Disclaimer: All characters are from their respective works. Fair use, blah blah, don't kill me. Sorry for the extra long chapter but... it looks like this might become a regular thing. Would y'all prefer if I broke them up instead? Let me know. Also, oh look, more military vocab: SIs - short for Sensitive Items, SIs are equipment issued to a specific individual that also have serial numbers. Colloquially, the term 'SIs' is also used to describe subordinates (often, this implies the subordinates are helpless in some way).
Fourth Point of Contact - an Airborne term that refers to the fourth area on the body to make contact with the ground after a successful jump, namely the rear. Colloquially, it refers to a person's ass, as it is typically used in a "pull your head out of your fourth point of contact" sort of way. That's about as PC as Soldiers get.

The office was dead silent, the tension thick as two women stared each other down, arms crossed over their chests while they silently fought a battle of wills. This was slowly becoming a common part of the school week for the three occupants of the Principal's office- two of them glaring at each other silently while the third waited for the dam to burst.

Edna Mode watched from behind her desk, twirling her black stick in her fingers and observing the spectacle before her. Terry Brooks stood to one side, black suit crisp as ever, her shades just barely sliding down her nose with the force of her glare. Tamora Calhoun, on the other side, was wearing the school polo with jeans, a professional yet laid back style that struck a stark contrast to her fierce expression. They both kept their hair short out of habit more than anything, Tamora's blonde while Terry's was as brown as her eyes. The two were like yin and yang as far as appearance but it just made it all the easier to see them as the best of friends in the middle of a warzone.

"This is not optional, you know," Edna eventually said, though neither woman paid the comment any mind, as expected. All it did was break the silence and open the floodgates.

"This is not in my job description!" Terry waved her hands in front of her. "Don't get me wrong, I'm willing to help if I can, but this is seriously outside my skill set!"

"Come off it, Chief," Tamora replied, threading her fingers through her hair. "You're the only other member of the faculty-"

"See, that's the problem: I'm not a member of the faculty!" Terry pushing her shades up her nose in irritation. "I am the designated security adviser; I'm not a teacher or a coach or-"

Tamora rolled her eyes. "We're both security advisers, Chief."

"Which means you are more than capable of handling this yourself!" Terry scowled, lowering her shades enough to meet Tamora's eyes without obstruction only to slide them back up a moment later. "I don't mind covering for you every now and then but this is the second time in a week!"

"You know damn well why, Chief." Tamora took a step closer to her friend.

"And while I admire your selflessness, this crosses a line!"

Edna rapped her stick against her oak desk, flapping her hand. "Gobble, gobble, gobble- we are not here to talk about whether or not something will happen!" She pointed her stick at Tamora. "You are here to make sure the important information is given." She switched to Terry. "And you are here to receive it."

The brunette groaned, removing her shades to massage the bridge of her nose. "How do I not have a choice in this?"

"I can't believe you're being such a namby-pamby." Tamora muttered, backing off and crossing her arms over her chest. "It's just a competition!"

"It's a cheerleading competition. There's a huge difference."

Edna rubbed at her temple with her free hand. She could cut in at any point and effectively put the issue to bed but it was often better to let the two have at each other until they came to an agreement or an impasse. They might've hung up the fatigues long ago but combat was in their natures and better they take out their frustrations on each other than the students.

"You're going to have to get over this aversion to school spirit at some point." Tamora rolled her eyes at the answering groan.

"It has nothing to do with school spirit!" Terry replaced her shades. "It has everything to do with tight, enclosed spaces, loads of hair spray and perfume, high pitched squeak toys, and ridiculously loud noises and music and yelling." She paused, jabbing a finger at the blonde's chest. "And, that stupid polo is itchy."

"Yes, I have been meaning to redo the faculty uniforms, now that you mention it." Edna tapped her chin, then waved the concerns away. "Not important; right now, we must focus on the competition."

"But-"

"No buts!" Edna jumped onto her desk, bringing her eye level with both women. "I understand you have your differing opinions but you volunteered, Officer Brooks, to take a more active role this year."

"For the sake of enhancing student safety, yes," the woman replied. "But not at the cost of my own sanity!"

Tamora put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Look, I promise it's not as bad as it sounds."

"Really? Because it sounds pretty bad." Terry shook her head. "Gunny, you're sending me into unknown territory without so much as a tactical knife to defend myself!"

"Oh, suck it up!" Tamora shoved Terry's shoulder. "Briar keeps the girls on a pretty tight leash when it comes to the competitions, even before she was the captain, and Roma is the co-captain."

"Comforting, but I'm not convinced." Terry smoothed out her suit's jacket and adjusted her tie. "If we're not expecting trouble and it's just the cheer team, can't Incirrina take care of this? The competition takes place during the school day; if you're going to be off, who's going to pull security here?"

"For one, Chief, we always expect trouble." Tamora nodded to Edna as the shorter woman produced a tablet, handing it to the brunette. "For another, Ursula still has her class to teach and Sam is covering down on security for the school."

"Right, because Arrow is the very definition of 'child friendly'." Terry grumbled while looking over the tablet, brows furrowing as she read over the information.

"Andersen is the mascot, Chief. She'll be with the team, too." Tamora pointed out.

The brunette's brows furrowed even further as she adjusted her tie with one hand, still reading over the tablet. "Weselton won't make a move this soon, I made sure of that. He's still trying to pull the General's boot from his fourth point of contact."

"Are you willing to take that chance?" With a slight smile, Tamora threw an arm around her friend's shoulders. She could tell Terry's resolve was wavering, especially as she neared the end of the tablet's display. "You know better than anyone what we're dealing with here."

Terry pressed her lips into a thin line, obviously reconsidering her previous adamant refusal.

Which meant there was one last little nudge that would certainly tip the scale. "Although, if you're that set against it..." Tamora sighed, running a hand through her hair. "You could babysit Vanellope, Nemo, Dash, and Jack-Jack instead."

Terry's eyebrows shot up, her attention snapping to the blonde. "Where's this competition at again?"

Anna sighed and flipped to the next page of her chemistry book as the bus rumbled along, concentrating as hard as she could with the dull roar of chatter in the background. Her concentration was broken the moment the open seat beside her was filled by Esmeralda, who was looking equal parts excited and nervous.

Anna set the worksheet into the book to mark her page. It wasn't due until Thursday anyway.

While the team readily accepted her during practices, the cheerleaders still didn't socialize with Anna on a regular basis, leaving Esmeralda to act as the bridge between the team and the redheaded mascot. It was a bit of an odd process but they were making it work surprisingly well. Anna still wasn't entirely sure if her position as mascot would carry over into the following year but at least there was now a precedent for this sort of thing.

"How ya feelin', Supergirl?" Esmeralda smiled softly, motioning to Anna's leg. "Is your knee doing any better?"

"Oh, it's fine, really. I'm not worried about it," Anna replied, stretching her right leg out subconsciously. "I get banged up sometimes on my missions but it's nothing serious."

Esmeralda laughed, shaking her head. "You're the only person in the world who would consider jumping from a fourth floor window 'nothing serious', Anna."

"It's not like I had much choice!" The redhead defended, crossing her arms over her chest. "The foundation wasn't stable and the earthquake wasn't subsiding. It was either jump or get buried under drywall, steel, and concrete."

"I didn't even know they got earthquakes in... Africa?" The other girl shrugged, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah." Anna returned the shrug, understanding that it was hard sometimes for her friends to keep up with which missions led her where. "It's pretty common for the Congo Republic, or so I was told."

At that, Esmeralda tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Wait, don't those tend to be, uh, quick? I mean, how'd you get from here to-"

"Oh, no, Kris and I were on our way back from another mission when the earthquake hit and stopped off to help. There was a super rare white lion that some conservationists found and they needed help putting a tracker on him."

The redhead smiled as her companion blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the words and the flippant way they were said. "You... put a tracker on a lion?"

"Well, no, Kristoff did that, actually. He's better with animals than I am," Anna said, with a laugh. "Between him and Sven, animal requests don't really give us too much trouble."

Esmeralda raised a brow. "So... you went to Africa to put a tracker on a wild white lion and, on the way back, saw an earthquake destroying a town and said 'hey, let's stop and evacuate a few buildings real quick'?"

Anna blinked a few times, then nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Huh." She shook her head. "You know, when we initially gave you the 'Supergirl' moniker, I never thought you'd take it so literally."

Anna rolled her eyes. "It's not that big a deal. Kristoff was there too!"

"Given how often he complains about rushing headlong into danger, I don't think he would've stopped to help."

"That's just him being modest," the redhead replied, waving off the comment dismissively. "He always complains about things; that's just his personality."

"Whatever you say."

"Look, I'm just glad we were able to run through the routine a couple times before I had to leave." Anna breathed a silent sigh of relief as Esmeralda seemed to accept the change of topic.

"The routine is good, right?" Esmeralda's brows drew together slightly, her nerves shining through ever so slightly.

"Are you kidding? I think it's great!" Anna clapped her hands together. "It's so high energy! And everyone just snaps into the moves! It's seriously amazing!"

