did last night. She met her sister's stare half-heartedly, muttering, "You promise we'll all do something together tonight? And tomorrow? And every day after that?"

"Mmmhmm." Elsa assured her, squeezing her shoulder one last time. "Go over there and keep your friend company. We'll finish up here and head out. Text me when you're on your way back, and I'll have a special treat waiting for you."

Anna blushed lightly, and smiled. "My bet is on ice cream, even though being with the two of you is the only treat I really want." She shared a hug with her sister, before reaching across the table and squeezing Rapunzel's hand. "Have fun and feel better." Anna whispered warmly.

Rapunzel nodded. "Don't stay out too late, Banana. We'll keep the bed warm for you."

That last statement caused Anna's heart to clench in a sweetly pleasant way, and she begrudgingly slid out of their booth with one final wave, before joining Meg next door.

Rapunzel pursed her lips thoughtfully, while tapping her chin. "Methinks Anna's getting tired of her little 'friend'."

Elsa nodded, chuckling. "Did you see the look on her face? I'd never seen her look so annoyed!" The blonde woman folded her arms on the table, finishing with, "Well, I know Anna. She'll end it when she's ready to." She slid her hand gingerly across the table, brushing her fingertips with Rapunzel's. The brunette's breath hitched, and she bit her bottom lip. Elsa quietly whispered, "We can have some alone time, too. I mean...if you're ready to...talk?"

Rapunzel nodded, body humming with barely concealed nervous anticipation. "I am, Elsie. Let's go and...talk."

"Can I get you anything? Iced tea? Coffee? Ice cream?" Elsa asked Rapunzel, fidgeting in her chair as her hands idly rubbed the leggings of her Wal-Mart pajamas. The blonde woman had moved the two leather recliners so that they were face to face.

Rapunzel, seated cross-legged on the recliner opposite her blonde cousin, cocked her head to one side in mild amusement. The brunette was wearing her alligator onesie, figuring that a topic as serious as the one they were about to delve into could stand to have a little tension breaker. "No thanks, Abby. How about you...can I get you a Caf-Pow or something?"

Elsa chuckled loudly, cringing at how nervous it came out. At length, she announced, "I have a list. Of things to talk about, I mean." Rapunzel nodded supportively, gesturing for her to continue. "Okay, so, I'm guessing you want to hear about my conversation with Mulan?" she began.

Rapunzel shrugged. "I trust you, Elsie. But okay, let's hear it."

Elsa pursed her lips, momentarily collecting her thoughts. "I told her that I wasn't prepared for a relationship. Emotionally, I mean. And mentally, too. She and I never talked about rules or expectations; she always seemed to be keen on going with whatever I did." Elsa looked away with a hint of guilt.

Rapunzel clasped her hands beneath her chin, and replied, "She was trying to make you feel comfortable. But there is such a thing as too much one-sided comfort in a relationship."

Elsa nodded, idly reaching into her pocket and pulling out a piece of string. While speaking, she tied the two ends together and started occupying her hands with making a cat's cradle. "I found out I needed...wanted...rules. I worry that she would have accepted me even if I told her I...cheated. She was patient almost to the point of enabling."

Rapunzel couldn't help cracking a small grin. "So what you're saying is that...you'd like to be with somebody who challenges you?"

"I think so, yes." Elsa replied, hands deftly manipulating the string, and mind very grateful for the slight distraction. "Relationships, at least my limited understanding of them, are supposed to be about compromise. My ambivalence towards...sex...as well as my aversion to romantic touching. She just laid down and accepted whatever boundaries I set, not offering any suggestions or commentary. Nobody should have full authority in a relationship, least of all me." The blonde woman finished her statement on a dejected note.

Rapunzel folded her arms, and interjected. "Alright, that's fair. Mulan probably had needs that weren't being met by you. She never talked about her needs. As long as yours were being filled, that was all that mattered. Yeah...that is not a healthy basis for a relationship."

Elsa nodded. She glanced to the side, momentarily at a loss for words.

Rapunzel snapped her fingers, getting the blonde's attention. "Hey! That's not your fault. Mulan's a sweetheart, but she was too eager to please you. Like...yeah, maybe you aren't into sex, but you're still a person. She should have...well, shit, there's no point in troubleshooting it now." the brunette muttered, shrugging.

"She wants to be friends, and I'd like that." Elsa said, frustratedly trying to untangle her string's knot. "Honestly, I want to see what she's like when she isn't giving in to my every request." Her cousin nodded, smiling in agreement. "So, maybe we'll get together sometime before Christmas. That's...that's that."

Rapunzel smiled impishly, mumbling, "I'm kind of anxious to see your friendship with her. Relationships that end on good terms can turn into some damn rewarding friendships."

Elsa hummed quietly in agreement, finally tossing her cats' cradle string onto the coffee table in defeat. Her hands trembled slightly, as she said, "I guess that about covers...that. Next on my list." She leaned over, opened her purse which was lying on the floor, and pulled out an envelope. An envelope that had clearly been taped back together, and bore a faded blue snowflake sticker on the flap. The blonde woman handed it to Rapunzel, whispering, "You...this has always been for you."

Rapunzel gasped, before a lopsided smile broke out on her face. "Oh my, a letter from my admirer." she said, tenderness laced in the final word. Her thumb gently broke the seal of the old tape, and she withdrew a folded sheet of lined notebook paper, also carefully taped back together.

Gently unfolding the letter, Rapunzel took a deep breath, before Elsa quietly interjected, "You...you don't have to read it here." she mumbled lamely, dark blush staining her cheeks and pale hands wrung together.

"I know I don't have to." Rapunzel replied serenely. "But, I'm going to." Elsa sighed, ducking her head slightly in embarrassment, yet her eyes never left her brunette cousin. "Dearest pretty girl. I love the way you laugh. I love the way you skip down the hallways. I love the way your tongue pokes out of your mouth a little when you're working on a math problem. I love how you always volunteer to stay after class to help students or teachers. I love the way you light up any room you're in. I love every time you look at me, and I always hope the next look is right around the corner. I shouldn't love you...but I do. Whenever you're around, I feel so safe. I love the way you believe in me. I love the way you believe in yourself. I'll always love you for all these reasons, and lots more, but if I could be with you every day, I'd show how I love you so much more. Love, your not-secret admirer. Elsa."

Rapunzel's voice had become more broken and her eyes more tearful with each sentence she read. When she finally finished, she carefully folded the letter back up, placed it in the envelope, and pressed it gently against her chest. Her shoulders heaved, her nose sniffled, and she sobbed unabashedly.

Elsa leaned forward, placing a hand on her cousin's alligator pajama foot, and squeezed, tenderly saying, "And I still mean every word of it...dearest pretty girl." She continued gently massaging Rapunzel's foot, while she slowly rocked back and forth, her red, puffy eyes never leaving her cousin's.

"Who the hell takes a cruise to Juneau, Alaska, just because they have a Kidsport for adults?!" Anna exclaimed for the third time that afternoon, squatting low suddenly to avoid losing her balance. The foot wide platform, covered in a soft, blue mat that reminded the redhead of high school gym class, had begun to sway back and forth. She looked down again, and instantly regretted it again, despite the extra large inflated cushion ten feet below. Vertigo caused her to wobble precariously, and Meg, who was standing right across from her, pointed her jousting baton at Anna menacingly.

"Probably the same people who take this cruise every week for three months straight, Dusty." Meg hollered, hopping back and forth easily on the wavering balance beam.

"Okay there, Hips McFlips!" Anna groaned, thrusting her jousting baton forward several times half-heartedly, only risking baby steps forward at this point. "Now you're just showing off!"

Meg chuckled, idly twirling her jousting baton over her head. "Nah, that's not showing off." she taunted. Taking several large steps backwards, she proceeded to run directly at Anna. The panicked redhead frantically held her jousting baton out in front. Meg dove forwarded into a one-handed cartwheel, easily maneuvering her baton. Her feet hit the ground a yard away from Anna, and Meg exploded from her crouch. She sailed over top of her lover, barely grazing copper hair, before sticking the landing directly behind Anna. "That is showing off!"

Anna did her best impersonation of a war cry, spinning around while brandishing her baton, but Meg merely ducked and slapped the redhead against her side with the baton's padded end. Anna squawked in panic, teetered on the edge of the balance beam, before falling off the edge. She landed butt first on the soft air mattress, and Meg stood over her, baton raised high in the air. "Fuckin' victory!" she cried.

Anna thrashed around helplessly on the large air mattress, and Meg shook her head with a wry chuckle. "Having trouble, Dusty? Hang on, I'll help." The chestnut-haired woman tossed her baton over the other side, and jumped down into the other mattress.

