Reconnecting
After the radio incident, both girls remained on the floor talking and sharing stories, trying to get back the serene atmosphere they had shared in the early morning. It wasn't until Anna mentioned Kai and Gerda, that Elsa noticed the time and thought it was better to get ready. She needed to pack a few things to stay some days at her parents' house, and her crutches made the task a lot harder than it usually was.
Elsa finished arranging things in her backpack when Kai knocked on her door. She picked the bag, ready to leave the house, when Anna stopped her.
"Are you sure your parents won't have a problem taking me home?" She was clearly nervous about meeting her in-laws again.
"For the last time, no. They won't." Elsa chuckled. She didn't want to laugh at Anna's nervousness, but it was funny to hear her ask the question for the fourth time.
"It's just-... The last time I saw them was when we told you-... And I don't know if-" Anna kept trying to get the words out, but her nervousness made talking more difficult than it was supposed to be. Truth was, she was afraid of Gerda and Kai's opinion of her. Deep inside she believed they weren't going to be okay with the fact she was spending time with Elsa after everything that happened. To make things worse, she didn't know if Kristoff had told them about their fight the previous week. She knew her fears were uncalled-for since they had always been nice and kind to her, but she knew they loved Kristoff and Elsa more than anything. And something told her her family was not the most loved one by the Bjorgmans' at that moment.
Elsa was about to reassure her once again; when Kai, getting tired of waiting in the cold, opened the door. "Thank god you don't listen to me and you never lock your door. It's freezing out there." He rubbed his arms trying to heat his body as he smiled to his daughter. "Ready to go, Elsa?"
"Ready," Elsa said after she greeted him. As she was handing him her backpack, she asked, "could we give Anna a ride?"
"Anna?" He raised his head in surprise at the mention of her name. Finally noticing the girl in question was standing behind his daughter.
Anna showed her father-in-law a timid smile and waved to him when she saw how surprised he was to see her there.
"She came to visit and now she needs to get home," said Elsa, saving Anna the trouble of explaining what she was doing there. Anna noticed Kai's puzzled look, but she was thankful to see him smile at her after the initial confusion wore off.
For the most part, the ride back to Trollheim was peaceful. Kai and Gerda asked some questions about Anna's stay the previous night, genuinely curious about her visit. They seemed happy she had taken the time to visit Elsa and see how she was doing, which was a relief to Anna since the last thing she wanted was for things to be awkward between them.
At some point during the trip, however, Anna began to notice Elsa becoming more and more nervous. The closer they got to Trollheim, detached from the conversation she looked. She kept fidgeting and the temperature in the car had decreased, showing something was clearly wrong with her. Taking Gerda a few tries to get her to answer the simplest questions.
Gerda, knowing exactly what was troubling her daughter, didn't hesitate to call her attention one last time and ask, "Elsa, are you okay?"
"Yes," answered Elsa, raising her head and pretending everything was okay. "Yes… I'm just- I'm fine."
Not buying her daughter's lies, Gerda turned around in her seat and said, "everything will be fine, dear."
"I know," She let out a breath. "It's silly to be nervous." She knew that for any other person, being afraid of doctors and hospitals was ridiculous, but she still struggled with undesired memories every time she found herself inside a clinic. "Do you think this will be my last appointment?"
"I'm not sure," answered the old woman sincerely. "But remember, you'll need some therapy sessions once the cast is removed." Gerda knew Elsa couldn't stand the appointments, but she didn't want to give her false hope.
"Right."
"I'll be right there, sweetheart." Gerda promised.
Anna stayed silent while mother and daughter talked to each other. She felt bad for Elsa's dejected expression, since it showed how much she truly hated those appointments. But she was happy to be able to witness Gerda's love. It made Anna feel better to know she hadn't lied to Elsa earlier that day. Her family loved her more than Elsa imagined, and it was obvious, by Gerda's expression, she wasn't planning to leave her behind.
Anna's thoughts were interrupted when Kai parked the car in front of the hospital and he broke the silence. "Here we are," he exclaimed. "I'll take Anna home and then return for you two later."
"Oh, that's not necessary." The last thing Anna wanted was to be a burden to Kai. "I can take a cab or walk."
