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𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐔𝐃𝐄 𝐈𝐈: 𝐀 𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓
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24 | THE IMPOSSIBLE MIRACLE
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16 YEARS BEFORE THE PRESENT DAY
FOR Jack Frost and Elsa, time flew by quickly after they met. Love was something that came instantly — and their affection for each other ran deeper than anything else. They understood each other on a level that no one would ever be able to compare to, because in some odd way — they were one and the same.
Both never-aging free spirits of the cold and wind.
Jack moved into the castle pretty much immediately and soon the castle went under reconstruction as Jack added his own special touches to it. Within days, the castle was finished off — new and rebirthed with the love of Jack and Elsa.
Jack and Elsa were the embodiment of a match made in heaven. Elsa was the thing that balanced out Jack's chaotic nature with her own calming waves. A week after the two had met, Elsa brought him to Arendelle where he was introduced to Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven — the four who made up Elsa's family.
Jack Frost's reaction to the talking snowman was comedy-gold: Elsa wished she had taken a picture at the face he made. After the initial shock wore off, Jack proceeded to pout about how Elsa was able to bring life but he was not.
Jack could do a lot of amazing things, but unfortunately, he was not capable of creating a true sentient being. Sure he could make snow soldiers that could do nothing else but follow orders, but they were not sentient and often melted away after only a few hours.
Elsa's sister and brother-in-law loved Jack and welcomed him with open arms. He became a part of their quirky family quickly. Jack was also quite the champion at the annual Friday night game of family charades. Elsa was no doubt the worst at charades and before Jack, she tended to lose every time. However, Jack and Anna were the two most competitive people she knew — and when they were involved losing was not an option.
It was the frost nymphs that came next. Elsa had screamed when she walked outside the castle only to find a short young-looking male with pointed ears staring at her with big expectant eyes. She was shocked that someone had been able to get to Ahtohallan who was not Jack or herself, but when Jack came a few seconds later — he explained to Elsa just who this was.
Jack Frost knew of the frost nymphs and for years, many of them wanted to assist him. However, Jack had always turned them down as he had no actual home, he just went where the wind took him. Though, now that he had a home — he was more than willing to allow the frost nymphs in. Elsa was happy about it as well, loving the life that the frost nymphs brought to the large castle.
It also kept her and Jack in line, as with there being such a big place with no one other than themselves — it could get rather lonely at times. And, to keep that loneliness away, Jack and Elsa had been taking full advantage of the emptiness in... less appropriate ways.
A few weeks after the arrival of the frost nymphs, Anna and Kristoff had their wedding. It was a large wedding that the entirety of Arendelle and the Northuldra were invited to — as Anna was Queen and Kristoff now her King. It was fun nonetheless with Jack having showed-off his moves on the dance floor and forcing Elsa (who tried claiming she did not dance) on the floor.
Jack, with his fun-nature, also challenged Kristoff to a dance-off which he inevitably won.
After the wedding, Elsa and Jack were asked to watch the kingdom of Arendelle for the month that the newly-wed couple were on their royal honeymoon. They went cruising through the Auradonian seas.
During this, Jack and Elsa stayed in the Arendelle castle — running the kingdom smoothly. The townspeople did not notice a change as Elsa was Queen of Arendelle just a year prior, so they were used to the way the kingdom was in her stead. Even so, Elsa and Anna had very similar ways of running the kingdom.
A few weeks after Kristoff and Anna came back, Jack took Elsa somewhere that Elsa did not believe existed.
The North Pole.
Santa Claus existed. So did Cupid, the Tooth Fairy, Father Time, the Sandman, the Easter Bunny, and many other legendary figures. Together they formed the Council of Legendary Figures — a group of beings who regulated different aspects of planet Earth and humanity.
The best part about it? Jack Frost was a member of this council. And Elsa became a member as well. Each member of the council had something about them that was important to the world.
Father Time guarded time itself. Santa, he guarded the wonder in all people. The Easter Bunny kept hope alive in the souls of everyone. The Tooth Fairy — she guarded childhood. The Sandman made sure that dreams remained locked in the dreamworld and kept the dream-demons away. Cupid, of course, had his responsibilities concerning love — particularly pairing soulmates.
Jack Frost, he was the Winter King, he brought about the chilly season every year. And beyond that, he kept alive the fun inside all people.
And finally, last but not least, was Elsa. She was placed on the council because like Jack, she controlled the cold and ice — more so snow. Beyond that, she guarded the Enchanted Forest and all magic.
They were an interesting and powerful bunch of people — all eight of them.
Elsa's first time at the North Pole was one that she would never forget, she still remembered the wonder and joy she felt. Meeting the elves was something as well, they were all incredibly old (thousands of years to be specific) but most looked like children. Though they acted far older than any child would, plus they had pointed ears.
In an odd way, they sort of reminded her of the frost nymphs or that fairies in Neverland. According to the head elf of Santa's workshop who was a teenage-looking elf named Bernard: elves, frost nymphs, and fairies all spiked from the same origin.
Though, elves were apparently the biggest and tallest of them all. While nymphs generally held the appearance of young adults, they were extremely short. On the other hand, while fairies were capable of looking any age in appearance, they were pretty much miniature people with wings.
Elves resided in the Northpole, specifically Elfsburg — a hidden elf town where Santa's workshop was located. Bernard was the head elf of the Northpole, he was one of the oldest elves and unlike most of the elves who had the appearance of children, Bernard looked around sixteen. He was also known to be quite the stressor as he was a stickler for getting things done productively.
Bernard tended to be grumpy and less cheerful than the other elves, but he acts how he does to keep the other elves working. Being the head-elf, he has the responsibility of looking after the workshop and all the other elves. However, like the other elves, he had a soft spot for children and was very much capable of being kind.
He became a close friend of Elsa's, the Snow Queen enjoying having conversations with him. Bernard himself loved the Queen's calmness and (despite his busyness) was always willing to chat with her when she was at the Northpole.
Bernard was also present along with the other Council members when Elsa and Jack got married later that year. Their wedding was at the Northpole as that was where they wanted it, and Santa was more than happy to oblige. Plus, Anna and Kristoff really wanted to visit the Northpole.
It was rather interesting when Bernard met Anna, the elf seeing the sisters' contracting personalities immediately.
And yet, they were somehow two-peas in a pod.
Elsa and Jack's wedding was not big, but it was perfect for them. The honeymoon consisted of them having a 'staycation' at home — the couple not emerging from their castle for a straight two weeks.
For the first three years of their marriage, everything was normal. Jack continued bringing winter across the world, Elsa protected the forest, and there was family charade night on Friday in Arendelle.
But then, something big happened to Anna.
Olaf still remembers the day he found out because he went around the whole town announcing it.
Anna was pregnant.
Kristoff was over-the-moon, fully ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood. Elsa was ecstatic, more than excited to become the best aunt in the world. Jack was cheery as well, already planning all the ways he would have fun with the kid.
