A/N: *checks watch* this still counts as the weekend, right? Since one reviewer brought this up, I thought I would address something from the last chapter: Anna's parents weren't killed by a sigbin; she just knows that where a sigbin is, a corpse is sure to be nearby. And as established...Anna doesn't really like dead bodies (not that I blame her).

After the last chapter's heaviness, I decided to 'lighten the mood', so to speak, with this one. Thanks for all the great reviews, they act as really good motivation!

Aim for the Heart

"Hmm, I like this one," Anna says in consideration, about to tweak the volume knob on the radio before changing her mind.

In the passenger seat, Elsa stares blankly at the road stretching out in front of them. She hums in what could be agreement, but Anna doesn't think she's really listening.

"Y'know," Anna pushes on, "I really don't understand why universities don't have snow days. I mean look at this!" She gestures to the ice on the road and the wiper blades furiously fighting against a mass of snowflakes. "It looks like freaking Hoth out here and yet we're supposed to risk our lives for a checkmark on the attendance sheet."

Elsa glances at her for a moment before turning towards the window. "There are things more dangerous than driving out here," she murmurs at the window.

Anna bites her lip. Shit, Elsa's not happy.

Last night had apparently made things a bit tense between them.

While Anna's creams and ointments had mostly healed her, there's no cure for painful memories. Those are difficult to deal with whenever she came across a dead body, last night having been no exception. When she came back home, she was a wreck.

Thankfully, Elsa was there to help put her back together. Anna knew, even as she asked for that hug, that there was a chance Elsa wouldn't do it. If her behavior during the movie was any indication, she seemed like she wasn't much of a touchy-feely person. But she barely even hesitated before wrapping her arms around her, which honestly made the hug all the more gratifying.

Anna hadn't gotten much sleep after that, too nervous about what she might dream about. Instead, she rolled out of bed early and drank two huge mugs of coffee while waiting for Elsa to get up. When Elsa came out of her room, she had passed Anna without acknowledging last night in any shape or form. Actually, she hardly acknowledged Anna at all.

And now here they are, partaking in the most awkward car ride in history.

By the time they've parked, Anna feels like trying to outrun the tension between them. It's just hanging there—present in the tense set of Elsa's shoulders and Anna's white knuckled fists hidden in her pockets.

This is the first time she's glad Elsa's avoiding Kristoff; the two part ways when he comes into sight.

"You okay?" Kristoff asks when Anna nearly collapses against the building's wall. "Rough weekend?" He has a fading bruise around one of his eyes and a cut on his chin that could either be from a monster or a bad shaving job.

"The worst," Anna groans. "And I think I freaked Elsa out. She won't talk to me at all." Not that Anna blames her—this weekend was a bit weird, to put it extremely mildly. From an outsider's perspective it was probably downright crazy.

Kristoff squints at her in thought. "Did you give her an alibi for your injuries?"

"I just told her I fell a lot," she says with a shrug. What the hell was she supposed to say? Apparently something better, seeing as Kristoff's looking at her incredulously. "Wait, what did you tell your old roommate?"

"I said I worked at a wild animal rescue," he says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. "My job was to bring injured animals in, which is why I might sometimes come back injured or smelly."

"Wild animal rescue…" Anna echoes thoughtfully. That's a pretty good cover. And kind of ironic, seeing as they killed almost as many creatures as they relocated. "I could still tell her that, right? Like, 'I fell at work, and for some stupid reason I never felt the need to tell you anything more.'" 'Because I'm a thoughtless idiot,' she silently tacks on.

"Jesus, you're bad at lying," Kristoff sighs. Anna doesn't even bother protesting—he's obviously right. They walk towards the classroom doors, Kristoff taking each step as carefully as possible. "I'll fix this for you, but you seriously should have told her something that made more sense."

Ever since he was sixteen, Kristoff had to become a skilled liar out of necessity—constantly explaining his emancipation and his parents' absence had molded him into someone who could spin a believable story with ease. Living with a normal roommate last year had apparently sharpened those talents even more.

Anna glowers at him. "I was too busy trying not to die to really focus on an alibi this weekend." She thinks about telling him what happened in the cave, but she holds back. Now, right before class, isn't the right time to bring it up.

