Small note before I begin: I made a bit of a change in the previous chapter. Elsa's concert is not the "next day" anymore. It's in "a couple of days" instead. I felt I should give Elsa more time to grieve.
Thank you! Enjoy our poor Elsa.
The sound of a dial tone reached her ears. She waited, sniffling, for him to pick up the phone. Anna knew he was probably sleeping but she didn't care. Elsa was still crying in her room and everyone else had gone to bed long after they had returned to the bus. All she wanted was to hear his voice as she sat in the darkness on her own. Something to distract her, to calm her down.
Finally, he picked up the phone.
"Anna?"
"Hi, Dad."
"What's wrong?" David was sleepy but alert, hoping that his little girl was okay. He was about ready to jump in his car and drive non-stop to her location if he needed to, sitting up slowly. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah… no. Uhm." Anna was whispering so she wouldn't wake the boys who were about five feet away from her. "I just… I miss you and, well, I wanted to tell you I love you a lot."
He could tell there was something wrong. "What happened, sweet-pea?"
"We're in Elsa's hometown, you see, and we visited her father in the hospital. He died yesterday and…" She swallowed. "And I really just…"
"I see, I understand," he said gently, calming down from his father-to-the-rescue mode and sinking back into the bed.
Hearing her father's voice soothed Anna tenfold. Even though he was miles and miles away, knowing he was alive and well and in her life filled her with relief. Though, there was a bit of guilt that settled in Anna's gut with the reminder that she still had a father. Elsa was locked away in the room weeping over the death of hers.
"How is she?" David asked.
"Not good," Anna replied. "She's really broken up. It was the first time they saw each other in fourteen years and one can only imagine the sort of pain she's going through."
"That has to be incredibly rough."
"Yeah. She's locked herself in her bedroom. I think she finally passed out from crying but I can't be entirely sure."
"And where are you?"
"I'm sitting against her door. I'm worried about her."
"Anna, you should get some rest yourself."
"I might drift off eventually. But I just wanted to call you first."
A voice in the background of her father's line, "Who is it, dear?"
"It's Anna," David told the voice.
"Tell Mom I said hello," Anna said, feeling herself smile.
"She says hello," David told Faye.
"Oh, hello, Anna," replied a very sleepy Faye.
"I'm sorry I woke you both. I'll let you get back to bed," Anna said hurriedly.
"Hey, hey, no worries. It's quite alright. We love and miss you. Can't wait to see you soon."
"Yeah, same here, Dad."
"Goodnight, sweet-pea."
"G'night."
Elsa had lost track of time. She didn't know if she had been sitting against her door for seconds, minutes, or hours. She would go as far as to believing she had been glued in that same spot for at least a day.
All she knew was she had run out of tears ages ago. She couldn't cry anymore. She just sat there, staring between her legs at the floor beneath her. Elsa felt empty yet weighed down. She wanted the pain inside her to either go away or to kill her. She wanted it to stop, no matter what. She was still shaking, though the shivers were coming out in hard shudders.
On the other side of the door sat Anna, who was feeling helpless. Elsa had locked herself in her room and Anna had no way to get inside and console her. She had stayed all night long after she called her father and hardly slept, watching the boys snooze away from her spot in front of Elsa's door. But even though she ached with sleep, Anna wasn't going to leave and find comfort in her bed. Not if Elsa was still hurting.
A full day had passed since they returned from the hospital and Elsa hadn't emerged. Not for food or drink, ignoring Anna's gentle words of encouragement to open the door and get something to eat. She kept telling Elsa nobody would talk to her and she didn't have to talk to them. But Elsa stubbornly remained in her room.
It was worrying Anna. Elsa had to eat. She couldn't starve herself after all. She had a concert that weekend and if she continued to lock herself up, she was going to miss all the rehearsals and possibly cancel the show on the fans from her birthplace, ready to see their hometown hero on stage.
Night was slowly falling, ready to mark Elsa's second day of solitary confinement. Anna cooked up Elsa's favorite sandwich and took out a bar of chocolate from the fridge, hoping to get Elsa to eat it if she was successful getting inside.
