REVISED ENDING!

Sorry, I accidentally posted the wrong version of this chapter without the extended ending. I blame my current ill health and the fact that I posted it at like 1am. If you have already read this chapter, don't stress, I've only added to the end, so just skip down to the last paragraph. If you haven't read it, well, enjoy. Apologies guys.

Ugh, this chapter... gave me HELL. I hate it. It's been months of mental anguish to try and figure all this shit out, I'm sorry. It's also very short, I apologise for that, but I can promise you, I'll make up for it in the next one.


Chapter Fifteen


"I think I'm going to be sick." Elsa uttered under her breath, her hands twisting in her lap. Her stomach was churning, her insides wriggling, and her heart was galloping so fast, it was nothing more than a constant roar of noise.

"You don't have to do this, Elsa." Anna replied softly, taking one of Elsa's sweaty hands in her own and tenderly stroking the skin with her thumb. "We can still get up and walk out of here, I wouldn't think any less of you if you backed out now."

"No." Elsa stated stubbornly, snatching her hand back. "I came here for answers and I'm not leaving without them." She jiggled her legs nervously as her eyes flicked around the room. They were sitting at a cold metal table that was bolted to the floor, surrounded by various people all waiting for their friend or loved one to come out.

"You're shaking." Anna murmured with concern, "Breathe, Elsa."

Breathe? Elsa wasn't sure she was capable of that right now. She had never been more nervous than she was in this moment, the drive to the police station the other day seemed like child's play compared to this, her anxiety had never been so high.

Her stomach gave another nauseating churn and Elsa wrapped her arms around her waist, focusing on inhaling through her nose rather than her mouth; she'd already emptied the contents of her stomach once today, she didn't want a repeat.

Conceal, don't feel, she told herself, don't let it show. She needed to get a grip and pull herself together before she came face to face with the man that tore their family apart. She didn't want him seeing her as weak or vulnerable, she refused to give that monster what he wanted.

A loud buzz rang out through the cold and sterile room, Elsa's stomach lurching as the walls seemed to close in on her. "Breathe, Elsa." Anna whispered again, "You've got this."

Prisoners began to file into the room, finding their loved ones and greeting them excitedly. The noise suddenly became deafening to Elsa, despite it only rising a little, her senses were heightened, and she felt overwhelmed by it all.

Elsa peered into the sea of orange, her heart freezing the moment she spotted Anthony. He was already staring at her, his lips curling into a wicked smirk as their eyes met and he made a beeline for the sisters.

Elsa hardened her gaze and straightened her back, donning her icy façade once more. Conceal, don't feel. Don't let it show.

"Alesia, Anna, my beautiful daughters." Anthony crooned; his arms outstretched as if he were about to hug them. "My, how you've grown."

Elsa gritted her teeth, glaring sharply as anger prickled beneath her skin. "We are not your daughters." She growled lowly as the older man sat before them, that smirk still curling his lips.

"Oh, but you are." He purred, "My blood runs through your veins, dear Alesia. Whether you like it or not, we are family." The way the word 'family' rolled off his tongue made Elsa shudder, her lip curling in contempt.

"You don't know the meaning of family." Anna spat defiantly, Elsa could feel her sister bristling beside her and placed her hand on the small of Anna's back in an attempt to calm her.

The fact that Anthony was out of cuffs made Elsa feel uneasy, the cockiness and arrogance of his stance made her disdain for the man rise. She wanted nothing more than to smack that smug smirk right off his face and watch him grovel for forgiveness at her feet.

"What do you want from us?" Elsa demanded, moving on from the topic at hand, this was business and she wanted it over and done with as soon as possible.

"Is it so wrong for a father to ask for a visit from his daughters?" He questioned with faux affection.

"Daughters that you tried to kill at their mother's funeral?" Anna growled, her hands clenching into fists.

Elsa reached under the table and took Anna's hand in her own, not caring who saw, her priority was calming her sister, not how they could be perceived.

