A/N: This update is coming a little early, but just because I have the whole thing written, doesn't mean I'm going to dump it all at once. Next chapter will come tomorrow morning. It wouldn't be an exercise in torture methods if I didn't torture you guys, right? Right.
Disclaimer: Frozen is copyright to disney corporation and they'll use a time machine to angrily deflower my bum with fistfulls of money if they feel like I've stolen this from them somehow
Chapter II: "And they're kooky..."
In spite of paranoia's grip on Anna in the wake of the events at Olaf's place, as weeks passed, she found herself beginning to simmer and calm. When she first realized this, she told herself not to grow complacent, but as the end of the fourth week neared, she found it harder to resist letting the issue go. Her instincts were still nagging her from the back of her brain. Even as she finally let herself relax, she slept with her rifle propped up against her nightstand.
The redhead had two full days without a sense of dread before her hackles were raised all over again with the delivery of an invitation in her mailbox. To lunch. At the Bjorgman residence. It probably wouldn't have troubled her nearly as much if it hadn't actually been addressed to her by name, which she hadn't given them. Or if it hadn't mentioned that Olaf was invited as well. Whom they hadn't met.
In spite of her uneasy sense over the entire thing ("I mean, who actually sends a formal invitation, like... through the mail, for lunch?"), Olaf told her he saw little harm in getting to know the new neighbors. It ended up taking some effort for Olaf to actually get her into the truck and headed down the road however, when Sunday afternoon came around.
The ride was Anna's last chance to dispute joining "those creepy people" for lunch, so she argued it out with the man, "You didn't meet them, okay? They were weird."
"You keep saying that, but from what you've told me, they sound nice."
"Oh, come on! They know my name, but I didn't give it to them!"
"So what? They've lived here for a while now, and you know how gossip gets around in town."
"Fine! You'll see when we get there. They're creepy."
The girl's complaints lasted until they were pulling into the long dirt and gravel driveway of the old Bjorgman place. It was a nice enough house, though the layout was a bit odd; spacious square footage in the shape of an 'L', forming a sort of courtyard in the back. The windows were lined with flower boxes, and the lawn was utterly immaculate.
Anna's friend let out a whistle, "Nice digs! I thought the place was run down?"
The redhead turned the key into the 'off' position and pulled it from the slot, leaning back in her seat as aqua oculars scanned the pristine home. "It was." In the moment of quiet that followed, she found herself wondering, "How could they have turned it around so quickly?"
Olaf was the first to slip out of the truck, grabbing his straw hat from the seat next to him and slapping it on over dark scruffy locks as he stepped into the sunlight. He slammed the door shut to get Anna's attention, coughed into his fist, sniffled, and scratched his nose, shuffling his boots in the dirt.
"Pft. Impatient git."
She joined him a few seconds later, and with a deep breath, and deeper sense of trepidation, the duo began to walk up the rest of the drive toward the front door. It was a growl to their left, by the corner of the house that caused them to stop in their tracks, gazes swinging wildly to locate the source.
Olaf gave an uncomfortable gasp at the sight of the beast standing some five or six meters away, and Anna turned to face it more fully, brow furrowing.
"Holy shit, that's a big dog," the man breathed as he stepped slightly behind her. Big was an inadequate word. The dog, if it could even be called that, was tall, nearly a meter high at the shoulders with long legs, wide bony paws, and erect ears. It held it's head low, neck stretched, it's gaze locked on the pair of invaders with a spark of intelligence and curiosity they hadn't associated with canines before. With it's ears fully perked and tail straight out behind it, it was a menacing sight.
Just as another low growl cut the air, a voice shot it down with a calm but firm command. "Sven," Anna whipped her head around to see the striking woman from the general store standing on the porch at the edge of the stairs. Olaf's eyes never left the dog. "That's enough."
