Anna had stayed in her parents' hotel room for a night. She had been far too upset for them to let her go home. It had been restless night for them all. Iduna and Anna had been cuddled together for most of the night, sobbing in unison. Agnarr hadn't sobbed, but he had sat next to the window, watching the sleeping city with unfocussed eyes, and grasped a mug with cooled coffee so hard his knuckles were as white as his tired face.

Anna had been the only one, who had been able to sleep a wink that night. Most likely due to her amazing sleeping skills, but also because of the rough day she had had. Agnarr and Iduna both stayed awake, trying to grasp the situation they had in their hands. It all felt like a cruel joke. They had just found their little girl that they had thought to be dead for two decades, and now she would be taken away from them, permanently.

Agnarr didn't know what to believe anymore. He couldn't understand how they could be here, how was it all possible. He had seen the body, the body of little girl. Well, if you could call it seeing. The body had been almost completely destroyed, burned and drowned in the lake for months. And despite demanding to see the body, he had hardly looked. It had been too painful to see her baby girl like that. He hadn't even wanted to know what had been done to the little Lotte, before her body was destroyed and thrown in the water.

The body had been completely unrecognizable, but there had been her clothes. They had been near the body, underwater, in a little bag. They had been hers; he knew they had been. It was all so very confusing. Lotte had been the only lost child at that age in the area, the body had matched as far as they had been able to tell. No one else came forward, claiming the body. Whose else's body could have been sunk in the bed of the lake with their daughter's clothes.

He had carried that casket to its final resting place. It had hardly been the first casket he had ever carried, but by far the smallest. And yet, it had weighted more than any other casket he had carried. They had dropped that little box into the ground, shoveled soil on it. They had bought the most beautiful gravestone they found, with Lotte's name. They had put dozen candles next to the stone, hundred flowers and cried thousand tears. And now he couldn't help but wonder, who had been that little child they had truly buried there. Not his daughter, he was sure of it now.

Agnarr felt utterly stupid. He felt helpless and frustrated and the most of all, guilty. He didn't know what kind of life Lotte had lived, but he doubted it was too beautiful. It hadn't been coincidence that they had found the clothes next to the body of Lotte's size. Someone who could take a babe from her parents' arms and fake her death in the cruelest way, couldn't have good intentions. And Agnarr couldn't help but wonder, if he just had looked the body, would he have had known? Had he really looked the body, would he had seen that it wasn't his baby girl?

If he had just known, he would have kept looking for Lotte. He would have had looked until there was no stone to turn anymore. If he had just had even a glimmer of hope, that his daughter was still alive somewhere, he would have kept looking. And yet, he hadn't looked the body, he hadn't recognized the wrong child, and he had let down his oldest daughter.

Somehow it felt wrong, like a kid sneaking into the pantry to get some cookies he wasn't allowed to eat, going into the hospital to see Lotte. Or Elsa, whatever she preferred to be called. They had called the hospital to ask if they could visit. They had even sent Anna in advance to ask Elsa if she would be okay with that, and she had agreed to meet them. Yet it did nothing to take the feeling away. It probably was from the way the last time they had seen, and how badly it had gone.

They knocked the door, just to show their pretense, not to wait for an answer. Agnarr opened the door, and they hesitantly walked into the room, watching alertly for signs that they were not welcome.

The room was like a typical hospital room. There were three beds that had curtains around them for privacy, yet Elsa's bed was the only one made for a patient to sleep into. The girl in question was on the middle bed. She was half sitting, half laying and their younger daughter was next to her, on a chair and behind the bed. Anna was holding Elsa's left hand in both of her hands, and they were watching them in silence.

They stood there for a while, barely in the room, just watching each other. It was hard. Agnarr's instincts were screaming for him to run and take his daughter into his arms, and squeeze so hard and tight, until the world would be right again. But his mind told him that he didn't knew anything of this young woman in front of him. Her face unfamiliar, only a reminiscence of something he had once known. He didn't know her, didn't know her passions, what made her laugh, what made her cry. He didn't know her past, or her plans for future.

