Triggers: Domestic abuse, self harm, suicide, anything else that could be considered related to those. As before, I've bracketed what I feel to be the worst of it.

Elsa exited the car, shutting the door behind her as she leaned against it. A moment later, Merida rounded the car and leaned against it beside Elsa. She started to rub her hands together inside the pocket of her hoodie, apprehensively gauging her surroundings. The party itself didn't start until the early evening, but she made sure to try and arrive abnormally early so that she'd be able to find a somewhat inconspicuous spot in the house to stay at. She let out a small sigh of relief when she only saw one car in the driveway, but was suddenly taken back when she noticed the actual house. It was a lot larger than she expected from hearing stories about Gaston. In a way, it actually almost looked like the manor that she had grown up in, albeit much smaller. Large gated front yard with flowers lining the driveway that perfectly accentuated the three story house, Elsa could only imagine what the back yard looked like.

"I think he's overcompensating." Merida stated, bumping her elbow into Elsa as she chuckled.

Elsa could only muster a weak grin as she continued to eye at the house and how it began to intimidate her. At this moment, she was extremely grateful Merida was willing to arrive with her so early. She didn't even know if Pocahontas was around, but there was a growing suspicion in the back of her mind saying she probably was. "Why do I feel as if he probably has a chicken farm in the backyard?" She muttered with a sideward glance to Merida, who shook her head with a snort.

"I think the whole 'five dozen eggs' thing is an inside joke throughout the whole campus now." She shook her head again, her sea of curls rustling against the surface of the car. "He must be making some sick gains. At least he would if he didn't sound like such a ninnie."

"Do you refer to everyone with that term?"

"A ninnie is a ninnie Elsa, no matter how you look at it. You could either be a good ninnie like Kristoff or a bad ninnie like who this Gaston guy sounds."

Elsa opened her mouth to respond, but was cut short when she noticed the front door open and a figure lean against the doorway. She immediately recognized it as Aleks, who began to wave the two girls over and invite them into the house.

"You two look creepy as shit just standing there, no offense." She called out, waving the two over again.

Through her peripheral vision, Elsa could see Merida look up at her and shrug as she began to saunter toward the doorway and she soon followed in pursuit. Having Aleks greet them helped to unravel the growing knots in Elsa's stomach a little as she nodded to her sister as she walked through the doorway. On the inside, it was laid out no differently than any other house despite how it looked on the outside. She followed Aleks through the foyer until she led her and Merida into the living room, taking a seat on the couch in front of her as her sister sat in an adjacent recliner. Just from her initial impression, Elsa knew that she would want to move somewhere more secluded once more people began to show up.

"So" Aleks began, crossing her legs and sinking into the chair. "Why are you here so early? I didn't think anyone would even think about showing up for another half hour."

"I wanted to have a little time to grow comfortable with the surroundings before people showing up." Elsa replied plainly, knowing her sister would understand completely which was confirmed by her small nod.

"And Merida?"

"I don't think I need a specific reason to spend time with a friend." Merida instantly snapped back.

Aleks rolled her eyes with a small scoff. "I didn't mean it like that, but whatever."Elsa" She began again, shifting her attention. "There are a few things I think I should tell you about Gaston before he announces it to the world."

"Five dozen eggs?" Elsa blurted out with a small grin tugging at the corners of her lips, feeling Merida's shoulders rise and fall against her own as she chuckled.

"Ha. I've actually heard he's went up to six dozen now. But, that's not the point." She continued, leaning forward in the chair and leaning her head on her hands. "When I say that he's an egotistical dumbass, I'm not over exaggerating in the slightest." She said in a slightly amused tone with a half smirk. "He will say and do things that will make you wonder how many times he was dropped on his head as a newborn, and you'll get a growing suspicion that it was higher than his parents knew how to count."

"I have a few cousins like that." Merida stated with a small chuckle, looking over toward Elsa with a shrug. "Remember how I told Anna about the Dingwalls and MacGuffins?"

