Hey y'all, this is my first fanfic – please feel free to review, criticize (constructive though! C'mon we're all friends here lol).

Hope y'all enjoy…

The warm summer air tickled Anna's cheeks as she shuffled along the dusty beach, scuffing her trainers into the small indents her feet were creating.
This area of the beach was untouched. Too far away from the promenade to attract many visitors. Too quiet for much activity at all.

Anna glanced back at the main area of the beach, her eyes darting to the Boardwalk, where the benches lay perched in neat rows for visitors. The ice cream parlour, that stood proudly in the centre, was shut now. Anna squinted, and could see the silver shutters pulled tightly down. The chalkboard signs dotted around the parlour; most probably with today's specials still scribbled on them.

Shame, she thought to herself. She loved their mint choc chip.

But it was late now, and most places along the promenade were closed. The ferris wheel on the edge of the Boardwalk stood ghostly still in the distance. The lights all switched off until tomorrow.
The only activity she could see was the Arcade in the distance, its bright lights flashing across the promenade in strobes of luminous greens and blues. She was too far along the beach to hear the tinny music that usually played from within, but she cringed at the thought of it.
Her eyes swiftly moved to the row of bars and restaurants further along the Boardwalk; unusually quiet tonight.

Anna stopped walking and sighed. It had gotten quite dark now, but the air was still uncomfortably warm. Her feet ached after a long day at work, her scrubs sticky and sweaty from running around the ward all day, and the heat was doing nothing to help.

But she didn't want to go home just yet. She loved having time to herself, to her thoughts, and her feelings. And today had been a rough day. They'd lost two patients in under three hours, and Anna needed space to reflect on her experiences.

Anna kicked at the sand beneath her feet.

"It's part of the job", she quietly mumbled to herself, sighing as she did so. She loved being a nurse, adored the patients even more so, and of course, they all treasured her. Anna was just a joy to be around; charming, and charismatic. Of course, she was clumsy as hell, and probably too loud, but people loved her. Anna considered herself awkward and klutzy, but she was a damn good nurse. She laughed with the ladies, and flirted with the men. She played with the children, and listened to the elderly. She cried with relatives, and she fought for patients.

And she was tough too. Tougher than most people initially thought.

When the new Interns had first arrived at Sacred Almas Hospital, ready and willing to learn how to be Doctors, Anna was perched at the nurses station, updating a patients notes.
Kristoff, the tallest of the Interns, had been standing nearby, attempting to fix an IV drip of a patient, that had sprung a leak in the tube. Anna had glanced up and seen his bold face growing more and more red, his blonde hair slightly ruffled as he panicked, not quite knowing what to do. She sauntered up to him, gently tapping his shoulder and asking "would you like some help with that?"

It was probably his first day nerves, but when Kristoff replied with a brief "No thanks, I'll wait for another Doctor to show me what to do", Anna saw red. In fact, she pretty much scared him to death with a self-confident speech on how she was just as good as any Doctor, and not just 'some nurse'. Her speech was seething with pride, and Kristoff was so taken aback, he froze on the spot, completely stunned.
A few days after, Kristoff had presented Anna with a bunch of flowers and a massive box of chocolates to apologise for his mistake.
Anna was a very forgiving person, and accepted his apology straight away, eyes lighting up when she saw the chocolates.

Kristoff explained that he loved the fact she had stood up for her role in the medical profession, and after a few beers later that evening after work, the two became great friends. Inseparable in the Hospital, and out of it.

Anna now considered Kristoff to be her best friend, and him the same. He was also the only friend she confessed all her secrets to...especially the secrets about her boyfriend Hans.
Anna and Hans had been dating for nearly six months now, and despite not being together for that long, had already moved in together in Anna's flat.
Kristoff thought she was crazy, especially as he knew she was nowhere near as in love with Hans, as Hans was of her. Hans doted on Anna; worshipped her even. And although Anna loved him, or at least thought she did, she was forever having doubts.

"Why move in with him then?!" Kristoff had asked, completely bewildered.

