243

Echoes of the flashlight hitting each step of the stairs to the garage attic beat against everyone's ears after Gray dropped it. Elsa quickly looked between Marie and her youngest nephew, who was standing with his mouth wide open. He blinked rapidly. "Oops!" the boy exclaimed as he turned to descend the stairs.

"No!" Marie said loudly. She pulled out her cellphone from her red jacket pocket. "It's too dark," she explained in a softer tone. "Here. Use this." She turned on the flashlight on her phone and handed it to him.

He took it and accidentally shone it on the two women, who both turned away from the brightness. They still had their eyes covered in Marie's dark magic. "What were you doing?" Gray asked.

Elsa bit back a laugh as Marie let out a stifled grunt. "We were, uh…" Marie scratched her head and looked at Elsa. "We were-"

"We were kissing," Elsa stated.

The boy blinked in confusion as Marie shot a wide-eyed gaze towards Elsa. "Why?" he asked.

Marie scratched her head again. "Well, because, um…" She grabbed Elsa's hand and squeezed it as she looked Gray in the eyes. "Because we're together." Gray furrowed his eyebrows. Marie sighed as a small smile came across her face, which made Elsa smile as well. "Do you know what dating is?" Marie asked him. He nodded. Marie lifted her and Elsa's entwined hands. "Elsa and I are girlfriends."

Just hearing those words made Elsa's cheeks red, and she squeezed Marie's hand back. She approached the boy and knelt to his eye level. "I was kissing your aunty because I love her," Elsa said. "I've loved her for a long time."

Gray smiled sheepishly and mimicked his aunt by scratching his head. A warm feeling spread across Elsa's chest like a blanket. Marie approached and knelt as well. "Gray, listen," Marie said as she took his little hand into her own. "I know it's very exciting, but please let us be the ones to tell everybody."

Gray's attention snapped back to his aunt after he scanned the attic. "You mean that you were kissing?"

"Yes," Elsa answered. She gave Marie a nod of understanding. "Your Aunty and I want to be the ones to tell everyone that we are together, and that we were kissing."

The boy titled his head. "When are you going to tell them?"

"Tomorrow at suppertime, or maybe a little before then," Marie said. She ruffled his hair. "Keep this secret of ours, okay? Even from Hayden," she added when Gray opened his mouth. Marie raised an eyebrow and smiled. "I know you, kiddo."

"But-!" Gray shifted his little blue coat back and forth. "He won't tell anybody!"

"Gray," Elsa said softly. "We want to be the ones to tell everybody in case anyone doesn't like it. We don't want you to be the one they get mad at, okay?"

He blinked. "Why would they get mad?"

"Well," Marie started. She paused to consider her words. Elsa thought it was best to let Marie tell him, so she remained silent. Marie looked at him with a soft gaze, although her mouth formed a frown. "Some people think that only a boy and girl should be together, not a boy and boy, or a girl and girl. Some think that it's wrong and sometimes, they can get really mad and mean about it."

"Why?" asked Gray.

Marie let out a small chuckle and touched his cheek. "That's a very good question, and one I don't have the answer to. Some think it's God's design, or some are really old fashioned and-…" She stopped when a blank expression covered her nephew's face. "What's important to remember is that love is love, and two people that, um…" Marie paused again, completely aware that Elsa was hanging on her every word. Marie's face turned red. "…that feel the way that Elsa and I do for each other is never wrong." She tugged at the pink scarf that was wrapped around her neck. "You can't help who you fall in love with."

If not for the presence of the young boy, Elsa would have taken Marie in her arms and kissed her at that moment. Instead, she found herself trembling slightly. She almost said it, she thought to herself. Give it time. Marie and she made eye contact, and a snippet of satisfaction filled her at the sheepishness that her gaze caused Marie.

Gray turned his attention to Elsa. "Are you really Elsa? Do you have magic?"

Marie laughed awkwardly. "Wh-where'd that come from?" she asked nervously.

He blinked again and looked at Elsa. "I saw ice on your hands earlier."

Both Elsa and Marie were taken aback, and Elsa could not help but chuckle. "Nothing gets past him, huh?" she asked Marie, who also chuckled in defeat.

"Nope. Nothing at all," Marie answered.

"Can I see?!" Gray asked excitedly.

Elsa raised her hand. "There's no harm in showing him," she reassured Marie. She created a large snowflake in her hand.

Gray gasped and giggled loudly as he hopped up and down. "Whoa!"