"Nonsense. I won't leave you here."
"Kai, it's not necessary. I swear."
"There's no point in arguing with dad," said Elsa once she had stepped out of the car. "Just accept the ride."
Kai's smile on the rear-view mirror clearly stated the Elsa was correct, and he was not going to accept no for an answer. Anna laughed, and finally accepted.
"Thank you for visiting Elsa," said Kai when they were alone in the car. "She can really use a friend right now."
"I thought you'd be against the idea of me spending time with her," she admitted, looking at her hands in shame. "Taking into account everything that happened…"
"Whatever happened before you were born is not your fault, kid."
"No. I mean forcing my parents to tell her the truth so soon. I didn't stop to think how much it could affect her." Anna didn't know how much Elsa had shared with her parents about the way she felt, but she thought it was an understanding she was not doing alright.
"Maybe the when and how weren't ideal, but I think you had good intentions, Anna."
Anna smiled to his comment, but Kai noticed Anna's ever present happiness was tainted with sadness and concern. Something that, in his opinion, didn't really suit the girl. He turned around on his seat to face her and asked, "how are you holding up?"
"What?"
"It must have been hard for you to find out the truth too. How are you holding up?"
Touched by the man's concern she answered truthfully. "I've been better. My parents haven't been the same since they found out Elsa was their daughter. And it's strange to think of Elsa as my older sister to be honest."
"And yet, you take the time to make sure Elsa is alright… Thank you."
Not knowing what to say, she simply smiled once again.
When they reached her house, she thanked Kai for the ride, and stepped out of the car. She was about to close the door when Kai asked, "is your father home?"
"I think so..."
Anna entered her house and was soon stopped by Agdar. He had been calling Kristoff all morning trying to speak with but no-one was answering the phone, making him worry.
"Anna," he called her attention. "Where have you been?"
"I was in the North mountain," she answered simply, not wanting to explain herself too much to her father. She knew her parents were going to ask some questions, but she wanted to say as little as possible and not to betray Elsa's trust
He was more than surprised by her answer, since he and Idunn were convinced she had stayed the night with Kristoff, like she did most Fridays nights. "You could have told us where you were going."
Anna thought it was better not argue with her father and changed the topic, "Kai is outside, he wants to talk to you."
Agdar asked Anna to let her mother know she was back, and he left the house in a hurry, hoping the Kai and Gerda had changed their mind about their conversation earlier. "Thank you for giving our daughter a ride," said Agdar, once he reached the car.
"There's no need to thank me." Kai wanted to get back to the hospital before Elsa's appointment was over, so he jumped to the matter he wanted to discuss with Agdar. Not wasting anymore time than necessary, he asked, "does the name Douglas Weselton sound familiar to you?"
"Dr. Weselton?" asked Agdar, surprised. "Yes. He was a doctor from Romsdal. Actually, he was the one who helped us with Idunn's pregnancy when we were expecting Elsa. Why?"
Kai looked at him with astonishment at that. He knew they had mentioned his name the night Elsa lost control of her powers, but he had no idea the man had actually helped the couple with the pregnancy. Kai was sure he needed to hear their story now. He needed to find out the Arendelles' reasons to trust their health and daughter to someone like Weselton. "Did you leave Elsa under his care?"
Agdar noticed Kai's collected demeanour disappear, making him worry. "Yes… Why? What's going on?"
Kai wanted to remain civil and give the couple a chance to explain their past before judging them for their actions. But knowing they had willing left Elsa in Weselton's hands wasn't helping him at the moment. "I've been thinking about your request. And I think it would be best for us to meet and talk about Elsa's past. There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you. But I need to know you'll be willing to tell me your part of the story too. Do you think you think you can do that?"
"As Idunn said, all we want to do is make amends. We are more than willing to tell you and Elsa everything that happened."
"It'll be better for us to meet and talk things through then." Kai started the car and turned to Agdar again once again. "Elsa will be home for a few days, and she hasn't said anything about wanting to see you yet. And, as you can imagine, making sure she's okay is my top priority right now; for that reason, I think we should meet after she goes back to the North mountain."
"I understand." Agdar wished he could see Elsa again, but he knew giving the girl some time was their best bet at the moment. "Please call us when you and Gerda think it's a good time to meet."
