A/N: Yes, yes, I'm still here. Just life, y'know? :)

A small whisper whisked by. The hair on the back of the agent's neck shot up recognizing the faint sound as the loud bang of the gunshot closely followed. Anna. Elsa instinctively sprang into action. Before the girl's foot landed on the paved road, the agent lunged forward to catch her, immediately pivoting her back foot to redirect the redhead's momentum, throwing her behind the safety of the car. The abrupt shift threw the clumsy girl off balance and she stumbled, scraping her knee on the pavement as she landed hard against the sturdy body of the vehicle. Sorry, Anna. Elsa followed the path of the girl, jumping behind the car for cover, slamming her back against the car. The woman that chased after Anna fell to the ground motionless, a few steps from the front door - a few too many steps out of reach. Elsa glanced up to the door, Oaken's large shadow barely visible as the bodyguard took cover on the other side of the doorway. Oaken leaned his head out to search for the shooter, immediately ducking back as a second shot flew over the car, slamming into the wall inches from where he once was.

The agent's senses were running in overdrive - from the angle of the impact, the shooter must be slightly off to the right of the gates somewhere. Elsa turned back towards the threat. Now where the fuck is this bitch-

"GERDA!" Elsa snapped back, reaching out just in time to catch the wrist of the hysterical girl attempting to run out to the fallen body, pulling her back into cover as a third bullet shot past just overhead. "GERDA NOOO" The girl tried to pull away but Elsa tightened her grip, holding the distraught girl in place. Elsa quickly grabbed Anna's face, capturing her attention.

"ANNA," the girl struggled to break away, another shot slammed into the side of the car, "ANNA LOOK AT ME." The redhead locked eyes with her, determination and fury burned brightly behind the glimmering tears. "Anna. Please. It's not safe, stay behind here." The girl fiercely looked back in silence, not acknowledging the blonde's words.

Elsa waited a couple seconds for Anna's aggressive breathing to calm down before releasing the girl from her grasp. Anna immediately lunged forward to run back to Gerda again - Elsa quickly caught the fleeing girl and pulled her back down as another bullet flew by.

There's no reasoning with her right now. Need to get the fuck out of here.

Elsa opened the back door of the car and tossed Anna in, quickly flipping up the switch on the door to engage the child locks and slamming the door behind her before the girl could fight back. The agent let out a sigh of relief, finally capturing the stubborn girl. She looked back up at the doorway, meeting Oaken's watchful eyes angled behind the doorway. The bodyguard gave her a silent nod, understanding what needed to be done. Elsa took a deep breath.

The slight delay between the bullet impact and sound meant the shooter was at least a couple hundred yards away, probably just outside the property limits, no doubt situated on top of the closest hill right outside the gates for increased visibility. Even if she managed to get the rifle out from the trunk of the car without getting shot, the child locked doors could only contain the unruly redhead for a few more seconds - definitely not long enough to find and eliminate the threat. And the safety of the mansion was several steps too far and much too exposed to fall back on. A bullet slammed into the front side of the car. Even if she shielded Anna with her body, the force from a round of this caliber would easily rip through them both. Plus there was still the potential threat of another attacker lurking elsewhere.

The only option was a hasty retreat, which meant driving directly towards the shooter beyond the gate. Another bullet grazed the hood of the car.

Fuck they're trying to destroy the engine.

Elsa jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine, slamming on the gas as she threw the car into drive. The tires screeched as they exited the roundabout and accelerated towards the gate.

"LET ME OUT-" The agent reached back and shoved the girl's head down behind the passenger seat as the front passenger window shattered. Leaning over to shield herself behind the front dashboard, Elsa quickly glanced back through the side mirror. With the shooter now aimed at them Oaken took the chance to run out to drag the fallen body to safety. Another shot and the side mirror was gone. They sped towards the closed gate, Elsa preparing for impact but as she peaked over the dashboard, it suddenly began to open. Thanks Oaken... A thud echoed in the car as a third shot buried itself into the hood of the vehicle. The Tesla lurched to the side as Elsa quickly turned, drifting out the gate and launching into the street to speed back towards the city, away from their attacker.

