Chapter 6: The safari.

Elsa couldn't sleep that night; Anna's rejection had left her restless and sad. That's why, when the redhead woke up that morning, Elsa was already awake. She heard her dress and call for the chauffeur, but didn't open her eyes, not wanting to face her yet. However, soon enough she called for her and she didn't have another option but to obey.

She greeted Anna with a little smile and quickly dressed herself before following her to the car. They went to have breakfast in a nearby coffee shop, and Elsa had the opportunity to taste coffee for the first time, as well as have another piece of chocolate cake. However, nothing tasted as good as it should, and Anna's conversation wasn't as pleasant as usual. There was a tense atmosphere between them, and it was affecting their relationship. However, Elsa didn't know how to break it and, without her cooperation, Anna's efforts for making things less awkward (mainly by filling the silence with lots and lots of words) were failing miserably.

"So…" Anna said after a particularly long silence. "I was thinking we should go to a safari today!" She tried to sound enthusiastic about it, but Elsa's attitude that morning wasn't helping. "There's a very awesome one in this city. It'll take around two hours by car to get there, but I think it's worth it.

"Sounds good." Elsa shrugged, not caring about what Anna was saying. The redhead sighed.

"Really? Do you even know what a safari is?" When Elsa shook her head Anna wanted to kill her. She wasn't paying any attention to what she was saying! But she tried to calm down and be polite, not wanting to make things worse. "It's a place with lots of wild animals from all around the world. And you can watch them up close in their natural habitat. What do you say?

"Seems interesting." The blonde shrugged again making Anna get really mad. Seriously, in that moment, Elsa was practically identical to Elvira.

"Okay, then let's go." She said getting up from the table and walking outside (not before paying). Elsa realized she was left behind a second later and followed her.

They were put on a Jeep with a bunch of other tourists to make the trip around the safari. The schedule had them visiting a forest, then the jungle, the desert, and finally the aviary. At the end, they'd be entering the great butterfly garden, which was really famous, according to Anna, and then, they'd return to the entrance, from where they could explore the rest of the zoo, like the herpetarium and insectary.

It sounded fun enough, and for most people it would be an unforgettable experience, but Elsa wasn't seeing the animals at all. Not because there weren't any; they had been lucky enough to already spot two deer munching carrots next to their food bin. However, the blonde was distracted. Suddenly everything seemed dull to her, as if someone had extinguished the last little spark of light in her life and suddenly her whole word was hostile and dark.

She was no fool; it was Anna's rejection that had caused her so much pain and made her wished she died already, instead of suffering with the knowledge that Anna hadn't wanted to… what? What had she intended? She had wanted to press her lips on Anna's, but why? And why did it hurt so much that Anna had pulled away? Nothing made sense now, her head was a mess and her heart was broken. She just wanted to go to her white room at the clone center and cry her lungs out. At least there she had some privacy; here she couldn't cry without Anna seeing her, and she didn't want that because she'd realize it was because of her, and it'd be unfair. She sighed. This wasn't something she had wanted to experience before dying.

"Elsa." Anna's concerned voice pulled her out of her thoughts as she turn to see her redhead companion, and instantly her heart ached with longing. "Are you alright? You've been acting weird all day."

"It's… nothing." Elsa sighed as she returned her gaze out of the bars meant to keep the animals from attacking them, knowing she shouldn't talk to Anna about her feelings after what had happened the day before, even if she knew she was the only one who could answer her questions.

"Elsa, please, you can talk to me. I just want to help." Anna pleaded. "Please don't shut me out." There was a certain vulnerability on her voice that made Elsa look up and meet her gaze, full of worry and sadness, and she decided she wasn't being fair with Anna. It hadn't been Anna's fault and yet she was taking her frustration out on her. It had been her fault, and she deserved to suffer the consequences, even if she still didn't know exactly what she had done to cause herself so much pain.

"I'm sorry, Anna." She apologized. "I think I just got up in a bad mood today." It wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't a lie either.

"Is this because of what happened yesterday? After the… uhm… the rollercoaster?" Anna chickened out, not wanting to mention their almost kiss. "You know, your breakdown and everything."

"No." Elsa quickly answered, because really it had nothing to do with it. "But… actually I was thinking… do you think we could just…" Her throat clenched at the thought of what she was going to say next, and her eyes filled with tears, but she swallowed them. She had to get what she was thinking off her chest; she really didn't feel like exploring the world right now, she wouldn't enjoy it anyways. "… go back?" She finished, her voice cracking a little at the end.

