slight deviation from usual content but this needed to be done. sort this shit out and then norway. i swear im not trying to drag it on, it's just...shit keeps popping up.

and i don't want all the drama to be about anna in a wheelchair. like, that might be the cause of some drama, but it's not the drama itself. if she were walking and elsa did this then i'd have a chapter about this, too.

cheers to mpsantiago, who seems to have like, ten lifetime's worth of experience under their belt ;)

You almost have a heart attack the next time you go into work. Elsa's waiting for you in the foyer, a grin taking up half her face.

"Anna!" she says, and it's all you can do to stop the cringe as she says your name. "How are you today?"

She almost looks like she wants to say something else, but bites her tongue at the last second.

You answer in the form of a noncommittal shrug, and try to smile at her. It seems to work, because soon she's shepherding you towards the elevator. You catch sight of Hans, offering you a little wave from behind the reception desk, and you go to wave back. The lift doors shut before you have a chance, and your heart sinks. You don't feel very good about today.

And of course, Elsa's looking at you and smiling, and you don't get angry very often but at the moment you're kind of annoyed, and a little scared because like. You've read books on things like this. Abuse. Kristoff made you, and your therapist made you, and your third foster mother made you, so you know all the warning signs of a not-very-good relationship.

How you missed these, you're not even sure. You make a little checklist in your head on the way up the levels, and tick them off one by one

Monopolising your time? Yeah, probably. She did spring that excursion on you. Basically made sure you didn't have time all day to message- well, Hans, but you didn't have time to talk to anyone.

Trying to make sure you 'owe' her? Well, perhaps. Elsa keeps going out of her way to do things. She could very easily say something like, "remember when I did that thing? call this a favour for me", and you'd have no choice but to do it.

Keeping an eye on you? She did promote you to her PA. Doesn't that answer the question? The only thing you did for her was come up with a solution that, frankly, anyone could have in order to get her home.

Your heart is basically in your shoes by the time the elevator bell dings at your floor.

"Come on, Anna, there's something really exciting I want to show you," she says, still wearing that million-dollar grin. You can't even manage one this time, and she picks up on it straight away. You have this god-awful urge to cry, and she takes one step forward only to stop because you've moved back.

"Anna?"

Her voice is so, so soft, and she sounds so vulnerable and- no! Stop it! That's just a another tick under the 'guilt trips and manipulates' box.

You swallow and shake your head. "I'm fine, just uh..." you stumble for something to say that can get you out of this. "Bathroom! Yeah, I uh, need to use the loo. I'll...meet you in your office?"

She nods and steps back, and you can feel her gaze on the back of your neck all the way down the hallway.

You actually do tear up, so when you knock on Olaf's door and he's looking over what seems to be important documents, he puts them away and invites you in.

"Anna, what's wrong?" he asks. "What happened?"

You wipe at your eyes and shake your head before saying, "It's Elsa."

And he sits right up and bites his lip. "Did she do something?"

"I don't kn- I think so," you say. You open your mouth to speak again but he interrupts you.

"Anna," he says, "are you coming to me as a friend, or as a HR rep? Because...if it's a rep, I need to document this. And no matter how small it is ,when it concerns a CEO, everything – everything – is a big deal. And I'm not saying this to belittle how you feel at all. I just wanted you to be aware."

You nod and give a little sniffle. "Can I...tell you as a friend and you can tell me if I need to do it again with a rep?"

Olaf smiles. "Of course."

He's completely silent as you muddle and stumble through your thoughts. At some point he begins chewing on the end of a pencil, but he keeps looking at you and nodding whenever you pause. There's a frown on his face, but you don't know if it's thoughtful or worried.

Actually, throughout your whole story, there's only one interruption and it happens all the way at the end, just as you're searching for a way to finish. Olaf's intercom buzzes, and Anna's more than happen to let him take it.

"Hello-"

"Olaf! Have you seen Anna? She said she was going to the bathroom but it's been almost an hour and she's not there. I have no idea where she's gone – she's not in her office, and the boy at reception hasn't seen her!"

Olaf's eyes widen and he looks at you. Your hand has come up to cover your mouth and your heart feels like it's going to jump out of your chest because oh god will it stop?

He presses the button before Elsa starts speaking again. "Yeah, she's in my office at the moment. Someone's said something and she just wanted to talk about it. We've got it under control."

There's an audible sigh through the line. "Okay," she says. "I'll be in my office for when she's done."

"Got it."

Olaf takes his finger off the button and throws the soggy pencil in the bin. "Do you want to know what I think?" he says softly, and you can't even speak, can only nod. "I've known Elsa for a long time," he begins. "And in all that time, I've never seen her make friends. Or try. Or take an interest in anyone."

"But-" you start, but he sucks in his own breath and you cut yourself off.

"I'm not saying that her actions are excusable. I'm not saying that you shouldn't feel how you do about it. I'm saying that...well, she's shit with people. Like, really shit. I don't think she means to be as...confronting as she is."

He's silent, and you take your chance to talk. "But what do I do, Olaf?"

There's a wry smile on his face, tinged with a little sadness, and also something you can't place.

"You talk to her. Tell her how you feel and why her actions are inappropriate. You'll see if she's aware of it or not. If she is, you can come back to me and we can lodge an official complaint. If she isn't, well, it's up to you to decide what you want to do."

You nod, and manage your first genuine smile of the day. You kind of want to hug him, but, with everything that's happened, you're not even sure if that's appropriate. So you ask.

He just gives two thumbs up. "Consent is awesome," he says, and then pulls you into a hug. It's even better than the first one he gave you at your triumphant return to work. "Go get 'em, champ," he winks, and you roll out of his office feeling ten thousand times more confident than you did rolling in.

You can do this. You got this. You're awesome.