A/N: Sup people, been awhile. I know. Sorry about that, I actually had a good number of people interested the last time I updated for this story and I just kind of let it die. I honestly have no idea if the fandom is even still half as active as it used to be. Oh well. I promised a good number of people that I was going to keep updating this story, no matter what. And I intend to keep that promise. That being said, it would mean a lot if those of you who are still crawling this fandom could leave a review or follow. Just let me know if anyone is still out there.

Disclaimer: I do not own frozen.

Flashing into consciousness, Elsa sighed at the pleasant warmth seaming to smother her with its weight. This, added with wonderful moments between sleep and waking encouraged the young woman to retreat back under the blanket of dreams. She could not remember the last time she had felt this at peace. It wasn't until she smiled, snuggling into cushion of her chair that a small but building sound began to penetrate her blissful cocoon.

Zzzzzzzz...

Crumbling her features, the sound was steadily growing, turning to a great roar until the illusion of sleep had become just that. Elsa found herself opening her eyes just enough to spot an errand curl of reddish blond hair hanging in front of her very nose. And from there it was a very small trail to follow to the girl snoring into the modest softness of her chest.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZ…

Flinching at the sound of Anna's sleep, Elsa felt her eyes go wide, shifting erratically in all directions.

For the first few moments, the pale teen's thoughts imminently went to her parents, expecting them to appear at any moment to discover their embrace and condemn her for her actions. She could only imagine her father's anger as well as her mother's disappointment. How could she have let this situation happen?

But waiting, allowing her pulse to calm and her mind to still, the memory of her parent's departure the day before came back, allowing her to settle into her chair and breathe without the threat of them looming over her head.

It was… all coming back to her. The fight, her sister, her secret. It really was all out on the table now.

Looking around the room, the light of dusk streamed in through her closed curtain, the only source of illumination in the otherwise dark room. A colorful array of reds and oranges, the light was beautiful as it reflected off of the various knickknacks scattered throughout the elder sibling's space. Unattended, the fire in her hearth looked to have burned itself out hours ago, a testament to just how long the two had slumbered.

Casting another glance towards her slumbering sister, Elsa wasn't sure how she felt. To say she was happy for the chance to her see her sister again after so long would be more than an understatement. But regardless of whatever misplaced faith Anna seemed to have in her, Elsa knew she was still a danger to her sister. Her emotions were still too unstable for her to risk her sister's safety.

Elsa frowned at her own inadequacy, and yet still found a gem gleaming in the murky waters of yesterday. Yes, her sister found out about her powers, and yes, she still needed to ignore her for her own safety, but Anna didn't blame her. Despite remembering that fateful night, however Anna managed it, she didn't blame her and was even silly enough to think the fault was her own fault. And that… that was enough to brink a tear to Elsa's eye at just how relieved she was.

Taking a deep breath, Elsa unintentionally found herself inhaling the scent emanating from her little sister's hair. Feeling her heart quicken at the sensation, the elder sibling involuntarily found herself closing her eyes to savor the pleasant aroma. It had been so long, and yet there was no mistaking her sister still smelled the same as she had all those years ago.

It was a gentle smell, not at all overpowering like others felt the need to carry. Even when they were children the scent of fresh flowers seemed to cling to the younger girl. And to a person in perpetual winter, it was like spring personified sent to free them from their cage. Without even meaning to, Elsa found herself tightening her hold on her sister's small frame, her nose pressing against the crown of Anna's head as she breathed in her unique smell and relived all the memories it spawned.

"mhm, grah." Grumbling in her sleep, Anna's bone rattling snores broke as her sleep looked to be coming to a close. "Mhmm… Elsa." In a somewhat fretful tone, her sister's name slipped from her lips, forcing the elder sibling to look down at her crinkled frown and swallow nervously at the impending confrontation.

