What the future holds

Kristoff watched Elsa leave the cottage, and for a moment thought about following his sister. He had travelled all the way to the North mountain to make sure she was okay, only to find out she had tricked him. However, he knew there wasn't much to explain about her decision. It was obvious Elsa would want for them to fix things as soon as possible. After all, Elsa was now, more than ever, part of Anna's life too.

"I didn't know you were coming," said Anna calling Kristoff's attention. She needed him to know she hadn't taken part in Elsa's plan. She wanted things to go back to the way they were, not make matters worse.

"Don't worry," he said reassuringly. "This is the kind of thing Elsa does."

"She's done this before?"

"Not like this, exactly." He entered the kitchen and sat down in the chair in front of Anna. "But she had tricked my parents to think one of them was doing nice things for the other a few times."

"Really? I never thought of her as a trickster." She came to the realisation there was still a lot she didn't know about Elsa. And the idea was both exciting and disappointing. She still had a lot to learn about her new-found sister.

"Elsa can deceive people easily. She's a stinker." A stinker who will hear me out this time. He made the mental note to talk to Elsa later that day. Nonetheless, giving Elsa a piece of his mind could wait. For the time being, he had to be thankful she had given him the perfect opportunity to apologise to Anna. He knew it was best if he took the chance and finally talked with her about their argument. "Anna, since Elsa did this-"

"We don't need to talk about anything if you don't want to, Kristoff." She desperately wanted to be on good terms with him again, but she had promised to give him time.

"We do need to talk," he said looking at her straight in the eye. "I was an idiot and I want to apologise for it." He extended his arm over the table to hold her hand in his. "I shouldn't have asked you to leave."

She caressed his knuckles with her thumb. How she had missed him. She raised her eyes from their hands and locked eyes with him. "You were hurting. I understand."

"Thank you, Anna. All I want is for us to go back to the way we were before, and to finally talk things through."

"I want that too. And, if you are willing, I think it's time we come to an agreement about this." She gestured to everything around them with her free hand. It felt wrong to mention Elsa's name, as if her life was theirs to discuss. But sadly, the way things had turned forced them to come to some consensus regarding their sister.

To Anna's relief, Kristoff nodded in understanding. She looked down, wondering if it was a good time to ask Kristoff what had been in her mind for the past weeks. "Tell me, Kristoff. Are you willing to accept Elsa is - in some strange way - part of my family too?" She felt his grip tightened on her hand, and she knew she needed to clarify what she meant before he misinterpreted her words. "Elsa's your family. She'll always be. I just want to know you'll be okay if I ever try to persuade Elsa to give my parents a chance."

"Anna…"

"I need to know you won't get mad at me if I do, Kristoff." She sounded more demanding than she intended, but she felt it was important to make things clear from the start.

"You know I don't feel comfortable with that idea."

"I won't force Elsa to do anything she doesn't want to do, you know that."

"I know that. It's just… I still don't trust your parents, Anna," he confessed. There was no point in having that conversation if he wasn't honest with her.

Anna's face fell; but soon tried to stay positive. After all, she had promised herself to be as understanding with Kristoff as possible. "Even though I would love for you to try and give them a chance. All I need to know is if you trust me."

"You know I do. I love you and I trust you."

"Then, can you promise me you'll trust me with this too?" She held his hand in both of hers. She wasn't sure she was going to be able to forgive Kristoff if he didn't accept her as part of Elsa's life too. "Please, I need you to see things from my point of view too."

"You have my word I won't get mad," he said after an uncomfortable silence. "I know I've been really selfish about this situation, and I want to change that. Just, please, tell me what you are about to do beforehand. Sometimes I need time to process things."

"I will," said Anna with a smile. "No more life-changing decision on the spot. That's my promise."

"Can you really promise that?" laughed Kristoff, trying to lift the mood.

Anna couldn't help but laughed too. "I'm not sure, but I'll try."

He pulled her hand towards him, and kissed her knuckles. "I've missed you."

She blushed at the gesture. It wasn't every day that Kristoff displayed his love in such tender way. "I've missed you too. I've felt kind of lonely without you."

"How are things with your family?"

The smile that had been plastered in her face disappeared; her worry about her parents returning. "I know you don't feel much sympathy for my parents right now, but they are a living mess. It's so strange to see my mother so… miserable."

