A/N: Hey Everyone! I got such positive feedback from the Dystopian Utopia that I decided to continue. Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed and PM'd. Now I can only hope I live up to your expectations. :) Thanks for reading.

Chapter 1 – Peace Before the Storm

Anna carefully closed and locked the cottage's outer door, twisting the key until she heard a pronounced "click". A slightly-amused looking brown bear waited for her at the edge of the clearing, an affectionate look forming in her ursine eyes as the redhead bounced toward her. "Good morning, Mama-Bear!" Anna chirped, hugging Elinor's neck as soon as the bear was in reach. Elinor snuffled her hair in reply and turned toward east toward the village of Dunbroch, their destination for this particular very early morning.

"Thank you so much for doing this for me," Anna said as they walked along, and the bear snorted good-naturedly. Most people would have been hard pressed to interpret a bear's snort, but this was Anna, so she easily understood Elinor. "You had a choice," Anna protested half-heartedly, but couldn't quite keep the grin off her face. The bear snorted again as they continued walking. The village outskirts came into view and Anna's steps grew hesitant, slowing before stopping completely. She knew the people of Dunbroch supported the Rebellion, but there was still so much danger in being seen by people, so much she was putting at risk by attempting this errand.

"The sky's not awake, so hardly anyone's awake yet, Anna," Elinor, now in human form, reassured her. "And the cloak will hide your face. We don't have to go in, but right now is as safe as it will ever be."

Anna sighed. "I know," she admitted. "And I want to go in more than anything. But I can't help but think that doing this while we are the most wanted fugitives in the State is pretty stupid."

Elinor smiled affectionately. "Not stupid, Anna," she assured the nervous redhead. "How does your Other Half put it? More like 'ill-advised'."

Anna smiled at the mention of Elsa. Yes, that's exactly what she would have said, and the reminder of who and what she was here for filled Anna with warmth and resoluteness. "So which building are we headed for?" she asked, as she put up her hood.

"That one," Elinor responded, indicating a picturesque little cottage with a shingled roof and blue accented windows on the periphery. "He has a shop on Main Street, but I requested this meeting some place a little more private."

"Probably for the best," Anna replied as they looked carefully for any other people. Seeing none, they crossed into the village proper and quickly found themselves at the front door of the cottage. Elinor knocked, and the door was opened promptly to reveal a white-haired older gentleman with spectacles perched on his nose. The ends of his bushy white mustache lifted upwards as he smiled at Elinor.

"Welcome, Lady Dunbroch!" he said enthusiastically. "And this must be the niece you've told me so much about. Please, come in the both of you." The women stepped in, and a cacophony of ticking greeted them as Anna noticed the myriad cuckoo clocks on the walls. "Woodworking is my other love," he said with a smile and she smiled back as she removed her hood. The old man's eyebrow quirked and Anna felt certain that he recognized her, but just as quick the odd expression disappeared and he held out his hand. "My name's Geppetto," he introduced himself.

"And mine is Anna," Anna replied, as she took his hand and shook it. "Thank you for agreeing to see us so early in the morning."

"Very nice to meet you, Anna" Geppetto said sincerely, squeezing her hand and letting it go. "And please do not worry yourself about the time. My son and I would do much more for the Dunbroch clan. Now I hear you're in the market for an engagement ring," he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Um, yes," Anna said shyly.

"Then let me show you what styles I have," he said. Turning his head, he called for his son. "Pinocchio! Please bring out the displays," he called. A tall, black-haired, blue-eyed teenager emerged from one of the back rooms, hefting three wooden trays that he set on the table in front of the couch.

"Lady Dunbroch, Miss," he acknowledged them courteously, as he spread out the displays. "Please have a seat, Miss," he offered, slightly disappointed that the lovely young woman in his father's home was shopping for an engagement ring. Anna smiled at him and sat, turning her attention to the rings. There were many different styles, some masculine, some feminine, and Anna looked over each one carefully. All were beautiful, though, and Anna appreciated the skill that had gone into making such beauty.