He felt like he should know. Like by just looking at her, he should see. But he could only see pain and confusion in that beautiful face that could bring him so much suffering and joy at the same time. He wanted to know everything about her, and yet it frustrated him that he didn't already know. She wasn't the baby girl he had cried for, that girl didn't even exist anymore. There was just her, a full-grown adult, laying on a voluntary deathbed, and it all was so very wrong.

"Hey," Elsa broke the silence. Her voice was gentle and raspy. She sounded weak and tired, but that didn't matter. The only thing that mattered, was that she spoke.

"How are you feeling?" Iduna asked concernedly, stepping a little closer. Still hesitation clear in her body language. Iduna was not ready for another rejection from Elsa.

"I'm feeling fine, thank you for asking." It was so polite that it felt suffocating. This was their daughter, dying, and they were wasting quite possibly their last moments in forced politeness with no meaning.

"How are you feeling, really?" Agnarr asked, making clear that he didn't buy it. He walked with way more confidence than he felt, closer to the girls.

"Not too bad anymore, really. Only a little ill and tired. The dialysis helped me a lot," Elsa answered, honestly this time.

"I'm glad to hear that. Yet I've heard that you refuse to continue the treatments." Agnarr didn't wait to go straight to the business. Iduna glared him, letting him know she thought he had overstepped the boundaries. He let her know he didn't care now.

"Should I leave and let you talk?" Anna offered, clearly uncomfortable, and already showing signs of leaving.

"No, I think you should stay. I want no secrets in this family anymore. If it's okay for Elsa, of course," Agnarr stated, never breaking eye contact with the older girl.

"I'd like for Anna to stay," Elsa answered. She didn't want to be alone in this. Even thought they were her parents; she hardly knew them. But she knew Anna, Anna made her feel safe.

"Oh, okay," Anna said and sat back down. The tension never left her, though.

"Yes, I've decided to end my treatments. There's no meaning to prolong this anymore. I'm going to die, sooner or later, and I've come into some sort of acceptance that sooner it is. The life with constant dialysis wouldn't be worth much, it's easier this way." If they didn't want to beat around the bush, she wouldn't either.

"How about kidney transplant?" Iduna tried, desperate to save her daughter.

"It's just not likely. For me to get that kidney, someone else with a matching kidney would have to die from some sort of brain damage. And still the kidney might not be good, or my body might reject it. I can't live with such a thin hope.

"But how about a living donation?" Iduna offered.

"What?"

"But what if someone gave you one of theirs? Then you wouldn't have to wait for anything."

"I couldn't accept such a thing," Elsa answered, confused. She hadn't even thought of a living donation, it felt so wrong. How could she take a kidney from someone?

"Of course you could. Human can easily live with only one. Your life is worth so much more than just a kidney," Iduna explained, finding some sort of hope. She even found enough courage to step so close that she was able to softly take Elsa's hand in her own. Elsa didn't pull it back.

"I–I don't know."

"Would you even consider that possibility?"

"I think so. I don't wanna die," Elsa said with a wavering voice. It broke Iduna's heart and she just had to lean in to hug the poor girl. Elsa didn't push her away, nor really hugged back. Iduna let her go, before she could get uncomfortable with the affection she was subjected to.

Then Agnarr decide to open his mouth: "Elsa, we truly believe we might be your biological parents. And I know this might come to you as a shock, and we didn't handle it the best way then, but you must understand–"

But Elsa interrupted him: "No, I believe so too."

"What?" the three of the family asked in unison.

"When Iduna hugged me– it's hard to explain, but it felt so familiar. I felt like at home. And the smell, she smelled like lavenders. Lavenders always made me thought of my mother, I couldn't know for sure why was that as I never knew my mother, but now I think I know," Elsa explained.

Both of the parents could feel tearing up from Elsa comparing Iduna's hug at being home.

"Would you be okay, if we got tested to be your match?" Agnarr tested the waters hesitantly.

"You want to give me your kidney? Even though you hardly know me?" Elsa couldn't fathom why would anyone want to donate their organ to almost a complete stranger. Blood related or not, they had just met.

