A/N Hello. Okay, I think I owe you guys an apology and I know I'm really late. However, a lot of things have happened lately mainly because of the ugly wolf Covid. Without further ado, enjoy this. Thank you very much.
"Are you sure you've thought carefully about this?"
Jack asked Elsa when they were in the office that afternoon. Although the two of them had a beautiful dinner date last night, he still couldn't shake off the bad thoughts about Manny's plans for revenge. All night he thought about how he could tell this news without causing panic, but here was Elsa, asking him to help her find her father.
He didn't want to say this out loud, that looking for her father now, in his opinion, wasn't such a good idea. They had more pressing matters that both of them had to pay attention to, which was Manny's vengeance. Besides, he didn't want to see her disappointed for the second time when what she expected was not the same as what she would find. He saw how devastated she was when she found out who her real mother was and it wasn't impossible that the same thing would happen again.
"Of course I am, Jack." Elsa's demeanor changed from being excited and full of hope that she would be able to have the perfect family, her, her mother, and her father, to being a little doubtful whether Jack felt the same way. "What? Why did you ask like that?" Her smile faded slightly.
Jack stared at the face in front of him. He really didn't want to say this but he thought finding her father would make things even more complicated. What if her father was a bad person? What if she had been so hopeful but she would never find her father? He didn't want her to be disappointed again.
"Elsa, listen. This is me as the person closest to you. I just want to give you some advices." What Jack said made Elsa's face turn serious and then she crossed her arms over her chest. "It looks like you don't need to look for your father."
From serious, Elsa's face turned in disbelief. "What did you just say? Why? Why don't I need to look for my father?"
"Because I don't want you to be disappointed again. I don't want you to be disappointed once you find out who your real father is."
Elsa laughed dryly because she thought what Jack was saying didn't make sense. "Jack, I'm going to meet my father. There's no way I'll be disappointed. He is so loving, caring, kind-"
"That's if he's really like that. What if it was the other way around?"
"Jack, it can't be the other way around, okay? I know it. My mother told me everything."
"Are you sure your mother told you the truth?"
Now Elsa was offended. "What? Of course, Jack. There's no way my mother would lie to me."
But Jack didn't seem convinced. He still thought that looking for her father now, was not a good idea. He looked down and shook his head slowly. "I don't think so, Elsa. You don't have to look for your father. At least not now. Why are you looking for your father, anyway?"
Hearing that, Elsa was irritated. Her body stiffened and her face hardened. "Jack, I'm just asking you to come with me. To take me there. If you don't want to, that's fine. You just have to tell me. Why does it have to be complicated like this? I can go alone."
Here we go again. Elsa's independent mode. Jack then took Elsa's hand. "Elsa, don't be stubborn like this."
Elsa quickly withdrew her hand from Jack's grip. She was on the verge of anger. "You don't have to tell me what to do. If you don't want to take me there, that's fine. And I don't care what you have to say, but I'm going to meet my father. End of story." She stared at Jack fiercely and coldly for a second before finally turning around and walking out of Jack's room.
Jack saw anger mixed with disappointment on Elsa's face. But he felt he was doing the right thing and with Elsa being so stubborn, he couldn't take it anymore and finally something he had been trying to avoid coming out of his mouth, finally burst out uncontrollably.
"Elsa, you have to remember who your mother is! All the men in the world can claim he is your father because of what? Because your mother had slept with everyone!"
Elsa stopped dead in her track. She slowly turned around and stared at Jack in disbelief that he could and had the heart to say such a thing. She walked slowly back towards Jack, but it seemed Jack was still not done with what he wanted to say.
"And the man you say is your father, I'm sure he's not a good person. You have to remember who your mother is!"
Elsa's breathing changed rapidly due to suppressed anger, her eyes filled with tears that had begun to gather. How could someone who said that he loved her, could speak like that. Her hand without her knowing who was moving it, moved quickly to slap Jack hard on the cheek.
"How dare you say something like that, Jack." Elsa pointed at Jack's face with her finger. Anger radiated from every fiber of her body. Before she said something she might regret, she turned and quickly left the room.
While Jack, the stinging feeling in his cheeks made him realize what he had said. He regretted that he didn't think clearly before speaking. He then ran after Elsa who was now walking towards her room.
"Elsa! Listen to me. I'm sorry. Elsa!" Jack tried to grab Elsa's hand but she quickly pulled her hand back. Elsa was just there, standing staring at him intently with tears already running down her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot.
"I'm so sorry, Elsa. I don't know what I just said. I have a lot on my plate right now." Jack looked very sorry and although his apology sounded sincere and his face said the same thing, the words had already come out and could not be taken back.
Elsa just stood there, staring at him intently with bloodshot eyes. She didn't even blink. Her chest heaved up and down heavily and her hands clenched into fists like she was holding back the storm that was rumbling within her.
