Our Son
A/N: This is a sad fic. You have been warned.
Kristoff looked down at the ground; his son Joseff was walking beside him. They were just returning from a trip into town, and the little boy was excited to see what his father had planned for him next. All of a sudden, Joseff spun around, and wrapped his arms around his father. Kristoff smiled, and ruffled his hair. "What was for, Joseff?"
"I just wanted to show you how much I love you, daddy!" Joseff said, smiling.
Kristoff smiled, and returned the hug. "I love you too, little man. Are you ready for the big surprise?"
"I sure am!" Joseff cried. The young boy ran ahead towards the castle, leaving Kristoff behind with his thoughts. Today was Joseff's eighth birthday, and Kristoff could tell that he was excited. But as happy as the day should be, it was also the anniversary of something very tragic. Eight years ago, Kristoff's wife, Princess Anna, died giving birth to Joseff. Even now years later it still didn't feel real. He could remember that morning so vividly in his mind. Anna woke up, and told him that the baby was coming now. Without wasting another second, they rushed to the infirmary. There, Kristoff held Anna's hand as the doctor and the nurses prepared her for labor.
"You sure you're going to be alright?" Kristoff asked, after Anna suggested that he wait out in the hall until the baby was born.
"I'll be fine, Kristoff. Don't worry, before you know it, you'll be meeting your child for the first itme."
"Our child," Kristoff corrected.
Anna smiled. "Yes, our child. I couldn't be happier."
"I love you, Anna."
"I love you too, Kristoff."
Kristoff gave Anna one last kiss before leaving the room, and waited for the next several hours.
Upon entering the courtyard, Joseff was met with a loud "surprise!" from all his friends and relatives."
In the center of the square, Queen Elsa stood holding a large cake. "Happy birthday, Joseff!" she said, smiling.
Joseff ran up to his aunt, who then put the cake down on the table. Everyone gathered around, and watched as Joseff blew out the candles. "Thank you, Auntie Elsa!" he cried, giving her a hug.
Elsa smiled, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're welcome, sweetie. Are you ready to open your presents?"
"You bet I am!"
He turned to face Kristoff who was standing beside him. "Come on daddy, come watch me open my presents!" he cried.
Kristoff laughed. "Ok, Joseff, I'm coming."
Hours later, Kristoff stood in the hallway, listening to Anna's cries echo down the corridor. She must be in so much pain; he couldn't wait for it to be over. He could finally meet their child, and the two of them would finally be parents. Before he knew it, the door opened, and the nurse stepped into the hallway.
"I'm…I'm so sorry, Mr. Bjorgman.
Kristoff's eyes widened. "No…the baby?"
"You have a son, and he's alright.
Kristoff was confused. "Then why are you…"
Realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. Without wasting another second, Kristoff dashed into the room, throwing himself down at Anna's bedside. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. Kristoff grabbed her shoulders, and shook her wildly. "No! No! Please, wake up, Anna! Please, wake up!" he cried, tears streaming down his cheeks. Kristoff felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw Elsa kneeling beside him; her eyes were also filled with tears. "No, no, no!" she sobbed heavily. It couldn't' be real. Anna was just fine a moment ago. There was no way she was…dead. Kristoff grabbed her again by the shoulder, and shouted in her face. "Anna! Anna! Don't leave me! Please! You're a mother now! You can't leave me! You can't leave our son!"
Kristoff wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in a firm, loving embrace. He expected her to do the same to him, but she didn't. "No, no, no," Kristoff sobbed heavily.
"Mr. Bjorgman," said a voice from behind him.
Kristoff turned around, and saw the nurse holding a blanket-wrapped bundle. "I'm so, so, so sorry, Mr. Bjorgman. She died giving birth to your son. The doctors did the best they could to save her, but it was just too much for her. Would you like to hold your son?"
Kristoff stared emotionless at the baby the nurse held in her hands. It was all because of him that Anna was dead. If she hadn't have gotten pregnant with that vile demon, she'd still be here. He didn't want anything to do with the child after what happened to Anna.
Elsa could sense his disdain, and gently coaxed him to change his mind. "Kristoff, he's your son. You have to be there for him. Anna would want you too."
Kristoff knew that she was right. Slowly, he extended his arms towards the nurse, and she placed the baby in his hands. With one look at his son, all feelings of anger and hate disappeared as Kristoff was overcome with a wave of love, and devotion. He had his blonde hair, and Anna's teal colored eyes. He was so beautiful, Kristoff couldn't help but shed a tear. He leaned in and kissed him gently on the forehead. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you. I will give you the best life possible." He looked over at Anna, who lay motionless on the bed. Another wave of tears overcame him. "Anna, I'd like you to meet our son. Our son, Joseff!"
When the party had ended, and everyone had gone home, Kristoff sat at the table, and watched as Joseff played with Olaf. The two chased each other around the courtyard, smiling happily in the afternoon sun. Elsa took a seat beside Kristoff, and watched the young boy and the snowman play. She smiled, and looked at Kristoff.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm fine," Kristoff replied.
"You know what I mean," Elsa said, softly.
Kristoff's eyes began to water. "I…can't believe it's been eight years."
"I know. I miss her too," Elsa said. "I cherish what few memories I have of her. She was…the most wonderful sister I could have ever asked for."
Elsa started to cry as she reminisced on all those years she missed seeing Anna grow up, because she wanted to keep Anna safe. When in reality, Anna's love for her was the key to controlling her powers all along.
"Hey daddy! Auntie Elsa! Can we go see mommy?"
The question hit both Kristoff, and Elsa by surprise. Despite being the anniversary of Anna's death, today was also supposed to be a happy day. The two didn't want to see Joseff sad. Kristoff had told Joseff long ago what happened to Anna, and why she wasn't here anymore. Though he was young, and still had a lot to learn about death, Joseff seemed to take the news better than Kristoff thought he would. The two of them frequently visited Anna's grave, and there Kristoff would often tell him stories about him and Anna.
"Ok, son. Let's go!" Kristoff said, trying not to cry again.
When the three of them arrived in the royal cemetery, Joseff ran up to Anna's grave. The tombstone had a heart engraved on it that said, "Forever in our hearts."
"Hi mommy!" Joseff said, kneeling down in front of the grave. "Today is my birthday mommy! I'm eight years old!
"I hope you're doing well, mommy! I wish you could be here! Then we could all have fun together!"
Joseff wrapped his arms around the tombstone, hugging it as if he were actually hugging Anna. Kristoff and Elsa watched, fighting the urge not to cry again.
"I love you, mommy!" Joseff said. He stood up, and blew a kiss towards the grave. "I'll see you later!"
Joseff turned back to Kristoff and Elsa. "Can I have some more cake?" he asked.
Kristoff smiled. "Of course you can, Joseff."
"Yay!" Hey Auntie Elsa, I'll race you back to the castle!"
Elsa smiled. "Well, I hope you're prepared to lose, young man, because you're going down." Elsa, and Joseff ran off towards the castle, both keeping up with each other. Meanwhile, Kristoff stared at Anna's tombstone. "You'd be so proud of your son, Anna. Our son."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this story. Yes, it's very sad, and unlike my usual stories, but this just came to mind, and I thought I'd write it. I actually can relate to losing a loved one. My mother died when I was thirteen years old. Every day without her has been hard, but I believe that wherever she is, she's watching over me.
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