Chapter 3

"Tag you're it!" Melody chirped as she and Jessie ran around the front room.

"No way! You're older and faster than me!" Jessie giggled back, chasing after the black-haired girl as she turned around the nearby couch.

Watching their daughters from the other side of the room, Anna and Ariel smiled. It had been a while since they'd all been together like this. Anna was glad that her daughter was best friends with Melody. It reminded her of how close she and Ariel were at that age.

"Hey, girls, no running in the house okay?" Ariel insisted, sitting forward as the two girls ran out of the room together to continue their game of tag.

Anna giggled. "Ari, relax, they're kids."

"Uh-huh, you wanna tell me that when they break one of my seashell ornaments?" the redhead joked.

"I can pay for it," Anna assured her.

"On an associate manager's salary?" Ariel remarked.

"Hey, it pays better than you think," Anna admitted.

Although Anna thankfully had a day off from work that day, she'd probably spent more time daydreaming about Elsa than actually doing some work. Fortunately for her, no one had noticed, but she was still a little embarrassed by her attraction to the woman.

As Ariel flicked through channels on the TV, she took advantage of the fact that the children were gone to ask Anna about something. "So were you able to get the Olaf plushie?"

"Yep!"

"Wow!" Ariel expressed in surprise. "So how did you do it o wise and powerful Jedi Master?"

Anna booped Ariel on the nose playfully. "I used my Force powers for good, my young Padawan."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Technically I'm older than you."

"Shut up, you know what I mean," Anna said, smirking and nudging her elbow.

Ariel laughed. "Hey, I'm just asking... I think I might get Melody one, but I think she's getting a bit old for that." She then sighed at how old Melody was now. Three more years and she'd be reaching the big double digits. It seemed so crazy now.

Anna smiled. "She's really grown up fast."

"They certainly do," Ariel admitted. Then she sighed. "I just wish Eric was still alive to see her."

Eric was Ariel's husband and Melody's father. Anna hadn't known him as well as she would have liked, but he was a good person with a good sense of duty and responsibility, perfect for a woman like Ariel. Tragically, he was a police officer who, a few years earlier, had died in the line of duty, helping stop a bank heist gone wrong.

For all these years, Ariel had been trying to move on, but reminders of how old Melody was, not to mention how much she resembled her late father in terms of hair colour didn't help with that. But Anna knew that she was doing her best for her friend by being here for her.

Reassuringly Anna held her friend's hand. "Hey, he'll always be with you in spirit."

Taking a deep breath and relaxing, Ariel smiled. "Be glad you stopped looking for love after that Hans guy got you pregnant. Honestly... it sometimes just isn't worth the heartbreak."

Anna then shifted around a little nervously. How convenient that Ariel had to mention that. She was a little embarrassed, but perhaps it was time to let the secret out. After all, it was Ariel, her best friend. If she couldn't tell her, who could she tell?

"Um... about that..."

Her friend raised her eyebrow. "Wait... oh Anna don't tell me..."

"Okay so..." Anna stated. "You've been with girls before right?"

"Oh yeah, I dated this chick named Vanessa for a few years back when I was in high school," The redhead replied. "Why you ask?" It was at that point that Ariel realised what Anna was referring to her and ocean-coloured eyes widened. "Wait... are you..."

Anna flushed red in embarrassment. "I just... I dunno, there's this girl I've met lately... and she's really pretty and we got on well. I mean I never figured myself for being Bisexual but... she's just so sweet and she makes me feel really good."

"And who is this girl?" Ariel wondered.

"Her name's Elsa," Anna replied. "Last name, I don't know, but what I do know is that she's gorgeous, got really long pale blonde hair and blue eye like diamonds."

A brief pause followed before Ariel started laughing. She grinned at Anna in a very knowing manner. "You got it bad, Anna!"

"Got what bad?"

"The gay," Ariel chuckled. She put a hand on her shoulder. "So... have you asked her out yet?"

"No... maybe?" Anna wondered. "I mean, she helped me buy something for Jessie and then I bumped into her the next day at that Bistro downtown. We went Christmas tree picking together."

"Well, it's clear she likes you... and you like her," Ariel remarked, making a good point. "Why not just ask her out?"

"I... I don't know. I've not really thought about anything relationship wise... not since Hans, and you know how that whole mess turned out."

"That was five years ago," Her friend insisted.

