Chapter 21: Auld Lang Syne
A sense of hustle and bustle filled the Ink and Paint Club as members of the staff hurried back and forth to finish setting up for the New Year's Eve party that would be held there that evening. Streamers colored blue and gold had been run back and forth overhead in crisscrossing patterns while a few paper mache balls designed to open up at the stroke of midnight dangled between them. The penguin waiters were busy setting up the tables for the party goers while the band tuned their instruments on stage. By the bar, Jessica stood in her usual red evening gown observing her staff, her arms crossed over her chest and an appraising look on her face.
"This seems like a lot of effort to put in for what's supposed to be kind of a small get together, Jessica," Roger commented from where he stood next to his wife.
"This might seem like just a little party, darling," Jessica replied, her gaze still focused on the room before her, "But it could have big ramifications for the entire Magic Kingdom. And for that reason, I can't have the club looking anything less than it's best."
At that moment, Lola stepped into the room, carrying a large paper bag.
"Ah, there you are, Lola," Jessica greeted as she walked over to her daughter, "Did you get what I asked for?"
"Right here," Lola replied as she reached into the bag and pulled out a green glass bottle, holding it up for Jessica to see, "Twelve bottles of champagne, made by Dionysus himself."
"You're wonderful, you know that?" Jessica commented as she took the bag from Lola and kissed her on the forehead, "I appreciate you sticking around for a few more days to help me out."
"It's not a problem, Mom," Lola replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "You know I love visiting you guys for the holidays. Plus, as much as I love him, it's nice to get a break from Bugs every once in a while."
"Is he giving you trouble?" Roger questioned as he narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger at Lola, "Because if he is, you just say the word and your old man will-"
"Dad, stop," Lola said with a laugh as she leaned down and squished Roger's cheeks together playfully, "Bugs and I have been together for years now. I think it's a little late to pull out the overprotective dad routine."
"You're never too old for your father to care about you," Roger replied through his smushed mouth before Lola released him and stood up straight again.
"I know," Lola said as she gave Roger a warm smile, "But there's nothing wrong. Bugs is, well, Bugs, and that means he can be….a lot sometimes."
"Oh, trust me, darling," Jessica said as she began carrying the bag to a different part of the room, "I know exactly how you feel."
"Yeah, we…." Roger began to say before a confused look crossed his face, "Hey wait a minute."
Lola could only laugh.
At that point, Elsa and Ralph walked in, both carrying bags ladened with decorations.
"Ah, there you two are," Jessica greeted as she set the bag of champagne down on the bar, "Were you able to get everything?"
"Sure were," Ralph confirmed as he walked over to the table, "Got a bunch of decorations to hang up along with this big….confetti….ball….thing."
As Ralph spoke, he reached into one of the bags and pulled out a tan colored ball roughly as big as his own head, much larger than the other balls already hanging from the ceiling, which he studied curiously.
"Careful with that, Ralph," Elsa said worriedly, "We don't want that going off too soon."
"Er, right," Ralph agreed as he cautiously set the ball down on the table.
"I'll get the staff to set everything up for us," Jessica stated as she began looking around at her employees, who were still hurrying back and forth across the club.
"It's alright, Jessica," Elsa said as she gave the other woman a friendly smile, "We can set these things up ourselves."
"Nonsense," Jessica replied with a wave of her hand, "The two of you have already done more than enough for the event. Now, both of you sit down and take a break while we set everything up."
Elsa's first urge was to argue, but with a sigh, she sat down at the table, prompting Ralph to as well.
"There, much better," Jessica said approvingly as she picked up some of the bags the couple had brought in, "Now, sit tight and let one of my staff know if you need a refreshment or anything."
"Thank you, Jessica," Elsa replied with a warm but slightly annoyed smile, causing the redhead to smile defiantly back at her before sashaying away.
"You know, for someone who grew up in a castle, you certainly seem eager to help out," Ralph observed with a smirk.
"Well, I might not have grown up a rough-handed working man like yourself, but that doesn't mean I'm some pampered princess," Elsa replied defiantly.
At this, Ralph could only arch an eyebrow.
"Alright, well, obviously I lived a more privileged life than most, but I did my fair share of work around the castle," Elsa insisted.
"Didn't you have servants for that?" Ralph inquired.
