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

WarriorQueen 14-Thank you! I'm glad you like it.:) Yeah, I don't think Anna has NO common sense...it's just she's smart one minute and then does something completely stupid the next. I think she's just impulsive.;) Lol

Lindstrom-I didn't even realize I got all those foreshadowing moments in..:P But now that you point it out, I'm like 'Hey, cool!' Lol:) Thanks for sticking with me...I know exactly how the story's going to go; I just need to, you know, TYPE THE REST OF IT.:P (I'm pretty slow at typing) Elsa going to the other side of the room whenever she unlocks the door seemed like a believable habit, so...yeah. Now that I'm actually thinking about it, that is pretty sad.:/ I like that part too:) (wow, I'm being so modest at the moment aren't I?:P Not;) Ok, I'll shut up now.) I do intend to explain that a bit further, but it was mostly just because the secret passages were something that Elsa was supposed to know after she turned 16. (Hence why Anna doesn't know about them.) Also, in my head, I'm thinking that Agdar never thought that Elsa would actually go outside. Maybe go in the passages, but not outside. Anyhow...I WILL talk about that in either the next chapter or the one after.:)

On to the story:)

The next afternoon, Elsa searched for the hat she'd taken outside the day before. I must have left it out there! That was dumb… She grabbed the one other hat in her closet and headed outside via the secret passages once again. Elsa looked up at the window where she had seen Anna the day before, but Anna wasn't there. I was hoping she'd be there again…oh well, I'm still outside, and today I have something I need to do-find that hat. She started searching through the area she knew she'd been in yesterday, looking back at the castle every few minutes for a sign of Anna. The hat was nowhere to be found. Hats don't just walk away…where could it have gone? Elsa knew she was looking in the right area, but it was just plain gone. Could someone have taken it? Who would have been out here, though? She looked back at the castle once more. Elsa's face lit up when she saw Anna peeking out the same window as the day before. She abandoned searching for the missing hat and ran back towards the castle until she was standing almost under the window. Elsa waved at Anna, and Anna waved back. Elsa was still wondering what to do next when she heard Anna say, "Can you do a cartwheel, Elsa?"

Elsa frantically gestured for Anna to shush, and Anna said, "It's ok right now; nobody's within earshot."

Elsa smiled and just said, "Oh!" She thought about Anna's original question and realized she had no idea if she could or not. "I don't know," she added.

"Why don't you try?"

Well, nobody's going to see me except Anna, so why not? Elsa tried, and would have easily made it over, except that she picked up her left hand too soon because the cut on her palm hurt, and she landed smack on her backside instead.

"That's ok; I can't either," Anna said.

Elsa giggled. That was pure Anna, trying to get me to try something she can't do herself. "Let me try again."

Anna watched as Elsa put only her right hand down this time as she kicked over. Elsa landed on her feet this time. Um, Elsa just did that on her second try?!

"Better?" Elsa asked. She knew she hadn't gone exactly straight over, but it was pretty close, and most certainly better than her first try.

"Yeah, Miss Show-off," Anna teased.

Elsa stepped back a few steps. Is Anna mad at me? I wasn't trying to show off… "Sorry, Anna."

"Huh? Sorry for what? I was teasing you! You weren't really being a show-off," Anna said. "Although, how on earth did you do a one-handed cartwheel on your second try? That was great!"

"Oh. I'm sorry Anna; I know I am awful at this whole having an actual real conversation thing. I don't do it very often," Elsa said. I might be awful at socializing with my own sister, but I'm still so, so happy to actually be talking to her anyway.

Anna frowned, remembering just why they were talking in this situation in the first place. I wonder when IS the last time Elsa's enjoyed a real conversation…

Elsa continued, "The only reason I tried it with one hand is because I hurt the other one yesterday. That's why I fell over the first time I tried it."

"Did you get it taken care of?"

"Yes, it's just a cut. It's fine."

"Can I see it?"

Elsa thought for a moment, and then said, "No. But Anna, you know what? I love talking to you. I wish it could be like this all the time."

"Me too. Elsa…why did you thank me for not hating you of all things yesterday? You sounded like you expected me to hate you, which is completely ridiculous."

