#anyways time to get rid of all the modern crap still left from my ex except the bed frame

[twoidiotwriters1]

Déjà Vu (Or are we losing our minds?) XIV -Modern!Shirbert

A/N: I haven’t written the epilogue yet, so it might not come out next week, I do hope I get the time to do it though, hang in there! -Danny

Words: 1,178

Series’ Masterlist

Previous Chapter // Epilogue

'I hope that if alternate universes exist, it will still be you and me in the end. I hope that there will always be an us. 

In every world,  in every story' — Tina Tran

New Year's passed without any strange occurrences as well, Anne had made up her mind and decided that those dreams had been the result of a very shitty week in which she'd had to deal with her ex's engagement, but now she was fine!

If fine meant being unable to not daydream about the handsome stranger with the pretty eyes.

Either way, her trip back to Toronto had gone well, next day they would attend the Orchard's party (Diana had told her she'd contacted Gilbert and he'd reserved a whole table for them) and she couldn't wait to get rid of this false illusion, she decided that the only way she'd be able to get over this man would be by meeting him. Usually, that's all it takes to stop liking a man.

"Anne?" Diana peered through the door. "It's almost three in the morning, you should go to bed..."

"I'm sorry Di, did I wake you?"

"Yeah, what are you doing anyway? School hasn't started, you can't be doing homework?"

"Oh, no," Anne smiled. "I started a new project. It's... It's a romance."

"Oh?" Diana's brow raised. "Are we back to being hopeless romantics, then?"

"I don't know," She looked back at her laptop. "I haven't decided yet. Which is perfect for the book, you know? I think I can give an interesting perspective, don't you think? More objective?"

"What's the main plot?"

"I don't know yet," Anne laughed. "It's about this boy, he's met a girl once in his life and only talked to her for like, five seconds, but it's enough for him to fall in love completely. After that, he starts to compare every woman to the stranger even though all is mere speculation— I haven't decided whether if it should have a happy ending or a realistic one."

"Happy endings can be realistic too, you know?"

"Well, you know what I mean," She shrugged. "It's just a concept, and it could suck— I could end up abandoning the story if it doesn't feel right, but it's the first time I feel inspired enough to do something longer than three pages and I thought I should try it."

"I think you should," Diana walked up to her and kissed the top of her head. "I know it's hard to go to bed when you're inspired and all, but do try to sleep? I don't want you leaving the party early..."

Anne's stomach twisted in anticipation, she doesn't know if she'll want to stay after meeting Gilbert, but she can't say that to her friend.

"Of course," She smiles. "Don't worry."

———————————————

It wasn't a fact, but the possibility of Anne coming to the party caused Gilbert to pour all his energy into making sure everything was perfect.

Gilbert had always been a bit of a control freak, but this was the last opportunity to actually meet the real Anne, and he didn't want to waste it.

He looked at the decorations around him feeling satisfied, Gilbert checked the time and realized it was almost 3 am, he swore under his breath and quickly made his way out, making sure everything was in place and safely secured.

He didn't know why, but something about the next day felt final, it was a now or never kind of situation.

***

The train's incessant rumbling woke him up. He realized he'd fallen asleep while reading the newspaper, Gilbert carefully folded it and fixed his posture as well as his clothes. He realized he was wearing some kind of old-fashioned suit, which he didn't consider strange at all, it felt right, actually, he felt more at home than ever.

Someone sat down in front of him, a dark-haired girl with intense brown eyes and flushed cheeks, he knew who it was immediately.

"Diana," He smiled. "To what do I owe the ple—"

"What is wrong with you?" She interrupted. "First you make us all believe you're marrying an older lady, then you show up at the last minute and announce to my father that you're no longer marrying and you're moving to Toronto instead?"

"I— What?" Gilbert blinked. "Marrying?"

"Yes!" Diana leaned forward. "You told my father you were planning to propose to Winnifred Rose and that you were moving out to Paris, then you change your plans completely! You have no idea how's Anne suffered because of you!"

The name immediately stirred something in him, Gilbert smiled.

"This is a dream, isn't it?" He asked. "She's here—"

"So you simply never bothered to speak to Anne about any of this?" She demanded, clearly not listening to him.

Gilbert's mind came up with a reply on its own, much like any regular dream, it was as if he knew there was a script he had to follow for the story to continue its course.

"Had I had the opportunity to I would have, in fact, I went over—"

"You had every opportunity, for years! Admit it— You've been smitten with Anne ever since she first came to Avonlea and smashed that slate over your head!"

The sentence brought back clear memories: Anne looking extremely pissed, holding a small slate and then hitting him with it. Him being so drunk he'd insulted her without really meaning to.

'Oh... crap', He thought.

"I need to talk to her," Gilbert stood up abruptly.

Part of him knew this wasn't real and talking to Anne here would do nothing to fix the reality that he'd screwed up the first impression already. But his dream-self had no sense of logic, so he ran to the nearest exit just when the train was reaching the station.

He rushed past the crowd and quickly found himself in the middle of a town with no idea of where he was going. The streets looked familiar, but where was Anne?

He ran across alleys, wide streets and unknown houses until he saw a big, greenish building ahead, and his heart jolted in excitement, he knew this was it, he sped forward, he was reaching the entrance—

***

The loud beeping of his alarm woke him up abruptly. Gilbert's eyes opened at once and he looked for the device frantically.

"No no no," He said anxiously. "I was so close!"

But it was all a dream, even if he'd found Anne, it wouldn't change the fact that he'd already ruined his chances with her since the start, and maybe his dreams were all a constant reminder of how it didn't matter how many times he could rewrite the story in his dreams, what's done it's done.

Gilbert fell back on the mattress with a groan. He'd been planning this party for weeks and now it all felt useless, now all he could do was wait for the party and hope Anne didn't remember him.

———————————————

Anne stood gracefully in the corner of the room, looking around at the attendants of that evening's ball without much interest, she was looking for those familiar dark-brown curls, but there was no sign of them yet.

"Oh, Anne!" Phil approached her. "Isn't this dance beautiful? Although it saddens me that the only reason why we get to enjoy it it's because we've finished our studies for good! I shall miss the classroom very much, won't you miss me?"

"Yes, I believe my heart will feel like a part of it has been stolen as soon as you part from my side," Anne replied, only the tiniest hint of teasing in her voice.

"Oh, you're lying!" Phil sniffed dramatically. "I know I won't be you most missed old chum, that's a place Gilbert Blythe has occupied ever since you rejected his proposal."

"Phil!" Anne exclaimed. "Don't speak like that! It wouldn't be proper of me to miss a man while courting another and you know it!"

"Oh, but the heart is such a funny thing," Phil sighed. "And I know you love him, therefore I should deliver the news before it's too late. Gilbert is expected to be engaged very soon."

