Disclaimer: I do not own Frozen nor its characters, nor do I own any characters from other Disney works. Disney owns everything - including my heart, soul, and wallet.

Chapter 8 - Patience Profits

Anna was unpacking the small box she refused to allow the moving people to touch, holding it in her lap instead on the last trip away from their Hayes Valley apartment. She placed several small items around the desk and nightstand until she came to the last treasure - a framed picture of Elsa and herself building a snowman. The frame had half a heart on the left side, the etching of "Friends" had been crossed out with a permanent marker long ago and "Sisters" was written above it in an untidy scrawl. She glanced through her open doorway to the closed bedroom across the hall and wondered if Elsa still had the matching frame with the same picture, the jagged edges of each half-heart fitting together.

Anna had just placed the framed photo into the top drawer of her desk when she heard knock. She turned to see Agnarr standing in her doorway holding two bottles of water. He looked tentative, shy even. He shuffled his feet slightly before clearing his throat.

"May I come in?"

"It's your house," Anna said with a shrug.

"This is your room, Anna. You're welcome to refuse if you wish," he responded, eyebrows pulling together. "And it's not like you're a guest here. This is your home too and I hope it can feel that way… again."

She was unsure what to say. He was right, there was a time when Anna had considered this home. She had always loved the Manor as a child and had spent just as much time here as she did at the apartment. Iduna was a single mother and often entrusted Anna's care to Gerda. When Mama Jules had gotten sick, she decided that spending time with her daughter and goddaughter was more important than a career and gave it up. Iduna and Anna had all but moved into the Manor to be close to her. Relatively, it wasn't very long ago that she would have given anything to permanently live in this room across from Elsa.

"Your mother and Elsa seemed to have unpacking the kitchen stuff under control, so I thought I'd bring you a water," Agnarr pushed again.

He's trying. Don't be a jerk just because you're frustrated with Elsa, she chastised internally. She took the water before sitting on the edge of her bed. Agnarr stood hesitantly in the doorway so she made a quick nod toward her desk chair. He took the hint and sat down. An awkward quiet fell between the two of them. She tried to think back to a time that they'd ever really had a conversation. Anna could remember him being around sporadically during her childhood, but she couldn't come up with a specific interaction that stood out.

"It's exactly like I remember it," she said, unable to stand the silence any longer and gestured about the room. For some reason, the statement made Agnarr chuckle.

"It would be, of course," he said and took a swig of water. Anna sent him a confused look. "Elsa made sure of it. She was in quite a state when I tried to change it once."

"She… what?"

"I feel guilty about trying to convert this room in retrospect. I should have consulted the women of the house first. Hindsight and all that," Agnarr said as he fiddled with the bottle cap. "You see, I had wanted to build Elsa her own study for her thirteenth birthday. She spends so much time in her bedroom shut away from the world and I thought she might appreciate another space to work. I chose this room as it's conveniently across from her bedroom. While she was at the skating rink one day, I had workers come in and move this all out. I planned everything - built-in bookcases, large desk, a soundproofing wall in case she decided to practice her music here… the works really.

"When she came home and saw that all your stuff was downstairs…" Agnarr's eyes widened at the memory of Elsa's fury. He'd never seen such a rampage, like a swirling storm of outrage and despair. His daughter was calm, poised, and reasonable; emotions always in check. She had barely cried when Jules died, bottling up everything inside instead. Watching her completely lose it had scared him on many levels. He shook his head and sighed. "I've seen Elsa throw a fit before. It was a rare occurrence, but it happened. This, however… Elsa had raged. A tantrum of epic proportions. 'Put it all back,' she kept yelling. 'This is Anna's room and I want you to put it all back!'"

"I don't get it," Anna said after a beat, completely baffled. "I hadn't been here in, like... two years by then. Why would she even care about my room?" The question was mostly rhetorical and self posed. She had convinced herself long ago that Elsa no longer cared about her let alone the stuff she'd left behind in this room. What would it matter to Elsa that this room changed?

