AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay in posting, but I hope you find this slight jump forward in time to be fitting in light of that. I really am going to keep up with posting this year, I swear! At least it's only been a month!

CHAPTER ELEVEN

That was the most they experimented for many months. When the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve, it was Jennifer Punzel that Anna kissed. When her needs ran high, it was Jennifer who met them. Elsa and Tori never had another moment together.

Of course, that didn't mean that Anna and her mother didn't have further close calls, awkward moments between more stable ones. Most of them were so fleeting they were easily laughed off, but once or twice Elsa had to forcibly do something to get Anna out of the mood before they broke their rules again. It was irritating, but she couldn't pretend she didn't understand; life really was better this way, overall.

Maintaining that distance did get easier over time. As the year progressed, there were fewer and fewer slip-ups. Jennifer somehow actually became even closer to the family. Her own mother was getting rather overbearing with the prospect of college quickly approaching, as if she weren't already, so more often than not the cheerful teen could be spotted at the McFly home instead of her own.

Jennifer's presence made it easier to keep things friendly with Elsa, too, and perhaps she knew that. Sometimes, after a particularly difficult day of pretending that her feelings weren't quite as strong as they really were, she would help Anna work out some of her frustrations – either by giving, or by letting Anna have her way with her. They usually tried to make sure it was in at least a semi-concealed place. Anna had really grown fond of her car, that was for sure.

And then the day arrived, full of trepidation, fear, and some elation: graduation day. It was surreal to think that this moment had finally arrived; Anna wasn't even sure if it was actually excitement that she was feeling. Her whole body felt a little bit numb.

"First day of the rest of your life, kiddo," Kristoff said that morning at breakfast, the words probably meant to comfort. They did, in some way, but at the same time they threw into stark contrast the fact that the safety net of high school was gone. Once more, fear struck her when it sunk in that Elsa wasn't going to be there forever – that soon their plan was going into effect. Anna honestly wasn't sure how she was going to cope with Elsa leaving for the future and Punz leaving for college.

"Yeah. Um…" This was probably a really bad time to make this announcement. When would be a better time, though? "You know how I'm going to the community college? And Punz is going to uni?"

"Of course, honey." So far, he was basically just listening and sipping at his coffee as he glanced at various news blurbs on his iPad. "And I'm proud of you for at least trying."

Setting down her own juice, she sighed, "Yeah." That had been its own ordeal, but in the end, she decided her parents were right; even if she didn't end up figuring out what she wanted to do with her life besides play her guitar and sing, the college experience might at least give her some kind of hint. But there was something else she wanted to do first.

"Um… so Punz and I did a lot of thinking. And talking about it, while we were in Tijuana for Spring Break." Clearing her throat, she glanced at Elsa, who was hanging in the kitchen doorway, and at Kristoff, who was looking up from his iPad now. "And… w-we want to do the backpacking-across-Europe thing."

"What?!" he gasped, setting the tablet down. "When did this happen?"

Taking a step closer, Elsa added, "Oh, Anna, I don't know if that's such a good idea. What about college? You may have to retake your entrance exams, and that's-"

"Relax, relax," she giggled with one raised hand, though she felt a little nervous at all their attention. "I meant for the summer. Like, we might miss the orientation tour, but we'll be back in time for classes, and can handle a lot of that pre-enrolment crap online. Internet cafes are still a thing, right?"

"Are you sure about this?" her mother asked. Still mothering.

"Yeah, I mean… one last hoo-rah, you know? We wouldn't be gone long either…" There was another reason, but she wasn't sure she wanted to let Elsa know it. And definitely not in front of Kristoff.

He seemed to realise that this conversation wasn't about him, though, because he gave a cough and said, "I think I'll let the two of you talk about this. We can have a proper discussion tonight… but whatever you decide, you know I love you guys. Or you had better by now."

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, Dad."

Then he was retreating to the den, and Elsa didn't waste any time. "What's this about, Anna? You've never mentioned anything like this before."

Anna shrugged. She didn't want to worry Elsa, or make her feel like she was running out on the family. But Elsa sat across from her and took her hand, looked at her with such selflessness and love that Anna remembered it wasn't just her that wanted to enact their plans. This was the best for both of them.

"I just… it's something that Punz really wants to do – just get away from here, just for a little bit and be together, y'know?"

"And what about you? What do you want?"