Taking a quick look out the window, Elsa caught the familiar silhouette of the large muscular man disappearing over the crest of the nearby hill. Of fucking course.

A stray hand smacked the side of the agent's face causing the car to swerve. Elsa's attention immediately returned to the struggling bundle of fury in the backseat. She slowly released her grip on the younger girl, who quickly shot up once she realized she was free.

"TURN BACK!" Anna lurched forward attempting to grab the steering wheel.

Elsa grabbed Anna's upper arm and pushed, easily redirecting her body's momentum into the center of the dashboard, cracking the screen of the computer display.

"Anna," Elsa fended off a second attempt, tightening her grip on the girl's upper arm, "Anna listen to me!" Another futile lunge for the wheel, this time the redhead lost her balance and fell over into the front passenger seat.

"ANNA, I WILL TIE YOU UP AND THROW YOU IN THE TRUNK."

A few moments of silence, only the faint purr of the Tesla's engine and the aggravated breaths from Anna filled the car. The redhead slowly resituated herself in the passenger's seat, a million different thoughts racing through her mind as she tried to process the last few minutes. Poor girl…

After a couple minutes, Elsa could sense the girl's breathing begin to calm down. "I'm sorry, Anna. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

Silence. Elsa quickly glanced over at the redhead, her eyes were trained on the floor mat. A few tears softly rolled down Anna's cheek.

"Gerda…" the girl muttered helplessly to herself.

A small lump began to form in the agent's throat. I'm so sorry Anna…

The beaten down Tesla pulled off to the side of the road in a small, unassuming neighborhood. Elsa let out a sigh as she switched the car to park and turned off the engine. The two girls spent the last few minutes in heartbreaking silence as Elsa drove back towards the city. Now with Paris just a few miles away, they really should switch to a less conspicuous vehicle - the less attention on them, the better. The agent didn't know if any local law enforcement could be trusted. Elsa looked over to the girl beside her, still silently crying to herself. Anna had proven quite unpredictable back at the Walker estate - understandably so given the circumstances. Nevertheless, the agent couldn't risk Anna running away again or causing a disturbance.

Elsa took a deep breath, "Anna…"

A sniffle escaped the girl, but no acknowledgement of hearing the blonde.

Elsa gently reached over to take a hold of the girl's hand. The physical contact caused the girl to shudder, but finally Anna looked up at her.

"Anna, I need to get us another car. I'll just be a minute, please stay in here, okay?"

The redhead looked back down at her hands, nodding absentmindedly. "Anna, hey," Elsa squeezed the girl's hand, she had to be absolutely sure the girl understood. Anna looked up at her again.

"Anna, please, I need you to stay here. I need you to stay safe." This time Anna's puffy eyes didn't glance away.

"O-okay," Anna managed, finding strength in the blonde's comfort. Elsa gave a sympathetic smile at the response and squeezed her hand again.

Elsa took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. Anna, please don't make me regret this.

The agent took a brief look around, not a soul in sight. Perfect. She made her way over to the closest car, a silver Toyota Corolla, just a few paces behind them. Elsa glanced back over to the Tesla, Anna was still seated in the car. She let out a sigh and with a swift elbow shattered the side window. Elsa quickly reached in to unlock the car door and climb into the driver seat. Feeling around under the steering wheel, the agent finally located the edge of the panel, dislodging it with a firm pull to expose the ignition wires beneath it. Elsa took another look back in Anna's direction, the girl seemed to finally be cooperating. Thank you, Anna. I know things are hard right now….

It took a few seconds of fidgeting with the wires, but Elsa managed to strip off the plastic coating with her nail. After a couple sparks from touching the two exposed wires, the engine roared to life. Elsa took another look around, still no one around to witness her crime. Perfect. The blonde quickly made her way back to the Tesla.

"THMMP."

The thud from the closing car door caused the redhead to jump. Anna sniffled as she let out a shaky breath trying to stay calm.

It's okay, it's just Elsa. Anna watched as the blonde made her way over to the silver car behind them. Another sniffle.

"I need you to stay here," Elsa's last words comforted her shuddering body. Elsa wants me to be safe. Even when bullets - Anna's eyes widened, the image of Gerda's body laying on the ground flooded back into her mind.

"Gerda…."

