I've been busy, busy, busy.

But I'm back for now. Honestly, I thought I'd be able to write more over the summer but it just didn't happen. So I apologize for the spotty Scars updates.

I left you with a cliffhanger and now your wait shall be over… in a bit. Haha, I added some mushy fluff in the beginning. So enjoy that before the drama.

It was after their make up sex, Elsa and Anna lying beneath the warm sheets in the darkness of the room. The bus was slowly puttering along the highway, the streetlamps illuminating the room for mere seconds every time they passed by, leaking through the shut blinds. Anna was curled up against Elsa, pressing her nose into the crook of her neck. Elsa was lying on her back, holding Anna tightly to her and letting her scars gently graze Anna's freckled shoulder, causing pleasant goosebumps to appear along her skin. Breathing was even, feet rubbing against one another, and sometimes one made the occasional shift in their position or sniffled absentmindedly, filling the silence of the room.

"Elsa?" Anna whispered, her breath ghosting across Elsa's bare chest.

"Hm?" was the soft reply.

"Have you ever been this physical in a relationship before? Even before you got the scars?"

"I've had sex with girls—"

"That's not my question."

A pause.

"No," Elsa finally admitted, opening her eyes and gazing down at Anna's peaceful face. She wasn't looking at Elsa, her own eyes closed and her body relaxed, as if they were having a casual conversation about the weather.

"Why not? Because by the way you act, it seems like you'd have been in the pants of many gals."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "How pleasant."

"You know what I mean." Anna couldn't help but to grin.

The blonde heaved out a sigh and tightened her grip on her lover. "It's because… I…" She struggled to find the right words. "I'm terrified of being vulnerable. Of giving myself to someone unconditionally because maybe they won't receive me as I am."

"Why was it easy with me?"

"You're the first person who has never…" Elsa drifted off.

Anna finally opened her eyes and lifted her head from Elsa's shoulder, hovering slightly above her, supporting herself on her elbow.

"Never what?" she urged.

"Never purposely made me feel like an outcast. Or alone. Or pathetic. Or idiotic. There have been people who have hurt me intentionally and some never rectify their mistakes. Yes, we fought once before but I was more afraid than hurt…" She pursed her lips, trying to think. "Afraid, yeah. Afraid that you didn't want me, afraid you finally saw me for who I am and wanted nothing to do with it. But you ended up putting my fears to rest. You made—and continue to make—me feel whole. And that's all that matters now.

"What drew me in was that backbone, the attitude you gave me; and what kept me close was what was underneath: a sweet, caring, and adorable girl." Elsa swallowed and blushed lightly. "And you know… you're the first to see this raw, literally naked side of me and never once questioned it with malice. Only curiosity. You only accept and I'm not afraid anymore. I'm not afraid of giving all of myself to you."

Anna stared at her, her own face flushed with flattery and affection. She could feel a few tears prick at the back of her eyes but she fought them away, simply giving Elsa a smile.

"That's the reason for so much sex?" she asked goofily.

Elsa laughed. "I guess so. I dunno, sex has never been this good before. It feels so right."

"It does?"

"I can't explain it. I just… I've never felt this way before."

"Me neither."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. It was always hard to connect sexually with Merida at first because I was still hurting over Hans but, y'know, that's another story entirely. Even when we got into a stride, it was kinda rough and tumble; playful but good." She kissed Elsa. "But you're special. It's not just sex, it's more than that and I'm feeling this incredible spark that I've never felt with anyone else. You've always been, and will continue to be, different."

"A good different," Elsa winked as she ran a hand through Anna's loose, copper locks.

"Yes, an extremely good different," Anna agreed.

Elsa brought Anna's head down for another long kiss before mumbling on her lips, "I love you, kid."

Anna bumped her nose against Elsa's. "I love you, too, punk."

Elsa stepped back from the door, shaking against her will. Anna was standing hesitantly behind her, eyes going from the door to Elsa and back again. There was no response and Anna wondered if Elsa should knock once more.

