Author's Note: I'm touched to see just how much a lot of you cared about Elsa and Tiana as a couple. I have for a while been considering writing an alternate ending or a whole alternate take on the last act if there was demand for it once the story is finished. My main interest had been in all four getting together, primarily so I could say that it was an Elsannanana ship, but if there's desire for an Elsa/Tiana ending, while the official ending of this story will always just be Elsanna, I would be up for writing that if people want to see that.

Elsa hated that she left things like that. Anna was asleep when she'd woken up, though, of course, she'd made no attempt to wake her, and she snuck out of the house without a word. What am I gonna do? What did that even mean? Fuck, I'm so confused. She'd given away all of her imminent cases, but there had to be something she could do. She'd go out and find a new client if she had to, the name partners would certainly love that.

She threw herself into her chair, coffee in hand, and began sifting through her inbox. Come on, anything. Anything.

A knock came from her door. Except that. "Come in," she called back. I am so not ready to talk to anyone from whom I am not trying to procure money.

Gaston slowly pushed the door open, peering in at her. "How come you're here?"

"This is my office," she growled.

"You know that's not what I mean." He opened the door the rest of the way, closing it securely behind him, and flopped into a chair opposite Elsa's desk. "What happened?"

What did happen? I'm not even sure. Did I really kiss her? She shook her head. "Nothing happened."

"Oh." He sighed, nodding as if he knew something she didn't know.

"What?" she snarled.

"She told you, didn't she?"

Elsa blinked, staring at him. "Told me what?" How the hell did Asshole know? Was she that obvious? She considered that. Okay, yeah, she was. Holy shit, how did I not pick up on this before, I'm supposed to be good at reading people. God, Anna is the least subtle person in the world.

"You know what," he said, his tone brooking no argument.

"I don't. Not really. She didn't tell me anything."

He sat up, his leg falling off of the arm rest as he leaned forward and stared into her eyes. "Then what's wrong? Shit, you figured it out yourself? Yeah, that's not surprising. What finally gave it away?"

"Mostly her kissing me."

His jaw dropped. "Oh."

"Yeah. Thanks though, you could've warned me about that. How am I so stupid? I didn't even notice my own sister was – what is she exactly?"

"She's pretty head over heels in love with you."

"Oh." Elsa threw her head back against the chair, her eyes screwing shut. "Fuck."

"I take it you're not up for talking about it yet?"

"That would be why I didn't want you in here, yes."

"Elsa, just promise you won't do anything rash." He swallowed, trying to look as sincere as he could, a difficult task for him. "She doesn't want to lose you again, she made that more than clear. She was just going to talk to you, I don't know what happened, but –"

"What happened was I ignored every sign she gave me and started going on about doubts about my impending marriage and all of my fears. So, she decided to kiss me, and I kissed her back, because I just finally realized how much she cared for me, and how badly she needed it."

"You kissed her back?" Gaston cleared his throat, a nervous smile making its way across his face. "So, you feel the same way?"

Elsa shook her head. "I don't know what I feel. I only knew that I wanted to give it to her, it was so easy, and it would make her so happy. Then I realized what was happening and just kind of freaked out and ran away."

"Oh."

"And I kinda haven't talked to her since."

"Elsa –"

"Yeah, I fucked up there. She spent years thinking I hated her, not even entirely incorrectly, and now I've driving her back there all over again. I know I should talk to her." Her nails dug into the armrests of her chair. "I'm just not ready to yet. I need more time. I don't know what I want, and I definitely don't know what to say."

"Well, how about once you figure it out a bit, before you go home, I'll help you go over your opening arguments?"

Elsa's brows knitted together as she studied her friend. "Why did she tell you?"

"I figured it out and confronted her at the party."

"How? No, I know how, she was not subtle. Why are you so okay with it? She's my sister, hell you're a raging homophobe, this should bother you on so many levels. You're not gonna say incest and lesbianism cancel each other out or something, right?"