"Get back? To where?" Anna asked, confused. "To the entrance? Are you alright? Are you feeling sick?" She placed her hand on her forehead to check if she had a fever, but everything seemed normal.

"No… I-I…" Elsa swallowed. "I meant to Arendelle City." She finally uttered, retuning her gaze to Anna's eyes.

"But… Why do you want to go there? The Clone industries are looking for you; If we go back…"

"I know." She interrupted her, closing her eyes. "I just… I don't want to be here anymore. Maybe it's best for all of us if I just di-..."

"Don't." Anna interrupted, barely concealing the anger she felt for hearing Elsa say such things. "Please, just… don't."

"But listen, I…"

"No, Elsa! How can you even think that?" She said upset. "You only have one week, one fucking week to live and you… just want to throw it away? To shorten it? And why?! I don't understand anything! I mean, yesterday you were crying because you didn't want to die, and now you just want to… accelerate the process?!" She screamed in disbelief, but fortunately, no one heard because in that moment they were all watching the noisy monkeys trying to get inside the jeep (yes, they had already arrived to the jungle without even realizing it). Elsa, however, just shrugged as an answer.

"I don't know what I was thinking. One week isn't enough to get what I want."

"And what is it that you want?" Anna asked, this time scream-whispering, since the monkeys weren't being so loud now and someone could hear them. "I told you I'd do my best to make every single wish you have come true before you die. Please, tell me." She begged, and Elsa couldn't really resist to that pleading gaze, not when she was looking at her as if it was of the utmost importance that she told her about the desire of her heart.

"I want…" she started, but then stopped, not having the courage to complete the sentence and have her heart crushed one more time in less than 24 hours. "I-I want to apologize." She finally said instead.

"What? About what?" The redhead answered utterly confused.

"About… what I did, or tried to do, yesterday at the Ferris wheel. I honestly don't have any idea what came over me. I suddenly wanted to place my lips on yours… and that's just weird and gross if you think about it." She laughed it off. "I'm sorry, I must've still been a little dizzy from the roller coaster."

"Oh." Anna said, and in her expression could be seen a hint of disappointment together with confusion. "Don't worry, it's fine." She assured her. "But are you sure that's really what you wanted to say?"

"Yeah, I just… I noticed things became a little awkward between us after that, and I was worried that I had ruined it all."

"Well, if that was all, I think you were being overly dramatic." Anna chuckled, even if she still didn't believe her. She guessed she had to wait a little before prying answers out of her. "Yes, things got a little awkward, but it wasn't that bad."

"Still, I'm glad we solved it. Can we put it in the past?" Elsa asked hopeful.

"Only if you promise not to say anything about dying again and to try to enjoy the trip." Anna said and Elsa answered her with a smile.

"I promise."

"Great, then let's get up and see what wild animals are out there." Anna said, taking Elsa's hand and pulling her up so they could gather with the rest of the crowd at the back of the jeep where they were watching a pack of pink-faced monkeys that were either eating fruits or nit picking each other's bodies.

"What are those?" Elsa asked. "They look like hairy and ugly humans."

"I know." Anna laughed. "I think the same, that's why I never liked monkeys."

"Monkeys? I heard of those. They are so intelligent they are used in some neurological experiments."

"At the clone lab?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, for, you know… testing the enzymes they use on clones to damage their brain."

"Wow, that's horrible." Anna frowned. "I mean, I don't like monkeys, but I don't approve of animal cruelty either." Elsa nodded in agreement, but she didn't really hear the last part, as a couple of monkeys had caught her attention.

"Uh… Anna? What are they doing?" Elsa pointed to a male monkey that was clutching a female one by its waist and was repeatedly slamming their hips together with fast movements as the female let out loud cries. At the sight Anna's face became bright red.

"They… uh… well, they…" Anna stuttered, before clearing her throat. It was a simple question and she was not a little girl anymore; she had to answer like an adult. "They are… procreating."

"Pro… what?" Elsa asked confused, having never heard that word in her life. Realizing this, Anna decided she had to use a word she knew Elsa understood.

"Having sex." Anna finally uttered, and now even her ears were red.

"Oh." Elsa said, also blushing, now understanding that no, the male monkey wasn't hurting the female one as she had first thought. "That means… they love each other?"

"Not really." Anna answered, a little relieved as she noticed the monkeys had finally separated and were eating again with the rest of their pack, but her cheeks still felt hot. "Only humans love. I think. I mean, looking at a dog with its owner you'd think it can love. Just, not romantic love. Friendly love. Like how I love you. As friends. Definitely." She rambled, completely flustered.

