A/N: Thanks to everyone who's followed/favorited and/or is reading but not reviewing.:)

Hi again after MONTHS AND MONTHS. I am so sorry for taking this long to update.:P My unfinished stories are NOT abandoned, I promise. They're just...stuck. But they seem to be coming unstuck. A bit.:P It's like I know exactly where I want them to go and it's not coming out on paper correctly. XD

Olivia O'Neil- I'm glad you're enjoying it!:) Red was adopted and Flynn/Eugene never saw him again after.:P

Elsa Tomago- No spoilers on WHEN Anna will get to see Elsa, but it will happen at some point BEFORE it would have in the movie timeline.:) Elsa is still having trouble understanding that the accident was not her fault. She probably would have still blamed herself even if she hadn't heard 'Elsa, what have you done?' from her father. Just, if she had been treated properly from the beginning, it would be much easier to undo her train of thought.:/

warorpeace- I'm glad you like it!:) I want Prim to kind of be a mother to Elsa without "taking over" if that makes sense.:) They will NOT be paired up. That's all I promise:P

IndyGirl89- I always wondered what he did for all the time we don't see him in the movie. Since we never see him as a kid:P And yes, of course Anna won't dislike Elsa for the accident. Elsa just doesn't really get that yet:)

ElsaLuver- Thank you! I can too, and I thought it was funny. XD I sort of think Flynn/Eugene has a penchant for nicknames, so calling Elsa "Ice Girl" seemed in-character to me.:) I'm glad you liked that part.:) I just feel like Elsa probably does have definite likes and dislikes with her clothes (I know I did at 10 and I still do XD), and so her aunt was letting her help pick.:) Oh cool! Glad you're enjoying it:)

Ember- Here's the new chapter:)

all ur fave characters in one- Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying it:) Here is the new chapter.:P

On to the story!:)

It was about a week later when Elsa was exploring the library that she found something that simultaneously made her happy and completely unnerved. She climbed up the ladder that was usually left in the library so she could poke around on the higher shelves and spotted something…different in the darkest, dustiest top corner. Both her aunt and uncle had said she could go in the library whenever she liked, but she still peeked around to see if there was anyone watching before trying to yank the mysterious book out. A puff of dust made her sneeze, and the book would not slide out. Elsa yelped as she nearly lost her balance on the ladder. Now I really, really want to see what that book is. Why won't it come out?

Elsa braced herself carefully before yanking on the book again. It seemed to move a fraction of an inch, and she pulled at it harder. "Why won't it…come…out?!" she muttered to herself, frustrated. Another yank and her feet slipped, sending her crashing to the floor.

"Elsa, what on earth?!" Thomas had been working in his study near the library and heard a muffled yelp and then a thump, as if something heavy had fallen, not just a book or something similar. Elsa is the only one in there. I should go check on her. Obviously Elsa herself was what had fallen. "Are you hurt? What were you doing?"

"There's a funny-looking book way up in the corner, and it wouldn't come out," Elsa explained, pointing. "And I fell off the ladder." She thought she was at least mostly okay, just shaken.

"You're sure you aren't hurt?" Thomas looked the little girl right in the face.

Elsa shrugged and scrambled to her feet. She'd scraped one palm and her ankle was a little sore, but she was fine. Honestly she was far more interested in getting that book down. "I'm fine. Could…could you maybe get the book down for me? Please?" she asked hopefully. "I wanna see what it is!"

Thomas willingly climbed up to check, but then frowned. "There's no mysterious book up here, Elsa, at least I don't see one. What does the spine of it look like?"

"Brown with geometric looking gold marks. They looked like they changed color when I touched it. I thought it was an il…illusion of some kind and I wanted to see what it was about," Elsa explained. The little girl's stomach clenched as she realized what the book was probably about if Uncle Thomas couldn't see it. She knew there had been a book there; she was sure of it. "Maybe it's…magic…like me?" she whispered hesitantly.

