A/N: hello again, it's been awhile!
"JACK!" Elsa screamed, bolting upright fast enough to make her head hurt. Breathing heavily, she closed her eyes and dropped her face into her hands, letting her cool delicate fingers calm her nerves and wipe away the painful memory. Fucking shit… After a few gasps, her pale arms slowly fell limp to her sides as she caught her breath, gradually regaining her bearings. Breathe… It wasn't your fault… It's in the past… Repeating to herself the words her former C.I.A-mandated therapist "prescribed" her before clearing her for more missions, though the remedy was obviously not working. It's been 2 years since the incident and shit like this is still happening. She slowly opened her eyes, almost afraid she'd find herself back in the car staring at her brother's mangled body. Instead, she found herself in the same unthreatening bedroom in Paris, sitting up on the familiar soft queen-sized bed. Everything was the way it should be. Elsa let out a sigh of relief, loosening her clenched fists feeling the soft, damp fabric escape her grip. She looked down, not remembering when she grabbed the sheet in the first place. Slowly the sense of touch came back to her, suddenly becoming aware of the damp sheets surrounding her feet, her thighs and the once loose shirt now tightly clinging against her back. Finally Elsa noticed the thin glistening coat of sweat, cold sweat, on her arms silently evaporating. For a moment she watched the microscopic droplets disappear, taking with them the horrifying memory.
The sound of music interrupted her transfixion. The fuck? It's that song from the car radio…. Slightly confused, Elsa looked around to find the source of the music, eyes landing on her phone. She stared at the phone for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. It took a moment for the blonde to register what was happening, long enough for her to truly appreciate her solitude. If anyone saw her in her current, pathetically embarrassing state… well… they simply wouldn't have lived to tell the tale. That song has been your ringtone this whole time. Fucking idiot…. She shook her head, berating herself for such stupidity before quickly reaching for her phone. Now who the hell is calling me at… – she quickly glanced at the clock – 7am…? I swear to god, Kristoff – Elsa looked down at her phone. … Mrs. Jones? The fuck does she want? She took a deep breath and answered reluctantly.
"What do you want?" The blonde asked coldly, obviously in no mood for pleasantries.
"Good morning to you too, Agent Frost," her supervisor calmly replied, always able to deflect the blonde's icy jabs. "It's about time you answered the phone. Hope I didn't…wake you." Elsa could feel her smirk through the phone.
"No, I was in the shower," she lied. She wasn't about to give that woman the fucking satisfaction. "People don't normally call each other at 2am in Washington D.C. Unless…" the blonde stopped, leaving the open-ended accusation hanging in the air.
"Well…let's just say my night was quite…productive," Mrs. Jones countered cheerfully, though her tone clearly forbidding any further explanation. Elsa's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Anywho," the supervisor continued, "I just need to know your plans for the day, in case I need to send in additional personnel."
Elsa furrowed her brow, slightly confused. "What pla –" Oh shit. Today's the day! A brief moment of panic ensued as Elsa scrambled to find the clock, hoping she didn't oversleep. 7:05am… Okay. Phew, I still have time to get ready. She let out a sigh of relief before she remembered she just checked the clock 5 minutes ago. Ugh, idiot... Elsa suddenly remembered she was still on the phone, "Oh… um… my plans…" Elsa struggled to unscramble her thoughts before quickly regaining her composure. "Ah, yes. I didn't establish a location yet. Thought I'd let Anna decide."
"… I see," Mrs. Jones commented. Elsa clenched her jaw; she didn't enjoy the feeling that she had to explain herself. She certainly was NOT going to justify her actions to this woman. She acts like I haven't done this a dozen times before.
"Kai will update you on the situation. But I definitely won't need help." Elsa stated, trying to terminate this pointless conversation.
"If you say so," her supervisor replied, sounding unconvinced. Elsa hated being underestimated and the woman was dumping gasoline on her quickly growing rage. "Good luck, Agent Frost."
"I don't need luck." Elsa coldly retorted.
Mrs. Jones let out a small laugh. "If you insist. Oh, and Elsa?"
Just leave already. The blonde exhaled sharply, trying not to get annoyed. "Yes?"