"I will," said Kai with a nod.
"Thank you so much, Kai. This means the world to us."
Kai felt relieved at his words. Something in Agdar's gratefulness let him know he was doing the right thing by giving the couple a chance.
Kristoff climbed the stairs leading to his apartment late that afternoon. He was tired after a long day at the factory, and he was still feeling disappointed he had wasted his Saturday at work. He usually had weekends off, but whenever his boss needed someone trustworthy to replace him, he was the first guy to be called in. Kristoff liked the fact his boss trusted him with the factory and the shipments, but he couldn't stand acting like a boss to his peers. For that reason, his day had been a bit more stressful than it was usual. And knowing he was returning to an empty apartment didn't help much to lift his mood. He had always relied on his girlfriend or his sister to talk to and relax after hard days at work; but now, he had to face the fact he was alone yet another weekend for his own stupidity. Leaving him with the bitter taste that he could have said or done things differently the previous weeks.
When he reached his apartment, he tried to unlock the door only to find out it was already unlocked. Something that was completely impossible unless someone was inside the apartment. Knowing for a fact his sister - the only person with keys to his apartment - was in the North mountain, made Kristoff worry. He thought of the possibility he hadn't locked the door in the morning like he imagined, but then he realised Sven hadn't barked, like he did every day, when he heard him at the door.
Kristoff instantly freaked out, thinking maybe a burglar had entered the apartment and had put the dog to sleep. The idea of someone breaking into his house and hurting Sven made his blood boil and, without thinking too much, he slammed the door open. If there was someone still inside, he would give the person a beating.
He entered the apartment and suddenly his anger changed to confusion when he saw Sven - his main concern - growling in front of him, ready to attack. Kristoff tried to calm the dog down, but Sven was blindly trying to protect its home, barking loudly and not letting Kristoff walk any further.
Kristoff raised his head to see what was going on inside his house when he noticed his sister sitting on the couch. She looked alarmed and Kristoff could see snowflakes falling around her. "Elsa?" he asked, surprised to see her there.
"What is wrong with you?!" yelled Elsa. "You scared me half to death. I thought someone had broken into your apartment!"
"What are you doing here?" asked Kristoff trying to speak over Sven's barks. He took a step closer, but Sven began growling again. "Sven, calm down, it's me!"
"Don't yell at him," countered Elsa. She understood the dog's behaviour perfectly. Kristoff had scared both of them by slamming his door, making Sven jump from the couch, where he had been sitting. "He was only trying to protect the apartment. Right, Sven?"
Hearing Elsa's calmer tone of voice helped Sven calm down, and he finally noticed it was Kristoff who had entered the house. After looking at his owner for a moment, the dog turned around and returned to his place next to Elsa, who immediately tried to sooth the animal by petting its head.
"I thought you were a burglar," explained Kristoff. "I wanted to scare the hell out of whoever was inside the apartment."
"Well, mission accomplished," laughed Elsa, finally understanding her brother's peculiar entrance.
Kristoff chuckled at that and sat on a chair close to where Sven was sitting. Pointing at the dog with his index finger, he said, "I can't believe you would be willing to bite me just to protect Elsa. Don't forget who feeds you every day, Sven."
"Don't listen to him, Sven," said Elsa hugging the dog and resting her chin on top of his head. "Just follow your heart. I can feed you too." Sven barked happily, and moved to try and lick her face. "See? He loves me more." Elsa laughed at the dog's affection but soon tried to stop him.
Kristoff laughed too. Not believing how lucky Elsa was whenever she needed to get a reaction out of Sven. The dog seemed to play along, doing whatever she needed him to do at the right time. "He just missed you. He clearly loves me more…"
It was after they had calmed down, that Kristoff noticed something different in his sister. "Wait a minute. Where is your cast?"
"The doctor removed it today," said Elsa, beaming. She had been so eager to share the good news with her brother; she had asked Kai to give her a ride to his place soon after her appointment was over. "It feels so good to be able to bend my knee again." Elsa then extended her right leg and showed her brother, as if moving her leg was the most incredible thing that had ever happened to her.
