A/N –This was supposed to come out at Christmas, but I got caught up with family and the dreaded conversations that ensued.

Chapter 4 *Elsa's POV*

I woke up from my slumber and felt oddly refreshed. Yeah of course you do, you just got kicked out of your own house. And by nothing short of a miracle did you happen to find a place to stay with the Andersen's. I stretched and left the warm blankets to leave the guest room. As I walked into the living room, I saw Mr. Andersen sitting in a recliner watching the television, and Mrs. Andersen busy in the kitchen making breakfast. Mr. Andersen waved at me.

"Sleep well Elsa?" He asked. Elsa? He knows I'm transgender? Oh that's right, Mrs. Andersen must've told him.

"Very well, thank you," I replied. And walked into the kitchen to see what Mrs. Andersen was cooking. As I walked in, she looked up and beckoned me over.

"Your life has taken a bit of bump path," she stated firmly as I approached, "But we're willing to help you. You, and Anna, are like children to us. I just can't believe that your parents, Adgar, were capable of disowning one of their own children. Just because you were born in the wrong body. That's…well…..that's just it….."

"Mrs. Andersen, you and your family have been so giving, how could I ever begin to thank you?" I asked him.

"No thanks are needed. You are family. We take care of family, no matter what."

Tears filled my eyes, I reached out and hugged her fiercely. And let myself be warmed by her embrace. It felt I remained there for an eternity. Until eventually she pulled back and I headed back to my room. I opened the gray door and looked around, a desk sat in the right corner, and the bed stood in the center of the room. I rested myself on the chair at the desk and opened up a drawer to grab some stationary. I sat the notebook down and began to do what it was that I did when I was in emotional turmoil, write poetry.

Our journey started in a grim day, oh how shall I say!

The dreary murk that polluted the sky was macabre, doom,

Slippery slopes along life's road did once betray.

The emotions running clearly through the story. I relaxed and let myself loose amid the current of my verse.

The fate had ever a surprise for me in that grove,

When upon I stumbled upon a beast that hid amid

the thick bush, and at the right time, attacked me and dove.

I tried very hard to not get any tear stains on the paper as I wrote down line after line.

I feared, for fate had such a disastrous ploy for me!

Only my savior appeared and cast the demons gone,

Upon his body laid a red gown, this was the key.

To his crown wrapped a laurel, and his wisdom blinded me,

I exclaimed in a pitiful way, for he had saved,

"I am ever in your gratitude, savior from he."

This protector I had created, he was what I wanted, to protect me, to rescue me.

In this moment of pure splendor, I gazed to heavens,

and saw the light of a thousand suns, dancing in all

wondrous time, and my guide stood, immaculate in life.

When I looked down from the grandeur, my guide stood solemn,

"Your life is not saved by myself, you, fair Pilgrim, are

the savior to us. My duty is set, a column"

If only life could be as easy as poetry. What pain was emotions when I could easily cast them away with the stroke of an eraser or the press of a key? I looked up at the clock and heard Mrs. Andersen call for breakfast.

I set aside the notebook, and stood from the chair. In the door way emerged Kristoff, beckoning me to join him on his way to the kitchen. As we walked into the living room, Mr. Andersen had already set himself up for breakfast, munching on toast and bacon as he read the newspaper. Kristoff and I sat at the table beside his dad, and waited for Mrs. Andersen to join us so we could eat.

Conversation was small and carried little value over breakfast. I remained amid my thoughts, until Kristoff nudged me and nodded to his father.

"So Elsa," He asked, setting down his coffee mug, "Helen and I have talked about your parents and what step we take next. The situation is still far too tense and precarious to communicate with Adgar and Idunn, but we wanted to know your input at least on your plans involving transitioning and hopefully try to get Anna out of that house if possible."

"I don't know what my next steps are in terms of transitioning." I said, "See a therapist, that's what some others recommended as a way to start. Trying to get Anna out, I really want to, she can't stay in that house with them. But, with Anna still being 17, a legal minor. Her birthday isn't for another six months, so she can't leave.

