because everyone needs to read the utter adorableness of bat!anna :) originally posted for an Elsanna-Shenanigans' monthly prompt. There are more chapters incoming :)

❄︎

As a vet for the arcane, not the mundane, Elsa had seen her fair share of things she liked to classify as Weird Shit.

Weird shit like the poor necromancer who had tried to resurrect his beloved pet guinea pig... four months after her death. The poor thing was still alive and kicking, in the loosest sense of the word. At least her arthritis was virtually non-existent, though she had a tendency to fall apart whenever she moved.

Rest in pieces.

Then there was also the high school football club who had tried to raise an actual wolf cub to be their mascot. They thought that, given half of them were some variety of lycan themselves, that it would be an easy time.

They did not know how to raise any kind of child, let alone a non-human one. Also, as it turned out, the 'wolf' was actually half-wolf, half... something else. Elsa hadn't even been able to identify it, nor did she want to. The creature went with the endangered and protected animal folk. She'd convinced the boys to just get a regular dog, or find a full-lycan (or even just a furry) who could mascot for them.

What did not classify as Weird Shit was the vampire bat who came to her clinic, one Thursday morning just after sunrise. It flew inside the open door – above the 'all welcome!' floor mat – and flopped helplessly on the table, one leg broken and with a fractured wing. She was fairly sure this particular creature was actually all vampire, but it had taken the form and she wasn't about to begrudge someone healthcare. Especially given that, unsurprisingly, a vampire in bat form was very different to a vampire in human form, and it was hard enough getting non-discriminatory health care even shaped like a human.

So she fixed up its wing and foot and put it in an unlocked cage so when it was ready, it could leave.

It didn't.

That was... odd. It was entirely possible the little bat was just that – a bat – but Elsa had her doubts. Mostly because the bat didn't act like a bat. The whole nocturnal thing notwithstanding, this bat actually acted more human than a vampire, too.

It seemed drawn to bright lights, though it still skirted away from the sun. It seemed interested in eating food other than the blood of the little insects and mice Elsa brought (and yes, she knew of the irony of a vet, killing an animal for another animal). This bat ate grapes from the palm of her hand!

And also, when Elsa tried to check the gender, she got a very indignant flutter of wings in her face, accompanied by some rather intense screeching.

So, probably a full vampire. But then... why were they still a bat?

So, about a week-and-a-bit after the bat first arrived, Elsa finds herself studying up on vampire culture. She asks a few of her vampire friends (of which there is one. online. whom she'd never met face-to-face before.)

(... it's a vampire forum. anyway.)

There doesn't seem to be any reason for why this little vampire's 'stuck', as it were. By the time the weekend rolls around, though, Elsa's actually become properly concerned. Perhaps she needs some help? Like, professional help?

Entirely possible, but there may be simpler options. One suggestion just says "coax a conversation", as though bats are actually capable of talking.

Still, it doesn't hurt to try, right?

So, the next day when Elsa arrives to work, she spends a little longer with the vampire. They come out of the cage and crawl onto her coat with its claws, and it's actually really cute. Cute enough that Elsa pulls her phone out and takes a cute selfie and makes it her phone's background image. She might be imagining the blush on the bat's little face.

"Hey, buddy," she says, scooping it up and placing the little creature on her desk. It's really a very tiny bat, perhaps no larger than her hand. Are they supposed to be that small? "Are you stuck? You're a vampire, right?"

The bat just blinks at her. She sighs, and pushes her glasses further up her nose.

"Okay, so I'm either going crazy, or you are a vampire. And that's completely okay, okay? It's not going to change anything. But I am getting a little concerned because you've been in this form for a while now. Is everything okay? Can you at least tell me your name?"

Still nothing. Bringing a hand up, she pinches her forehead. There isn't much else to say. She's not even sure the bat can understand her, even if it were a vampire – is there a limit on how long they can stay like that before they lose themselves? And how was this creature supposed to even respond, even if she can understand?

But there's nothing she can really do about that, so Elsa just goes about her work. There's a phoenix who's about to regenerate and she needs to make sure it's not going to take the whole building down with it when it erupts. By the time she returns, several hours and a little singed later, she realises that the bat is still on the table, and is holding a pen twice its size. She Ignores the little bat moving around her desk, shuffling pens and paper and not really being a nuisance. Just being there. Thought the pen thing is weird.

After about ten minutes, she hears a little squeak. Naturally, she goes over to investigate.

On the back of one of her reports – which she'll absolutely have to reprint later – there's four letters.

A-N-N-A

Anna.

