Frozen One-Shot

Elsa woke up, unsure how long she'd slept. She saw Barnard and the girls splashing about in the water, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, then smiled at the sight. Lilith turned her head to Elsa and smiled and Elsa went to the edge of the lake.

"Why didn't you get me up?" She asked Barnard after smiling and waving at the girls.

"You just looked so pretty with the sun on your face, I couldn't," he looked up at her, squinting one eye from the sun. Elsa blushed and twiddled her fingers, then sat by the water.

"I hope I didn't sleep too long..."

"Not at all. We've only been here for a few minutes," he said trudging out of the shallow water. He sat next to Elsa and watched the girls pick up little seashells. She sighed relieved.

"I would feel bad if I had." She chuckled a little and picked up her own seashell and looked at it.

"Why's that?" he leaned back, extending his arms to the ground behind him.

"I've felt like a burden lately, and wouldn't want to delay you." She shrugged lightly. "I don't really know why."

"Delay me? For what?" he asked.

"Surely you have other things you have to do as well." She looked over at him.

"I was sent to find the girls' family. That's what I intend to do," he replied. Her eyes brightened up and she smiled.

"Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for letting me," he said softly and with a smile.

"I couldn't have handled this alone!" She laughed nervously. He smiled, knowing he was making her uncomfortable, so he got up and walked farther up on land to put his boots back on. She watched him walk away. "Did you find any pretty shells?" Elsa asked them with a chuckle.

"I found one!" Naya got out to show Elsa.

"It's broken though," she looked at it sadly.

"It's still lovely!" She smiled. "I found one too." She handed it to her. "Would you like it?" Naya nodded and then her face brightened up. She gave one half to Elsa and then walked up to Barnard and handed him the other half.

"Now bofe of you can have my pwesent."Barnard looked up at her with a smile,

"Thank you, dear, it's absolutely beautiful." He kissed her on the cheek, "but, do you want to know something else?"

"What?" she asked, thinking something was wrong.

"It's not even nearly as pretty as you," he put her chin in his fingers, as she smiled brightly.

Elsa smiled with a sigh, then put her feet in the water. She enjoyed it for a moment, and proceeded to kick some water at the girls. Ilene splashed Lilith, who ducked immediately, and the water hit Elsa in the face. Lilith and Ilene stood still, waiting for Elsa's response. Elsa laughed out loud and cupped the water in her hands and tossed it at Barnard. The little girls laughed in relief and started splashing each other.

Barnard's expression looked a little startled, but still happy. He stood to his feet and went behind the tree that was providing the cool shade. Naya laughed with her little girl voice and waddled back into the water.

Elsa watched him duck behind the tree and she snickered. She made an ice bucket and filled it with the water and stood on the other side of the tree. Barnard leaned over a branch that stretched over the water, and cupped some water in his hands. He climbed back up the tree with only his legs and lingered above the queen for a moment. Elsa went to dump the water on him, but he wasn't there. She looked around the tree confused. He thought about it a moment and then spoke,

"Queen Elsa, up here."

Elsa flipped out and threw the bucket up, it splashed him, then completely drenched her. She stood there for a moment, then leaned against the tree laughing. He laughed gleefully as well and lied down on the long branch. One leg was dangling over the edge. Elsa eyed him for a moment. The branch was over the water... Which meant the best thing to do was... She gently pushed him into the water.

He fell in, waving his arms for a split second before a splash. He rose drenched, as he gasped for a single breath of air.

"You...Queen Elsa...are a sly one!" he laughed, staying a good sport. All the girls flocked him and splashed water up in the air. Elsa was laughing so hard that she couldn't keep her balance and had to sit. She just pointed and laughed until her face was turning red.

He grabbed Naya and lifted her into the air and spun her around. The girls were having the best week of their lives! Elsa finally got back up and nearer to the water, unfortunately, being wet, she slipped on the mud and fell in right on her bottom.

"Ooh!" he gently put Nata back down and got out to help the queen up. "Are you okay?" he held out his hand. Elsa stifled laughter for a moment and nodded, taking his hand. He helped her to her feet and held her steady as she struggled not to slip again. She slipped a little, trying not to fall into him.

"I should really sit in one spot and not move!" She cracked up.

"How about somewhere not so slippery?" he smiled and nodded to the tree. She regained her balance and nodded.

"That might work..." He smiled and then looked to the girls.

"Ilene, please don't let Naya go any further," he laughed a little and nodded down with a smile.

Elsa sat at the base of the tree and begun to wring out her hair.

"What were you doing in that tree?" She chuckled.

"Nothing I was going to go through with," he laughed and crossed his arms, as he glanced back at the girls.

"Oh! You were going to dump water on me? The queen?" She said playfully, also watching the little girls.

"I thought I might...keep it going," he have a chuckled and looked down at his soggy clothes. She waved her hand dismissively.

"I deserve it!" She smirked.

"I don't think so," he smiled and trudged back to the drier part of the land to take back off his now soggy boots.