The sound of shattering glass snapped the girl back to the present. Anna sniffled and blinked away the tears, looking back in the direction of the sound. The girl sighed. It's just Elsa. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she continued to watch the blonde. Elsa? What're you… Anna's eyes widened as she realized the scene unfolding before her.

Elsa was breaking into a car.

"Anna, I need to get us another car," Elsa's earlier words were suddenly sinking in. She meant she was going to STEAL a car? Wait what? Anna blinked in confusion. The Elsa she knew would never do such a thing. Elsa was sweet and kind and gentle and caring….

W-Why would she - Anna played back the events that brought them here, slowly realizing everything she had missed in the initial chaos. Elsa threw her against a car. Anna winced, suddenly remembering the scrap on her knee. Elsa tossed her in the car and trapped her there. Elsa forced her to stay down as she drove away from Oaken, away from her father, away from the safest place she had known her entire life. Elsa did say it was to keep her safe, they were being shot at after all, but still…. Anna froze at the revelation.

What if… the person wasn't shooting at me? What if they meant to shoot Gerda and Oaken all along so Elsa could kidnap me…? Oh god, what if-

Elsa's earlier words rushed back to the girl. "ANNA, I WILL TIE YOU UP AND THROW YOU IN THE TRUNK."

Elsa threatened her. She-

The car's engine behind her roared to life, snapping Anna out of her thoughts. Who the heck is this woman? Anna reached in her pocket. I need to call the pol- her pocket was empty. She checked her other pocket. Empty. Did she drop her phone on the floor somewhere? Anna searched around her seat. Nothing. Back seat? Nothing. Anna froze.

Oh god. My phone's still on the couch.

The trunk of the Tesla suddenly opened. She could hear something bulky and heavy being dragged out of the trunk. Anna's breath hitched as the trunk slammed shut. Silently she watched Elsa through the rearview mirror - the blonde carried a large black box over to the other car and threw it in the trunk.

Anna's heartbeat quickened. She was in the middle of nowhere… with a complete stranger… and no way to call for help. And why would she need the box? Anna's mind began to race again. Oh god…. Was it another body? No, a body couldn't fit in the box… unless… it was a chopped up body…. Her stomach squirmed at the thought. Was it just her toolbox for torture? Knives, needles, scalpels, oh god… a saw? The same saw she used to cut the body? Maybe the box was empty and waiting for HER body. Oh god, oh god, oh god….

Anna frantically looked around, searching for anything she could use to protect her from her kidnapper. Nothing in the back seat, nothing on the sides of the door, nothing in the glove compart-

Anna gulped. The shining hilt of a pistol greeted her in the open glove compartment. She's certainly seen a gun before, her father has a hunting rifle and Oaken would always carry a pistol holstered to his belt whenever they left the estate. But she never shot one before let alone held one in her hand. Time to learn. Anna quickly grabbed the gun, hiding it behind her back and closed the drawer. Before she could take a look around, she heard a knock on her window.

She's back.

Anna slowly looked up out the window. Familiar deep blue eyes greeted her. But before where there was a comforting strength, now only a cold unknown ocean lay beneath their gaze. The blonde's feigned smile no longer fooled her.

"Anna," the woman said softly, attempting to woo her into a false sense of security, "the car's ready, let's get going."

She let out a deep breath, readying herself. Her hand gripped the cold, unforgiving steel hidden behind her as she opened the door with the other. Anna ignored the woman's outstretched hand as she stepped out of the vehicle. Don't touch me. There was no telling what unspeakable horrors those hands had committed. The blonde's smile faltered slightly at the act. That's right, I'm not falling for your games anymore. Anna's breath hitched as she stood up, the dull burn in her knee sent a sharp pain up her body as she put weight on her injured leg.

The other woman looked down at her knee in concern, the black jeans ripped just below the knee exposing the damp red patch of flesh. "Oh Anna, here let me help y-"

She's distracted, now's your chance!

Anna's hidden hand sprang forward, revealing the weapon pointed straight at the blonde, her eyes widening in surprise, her frown morphing into… a smirk?

