Things we do out of love

It had been a while since Kristoff took a night off, and so he decided to enjoy it the way he loved the most, cooking. He dried his hands on the tablecloth he had lying around and then put the freshly made pie inside the oven. He whistled a tune as he made sure it was at the right temperature, and then walked to the fridge to get something to drink. He was about to open a beer bottle when a series of knocks on his door called his attention.

He wasn't expecting anyone to come and visit. It was quite late in the evening for his parents to show up and he already knew Anna was not a possibility. They had talked earlier over the phone when he had returned home from work. He had left work earlier than usual that Saturday, and he had called Anna to see what her plans for the evening were; surprisingly enough, and even though she had already returned home from the mountain, she had declined his invitation for dinner. She had said she was too tired, and she wanted to spend some time on her own. He had understood her reasons, and they had agreed on meeting on Sunday morning.

As usual, Sven beat him to the door, but this time he began to bark, excited to see the person on the other side. That gave Kristoff the idea it was someone they both knew and liked. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find no other than Anna on the other side.

Something had clearly made her change her plans. It wasn't unusual for Anna to change her mind, but what called Krisotff's attention was the sad look in her eyes. He got alarmed when he noticed how crestfallen she looked.

"Anna, are you okay?" he asked with concern.

Anna nodded and entered his apartment. She didn't say anything until she was sitting at the kitchen table. "Am I a bad sister?" she asked, surprising Kristoff.

"What?"

"Do you think I'm a bad sister?" she repeated her question with all seriousness as she picked the beer Kristoff had left half-open on top of the table. She opened the bottle and took a big sip from it. "I try to be understanding, but I always find a way to make things harder for Elsa."

Surprised to see her drink, he sat down by her side and took the bottle from her hand. "Anna, what happened?" He was getting more and more worried, but he wanted to remain calm until Anna explained to him what was going on. He knew she had a tendency to overthink things whenever she was worried about something. And he knew her relationship with Elsa was a concerning matter most of the time.

"I'm always saying I'll try to be a good sister to Elsa. That'll try to understand her and give her as much space and time as she needs but–"

"What did you do?" asked Kristoff. He knew Anna was beating around the bush and he wanted to help her open up about whatever was making her worry. Something had most likely happened between the two sisters, but Elsa hadn't called him and, even if Anna looked sad and guilty, she wasn't crying or talking faster than usual. As far as he knew, things were still under control.

"I kept pushing Elsa to be more open about her feelings and her powers today," she admitted. "Even when she told me, repeatedly, that she didn't want to talk about those things."

"You know, nothing good comes from pushing Elsa around. She needs her own time to process things," he explained. "And even more time to talk about her powers."

"I know…"

Kristoff frowned, trying to understand Anna's reasoning. "Then why did you insist so much?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" she said exasperated. "The only reasonable explanation is that I'm a terrible sister." She took the beer bottle from Kristoff's hand and gulped down a third of the bottle. "All I want is for Elsa to be happy and live her life more freely. I don't want her to hold her breath all the time, but I feel as if I annoy Elsa whenever I try to help her."

"To hold her breath all the–" he parroted, trying to make sense of what she was saying. "What are you talking about?" Kristoff was proud of how much he had learnt to read Anna since the day they met, but there were moments when it was still impossible for him to follow her in a conversation.

"Elsa holds her breath around Marshall all the time, and I insisted she shouldn't. But our conversation took a turn somewhere and I ended up pushing her around about giving mum a second chance for no reason. And I couldn't even help her original problem."

Kristoff raised his eyebrows in surprise and then slowly frowned as he tried to connect everything Anna was saying. "Anna, I swear I'm trying here, but you're not making any sense."

"Just tell me, am I a bad sister?"

He caressed her hand and said, "why don't you start from the beginning? I'm sure I'll be able to help if I understand what you're trying to tell me. And only then, I'll answer your question."

"Okay," said Anna, knowing he was right.

"Let me finish making dinner, and then we'll talk all you need," he offered.


Anna was patient enough to wait for Kristoff to prepare dinner before she barraged him with everything that had happened that afternoon. From their argument about her homework till the very last thing Elsa had said to her about their father. She made sure she explained everything to him, even if she felt ashamed of the way she had pestered Elsa.

All the while, Kristoff listened to her but didn't say anything. He simply nodded here or there, letting her know he was paying attention to her. It wasn't until he was sure she was finished that he said, "you aren't a terrible sister."

"But–" Anna tried to say, but he interrupted her.

