When Elsa's entire body stiffened against her, Anna fought the immediate urge to take it back. Because they were so close, she could feel Elsa's heart rate begin to climb and she could see the fear start to swirl in the taller girl's eyes. Anna gulped, and she tried not to wince when Elsa's fingers tightened their grip, squeezing her hands painfully. Elsa's eyes were wide and her breath was coming out in short, rapid puffs, her chest heaving.

Idiot, now look what you've done! Couldn't leave it alone, couldn't wait until after the party, could you? No, because you're impatient. You're always impatient.

"Um, look I'm sorry. That was awkward, and… wow I just realized you probably have no idea how I know that. That was really personal and to just blurt it out like that I mean, gosh how insensitive am I? I'm sorry, I-I just… I mean-"

All of a sudden Elsa pulled away from her, hands yanking themselves free. Though Elsa kept her eyes on her it was clear that the blonde was looking not at Anna but straight through her, irises clouded and terrified. The sight of it scared Anna, right to her core. When the redhead reached out to comfort her Elsa flinched away, shoulders hunching as she wrapped her arms around herself, squeezing herself tight. Her eyes shot to the floor, wide and panicked.

Anna cleared her throat, taking a tentative step forward as she reached out a hand. "Elsa…" But Elsa jumped away again, and this time she didn't stop moving. Anna's eyes widened and she called out Elsa's name yet again but Elsa didn't stop. The blonde's head was down, her arms still wrapped tight around her torso but as she fled the room she somehow managed to weave her way through the crowd, blind to the curious glances thrown her way as people moved aside. Anna hurried after, but she didn't have the same luck.

She managed all of three hurried strides before her heels got the better of her and she tripped over the hem of her gown. There was a moment of terrifying free fall before she crashed to the floor, pain lacing through her hands and knees and shooting up her limbs as she yelped. The pain was immediately forgotten when she looked up and saw Elsa's blonde hair disappearing amongst the mass of black suits and flashy gowns, and in an instant Anna was scrambling to rise.

"Anna!" Turquoise eyes flashed up and Anna let out a relieved breath when she saw her cousin hurrying to her side. "What happened? Where's-"

"Not now Punz, just help me up!"

Rapunzel frowned but offered the redhead a hand and struggled to pull the girl to her feet. "Geez cuz, heavy, much?"

If Anna hadn't been so worried about Elsa she probably would have grinned and come up with a witty comeback, but as things stood she barely had the patience to groan and hiss out a 'whatever' before she was up and running again. She heard her cousin calling after her but ignored it. All that mattered to her at that moment was finding Elsa. But as Anna continued to push her way past people, standing on her tiptoes to see over their heads, an icy thickness began to settle in her chest, clawing its way around her ribs.

Where is she, where is she… where is she?!

As her eyes darted left and right, widening in panic as every moment passed by without Elsa in her line of sight, Anna's heart began to pound.

She'd screwed up. Elsa didn't even know that Anna knew. After all, Elsa hadn't been the one to tell her. Elsa hadn't told her anything, it had all been Mrs. Helland's doing. How could she have thought this had been a good idea? They'd barely been home for two days, and this was Anna's first time at the house, ever! What right did she have, asking Elsa to bring her to a place that was obviously still very painful for the poor blonde to even think about!

Anna's eyes screwed shut and she came to halt, hands clenching into fists at her side.

I'm such an idiot…

Tears began to prick at her eyes. She shook her head from side to side, fingernails digging into her palms as her fists clenched tighter. The people around her had turned to stare, eyes switching back and forth between the girl that stood before them now, close to tears, and the direction in which another young girl had run off only moments before. A few began to whisper amongst themselves, the words hidden behind gloved hands or whispered into glasses of wine.

Anna felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up, eyes watery, to see Rapunzel looking at her with concern. Green eyes cast a quick glance around the room, narrowing when their owner realized just how many people were staring. Biting her lip, Rapunzel turned her eyes back to her cousin and let her hand slide down to the small of the younger girl's back. Rapunzel pushed her forward gently, going slow in the hope that Anna would stay upright. "Come on Anna, let's go outside."

