Nervousness crept through Elsa's body as she held tightly the small box behind her back. She trembled, and despite the deep breaths she was taking, her heart was still pounding.

It was their first year anniversary of dating each other, and as a celebration, they decided to go to Paris for a week. Anna was still in her senior year of college, waiting to graduate that Spring… and Elsa had enough money saved from her job that she decided, well, what better way to celebrate and treat Anna than to give her the trip of her life? Ah, and this was going to be the trip of their lives.

And as Anna continued to admire the Eiffel Tower, taking pictures with the camera that Elsa gifted her for her birthday, the blonde stood behind her, smiling.

"Wow… you know, this might be a little cliche, but I get why this is such a romantic place." Anna mumbled, lowering her camera, eyes gazing up at the tower.

"Is that so?" Elsa replied back from behind. "It's too bad it's our last day here."

She huffed. "Couldn't we stay here a little bit longer?"

Elsa stepped closer, her hand caressing Anna's arm, and she leaned down to kiss her lover's neck. "Sorry, beautiful. You still have school, remember?"

"Yeah, well, nobody cares about the syllabus week anyway." Anna continued to snap some more pictures. "Hmph. There are still some places I wanna go, you know?"

"We can go another time. Maybe for Christmas?"

"But it would be different."

"Different how?"

Anna puffed her cheeks out. "It wouldn't be our anniversary. Plus, you know grandma and grandpa want me to come home to celebrate Christmas."

Elsa chuckled. She knew Anna was always fond of traveling - seeing how her grandparents' home would always be decorated with postcards and pictures of famous places that Anna had never gone to at all. It was Elsa's plan to take her all over the world.

Anna was always happy though. Her parents passed away while she was still a child in a car crash, and all she had left were her grandparents. Now… she had Elsa.

There was an unspoken promise - that Elsa would give her the whole world, and it was a promise that she knew, Anna would have her keep.

Taking a deep breath, Elsa slowly let go of her girlfriend, and with Anna's back still towards her… she knelt down on the ground on one knee. A few people were staring, which gathered more attention, more mumbles… and even then, with Anna still busying herself with taking pictures, she also knew the crowd wouldn't give away the surprise.

She opened the box to reveal a diamond ring which shined in the afternoon daylight.

"Hey, remember that place I was talking about yesterday? We should eat dinner there later. I'll pay."

Elsa shook her head in amusement. "My money is yours. And, sure, we can go have dinner there."

"Oh! And we can come back here again when it's dark. It must look sooo beautiful at night."

"Of course," Elsa replied as she watched Anna turn towards her.

"And then, maybe we can -" Anna's eyes widened, hands dropping the camera. Luckily, she had a strap around her neck. "... What…?"

Ah, that was exactly the reaction Elsa was looking for, and while she wanted badly to weep out of happiness she realized she still had a speech to make. The crowd was getting bigger too… and the plaza fell silent.

"Surprised?" Elsa asked, tilting her head.

Anna was barely able to contain herself, taking in a deep breath, her hand placed on her chest. "Oh God, Elsa, what are you -"

"I took you to Paris because I know you loved traveling. I took you to Paris because, no matter how cliche it is, it's amazing being here with my girlfriend. I thought a lot about this… and I realized, I love you so much, and we've been so strong, that I don't ever want to let you go. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want… Will you marry me?"

It was odd. Four days had passed since Olaf started staying with Anna. These past four days… she hadn't heard from her ex-wife. Sure, there were some occasions where there were small conversations through text messages but, in the end, Anna would always be left on 'seen'. Not that it mattered, but… Elsa would never do that. Not abruptly anyway. Or perhaps, like she said, Anna still didn't know much about what the blonde was thinking.

But she took Elsa's advice - Olaf was going to know Meg a little better now. It was just… Olaf didn't seem quite fond of this relationship just yet. Anna understood though - he was also cautious about Hans, at first.

By the time, school ended for the evening, Anna decided that, perhaps, it would be a good idea for them to have dinner together at home, and it was a dinner that Meg would be cooking.

The sound of sizzling oil in a pan filled the room, but Anna and her son didn't care. They were busy competing with each other in a game of Mario Kart. Only… Anna had lost.

"God, when did you learn to be this good at this game?" Anna groaned, feeling her victorious son climbing right onto her lap.

"Hehe, I practice! Or Mama, you're just bad at the game." He puffed his chest out proudly, his tongue sticking out at her. Oh, that did it, he just offended me!

