Chapter XVIII

It had been three weeks since Anna had fallen into a coma. Three weeks with no improvement. Although the doctors tried to reassure Elsa that Anna's condition wasn't deteriorating either, which was good, the blonde refused to see the lack of change as good news. She wouldn't consider anything good news until Anna opened her eyes.

Elsa had barely left Anna's side during the three weeks as well; choosing to stay at the redhead's bedside should she miss the chance of her waking up. Of course, Elsa still had classes to tend to and work shifts to cover, but when she wasn't at school or Starbucks, she was at the hospital. Kristoff kept his visits regular, too; although he mostly stopped by to check up on Elsa and make sure she was holding up alright. He knew Anna's condition was taking a toll on her and he had made it his responsibility to bring Elsa meals and changes of clothes every now and then.

Dr Marsh had been kind enough to put another bed in Anna's room so Elsa could spend the night whenever she wished. Elsa took advantage of this liberty the majority of the time, only staying at her own place when she needed to shower or study for exams.

She had tried studying in Anna's room several times, but the repetitious beeps from Anna's heart monitor constantly disturbed her. While soothing to Elsa at any other time, they proved to be a great distraction when studying; her mind continuing to think up worst case scenarios like when Anna's heart would begin to fail. Thoughts like that usually sent Elsa home for the night, but had her returning bright and early the next morning, feeling guilty for leaving Anna's side so easily.

There hadn't been a moment during the past three weeks when Elsa hadn't been terrified. Her grades were slipping slightly as her mind constantly wandered to Anna during class, fretting that the redhead would wake up alone; she was constantly checking her phone at work to see if Dr Marsh had called to say Anna had awakened, although Kai was nice enough to give her shorter shifts while Anna was in the hospital.

The worst part was sleep. Elsa hadn't had a decent night's rest since the night before her abduction. She knew she had prominent bags beneath her eyes and she credited everyone she came across for never mentioning their obviousness.

It wasn't as if she wasn't tired; gods only knew how exhausted she was at the end of every day. She yearned for sleep; peaceful sleep. But just as it seemed to come, it would be shattered by a nightmare. Her dreams varied in content, but they always ended with Anna's untimely death. Whether it was at Hans' hands or in her hospital bed, they plagued Elsa every night. Dr Marsh had offered to prescribe Elsa medication to help her sleep, but she constantly turned him down. Even she wasn't sure why she continued doing so.

"Good afternoon, Elsa," the voice of Lieutenant Shang broke through Elsa's musings.

Elsa looked up as he and Mulan walked into the hospital room, a vase of flowers in Mulan's hands.

The police couple had made it their duty to consistently check up on Anna the past few weeks as well. Anna's room was decorated with flowers gifted from Mulan and Shang—and apparently several other members of the police force as well. Word of Anna's "bravery" in turning in the Royals had spread and she had garnered quite a fan base from city authorities. The media had caught wind of her heroics as well, but Shang and Mulan made sure to keep them out of the hospital, although Elsa still found herself being accosted by news anchors on a daily basis.

"Channel 7 sent these for Anna," Mulan quipped as she found room for the flowers on a counter in the room.

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Are they asking for an interview in return?" she questioned bitterly.

Mulan chuckled. "No, actually; they're just expressing their sincere concerns. My good friend, Ariel, runs Channel 7 and she knows better than to try and run this story."

"That makes one out of five networks…" Elsa grumbled.

Shang came up behind Elsa and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go get some rest, Elsa?" he said. "We can watch over Anna for a few hours."

Elsa looked over her shoulder at him. "Don't you have work to do?" Noting the harshness in her tone, she shook her head quickly. "I mean, I'm grateful, but aren't you all still busy with this caseload?"

Shang shrugged. "It's nothing Ling and the others can't handle for a few hours."

Elsa bit her lip and looked back to Anna. "I don't want to leave," she said. "What if Anna wakes up? What if her condition worsens?"

"Her condition won't get worse, Elsa," Mulan reassured. "Dr Marsh keeps trying to tell you she's stable."

"But she could still wake up," Elsa continued. "What if she wakes up and I'm not here? What's she going to think? She's been asleep for so long, what if she's scared?"

Smiling, Mulan's hand found Elsa's other shoulder. "Your concern is admirable, Elsa, but your worry is getting to your head. You need sleep; at least a couple hours' worth."

Elsa grabbed Anna's hand. "But…" she trailed off.

Mulan's hand squeezed her shoulder. "Please, Elsa," she begged. "Let me take you home. I'll stay with you while you sleep and I promise I'll bring you back in three hours tops."

"And I'll contact you both if even the smallest change takes place here," Shang added with a smile.

Letting out a sigh which caused her whole body to shudder, Elsa breathed out, "Fine; but just for a few hours."

Kissing each of Anna's knuckles, she gently set the girl's hand back down by her side before standing.

"I'll be back, Anna, I promise," she whispered, bending over to kiss her cheek.

The beep of Anna's heart monitor was Elsa's only answer, and with a gentle tug from Mulan, Elsa turned to leave the room. As they walked down the hallway, Elsa heard Shang sit in the chair and say to Anna, "You've got quite the guardian angel there, Anna."

