What is a life, if not a story? The years go by as chapters in our adventures...and if we are lucky, by the end our book will be long and filled with struggles, triumphs, happiness, and love. We must never forget to cherish those chapters, no matter if they might be painful...for they are our gift, our privilege. We must take the good with the bad, and be thankful we have been given the opportunity to write another scene. Another moment. Another breath. And if we are given a second chance to write a new ending...oh, how we must seize it!
Elsa never forgot her gratitude. And she was ever the eager author of the pages that remained in her personal story.
There was joy in the year that followed the events of the Horsemen and their deathly leader. The wars came to a close as Elsa spread love across the kingdoms. The Plauge burned itself out with no further loss of life, and Arendelle began to rebuild what they had lost. There was no hunger from the Famine, as the Kingdoms pooled their resources wisely. As Manny had promised, peace was known by all.
Elsa announced her intention to leave the throne just before Christmas. She was to take a husband in the far off land she'd visited during the Famine...a noble King that she loved fiercely. It hadn't been too much of a lie...for Jack would always be her King. The people of Arendelle had been shocked, but they loved Anna and warmed to the idea of her impending coronation almost immediately. It would be a couple years before Anna would be old enough for her position to be official, but she was a diligent student to her sister's teachings.
"Are you sure about this?" Jack had asked Elsa one night as they'd laid in her bed.
Elsa looked over her nude shoulder to smile at him. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
Jack traced the curve of her hip with his fingertip, his brows knitted in worry. "It's a big sacrifice. You love Arendelle...I hate to see you give it up. Especially when you don't have to. We could find a way to make it work."
Elsa rolled over, resting her palm against his cheek. "Jack, you don't always have to worry about me." She whispered. "I love Arendelle, yes...but it's a different kind of love. A love anyone might have for the place they grew up. I knew happiness here for a short while...but I found my meaning with you. With the Guardians. The job I've been given deserves my attention...every bit of it. It wouldn't be fair to Arendelle to stay...and it wouldn't be fair to me, either. Because I'd be miserable spending so much time away from you." She kissed the tip of his nose, then smiled. "Does that make sense?"
Jack smirked. "Are you sure you're only 22? With wisdom like that, I'd think you were at least half my age."
Elsa chuckled, then leaned in to kiss him. "I love you...even if you are kinda old."
Elsa traveled with Jack frequently, learning how to exercise her new power and watching with great joy as the magic worked amongst the people who needed it. It did not take long for Elsa to fully realize just what an honor it was to be given the title of Guardian, and it was one she would bear with great pride for the rest of her days.
Christmas was a busy time at the Pole, so Jack and Elsa shared a quiet holiday in Arendelle with Anna and Kristoff. Long after gifts had been opened and dinner enjoyed, they'd been gathered by the fire drinking eggnog when Kristoff offered Anna one last present: a ring, and the promise to love her for the rest of his life. There had been happy tears from both sisters, and Elsa had been more than happy to bless that particular marriage.
The New Year brought new blessings as Elsa and Jack exchanged their vows at the Pole, surrounded by the ones they loved the most. Even Manny had been in attendance, beaming with pride as he walked Elsa down the aisle. And as the couple spoke of love and faithfulness at the altar, even the tall, rather fuzzy best man seemed to have something in his eye.
The celebration that followed was one that would never be forgotten. The bride and groom shared a first dance, hovering above the ground just as they had in another time, in another place. Elsa had been sure her heart would burst with all love she felt for Jack, cradled close against him as they swayed to the music.
"Thank you for sharing your life with me." Jack whispered against her ear.
"Thanks for asking me." Elsa whispered back, smiling tenderly up at her new husband.
They dined, they sipped champagne, they danced, and they laughed. The evening was perfect, just as Elsa had always dreamed it would be...and when it came time to see the newlyweds off, there was no shortage of embraces and congratulations.
"You two have yourselves a good time...And don't worry. We'll have some new mattresses at the Pole by the time ya get back." Bunny had had a bit too much to drink, and though he was trying to be discreet...his words were just a bit louder than he intended.