Snuggling deeper into the gentle swell of her sister's chest, Anna's jaw stretched in a great yawn. She was never the best at waking up, usually stuck dancing the line between dreams and consciousness for hours before she was able to pull herself together. But finding herself sitting upright, as well the unusually cool cushion she was currently resting on kept her mind from rejecting reality and in the land of the living. This didn't keep her head any less hazy, however, as she pulled her head from her sister's gown, a dreary haze still blurring her vision.

Once, twice, three times Anna had to blink just to make the images in the room recognizable. This action was only punctuated by the sound of her lips, loudly smacking in an attempt to dissipate the dreary taste of morning. Finally, turning her head to capture her surroundings, the image of another person urged her to raise her gaze, only to stop as her eyes met that of her sister.

Watching all of this unfold, Elsa was a statue, too nervous to so much as breathe. Her eyes watched her sister's every move, waiting for the inevitable panic of her discovery. Yet even then as she found herself face to face with her sister, eyes locked on one another, Anna still remained as calm as ever, her sleepy expression never wavering for even a moment.

The realization happened slowly.

Watching her sister, Elsa waited for when she would realize where she was and who she was with. And much longer than the elder sibling thought it would take, Anna seemed to slowly realize just who she was sitting on, her eyes growing twice their normal size.

Biting her lip, Elsa waited, unsure what she should do in this situation. Anna seemed to feel the same way as she remained where she was, completely unmoving. Like this the sisters remained, motionless as they stared into each other's eyes, waiting for each other to make the first move.

Slowly, Anna leaned back from Elsa never breaking eye contact but not expressing emotion either. Like this her eyes dropped, following the slope of her sister's slender neck down to the place her head had just been resting. It was here, in a flash of pale skin, her face seemed to drain of color, an equally pallid expression taking hold of her features.

Seeing this unfold, a cold stone of dread settled in Elsa's stomach. For the briefest of moments, she dreaded her worst fear had come to life and that somehow in her sleep she had done something to harm her beloved sister. Thankfully, before her anxiety could spike too high, Anna let out a groan of misery before dropping her head and revealing the point of her pain.

"Of course I drooled on her…" she spoke sarcastically, her own self deprivation acute as she spoke to herself.

Unbidden, Elsa's former fears vanished in a ridiculous snort of amusement. No sooner did her face flush with color at the noise she had unintentional uttered, had Anna's head lifted, a look of surprised amusement on her features at hearing her usually so dignified sister create such a sound.

Seeing her sister's face, the high tension of the room dropped, the ridiculousness of her sister's words and her own response becoming too much as Elsa was reduced to a fit of giggles she found soon overtaking her once ridged form. Not one to be left out, Anna joined her sister and soon both young women were lost in a wave of laughter.

Regaining a bit of her senses, Anna had to gasp for breath as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I- I really am sorry about your gown," she admitted, a bit of her embarrassment returning in the light of her sisters mirth. But not even glancing at the wet spot on her breast, the older sister waved her off immediately, her own smile still etched onto her features.

"I… I can't remember the last time I laughed like that," And giving her younger sister an anxious smile, she was relieved to see Anna return her sentiment with a much exaggerated nod of her head.

"I know." With a sigh her smile turned nervous, yet still very so hopeful. "I missed really missed this." Then, pausing in a moment of insecurity Anna added, "And you." And meeting her sister's gaze, Anna waited on baited breath to see how her sister would receive her words.

With a startled heart, Elsa's eyes turned sad, both for what she knew she still needed to tell her sister, and for understanding just how much she felt the same. Despite her wishes however, Elsa forced her emotions to the side and returned her sister's gaze to capture her full attention.

"so have I," she spoke, the words wistful but still tinged with the underlying sadness that remained no matter how hard the witch tried to burry it. But Anna caught none of this. All she could hear was her heart skip a beat at her sister's confession, hope blooming in its place. This only made her sister's next words that much more of a crushing blow. "But it can't last."

In seconds the bright smile that appeared on Anna's face was ripped away, replaced by the unmistakable sting of pain.