"Glad you think so." Esmeralda laughed at Anna's enthusiasm and sighed. "It seriously took all summer cheer camp to convince Aurora to incorporate the moves. She's still not sold on them, I think, even if she's more confident about the routine now."

"Nah, she just needed to see them in action." Anna winked. "I mean, come on, a bunch of fit teenage girls moving like that, who could resist?"

"You're incorrigible!" Esmeralda laughed.

"That's the same as encouragable, right?"

She laughed even harder. "That's not even a word!"

Anna shrugged, joining the other girl in laughing. She was working on improving her bantering and this was as good a chance as any to get some practice in, especially when she already exhausted her close friends over the week.

Once Esmeralda could control herself again, she nudged the redhead's shoulder. "So, you think the routine's gonna blow the competition away? Even if it's a bit unorthodox?"

"Absolutely," Anna replied. "I mean, we're the Arendelle Mountain Dogs! Trail blazing is what we do, right?"

"Doesn't that usually involve a blizzard though?" Esmeralda joked, noting the sudden twinkle that appeared in the redhead's eyes. "You okay, Supergirl?"

"Yup! Totally okay!" Anna offered the other girl a restrained grin. "Just excited for Ice- snow and all those, uh, wintery things, ya know?"

The other girl laughed, shaking her head. "I guess you'll never run out of things to get excited about, huh?"

Anna shrugged, privately celebrating her victory in averting-

"Or does it have something to do with that girl you have a crush on?"

The redhead groaned, leaning forward and setting her forehead against the barrier in front of her. "You too?"

"Come on." Esmeralda laughed and gently rubbed her shoulder. "Supergirl found her Lois Lane; how is that not top news in Arendelle?"

The redhead furrowed her brows. "I'm not a superhero buff or anything, but I'm pretty sure Lois Lane-"

"You totally know what I meant, so any objection you have is irrelevant," Esmeralda said, a smile on her lips as she got up. "One of these days, you're going to have to tell me all about her."

With that, she left Anna alone, returning to her seat closer to Aurora. The redhead sighed, unable to keep herself from grinning. The more people needled her about her crush, the more motivated she felt to act on it. Ice Queen and The Prince hadn't made another appearance since the Cheyenne Mountain incident but she took comfort in Kristoff's argument that they'd be back at it soon. Almost two weeks had passed; surely The Prince had another plot in the works by now.

She barely resisted reaching for her communications device, instead reaching for her phone and sending a text off to her best friend. Bulda was pestering him to invite her over for dinner and tomorrow was a pretty good bet, seeing as her own parents said they'd be home late, but they hadn't set anything up before she had to leave for the competition. As much as she was looking forward to the Bjogmans' dinner- there was always so much food- she was looking forward to her father's smoked salmon even more. Family dinner at the Andersen house was always an awesome event and she was so looking forward to it.

Kristoff shouldered his bag and hit the door a little harder than was necessary as he left the school. He didn't like to think of himself as clingy or dependent but, well, school days without Anna were just so boring! True, Merida and Mulan kept him company during lunch, and Rapunzel was starting to join them more often which was nice, but he missed his best friend.

Well, his other best friend, seeing as his best friend couldn't come on school property without Principal Mode pitching a fit, and today was not a day to get on the faculty's bad side. Officer Brooks might be stern and a bit harsh but at least she could be reasonable. Plus, Sven liked Officer Brooks for some reason; Deputy Arrow, on the other hand, was a whole different story.

"Bjorgman!"

Speak of the devil.

Kristoff groaned, turning around to see Deputy Arrow striding towards him. The man looked like he was cut from stone- square jaw, barrel chest, and all. In his deputy uniform, the man was even more intimidating, the badge on his chest catching the light just right to make Kristoff wince. "Yes, Deputy Arrow?"

"Your animal has been skirting the perimeter of the school grounds all day." Deputy Arrow narrowed his eyes down at Kristoff, standing a full head taller than the boy. "He thinks he's being clever by hiding but, I assure you, I am not so easily fooled."

"Really? I haven't seen Sven at all." Kristoff defended, shifting his backpack higher on his shoulder. "I don't see him right now, in fact."

Deputy Arrow put a firm hand on his shoulder and forced him to turn around. There, just past a chain link fence, was a vaguely reindeer shaped bush, complete with odd, antler looking branches sticking out the top. "He's not as subtle as he thinks he is."

Kristoff shrugged out of the Deputy's grasp. "Well, he's not on school property, so he's not doing anything wrong!"

"I'm onto you, Bjorgman." Deputy Arrow warned, his face severe. "Where's your counterpart, anyway? Skipping school?"

"Anna's with the cheer team; she's the school mascot," Kristoff said through gritted teeth.

Deputy Arrow was a hardass, no questions about it and everyone in town knew it. While Sheriff Smollet could be a bit of a hardass too, she was more than willing to overlook the teens' hobby seeing as she'd lived in Arendelle all her life. Deputy Arrow, on the other hand, only came to town five years ago or so and wasn't as adjusted to their adventures. Kristoff couldn't count how many times Sheriff Smollet had escorted him and Anna home after something or other when they were younger, vaguely proud while admonishing them about the dangers they were willingly facing.

Deputy Arrow was much less forgiving, especially after that first altercation. He vividly remembered when the Sheriff showed up, taking in the scene, then giving them a smile, saying they were old enough to be virtuously reckless without having her nag them about it. Deputy Arrow had tried his best to hide his surprise at the comment, certain his superior would side with him on the matter while the teens beamed like they'd won a medal and Sven pranced right up to the Sheriff and gave the woman a hearty lick.

Ever since then, it seemed like the man had it out for them. Anna was certain he'd let up eventually but, given the look Kristoff was receiving that very moment, he truly doubted it.

"Deputy Arrow!" A familiar voice suddenly called out, snapping their attention to the school's entrance where Principal Mode was striding towards them quickly. "Is there a specific reason you're detaining Bjorgman?"

"His brute of an animal has been hanging around the school grounds," the Deputy replied, drawing himself to his full height. "Per your orders-"

"What are you, a parrot? I know what I told you." Principal Mode rolled her eyes, waving her stick at the man. "Are you telling me you couldn't keep a reindeer off school grounds, Arrow? Brooks never has trouble. Should she give you extra training when she returns?"

"That won't be necessary." The man growled out as she made a show of looking around.

"I see no reindeer. Where is this reindeer, Arrow?"

"That flea ridden mongrel-"

"Hey! He doesn't have fleas!" Kristoff huffed, earning the attention of both adults. "He doesn't. And neither do I, in case that wasn't clear."

"Good to know." The Principal drawled before refocusing on the Deputy. "Now, why are you detaining the student after school hours? Is he in trouble?"

"Not yet," Deputy Arrow replied, crossing his arms over his chest as he peered down at Principal Mode. "But the boy's a trouble maker, through and through."

"He punched you in the nose four years ago; you need to let go of these things, dahling." Principal Mode shook her head as the Deputy sputtered indignantly, discreetly waving Kristoff away as she became the focus of the man's indignation. "Speak, you ninny! All I hear are syllables. String them together!"

Kristoff slowly backed away until he was certain Deputy Arrow wasn't paying attention to his movements, then turned and walked briskly to the parking lot. The sooner he got away, the better. The moment he was at the sidewalk, just a few steps from the parking lot, he heard a soft snort coming from... the opposite direction of the reindeer shaped bush.

Whipping his head to the side, the blond caught sight of Sven crouching behind Adam's beat up truck, tongue lolling out victoriously.

"Guess Deputy Arrow should give you a little more credit, huh?" Kristoff smiled, accepting the head butt to his chest that served as Sven's greeting. "Missed you too, buddy. Ready to go home?"

Sven brayed, falling into step with his bipedal counterpart as they left the school behind them.

"By the way, have you been kissing up to Principal Mode?" He raised a brow at his friend. "I think that's the first time she's ever stuck up for you."

The reindeer snorted, shaking his head slightly.

"If you say so." Kristoff shrugged, rubbing along his chin. "Maybe she's just trying to give us a little space because of the whole Colonel Weaseltown thing."

Sven shot him a look which prompted Kristoff to roll his eyes.

"Don't push your luck, buddy. I know you want to be there and give that guy a hoof to the face, personally, but..." Sven threw his head and the blond nodded. "Exactly. Until she officially removes the ban on pets, stay off the grounds."

The reindeer made a few grunts.

"Thanks, buddy." He slung his arm around the reindeer's shoulders for a hug, listening to Sven as they separated. "Nah, probably not." His brows furrowed as they turned up the road leading out of town and to the Bjorgman lands. "I mean, this is the first day Officer Brooks has missed for a while, and it was only because of the cheer competition. Why do you care though?"

Sven lolled his tongue.

"Okay, that I don't believe one bit!" Kristoff laughed. "She's always so... stern and serious." At Sven's answering snort, the blond rolled his eyes. "I've never seen her smile but you have? As our beloved Anna would say: nope, still not buying it."

Sven brayed, motioning towards the mountains in the distance.