Elsa's happy expression disappeared. Because I'm a freak who almost killed you when you were five, that's why. "Trust me, Anna, it isn't ridiculous. Can we please talk about something else?"

"Yeah, but I still don't agree. That is too completely ridiculous! Wait…" Anna put her finger to her lips. A few seconds later, she gave Elsa a thumbs up, but said quickly, "I gotta go-we almost got caught! Bye, Elsa!"

Elsa nodded and told Anna goodbye.

Anna gave Elsa a virtual hug, and Elsa returned the gesture.

Anna disappeared from the window, and Elsa went back to searching for the missing hat. After spending the next half hour looking for the hat, Elsa gave up. She didn't want to waste the entire afternoon looking for a dumb hat. Elsa flopped down on the grass by the creek and watched the water ripple by. I still want to touch that water and actually feel it running through my fingers. She slipped the glove off her right hand and hesitantly reached a finger toward the water. Even if I do freeze it, it'll melt before anyone sees it…right? When her bare finger touched the water and nothing happened, she smiled and dipped her whole hand in. I did it! I did it! I'm TOUCHING WATER and nothing's happening! Elsa swished her hand back and forth in the water happily. She loved the pleasant sensation of the running water against her skin. I have to tell Anna tomorrow! I won't have to tell her about my powers…I'll just say how nice it was to actually touch the water. Elsa felt like she could stay there forever, lying in the grass with her bare hand dragging in the creek. 'Cause I'm happy…'cause I'm happy…wait, happy? I'm happy and calm right now… She was almost positive that had something to do with this newfound control, just not exactly what. Elsa stayed there for a long, long time; just watching the water flow, listening to the gurgling of the creek and the chirping birds, and feeling the water run against her hand. When the sun dropped low in the sky, she reluctantly headed back inside.

A few minutes after Elsa had returned to her room, Gerda knocked on her door saying she'd brought Elsa's dinner. Elsa practically skipped to the door and unlocked it before returning to the opposite side of the room. "The door is unlocked. Thank you for bringing my dinner, Gerda."

"I gather you have something else to say besides that," Gerda said with a smile. Elsa wasn't bouncing on her toes or anything like Anna would do when she had something important to say, but Elsa's face was all smiles and she wasn't clasping her hands together as she often did.

"I do! I touched water earlier with my bare hand and I didn't freeze it," Elsa said proudly. She would have added that she had also really truly talked to Anna and that she'd actually dipped her hand in the creek for hours; but she didn't want to pepper Gerda with things that needed to be kept secret.

"Well, congratulations, Princess Elsa! I think that calls for some extra chocolate, don't you?"

Elsa beamed. "I love chocolate. Will you give Anna some extra, too?"

"Your sister eats a ton of chocolate already. I don't think she needs more. But I'll give her a little extra, just for you. I'll tell her it was your idea. How's that?"

"That sounds perfect."

After dinner, Anna knocked on her sister's door. Elsa was sitting on her bed reading a book and eating her extra chocolates. Before Anna said a word, Elsa said, "Guess what's up?"

Anna paused in surprise. Elsa said something from inside her room without me even asking her to! "What?"

"That's what's up!" Elsa delivered her silly punch line from the other side of the door.

Anna started laughing in the hall. Elsa must be really, really happy right now if she's telling jokes…however 'so stupid they're hilarious' they are. "Somehow I know you have something to tell me," Anna said when she finally stopped giggling.

"I touched water with my bare hand after you had to stop talking. And I'm just so happy I actually talked with you earlier," Elsa said.

Anna frowned. "You're talking to me now, too…"

"I know, and I'm grateful for it, but it's not the same as talking to you face to face like we were earlier," Elsa replied.

"Elsa, why can't you just let me in? I know you want to."

Elsa's cheerful mood plummeted. "Anna…I'm dangerous. It isn't safe, that's why." Anna, please, please, please don't ask me anymore…

"THAT IS SO STUPID. My sister Elsa is not dangerous!"

Yes she is…I wish she wasn't, though. Elsa didn't say anything.