"Gray? Where'd you go?" called another young boy's voice.

"That's Hayden," Marie said. "He's up here!" She leaned in towards Gray. "Promise me that you'll let us tell everyone, okay? Please."

"Not even about the magic?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"Remember what we were saying about people getting mad about us dating?" Marie asked. He nodded. "They could be the same about magic. Let Elsa be the one to tell them, okay?" Gray's eyes grew wide for a second in response to his aunt's conviction, but he nodded. Marie touched his cheek again. "Thank you, bud."

Little footsteps sounded on the stairs as Hayden joined them. After showing Elsa and the two boys things from Marie's childhood, Marie suggested they all return indoors. The temperature was dropping, and Elsa knew Marie was worrying about how cold the boys were getting due to them not wearing all their winter gear. Elsa clasped her hands in front of her as she waited for them to come out of the garage. Seems they forgot to put on their winter clothes with all the excitement, she thought. Marie's parents' dog, Rex, met them outside and herded Gray towards the house. Elsa turned to wait for Hayden and Marie, but stopped when she heard Hayden ask, "Aunty? Can I ask you something?"

Elsa shot away from the open door, but her curiosity kept her lingering nearby. Every time Marie brought up the children, she softened, but not as much as she did with Hayden. Elsa knew the boy was Marie's godson, while Kayla was her goddaughter, and that meant a lot to Marie. She took the role very seriously, thus her relationship with the two children was different from the others, although Marie still loved them all equally. "Of course," she heard Marie say, and that familiar pain raked across Elsa's chest at the sound of her tenderness. Was what Marie said true? Could she truly leave someone behind that she loved so deeply, especially when it was more than one person? Just the way Marie said those two words to her nephew caused doubt to cloud Elsa's mind once more, so she lingered near the garage as though she had no choice in the matter. She had to find out the answer to the thoughts that plagued her.

"How long are you going to be here?" Hayden asked. "How many nights are you staying?"

Elsa heard Marie sigh. "I'm not sure yet," Marie answered, sounding guarded. Elsa clasped her hand over her chest. She knew it was not easy for Marie to hide what was truly going on with her nieces and nephews. "It depends on a few different things…"

"Will you go away again?"

Elsa leaned against the outside garage wall with bated breath. A few seconds went by in silence that felt like hours. "Well, I don't live here anymore. This isn't my home, so I'll have to leave sometime," Marie said with a chipper tone that sounded forced. She fell silent. "But that's not what you're asking me, is it? You're wondering if I'll go away for as long as I did before, aren't you?" Hayden must have nodded because a heavy sigh escaped Marie a couple seconds after her question. Elsa clenched her hand that was over her chest into a fist as her heart raced within her. "I don't want to be separated from you guys. I wish I could see you every day," Marie said with a tremble in her voice.

Elsa covered her mouth as heaviness shook her entire being. I knew it, she thought. She doesn't want to come back with me.

"But I have to go."

Elsa froze, her eyes growing wide.

"I have to do what's right for me, to protect myself from people who hurt me," Marie said. "And, this might not make sense right now, but when you're older, you'll find a person who loves and accepts you for who you are, and you won't want to be away from that person." She heard Marie laugh softly in a way that made Elsa's heart skip a beat. "I finally found that person, Hayden. So, what I'm trying to say is that I want to be with the person I love."

"Elsa?" Hayden asked.

"Yes," Marie said. Elsa covered her mouth with her hands as she shook. "But no matter where I am, I will always be right here," Marie said softly. "I will never truly be gone."

Elsa heard Marie say something else, but she did not catch what it was because she tore herself away from the garage as tears fell freely down her face. She finally admitted it, Elsa thought to herself as she stood near Marie's vehicle. She let out a laugh of disbelief and joy. Of course, it was to someone else, but still. She admitted it.

She heard the garage door shut as Marie and Hayden walked out and headed for the house. Elsa turned around and wiped her tears away. Her heart raced within her chest as she laid eyes on Marie. Marie met her gaze. It felt as though it was the first time, as though they were in Arendelle's castle the night Marie came into her world and tried to jump out of the castle window all over again. That first time their eyes met, Elsa knew she felt something stir within her that she had never felt for anyone else. She could not help but smile at Marie shyly as she wiped another tear away. Marie told Hayden to go into the house before making her way over to Elsa. "What's up? Something wrong?" Marie asked as she approached.