Kristoff laughed at her demonstration, finding Elsa's happiness incredibly contagious. "I'm so happy for you."
Seeing Kristoff once again, smiling and sharing her happiness, helped Elsa understand better what Anna had told her that morning. She couldn't keep pushing those who loved her away. Even if her pain hadn't let her see what Kristoff had tried to do for her a couple of weeks before, it didn't mean she couldn't set things right with him at that moment. "Kristoff I- I wanted to apologise."
Kristoff opened his eyes in surprise. Since their fight, he had been beating himself up for what he had done to Elsa, and he hadn't found the courage to ask for forgiveness. And here she was, apologising and trying for them to be on good terms again.
"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. You were trying to listen to me and help me, and all I did was taking it out on you," she continued. "I still don't agree with the fact you deliberately chose to keep the truth from me. But I shouldn't have lashed out on you like I did. I shouldn't have pushed you away." She looked at him and said, "I'm sorry."
"All I was doing was hide your past from you, which is by far the worst thing I've done." Scratching his neck, Kristoff tried to find the right words. He still hadn't forgiven himself for what he had done, and it was hard to explain how he felt. But he was certain he couldn't let Elsa take all the blame for their argument. "I should be the one asking for your forgiveness."
A big smile plastered on her face at that. "I've already forgiven you, Kristoff." Elsa always found it hard to open up, but there was something in Kristoff that always prompt her to keep sharing the way she felt. She wished, not for the first time, that talking with other people could be as easy as talking to him or Gerda. "I've got to admit I was disappointed at first, but now I see your point of view. Or I think I do. That's the reason I'm here. I've missed you and I want things to be okay between us."
"Can you stand up?" asked Kristoff out of the blue, confusing Elsa.
His question had little to do with their conversation, but she answered anyway, "I think so, yes." She stood up to show him she was good enough to do so. "Why? What do you-?"
Once Elsa was standing in front of him, Kristoff got up and gave her a crushing bear hug. "I've missed you too," he whispered. All his life he had found it easier to show the way he felt with his body, better than with words, and even if he knew they'd need to discuss their fight and the fact he had kept the truth from her at some point; at that moment all he wanted to do was show her how much he had missed her.
Elsa wrapped her arms around him, hiding her face in the crook of his neck.
"Are you going to cry?" asked Kristoff, teasingly.
"No," replied Elsa, taking a deep breath to calm herself down. The last thing she wanted was for him to notice her eyes had filled with tears. But the truth was, she needed that hug more than she was willing to admit out loud.
After their hug, brother and sister continued talking about life and meaningless things. It was easy for both of them to forget about their problems whenever they were together. Time apart only worked as a reminder of how much they needed each other.
A couple of hours later, Kristoff noticed the time and suggested they both went to their favourite bar to celebrate the fact Elsa's leg was healing. She still had a long way to recover - crutches for a couple of weeks, therapy and training to regain her strength once again - but at least her major inconvenience was out of the way.
Their favourite bar was a small place in the other side of town. A perfect spot for someone like them, who didn't enjoy being in crowded places. There they could order some pizzas, beer and enjoy their time, not worrying about a thing in the world. It was for that reason that they went to the bar, and stayed for hours joking and telling stories. They hadn't agreed to it, but both of them avoided sensitive or serious topics, wishing to spend a night away from their problems.
"Do you remember the first time we ate in this place?" asked Kristoff, remembering what he believed was one of the best nights of his life.
"This bar?" wondered Elsa. "I don't think I remember, no."
"How can you not remember?!" he asked, already laughing at the memory. "We were both twenty. I had just bought the truck... Rings a bell?"
Elsa opened her eyes in surprise and laughed. "We ate here that night?"
"Yes!" A grin plastered on his face. "Do you remember what happened when we left?"
"How could I forget? Your truck wouldn't start. And when you tried to fix it," Elsa emphasised the fix part to show her displeasure at Kristoff's skills as a mechanic, "the engine got on fire!"
"It wasn't my fault!" laughed Kristoff out loud, as he threw some peanuts to his sister. Elsa always told the story as if he had been the reason the vehicle got on fire. "I still can't believe the neighbours called the police thinking we were vandals setting things on fire, though" he commented afterwards.
