A/N: Hey guys! I'm so so soooo sorry this took forever to update! This last semester at school was killer, and I actually have been working on this in different classes for the last few months. Hopefully the length of it makes up for disappearing for so long. And now that it's summer, I promise I'll try to update more often! Just keep those reviews coming - getting them is actually what forced me to just publish this today.

I know the "Later" thing is stupid looking - I had a nice little asterisk page break in my original version but FF decided not to let me ever include it in the document. Try to ignore the cheesiness.

Enjoy!

WARNING: Allusions to brutal murder ahead. Please do not read if it will trigger you.

-Totalgeek19

Elsa took shallow breaths, continuing to stare at Anna with obvious fear. Though the ice had stopped she could not help her wildly beating heart. She watched as the younger girl wrapped her arms around herself, hugging tight to try and keep herself warm in the freezing room.

Anna kept her gaze fixed on the queen, an eyebrow raised. After a few more moments, when it became clear that Elsa was waiting for her sister to make the first move, Anna sighed heavily. "Elsa, please," she said, turning her body to face the older girl. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Elsa blinked a few times, surprised by Anna's calm and even tone. "You're not scared of me?"

Anna laughed slightly, shaking her head. "You're my sister. You'd never hurt me." A shadow crossed her face. "Besides, I don't think much scares me anymore."

Elsa bit her bottom lip, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "I couldn't tell you," she started quietly. "I can't control it. Mama and Papa...they wanted me to hide it. Just until I figured out how to control it of course! I wasn't supposed to be this bad at it..." Elsa trailed off, realizing that she had begun to ramble. Anna just looked at her, a grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I forgot how cute it was when you rambled," she said quietly. Elsa felt a blush spread across her cheeks, and the two sisters held each other's gaze until Anna shivered.

"I'm sorry - here let me help." Elsa hurried to her sister's side, helping the younger girl stand and wrapping her in a large towel.

"You really don't have to worry," Anna said, rolling her eyes. "I can take care of myself." The princess gracefully stepped from the tub, not realizing the tiled floor had frozen slightly during Elsa's anger.

She slipped, grabbing onto Elsa to try and stay upright and instead pulling her sister back into the tub with her. The queen sputtered, wiping her eyes of water with her hands and glancing at the younger girl. The two looked at each other, both dripping with water and soap bubbles, and burst out laughing.

LATER:

Anna lay on the bed, watching with great interest as Elsa dried herself off. The queen, donning a simple silk nightgown, turned back to her sister and froze. Anna's smile was gentle and warm, and it occurred to Elsa that she hadn't changed clothes in front of another person since childhood. A blush crept onto her face as Anna patted the space on the bed beside her.

"Will you come lay down with me?"

Elsa nodded quickly, slipping onto the bed and settling a few inches from her sister. The two lay silence for a moment, staring at each other. Elsa still couldn't believe that after all this time her sister was there in front of her, even if she had been through a lot. The queen reached out, running her hand gently over Anna's arm. As discolored by bruising as her arm was, the princess still had such soft skin. Anna shuddered, wincing and biting her lip. Elsa froze, unsure of how to proceed.

"Anna?" she asked quietly. "Are you okay?" The younger sister pursed her lips, shifting uncomfortably. "I can stop if you wa-" Elsa's words were cut off by Anna throwing herself into the older girl's arms, a strangled sob escaping her lips.

The queen reverted to the most protective mindset she could, holding her younger sister close. Snow started falling gently, as Elsa tried her best to control her anger and stop the flakes for her sister's sake. "It's okay Anna, I've got you," Elsa whispered, willing the cold to stop as Anna's sobs continued. For a moment the princess's sobs were the only sound that filled the room, until words suddenly came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Elsa, it's been so long since anyone touched me that tenderly. I...I missed it so much. I missed you, I missed home, and I missed mama and papa." Anna took a ragged breath, swallowing another sob. "I still miss mama and papa." Elsa felt her own breath hitch, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.

"Anna..." the queen began, rubbing small circles into her sister's back. "I have to know... what happened to them? How did this happen to you?" The queen waited patiently as her sister continued to cry, sobs becoming quieter and more spaced out.

"We were sailing to Corona - maybe a few miles from their borders," Anna started, her voice muffled as she burrowed further into Elsa's chest. "Mom and I were below deck, starting to pack clothes up from the journey. We heard shouting... all of a sudden the boat lurched and there was a huge explosion. Mom and I ran up on deck and there were men... they had everyone on their knees, holding swords to their throats."

Elsa instinctively gripped Anna tighter, pain building in her chest at the scene in her head. Anna took a quick breath, trying to calm her sobs. "One of the men spotted us and dragged us out with the rest of the crew. Dad started yelling... commanding the men to let us go by order of the King of Arendelle."

Elsa could see it clearly - her father, so gentle when needed, would've been as intimidating as any pirate. He would've demanded freedom for his wife and daughter, regardless of the situation. Anna sniffled again, nudging her sister with her head and looking up at her with huge eyes.

"The next part is bad... Elsa you don't have to hear all of this. You can probably guess by now how it ends." Anna's voice had gone flat, the life sucked out of her once more. The queen bit her bottom lip, cradling her little sister close. For three years Anna had held this in, piling on top of that pain all the times that someone had used her and taken advantage of her body. Elsa knew that Anna needed to get off this chest, no matter how painful the process would be.

"Please, Anna..." Elsa's voice cracked.

"The marauder captain killed him. Right then and there, he just... slit his throat." Anna's voice was dull, and despite Elsa's gasp she plowed through the rest of her story. "Mom started screaming, the crew tried to revolt, and suddenly everyone was fighting... dying... they killed everyone. Mom grabbed me, threw me to the ground and laid on top of me. She saved my life."

There was a pause.

"The captain pulled Mom off of me and finished her off. Right there in front of me. I... I threw myself at him, punching kicking, screaming. I knew he was going to kill me - I wanted him to kill me. But he didn't. He... kissed me. Held me down and kissed me."

Elsa could feel her anger building and she struggled to keep her powers under control. She was so focused upon keeping the ice inside that she didn't even realize Anna had been silent until the smaller girl spoke again.

"I had never kissed anyone before. I was... saving it, I guess."

Elsa leaned down, taking Anna's face in her hands and kissing the smaller girl's cheek. "Oh Anna I'm so sorry."

"It's okay... You were here. What could you have done?" The two hugged tightly, Elsa resuming the gentle stroking of Anna's arm that had started this conversation. Silent tears fell from her eyes as the scene of her parent's deaths replayed over and over in her head. Pirates had done this to her family, and they would pay for it with their lives.

Elsa was pulled from her thoughts of revenge by the gentle trembling of Anna, still encased in her sister's arms. Despite her obvious fear, she clung tightly to the larger girl.

"Do you want me to stop?" Elsa asked, letting her hand fall still. Anna shook her head.

"No. I want to be able to cuddle again. It's been so long."

Biting her lip, Elsa nodded as she held her little sister close and continued. "Everything will be all right now that you're home. I promise."