"Elsa?" Anna knocked on the door softly. "Look, I'm not going anywhere. I know you're hurting but I'm right here. When you're ready, no matter how long it takes, I'll be here. I always am. But please don't shut me out. I want to help you, I want to see you. Can I come in? It's just me."
And it was just her. The guys had gone out to set up the stage and then out for drinks, leaving the two girls locked in the bus until they returned.
Elsa felt, even with Anna on the other side, absolutely alone. But her stomach was growling and her Arrowhead water bottle was running dangerously low.
"Fine," Elsa replied, her voice scratchy.
She stumbled to her feet, her legs asleep from sitting in that position for so long, and unlocked the door so Anna could enter.
The redhead had to hold in a gasp. The Elsa before her was not the Elsa she was used to and it frightened her more than the hysterically crying one she had met in the hospital.
This Elsa was paler than usual with a grey tinge on her skin. Bags were underneath her dull blue eyes. Hair askew and slightly greasy. What little mascara Elsa applied to her eyes on the day of her father's death had finally broken away from its waterproof guarantee and had a dried, black stream down the side of her face from where her tears tumbled down. She was trembling, sweating, and was still wearing the same clothes from the day too, though her gloves were discarded off to the side.
A sleep deprived, grieving, absolutely lost Elsa was standing in front of Anna and the helplessness in Anna increased tenfold.
She had no idea what to say.
"I brought you some food," Anna said carefully, shutting the door behind her. Elsa sat at her desk chair, not looking at Anna anymore. "I made you a grilled cheese with ham and chocolate…" Anna cringed. "I mean, I brought chocolate too, it's not like it's in your grilled cheese or anything. Nope, just ham in there with the cheese, your favorite… because I love you, and you need to eat something." She placed it on the desk in front of Elsa. "Please?"
Elsa spared it a glance and was about to protest but her stomach let out a very instant growl at the sight of her favorite comfort food. She knew that Anna would not allow her to refuse it after her insides exposed she was obviously hungry. She picked it up with one hand and started to nibble on it.
Anna stood awkwardly, waiting and watching.
"Is that all?" Elsa asked, making her girlfriend flinch inwardly at the bitterness in Elsa's voice.
"Oh, uhm, yeah…" Anna was about to turn away but she froze. She couldn't let Elsa suffer like this. It was tearing her apart and she needed to help. "No. No, it's not. I'm not leaving, Elsa. You can't just shut me, the guys, and your whole life out." She pulled away from the door and planted herself firmly in place. She was scared out of her mind with what she was about to face but she saw no other way out. "I can't even imagine how much this hurts and I am so, so sorry but staying in your room for the rest of your life isn't going to work. What about the band? The tour?
"Remember how when you were a kid and you went through some tough times, like you told me? And you'd listen to No Doubt and all the shit going on in your life seemed a little better? Remember how important it was to you? You give people that feeling, Elsa, you and the guys. You can't just disappear, not now when you have a concert so soon. Your fans still need you. I need you. We all do. We love you and we want to help you. We all love you and want you help you through this difficult time. Please don't shut us out…"
That was not what Elsa wanted to hear. Mixed emotions crashed down on her and her emptiness inside filled with anger, hurt, resentment, and even a bit of jealously. What did Anna know? Her dad was still alive! Who did she think she was by coming in here and giving her tough love?
Elsa furrowed her brow and set down her sandwich, her hand still shaking.
"Anna, my dad died. He died after fourteen years of us being separated. Out there, in the world you live in and the world you're trying to get me to return to, is the one without him. I'm never gonna see him again." Tears finally started to creep up on her again, her voice cracked and she hated herself for it. "He's never gonna come back this time around no matter how much I can hope.
"I feel like there's this huge hole in my chest and I can't breathe right. This isn't a 'tough time' that Gwen Stefani can soothe over with a good ballad about romance or something. I lost a family member, someone I looked up to even though he wasn't around."
Just thinking about it made her chest fill with pain. Tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes and the shame in crying like this in front of Anna again flowed through her like water breaking from a dam. So much vulnerability in so little of a time period was stressing her out so much she was sure her hair was falling out.