"I want it, too!" Anna assured her. Tried to, rather, because Elsa still looked a little unimpressed. "I really do, I swear. But…" She trailed off for a moment, looking down. She squeezed Elsa's hand a little, and it gave her courage to continue. "I want to go away and know that you're going to be here, waiting for me to return. I mean, you can do the first skip or whatever, but I think it would make that moment a little easier for me, too…"

"Ah…" Clearing her throat, she smiled. It wasn't exactly a joyful smile, or a giddy one; more an expression of understanding. "Yes, I suppose it would be awfully hard living here while your mother isn't. This way, it will be as if both of us went away. I'm…"

The hesitation worried Anna, but instead of flipping out she simply asked, "What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking of having something done in the far future. Just a small procedure; a checkup, really."

"Wait… something done? Like surgery?"

"Perhaps. It's actually something you-" But Elsa cut herself off, as if she had said too much. "Well, anyway, Doc Pabbie underwent the same procedure. Haven't you noticed how youthful and vibrant he seems lately?"

"Yeah, but I guess I just assumed he was hitting the espresso extra hard. He still looks like a wacky old scientist. Like… is this safe? This thing you wanted to do?"

"As far as I know, given Pabbie's testimony. But I'll start with a check-up, and if that goes well, I'll start with the smallest procedures that are most necessary. Then I'll give myself some time to adjust before trying anything further. And… that way, both of our 'summers' will be productive."

"So… that's a yes?" Anna asked slowly, eyes wide and hopeful. Elsa smiled.

"That's a yes. From me. We still need to talk to your father, and the Punzels, first." Anna frowned, a grumpy little turn of her lips that had Elsa's curling upwards. "Don't worry so much. The hard part is over now."

She was right, as always. Anna would have been happy enough to sit there in comfort with her for hours, but that plan was cut short as Kristoff reappeared in the doorway, wearing a nice pair of slacks and a semi-formal button up. He looked nicer than she ever remembered seeing him. He even looked thinner than in her past life – something she hadn't noticed until now.

To his credit, he barely even looked uncomfortable now as his eyes fell to their hands, clasped in the center of the table. It really had just been a matter of getting used to their new 'normal'. Not for the first time, Anna thanked the heavens that her siblings didn't live at home anymore.

"So, are we ready to go?"

"Well… I guess we are," Anna said, glancing over at her mother. When she nodded, she turned back to beam up at him. "I'll go put on that stupid cap and gown. I mean, why does that tradition stay alive? They make us look like a bunch of weird jellyfish."

Shaking her head, Elsa reached over to pat her daughter's shoulder. "Just go get ready."

In no time at all, they were prepared and in the car, an actual high-dollar camera rather than just a phone securely in Elsa's purse. They chatted about small things all the way to the school, and Anna started posting Instagram videos of even the boring bits. She didn't care if nobody who followed her watched them; they were for her to remember this time. This last time her family would be something like normal.

Once they got there, Kristoff and Elsa went off to find their other children, and maybe the Punzels. Anna started ducking through the crowd to find her girlfriend. For something that the school had done a billion times before, it was still a madhouse as people moved to-and-fro, trying to find family, or a seat, or lost kids. Generally just getting in the way. It didn't help that there were at least two or three 'extras' to every one of her classmates. There would have been over 500 people milling about.

Finally, Anna did see Punz. She was with her family and looking only a little bit put-out. The sun was hot and there wasn't any shade, and really this thing had to be starting soon anyway. Taking a breath, Anna approached.

Punz was the first to notice her, and thus, the first to react. Her eyes lit up and she smiled widely. But she didn't make any move to approach Anna. The reason was obvious as Mrs. Punzel caught sight of Anna. Her eyes narrowed, and her mouth set into a grim line of vague distaste.

Anna remembered reading Harry Potter when she was younger. The way Rowling described Narcissa Malfoy… that was often how she thought of Mrs. Punzel. She never told Jennifer, of course, but then the mutual dislike between Anna and Punz's mother wasn't exactly a secret. Anna hadn't even done anything wrong! She wasn't sure how the story went in this timeline, but in her old one, Mrs. Punzel had never quite forgiven Anna for doing "unspeakable damage to my daughter". Anna was sure it was a lesbian thing, but Mrs. Punzel had never actually admitted as much.

She kept things simple as she got to them. Arms flapping out to her sides, she said, "Heya. We gotta go take our places with the students!"