What felt like fire burned within Elsa, and she thought it was going to overtake her as Marie drew close to her. Elsa pressed their foreheads together and grabbed Marie's hands. How she desperately wanted to take her right then and there. "I'm alright," she breathed onto Marie's lips. "Just got something in my eye."

Marie trembled as Elsa pulled her even closer. "Oh. Let me see."

"It's okay," Elsa said softly as she pulled away, fighting every muscle in her body by doing so. "I got it out."

Marie stepped back and pulled Elsa's hand. "I want to double check just in case." She stopped when Elsa began laughing. "What is it?" Marie asked a little defensively, her mouth forming a playful frown.

Elsa raised her nose into the air and began walking away with her arms clasped behind her back. "It's nothing," she answered coyly. She shot Marie a glance. "I think I'll withhold saying it…like a certain someone." Marie blushed deeply in response.

A couple hours later, everyone was getting ready for bed. Tina had left with the rest of the children besides Hayden and Gray. Elsa finished slipping her long-sleeved pink nightgown on in Marie's old bedroom and smiled to herself. It was hard pretending to be just friends with Marie once they had gotten back into the house, and she remembered Marie saying earlier to Gray that they were going to come out with the truth about being together the next day. That's good, Elsa thought as she began brushing her long blonde hair. Holding back how I feel is getting hard. She stood and reached for the bedroom door handle to open it, but stopped when she heard John's voice call to his younger sister right outside of the room.

"What is it?" Marie's voice sounded right outside of the door. Elsa stopped right before reaching the doorknob as she debated whether to open it or not. Should she interfere or let Marie handle it on her own?

"Sorry for earlier," John said. Even though his tone was apologetic, Elsa still narrowed her eyes as she listened. "You sure surprised me, though!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too," Marie said stiffly. "I shouldn't have called you a jackass. It was wrong."

Not necessarily, Elsa thought to herself.

"You gonna stay tomorrow, too?" Marie's brother asked.

"I'm not sure," Marie answered. "It depends on how things go."

"What things?" John's tone was already dipping back into a sarcastic, degrading sound, and Elsa gripped the doorknob, ready to open it within a moment's notice. "You got some big plans back home or something?"

Marie sighed. "I don't have to justify to you what I do with my time, John, especially when you ask like that."

Before he could respond, Elsa opened the door. "I'm done," she said curtly. Gray and Hayden were in the other spare bedroom sitting on one of the beds as they played on their iPads, but Elsa knew they were soaking up the conversation like sponges. Children always did.

"I just asked about your plans, Drama Queen. Don't be so sensitive," John mumbled as he went into the bathroom and shut the door.

Marie tensed and covered her face in exasperation. "Jackass," she muttered under her breath. She joined Elsa inside of her old room after they said goodnight to the boys.

Elsa shut the door as Marie covered her birds' cage near the windows. She frowned slightly when Marie sat down on the bed with her back turned to Elsa, motionless and stiff. "Why is your family so obsessed about what you do with your time?" Elsa ventured. "It seems to go passed just wondering how long you're staying."

Marie rubbed her tired face. "Probably because I haven't been around for two years," she muttered bitterly.

Elsa crawled under the thick, purple covers. "It seems deeper than that," she said gently.

"Sorry," Marie said quietly. "I didn't mean to snap at you." Elsa pulled the covers back, and Marie joined her in bed. She stared at the wall for a few seconds. "It's true that I have more time than the usual person does because I'm disabled, and my family has taken advantage of that for years. At a moment's notice, I would travel to stay with them for days, sometimes weeks. I did labor for them, watched the kids for them, pretty much anything that got me fed." Marie's expression fell. "Then I went missing in the forest. No one believed me or knew what really happened. Heck, I didn't know myself, but for some reason, my family was cruel about it. Suddenly I was lazy, irresponsible, and worthless. I'm not making that up: they really called me that. So, I stopped coming around as often, and it only got worse. The moment I stopped doing what they wanted and tried living my own life…"

"They turned on you," Elsa finished.

Marie rested her chin against her raised knees. "Yes. So, I stopped coming around all together, and now my father's threatening them, and they have no idea." She sighed heavily. "Things will only get worse. They'll only get worse the more we're here. They act all polite now, but once some time passes, they'll show their true colors."

"They're acting polite?" Elsa asked. "Marie, if they're acting this way and holding back like you say, it won't be safe for you." Marie scoffed, but Elsa gently grabbed her hand. "Safety is more than just physical."

"Not in this family," Marie answered quietly. They settled under the covers. "We're telling them tomorrow," Marie whispered. "I can't take much more of this."