"I was so nervous I thought I was going to freeze everything."
"It could have been helpful if you did. We wouldn't have had to wait for the firemen to show up."
"Yes, because it was going to be really easy for us to explain we had put the fire out using snow in the middle of the summer." Years had passed since the incident, and Elsa still couldn't believe Kristoff had yelled at her to 'put the fire out' over twenty times, not even thinking about the consequences.
"Do you remember dad's face when he got to the parking lot with the other officers, only to find out we were the vandals? The old man looked so done!" They were both crying from laughter at that point. Thinking about Kai's expression always cracked them up.
"I think he really regretted adopting us that night." Elsa remembered her father's face perfectly, and she could only agree with Kristoff, the man had seemed so done and tired. "At least he didn't have to pay for the damages."
"I was lucky the insurance paid for everything." If Kristoff had to be honest, he had only started laughing about that night after he had received the check from the insurance company.
After they both stopped laughing, Elsa asked, "have you ever told Anna that story?"
"No. I don't think I have," replied Kristoff, a lot more serious than before. Being on good terms with Elsa again and going out with her had helped him forget about his argument with Anna. But at the mention of her name, he remembered how incredibly stupid he had been and how much he missed her.
"That's odd. It seems like the kind of anecdote she would enjoy."
"Yeah. I'm sure she would."
Elsa soon noticed her brother's attitude change, making her worry. "Are you okay? You seem distracted." For lack of better words, thought Elsa. More than distracted he seemed sad and angered, the complete opposite to mere minutes before.
He knew Elsa was going to find out sooner or later about his fight with Anna, especially if he kept sulking instead of solving his problems; so he thought it was best to come clean and tell his sister about his problem. "Anna and I had a fight," he admitted. "We haven't been talking lately."
"What?" The last thing she had expected was for him to say something like that. She couldn't believe he had kept that piece of information to himself the whole night. She soon thought it was strange how Anna hadn't mentioned it either. Elsa couldn't stop herself from feeling bad for not noticing both of them were hurting. "Since when?
"It's been over a week now." He kept his eyes on the table. "I've been meaning to call her and set things right…"
"But?"
"But I'm afraid to call. What if she won't talk to me. I behaved like an ass."
"What happened between you two? What did you do?"
Kristoff was about to tell Elsa about their argument when he realised she had been the main reason they had fought in the first place. Well, not the reason, but the main thing they have been discussing when it happened. He stopped himself in time and thought it was better to spare her the details. "We had a misunderstanding. And I asked her to leave the apartment."
"What was it about?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Kristoff…"
Kristoff crossed his arms and rested his back on the chair. "Trust me, what we fought about isn't important. I know we can come to an agreement about that," he said, hoping Elsa would stop asking questions about it. "But I'm still afraid to call. What if she doesn't want to forgive me?"
"Don't be silly, Kristoff. Call her and let her know how you feel. I'm sure she will forgive you." Elsa remembered the way Anna had spoken about Kristoff that morning, and she couldn't think of anything her sister-in-law had said or done to show she was mad at him.
"You are probably right." He seemed to agree with her, but it was obvious to Elsa he still felt bad about the whole situation.
As Anna showed up on Friday evening at Elsa's cottage, just like she had promised the previous week. This time she carried some clothes and a bag full of books for Elsa.
Both girls shared dinner together that night and talked about their week. Each one sharing what was new in their life. Anna had been ecstatic to find out Elsa no longer needed her cast, and that she was already working on her recovery. While Elsa, on her part, was happy to find out Anna had passed one of her tests with perfect marks. At some point during the night, however, Kristoff's name was mentioned and Anna's expression fell considerably.
Elsa, knowing exactly what was wrong with the younger girl, stopped what she was saying and asked, "the idiot hasn't called you yet, has he?"
"What?" asked Anna, surprised by the sudden question.
"Kristoff…" clarified Elsa. "I know you two had a fight, and for your expression I can see he hasn't called you yet."
"You know about- Wait, what do you mean he hasn't called me yet?"
Elsa sighed. She considered herself socially inept, but sometimes she thought people around her weren't far behind. How could Anna - or Kristoff for that matter - even consider the possibility that the other didn't want to talk was beyond her. "I shouldn't betray my brother's trust by telling you this but Kristoff has been trying to call you for the last few days, he's just afraid you'll reject him."