"Of course, we'd do anything to keep you with us." Iduna was desperate. She wasn't willing to let this hope go anymore. She was ready to rip out all of her organs with her bare hands, if it gave Elsa even a hint of a possible survival.

"I mean, it doesn't feel right. We don't even know each other that well. It wouldn't be right for me to take an organ from you."

"Don't you worry about right or wrong. There's only one thing that matters, and it's your life. We have plenty of time to get to know you better after you get better, if you want to. And if you don't want to, that's okay, too. It would break my heart, but this donation would be completely unconditional, you wouldn't owe us anything. Does that sound good to you?" Agnarr explained the hypothetical deal to her. Agnarr's words were rushed and excited, he was finding his hope too.

"But, what would you get out of the deal, then?" Elsa asked, suspiciously. There was no such a thing as free. Everything came with a price tag. Some tags just were trickier, you had to find the small print and read between the lines.

"Oh, honey," Iduna breathed out. "You are what we are getting out of this. Even if we have zero contact to you, the thought that you are alive, healthy and happy is enough for us. It's just a kidney, there's a spare for that. But sweetheart, there's no second you."

Elsa's heart was melting. This was probably the nicest thing that had ever been said to her. She had never felt so unreplaceable. She was tempted to take the offer; she was selfish that way. Elsa didn't want to die, and there were people offering her life on a silver plate. Even begging her to take it, with no strings attached to.

Well, theoretically no strings attached to. Of course, she would feel need to try her best to pay this back for the rest of her life. But if it mostly meant getting to know them better, would that be so bad? She yearned to know these people. And also, she needed some truth. She needed to know what happened, why had she been left into that man's hands, instead of her apparently loving parents. What had gone wrong back then, and was it her fault somehow.

"I don't want to die," Elsa whispered softly. There were few words, but the message was clear. When it registered into Agnarr, Iduna, and Anna's heads, they broke into moderate joyful tears. The relief was immense. Anna hugged Elsa with all her might and Iduna squeezed her hand, not daring to hug yet.

"We'll get tested, as soon as possible! No! Today! There's no reason to delay," Iduna fussed.

"What's going on?" a voice stopped their revel.

All heads turned to see who was at the door. It was Bulda, carrying tired looking Olaf on her hip. She looked exhausted and kind of pissed off. There was Kristoff behind her. He looked serious, and a little apologetic. Pabbie was there too, leaning on his crane, and as calm as always.

"Elsa, who are these people? What is this nonsense about stopping your treatments?" Bulda pressed on.

"Mother–," Elsa started, but was interrupted.

"Hi, I'm Iduna, this is my husband Agnarr. We are Anna's parents, and– this might be shocking to you, but we are also–"

"Elsa's biological parents," Builda deadpanned the ending, before Iduna could.

"You know about that?" Iduna asked, surprised.

"I know that you think you are. Kristoff informed me," Bulda glared so sharp daggers at Iduna, that Elsa couldn't help but wonder what kind of a version had Kristoff shared with her.

"They are my parents, mother," Elsa told with an even tone.

"Oh, my darling, how do you know that?" Bulda's voice softened significantly when she turned her attention to her daughter. Though, her voice had slightly patronizing tone in it.

"I just know," Elsa answered with a sure tone.

Bulda frowned. She looked at the older couple, the Kristoff, and then Elsa again. She was confused. It was hard to believe that Elsa had a different set of parents than she had believed, let alone that they had found her by pure coincidence, but she wasn't one to doubt Elsa. If Elsa had as sure tone than she had had, there was no change that she wasn't right. Elsa wasn't one to state facts without being hundred precent sure about them, and sometimes not even then.

Now Bulda felt more conflicted than ever. If these were Elsa's biological parents, why had she been in the hands of that monster? Had these people given her to him, had she been stolen, why didn't they find her, why were they there now? So many questions, and Bulda wasn't even sure if she wanted them answered. Sometimes, truth could hurt like no lie ever could.