The punk seemed to think the same thing because she started forward but stopped short when the sound of a door being unlocked was heard on the other side. She leapt back and almost bumped into Anna. The ginger was absolutely astonished at the childish fear Elsa was displaying, wide-eyed and breathing heavy. She kept clenching and unclenching her fists, swallowing hard.

The door opened and a pale face poked out into the summer heat. Anna almost believed she was looking at a replica of Elsa's face but with darker hair and eyes. But there was still the same button nose and perfectly sculpted face. But it was wrinkled with time, some grey in the brown hair, obviously coming in after being dyed a while ago. Her hair was pulled back in a bun, bangs falling along her forehead.

She seemed to realize who was coming to visit and she pulled the door back all the way, revealing a purple blouse and jeans on her person.

"Elsa?" the woman whispered hoarsely.

"Hello, Mother," Elsa said stiffly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Elsa replied. "I have a stop in town and I wanted to talk to you."

The woman's eyes shifted from her daughter to the girl standing behind her, observing the scene carefully.

"And who is this with you?" she wondered, though her voice was genuinely curious instead of sharp and bitter, like Anna had expected it to be.

"This is Anna," Elsa said, grateful for a reason to grab her girlfriend's hand. "She's my girlfriend. Anna, this is my mother, Iduna."

"It's lovely to meet you," Anna said, sticking her free hand out.

Iduna took it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, as well." She noticed they were still standing on the porch in the heat. "Oh, come in. Do come in, I'll get you some lemonade."

Elsa was rather surprised at her mother. So far, she hadn't yelled or shot Elsa a sneer… no, she seemed like a completely normal housewife and mother that she never was when Elsa was growing up. Almost as if her ironclad grip on the house had loosened some over the years Elsa was gone.

"Take a seat in the parlor, Elsa, I'll be right there," Iduna said after she shut the door, shuffling into the kitchen.

As Elsa guided Anna through the front room, she took in her childhood home. Nothing had changed in the slightest. All the furniture was still in the same place, the floors still made of polished wood and the walls still painted that off-white color. She didn't know what she had expected. And there was still that looming feeling that this wasn't really home and it disturbed her.

Meanwhile, Anna was drawn to the pictures on the walls and tables they passed. She caught glimpses of little Elsa with the tiniest braid, grinning cheekily at the camera in the cutest blue dress she had ever seen, a photo of Elsa and her mom in what looked like a happier time, and a woman who was most likely Elsa's grandmother, holding a baby Elsa. She wanted to stare at them and appreciate them, to wonder how the adorable, seemingly innocent Elsa became the swearing, sarcastic, snide punk beside her.

They reached a small sitting room and they sank on the plush, floral couch. The grandfather clock ticked off each passing second, Elsa remembering how she would sit in this very parlor and have tea with her grandmother as she ranted about everything she disliked about the country and how Elsa should behave herself. The tea was always bitter and weak, just like her grandmother, she would think.

Anna felt Elsa's hand grip hers and Anna returned the squeeze, showing she wasn't going anywhere. This whole scenario unsettled her and she knew it.

Iduna returned with a tray topped with a pitcher of lemonade, three glasses, and a plate of cookies, setting it down on the coffee table in front of the couple. She then poured them each a glass before sitting in an armchair, watching Elsa intently.

Anna, being a polite guest, took the lemonade and sipped it but Elsa left it untouched.

"Mother, where's Grandmother?" Elsa asked, noting the lack of noise upstairs where her grandmother would be making something with her sewing machine.

"Oh, her arthritis is getting the best of her and it was hard for her to move up and down those stairs," Iduna answered. "She's in a ground level home for the elderly not too far from here and actually enjoys it. She's getting more social that way." She sipped her lemonade, sparing Anna a glance, before returning her gaze to Elsa. "This is certainly a nice surprise, although I wished you could have dressed more appropriately for the occasion."

There it is, Elsa thought darkly, her brow furrowing just enough to show her disdain. There's the judgmental mother I know.

