A/N: Sorry for the long break, but my real job was very busy this last month. I am on vacation for a while so I hope to do better. Thanks for reading!
Chapter 3 – Inconvenient Truths
Elsa smirked as she left a trail of reddish marks on Anna's pale neck, knowing Anna would have to wear the turtleneck with her uniform suit for the next couple of days. Anna whimpered and Elsa reached for the buttons on Anna's uniform blouse, opening the buttons one by one until an expanse of pale, yet freckled skin lay out before her. She moved downward, taking her time, tasting every bit of the skin, and Anna whimpered again, wanting her to go faster. The smirk returned, and Elsa reached for the fastenings to Anna's bra, only to be stopped when her communicator cuff chimed loudly, waking her up instantly.
Elsa sat up in bed, her heart racing from her abrupt awakening as well as the subject of her dream. She took a breath to calm herself and then slumped back on the pillows. "The Pillars damn it," she muttered, "these dreams are becoming far too frequent." She used her power to cool herself down, chastising herself even as she wished the cuff hadn't woken her up.
This was the danger she had foreseen when she had decided she wanted to become friends with her Apprentice; that she would actually like her and that like would evolve into something more. At work, they were still Master and Apprentice, and Elsa's cold rigidity and Anna's awkward bumbling had not changed much. But after work, more and more often, they could be found in each other's quarters, having dinner, talking and to Elsa's dismay, becoming closer and closer. The speed at which they had become best friends had surprised them both; being completely opposite in personality and background, there didn't seem to be much common ground on which to start a friendship. But Anna was a talker, Elsa was a listener and this provided the perfect dynamic for them to become almost inseparable outside of work. And, even though she mostly listened, Elsa found herself revealing more and more, and if something didn't change soon, she was going to put herself in real danger.
Elsa sighed and got up from bed, still thinking. A part of her wanted to surrender to what she felt for Anna, knowing that Anna would be more than happy to further their relationship. Anna had never been difficult for Elsa to read, and it was clear to Elsa that Anna was falling for her as fast as she had fallen for Anna. They would have to find a way to make it work, though; Plebes were not allowed to be in romantic relationships and were separated and punished for it. But even still, there were couples that managed to evade detection. Elsa knew they could be one of those couples, especially since they already had a pre-existing relationship.
But was that fair to Anna, she thought as she stepped into the shower. Even if Anna was okay with a forbidden relationship, there was still Elsa's other life that had to be considered. Elsa was good, maybe even the best at what she did when she was the Ice Queen, but she was realistic enough to know that the State was going to catch her eventually. She was one person going against a vast bureaucracy and they had resources that she couldn't even dream about. She would stumble, they would pounce, and then it was all over. She would be outed as an Extraordinary, one of those non-human things that had caused the Great Destruction. This fact, and her crimes, would mean her death, and Anna would have to live through it all. Elsa could hardly see how it would be fair to ask that of Anna.
Her other option would be to give Anna the choice, she realized. Elsa could tell Anna who she really was, and then let Anna decide if she wanted to be with her. But that thought terrified Elsa for two reasons. One, Anna might be horrified, reject her and turn her in, and two, in an even worse scenario, Anna might be willing to support her and then she would sentence Anna to death by making her guilty by association. Elsa sighed again as she finished getting ready, knowing there were no easy answers. Her cuff chimed, and she looked down. "Coffee?" it read.
"Please," she replied, her heart warming a little at Anna's usual thoughtfulness as she headed out the door.
Anna smiled at the simple response as she looked down at her communicator cuff. There was no order, no other information, just a please. Yeah, it was just coffee, she thought, but it made her happy to know that she knew Elsa well enough now to know what her coffee order would be. Knowing anything about her reticent Master was an accomplishment; Anna knew it and she treasured the friendship that allowed her to know so much about a person that few people knew anything about. She should be happy with that friendship, she mused as her front door closed and she headed towards the coffee shop. But, she knew that she wasn't. She wanted more, so much more, which was why she always texted in the morning and never called. If she called, then she might see an imperfect Elsa, an Elsa that still had mussed hair and sleep in her eyes, an Elsa that she was desperate to know. Anna wanted so badly to see the imperfect Elsa, wanted so badly to be the one to wake up beside of her, naked, not naked; it didn't matter. The intimacy, the love, was what Anna had craved all of her life, and she was so close to it, but it remained out of her grasp. She couldn't torture herself by seeing what she was missing, so hence she texted, never called.