"Elsaaa…aren't you going to say something? Please?"

No. Not about that, I'm not. Elsa felt herself getting upset again. Conceal, don't feel… She took a deep breath and simply said, "Topic change."

Anna realized that Elsa was probably getting upset again, even though she couldn't see her. "You got it. Oh, I know! Thanks for the extra chocolate! Gerda told me it was your idea. I LOVE chocolate! Hey, let's eat our chocolate together. I'll be right back."

Elsa smiled on the other side of the door as she heard Anna's footsteps run down the hall and then come back.

"Ok, Elsa, have you got your chocolate?" Anna asked.

"Yes." Elsa didn't know how she felt right that moment. She was happy to be sharing a casual activity like eating chocolate with her sister; but it was awful too, knowing the two of them would probably never be able to be together normally without that door separating them. Unless I can control my powers, that is…I did make a little step in the right direction today. Elsa flicked a piece of chocolate under the door, being sure to stay a certain distance away from the door herself, just in case. "For you, Anna."

"Thanks, Elsa. Hey, it's got fudge in the middle," Anna said with her mouth full. "Yum!" She flicked one of her own chocolates under the door to Elsa.

"Thank you, Anna." Elsa popped the chocolate into her mouth. "Delicious! That one was caramel!" She paused as her keen ears heard two sets of footsteps coming closer. I'm pretty sure that's our parents. "Anna, you need to leave. Now. I'm about ninety-nine percent sure our parents are coming, and we will both be in a heap of trouble otherwise."

"I didn't hear anything…"

"Trust me, I did! Goodbye, Anna," Elsa whispered.

"Don't go away, Elsa! I wanna stay here! And I still say I didn't hear anything!"

Elsa forced herself not to reply. She knew her ears had been right; they were almost never wrong. Sure enough, a few seconds later, she heard Idun ask Anna why she was eating chocolate outside Elsa's room. "Um…well, I know Elsa's in there and I wanted to eat my chocolate but I wanted to sort of be around Elsa, so yeah?" she heard Anna say.

"Have you been in Elsa's room?" Agdar asked.

"Nope, the door's been shut all the time," Anna said truthfully.

"Well, leave your sister alone. Don't bother her."

Anna felt like screaming. I was not bothering Elsa! We were having fun, actually! "I thought Elsa might be lonely, even if she doesn't like to be around people. I really don't think I was bothering her."

Elsa smiled sadly from the other side of the door. Anna can practically read my mind even after all this time. Am I really lonely, though? I think I could easily deal with staying in this room forever if I could be around Anna. But then, I wouldn't have to stay in here in the first place if I could do that, so that point is invalid… I guess I am lonely, if I'm using that logic. And do I really dislike being around people? I know for a fact I do right now, but is it because I'm afraid I'll hurt someone or because I just don't like socializing? Elsa found this ironic-the same girl who disliked being around people admitted she was lonely. She heard Anna's footsteps fade away down the hall and a shouted, "THERE IS NO LOGICAL REASON WHY I CAN'T EAT CHOCOLATE OUTSIDE ELSA'S ROOM!" Anna, be quiet. You're going to end up telling on us accidentally.

"Elsa, we have to finish talking about something important," Agdar said as knocked on Elsa's door.

Blah, I'll bet it is about that betrothal thing again. Elsa scrambled to stuff the leftovers from her and Anna's chocolate-eating activities under the bed. Then she ran to unlock the door before retreating to the other side of the room. "The door is unlocked."

"Did you know Anna was sitting outside your door eating chocolate?" Idun asked.

"Yes…" Elsa answered warily. "She wasn't doing anything. I didn't open the door."

"Did you talk to Anna?"

Elsa hated lying, so she answered, "Do you think I did?" being careful to keep her voice neutral. Don't ask anymore, please…I can't stand losing Anna completely... again. It might be just chocolates under that door; Anna knocking…but it's so much more than that to me.

There was a strained silence for a minute.

"Elsa, we don't know what you did. You've been very unpredictable the last couple days."