Pushing her way through the lightly inflated fabric, Meg finally reached the end of hers and stepped onto the floor. She slapped on Anna's air mattress, saying, "Need me to send in the rescue squad?" She heard a faint moan, and panicked. Taking quick action to deflate the mattress, the fabric rapidly lost air, and Meg was able to wade through the airless fabric to get to Anna.

The freckled young woman was drenched in sweat, clutching her head and very pale. Her body thrashed feebly, and Meg drew her onto her lap. "Talk to me, Dusty. What's going on?"

Anna couldn't hear a sound. She couldn't see anything. Pain thundered through her skull. stealing her breath and convulsing her muscles. "Falling." she muttered feverishly, the throbbing from her scar having her verging on unconsciousness. "Elsa."

A wall. Anna was staring at a wall. The wall was covered in vines, and smelled of mildew and moss. Chubby, calloused hands gripped and pulled, hauling the ten year old's body higher and higher. The wall was only twelve feet tall, but it seemed to stretch on forever.

"ANNA!" A blood curdling scream from behind her. Elsa. Why was Elsa yelling? Wait, Elsa took her blindfold off?! This was supposed to be a surprise!

"ANNA, STOP! PLEASE!" Elsa shrieked again. But why stop? The top of the wall was almost in reach. Then, Anna could say it. She could proclaim it. She would shout it for all the world to hear. What was she going to shout? One more good, solid vine to grasp onto...right there. Fingers clenched. Body weight shifted.

The vine snapped. She was falling. Falling forever. Now she'd have to try again tomorrow. Wait. Why was Elsa still screaming? Why was everything white? Why?!

"Shh, shh, come on back to us, Anna." Meg muttered, pressing a damp washcloth to her lover's pale, sweaty forehead. Several staff members of the gym paced nervously nearby, ready to dial 911 at any second. The chestnut-haired teenager gently brushed away several copper locks of hair, paying extra attention to the lone white lock.

Anna moaned softly. Eyebrows knitted, and eyes gradually fluttered open. Her forehead felt cool and wet, but her throat was dry as hell. "Meg?" she whispered hoarsely.

"Welcome back, Dusty." Meg said, her body sagging in relief. She carefully wiped away the sweat on the older girl's cheeks and jawline. "Congratulations, you successfully stole my attention." she joked wryly. Meg took a moment to wave the staff members away.

Anna slowly sat up, and Meg handed her a glass of water, which she gratefully drank. After collecting her thoughts and bearings for a minute, the redhead apologized. "Sorry...sorry you had to see that. It usually doesn't happen unless...unless it's triggered by something."

Meg shook her head. "Don't sweat it. Hey, no offense Dusty, but you look like hell. You want me to take you back to your friends?"

Anna thought about it for a few moments. "Maybe I should let them just relax for tonight. No reason to come back all beat up and worry the hell out of them. I can catch up with them in the morning...they looked like they were having fun with each other, anyway." She sighed, shaking her head gently. "No, they have plans tonight. I don't wanna freak them out. I'll probably just use this chance to check out a bed and breakfast in town for the night."

Meg shrugged, smiling lightly. "Well, I'm sure as hell not gonna leave you alone." she insisted, helping her lover to stand.

Anna tried to smile, but it turned into more of a grimace. "Don't worry about me. I'm not gonna be much fun tonight anyway."

Meg squeezed Anna's forearm, demanding the redhead's attention. "You just fucking fell fifteen feet, had brain issues, and passed out. There's no way in hell I'm leaving you alone tonight, Dusty." Locking arms with Anna, the younger woman continued, "We'll both check into one of those B&Bs, get fat and happy, and you can tell me all about what the hell happened." Anna opened her mouth to refuse, but Meg cut her off. "And, since I'm the jousting champion, what I say is law!"

Anna groaned, finally agreeing. "Fine. Thanks...yeah. Thanks."

"And no alcohol tonight." Meg insisted. Anna complained pathetically and pouted intensely, but the teenager could not be swayed. "Be fair, Dusty. We're on land now, which means the drinking age is back to 21. Cut me some slack, okay?"

Anna grudgingly agreed, and Meg made a small fuss over how adorable the redhead's grumpy face was when she didn't get her way.

"Hell, Elsie, you at least had the guts to write that letter." Rapunzel mused, leaning back on the bed and looking over to her blonde cousin. "I never got anywhere near that close, and I was absolutely head over heels for you during your last year at the academy."

Elsa, meanwhile, had sat up in surprise. "Alright, first of all, it took plenty of guts for you to come out to your dad and devil woman as both pansexual and a practicing Wiccan!" She grinned wryly at Rapunzel, finishing with, "I think you were plenty brave. And really, my senior year? So, you mean, when we both went stag to the prom and we were just dancing together the whole night…"

Rapunzel nodded, blushing and toying with her unruly brown hair. "Yep. I couldn't look you in the eye during any of the songs, 'cuz you would have totally seen the hearts in my eyes." She shook her head, squirming helplessly on the bed at the memory of her high school self. "I was a damn fool for you, nerdface. Thank god you didn't notice back then, because we really weren't in a good place to tell each other anyway."

Elsa sighed, shaking her head in agreement. "Not that any time's all that easy to make that admission, but...at least we're adults with some semblance of an ability to provide for each other...I mean for ourselves." The blonde woman shook her head, blushing profusely and smacking her hands on her cheeks repeatedly.

Rapunzel inched closer to Elsa, muttering, "There's nothing wrong with saying you'd like to provide for me, Elsie. I used to fucking daydream about buying a house with you and filling it with cats and love." She bashfully scratched the wrinkled comforter they were laying on as she spoke.

Laying back down and turning to look at Rapunzel, Elsa conceded the point. "You're right. We're here now, so we should own what we say. So I'll start with that. Rapunzel Corona, I do want a house with you. And we can fill it with whatever we want, because so long as we're there I know there's going to be love."

Rapunzel snorted mirthfully, but nevertheless sniffled in happiness. "That was straight out of Hallmark Greeting Cards, but I ate it up anyway." she said, winking.

"But...we should talk about some serious things too." Elsa replied, folding her hands across her stomach. Rapunzel nodded encouragingly, prompting her to continue. "Alright...so, let's...if we start dating, what happens if we break up?"

Rapunzel let out a low, long whistle. "You do come out with guns blazing, Elsie. But, okay. Let's not get into why we'd break up...but in the city, the only other family we have is Anna. I...I think even if we broke up, we could act, you know, cordial to each other."

Elsa nodded slowly, before covering her face and rolling onto her stomach. She buried her face in the feather pillows, moaning unintelligibly. Rapunzel let out a sympathetic chuckle, and rubbed Elsa's back gently. "I know, it's hard and it sucks to think about. But...this is what we want. This is what you learned a relationship needs."

"Communication, right." Elsa groaned rolling back over, face flushed and hair a mess. "I want to believe that, too. Cordial. All we can do is hope for the best there, I guess. What we have is pretty strong...even if it would...go sour." Rapunzel sucked her cheeks in and made an exaggerated kissy face. "Sour just like that, exactly, dear." Elsa grinned.

Rapunzel's cheeks pinked, and she mumbled, "I love when you call me 'dear'." Elsa inclined an eyebrow, and the brunette waved her hands dramatically. "Yeah, okay, you can know that about me. I'm a damn sucker for pet names."

Elsa cooed sweetly. "Aww, so I could call you things like 'buttercup', 'cupcake', and 'pumpkin'?" She batted her eyelashes playfully at Rapunzel, who covered her eyes and nodded while groaning.

"Yes, yes, yes. Look, you could call me pretty much anything you want, aside from, like, kitten kicker, and...yeah. It does it for me." the brunette revealed bashfully.

Elsa blushed as well, making eye contact with Rapunzel, and admitting, "This...learning these things about you. I love it. It's…" At that, the blonde woman just devolved into a soft, trembling sigh.

"You are a romantic." Rapunzel cheered softly. "I always knew it."

Elsa nodded, taking a minute or two to compose herself somewhat. "Here we go." she thought dramatically. "Sex." she said simply.

Rapunzel immediately sat up, sensing the change in mood. Hesitantly, she said, "I like it...and you don't."

Elsa shook her head lightly, while shrugging. "It's...look, it's not that I don't like it. I just...don't really think about it often, I guess? Rarely."

Quietly laying her head back down on the pillow, Rapunzel drew several fingers over her lips in thought. Speaking slowly, and considering every word carefully, she asked, "Elsie...what do you think of your body? Like...do you think you're pretty, ugly, or...plain, I guess?" She held her breath, hoping she hadn't offended or confused her cousin too much.

Elsa's eyes widened slightly, and her blush definitely darkened in color, but she didn't look away from Rapunzel immediately. She slowly moved her eyeline away from her cousin, across the bed, and over to her own chest. She moistened her lips hesitantly, before responding. "Do you remember how each floor of the girls' dorms at the academy had a matron? The 'nighttime nun'?"

