AN: I seriously want to thank all of you for your support. I started this story on a whim and never expected for it to get as read as it has been. Thank you all so much, and I hope you all enjoyed it :)

*10 years later*

"Elsa, if you want a ride to the school you best get a move on!"

The blonde grabbed her purse and her keys, rushing out of her house as fast as she could.

"Sorry Bulda," she said, grabbing a box full of art projects that were sitting by the door, "You know Mondays were never my cup of tea."

"They're not anyone's, Elsa," the woman said, laughing, "That doesn't mean our bosses are going to excuse our tardiness."

Elsa sighed, making sure she had all of her belongings before locking the door behind her, blinded by the sunlight of the early day.

"We haven't been late once in almost 9 years. I don't think today will be any different," Elsa said as she walked to the car, hustling her things into the backseat before sitting shotgun.

The early years with Anna's absence were not easy, for Elsa, or for anyone who was close to the girl. Her absence was noticeable; it was quiet in any room she would have been, colorless without her sketches on the walls, and most of all, empty without tattered library books littering the floors and tables around her. Elsa tried her best to remain selfless early on, but found, rather quickly, that particular task was impossible. She loved Anna, she realized, as if she were her own daughter. That was why it was so hard for her to let go, she thought. Letting go…it was near about impossible. At least, she thought it was. But she had to. She didn't have any choice in the matter. And she could sit around and let it ruin her, as well it tried to. But life was going on around her, without Anna, and nobody was around to hold her hand anymore. She realized, a little too late, that she burned almost all of her bridges and she had no way to jump or swine back around the lake between her and her past life. The only way she would move on is to put it behind her. Far behind her. Yes, she still thought about Anna. It was impossible not to, especially in the early months when Kristoff wasn't sleeping, taking it way harder than she was. But at some point, she shut herself off. Turned in the library books. Took down the pictures and drawings. Packed her clothes into a box, shoved in the back of the closet. It was easier to put Anna behind and not think about it rather than be faced with the grief that she wanted to let herself feel.

Conceal, don't feel. It was easier that way. For her, for everyone…it was just for the best.

On the outside, however, Elsa seemed to have her life together. Without Anna to take care of, she had substantially more time on her hands, time that could have been spent mourning. But she knew that there was no way she could allow herself to do that, what with having packed Anna, and memories of her, away. She threw herself into her job. Eventually went back to school. Graduated with a degree in art and ended up becoming a teacher at the school she'd watched Anna walk into day in and out. It was comforting and miserable all at the same time, but Elsa, over the years, had come to equate discomfort with contentment. It was familiar to her. She knew the feeling more than she knew anything, and the familiarity of it kept her numb through her days of instruction and grading poorly made coffee mugs.

Forgiveness wasn't forthcoming, but once it did come, Elsa found it wasn't the remedy she thought it was. While Rapunzel and Josephine both got on regular speaking terms with her, their respective relationships never went back to their former level of intimacy. Rapunzel barely, if ever, talked to Elsa unless necessary, and Josephine worked in the administrative office, so they barely crossed paths. Most other people had been wary with or around Elsa after the events that transpired ten years before, with the exception of Bulda and Eleanor. For some reason, those two women saw something in Elsa worthwhile. It was as if nothing had changed between the three of them, the other two women even becoming close friends. Elsa never knew it to be true for herself, but she guessed that it really was true that people who really cared for you would make it work, no matter how bad you messed up. They understood, somehow, that Elsa was not a bad person, she just made some really piss poor choices.

Kristoff and Merida, though, had found their own ways of coping over the years. Elsa didn't even realize how close Anna and Merida were until after the girl was gone, and Merida took to being by herself most of the time, at a loss without her best friend.

It was Kristoff who took Anna's leaving the hardest, even ten years after she was gone. Bulda explained to Elsa pretty early on just how hurt Kristoff had been in the past, and how hard it was for him to bond to anyone else, least of all other kids. And once he was attached to someone, it was near about impossible for him to get over them. The first few months were the hardest, as the boy developed, or rather, redeveloped, ver strong anger issues towards anyone who brought up the subject of Anna. Even now, legally an adult, out of high school and almost ready to go work as a contractor or mechanic or whichever fix-it job he had attained, he was still bitter, distant, keeping to himself. He was still polite, but silently suffering for the little girl in pigtails that bothered him, put bows ties on his dog, and loved him for no reason other than he existed. It was as if he allowed himself to feel all of the pain that Elsa repressed. It was sad, in a way, how Anna's absence filled a space bigger than the small girl's body ever did.

