Because She Loved Him

Viper

Absolute or not the silence didn't last but it wasn't Bjorn that broke it, nor was it Benny. They were both woken from an exhausted doze by a general disturbance full of shouting and banging, both Benny and Bjorn shot off of the bed entirely disorientated and as Benny wrenched open the door his first thought was Frida, he had no idea what the time was and hadn't intended to fall asleep with Bjorn. He supposed neither of them had, he was most relieved to see Frida open her door looking as dozy as he was feeling she caught his eye and grinned at the state of him and Bjorn "good night?" she chuckled huskily. God he loved this woman he thought, she asked no questions that didn't need asking. His attention was diverted by Anders and Gorel shouting at Lena "what the hell is going on?" Bjorn demanded "honestly I should have known you would be involved" he directed at Lena with a ferocious glare "why can't you just leave people in peace?" he demanded "she got in our room somehow" Gorel said nearly in tears "she tried to get into bed" "I didn't" Lena protested defiantly "you absolutely did" Anders said "you broke into our room" he hugged Gorel to him "how dare you?" he demanded "why on earth would you do that?" Benny demanded "what the hell is wrong with you?" "Oh I know what's wrong with her" Frida answered for Lena "someone moved rooms and no one told her. How interesting Lena. Oh and what's that I see in your hand Lena?" she asked far too gently in a tone that Benny recognized as dangerous and he saw Lena hastily put her hand behind her back "I'm guessing that madam here thought Bjorn was still in that room and thought she'd try her luck" Frida glared "how fortuitous that Bjorn couldn't stand the thought of being anywhere near you and isn't it lucky Benny was with him tonight so you can't tell more lies about him" Lena protested furiously "Bjorn asked me to come to his room when everyone was asleep. We're together, he just doesn't want you lot ruining it. We'll be better off when you're all gone like Agnetha. Just him and me" Bjorn burned hot with shame "that isn't true" he protested "I didn't..." His utter dispair was clear to everyone "I ..." he didn't know how to defend himself anymore. Anders moved behind Lena quietly during this conversation and snatched what was hidden behind her back before she even realized that he was there. "a camera" he announced sharply holding it up out of Lena's panicked grab "a camera, of course" Benny murmured "that's your plan?" he asked louder "blackmail him when your threats and lies don't work? Pictures for when the papers get bored with your regurgitated drivel? Pictures to send anonymously to Anna?" He turned to look at Stig who had shuffled up during the confrontation "where did you get her from?" ignoring Lena's outraged protests " she applied for a junior administration post, Gorel needed help" Stig replied defensively "in future we are going to have much more stringent recruitment processes" Benny growled "she's been nothing but bloody trouble. Thank God I was with Bjorn. Sorry for you two" he directed at Gorel and Anders
"How did she get a key?" Bjorn asked belatedly "how did you get a key?" he asked Lena directly and he was met with a sullen determined silence "I see" Benny said grimly "Frida, double lock your door, put the chain over in case anyone else magics up a key, Bjorn and I are off to find the manager and if anything illegal has occured I will call the police. Bjorn stay with me, you can't be alone anywhere at the moment. You need witnesses at all times" "you can't do this "Lena gasped panicking finally "you can't keep me away from him, he wants me, he loves me" Bjorn finally found some words "you are utterly deranged. I love my wife, the only woman I want is my wife, the only woman I love is my wife. The only woman I'll ever want is my wife. I'll regret the day I even set eyes on you for the rest of my life. As these people are my witness, I remember nothing of you and I'll swear that on the lives of my children and my wife" he took a breath "you disgust me. I don't know how many times I have to say it, you make my skin crawl and I can't bear to be anywhere near you." He waved his hand furiously "whatever this is that you've created in your head, whatever you're trying to achieve it won't work"
Her expression turned nothing less than chilling "don't you dare turn against me, you asked for this. You told me" she hissed "and it's already working, I already made her go, she couldn't stand the heat could she? It didn't take long. What sort of woman is that who runs like a scared little girl? What loyalty did she show you? I made your life easier, better and I made you love me. She doesn't deserve you, you're mine, my prize"
