LOVE, LOSS, LEYSIN LOOKING

SHOWTIME, SNOWTIME, HOME TIME Chapter 13

As Bjorn and Benny waited for the Police, in the main bar area Frida continued to sit on Stig, who was furiously trying to get rid of her so that he could scuttle away and hide from Bjorn. He was scared of just what kind of beating he'd receive and was desperate to avoid taking a severe hiding "Will you get off me you stupid bitch!" he yelled at Frida who stared at him, disgust written all over her beautiful face "Sit still! I'm not moving, you're staying right here. And if you use language like that to me again, I'll give you another black eye to match the one that's coming out already! And don't think I wouldn't!..or couldn't!" to reinforce her point she slapped him gently on the cheek, just enough to capture his attention. Gorel watched with some amusement at the scene, before being distracted by the sight of Police Officers and Hotel Security rushing into the lift "Looks like they've called the Police. God, I hope they got there in time" she looked to her longtime friend Frida, who was equally concerned for her best friend "I hope and pray so. I just can't imagine the horror the poor girl's just been through" she glared at Stig "And this is your doing. I ought to finish you here and now. Because if something happened before the boys got there, Bjorn will kill you for sure!" Stig paled visibly, he was feeling the pain of the hiding Bjorn had given him and now feared the outcome for himself. Upstairs Bjorn held Agnetha in his arms, trying to console her after a horrific ordeal "Shhh, it's over, we're here. I'm here with you, just hold onto me, focus on my voice. Don't look at them, just look at me" he caressed her gently as he spoke, feeling her shaking in his arms. Benny was watching the two co conspirators like a hawk, he knew Bjorn needed to focus on Agnetha right now, so he personally stood over them both as they writhed in agony after taking kicks in the groin "My fucking balls are killing me! You bugger, what'd you kick me for? He was going to do her, not me!" "Scoop" was now trying to wriggle out of trouble, as he suffered the agonies of Benny's accurate right boot, which had landed exactly where it had been aimed "You're as bad as he is! You got what you had coming to you!" Benny had no sympathy for this ignorant man, who'd happily and willingly gone along with this terrible plot. Bjorn noticed the ski instructor holding his nether regions and he sat Agnetha on the bed gently and crossed to the room and crouched in front of the naked man on the floor "Don't expect any sympathy or an apology. It could have been much worse, think yourself lucky you only got what you did!" With that the Police arrived and in a moment surveyed the scene. The Senior Officer approached Benny and Bjorn "I've been told what's happened here. Thank goodness you arrived in time to prevent this from escalating into an even worse incident" he noticed Agnetha, pale, visibly shaken and for a moment sat beside her "Ma'am, I can only imagine what a horrible experience this has been. You have the deepest sympathy of everyone in Switzerland. I know it will be hard, but I will need a statement from you, to press charges against these two...individuals" Agnetha took a deep breath, she reached out a hand to Bjorn who took it gently and she stood, somewhat shakily, looking at the two men on the floor who were beginning to recover from their nether regions being kicked! "I intend to press charges and I will give you a full statement. If you don't mind, can we do it quickly? If I wait I'll back out with fear, plus we have shows to perform later" The Officer nodded in agreement "May I say I admire your courage. We'll take your statement here, to save you coming to the Station. Shall we begin? Gentleman, we'll need your statements also" Bjorn and Benny instantly agreed, watching as handcuffs were placed on two shaken, would be conspirators, who were taken to a corner, to await transport. They began to tell the story of what had transpired, an Officer recorded everything on a tape recorder, preserving it for evidence. The Senior Officer was horrified as he listened to the full, ghastly story, he was an experienced Officer, but this had shaken him to the core. He again thanked them for their courage, before facing his two captives "Right, these are serious accusations, three independent witnesses, including your would be victim. My advice...I hate to address you as Gentleman, because clearly you are anything but, is to plead guilty and throw yourselves at our mercy! And may God have mercy upon you!" "Scoop" was now scared "Look mate, I wasn't going