Rapunzel nodded slowly. "I had Sister Mary Clarence all six years. I sort of get the feeling she was one of the 'better' ones."

Elsa pursed her lips. "I never knew how...how to tell you, back then. I thought it was normal. My...I had my own room." she revealed quietly.

"Your own room?!" Rapunzel gasped, eyes wide and searching Elsa's carefully. "Wha...why?!"

Elsa shrugged noncommittally, muttering, "I can only guess at this point. But I did have a matron. Only...she wasn't a nun. She was...Punzie, it was Gothel."

"Gothel?!" Rapunzel spat the name out as though it was poison. "I don't...wait. Wait. Elsa…"

"She...she told me things. She told me…" Elsa cringed, looking away to hide the tears forming in her eyes. She sat up, shivering quietly.

Immediately, Rapunzel was at her side, whispering soothingly, "You don't have to tell me. I'm sorry I brought it up." She lightly squeezed Elsa's forearm.

Elsa, however, whispered hotly, "But I want to tell you." She put her hand over top of Rapunzel's, feeling the younger woman's warmth, and she gathered her courage. "She told me I was a monster. She...she never said she knew about my feelings for...you." Elsa visibly shuddered, and it took every fiber of Rapunzel's being not to embrace her right then and there. "She said I was ugly, I...I grew up being told to conceal myself, my body, my feelings, my…"

"Lay down, Elsie." Rapunzel whispered, gently but forcefully pressing against Elsa's shoulders, until the blonde woman was lying on her back, head pressed against several soft pillows.

Several minutes went by, and Elsa gradually calmed down. Eventually, she attempted to answer Rapunzel's question. "I...I'm working on my horrible self esteem. But no, I do not think I'm pretty." Her eyes went wide again, and Elsa rolled onto her side and reached out for Rapunzel's hand, which the brunette quickly offered. "Do...do you think my...asexual...ness, is it because of my past with her?"

Rapunzel's heart clenched painfully, but she was forced to shrug her shoulders. "I can't tell you that, Elsa. That's...that's something that you have to find the answer for yourself." She clumsily flounced over next to Elsa, lying down to face her, and held fast to the blonde woman's hand. "I do know one thing, though. You have your entire life to find this answer, and at your own speed. And I will be there for you, as a friend or...as more, every step of the way."

Elsa shrugged helplessly. "But...what am I? Am I really asexual?"

Rapunzel squeezed Elsa's hand tightly. "You are ELSA." she whispered fiercely. "That's the label that truly matters most. If you feel comfortable calling yourself asexual, then for as long as you desire, you can call yourself that." Pausing to take several deep breaths, as well as to brush some of Elsa's blonde bangs back behind her ear, Rapunzel continued. "If, some day, you find yourself magically enjoying sex, then you can change your label. If you want. But you will always be Elsa, and that's what matters most."

Elsa had been slowly nodding the entire time her cousin was speaking. The blonde woman felt her identity being pieced together again, one brick at a time. It was still extremely incomplete, but it was her.

Several more minutes went by in silence. At length, Elsa spoke up quietly. "I talked a lot. Thanks...I think I needed to. But even if I'm not sure about my thoughts on sex, you are sure."

Rapunzel, having spent the last few minutes positively furious at her former stepmother, and wishing she could slug her again, shook her head briefly to clear those thoughts. "Elsie, I'm not Mulan. I won't lay here and tell you that I'm absolutely fine with letting you run the show, and that as long as your needs are met, that's all I need. It's romantic as hell, but that would be doing both of us a disservice. But at the same time, I do have control over my urges."

Elsa nodded, feeling her face warming again. "When I think about...hugging you, cuddling with you...even kissing you. My stomach gets all...floaty." the blonde woman admitted, feeling a dopey grin spread across her face. "Would you think it was weird if...if I...talked to a therapist?"

Rapunzel shook her head, wiping more frustratingly consistent tears from her eyes. "I'm for you doing anything you feel will help you better understand who you are. If we get to touch each other more, that's great. If not…" she lowered her voice and leaned over to Elsa's ear to whisper, "...the things you just said sound absolutely fantastic." The brunette laid her head back on her pillow, biting her bottom lip and quivering as her stomach had been feeling all floaty for the last hour.

Elsa frowned thoughtfully, blush returning again. Her eyebrows knitted, and Rapunzel could tell she was pondering something difficult. "What's on your mind, nerdface?" Rapunzel asked quietly.

"If...oh my god." Elsa blushed profusely and felt as though her face was on fire, but she pushed forward regardless. "This is the last thing I'll say on this matter for today. Some day, even if I never really jump at the thought of having sex...I would want to...help...you…" the blonde trailed off in embarrassment. She suddenly flipped over again, burying her face into her pillow and squealing desperately.

"Elsie? Oh, I almost caught that! What was it again?" Rapunzel asked pleadingly, leaning her head right next to Elsa's pillow and pressing her ear to the fabric.

The brunette could have sworn she heard Elsa mumble something about "...naughty bits...helping hand…" before the poor blonde woman devolved into an embarrassed, muffled screaming fit. Rapunzel quietly sat up in bed and gave Elsa's back a light pat. "Okay, Elsie. No more naughty bits talk for the day." But Rapunzel was fairly sure about what she had heard, and the warmth pooling between her thighs at the thought of 'Elsa's helping hands' made her almost dizzy with desire.

"Come on, I swear, I'm really okay now!" Anna insisted, slapping the king sized bed in frustration and hurling a complementary stuffed monkey against the far wall.

Meg looked at her nonplussed. "Dusty, how do I know that shit won't happen again?" She was casually stretching against the wall, right next to the dresser. At least Anna thought it was casually, until her right foot swung up from the floor and rested just above the chestnut-haired young woman's eyeline.

Anna's jaw hung open for a few seconds, before she gathered herself and pouted, "Well, then the least you could do is quit putting on a show for me all the way over there." The redhead reached out her arms and moaned pitifully, "Come to me, Hips McFlips!"

Meg turned to face Anna, still holding her right foot over top of her head. "Are you sure you want to go another round? Last time you might have blown a gasket in your head, but I was the clear winner before that." Hopping on her powerful left leg alone, Meg slowly hopped towards Anna.

The redhead somewhere between a cringe and a chuckle. "Fall over...come on, fall over!" Anna chanted, pumping her fists, and deflating when Meg fell into bed successfully. "Damn...I so wanted to call you 'Hops McFlops'."

Meg chuckled dryly, replying, "Yeah, that's about a negative three on the old pet name scale, Dusty." Stretching her body out with a cat-like curl of her spine, she crawled up and nestled herself between Anna's legs, with her head resting on soft breasts. "What's the next competition going to be, then? And you better give yourself a nice advantage."

Snatching the clock radio on the nightstand, Anna turned on the radio and hit 'scan'. The radio began to automatically scroll through stations, stopping at each clear one for ten seconds before moving on. "It's 'name that tune' time, pookie!"

Meg groaned, slapping Anna's tummy lightly. "Well, 'pookie' is taking your ass down, Dusty." Anna grinned evilly in return, putting her hands lazily behind her head and wondering what Elsa and Rapunzel were doing at that very moment.

"Your usual on the pizza?" Rapunzel called out to Elsa, who was idly sketching at her drafting table. Elsa responded with a grunt in the affirmative, scratching her temple with the eraser in consternation. Rapunzel quickly finished the order, hanging up with a sunny "Thanks, bye bye!" and went out to see Elsa's 'new project'.

Rubbing her chin thoughtfully, Elsa called out, "Three floors, with how many offices on the second floor?"

Rapunzel replied from right next to the blonde, startling her. "Oh, are you working on the super deluxe condo?" she asked, touching Elsa's shoulders lightly. In her hands she had two hot cups of tea, one of which she carefully set on Elsa's left side.

"Mmhmm." Elsa replied, taking a small break to doodle a little garden gnome outside.

Rapunzel cooed immediately. "Aww, would you like to have a little garden, Elsie? Oh, um. Three offices, a lobby and waiting room, and a bathroom, please and thank you."

Scratching a few notes on the side of the sheet of paper, Elsa nodded, smiling a little. "Anna and I...we used to have a little garden back in the woods of our old house. Every summer we'd work hard, loving how pretty it looked in the fall. But then, school would start again, and by the time we were on spring break, everything would be overgrown." Stretching her arms over her head briefly, the blonde woman squealed tiredly, before finishing, "It's...very rewarding."

Rapunzel put her chin on Elsa's right shoulder, giving a goofy grin. "Garden it is, then." The brunette went back to her leather recliner, where she sat cross-legged and continued several unfinished designs for conversation pieces in the music store. Every so often, she'd pause and just stare at her cousin for a minute. Sometimes, one minute would turn into three, or five, and Rapunzel felt a serene sense of calm happiness wash over her.