"Your name is Anna?" Elsa asks. The bat just blinks at her, but there seems to be some recognition.

Anna it is, then.

❄︎

They fall into an easy rhythm. Anna's wing heals, but she refuses to go outside to hunt, instead preferring whatever little scraps Elsa can find. She's good, and doesn't drink the blood of the other cats and dogs and... others... while she's here, so Elsa's kind of content to let her stay as long as she wants.

It's why she's so disappointed, one cold, rainy day, to find Anna gone. Her cage – which isn't ever shut, now, because she likes to sleep under the security camera in the corner but all her stuff is there – is empty, and she's not in her usual haunts. It's been almost a whole month, and it only made sense that she'd pack up and move on soon. Surely she has her own home, or family. A familiar or a thrall, at least?

So Elsa tugs on her coat and swallows her disappointment. She makes a mad dash for her car, and halfway home she has to pull over because there's something moving in her coat.

Anna lets out a very annoyed chitter when she's finally extricated, her claws stuck in the wool of Elsa's sweater. Elsa just sighs. It's dark and late and she doesn't really want to go back to the clinic to drop Anna off. And it's evident that she is a vampire, who is for some reason unable or unwilling to return to her usual form, which means that she's making an active decision and it's not really fair on Elsa to keep her alone at the clinic.

So she just sighs once more and moves Anna to her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure you would have entered without permission, had I not noticed you," she says. "And I would have been very irritated if you'd thrown up or burst into ash or whatever it is vampires do when they break the rules."

Anna gives an undignified squeak, and Elsa smiles. "Yes, you are welcome in my home. Might be nice to have some company."

It's all well and good, and Elsa actually finds she likes having Anna around. She forgets that the little creature living in her coat, sleeping hanging on a lamp, is a person – sort of – that she's let into her home. But Anna doesn't take advantage. Elsa doesn't wake up with another body over her, little teeth in her throat. She actually even begins willingly offering her blood, just a little pinprick for Anna to consume.

After all, to a vampire, human blood was that which truly sustained them. Perhaps she wasn't getting enough nutrients from the rats.

Even as Elsa thinks that to herself, she scrunches her nose up. Poor Anna.

She's on the verge of calling for a proper vampire doctor – she doesn't have one on the books, but there's a mob on the edge of town that could help – because Anna's still not changing back and Elsa can't think of why. A spell, maybe? Is she stuck? She's been able to communicate once before, so why not now?

Except Elsa doesn't get a chance to call because one morning there's a strange man at the door of her clinic. He's got a suit and a suitcase and looks really put together.

Notably, though, he doesn't have an animal with him. Is he... here to pick up for someone else?

And then he smiles and she sees the fangs and Elsa has an idea of why he's here and she's pretty glad Anna's still sleeping in her lab pocket.

"Hi," he says, voice smooth like butter. "Hans Westerguard. I'm trying to track down a lost little vampire – my fiancée, actually. I was wondering if anyone had come through?"

Elsa's hands are trembling, and she puts them in her pockets to hide. Anna's awake and shaking too. She curls into the small cup her fingers make and then doesn't move.

"I'm sorry. I'm a vet – I don't treat vampires," she says, somehow without her voice cracking. If anything, though, his smile becomes wider.

"Even if she looked like a bat? She's ah... not been behaving, see. So she won't look like a vampire, even if she wanted to."

Elsa's horrified. Her eyes widen, and she feels a little sick. She's glad she's human at the moment because vampire politics sound absolutely disgusting – though, they have the stereotype of being old fashioned. Seemed, in some aspects, that were true.

She sucks in a breath, and squeezes Anna just a little – to reassure the bat, or herself, she's not entirely sure.

"If I see any, I'll let you know," she says, and the frigidity of her voice surprises even her. Hans pulls back a little, evidently feeling the same way. His smile drops, and it's weird because he doesn't actually look any crueler without it.

"I hope so..." he says. "Otherwise, I'm afraid she'll be stuck like that forever, and you know bats. They don't tend to live very long."

And even while Elsa's still absorbing that, he vanishes. She hopes she never sees him again.

Though it does get her thinking. Hand still in her pocket, thumb rubbing over top of Anna's head, she ponders. Sits in her office chair and thinks, because now she has a better idea of what's going on, she has an idea for how she can fix it.

Picking up the phone, she rings an old friend.

❄︎

Kristoff hasn't changed at all. Shaggy blonde hair, and a permanent five o'clock shadow. He looks at Elsa with large, brown eyes, studying her as she steps forward and holds out her hand.

"Hey, Kris," she says. He takes it. His hand is warm in hers.

