Modern day AU. This is the continuation of my oneshot Canine Protector. You do not have to read that to understand this. But I do hope you will check it out.

Kristoff was worried. It was late, he had just finished pulling a double shift at the factory and was more than ready to go home and sleep. But the missed call and voicemail had made his fatigue blow away and worry take its place resting hard in his stomach and filling his chest.

Elsa voice on the message telling him that Anna and her had gotten into a fight. Anna hadn't returned home or answered her phone and, please Kristoff if she with you just let me know she's okay. The time was set 7:47, hours ago. Kristoff called Elsa back hopeful that Anna had made her way back home. Luck wasn't on his side.

So here he was getting out of his truck heading into his house, phone to his ear calling Anna for the fifth time in the last fifteen minutes. Kristoff sat down on the arm of the couch as he pulled at the laces' of his boots, listening to a recorded voice telling him to leave a message. "Damn it," He cursed running his fingers through his blonde hair, "Anna it's me again. Look baby I know you're upset but you're really starting to worry me. Elsa called me freaking out that you weren't at home. It's" He glanced at his watch, "Almost midnight, way too late for you to be out and not answering your phone."

A low whine from Sven had cut him off from his thoughts. He turned just to hush him so he could finish his message. Air seemed to dissipate from his lungs. Sven was lying on the couch draped across a small form. He turned his head and saw a familiar small set of high heeled boots on the rug next to the door. He absentmindedly closed his flip phone as he headed towards the couch.

"Anna." He mumbled relived. He felt the worry evaporate, but it seemed to sap all his energy with it leaving him twice as exhausted. Sven slide off the couch stretching as Anna groaned twisting her body closer to the back of the couch, curling up tighter into the afghan blanket that was covering her. Sven rubbed his side against Kristoff's legs. Kristoff crouched down petting Sven and giving him a good scratch behind the ears. "Good boy Sven. Thanks for watching after her."

Kristoff sat down on the side of the couch behind Anna's feet. She was so small and curled up so tight she barely took up a cushion and a half. He rubbed her shoulder. Kristoff wondered if he should just let her sleep. He could call Elsa and tell her Anna was safe, jump in the shower, then curl up with Anna on the couch and worry about the rest later. The tearstains on her cheek stopped him from moving. He cupped her cheek, a heavily calloused thumb tracing the blotchy skin. Eyelashes fluttered and he was starring into blue eyes, red rimmed from crying. "Kristoff," Anna whispered, leaning into his caress but otherwise remained still.

"Hey there, Feistypants." Anna was silent and that worried the Kristoff much then her frazzled appearance. He had seen her in the morning a fair share of times. He slid his hand down her neck twisting a long chunk of hair, which had never been quite secured in its bun, around his finger and tucked it behind her ear. "You okay?" She nodded, paused then started squirming under the blanket. Not sure what she was doing the blonde moved back, lifting his weight off the corner of the blanket allowing Anna to pull her arms free. The space between them vanished as her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed her face into his shoulder. His arms automatically locked around her returning her embrace. He could already feel the wetness against his skin and soaking through the fabric of his shirt. Kristoff was ready for the longwinded story, the overdramatic tale of events, the backtracks and skipping around in a speech pattern that only Anna (and maybe Elsa) herself would be able to understand and it would only get worse as the story progressed. She would stop less frequently and never really end a sentence. He was ready to listen and try to make heads or tails of it as Anna barreled on with her story leaving him no time to process anything that had been said. He was ready for it but it never came.

Her dainty arms squeezed him tighter as she whispered one sentence into his neck. The planning meant nothing because for this, he could never have been prepared. Kristoff lifted Anna up and onto his lap, one hand on the back of her head, the other rubbing up and down her back, trying to sooth her. But he knew there was nothing he could say that would make this better. Nothing could fix it. He couldn't protect her from this raw pain. So he just held her and rocked her in his arms like he would have been liked to have been.

I miss my parents.

I was going to make this longer. A lot longer. With some Kristanna steamy goodness. But I just couldn't keep going. The end made itself, so I had to respect that and just stop. Not how I thought it was going to turn out but I'm pleased none the less.