"I don't care if people need me. This is no way to face the world. I just… I just…" Her voice was breaking more and more. "I… I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't." She covered her face in her hands and held back as many tears as possible.
"You can't stay in here forever, Elsa. I'm sorry but that's not how life works." Anna was still firm on tough love. "But when you're stepping out of this room, and out of the bus again, I'll be right there holding your hand. I always will be. Your dad may not be here in body but he is in spirit. You're never really alone, Els, even if you feel like you are right now. There's a whole, great big world out there for you to experience, and you deserve to see it. For now, though, we can just lie on the bed, if you'd like. And I'll hold you for as long as you need… if you'll let me?"
The blonde shot to her feet, fists at her sides, and Anna was able to catch the daring, burning rage in Elsa's eyes. There was still a great deal of distance between them but the clashing emotions filled it plenty.
"I c-c-c-can stay in here forever. J-Just f-f-fucking watch me!" Elsa challenged, teeth bared. If the situation were any different, Anna would have cowered or argued back with the same fiery defiance. But the tears still streaming down Elsa's pale face stopped her, scared her. Not of Elsa, but for Elsa. "I don't have what it t-t-takes. So just… just… just go away, Anna!"
"I'm not going anywhere, you should know that by now!" Anna countered, feeling her own tears build up within her. "So just stop being such a fucking punk and c-come here before I… I make you!"
She honestly had no plan. Frightened and feeling alone in trying to tackle this situation the best she could. And Elsa was being so damn stubborn.
"M-m-make me, then! I'd like to see you f-f-f-fucking try!"
"F-Fine! You asked for it! I'm gonna… I'm gonna… t-tickle you into submission!"
She reached for Elsa and started to dance her fingers on her sides. But no laughter came from Elsa. She only tried to get farther away from Anna, who was crying and shaking herself, knowledge of what to do gone and desperation replacing fear.
"Anna… Anna, stop. Anna, goddamn it, knock it off-f-f-f. Anna for fuck's sake stop!" Elsa hollered and Anna retreated her hands immediately, staring at Elsa with her mouth agape as the blonde continued to scream. "Just h-h-h-hold me! Just please fucking hold me! I just need s-s-s-someone to hold me and t-t-tell me things are gonna be alright! I don't care if it's n-n-not true!" Hysterical Elsa returned tenfold, her voice strained, tears crashing down more and more with each word she yelled. "I just feel so f-f-fucking alone right now and I'm sorry I had to put you through th-th-this but fuck I just w-w-want to be fucking held!"
A ringing silence followed for a moment, the two girls staring at each other, before Elsa collapsed onto her knees and Anna rushed over to join her, holding Elsa close and mirroring their position from the waiting room. Elsa pressed her face into Anna's shoulder and wept once more, though this time it was to get it all out, to finally let someone in after brooding and grieving on her own. And it felt so good to do so, letting Anna stroke her hair and hearing her whisper in her ear softly.
"Shh, shh… It's okay, that's what I'm here for. Always gonna be here, okay?" She pulled back just enough to kiss Elsa's forehead. "Always," she mumbled against her skin. "I promise."
"D-d-d-don't leave me alone. P-Please don't go," Elsa begged, tightening her grip on Anna's shirt. "I can't do this on m-m-my own."
Anna's heart broke in two once she heard that. She hugged Elsa as close as she could, rocking her back and forth again.
"Elsa, I'm here to stay, through good times and bad. Now, come on, under the covers with me so I can cuddle you properly. And you, missy, need some sleep pronto." She offered Elsa a watery smile but did not receive one in return.
Elsa merely nodded. "Okay," she croaked.
She let Anna coax her over to the bed, shoes being kicked off along the way and Elsa's jacket being shed off her body. She let Anna take the bottom half of the cuddle, the place where Elsa usually rested, and Elsa buried her face in Anna's collarbone, feeling the blankets drape over her shoulders.