The redhead swallowed hard as she looked again to the massive canine. It's posture changed immediately, head lifting, big ears laying back, maw open to bear something similar to a grin as he panted and looked to his apparent master. "Go," she added, crossing her arms and motioning with a tilt of her head. "Sven" obeyed without hesitation, disappearing back around the corner of the house.
The young man behind Anna let out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping as he turned his attention to the blonde next to the front door, "Thanks. Man, that's the biggest dog I've ever seen!"
The redhead said nothing, line of sight now perpetually locked on sapphire eyes. She was caught somewhere between jealousy and terror. The fine hairs at the back of her neck stood on end, and she had to choke down a shiver. The woman was really pretty. Really cold too.
"I apologize on Sven's behalf. He always tries to bully new-comers, so don't mind him," the woman chuckled mirthlessly, untucking her arms and motioning gingerly for them to join her, "Please, come in. Kristoff is expecting you."
Turning and vanishing into the house, she left the pair standing outside the screen door in an uncomfortable silence. The man took the chance to lean over slightly and whisper conspiratorially to Anna, "Okay, she was a little weird. Still nice though."
The redhead shot him a dirty look, clenching her jaw and whispering a single word in reply, "Traitor," pouting and looking away from him until they heard the pounding of footsteps headed in their direction.
Kristoff poked his head out from within the house, flashing a wide grin and throwing the screen door out to hold it open with one arm, "Heeeey! You made it! Come on in!"
Anna mumbled a pathetic, "Hey."
Olaf cheered a joyful, "Howdy there, stranger!"
After stepping through the threshold, the blond man threw out an enthusiastic hand, gripping Olaf's and shaking vigorously, "Nice to meet ya, man. Kristoff Bjorgman."
Olaf returned Kristoff's exuberant greeting, "Olaf Snow. Thanks for the invite."
As the blond man switched from Anna's friend to her own hand, she corrected herself. "Oh. Kristoff, not Kristopher. Got it." "Anna."
Kristoff's smile faltered. "Just Anna?"
"Yep," she flashed one in return that didn't reach her eyes.
The blond paused awkwardly and released her hand, then cleared his throat and looked away, "Alright then, that's cool."
"Was that your sister back there?" Olaf motioned to the porch with his thumb.
"No, that was my dog, Sven. Sorry about him."
Anna almost laughed. Olaf blanched. "Ah, no, man. The girl?"
A beat of silence. The redhead wasn't sure if he was playing dumb, or was genuinely slow, "Oh, her! That's my cousin, Elsa. Don't worry about her, she said it's fine that I'm having guests."
Olaf and Anna shared a look as Kristoff grinned blankly at them. He needed her permission?
"It's great you guys made it!" Even with the woman putting Anna on edge, it was getting difficult to fight the blond man's infectious vivacity, "We haven't had any visitors yet. Let me give you the tour." He spun on his heel and waved over his shoulder for them to follow, "The foyer, obviously," then turned again as he entered the adjoining room, "Living room." He waved with a mighty flourish; Olaf was snickering, and Anna had covered a blooming grin with her hand, other arm crossed over her chest. "Sorry it's nothing fancy," he added with a tinge of disappointment, "Elsa likes it spartan, ya know."
The tour continued much the same through the dining room and kitchen, and took a brief detour to cross the living room again to pass into the other side of the 'L' shaped structure. The first door on the left was open, and Kristoff motioned into it, "My room. Sweetest spot in the place, if I do say so." In comparison to the rest of the home, it was furnished well; comfortable, and surprisingly colorful.
As the blond showed off the next several rooms, an office, a hobby room, a bathroom, Anna realized she was feeling quite at ease. The man was easy to get along with. Maybe he wasn't so bad. "Cousin's still creepy as Hell though."
"This is Elsa's room! But," Kristoff glanced about as if he were expecting her to appear out of thin air, then leaned in and covered his mouth in a stage whisper, "I'm not allowed in there."
The duo snorted, and the burly blond motioned for them to turn around, "Alright, grand tour over."
The redhead glanced to the other side of the hall, "What about that one?"
