A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter than the first two, just because of where it made sense to do a chapter break.:)

Thanks to everyone who followed and/or is reading but not reviewing!

Lindstrom-Thanks for reviewing again!:) I guess Elsa's dream was easily understandable then because what you said was pretty much what the point of the whole thing was. I'm glad you liked Anna's 'whisper-screaming'.;) It seemed Anna-ish to me, lol. And that's what I think too...Elsa might be scared and upset, but she's not an adult. I don't think she just sat around for thirteen years, resigned to the fate of staying in that room forever with no complaints. Anyway...:/ :P

The next morning, Elsa awoke in a chipper mood. She pulled on a clean dress and brushed her hair, purposely leaving it in a single braid. "Just a moment," she called when she heard Gerda knock on the door bringing Elsa's breakfast. "The door is unlocked," Elsa said, and retreated to the opposite side of the room. "Good morning," she greeted Gerda after she'd set Elsa's breakfast on the desk.

"Good morning, princess." Gerda said quietly.

"What's the matter?"

Gerda thought for a moment before replying, "Princess Elsa, I hate to ruin your good mood, but your parents are coming to see you between breakfast and lunch. Nothing I said could deter them without sounding suspicious…" She needs to know…at least she'll be prepared ahead of time.

Elsa's sweet smile disappeared and was replaced with a stony look. "Thank you for telling me."

"It was the least I could do." Gerda started to leave the room, but turned back to say, "Princess Elsa, don't lose your newfound optimism. You're a strong girl. Don't you ever forget that." Gerda left, shutting the door behind her.

Elsa ran to lock it. Me, a strong girl? I can't even control something that's a physical part of me. Something else inside her said, You haven't even had to think about suppressing those powers since you went outside yesterday. You've found a way to help control it. Maybe that weird dream had a point. Away from everything means freedom. It's just that in real life, you can't have Anna with you. I wish… Elsa sat down on the window seat and gazed outside. She could see the North Mountain towering high in the air, far away, miles away. I wonder what it's really like on the summit. Oh, Elsa, why are you even thinking that? Like you could really just run away…

Elsa pulled her thoughts away to the more pressing issue at hand. Mom and Dad probably want to talk to me about that betrothal thing, which I think is utterly ridiculous. But I can't say that…I'll just point out the fallacies in the whole idea, that it is completely illogical to go through with that when I can't even talk to Anna. They'll see my sunburn and ask about it, I'm sure. About that, I'll just tell the truth. But unless they ask outright, I am not saying how I got outside. They might seal off the exit or something…

Fifteen minutes later, Elsa heard a knock on her door. "It's your parents," she heard Idun say.

Elsa unlocked the door and returned to the opposite side of the room. "The door is unlocked."

Agdar and Idun came in and shut the door behind them. "We have wonderful news for you…Elsa, what happened to your face? You look…well, I know it is impossible, but…you look sunburned," Agdar said.

"Elsa, what did you do to your hair?" Idun asked.

Huh, I wonder why you think that it's 'impossible' that I got sunburned. Maybe because you keep me in my room all the time…and it's MY hair, I want it in a braid right now. So there. Elsa frowned, then realized she was frowning and wiped any expressions off her face she might have had. No, Elsa, you're not losing control this time. You're staying a blank slate so they don't know what you're thinking. "What is this 'wonderful news'?" she asked, not addressing the two questions.

"Your betrothal," Agdar said. "Wait, Elsa, you didn't answer two questions."

I knew it! "My betrothal? I'm only sixteen," Elsa said. "And I am sunburned, and my hair is just in a single braid."

"How would you have gotten sunburned indoors?" Agdar asked sharply.

"I did not get sunburned indoors," Elsa replied flatly.

"You've been outside, Elsa. You know you're not supposed to do that. How did you get outside past the servants and guards anyway?" Agdar asked. "Wait, you used the secret passages, didn't you?" He wasn't surprised Elsa had memorized the labyrinthine layout of the passages already.

"Yes, I did," Elsa said, her blue eyes flashing. You're acting like I've committed some horrible crime by going outdoors. "I only went in the forest, in that little clearing with the creek, though."

"What you did was dangerous, Elsa!"

"For me or everyone else?" Elsa's promise to herself to keep her temper in check was beginning to fail. Elsa knew it probably wasn't a hundred percent safe for a teenage girl to roam the forest alone, but she also knew that Agdar had probably meant her powers made it dangerous for everyone else.