But it also brought a small sense of longing for the two. It became known to Elsa just over a year ago that would not age, just like Jack. She wholeheartedly believed she could not have a child because she and Jack were not the safest when it came to sex — and you would think after four long years that she would have fallen pregnant by now if it were a possibility.
When she was a child, she was not one to hang over the idea of love or her own child — she told herself what happened would happen. Growing up in her locked environment, scared of her powers — Elsa never even thought about having a child. But now that she was married and hearing of her younger sister's pregnancy, a tiny part of her wanted that as well.
Her own little bundle of joy.
She and Jack had spoken about it, and while Jack was definitely not opposed to the idea of a child, he assured Elsa that it would be okay. He told her no matter what the future held, as long as he had her, he was more than happy. And Elsa felt the same way.
Besides, they were both immortal spirits that were part of the Council of Legendary Figures — if they had a child, their life would be insane.
Anna and Kristoff's heir to the throne was born on a warm summer day, the baby being revealed as a boy. Elsa was with Anna the entire time throughout her birth, her and Kristoff standing on either side while Olaf provided commentary on what was happening down below.
Elsa cried along with Anna and Kristoff when a baby boy with small tufts of golden hair came. He looked exactly like Kristoff.
Soren Agnarr Oldenburg was born as the heir to the throne of Arendelle — his middle name being that of Elsa and Anna's father. Elsa was the third person to hold Soren after Anna and Kristoff, the feeling of a baby in her arms only intensifying her want for a child of her own.
Jack was fourth to hold the child, the Winter King having used his snow abilities to entertain the baby. He decided after holding Soren for the first time that he truly would not mind a child of his own; however, his want was not nearly as deep as Elsa's.
Jack was perfectly happy with Elsa and his new family. Jack had been alone for so long, so now that he had Elsa, he felt perfectly content. She was his world, he loved her more than anything and she was all he would never need. Besides, he could be the second-father to Soren.
While Jack would never admit it, there was another reason he was just slightly hesitant at the idea of a child.
Long ago, before he became Jack Frost: King of Winter, he was simply Jackson Overland. Jack did not remember much from his time as a mere mortal, but there was one memory in particular that seemed as though it would never go away.
As a human Jack had a little sister, one he loved very much. One day, he went ice skating with her, but they ended up on some thin ice. To make sure she stayed calm and got out safe, Jack acted like it was just a game and made his way over to his hooked staff (which became Twintender), that he grabbed her with and threw her to safety. But at the moment he saved his sister, Jack fell through the ice and drowned. When he woke up, he was immortal spirit and King of Winter: Jack Frost.
It was a memory Jack hated reliving, but he did not regret saving his little sister. His only fear was that if he were to actually have a child whether that child would be safe. He almost lost his sister, he refused to lose his own baby.
Nevertheless, Jack still adored Soren.
While Soren was quite the spoilt kid, not only were his parents all over him, but Soren had a never-aging aunt and uncle who were constantly dotting on him. He was happy though, and despite being spoiled, Anna and Kristoff raised him to be kind and selfless.
Three years after Soren, another surprise came. A surprise that had everyone in a frenzy once more.
Anna was pregnant with her second child. As happy and excited as Elsa was, it also drove the point of being childless. Never had Elsa wanted children so badly, but being around the sunshine that was her nephew made her want it.
Later that year, on a heartfelt spring day, a joyous baby girl was born. The Princess of Arendelle and the youngest child to Queen Anna and Kristoff.
Sitara Bulda Oldenburg was a spitting image of her mother, Sitara's middle name coming from Kristoff's troll of a mother (literally). The baby girl had fiery hair and seemed to always be laughing or smiling, something that Jack just about died for. He was the guardian of fun after all.
However, just as her hair was fiery, her personality was just as bold. Sitara was the sassiest and most outgoing child anyone had ever met. Sitara stood out from the crowd, she was headstrong and practically fearless, always wanting to do the opposite of the norm.
While she was not the typical princess, her family supported her nonetheless. Especially Anna and Jack who always encouraged her not-so-typical behaviors.
It was soon figured out that Soren and Sitara had very conflicting personalities, but at the end of the day, they were just as close as Anna and Elsa had always been. The sibling-love they shared for each other was strong.
It was something all the adults in their life adored, but it was always something that made Elsa even more upset about the fact that she could not have children. However, Elsa was good at hiding her emotions, and so nobody realized how she truly felt.
Well, nobody except Anna, because it seemed that her younger sister (her younger sister that now looked older than her) always knew how Elsa really felt. Elsa could not even count the number of times she cried to Anna about having no children, and Anna truly felt bad.
So bad that she offered for her and Kristoff to be surrogate parents for Elsa and Jack. While Elsa almost accepted the offer, she refused it for one simple reason. She knew it would be too hard on Anna and Kristoff, Elsa was not selfish enough to have her own sister carry a child only to part from them when they were born.
Elsa could not imagine how difficult it would be on them.
Despite the refusal, Anna still prayed and hoped that her sister would one day get her wish. But then again, after over seven years, it seemed pretty obvious that it was impossible for the winter spirit couple to have kids.
However, miracles do happen.
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The fire crackled a few feet away from them, both Elsa and Jack wrapped up in each other under a large blanket on the floor of their bedroom. The two frosty spirits were sleeping soundly, basking in the warmth of the fire.
Elsa was snuggled into Jack's bare chest, his arms securely around her. Her long fair hair fell in waves down her naked body, Jack breathing in her scent with every inhale. His pale body was equally as bare as his wife's; this was how most nights were for them though. Naked and wrapped in each other. Usually, they were in their bed which was a few feet away, but tonight it had been Jack that wanted the floor.
Actually, the entire room had been used for their own... recreational purposes — it simply ended with them on the floor and feet away from the roaring fireplace.
Elsa was sound asleep like Jack, her mind dreaming peacefully. She was not so much as dreaming as was rather shifting through different memories of her childhood. Her childhood memories before the incident with little Anna and accidentally hitting her head with ice.
Elsa could hear her mother's voice singing her gently to sleep while she and Anna cuddled close to her. She remembered the nights her mother would hold her and stand by the window overlooking the entire kingdom while singing her a lullaby of Ahtohallan.
Elsa and Anna's mother, Iduna, had been beautiful. Elsa wished she could see her again, even after all these years she still missed her dearly. The way her chestnut hair was always braided or how her big blue eyes would gleam. She especially missed her mother's kindness, Iduna had been the most selfless person Elsa knew.
"Where the north wind meets the sea..."
Elsa heard her deceased mother's song in her dreams, but before her gentle voice could continue — another sound stopped it. It was a sound that Elsa had not heard for years, a siren-like mysterious and enchanting carol. It was a call of sorts, the very same one which had led her to the discovery of Ahtohallan and the Enchanted Forest just over ten years ago.
The sound immediately caused Elsa to wake up, her icy eyes snapping open. At first, she thought it must have been her mind playing tricks on her and she cuddled even closer to her beloved — smiling as she heard him hum in his sleep, clutching onto her tighter. But just as she closed her eyes and sleep was coming back to grab her, the siren-call announced its presence again, shifting through the air.
