If I have to sit through one more of those fucking therapy sessions I'm going to kill someone. Preferably Weaselton, that would solve the problem altogether.

Sweat trickled down Hans' face as he finished his fifth set of crunches, abdominal muscles burning as they contracted. The cold linoleum floor was a relief to the bare skin of his back every time he came down from a crunch and he fought to keep his breathing steady.

The man's a goddamn moron, and annoying as fuck. All that bullshit about meditation and anger management and the rest of that hippy-dippy crap never fails to drive me up the goddamn wall! And would it kill him to pop a breath mint every now and then?

As his mental count hit '50' Hans thumped back against the floor with an aggravated groan, unlocking his hands from where they rested against the back of his head. He brushed the hair back from his face, only mildly bothered by the sweat that lined his forehead. Green eyes opened into a harsh glare at the ceiling, brows drawn down in harsh lines, his features curled like a snarling animal's. All he was missing were the fangs and rumbling growl.

"Morons, all of them…" he muttered to himself before sighing and pushing himself into a sitting position. He crossed his arms over the peak his knees made, as his legs were still folded from his ab workout. Now his eyes rested on the floor, and in that moment he wished he was anywhere but in that room. He was so sick of always having to be so angry. He wanted to feel normal again, to be able to choose what he did and when he did it. He never thought he'd miss the ability to just go somewhere so much. Maybe outside enjoying the fresh air… it was going to be summer soon for crying out loud. If he wasn't locked up in here he could be outside right now, doing anything he wanted. Maybe at the gym, losing himself in whatever music he blasted out of his headphones while he drove each and every one of his muscles to their limits. Maybe at home, just relaxing in bed, or playing a video game.

Back at home… just spending time with Anna.

Hans' eyes screwed shut and the anger that marred his face was exchanged for pain and sorrow. He stood up quickly and crossed the room to his lumpy, uncomfortable hospital bed and picked up his t-shirt. He pulled it over his head, ignoring the way the fabric clung uncomfortably to his still sweat-dampened skin.

They can't just fucking keep me locked up like this… it's not fair! They're acting like I'm the first person to break a nose in this goddamn nut house. I shouldn't even be in here… I'm nothing like the idiots they've got walled up in here. Half of them barely have a high-school education, and the ones that do are either too terrified of everything to even speak or they're too busy drooling all over themselves. It's disgusting.

Hans cracked his neck, grunting approvingly when tension left the area with an audible 'pop!' He glanced out the window and frowned, mildly frustrated with how the sun shined so brightly despite the fact that he physically couldn't be outside to appreciate it.

But then the thought of his sister entered his mind again and in an instant his shoulders were sinking and his eyes were growing misty.

Anna… god, I can still see the look on her face. She was so scared.

They day he'd been pulled off Adam in the middle of the hallway, the other boy's blood practically painted on his knuckles and smeared across his face, the last thing Hans had expected to see was his sister. His sweet, loving, kind, innocent little sister. He doubted she'd ever seen more blood than, well… actually biologically speaking he figured girls were supposed to be used to blood but still. Hans had seen the horror in her eyes, seen it in the way her face went ghostly-white and in the way her hands shook when she clasped them over her mouth in an effort to hold back them scream that wanted to escape.

The fact that his actions had been the direct cause of his sister's pain had driven him to the point of either furious self-hatred or crippling self-pity at one point almost every day since they'd taken away his visitation rights.

"But it's not my goddamn fault!" Hans roared as he twisted his torso and kicked the wall so hard his entire bed frame shook. "If that fucking piece of shit Adam had just kept his mouth shut then I wouldn't have had to-"

A tingling in his knuckles forced him to stop and look down at his hands. They were shaking, aching to do damage to something other than the four walls of his room. His face, a moment ago livid, turned neutral and contemplative. He watched as his hands continued to shake, flexing his fingers and feeling the motion travel up his arms. Arms that were supposed to keep Anna safe.

Well they can't do that from in here, can they? Think, you moron. Where did your common sense go? Before that fight you were in control, you were always in control. Where did that go?

A single brow arched cruelly, emerald green eyes maintaining their cutting sharpness even as their owner slowly lost himself to his thoughts.

If anger is what got you in here, then you need to hide it. If what you want is to get out, to see Anna again, and to leave this goddamn place…

You need to be a model fucking prisoner. Jump when they say jump, smile when the Weasel cracks a joke, play nice with the psychos and take back your right to see Anna again.