"She'll be back soon. The competition wrapped up before fifth period, so she should make it home in time for dinner." Kristoff grimaced, looking to his friend at the same time as something dawned on Sven, prompting the reindeer to tilt his head and drop his shoulder. The blond took the help in mounting, grumbled to no one in particular. "I totally forgot about Mom asking me to muck out the main stables! If I don't get it done before dinner, she'll skin me!"

Sven brayed again, earning a chuckle from his friend.

"Of course you can help! That's what friends are for, right?"

Much as Anna expected, they rocked the competition. It was only a qualifier, of course, so there weren't any places, but they totally blew the other teams out of the water!

Okay, maybe they weren't that spectacular- Aurora and Esmeralda were harsh about their critiques, and nerves had gotten the better of a few girls- but they still had the most original routine. Both the captain and co-captain were hard at work brainstorming the next routine somewhere behind Anna.

Personally, the redhead was just thankful they were heading back to Arendelle. She'd finished her homework already so she could take some much needed time to relax after a delicious dinner. She enjoyed being active and engaged and, well, busy, but there were times when the crazy pace of her day-to-day life wore on her a bit and she needed some time to pretend she was a couch potato.

Then again, if she caught a nap now, she could use the time after dinner to clean up her room a bit and read ahead for English. That actually sounded like a good idea; it could never hurt to stay a bit ahead, given how close they were getting to the playoff season in softball. Plus, she was hoping for a mission soon involving a certain blonde and those always took up a considerable block of time.

Just as Anna settled herself comfortably in the seat and allowed her eyes to slide closed, the bus lurched, the dull drone of the motor dying as the lights went as well. Officer Brooks cursed quietly as she steered the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road. The formerly dull roar of chatter raised in volume as alarm spread through the team.

"Calm down, girls, it's nothing to worry about." Aurora's voice cut above the din, prompting Anna to look over her shoulder. Both Aurora and Esmeralda were standing up, smiling as reassuringly as they could as the bus rocked to a stop.

Esmeralda took the cue from her captain. "She's right, girls, we're fine. Let's all just stay calm and we'll back on our way in no time!"

"I hope it's that easy." Officer Brooks mumbled, throwing the bus in park and opening the door with a hiss of hydraulics to accompany it. As the woman began looking over the bus, Anna took note of the area.

They were winding through one of the narrower passes through the Rockies, the bus hugging the guardrail that separated the road from a very sheer drop. There were a few trees dotting the mountainside below them, catching the dying rays of sunlight in their foliage. The view would be breathtaking in winter, when snow covered it, and Anna hoped they'd be able to come back this way then to see it. The Alps were cool and all but nothing could beat the beauty of her Rockies in the winter, but she was probably biased.

On the other side of the road, appearing to be cut from the mountain itself, was a lavish- if in slight disrepair- Victorian styled home, with cute, lantern-styled lights along the front porch. It looked abandoned other than those points of light and the driveway that lead back behind the house and further into the mountain's face was devoid of vehicles.

The bus creaked and groaned as Officer Brooks pulled the hood forward to take a look at the motor. She frowned and stepped back into the bus, removing her suit's jacket to reveal the white button down underneath, removing her tie and setting the items in the driver's seat. As she rolled up her sleeves, she turned her attention to the bus filled with teenage girls.

"Alright, looks like a simple fix. Just no sudden motions; I don't need the bus rocking while I'm working on it."

"Would it be easier if we got off?" Anna offered after noting the sounds of displeasure coming from behind her.

"I don't think that'll be-"

"We could go to that house. Looks like an inn of some sort," Snow said, looking through the bus window.

"It looks dirty," Cinderella said, nose scrunching up in distaste. "I don't like it."

"Look, no one's getting off the bus," Brooks said, brows furrowing slightly. "That house is unknown terrain-"

"Then let it be known." A new voice suddenly cut in, causing Brooks to turn sharply, one hand balling into a fist while the other began reaching for her hip on instinct.

Anna tensed slightly at the sudden movement but wasn't distressed, unlike a few other girls who gasped; Couch Calhoun did that sometimes too after sudden loud noises, especially deep bangs. It was just muscle memory, that's all. School security officers didn't carry weapons anyway, not at Arendelle, so there was no reason to be worried.

Brooks pulled herself together and coughed into her hand, checking her watch. "Who are you?"

"I do apologize for startling you, my dear." Anna peeked over the barrier in front of her to see the woman who was addressing Officer Brooks.

She seemed significantly older than the security officer, with grey hair, some very deep wrinkles, tasteful make-up, and very vivid green eyes, though they seemed a bit sunken in. Geez, seriously bright green eyes. She was wearing a somewhat outdated, high necked dress and large earrings that matched those really bright eyes.

"I am Lady Tremaine and that's my home across the street. I open it to travelers, from time to time, given how very... removed this location is from the nearest town in either direction." Lady Tremaine shrugged a shoulder with elegant nonchalance. "I typically don't find someone broken down outside my abode this time of year but I extend your girls the courtesy all the same."

Brooks frowned, checking her watch again. "While I... appreciate your offer, Missus Tremaine-"

"Lady, please." Lady Tremaine chuckled at Officer Brooks' raised eyebrow. "Forgive an old woman her eccentricities."

"Right." Officer Brooks frowned. "Well, Lady Tremaine, while we appreciate the offer, I'm sure I can have the bus running again in no time. I'd rather not have my SIs- I mean, the kids out of my sight if I can help it."

Lady Tremaine nodded and offered a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Of course, I understand." She turned to leave but paused just outside the bus door. "My offer stands, though, if you change your mind."

As Lady Tremaine began making her way around the front of the bus, Aurora spoke up. "Officer Brooks, I think we should take her up on her hospitality."

Officer Brooks appeared to mull over the idea a moment. "I don't like it." The woman shook her head. "I'm responsible for all of you."

"I don't think any of us have reason to be scared of an old lady," Esmeralda said, hiking a thumb towards the house. "Besides, it's not like we're running off or anything. We'll be right inside, we'll be out of your hair while you work, and we can stretch our legs a bit."

Snow cringed. "We have been on the bus for over an hour."

Brooks opened her mouth to reply to the growing roar of agreement but stopped as her watch began to beep. Checking the device with a grimace and silencing it, she ran a hand through her hair before calling out above the noise. "Briar, Roma, Andersen, outside."

Anna, as the closest to the door, was the first off the bus, Aurora and Esmeralda two steps behind her. The three girls waited as Brooks sighed heavily. "Look, I don't like it, but it will make things easier for me while I'm fixing the bus. I'm putting you three in charge- Briar, you take half the squad, and Roma, the other half. Andersen, you pick up the rear and make sure no one wanders off. Keep accountability. Once this bucket of bolts is ready to roll, I want to be able to find you lot quickly, understand?"

The three girls nodded with Aurora speaking up. "We'll be fine, Officer Brooks."

"Right. But if at any point that status changes, one of you comes out here to get me, no hesitation, am I clear?" They nodded again and the woman sighed, shaking her head. "I don't like this situation so be carefulwhile you're in there."

"You can count on us," Esmeralda said with a smile, turning to head back on the bus and deliver the news with Aurora. Anna just waited, smiling as she looked out at the view.

"At least we broke down somewhere pretty." She swept a hand towards the mountains surrounding them dotted with trees and bathed in moonlight.

"Optimists." Officer Brooks exhaled loudly through her nose. "You people are the bane of my existence."

Anna laughed as the squad started leaving the bus, collecting on the side of the road and dashing across in twos and threes until they were all standing before the house. Aurora and Esmeralda exchanged nervous looks- most of the girls seemed a bit intimidated by the large double doors, actually- but Anna just walked up the steps and knocked using the large brass knockers.

Seriously, if she could charge into a lair ready to explode at the press of a button on a monthly basis, knocking on a door was a walk in the park.

The doors creaked open to reveal Lady Tremaine standing just inside, her eyes just as bright as they fell on Anna and the squad at her back.

Crap, now Anna had to say something. She hadn't thought of anything prior to knocking and her first instinct was to ramble which would, most likely, lead to her saying something silly. So, she should definitely not do that, especially since most of the spontaneous comments hanging out in the back of her mind were tangentially related to her current goal of hitting on Ice Queen, a situation decidedly not anywhere close to the one she found herself in currently.

Thankfully- and somewhat surprisingly- Aurora came to her rescue. "Lady Tremaine, we hate to impose, but would it be alright if we came inside for a little bit? Just until Officer Brooks fixes our bus?"

"Why, of course, my dear. Please," she said, stepping aside and gesturing into the dimly lit house. "Do come in."

Anna took the first step but Aurora was with her an instant later, the rest of the group slowly filing in. Suddenly remembering what Officer Brooks said, Anna waited until the last girl was in before following, doing a quick head count to ensure everyone was there.

Lady Tremaine led them through the main foyer, candles lining the walls casting an eerie light across the space. Ahead of her, the redhead could hear whispered bits of conversation among the other girls.

"See? I told you this place looked dirty."

