After the holiday, Elsa seemed to spiral further into the abyss of depression. The life seeped out of her pores, and it seemed impossible to convince her to leave the solace of her bed. Her loyal dog laid beside her in bed and watched after her like a guardian angel. Hans had determined it would be wise to help clean the metallic green paper littered around the apartment and the piled up dirty dishes. Days seemed to pass, but Elsa showed no sign of recovery. Her icy blue eyes seemed locked on an insignificant spot on the ceiling. She was covered only by a oversized grey sweatshirt.

Finally on the fifth day, Hans decided he needed to take action unless he wanted Elsa to rot away. He searched his phone for Anna's contact information and decided to press the "send button." The phone rang twice until Anna's cheery voice answered, "Heya Hans."

"Hey Anna," Hans responded as he leaned against the kitchen counter. Concern was etched into his voice, "When are you coming home?"

"Uh…in a few days," she responded in confusion. She furrowed her brow as she scratched the back of her head. "Why? what's going on?"

Hans took a deep breath and responded calmly, "Your sister needs you."

Anna shrieked as she clutched the phone, "What happened to my sister?" She could feel the phone slip through her sweaty gasp, and her breathing became more ragged as if she had gotten into a fight. Panic swirled through her veins and she had to sit down on the floor of Kristoff's bedroom.

"I don't know. I know she was upset that you left early. When I got here, the house was a mess, and she just…she gave up," Hans answered exasperated, "and she needs to know she matters."

Anna nodded and looked up. With determination, she responded, " I will be home tomorrow."

They ended the call, and Hans returned to Elsa's bedroom. The room was shrouded in shadow, and Elsa remained curled in a ball under the sheets. Her face was buried into Marshmallow's fur, and her white cheeks were stained with tears. Hans sat down beside her and placed a warm comforting hand on her back. She looked over her shoulder to meet his gentle gaze and calming grass green eyes.

"Elsa," he said calmly like rocking a child to sleep, "Your sister is coming home soon."

"She can't see me like this," Elsa muttered weakly as she rolled over onto her back.

Hans argued, "Yes, you can. Let me…us help you." Elsa sat up and lazily sat up in her bed and rubbed her eyes. She stayed silent for a moment before muttering to herself. She noticed the glittering wrappers covering the floor, but she couldn't recall even chewing gum.

"I'm a disaster,aren't I?" Elsa asked almost too quietly to be heard. Hans gently chuckled as his hands encompassed hers. In return, she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Not at all," he responded before gently kissing her forehead. "You're just letting the monsters get to you." Elsa finally climbed over Hans before walking over to her dresser drawer. She pulled out an loose white long sleeved t-shirt that hung to her petite frame and a pair of black leggings. She quickly got changed as her dog happily wagged his tail. She scratched behind his ears and bent down beside Marshmallow.

"Do you want to go for a walk, baby?" Elsa asked her dog jumped and down happily as Elsa slipped into a pair of canvas shoes. Hans got off the bed before pulling the coat from the closet. He wiggled his arm into the sleeves of the coat before venturing with the darling dog. The air outside the apartment was frigid, and Hans instinctively shuddered.

"You know he loves you right?" Hans said as they crossed the street. The snow had almost melted except for a white snowy patches among dried dead grass. The cold wind filled their lungs and crept inside the fabric of their clothes.

"Look," Hans said as Elsa stared straight ahead,"my brothers didn't give a crap about me. If anything ever happened to me, they wouldn't call or care. Your sister is actually coming home because she is worried and cares."

"I know. I just feel lost," she responded as her dog halted and lifted his leg above the fire hydrant. Elsa crossed her arms against his chest and sighed.

"I know," Hans responded gently, "but you don't need to be overprotective older sister. You can always be her best friend."

Elsa snorted and responded, "That's hard when I never see her."

"Maybe you should tell her that," Hans answered. The couple decided to head back to the cozy apartment. Matching bitter grins were forced onto their faces. Hans wrapped an arm around Elsa's waist as they followed Marshmallow home.

The very next day, Anna came home just as the sun began to rise. A smile crossed her features when she saw her older sleeping on the couch. Her head was placed in Hans' lap. An old blue quilt was wrapped around the couple as Elsa tightened her grip on Hans' waist. Anna bent down and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. She gently shook her until Elsa's eyes fluttered open.

"Whaaa?" Elsa responded sleepily as if she was a bear awaking from hibernation. She shook her head, rubbed her neck, and sat up in the couch. She looked around and was unsure of the actual time.

"I know, I'm early," Anna responded casually. "I was just so worried after Hans called." The girls glanced the sleeping young man. They could see light freckles around the bridge of his nose, and his muscles seemed to ripple underneath his black undershirt. He seemed to be the handsome prince that won the heart of the snow queen.

"I'm sorry," Elsa answered quietly as her facial features softened. She gently kissed Hans' cheek. She was honored that he cared enough about her to retrieve her sister, because he knew exactly what she needed.

Anna sighed and twiddled with one of her long braids. "What happened?" she asked as Olaf stumbled into the room and flopped in her arms. The playful dog licked her face. Anna smiled as she wrapped her arms around the fluffy pup.

As if the room had dropped twenty degrees, Elsa instinctively shivered. The sudden craving for spearmint gum infiltrated her mind, and she shifted her weight on the couch . She ran her fingers through the back of her hair. She reminded her to take deep breaths and to use her words. "I felt like I was losing you," she finally responded.

"Elsa, that's silly. I'm your sister. You couldn't lose me if you tried," Anna exclaimed as she dramatically threw her hands into the air.

"I know, but you are also the only family I have. I know you are an adult, and I can't tell you how to live your life, but I feel like I am nothing," Elsa responded as if someone had stolen the air from her lungs. She felt the sofa shift as Hans sprawled out his long limbs like a lazy cat. He released an odd noise causing the girls to giggle.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," Anna responded as she bit her bottom lip. Her thick eyelashes seemed to make her eyes seem bigger and more apologetic.

"It's okay. I just feel out of place, and I don't know how to deal with it," Elsa replied.

Anna gently shook her head. Elsa stared at her sibling in complete disbelief as if her sister had laughed in her face. "Elsa," Anna reminded her older sister, "You don't have to be like my mom anymore. You deserve to be happy."

Hans' green eyes began to open and he rubbed them with the back of his hands. He muttered indistinctive words under his breath as he stretched his arms above his head. "G' Mornin'," he said through a massive yawn. He pulled himself off the couch and trudged to the bathroom. The door shut with a loud thud.

"You're right," Elsa replied continuing the conversation.

"But for the record," Anna responded as she gave her big sister an overtly large embrace. "You are my best friend, and I plan to make more time for you. I pinky swear."

The toilet flushed as Hans opened the door and re-entered the living room. He lazily rubbed his stomach as he flopped down beside his girlfriend. His stomach lurched and released a growl like a hungry dog. Anna's stomach gurgled in response as Elsa walked into the kitchen. "I'll make breakfast," she offered.

Finally Elsa began humming as she mixed the ingredients for her secret pancake recipe. The whisk scratched the sides of the green plastic bowl as bacon sizzled in a pan. She seemed to be asserting her dominance in the kitchen. While his girlfriend was distracted, Hans turned attention to Anna. He said quietly, "I have an idea. I need your help."

"Ooh, what is it?" she said as she planted her head in her hands.

"A surprise for Elsa."