"You are not. Trust me," repeated Kristoff with a smile. "Being Elsa's sibling can be a challenge from time to time, I'm not going to sugarcoat it. But rest assured you're a great sister and friend to her. She loves you."

Anna smiled at that. She wasn't sure the way Elsa truly felt about her, and it was nice to hear Kristoff say those things to her. But, the smile was short lived as she couldn't avoid feeling like a nuisance anyway. "Even if she does, she'll get sick of me sooner than later."

"If she hasn't gotten sick of Gerda and me, then I assure you, you're fine," said Kristoff laughing. He thought it was best to start telling Anna more stories about the first years that Elsa lived with them. Only then, she'd understand she was still far away from getting on Elsa's nerves.

"Okay…" said Anna with a small smile of her own. "That makes me feel better, I guess."

"There's one thing you should know, though," Kristoff warned, knowing it was best to take the opportunity to talk about what was best for Elsa. "You can't expect Elsa to change from one day to another. Her powers are a big deal for her. Her whole life has revolved around them."

Anna nodded, admitting to herself that what Kristoff was telling her made sense.

"She's not going to open up about them so easily. Especially with someone who isn't part of the family," he clarified.

Anna understood what he was saying. It made perfect sense. Yet, she couldn't help thinking about Elsa concealing who she was every single day. "But, don't you think it would be best for her to show him her powers once and for all? Can you imagine working with someone everyday and making an effort not to do something that comes naturally to you?"

"There's too much at risk," said Kristoff matter-of-factly.

"I doubt she'd lose his friendship over this," she scoffed. Anyone who had been in Marshall and Elsa's presence for more than two hours would notice how much he liked and respected her. "Besides, she's tired of pretending all the time. She's exhausted."

"She is risking more than a friendship here, Anna." Kristoff needed Anna to understand life for Elsa wasn't as simple as black and white. "Why do you think she tries so hard to keep her powers a secret? Do you think I enjoy drugging her whenever she's about to lose control in public? I hate it. She hates it. But it's the only way we can keep her safe. Elsa's got her reasons to be afraid… She's suffered enough."

Anna grimaced at the idea of Elsa going through tests and experiments for a second time in her life. "Do you think there are people out there who would do what Weselton did?"

"I'm not sure. But the wrong people finding out could ruin her life forever…" he sighed. The worry of something happening to his sister was a constant in his life. The idea of someone taking Elsa away had been a recurrent nightmare of his as a kid. "I wouldn't risk it either."

Anna stayed silent for a moment, thinking of the impact Elsa's secret had in her life. No wonder Kristoff had been so worried the night Elsa had lost control in front of her and her parents. But the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that Marshall would never do anything to hurt Elsa. "Marshall wouldn't rat on her. He would understand. We all did. Why wouldn't he?"

"Fear can makes us do stupid things. Even to those we love."

Fear. It was so unfair to think Elsa couldn't live her life to the fullest because of it. "What if there's an accident one day, then what?"

"An accident?" asked Kristoff, not sure what she meant.

"It could happen," said Anna, certain that it was a worrisome possibility. "Actually, it had already happened. The day Elsa broke her leg. The snowfall that evening wasn't natural. Elsa told me so herself."

Kristoff thought about that day and agreed with Anna to an extent. It was a good thing Elsa had been drugged that evening. He wasn't sure what would have happened with her powers if she hadn't been. But still, it was an extraordinary situation. "I know, but that was a different situation. She wasn't only in pain, she was worried about going to the hospital. It was too much for her."

"Then at home. She almost struck mum with an ice blast," offered Anna. He had to give her that.

Kristoff frowned. He knew Anna was simply trying to make a point. But the fact she was putting the blame on Elsa instead of her father about that night made his blood boil. "Your father was accusing Elsa of lying about the man who ruined her life. Your father was trying to protect the person who treated Elsa like a dangerous monster. Of course she would lose control in that situation."

Anna gaped at him, not expecting his outburst. "I'm not trying to justify my father, Kristoff."

Kristoff knew she wasn't, but for a moment, all he could think about was his sister and how much Agdar's words had hurt her. "I know. Don't worry," he said, clearing his throat. "What I'm tryin to say is… If Marshall ever says or does something to Elsa that would make her feel bad enough for her to lose control of her powers, you can rest assured I will beat the crap out of him." After thinking about it for a few more seconds he clarified, "I'll probably die trying, since the guy is unstoppable, but I wouldn't let him off the hook."

