A/N: Again, sorry this one took so long. Getting Betas to get this done really dragged it's heels. Quality might be affected by this, but I guess we'll have to make do. Enjoy, and again, reviews=love love love!
Anna. Her name was Anna now. It was going to take a while for that to sink in, even if she chose it for herself. Technically speaking, it wasn't an official change. Perhaps that was what worried Anna the most. Elsa was now perfectly willing to commit crimes, purely for her sake. Then there was magic, or what Anna could only assume was magic. It all came down to her former employers, and what exactly happened when they had abducted Elsa. If she was willing to give Anna a whole new life, maybe Elsa would also be willing to talk about it finally.
It seemed as though her new papers weren't the only surprise Elsa lined up. Anna had an idea about where they were headed, considering it looked to be some kind of apartment block that was head and shoulders over their current place. It all seemed too good to be true, something she wished she gotten a better nose for a bit sooner. Still, as much as Elsa changed, she wasn't one to make jokes. So when Elsa pulled out a shiny new key and opened the door of number one-seven-three, Anna's excitement started to peak.
"After you," Elsa offered. Anna wasn't about to wait. She took the first step inside, and quickly found the lights. This place was a world apart from where they had been living not a few hours ago. The living area alone was larger than their whole previous apartment. Just about everything she could see was contemporarily styled, and all looked brand new. From the polished wooden floor furnished with a large, blue rug, a glass dining table and chairs, a white leather sofa set around a fireplace. Anna could even see a decently sized balcony, not that she planned to be out there too often this side of the year.
Anna turned round. "Is this- are we really-"
"You didn't really want to spend the rest of your life on a sofa, did you?" Anna was so lost in Elsa's warm smile, it took a moment for her to understand what was actually said.
"Wait, you mean I don't have to-" Anna trailed off.
Elsa motioned ahead, towards one of the doors. "Come on, let me show you." This was all getting to be a bit much for Anna. These past few days, she waited patiently as Elsa went about her business in town. Elsa was as quiet as ever, but this time, it felt just a bit different. There was a sense of purpose in her actions that Anna hadn't seen before. She just knew it. Now, she finally knew why. It still defied all belief. She couldn't let her nerves fray any longer, though. With a shaky hand, she reached for the handle and pushed the door open.
Really, it shouldn't have been that big a deal. It was a homey, if rather simple room. There was a double bed against one wall, a sleek glass desk, and a modest double window giving an impressive view of the city, and the harbour further out. There didn't even seem to be anywhere to put her clothes yet. Not to mention the walls were a boring white colour. None of that mattered, though. She knew what was going on. Why Elsa had beckoned her here. This was her room. Not some dingy old shack she was forced to share with some kids she'd rather not remember. Not some dull, concrete hideout. Certainly not a shelter out in the cold where she hoped no one would find her.
A home. Something that always escaped Anna before, was now simply being handed to her. It didn't quite seem real. "Elsa, I, I- how can I accept this?" She couldn't even look Elsa in the eye. "You know I didn't earn any of this."
When Anna finally managed to face Elsa, she could tell she was still troubled, despite her soft smile. Suddenly, she held up Anna's hand, where the wounds still showed. "You got these when you tried to come after me, remember? I'll never forget that. I know you think you didn't help, but I think you did. Every day after that, you kept trying to help me, no matter how much I silently refused it. I don't believe I would ever have the courage to leave my room again without you."
"Do- do you really want me to have this that badly?" It wasn't so much she didn't believe in Elsa, so much as fate itself. The fate that had been so cruel to her for so much of her life. How could everything suddenly come up roses now? It seemed so unreal. A perfect new life with the perfect woman. She was all too aware of how her chance at happiness ended. "I'm sorry, Elsa. I just don't deserve this."
"Anna, life is rarely about what we do or don't deserve. Sometimes, you just have to do what you can with what you have." Elsa gave Anna a soft, yet somehow commanding look. "You spent most of your adult life as a thief. Tell me, why is it you care so much about what you've earned, or deserve?"
That question cut deeper than Anna would have thought. From anyone else, that would have been rather rude. "Elsa, it's- you. It's all you. When you saved me, when you let me into your home, when you gave me a second chance even after I didn't really earn the first. Suddenly, I care about these things. For as long as I remember, it was all about the next thing, whether as a street rat, or as Phantom Red. About doing whatever it took to get ahead. But now I'm here. I finally have a life I'm happy with. That makes me want to be a better person. I good person. Like you, Elsa."
Just like that, Elsa's smile started to fade, and Anna started to worry. Had she said something wrong?