"I'm sorry," It was hard for him to imagine Idunn like that. The woman had always been optimistic and energetic like Anna. He felt a pang of guilt for leaving Anna on her own those few weeks. "I wish I could have found the guts to reach you sooner."

Anna saw the guilt written on his face and soon tried to erase it. It was not Kristoff's fault her parents had taken terrible decisions when they were young, after all. "Technically speaking, you didn't find the guts on your own," she teased.

He opened his eyes in surprise at that. Leave it to Anna to find a way to make fun of him in any situation. "Fair enough," he said, accepting the responsibility. "I wish my older sister would have forced me to do the right thing sooner. Is that better?"

"Perfect!"

The way Anna laughed at him warmed Kristoff's heart. It was so nice to see her smile again. He stood up and walked behind her, giving her hug and resting his head on top of hers.

Anna hugged his arms, enjoying the back hug he initiated. "To think we were arguing about the best way to help Elsa, and at the end of the day she's the one looking after us."

"She's our older sister, isn't she?"

Anna tilted her head trying to lock eyes with her boyfriend, amazed by the fact she had called Elsa their older sister.

Before she could ask if he really meant what he had said, kristoff continued, "that reminds me. You haven't told Elsa what our fight was about, have you?"

"No. I didn't really mention our fight until she did yesterday."

"That's better. Let's keep this between us, shall we? Elsa may-"

"Feel guilty?" she interrupted. "I thought about that too. Don't worry. It'll be our secret."

"Thank you," he said, tightening his hug before letting her go and sitting by her side. "So, what are you doing here? Have you been visiting Elsa all this time?"

"It's the second time I visit, actually." Anna arranged her things as she spoke. They weren't going to continue with their lesson now that Kristoff was there. "We had a heart-to-heart last week. And then we agreed on continuing with her studies. She told me she was having a hard time studying on her own."

"You are extraordinary, did you know that?"

"You don't need to exaggerate. I've already forgiven you," she said with a smirk.

"I'm serious. You've been really sweet and understanding with her. You've changed her life for the better…" Not missing the opportunity, he leaned in closer and kissed her. "And mine too of course," he said in between kisses.

Anna got lost in the moment and responded to Kristoff's affection. She was surprised how much she had missed those moments with him, where they could enjoy the each other's company and forget there was a world out there. But a sudden realisation stopped Anna in her tracks. "Wait. Wait," she said pushing Kristoff away. There was in fact a world out there, and Elsa was waiting outside for them to solve their problems.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Shouldn't we tell Elsa everything's okay now? She must be freezing out there!" She stood up and rushed to the front door.

"It's Elsa. She can't freeze," yelled Kristoff from the kitchen, not believing she had stopped the most amazing kiss they had shared in over two weeks.

"You know what I mean," came Anna's reply from outside the cottage. "She isn't here."

Kristoff joined Anna in the front steps were she was standing, and looked around wondering where Elsa really was. It wasn't usual for her to disappear like that, especially with a broken leg. "Her motor sledge isn't here either. I left it there earlier today."

"Should we look for her?"

Kristoff thought about their options, and without the snowmobile there was no point in going out to look for Elsa. She knew the mountain better than they did after all. "I'm sure she'll be back in a few minutes. She knows better than to go too far on her own with her leg like that."

Anna looked around one more time and since she saw no traces of Elsa. She leaned closer to kristoff and asked, "So… What do you wanna do?"

Kristoff chuckled and then smirked. "I think I've got an idea."


In the Bjorgmans' house, Kai was waiting for Agdar and Idunn to feel better before explaining his reasons for sharing Elsa's past with them. Beside the fact they were her biological family. Now that he knew they hadn't left Elsa behind for the wrong reasons and he was certain that they were the missing link between Elsa and Weselton. He wanted them to know they could help Elsa find justice after everything that had happened.

"How is it possible we never heard about this?" asked Idunn after she was able to regain some composure. "It was only ten years ago; I would remember reading something like this in the newspaper." The truth was crushing her heart, but she needed to know as much as possible. She couldn't keep living in denial, thinking Elsa had a decent childhood.

"As I said, the authorities kept things covered." Kai was thankful she was the one asking for more details. "Romsdal police department couldn't accept something like that had taken place in their jurisdiction. They did everything in their power to minimise the impact it was going to have in the public eye."

"For example, Elsa's existence was not revealed at all when they told the news what had happened in that clinic," cut in Gerda.

