"You look really beautiful tonight. I mean, you're always really beautiful, but tonight you're like… wow!" Kristoff was turning bright red under his dashing white collared shirt and blue bowtie.

Anna giggled. "You goof, that's like the bajillionth time you've said that!"

"Well, I really mean it. Like, you really, really, look amazing," He was blushing even more now.

She burst out laughing. "Just keep your eyes on the road, okay? I don't want Elsa killing you because you were too busy ogling me to drive."

Kristoff shivered. "Did you see that look she gave me? It was like she was ready to chop me to pieces and then feed them to the dogs. If I didn't know she was your sister, I would've thought she was a jealous suitor."

Anna's smile faded. If only you knew how much I wished she was a jealous suitor. Changing the subject, she noted, "By the way, where'd you get that suit? I thought you were going to borrow your cousin's?"

Kristoff raised his eyebrows, "I thought you sent it to me. It came in the mail about a week ago. There was even a gift certificate for a tailor, in case it didn't fit me."

It was Anna's turn to be surprised. "No, I didn't." She nibbled on her bottom lip before remembering that there was lipstick on it.

"Oh. I dunno who else who could've sent it. Elsa?" Kristoff guessed, equally confused.

Elsa? Her heart swelled at the idea that Elsa had sent Kristoff the suit. Why would Elsa care? She didn't seem to really be interested in attire when they were dress shopping. Why would she send Kristoff a suit?

But Elsa was the only one she had confided in about Kristoff's clothing for the night. It couldn't have been anyone else. She cares, Anna thought, heart swelling with relief. She cares after all. If Elsa had gone through the trouble of selecting a matching suit for Kristoff, it meant she wanted Anna to have a perfect evening, didn't it?

They reached the school, where everyone was mingling, taking pictures, girls squealing with excitement, guys pretending to be aloof as their dates posed around them.

"Anna! You look beautiful!" Rapunzel all but screamed when the redhead stepped out of Kristoff's truck. She was wearing a pink off the shoulder dress that accentuated her curves and bust, adorned with white laces and frills, her brown hair in wavy curls secured with a white ribbon on one side of her head. "And Kristoff… wow… you could almost pass for a gentleman!"

"Almost," he repeated, with a hint of sarcasm.

"If you lost the dorky looking hair and actually shaved properly," Rapunzel joked, jabbing him in the side with her elbow.

"Hey, man! Gotta admit, you look almost as good as me," Eugene came up behind Rapunzel, one arm around her shoulder.

"Pictures, pictures!" Megara screeched at them and they enthusiastically joined her, Aurora, and Merida in front of the school for a group photo. The principal soon called them to board the buses that were going to take them downtown. Suddenly everyone was scrambling into lines.

"You look great, Anna! Who did your hair? Elsa?" Aurora fiddled restlessly with one of Anna's ribbons when they were seated. She had on a royal blue off-the-shoulder dress, glittering gold necklace, and her golden hair was down, in waves around her fair skin.

"No, Ariel did," Anna admitted, wincing slightly at the dull ache that returned at the utterance of her sister's girlfriend's name. "Elsa's girlfriend," she stammered, when Aurora cocked her head.

"Oh," Aurora brought her hands to cover her mouth in surprise. "I didn't know—Elsa is—wow. That's really great; I'm glad she found someone. She was always so isolated. What's she like? Ariel?"

"She's… she's…" Anna bit her lip, this time undeterred by the taste of lipstick. At this rate, she was going to smudge all her eye makeup as well. "She really loves Elsa," was all she could choke out.

"Anna? Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—"

"Don't, Aurora. I'm okay." She took a deep breath to calm down. Even after two weeks, she still couldn't get used to the idea of Elsa being so close with someone else. Or maybe she didn't want to get used to the idea. "I'm just… not used to sharing Elsa yet."

Aurora put one hand on Anna's shoulder, searching her eyes with a thoughtful expression. "This is really bothering you, huh? You guys are sisters, Anna. The family bond runs deeper than anything else. Kristoff said so himself!" she giggled. "I'm sure Elsa will always have room in her heart for you."

Anna nodded slowly, and smiled wryly at her friend. Aurora, satisfied, turned abruptly to peer out the window when Rapunzel yelled out about seeing a 'hot guy' on the street, much to Eugene's dismay.

