Chapter 25: Spring Forward

-Anna-

Anna was all smiles as she walked through the metal detectors at the arena. She made sure to hold her keys and phone above her head; she'd forgotten that step the last time, which prompted the buzzer to go off twice. After her bag was checked, she approached the nearest usher and handed over her ticket.

"Enjoy the game, Miss," he said as he scanned the barcode.

"You, too! I mean, thank you! Have a nice evening!" she chirped.

She passed the Pro Shop on her way to the escalator, but decided against going in. It was far too crowded, and she could always swing by after hours; working for the team had its perks. Another perk was getting to sit in one of the promenade suites with her family whenever she wasn't working, but for this particular game, she'd be sitting with the fans. Anna had purchased her ticket online, just like she'd done for a game the previous season. It was a new annual tradition she intended to keep.

She glanced at her ticket once reaching the loge concourse; her seat was in section eleven, which was about a third of the way around the arena. Anna didn't mind, as the walk would give her plenty of time to decide what she wanted to grab for a snack. The delicious scents of burgers, hot dogs, pizza, and chicken tenders bombarded her nose as she walked around the concourse, and though they were all very tempting, she'd already had dinner and figured something lighter would be more suitable. She eventually settled on popcorn, and heard someone calling her name as she stood in line.

"Anna!"

She turned toward the voice, grinning when she saw the team's announcer heading her way.

"Olaf!" she exclaimed. "Hello! It's good to see you!"

Olaf had worked for the team for years and she'd known him since she was young. However, despite hearing his voice all the time as he announced goals, penalties, and other information to the fans in the arena, Anna hardly saw him; he was always relegated to his booth.

"You too! How have you been?"

"Great, and you?"

"Wonderful, thanks. What brings you to the concourse? Running another contest?"

Anna laughed. "Nope! I'm not working today. Tonight, I'm just a fan!"

"Well then, I hope you enjoy the game. It's an important one! If we lose tonight-"

"… we fall below Ottawa," Anna finished. "Can't that happen, can we?"

"Ah, we'll be fine! Our guys are the best of the bunch! I better get back, though. It was lovely to see you, Anna! Have fun!"

"Thanks, Olaf! See you around!"

Soon enough, it was Anna's turn at the counter. She ordered her snack, and when the server asked if she wanted anything else, she almost instinctively requested bottled water. However, the taps caught her eye.

Oh, what the hell, she thought. Treat yourself.

"Beer, please."

"What kind?"

"Um…" Anna squinted at the taps. What was the one Kristoff liked? "Sam something or other?"

"Sam Adams?"

"Yes! That's the one."

"Regular or Cold Snap?"

"What's Cold Snap?"

"It's seasonal," the young man said with a shrug.

"I suppose I'll give that one a try, then. Why not?"

Anna paid for her items then headed to her seat. The moment she was in the arena, she was reminded of why she'd decided to make buying a ticket her annual tradition. She absolutely loved working for the team, but there was something special about being in fan territory and not being paid to be there. Only when she wasn't working could she truly experience it for all it was. The sights, the smells, the sounds… it was mesmerizing, exciting, and made one forget about life for a while.

She smiled as she munched on her popcorn, watching as people slowly began to pile into the arena. The clock up on the jumbotron indicated that the warm-up skate would begin in less than three minutes, so she enjoyed the montage of photos being displayed on the screen. Before each game, fans had an opportunity to snap selfies and send them in through social media to be shown on the jumbotron.

"Excuse us," came a voice. "May we sneak by you?"

Anna looked up to see an elderly couple smiling at her.

"Oh! Of course! Sorry!" she exclaimed, tucking in her feet so they could get through. Turned out they were in the pair of seats immediately to her left, and Anna wound up sitting beside the wife.

"You all alone tonight, honey?" she asked.

Anna nodded. "Yeah, it's just me."

"Where's your fella?" she chuckled. "Pretty girl like you must have a fella."

"Thanks," Anna smiled. "And I do. He's just-"

Anna was interrupted as the buzzer went off, announcing the start of the warm-up skate.

"Ladies and gentlemen," came Olaf's voice over the loudspeaker, "please welcome the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs and your Boston Bruins!"

The arena, though still half empty, sounded like a full house as the fans thundered with applause. The two teams spilled onto the ice for their warm-up, and Anna spotted Kristoff right away. She instinctively wanted to wave but knew there was no way Kristoff would have spotted her; he had the game to focus on, anyway. Nevertheless, a blush crept across her face.

"He's working tonight," Anna finished with a smile. "So... yeah. It's only me this evening! But that's okay. I just love the game!"

