A/N: Thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited and/or is reading but not reviewing!:)

Thanks to CieloFede for beta-ing:)

Fatten Saad-Yes, Elsa sure did!:)

BellaCullen931-Thank you.:) Elsa needed a pep talk in my opinion, so...yeah.:)

princessdianaofparadiseisland-Yes, Elsa did something finally:) Well, I think Elsa has a sense of humor; she just doesn't employ it all that often. Same with her childish/silly streak.:)

johnpatgillespie-Elsa just needed to do something herself for once.:P Yes, and I know I owe a zillion people reviews...I'm sorry.:P

Protoestrella1-Yay!:) No, Elsa is most definitely NOT going to lose control like she did during the Great Freeze again.:P She still makes mistakes at the moment, but not nearly that big.:) Yes, Elsa's stuttering is getting better. I don't think it'd be believable if it randomly disappeared overnight either.:/ Lol, yes, Elsa hit that It was about time...:)

On to the story!:)

True to her word, Anna stayed glued to her sister's side for the next few days. She even stayed in the parlor with Elsa while Gerda helped Elsa practice both her speech and just speaking in general. Elsa's happy smile was enough to light up the room when she managed to say a few tongue twisters without stuttering for the first time. Elsa couldn't say them fast like Anna did without stuttering, but it was enough for Elsa all the same.

"You just wait, Snow Queen Elsa of Arendelle! I bet you're gonna be an epic speech-giver soon," Anna said happily.

"I'll make you tie twine…to three…tree twigs after that speech," Elsa teased. I just have to stop pausing like that, that's all. That's much better anyways.

"Then you have to say 'seven silver swans swim silently seaward'," Anna replied, barely containing her giggles.

Elsa thought for a moment; then answered, "What about 'she sells s-seashells by the…oh, I messed up. That one's too hard…" Don't get too confident, Elsa. What do you think you are, some instant speech expert? Because you're not.

"Miss Elsa, it isn't too hard. Tongue twisters are supposed to mix you up. That way if you can say those, you won't have any problems in an average conversation. At least that's what we're hoping, since I'm not some speech expert," Gerda told her.

Anna just gave Elsa a hug. "You're a stinker, Elsa. That one's super easy to mess up whether you've got a problem with stuttering or not. You expect too much out of yourself."

"I know…I can't help it," Elsa said quietly. Anna is right, though. I'm just so tired of just…myself a lot of the time, I suppose.

Elsa was very, very grateful for Anna's company, but she was now very concerned about the whole problem with the usurpers in the castle. She hadn't seen anyone matching those descriptions that man had provided around those certain areas of the castle. And nothing happened out of the ordinary. Elsa kept her eyes peeled, but no cryptic notes appeared anywhere, and no one tried to attack her or Anna again. I am a hundred percent positive they must be up to something, though. Maybe they're waiting for Anna and me to drop our guards down so they can strike? I don't know…

Elsa continued practicing maneuvers with her powers in the courtyard. She could consistently strike the bull's-eye with her icicles now, so Kai had moved on to other things for her to practice. Elsa could confidently create an impenetrable ice bubble around herself now-it would withstand bullet shots at both close and long range, and it wasn't even affected by fire. "I'm so glad I can…do that," Elsa said proudly. As long as I don't freeze up or get freaked out, I can make an ice bubble and then I really am invincible. I'm a hundred percent safe inside, and I don't have to hurt whoever's after me to do it, either.

Anna was very good at coming up with 'what if?' scenarios. "If someone realizes you control your powers mostly with your hands, they might try to pin your hands behind your back. Then what?"

"I cool my body temperature enough that I'm t-too cold to touch," Elsa replied quickly.

"What if someone's pointing a gun at you?"

"Knock it out of their hand w-with an icicle and freeze the weapon over in the p-process," Elsa responded. "Then freeze their feet in place and r-run. Or I could just make an ice bubble, but then I'm trapped until the assailant l-leaves."

"Miss Elsa, I would advise making an ice bubble only if you're dealing with more than one person," Kai suggested. "You could easily hold off at least two or three people without doing that from what I've seen you do, but if you're dealing with a group, you'll be safer inside an ice bubble most likely."

Elsa nodded. "Thank you. That makes sense to m-me." I still don't like the thought of fighting with my powers in the first place. Practicing out here in the courtyard is fun, but doing it for real wouldn't be in the least.