"Why would I reject him? I've been missing him like crazy," confessed Anna.
Elsa smiled at that. It was obvious both of them were so respectful of each other's wishes, they were making their relationship more complicated than it really was. "I don't know why he thinks so… All I know is he misses you as much as you do. Please be patient with him. He's just an idiot."
Anna could only smile at her words. Elsa was so certain things were going to work out between them, she was literally asking her to relax and just wait for Kristoff to show up. "You know, you always sell yourself short, but you end up being the most sensible person of the three of us."
"Of course I am," said Elsa, sure of herself. "Unlike you two, I'm not in love."
Anna bursted out laughing at the comment. She then thanked Elsa for making her feel a lot better than she had in days.
A couple of hours later, when Anna had gone to bed - after yet another argument about who was sleeping in the main bedroom - Elsa called her brother and asked him to pay her a visit in the mountain. Kristoff, worrying for her sister's well being, soon agreed and promised to get there before lunch the following day. Elsa knew that Kristoff was definitely going to get mad at her for setting him up with Anna like that. But she was willing to tolerate his irritation, if it meant he and Anna finally sat down solved their problems.
Agdar yawned as he walked to his bedroom late that night. He had been working since early afternoon in some contracts for the company and he was feeling exhausted. The weeks following Elsa's incident had been chaotic, resulting in his work being neglected; and he was still trying to get his life back on track. Something that proved to be more than difficult, given the fact his mind was constantly drifting back to Elsa and Anna.
He entered the room, and he was surprised to find is wife sitting in bed, writing, scratching and mumbling to herself, instead of sleeping. "What are you doing?" he asked, curious to know what kept her occupied so late at night.
"I'm writing a letter," answered Idunn unconsciously, not paying too much attention to her husband.
"A letter? To whom?"
"Elsa," she answered, somewhat ashamed of saying it out loud.
"What?" He knew his wife had been desperate to see and talk to Elsa since the last time they had seen her, but he believed it was better to be more patient, give her some more time before reaching out to her.
"I'm not planning to send them…" she explained. "It just helps with the pain. There's so much I want to tell her..." She still felt silly writing letters that weren't going to be read, but writing down her feelings had helped her cope with the way she felt. After her conversation with Anna, where her daughter had explained Elsa's childhood had been a lot harder than she had originally imagined; Idunn had she had begun writing letters of sorts, to her eldest daughter.
Agdar understood Idunn's pain, but he hadn't imagined she had been doing something like that for days. There was nothing he wouldn't give to see his family overcome their pain and sadness. Agdar's train of thought was interrupted by the telephone before he got the chance to answer to his wife. He looked at her then with a puzzled look on his face. "Were you expecting a call?"
"No."
Agdar hurried to the living room and picked up, hoping it was nothing related to the company or his work in general. Great was his surprise when Kai greeted him on the other line.
"Kai, I was not expecting- No, I wasn't. It's okay," he said reassuring the older man he hadn't been sleeping. "Tomorrow? Yes, tomorrow is perfect," he agreed in a heartbeat. "Thank you."
"Who was it?" asked Idunn from the door. She knew it was important by the look Agdar's expression.
"It was Kai… He wants to meet us tomorrow."
"What?"
"He wants to talk to us. About Elsa."
"Will Elsa be-?"
"No, she won't be there," he interrupted, not wanting to give his wife false hopes. "But Gerda and him are willing to answer our questions."
"They changed their mind?" she asked, hopefully.
Agdar nodded, knowing perfectly well Idunn was now feeling as excited and nervous as he was. Their chance to reconnect with their eldest daughter was only a few hours away.
Thank you all for your comments. I love this story and I want to finish it as a personal challenge, but it's really nice to see what you guys think of every chapter.
This chapter took a little bit longer than I originally imagined. I kept changing things as I edited it. So much, that I almost have the next chapter written. So, this means you won't have to wait so long to know how Kai and Gerda adopted Elsa! I'm really excited to share her past with you after so long!
As always, let me know what you think – what you like, what you hate – everything helps me improve!