"But why?" Anna stressed, her smile strained as she attempted to feign her lack of panic. Despite her effort, her hands still rose to grasp at the collar of her gown, wringing the material without mercy. "I- I mean, I know last night didn't go exactly perfect, but it wasn't that bad right? I mean, I've missed you so much, even before I remembered you had magic. It's all I've ever wanted to be able to talk to you, to laugh with you just like we used to. Don't you… haven't you missed me to? At all?" Anna's eyes screamed of fear. Fear of rejection, fear of loneliness, fear of the quiet that haunted their empty home. It only made the pain in Elsa's heart that much sharper.

"Of course!" Elsa insisted, her eyes imploring her little sister to believe her, "but I can still hurt you. Even worse than before if I'm not carful. How would I be able to live with myself if you became injured because of my magic, again? What would I do with myself knowing I had maimed or even killed you because I was too selfish to turn you away?" taking a deep breath, Elsa closed her eyes exposing her sorrow in its rawest form. "Please understand."

For a few moments Anna was silent, a solemn expression taking over as she considered her sister's words. And for a moment, Elsa was hopeful that she would make it easier on the both of them and simply leave. But Anna could never be easy, it just didn't seem to be in her.

"But… you're not hurting me now," she explained, a look of determination flashing on her features. "We spent the whole night together and I didn't see you use your powers once. Maybe… you already have control?" while there was hope in her tone, even Anna knew that to be too good to be true.

Blinking at her sister's words, Elsa had to look away from the pair of bright green eyes to consider them. It was… true. Thinking about it, her powers hadn't erupted once throughout the night. And considering the emotional of toll seeing her sister for the first time in years employed, this was a feat not easily dismissed.

Lifting her gloved hand, she looked at it knowing the horrible power that rested just below the surface, waiting for her to let her guard down. It was like it had a mind of its own, a living breathing entity. The only comparison Elsa could put into words was a feral dog yanking at its leash. And yet, with Anna it seemed subdued almost.

She had noticed it the other day, just before they had begun taking. She had felt her powers reacting to her anxiety, to her fear. The way it had been building, it should have exploded in her face like so many times before. And yet, at a single touch of her sister's hand the ice with in her seemed to calm, slinking back to whatever hole it hides before it chooses to attack.

Could… could she really? Was she really ready to…?

"No!" Elsa forced out. Her heart was pumping as the fear began to overtake her. Already she could feel the anxiety taking over, constricting her lungs to drown her in her own gasping breaths. "I- It's not safe. Mother and father, they- they expressly forbade me from putting you in danger. If they discovered we were meeting, if they discovered that we've already met- Oh goodness! Anna, please. We can't, it just isn't possible. They would never agree."

Whatever reaction Elsa was expecting from her kind hearted sister, a scowl wasn't one of them. The most negative expression she had ever seen grace Anna's features was a disappointed frown. So seeing her suddenly so… so angry. It was enough to snap her out of whatever frenzy that had taken hold of her mind.

"I couldn't care less what they think!" and opening her mouth in shock, Elsa couldn't believe the words coming from her sister's mouth.

"Anna!"

Ignoring her sister's gasp, the redheaded princess continued to scowl, the image of her mother and father only feeding the fire of her mind. She was more than conflicted with the thought of her parents. Her whole life, Anna looked up to the king and queen as any child would. And through their love and care, that affection only grew. She trusted them, believed in them all the times she questioned about Elsa and her isolation. And knowing now that everything they told her in explanation was a lie, it felt impossible to the young women to ever look at them in the same light again. And that tore at her very soul.

"Anna," Elsa tried again, this time calmer. "You… you really mustn't talk so about mother and father." Holding her hands clasped together, couldn't help but glance at the door, reminding herself once again that they couldn't come bursting through. "They only do what they need to keep you safe, to keep everyone safe. I know it can seem frustrating at times, but please-"

"They were the one that took you away from me!" Anna exclaimed, cutting off whatever endearing words she knew she didn't want to hear. "Whatever their excuse, whatever the explanation, I don't care. Because at the end of the day they were the ones that took you away from me. They are the reason I've had to be so alone that I started talking to- to paintings just so I can remember what's it's like to have a normal conversation!"