"You've always been important to her, Anna. Even if right now she doesn't show it. Elsa's just… she's working through some things," he said softly. He suddenly got a distant look in his eyes and the silence fell again.

Working through what things? Anna thought as she glanced back across the hall as if the snowflake door could tell her the answers.

"It's lucky that Gerda still kept your room in order. I think she always hoped you'd be back in it one day," Agnarr continued, trying at a lighter tone. "Between Gerda and Elsa, and their angry looks toward me, we were able to put everything back exactly as it had been and I had her study built in a room next to my office."

"The guest bedroom with the periwinkle walls?"

"Yeah. How did you know?"

"Elsa always liked the color of that room," she said with a shrug.

Agnarr nodded and smiled at Anna. "Well, I'll let you get back to it. Let me know if you need any help putting things up?"

"Okay. Thanks," she told him as he exited.

Anna opened up one of the boxes stacked next to the door and started hanging the clothes in the closet, mulling over the recent conversation in her head. She looked about the room once more, trying to imagine what it had looked like for the short time it was emptied out. For reasons Anna couldn't figure out, Elsa had wanted Anna's room to stay the way it was. It made no sense, but it gave her a hope that she'd long ago tried to abandon; if only to shield her own heart from the piercing cold she felt from Elsa's absence. She walked over to her desk and pulled the framed photo out of its drawer. Anna admired it for a moment before propping it up on her nightstand.

"Anna Rae Noruldra!"

Anna nearly jumped out of her skin and was abruptly torn out of her own little world. She found Ariel staring at her, red in the face. Anna's eyes darted to Rapunzel whose eyebrows were knitted in concern. "Wha… what?"

"I've been trying to get your attention for, like, five minutes! I was asking you what it's been like living with the Ice Queen. You've been there almost two months now and you have yet to divulge anything," Ariel said. She was clearly annoyed, Ariel had a complex about being ignored and not being in the know. Anna was sure it had everything to do with being the youngest of seven girls. She wondered how long she'd been lost in her own thoughts to make Ariel so upset.

"Oh… I mean, there's really nothing to tell. Elsa mostly stays in her room or works in her study," Anna said. It was mostly true. Iduna and Anna had spent the last two weeks of August, with the help of Agnarr, Elsa, and a team of movers, transferring their entire lives out of their apartment and into the Manor. About two weeks after moving in, Gerda and Kai moved home to Norway and the four remaining occupants quickly settled into their new way of life. Now it was approaching Halloween in a few days, but Anna still hardly saw much of Elsa.

Sure - they shared the bathroom closest to their rooms (sometimes getting ready for school or bed at the same time at their double sink), they had dinner together most nights (except when Elsa claimed to be too tired), and they rode to and from school together (except the few times Elsa's dad picked her up for appointments she had). What she didn't say was that she'd taken to leaving her bedroom door open most of the time to catch whenever Elsa went in and out of her bedroom.

"Hey, Elsa."

"Hello."

It took nearly two weeks to get the one word response out of Elsa.

"Boring… fine. I'm over it," Ariel said, flipping her bright red hair back. "Anyway, did you ladies hear that Jasmine is dating one of the South Isle Prep boys? Some hotshot on their track team. I think his name is Al. Apparently no one can catch him and he's great at jumping hurdles... wins all his races…"

Anna stopped listening again and sneaked a glance over at Elsa's usual lunch table on the sunny side of the Quad. Like most days, Elsa had her nose in a book. Today, though, instead of a large textbook, it looked like Elsa was reading the book Ms. Beaufort gave them for their partner project. Guilt washed through her when she realized she hadn't even bothered to take that book out of her backpack once.

"Hey, Elsa."

"Hello."

"Mama says dinner will be ready at six."

"Okay, thank you."

That took another two weeks.

"Ridiculous, right?... Anna?"