"Didn't you say the MacGuffin boy was the one that played football with a frozen turkey?"

"Nah, that was all of us. Macguffin was the one who could probably rip apart a log with his bare hands."

Aleks' gaze shifted between the two women in front of her with widened eyes and mouth slightly agape as Merida went into several tangents about her extended family. Apparently they were fond of playing sports with unconventional foods in place of balls. "So, what part of Ireland are you from?" Aleks finally muttered after Merida finished another one of her short stories.

"I'm front Scotland." Merida deadpanned with raised eyebrows.

"What's the difference?"

Holding out one of her hands with her palm upward, Merida looked at it. "Ireland." She did the same with her other hand. "Scotland." She shifted her hands as if trying to balance them out. "There's a load of difference. One of them is known for potatoes and famine, the other is known for bagpipes and kilts."

"So, you wear kilts?"

"When the situation arises." Merida answered, backing into the couch and shrugging. "However, I'm shite at the bagpipes."

Elsa giggled briefly. "That's a new term, Merida. You'll have to explain that one to me."

"Shite?" Merida asked. "It's kind of like saying that my bagpipe game is weak."

Elsa turned toward the redhead and confusion painted her face, a small grin growing across her lips when she noticed Merida's blank stare.

"Did I use that term wrong? I've been trying to get a hang of American slang but it's just so weird."

Aleks scoffed, leaning back into the chair. "Like 'shite' isn't a we-"

"Oh yes! Hello indeed!" Came a boisterous voice, as this mountain of a man stomped down the hall and twirled into the room. With one large stride, he appeared in front of the couch with his hands on his hips. He briefly looked down at Merida and Elsa, his eyes shifting between the two of them before his lips stretched into a wide smile. "Bonjour, metamucil." He muttered in a low tone, making sure to put plenty of inflection into his voice.

Merida looked over at Elsa, before looking toward the brick wall in front of her. She blinked a handful of times before looking back at Elsa. "Did this dobber just call us fiber supplements?" She asked plainly, side-eying the man.

"What?" The man exclaimed as he was taken back, his voice echoing throughout the entire room. "No, it's French for sexy chicks!"

"Uh-" Elsa began, looking over toward Merida for a moment before turning back to try and look at Aleks but her view was blocked by the crotch of the mountain in front of her. She tried not to stare, but she couldn't help but feel pity for the man's pants as they seemed to scream and fit to burst around the trunks he called his legs. "I think you mean mademoiselle?"

"Made of gazelle?" He asked, brushing back his black hair with a monstrous hand. "I once hunted a gazelle. It was a ferocious beast, nearly took off my p-"

"Gaston!" Aleks exclaimed, trying to get the man's attention to no avail.

"-inky finger." He finished, turning around to face Aleks just in time as Merida slapped her hands over her mouth and leaned her head against Elsa's shoulder, trying her best to stifle her laughter.

"Where is Hans?"

"He's out in the back, fixing to fire up the grill so we can throw dead animals on it and then eat them and the-" Gaston was cut off from a sudden knock at the door, another large grin grew across his face as he made his way toward the front door and Elsa could swear she felt the foundation shake with every step he took.

After making sure he was gone, Elsa turned toward Aleks and shrugged. "I've never been called Metamucil before." She half-heartedly joked.

Rolling her eyes, Aleks stood from the chair gestured for Elsa and Merida to follow her. "He's pretty harmless, just really fucking stupid. If he starts to get on your nerves, just call him Gary."

"Gary?"

"His real name. He goes by 'Gaston' because he thinks it makes him sound cooler. A lot of his friends have taken up their own names for similar reasons." She explained, opening a sliding glass door as she walked out onto the back patio. The backyard was probably larger than the house, with a sizable in ground pool on the far end against the fence.

Elsa stared into the trees beyond the fence, surveying the area and hoping to find Pocahontas amongst them. "Well, you prefer to be called Aleks rather than Aleksandra." She mentioned, following her sister toward a figure near the edge of the pool which she assumed was Hans. Although he looked to be more preoccupied with the two other figures he was talking to rather than the grill behind him.

