Guys, I updated before a month was over! *everyone rejoices* Five-ish chapters left! Maybe we can wrap this up before the New Year! (Yeah right… I can dream though.)

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Stand Tall

Elsa surprises everyone when she walks into the hospital the following Tuesday for her first real session of therapy. I wish I had my camera up on my phone when we walked in, as the looks on Dr Porter's, Jane's, and Tadashi's faces were all priceless. So was the meek smile and radiant blush Elsa had shortly sported from their reactions. I had been expecting her to be reluctant to do this without me at least in the room with her, and was ready for her to ask one last time if I could sit in, but she was a champ and followed Jane without a word—albeit there was a final hesitant glance she shot me as she did. I gave her a thumbs up before she turned the corner; the next step of this perilous journey beginning.

That was an hour ago, and I have been sitting in the lobby ever since. Every now and then, Terk and I will chat about menial things like how our holidays went, how I met Elsa, if I plan on going to school for anything up here, and etcetera; but for the most part, I'm left alone, which I honestly don't mind. I had been expecting that, and had brought a book in preparation.

Of course, after rereading the same paragraph for the fourth time, I realize I'm not really getting anything accomplished.

And, no, before anyone assumes, I'm not worried about how Elsa's doing in her session; I have faith in her that she's doing just fine—not to mention the gut feeling within me that flares whenever something's wrong is pleasantly docile at the moment. Of course, "fine" can mean quite a lot in this situation, and may mean she even comes out of there feeling worse than when she went in. But, that is fine; Jane and Dr Porter told us that. It may take a while for Elsa to feel comfortable enough to open up, but sitting there bottling everything up is equally as painful. She's going to have to learn for herself how much give and take she can allow.

No, my thoughts are focused instead on what lies ahead of us, after all of this is over for good. Like, long-time future shit. Even if Hans hadn't stirred the pot, I feel like I'd still be mulling all this over, because who wouldn't? Doesn't everyone think about their future on a regular basis? Especially if that future could possibly involve another?

I had already been pondering over possibly moving in together for some time. The biggest question remained when the best time to bring this up to Elsa would be. Would it be a shit move to bring it up now? I mean, she has enough going on right now to occupy her mind, should I really dump on her, "Oh, hey, let's shake things up even more and starting living in real close quarters with each other 'cause we totally don't see enough of each other already?"

I mean, yeah, it's true; I basically live with her now anyway, and have for quite some time. More and more of my clothes are being left there, and even when I get dressed at my place, some piece of Elsa's wardrobe mysteriously appears in mine and I end up wearing that instead of my own stuff. How screwy is that?

But, that's beside the point, as messed up as that may be.

Before I can get back on track, however, a small group of people walks out into the lobby, and I immediately recognize some of them from Elsa's new group. I'll have to pick up that train of thought later. What I did manage to decide though, is that I will be bringing up moving in together very soon, as I'm almost one hundred percent positive Elsa will heartily agree.

Speak of the devil; I can't keep the smile off my face as I watch her bring up the rear of the group, walking slowly alongside the young girl with no legs who readily let Elsa sit next to her last time.

Reilly, was it?

Elsa has a small smile on her face as she listens to Reilly going on about something at school, the little girl's wide gestures keeping her from adequately directing the wheel chair she sits in. Soon enough, Elsa kindly takes over, now wheeling Reilly out and over to the man and woman standing beside me. Reilly doesn't even spare her parents a glance until she's finished her story.

"Well, it sounds like you have some great times at school, Reilly," I hear Elsa tell her with a chuckle once she's wrapped up.

"Definitely!" Reilly boisterously agrees. "Once I get my legs, everyone's really gonna be jealous at how well I can play hockey!"

"I bet they will."

Reilly's grin widens before she belts out, "See ya later, Elsa!"

Elsa waves and gives her parents a polite nod before making her way to me. I immediately grab her in a hug.

"You're so good with kids," I mumble into her neck.

Elsa scoffs a laugh as she hugs back. "Guess I have you to thank for that," she replies. "I never really was around many before I started tagging along with you to work."

"I'm just that amazing," I quip with a grin before stealing a kiss.

"I believe we established that."

As we begin walking out, I finally ask, "So how was it?"

