Title: Devotion

Chapter Title: Milestones

Rated: T

Notes: Yep, it's been awhile. I'm so sorry for the wait but at least it took me less than a year this time. OTZ. Here is some tooth rotting fluff to make up for it. And for those of you wondering about the "Grandma" parts; don't worry. They will come eventually. I have an entirely different plan for those chapters that I'm hoping everyone will like but it's going to take a few more chapters before we get to them as a result.

Thank you all so much for the favourites and the reviews 3 I really appreciate all of them and it makes me so happy to know people are still enjoying this fic. Please, enjoy this chapter.

xxxxx

"Hi there, little buddy," Anna coos. "Aren't you just the cutest baby I've ever laid my eyes on?"

The newborn swaddled in her arms, recently fed and cleaned by the grandmotherly midwife currently tending to his mother, squirms in response to her voice. Watery eyes squint up at her for a few seconds before the baby lets out a yawn big enough that his tiny limbs quiver under the force of it. Anna beams and tickles his puffy cheeks.

"I'm pretty sure you say that to every baby you meet, Anna," Elsa comments dryly to her friend. Her whole body is slumped with exhaustion against the backboard of the hospital bed. She's incredibly disheveled, her hair is a mess and her hospital gown is rumpled and damp with sweat. Sore all over, she can barely feel her legs and her lip is swollen and painfully bruised from when she had bitten it during a particularly painful contraction. Physically, she feels, and probably looks, like hell.

Yet the smile on her face is one that can put the sun to shame. Her pure and unadulterated joy and love unrivaled as she regards the tiny baby in Anna's arms. She hasn't been able to take her eyes off of him since she first cradled him to her chest and even now, her arms itch to hold his tiny body close to her again.

"I'm being completely serious here, Elsa. He's so precious!" Anna places a kiss on the baby's forehead and he lets out a small, sleepy sound and snuggles into her embrace. She croons sweetly at him, "He's like an angel."

Elsa gives Anna a warm look. Her best friend looks exactly like a proud parent regarding her child. Growing up together as closely as they did, there is no denying that the two are practically sisters. So it was only natural that the two girls decided in the end that Anna's official role in the baby's life was going to be his Aunt. Though with how wonderfully Anna treated Elsa throughout the course of the pregnancy, Elsa can be forgiven for thinking of Anna as a doting spouse at times instead. Especially now, with the look of affection Anna is suddenly gracing her with. It makes Elsa's face feel warm.

"I'm so proud of you," Anna says softly.

"Thank you, Anna, but-" Elsa reaches out to give Anna's arm a squeeze. "I couldn't have done this without you."

Anna's cheeks turn a deep shade of pink at that. She turns her back and brings her attention to the baby in her arms, both to shield her face and to offer Elsa and the nurse some privacy when the portly woman insists she at least changes Elsa's gown.

It isn't long before Elsa is cleaned up and relaxing back against a small mound of pillows with her son nestled comfortably against her chest. He's sleeping soundly while she's cradling his head delicately with one hand and supporting his bottom with the other. She watches him with a serene smile on her face and a warmth in her heart that makes her feel like she's on cloud nine. She presses kisses to the thin layer of dark curls and coos when he lets out a tiny huff of air.

Anna re-enters the room slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible so she didn't wake the baby. Elsa looks up at the gentle click of the door closing and gives her a brilliant grin. "Where did you wander off to?" she asks. "We missed you."

Anna becomes noticeably bashful at that, her freckles disappearing behind the blush that starts to rise in her cheeks. Her teal eyes sparkle with delight. "I made a few phone calls. Dad and Adrian pretty much demanded that we come visit soon." She laughs and Elsa giggles, though carefully so not to jostle her son too much.

Oaken, and Anna's step father, Adrian, have been chomping at the bit to see them ever since Elsa made the announcement of her pregnancy. Oaken often talks about how keen he is about having grandchildren of his own to spoil and he made it very clear when Elsa told him that he considers her baby just as much his grandchild as he would if he was Anna's. Which, of course, means he called often to check up on her and the baby, offering tips and words of wisdom that only an experienced doctor can.