"I'm not really an 'Aleksandra' kind of person, Elsa. You know that" She shrugged and stuck her hands in her pockets, her head locked forward. "I'm just Aleks."

"But 'just Aleks' is still my sist-"

"Hans, Gaston is greeting guests at the door. You might want to watch over him before he causes the third world war because someone threatens his fragile masculinity." Aleks stated, crossing her arms and shifting her weight toward one side.

Hans scoffed before turning around, crossing his own arms and mimicking Aleks' stance. "Gaston is a grown man, I'm sure he'll be fine." He raised an eyebrow when he looked past Aleks and noticed the two women behind her.

From behind Aleks, Elsa was able to identify the two men beside Hans. She recognized them as Professor Hades' two teacher assistants. Although she could feel her stomach begin to settle into an uneasy state, it was a little alleviated knowing that she wasn't around total strangers. Even if she didn't know them personally, she knew of them at least. They looked like complete polar opposites of each other, one being tall and lanky while the other was short and stocky. Although they looked much different than she was used to seeing them in a classroom. Instead of the normal button ups and ties, they looked like the type of people you'd see hanging out in the back of an alleyway smoking cigarettes and eyeing down anyone who had the displeasure of passing by. Ridiculously long chains adorned their black cargo pants which conveniently matched the graphic tees they wore. Elsa didn't have the slightest inkling as to what was actually on their shirts, but her best guess would involve a logo of some sort.

"I'm not cleaning up any shit he stirs up." Aleks asserted, taking a small step to the side and gestured toward the two men beside Hans. "These are-"

"Paul and Phillip." Elsa cut in with an impish tone, taking a small step back until she was shoulder to shoulder with Merida. "I uh-" Her eyes darted between the two men and Aleks. "I see them almost every day in calculus."

Hans chuckled briefly before shaking his head. "Actually, they prefer to be called Pain and Panic. The fat one is Pain. I'll let you guess which one is Panic."

"Well, that's ce-"

"Elsa, Merida!"

Elsa turned to find Rapunzel enthusiastically waving at them from the patio, and started waving them over. She briefly turned back to Aleks and gestured toward the brunette.

A small smile formed across Aleks' lips. "I'm going to hang back a bit and make sure Hans doesn't set the place on fire. I'll catch up with you later." She mentioned, nodding her head back toward her boyfriend who was already focused back on the grill. Elsa wasn't too sure, but she thought she saw him look up and briefly roll his eyes. She shyly waved at her sister with a half-smile as her and Merida turned to join Rapunzel. As soon as she turned around, she noticed the balcony on the third floor of the house that overlooked the entire yard and probably a considerable distance into the wood beyond it. Although it was gorgeous, the sight of a balcony brought up sour memories that she much rather not think about at the moment.

"I didn't think you'd be here this early." She mentioned to Rapunzel who had hugged her the moment she walked into the door. Elsa had little issue returning the gesture, over the past couple of weeks since Anna had been in London, she actually grew accustomed to it. It was still a little strange having people touch her who weren't Anna or Aleks, but she learned to trust Rapunzel.

Jasmine giggled as she walked up to the group, nodding toward Merida and Elsa as she placed her hands on her hips. "Apparently we weren't the onl-"

"No! Nobody shoots like Gaston!" Came a scrawny voice from the table beside them, and a dull thud reverberated across the room as he slammed his fists on the table which caused Elsa to flinch and take a few steps back.

"Do I have to show you my golden arrow reward?" Came the reply from a man looking abnormally relaxed, his chair leaned back against the wall with his feet on the table.

The other man grunted, looking over toward Gaston at the end of the table and held his hand out at the relaxed man across from him.

Gaston chuckled heartily before shrugging. "Now, now, LeFou. I'm sure Robin here is a fine marksman in his own merit."