"And for those five years, I've been focusing more on being a good mom for Jessie," Anna insisted. "I mean, I didn't plan on being a mom so young, but I don't wanna screw it up... and I'm worried a relationship could complicate things."

"Jessie's a good kid, Anna," Ariel assured her. "She's in school now and she and Melody can take care of themselves. She's not so little anymore."

"But I want her to grow up big and strong," Anna stated. "I can't exactly help with that if I'm busy with Elsa."

"Anna, relax, Jessie will be fine. I can take care of her on the nights you're out with Elsa, if you do keep up this thing with her. I've been a good babysitter these last five years and I promise, I'll probably still be good at it for many more."

"I know... but these are her early years," Anna said. "I wanna be there for her. I mean... I never got to see my mom that much when I was her age. She needs me, Ariel."

"And you will," Ariel replied. "You're good at finding that special balance."

"I... I don't know," Anna admitted. "I mean.. maybe like two years ago I'd have been interested... but what if it ends up like you and Eric... I don't know if I could cope with that either. Then I'd have a broken heart and a broken relationship with my daughter."

"I did," Ariel admitted. "I admit, it was really hard at first, but no matter what, if you love Elsa and if she loves you back, and even if I think it's crazy for you to try again... I say go for it."

Just then, Melody and Jessie headed towards their mothers, having just rushed back into the room.

"Mommy, can me and Melody go out and play in the garden? It's really snowing!"

Looking out of the window, Anna could clearly see that the back yard was covered in a thick layer of white snow. It was the perfect definition of a White Christmas. If anyone were to look up "Snowy Scenery" online, an image of that garden would probably be what they'd want.

And if Anna was honest... it had been a long time since she'd gone out and built a snowman or had a snowball fight. It would help her clear her thoughts.

Anna grinned. "Sure," she said. "Maybe we can have a snowball fight."

Melody smirked. "I bet you I'll win."

"I think I'll stay on the sidelines for this," Ariel remarked. "I just got my hair done yesterday and I don't want it getting drenched in snow."

The strawberry blonde giggled. "Your loss, Ari." She got up. "Hey, maybe you can be the referee for us?"

"No way, I've got dinner to prepare," Ariel insisted. "You have fun though."

As Melody and Jessie went to put their boots on to go out in the back yard, Anna thought for a moment about Elsa and what Ariel had said. She knew that something was brewing between them. She then looked down at her phone, remembering that after they'd gone Christmas tree shopping, Anna had gotten Elsa's number.

Perhaps later on... she'd give her a call.

Right now though... she had a snowball fight to win and Anna liked to be on the winning team, even if it was against her daughter.

xXx

Meanwhile, in her apartment, Elsa was looking over her Christmas tree, wondering if she'd decorated it just right. She'd spent every moment since she got home from work trying to make sure it was just right. She was mainly just glad to have something to do that wasn't related to her job.

Decorating the tree had made Elsa feel a bit nostalgic from when she helped to decorate the Christmas tree she had as a child. She'd even saved a lot of the same decorations too, even though a lot of the tree was filled with much more modern ornaments.

As she was looking it over, her cat Snowy walked up to her and meowed.

"Hey little fella," Elsa replied, picking her up. "What do you think of our tree?"

The cat just mewled, not really giving an opinion, but Elsa used her cat to give a voice to some of the nagging doubts she had in the back of her head about her decorating technique. Something still felt a little off about the way the tree looked.

"Yeah, I guess I should put the lights a bit more towards the top. I mean, I don't want you pulling them off and the whole tree down," Elsa remarked. She then put the kitten down and she scampered off, leaving Elsa alone to make her adjustments.

She tried positioning the lights a little higher and the baubles up a little more. But then she frowned. It still didn't look right either. Nothing was satisfying her obsessive-compulsive tendencies. She just wanted the tree to look just right.

"No, no, that's not right at all," Elsa groaned. She took a few steps back and then a few deep breaths to calm down. "No... it's fine, it's just a Christmas tree."

But then she had second thoughts yet again. The tree still wasn't looking like how she wanted. "What if I put the lights closer to the trunk?"

Elsa tried that arrangement and still, she wasn't satisfied. God, she hated being a perfectionist, especially when it was outside of the workplace. She was supposed to be relaxing from stress, not adding to the massive pile building up within her.

