happy new year! :)


Chapter 48: Annika

Jack POV:

Months later…

During Elsa's last pregnancy, Noah was born several days before his due date. This time, however, we wanted to be ready for any unplanned surprises. We had been preparing these past few weeks to take Elsa to the hospital, but thirty-nine weeks had flown by and Elsa still hadn't felt a thing. There had been a few false alarms in the past, but nothing serious. Doctors told us that if Elsa didn't go into labor by the end of the week, she was going to be induced.

We took a few weeks off of work to give Elsa time to recuperate after labor, but she hasn't used any of that time to recuperate. Anna had given birth to her son, Owen, a little over three months ago. Noah and his cousins were absolutely enamored by the little baby, and I was sure that they would feel the same way once Annika arrived. I was currently sitting in the car, driving home from the grocery store. I had left Elsa home alone this morning to drop Noah off at school and run some errands. Once I arrived home, I parked the car and grabbed the groceries from the trunk of the car. I walked to the front door, opened it, and carried the bags inside.

"Hey," I smiled as I looked over at my wife sitting on the sofa.

She grinned and climbed off the couch, "Hello."

She wrapped her arms around my shoulder, her bump pressing into my back. I smiled and turned around to face her; I slithered my hands around her waist and dipped down to kiss her.

"How's your day been?" I asked.

She pulled away slowly, "It's been fine, thank you."

"Some," She confessed, "They come and go, but nothing too bad yet."

I sighed, "Do you think you'll have to be induced?"

"Maybe," She shrugged, looking down at her belly, "It seems she doesn't plan on coming out any time soon."

"I know," I chuckled, "She was due days ago."

"She'll be here soon enough," She giggled, "She's just taking her sweet time."

"Are you sure you haven't felt anything too bad?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes, "No, Jack."

"One-hundred percent sure?"

"Absolutely sure," She nodded, "Besides, you know that I had felt anything I would have told-,"

She stopped talking suddenly. I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, trying not to show all the concern on my face. "What?" She didn't answer me and just took a sudden step back.

"Snowflake," I began as I held her, "Is something wrong?"

"No," She answered, looking up at me, "She's kicking."

"She is?" I said as I hesitantly hovered my hands over her belly. She smiled and took them, leading me to the place she was kicking.

She giggled, "She's kicking kind of hard." I smiled and continued to feel our daughter kick. I looked up at Elsa and saw her expression slowly worsen.

She winced, "Ow."

"What?" I asked. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, "I'm fine. Just a little contraction."

"A contraction?" I asked. "Is she coming?"

She shook her head, a smile on her face. "It's too early to tell."

Just to be safe, I led her to the sofa. "Sit down, Snowflake." I helped her sit down and ease herself into a comfortable position.

"Let me know if you need to go to the hospital," I urged.

She nodded, "I will, don't worry." I held my gaze on her for a few more seconds and then walked back to the kitchen to put away the groceries. I turned at the sound of Elsa climbing off the sofa, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She nodded, "I'm just gonna go lay down."

"Did the pain go away?"

"No," She shook her head, "But that's a good sign."

I nodded, "Alright, honey, go lay down. I'll go and check on you in a bit."

She smiled slightly and I watched her disappear down the hallway. I was obviously concerned for her, I didn't like to see her in pain. However, I knew that the sooner she went into labor, the sooner we'd meet our little girl. As I continued putting away the groceries, I heard my phone suddenly ring.

"Hello?" I said as I answered the phone.

The voice of my father filled my ear, "Hey, Jack. I'm just calling to check in on you two."

"Oh, hey, Dad," I smiled, "We're fine right now."

"Nothing yet?"

I shook my head, "Well, Elsa just went upstairs to rest after complaining about pain. We'll have to wait and see."

Dad quietly pondered for a moment, "I see. Well, keep me updated."

"I will."

"Tell Elsa I said 'hi.'"

I nodded, "Of course."

"Alright, son, I have to go. I'll call you again soon," Dad murmured.

I nodded, "Okay, Dad, bye."

I hung up, and sighed; I put the phone down and walked upstairs to check on Elsa. I opened the door a bit and peered inside.

"Elsa?" I whispered to her. I could make out her figure underneath the bed covers. I opened the door all the way and walked inside.