Anna nodded, she understood what he was trying to say, but still, she felt terrible her father was once again the main target. Elsa had made it clear that afternoon that she couldn't forgive him. And now Kristoff was saying pretty much the same thing. It hurt to know that was the way the Bjorgman siblings felt about Agdar. "Did you want to beat the crap out of my father?"

"Anna…" said Kristoff in a lower tone of voice, feeling guilty of the things he'd said.

"Tell me the truth," she asked. She needed to know, even if the truth hurt.

"I did for a while." He had no reason to lie. They had agreed to be honest about anything related to Elsa, and he was willing to keep that promise. "Why do you think I avoided your parents so much in the last few months?"

Anna closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to get rid of the tears that gathered in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just think it's best for you to know how I feel," said Kristoff as he held her hand in his. He caressed it gently with his thumb as he spoke.

Anna nodded and intertwined their fingers together. "Elsa told me what she thinks about dad today too."

Kristoff opened his eyes in surprise at that. He knew exactly the way Elsa felt about her biological father, and he wasn't sure Anna would be happy about it.

"I understand her reasons, I do," she said, as she continued the conversation. "I understand the way you feel too. It's just so… disappointing."

He thought that the word disappointing was an understatement, but he didn't say anything. He simply let her get everything out of her system.

"They are my parents, Kristoff. I know what they did was terrible, but I've got to believe they are good people. I've got to believe they mean well."

"I know…" he said finally. "I'm sorry."

"I guess my family will never be together."

It pained him to see her so sad about it. But in his opinion, she had more than one type of family, and that was worth more than Elsa meeting her birth parents for dinner. "There's more than one type of family, Anna. Just look at Elsa and me. Kai and Gerda being there helped us a lot, I'm not going to lie; but we are the ones who found each other and built a family of our own."

"It's not the same, Kristoff."

"Your parents are your first family, nothing will change that – unless you want to. But they are not your only family. And Elsa not being part of that family isn't the end of the world," he explained, hoping she understood what he meant. "Maybe they won't share a family dinner. And maybe Elsa and your parents' relationship will never go beyond small talk, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy both sides of your family."

"How?" She was trying to follow his logic, but she wasn't sure she could live a life in between both sides of her family.

"Remember long before all this? When you were happy Elsa had welcomed you to the family – our family?" asked Kristoff. "You didn't expect Elsa to be at every family dinner with your parents at the time. You were ecstatic Elsa and I considered you part of our family. That was all you wanted at the time."

Anna nodded as she remembered that it was true. She had been so happy, and not even once she had thought about the possibility of both families spending time together…

"You can enjoy life in that way again…" Kristoff offered. But then, a sudden idea came to his mind, and he thought it was best for him to finally gather up the courage and do what he had wanted to do for months. Not thinking twice about it, he said, "Or even better… we can build our family now."

"That's a sweet way to put it, Kristoff, but–"

"I– I really mean it," he said before Anna continued, something told him she didn't understand what he meant. "I want you to be part of my family Anna."

"I know," said Anna with a smile. "And I want you to be part of mine too. That's why–"

She was still trying to take the conversation back to their current families, and he needed her to see what he truly meant before he backed down. "No, you don't understand," he insisted, shaking his head. "I want us to build a family. We can start from scratch."

"What?" asked Anna, finally realising Kristoff meant much more than he was saying.

"Wait, here." He stood up and disappeared into his bedroom, until he returned a few seconds later with something in his hand.

"Kristoff what are you talking–"

Before she could finish the question, he kneeled next to her chair. And even if he felt ridiculous by doing so, he wanted to do it right. Or at least in the best possible way. "I'm talking about this." He showed her the small velvet box he had kept in his drawer for months. "For a long time I thought I needed your father's blessing before I did this. Then, after the truth about your sister came to light, I didn't know what to do anymore. I never stopped loving you, but I wasn't sure what was right for me to do." He tried to explain everything to Anna, even if it wasn't romantic. He needed her to know everything before she made a choice. "With time – and with Elsa's help – I realised I only needed to be sure of what I wanted. And I know I always wanted you in my life, Anna." He opened the box and finally offered Anna the ring he had specially made for her.

Anna gasped in surprise at the beautiful ring he was offering her. But Kristoff continued speaking before she could say anything.

"It turned out the only blessing I needed was my sister's. Your sister's," he chuckled. "And she said I'd be an idiot if I didn't marry you, so…"

Anna covered her mouth with both her hands as she felt her eyes tearing up. She wanted to say yes, a million times yes; but for the first time in her life, she couldn't find the words.