Elsa stared out the window, watching the trees flash by as these years of pain and repression seemed to fade away in an instant. Or rather, over the course of a few days.

She wasn't expecting the phone call, least of all the news that was delivered on the other side. She knew things had changed, lots of time had passed, after all. She didn't think she'd ever, in a million years, see or hear from her again. Elsa didn't know exactly how to feel, after all of these years of not feeling. But all she knew was that she had to get through one more day, not even a full day, hours, until she had her answers.

"So," Bulda said after minutes of silence, "Today's the day, huh?"

Elsa nodded, not taking her eyes off the window.

"It seems surreal. But it's happening all the same."

She could hear Bulda's chuckle and knew that the woman was smiling despite herself.

"I know you haven't set any plans in stone just yet, but be sure to swing by our place if it all works out for you."

"I will," Elsa said, although they both knew that it could be an empty promise.

Elsa had absolutely no idea what would happen. She didn't want to get her hopes up either, only to have them torn down yet again. It had been so long since they'd seen one another, and without any sense of closure, she had no idea what to expect. Anger? Frustration? Maybe even tears? Although they had been cordial enough on the phone, Elsa realized that meant nothing. Maybe she was saving her outburst for when she would see her face to face.

Elsa shook her head, realizing that there was a chance she was being paranoid. If she was anything like she had always been, the anger and any regrets would be a thing of the past.

She sighed, trying her best to keep a normal conversation going with Bulda, not letting any evidence of fear show on her face.

She'd have to keep it together for just a little while longer.

xXx

"You didn't have to come, you know," Elsa said, trying her best to keep her hands on the wheel of her car and not veer into another lane.

Kristoff shrugged, trying not to look as nervous as Elsa imagined he felt.

"I wanted to," he said, "I don't think I'd be able to wait it out at home."

Elsa nodded, turning right as soon as the light turned green.

"Understandable," she said, "I know how much you miss her."

After a moment of silence, he spoke up again.

"What do you think she'll be like now?" he asked.

Elsa sat in silence. It was a question she'd been turning over in her mind since she first got the phone call. While the thought of reuniting had been on her mind for years, now that it was a reality, she had no clue, none, what she was in for. She had no idea what had occurred over the last ten years, let alone what she'd been through, and how it changed her. Would she be bitter, depressed and silent, like Elsa? Passive like their mother? Angry like their father? Or would she still be Anna; sweet, diligent, jubilous Anna. The former seemed unlikely, just knowing the nature of her mother's "parenting." It wasn't too much to hope for, really, but it seemed unlikely.

"I don't know," Elsa said, truthfully, "I mean…I'm hoping she'll be the same. But I'm not holding my breath."

"She was always so hyperactive," Kristoff said, "Feisty even. That's why I called her feisty pants when we were kids."

Elsa grinned, "It's certainly a fitting nickname."

"Think she'd get mad at me if I called her that?" he said jokingly.

"I doubt it," Elsa said, "Granted, we don't know what she's like anymore."

Kristoff sighed, crossing and uncrossing his arms, "Most people are awful. People who…people like Anna, who are genuinely good people, they don't change. Not for anything."

Elsa smiled warmly, "I certainly hope that's true."

Her doubts lingered, but she didn't let herself think about that as the bus station pulled into sight. Her breathing got heavier and her palms started to sweat as the car advanced to the platform, buses of all colors letting out people of all walks of life, with suitcases, running into the arms of the people waiting for them.

When she didn't immediately spot Anna, she stopped in front of the designated platform, bringing the car to a halt.

"I'm going to park. Just in case this is a while," she said, pressing the button to unlock the doors, "Go on ahead," she said to Kristoff, "She shouldn't be arriving for another few minutes or so, I'll be along."

"You sure?"

She nodded, putting the car back in drive as he stepped out, "Just wave me down when you see me."

He shut the door behind him and Elsa watched as he walked away, staying in the same spot until he receded into the crowd of expectant people. She wasted no time finding a parking spot, as it was late in the day, most people had come and gone by this point. But she sat in the car for seconds that turned into minutes, trying to fight off anxiety like she hadn't known in many, many years.

She knew, on top of all of her other fears, seeing Anna again would bring all of the old ones back. All her memories of her mother and father. All of the painful feelings that came with the initial fights when Anna came to stay with her. Even her own memories, which were likely re-created in the short lifespan of her sister, and then some.

Then she remembered that promise she made years ago, to put her sister first, and actually do it, and put herself second.

