"Are you nervous? You're shaking." Anna placed a hand above Elsa's twitchy hands, looking at her in worry. She understood what Elsa was going through - all the insecurity, all times she felt she couldn't do more… Gods, Anna pitied her wife.

And they had only been there in the waiting room for an hour with a bunch of pregnant or to-be pregnant women, reading magazines.

For those two, they were just too anxious to read or even talk to each other.

Elsa just gazed down, shaking her head. Her fingers held firmly on Anna's hand. "I don't want to -"

"Mrs. Arendelle, may the doctor see you? Both of you?"

The two wives looked at each other in confusion when the nurse called them from the doctor's office. They were both newly wedded, and of course, through the ups and downs of everything, they got through it all. With their hands always held together. They loved each other too much to let go… and not a day or night passed without them giving each other comfort.

Anna, especially, would be the one to always, always give Elsa all her love and all her warmth. She didn't mind it. As long as Elsa was able to smile again after… what happened, Anna was fine carrying her lover on her back.

"What's going on?" Elsa asked.

The nurse merely smiled as she stepped aside to let them in. "It's best if the doctor tells you."

The blonde turned to her wife. "Anna…"

"Shh, it's okay. You don't know anything, Elsa. Hey…" She placed her two hands on each of Elsa's cheek. In any situations that they had to deem the worse… Anna was still smiling. For her. She had to. "Don't think about anything else. You are fine. Come on, let's go see him, alright?"

Elsa sighed, pressing her forehead against Anna's. "Are you sure…?"

"Yes. Let's do this. Together."

With that, Anna began to squeeze Elsa's hand, kissed the back of it… and they both got up. Luckily, Elsa didn't need any help with that.

When they entered, the nurse had shut the door in silence. And really… it was too quiet. The man sitting in front of them, behind his desk had a white coat, hands folded on his desk. His smile… was incredibly soft too. Almost too soft.

It was the only thing that suddenly got Anna more nervous than ever.

Everything in the room, while it always looked so comforting every time they came in, suddenly looked so bleak and empty. But she had courage, and Anna… had to use that courage somehow.

"Mrs. Arendelle, sorry for the wait. I had a patient who's… well, never mind that. Please, have a seat, both of you."

Elsa was hiding behind Anna like a child. The redhead turned to her, fingers running through her hair. "Hey, don't be scared. Let's sit okay? Let's listen to what he has to say," she whispered. It didn't take much effort for Elsa to agree.

As they sat, there was still this awfully long silence. Anna couldn't take it. At least… she knew they had to get this over with. Under the desk, she held Elsa's hand like there was no tomorrow. She wasn't even aware she might even be hurting Elsa, but… Elsa was just all dazed in her own misery.

"Doctor… the results?"

The man sighed, gazing down on his desk. His folded hands began to unfold as he grabbed a prescription notepad and wrote down some pills. Strange.

Anna frowned. "Doctor, why are you writing a prescription -"

"After everything that has happened… as you have told me," he looked up to Elsa, "I would like Elsa to take some antidepressants pills. Here, I'll also recommend you to see a therapist -"

"Doctor, what is going on?" Anna was losing her patience, the moment she felt Elsa shaking in fear, the moment she noticed the doctor sighing. Sighing in an immensely tense situation is never a good sign.

The man stopped what he was doing and looked right at the redhead. The stern expression… got Anna even more nervous. "I wanted to take the time to ease into whatever I'm about to say, but I realize, there is no easy way to say any of this anyway. Elsa…"

The blonde looked up to him.

"You are unable… to conceive a baby. I'm sorry."

A pin seemed to have dropped through this unforgiving silence. Anna thought she misheard. Perhaps, the doctor misspoke? But with a face so stern… how could he have said the wrong words? Anna didn't dare to see how her wife was reacting, but her bravery got the best of her, and she turned.

The woman… wept. As expected.

They tried. They tried for the second time… and this, they promised each other, would be the last. Was this supposed to be their best? Was this supposed to be God telling them Elsa did not deserve the love and the warmth they wanted? These few months… God had been trying to break Elsa apart - so, so fucking badly.

They weren't sure what was wrong. The doctor told them it was stress. Perhaps, it was the wrong sperm… but they had chosen two different men. How could both of them be wrong? What were the chances? And stress? It could be the case after what Elsa had to experience, but Anna wasn't betting on that.

Anna slowly sat down, wrapping her arms around Elsa's body, head against her shoulder. She allowed Elsa to cry on her as well. "It's okay… it's okay… I know, Elsa. I know we wanted a baby… I know."

