~Elsa~

I was perfectly fine all day today. In fact, I was really excited for Jack and I to share a New Years kiss. The last week has been the most magical and wonderful time of my life. But now, I'm filled with worry. Jack is an hour late. He was supposed to pick up Flynn. Flynn had called Rapunzel to let her know that he's going to be late because Jack didn't didn't show up to get him, which already triggered something in me, but he said Jack wasn't answering him, and wasn't answering me either, panic started to set in.

"I'm sure his phone is dead," Rapunzel tries to calm me. "That's gotta be the only explanation as to why he's not answering you. Or maybe it's on silent mode or stolen?"

I shake my head at the suggestions. "He never has his phone on silent, so that can't be it. And if it got stolen, Jack would have found a way to contact someone by now. I just…I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this." I pause to breathe, and without meaning to, my hand acts on its own as it places itself above my heart. "I don't feel it in my belly. I feel it in my heart."

Rapunzel opens her mouth to speak, but the doorbell suddenly goes off. I ran to the door, ignoring my cousin's call for me to wait for her and slow down. I even ignored Anna, who had come out of her room from her fifth outfit change.

The stairs felt as if they were never going to end. Down, down, down. Until finally I'm on the flat surface of the marble floors. I open the door, hoping to see my boyfriend, but instead see Flynn and Kristoff.

"Hey, Platinum," says Flynn at the same time Kristoff says, "Hey, Elsa."

"Oh, uh, hey guys. Come on in." I tried to hide my disappointment, but I'm pretty sure it was as clear as day. "Have you heard from Jack yet?" I ask when they're inside.

Both of them shake their heads. "No," says Flynn, "and I'm so butthurt about being ignored. He offered to give me a ride, and instead I had to transport via reindeer."

Kristoff rolls his eyes. "You're acting like I forced you to ride the deer. You rode on the sleigh and it was perfectly fine."

Flynn waves him off. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, where's—"

"Helloooo boys," Anna suddenly calls out from the top of the stairs. Rapunzel stood next to her and together they made their way down.

Kristoff grins, his eyes lighting up, and he doesn't even wait until she's down the stairs to greet her. He goes up to her and kisses her quickly. I look away to be respectful, but also because I'd rather not see my sister swapping saliva. Rapunzel giggles as she continues on her way.

Flynn groans. "Great, now I can't do that because he'll think I copied from him."

Rolling my eyes, I give him a side toward my cousin. "Go kiss your girl, Flynnigan."

He chuckles and meets with Rapunzel right as she makes it to the bottom of the staircase. They also share a kiss, and I'm hit with a sudden pang of loneliness. I miss Jack. I wonder where he could be and why it's taking him so long. I hate that I'm 5th wheeling here.

Patience, I tell myself, You've gotta be patient.

But what if something bad happened? What if—

No. You'll only make yourself sick with worry. Everything is okay. Don't overthink.

I take a deep breath and push aside the scary thoughts.

~One Hour Later~

The scary thoughts wouldn't leave me alone. I tried, I really did, but I couldn't stop the multiple images and scenarios from happening. I've been on edge this past hour thinking about all sorts of what-ifs, and Jack still not answering us wasn't helping me at all.

As conversation went on between my aunt, uncle, cousin, sister, Olaf, Kristoff, and Flynn, I found myself staring at my phone. I tried not to be on it so much. I tried to participate in the conversation with everyone, about our goals and plans and bucketlists. I still have the one Jack made me months ago. But it was obvious that I didn't have much energy to talk or pay attention. My mind is too occupied with worry, worry that is twisting my stomach into horrendous knots.

Where the hell is Jack?

Suddenly, my uncle's phone goes off. He apologizes as he digs it out of his pocket, stares at the screen, and I see his eyes widen slightly. He gets to his feet and excuses himself, leaving us one person down in the living room where we resided.

"I know I wasn't the only one who saw how wide his eyes got," Anna comments. "I wonder who that could have been?"

"Probably something work related," says my aunt. She sighs and looks a little annoyed. "What else? I'm going to have him turn his phone off for the rest of the night."

Suddenly, once again, my phone goes off this time, making me jump and my heart jolts. "Ooohh," says Olaf, "Everyone is so popular. I hope I get a call next!"