The past few days were rather hectic, as Elsa had conducted the final few steps on setting up the new identity Anna needed, and finding a more suitable home for the two of them. Aside from needing a place a solid step up, along with a room Anna could call her own, she also wanted a place somewhat safer. Hence, she chose a place in a busier part of the city, not too mention closer to the police station she once worked at. Elsa also wanted to part with the money she received for her work not too long ago. With that in mind, Elsa decided to go for a quicker deal instead of attempting to haggle with the seller, though she made sure she had saved enough funds to last for the time being, hopefully until the current issues were resolved.
In spite of the total lack of downtime, or perhaps because of it, Elsa had found it more of a reprieve than anything else, much as she would rather not be away from Anna and leave her at risk again. Every time she slowed down, much less stopped, those memories of what she had done came flooding back. The worst aspect seemed to be the cognitive dissonance arising as a result. When she performed these actions, she felt practically nothing, caring only for the goal in her mind. After the moment was over, she felt terrible regret over what happened. How was such a thing possible? Did she care about the damage her actions did? This question brought more uncomfortable thoughts every time she asked it.
So, when Anna once again asserted her belief in Elsa's supposed virtue, she finally decided to sit with her and share the whole, sordid truth. Or at the very least, the truth behind the events they had been in together. Elsa sat down on the sofa facing the fireplace, but Anna was slow to follow.
"It's chilly in here. Hey, can we turn the fire on?" Anna asked, apparently having bounced back from the conversation just moments ago.
"Huh? Oh, right, go ahead." Of course it would be cold given how no one was here before now. Elsa hung her coat on one of the dining chairs, as Anna tried to figure out the buttons to get the fire going. Soon enough, an authentic enough looking fire was going, and they settled down once again.
"So, what's wrong? You looked kinda spaced out, Elsa," Anna chipped in first.
Elsa sighed, and shook her head. "There's some things we need to clear up before we continue," Elsa explained. "Don't worry, you're not in any trouble. I just want to explain some things to you. You deserve to know the truth, not to mention we should probably be on the same page."
Just like that, Anna's energy appeared to fade. Then, it popped back up. "Do you really trust me now?"
Elsa didn't just trust her, she felt like she needed her. But she wasn't quite ready to admit that, yet. "I believe it's for the best." Now to find out if she was right. "Let's start with our second meeting, that time I tracked you down to that warehouse."
"Right, they knocked you out, then- then they-" Anna started to stammer.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up like that." Elsa had to look away. For someone who wanted to look out for the woman just next to her, it seemed she was rather awful at it.
Anna took Elsa's shoulder. "It's not your fault. That probably would have happened even if you weren't there."
Would it, though? Elsa stared into the ceiling for a moment. The men who were holding her said that Anna was being disposed of for her failure. That being said, they were probably also sure that they were disposing of Elsa as well. To say that backfired would be a monumental understatement. "Anyway, you were unconscious the entire time, but I woke up somewhat sooner than that. It appears they were planning to get rid of us, and I soon found out how. They chained me to what seemed like an altar, and they started this bizarre ritual. I was sure they intended to use me as a human sacrifice. They had five of the treasures of Albernon, and it looked like the ritual succeeded. There was actually what looked like some kind of gate to- somewhere else. Not only that, there was something on the other side, that could speak." When she focused her memory on the events, another possibility arose. That being. Could it have been the same one that took control of her body when Elsa was pushed to her very limit? That made the most sense, though that wasn't saying much considering how absurd this would sound to a normal person.
"Okay, then what did you do? How did you escape, anyway?" Anna asked, like a child being told a bedtime story. Only this one didn't have some brave, daring hero.
"Anna. I didn't escape. I was trapped. Completely helpless. I was certain that was the end for me. It was a simple twist of fate. Those men appeared to make some kind of deal with whatever they had reached out to, and I was certain that my life would be taken. Instead, the portal sucked all those men inside instead. I still don't know what their fate is. Suddenly, there was a blast of energy, and I felt deathly cold." Come to think of it, that was the last time Elsa remembered feeling cold. "The chains holding me froze then broke, and in the end I barely managed to escape with my life."
"Oh. I thought- I thought- I dunno what to think any more. This is all so crazy. So what, the stones are actually some kind of key to another world? A magical world?"
As crazy as Anna's conjecture was, there was still far too much that Elsa just did not know. At the rate she was going, she probably would never find out, either. "I hate to jump to conclusions, especially ones so- unconventional. There's no point in denying it now, though. I have some abilitiesnow. That night was probably the source. Which leads me the other incident with the White Hand."