Anne felt like her heart was getting squeezed and shattered, but she managed to control her voice.

"Oh?"

"Yes," Phil continued calmly. "I thought you ought to know, even if you insist you don't love him. I tell you so you don't do anything foolish... you should tell him the truth."

"What truth?"

"That you and Roy won't get married, of course!"

"Dear me, Phil, where did you get that from?" Anne gasped. "He hasn't even proposed!"

"It doesn't matter, I know you regret deeply the way you treated Gilbert that dreadful day, I know you would answer differently now, wouldn't you?"

What dreadful day?

Rejected his proposal? What proposal?

A muffled voice echoed in her mind, one she knew too well already.

'You would have sex with me?'

Anne shook her head in incredulity. Well, of course she was going to reject him! That offer had been positively scandalous!

And what had she done? She had... she had...

The memory came to her fresh in a flash. She had seized the slate and slapped him with it.

"Oh my..." Anne's hand covered her lips in horror. "Well, I did what I had to, Phil, he was incredibly rude!"

"Rude? He was just asking a question!" Phil blinked in confusion. "How's that rude?"

"Because he... he..." Anne blinked several times, then her gaze gained a bit of clarity. "He called me carrots! Yes, he did!"

"Oh, Anne, that was so long ago!" Phil laughed. "Haven't you gone through enough together to know he didn't mean to offend you?"

Anne was growing anxious. She fixed her skirt even though it didn't need any fixing, and stood up.

"It's getting late, I think I'll go now."

Without waiting for a reply she left, in the blink of an eye, she found herself inside the Green Gables' kitchen, Marilla was seated in front of her, and she had a very pitiful expression.

"I understand if you don't want to visit him, Anne, but I think you should, this may be the last chance you get to speak to him."

"I... Visit him?" Anne blinked. "Last chance?"

"I don't want to scare you, dear, but his mother told me his condition is quite grave," Marilla sighed. "Gilbert might not be with us next week."

"Gilbert?" Anne's voice trembled. "He's sick?"

"I understand your shock, but please do consider going to pay him a visit, whatever he did to offend you... it's better if you let him go with a clean conscience, he was such a good man..."

Marilla was talking of him as if he were already dead! He couldn't be! Anne had seen him in the picture—

But how long had it been since that? How long since she'd stopped dreaming about him? What if this was the reason?

Anne stood up and ran upstairs, she got to her room and locked herself away so she could be miserable in peace.

It was true that he had disrespected her, and she'd defended her honour with that slate... but he was really sweet and generous... or was he?

Ugh, she was so confused! How could she know what was real and what had been her imaginings entirely?

***

"Good morning, Princess Cordelia!" Cole stormed into the room and let himself fall on top of her. Anne groaned and pushed him away. "Are you ready for tonight? I'm planning to get you so drunk you start talking about shifting realities!"

"No!" She whined.

"What?" Cole looked at her.

"I'm not ready to—" She caught herself before she could say 'meet him', "...to get drunk! I think I should take a break from parties..."

She knew that meeting him would help her get over her infatuation, and maybe even stop her dreams... but she didn't want them to stop; it was so nice to have someone treating her the way Gilbert would in her imagination... what if he was just as awful as Roy? She wasn't ready to have her heart broken again...

"Anne, but you've only gone to one party since the holidays started," Cole visibly deflated, "please don't tell me this is about your ex? Diana told me you were writing again, I thought you were making progress..."

Anne shook her head. "I'm not feeling well, Cole."

Cole stood up, Anne pulled the blankets over her head.

———————————————

When the first group of people arrived, Gilbert's anxiety skyrocketed. He was expecting to see Diana's face any moment now, and that would end up confirming whether he would be reuniting with Anne that night or not.

Thirty minutes... an hour...

"Gilbert!" The young woman and her group of friends (including Cole) made a beeline towards him. "Oh my goodness, you're so tall!"

He smiled, for a moment his thoughts focused on his old friends, and how different yet similar they all look from their younger versions. Then he realized Anne wasn't there, and his hopes and expectations both crashed.

Of course she wasn't going to come! Even if she did live here, Diana had probably told her it was a reunion for old friends only, and she didn't know him, not the real him, and if he was really honest, he didn't know her either.

———————————————

If she were to stay and miss the party, she'd end up frustrated. If she did meet him and didn't like him, she would move on faster— a bit hurt, but knowing she was making the right choice.

However, if she were to attend the party, meet him, and realize he was all she'd been expecting him to be and more... well, she could only hope for him to be single.

Anne had been pacing up and down her apartment pretending to be cleaning when in reality she was only making a bigger mess. Her phone buzzed and Diana's name appeared on the screen. She picked it up with shaky hands and unlocked it.

'We miss u :c'

Under the text, there was a selfie of Diana, over her shoulder was Cole, and he was talking animatedly with... Dear God, he was taller than expected.

She stared at Cole and some strange resentment filled her.

"That should be me," She stated, and somehow she knew she was right. It should be Anne talking to Gilbert, taking a risk for the first time in years. She'd only dated one guy, for heaven's sake! She had to let herself live!

"FINE!" Anne groaned. "I'm going!"

***

Gilbert hadn't announced he was leaving, he knew they would all ask him to stay but he couldn't, he was disappointed, all he wanted was to stay home watching shitty romcoms and crying his eyes out.

It was all his fault, Anne had nothing to do with this, he had let his mind run wild and these were the consequences he was forced to face.

Unknown to him, Anne was in her apartment frantically changing her clothes and brushing her hair. She grabbed a bag and hastily put all her stuff in it. She'd already wasted two hours, she had to leave the house NOW.

Gilbert searched his pockets for change, he was planning to buy a few beers and get slightly tipsy so he could be sad properly. He found a dollar but the wind snatched it out of his hand abruptly. The young man let out a short groan as he ran after it. A door opened across the street and a woman's voice reached him.

"C'mon!" Anne closed the door roughly, she lifted her gaze and...

Gilbert didn't breathe, he didn't move. In front of him Anne stopped as well, her arms fell to her sides and she stood there wondering if she was dreaming.

"Hi."

That was his voice! His voice!

She shook her head lightly and walked down the few steps that separated her from the sidewalk. Gilbert's feet moved on their own until he was standing right in front of her.

Anne's hand reached blindly and pinched her arm, she hissed. He looked down at her wrist and frowned.

"I-I just had to check," She laughed nervously. "I have... a very good imagination— so... I just had to be sure this... is real."

Gilbert spoke in the softest of voices.

"Anne? With an E?"

"H-How..?"

"I'm Gilbert," He continued. "I don't know if you remember but... I think... I think we've met before?"