Can you manage that?

His eyes closed and he breathed in deeply, so deep that he could feel the cold, ventilated air being pulled down into the pit of his stomach.

His hands were no longer shaking. Burning emerald had cleared and become the cool, slick scales of a snake, and Hans' entire being reflected said creature's cunning quiet. The anger and the muscle and the want to hurt were still there, burning under the surface, but if a good boy was what he needed to be, then a good little boy is what they would get.

He could pull it off. He could play prince charming. It'd be easy. Just like high school.

The psychos would have to be his classmates, the doctors and orderlies his administration.

And Anna? Well, Anna would always be Anna.

The only thing I care about.

He stood then, and moved so he could once again look out the window. If he could have opened it, he'd be breathing in the sweet spring air, letting the chirping of birds relax him as the wind caressed his face.

Instead, he had to settle for pressing his forehead against the glass and trying to remember the way fresh air felt on his skin.

But when he opened his eyes, a flash of red hair made his heart leap up into his throat. His face twisted with confusion, eyes shining with bafflement as he pressed himself up against the glass as though that would somehow get him closer to the thing he desperately hoped he wasn't imagining.

"...Anna?"

It was Anna. His sister. His beautiful, wonderful little sister and she was smiling. He didn't know why but she was smiling. Without even thinking about it his own mouth mirrored hers, lips splitting with the force of his grin, pristine white teeth exposed. Seeing Anna happy absolutely never failed to make him happy and for so long she'd always looked so tired… always so drawn and drained… seeing her smile was like walking through a patch of warm sunlight on a cloudy, miserable day. But after a moment the initial shock of seeing her gave way back into confusion.

As he watched his sister climb into her car one question consumed all his thoughts.

Why is she here?

He didn't have his visiting rights back yet, why had she come here? Was she here to beg to see him? Were they going to let her see him? Is that why she was so happy?

His heart began to race, the prospect of seeing his sister again so soon almost too great a joy to contain.

Just then the lock on his door clicked, and Hans whirled around to find Merriweather, one of the nurses who'd been assigned to bring him to and from meals, standing in the doorway. Her weathered, pudgy face was kind, but cautious. And why shouldn't she be? She'd seen him at his worst, after all. She knew how dangerous he could be.

(Part of him was infinitely proud of that thought.)

"Hello Hans," she said with a quiet smile, "are you ready for dinner?"

Normally, he would have scoffed, rolled his eyes, something to show his disagreement and displeasure with the situation. He was a grown man, and didn't need to be led to and from his meals. But he knew he needed to play nice, knew that he had to start small if he was going to get the staff back under his thumb, where he needed them to be.

"Sure thing, Mrs. Goodman. But first, um… could you maybe answer a question?"

The old woman regarded him for a moment, curiosity joining the caution that twinkled in her aging eyes. "Of course, dear. What is it?"

"You see, well…" his voice, childlike and tentative (a tone he'd mastered his Freshman year when addressing his teachers) wavered just enough to be believable as he turned back to the window. "I… I thought I saw my sister. I saw her car at least… has she been, um… has she been, back to the hospital recently? Or was that just another girl I saw?"

The old woman eyed him warily but remained silent, and he fought to keep his face neutral even as his patience stretched thin. Eventually though, she spoke. "Yes, Ms. Christian has been back to the facility. Only a handful of times."

A handful? That means she's been back more than once… what's going on?

On the outside his face remained only curious, but inside a multitude of cogs were turning in his head. "But… why? It's not about me, is it?"

Merriweather's eyes narrowed. "You, my boy, should understand that you're not really in a position to ask questions. You will not be seeing your sister until you can show us you're willing to listen and take your therapy seriously." Hans allowed his eyes to water ever so slightly, shoulders sinking the perfect amount to demonstrate a hope being crushed, and he grinned internally when Merriweather grew uncomfortable, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt. The old woman cleared her throat. "...Your sister is a good influence on some of our shyer patients, Mr. Christian. You should know this." She said, finally. "She comes every now and then to spend time with them. You should be proud of her, you know. Your sister could very well one day pursue a job in this field, and go quite far."

That response led to more questions than answers… but Hans pretended to be pleased. It wasn't hard, he was already quite proud of his sister.

"I am proud of her. She's the kindest person I know." When the nurse smiled with him and nodded her head Hans cocked his own, this time unable to keep the slightest hint of jealousy from creeping into his gaze. "There was a little boy she was friends with… Olaf, right? Is it Olaf she's been visiting?"