"Hi, Els. Wasn't really expecting a call from you, to be honest."

She grimaces. They were old... well, the word friends doesn't really work. Acquaintances? Perhaps. They'd gone to school together – had gone into the same profession, even. Kristoff, with his abilities, had a harder time than she.

"How's the farm?" she asks, and he shrugs.

"Good. It's good. I don't want to be rude, Elsa, but..." He wants to know why she rang, why she's asked to meet him at a random coffee shop that neither of them have ever been to, and probably never would again. Elsa purses her lips.

"I need a telepath–"

"Shh!" he hisses. "Animal whisperer and empath, okay?"

Elsa winces. She'd forgotten how he felt about that word; while she didn't think it fair he felt he had to hide, she also didn't have to deal with the stigma of people thinking you could hear their deepest darkest secrets. Kristoff's abilities were peripheral; he had very little control over them. She couldn't blame him for moving out in the middle of nowhere, just him and his dog, growing vegetables. It suited him.

"Sorry," she apologises. "I just... have a very special client. And I want to help her but there's not a lot I can do because she can't tell me. Trust me, Kris, I wouldn't ask if it weren't important."

He knows that. It's what makes him sigh and scratch his cheek before nodding. "Fine, what do you want me to do?"

This will be the tricky part. Putting her hand in her pocket, she pulls out Anna, who's fallen asleep. It's kind of adorable.

"This is Anna. She's not supposed to be a bat. At least, not all the time. Her family- I didn't get much information, but it sounds like being forced to remain in this form is punishment. I want to figure out how to get her back."

"I'm pretty sure your duty of care was over as soon as you realised she was a vampire, Elsa," Kristoff says blandly. She frowns because it's not about that. Not at all.

"Trust me, if you'd seen the guy who came asking about her, you'd feel the same way. Please Kris? Just see if you can find out anything that could help?"

He exhales once more before holding out his hand. Elsa passes over the sleeping bat. She wakes up and begins flapping her wings, trying to get away, but Kristoff has a good grip on her. Luckily it's late and they're in the corner of the coffeeshop.

"Hey, hey, Anna? It's me, okay?" Elsa says, leaning forward so Anna can see her. "Kristoff is a friend, okay? We're trying to help."

She settles down, but only just. Evidently, she's not very happy, but at least she trusts Elsa enough to listen to her. Kristoff closes his eyes, thumb running from the tip of Anna's nose to the top of her head in long, soothing motions, and Elsa can see her eyes flutter shut, too. She looks so peaceful.

They sit there for a long time. Elsa finishes her drink, but there's no motion from either Kristoff or Anna. It's always an experience, witnessing him commune with creatures.

Finally, a good half an hour after he'd closed his eyes, he opens them again. They're red and kind of glassy. Gently, he passes over Anna, who seems to be fast asleep. Elsa holds her against her chest. "Well?"

"She's weak. And not like... physically weak. More like a kind of magic? I'm not really familiar with it. If she can get some proper nutrients, she might regain enough strength to fight off whatever spell is causing this, but that's a big if."

Elsa looks down at the little bat cradled against her. Anna's eyes open, and she blinks blearily at Elsa before realising she was back with Elsa. She holds on with her little claws and climbs up to Elsa's head, splaying herself on top of Elsa's white-gold hair.

She sees Kristoff smile, and can't help but do the same. It's cute.

"Okay. I'll see what I can do."

❄︎

Elsa's a vet. She has access to some blood for transfusions, and while dog and cat blood isn't really what she's after, she does have some pig's blood. That's close to human, right?

So she brings it home and she's got a couple of bottles for feeding baby animals, so she fills one up and puts the rest of the blood in the fridge. It takes a while to coax Anna to drink it, and at first it seems like she simply doesn't like the taste. But, after she's had an entire bottle, she gets this dazed look about her. Her tummy swells and she throws up almost all of it. She just looks so completely drained.

So next time, Elsa warms it up in the microwave first. It seems to make a little difference. Anna still doesn't seem particularly enthused about drinking it, but at least it stays down. Elsa invites Kristoff over for another 'reading', and this time it only takes about ten minutes before he's putting Anna down and shaking his head.

"It's not enough. She'll never get enough from the- what is it, sheep's blood?"

"Pig..."

"She'll never get enough from that. She's a vampire, Elsa. The answer's pretty obvious."

He leaves after that – he's got another appointment of some kind – leaving Elsa to contemplate his words. He's definitely right, of course, but she had hoped...

It doesn't really matter what she'd hoped. There seems to be only one answer. At least Anna was clean – she'd done all the usual checks.