Anna shut her eyes. If only that was enough for me.

There was an unending ringing in Elsa's ears. It started when she heard the screaming blare of a horn. It reverberated endlessly in her head, blocking out all her other senses so well that she barely noticed the hands trying to get her up off the ground.

She was screaming. Screaming, but no sound came out.

She couldn't make out what was in front of her in the dim light. Hair or blood. They seemed to be the same colour.

There were sirens. They added to the ringing. It wouldn't stop.

Arms were trying to hold her back. Trying to calm her down. But she was burning. It was so hot. With what? She didn't know. There was Anger.

Its friend, Guilt, was here, too.

She knew Guilt so well. She almost smirked. Like an old friend back home.

The strange bubble of magic was gone. There was something else. Cold. It was cold. But it was so hot.

Everything was wrong. Nothing was right.

Everyone was yelling. Blocking her.

She didn't like that. They were looking at something that was hers. A mistake that was hers.

But there were arms of steel around her own. She couldn't shove the people aside. She tore at whatever she could get her hands on. Clothes. People. Cement.

She was shouting at the top of the lungs. Why couldn't anyone hear her?

This was a dream. It must have been. That was why she couldn't feel anything. She could only hear ringing. Screaming. Bouncing pitches inside her skull. Tearing her apart from the inside.

It hurt.

Everything was in slow motion, too. The ground was getting closer. Or was it? But she wasn't getting closer to her.

Her mistake.

Mistakes are costly.

An anguished roar ripped from within her. She heard it this time. It was hers.

Her body felt heavier than normal. Cold. Wet. Ice seemed to seep into her lungs. Was the sky crying?

Stupid rain. Another obstacle. Made everything blurrier.

She tore furiously at her shackles. They let go and she hit something hard. The pavement.

Pain. This was a familiar friend, too.

It was welcome. She deserved it.

They were taking her away. She knew from the red hair.

No.

No.

This was her mistake.

Why weren't they yelling at her? Why weren't they punishing her?

She made a mistake. Where was the ripping pain? Where was the leather?

She felt a burning in her throat. Acid tore from her mouth. Foul.

She deserved it.

The shackles returned. On her shoulders this time, tugging at her.

She was still screaming.

Anna was disappointed as the animated beat of the song faded and she felt Rapunzel and Aurora unhook their arms enthusiastically to find their dates. The previous song had a lively, jump-with-your-friends-till-you-drop kind of tune. To be completely honest, she preferred those to the slow ones, despite the romantic ones being few and far between.

She groaned inwardly, realizing the next song would be a slow one. The crystalline chandeliers hanging from the high roof of the ballroom had dulled to mirror candlelight, making the shiny marble floors echo the evaporation of the jubilant atmosphere, permeating the entire room with an envelope of romantic reverie.

Sure enough, the first piano strains of the slow version of 'We're In Heaven' reverberated throughout the dimly lit ballroom.

So she wasn't surprised when Kristoff materialized beside her and took her hand.

"May I have this dance?" His head was tilted slightly downward, his lips on her knuckles.

She ducked her head in silent acquiesce as he slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She hesitantly let her own arms wrap around his neck, keeping him at arms length, as usual.

Every time a romantic song came on, she couldn't keep her mind distracted. The gradual drift from the beginning of the song to the end seemed to take an eternity. She couldn't help but become super aware of the couples surrounding her, and wishing that the arms around her were someone else's.

It was so much easier to busy herself with jumping, dancing, swinging and pushing away sweaty bodies around her when the lights were flashing and the steady thump of the bass was so loud that it resonated with her heartbeat.

Her thoughts were promptly replaced when the first lines of the song came on.

Oh, thinking about our younger years,

There was only you and me,

Suddenly Elsa was everywhere in her mind. As if the blonde didn't occupy enough space already, thoughts of her kind, beautiful older sister flooded Anna's whole being.

We were young and wild and free,

She closed her eyes and rested her head on her partner's chest, and felt the arms around her tighten in response.

The lyrics reminded her of the time when she persuaded Elsa into joining her in a snowball throwing competition: who could fling the packed ball of powder the farthest. She had won that one, but had consequently knocked over a potted plant and brought upon her older sister a scolding by Gerda.