"By adopting Elsa and giving her our name, we indirectly made things easier for them. She was no longer a NN with no place in the world."

"Our own fear of something happening to Elsa stopped us from going against their wishes too," Gerda confessed. She wasn't proud she had been part of their web of lies, but her desire to protect Elsa had always been stronger. "That's why we were extra careful not to share her past with anyone. Elsa has tried her best to keep her powers hidden too, in fear people will try to hurt her o cast her aside if she shows what she can do."

Agdar believed he had seen a great deal of terrible things in his life, so the idea of powerful people disregarding the existence of a young girl didn't surprise him in the least. But it certainly made his blood boil nonetheless. "What about the scarce group of people you mentioned?" he asked, hoping someone out there still cared for her wellbeing. "Are they still in touch with you?"

"Some of them are. My superiors and some doctors ask about Elsa from time to time. But most of them stopped caring after Weselton was convicted." Kai took a deep tired breathe. "Once Elsa was no longer a threat to the public image of Romsdal, they all forgot she even existed. No one cared enough to fight and find justice. Only Gerda and I kept looking for a way to link Weselton to Elsa. Until one day the prosecutor discouraged us from trying to find justice on our own."

"Why?"

"Weselton's trial was over. He was convicted. Opening a new case was going to draw too much attention on Elsa. And she wasn't ready to talk. We couldn't force her to share her past and reveal her powers to the public."

"Not to mention it was the word of a girl - who didn't exist in the records," reminded Gerda. "Against Weselton, his colleagues, and Romsdal's desire to keep things undercover."

"I can't believe this." The broken voice of Idunn cut in.

"That is why, I needed you to hear Elsa's story," said Kai. He ignored the warning look his wife sent his way and explained. "I'm not only sharing this information with you because you're Elsa's biological parents. I'm doing it because I believe you can help Elsa find closure to her troubled past. Together, we can help her find justice."

"How can we help with something like that?" The idea made Agdar feel less hopeless in his role on Elsa's life, and he was willing to do anything necessary to amend his mistakes.

"By what you told me, you were tricked by Weselton when you were young. You are the link that was missing ten years ago. You are the living proof Elsa existed before us."

Agdar and Idunn nodded but stayed quiet.

"You can explain where Elsa comes from and how she ended up under Weselton's care. He betrayed your trust. We could put all the attention on what Weselton did to you, and how he kept Elsa away from her birth parents." Kai's excitement was evident. He had finally found a way to help his daughter and not force her to be on the spotlight.

"I am against this idea." The serious voice of Gerda interrupted, shattering Kai's daydream into pieces. "Elsa's been trying hard to let go of her past. Bringing this to light may have a negative impact in her life, Kai."

"I understand your concern, Gerda. But it may be cathartic for her to finally open up."

"Dear, think about it." Her voice was harsh. "Think how hard it is for her to talk to us about it. Do you really think she would be able to face a jury and talk about her past? She hasn't even been able to face them." Her hand pointing to were Idunn and Agdar were sitting. "She's in complete denial right now, and yet you expect her to be okay with this?"

"What's the point of dedicating my life to protect people when I can't help the people I love the most?" came Kai's retort.

"That's what you don't want to see. You've been helping her since day one. We've been helping her all this time. Please," She put her hand over his arm to make sure he listened. "Don't mess things up. She's very fragile."

The deafening silence in the room proved a point in Gerda's opinion. Everyone was afraid of doing something that could cause more harm than good to Elsa.

Clearing her throat, trying to call the older couple's attention, Idunn dared ask, "Excuse me, what do you mean Elsa's in denial?"

"She had a hard time after she found out the truth about you. But all of a sudden her attitude changed." Gerda had tried to keep a close eye on Elsa, and the way she had been acting didn't eased Gerda's worries, on the contrary. "The fact her cast was removed surely helped her feel better; but still, it was too sudden to be considered normal. I'm afraid she may be concealing the way she feels."

The idea Elsa was silently struggling to overcome her sadness, or simply fooling herself, didn't set well with anyone in the room.


Elsa was about to open the door to her cottage when she remembered she had practically escaped her house earlier that day. And something told her she wasn't going to get off easily this time. Kristoff was probably waiting for her to return already, and she wished she could avoid the conversation to come.