The doctor gazed down. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to do anything else. You two have been through a very rough patch these past months, and I prayed day and night that you two could have the dream that you've always wanted."

Elsa didn't answer. Anna only smiled with bitterness, nodding. Not even a 'thank you' but… who would even be thankful right now?

He took a long breath and got up. "You two may stay here for a while, I'll get you two water -"

"Wait." Anna slowly pulled away from her wife. She took her hands and squeezed them together. Those blue eyes… were just completely broken. "What about me?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow. So did Elsa. "You?"

Elsa sniffled. "Anna, I thought... I-I thought you didn't -"

She sighed, nodding. "Yeah, I said I didn't want to get pregnant, but… I mean, who cares anymore, if you're going to suffer again and again? Two times, Elsa… This time should be me."

The doctor put his hands in his coat pocket, turning to Elsa. "Elsa, what do you think? Would you like to try again or pass this to Anna?"

Elsa wasn't much for answering that right now, and Anna knew that. Right now… even if Elsa didn't want a baby any time soon to experience more of the heartbreak, Anna wouldn't mind. All she wanted to do was take care of Elsa's mental and emotional health. A baby? Right now, that had to come second.

She ran her fingers through Elsa's hair, kissing her forehead. "Why don't we go home and think about that, huh?"

Elsa didn't hesitate to disagree.

"Hey… yeah, uh, sorry for calling you right now. Still taking care of Elsa."

"Don't worry about it. Are you staying?"

Anna rubbed the back of her neck as she leaned against the kitchen sink, watching her son pick out a color from his crayon bucket as he did his homework. Right now, it was to sketch what he did today. "Um… I don't think so? I'll let you know when she gets better tonight."

"Anna, it's fine. Besides… if you need to stay, it's not like I can stop you."

Yeah, but I wish you could. Anna smiled to herself, gazing down. Oddly… she felt bashful. Someone like Meg could be so caring and understanding, and not at all possessive that they wouldn't even allow Anna to see her wife? Honestly, she needed someone like this in her life. For all she understood… she had been missing out quite a lot. Or perhaps… she was just getting way too tangled with everything else. "Thanks. I, uh… I'll be home. I promise." She paused. "Do… Do you wanna come over?" Anna turned her back to Olaf. He shouldn't be hearing stuff like this.

"Come over? My, my, what are you planning? Should I get fancy~?"

Anna blushed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I knew it. I knew you were going to react like this and I let it happen!"

"Ooh, scary. I'll come over… at what time?"

"Eight? I mean, I made dinner here, but it's… not like you would enjoy -"

"I'll come over at seven, and I'll make dinner. I don't want to look stupid standing in front of your door. God, the last time, I remember that stupid drunk trying to flirt. I could've punched him in the face if you didn't drag me in your bedroom."

With that, Anna burst out laughing. Just the image of her creepy neighbor leering at Meg, and how the woman would just stand there trying not to seem obvious that she knew her neighbor was staring… was oddly funny. Not at all scary.

"Not funny!"

"Definitely funny. I'll see you, lo-" Love. Damn it. "Yeah, I'll see you." She sighed in relief as she hung up, turning around to see Olaf staring right back at her.

"Mama, who's that?"

Anna shook her head. "Just a friend." Oh, please, how long are you planning on lying to him?

Olaf hummed, continuing to concentrate on his homework. Anna tilted her head in curiosity. Normally, Olaf would come up to her and ask who that was - and perhaps, it would've been easier for her to tell him that the person she was talking to was his Mama's girlfriend.

"Olaf, is something wrong?" She crossed her arms, seeing him shake his head with a grin.

"Nope!"

Something is definitely wrong. But… perhaps, instead of telling him with Elsa still upstairs, resting, was not such a good idea. She cleared her throat. "Alright, I'm gonna go check on your mother."

"Mama, are you gonna go soon?"

She checked her watch, sighing. "Yeah. Remember? Dinner?"

Olaf nodded. "Yeah. Dinner in the fridge, and microwave for two minutes."

"Okay." She went to lean in and kiss Olaf's head. "Be a good boy for me while I'm gone." With that, she left Olaf sitting by the dining table with his homework while she went upstairs.

Of course, even if they weren't together, Anna still cared very much about Elsa. That bruise? Even as something as little as an accidental bruise… she was worried.