"Please remember the mission. That Anna girl is just the approach. Walker Enterprises is the real objective," Mrs. Jones reminded, "We don't need you concerning yourself with her… affairs."
The double meaning hung in the air like a giant flashing neon sign; Elsa couldn't have missed it if she tried. But before the blonde could respond, she heard the line go dead. That fucking bitch. Who the fuck does she think she is?! She tossed her phone across the bed, wincing when she heard it fall off and hit the floor, but she was too furious to bother checking its condition. What the fuck does she think I've been doing this entire time? Of course I know what the mission is, dumbass. Fuck you. Self-righteous know-it-all. Who the hell gave her the idea that I'd -
Just then she heard the apartment open and two sets of heavy footsteps enter. "Good morning sunshine!" A familiar voice called out.
"KRISTOFF!" Elsa sprang out of bed, quickly marching down the hallway to confront the eternal thorn in her side.
The abrupt hostility caught the burly man off guard, "Um… hey… blondie… rough morning…?" As Elsa approached, he looked around trying desperately to avoid the woman's fiery blue eyes, feeling her intense gaze burning a hole into his soul. As big as the man was, he seemed to shrink smaller and smaller with every step the blonde took. Kai quickly jumped out of the woman's way as she stormed towards his colleague. Kristoff could barely form a sentence, "I – I…um," suddenly his back was against the door. He closed his eyes to shield the woman's wrath, but there was no escaping whatever punishment lay before him.
A few seconds passed and the man felt no pain. Hesitantly, he opened one eye and discovered that Elsa had finally stopped her warpath about a foot from him, her pale fists clenched, breathing sharply. Though he was half a foot taller than her, somehow it felt like she was looking down on him. "Um…" he glanced around, still a little confused, not knowing the reason for the woman's sudden aggression.
Elsa cut him off, finally speaking, "I just got off the phone with Mrs. Jones."
"Oh…hah…did you?" Kristoff asked, chuckling nervously. He glanced at Kai, who somehow separated himself from the scene to watch from afar. No help was coming from him now. He gulped as he returned to the furious blonde in front of him. "W – What did she –"
"Why the FUCK…" she cut him off again. Obviously she was not concerned with anything he had to say, "… does she think I have a THING for Anna?!"
"Oh…um…funny story…hah" Kristoff dropped his eyes to the floor and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I might've… accidentally made a few… jokes…to myself… while Kai was…um… on the phone with… her." He braced himself for the pain that would inevitably come.
"UGH…" Elsa let out a frustrated breath. "Fucking idiot…" She abruptly turned away, trying to calm herself. It seemed as though Kristoff had escaped death yet again – it must be his lucky day. After a few seconds passed, though it seemed like an eternity for Kristoff, whose life was practically on the line, Elsa finally unclenched her fists and started walking back to her bedroom.
"Phew," Kristoff straightened himself and let out another nervous chuckle once he was sure he was out of danger. "Thought you were gonna kill me there for a second, blondie…"
Elsa stopped, almost to the hallway. Without turning her head, she replied casually, "I was." Kristoff and Kai looked at each other nervously, silently trying to confirm that they both heard what they think they heard. Elsa continued walking towards her bedroom. "But then I'd have to drag your fat ass to the dumpster." The men jumped as the bedroom door slammed shut. They looked at each other, frozen in place, unsure of what to do with themselves.
"Um…I guess we could just come back later?" Kai hesitantly suggested. With a quick nod, Kristoff silently agreed. Just as he reached for the doorknob, the bedroom door opened. Both men cautiously watched as Elsa walked down the hall, towel draped over her shoulder. Despite the earlier outburst, the woman appeared to be her usual calm and composed self. She paid the men no attention as she gracefully traveled down the hall, turning to open the bathroom door.
"U – Um… Ms. Frost?" Kai called out just before Elsa stepped into the bathroom. Both men were still standing by the door, afraid to approach the blonde. The woman stopped in the doorway, looking over at the man who called her.
Elsa smiled pleasantly, "Yes Kai?" The amiable reply caught him off guard, almost causing him to forget his question.