Anna sniffled but let herself be led, eyes downcast as her cousin marched her forward. Rapunzel obviously didn't know about the side door, because she led them to the opposite side of the ballroom, where a pair of insanely ornate doors awaited them. They were easily twice Anna's size but were thankfully pulled open, allowing guests to spill in and out as they pleased. No one noticed as the pair of girls slipped out of the party and into the foyer. Rapunzel kept Anna close as she looked around the room, frowning at the amount of people that were mulling about.

"Anna?" The brunette got a sniffle in response. "Hun, where are you staying? Is there a bedroom or somewhere we can go?"

Anna nodded after a moment, struggling to steady her breathing. Rapunzel waited, and when Anna was in control of herself again she held her head up high and hurried forward. She led them up the grand staircase and made a left, hurrying down the hall to the joined rooms she shared with Elsa.

She kept her eyes straight ahead, ignoring the beautiful paintings that lined the walls, ignoring the softness of the carpet beneath her. She ignored the pain in her feet, the slight ache lingering in her palms from when she'd fallen. Part of her hoped Elsa would be there, waiting for her. More of her was terrified that she would be. Anna stiffened when she passed by the door to Elsa's room, hesitating for a moment as she debated whether or not she should go in and check to see if Elsa was there. For that one moment she seriously thought about knocking…

…but she didn't. She hurried on to her own room instead.

She yanked open the door and almost slammed it behind her, the first tear carving a path down her cheek. Rapunzel's eyes narrowed and she jumped forward, catching the door just before it shut. "Anna, slow down. What's wrong?"

"I'm an idiot, Punz! That's what's wrong!"

Rapunzel rolled her eyes but shrieked when a white heel went flying past her head, rebounding against the wall with a smack. "Easy there fiestypants, pretty sure those aren't yours and… hey!"

Anna wasn't listening to her. She'd thrown the other shoe across the room as well and now she was splayed out on the bed, face buried in the sheets.

Rapunzel sighed and turned to pick up the fallen shoe, checking it for damage before going to get the other one. Once she was sure they hadn't been scratched she placed them neatly by the bedside and sat herself down on the edge of the bed. She heard her cousin sniffle once more, and when the brunette turned to look her heart clenched at the sight of Anna's shoulders shaking, her back rising as small hiccupping sobs wracked through her.

"You're going to get makeup on the sheets."

"I don't care!"

Anna's hands balled into fists, creasing the fabric as she pressed her face deeper into the mattress. She continued to cry and Rapunzel bit her lip, eyes falling to her lap. She kicked off her own shoes and lay down beside the redhead, folding her arms to make a pillow so she could prop her head up. She watched Anna silently for a while, and when the redhead's sobs seemed to worsen she reached out a hand to comb through what she could of her cousin's hair. Rapunzel admired the elegant bun that held the rest of it captive, wondering who'd done it for her. Anna had never been good with hair or makeup, and unfortunately she had the kind of hair that demanded attention.

"Anna… can you tell me what happened? I can't help if I don't know anything."

Anna had always had a weakness for people playing with her hair, and so as Rapunzel continued to run her fingers through it, curling around the loose strands, her sobs quickly died down. Soon all that was left was a gentle hiccup every now and then. Anna loosened the grip she had on the sheets and she turned her head, so instead of suffocating herself against the down comforter her cheek just rested against it. Her eyes were puffy, and what little makeup she'd been wearing was in fact smeared everywhere. Including the sheets.

"You look like a raccoon."

Anna sniffed once. "Raccoons are cute."

Rapunzel smiled softly. "Not when they're crying."

Anna frowned, wiping a hand underneath her nose before she rolled over onto her back. "Well sorry. We can't all be pretty criers."

Rapunzel stayed where she was, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on her cousin's face. "So… why are you crying?"

Anna groaned, rubbing the heel of her hand against her eye, further smearing the black ring that had leaked out across her skin from the mascara. "I told you, I'm an idiot. That's why. Look just, forget about it. Go downstairs and enjoy the party. It's a long story, anyway."

Rapunzel smiled brightly. "I've got time."

"Since when?"

She froze. Where had that come from? Anna hadn't moved, but with the bite she'd put into her words she didn't have to. Rapunzel could picture the glare in her mind; she could practically feel Anna's eyes boring into her, harsh and accusing. "W-what do you mean?"