Anna had almost choked on her drink when she heard that come from Iduna. Elsa wasn't as inappropriate as she sometimes dressed. In fact, what she was wearing was one of her more "conservative" outfits. Her black jacket with the sleeves rolled up, of course, with a dark blue shirt that covered her stomach like any normal shirt would do, rather than the ones that expose her belly button. Her jeans weren't even ripped and she was wearing her combat boots, but they were at least shined up and clean.

However, Elsa didn't comment on it. She didn't force a smile or anything, simply plowing right to more of her point. "I needed to talk to you about some really important things."

"Such as?" Iduna said, brows raising.

"Like why you thought it was okay to stifle my creativity and individuality the day I turned twelve, refusing the pay for singing and music lessons when it was clearly my dream?"

Anna gaped at Elsa's incredible bluntness. Even Iduna was highly taken aback at the tone Elsa was shooting at her. She recovered smoothly and cleared her throat, pursing her lips at her daughter in an uncanny way Anna was used to seeing upon Elsa's face.

"Surely, Elsa, you have some muddled memories—"

"Muddled memories, you call it?" Elsa scoffed, finally letting go of Anna's hand to fold her arms across her chest, leaning back in her seat. "That's not true and you know it. You tried to take away my favorite CD."

"They were corrupting you."

"No. They were inspiring me."

Iduna set down her lemonade and Anna wearily set hers down too, unsure if she should be indulging in her host's treats now that she was in a bad mood.

"Inspiring you to become a rebellious child," Iduna said plainly. "I told Agnarr that giving you that CD would lead to nothing but bad news."

"Dad did me the greatest service by sending me that CD."

Anna could tell Elsa's temper was rising but she didn't know if it was her place to calm her down. She had to wait and see if she should swoop in and put a stop to it. After all, Elsa needed this. She needed all of this. To get her emotions out in the open and tell her mother how much she damaged her.

"And a great disservice to me and your grandmother."

"Did it ever occur to you that, maybe, just maybe, if you went along with it that I would be a happier person growing up? You two stifled me to the fullest extent anytime something from Dad arrived in my life. And rock music was one of those things."

"I knew his dream of making it big would rub off on you." Iduna sounded more distraught and tired rather than furious, rubbing her temple with her fingers. "When it failed, he couldn't hold down a proper job and if he was around, he would have wanted you to get to the big leagues of music."

"And guess what, Mother?" Elsa sent her one of her famous smirks, this one oozing of smugness. "I fucking did it, didn't I?"

Iduna's face turned white at the sound of her daughter swearing in front of her but didn't say anything about it.

This was the first Anna was hearing about Elsa's father wanting to become a famous musician. However, she had a feeling Elsa had gotten the talent from someone in her family and Elsa's drive to become the next big thing made perfect sense to her now. She wanted to do her father proud, not just herself or her band or her fans. The motivation was admirable in Anna's eyes, almost touching if she knew the man himself well enough.

"It just got so out of hand for you," Iduna sighed. "Tattoos and piercings. Where did I go wrong, Elsa?"

"You didn't. These were my choices and I don't regret them whatsoever," Elsa said stubbornly. "But I want to know why you thought it was okay, though. Why you decided that preventing me from chasing my dreams would end up helping me in the future?"

"It's not an easy career, Elsa. If your father could barely make it off the ground, how was I supposed to know how you'd end up? I wanted you to have a well rounded future and job."

"But you never let me try." Elsa's voice sounded desperate then, as if she was trying to understand what her mother's idea of good parenting was.

Idunn sniffed and looked away from Elsa, her lip quivering.

"Elsa, it's not something that I can admit to but, yes, I was wrong in the end. I need you to understand that it's not something I ever imagined you doing and I didn't want your father's failure to rub off on you. I was trying to protect you from the hardships that this life could give you."