"Shut up, furball!" Jack growled, but even he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Do I even want to know what he's getting at?" Elsa asked as they stepped out onto the balcony.
"Not at all." Jack said, pulling her close. "Ready to see what all the fuss is about down in the Carribbean?"
"Oh yes...very ready." Elsa said with excitement.
They had spent two weeks on a quiet white sandy beach, sipping frozen drinks and watching the turquoise waves crash against the shore. If Jack had been uncomfortable with the heat, it never showed...except he'd traded in the hoodie in favor of his bare chest. Elsa had certainly had no complaints.
The winter gradually faded into the gentle warmth of spring, and both Jack and Elsa had begun to look forward to a little down time to spend together over the summer months. They spent a great deal of time in Arendelle, helping Anna and Kristoff prepare for their wedding, an event that would take place toward the end of summer.
At first, Elsa had not given much thought to the faint queasiness she'd begun to feel in the mornings. It had been a minor nuisance, passing within the first hour or two after she woke. On the day of Anna's first dress fitting, however, Elsa woke feeling so horribly sick that was unable to even rise from bed.
"Elsa, what can I do?" Jack asked, looking panicked and helpless.
She was curled into a small ball, clutching her roiling stomach miserably. "I think I better see George and Yvonne." She told him weakly. "Poor Anna is going to be so disappointed."
Jack had made quick work of getting her to the Medical Bay at the Pole, but he'd thrown quite a fit when Yvonne had forced him out of the room.
"Jack, I'll be okay..." Elsa called to him as the Yeti all but shoved him into the hall.
"Frost, relax. Let them take a look." Bunny had been passing by when they'd arrived, and was doing his best to keep Jack under control.
"That's my wife! I should be with my wife!" He yelled as the door closed in his face, clearly frustrated.
When she was given the news, Elsa did not at first believe what she had heard. She was new to communicating with the Yetis, and thought surely that there had been misunderstanding. But then Yvonne put a large paw on her belly, smiling as she nodded to Elsa.
Pregnant.
"I didn't...I can't...but how? We both...we're...not alive?" She whispered, her own hands traveling to lay across her still-flat stomach.
The Yeti looked at her wisely, and then spoke in a way Elsa had not thought she was capable of. "You. Jack. No dead." Yvonne shook her head, then pointed to Elsa. "You new life. Make life."
The message was clear. She and Jack might have lost their human lives...but they still lived. Were in fact alive enough to create life.
Being a mother was a sacrifice Elsa assumed she had had to make when she accepted her role as an immortal guardian. She had already been so blessed...she'd had Jack, she'd had her sister, she'd had her Guardians. It would have been selfish to ever hope for more...and she never had. Not until that very moment, secure in the knowledge that deep within her was the beat of a tiny heart.
A tiny heart created by the love she shared with Jack.
Yvonne must have let Jack in, for he was suddenly at her side. "What did they say? Are you alright?" He asked, his wide blue eyes full of fear.
Elsa looked at Jack. She remembered the very first time he had stumbled into her window. She'd very nearly screamed for her Papa, terrified by the strange intruder. And comically, he'd looked like her was about to scream himself, having not expected her to see him. After the shock wore off, they'd spent the whole evening comparing their frosty powers, making intricate designs on the glass of her window.
She'd been too young to realize it, but she loved him then.
She remembered the night of the gala, when she'd flung open her window thinking a bird had crashed into it, and was instead greeted by the most familiar, most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever seen.
She'd been too mad to realize it, but she loved him then.
She remembered her first night at Pole, when she hadn't wanted to be alone and he had been there to comfort her with his cradling arms and gentle kisses.
She'd been too scared to admit it, but she loved him then.
She remembered looking up into his eyes for what she had thought would be the last time as she lay dying in his arms, knowing that even if it had been short, she had found all she'd ever needed they day she had met him.
She'd been too weak to tell him, but she'd known she'd always loved him then.