Elsa rolled on her right side. "I'm glad to hear that. I know it will be hard, but I'll be here every step of the way."

Marie looked at Elsa. "I never checked your eye."

"Oh, it's fine," Elsa began to say, but she stopped when Marie leaned over her, her eyes steady and focused. Elsa felt herself melt into the mattress a little.

"…I want to be with the person I love," Marie's voice echoed in Elsa's mind. She touched Marie's cheek, and Elsa kissed her.

Marie broke apart their lips but stayed close to Elsa, their breaths mingling. "I'm supposed to be checking your eye," she whispered coyly.

Elsa grazed Marie's cheek with the back of her hand. She ran her thumb against Marie's lips as her heart thudded loudly in her chest. She looked at Marie as a smile crept onto her lips. "There was never anything in my eye," Elsa breathed as she guided Marie's lips back to her own, and she shivered as they grazed.

"Aunty?" came a small voice as the bedroom door suddenly opened.

Marie shot away from Elsa and Elsa covered herself with the blanket to hide her laughter. "Jesus, Gray!" Marie exclaimed. "You gotta knock or something!"

The boy simply blinked at them, unphased. "When are you getting up tomorrow?"

Elsa uncovered herself as Marie sighed loudly. "I don't know, honey," Marie said, her tone softer than before. "Sometime in the morning? It'll be okay. We'll be here." Gray nodded and shut the door. Marie flopped down on the mattress and covered her face with her arm.

Elsa propped herself up on her elbow. "I think someone has a little separation anxiety," she commented.

Marie rubbed behind her eyes. "He always has." She looked at Elsa. "If I had a dollar for every time we were interrupted, I'd be rich."

Elsa laughed and leaned over Marie. She hovered over Marie's lips with her own and asked in a sultry tone, "Should we test that theory?" Before Marie could respond, Elsa whipped the blankets over their heads and kissed Marie deeply. The time they had in the garage attic was not enough: Elsa wanted more. She craved more. Her body ached for Marie, but she held herself back, even though she gripped the sheets below them until her knuckles were white. They broke apart, and Elsa could not help but utter, "I love you."

Marie held Elsa's face tenderly. "No more secrets starting tomorrow." She kissed Elsa's nose. "I'm laying it all out."

Elsa nuzzled her forehead against Marie's, her heart racing even faster. "Promise?" she breathed.

Marie trembled slightly. "Promise."

The knife Elsa held cut deeply into some potatoes that lay in front of her on the counter of Theresa and Marvin's kitchen. It was the next day, and Marie's family was preparing another big dinner for the family. Tina and the children were going to join them in the early evening for the meal. Elsa scooped up the chopped pieces of potato and tossed them into a serving bowl next to her. That's good that everyone will be here, she thought to herself as she grabbed another potato. Everyone can hear what's going on all at once that way.

Theresa strolled into the kitchen and stood by her daughter, who was preparing the sauce for potato salad. She dipped her finger into the sauce to test taste it. "More salt," Theresa said.

Marie nodded. "Okay."

Elsa observed from the corner of her eye. Theresa had ordered, not asked, for their help preparing the meal. Elsa had no problem helping, but not if she and Marie were treated with disrespect in doing so. Marie kept quiet around her family, occasionally tossing an idle comment here and there, but her silence was noticed by each member of her family. Everything she does is so closely monitored, Elsa thought. She bumped Marie's side softly and gave her a small smile. Elsa could not help but compare Marie's treatment to her time as queen. It's an exhausting way to live, but at least most of the people in Arendelle weren't looking for an opportunity to slight or hurt me, she thought. Each comment made to Marie Elsa countered with grace, albeit it was difficult to maintain such composure. Marie's prediction of her family settling into their truer personas was spot-on, and Elsa's comments seemed to only speed up that process. She watched over Gray, who was peeling the potatoes next to her. She was eager to get the truth out that night.

"Hayden, can you get me the salt from that drawer?" Marie asked. Elsa and Marie had spent most of their time that day with the boys playing outside, and Elsa found herself growing quite fond of them. Hayden fetched his aunt the salt and was shown how to prepare the rest of the sauce. The two boys wanted to do whatever their aunt was doing all day, which Elsa found sweet and endearing.

"Marie, are these pieces a good size?" Elsa asked.

Before Marie could respond, Theresa snuck a look and frowned. "You were only supposed to cut them in half!" she said loudly. "What, have you never made potato salad before?"