Now the glare was real. Anna had turned her head, and she was staring right at her. Her eyes were still wet, but they were angry too. Angry with herself for sure, but now that her cousin was right here in front of her, she had another outlet for her anger.

"Why now? Why do you all of a sudden have time now? Why now? Why didn't you have time on my first day of high school, when I spilled my lunch on one of the juniors and he said he was gonna beat me up? What about the next day when him and his friends, all sporting black eyes, cornered me in the locker room and threatened to make my life a living hell if I ever 'blabbed' to Hans again? Where were you when Hans lost the championship game? Where were you when he beat those kids up? When I only found out about it because the police showed up at the apartment?" Fresh tears were burning in her eyes, her breath beginning to hitch as everything began to catch up with her. "Where were you when he was institutionalized?"

Rapunzel's eyes were wide, her jaw slack. Anna had risen, sitting up and Rapunzel followed so that they were facing each other on the bed, legs folded underneath them. "A-Anna, I-I-"

"You weren't there. For any of it! But now all of a sudden you have time? Why?! You haven't had time for me for two years! The second Eugene asked you to move in with him, you disappeared! I never saw you anymore! Sure, you stopped by maybe once every other month to make sure I was alive, but how long did you even stay? Five minutes? Ten?"

"Anna, I'm sorry I just-"

Anna's eyes narrowed, tears spilling over. "You just what, Rapunzel? Just got sick of us? Got sick of always looking out for us? Well, sorry Hans and I couldn't work around your schedule. I'm sorry that Uncle and Auntie always made you stay home to keep us company, I'm sorry that you didn't get to go out as much as you wanted. I know we were awkward and sad and I know we couldn't have been much fun to be around but… but we tried! We tried really hard! I know I did!" Anna began to hiccup again, pressing her face into her hands.

Rapunzel's own eyes began to prick with tears, and she reached out to pull her cousin into a hug but Anna only flinched away, laying back down and curling up into a ball with her back to her cousin. The brunette's heart broke at the sight, all too familiar with Anna's self-defense mechanism.

When they were younger, back when Hans and Anna had lived with Rapunzel and her family, there were times when all the pain, sadness, and the memory of her parents became too much for the young girl and Anna's laughter would disappear from the house. After checking all of the little firecracker's usual spots, Rapunzel would always find her in her room, curled up in a ball just like this, hiding under a blanket as she cried herself to sleep. Usually, if Rapunzel caught her in time, she'd be able to coax her out with chocolate and the promise of a bedtime story.

But right now the brunette got the feeling that that wouldn't be enough.

"Anna… I, I don't know what to say."

Anna's body shuddered, and Rapunzel's hands fisted in her lap.

"There's nothing you can say. I get it. Growing up and having to take care of us probably sucked. I would have hated it too. B-but, but you can't just… show up and act like you haven't been ignoring us for the past two years."

"But I haven't been! I love coming to see you guys!"

Anna curled in even tighter on herself, if such a thing were possible. "Of course you do, because we don't want to make you sad. We're always on our best behavior when you come to visit. Punz, you didn't even text me back when I told you I was going to be gone this weekend. I wasn't even going to bother, but Kristoff made me."

The admission made Rapunzel incredibly sad… and guilty. Anna was right. Why it had come out now, when she was clearly upset about something else, was beyond her. But it was still true, nonetheless.

Anna let out a pathetic, half-hearted chuckle. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go all family drama on you." There was a quiet sniffle. "Just go back downstairs. I'll be fine. I'm not even mad at you, really… you're like my best friend and I'm actually really happy I saw you tonight. I-I'm just confused I guess. A lot's been going on."

"Anna... I can't just go back downstairs." Rapunzel frowned and laid down, pressing herself against Anna's back and wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. "We need to talk about this. You're right, I haven't been good to you or your brother at all. Not for a long time. You know me, I just… I get so distracted so easily and Eugene's been so wonderful… but I swear Anna, I'll be better. And I'm gonna start right now, okay?" She pressed a quick kiss to the redhead's temple. "Please, tell me what's been going on. Tell me everything."

Anna was silent for a moment and Rapunzel feared the worst, that Anna would shut her out and ask her to leave. She knew she had a lot to make up for, two years' worth of blissful ignorance to the struggles her cousins had clearly been going through, but what if this was too little too late? Anna had always been stubborn, after all. Rapunzel had seen what happened once a person fell out of Anna's good graces.