to... do anything. Just snap a few naughty piccies, make a few bucks. It's a job ya know mate" he saw the look of disgust facing him and tried to deflect attention again "Mate I've still got me bloody strides on! He's the one with his donger out ready to do the deed!" The ski instructor now stared in shock, he was desperate, frightened suddenly "I was... paid! I got offered cash to... well, have sex with her. You can't blame me, I'm a guy, I like sex. She's sexy, anyone would give her one!" he was crushed by the silence that followed, he'd admitted his own guilt, he looked up crestfallen "Can I get some clothes on? I'm naked and everyone can see my...thing! Besides it's cold out, I'll get frostbite! My nuts and my thing might drop off!" The Senior Officer shook his head "No! You'll go just as you are, straight through reception, where everyone will see you, in all your glory! And then outside to the Police van waiting for you. And I hope it all falls off having rotted with frostbite!" he signalled to his Officers and they made their exit, the public staring and pointing at the blushing, naked man and his struggling fellow arrestee. Upstairs Agnetha cried in Bjorn's arms, grateful for his support and after some minutes, together with Benny they went back downstairs, where they found Frida still sitting on Stig, poking his chest, giving him a piece of her mind "You ought to be strung up by your meat and two veg!" Gorel saw them first "Oh God, did you get there in time?" Bjorn nodded "Yeah, only just and thanks to you" he and Agnetha hugged her and then approached Stig. Frida rose and hugged her friend, tears in her eyes "I'm so relieved" she whispered and watched as her best friend, together with Bjorn and Benny surveyed Stig, who lay there, scared for his very life. Bjorn grabbed Stig by his lapels, roughly pulling him to his feet "Get up!" he looked at the man who he'd once considered a friend "Anything to say for yourself? I didn't think so. You are the most despicable, rotten, vile excuse for a human being I've ever come across! I really ought to give you the hiding I promised you" he clenched his fist, Stig winced and shut his eyes tight, waiting to feel a thump, nothing came, tentatively he opened his eyes, breathing hard, Bjorn shook his head "No.No, there are other better ways to punish you,in your pocket for example. Now, there's a young lady here, who's been traumatised by your actions. Go and apologise, beg her for forgiveness" to emphasise his point, he dragged Stig over to Agnetha and threw him on the floor in front of her, dragging him up to his knees "Beg! Now!" Agnetha was shaken badly but bravely she looked into Stig's eyes, he gulped "'Netha...I...I... I didn't mean anything bad to happen. I....I..I just thought you might feel better if you had sex, casual sex. I sort of got carried away, I was trying to help. Please, I beg your forgiveness. And I don't need another beating from Bjorn, look what he did to my face. Please, please forgive me" he was pathetic, squirming, desperately trying to avoid the hiding of his life. Agnetha looked at him in silence, she could see the damage where Bjorn had hammered him, see the fear in his eyes. She took a breath and with a faltering voice addressed him directly "How could you? How could you arrange to have that.. guy force himself on me? Send me there to be...assaulted whilst that other creature took pictures? Do you want to humiliate me? Do you hate me that much? WE thought of you as a friend. What became of you? Gudrun will be so ashamed and she'll be told. By me!" Stig looked down crestfallen, unable to find a response, welling up with tears Agnetha needed to leave, Frida and Gorel gently led her away, leaving Stig to the mercies of Bjorn and Benny. Bjorn pulled him to his feet and moved him to a chair "We've discussed this, Benny, Agnetha and I. We could have had you arrested, still could, as the ring leader. Imagine how many years you'd get" he allowed the thought to sink in before continuing "But nobody benefits from washing our dirty linen in public. You won't be charged. But there will be consequences for you" he paused and Benny, barely concealing his disgust took up the baton "Serious consequences, very serious. Any hope you had of being a part of the musical we plan to write someday are over, finished. And we'll be taking a closer look at the finances, just to be sure you haven't been covering your losses by helping yourself" Moments later they left him, sitting alone, feeling every bruise, but wounded more by the potential loss of income, nobody knew how much money he'd wasted and this hit Stig hard, in his wallet! Rejoining