Thinking it was best to let her guest know, she stopped in her tracks and turned around to face Marshmallow. In a low tone of voice, she explained to him what had happened earlier that day, as she begged for him not to take it personal if her brother wasn't in the best mood. Marshall and Kristoff already knew each other but they weren't friends exactly. They'd had some disputes in the past. She wasn't sure what their arguments had been about, but Kristoff had assured her they were in the past. Still, she felt it was necessary to explain the situation and avoid any kind of confusion.

"So… you invited me over so I could be your bodyguard?" said Marshall jokingly once Elsa finished her explanation. The idea of Elsa hiding behind his back, just to avoid her brother, was quite amusing if he had to be honest.

"What? No. I- It's not that. I wanted to-" She couldn't get the words out and explain she actually wanted him to spend time with them.

Seeing Elsa struggle with her words made him chuckle. "I'm joking, Elsa."

She relaxed when she realised he was only messing with her, and laughed too. But she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. Showing how nervous she was truly feeling. She turned around to hide her nervousness from Marshall and enter her house, when the door opened, revealing a very serious Kristoff.

He stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at Elsa with an expression that clearly indicated he had been waiting for her to show up and explain herself.

For a moment Elsa feared her plan had backfired and she had made things worse for the couple. But to her relief, Anna appeared behind him, with a smile on her face; making Elsa breath out in relief.

"Elsa, there you are!" said Anna with a smile. She was wearing one of her aprons as she mixed something in a bowl. "Oh! Hello, Marshall." The huge man was still a little intimidating, but she was glad to see him again. Part of her was dying to learn more about him.

"Where were you?" asked Kristoff, not paying attention to Marshall nor his girlfriend. Earlier in the afternoon he hadn't thought too much about Elsa disappearing with her motor sledge, but after three hours he began to worry. He didn't care too much about the way she had deceived him earlier, he now cared about the fact she had gone out on her own, with a broken leg and a snowstorm on the horizon.

"I- I was… What?" She was definitely not expecting that question.

"Where were you? You disappeared for three hours and didn't return when it began to snow."

"It's my fault she went missing." Marshall didn't waste time to explain. He wasn't sure if Kristoff's annoyance had something to do with how long Elsa had been missing, or the fact she had lied to him; but he felt it was best to take the blame. After all, he had asked Elsa to take him home when the snowfall began.

"You don't need to cover her arse, Marshall," said Kristoff addressing the man for the first time since he opened the door. He knew the mountaineer had a soft spot for his sister, and he was probably just trying to help her out.

She was still stunned by her brother's overprotection, not understanding what the big deal was. "I was enjoying some time on my own in the mountain, like I used to do. What's the matter?"

"You left almost four hours ago. I thought something had happened to you."

"I thought you guys needed some time to talk." She had gone away only to make sure they could be talk in private. She didn't see anything wrong with that.

"Almost four hours, Elsa." Probably he was exaggerating, but it was true he had been worried for her.

"Kristoff, I'm not a child. I can take care of myself," she laughed. "Besides, Marshmallow was with me the whole time." She rested her hand over his crossed arms and begged, "can we please don't argue about this?"

He looked at her for a few seconds before accepting her request. "Okay, fine." He didn't give Elsa enough time to smile before he said, "let's argue about the fact that you lied to me last night, instead."

Sighing in defeat she asked, "you won't let this go, will you?"

He smirked, knowing he had won the battle. "Of course not. Marshall, do you mind waiting for my sister inside?"

Marshall, who was still standing behind Elsa, looked at the siblings and then at the girl standing behind Kristoff. He knew he had met her a few days before, but he wasn't sure she was going to be comfortable around him. "Umm… I- If you guys really need to talk I could go-"

"You don't need to go," Kristoff reassured him. "I just need a few minutes to talk to Elsa. We'll be right back." And with that, Kristoff put his hand on Elsa's back pushing her aside and he moved from the doorway.

Marshall looked at Elsa before moving, and only entered the house once Elsa showed him it was okay with a nod of her head. Once he was inside the house, he heard Elsa say, "I should have invited you as my bodyguard." He laughed but the door closed before he had the chance to answer.

He stood in the middle of Elsa's living room feeling uncomfortable. He had accepted her invitation because he wanted to spend more time with her and her family, but now that he found himself inside her cottage, he didn't really know if it had been a good idea.

Anna, noticing his discomfort, soon tried to help him relax. "Don't mind them. They'll bicker with each other for a little while. Do you want to join me in the kitchen? I'm making dinner."