"Uh huh," she said reflexively.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ariel nearly shouted. Anna jumped again at the sudden outburst and knocked her water bottle off the picnic table. Thankfully the lid was closed, but from the sound of it, she was sure she'd broken the vacuum seal on yet another HydroFlask.

"Ariel…" Rapunzel started but was cut off.

"I just shared my juiciest bit of gossip, and all you have to say is 'uh huh?' You've been so out of it lately, Anna, and I'm getting really tired of it. You've been distant and flighty. I just… I miss my damn friend, but you can't pull your head out of your own ass long enough to even see it!" She looked at Anna, almost daring her to come up with an excuse for her odd behavior. People were starting to look now, but Anna just sat there with a stunned expression. Ariel suddenly stood up in a huff. "Forget it! Give me a call when you decide you can spare your best friend a moment of your time."

Ariel gathered her things and stormed off, Anna and Rapunzel gaping in her wake. Anna looked back down at her half eaten lunch. Have I been distant? She thought to herself. It's true that Anna had been a little preoccupied with trying to… whatever it was she was trying to do, but at what cost? Was she doing to Ariel what Elsa did to her?

"Am I a bad friend, Rapunzel?" she asked quietly and looked up to her friend's face. Anna was relieved to see sympathy behind Rapunzel's eyes.

"No," Rapunzel said reassuringly. She offered Anna a small smile. "You've just got a lot going on, and Ariel… Well, Ariel has always been a little self absorbed. Her heart's usually in the right place, so I've learned to overlook it. Sometimes though, she can't see past the tip of her perfect little nose."

"She's got a point though," Anna lamented. "I have been neglecting you both lately. Everything's just been kind of - "

"No, Anna. Really, it's fine. You don't have to explain yourself," Rapunzel offered. "I get it. You were thrust into this really crazy situation. I mean, it's pretty messed up of your parents to do this to you and Elsa. It's a lot to throw at a couple teenagers just starting high school, even without the history you two share. Throw all that in… there was going to be some give in your life somewhere. It just happened to be with us. I know it's only for now. I think Ariel's just feeling insecure."

"Insecure? About what?"

"That you'll dump her for Elsa."

"WHAT? I wouldn't… I mean… It would be a lie to say I don't want to be friends with Elsa again, but that doesn't mean I'd stop being her friend or yours!"

"I know that," Rapunzel said. "And I'm sure Ariel knows that too under all the angst. Just… let her cool off. She'll come around."

Anna considered it and nodded. "Thanks, 'Zel."

"Of course, sweetie," she responded as the lunch bell rang. "Come on. I'll walk with you to class on my way to the art studio."

Second grade was turning out to be the hardest yet. Only a month in and Elsa and Anna were ready for it to be over. It was the first year that they had been placed in separate homeroom classes. At back to school night, when Anna was directed to Mr. Carter's room and Elsa to Mrs. Moran's, the girls were confused; as were their mothers. Neither pair of best friends had anticipated this situation. When it proved that Jules and Iduna would be unable to switch one of them into the other's class, the girls were distraught. Completely inconsolable.

"This will be good for them," Mrs. Maple, the school counselor, had said when she was called in after the mothers stormed the Vice Principal's office. "They have a highly co-dependent relationship that hinders them from making friends with the other children."

And so the mothers had relented.

So far, it was proving to be more detrimental than beneficial for everyone involved. Without Elsa to talk her down, Anna was much more disruptive, chattering constantly during class, and volatile, resorting to fisticuffs more times this year already than her prior elementary career combined. Elsa on the other hand was completely unfocused and her grades suffered. The usually studious girl was continually found daydreaming, simply counting the minutes until recess when she could be reunited with Anna.

"Ugh… it's like everyday recess feels like it comes slower," Anna whined after they met on the blacktop and shared a quick hug.

Elsa chuckled. "It would go faster if you paid attention to the teacher."

"Oh yeah?" Anna challenged. "And what did you learn this morning?"

"I don't know. I wasn't paying attention," Elsa said. Both girls started laughing uncontrollably, doubled over in stitches. They didn't even notice the girl with bright red hair approach them.