Noticing she wasn't giving him a proper answer, Kristoff took the opportunity to say one more thing. "Before you answer. Before you say anything," he said. "I want you to know that I'm willing to give your parents a second chance. I'm still faithful to my sister. And I'll be on her side no matter what; but, if Elsa is willing to listen to their side of things, who am I not to do the same. I'd like to speak to them one of these days. Finally talk things through and come to an understanding. Even if we are never part of the same family, I want both sides to be on good terms."

"Yes," said Anna, nodding her head over and over again.

He wasn't sure if she was talking about the ring or what he had just said, so he asked, "Yes?"

"Yes!" she shrieked, and threw her arms around his neck, almost making him fall.

"Do you really mean it?" asked Kristoff, not believing Anna was so eager to marry him.

Anna detached herself from him, and cupped his face. A big grin plastered on her face. "We start from scratch. You and me."

"And Sven," said Kristoff, not wanting to leave his good friend behind.

"We'll build our own family," she said, beaming.


Elsa and Marshall stayed where they were, frozen in place, not knowing what to do. Elsa didn't dare look Marshall in the eye after her revelation. And Marshall, on his part, was still trying to make sense of what Elsa had admitted to be true.

He had felt like an idiot the moment he asked the question. It had been the simplest – yet most impossible – explanation he had come up with. He had expected Elsa to say he was losing his mind, that he was asking the most ridiculous thing in the world. That it was impossible for a human being to create ice and snow at will. But that hadn't happened, instead, Elsa had nodded her head and left him speechless.

"What?" asked Marshall after another minute in silence. Involuntarily, he tightened his hold on Elsa's shoulders, trying to make her look at him and say something.

Elsa tried to take a step back, but the door on her back stopped her. She was still cornered and she had just admitted she had ice powers to him. She had no other option than to tell him the truth, no matter how terrified she was of doing so.

She raised her head and saw his concerned look. He was waiting for an answer. Not knowing what else to do, she confessed, "I am." For some reason, she couldn't say the words 'I've got ice powers', so she hoped he understood what she meant. "That's why you've got to let me go."

"The ice blast in the kitchen…" he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"I tried hard to keep my powers under control but I couldn't do it," said Elsa, looking at the ground between them. "It was an accident."

"No," he said. "That's not possible." He shook his head, as he let go of her shoulders. "You– You can't control ice. No one can."

"Marshall…"

"We've known each other for almost three years and I've never seen you do anything out of the ordinary, you–" He stopped and tried to even his breathing. "How?"

Not raising her eyes from the floor, she explained, "I was born like this."

"The snow around us… The ice in the other room." He pointed to the kitchen door behind him. "Can you control it?"

"Not really." There was nothing Elsa wanted more than to go back in time and cook Marshall anything he wanted instead of trying to help him with the stupid window. Three years of concealing her powers had gone to waste for one stupid accident.

"Why didn't you warn me?" he asked all of a sudden, surprising Elsa

"What?"

"Why didn't you give me a heads up? Some kind of warning…" he yelled. "Be careful, I could blow your head off!

He was angry. Angrier than Elsa expected him to be. She was ready for fear. She knew what fear looked like. But she didn't expect him to react the way he did. "I need to get out of here."

"Answer me!" He knew he was losing his temper, but he couldn't believe Elsa would have risked so much just because she didn't trust him. It hurt more than he wanted to admit.

"I'm dangerous, Marshall. Please let me out of the house." She was about to lose control, and Marshall losing control himself was not helping.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It's not so simple, Marshall!" Elsa yelled back. "How did you expect me to talk about this?!"

"You had more than enough time to come up with something! Anything would have been better than almost getting me killed by accident!"

What he was saying was true. She knew that. Anything would have been better than what had happened. Yet, to hear him say it like that, made Elsa lose control completely. A sudden panic and need to flee took over her body, and she began to hyperventilate.

"I can't believe you don't trust me…" said Marshall, defeated. "You could've– Elsa?" He stopped when he noticed the door behind Elsa start to freeze.

He looked at her and realised she was no longer listening to him. "Elsa, are you okay?"

Elsa didn't answer. She pushed him once again and tried to open the front door to leave once and for all.

"Elsa?" He couldn't believe he had lost control of his temper so fast. "We need to talk about this," he said in a calmer tone of voice, hoping she'd listen to him.

Unconsciously, he tried to stop her by holding her arm, but Elsa turned around faster than he imagined.

"Get away from me! Let me go!" she said, in despair. She grabbed his hand with her injured one, and a small blast of ice immediately froze it.