Anthony chuckled, leaning back on the cold, metal stool as he folded his arms across his chest. "First of all, she wasn't you mother, she was your aunt." He grinned; it was obvious to Elsa that he was trying to get under their skin. Playing mind games, it seemed, was his favourite pastime. "Secondly, if I had wanted to kill you, I would have. I never miss my mark."

"So what? You came out of hiding and risked being caught just to ruin our mother's funeral and what, scare us? Oh please, I'm not buying it." Anna rolled her eyes, shaking her head as she pulled her hand free from Elsa's and folded her arms, though the blonde could see how much her sister was still trembling, despite the casualness of her tone.

Anthony clasped his hands together, resting them on the table in front of him as he leant forward. "What makes you think getting caught wasn't my intention from the start?" He whispered conspiratorially, hiking a single eyebrow, not dissimilar to the look Elsa would give when playing coy.

"Why would you want to be caught?" Elsa questioned, schooling her features into curiosity rather than the pride she felt in having her theory confirmed.

"Alas, life on the run isn't as exciting as it's made out to be. Honestly, it all got a little tiresome and boring. Besides, with Christine dead, our little game has lost its spark, I can hardly haunt a ghost now, can I?" His nonchalance and casual tone infuriated Elsa, images of her jumping the table and wringing his throat with her bare hands flashed in her mind, it was becoming increasingly more difficult for her to retain her composure. Though, she was sure that's exactly what he wanted.

"How dare you!" Anna growled through gritted teeth. Elsa could feel her sister's body tensing beside her, ready and poised to strike. She placed her hand on Anna's thigh, giving the limb a gentle squeeze, warning Anna to calm down, it wouldn't do them any good if they got themselves kicked out now.

The expression of pride that flashed across Anthony's face confirmed that he was very much enjoying the reactions he was provoking in the sisters, that this was what he wanted, to make them angry, to control them just like he controlled their mother and aunt. "My, my. You are a fiery one, aren't you Anna?" He beamed, "Just like your father. It must be a redhead thing."

"I'm nothing like you." Anna spat, glowering at the man before.

"You're more like me than you care to admit, Anna. By the way, how's your arm?" Anthony asked.

"My arm?" Anna questioned, bemused.

"It was your left, wasn't it? The one you broke after falling from a tree when you were five." There was something about his tone that sent shivers down Elsa's spine, a prickling under her skin that made her feel uneasy. "I assume it healed well, that you weren't left with any permanent scars or lasting damage?"

Anna's brows knitted together as she shook her head slightly as if trying to clear it. "It was my right, actually… wait, how did you-"

"How did I know?" Anthony interrupted, grinning wickedly. "You don't remember do you?" His smirk grew as the sisters stared at him blankly.

Then, a realisation hit Elsa. "You were there, weren't you?" She felt as though a pile of rocks had suddenly dropped in her stomach, her blood running cold as she thought back to that day. The memory of it was something that haunted her for years after.

Anna had been climbing the tree that had grown just outside of their shared bedroom, the branch reached their second-floor window and Anna had always loved climbing up and perching herself on it, pulling funny faces at Elsa. She had been doing exactly that when something else seemed to catch her attention and Anna whipped her head around, losing her balance as she fell forward, forcing her weight onto the thinner part of the branch. It was then that it had cracked, and Anna fell, plummeting to the ground.

"I was at Anna's side by the time your aunt and uncle got to her – not that it was her that I really wanted, she was just a means to an end – I was just about to pick her up when Agnarr tackled me to the ground. He started laying into me as Christine scooped Anna up and sprinted into the house, locking me out. I managed to get myself free from him and escape before the cops arrived, but I'd missed my chance. The next thing I knew, you were gone, and I was left to track you down again."

Anthony's confession took Elsa by surprise, she hadn't expected him to be this forthcoming.

"Why me?" Elsa asked, ploughing through before Anna had a chance to react; she still needed answers and if either of them were to lose their cool, they may never get them. "Why Mama? Why not Anna and Agnarr?"

Anthony shrugged indifferently, "Because you both look so much like Jo, because Christine was an easy target, because she played along so well." It was as if this was all just a game to him, a game he believed he had won. "Christine ruined my life; it was only fair that I returned the favour."