As Anna studied the rings, the jeweler's son carefully studied her. The young lady was beautiful, of that there was no doubt, and she had the fiery red hair of the Dunbroch clan, but Pinocchio wasn't so sure that she was actually related to the Lady Dunbroch. Her hair was straight, not curly like most of the other Dunbrochs, and her eyes were an enchanting blue-green color that was not quite like anything else he had ever seen. She was also very familiar in a way that he just couldn't place, and it was odd that his father had opened their house to these ladies so very early in the morning. He glanced at his father beside him and then back to the young lady whose face had grown thoughtful yet dissatisfied looking at the rings.

"Is there nothing to your liking, Miss?" he asked curiously.

Anna looked up. She paused briefly, choosing her words carefully so that she didn't offend the nice jeweler or his son that had gone out of their way to be so accommodating. "No, I like them all very much," she said honestly. "But I guess I had a very specific idea in my head about what I wanted to get, and I don't really see it here."

Pinocchio smiled, putting Anna at ease. "There's nothing wrong with having your own ideas, Miss," he assured her. He retrieved a piece of paper and a pencil from a nearby desk and placed it by the trays on the table. "Draw us what you had in mind," he offered. "We would probably be able to handcraft it for you."

Anna's eyes lit up as she took the pencil, and she smiled, causing the young man to blush involuntarily. Her sketching instincts took over, and within a very short amount of time she presented the teenager with a detailed drawing of what she wanted for Elsa. "I was thinking about something like this," she said, handing him the paper. "But I don't have a lot of money, so I don't know if you could make this on my budget."

Pinocchio took it, looked at it briefly and then handed the drawing to the person who would actually be fashioning the ring. "Hey Papa, it looks like we have a special request," he said cheerfully, and Geppetto looked at the sketch of a flat band with inlaid stones before sitting next to Anna on the couch to get some more details. Pinocchio and Elinor pulled up chairs of their own.

"So you are looking to make this within a specific budget. Hm. May I have the pencil, Miss Anna?" Geppetto requested and Anna nodded as she handed it to him. He scribbled down something beneath the drawing and asked his first question. "What ring size would this be?" he asked.

Anna frowned, not exactly sure of the answer. "Um, probably about the same as mine," she hypothesized.

"It is for another young lady, then, yes?" Geppetto asked, still scribbling.

"Yes," Anna confirmed with a happy smile.

Geppetto smiled back, charmed by her happiness. "What stones and metal were you hoping for?" he inquired.

"I hadn't really thought about the stones," Anna admitted. "But I would like the metal to be silver colored and it needs to be able to withstand large temperature variations. It especially can't turn brittle at very low temperatures."

Geppetto nodded unconcernedly, but Pinocchio blinked in surprise. That was an incredibly unusual request for an engagement ring. "What does your Intended do?" he asked, curious, and Anna looked up at him and then Elinor in a mild panic.

"Pinocchio! It's impolite to ask such a personal question," Geppetto chastised him sharply, noticing Anna's discomfort.

"Sorry, Papa," Pinocchio muttered apologetically, and Anna instantly sympathized with his plight of managing to blurt out the wrong thing at the wrong time.

"She's, um, an ice harvester," Anna answered somewhat truthfully, hoping to cheer the young man up by answering his question. He looked up and she smiled at him, causing him to blush once again.

Geppetto smiled wryly and cleared his throat at his son's embarrassment. It was too bad Anna was already taken because his boy was falling for her dangerously fast. "An 'ice harvester', eh?" he said, fixing Anna with a knowing twinkle in his eye, and now Anna had no doubt he knew exactly whom he was making the ring for. "Then perhaps we could use diamonds for the stones to represent ice?" he offered.

"Diamonds would be lovely, but I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to afford the ring," Anna admitted. "Is there a semi-precious stone that would work?"