"Of course not." His smile grew warmer. It was surprisingly comforting. "I'm not proud of who I used to be, so who knows, maybe I'm just overcompensating and trying to be cool with everything, but I saw her, I talked to her. Her love for you is so pure and far better than anything I've ever felt for anyone. You're everything to her. There was no way I could not support that."

"So you really think I should do it?"

His perfect white teeth glinted at her. "Of course, I do, Elsa. I know you love Tiana, but you've been driving yourself crazy with doubts over her. Anna would do anything for you, and she'll be there no matter what. She's the best, and don't you deserve the best?"

"Get out of my office."

"Sorry, too much?"

She shook her head, blinking away tears. "No. Just get out of my office before I start crying."

"Okay." He walked over to the door and turned to her. "Just, before you bury yourself in work, I know you need the time to think about it, but at least send her a text letting her know that you're not mad at her and you're not throwing her out or anything."

Elsa gritted her teeth. She always hated when he was right. "Yeah. I didn't even think of it. I'll message her, and then I need to just not think about this for a little while. Any interesting cases? I just need something I can sink my teeth into?"

"As a matter of fact, I passed an old friend of yours in the waiting room. You might not like it though."

I'm not even gonna ask. Nothing is talking me out of this, I need a distraction. "Send them in."

Just after Elsa had finished sending that text message, her door opened again and in walked the last person she'd ever expected to see there. "Hi," Peter murmured, staring at his shoes.

"Take a seat." She gestured toward the chair Gaston had just vacated. So what if I've spent my life making a fool out of him and the one time he won a case I spiraled into a self-loathing bout of depression for a whole month? No reason we can't be friends.

"Right." He stumbled over to the seat and dropped into it, fear clear in his eyes as he met her gaze. "Elsa, I know I'm the last person you want to see, but I don't know who else I could turn to. I need your help."

Not even calling me Ms. Agnarrsen. "What happened, Peter? Someone finally catch on to your secret drug habit or something?"

"What?" He cocked his head, as if he couldn't even comprehend what she was saying. "I don't do drugs. You know me better than that."

"Then what happened?"

"It's not true. You have to believe me. I swear I didn't do it."

"Didn't do what, Pan?! Just tell me."

Shrinking back into his chair, he nodded, his hands clutching at his knees. "I'm being accused of prosecutorial misconduct."

"You're what?" Her tone was flat, this was absurd. Petey was a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't corrupt.

"I told you, I didn't do it. Please believe me!" His hands met in the air before him as he pleaded for her acceptance, peering up at her with his head hung low.

"I believe you, Petey. I've known you for a decade, and you don't have a corrupt bone in your body."

"Elsa –"

"Yes, I'm taking the case. I won't even let this go before any board. I'm the only one who gets to besmirch your good name."

He nodded, a faint smile easing his worried features. "Thank you."

"Oh, you'll be making it worth my while eventually, no need to thank me. I've always wanted a friend in the DA's office."

"You think I'll still be there?"

"I swear it," she said, her teeth bared. She was finally starting to feel like herself again. I knew I just needed a case. The Ice Queen is back. "Tell me what happened, then I'm going to go have a word with Facilier."

"I don't know what the point of that would be. It doesn't matter if we can prove that I didn't do it, the optics of this look too bad. He's already planning on letting me go, and I have a meeting with the bar."

"When?"

He sighed. "Today. I didn't want to come to you, this isn't a legal matter, I don't know what I think you can do, but I'm out of options."

"What's the evidence? You still haven't said how this happened, I need information before I can formulate a plan."

Nodding, Peter adjusted his position, trying to get comfortable in his chair. "I had a case last month. A woman had been murdered and all the evidence suggested that the husband had done it."

"It's always the husband."

"Right. That's what the police thought too, and they found plenty of evidence to go with it, and I had one of them corroborating it all on the stand."

Elsa leaned back in her chair, steepling her fingers. "So what went wrong?"

"It turned out the officer lied. Officer Wilde. He was convinced that the guy was guilty, and so he lied about it. He said he'd found the husband, still holding the bloody knife, on top of her. The guy wasn't even there when he arrived."

"And the evidence?"

"As far as I can tell, it was real, but this opens up so much. Hell, maybe Wilde killed her, I can't know."