"Not fully," Elsa admitted with a look of chagrin, "After my powers became more dangerous, my parents got so worried about me hurting people that they dismissed most of the staff. So for a number of years it was just our steward Kai and our maid Gerda, and because of that, I ended up learning how to do more than a few things on my own."
"Well, you certainly have a foot up on me," Ralph admitted, "You don't learn about tidying up from living in a dump."
"I've noticed," Elsa observed with a small chuckle.
"Hey!" Ralph exclaimed, his tone a mixture of insult and amusement, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm just saying that your apartment is rather….spartan," Elsa explained gently, "And perhaps a little untidy. It could just use a little sprucing up is all I mean."
"Is this you offering?" Ralph questioned with a smirk.
"I'm not your mother," Elsa admonished with a smile, before her expression turned shy, "But you might be able to convince me to help you do it."
"The way I convinced you to sing for me?" Ralph inquired, his grin turning flirtatious.
"You are incorrigible, Wreck-It Ralph," Elsa replied with a scoff, her cheeks turning pink as she spoke.
"Thank you," Ralph replied as his smile grew.
"It's not a-" Elsa began to say, but cut herself off as she noticed the expression on Ralph's face and gently slapped him on his knee, "You're teasing me!"
"What can I say, you're pretty when you blush," Ralph admitted with a shrug.
Smiling and biting her lip at the same time, Elsa held Ralph's gaze, enjoying the way he looked at her as her cheeks glowed red.
"Hey, there he is!" someone called, causing the couple to come back to reality as they looked towards the source of the voice and found Jim the crow walking over to them, "The big man who brought the house down!"
As Jim stopped next to their table, he leaned against it while grinning broadly at the couple.
"Or should I say, wrecked it?" Jim added, chuckling at his own joke before holding a feathered fist towards Ralph.
"Thanks, man," Ralph replied as he bumped his knuckles against Jim's, "Good to see you again."
"So, you getting up on stage again?" Jim inquired, "I'm betting you've got another song in you."
"I don't think I'll be doing that tonight," Ralph answered with a shake of his head, "I was surprised enough that I knew one song that well. Don't want to risk that's the only one I know."
"Fair enough, big man," Jim chuckled with a shake of his head, before he turned his attention towards Elsa, "What about you, little lady? Rumor is you've got quite the set of pipes yourself."
"Oh no," Elsa replied with a quick shake of her head, her face going pale at the thought of singing on stage, "I don't think-no, I won't be doing that."
"Fair enough," Jim said with a helpless shrug, "Looks like it will be up to me and my band to entertain everyone tonight. Speaking of which, I should get back to helping them set up. Catch you two later!"
"See ya!" Ralph replied, giving Jim a wave as he left before turning his attention back towards Elsa, "You know, I'm sure people would enjoy it if you performed."
"Maybe," Elsa allowed with a small shrug, "But it's not something I can see myself doing any time soon. I think I'll keep my performances….private for now."
With that, Elsa reached out and laid her hand on Ralph's, smiling at him from across the table. Ralph returned the smile before turning his hand over and gently taking Elsa's in his, enjoying the sensation of her cool skin against his own.
Later,
A few hours had passed and the New Year's Eve party was in full swing. The usual crowd from Bad Guys Anonymous had come and were scattered around the room, milling about with Ralph and Elsa's friends and family.
"And then I said, "Liquor? I don't even know her!"" Hades joked, earning laughs from Elsa, Ralph, Vanellope and Dash.
"Oh, wow, that's….that's a blue joke," Elsa said between giggles, "Certainly more…risque than I'm used to."
"That's nothing," Vanellope, in her teenaged form, replied with a snort.
"What do you mean?" Elsa questioned as her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, you know how you told me about that whole "your voice remembers the songs it has sung" thing?" Vanellope asked in reply, "Well, I tried it and while I don't know a lot of songs, it turns out that whoever my voice belongs to knows a lot of jokes."
"What kind of jokes?" Ralph questioned warily.
Vanellope's only response was to smile wickedly.
Meanwhile, Loki stood to one side of the room, watching the party as he nursed a drink.
"Is this seriously what you do at parties?" Anna suddenly said as she walked up next to him, bumping her shoulder gently against his as she did, "Just stand in the corner and brood?"
"I am not brooding," Loki replied defensively, "I'm merely….observing."