The defenseless woman slowly raised her hands into the air. "Fucking Kristoff…" Christ? Christoff? Nevermind, focus Anna! "Anna, what're you-"

"Don't come any closer! I-I'll… I'll shoot!" The redhead nodded in self-assurance, her confidence growing with each passing second.

The blonde let out a nervous laugh, "Anna…" she started, looking around for any witnesses, "I'm just trying to help you…". Oh yeah, witnesses! Maybe someone will notice and call for help. Anna quickly glanced around as well, no one in sight-

The woman lunged forward, immediately closing the distance between them. A sharp pain shot up from her twisted wrist, earning a soft yelp from the redhead. Anna closed her eyes and squeezed the trigger hoping to fend off her attacker. Her eyes shot open - her hand was empty.

Damn it Anna, you messed this up too. It's over. You're done for. Anna braced for the bullet that would inevitably end her life as punishment for her actions. But nothing came.

A half-hearted laugh brought her back to reality. "Goddamn you sure don't listen, do you?" Anna blinked, regaining her senses. The woman sighed as she tucked the pistol into her waistband behind her back before reaching out to take hold of the younger girl's shoulders. Anna flinched at the act, but quickly relaxed. It was hopeless, no use fighting back now.

Her shoulders received a strong shake, jolting her to look up at the woman in front of her. "Anna, I'm trying to HELP you. Now please get in the car?" Anna slowly complied, walking over and stepping into the passenger seat, resigned to whatever fate the armed woman had in store for her.

The redhead slowly walked over to the silver Toyota, her head hanging low in defeat. Elsa shook her head, letting out another laugh as she watched the girl. Should've known better. She's a feisty one alright. The agent let out a sigh, finally making her way over to the driver's seat. Mental note: Kick Kristoff's ass for leaving a gun in the glove compartment.

Elsa stepped into the car and looked over. Anna's shoulder was pressed up against the passenger door, putting as much distance between them as possible. You still don't trust me. The agent sighed, pulling out her phone. It's been much too long since she last contacted Kai. She placed the phone to her ear awaiting an answer from the other end.

"Agent Frost?"

"Hey, it's me. There was a shooter at the estate but we got away. I have the girl with me now-"

"I have a name…" the redhead quietly muttered to herself. Elsa smirked at the retort. Definitely a feisty one.

"...I have Anna with me now. We're heading back. Silver Toyota Corolla, license plate Alpha-Bravo-2-2-Niner-Charlie-Hotel. About 10 minutes out."

"Roger, license plate Alpha-Bravo-2-2-Niner-Charlie-Hotel. Stay safe, see you soon."

Elsa hung up and put her phone away, looking back over at the younger girl. Anna was visibly uncomfortable, but resigned to fidgeting with her fingers, her will to fight extinguished by the earlier altercation. The agent sighed, her heart ached for the broken girl, her entire world shattered in under an hour. Oh Anna….

Elsa reached behind her, "Here," she pulled the pistol out, offering it to the girl. Anna looked at the deadly olive branch, confused. "Anna, if it helps you feel safe, take it. Just don't hurt yourself, okay?" The girl hesitantly reached out and accepted the offering, wary of any trick or backlash that may come once the weapon is in her possession. Anna carefully placed the gun on her lap, visibly relaxing into her seat when Elsa simply turned back to the road, shifting the car into drive. Maybe the woman still was the Elsa she knew….

A few minutes passed in silence before Anna built up the courage to speak. "Wh-Who are you and w-what are you going to do to me?" The girl was obviously still wary of the stranger driving her.

Welp, no point lying now, my cover is completely blown. After everything she's been through, this girl deserves some sort of an explanation.

Elsa sighed, "I'm special agent Elsa Frost with the CIA," Anna frowned in confusion, "and nothing is going to happen to you if I have anything to say about it, okay?"

The girl understandably took a few seconds to process the answer, fidgeting with the pistol in her lap. "CIA? W-what does the CIA want with me?"

Elsa gave a reassuring glance over to the wary girl. "Anna, I was sent here to protect you. With everything going on with your father's company and H-" Elsa stopped herself. And Hans…. Definitely not the best time to remind the fragile girl of her dead fiance. Anna sniffled, the sound piercing Elsa's heart like a needle. Too late.

