Show yourself - Part II

Closing the apartment's door behind her, Elsa drew in a couple of deep breaths and made up her mind about going after Marshall. Finding out he had done something so incredibly irresponsible just for her own sake made her blood burn. He was supposed to know better. He was the clever one of the two. The pragmatic one — she wasn't even sure pragmatic meant what she believed, but Anna had used that word once before.

He'd had the chance to stop her and avoid another accident, and he hadn't taken it. He had simply gone after her. It would have been so simple to just fall asleep and the next day find herself with a sutured hand and Marshall demanding an explanation. Of course, it wouldn't have been easy, she'd have been afraid and ashamed and she probably would have tried to run away, like she always did. But at least she wouldn't have faced her biological parents nor made Kai and Gerda worry… Things would have been so much simpler!

She had wanted to fall asleep so bad that night. The moment her panic attack was over, she had almost surrendered to exhaustion. But she hadn't let herself do it, knowing too well she could have still hurt him. Becoming blissfully unaware would have been a gift sent from above, no matter how much she hated those drugs. And for that reason, she hated — and loved — the fact Marshall hadn't taken the easy way out.

She walked out of the building and into the street, and at that moment, Elsa's anger seemed to vanish. As soon as she set foot on the empty street, it was soon replaced by apprehension. Her feet felt glued to the pavement and the trembling in her hands returned when she noticed Marshall's old SUV parked only a few metres away from the main entrance.

She hadn't thought of anything to say to him. But now that she was only a few metres away, she had to come up with something. She couldn't let her fear of rejection control her. She needed to face him and talk for once. At least to let him know how incredibly stupid and stubborn he had been. Thinking he was capable of controlling any situation would get him killed one day.

She took one tentative step and then another. She knew she should hurry and knock on his window. He had been parked there for over half an hour, and Elsa knew patience wasn't one of his virtues. Not to mention, it was safest for her to just get in the car before her concentration slipped and snow began to fall in the middle of the street.

She took another step and suddenly the SUV's tail lights turned on bright red. The engine started, and a sense of dread took over Elsa. The fear of not having a second chance got to her and finally helped her find the courage she desperately needed. She rushed to the passenger's door and knocked on the window just before the car began moving.

"Marshall, I— It's me." It was useless to clarify it, but maybe if he heard her voice he'd know she was ready to talk. Even if she wasn't. She'd never be.

She watched him pull the parking brake lever and lean over the door to open it. The moment the door did, Elsa sighed in relief. At least she hadn't lost him yet… She silently got into the car and softly closed the door. It didn't shut and Marshall leant over her to do it a second time with a loud bang. Having him so close made Elsa tremble and she had to concentrate on her powers not to let them slip. At that moment she realised she hated the way he made her feel sometimes.

"I thought you wouldn't come," he said, as he let the handle go and slowly put some distance between them.

He was still too close for comfort, but she guessed it was better to try to control her powers for a few more minutes than to never see him again. The mere thought of it made her realise Anna had been mistaken. There were some people who were worth holding your breath for. She'd hold her powers back as long as she needed if it meant Marshmallow would stay around.

"I needed some minutes…" She felt stupid saying that after making him wait for over half an hour. "To get my shit together." She used his exact words, to let him know she had been listening.

He looked at her for a few seconds, to finally fix his eyes on what Elsa guessed was her hair. At that moment she realised she had left in a hurry, her hair still wet and undone. She rarely wore it that way, since it constantly got in her way.

"Did you take a shower?" he asked, nonplused.

Blood rushed to her face and she couldn't hide her consternation. The last thing she needed was for Marshall to think she had made him wait for something so vain. "No. I mean, yes. But not for some stupid reason…"

"It helps you control the snow…" He concluded, more to himself than anyone else. "Are you feeling better now?"

She nodded, unsure of what else to say. His tone of voice was serious and it felt strange to hear him acknowledge her powers, but she was grateful he was still looking out for her.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, as he fastened his seatbelt.

"Somewhere far away from people," she said, as she did the same. She was hoping he'd understand the reason why. "Is that possible?"