The two take their usual back row seats, Anna propping her legs up on the chair in front of her. Someone sits next to her, bumping their knee against her own.

She turns to see who it is, only to be staring at Elsa. She doesn't look at Anna at all, just pulls out her notebook and readies herself for class. Even though she can't see it, Anna beams at the other woman. She doesn't know why Elsa would suddenly want to sit next to her (especially considering this weekend), but she's not going to question it.

Instead, she elbows Kristoff in the ribs and tilts her head towards Elsa. He raises an eyebrow in surprise. Leaning in, he whispers, "Just follow my lead." In a louder, casual voice he says, "Last night sucked, right?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Elsa still. Pretending to not see her, Anna nods. "Yeah, it was a rough one. Actually, this whole weekend sucked." Well, nothing of a lie there.

"You should know that the fox is doing fine now. Doc said she could be released back into the wild sometime in the next few weeks." He gives her a light, encouraging punch on the shoulder. "Way to go, champ."

Elsa shifts towards them, eyebrows drawn in confusion "What fox?" she asks Kristoff. There's a want in the simple question, a want to finally get some answers after days of evasion from Anna.

Kristoff leans over Anna, pretending like he just now noticed the other woman. "Oh, hey Elsa. Did Anna not tell you what we do?" At Elsa's head shake, he continues, "We both work at a wild animal rescue just outside town. Last night Anna brought in an injured female fox. Turns out, she was pregnant and a bit more aggressive than usual. What else was there? A coyote on Friday, raccoon on Saturday—"

"An owl, too," Anna adds, hoping her voice isn't going to give her away. "That's what gave me the slash marks."

"Why…why wouldn't you just tell me?" Elsa asks Anna, only sparing Kristoff the slightest of glances before focusing entirely on Anna. She looks hurt, as if wondering why she hasn't earned Anna's trust about something so simple.

"I…it's hard to talk about sometimes," Anna says weakly, not really able to meet Elsa's gaze. "Sometimes you see things in the forest you don't want to." Another truth, one that would hopefully prevent Elsa from asking why she needed a hug last night. "And I actually do fall a lot," she says. "Animals aren't exactly friendly when you're trying to capture them."

"There's also confidentiality papers," Kristoff chimes in helpfully. "If the animal is popular amongst hunters, we're not supposed to talk about it."

Damn, he's good. Anna knows lying so convincingly isn't something he enjoys, but it's a skill she wishes she possessed. He's just laid down the groundwork for all future excuses she can tell involving her assignments, and did so with ease.

For her part, Elsa seems pretty convinced and also relieved (her initial assumptions about Anna were probably not very flattering). She takes in Anna with fresh eyes, re-cataloguing her injuries—the previously mysterious bruise on her arm becomes a fall in the forest, the cuts on her neck turn into an animal attack.

"One other thing," Kristoff continues, a troubling glint entering his eyes. "You should totally come to the range with us this weekend. It should be pretty fun."

Anna swings her head around to give him a questioning look. This is the first time she's heard of going to the range—she had assumed they would just hang out at home. And why is he inviting Elsa to one of the places they hone their hunting skills?

Elsa seems a bit taken aback as well. "Like…a gun range?" she asks uncertainly.

"It's mostly for archery," Anna answers obligingly. "You should come," she decides after a pause. With everything she put Elsa through, she thinks it'd be nice to spend some time with her outside the apartment. "It's really fun and I can teach you how to be the next Katniss Everdeen if you want. I'm kind of awesome with the bow," she adds in a totally modest fashion.

Elsa considers it, looking intrigued by the idea. "I suppose that sounds good," she finally says just as Weselton closes the doors and begins the long walk to his lectern.

Kristoff beams. "Great! This Saturday at one. Anna can drive you."

For the first time ever, Elsa actually levels a smile at him in response before turning her attention to the professor. Huh. Maybe the two of them could get along after all. Still, the invitation was completely out of the blue. She almost wonders if Kristoff has some sinister plan up his sleeve. But when she looks at him, he just gives her an angelic smile. Anna narrows her eyes in suspicion.

Weselton taps on his lectern and clears his throat, gaining the attention of his class. "Today we will be looking at some of the core beliefs of constructivism and how they fit into international relations…" he begins, already settling into a monotonous drone.