"Oh, right, that," Anna murmured. It seemed they were in sync for their disdain for that entire series of events. "I don't think I ever told you my side of that, did I?"
"Oh, I guess you're right." Elsa suspected Anna wanted to get that off her chest now. It wouldn't hurt to have some more pieces of the puzzle. "So how did you manage to follow me at all?"
Anna took a deep. "Alright, so I was kinda hanging about outside the apartment after you told me to leave. I was feeling so awful, I swear." Everything Anna could say about this was already said, but Elsa nodded politely nonetheless. "Then, suddenly, I saw it. One of the vans I used to ride in, along with one of those people I used to work with." Elsa was worried about how Anna seemed to be working herself up, but remained silent. "For a moment I was so sure they had come for me. Then they passed me by and went into the building. It was really you." Anna looked aside. "Of course they wouldn't come after me," she muttered to one side.
"I imagine they targeted me simply because they knew where I was located. They had plenty of time to figure out everything they needed to know about me. While they probably assumed you were either been taken back to jail or simply fled." There were plenty more explanations, but they would probably only serve to crush Anna's self-esteem further.
Anna nodded after a moment of thought. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Hey, do you think they knew you have magic powers or something?
"Woah woah woah. Let's take this one step at a time. So what did you do? I imagine you wanted to stop them, but you couldn't." That did bring up another pertinent question though. How much exactly did the White Hand know? Especially about what had happened at the supposed ritual.
"Right, right. So yeah, I knew I couldn't take them on. Even if I could call the police, I figured it would take them too long. It was- I know I probably shouldn't have done it, but I quietly followed after them. Obviously, they'd notice if I went into one of the doors, so I opened the hatch and climbed into the engine compartment."
Elsa nearly gasped. There were at least a thousand ways that could have gone wrong. That she knew of. "Really? Anna, you could have gotten yourself seriously hurt, or you could have inhaled something toxic. How was there even enough room?"
"Well yeah, that's the weirdest thing. The engine wasn't what I expected. There were all these blue lights, and it looked like some weird electrical stuff was going on too. There was also more room than I expected. Still, it was kinda really uncomfortable in there. I had no idea how long I was in there, but it made me all achy." Anna stretched her arms for effect.
Was that yet another advanced invention from the White Hand? What couldn't they make superior to anybody else on the planet? More importantly, how did they get that kind of backing? As she already noted, this went beyond a simple matter of resources. "Okay, so you must have gotten out eventually. Didn't you think to contact the authorities?"
Anna's face went a deep red. Clearly she hadn't actually thought of that. "Well, I, uh- look, I didn't even know where I was! Also, we were sort of underground so I don't think I could have called anyone or anything. Also, I kinda get a little shaky at the thought of the police. Sorry."
"No, perhaps that wouldn't have helped anyway." Who knew what the White Hand would have done to anyone who tried to intercede. Perhaps it was best no one else was involved. "Anyway. Did you really believe that you could simply sneak through and find me?"
"Well that's the thing. When I checked that van, I thought I came into some luck. There was my old toolkit. I thought they had just left it there. But that was all wrong. It was all a trap. I couldn't do anything." Anna clutched her wounded hand. Clearly it wasn't any easier for her to remember.
"I see." Elsa considered. It was just as possible there was a kill switch on those tools just in case, but that was rather academic now. This inevitably brought them closer to the point where their paths crossed that day in the facility. To Elsa's rather grim rampage of death and destruction. She'd run this conversation through her head several times already, yet couldn't come to satisfactory way to express the events. Would hearing of how badly Elsa suffered make Anna feel her pain was no longer valid? Would she even believe Elsa's story that something seized control of her body? Or that in a rather twisted sense, Elsa had done all of that for Anna's sake? Seeing her watching expectantly, hanging on Elsa's every word certainly wasn't helping much.
No. Once again, Elsa had to remind herself that this wasn't some complex calculation or mind game. She didn't have the heart to tangle some complex web of lies to try and fool Anna. Or perhaps she didn't have the practice. The most likely worry in the end was that Anna would have trouble understanding the truth. What if she thought of Elsa's actions as some sort of creepy obsession? Would she see Elsa the same way? She had been so, so understanding, but even Anna would have some kind of limit. Elsa was no longer an ordinary person. Not by a long way. That being said, she couldn't lose Anna, She just couldn't.
"It's okay, Elsa. I mean, if you're not ready or, you know, you just don't wanna talk about it." Anna's voice started to crack and trail off.
Elsa took a deep breath. "Okay, it's- okay. Well, when I woke up, they had me tied down. It wasn't long until- well, there's no easy way to say this. They started to torture me."