Elsa loves and values the man just as highly as she does her own father.

Speaking of…

Elsa's expression dims somewhat and she bites her lip. "Did you…" She pauses. Anna knows exactly what she's going to ask.

"Yeah, I did. Agdar said he and your Mom will be on the next flight over." Anna sits in the chair next to Elsa's bed. "Are you sure you want to face them now? I can call them back and ask them to hold off until next week or something."

"They deserve to see their grandson, Anna," Elsa sighs in response, her stress levels rising slightly at the thought of seeing her parents after the past few months. While her parents still talk to her often and express their excitement at being grandparents, it doesn't change the fact that they left her to deal with her pregnancy mostly by herself. Anna, the protective soul she is, still holds a grudge against them for it even though Elsa knows it was just their way of preparing her for the difficulty of motherhood. Her parents, though they love her dearly, have never been ones to coddle her when things got tough and this was no exception.

She can't help but smile, effectively drawn away from her thoughts, when her baby lets out a tiny yawn against her skin and snuggles closer to her.

The two women sit and chat quietly, basking in each other's company and the joyous atmosphere that the newborn's presence brought for several long hours. At some point, Anna opens the window to let in the sweet spring air and warm sunlight, further boosting the good mood.

The sun is just starting to set when Anna suddenly perks up. "Have you decided on a name for him yet, Elsa?"

Elsa ponders the question and is surprised to realize that she hasn't. She stares down at her son and takes in everything about him. His skin is slowly losing the pink tinge to it, revealing that he is pale like herself. His hair is a darker shade of chocolate brown and even though he's sleeping now, Elsa can still picture the large, electric blue eyes peering up at her when he was first placed in her arms. She loves him more than she's loved anyone in her life...and when she thinks of all the things she went through to bring her son to this world, there isn't a single negative thought. All she can think of is Anna.

Anna helping her. Anna comforting her. Anna squealing in excitement the first time they went shopping for the baby together. Anna grinning at her, splattered head to toe in bright yellow paint, as they worked on the nursery. Anna presenting Elsa with the most beautiful bassinet she has ever seen and her shy smile when she explained that it used to be hers. Anna taking care of everything the second Elsa's contractions began and never once letting go of her hand as Elsa went through the grueling agony of labour.

"Olaf."

Anna tilts her head at the unexpected answer. "Olaf?"

"Yeah. After our snowman, remember?" Elsa gives Anna an affectionate smile. "I think it's fitting. We both put our hearts and souls into creating Olaf every winter...and if it weren't for you helping me along, I doubt I would've had the strength to be able to bring my baby into this world. Olaf is perfect."

Anna grins. "Olaf... I love it." She leans in close to plant a kiss first on Elsa's forehead, then on Olaf's. "And I love you, Olaf!" The baby opens his eyes just long enough to peer up at her, blinking once before he sneezes directly in Anna's face.

Both women dissolve into a fit of giggles.

xxxxx

Elsa startles awake one morning drenched in a cold sweat with an insistent itch between her thighs.

In a small panic, her gaze snaps to the other side of the bed and she breathes a silent sigh of relief at the sight of the empty sheets beside her. A quick glance at the clock on her bedside table confirms that it's a little past six thirty.

When Olaf was born, Elsa and Anna managed to arrange their work schedules so that one of the women can always be home with him rather than entrust the baby with a sitter or a daycare. That comes with the consequence of Anna having to be at the bakery by six in the morning so she can be home in time for Elsa to be at work by three.

Elsa's never been more thankful for Anna's early shift than she is now. The winter blonde collapses back into the mattress and covers her eyes with her forearm, her face warming up drastically as snippets of her dream come back to her. More specifically, the sight of Anna erotically dancing in nothing more than a sinfully small black dress; followed by the very enticing view of her back and shoulders as she began to take it off. A sultry smirk on her lips and her gorgeous eyes in a heavy lidded stare.

"Do you like the show, Baby?"

Elsa isn't used to these types of dreams, nor is she used to the burning sensation of arousal as her core demanded attention. Her experiences with her own sexuality were so few that she could count them on one hand and she never really bothered to put any thought or effort into understanding it.