Jack appeared to not hear it as he remained deep asleep, still exhausted from their earlier encounter. While Elsa was tired as well, the call of the siren caused her to become wide-awake.
Thousands of questions ran through her mind, but the biggest one of all was why the enchanting call was back. And after all these years?
While Elsa had many adventures since discovering Ahtohallan and the truth behind her past — she thought that her major adventure was over. What more could the voice have to tell her?
Moving her head ever-so-slightly, she looked at the peacefully sleeping face of Jack Frost. The Winter King was forever stuck looking no older than twenty — a few years physically younger than herself. She took their conjoined hands, bringing her husband's fingers to her lips. She left a light lingering kiss on his pale hand before letting go of it.
She frowned when instead of keeping his hand to himself, all the Winter Spirit did was reach down and grab a handful of her backside. Elsa's eyes narrowed, even in his sleep Jack was a cheeky idiot.
She wondered briefly if he was actually awake and simply screwing around with her (it was certainly a thing Jack would do) but she realized he was still sleeping when he suddenly let out a small snore. His cool breath wafted across her face causing Elsa to raise a brow.
Sighing, she managed to wrangle the pillow she had been lying her head on and shove it toward her handsy Winter King. Jack definitely liked to snuggle at night, that was for sure.
Scooting away, Elsa held her breath, hoping that Jack would not wake up at the change. Jack was not particularly a light-sleeper, but he definitely was not a deep one either. If Elsa made just a little too much noise — it would cause Jack to wake up. And then if Jack awoke he would be concerned about her, and Elsa did not want him to worry.
Thankfully, after a short second of shifting (Elsa thought for sure he was waking up) Jack settled down and hugged the pillow to his bare chest. She smiled, standing from their makeshift blanket bed. That was another sign that Jack was not awake, for even after nine years, the sight of Elsa standing bare within his vicinity was an almost guaranteed that she would be tackled by him and kissed all over.
It still amazed Elsa how lucky she had got in the romance department. It was not every day that a person broke into someones' home only to fall madly in love with them. Elsa was never big on love and romance like Anna was, but what she had with Jack was special.
With one last smile, Elsa turned away and padded toward the wardrobe. Silently opening the doors, Elsa tossed on a short nightgown. Along with that, Elsa draped a scarf that had belonged to her mother over her shoulders. Elsa constantly remembered her mother wearing this scarf as it had been her favorite.
Once the maroon scarf was secure, Elsa quietly snuck her way out of her and Jack's large bedroom. With one last peep to make sure Jack was still asleep, Elsa closed the door and made her way down the long corridor made of ice, stone, and wood.
Some may have found the quiet loneliness of it eery, but Elsa found it peaceful. The frost elves were no doubt asleep by now, even the late-nighters as it was just past three in the morning.
Elsa ghosted through the corridors, keeping her ears perked for the sound of the siren-call. Dozens of thoughts raced across her head, wondering what could have possibly made the voice come back now.
A sudden drift caused Elsa's loose hair to ruffle — she was not wearing it in a braid. While she wore her hair down much more often than she used to way back when, there were still many times that her hair would be braided back intricately.
Along with the sudden drift came the familiar call, Elsa quickly snapping her head to the direction it was coming from. Without warning, she raced through the leftmost corridor, hearing the call get louder. She did not dare try to ignore it as she had the first time it appeared many years ago, she knew if it was back then it had something important to tell her.
Her bare feet tapped reminding her that she was not wearing shoes. Normally, Elsa would wear slippers if she was inside (going barefoot was more Jack's thing) but seeing as she had not wanted to wake Jack, she did not bother putting on her slippers.
Plus, she was kind of in a hurry, she wanted to see what the siren-call had to tell her this time around.
Was it like last time? Was there another family secret? An unforeseen force?
There had been rumors of some villains having not yet been captured and taken to the new Isle prison. Maybe it had something to do with that? Elsa still did not know how she felt about Beast uniting all the kingdoms, she had only met the man once and while he was nice — he did have some issues with his temper.
Elsa had also met many of the other royalty from other kingdoms at the huge meeting where everyone came together to create what was now called Auradon. While they all still ruled over their own domains, Beast and Belle were the official ones in charge when it came to Auradon as a whole.
Well, it was more like a council if anything — but Beast and Belle were the leaders of it.
Elsa seemed to be walking circles around the castle. She passed by the five huge portraits of herself and her family at least five times, the statue of her parents in the opening loft four times, and ran through the kitchen six.
To be fair, one of the six times was for a drink.
She growled as she exited the library, looking left and right down the corridors. The voice was still ringing, but it was louder on the right. Turning to the right, Elsa flung the doors closed behind her.
"What do you want, secret-siren?" Elsa murmured, practically sliding across the floors as Anna always used to do.
In a matter of seconds, Elsa got to the end of the corridor, but at the end was a door leading to one of the many balconies. Grabbing the twin handles, Elsa pushed the doors open and walked outside with her eyes vibrant and full of life.
It was cold and just barely snowing — like most days on frozen Ahtohallan — but Elsa was not affected in the slightest. The cold never bothered her.
She walked barefoot across the snow-covered ground as though it were nothing, brushing the snow off the railing of the balcony before leaning against it. Her gaze fixed forward to the snowy woods ahead and down below. She was on one of the higher floors of the castle.
She frowned, feeling ice beginning to form under where her hands were resting on the banister. Biting her lip, Elsa listened for the call once again.
She breathed sadly when she did not hear it, about ready to turn and go back to bed. Laying with Jack by the fire sounded extremely nice right about now. But then she heard it, and it was not what she expecting.
It was not the siren-call, but rather a wail? No, it was a cry. A high-pitched tiny cry coming from all directions. Elsa's eyes went wide as the sound of a baby's cries got louder. She was familiar with the sound after being around her little nephew and niece: Soren and Sitara. Except this was a different cry.
When Soren was a baby, his cries had always been rough and quieter. Sitara's were loud and more of a scream. But this cry, this cry was soft and almost... sweet?
Elsa never would have thought that a baby's cries could sound quite so sweet.
"What?" She whispered, ripping her hands off the banister, but as she did so blue magic shot from her palms and glowing ice crystals floated around her.
Elsa took in a breath of shock, not meaning to do that at all. This had not happened since the fateful day nearly ten years when she woke the magical spirits of the Enchanted Forest. She pulled her scarf tighter around her body, swallowing as the wind picked up.
What was happening?
Before Elsa could comprehend it, the crystals melted away and blue magic spun around her. Elsa's hair whipped wildly, the Snow Queen about to stop the magic swirling until she heard the baby's cries get louder.
Her heart ached but she did not know which direction the poor thing's wails were coming from.
However, the blue swirling magic exploded into the quiet night revealing a series of magical visions. Elsa's eyes grew to the size of saucers as an image of her mother and father playing in the Enchanted Forest as children overcame her.
Many voices sang in her ear, replacing the cries of the child. It was exactly like when she first found Ahtohallan all those years ago. The magic was the exact same as were the voices.