"You ruined your life, not Christine. You were the one who couldn't control your anger. It was you were that tore your family apart, you drove your wife out of your arms. You were the one the beat her to death and left your daughters with their mother's ruined body." Elsa growled lowly, snarling at the wolf before her. "So, don't you dare put the blame on anyone but yourself. Everything was your fault. Everything."

"Oh, dear me." Anthony drawled, inspecting his nails. "I seem to have hit a nerve."

"Fuck you!" Anna spat vehemently. "This is all just a game to you, isn't it?"

"How did you escape?" Elsa interrupted, changing the conversation before Anna's self-control could crack any further.

"I came up with a plan and executed it perfectly." Anthony shrugged, "But that's not the question you really wanted to ask me, now was it, Alesia?" He mocked, "No, you want to know who the woman was, the one that just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the perfect mode of transport for me to escape. You want to know whether she was my lover, my cohort, and whether that son of hers is mine and if you have another half sibling out there, don't you?"

"Was she?" Elsa asked, keeping her tone firm despite the thrill of anticipation that flashed through her.

They were getting somewhere.

"Are you planning another family reunion? Because I can't see this one going the way you would hope." Anthony mocked, "Let's just say hypothetically that her part in my escape was planned and that hypothetically, her child is my son and that I hypothetically raised him to follow in my footsteps…"

Elsa felt Anna jolt beside her, the redhead ready for a fight, and placed a hand on her thigh. "It's not true." Anna stated through gritted teeth, her body tensing despite Elsa's familiar touch.

"Speaking in hypotheticals, let's say that it is and that this illegitimate son of mine has already wriggled his way into both your lives on multiple occasions, gathering information and reporting back to me…" Anthony gloated.

"You know nothing about us." Elsa growled lowly, anger prickling beneath her skin.

Anthony cocked his eyebrow, leaning back in his seat smugly as he smirked. "Oh really?" He taunted, "I know more about you than you think… Elsa."

Anthony knowing her name was hardly a shock, in fact, she would have been more surprised if he hadn't known it. "Knowing my name is hardly something to gloat about." She sniped, her tone cold as ice.

"I know your favourite colour is green, despite you always wearing blue. That you had lived in thirteen houses by the time you were ten, how you never had a pet, let alone any friends. I know that you once found a kitten on the street and brought it home, hoping that your aunt-"

"Mother." Elsa interjected sternly, her hands shaking as she balled them into fists.

"What's the difference?" Anthony shrugged, his lips curling into a vindictive smirk; "…they're both dead."

Anna's reaction was instant. She was on her feet, her hands wrapped around Anthony's neck, squeezing so tightly, Elsa could see his veins popping beneath the skin. "How dare you!" She spat lividly, her arms shaking from the force of her grip.

"Anna!" Elsa hissed, grabbing her sister's wrists, desperately fighting to pull Anna away. "Don't… he's not worth it." Anna whipped her head to the side, glaring at Elsa with an expression the blonde had never seen her wear before.

There was anger in her eyes, outrage, loathing, all the emotions one would expect to see in such a situation, but there was something else broiling behind the startling colour, something that shook Elsa to her core… vengeance.

It was as though she was possessed. For all her spunk and fight, Anna still had a gentle soul. A heart of gold and Elsa had always believed that Anna would never hurt a fly, never. But now… the intent within those eyes… Elsa had no doubt that if she didn't stop her, Anna would happily end Anthony's life and would feel no remorse after doing so.

"Anna, please, just let him go." Elsa implored, desperately hoping no one else had noticed her sister's outburst; the last thing she wanted was to see Anna jailed for attempted murder.

Anthony's eyes bulged in their sockets, his face turning purple, yet, he sat there calmly, making no effort to pull Anna away… this is what he wanted.