"My god— You won't believe this, but I've been having the strangest—"

"Dreams?" He finished for her. "Me too."

She laughed again, her hands were shaking.

"There... there was a coffee shop—"

"And a cat—"

"You were dying—"

"You were a pirate!"

They looked at each other in disbelief, their smiles growing.

"I... was it real?" She questioned.

Gilbert's brow furrowed as he spoke. "Which part?"

"I don't know... everything... us?"

"Anne," He repeated, this time a bit more urgently. "I have to know... does this mean... you know who I am?"

She beamed, then stretched out her hand.

"Gilbert Blythe, I'm Anne Shirley-Cuthbert. I broke a slate on your head the first time we spoke, and I've been sorry ever since, I just didn't remember it."

He let out an incredulous laugh and held her hand eagerly.

"Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, I think we're going to be the best of friends," He gazed down at her adoringly. "We're meant to be. You've thwarted destiny long enough."

"It was you who moved out before we could meet!"

"You left the bathroom before I could apologize!"

There was a moment of silence before Anne spoke again.

"You know what this means?"

"Yeah, we have around ten years of conversations we need to catch up to," He joked.

"Ten years and a month," She realized he hadn't let go of her hand, but she wasn't going to move any time soon. "But I'd say the night's still young. I was on my way to your party..."

"Can I walk you there?" He asked expectantly.

"Lead the way."

***

"Anne! You came!" Diana froze and stared at Gilbert. "Oh, hi. Did you guys know each other?"

Anne and Gilbert exchanged a look and smiled.

"I ran into him a moment ago," She explained. "He's nice."

"Thanks," He chuckled. "Anne was telling me she's been your best friend ever since she moved to Avonlea— is it true that she's the Cuthbert's daughter?"

"Yes!" Diana beamed. "Isn't she great?"

"Is it true you got drunk on accident when you were thirteen?"

Diana laughed.

"You're already sharing stories? Hang on, I have a great one of that one time she dyed her hair green—"

"Diana, don't you dare!"

***

"You lucky bastard," Bash slapped the back of his head as Gilbert walked into the kitchen.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"You've been whining about your dream girl for weeks and just when you tell me you gave up, this breathtaking redhead steps into the diner and wastes the whole night flirting with you!" Bash said in disbelief. "How did you do that? What the hell did you sell your soul to?"

Gilbert laughed lightheartedly.

"Honestly, Bash, I have no clue... Was she really flirting with me, though? Do you think she likes me?"

Bash rolled his eyes.

"I swear, Blythe, if you don't ask her on a date I'll kill you."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Gilbert grinned.

***

"So, Gilbert," Cole nudged her arm as soon as the boy went into the kitchen. "You know he has a crush on you, right? It's so obvious, I'd be shocked if he doesn't get in one knee by the end of the night and asks you to marry him—"

"Don't scare her, Cole!" Josie slapped his arm lightly. "But Gilbert definitely likes you. He hasn't seen any of us in years and yet he's acting as if we were the strangers!"

Anne squirmed in her place giddily.

"I like him."

"That's our girl!" Jane exclaimed, finishing her drink in one large gulp. "I swear to god, Anne, if you don't take him home I'll run you over with my car..."

"Wow, that's a bit too drastic, don't you think?" Diana said. "They just met, and Anne's just recovering from her breakup with Roy!"

"Fuck Roy, honestly," Anne replied carelessly. "Gilbert's gorgeous..."

"Thanks," a voice said behind her.

Anne winced, the table fell silent and she covered her face with both hands.

"Oh my god... please tell me this isn't happening..."

The group burst out laughing, Gilbert sat down practically glowing with joy.

"Just so you know, I was about to ask you on a date, but I understand if you need time—"

"She'd be delighted!" Cole interrupted. "Please, help us, our friend desperately needs to get laid—"

"Are you talking about Gilbert?" Moody sat down next to Ruby and placed a drink in front of her. "Because the others told him that already and—"

"Okay!" Gilbert replied loudly. "Can we please not talk about sex?"

"Oh, pity, I was about to offer you a hand..." Anne teased.

Gilbert choked on his beer.

"W-What?"

"Smooth, doctor," Josie mumbled.

"Wait, is this actually happening?" Ruby asked with excitement. "Are you two going on a date for real?"

Gilbert stared at Anne with his mouth half-open, unable to get the words out. Anne simply smiled at him and nodded.

"Yes Gil, I'd love to."

The table went wild afterwards. Cole, Diana and Josie rambled about how they should've introduced them sooner, the rest simply were in for the teasing, but no one in the place apart from Anne and Gilbert knew exactly how long both had been waiting for this moment. No one was more relieved than them.

No one was happier than Gilbert as he reached for her hand and held it in front of everyone. No one felt giddier and excited than Anne when he asked for her phone number.

Life had turned into their best dream.

Taglist.

@ninizkd @http-itsrebecca @fuckthisshitimoutyall @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @little-boats-on-a-lake @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @skarlygonzalez

[lelitachay]

Frozen fanfiction: Søsken

Summary: An accident in the North mountain forces Elsa to spend several weeks in her brother’s apartment under Anna’s care. And during this time, Anna begins to notice there are peculiar things about Elsa’s life she wished she could understand. Everything starts to make sense after a family reunion. Modern AU. Kristanna - Frohana - Kristoff & Elsa BrOTP. Chapters 1 to 10 - Here   Chapters 11 to 20 - Here Chapter 21 - What to do Chapter 22 - What’s there to lose? Chapter 23 - Seek the truth Chapter 24 - An abrupt end

- A fresh start

Anna took a deep breath when the old SUV came to a stop in front of a familiar house on Southern Street. Marshall had commented he wasn't planning to hit Hans when he requested his address for the last time; he even assured Anna he only wanted to talk and make sure the young Westergaard told his father the truth. Yet, Anna knew Hans, she knew how irritating he could be whenever he wanted, and something told her he was going to drive Marshall mad, making all her progress useless.

She watched Marshmallow step out of the vehicle and the little confidence she had in him vanished. No matter how much she wanted to believe Marshall's words, she feared he'd lose his head anyway.

Stepping out of the car herself, Anna began following him, but he stopped and demanded she returned to the car. "I just want to make sure you don’t do anything stupid," she admitted. 

"There's no need for you to get involved," he insisted. "I know he's your ex boyfriend and I don't want you to get in unnecessary trouble." Marshall turned around and walked to the front door, not giving Anna the chance to contradict him. 

Not knowing what was best for her to do, Anna complied and leaned on the side of the car to wait for him. She watched him knock and while he waited, she prayed for the door to remain closed. To her dismay, the door did open and Hans, of all people, came out.