"Where the north wind meets the sea..."
She saw herself and Anna as children playing together. The image swirled to when she was older and created the ice castle on the North Mountain. It showed her thawing Arendelle, it showed the first time she, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven found the Northuldra.
Then, it whirled to the first time she ever met Jack. She watched as the magical image of her and Jack grabbing hands took form.
Then, other memories flashed by. Meeting the Council of Legendary Figures. Anna and Kristoff's wedding. Her and Jack's wedding. Soren's birth. Sitara's birth. Everything.
"There's a river full of memory..."
Her mother's voice seemed to collide with the call of the siren as it made a reappearance. Elsa waited with anticipation, her lips quirking into a small smile at all the memories. And yet, her heart was beating out of her chest.
There was something else.
"Come my darling homeward bound..."
Elsa quietly sang along with her mother's voice, feeling tears threatening to spill as the memories took the shape of her mother holding her and singing when she was young. But then, the most amazing thing happened.
Just as Queen Iduna left a kiss on little Elsa's head, the picture converted. Elsa tilted her head as a mist took form over the memory as though what was about to reveal something big.
And big it was.
"When all is lost, then all is found..."
The baby's cries came back causing Elsa to look all around. But all she saw was the mist.
The cries soon turned into a child's voice — a little girl's.
"Mama!"
At first, Elsa thought it was herself or Anna from when they were younger. But it could not have been for the child's voice did not sound as Anna or Elsa's ever had. This child, while she sounded young, had a voice that Elsa swore came from heaven itself. It was light and pure.
"Mama! Tell Papa to stop it!"
Elsa listened as the little girl was laughing, a small smile falling over her lips. However, when the mist finally cleared, Elsa nearly fainted from shock at what she saw. Because this was no memory — Elsa really was not even sure where the vision came from.
What the Snow Queen saw was herself standing and laughing as Jack swung by his legs from a tree branch. It was the little girl standing under the branch that threw her. A little girl who could not have been older than six was pouting up at Jack with her arms crossed.
The little girl was just as pale as Elsa and Jack — with hair just as white. Whiter hair than Elsa's but just a tad darker than Jack's, a white color smack in the middle of both their shades. It was pulled into two long pigtails, the pin-straight hair bouncing as she moved.
Elsa's mouth opened in a shocked gasp, tears running down her cheeks as she covered her mouth at the sight of the child. She could not see the front of the child, only the back, but she had no doubt that this child was hers and Jack's.
The little six-year-old was continuously jumping for Jack, Jack himself only laughing at her sad attempts.
"Mama! Make Papa come down please!" The little girl was huffing.
"Uh, uh, uh," Jack tutted playfully, swinging himself upright in the tree. He grinned down at the little girl with an expression of everlasting love and happiness. "If you want to tag me you'll need to come and get me yourself, come on you can do it! Just ask the wind!"
The image changed as Elsa cried lightly at the sight of her own child. She had dreamed about it but seeing it was something entirely different.
Elsa cried harder as the image swapped to that of herself holding a baby in her grasp. Jack was behind her, cooing at the tiny child while Elsa hummed and rocked the bundle wrapped in pink blankets.
Like that, the visions cleared and the siren-call was fading away. In an instant, Elsa was left standing on the balcony in the snow with cold tears running down her cheeks.
Could this mean what she thought?
Sniffling, Elsa shook her head. No, it was impossible, it must have been her own desires taking form. And yet, the Snow Queen could not help herself.
Reaching down, Elsa placed her hands on her stomach. At first, all she felt was the soft silk of the nightgown, but then there was something else. She would never be able to explain it fully — for it was an indescribable sensation.
It was magic, a swirl of magic coming from inside her. And this magic was not her own nor was it Jack's or any other that she had come across in the Enchanted Forest. It was a magic that was entirely its own — frosty and snowy like hers and Jack's — but different all the same.
What happened next changed the game altogether. A soft little nudge bumped her hand from inside her body. Elsa harshly pulled her hands away from her stomach, the Queen gasping.
This was not possible.
Sniffling, Elsa wiped the tears from her face, walking back inside and closing the balcony doors as she did so. She made sure to lock them so they would not be knocked open incase the north wind acted up.
Her mind was moving a mile a minute, the Queen not expecting this. She was in denial mostly because she was not sure she could handle it if she got her hopes about being pregnant only to find out she was going insane.
What if she was just imagined that little bump against her hand? Or the different magic coming from inside her?
Elsa was officially panicking, grabbing the scarf as though were her lifeline. Through the panicking, there was a sense of hope that came with the child. Perhaps, it was not as impossible as she was thinking. Maybe her wish had finally come true?
But then another concern washed over her, it took two people to make a baby.
Jack.
What would her beloved say? Jack loved her, Elsa knew that — he had told her on multiple occasions that he loved her more than anything else. But then again, Elsa also knew that he was perfectly content with where they were now.
Elsa knew that Jack loved living together in Ahtohallan, she knew Jack loved visiting the Northuldra with her, and she also knew that Jack loved going to Arendelle to visit the family. He adored little five-year-old Soren and two-year-old Sitara. While he loved playing the part of fun-loving favorite uncle to them, she was not sure how he would feel about a child of his own.
Sure, they had talked about it many times before, but Elsa always got the sense that Jack was not too concerned with having his own baby. He had told Elsa just a few years prior of the story behind how he became Jack Frost, both his last and only memory of when he was mortal.
Elsa knew — though he would not admit it — that Jack was terrified of the thought of having his own child. Jack was already petrified enough that something would end up happening to Elsa — a fact that made him quite protective of her — that she knew his fears would only increase with a child.
Elsa had paused in the corridor, her thoughts like a swirling storm inside.
She did not even know for sure whether or not she was carrying, her first stress should be figuring out if it was true. However, figuring it out could take a while. In order to figure out if one was pregnant, it depended on symptoms and most of all whether they started showing.
But waiting for a real bump to form on her stomach would take over four months!
If Elsa was pregnant, it was apparent she could not have been carrying for long as her stomach was still completely flat and she had no symptoms. There were no weird cravings, no morning sickness, no cramps, no headaches, and no mood swings.
Waiting to see if her period would come would not work either, because Elsa no longer had a period! That was one of the main reasons she suspected she was infertile — her period disappeared after she took her place as the rightful Snow Queen and protector of the Enchanted Forest. In other words, when she became an immortal spirit.
All that Elsa could really do was wait for the four months, but she was not sure she could handle that. Because, if she waited all that time — she would grow hopeful. However, what if at the end of the four months she had no pregnancy bump or even symptoms? It would crush Elsa and she absolutely could not put herself through that.
No, she had to find out way sooner, the sooner she knew — the less the answer would break her. She would still be sad if she found out she was not pregnant now, but her sadness would be nothing compared to if she waited and hoped for almost half a year!
Elsa's thoughts were cut off by the sound of light footsteps coming from around the corner.
"Elsa?" She heard Jack call, the Snow Queen immediately becoming frazzled.