"Anna, stop!" Elsa begged, releasing her sister's wrists and cupping her face instead, forcing Anna's eyes to lock onto her hers. "Look at me! This is what he wants! He wants you to kill him, to prove that you're just like him. You can't let him win!" Anna blinked, the murderous retaliation dissipating from her eyes. "Please, I can't lose you again…" Elsa whispered fearfully, her voice cracking as she choked up.

Elsa's final plea seemed to have done the job and Anna released Anthony in an instant, snatching her hands back as if she had been burned. The redhead sat numbly, staring at her palms as if she'd never seen them before. When she turned her gaze back to Elsa, her eyes were full of fear, of regret, of terror from her own actions.

Unable to soothe her as she normally would, considering they were in such a public place, Elsa gently took Anna's hands in her own, holding them under the table as she caressed them tenderly. Her own heart was racing, her palms were sweaty, and she was doing everything she could to stop herself from trembling. Anna had scared her, more than Elsa cared to admit. She'd always been proud of Anna's feisty attitude, jealous even at times, but today… she'd seen a side of Anna she wished she could forget.

Anthony cleared his voice, "As I was saying…" he began, his tone tinged with a smugness that made Elsa's skin crawl. "I know you better than you think." He pressed a hand to his throat, caressing the reddened skin. "I know you used to have a friend called Harry, once. You would have been what, fourteen, fifteen? It wasn't long after you'd moved to Corona. He arrived at the school just a few months after you, young, friendless… a redhead." Anthony's eyes gaze flicked to Anna as his lips curled briefly, before he turned his attention back to Elsa.

"You took him under your wing, bonded over your love of books and your similar upbringings. He was abused by his father and you didn't have one. He moved around a lot too, never settling in one place for long… you had so much in common." Anthony's tone was implicative, lined with insinuation, something that sent shivers down Elsa's spine and triggered a prickling under her skin.

Pieces of a puzzle were beginning to form.

"He could be quite the rebel, a feisty little thing he was-" Again, Anthony's eyes fell on Anna, looking her up and down with that stupid smirk still warping his face. "Which, was exactly what you wanted at the time, wasn't it, Alesia?"

"How do you know all this?" Elsa asked, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

Anthony just sniggered, a knowing look upon his face. "One day, he convinced you to skip school with him. Sick of always being the good girl, you let him lead you astray. Your little dalliance with danger was barely worth noting, really. Too afraid of getting caught if you spent the day in public, you simply took him back to yours, but that in itself was quite exhilarating for you, wasn't it? Sneaking a boy into the house whilst your aunt was at work, if she had known…" Anthony whistled through his lips, his brows rising as he shrugged.

"Nothing much happened at first, you just… talked. Rather boring if you ask me, but still, this was the most rebellious thing you'd done and the mere thought of getting caught was thrilling enough. But then, well, things started getting interesting." Anthony grinned and folded his arms, "You, Alesia, had a momentary… lapse, in judgement and despite all those walls you'd built up around your heart, you began to let him in.

"You told him about your childhood, about your dead sister and father and the mother that never seemed to care… that pain drove you into his arms… and him into your bedroom."

"Nothing happened!" Elsa said defensively, her hackles beginning to rise in spite of her determination to keep her cool.

"Well, that's not what he told me." Anthony watched with glee as the sisters sat there in disbelief. "I heard things got pretty heated up there, well, until Elsa lost her nerve, anyway. She ran off to the bathroom and left poor Henry… or was it, Harry? I forget which name we gave him – alone in her room."

"What the hell are you talking about? What do you mean 'the name we gave him'? How- how do you know about all of this?" Anna questioned, bemused.

Those puzzle pieces were coming together, and Elsa didn't like the picture they were painting.

"No…" Elsa breathed, her stomach dropping, "No- it- you're- he wasn't… no…"

"Will someone please tell me what the fuck is going on?!" Anna exclaimed in frustration, her hand leaving Elsa's as she threw them out in annoyance.

Anthony smirked vindictively, he knew Elsa was putting two and two together in her head and was enjoying watching the show as the realisation hit her. "Christine had installed a pretty elaborate security system around the house. Cameras everywhere, both inside and out… I wanted access to them. So, I sent Harry in undercover, hoping he'd get a moment alone to hack the system and I could get live vision of just what went on behind those closed doors. It's not like I could go in myself and I needed to know exactly where Christine was at all times."