"You drove me away," Elsa reminded her. "I ran away because I couldn't take it anymore, I rebelled because I wanted acceptance. I took lessons in secret to fuel my desires to learn about music. I paid for contacts on my own, paid for all my piercings and tattoos. I left you behind years ago after you did the same when you said no to my itch to be taught how to play the guitar."

Anna could have sworn she saw tears dancing in Iduna's eyes and didn't blame her. Elsa was really laying it into her but, then again, she did deserve it all. Elsa was making some good points and Iduna knew it. Elsa's voice was still strained, choked back. She wasn't very pleased with the approach she was going with but she had to find the rhyme and reason to her upbringing. She had never had the courage to confront Iduna about it before.

But Anna got it out of her and there she was.

The punk reached for the last glass of lemonade and took a long sip.

"I listen to your song sometimes," Iduna admitted quietly.

Elsa froze; even Anna was stunned.

"It comes on the radio a lot and I…" The first, happy, reminiscent smile crosses Iduna's face. "I listen to it. You have such a lovely voice, Elsa. You always have since you were little." Her smile melts into a frown. "Those lyrics, though… I can't help but wonder—?"

"Yes, they're about my adolescent years," Elsa confirmed. "I'm letting go of my past, focusing on only what's ahead."

Iduna nodded. "I assumed so, yes. The conceal, don't feel—"

"That BS Grandmother taught me when I was feeling romantically inclined towards girls, yeah, I put that in."

Finally, Anna spoke. "It was just her?"

Iduna and Elsa turn their attention to Anna, both looking as though they were surprised she was still there.

"Oh, yes, only grandmother was the bigot in my family, Mother not so much," Elsa told her. "She was actually more loose with the sexual exploration, which is odd for her."

Iduna sent her a reproachful look. "I did something right."

"I suppose so."

Idunn observed Elsa for a moment and spied Anna's hand slide into hers. But that wasn't what really caught her eye. It was the fact that her daughter was wearing those black leather gloves she saw Elsa wear since she was seventeen. She had vanished for a while one afternoon, returning home stony and clad in those gloves the next day. Iduna never knew why. They were on every poster, any TV ad, talked about on the radio, and documented in the gossip tabloids.

"Why do you still wear those?" Iduna asked.

Elsa didn't need any specifics. Without a word, she let go of Anna's hand once again and removed one glove, revealing the scarred palm to her mother. Iduna gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"I burned them," Elsa said dryly. "They're permanent scars." Then, it dawned on Elsa that she never told Iduna why she got her scars. "Do you know how?"

Almost frighted, "No."

"Grandmother caught me with another girl. To punish me, she had me hold some dry ice from our back freeezer." Elsa's voice was unfeeling. "She called me a mistake. And, for a while, I believed her."

"Oh, Elsa…" Iduna whispered, choking on tears. "I... I am so sorry." She sniffled thickly and wiped her eyes, but the dam was broken. "That was cruel. I knew she was. But I never imagined that she'd do... that." She inhaled sharply. "Elsa, I know you have many frustrations with me and after a couple of years looking back, I can understand why you would hold such grudges."

"At least you never hurt me like this."

"I would never lay a hand on you or force you into a lifestyle that you're not comfortable with. I feared your grandmother would take it too far when she and I realized you preferred girls. When it didn't seem like it, I thought things were fine."

"They weren't."

"I see that now. It wasn't the best way to show it but I did everything for you out of love. I love and care for you, Elsa, darling. And even if this isn't the path I wanted you to go down, I'm proud of you. Happy you're successful." A tear after tear rolled down her aging face. "My daughter is a famous musician, just like she wanted to me. How could I be disappointed in you?"

Elsa got to her feet and crossed over, sitting in the armchair next to her. She leaned across the space between them and took her hand.

"Mom, for my sake and yours, I'll forgive you," Elsa said softly. "I don't think I can forget, but I can't go on living with being angry and resentful towards you. It's toxic for me and for any future relationship we might have. I just wish you could have trusted my judgement years ago."