Thomas instantly got down from the ladder and took Elsa by the wrist back over to it. She's probably right. Why not? After all, we had that golden flower, and Elsa has ice powers. A hidden magic book would make sense. "You show me, Elsa. I'll be right behind you; you won't fall again," he assured her.

Sure enough, the second Elsa touched the book-or what looked to be the wall of the library-Thomas could see it, exactly as Elsa had described. "Try pressing around the edges, honey. Perhaps it's sealed in place somehow," he suggested.

Elsa tried this, but the book still wouldn't come out. "The marks look like runes to me," she said curiously, but she wasn't sure what they said.

"So they do," Thomas agreed. He frowned as the little girl continued tugging on the book, clearly growing frustrated. "Maybe you could copy the rune markings on paper and use a reference book to translate it. You're smart, Elsa. I know you could do that. I don't think that book is going to come out by just pulling on it."

Elsa nodded in agreement-that sounded like a good idea to her-and let Uncle Thomas help her down the ladder. She still felt uncomfortable with her hands being touched, and she was grateful that her uncle only held her by the arms. Elsa dropped her eyes to the floor, trying to be polite. "Thank you for not t-touching my hands," she mumbled awkwardly. Elsa, that's silly. You sound silly. Be quiet.

Thomas sighed. "Elsa, it's all right to be shy, but you needn't look at the floor like that," he said gently. "Don't be embarrassed, either. You are already so much better allowing physical contact than when you first arrived." Thomas smiled when Elsa moved closer, her hands carefully folded close against her chest. Elsa might not be willing to hug anyone herself, but she clearly likes hugs. She's still scared of hurting others, but she wants to be close.

Elsa was quiet for a minute, her mind still overjoyed and surprised that anyone would voluntarily want to give her a hug. Hugs made her feel warm, and Uncle Thomas was like the daddy she dreamed of having. He didn't fuss at her for being weird or abnormal. Elsa wondered what he would do if she was downright naughty. Part of her wanted to do something bad so she would know, but the rest of her was too scared to try that. Uncle Thomas might punish her and lock her in her room too, or not want her anymore. I could just ask, though. Uncle Thomas wouldn't lie to me…would he? "If…if I were really, really naughty, what would you do with m-me?" she whispered, her voice shaky.

"What kind of question is that?!"

A tiny, almost imperceptible shrug. "I just wanna know."

"Elsa, that depends on what this supposed naughtiness was." Thomas thought carefully, not entirely sure what to tell her. "If you just made a mistake, like dropping a plate or freezing something by accident, I wouldn't punish you at all. Accidents happen. If you, say, stole cookies from the kitchen and then proceeded to lie about it, I might say you couldn't have dessert for a few days or something."

"Not l-lock me in my room?" Elsa's shoulders hunched to her ears, and she was back to focusing on the floor again. Please say no. Please. "What if my powers h-hurt you?"

Thomas clenched his jaw in anger, but not at Elsa. "No," he said flatly, pulling the frightened child close again. "Your magic is not going to hurt me, and even if it did, I trust that you wouldn't do such a thing on purpose."

Elsa hid her face in her uncle's shirt, but she felt much better. "Will I ever go back home?" she asked hesitantly. I like Corona, and I love Uncle Thomas and Aunt Primrose, but I miss Anna so much. And…I miss Arendelle itself, too.

"Yes, Elsa, you will, because you are Arendelle's crown princess and one day you will be queen," Thomas said firmly. "We will arrange a visit to Arendelle for you anytime you wish."

The little girl perked up at this, but then her shoulders slumped and she sighed. "But Papa sent me here. He doesn't want me there. And I'll disappoint Anna if I can't stay."

"We'll invite Anna to visit here," Thomas assured her. Part of him was slightly worried that without Elsa nearby, little Anna might very well treat her missing older sister differently the next time she saw her if too much time passed. He had to get the little Arendelle princesses to be able to spend time together soon, in his mind.

"I…I would like that lots and lots."

That evening at dinner, Elsa finally worked up the courage to ask Aunt Primrose about her cousin. "Can I help look for her?" she asked hopefully. "And what was she like?"

