I recomend you to read Elsa's POV first if you're also reading Light in the darkness, but of course, it's up to you.

Chapter 18: The other side of abuse.

It's been two weeks since Elsa came back to school. Two weeks of hell. I know what you're thinking, how can having your girlfriend with you at school can be hell? Well, it's not; Elsa is not the problem, actually having her with me is the only thing that has been keeping me going. The problem is Hans and is stupid friends. You see, once he found out about Elsa and I being girlfriends, he and his friends started bulling her again, but it was only for one day and then they stopped altogether, probably because Elsa apparently didn't really mind much (even if she then came to me with a sad expression searching for comfort, but hey, they don't need to know that). After that, well… they started picking on me. And at first I thought it was fine, that I could endure it if it meant they wouldn't bother Elsa anymore, but it soon became too much for me.

At first it was just silly (though hurtful) pranks, like the ones they used to play to Elsa. Making me trip, throwing food at me, pulling my hair, stealing my belongings, calling me names, etc. Those, I thought I could very well bear it at least until summer break, but Hans soon got bored of them, and his aggressions became quite painful, and I don't mean only emotionally. While Snow and the others kept bulling me as usual, Hans started molesting me; He'd come to me and try to kiss me, to touch me, and when I rejected him, he'd physically hurt me, and I would always end up with new bruises.

Of course, it wasn't long before Elsa noticed this, and she kept questioning me about my wounds, but I didn't want her to worry, and I was afraid that she may leave me if she thought she could protect me that way, so I always answered I had fell and fake a smile. If she kept insisting, then I'd just kiss her until she (well, both of us) forgot about it. Not that I needed an excuse to kiss her, but it was a rather good method.

So I haven't told anyone, not even my friends, even if they have been really nice and supportive towards Elsa and me. It's not like I don't trust them or anything… I just fear what they'll say. They'll say I have to tell the principal, and I don't want to do that, because then he'll tell my parents and they'll freak out and lock me in the house again, like they did ten years ago, and honestly, I prefer to keep being molested and beaten by Hans.

But anyways, enough with the sad stuff. Today, as always, I walked Elsa to her class, and kissed her before turning to leave to mine, not before promising her that I'd meet her at the cafeteria during my free period. Now, I'm walking towards said place to meet my girlfriend; I do so fast and procuring not to be seen by anyone, hoping not to run into Hans and his friends today. But of course, I'm not that lucky.

I'm running downstairs when I practically collide with Snow.

"Hey, look where you're going, you dyke!" She spats.

"Sorry." I mumble before ducking my head and trying to move past her.

"Apology not accepted." She says as she grabs my arm and throws me (or tries, anyways) against the wall. I glare at her for a moment before hastily freeing my arm from her grip.

"Well, bad for you." I just say with an angry voice. "Now if you excuse me, I have to go see my girlfriend, who is undoubtedly the fairest of them all." I know how Snow was obsessed with being the fairest, so I smirk when she gets so angry her face turns bright red and her fists clench in anger.

"What do you know about beauty?!" She yells.

"Feminine beauty? Quite a lot, I mean, I'm in love with a woman after all." I smirk recklessly, enjoying the way I can make her lose control. However, when I'm about to just walk away, glad that this confrontation went good for me, I see her smile wickedly as she eyes something at my back. I'm about to turn and see what she's looking at, when I feel a rather strong push before the ground beneath my feet suddenly disappears and I fall a few meters before landing with a quite loud and sickening crack.

I turn back, confused about what happened and see that I'm lying at the base of the stairs, while Snow, and a very smiling Hans now stand where I was just seconds ago. However, as they run away, I start noticing a sharp pain in my right arm, and I grit my teeth as I grab my wrist trying to ease the pain, but it's too strong. I know this kind of pain very well; I probably broke my arm.

Tears start streaming down my eyes without me being able to stop them, and soon rather loud sobs start shaking my entire body, that is, until the pain is so strong I can't even breathe, much less cry. I'm barely aware of the curious mob watching me, or the voices saying someone should call the prefect; I can only feel the pain.

Suddenly, a wonderful voice filters through my ears, like a ray of sunlight in the middle of the storm.

"Anna!" Elsa's voice sounds rather worried as she kneels at my side, softly touching my shoulder. I open my eyes briefly, to see her beautiful blue eyes, staring at me with concern. "Who did this to you?" She asks with fury, resentment, like she's gonna kill whoever it was, but as tempting as it is to just tell her and let her avenge me, I know somewhere in the back of my mind that I shouldn't.