At first, things seemed to go well — or at least that's what she believed. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about due to the distance between the front door and the sidewalk, but Marshall seemed to stay calm and collected. Making Anna hopeful things could indeed turn out okay. 

She was trying to understand their words, when the presence of her boyfriend standing by her side startled her. "Kristoff! Elsa?” she asked when she saw the girl close by too. “What are you doing here?"

Kristoff put a hand on her shoulder. “You ran after Marshall and didn't give us enough time to catch up. We agreed it was best to come. Just in case.”

“Marshall didn’t change his mind, did he?” asked Elsa as she watched the mountaineer having an argument with Hans in the distance.

At Elsa’s question, Anna returned her attention to what was going on around them. The conversation between Marshall and Hans had transformed into a heated argument so fast she hadn't even noticed. “He said he had changed his mind about beating Hans to a pulp… But he still insisted on talking to him.”

Elsa nodded, understanding there was little Anna could do to change Marshmallow's pigheadedness. She turned around, to see what was going on when she saw Marshall holding Hans by his shirt’s collar against the wall. “Oh, no, no. Marshall, what are you doing?!” she yelled trying to get his attention but it was useless.

“I better stop him,” said Kristoff before running to the house. Acting on instinct, he grabbed Marshmallow’s free arm and held it tight, hoping it was enough to stop him. 

“What the heck are you doing here, Kristoff?” Marshall asked, turning around to glare at him.

“Marshall, let go of him. Come on.” His calm tone of voice did nothing to placate the angry mountaineer.

“Listen to your friend there,” said Hans in a hoarse voice. “Let go of me, you beast. Get lost.”

“Do you think you can lie to your father, get me fired and get away with it?”

“I've got no idea what you're talking about." Hans grabbed Marshall’s hand in a desperate attempt to free himself. But before he could achieve anything, he felt the air leave his lungs as Marshall slammed him against the brick wall.

“Cut the crap! I won't have my reputation tarnished by your false accusations.”

Kristoff pulled from Marshmallow's arm with more force after this and  made an effort not to let go. He was determined to stop the mountaineer, even if his strength scared him a little. He tried to talk Marshall out of his idea, when Hans surprised them both by insulting the mountaineer. Anyone in Hans’ situation would've stopped attacking his agresor verbally, but he continued as if he wanted Marshall to react.

“Reputation?” laughed Hans. “What reputation are you talking about? No one knows who you are. No-one cares. Well, no-one except that dense uneducated girl you fancy, but that’s worse than nothing, isn’t it?”

“I'll rip your head off!” Marshall tried to move his right arm to punch the man against the wall but it was stopped by Kristoff’s hold, who offered a sheepish smile and a mumbled apology in return. 

Hans took advantage of his attacker’s distraction and, grabbing Marshall’s left arm to pull himself upward, he kicked him in the stomach. The moment Marshall leaned forward in pain, he hit him right square in the face, the second blow allowing him to free himself and run a few meters away to where they were standing.

Kristoff watched his friend receive a kick and a punch in the face in the lapse of a few seconds, and felt terribly guilty for having allowed it. But if he was honest, not once had he imagined Hans would take a chance so risky against a guy so strong; and it was only after Marshall fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath, that Kristoff noticed how hard Hans had hit him by the blood gushing from a cut under his left eye.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” yelled Kristoff to Hans, not believing he had actually done something so stupid. “Have you got no self-preservation?!”

Hans only laughed as he shook his right hand to get rid of the pain. “You're pathetic, Marshmallow."

Kristoff opened his eyes astounded and looked at the man kneeling by his side. No-one in their right mind would try to make a guy like Marshall even angrier. The next thing he did was tighten his hold on Marshall’s arm, knowing he’d try to go after Hans as soon as the pain and stun feeling subsided. For a moment, Kristoff wondered if it was smart of him to try stopping Marshall a second time; after all, he didn’t want to be on his bad side too.

However, before Kristoff could make up his mind, a voice he didn’t recognise came from the front door of the house, distracting him.

“What the hell is going on here?” a tall man, who looked a few years older than Hans, asked.

Before Kristoff could explain the strange situation they were all in, Anna and Elsa appeared by his side. Elsa stopped and kneeled beside Marshall making sure he was okay. Anna, on the other hand, continued running until she was standing in front of the unknown man.

“Jonas,” she said. “Help us calm Marshall down and we'll be on our way.” If there was someone in the Westergaard family who could help them, Anna knew it was him.

“Anna?” It’d been years since he’d last seen his brother’s ex-girlfriend and he couldn't hide his surprise. “What are you doing here? And what is going on?”

“You should ask your brother.” She looked at Hans with disdain. “He's the one who started all this.”

Jonas looked at his brother and then at the man kneeling on the floor. He knew it was useless to try to talk to Hans if it wasn’t in private, so he walked straight to his father’s employee. Jonas knew Marshall from the resort and he was certain he wouldn’t be angry at his younger brother without a good reason. “Hålkesen,” he called Marshall’s attention. “What happened?”

Marshall looked at Jonas for a moment and then at Kristoff who was still tightly holding his right arm. Knowing he couldn’t get past both men, he pointed to where Hans was standing before explaining his situation. “That piece of shit is stealing from your father, and he framed me.”

“Bullshit!” yelled Hans in his defense.

Getting tired of the situation, Anna decided to step in. “Admit you lied, Hans. Admit you took the money.” She had tried to remain on the sidelines, but Hans had gone too far to let him get away this time. “All Marshall did was save your neck and yet this is how you pay him.”

Jonas looked at Anna and then at Hans again. “Is it true Hans?”

Hans didn’t answer. Instead, he looked at Marshmallow and smirked. “Calling Anna to stand up for you… Have you got no self-respect?”

All the self-restraint Marshall had been able to maintain disappeared at this. He stood up and began walking towards Hans, even if it meant dragging Kristoff with him.

Elsa on her part did her best to remain in control of her powers, as she held Marshall's other arm. She hoped they could stop him and help him go back to his senses before he did something he could regret. "He's trying to get on your nerves. He knows you've got everything to lose," said Elsa, not knowing if he was even listening. 

"Hans, could you shut up?" yelled Jonas, noticing Marshall was set to kick his younger brother’s arse. He then walked to where Marshall was and stood in front of him, blocking his view. "Hålkesen, stop struggling or I'll call the police."

"I've had enough of your brother's treatment, Jonas. If I can't teach him the lesson he deserves to learn, then at least promise me you will do something about this!" Marshall said, finally understanding he had no way to get to Hans without being stopped, his anger was slowly transforming into frustration.