Elsa hunched her shoulders, muttering, "I'm being stared at, aren't I?"

Rapunzel shrugged, smiling and completely unable to feign guilt. "You look adorable when you're hard at work." She chuckled, returning to her drawing.

Shaking her head while sporting a dark blush, Elsa murmured, "Oh, great, I forgot how much my girlfriend likes to embarrass me." Several moments went by in silence. Another minute. Yet another five after that. Elsa was keenly aware she was being stared at again. Sighing, she swiveled around in her chair to face Rapunzel.

Dimples prominent on her glowing face, the brunette woman sat with her fists propping her chin up. Her eyes were glassy, and she rocked slowly from side to side. "You called me your girlfriend." Rapunzel trilled.

Elsa blanched, embarrassment evident once more. "Should I...not have?"

Laughing and shaking her head, Rapunzel replied happily, "Sorry. No, you definitely should. Just...you're making me feel fifteen years old all over again. God damn...fucking new relationship energy is going to make me melt, I swear!" she insisted, squirming pleasantly on her chair.

Elsa smiled wryly, replying, "I think I'm going to open a joint bank account with my girlfriend. She needs somewhere she can deposit all this energy. She'll be grateful when it's six months down the line and she can withdraw some when I'm being completely untolerable."

Rapunzel's smile grew more tender, and a touch concerned. "That's what you think, isn't it? That you're going to mess up somehow?" Elsa nodded, shoulders drooping. To that, Rapunzel responded, "Well, spoiler alert, Elsie. You will mess up. You will, and I will too. But that's okay, because my girlfriend here is an excellent communicator."

Elsa balled her hands into fists, jamming her thumbs against her lips and biting on her thumbnails. She shook her head, still blushing, and rocked back and forth in her rotating chair. "Okay!" she squeaked at length. "I'm getting back to work!" Rapunzel giggled softly at her girlfriend's flustered reaction.

A knock at the front door coincided with the brunette's stomach growling, and she pranced over to claim their two pizzas from the delivery person.

A dog barked outside of the inn, startling Anna awake. She swallowed thickly, grimacing as she tasted bits of lo-mein stuck between her teeth. A glance at the clock radio, which the two women had set on their bed, showed her it was only a little after 10 P.M. Groaning in frustration, she stumbled out of bed, and into the bathroom, where she turned on the faucet and stuck her mouth against the running water.

After drinking her fill, Anna got to work, thoroughly scrubbing her teeth while she checked her phone for any messages. "Nothing. I mean...no, call, no text?" The redhead pouted, toothbrush drooping from her mouth. "I know Elsa told me to text her when I was coming back, but...aren't they curious at all?"

Spitting out the toothpaste in frustration, Anna smacked her palms against her cheeks. "The hell with it. They're probably having fun, I'm a big girl, and my headache is gone. I'm going out with Meg tonight, damnit!" She truly did hope her sister and cousin were having fun, but lately it felt like Anna herself was a bit of a third wheel in the friendship. Relationship. Whatever.

"Damnit, fuck me. Time to get clean!" Anna grumbled, turning the shower on and hopping in immediately, letting out a startled yelp at the frigid water. Sadly, the only soap and shampoo available was the same mini brand that hotels used; the kind that made the redhead's skin peel something awful. Several minutes later, towel wrapped around her mostly dry, naked, and already peeling body, she exited the bathroom.

"Nice night for a cold shower, huh?" Meg asked, sitting on the bed and grinning at Anna in the dark.

Anna screamed in surprise. "Holy shit...okay, yeah, you scared the fuck out of me!"

The chestnut-haired teenager laughed heartily. "Well, you're looking pretty spry. Did actually sleeping in bed with me really get you that hot?" she snickered snidely, and Anna responded by blowing a raspberry with vigor. Meg continued, "Consider that scare a test...and the doctor says you're cleared."

Anna hopped up and down, flapping her hands and losing her towel as she squealed. "Awesome! So we're going out, right?!" She clenched her fists in front of her chest in anticipation, bouncing on her toes and causing her breasts to wiggle.

Meg couldn't help but gawk at Anna's naked, freckled body. Failing to fend off a blush, she responded snarkily, "Well, as much as you really make me want to stay in bed for the rest of the night and...work out, I get the feeling you feel like being social. Juneau's club scene is a little small, but not horrible. Go put something cute on and we'll see where the action is."

Meg was caught pleasantly off guard when Anna tackled her back into the bed, pressing her naked body into the younger woman's dressed one. "I think we have a little time for some...pregame action." Anna whispered hotly, before trapping Meg's bottom lip gently between her teeth. The chestnut-haired woman groaned pleasantly, hands sliding down her lover's backside.

Delaying their departure by half an hour...Meg was sure that somehow, in some way, she could overcome her obvious sadness over the change in plans.

Elsa and Rapunzel were lounging on the master bed, two half empty pizza boxes on the floor nearby a testament to their earlier dinner. The blonde woman was reading a new issue of 'Architect Monthly' which she bought at the on-ship newsstand, while her brunette cousin was perusing a graphic design magazine. "Oh, oh hey Elsie, check this out!" Rapunzel exclaimed, flopping onto her stomach and pointing her smartphone at her girlfriend.

Elsa set her magazine on her lap and leaned forward, adjusting her glasses. "Twenty fifth annual snowman building competition. Prizes for individual and team competitions. Limit of twenty dollars worth of purchased snowman accessories. Bring receipt to-" she read aloud, until Rapunzel could not control her giddiness any longer and snatched her phone back.

"It starts tomorrow at 10 A.M, and lasts until noon!" The brunette gave Elsa the most endearingly pleading pout she could muster, before begging, "I know we signed up to hit the spa tomorrow, but if we get up early we can do this, too! Plus, I know Anna would go crazy over this."

Elsa smiled in agreement. "Looks good to me. I'll text her to let her know." Pulling out her phone, she mused out loud, "I don't think I heard from her at all since she left with Meg after lunch. Guess they're probably busy in town." The blonde woman pursed her lips, eyebrows knitting in slight consternation.

Rapunzel lightly touched Elsa's shoulder, causing her girlfriend's cheeks to redden. "Anna can take care of herself. I think Meg's kind of a brat, but...well, you know…" the brunette muttered, gesturing back and forth between the two of them.

"I know, dear." Elsa replied, placing her hand over top of Rapunzel's and squeezing it gently for a moment. Just as quickly, though, she removed it and ducked her head in embarrassment. The brunette smiled warmly at her girlfriend, as she quietly stammered, "We need alone time. It's good...it feels really good."

Rapunzel gave a sigh of agreement, falling back onto her pillow collection. She folded her arms over her stomach and stared at the crystal patterns on the roof, deep in thought. At length, she quietly asked Elsa, "I feel like we should tell Anna. Some day, I mean. What...how do you think…"

Elsa paused, setting her magazine down again.

If Anna ever remembered how she used to feel about you, she'd probably be okay with Rapunzel and you dating. But...if Anna remembered her feelings, and yours, she might not be okay with this.

Elsa closed her eyes in mild frustration, but was brought back around when she felt a soft finger pressing against her cheek. "Sorry." Rapunzel moped. "I didn't mean to...you know...be a downer."

Leaning her head against her girlfriend's, Elsa softly replied, "No, you're right. I...I want to tell her some day, too. If anybody would accept us…" she took hold of Rapunzel's hand and laced their fingers together. "It would be Anna. I...just have a good feeling about her."

Rapunzel blushed awkwardly, leaning her head on Elsa's shoulder. The brunette's back and neck felt tense, as memories of her time spent with Anna on more than a handful of occasions through the last five years slowly intruded on her day to day thoughts. Anna with her in Europe. Anna sharing a bed with her during countless apartment sleepovers.

"Anna in bed with me when we went to daddy's funeral. Does she...ever think about those times the way I do? Did?!" Rapunzel was so deeply immersed in her sudden memories of intimate time with Anna, that she failed to notice herself steadily encroaching onto Elsa's body.

"Um...Punzie?" Elsa stuttered, face flushed and mouth grimacing tolerantly.

Rapunzel blinked several times, before realizing she'd pressed Elsa flat on her back, with her head on her girlfriend's chest. She untangled herself from Elsa and sat up immediately, blushing fiercely and apologizing profusely. "Sorry! God I'm sorry! I was...wasn't thinking!" the brunette blabbered, broken from her nervous rant when she felt Elsa press a quick, soft kiss to her cheek.

"Relax." Elsa breathed, even though the blonde woman looked as though she was about to pass out. "We won't tell her any time soon, but when the time comes, we'll do it together."