"Good."

I blink, trying my hardest to keep walking even though I really want to stop and fix Elsa with a stare.

That's it?

"Just good?" I prod.

Elsa shrugs, and the fact that she refuses to make eye contact with me is duly noted.

"I mean, it was just my first session. I mainly just listened to the others."

"Well, did you get to know anyone else?" Rolling my eyes, I gesture behind me and add, "Besides Miss Wild Child back there?"

That gets a snort from her before she's staring at the ground and uttering a pathetic, "Not really."

"O-kay," I drawl out, not really knowing how to proceed with this. There's obviously something she's not telling me, and I bet if I had a chance to glance at her eyes, I'd clearly see the emotions raging there, but that's kinda hard to do when she won't fucking look at me. "Well, how about I treat us to lunch? A little celebration for this milestone?"

Another shrug, and I know I have my work cut out for me.

Lunch doesn't help. Even sitting across from her at a cute little hole-in-the-wall we stumbled upon, I still can't make eye contact with her. First it was a steady gaze at the menu, then the table while we waited for our meals, then her food. Now, we're back to staring a hole into the table.

"Elsa, come on, please talk to me," I plead gently, cautiously reaching under the table and taking her hand. She grasps it tightly this time and I know she wants to talk.

The only question is will she.

"Is it a confidentiality thing?" I ask, knowing she had to sign a form beforehand stating that she cannot tell anyone outside the group what goes on behind the doors, and that anything she says will not be repeated to anyone outside the study.

She shakes her head and I lean forward, further across the table.

"Then what?"

She finally looks up at me—really looks up at me, not just a quick, nanosecond glance like I'd been receiving lately—and I finally understand.

Guilt.

"It's just…" she starts, her voice so wet and wavering so heavily my heart breaks. "I don't deserve to be in the study."

Instantly I jump from my side of the table and sidle in next to Elsa in her booth. I just manage to pull her close to me before she breaks down into quiet sobs.

"Of course you deserve to be in the study," I assure her. "Why do you think that?"

"B-Because there's people in there who deserve it more than me!" she cries. "I m-mean, look at R-Reilly! She was born without both her legs, a-and this war vet, K-Kovu, lost an arm and a leg in Af-Afghanistan! Then there's m-me; this…d-damaged child whose only lost half her arm in a c-car accident!"

The waitress comes close to take our check, but a quick glare from me has her quickly changing direction with the nod of her head. Cradling Elsa's head, I begin to plant several kisses along her forehead and down her cheek.

"And what happened to Reilly and Kovu is truly horrible, Elsa," I agree with her. "But what happened to you is equally as horrible. I know it may not seem like it, but the number of limbs lost doesn't change what matters most: All of you lost precious things. Mobility, confidence; hell, you lost your parents, Elsa!"

When she only sniffs in response, I gently lift her head so she's looking at me once again. With a tender smile, I plant a soft kiss upon her lips.

"Why didn't you bring this up in the group?" I murmur, refusing to truly break the kiss, knowing she needs the comfort. "I'm sure others have felt the same at first."

Elsa glances away and bites her lip. "I… I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

"Not worth…?!" I sigh and run my fingers through her hair. "Elsa, anything troubling you is worth mentioning; that's the whole point of this group."

"But it's hard…admitting these kinds of things," she whispers. "I mean, I didn't even want to tell you; how can I just be ready to admit something like this to strangers?"

"What about if we just talked to Jane or Dr Porter first?" I try to mediate. "You need to talk to someone about these doubts and insecurities, Elsa."

"But I'm talking to you," she points out, and I've never been more reminded of a child than now, even though I work with them.

"But I'm not part of the group, Elsa."

She looks dejectedly down at her lap and grumbles, and I only grin as her child-like mannerisms increase.

"Look," I tell her, "don't think about any of that now, okay? You don't have to worry about anything until Friday. For now, let's just enjoy the rest of the day and live one day at a time, alright?"

She quietly nods and I plant one final kiss to her lips before pulling away. Grinning, I add, "And I think I know just what will cheer you up!"

She looks to me curiously as I flag down the waitress, but doesn't say anything, and continues to remain silent as we walk out of the restaurant. A quick kiss to my cheek and a mumbled, "Thank you, Anna," are her only words.