"Grrr, you little devil, you!" Her fingers immediately attacked Olaf's waist, prompting him to burst into laughter as his body squirmed. "I'm gonna get you for that!"

"Mama, mama, s-stop! Hahahaha!"

"I shouldn't even be letting you play video games so much!"

"M-Mama, please! Hahaha!"

"Anna, stop torturing Olaf, and come help me with dinner, please!" Meg yelled from the kitchen.

"I'll be right there!" The redhead smiled, kissing Olaf's cheek. "Alright, clean up all the games and get ready for dinner."

The boy giggled with delight, still lying on the floor to recover from the ambush of tickles.

For now… everything seemed so normal. But it was normal without Elsa, replaced by Meg. Standing beside her girlfriend, hands holding her waist, Anna laid her head on her shoulder. "Hi, thanks for cooking," she whispered, lips to her neck.

"It's my pleasure, beautiful. Just wait here, it'll be done in a minute."

"Sure," Anna replied, rocking themselves side to side slowly… and the silence filled Anna's mind. It was pleasant, of course. But oddly… no matter how normal this seemed, there was a sense of longing. This was what she and Elsa were supposed to be. Olaf would be in the background playing… and they would be making a lovely dinner for the evening with a smile on their face. Instead, her evenings were always filled with heartbreak and regrets.

Anna gazed distantly at the food, her smile fading. This could've been us, Elsa…

"Anna?"

The woman blinked, realizing Meg had turned to look at her. Concern was written all over Meg's face, prompting Anna to pull away immediately, chuckling to herself ever so bitterly.

"Sorry, you were saying?" There was a small moment where she realized Meg knew exactly what was going on in her head. All Anna could do was gaze down in shame, and perhaps, it would just be better if she didn't meet Meg's eyes.

Honestly, Anna thought she had gotten over it because Meg pushed her to get over it. But, no. Despite being with someone else, she still worried about Elsa's well-being, especially now. She sighed, nodding to herself, her hands wrapped around her body. Meg squeezed her girlfriend's arms for comfort. "Thinking about her again?"

Anna nodded. "Sorry."

Leaning in, Meg kissed her forehead. "Nothing to be sorry about. I get it… sometimes, you just have to reminisce about the good old days."

The good old days, huh? Funny. Anna bit her lip, looking down the hall as Olaf came out of the bathroom. "Look, we can talk about this later. Olaf's hungry."

"Yeah, hey -" Just as the redhead moved to get the plates, she felt a tug from Meg's hand on her arm. "I love you, you know?"

Love, huh? It was something Anna had always thought she didn't deserve. Not yet, at least. She hadn't done anything to deserve that love… and especially from Meg. Especially when all Anna would think about when she was around her… was her damned ex. She really needed to learn what it was like to love someone again.

She merely smiled in acknowledgment, mouthing, "I know."

"Mama, can we eat already?!" Olaf had already sat at the dining table.

"Yeah, just give us a second, baby!"

Meg began placing the food on the plates and handed it to Anna. "Here, careful, it's hot. The soup is for Olaf too."

It didn't take long until they were all properly seated at the dining table. In the background, Cartoon Network was still playing, taking all of Olaf's attention. The two women sat across from each other, eating quietly. Anna had almost lost her appetite after what just happened in the kitchen.

Meg hadn't noticed yet but the redhead was taking small glimpses of the two. Perhaps, she just wasn't used to this, but she completely hated the sight of Olaf and her interacting so… so well together.

Sure, she was his teacher. Sure, Olaf would always get good grades, and Meg was always impressed by him, but… love? Care? This was all supposed to be with Elsa.

"Olaf, do you want more rice?"

Olaf smiled tenderly to his teacher. "No thank you, Miss."

Meg mirrored his expression, running her fingers through his hair. "Olaf, do you want to do anything this weekend? Movie?"

The boy immediately turned from the TV to his teacher. "Really?! Movie? I wanna - I wanna see, uh… uh, F-Fro-"

The woman laughed tenderly, nodding. "Any movie you'd like." She paused, and just then, Anna's eyes met with Meg's. "Buddy, I… wanted to apologize for that day. To you and Mama."

A heavy silence filled the air, but Anna didn't care. She didn't care for the apology, but she knew Olaf still felt slightly uncomfortable with all that was happening these past few days. The boy gazed down to his hands, and both women had their eyes on him. Except… Anna didn't know what to say. She'd never knew what Olaf was thinking, how he was feeling, but she was always trying her best to make him happy. The thing was… sometimes, she didn't know what to do to make him happy - no toys, no other entertainment or treat, could satisfy him like it would other kids. He was such a peculiar boy, but Anna was happy to have such a wise kid in the family.