"Relax, yes, yep, that is me. I am relax." Rapunzel squeaked bashfully, feeling her cheek that Elsa had kissed positively on fire. "I think I'm gonna go take a bath! Yes, a nice, hot bath. That's the ticket!" the brunette exclaimed, hopping off of the bed. Elsa nodded quickly, face buried in her magazine.

Adrenaline surged through Rapunzel's veins, and she felt a sudden flash of desire. "I can't ask Elsa that! I can't say it!" Rapunzel thought miserably, already thoroughly aroused from one kiss. "And those thoughts of Anna-shut up, brain!" Running her hands through her unkempt brown hair, she was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea.

Rapunzel grabbed a piece of paper out of her sketchbook and scribbled a short message on it. Tiptoeing back over to Elsa, the brunette gently poked her with the pencil. When Elsa looked over, all she saw was a folded up piece of paper. She also heard a stampede of footsteps, and her head whipped around to the bathroom, as she just caught a glimpse of Rapunzel disappearing inside.

Rolling her eyes at whatever game her new girlfriend was playing, Elsa unfolded the paper and read its contents quietly to herself. "May I please think about you when I touch my naughty bits? Say 'yes' or 'no'. And I love you just as much either way."

Rapunzel stood inside the locked bathroom, leaning against the door, and waiting in breathless anticipation. She heard Elsa quietly muttering something, before a loud *thump* almost caused her to poke her head back outside. Shortly thereafter, she heard the gentle creak of the floorboards along with soft footfalls.

*knock* *knock* *knock*

"Y...yes?" Rapunzel whispered nervously.

"The answer is...yes." Elsa stammered, voice high-pitched and cracking at the end.

Rapunzel did a silent fist pump, before softly replying, "Okay. Thank you. Are you...okay?"

Elsa let out a quiet groan, and Rapunzel felt a *thump* on the door that felt and sounded strangely like a forehead hitting wood. "I...fell off the bed." her girlfriend muttered lamely. "I'm going to hide for the next year. Have...have a nice bath." Slow footsteps trudging away met Rapunzel's ears, and she placed a tender kiss on the door, still not sure what exactly she did to be this lucky.

"Three tw...two one three...hey...that's my room!" Anna grinned, leaving the safety of leaning on Meg's shoulder and stumbling towards her door. Slapping her hands on the door frame, she turned and glared at Meg with tired, wild eyes. "How'd you know where I live? Are you spying on me? Do you liiiiike me?" the redhead sang, each several words punctuated with a small hiccup.

Meg shook her head. She hadn't planned on going back to the ship, but something was just off with Anna, and had been ever since her fall at the gym. "You sure you'll be alright, Dusty?" she asked, gently taking Anna's key card from her after watching Anna mis-swipe it six times. Meg swiped the card, turned the door handle, and slipped the key card back in Anna's back pocket.

The redhead turned back again, reaching an unsteady hand out and pinching Meg's cheek playfully. "You touched my butt...cutie pie." Anna's chipper voice grew suddenly tired. "I'm fine, I'll find the bed...see you tomorrow?" Anna slurred, giving her lover a small wave.

"One bed?" Meg muttered inquisitively, but dropped the matter. "How about dinner tomorrow night in town...then we do the bed and breakfast thing, and try staying sober?" the chestnut-haired teenager suggested with a wry smile.

"Mmmkay." Anna mumbled, giving Meg a half salute. "See you tomorrow, miss hip flip dip...pip!" She disappeared into the penthouse, finally closing the door after several moments of slapping the wall in the dark and giggling absentmindedly.

"The three of them share a bed?" Meg mused sourly as she took the elevator back downstairs to the main deck. "No. Anna isn't like that. She's friendly, but...she wouldn't do that." Shivering slightly, Meg wondered if she'd be able to shake the nagging suspicion that Anna and her two friends were...involved.

Anna, meanwhile, had managed to shimmy out of her jeans while only falling once. Moonlight shone in through the penthouse windows, providing minimal illumination for the redhead's slow and unsteady walk to the bedroom. "Maybe I'll get to be in the middle of Els and Punzie again!" she hoped, the thought alone bringing a smile to her sleepy, drunk face.

Slow, unsure steps brought Anna into the bedroom. Moonlight from the balcony

illuminated the bedsheets. as well as the heads and hands of Elsa and Rapunzel. The two women were both mostly under the covers, and they seemed to be favoring the right side of the bed.

Anna tried to quiet her breathing as she slowly slipped her socks off, then walked to the foot of the bed. She saw the clasped hands of her cousin and sister laying on the pillow, as the two faced each other.

Elsa's and Rapunzel's lips were a foot apart, at most. Their lips. They were both smiling, slow exhales in no way dampening their smiles. Their breath no doubt warmed their clasped hands, and the moonlight shining on their faces seemed to imbue both with an ethereal beauty.

Anna shivered and wrapped herself in a tight hug. "They look so...pretty. So...happy." The redhead smiled at her two dear relatives. Her bottom lip quivered. "They look like they really had a nice night. It's good that I went out." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, eyelids heavy with alcohol induced sleep. Her heart felt heavy as well, but in a different way. A sad way. "Don't wake them up. They look so peaceful together."

Anna exhaled with a long, slow, emotionally draining shudder, and quietly padded over to the other side of the bed. "Go on. Don't stare like a creep. You're having fun with Meg." She withdrew a small pillow and one of the folded blankets at the base of the bed. Her foot nudged something on the floor, and as her eyes had adjusted to the dim light, she saw two large pizza boxes peeking out from beneath the bed. "They had pizza. What did I have? Oh yeah, I'm drunk, that's what I had."

Clutching the pillow and blanket to her body, Anna drew shallow, shuddering breaths as she walked back around the bed. Tears slipped unbidden from her eyes and rolled hotly down her cheeks, but her alcohol subdued mind didn't notice. Stopping in the doorway, she took one look back at Elsa and Rapunzel, sound asleep and huddled together. "They're having a fun vacation."

Turning and feeling her entire body sag under some mysterious weight that just crushed her spirit, Anna trudged over to the pull out sofa bed in the living room. "Don't pull it out. You'll wake them up. The sofa is fine." She set the pillow down and crawled onto the sofa, pulling the small blanket up over her body and up to her chin. Her feet and ankles stuck out at the bottom of the sofa.

Anna let her head sink into the pillow, not noticing the fabric catching her silent tears. She opened her eyes again, hoping to get one last view of the pretty moonlight. She saw the moonlight, pale and beautiful, as her position on the sofa allowed her to see directly into the bedroom, where the slumbering forms of Elsa and Rapunzel laid together. Anna's lips trembled uncontrollably, but she forced them into a watery smile. "Don't be jealous of what they have. They love you, too."

The redhead turned around, pressing the front of her body against the sofa. She buried her face into the crack between the sofa cushion and the back. Hot tears squeezed out from the corners of her eyes as the alcohol and exhaustion gradually sent her off to a troubled sleep, with her last conscious thought of the night being, "They love you too. They love each other more. Do not be mad at them for that."

Voices from off in the distance drew Anna slowly out of her sound sleep. The redhead mumbled incoherently, face mashed between the sofa cushion and the sofa back. She'd also managed to worm her body into that same crack, shoving all the cushions halfway off of the sofa. "...sun...hate…" she grumbled, drawing her little blanket over top of her head and leaving everything from her belly south uncovered.

Elsa and Rapunzel watched their freckled relative lazily thrash and complain from their leather recliners. "Somebody looks like they had a rough night." Rapunzel grinned sympathetically, snapping a picture of her splayed out younger cousin.

Elsa nodded in agreement, putting down the Wall Street Journal she picked up along with breakfast that morning, adding, "The poor thing didn't even make it to bed, it seems."

Rapunzel leaned over to her girlfriend's ear, black lock of hair tickling her nose, and whispered, "It's not like we were being total bed hogs either, you know?" She wore an impish grin, delighting in the blush that spread across Elsa's cheeks.

Elsa shook her head, feeling her cheeks warming. "Okay, okay." she whispered. "You got in your embarrassing morning comment. I'll give you the honor of waking 'snoring beauty' over there."

Nodding enthusiastically, Rapunzel got out of her recliner and went behind Anna's sofa. Quietly, she clambered on top, perching precariously, and muttered, "Oh no, I think I'm gonna fall!"

Anna didn't reply with actual words, but her blanket shifted slightly, and something between a gargle and a growl came from beneath the blanket. Her cousin remained undeterred, and slowly let herself slide down the sofa backing until she landed on Anna with a soft *thump*.

Anna whined piteously, struggling and tangling her legs with Rapunzel's. "Come on, princess, it's time to get up!" Rapunzel cooed softly, tugging at the blanket covering Anna's upper body.

"No! The light is evil and I don't wanna see it." Anna countered sourly, attempting to burrow further into the corner of the sofa. Rapunzel sat back for a moment, before changing her direction of attack. She lifted the bottom of Anna's sheet and burrowed underneath, prompting a harassed squawk from the redhead.