"Um… oh, yes… uh, what time are you meeting Ms. Walker this morning? Just so I can start prepping surveillance and update Mrs. Jones…" At the mention of her supervisor's name, Kai noticed a brief glint of rage in Elsa's deep blue eyes. As quickly as it appeared, it vanished.
"They're picking me up at 10." Elsa stated. "Anything else?"
"N – No, that is all. Um… we'll be back in an hour or so, for me to setup."
The blonde glanced at Kristoff, who was silently watching this entire exchange. When he unwillingly made eye contact with her, Kristoff froze, not taking a breath. After a few seconds, she relinquished her gaze, granting the man control of his lungs, and looked back at Kai. "Sounds good to me." With that, she stepped into the bathroom, the door quietly shutting behind her.
"A – All right then," Kai commented, "guess we can go now." Kristoff eagerly opened the door and the men left the apartment.
"Anna, dear," Gerda gently cooed, trying to coax the young woman from her sleep. Her efforts were rewarded with a loud snore, signaling her failure. She looked down at the girl sprawled out before her, locks of copper hair chaotic and confused expanding in all directions, thin trail of saliva creeping down her chin onto the pillow beneath her. She shook her head and laughed at the unbecoming sight, "Oh deary, what will Hans ever do with you…. Maybe not Hans…" Gerda grew a mischievous grin as an idea popped in her head. The woman bent down so she could whisper into the snoring girl's ear.
"Wake up hun… Elsa's here," she whispered. "Elsa's here," she repeated, lightly shaking the girl again. Gerda stood up eagerly to watch the scene unfold. A few seconds passed and the servant frowned at the still sleeping girl. She sighed, giving up on the ruse before reaching down to shake the girl more violently. Just as her hand landed on Anna's shoulder, a soft sound escaped the sleeping beauty causing Gerda to freeze. The servant cautiously knelt down beside the bed to decipher any future murmuring. The wait was not in vain, for just a moment later, Anna spoke again.
"Mmm… Elsa..." the sleeping girl cooed. Gerda clasped her hands to her mouth to suppress a squeal of delight, looking around to see if anyone else had heard what she did, though the room was empty. She smiled at the girl, unsure of whether to finally wake her to prevent further embarrassment.
Suddenly Anna's eyes flicked open, wide-awake. She looked at Gerda, who was smiling down at her. "I – I… did I…? W-what just happened?" Anna didn't dare move a muscle, praying that she'd wake up again, hoping reality wasn't this current embarrassing nightmare.
Anna's eyes followed Gerda as the woman slowly stood up, still smirking. "What do you mean, dear?" she asked innocently. Anna glared at the woman, knowing full well "innocent" was the last thing she was. The servant turned, making her way to the door. For all Anna was concerned, the woman was practically skipping a victory lap around the room.
"My dear, you have a couple hours before you and Oaken pick up Elsa," Gerda calmly stated as she reached for the doorknob. She quietly opened it and turned back to face Anna, who was still watching her. "But I'm sure that was already on your mind." Gerda gave a smug smile at the girl now glaring at her with horrified teal eyes. She turned back around, closing the door behind her.
Anna stared at the door for a few seconds, aghast from her shameful awakening. "Uggggggh…" she rolled onto her back, covering her face with a pillow. Why me? Anna lay on her bed, smothering herself with the pillow for a minute or two before remembering Gerda's words. Picking up Elsa…? Oh! Picking up Elsa! Today's the day! Suddenly Anna felt the need to check her phone, hoping the blonde didn't cancel. She scrambled up and reached towards the bedside table, stopping when she realized her phone wasn't there. Wait, what? The redhead got up on her hands and knees, searching the chaos that was her bed.
After thoroughly searching, Anna finally found it hidden under another pillow covered by the sheet. "How the heck did that get there?" she wondered. Suddenly Anna flashed back to the night before, as she lay in bed, the phone cradled between her neck and pillow. She tried calling Hans earlier that day but to no avail. They've only spoken once since he left and that had been a couple days ago. She was hoping for a return call that night… she must've fallen asleep while waiting. A twinge of guilt struck the redhead. I wake up and the first thing I think of is Elsa? Geez, what kind of fiancé am I? She shook her head, disapproving. Any other girl would be worried sick. I just wanted him to acknowledge my call… Am I worried at all? No? Yes? …Maybe? Do I even miss him? Am I just lonely? "Ugh," she exclaimed, frustrated with herself and her blurry feelings – or lack thereof.