Frozen, whatever other words Elsa had prepared to say in defense of their parents died on her tongue. All the young women could manage to do was stare at her sister, and watch her chest rise and fall in the wake of her anger.

She had been so worried her sister would blame her for what happened, she hadn't even considered she would point her anger elsewhere. And for it to be their parents… the very thought conflicted with everything the young witch had been taught.

Mother and father were kind and patient. To be able to put up with her curse and still care about her, how could they be anything but? Unfortunate, the elder sister knew telling Anna this would not be received kindly. So instead, she found herself silent, sitting quietly while the storm inside her sister continued to rage on.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how she was supposed to comfort a person. The other day had been a miracle. And unfortunately, Elsa couldn't find the divine intervention appearing a second time. Usually she was the one being comforted and even then, Elsa doubted 'conceal don't feel' would be very much good in this situation. Biting her lip, a look of confliction crossed her features. She had to try something.

Grasping for something to say, the sight of Anna's hand resting between their bodies caught the older sister's attention. With a breath for courage, Elsa halted her restless fidgeting and reached out, hoping her touch would calm her sister's anger. She didn't know what had happened to make her so angry, or what had turned her so against their parents. But the least she could do was remind her that she cared.

Lost in her own her thoughts, Anna almost missed the cool sensation of her sister's hand slipping around her own. Upon realizing it however, all the anger in her system cooled, leaving instead the cold grip of loneliness she found herself always attempting to escape. Looking down the gloved hand around her own, princess Anna moved her thump to caress the fine material marveling at its smooth and quality texture.

Under her fingers, Elsa's skin felt chilled, as if she had just returned from a winter storm. But Anna could feel the warmth hidden underneath. And it was that warmth, seeping into her skin, that fascinated the younger sibling. Even as she just sat there, it took a conscious effort not to move the rest of her hand and explore the hidden surface of her sister's gloved hand.

Giving a small sigh at her own thoughts, Ann's eyes moved up the gloved appendage to meet her sister's gaze. Once the two pairs of eyes met, the younger sibling forced herself to take a deep, shuttering breath.

"Please," she pleaded, her eyes swirling with the underlying sadness she kept locked inside for so long. "Don't keep pushing me out. Don't- don't leave again. I don't know how much longer I can stand it all." Her home, her loneliness, her parents, her life, all of it felt like they were consuming her. She needed something, anything to escape.

Stunned by the raw emotion exposed on her sister's face, Elsa found her mind in turmoil as she wrestled what she wanted, and with what was right.

"O-our parents-," she tried stuttering out of sheer desperation.

"Aren't here," Anna finished pointedly.

"But- but when they return!" and stopping short, the fear on Elsa's face of disappointing her mother and father was as exposed as Anna had ever seen. It forced her to sigh, a look of calculating frustration taking over.

The younger sister was… almost disturbed by Elsa's devotion to their parents. Call it her own sudden temper towards the king and queen, but Ann couldn't help but dwell on how unhealthy it seemed. They were the ones who trapped her in this room. They were the ones who kept them apart. They were liars. How could her sister not understand that?

"Okay," Anna spoke, drawing the word out as a smile began to stretch her face. "Then how about this." Adjusting herself on her sister's lap, Anna's eyes lit up with excitement, whatever idea cooking in her head causing Elsa to shy back in caution before ever hearing it.

"Mom and dad won't be back for at least two weeks, right? What if we just… took that time to catch up, you know? We can hang out like we used to and actually have fun for once! And once the two weeks ends, we'll go our separate ways and you can go right back to 'staying away for my own good'." With a bright grin on Anna's face, it was a stark contrast to that of her sister's whose complexion had paled even further than her normal pure tone, becoming almost translucent. Seeing this, it was all Anna could do to keep the tears from her eyes.