"Oh, so do we!" the older woman said. "We've been coming to games since before we got married. How much were the tickets back then, Henry?"

"Goodness, I don't remember. A few dollars, perhaps?" her husband answered.

"Well, needless to say they were much cheaper," she chuckled. "The league was smaller then, too. Only twelve teams! Can you believe it?"

"So much has changed! My grandfather had so many stories from the game back then."

"Oh, it was wonderful. Still is, of course. I'm Edna, by the way."

"I'm Anna," she said, holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too, dear. So, who's your favorite fella on this fantastic team?"

"Oh! Well, they're all great, of course, but I, um… I'm partial to Kristoff Bjorgman," she finished.

"He's very talented! And a handsome young man, too, if I do say so myself."

"Yeah," Anna giggled. "Yeah, he is."

Anna talked with Edna, and occasionally Henry when he chimed in, as the teams warmed up and the arena continued to fill. Before she knew it, it was five minutes until the puck dropped, signaling the beginning of the pregame announcements. It began, as always, with a video montage of highlights from the season so far, set to some energetic music to pump up the crowd. Then, Olaf could be heard announcing the starting lineup of the Maple Leafs. Booing ensued throughout the arena after each name, which Anna didn't partake in. Though she didn't have a problem with it, she always remembered something her father said:

Never boo the opposition. Without them, there'd be no game!

"And now, the starting lineup for your Boston Bruins!" Olaf's voice boomed throughout the venue, followed by a chorus of cheers from the fans.

"At left wing, number fourteen, Miles Langlois!" As his name was called, a photo of him was put on the jumbotron, which changed as each player was announced. "At center ice, your captain, number thirty-one, Dimitri Mateev! At right wing, number twenty-three, Kristoff Bjorgman!"

Anna blushed as Kristoff's picture was put on display and joined in on the cheering. A twinge of protective jealousy blazed through her when she caught a group of young women across the aisle gawking at him. Then she reminded herself that it was her he'd be taking to bed later and she felt infinitely better.

"On defense, number twenty-eight, Troy Pavalov, and number eleven, Jeff Wyatt! And in goal, number forty-four, Andre Lukska!"

Once both the American and Canadian national anthems were sung and the puck was dropped, the game began as viciously as one would expect it to so late in the season. Boston was second in the division, but in danger of falling to third with a loss. Toronto, meanwhile, was holding onto a wildcard spot by a thread and was fighting to climb the ladder. It came as a shock to no one when a hard , but clean, check from Boston to Toronto resulted in a brawl that sent a player from each team to the penalty box.

After a scoreless first period, Boston drew first blood in the second when Darren Matteuse tucked a well-aimed shot into the upper corner of Toronto's net. Anna, of course, joined in on the wild cheering that erupted throughout the arena, waving her black and gold scarf in the air like a flag before high-fiving both Edna and Henry.

The celebration, however, was short-lived. The next few moments played out seemingly in slow motion, yet still so fast that Anna barely had a chance to process what happened. Play resumed with Dimitri Mateev winning the face-off. The puck went straight to Kristoff, who took off like a bolt of lightning. The crowd went absolutely berserk as he had a near breakaway; for a moment, it looked like he was going to outskate Toronto's defensemen and have a one-on-one matchup with the goaltender. However, one caught up, causing Kristoff to veer left of the net and attempt to loop around it. That was when one of Toronto's defensemen checked Kristoff into the corner glass so hard that the sound echoed throughout the arena and both referees blew their whistles.

Troy Pavalov immediately attacked the Toronto player. Within seconds, nearly every player on the ice was brawling, save for the goalies and Dimitri Mateev. The latter, much like Anna, seemed to have eyes only for Kristoff. While the referees and linesmen were busy attempting to break up the fight, the Bruins captain skated over to his fallen teammate, who still had not gotten up.

Anna's stomach dropped as she watched Dimitri kneel beside Kristoff. Kristoff was on his stomach on the ice, putting his weight on one knee as he attempted to stand. He immediately slipped back down and Dimitri managed to wave down one of the referees. After Troy and the Toronto player who'd checked Kristoff were thrown in the penalty box, the fight was over and all the Bruins players remaining on the ice were crowded around Kristoff. A curious, anxious murmur had taken over the cheering of the fans.

What was wrong? Why hadn't he gotten up yet? He was checked into the glass; that happened all the time! Anna's mind was reeling with worry and her heart raced; neither stopped even when Kristoff finally stood with the support of Dimitri and one of the refs. The two helped him skate off the ice, seemingly to the medical wing, to the sound of supportive applause from the crowd.

