Anywhere, Anytime (I Don't Mind, I Don't Mind)

Elsa paced back and forth in the dimly lit nursery, her arms cradling her and Kristoff's fussy, teething baby, Kristoff Jr. The poor infant's eyes were puffy from exhaustion and tears, and she could feel the weight of frustration building with every step she took. The soft whimpers from Kristoff Jr. had turned into cries, his tiny fists flailing, searching for some kind of comfort, but no matter what she did, nothing seemed to calm him down. She had tried everything—the teething rings, the frozen washcloths, the gentle lullabies—even the white noise machine—but Kristoff Jr.'s cries only seemed to grow fiercer and louder. The rhythmic rocking in her arms, usually a surefire way to lull her son to sleep, did nothing tonight.

"I'm so sorry, baby boy," she whispered, her voice trembling as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I don't know what else to do."

Kristoff Jr. squirmed fiercely in her arms, his little face red and wet with tears, his tiny little mouth gnawing at her shoulder in search of some kind of relief. Her heart ached. She was supposed to be able to fix this, wasn't she? She was the baby's mother after all. The one person in the world who should've been able to calm her baby. But here she was, helpless, exhausted, and completely out of touch. She sank down into the rocking chair in the corner of the nursery, her legs feeling like jelly from pacing so long. The soft creak of the chair barely rose above the sound of Kristoff Jr.'s cries as she began to gently rock. The pressure in her chest built and she could hold back her own tears.

"Why can't I fix this?" she whispered, her voice breaking as she looked down at Kristoff Jr..

"I'm so sorry..."

***

Kristoff, half-asleep in the next room, stirred when heard Elsa's muffled sobs. At first, he thought he might be dreaming, but the sound became clearer and clearer, pulling him out of the fog of sleep. He sat up in bed, his heart sinking as he realized what was happening.

Elsa's struggling again...

Without a second thought, he threw the blankets off and padded down the hallway toward the nursery. When he reached the door, he stopped for a moment, leaning against the frame as he took in the scene.

Elsa sat slumped in the rocking chair, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, her face full of sorrow and frustration.

Kristoff Jr. was still crying, his tiny little fists flailing against Elsa's chest, and Kristoff's heart broke at the sight.

"Elsa..." he said softly, stepping into the room.

Elsa looked up, her eyes red and tired. She wiped at her cheeks with the back of her hand, trying to compose herself, but it was no use. She felt completely and utterly defeated.

"I can't...I can't calm him down," she choked out.

"I've tried everything. He's in so much pain, Kristoff and I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm failing him."

Kristoff quickly crossed the room, kneeling beside Elsa and placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"Hey, you're not failing him," he said softly.

"You're doing your best. It's just one of those nights. Teething is rough."

Elsa sniffled, her tears still falling.

"But I should be able to help him. I'm his mom." she whimpered.

"You are helping him," Kristoff said, his voice warm and soothing.

"You're comforting him. You're here with him, and that's what matters."

Elsa shook her head, biting her lip as she looked down at Kristoff Jr., who was still whimpering and squirming fiercely in her arms.

"It's just not enough..."

"Can I try?" Kristoff asked after a moment, nodding towards the baby.

"Maybe he just needs a change of arms."

Elsa hesitated, a wave of guilt washing over her. She felt like handing Kristoff Jr. over was admitting defeat, like she couldn't handle it. But at the same time, she trusted Kristoff with everything in her, and she knew he only wanted to help. So, with a deep breath, she nodded.

"O-Okay." she whispered, carefully passing Kristoff Jr. over to Kristoff.

Kristoff took Kristoff Jr. gently, adjusting him in his arms until he was cradled securely against his chest.

Almost immediately, Kristoff Jr.'s cries began to soften, his tiny fists unclenching as he nestled into his father's warmth.

Elsa watched in disbelief as Kristoff Jr.'s little head turned, his tiny mouth searching for something.

Kristoff quickly offered his finger.

Kristoff Jr. latched onto it, chewing on it softly, his whimpers fading into quiet sniffles, and within moments, his eyes began to flutter shut.

Kristoff smiled down at him, the corners of his mouth quirking up in that familiar charming, reassuring way.

"See? He just needed a little different comfort. You didn't do anything wrong."

Elsa wiped away the last of her tears, feeling a mix of relief and awe as she watched Kristoff sway gently with their son.

"How do you do that?" she asked, her voice soft, filled with gratitude and a hint of disbelief.

Kristoff chuckled under his breath, being careful not to disturb Kristoff Jr. as he met Elsa's gaze.

"I don't know. Maybe I just got lucky tonight. But I think he just needed to suck on something different for a bit. Poor little guy's gums must be really sore."

Kristoff Jr. let out a small, contented sigh as he nuzzled closer into Kristoff's chest, his tiny hand clutching the fabric of Kristoff's shirt as he drifted deeper into sleep.

Elsa's heart swelled at the sight, and for the first time that night, she felt a sense of calm wash over her.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Kristoff," she said quietly, standing up from the rocking chair and wrapping her arms around Kristoff's waist.

She rested her head on Kristoff's shoulder, looking down at their peaceful, content son.

"You always know how to make everything better."

Kristoff leaned his head against Elsa's, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"We're a team, remember?"

"I know," Elsa whispered.

"I just...I feel so helpless sometimes."

"That's normal. Parenting is hard. And Kristoff Jr., well, he's got a lot of feelings right now."

Kristoff smiled as he looked down at their son.

"But he's lucky to have a mom who loves him as much as you do."

Elsa smiled through her remaining tears.

"He's lucky to have you, too."

For a while, they stood there together, their little family wrapped in a cocoon of love and quiet.

"Thank you." Elsa finally whispered after a moment of silence.

"Anytime, Els." Kristoff replied softly, his voice full of warmth.

"Anytime."