Elsa bit back an irritated response. On the contrary, I think I've been far more 'predictable' in the last couple of days. Even my powers have been more in control. Certainly not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but better… "Does the important something regard my betrothal?"

"Why yes, as a matter of fact, it does, Elsa," Idun said. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Elsa was silent for a moment, trying to decide what to say. Don't get mouthy, Elsa. Just sensibly explain why the whole prospect is ridiculous. "Well, actually…I don't think that is wonderful. It really does not make any sense. I can't be around people anyway, and I'm supposed to be betrothed to someone? Also, no one should get married to someone they've never met. It's just not…right." I may not know much of anything about marriage, but I'm quite sure that is not the way it should happen, even if there wasn't anything wrong with me.

"How can you say things like that, Elsa? You don't know anything about how marriage should work," Agdar said.

"I do concede that I don't know much about marriage, but no one should get married to someone they don't even know, whether they're normal people or…messed up like me." Elsa's words were spoken with absolute certainty. "It's not even safe for anyone to be near me…" Not even Anna…

Elsa's simple logic did not leave much room for debate. She and her parents stood on opposite sides of the room in silence. Finally, Elsa said, "It's getting rather late…I should like to get ready for bed." Which was true, but Elsa really just wanted to stop the awkward silence.

Elsa's parents bid her goodnight, and Elsa quickly put on her nightgown and climbed into bed with a book. Good night, Anna, whatever you're doing.

The next morning after breakfast, Anna came knocking on Elsa's door. "Good morning, Elsa! I've only got a couple minutes…I think Mom and Dad are suspicious about the chocolate thing. I just wanted to tell you that I probably won't be able to talk with you from the window this afternoon. Mom says I gotta catch up on some math stuff. Ick. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you so you don't think I forgot or abandoned you or something."

Of course they're suspicious about the chocolate thing…I didn't exactly give them a straight answer last night…And if either of us has abandoned the other, it's me who's abandoned Anna, not the other way around. "It's all right, Anna. Thank you for telling me, anyways. If it's math, I might be able to help you though," Elsa said.

"Really?! Awesome! I'll be right back." Anna dashed down the hall and came back with a half-finished sheet of problems. She pushed the paper under Elsa's door. "All those x's and y's and squares and whatever else…who cares what the stinky old variables are?"

"Just give me a minute here-I know how to do these," Elsa said as she picked up the paper. "Good grief, Anna, your handwriting is terrible! I can hardly read it."

"Can you just give me an example then? Then I can just copy the formula on all of them."

"Sure. I'll just give you the quadratic formula. That will work on every equation. Don't tell anyone I said this, but the other ways to solve these are rather dumb if you know the formula. Factoring and completing the square make a lot of unnecessary busy work." Elsa sat down at her desk and quickly wrote down the formula on another piece of paper. Let's see…negative b, plus or minus the square root of b squared minus 4ac, all over 2a. Yes, that's it. She took the paper with the formula and Anna's paper back over to the door and quickly pushed it underneath to the other side before backing away. "Does that make sense, Anna? As long as every equation is in the Ax squared plus Bx plus C equals zero form, that formula will work on all of them, even ones with imaginary numbers."

"Hey yeah, actually it does! Cool, thanks, Elsa! Why didn't somebody show me that before? I'll bet this is the first time I get all my math problems right!" Anna exclaimed. "Wait, did you say IMAGINARY numbers? How can a number be imaginary? If it's imaginary then it doesn't exist and you can't do a math problem with something that doesn't exist and a number can't be imaginary anyway 'cause you can't count something that's imaginary but you can't count a negative number of things either and I know how negative numbers work but negative numbers aren't imaginary though-wait, what?" Anna rambled about the idea that there were imaginary numbers.

Elsa giggled on the other side of the door. Most of that made not a lick of sense, Anna. "You must not have started on imaginary numbers yet. It will make more sense when you get to it. Just pretend that they're called something different, because if you get hung up on thinking they're 'imaginary', it makes no sense whatsoever."

"Thank you SO much for your help, Elsa!" Anna frowned when she heard someone calling her. "Mom's calling me…I gotta go. Bye, Elsa."