Thankfully, to her relief the phone started ringing. Elsa sighed. Thank god, something to pull me away from all this utter insanity.

Heading to the couch where she left it, Elsa soon picked up the phone, wondering if Cass was calling her from work. She and Rapunzel had apparently decided to work late at the office that night.

"Hello?"

"Elsa, is that you dear?"

The blonde's face lit up. She would recognise that voice in a heartbeat. It filled with a sense of joy and elation that couldn't be described. "Mom?"

"You guessed right!" Her mother, Iduna chimed in.

Elsa chuckled, smiling widely. This certainly was a pleasant surprise. She'd last heard from her mother probably a month ago. Her parents were at the time still in the middle east, embarking on the next big leg of their round the world trip.

Holding the phone closer, Elsa grinned, as Snowy plopped herself onto her lap. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you for like another month or so!"

"Well, it's the holidays and I'd probably be a terrible mother if I didn't check in on how my daughter was doing."

Blushing, Elsa felt touched. "That's very sweet of you, Mom... I was just finishing setting up the tree right now."

"Ah, you got it set up early!" the older woman chirped. "Very punctual of you."

"Actually... I only got it because I was with..." Elsa stopped. Did she really want to tell her mother she was seeing another girl? Her mother tended to react a bit over the top to that sort of thing. Feeling embarassed, she tried to change the subject. "You know what never mind..."

"Elsa, are you seeing someone?" her mother asked.

"What... No, maybe?" Elsa sighed. It was impossible to lie to her mother and she hated to lie to her family in general. "Look, it's nothing major. I'm not sure if she even wants a relationship with me."

"Elsa, I remember how heartbroken you were when that Belle girl broke up with you," her mother said. "If whoever this girl is, she clearly makes you happy and you want to be with her. There's nothing saying you can't give it a go. What's her name?"

Realising it was safe to tell her, Elsa nodded. "Her name is Anna. She's a bit younger than me. She's got a little girl named Jessie!" She wanted to rattle on and on about how beautiful Anna's eyes were, how her skin was just soft to the touch and her freckles were just adorable, but she didn't want to sound too much like a lovesick pup in front of her mother.

"Well, you always did say you wanted to be a mother."

The blonde woman blinked. "I did? When did I say that?"

Iduna chuckled. "About the time you said you wanted to be the next Walt Disney. You said that if you made cartoons, you hoped one day, you and your future wife could sit down with your kid and watch your stuff and your kid would love it."

Elsa blushed. "Maybe I did..."

"Look, sweetie, I think you should get to know them. After all, Christmas is the time when our hearts are open to anything."

"Even love?"

"Especially love."

Elsa smiled. "Speaking of love... how are you and dad doing? You still in Turkey?"

"Yes, but we go to Greece tomorrow."

Then Elsa remembered the little fact Jessie had told her yesterday. "By the way, you should say hi to Santa."

"Pardon?"

"St. Nicholas is from Turkey, Mom."

"Oh! I didn't know that!"

"Neither did I... until Anna's kid told me," Elsa smirked.

"Well, I'll stop by and say hi before we leave on our flight," Iduna replied. "I'll ask him to bring you some flowers to give to your new girlfriend."

Elsa blushed again in embarrassment. "Mom!"

Iduna laughed. "Okay, okay, I better be going. I really should be getting to bed."

"Okay... goodnight Mom," Elsa said. "Tell Dad I said hi."

"I will dear, Goodnight to you too."

As Elsa put the phone down, she felt a warm fuzzy feeling in her heart. Her mother was always so wise and kind to her. She'd been the one to encourage her pursuing her career as an animator in the first place, from when Elsa was a little girl doodling with crayons.

And now she was encouraging her to take the next big step in her life, finding love again. It was the time of year she should open her heart after all. It had been so closed off for so long, but... Elsa finally realised that yes, she did want to be in love again.

But first, she needed a drink. After getting herself some coffee, Snowy curled up on her lap again and she stroked her fur, smiling softly. She was honestly the perfect companion for her, besides Anna. As she sat and thought for a few moments, she reflected on her feelings for Anna.

She remembered how everyone had been so giddy over her after she told them about her day out with Anna. Honeymaren had jokingly asked her when the wedding would be. Elsa probably wasn't going to propose just yet but... who knew what the future would bring.