"I'll think of something."

They drove in silence for several minutes and exited the town. Marshall's attention was on the route at all times and he only looked at Elsa for a few seconds, when a right turn forced him to. They both were quiet people. It wasn't the first time they found themselves in his car driving in complete silence; but it was the first time Elsa felt the air so tense and the silence unnatural between them. What she liked about Marshall was how simple existing next to him was. It wasn't supposed to be the way it was at that moment.

Not being able to tolerate the situation anymore, she was the first to break the silence. "I was afraid you had already left by the time I left Kristoff's apartment."

"I was about to," he said. His voice didn't show any emotion. "I thought you wouldn't change your mind"

"I'm sorry I made you wait." They both looked like crap and it was clear none had slept more than a couple of hours the last few days. The least she could do was to start apologising for all the trouble she had caused and was still causing.

Several more minutes went by in silence and Elsa was starting to regret getting in the car. Marshall was mad, she could tell, and she doubted anything she'd say would change the way he now saw her.

"I thought you wanted to talk…" she tried again. She didn't want to talk about her powers, but anything would feel better than the silent treatment she was getting. The longer they stayed quiet, the more anxious she got, causing her powers to begin tickling under her fingertips.

"You wanted to be far away." He barely looked at her from the corner of his eye. "We'll talk when we get there."

"Where are we going?"

"Away from people, as you requested."

Once again his tone of voice didn't give Elsa any clue about the way he was truly feeling, and Elsa's heart rate began to accelerate. Forcing her to concentrate even harder to keep her powers under control.

"You're mad at me," she said, hoping addressing the situation would finally make him talk.

"No, I'm not."

But once again he was like a wall, impenetrable, and Elsa was forced to spend the rest of the trip in silence, fighting against her powers and hoping they'd get there soon enough.


After another agonising thirty minutes, Marshall finally drove off the main route and into a dirt trail that got lost between high mountains. He had taken her request to heart, Elsa realised, and he was driving them both to the middle of nowhere.

"Where are we?"

"It's Sølv mountain."

"Is it far from our mountain?"

"This is to the South of Trolheim."

Marshall continued driving in the rocky path until he got to what seemed to be a small plain used for parking vehicles.

"I can't see any cars," Elsa said, unsure if the place Marshall had chosen was safe for them to be.

"People don't come here."

He stopped the car and got out, not saying another word to her. Elsa understood she was supposed to follow and so she did. She took a couple of long strides to get to him. He hadn't stopped to wait for her and he was already walking into the dense forest when she finally reached him.

"They don't?" She continued the conversation, knowing there was no point in complaining that he was walking faster than her legs could keep up. Sometimes she hated how tall he was.

Slightly turning his head in her direction, he answered, "No. Not the common folks, at least. There are no registered slopes, no parking lot, no nothing."

"Why?" Not even Elsa herself knew why she was suddenly so interested in knowing more about the mountain. But she guessed that all she really wanted was for him to continue talking to her.

"Its natural slopes aren't accessible." He ducked, avoiding a branch and then held it for Elsa to walk without a problem. She smiled at him and murmured a thank you. "And even if they were," he continued. "The sun only reaches them during midday hours. It can get too cold for people to enjoy their time here."

"The forest looks beautiful, even in the dark."

"It is beautiful," he agreed. "People don't take the time to come here and explore. But getting to do so is worth the trouble. Come on."

Elsa turned around and noticed she could no longer see the plain where they had parked the SUV, and a sudden feeling of dread consumed her. She trusted him. Of that she was sure, but Marshall was probably not thinking straight at that moment and they could get lost easily. "Where are we going?"

"As far as we can get."

"Isn't it a bit late to go exploring?" In her opinion, they were too far away already.

"That's the beauty of summer evenings," he said as he turned around to make sure she was still following. "It's never too late to go hiking."

Not feeling comfortable with his idea, Elsa stopped dead in her tracks, wondering if she should turn around and try to go back home. Though it was too late for that, she realised.