Before she could over think or stop herself, she took the keys out of the ignition, threw them in her purse, and got out of the car, throwing her purse over her shoulder and taking long, bold steps up to platform 4, where Anna's bus was supposed to be pulling up any minute. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Kristoff hunched over a small figure with two suitcases and a purse thrown down at her side.

"Anna," Elsa said aloud, realizing that it was her little sister without even seeing her.

She had that sudden urge, another one that she hadn't felt in years, that fight or flight urge, to run back to her car. This was silly. There was no way in hell that her sister would be even remotely happy to see her, not after everything that happened, not after everything she did. She didn't even know why she'd agreed to come see Anna; just ten years before, Elsa was dragging her into her personal vendetta against her parents. She was probably even willing to bet that Anna had told the judge that she didn't want to live with Elsa anymore.

There was no change, Elsa thought, there was no way that this would end well.

Just as anxiety became to overcome her, Elsa turned around, wanting to run to the car before she started to cry. But just as she took a few steps in the other direction, she heard a voice call to her.

"Elsa?"

The voice was too high to be Kristoff, and small, meek footsteps came in her direction. Elsa sighed before turning around, knowing that Anna would be standing in front of her.

And she was right; right before her was her little sister. Only she wasn't so little anymore. But there she was, standing much taller, in a black shirt and green skirt, with more freckles across her cheeks, and, funny enough, her long red hair in two pigtail braids, just like when she was a child. She looked different, older, in body and mind, but the same as she always did. A perk in her lips, blue eyes shining bright, and a light in her face that never seemed to fade, no matter what it saw.

"Anna," Elsa said, still not knowing what to expect, "H…how are-."

Before she could finish her sentence, Anna threw her arms around Elsa's neck, pulling her into a tight, tight embrace. Elsa, not expecting this, and not knowing what to say, wrapped her arms around her sister's waist, pulling her in for the hug she'd waited years to give her.

"Elsa," Anna said, her voice cracking, "Oh god, I've missed you so, so much."

"I've missed you too," Elsa said, tears in her eyes, blurring the world that was going on around her.

The two stayed like that for a while, as if attempting to make up for all the years that they'd been out of each other's reach.

"I'm sorry I didn't call earlier," Anna said, "Or try to talk to you or anything. I swear, it wasn't my fault. I wasn't allowed to. At all. And then I turned 18 and was like 'Wait a minute, I can do whatever I want now, I'm legally an adult,' which, in itself is laughable, because, hello, I'm such a baby. But yeah, I just picked up the phone, and emptied my bank account and, well…here I am."

Elsa smiled, realizing how much she had missed her sister's rambling, glad to see shards of the same person were still inside her.

"Well," Elsa said, drying her eyes, "I'm really, really glad I am."

The two of them stood in silence as Kristoff gathered Anna's bags.

"I'm gonna go unload these," he said, motioning for Elsa to give him her keys, "I think you two need a minute alone before we go to my mom's. Because you know you won't get any privacy once that happens."

Anna gently slapped him on the arm, "Your mom still as…spunk as ever?"

He laughed as he took the keys from Elsa's hand, "That's a…gentle way of putting it."

The two chuckled as he walked away, Anna ushering Elsa to a nearby table.

"So," she said, sitting down, "How have things been? I mean, you know, all obvious things aside."

Elsa sat down, setting her purse next to her.

"Pretty good. I'm still working at the school, although I'm a teacher now."

"Really?" Anna exclaimed, "Good for you! I always knew you'd do something really good."

"Thanks," Elsa said, "What about you?"

"Oh! Well," Anna started, "Just finished high school a few weeks ago. Graduated top of my class."

Elsa nearly gushed with pride, even though she knew she had no right to.

"Anna," she said, "That's amazing!"

The redhead blushed, "Thanks. It wasn't easy, that's for sure. But I did it. And I'm going to college in the fall. Syracuse. It's uh, it's a school for writers in New York."

Elsa smiled, "You're going to be a writer?"

Anna shrugged, "Well, what else is a book fanatic supposed to do with her life?"

Elsa felt her arms wrap around her stomach, the next question that was begging to be asked, although she wasn't so sure she wanted to hear the answer.

"So…um…how are…were things? With mother, I mean?"

The question seemed to settle on her sister's ears like lead as her face momentarily dimmed, as if the weight of the memories were enough to burn out her light that kept her so happy.

"Well, um…" Anna started, "I…I mean I guess she tried her best. Which, you know, isn't saying very much."

She sighed before continuing, "Remember that whole thing about the divorce? That was a load of crap. There was no grandma in Texas, as hard to believe as that was. It was just us. Well, for a while. But…yeah, he came back after a few years."