Her exhausted body finally melted into sleep, so tired of fighting and crying. Anna kept kissing her forehead and temple, whispering sweet nothings to soothe the shaking Elsa to sleep. The poor thing had been through so much in the last couple of days and it all finally blew up into tiny little pieces.
Sometime in the night, a half-asleep Anna heard the boys return home but it did not rouse Elsa, who was dead to the world, her entire body weight pressing the redhead to the sheets. The strain of the loss was more than this poor young adult could handle.
It occurred to Anna how young Elsa was. Of course, Anna knew Elsa was twenty-two but if Elsa had stayed the path of university, the realization that Elsa would have been fresh out of college and looking forward to a career of her choice. Anna was barely starting her junior year of community college. She couldn't imagine the stress of success put on Elsa's shoulders, the entire world watching her next move.
Keeping the scars a secret after such a long time continuing to hide them made more sense than ever. Any flaw on a celebrity was thought to be the world's biggest mistake, especially in America. And since Elsa kept them hidden beneath the gloves, the scandal grew over time and, perhaps, it wouldn't live up to the hype.
Elsa was barely older than Anna and the redhead wondered how scared Elsa was half the time, if at all.
But for now, all Anna could do was hold her and let her ride out the death of her father little by little.
It was like coaxing a timid rabbit out of its cage with a carrot. But instead of a carrot, it was the promise of breakfast, instead of a cage, it was a bus, and instead of a rabbit, it was a freshly showered, well-rested Elsa. Her hand was interlocked with Anna's, who was gently pulling her out of the bus and into the outside world.
"Any time you want to get out of the light of day, let me know and we'll come back," Anna told her sweetly as they descended the last step.
"Yeah, Els, we know this is hard for you," Olaf said with a smile, taking Elsa's other hand.
"Thank you, but I think I'll be okay. Letting it out last night was more therapeutic than anything," Elsa said, the group starting to walk down the street. "I'm starving and I just want a ton of hash browns. Are we going to our old Denny's hang out?"
"You know it!" Sitron said, lighting up a cigarette.
Marshmallow smiled a big, dopey smile, patting his belly. "I think I'm gonna get a big platter of pancakes."
"It looks like I'm diving into a bit of Dry Ice history, huh?" Anna said.
"It's like studying animals in their natural habitat," Kristoff chuckled, earning a laugh from Anna and Sven.
Sven leapt forward and put his hands up to his eyes to mimic binoculars, focusing them on the group as he walked backwards.
"And here we see the mysterious Dry Ice and their bottom-feeding workers," he said in a terrible attempt at an Australian accent. "That there is a Sitron, who is heavily addicted to the weed he finds around his natural habitat." The bassist flipped him off. "Over here his a mighty Kristoff who's unmanly blondeness keeps all the ladies away."
"You suck," Kristoff said with a glare, folding his arms across his chest.
Sven was on a roll, switching his gaze over to Elsa, Anna, and Olaf. "This interesting threesome. The Olaf is a kind creature who loves to hug people and it's often rather comforting for sad people. Then we have our Elsa and Anna. Elsa may seem like a hard-shelled female with little to no emotion and heavily coated in sarcasm but she's actually a soft-hearted, caring type of gal. And beside her is her mate, Anna, who is sort of the glue of this rag-tag pack of wild animals."
"Why do they get the nice observations!?" Sitron demanded.
"Because it's true," Elsa grinned.
"So deal with it," Anna and Olaf chimed together.
"We have the Marshmallow. Now, he might look like a monster who can crush you into a million pieces but he's actually what is essentially Hagrid from Harry Potter. A misunderstood, gentle giant," Sven said.
Marshmallow nodded. "I can agree with that."
"Aaaand finally!" Sven extended his hand binoculars out in front of him. "We have our devilishly handsome Sven. A charming specimen who gets all the ladies. During mating season—Ah!"
Since he was walking backwards, Sven wasn't looking where he was going so he tripped over a curb an fell flat on his butt. As Anna, Olaf, Sitron, and Elsa doubled over laughing, Kristoff zipped over with his own set of hand binoculars and focused on his brother.