Sensing her uneasiness, Marshall turned around, and offered her a small smile. He extended his good hand, hoping she'd continued walking. "Just a few metres. There's a place I want you to see."

Elsa nodded, feeling reassured by the fact that he knew where he was going at least. But she didn't take his hand, afraid of her powers going out of control and hurting him once again.

Marshall's smile dropped as he realised Elsa's hesitation. "Please, just follow me a few more metres."

His slumped shoulders made Elsa feel bad about doubting him, so she agreed and followed him a short distance until they made it out of the forest.

The white nights of the summer helped Elsa see what was probably one of the most beautiful landscapes she had seen in person. She hadn't travelled far in her life, it was true, but still she was surprised to find a place more stunning than the North mountain. It only made her wish she could see this place during the day. They stood together side by side on a cliff that oversaw a big lake, surrounded by mountains' slopes. The peaks of the mountains in the distance were still white with snow and there were parts with unmelted ice, proving the sunlight didn't reach most parts, as Marshall had said.

"Remember that hike we postponed last Autumn?" Marshall asked when he noticed how mesmerised she was by the sights.

"The one we couldn't do because Kristoff was coming to visit?" It had been a few days before Kristoff and Anna visited and she broke her leg.

Now that she saw what she had missed, part of her wished she had said yes to him and postponed her brother's visit instead. There was no guarantee she wouldn't have broken her leg a week later, but it was nice to dream about all the things that could have gone differently.

He nodded and smiled. "I wanted to bring you here. I was sure you'd love this frozen lake and the snow slopes surrounding it. It doesn't look like it right now, but it can be breathtaking."

"How did you find this place?"

"My grandfather used to bring me here," he said. A bigger smile drew on his face at the memory. "He said it was the first place he thought about when he decided to build his house in the mountains. He then realised it was almost impossible to live in the area — too difficult to get to the city during the winter."

Elsa was certain both of them were using the mountains as an excuse at that point. If they continued their conversation, they could pretend things were not wrong between them. For a short moment, they could pretend his arm wasn't burnt and Elsa didn't have ice powers.

Or so she believed, until he continued speaking. "You know, I'm convinced that living in a place like this, in the middle of nowhere…It isn't normal. Only broken people do it."

Under any other situation, Elsa would have laughed at him. She would have thought it was one of his strange jokes. They both lived in the middle of nowhere after all.

"It was only after I admitted I had problems myself, and I decided to go fend for myself in the mountain, that I realised it." He looked at her, and his seriousness erased any doubts she had about it being a joke. "It made sense, you know? I was broken. It was only logical for me to stay far away from people."

"You think you're broken?"

"I'd like to think I'm not," he admitted as he looked at the lake once again. "But I can't seem to fit anywhere else. There's got to be something wrong."

"That's not necessarily true." Why on Earth would he think that way? Elsa couldn't stand it when he deprecated himself.

"I tried living in the city and failed miserably," he laughed humorlessly.

Elsa knew something had happened to him in town. Something that had made him throw away his education and his job and go back to the mountain. He never said what had happened, and since Elsa had her own secrets, she hadn't asked. "Does the city stress you out?"

"People do."

Elsa wanted to ask what he meant, but he cleared his throat and tried to divert attention from his answer. "Anyway," he said before she could speak. "One day you showed up in the North mountain and I started to doubt that idea. Maybe not everyone was broken, I said to myself after I got to know you. Maybe my grandfather was not a broken man, and maybe I wasn't either." He looked at her and Elsa knew it was his way of making sure she was listening. "For the longest time I wondered if I was correct or not. You were a puzzle. What on earth made a girl like you choose life in a place like this — or the North mountain — was beyond me. But now…"

Elsa gave him time to continue, but he stayed silent. He was hoping she understood where he was going. And Elsa did. It was clear what he was trying to imply and she couldn't deny it. "Now you know…"

"Now I know," he repeated. The way he avoided her eyes, Elsa knew he was as uncomfortable as she was about the truth coming to light. And she couldn't blame him. "Now I'm sure I was right all along too."