"What one?" Kristoff rested a hand on each of their shoulders and began to turn them to head back toward the dining room.
Anna raised a hand and pointed blatantly, "Closed door across from your cousin's room. What's that room?"
"What door?" He insisted again, smiling dumbly.
The girl dug her heels into the floor and stopped all three of them from proceeding, piercing Kristoff's chocolate hued eyes with her own. Olaf looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"Oh, that door!" the man laughed nervously, looking away from Anna as he scratched at the back of his mop of hair, "Private study. You need permission from Elsa to go in there."
Olaf scratched at his own dark locks, passing Anna a discreet expression of curiosity. Again with the permission thing...
The sound of a door swishing open and clicking shut startled all three, jumping and staring as Elsa stepped into the hall from her bedroom. As awkward as the silence a moment before was, this one was punctuated by that cold, stoic stare of the stunning platinum blonde.
"Shouldn't you be offering your guests a meal, Kristoff? You don't want to be rude."
This caused the man to bark an uneasy laugh, his nerves shaking his voice, "Of course. We were just about to do that."
Oceanic pools bounced from Kristoff, to Olaf, then rested on Anna. The redhead's posture stiffened, but she held her ground. She swore she could have heard a pin drop for those few seconds their gazes locked. Then, just like that, she returned her attention to her cousin, "Don't forget the rolls in the oven."
"I haven't. Sheesh, Els."
The woman's lips twitched just slightly upward, the faintest hint of a laugh escaping her as she turned away from them and headed up the hallway. Once she was out of ear-shot, the large man let out a heavy sigh.
"Was that relief? Is he scared of her too?"
"Well, let's go. I cooked up some grub specially for today." With that, Kristoff marched off down the hall after his cousin, Olaf and Anna falling in tow. He made quick work of getting them situated in the dining room, where he served up chili, sweet tea, and nearly forgot the rolls in the oven.
The first bite of lunch broke the tension as Anna shamelessly announced, "Holy cow, that's good chili."
The dark haired man cackled, and Kristoff ruffled his hair with a bashful grin, "Thanks. Not to sound cliché, but it's an old family recipe."
"Family recipe, eh? Where are you guys from?" Olaf inquired curiously.
"Oh, uhhh," Olaf was too busy dipping his roll into his bowl to notice, but Anna saw Kristoff glance past her before answering, "North. Ish. The... northern. United states." His words were so staggered that he had to cough, feigning as if he'd gotten some of his food down the wrong pipe with a large gulp of tea. While the blond man was preoccupied, Anna took the chance to check over her shoulder, but saw nothing.
"I need to check out that room. These people are suspicious, just like Westleton said." If Olaf had found Kristoff's answer odd, he didn't show it.
She set down her fork next to her bowl, interrupting, "Sorry, but I need to excuse myself for a moment."
"Sure!"
She heard the large blond, but didn't respond, standing up and heading in the direction of the hall as if she were headed for the restroom. After she rounded the corner, she opened, then shut the bathroom door before passing it, getting into her best "sneaky" mindset to approach the so called "private study". The redhead checked the door knob.
"Unlocked?" That was strange considering Kristoff had all but said, "keep the fuck out."
With one more quick, cautious glance around to make sure the coast was clear, she slipped into the room and silently shut the door behind her. Feeling secure again, she straightened up and began to take in the space. Full bookshelves lined the lengths of the walls, and near the rear of the room rest a large mahogany desk littered with papers, books, a laptop; a mess.
Something about that desk pulled her attention, so Anna caved her to instincts and strode over to it, beginning to shuffle through the chaos as quietly as possible. When she reached the bottom of the pile at the center, she realized that underneath was a map of Arendelle county. Just as she was beginning to discern the area of the map made available to her, she noted a mark on the paper, but before she could investigate further a stern voice cut into the quiet like a hot knife through butter.
"What are you doing in here?"
With a yelp of shock, Anna jumped and, staggering back over her own two feet, crashed with none-too-much grace straight into, "Elsa!" Anna gasped as she slapped a hand over her hammering heart.
