"That man's in talking to Elsa again." Eve informed Greta in a low voice a couple of days later, dropping down beside the blonde on a chair in the backstage area of the big tent.
"What?"
"Miss Greta!" Ma Petite complained as the young woman pulled her hands away and smudged her nail polish. "Sit still!"
"I am sorry, honey." Greta apologised softly, smiling contritely at the tiny woman and immediately placing her hands back where they had been before. Ma Petite fixed her with a frown, before returning her attention to the polka dots she was decorating the blonde's nails with.
They had been playing to packed shows every night since the curfew had been lifted. Word had flown around the town and people were so eager to come and see the acts that they were sold out by lunchtime. Many of the townies had returned to Jupiter disappointedly after being turned away because there were no seats left. The performers had been working flat out round the clock to polish their performances and come up with new ideas and ways to keep the seats filled and the money pouring in.
"You still think there's something dodgy about him?" Eve asked quietly, tilting her head and fixing the blonde with a searching look.
Greta nodded fervently. "Yeah, I really do. I would not trust him as far as I could throw him."
"Your mom evidently does." Eve reminded her bluntly.
"Elsa is blinded by thoughts of Hollywood." The blonde pointed out, a cold look appearing in her eyes for a moment. "Evie, my mother would trust a horse if it told her what she wanted to hear."
With a chuckle, the older woman reached over and patted her friend's leg soothingly. She had just opened her mouth to say something, when they heard shouts from outside. With most of the audience already seated or wandering into the tent and the show due to start at any minute, both women wondered what on earth could be going on.
They rushed out of the tent through the side entrance in search of the source of the sound. Jimmy was supporting Desiree across the uneven ground and shouting about needing help and a doctor. Eve, having the longer legs, reached them first with Greta and Salt and Pepper hot on her heels.
"Blood!" The female pinhead started shouting the second she spotted the crimson liquid on Desiree's legs. "Blood!"
"Shhh!" Greta soothed her quickly, wrapping an arm around Pepper's shoulders and hugging her tightly to her side, trying to prevent her drawing more attention to the situation than was necessary. "It is OK, Pep, shhh…"
"We need a car! I've gotta get her to a hospital!" Jimmy panicked.
"All of ya, into ya places… now!" Ethel ordered firmly, appearing and ushering them all back towards the tent. "Where's Dell?"
"Not here."
"Go on, get up on that stage. Folks are here to see ya! I'll handle this."
Reluctantly, the performers filed back into the big tent just as the drum roll began to start the show. None of their minds were really on their performances, each of them worrying about Desiree and what was happening. Jimmy prowled around backstage like a big cat, setting everyone else on edge as he refused to sit, or even stand, still.
"Will she be alright?" Greta asked Eve anxiously, biting her lip as she sidled up beside her friend. Both women were watching the young man as he finally sat on the edge of a crate in the corner of the back stage area and put his head in his hands.
"I hope so." Eve replied quickly. "Depends what's happened, I guess…"
"You're on girls." Jimmy called suddenly, jumping to his feet and striding over to the steps up to the stage as a round of applause sounded from the other side of the curtain and Salty and Pepper trotted happily off towards them. "You ready?"
Nodding, they followed him on, Eve taking her place at the piano and Greta standing in the middle of the stage, smiling at the young man who had followed her on with the microphone. Glancing behind her, Greta nodded at the rest of the band and received a wink from Paul in return.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, this next act is always a treat… the love of my life, my girl, Songbird Sally!"
The applause started before the band had even played the first note. Greta smiled at Jimmy as he disappeared behind the curtains and she was left alone in the spotlight. The young woman was glad that she and Eve had decided on a less upbeat song than normal for that night's show because she wasn't in the mood to pretend to be cheerful.
"Let's get old together
Let's be unhappy forever
Cause there's no one else in this world
That I'd rather be unhappy with
Let's be exposed and unprotected
Let's see one another when we're weak
Let's go our separate ways in the night
Like two moths
But know that you're flying home to me.
I was born thinking
It would all be dreamy
But I know that I wouldn't be happy that way
You wear me out with frustration and heartache and anger
But we wait for the wave just to wash it away
Don't say nothing, just sit next to me
Don't say nothing, shhh
Just be, just be, just be.
Let's let go together
Let us unfold one another
And watch all the little things that once drew me to you
Eventually get on my nerves
I wear you out with frustration and heartache and anger
But we wait for the wave just to wash it away
Don't say nothing, just sit next to me
Don't say nothing, shhh
Just be, just be, just be.
When you're sick of the every day oh
When you're tired of my voice
When you tell me
You'll walk out that door
That's when I know that you'll stay.
Don't say nothing, just sit next to me
Don't say nothing, just be, just be
Just don't say nothing, just sit next to me,
Don't say nothing, just be, just be, just be.
Don't say nothing, shhhhh."
"Songbird Sally, ladies and gents!" Jimmy shouted over the cheering and clapping. With one final curtsey, Greta left the stage. "And now… for the grand lady herself… welcome to the stage, Fräulein Elsa Mars!"