"So, let me guess. He got in trouble for it, and insisted that you told him to say it."

"Yeah." He nodded, his head never coming back up, instead falling into his hands. "I'm so screwed. I should've known it was a lie."

"You trusted your witness. It happens to the best of us. You didn't do anything wrong, and I will make sure that you're not punished for his actions.

She had a busy day ahead of her. So many places to go, so little time. I love it.

The DA's office was first on the list. Facilier was likely to be the easiest to convince, and she needed to be quick. She had to make it to the committee in less than three hours.

"Elsa?" he cooed, looking up from his papers. No one is ever surprised when I show up in their office unannounced. It works so well on TV. "I wasn't aware we had a meeting. Or was this an intimate visit? I can have everything off my desk in thirty-three seconds."

"No. So many reasons why, but just no."

Dramatically sighing, he gestured toward an empty chair. "Then what brings you here?"

She remained standing. "You know that Peter didn't do that. He doesn't have it in him."

"Do I now?"

Elsa glared daggers at him. "Don't give me that. You know I have my issues with him, but he would never do that. The guy doesn't even wait until the day before trial to hand over evidence."

"Then I should fire him for that instead."

"He's not corrupt. You will tell the board that."

"Will I now?" A snakeish grin warped his features into a cadaver-like mask. "Why should I do that? He's my worst prosecutor, I should've fired him ages ago, anyway."

"He's getting better. Hell, he even beat me."

"I suppose."

"Facilier, I don't have time for your shit. The meeting is at two o'clock. You will be there and you will tell them that he didn't do this."

"Do you have any proof?" he asked, reclining in his leather chair.

"Working on it. If you really want to help, you can do the same, you have his case files."

"That sounds like work. Fine, I'll show up and I'll act as character witness, but neither of us are handling the files. They're confidential."

Groaning, Elsa grit her teeth. It was a start. She found her car by the parking meter, another thirty minutes still on its clock, and made her way to the officer's house. He was on suspension and Peter had given her the address. Unfortunately, he was in Brooklyn, so she would have to hurry.

She made it with an hour and a half to spare. She would have to make this quick. A woman answered on the second knock. "Hello?"

"Is Nick home?"

"Yes, who may I say is looking for him?"

"He'll want to talk to me. Just go get him."

The woman squinted, but turned around to fetch him. A few seconds later, a lean red-haired man strolled over to the door. "Whatever you're selling, I'm not buying."

"My name's Elsa Agnarrsen. Perhaps you've heard of me."

He snorted. "I've met you before. You got that douchebag perp I'd arrested off — Thomas Flowers, wasn't it? I didn't recognize you without the brimstone and flames. You can fuck off twice as hard."

He started to close the door, but Elsa caught it with her foot. Ow. "If you recant your statements about Mr. Pan, I'll represent you in your perjury trial."

The door opened again, and the officer peered out at her, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Why the hell would you do that?"

I'm not representing Peter in any legal capacity. There's no conflict. "Because a good man is going to lose his license if you don't recant. Your story didn't change your fate at all, you're still suspended and facing trial from Facilier. I've beaten him before and I'll do it again."

"Fine, I'll do it tomorrow."

"No, now. He has a meeting with the board in just over an hour, and you're going to be there."

"I'm not –"

"Now," she snarled.

They made it to the New York City Bar Association's building with thirty minutes until Peter's meeting with the Committee on Professional Ethics. She found him pacing the lobby, two cups of coffee in his hands.

"How're you doing?" she asked, Nick right behind her. She wasn't letting him out of her sight.

He glanced between the two of them. "You –"

"Yes."

He exhaled, leaning back against nothing, staring up at the ceiling. "Oh, thank you so much. I thought it was over for me."

"Like I said, you'll owe me."

"You're a good friend, Elsa." Wait, what? "Here, I got you this." He handed her one coffees. "It's from Oaken's. That's the place you like, right? I asked around. There's even a chocolate croissant." He glanced around and found the bag a few feet away, leaning up against the wall. "Want it?"