"Naya!" Elsa called to her. "Please come closer to shore!" She watched intently.

"But I can do it!" she insisted.

"Naya, come on," Ilene complained a bit. Elsa had a slight fear of deep water, and she didn't like this one bit.

"Please, Naya. It's not safe!" Elsa responded

"Naya, listen to Queen Elsa," Barnard called.

"I can do it!" she said getting frustrated. Elsa sat up further.

"Barnard..." Worry laced her voice. There could be holes anywhere.

"Naya?" came Ilene's now worried voice after she heard it in Elsa's voice.

Barnard looked at Elsa with his eyebrows at a more or less worried slant. He took a few steps closer to the water,

"Now Naya, that's far enough," he said sternly. Naya took one more step as if to prove her point and stepped off an edge. Elsa screamed and got up a quickly as she could.

"Naya!" Barnard didn't even take a moment to think before he jumped in after her.

Ilene and Lilith were screaming and crying, Elsa hurried into the water up to her knees. Her breathing was hard as she tried at avoid panicking. Lilith and Ilene came up and started crying into her. A good twenty seconds passed before Barnard burst out of the water with a coughing little girl in his arms. He had her head under his, and he fought the water back to get her back on shore. Elsa met him on the shore.

"Naya, precious, are you alright!?" Her hands were visibly shaking. He knelt down and set her in the grass. He leaned over her and felt her wrist. He sighed with relief. "Thank you," he whispered as he closed his eyes. Elsa gently lifted her up and pat her back forcefully enough that she coughed up the rest of the water. The other two girls were hugging each other from the water's edge. Naya coughed it up, saliva creeping out of her mouth at well.

"Naya, you had us scared to death," he told her softly, as Elsa was getting huffy. Elsa brushed back Naya's hair, her heart finally slowing.

"I...I'm sorry," Naya apologized best she could.

"No, no, it's okay, Naya. You're fine. We got you," Barnard held her up in his arms so that she facing him and Elsa.

"We love you. We don't want to see you get hurt." She held Naya's hand.

"Never," Barnard added as her gave her another kiss on the forehead. Elsa held out her arms for Naya, and she tugged herself up and fell in her arms.

Barnard glanced at her two terrified sisters and opened his arms for them. Without hesitating, they threw themselves in his embrace. He hushed them, as stroked their hair. "Shh, all is fine," he comforted.

"Does anything hurt, precious?" She pet her wet hair lovingly and held her tight. Naya shook her head no.

"Alright. You know what we're going to do?" Barnard took the tear-stained girls from off of him. They nodded. "We're going to take a deep breath," he said inhaling. The girls did as well. "And you're going to tell yourselves that you were brave for your sister. Now, what do you think Naya will think if she sees her two brave older sisters crying, hmm?"

"We won't cry. For Naya." They sniffled

"There are my girls," he smiled and hugged them closely again.

"You don't need to cry, Naya, I've got you... " she kissed the top of Naya's head, gently rocking her.

"Now, why don't you see your sister?" he let them go again. Lilith and Ilene walked to their little sister with big eyes and firm chins. Elsa released Naya from the hug, let out a big breath and leaned slightly against Barnard, as if she couldn't keep herself up after all of what had happened. Ilene, Lilith, and Naya all cuddled with each other.

"I'm proud of you, you know," he said to her smiling sweetly at the sisters.

"For what?" She looked up at him.

"Giving them an even closer sisterly bond," he side hugged her and gently rested his head atop of hers. Elsa didn't object at all. In fact, she closed her eyes peacefully. Just like it had been before, the little lagoon was quiet again.

"You helped too, you know..." She whispered back, not budging an inch. She felt his skin fold into a smile on top of her head and he gave her a quiet kiss. As he did this, Elsa's eyes opened for a moment, her eyelashes fluttered, and she smiled contentedly, wrapping her free arm around him. And he put his arm around her. The two, wet as could possibly be imagined, didn't take another moment to think of their discomfort. Elsa's heart was pounding, she could've sworn she could hear it. Barnard felt a knot being tied in his stomach. He never felt anything so awkward and wonderful at the same time before.

"W-we don't have to return immediately, do we?" Elsa could hardly speak, her mouth was so dry.

"I wouldn't leave for the world," he said ever so softly. He put a half of the sea shell down in the dirt in front of them. Elsa twisted hers in her hand and sat it down right next to his with a slight gulp. She felt his apple glide up and then back down as he swallowed.

She moved her hand toward his, a little unsure of how he'd react. Unsure even how she would react. He felt her soft touch and he closed his fingers, holding her hand felt so right. Elsa felt like she was on cloud nine, she yawned and closed her eyes.

"I hope you have sweet dreams...Sweet," he whispered.

"You too..." She mumbled and he felt her weight against him as she fell asleep. Even in her sleep she had a serene smile on her face. He stayed awake and watched all four girls drift off to sleep. His palms got sweaty, but he still squeezed Elsa's hand tighter. He didn't ever want to let go.