"So, you think I'm broken…" It was obvious he did, but the least Elsa expected was for him to say it without inhibitions. The way he always did.

"Am I mistaken?"

Once again he avoided saying the words, but his question was all the confirmation Elsa needed.

"No…" There was no point in denying it. He was right after all. She was broken, in more ways than he imagined.

But even if they both agreed, something in Marshall's face changed. It contorted in something akin to pain that Elsa didn't like seeing. He sighed and sat down, his legs hanging over the edge of the cliff. "I have no idea what you have been through, but I know people can be cruel as is. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for you…" He looked around and picked a small rock that he then threw far away and into the lake. They couldn't see it, but the faint splash of the rock hitting the water told them it had hit its target. He picked another rock and inspected it for a while as he continued speaking. "The way you reacted the other night, and how hard you've been trying to avoid me, gives me an idea though."

Not knowing what to say, Elsa sat down, her own legs hanging next to his. Part of her told her to sit farther away from him, or to stay standing — in case she needed to go. But deep down, she didn't want to. Maybe this was the last time the two of them had a moment together.


"I never meant to yell at you," Marshall said when he noticed her crestfallen expression. He was more than glad she had lowered her guard for just a moment and accepted they could have a quiet moment together, simply talking. "The last thing I wanted was to make you lose control. All I wanted to do was help you. But my ineptitude to control my emotions got in the way. I'm sorry."

It felt so strange to finally say what he had been repeating in his mind since the accident occurred. He had felt so guilty of being the cause Elsa lost control, and his conversation with Kristoff had done nothing to assuage it.

"What?" Elsa asked surprised, and it called his attention. "No. No, Marshmallow. You didn't do anything, I'm the one who—"

He was not going to deny he had been mad at Elsa during their days apart. But not once had he blamed her for what happened. He was not going to stay silent, listening to her taking the blame. "I don't know if you can truly control the snow or not. I don't know if you can use it at will or not. What I do know is you were trying to stop it, and stop me. And all I did was ignore you."

Elsa's silence told Marshall she didn't agree with him. And he wasn't surprised. None would give in, they were stubborn people after all. But Marshall's idea of talking involved Elsa saying something about herself at some point. He didn't mind the snow — powers as she called them. He was convinced they were more than just a burden to Elsa, no matter how much Kristoff had made it seem. But he couldn't be sure until Elsa opened up and told him about them.

"I'd love for you to show me what you can do," he said after a few minutes in silence. "I want you to trust me and give me a chance to get to know you."

Turning her head slightly towards him, she asked, "You're not afraid of me?"

The pain in her eyes told him to be careful about his answer. He wouldn't minimise the way he felt, but he'd try his best not to hurt her further. People in her past life had probably hurt her enough. "I'm hurt and confused, but not afraid, no. I thought we were closer than this. I thought you trusted me."

"I do," she said, surprised that was what concerned him.

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Looking down at his left, injured, hand, Elsa let out a trembling sigh and said, "I was afraid… of the way you'd react."

It hurt. Even if he accepted they hadn't been close from the start, Marshall believed they were closer than that and Elsa wouldn't be afraid of him and his short temperament. "I know I sometimes lose my temper, but I wouldn't hurt you. Much less for something that's out of your control. I can't say I understand your abilities. But I want to understand."

"I'm not afraid of you," Elsa promptly said. Turning her body to look at him. "I'm afraid of– I don't know how to explain it. I'm afraid of myself. Of the things I could do to you."

"What?"

"And at the same time, I'm afraid of people leaving me behind."

A sigh of relief escaped his lips. He didn't like finding out Elsa had so little trust in herself, but at least she wasn't afraid of him like he had feared. Deciding it was best to come clean about the way he felt, he said, "I'd rather get to know you, than leave you behind." It wasn't a confession, he knew. But it was the closest he could offer without making things more awkward between them.

"You would?"

He loved the way her eyes lit up at something so simple. He was offering the simplest thing he could and yet it seemed to mean the world to her. "If you'd let me," he said with a sad smile.