"Turns out, our previous field guide had some incorrect information about the Sven we see before us. He's actually a klutz who likes to run his mouth," Kristoff said in a far better Australian accent than Sven's. "Also, the Kristoff he mentioned before his way more attractive and his blonde hair gets him all the ladies that Sven claims to get."
"Fuck you," Sven whined, Marshmallow helping him off the ground. "Why didn't you tell me there was a curb!?"
"Because you deserved to fall!" Sitron snickered.
After they were all seated in the largest booth available and after their food was ordered, they discussed their plans for the rest of their stay in Wisconsin.
"So before we leave, we're all going to my place for dinner," Olaf said joyfully. "They're super excited to see you, Elsa. They miss the hell outta you."
"Mom said she'd make her special cookies," Marshmallow told her. "Those snickerdoodles you love so much. We told her about what happened so she's pulling out all the stops to cheer you up."
"I look forward to it. It'll be lovely to see Skyler and Nikolai after so long and it's sweet of them to make my return more pleasant," Elsa said, playing with Anna's fingers beneath the table. She hadn't let go of them the entire morning. "Are your parents gonna be there, Sitron?"
"My mom is but my dad might be late since he has work," Sitron said casually, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Marsh and I were also gonna check out the old music store down the street from our place. You all wanna come?" Olaf inquired. "I'm sure they've updated their collection since last we visited."
"Sure, why not," Elsa shrugged. "It'll keep me out of my room."
"Sven and I are gonna go to the theatre and start setting up so that's a no for us," Kristoff said.
"Awh, man! I wanted to go," Sven frowned.
"Work first, buddy."
"I can't, either. I'm gonna visit the cemetery later this afternoon," Sitron said. "Stop by the flower shop on my way."
"Oh, right. You wanted to do that. Give my regards to Beth," Olaf said sympathetically, patting his friend on the back.
"Can I go with you?" Anna blurted.
Sitron paused over his coffee cup and glanced at her, brows furrowed.
"Why?" he wondered. Though his voice wasn't snappish or angry. He seemed genuinely curious as to why Anna would want to come along to visit a girlfriend's grave.
"I don't know…" Anna blushed, feeling all eyes on her.
His brown eyes swept her up and down before shrugging. "Only if you want to. I couldn't care less." He engaged Sven and Kristoff in conversation as their food arrived, not giving Anna a second thought.
She sulked in her seat and stared down at her freshly made Grand Slam breakfast.
"He may seem ungrateful," Olaf whispered, peering around Elsa to look at Anna, "but that actually means a lot to him."
"Yeah, don't let his shitty mood-swings throw you off, baby," Elsa assured, pressing a kiss against Anna's temple. "And don't let my shitty mood-swings do the same."
"It's fine… It was a little random," Anna admitted with a weak shrug.
"It was your kind heart doing the talking for you," Elsa said, finally letting go of Anna hand so she could pick up her fork and eat.
The group went their separate ways after breakfast. Olaf, Marshmallow, and Elsa to the music store, Kristoff and Sven to the theatre, and Sitron and Anna to the flower shop.
Anna wasn't quite sure what to say to him as they walked down the street. She kept glancing at him as he smoked a cigarette, looking straight forward. She kept her hands in her pockets, shoulders up to her ears with anxiousness. In the back of her head, she wished she had never offered to join him but at the same time, she knew that, for some reason, she had to join him no matter how indifferent he was.
He took a long drag of his cigarette and then flicked it on the ground, crushing it beneath his sneaker, coming to a stop. It was then Anna realized they had arrived at the flower shop. He pushed his way through the door, Anna lingering close behind him, her senses overloaded with the perfumes of the flowers surrounding her.
"Hey, Flower," Sitron said to the boy at the counter. "Thumper not in today?"
Flower? Anna thought. Then she saw the sign, just barely visible among the plethora of petals. Flower's Flowers. It hit her that the owner of the shop was named Flower.
The more she thought of the word flower, the less it sounded like a word.
"Yeah, he and Bambi are helping out at the nature center," said Flower, who was caring for a bouquet of roses. "Wait…" He seemed to notice who was standing before him. "Oh my goodness, Sitron! It's been so long!" He scurried out from behind the counter to embrace him. "How are you!?"