Everyone saw in that moment the madness in her eyes and words, even Stig had the grace to look uncomfortable, everyone understood what Bjorn was up against "I am no one's except for my wife's, she owns me heart, body and soul" He went back into the room to get his boots and bought Benny's out with him to find a still frozen tableau and he could see that everyone was connecting the dots, he could also see Lena's dawning realization that her temper and bitterness may just have undone her and made her reveal more than she intended. Her eyes minutes ago cold and furious were now panicked and desperate but she was unsettled by the fact that no one commented on the obvious and she didn't know any of them well enough to read their unspoken signals. There was a silence then Frida deliberately turned, went back into their room and locked the door and Benny hid a smile as he heard her put the chain on deliberately, Gorel did the same and no one gave Lena eye contact or listened to her garbled, increasingly desperate explanations. Anders stood next to Benny as they both slipped their boots on then the three men walked away from Lena making for the elevator and reception. Lena was left in the hall with just Stig who turned away from her as well and despite her best entreaties and grabbing him to make him stop and listen to her, she failed miserably with both goals and he literally shut the door in her face, she heard him put the chain on for good measure. She was left alone in the corridor with no one to listen to her and nowhere to go other than back to her room, her frustration and humiliation were overwhelming and she vowed there and then that she would get even with them all.
"Fine time to get your voice back Bjorn" Benny commented as they went down in the elevator "your words didn't fail you there did they?" he chuckled "it's not funny Benny" Bjorn grumbled "oh the situation is as far from funny as you could get" Benny agreed "but you shut Lena up for a bit that's for sure" "not for long though" Bjorn said grimly "she won't quit" "no but she told us more than she meant to" Benny replied reassuringly "did she?" Bjorn wondered "she certainly did" Anders came into the conversation "you were too busy demolishing her to notice. I also still have her camera, we'll get it developed and see what she has, I don't want pictures of Gorel and I getting out either" he frowned at the thought "God knows what she had time to do before she woke us getting into bed" he grinned " she had a shock" "God I never thought of that" Bjorn groaned ""I'm sorry, I should have stayed in that room and dealt with her myself" "absolutely not" both Benny and Anders chorused "this has worked out fine, everyone knows to be on their guard now, she can't pull the wool over people's eyes that she's sweet and innocent. Somehow or another we've ended up with a viper in our nest" Benny added "she could have done and said anything if you'd have been in there" Anders said "we're fine, who was to know she'd get a key" he rolled his eyes and the elevator reached the ground floor.
By the time they got to reception the night manager was already at the desk having been prewarned that half of Abba were on the march by one of the hotel staff and Bjorn wasted no time "there has been a security breach" he announced "someone managed to get a key to our rooms and broke in. We had an agreement signed with the hotel that a set number of keys were given out and no spares would be issued unless directly authorized by myself or Benny. This is standard practice for Abba tours, how did a spare key for my room end up in the hands of a very junior member of our team who doesn't have security clearance to access us directly. All of this is clearly written in the contract your hotel signed" "it needs to be investigated and solved tonight" Benny added "or we will move onto our next hotel tomorrow and travel back for the concert. Security is paramount for us at this time and if you can't deliver it we will leave" The manager was horrified and promised an immediate investigation and organised a locksmith to come and change all of the room locks on the rooms that were being used by the ABBA delegation, except for Lena's room for there was little point in changing her lock and indeed if possible both Benny and Bjorn were keen for her not to know that the locks were being changed at all but knew that this was unlikely unless she stayed in her room in a temper or went out, neither of which was very likely. That sorted, with echoes of abject apologies ringing in their ears  and promises of investigation and changes in policy the three of them got back in the elevator "I still don't feel safe" Bjorn grumbled "Can't say I blame you, given that the locks won't be changed until the morning. You had better come in with us and sleep on the couch until it's sorted, I won't settle either wondering if you're going to get jumped in the middle of the night" he rolled his eyes and yawned "Oh that's ridiculous" Bjorn scoffed automatically then subsided "you have a point" he admitted reluctantly "this whole thing is ridiculous" "you said on the plane that you felt you were being hunted and here earlier this evening, in that at least you have been proved unequivicably right, now she's angry who knows what she might do?" Benny mused "I can't blame her though can I? I did this. I deserve this. Karma came for me a hundred times over, this is the price I pay for doing what I did to Anna. What did you call her? A viper? Well I may not have bought the viper into the nest but I made her feel at home and that I will never forgive myself for" and there didn't seem to be anything to say to that so no one tried.