"Mom, knock it off," Marie hissed. "They'll boil faster that way. I told her to do it."

Elsa stabbed the tip of the knife into the cutting board and twirled it by the handle. "No, I haven't," she replied with a calm countenance. "But I'm always willing to learn."

Theresa scoffed. "What is it that you do, anyways?"

Marie dropped the mixing spoon roughly and turned to face her mother with crossed arms, but Elsa rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "I used to be into politics, but that role went to my younger sister. I still help her out from time to time," Elsa said.

"How old are you?" Theresa asked with a sharp tone. It was meant to intimidate, but it did not phase Elsa. She had dealt with people like Theresa her whole life.

"I'm 26," Elsa answered.

Theresa looked at her daughter. "See? You could have gone into something like that at her age!"

Marie shook her head. "No, thanks."

"Well, do something, at least!" Theresa said. "Instead of sleeping all day!"

Elsa dropped the knife and took a step forward. "Marie doesn't sleep all day, and her life is meaningful and full of purpose even if she's disabled."

Before Theresa could respond, Marie slammed the bowl of sauce on the counter and faced her mother. "Do you want my help or not?" she asked angrily. A prickle of uneasiness flared in Elsa's chest. She had never seen Marie like this before.

"Why? What else are you going to do?" Theresa asked with a sarcastic chuckle thrown in.

Marie walked out of the kitchen while glaring at her mother. "You don't get to treat people this way and expect them to help you. Find someone else."

Hayden and Gray immediately followed their aunt, but Elsa lingered. She watched as Marie threw on a coat and went outside with the two boys hot on her trail, their voices carrying around the house as they asked where Marie was going. Elsa clasped her hands in front of her and looked at Theresa from the side. "You know, she won't always be around, so I suggest making the most out of the time you do have with her before the memory of you is nothing but ruin and pain."

Theresa's face grew red. "What does that mean?" she exclaimed. Elsa said nothing more and followed Marie out of the house.

As the outside air stung Elsa's cheeks, she scanned the yard and found Marie. Even though Marie was all the way across the large yard, Elsa immediately felt her heart lurch within her chest at the sight of her. Marie was sitting on a swing on the small playground that sat next to a playhouse with her back turned towards the house. Her shoulders were hunched over and she remained motionless. The boys lingered near their aunt, their movements stiff. Elsa immediately headed for them, each of the three dogs joining her as she made the trek. As Elsa approached, Gray stared into the nearby forest with a blank expression while Hayden kicked some snow on the ground. Elsa brushed some snow off the swing next to Marie and joined her. Marie quickly wiped her face but not before Elsa caught sight of a few tears on her face. She reached over and wiped them off for Marie, who stared at the ground with dark, bleak eyes. Elsa looked up at the boys. "Hayden, Gray, could you give us a minute?" Elsa asked. They nodded and walked over to a nearby brush pile on the edge of the yard.

"I hate them," Marie said quietly. She covered her eyes and shook. "Sometimes, I just hate them. They're so cruel, and-!..." She trailed off and shook her head. "We're telling them tonight." She looked up at Elsa. "We're telling everyone."

Tina and the rest of the children arrived within the hour. Marie and most of the children stayed outside despite the daylight fading and the air chilling even further. Even though the cold did not bother Elsa, she still felt the sting of it on her nose and cheeks, but she tolerated it. It was better than being inside with the rest of the adults.

Evening settled in and dinner was ready. The same routine of Marie shepherding the children to wash their hands and dish themselves up followed suit, and even though Marie was guarded and melancholy, being with the children lifted her spirits just enough to become infectious to Elsa. After serving herself some ribs and mashed potatoes, Elsa sat down next to Marie at the dinner table and gave Marie's hand a quick squeeze underneath it. The conversation shifted from one topic to another. Tina complained about her current boyfriend while John threw in jabs as well. Theresa grumbled about how much work preparing the meal was, and Elsa could not help but shake her head while Marie rolled her eyes. "What's that for?" Theresa snapped.

Yet again, nothing goes unnoticed, Elsa thought bitterly. Except Marie's pain.

"Hayden and Gray helped you, remember?" Marie asked. "You had help."

"Not much from you two," Theresa snapped again.

Marie slammed down her water glass, causing her siblings and some of the kids to shift uncomfortably. "Leave Elsa out of it," Marie growled.

Jack laughed quietly to try appeasing the tension. "Sounds like you had help after all, Grandma," he said with a smile.

Theresa frowned. "Whatever."