"Jack?" She asked softly, taking his hand.
"What is it, Elsa?" He asked worriedly, his grip like iron.
"Do you remember the first night you visited me?" Her voice was soft, barely above a whisper.
"Of course I do. You looked like you weren't quite sure if you were going to use your hairbrush to attack me, or if you were going to call your dad in to maul me." Jack said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Why? Elsa, what's this about?"
"How about that time that the maid locked the window and you weren't expecting it?" Elsa asked, remembering the moment fondly. Jack had been so used to her unlocking the widow, he'd flown just a little too hard into the glass.
"Yeah...I thought I'd broke my nose...and all you could do was laugh. But Elsa, what..." Jack looked incredibly confused.
"Memories, Jack. It's about memories." Elsa smiled, reaching up with her free hand to brush a few strands of white from his forehead. "We've made a lot of really great ones together. Don't you think?"
Jack swallowed hard, his brow furrowing. "Yes...yes, Elsa, we've made a lot of wonderful memories. And we're going to make a lot more. What is going on? I'm so afraid for you right now..."
"Don't be, Jack. I've never been better. We have never been better." She stroked his cheek, and then smiled. "The three of us are going to make lots of beautiful memories. I just wanted to appreciate the old ones for a moment."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with that I guess...but are you feeling...wait, what?" Jack blinked. "Three?"
Elsa moved his hand to her belly, resting it there. "Yes, Jack. Three." She placed her hand on the back of his. "And in a few hundred years...I'll be reminding you of this memory, too."
Jack's handsome face was overtaken by shock. He looked at her stomach, then met her eyes...and then his gaze fell back to her belly once more. "Elsa...are you...you're saying...we're going to be..." He stammered.
"Parents. Yes...we are going to be parents. I'm pregnant." She confirmed.
He did not say anything for a few drawn out moments, his jaw hanging slack. Elsa, beginning to grow worried, squeezed his hand. "Jack?"
"I didn't...I didn't think it was possible..." He stammered, then finally his gaze met hers. The relief she found was instant...for the happiness in those blue depths shine brighter than anything she'd ever seen. "Oh, snowflake...parents! A baby!" He had begun to laugh as he swept her into his arms, hugging her tightly.
"I didn't think we could be any more blessed....but oh, Jack...we're going to be a family!" She laughed against his chest, happy tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.
"We've always been a family, Elsa." Jack said, rubbing her stomach tenderly. "Now we'll just have someone to share it with. A perfect little someone that I can't wait to meet."
All chapters must come to a close, though their memories will often sing in our hearts for a long time to come. It is on weathered pages that we now leave Elsa, the former Queen of Arendelle, the new Guardian of Childhood. Though we may never know what her future chapters may hold, we are able to bid our goodbyes secure in the knowledge that for Elsa and Jack, all is as it should be. They have love, they have happiness, they have life, and they are about to embark on the beautiful adventure of parenthood.
Could it be any better?
***Final Note***
Well, my friends...it looks as if this river has finally met the sea. I must admit, I feel certain degree of sadness in saying goodbye to this story. Writing truly is the most vulnerable of arts, I believe. You bleed your innermost thoughts onto paper for the world to see. As if that isn't enough, you form attachments to the characters you've worked so hard to personalize...and it makes saying goodbye that much harder.
But oh, the fun I've had!
What started out as a one shot scene in my head (the one where Elsa stops believing in Jack) flowed into a fic of novel length that I loved writing. I never really expected anyone to see it...there are thousands of Jelsa fics out there, after all. So believe me when I say, each review touched me deeply and I was grateful for every single one. I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but never finished a single project in my life. Your interest in the story held me accountable, and certainly was the biggest factor in my completing the project. Thank you for that. But most of all, thank you for investing your time into reading (and reviewing) what I've written. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that time is a valuable thing...so thank you, thank you for sharing yours with me.
It's been a fun ride, and I'm most certainly looking forward to seeing what the next 'river' has to offer. ;)