Without thinking twice, Anna began gathering her purse and the rubbish from her earlier snack.

"Leaving so soon, dear?" Edna asked.

"Oh… yes," Anna stammered. "Yes. I just remembered I, uh… I have this thing to get to. It doesn't matter. It was nice meeting you!"

"You too, dear. Oh, I do hope Bjorgman is alright!"

Me, too, Anna thought as she scurried from her seat toward the concourse. Me, too.

Anna hadn't planned on venturing into employee-only zones that night. All she'd wanted to do was be a regular fan. She wanted to remain exclusively in fan territory, even after the game. However, she found herself waiting outside the medical wing, anxiously awaiting news on Kristoff. The door was closed, and even though she knew the team doctors quite well, she wasn't about to go barging in.

She kept reminding herself that it was very rare for checks to result in major injuries. Sprains were common. A concussion was a possibility, too, though unlikely; the way Kristoff had floundered when he attempted to stand indicated that it was likely a lower body injury. Anna just prayed it wasn't a broken bone or torn tendon.

"Any news?" she heard. Anna looked to her left to see her father, who immediately took the seat beside her.

"Nothing yet."

Adgar sighed.

"That was quite a hit," he said. "Clean, but rough. I'm sure he's okay. I thought you were off tonight?"

Anna nodded. "I am. I bought a ticket for the game. I was in the stands."

"You bought a ticket? Anna, you know you're welcome in the promenade anytime."

"I know, but I like to be just a fan every once in a while. Easier to sit back and enjoy the game, I guess."

"Yet, here you are, down below."

Anna nodded again. "I wanted to make sure he's okay, that's all."

"Is he coming to Easter dinner?"

"I – wait, what?"

Anna, who'd been mindlessly staring into her lap as she talked, turned toward her father with a raised eyebrow.

"Kristoff," Adgar clarified. "Is he coming to Easter dinner?"

"Oh, I… I don't know. Are we doing some sort of special team gathering?"

"No, but you and Elsa are always welcome to bring your significant others over for holiday gatherings. You know that."

"Yeah, but… Kristoff isn't… we aren't… he's my friend." Anna could feel her face grow warmer with each word, and it only got worse when her father gave her an all-knowing smirk.

"Oh, c'mon, Anna. I know. Your mother knows. Everyone knows."

"But… but how?"

"Well," Adgar said, looking toward the ceiling for a moment as if he were searching his brain for evidence, "for starters, there was the Christmas party at the hotel. You danced with him."

"I danced with Troy and Dimitri, too," Anna argued.

Adgar laughed. "Not like you danced with Kristoff. Even I could see the sparks flying! There was the time I came in for an afternoon meeting and saw you two having a ball out on the ice. Oh, and let's not forget the day of the Youth Hockey Program when you two were kissing in the exhibition hall. I think," he added jokingly, "that's what made it pretty obvious for me."

"Oh, god," Anna moaned, covering her face with her hands. "You saw that?!"

"Yup."

"So you've known for… what, two months? Why didn't you say anything?"

"It wasn't my place," Adgar said. "I figured when you were ready to tell me, you would. So, why didn't you tell us, anyway?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't know. It's not that I didn't want to. I guess I was just worried that… I don't know," she repeated. "I worried it wasn't allowed."

"Allowed?"

"I'm your daughter," Anna sighed. "You're essentially his boss. I didn't know what the rules were, and I guess I just worried he'd be traded if… if we were found out. Will he now?"

"Goodness, no!" Adgar exclaimed. "He's definitely one I don't want to let get away!"

"But… New York. You said they wanted him."

"They did, and still do. I'm sure they'll ask again when the season is over and the trade window opens back up, but that doesn't mean we're required to oblige. And I'll be honest with you," Adgar continued, "there was once a time when we were considering it. Trading Kristoff, I mean. New York was offering quite a bit of money for him."

"Why didn't you? What changed your mind?"

"Well, I can't speak for everyone else involved in the trade negotiation process, of course, but I personally was always on the fence. Once it became clear to me that the two of you were together, of course I shut it down. I couldn't do that to you. But even before then… well, it was your sister, really. Elsa was dead set against the potential trade, and she made quite the convincing argument to keep him."

"Really?"

"Yes. She made a full presentation about his stats, even including his accomplishments from his amateur years. She interviewed the coaches and a couple of his teammates about his sportsmanship and how he impacted team morale."

Thanks, Elsa, Anna thought.

"Of course, I knew there had to be a reason behind it; Elsa had never gotten so involved in trade discussions before. I suspect she's known for a while about the two of you?" Adgar asked.

"Yeah."