"Cindy! It could use a little... sprucing up but it's not that bad!"

"Snow, not everyone lives for cleaning the way you do."

"Ladies!" Aurora hissed, shooting a warning glare over her shoulder.

"Oh, it's quite alright, my dears." Lady Tremaine glanced over her shoulder, a small smile on her lips. "I admit I've been... slacking, as of late, in certain household duties. My daughters have been less than attentive to their chores seeing as I haven't been reminding them as usual. Isn't that right girls?"

Anna looked up, noticing two figures standing at the top of a staircase that led to the second floor of the house. Wearing dressed similar to their mother's, the two girls didn't seem be much older than the teens, though... well, the darker haired of the two looked as if her skin was stretched far to tight over her features, eyes sunken in a little bit, while the other appeared extremely apprehensive. They were... creepy.

In all her travels, Anna had come across some very interesting characters. She understood that there were a lot of very unique individuals in the world, some of whom had quirks or traits that would make them the definition of strange in other corners of the world. It probably helped that Anna was just a friendly person naturally; as a general rule, it took a lot for someone to unnerve her.

So, for these two girls to instantly strike her as creepy was saying something, and the sensation that Aurora and the rest of the cheer squad were trying to press themselves back against her pretty much cemented it in her mind and set her nerves on edge.

She briefly wondered if she should suggest getting back on the bus but tried to squash it. She was probably overreacting; this was totally something they could handle.

"Drizella, Anastasia, come say hello to our guests." Lady Tremaine called them down, turning towards a set of double doors. "Entertain them while I prepare the sitting room."

"Yes, Mother," the girls replied in unison, descending the stairs awkwardly. Almost like they had forgotten how to go down stairs without falling face first, their hands gripping the railing far too tightly. The closing of the door behind Lady Tremaine echoed in the hall and caused more than one of the cheerleaders to flinch.

Once they reached the ground floor, the sisters stared at the cheerleaders as an uneasy silence settled over them. The redheaded one watched them with a hint of sadness while the raven haired of the two had something more akin to anticipation shining in her eyes.

Anna took a deep breath and smiled. Creepiness aside, they were being hospitable. Aurora was the first to introduce herself, trying to set an example for the rest of the team.

"Hi, my name's Aurora." She stepped forward, offering her hand. The two other girls regarded her a moment before the redheaded one stepped forward.

"Anastasia." She put her hand in Aurora's but didn't shake it, instead dropping into a curtsy.

Before the cheer captain had a chance to respond, Anastasia's sister was shoving her out of the way. "And I'm Drizella. Forgive my younger sister; she has horrible manners."

"I do not!" the younger sister said with a pout, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Anyway, where are you lovely girls from?" Drizella raked her eyes over the cheerleaders before settling on Anna, a vaguely predatory smile gracing her lips. "Athletes, are you? You all look very... fit."

Jasmine coughed discreetly into her hand. "Lesbo alert."

Cinderella hushed her almost immediately, though Drizella showed no signs of hearing the poorly concealed comment.

"Drizella, dear, perhaps you could help me fetch the tea?" Lady Tremaine had appeared in the foyer once more without a sound.

While the elder sister seemed upset at the request, she nodded slowly. "Of course, Mother."

"Anastasia, show them to the sitting room."

"Yes, Mother." The younger sister nodded, walking towards the double doors as Lady Tremaine and Drizella disappeared down a hallway. Anna was the last to enter, the other girls finding places to sit in the room. It was dusty and the furniture seemed ripped in some places, the material an ugly brown color that had most of the squad turning their noses up.

Suddenly, Anna felt a vice-like grip encircle her arm. "You have to leave."

She turned her head, met with eyes as vividly green as Lady Tremaine's. "I'm sorry?"

"All of you, you must leave," Anastasia said again, eyes darting towards the doors. "This place- you must leave."

"Wait, what?" Anna shook her head, watching several emotions play over the other girl's features. It was like she was trying to say something but couldn't force the words out.

"Come now, Drizella, we mustn't keep them waiting." Lady Tremaine's voice was soft coming from the hallway and Anastasia looked even more panicked.

"Don't drink the tea." She all but hissed before releasing Anna and stepping away.

Anna rubbed her arm absently as she made her way over to Aurora and Esmeralda, lowering her voice so only the two girls could hear her. "Hey, guys? I'm getting a really bad feeling about all this."

Both girls seemed nervous and nodded slowly. Aurora spoke up, scratching at the back of her neck. "Yeah, this place is pretty... weird."

"And not the good weird." Esmeralda picked at her nails. "That Drizella chick was coming on way too strong. Maybe that's all it is?"

"Anastasia said we should leave and to not drink the tea." Anna scanned the room. She wasn't much for horror films but... she definitely felt like she was in the middle of one. "Maybe we should've listened to Officer Brooks."

The three girls exchanged worried glances as they took in the state of the team; no one seemed at ease in the room, including Anastasia.

"We'll excuse ourselves, politely, when Lady Tremaine returns." Esmeralda and Anna nodded as Aurora continued. "If there is something weird going on, we wouldn't want them to think we caught on."

"Drizella, come dear, pull yourself together." Lady Tremaine's voice was much louder now.

"Tell the others, quietly, and I'll try distracting Lady Tremaine," Anna said, receiving a nod from Esmeralda and Aurora. The three moved, the other two girls to whisper in the ears of the rest of the squad while Anna faced the double doors and steeled her nerves.

She really hoped Officer Brooks would have the bus fixed by the time they got out there.

Kristoff swiped at his brow, glancing through the open stable doors at the fading light of the sunset. Finally, he was done; every stall was cleaned, the water was changed, fresh feed- hay, alfalfa, and special blends for those that needed them- was placed, and he'd even managed to rearrange the tack room before sunset. Once everyone was back in their stalls, he could go in and get cleaned up with plenty of time for dinner.

Setting aside the broom in his hand, Kristoff started towards the entrance of the stables, glancing around to confirm there was nothing out of place. Pushing open the stable door, the blond scanned the horizon until he found Sven standing at the crest of a hill near one of the fields. He'd left it to his friend to take the horses and reindeer out to pasture while he cleaned the stable, trusting Sven to keep a close eye on everyone in the meantime. Kristoff tried waving his arms to get the reindeer's attention but Sven was focused on the field. Rather than calling out to him, Kristoff started the short trek up to his friend's position, a small grin on his lips. Whatever had Sven's attention was probably worth checking out anyway.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?" Kristoff called out once he was a few feet away, earning Sven's attention as the reindeer started prancing in place, jerking his head towards the field. The blond's brows climbed to his hairline, face split in a wide smile. "No way, really?"

Sven brayed, leaping towards the field and rolling his head to encourage Kristoff to follow. The boy raced after him, speeding down the hill and towards the collection of horses and reindeer arranged along the fence marking the far end of the field. His approach garnered minimal interest from the animals, their gazes directed to the edge of the forest just beyond the Bjorgman property, though two of the older mares shifted over to give him and Sven enough room to stand against the barbed wire lined fence.

There, at the edge of the forest that led into the mountains, was a fawn struggling to stand, its mother looking on from beside it. A bit further into the underbrush, Kristoff could make out the silhouette of a large stag, and he inclined his head in respect- a gesture which was returned- before settling his gaze on the fawn.

"Come on, little guy, you can do it," Kristoff said, earning the fawn's attention. Large, bright eyes focused on him, blinking a few times before the fawn struggled to its hooves. "Yeah, that's it, you can do it!"

The fawn's mother made soft, encouraging noises as the baby deer took his first tentative steps, echoed by the assembled horses, reindeer, Sven, and Kristoff.

"There ya go, just like that!"

The fawn stumbled at first, but his second and third attempts gave him a tentative sort of balance, and then he was walking alongside his mother, ears perking up as all those assembled cheered. Sven pranced, tongue lolling out of his mouth as he and Kristoff followed the fawn's progress, the other reindeer and horses throwing their heads in congratulations. The doe and fawn gave Kristoff and the others one last look, the doe lowering her head briefly, before they disappeared back into forest where the rest of their herd was grazing nearby, most likely.

Kristoff punched Sven's shoulder. "Why didn't you come get me? There's going to be a new Prince of the Forest! That's awesome!"

The reindeer gave him a sheepish grin, grunting a bit before nudging his shoulder gently.

"You got caught up, I get it. But still," Kristoff replied, rolling his eyes. He then raised his voice so every horse and reindeer could hear him. "Alright, everyone, time to head in for the night! Come on, back to the stables!"

A few neighs and brays answered him before all the animals started heading towards the stables, Kristoff and Sven bringing up the rear.

Anna kept her smile in place as Lady Tremaine and Drizella entered with trays laden with two tea pots... but only four cups. Something was definitely not right about the situation and the redhead was bound and determined to get everyone back to the bus before things got out of hand.

"I'm sorry, Lady Tremaine." Anna motioned towards the rest of the team. "We thank you for your hospitality but we should really be going."

"Oh, so soon? We haven't even had tea yet." Lady Tremaine set her tray on the table behind Anna.

