Elsa was certain that she wasn't in the bathroom for very long but when she came out, Holly was gone from the lounge and from the adjacent hallway. She was tempted to call out the smaller girl's name until she heard sad sounding mumbling from a ways away. As she began to walk back towards Olaf's stall, the voice's volume increased until it was audible enough that she could tell that it came from Holly.

Elsa stopped a few paces from the stall where the Fjord stood trying to soothe the girl clutching to him. Holly had her head mashed into Olaf's mane, obscuring everything she said to the horse as she gently stroked him. Unsure of what dramatically shifted her mood, Elsa began to build up the courage to ask her what was wrong.

"Holly?"

The dirty blonde removed her face from the Fjord's neck and rubbed her eyes with her free hand. When she looked up at Elsa, she laughed a little and brushed her hair away from her face. "Sorry about that, I'll be okay," she said with her usual peppiness but something weighed it down. Feeling unsure of how to console the poor girl, Elsa bit the inside of her cheek and darted her eyes over the detail in the concrete floor. If she had been more socially inclined, she would know exactly what to say. She would probably hug her close and soothe her like what good girlfriends do, but she wasn't a social butterfly and she didn't know what to do.

"If you're not feeling up to it, we can go home," Elsa offered. She really didn't want to cut her time short with Holly but she knew that if she was really upset, she would probably want her space.

"No, I'd rather stay here for a bit. Besides, you haven't given Olaf a warm hug yet," Holly replied and turned her attention to the Fjord, probably to hide her sadness from Elsa.

Remembering that she did agree to it, Elsa walked over and stood beside Holly and close to Olaf's face. She gently petted his forehead for a few moments to get acquainted with him. When he relaxed and nuzzled her pockets for treats, the blonde initially tensed but relaxed when she felt just lips at her pockets. Slowly, she extended her hand to travel down Olaf's neck until it eventually settled by his withers. Gently and cautiously, she extended her arms around his neck and patted him as she hugged him. When Elsa let Olaf go, she looked up to see that Holly had been silently watching her interact with the horse.

"See?" she said with a small smile. A pang of guilt ran through Elsa's chest when she watched the smaller girl's reaction. She knew that Holly would have been overjoyed at this interaction, but whatever was bothering her was stopping her from enjoying herself.

"What's bothering you?" Elsa asked imploringly as she walked back over toward her. When the question left her lips, she saw her green eyes dart away from Elsa for a brief moment before returning to her. A surge of panic arose in the pit of Elsa's stomach, making her wonder if she was to blame for the girl's unhappiness.

Her reaction must have been quite obvious because Holly's instant reply seemed a little stressed. "It's not your fault Elsa, not at all. If anything, you're helping," the girl's voice softened as she spoke but still her insecurities plagued her enough to keep her silent.

Elsa fiddled with her hands, unsure whether or not to keep them to herself or to embrace her. Her internal debate just led her to the halfway point by just holding them out. "If there is anything I can do, would you let me know?"

Holly's eyes looked up to hers and became transfixed for a while. Elsa watched her silently switch her gaze between Elsa's left eye and her right eye then down to her outstretched hands. Seeing them hang there in the open made Elsa want to retract them. You look stupid like that. Before she could pull them away, Holly began to reach her own hands out and place them in Elsa's. Feeling warm skin and cool plaster made her feel a little at-ease. For Elsa, this was a good milestone, and judging by the little smile on Holly's face, it was one for her too.

"You just did, thank you." Holy rubbed her fingers over Elsa's palms as she thanked the girl. The gentle touch felt like little electric currents running through her hands and up her arms. It was terrifying and oddly exciting.

With a gentle squeeze to her good hand, Elsa turned to look at Olaf. "You're welcome. Do you still feel like staying?"

Holly paused and began to look around the stables from her vantage point. Her eyes eventually settled on an empty stall a couple down on the other side. After a moment of staring at it, she shook her head slightly and dropped her gaze.

Taking her hand, Elsa led the dirty blonde out of the stall and shut it tight so Olaf was safe inside. She walked Holly over to the hatchback and set her down in the passenger seat. The drive back was filled with silence as Holly gazed mindlessly out the window. Elsa's mind raced with all sorts of things that could have made her upset, most of which led to her blaming herself.

When they reached Holly's house, Elsa noticed that there were no cars in the driveway. She felt worried leaving her to be by herself for the next few hours especially feeling so down. She turned to look at Holly and saw that she too had her gaze fixed on the empty driveway.

"Are you sure you want to stay here alone? I could keep you company," Elsa sputtered. She immediately began to second-guess herself after she made the offer. There were so many things that could go wrong. What if it led to Holly no longer liking her? It's likely, no one loves a freak. But the freckled girl gave a genuine smile that banished every insecurity her mind threw at her. She was such a sweet person, it pained Elsa to see her carry such a heavy weight.

"I'd love it if you did, but right now I think I need some time to think before my parents come home." Holly's reply was a bit disappointing but the sincerity and gratitude she expressed made Elsa feel a little better. She could tell that her offer touched her, and it encouraged her to do it more.

"I understand. If you need anything at all, call me?" Elsa asked. She wanted to be sure that Holly was going to be alright. Her outward expression of concern reached Holly as she looked up at her. Unexpectedly, she felt her wrap her arms around Elsa for a brief moment before setting her free again.

"I will, thank you for everything," she whispered and climbed out of the car and walked toward the house.