"For an ice-like stone, no, nothing but diamonds would be appropriate," Geppetto said dismissively. He was lying, of course, but what Anna didn't know was that he and Lady Dunbroch had already come to an understanding and the ring was paid for no matter what Anna chose. So, with this in mind, he didn't want Anna to be limited by the amount she thought she could afford. On the other hand, he didn't want her to realize he and Lady Dunbroch were in collusion, so he offered a compromise to make it seem he still had her budget in mind. "But, I know you are on a budget, so perhaps we could interspace diamonds with some sort of semi-precious stone," he strategized. He looked in her eyes and smiled. "Perhaps aquamarine?" he suggested.

Anna stared at her sketch, using her imagination to replace the grey pencil marks with silvery metal and blue-green and clear sparkling stones. "That would be beautiful and I think she would love it," Anna decided.

Elinor chuckled and offered her opinion for the first time. "I know the lass would love it, dear," she said wryly. "It's pretty obvious she loves the color of your eyes along with everything else."

Anna nodded with a small blush. "How much would it cost me?" she asked, hopeful that she would be able to afford it.

"Well, Miss, your aunt here says that you are a painter and she has shown me some of your work," Geppetto replied. "If you would be amenable to barter, I think I could make this ring in exchange for one of your beautiful forest landscapes."

Anna's mouth dropped open as did Pinocchio's. "That is not a fair exchange, sir," Anna protested, and Pinocchio subtly nodded his head in agreement, dumbfounded that his father would ask for so little in return for such a valuable ring.

"I believe that it is," Geppetto contradicted. "You are very talented and I enjoy your esthetic. As one artist to another, I think of an exchange of our works would be wholly compensatory and appropriate, and I will accept no other payment from you."

Anna frowned, wanting the ring for Elsa but not wanting to outright cheat the nice man. "Will you accept no other payment?" she asked tentatively.

"From you, no," Geppetto said firmly but gently.

"Then I accept your barter, even though I can't help but feel I am cheating you somehow," Anna said, reaching out her hand to seal the deal.

"You owe me nothing but a painting," Geppetto assured her, and they shook hands. "Now my dear, there are two last things and we will be all done here. First, when will you need this ring by?" he inquired.

"Our one-year anniversary is in a month, so I would like it by then, if that's possible," Anna responded hopefully.

Geppetto nodded. "That should be a sufficient amount of time. One month it is," he agreed, and Anna was delighted. "Now, Miss Anna, if you'll follow me," he requested, and Anna did so. He retrieved a large ring with many smaller rings attached to it and took Anna's left hand, trying various ones on until he had found the right size. "Are you quite sure your hands are the same size?" he asked.

Anna concentrated, thinking about the many times they had held hands or had their hands pressed up against each other's or Elsa's hands had been somewhere on her body. It had been a lot of times and she was intimately familiar with those hands. "Her fingers are longer," she decided, "but, the width is about the same."

"Good, then we'll start there, and if we need to adjust it a bit after you've asked her, it won't be a problem," Geppetto stated as he made a few more notes on the sketch. "Is there anything else I can help you ladies with?" he asked.

Elinor looked at Anna and Anna shook her head. "No, I think we are done here, Geppetto," Elinor answered. "Thank you so much for everything, but now that the sun's starting to rise, we must be leaving."

"Of course, of course," Geppetto said, ignoring his still-stunned son that was staring at him from across the room. "It was a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Miss Anna," he said sincerely, placing his fingers on his head before clasping his fist over his heart.

"For me too, sir," Anna responded, wondering about the gesture as Geppetto opened the door and she put her hood back up. She and Elinor exited and Geppetto closed the door behind them.

Hearing the door shut snapped Pinocchio out of his stunned stupor and he came over to chastise his father mildly. "Papa, what the Pillars were you thinking?" he demanded gently. "We can't afford to take a painting for that ring. The materials alone will cost hundreds if not thousands."

"Lady Dunbroch has already agreed to cover the cost of any materials needed for the rings," Geppetto said calmly, stopping Pinocchio in mid-tirade. "And any labor will be my honor to donate. In fact, I plan to make a second one using sapphires so that Miss Anna may have one that matches her future Intended's," he informed his now confused son.