But her fears were eased when Anna rolled back over and forced her head beneath the brunette's chin, body trembling as tears began anew.

"I-I met Elsa two months ago…"

And Anna told her everything. About Elsa, about how wrongly she'd judged her when they'd first become friends. She told her the good things, like the truffles and the snowflakes and the hugs… and she told her about the bad things. The fight, the bullies at school… Rapunzel was shocked and saddened to hear about Hans losing his visitation rights. Anna told her about Kristoff and Meg, and Rapunzel was happy to hear that her darling little cousin was making new friends. She'd have to meet this Meg girl and thank Kristoff for being such a sweetheart, and for taking care of Anna.

Anna told her about the Hellands, about Elsa's condition. She talked about Elsa for a long time. She told her all about how Elsa was supposed to be this cold, unresponsive statue but then she gushed over how attentive and sweet Elsa was to her. Anna gave her the most random details, from the way Elsa would scrunch her shoulders up to her ears when she was nervous, to the way her smile would quirk to the side when she was happy. She talked about the way Elsa had behaved so far this weekend, and how confused she was because it was almost a 180 compared to the way she behaved at the institute, and finally she made it to what had happened earlier that night.

It was a lot of information, and when Anna told her about Elsa's past Rapunzel couldn't help but feel that maybe she shouldn't be privy to this information. But she didn't want to tell Anna to stop; the redhead had a habit of bottling things up and letting things slide, even if they upset her. Better to just give her the chance to let it all out and deal with the aftermath later.

"A-and I think I went too far because she ran away and I don't know if she's mad at me or scared… what if she starts to ignore me like she does everyone else? What if she shuts me out?"

Rapunzel shushed her gently, rubbing soothing circles against the younger girl's back. "If she cares about you as much as I think she does, there's no way. She was probably just shocked… and when you think about what you asked it's not really a surprise that she got upset. Just give her time."

"B-but… what if she, what if… Rapunzel, I-I don't want her to shut me out."

"She won't, I'm positive."

Anna was silent, one hand gripping the fabric of Rapunzel's dress. The pair sat cuddled together for a few more minutes, until Anna pulled away. She sat up and rubbed at her eyes. Her raccoon eyes were even larger than before, and decidedly more lopsided. "I didn't get make-up on your dress, did I?"

Rapunzel looked down and winced at the black smears on her front. "Um…"

"Ugh, I totally did. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

Rapunzel just sighed, her eyes kind and affectionate as she rose from the bed. "Don't worry, I can fix it. I've done enough laundry in my life to have learned some tricks. Come on, I'll help you get ready for bed, fix this and then head back downstairs. Dad's probably wondering where I am."

"Yeah, sorry again. This wasn't how I expected this night to go."

"Stop apologizing. It's fine. Now let's get you out of that dress. I know you're probably dying to be in sweatpants again."

Anna gave a weary grin before nodding, heading over to her bed to grab her duffle bag off the floor. She pulled out some sweatpants and an old camo-print tank top and threw them on the bed.

"You need help getting out of that dress?" Rapunzel called as she headed into the bathroom.

"I'm not that hopeless, Punz."

Rapunzel just grinned and flipped the light switch in the bathroom. When she saw her reflection in the mirror she winced at the sight of the splash zone; it was definitely larger under the light. She blew away a few stray hairs that had fallen in her face before ducking to look in the cabinet under the sink for anything that would remove makeup. Her eyes lit up when she found a bottle of liquid eye-makeup remover and she grabbed it. "Anna where are the linens?"

"Shh! Not so loud!" Rapunzel, confused, turned to ask what the fuss was all about but Anna cut her off. "They're over there. And again, I'm-"

"If you're going to apologize again then stop. It's annoying."

Anna's face fell and she ran a hand through her hair, which she had freed from its intricate up-do. It fell in gentle ringlets around her face, though some pieces stuck out at odd angles. Rapunzel ignored her as she dripped some makeup remover onto the washcloth she had grabbed, moving to stand before the mirror once again. Thankfully the Hellands had a collection of linens in their closet, black included among the colors, so Rapunzel didn't have to worry about staining the cloth. She gently dabbed at the mascara, grinning when it began to come off. Anna came to stand by her side, posture meek as she watched her cousin fix the mess.