Elsa felt her lungs deflate against her chest.

"Oh my God Anna," she said, "I am so, so sorry."

Anna shook her head, "Don't be. Really, don't be."

"What happened?"

Anna sighed again, her voice becoming more shaky, "It was almost as if everything that happened between when I was five and then never happened. It was almost exactly the same as when I was little, you know? And, before he came back, me and mom were getting on pretty well. Well, better than before. But then, dad came back…started drinking again…."

Anna brushed a few stray tears from her cheeks, "And for a while, I just took it. I knew I couldn't come back to you, and I didn't really have any friends where I was. But…one day, I don't know, he beat the crap out of me, and I did something about it. I think I was fourteen at the time. But I waited until he was passed out. Called the cops. Of course he went back to jail. He's still there. Things with mom were not the same after. God knows, every other day we were fighting, her threatening to kick me out. But…but I got through it, shockingly enough. And, well…here I am."

Elsa sat back as Anna started to relax a little, trying to take in everything the girl had just told her.

It wasn't that unbelievable, really, how cruel her parents had been. And she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that overcame her that Anna had gone through all that.

But what she couldn't believe, above all else, that her sister, her sweet, innocent little sister, was sitting exactly where she was at 18. Alone, just out of an abusive home, feeling lost, alone, still trying to make sense of it while building her own life.

But unlike her, Anna wouldn't go through that alone. And with all legalities no longer a threat, she was sure that this time she could keep that promise.

"Anna," Elsa started, "I am really sorry. About everything. I know, I know, I never got the chance to tell you that. I was young, I was stupid, I wasn't thinking of anyone but myself. And I knew at the time, and now, that was wrong of me. I'm really sorry for hurting you the way I did."

Anna looked her sister in the eye, confusion struck in her face, "Hurt me? Elsa? You don't really believe that, do you?"

The older girl shrugged.

"Elsa, you saved me. If it weren't for you…" she trailed off, "I don't even want to think about it. I mean, yeah, sure, you made some mistakes, but living with you was the best thing that ever happened to me. Everything aside, I was so happy with you. I didn't wanna leave."

"But, I don't understand," Elsa said, "I mean, not to sound rude or anything, but the judge made it clear that you didn't want to…live with me, that is."

Anna sat up straight, her eyebrows furrowing.

"What? No I didn't. I said, God, about a million times, that I wanted to live with you."

Elsa perked up, a burden suddenly lifted off her shoulders.

"You did?"

"Are you kidding? Of course! That man was such a stick in the mud, seriously."

Elsa couldn't help herself, running to her sister's bench and pulling her into her arms protectively.

"God, I'm just glad you're okay," Elsa said, holding her close, "I am so, so sorry about everything and I promise I'm going to make it up to you."

Lowering her voice, pulling her sister in tighter, she said, "I promise I'm not going to let anyone hurt you anymore, Anna, I promise."

She'd half expected her sister to make some jabber-fllled remark about being a big girl now, but was more surprised when she felt Anna trembling against her, tears of her own streaking her freckled cheeks as she let herself be held by her older sister.

"I love you Elsa," she said eventually, when she calmed down.

"I love you too…snowflake," the older girl responded.

When the two pilled apart, Elsa reached over for her bag, figuring this moment was just as good as any.

"I…uh…never got the chance to give you this," Elsa said, pulling a worn and rough looking stuffed snowman out of her bag.

"Oh my god," Anna said, taking it into her hands, "I thought this got tore up in the group home."

"It did," Elsa said, "But I remade it. And tried to give it back to you after the custody hearing. I never got the chance, but I thought maybe you'd want it back."

The younger girl clutched it to her chest, smile beaming across her face.

"Oh God," she said, "I've thought about Olaf so much over the years. I can't believe this."

Elsa smiled, "I know how much you loved him."

"And you," Anna said, "After all, Olaf wouldn't be here if it weren't for you."

Elsa's smile grew, knowing that they weren't just talking about the little snowman anymore.

"Come on," Elsa said, standing up, "We've left Kristoff waiting long enough, and I'm pretty sure whatever feast Bulda has mad is getting cold."

Anna chuckled, grabbing Elsa by the arm and running towards the car, "Plus, we need to give her the chance to gush over what a woman I've become."

Elsa laughed with her, letting her sister drag her back towards the car.

The two, inspire of their happy reunion, knew that their turmoils of the past were far from forgotten, long from dealt with. But Elsa couldn't help but feel that for the first time, in, well, ever, that it would be okay. They were together again; Anna was home, this time, for good, and nothing could ever tear them apart.