"Sorry." That was all that came out of Jack's mouth, realizing that he had hurt Elsa, only God knows if she would forgive him or not. It would have been better if she scolded him and shouted at him, but with only her being silent like this, he was sure that the term for going too far was an understatement.
"Are you done talking?" Asked Elsa finally.
But Jack was at a loss for words. He knew that talking more might just make Elsa angrier. So he could only shut his mouth and let her who finally turned around and went into her room and locked the door.
Agnarr stopped his car in the parking lot where he used to frequent. Years ago, he had to find a good and big hospital all the way to Eirlys because people said that this hospital had so many doctors who were smart and could cure his daughter's mother. Though in the end he had to see how devastated his daughter was when she was faced with the fact that her mother had to give up. He would never forget that and was determined to make her smile ever since.
Even though he had turned off the car engine, he still stayed in the car and thought about what he would say to his daughter. Ever since his meeting with Manny last week, he had been having a debate in his heart and mind about what he should do. Yes, he had agreed he would take his revenge because he had said before that he promised to help Manny when the time came, and he was a person who always kept his word and never broke it. But he had sworn that he would live his life well and would not do things that would upset his daughter.
Honestly, he felt grateful because when he visited his target last night, he didn't meet them. He wasn't ready and didn't know what he was going to do. All week he thought about it, but he still hesitated to start. And here he was, an hour ago calling his daughter and asking her to meet just to clear his head. For some, listening to his daughter's ramblings would be a little upsetting, but for him, it was time for him to find peace of mind and maybe he would come to a decision.
He got out of the car and took his cell phone out of his trouser pocket and found that he got one message. It was from his daughter.
Dad, I'm in the PICU. East building, Pediatric Unit, 15th floor.
Agnarr smiled and put his cell phone back in his trouser pocket. He didn't have to bother trying to find out where his daughter was, because he already knew that. He knew the way from the parking lot to the inside of the hospital area like he knew the back of his hand. So, a few minutes later, he was already outside the PICU room, waving at his daughter who was holding a newborn baby through the glass wall. He smiled to see his daughter seemed very lithe with the baby in her arms. Maybe dr. Hunt was right after all.
"Dad! I can't believe you were serious about you wanting to visit me!" Anna came out of the PICU and attacked her father with a big and warm hug. And his father just laughed and patted her head when they finished with a hug. "I'm so happy now."
"Is it already your break time? Let's have lunch, Sweetheart. I can see from the look on your face that you are hungry." Agnarr chuckled but Anna burst out laughing instead.
"You know me so well, Dad. Okay, I have to ask permission from dr. Robinson first so, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Agnarr nodded and a few minutes later they were both already in the hospital food court on the ground floor of the main building, enjoying two servings of their favorite sandwich.
"So, what are we going to talk about?" Anna asked between chews.
"I'll listen to anything you want to talk about, Sweetheart. Just tell me your day was." Agnarr simply shrugged and put half of his sandwich on the plate and brought his hands together under his chin with his elbows resting on the table.
"Okay.This morning started really well, actually. Dr. Robinson was in such a good mood that when I assisted her in one of the first surgeries of the day, no scolding came out of her mouth. And..."
Agnarr smiled as his peace of mind greeted when his daughter starting to talk. He could still hear and understand what his daughter was talking about while his brain worked to think of solutions to the problems he was facing. And it was like he was in a portal to the past when the voices of the people who had filled his life echoed in his head.
"You must do as I tell you, Agnarr. No excuses. You've been off track for too long and it's time for you think about your future." Came his father's voice when he was forced to do something he was so reluctant to do so. And in fact, he was already planning to run away from home by then.
"I know you can never love me, Agnarr. But for the sake of your unborn child in my womb, I beg you, you must stop and give them what they want. Your battle scar is long enough. You knew that even though you've never learned. I will never know what kind of man you are, but you're going to be a father and still have to show love to your daughter and kindness to your son. But you know what, you've ended before you've begun. You've ended before you've begun, Agnarr."
The last words of his wife when she broke the news that she was pregnant with his first child kept echoing in his head. And suddenly, he knew what to do.
"You really said that?" Emilia asked in disbelief when her son told her about his fight with Elsa. Even in her wildest imagination, she never once thought that her son would be able to say such a thing.
"I know I messed everything up, Mom. And I'm so sorry." Said Jack, rising to his feet and throwing a few deadly jabs at the bag in front of him. He was so angry with himself.
Emelia, who was sitting in a chair not far from Jack, looked away and stared at the backyard trying to think of a problem that had just arisen. "What were you thinking? You can't just say sorry for something like that, Jack. You must have really hurt her feelings." She said, looking back at her son still in disbelief.