"Argh, my arm!" screamed Marshall in pain as he let go of her. He took several steps backwards and held his left arm to inspect it. The skin in his hand and forearm was red and torn. Elsa's ice had burned and damaged it in an instant. He took a few deep breaths, trying to make the pain go away. He also cursed his stupidity. All he had to do was listen to Elsa, but he had been too stubborn to pay attention.

Ice-cold wind blowing into the house called his attention, and he raised his head to see what was going on. Only then did he notice the front door was opened, and there was no sign of Elsa. "No, no, no," he said, coming out of the house. "Elsa? Elsa, I'm sorry!"

He looked around and tried to spot her, but all he saw was a grey cloud covering part of the mountain's sky. "For fuck's sake! What have I done?" he exclaimed, as he began walking down the front steps.

His hands were shaking, but he tried his best to remain calm. He was halfway down when he remembered Elsa was still bleeding. He turned around and ran into the house and then into the kitchen. He grabbed as many things as he could carry in his pockets from the first-aid kit, and he made sure he picked enough gauze to patch Elsa's wound, at least in a precarious way.

"Fuck, this hurts!" he said when by mistake he used his frozen hand to grab some things from the table. His hand hurt more than he expected and part of him insisted it was best not to go after Elsa at all.

The most reasonable part of his brain told him to treat his burnt hand and get as far away as possible. It was best to find an explanation to Elsa's powers before he came close to her again. But the truth was, he despised that part of him. He couldn't let Elsa deal with everything that had happened on her own. She was clearly in distress. The medication inside her first-aid kit also told him Elsa suffered from anxiety disorders or something of the sort. He knew it wasn't a good idea to let her on her own. And what was most important, he couldn't ignore the fact his heart told him to go find her.

"Why didn't I just shut the fuck up?" He felt guilty for making Elsa react the way she had. The fact she had hurt his hand was his fault entirely, and he felt like punching himself.

He was about to leave the room when he noticed the ampoules he had taken out of the first-aid kit were still on the table. He returned and picked one with his good hand. He looked at it, pondering if those sedatives were there for this specific reason. After all, Elsa had seemed uncomfortable and unsure of what to tell him when he had asked about them.

He put one of the ampoules in his pocket and tried to find a disposable syringe in the box; but then, after a second thought, he stopped. "No, this is too much," he said in a low voice. "I can't do this to her." He knew the effect those drugs had in the body. He knew they were highly addictive. He didn't want to stop Elsa in that way. He had to trust she'd come to her senses.

After running out of the house, he stood in the middle of the glade that surrounded the house, and tried to figure out where Elsa had gone. A cold breeze coming from the East told him that was his best bet. He just hoped he wasn't mistaken. Elsa was clearly having a panic attack, and it was best for him to find her as soon as possible.

He walked as fast as he could through the forest, trying to use the cold temperature as a compass. To his good luck, late summer nights were still bright enough for him to walk in the woods without a problem. He just hoped Elsa's strange ability could help him find her. He suspected Elsa couldn't have gone far in such a short amount of time, but he didn't want to risk it. For that reason he kept moving as fast as possible. He needed to find her and let her know she had nothing to worry about. He was certain they could talk things through… if only he could keep a level head for more than five minutes.

He cursed himself and his temperament for the fifth time since Elsa had run out of the house as he kept walking. He couldn't believe he had let his short temper take over and ruin his chance to talk to Elsa. One moment he had helped Elsa calm down, she was actually listening to him and answering his questions. And the next, he had let fear and insecurity cloud his judgement, frightening and pushing Elsa over the edge.

He knew she was on the brink of a panic attack. He had noticed the signs. Yet, his stupidity and moronic impulses had made the situation worse. He knew Elsa would have never hurt him on purpose. She had been telling him, over and over again, to get out of the house or let her go. But he refused to listen every time, like the stupid idiot he was.


After some minutes walking in the forest, Marshall noticed the air getting significantly colder. He slowed down and focused on the path ahead. The forest was thicker in that area, and he couldn't really see too far ahead, but thanks to the moonlight he realised there were several snow patches close to where he was standing. He sighed in relief, knowing he was on the right path. It was only a matter of time until he got to Elsa. He continued walking, every now and then ducking to avoid the branches that were on his way. He noticed leaves and small branches lying on the snow, a clear indicator Elsa had been there.

The closer he got to Elsa, the more he began to think of Elsa and her strange ability. He couldn't get his mind off the fact she had almost frozen his arm. It didn't matter how utterly little sense it all made, the ache and burning sensation on his left hand was still very much present, showing everything that had happened was real. Elsa had powers. Cryokinesis. He opened his eyes in surprise at the name that popped in his mind. The name of the psychic ability came together with a memory long forgotten.