Anna gave the cashier their drink orders, paid and went to the other side to wait for their drinks. It wouldn't be so frustrating, she mused, if there weren't such tantalizing hints that Elsa felt the same way. It wasn't often, but there were times that Anna could have sworn that she saw a look or felt a touch, but when she looked again, it was gone and the friendly yet guarded Elsa was back. Anna had no idea what Elsa was hiding, but Anna wanted to make her Master see that she had nothing to fear. Anna didn't care that they would be breaking the rules. She had friends, the Chef and the Actress in particular, who had been in a relationship for years and has managed not to get separated. Anna knew that if those two could manage it, she and Elsa could. The drinks came up and Anna put them in a carrier, her good humor returning at the thought of being with Elsa. Maybe, just maybe, today would be the day that something would change and her Master would surprise her.
Elsa looked up as the door opened and her Apprentice came in with a welcome tray of caffeinated beverages. "Good Morning, Master," Anna said cheerfully as she tugged the cup out of the tray and set it on Elsa's desk.
"Good Morning, Apprentice," Elsa replied, taking the cup and sipping the hot, super sweet liquid. She liked no milk but a lot of sugar in her coffee, and Anna had made it perfectly. "Thank you," she said, raising the cup in salute.
"It's no problem; you know that, Master," Anna said sincerely.
"And it's no problem for me to thank you," Elsa countered good-naturedly. She brought out her tablet and looked at their to-do list. "We need the final plans for the off-Campus construction site printed by 5:00PM today. Groundbreaking is next week and the Patricians want to review them," she stated, and Anna typed it into her tablet. "If you get done with that, you also have the molecular biology building plans that you need to check the calculations on, and…" here Elsa paused, fixing Anna with a glare that made Anna redden in embarrassment, "…I still don't have any 3D models for any of your Initiation buildings. You have put that off far too long, Apprentice," she concluded sternly.
"I'm still building them, Master," Anna offered lamely.
"What, with matchsticks and glue?" Elsa challenged facetiously. "That project should have been done weeks ago and you know it."
"Yes, Master," Anna replied, torn between snickering at her Master's sarcasm and being chastened by her tone. "I'll get to work," she said. Elsa nodded and they both set to work, easily moving into the familiar rhythm that defined most of their days now.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Anna stretched and glanced at the clock, surprised when it read 5:30PM. She had finished printing the plans for the off-Campus building about an hour and a half ago and had handed them off to her Master, who in turn had scrutinized them and sent them off with the Office Assistant to be delivered to the Patricians at the Great Hall. She had been working on her building calculations ever since, but with her Philosophy Club meeting looming, she needed to get going now that the pressing work had been finished. She opened her mouth to ask permission from her Master to leave, but before she could say anything, Elsa spoke.
"Don't you need to get going, Apprentice?" she asked, never looking away from her computer screen. "I thought tonight was Philosophy Club."
"It is, Master," Anna answered. "May I have permission to leave?"
"Of course," Elsa replied. "I'll see you in the morning, Apprentice."
"Thank you, Master," Anna replied happily. She gathered up her things. "Good evening, Master," she said, waiting by the door. Elsa looked up from her computer, and her wry grin and shooing hand gesture made Anna's grin widen as she bounced out the door.
Elsa watched her go, and the smile grew wistful. Anna loved Philosophy Club, and from what Elsa had heard (and she had heard a lot), it was due to the fact that it was primarily made up of the Plebian children-now young adults-that Anna had grown up with in the dormitories. They added and lost a few new members each year as former Proletariats became Plebian and former Plebes failed the Test and became Proletariat, but the core group remained the same. Besides, Anna, as friendly as she was, loved the new additions almost as much as her oldest friends. The club was one of the few things, besides the traitorous Olaf, that Elsa knew for a fact Anna adored, so Elsa always knew when it was meeting and always made sure Anna was available to go.