Anna sighs deeply, staring at the blank paper in front of her. She is suddenly not in the mood for this class. She rubs at her eyes, hoping she can stay awake for the class period. The coffee she had earlier has already burned up into nothing and she's back to being tired. Weselton's voice certainly isn't helping either. At least she was apparently wrong about there being a quiz.

When she starts nodding off somewhere around talk of regulative versus constitutive rules, she knows she's in trouble. Judging by the way Elsa is completely focused on the professor, only looking between him and her notes, she doesn't notice Anna's problem. Usually, she and Kristoff have a complex system of poking each other when one of them begins falling asleep in class. But today Kristoff is just as tired as she is, having been equally busy during the full moon. So when her head slumps onto his shoulder he doesn't move, just murmurs tiredly.

Before she knows it, she's jerking awake to a sound she dreads—Weselton's nasally voice directed at her. For once, he left his lectern for the rare opportunity of an up close and personal reprimand. He's standing right next to Elsa, practically leaning over her to yell at her and Kristoff.

"—and you two are the most disrespectful students I have ever had! You should be embarrassed and ashamed of yourselves. Since you are so bored by the material, perhaps you would like to enlighten the class on a more interesting subject?" He's in fine form today, and Anna's glad she missed the beginning of this scolding. "Or is it that you're deliberately trying to fail my class?"

"No, sir," Anna mumbles. She nudges Kristoff, hoping to wake him up. He blinks slowly in Weselton's direction, not yet conscious enough to know he's in trouble.

Anna's words don't seem to calm the professor down any. Instead, he gets even redder, rearing up for another bout. His hand slaps against Elsa's chair back, causing her to lean in towards Anna. "I don't know what exactly you two were up to this weekend," he says, full of innuendo that makes Anna squirm. "But there are consequences for your actions." At this point he's almost pressing into Elsa's leg, straining to get his face into Anna's personal space. "I demand that you both come to the front of the class and—"

The giant doors of the room bang against the walls, letting in a huge flurry of snow. Weselton is right in the center of the powerful breeze, which has a most unexpected result.

In addition to becoming completely covered in snow, the top part of Weselton's hair has flown off completely, revealing to the entire class a particularly shiny, bald head. Weselton himself looks stunned, staring at Kristoff, Elsa, and her as if trying to comprehend what just happened.

Anna turns her lips inwards in an attempt to not laugh. Next to her, Kristoff (who is now alert), breaks the shocked silence in the room by succumbing to a coughing fit that sounds almost gleeful.

"You…" Anna starts, trying to sound completely serious. "You should really make sure to close the doors properly, Professor." Next to her, Kristoff's coughing reaches violent levels. Someone near the front of the class snickers, causing a few people around him to do so as well.

Weselton's nostrils flare but instead of continuing his scolding, he looks around for his toupee. The silver hair piece must be surprisingly aerodynamic, having landed near his lectern at the front of the room.

He makes his walk of shame as quickly as his short legs can take him, snatching the toupee off the ground and squashing it back onto his head. Another round of giggles erupt at the action. The professor stiffens, gazing at his students with a caustic expression. "Class…is dismissed for the day," he says in a voice straining to sound composed.

The students look at each other in surprise but quickly pack up in case he changes his mind. Weselton's eyes stay locked on Anna and her friends as they leave, gaze nearly lethal.

Anna doesn't bother being intimidated by the look since she and everyone else in attendance now have prime blackmail material on their professor. Once she's outside she taps Elsa on the shoulder, grinning broadly. "That was awesome. The timing seriously couldn't have been better. Mother Nature obviously hates him just as much as we do."

Elsa turns to look at her, and Anna sees that she doesn't seem as amused as everyone else. Her own smile is strained and tight-lipped. "Yeah, it was funny," she answers in a hollow tone. She wraps her arms around her midsection and trudges on, Anna having to quicken her step to keep up. When she realizes Anna's trying to follow her, she says, "Look, I have to go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Oh." Anna stops walking, and Elsa continues on without looking back. Is Elsa mad that she was caught sleeping? "Alright then," she says mostly to herself.

She's not by herself for long though—Kristoff slings an arm around her shoulders, the familiar warmth of his body pressing into her side. He's still chortling, the sound bringing out a laugh of Anna's own.