And right now, Anna wasn't thinking of anything else. How can I make him happy now?

"M… Miss Johnson…" He hunched over against his chair, cheeks pouting. "Do you like Mama a lot?"

Anna decided it really was for the best to stay silent and listen to them talk. She was curious about Meg's answer, even if she knew what her girlfriend would say. Her amused eyes picked up on Meg, raising an eyebrow, expectedly.

The brunette chuckled, nodding. "I do. I like her a lot. Maybe I like her more than you." She gently poked her finger on his chest, prompting a series of small giggles.

"You can't like her more than me!"

"Ah, I can't, can I?"

"Miss, why do you like her?"

Is this an interview? And almost like Meg knew what she was thinking, their eyes met once more, and she shrugged. "Well, there are a lot of reasons. I don't think I can tell them all to you."

"Then something off the top of your head!"

"Mm…" The teacher rubbed her chin, pretending to think thoroughly for this. "Ah, well, your Mama is kindhearted, selfless… and when she's sad, she doesn't always want to tell other people, but when I notice, I ask if she is. She will tell me. I think…" Meg bit her lip. "That makes me feel very special."

"Special?"

Meg nodded. "Yeah. You see… people don't always tell others how they feel, because it makes them seem vulnerable and… weak. People don't want to look like that. They want to be big and strong, but in the end, they want people to care for them. They want people to listen." She sighed, "And when people are sad, Olaf, it can be too much to bear and impossible to cry for help. And that's where I come in, I had to rescue your Mama."

"Ooh…" Olaf nodded. "Like Superwoman? You can read minds?"

The woman threw her head back in laughter. "Yeah, kind of like that. Listen, I love your mother inside out. I love her flaws, her weakness… and sure, Mama doesn't quite enjoy having to be weak either - I don't think anyone would want to be weak - but when she is at her lowest point, I enjoy caring for her all day. Do you understand now, Olaf?"

"Uh-huh!" The cheerful buddy smiled as widely as he could, turning to his mother… just to have that smile fade. "Mama?"

Anna couldn't stand it anymore. Like a child - the happiest child in the world even - she wept as she covered her face with her hands, but the tears just continued to flow.

Hurriedly, Meg got out of her seat, her arm wrapped around Anna, her free hand grasping Anna's. "Hey… Hey, what's going on? Why are you crying…?"

That voice… that soft gentle voice… what did I do to deserve it?

Anna couldn't stop. Her hands clenched onto her chest, head down… her body rocking back and forth, chest pounding. Listening to them both talk like that broke Anna's heart only to strengthen it every time Meg said a single sweet word about her.

Nobody… in a long time had thought of her this way. Nobody in her life would ever want to care for her at her lowest point. Elsa… Sure, they had times where they cared, loved, and helped each other, but when was the last time she remembered her taking her in her arms… telling her everything would be alright? Was their marriage always this bleak that none of these moments were ever memorable? And, yet, here Meg would say all this… and do all that for her. She wasn't used to this. As Meg spoke to Olaf she was reminded that this should've been Elsa. It should've been her that would take care of her at her lowest point, that would listen to her… that would make her feel special.

And yet, it's not you who's looking at me like that.

And, every time, every single moment she thought of her being replaced by Meg… broke Anna even more.

She shook her head, wiping her tears with her arm, and she let out a bitter smile. "I'm just…" She turned to her lover and caressed her cheek. "I'm just incredibly happy."

Meg didn't mirror her expression. And Anna didn't need to even look to know that her son was worried too.

"Olaf, come here." The little boy immediately came to sit on Anna's lap, soft lips pressed on Olaf's forehead.

"Mama, are you okay…?"

She nodded, eyes closed… and she hugged them both tightly in her arms. "I love you. Both of you."

There was a moment of peace, which Anna eagerly embraced as well. And with the two being so quiet, it made her realize… perhaps, this was what love was. The worry… the care… and if Elsa had an ounce of that in her for Anna, perhaps… she wouldn't have to be reminiscing about her so often.

By eleven, Anna had already put Olaf to sleep in a small guest room with his teddy bear. It wasn't often that she would make her son sleep alone when they were together, but for a special day where Meg was staying over as well… well, things had to be switched up a bit. Thankfully, Olaf didn't mind having to sleep on his own.