And the one time she tried resulted in her son's birth.

She doesn't regret having Olaf. Nothing on Earth can make her regret that. However, it doesn't stop the sharp lance of shame she feels whenever she remembers how she stupidly gave into her desire to fit in and jumped into something that she clearly wasn't ready for.

'And now this,' Elsa thinks, her blush coming back with a vengeance as her mind torturously replayed the part of her dream where Anna flirtatiously winked at her. 'Where did this even come from?'

Elsa lies there for what feels like hours, willing her burning body to cool itself. She's lost in thought, her mind reeling from the dream as she tries to puzzle over what it could possibly mean. One thought dominates the rest. A thought that has Elsa's brow furrowing in contemplation.

'How will this affect things with Anna?'

Muffled whines begin to sound from the baby monitor, and she snaps back into reality. On autopilot, she puts on her slippers and makes her way towards Olaf's room, deciding to put her confusing thoughts on the back burner for now so she can focus on taking care of her son.

xxxxx

Later that evening, Elsa finds herself snuggling against Anna on the couch with Olaf sitting on her lap. Olaf has his favourite stuffed reindeer, named Sven by Anna, clenched tightly in his fists and part of its head is being happily drooled on as he chews on it.

Anna is playing a rather tame game of Mario Kart, mindful of the impressionable child in the room by containing her rage with just the occasional, muttered curse rather than the rampage Elsa is more used to witnessing. During particularly intense matches, she'd trap her lower lip between her teeth and lean forward, her shoulders and back taut. A steely glint of determination would darken the bright teal of her irises into a shade of jade that makes Elsa's breath hitch.

The blonde has been paying special attention to Anna all evening, trying to make sense of the erotic nature of her dream and why now, after all the years they've been friends, she'd have it. A part of her worried that it's simply a result of knowing Anna's true feelings that were influencing her thoughts; making the redhead seem more appealing because she wanted to return the favour, rather than because she's genuinely attracted back. However, the way her heart rate speeds up when Anna leans against her and the way it swells with affection whenever she sees her grin triumphantly with every win tells her a different story.

One that Elsa isn't sure she's ready to admit.

Elsa is snapped from her musings by a soft 'thud'. The winter blonde looks down at where Olaf is peering unblinkingly back at her, his lower lip jutted out in a pout. A quick glance shows that the source of the noise is that Sven that had been knocked unceremoniously onto the floor. She smiles at him, which Olaf imitates.

"Have I been paying too little attention to you?" she teases, effectively distracted. Olaf makes a little grumbling noise that Elsa pretends is agreement and she presses her lips into his forehead in apology. Anna giggles beside them and gives Olaf's head a pat.

At five months old, Elsa's astonished by just how different he is compared to when he was born. The tiny, slightly underweight baby who mostly slept, cried and ate is now a healthy fifteen pounds and is much more active. He smiles and laughs and his face shows a much wider range of expressions. He's constantly moving his limbs and his head, inspecting the world around him with large, curious eyes and grabbing at anything his hands could reach. He's able to move his own body; not enough to crawl just yet but enough that he can scootch himself a few inches along on his belly and even roll over when he's feeling particularly energetic.

But what fills Elsa with the most joy is when Olaf sees her and starts to blurt out excited gibberish. He has distinct noises that he uses to address Anna and herself; nowhere near actual words but it's a pattern that has Elsa beaming with pride. It's the first sign of Olaf starting to talk and Elsa is confident that he'll be saying his first word in no time. The very thought has her giddy with excitement.

Even now, Olaf babbles at her as she reaches down to grab the dropped toy, his expression gleeful when she hands it back to him. He instantly starts gnawing on one of the plush antlers again, cooing contentedly when his mother's fingers comb affectionately through his hair.

A buzzing noise brings her attention down to the phone resting on the couch's arm and a quick glance at the caller ID has Elsa reaching for it.

"Hello, Papa," she greets.

"Elsa! I was hoping you would pick up." Her father's voice is somewhat muffled but the smile in his voice is clear. "How are you and Olaf?"