It was only a matter of time before Jack woke up to find her gone. He tended to wake up multiple times during the night, simply to check his surroundings before going back to sleep. Handing him that pillow could only trick her husband for so long.
Along with that, he was incredibly protective of her, especially during the night. He liked to know she was close to him.
Elsa panicked. Her cheeks were still red and her eyes teary. She looked a mess and Jack would know something was up the second he saw her. But Elsa was not sure whether she could admit to him what was bothering her. Not only would it add to his own stress, but she was not sure how he would react.
Talking about a baby and potentially having one were two entirely different things!
Plus, she herself did not know if she could manage telling him at the moment. Saying it out loud would add to her slowly growing hope that she was pregnant.
Shaking her head, Elsa quickly ran in the opposite direction of him, making sure to tread quietly. Jack Frost was the hardest person to avoid — especially if he wanted to see you — it was nearly impossible to hide from him for long. Even after nearly ten years, while Elsa picked up a few skills to hide from Jack, he always found her in seconds.
"Elsa!"
Despite her quiet footsteps, Jack heard her. He could feel her presence close by. He always did.
Elsa took another turn, hoping that Jack would think she went the other direction. Unfortunately for Elsa, Jack Frost knew this castle just as well as her and he knew her better than Elsa even knew herself.
The second Elsa turned the corner, she came face-to-face with Jack. They were centimeters apart, their noses nearly touching. Elsa gasped in shock, her eyes going wide as she stumbled backward. Subconsciously, she grabbed over her stomach — a gesture he did not miss.
Jack rose a brow tilting his head at her. Normally when Elsa was taken by surprise, she would hold out her hands in a threatening way, she never grabbed her stomach like that.
"Are we playing a game of tag, dove?" Jack sarcastically remarked, slightly annoyed from waking up only to panic at the sight of a pillow instead of his wife in his grasp. "Did you really think you could get away from me that easily?"
Elsa had turned away from Jack, keeping her back to him so he could not see her tear-struck face and wild eyes. She bit her lip, trying to decide how to respond. Jack, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes when Elsa was not turning to look at him.
"Turn around," Jack deadpanned, his voice laced with suspicion.
While Jack may come off as a mischievous, snarky, and downright frosty individual — those that knew him best knew his true colors. Elsa was aware that while Jack may have sounded bossy, he was only worried about her.
"Jack, go back to bed, I'll be there in a few—" Elsa tried but Jack was having none of it.
Instead, he quite literally jumped over her with the assistance of the wind and landed smack in front of her. Elsa took a small step back, Jack finally getting a good look at Elsa's face. He frowned, placing his cold hands against her equally as chilly cheeks. Elsa sniffled lightly, nuzzling her face in his hands.
"My love, what is the matter?" Jack moved forward, pulling Elsa into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head.
As much as she loved being in Jack's comfort, Elsa still could not bring herself to tell Jack the truth.
"Bad dream," Elsa murmured against his bare chest, the Winter King having only put on a pair of sweatpants before leaving the confines of their room.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Jack cooed. "I would have made you feel better,"
Elsa was a fine liar when it came to anyone but Jack. It was rare anything got past him, but Elsa knew that Jack would believe her for now. It was the next few days she was scared about because she knew that he would pick up on something not being right about her by tomorrow morning.
"I didn't want to be a bother, besides I figured a walk would do me good," Elsa lied easily, allowing the tears to run down her cheeks.
Perhaps Jack did not know the real reasoning as to why she was crying, but she still basked in his comfort.
Jack rolled his eyes knowing of Elsa's tendencies to keep any negative emotion to herself. She cared too much about the wellbeing of others for her own good. However, he let it slide, deciding he would give her a pep talk when they were in bed. Well... back on their blanket-nest on the floor that was.
In an instant, Jack scooped Elsa up in his arms, holding her to his chest. Elsa wasted no time wrapping her legs around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Jack may have been more on the lean-side, but he was definitely not weak.
"Come on, we are going back to bed," Jack held her tightly, walking in the direction of their room.
Thankfully, Jack did not ask about her nightmare but rather gave her a pep talk on not keeping things to herself and telling Jack about anything. It made Elsa's heart flutter but at the same time made her feel guilty for being dishonest with him.
But she had to know the truth first. She had to know if she was actually pregnant.
——————
Over the course of the next three weeks, quite a few things changed. About a week after the whole fiasco, Elsa was greeted with a whirlwind of symptoms. Morning sickness seemed to come every other day (something that was hard to hide from Jack, but manageable — Jack only ever caught her being sick twice), she was having the strongest craving for chocolate (even more than usual), and her mood started acting like Florida.
Completely unpredictable.
One moment she was perfectly happy and the next she was sobbing her heart out.
Along with these symptoms, Elsa had been much quieter lately. Mainly because she did not want to spill the beans to Jack who was already uncannily suspicious and also because she was envisioning what life would be like with a baby around.
She tried to tell herself not to do to it — as despite the symptoms she still was not entirely convinced and she did not want to get attached to something that was not there. Even so, she could not help herself from looking through the many rooms of the castle.
Elsa was debating which room would best serve as a nursery. Surely if she were actually carrying then when her baby was born she would want them close to her and Jack's room. Of course, for the first few two years at least — Elsa would have the baby sleep in their room. But after that, when the child was old enough a room across the hall from theirs seemed rather promising.
The room she picked was large, it had a balcony, and best of all — it was just a few feet away from their room.
Elsa could see it, she and Jack would paint the walls cyan and white, there would be a bookshelf, a toy area, a bed over there and the dresser just across from it, maybe a vanity... but Elsa was getting ahead of herself.
Jack did not even know yet and she herself was still unsure whether she was even pregnant. Exactly what she had feared would happen was unfolding in front of her, Elsa was getting attached to something that may not even exist. She had to get an answer to her potential pregnancy before things got worse.
Elsa had already started playing around with names too. It was often what occupied her mind, potential names and thoughts on what the future would hold.
Her thoughts made her quieter — something Jack had picked up on along with Anna and Kristoff. Even Soren who was only five mentioned something to Anna about his Auntie being more reserved than usual.
Jack was suspicious, oh yes, he knew there was something Elsa was not telling him but he did not know what. He had asked on many different occasions, but his wife was being extremely stubborn with this and assured him everything was fine.
Jack remembered that this all started after he found her a mess from an apparent nightmare; however, now Jack was doubting that whatever had upset her that night was a mere nightmare. He had a feeling she lied to him about it.
Not only that but there were other oddities as well. Elsa had thrown up twice as far as he was concerned — he suspected she may have been sick more and just had not told him — and despite her recent quietness, her mood seemed to rival a storm itself.
One second she was walking through the Enchanted Forest with him happy as can be and the next she balling her eyes trying to run away because she "didn't want him to see her like this".
The thing that Jack found the weirdest though was when he walked into their bedroom a day or two ago only to find Elsa standing by the full-length mirror examining her stomach. She had been standing to the side, murmuring to herself about whether it had been growing.
When Elsa noticed him standing there, she immediately locked herself in the bathroom refusing to talk about with him.