"My own merit? What does that even mean?" Robin replied, taking his legs off the table and leaning forward. LeFou had to stand on his chair and brace himself on the table in order to meet the man eye to eye. "Name any challenge, and I'm sure I'd be able to take your buddy on. Punch for punch, toe to toe, arrow to arrow."

"As if! Nobody fights, or even spits like Gaston!" Lefou rebutted, growing more and more agitated. If he got anymore riled up, there would probably be steam coming from his ears. "Look at the man's neck! Who's neck is as thick as Gaston's?!"

Merida gently nudged Elsa as she leaned over to allow her to whisper into her ear. "If there's going to be an archery contest, I'm in. I'll have them both crying as they run home to their mums."

Just as Elsa was about to reply, she felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked up to find Rapunzel gesturing toward Jasmine who had started her way down the hall. She nodded briefly before following suit, making sure to leave just a hair between her and the woman in front of her as to make sure not to end up separated. As they walked by the front door, Elsa couldn't help but wonder what exactly she gained by arriving so early. The door had been propped open, and just in the brief moment she passed it, she saw two or three more cars pull up to the driveway. She followed Jasmine up a set of stairs and into a den area. It was clear that people had yet begun to migrate up into the second floor, and as Jasmine fell onto a nearby couch and let out a sigh of relief, Elsa gently took her own seat on the opposite end.

Rapunzel followed suit and sat down on the couch on the other side of the coffee table, and Merida soon after. "So, why did we leave? It was just getting interesting." Merida commented, pulling her hair from behind her and laying it over the back of the couch.

"Because Jeffrey had just shown up." Jasmine strained, rubbing her temples. "Or as he likes to be called, 'Jafar'." She continued in a mocking tone before making a disgusting face with a sigh.

"Um-" Elsa began, straightening in her seat and rubbing her hands together. "Who?"

"He's this creep who tried to convince my father to let him take me as his bride." Jasmine replied, running her hands through her hair and sighed again. "Dude is just a total creep who won't take no for an answer. If I ever marry, I want it to be for love and not something phony and arranged." She made the same disgusted face. "Especially not with someone so… like him."

"Oh I'm sure it could be worse." Spoke Merida. "A couple of my cousins like me in ways you wouldn't really care to know about."

Rapunzel took a double take, rapidly blinking for a moment. "Family issues aside, I don't think I've ever once heard you mention being attracted to anyone. That just occurred to me." She took a moment to break her sentence to look around the room at the women around her. "You're one of my best friends and I don't even know your dating preferences."

Merida shrugged. "There aren't any, really."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged again, warily gazing over toward Elsa and Jasmine on the other side of the coffee table. "The whole idea of it just isn't for me. I don't need a boyfriend or a girlfriend to be happy, I'm perfectly well off just hanging out with you dweebs."

Jasmine chuckled, straightening in her seat and leaning forward. "So, you've never been involved with anyone? Either romantic or sexual?"

"Nope." Merida answered, shaking her head.

"Well how do you know you won't like it if you haven't tried it?"

"I know I don't want to be flayed alive, but I haven't tried it."

Rapunzel let out a brief, hearty laugh. "Merida, if sex feels like you're being flayed alive, you're doing something wrong."

Nodding toward Rapunzel, a sly grin grew across Jasmine's face. "Or maybe something right."

"Probably something very, very wrong." Rapunzel repeated. She turned her head toward Elsa who had yet to say more than a word since Jasmine had tarried them all away from the growing crowd downstairs. "And what's your stance on the whole 'flayed alive versus sex' debate, Elsa?" She innocently asked.

"I really don't have a lot of experience to really contribute to the conversation." Elsa replied meekly, she knew that Rapunzel was only being kind and trying to involve her in the conversation. However, she wasn't sure if discussing her sex life with Anna would be appropriate given the situation. She was already nervous enough being in a house which reminded her of her own, emotions regarding Anna would definitely not sit well on top of the nerves.

"Oh come on, Elsa." Jasmine teased, leaning back with a subtle wink. "We all saw the marks on your body the morning Anna left. They were all over her too. Tell me that a little bit of pain during sex can be a great thing."