With another sigh, the younger sister forced her expression to remain positive, her once so bright smile becoming ridged and uncomfortable. Her hands released their grip on her collar, only to transition to the sturdy surface of her sister's shoulders. In this way she stared into her sister's eyes, forcing her to see how desperate she truly was.

"Please," the word slipped from her lips. "Just two weeks, that's all I'm asking. I… I can't stand another moment being alone in this castle. Even if it's only a moment longer, I would rather have you for that short of a time than never again. W-what do you say?"

Seeing her sister's attempt at a smile after her offer, it was all Elsa could do to keep from feinting. She wanted to say yes, oh goodness how she wanted to say yes. But could she really take such a risk? Was it worth it?

Asking this questing, the young witch made the mistake of meeting her sister' eyes, becoming lost in the swirling green orbs. What a ridiculous question. Of course Anna was worth it. She was her little sister, the person she loved above all else, the single person she would do anything to protect. The single person that made her feel… anything anymore. Anna was worth the world, and Elsa would do anything to make her keep smiling no matter how frightened she may be.

"Two weeks," the elder sister forced out, her expression turning serious as she shared her sister's gaze. "Two weeks, and then we return to how we were. Mother and father will never know about this."

The resounding embrace nearly toppled the chair as Anna wrapped her thin frame around Elsa's even smaller one. Elsa was still scared, but watching her sister's nervous expression transform into the beaming smile that was currently squealing in her ear made up for it.

In short, shuttering gasp, Anna was nearly in tears as she buried her face into her sister's hair. This was a stark contrast to the wide grin splitting her face as she could feel the blond strands tickling her lips. But that didn't matter, nothing mattered. Right then, all that Anna do was bask in the overwhelming joy cascading throughout her being.

Nervously, awkwardly Elsa retuned the gesture wrapping her arms around her sister, though with significantly less pressure. Regardless, the young women couldn't help but take a moment and close her eyes, the sensation of her sister's warmth becoming beacon of pleasure. Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to relax in its radiance, there was one thing she knew she needed to cover.

"Anna," Elsa interrupted, her voice muffled by the crook of her sister's neck.

"Oh, what are we going to do first?!" Anna gasped, her hug interrupted as she flung herself back to gape at her sister.

"A- Anna," she tried again, but her timid tone was easily drowned out as her sister continued to hum with energy.

"We can try rail sliding, I know all the best stair cases! The west wing especially can be great after it's been waxed."

"Anna."

"Oh, or we try raiding the kitchens! I've gotten great at sneaking past the chef in the last year and there's still almost a whole cake that needs to be eaten. Oh! Or if we can get our hands on one of the castle's cats I've made up a great game we could play. All we need is a broom sick, a griddle and about three gallons of-

"Anna!" Elsa finally yelled, her own heart pounding at her own outburst. Thankfully, it wasn't in vein as Anna's rambling was cut short, her eyes wide in shock at her sister's tone.

"Sorry! Sorry. I know, rambling. I'm just like, super excited for all the fun were going to have." And blushing, the smile on her face couldn't be tamed as she shared this with her sister.

Sighing, Elsa was already exhausted from her sister's endless energy. Not that she minded. Some things really never changed. "Anna, its fine. It's just…" stalling for a moment, Elsa paused unsure how to word what she wanted without her sister taking offence. "We can't be seen together, even by the castles servants." Seeing her sister's face curl in confusion Elsa rushed explained herself. "it's just, if we are seen together by any of the castle's staff it would be only moments after Mother and father's return before they would be informed. I'm sorry, but even though our parents aren't in the castle we still need to be discreet."

Watching her sister's expression drop in disappointment, Elsa couldn't help but wince. Unfortunately, she wasn't done.

"And one more thing." Taking a small breath, Elsa forced her eyes to harden, pinning her little sister under them to convey the seriousness of what she was about to say. "You must not, under any circumstance, ask of me to perform magic. Do you understand? That is my one and only absolute rule. I will not risk even the smallest chance of losing control where you could be harmed."