Elsa massaged her forehead and said with a dry laugh, "I've tried to hide my powers my whole life. It feels wrong to try to talk about them."

"You can stop hiding them now."

"I don't know how," she said honestly. "That's all I've ever done."

Marshall took a moment to think of something. He wasn't sure how to help Elsa open up about something so delicate. They weren't talking about something she had done. It wasn't an illness either. It was something that existed in her, and only her.

Suddenly finding a possible solution, he stood up from the floor. "Stand up," he said.

"What?"

"Come on. Stand up." He stretched his good hand for her to take, but once again Elsa ignored it.

"Why?" she asked.

"I want you to do it."

"Do what?"

"Do your thing. Show me what you can do." If she didn't know how to talk about it, then she could show him. There was no need for words.

"Do you want me to use my– No," she said, trying to hide her hands.

Her answer sounded definitive, but he wouldn't give in. "Please."

"No."

Not accepting her answer, he pulled her up from her good arm until she was standing. The disapproving look she gave him made him chuckle, but at least she hadn't pushed him away nor froze him to the floor. "There's no one around in kilometres." He spinned her around so she'd look him in the eyes. "It's just you and me," he reassured her with a smile.

The reddish-yellow light of the prolonged sunset lightened up her face, and for a moment he thought he saw her blush. But decided to ignore it, since there would be another time and place to think if what he had seen was not his mind playing tricks.

"I won't use my powers," Elsa said, pulling him back to reality and their conversation, which was a lot more important than whatever he felt for her.

"There's no other way than to show me who you are." He wanted to keep a positive attitude and show her he trusted her. He was certain it was all about trust. "I'll stand over here. And you'll do your thing over there." He pointed to the edge of the cliff, where they had recently been sitting.

"No, Marshall."

"Have you used your powers in front of Kristoff?"

"Yes."

"Anna?"

Somewhat ashamed, she nodded.

"Then why won't you use them in front of me?" He didn't want to seem jealous but there had to be a reason she wouldn't open up in front of him.

"It's not the same." She was no longer looking at him, and it made his patience run thinner.

"You don't trust me." He took a couple of deep breaths to calm down and remind himself that this was about reassuring Elsa, not about his own insecurities.

"Why do you insist on that? Of course I do." Elsa sounded honest and ready to contradict him if he said otherwise.

"Then prove it," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Use your powers."

But to his frustration, she stayed silent once again and didn't move at all.

"You won't ever feel comfortable around me otherwise. And I won't ever understand who you are. Please, use them."

Elsa looked at her back towards the cliff, and then back at him. "You'll stay over here?"

"Yes."

"You won't move?"

A smile drew on his face. "No."


Elsa took a few deep breaths and walked the distance between Marshall and the edge of the cliff. Marshall's idea wasn't bad, she'd direct her powers away from him and into the lake down below. Technically, he wouldn't be at risk as long as he stayed away. But she couldn't deny she was terrified of what she was about to do. The only thing that made her want to do it was Marshall. He seemed so sincere and eager to see what she could do, she couldn't deny him what he wanted. She only hoped his eagerness wouldn't transform into fear at some point.

Extending her right hand in front of her, and being as careful as she could, she let her powers manifest. She created some snowflakes, nothing big. And let them float over her shaky hand. After a few seconds, she closed her hand and let them fall naturally. She couldn't see them touch the surface of the water at the bottom of the cliff, but she felt them disappear.

The silence at her back didn't help her keep her heartbeat steady. Marshall hadn't made a sound since she began her demonstration and she didn't dare turn around. She kept her gaze fixed on the lake where the snowflakes had disappeared. She could only draw a shuddering breath in and keep waiting for him to do or say something.

Her eyes widened when she heard him walk behind her. Before she had time to think, he was already standing next to her. And to her surprise, instead of saying anything, he extended his uninjured arm and copied the position her own hand had during her demonstration.

Finally finding the courage, she looked at him, trying to read his expression. He didn't look horrified like she expected him to be. On the contrary, his expression was completely calm and serene as he kept looking at his extended arm.