"Well, if she's paying for them, then I guess it is okay," Pinocchio allowed before continuing. "But why, Papa? Why are you doing so much for a person you just met?"

"Because that young woman is the face of hope, Pinocchio," his father said simply.

Pinocchio mulled that over, noting the careful terminology. "She's not a Dunbroch, is she?" he questioned after several moments' thought.

"No," his father confirmed.

"And she needed a ring that could withstand the cold," Pinocchio continued, realization beginning to dawn in his blue eyes.

"Yes, she did," his father replied, happy that comprehension was starting to filter into that boy's scattered, almost wooden head. He loved Pinocchio to death, but the teenager could be dense sometimes.

"I thought I knew her from somewhere," Pinocchio mused, before his eyes widened. "Wait. Does that mean that the Apprentice herself was in our home, Papa?" he asked wondrously, now knowing why his father had been so honored.

"Not only that, Pinocchio, but we are making an engagement ring for the Ice Queen herself," he said reverently. "I joined this rebellion the day they took your Mama away from us, and now I feel like we have an actual chance of winning because those two ladies have joined us. A pair of engagement rings is the least I can do."

"The least we can do, Papa," Pinocchio corrected him, and Geppetto beamed at his only child.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Once on the outskirts of the village, Elinor changed back into her bear form, and Anna happily "chatted" with her as they walked, asking after Fergus and the rest of the Dunbroch clan until they made it back to the cottage in the woods. Anna invited Elinor in for coffee, and Elinor readily agreed, changing back into her human form and slipping on her dress to follow Anna inside.

"Hello, wee beast," she greeted Olaf as he came over to welcome her. "Where's your other kitty?" she asked Anna as she petted him.

"Marshmallow always goes with Elsa," Anna replied, filling two mugs with coffee and bringing them over after adding some milk and sugar to both. "He adores her. And her morning runs and climbs are a good way for him to be out in nature."

"It is," Elinor agreed, settling herself on the couch.

Anna did the same, careful not to spill her coffee on herself like she had a tendency to do. "So just out of curiosity," she began, getting the conversation started. "Did Geppetto use Elsa's hand gestures from my execution as we were leaving?"

"Yes, he did," Elinor confirmed. "Leader has widely disseminated the unedited tape of your execution and now most anyone who would like to view it can. Though it's barely a few seconds of film, the public picked up on that moment between you two and those gestures very rapidly became the unofficial salute of those in the Rebellion. Most substitute a fist for the open hand at the heart, though, like Geppetto did."

"Wow," Anna commented. "I had no idea we had already influenced people that much." She grew pensive at that thought before trying to shake off the melancholy in true Anna fashion. "So is that why you brought me to Geppetto? Because he is a part of the Rebellion too?" she reasoned, trying to change the subject.

"Yes," Elinor confirmed. "Geppetto is a long time member, and he is completely trustworthy."

"Why did he join?" Anna asked, always interested in people's motivations for betraying the State and courting death.

"His wife was an Extraordinary," Elinor replied, her voice growing soft. "She had cellular regeneration powers. Right after Pinocchio was born, some people betrayed her, and she was arrested by the Enforcers. They tried to take Pinocchio too, thinking that he might have her abilities, but she refused to hand him over. They shot her dead in front of her husband and newborn son then burned the body so it couldn't heal itself."

Tears started to slip down Anna's cheeks, and she was reminded again how naïve she had been when she had joined up with Leader. She had joined because she was lonely and she hated the system that forced her to be lonely. People like Geppetto, Elinor and Elsa, though; they had real reasons for hating the State. "Is that why he would only take a painting for Elsa's ring?" she asked quietly when she could find her voice again. "Because he knew who I was?"

Elinor nodded, sad herself at the topic and at seeing the usually-bubbly Anna so upset. She decided to cheer up the place a bit, even if it did get her in trouble. "But the painting-for-a-ring exchange might not have been all Geppetto's doing," she confessed sheepishly. "I might have told him beforehand that I would be paying for anything you picked out."