"You… love me?" Elsa asked blushing, and Anna blushed even harder, until she thought she was about to explode, her heart doing nervous jumps inside her chest.

"As friends." She repeated. "Just friends. And friends don't have sex. Most of the time."

"Uh… okay?" Elsa said, though she felt a little disappointed, and the pain on her chest was beginning to come back even if she was trying not to pay attention to it.

"Well, now, why don't we keep looking at the animals?" Anna said and awkwardly turned around, her eyes glued to the road where the monkeys became smaller by the second as the jeep kept rolling away. All of her thoughts were concentrated on reducing her blush and not putting the words 'sex' and 'Elsa' in the same sentence.

Next thing they knew, they had arrived to the place's greatest attraction; the desert, with all its lions and zebras and cheetahs, not to mention the great elephants and giraffes. Elsa tried to enjoy the sight, since she had promised Anna, and though her mood was still a little sore, she found herself gaping in awe at the enormous animals. She had never even seen a dog anywhere but in photos, and now she was amazed that such big animals even existed. She almost wanted to get out of the jeep and touch them, but Anna told her it was ill advised, and when she saw the lion's large fangs, she believed her. She also liked when they fed an elephant (one that was in an special area where they were fed by tourists), even if then she had to wash her hands in the bathroom a thousand times since Anna insisted she wouldn't even let her touch her if she still had elephant mucus on her hand (It was an exaggeration, but Elsa didn't protest because she actually found it gross).

The last stop was the aviary, where they actually got out of the jeep and entered a big crystal dome with some plants and earthen paths on the ground and ropes and other things hanging from the ceiling for the birds to perch on. Elsa marveled at all of this, and asked Anna how the birds could fly. Unfortunately, the redhead didn't have an answer to that. Anna wished she had paid attention in her biology class… or had she seen that in physics? She didn't remember at all. She sucked at science.

However, they didn't stay long, since some kid kicked a big pheasant, which had a really bad temper and started to chase him, trying to peck him furiously. At the end, it lost its prey and tried to attack every single visitor, which resulted in an evacuation. Elsa was very disappointed, since she hadn't had the opportunity to see any of the larger birds up close (except for the pheasant, that is), but she still thought it was funny to run from the angry bird, and Anna had to agree with her on that, even if at the end they were both sweaty and out of breath, but at least unharmed, the same as most people. To compensate, the safari enterprise gave them free entrances to the aviary for the next time they went back. However, Elsa thought bitterly, she'd never be able to use hers.

Anna cheered up her mood though, when she suggested they bought drinks and candies before going to the Butterfly Garden. Their little trip to the grocery store, however, soon turned into a visit to the restaurant, where they ended up ordering hamburgers (again, Elsa liked them, but she still preferred chocolate) and milkshakes (which Elsa liked very much only because they were chocolate milkshakes).

Finally, awkwardness forgotten and stomachs full, they went to the Butterfly Garden, which was a large greenhouse full of flowers and fruit trees, as well as some marble containers filled with sweet and juicy fruits for the butterflies to eat, and of course, there were also butterflies, hundreds and hundreds of butterflies, all with different colors, shapes and sizes. It was the most beautiful thing Elsa had ever seen, and the artificial fall at the other end gave it a natural touch that left her breathless.

"Hey, close your mouth, or else you'll end up eating one of these" Anna teased pointing to the multiple winged insects that surrounded them. Elsa teared her eyes from the magnificent sight for a moment to give Anna a worried look, but the redhead just laughed. "I'm kidding!" She said. "Come on, let's explore this whole thing." Taking Elsa's hand on her own, Anna tugged her towards the nearest fruit-container so they could appreciate up close and unmoving all the eating butterflies.

"They are really beautiful." Elsa commented, eying a green one with red and white patterns in its wings. "And this place is… I couldn't have ever imagined something like this existed."

"I know what you mean, I was pretty amazed the first time I came here with my family." Anna chuckled, also enjoying the view. "I remember Elvira left here knowing each and every butterfly name. She didn't want to leave even after two full hours!" Anna shook her head, smiling at the memory. "It's a funny thing because you wouldn't believe she's a butterfly person, but apparently she also has a soft spot." She paused, frowning. "Of course she preferred the tarantulas and scorpions at the insectary, and the spiders at the herpetarium, but… you get the idea." Elsa giggled in response.

"You know? Your sister sounds like an interesting person."

"You may meet her when we get back." Anna answered. "And really, lately she's more bitchy than interesting."

"Come on, I bet she's not that bad. You seem to care about her a lot."

