This is a smaller chapter but this was either going to be one super long chapter or one small one and one normal sized chapter. I went with the latter. Enjoy!

Elsa's father had been proud of her the morning of the board meeting. But she celebrated for no more than five minutes before she and Alex were quickly whisked away to help PR craft the perfect press release to announce the new partnership. Being co-CEO meant Elsa would spend more time at Everstad International and even less time at Forever Chocolate. In a time when she was trying to get her life back together, she was also losing a piece of herself. Squeezing the most out of her schedule to allow her to be at both companies whenever possible was something that would have to come with time. For now, Elsa would follow in the steps of her father and give him the gift of slowly stepping down with dignity.

By lunchtime, the press release was finished, and a photographer showed up to capture the two Everstads in a picture that would sell the financial world on the pairing and hopefully soften the blow of Alex's diagnosis. A striking blonde in a feminine power suit seemed to fit the bill, but Elsa felt as though she were playing a role in a film. This had been the life she was trying to escape in college, and now she was being ushered into her own private office on the top floor with her name and title freshly slapped on the door instead of molding together another chocolate masterpiece at the shop with Kristoff.

It's just for a year, Elsa reminded herself as she calmly watched a team of workers position tables and couches around her office.

The one perk of being co-CEO was having her own assistant. With her life still feeling a bit unsettled, Elsa put the spunky twenty-something-year-old to work on finding her a place to live. While the search for a suitable short-term lease was in the works- Elsa strictly asked for something she could up and move from within a year in case she had to go to Boston- she headed for the parking lot and made a mad dash to Anna's apartment.

Elsa flew through the breezeway and treaded up the stairs to Anna's apartment, hand feverishly knocking on the door like she was banging out a message in Morse code. She bounced on the balls of her feet and anxiously waited for that gorgeous red hair and butterscotch freckles to make their appearance. But there was no answer. After knocking for about five minutes, knuckles sore and red, a neighbor finally came out to inform her that Anna moved out the previous week. It was then that Elsa glanced down at her shiny black heels and realized that the cheery welcome mat with sunflowers on it was gone.

I'm too late.

Elsa asked if she had any idea where Anna had moved to, but the neighbor knew even less than her. Forcing a cordial smile, Elsa thanked the woman and slowly turned on her heel, heart plummeting as she berated herself for letting everything slip away like this.

The entire day had been emotionally exhausting, so Elsa went straight back to Kristoff's and took refuge on the couch. His apartment was nice enough, but she knew she needed to find an apartment soon. Besides missing the feeling of her own home, Kristoff's apartment had this peculiar smell that always seemed to follow him wherever he went, as if he was one of those guys who could stand to shower twice a day instead of just once.

She slipped opened her laptop, still dressed her nice work suit- sans heels- and started searching through the emails that her assistant had sent her about some possible apartment leads. Elsa knew what she was looking for. Something cozy and charming, yet a little upscale since that was her style. It didn't take more than a half hour before she had over seven tabs open in her browser and had entered Anna's name into Google over a hundred different ways trying to find her. If Elsa had to hop on a plane to Boston to find her, she would do it in a heartbeat. Only she'd have no idea where to begin locating Anna once she landed, and it was too big of a city to check every single hospital in the area. The only other option was to go by Anna's old work, but she needed to get herself settled first.

The following day, Elsa used her lunchtime to find a place to call home. After looking at a few apartments, the third time really was the charm when she fell in love with a large two-bedroom penthouse in LA's Hancock Park neighborhood that more than met her expectations. Which was perfect because it was close to work and her parents' house. And lots of restaurants, which was one, amongst many, of the things that she didn't like about Hans' house. His cubic hellhole was deep inside a residential neighborhood out by the ocean and didn't offer much to do without having to drive a good distance.

At this new apartment, Elsa would be able to enjoy all the amazing amenities and have a plethora of LA's finest cuisine within walking distance. She was able to put down enough cash- having a new job as co-CEO of a multibillion dollar company helped- to secure the place without too much trouble, skipping the application process all together, and left with the keys in hand.

With a new home secured, things were finally starting to look up, so Elsa decided to stop by the hospital before she returned to Kristoff's. Only that was an even bigger dead end than the Internet because the hospital had a strict policy about not releasing any kind of information about their employees to anyone, no matter what the relationship.