"Uh, sure."

At first, Anna was glad he had accepted her invitation; but after a few minutes, the silence began to make her feel uncomfortable too. So, she thought it was best to just talk. Maybe she could help the mountaineer loosen up if she did. "Tell you a secret? Kristoff's just messing up with her. I mean he was worried. That much is true. We both were. We thought she was going to return in a few minutes but then she didn't. So, yeah. But he's not really mad at her." Anna sighed, leave it to her to say nothing or blurt out everything in one go. But to her relief, she saw Marshall smile when she turned to see his reaction. "He really cares about his sister."

"I can see that," answered Marshall, feeling somewhat relieved she had started conversation.

"So… how long have you been living in the mountain?" Anna was more interested in finding out more about his relationship with Elsa, but she knew it was impossible to ask something like that before knowing more about the man.

"My whole life."

"Really?" She understood Elsa's motivation to live in the mountain, but she couldn't really see the appeal in living your whole life in a place like that. "Isn't it lonely?"

"Not really. I'd say it's peaceful."

Anna was used to be the one to keep conversation going, but Marshall's short answers weren't helping her at all. She couldn't believe there was someone quieter than Elsa out there. "Elsa mentioned you were taking her clients. Where do you work?" She tried once again.

"The Vandreren resort," he said, clearly more interested in that question. "I'm mainly a ski instructor but I help around the place with whatever they need."

"Oh, like a multitask-" Anna began to say but she was interrupted by the front door closing.

"I don't care. You can't go out like that on your own." Kristoff was getting tired of Elsa's excuses. He needed her to understand it was dangerous for her to wander the mountain in her condition.

"Everything okay?" asked Anna when Elsa entered the kitchen, followed by Kristoff.

"Yes," they both answered, not wanting to worry Anna. They had already talked and discussed the way Elsa had tricked the couple, and things were perfectly okay between them. However, Kristoff still insisted Elsa had behaved irresponsibly that afternoon, which was the reason they were now arguing.

"Kristoff, cut it out," said Elsa exasperated as she sat down next to Marshall. "I talked with a physical therapist. He said it was okay if I moved my leg more."

It was true Elsa had gone to see a therapist the week following her cast removal, and she had arranged several appointments for the following months with the doctor. He had explained the steps she had to follow to have a successful recovery, as well as the exercises that were going to help her regain her strength. He had even offered an estimated date for her to start training once again, which was more than she had been expecting. Even if the date was still far away in the future.

"Move it more," Kristoff emphasised. "Not walking in the snow. There's a difference."

Surprising everyone in the room, Marshall interrupted the siblings, "I agree with your brother."

"What?"

"You shouldn't be walking. Your leg is still healing," he said matter-of-factly. "Didn't I tell you the same earlier today?"

Thinking about the way he had picked her up without warning near the cliff made Elsa blush and stopped her from saying anything in return.

Elsa's flushed cheeks didn't go unnoticed by Anna, who had become more interested in the argument once Marshall became part of it.

"See," said Kristoff, oblivious of Elsa's embarrassment. "He agrees with me."

Her brother's words helped her come back to her senses and Elsa continued, "Marshmallow doesn't count. He's overprotective, like you are."

"Well, that may be true," agreed the mountaineer. "But I'm also a paramedic."

"Wait, really?" said Anna, surprised. And by the way Elsa's and Kristoff's eyes opened, she noticed she was not the only one.

"Yes. I just never practiced."

"How come you never mentioned it before?" asked Elsa.

He shrugged, not sure of the answer himself. He'd had no reason not to share that part of his life with Elsa. "People always feel entitled to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing with my life when I tell them I'm not working as a paramedic."

"I'm not one to tell people what to do with their life," she clarified, in case he thought he couldn't trust her.

"I know you are not, don't worry." He smiled and tried to explain himself better. "I guess I'm not used to talk about it." He hadn't deliberately kept that information from Elsa or Kristoff after all.

"So… you agree with me, right?" asked Kristoff going back to their discussion. "Elsa shouldn't be walking around."

Marshall nodded in agreement. "I'm sure you were told you're only allowed to partial weight-bearing. Am I correct?"

Elsa took some time to remember her appointment with the therapist. She had been so focused on keeping her emotions in check, she hadn't retained every word, but she guessed he had mentioned those words at some point. "The doctor did mention something like that... I don't really know what they mean."