It took a few minutes, but finally the stain was gone and Rapunzel let out a triumphant 'Ha!' to which Anna let out a sigh of relief. Rapunzel turned on the cold water and ran the washcloth under the stream, wringing it out while Anna watched.

The redhead bit her lip, nervously bumping her fists together as her eyes darted between the washcloth and her cousin. "Um, Rapunzel? I-I didn't, I wasn't trying to, y'know… make you feel guilty or anything back there. Honestly I don't know where it all came from."

Rapunzel didn't answer, just shook the excess water from the cloth before applying the slightest dabs of makeup remover to it. "Don't worry about it. I think I deserved it. Now here, let me clean you up."

Grinning shyly, Anna stepped forward, closing her eyes when Rapunzel raised the cloth to her face. The cool water felt good against her skin, especially around her eyes which were still slightly puffy from crying. As her cousin went about her work Anna sighed in contentment. She had missed her cousin, truly, and it felt good to be taken care of in such a tender manner. "Rapunzel?"

"Hm?"

"…I missed you."

Rapunzel paused, a soft smile spreading across her face as her cheeks grew warmed. She dropped the washcloth onto the counter top and pulled her cousin into a hug. "Me too, fiestypants. Me too."

Elsa stood before the door, arms limp as her eyes burned holes in the brass doorknob.

She'd been standing there, tears perched and ready to spill, for far too long. At least she'd stopped pacing. Her feet were practically numb from the abuse they'd suffered as Elsa's anxiety had forced her in circles, pacing back and forth before the door.

The door to her sister's room.

Her sister.

My sister.

Elsa's breathing hitched, body convulsing as she clutched her hands tight to her chest. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be here. Even after all these years, even after all the home visits she spent with her eyes fixed firmly on the carpet as she hurried past this one room… she still felt like falling to pieces.

It's your fault, after all. I suppose it makes sense.

Elsa shivered, hands clenching so tight she could feel the sharp prick of her nails biting into her skin. The memories still hurt, still made her heart ache. She'd tried so hard to forget, to convince herself that it wasn't her fault. Every night she'd spent in her bed here at home was bittersweet: it was warm, it was secure, it was soft… but the memory of what lay next door plagued her dreams every night. There were ghosts in these halls, and they whispered to her whenever she dared to walk down them alone. They crept along her spine, moaned their secrets into her ears even when she clamped her hands over them in a futile attempt to block out the sounds.

'Your fault,' they whispered. 'Such a disappointment… such a sad thing. Such a sad little girl… her and her sad little family.'

'Maybe if you hadn't wished so hard, prayed so foolishly… don't you know that good things come to those who wait? Why didn't you wait? Did you think you were special? Did you actually think there was someone listening?'

'Such a sad little girl. Such a sad little family.'

Even now they whispered to her, giggling in her ears as their chill sent shivers down her spine. Elsa bit her lip and screwed her eyes shut, clamping her hands over her ears.

Don't listen! Don't… just don't listen. They're not real, they aren't here. Conceal it. Don't feel it. Think happy things, think warm things…

But of course the moment she thought 'warm,' she thought of Anna, and that doomed her.

Anna had known. How had Anna known? How was it possible?

'Oh, sad little girl… does it matter?'

Her teeth dug into her lip, painfully so. Her nails scraped against her skull as she tried to force her hands even tighter over her ears, desperate to block out the noise. They couldn't talk about Anna, they couldn't. Elsa wouldn't hear it, wouldn't allow it.

'She knows… so what else does she know? Does she know about your perversions? Does she know what you really feel? Oh, poor little girl… what will she do when she leaves you?'

Her eyes snapped open, arms going limp.

Leaves me? Why, why would she…

Harsh chuckles rang in her ears and she winced, knees going weak. She stumbled, falling against the door. She flinched when her hands made contact with the wood, but she didn't have the strength to push herself away.

'Why would she leave you, you ask? Oh, sad little girl… what reason does she have to stay? You've proven tonight how inept you are… you barely know anything about her. You've been leeching off her warmth for months and yet all you know is her name…'

'Her name and all the dirty things you'd do to her… if given the chance.'