Elsa smiled despite herself.

Guardian angel, she mused with an internal laugh. More like the shoulder angel that won't leave you alone.

To Elsa's relief, Mulan kept to her word. They arrived at Elsa's apartment, and after serving Elsa a cup of tea with an added "secret ingredient" Mulan said her mother always used before bed, sent Elsa off to her room. Whatever the ingredient was, it worked wonders and Elsa was dead to the world in just a few minutes.

The three hours passed by in the span of minutes. While Elsa would have happily stayed in her bed for the remainder of the day, the thought of Anna waking without her beside her had Elsa up and out of bed in less than a second. Feeling remarkably refreshed for such a small amount of sleep, Elsa and Mulan quickly left to return to the hospital.

They found Shang where they left him, going over a case file in the chair. Seeing Elsa come up to greet Anna with another kiss to her cheek, he stood with a stretch.

"Feeling better?" he inquired.

Elsa flashed a smile as she replied, "Much, actually."

Shang cast her a knowing smirk. "Mulan give you some of her mother's tea?"

She heard Mulan laugh at the mention and she replied for Elsa. "I did; it worked wonders, as it always does."

"I love that stuff," Shang sighed with a whimsical smile.

Elsa laughed, as his look in that moment did not match his demeanor, and soon the police couple was laughing as well.

In that moment, despite Anna's condition, Elsa felt as if everything was becoming right in her world again. The Royals were in the hands of the law, Elsa had acquired new allies and friends throughout the entire ordeal, and Anna was alive and well—albeit asleep and unaware to the mending of her broken world.

Although she wouldn't be asleep for much longer.

Had Elsa not managed to doze off—the effects of Mulan's soothing tea apparently still lingering—she would have heard the pacing of Anna's heart monitor pick up.

XxXxX

After her confrontation with Kristoff and Elsa's parents, Anna had found herself in a dark hallway. She had waited for some new apparition to appear before her and coax her back to life, but with the passing of several minutes, it became clear she was finally alone.

"Some light would be great," Anna mumbled to herself, her eyes having difficulty adjusting to the immense darkness around her.

In compliance with her thoughts, a speck of light appeared at the end of the hallway. Turning, Anna faced it, a slightly bewildered expression on her face. The light was beckoning her toward it, but she vehemently detested going towards it.

After all, didn't all movies and books tell you not to go towards the light in a situation like this?

"Do not be afraid, Anna."

Spinning around, Anna found Elsa's parents and Kristoff before her yet again.

"You want me to go towards the light?" she nearly balked.

She watched as Elsa's mother laughed. "My dear, do not believe everything you read or see. Can't you tell this light is different?"

Anna turned back to face the small rectangle of light. Squinting, she contemplated it for a moment before coming up empty.

Nope; it didn't feel any different to her.

"Elsa's waiting for you on the other side," she heard Kristoff say. "All you have to do is run toward the light."

"But…" Her words failed her.

"This tunnel will not take you to heaven," Elsa's father told her.

"Or hell," Kristoff added with a grin, before it fell from a sidelong glance from the older male next to him.

"It is the tunnel back," Elsa's father continued. "You are so close, Anna. All your body needs is this final push."

Home stretch, Anna thought with a silent chuckle.

"I'm that close?" she asked aloud.

All three people before her smiled.

"You're that close, dear," Elsa's mother said.

"You're that close to being free," her father added.

"You're that close to Elsa," Kristoff piped in.

Elsa. Anna's mind clung to that word. She's on the other side of that light.

"All I have to do is run?" she asked, turning yet again to face the glow.

"Or walk," Kristoff replied with a shrug, though Anna never saw it. "Although it will surely take you much longer if you do."

She took a hesitant step forward and the light pulsed. Another step and it pulsed again; encouraging her to continue her approach.

A beat passed and then Anna broke into an all-out sprint. She faintly recalled hearing Elsa's parents cheer her on and paid little attention to Kristoff's call of "See you on the other side, short- stuff!"

The beacon slowly but steadily grew bigger the closer she got, its previous pulses now going haywire in her mad dash.

Anna was briefly surprised that her run wasn't straining her body, but then she recalled that this wasn't really her body. Just like when she didn't feel the gunshots with Kristoff, this vessel she occupied cast everything away. She could run like this all day and never feel the slightest bit exhausted.

Before she knew it, she was only feet away from the hammering glow. Grinning, Anna spurred herself to go even faster and she pushed herself through daybreak.

Then she was falling, but she found she wasn't alarmed.

It was a pleasant fall; for she knew she would land next to Elsa.

XxXxX

A steady rhythm of beeping was the first thing she remembered hearing. It was quiet aside from that. Her eyelids fluttered and were instantly assaulted by the bright gleam of white light. Groaning and turning her head to the side, Anna was reluctant to try again.

The beeps were getting on her last nerve however, as they had failed to slow in the slightest. Slowly and carefully, she opened her eyes again.

Anna couldn't stop the smile from slowly spreading across her face.

There, asleep in a chair, was Elsa.