The way Marshall raised his eyebrow made Elsa feel ashamed of herself. She had told Marshall she hadn't gone to school when she was younger, but she was certain he didn't expect her to be so ignorant she still struggled with words at times.

"Well, he should have explained what he meant. It's normal for people not to know about this." he said noticing Elsa's crestfallen expression.

He then proceeded to explain in detail what weight-bearing was. Giving Elsa clear examples of the things she could or couldn't do, depending on the stage of recovery.

"In short," he said as finished his explanation. "You can stand on both your legs, but you shouldn't be walking. That's why I agree with your brother."

"Thank you," said Kristoff who had found the explanation useful himself. "So, Elsa, respect Marshall's advice and don't make me drag you back to Trollheim to look after you."

"I understand now. You don't need to drag me anywhere."

"Can I trust you'll keep an eye on her, Marsh?"

"Sure, I'll keep an eye on her."

Anna beamed at the tender smile on Marshall's face. And she hoped Elsa noticed the way he was looking at her right at that moment. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by Elsa who soon complained about Marshall becoming her babysitter.

Anna wasted no time to announce dinner was ready and for everyone to take a seat, before another argument began.

Soon everyone was seated and enjoying the meal she had prepared, and Anna couldn't be happier to see Elsa's cottage so lively after everything that had happened.


Both sets of parents continued talking well into the evening that day. After Kai's explanation about his desire to help Elsa find justice, Agdar found himself being more comfortable talking with the older man. He felt included in a future plan that could, in the long run, help him and his wife give something in return to their long-lost daughter.

"Where's Weselton now?" asked Agdar, as he left the paperwork Kai was showing him on the coffee table. It detailed the most important information about Weselton's trial, together with some evidence that they could still use if they carried on with the idea of starting legal proceedings against Weselton.

"In jail. He lost this trial nine years ago, and he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison."

"Only fifteen years for experimenting and gambling with people's lives?" He knew the judicial system a joke at times, but he still couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The defence was quite convincing putting the blame on Weselton's acquaintances."

Agdar shook his head in complete disbelief.

"That's why I'm so desperate to open a new case against this man, Agdar. In six years, or less, he'll be walking freely doing who knows what, while Elsa will still be fighting her demons. That's not fair."

"No, it isn't. It isn't fair at all," he agreed. There was nothing he wanted more than make sure Weselton rotted in prison.

Idunn watched from the Kitchen table how their husbands talked and discussed Kai's idea. She wasn't sure she wanted to participate in something like that, at least not without Elsa consent.

Gerda entered the room with a box full of photo albums, and sat down next to her. She paid a quick look to the men in the living room and began taking the albums from the box. "Sometimes I wish he could leave his ideas inside his head," she said with a tired sigh, as she placed a hardback album in front of Idunn.

The younger woman put a hand over her mouth and stifled a giggle. "They talking to each other won't hurt, I guess. Let them discuss the possibilities of what Kai was proposing. At least it'll help Agdar focus on something else besides the fact that we ruined our daughter's life." She shook her head, trying to get rid of the pain she felt. She picked the album not sure if she was allowed to open it. "Is this...?"

"Yes, that's the one. Every important event of my children's lives is in there."

After the main topic had been tackled, and their husbands had decided to continue discussing the possibility of a legal proceeding, Idunn had found the courage to ask Gerda to see some photos of Elsa. Part of her was still scared Gerda would deny that part of her daughter's life to her. She personally didn't feel she deserved to rummage in the Bjorgmans' family photos, but she was surprised to see Gerda agree to the petition. Eager to show the good side of Elsa's life to her.

There were more pictures than Idunn had originally imagined. It was obvious for the number of photos that Gerda adored her children. There were pictures of almost every important event in Kristoff's and Elsa's lives since they had entered the Bjorgmans' home.

Each photograph filled Idunn's helped Idunn not feel so miserable. She was seeing, after all, the last ten years of the daughter she thought she'd never see again. However, she couldn't stop the pain that came with the realisation Elsa hadn't had a normal life even under Gerda's care.

There weren't any pictures of her going to high school like there were of Kristoff. It was quite obvious she didn't have any other friends beside her brother. And the most important events, aside from birthdays, were from Kristoff's life alone.