So, turning the heater up, Elsa puts Anna on her pillow while she goes to have a long soak in the bath. It's very rare for anyone to die from feeding a vampire, but it has been known to happen; if it were going to happen to her, she at least wants to be clean. Also, Anna would much prefer clean skin over dirty, and it definitely makes Elsa feel a little more comfortable about the whole thing.

By the time she returns, Anna's dozing on the bed, wings tucked in tight around her. It's a rather cute sight, and Elsa can't help but smile a little. Scooping her hands up under Anna's small body, she lifts her from the pillow. The light jostling wakes her up, and Anna gives a tired chirp.

And then Elsa puts her up on her shoulder – because that was traditional, right? – and Anna lets out a much more urgent squeak. Elsa pulls her back, just to look at her.

"It's okay, Anna," she says with a small smile. "I want to help, and this... is probably the only thing that will actually make a difference. It's fine." Anna shakes her head, and Elsa uses the opportunity to brush it with her thumb. "Anna, you know the rules around this. I can't make you... but I can make it clear that I am saying this is okay. You're in need, and maybe you're not a regular bat, but I made a promise to help all sick and injured animals to the best of my ability. This is the best of my ability."

Anna just looks at her for a few more moments. Elsa keeps smiling, trying to be as encouraging as she can. She's never done this before, but it's not unheard of. She just wants to help.

Finally, Anna seems to make a decision. She crawls up to rest on Elsa's shoulder, though she doesn't do much else yet. Elsa laughs when she moves her nose against the sensitive skin – it tickles! – before settling back down so she's half-lying, half-sitting on the bed. There's a TV in the corner, so she flicks it on for a bit of background noise. Takes her glasses off and puts them on the bedside table so they don't get broken or lost. And then she waits.

She doesn't have to wait for long.

Elsa definitely feels it when the fangs slide in. They're not needle-sharp, and it's impossible to hold back the hiss of pain, or the wince. But it very swiftly turns into something else, something she didn't expect.

It's common knowledge that vampire saliva has an analgesic, but Elsa doesn't expect it to feel... like that. To feel so good.

She tries not to move; tries to just breath through it because there's this warm curling in her stomach. And it's absurd because Anna is literally drinking her blood, but she'd kind of be okay with Anna doing it again, too. Elsa's head goes fuzzy, and she lets out a little giggle.

If anything, Anna sucks harder, drinks faster; she seems pleased by Elsa's reaction, and Elsa's feeling pretty pleased herself. Her body burns, a fire spreading through her veins, and a hand comes up to rest against Anna.

Only against her, because she's... bigger now?

She hadn't realised her eyes were shut, but now that she's noticed, Elsa can't seem to find the energy to open them. Aside from the spectacular heat, everything also feels really heavy. Her legs are dead weight, and it takes too much energy to keep her hand against Anna. Even the little bat feels heavy, heavier than she has any right to feel.

Elsa becomes aware of her own breathing, deep enough to be felt down in her bones. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't open her eyes. Vaguely, she remembers what she's doing – feeding a vampire – and vaguely she knows that it's probably gone wrong somewhere, that Anna's taken too much.

But it feels so good, still. Elsa feels so close to something, and she can't even remember what it is. There's a burst of something, radiating out from her, and the heat within her blood spikes.

And then she finally loses her tenuous grip on consciousness. Her last thought is that Anna's drinking... kind of felt a little like kissing...

❄︎

Elsa isn't entirely sure when she regains consciousness. Part of her wasn't expecting too, probably. The shades are drawn and she reaches over for her phone.

It's dead.

Okay, so, she was out for a while. A long while. What happ- oh.

Her hand rises to her neck, and she feels every muscle burn with the effort. It's almost as though she was struck by a giant block of concrete. There's nothing on her throat except tender, sensitive flesh. It feels like a bruise, but there's nothing to suggest she'd been fed from.

There's a noise coming from the kitchen, like someone moving some things around, and Elsa realises she's absolutely, completely helpless. Her phone's flat and she can barely move.

But then another sound joins in: humming. And there's a few people it could be, but only one logical person, so Elsa wets her lips and tries to call out. 'Tries' being the operative word, because it seems like her voice has been taken, as well as her strength. She's about to try again when it becomes completely unnecessary.

"Oh thank fuck you're awake."

There's a woman standing in the doorway, holding a container of something. Across one arm is a towel, and even though Elsa has never actually met this person in her life, she has a feeling she knows who it is.

"A-Anna?"