"Miss McFly," Mrs Punzel said. Her husband sighed wearily, but did manage a pained smile before nodding at her.

"Sir, Ma'am."

"Mom!" Jennifer hissed. Then she turned back to grin at Anna. "Let's do this thing. Maybe if we're good they won't change their minds."

Once away from the parents and heading to the rows of chairs in front of the stage, the football field's grass crunching under their steps, Jen whispered, "Whew. At least she kept it short this time."

"I tried," she giggled. Jane and Merida waved when they passed them. Then they needed to split up, even though they wouldn't be sitting very far away from each other; M and P were fairly close together.

"Those shoes are killer, though. Are they vintage?"

Glancing down at her hot pink heels, Anna smiled to herself. Something she had worn just for her mother. "Yeah. Yeah, they are."

~ o ~

The day was a success. It wasn't like graduating could ever fail, really. Anna almost tripped, but she managed to right herself before anyone noticed. Her mother filled two rolls of film, somehow, and it took awhile for her to find her cap again after she threw it with everyone else. But hers had "Class Of '85" written on it with a silver Sharpie; it stood out somewhat.

Afterward, they all went out to dinner. John and Wendy were so proud of their little sister, in a way that Anna hadn't really expected. Especially from Wendy; sure, this version seemed happier, more open to differences, but it was still crazy. Gosh, they were even proud of Punz. Made her feel like part of the family.

They had decided against going to Cafe 80s again. For Kristoff, John, and Wendy, it was because they wanted something a little fancier than burgers. For Anna, Elsa, and Punz, it was because despite the crowds piled into the little shop on occasion, it still felt… private. A spot for her and her friends, and girlfriends. This was especially true in Elsa and Anna's case, but it was enough for all three of them to agree emphatically with whatever the others chose.

"Oh, I'm just a tagalong," Punz had deferred. "I'm happy with whatever."

"No you're not," Kristoff said, before Anna even had a chance to rebuke her girlfriend. "You're part of our family, and that means you have a say."

Anna wondered briefly if he was only talking about the food, before deciding that it didn't actually matter. It certainly didn't to Punz, who was blinking rapidly and looking very much like she wanted to burst into tears.

"Th-thank you," she said quietly. Anna stepped closer to grab her hand.

"Dinner time?" she asked her, very serious. Punz smiled and let out a little laugh that had far more emotion in it than a simple laugh should.

"Dinner time. Honestly, I've been too nervous to have anything until now - and I feel like I could eat a horse!"

So they settled on a local Italian place. They were pretty booked up, but Kristoff had some pull with the owner, who used to go to high school with them; Anna wondered if she had met him in the past. Probably so.

All went fairly well until Mr. and Mrs. Punzel took their leave. Sure, they tried to get Jennifer to go with them, but she pointed out – politely, in Anna's opinion – the fact that this was supposed to be a celebration and everyone was staying later. Bethel had argued that if everyone jumped off a cliff, would she follow? Luckily, Kristoff had more courage in this universe and had learned how to be at least moderately suave – thanks to his future daughter, of course. He was able to sweet-talk them into letting him pay for Jennifer's meal; it was the least they could do for the daughter of such a nice family, and their own girl's best friend. Anna made gagging motions just out of Mrs. Punzel's sight, and Wendy almost blew it by snorting. Even Elsa was smiling a little bit in bemusement.

"You guys are really the best," Jennifer said in a highly emotional voice once the rest of the Punzels had gone. "Like… my parents are trying, but they're just really different, um, mentally. So I think it's pretty cool of you to not care that they…"

"Have sticks up their butts?" John finished for her. Wendy slapped his arm, and he shrugged at her as if surprised she took issue with his phrasing.

"It's perfectly alright," Elsa told her immediately. "And I agree; I have hopes they will eventually come around to acceptance, even if that's as far as they get."

"Better than nothing," her husband agreed, drawing at his glass of wine. Anna could never remember seeing him drink something like that; it was always beer or chocolate milk, basically. Coffee in the morning, though that was still their reality.

"And either way, they aren't you," Anna put in. "Don't think we're gonna get rid of you just because of them."

The smile on Jennifer's face was so huge it seemed impossible to be contained there. Then she hugged Anna's arm tightly. "You're so sweet. And that means everybody, not just Anna."

"Then you're a matching set," Elsa teased very lightly. It was as close as she could ever come to openly admitting to the whole family that she thought Anna was sweet, and Anna felt her heart skip over a beat.