Anna rolled her eyes at him, and quietly said "...because if I'm with Hans, then I'm not lonely. And anything's better than being alone..."
"You're crazy!" Kristoff laughed.

Anna looked up at the dark sky above her and smiled in thought of Kristoff comforting her today when she broke down crying in the on-call room, after they had called time of death on the two patients. He was a great friend.

Completely lost in her thoughts, Anna continued to wander aimlessly across the beach, and nearer to the sea. The sand was thinner here, and sweeped up and down in a rippled form, evidence from the last tide. But the sea was out now. Far out in the distance, and Anna began to shuffle towards a slope of sand, that formed a hill downwards to the lower part of the beach and closer to the sea.
Anna glanced up and smiled sheepishly as she arrived at the wooden bridge that lay across the beach in a lazy manner.
This was her favourite spot. She liked to come here when the tide was out, and slip down the sand hill to sit underneath the wooden bridge, where in the day the sea would engulf.
It was always shaded and quiet, and apart from the few occasions where she had seen teenagers lighting camp fires and drinking beers, it was usually deserted.

Anna stumbled clumsily down the sand hill towards the underneath of the wooden bridge.

"Woooaahh" she called out as her ankle slipped upon reaching the bottom.

"Bloody 'ell Anna", she mumbled to herself, "watch where you're goi-"

Anna froze.

She could hear something.

Sniffing? No. Crying!

Tiny, sharp breaths were coming from beneath the wooden bridge. They were small and muffled, and if the sea had been closer, it would have probably drowned them out.

Anna opened her mouth to say something, but paused. Tip-toeing, she stepped off the bottom of the sand hill, and peered around the underneath of the wooden bridge.

Beneath the bridge, a young woman sat on the dark shaded sand with her knees beneath her chin, arms wrapped around herself, head down, and her shoulders visibly shaking.

Anna froze again, and stared at the young woman.

Her platinum blonde hair hung loosely in a long braid that draped down her hunched back. Anna could just make out her slim shoulders and hands that appeared pale and white, and accompanied with her hair, made her look ghostly.

She was wearing a pair of dark jeans, and a thin, light blue t shirt, the sleeves too long, and bunched at her slim wrists.

Anna swallowed, and opened her mouth.

"Oh my god - are you ok?!" she asked quietly.

The blonde woman jumped visibly, and her head shot round. She stared at Anna, a look of pure terror and nerves on her pale face.
Anna gasped, completely taken aback by the beautiful appearance of the woman. Her eyes, sparkling with tears, were the brightest things Anna had ever seen. A deep topaz stared back at Anna, eyeing her quickly up and down, a single tear trickling down her well-defined cheek bones, leaving a remaining trail on her pale white skin.
The woman quickly lifted a tiny hand to wipe away the tear, and knocked her dainty doll-like nose in the process, as her slim red lips quivered with fear.

"Oh I'm s - I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you-" Anna panicked, as she moved forward, her hand reaching out towards the blonde.

The blonde jumped to feet in panic, and began to retreat slowly away from Anna, hands stretched out in front of her, as if in an attempt to keep Anna away from her. As she did so, the top of her loose t shirt slipped down on her left hand side, revealing a smooth milky white shoulder.

Anna opened her mouth again to say something, but as she did, the blonde woman shuffled further away, before turning on her heels, and fleeing from underneath the wooden bridge.

"WAIT!" Anna yelled after the slim figure that was running across the beach, her platinum braid bouncing against her back as her feet sprinted as fast as she could.
Anna ran forward a few steps, before pausing, and stared at the now tiny figure in the distance.

What was that about? That poor girl crying all alone. That poor, beautiful girl. Man, she was absolutely gorgeous. But...why was she so upset?

"Wait..." Anna whispered into the distance, her hand stretched out in front of her.

She stood frozen on the spot, eyes staring far across the beach, for a few minutes, before turning around and deciding that she wanted to go home.

Those tears. Those eyes. God, those beautiful eyes, sparkling and blue. Like a topaz.