"No!" Anna gasped. "I thought they were bad before, but now- wait, so when I found those burns on your body-"
Elsa cringed slightly at the memory. There was a chance her skin would never truly recover. While the occasional discomfort and outright pain hadn't affected her as badly as it could have, it was always there. "Yes, that was part of it. They electrocuted me multiple times, amongst other things. I'm not sure how long it was, I believe my memories of it might have been affected. They didn't seem to make any demands, or even ask any questions. I think they just wanted to break me. Or to make me suffer. I held out for what felt like days."
"Elsa. Oh, Elsa," Anna seemed short of breath. "I'm sorry. If I had any idea- I tried to get you out of there as fast as I could. I- I never failed a break in like this before, I swear."
Nothing else for it. Elsa gently took Anna's hand, even if doing so would expose her reddened skin. "You did everything you possibly could. In the end, you got me back home. That has to count for something."
"It wasn't enough. I should have gotten to you. If I made it to you, well then- maybe, maybe you wouldn't have, you know-"
Elsa's heart skipped a beat. She already thought Elsa's actions were somehow her fault. Because of course she does. Now, things truly became complex and unavoidably painful. The choice between truth and comfort was one Elsa was all too familiar with. Only every time in the past, she had chosen for herself. How was it that personal suffering seemed to pale to the thought of letting someone else suffer? All she could do now was believe in Anna. She could only hope this was the right choice.
"This part isn't easy for me say, Anna. Not because I'm mad at you. I'm just- unsure of what will happen when you hear this. For once in my life, I'm not entirely sure I understand." Deep breath. You can do this. So can she. "I was in terrible pain. I knew it would never end. As far as I was aware, no one outside would ever know what was happening to me, or be able to stop it. All I could do- was wait. Wait for something within me to finally give out."
"Elsa-"
Elsa gently hushed her. She couldn't afford to lose momentum now. "That was not to be. They had something far crueler than any physical pain. They showed me- they showed me you. ON the floor. Hurting badly. I could see blood." She came close to losing herself in that moment. Only Anna's faltering expression kept her focused. "Then, something happened. Something even I don't understand. There was something else. Something within me. Not physically. Something else."
"So, like a spirit or something?" At the very least, she had not collapsed into tears.
"That seems accurate enough. In any case, I completely lost control of my body. I was there, looking through my own eyes, and yet and the same time, not. I remember seeing that man that had hurt you. As I slowly froze the life out of him, I felt that last of my control slipping away." Elsa's eyes were distant again, unable to comprehend so many things.
"So, so- when you killed all those men. That wasn't really you? I don't really get it, Elsa." Anna shook her head. "Look, it doesn't matter, okay? Those men did horrible things to you, as you said." A twinge of rage crossed her face. "And me too," she muttered. "If what you said was true, they were trying to hurt you. And they'd never stop. Well- look, they would probably try to kill you anyway. The way I see it, you were just defending yourself. All those men were trying to shoot you. I know they were."
Elsa sighed, all too aware of what Anna was trying. "It wasn't me killing those people. At least I don't believe it was." Though that did raise a question. Why did that being, Glaca commit such wanton killing? Was it simply to protect herself? Or something deeper? "Even though I had lost control. I could still see all of it. Feel all of it. Only I felt absolutely nothing. I run it through my head again and again. I know some of those men died in pain. Some were even afraid. I could see that so clearly. Despite that, I didn't care. Whether or not it really wasn't me doing it, I should have felt something when I witnessed such brutal acts of killing. I didn't. I cannot deny that, no matter how much I try."
Anna bit her lip, needing a moment to think all this through, not that Elsa blamed her. It was incredible that she was willing to take all of that at face value, really. Perhaps they had both, in their own way, opened the door to something much darker. "Wait, so you didn't feel anything when you controlled, right? But not now?"
"It would appear that way, yes." Elsa had an inkling of where this was going.
"So, what if, maybe that was only because you were being controlled, you didn't feel anything." Anna gasped, as though she was onto something huge. "Wait, what if it was like that so you wouldn't fight it? If you got angry, or scared or anything, you'd fight back and it wouldn't control you any more! So it made you feel nothing. So it wasn't really your fault at all! That has to be it. Right?"
Elsa managed a smile, perhaps more easily than she expected. That couldn't be true. The incident on the Magic Lamp proved it. Even if she had been affected by the supposed possession, it really was a part of her now. A willingness to hurt others to achieve her goals. "I wish I could believe that. I've spent too long being careless. I don't exactly know how, but I've changed. Now- now there's a scary possibility. I feel like I could snap at any time, and now I could justify violence to the point of killing anyone. Even you might not be safe, Anna." Elsa cursed herself. She was supposed to be telling her the truth. Sure, the possibility existed. There could be some circumstance where that could transpire. In her heart of hearts, Elsa knew she would never allow that. She couldn't quite fathom why, and yet for once, she was okay with that.