"There aren't enough cups for all of us." Jamsine pointed out quietly from her position with the rest of the cheer team.

"I was about to fetch some more, but seeing as you are all so eager to depart, I suppose we can skip the formality." Lady Tremaine gave the girls a chilling smile. "None of you are leaving here alive."

As shock over took most of the cheer team, Anna was in motion, ready to tackle Lady Tremaine- if needed- to give the other girls opportunity to escape. Before she could reach the woman, though, Drizella was in front of her, eyes shining brightly. The redhead felt her muscles freeze, an alien force taking over her body and preventing her from moving further.

"Oh no, not you." Drizella laughed, smiling at the redhead. "You'll be joining us here, my pet."

Anna fought against her own body but could feel even her will to fight slipping away as something began to take over.

"That's right. Surrender to me." Drizella chuckled, those bright green eyes becoming the only things Anna could see as darkness crept in around the edges of her vision.

Lady Tremaine leaned closer to Aurora, examining her face while allowing her own lips to part in a sickening smile, revealing long fangs. "Such pretty girls, so young and full of life." She slowly stepped around to look at a the others- Cinderella, Jasmine, Snow- all of whom were frozen in place, just like Anna. Lady Tremaine looked over to her other daughter, frowning slightly. "Anastasia, darling, come, choose the ones you want to feed from. Don't dally now; we've still got the one outside to contend with."

Anastasia took a hesitant step forward, then stopped. "Mother... I don't want to do this anymore."

"Nonsense; we do what we must to survive." Lady Tremaine narrowed her eyes, glancing at her other daughter. "Restrain yourself, Drizella. If you start too soon, she'll bleed out before I can turn her."

Drizella growled, retreating from Anna's neck slightly. "Hurry up, Anastasia. Pick your meals so we can get on with this!" She flashed her sister a wicked smile. "Unless you want a playmate too?"

"No, I don't want to do this anymore, any of it!" Anastasia sighed. "Can't we let them go?"

Lady Tremaine's frowned worsened in severity. "You ungrateful child. I hand you immortality and you spit on my gift like this?" She scowled at her redheaded daughter and Anastasia's posture suddenly straightened, though it was very clear she was fighting against her own body as much as Anna. "Now, you come over here and eat your dinner. Not one more word against this."

Tense seconds ticked by as Anastasia stood firmly against her mother's will, irking the elder woman greatly. After three full minutes, the battle of wills seemed over.

"Yes... Mother..." Anastasia hollowly replied, stiffly moving towards the frozen cheer team.

"That's a good girl. Now then, I- oof!" Somehow, Jasmine broke free of the spell that held the other girls in place and slammed into Lady Tremaine's back. She pitched forward, arms out, and accidentally shoved Drizella in the process. As Drizella stumbled away, her concentration broke, freeing Anna from her spell. The redhead instantly shook her head, blinking rapidly to regain her faculties.

"Anna, Anna, we gotta go!" Jasmine cried, trying desperately to snap the rest of the squad from their trance to no avail.

Lady Tremaine pushed herself up, glaring at Jasmine. "Someone's proving a bit... resistant."

"Jasmine! Don't look her in the eyes!" Anna called out, training her gaze on Drizella's feet as the... vampire, apparently, stood. "Keep out of her reach! I'll be there in a second!"

"What makes you think you have a second left?" Drizella lunged forward like a predator striking its prey but Anna was more than ready. Side stepping the lunge, the redhead brought her knee up sharply, knocking the wind from Drizella, and followed through with an elbow to the back of her head. Surprisingly, it had the desired effect, rendering the vampire unconscious as she fell to the floor.

"Wow, that was... really easy." Anna quirked a brow at Drizella's prone form, half-expecting the vampire to rise again the moment she turned her back.

"No, they haven't... fed in a long while," Anastasia said, propping herself up against the wall. "Mother's weak too but she won't be as easy."

Anna nodded, looking to where Lady Tremaine stood, her back to the redhead. "Right. Any tips?"

Anastasia shrugged. "Don't let her bite you?"

Well, that was kinda obvious, but Anna merely nodded, approaching Lady Tremaine with her fists raised and ready to start swinging. Her gaze was focused on the bottom of the woman's dress, waiting for Lady Tremaine to make the first move. After a pause, Anna took the chance and glanced up, noting the older vampire was staring at Jasmine... who was meeting the hypnotic gaze with a fierce glare of her own.

"Jasmine? Jas, can you hear me?"

"Just fine, Anna," the other girl replied, lips curling into a grin. "Her spell doesn't work on me."

"Impossible!" Lady Tremaine growled, veins protruding from her neck as her eyes began positively glowing.

Anastasia shrugged in response to Anna's questioning glance, leaving the redhead to slowly circle around, keeping her guard up. Lady Tremaine was trembling with the force she was using to glare at Jasmine, who matched her in severity if not intensity.

Anna bit her lip. Natural disasters? No problem. Ice powers? She could deal. Vampires? Completely different ball game. There were the obvious things, of course- row of garlic, stake through the heart, holy water, that sort of stuff- but... she didn't want to kill someone! Even if that someone was a member of the blood sucking undead. So... what could she do?

"Anna." The redhead turned her head at the whisper, noting the pained expression on Anastasia's face. "I think I can stop her but I need your help."

"If it saves my team, let's do it," Anna replied without hesitation.

Kristoff took a deep breath, reaching for that happy place deep in the back of his mind now that he was clean and in a fresh change of clothes. Dinner was always something of a big deal for the Bjorgmans, unless they had guests over. Then, all his cousins actually minded their manners, his mother had someone else to pester with her personal version of twenty questions, and whichever of his aunts and uncles were present acted like... well, adults for a change. Anna was, of course, their most frequent dinner guest for many reasons, chief of which being that she didn't buckle under Bulda's battery of questions like nearly every sane human being on the planet would be wont to do in the same situation.

However, when it was just the family, there was no way of describing the chaos that consumed the dinner table. It was like being all alone in the middle of the ocean during a shark feeding frenzy; all logic said 'swim away, very quickly' but there was no safe place for him to abscond to, no safe haven in sight, so he just had to keep his head above water.

Okay, maybe he was being a little dramatic. His family wasn't that bad. They meant well, at any rate. He loved them, of course, even if they were loud and inappropriate and made him want to die of embarrassment at times. But everyone dealt with that from their family, right? Yeah.

"You ready for dinner, buddy?" Kristoff looked to Sven as they stood on the safe and sane side of his bedroom door. Sven had his own stall in the main stable but he hadn't actually used it in... ever, really. Except for that one time when Sven got sick and Kristoff had slept in the stall with him until he got better.

Sven brayed, lolling his tongue.
"I wish I had your enthusiasm," Kristoff replied, opening the door and allowing his friend to exit first. He was a few steps behind, eyes peeled for the first sign of a sneak attack. They made it to the ground floor before the tiny terrors struck.

"KRISTOFF!"

Crap.

Kristoff groaned as several small bodies attached themselves to his legs, clambering over each other to reach his waist and arms. He tried calling out for help, but Sven was already doing his best to maintain his balance as a cousin swung from each antler, a few more clamoring onto his back.

"Guys, come on! Easy!" Kristoff groused, rocking himself left and right in order to make tiny steps forward, enough to shut the door behind him. "Seriously! I can't take one step-"

"Hey, nephew!" One of his uncles suddenly came and wrapped him up in a bear hug. Uncle Scuttle married into the Bjorgman family but practically no one outside the family knew that, given he acted just as unbelievably embarrassing as Kristoff's blood relatives. "How was klazvach?"

"School, Uncle Scuttle. It's called school," the blond replied, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Eh, close enough!" Uncle Scuttle laughed, clapping Kristoff on the back hard enough to nearly send him pitching forward, the squirming of his cousins doing nothing for his balance. "Now, where's my snarfblat?"

"Pipe, Uncle Scuttle! It's a pipe!"

"Snarfblat!"

Kristoff groaned. "Why do I even try?" Glancing at his cousins, whom he'd tuned out by force of habit, he raised his voice just a bit to be sure they heard him. "Alright, get off of me everyone, or no one gets a bedtime story!"

That did the trick. Almost instantly, he was released, several pairs of eyes blinking up at him innocently. Sven, on the other hand, still had a few passengers who abandoned their perches at Kristoff's raised brow.

"Kristoff! Did you clean the stables?" His mother called from the kitchen as he started corralling his cousins into the dining room.

"Yes, Mom, and everyone's put up for the night."

"Good! Then we can finally start dinner!" His mother appeared in the doorway, looking haggard but pleased. "Alright, mini Bjorgs, get moving! Group A, cups, pitchers, and pots! Group B, plates! Group C, utensils! Kristoff, round up the rest!"

"Aye aye!" Several of his cousins sounded off, the Bjorgman clan bursting into motion. Unlike his cousins, who seemed to be clumped together in age groups, Kristoff was elder to them all and on his own; the nearest to him were the nine-to-ten-year-olds, otherwise known as Group A.