the girls upstairs, they found Agnetha crying, as Gorel and Frida offered what comfort they could, whilst occupying Linda and Christian, Frida looked over to Bjorn and he nodded, Frida whispered to her friend "He's here" like a shot she was up and ran straight to Bjorn's waiting arms, crying bitter tears, shaking as the reality of what she'd been through hit home "Bjorn I didn't want that. Please believe me, I'd never sleep with that guy..or anyone else. It was so horrible, he was going to rape me! And pictures were going to be taken, I'd have been called a filthy whore! I can't take this anymore!" he held her close, gently speaking in her ear until she calmed. Herbal tea was given to soothe her, Bjorn, Frida, Benny and Gorel all suggested cancelling the show, but bravely she refused "No, we must do the show, both shows. People have paid,BBC Tv has paid us, UNICEF will be so glad of that money. We can't let them down" And so, against the wishes of the other three, the shows went ahead, Bjorn carefully watched over Agnetha, often looking over to her, to share a smile, sometimes cameras would catch him with an arm around her shoulder, her waist, she occasionally slipped an arm around his waist, all the incidents raising eyebrows and causing people to talk, speculate. After the second show wrapped, Dalrymple-Sykes wandered off with his hangers on, heading to the bar, where they would find Stig, clad in dark glasses to hide his emerging black eye. Backstage Frida had suggested that they take the evening out together, to try and cheer her friend up. Eagerly they agreed and collected the kids, nearby the dance group The Young Generation had overheard the conversation as the foursome of superstars pondered where to go. Nervously a couple of members approached the four ABBA members, they had seemed so nice, easy to speak to. A girl member smiled to them "Sorry to interrupt, but we overheard you talking about where to go. Well, there's a lovely Burger restaurant just down the road. We're all heading off there now and we'd be thrilled, honoured if you'd like to come with us" smiles broke out on four famous faces, Agnetha smiled sweetly "Sounds like just the ticket!" Benny rubbed his hands in glee, he and Bjorn loved a Hamburger! Christian meantime offered his own unique view "Burgers make me fart!" much to everyone's amusement! It was a relaxing evening, a chance to unwind, to be themselves, away from the spotlight, to be normal, ordinary. All of them enjoyed the evening, The Young Generation dancers eagerly asked for autographs, took pictures, to remember the evening they spent having burgers with ABBA! As the night wound down they all bid farewell and returned to their hotel, it was late now, it had been a dreadfully difficult couple of days and now, in the morning it was going to be time to head home. Riding the lift, they watched the kids fall asleep and quietly bid goodnight to Benny and Frida who both watched closely, smiling as both walked into Agnetha's room "Bet you five Krone, he stays there!" Frida smiled, Benny laughed too "I'm not taking that bet! You've probably arranged it, just so you'll win!" In Agnetha's room they put the children to bed and Agnetha sat on her bed, emotions all over the place. Bjorn sat with her, he could dee how much she was struggling to cope with the days events "I'm so proud of you. You are so strong, so brave" gently he kissed her forehead and hugged her. She looked at him, wiping away tears, shaking her head "Brave? No, it's just bravado, I couldn't let Stig see he'd beaten me. But I'll be having nightmares over that for weeks, months" Bjorn held her tightly, he so hated to see her hurting. She looked over to him "I'm scared to even switch off the light, I know what I'll see in my mind's eye" she paused, almost trying to sort out her mind, her heart "Bjorn, I'm so scared. Will..Will you stay here? Just for tonight, with me?" she was pleading, almost begging, he smiled gently "You know I will. I'll sleep on the sofa, just so I'm not too far away if yo have a nightmare" he was genuine in this suggestion, he was desperate to share a bed with her, but not like this, not to take advantage when she was vulnerable. She shook her head "No, don't be silly. You'll be much more comfortable in the bed. Look, whatever else, we are still married, it's allowed. Besides, I need you close to hold me when I get scared during the night" Bjorn smiled, she was so sweet, so gentle "Okay, just for you. You sleep in my arms, I'll protect you from any nightmares, keep you safe, warm" It was a situation that both wanted, needed, now it was a case of what would follow....