"Kai, what if someone managed to pick Elsa up and throw her on the ground before she had a chance to do anything?" Anna asked with a frown, remembering how that one man had easily tossed her sister away from him when he'd broken into Elsa's room a few nights before. Elsa was perfectly fine except for a cut on her arm, but she could have easily hit her head or something…I think Elsa and I were really lucky. That, and that man was banking on Elsa being too frightened to do anything. "I mean, I can pick her up without much trouble. She doesn't weigh anything!" Anna demonstrated this by picking up her sister and setting her down again.

Elsa dropped a bit of snow down Anna's back for that. "You don't have any room to t-talk, Anna! You don't weigh any more than I do," she informed her sister.

Kai covered a laugh with a cough. "It's certainly nice to see you do that little move again, Miss Elsa. You dropped snow down your sister's back all the time when you were little."

Elsa clasped her hands behind her back, trying to appear completely innocent of such behavior, but her pink cheeks and a trace of a rather childish smirk on her face gave her away instantly. I did do that all the time when Anna and I were little. I clearly remember doing that.

Anna jumped about, exclaiming that the snow was too cold and why did Elsa have to do that for a minute, but then she chased her sister around the courtyard, threatening her with tickles.

Elsa hesitated for all of two seconds before taking off running. Kai had known her since she was a baby. He wouldn't rat on her to anyone for being childish by playing tag with her sister in the courtyard. "You can't catch me!" she informed Anna.

"Can too! And no powers! That's cheating!" Anna shouted back, knowing Elsa was confident enough at the moment to simply ice the ground and send Anna sprawling.

"Is not!" Elsa began letting ice form under her footsteps. She spun around a second later…just in time for Anna to run into her at full speed, sending them both crashing to the ground. "Anna, get off me!" Elsa squealed. "Quit tickling!"

"Elsa's ticklish, Elsa's ticklish," Anna chanted. She couldn't keep from giggling, thinking it was hilarious that she had pinned the Snow Queen on the ground. And ok, seeing her elegant big sister laughing and acting like a little kid made her happy.

Elsa just lay on the ground, laughing so hard tears streamed down her cheeks. I don't care if I am being immature; it feels so good to play with Anna again. Just like when we were little. She tried to push Anna away from her, but between all the giggling and the tickling and the fact that Anna was physically stronger than she was anyway; Elsa was stuck. "There! Snowflake attack!" Elsa finally just showered snowflakes all over her sister and smiled.

Anna stopped attacking her sister with tickles to wipe the snow out of her eyes, and Elsa promptly sat up and hugged Anna tightly. "Thank you…so, so much," Elsa whispered. You just permanently erased more of that hurt inside me. It feels so nice to be able to play with my little sister again. I might be twenty-one now, but I feel more like I'm eight.

Elsa just hugged me. She just hugged me! I know Elsa has done that more than once already, but more often than not, I'm the one that initiates any sort of physical contact. That means Elsa is very, very happy right now. She even used her powers to play together on purpose! Elsa dumped snowflakes all over me… Anna quickly hugged her sister back. "I'm super proud of you, Elsa," she said quietly.

"Why?" Elsa asked, her voice muffled in Anna's shoulder.

"'Cause you just used your powers while we were playing together. Just like when you were little," Anna told her. "That means you're confident that you won't get out of control, at least right now. So I'm proud of you."

Elsa's happiness abruptly ended during the night. Elsa jerked awake, somehow feeling that something was amiss. And it wasn't the incoming hurricane due to arrive the next afternoon. Elsa just lay there in the dark, trying to figure out what was wrong. Suddenly she knew. I fell asleep with Anna's arm around me. Where is she? Maybe she just rolled over or something, right? Elsa turned on the kerosene lamp on her nightstand; then checked to see if Anna was where she belonged on the other half of the bed. Elsa's eyes went wide.

Anna was gone.

Okay, maybe she went to the bathroom. Or took a walk. Wait, who would take a walk in the middle of the night? That's stupid. Maybe she's sleepwalking. Don't panic yet. What time is it? Oh…it's actually nearly five in the morning. Okay. Crazy early, not crazy late. Elsa slipped out of bed and tiptoed over to her bathroom. "Anna?" she asked softly, even though no light came from under the bathroom door. Elsa eased the door open, just in case. No Anna. Now what? Elsa refused to let herself jump to the most likely conclusion-that someone had gotten into her room and taken Anna without waking either of them up. Well, Elsa had woken up, but too late if that was the correct scenario. I should have frozen my window shut...why didn't I?!