As his cousins set the table and started bringing the food in, Kristoff set off on his quest around the house, gathering up his more reluctant cousins and his wayward Aunts and Uncles, or those who were home at any rate. By the time he got back to the dining room, his cousins were- more or less- seated, the table was set and laden with pots of noodles and various sauces, plus a plate or two of garlic bread, and his Uncle Scuttle was explaining to one of the younger cousins about 'dinglehoppers'.

"For pity's sake; it's a fork Uncle Scuttle! We've been over this!" Kristoff sat heavily in his own seat, running a hand through his hair before reaching for a pitcher of tea on the table.

"That reminds me." Uncle Scuttle muttered something to himself as he checked his pockets, producing an envelope from his coat. "This correspondence came for you from Canadia."

"Canada." Kristoff absentmindedly corrected, grabbing the envelope and stowing it for later. Opening it at the dinner table would get him one heck of a lecture from his mother, not to mention the attempts of his cousins at swiping the contents. He really didn't need that right now.

"Cliff! Come to the table!" His mother called out, catching him by surprise.

"Dad's back?" His lips pulled into a smile. "Why didn't you say something, Mom?"

"Because I didn't want her ruining the surprise," his father said as he stepped into the room from the kitchen, ruffling Kristoff's hair on the way to his spot at the table. "I heard you've been busy, Champ."

"You have no idea," Kristoff replied, and for once was glad his cousins were as much the pestering sort as his mother as everyone took turns badgering Cliff for information regarding his business trip. They were few, far between, and always to somewhere cool.

Esmeralda and Cindy grunted as they turned the wheel, sliding two long, strong bars of iron into place and effectively locking the door and sealing Lady Tremaine and Drizella behind it. Anna felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to help but, seeing as Aurora was still wrapping up her wrist, there wasn't much she could do. She wasn't sure how much blood she'd lost after filling one of the tea cups for Anastasia, but her head was just a touch fuzzy, so sitting down for a minute was probably a good idea.

"Is there a reason you have a room like this in your house?" Esmeralda groused, wiping her brow. "That door is heavy! Geez!"

"It was a safe, once upon a time," Anastasia said. She looked much healthier than when the Arendelle girls originally arrived, a slight bounce in her step as she motioned towards the foyer. "It will hold them for a while, at any rate. Hopefully until I can find an alternative food source for us."

Anna bit her lip. "What if you can't? Find an alternate food source, I mean."

"Animal blood sustains us just as well; I've been feeding off it for the past few months." Anastasia threw a sad glance towards the heavy vault door. "My... mother and sister, on the other hand, have refused. Human blood tends to make our abilities stronger, so I guess they just... don't want to relinquish their power."

"Well, I can't say any of us are too fond of your mother or sister," Jasmine said, throwing a slight glare at the closed safe door. "But you pretty much saved us back there, fighting off your mom."

"And I think it's definitely in our best interest that you stay at the top of this food chain." Esmeralda added, rubbing her arms as if she was cold.

Anna perked up. "Yeah, is there anything we can do to help you?"

The vampire rubbed at the back of her neck, brow furrowing as she thought. "I don't know if there's anything I can offer in return. We... don't exactly have anything to trade, but..." Lifting her gaze to meet the curious ones directed at her from nearly every member of the cheer team and Anna, Anastasia relented. "Well, I know my mother and sister are extremely vain." She gestured to her own flawless complexion. "As you can see, keeping well fed ensures we retain our, er, lively appearance. I could try convincing them a steady food supply is better than a hit-or-miss one, even if it isn't the, ah, 'optimal' food source, but... well, hunting is not one of the skills we're remotely proficient at, including me. I've honestly been more lucky than anything."

Silence hung over the group before Anna snapped her fingers. "I got it!" She reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone, frowning at the lack of signal. "Darn it." Putting it away, she resolved to talk to Kristoff once she got home to make sure he would help, which she knew he would. "My friend Kristoff, his family owns a pretty large ranch on the outskirts of town. They have all sorts of animals; I'm sure he could convince a few of them to be donors." She quickly met Anastasia's surprised gaze. "How much, uh, blood do you need for a meal and how often? I mean, I can't suggest it to him if it means they'll be losing stock every week; they get really attached to their animals-"

"No! No, that wouldn't be necessary." Anastasia quickly amended, smiling once more. "They might take a bit more than necessary the first time out of hunger, but to properly feed we don't need more than what you provided earlier. They get... greedy sometimes but we can only ingest so much before we get sick, just like any other creature."

"Well, a tea cup's really not much in comparison to a horse or reindeer." Aurora pointed out.

"I'll talk to Kristoff. I'm sure we can work something out." Anna smiled reassuringly. "Now we just need to figure out a way to show you to the ranch-"

"That won't be a problem. That... ah, what's it called, bus?" Anastasia made a vague motion with her hand towards the front of the house. "Well, whatever that mode of transportation you're using- it's heading back to your home, right? I could sneak onto it and learn the way."

"I think Officer Brooks might notice if we suddenly gained a passenger." Esmeralda joked, realization dawning on her and the rest of the girls a moment or two later. "Uh oh."

"'Uh oh' is right," Aurora said, eyes wide as she ran a hand through her hair. "How are we going to explain all this to Officer Brooks?"

"Explain? Uh uh, no way guys, we can't do that." Jasmine waved her hands in front of her. "Do you have any idea what'll happen if my dad finds out I stared down a vampire today? He'll go ballistic!"

"He won't be the only one." Several of the girls cringed as Esmeralda continued, putting a hand to her forehead as she thought aloud. "I mean, if we tell Officer Brooks, she's going to tell Coach and our parents, and she'll have to tell the Sheriff, and they'll have to come investigate, and then-"

"Okay, let's slow down, everyone." Anna spoke up, standing quickly and offering a calm smile to the assembled girls. "I think we can all agree that anyone finding out that there are vampires in the Rockies would be bad news. People finding out we were attacked by vampires would be equally bad news. So..." Anna drew in a breath, wondering why the universe seemed to work completely in her favor some days and completely against her others. "What we're going to do is come up with a convincing story, leave the house, and promise to never tell anyone about this... except Kristoff because of the whole feeding thing."

There was a silence before Snow piped up, indicating Anastasia. "But... how will you find your way to Arendelle?"

The vampire chuckled and, in a flash of green, transformed into a red haired bat no bigger than Anna's palm, flapping her wings and landing on the redhead's shoulder.

Anna laughed. "Well, that certainly made things easier on that front."

"Now we just have to come up with a convincing story," Esmeralda said, tapping a finger against her mouth. "At which point, I defer to the truth... kinda."

"Let's hear it." Aurora prompted, at which point Esmeralda continued, essentially outlining the experience as it happened, right up until they made the decision to leave. Instead, they all had tea and left because Lady Tremaine was tired and they didn't want to impose. "I don't see how it couldn't work."

"It won't work at all if we don't get out there soon." Jasmine pointed out.

Snow, taking a look around, sighed. "I don't suppose we could stay and help clean up a bit first, could we?"

"No, Snow, sorry," Aurora replied, using her 'captain voice' to discourage an argument. "Jas is right, we should head out there so Officer Brooks doesn't get suspicious. Oh, and girls?" She waited until she had everyone's attention. "Let Esmeralda and I do the talking, okay? Most of you can't lie your way out of a wet paper bag."

The girls laughed, either because the comment was true or as a release of the last bit of tension in them from the whole ordeal, Anna wasn't sure. Tugging her sleeve down to be sure it covered her bandages, the redhead followed the rest of the girls to the main doors. As Aurora and Esmeralda pulled them open, Anna took a deep breath, reveling in the crisp autumn air as it flooded into the house. The night wind instantly cut into her she stepped out but it wasn't as cold as the winter wind and it helped ground her in the moment. She could officially add 'vampire feast' to the list of ludicrous situations she'd not only gotten into but out of as well. Once again, they crossed the street in twos and threes, with Anna the last one to cross after Anastasia left her shoulder, blending into the night before landing on the bus with none the wiser.

"I was just about to go grab you lot." Officer Brooks was just putting her jacket back on as she regarded Aurora and Esmeralda, tie and shades in place. Anna thought the shades were a bit odd, given the sun had already set before they entered the house, but kept her mouth shut; she was certainly on that 'not good at lying' list Aurora mentioned. "The bus is fixed. Everyone good to go?"

"Of course."

"Absolutely."

Both girls grinned, prompting the security officer to raise a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." Esmeralda laughed, waving off the woman's concern. "Just a bit tired. It's been a long day and that tea Lady Tremaine made was too delicious."

"I'm glad she was a gracious host," Officer Brooks replied warily. "I should thank her for watching over you girls."

"Th-that won't be necessary." Aurora quickly supplied, proving she wasn't as apt at lying as Esmeralda. "She was heading to bed when we left; we didn't want to keep her up any later."

"Is that so?" Officer Brooks checked her watch, frowning slightly.

Anna bit her lip; things were starting to look bad. Maybe if she- "Officer Brooks, are you okay?"

"What?" The woman turned her attention from the captain and co-captain to Anna.