"No dear, not Olaf. Well, not directly at least. You know the little rascal always likes to play in the visitor's lounge and ask people for hugs."

"Then… who? She doesn't know anyone else."

Merriweather chuckled, affection replacing the caution in her eyes as she seemed to recall a pleasant memory. "I think that Elsa would beg to differ, dear boy. Now come along, we're going to be late for dinner at this rate."

Hans' eyes widened and his mind raced, trying to understand who the nurse was referring to. He didn't know an Elsa… neither did Anna.

Who the hell is Elsa? The thought hissed through his mind.

Had his sister ever mentioned an Elsa? No, he didn't even recognize that name. He had to think this through logically. Had Anna ever expressed any interest in any of the other patients?

When Merriweather cleared her throat Hans jumped, jostled from his thoughts. Distracted but obedient, he trailed after her and left his room. He glanced back as Merriweather locked the door, but a noise from down the hall caught his attention. It was Fauna, one of the other nurses that Merriweather usually worked with. She must have been bringing another patient back from a visit or perhaps a different dinner block, because the door to a room was open and Hans just managed to catch a hint of blonde hair disappearing inside.

Blonde…

All of a sudden he understood.

He knew who Anna was seeing.

Anger made him numb to the sting of his fingernails biting into his palms, numb to the strain in his jaw as he grit his teeth.

The Ice Queen. That's who Elsa is. The silent freak. That's who Anna's been visiting.

The one person I specifically told her not to see.

Oh, he knew Elsa alright. He knew the way her icy, creepy blue eyes trailed after his sister when she came into the visitor's lounge. Like Olaf but far less innocent, the Ice Queen seemed to have always been hiding in the corner of visitor's lounge whenever his sister visited… scribbling away in her little books, though Anna had never noticed.

At first, neither had he. The blonde was good at hiding herself from people's attention, considering her seemingly meek persona and utter lack of verbal communication. Hans had never noticed her... until one day he'd seen the way ghostly pale eyes traced his sister's figure, seen those dark pupils dilate when Anna had smiled at him before leaving, bending over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. They'd been sitting on the couch together watching TV, and a chill had gone down his spine the moment his sister had straightened back up and Hans had glanced over. The blonde bitch had been too busy undressing his sister with her eyes right in front of him to even notice his glare.

She'd always be gone before Hans had the chance to… confront her of course, apparently being a favorite of the idiot staff here and always having a nurse waiting on her hand and fucking foot to take her back to her room. If he didn't have an ingrained habit of walking his sister to the door when she left then maybe he'd have been able to catch her...

Apparently his warning that one day when she'd dared to approach Anna when he'd left the room hadn't been clear enough. What an unfortunate situation for her, because now he owed her a more thorough warning.

There was something unnatural about that girl, something that Hans didn't want anywhere near his sister. And now... now he finds out that she's been spending time with his sister. Even after he'd warned her…

It was almost enough to make him angry with his little sister. Almost. It's not her fault. She doesn't understand. And that's okay.

Because I'll make her understand.

He cast one last look at the end of the hall. He grinned despite himself, and it was not a pleasant grin. Oh, he made sure it was by the time the senile old nurse turned his way. By the time Fauna had squinted hard enough to recognize him, Hans was already waving politely. His sick grin had melted into a grin that made him look boyish and innocent. She waved in return, happy to see him happy, and soon Merriweather was brushing past him to lead him to dinner.

He followed, his mind busy planning a way to rendezvous with his sister's silent little pet stalker.

"So you didn't discuss anything we agreed you'd discuss with Elsa? Nothing? Jeez Anna, what were you doing for two hours?"

Anna blushed, ignoring Kristoff's probing glare. "I told you, we didn't do anything! I was tired so we just kinda, I dunno…"

Kristoff's voice was insistent. "You just… what? Napped? Wait, let me guess, she let you use her as a pillow or something." He trailed off chuckling, but when Anna remained silent there was a moment of quiet before Kristoff burst out into laughter.

Anna blushed down to the collar of her shirt and she threw a chip at her best friend, who was laughing so hard he was bent over double, hands clutching his stomach. "Oh, shut up! I told you I was tired!"

