The consistent, devilish pulse of Anna's heart rate monitor was the only sound to breath the silence, slowly doctors had removed the millions of tubes that sprouted from Anna's throat, they had re-constructed the damage to her jaw but Anna would not eat solid food for months if she was ever to eat again. She was sedated for the pain, sleeping calmly. A long red scar shaped in what looked to Elsa like a broken, terribly distorted snowflake, erupted from Anna's jawline.

For a week Elsa was glued to Anna's bedside- refusing to leave. During the surgery to re-construct Anna's jaw she had been unmoved from the door, she did not blink, did not speak and did not cry until Anna came out of the door. A therapist came to see Elsa every day. She asked Elsa everything, while Elsa refused to answer any of the lawyers and police who came to her, she told the therapist everything. Jack did not leave the room either unless Elsa needed something or he went to go check on his sister and friends. He talked to her when she needed it, was silent when she needed it, and when he needed something, Elsa offered an embrace or tried to mumble familiar words. Miza arrived on the seventh day, she would have come sooner if it weren't for a battle erupting between Jack and Miza's foster siblings, which had ended with Miza crying and telling them that all she really wanted was Elsa.

Miza stepped through the door, latched to Jack's hand and when she saw Elsa tears flowed down her face. Elsa turned away from Anna's bed to the tiny girl, still the affection and the love remained locked in her chest but the familiar green of her eyes sent lumps through Elsa's veins.

Elsa wanted to scream at Miza to leave, Miza's soul reminding her too much of her loss and Elsa's head swirled with the migraine, but in that moment she lost all memory of Marco, pushed it into the darkest, deepest depths of her brain while she jumped out of her chair and ran for the little angel who had stolen the last black and empty pieces of her heart.

Elsa fell right to her knees and pulled Miza in close to her, the girl was crying so hard Elsa could feel her body rocking against her. Miza grabbed a handful of Elsa's hair like she had done since Elsa was 12 and had first met her with Marco. The memory of that day was so fresh and clear, she could see it, feel it. She could almost taste the sweetness of the day Elsa walked into the room and the tiny girl was instantly attached to Miza. She remembered every visit to the foster house, how the girl seemed to soothe over her broken heart. That was a lifetime ago though. An entire lifetime ago.

Elsa held the girl so close she was afraid of breaking her.

"Oh Miza... Oh Miza darling I am so sorry." she stood and took the girl with her, Miza gripping Elsa for dear life. She walked up to the window while the agonizing tears rolled down and off her cheeks. It was not her pain though that caused her sudden crying, Miza's pain was so great it seemed to rattle the room and it seeped through Miza's skin into Elsa's own.

"Elsa." Miza said the single word, her lisp gone, her speech gliding perfectly across the room. It startled Elsa, and she bit her lip.

She stared out the window, her own reflection beating down on her. Jack glided across the room, his hand on the small of Elsa's back, Elsa rocked back and forth on her felt to calm the child.

"I miss him Elsa." Miza's words laced with agony.

"I miss him too." Elsa stared at her reflection harder, angrier, "I should have never told Marco about Hans, and he would still be here." Elsa had not meant for the words to be spoken out loud and when she realized they had reached Jack and Miza's ears she bit her lip. A small whimper escaped her lips. "What have Id one to you Miza? I have been so selfish and I stole away your brother. I owe you everything I have Miza. Oh Miza... this is all my fault" Jack's hand on her back stayed, Miza held onto Elsa even tighter and Jack's eyes laced with sorrow.

"Don't say that Elsa, this isn't your fault none of this is anybody's fault except Hans and Pitch. Marco-" Jack gritted his teeth at the name while it sent a cringe through Elsa. "Marco was an amazing person and he will stay unforgotten, and so will you Elsa." Elsa turned to stare at him, he looked down at her, his eyes were bloodshot with tears and Elsa grimaced, his words stuck in the dense air. She stared at the reflection again- a familiar sense of self hatred filling her. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut- each time she did so the memories came back to haunt her but it was better then facing the scene she was in. For hours they stayed in the tear ridden silence.

"Elsa. I want to stay here with you." Miza finally broke the silence. She loosened her grip on Elsa and looked out the window, but Elsa could see her looking at the reflection of Elsa holding her. Jack stared with them, the calming circles on Elsa's back seemed to relax her nerves the slightest, the migraine slowly dulled away at his touch. The three of them looked into the picture perfect shadows. Elsa looked older, had she aged so much in the past week? Jack looked old too, his child-ness had vanished. Elsa missed it, missed the way he used to light up a room.

"I'd never have it any other way." Elsa stated quietly and kissed Miza's forehead. She looked one last time at the reflection and turned away, sitting in a chair with Miza.

"Will you braid my hair?" Miza begged and slid onto the floor. She ran her hands through Miza's hair, the pattern coming naturally to her. As she finished she searched her wrists for a tie that was not there. Elsa didn't hesitate to take her own tie out to hold Miza's braid together.

.:*:.

"so you will take care of Miza? Yvette has agreed to this?" Dr. Amore asked and pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"Yes," Elsa blinked at stared for only a moment at the doctor's blue eyes. She fumbled with her phone in her lap.

"And will you be taking her on Wednesday?" Wednesday. Marco's funeral. Elsa could hardly speak of it, her pain was still too fresh.

"Well of course," Elsa stated, she had to go she needed closure, she did not expect that to happen in by the funeral in 5 days but it must help, thats what funerals were for right?

"That is very brave of you, and courageous." Brave. I sure as fuck don't feel brave.

"Miza deserves it. And Id like to think people will remember him, he saved my sister." Elsa's voice trembled with tears, the memory so strong she gripped the arm of the chair until her knuckles whitened. She hated these therapy sessions, they were just too painful.

"How are the flashbacks? Are they getting any less consistent?"

"No. No they are still there, and they still hurt."

.:*:.

On the 11th day Anna woke up, she had been awake before but not long enough to hold a conversation.

"Elsa." She had whispered in the dead of the night. Elsa and Jack were awake, sleep wasn't an option for the nightmares always returned.

"Anna." Elsa rose to her feet, her sister's had found hers immediately.

"Marco... hes dead. Isn't he?" Anna stared at her sister's pained eyes.

"Yes." Elsa could barely whisper.

"It should have been me." Anna turned and stared at the large window and the starlit sky.

"Don't say that Anna." Elsa was up on the bed with her, she tucked Anna into the crook of her arm, careful no to hurt her. "Don't you ever fucking say that again." Anna cried into Elsa's side, Elsa barely held the tears back- she had to be strong now.

"I love you Elsa."

"I love you too Anna."