Her nails scraped against the wood as her hands clenched into fists, her teeth bared in a grimace.

No! That's not all I am! I'm not just… that's not what I want!

The voices chuckles darkly. 'Isn't it though? Isn't that all you've been dreaming about? Tasting those lips, marking that flawless skin? Claiming it as your own?'

She pressed her forehead against the door, legs trembling as her body began to warm against her will. She tried to force it down, tried to focus on anything but the girl who had indeed been plaguing her mind for so long now. But it was futile. She kept picturing Anna in her dress, in both dresses. She kept seeing that bright, smiling face, those warm, kind eyes…

As the first tears began to fall, Elsa whimpered. She choked out a sob, her throat crying out in protest. The sound was slight, but it was there. Elsa was unaware of it all, so desperate was she to control her thoughts.

'What's the point, sad little girl? You know you want her…'

Of course I do! But, but I don't just want her, I-I need, I need her! I need her smile, her smell, her laugh… I need all of her! And I want her to need me! I don't want to be a… a parasite!

'But isn't that what you are? Silly little girl… that's all you are. A parasite, a nuisance. Do you think your darling little Anna actually wants to spend any more time at that dreadful place than she has to? Do you actually think your parents are content with the way things are? Do you even care?'

'No. You don't. It's against the nature of a parasite to care about its host, after all. So long as they get what they need-'

Without a warning, Elsa gripped the doorknob and flung the door wide open, running inside and slamming it shut behind her. She fell against it with an audible thud, sliding down to the floor as tears streamed down both her cheeks.

She couldn't bear to hear anymore. She had to escape the whispers, even if that escape had led her here. Through the tears she could see the paint her and her father had worked so hard to apply (the snowmen had been her idea), could see the rocking chair her mother had sat in as she watched over them. And in the center of the room she saw the pile of books, and the blanket.

And in her memories she saw herself, the blanket wrapped around her shivering shoulders as she read aloud to the little sister she'd wished so desperately for. She could practically hear her squeaky little voice, sounding out the lines to her favorite nursery rhymes as she tried to be strong and keep from crying. Even if her little sister was in Heaven, so far away, it wouldn't do for her to mess up the words because the tears made it hard to talk. She had to get it right, had to say the words as clearly as possible so her sister could hear them.

But I never could. I always messed up.

Elsa drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around herself and hiding her face as she cried. There was no noise this time, her throat still aching from before, but her entire frame shook with each sob.

…it was a long time before she finally stopped crying. The moon, which had previously been invisible, now shined full and bright in the window, bathing the room in soft light. Everything hurt. Her eyes, her throat, her back. Sniffling, she cast one last look around the room. It was cold and empty, rife with dust. Elsa would bet that her parents didn't even come in here anymore.

Not that she could blame them.

Elsa looked down at her feet and removed her shoes. She rubbed her feet gently, trying to will life back into them. After a while she tried to stand, stumbling slightly as pins and needles raced through her limbs. She hesitated before opening the door, terrified that the voices would be waiting for her on the other side.

But she couldn't stay in that room forever.

So, with a deep breath in, she shut her eyes and pushed the door open. She waited for the voices to come and fill her head with their harsh, cruel words, but there was only silence. Elsa opened her eyes slowly, glancing up and down the empty hall in disbelief. When a minute passed with no disturbance, the blonde sighed in relief. She turned back around to pick up her shoes before she began to pad down the hallway. Her feet hurt with each step, but her crying spell had left her too tired to worry about the pain. As she descended the stairs to the second floor, she caught the sounds of the party, still in full swing. Briefly she wondered if anyone was looking for her.

She thought about Anna.

Anna… I'm sorry for running away. Not that you can hear me.

Elsa's bare toes hit the second floor and she took a moment to remember the look of panic that had flashed through Anna's eyes when Elsa had pulled away. It hurt her to remember, to know that she had been the cause, but it had been too much too soon. She hadn't even known that Anna was aware of her past… though she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised.

Anna had been alone with Elsa's mother quite a few times already. This whole weekend had been her mother's doing. Her parents were charming and caring, but they were cunning as well. Maybe there were ulterior motives to their kindness.