"Snowflake, are you okay?" I asked as I pulled back the covers. She was laid down in the fetal position, a pained expression on her face.

"Elsa?" I called to her, "Snowflake, are you alright?"

She shook her head, "No. It hurts."

"Should we go to the hospital?"

She sat up in bed, her cheeks were stained with tears, and nodded. It absolutely broke my heart to see her in so much pain.

"Okay, honey," I nodded as I helped her get out of bed. "Let's go."

She clung to me as we walked downstairs and to the car. After we both climbed inside, I quickly drove to the hospital. I handed Elsa my cellphone, "Do you want to call Anna and let her know?"

She nodded and dialed her sister's number; she put it on speaker phone to allow me to speak to her as well.

"Hello?" Anna answered.

"Hi, Anna," Elsa greeted, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible

"Hey, Elsa," Anna said, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," She nodded, wiping a tear away. "I'm alright."

"Actually, Anna," I began, "We're on the way to the hospital right now."

"Right now?" Anna asked, "Is she coming?"

"I think so," Elsa answered.

"A-Alright, we'll be there soon," Anna assured. "Don't worry, just breathe. I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay," Elsa nodded, "See you."

"Bye."

She hung up the phone and clung to my hand as she took several deep breaths. I continued to drive as quickly as possible to the hospital. Once we arrived, I helped her get out of the car and led her to the emergency room entrance.

"Can you walk?" I asked as I noticed her struggling, "Shall I carry you?"

She managed to muster a small smile, "No. I'm okay."

"Alright," I nodded as we walked into the hospital. I checked her in and the nurses rushed Elsa to the maternity ward. The whole experience was a lot easier and quicker than her last pregnancy. Once Elsa was settled into the hospital bed, the nurses and doctor took over, so I decided to step out and call my father.

I dialed his number and held the phone to my ear; he answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Dad," I began.

"Oh, hey, Jack," He smiled, "What's wrong? It's only been a couple of hours since I called you last."

"Yeah, well, I decided to take Elsa to the hospital."

"Oh, no," He sighed, "Is she coming?"

I nodded, "Yes, I think so."

"Alright," He said, "I'll head out as soon as I can, but I probably won't be there until tonight."

"That's fine," I murmured, "We're still not sure how far along she is."

"Okay," Dad said, "Well, I'll see you soon."

I nodded, "Alright, Dad. Bye."

As I hung up the phone, I spotted Kristoff and Anna walking down the corridor pushing a stroller. I waved at them and walked towards them.

"Hey, guys," I murmured to them.

Anna wrapped her arms around me, "Hi, Jack."

I looked down at their little baby in the stroller, "Hey, Owen." He peeked his eyes open a bit and flashed a small smile before drifting off to sleep again. "He's a cutie," Anna giggled as she caressed his chubby cheek.

"Is Elsa okay?" Kristoff asked.

I nodded, "She's fine."

"Can we go and see her?" Anna questioned.

"I think so," I said.

Kristoff placed his hand on his wife's shoulder, "Honey, you go. I'll stay here with Owen."

Anna nodded, "Alright. I'll be right back."

I led her out of the waiting room and into Elsa's room. I slowly opened the door and allowed us into the room. Elsa was lying on the hospital bed hooked up to all sorts of equipment, a nurse standing by.

Elsa sat up slightly as she saw her sister, "Hey."

"Hi," Anna replied with a shy wave, "How are you feeling?" She took a seat at the edge of her bed.

"Well, you know, I'm hurting," She winced, "But, I'll be alright."

"How's Owen?" Elsa asked, probably trying to distract herself from the pain.

"He's fine," Anna smiled, "He's so much different than the twins. I remember when Ellie and Dan were babies, they were so fussy and loud. Owen is a lot more quiet, so we get much more sleep than we expected."

I chuckled, "We can only hope Annika will be like her brother."

"How do the kids feel about their baby brother?" Elsa asked.

"They love him," She giggled, "Ellie was a little upset that she didn't have a baby sister, but she was excited nonetheless. Daniel was just happy that Elise wasn't teasing him about being younger than her as much."

"And Noah?" She asked us, "Is he excited about being a big brother."

"It's all he talks about," I smiled, "He's ecstatic about getting a sibling."

"I'm sure he'll be a good big brother," Elsa grinned, masking her discomfort.

"What time is it right now?"