"I-I fell." I answer weakly. "Please… i-infirmary." Elsa seems to sense my discomfort because she immediately helps me get into a standing position, and in that moment the crowd disperses to give us some space. Apparently someone had gone call the prefect to tell him about what happened, because he arrives in that moment to guide us to the infirmary. I clutch firmly to Elsa the whole way.

When we arrive, the prefect leaves and we walk in to find the nurse, who greets us with a kind smile, which fades as soon as she sees my pained expression.

"Please, sit her down." She exclaims pointing to one of the three white beds that are there. We do as she said and she's soon at my side. "What happened?" She asks.

"I fell." I say trough gritted teeth, trying to ignore the pain. "I think I broke my arm."

"Oh, poor thing." The nurse says compassionately. "It must hurt a lot. However, I'll have to make sure that you broke your arm. I need you to move it, and it'll probably hurt, but I need you to stay calm. Okay?" I gulp before nodding and extending my broken arm towards the woman as I press my head against Elsa's shoulder, searching for a little comfort. She pulls me closer, which makes me relax slightly.

"Good, please try moving your fingers, can you do it?" I try to do as she says, but I just manage to let out a strangled cry before stopping. Elsa caresses my back, but it does little to ease the pain. "Okay, now I need you to move your hand; up and down, left to right and in circles." Again, I try, but the pain won't allow me.

"I-I can't." I choke out. "T-too m-much pain."

"It's okay." The nurse answers. "Now I'll see your arm. Please don't move." At this, she lifts my the sleeve to reveal my injured arm, but I dare not look at it, since I know it must be a horrible sight. "Now, tell me if you can bear this." She says as she starts cautiously touching my fingers to then slowly move towards my wrist. I grit my teeth, but I know the pain still isn't unbearable, so I tell the nurse to continue. It wasn't until she reaches the center of my forearm, that it becomes too much for me.

"S-stop." I say after letting out another cry, and the nurse obeys.

"Yes, you probably have a broken arm." She says. "I'll call the hospital, please stay here."

The woman goes to call for an ambulance, as she had said and I stay alone with Elsa, quietly crying on her shoulder as she says calming words to my ear. She's a very good girlfriend, I think I couldn't have asked for a better one; she only wants to make sure I'm okay, and I'm grateful for that.

Once the ambulance arrives, we both get in at my insistence (yes, they wanted to leave Elsa out, but I didn't let them) and the paramedics immobilize my arm, put an ice-pack on it and give me some painkillers, but it still isn't enough to make the pain disappear, even combined with Elsa's tender caresses. It all gets even worse once we arrive at the hospital and they separate Elsa from me, leading me first to the X-ray room and then to the emergency department, where the doctor comes to align my bones.

Let me tell you something, I would've preferred to be left without the possibility of moving my arm correctly. Bone alignment is the most painful experience ever. Seriously, it's possibly even more painful than breaking an arm… I'm not quite sure though because they put me a local anesthetic, so it didn't really hurt that much, but still.

After that, the nurse comes to put a cast on my arm and explains to me how to take care of it and then, as the doctor comes to prescribe me some painkillers, my mother and Elsa come in to see me. I'm glad not to be alone anymore, since their presence is quite comforting. I would've liked to see my father here too, but I know only one of them can get out of work when needed, so I don't complain; he was the one to take me to the hospital when I broke my leg eight years ago when I was learning to ride a bike after all.

Then, we head to my house for lunch and, as my mother returns to her job once Elsa assures her she'll stay with me, I decide I'll rather spend the rest of the evening making out with my girlfriend. At first, she insist we have to make our homework, but when I pout and say I'm not feeling very well, she lays me down on my bed and, at my insistence, joins me as I turn on the T.V. to watch some romantic movie as we cuddle. Sleep is about to take me (probably a side effect of those damn painkillers), but I fight against it as I passionately kiss Elsa, even daring to use tongue and, to my relief, this time she doesn't giggle saying it's weird. I think I'm getting good at it, if the soft moans that escape from her throat are any indication. However, it isn't long before sleep finally takes me and, by the time I wake up, the moon is high in the sky and Elsa is gone. I go to sleep again waiting for the day to arrive, wanting to be in her comforting arms again. Those arms that always make me feel like nothing can harm me.

Today Elsa told me something rather weird; she told me to meet her at schoolyard together with my friends, Rapunzel, Meg and Belle. This by its own wouldn't be strange; after all, we see each other daily during our free periods, but she said it in a very serious tone and, instead of just sending me a message, she came to my classroom just to tell me. I think something's going on. I just hope it isn't anything bad.