"I think I may have a book on custodial law somewhere," Mr. Andersen got up from his chair at the table and began to his walk to his study, "Back from my old college day." I looked at Helen curiously.

"Erik attempted law school when we first started dating, but quit during his second year." She began, "He thought he could help people being a lawyer, get justice for victims of crime and their families, etc. Only did he realize, that a majority of law cases were injust and ended up hurting people." I nodded in understanding.

It wasn't long after that that Mr. Andersen returned to the breakfast table, with a rather large tome in hand. He set it down on the kitchen counter before sitting down and resuming his meal. Helen and I looked at him quizzically, Kristoff was lost in wonderland with Sven sitting by him.

"Aren't you going to show us the book dear?" Helen asked her husband, who seemed to have forgotten the book he went to retrieve.

"Helen, the law of the corrupt and greedy can wait until I'm done eating my peaceful breakfast." He joked.

Mrs. Andersen and I had already put our dishes and cutlery away by the time Mr. Andersen had finished his breakfast. Kristoff had left sometime earlier to go play video games in his room, something I would've been inclined to join him in circumstances notwithstanding.

While Kristoff's dad cleaned up his plate, Helen and I had stood by the doorway waiting for him to lead us into his office. When he had finished all of us walked across the living room and into the study. Mr. Andersen took a seat at his desk and Helen and I gathered around him.

He flipped open to a page and began reading, until he stopped and pointed at a particular passage.

"Given the age of 17, a legal gray area, the minor is most commonly tried as an adult despite not being of age in criminal cases, but yet is still regarded as a minor when custody and care are in consideration." He read aloud, "Any run-away is still legally required to be returned to parent or guardian. Fostering of a runaway is a crime and has severe penalties in court." Mr. Andersen swirled his chair around and looked at us grimly. "There isn't much we can do until Anna turns 18, getting Child Protective Services involved wouldn't be worth the effort, by the time they investigate, she'll already be an adult. This leaves us with few opportunities."

Helen spoke up, "Well, it seems there isn't much we can do now. So how about Elsa and I go shopping for those clothes I told you about?" I turned to her and nodded.

I went back into the guestroom and quickly grabbed my phone and wallet off the nightstand. When I returned to the living room, Helen already had her coat on and was ready to go.

The drive to the mall was uneventful, just small talk and her trying to comfort me about the situation.

"Anna will be alright, Adgar wouldn't lay a hand on her. Anna's smart, she'll be able to get out of that house as much as possible. You two should try to meet up sometime and explain to her what your plan is." Helen told me.

When we arrived at the mall we walked into the nearest clothing store, before I realized what it would look like for me, who stilled looked very much like a boy, a feminine one, but a boy nonetheless to be trying on girls' clothing.

"Ummmm, Helen, do you mind if I don't try them on, I'm very uncomfortable appearing like a girl in public and I don't want to make a scene." I asked Mrs. Andersen.

"Don't worry dear, all we need you to do is go into a changing room and get your size. We can buy some clothes off that and if they don't fit we can always return them." She assured me.

I walked nervously went into changing room and picked up the tape measure and following the guide hanging on the door of the stall. Once I made a note of my size in my phone I left the stall as quickly as possible.

I gave Helen my size and she began to gather clothes off the racks that I told her I wanted, albeit in a whisper. We ended up with about six or seven shirts and blouses, and four pairs of pants. As we went to the cashier I began to pull out my wallet, but she put her hand on top of mine.

"I've got this." She whispered into my ear. Helen handed the cashier her credit card and we walked out of the store with my shopping bags.

As we drove back to the Andersen home, I could feel that maybe the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed.

A/N: So here we are. You've waited, I procrastinated. The poetry I included was my own, in a poem call the Wasted Dreams. If you can figure out who the savior is then PM me, because you, sir or madam, are a literary connoisseur.

Once again, thanks to all those who helped me navigate the unknown that I wandered into when I decided to write this. Their names are listed in the previous chapters.