"Sure," Anna said with a snort of amusement, "Look, I know you try to project this, like, aloof loner thing, but I see right through you."
"Do you, now?" Loki questioned, arching his brow as he smirked at Anna in amusement, "Tell me, princess, what insights have your piercing gaze gained from staring into my wicked soul?"
"You're lonely," Anna answered bluntly, uncertainty seeping into her expression as she watched for Loki's reaction.
Quietly, Loki blinked in surprise, his only indication that Anna's words had caught him off guard before his whole face transformed into a blank stony mask and he turned away from her.
"Good evening, princess," Loki said curtly as he began walking away.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Anna exclaimed as she quickly ran in front of him, prompting Loki to stop, "Hold up!"
Loki looked down at Anna with an icy glare, prompting the princess to smile apologetically at him.
"Okay, that was probably too blunt, sorry," Anna awkwardly apologized as her smile fell, "What I was really trying to say is I understand what you're feeling."
"You do, do you?" Loki scoffed, sarcasm dripping from every word.
"Look," Anna sighed, "Elsa told me about what you had said in your meeting. About how you and your brother used to be close, but now you're, well, estranged."
"That's putting it mildly," Loki replied derisively, "So much for anonymity, I suppose."
"Okay, that's fair, but I've attended these meetings before too, you know," Anna countered, "And Elsa only told me what you said because she knew I could relate to you about it."
"Relate?" Loki echoed as he snorted at the absurdity, "How could you ever be relatable to me?"
"Wow, sometimes I forget about that massive ego you've got going for you," Anna observed with a roll of her eyes, "My point is that what you've gone through with Thor isn't that different from me and Elsa growing up. Sure, I never tried to, you know, kill Elsa or anything, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel like it some days."
Loki let out a small chuckle of amusement at this, and Anna smiled before pressing her advantage.
"All I'm trying to say is that I've felt the exact type of loneliness you have," Anna went on, "To have someone be your closest companion, to have someone love you with all their heart, and then to have them just stop one day. It's one of the worst feelings in the world."
Loki quietly stared down at the floor as he digested Anna's words, all of the condensation draining out of his face.
"Have you ever thought of….reaching out to Thor?" Anna inquired as she arched an eyebrow at Loki.
"...The thought has crossed my mind on lonely nights," Loki admitted, "But there is simply too much bad blood between us. As you said, you never attempted to murder your sibling. In the end, our mutual resentment always wins out."
"I know it seems insurmountable now, but if you give it a chance, the results might surprise you," Anna pressed, "I mean, I can tell you're looking to reach out to people. Why else would you just start randomly hanging out around the Magic Kingdom?"
"Maybe I have my own sinister motivations?" Loki suggested.
"Or maybe you're a big fat liar telling big fat lies?" Anna countered with a smirk.
"Perhaps," Loki allowed with a chuckle before he arched an eyebrow at Anna, "So what brought the desire to have this conversation about, princess?"
"Like I said, Elsa told me what you had talked about," Anna answered as she shrugged her shoulders, "And well, I've always tried to live by what my Papa taught me."
"Oh, and what's that?" Loki inquired.
"When things are tough and you don't know what to do, you should always try to do the next right thing," Anna explained.
"The next right thing?" Loki repeated as he furrowed his brow in confusion, "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean doing the next right thing," Anna repeated like it was obvious, "Like, in any given situation, you should be doing the morally correct thing."
"What if the morally correct thing to do is also the harder thing?" Loki inquired, his expression turning pensive.
"Then you should especially be doing the right thing," Anna answered as she pointed a finger at Loki.
As Loki thought over what Anna had said, the princess looked across the room at some of the other partygoers.
"Look, I think I've got to go rescue Kristoff from Ursula, but just think about what I said, okay?" Anna requested.
Loki could only mumble a few noises of acknowledgement before Anna turned and hurried away, leaving the god alone with his thoughts.
Later,
As the party wore on and the clock drew closer to midnight, the partygoers moved to sit at many of the tables that had been set up, enjoying drinks and the music being played by Jim and the Crows.
"Oh come on, they were hilarious!" Hades argued, laughing as he spoke.
"They were vulgar!" Elsa replied, keeping her voice hushed as she glanced over at Vanellope sitting at another table, talking with Dash, "I don't know who her voice originally belonged to, but they need to have their mouth washed out with soap. Those were not things a little girl should be saying."