"Best class ever," he nearly sings, raising his free hand over his head in victory. "Getting screamed at was definitely worth it. I must say, I always suspected the guy had a wig or something. That hair was far too luxurious to be real."

Anna tries to recover from her laughter, only to relapse once a new thought comes to her. "Oh god," she gasps, "he is going to seriously hate us now. He looked like he was staring daggers into us when we left." Hopefully poor Elsa won't be guilty by association, though his menacing glare was also pointed at her.

"Ahh, forget about that. As long as we stay near the doors, he'll be too scared to mess with us again." An idea lights up his face. "Hey, since we have some free time, let's get some food before we split up. It'll be on me."

"How could I possibly turn that down?" Anna asks, already forming plans on what to eat.

The rest of the week goes by relatively smoothly. Weselton, as it turns out, does not seem to be planning her and Kristoff's untimely deaths. However during lectures he'll randomly pause to snap his eyes in their direction, as if thinking they were responsible for the doors blowing open. Elsa continues to sit with them despite it putting her in Weselton's range of vision.

Elsa herself seems to have warmed up to her again, though Anna catches her stealing glances at her pager now and again as if wondering when it will whisk her away. Thankfully, the only cases Anna has that week are two small relocations. She takes extra care not to injury herself since she had grown to hate how Elsa's face would twist with worry whenever she came through the door all banged up.

By Saturday morning, Anna is completely injury-free and ready to take out some inanimate targets. She's poking absentmindedly at her cereal and tapping her foot to some made up tune in her head when Elsa steps out of her bedroom. Anna drags her attention away from her Count Chocula box and towards a fully dressed Elsa.

The other woman is giving her a considering look, taking in Anna's striped pajama bottoms and plain gray thermal shirt. When her eyes travel past Anna's face and follow the curve of a particularly large cowlick on Anna's head, her lips twitch in amusement.

Anna glowers half-heartedly back at her. "Not everyone looks like a model when they wake up," she grumbles, a hand coming up to tame the cowlick into submission. "Judge my bedhead further and I won't teach you how to shoot a bow," she says around a mouthful of cereal. The threat is nullified when her cowlick springs back up and Elsa has to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Anna gives her a goofy grin of her own, knowing her hair is pretty crazy first thing in the morning.

"Do you go shooting often?" Elsa asks as she makes some toast. She's been throwing questions about the archery range for a few days now. Anna thinks she might be nervous about stepping out of her comfort zone—Anna knows the other woman isn't really into sports of any kind.

"I actually haven't been in a while," Anna says. She tips her bowl into her mouth to drink the chocolate milk. "It's a pretty nice place though. And if you don't like it, I have no problem driving you back here."

Elsa gives her a relieved smile. "Thank you. I think I'll have a good time. I've just never," she pantomimes pulling back and releasing a bow string, "before". She quickly lowers her arms, suddenly self-conscious of her display.

Holy crap, her roommate's adorable. "That'll be no problem at all," Anna says confidently. "I've been doing it for years. You'll be in good hands."

Tuning out the other archers around them, Anna places her hand on Elsa's waist. "You'll want to stand a bit more sideways," she says, gently nudging her into the correct position. "Good."

Even though she hasn't done much shooting yet, Elsa's already pink in the face. "Anything else?" she asks, voice a little shaky.

Anna takes a step back and watches as Elsa draws her bow back. "Just make sure you're anchoring the arrow to the same spot on your face each time you shoot. I use the corner of my mouth, some people use their chins or cheeks. It depends on the person." She taps Elsa's elbow. "Make sure the shooting arm isn't drooping and you're good to go."

Elsa nods, concentration sharpening. She focuses on the target twenty yards away and releases her arrow. It hits just left of the bullseye. Elsa lowers the bow, an excited smile lighting up her face.

"Yes!" Anna crows, giving her a high five.

Despite her initial hesitance, Elsa seems to be having a good time. She's eager to learn and doesn't get the slightest bit huffy whenever Anna corrects her on something. Since Anna is very much a hands-on person, she's glad to see that her touch doesn't seem to be bothering Elsa.

Kristoff, goofing around on the other end of the range, has been giving the two of them space while she teaches Elsa with one of the rented recurves. While he's quite good at archery, he's more interested in his ice axes or the occasional throwing knife. The range has private rooms where he could practice with those weapons if he wanted to, but instead he stays on the same range as the other two.