Until we make it to Rockefeller Center and she looks to me quizzically.

"What are we doing here?" she asks.

The grin returns to my face as I gesture below the balcony we're standing on. "Why, ice skating of course."

Even with the large Christmas tree gone for the season, the rink is still a spectacular sight to behold. Only into the first week of January, several Christmas lights still decorate the walls of the rink, casting a calming glow across the ice. With the sun setting and the city's lights becoming more and more awake, the setting truly is magical in a sense, never mind that it's no longer the "holiday season."

"But you can't skate," Elsa deadpans after she looks below us and takes in all the people ready to watch be flail about epically.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," I grumble with a playful shove to her shoulder. When she chuckles, I take her hand once more. "It's just," I try to explain, "when we skated in Central Park, you looked so carefree and…happy and I want to see that again. I want you to feel that again. Just let it all go and do something you obviously love, okay? And don't worry about me." I smirk, and throw my braids behind my shoulder haughtily. "I may fall a bunch again, but I've learned to take it all in stride."

With another laugh, Elsa nods and smiles, and I see all the pain and doubt that's been haunting her vanish in the blink of an eye.

"Okay," she utters with a squeeze of my hand.

Both of us beaming, we descend the stairs to acquire some skates. In no time, Elsa's skating fluidly and daintily towards the center of the rink, pulling me along. When we come to a stop, Elsa turns to face me.

"Before I have my fun, we're going to work some more on your skills, okay?"

I nod excitedly, more so because she's actively taking charge in something that she holds a lot of confidence in more than me actually learning to skate.

"You would barely let go of the rail in Central Park, so now we're going to completely forgo it here." She grins cheekily. "Think you can handle that?"

"Well, it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice, does it?" I retort with a smile. "If I say no, you'll just skate off and leave me stranded in the middle of the rink, right?"

Kissing the tip of my nose, Elsa giggles. "True."

She looks down at our feet then, and I follow, taking note of how steadily Elsa remains while my feet are wobbling considerably, the slickness beneath us too unfamiliar.

"It's really simple once you get the hang of it," she tells me. "And it's a simple concept when you think about it. Just glide, and pivot; glide, and pivot."

"Pivot?" I repeat, the word foreign.

Elsa rolls her eyes. "Turn," she simplifies.

"Oh."

Gently beginning to pull me forward, Elsa expertly skates backwards to keep a watchful eye on me. My feet begin to slide forward on their own, but once my legs stretch to an uncomfortable degree, I push off with the foot furthest back before carefully placing it back by the other.

"There you go," Elsa cheers. "Now pivot."

"Turn," I mumble to myself. Gotta keep things simple in the heat of the moment.

Ever so cautiously, I push off with one foot at an angle, and suddenly Elsa and I are moving a bit to the right.

Even though I wanted to go to the left.

I'm not the only one so confounded by all this, right?

"Good," Elsa comments, grasping my hands tighter again. "Try not to think about it as much, though. You'll enjoy it more."

"Until I fall on my ass," I grumble, shooting a weak, playful glare at her.

Pulling me within an inch of her face, I hear her breathe against my lips in a familiar, sultry tone, "I'll catch you, love."

I shiver for reasons other than the cold.

All goes smoothly and once I've successfully skated in a small circle—with the continued assistance of Elsa, of course—Elsa grants me a full kiss on the lips as a prize. Pulling back, she winks.

"Think you'll be okay out here by yourself for a bit while I do my own thing?"

As she slowly lets me go, I wobble for only a moment before maintaining more of my balance than I had ever managed to before.

"Y-Yeah," I stutter once I'm fifty percent sure I won't fall.

Shooting me another wink, she pushes away, toying with me as she says, "Try and catch up if you think you can."

Sure, Elsa, I think to myself with a roll of my eyes. Whatever you say.

As I watch her skate around on her own, however, the confidence she oozes somehow begins to flow into me. After watching her land a triple axel, I come to the conclusion that Elsa was once in my shoes; an uncertain, klutzy idiot who only got to where she is today because of perseverance.

