As summer gave way to September, Elsa knew it was time to make final preparations for the upcoming birth of her and Hans' baby. With the baby due at the end of the month, Elsa was growing increasingly more uncomfortable by the day and her belly kept getting in the way of her normal duties. She knew she would need to draw up the regency court for her delivery and recovery period but there was an unease about all of it that she just couldn't shake.

One morning, at breakfast, when she had Anna, Hans and Kristoff all together, Elsa brought up the inevitable. "I need to discuss with you what will happen when the baby arrives and how Arendelle will be run during my recovery. The three of you will be my regency court while I am incapacitated."

"The three of us?" Anna questioned cautiously. She was only six months removed from giving birth to her own child, a girl that she and Kristoff named Beatrix – Trixie for short. "Kristoff and I know very little about truly ruling."

"You're right, You don't," Elsa agreed. "Hans does on the other hand. What you and Kristoff know better is Arendelle and its people. That is why I need all three of you."

"When will the court go into effect?" Hans inquired.

"Either when I go into labor or I am incapable of handling everything I need to do as queen," Elsa replied as she signed the document she had prepared and then presented it to everyone else.

"Everything will be fine. I'm sure of it," Hans said with a smile.

All would be put to the test three weeks later.

In the early morning hours, before the sun had even the hint of peaking over the horizon, Elsa's first pains had awoken her from her sleep. The midwife who had been in residence in the castle since just prior to the delivery of Anna's child was swiftly summoned and Elsa was escorted to the birthing room where she and Anna had been born as well as where Anna had delivered six months earlier.

Unable to get back to sleep and barred from entering the birthing chamber by the women attending Elsa, Hans paced the castle until sunrise and then busied himself with many of the daily tasks Elsa typically undertook as part of governing the kingdom and rescheduled what was not absolutely necessary on this day. The only way he was going to keep from going mad with worry was to throw himself into work and using it as a distraction.

By the early afternoon, Hans resumed pacing around the castle and the grounds, having finished the daily notices. Kristoff had tried his best to drawn Hans' focus when he asked him down to the stables but he knew well that Hans would not cease to be concerned until he heard the baby's cry and knew for himself that Elsa was well. He was the same way when Anna delivered Trixie.

Hans and Kristoff were still down in the stables when the sound of a newborn's cry rang out from the castle. Hans took off at a full out run to the nursery which Kristoff couldn't have caught up with him if he tried. He skidded to a stop at the nursery door, thoroughly out of breath as he saw the nurse cradling a baby. He looked up at her hopefully.

"Congratulations, your Highness. You have a son," the nurse said smiling as she presented the baby to Hans to hold.

The smile on Hans' face was instantaneous as he held his son. He pushed the blanket away from the boy's face and kissed his forehead gently. "I had hoped he wouldn't be cursed with my hair color but he's handsome any way."

"Did you and her Majesty decide on a name for the young prince?" the nurse inquired.

Hans nodded. "Christian," he responded. "Christian Hans Agdar Frederick."

"A proud and distinguished name," the nurse said pleasantly as she took the baby from Hans. "You should go see the Queen. She has probably been asking for you and your son needs to be bathed and fed."

"Of course. Thank you," Hans responded joyfully as he thanked the nurse and ran down to the birthing chamber.

As he approached the door, his smile quickly faded and fear gripped his chest. He saw Anna coming out of the door and it looked as if she had been crying. "What happened? What's wrong?" he asked desperately as his heart jumped into his throat.

"Elsa...there were complications..." Anna sobbed into Hans' shoulder as she hugged him. "I'm sorry...I need to find Kristoff," she gasped out before seeking out Kristoff.

Hans couldn't breathe as he entered the birthing chamber, only to be quickly stopped by the midwife. "Tell me what's going on," he demanded as tears started to well in his eyes.

"Your Highness, if you please, let me explain," the midwife started, trying to be gentle.

"Is Elsa still alive?" Hans demanded as a tear escaped his control.

"Yes," the midwife answered. "But she is not conscious. The delivery of the Prince was difficult and she lost a great deal of blood which caused her to lose consciousness."

"Will she live?" Hans gasped out through a sob he tried to hold back.

"It's up to her," the midwife told him sadly.

Hans swallowed hard as more tears escaped that he tried to wipe away. "Is there anything that can be done to help her?"

The midwife shook her head. "I'm sorry, your Highness. All we can do is wait for her to return to us."

Hans choked on a sob. "Can I be with her?"

"Of course, your Highness. Perhaps having you near her will bring her back," the midwife replied before excusing herself.