A sudden rush of blood instantly brought a blush to Elsa's cheeks in a deep pink. She and Anna had tried their best to hide the various marks across their bodies from that night, but it was clear that they hadn't tried hard enough. She worriedly looked over toward Rapunzel and found her to be looking straight back on her. Apparently the look on Elsa's face as all she needed as she gave a brief nod and looked over toward Jasmine. "Another thought just came to me. Jasmine, how exactly did you know where to go when we left LeFou arguing with Robin?"

"Oh yeah." Jasmine answered, taking her attention off of Elsa and shifted it to Rapunzel. "Pocahontas told me that up here would be calmer for a bit."

Elsa perked up upon hearing Pocahontas' name. "Where did you see her?"

"You know how Pocahontas is. She popped out of nowhere when I was stepping out of my car. She told me that she already went around and inspected the entire house. Gaston has several cases of beer in the garage."

"Pocahontas went through the whole house?" Merida interjected, her eyes shifting between the three women around her, and then around the room. "That's a little creepy."

Elsa cleared her throat, following Merida's eyes around the room to try and see if she could notice any signs of Pocahontas being around. Of course, there were none from where she was seated and what she could see. "I'm sure she has her reasons. I don't think she'd do it to cause any harm." Elsa finished just as she heard heavy footsteps coming up the staircase. Fearing it was Gaston, she shifted slightly toward Jasmine and pointed her head down. Noticing this, Jasmine gently patted the top of Elsa's hand.

"There you guys are!" Came a familiar voice that caused Elsa's nerves to settle a bit and allowed her to lift her head back up. She looked over to find Kristoff waltzing over, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down on the floor between the two couches. "I nearly got pulled into a wrestling match between Gaston and some guy people referred to as 'Panic'. There was also some tiny person jumping up and down and singing about Gaston. It was kind of awkward."

"I didn't think this would be your kind of event, Kristoff." Jasmine mentioned, leaning forward slightly so that she could look over toward the shaggy blonde.

He shrugged, his eyes travelling around the room. "It's not. But Pocahontas thought it'd be a good idea if I came. She said all you guys would be here, so I figured why not."

Rapunzel shifted in her seat and grinned. "All we're missing is Eugene and Anna in that case, considering Pocahontas is lurking about somewhere."

"I don't know if the house could handle so many ninnies in one room."

Kristoff rolled his eyes and groaned. "What does that even mean!?"

Raising a finger toward Kristoff, Merida reached into her back pocket and pulled out her phone. After tapping the screen a few times, she reached out and handed it to Kristoff. "That's a ninnie."

Grabbing the phone, Kristoff held it up to his face and groaned again. "Merida, this is just Snapchat with the front camera on. All I see is myself, I don't know wha-" His face fell and his bottom lip stuck out in a slight pout as he begrudgingly handed the phone back to Merida who had a wide, cocky smile stretched on her lips.

"Elsa." Came a voice she had known all her life, and upon reaching the top of the stairs, Aleks was slightly taken back to find the room full. She awkwardly nodded when all attention was shifted toward her. "Can we talk upstairs?" She asked after a moment of silence, looking over toward her sister.

Elsa nodded briefly before turning her head toward her friends. "I'll catch up with you all in a bit?"

Jasmine momentarily looked up at Aleks before returning her attention to Elsa. "Of course. We'll be around." She reassured with a small smile before she looked over toward the group and gestured toward the stairs.

Elsa stood up and followed Aleks through a hallway until they reached a second set of stairs. "It sounds like quite the party downstairs." She mentioned timidly, trying to create any kind of conversation. They hadn't been walking for long, but it was unlike Aleks to be so silent. She normally always had something to say about the current situation, and loved letting her opinion be known.

"Full of jackasses and dipshits." Aleks muttered, opening a door at the top of the stairs that led into a parlor. Fully furnished just as the rest of the house was, the couch on the side of the room sat directly across from the glass door which led out onto the balcony. On the small coffee table in front of the couch were a collection of notebooks, pencils, and textbooks all strewn about in a disorganized fashion. Apparently, this is where Gaston chose to do his schoolwork, the blank sheets of paper only making it seem more likely. Aleks plopped down onto the couch and let out a heavy sigh. "Hans is just being an asshole."