"This is… unbelievable," he finally said. He moved his hand a few times, pretending to throw something. "To think you can create snow with a simple movement of your hand." His voice was barely over a whisper, as if he was talking to himself, but Elsa could hear him perfectly well.

"You shouldn't be standing so close," she said, when she noticed their arms were almost touching. "I'm really nervous. And I'm seriously dangerous, Marshall. I can lose control any minute and—"

"Something so beautiful can't be dangerous," he said, not paying her much attention.

An unusually warm feeling took over her chest and her heart rate increased. She no longer knew if it was his presence, his words or what, but she was certain Marshall was messing with her head and that was bad. "Will you please stand over there?"

"Stop worrying," he said with a reassuring smile.

"Over there, Marshall." She pointed to his previous spot, away from the edge. She wouldn't forgive herself if something happened to him. Especially now that she realised he was being honest when he said he wasn't afraid.

"Fine," he murmured, somewhat annoyed. He walked back to his spot. "Do it again."

For some reason she would then regret, Elsa complied. And this time she extended both arms and stopped resisting her powers. Letting them go made her feel better, more calm, and so she allowed the snow to flow. She closed her eyes, and for the first time in days her body was free to do what it constantly begged for her to do. For a moment, she could forget Marshall was standing at her back, analysing every movement. For a short moment, everything seemed fine. But her inner peace was disrupted by Marshall's voice that suddenly sounded too close for comfort.

"How do you do it?" he asked, startling her.

Afraid of feeling Marshall so close, Elsa took an instinctual step back, trying to get away. But to her consternation, he was closer than she had imagined and she bumped into him. This alerted Elsa's powers and ice manifested on the floor, sending them both to the ground as they slipped.

Once on the ground, Elsa tried to get away from Marshall but he put his arms around her and hugged her tight against his chest. "Hey, hey! Where are you trying to go? The cliff's right in front of you!" he said, the fear evident in his voice.

Elsa tried to fight against his tight grip, but he was bigger and stronger, not allowing her to escape anywhere. "I asked you to stay over there! What part don't you understand about me being dangerous?!" she yelled, angry that he couldn't follow a simple request. Some more ice manifested under them, but none of them noticed.

"I know you're not going to hurt me. Not on purpose. The same way you know I'm not going to…" He looked around trying to find an example he could use. "I don't know– Push you over the edge!"

"You pushing me doesn't depend on the way you feel or how nervous you are! My powers do!" she snapped and looked at him over her shoulder.

"Want to bet?" He said playfully, and Elsa felt her anger raise again.

"This isn't time for one of your stupid jokes! I'm serious. If I hurt again I won't be able to forgive myself." Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. "I care about you! Don't you see?!"

Elsa expected him to snap as well and counter her with something ridiculous. But to her surprise, he tightened his hold, ignoring completely how cold she was to the touch. "And I care about you," he said. "I want you to be yourself around me."

All of a sudden, all her worries, fears and frustrations, as well as the strange warm feeling she felt around him, became too overbearing and Elsa couldn't hold her tears back anymore. The moment one tear fell, the rest followed accompanied by a snowfall. She started sobbing in his arms, and Marshall only held her tight, giving her all the time she needed, understanding this was all too much for her.

After a few minutes in silence, when her tears and the snow subsided, Elsa turned around as best as she could in his arms and said, "If I say step back next time, will you step back?"

Marshall smiled at the implication that she was going to allow him near her powers in the close future. "I promise."

"You're a terrible liar," she laughed bitterly and rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes and feeling the exhaustion of the day finally catching up.


Elsa wasn't sure how long she had stayed in his arms, but she was thankful Marshall had kept holding her. His warmth was comforting and so different to her naturally cold body, she didn't want to put any distance between them. She concluded that using her powers had helped her regain some kind of control, and her usually unsteady powers were finally dormant. Allowing her to enjoy his closeness.

"I think your powers suit you," he said to her after a while. He sounded so serene, it didn't seem like they had been arguing that very same day.