Elsa sipped water from her glass. Even the grandchildren parent her, she thought.

"So, Marie," Marvin said lightheartedly. "Have you tried out for any plays lately?"

Marie smiled tensely. "Um, no, not lately. I'd like to, I've just been pretty busy." She took a quick drink of water. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk about something with all of you tonight."

John laughed. "Been busy with what?" he asked dryly.

"She's trying to tell you," Elsa said.

"Yeah, Uncle," Kayla muttered.

Marie took a deep breath. "There's something that's been going on lately that all of you should know about," she said. She looked at Elsa, who nodded. "It's about what really happened that night in the forest."

"Jesus Christ," Marvin mumbled.

"We know what happened," John said. "You snuck off to screw around and got all this attention because you almost "froze."" He made quotations with his fingers. "You were fine. You didn't need to go to the hospital."

"That's not what happened," Elsa said firmly.

"Yeah?" John crossed his arms and glared at Elsa. "How would you know, Miss Princess?"

"What the hell is your problem?" Marie shouted. "I almost died! And say what you will to me, but don't even think about talking to Elsa that way!"

"What are you going to do about it?" Tina asked. "Leave for another two years? Do you think no one was going to bring that up? We piss you off, then what? You run away again?"

Anger boiled within Elsa to the point where she heard ringing within her ears. "Have any of you thought that's Marie leaving was the consequences of your own actions?" Elsa asked in a low tone. "That maybe the reason she isn't around anymore is because of how you treat her?"

"Stay out of this," Tina spat. "You're nothing but a stuck-up stranger who doesn't even know this family. Your opinion doesn't matter."

Suddenly Marie stood and slammed her hands down on the table. "Shut. The fuck. Up," Marie seethed. Elsa spotted darkness beginning to seep out of her hands as Marie shook tremendously. It was not out of fear, rather immense anger, and frustration. "Just shut your mouths. I'm sick of you. ALL of you." She paused. "Not you, kids. I'm not talking about you." Marie glared at her siblings and parents. Because Elsa knew how powerful Marie was, the pure hatred and righteous anger that flooded off Marie momentarily froze Elsa, but none of her family felt this way. In fact, they scoffed and looked at Marie as though she were a joke. Marie stood up straight. "I've taken what you've said to me for so long." She shook. "And for so long, I did nothing. I didn't know my worth." Marie looked at Elsa. "That is, until I met her. Elsa's treated me with love, and kindness, far from anything any one of you have ever known. So, berate me, make fun of me, but if you treat Elsa with anything but respect and decent fucking behavior, I will be gone for good this time."

"Why are you saying this?" Theresa asked, for once sounding worried.

"Because," Marie said while looking at Elsa. She smiled and grabbed Elsa's hand. "I love her."

It felt as though a blast of wind knocked Elsa backward. She exhaled a breath that she did not realize she had been holding, one that felt like she had been holding for years. Elsa pressed Marie's hand against her lips. "Oh, Marie," she breathed as she fought back tears, her heart racing as though it was going to burst out of her chest.

"What?" Theresa's loud voice boomed over the table. "So, you're gay now?"

Marie caressed Elsa's cheek for a moment before turning her attention to her mother. "Actually, I'm bisexual, but sure."

A dark, resentful laugh flooded across the dinner table. Elsa felt a pit drop in her stomach at the sight of Marie's face as Marvin stood and kept laughing. Theresa tried putting a hand on her husband's arm. "Marv, just sit down," she tried to appease him, but Marvin shook her arm off roughly.

"You come into my house after two years of nothing and treat your mother and family the way you do, and you expect me to just sit here and take it all?" he said, his voice raising in volume with every word. Every single person around the table grew quiet and fearful, except for Elsa, who instinctively shielded Marie. Marvin pointed a finger at Marie and screamed, "PACK YOUR THINGS AND GO, YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"That's enough," Elsa said. Within a second, Elsa rose and shot a blast of ice at Marvin, Theresa, Tina and John, instantly freezing them in place. She also froze their mouths shut before they could retaliate. She rolled her shoulders as Marie faced her with a gaping mouth. "There. That's much better," Elsa said. She brushed off her lap and looked at each of the children. "Don't worry. You're safe. We won't hurt you."

"W-we?" Isaac stammered.

Gray gasped. "Aunty, do you have magic, too?!"

After exchanging glances with Elsa, Marie raised her hands. Darkness cascaded across her skin as she formed a sphere. She smiled at the kids and said, "I do."