"I kind of get that vibe from him sometimes." Elsa admitted as she sat down next to her sister. "I always just assumed he has a rough exterior but a real sweetheart on the inside." She shrugged. "Kind of like you."

Aleks straightened herself and crossed her arms across her stomach. "He is. You just have to dig pretty deep before you see it." She muttered, leaning her head on the back of the couch with another heavy sigh. "I like to believe he has my best interests in heart, but I don't know."

"Well." Elsa began, turning her body and crossing her legs. "Would like to tell me what specifically is bothering you?"

Aleks turned toward her twin and a small smile formed, but quickly faded as the turned her head back with downcast eyes. "He can just be sort of manipulative at times. Kind of like 'I did this for you, so you should do this for me'. It's ridiculous at times."

"Maybe he has a complicated past?" Elsa mentioned. A guess from her own personal experience. When she looked back, it was easy to tell how she could come off as 'cold' to a lot of different people. Even to Anna of all people, she barely even said a word to her when they met. For Elsa, they didn't even officially meet until the night they first played that chess game together. "Or some unresolved issues?"

"Maybe. He hasn't really mentio-"

"Aleks."

The stern voice came from the top of the stairs as Hans strode into the room with furrowed brows and clenched fists. His eyes very briefly shot toward Elsa before coming back to Aleks. "What are y-"

"Can I not have a moment's peace?" Aleks frustratingly spat as she waved her arm over toward Elsa. "I'm having a conversation with my sister. Is there something wrong with that?"

Hans scoffed and rolled his eyes, placing his hands on his hips and leaning forward slightly. "When you decide to disappear while I'm trying to keep Peter and Hook from tearing up the entire house, yes, it is as a matter of fact."

"Why would Gaston even invite both of them? He knows they hate each other" Aleks curtly replied, pinching the bridge of her nose before rubbing her temples. She turned to Elsa, who had already curled into herself. "Elsa." She softly muttered, standing up and offering her hand. Elsa slowly looked up and took it. "You mind waiting out on the balcony for a moment while Hans and I talk?"

Elsa let go of her sister's hand as her eyes darted between her and Hans. If anything, he looked even more frustrated than he did when he entered the room. She didn't want to leave her sister alone while he looked so angry. She wanted to argue and adamantly stand her ground against Hans, at least until he calmed down. But there was a slight glimmer in Aleks' eyes that told her that now wasn't the time or the place, and that she would be able to handle it. "Yeah, sure." She finally muttered after what felt like forever, but making a mental note to come back into the room if things sounded like they were going downhill. Closing the glass door behind her, she saw Hans scowl as he walked up to it and closed the curtains.

"He's kind of a jerk, isn't he?"

Elsa turned around and was greeted with a familiar face, a smile strewn across her face as she lightly waved. "How'd you get up here?"

Pocahontas chuckled and shook her head. "Normally, I don't ever tell anyone my secrets. But, in this case…" She pointed behind Elsa and gestured toward the roof. "I took the high ground."

"And how did you-" Elsa started, looking over toward Pocahontas and then back at the roof. "You know, never mind."

"Jasmine had a good idea going to the second floor back then. People started to flock together like honeybees on a lone flower." She mentioned, leaning against the railing and crossing her arms.

Elsa nodded briefly before taking a small step forward and crossing her arms over the banister. She was able to see the entire yard from this height, there weren't a whole lot of people outside yet but she knew that would change soon as the sun sets and it gets cooler. Already there were a handful of people in and around the pool, some kept to themselves while others made fools of themselves by trying to show off. She was, however, grateful for the slight breeze as it danced across her skin. "We're supposed to have a white Christmas this year." Elsa mentioned, staring off into the distance at no particular point.