Elsa sat there, reeling. She felt as though she'd been punched in the gut and the air had been sucked from her lungs. "He was my brother?" She muttered, trying to piece everything together.

"Perversion, it seems, is a trait that runs in the family…"

Any colour that had remained in Elsa's face promptly drained away as Anthony's eyes flicked between her and her sister. She sat there, gaping, her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Her body tingled unpleasantly, and her lungs stopped working altogether. "You're sick." She managed to hiss, bile rising rapidly in her throat.

"First a dalliance with your brother, and now you take your sister to bed with you each night; I'm hardly the sick one here, Alesia." The game was on again. Anthony had made his move and showed his hand, his eyes now glinting with malice and a promise of the hell to come.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Elsa denied, though her voice held little conviction.

They'd been caught and now their secret was in the hands of a monster.

"Oh, please." Anthony scoffed, "Don't even try playing that game with me, it's not going to work. You can deny it all you want, but I have all the proof I need." Reaching into the open buttons on his jumpsuit, Anthony pulled out a photo, grinning as he slid it face down across the table. "You can keep this one, I have more."

Elsa picked up the photograph and flipped it over, a cold dread instantly flooding her veins. There they were in dulled tones of a night-time shot, taken from a side angle somewhere in the distance. Anna perched on Elsa's lap, one arm curled around her back, the other wedged between them. Anna's skirt was bunched around her waist, her arms wrapped around Elsa's neck… their lips locked in a heady kiss.

"What do you want from us?" Anna begged, her voice pleading for mercy.

Ignoring his other daughter, Anthony locked his beady eyes on Elsa, glaring at her as he smirked cruelly. "Go back to Corona… alone."

"No…" Anna gasped, her voice quivering as she whimpered softly. "Please… don't do this…"

"Why?" Elsa asked coldly, ignoring the agony within her heart at the thought of being separated from Anna once again.

"Because you two are the reason I am here. It's because of you that I no longer have the life I once did. I never wanted you, never wanted daughters, never wanted children with that stupid little wench in the first place! You ruined my life; you stole my freedom and now… I'm going to take your happiness." Anthony's expression turned dark; a fire burned behind his narrowed eyes. "You will go to Corona alone, ceasing all contact with Anna, only then will I give you instructions on what you need to do next. Play by my rules and do as I say, and maybe, I'll let you see your precious little sister again one day… unless of course you want me to call agent Booth the moment you leave these walls and tell him exactly how close the two of you really are…"

A rage began to bubble within Elsa, something that had been simmering for far too long and now began to rise and boil over. "No." She declared defiantly, staring down the monster before her.

"Excuse me?" Anthony exclaimed, his cocky demeanour slipping.

"Wait, what?" Anna spluttered disbelievingly as she turned to face her sister. "Elsa?"

"I said; no." Elsa repeated, her tone icy cold and stony. She had had enough. She was done with this charade, done being used as a toy in Anthony's perverted games. No longer would she bow down to this monster and let him win every round, his reign was coming to an end and Elsa was determined to be the one to end it.

"I will not be a pawn in another one of your games." She growled lowly as she placed her hands flat on the steel table and slowly began to rise "I will not allow you to control my life any longer. I'm sick and tired of living in fear, of constantly having to look over my shoulder. I will not bow down to you, Anthony. You seem to think I'll submit to you like everyone else, but you're wrong. I am not my mother and I am not my aunt." Elsa snarled through gritted teeth, her expression cold enough to turn a man into ice.

"You may have robbed me of my childhood, of my family, of the life I deserved; but I will not allow you to rob me of the one thing you will never understand; love." And with that, Elsa tore the photo in half and threw it in Anthony's face before grabbing a dumbstruck Anna's hand and pulling her up. "The game's over, Anthony."

And that, was that.

Elsa turned her back on the past and strode purposefully towards the exist, Anna stumbling in her haste to keep up, all the while Anthony yelled threats behind their retreating backs.