That also meant Elsa was free tonight, as there would be no Apprentice showing up semi-unexpectedly at her door, so she had planned for the Ice Queen's return. The Ice Queen's movements had to be random; Security was trained to pick up on any patterns, so she was constantly varying everything about her attacks. The days were never the same; she never bought the clothes for her missions in any regular pattern and she used unremarkable pieces of clothing; and, probably, most importantly, she never accessed the blueprints for buildings she was targeting unless her office was working on something directly related to it. She had been planning for a while and had meticulously planned three separate sabotages; so tonight, she had her choice of three things to destroy: the data servers, the communications grid or the camera system.
The data servers would be her first choice; they were the easiest to access and the easiest to destroy. However, they were also the item with most redundancy, meaning that whatever was contained on them had multiple backups at off-Campus locations, so the real damage would be negligible. The destruction of the communications grid would render the cuffs inoperable and make tracking everyone impossible, but again, it would only be for a short time as the redundant systems would kick in and everything would be back to normal. The only real thing to be gained from either of these missions would be the pride at having done them.
That left those fucking cameras, Elsa thought. The cameras were everywhere outside; there was literally nowhere outdoors on Campus that you could not be seen by one of them. The inside was almost as bad, but the State swore that private quarters were just that, private, and that there were no cameras in anyone's quarters. The only reason that Elsa believed them was because she often displayed her powers in her quarters and she hadn't been arrested yet. Elsa let out a short sigh, thinking. The cameras seemed to be her best option, and the more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea. With the cameras gone and security unable to track her, she could give the Campus a real taste of the scope of her powers, out in the open, where usually even she couldn't avoid camera detection. Meaningful destruction of State property and a vivid display of her talents would be powerful messages to send.
Satisfied with her plans, Elsa gathered up her things and got ready to leave. As always, she would have to wait until dark, so until then, she would follow her normal, Anna-less routine. She left the office and went to the Marketplace for food, randomly picking one of the myriad selections. She was handed something in a bag, she paid and she left, walking back to her quarters and sighing in relief when the door slid shut behind her.
Olaf bounded into the room at the sound of the door and jumped up on the couch back. He looked at Elsa as she went into the kitchen to put down her food, took an interested sniff towards the bag and then promptly turned his attentions back towards the door. "She's not coming tonight, so you can stop looking," Elsa told him, as she set out the cartons and got out a plate. Olaf glanced over at the sound of her voice and then looked back towards the door. Elsa sighed in amused frustration as she portioned out her dinner. "You're my cat; you know that right?" she asked wryly, bringing her now full plate over to couch and sitting down. Olaf jumped down to the cushions, and curled up beside her, finally convinced that his other favorite human wasn't coming. Elsa scratched his ears and he started purring. "It's okay, puffball," she said, turning her attention to her dinner, "I miss her when she's not here too."
She flipped on her tablet and read as she ate, gathering whatever information the State saw fit to give them that day. The light faded from outside her windows as she did so, and about the time she was done with her food and her reading, it had disappeared entirely. She rose from the couch and went into the kitchen, cleaning up her plate and her leftovers before heading off into her bedroom to get ready.
Of all the ways that she had to prepare for her missions, getting rid of her implanted biometrics chip was always what took the most concentration. She closed her eyes and stood perfectly still in the center of her bedroom, focusing all of her mental effort into finding the small dead piece of silicon that did not belong amongst the vibrantly living cells of her body. This part had taken hours the first time she had done this, but now, she knew where it was and the process went much quicker. She found it, and encased it in a very thin layer of ice to protect it from the body systems that it would have to travel through. Then, with utmost care, she used a small puff of frost to dislodge it. When it was free, she continued using the puffs to guide it to the lymph system, whose slightly larger ducting system allowed the chip to move.
Once in the lymphatic system, she used the frost to guide it upwards, past the vein it was supposed to drain into and towards her tonsils. Once there, a few more puffs, a slight gag, and the chip was lying on her tongue. She opened her mouth, picked it up and thawed out the ice that surrounded it. She went to her dresser, where a special box of her own design waited, a box that would fool the chip into thinking that it was still nestled in her body. Compared to the chip, the communications and tracking cuff was easy. A thin layer of ice underneath it expanded it enough for Elsa to get her hand through without opening it, as opening it triggered its alarm, and she slipped it off, placing it in beside the chip box on her dresser.