Iduna covered her mouth with her hand again, though this time to hold back sobs. She nodded weakly and squeezed Elsa's hand, looking up into her daughter's smiling face. She could still see the little girl in her smooth features and there was still a strong hope in those blue irises. If Iduna did anything right, it was pushing and shoving her daughter into a direction she didn't intend on pushing her in. Yet there Elsa was, the hometown hero with various victories.

She reached up and caressed Elsa's cheek. "I'm very lucky to receive your forgiveness. I don't deserve it."

"Maybe not. But I've learned to let it go." Elsa grinned and winked, making Iduna hiccup a laugh.

"Very clever."

Anna felt as though she was intruding on a very intimate, private family moment. So she politely looked away and drank her lemonade without a word.

"Mom, I'd like to know one more thing," Elsa went on.

"Oh?" Idunn replied, blinking at her.

"Where's Dad?"

Iduna fell silent and bit her lip, glancing away from her. Elsa felt her stomach twist painfully and she looked at her mother to Anna and back again. The atmosphere that was once happy and tension free became heavy and frightening. Anna was ready to rise to her feet, seeing the fear in Elsa's eyes.

"Where is he?" Elsa asked, her voice deadly quiet.

The room was whiter than white and smelled of sterile medical equipment. In the bed to the far left was a pale man with greying, strawberry blonde hair and a thin mustache above his lips. He was hooked up to many different machines but looked alert as he watched the small, colorless television bolted into the wall. He had bags under his eyes and looked so tired, as if he was ready to slip away into nothingness at any moment.

"Dad?" Elsa croaked from the doorway, Iduna and Anna standing behind her.

Agnarr turned his head and felt a smile come to his face at once. He almost couldn't believe his eyes as they burned with tears of joy.

"Elsa, my god… is it really you?" he said weakly.

His daughter whom he hadn't seen in fourteen years was suddenly here to come visit. His heart swelled with love and pride and held out a hand, beckoning her over.

"Yes, it is," Elsa whispered, rushing over and pulling up a chair, sitting beside his bed. She immediately removed her gloves, shoved them in her pocket, and grasped his hand. She didn't want anything to come between them, not after such a long time of separation. "Oh my god, Dad. Mom said it's cancer…"

"Some rather aggressive prostate cancer they couldn't catch in time. It's mostly my fault for not getting a check up, isn't it?" He was speaking light and happy, as if he were suffering from a mere head cold. "But, fuck, you're here. I wasn't expecting such a wonderful visitor." His eyes examined every single detail of her face and picked out what had changed and what was still developing. "You've grown up, of course. You're so beautiful, just like I knew you'd become. I missed you."

Elsa fought back tears. "I missed you, too."

Agnarr reached up with as much strength as he could to brush some white gold hair out of her face. He chuckled softly and gave her the tiniest smirk, one that mirrored her own to a T.

"I still love this hair of yours. Skipped a few generations but I'm glad it landed with you," he told her.

His eyes shifted over to the two other women lingering in the doorway. His ex-wife was there, along with someone he had never seen before.

"Who's your friend, Elsa?" he asked, inclining his head at Anna.

Elsa looked up at her girlfriend as she hovered nearby, unsure if she was allowed to come near Elsa's father. The blonde jerked her head and Anna took it as permission to come forth. She grabbed another chair and sat beside Elsa, smiling at Agnarr kindly.

"My name is Anna," she introduced. "I'm dating your daughter."

Agnarr grinned. "Is that so. My name is Agnarr, by the way. Elsa, you have such a beautiful taste in women."

Anna flushed and Elsa managed a smile.

"She's a keeper," Elsa said, winking at Anna. "I love her very much."

"That's lovely to hear," Agnarr said, eyes crinkling as he continued to beam.

Iduna took her cue to leave, going to the waiting room to give them privacy. If she owed Elsa anything else besides an explanation to her actions, it was time with her father. Elsa drew in a shuddering breath and let her thumbs caress the back of her father's knuckles.