I'll go check Anna's room. Maybe she went to sleep in there for some reason….oh come on, Elsa, you know Anna didn't do that. She doesn't leave you even when you make the room freezing cold by accident. With growing unease, Elsa lit a candle and tiptoed out of her room and down the hall. She nervously opened the door to Anna's room, but a quick look revealed no sign of Anna. Elsa's heart dropped to her toes. Maybe there's a note someone left in my room. That's possible and logical, right?

Elsa found what she was looking for right on her desk. "Forest fire. We can put out the f-fire or destroy the ice. Your choice. 3 P.M.," Elsa read. "Oh, no you don't. I pick neither!" she said forcefully. I pick both of us. So there. Now I just need to figure out how to get Anna back without getting both of us killed. If I go after her, they'll probably try to off both of us. People like this don't keep their word. Wait…what if they just go ahead and hurt Anna before I have a chance to try to help her?! She's of no value to them. Actually, they probably want her dead…they've figured out I need her to function properly and that it would be easy to get rid of me without her. They could have just left this note as bait so I'd show up and already killed her or something! Elsa eyed her nightstand. Anna had left her revolver behind, so she didn't even have that with her, wherever she was.

Elsa dashed out of her room with that note clenched in her fist. Down the hall, down the stairs, straight to Gerda's room downstairs. Elsa, remember what Anna told you. It's okay to be scared; I just can't freeze up. I have to take action anyway. Anna, please be okay. You've done so much for me. Now it's my turn to do something for you. Don't freeze up; don't freeze up.

I'm scared.

That's okay, Elsa. Just don't freeze up. Don't freak out. No panic attack freakout things. She could feel herself shaking as she banged on the door to Gerda's room. Come on, Elsa, calm down. Conceal, don't feel. I can't lose control right now. Elsa shook her head and roughly wiped her eyes. Quit crying. I have to believe Anna is completely fine until it's proven otherwise. Anna is okay. She's okay.

"Miss Elsa, what on earth?!" Gerda asked in surprise the second she opened her door. There stood Elsa, still in her nightclothes, shaking and half-crying.

Elsa wordlessly held out the now crunched-up note. Will you please help me? I don't know who else to turn to. Kai would help me too, but I'd still rather talk to Gerda…

"Very bad secret code," Gerda commented. "Come in, Miss Elsa. Maybe you could explain what you know, perhaps?" She guided Elsa over to a small table and sat her down in a chair.

"Anna…Anna's missing!" Elsa managed to say. "I woke up, and…a-and…and she was just…gone!" I want my baby sister back! If something happens to her, it'll be my fault, because those people wouldn't be after us if it wasn't because of me. Messed up, abnormal me. "I want my baby s-sister back!" she wailed.

"Miss Elsa, you can't lose your head," Gerda said quietly. "Those people took your sister because they're assuming you'll break without her with you. Don't give them that satisfaction."

"What if…what if they…k-killed her already?" Elsa asked tearfully. "What if I'm already t-too late?"

"I don't mean to sound callous, but as long as they didn't do that right when they took her, they won't do it at least until you find her. Let's not jump to that conclusion, Miss Elsa. We can think positive until it's proved beyond a shadow of a doubt otherwise."

Elsa nodded, but she still kept her gloved hands balled into fists in her lap. Anna wouldn't give up if she was in my place. She'd do everything she could to find and help me. And for me, 'everything' includes ice powers. That's one thing I have that Anna's kidnappers don't have. Elsa glanced down at her hands before slowly taking off one glove, then the other. She was not helpless. She had a way to go after those people that took Anna. I need help, but I'm not helpless. So there.

"Gerda? I have an idea, but I need help."

Out on the rocks lining the fjord, Anna stumbled from one rock to another in the dark. "The only reason you guys aren't dead already is 'cause you wouldn't let me pick up my revolver," she said angrily. "And the only reason I didn't scream your eardrums out when you took me out of Elsa's room was 'cause you were gonna kill her! I hate you people."

"You and the ice girl care about each other too much. It's going to be your downfall," the large man that had broken into Elsa's room the first time said.