Elsa took a deep breath, savoring the rare moment of being truly free. She had no chip to send her vitals to the State computer, no cuff to tell the State where she was. She could go anywhere and do anything and it was exhilarating. But, it was temporary; she knew it and the exhilaration faded. If she was gone too long, they would look for her. When they couldn't find her, they would find anyone she was close to and execute them as an example. It was this knowledge that made her slip into her Ice Queen clothes, remove the grate above the bed in her bedroom and use the vents and tunnels she knew so well to make her way towards sabotage instead of freedom.
Elsa dropped down into the control center for the camera system, noting with irony that there were no cameras in here. Rock-hard ice balls projected at the backs of the technicians' heads knocked them out without a sound, and Elsa was left alone to do what she wanted. She iced up all of the panels, causing them to crack open with a satisfying snap before conjuring a small blizzard to drive circuit-frying snow into the farthest recesses of the equipment. With wires popping, snapping and sparking all around her, she coaxed several of her ice spikes into existence, driving each one into critical areas like switches and data storage centers. Everything in the room went black as all of the equipment died a rapid death, and with a smirk, Elsa disappeared back up the vent.
Now was the time in her missions where Elsa usually scurried back to her quarters, avoiding the inside cameras with a skillful precision that was breathtaking. Tonight, though, she had other plans, using her vent to find passage to the outside. She kicked off the outer cover and emerged, standing before the building that she had just done irreparable damage to. It was much too plain, she decided, and summoned her powers to provide some embellishments. After a few minutes, she was pleased with her success and stepped back to admire her handiwork. It was beautiful, all high arches and icy spires decorated with inlaid snowflake patterns.
Elsa smiled, but then frowned as she looked down into her hands. Yes, the structure was impressive and it would send the message she wanted to send. But, Elsa realized, she didn't want to waste her talents on the State. She didn't want to give them anything beautiful, even if it was as a rebellious message. If she were honest with herself, there was only one person she wanted to create beauty for. Elsa looked up at the structure and debated destroying it, but decided it would take too much time. She needed to talk to someone, and to do that she needed her cuff, meaning needed to get back to her quarters as soon as possible.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Anna traipsed along the path from the Library that led back to the Plebian quarters, happy and slightly irritated all at once. She loved going to Philosophy Club, but tonight they had gotten little-to-no philosophizing done because all of the other members, Debutante and Blondie especially, had been too busy teasing her. The teasing had started because Anna had not done any of the preparation that she was supposed to have done for the Club and she hadn't been doing it for quite a while. Anna blamed distraction and busyness at work, but the other girls, knowing how Anna felt about her Master and how much time they were spending together, blamed something else entirely. Anna had turned bright red and denied it, but of course that had given her away and the teasing had become relentless. It had all been in good fun, but Anna was still slightly red and still slightly embarrassed even as she walked home.
Thoughts of the meeting made her thoughts turn to her Master, and Anna glanced at her cuff, seeing if it was too late to text and say good night. It wasn't, so Anna pushed the button and texted Elsa, waiting for the reply that always came back promptly. It didn't come though, so Anna sent it again, thinking she might have made a mistake. There was still no response, so Anna reluctantly called, her concern about Elsa's unusual silence overriding her dislike of calling her. It rang several times and then went to voicemail, disquieting Anna even more.
Anna continued walking, trying to convince herself that Elsa was fine. Maybe her Master just had a date or something, she reasoned. Finding that thought did nothing to help her mood, Anna tried calling once more and still got no answer. Having reached her destination, Anna paced outside of her building for a couple of seconds before turning around and heading towards Elsa's building. She was acting like a stalker, and her Master might get mad at her, but Anna couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Anna checked in with the guard, who knew her and waved her through with a smile. She waved back and hopped in the elevator, bouncing from foot to foot in her impatience. The elevator door dinged and Anna exited, practically running down the hallway to Elsa's door. She rang the bell and waited, but several long moments passed and there was no kind of sound from the inside. Anna tried calling again, and this time, she could hear what had to be Elsa's cuff chiming from somewhere behind the door. Now too freaked out to think of any explanations that didn't involve Elsa incapacitated on the floor, Anna punched the access code Elsa had given her for emergencies into the panel and the door slid obediently open.