She opened the door slowly, only to see Elsa still in bed. "Hey." She smiled, coming over to her side. A hand gently placed on her forehead. Ah, it's not as hot… "You feeling alright?" she whispered, setting herself down on her knees.

The blonde opened her eyes, nodding. Smiling. When was the first time Anna had seen such a genuine smile?

"Are you going?" Elsa questioned, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah. I just wanted to check up on you. You seem better." She chuckled, running her fingers through Elsa's hair. "When you gather the strength, go take a bath. Eat dinner. Everything's in the fridge."

"Okay…"

"Call me if you need anything."

"I will." And just as Anna was about to go, she felt a grasp from Elsa's cold hand. "Just a question…"

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, what?"

"Did you… tell Hans?"

Anna didn't mind that she asked that, but they both knew Anna didn't particularly enjoy Hans' presence in the house. As much as Anna tried to find the good qualities in Hans, she just couldn't seem to get past his… cocky attitude sometimes. Especially around Elsa. So why would Anna ever tell Hans? Anna merely shook her head, almost laughing.

"No, I didn't tell him. Did you want me to tell him?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, it's okay. I'm just asking." Why… though? "Anyway, you should go. Someone else is waiting for you, isn't there?"

Silence. This… couldn't get any more awkward. But what did Anna expect? For Elsa to tell her to stay? For Elsa to hold her tight like how she once did? No… what Anna needed was to separate herself from this stupid dream.

Nodding, she got up. "I'll see you. Take care of yourself."

Coming home around the time Meg was going to be here was almost exhausting. At the same time, welcoming. She couldn't stop thinking about Elsa though. That woman had been acting… strange. Olaf too. It was subtle, but knowing Elsa always had the confidence to take care of herself and Olaf, a moment of weakness… was definitely odd.

She played with her keys as the elevator 'dinged' to her floor. Her phone began to vibrate with a text message as well.

Arriving at her door, she grabbed the phone from her pocket.

Thanks for the dinner. Next time, put a little bit more salt, alright? You get a 7/10. - Elsa

At that, Anna couldn't help but smirk, scoffing playfully. She was glad though - Elsa had gotten up to get food. Even if it wasn't too tasty. I thought it tasted alright. Thanks for rating me for my effort, she texted back.

She couldn't even catch a whiff of the delicious smell coming from the other side of the door until she entered. Sizzling and boiling of… whatever sounded. She turned once she opened the door, seeing Meg in an apron, hair bundled up in a messy bun -

And wow. She looks like a mom.

"I heard that!"

Anna immediately slapped a hand on her mouth, watching her girlfriend playfully pouted, hands on her hips. "Fuck, I let that slip out…?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, continuing to grill her two mackerels on a pan. "You came home just in time. Just to be gifted with you saying that." She glared at her once more. Oh, I'm in trouble.

"Uh," Anna chuckled nervously, dropping her bag and coat on the coach. "It was meant as a compliment?"

"Is that a statement or a question -" The woman paused, raising an eyebrow. "You… wait, do you have a 'mommy' kink?"

"Oh God, no!" She stopped, thinking to herself, and the curious expression she had formed, prompted Meg to widen her eyes.

"Wow… you do." Meg mouthed to herself. Well. What was the point of arguing? Anna groaned to herself, plopping down on the couch.

Placing an arm above her eyes, Anna decided to just relax for a bit. Meg could be fun… a lot of fun. But right now, fun wasn't what Anna needed. She swallowed, hearing Meg get back to her cooking.

If anything… she was thankful her home could be a safe space. For both of them. She hadn't had someone cook for her in her own home for a while. She hadn't had someone make fun of her for a while either.

All this time always wondering about her kid and her ex-wife… could be exhausting. Even if something that was this small could be the time of her life… well, it was something she was willing to take in welcoming arms.

She took a deep breath, peeking at Meg's back. "By the way, how did you get in here?"

"You don't remember giving me the key to your apartment?" She searched the upper cabinet for some utensils. And Anna clearly did not remember. Well, perhaps, she was just drunk out of her mind and decided to give her a spare key. "Oh, almost forgot, how's Elsa?"

How's Elsa? Oddly enough, she didn't want to quite talk about Elsa to her… even if she clearly cared for her. Just in her own way, that is. "Uh, she's fine. You know, it's weird."

"What is?" The woman approached her, two plates of food with two bowls of soup in both hands.

God, I'm starving. Anna couldn't help but bite back her smile when she noticed how delicious dinner would be in a minute. Dinner with her girlfriend, relaxing on the couch, in front of the TV… yep, this is going to ba good evening.