"I mean, she's not really a little girl anymore, is she?" Seph inquired as she looked over at Vanellope as well, smiling as she watched the teenager shyly reach out and take Dash's hand in her own.
"Ugh, don't remind me," Ralph stated as he took a sip of rootbeer, "Every time I see her like that, I'm worried someone's hacked her code again or something."
"I know," Roger spoke up from a different part of the table, leaning an arm on the table to prop up his head as he sighed wistfully, "They grow up so fast. One day, they're your little girl and the next, they're leaving with their husbands."
In reply, Lola, who was sitting next to Roger, wrapped an arm around his shoulders and kissed him on the forehead.
"I love you too, Dad," Lola stated.
Smirking at the display, Hades glanced around the room before his eyes caught sight of someone entering the room. Doing a double take as he realized who the person was, Hades' eyes went and he nearly choked on his drink.
"Uh, don't look now," Hades coughed as the others looked at him in alarm, "But, uh, someone just-"
Before Hades could finish, the sound of a glass smashing resounded through the room, causing everyone in attendance, including the band, to go utterly silent. Looking over at where the sound had come from, the partygoers spotted Anna standing near the bar, staring at the door to the club, the remains of a glass sitting at her feet.
Looking over towards the door, Ralph's eyes widened in surprise as he spotted Prince Hans standing by the entrance, doing his best to look composed but nervously playing with his gloved hands all the same.
Feeling Elsa's cold hand on his, Ralph looked down at his girlfriend, who had reflexively gripped him as she openly stared at Hans.
"Elsa?" Ralph spoke up, causing her to blink in surprise as she looked up at the wrecker, "Do you think Anna might need your help?"
"Um, yes," Elsa confirmed with a small nod, "I should….I should do that."
With that, Elsa rose to her feet and quickly made her way across the room to her sister's side, who was still staring at Hans.
"Hey, Ralph?" Hades spoke up, bringing the wrecker's attention to him as the god motioned towards Hans with his head, "You want me and the others to show this guy the door?"
"No," Ralph replied with a shake of his head as he rose to his feet, "I mean, if he's here in an honest attempt to make amends, I'd be a hypocrite to turn him away. Especially when Turbo's here. I'll handle it."
Turning away from the table, Ralph made his way over to the door, Hans watching him as he approached, the disgraced prince's shoulders tensing even as the wrecker loomed over him from a safe distance away.
"Um, good evening," Ralph greeted as he nodded at Hans.
"Good evening," Hans replied with a nod of his own, "You're Ralph the Wrecker, correct?"
"Uh, yeah, something like that," Ralph answered with an awkward chuckle, "So, I take it you're here for the party?"
"Yes, I was interested in attending a party for tonight's festivities," Hans confirmed with another nod, "And since….villains are not especially welcomed at other such events…."
"You decided to come here," Ralph finished with his own nod of understanding before he let out an awkward laugh, "Which is totally fine! We put out an open invitation for exactly this reason!"
"Of course, but I'm not foolish enough to think that my presence doesn't make things awkward," Hans countered as he glanced past Ralph to where Elsa and Anna were standing, talking to each other, the elder sister clearly trying to comfort the younger, "After all, I did try to kill the woman you are currently courting."
"It's….definitely awkward," Ralph allowed as he reached up and scratched the back of his neck, "But, this whole process is awkward and it's been pretty worth it now that we're on the other side of it. I mean Turbo tried to kill me not that long ago and now you could practically call us friends."
As Ralph talked, he gestured over to where Turbo was sitting, the racer smiling and waving as he noticed them looking at him.
"So, while you might what to give the Arendellians…Arendellens?" Ralph paused as his expression turned pensive for a moment before he shook the thought away, "Whatever, my point is you might want to give Elsa, Anna and Kristoph a wide berth if you plan on hanging around. We could probably work on easing some tensions if you came to one of our meetings."
"I will certainly keep that in mind," Hans replied with a nod, before he glanced over at where Elsa and Anna were still talking, "You're a fortunate man, Ralph."
"Why do you say that?" Ralph asked as his brow furrowed in confusion.
"You've managed to form quite the collection of friends here," Hans explained as he looked around the room at the assembled group, "And you've won the eye of Elsa, who I understand is one of the most desirable young women in the entire Magic Kingdom."