"I figured as much. And as far as you and Kristoff are concerned, as long as you're both happy, I'm happy."

Anna smiled. "We are."

"He treats you well?"

Anna nodded. "He does. He's… well he's just really great. I'm happier than I've been in a long time."

"I can see it," Adgar said. "Your mother can, too. You seem content and at peace. I know that isn't only because of Kristoff, either. You've come a long way, Anna. I'm proud of you."

The door to the medical wing opened then, and out stepped Dr. Kendall. He was about Adgar's age, perhaps just a little younger, and he had round eyeglasses and a five o'clock shadow.

"How's he doing?" Adgar asked immediately, standing up. Anna stood, too, taking a deep breath.

"He's alright," replied Dr. Kendall. "Sprained quad. Nothing too serious. He'll have to sit the rest of this one out and will be day-by-day for the next couple of practices, but with enough rest he should be okay to play in the next game."

Anna could feel herself breathe a sigh of relief. Her father did, too.

"Thank goodness!" he exclaimed happily. "I was worried; that was some hit!"

"I'm guessing it was the way he landed, actually," Dr. Kendall said. "His left side took the brunt of the check but the sprain is on his right. Doesn't matter, really. The point is he should be good as new in a few days."

"Excellent. Are we allowed in?"

"By all means," Dr. Kendall said. "I'm going to go assist Dr. Morelli with the Toronto player. Pavalov got in quite a punch!"

Dr. Kendall disappeared back into the medical wing and turned left toward the other examination room. Meanwhile, Anna followed Adgar into the one on the right. She grinned as she saw Kristoff laying on the table with his leg propped up; he was very obviously attempting to move it.

"No, no!" Adgar said with a chuckle. "You heard the man: rest it! How're you feeling?"

"Annoyed," Kristoff fumed. "I want to get back out there. This game's too import… hey," he said slowly. He'd finally noticed Anna standing behind her father. He looked at Adgar, then back at Anna.

"Hi," Anna said, offering a little wave and attempting to ignore the fact that, despite her father already knowing everything, her cheeks were burning. "I just wanted to come down and see… well, how you were doing."

"Oh… um… thanks. I, uh… I'm alright. Should be good in a couple of days. Not soon enough," he added jokingly.

"Well, hopefully you'll be well enough for Easter," Adgar chimed in. "You coming for dinner?"

"I… what?"

"Easter dinner, with the family," he continued. "If you don't already have plans of your own, you're more than welcome to join us."

"Uh…" he mumbled, looking at Anna for answers. All she could do was shake her head and shrug.

"Well, it's next weekend, obviously," Adgar said, "so I don't need an answer now. But if you could let Anna know by Wednesday, that'd be fantastic."

"I … alright."

"Anyway, I've got to get back upstairs. Glad to see you're doing well, Kristoff. Remember: rest! I'll see you later, Anna." He gave his daughter a quick kiss on the cheek before making his brisk exit, leaving the dumbfounded pair in an awkward silence. Anna could feel herself begin to blush again, this time due to her father's intentional nonchalance.

"So, uh… hello," Kristoff said after a moment.

"Hey," Anna hummed. "How's your leg?"

"Sore if I move it the wrong way. But it's just a sprain. Nothing to fuss over."

"Yeah, now there isn't," Anna said. "I was freaking out! When I saw you go down… I worried it was so much worse…"

"What are you even doing here? Not that I'm complaining, of course," he added quickly, "but I thought tonight was your night off."

"It is," Anna said. "I bought a ticket to the game. I was in the stands."

Kristoff snorted. "I totally would go and get myself injured on the night my girlfriend is watching. Wonderful."

"Hey, it wasn't your fault. And you're going to be fine in a couple of days."

"Speaking of a couple of days," Kristoff said, "I have to let you know about Easter by Wednesday? Why am I being invited to Easter?"

"Oh… you know… apparently Mom and Dad have known about us for a while," Anna muttered.

"How?"

"Long story short, Dad saw us in the exhibition hall the day of the Youth Hockey Program."

"So? We were just setting up the… oh," Kristoff said. He, too, began to blush. "He saw that?"

"Uh-huh."

"My boss saw me all over his daughter."

"Yup."

"He saw me grabbing her bottom."

"Yeah… wait, what? You grabbed my bottom that day?"

"Maybe not. Maybe I was just thinking about it a lot."

"Kristoff!" Anna giggled.

"What? You know I love your bottom. We've had this conversation several times."

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Anyway, he's not mad?"

"Of course not," Anna said. "Would he have invited you to Easter dinner if he was?"

Kristoff shrugged. "Maybe he was just being nice. Or maybe he's attempting to lure me in so he can show me his shotgun."