The afternoon sunlight illuminated the birthing suite but gave no warmth. Hans couldn't hold the tears back any longer when he saw Elsa laying on the bed. She had been cleaned the best they could and covered with blankets. She looked as if she were only sleeping. Hans sat down in the chair next to her bed and took her hand in his and it was ice cold...even more so than usual. Her face held no color at all.

"Don't leave me, Elsa," he sobbed as he kissed her cold lips. "I need you more than you could ever know. You are not expendable to me either."

Through the silence, Hans started hearing the cannons fire to celebrate the birth of a Prince. As every shot rang out, Hans' heart broke and sobs racked his body. He wasn't willing to let her go yet.

Three days had past and no one has seen Hans come out of Elsa's room and Anna and Kristoff were starting to become concerned.

"I wish I didn't have to deal with this stuff right now," Anna sighed as she looked at the stack of paper on Elsa's desk. "Hans is so much better at this."

"Do you actually think he is in any shape right now to run a kingdom?" Kristoff countered. "He's a wreck and I can't blame him. I'd be the same way if it was you."

"Gerda said he hasn't left Elsa's side," Anna sighed sadly. "She doesn't think he's eaten or slept since it happened."

"He's going to get sick if he doesn't take care of himself," Kristoff stated. "Why don't we see if we can relieve him for a bit?"

"At least then I can be useful," Anna replied. "Let's go."

Kristoff and Anna went down to the birthing suite and paused before knocking on the door. "Let me see if I can talk to him first," Kristoff suggested. "If I can get through to him, he may see this logically so we don't have to drag him away."

Anna nodded in agreement. "I'll wait out here."

Kristoff knocked softly on the door before opening it. "Hans?" he called out as he walked into the room.

He was prepared for what thought he would see but in reality, it was worse that he had imagined. The room was stuffy and silent. Hans was in the chair he had taken up three days ago. He looked up at the sound of his name and he looked terrible. He had deep, dark shadows under his bloodshot eyes. His hair was a mess and the unkempt beginnings of a beard made him look far older than he actually was.

"How is she?" Kristoff asked gently as he put a hand on Hans' shoulder.

"No change," Hans whispered hoarsely, his voice ragged from crying.

"How are you doing?" Kristoff prodded as he squeezed Hans' shoulder gently.

"Do I have to answer?" Hans sighed raggedly as he looked up at Kristoff with glassy eyes.

"When was the last time you ate anything?" Kristoff inquired.

Hans thought about it for a moment. "Dinner the night before Elsa's pains started."

Kristoff cringed. "That was nearly four days ago. When did you last sleep?"

Hans shrugged. "I can't remember."

That was the decision maker. "How can you take care of Elsa if you are falling apart? She needs you strong right now. Your son needs you in one piece as well," Kristoff told Hans firmly. "I want you to come with me..."

"I'm not leaving her," Hans interrupted.

"Anna will stay with Elsa. She won't be alone," Kristoff reassured him as he motioned for Anna to come in. "But you are going to have something to eat, get cleaned up and get some real sleep. What would Elsa say if she saw you like this?"

A ghost of a smile crossed Hans' lips as the tears started anew. "She would call me a stubborn ass."

"That sounds like our Queen," Kristoff said confidently as Anna took Hans' place in the chair by Elsa's bedside. "Now, let's get you fixed up so she doesn't see you so wrecked when she wakes up."

"I will let you know the second anything changes," Anna spoke up to reassure Hans before he even had to ask as Kristoff guided him out of the room for the first time in three days.

"Alright, you need to eat,sleep and take a bath. Which do you want to do first?" Kristoff asked Hans once they were a way down the hallway.

Hans shot Kristoff a very dark look.

"Okay, I got it. I'll make this easy on you," Kristoff responded, seeing that Hans was not in the mood to think. "First, you'll take a bath. While you're in the bath, we'll have Gerda make you something to eat. I am sure that she would make you whatever you wanted. After you have eaten, you're going to sleep for a long time if I have to knock you out to do so."

"My jaw hurt enough after Anna punched me. I don't think I would like to be on the receiving end of your fist," Hans told him dryly.

Kristoff laughed at the memory of Anna knocking Hans overboard with one punch after the Great Freeze. "Then let us not come to that," Kristoff said as he nudged Hans into the bathroom.

A few hours later, Kristoff returned to Elsa's beside to stay with Anna.

"How's Hans?" Anna asked cautiously. "I have never seen him so unglued."

"He should be a little bit better when he wakes up. I had him take a bath. Gerda made him some stew to eat and he's sleeping soundly now," Kristoff said. "I think he may be better off now after we talked. You can't have any doubts about him now, do you?"

Anna shook her head. "Not a one."