I looked down at my watch, "Almost two o'clock."

"We have to pick up the kids soon," Anna said, "I'll probably take them to get something to eat and come back here."

"Have the doctors told you when they think she'll be born?" She asked.

Elsa sighed, "I think sometime by eight o'clock, or around there."

"We'll have to wait and see how long the kids can take being in the hospital," I said. I turned my head to see Elsa lay back onto the bed, a pained expression on her face. I sighed and took her hand, lovingly caressing it.

"Alright, well, I'm going to let you relax," Anna said as she walked to her sister and gave her a gentle embrace. "I'll be back soon."

"Okay, take care," Elsa murmured, "Tell Kristoff that I said 'hi,' and kiss the kids for me."

Anna smiled, "I will, bye guys."

"Bye," Elsa and I said in unison as Anna left the hospital room. I sat down on the chair and scooted closer to my wife. As the hours passed, Elsa's pain went from bearable to agonizing. It was just as bad as I remembered it, and just as scary as last time. I had no idea why we had decided to do this again, but I knew it would all be worth it when Annika arrived.

At around 5 o'clock, Anna and Kristoff came back to the hospital with the kids after getting something to eat. I decided to step out of the hospital room just to see Noah and everyone else.

"Daddy!" Noah shouted as he ran towards me and crushed me in hug. I knelt down and held him in my arms, "Hey, kiddo."

"How was school?" I asked him.

"It was fun!" He grinned, "Is Nikkie here yet?" I smiled slightly at the sound of hearing Noah call his little sister 'Nikkie.' He had already given her a nickname, and she hadn't even been born yet.

"No, Nikkie isn't here yet," I chuckled, "She'll be here soon."

"Can I see Mommy now?"

I shook my head, "You can't see Mommy right now, but you can be the first to see her when Nikkie is born."

"Okay," He nodded. I stood and walked to the rest of our family members, "Hey, guys."

"Hi, Uncle Jack," The twins said.

"Hi, Ellie and Dan," I smiled to them.

"How's Elsa?" Kristoff asked.

"She's about to start pushing," I said, looking back at the maternity ward entrance. "I should probably go back."

"Yeah, that's probably a smart idea," Anna giggled. I smiled at her and said goodbye to them, as I walked back to the room. The room was flooded with nurses and doctors all in preparation for Elsa to begin giving birth to our daughter. She gripped my hand tightly, so tightly that it hurt; but I knew I was no way in as much pain as my wife. I whispered reassuring words to her as she desperately tried to keep her cries and her screams in.

The doctors reassured her and advised her to keep pushing; I knew that she was going to be here any minute now.

"Alright, Elsa, just give one more hard push," The doctor said to her. She squeezed my hand, gave one last push, and the cries of our daughter filled the room. The entire moment felt just as surreal as I remembered. I just couldn't believe she was here, I couldn't believe I was hearing her. I looked down at Elsa; she was slumped back on the bed, her chest heaving up and down in heavy breathing, and her eyes were full of tears. I watched as the doctors held our daughter and cut her umbilical cord. I suddenly felt Elsa's hand holding onto mine again, and our gazes met.

"She's here," Elsa said through misty eyes, "She's finally here."

"Yeah," I said, still in utter disbelief.

I brushed her hair back from her face and smiled, "You did well, Snowflake."

"Thank you," She said through deep breaths. "I'm just glad she's finally here."

Our conversation was interrupted by a nurse walking up to us, holding a tiny pink bundle.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Frost," She smiled, handing me our baby. I looked down at little Annika in my arms, she was still crying, but she looked so beautiful. There was a little tuft of pale blonde hair on her scalp, her mother's hair color. I sat down on Elsa's bed and allowed her to peek at our daughter.

"Hi, Annika," I cooed to her, "Don't cry, baby."

Elsa giggled and laid her head on my shoulder, "She's beautiful." She reached to caress her chubby cheek.

"I wish my other baby was here," She said.

"Do you want me to bring him?"

She nodded, "Mm-hm."

I stood and placed a gentle kiss on Annika's forehead before handing her to my wife.

"I'll be right back," I whispered to her before I left the room. I walked back to the lobby and found my family waiting for me.

"Is she here?" Anna asked.

I nodded to her, a big smile on my face.

"She is?" Noah asked, bolting out of his seat. "Is she really here?"