"Would- would you really hurt me?" Was Anna hurt by that question, or upset?
"It's a possibility. That's all I'm saying for sure." That was all Elsa really could say for sure. The truth was that contradicted so many things in her head. Only she could be absolutely sure of none of it. There was an vast ocean of knowledge she didn't truly understand, and at this point the only word she could trust was that of Anna herself. Yet here she was, almost straight up lying to Anna specifically so she wouldn't like Elsa.
No. If Anna is to like me, it has to be the real me. The me that doesn't have all the answers. The me that is far more afraid than I ever appear.
"Oh." Anna's eyes darted about anxiously. "I guess there's only one thing for me to do." Had Elsa gone too far? She had certainly wanted Anna to stop seeing Elsa as some paragon of justice, but not to drive her away. Why couldn't she be better with her words?
"Anna, I understand if- if-"
"I guess I just have to trust that you won't hurt me," Anna closed her eyes and gave a warm smile. Her eyes were starting to water, even though she tried to hide it.
"Don't you understand? This isn't something you can just make a snap judgement on! This is very serious! You can't just decide this is a risk you're going to take." Elsa wanted to be happy about Anna's judgement. So badly.
"Can't I, though?" Anna laid her good hand softly atop Elsa's. "You said it yourself. It's either this, or spend the rest of my life on the run. Even if I don't get caught, I don't think I'll ever get another chance like this. If they do ever find me, we both know what will happen. But you, Elsa. I know you'll fight it. That you'll fight for me. That's far better than anything else out there. Why would I want to leave when I just got here?"
For once, Elsa was at a loss for words. It seemed Anna was far more mature than Elsa gave her credit for. Or had these past few weeks changed her that much? Elsa couldn't deny her logic wasn't her finest, and yet Anna turned it around with such ease. "As long as you're sure, Anna."
"Oh. I see." Anna's brow furrowed as she processed Elsa's deceptively simple response.. "Do you really not want me here any more? Is this one of your detective tricks? Make it seem like I was my idea that I don't want to stay here any longer?"
"I- no- look-" How was it Elsa had been reduced to a pathetic stammer? "I don't want you to think I'm something I'm not. Or respect me on that basis. If you like me, that's fine. Just don't go treating my like I'm some kind of hero, or shining example. All of this- all of this time I've spent chasing after the White Hand. It's always been for my sake, nothing else. I've always doggedly pursued it these past couple of years. All so I could get some sense of closure." Dimly realizing she had begun to pace, Elsa wrung her hands as she forced herself to a stop.
"Closure? I don't understand." Had Elsa said too much? She promised herself to be more open with Anna about what exactly was going on, but these were things she barely wanted to think about herself. "Did the White Hand do something to you in the past? I know how that feels, don't worry." If only she knew. Anna cleared her throat, as if to say something important. Yet, she couldn't quite face Elsa directly. "Uhm, Elsa. You know, I never mentioned this before. You know, because you'd probably get mad at me again. When I snuck into your room, I kinda found a few things. Well, there was my old tool belt. Not really sure what you were doing with that."
Elsa gave a relieved sigh. "Oh, that? I was hoping to find something that could help me get some more insight into the kind of tech you were using. It seems they left nothing to chance. If there was some kind of beacon anywhere on there, I may have simply led them straight to me."
"Oh, okay." Anna was biting her lip. There was something else she saw. Something big. At least, that was what Elsa's intuition suggested. "Well, it's just, there was, like, one other thing. It was this picture. You and some guy. There was some writing on the back. It seemed like you were friends or something. Did something happen to him? Was it the White Hand?"
Elsa froze, down to her very core. Of all the things Anna could have stumbled across, it had to be that. She should have shredded that photo. Burned out. Left no trace of it. So of course she didn't. It seemed for a detective, she couldn't cover her tracks at all. In the end, her twisted sentimentality got the best of her. "I- can I- can we talk about that later? Soon, I promise." This whole conversation turned out to be quite draining. Elsa's nerves still frayed, and her breathing was slightly off pace, no matter what she tried.
"Oh, yeah. That was a good talk, I guess. So, should we get all the stuff moved in here or what?" There was just a hint of disappointment, but if Anna was good at anything, it was avoiding dwelling on the negative
"To be honest, I'd rather take a rest. It's been a busy few days, and the delivery van's scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Maybe we can get some take-away?" Elsa's smile managed to return. She would just have to be cautious about taking her financial security for granted.