The blanket fluttered and jumped as Rapunzel tickled Anna from behind, causing Anna to yelp and thrash her body helplessly. "Hee hee...whoa!" Rapunzel cried, losing her balance and tipping off of the sofa. She was dumped unceremoniously onto the floor, her forearms and butt breaking her fall. "Ouchies!" she exclaimed, grimacing as the blanket fell on top of her lap.

Anna quickly sat up, face flushed and breathing hard from the unexpected attack. "Punz! Are you okay?" Rapunzel nodded wryly, rubbing her sore backside, while Elsa chuckled. Anna continued hotly, "Then what the heck?! If I wanted a morning tickle attack, I'd ask for it!" The redhead folded her arms and pouted grumpily.

Elsa shook her head, walking over to join her sister on the now cushionless couch. "We were a little worried when we didn't hear from you last night. And then you only made it as far as the sofa when you came back?" The blonde woman's eyes were sensitive and searching, and guilt poured over Anna's body.

"S...sorry." Anna muttered sheepishly. Her head pounded from the prior night's activities, and she looked up when she felt something cool on her knees. Rapunzel held out a glass of water and two Excedrin, which Anna gratefully took. She quickly swallowed the pills, as well as half of the glass of water, before sighing and ruffling her cousin's unkempt brown hair. "Thanks, Punzie. It was...a hell of a night. And not in the way you're thinking."

Rapunzel sighed happily, leaning into the touch, and she mumbled hopefully, "We have some fun things planned today, if you want to stick around for a little? You can tell us about your night, even if it wasn't action packed."

Anna dipped her head, shoulders sagging with guilt again. "I...had a bit of a bad time yesterday." she began, mentally arranging the events of the story she had begun to tell while shoving the parts about her coming home, seeing the two of them, and feeling unwanted, back to a dark corner of her mind.

The three women stood in line, dressed in long pants, winter coats, boots, and gloves. The Juneau town square was bustling with activity, and several stands had been set up to handle individual and team registration for the snowman building competition.

Anna held onto Rapunzel's shoulders, jumping up and down with excitement. "Snowman, snowman, snowman!" she cheered, shaking her cousin back and forth like a rag doll.

"Holy hell, Anna, you'd think we were in line for Fall Out Boy tickets or something!" Rapunzel remarked with a smile, voice wavering as her cousin shook her enthusiastically. She looped an arm around Anna's shoulders to get a break from the shaking.

"Close, Punzie...very close!" Anna pumped her fists, building massive amoounts of hype and cheer. "Yes, this is where it's at! Back together with my girls! And building snowmen!" she thought, last night's troubles seemingly miles away.

While recounting her tale of the prior night, Anna had tried to gloss over her headache, but the fact that she'd experienced one as a result of falling seemed to distress Elsa greatly. The blonde woman was seated next to her, holding her hands the entire time as she listened.

"It felt like I was trying to remember something...something about falling." Anna had remarked earlier, gently touching her scar. Elsa noticed her sister's motion, and swallowed guiltily.

"You're...you're probably right, Anna." The blonde's mouth had felt dry. "You were probably reminded of the accident itself." She squeezed Anna's hands tenderly, regarding her sister carefully. "You don't...have to try to remember more. Leave it in the past...trust me. There's nothing from then worth all the pain you go through to remember." Elsa had smiled widely, but her eyes seemed to be concealing sorrow. Rapunzel wasn't there at the time of the accident, so she merely locked arms with Anna and rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

Anna also tried to gloss over her sleeping on the sofa, by saying that she was really beat and just collapsed there, but Rapunzel was observant enough to bring up Anna's use of the bed pillow and blanket.

"Oh, yeah." Anna backtracked quickly, heart rate increasing at being caught in her little lie. "I was a...little drunk, so I might have wandered into the bedroom to get a pillow and blanket." Before Rapunzel could ask why she didn't just sleep with them, Anna quickly added, "And the two of you looked so comfy that I probably didn't wanna wake you up." The redhead had left out her emotional self beratement.

Elsa, of course, had been a bit furious. "You drank the same night you fell fifteen feet and had a headache that made you unconscious?!" she shrieked, running her hands worriedly through her hair.

Anna shrugged, feeling even worse now that she'd given her sister another reason to worry. "The inflatable cushion was really soft, Els." she muttered halfheartedly in defense. "Anyway, I was sure you guys were having fun, and I wanted to have fun too." she finished lamely.

Elsa merely hugged her sister tightly, pulling her to her chest. "I know you're an adult. That won't stop me from worrying about you." She held Anna's face in her hands and whispered hotly, "Please take better care of yourself."

"Okay…" Anna had muttered, feeling her eyes water and shuddering as more waves of disgust washed over her from how she'd made her sister upset.

Rapunzel had placed a gentle hand on Anna's shoulder. She looked at Elsa pointedly, whispering, "May I talk to Anna alone, please?" Elsa met her girlfriend's gaze, and after several moments the blonde woman's face relaxed, and she nodded.

"You can tell her about the surprise today, too." Elsa said, smiling softly as she stood up and made her way to the bathroom.

"Surprise?" Anna had asked in a small, curious voice.

Rapunzel put her arm around Anna's shoulders, drawing her into a half embrace. The brunette chose her words, while making meaningful eye contact. "Do you want to spend less time with Meg?" she asked quietly.

Anna blanched, shrugging nonchalantly. "She's nice. We have fun. It's...sometimes she just shows up and…" the redhead trailed off uncertainly.

Rapunzel gently continued her cousin's train of thought. "Pushes you into going out with her? She is, you know, a little bit…" the brunette bit her lip, searching for the right word.

"Insistent?" Anna offered helpfully.

Rapunzel laughed, replying, "I was gonna say 'mega bitchy'." Anna barked out a laugh, feeling a bit better about the whole situation. Rapunzel continued, "Elsa and I...we're talking through some stuff. Things she went through at school...not nice things." Anna's eyes widened, and she frowned. Holding up a hand in a placating gesture, Rapunzel finished, "She's okay. And she does want to share these things with you. She will...soon. But I won't lie...she'd like to see more of you on our vacation. I...I would, too." Rapunzel blushed lightly, looking down at her lap in mild embarrassment.

Anna gave her cousin a watery smile. "Damnit, Corona, you're trying to make me cry and it's not gonna work." She wrapped her arms around the shorter woman and hugged her tightly, refusing to cry. "I'm gonna spend all day and all night with you guys. I miss...us." she whispered hotly.

Rapunzel chuckled, the sound tinkling pleasantly in Anna's ears like the chiming of bells. "Then you'd better go and get dressed. We've all got appointments at the spa for massages and royal treatment this afternoon, followed by splashing around in the pool like the children we are." The brunette grinned as she pulled away from Anna, eyes twinkling. "But before that...there's a team snowman building competition in Juneau today that we are going to win!" she exclaimed, grinning brightly.

"Snowman...snowman building!" Anna shrieked, bowling Rapunzel over in her ecstasy. Her heart felt lighter than it had in days. The redhead laughed boisterously, pressed up against her warm cousin, who cradled her to her chest and shared in the joyous laughter.

Anna whooped loudly when the three young women finally made it to the front of the registration line. She peeked excitedly over Elsa's shoulder, arms wrapped loosely around Rapunzel's waist, and watched the blonde woman fill out the registration card. She choked up a bit when she saw the name of their team.

"That's right, we are 'Anna's Angels'." Elsa grinned, turning with nametags in hand and hugging her sister and cousin.

Anna quashed her urge to cry again by laughing loudly. She squirmed happily, heart warmed by the proximity of Elsa and Rapunzel.

"What are your orders, Anna?" Rapunzel purred, leaning back in the embrace of Anna and Elsa.

Anna blushed, and replied, "The orders are...to have fun!" Together, the three young women made their way out to their designated snowman building area. They were forced to walk slowly, and they stumbled more than a few times, but each girl felt so happy in the embrace that none of them wanted to break it.

Anna, Elsa, and Rapunzel tromped happily up the ramp back to the boat, dragging their boots to kick off excess snow. Each wore a proud smile and a bronze medal with the inscription 'Third Place - Juneau's 17th Annual Snowman Building Contest - Team Entry'.

They'd carefully spent their twenty dollar allotment on fancy decorations, and lovingly crafted three snow princesses. After finishing all three, they spent their last four dollars on one fancy crown. Elsa had voted for it to go to Anna's snow princess, however, both the redhead and Rapunzel agreed that Elsa's snow princess was the most regal of the three. Therefore, they promoted Elsa's snow princess to a snow queen, and while the other teams had left early to get hot chocolate and cookies, the three young women concocted a fantastical backstory for their royal snow family.