The tears stopped as the indignation grew. "Mama-bear!" Anna chided in exasperation. "You know that I had been saving for that."

Mission accomplished, Elinor thought wryly. Anna was now completely distracted with something other than her sadness. "Yeah, I know, dear, but you two really have become my surrogate daughters. Since Merida won't be getting married any time soon, I decided to flex my maternal instincts a bit," she shrugged.

Anna looked at her grumpily but Elinor looked back unconcernedly. "Thank you," Anna begrudgingly said at last, setting down her coffee mug to give the older woman a hug.

"You're always welcome, dear," Elinor replied with a gentle smile, returning the hug with gusto. "Now let's get these mugs in the sink before your lass returns and Marshmallow decides to play with them," she decided as they parted.

"Speaking of which, they really should be home by now," Anna mentioned with a speculative frown as they stood up. She glanced around the cottage, looking to see if Elsa might have left her some sort of note when she spied a telltale piece of paper attached to the front of their bedroom door. She walked over and carefully pulled it off.

"Marshmallow and I are down by the creek, and we would love it if you would join us when you get home from your errand with Elinor. Love you," it read.

Anna smiled. She had been complaining about being cooped up all winter and most of the spring, so now that the weather had eased into warmer late spring, Elsa had obviously planned something while Anna had been gone on her errand. "Why are you still in this cottage, dear?" Elinor inquired pointedly as she read the note over Anna's shoulder.

"I really don't know," Anna admitted, and Elinor chuckled. Anna grabbed her cloak back off its hook and they exited. Elinor waved goodbye to the younger girl as she went back in the direction of Dunbroch and Anna waved back as she went in the opposite direction towards the creek.

Marshmallow's ears perked up, and Elsa sprang to her feet, knowing the cub's sensitive ears had picked up the sound of something approaching. She hid herself carefully in the trees and smiled when she saw a familiar form. Elsa was just about to call out to Anna when she noticed the slightly-downcast face and puffy eyes. Elsa frowned; with the way Anna had been giddily anticipating today and refusing to tell her about what she was doing, Elsa had assumed it was a happy errand. Now she wasn't so sure. At any rate, she always hated to see Anna sad, so she decided to try out something she had been working on. She formed her hands into a closed sphere and concentrated, using her powers to sculpt. When she was satisfied, she opened her hands and set her new creations free.

Anna walked out of the woods to the clearing by the creek, instantly spying the blanket and the quickly growing, but still-spotted lynx cub that was adorably tripping over his own clumsy feet to come greet her. Anna laughed and crouched down to rub his head and he purred. He followed her back to the blanket and as she settled herself on it, he settled himself in her lap. Anna smiled, contentedly stroking his soft fur as she looked around for Elsa. Anna didn't see her, but she did notice two small insects fluttering towards her. When they got close enough, Anna realized they were butterflies, and when they got even closer, she realized one was formed out of ice and the other, snow.

"Just when I thought she couldn't get any more amazing," Anna murmured, holding out her right hand as a lopsided grin came to her face. The butterflies alighted onto her fingers, and she brought them closer so that she could see their exquisite detail more closely. She was so wrapped up in studying their intricate snowflake and spot patterns that she didn't notice the presence of another person until a pair of arms encircled her waist and drew her back against a familiar body.

"Do you like them?" Elsa asked, her breath tickling Anna's ear.

"I love them," Anna responded instantly, earning a smile from Elsa. "Were they hard to make?"

"No, it just took a little more concentration," Elsa replied. She nuzzled Anna's neck and Anna almost purred in contentment at her loving touch. "And you looked like you needed cheering up. Why are you sad, my lovely Apprentice?" Elsa asked gently, her arms tightening around Anna. "You've been so excited about today. Did something go wrong?"

Anna unexpectedly chuckled, sending a vibration through Elsa's body. "How do you do that?" she asked Elsa affectionately. She set the frozen butterflies free and turned a little so she could see Elsa's face. "How do you know instantly what I am thinking and how I am feeling?" she demanded playfully.