Now, nothing can take you away from me

We've been down that road before, but that's over now

You keep me coming back for more

The first time they had a fight was when five-year-old Anna wanted Gerda to make white chocolate macadamia cookies and Elsa wanted to eat chocolate chip ones for Christmas, behind their mother's back. The entire week they tried endlessly to convince one another that their choice was the best; Anna had secretly tried to replace her sister's ice cream with melted white chocolate (and she learned that warm chocolate and ice cream do not mix), and Elsa had turned her chocolate chips into frothy, hot, liquid delight. Needless to say, Elsa won that one, hands down.

Baby, you're all that I want,

When you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe

We're in heaven

There was that time when she was seven, they had a contest about who could stay awake the longest, late into the night, and they stared at each other obstinately until neither one of them could keep their eyelids open anymore. However, when she woke up the next day to find an unfamiliar blanket over her, she was sure that Elsa, curled up beside her, had only pretended to fall asleep.

Love is all that I need,

And I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see,

We're in heaven

Intoxicated by her memories, she let out a contended sigh as the sweet scent of strawberries and winter filled her nose.

Oh, once in your life you find someone

Who will turn your world around

Pick you up when you're feeling down

She thought of how Elsa friended her on Skype as another way to fulfill her intrinsic duty as an older sibling. How Elsa had written her hero essay about her.

Now, nothing can change what you mean to me

There's a lot that I could say

But just hold me now,

Cause our love will light the way

The words her older sister had uttered that night she had the nightmare came to the forefront of her mind. I always need you. And then her partner's thick, stout arms were replaced by slender, angelic ones. Soft, but secure. Smooth, but strong. A cage that she was happy to be in. One she could have stayed in forever.

Baby you're all that I want

When you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe

We're in heaven

Elsa was everywhere. The simulated candlelight brought memories of the first time their house had a blackout. She was eight, Elsa was ten. Her sister had found her way to her room in the opaque darkness, and stoically held her crying form the entire time, until Gerda entered the room with a candle.

And love is all that I need

And I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see

We're in heaven

She inclined her head, eyes closed, and she felt warm lips press against hers, and her dream came back to her. She was kissing Elsa, the blonde was holding her, and there was nothing keeping them from each other. She poured all her restrained emotions into the kiss, hungrily moving her mouth against the steadiness of her partner's.

I've been waiting for so long

Something felt wrong. Cold. No, chilled. She shivered. She smelled rain.

For something to arrive

For love to come along

She opened her eyes, expecting to be outside. She wasn't.

Now our dreams are coming true

She pulled away abruptly. Something was very wrong.

Through the good times and the bad

Warm brown ones searched hers questioningly.

I'll standing there by you

The sharpness of the last note shook her from her fantasy. Brown, not blue. And she quickly swept her gaze around the room, realizing that she wasn't where she thought she was. Awkwardly wresting herself from her boyfriend's grasp, a flash of red filled her vision for a split second. She covered her mouth in horror, and turned to sprint out the fancy double doors of the ballroom as the last strains of the song faded away.

"Anna? What's wrong?" Rapunzel and Aurora pushed open the doors to the Ladies' washroom.

Nothing. Nothing was wrong, right? The night was going fine.

Anna had her hands on the cool stone sink in front of her, her breath coming in gasps, unable to shake a strange feeling of apprehensiveness that had settled over her. Despite her hands being just washed, they were cold and clammy. There were butterflies in her stomach. Not the good butterflies, but the kind that you had before going in for a flu shot. Those butterflies.

She suddenly had a desperate need to hear Elsa's voice. In an effort to find her own first, she stammered, "I n-need to c-call my sister," ignoring further questions from her friends. Fumbling in her clutch for her phone, she pulled it out as the rest of the contents spilled onto the cold marble floor. For some reason, they seemed insignificant.

Rapunzel and Aurora just looked at each other, exchanging a glance of worry and bewilderment as they bent to collect her things.

Her fingers were so unsteady that she could barely dial her sister's number. She shakily held the phone to her ear, and tried to hear the ringing that signified a successful call through the loud pounding of her heart.

Someone picked up on the fourth ring. "Hello?"

Anna's blood froze. The voice was familiar, but it wasn't Elsa's. "Elsa?" she whispered, unable to find any other words.