"The 'ice girl' is Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" Anna spat. Elsa's going to freak out when she finds out I'm missing. Oh Elsa, please stay strong. I know you'll easily decode that stupid note, but don't freak out. You'll be fine. Anna eyed the dark fjord water. Maybe she could jump in the water and swim to safety. Anna purposely let herself slip on a rock; then scrambled to her feet, closer to the water now. "Sorry, clumsy me! Oops." Anna pulled the same move two more times. Now she was close enough to the water to 'slip' in. Anna fell into the water on purpose; then began flailing about as if she couldn't swim. She dove under the water and stayed under as long as she could. Maybe they'll think I drowned and leave me alone. I have to get back to Elsa! Anna finally couldn't stay underwater any longer and bobbed to the surface.

"Get out of that water, or we'll just go find your sister and get rid of her."

Anna scowled. "How do I know you're not going to go after her anyway? You've already slammed Elsa against the wall, held a knife to her throat, and broken into her room twice. You're nothing but a big fat liar!" Anna lashed out when the man yanked her out of the water and began kicking and punching whatever she could reach. "LET ME GO! I want my big sister, you stupid creeps!" The second the man released her, she began scrambling back over the rocks toward the castle. Gotta get home and tell Elsa I'm fine. Gotta get home and tell Elsa I'm fine. Or rather…mostly fine. Ow. In the dark, Anna slipped on a wet rock and twisted her ankle. Doesn't matter. I need to tell Elsa I'm fine. I can't let her risk coming after me. I don't know what those men would do to her. Anna tried her best to stand up and keep going, but her ankle was slowing her down significantly and the men easily caught her. "Leave me alone! What are you gonna do when the sun comes up, huh?! Everyone will see you trying to kidnap the princ-" Anna's words were cut short when she felt a gun pressed to her forehead. Great. What have I done now? Wait, they can't kill me. They need me as bait to get Elsa. Or do they? I don't know.

"One more word out of you and you'll have a hole in your head. Your sister wouldn't like that, now would she?"

Anna suddenly remembered part of something Kai had told her she could do if this ever happened. She waited a second, standing stock still; then simultaneously dodged her head to the side and grabbed the barrel of the gun with one hand and hit the man straight in the face with the other. Anna grinned in surprise that it had actually worked when she suddenly had the gun right in her hand. Wait, I forgot something. Or did something wrong. What is it?! I can't remember! I can't remember! On instinct, Anna just hurled the gun as far out into the fjord as she could. At least then nobody had it. I don't have built-in defenses like Elsa does…boo. I wish I did.

"Y'know, this would be a lot easier if we just carried her," one of the others said. "She's causing a lot of trouble for just one girl."

"I don't want to be carried," Anna retorted. Her ankle was throbbing now, but she was determined not to let the men know that. That's my weak spot at the moment and they'll go after it or something.

"Are you going to behave and not throw other people's guns into the fjord?"

Anna just stared daggers at the man, her blue-green eyes flashing. I should probably behave if I want to stay alive and keep them from going back after Elsa…I just gotta stay on my guard for a chance to escape. "I guess," she said finally.

"Fine, then."

Five minutes later, Anna had indeed stayed true to her word that she would 'behave', but that didn't help that she genuinely couldn't move along that fast with her ankle. Finally, Anna's ankle gave out under her and simply wouldn't support her weight anymore. I've gotta keep going on my own! I'll be ten times more helpless if one of those people carries me. Anna stayed kneeling on the rocks for a moment before struggling to her feet…and falling again. I can't go any further. I know I can't. I need Elsa. She doesn't know what to do to help herself, but she would help me. I know she would. To her complete and utter chagrin, Anna couldn't keep her tears from running down her cheeks. Unlike Elsa, Anna was terrible at concealing her emotions. Right this second, Anna agreed wholeheartedly that there was a use for her sister's horrible 'conceal, don't feel' mantra. When you're stuck in a situation where people will use your feelings against you. Great. I wish Elsa were here.

"What's your problem now? Are you going to break down and have an…episode like your sister does?"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Anna shouted. "Don't badmouth Elsa! She's perfect just like she is! And PUT ME DOWN!" She punched at whatever she could reach, but soon she found herself just punching air. Anna saw black, and white light seemed to flash in her eyes, and she suddenly didn't know anything more.

Back inside the castle, Elsa had let herself cry for a minute, but then she managed to pull herself together and concoct a viable plan. First she ran back upstairs to her own room and changed into her ice-dress. That dress still gave her a bit more confidence that she didn't have otherwise. Not a lot, but still. Then she woke up Kristoff in the stables and told him what had happened. Kristoff was only too eager to help rescue Anna.

"If I know Anna, she's probably giving her kidnappers a lot of trouble," Kristoff said. "She may not have powers like you do, Queen Elsa, but she's not a helpless 'Oh please rescue me' girl, either."