As I dig for my phone, praying to see Jack's name on the screen, Anna giggles. "From who, Olaf?"

Olaf shrugs. "Probably Samantha."

When my phone is in my hands, my heart drops when I see Bunny's name on the screen. I became nauseous for two reasons. 1) It's not Jack who is calling. 2) It's not Jack who is calling. It's Bunny. Bunny who never calls or texts, meaning that whatever he has to say must be serious. What if it's about Jack? Oh god, is he okay. Is he hurt? Maybe it's actually Jack using Bunny's phone because something had happened to his? God, I hope so.

I answer the phone as I get to my feet, walking out of the room in the opposite direction my uncle had gone. "Hello?" I answer, biting my nails anxiously.

I hear a sigh, followed by Bunny's voice. "Hey, Elsa." He says nothing more, which confuses me.

"Um…hi, Bunny. Can I help you?" I ask, but then quickly retrack. "Actually, wait, is Jack with you? He's not answering my texts or calls."

Bunny doesn't answer and for a second I had thought that maybe I had accidentally hung up. "Hello?" I try again, my grip on my phone tightening when I heard him sniffle.

Is Bunny…is he crying?

"Bunny, what's–"

"Are you alone right now?" He asks.

"No," I answered, weirded out. "I'm with my family." I lock eyes with Anna, who's staring back at me with a confused look, mirroring my own face. "Why?"

"I…I have bad news, Sheila. You need to get to the hospital as soon as you can," he says in a rush. "It's bad. Like, really bad. There was a wreck. Jack, Emma, their mom…it was fatal. Just…you need to get here."

And like a switch, my calmness vanishes and I'm standing up. "Wait, what?! What do you mean? A wreck? Fatal? Like, like someone died? Is Jack okay? Is Emma and their mom okay? Bunny…" my voice cracked at his name, the panic reaching beyond my nerves and into my voice and lungs, making it hard to breathe. "Bunny, please, tell me this is just some sick and twisted joke. You and Jack are playing a prank on me. He's paying you to trick me. This is all just a stupid game right now, right? It's not funny–"

Everyone's eyes were on me, but I blocked them out, my surroundings turning into a blur as tears filled my vision. I kept my gaze to the floor, focusing on the pattern of the carpet to keep my panic under control.

"Elsa–"

"No!" I shout, fighting against the truth and accepting denial. "This is what Jack does. He plays pranks on people, and this prank is the least funniest one he's ever done. I don't like it. It's dumb and really horrible. Put him on the phone."

"Elsa, I can't–"

"Put him on the phone now." I've never known my voice could be this stern before, but I'm pissed. Who in their right mind would pull a prank like this?

"Elsa," Bunny sighs, sounding defeated and tired and drained, "I can't do that because he's–"

"Don't say it," I begged him, the tears flooding down my face. "Please, don't say it."

Because he's dead.

My own thought sent me sobbing. He's not dead. He can't be dead. I heard Bunny take in a shuddery breath. "He's being treated at the hospital and we're not sure if he's gonna make it. I…I think you should be here during his final moments. He would want that."

"Wait, he's alive?!" I cried out, hope filling my body.

"We're not sure if it'll be for much longer—"

"Don't say that." I begged as I wiped my tears away, but they kept coming. "You've always been one to preach hope. Where is it now?"

He was silent as he took in my words, words that held truth. Despite his grumpy attitude most of the time, he was usually one of the first to uplift anyone who was down and needed a little bit of hope. So hearing him be so hopeless…well it's just not like him. That's how serious this must be.

"I'll try," he finally says, and my heart breaks at how broken and defeated he sounded. No, this isn't like Bunny at all. "But please, you need to hurry."

"I'm on my way." I hang up, and as soon as I do, Rapunzel is the first to ask what's wrong.

"Elsa, what's going on?" Rapunzel asks as she comes to stand by my side, Anna doing the same. Both of them took my hands, squeezing them tight.

"Jack, Emma, and their mom got into a wreck," I quickly explained. "It was fatal—" Everyone's eyes go wide and I hear a few gasps and suddenly I'm sobbing again. I let go of Anna's hand so I could cover my mouth, stopping myself from letting out a scream that would shake the house and also to stop myself from throwing up.