The following morning found Bjorn still snoring on the sofa to such a point that Frida hesitated to wake him, he had looked exhausted when he collapsed onto the sofa in the early hours, she and Benny had a whispered conversation in bed when Benny had finally managed to crawl in next to her and she'd got the gist of why Bjorn was in with them. What a bloody mess they were in she thought, all of them really for different reasons. Much as she hated Bjorn's actions she could never find it in her heart to hate him because she knew that in spite of everything he did love Anna and this was all just a brutal misunderstanding, now things had changed she also knew that once the two of them finally set eyes on each other they would sort this horrendous mess out between them and they would all make a new normal, she just couldn't give up hope that what she knew, what she felt would come true at the end of this nightmare would actually happen. In the end she woke him gently knowing that the sofa wasn't perhaps the most comfortable bed in the world and he would likely feel he'd broken several bones in his back. She woke him with the best of intentions but the heat of hope in his eyes as they opened and their swift descent into black despair rid her of any lingering doubts she might have had about his current state of mind or his intentions towards Anna, he couldn't hide it from her and he didn't try. He was destroyed and she saw it clearly, there was no thought of anyone else in his eyes and the fanciful notion crossed her mind that if she looked hard enough she would be able to see Anna reflected in them. She was stuck there for a moment until he grasped her arm gently "I thought for a minute it might be her" he whispered hoarsely "I dream of her" he had the ghost of a smile "You're not her, I love you though. I'm sorry Frida, I'll always be sorry" "I know" she whispered stroking his face comfortingly with her spare hand "I know you are and I love you too, more now you've stopped being an arsehole. You are as much a brother to me as you are to Benny. You need to sort this Bjorn when we go home, she needs you more now than she ever did but she won't come to you." Frida squished onto the sofa next to him "you have to find her, go to her because she doesn't know all the facts does she? Not now" Frida sighed "she needs to hide, to lick her wounds, to keep the children safe. She doesn't have a television, she refuses a  phone. She says she needs peace and I don't think she can bear to see you" Bjorn shifted from his prone position and looked over at Benny who was still snoring fiercely "he's tired" he said softly changing the subject while he assimilated what Frida had said "he is" Frida agreed without heat "pulled to pieces by two of the people he loves most and the demands of the ABBA machine. We'll let him sleep" Bjorn nodded feeling the familiar sting of regret "I won't do it anymore Frida. I'll deal with these concerts, I'll take my share of ABBA back. I promised on the plane and I meant it. But once we leave Canada we won't be touring again until I have Anna back. I don't care if she doesn't want ABBA, we'll end it us four if that's what we all want" Frida sat back "but she does Bjorn, she wants ABBA, she wants to sing for us but not at the cost of the children. She misses it and it must be hard for her to watch us without her" "she said that?" "Yes" they lapsed into a comfortable silence punctuated only by Benny snoring "come with me" Bjorn said softly "let him sleep" he consulted his watch "it's early, we have another few hours until soundcheck" he got up off the sofa and winced like an old man "ouch" he mumbled "I'm not dressed Bjorn" Frida protested "oh, well put something on we're only going next door to my room" Bjorn whispered having not paid the slightest attention "bet you notice when Anna's not dressed" Frida whispered back and delighted at Bjorn's blush that even made his ears red "always" he admitted quietly.