Even though Hans had no reason to be stealing from their father, there was a small part of Jonas that believed in Marshall’s word. After all, not once had he done anything to raise suspicions. His brother on the other side… Well, he didn’t have a clean record. "I'll talk to Hans. I'll even talk to my father if that's what you want. But I won't unless you leave our property. Now," he stressed, hoping his promise would be enough for Marshall to change his mind.

"Let's go, Marshall. Please," begged Elsa one last time. She was getting tired of suppressing her powers and she needed him to stop struggling so she could let go of his arm. She thanked the heavens how distracted Marshmallow was not to notice how extremely cold her hands were. To her good luck, after a few more seconds, she felt him relax under and he bowed his head in defeat. Soon after, Kristoff murmured it was best to take him back to the car before he changed his mind, and so they did.

"Same goes to you and your friends, Anna," clarified Jonas, even though he was watching Elsa and Kristoff pulling Marshmallow towards the SUV.

"We'll go," Anna assured him. "Thank you Jonas."

Anna could only take a few steps to the car when the voice of Hans stopped her. 

"Everytime I see you you've found a new way to embarrass yourself, Anna." He got closer to her to make sure she listened. "Are you so desperate to be loved you'd stand up for that brute man and your slow-witted friend? You're better than them." 

"What did you just say?" Anna had heard him correctly, but she still couldn't believe he'd try to pick up a fight after everything that had happened. She tried to remain calm so not to call the others' attention, especially Marshall's. 

"Hans. Cut it out…" warned his older brother, but he still pushed forward. 

"To think there was a time I thought you were someone worthy of respect."

"You’re disgusting." Anna didn't care what he thought of her, but she despised the fact he was only insulting her for her friend, and most importantly her family.

"Go teach that barbarian some manners. And while you're at it, teach his girlfriend how to read, will you?" he snickered. "I'm still surprised he's managed to find someone more pathetic than him."

Anna spinned on her heel and faced Hans, she had had enough of his abuse and fake superiority. "Take that back." 

"What if I don't?"

Anna didn't know what took over her body. She wasn't sure if it was the stressful situation or the fact her sister had endured enough abuse in her childhood to tolerate Hans' comments. But before she could stop herself, she punched Hans in the nose so hard he collapsed.

--

"I can't believe you knocked him out!" exclaimed Kristoff in disbelief and a strange mixture of anger and pride. He was clearly amazed at his girlfriend's strength. But still, he couldn't believe she had done exactly what they had been trying to avoid all evening. 

After the incident, Kristoff had urged Anna inside Marshall's SUV as well, he had apologised to Hans' older brother and took off in the car even though it wasn’t his own. It was only after a few minutes, when they were on their way to Anna's House that the four of them had begun discussing what happened. 

"We travelled all the way here just to stop Marshall from doing something stupid," continued Kristoff. "Once we had everything under control and Jonas' promise to find out what had really happened, you decided to punch Hans? I can't understand your reasoning sometimes."

"Hans had it coming. That's all I'm going to say about it." She was still annoyed by Hans' comments about her sister, but she knew it was best not to let the rest know what had triggered her reaction. Elsa didn't need to hear his nasty comments, and Hans didn't need Marshall and Kristoff's warmth combined. Besides, she knew she had hurt more than his nose with the blow she gave him. She had hurt his pride, and she was more than pleased with that. 

"Thanks, Anna." Marshmallow's hoarse voice said from the back. He was sitting right behind Kristoff, tilting his head back as he tried to stop the blood that was still running down his face. To his good luck, Elsa was helping stop the bleeding by keeping a cold piece of cloth over it.

"And you, big guy," said Kristoff, changing his target as he looked at Marshall over the rearview mirror. "I thought you had changed your mind about hitting Hans."

Marshall looked straight back at him with an annoyed expression. "Was I supposed to remain calm while he lied to me, insulted me and insulted Elsa?"

"Not exactly, but you could have managed the situation differently." 

"Wait,” said Elsa speaking for the first time since they had gotten into the car. “Why was he insulting me?" 

"Because he's an idiot. That's all," said Marshall in a hurry before she tried to find a logical answer.

Kristoff and Anna rolled their eyes at Elsa's blindness, she was the only one inside the car who failed to see what was crystal clear even to someone as obtuse as Hans. But they didn't say anything, not even Anna who thought it was best to let Elsa understand how important she was to the mountaineer at her own time.

After that an uncomfortable silence set inside the car, no-one knowing what to say or do. 

Surprisingly, Marshall was the first to talk, "I don't understand why you wouldn't let me drive."

Elsa looked at him tiredly before explaining the obvious. "You're bleeding and you've got a black eye. You're coming home with us." 

He wanted to say it wasn't necessary for them to take the trouble, but the car coming to a stop distracted him. He looked out the window and he noticed they were in front of a beautiful house in the wealthy part of town. 

"Here we are," exclaimed Kristoff, somewhat relieved the evening was coming to an end. 

"Gosh, look at the time," said Anna when she realised she was over an hour late to dinner. "My father's going to kill me. All his business partners are probably in there by now."

Feeling guilty, Marshall tried to show his gratitude, "Thank you for breaking Hans nose, Anna." Even though things hadn't gone the way he had planned in his outraged state. He now realised everything Anna, Elsa and Kristoff had gone through to help him. "I owe you one." 

"I'd hide my right knuckle if I were you," warned Kristoff. "It'll start bruising soon." 

"I should have kicked him," said Anna with a sigh. She then stepped out of the car and disappeared inside her house. 

"Okay, let’s go home," said Kristoff looking at his sister and their trouble-maker. 

--

Not wanting to drive all the way back to the mountain late at night in a car that wasn't his own, Kristoff drove them to his own flat, where they made arrangements to have dinner and spend the night. Feeling guilty for the problems he had caused, Marshall insisted on leaving several times, but all his suggestions were turned down. 

It was after eating dinner that Elsa suggested Marshall did something about his wounds. Even though he had stopped bleeding and he had washed his face, he hadn't really treated the cut or his black eye. For that reason, she excused herself and disappeared into the bathroom to see what she could find for Marshall to heal himself.

At the mention of his black eye, Marshmallow touched the swollen tissue around it and hissed, noticing it was indeed getting worse than he imagined. "I wish you hadn't held my arms," he said to Kristoff, once the pain subsided. He laughed, however, showing there were no hard feelings. "I could at least have protected myself."

Kristoff chucked and patted him on the back. "I didn't think Hans was going to hit you." 

"Maybe it was for the best," Marshall admitted. "I was so mad I don't think I could have stopped myself if I had the chance to hit him."

"That's not concerning at all," laughed Kristoff, hoping it was a joke and nothing else. His arms still felt sore by holding him back earlier that night, and the mere idea of being in the receiving end of Marshall's fists sent shivers down his spine. 