"So, Mom tells me you were living with her for a while?" Elsa recalled.

"Oh, yes. Well, after she left me and took you along with her, I tried my very hardest to find work. I dabbled in some shitty garage bands and held down a few small, part time jobs. I ended up staying at your grandfather's old studio apartment with a crappy little job waiting tables at a rundown diner trying to make ends meet." He heaved a sigh. "It wasn't enough to win your mother back and I knew it. When I was diagnosed with stage M1 prostate cancer at my last physical, one I could actually afford at the time, I knew I had to rake all my money for some form of treatment so I asked your mother if I could stay in the guest room.

"And she was kind enough to take me in. Sooner than I thought I had to be taken to the hospital for an extended stay for experimental treatments and the like. Next thing I know, I'm stuck here… Sterile walls, no fun allowed, the doctors are humorless jackasses. Shit, even my roommates are buzzkills. Yet, I'm here waiting to fucking die just like everyone else on this floor."

"Don't say that," Elsa begged, her voice cracking. "You're not going to die. How much do the treatments cost? I can afford it. I'll pay for all of it. Honestly, it wouldn't even dent my flow of income."

"Thank you, sweetie, but there isn't much you can do now, I'm afraid."

Elsa bit her lip as it quivered and she was only vaguely aware of the comforting hand of Anna resting on her shoulder.

"I listen to your song almost every day, you know," Agnarr informed her, trying to get the conversation back to a happier topic. "It's the most perfect song I've ever heard. Did you write it all on your own?"

"Yes, I did."

"It's my favorite song in the world. I'm actually banned from playing it more than twice a day now because it annoys my roommates. I told you, they're buzzkills." His eyes cast over to the other two people in the room, both asleep on heavy pain medication. "But I sometimes sneak a third play on a low volume when they're knocked out like this."

Elsa giggled, eyes shining. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. I'm so proud of you. You made it to a place I only dreamed of. Elsa, my god, you're a rockstar."

"You inspired me, you know. That No Doubt CD was what opened my eyes to rock music and I've done everything in my power to achieve my dream."

"And you did it." He squeezed her hand. "You fucking did it, kid."

Anna was overwhelmed with understanding of the origin of Elsa's attitude, the meaning behind Elsa's motivation finally hitting her hard. The pet-names, the swearing, the smirk, the musical talent. Elsa may have gotten most of her looks from her mother but her father was the sole owner of Elsa's personality. And though he wasn't around, he rubbed off on her without needing to be. Her bond to her father was strong, incredibly strong, and Anna had to hold in her own tears.

She felt a small dose of homesickness fall upon her, thanking her lucky stars that she had her father in her life. Thanking them that she didn't have to see him like this. She knew that as soon as they returned to the bus, she would call him up at once and tell him how much she loved him.

"What happened to your hands, Elsa?" Agnarr asked, aware of the rough palms he was holding.

"Oh…" Elsa removed her hands to show him. "I burned them on dry ice."

"God damn, that must have hurt," he said with a small chuckle, brows raising.

"Yeah, they did," she said dryly. She didn't have the heart to tell him how. The last thing she wanted was for him to have that knowledge of the truth. "But they're alright now. I wear the gloves to hide them."

"Don't hide them. Scars are fucking badass!"

Elsa laughed, though it was a bit raspy. "I'm not ready."

"Well, hopefully one day you can go on without wearing those gloves. There's a lot of buzz about them, I know that much."

"Everyone wants to know what's underneath them, that's for sure."

"I only wish I could see your concerts," Agnarr sighed.

"I'm doing one in a couple of days! I can ask our techie to livestream it somehow," Elsa said quickly, excitedly. "Do you have a tablet? Are you even allowed ones up here?"

"No, no." He shook his head heavily. "That won't do it justice."

Elsa frowned. "There has to be some way."

There was a moment of silence, the sick man thinking very hard. Elsa searched his face, hoping to read it easily but it was proving to be very difficult. She was about to ask what was wrong when Agnarr turned suddenly to Anna.