"Oh, no, it's Gerda. Is this Anna?"

"Y-yeah. Where's Elsa? Why do you have her phone? Is she okay?" Each word was coming out more panicked by the second.

Gerda was hesitant, guarded. "I'm… not sure."

"What?" Anna almost screamed into the phone. "What do you mean? Where are you? Where is she? What happened?" Rapunzel offered her her clutch, and she took it wordlessly, still listening for a response. When the older woman didn't reply, Anna yelled, "Gerda!"

"I really think you should try and enjoy your evening, sweetheart," Gerda replied after a pause, "Your sister would want that." She sounded careful, and worried.

"Are you kidding? There is no way I'm going to be enjoying anything if I don't know what happened to Elsa!" Anna was already out the doors of the venue, barely registering the pouring rain, and hailed a cab. "Gerda, please! Where are you?"

"Vancouver General Hospital," was the woman's defeated response. "There was an accident."

"Oh, my god! Is Elsa okay? Is she hurt? Please tell me she's okay!" Anna all but screamed into the microphone. Panic was building within her again, and if she didn't know how Elsa was this very moment…

"She's fine, Anna. Well, physically. She's okay. It's Ariel," Gerda explained. "There was an accident."

Anna nodded, the apprehension dissipating as soon as she heard Gerda report Elsa's physical wellbeing. Turning to Rapunzel, she breathed, "Tell Principal Banner that I'm leaving early. Tell Kristoff sorry for me."

"I don't think so, Anna," Rapunzel replied, squeezing into the taxi with her. "I'm not letting you go anywhere alone like this." She glanced at Aurora, who nodded.

"I'll bring your message to Principal Banner. I'll tell him it was an emergency. Call me later," Aurora ordered, turning on her heel to run back into the venue to avoid attracting any more attention.

The ride to the hospital seemed like an eternity of torment to Anna. Her agitated hands peeled at her fingers in uneasiness, she bit her lip, her eyes looking wildly outside the window for any indication that they were nearing their destination. As soon as they arrived, she threw a wad of cash at the driver and ran inside, ignoring the sting of disinfectant that invaded her nose when she took her next breath.

"Elsa! Elsa Arendelle!" She shrieked impatiently at the woman who was seated at the desk. When the bewildered nurse shook her head, Anna racked her hysterical brain for Ariel's last name. "Ariel del Rey?"

That got a hit. The nurse motioned toward the emergency room, and frenzied redhead, carelessly throwing off her short-heeled shoes in the process, raced toward the doors that connected the front lobby to the ER waiting room.

As she burst through the doors, panting, the only person she could see was Gerda, standing down the white hall at a T-intersection. Gerda saw her, and motioned for her to approach. Without a second thought, she bolted down the hall, Rapunzel struggling to follow.

"Elsa! Where's Elsa?" She panted, chest heaving with exertion. Gerda directed her gaze further down the hall, to a corner, next to a pair of doors under a glowing sign that read "OPERATION IN PROGRESS", where a certain blonde was sitting, ragged and dripping, knees hugged to her chest. "Elsa! You're okay!"

As she got closer, she realized she was wrong. Her sister's braid was messy, her usually silky hair muddy and drenched, her clinging white blouse now a dirty light brown, her jeans were ripped and wet. She was bleeding from multiple scratches, on her knees, her wrists, and her arms. Her normally perfect nails were chipped and caked with blood.

Beyond confused, Anna glanced around, meeting the weary eyes of Alistair, who was standing rigid a few feet away.

She shook her head, deciding that the most important task at the moment was to get her sister's wounds treated. She knelt in front of Elsa, and nearly gasped at her sister's unfocused red-rimmed eyes, glassy, now more a dull indigo than crystal azure, completely devoid of light. And entirely unresponsive to Anna's voice, as if she was utterly unaware of anything around her.

"Elsa?" Anna anxiously extended a hand toward Elsa's. "Elsa, please—"

The blonde abruptly shrank back with a shudder, and buried herself even deeper against the white wall of the corner, resting her forehead on her knees, arms crossed tightly over her calves, as if she was going to shatter at any moment.

Seriously worried, now, never having seen Elsa like this before, Anna leaned a little closer, alarmed when she caught a whiff of alcohol mixed in with the scent of rain and pavement on the older girl's soaked clothing. She pushed away all her speculations, for now. There were more important things.