In his second year in college, one of his classmates had found a book in the library which described the desire of men to acquire kinetic abilities. He remembered laughing at the mere idea of someone sitting down to write about the possibility of controlling the elements with the human mind. It had been hilarious at the time. He remembered how improbable the 'scientific facts' mentioned in that book were… It almost seemed impossible to find himself only a couple of years later walking in a beautiful white night, trying to find someone who had frozen his arm out thin air.

The irony of the situation was soon forgotten, as he spotted Elsa in the distance. She was a few metres ahead, sitting against the trunk of a tree. Getting closer, Marshall noticed she was hugging her knees and crying her heart out, and it seemed as if she couldn't breathe correctly.

He walked slowly towards her, trying not to scare her. She hadn't noticed his presence, and he wasn't sure how she was going to react once she did. After a few more steps, she finally heard him, and raised her head to look at him.

His heart ached at the sight of her bloodshot eyes from crying. He felt like hitting himself once again, but thought it was best to leave it for another moment. Elsa was already standing up, ready to flee.

"Elsa, stop," he said before she could get away. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Just…" He wasn't sure what to say, he had been so focused on finding her, he hadn't thought of something. "Please, listen to me."

"Stay away." said Elsa, taking a few steps back. "It's dangerous– I–" Her shortness of breath didn't let her talk correctly, making Marshall realise she was still suffering from a panic attack. "I can't–" she tried to say, but another deep breath stopped her.

He got closer, taking tentative steps in her direction. He extended his good arm, and tried to show her he meant no harm. "Everything will be okay. Trust me." Elsa closed her eyes in fear as she tried to even her breathing. Something told Marshall she was only a few seconds from running away once again, so he shortened their distance in a few strides.

Not really knowing what to do, Marshall put his good hand on her shoulder, trying to call her attention. He knew touching her was a bad idea, but he couldn't let her run into the forest and get lost. As soon as he touched her arm, her eyes opened in fear and she began to struggle, trying to get away from him.

Surprised by her strength as she struggled to get away, Marshall grabbed her other arm with his burnt hand. He hissed at the pain when his hand touched her freezing skin, but he put up with it anyway. He pushed her against the trunk of the tree and held her there, making sure her hands were pointing to the ground. He didn't want to pin Elsa against the tree, but he knew it was better than to let her run away.

"Look at me, please," he said, his voice quivering. "I won't hurt you. Just breathe. Try to focus on my breathing."

Elsa continued to struggle. Her eyes closed, afraid of facing however was holding her against the tree.

"I know it's scary right now. But it'll be fine. Nothing's wrong. Trust me," he said, his voice more steady. His hand still hurt and he couldn't stop his legs from shaking, but at least he had been able to talk more clearly. He only wished Elsa didn't notice his own state and she could trust his words. Shaking his head to get rid of the negative thoughts, he continued, "Listen to me, there is no reason for you to run away. Please, trust me.

"Don't, please," begged Elsa. She refused to open her eyes, as tears continued to stream down her face.

"I won't hurt you," he said, not sure what she was asking. "I'd never hurt you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Don't put me to sleep, please."

He was taken aback by what she said, and for a moment he almost let her go, not wanting to put Elsa through so much pain and fear. He wasn't sure what she had gone through in the past, but something told him Elsa wasn't lying when she said her childhood had been rough.

"I won't," he promised. "I wouldn't do something like that to you." He couldn't be more thankful he had left the syringe behind and he had chosen to talk her out of it.

"I know I'm dangerous, but please let me go."

She wasn't listening. He needed to do something different, something that would call Elsa's attention and help her focus on his words. Not knowing what else he could do, Marshall rested his forehead against hers and said, "You're not dangerous. Your mind is playing tricks."

This made Elsa's eyes shot open and she found herself looking straight into Marshall's eyes.

"It's me Marshmallow," he said, hoping the nickname she so often used would help her come out of it. "You're going to be okay. You're safe."

He smiled when he noticed she made an effort to keep her eyes focused on his, and slowly began to follow his breathing pattern.

Marshall remained where he was. Holding Elsa against the tree for some more minutes, whispering soothing words and trying to keep his breathing under control, so Elsa could finally start to breathe more or less normally. He knew giving people space was important during a panic attack, but he couldn't risk Elsa leaving now that she was finally coming out of it.