Primrose's eyes were sad as she gave her niece a small smile. "She would be just about your age, Elsa, but we didn't have her long enough to know what she was like. She had lovely golden hair and the biggest green eyes you ever saw, and we knew she had magic somehow. You know she was kidnapped. We have had soldiers and guards searching for her since the day she went missing, but…I fear it's all for naught. She could be…d-dead for all any of us know. Thomas has cut back the searches quite a bit…"

Elsa saw tears trickling down her aunt's cheeks, and without thinking, she hopped up from her seat and started to give Aunt Primrose a hug, but then abruptly jerked away before doing so. I can't hug Aunt Primrose-I might hurt her! "I'm sorry, I won't ask anymore, and I'll try t' be good, I promise. Aunt Primrose, please don't cry, I…I didn't mean to make you upset," she blurted, desperately hoping that her aunt would feel better and stop crying. I made Aunt Primrose cry, and she's been so nice to me, and-

Elsa's thoughts were cut off when she felt a soft kiss on her forehead. Primrose was surprised that the little girl would even try to hug her on her own, but it still made her upset to know Elsa genuinely wanted to give a hug and then been too frightened to do so. Elsa's been so skittish about being touched. She's getting better every day, but… "You didn't do anything wrong," she said firmly. "It just still hurts that my daughter is still missing, even after ten years. But that is not your fault, so don't apologize." Primrose caught a shadow of something she couldn't quite understand on Elsa's face. "What is it, Elsa?"

The little girl pulled her platinum braid over her left shoulder and began fiddling with it nervously, her gaze trained on the floor. She couldn't help but wonder if she was some kind of replacement child. One that's weird and messed up. If we did find my cousin, would they…get rid of me? I'm not Uncle Thomas's and Aunt Primrose's daughter. They don't have to keep me. "Nothing," Elsa said finally. She frowned as she looked at her braid. Her own hair was so light it was nearly white, not 'lovely golden' like her missing cousin's was. And her eyes were blue, not green. "May I be excused?" she whispered after a moment.

"Of course, but-" Primrose cut herself off as she watched Elsa run out of the room as fast as her ten-year-old legs could carry her, favoring one foot slightly.

Upstairs Elsa threw herself on her bed and cried, ignoring the snow falling around her.

"Miss Elsa, that's just not true," Gerda told the worried princess awhile later after convincing Elsa she could confide in her and that she-Gerda-would say nothing to anyone else. "I do understand why you're worried-I think anyone would be-but it's just not true. Not only do I quite honestly not think anyone is going to find your cousin after this long, your aunt and uncle would never send you away just because they found their daughter. They can love two children just as well as one."

Elsa's heart clenched, and she clutched her Anna doll to her chest, tears still clouding her eyes. "Mama a-and Papa couldn't," she managed to say. Resorting to wrapping herself up in Gerda's heavy quilt again, the weight was somehow reassuring as Gerda held her despite the cold. You can never be as good as Anna. Why would you ever be enough for anyone? You're… The accusatory voice in Elsa's head searched for the right word. …broken. Except somehow the little girl knew that wasn't the problem. She felt broken. But that was her heart hurting and feeling lonely and missing Anna and not really understanding why her parents had sent her away and wanting them to love her the way they did Anna.

My magic doesn't make me broken. It makes me different, and troublesome, and potenti…poti…potentially dangerous, but not broken. Elsa suddenly realized that she had mentally referred to her magic as just that, magic, and not those powers or that curse, and that thought made her tingly in a good way all over. "I wish you could put bandages on hearts and make them all better," she said wistfully. "'Cause mine hurts, and lots of others' hearts do too."

Gerda very much wished the same, but she did not tell little Elsa that. "Perhaps that won't work literally, but I think love can mend a heart that's hurting or broken," she said after a moment. Elsa, please understand…don't cry any more. You have people that love you very much.