Once Elsa feels more comfortable with her bow, Anna picks her own one up and takes the target next to her. Anna's bow is a small, black compound with no extra goodies on it besides a snub-nosed stabilizer and a fairly new sight. She sinks arrow after arrow in the center of her target, mind slowly going blank at the familiar motions. When she's not fighting for her life or trying to take down creatures, archery is something that helps her unwind.

Once she runs out of arrows, she glances at Elsa's target. The other woman's stayed almost entirely in the center region, one arrow looking like it might be a bullseye. Anna grins when she sees the same fierce look of concentration still on her face.

"Y'know, you could have told me you'd done this before," she says teasingly after Elsa fires her last arrow. "It would have saved you from my remedial lessons."

Elsa dabs at her forehead with the back of her hand and gives her a bashful smile. "Maybe I'm only good because of your lessons," she points out in a voice that's just as teasing.

Anna jokingly tips her head in acknowledgement of her great skills. This is the happiest she's seen her roommate in the last week and she finds it hard to look away from the smile on Elsa's face—the expression is still relatively rare and seeing it in full because of something she's done…it makes her feel good.

Kristoff finally ambles his way over and nods in approval at Elsa. "Looks like Anna is turning you into some kind of wunderkind. Having a good time?"

"Yeah, thanks for inviting me," Elsa says easily. Making sure the other archers have stopped shooting, she goes to collect her arrows.

Anna and Kristoff walk slowly behind her, Kristoff lowering his voice to ask, "So…what do you think?"

Anna raises an eyebrow. "About what?"

He looks at her like she's an idiot. "About Elsa," he says slowly.

"Oh," Anna shrugs. "She's surprisingly good for a first timer. I think she could be pretty kick-ass if she had a decent bow."

Kristoff puts a palm to his forehead. "Wow. Just wow, Anna." With that, he goes back to his corner target, muttering under his breath.

What is up with him today? Even though he's been giving her and Elsa plenty of space, he keeps stealing glances at the two of them, a barely contained smirk on his face. Is he just glad that Elsa seems to be tolerating him now? Knowing him, it's probably something else.

Anna puts aside her curiosity and rejoins Elsa. "After a few more shots here, do you want to check out the animal range? It's a bit more interesting than shooting at a circle."

Unexpectedly, Elsa's face falls. "Oh, do you hunt?" She looks disapproving that Anna might be capable of harming anything cute and fluffy.

"Umm…no," Anna answers after a small hesitation. "I don't hunt animals." Not normal ones, anyways.

"Good," Elsa says, relieved. "I don't like the idea of animals being killed for fun."

Anna's lips twitch. "So you really are a softie, aren't you? Beneath that sarcastic and huffy exterior is a gooey marshmallow center."

The look on Elsa's face is priceless—her eyes go big and her already pink cheeks flush even more. "Th-that's not true!" she says, voice sounding strangled. "I just don't like dead things, that's all."

That sobers Anna up slightly. "Yeah, I don't think anyone does." Aaand now her thoughts are turning dark. But before she can even frown, she spots a familiar man entering the range. "Shit," she growls. Why the hell is he here?

Elsa follows her gaze. "What's the matter?" she asks, seemingly not noticing the giant douche starting to walk towards them.

Anna twirls Elsa around, staring intently into her eyes. "Okay, here's what will happen. The guy that just walked in, the one with the reddish hair, he's going to hit on you." Elsa opens her mouth to protest but Anna runs a clinical eye up and down Elsa's figure, making the other woman fidget and remain silent. "He's definitely going to say something about your eyes," Anna predicts, "possibly your shirt too. And extra points if he asks you how often you exercise."

"Anna, what—"

"Hi, ladies. Is it alright if I shoot here?" a pleasant voice asks.

She looks behind Elsa's shoulder and sees Hans, looking perfectly nice in a collared shirt and a pair of slacks (as if he's at a dinner party instead of an archery range). "It's a free country, isn't it?" Anna answers through gritted teeth.

He stands in the empty spot next to Elsa and sets his equipment down, taking extra time to roll up his sleeves and slowly removes his bow and arrows from his bag. Once he's ready to shoot, he glances at Elsa like he's seeing her for the first time.