It took longer than he expected, but after a while Elsa was able to calm down and come back to her senses. "Marshmallow?" she asked, when she felt like she could talk again.

"Yes," said Marshall with a smile. He let go of her arms and put some distance between them. He didn't take a step back, in case Elsa tried to leave. But he was no longer touching her. He wanted Elsa to see he trusted her.

Elsa seemed exhausted and ashamed of herself by the time she realised everything that had happened. And before Marshall could ask her how she was feeling, Elsa let her body slide against the trunk of the tree and sat on the ground once again.

Marshall followed suit and sat down next to her, wrapping his good arm around her shoulders. He was trying to give Elsa the comfort he was sure she needed. That didn't mean he himself wasn't trying hard to remain calm and not pay attention to the fact her body was still ice-cold to the touch.

Instead of pulling away, like he had feared, Elsa leaned against him. And that made Marshal sigh in relief. That was the confirmation he needed to know Elsa was fully aware he was the one by her side. Pressing his lips on top of her head, he murmured some comforting words and tried to show Elsa as much love and understanding as he could. He didn't care if the kiss made Elsa realise how much he loved her. All he cared about was helping her in any way he could.

As soon as he stopped talking to her, Elsa's body began to shake with sobs once again. This time, he noticed it wasn't her anxiety making her cry, it was her body trying to process everything that had happened in the last half an hour. Knowing it was best to let her get rid of everything she was feeling, he didn't say anything and simply let her cry.

There were over a hundred questions he wanted — needed — to ask. After all, he couldn't ignore the fact Elsa could create ice and snow out of thin air. But he saw no reason in troubling her with that so soon after a panic attack. In the meantime, he made sure to take care of her, caressing her arm as he watched the unnatural snow fall around them.


He wasn't sure how long they stayed where they were, snow piling up around them, until Elsa stopped crying. He gave her a few more seconds to dry her tears and sat straighter before he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm sorry," said Elsa, not paying attention to his question.

"You don't need to apologise," he said, not sure what she was apologising for. "It's hard to control your body and your emotions during a panic attack…" He tightened his hold reassuringly, before he tried asking once again, "how are you feeling?"

He heard her take a deep breath before she said, "Tired… And guilty." She turned her head to look at him and said, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't."

Elsa frowned as she kept looking at him, silently pleading for him to tell the truth. She moved, putting some distance between them and forcing him to let go of her. He let her take his left hand in hers as she began to inspect it. Marshall made an effort not to complain when her cold hands touched his burnt skin, and hoped his skin didn't look as bad as it felt. He wanted to spare Elsa the pain.

"Your hand's got an ice burn," she said, her voice slightly over a whisper.

"It's nothing," he lied.

"Stop minimising this just to make me feel better," she said with a broken voice. "I hurt you."

"It was my fault." He wasn't lying. He was sure he was the one responsible for his burnt hand. Elsa had, even in the middle of a panic attack, warned him to leave the house and leave her alone.

As if she was reading his mind, Elsa said to him, "You should've stayed away. Have you got any idea what could have happened if you couldn't calm me down?"

"And leave you alone in the middle of nowhere?" asked Marshall, offended at the mere idea. "No."

"I don't think you've realised how dangerous I am. That's the only reason you're still here," she said, not daring to meet his eye.

The worry and honest fear in her voice made Marshall reconsider what had happened between them in the last hour; finally forcing him to pay attention to the fact Elsa had frozen his hand. Not simply hurt, but actually froze it. His instinct to protect her had kicked in before he had time to understand what was really going on around him. Maybe she was right, and maybe it had been a bad idea to restrain her the way he had. But he couldn't have left her on her own. No matter how strange — or impossible to believe — the situation was, Elsa was still Elsa. And he couldn't abandon her. Not when she clearly needed someone by her side.

Before he could say something about it, though; Elsa stood up and began walking away from him at a slow pace. "Wait, Elsa, where are you going?"

"I need to go," she said, not turning around.

He stood up and took a few steps in her direction. "Stop running away."

"I'm going home," she explained, her voice quivering. "Don't come after me, please."

"You're still bleeding," he pointed out, hoping she'd give him the chance to stay by her side and help her. It hurt him deeply to see her so miserable. The last thing he wanted was to leave her alone. The sorrowful look she gave him when he had found her in the forest was still very vivid in his mind. She had looked so small, so fragile, so… frightened.

"I had forgotten about it," she admitted as she came to a stop. She raised her hand and inspected it.

From where he was standing, Marshall couldn't see if it was still bleeding or not. Her whole hand was covered in what he hoped was dried blood.