Yeah, I'll be his friend. "Thank you. I hadn't eaten." She ate the croissant with a speed not entirely appropriate for civilized company, but she was starving. As she washed it down with the coffee, Elsa was finally starting to relax. I did everything I could. Now we just have to wait.

"You're taking it back?" he asked Nick.

"I already said I would."

"Just wait." She didn't want to risk any disagreements that could jeopardize Pan's case. Nick didn't seem the most agreeable sort.

With only five minutes to arrive, Facilier casually strolled in. "I'm here, what's the hold up?"

"You're early."

"I could walk around the block, have a more dramatic entrance."

"It's fine."

"You came?" Peter asked. "You mean you're gonna stand by me?"

"I suppose. Would hardly due to lose you. You're the only one who can figure out how to work that coffee machine."

The nearby door opened, and they were ushered inside. "Mr. Pan," an old grey-haired man called out from a table at the end of the room. "I believe you know why you're here."

"Yes, your honor," he muttered, hurrying before them.

"Oh for – I'm not a judge."

"Yes, sir?"

"Good enough." He glanced down at the paper before him. There was another man, almost identical to him, on either side. It had somewhat of an intimidating effect, even on Elsa. She took a seat, waiting patiently for her chance to speak. "You've been accused of knowingly suborning perjury by an Officer Nick Wilde."

"Here," Nick announced.

"Officer Wilde, it is not necessary for you to be here."

He hesitated, taking a step back. He clearly wanted to bolt. Elsa couldn't help but see him as a frightened animal. She met his eyes. If he ran, she wouldn't be representing him, and he'd be going to prison. "I lied."

"You what?" one of the other men asked. His voice was higher, less serious. No wonder they let the other guy talk, he sounds so foreboding.

"I lied. He didn't know that I'd made my story up. It was the only thing I'd told him. I just didn't want to go down for it alone. I knew I could take him with me, so I did."

"Mr. Wilde, this is disgusting." Much better. Very intimidating.

"I know."

"Mr. Facilier, did you have anything you wanted to say?" the third man asked, noticing the tall DA skulking in the corner.

"I think he sort of stole my thunder. I guess I'll just say that Pete is a good man, I've known him for six months now, I like him. I'd like to keep him. Preferably in my bed, but I'll settle for in my office."

Peter's head swung around, staring at his boss. Have they just not talked at all? He's always like that.

"Very well. In light of recent revelations," he glared at Nick, causing him to shrink even further back in the room, "Mr. Pan shall face no penalty. We apologize that you had to deal with this. Certain individuals who shall remain unnamed should know better than to slander a valuable civil servant. You have our condolences and our appreciation."

Pan stared at them. "Wow. So that's it?"

"That's it."

Elsa slung an arm around his shoulder. "Come on. Let me buy you a drink." You can do this. You don't need to torment the kid any more than you already have, you can just be nice. I've been able to be friendly with associates, I can manage it with him.

"Really?"

"Yeah." On the way out, she handed her card to Nick. "Call me, we'll arrange your defense. Have a good one. Facilier, you're the worst." She waved goodbye to him. Probably not wise to insult the DA, but I have to be mean to one of them, and he knows it's true.

They met up at a bar near Elsa's work. She didn't go in often, but she knew the place. Gaston just had better scotch. She was already at the bar when he came in and she indicated the vacant stool next to her.

"Never thought this would happen," he said, sliding into the seat.

"Crazier things have." Elsa motioned over for the bartender. "Two glasses of Macallan, neat."

"I'm not really a scotch person," Peter muttered, as the bartender busied himself with the drinks.

Elsa glared at him. "I'm trying here. Just drink it."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "Yes. You're right, sorry."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "What would you prefer? I'll take both scotches."

"Gin and tonic?"

"A gin and tonic please," she said louder, receiving a curt nod from the bartender as he continued his business. She'd always liked how little he talked the few times she'd visited, it let her focus on drowning her sorrows.

"So why are we here? You hate me."

"I don't hate you, exactly."

"Elsa –"

"You messed up, and I carried it way too far. It wasn't even my case. I shouldn't have spent years making you miserable over it."