"Don't sass your father, Elsa," Idun said. "And you should put your hair back up."

"Why? Nobody sees me anyway. And I like it better this way." Shut up, Elsa, you're just going to make things worse for yourself…but it's true all the same…

"Elsa!" Agdar shouted. "I don't know what has gotten into you, but it needs to end right now."

What's gotten into me?! You ask me that after I've been in this room for eight years, go outside once, then get in trouble for it?!

"You were wrong to use the secret passages to go outside. What if someone had caught you?"

Elsa steeled herself for what she knew was coming. It doesn't matter…you can go outside anyway. Dad won't tell anyone else about the passages, so he can't guard the entrance to keep me in. Just as long as he doesn't seal the entrance, it will be fine.

"You are forbidden to go outdoors again. It isn't safe. For anyone, yourself included."

Elsa said nothing. All right, at least Dad cares what happens to me, I suppose. I'm still going outside, though…I'll just have to be careful. It's one thing that makes me happy.

That afternoon, Elsa headed outside again via the secret passages. Being outdoors was just as exhilarating for Elsa as it had been the day before. Little did she know someone was watching her from indoors…

Anna glanced out a window that overlooked the forest and did a double take when she saw a slender figure at the edge of the forest. What young girl would be wandering around out there? Is it even safe? Curious, Anna continued looking intently out the window. The girl outside took off her hat and tilted her face toward the sky with a happy smile. Then Anna knew. That face and hair could only belong to one person. It's Elsa! What's Elsa doing out there? And then a moment later, She's out there because she wanted to get out of her room. That's what she's doing out there. I bet she's not supposed to be doing that, but…Elsa actually looks happy. No way am I tattling on her. Anna continued watching her sister as she touched a tree trunk and headed a bit further to the creek. She watched Elsa kneel by the creek, reach toward the water, then jerk her hand back without actually touching it. Anna frowned. Good grief, Elsa's out there by herself…why doesn't she just take those gloves off? She obviously wants to touch things… Anna decided that Elsa must have a thing about dirt or something.

Outside, Elsa did want to touch things, but she didn't dare take those gloves off. She didn't trust herself not to freeze something by accident, especially the creek water. And this was not her room; if she left ice outside now and someone found it, it would be very strange. Still, Elsa felt much more in control than she had in years, and Elsa decided that it had to be due to going outside. Elsa knew her powers were growing stronger, ever since she was twelve and she'd accidentally iced her room's wall. It hadn't seemed to matter that she was still wearing gloves; that ice had all come from her feet. And it started randomly showing up more and more when she was upset. No, Elsa, you're not thinking about that right now. This is your secret freedom time. Go worry in your room later tonight if you have to. Elsa looked back toward the castle and saw someone peeking out a window. The someone opened the window, pointed outside to Elsa, back at herself, then put a finger over her lips in a 'shhh' gesture. Then the someone made the 'zip the lips and throw away the key' motion. It's Anna, Elsa realized. Elsa smiled back and nodded. Thank you, Anna. Elsa walked closer to the castle until she was almost directly below the window. She gestured that they shouldn't talk aloud, but could they communicate via gestures?

Anna was surprised. Elsa actually WANTS to communicate with me now? Then, Of course she does, she evidently doesn't like being close to people for some reason, and she doesn't have to for this. Noticing Elsa had her hair fixed differently from when Anna had seen her before, Anna motioned to one of her own pigtail braids and then pointed at Elsa.

Elsa smiled. She coiled her single braid into a bun, then frowned and shook her head to say she didn't like it that way. Then she released the braid and smiled again.

Anna nodded to show she understood. She pointed to her own hand and then at Elsa, shrugging and making a 'why?' gesture.

Elsa's smile disappeared. She crossed her arms and shook her head. I should have known Anna would ask that. Nobody but me wears gloves in the summertime.

Anna thought for a moment, puzzled at Elsa's reaction. She motioned that Elsa should just take them off, then pointed at the forest, hoping Elsa got the message that 'who cares since you're out there by yourself?'

Elsa got Anna's message loud and clear. Anna thinks it shouldn't matter since I'm out here by myself. But it does matter. Elsa shook her head more forcefully. No, no, no, Anna, that is NOT ok. I can't do that.

