Baby On The Doorstep -------Chapter One Baby On The Doorstep I awoke in the middle of the night with a start, an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I quickly reach out and thaw the snowflakes that were travelling up my bedroom walls like vines. I press my hand to my head and sigh, I'd never get back to sleep. I swing my legs out of bed and balance carefully on the cold floorboards. They had a tendency to creak after many years of pacing among them. I walk out of my door and down the stairs, a trail of snowflakes following behind me. Maybe some water would help. I walk past Anna's bedroom and furrow my brow, looking at the stair railing. I had never tried it before...Was it best to do it in the middle of the night? I sit myself down on the banister and slide down, squealing and hanging on for dear #life, and then find myself enjoying the ride, then, I hit the end, and tumble off onto the hard floorboards. I curse under my breath in a very un-queenly fashion and dust my satin nightgown down. Anna could have warned me about that part. I start striding towards the kitchen, but pause, balancing on the tips of my toes as I hear a low wailing. Is there a cat at the door? Oh, please, was it that flea bitten cat that Anna declared was her lucky kitty? It was snowing out, and no matter what anyone said, I didn't really have a heart of ice. I walk over to the oversized front door and give a blissful smile as the cold air hits me. Then I look down and jump back, squealing. There is a child in a basket, but with no blanket, no source of warmth, and it was snowing heavily out. Without thinking, I bend down and pick the child up, it's ice cold in my arms. I grab the basket and slam the door behind me, keeping out the snow. "Gerda!" I call, "Gerda!" A bleary looking woman comes sleepily down the stairs, "Queen Elsa? What is?..Why have you got a child?" "Never mind that." I sigh, "Just get me a blanket, now!" She scurries off into the kitchen, and I sit down on the bottom of the stairs, frantically wrapping the loose parts of my nightgown around her. Who would leave a child alone with no source of blanket out in the heavy snow? This baby looked newborn, only hours old. I pick up the ripped note, and begin to read: Queen Elsa of Arendalle, I did not know what else to do! I am in no position to bring up a baby girl. I am very young, and have no family to support me, I am also very, very ill and I fear I do not have much time left. I need to leave this child somewhere with a home where she will be happy, and I thought that the Queen of Arendalle would be perfect mother material, and I heard that Princess Anna of Arendalle has her own baby on the way, so she could help out as well. I'm sorry if I have scared you, this is a very big responsibility, but I had a good vibe from you, please bring this baby up right, and give her as much love and protection as possible. Tell her I love her, tell her it wasn't her fault. Yours sincerely, and then, nothing. Just ripped paper. I drop it and stared down at the baby girl in my arms, who was shivering. Her glittering brown eyes were filled with tears. A overwhelming wave of protectiveness comes over me, startling me. I hug the small child to my chest. Where would this baby go? The person in the letter said that she wanted me to take care of her, but that was ridiculous. I was in no position to bring up a child. I was the ice queen of Arendalle for goodness sake! I had duties, responsibilities, and with my own little niece of nephew on the way how on earth was I supposed to manage? Gerda scurries over to me with a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel and a blanket, I wrap her in it and just stare at her. She had no home, she was alone. Just like I had been. "Queen Elsa, where did you find this child?" Gerda asks. "On the doorstep." I whisper, "She has nowhere." "Do you want me to send a telegram to someone?" Gerda asks. I shake my head, "I don't know what to do." I whisper, "Gerda, the woman in the note wants me to take care of her, but I can't surely." "It's your decision." Gerda shrugs, "But Queen Elsa, this could be the making of you. Princess Anna is starting her family, why not start yours?" To my surprise, I feel a small head nuzzle into me and give a short snuffle. I look down at the child who is looking up on me, in her eyes I see everything. She needs me. She relies on me. I'm all she has. I pick her up, "Gerda, fetch Princess Anna's old crib. She will stay with us for the night. We'll figure the rest out in the morning." "But Queen Elsa?" I sighed "it's fine, Harriet will help, she loves children" and beth "she'll entertain her, she has the most amazing powers ever" I thought to Myself again "And Callie and Ruby! They'll love her" Gerda nodded "as you wish" she bowed before exiting the rom, I shook the baby in my arms, "It will be ok," I stroked its bald head.