Jack wondered if she was becoming self-conscious about her weight or something. That was a girl-thing, right?
But the issue was that both of them were immortal spirits. Their physical appearance had not changed since the day they met!
Even if Elsa put on a few extra pounds (which she most certainly hadn't as far as Jack was concerned), Jack would not care. He would love her just as much, plus it was more he could grab onto!
Oh, and do not even get Jack started on how their sex-life as been for the past few weeks. It was so strange, normally the two went at it for hours nearly every night. But now, Elsa was either completely on or off. One day Elsa was uninterested and only wanted sleep but the next she was all-over Jack as though he had been depriving her of it.
It was all certainly very odd and Jack was now more than determined to get to the bottom of it.
Currently, Elsa herself was with Anna in one of the sitting rooms at Arendelle castle. They had just finished spending time with Soren and Sitara before putting the two to bed. It was still early into the night and yet it was the little rug-rats bedtime.
Kristoff was currently tucking them in. Elsa found it adorable that they shared a room at the moment as she and Anna did when they were younger. Anna loved it as well, though she was saddened at the fact that they would no doubt want their own rooms sometime in the next few years.
Olaf was with Kristoff in saying goodnight to the children — the talking snowman had a particularly strong bond with them.
Once the two came down, a game of family charades was meant to start. Jack had to help Santa with something at the North Pole, so he would be arriving late. Elsa had not felt up to making the trip all the way to the North Pole, so she stayed behind.
As Elsa absent-mindedly hummed, lost in her train of thought — Anna was raising a suspicious brow at her. Anna, who now looked a few physical years older than Elsa, knew there was something off with her sister. Everyone did.
"Okay," Anna deadpanned, crossing her arms over her chest and moving to sit next to Elsa on the sofa, "what's wrong?"
Elsa looked surprised as Anna stared at her.
"Nothing—" Anna rolled her eyes, stopping Elsa before she could even attempt to lie.
"No, something is seriously off about you, we've all noticed it," Anna paused, her tone going softer while she wrapped a comforting arm around Elsa's shoulders, "Elsa we are worried, what's going on? You can tell me..." Elsa leaned into Anna's side, sighing.
She could not keep this up any longer. Especially around Anna.
And so, in the next few minutes, Elsa told her younger sister everything. She started from when the siren-call returned and woke her up to the visions to the different magic inside of her to her worries and to how she felt about all of this.
By the end of it, Anna was staring at her with huge blue eyes. Elsa cringed at the look, getting the sense that her sister's overexuberant nature would come to pass.
"Oh my Gosh!" Elsa rushed to shush Anna, but Anna was having none of it standing in excitement. "I am going to be an aunt! Soren and Sitara will have a cousin, our kids will as close as we've always dreamed. You're pregnant! You're pregnant! You're—" Anna's screaming was cut short by Elsa placing a hand over her mouth.
"Anna, quiet, I don't know for sure and I do not want to get my hopes," Elsa muttered in sad tone causing Anna's eyes to dwindle into something gentler.
"Elsa," Anna slowly moved Elsa's hand from over her mouth, holding onto it tightly, "of course, you are pregnant, from what you've been saying how could you not be?" Elsa looked down to where Anna was holding her hands.
It felt nice. Sometimes she forgot how much she loved her dear sister, even after all these years.
"Anna, I don't know — I thought it was impossible for so long, but here I am. I mean, there are so many questions and I am having a really hard time believing it—"
"What did Jack say about it? Surely he thinks you are pregnant too..." Anna tilted her head in a curious manner causing Elsa to avert her gaze and bite her lip.
Anna narrowed her eyes, catching onto her sister's look.
"You have told him, right?" Elsa remained quiet. "Elsa..."
"I can't bring myself to, okay! What if I am not really pregnant and make him worry for nothing. But what if I am pregnant and he doesn't want a baby? Oh, Anna — I can't... how am I supposed to...?"
"Woah, Elsa, calm down," Anna moved her hands from to her sister's shoulders, pulling the Snow Queen into a tight hug. "It'll be alright. You've talked about having a child with Jack before and he seemed perfectly okay with the idea!" Anna tried to reassure her sister.
Elsa pulled away from the hug to look Anna in the eyes. "I don't know how honest he was being, Anna. He probably thought it was impossible to have kids so he just said that to make me happy. I can't bring myself to tell him, especially when I don't know whether I am actually pregnant or not..."
"Okay, freeze," Anna shook her head, "Elsa you and Jack love each other more than anything in the world, you know as well as I do that Jack will not react badly to this. He'll probably be more hurt that you hid this from him," Elsa looked down knowing Anna was right, "...and you need to tell him, you guys might be having a baby, Elsa—!"
"—A baby!" Both girls froze at the sound of Olaf's voice, turning and seeing a brightly smiling Olaf standing next to a shell-shocked Kristoff.
Elsa mentally cursed.
"You're pregnant!" Kristoff was gaping.
"No, be quiet guys!" Elsa hurriedly rushed them into the room, closing the door behind them.
"Oh, this will be great! Another little one and a snowy baby at that!" Olaf was prancing around the room happily. "I've got to tell Soren and Sitara they're going to have a cousin—!" Olaf tried to leave the room, but Elsa stopped him.
"No, Olaf, you guys can't tell anyone about this yet because I don't know if I'm really pregnant or not!" Elsa revealed causing Olaf to pause and give her a questioning look.
Kristoff did the same.
"What do you mean you don't know?" The ice-man who was also Elsa's brother-in-law asked, causing Elsa to sigh.
In moments, both Olaf and Kristoff were caught up with the situation.
"Well," Kristoff sprawled on the couch with a tired groan: being a father really was exhausting, "it sounds to me like you're pregnant. I mean, when Anna was pregnant with Soren — she only ever really had morning sickness," Anna nodded agreeing with Kristoff's words, "but then with Sitara, we got the full-package. Morning sickness, back cramps, more swings — you were so mood all the time, and all you ate was chocolate!" Kristoff was now looking to Anna, laughing as she hit him upside the head with a roll of her eyes.
Elsa giggled as well, subconsciously placing a hand over her stomach. Anna did not miss this gesture, raising a brow at Elsa who blushed and placed her hand back at her side.
"Nevertheless, none of you can tell anyone — especially Jack!" Elsa warned while Anna threw her hands in the air.
"Elsa, you can't keep this from him! Here," Anna pinched her nose, "the biggest reason you aren't saying anything is that you feel like you might not be pregnant, right?" Elsa's red-haired sister rose a brow.
"Even though you have all the symptoms," Olaf piped from where he was standing by the fire.
It was comical sight really, a snowman by a fire place.
"Yes?" Elsa said almost hesitantly.
"Good, then we'll go figure it out and once you know for sure — you need to tell Jack," Anna crossed her arms before turning to Kristoff who was watching the interaction while lying on the couch. "Kristoff, load your wagon and get Sven ready, we're journeying to the trolls,"
Suddenly Elsa was mentally hitting herself for not thinking about that earlier. Out of everyone, the one who be able to confirm a pregnancy and tell her more about her potential child was Grand Pabbie troll — the one who had healed Anna when she and Elsa were mere children.