"I heard. I'm excited for it, but that isn't really relevant right now is it?" Pocahontas asked, turning around and leaning against the railing with Elsa. "It's bothering you. Not being in there with Aleks."

Elsa sighed and ran her hand through her hair, stopping at the end of her braid to twirl the ends between her thumb and finger. "I'm sure she'll be fine, but-" She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe one day I'll be able to stand up for her like she has for me."

A sudden breeze came by, stronger than the rest thus far. With it brought a handful of leaves from the trees across the yard painted in different shades of orange and yellow. Pocahontas looked up into the distance as the leaves danced across her face before starting their slow descent onto the grass below. She slowly nodded, her eyes growing a tab bit somber but a smile also spread across her lips as she turned back toward Elsa. "I'm sure Aleks understands. This transition hasn't been easy for either of you, and she knows that."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't fight the current, Elsa. The river will never lead you into anything you cannot overcome." Pocahontas replied, gently placing her hand on Elsa's back as she smiled again and lifted herself up on top of the railing and back onto the roof. Elsa turned around and tried to track her movements, but Pocahontas had already disappeared by the time her eyes adjusted to the setting sun.

Sighing to herself, she turned back around and leaned against the railing again. As she had guessed, more people had already begun to venture outside. But among the small crowd of people, she was able to make out her friends fairly easily once she found Merida's blazing curls. She was lucky, knowing that she had a group of people waiting for her down on the grass below that genuinely enjoyed her company. Luckier still that she had Anna to wait for across an ocean. Elsa found herself in a zone of self-reflection, staring off into the woods beyond. She was a different person than she was at the beginning of the year. It was obvious not only to her, but everyone she had come into contact with. And it was something that she could take joy in knowing that everything wasn't what she feared it would be at first. She loved the life she was living, and the people in it. Nothing about her life was perfect, but it was hers.

However, her moment of reflection was cut short when she heard a familiar cracking noise. She immediately looked down to find the wood of the railing starting to crack and splinter, threatening to give in under her weight. She immediately backed up as she felt her adrenaline start to pump, her heart beating quicker by the moment. Looking down, she found that a thick layer of ice had formed over the balcony and was rapidly spreading over the railing. Aleks. Every red light was going off in her mind as body as she twirled around to reenter the parlor, only to be greeted with a deafening crash as the glass door in front of her seemed to explode. Trying to fight through the ringing in her ears, she shut her eyes and covered her ears in attempt to deafen it. She never saw it coming when she felt a body slam into her, sending her sliding backward. The weakened railing instantly gave under from her weight and momentum, and she fell.

As she fell, she was briefly able to open her eyes to see Hans looming over the balcony, kicking off shattered remnants of glass and wood.

Her vision went to black the moment she hit the ground.

"Elsa!" Aleks screamed, rushing past the empty doorframe, evaporating the ice with every step she took. She was met with Hans' arm as it briefly knocked the wind out of her and prevented her from looking over the balcony.

"You don't want to look." Hans deadpanned.

Aleks' heart instantly fell as she scrambled in vain to get around Hans. "You son of a bitch!" She screamed again as Hans pushed her back into the parlor kicking and screaming the entire way.

"Aleks!" He exclaimed, holding her by the shoulders.

Repeatedly clenching her fists, the ice instantly reformed across the room, jagged spikes shooting down from the ceiling. "You're not going to stop me!" She fought, struggling to wrest herself from his grasp in vain. Despite the adrenaline pumping through her body, she couldn't muster the strength to break Hans' hold.

"Aleks." Hans repeated, slowly and calmly despite the icy storm picking up around him. "Your sister is dead." He explained, staring into Aleks' eyes. Instantly, he could see them gloss over. The growing whirlwind suddenly stopped, and the snowflakes seemingly suspended in midair. He let go of her shoulders, and she limply fell to her knees and started to sob. "And it was your freaky ice powers that killed her." He said in a smug tone with a slight chuckle. "You're a monster."