"Well, okay. But don't think I'm not helping move tomorrow. I- if that's okay with you, that is." How could Anna do that? Be so accepting? Just rolling with the punches? If only she knew how much Elsa wanted a gift like that.
Elsa had spent the past few days pushing herself hard to get things done. Now, it was Anna's turn. What she lacked in organisation and sheer brainpower, she would simply have to make up for with stamina, and a little elbow grease. Perhaps not as much as she had first expected. Most of the furniture was staying put it seemed, leaving only the smaller bits and pieces. Most of the actual work seemed to be packing things into boxes to be moved over. While Elsa had insisted on securing a few of her more confidential and personal possessions, she had been more than willing to allow Anna into her now former bedroom.
For some reason, it felt so much worse than the first time she had chosen to come in here, even though it shouldn't have been a problem. Everything inside her told her she being stupid. If Elsa was there, she obviously would have agreed. Maybe she'd need another talk about this. Would Elsa mind that? She only had such much patience. Nobody really wanted to hear anyone spend so long wallowing in self-doubt and guilt, much less her whining about it. She would just have to think about this less. Getting away from this place for good would be a start.
By the end of the day, everything had been successfully packed and unpacked. Anna thought she would never see the end of boxes, not to mention her back was starting to feel the strain. She didn't plan to be caught dead complaining, so she barely stopped throughout the day. Thankfully, nothing needed to be hauled up the hundreds of stairs to their new home, which would have almost certainly required a second day. She had left Elsa's stuff in their boxes (which Elsa had helpfully reminded her to mark as such) while she worked on the last of her own possessions, mostly the clothes Elsa had bought her. Was anything truly hers? She could probably count it with one hand at this point.
Once that was dealt with, things started to quiet down again. Soon, it was almost the same as the days in the run up to the move. Quiet. Too quiet. Anna had been quick enough to assume the now larger housekeeping duties, but it still wasn't enough. There were only so many nooks and crannies, and she could only make them so clean. It wasn't like they needed any more food either, and she only had to go a couple of blocks to get it now. That meant less time out in the freezing cold, but it also meant more time sitting around. Elsa had apparently had some more things to chase up now they had settled down again, leaving Anna by herself for the most part.
How was it like this? This was supposed to be her big chance. She had come so far with Elsa, and now it was like that dreadful week of waiting for Elsa to come out to her. She needed some air, frigid though it may be. With a quick goodbye, she was out wandering the snowy streets.
It was strange. The good kind of strange. She normally detested the cold. Felt it as something to try and avoid at all costs, unless of course it was too hot. Perhaps, for example, if she was working up a sweat lugging heavy boxes around. Now though, it felt different somehow. Cold air flooded Anna's lungs with every breath, but that seemed to help set her heart at ease. With nothing else to worry about, she could finally take in the world. The streets however weren't exactly the best place to do that, so she wound her way around, looking for a place away from the lights and the traffic.
There, a park. Anna found a seat on one of the benches that wasn't too snow-logged. Fortunately Elsa had managed to pick out a coat for her that the snow wouldn't cling to. That was so like her. Always looking out for her. Knowing what was best. Anna gave a heavy sigh, watching her breath cloud up in front of her. Elsa really did know best for her in the end, no matter how Anna felt about it. No matter how Elsa felt about it. How could Anna possibly believe Elsa would ever hurt her? She had seen what had happened first hand, but it sounded like the entire thing happened because Anna was hurt to begin with. Did Elsa have some feelings that she couldn't admit? Anna didn't want to touch at that just yet.
More importantly, Anna couldn't spend her whole life depending on Elsa, no matter how much she had freely given so far. Elsa had her own life, and she probably wouldn't be grateful for what Anna had done forever. If not, she'd probably get tired of the whole mooching roommate act that Anna was effectively doing right now. This wasn't where Anna wanted to go with her life either, now that she actually thought about it. In their own ways, they were both responsible for Anna's first chance of fixing herself ending the way it did. There were no excuses this time. Anna had a new life. A new name. A clean slate as it were. While Elsa was never specific about it, Anna was all too aware that kind of thing didn't come easily. She had to use this chance to-
Something caught the corner of her eye. How had she not noticed it before? Or rather, how had she not realised what it meant? There, not too far away was a rather fancy clock tower. More specifically. The date. It was the twenty-third. Had time really flown that fast as things got hectic? More likely, she had lost track. Not much time left now. Still, better than no time at all.