But this wasn't about her at the moment. It was about Punz, and making her feel as accepted as she made Anna – and Elsa – feel at all times. This sweet girl deserved the world.

~ o ~

The months flew by. All in all, Anna couldn't have asked for more from her trip abroad. Even though they didn't get to stop in as many countries as they wanted to, she and Jennifer got to see Paris, Rome, London, Madrid, Berlin… She felt like she understood the world a lot better now than she did before.

Along the way, there were many late nights and tender kisses. And more. Anna grew a lot more used to being intimate on a regular basis. Though Jennifer was eager to please, she definitely missed those other encounters with her other paramour… but as often as she could, she put them out of her mind. This trip was not for them; it was for her and Jennifer.

When they got back to Dell Valley, both of them felt almost disconnected from their surroundings. They had spent so long hopping from hostel to hostel, sometimes having to try to catch a nap on a beach when they could get away with it, that going back to their boring old humdrum town felt like something from another lifetime rather than the end of summer.

"Everything looks… smaller somehow," Jen said as they got out of the Uber in the square. "Even though I'm pretty sure it's not."

Anna nodded, shading her eyes. "It is smaller. I mean, this is everything we'd ever known for most of our lives, right? Except for Tijuana. Which is like, right over there." She made a vague gesture toward the south.

Punz grabbed Anna's hand, tugging her girlfriend close for a soft kiss. "Maybe it just looks small because my whole world is right here."

Anna grinned giddily, unable to help the way her cheeks blossomed. "You dork." Then she scrunched up her nose. "I'll tell you what, though, I'm glad I can use my own shower again."

It was a subtle plea, but one Punz caught straight away. Wrapping her arms around Anna's waist, she said, "Well, did you wanna go home first to have a shower? And… maybe a nap. I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." She made a show of slumping against Anna and was rewarded with a tinkling laugh.

"Maybe you should come back to my house before you fall asleep on the bus."

"Of course I'm coming home with you. Think you can get rid of me that easily, huh?" There was still laughter in her voice, and it was obvious she was joking. Anna still felt impelled to lean forward and hug her tight.

"Never," she said earnestly.

So they headed for the house. She wasn't entirely sure what she would find there. Would Elsa even be home to welcome them? She had implied that she would, but maybe she changed her mind and wanted to drag out the "gaps". Though she doubted it. If anything, her mother always seemed determined to do what she said she would do, even when it resulted in sexual frustration.

More than anything, she just missed her family. It would be great seeing them again.

When she got in, the house wasn't empty for once. Her parents were already there, chatting in the living room. They had a lot of catching up to do, it seemed. Then Elsa turned around at the sound of the door scraping open…

And Anna dropped her luggage in sheer surprise. The difference was already clear. Her mother looked about five or ten years younger, with reduced wrinkles and slightly more colour in her cheeks. It wasn't a stark difference, only a decade of time in the same healthy individual. But given her inside knowledge, she could tell that she had the procedure, and it had been successful.

"Anna," she breathed, smile full of the kind of love which Anna had ached for on some nights. The ache she had done her best to ignore, and fill with an appreciation for the excitable nerd who was already with her. And while it worked, because Punz was just as important to her, it couldn't fully compensate for what felt almost like a missing limb.

"Mom…" Racing forward, she flung herself into her arms, clawing at her back. "Mom!"

"Oh, Anna," she breathed into her hair gratefully. "I'm so glad to see you again… so glad you're home."

The world narrowed to just the two of them. Distantly, Anna was aware of Punz and Kristoff moving away, leaving the two of them alone. The sheer desperation that Anna felt to hold Elsa close was strong, but not unprecedented.

"I missed you," Elsa murmured, completely redundantly. She didn't even bother to reply – at least, not with words. Anna felt the arms around her squeeze a little tighter, and she spent a moment just breathing in her mother's scent. When they finally pulled apart, Anna's heart felt so full it might burst.

"You look beautiful," were the first words out of her mouth, and she wasn't just talking about the 'update'.

"And you look beautifuller," Elsa commented, teasing Anna about something she had said once when she was little. The grin and laugh were earnest and full of joy. "Seriously, that's a really healthy colour in your cheeks, nice tan; Europe was good for you."

"What about you? Like, I've never seen you looking so energetic! Well… not in thirty years."

Chuckling along with her daughter, she led her over to the dining room table to sit. "It was a success. And since my recovery was complete, I came straight back here; I didn't want to miss a moment."