Aleks clenched her fist together and slammed them against the floor. The tears running off of her face instantly froze into jagged, crystalline droplets which pierced into her skin. The one person she had fought her entire life to protect – dead. Inadvertently by her hand. Not only does she have her father's blood on her hands, but now her sisters. She couldn't stop the tears, she couldn't bring back Elsa, she couldn't protect Elsa, and she certainly couldn't protect herself.

"What are we going to tell Rapunzel? Jasmine?" He chuckled again with a brief pause. "Anna? Oh, she'll be crushed."

Hans' smug tone throughout his taunting caused Aleks' depression to instantly change to rage. She slammed her fists on the floor again, a jagged shard forming in her hand. She squeezed it tightly as it cut into her palm, her blood sliding down and staining the edge before it dropped onto the floor. She couldn't bring back Elsa, but she could stop Hans. She briefly wiped the frozen tears off her face and sniffled. "Hans." She muttered, broken and hoarse. "Could you do me a favor?"

"Of course, dear." He exclaimed, turning to face Aleks with a wide grin across his face.

[In a moment of rage and desperation, Aleks leaped onto him, sending him onto the icy floor beneath him with a loud crack as the ice splintered as Aleks' knees dug into his chest. Before giving him time to react, she grabbed the shard with both hands, lifted it over her head, and thrusted it into his forehead. She didn't take any joy in the act as she watched all life leave his eyes, his blood starting to pool around his wound and trickle down the sides of his forehead and into his hair. A few of the frozen tears from her face dislodged and fell, shattering when they hit the lifeless husk beneath of her.]

He was right, though. He was right all along. She was a monster, the blood of three now on her hands. Everything she had tried in life eventually led to ruin and failure. Protecting her father, leading a normal life, and even protecting the one she held closest to her. She didn't want to believe she was dead. A part of her wanted to believe that she did survive the fall, but she couldn't bring herself to stand up and look over the balcony. Instead, she slumped over to the coffee table and picked up a pencil and a nearby notebook.

In some off chance you're alive; there are things I need to tell you.

Hans is dead. I did it. And I'd do it again a hundred times over.

That bastard drained us dry, Elsa.

He threatened to spread our secret of this damned ice curse thing if I didn't comply to everything he told me.

Car parts to fix his hunk of shit, and then eventually just a whole new car.

Even this house was paid for outright by the money that was left behind for us.

It's all gone.

But there's still something left. Hans and I took a trip out to Gothel's awhile back because I knew where she hid her jewelry that I could pawn to pay for more of his expenses. But there are life insurance policies on both of us, mother, and father. A collection of bonds that were left behind in our names.

If you did survive, then they're all yours. My way of making up for all of it I spent, I suppose.

And if you didn't survive, then I'm just some dipshit writing for nothing.

I understand, though. That I never really belonged here.

You've created your own little circle of close friends all on your own from the ground up.

I've just been a hindrance the entire way. Assaulting Merida, punching Anna in the face, yelling at Jasmine.

I'd never be accepted by them.

This entire time, I thought I was trying to protect you.

But I failed at that.

I just ended up hurting you. Hurting us.

Maybe it would have all ended up different if father were still alive.

I don't know.

If you're alive, I'm sorry. For everything.

If you're dead, then I'll be with you.

I love you.

-Aleksandra 'Aleks' Delle

[Aleks dropped the pencil down on the paper, and moved it to the center of the table. Wiping at the corners of her eyes, she stood up and drudged over to Hans' body. She felt nothing but regret upon seeing it, nothing but hatred and disgust. Not only for him, but also for herself. She slowly knelt down and gripped the shard still lodged into his head as it cut deeper into her hand. Pulling it out, she brought it closer to herself. She was able to see her reflection through the red tinge of the blood, the shattered image of who she was.

And the monster she became.

For the first time in her life, she felt a biting cold as she lifted her head and placed it on her neck. She momentarily looked up to the ceiling, greeted only by her own reflection off of the ice. She mouthed 'sorry' before sliding the shard across her neck.]

"She's alive! Call an ambulance!"