"She's here," I confirmed to him. "Do you want to see her?"

He nodded his head vigorously, beaming.

"Okay," I said, standing. I took his hand and led him back to his mother's hospital room.

"Don't be loud," I advised, "Mommy and Annika are tired, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy," He nodded. I slowly opened the door and saw Elsa sitting on her bed, holding our baby in her arms.

"Mommy!" Noah whisper-shouted at his mother.

"Hi, honey," Elsa responded weakly, but couldn't help her smile. She kissed his cheek, "How was school?"

"Mommy, I just got a baby sister today and all you can ask me about is school?!"

Elsa laughed, "Right, I'm sorry."

Noah stood on his tip-toes and tried his hardest to see his little sister, "Can I see her?"

I lifted him from the floor and gently placed him on her hospital bed.

"Hi, Nikkie," He murmured, obviously in awe at the sight of his little sister. "She's cute."

"Yeah?" I chuckled.

"Do you want to hold her?" Elsa offered.

He nodded, "Yes, please."

"I'll help him," I said. I carefully took our daughter and placed her in her brother's arms.

"She's so tiny," He murmured, a huge smile on his face. He lovingly placed a kiss on his sister's forehead and grinned. After a while, Anna and Kristoff, along with their children, entered the room to meet our daughter. Unfortunately, they weren't able to stay long, since the kids were tired and Owen was getting fussy. Soon after Kristoff and Anna left, my dad finally arrived at the hospital.

"Hey, Jack," Dad whispered as he slowly entered the room.

"Hi, Dad," I smiled. I looked over at Noah next to me on the sofa, he had already fallen asleep. Elsa was also half-asleep on her bed, and I was holding our little girl.

"Oh, my goodness," Dad murmured as he walked towards me and took a peek at Annika. "Is that little Annika?"

"Yup," I chuckled, "Do you want to hold her?"

"Oh, may I?" He asked before I carefully handed our baby to him. I turned around at the sound of Elsa stirring in bed, "Are you awake?"

She nodded slightly, "Yeah."

"How was the drive up here?" Elsa asked my father.

"It was fine," He answered, "Just the usual."

"How long are you staying?" I asked him.

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. Probably only a few days."

"Elsa will probably have to stay in the hospital until at least tomorrow," I explained, "And it's only Tuesday; Noah has school tomorrow. I was wondering if you could take him tomorrow morning."

He nodded, "Of course I will. I'm here to help you."

"I think she's sleepy," Dad chuckled as he looked down at Annika, who was letting out a big yawn. He carefully placed her in her bassinet and allowed her to go to sleep. "Do you want me to go and put Noah to bed?"

"Could you please?" I asked, "We got the guest room ready for you, too."

"Alright," He said as I gave him the house key. He gently scooped up our son from the sofa.

Noah's eyes slowly opened, "Daddy?"

"Hey, Noah," I smiled softly, "Papa's going to take you home, okay?"

"You have school tomorrow, Noah," Dad said, "Let's go home."

"Okay," He nodded, "Bye, Mommy and Daddy."

"Bye, honey," Elsa waved to him. "Sleep well."

We said our goodbyes to them and Dad left the room. "Are you staying here?" Elsa asked me. I nodded and sat at the edge of the bed, "Yeah, I'll sleep on the sofa."

"Okay," She responded weakly. I could tell she was deathly tired, as she could barely keep her eyes open. I stood and pulled the blankets up to her chest, "Get some rest, Snowflake." I bent down and gently kissed her forehead, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Jack."

I walked towards the sofa and laid down, pulling a blanket over my body. This entire day had been so draining, and I felt so extremely exhausted. It was on days like this that I missed my mother most; I wish she were still with me. I knew that she would have loved our daughter, too; and I was so glad to have named Annika after my mother. I was so thankful to Elsa for everything she had given me, and I almost felt useless for not being able to give her as much in return. Elsa and I missed a lot of little moments that we missed once our parents were gone, but we wanted to be here for everything. I wanted to be here for them, through everything. I wanted to be the person my children will want to talk to if they're sad or having a bad day. I want to be someone who can make them happy, and give them a good laugh when they need one.

My family was everything to me, and I wanted to be everything for them.


i am so sorry for such a long break. hope your 2018 is great!

~Amy.