Fortunately, the lots of people who have come to sign my cast and make silly drawings on it have kept me distracted, but I can't help feeling unease, especially since I don't have any idea what Elsa wants to speak about. Is it something I said yesterday while sleeping? Is she mad at me? She isn't breaking up with me, is she? I honestly don't know, and I don't think anything is really bad between Elsa and I, but then again, I'm not very good reading people, if what happened with Hans and the others is any indication.

So I'm left worrying and thinking about it in excess until my free period finally comes. I almost run to the school yard and happily wave at my friends, who start asking a lot of questions, first about what happened yesterday (I only tell them I fell), what does it feel like to break an arm and for how long I'll have to wear the cast. I answer all their questions and complement my answers telling them, for example, how difficult it is to write with my left hand, even if the teachers allowed me to bring my laptop. However, it isn't long until Elsa finally shows up.

"Anna." She calls me, making me turn around to smile cheerily at her (talking with my friends helped me forget about my doubts) before practically jumping into her arms and kissing her eagerly. I hear her hum in delight, which makes me smile into the kiss, before she gently pushes me to make some distance between us (not much though).

"Hey Els, how was your day?" I ask.

"Oh, you know, the usual." She shrugs. "Well, except from my little talk with Ariel."

"You talked with Ariel?" Meg says in disbelief. I don't say it out loud, but I too find it hard to believe.

"She didn't bothered you, did she?" I ask, knowing they could've decided to start bulling Elsa again.

"No, no." She assures me. "But she told me something rather interesting." She pauses before sighing and looking me at the eyes. "Why didn't you tell me Hans pushed you yesterday?"

Oh crap. So this is what this was all about.

In that moment I know I'm screwed and that I have to say something to convince them Ariel was lying, but they keep talking not giving me an opportunity to speak.

"What?!" Rapunzel exclaims. "He did? I n-never thought he'd go that far."

"Oh, believe me, Hans is capable of anything when he's mad." Meg intervenes.

"But why did he do it? What does he get from hurting you?" Belle asks.

"It doesn't matter." Elsa says firmly. "We have to make him pay."

"Wait, Elsa." I quickly interrupt her placing my good hand on her shoulder. "Ariel was lying; he didn't push me. She just wants you to lose control. I just fell, really." I lie, but I've never been particularly good at lying, and I want them to believe me so badly, but I'm too nervous. I just hope it isn't noticeable.

"Why do you keep lying to me, Anna?" Elsa asks with a rather sad voice, so sad in fact, that it makes me want to admit the truth, specially seeing those blue eyes looking at me in a very convincing way, but the fear is holding me back. "Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do." I rush to say, before stopping and biting my lip while deviating my gaze to the side, preparing myself to lie again. "But he didn't push me, I'm telling the truth."

"Anna, please. I just want to protect you."

"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid." I insist, even if I really am; ever since I left Hans and his friends I've been really scared; of being an outcast, of getting bullied by my classmates, of not being strong enough to endure it all… but I can't admit it. I am strong, I am brave. I have to be.

"Yes, you are." Elsa contradicts me.

"And you should be." Meg seconds her. "Anna, Hans is dangerous. We both know that."

"But what can we do, what can I do?" I yell turning to face her, barely able to contain my tears of despair and frustration. "He won't leave me alone as long as we're both in the same school and you know it." I pause, trying to calm myself down. "The only solution is to wait until this year is over. Then he'll go to college and we'll never see him again."

"And let him get away unpunished?" Rapunzel asks in disbelief. "I don't think that's a great plan."

"I agree." Belle speaks up. "If he really pushed you, then you should tell the principal. He broke your arm after all!"

"But he didn't…" I'm about to deny it again, when I catch sight of Elsa's stern look and close my mouth again. "Okay." I sigh. "He did push me, but…"

"But what?" Meg says angrily. "There's nothing to argue about this. You're gonna tell the principal."

"No, I'm not!" I yell at her, looking defiantly at the others, to see if one of them will be stupid enough to contradict me. "I'm not telling anyone, and neither are you! You have no idea what that would do to me!" I feel tears streaming down my cheeks, and this time I don't even fight to keep them from falling; I know it's useless. In that moment, Elsa pulls me into a hug, and even if I really hate her right now for putting me in this situation, I know I could really use her comforting arms right now, so I let her hold me. "W-we can't tell her." I plead between sobs. "W-we can't. P-please."