"I'm good," he chuckled, patting his back in response. "I've come to pick up the usual order. Lilacs and tulips."
"Of course, right away!" he chirped, bounding off to grab his request. "Who's your friend?"
Sitron turned to face a shy Anna, still hovering near the entrance with uncertainty. He reached out for her and she nervously took his hand, letting him drag her over to stand beside him.
"This is my buddy Anna. She's a roadie on our tour," he explained. "She's actually dating Elsa."
"No way! Good catch," Flower giggled. "How are you liking Wisconsin, Anna?"
"It's nice," Anna said quietly.
"It's been rough, not gonna lie," Sitron said, sensing Anna's discomfort and draping an arm around her shoulders. "Elsa's had a not-so-warm welcome. Adgar passed."
Flower's smile vanished and he slowly put down the flowers he was sorting through.
"Oh dear. I can't believe it… how's Elsa?" he asked.
"Broken up but better than she was a couple of days ago. It's a good thing, too, since our concert is tomorrow," Sitron said. "You going to that?"
"Of course!" Relieved for a change of subject, Flower's face brightened. "I can't wait to finally see you in a professional concert. Last I saw, you were all still playing in Olaf's garage, Elsa sang Nickelback, and you called yourselves Glacier."
Anna snorted into her fist and Sitron grinned. "Oh my god, that's right she did. Shit, I gotta bring that up again," he said.
"Granted, even in your early stages, you were better than Nickelback," Flower smirked, wrapping Sitron's order in lilac plastic wrap to hold it all together.
"Of course we were," Sitron said, reaching into his jacket pocket and taking out his wallet. "Everyone is better than them."
"Put that thing away!" Flower insisted, passing off the bouquet to Anna. "Your money is no good here. My loyal costumers—"
"Should pay the money they owe, my friend," he said, handing him a twenty. "Flower, I'm simply helping to keep you in business. Take the money."
He pursed his lips at him before taking the bill reluctantly. "Fine," he said tartly. "But next time, it's on me."
"You always say that but I manage to convince you otherwise. See you later, Flower. It's been good seeing you."
"Come back soon and tell Beth I said hello. It was nice to meet you, Anna."
"Oh… yeah," Anna said, waving goodbye as she and Sitron left the shop.
They walked in silence again, Anna cradling the flowers like it was a child. He gazed down at her and used the hand still around her shoulders to ruffle her hair.
"You okay, kid?" he asked.
"Mm-hm," she nodded.
"You sure? You seem stiff."
"I'm just…" She let out a breath. "It's really weird being here. You all have a history in this town and I'm suddenly a part of it. It's like walking into a photography book full of memories that have come alive."
"Then, allow me to fill you in. Flower is an old high school friend who inherited his family's old shop. He's a great guy and doesn't care that he's named Flower in spite of being a dude," Sitron said. "He and his friends Thumper and Bambi run the shop together. I came in there for the first time as a customer after Beth passed, though. Been going ever since."
"I think it's sweet that you have friends like that," Anna said.
When they fell into silence once more, it was more comfortable and Anna felt a weight lift off her chest. Sitron guided the pair of them to the cemetery and they hiked along the grassy lawn to the plot where Beth was laid to rest.
The two of them stopped in front of a gravestone, Beth's name etched into it and a quote beneath that broke Anna's heart in two, if that were even possible after everything that had happened.
Just a few more hours/And I'll be right home to you.
Sitron hummed the tune to Beth under his breath and took the bouquet from Anna, setting it down in front of her grave. Then he sat in the grass, Anna following suit. They stared at the headstone for a couple of beats, Anna unsure of what to do.
Then, Sitron spoke.
"Hey, Beth," he said softly. "I hope things are going well for you. Lighting up Heaven with that smile of yours, I'm sure. Everyone says hello, as they always do." He let himself smile, trying to hold back tears. "I brought my friend Anna along. Told her about you. I know you'd love her if you got the chance to meet her."