The sarcasm didn't escape Marshall who laughed out loud. "What would you have done in my situation?" 

"To be honest, I don't know, buddy." It was true he didn't. He couldn't even imagine himself in his situation, but he guessed he'd be livid too. “It sucks you lost your job, but who knows, maybe it's for the best.”

Marshall raised one eyebrow, silently asking him to explain himself better. 

Kristoff remembered his conversation with Elsa earlier that evening. And, even though he wasn’t sure Elsa was ready to keep her powers concealed so much, the idea of his sister finding a good colleague to start a business with was exciting. “Maybe something better is coming along. You never know.”

“Right,” said Marshall, not at all excited. “Going back to the city. I can't wait.”

His ironic tone was hard to ignore. “You don't like the city, I guess.” 

“I can't stand it here.”

“I'm sure there are other options in the mountain,” Kristoff tried again.

“What else could I possibly do in the North mountain? As far as I know the resorts aren't hiring.” A frustrated sigh escaped his lips. “The most logical thing for me to do is return to the city and work as a paramedic once again.”

Kristoff was about to say he needed to keep looking, to give it a few weeks, when his sister showed up again. She was holding a bag of ice and some things from his first-aid kit. 

“Here,” Elsa said, holding the bag for Marshall. 

Thinking it was the best moment to leave the friends, and possibly future partners, to talk; Kristoff stood up from his place on the sofa and excused himself. “I'll head to bed if that's okay. You guys stay up as long as you want.” knowing full well Marshall would insist on leaving again, he said, “Elsa knows how to make the sofa into a bed. Don’t go anywhere. I need you to drive me so I can pick up my truck early in the morning.”

"Thanks, Kristoff." Elsa smiled at him and bid him good night. Once he left the room, Elsa sat down on the sofa next to Marshall.

"Where will you sleep if I stay?" 

"There's an extra mattress under Kristoff's bed." She said matter-of-factly.

Nodding his head in understanding, he then relaxed on the sofa. It was best to agree with the sleeping arrangements. After all, he wasn't sure his mother would appreciate a sudden visit in the middle of the night. Especially when he had a black eye. Thinking back to his swollen eye made him aware he was still holding the bag of ice Elsa had gotten for him. "Thanks for the ice."

"What?" asked Elsa, suddenly startled. 

"Thanks for getting me some ice…" He repeated, confused by Elsa's reaction, as he placed the bag over his eye.

"Oh, that. Yes." She chuckled, nervously. "Does it hurt?" she pointed to his eye, hoping to change the subject. 

"Not so much." 

"I found some gauze and ointment in the bathroom. I guess you can use it to patch yourself up." She handed him everything she had found and walked to the kitchen to get something to drink. When she returned, she was glad to see he had quickly bandaged the wound, making him look more presentable. She sat back down and offered him some water with a small smile.

Marshall looked at her for a while before accepting the glass she was kindly offering. The guilt he had felt earlier that evening returned full force at Elsa's sweet gesture. He had acted like a brute, a savage, in front of her. He had even yelled at her; and yet, there she was, trying to make sure he was okay. He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve a friend like Elsa, but he was determined to fix whatever he had possibly broken between them. 

"I'm sorry I yelled at you today," he said when he found the courage to speak about it. "You were only trying to help me, to make me feel better…" 

"I don't know what it's like to lose a job," she said, honestly. "I don't know what being accused of a crime feels like, either. I won't hold a grudge because you raised your voice while you were mad."

Shaking his head, he tried to make her see his mistake. "It doesn't matter. You were not to blame for my problems. I'm sorry."

Elsa looked at him and smiled again, but this time her smile soon disappeared and was replaced by some guilt. "I don't think you're a brute, by the way. I was only frustrated by your stubbornness."

He chuckled, knowing well how frustrating and irritating Elsa thought his stubbornness was. "I guess brute was a fitting description."

Elsa opened her mouth to complain, but he stopped her. There was no use for her to apologise for something he believed to be true. "Thanks for not turning your back on me. I'm not proud of who I become when I get mad, and the last thing I want is for you to be afraid of me… I don’t want you to think I'm a dangerous lout.”

Elsa smiled at him, wanting to show him that was not the case. “There are things we can't control — no matter how hard we try. I can't let it change the way I see you or-” She stopped herself mid sentence, opening her eyes in shock.

“Are you okay?” asked Marshmallow, concerned something bad had happened.

“I am…” For a fraction of a second she saw herself in Marshall’s shoes as she heard herself speaking. Her words made her think of all the times Gerda and Kristoff had said the same things to her, and it made her wonder, if she could understand and forgive Marshmallow for the things he couldn’t control, why couldn’t she do the same with her own faults? “I've just- I realised something, that's all.” She smiled and tried to pretend the realisation hadn’t shaken her to her core. Of course she understood there was a noteworthy difference between Marshall’s anger management and her own powers; but still, they both shared the same fear and self-doubt. It was strange to imagine there were other people suffering from those same insecurities, even if their past hadn’t been as scarring as hers.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he insisted.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I just remembered something Kristoff told me long ago.”

“So, are we good?”

"We are good." Before Elsa could say anything else, Marshall wrapped his arms around her, startling her. And even if he had always liked displaying his affection with a hug here or there, she still couldn't get used to the feeling whenever he caught her by surprise. Her powers always tried to manifest abruptly, and she always had to concentrate for a few seconds to make sure there was no risk. 

This time was no different, and it took Elsa a moment to pull herself together. "Marshall, you're crushing me," she said, patting his arm and begging to be released once she was sure her powers were under control.

He let go and scratched his beard as he mumbled an apology.

Elsa laughed and wrapped her arm in his. Happy to have soft Marshmallow back. 

He, in return, rested the side of his head on top of hers, enjoying the closeness she so rarely displayed. "You keep me grounded," he confessed. 

"Me?" asked Elsa, surprised by the idea of being someone else's anchor. It didn't make much sense in her opinion. Yet, here was Marshall, opening up and telling her she was needed. Telling her he was a little bit better when she was around, and the feeling was indescribable.

Marshmallow nodded but didn't explain himself. It was hard to explain what she meant to him without saying more than he was willing to admit. "I don't know what I'll do once I leave the mountain," he said instead, as soon the idea of living far away from Elsa came to his mind. "I've gotten used to spending time with you."

"You are leaving?"

"It’s the wisest thing to do if I want to get a job." He didn't like the idea, but there was little he could do without a job. "Working on my own at the mountain is off-limits. I won't compete with you."

The idea of Marshall leaving didn't set well with Elsa and so, ignoring her brother’s advice, she offered, "Work with me."

"What?" 

"Stay and work with me."

"Elsa, are you sure?" Few things would've made him happier at that moment. But he couldn't let Elsa change her plans for him.