"Yesterday, Jamie said that Manny will take revenge on Elsa and her mother. Manny has told his confidants to do it because he can't do it himself from behind bars." Said Jack with pent-up anger. He sat back down beside his mother and held his head in his hands. "I was still looking for ways to tell her without causing panic but then she wanted to find her father instead. I can't let her down a second time when she finds out who her real father is."
"She didn't know that, Jack." Emelia cut Jack off. "She didn't know that you know about Manny's revenge. And you don't know who her father is, yet. Maybe I'm your mother but I still think that you are at the wrong." She added, gripping her son's shoulder to show that she was serious.
"I know that, Mom. I messed everything up. And I promise that I will make this right. But I'm not sure that Elsa will forgive me just like that."
"You still have to try, Jack." Emelia held her son's cheek and made him look at her. "Do you love her?"
"With all my heart."
"Do you want to see her hurt?"
"No. Absolutely not."
"Then you should go to her and tell her everything you know. And most importantly, apologize to her. What you said to her was wrong and you shouldn't say such a thing."
"Is there something wrong with your ring, Elsa? You just keep staring at your ring and you seem to forget your dinner." Iduna finally got up the courage to ask when Elsa didn't even touch her dinner and kept staring at her engagement ring.
Ever since Iduna welcomed her daughter home from work this evening, she had thought that something was wrong with her daughter. Elsa had a gloomy face and only spoke when she was asked about something. And now that her gloomy demeanor continued, she couldn't help but ask. She did not like to see her daughter sad.
While Elsa, being asked that by her mother, looked up and folded her arms on the table, covering her ringed hand with the other. "Mom, can I ask you something? But maybe you won't feel comfortable with this question." She asked without hesitation. Her anger at Jack's words from this afternoon still lingered in her heart that she felt she had to get answers with the questions that were on her mind.
"Okay?" Iduna straightened her seat and got ready because she thought this would be a serious conversation.
"When people called you a whore, a prostitute, what did you think? Did you feel angry at them?" Elsa asked. She lowered her voice when she saw the change in emotion on her mother's face.
Iduna was taken aback by the question but then she smiled. She felt that one day this kind of question would arise and she had no intention of hiding anything from her daughter.
"I was ashamed. Embarrassed. But then again, I had no other choice at that time, well, maybe I did, but I was too stupid and chose to take the shortcut until I ended up stuck. I was too busy to think about what people would think of me because all I thought about was how to fill my stomach." Iduna reached out to take Elsa's hand and squeezed it gently. "They only knew my story, in their version, but they never knew what I was going through. And I learned not to think about it." She added with a smile.
Elsa imitated Iduna's smile but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "It's about father. Was he," She paused and hesitated whether to continue her question or not. But then she swallowed hard and decided she had to know the answer. "Was he one of your clients?"
Iduna automatically withdrew her hand and her eyes widened. "Elsa, I told you about your father yesterday. I told you that I have known him before I got caught up in prostitution. He wasn't one my clients." She gasped in silence as she realized where her daughter's question was headed. "I firmly believe that Agnarr is your father. And he was not one of my clients. So don't even think that your father is some random man I had slept with."
Regret arose in Elsa's heart when she saw the emotion on her mother's face, and now her eyes were starting to tear up. "I'm sorry, Mom. I shouldn't have doubted you. Please forgive me." She took Iduna's hand and gave it a firm squeeze.
Iduna understood why her daughter asked such a question and it was very natural when a child questioned who her parents were. "It's okay, Sweetheart. I just want you to know that I know for sure who your father is and that, is Agnarr Arendelle."
"Okay." Elsa stopped for a moment and then cleared her throat. "Tomorrow I will look for father. I'm not going to the office."
"Are you serious about that, Sweetheart?" Iduna still wasn't too sure about her daughter's plans because they didn't have any clue other than the address where Agnarr's parents lived.
"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"
And dinner just went by without anything meaningful happening with Elsa mostly silent and looking gloomy again. Iduna didn't want to push her too far because she didn't want to make her daughter feel uncomfortable. She was sure that if her daughter wanted to, Elsa would tell her what she was thinking without being asked.
Until the next morning Iduna sat on the side of Elsa's bed and watched her prepare, this time not in an office suit and only in a long top and jeans, Iduna still felt a doubt in her heart that looking for Agnarr might not be a good idea. But seeing her daughter so determined to find her father, she couldn't do much.
"Mom, I'll keep looking for father. Because our happiness will be more complete if we can have a perfect family. Like you, me and father." Elsa said, stuffing her phone into her bag.
"You don't have to do that, Elsa." Iduna was still trying to get Elsa to think about her plan again. And that made Elsa look up and frown. She zipped her bag and then knelt before her mother.
"I used to hope too, Sweetheart." Said Iduna again. "I used to wish for him to come back to me. But only disappointment I got. I don't want you to be disappointed too."