"Hi," he says, lowering his bow and giving her a charming smile. "I'm Hans." He looks at her rented equipment and asks, "Is this your first time shooting here?"

Elsa is wary (good for her), and gives him only the slightest of nods. She nocks her arrow, aims, and releases it, trying to ignore how Hans is still staring at her. She hits close to the bullseye and gives Anna another grin, which she can't help but return.

"You're very good for a first-timer," Hans says, still not having shot a single arrow. His eyes wander across her body. "And I can't help but notice your…eyes, such a pretty color."

Elsa's grin is wiped off her face and she gives him a look that says, 'Get the hell away from me'. Without bothering to respond, she goes back to shooting. Anna tries to ignore their interaction, since she knows Hans is only doing this to get a rise out of her, but she's finding it hard to focus on her own target.

Hans goes on despite Elsa clearly not being interested. "What kind of exercise do you do? Even if you're new to archery, you seem like someone who would take part in other physical activities."

Anna resists the urge to gag. God, his pickup lines have really deteriorated since the last time she saw him. It's like he's not even trying. Elsa continues to ignore him, but now a grimace is firmly in place. Her next arrow hits the outermost ring and she curses under her breath.

"I could give you some tips if you'd like," Hans offers, finally picking up his bow and aiming it downrange. His arrow hits the bullseye and he smirks. "I'm quite experienced."

"Oh, will you just shut up," Anna says, unable to take any more of his bullshit. "Get away from her so we can go back to having fun."

"But you told me I could practice here," he says, not budging. In a slightly nastier voice he adds, "You always were so indecisive, weren't you Anna?"

"And you were always a scumbag," Anna retorts. She's disappointed that she ever fell for him in the first place, unable to see what was underneath that handsome face until it was too late.

Elsa looks between the two of them and realization comes across her face. "Should I leave you two alone?" she asks, already stepping away so she's not in the middle of a potential argument.

Anna's hand reaches out to grab Elsa's arm. "Do not leave me alone with him," she warns. "I might do something unfortunate with an arrow if you do."

Elsa swallows hard but stands supportively next to her. Hans narrows his eyes at the display. "That's too bad," he says to Elsa. "We could have had some fun together."

Anna feels goosebumps run over her skin despite the fact she's getting worked up. "Seriously, stop trying to poach my friends—it's pathetic and not jealousy-inducing in any way." First it had been Merida, then Belle. Now Elsa is caught in the fallout of a nasty breakup. It's weird that Hans would actually think hitting on her friends would stir up romantic feelings in her. The only thing it stirs up is the desire to break his pretty face in.

"It's not my intention to make you jealous," he says in an amicable tone. "I assumed you would be latched onto somebody else by now anyways."

Anna clenches her jaw. So they've already gotten to the 'hurling passive-aggressive insults at each other' phase. Alright, she can roll with this. "Actually, I've been taking a break from relationships. My last boyfriend was a bit of a dick, truth be told." Becoming aware of the fact that she's still clinging to Elsa's arm, she let's go in case Elsa wants to run away. From the look on her face, it's a very real possibility.

"Is that so?" Hans murmurs thoughtfully. "Because my last girlfriend was a needy little thing, and was always going on about how well she knew me even after we had just met. It was suffocating."

And yep, there goes Elsa. Not that Anna blames her at all; she's sick of fighting Hans every time they see each other but she can't stop. It's like there's some nasty compulsion in her that makes her sink down to his level.

By the time Elsa comes back, Kristoff firmly in tow, she and Hans have reached a new line of attack. "I've heard your brothers are doing well for themselves. I'm not too surprised; they always did surpass you in every way." The truth always stings the most—Hans' siblings were more successful than him, at least when it came to their various positions in the Guild.

Hans flushes. "And how is your family doing?" he asks softly. "Last I heard, your father had traded snow for bayous." Damn him. He knows that particular barb is too sharp, even for this conversation.

What makes it worse is that he apparently knows more about her dad's whereabouts than she does (not that she ever tried contacting him after that first month. Not that she really cares where he is). Anna's free hand tightens into a fist and before she can do something she'll regret, Kristoff comes to stand between them. "I think it's time for you to leave," he directs towards Hans.

"Or what, will your puppy come and bite me?" Hans always did dislike Sven, probably because the dog growled at him every time they occupied the same space.