"They…they're treating Jack right now," I say between shuddering breaths, "but they're not sure if he's gonna make it. I need to get to the hospital. I—"

"What's going on?" My uncle asks when he returns to the room. His eyes are red, like he had been crying, and my aunt is quick to notice it too.

"Freddie, are you okay? Why are your eyes—"

"I had a bit of a coughing fit earlier," he interrupts, avoiding her eyes as he clears his throat. "But I'm okay. But you all seem a bit distraught and Elsa, you—"

"I need to get to the hospital," I tell him in a rush. "Can you take me, please?"

"The hospital?" He asks, confused. "Whatever for?"

"It's Jack," I answered, frantically. "He's been in a wreck. I need to go now, I–" I started sobbing again and he's quick to pull me into his arms. I buried my face into his chest and just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. I hated that I'm wasting time, but any control of my emotions was gone.

Conceal, don't feel. My father's words echoed in my head. I haven't thought of those words in a long while. They used to work in the past when I was feeling too much, but I think I'm too far gone into a panic to actually listen to them.

My uncle held me tight as I cried. "Ssh, it'll be okay, my love." He tries to soothe me, rubbing my back. "Let's go. I'll take us."

He didn't have to tell me twice.

~Two Hours Later~

I really can't stand this hospital. First Anna, then Flynn (though his situation was minor), then me, and now I'm back again for Jack. And funny enough, Dr. Stone was taking care of him too.

When we arrived at the hospital, Bunny greeted us and took us to the floor where he, Tooth, North, Sandy, Jamie, and little Sophie waited. Sophie was sleeping in Tooth's arms while Jamie sat next to her, leaning on her shoulder, fast asleep as well. The area right under his eyes looked puffy, as if he had been crying for a long time. Everyone else's eyes looked the same. They mirrored mine. Swollen and red and blank, like the life had been sucked right out.

I chatted and hugged everyone, being mindful not to wake Sophie and Jamie, who I realized after getting information, are now parentless. Their mother didn't make it. And their sister Emma…she didn't make it either. They died as soon as the wreck happened and I prayed it was so quick that they didn't feel a thing. Jamie and Sophie lost a sister–for Jamie, a twin–and they might lose Jack too. It's taken so much energy to stop myself from bawling again, but Jamie and Sophie gave me my control back. I don't want to wake them up and face their new reality.

I don't want to wake them from their dreams only for them to meet the nightmare that will be their new life. God, I wish this wasn't real. It's a nightmare for sure, but I wish it really was one. I wish I could wake up and everything is just as it was the day before. But it's not.

And so I concealed my sobs and screams. I fought against my tears too, but some were able to slip through the cracks of the wall I had put up, staining my cheeks once more. But I remained silent for everyone's sake. Just until I am back in my room. North had held me when I started to silently cry, and said: "Our Jack is a strong one. He's going to be okay. I can feel it," he had let me go to grab his stomach, "in my belly."

He was trying to make the atmosphere a little light, but when I looked into his eyes I could see how much he truly believed that. It warmed my heart to see someone else have hope. To not immediately accept that Jack isn't going to make it. No one else had really said that Jack is a goner, but Bunny didn't seem to think Jack had much time left when I was on the phone with him, and Tooth, well she didn't really talk much at all. Probably because she didn't want to wake the kids.

And yes, while my aunt, uncle, Anna, Rapunzel, Flynn, Kristoff, and Olaf had all agreed that Jack would make it, I could see uncertainty in each of their eyes. It was only North who seemed genuinely positive about the outcome of Jack's fate.

At some point though, my head was starting to pound and I felt dangerously dizzy. I need to get some water before I end up passing out. I probably need fresh air too, but I'm not leaving the floor level until I hear any news on Jack. It's already been so long. Frederick and Arianna had left 10 minutes ago to get some coffee, which was placed next to the vending machines in its own closet-like room for guests. The room was by the elevators down the hall, so it wasn't a far walk. Down and back. I won't be gone long, but hopefully when I come back with some water we'll finally get an update on Jack.

"I'll be right back," I say to my sister, who sat next to me, leaning on Kristoff's shoulder as she watched Tik-Tok with him on his phone. "I'm going to get some water."

