"Kristoff, what are we going to do?" Anna whispered as the apprentices made their leave of the bedchamber. Elsa was asleep, the tea going to work shockingly fast, but her breathing was labored and she was sweating freely now. Even in sleep the pain was her constant companion.

"I don't know, Anna. I'm not a doctor," the mountain man said sliding down the door and putting his face in his hands. He had to be strong for Anna, there just wasn't any other option. His fiancé needed him to be her pillar even if he himself was crumbling. Elsa was just as much a part of his family as Anna, Sven or Olaf, and the thought of losing her almost made him want to vomit. Two years of practically living on top of one another had made all four of them close, and for just a brief moment, Kristoff had been happy having a human family to call his own. The royal sisters had taught him that not everyone was bad, but after today he wasn't so sure he could maintain that frame of mind anymore.

Anna slid down next to him, all the tears she could cry gone for the moment. She put her head on his strong shoulder, strawberry blond hair cascading down his arm, and just sat there staring at the bed.

"There used to be so much magic in this room," Anna said quietly, her red rimmed eyes sliding around the familiar chamber. "Mother and Father use to let Elsa and I play in here when we were younger before…well before things got complicated. She and I would jump on their bed until the maids caught us or dress in Mother and Father's clothes." A hollow laugh rolled from her lips as she watched the ghosts of her younger self prance around the room, Elsa wearing her father's dress coat decorated with his medals of state while Anna scrambled after her in one of her mother's evening gowns. The two laughed and played for hours, making up scenarios and pretending to dance at balls like they'd seen their parents do. But the memory faded and the room returned to a gloomy darkness.

"But there's no magic in here anymore. It died the day my parents died."

"Magic's a fickle thing," Kristoff sighed and the sudden realization of what he'd just said hit him so strongly the mountain man nearly jumped out of his skin. Head reeling, he lurched forward, a hand pressed to his forehead. Anna gave a small squeak of concern and rose with him, hand on his shoulder.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Magic. That's it!' Kristoff turned to Anna and his toothy smile was like a burst of sunlight after a week of rain. "Anna, that's it! We need magic!"

"I don't know where you're plan on finding any," Anna said dubiously. Kristoff reached into his purple and green cotton tunic, fished around for a moment, then withdrew a tangle of yellow crystals tied to multiple leather thongs and shook them. Suddenly, Anna understood and the crushing weight in her stomach lifted so quickly she honestly though she could have launched off the earth and flown.

"Troll magic," she whispered, a smile spreading across her face and lighting her eyes.

"Troll magic," Kristoff confirmed tucking his personal crystals back into his shirt and pulling Anna into a crushing hug. "I'll go get Pabbie. If there's anyone who can save Elsa its Pabbie. He's already done it once before with you."

Anna could have burst with relief but settled on diving at her fiancé and drawing him into the deepest kiss she could managed. Never in her life had she loved someone so completely than this moment. After a few breathless seconds the two parted, Kristoff more flushed than he'd ever remembered being.

"Stay here with Elsa. I shouldn't be too long."

"Please hurry," Anna begged following him to the door. He kissed her one last time before taking off down the hallway at a dead run, startling maids and guards as he went. Anna watched him go until she could no longer see him then rushed to the window overlooking the courtyard. She caught a glimpse of her fiancé as he headed into the stables, reemerging a few moments later with Sven pulling a four wheeled cart. Together the reindeer and mountain man raced through a small crack in the main gate and quickly disappeared from sight. Anna leaned heavily against the cool glass of the window, hope burning like a small flame in her chest. Maybe, just maybe, they had a chance