"You have a very expressive face, and I've always been able to read you," Elsa teasingly reminded her, happy to see her more cheerful. "And, I've been living with you for months, so that helps too. But you didn't answer my question, Anna. Why are you sad?" Elsa persisted, not about to let Anna off the hook.

Anna sighed, unsurprised that Elsa was not letting it go. Elsa hated to see her sad, and if her sadness was something Elsa could fix, Elsa would do everything in her power to try. "Nothing went wrong today," Anna answered truthfully. "In fact, it went much better than it could have or than I thought it would. But, at some points I was reminded of certain realities of living in the State, and it made me sad in spite of my happiness about other things."

Anna had been living with her for too long, Elsa decided in mild exasperation. It was a perfectly-crafted, perfectly-vague answer that answered her question without really giving her any other information. Her Apprentice had learned well, Elsa thought with a touch of rueful pride. "Well, I am truly sorry to hear that something made you unhappy," Elsa said, kissing Anna's forehead. "And since I know you want to keep whatever you did today a secret, I won't press for details. But, if there's anything I can do to help or to make you feel better, you know I'll do it."

"I know you will and I already feel a million times better," Anna said, snuggling closer to her. "But since you offered, just for today, could we not live in the State? Could we live in a time and place where we can just be two people in love that don't have to worry about being hated or hunted by someone or something?" she pleaded.

"I don't think that such a time and place would have ever existed for us," Elsa said sadly. "We would have been shunned for our sexual proclivities for thousands of years and even if we lived in a time after that, I would have been shunned for being Extraordinary."

"I didn't say it had to be a real time and place," Anna countered, mumbling into Elsa's chest.

"Fair enough," Elsa replied with a smirk, cuddling Anna before standing and pulling Anna up with her. "Then as you wish, my lady. We are no longer in this Pillars-forsaken State," she declared, sweeping her arms around the clearing as if she was transforming it. "We are merely two lovers enjoying a late-spring picnic beside a beautiful creek with our magnificent forest wildcat." Marshmallow, having been unwillingly dislodged from Anna's lap, looked at her when she pointed at him, but the disgruntled look on his face made Anna giggle. Elsa laughed in return and swept Anna up in her arms, giving her a sweet kiss that Anna happily returned. "Food?" Elsa inquired after they parted.

"Always," Anna responded and Elsa smirked at her as she went to get the picnic basket beside the tree. They sat back down on the blanket and a veritable feast emerged from the basket's wicker depths. Anna couldn't help but notice it was all of her favorites, including the chocolate cheesecake that Elsa had managed to perfect. Elsa presented the dessert with a flourish and Anna smiled, reaching out to stoke her cool cheek. "I love it when you get all silly and romantic," Anna said fondly, and Elsa blushed just a little.

"It's your own fault," Elsa mumbled, embarrassed. "I only seem to act like this around you."

"Which makes me love you even more," Anna responded honestly. "I love the fact that the mighty Ice Queen loves me enough to become silly, romantic Elsa for me and only me." Elsa didn't say anything but only blushed deeper, and Anna laughed.

In spite of her embarrassment, Elsa was glad to see Anna back to her usual happy self. "I think we should eat now," she said, holding out some chocolate to distract Anna. Anna grabbed the proffered candy and gave her a kiss of thanks.

Eventually, Elsa convinced Anna to eat something other than chocolate, and the rest of the morning was spent nibbling and munching on the other treats that Elsa had made. Now thoroughly stuffed and still a bit tired from her very early morning, Anna curled up into Elsa's arms as they lay on the blanket and promptly fell asleep in the warm spring sunshine. Elsa smiled and tightened her grip, kissing Anna's hair softly as she held her treasured redhead.

The warm sunshine was enticing Elsa to follow Anna into slumber, but they were far too exposed here at the creek and Elsa knew she had to remain vigilant. She kept herself awake by thinking about everything and anything, and at last her mind settled on how she was going to propose to Anna. The one-year anniversary of Anna becoming her Apprentice was coming up in about a month, and Elsa thought it was the perfect opportunity to ask Anna to marry her. She had some ideas for a ring but nothing concrete, and she was hoping that there was a jeweler in town. Elinor would have to be her emissary, of course, but Elsa knew the older woman would be more than willing. As Anna softly snored, Elsa continued to plan, and by the time Anna started to stir against her chest, Elsa had the day scheduled down to the tiniest detail.