"Yes, hello, Beth," Anna said at once. "I… It's unfortunate we have to meet this way."
"Isn't it, though?" Sitron said, sending her a thankful smile. "So I'm back for a while here." He looked back at the grave. "I hope you enjoy our set at the concert. Elsa promised to sing Beth tomorrow just for you. A little home tribute."
"Indeed I did," came Elsa's voice.
Anna and Sitron jumped and whirled around to find Elsa, Olaf, and Marshmallow walking over to them.
"I felt it would be nice to meet you up here," Elsa said. "And personally say hello to our old friend."
"Yeah. I brought along my acoustic to play a bit for her!" Olaf said, lifting up a guitar case.
"If you don't mind, of course," Marshmallow added.
"You guys…" Sitron bit his lip and scrambled to his feet. "You didn't have to."
"Probably not. But if our visit home is gonna be melancholy, then we might as well fodder the fire," Elsa said. "However, I think I'm tired of tragedy so I'll leave you to it. I'm ready for a nap. Anna, my love, would you care to join me?"
"Oh, sure!" Anna got to her feet as well.
"Have a nice time. Beth, it was good to see you, darling," Elsa said, looping her arm with Anna's and leading her away.
The wind brushed by the five of them, warming the air significantly, as if Beth was saying thank you to them all. As Olaf and Marshmallow made themselves comfortable and the couple walked off, Sitron faced away from them and let slip a tear.
Per Elsa's request, Anna was to be in the audience. She knew exactly why. This was probably the last thing Elsa wanted to do but the blonde pulled the show must go on card on herself and decided to please her hometown.
As she stood in the front row of the pit after the opening band, she overheard conversations and picked up that some of those surrounding her personally knew Elsa from times before. Some mentioned going to high school with her, a few recalled how awkward she used to be, others claimed they were surprised she made it this far. Anna even heard some people remembering Olaf, Sitron, and Marshmallow.
The fact that the most eccentric group of friends gathered together to make a band—and a popular one at that—was a fact that everyone was pleased to know. That the seemingly hopeless band Glacier, desperately trying to get up off the ground in the music world, had taken flight as Dry Ice and now had a number one hit that was known across the entire globe.
Lights finally started to dim and the crowd went wild. People screamed individual names, more so than Anna had ever heard in other concerts. The bassline started and Sitron strode on stage, thumping away. A chant bearing his name grew across the room.
Then, Marshmallow came out from behind the drum platform, climbed up, and started to play along. Sitron's name melted into the drummer's. Olaf arrived, his fingers shredding on the guitar and the chanting grew, this time yelling Olaf's name.
Elsa's voice rang out, though she remained offstage, "Ah, it's good to be home, isn't it, boys?"
Anna went deaf for a second as the audience exploded with Elsa's name. The redhead stuck a finger in her ear, wincing with slight pain. Even Arendelle wasn't this loud when Dry Ice performed.
The trapdoor on the stage slid open and Elsa was lifted up onto the stage, wireless microphone in her hand, fist in the air.
"I missed this place," Elsa said with a grin. "I hope you're ready to rock 'n roll with some old buddies."
Although Elsa seemed to be bubbling over with excitement and joy, Anna knew that Elsa was really keeping it all together. It was hard for her to be back on stage after such a heaviness had invaded her heart, weighing her down. A personal talent of Elsa's was to put on those façades and make everyone believe what she wants them to believe.
"Let's start with a little favorite of mine…" Elsa said, snapping her fingers and they boys started to play My World by Avril Lavigne on command.
Her icy eyes found Anna's teal ones in the crowd and smiles were exchanged, instant relief flooding through Elsa. She was able to get through the first set with ease, playing off Anna when she felt she was off her game. Anna kept up her usual dancing "with" Elsa and the boys, but they all knew it wasn't as fun as it usually was. She was keeping them all afloat as best as she could, making them perform the best they could during such a melancholy time.
Like she promised, a rendition Beth was performed and everyone in the audience held up their phones in lieu of candles, lights glowing bright. Sitron even teared up, playing his heart out for his long lost love.
