Winters Revenge

Chapter Eighty-Five- Unveiling The Darkness.

(Warning ⚠ mention of sexual abuse, Gun reference's and Violence.)

Anna sat at the table in the kitchen, laughing along with her friends but unable to shake the anxious thoughts circling in her mind. While Kristoff prepared what promised to be a glorious feast, Anna found herself distracted, her gaze occasionally drifting to the clock or the doorway. Hiccup sat playing on his phone, seemingly carefree, while Merida and Flynn bickered about dessert, and Punzie rolled her eyes at their antics as she started to braid her hair, disbelief clear on her face. Anna joined in with the banter, but every so often, she would catch herself worrying, her smile faltering for the briefest moment before she masked it again. She replayed the scene of Elsa that early afternoon in her mind wondering what had happened in the moment? But she knew better than to go straight into a conversation with her sister without giving her space first , her nerves were bubbling and the half-heard whispers about the incident with the new agent—how Elsa had somehow been involved in the shooting—wondering when, or if, she should reach out.

She huffed, crossing her arms as she looked around the room. "Is it done yet?" she asked, the impatience in her voice a thin cover for her underlying nerves.

Kristoff grinned, "Like I said the last five minutes—not yet." He chuckled, but Anna only managed a half-hearted smile, her fingers tapping restlessly on the table.

"Aww, damn! I'm so hungry," Anna said, dramatically placing her hand over her forehead and dropping back against the chair. But even as she played up her hunger, her thoughts kept slipping back to Elsa and the knot of worry tightening in her chest.

Punzie teased, "You're always hungry, Anna."

Flynn joined in, "Honestly Anna, some would think you were a human dustbin with the amount you eat." He grinned, his laughter infectious, and Anna forced herself to join in.

"Who can blame me? I love food, okay," she replied with an exaggerated smile, but her eyes flicked once more to her phone, as if half-expecting a message or call.

Merida rolled her eyes, flicking a stray curl over her shoulder. "At this rate, we'll be old and grey before Kristoff serves anything." She smirked, nudging Flynn with her elbow as he snorted in agreement.

Flynn snorted. "You're the one to talk! I caught you sneaking leftovers earlier when you thought no one was watching."

Merida raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Well, someone had to make sure they tasted alright." The group burst into laughter, their cheerful commotion making the wait for dinner seem a little less unbearable. Anna laughed too, but her mind kept wandering, the laughter only a brief respite from her persistent sense of unease.

The tension over the wait for food melted away in the easy camaraderie until the sound of loud footsteps in the hallway drew their attention. Heads turned towards the open doorway as Nick stepped inside, his jacket now back on, sleeves neatly in place, and his tie straightened—a stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere moments before.

"Nick! Long time no see," Hiccup chimed in, looking up from his phone. Anna's heart skipped, the worry she'd tried to ignore suddenly front and centre.

Nick offered a tense smile. "Hey everyone, sorry for coming to see you recently and sorry again but this isn't a long visit. I've come to get Anna."

Anna straightened in her seat, her light-hearted demeanour dropping away. "Me? Why? Is everything all right?" she asked, her voice edged with concern.

Nick replied, "Yeah, it's just Elsa wants you."

Anna frowned, anxiety prickling at her once more. "Okay, why do you look so serious? What's going on? Is Elsa okay?" she burst from her chair, crossing the room towards Nick, who stood with his arms by his side and his face set with worry.