Anna... was something else. She was a dork, she was funny, she was a great and inspiring mother to her daughter and she made Elsa smile. She was like a Christmas angel, having been brought down from heaven to bring some light to her life at the end of the year.

And Elsa had already made Anna smile by helping her buy that plushie of Olaf. She did regret not getting round to tell Anna about her being his creator. By now, she trusted her fully and knew she'd probably keep that little secret.

Then... Elsa decided. She was going to ask Anna out to dinner. just the two of them and she would confess all of this to her.

"Okay...I can do this."

Elsa reached over to the phone and looked up Anna's number. The strawberry-blonde had given it to her after they bought their Christmas trees together. Did she really want this? If Anna broke up with her, Elsa knew that the heartbreak she wouldn't overcome.

Ever since Belle dumped her for Adam, she'd been in a depression all these long months. She hadn't put enough work into her cartoon as she wanted to, had become distant from her colleagues. And yet, making sure Anna got that Olaf plushie and being around her made her feel so happy. She wanted that happiness.

She reached to the phone and pressed the call button. It rang for a few moments, moments that seemed like an eternity to Elsa as she held it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

Elsa's face lit up when she heard Anna's voice. "Hi, Anna... it's Elsa."

"Elsa? Oh my gosh, I was just about to call you," Anna said, before she giggled. "I... uh, hope that didn't sound too creepy or anything."

"No, no... it's fine," Elsa said. "How are you doing?"

"Uh... pretty good."

Elsa blushed a little, trying to think of what to say. To think she was really going to ask her crush out on an actual date. "I... I was just thinking. You're really sweet to me Anna and I was wondering... if we could get to know each other a little better."

There was a pause.

"Is this you actually asking me out? Like you actually like me?"

The blonde hid her face in her hand. "Maybe."

Snowy meowed, encouraging Elsa.

"Aw, thanks buddy," Elsa said.

"Who was that?"

Elsa smiled. "Just my cat."

"You have a cat?" Anna wondered.

"Her name's Snowy."

"Awww, Hi Snowy!" Anna chirped.

The cat meowed back.

"I think she likes you," Elsa replied. "I... I like you too." The blonde blushed shyly

There was an awkward pause again. "I... I like you too Elsa. I mean... you were like a knight in shining armour for me the other night, getting me that plushie."

"I... I wanna tell you how I did that," Elsa said. "But when we're actually together."

"Oh, now you've got me interested," Anna responded, delighted and excited.

That made Elsa beam. "Okay... so is tomorrow night okay?"

"Yeah, perfectly, I can tell my friend Ariel to watch Jessie while I'm out," Anna agreed. "You got a place you wanna go?"

"There's this lovely Italian place not far from my apartment," Elsa said. "They do a really nice spaghetti bolonaise."

"Ooooh! Is it fancy?"

"Kinda, but you don't have to dress up for me," Elsa assured her.

"Oh, I'm gonna!" Anna insisted. "If this... is gonna work out between us, I really wanna impress you."

Elsa smiled. "Then... I think I've got something in mind too." Her heart swelled. "So... I'll see you there then?"

"Yup!" Anna chirped. "And Elsa... thanks again for all you've done for me."

The blonde blushed. "My pleasure."

"I gotta run now though... I need to wash my hair. I took a really big snowball to the back of the head, courtesy of my daughter's best friend."

"Oh dear," Elsa giggled. "I'll let you clean up then."

"Yeah, toodles!"

As Elsa put the phone down, she took a deep breath and then did a very uncharacteristic, girly squeal. She did a little dance around the couch. She'd never felt so happy before in her life. She and Anna were going to be going on an actual date. "Yes, I did it!"

Snowy was a little scared and jumped back of the couch in shock.

"Sorry," Elsa apologised, petting her head. "I haven't been this happy before... not in a long time."

Her kitten mewled and crawled away, heading to the kitchen. It sounded like she was hungry and Elsa was feeling a bit peckish too.

"Okay, let's both get some food, little one," Elsa declared. "And then I'm gonna fucking finally sort that Christmas tree out."

xXx

Author's note: Okay, I didn't expect to be putting out Chapter 3 so soon, but Guppy and I managed to write literally the entire rest of this fic all last night xD. I hope you enjoy the cuteness and goodness that is to come from this story and the follow-ups I am probs gonna write. I just love this AU!

See you soon!