Frozen Starks

Nightmare

"Catch me!"

"Slow down!"

Anna continued to jump, the mountains of snow only getting bigger as Elsa got worried and frantic. She took a step forward, only to find her foot on ice. She slipped, her hand going up too far just as a blast of ice exploded from her palm. She was too late to stop it.

The blast hit Anna in the head and time seemed to slow. She saw her sister's eyes close with an 'oomph' as her magic absorbed into the side of her head. Her little sister fell to the ground, rolling a little in the snow.

"Anna!"

Elsa rushed forward, heart pounding quickly in her chest. Her breath was caught in her throat. She slid to her knees, watching as a stripe of white appeared in her sister's hair.

"Mama! Papa!" She screamed, pulling her sister's head into her lap. "I'm sorry, Anna."

She stroked her sister's face gently, but then ice started to form at her touch and it spread. The white in Anna's hair continued until it was snow white.

Elsa yelled for their parents again, but they didn't come...

/

The eight year old snapped awake with a muffled cry, tears streaming down her face. Frost spread across the blankets and she clasped her hands to her chest, squeezing her eyes shut.

The nightmare kept replaying in her mind. Over and over.

I'm dangerous... she thought, but a voice from a few hours ago bubbled up in her mind.

You are not dangerous.

I hurt her...

It was an accident, Elsa.

My powers are bad....

No, they're beautiful.

A war of words raged in her head. She pushed the blanket off her, wincing at the little clicks as the frost broke.

She started to pace. Strands of hair had fallen out of her braid, some falling over her blue eyes. Ice decorated the floor with every step, but not as much as it might've the day before if she lost control. Something about talking to Mr- Tony had calmed her down, much like when Papa talked to her.

When she had calmed down a bit more, she slipped out the door. She didn't know why, but she itched to leave the room. After so long being pretty much confined to one room, it was a relief to be able to leave.

Elsa thought about knocking on the couple's door or going to Anna, but she dismissed those thoughts and started walking down the hall.

She was constantly checking for ice or frost as she walked. She didn't want to cause water damage to Tony and Mrs. Stark's property.

The castle... the penthouse, was big, but she eventually found her way to the livingroom. She stood there for a moment, until she heard soft clinking coming from the kitchen. There was light, but she saw no lanterns or candles. She wondered how they lit their spaces.

Peering around the doorway, she saw Mrs. Stark doing dishes.

"Mrs. Stark?" She whispered. The woman didn't seem to hear her, humming a tune as she dried off a cup. Elsa placed her hand on the doorway and gasped when some frost came off her fingertips.

That got Mrs. Stark's attention. She turned, startled, but then calmed with a small smile on her face. "Hey, sweetie. What're you doing up?" She puts down the cup and towel.

"I-I just...." she trailed off.

Mrs. Stark tilted her head, then saw the ice. Elsa waited for her to scream in fear, but she only grabbed the towel and came forward, gently dabbing it off the wall. She smiled at Elsa, "No harm done. Would you like some chocolate milk?"

"Y-yes, please."

"We can drink it on the couch, kay?" Elsa nodded and shuffled to the couch, settling down gingerly on the edge of the plush seat.

Mrs. Stark came into the livingroom with two mugs. When she saw Elsa, she said, "You can sit back, honey, it's okay."

Tentatively, Elsa scooted back further into the couch. It was shaped as an L and she pressed her back to the corner, drawing her legs up.

Mrs. Stark handed her one mug of chocolate milk then settled down next to Elsa, not touching her but close enough for the eight year old to feel comfortable.

"Did you have a nightmare?" The woman asked after a minute of silence.

"How did you know?" Elsa whispered, staring into the light brown liquid in her cup.

"Tony gets them sometimes. You had the same look on your face as he does when he wakes up." She took a sip of her chocolate milk. "Do you want to talk about it?"

".... no. Not yet." Elsa took a drink from her cup, savoring the chocolate taste. It was good.

"We're here if you want to or need us, Tony and I."

"Thank you, Mrs. Stark..." Elsa mumbled gratefully.

"Call me Pepper," she said kindly.

"Pepper...." Elsa corrected herself sleepily. Pepper pulled the cup from her hands gently, settling it on the table.

"Can I hug you?" Pepper asked.

It had been a bit since anyone had hugged Elsa. She hadn't let her parents do it as much as she had before the Accident but now...

"Yes."

Pepper's arms wrapped around her in a gentle embrace and Elsa found herself curling up against her side, for once not worried about the power beneath her skin.

One of Pepper's arms left for a moment but then came back, draping a soft blanket over her. Elsa blinked sluggishly, barely suppressing a yawn.

With the warmth of the hug and blanket, Elsa was nearly asleep again after a few minutes, eyes closed. She felt Pepper carefully pick her up and she didn't fight it as she was carried out of the livingroom and down the hall again to her ro - the guest room she was staying in for now.

Pepper tucked her in with the duvet. As Elsa dropped off into sleep, she thought she felt a light kiss being pressed to her forehead.