Elsa's investigation went the same way it had always gone when she utterly lacked in any real leads: nowhere. It was a long shot anyway, and there were only a couple of things that she could possibly chase up at this point, at least until her hidden adversaries came out of hiding once more. Elsa was certain she hadn't seen the last of the White Hand, but for good or ill, her last brush- no, her last two brushes with them had dealt considerable damage. No amount of technology would compensate for a loss in manpower, short of sentient machines. They could still have spies or bugs in the vast information network to keep track of the two of them. There was no way to be certain.
Nor was there any clear way to proceed. The only things of any clear substance where the changes to Elsa herself. Overwhelmingly, of course, her ability to create snow and ice at will, but also the drastic change to her hair colour. The latter turned up nothing of substance, even though it was fairly easy to find a sample of her hair from before the change from her effects. There was no real difference between then and now, despite all the chemical analysis that Elsa could practically use. It was as though her hair had suddenly decided to switch on its own. In spite of her other abilities, no amount of focus or willpower would change it to its original jet black, or any other colour for that matter.
The matter of her powers, so to speak, was one far more complex than she could ever handle alone. However, to confide the nature of her ability with anyone else was currently unthinkable. On her own, she could only make some rudimentary observations about what she was currently capable of. Through trial and error, Elsa noticed some important points. Each one of them seemed more unscientific than the last. First of all, the ice she created really did come out of literally nothing, not simply any nearby water vapour. So that was the conservation of mass utterly defied. Furthermore, no matter how cold she tried to make her own ice, or how long she exposed herself to it, there was literally no effect on any of her body, not simply a numbing of her perception of cold. So much for her understanding of human physiology. Strangest still, was the seeming lack of limit to her ability. After an entire day of projecting her powers, she barely felt any real after effects, except for some vague faintness. While she had limited herself to the room she was in, being able to keep going for that long without any real drawback somehow felt the most unreal of all. It almost felt like a terrible waste to keep it contained within her new home. Almost.
That quickly fell to the back of her mind, as while her focus on her experiments had left her isolated from most of the world, Anna had never left her mind. In the few times she had seen her since the moving had finished, it was blatant that Anna was getting frustrated again. Unlike the last time, she hid it a lot better. Elsa severely doubted she would resort to anything too rash either, but she was spending a lot of time out of the apartment Elsa had sunk so much money into.
Anna needed more than simple purchases lavished onto her. She needed a goal. Something to focus on. To help her become the better person she clearly could be. Much better than Elsa herself. Getting her a new name and credentials was a good start, but Anna still needed a lot more. As always, Elsa had just the thing.
It was early in the morning. At least, that was what Elsa assumed. Every time she checked, it was another reminder of how much sleep she was missing out on. After drifting in and out of fitful slumber a couple more times, she finally forced herself out of bed. Usually, getting out of bed just made it harder to return later on unless there was some pressing need to. She could make out a faint light under the door to the living area. Probably not the source of her insomnia, but perhaps worth a look. Was Anna really up this early? Or worse, this late? She wasn't one to leave the lights on.
Elsa slowly opened her door. One of the floor lamps was providing a modest amount of light, and she could just about make out the area around the fireplace. There Anna was, lying quietly on the main sofa.
"Anna. Anna?" Elsa called out, gently as she could. Nothing. She was definitely moving. Had Anna really fallen asleep there? Elsa shook her head. Old habits died hard, it seemed. Elsa took a seat not too far away. Maybe this sofa would work its magic on her as well. No sooner had she started to settle in had she started to hear some noise from Anna.
"Ungh. Oh, uh, morning, Elsa," she whispered. Elsa wasn't entirely sure if she had disturbed her or not.
"You have your own bed now, you know. A room to go with it, as well," Elsa pointed out, sighing.
"Oh, yeah, I know. Sorry, Elsa. I guess I kinda dozed off. I was just so comfy here I didn't really want to move." Anna slowly got out of her cozy position on the sofa arm. "I guess I'll head back now. Unless you'd like to carry me."
Elsa sighed. "No, it's fine. I got you a room so you could sleep somewhere proper, not so you have to. This life might take some getting used to."
Anna managed a sleepy smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Elsa. You- you know, I've been thinking about that. My new life, anyway. Well, I don't really want to sit around all day, you know? But, I can't really expect you to be around either. And this place, it can't really be cheap either." Elsa nodded, though perhaps Anna didn't realise she had bought the place outright. "Look, what I'm saying is maybe if I got a job or something, I could help, you know, pay for things around here. And I wouldn't need to sit around all day."
Did Elsa hear that right? Her approach was probably too direct, but it seemed Anna really had jumped forward a few years of maturity in as many days. "I see. Well, personally you might be getting ahead of yourself, there."