"You look like you got into a fight with a bronco and barely won." Now that she'd called attention to it, the rest of the squad seemed to notice how haggard the woman looked. There was a cut on her cheek that glistened wetly though blood didn't flow freely, her knuckles were bruised and bloody, there was dirt staining her suit pants, her shoes were scuffed, and there were traces of what appeared to be oil on her collar and cuffs. The only items that seemed to survive were her shades, tie, and jacket, though there appeared to be a small scratch on the left lens that Anna had never noticed before. "Are you okay?"

"Hey, you try fixing a bus sometime and see how you look after, alright?" Officer Brooks snapped, straightening out her uniform before sighing, motioning towards the vehicle. "Everyone, load up. We're already behind schedule and this place is a dead zone. I'd rather not worry your parents any further."

With that, everyone was in motion, trying to file into the bus quickly. As Anna took her seat, Aurora passed her, flashing the redhead a grateful smile. "Thanks for the save back there, Anna."

She shrugged with a lopsided grin. "Helping people; it's what I do."

The blonde nodded and continued towards her seat. Anna took comfort in confirming her suspicion: Aurora was really a nice person, without that rivalry stuff getting in the way. As the bus lurched into motion once more, the redhead settled into her seat, determined to catch that nap.

Kristoff trudged up to his room after dinner, the envelope in hand. He'd looked at it for a moment before stuffing it in his back pocket, not recognizing anything on the front, least of all the blocky handwriting. Probably just fan mail; Mr. Oaken usually worked with the local post office to keep the bulk of it away from the teens. Anna always thought it was a bit rude but Kristoff was grateful for the intervention, seeing as he had neither the time nor the patience to reply to all the letters of gratitude, adoration, and... well, some of them were downright creepy. Mr. Oaken usually sent the grateful ones something from his shop and... well, he didn't know what was done with the creepy ones.

Hoping for the best, the blond practically threw himself into his bed, bouncing a few times before settling into the collection of furs and blankets that constituted his bedding. They matched the decor of his room, appealing to his inner rugged outdoorsman.

He didn't have any stuffed animals or skins or anything, of course, seeing as he wasn't a hunter by choice or trade, but he had pictures of animals- posters, paintings, photographs- and the occasional oddity from the trails or fields he explored in his quite limited free time. There was a fresh bale of hay in the corner to add a natural scent to his domain... and in case Sven got hungry during the night and ran out of carrots.

Kicking off his boots so they'd fall in the general direction of 'off the bed', Kristoff opened the envelope, nearly ripping it in half to do so. Inside, he found a letter, written with the same blocky handwriting as his name.

Dear Kristoff,

You, good sir, are a remarkable specimen, a clearly superior model of the masculine form, rough and rugged, the epitome of what each and every man should aspire to be. You are a god among men, to be respected by your peers and adored by your romantic prospects.

I, being one such prospect, stand in awe of the pinnacle of virility that you embody and it is my fondest wish, my erstwhile desire, to one day hold some significance in your heart. Yet, I am nothing to you, just a beautiful, young woman, humbled to even stand on the same soil as you. I'm sure I pale in comparison to your paramour Anna, for you deserve only the best, most perfect example of femininity, a partner in every sense of the word. A man such as yourself deserves devotion and selfless sacrifice from a lover, not to mention the desire and ability to fulfill all your needs.

If you were ever to give me the chance, I am sure I could be the perfect match for you, in both intellect and physicality, in every way imaginable.

Just something to think about. I can certainly keep a secret. Can you?

With Love,
Your Sweetheart

Kristoff set the letter down on his desk and sighed, turning to look at Sven. "Buddy, is there something about me that just screams: hey, weird guys and gals, I'm your man, come at me?"

Sven gave him a goofy smile and brayed, prompting an exasperated groan.

He was distracted from his internal grumbling by his phone receiving a text, which he quickly checked on the off chance it was Anna asking for help. Which, oddly enough, it was, except it didn't seem urgent, just something they could talk about tomorrow on the way home from school. Shooting off a quick reply, Kristoff settled back onto his bed and tossed the silly letter in the general direction of his desk. He should reallyget started on his homework but... well, he didn't have that much. He was tuckered out and catching a quick nap wouldn't hurt; his cousins would wake him up in an hour or so anyway for their bedtime story.

Anna double-checked her bag, ensuring she'd placed everything she needed into her backpack and left the mascot uniform and other school-only items in her gym locker. Since her Chemistry homework was done, she'd left the textbook there, making a mental note to grab it before class started the following day. Satisfied she had everything she needed, and nothing extra, Anna slung the bag over her shoulder, preparing to leave the girls' locker room when Esmeralda called out to her.

"Hey, how'd you know to move like that when that one chick tried to tackle you?"

Anna swept her gaze around the room, noting most of the other girls were waiting for her response. The redhead shrugged and chuckled. "Actually, that move was used against me about a year ago. Gave me the worst headache, too. I've honestly never tried it myself but I had a feeling it might work; I really just thought I'd daze her, not knock her out."

"Who on earth would be attacking you, Supergirl?" Esmeralda furrowed her brows, clearly concerned, but Anna merely waved it off.

"It's not that big a deal, I promise. See, there's this girl..." Anna coughed into her hand. Crap, how much did Esmeralda know about her crush? Oh well; this was one secret she wasn't even trying to keep anymore. "Okay, that girl I have a crush on? She has these really cool- ha, cool- uh, ice powers, and she works for this guy who wants to take over the world. Thing is, Kris and I always stop them, Kristoff by fighting The Prince, and I keep Ice Queen distracted until Kristoff or Sven can foil whatever plot or ploy The Prince cooked up, or blow up whatever facility we're in at the time."

Esmeralda blinked, shaking her head to regain her composure before speaking. "Oh, so... wait, okay, if I got this straight, you're crushing on some chick with ice magic powers, and you fight her on a regular basis because... she's basically your arch nemesis and you thwart her employer from taking over the world."

"That's pretty much exactly what I just said." Anna teased, laughing as the other girl lightly slapped her arm.

"Hey, I had to make sure some sort of crazy vamp magic hasn't permanently scattered my brain, because I honestly cannot comprehend how you can be so casual about this."

"I don't know." Snow closed her locker and smiled. "It sounds pretty romantic to me."

"Oh, absolutely!" Cinderella agreed, giggling. "Every time you see each other, you get pretty, ah, physical, right?"

Anna felt heat rise in her cheeks and promptly turned on her heel, making a bee line for the door. "Yup, totally regretting telling any of you, going to go die of embarrassment now, bye!"

The redhead ignored the rounds of laughter coming from behind her as she left the locker room, setting her sights on getting home as soon as humanly possible. Of course the cheer team would tease her; why did she expect them to just accept it like her friends did? Granted, they were just being lewd with their suggestions and such, but still, they'd all had a long day. Now she had to hope her blush died down before she got home. Fortunately- or not so, depending on how one looked at it- she was walking home, which took longer than driving.

It really sucked she didn't have her permit yet- curse August birthdays!- but she would definitely be able to attend Driver's Ed this summer. Then she could at least talk to her parents about getting her own car, though she sincerely doubted it would be anything flashy or fancy. Something with front-wheel drive would be good, or maybe a truck like Kristoff wanted.

At any rate, she was stuck walking home, so Anna wasted no time in heading away from the school and down the familiar streets. Much to her surprise, she turned the first corner to find Anastasia waiting for her.

"Oh, hey!" Anna smiled, earning one in return from the vampire. "What's up?"

Anastasia chuckled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I figured it might be prudent to arrange a meeting time with your friend."

"That makes sense." Anna nodded, brows furrowing as she thought. Okay, arrange a meeting, with plenty of time to talk to Kristoff, and his animals, and... got it. "Okay, so, you think you can find the school from your place?" Anastasia nodded. "Good. At the next full moon, meet us at the school, we'll show you Kristoff's place, and we can work something out. Will that work?"

"Perfectly," the vampire replied. "That's more than enough time to convince my mother and sister to listen to reason. They were honestly about to give in before your bus broke down; weird stroke of luck that was."

Anna laughed, bidding Anastasia farewell as she resumed her bat form and flew away into the night. "Yeah, I'm lucky like that."

Opening the door to her home, the redhead inhaled deeply to drink in the sweet aroma of the Andersen's signature meal: her father's delicious smoked salmon recipe, with her mother's vegetable stew on the side. With any luck, they'd managed to pick up a chocolate cake from the bakery in town for dessert. Just the thought had Anna salivating, her stomach grumbling as she made her way to the kitchen where her parents were hard at work.

"Hi Mom, hi Dad! When's dinner? Soon, right?" Anna reached out, trying to snag one of the potatoes prepped for the stew but her hand was batted away by the spoon in her mother's hand.

"No spoiling your dinner, young lady." Her father gently chided with a smile.

"But I'm hungry!" The redhead whined, stepping away from her busy parents and seating herself in the adjacent nook.

"Anna, dear, this came for you today." Her mother handed her an envelope, much to the redhead's surprise.