She still had no idea what to do about her powers and the slope, but she nodded with a smile. "I know the slope isn’t perfect and I’m aware half the equipment is in really bad shape. Also, there's no guarantee people are going to choose us over a fancy resort but-" 

"Yes," Marshall said, answering before she could finish. 

"-maybe we can find a way to make it work… What?" 

"I said yes," he repeated with a grin. "We haven’t got anything to lose and we might make it work. What did you have in mind?"

"Fifty-fifty?" Elsa suggested. "Every penny we earn we divide it equally or we buy more equipment. You can help me with the business part and whatever you think we could improve. You’ve been working for a longer time than I have."

"Well… Now that you mention it," he said, tentatively. "There are a few things I thought could be improved while I was taking care of your slope during the winter." 

"Do you remember what they were?" 

"Yes. Have you got a pencil?" he asked, happy to know he could be of use. 

--

Early the following day, Marshall and Kristoff drove back to Hans' block to pick up Kristoff's truck.

As he was stepping out of the car, Kristoff requested Marshmallow not to start a fight again now that they were so close to Hans' house. Marshall laughed and promised to behave, assuring him he had better things to do. After all, during the previous night, Elsa and him had talked and discussed everything they hoped for their shared business. And luckily, they had come to an agreement that worked excellent for them both. They knew it was going to take a lot of hard work and dedication, but they were determined to make it work.

Happy to know he had something positive to look forward to, he thought it was best to let Westergaard believe whatever he wanted. Maybe someday he could talk with his ex-boss and explain the situation. But right now, he understood it was useless. 

He sat in the driver's seat of his SUV as he watched Kristoff get on his own truck and wave at him. He waved back and started his own vehicle, ready to get back to the mountain and start working and designing some kind of business plan. He turned around on his seat to make sure there weren't any cars behind him, when he noticed a brown leather bag between the seats.

What's this? He wondered. It wasn't his and he was sure it wasn't Kristoff's — the man had left the house barehanded.

It was only after looking inside, and realising it was full of books and school supplies, that he remembered Anna. She had been carrying it with her the previous night.

Not thinking twice about it, he drove straight to the fancy neighbourhood Kristoff had taken Anna the previous night. Trusting his visual memory, he drove for about fifteen minutes around the beautiful neighbourhood until he found a familiar house. He wasn't sure it was Anna's, but he guessed it wasn't a bad idea to ask.

--

"One hour late, Anna." The voice of Agdar resonated in the living room while Anna kept moving around the house. 

"I know what you asked of me, and I’m sorry," she said, as she moved the sofa to look behind it. "I just had to- Where is it?!" It had been over half an hour since she began searching for her bag and she was running out of ideas where to find it. The last thing she remembered was running with her bag on her shoulder, and then everything was a blur. She remembered hitting Hans in the face and then Kristoff pushing her inside Marshmallow's SUV. After she got home, her mother requested her to take a bath immediately since all of Agdar's business partners had already arrived. 

"You had to be here." Anna had already tried to explain to him the situation, omitting a few important details of course, but still Agdar kept insisting. "Those men are the people helping me keep the company afloat. I understand you may not be slightly interested in business. Regardless, one day you'll inherit the family business and they will be the ones to help you. That's why you had to be here." Noticing his daughter's distraction, he stopped himself to ask, "Are you even listening?" 

"I said I’m sorry." Anna continued searching without looking at her father. "I had to help Marshall." Going back to her main concern she asked no-one in particular, "Where is my bag?! I'm sure I brought it with me last night."

"Who in God's name is Marshall?"

"He’s Elsa’s friend. He had a problem- it’s hard to explain." She wasn't sure how to explain everything that had happened the previous night without telling her father more than necessary. For that reason she didn't try to explain and returned to her task at hand. "For heaven's sake where is it?!" 

"It doesn't matter where your bag is," said Agdar, who was little by little losing his patience. "I'm trying to have a conversation with you."

A knock on the door distracted father and daughter, but they didn't move. They both let Idunn take care of the door since she was in a better mood to entertain whoever was on the other side. 

Idunn rolled her eyes at her family and stood up, walking straight to the front door. She took a deep breath before opening the door and hoped the person on the other side could help her distract for a few minutes until Anna and Agdar talked to one another or decided to move their conversation to a different room. Usually she enjoyed having her family around on Sunday mornings, but that morning in particular they both were running her patience thin with their useless quarrel.

To her surprise, the person standing outside the door was a tall man she didn't recognise. "Can I help you?"

Marshall, who was on the other side, stayed silent for a few seconds as he tried to understand what he was seeing. He had knocked on the door in hopes he could find Anna's house, but he didn't imagine the person opening the door would look exactly like Elsa. Or at least what he guessed Elsa would look like in her mid-forties. 

When he finally connected the dots, he greeted the woman politely and, out of courtesy, asked if Anna lived there; even though he was sure she did. The woman standing in front of him was without doubt Elsa's mother. The main difference between the two was their hair colour. He guessed knowing Elsa was Anna's biological sister helped him connect the dots more easily, but he still believed the resemblance was uncanny.

"Yes… Who's looking for her?" asked Idunn with a nervous smile. She didn’t want to admit his black eye was unsettling her, but she wouldn’t call Anna unless she made sure the man was someone she could trust.

"My name is Marshall Hålkesen. I'm-"

"Marshmallow!" Anna’s call from inside the house cut him mid-sentence, and she soon showed up at the door by her mother’s side.

Before Marshall could greet Anna, or properly introduce himself to her mother; her father showed up at the door too, demanding Anna's attention.

"Anna, I need you to listen to me for a second." Looking at Marshall with an eyebrow held high, he asked, "Is this the man you tried to help last night?"

"Please tell me you've got my bag!" said Anna, ignoring her father and stepping outside the house. "I've been looking for it everywhere."

Marshall looked at Anna and then at her father for a second. The older man was clearly annoyed, and he feared it was his fault. Not knowing what was best to do, he opted for the easiest way out — handing Anna her bag and hoping the Arendelles didn't ask him any questions about his black eye or the previous night. "Here," he said, showing Anna the bag in his hand. 

"You've got no idea how important this is to me!" She hugged the bag, as if she were afraid of losing it again. 

"It's just a bag, isn’t it?" asked Marshall, not understanding the importance of such a simple object.

Anna turned around and, noticing her parents were still at the door listening to her conversation; she pushed the mountaineer a few metres away from them and explained, "Elsa wrote a letter to my mother. It's inside the bag." 

"Oh." 

"I was afraid I had left it on the street, in front of Hans' house. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I lost it." She held the bag even closer to her chest. "Thank you so much."