"Well, you know how she can be so perfect and all."

"Hm." Meg sat beside her, handing her a fork. "So? What about it?"

Anna squinted, gazing at her plate. "It's weird to see her have a big black bruise on her back."

"Her back?"

"Yeah."

"You took her clothes off?"

Silence. Anna couldn't have been that dumb to not realize what she had just said. Her mind began to scramble, eyes unable to tear off of Meg's - Oh God, the way she's looking at me… I'm screwed - and her lips began to open and close, but no words were able to escape. Her mind was scrambling. "I-I - s-she took her clothes off -"

"And you let her?"

Anna immediately shut her mouth. Shit, I shouldn't have said anything.

To her surprise, Meg began to burst into a laughter. "Oh my God, you should've seen the look on your face!"

What? Anna didn't understand what was going on. She expected jealousy… but laughter couldn't be a part of jealous. Right? Have I been living under a rock? "Uh…" She waved a hand in front of her. "Hello? A-Are you mad?"

The brunette was still trying not to laugh. "Oh dear… don't worry, I'm not mad. Unless you meant that I'm crazy, then yeah, a little." She sighed, gazing down at her food. "I mean, you probably wouldn't understand why I'm not mad."

God, please enlighten me. Anna hesitantly nodded. "I… yeah, I really don't understand." She twiddled her thumbs together. Oh, no matter how old Anna was, she could still act like a naive child. She swallowed, almost wanting to shrink herself in a cave.

Meg, however, didn't look so uptight. In fact, as she said, she wasn't mad. In fact… she had an expression made of acceptance. It was something that Anna could never understand, and she was correct by telling Meg that.

"Look, we're all adults here," she glanced towards the redhead, "we're all at the point of… still trying to figure ourselves and our lovers out. You two have been married for seven years. There's a connection, and even if it has been severed, it's still there. I don't mind if you see her naked, or she sees you naked. As long as it's all to care for each other, I don't have a problem with it."

That… was the last thing Anna expected. Her mouth gaped open in a small 'O', in surprise. She must've heard it all wrong, but… it just all seemed so sincere. She nearly twitched when she felt a hand on her knee. "Yeah. Yeah, that's… good, I guess." Anna wasn't quite sure anymore.

Despite that, Meg replied with a grin. "You said something about a bruise?"

Oh, back to normal. Anna nodded, poking her food with her fork. "I don't know. I just find it odd how she got a bruise all of the sudden. Do you think…" She frowned, her body freezing, but she wasn't able to speak another word of what she had in mind. Not even with Meg.

Though, it seemed like Meg wasn't going to force her to say anything. And perhaps, knowing what Anna was already thinking, the brunette sighed, leaning in to hug her. "Hey, don't think anything like that, alright? Nothing happened."

"I mean…" She shook her head. "Olaf's been weird too. He asks these questions but… I never know why. I know he's a curious boy but… what kind of kid would question whether or not their parents hate each other? I-I don't hate her… do I?" Anna pulled away, eyebrows furrowed in worry. Asking for guidance right now… just made her feel like a complete child.

Meg only shook her head, but even that wasn't going to soothe this heartache. Not even with a hand on her cheek. "No, you don't hate her. I don't hate her," she whispered. "Did you ask her? About the bruise?"

"She said she 'slipped and fell'." Anna's fingers motioned quotation marks.

Meg didn't react. "You don't think she did?"

"I think she's not telling me something that I'm supposed to know." And I hope, God, I hope… it's not what I'm thinking. She bit her lip, arms crossing over her body. "Do you think she… Hans…"

"No. Stop that." Meg grabbed her arm, watching the redhead sigh, dropping her head down in her hand. "He's not likable, but… do you really think he's the type to - I mean, he treats Olaf like he's his own child, isn't that right?"

Anna nodded. It was true. She never recalled the man treating Olaf badly… so how could he have done the same to Elsa? She had to be overthinking all of this. Still, how old it was for Elsa to get a bruise right there, on her lower back. Quite a nasty bruise too. She even flinched at the slightest touch…

No, nevermind it all. Anna… was just being paranoid. She leaned into Meg's touch. "Thanks. That helped a lot."

Meg chuckled, kissing her forehead. "I am your girlfriend, am I not?"

Girlfriends. Just when she thought she wasn't sure if they could be called that just yet… well, right now, she didn't mind being called her girlfriend so much anymore. This was comforting.

a/n: yes, kind of a slow chapter, but we're gonna start picking up the pace in the next few!