She lifts her head off of her not-labeled-yet-boyfriend. "I can get it for you if you'd like?" She offers. "Or I can go with you so you're not alone?"

I give her an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Anna, but that's okay. It's just right down the hall. I'll be back in two minutes."

She doesn't look too happy with my response, but she doesn't fight it. "Okay."

And so I leave, the dizziness getting worse when I stand up. I stumbled a little, embarrassing myself.

"Are you okay?" Anna and Rapunzel ask at the same time. Usually, we'll laugh at their unison, but not now.

"Yeah," I lied, "I just tripped over my feet, that's all."

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the clumsy one," Anna gently teases, but then she's serious. "I think I should go with you though."

I hold my hand up to stop her. "No, Anna, it's okay. I'll be gone for two minutes, I promise." I glance at Kristoff, hoping he'd catch the help me look in my eyes. "I don't want Kristoff getting lonely."

Kristoff does in fact catch the look and he wraps an arm around Anna. "She'll be okay, babe. I was actually wondering if you could help me with something."

"And who better to help than you?" I urged her, which won her over.

"Well, if you insist." She says, and I'm gone the second she says the words.

Her tagging along usually wouldn't be a problem, but my head is killing me. I need a few minutes alone, to calm the pounding and to get some space to hopefully clear my head and process everything that is happening. I think the bright lights are making my headache and dizziness worse too. God, I need water and some pain killers now. I'm not sure if I can get any pain killers here, I might be considering this is a hospital, but I know for sure I can get some water.

But as I approached the room where the vending machines and coffee maker was at, I heard sobbing. And it sounded like it came from my aunt.

I wasn't sure though. It could be anyone crying. There are probably hundreds of people here, some of whom probably didn't make it. Many people have lost their loved ones tonight. But…my aunt and uncle have been gone for a long time. What if it is her? I don't want to impose on a very private and vulnerable moment for someone, but if it's my aunt, why would she be crying? It's not like she had a connection to Jack, his mother, or his sister. She's known Jack for years because of Rapunzel, but not to the point where she's sobbing her eyes out.

What's going on?

I carefully peek inside, and sure enough, there was my aunt wrapped in my uncle's arms.

"A-Are you sure you heard right?" I hear her ask, her voice muffled, but still audible. "Maybe you heard wrong?"

Frederick shakes his head, his own face streaking with tears. "No, my love, I didn't hear it wrong. I know what I heard and I wish it wasn't true. But…it is. And I…I don't know what to do. I know we need to tell the girls, but we can't. This is horrible timing. Elsa might lose her boyfriend tonight. If she found out her parents are dead too…I don't know how she'd handle it. I'm…I'm afraid of what she'll do. This will be too much for her, especially with it all being at the same time."

My eyes went wide as I gasped and stepped away, leaning against the white wall. I cover my mouth as more goddamn tears fill my achy eyes. I closed them shit, feeling them fall fast and hard, and I had to bite my tongue to stop an ear-piercing scream from escaping. My knees felt weak, my stomach wanted to throw everything inside up, and my head still hurt. I slid down the white wall as this new information processed in my mind.

Jack's mother and sister are dead.

Jack may not make it either.

And my parents are dead as well.

This can't be happening. This can't be real. My uncle is right, this is too much for me. I want to throw up. I want to scream. I want to take a long, hot shower. I want to go back in time to prevent all the death that has happened. Jack's dad, his mother, his sister, and my own parents. Even Jack possibly. I could have prevented all of it somehow. I want to be in the room with Jack, to tell him to keep fighting or…or to say goodbye even though I don't want to. I want to be back at home celebrating the upcoming new year. I want to stop crying. I want my heart to stop breaking.

Be careful what you wish for though. Because as soon as the thoughts entered my head, I feel my body go limp and my vision goes dark. The black abyss greets me, and I happily welcomed it.

.

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A.N: I will gladly pay for everyone's therapy, but truly, I am so sorry for the emotional damage I have caused. Hehehe. Anyway, I'm going to take a long break to decide if I want to add chapters or create a second book. I'm still very undecided on which path I want to do but hopefully I decide soon! However, if I do make another book to continue the events, I think this might just be the last chapter! Holy cow! I think I just (probably) finished my first book. And the story isn't even over yet! Stay tuned y'all because there's still so much more left to unfold!