"Hey, Anna! What's so funny?"

"Oh. Hi, Ariel," Anna said, quieting down from her jovial state quickly. A small frown crept onto her face. "Nothing really."

Elsa raised her eyebrows at Anna. It was unlike her best friend to act so… well, mean. Especially not to someone who, as far as she knew, had done nothing wrong.

"Oh, okay! See you in class," the girl said and she ran off to play elsewhere.

"Who was that?" Elsa asked, watching the girl meet up with other kids she knew to be from Anna's homeroom class.

"Ariel. She's new," Anna said, frown deepening and voice coming out in a tone so low it was nearly a growl. "She started last week. Her family moved here from Florida."

"I see… And why don't we like her?"

"She keeps trying to be my friend." Anna said through gritted teeth, fists balling up at her sides and the small crease between her brows appearing. All classic signs of a frustrated Anna.

"What's wrong with that?" Elsa said, genuinely confused - cocking her head to the side, chin tilting slightly up to her right.

"On her first day, she came up to me and said, 'Hey, I think we're going to be best friends... '"

"She did not!" Elsa sent a glare in the girl's direction now too.

"I know! And I told her, 'I already have a best friend,' and she just said, 'you can have more than one best friend…'"

"No you can't! Then it wouldn't be best," Elsa said, starting to understand Anna's ire.

"I KNOW! And I said that, but she's soooo sure," Anna said. She'd started pacing, fists tucked firmly to her sides as she did. Elsa could see the situation growing out of hand quickly. Taking a breath, she thought about what their mothers had talked to them about just before the school year officially started.

"Anna, it's okay," Elsa said gently. "Maybe you should try to be her friend?"

"What?!"

Elsa held up her hands in front of her, indicating to Anna to remain calm. "Just a regular friend."

"I don't need other friends, Elsa. I have you," Anna said. She stopped her pacing and turned to Elsa, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"And you'll always have me," Elsa said. "But it's okay to have other people too."

Anna's face suddenly fell and Elsa was confused by the sad, defeated look in her best friend's eyes. Anna looked at her feet, kicking at some pebble on the ground. All classic signs of an Anna on the verge of sad tears. Elsa watched her take a breath before whispering. "Do you have other people?"

"What? No!" Elsa said and she pulled Anna into a tight hug. "But our mamas did tell us to try making some other friends and we promised that we would. Ariel could be yours."

Elsa felt Anna deflate against her as she let out a big sigh. When they ended their hug, Anna wiped at her cheeks and gave Elsa a smile. "Fine. I'll be friendlier to Ariel."

"Good!" Elsa said before adding. "But only friendly! Not best friendly."

"Duh," Anna said with a huge grin. "You want to go play hopscotch?"

"Sure!" Elsa responded. As they walked over to the painted boxes on the blacktop, she thought again over how quickly Anna turned sad at the thought of her having other friends. Elsa took her hand to stop her. Anna turned, a confused look on her face. "You know I love you, right?"

"I know… I was just being silly I guess," Anna said smiling sweetly, they continued walking over to the hopscotch court. "How much though?"

"I don't understand your question," Elsa said with a frown.

"How much do you love me?"

How does someone measure love? Elsa thought to herself. She carefully considered her answer. Anna waited patiently as she looked for a couple of rocks to use for their game. Elsa finally decided to speak in the one language that Anna would truly understand.

"So much that I promise to always share half of my chocolate with you whenever we're together for the rest of my life," Elsa said firmly as she pulled two foil wrapped chocolate kisses from her pocket and held one out for Anna to take.

"Whoa. That's a whole lot," was Anna's whispered response.

Elsa couldn't concentrate on her homework. She knew that Anna was in her room, likely sulking from her bad day and the pain her friend was causing her. Elsa had looked up during lunch when a loud, tinny sound of metal hitting concrete echoed across the Quad, and saw that Anna and Ariel were having some sort of spat. She was startled, however, to see Ariel shoot a nasty glare at her as she stormed away from Anna and Rapunzel. Elsa was quite unsure what she could have possibly done to deserve such a look. She had hardly said two words to the girl since maybe fourth grade.