And maybe if I show her I'm willing to fumble my way through my own challenge, that lesson will subliminally be transmitted to Elsa about her doubts and insecurities.

After all, no one ever got anywhere without a few scrapes and falls. Persistence is key.

That being said, it doesn't make it automatically any easier as I slowly push off on my own, all the while trying not to skate into anyone or fall on my ass. After landing some other fancy jump, Elsa catches me inching ever so slowly towards her and her eyes light up as a smile overtakes her face.

"You're moving, Anna!" she jokes aloud. "I was only kidding!"

"Well, I gotta show you up somehow, right?" I shout, there still being quite some distance between us, all the people and music playing overhead not helping matters.

She gives me a look, but skates over, yet gives me considerable birth, continuing to let me handle things on my own as she skates around me.

"Try and stand straighter," she says. "It'll keep you steadier."

I try to do as she says; yet the sudden jerky of my body throws me off balance and I feel myself beginning to fall to the ground.

Of course, Elsa's there just in time to catch me with that angelic laugh of hers.

"Right," she laughs. "What was I thinking; a klutz like you actually having good posture?" She heaves me back up and ruffles my hair. "Maybe in your case, you need to be as low to the ground as possible."

I pull away from her touch and flick her forehead. "Ha ha, funny."

Wrapping her arms around me lovingly, she presses our foreheads together, a tender smile on her face the entire time.

"I love you," she whispers.

"I love you, too," I return with my own smile.

Kissing me softly, she begins to skate for us both, and it almost feels more like we're dancing. Not that I care. As long as I'm interlocked with Elsa, we could be in a cage under water and surrounded by sharks for all I care.

"Thanks for this," she says next. "It really helped. My head feels clearer, and I'm ready to tackle next time head on now. I can't promise this won't happen again, but…"

"Then we'll just come back here," I finish. "And once this rink and the one in the park close, we'll find something else. No matter how long it takes, Elsa, we'll find something."

Just as her eyes begin to water ever so slightly, the music changes tracks and suddenly Elsa's looking up at the speakers. If she were a dog, I could totally see her ears perking curiously as she takes in the newest melody.

"I love this song," she mumbles.

I listen attentively to the gentle guitar that picks up as the vocals begin.

You are oxygen on a late night drive

To clear my head when hope has passed me by

You are gravity when I'm upside down

You help me find my way back to the ground

And this is why

As the chorus kicks in, I chuckle softly, thinking Elsa and I have a soundtrack to our lives by sheer coincidence that follows us no matter where we are. Yet, as Elsa holds me tighter, her chin resting on my shoulder, the calming heat of her breath against my ear, and still moving us around the rink almost in a dance, I wish the music would always play.

Another shiver runs through me when I hear Elsa begin to sing so gently and devotedly. It's like this song was made just for us and that we're the only ones here in this moment. Forget the dozens of others moving around us, not sparing us a second glance; in this moment, I feel invincible, and it's all thanks to this perfect girl in my arms.

"You are all I have

And all I need

And all I am is what you've made of me

And this is why

You're everything good

Everything true

When all the world is fading

You're everything new

You are my eyes

When I can't see

When all the world is broken

You will always be…"

The most loving kiss in existence is pressed to the sweet spot behind my ear before Elsa pulls back and stares at me, eyes shining with pure affection as she utters the final lyric of the chorus adoringly, "Everything good."

A tear slides down my cheek rebelliously before I have her lips crushed against mine in a heated kiss, damn whoever stops to see. Elsa kisses back feverishly, her tongue dipping in for a quick taste before pulling out.

"You really are everything good, Anna."

I expel a pathetic half-laugh-half-sob as I reply, "As are you, Elsa."

And as we continue to skate a dance in the middle of Rockefeller Center, I'm reassured for the thousandth time that, no matter how bad things may get from this point out, it isn't anything Elsa's and my love can't conquer. Fuck what Hans thinks, and fuck the world for hurdling all its obstacles at us.

We will overcome them all.

Might have gone a bit overboard on the fluff there at the end, but... Unf. You guys are complaining? The babies deserve it! *cries*

Plus, I just discovered the song that was used ("Everything Good" by Ashes Remain), and I fell in love with it after thinking it was made for this story. So, of course I had to work it in.