The redhead finally checked her phone. 2 missed calls?! No, no, no… Elsa…. Anna cautiously checked the call log. Oh, wait… wow, Hans did call last night… Her guilt for falling asleep rekindled. Quickly she redialed his number to return his calls, frowning when her call went straight to voicemail. Why is his phone off…? A beep sounded and a few seconds later Anna realized she should probably leave a message. That's what a good fiancé would do, right?
– "Um, hi! It's me, Anna. Your fiancé…. Well I guess you would know that already by the caller ID…and you probably know who your fiancé is… but yeah…. Uh, anyways! Hope you're doing okay! I miss you. Sorry about missing your calls yesterday…I think I fell asleep haha… Oh! Gerda asked about you a few days ago at dinner! She's the one you thought never liked you, but she asked about you, so ha! In your face! I told you she loves everyone. Oh oh! I'm um… I'm buying a coat for this girl today! Yeah… it's a long story, I'll tell you when you get back haha. Anyways, give me a call when you get the chance… you know, so I know you're alive and everything haha. Okay, well… bye! …Oh! Haha almost forgot. Love you"
As she hung up, Anna let out a puff of air, lifting a few copper strands up into the air. That was good enough, right? Seemed very wife-like to me. The girl nodded, approving of her message. The locks landed back on Anna's nose, reminding her of her much-needed makeover. She quickly forgot of Hans, standing up and hurrying to the bathroom to assess the "beauty" she gained from a good night's sleep. Anna scowled at her reflection in the mirror – only two more hours until Elsa arrives. Guess I better get to work.
The black Bentley pulled up along the curb, just outside the apartment entrance. "They're here," Kai called out from the living room, seeing the vehicle on one of the numerous security camera monitors. His laptop screen showed a map of the area with a red blinking circle, indicating the location of Anna's phone, which confirmed her location just outside the building.
"Okay, okay, almost done," Elsa scampered into the living room finishing up her braid. She was wearing a sky blue open cardigan, loosely draped over her cerulean blouse and snow-white jeans.
"Women," Kristoff commented, rolling his eyes. The blonde shot him a glare as she picked up her purse.
"Guess someone's found their tongue again," Elsa retorted. She smirked as she remembered the incident earlier that morning and how easily she destroyed his confidence. He did deserve it.
Kristoff noticed her smirk and attempted to save his dignity. "Yeah whatever…you just… caught me off-guard," the offended man replied
The woman ignored his pathetic excuse and walked over to the dining room table where Kai was setup. After a few seconds of typing, a blue dot appeared on his computer screen, right above the blinking red dot.
"Are we ready?" she asked, picking her wallet off the table and slipping it into her pants pocket. Purses weren't really her style. She found them too…inhibiting when it came to fieldwork.
"Ready when you are, Agent Frost," Kai replied, handing Elsa her phone. "I'm tracking both your and Ms. Walker's locations.
Elsa exhaled, calming herself as she dusted off imaginary lint from her clothes. "Alright then," she retrieved her phone from the man, just as the screen lit up, signaling that a text had arrived. Elsa quickly opened the message.
– We're here! :). Oh and this is Anna in case you forgot :p.
The blonde laughed quietly to herself as she pictured how excited the younger girl must be. Elsa hastily covered up her giggles by clearing her throat, avoiding the two pairs of eyes watching her. To escape any further embarrassment in front of her two coworkers, especially Kristoff, Elsa sent a short reply and shoved her phone in her pocket.
– Okay, I'll be down soon.