"D-Did… Did you k-kill h-him?" The girl's voice cracked as she struggled to ask the question with the lump growing in her throat, afraid of what truths she may uncover. Oh Anna….

"We didn't, Anna." Another sniffle from the girl. "We just learned about the accident today too, I was actually on my way over when you called…." A silent sob escaped as a tear fell onto the cold pistol in the redhead's lap. "I'm so sorry, Anna…" Elsa continued, wincing as she watched the broken girl beside her.

"We'll get to the bottom of it, I promise." What the fuck are you doing? Never make promises - that was one of the first things taught when handling a target in the field. It just causes unnecessary complications further down the line.

A silent nod was all Anna could manage, quietly crying the rest of the drive. The quiet sobs pained Elsa's heart but at least the girl's earlier mistrust seemed to have melted away….

"Please remember the mission…" Elsa remembered her handler's warnings from that morning. "Walker Enterprises is the real objective. We don't need you concerning yourself with her affairs." The agent tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she clenched her teeth.

Elsa shook her head, removing the reservations in her mind. Fuck you. We will.

The door quietly opened, Kai looked up from his computer. "Welcome back Agent Frost."

"Thanks Kai," the blonde softly replied, gently leading the hesitant girl into the room before closing the door.

Kristoff poked his head up from the couch and Elsa immediately shot him an icy glare. Not fucking now. Kai filled the man in on the latest development after he got off the phone with Elsa, so Kristoff already knew well not to get on the woman's bad side right now. The man ignored the dirty look and let out a sigh of relief, at least the two were finally safe, he felt helpless just waiting around for them to return.

"Here Anna," the agent coaxed, silently leading the puffy-eyed girl by the hand to the bedroom to give the poor girl some much needed privacy to grieve and process everything. She sat Anna on the bed, gently taking the pistol from her other hand and placing it on the bedside table. The younger girl instinctively wrapped her arms around herself for protection and comfort.

Elsa knelt down to meet the sniffling girl's gaze, "Anna, I'll be right back okay? You're safe here." The girl nodded with another sniffle, returning her gaze to the ground. Elsa gave the girl's arm a comforting squeeze and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

The agent went into the bathroom, searching the sink cabinet - nothing. She stepped into the living room where the two men were quietly situated, making her way over to the kitchen cabinets.

"Top drawer to the right of the sink," Elsa looked over to the couch where Kristoff was silently watching her. "The medical supplies, top drawer to the right of the sink," the man repeated. He noticed the girl's injury the moment she stepped into the room, the ripped hole in her jeans and deep red of the half-dried blood made things quite noticeable.

Elsa made her way over to the drawer in question, finding a slew of bandages, disinfectant wipes, gauze, even equipment from military combat medical kits - tourniquets for cutting off circulation to injured limbs, heavy duty scissors to cut thick clothing, NPA tubes for unblocking breathing airways, and needles to quickly treat collapsed lungs. "Th-thanks… Kristoff…" the blonde reluctantly conceded. The idiot was actually useful, guess I won't kick his ass just this once. She gathered some supplies and returned to the bedroom.

The door opened, Anna quickly looked over, immediately relaxing as Elsa quietly stepped back into the bedroom and closed the door. The agent calmly knelt back in front of the girl, placing the medical supplies on the floor next to her. "I'm sorry Anna," Elsa commented as she picked up the clothing scissors, unsure if she was apologizing for causing the injury or for what she was about to do to the injured girl's jeans.

Elsa carefully weaved the blade of the scissors into the hole, taking extra care not to touch the injured flesh, first cutting up from the outer side of the girl's leg another inch or two, exposing the entirety of the girl's knee. Slowly and gently, the blonde cut the denim around the girl's leg, gently lifting the limb to reach the fabric behind, then softly turning her thigh outward to complete the scissors' cooling journey along the girl's inner thigh. Anna silently watched the blonde at work. Once the cut was complete, Elsa gently led the detached fabric over her injured knee, down her smooth exposed skin, and carefully laid the bunched up denim at her ankle.