Relaxation quickly befell the two lovers as they laid in bed, nude for each other. They didn't do anything - especially, Anna was afraid they would wake her son up if they ever did anything - but the skin to skin contact… that warmth emitted between them under the blanket was comforting. It was always comforting.

She felt fingers running through her hair as the two of them faced each other while laying on their sides. The moon was shining so brightly that night that Anna didn't have to try too hard to see her lover gazing at her kindly.

Anna smiled back, leaning her cheek to Meg's hand. "What?" she whispered.

"Nothing."

She giggled. "Then why are you staring at me like that?"

Meg shrugged. "I was thinking about what I said before. How you reacted… I can't believe I would say this, but… it's how I'd imagine you react. A big crybaby."

Anna pouted, nudging at the brunette's stomach with her fist gently. It didn't help that both of them were laughing at the little joke. "Oh shut up! You don't get to say these things and not expect me to cry about it."

"I know, I know." Meg sighed. "It's just… I don't know, I always liked your raw emotions, Anna. I realize… sometimes, you have this look in your eyes, and I know, you're always thinking about where you went wrong, what did you do to hurt Elsa… to make her leave." She pointed a finger right against Anna's chest where her heart laid. "You have a beautiful heart, and some people can't see that, but I do. I like that about you."

There she goes again, huh? "Are you trying to make me cry again? What is this, 'Make Anna's Crying Great Again' day?" Anna pouted, only to feel her lover poke her puffed cheeks too.

"Maybe. I can't be sentimental?"

"The last time someone ever tried to be sentimental, my heart got broken."

"Mmm…" Meg leaned in, her nose brushing against Anna's, and with a careful touch… their lips kissed. "It's too bad. I heal people with sentimentality."

She smirked at that, unable to recognize whether this was a joke or for real. "We'll see about that."

"Oh? Is my girlfriend questioning my feelings for her?" Meg slowly grabbed onto Anna's waist below the comfy blanket, flipping the two until Meg was on top of her… and the shocked redhead completely froze beneath her. But it wasn't long until Anna relaxed with a raised eyebrow, feeling Meg's perfectly cute nose tapping on her own. The fingers that held onto Anna's waist slowly made its way above to her chest, to her neck… and finally, it came to caress Anna's cheek. "Maybe…" she whispered, tongue licking her own lips, head tilting… and Anna was ready for whatever that was about to happen, "Maybe I should show you how grateful I am for you…?"

That whisper… that whisper was all Anna needed to feel more heat enveloping them both. And while Anna thought she would be nervous… well, knowing Meg… knowing she would want every chance that she could get to show her affection to Anna, the redhead just wasn't surprised anymore. She was always anticipating. Waiting.

She chuckled when she felt warm fingers wrapping around her wrists, placing above Anna's head. Those eyes… those beautiful eyes that Anna was staring into showed no sign of regret or hesitation. That's the Meg I know. "What did we just say about affection?"

"Mmm…" Meg ran her thumb around Anna's tender pink lips… and all Anna could do was watch. "You better stay quiet then, huh…?"

Warm hands began to crawl down her body, grasping Anna's legs, and Anna… Anna had given up. Her chest heaved with each slow breath, with every little kiss and breathe tickling the skin of her neck -

"Mama…"

The two women immediately turned to the door, eyes widen.

"Shit…"

"Oh my god -!" Anna whispered, and it didn't even take a second before the two separated in horror, both holding the cover above her chest. The young boy stood by the doorway, rubbing his tired eyes, still oblivious of what was happening. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Meg, on the other hand, was just as shocked. Though… more quiet, her fingers holding tightly on the comforter. Either way, both of them knew this never should've happened, and they let it. Slowly, Meg reached over to the floor to grab an oversized shirt, hand still holding onto the blanket to cover her bare chest.

Anna immediately nudged her. "Give me one too…"

"I don't see one on the floor," Meg chuckled.

"Damn it, that's not funny!" She gritted her teeth, watching as her baby walked up to them.

"It's a little funny," she smirked.

"Mama, what are you doing?" Olaf tilted her head. Thank God, they didn't have the lights on while doing… that. "Why are you naked?"

Anna flushed, feeling Meg scoot herself apart from her lover. She could explain thousands of things to him, regarding her mother, Meg, marriage… but, oh God, this was the last thing Anna ever wanted to answer. "Uh… sleeping? Mama was hot, that's all."

"Oh, yeah, your mother was hot, definitely -"

"Olaf, what are you doing up?"