/-/

Elsa tossed the keys into a bowl beside the door when she walked in. Hearing the hooting and hollering from upstairs, she could tell that Anna was home and that she wasn't alone. With a small groan, she headed into the kitchen and took a small tub of ice cream from the freezer.

"Hang on Kristoff, I think Elsa's home. Save it and do a 1 player 'til I come back."

Elsa groaned again as she seated herself on the sofa with the tub and a spoon. It wasn't dignified but considering how insecure she felt right now, she decided to let it slide. Her original hopes of being left alone were dashed when she heard her younger sister come thundering down the stairs.

"Hey, where'd you head off to?" Anna asked cheerfully as she plopped herself beside her sister.

"With friends," Elsa replied flatly and stuffed a spoonful of Heavenly Hash into her mouth.

"Anyone I know?"

"Maybe."

"You're no fun when you're grumpy," Anna stated and leapt off the couch and toward the kitchen. Elsa thought for just a brief second that she may have gotten her awaited peace until Anna returned with a spoon of her own.

"Who said I was sharing?" Elsa said hugging the tub to her chest.

"I did," Anna said and dove her spoon into the ice cream. With a giggle, she took her spoon and began to dine on the dessert, "so were you out with Holly by chance?"

Elsa froze for a moment. How on earth did Anna know that she was out with Holly? She hadn't said anything. Would Holly have told her? Not while you were there, she was busy with you when she wasn't sad. Reminding herself of the depressed-looking Holly made Elsa want to frown but she hid it from view. Control…

"I only asked because she hasn't texted me back and her doctor's appointment was hours ago," Anna finally replied while eyeing her sister suspiciously.

"Actually, I was. I took her to her appointment because her parents were busy," Elsa responded trying to keep her emotions in check.

"And on a date?"

Elsa whipped her head around to look at her sister. Panic filled her mind at how it was so obvious that she had begun courting her sister's best friend. Even worse, she was worried she had offended Anna through some sort of unsaid code that you don't date your sister's friends.

Apparently, her terror was amusing to Anna since the redhead burst out laughing. "Calm down, Elsa. You'd think you had committed treason or something," Anna said through guffaws and wiped the tears from her eyes, "It's fine, I figured it out a little while ago anyways."

"How?" Elsa asked incredulously.

"It was kinda obvious. Your weird little interactions when Holly stayed over, your insistence to drive me to the hospital when Dad was already ready to go, then the snowflakes and the texting," Anna stated with a cocked eyebrow. The obviousness of Elsa's intentions made the girl blush with embarrassment.

"I didn't realize."

"I didn't think so, the pair of you were so lovesick."

"Pair?" Elsa asked watching Anna's expression. She wondered how much her sister knew from being in the middle.

"Pair as in both of you. Holly was going through love issues when I went out to visit her. Now I understand why."

Elsa had never thought about what the other girl must have gone through while she waited those few days for a response. It brought to her an understanding that this was just as daunting for her as it was for Elsa.

"I think you two will be just fine," Anna said as if she had been reading her mind. Although the interactions between her sister and herself during childhood were very limited, there was still a strong bond there that Elsa would always love.

"Thank you," she said with a smile and passed the tub over to her sister, "and what about you and love?"

Anna laughed and took another spoonful before smiling at Elsa impishly, "I'm just fine."


Holly sat curled up in a dusty old IKEA chair for quite some time before she realized how long she had been up there. After Elsa had dropped her off, she retreated to the attic that held pieces of her childhood, years gone by and offered solace from the world outside.

"Mrow," an old arthritic cat hobbled over toward her as he glared at her for sitting in his chair. Pablo was the cat she had gotten when she was four years old. Now sixteen, the old guy was so cranky and arthritic that he barely came down from the attic. Holly made it a usual thing to go up and visit him and be left alone in the open space.

"C'mere buddy," she cooed and scooped the cat up and sat him in her lap. He looked up at her rather undignified before settling down and purring in his new post. And that's why you'll always love animals, because they'll love you unconditionally. People could too, you know, if you just let them in.

Holly reflected on what happened in the barn and kept trying to figure out what she had done wrong. She probably should have called Serena, to at least let her know she was okay but what if it had sparked something she didn't intend? Too late.

She didn't regret contacting Elsa for an instant. In fact, the blonde had made her happy and was a rock for her while she had been stupidly falling apart up at the stables earlier. She felt guilt stream into her system as her insecurities made her wonder if Elsa would have anything to do with such an unstable girl.

She had her chance to run. Why was she so concerned then if she thought you were a nutcase?

Her brain had a point. Holly accepted the reasoning but still felt residual guilt in the pit of her stomach. She realized that it was because she had practically lost her friendship with Serena, but it was not by her own doing. Looking at her own feelings, she knew that she only saw Serena as a friend and despite her fondness, she already had feelings for Elsa and those couldn't just be replaced.

She had made her decision, and she could tell that she had made the right one.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Elsa's number and waited for the blonde to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hey you, fancy a date tomorrow?" Holly asked with a flirtatiousness that was quite impressive given how upset she had been. Her boldness surprised even her and she was appreciative that her phone couldn't give her blush away.

Her change in tone must have surprised Elsa because the girl on the other side paused and gave a small chuckle. "A date? Well that does sound promising. Are we talking coffee or are we raising the stakes and doing dinner?" Her question held a boldness that held its own insecurity. Holly smiled and logged the memory of Elsa's tone into her mind, thinking of how adorable it was.

"Dinner," Holly stated proudly and began to flip through a take-out menu that had moved up here, giving her some ideas, "what is your feeling on seafood?"