"Oh, stop! My dad doesn't have a shotgun," Anna laughed. "Really, he's… he's happy for us. And honestly, it's only been a few minutes since he told me that, but I already feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I didn't realize how much it bothered me that I hadn't told my parents about us yet."

Kristoff smiled. "I'm glad."

"So… do you already have plans for Easter?"

"I don't, actually," Kristoff said.

"Really?" Anna said, feeling suddenly hopeful. The second her dad had suggested it, she fell in love with the idea of having Kristoff over for the holiday. "Because you're more than welcome to join us. It's a lot of fun. We always spend it on the Cape and-"

"Oh, so you don't stay home?" Kristoff asked. "I mean, I wouldn't want to be a burden if you're traveling."

"Oh, well… yeah, we travel, but not to a hotel or anything. We go to… er, our other house. We have a home in Brewster," Anna said sheepishly. It felt wrong admitting to her former foster kid boyfriend that her family had a vacation home on the Cape. She was once again reminded of her privilege, and though she knew she had no reason to feel guilty, the discomfort came anyway.

"That sounds nice."

"It… it really is," Anna murmured, cheeks still pink. "It's a really simple weekend. Thanksgiving and Christmas are always so busy, so we try to keep Easter light. It's just us, and aside from Easter dinner, we usually spend the weekend playing board games and stuff. It sounds really lame now that I'm saying it out loud…"

"No, it doesn't. And… yeah. Yeah, I'll come."

Anna perked up. "You will?"

"Of course. Anna, you came all the way up to Franconia to spend time with my family. It's only fair I do the same for you. And it sounds like a great time, anyway."

Anna grinned and leaned forward to hug him. It was bit awkward seeing as he was still up on the table, but she nuzzled his neck just the same.

"I'm so glad you're okay," she whispered before kissing him gently. When she pulled back, she saw Kristoff grinning.

"Did you have a beer tonight?"

Anna shrugged. "Maybe."

"My, my, Miss Arendelle. How I've corrupted you…"

"You've done nothing of the sort," she giggled. "I drank before I met you, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, you lush," Kristoff joked. "Anyway, about tonight. I know we were planning to go out, but…"

"Obviously, we aren't. You need rest."

"I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry. We can just stay in. Unless you'd rather hang by yourself tonight. That's fine, too."

"Of course not!" Kristoff exclaimed. "You trying to bail on me now that I'm damaged?"

"Oh, shut up," Anna chortled. "What do you want to do about dinner, then? Do you want to order out, or would you rather me cook? And before you even start," she added once she saw him grinning, "I can cook some things. I may not have as wide of a range as you, but I can cook."

"I'm not doubting that," Kristoff said. "But, I still have to stay until the end of the game. By the time we get out of here, pick up things at the grocery store, get home, and cook, it'll be pretty late. We'd probably be better off ordering something."

"Hm. Pizza? Quick and simple."

"Deal."

Anna's phone buzzed then. Figuring it was a text from Elsa, she fished her phone out of her pocket. It wasn't a text, but rather a reminder from her calendar:

Daylight savings tonight. Push clocks ahead!

"Ugh," Anna sighed. "I forgot we lost an hour of sleep tonight."

"That's tonight? Damn it. Why do we even still have to do that?"

"I don't know. It's stupid. Plus, that means one less hour I get to spend with you."

Kristoff chuckled. "I guess it's better to lose it on a night I can't do a whole lot for you, right?"

"What do you… oh," Anna giggled when he raised his eyebrow. "Right. That's true. But…"

"But…?"

"Well… I can still do things for you, you know," she hinted. She smiled when Kristoff drew in a deep breath.

"Hmm," he breathed. "You're naughty. I love it."

Anna took his hand and gave it a small squeeze, which he reciprocated. Their eyes met for a moment and, as always, Anna's insides melted. They'd lose an hour that night, but they'd surely make up for it in the weeks and months to come. Anna was sure of that. If Kristoff didn't intend for what they shared to be long term, he wouldn't have invited her to Franconia of agreed to head down the Cape with her to spend Easter with her family. Those were two big steps, and Anna hoped he knew just how much it meant to her that he was willing to take them.

"You should go enjoy the rest of the game," he suggested. "You paid for your ticket. Don't let me spoil your night. We'll get together later."

Anna shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere."

Author's Note: I know, I know. It's been far too long. I suck and I'm sorry. But, alas, life is life, and it takes precedence. At least the Bruins made the playoffs this year? :D

Also, if this chapter feels mediocre, I'm really sorry. It's bridging the gap to a particular event!