It was after dinner when Hans finally woke up. It took him a moment to collect himself when he woke alone in his and Elsa's bed but he took a deep breath as Kristoff's words rang in his head. He needed to be strong for Elsa and for Christian and he could not wallow so deeply in grief. Not bothering to change from the loose shirt and pants he had slept in, he left his bed and headed to the library. Hans grabbed several books off the shelf before heading down to the nursery.

The nurse smiled when she saw Hans enter the room. "It's good to see you, your Highness. Your son has missed you."

Hans set down the books and held out his arms to take his son. "I know and I feel horrible about it but I didn't want to leave Elsa."

The nurse held up her hand to stop Hans' apology. "I know what happened, sir and you don't need to worry. Your son has been well cared for."

"I thank you for that," Hans replied with a sniff. "I need help but I want to do more for him where I can but I can't be in two places at once. Is it possible that he can be moved down to Elsa's room so I can be with both of them?"

"I don't see any problem with that," the nurse replied warmly.

Hans thanked her as he handed the nurse the baby and picked up the books and headed back down to Elsa's room.

He opened the door quietly to see Anna with her daughter sitting next to Elsa. "Anna, can I ask you something?" he asked quietly.

Anna turned at the sound of Hans' voice. He definitely looked better than he did before. He was still in his sleep clothes and he hadn't shaved but the dark circle were less and he looked more alive. "Certainly. What is it?"

Hans took a deep breath as he set the books down on the bedside table. "Did Elsa get to see the baby?" he asked with his voice cracking with emotion.

Anna smiled and nodded. "She called him by his name, Christian, and said that you had hoped that he would inherit your hair color even though he did."

Hans gasped a sob. "I said the same thing."

Anna stood up and gave Hans a hug the best she could with her baby in her arms. "She'll come back. I know she will."

Hans returned the hug and quietly thanked Anna before he took his seat back by Elsa's bedside.

Over the next few days, Hans was making a considerable effort to take better care of himself. Gerda made sure he ate by bringing some of his favorites right to Elsa's room. When he slept, he curled up in the bed beside Elsa just so he could be close to her. During the rest of the time, he would be reading to Elsa from the books he had grabbed from the library, many times with Christian nestled in his arms. Kristoff and Anna smiled when they peeked in one day and heard Hans reading some high seas adventure story to Elsa.

Late one night, Hans slept in the bed next to Elsa, his hand intertwined with her. He suddenly awoke when he thought he felt something. He waited a moment, expecting the disappointment that it may be a dream but it wasn't. Elsa's fingers moved against his hand.

"Elsa?" Hans spoke hoarsely.

Elsa stirred more. Her blue eyes slowly blinked open, trying to focus and remember where she was. She turned her head and smiled when she saw Hans. "I asked for you after the baby was born and then I fell asleep."

Hans smiled through the tears he couldn't hold back as he kissed her. "You have been asleep for ten days. I was beginning to think you weren't coming back to me."

"You're not getting rid of me that easily," Elsa whispered as she touched his face and felt the beard that was there. "What's this?"

"It's gone," Hans laughed as he held Elsa close.

Elsa smiled. "Where's the baby?"

Hans reluctantly let go of Elsa to go to the bassinet in the room that held their sleeping prince. Hans gently lifted him up, without waking him, and set him into Elsa's arms. "I had him moved here so I could be with both of you. I even changed a diaper and I still can't believe that so much of something so disgusting can come out of something so little."

Elsa smiled down at the sleeping auburn haired prince in her arms. "We will need to present him to Arendelle. The people have probably been wondering after the cannon shots."

Hans looked at her almost in disbelief. "You've been unconscious for the last week and a half. Can't this wait?"

Elsa shook her head. "Tomorrow."

By mid morning the next day, most of Arendelle's citizens had gathered in the castle courtyard to get a glimpse of their new Prince.

Inside the castle, Elsa's maids helped her to dress and did her hair for her. She could barely walk more than a few steps but she was determined to do this. She tried to stand on her own but her legs nearly gave out. The only thing that stopped her fall was Hans catching her.

"I told you I would never let you fall," he told her as he picked her up into his arms.

"I need help," Elsa whispered.

"Trust me, I won't let you fall," Hans reassured her.

Hans carried Elsa to the balcony, only setting her down so she would only need to take a few steps. The nurse presented Elsa with her son as Anna and Kristoff came up behind Elsa and Hans carrying their own daughter.

"Good people of Arendelle," Elsa called out to them all. "I present to you Christian Hans Agdar Frederick, the Crown Prince of Arendelle."

Thunderous applause erupted from all the citizens below.