"W-What?" Ralph questioned as he blinked in surprise, caught completely off guard by the comment.
"My apologies," Hans replied with a shake of his head, "That was surely out of line. It's just…one hears things you know? You certainly have nothing to worry about from me, far too much bad blood there for my tastes. But, if I was you, I'd certainly be worried about someone stealing her away."
Ralph went silent at this, his expression a mixture of pensive and troubled.
"I'm sorry," Hans stated with a friendly laugh, "That was completely out of line. Forgive me, I get a little chatty when I'm nervous."
"Uh, yeah, no problem," Ralph replied with a shake of his head, his expression still troubled.
"Can I get a drink over there?" Hans questioned as he pointed over towards the bar, "I think a beverage will help calm my nerves."
"Yeah," Ralph confirmed almost absent mindedly.
"Wonderful," Hans answered with a smile, "Thank you for the warm welcome."
With that Hans turned and headed over to the bar, leaving a pensive Ralph in his wake. After a moment of thinking, Ralph returned to the table and quietly sat down.
"Everything okay, Ralph?" Seph questioned as she looked at the wrecker in concern.
"Huh?" Ralph asked in reply, blinking as if he was coming out of a dream, "Oh, yeah sure. I'm good."
Seph and Hades shared a look before the gods turned their concerned gazes back towards Ralph.
"So, did everything go good with that guy?" Hades inquired as he gestured towards Hans standing by the bar.
"Uh yeah, he's cool," Ralph replied with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I don't think he's looking to cause trouble or anything."
"I guess you're the expert, pal," Hades answered with a shrug, his expression uncertain.
As they spoke, Elsa returned to the table, a look of concern on her face.
"Is everything alright?" Elsa asked as she glanced around the table before focusing her gaze on Ralph, "I was able to talk Anna down, since I estimated you weren't going to ask Hans to leave."
"You did?" Ralph replied, blinking in surprise at her.
"Of course," Elsa answered with a shrug of her shoulders, "The whole idea behind this party was to give villains a place to celebrate the New Year. There was always a chance that Hans or Duke of Weaslton would show up."
"I really doubt this is Weaseltown's scene," Ralph countered with a smirk, earning a laugh from Elsa.
As Ralph looked at Elsa's smiling face, Hans' words echoed in his mind, and a troubled look crossed his features again.
"Is everything alright, Ralph?" Elsa questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion as she looked at the wrecker.
"Yeah, I'm fine, everything's fine," Ralph replied a little too quickly before rising to his feet, "I think I'm going to get a drink. You want anything?"
As Elsa shook her head, Ralph stood up and walked over to the bar, ignorant of the troubled look his girlfriend gave him as he went.
Later,
As the clock drew closer and closer to midnight, the party goers gathered together, prepared to ring in the new year. Anna stood to one side of the group, nursing a glass of wine as she stared across the room at Hans, who was currently chatting with Ursula and Jafar. As she took another sip from her glass, she glanced to one side as she noticed Ralph walking over to her.
"Hey," Ralph greeted as he reached her.
"Hey," Anna replied neutrally as she turned her attention back towards Hans.
"So, I can't help but notice you've been brooding since your ex boyfriend showed up," Ralph observed as he stopped next to Anna, facing the same direction she was, "I know Elsa has already talked to you, and I'm guessing Kristoff has been by as well."
"So, you're aiming to be lucky number three?" Anna concluded before taking a sip of her wine while eyeing him suspiciously, "Did Elsa put you up to this?"
"She might have asked me to come over and check on you," Ralph confirmed with a shrug, "Or maybe I came over here because I'm worried about a friend. You and I are friends, right?"
"Of course we're friends!" Anna declared defensively, "Why would you even ask that?"
"Well, I've always had trouble making friends," Ralph explained with another helpless shrug, "Some people think I'm kind of a bad guy."
"Oh don't even start," Anna groaned, "Look, I know what you're trying to do here, and I believe in what Bad Guys Anonymous is about, but Hans isn't like Hades or Loki or even Maleficent. They all wear their black hearts on their sleeves, but not Hans. He's manipulative and conniving, and as far as I can tell, he never does anything without a reason."
As Anna spoke, a thoughtful expression crossed Ralph's face.