"We're fine." She smiles down at Olaf, who ignores her in favour of his toy. "Everything's perfect! We're watching Anna play a game right now. How are you and Mama?"

"Your mother is your mother. Some days she's the love of my life and others, I wonder how I ended up with such a viper!" he jokes. Elsa can't hide her smirk when she hears the distinct sound of skin on skin and her father's grunt of pain. There's a brief rustling noise as Idunn snatches the phone.

"Ignore him. He got into the wine and you know how silly he is when that happens." Her mother's disgruntled retort is enough to make Elsa lets out a small snort.

"Hi, Mama."

"Hello, my darling." Elsa hears Adgar's quiet "I did not get into the wine, you lying witch!", followed by another smack, before her mother continues like nothing happened. "It's so nice to hear your voice. You haven't called in awhile."

"I've been busy with Olaf." Elsa glances over at Anna and makes a vague gesture to Olaf. The redhead nods, pausing her game to take him from her. With a thankful smile, Elsa stands and begins to pace the living room. "You were right about babies being a handful."

"Oh, yes." Elsa pictures her mother nodding with a sagely look on her face. "They really are. I remember when you turned one. A little bundle of mischief! I swear, I regret letting you learn how to walk so early. You got into everything!"

"Remember when Elsa decided that she liked grass?" Elsa's cheeks turn pink when she hears her father chime in. "She would sneak away from us and waddle as fast as she could towards the outside world and we'd always find her at the glass door in the kitchen staring longingly outside."

"And if she did manage to slip out, we would find her shoving fistfuls of grass into her mouth." Idunn's grin was evident and Elsa groaned at them both. Then her mother's voice grew dreamy. "Oh Elsa, you were such a cutie. It feels like forever ago that you were small enough to snuggle in my arms like that. I often find myself looking back and thinking, 'how on Earth did my little baby grow up to be such a fine woman with a baby of her own?'"

Elsa glances over at her Anna and her son, who moved from the couch to the floor so that Anna can lay on her belly, clapping her hands to encourage him to crawl to her. His face is scrunched up adorably in concentration.

'He's already growing up so quickly...'

"Elsa?"

"Sorry, Mama." Elsa looks away from her family to focus on the phone. "I got lost in thought, can you repeat that?"

She stays on the phone with her parents for awhile longer, her attention torn between them and what Anna and Olaf are doing. Her back is turned to them and she's in the middle of reassuring her mother that they are going to be there for Christmas when Anna's gasp startles her.

"Elsa!" Anna urges, "Look! Look at Olaf!"

Phone forgotten, Elsa looks to see Olaf on all fours. His arms are wobbly and he looks hesitant to move, but he's lifted himself up and supporting himself. Elsa puts a hand to her mouth.

Olaf whimpers and gives his mother a look, his brow furrowed. Elsa hardly notices Anna taking the phone from her hand to finish the forgotten conversation. Instead, she finds herself kneeling on the floor with her arms outstretched. "Come on, Olaf," she reassures, "come to Mommy!"

Olaf looks down at the floor, his lower lip jutting out in a tiny pout that Elsa swears looks more like Anna's than hers, before he flops down on his belly with a little grunt. Elsa swiftly gets up and walks over to him, picking him up and snuggling him.

"My big boy!" she praises, nuzzling her face against his. "I'm so proud of you!"

Olaf coos and nuzzles back just as Anna walks into the room. "Did he crawl?"

"No," Elsa answers. "But he's not even expected to be able to support himself for that long yet. The fact that he did is amazing!" She kisses her son's cheek and earns a giggle in return.

Anna lets out a playful scoff. "He's always amazing. He just decided it was time that he announce it more often." She walks over and drapes an arm around Elsa's shoulder, holding them both. "I think that deserves a reward. How about ice cream?"

"He's too young for ice cream, Anna."

"I know that! I meant for you!" Anna huffs. "It'll make your milk that much sweeter so Olaf can have a treat, too!"

"That's a myth," Elsa responds dryly. However, she smiles warmly at her friend and tries to ignore the enthusiastic fluttering in her chest. "Ice cream sounds lovely, though. Thank you."

Anna gives her a cheery grin before guiding both mother and son towards the kitchen.