Anna struggled to keep up as Elsa flew along the passageways, silent and stoic, wearing a mask of fierce determination and anger. Even the guard escorting them had trouble matching her pace, it was clear she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible, which wasn't an easy feat when trying to escape a prison.

After what seemed like forever, they were finally out. Those ominous walls surrounded by barbed wire and heavily muscled gunmen were finally in their review mirror and Anna felt as though she could breathe once more.

Elsa remained silent the entire time, only speaking once they'd reached her car. "Get in." She had commanded, barely waiting for Anna's door to close before taking off and putting as much distance between them as fast as the speed limit would allow.

Anna glanced over at her sister once they were on the single stretch of road that led to and from the prison. Her expression was hardened, her grip on the wheel was so tight, her knuckles where turning white. "Elsa?" Anna asked timidly, "Are you ok a-"

"The fucking nerve of the man!" Elsa suddenly exploded, making a fist with one hand and slamming it against the wheel. "He thinks he can control me, that I'll just bow down to him and do whatever the fuck he wants just because everyone else has?! Who the fuck does he think he is?!"

"Elsa…"

"I'm gonna fucking kill that misogynistic pig!"

"Pull over…"

"I don't give a fuck about his threats anymore! He can fucking go to the fucking police and tell them about us, I don't give a fuck!"

"Elsa, pull over!"

"I mean, they have no fucking evidence, no proof, all they have is a stupid torn up fucking photo from a fucking criminal that for all they know could easily be a fake. Who the fuck are they gonna believe? A fucking murderer, or us? I'm done with this whole fucking thing! I'm fucking done with being a pushover, of submitting to everyone all the fucking time! Fuck this shit!"

"Pull over, Elsa!"

"I'm not going to be the good little girl I always have to be, scared and hiding from everyone, keeping my head down and fucking mouth shut! That perfect girl is gone! I love you, Anna and there's nothing, nothing that he can do to break us apart."

"Elsa!" Anna screeched, trying to get her voice to rise above Elsa's rant.

"What?" The blonde snapped in retaliation, her chest heaving, her eyes wild.

"Pull over!"

Breathing heavily, Elsa stared at Anna for a moment before pulling the car off to the side and putting it in park. She'd barely put the handbrake on before Anna launched herself across the centre console, gripping Elsa's head in her hands and kissing her ardently.

Stunned, it took Elsa a few moments to respond, even then she had trouble keeping up with Anna. The kiss was fierce, overflowing with passion, it threatened to bowl Elsa over and left her reeling once it was broken. "What was that for?" Elsa asked when Anna pulled away.

"I'm so proud of you, Elsa." Anna glowed, taking one of the blonde's hands in her own as she kissed her knuckles softly before lowering it and cradling it to her chest. "What you did back there… that took some real guts, you were so brave, braver than I could ever be."

Elsa dipped her head, her face colouring with embarrassment, "Oh…" she murmured softly. "I would hardly call myself bra-" It was Anna's lips that stopped Elsa's denial, pressing against her own briefly.

"Don't argue with me, Elsa. You showed incredible bravery and I won't let you tell me otherwise. I'm so proud, I'm just in awe." Anna's tone left no room for dispute. "You were right, he played us right from the start. He knew all the right things to say to provoke us and he got to me. He wanted to prove that he and I are alike and he did-"

"-Anna, you're nothing like him…"

"I know." Anna softened, kissing Elsa's hand again as she gave her a small smile. "I know I'm not, but I reacted exactly how he wanted me to. He played me, tricked me into almost killing him… but you? You did what no one else has ever done before; you stood up to him and I am so fucking proud of you, Elsa. So proud." The third kiss was soft, loving, tender and had Elsa melting in Anna's arms.

"I was so scared." Elsa admitted softly. "Scared that he wasn't bluffing and that we'll arrive home to find a dozen officers at our door… but I'm done being scared, Anna. I'm taking my life back, I'm taking control and I'm taking a stand for what I believe in. I won't lose you again, Anna. I won't do it."