"Hans said something to you, didn't he!?" Anna gasped as she noted Ralph's expression, turning to fully face him as she did, "What was it?"
"It was nothing," Ralph replied with a shake of his head, before sighing tiredly as he noted the glare Anna had leveled at him, "He just said that I was lucky to have Elsa, and that other people were probably eyeing her."
"See, that's how he gets you!" Anna said in disgust, pointing at Ralph for emphasis, some of the wine splashing out of her glass as she did, "He wiggles his way into your brain with what sounds like ordinary, even sweet words and then he digs his hooks in!"
Anna paused for a moment before taking a deep, calming breath.
"Look, you're lucky to have Elsa, that's true," Anna continued after a moment, giving Ralph a small smile as she spoke, "But Elsa is lucky to have you. You're a catch, mister, and don't you forget it!"
"Thanks, Anna, that does make me feel better," Ralph admitted with a smirk.
"And making you feel better has apparently made me feel better," Anna commented with a chuckle, "So, I guess mission accomplished."
"Well, that's good to hear," Ralph replied as he glanced around the room, "Because it's almost midnight, and I'm sure Kristoff is going to be looking for someone to kiss to ring in the new year."
"That sounds like a great idea!" Anna declared before she began scanning the room as well, "Now, where's Elsa, because you two have got to get in on this too!"
"I'm sure she's around here somewhere," Ralph replied with a shrug.
At that moment, Elsa was taking a break from interacting with the other partygoers, sitting at an empty table with her eyes closed, enjoying the light jazz that the band was playing.
"Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice suddenly said, causing Elsa's eyes to snap open as she started in surprise and found Hans sitting next to her.
"Apologies, I did not mean to alarm you," Hans apologized as he held his hands up in front of him.
"You could have fooled me," Elsa replied as she looked at him warily, "What do you want?"
"I may be overstepping my bounds here, and if I am, feel free to tell me so," Hans began hesitantly, "But I still felt the urge to come and offer you my sincerest apologies for what transpired between us."
"You mean how you attempted to murder me and left my sister for dead?" Elsa inquired as she crossed her arms and gave Hans a withering glare.
"Indeed," Hans confirmed uncomfortably, "Since arriving here, I have come to realize what I did was a terrible crime, and I'm hoping to make amends in the future."
"I certainly hope you don't expect me to forgive you right now," Elsa stated, "I may be more willing to talk to you than my sister, but that does not mean I've forgiven you."
"I certainly understand," Hans agreed, "I just wanted to thank you for being magnanimous enough to attend the party tonight."
"Well, it would be hypocritical of me if you were the only villain not allowed at this party specifically for villains," Elsa admitted with a sigh, "So, you're welcome to stay, as long as you keep your distance from my sister."
"Those are more than fair terms," Hans agreed as he rose back to his feet, "I'll take my leave of you then."
"Good evening, Hans," Elsa replied as she gave the prince a small nod, silently relieved that he was leaving.
"One more thing before I go though," Hans stated, holding up his finger as he seemed to remember something, "I will say it was a pleasure talking to your man, Ralph, earlier. I do hope things work out for the two of you."
"What do you mean by that?" Elsa questioned as her brow furrowed in suspicion.
"Nothing, truly," Hans answered with a shrug, "It's just….everyone here was part of a story, correct? And both ours and Ralph's are rather new?"
"What's your point?" Elsa pressed, her annoyance growing.
"My point is that from what I've heard, sometimes these stories continue," Han elaborated, "Sequels I believe they're called. And while neither you nor Ralph found romance during your initial stories, who's to say that this will remain true if either of your stories gets one of these sequels?"
"I'm….I'm not really sure what you're trying to say," Elsa replied, clearly thrown off by Hans' words, "Ralph and I have a perfectly good relationship."
"I'm sure that's true," Hans agreed with a nod, "But will it remain true? What if you wake up one day and suddenly one of you is in love with someone else because a writer you've never met decreed it so? It would certainly give me pause."
By this point, Elsa had fallen completely silent and did nothing but stare at Hans in shock.
"But what do I know?" Hans admitted with a shrug, "It's entirely possible things will work out just fine."
With that, Hans turned and began making his way to the bar, a knowing smile on his face as he left. Elsa, for her part, quietly stared after Hans, her mind buzzing with what he had told her.
