Hello, everyone! Sorry it's been awhile since I updated! I've had some trouble finding inspiration for this story, even though it is all planned out. But with COVID-19, I'm hoping to write more, so hopefully more consistent updates.

This chapter is a little on the short side, but hopefully the next one will be longer. I hope you like it.

Thanks

~Isabelle

When your feet don't touch the earth

You can't feel the things that hurt

And you're free

There's no need

To come down

When your feet don't touch the ground

When your feet

Don't touch the ground

~When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground, Finding Neverland

Chapter Eighteen: When Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground, Part 3

"Wait, what?"

The two sisters were up in Elsa's bedroom, each holding their beverage of choice. Elsa sat cross-legged on her bed; Anna was sat beside her, staring intently down at her mug's contents. Elsa had just finished explaining the recent events to Anna and the events from their childhood as well.

Anna looked up at her older sister and repeated the question. "What?" The word was whispered, horrified and despondent at the same time. Elsa set her mug down on the bedside table and shifted to better face the strawberry blonde.

"I know it's a lot to take in." She sighed, looking down at her hands. "Maybe Father was right. I shouldn't have told you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Anna said, waving her hands erratically. Elsa took the drink from her and set it down as well. "That's total bullshit."

"Anna!"

"It is! All of this happened to you, and you kept it from me to… what? Protect me? Protect me from what?"

Elsa sighed. "I suppose I just didn't want you to see me differently."

"What?" Anna asked. Elsa sighed again.

"Anna, after everything that happened, I wasn't right. I was severely mentally ill. I blamed myself for what happened, found myself to be complicit. I probably wouldn't have said anything if Weselton hadn't made advances towards you. But I was weak, and afterwards… I just felt…" Elsa struggled to find the words and ultimately settled on the one she hated: "Broken."

Elsa startled as Anna gripped her hand fiercely. She looked up into her younger sister's eyes to see them brimming with tears.

"You are not broken," Anna said, voice ragged. "And you are not weak. Dammit, Elsa, you're the strongest person I know, and this has only proved that. And I get why you didn't tell me, even though it hurts. This was your trauma, your story to tell. I had no right to hold it against you."

"You didn't know," Elsa said, twisting her hand so that it was holding Anna's.

Anna blinked, and the tears overflowed. "Yeah, I didn't."

Elsa found herself fighting back her own tears. "And you have to know that I never wanted to leave you or go to Arendelle Academy. I would've given all of it up if I could've been back here with you."

"I'm just sorry they sent you away."

"Mother and Father did what they thought was best. They didn't know how to handle it either."

"Well, they handled it shittily," Anna said firmly. Elsa couldn't hold back her laugh, but she fixed Anna with a stern glare.

"We can't change what happened. The past is in the past," Elsa said. "But now we're together."

Anna beamed, still crying. "Yeah, together."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Elsa asked, eyeing her sister warily. Anna wobbly stood on her skated feet, arms held out for balance. She looked up at her older sister and smiled cheerfully.

"Of course! You haven't skated since the… incident… on my birthday—"

Elsa cut her off. "That has nothing to do with you, Anna."

Anna huffed. "That's not what I'm saying. I just think that you should get back out there."

Elsa sighed but stood up as well, her skates expertly tied on. She held out a hand for Anna and helped her out to the rink. Elsa surveyed the mostly empty ice, occupied by only a few couples and families. It was a slow Monday afternoon, which wasn't necessarily surprising. Still, Elsa's skin crawled at the idea of bumping into someone accidentally, the heat of another person's body, the touch of their skin—

"Elsa?" Anna's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Anna smiled and squeezed her sister's hand. Elsa squeezed it in return and stepped out onto the ice, shoulders hunched in anticipation of… something. She wasn't sure what.

They did a few slow laps around the rink, hands linked together so that Anna wouldn't fall. Elsa took deep breaths, allowing the rhythmic movements of her shoulders rising and falling to soothe her. If she was being honest, this was the most relaxed that Elsa had felt in months. Maybe even years.

"How are you doing?" Anna asked after a few minutes. Elsa glanced over at her sister and gave a soft smile.

"Better. How are you doing?"

"On the ice, better than I expected. In general… I'm not sure."

Elsa frowned. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

Anna sighed and looked everywhere but at her sister. "It's… it's Hans."

Elsa raised her eyebrows in surprise. Hans was a topic that she had hoped to avoid, but this turn was… interesting.

"What did he do?"

"He hasn't done anything. It's just… I'm not sure. There's just something off."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, he's really secretive about his phone. One time he left it beside me and it buzzed, and I picked it up to see who it was so I could let him know, and he went off on me. Snatched it away and yelled at me for snooping in his things and not trusting him. And all I was trying to do was be a good girlfriend, you know? Most couples share passwords. I told him mine. But I don't know his. But that sounds silly. It's silly, isn't it? I'm being ridiculous," Anna rambled. Elsa frowned.

"I don't know, Anna," she said. "The way he acted seems kind of sketchy."

"I know right!" Anna threw her arms up and wobbled dangerously. Elsa quickly wrapped her arms around her sister to keep her upright. Anna threw her a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

"But…" Elsa was loathe to say this, but she did want Anna to be happy. "Maybe you could talk to him about it?"

Anna blinked. "I thought you didn't like Hans."

"I never said that." She didn't like Hans, but she didn't think she'd said as much to Anna. Anna gave her an unimpressed look. Elsa shrugged. "Most men make me uneasy, Anna. Don't take it personally." There was no need to tell Anna about Hans' subtle threat to Elsa; perhaps she had simply misunderstood the man.

Anna flinched and looped her arm through Elsa's. "Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."

"Yeah," Elsa agreed. The two women were silent again, skating calmly past a couple of energetic children and their frazzled parents.

"But you're not like that with Jack," Anna finally said, breaking the silence. Elsa nodded slowly, turning that statement over in her mind.

"I guess you're right, though I suppose that's because I've spent some time with him. And he's your best friend. I trust your judgement."

"But not with Hans?"

"I haven't really gotten to know Hans, that's all." Elsa swallowed hard as she considered her next sentence, considered if she really wanted to do this. One look at Anna strengthened her resolve. "But I would be willing to, if you wanted."

Anna gasped. "Really?"

Elsa bit her lip and smiled. It felt a little more like a grimace, but Anna didn't seem to notice. "Really."

And as the pair continued to skate, with Anna talking about possible ways that Elsa could get to know Hans, Elsa found herself at peace.

So, Elsa and Anna have reconciled! Yay!

Next chapter, we'll get back to some Jelsa cuteness... and maybe some drama? LOL, who knows.

Anyways, please follow, favorite, and review. Stay safe and healthy; wash your hands!

Thanks for reading!

~Isabelle