Kristoff spoke in between gasps, "Are you kidding? That's some cheesy rom-com crap right there! She-she let you use her as a freaking pillow?!" His mocking taunt was cut off as a new round of booming laughter had him close to tears. "Oh lord, I bet you drooled all over her! I mean, knowing you the poor girl was probably soaked!"

"I did not!" Anna's voice was shrill with indignation, and when Kristoff continued to laugh she rolled over and pressed her face into the couch, pulling a throw pillow up and over her head to drown out the noise. She let out a long, drawn-out groan which only had Kristoff laughing louder.

The pair lounged in her living room, Kristoff playing one of her brother's video games with Anna just watching as she tried not to finish an entire bag of Sun Chips by herself. (The task had been proving quite difficult until Kristoff had thoroughly embarrassed her.)

Finally when Kristoff had calmed down enough to speak all he had to say was "Damn, you've got it bad. Both of you do."

Anna peaked her head out from under the pillow to stick her tongue out at the blonde, who only shook his head in amusement. She felt her phone begin to buzz in her pocket, and when she pulled it from her pocket she grinned down at the screen.

"Who is it?" Kristoff asked.

"It's Rapunzel," Anna answered. She rolled off the couch and headed into her bedroom to take the call, trusting Kristoff not to break anything while she was busy.

"Hey Punz," said once she'd accepted the call. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing, just fulfilling my promise to be a better cousin," Rapunzel quipped. Anna rolled her eyes. She could practically see her cousin's cheeky grin. "How've you been? How's school?"

Anna sighed, opening the door to her bedroom and immediately jumping onto her bed. "It's fine," she said with a huff. "I mean, I'm only passing Astronomy because Hans gave me all his notes, but we did start this new Racquetball section in gym which is fun. You know how much I like games where I get to hit things, does wonders for my stress level."

Rapunzel hummed her agreement, but the caution that entered her tone immediately had Anna dreading the incoming question. "And… how's Elsa?"

Well, I knew that was coming.

The redhead groaned and reached under her bed for a chocolate bar. She hadn't had any chocolate at all today, and she would definitely be in need of some if she was going to get through this conversation. "To be perfectly honest, Punz? I don't know. Everything's gotten so insanely complicated and I'm nowhere near mature enough to handle any of it."

"That's not true, Anna-banana. You're stronger than you think you are." Rapunzel said with a ridiculously overdone British lilt to her voice.

"It's kinda hard for me to believe that when you say my name with that ridiculous accent," Anna quipped.

Rapunzel giggled in response. "Fine, fine. But I'm serious, this isn't anything you can't handle."

Anna bit her lip. In truth, Rapunzel calling her at this time was a blessing. There had been things on her mind for the past few days that she couldn't hope to talk out with Kristoff, and there was no way she'd be able to work through them herself. "How can I-" her voice cracked when she started, so she cleared her throat and breathed before making another attempt. "How can I handle love when I don't even really know what love is?"

The silence that followed was soul-crushing. Anna was terrified she was about to get yelled at, laughed at, or hung up on. She wasn't really sure which of the three would be the worst, and she was surprised when her cousin did none of the above.

"Anna… are you sure?"

"No!" Anna immediately shouted. "That's the point!"

Rapunzel hushed her gently, and Anna bit into her chocolate bar, desperate for something to distract herself with.

"Anna, what happened after the party?"

"We… well, things were kinda awkward. I could tell she didn't want to talk about it, but… at one point we just kinda relaxed around each other again and got over the awkward part. But, just before I left to go back home we were in her room and… we, kinda, um… we kinda kissed."

"She kissed you?" When Kristoff had asked her this, he'd been incredulous, disbelieving. Anna was infinitely grateful that her cousin sounded only curious.

"...No. I kissed her. And then, like an idiot, I freaked. I was getting ready to leave, packing up all my stuff so I could get out of there, but then all of a sudden she was there and then she kissed me. So… I guess, we both kinda kissed each other."

"Did you, y'know… enjoy it? Was it nice?"

"I mean, I guess… I was kinda busy freaking out about the whole thing but-"

"Would you do it again?" Rapunzel cut her off gently, sensing and probably preventing an intense session of Anna-Christian-brand rambling.

Anna bit her lip, unsure. "I-I… I think so. Probably. Her lips were soft. Plus she smells nice."

Rapunzel snorted in response. "Good to know. So what's got you scared?"