Elsa leaned back to inspect the entirety of the wound, "Good, it's not so bad," she commented. The large padding of deep red, coupled with the streaks of blood down her shin made the injury seem worse than it really was, but the cut itself wasn't too large or too deep, only left untreated long enough for the padding of blood to grow. Elsa softly placed a hand on Anna's calf as she reached over for the disinfecting wipes. "This may sting a little, okay?" Elsa gently rubbed the girl's smooth skin with her thumb in comfort. Anna quietly nodded in acknowledgement.

Anna's breath hitched as the blonde gently dabbed at the wound, her thumb still silently caressing the back of her leg, effortlessly soothing the tiny bursts of pain from the cleansing alcohol wipes. Within a minute or two, the wound was cleaned up and the blonde gently grazed the length of her shin with the damp cloth, cleaning up the last of the rogue blood trails. Another caress from the woman's thumb signaled the end of the current step. Anna almost protested as she felt Elsa's touch leave her skin as the woman reached over for the gauze and bandages.

The soothing touch returned as Elsa dressed the wound with gauze before delicately wrapping the bandage. The blonde gently held her calf as she worked, leading the fabric lightly around the curves of her knee, upper calf, and inner thigh. Once, twice, maybe four or five times - Anna lost count, but sadly the woman reached the end of the bandage, fastening it securely in place with two metal clasps. The woman examined her handiwork, slowly straightening out the girl's leg and bending it slightly once more. The bandage stayed securely in place. Elsa gave the dressing a nod of approval.

"Alright, Anna, that takes care of that," Elsa finally looked up into Anna's eyes "Sorry again, I didn't mean to hurt you," she apologized with a comforting smile and a final gentle caress over the inside edge of the wrapping.

"I-uh…it's um… okay. You know how clumsy I am… hah" the redhead replied half joking, somehow now feeling nervous for no apparent reason.

Elsa sighed before getting up and sitting next to Anna on the bed, rubbing the girl's back with her hand. "Yeah… but this time it wasn't your fault." It's never your fault.

The two sat in comfortable silence, isolated from the outside world. The hints of daylight creeping through the closed window shades slowly dimmed as the sun set on the city. Anna's breath had mostly steadied, aside from a few shudders and sniffles every now and again.

Anna was the first to break the silence, "T-Thank you…." Elsa's heart ached at the two words. After everything this girl had been through, her entire world crumbling before her eyes, yet she was still selfless enough to thank someone like her.

Elsa rubbed the girl's back again, feeling a lump growing in her throat, "Of course, Anna." Stop this and figure out a plan, dumbass. Her inner voice berated herself. The agent let out a sigh and cleared her throat, accepting it's time she reenter the shitty world they briefly escaped from.

"Anna, I should get back out there," the girl's sad eyes were almost more than Elsa could bear. Dammit, Elsa, do your fucking job. Thankfully Anna reluctantly nodded in acceptance. Elsa didn't know what she would've done had the girl asked her to stay. Plan. Now.

"You can sleep in here for tonight, okay? I'll let you know what our plans are in the morning."

Anna nodded, then slowly looked up in confusion, "Wait… w-where are you going to sleep?"

Elsa blinked, a bit surprised at the random question, but realizing she did in fact just give Anna her bed. There were definitely more empty rooms available in the apartment building, but no way in hell was she leaving Anna completely defenseless and alone after some asshole just tried to kill her. "I, um… I'll just sleep on the couch or something, don't worry I'll figure it out."

"You could still sleep in here too if you want…" Anna suggested softly, the last thing she wanted to be was an inconvenience.

Elsa smiled softly, in awe of the selflessness of the girl beside her. After a few moments, she nodded to herself, "Okay, Anna… I'll come back once we're done figuring out a plan. Are you sure you'll be okay for now?"

Anna took a deep breath, gathering the strength to be alone with her thoughts for the next few hours, finally nodding, "I'll manage, Els." The sound of the nickname pierced the agent's heart as she remembered the only other person to ever call her that - her brother. But the love and compassion behind the redhead's words quickly mended the initial wound. If anyone was worthy of calling her that name, it was Anna.

Elsa let out a sigh and smiled, "Okay then," standing up. Before she could stop herself, the agent bent down to give the girl a comforting kiss on the forehead, softly caressing her cheek one last time - feeling an appreciative squeeze of her hand from the girl, "Time to get back to it," before finally walking out the room. About fucking time, Elsa.