"Mm…" Olaf climbed up between the two women and decided to lay his head against Anna's chest, his other arm hugging Marshmallow tightly. It was a first that Olaf seemed to ignore the fact that his mother was naked… nor did he mind that Meg was laying beside both of them. She raised her eyebrow and rubbed Olaf's tiny back, up and down… and she caught Meg's gaze. Unfortunately, even his teacher wasn't sure what was up. "It was noisy…" he murmured.

"N-Noisy, huh?" That gaze turned to another glare, prompting Meg to look away, shifting herself back to lay down. The amused expression Anna had caught a glimpse of said it all. God, I should never have made her promise something that she can't even keep on her own. "Did we bother you? Hm?" she whispered as she pecked little kisses on his forehead.

"Mm… no," Olaf yawned. "Maybe…"

"Sorry, sweetheart. You can sleep with us for tonight, alright?"

He nodded lazily against her chest. "Mama…?"

"Hm?"

"I had a nightmare again… but I was a big boy and chased off the nightmare…"

Anna stayed silent, turning over to see how Meg was reacting… only to see the worrisome expression from her as well. Huh, that's the last thing I expected from her. But her priority was her son… and she hated the fact that she was so preoccupied with talking to Meg that she didn't realize her son was having a scary dream. But… perhaps, this was a step forward for both of them.

Olaf was strong enough to deal with this, and Anna… well, perhaps, she didn't have to worry about her boy all the time. It's just… I will always worry about my family.

With a bitter smile, almost apologetic, she leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I'm proud of you, sweetheart. Do you feel okay? Want some milk?"

Olaf shook his head. "I just wanna be here…"

Anna felt her heart melt completely when she felt his arm barely wrapped around her shoulder. "Okay. Now, go sleep, okay?"

"Mhm."

Meg mirrored her expression, placing a hand on Anna's hand… the one on the small of Olaf's back. "As a reward, tomorrow we will take you to the movies, how about that? Like a family."

It didn't take long for Olaf to widen his smile, his eyes still closed. Tired or not, it didn't matter if Olaf wasn't saying anything… they both knew he was thankful. Grateful. And nobody else could compare to the pureness of Anna's child.

"Goodnight, baby. I love you."

"Whoa, Elsa, what the hell is with yo' get-up?"

Elsa stood in front of Tiana's front door, hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. Underneath, she wore a hoodie over her head, covered with a mask and sunglasses. The only thing visible and recognizable to others was the braid over her shoulder.

It had been a few days now. With Olaf in Anna's home… she felt somewhat relieved. He was away from danger… and Elsa… Elsa could act freely, however she liked. Or not. In the span of those few days the violence had gotten worse. Bruises and cuts were becoming more prominent. She began wearing fewer t-shirts and more sweaters to cover up everything. But even so, Elsa had been hurt so badly she was afraid of going out, of contacting anyone… because she had nobody to turn to.

Every day there was an apology, almost as empty as his heart, that would follow episodes of violence. Elsa learned this wasn't the life she had planned. She wanted to run… but the moment he had threatened to find her ex-wife… she stayed put. She had to.

Though, knowing that she needed someone, she knew Tiana was always there for her to talk to.

She smiled, the corner of her lip hissing with pain from a bruise. Even if Tiana couldn't truly see what she looked like from underneath, Elsa had to at least show some gratitude. "Sorry, is it too scary for you?"

Tiana huffed, jutting her hip against the doorframe. In the background, her husband and daughter were playing around. "Nah, but… you got allergies or some'n - ?" She squinted, and just then, Elsa realized she hadn't covered everything up. She immediately covered her mouth in horror. "Oh god, Elsa -"

"Shh, can we talk inside?"

"Good lord -" Tiana immediately pulled the woman in, slamming the door shut. "You two, go play in the playroom. Elsa, sit."

"Hm? What - Oh…" Naveen had looked up, gazing between the two with his daughter on his lap. "Elsa, right? How ya doin'?"

"Naveen." Tiana's stern voice prompted her husband to take her daughter and leave, though not without gazing at Elsa weirdly. Elsa sat on the couch, almost ashamed someone had even given her that look. "Now. Stay here."

Elsa sighed as the woman scurried to the bathroom and back with a first aid kit. "Tiana…"

"Take off your mask and glasses, and anywhere where you have bruises and stuff. Come on now." She got down on her knees, placing the box on the coffee table. A few dozen bandages and cotton lay on the side, and Elsa slowly did what she was told. It didn't take long for Tiana to gasp, hand to her mouth… and tears rested on the corner of her eyes. Sure they didn't know each other for long, but… Elsa considered Tiana to be one of her greatest friends. Nobody would've worried for her like this.