"Bye, Anna." Elsa smiled as she heard Anna's footsteps fade away down the hall. I helped Anna with something. I actually helped Anna with something!

Thirty minutes later, Anna proudly showed her mother her finished page of math problems. "Looky, looky! I'll bet they're all right, too! I know a new trick!"

"They are right," Idun told her a few minutes later. "Good job. But I have one question for you…where did you learn this? No one taught you the quadratic formula yet."

"Um, well…" Anna had not anticipated this issue. If Elsa isn't supposed to talk to me, she definitely wasn't supposed to help me with my math problems…what am I supposed to say?! "Isn't it great that I got them all right?" she asked, stalling for time.

"Yes, it is, Anna, but you had to have learned the formula from somewhere."

"I got it from a special library of knowledge!" Anna said dramatically. The silly drama was believable behavior coming from her, so this answer did not seem suspicious. Well, Elsa is special, and she's kind of a walking library of knowledge, evidently, Anna thought to herself.

"Oh, the castle library," Idun said. Anna did enjoy reading, so that seemed believable, although Idun was slightly suspicious that Anna was reading something about algebra. That, on the other hand, was not believable. Still…

Anna changed the subject by saying, "Look at this! See, it works on EVERY SINGLE ONE!" She stopped herself from adding 'supposedly even ones with imaginary numbers', because she wasn't supposed to have heard of those yet. I'm so thanking Elsa for her help again later!

Just as Elsa was getting ready to open the secret entrance in her room to go outside that afternoon, she heard Anna knock on her door and say in a rush, "I'mnotsupposedtobeherebutthanksforyourhelpearlier! Igotallmyproblemsright! ByeElsa!"

Before Elsa could say a word in reply, she heard Anna's running footsteps disappear down the hall. You're welcome, Anna. I would have answered you aloud this time, but you ran off too fast. She knew Anna had probably run off like that to ward off suspicion, but it still hurt. Now I'm willing to reply and Anna just runs off…oh, come on, Elsa; be sensible. Do you want Anna to stay and talk and get both you and her in trouble? No, you don't. Besides, Anna had no way of knowing whether you intended to reply or not. Elsa crawled into the secret passages with her candle to light her way and made her way back outside. Setting her candle next to the secret entrance, she glanced up at the sky. It's so cloudy…I hope it doesn't rain. I don't care about getting wet, but I'll care if I accidentally freeze the rain.

Elsa found several small stones and ran down to the creek. She took her time tossing each stone into the water and watching it ripple through the current. I'm so glad I can go outside, even if I'm- Elsa's thoughts were interrupted by a mysterious rustling sound. I hope it's an animal of some kind…please, please, please let it be an animal… She picked up a few larger rocks to throw just in case and looked around warily. When a seemingly endless minute passed and nothing happened, Elsa relaxed. I guess it was nothing. Elsa went back to tossing stones in the creek. The plinking and splashing sounds from the stones made Elsa oblivious to the stealthy footsteps behind her.

Inside the castle, Anna was at the window where she had talked to Elsa before. Today's gonna have to be a gestures-conversation only day. I think we're both already being watched more than usual. She was just about to open the window when she saw a suspicious-looking stranger come out of the trees and tap her sister on the shoulder. Should I tell someone? I promised Elsa I wouldn't tell on her! Wait, what am I thinking-I HAVE to tell someone! Elsa might get hurt! Hoping beyond hope that she would have the chance to explain her actions to Elsa later, Anna turned from the window and ran off screaming for someone to go help her sister.

A/N: Ok, so bad cliffhanger, I suppose. Next chapter coming soon.:)

Uh, please excuse that 'cause I'm happy song reference. It's burned into my brain so bad from hearing it different places.:P It was nice the first time, but now I'm thinking let it go already! Um...XD:P

Anna's 13...I don't know if she should be working on quadratic equations yet or not...um...anyway.:P (P.S. The quadratic formula really is way way easier than factoring or completing the square...XD Lol Also I think calling imaginary numbers "imaginary" really is dumb. They do make sense when you work with them, but the name is so dumb it's not even funny.;) *whistles innocently*)