Elsa frowned. She wasn't sure how to feel about all that, and certainly didn't have the energy to properly process.

So she continued on down the hall to her room, part of her hoping that Anna would be waiting for her with open arms when she returned.

It was wishful thinking of course, because when she finally did make it to her room it was dark and empty. The blonde sighed, not bothering to turn on the light as she placed her shoes down by the vanity and stripped out of her gown. She held it in her hands for a moment before sighing and draping it over the back of the chair. She retrieved a simple blue nightgown from her closet and slipped it over her head. She took a moment in the bathroom to wash the smeared makeup from her face, eyes widening in surprise when she saw how pale and tired her episode had left her. Frowning at her reflection, she cast a quick glance at Anna's door to check to see if the light was on. It wasn't, but she did see something that caught her eye.

There was a piece of paper taped to the door of Anna's bedroom.

Brow furrowing, Elsa cautiously crossed the bathroom, feet padding soundlessly across the floor. When she reached Anna's door a shaky hand came up and pulled the note away. Blue eyes narrowed at the neat script that filled the page.

'Miss Helland,

Anna's asleep. I took care of her. This is her cousin Rapunzel that you met at the party earlier. I wanted to say thank you to your family, and I also wanted to apologize if she made you in any way uncomfortable tonight. Anna isn't famous for her patience, but she's a sweetheart, as I'm sure you already know.

I figured you'd want your privacy, so I'll be telling your parents that you both retired for the evening, that way you won't have to worry about being bothered for the rest of the night.

Thank you again,

-Rapunzel

P.S. My cousin really cares about you.'

Elsa blinked down at the page, surprised. The sound of fabric rustling caused her ears to perk and she looked up. So Anna was asleep on the other side of this door.

Elsa was silent for a moment, before she turned the doorknob and stepped into the bedroom. It was dark, the curtains only partially open. Still, some moonlight managed to spill its way in, illuminating the sleeping figure curled up in a ball on the bed. Elsa closed the bathroom door behind her, stepping into the room and moving to stand at the redhead's bedside. She stared down at Anna's peaceful face, taking note of the redness around the younger girl's eyes.

She was crying.

Still clutching the note in her hand, Elsa sat herself down on the edge of the bed. She watched the steady rise and fall of Anna's chest. Suddenly Anna rolled over onto her back, a light snore escaping her as she blindly clutched at a pillow. Slowly, Elsa reached out a hand, hesitating before laying it down where Anna's heart was. The contact caused the redhead to mumble in her sleep and Elsa sent a nervous glance at her face, but when there was no discernible change Elsa let her eyes fall shut. She breathed in deeply, focusing on the steady beat of Anna's heart.

Slowly, the rhythm calmed her. Elsa's own heart relaxed, and the weariness in her chest started to seep away.

"Elsa…"

Elsa's eyes snapped open. Had she woken the other girl up?

Another snore told her otherwise. A tired, lopsided smile pulled at her lips as she stared at the face of the sleeping girl before her. Elsa pulled back her hand only to place it by Anna's head. Slowly Elsa leaned forward, so that they were face to face, Elsa's body partially hovering over the sleeping redhead's. Elsa took a moment to admire the beauty of the girl beneath her, but then the words of the voices from before returned to her.

'perversions… parasite…'

'you want her…'

It would be easy. It would be laughably easy, to just take what she wanted right here and now and be done with it. Elsa tilted her head to the side.

Slowly, she began to lean in. Their faces came closer and closer together, until Elsa could feel Anna's breath tickling her skin. Anna's scent filled her nose, all chocolate and earthy, comfortable warmth, like the grass on a bright summer day.

So close. The blonde grinned.

And pressed her lips to Anna's forehead.

I do want her.

But I also love her.

And love is more than just desire.

She lingered for a moment, enjoying the warmth of Anna's skin on her lips, before she pulled back. She smiled down at the girl she loved, eyes bright with tender affection. She gently brushed her thumb against Anna's cheek, tucking away some stray hairs before standing up.

Glancing down at the note in her hand, she sent Anna one last lingering gaze before heading back to her own bedroom.

I'm pretty happy with this one, guys. I hope you are too :)

I can't even begin to thank you all for your love, writing this is truly an amazing experience.

-Cel