"I'll take care of it. Thank you, Marshmallow," said Elsa after a moment, as she began to walk again.

Marshall watched her go as he tried to make up his mind on what to do. She seemed so tired, so defeated, that a part of him thought it was best to just accept she didn't want his help and save Elsa the trouble of arguing with him. But another part of him feared Elsa couldn't deal with the guilt and pain she felt on her own. For the first time in his life he was terrified of what could happen to someone. For that reason, he gave Elsa enough time to put some distance between them, and only then he started following her.


It didn't matter how hard she tried, Elsa couldn't understand Marshmallow's reasoning. She had told him he could leave. She had asked him not to follow. Yet, he was still doing so. He was trying to keep his distance, that much was clear – Elsa wasn't sure if it was out of fear or respect – but he was following her regardless.

She had given him more than enough reasons to leave. She hadn't only revealed she had ice powers, she had hurt him. Not before almost killing him with a blast of ice, that is. All she wanted was for him to listen and understand she was a threat. The only reason her powers were no longer out of control was she was beyond exhausted. She still feared she'd hurt him by mistake a second time. Marshall was more nervous than usual, it was obvious he was trying hard to keep a calm demeanor. And in that state, he could easily do something that'd push her over the edge. She wouldn't forgive herself if she ended up doing something more serious than burning his hand. Not that she wasn't ashamed of what she had done already.

He was a smart man – a paramedic. He knew better than she did how the body worked, and it didn't take a genius to understand people couldn't create ice and snow at will. It didn't take a genius to realise it was worse to insist. But for some reason, his intelligence seemed to have disappeared and he was acting on instinct. The most self-destructive kind of instinct.

Tired of not understanding, she turned around the moment she got to the glade and asked, "Why are you still here?"

Surprised she had confronted him about the fact he had been following her, Marshall admitted, "I'm just trying to make sure you get home safely. You scared me back there."

"Then leave!" she yelled. Hurt he was admitting the fact he was afraid of her, but too stubborn to leave nonetheless.

"What?" asked Marshall, surprised at the pain written all over her face. At that moment, he realised he had chosen the wrong words to explain himself. He realised a minute too late what Elsa understood. He wasn't afraid of her. He was afraid for her well being.

"I've been trying to tell you I'm dangerous," said Elsa, too tired to deal with the repercussions of Marshall finding out. All she wanted was to go home and sleep, until all her problems disappeared. "Just leave already, please!"

"Els, please, let's talk about this!"

"Why is it so hard for you to understand? I don't want to talk." She said, hoping he'd finally listen to her. "I can't talk – not even look at you – when I know all you see in me is a freak of nature." With that, she turned around and continued walking, craving she could get home and hide once and for all.

"Elsa, are you serious?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Do you really think so little of me?"

She didn't answer. She thought it was best to ignore him, maybe that way he'd stop trying.

Losing his temper for a second time that day, he yelled, "I've done nothing but try to be understanding here. Would you stand in my shoes for two seconds?!"

Elsa continued walking, putting more and more distance between them. She felt terrible for doing something like that to him, but it was for his own wellbeing.

"Elsa!" He waited for her to turn around, to say something to him. At least to tell him he was the most annoying person she had ever met but, to his disappointment, she didn't.


I know what you are all thinking… "You? Updating twice in the same week? That's not possible…" Well, it is true! Though, please don't get used to it. I love doing it, but I still need to work for food and stuff, you know. But I started my holidays recently, so I'll try to write as much as possible during this couple of weeks.

The last two chapters were a fun challenge. There were so many things happening at the same time. And to think there was a moment I thought it was best to publish chapter 29 and 30 together, luckily I separated them, if not it would have been a 13000+ word-long chapter.

Well, that's that. I don't know if this is what you guys were expecting from this chapter, but it's the way it was planned from the start. As always, everything that happens in the story has a reason, so please bear with me for a while, even if things don't look so good right now.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your lovely comments after chapter 29. I didn't imagine so many of you were waiting for Elsa's powers to be revealed to Marshall. To be honest, I thought you didn't really care about that part of the story. I can't be happier to know you guys care about the big guy too. He's lonely in the mountains, he deserves some love.

Please, let me know what you think of this chapter too. It helps me continue and know if I'm on the right path! Leave a comment, a review, or simply press the keys on your keyboard. Everything means a lot to me!

I doubt I'll be able to update before 2022, so let me wish you all a happy new year. I hope all your dreams come true and I hope the world becomes a better place for all of us to enjoy.

Happy 2022! Read you soon!