"Shhh." Elsa says softly. "Please calm down. We won't tell anyone if you don't want to, just… please, tell me why."

"I-I…" I swallow. This is getting was too emotional, and too close to the topic of my little secret. "I don't want to be locked up again. I don't want my parents to be concerned about my safety. I-I don't want to be apart from you." The last part I say it with a small voice, and even to me it sounds really vulnerable. I can't help it; I am vulnerable in this moment.

"Anna… what happened that made your parents lock you up for ten years?" Rapunzel asks, curious but also concerned. I shake my head, not wanting to talk about it, but she insists. "Please, you can tell us anything. We are your friends."

"I-I just… it was nothing, really. My parents only got all paranoid." I say in an attempt to avoid the topic. It's not like I don't trust them or anything, but I've been trying to forget what happened for too many years. I tried erasing it of my memories to try and live a normal life, but the truth is that said event changed my entire life and molded me into who I am now. I never forgot it, but I don't want it to return full force either.

"Anna, come on, we're here for you, remember?" Belle says with a soft voice and Meg nods in agreement.

"Please Anna, we want to know." Elsa adds as she pulls me even closer to her. I want to keep saying no, but the truth is… I owe her, no, I owe them an explanation. I'm asking them to keep quite a huge secret after all. Besides, I would have probably ended up telling them sooner or later.

"O-okay." I agree with a shaky voice before taking a deep breath, preparing myself to tell the secret I haven't told anybody. "A-as you know, it happened when I was five. In winter, I loved to play with the snow at a nearby park, and in summer I loved going there with my parents to get some ice cream. I also liked making new friends. But my parents were never there and I felt so alone." My grip on Elsa tightens as I prepare myself to tell the most painful part of the story. "One day I escaped and went to the park, and I met a man who was very friendly with me. He bought me ice-cream and then he led me to my house. This repeated every day for a short period of time…until one day he…" Intense sobs interrupt me and I'm suddenly unable to continue until Elsa rests her chin on the crown of my head and caress softly my back till I'm calm enough to keep going. "O-one day he… He didn't brought me home. He put me into a van and drove away. When we were far enough he tied my arms and he put a gag on me… and when I resisted he hit me." I pause, feeling my sobs lessening considerably as I near the almost happy ending. "Then he called my parents and asked for money. They gave it to him and saved me, but after that they were too fearful to let me get out of the house…" A new wave of sobs shakes me. "I'm afraid something like that will happen again if they knew about Hans."

They all stay quiet for a few seconds, probably wondering how I could have been so stupid, judging me for getting into the same trap again, but this time with Hans, even if I'm a woman now and should know how to take care of myself.

See? That's exactly what my parents will think of me! They'll lock me in my house for my own safety.

"But Anna, abduction is a lot more serious than bullying." Rapunzel points out, breaking the silence and making me open my eyes in shock. So they don't think I'm stupid and should be held prisoner all my life? "I don't think your parents would lock you up this time."

"Yes, and besides, you have all of us to support you." Belle adds.

"If you want, I could go to your house today after school and be by your side as you inform your parents about it." Elsa offers. "I'm sure I could convince them of not locking you up again. And then, tomorrow, we could tell the principal."

What? Seriously? I-I don't understand. How Can they be so sure? How can they all be so supportive?

"Y-you think that would work?" I ask, desperately wanting to believe her.

"Yes, please, don't give up."

"Okay, as long as you're by my side." I agree, relaxing into her arms. The truth is, I'm still afraid, but if my friends could understand it, then surely my parents will too, right?

We're walking towards the bus station as we always do, just this time Elsa's coming to my house to help me tell my parents about Hans. I'm still not quite sure it will work, but I'm trying to smile and be optimistic, after all, if Elsa is at my side, what could happen?

We are about to get into the bus when Elsa opens her backpack to retrieve the money before desperately searching for something and sighing.

"Uh, Anna. I forgot my notebook." She says embarrassed. Honestly that doesn't surprise me, since she insisted on carrying my belongings for me, even if I assured her I could do it quite well with only one arm.

"Oh! That's okay, don't worry. Go, I'll wait for you here." I assure her.

"Alright. I'll be right back." She says before turning around and running like there's no tomorrow towards the school. I shake my head and bent to retrieve my backpack (which Elsa dropped before leaving). I then retrieve my cellphone and start playing flappy bird to kill some time when I hear a rather scary voice as I feel something sharp press against my back.

"Hello Anna."

My stomach turns.

"Hans."