There's a small smile, playing at the corner of Anna's mouth when she nods, taking a couple of steps forward. And now that's she's closer, Elsa can see the similarities between her and the man who came to find her, but also her... and the little bat that has been living with Elsa for weeks. They both have the same eyes, a bright green that just penetrates. Her hair's a little brighter red than the fur of her bat-form, but the same white streak is there. Elsa's sure there must be other things, but at the moment she's a little distracted because why is Anna even here?

And so she asks that, her frazzled mind not in any position to sugarcoat. Anna's still standing by the door, and she shifts uncomfortably. She's not wearing shoes. She is wearing Elsa's clothes.

"You... took care of me when I needed it..." she says, very softly. "So... I felt I needed to return that favour."

She takes a few steps forward after saying that, then sits on the edge of the bed, about level with Elsa's hips. She hasn't completely done up the flannel shirt she's wearing, and she evidently hasn't gone through Elsa's underwear drawer.

Her mouth goes dry.

"There's no wound now," she says softly. Elsa can see that in the container, there's some fresh water. It looks really good. "And it looks like your fever has broken. Vampire saliva's good for at least one of those, I guess. I'm- I'm really sorry. I didn't meant to take so much you'd lose consciousness."

"Why did you?"

It's an honest question, and Elsa asks it without malice or anger. She doesn't really care at this point, because she's still alive and Anna's beautiful and nothing really makes sense anyway.

"I- It's been a while since I had such a fulfilling feed," Anna admits softly. "And your blood... well, it's pretty gourmet."

Unexpectedly, Elsa laughs. It starts as a snort, and by the time she's done everything aches. But she's still smiling because it's such a ridiculous thing for Anna to say, and yet she did it anyway.

"Glad... glad to be of help."

Anna's smiling at her, and it's not really a humorous smile, or a grateful one. It's soft, and tender, and obviously tasting the blood of another person – or rather, drinking it straight from their body – is pretty intimate. Even as Elsa's thinking that, Anna's hand comes to brush her face, moving her hair.

"Thank you, Elsa. You... actually saved my life. Countless times. And I don't know how to repay you."

Elsa looks away, blood rising to her cheeks at the compliment. "Can I ask a question?"

Blinking, Anna nods.

"Why... were you forced to remain a bat in the first place?"

Anna looks away, shifting. She's pale – she's a vampire – and so the blush that rises to her face is not nearly bright enough to drown out the freckles. It makes a valiant attempt at it anyway.

"My uh, father. He found me in a... compromising situation. Given that I'm supposed to be marrying that turnip, Hans, he was not very impressed. He figured I couldn't commit any further 'sins of the flesh' if I weren't, uh, of the flesh, so to speak."

"Ah."

"Yep."

A silence falls between them, and Elsa's not really sure what to say. Or do. "Can't you just... run off with him? I'm sorry, I don't really understand vampire politics..."

Anna laughs, a short, clipped sound. "We live a long time. Monogamy isn't really our strong suit anyway. No, what my father had an issue with was the, ah, gender of my partner. She wasn't very impressed to learn I was betrothed, either. Not that I really care. I don't love her. I just love being with her – with any woman, really."

Oh.

Elsa looks at her, blinking slowly. Her eyes feel like saucers, and while Anna's got an air of casualty about her, Elsa's spent enough time with her to see the tension. It's in the way her eyes keep darting around, the way she nibbles at her bottom lip; her fingers, reaching for nothing.

"In fact, I never thought I'd be the 'settle-down' type. Never been forced to stay in one place long enough, or with someone else, to get close. Before."

Was she- was she thinking what Elsa thought she was thinking?

"You're not a bat anymore..." Elsa says slowly, before she can bite the words back. Anna's head jerks up. In for a penny, in for a pound. Elsa shrugs. "What I mean is..."

"Elsa..." Anna starts. And this is ridiculous, and Elsa's heart shouldn't fall the way it does at hearing her name in that slow, sad tone, but it does anyway. At least, until Anna speaks again.

"Do you... know what you're asking?"

And maybe Elsa doesn't, but she does know that she's really enjoyed the last month, having Anna around, and she likes how she looks and how she sounds and just how gracious and helpful and nice she's been. How much she cares. Elsa's nothing special, not compared to all the people who have these amazing abilities, but it doesn't seem like Anna cares much about that.

She kinda just seems to care about Elsa.

So, when she leans down, Elsa moves up to meet her part-way. Everything hurts, true, but it also feels like everything's a little better, too. Better with Anna here, with her kissing Elsa and Elsa kissing back.

Anna flew into her life, entirely by accident, and Elsa's happy to let her stay.