Epilogue - Greenville, Illinois, October 4th 1965

Inhaling the country air's fragrance, Elsa urged Agnarr's horse forward as she took pains to corral the sheep for the night. The exertion left her winded, and she struggled to keep her mount, but out of all the characters she had to play, Elsa liked playing a simple farm girl the best. Tipping her hat against the glare of the setting sun, Elsa rode back to the farmhouse. The plaid shirt and jeans and boots she wore were a far cry from the elaborate gowns and heels from a lifetime of glamour, but she'd gladly raze her entire wardrobe for a view of the open country any day.

Her footsteps quickened as she heard Agnarr's voice, followed by Anna's. Throwing the door open, father and daughter froze to look at Elsa.

"I'll leave you two alone," Agnarr muttered, before leaving Anna at the dining table. Elsa stared at the girl, prim and proper in one of her own floral dresses.

"You're late," Elsa complained, hands on her hips, "by two weeks."

"Show got extended," Anna argued, "Broadway schedules are hell, you know that."

Elsa's lips trembled, unsure if the girl before her was real. Only one way to find out. She extended her arms, and Anna hurled herself into them, upsetting a dining chair in the process.

"Oh my god," Anna squealed, taking in the scent of hay and rain on Elsa's outfit, "I missed you so much."

"Wish I could've joined you," Elsa whispered into Anna's hair. In the back of her mind, Elsa knew full well why she couldn't. The life of applause and accolades and glamour still called out to her from behind its velvet curtains. She needed to get away from that.

"I have letters," Anna smirked, holding up a stack of envelopes. The golden seal on the top envelope caught Elsa's attention, and she lurched for it.

"No, no!" Anna squealed, holding them away and tearing it open.

"What's it for? Don't leave me in the dark-" Elsa exclaimed, still trying to snatch it away.

The tussle led to Anna ripping open the other envelopes, and she announced, in a dramatic voice, "...And the Nominee for Best Actress, Elsa Sheridan - Winter Conflict!"

Elsa took advantage of the pause and snatched the next letter, her eyes widened, before she mimicked Anna's voice, "...And the Nominee for Best Supporting Actress, Anna Miller - Winter Conflict!"

"You did it!" They cried out in unison, hugging each other and hopping around in celebration.

"Wait, wait, there's a third," Elsa reminded, "open it-"

Anna tore open the next envelope, "Best Visual effects or something. Still you."

The nomination sent Elsa's glance towards her gloved hands. The sudden sombre mood befalling Elsa didn't go undetected. Anna held up a fake microphone to Elsa's chin, beckoning her to make a speech.

"I would like to thank Kristoff Bjorgmann for making this film, and Anna Miller, the love of my life - without whom I wouldn't have discovered I was capable of this."

Anna handed over another envelope, marked Office of Naval Research. No fun and games for this one.

"They've been talking to you, haven't they?" Anna asked.

Elsa looked down at her muddied boots, and nodded. She detected a trace of cold spreading through her limbs, but tells herself it's just the night air. The constant visits by stiff, humourless men in uniforms grated upon Elsa's brain. She shut her eyes, shaking her head

"They wanted me to come in. To work for them," Elsa answered, "They told me I could end the war in Indochina. Save countless lives and bring our boys back home."

"What did you tell them?"

Elsa's hands began to shake, but Anna clasped them tight, enduring the chill biting through the leather.

"I told them," Elsa answered, looking away, before looking right back at Anna, "I wasn't done fighting my own war."

Anna flashed another envelope, marked INVOICE: NORTHERN ILLINOIS REHABILITATION CENTRE, "You mean this war?"

Elsa chuckled, "That one's going fine. Nothing helps more than sunshine and fresh air." And the hope of being by your side without having a freaking withdrawal-meltdown every other night.

"Enough about me," Elsa whispered, taking the envelope away from Anna and tossing it with the others, "I want to hear about you."

The space between them disappeared as Elsa pulled her in, and their lips found each other in an instant. Taking off her gloves, she cupped Anna's face and kissed her deeply again, exhaling a foggy cold stream against her lips. She knew Anna liked it.

"Tell me about Broadway," Elsa asked, longing to hear about the life she'd long given up.

"It's great, the cast were such lovely people."

"I hope you stuck to your script this time," Elsa chuckled

"I didn't!" Anna chirped, before leaning into the softness of her embrace, "Then again, I don't think either of us are really good at following scripts."