Elsa grinned wryly, proudly polishing her bronze medal. "We may have only gotten third place according to the judges, but I'd say our royal triumvirate was the clear crowd favorite!" she exclaimed, snapping a quick photo of her medal to send to Mulan.

"Listen to this adorable overachiever!" Rapunzel purred, nudging Elsa gently. The blonde woman ducked her head and blushed furiously. "We did great, and now we're going to claim our rewards!"

Anna nodded enthusiastically, admiring her medal. "I'm gonna get them to dump those hot rocks all over me. Then they're gonna stomp on my back, wrap me in seaweed, and toss me into a mud pit!"

Elsa made a mildly disgusted face, and muttered, "I think I'll just stick with the sauna and a mani pedi for now." She blushed when Rapunzel locked arms with her, and right after that the brunette hauled Anna into her other arm.

"I plan on getting the most intense massage they have." Rapunzel announced cheerfully. "I want them to wring out my muscles and pound me like a piece of raw meat!"

Elsa blanched further upon hearing her girlfriend's description of her impending massage, wondering how such things could ever be pleasant. "Fine. I know peer pressure when I hear it, so I will do the gross seaweed thing with you, and a nonviolent massage with you."

Anna cheered again, while Rapunzel leaned over and whispered in Elsa's ear. "I give amazing foot massages, if you ever want one."

Elsa cringed, whispering back, "Thanks but no thanks. My feet are ugly, knobbly things." Rapunzel opened her mouth to object, but Elsa beat her to it. "And no, that's not because of...the academy. I just find all feet to be hideous, funny looking things that should be touched as rarely as possible."

Rapunzel smiled sympathetically, squeezing Elsa's forearm.

Anna suddenly spoke up. "I'll take you up on that offer! My poor tootsies have been screaming all week long." Both Rapunzel and Elsa blanched, not realizing Anna overheard their quiet whispers.

"Y...you got it, Banana!" Rapunzel regrouped quickly with a grin. "We'll get a pay per view movie later, eat a truckload of ice cream, and I'll make you think you were in heaven with these hands!"

Squeezing her cousin's arm tenderly, Anna nodded. "Yeah, Elsa and feet go back a long way. Els, remember on my tenth birthday when we went to the community pool? And…"

Elsa quickly interrupted her sister, feeling another blush marathon coming on. "And I insisted on wearing my socks into the pool because I was embarrassed by my huge, funny-looking feet." The blonde woman shook her head, burying her face in Rapunzel's hair, while murmuring, "Always a new story to embarrass me with."

The three young women flashed their key cards at the deck entrance, allowing them to board the ship again. They'd only gone several more yards, when Elsa suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Rapunzel was brought to a screeching halt, and Anna right after.

"Elsie? What's-" Rapunzel began, but was quickly interrupted.

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, eyes wide and with suddenly labored breathing. "Oh my...that story you just told!" she spluttered excitedly.

Anna rolled her eyes, replying, "Okay, yeah I'm sorry, I'll try to keep the embarrassing stories to once a week, okay?"

Elsa shook her head in the negative, stepping over and clasping her sister's shoulders. "That...your birthday. Your tenth birthday. That was five weeks before the accident!"

"Five weeks before…" Anna mouthed in vague confusion, before it finally hit her. "Holy shit. Holy shit! Fuck!" she exclaimed, holding her head in panic.

Rapunzel looked between the two frantic sisters curiously. "I don't get...wait. Does your head hurt?!" the brunette blurted out at Anna, while gingerly touching copper locks.

Anna shook her head. "Not even a little bit! I…" she replied, before stumbling a bit. "O...okay, whoa. That's...that's enough."

Elsa exhaled loudly, reiterating Anna's implied statement. "Yeah. Don't...don't press for more memories. Hold onto that one. Oh my god."

Rapunzel whooped with joy, hugging Anna tightly. "You got a memory back! And it didn't hurt! Anna, that's...that's fucking wonderful!" she exclaimed, sniffling happily.

Anna nodded, grinning hesitantly. She patted her cousin's back gently, muttering, "It's so weird. I expect the pain now...I'm waiting for it...but it's not coming."

Elsa went to her sister's opposite side, and looped an arm around her, grasping Rapunzel's forearm in the process. "Don't push it, Anna. Let's just have a nice time at the spa. Nice and relaxing...think about that memory. Your birthday...okay?" the blonde woman said, feeling Anna's body vibrate with nervous anticipation.

"Yeah...let's go and...relax." Anna replied, still worried that a headache was impending. Rapunzel continued rubbing her hand in small circles on the redhead's back, while she gave Elsa a meaningful glance.

Elsa, however, was looking straight ahead. Her lips were pressed together, and her pupils were constricted. She felt Rapunzel's knuckles press against her wrist, and she looked over to share a tender smile with her girlfriend. But inside Elsa's mind, she was struggling to remain calm.

"She got a memory back. That's amazing. That's wonderful. That's…" the blonde woman thought, torn between two extremes. Her subconscious had one reply for her.

When one comes back, more will follow. She will remember your shared feelings. What are you going to do?

Elsa's heart sank, despite the joy she felt for Anna. Her new, extremely tenative romantic relationship with Rapunzel, as well as her renewed sisterly relationship with Anna. Her mind strove desperately to consider her options, but they all boiled down to one impossible question. "What am I going to do?"

"Okay!" Rapunzel chirped, setting down her large tote bag on the locker room bench. She began methodically handing out items to Anna and Elsa, while talking about the order of their spa treatment events. "First up is everybody's favorite, the mud bath! Anna, here's your bathing suit. Here's mine. Both white, of course, so they have maximum stain power!" Rapunzel chuckled. She offered Elsa one as well, but her girlfriend declined with a cringe and a wave of her hand.

"No, no...I think being wrapped in slimy, green plants will fill my 'gross things' quota for the year. I'll start with the sauna." the blonde woman said, smiling at Rapunzel and Anna. "The two of you enjoy your messy fun."

"Oh, we will!" Anna snickered, pulling her sweatshirt off quickly and tossing it into their group locker. Rapunzel quickly followed suit, and Elsa quickly scrambled around to the other row of lockers.

"I...I'll just change over here, then!" Elsa squeaked in embarrassment, voice cracking. Nervously, she looked to her left and right to make sure nobody else could see her, before changing into her one-piece bathing suit at lightning speed.

Anna shared a sympathetic half smile with Rapunzel. The brunette leaned forward and whispered, "That nervousness. It's not just...Elsa not liking sex related stuff. I'll...tell you when we're alone." Anna nodded, interest suddenly piqued. Any opportunity to learn something new about her sister sparked her interest into a wildfire.

"Think we can use these later when we hit the pool?" Anna asked Rapunzel thoughtfully, slipping on her bottoms and dutifully avoiding looking at her cousin's pretty-"Damnit brain, stop going there!" she cringed guiltily.

For her own part, Rapunzel had gotten enough inadvertent flashes of her younger cousin's butt during sleepover hijinks that the sight no longer sent her into a blushing stupor. Even so, that didn't stop her cheeks from pinking up when she caught a sidelong glance of Anna's freckled glutes. On the opposite side of the lockers, Elsa let out an embarrassed squawk when she saw somebody else walk by wearing nothing. Rapunzel immediately felt guilt wash over her, and pointedly faced away from Anna.

"You ready to go over there, Elsie?" Rapunzel called, shoving the rest of their clothing into the tote bag. A pathetic whine, followed by the blonde woman's clothing sailing over the row of lockers and landing on Anna's head, was the affirmative reply.

"Nice shot, Elsa!" Anna chuckled dryly, dumping her sister's clothing into the tote, and shutting it in the locker.

Anna and Rapunzel headed towards the exit. When they turned the corner, Elsa's head stuck out comically from the other side, slightly flushed. "I...you two go ahead. I'll bring up the rear and find the sauna." she muttered, motioning for the other two women to go on ahead.

Anna motioned for Rapunzel to go ahead, muttering, "Hee hee, Elsa said ''rear'."

Rapunzel giggled, just about to step in front of Anna, when she gave the redhead a quick swat on her behind. "Nerdface's bodyguard will not tolerate slander, even from a Banana!" she cackled, running on ahead.

Anna squealed in protest, giving chase. "I'll show you slander, you little brat!" She ran out of the locker room, chasing the brunette.

Elsa shook her head, blush finally starting to recede. How they could be so comfortably physical with each other was something she just couldn't grasp.

They didn't have somebody telling them they were a gross, hideous monster every day for years.

Elsa bit her lip, accepting that there was a lot about herself she would have to work at to change and re-learn. "First thing's first, though." she thought in relief. "I'm sore all over from snowman building, and really need to find that sauna."