To be honest, Elsa was sick of hearing the word 'disappointed'. She would be the one to decide whether to be disappointed or not when the time came. "Mom, no matter what, I'll still be looking for father. I will continue to look for him and I will only stop looking for him when he is found."
It left Iduna speechless because she knew better than to argue with her daughter. She then stroked her daughter's cheek and chuckled softly. "Stubborn you." She said, earning a small grin on her daughter's face. She then cupped Elsa's face and kissed her forehead. "I hope he doesn't disappoint you too. I really don't want you to be disappointed."
"Okay." Elsa grabbed both of Iduna's wrists and kissed one of her hands. "I think I have to go now. Kai is waiting for me in the car and I don't know what it will be like, so I have to leave early." She stood up and grabbed her bag. However, Iduna held her back and stared at her in confusion.
"What, Mom?"
"You're going with Kai? You're not going with Jack?" And Iduna frowned at the change in expression on her daughter's face.
"He's busy." Elsa looked away and reached for her bag. "Come on. Let's get outside."
Iduna's frown deepened at her daughter's answer. But when she saw Elsa walking out and didn't seem to want to talk any further, she had no choice but to save the question for later.
And moments later, she was already on the porch watching Elsa's car come out of the gate. She couldn't help but think what would have happened if Elsa had really been able to find Agnarr.
Is Agnarr still as he used to be? Will he admit Elsa as his daughter considering she hadn't had a chance to tell him about her pregnancy? What if he is married and has children? What if Elsa's appearance will only make things worse and will make her disappointed?
Iduna shook her head slowly and tried to get rid of the bad thoughts. She then went into the house and was about to make a cup of tea in the kitchen when she noticed a pot of boiling water. She looked around to find Olina's whereabouts because Olina might have forgotten she was boiling water.
Iduna turned off the stove and put off her desire to make tea to find Olina first. She looked in the backyard and couldn't find her there. She then tried her luck and looked for her in the front yard and she smiled seeing Olina sweeping the front yard and she was just about to call her when she noticed Marshall talking to someone at the gate. She couldn't see the visitor clearly because the visitor' body was covered in Marshall's big body.
"Olina." Iduna called Olina from the front doorway and immediately Olina came to her.
"Yes, Ma'am?"
"Looks like there's a guest. Go over there and ask if the guest needs to see Elsa. If so, tell the guest that it's best to come back later tonight." Iduna said, squinting, trying to see clearly the guest' face.
Olina did as she was told and she then trotted over to Marshall and the guest. She faintly heard a conversation between Marshall the guest about waiting.
"It's okay. I'll wait for her until she comes home. I will wait in the car." The guest said.
"But, Sir. Miss Elsa just left. She might just be home tonight." Marshall tried to explain. He turned his head when he realized Olina was standing next to him.
"Who is he, Marshall?" Olina asked quietly, watching the guest before her. "Who is he looking for?" She shrunk a little when she got the guest's full attention.
"He is looking for Miss Elsa. I told him Miss Elsa just left a moment ago. But he insisted on waiting." Said Marshall.
Hearing that, Olina remembered Iduna's words. "I'm sorry, Sir. Miss Elsa's mother said, you better come back later tonight. So that Miss Elsa is home and you can meet her." She said trying not to be nervous because the eyes of the guest in front of her were so intimidating.
The guest was silent for a moment and glanced briefly at the front door. But because the distance was quite far, he couldn't seem to see clearly Iduna who was standing there.
"Oh, really?" The guest asked. He looked annoyed but still showed his domineering face. He then put his hands in his pockets and sighed softly. "Please tell Miss Elsa, I'll be back later tonight." He glanced once more at the front door and then turned around to walk away without a proper goodbye.
Olina gawked at the visitor's behaviour which she thought was strange. She looked at Marshall next to him and it was clear that Marshall wasn't happy with his guest this time either.
"Do you know that man, Marshall?" Olina asked, elbowing Marshall beside her.
Marshall shook his head and took a few steps to close the gate. "Yesterday he was here and looking for Miss Elsa. That person is such an oddity."
Olina frowned at Marshall's choice of words. "Oddity? What do you mean by that?"
"Yes. I call him that because he seems to have bad intentions towards Miss Elsa." Marshall said sounding so sure, looking back at Olina after locking the gate.
"Don't be like that, Marshall. You still don't know about that yet. Oh, by the way, what is his name?"
"His name is Arendelle, Olina. Agnarr Arendelle."
Olina nodded and smiled. "Agnarr Arendelle. Alright, I'll tell Ms. Iduna." She turned around and trotted back to Iduna who was still standing where she was.
"Who is he, Olina? Is he looking for Elsa?" Iduna asked when Olina was already standing before her.
"Yes, Ma'am. He is looking for Miss Elsa. Marshall said, his name is Agnarr Arendelle."