"Oh." Anna looked away. "So not a good idea?"
"No! No." Great. That came out all wrong. Elsa wanted to blame the fatigue, but somehow she knew she would have messed up regardless. "What I mean is we should take it one step at a time. I think it's important that you have some kind of education first."
"What, you mean like go to school? Yeah, I kinda never did finish school when I ran away."Anna was more alert all of a sudden. "Do you really think I need it? I mean, I can read and write and all that."
"Well, first of all I don't think going to a school is the best idea. If we're apart too long, especially in some kind of routine, they might pounce on us. For now, it's probably best if I teach you what you need to know. I think I should have enough time."
"Wait, what?" Anna suddenly blushed. "I mean, yes miss Fresia."
That was only an idea Elsa had been toying with, yet Anna was already having ideas of her own. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'll mostly just be finding the work you need to help you improve your skills, and helping you out if you find trouble. I still don't have a solid plan, but I think I can manage."
"It's okay, if you think that would be best." Anna suddenly let out a loud yawn, and relaxing on the sofa arm again. Apparently her energy had petered out. "Oh, hey, Elsa?"
"Yes?"
"Merry Christmas."
Elsa paled a bit. She had completely forgotten. Between burying herself in her work and the last Christmas she had celebrated being a distant memory, she had little cause to remember. There wasn't much point in pretending otherwise, especially as they didn't even have a tree. "Oh, that was today? I'm sorry, I completely forgot. You didn't get me a present, did you?"
Anna smiled, despite what Elsa clearly meant by that. "Don't worry, Elsa. I have a home now. And I have a future. That's the best present I could have ever hoped for." Somehow, that made Elsa felt uncomfortable. Not because of how cliché it was, but the lingering sense that Anna was completely dependent on her now. It felt- off, somehow, and yet at the same time as though it was meant to be. As though what Anna said wasn't good enough.
"Wait a second." Elsa had a thought. Not the 'crack the case' kind, but something that would make this moment truly special. About a minute later, she had returned. "Anna?"
Anna let out a loud snore. Then, a small laugh. "Got you."
"I suppose you did. Here, merry Christmas." Elsa produced her gift, a knitted red scarf. She took the privilege of gently wrapping around Anna.
"Oh, wow," Anna gasped. "Where did you get this?"
"Well, I made it. Technically, it was before I met you." Elsa shrugged. "It's the thought that counts though, right?"
Anna ran her hand along it. "It's wonderful. I didn't know you could knit."
"I guess it never came up," Elsa admitted. "I guess that's part of the surprise."
"Oh, speaking of which," Anna digged into her pockets. She extended a closed hand at Elsa. "Here."
Elsa held her hand out, and something rather light fell into her hands. A silver locket. At least, it looked like silver. There was a heart shape at the end, which looked like it opened up. Even though it wasn't too bright, Elsa could make out a couple of scratches on the metal. For once, she knew better than to mention it. "Thank you."
"Yeah, I know it's not great. It's all I really have left of my old life. The one thing left that was truly mine. It was from a friend of mine. Now, I want you to have it." It was a slightly peculiar gift. Was there some symbolism that Elsa just wasn't getting? It looked like Anna had spent a lot of time making it clean and shiny as possible.
"I suppose we both have something nice to wear around our neck now," Elsa concluded.
"Yeah. I guess we do." Anna let out another soft yawn. "I think I'll be getting the rest of my sleep now. You don't mind if I stay here, do you?"
She already told Anna wasn't a problem. Still, Elsa didn't want to simply say yes and be on her way. "Well, I suppose I could allow it. Only if I can sleep next to you."
Elsa could see how flustered Anna was all of a sudden. That was too forward. Way too forward. Perhaps it was a bit much for a couple of friends to do. In their own way though, they were a bit more than just friends. Or perhaps that was just Elsa's wishful imagination. "Well, I guess I can't really say no. It's your home, after all."
That was good enough for Elsa, who choose not to look into what Anna meant too deeply. Except, perhaps, that she didn't agree with that last part. "So, should I just stay here, or,"
"Come on, don't be silly." Anna shifted her body about. "Let's snuggle up. Don't wanna get cold or- oh. Well, you don't want to let me go cold or anything, do you?" Was- was she inviting Elsa to snuggle? She felt oddly tense all of a sudden. How could she possibly say no?
She reached over and switched the light off, leaving the room in darkness. With the utmost of care, she managed to place herself beside Anna. So close to her warm, soft skin. Her tenseness evaporated, and they both drifted off back into a peaceful sleep.