"It was inside the car," his hand pointed to the old SUV parked not far away. "It's the least I could do after what you did for me last night." 

Anna smiled at him. "You seem calmer today. Happier," she pointed out.

"Maybe getting fired isn't so bad. Who knows… maybe I should be thanking Hans the chance to start anew."

The small smile on his face didn't go unnoticed by Anna. "Okay. Now I'm lost," she said surprised by his sudden change. "What happened after I left?" 

"Nothing," he answered quickly. "I'd better go, your father seems impatient…" He pointed with his head to the man who was still waiting by the door. Deep down he hoped Anna wouldn't keep pushing for an answer. Something told him she had noticed how fond he was of Elsa, and the last thing he needed was Anna making fun of him. Or worse, hinting things to Elsa.

"Fine. Go." She watched him walk towards his car, making him believe he was off the hook. It was only when he was about to get in that she said with a smirk, "I'll find out sooner or later." 

He turned around, trying to keep a straight face; but even he had to admit Anna’s happiness was contagious. He laughed at her mischievous smile and pretended he didn’t care about her finding out the truth. “I hope the letter’s what you’ve been waiting for. I hope it’s a new start for you too.”

Anna beamed as she watched him go, and then walked back to the house where her father was still waiting for her.

“You've found your bag,” said Agdar as soon as she entered the house. “Now, can I have your attention?”

“Dad, I said ‘I'm sorry’ like a hundred times. What do you want from me?” 

“I want you to start setting your priorities straight, Anna. You can't avoid your responsibilities to help whoever crosses your path.”

“Dad…”

“You can’t pause your life for everybody else. You’ve got things to do. You’ve got other priorities.”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way round?” she asked, tired of his insistence.

“What is that supposed to mean?”  

“Shouldn’t you try to pause your life for once?” Anna loved her father, more than she usually let on, but his workaholic spirit drove her mad sometimes. “Shouldn’t you stop thinking about Grandfather’s company for just enough time to acknowledge there are people around you?”

“The company is my responsibility. The same way attending dinner last night was yours.”

“I know the company is your responsibility. It has always been.” She didn’t want to keep arguing with her father, but she needed him to understand she wasn’t like him. “Do you want to know what my top priority is?” she asked. She searched inside her bag until she found the book she was looking for.  “Here. That's my priority.” She pushed the book against her father’s chest for him to hold.

“An introduction to the physics of sports? Illustrated? ” Agdar asked, surprised to see his daughter was suddenly interested in sports — something she had never excelled at. 

“Oh? No, wait. Give me that.” She grabbed the book from his hands and started flipping the pages. “Not the book. The letter inside of it. It's… Here!” She happily exclaimed as she handed him the letter. “She's my priority,” she said pointing to Elsa’s name on the envelope. “It shouldn't be since she was supposed to be yours, years ago; but I'm determined to set things right and help her anyway I can.” She gave her father some time for her words to sink in before she insisted, “I'm sorry I missed dinner. I'm sorry I embarrassed you in front of your business partners. But don't make me choose between my sister and the company, dad; because you know I'll always choose Elsa. She was second best against grandfather's business once. I won't let her be it for a second time.”

Agdar looked at the envelope in his hand for a few seconds and then at his daughter. Anna hadn’t raised her voice nor shown any sign of ill intent with her words. However, they cut deep inside of him, and so he tried to explain, “She wasn't second best. I didn't choose the company over her… You know it was more complicated than that.”

“I know,” said Anna, feeling a bit guilty for her hurtful words. “But sometimes I wonder what would have happened if you’d ignored grandfather's wishes…” She took a deep breath before she explained, “That letter is mum’s, by the way. She should be the one who reads it first.”

Idunn, who had entered the room at the mention of Elsa’s name during their argument, walked towards Anna and Agdar, and took the letter from her husband’s hand. “Is this what I think it is?” she asked, hopefully waiting for a yes.

Anna looked at her with a big grin. “She replied, mum.”

--

Wow, that was quite a ride, wasn't it? I'm so glad I separated this into two chapters. If not this would have been an impossibly long chapter haha.

As you can see, all this had a purpose and it was set to happen from the start. I may have included a few things here and there that weren't part of the original plan (mainly because I have fun writing an oblivious Elsa), but all in all, the story is going in the right direction. I needed a justifiable reason for Elsa and Marshall to start working together and here it is!

At the beginning of the story, I gave Elsa two main “problems” to solve. Her family and past was one of them, and her work and education another. To start wrapping this story up, I needed one of her problems to start solving, and since family drama is the main plot, I thought solving her work problem was a good idea - don’t worry, this doesn’t mean she’ll stop studying, Anna won’t let that happen. Besides, the poor girl was struggling too much on her own, she needed someone to give her a hand with work, don’t you think?

Anyway, thank you all for your amazing reviews. I can’t show through words how grateful I am for those of you who take the time to leave me your thoughts, feelings and analysis of everything I write. You guys help me continue, and more importantly, help me get back on track whenever I feel I’m drifting off the main plot. For all of you who had been patiently waiting for this story to develop, I guess I can finally say every sub-plot has more or less been tackled, that means it’s time to get into this family and finally wrap this thing up. There are still some chapters left, of course. On a bad note, I don’t have a SINGLE word written for the next chapter, so it’ll be impossible for me to upload as fast as I did this time. Bear with me, be patient, I will finish this. I usually try to update at least once a month, but I know sometimes I take a little bit longer, I’m sorry for those long hiatuses. Wish you guys the best. I hope you’re healthy and strong. And I’ll read you in the next chapter! Don’t forget to leave a small tip on the way out! Tagging time: @swimmingnewsie @melody-fox @kristoffxannafanatic @kristannafictionals @neptrabbit @skneez @ellacarter13 @wondering-in-life @who-i-am-8 @fanfictionrecommendations-com @815-allisnotlost @khartxo @joannevixxon @betweenthedreams @burbobah @rileysfs @earlvessalius @blood-jewel @disneydreamer8901 @the-sky-is-awake @disneyfan103 @the-magic-one-is-you @anamaria8garcia @welovefrozenfanfiction @bigfrozenfan-archive @bigfrozenfan @frozen-snips  @deisymendoza  @zackhaikal123 @cornstarch @roostercrowedatmidnight @showurselfelsa @fuzzyelsalikeiduna @when-dawn-arrives @drafteedragon @snowycrocus @tare8chan @localarendellian@wabitham @roostercrowedatmidnight  @just-your-local-history-nerd@dontrunintofirexoxo @daphmckinnon @poketin @bruni-is-love @luna-and-mars @anotherpersondrawing @lovelucywilde @shimmeringsunsets @aries1708 @wabitham @agentphilindaisy @anotherpersondrawing @spkfrozen @thegeekogecko