The subject was too hard, so Bulda decided to skip to the next one. "What about ending your treatments? Kristoff told me that you have made that decision, knowing you'll die."

"About that, mother–," again, Elsa started, but was interrupted.

"We decided to get tested, to see if we could donate a kidney to Elsa," Iduna rushed to explain.

Before anyone else could say anything, Kristoff's annoyed voice broke the short silence: "Why would she take anything from you? She's not part of your family, blood or not. She should get her kidney from some of us."

"No." Pabbie butted in, after being quiet until then. "If these people truly are her biological family, they should be the ones donating. Genetic match is the most likely. This matter has no room for pettiness, Kristoff."

"Would that mean that you get to live?" Bulda asked Elsa, who affirmed with a nod. "Then I don't care who donates, as long as it is the best kidney you can get."

"I don't want Elsa to die," Olaf murmured sadly.

"I think we should get tested now," Iduna reminded.

"Yes, that would be the best," Pabbie agreed. "It's not a long process, let's find a doctor to do the test, shall we."

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Árnadalr, I have your results here. This is quite interesting case, I must say. It's rare that we have biological parents donating for a child that has been adopted into another family. It's a really good thing, though, biological family member is way more likely a better match. Anyhow, the results say that unfortunately you, Mr. Árnadalr, have a different blood type than our patient. But you, Mrs. Árnadalr, are a match, indeed. You would be able to donate for our patient," the doctor announced, while reading the card.

"Oh my god, what a relief," Iduna breathed out, squeezing her husband's arm a little harder. They smiled at each other, pure joy on their faces.

"However, we have to make medical background check, before proceeding," the doctor informed. "Do you have any medical history that we should be aware of?"

"I've always been quite healthy. I have had appendicitis as a child, then I've gotten my tonsils removed, and I have type 1 diabetes, but I manage it very well," Iduna explained.

"Oh, my apologies. We cannot process with a donator with a diabetes."

"What? Why not?"

"It's too risky. As a diabetic, you heal slowly, and it is likely you'll need your kidneys later for yourself," the doctor said matter-of-factly, like they weren't discussing about life and death.

"Is that the reason? That it's dangerous for me? I don't care about the risks for me, this is my daughter's life we are talking about. I demand that my kidney is donated to Elsa, even if it killed me." Iduna was indignant.

"I'm sorry ma'am, there's nothing we can do. We absolutely cannot perform this donation with you."

"I don't have a say in this? It's my body after all. You can't seriously put my life above my daughter's."

"We're not putting anyone's life above another. We just cannot perform an organ donation, if it compromises the health and life of the donator. I am truly sorry, but it just cannot be done."

"Isn't there anything that we can do about this? She is our daughter!" Iduna was getting desperate. She had been so sure that this was going to work, and now her hope had been crushed like a tiny insect under a thumb.

"Well, you can always find a suitable donor for her. You have another daughter, don't you? A sister would also be a likely match. If she hasn't inherited your diabetes, that is, of course." the doctor explained, like it was nothing.

Iduna and Agnarr didn't feel that comfortable with the idea. It didn't feel so insignificant donation anymore, when it was their baby girl being the donator. It was one thing to give their kidney to Elsa, but sacrificing Anna's organs felt a little overwhelming. The wanted Elsa to live, for sure, but if it risked Anna, they weren't so sure anymore.

They would be lying, if they said the girls were equals in their hearts. They had raised Anna, shielded her from the dangers and took care of her for eighteen years. The missed Lotte dearly, longed to know Elsa, but in the end, she was a stranger. Maybe someday, she would be just as much a daughter to them as Anna was, but could they risk Anna's health to get there? They weren't so sure about that.

A/N Haha, this chapter luckily didn't take as long. I was so glad to see that some of you are still with me, even after that looong break. I love you guys! Let me know what you think of this chapter, I love reading your comments, for better or worse. I haven't even started the next chapter, I'm posting these as they get ready, to make up the lost time, but hopefully, it will be ready within like two weeks, but I'm not making any promises. See y'all soon, hopefully!