"Elsa?" Anna questioned loudly. "I'm sorry, but you weren't answering your cuff, and I was worried, and I guess I had to see that you were all right," she said in a rush to the darkened room, growing more worried when there was no answer. A noise rustled behind her and she turned quickly, only to see Olaf at her feet. "Hey sweetie," Anna said, relieved to see someone. He rubbed against her leg, and she reached down to stroke him. "Where's your mommy?" she asked rhetorically, standing up.
Well, it was clear Elsa wasn't in here, Anna thought and she went down the hall peeking in every room until she came into the bedroom. Elsa wasn't in there either, but Anna's eyes grew wide when she saw the cuff that was lying on the dresser. Your cuff was put on you the day you became Plebian and it was supposed to stay on you until the day you were cremated. Anna had never heard of anyone successfully taking it off, and if Elsa wasn't wearing hers, the implications were as mind-blowing as the consequences were staggering. She went over and gingerly picked it up, checking for her messages to confirm this cuff belonged to her Master. They were there, and Anna robotically put it back on the dresser as her mind tried to process what she had found and what it might be telling her about her beloved Elsa.
A noise sounded from above her head, and Anna jumped back, startled out of her reverie. Olaf, who had soundlessly joined her, jumped back too, and she stumbled over him, trying to find a place to hide from whatever it was, her mind still spinning from her discovery and her thoughts not resembling anything like coherence. The walk-in closet was the closest and easiest thing, so she dashed into it, trying to get her thoughts under control.
Anna took a deep breath to calm herself, and in doing so, inhaled the unmistakable scent of Elsa that clung to the clothes in her closet. Amazingly, especially considering it was her Master who had caused her panic, the scent calmed Anna considerably and she simply sat there for a few moments, letting the anxiety ebb out of her. Feeling much better if perhaps a little foolish, she stood up to return to the bedroom when a vent on the ceiling popped open and her Master dropped soundlessly from it on to the floor in her bedroom.
Even though she was in a hurry, Elsa would not jeopardize herself by being stupid. She froze her clothes off as she usually did, making sure that every fiber was obliterated by ice particles before she gathered up the rags and deposited them down the incinerator chute. She walked to her dresser and retrieved her chip, swallowing it and sending it on its frosty journey back to where it belonged. Once it was back in place, she reached for her cuff and frowned in concern when she saw the number of messages from Anna. She expanded it enough to get her hand through and slipped it back on, typing a message to her Apprentice as soon as it was in its prescribed spot on her wrist.
Anna nearly tumbled right out of the closet when she felt her arm buzz. She had only begun to calm down when Elsa had dropped out of the roof, and the sight of Elsa's clothes disappearing into a heap leaving her clad only in her underwear had not helped. Anna had tried so very hard not to stare; now was so not the time considering she had come into her Master's quarters uninvited, she had found something she was not supposed to find, and she was hiding in her Master's closet like a stalkery creeper. But the Pillars help her, reality was so much better than her imagination that she couldn't look away, and it was only the vibration on her wrist that startled her enough to snap her out of it. She shook her head and looked down.
"I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier, Apprentice," it read. "My cuff was on silent and I fell asleep on the couch. I didn't mean to worry you."
Anna, seeing Elsa's face and knowing the last part was sincere even if the first part was a lie, typed back. "It's okay, Master," she replied. "You don't have to answer to me. I just thought I would say goodnight."
Anna's reply made Elsa pause. Even though it was typed, it seemed more pointed and melancholy than was typical for Anna. Or, maybe she was just stressed and overthinking it, her logical side pointed out. Elsa sighed, taking one last moment to ponder her decision before committing to it entirely. She typed a message and went to her dresser to get herself some clothes.