Elsa still felt shaky, but a trace of a smile flitted across her face at that. That's true. Anna wouldn't just go along with whatever her abductors say without a fuss.

"Y'know, Queen Elsa, if you'll pardon my meddling in your personal affairs, I can totally tell you're terrified right now, and I don't see any ice. That means it's possible for you to stay in control even if your emotions go crazy. Must be because you're very focused on something-getting Anna back," Kristoff told her.

Kristoff is right! I'm not out of control right now, and I do feel terrified. Now that Elsa was actually thinking about it, ice began forming under her feet, but she was able to keep it from spreading all over. "Maybe I shouldn't actually th-think about it," she commented ruefully. "Come on, let's go rescue Anna."

"Should I bring Sven? He can kick the bad guys if I tell him to."

Elsa eyed that big reindeer. "Um…okay, why not? I'm sure we can use the extra h-help," she said with a smile. Elsa's original plan did not include smelly reindeer, but a reindeer wouldn't betray her rescue group and switch sides, either. She didn't know exactly which castle guards were loyal to her and the Crown, so she planned to just take Gerda, Kai, Kristoff, and herself to find Anna. Deep inside, she knew her own ice powers were plenty strong enough to rescue Anna on her own, but she couldn't risk that. She might freeze up or something again, and the whole effort would be for naught.

"Hear that, Sven? The Snow Queen wants your help," Kristoff told his reindeer. "Why, yes. Queen Elsa's personality isn't cold like her icy powers. She's friendly," he said in a deeper voice as Sven.

Elsa tilted her head to one side, considering that. Me? I'm friendly? I'd say Anna is friendly, but not me… "Do you really think I'm f-friendly?" she asked in puzzlement.

"I didn't say that. Sven did," Kristoff replied, suddenly looking very intent on brushing Sven's fur.

Elsa smiled and hesitantly reached her hand out to touch Kristoff's arm. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Tell Sven instead."

Elsa jerked her hand back and held it against her chest. "Will Sven bite m-me if I pet him?" she asked nervously. What if I freeze him? I can't pet an animal…I might hurt it.

"Naw. He likes you already, see?"

Elsa yelped and jumped backwards when the big reindeer snuffled at her hands and dress looking for carrots. "I…I…maybe I'll pet y-you later, Sven. We have to go g-get Anna," she said. My stuttering is worse than usual at the moment. Maybe because I'm nervous? And I'm standing here talking to a reindeer. Very weird.

"Sven just thinks you've got carrots for him," Kristoff told Elsa. To Sven, he said, "Come on, Sven. The queen wants our help."

"…ice girl sure to show up…" "She shot an icicle at me last time…" "…too scared to do that now…" Now somewhere in the forest, Anna drifted back to consciousness. Gotta get back to Elsa, she thought absently. Those people are going to want to hurt her or worse. Anna blinked her eyes open and winced. Now her head hurt on top of her ankle. At least she could actually see where she was now that it was growing light outside. Ok, what would Elsa do? She'd probably freak out…no, that's definitely not helpful. What would calm smarty-pants Elsa do if she were in my place? Anna realized her hands were tied together in front of her-too bad she didn't have ice powers like her sister, or she'd just snap that rope right in half. Ok, not an option. What do I do? She glanced around the clearing in the forest; this was close to where she'd seen Elsa walking about when Elsa was sixteen. That meant she was close to the castle, right?

Anna struggled to a sitting position and scowled at the three men a few feet away from her. Sleeping, she thought disdainfully. Well, that means if I'm quiet enough, I can get away on my own, right? I just gotta free myself somehow. She began working at the knot in the rope binding her hands with her teeth. I can get away from here; I just don't know how far I can get with that stupid ankle. Maybe Elsa will find me before they even wake up and we can just sneak away. There was no doubt in Anna's mind that Elsa would come after her. Part of Anna didn't even want Elsa to do that; she knew Elsa was quite a bit more confident than she'd been before, but Elsa was still weak to emotional or mental attacks against her, and Anna knew it. I don't blame Elsa in the least-she spent so, so long isolated in her room terrified of herself and what she could do. But she's going to need help to get us both out of this mess.

Anna grinned when she finally managed to free her hands. She quickly untied the rope around one ankle-thankfully the non-hurt one-that fastened her to a tree and began crawling away from the clearing.

A/N: Well...sort of cliffhanger.:)

Next chapter coming soon!:)