The woman caught her by the shoulders and steadied her on her feet, seemingly unphased by her reaction, "Careful."
The redhead took a deep breath, trying to calm herself from the adrenaline rush of being caught snooping, eyes closed. When she opened them again, she lifted her head to look up at the platinum blonde less than arms length from her, words falling short when she realized the woman hadn't released her hold on her.
"Well?" her episode of staring was put to a stop, "What are you doing in here?"
"I, ah," Anna floundered, "Just was, um, that is... you see." She stopped. "Fuck." No point in lying. She had been caught red handed. The redheads cheeks scorched with embarrassment. Since when had "stealth" ever been on her list of talents?
However, instead of an angry reception, she found herself pleasantly surprised to see Elsa tilt her head away, a small but confident smirk creeping across her features as blue eyes peered at Anna from an angle, "I see. You're just a curious little scooby, hmm?" Her arms folded across her chest as she dipped a hand behind her neck and swept her braid over the front of her shoulder.
"Hey!" Anna retorted indignantly, though she didn't actually have an argument. "Hard to debate against it when I was caught digging through her personal stuff, after all."
A pause. They were still standing awfully close, but Anna wasn't exactly feeling compelled to move. A lopsided, sheepish smile worked it's way past her defenses, and she sighed dramatically, "I suppose it doesn't do any good to deny it now, huh?"
Elsa's smile grew, and Anna's tugged harder at her lips in return. Should she push her luck? "Ha! Wouldn't be me if I didn't."
"Soooo," she began cautiously, glancing away before peeking up at the platinum blonde innocently, "What's with that map?"
"A map?" Elsa's expression portrayed the sincerity of her question. "Ah. My cousin." She turned her head away again, tapping the end of her forefinger against her chin, "He sometimes brings his little projects in here. I'll have to remind him to put his things away when he's done with them."
It had come off as a little demeaning, but then again, Anna found it to be a believable behavior if his actions today had been any indication. Still, that primitive niggling at the back of her mind pestered her. Finding it hard to put on a serious face, she went once again on instinct. "You shouldn't give him such a hard time," she chided while lightly slapping the back of her hand against Elsa's arm. It felt strangely natural.
That earned her a playful half laugh, "Someone has to keep him in line. I just happen to be more stubborn than him. That makes me qualified for the job."
The redhead caught herself before she giggled, tugging nervously at one of the twin braids that hung over her shoulders. Was her face burning hotter? "Nope! Definitely not."
Quiet. A warm quiet that lacked the awkwardness from before. Anna shuffled her feet, biting at her lower lip as she cast her gaze to the floor, suddenly finding it of intense interest. It only lasted a moment before the blonde spoke up again, "You should head back or you'll worry your host."
That brought Anna back down to Earth. She nodded and abruptly stepped around Elsa, backing up towards the door, "Yep, I really should. Really, really. Sorry about going through your stuff. I-" she cleared her throat as she backpedaled into the hall, "Ahem. Sorry." Spinning on her heel, she rushed back to the dining room, hearing a soft cadence of laughter fading behind her.
Anna announced that she wasn't feeling well in that way that tends to keep men from asking, but agreed to wait while Kristoff packed her leftovers into a tupperware container. As goofy as he was, he was polite enough to see them out, "Thanks again for coming. Feel better soon, Anna."
Even as "completely, totally freakin' weird" as the visit had been, she couldn't help but give him a small, but genuine smile, "Let's do this again some other time."
It wasn't until they were halfway to Olaf's place that he piped up, eyeing the redhead with suspicion. "Anna," she glanced over at him, "What's goin' on?"
A beat. "They had a map."
"And? Lots of people have maps, Anna."
"Olaf," the girl slowed the truck to a stop right in the road, turning to look him in the eye. She wanted him to understand how seriously she was taking this, regardless of if she enjoyed today overall or not.
"There was a mark on it; a circle over your property."