I'm terribly sorry for the wait, guys! I know it's been a long one and I should reward you with a longer chapter, but these next couple of weeks are a little crazy. Following next week, however, I should be much more prompt with updating my stories. Without further ado, here is the next chapter! Thank you all for your patience and reviews! There are still more chapters to come, so don't think that this is the end!

-HW

Anna POV

My dreams consist of vivid images of dancing in Elsa's ice palace on the north mountain, the two of us being no older than five and eight years old. Olaf slides all around us, though he remains inanimate, yet to be granted life by Elsa thirteen years later.

Our laughter resonates through the chasms of ice, our breaths billowing around our faces like chilled clouds. I clutch Elsa's hand with a vice grip, unsteady on my feet, panting with amusement as I try not to slip and fall.

A large gust of wind suddenly tears through the doors, thick and suffocating with heat. With deafening crackles, the palace tumbles all around us, melting into a swirling storm of perilous shards raining down upon us.

Elsa shrieks and the ground beneath us falls away, plunging us into a fiery abyss, the heat so intense it scorches our skin and arrests our lungs, leaving us dissolving into agony.

And suddenly there is relief. My vision is dark, the images of my dream suspended from my mind, but there is a cooling sensation that eases the pain and slowly pulls me from my slumber.

A distorted face swims before me and suddenly I find myself staring into the ice blue eyes of my sister, their cobalt depths sharp with shock and concern.

"Elsa," I whisper, my voice catching in my throat. I turn my head and cough harshly into my pillow. I realize that the alleviating chilling sensation that I had felt earlier is a result of my sister's slender hands cupping my face.

"Ssh, Anna," she whispers, running her hands through the damp locks of hair on my forehead. "Don't try to talk."

I shiver and try to curl into myself when I feel Elsa sit down on the bed beside me and pull me into her embrace, her arm wrapped around my shoulders. I sit hunched and trembling on the edge of the bed, drawn to my sister's heat.

"Oh, Anna," she says softly. "You're running a very high temperature right now."

I sniffle and manage to meet her gaze. "I'm fine," I whisper, my breath quivering as I exhale. "It's my fault for running off into the snow anyway."

Elsa manages a small smile, though her expression is still dark with worry. She strokes my back in rhythmic circles with her fingertips, careful not to aggravate my sore muscles. "Well, we all make stupid decisions sometimes."

I open my mouth to reply only to be gripped by another bout of coughing which leaves me breathless and a little hoarse.

"Anna, do you feel like you can eat anything?" Elsa asks me, her eyes trained on my face. "You didn't eat very much last night."

A wave of nausea washes over me at the thought of food and I shake my head. "No thank you," I say in a small voice.

There's a knock on the door and Gerda steps into the room with Elsa's permission. "Your majesty, is there anything I can do to help?"

I glance up at Gerda, but then avoid her gaze, my cheeks growing hot by her sympathetic look. I vaguely remember her being present during my little episode earlier this morning and with a prickle of embarrassment, I realize how disgusting I must seem to all of them right now.

"Yes, thank you, Gerda," Elsa says, her arms still wrapped around my shoulders. "Could you please call in the physician? I would really appreciate that."

Gerda dips her head. "Yes, of course, your majesty." she says, backing out of the room.

When she's out of sight, Elsa turns to me and I'm startled by the intensity of her gaze. "Anna," she murmurs, brushing away the locks of hair from my face again. "How are you feeling? What hurts?"

A fresh wave of humiliation rushes over me and I grimace. "I'm just sick, Elsa," I say unhappily. "You really shouldn't get too close. And besides, you have other duties to attend to. I'll be fine, Elsa, really."

Elsa smiles warmly at me. "Anna, you need me," she says slowly, her expression shifting slightly as her eyes become distant with memories. "And we're going to get through this together, I promise."

A memory strays into my subconscious and I see myself slumped against Elsa's door in defeat, my heart weighed down with grief and frustration. Elsa would have nothing to do with me then. Even though I understand now why she kept her distance and that it was simply an act of love to protect me, I can't help but think of all the times that I needed her but had to cope alone.

Elsa must have read my expression for she reaches for my hand and squeezes it. "Anna," she murmurs. "I love you and I'm never going to shut you out like that again. If there had been any other way," she pauses, closing her eyes, pain written in the deep creases of her face. "I let myself be consumed by fear and became crippled as a result of it, leaving you alone to cope with the death of our parents and bear the weight of loneliness. All of the wishing in the world can't bring back the time we lost, but I know I can make the most of what we have now," She gives my hand another reassuring squeeze. "You don't have to be alone anymore, Anna. I'm your sister and I love you. I promise you that I will never leave you feeling abandoned ever again."

I gaze deep into her eyes and within their cerulean depths, I recognize the haunted expression of her past anxieties, swirling within her with a constant threat to make a reappearance. The gravity of her fear, though no longer weighing heavily upon her shoulders, lingers sharp and clear in the irises of her eyes.

"Elsa," I whisper, my throat tight. "I don't know what to say. Thank you."

Elsa leans forward and presses her lips to my forehead, a meaningful smile brightening her features. "You should rest," she tells me, assisting me as I lie back down under the covers, shivering with the shift in temperature. "I'll be right here."

"Thank you, Elsa," I manage, still touched by my sister's words. "Thank you for. . .for finally letting me in."

Elsa's eyes are pools of sorrow, but there is a small aura of hope dwelling there as well. "Get some rest," she murmurs gently, slipping under the covers with me and holding me close. "I'll still be here when you wake up."

Quivering slightly, I rest my head upon her shoulder and wrap my arms around her, my eyes slowly closing, relishing in the fondness of my sister and the embrace that unites us once more.