Unable to look away from Elsa's penetrating stare, Anna was helpless but to do anything nod, very disappointed. After her dream she had been eager for another display of the otherworldly frost. But if her sister was really that against it, she would just have to suck it up and find another way to find entertainment.

Seeing her sister fall silent, Elsa watched her anxiously. While she was unflappable in this regard to their interaction, she sincerely hopped Anna wouldn't be too upset. She doubted her sister would be callous enough to press the issue, but she was prepared to cast her out if it came to it. No matter how much it would hurt.

"Hmm," scrunching her face in concentration, the crinkled features lit up with sudden excitement.

"Weeeeell, Mom and Dad just happened to give me a new book for my birthday. I don't suppose you'd like to read it with me?" And giving her sister a dashing grin, it was all Elsa could do to remain sitting upright out of sheer relief.

So glad to see her sister accept her terms so readily, Elsa almost missed Anna's proposal. Upon replaying it in head however, she couldn't stop her features from perking substantially at the offer. "A… new book?" Casting a shy glance at her impressive collection resting on their shelf, she had already read each and every one of them more times than she could bare to admit. So the prospect of something new, regardless of content was… mouthwatering.

Despite her best efforts to keep her excitement in check, Anna it seemed could see right through her. "Mhmm!" Anna jumped on the opportunity to please her sibling. "I was thinking you could read to me, you know, like old times? Stories were always so much better when you were reading them. Should I go grab it?"

Nervously twiddling the fabric of her gloves, Elsa's smile couldn't be contained any longer as she nodded, mirth swirling in the pools of her eyes as she already looked forward to the next few hours.

"Great! I'll be like, five minutes. Don't go anywhere! Hehe, just kidding…" Giving a somewhat impish grin, Anna's joy looked to reach its max as she moved to climb out of her sister's lap, only to find herself stopped as a gloved hand touched her own.

"Um." Embarrassed, Elsa looked to be staring anywhere but at her. Finally, after a moment of blushing she finally worked up enough courage to meet her sister's gaze, glancing up through her elegant lashes. "You… also said something about cake? Um, is that- I mean could we still…" And so surprised by this request, Ann found herself unprepared by just how cute her sister seemed in that moment, forcing her to erupt in a short but uproarious bout of laughter.

Pressing her lips against her sister's cheek, Anna couldn't help herself as she once again held her sister close, overcome with the sense of excitement. "One book and one slice of chocolate cake coming right up!" and jumping off of her sister's legs, the princess of Arendelle decided to run off so quickly she didn't even notice the burst of color burning Elsa's cheeks, threatening to stain the once pail skin a bright cherry red. "Be right back!"

Watching her sister run off, Elsa was helpless but to watch, stunned by the unexpected show of affection. Despite herself, the young women found her hand lifting tracing the point on her cheek that seemed to burn with the warmth of Anna lips. After going so long without so much as another person's touch, to be held so completely and then even be kissed left the poor teenager more flustered than she could admit. Listening to her heart, Elsa had to place her hand over its thrumming beat, feeling its strong rhythm.

Strange, Anna hadn't been gone for even a full minute and already Elsa found herself shivering in the lack of her sister's warmth. Thinking on this, the older sister couldn't help but think this if this was how she reacted after a single night, how was she supposed to let her go after two whole weeks?

As Elsa would come to understand, this would not be last time she finds herself seriously questioning her decisions.

A/N: Okay, there it is, chapter four. It took a heck of a lot longer than I would have liked but hopefully not too many of you guys and gals mind. I can't say when chapter five will be up but I can promise it won't take nearly as long as this one. I really enjoy this story and I have a lot of interesting plans for it. I really want to see it to the end. So if you could help me out by leaving a review or favorite or follow, I would really appreciate it. I promise not to let you all down again.

Next chapter: Anna and Elsa get a chance to bond and foreign relations.