"Of course," Elsa murmured as Kristoff sat up with an unsure expression.
"Are you sure you guys want to go now, it's late and the kids would be left in the hands of the staff. Not only that, but isn't Jack supposed to be arriving any minute?" Elsa bit her lip while Anna placed a hand on Kristoff's shoulder.
"Soren and Sitara will be fine with the staff, besides, Olaf will be here! This is something we need to do immediately for Elsa and our niece or nephew's sake..." Elsa smiled at Anna's words, feeling her eyes getting watery.
Again with those stupid emotions that seemed to be everywhere now.
Kristoff looked at Elsa, giving her nod with a kind expression. "Of course," he smiled.
"Wait, I'm staying here?" Olaf questioned causing Anna and Elsa to look at him.
"Yes," Elsa kneeled to the snowman's height, "you have the most important job of all. Along with watching the kids, when Jack gets here I need you to distract and make an excuse as to why we're not here..." Elsa said as Olaf slowly nodded.
With a smile, Elsa kissed his snowy forward before racing off after Anna out of the sitting.
"Wait, but what do I say?" Olaf stopped Kristoff who turned with a shrug.
"I don't know, say we're doing laundry or something and we'll be back soon!" Kristoff said before running after the two sisters.
Olaf was left in the sitting room, nodding his head in a determined manner. He could do this.
——————
The three left with the intention of returning as quickly as possible. For one, while they trusted the castle staff with their lives — they still did not want to leave Soren and Sitara in their care for too long. And two, they were all very much aware that Olaf would not be able to hold-off Jack for long.
That was why Kristoff was pushing Sven to go as fast as he could while hauling the wagon. In order to make it easier for Sven and faster, Kristoff had opted on having another reindeer pull the wagon with Sven as well.
Svenja was a female reindeer that Sven had taken a liking to just a few years prior. The two reindeer got along so well that they actually bred a male calf a few months ago. Kristoff adored the male calf who had been given the name Sverre. Sverre was still growing and was currently back in the Arendellian stables resting.
"Maybe we should have given them that elixir Santa gave us," Anna suggested causing Kristoff to look absolutely appalled.
"What? No way, I am saving that for a special occasion!"
"And finding out whether we are going to be an aunt and uncle isn't?" Anna sassed back.
"Well no, but—"
"No? What do you mean no! This could very well be the most important day of—"
"No, that's not what I mean—!"
"Well, what did you mean? Huh, Kristoff?"
The elixir in question was a small potion that Santa had gifted Kristoff when Elsa and Jack took them to visit his workshop along with Soren and Sitara. The two little ones loved it and the elves were more than happy to see them.
Even Bernard who normally worked way too much for his own good was happy at the children. It was not often that Bernard nor any of the other elves actually saw the kids that they made gifts for every year.
All in all, once Santa learned of Kristoff's love for reindeer and caught Kristoff in the stables admiring the flying deer — he had brewed up a small something for them. It was an elixir that would make any reindeer fly for a given amount of time, but seeing as there was not much of the potion left, Kristoff was determined to save it for a special occasion.
Elsa shook her head at the married couples' bantering. It had always been like that between the two, since the day they met — and it was not going to change anytime soon. She was riding in the back of the wagon behind them, keeping her eyes peeled.
They were close.
Sven let a loud snort before stopping, Svenja doing the same. It stopped the married couple from their bantering, a clear signal that they had arrived. Elsa wasted no time in hopping out of the cherry-red wagon, her boot-clad feet landing on the grassy ground around them.
Anna and Kristoff's previous argument was forgotten, Anna following after Elsa and Kristoff placing the reigns down. Anna wrapped an arm around Elsa's shoulder, allowing Elsa to lean against her.
Kristoff, on the other hand, brought his large hands to cup around his mouth, his voice ringing around loudly.
"Grand Pabbie, we need you!" The ice-man who was also considered King of Arendelle shouted.
Elsa's heart started pounding, adrenaline beginning to course through her. This was it, in the few minutes she would know the truth. But there lied another issue, was Elsa ready to become a mother?
She knew the answer immediately: yes, she was.
In seconds, the rocks around them began shaking before morphing into the trolls they knew so well.
"Kristoff's here!" Bulda shouted in excitement, jumping on Kristoff nearly causing him to fall over from her heavyweight.
"Hey, ma," he grunted as Bulda kissed his cheek before leaping down from him.
Anna and Elsa giggled at the sight, both always finding the reaction Kristoff got from his troll family amusing.
"Where are the babies? You did bring them, didn't you?" Bulda asked in an excited tone, loving every time her son and daughter-in-law brought her grandkids to see her.
"No, but there is something else," Kristoff said in a serious tone, Anna gripping Elsa tighter.
All the trolls previous happy disposition disappeared as they caught wind of Kristoff's tone. It had been a while since he visited with an issue, but everyone still knew that tone well-enough to realize something was amiss.
"My Queens," Grand Pabbie suddenly appeared in all his glory, the elder troll shuffling to the trio, "what has happened?" Grand Pabbie looked to Elsa, as though seeing something different, "I sense new magic within you, Elsa, what has changed?"
Elsa cleared her throat as Anna nodded her head. Squaring her shoulders, Elsa looked to the elder troll — the one who could help her figure this out.
"I know it's impossible," Elsa started in a soft time, "but I have reason to believe that I may be pregnant..." multiple gasps rang out among the trolls, murmurs of excitement going through the air.
Grand Pabbie nodded, not appearing the least bit surprised — as though he expected this to happen.
"I figured as much, there was a change in the magical stream a little more than a month ago," he explained causing Elsa's interest to rise.
"Oh? What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that the magical energies changed wind — a new force has come to fruition, a force with power much like yourself and Jack Frost's..." the explanation caused Elsa's hopes to soar, but a frown ate at her lips.
Powers like hers and Jack's? It made sense, so Elsa was not sure why she had not thought of it earlier. Of course, if Jack and Elsa were to produce a baby then the child would possess the same abilities as them — so why was Elsa so worried?
Perhaps it was because she did not want her child to grow with the same fears and strains as Elsa had growing up. She did not want her child to feel the need to wear gloves 24/7 or be afraid of their owns gifts.
It was then that Elsa swore if she was pregnant then she would do everything in her power to make sure her child was proud of their abilities, not afraid or embarrassed by them.
"Are you able to confirm my pregnancy?" Elsa finally questioned the elder troll who gave a smile at her.
"Of course," he nodded as Anna squealed and Kristoff smiled, "just give me your hand—"
Grand Pabbie stopped himself as the air suddenly turned just a few degrees colder. Elsa's eyes grew wide as a very familiar presence got nearer with each passing second. Anna gave her wide eyes as Elsa mentally cursed.
She could feel the winds picking up as Jack got closer. She had hoped Olaf would be able to buy them more time, but alas, it appeared that Jack caught-on sooner than anticipated. Elsa was not surprised though, it was tough to get anything past Jack when it concerned herself.