She frantically motioned to Alistair for a towel that sat on an abandoned laundry cart nearby, who willingly obeyed. She slowly wrapped the towel around her reclusive older sister, carefully deliberating every movement, so as not to further antagonize her.

She gingerly rested her hands on the blonde's elbows, earning her a shiver, but no further retreat. She ran her hands soothingly in circular motions over the towel up to Elsa's shoulders, and then cautiously lifted the girl's head by cupping one cheek.

She was shocked at the frigid temperature of her sister's skin, and became even more determined to clean her up. After gesturing for another towel, she used this one to cover the older girl's head, tentatively drying her dirt-caked hair, and gently dabbing at the light scratches on her fair jawline.

Despite her efforts, she could not coax her shell of a sister to relax out of her inflexible position, and it was becoming increasingly impossible to gain access to the other damaged parts of Elsa's fragile, shaking body. "Elsa, I need you to cooperate with me. Please," she begged, trying to meet her sister's unfocused gaze. "Let me help you."

When that failed to elicit any sort of response from the motionless girl, Anna let out a breath of irritation, fueled by worry and concern. Desperately, she opened her mouth again, but this time, she wasn't speaking.

She was singing quietly. When they were young, Elsa always sang to her when she had trouble falling asleep. She chose a song that, she hoped, would bring her inert sister back from emotional limbo.

"There's a calm surrender," she began, self-consciously, the lyrics more of a whisper than a song, "to the rush of day," she prayed that she was getting the words right. "When the heat of the rolling world can be turned away. An enchanted moment, and it sees me through; it's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you," she paused to gauge her sister's response. The blonde had shifted slightly. Encouraged, she took a deep breath, "And can you feel the love tonight?" She put one hand on Elsa's, thrilled that the blonde didn't pull away this time, "It is where we are."

"It's enough," the older girl replied finally, voice lifelessly hoarse, barely above a whisper, but Anna was grateful for the response.

"For this wide-eyed wanderer," the redhead continued softly. "That we got this far."

Elsa moved again, relaxing.

"Can you feel the love tonight? The peace the evening brings? The world, for once, in perfect harmony, with all its living things," Anna maintained, more confidently, changing the lyrics, as the older girl joined in with a quiet hum after a few moments.

Anna knew it would sound a bit awkward, but she added in her sister's favourite part, "And can you feel the love tonight? You needn't look too far. Stealing through the night's uncertainties—"

"—Love is where we are." They finished together, the blonde's sapphire eyes becoming clearer.

Assured that Elsa wouldn't shrink back this time, Anna skirted around to her side and wrapped her arms around the blonde's wet waist, tugging her gently upward. When her sister was finally standing, Anna noticed their audience was still staring at them.

Rapunzel had her hands over her mouth in an expression of awe, her eyes glistening, and Gerda had a similar countenance. Alistair was even smiling; the first time Anna had seen any sort of emotion on his hard, pockmarked face.

"Here, dear, the emergency nurse said Elsa was fine, physically. She should be back soon; she said she was going to find someone who could gauge Elsa's emotional state. She said we could use this room if your sister would get up," Gerda dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief and gestured to an open door.

Anna was afraid to ask where Ariel was, certain that any mention of the name would estrange Elsa once again. Instead, she guided her sister into the room, onto the patient bed, and turned to address Gerda and Rapunzel, "Gerda, does she have a change of clothes? She's soaked."

Gerda nodded, "I brought her a set as soon as Alistair called me." She offered the girl the bag Anna didn't notice she was holding.

Taking the bag, Anna focused her attention on Rapunzel, "Could you call Aurora and tell her we're okay?" Rapunzel nodded in agreement.

As soon as Anna closed the door, Elsa spoke.

Her voice was flat and hoarse, barely audible. "It's all my fault."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! 'Can you feel the love tonight' is one of my favourite Disney songs; I hope it wasn't too cheesy. I couldn't think of another way that Anna was going to get a reaction out of Elsa. (Also, can you imagine Kristen Bell singing it? *squeal*)

Thanks for all the support! It really means a lot! All reviews, comments, suggestions, criticisms will be read and welcomed!