"And I would have been mad if you weren't here when I got back. So yeah, good plan."

"I'm glad you approve." Then she cleared her throat. "Also… I've been thinking."

"This can't be good."

"No, listen. How about I just stay here through to Christmas? After all, I already have a clean bill of health from the future, and have rolled back the clock by about ten years. So far as my job and your siblings are concerned, I took a cruise and went to a spa."

Anna bit her lip. It would make everything easier – she would be a pretty terrible liar if she said that she wanted Elsa to skip all the way through to Christmas. That was months away. And what would they tell John and Wendy?

"How are we going to explain you coming back looking like your own little sister?" Anna asked. "Whatever we say, they'll probably either… not believe us or call us monsters, so…"

Elsa's voice was soft, and full of a pain that Anna didn't recognise. "I know that… I'm either abandoning them, or I abandon you, and my heart along with it… and of course it's unfortunate that I'm going to miss out on them growing up. On their children and their family. But we already decided this is the only way."

Guilt spreading through her heart like ice. She had considered how Elsa felt before, but apparently she hadn't truly realised the extent to her anguish. Swallowing hard before speaking, in a voice so small it could barely be heard, Anna whispered, "Do you regret it?"

"Of course." The answer surprised her, but Elsa immediately followed it up with, "But not as much as I would regret not doing it. This was my choice. And anyway, I thought this might give us another chance to back out. Yes, I'm aware that I keep overthinking and second-guessing…"

Shaking her head, Anna let out a weary sigh. The trip had left her jet-lagged, and thinking about these matters yet again did the same thing. But Elsa had every right to be cautious with her choice; she was the one whose life would be changed the most drastically, after all.

"I get it, Mom. Like, this is kind of a test to see how we can handle what you did so far. Figure out if we're okay with more." When Elsa nodded, she looked down at her own lap for a few seconds. "Maybe… yeah. I mean, it's your call."

"This affects you, too. And I thought… if around Thanksgiving, you and Kristoff are still alright with it, that might be when I tell John and Wendy that I'm taking a job overseas. It'll be the easiest way to explain my time-skipping without burdening them with keeping our secret."

That was an aspect she hadn't spent a lot of time thinking about. If they really did tell her siblings that she and her mother were in love, and breaking the laws of nature and time and space in order to be together, they would either get committed to an asylum or told they were disgusting. Either way, even if they reacted well and accepted them, they would still be two more people who had to keep the secret, which was going to be hard enough on Kristoff and Jennifer as it was. Yet again, her mother was right.

"I trust you, Mom." That was all she could say this time. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her smile beginning to return. "But hey, tell me about this thingy you had done. How was it?"

"Can't tell you that," she teased with a gleam returning to her eyes. "Too much information about the future; I tried not to remember more specifics than was necessary myself. Tell me about your trip! God, I want to hear everything!"

By this stage, Punz and Kristoff had returned. They were hovering by the door, probably trying not to interrupt – they succeeded in that aspect. But as soon as Anna and Elsa noticed them, they called them over.

What followed was a good hour of debriefing. Punz remembered a lot more than Anna, but with the hundreds of photographs they had taken, it didn't really matter. There would be details missed – small moments that they'd remember randomly in the future. They also had to make sure the stories remained appropriate to tell, especially in front of Kristoff. He didn't need to know about the nude beach situation they thoroughly enjoyed in Germany. He also didn't need to know about the drinking – but he probably could figure that one out all on his lonesome.

It was nice, being the centre of their attention. She felt like she was little and telling them all the things she learned at school. Before Elsa started drinking. Both had the same rapt expression on their face, and it was one Anna believed was genuine. Elsa genuinely wanted to know.

Everything was worth it to see her mother like that again.

When they got to what happened in Amsterdam, Kristoff laughed and made a big deal of saying he didn't want to know what happened, and Elsa asked if they needed to search their bags. In fact, she got up and pretended to start poking around in them, and both Anna and Punz pulled her away with many giggles. By that point, they realised they were quite hungry and moved along to head somewhere for an early supper.

"It's all going to start being different now, isn't it?" Punz whispered as they rode in the backseat.

"Yeah. But I'm excited." Even while squeezing Jennifer's hand, she glanced in the rearview mirror and caught sight of her mother's knowing eyes staring back at her. "Like, for better or worse, I think this is gonna be an interesting year."

To Be Continued…