Elsa settled closer and relaxed, the chill surrounding her fading. She could sense the cold now, same as the heat, but unlike the heat, the cold actually felt…nice and just pleasant to her. She did not shiver nor did she feel 'cold' like an ordinary person would. Elsa liked feeling just comfortably warm best, though, because it reminded her of being with Anna before the accident, and for her it generally meant that someone was being nice and holding or hugging her. "I still wanna find my cousin. She might be scared or hurting," Elsa said finally. "That feels awful awful awful, too."

"Elsa, look at me," Gerda said quietly but firmly, helping the little girl to her feet and looking her right in the face. "I think it's wonderful that you want to find her, but you have to understand it most likely will not happen. If her kidnapper was smart, he or she would have taken her out of Corona. They could be anywhere now. Also…Elsa, I know you're only ten, and I don't want to say this, but she may be…dead."

"But then her body ought t' be somewhere," Elsa pointed out logically. She shuddered. I don't want to find a little girl my age dead somewhere. "I don't think she's dead. She can't be! I just know it. She's off hidden somewhere nobody can find her, but she's not dead! I'm positive!"

ARENDELLE…

"When's Elsa coming home?" Anna asked at breakfast, the same as she had every single morning since her big sister had left. Though quite honestly she was a little bit mad at Elsa for ignoring her and saying 'Go away' for so long, she still missed the older girl dreadfully. At least she had known exactly where Elsa was and she could talk to her through that stupid door. Now Elsa was miles and miles away, and there had been no letters from her so far. Was Elsa ok? Was she scared or excited about being away from home? Anna remembered hearing quiet cries from Elsa's room the night before she left.

The Elsa she remembered rarely cried.

What could be wrong with her? It couldn't have been being away from her little sister, since she hadn't even seen her since…well, something, Anna's memory was all fuzzy. Except…maybe it was that. Anna's seven-year-old brain raced, and she hopped up from the table. She would write Elsa another letter, well, note, and she was going to sneak into her parents' room and look for Elsa letters. No way had Elsa not written her. She just knew it.

"Agdar, I actually…don't think keeping those letters from Anna is a good idea," Idun said finally. "They might both be happier if they write each other."

Agdar sighed and put his face in his hands. "They'll write each other plans to come see each other. I do care about Elsa, I really do, but…but we can't have her around Anna. We can't." And dangerous or not, I…I miss that girl. She might be different and abnormal, but she's a little sweetheart. And…I'm scared of my own daughter.

"They're little kids. They can't do anything like that without us or Thomas and Primrose finding out. This isn't like when we had Elsa isolated in her room and she or Anna might secretly be around one another if they passed notes back and forth. Elsa is literally in another country. They can write letters without risking putting Anna in danger." Idun paused before adding, "I do admit to…playing favorites with Anna, simply because she's normal, but I do love Elsa all the same. She should be happy too…just not at the expense of everyone's safety." What a terrible thing for a parent to say…

"Well, from what you told me about Primrose's letter, it seems like Elsa is doing better in Corona than she ever did here after the accident," Agdar said. "We made the right decision to send her away. It's better for everyone."

Idun hesitated and looked down at her lap. "Did we? Dangerous or not, she's still just a little girl. What must she think of us? She probably thinks her own parents hate her."

"Elsa doesn't think that. She's smart; she knows why she had to leave," Agdar replied, sounding very sure of himself. "If Thomas and Primrose can get her to learn to control those powers of hers, she is staying right where she is."

"She's also ten and just a little girl, like I just said. Maybe…maybe there's a way to take them away from her. Then Elsa can come home, and it wouldn't be a problem in the first place," Idun suggested.

Agdar sighed. "You know we've tried to find a way to do that for so long. I have found nothing. Not one thing that gives even the idea that it might be possible…"

"We could go back to the Valley of the Living Rock. Maybe old Grand Pabbie can help us."

"No! I will not go back there a-"

A horrified, angry little voice sliced through the air. "I found Elsa letters! How come you didn't give 'em to me?!"

A/N: I'm going to be honest...I'm not sure when I'll update again, because I have had writer's block. Like I KNOW where I want this story to go, EXACTLY, actually, and it's just not coming out on paper (or rather, my microsoft word docx) properly. But I will TRY to update soon.:)