Anna yawned and opened her eyes, blinking as she looked up into beautiful blue eyes that looked at her with loving amusement. "Wow, sorry," she mumbled. "I really didn't mean to fall asleep like that. I was completely out."

"I noticed," Elsa quipped with an affectionate grin. "Especially since you were snoring and drooling on me."

Anna lifted her head, embarrassed, and sure enough, there was a damp spot on Elsa's dark blue shirt. "Um…I brushed my teeth this morning so, uh, my mouth is relatively clean?" Anna offered awkwardly, lifting herself off of Elsa to sit on the blanket.

"Don't worry about it," Elsa assured her, sitting up herself. "It wouldn't be the first time I've had your saliva on my breasts."

That comment made Anna stop short. Even though she was no longer a Master, Elsa was still very literal and matter-of-fact, so she might have just been stating the obvious to reassure Anna. On the other hand, the longer they had been out in the woods by themselves, the more Elsa's wry sense of humor had started to emerge, so the comment might have been made to dryly, yet gently, tease her. Anna lifted her eyebrow, and a small smirk appeared on Elsa's face. So she was being teased, Anna decided. Well, two can play at that game, she thought.

Without warning, she crawled over the blanket and sat in Elsa's lap, straddling her and bringing their faces close together. Elsa's eyebrow quirked, showing her surprise as the mood went from playful to suddenly sensuous as Anna ran her hands up to the body parts in question and started to tease. Elsa tensed as those fingers did their magic, and Anna leaned over farther so that their lips were almost touching. "If I am going to be teased for drooling on you, I might as well do it right," Anna whispered, letting her hands caress for a bit more until they moved to start unbuttoning Elsa's blouse.

Elsa swallowed. Her body wanted nothing more than for Anna to continue, but her rational mind and her survival instincts kept telling her that having sex by the creek would leave them vulnerable to discovery and capture. "We can't do this, Anna," she protested, even as the last button on her blouse was undone and the garment fell open completely. "It isn't safe. We are far too exposed here."

"No, you aren't exposed enough," Anna countered, reaching for Elsa's bra.

"But, I have to stay alert," Elsa said weakly, losing the battle with her desire as Anna accomplished her goal and her warm mouth enveloped one of Elsa's breasts. "I have to protect us," she whimpered, her fingers tangling in soft red hair.

"Marshmallow will protect us," Anna murmured as her mouth continued to work.

That comment made Elsa glance over Anna's shoulder to look at the lynx that had accompanied them. He was upside down on his back on the blanket, dead asleep with his paws in the air, and the sight was so ridiculously adorable that Elsa started laughing in spite of her growing arousal. The laughter startled Anna and she stopped what she was doing to look up Elsa. Elsa pointed behind them, and Anna looked back and saw the state of their so-called protector. She started laughing too, and the tension broke, allowing Elsa to escape.

"Hey, wait!" Anna pouted as Elsa refastened her bra and buttoned up her blouse.

"You and that lovely mouth of yours can do whatever you would like to me once we get home," Elsa promised, picking up their picnic supplies and putting them back in the basket. "But, it's just not safe here, Anna."

"I know," Anna admitted, getting up herself and helping clean up. "And I really didn't mean to take it that far. I just wanted to tease you."

"Well, you did that and more, Apprentice," Elsa said with a smirk, "and I am going to have fun paying you back for it."

Anna shivered at the wicked smirk, and she blushed as they continued to clean. When the creek side was spotless again, they woke up their lynx and the three of them went back to the cottage. They went in and put everything away, and Elsa fed both of the cats to make sure that they wouldn't be disturbed before Anna grabbed her hand and they disappeared into their bedroom for the rest of the day.