As soon as Jimmy appeared backstage, Greta made straight for her friend and laid a hand gently on his arm. Jimmy shook his head sharply at her, shaking her off, before pushed through the tent flaps and heading out into the night air. Not thinking twice, the young woman followed him outside.
"Jimmy? Jim!" She called, jogging to catch up as he refused to slow down. "Stop!"
"What?" He demanded irritably whirling round and glaring at her. "What do you want, Greta?"
"What happened? Are you alright? How did Desi get injured?"
"I… We were fooling around and then… she started bleeding."
"Come back to the tent…" Greta urged. "Talk to me… you should not be on your own."
"No, I–"
"Jimmy!" Toulouse appeared, looking wildly at them from the side entrance to the tent and motioning for them to head back towards him urgently. "Greta! Quick!"
Exchanging a bewildered look, they rushed back into the tent and immediately heard the jeers and shouts of the audience. Frowning, wondering what could have caused them to turn so abruptly, the pair ignored everyone else and rushed up onto the stage to Elsa's aid. Greta wrapped an arm around her mother's waist and gently pulled her off the stage with her. Jimmy announced the end of the show and signalled for the curtain to be drawn across.
"What–?" Greta started questioning as soon as they had reached the safety of Elsa's tent, but her mother cut her off sharply. She pushed the younger woman away forcefully, making her stumble on the uneven ground and clutch at the chaise lounge to prevent her landing on her knees.
"Leave me!"
"But I just–"
"GET OUT!"
Turning, the young woman all but sprinted from her mother's tent and fury. She scowled at the crowds who were milling around the showground, clearly in no hurry to go home. Several caught her arm, congratulating her on her performance, but the words sounded empty and hollow in her ears. She just wanted to get away and pretend that everything was normal; that nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
Making her way through the crowd, she went in search of her friends, hoping they'd be able to tell her what had happened. It wasn't difficult to track them down, gathered together on the stage in the big tent talking in hushed tones. They stopped at the sound of footsteps and all turned to look at her.
"What happened out here?" Greta demanded, placing her hands on her hips and scowling around at the assembled performers and not paying any attention to their silence.
"The crowd they just… they weren't interested in Elsa." Paul said with a shrug. "They were talking and then someone started throwing popcorn."
"Why? It cannot be that simple."
He sighed. "Sometimes… sometimes they just want something different."
"But… why her act and not mine?" Greta demanded, folding her arms over her chest, unable to understand. "This is what Elsa lives for… this is her everything. She preforms as easily as she breathes. I do not."
The others exchanged a look before each of them did their best to avoid Greta's eyes. There were a couple of moments of silence as everyone tried to think of something to say. Finally it was the Amazon, the young blonde's best friend, who was the only one brave enough to answer her.
"Greta, honey, you're young and pretty." Eve told her. "Elsa is… well… she doesn't exactly have youth on her side anymore. Your song choices, matched with your image, that's enough for the audiences to love you, whereas… she just doesn't appeal to them in the same way."
"What can we do?" Greta demanded, looking around at her friends. "There must be something we can do to change things? There has to be some way of making Elsa's act popular again?"
There was an even longer silence as they tried to think of a way to answer her question. It was evident that Greta was hoping that they would come up with some grand plan, something that they could use to restore her mother's act to the top billing it had once been. But the others knew that there was no way to do what she wanted. They couldn't tell her what she wanted to hear.
Finally they gave up and Paul shrugged. "There is no way. We can't change what people think."
"There must be something!" She raged.
Shaking his head, Paul slid off the stage and walked towards her. "Look, Greta, I know Elsa's your mother and you want to stay on the right side of her, but there is nothing we can do."
"No!"
"We sleep on it." He suggested as gently as he could. "It'll give Elsa time to calm down and hopefully it'll all have blown over by tomorrow."
He attempted to smile soothingly at Greta, but she pushed past him roughly and stalked away. No one spoke until she had left the tent, leaving her friends staring after her. Exchanging wary looks, the others started walking slowly in the same direction as she had just disappeared.
"If there was any doubt Greta was Elsa's daughter…" Suzi muttered, shaking her head.
"She's definitely got the same temper…"
Eve snorted. "Greta's got nothing on Elsa."
"She hasn't had as much practice, though, has she?" Suzi pointed out cynically. "Give her a few years and then see what she's like."
"What are you saying?" The Amazon demanded, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes at them. "Greta isn't like Elsa at all! She would never put herself before us… remember what she did at the diner? Can you see Elsa doing that?"
Paul held up his hands. "Hey, Eve, calm down. We know Greta isn't capable of half the things I have no doubt Elsa is." He looked around with a smile. "Look, let's just say goodnight. Hopefully all of this will have blown over by tomorrow."
Taking him up on his suggestion, they all nodded and separated. Eve took Ma Petite back to her tent, before wandering slowly in the direction of her caravan, wondering whether Greta would be there or whether she would be sulking in her own tent. She received her answer when, opening her caravan door, Eve spotted a lump huddled under the blanket on her bed and smiled to herself.
A/N: Lyrics in this chapter are 'Just Be' by Paloma Faith :)