"She's… funny, when she wants to." Anna admitted. "But… I don't know much more about the woman that she is now." Sensing this was a sore subject, Elsa decided to leave it alone, even if the melancholic tone Anna had been using whenever she talked about Elvira always left her wondering what had come between them.

"So… do you know these creatures' names?" Elsa said to change the subject.

"Haha. No, Elvira is the smart one." Anna chuckled. "But if you're interested, the names are on that wall." She pointed to one of the walls of the greenhouse, completely covered in photos of the butterflies, which had their names underneath (both common and scientific).

Elsa got close and peeked at the pictures, eying them in awe until she found one that was more beautiful than the rest. It was a blue one, of the bluest blue she had ever seen, and very large compared to some others (it read it was about 5 inches). Its name was Pedacito de Cielo (Morpho sp.) and it apparently came from South America. She knew she needed to touch it the moment her eyes landed on the photo.

In that moment, however, an employee from the zoo came and spoke to them.

"Excuse me, I want to inform you the butterfly releasing will begin soon, if you want to participate in…"

"Oh! Elsa, we have to go!" Anna said not even letting the man finish and dragging the blonde towards the place where she remembered the new butterflies were freed into the garden. Elsa had never seen her eyes light up with such enthusiasm and child-like happiness, so she didn't dare to complain about all the times they almost ran into someone before finally arriving to the place and shoving kids aside to get to the front of the line, where a young man with an explorer vest with a safari logo was holding a plastic container and explaining something to the kids.

"Once the larvae has grown enough, it constructs a cocoon, where it stays until it has developed wings and eventually emerges as a butterfly." He was saying. "These are the ones that emerged today." He pointed to the twenty plastic containers in front of him. "And you're going to release them." He paused. "Now I'll tell you a secret, legend says that if you tell a butterfly a wish and then free it, it'll tell it to to the spirit of the forest and your wish will come true! Now, who wants to free a butterfly?"

Around him, all the kids started screaming 'Me! Me!', trying to get one of the containers, but luckily Anna had suspected this would happen and quickly lunged forward and took one before returning to Elsa.

"Here." She said. "It's yours."

"A-are you sure?" Elsa asked, since it was Anna who had got the container.

"Of course! I already had my wish ten years ago." She assured her.

"And did it come true?"

"I'm sure it will." Anna said giving her a loving stare that made Elsa blush and look down to the small (about an inch and a half) green cocoon hanging from the container's lid. Then, her eyes dropped to the bottom of the container, where she found a great blue butterfly, like the one she had seen in the picture. Forgetting a moment about how Anna had made her heart race and brain forget how to breathe, she turned to the redhead with an excited expression.

"It's the blue one!" She exclaimed, since she couldn't remember neither its common nor its scientific name.

"I know." Anna chuckled. "That's why I picked it for you."

"Thank you." Elsa said and, gazing into Anna's gentle eyes, she again felt the strange urge to lean in and press her lips against hers. Suddenly there was a strange tension between them, like something was pulling them closer to each other, making them both hold their breaths in anticipation. However, just as Elsa was about to close the few inches that separated their faces, the man spoke again.

"Now, open the lid and wait for the butterfly to get out. Don't touch its wings or you could hurt them." He instructed. "But remember to tell them your wish before they get out."

"Uhm… you should… do it." Anna said awkwardly, her voice a few tones higher than usual, taking a step back and getting out of Elsa's personal space.

"What? Oh, the butterfly… yeah, I should." Elsa answered, proceeding to do as the man had told them, but completely forgetting about her wish.

"Wait, you wish!" Anna said, but it was too late, the butterfly was already out and giving its first clumsy flapping. Elsa's gaze turned sad for a moment, but then the blue insect came to her and perched itself on Elsa's nose, surprising her, but it was a good kind of surprise. "Your wish, Elsa! It's your chance!"

In that moment, Elsa closed her eyes and concentrated, before quietly whispering her wish to the butterfly, so only it could hear it. Then it flew away and became lost in the flower-filled garden.

A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the delay, I was having a little writer's block with this fic, and besides I wanted to finish An unexpected inheritance before writing anything else (Also, I got obsessed with this book, The school of good and evil, and I kinda forhgot about writing for three days XD).

Anyways, excuses aside, I hope you liked this chapter, and expect monthly updates from now on and until I finish The One and Light in the darkness, after that you should probably expect an update every two weeks :)

Please leave a review if you liked this chapter, and favorite and follow if you want to :)

Thank you for reading and also thanks to my beta reader moonwatcher13 :)