Kristoff's eyes become unfocused and he smirks. "He would be up for it, I assure you."

Anna takes a calming breath and shakes her head. "Actually, maybe we should go. We can do a late lunch at Tiana's." She doesn't want to be anywhere near Hans, especially when she has a weapon in her hands. They had practiced enough for the time being anyways.

Elsa, having been silent since Hans came over, finally speaks up. "I'd like that," she says quietly, probably beyond relieved at the chance to get away from Hans and Anna's bickering.

Anna doesn't bother giving Hans so much as another glance as she starts to pack up. Soon, the three of them are in the range's parking lot, tying their scarves and pulling on their gloves. Kristoff splits from them to meet at the restaurant, driving slowly out of the icy lot.

Before Elsa has the chance to get into the passenger seat, Anna tugs on her jacket to get her attention. Elsa straightens up, scarf slipping to expose a segment of smooth skin. "I'm really sorry you had to see that," Anna says, shame already starting to settle in her stomach. Being around Hans post-breakup turns her into someone she isn't proud of.

Elsa takes a step towards her and raises her arm, and Anna wonders if she's going to hug her again. Instead, Elsa simply brushes the hair out of one of Anna's eyes and tucks it under her beanie. The unexpected action provokes a flustered smile out of Anna.

"And I'm sorry you used to date him," Elsa says wryly.

Anna laughs, feeling a bit lighter. She gets into the car and starts the ignition, hoping her heater will come on before they reach Tiana's. "Yeah, me too. We're currently in the 'I completely hate your guts' phase of our breakup. I highly doubt we'll manage to move from that point." She can't imagine actually being civil to him, even when they're both old and wrinkly.

"Can I…what happened between you two?" Elsa asks haltingly a few minutes into the drive. She backpedals immediately. "I'm sorry, that's rude of me."

"No, it's okay," Anna assures her. "It was a while ago." She takes a deep breath and goes, "He cheated on me. Cheated and then tried to turn it around on me like it was my fault." 'We're both so busy, we hardly see each other anymore…it was the alcohol, I swear. If you were there I wouldn't have done it.' She remembers each of his awful excuses, followed by his defensive insults. 'It's not like this was going to end up in marriage or anything…You're too sensitive, it was only one time.'

But Anna was not her mother—she broke up with Hans soon after, refusing to give him another chance…or another opportunity to cheat. Ever since, they'd been on less than pleasant terms.

Seeming to sense Anna's growing unhappiness, Elsa puts a comforting hand over Anna's gloved one. "I've…never been in a relationship," she says, coloring at the confession. "I-I mean, I've gone on dates before, that kind of stuff, but I've never really felt like…committing to someone until—" She pauses and releases Anna's hand. "I don't really know where I'm going with this. Just…I want you to know that I'm really sorry you had to go through that. Next time I see that guy, I'll punch him for you."

Anna can't help but laugh at the earnestness in Elsa's voice. Maybe it's because she was so sparse with them earlier, but Anna can't help but feel lighter whenever Elsa touches her. It's like she has some kind of emotional-healing magic at her fingertips.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Anna says. "But I'll definitely hold you to that."

They stay silent for the rest of the ride. Despite being present when Hans spoke about her dad, Elsa doesn't ask her about that particular topic, something that greatly relieves Anna. By the time they pull into Tiana's, Anna feels that her mood has improved by a wide margin.

Kristoff is already sitting at their favorite table—the one in the front corner near the window. It's nearly surrounded with potted plants, giving those sitting there a sense of privacy. Anna settles in next to Kristoff, Elsa taking the cushioned seat across from them.

Tiana herself soon comes over to take their orders, yellow apron spattered with a colorful array of spices. "What can I get you guys, the usual?" she asks warmly. All three of them nod in sync and Tiana writes down what is presumably three big bowls of her amazing jambalaya.

Once she leaves, Kristoff puts his elbows on the table and leans forward. "So besides the very end, did you have a good time, Elsa?" he asks, playing around with the condiments on the table to keep his hands busy.

Elsa is quick to answer, "Yeah, it was really fun. It'd be nice to do it again sometime." Even though her words are directed towards Kristoff, her eyes are on Anna.