"Miss Anna, I have a serious question for you," he said sternly, his expression serious.

The redhead blinked, a bit intimidated. "O-oh?"

"Do you love my Elsa?"

Relaxing at the question, "Of course I do."

"And do you swear to take care of her?"

"Yessir."

He nodded. "Good… good that makes me feel so much better. I can tell the two of you have so much to look forward to. And I'm very glad you have met you, Anna. Elsa," he looked at his daughter, "I want you to always do your best. And even if you fail, promise me to try and try again. Do you promise?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Cross your heart?"

Elsa crossed her heart. "I promise."

"Excellent. Now, can you sing for me?"

"What?"

"Please? If I can't be there for a concert, I'd love to hear you sing live. Whatever song you like. And I want you to remember that I love you very much."

"I love you, too, Dad." Elsa cleared her throat and searched her mental playlist for songs she could sing to her father. When she found it, she opened her mouth and started to sing a slower version of "Let It Go." Her voice was shaky and raspy but she pressed on, giving her father the best live performance she could at that point in time.

Agnarr closed his eyes and smiled pleasantly to the sound of Elsa's voice. His head bobbed a little to the beat, a finger tapping on the top of her hand.

To Elsa's great surprise, Anna was humming the song quietly in the background and she turned to look at Anna. She nodded, encouraging her to sing along and Anna actually did so, blending her voice with Elsa's in perfect harmony for the chorus. Elsa's voice steadied and she was eternally grateful to Anna for conquering her fear of public singing for that moment. It meant a lot to her and she knew Anna was very aware of it.

The duet only made Agnarr smile bigger.

However, when they were almost finished with the song, Elsa realized that her father's monitors were making odd noises. Noises that scared Elsa. Loud, obnoxious sounds of alert and needed to be dealt with at once. She and Anna stopped singing and Elsa shot to her feet.

"Something's wrong… Dad!" Elsa shouted. "Dad! Wake up!"

Agnarr didn't stir.

"Fuck!" She rushed to the door and shouted for a doctor, Anna trying to wake Agnarr up by calling his name.

Two doctors ran inside and Anna stepped back quickly. Although Elsa tried to get to her father, tears running down her face. One doctor asked her calmly to leave but Elsa was refusing. Anna actually had to drag her girlfriend bodily from the room, trying to tell her everything was going to be alright, but Elsa was nearly screaming.

A nurse escorted them to an empty waiting room, though Elsa was putting up quite the fight against Anna's arms. Once the door shut behind the nurse—who was hurrying to help the doctors with Agnarr—Elsa completely broke down. She felt weak and defeated and furious all at once, overwhelmed with emotion. She fell to her knees and bawled into her hands.

Anna was helpless. She had never seen Elsa cry like that before. A few times Elsa has cried in front of Anna, sure, but never like that.

She was hysterical.

"We didn't have enough time!" Elsa wailed. "I just saw him after fourteen years and he… he… he could die!"

"Elsa, they're going to do what they can," Anna cooed, getting down on her knees beside her and grabbing her shoulders gently. "We don't know what could happen. Maybe this has happened before?"

"It isn't fair!" Elsa cried, whirling around and embracing Anna, sobbing into her shoulder. "It isn't fair!"

"I know, I know," Anna whispered, rocking her back and forth, realizing reason wasn't going to help Elsa. "I know it isn't, Els."

She kept crying into Anna's shoulder, punching the ground with her ungloved hands, her knuckles starting to split open. She was swearing and begging some holy deity to let her father live. Anna only caught a few of Elsa's words, the rest sounding like garbled gibberish.

The redhead continued to rock her, whispering soothing words until Elsa was hiccuping messily, hugging Anna so tight that she was pretty sure she'd have a few bruises from the amount of strength she was using.

Somehow she managed to coax Elsa onto one of the couches and held her there. The punk still mumbled out hopes, let loose a few thick sniffles, and coughed heavily, her voice scratchy from shouting.