Ariel had already been in the room when Elsa got to English Lit after that. The fight was confirmed when Anna arrived and Elsa heard a loud thump somewhere behind her. She turned to see that Ariel had quickly thrown her bag into Anna's usual seat beside her, forcing Anna to take the only seat that was usually unoccupied during this class - the one on Elsa's right. She could see Anna in her periphery the entire period, shoulders hunched and not paying attention. And Anna's mood did not improve when they got home.

Since the move, Anna had been consistently trying to get Elsa to warm up to her - she'd ramble incessantly while they waited for their ride home, she would catch Elsa as she made her way through the Manor, she'd try to get Elsa to talk about her day at the dinner table.

"I know what you're doing and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop."

"Nope."

"What do you mean 'nope'?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I'm not giving up this time," Anna said before stepping right up to her face with a smirk and whispered. "I know your secret."

Panic. "And what's that might I ask?"

"You still care."

That was five weeks ago.

And Elsa was finding it harder and harder to keep her distance. She'd made small concessions here and there - a passing hello, a goodnight when they left their shared vanity. Little moments in hopes that Anna would eventually be satisfied with their new relationship, but it just encouraged her more.

Except today.

Today, Anna was silent while they waited in front of the school, Iduna having run a little late from the office. She said nothing during the entire car ride home and went straight to her room. Iduna tried asking Elsa if something had happened at school, but Elsa wasn't sure if she should tell her Mama Ida or if she should let Anna do it on her own. She opted to shrug and said she'd be doing her homework until dinner. And now Elsa was sitting in her study, trying to focus on her AP Comparative Government homework, but the weight over her heart was pulling her down. She had once told Anna that she'd always try to take her pain away, and the guilt of not trying felt heavy.

"Forget it!" Elsa said as she slammed her Macbook closed and took deep calming breaths. She would try writing the paper for Mr. Weselton's class later; it wasn't due for another week anyway. Instead, she grabbed her copy of Sense and Sensibility and headed to her room to lie down while reading.

"Hey, Elsa," came Anna's voice through her open bedroom door, though it didn't sound as light as usual. Elsa shook her head slightly, no matter how quiet she was, Anna always seemed to know she was approaching.

"Hello," Elsa said and waited for Anna's next line in this dance around their tentative friendship that had been established over the last couple months. It didn't come, though. Anna hadn't even glanced up from her text book. She was lying prone on her bed doing what looked like Geometry homework. The silence was unsettling, which was a new feeling for Elsa. Gathering her courage, Elsa continued their conversation. "Mama Ida said it's spaghetti for dinner tonight."

Anna's pencil stopped moving halfway through a calculation. She blinked and looked up at Elsa.

"Okay. Thank you," she quietly responded.

Dinner was particularly lackluster. Iduna and Agnar had tried making conversation, but without Anna's lively input, talk fell by the wayside. Immediately afterward, Anna stalked up to her room and shut the door. Elsa was desperately trying to ignore the pull to knock on Anna's door and cheer her up. The clock on her bedside table said it was after ten o'clock, but she was lying wide awake. With a huff, she quietly slipped out of her room and headed down into the kitchen to wallow in something sweet.

She was sitting in the dark at the island counter when Anna shuffled into the kitchen not bothering to turn on the light. Elsa was temporarily blinded by the light in the freezer when Anna pulled it open; blinking quickly as her eyes adjusted. She saw that Anna had tear streaks on her face and felt the disappointment radiating from Anna when she didn't see what she wanted.

She's hurting. Do something. And like thin ice under a skater's blade, Elsa's resolve to keep her distance shattered under the weight of her guilt.

"Looking for the chocolate ice cream?"

Anna jumped a foot in the air and spun around. "Holy fu… What the hell, Elsa? Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Language," Elsa raised her eyebrow at Anna. "And I've been here the whole time."