"Punz… you should have seen the way she looked at me. She just looked so happy, and even though I was really scared, part of me was really happy too. I think I've realized that I care about making her happy, and if given the opportunity I'd kiss her again, but…" she trailed off, her heart thumping uncomfortably in her chest. "What if I mess this up? What if she gets hurt?"

"Have you considered what might happen if you get hurt?"

The redhead blinked, stupefied. "...what do you mean? How would I get hurt?"

It took Rapunzel a while to get her thoughts in order, and as she did Anna let her thoughts drift back to Elsa. A deep breath in alerted her nose to the fact that her clothes still had Elsa's scent on them, clean and comforting, and that calmed her. That nap at the institute had been just what she'd needed, and Elsa made a great pillow. The quick kiss on the cheek she'd received as a farewell before leaving had been a pretty good bonus, too. Freckled cheeks burned at the memory, the feeling of soft lips on her skin easily remembered and re-experienced. Blue eyes flashed through her head, brimming with affection. Anna let her own close as another deep sigh escape her.

She'd been too shy to return the kiss.

"Anna, you still with me?" Anna began to nod before realizing that her cousin couldn't see her nodding, so she was quick to make a noise of affirmation. "Alright, listen. Take it from someone with experience, love is a two-way street. If it isn't, then that's not love. I know that Elsa cares about you, I could tell that within two minutes of meeting her. Granted, you're really one of the only people she's affectionate with from what I understand, but still. A girl knows."

"Hey, I'm a girl too y'know!"

"I meant a girl who wasn't utterly oblivious. Now hush and let me finish." Anna blushed but remained silent, allowing her cousin to continue. "So yes, Elsa cares about you. So if you broke her heart, that would suck. But what you're not understanding is how much this situation has the capability of harming you. You may not fully understand your feelings, but you admit that you have them. So if Elsa hurt you, then that would suck for you. But here's the tough part; if a heartbreak happens, you're getting hurt either way. Elsa's fragile, and if you hurt her you'd never forgive yourself. Don't try to deny it."

Anna couldn't, so she didn't bother trying. That whole concept was what had her heart twisted up in a million different ways. She felt like any possible decision she could make would be the wrong one. She didn't know what to do.

"Which is why I'm going to tell you. And, yes, before you ask you did in fact say that out loud."

Despite her embarrassment Anna couldn't help but laugh. She'd forgotten how well her cousin knew her; it was nice to be reminded. "So, oh Wise One, what should I do?"

Rapunzel didn't hesitate. "All you can be right now is Elsa's friend."

Anna's eyes widened, her heart stopping. "Wait, what?"

Rapunzel's voice was firm. "Elsa is in no position to be responsible for another person's emotional well-being. She cares about you a lot, but she can't be there for you. So long as she's in that institute, crippled by her speech problems and whatever emotional turmoil that's caused them, you two can't be together. Not in the way two people in love are supposed to be."

"But Rapunzel, that's not fair, to either of us!" Anna was sitting up now, chocolate bar forgotten on her bed as she gripped her phone with a lot more force than was necessary.

"Anna, love is not fair. It's demanding, it's hard, and a lot of people don't have the strength to keep up with it. Love is something that requires your full attention. It has to be part of who you are. It's subconscious, and it's wired into both your heart and your head. Can you honestly tell me either of you is ready for that kind of commitment?"

Anna fought to find evidence that yes, she was… but if she needed her cousin to tell her what love was, should she really be defending her right to it? Or Elsa's right to it? After all, she cared about Elsa but she wasn't Elsa. She couldn't speak for her, or make decisions for her. And truthfully, part of Anna knew that kisses didn't automatically mean a happy ending. Kristoff had pretty much told her the same thing, he'd warned her too.

Anna had no choice but to accept their advice. She didn't know what to do, so she'd have to trust the people she knew cared about her to guide her in what was hopefully the right direction.

"What if Elsa gets upset?"

"She'll understand, honey. If she doesn't, then maybe it's just not meant to be."

A/N: Haha so fuck not writing author's notes, turns out all I needed was a good break. Thanks to all of you patient folks. Thank you for the kind words and the dedication. It means so much that you all care enough to send me messages even months after I've updated, and I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart. Know that I will never give up on this story, the chapters might just take a while ;)

As for the rest of you...

I've worked with children who weren't as ridiculous as some of the people who read this story. The self-entitlement you people feel is really quite fucking hilarious. You can call me a bitch, a diva, a narcissist, whatever you want. I hope it helps you feel like you're doing something productive with your lives.