Anna inspected the envelope. Her name was written in beautiful, flowing cursive on the front above her address but the return address was somewhere she'd never heard of in Canada, lacked a name, and was scrawled in barely legible print. Tilting her head to the side in curiosity, Anna carefully opened the envelope and pulled the papers within free.

Settling into her chair, Anna smoothed out the page and started reading:

Dearest Anna,

I hope this letter finds you well. I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for everything you do, everything you've done, all that contributes to who you are. You are a special young woman, unique in every way, and I am privileged to have been graced with your presence.

From the moment you appeared in my life, I have felt lighter, moving through each day carrying the memory of your radiant smile as a beacon to light my way. Your vibrancy, that spark which shines so brightly in your eyes, is amazingly breathtaking and inspiring. These are just little pieces that make up your whole.

Well, they are the pieces of the whole you present to the world as the smiling heroine, the brave, beautiful, intelligent, and amazing young woman you are. But there's more to you than that. Even such simple words and definitions don't do you justice.

You're not brave just because of the things you do; you're brave for the way you throw yourself into everything you do, for better or worse, too. You're not beautiful just because you have sun-kissed skin, fiery red hair, and shimmering sea-green eyes; you're also beautiful for your intensity and sincerity in every expression, your confidence and faith in every move, and your wealth of energy which propels you through everything.

That's not to say you're perfect, in the literal sense. I'm sure you have your fears and doubts, your flaws and shortcomings, your bad habits; I'm sure you've made some mistakes... but I don't know what they are, for they are not the things you show to the world.

I want to know them, though. I lay awake at night, wondering- what are you afraid of? What do you dream of? What makes you happy? What makes you sad? How do you relax? Do you bite your nails when you're nervous or bored? Do you ever think of finding true love?

I'll admit, I know very little of love, having never fallen in love before. I know what I've read in books and seen in movies but feeling it is an entirely different experience... and I think, maybe, I'm beginning to fall in love with you. From that first moment, when my eyes met yours, I felt this connection, like some part of me suddenly dislodged from deep within my chest, and that part of me went with you when you left. Without trying, you took a piece of my heart when you returned to your world, but it wasn't stolen. I freely gave you that piece and I don't want it back. I want to give you the rest, give you all that you deserve, every happiness imaginable. I want to make you laugh, make you smile, and I even want the opportunity to make you mad, make you sad, so I can learn from those mistakes and make it up to you.

But, I'm not so foolish as to believe I can do any of that. You already have Kristoff, who I'm sure can give you more than I ever could and- while I envy him in every conceivable way- I realize that the only thing that matters to me is your happiness. It's what I truly want more than anything, far more than wanting to be the one to bring you that happiness.

You are kind and gentle. I have no doubt you're concerned about hurting my feelings but you really shouldn't. A part of my heart, if not its entirety, will always be yours, Anna. I can think of no one in the world I would rather give it to, honestly. Please, keep it safe, by continuing being who you are, chasing your dreams, and letting no one hold you back.

After reading through all this, I'm sure you're wondering who I am. To be blunt, I'm not going to tell you. With all your travels, all your activities, you meet so many people, far more interesting and wonderful than I, and it would be nearly impossible to pick out just one from your memory. Ultimately, who I am is of no consequence; just a face and a name from your missions who will never forget you. Still, no matter what, even if the world were to end tomorrow, I will always be,

Forever Yours

"Sweetheart? Can you set the table?"

Anna startled slightly, having reread the letter a third time without noticing that dinner was nearly done.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, right," Anna absently said, folding up the letter and putting it back in the envelope, careful to keep it away from the table as she set out plates and utensils.

Anna couldn't decide which emotion to focus on first. She was flattered, certainly, because who wouldn't blush at such extravagant compliments? Perhaps if she suspected any insincerity, she might not react so strongly, but... something about the way the letter was written, how much care was put into every letter of every word, all written in the same smooth cursive as her name on the envelope, compelled her to believe in the letter's sincerity.

That just made her sad, though. Obviously, whoever wrote the letter cared very deeply, invested a lot of time and energy into writing out their feelings... but she couldn't even begin to try making them feel better. If she confessed that she wasn't dating Kristoff, it would give... her admirer, for lack of a name, hope, which wasn't fair, seeing as she already had a crush. Then, explaining she had a crush... that would be mean, to some extent. Totally not within her realm of control because, heck, her heart did whatever it wanted!

Perhaps that was the part that upset her, at least a little. She could totally get where her admirer was coming from, about giving up a piece of her heart without even realizing it and not wanting it back. That's exactly what happened with Ice Queen, though she could never be quite as poetic about it as her admirer.

From that first mission when the trio appeared to thwart The Prince's plan, when Anna came face-to-face with Ice Queen, she was nothing less than utterly awestruck. She admired Ice Queen's cool indifference, her confidence, and her piercing gaze, but she wanted to know more about the woman.

She could really relate to whoever wrote the letter and it made Anna feel bad that she couldn't return those affections because of her own feelings for Ice Queen. It was also a little discouraging, considering how alike their situations were. After all, why should things work out for her if they couldn't work out for someone else? She was lucky, but she wasn't that lucky.

"Anna? Is something the matter, dear?"

The redhead snapped her gaze to meet her father's concerned frown. Having flipped over to auto-pilot at some point while laying out the utensils, Anna was now sitting in front of her food laden but untouched plate, both of her parents watching her warily. She offered them a small smile.

"Sorry, I just kinda spaced. Nothing's wrong," she replied, starting in on her dinner. As usual, the smoked salmon was absolutely delicious, and the redhead allowed herself to enjoy the taste for a few bites before her mind drifted back to the letter.

She felt an instant kinship with her admirer because of their similar situations but... she couldn't very well reach out. Anna wasn't good with words and her handwriting was terrible. Plus, she didn't even know what to say! 'Hi, you have a huge crush on me, but I have a huge crush on someone else, so while I can't return your affections, could you listen to me vent about my situation?' That was beyond rude and a little selfish.

Anna set down her fork and looked up, searching for something to say that would rescue her from the jumble of thoughts fighting through her head. "The competition went well. We qualified for the next stage in a few weeks."

"That's great, honey," her mother replied, grinning ever so slightly in that 'I'm your mother and you can't hide anything from me, but I'll let you think what you want' way of hers. "The routine went over well with the judges?"

"Absolutely." Anna smiled, ladling more stew into her bowl. "Aurora and Esmeralda were kinda harsh- we had a few errors- but, overall, we were really great."

"Your knee isn't bothering you too bad?" Her father's concern was a bit more evident but she shrugged it off. She hadn't even thought about it since Esmeralda brought it up.

"Still a little sore I guess but it's fine. I mean, I can still do a triple backflip and stick the landing, so I'm not worried about it." The redhead smiled at her parents. Then she remembered the promise she made with the girls of the cheer team and her smile faltered a little.

Her mother's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and that was it. Her parents would never push her about certain things but that was mostly because she was horrible at keeping things from them. She didn't like keeping secrets anyway and, aside from Rapunzel's and now the cheer team, she'd never had a compelling reason to do so. But, if she wanted to have even the shadow of a chance of keeping the whole vampire thing a secret, she'd need to spill the beans on the letter to assuage her mother's concern.

"So... that thing I got in the mail is, uh... it's a love letter." Anna admitted, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. Her mother laughed lightly while her father's brows rose in surprise.

"You haven't gotten one of those in quite a while." He observed, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Did it come with a marriage proposal?" Her mother quipped, a wry smirk on her lips.

"No, thank goodness." Anna giggled, rolling her eyes at the memory. "But this person is very sweet and I feel kinda bad since I'm, ya know, kinda taken but, uh, not really..."

Her mother shook her head with a laugh. "Sweetheart, you'll worry yourself sick one of these days over the things you can't control."

Her father nodded, excusing himself from the table. "Does this suitor have a name?"

"I'm sure they do, but I don't know what it is." Anna shrugged. "They said that who they were wasn't important; they just wanted to tell me how they feel."

"Definitely a departure from any fan mail you've received in the past, then." Her mother conceded, setting her plate to the side as her father brought the cake out. "Do you want me to tell Marlin to keep an eye out for that address?"

"No, I, uh, don't really mind," Anna replied with a shy smile. As selfish as it felt, if this person wanted to contact her again, if they were going to be so caring and touching in each letter... well, she was only human and that's a hard thing to turn down. "I mean, it seems like this might be a one time thing but if they reach out again... that's okay with me."

"Are you going to reply to the letter?" Her father began cutting the cake, placing a slice on a plate for Anna and his wife before cutting his own.

The redhead twirled her fork a moment, licking her lips as she stared at the dessert. With a decisive nod, she dug into the cake with a smile. "Maybe."

Author's Note: One thing about the KP verse I never quite understood: we can have a were-jackal, monkey ninjas, a monkey man, a gorilla woman, a mutant, living armor, time travel and aliens but not one vampire? Like, seriously? Totally a missed opportunity. So, now there's at least three vampires, because AU and why the hell not. Boo-yah. Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter, even if it was a long read. Thanks for all the support, it is greatly appreciated.