"And I think these are the last few pictures of her." Gerda picked a few photos from the box, which hadn't been put inside the album.

In the first two photos, the whole family was gathered inside a wooden cabin, while the last one, showed a happy Elsa covered in snow, wearing her ski gear. She was clearly laughing at something outside the photographic frame, unaware someone was taking a picture of her. Her smile was the biggest Idunn had seen, making her eyes brim with tears of joy at how beautiful Elsa looked in that photo.

"You can keep that photo if you want." Gerda's offer interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, no." She quickly dried one or two tears that had escaped. "It's yours. I shouldn't accept it."

"It's a recent photo. I've got the negative. Please, keep it."

"Thank you." She looked at the photo once again. Trying to imagine what was going on around her to make her laugh like that. "She looks so happy…"

"She loves the mountain. The older she gets, the harder it's to get her to leave that place."

"Any particular reason?" She knew Elsa was not like other young woman, but Idunn still found strange the fact she'd rather be alone in the middle of nowhere than with the family she clearly loved.

"She says it's the only place she can be completely free. She doesn't talk about her past. But I'm sure those years hidden inside a clinic really affected her."

Both women stayed in silence for some time. Idunn blaming herself once again for her decisions. "We loved her so much. Truly." It didn't matter how many times she said it, she always felt as if Gerda didn't trust her word. And so she insisted. "Agdar and I were afraid the life we were going to offer her was not going to be enough. And at the end, look what we did. How could we've been so stupid to trust Weselton?"

"You said you were sick at the time, didn't you?"

"Yes. Quite sick, actually. I don't think Elsa would have survived if not for Weselton."

"Did he treat you before you gave birth to her?"

"Yes. I visited his clinic several times. And I spent a couple of weeks there before I gave birth as well." Narrowing her eyes and shaking her head with disgust she confessed, "I thought he was our hero at the time. To think all he was doing was taking advantage of our deplorable situation."

Gerda frowned; her mind lost in the words that the doctors at the hospital had uttered a long time before. "The doctor's intuition had been correct then. Elsa's powers are nothing but the result of illegal experimentation."

"To be honest, I'd very much prefer the fairytale story. I'd rather believe in magic than face this new knowledge." Idunn hid her hands under the table and clenched her fists, not wishing to show Gerda how nervous she was. Bracing herself for what was to come, she asked, "has Elsa ever mentioned the things he did to her?"

"Not explicitly, no. Of course, we know some things, but she never came clean about the whole story." She turned the pages of the album and looked at a photo of her children. A sad smile plastered on her face. "I'm sure Kristoff knows a bit more, but he respects Elsa too much to share anything."

Idunn was about to ask another question when she noticed Gerda tearing up. She couldn't help but feel awful for forcing the Bjorgmans to share so much about their family in such a short time.

"I'm sorry," apologised Gerda, trying in vain to blink her tears away. "It's just, I worry for her. She tries so hard to pretend it didn't happen. But that mustn't be healthy and I don't know what to do."

Idunn held her hand and tried to offer some comfort. "I'm sure you've been doing everything in your power, Gerda." I now understand why Kristoff and you tried to keep us away from her. Showing up the way we did probably made everything worse. For Elsa and your family."

"I'm going to be honest with you, Idunn. The truth is I was being selfish," Gerda dared confess. "Elsa is such a good girl; she's got such a big heart that I know she'll give you a chance sooner than later. By keeping you away I was trying to delay that moment."

Idunn tightened her hold on the old woman's hand and smiled to her reassuringly. "Agdar and I would never try to take Elsa away from you. You'll always be her mother. I'm aware I gave up that right years ago."

"I know and I'm sorry. It's just- I can't picture my life without them."

Idunn stayed quiet after that, giving Gerda enough time to feel better.

The nervousness and anxiety Idunn had felt the whole day were slowly disappearing. And even if the things she had found out about her daughter had broken her heart in half, she allowed herself to believe they were a necessary step in her journey to earn Elsa's trust once again.

She couldn't be thankful enough for Kai and Gerda's trust now. Their good disposition becoming a silver lining in her and Agdar's life. She promised herself at that moment she was going to do everything she could to help the Bjorgmans, and earn the right to hold her daughter in her arms again.


Thanks again for all the reviews and likes. I hope you guys are enjoying the story and staying inside your houses in this difficult time. I hope a new chapter can help during this quarantine.

Wish you the best!