"Dang," Kristoff muttered just as a figure appeared high in the air.
Elsa cringed as Jack landed a few feet away, swinging Twintender in his grasp. She bit her lip nervously as the white-haired male stared at her.
"No greeting, my love?" Jack rose a casual brow. "Or is there anything you want to tell me?"
The trolls looked to each other uncomfortably, Kristoff and Anna whistling in a loud tone, turning to each other.
Elsa smiled anxiously as Jack leaned against the large hooked staff, unable to meet his gaze. He definitely did not look happy.
"Uhm, no, just a visit to Kristoff's family, you know..." Elsa tried playing it smoothly, but she already knew that Jack knew what was up.
"Oh really?" Jack chuckled without an ounce of humor. "You know when I got to the castle only to find you three not there — I thought that was pretty weird. But then when Olaf said you were all making a surprise birthday cake for me — even though it is not my birthday — and proceeded to show me how he could count from one-thousand backward, I knew something was wrong. It really did not take much until Olaf spilled the beans..." Jack's eyes darkened causing Elsa to flinch.
Jack noticed this, immediately softening his dark gaze before pinching the bridge of his nose with a stressed sigh.
"It all makes sense now, how could I be so stupid? The morning sickness, the cravings, the freaking mood swings!" Jack threw his arms up, but then he was looking to Elsa in an almost hurt manner. "Sugar, why didn't you tell me?"
Elsa felt really bad now, she should have just told him from the start. "Be-because I couldn't bring myself to, okay!" She finally snapped. "I still don't technically know if I'm pregnant, it's not supposed to be possible! And then I know you've said you wouldn't mind a child, but Jack — I don't know if you were serious or not and I wasn't sure how you would react." She was breathing heavily, running her hands through her half-braided hair.
Finally, the Snow Queen's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I was scared, alright..." her words were airy and full of such despair that it had Jack nearly crumpling.
He hated seeing the love of his life sad, but this, what she had been going through for the past few weeks... alone. It destroyed Jack, but how could she think that he would be mad at her? Even if Jack had not had the desire to have a child as she did, hearing that there was a very good chance they were about to have one now — it brought a sense of lightness to him.
He and Elsa's baby.
It made Jack want to cry and from that point on, he was going to be there with his wife every step of the way.
"Elsa," Grand Pabbie spoke to the Queen.
Elsa turned to look at him, seeing him holding his rock hands out for her.
"There is only one way to know for sure if you are, in fact, carrying. May I see your hands?"
Elsa subconsciously turned to Jack, expecting to see an angry look upon his face. However, she was only met with an expression of pure and undying love. The immortal young man nodded toward Elsa, a sheer sign that he wanted her to do this.
With a smile, Elsa turned back to Grand Pabbie and placed her delicate hands within his own. Grand Pabbie sighed, closing his eyes.
Suddenly the wind picked up causing everyone except for the elder troll to look around. Anna looked to Jack who shook his head — silently telling her that the wind was not his doing.
Elsa's head snapped up at the sound of the familiar siren-call, except this time she was not the only one who could hear it. Anna gasped while she, Kristoff, and Jack looked around with wide eyes, the surrounding group of rock trolls doing the same. Anna leaned into Kristoff's side, looking in every which way to see if she could tell just where the beautiful siren-call was coming from.
Jack was doing the same, recognizing the call as the same one that led him to Elsa nearly ten years ago. He held his staff just a bit tighter, keeping one eye on Elsa while also watching his surroundings. Elsa, on the other hand, knew it was pointless to try and see where the siren-call was coming from seeing as it came from every which direction. Instead, she lowly hummed along with it, feeling a sense of peace unfold within her chest.
"Where the north wind meets the sea..."
Elsa recognized her mother's beautiful ringing voice once more. Anna did as well, perking up in shock.
"Mother?" Anna called causing Jack and Kristoff to look at her.
"Anna?" Kristoff tilted his head while she smiled.
"That is our mother's voice," Jack and Kristoff shared looks of astonishment at Anna's explanation, both knowing that the girl's parents' were long dead.
"It was her lullaby," Elsa said gently, Jack giving his wife a soft look.
He wanted to go and wrap her in his arms, but he realized that he needed to wait until Grand Pabbie was finished. Jack did not want to risk messing this up.
And in seconds, the siren-call and the Iduna's singing was replaced with that light airy crying that Elsa had remembered from weeks ago. Her eyes widened and her breath stopped short at the crying.
Anna's hand clenched Kristoff's while Jack felt something inside of him stir. This airy little infant's cries — it was different from any other he had heard. It made his heart race and some sort of protective instinct rise from deep within. It was not the same protection he felt over Elsa, but something more... pure.
He looked around once more, desperately trying to find where the little ones cries were coming from.
"Elsa," everyone's attention snapped to Grand Pabbie he was smiling at the Snow Queen. Elsa did not even need the elder to finish his statement because she could tell from his smile exactly what he was about to say. "...congratulations, you and Jack are going to have the most magnificent little girl in the next eight months..." not only did she now know for sure she was going to have a baby, but she knew the gender.
A little girl.
And like that, Jack's heart melted. He and Elsa's little girl, their baby. Any hesitance Jack previously felt toward having a child washed away in an instant, because now that he knew it was actually happening... well, he could not imagine feeling anything other than unbridled joy about it.
An explosion of colors filled everyone's vision as Grand Pabbie worked his magic. Elsa's eyes glistened as purple hues of magic filled the space behind Grand Pabbie. The baby's cries were replaced by the siren-call once again, the misty magic swirling around as though building something.
"Mama,"
Elsa remembered the voice from her vision a few weeks ago, the little girl's voice that sounded as though it came from heaven itself. Jack swore his heart came to a standstill at the sweet little voice of a child — a child that was to be his.
"Papa,"
Jack felt the urge to find the little girl who was calling for him and wrap her in his arms. He was even more taken when the purple mist finally created its own hazy vision of the silhouette of a little girl. She had long pigtails and she was running toward two people's forms.
Jack immediately recognized the two people as silhouettes of himself and Elsa. The little girl leaped into the silhouette of Jack's arms, Jack watching as his magic-shadow swung the little girl around before putting her on his back.
Elsa's silhouette was laughing from beside them before the magic disappeared altogether.
"Woah," it was Anna who broke the intense silence, just as Elsa took her hands away from Grand Pabbie.
"Thank you," she said in a hoarse voice on the verge of tears.
She was surprised when she turned around only to come face-to-face with Jack, their noses ghosting over each other.
"Jack?" Elsa asked hesitantly, only for Jack to suddenly wrap her in a tight hug.
"I love you so much," he muttered causing tears to fall down Elsa's face.
Jack kissed the top of her head before pulling away slightly, giving her his own large grin while wiping her tears. "I love you so much," he kissed Elsa's nose before placing a gentle hand over her stomach and looking down at it, "and I love her... so much... our baby..."
——————
CONCLUSION OF INTERLUDE II
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