"I hate them." She decided to be honest. There was no point in lying to someone who already knew your deepest secret.

"Why?"

"You said it yourself, I'm broken." Absent-mindedly, she began drawing imaginary shapes with her finger on the bandages that covered his injured arm. She needed a distraction and part of her didn't want to admit how much his words had hurt her.

"I don't think you're broken because of your powers," Marshall said, uncomfortable about the things he had said before. "I think you're broken because of the things people have done to you."

At that, Elsa sat up straight and silently asked Marshall to let her go. She turned around to face him and seriously asked, "Did Kristoff tell you about my past?"

"No." He shook his head. "But it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. I know your life's been hard. Now I think I know the reason why…" He looked around, trying to make up his mind, before he asked, "Have people mistreated you?"

She didn't want to tell him everything. At least not yet. He let his anger take control too easily, and finding out the things she's lived through was not going to help anyone.

"I don't know what it feels like to be normal," she said, trying to divert the attention. "My powers have been part of me my whole life."

"They've always been there?"

"My first memories are about me using my powers. So, yes." Now that she thought about it, she had never told anyone that fact. If she closed her eyes, she could see herself sitting on top of a bunk bed, playing with some snow and laughing on her own. Things had felt so simple back then, it felt surreal to think that little girl had lived through so much. "They're as natural as breathing to me; but at the same time, they're so frustrating. I don't even understand how they work."

"But I'm sure there must be a lot of things you like about them."

"What's there to like about something that isolates you and hurts the people you care about?"

Both of them looked at Marshall's bandages. Elsa's guilt hadn't vanished just because things were right between them now. "I'm sorry about the other night…" she said. "I was just so afraid. They reacted on their own and—"

"Don't worry about it."

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean to push you away. I swear I tried to—"

"I said it's fine," he insisted, caressing her face with the back of his hand. "I should've listened to you."

Feeling her powers still under control, she smiled and placed her good hand in his. It felt good to know she could trust herself around him after everything that happened. "Thank you for not giving up on me, Marshmallow. I'd have never built up the courage to talk to you if you hadn't come looking for me. I was so afraid of losing you."

He returned the smile. "You'll need a lot more than some frost to get rid of me."

The warm feeling returned, and for some reason she couldn't explain, her powers felt even quieter under her skin. It was an unusual calmness that she'd welcome any day.

"It doesn't mean I'm not a curious man," he continued, surprising her. "I will start asking questions eventually. You don't make sense."

She rolled her eyes and laughed at him. It was a miracle he had lasted as long as he did without being straightforward. "You don't need to remind me, you know…"

"I don't mean it in a negative way. But it's the truth…" He held her hand in his and inspected it. Elsa held her breath, still a bit uncomfortable about him being so nonchalant about holding her hands. "Biologically speaking, you don't make sense."

"I get it," she said, wishing for him to drop the topic. It was true, but she'd rather pretend it wasn't so. At least for one day. "You wouldn't be the first who tries to understand how my body works."

He might have noticed the way her smile dropped since he didn't waste a moment to ask her if she was okay, to which Elsa only nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm just tired." She was not comfortable with where their conversation was heading, but it was also true she was feeling more and more exhausted.

"We should go back," he said, as he helped her stand up. "Let me take you home."


I changed the ending of this chapter more times than I can count. There were so many things I wanted to include I couldn't really make up my mind.

These two had so many conversations that I later erased, I was starting to feel like an intruder in their little world. You may think I'm crazy, and you'd be right, but I swear that characters sometimes take the lead and you can only write what they want to say or do. So, if you've got any complaints, let me know so I can tell these two.

Anyway, I hope you've liked this chapter as well as the others. It's a bit different in my opinion. A bit more private. Like the one where Elsa and Anna stay up all night talking about Elsa's past. But it was necessary. I think Marshall deserved to know, you know?

Please, let me know what you think. Your comments make my day. You already know that!

A big thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read and comment on previous chapters.

Read you soon, people! Take care.