"Ugh… my heart is beating so fast," Anna said through labored breathing, ignoring Elsa's comment and placing a hand over her chest while leaning on the counter. She let the freezer door close and both girls were engulfed in darkness again. "I think I'm dying."

"Don't be so dramatic." Elsa reached over to the oven from her bar stool to turn on the dim light above the stove. She pulled another spoon out of the drawer next to her and held it out to Anna who didn't notice at first, still doubled over the counter trying to catch her breath. Elsa cleared her throat softly and Anna looked up and eyed her. Warily, she took the spoon while Elsa scooted down a stool so that they sat on each side of the counter's corner and then pushed the carton of ice cream in between them. They sat quietly for a couple minutes, eating the chocolaty treat directly out of the carton. Anna usually hated the silence, but Elsa and quiet went hand in hand so Anna found it comforting.

"You're fighting with Ariel?"

Anna noticed it wasn't really a question. "Yeah."

"Do you… want to talk about it?"

You cannot force your presence upon a fawn, Anna thought. Mama was right - patience.

"There's nothing to talk about really. She's just… being Ariel."

"I don't know what that means," Elsa said.

"Rapunzel thinks that… it's silly really… but Rapunzel thinks Ariel is jealous," Anna said.

"Of what?" Elsa asked sincerely, cocking her head in typical Elsa fashion when she was considering something deeply, chin tilted slightly up and to her right.

"Of you," Anna said softly. Elsa's brows furrowed deeply. "Rapunzel said Ariel has been feeling insecure since I moved in here; that Ariel thinks we'll finally make up and she'll be tossed to the wayside once it happens."

Oh, this old thing again. I guess some things never change, Elsa thought. "And would you? Toss her aside?"

"No!"

"Did you tell her that?"

"She didn't give me a chance to get a word in."

"I don't remember that ever stopping you before," Elsa said. Anna was at a loss for words. She opened her mouth a few times in an attempt to say something before she sighed and went back to mindlessly spooning ice cream into her mouth.

"You could tell her the truth."

"Which is?"

"That I was the one who originally told you to be her friend," Elsa said. "That even if we were friends again, there would be no reason for you two to stop being friends as well. It's okay to have other people."

Yeah, but I only ever needed you, Anna stopped herself from saying aloud. Instead, she scoffed, distant memories of a similar conversation echoing from years ago. "Second grade was the worst."

"Indeed it was," Elsa commented back with the smallest smile. Anna barely caught it in the dim light that back lit the blonde.

"Mrs. Maple learned her lesson though. She never tried separating us again," Anna said, feeling the warmth of nostalgia flow through her. "Not that our moms would let her try. I'm surprised they didn't anticipate Mama Jules' devious plans to influence the rest of our class placements when she bought the school all those computers."

"Well, Mama Ida was the harsh one during the end of first semester student-parent-teacher conferences that year," Elsa said. "'The girls are not thriving! What kind of counselor are you to not see it?'"

"'So help me, I will have you removed!'" they whisper-shouted at the same time before giving into fits of silent, controlled laughter, hoping not to wake their parents. When they finally gathered themselves, the quiet fell around them again.

"Well, I've had my fill," Elsa said as she stood. Now satisfied that she'd alleviated some of Anna's distress, she was feeling rather tired. "Goodnight, Anna."

"G'night… Hey, Elsa," Anna called before Elsa could leave the kitchen. "Thanks for cheering me up."

"I don't like it when you hurt," Elsa said reflexively before she could stop herself. It wasn't until she turned back around and met Anna's eyes that it registered what she'd just admitted. Elsa watched in dismay as a knowing smirk slowly crept across Anna's face.

"I knew you still cared."

A/N: I was pretty satisfied with this chapter (despite it being quite lengthy) and didn't want to keep neurotically editing it, so you're getting it a day early. I hope you enjoyed it!

Thanks for reading :) And stay safe out there, friends.