Anna frowned slightly at her phone as she read Elsa's reply. She was hoping for a little more…I don't know…emotion? Excitement? I hope she wants to do this… Although I didn't really give her a choice…but she would've just made an excuse not to come if she didn't want to right? Unless she's just being polite and going along with it to not upset me... That's possible too...she does seem nice enough not to say no. Very polite. And gentle. And elegant. And –
"Ugh," the redhead muttered, pushing her thoughts away as she slumped lower into the leather backseat of the vehicle until she was practically on her back. Anna was discovering that it was almost impossible to form rationale thoughts when it came to Elsa. And it was quite frustrating. Well let's just hope I don't scare her away today… The thought gave Anna goose bumps. Suddenly she felt nervous, unsure of how she should act when Elsa finally arrived. Should she try to be funny? Because that worked so well in the text…. But Elsa did find me funny when we met…and when we talked on the phone that one time… Unless she was actually just laughing at me… I did kind of embarrass myself both times… Oh god… Okay, um, yeah…for starters, let's not embarrass myself again. That's a good plan. Yup. Okay, now –
"She's coming out now," Oaken stated, snapping Anna from her runaway-train-like thoughts. The redhead immediately rose to peek out the window to confirm her bodyguard's information. Before she could stop herself, Anna already found herself outside the car, walking towards the stunning blonde.
After a few steps Anna abruptly stopped, remembering the woman was approaching her. Um… She looked around, unsure of what to do with herself. Maybe she should just watch the blonde, gazing at her as she walked down the sidewalk – that was Anna's first thought, which was quickly dismissed. That would definitely weird her out. Anna couldn't think of anything else to do, so she ended up whistling and swaying, looking around and pretending not to notice the elegant woman walking towards her. When Elsa was about 5 paces from her, Anna finally decided it wouldn't be weird anymore and watched the blonde saunter towards her. The woman stopped just in front of her, an arm's length away. Anna was still quietly gazing at her, though smiling now.
"Um…hello there," Elsa greeted the speechless girl.
"Oh! Oh, god! Um…hi! Hello! Um…bonjour! Haha…" Anna replied, snapping out of her trance. Oh god, she definitely thinks I'm weird. "Um…" she started again, trying to save herself, "uh…wow, you look great!" Geez, Anna. Yeah, stare at the woman then compliment her on her looks. Great job, Anna. Ugh.
Elsa giggled. "Why thank you," she smiled. Oh gosh her smile…
"Uh…um… you are very welcome!" Anna was slowly regaining her confidence. For some reason it always took her a minute to calm her nerves when talking to the woman. The redhead quickly changed the subject, afraid of how far she might end up rambling on the woman's looks. "So…um…" Anna winced a little in anticipation. "It's not too late to… back out… haha," she muttered, half-jokingly.
Another beautiful laugh escaped the blonde. Followed by another stunning smile. "Oh Anna…" Geez, my name sounds amazing… "I'm not letting you off that easily," Elsa teased, earning a playful glare from the redhead. "And besides," the blonde continued, "I've been looking forward to this for the past week. Don't you want me to spend time with you?" Elsa's gentle eyes gazed into Anna's. She meant the question as another joke, but instead it came out sounding slightly serious to the younger girl.
Anna looked back at Elsa's gorgeous ice-blue eyes, all her previous doubts extinguished. Before she knew what she was doing, Anna wordlessly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the blonde. Ugh…how could I have doubted her for a second? Geez Anna… She hugged the blonde tighter, resting her head on the woman's shoulder. How is she so amazing? Anna let out a sigh of relief. She took a deep breath, fighting the urge to cry. All her life, Anna felt alone. Her father, Gerda, and Oaken were amazing, compassionate, and caring people and she loved them all completely… even Hans could make her forget the loneliness sometimes, but the feeling was always there in the back of her mind. But with Elsa…. It's completely different… Anna exhaled, smiling into the woman's golden braid.
That aroma… Yes… peppermint.
"O – Oh…okay," Elsa commented as the girl unexpectedly ran into her arms. "U – um…wow." She's…hugging me? Elsa let out a tiny laugh in disbelief. Well that's…interesting…. The blonde smiled, deciding to go along with the pleasant turn of events, as she lifted her arms to return Anna's embrace. Elsa could feel the girl's head resting on her shoulder and closed her eyes contently, lowering her chin to nuzzle Anna's copper hair with her cheek. "I'll take that as a 'yes'," she whispered, not caring that Anna probably wasn't listening at all anymore. Elsa heard the younger girl exhale, feeling the warm air graze her semi-exposed neck. The sensation sent a chill down her spine causing her to shudder lightly before quickly regaining control of her body.