Her hands were aching and her knuckles were covered in speckles of dry blood so she had covered them with her gloves again. The only thing keeping her in the here and now was the feeling of Anna stroking her hair gently and the sound of her breathing in the otherwise silent and empty waiting room.

Iduna arrived two hours later with a pale face and three bottles of water. They continued to sit without saying a word.

Elsa felt very much like her eight-year-old self again. The impending doom of her family falling apart taking hold on her heart and soul and clenching it hard. She hardly had any time with her father and the very possible possibility of him dying was something she could not and would not accept.

He had to be okay.

He was not allowed to die, she felt. Not like this. Not after all these years. He should have died from stage diving or a moshpit or something rock-oriented. Doing what he loved. Not stupid, heartbreaking cancer.

Night was crawling forth and the three of them were dozing off. Anna was trying to stay awake, texting Olaf and keeping him and the guys posted with what was going on. They all sent their hopes and wishes for Agnarr's recovery. It was almost midnight when one of the doctors who had rushed in to assist Agnarr entered the room. Elsa jolted awake, quickly followed by Anna and Idunn.

"Well?" Elsa croaked.

"Miss Elsa Andersen, I presume? Agnarr Andersen's daughter?" he said quietly.

"Yes, that's me," Elsa nodded.

This wasn't how Anna intended on finding out Elsa's last name. This was the last possible scenario she had ever expected. But there it was out in the open. And Elsa was left with her civilian identity in front of her. No rockstar title, no amazing hip action, no snide, seductive smirk.

The agonizing fear on her face was enough to send Anna into her own world of terror. This was a side of Elsa she didn't know could ever exist. Stage fright was one thing but this was pure, unadulterated fear that didn't match the Elsa she knew.

She was back to Wisconsin's Elsa Andersen. Small town girl in what was the heaviest situation of her life.

"What happened to my dad?" Elsa demanded, though not angrily, rising to her feet slowly. Her lip quivered. "What happened?"

The doctor merely bowed his head and Elsa had all the information she needed.

Anna and Iduna had to run to keep up with Elsa after she bolted from the room. The doctor didn't stop them at all, simply following briskly to the destination. But Elsa hadn't entered the room yet when they reached her. She was standing in the doorway, unable to bring herself to cross over the threshold. Chest was heaving, face stony, staring at the figure lying in her father's bed, as though it was sleeping.

"If it's any consolation, Miss Andersen, he kept talking about you when he was under," the doctor told her gently. "About how proud he was of you. He wished for me to tell you that."

Elsa swallowed hard and rasped, "Thank you."

The blonde nodded stiffly and turned away from the room, shoving her hands into her pockets and walked away, shoulders hunched to her ears, tears flowing freely down her face. Iduna stayed behind to speak with the doctor as Anna jogged over to meet up with Elsa, striding beside her. She draped an arm around her shoulders and guided her weeping girlfriend back to the bus.

Once they returned, Elsa requested for everyone to leave her alone. She locked herself in her room and let her back hit the door, sliding down until she was sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest, returning to her coping mechanism from her childhood.

She let her head drop onto her arms and she stared down at the carpet beneath her. She couldn't cry anymore. She didn't know how.

Elsa Andersen reverted back to her childish form and sat, staring blankly. Her mind was quiet and still, her heart unable to comprehend the loss of her father for a second time.

But this time, it was forever.

This time, he was never going to come back.

I totally forgot I finished this, haha. Whoops.

Sorry that the updates are sporadic. But my Anna RP-er is back and that really inspired me to start writing a lot again for this story!

And honestly, I wasn't too proud of the ending but I always intended on Elsa's father to die. So this wasn't some random, "oh let me destroy Elsa" moment. It was in the drafts since day one and I liked it and I wanted this to be a big Elsa breaking point. She's had a lot of hardships in this story but this was one of her lower moments I'm gonna surround a lot of the rest of the story around.

So...

Yeah.

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See you next time!