After Elsa sand Let It Go, the lights didn't go down like they usually did. Anna stared, brows furrowed, and waited for the band to say their goodbyes. Elsa set the mic on the holder and asked for silence, which she was given at once.
"So, I always end the show with that song but… tonight…" Elsa sighed. "I don't think I can do so. You see, I lost my father a few days ago to cancer and I…" She choked up, her voice cracking. "I'd like to sing a song dedicated to him, if I may." She turned to look off stage. "Kristoff, the piano, please?"
The blonde roadie came out rolling a piano with the help of a few other stagehands. They put it in place and Elsa sat in front of it. Kristoff gave Elsa a headset and a supportive smile before heading offstage. As Elsa put on the headset, the entire stage darkened except a spotlight on Elsa and the instrument.
"I know it's more of a song about God and whatever but the term 'father' is used in it a lot so… It works for me at this point." Elsa cleared her throat. "So, to my father Adgar Andersen, this is for you. Hold My Heart by Tenth Avenue North…"
Elsa began to play the piano and sing the song, and Anna's mouth slowly fell open. Tears welled in her eyes and she could hear others around her start to sniffle. The boys joined in when it was time to do so, making the music swell with emotion.
Anna started to cry and cry hard. Her heart was shattering in a million pieces and she knew she wasn't alone. Elsa was even allowing herself to cry as her fingers danced across the ivories, playing each note with such passion that the audience could physically feel it.
When the final note died away, the crowd was left in a stunned silence. Elsa sat at the piano until the lights went off. Only then did the audience erupt in supportive, affectionate applause for their hometown hero. Yet on stage, Elsa was glued to the seat, weeping into her hands. Sven had turned the mic off as soon as the song ended in case Elsa couldn't hold it in.
Olaf, Marshmallow, and Sitron rushed over to her and helped her offstage, Anna already elbowing her way over to Oaken so she could get backstage, a trail of tear stains on her freckled face. He allowed her back at once and Anna rushed towards Elsa, who was doing her best to make it to the dressing room. But as soon as she saw Anna, her lifeline, she broke away from the boys and met her halfway, getting enveloped in the warmest hug.
"You wanna go home?" Anna asked.
"No… no, I have a job to do," Elsa said, pulling back and wiping her eyes. "I have some fans I have to meet." She offered Anna a strained smile. "Just help clear the stage. I'll be okay."
"Are you sure?" Anna said, cupping Elsa's face and searching it carefully. "You know you can just go—"
"I know, I know. But I can't let them down. Not while I'm here."
"Alright. Just let me know and we'll get the hell outta here." Anna kissed her cheek. "Be strong, my hero."
Elsa winked at her with a tiny smirk before meeting back up with the guys and heading over to meet those with backstage passes. Anna followed a passing Kristoff back onto the stage so she could start packing things up.
She had to admire Elsa for remaining loyal to the fans who were itching to meet her. No matter what sort of turmoil Elsa was going through, she knew that her fans were important and a driving force in her career. They helped make it, after all, just by buying her song.
Around three in the morning, a sweaty and sore Anna trudged back onto the bus, equally exhausted Kristoff and already half-asleep Sven right behind her. The band members were all passed out in their bunks, Elsa in her room. Anna bid them goodnight and entered Elsa's bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her.
To her surprise, Elsa was still awake, waiting for her.
"Elsa?" Anna said cautiously.
"I didn't wanna go to bed without you," Elsa yawned. "Well, okay, I also didn't want to sleep alone."
"Mm, I understand." Anna removed her clothes except her bra and underpants, too tired to get her pajamas, and crawled into bed with Elsa. "I'm proud of you, y'know. For performing tonight, for still meeting with fans… you really are my hero."
"And you're mine," Elsa breathed. "Thank you for everything. For dealing with me and all this."
"Elsa, this is what I do. I have to be here for you through the good times and the bad and I know you'll do the same." She kissed Elsa's lips softly. "Because we love each other."
A sleepy smile was sent Anna's way before icy blue eyes locked shut, sending Elsa into a well-deserved sleep.
Next: a slice of the past. Stay tuned.
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