Anna understood Elsa's meaning, but certainly not the reasons behind it. Anna nodded, saying 'that's ok, we don't have to talk about it'. She pointed at herself and then Elsa before giving herself a hug. I wish I could give you a hug, Anna thought.

Tears began streaming down Elsa's face. Anna wants to give me a hug even though I've been the one shutting her out for eight years? Oh, Anna, I wish I could give you one, too. Elsa returned Anna's virtual hug, wishing it were possible for her to hug Anna for real. But I can't. She waved good-bye to Anna before turning and running headlong into the forest. Unable to see where she was going with her vision blurred by tears, she ran smack into a tree and fell, tearing one glove and painfully cutting her palm in the process. Oh, great. That was clumsy, Elsa. Not only does that hurt, but now you're going to have to explain how you tore that glove when you were supposedly in your room all day. Elsa scrambled to her feet and began stumbling back toward the castle and into the secret entrance.

Back inside, Anna was horrified at Elsa's sudden departure, but had to quickly come up with a cover story when her mother came up behind her, asking why the window was open.

"I was...There was a little chick outside and I was talking to it," Anna made up. Hmm, nice job, Anna. That wasn't even a complete lie. No way was she tattling on Elsa.

Idun seemed satisfied with Anna's explanation and asked her to please come work on her lessons now.

Anna reluctantly agreed.

Back in her room, Elsa double-checked that the door was locked before slipping the torn glove off and looking at the stinging cut across her left palm. She tried to remember how Gerda had taken care of her and Anna's minor boo-boos when they were little. I have to wash it off first, I think. Then put a bandage on it. Deciding this was what she was going to do whether it was right or not, Elsa pulled a small bucket from under the sink and filled it with water. That way, if she accidentally froze the water, at least she wouldn't freeze the pipes too in the process. Now come on, Elsa, you've been doing great the last couple of days. Don't freeze the water. Elsa closed her eyes and plunged her hand into the water. She opened one eye, then the other. I did it! I TOUCHED THE WATER without freezing it! But a moment after she thought that, a thin sheen of ice began forming on the water. Elsa jerked her hand out before it could spread any more. I guess it was too much to hope for…what did I expect? Elsa dumped the water into the tub in disgust. Then she looked under the sink again for something to finish taking care of her hand with. Elsa finally found some cloth bandages and wrapped her cut as best she could. There, I guess that will have to be good enough. No way was Elsa going to let Gerda or her mother take care of her hand for her. She'd have to let them touch her, which she didn't think she would allow to happen in a million years; and she didn't want to explain exactly how she'd hurt herself either. Elsa decided to just stuff those gloves in the back of the closet and put on new ones. Nobody would look in her closet but herself, so it wouldn't matter. After that, Elsa flopped on her bed, thinking about her 'conversation' with Anna. It was so nice to "talk" to Anna. Why did I run off like that? That was so stupid. All I did was give myself a nasty cut in the process and probably totally confuse Anna. Elsa fingered the bandage under the glove on her left hand. But Anna doesn't hate me! She's even keeping my going outside a secret. I wish I could tell her thank you.

An hour later, Elsa heard Anna's signature knock on the door. "Hi, Elsa! Nobody's out here right now, so I'm gonna say something. I just wanted you to know I won't tell on you for being outside. It'll be our secret. I LOVED having an actual conversation with you, even if we weren't actually talking aloud. You looked so happy outside until you got upset and ran off. Elsa, can you please answer? Puh-lease?"

Elsa wrestled with herself for a moment before impulsively running over to the door and saying, "Anna, please move as far away from my door as possible to the other side of the hallway."

"Ok, I did," Anna replied a moment later.

Elsa cracked her door open to make sure Anna had really moved. Then she opened the door wide and quickly said, "Anna, I love you and I miss you very much. Thank you for not telling on me. And thank you for not…hating me, because I would completely understand if you did. Thank you for knocking on my door. I love you." Then she slammed the door shut and locked it before she could impulsively give Anna a hug. It took all of Elsa's willpower to not reopen that door. Do NOT open that door again, Elsa. If you give Anna a hug, you might hurt her.