"Wow, Punzie! You weren't kidding!" Anna exclaimed with childish glee, walking quickly to their designated vat of mud. The room was dimly lit, containing four mud bath vats. The other three were vacant, and Anna took the opportunity to bend down and sniff the grey-brown sludge curiously. "Smells like...clean mud. How the heck is that even possible?!"

Rapunzel chuckled warmly, following her cousin inside. She stopped to speak with the staff member on duty. "You're going to come get us after half an hour, right?"

The young, bespectacled woman nodded. "Would you like assistance in covering your faces?" Rapunzel politely demurred, telling her that they could take care of each other.

The staff member left the two young women alone, along with a gentle reminder to 'please not make a mess'. Walking over to join Anna, who was already dipping her hand experimentally in the mud, Rapunzel shook her head mirthfully, saying, "Don't make a mess, she says. What, do we look like kids?"

"Look like? No...but act like?" Anna smirked sardonically. Her eyes went wide at the sloppy texture and warmth of the mud on her hand. "Ohh, Punzie, it feels nice!" she squealed.

Wasting no time, Rapunzel sat on the edge of the vat and slowly lowered herself down into the muck. The warmth and the slightly gritty nature of the bath gently pressed against her aching muscles, and the brunette found herself surprisingly buoyant. "Must be some salt water in here." she mused, lifting her mud covered arms out of the bath and motioning to Anna, creepily calling, "Come in, young one. The mud monster calls to you! Rawr!"

Overcome by a fit of giggles, Anna quickly slid into the bath. She moaned as the mud seemed to suck her in, releasing a crude squelching sound. "Ahhh...hah! It's like warm, sloppy quicksand!" She quickly sank in all the way up to her neck, squawking, "I'm going under! Where's the damn seat?!"

Rapunzel grinned, making several passes with her arm until she found Anna's hand, and slowly pulled her over to the raised step. "Here you go. Now tell me this isn't the most amazing thing you've ever felt." she grinned, leaning her head back and letting the muddy mixture press against her scalp.

"It is pretty...pretty great." Anna sighed, folding her arms behind her back and stretching her legs out with a whimper. "We worked hard rolling and piling snow today and...ahh, I'm floating!" The redhead giggled madly as the tops of her mud-caked thighs floated into view. Her freckled hands rubbed against her body, muscles relaxing at the incredible sensations brought on by the warmth and grittiness.

Anna's eyes had just begun to drift shut, when she felt hands on the sides of her shoulders. "C'mere, you. I'll do your face and head." Rapunzel spoke warmly, and Anna lazily opened her eyes.

The redhead snorted mirthfully at the sight of her cousin's face completely covered in mud, aside from her mouth and eyes. "You look like a crazy badger, Punzie!" Anna teased, mind swimming at the heady feeling of being slowly pulled through the mud by her cousin.

Rapunzel gently tugged at Anna until the freckled woman's head was resting on the brunette's left shoulder. The younger woman's breath momentarily caught in her throat at the contented, trusting smile Anna was giving her. "Close your eyes." Rapunzel hoarsely instructed, willing any improper thoughts away and just focusing on relieving some of her cousin's sour thoughts from earlier.

"Okay." Anna whispered in return, feeling strangely vulnerable as she floated in the mud just above Rapunzel. The redhead's shoulder blades were pressed gently against something soft, and Anna prayed her cousin would apply the mud to her cheeks before her obvious blush became noticeable.

Hands strong from years of molding clay lightly massaged the gritty, sloppy warmth against freckled cheeks, across Anna's forehead, and carefully around her eyes and nose. Rapunzel's breathing gradually became slow and even, and Anna felt her entire body rising and falling along with the older woman's breaths. Unable to restrain the wonderful feeling, Anna let out a quiet moan, and Rapunzel felt her face become warm.

"I'm going to do your scalp now, okay?" Rapunzel's husky voice whispered. Anna nodded imperceptibly. She could have sworn somebody had turned the heat up in the bath area. "Sit down and lean forward, please." the brunette added throatily, and the younger woman complied. Anna found herself on the edge of the step, and scooted back a bit to avoid slipping off. Suddenly, she felt her entire backside pressed against something soft, and heard her cousin's sharp intake of breath.

"Sorry." Anna muttered, throat dry and heart hammering in her chest. She tensed and prepared to scoot away, before the gentle pressure of a hand was felt on her stomach.

"It's okay. You're fine there." Rapunzel muttered, idly patting her cousin's freckled midsection. "Don't make this weird, genius." she thought insistently, noticing when Anna tensed up. "Easy there, Banana. I swear I won't molest you." the brunette whispered, suddenly wishing she had a third hand so she could smack herself in the face. "Way to not make this weird, idiot."

"I wouldn't complain." The thought came completely unbidden to Anna, and her shoulders drooped in silent embarrassment. "I'm fine!" her voice cracked, and the redhead cringed at hearing it. Steadying herself, she added quietly, "It feels...nice. I think you've done this before." She craned her neck forward, shuddering as she felt soft thighs press lightly against the outside of her own, keeping her in place.

*GLOP* Anna squealed mirthfully, all traces of awkwardness forgotten when she felt a large dollop of mud slop into her hair and slide slowly down her neck and back, gritty texture triggering the strangest of nerve touch perceptions. "Punzie it's so-ho-ho weird on my back!"

Giggling in return, Rapunzel responded with, "What the heck, you've been lying in it for twenty minutes! It only feels weird now?!" The brunette shook her head, carefully working the mud into Anna's hair and throughout her scalp.

Several more minutes ticked by, until Anna's hair had been thoroughly dirtied. The two young women sat in the mud bath, Rapunzel gently massaging Anna's stiff shoulders. At length, Elsa came to the brunette's mind, and she quietly informed Anna about the blonde woman's time at the academy.

Anna listened, head bowed, and with rapt attention. She asked a clarifying question now and then, but mostly let Rapunzel explain the situation. Finishing the explanation, Rapunzel added bitterly, "I wish I could punch that fucking bitch again, for Elsie."

Anna sighed, nodding in agreement. "I'll try not to do or say anything...dumb. But if there's a way I can help…" she trailed off uncertainly.

Muddy hands squeezed Anna's shoulders tenderly. Rapunzel warmly replied, "You can help the same way I'm trying to help. Tell her she's pretty, tell her she's beautiful. Don't fight about it if she insists otherwise. Just...small reminders every day."

Anna nodded absentmindedly. Feeling another blush oncoming, she leaned back into her cousin's touch and muttered, "I...I'm glad the two of you are so...close. Maybe I...I was trying to give you guys space. Then...sometimes I feel kind of. You know." Anna shrugged halfheartedly, looking to the side. "Unnecessary." The word tumbled out, inflected with self deprecation.

Rapunzel shuddered. Her heart sang out to her beautiful, troubled cousin. "Don't make it weird. But you want to make her feel better. Elsa would want her to feel better." Taking a deep breath, Rapunzel took Anna by her armpits again, drawing her into a floating position. The redhead let out a surprised gasp, but her body quickly went limp and she let herself be hauled in.

Anna tucked her muddy head beneath Rapunzel's chin, and the older woman rested her hands lightly on her cousin's freckled midsection. The brunette gave in to the buoyant water, and both womens' hearts fluttered pleasantly when their bodies gently pressed together.

Rapunzel's fingers slowly kneaded against Anna's stomach, and the brunette hotly whispered, "You and Elsa are a lot alike. You both have these self esteem issues that...that I just want to hug right out of you." She felt Anna tremble slightly in her arms.

"S...sorry, I…" Anna began, whispering miserably.

Rapunzel cut her off with a fierce whisper of her own. "No sorry. You aren't unnecessary and you aren't a burden. We both need you." Smiling fiercely, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, the brunette added, "If you want me to slap the shit out of Meg for monopolizing your time, then I will. And no more pity party, or I might have to dunk your pretty face."

Anna released a watery giggle, replying, "My face is muddy. It is objectively not pretty." Her heart lodged in her throat when Rapunzel suddenly leaned down and pressed a light kiss against her lips. Warm, gritty mud from the brunette's hair slid onto her cheeks, and before Anna knew it, her own muddy hands were cradling Rapunzel's cheeks tenderly.

Gingerly, Rapunzel pulled away. Both women were grateful for the mud concealing their dark blushes. "I didn't...get any in your eyes, did I?" the brunette muttered bashfully.

Anna shook her head. Her freckled body positively hummed with warmth and loving energy. "You're so good to me." she sighed happily, nestling back underneath the brunette's chin.

Suddenly finding her own throat dry, Rapunzel could only hum in reply. Her heart was still fluttering sweetly, but an undercurrent of nausea tumbled around in her stomach. "That was close. Toe the line, Corona. You can't have them both."

The two young women floated quietly in the mud bath, until the gradual brightening of the room signaled their allotted mud bath time was nearing its end.