"Sure thing!" he grins. "We'll just have to make sure Douchebag Extraordinaire isn't around next time."

Anna glares at Kristoff. Thanks for bringing him into the conversation. They lapse into a semi-awkward silence, only Kristoff looking like he's enjoying himself. Their beverages—a water for Elsa and a local IPA each for Kristoff and Anna—are quick to arrive.

Right when things feel like they're lightening up, Kristoff just has to ask Anna, "So, do you think you might be ready for another relationship?" He unsuccessfully hides a grin behind the brim of his beer at the expression on her face.

What the hell. Is he intentionally trying to annoy her? But she decides to take the question seriously, since she hasn't asked herself that in a while. After wiping off some of the condensation gathering on her own bottle, she takes a thoughtful sip. "I don't know. I guess I'd be up for the idea if someone comes along. I'm not going put up a dating profile or anything, but I guess it might be nice to be with someone." The one problem being that she only dates people from the Guild, which limits her options significantly. But to her it's better that her significant other doesn't have to be lied to about such a large part of her life.

Across the table, Elsa is listening intently. She averts her gaze when Anna looks over in her direction.

Kristoff nods, looking encouraged. "I think you should consider dating women. You know, expand your horizons a bit."

Elsa chokes on her water, a hand coming up to cover her mouth as she tries to dislodge the liquid from her throat.

"You okay?" Anna asks in concern. Elsa's eyes are nearly watering but it seems she can breathe like she's supposed to. At a hand-wave from Elsa, she turns back to Kristoff. "Are you being serious right now?" Kristoff schools his expression to look perfectly sincere. Anna decides to answer despite her annoyance at his weird line of questioning. "I haven't really thought much about being with a woman that way, but I don't see what the big deal would be with doing so."

Anna's a fairly liberal girl and even if she's never gone on a date with someone of the same sex, it's certainly something she's thought about on more than one occasion. She thinks of Esmeralda, the extraordinarily pretty girl in her freshman dance class, and smirks when she remembers how mesmerizing she was when she moved her hips. Oh yeah, Anna definitely doesn't have a problem thinking about women romantically.

Still, she would rather get off this subject before Kristoff decides to ask any other personal questions. She nods towards the water in Elsa's hands. "Do you drink alcohol?"

Elsa finishes taking a cautious sip and replies, "Not really. It kind of lost its appeal when I turned twenty-two."

"You're a year older than us?" Kristoff asks, surprised. "I thought we were in the same year."

"Oh, I'm a junior too," Elsa says. She sinks a little lower into her seat when she adds, "I was homeschooled until I was sixteen. I had to catch up on some stuff and ended up a year behind in school."

Huh, homeschooled. That might explain some of Elsa's difficulties in dealing with other people. Anna can't imagine how she would turn out if she weren't around those her own age. It would also explain her romantic inexperience—Anna would have thought the other woman would be drowning in guys (hell, girls too) offering to take her out.

The conversation settles into less personal territory soon after—they discuss their favorite movies, with Anna acting out the climactic scene from The Empire Strikes Back much to the others' amusement.

By the time their food arrives, Kristoff is clutching at Anna's arm, pretending she's the Rose to his Jack. Tiana doesn't even bother looking surprised by their antics, simply sliding their bowls in front of them with well-practiced ease.

Anna notices that even while the other woman eats, Elsa has a completely unselfconscious smile on her face, as if not even aware she's doing it. Suddenly, the jambalaya seems a bit spicier than usual and Anna rubs at the heat in her chest.

She and Elsa part ways with Kristoff a while later and head back to their apartment. When Anna parks the car near their building, she finds that she doesn't want the day to be over yet. So as she unbuckles her seatbelt, she turns to Elsa with an idea in her head.

"I know this sounds really weird but...would you wanna build a snowman with me? We have so much snow around and the only thing I've done is walk in it." And she would totally be up for sledding later, but baby steps need to be taken.

She expects Elsa to comment on how childish her request is, maybe teasingly remind her that they're in college, not elementary school.

Instead, Elsa beams at her, hands rubbing together in anticipation.

"I'd love to."

A/N: Interesting fact: one of my main notes for this chapter was 'Kristoff is Elsa's secret wingman'. Dude knows what's up. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, next one will take place around ~Halloween~ and involve a creature from Japanese mythology.