"That's never going to happen, Elsa. Never. Nothing will ever be able to come between us and no one, not a single soul, will ever keep us apart. I will always be by your side, Elsa. Always."


"You swear more than a drunken sailor when you're angry, by the way." Anna commented when they finally walked through the door. Dumping her belongings on the kitchen bench, she made a beeline for the couch and flopped down, melting into the soft fabric instantly.

Elsa chuckled, as she sat down a little more gracefully before pivoting in her seat and laying back, her head resting in Anna's lap. "Do I?" She questioned wearily, sinking into an instant state of relaxation as Anna's fingers softly ran through her hair. "I hadn't noticed."

Anna paused in her ministrations, "Really?" She asked doubtfully, "Because almost every second word began with an F…"

Elsa scoffed as she gave her girlfriend's thigh a gentle squeeze, encouraging her to keep going with the impromptu head massage. "Sorry, the next time I go on a crazed rant I'll take care to watch my language." She teased, Anna poking out her tongue in retaliation.

"And so you should. One should never reduce oneself to words so foul, language like that is very unbecoming of a lady." Anna quipped with an air of propriety. "Next time you should bite your tongue, lest you wish to have your mouth washed out with soap."

This time Elsa snorted, the faux English accent Anna had put on was atrocious and quite frankly sounded like some horrendous adaptation of an outback Australian. "That was terrible." Elsa laughed, sitting up once more before shifting to straddle Anna's lap. "And I can think of a much better use for my tongue…"


"What do we do next?" Anna asked hesitantly a few hours later when they were snuggled up together under the blankets of her bed. "Do we go to Booth and tell him about Anthony's threats or should we go to Corona together and try to figure out what he wants from us? And what about this 'hypothetical' brother we have? Could he really have been in my life without me knowing? I mean, he could have been anyone, someone I went to school with, a neighbour, some guy I danced with in a club, hell he could even be the guy who scans my freaking groceries! How the hell am I supposed to know?

"And what if he has taken over from Anthony now that he's locked up and we have to watch ourselves just in case he's lurking in the shadows somewhere? I don't want to have to hide this anymore, Elsa! I'm sick of hiding, I want us to be able to be a normal couple, just like we dreamed. I don't want to be watching my back every time we go out, looking over my shoulder when we hold hands or kiss, just in case someone sees. I just want to be normal and boring with you." Anna sighed when her rant came to an end, her mind still chasing itself in circles.

Elsa tightened her grip around Anna's waist, hugging her supportively as she kissed the redhead's crown soothingly. "Then we won't." She said as if it was the easiest thing in the world. "We won't hide, we won't look over our shoulders or watch our backs. We won't live in fear because we will chose not to. Mama lived her life in fear and look how that turned out, it drove her to her death. I won't let history repeat itself."

"But what about Anthony?" Anna pressed, "How can we stop him going to Booth and spilling our secret?"

"I don't think he will." Elsa countered softly, gently stroking her hand through Anna's hair. "Anthony's an abusive, manipulative misogynist. All he cares about is control, it's inciting fear that gets him off. He craves power and submission and if he goes to Booth and tells him about us, then he's playing the only hand he's got. The game's over the moment the truth is out and that's the last thing Anthony would want."

"So, what do we do then?"

"Nothing." Elsa stated simply. "We do nothing. We move on and we live our lives the way we want, forget all about Anthony and his son and we focus on us. Whatever will be, will be and there's no point in us worrying about something that may never happen. If the truth comes out, we'll deal with it then, but I refuse to dwell on what could be and miss out on what we could have together. This is our future, Anna and it's us that controls that path it takes, not Anthony or his son or anyone else. Us."

"So… that's it then? It's over?" Anna asked softly, her tone bright with hope.

"Yes, Anna." Elsa beamed, holding Anna tightly as she kissed her forehead. "It's over."


A/N: Sorry this took so long, I promise the next chapter will be out much sooner, it's already over halfway complete and is set to be HUGE (it's already three times as big as this chapter).
Until next time.