Anna stood right outside Elsa's door in shocked silence. Elsa talked to me. She talked to me! ELSA TALKED TO ME! Anna was so excited that she felt like screaming, but she knew she had better not or she'd get them both in trouble again. She mulled over what Elsa had said. Elsa misses me? Then WHY can't we see and talk to each other anymore? I don't understand…it's like she's being forced to shut me out. But why? And poor Elsa thanked me for not hating her? What kind of thank-you is that? Why would she even say a thing like that? That she would 'completely understand' if I did? And of course I knock on her door… Anna knew it had been a big deal for Elsa to open that door and say something, even if she had promptly slammed the door shut again right after. "Elsa, thank you for opening that door, even if it was just for a few seconds." She waited for Elsa to say something from the other side of the door, but she didn't.

Elsa stood on the other side of the door, forcing herself not to open that door again. You can't do that, Elsa. You'll hurt Anna. Opening the door to say those few sentences was bad enough.

"Why in the world would anyone hate you? I could NEVER hate you, Elsa, no matter how long you shut me out. You're my sister. You shouldn't have felt you had to thank me for something like that," Anna said.

If you only knew, Elsa thought. If you knew what I am and just why I shut you out, you might think differently. I'm the monster who almost killed you when you were five. "Yes I should have. I had to say thank you," Elsa whispered.

Anna strained to hear Elsa's barely audible words. "If you said what I think you said, you did not have to say thank you, Elsa. And I'll always knock on your door. I'll keep doing it until you let me in."

You'll be doing it forever then. I'll never be able to let you in, Anna, no matter how much I want to. Elsa began to cry. "Conceal, don't feel; conceal, don't feel," she mumbled to herself as she lay facedown on her bed.

Anna frowned outside the door. "What did you just say? It sounded like 'conceal don't feel'. What sort of rubbish talk is that? Of course it's ok to feel. And it's completely ok to cry sometimes too," she added when she heard stifled sobs coming from the other side of the door.

No, it's not ok. It might be fine to cry and feel for normal people, but it's not fine for me. Because I freeze things whenever I do, Elsa thought as she glanced around her room, which sure enough was beginning to be covered in ice. You need to go back outside again soon. That will help you, self.

"Elsa, I'm right out here for you. It IS fine to cry, but I hate knowing you're upset like this. And don't try to tell me you're fine. I don't know why, but I do know you're scared and depressed for some reason and I want to help…will you let me?" Anna asked.

You can't help, Anna. Not unless you know how to fix me, which I know is impossible. Elsa made a rash decision. Maybe she couldn't tell Anna WHY exactly, but she could say something somewhat explanatory to Anna. She jumped off the bed and ran back over to the door, but didn't open it. "Anna, I have something important to say. Are you listening?"

"Of course!"

"All right, good. Anna, please just know that I can't talk to you. It's too hard for me…I…I just can't. And our parents will do their absolute hardest to keep you from even knocking on my door if they find out we've been talking together. It's… it's too dangerous. I'm dangerous." Elsa's voice cracked as she continued, "I do love you. I always will. I miss you more than I can say. I wish I could tell you why things are the way they are…but I can't. I…I'm…it's…" Elsa tried to think of a way to say that there was something dangerously wrong with her without announcing that she had ice powers she couldn't control. Finally, she just said, "There's something wrong with me that can't be cured. I'm…defective," she finished.

Anna was confused and horrified at Elsa's little speech. "WHAT?! That is the STUPIDEST thing I've ever heard! Look, Elsa, I still don't have any idea what's going on, but I do know that my sister is NOT defective! You were completely fine outside earlier, although I did think it was strange you were wearing gloves and it's summertime. You must have a thing about dirt or something."

Elsa laughed ruefully to herself. I wish that were the reason. A thing about dirt? Seriously?! Anna, you're funny.

"And you are not dangerous. Who's putting all these dumb ideas in your head? Mom and Dad? Maybe I should have another talk with them…no wait, that didn't do any good last time. Don't worry, Elsa, I won't do that."

Elsa sighed in relief. Thank you, Anna. Whatever you do, please never EVER do that.

"Elsa, Mom's calling me. I gotta go. Bye!"

Elsa heard Anna's footsteps fade away down the hall. Bye Anna.

A/N: I realize Elsa didn't respond to Anna ever from inside her room besides 'Go away Anna' during the movie...hang in there, everyone. I'm still eventually going to end this in canon and on a happy note. PROMISE.:)

(If anyone wants to guess what will happen, feel free to PM me.:))