The silence… the way Tiana stared at her messed up face in horror. Even she knew how much these wounds have tainted her beauty. And right now, Elsa felt way too ashamed to say anything… waiting… waiting for her friend to say something. To ridicule her. "Oh God, Elsa… Elsa, who did this to you…?"

Elsa wasn't shocked by her trembling voice. Who did this to me? Perhaps… I did this to myself. She looked away, feeling a hand squeezing her own. "This is… embarrassing, is it not?"

"Embarrassing?" Tiana dabbed a cotton in some alcohol. "What the hell are you thinking? Sweetie… did he do this…?"

Elsa stayed silent, only hissing in discomfort when it touched her ripped skin. There was so much on Elsa's mind that she wasn't sure where to even start. Did she even want to start at all? She sighed, closing her eyes… and through all the darkness, only one person came to light. Anna… "Tiana… I made a mistake."

"I don't care what mistakes you made. Damn it, Elsa. Why didn't you tell me? God knows how long this has been going on and I couldn't help you..."

"I didn't want to bother you." Elsa barely winced when she felt a small press on the corner of her eyebrow.

"You can bother me all you want. This…? You need to tell me about this! Elsa, you have been in pain…" The blonde couldn't avoid listening to her. Tiana was correct… she should've said something earlier, no matter how afraid she was… how strong she wanted to become. "Elsa…" Tiana sighed, hand tightly holding onto hers. Her brown eyes, as pitiful as they looked, did not separate from Elsa's. "Please, please, listen to me. What we said earlier… this is worse than we could imagine."

"I know. Tiana…" She scoffed to herself in disappointment, fingers in her hair. "I was wrong. I was so, so wrong."

"You have to stay away from him."

It's not that simple. Elsa shook her head. "How? I… I can't."

"Can't? Why can't you? You have a place here to stay in as long as you'd like! You have Anna!"

"He'll hurt Anna..." That did it. Three words, and Elsa quickly bursted into tears, hands against her head. "I… I can't let that happen…"

"Oh, poor baby…" Tiana whispered, arms wrapping around the blonde. What a shame. It was such a shame. If only Elsa was fair about her own feelings, none of this wouldn't have happened. If anything… Hans was right about one thing - she couldn't get over the woman that had loved her and had been pushed away. She cried against her chest, unable to even speak a single word. All she wanted to utter out was an apology or a hundred more, but she couldn't even do that. "Elsa… you have a place here… you will always have a place here, and we can protect you."

"I-I…" Elsa sniffled, pulling herself away. "But -"

"I know what you said about Anna… but… God, sweetie, I'm gonna need to give her a call -"

"NO!" she immediately shouted, and the moment Tiana had gotten up to grab a telephone, Elsa had lost her balance. On the ground, on her knees, the woman gripped onto her savior of a friend on her leg. Humiliating… this is so humiliating… is this what I've become? Elsa couldn't even look up to Tiana at all, gazing on the carpet ground instead. "N-No… please don't."

"What?" The woman tugged her leg, only to feel Elsa grab it even tighter. "Elsa, let go -"

"You… You can't. Please, I'm begging you."

"Why…? Why won't you accept help from her…?"

Elsa was silent, still gripping tightly onto Tiana. If she ever let go… she knew Tiana would run to the telephone. "I… I can't let her see me like this. She's been so happy lately… I don't want her to feel heartbreak again because of me."

Tiana didn't seem to buy it. "Elsa, he beat you…"

"I know." She sniffled, still unable to even look at her in the eye. "I know… but he will do so much more if you called her, Tiana. I'm begging you. I know you mean well, but just for me... I just need this one favor." With all her strength - her fingers shaking as they held onto her leg - Elsa managed to look up into the horror in Tiana's eyes. "Please… do not call her."

"Elsa… damn it," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, shaking her head in disbelief. And finally, Elsa felt relief swim over her, knowing that Tiana wouldn't do what she wanted to do.

She felt arms wrap around her as Tiana got down to her level, and heard her shush her like a child after a tantrum… it became relaxing. Comforting. And Elsa had stopped crying the moment she had felt it.

"I won't tell her. It's… your business after all. I will respect that. But this has gotten too far, Elsa."

She let out a shaky breath, holding onto her savior's shoulders. "He… H-He touched me -"

"I know. I know… Shh… you're doing well by coming here. You needed someone to talk to, and you came to me. I'm glad you did. You'll be okay here."