From her place in the closet, Anna saw the indecision and looked down curiously when the message came through. "Are you tired?" the cuff read. "Would you be willing to meet me at the off-Campus construction site in about half an hour? I have something that I need to show you and talk to you about."
Anna didn't hesitate. "Of course, Master," she typed back promptly, even though she was still processing and trying to figure out all of the odd things she had witnessed tonight. If Elsa needed her to be there, she was going to be there. It was as simple as that.
Elsa smiled at the quick response, slipping on her clothes and shoes and heading for the door. She hoped a half an hour would be enough. Anna watched her go, and when she was sure Elsa was out of her quarters, Anna left the closet and sat on the bed to think. Anna thought about it all, everything that she had seen tonight and everything that she had learned about Elsa over the months that she had been working with her. Even though she had a reputation for being "distracted", Anna had remained Plebian for a reason, and it took her no time at all to snap all of the pieces together. There was one piece of information that would confirm her hypothesis, though, and she knew exactly who to get it from. She activated her cuff, this time on a secret frequency that couldn't be traced or tracked, a frequency that a select few had access to. "Leader, this is Ginger. Please respond," she requested.
"This is Leader," a disembodied voice replied. "Why are you calling on this frequency, Ginger?"
"I need some sensitive information," Anna stated. "Have there been any incidents reported about possible Ice Queen activity tonight?"
"Intel is coming in that the camera system has been rendered inoperable and the building housing it is surrounded by ice," Leader informed her. "But I heard about it seconds ago. How do you know already?"
Anna nodded. There was the last piece. "I believe I have learned the identity of the Ice Queen, Leader," she said.
There was a long pause. "That isn't funny, Ginger," an annoyed Leader said. "You know we have been trying to locate her for years."
"I know, and that's why I'm telling you that I've finally found her," Anna retorted.
Another long pause ticked by. "Are you in any danger? Do you need assistance in apprehending her?" Leader finally asked.
"If I was in danger, I wouldn't be chatting with you, now would I?" Anna pointed out, cheerfully feisty now that everything made so much sense and was coming together so perfectly. "And, no, I'll bring her in myself. It will be easier that way."
"Okay, but please be careful, Ginger," Leader instructed. "If I haven't heard from you in 8 hours, then I am sending someone after you."
"Understood. Ginger out," Anna replied. She cut off the communication, gave Olaf one last scratch behind the ears and took off for her much-anticipated appointment.
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Elsa put the finishing touches on her designs and sat down in the snow to wait. She glanced at her cuff and noticed that it was close to the time she had told Anna to meet her. She couldn't help the stab of fear that coursed through her, and the wind and snow started swirling around her in response. She took a breath and the storm settled. Never in her life had she been this afraid. Fear was her enemy; fear made her weak because she was no longer in control, and Elsa hated not being in control. A familiar redhead crested the slight hill that surrounded the construction site and descended into the hollow that housed it. Elsa sighed and stood up.
Anna looked in awe at all of the beautiful things around her, all of them meticulously sculpted out of ice and snow. There were miniature castles filled with tiny ice people and meadows filled tiny ice deer, rabbits and skunks. There were recognizable buildings too, and Anna laughed in delight when she saw her four Initiation Buildings scattered among them. The miniature geodesic sphere was closest, and it was just about her height. She marveled at the detail and smiled wryly. Now that was a 3D model.
Leaving the sphere to find some open space to see, Anna looked around for Elsa and found her standing a few feet away on the side of the snow-covered hollow, looking at her with an unreadable expression. Anna smiled brightly and Elsa tentatively smiled back. Neither one said a word for a few moments, until Anna broke the silence. "This is all so beautiful, Master," she said sincerely. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't, at least not until today," Elsa admitted.
Anna studied her, and Elsa saw her expression change from thoughtful to hopeful with a touch of the impish. "Well, I'm glad that you did," Anna stated happily. "I guess I just have one question for you, then, Master."
"And what might that be, Apprentice?" Elsa asked with cautious optimism.
"Do you wanna build a snowman?" Anna asked hopefully.
Elsa laughed, a sound that made Anna warm in spite of the snow. "Only you would ask that, Apprentice," Elsa said affectionately. "But yes, I'd love to."