"You didn't. You just kept kicking my ass."

"I stand by that part, but I still could've been nicer about it. Though you managed to beat me last time."

"Just once."

She smiled, taking one of the glasses of scotch and raising it to him. "That's all it takes. You won that one, and from what I've heard you've been doing pretty well since then. I'm proud of you." His glass met hers.

"Thank you." He rubbed at his eyes and let out a shaky breath. "That means a lot."

"It's no problem. You've earned it, even if it did take a while."

"I was always told I was a slow learner." He didn't seem to be joking. He took a sip of his gin and tonic, his shoulders relaxing as he sank into the seat. "Today was terrifying. I don't know what I would've done if it hadn't been for you. You're my hero, Elsa. You always have been."

Now I feel worse. She blinked away a few tears and downed a healthy portion of her scotch. "I'm glad I could help. I was having a pretty crazy day too. I needed the distraction."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She considered him, staring at the assistant DA she'd faced off against so many times before. "No. Not really. I just wanted to not think about it for a bit. So thanks for that."

His face fell, but he nodded. "I understand. It's not like we're really friends or anything."

"No," she admitted. "But maybe we could be." Just look at how much we can change. He was my worst enemy, and now we're almost friends. She finished off the first drink and slid the second over to him. "There's something I need to do. Try the scotch, it won't kill you."

"I –"

"We'll be in touch. You still owe me after all." She flashed him a quick smile and headed back to the office. She had work to do.

Gaston looked up from his desk where he was reading over a thick folder. "New case?" she asked.

"Yeah, should be fun."

"I like fun cases."

"Yeah, but you're taking this month off, remember."

"But –" she grumbled. He was right, she couldn't keep avoiding Anna, that was why she was here. "You better win it."

"I will. So what's up?"

"I want to talk to Anna, and I need to figure out what I want to say to her."

"Have you decided what you want?"

Her breath whistled as she exhaled, staring at the case Gaston was working on. It seemed so much easier than this. "No. I haven't. But I think that should kind of tell me something. I don't return her feelings, not yet at least, but I don't seem to be bothered by them, and I did kiss her back."

"I will treasure that image forever."

"Ew. Maybe we should see where things go."

"Are you going to call things off with Tiana?"

She bit her lip. I wish I knew. "I haven't made any real decisions yet, but I don't think I will. Maybe. I'm really not sure."

He nodded. "Okay. That's still something."

"Yeah. So, that's what I have to do. I'm gonna talk to Anna. What do I tell her?"

His smirk was a tad annoying. Enjoy this just a little less. "Well since it seems like 'Anna, I love you too and want to spend the rest of my life with you' is off the table, how about just 'Hey, I'm sorry for being so weird about everything, I don't know how I feel, but I'm okay with seeing where things go.' That's basically what you told me."

"She's my sister." Maybe I'm not up for this.

"So?"

"So it's weird."

"Nothing weird about it. Like you folks say, love is love."

She groaned, far from thrilled at the comparison. There's a difference. "That doesn't make this okay. Hell, I practically raised her."

"And she's thirty-one years old, a responsible grown-up, with her own life and her own kid, she can make her own decisions. You're not forcing her into this, it wasn't even something you thought you'd want. She does though."

"She certainly seems to."

"She told me. You mean everything to her."

"She means everything to me too."

He smiled, less annoyingly this time. "Then tell her that."

"Okay. So, I'm just going to say 'Hey, Anna, sorry about last night. I don't know if I feel the same way you do, but you mean the world to me, and I'm okay with exploring this with you if you want. Not like dating, but at least seeing if there's anything there." I have to stop myself before I can end up rambling like my little sister — though I'm sure she'd take that well.

"That sounds perfect."

Elsa nodded, swallowing her nerves. This is insane. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am. She's perfect for you, and I want both of you to be happy."

"Fuck it. Fine. I'm gonna go talk to her."

She bid Gaston farewell and went down to the garage. She only sat in her car for a good twenty minutes before she managed to gather up the courage to go home. It had seemed like longer. She rehearsed the speech again and again in her head. She knew what she had to do.