"Elsa!" Anna's voice slashed through the blonde's thoughts and brought her back to reality with a start as her sister appeared at her side, wrapping her arms around one of Elsa's, "There you are!"
"Here I am," Elsa replied with a small chuckle, smiling as her sister pressed her cheek to hers.
"Come on, it's almost midnight!" Anna said as she pulled Elsa out of her chair, "Everyone's getting together to countdown to the New Year!"
"Well, it would be silly of me to miss that," Elsa commented as she fell into step with her sister as they walked over to where the other partygoers had gathered into a group so that they could all see the clock situated over the stage, which showed that it was only a few seconds away from midnight.
"I'm sure someone would be very disappointed if you missed your New Year's kiss," Anna said with a suggestive grin as she led Elsa right over to Ralph.
As her eyes fell on the wrecker, Hans' words echoed in Elsa's head again, and it took all of her willpower to keep her worry from showing on her face.
"You have fun, you two!" Anna declared as she stopped Elsa in front of Ralph and released her sister's arm, before making her way into the crowd, "I have to go find Kristoff!"
As Anna left, an awkward moment passed between Ralph and Elsa as they quietly regarded each other for a moment.
"So, where did you disappear to?" Ralph asked, breaking the silence.
"Oh, I was just in a corner, listening to the music," Elsa answered as she gestured towards the part of the room in question.
"Is everything okay?" Ralph questioned as he sensed the tension between them, his own mind replaying what Hans had said to him.
"Oh, I'm fine," Elsa replied with a dismissive wave of her head and a small, reassuring smile, "Just a busy night, is all."
"Yeah, I'm feeling pretty….worn out too," Ralph agreed, "Wasn't ready for the curveball of Hans showing up."
"I don't think any of us were ready for that," Elsa replied, her smile faltering slightly, "I'm happy you were able to cheer Anna up."
"It wasn't too hard," Ralph answered with a shrug, "I don't think she really wanted to let Hans ruin her night."
"It's almost time!" Anna suddenly declared, "We're gonna do a countdown, right!?"
"Of course!" Roger answered, "Ten!"
"She is certainly excited to witness the exact moment the New Year starts," Elsa agreed with a chuckle.
"Nine!" the crowd shouted.
"She was also excited about another New Year's tradition," Ralph said as he gave Elsa a suggestive smirk.
"Eight!"
"Oh, you mean this New Year's kiss I've been hearing about?" Elsa asked as she quirked an eyebrow at Ralph and smirked back at him.
"Seven!"
"Yeah, that's the one," Ralph confirmed with a nod, "It's kind of a cutesy ritual for couples. It's supposed to bring good luck or something."
"Six!"
"Are you suggesting you'd like to participate?" Elsa questioned, though she clearly already knew the answer.
"Five!"
"Well, I wasn't sure if you were comfortable with doing that sort of thing in public yet," Ralph said as he reached up and awkwardly scratched the back of his head.
"Four!"
As Ralph said this, Hans' words once more flashed through Elsa's mind and a look of determination crossed her features.
"Three!"
"You know, I've decided, for the new year, I'm going to be a little less concerned with what others think of me," Elsa stated.
"Two!"
"Seems like a good attitude to take," Ralph replied, his suggestive smirk returning to his features, "You thinking of trying that out tonight?"
"One!"
"I could be convinced," Elsa confirmed as she stepped forward and laid her hands on Ralph's chest and stood up on her toes.
"Happy New Year!" the crowd called as confetti began to rain down from the ceiling while the band started to play "Auld Lang Syne".
Reaching up, Anna cupped Kristoff's face with both hands and pulled him into an aggressive kiss. At the same time, Vanellope and Dash looked at each other with flushed faces before sharing a quick kiss. In a different part of the crowd, Hades took Persephone in her arms and dipped her dramatically before kissing her, while Jessica lifted Roger up off the ground by his suspenders before planting a large kiss on his lips.
Leaning down, Ralph kissed Elsa on the lips, lingering for a few moments before they both pulled away, somehow both of them knowing that while they're futures might not be as certain as they thought, they still had the moment they were in right then and there.
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A/N: Been awhile since I've gotten to update this one, and this chapter ended up being a bit longer than I expected. Still, I enjoyed setting things up for the story's third act and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. As usual, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!