Frida put a sweater over her pajamas and tied her hair up out of the way and then they snuck out managing not to disturb Benny, when they got into Bjorn's room he ordered coffee and a breakfast of sorts for them both and then sat Frida on the bed exactly where Benny had been. Frida, although perplexed didn't question Bjorn not even when he dumped a pile of letters and notebooks in her lap. "They are in order, you need to read them, then the notes I've made and Benny's made. Here's a pen, add your notes and any questions then we'll talk" she studied his face for a second "ok" she said "you've spoken to her more than anyone in the last few months and even when she was still here. You might see stuff we didn't, be able to link it to things she's said to you. By the time we get back I need a clear picture and while we are here we'll work Lena out and exactly how much she's had to do with this mess" he was interrupted by room service with their coffee and breakfasts and by the time he got back Frida was thoroughly ensconced in the letters and was busily scribbling in the notebook. "Already?" he commented surprised and was met with a distracted mumble so he put a coffee on the side table and went to sit at the table by the window where he could keep an eye on Frida. He'd drunk nearly the whole pot of coffee by the time she'd finished the letters "she never said" Frida mumbled "she never said it was this bad. I knew more than you did maybe but I had no idea how much she didn't say" Frida's eyes were glassy with unshed tears "it's so much, the children..." she trailed off "you, me, Benny. Christ it's a wonder she's still sane. Her parents, her family. The weight she carries is immense" "it is and I should be carrying it all with her" Bjorn said tiredly "she knows something is wrong with it all" Frida said "but she avoids  the outside as much as she can. I do know that." "What else do you know Frida" he asked gently "I know she loves you" Frida started with that "if she didn't  this wouldn't all be so horrendous" she looked Bjorn directly in the eye "I know that she knew there was an issue between you when she was still breastfeeding Christian, she said it had been going on since Christian had been born but she put it down to her being flooded with hormones and overly sensitive" Bjorn flinched "that long ago? Christ Frida that was so long ago Benny says he's walking now. I missed it all because of my behaviour. He's my son" Frida heard the honest agony in his voice "I know that she said you told her that she had forced you to have the children and that you had made it clear you didn't want them" This time Bjorn didn't flinch from the truth  "I did say that and many other things that I didn't mean. I said those things in the heat of the moment, we had several vile arguments that were my fault entirely but I didn't mean them then and I certainly don't mean them now "I know you said that you would never want any more children with her" "well I didn't mean that either" he snapped "but I'm an abject failure with the ones I do have. They won't even remember me" "she doesn't know that you've changed your mind" Frida reminded him quietly "she doesn't" he agreed  " I know that she lives somewhere quiet, she says its a long way from anywhere she knows, she told me if she went a long way away she would be safe, the kids would be away from it all and she would love them enough for both of you. She couldn't face the thought of them being caught in the crossfire of a failing marriage, she said that her constant fighting was damaging them and she needed to stop and let you go. She says it's best for everyone" Frida sighed " I see her point but I heartily disagree. I worry about her out there god knows where in the back of beyond, I think she's safer with us and now here we are half way around the world and she really is alone" Bjorn had been working himself up into a righteous fury at Frida's words found himself deflating rapidly as she voiced her fears "the police won't look for her" he said miserably "because she left of her own accord, although that is a matter of opinion" he scowled "Lena and Stig got to them with what they said and now no one is interested" he brightened " but now you have her contact number Benny and I can at least narrow down the area code when we get back to Sweden "she says she gardens a lot, she grows her own vegetables now and she says she bakes" Bjorn's heart softened "she always wanted a simpler life, she always wanted time to do those things and bring up our family" "Well when you find her you can make it happen, you'll have to compromise too" Bjorn pondered for so long that Frida half wondered if he'd either fallen asleep or she'd said something to offend him "I can compromise Frida" he eventually said "I will, if she'll let me anywhere near her. I love her too" Frida smiled "when I'm on the phone to her I always hear church bells, they sound so pretty, perhaps they are of comfort to her" Bjorn frowned "church bells? How random. The only time she goes to church is with the children or for anniversaries or...." "or when she needs to think or needs comfort" Frida finished for him "yes that" Bjorn pondered again "we're missing something here" he grumbled "and I can't focus on it while we have so much still to do but first of all Frida, before anything else we need to find out what secrets Lena is keeping, we've been nourishing a viper in Abba's bosom and its time to flush her out"