Anna's breath hitched and the beeps matched her catch on screen in response.

She was back.

She was alive.

A tear slid down her cheek and Anna lifted a heavy hand to her face to get rid of the wetness. Putting her limbs to use again sent a wave of feeling through Anna's body and the pain caught up to her. It wasn't as intense as she recalled immediately after being shot, but the dull throb was still there nonetheless. Her mouth was also incredibly dry and her legs were shouting in protest for having rested for so long.

However, over all the pain, all the dull aches and numbing throbs, there was one feeling that seemed out of place.

Comfort; a warm, all-encompassing comfort that quickly overthrew the aches.

Looking around, Anna grinned when she saw her sense of peace was her hand clasped tightly in Elsa's.

"Elsa…" she croaked.

Her throat burned as she vocalized her thoughts finally, and after painfully swallowing what little moisture there was in her mouth, she tried again.

"Elsa."

Anna watched as the blonde's face twitched and the grip on her hand tightened slightly. Still smiling, Anna flexed her captive hand.

That bit of movement immediately had the older girl wide awake.

Anna took in the expressions in Elsa's eyes as they shuffled through a variety of emotions in the span of a few seconds. First there was confusion—disoriented from her sudden awakening—then, there was recognition as Elsa remembered where she was, then sadness as Anna still hadn't awakened and the twitch of her hand had only been a dream.

Anna blinked and grinned again as the sadness fled and was quickly replaced by shock.

"A-Anna?"

God, she had missed that voice.

As Anna squeezed Elsa's hand, the final emotions passed across blue irises: relief, joy and love—in that exact order.

"I'm okay, Elsa," the redhead uttered.

Elsa threw herself from the chair as she nearly jumped on the bed, grabbing Anna in the fiercest, yet gentlest hug she could muster.

"You're alive," Elsa whispered, her voice cracking as the floodgates opened.

With little difficultly, Anna returned the embrace, nuzzling the blonde's neck.

"I'm alive," she returned.

She heard Elsa choke out a laugh before she was pulled back and came face to face with glistening eyes. Elsa stared at her for a long moment and Anna suddenly felt guilty. Elsa was simply absorbing this no doubt incredible sight before her and Anna was at fault.

She had selfishly put herself in harm's way and although her intentions had been nothing but admirable, they had also been undoubtedly stupid. She had caused Elsa such pain, such sadness; the tears running down her pale cheeks were evidence enough.

Anna reached up and affectionately cleared the tears from Elsa's face, but the action only seemed to evoke more tears, the action only confirming Anna's revival.

"I'm sorry," the younger girl whispered, thumb still stroking Elsa's cheek. "I didn't mean to cause you such pain."

Elsa shook her head and silenced her worries with a sensual kiss to her lips.

"You don't have to apologize," Elsa replied. "All that matters is that you're okay now. The rest is history."

Anna smiled genuinely before it turned coy. "Have I ever told you how good you are to me?"

Elsa smirked and kissed her again. "And have I ever told you how much I love you?"

Now shedding tears of her own, Anna wrapped her arms around Elsa's neck before nearly bringing the girl down on top of her in her embrace. After a bit of re-situating by both parties, Anna curled up against Elsa's side, smiling contentedly as the blonde placed kiss after kiss atop the redhead's temple.

A few minutes of silence passed, each girl simply basking in the other's presence and affection. However, it was soon broken by Anna.

"Elsa," she started, and there was a bit of uncertainty in her voice. "How long have I been out?"

Elsa's embrace only tightened as she replied, "Almost a month," and she felt Anna shiver against her.

"I'm sorry," Anna only whispered again.

Elsa shook her head and placed another kiss to her temple. "It's okay," she repeated.

"No, it's not," Anna tried to fight. "I can't imagine the grief I put you through, Elsa; all because I acted selfishly."

Turning onto her side so she could look the redhead in the eye, Elsa fixed her with a hardened glare.

"Anna, you did not act selfishly, alright?" she firmly stated. "You saved me. What you did was brave, and while this past month might have been hell for me, all that matters now is that you're alive. You're in my arms again and you're alive."

"But I could've died," Anna mumbled, fisting the fabric of Elsa's shirt.

"But you didn't," Elsa replied. "And honestly?" she started, now smiling somewhat shyly, "I knew you weren't going to. I mean, yeah, I was terrified at first, but after a while, I knew you'd be okay. I stayed by your bedside the majority of the time not because I was afraid you would die while I was gone, but because I was afraid you would wake up. I wanted to be there for you when you did, and while I may have been asleep, I was."

Anna smiled and just cuddled closer to the blonde. "Well, I'm still sorry," she said with a smile.

"You can apologize all you want," Elsa replied with a smile, "but there's nothing for you to be forgiven for."

She felt more than heard Anna yawn beside her and Elsa's smile softened.

"Go back to sleep," she whispered. "You might have been unconscious all this time, but you're body still isn't fully recovered."

Anna took her hand and squeezed it, looking into blue irises that held her future beneath their surface. "Promise you'll stay right here?"

Elsa squeezed right back and responded with, "I'm right where I belong."

Fin