Elsa's eyes instinctively flicked open; she could feel someone watching her – watching them. The blonde scanned the background, honing in on the large man in the driver's seat of Anna's car. His black sunglasses hid his eyes, but by the way he was grinning, Elsa had a terrible feeling he witnessed the entire scene. Shit…that's right, she has a bodyguard. How the hell did I forget about him?
She reluctantly let go of the redhead, who still hung onto her with no sign of letting go anytime soon. Elsa cleared her throat loudly, causing Anna to jump back.
"U – Uh…wow," the redhead stuttered as her cheeks slowly reddened, "…okay…um…wow…sorry about that... I totally did NOT plan on doing that to you… I – I don't know what came over me. I mean, ugh…first I fall into your lap and now I totally hug you out of nowhere… I'm not normally this weird…well…if you find this to be weird or anything…not saying you do…or you should…but…um…anyways… Yeah…. Sorry…" Wincing, the redhead looked up at the blonde, hoping her apology was enough and that she didn't totally ruin yet another encounter with the woman before her.
Elsa laughed as she watched the younger girl fiddle with her hands nervously. "No…no…it's perfectly fine." She smiled reassuringly, trying to ease the girl's nerves. Elsa decided it was probably best to change the subject, saving the younger girl from further embarrassment, "So! Where are we headed today?"
"Oh yeah!" the redhead exclaimed, instantly abandoning her recent humiliation. "We are going to Le Triangle d'Or," exaggerating the French name with grandeur. She looked up at Elsa, eagerly awaiting the blonde's approval.
"Oooo…how fancy," Elsa teased, emphasizing the last word with a smirk. That area was known for its many high-end luxury clothing stores, all holding the latest and greatest names in fashion.
Anna scoffed at the joke before deciding to play along. She stepped back and curtsied, "Only the best for my queen." The girls laughed together as they walked towards the car.
"My queen"… Elsa blushed slightly. Anna jumped ahead to open the car door for the woman behind her. "After you, Your Majesty," Anna offered, keeping up the ruse.
Elsa smiled and rolled her eyes, stopping before the open door, "Oh Anna…." The smile evolved into a mischievous grin as Elsa decided to ignore the girl's offering and instead walked around the backside of the vehicle to the opposite door. Anna gapped in disbelief and feigned offense as she watched the blonde. Elsa stopped at the door to stick her tongue at the redhead who glared back at her from across the vehicle. As the older woman laughed, Anna rolled her eyes and got into the car.
Elsa giggled as she watched the girl get into the car before opening her own door. Suddenly she felt her phone vibrate. Confused, she took it out of her pocket and opened the text message from Kristoff, wondering what he could possibly want so soon after she'd left him and Kai back in her apartment.
– So cute you two :P
Goddammit. That fucking asshole… Elsa clenched her teeth as she aggressively shoved her phone back in her pocket. She quickly looked back at the building, searching for how the nosy idiot could have possibly seen her and Anna. Her apartment window didn't provide a view of the front entrance…she didn't see his big dumb head looking out any other windows…he wasn't at the front door… How the hell did he –
Her eyes spotted the small camera just above the door almost perfectly camouflaged with the building's architecture. Instantly she remembered the numerous monitors setup in her apartment. Dammit Kai… Elsa double-checked that Anna was inside the car before staring back at the camera. With a hellish glare, she raised her fist above the roof of the car before raising her middle finger and slowly mouthing "fuck you, Kristoff" to the camera. With a frustrated breath, Elsa recomposed herself and quickly entered the car, turning to close the door behind her.
Elsa turned back to greet Anna, whose brow was furrowed with worry and confusion. "Everything okay?" the redhead inquired, wondering why it took the blonde so long to get in the car.
Elsa gave a nod and reassuring smile, "It is now."
A/N: Phew! Longest one yet! (twss ;p)