Dejected and exhausted, Elsa went back to Kristoff's and started to pack up her things. It was funny how, at one point in life, she had enough belongings to fill an entire apartment of her own and now she only had a few suitcases and about six boxes worth of stuff to her name. She'd only grabbed the essentials from Hans' and left anything that was replaceable behind, favorite books included.

Elsa threw herself into packing her clothes, carefully folding each garment and placing it into the suitcase she'd just unpacked no more than a week ago. Although, she wouldn't really consider the chaotic way she'd shoved everything into her suitcase 'packing'.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor inside her closet, Elsa tugged a jacket down off of a hanger when her Anna phone came tumbling out of the pocket and clattered to the ground. The sight of the sleek little phone made her want to cry tears of joy almost instantly, clutching it to her chest and cradling it as if it were Anna herself. She'd been so consumed after leaving Hans' house in such a dramatic fashion, the pregnancy test, her father's stroke, the meeting with the board, and confronting Hans that it all made her forget one very important thing.

The tracker app!

Elsa quickly tried to swipe the phone open, but of course it was dead. So she had to dig out her charger from her purse and wait for the infernal thing to come back to life.

Two buzzes later, a glowing white apple on the screen was the happiest sight Elsa had ever seen as she opened the app and prayed that Anna hadn't shut her phone off yet. And there on the map was a blinking blue dot off in the San Fernando Valley, 20 minutes from where Elsa was on the other side of the hill. Faster than a rocket, Elsa hopped in her car and followed the little blue light of hope into the valley, wishing and praying that it would guide her to Anna.

The map led her to a small apartment complex where she had to get out on foot to locate the right unit. After staring at her phone and bumping into a few light posts, Elsa got as close as she could to where the phone was giving off its signal and knocked on the light blue door.

She waited a moment until a young man answered the with a goofy broad smile, like he'd known Elsa his whole life and may have even been expecting her.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for Anna Greenway," Elsa began shyly, shuffling her feet on the welcome mat like she was doing some sort of nervous dance.

"Oh," the boy gasped, seeming surprised. "Anna's not here."

His expression was so pronounced and comical that Elsa knew it could only be one person. "You must be Olaf?" She said warmly, face brightening as she finally laid eyes on the person so near and dear to Anna.

"I am! I'm her brother. And you are…" gesturing with his hands and cueing Elsa's introduction.

"Elsa. I'm Elsa, Anna's…" That's right. She wasn't exactly Anna's girlfriend anymore. She didn't know what they were now. Elsa's mind drifted back to the first time Anna had called Elsa her girlfriend and how it had fit so perfectly, and she'd never coveted the title as much as she did now. "… friend. I'm Anna's friend." A little piece of her died at having to introduce herself as such. Friend? They were lovers brought together by fate and torn apart by an evil man. Friend didn't even begin to encompass their relationship.

"Oh, Elsa! I've heard so much about you. And wow," His eyes opening widely as he basked in her radiant smile. "You are sooooo pretty. Like an angel," whispering while annunciating every syllable, like her beauty itself overpowered his voice.

"Thank you," She said, batting her eyes. Olaf kept right on staring while Elsa tried to take a peek inside the apartment. "Are you sure Anna's not here? She put this app on my phone that tells me where she is, and I followed it here," flashing Olaf the map.

"She's staying here before we move, but she went out. Guess she forgot her phone. You know Anna. Always dashing off in a hurry."

"Yeah," Elsa mumbled, wanting to believe him. "Well, I just moved into a new place. She's not exactly answering my calls, but if she wants to come by, I really want to see her before she goes." Elsa pulled a business card from Forever Chocolate out of her purse and wrote her new address on the back before handing it to Olaf. "Just please, make sure she gets this."

Olaf took the card from between Elsa's slim fingers. "I will," giving her a serious nod.

"And tell her that… that thing we were waiting to hear about. It was negative."

Olaf nodded again and looked back at her absentmindedly. "Anything else?"

"Just… tell her that I love her. Thank you. It was lovely to finally meet you." Elsa clasped her hands together against her chest and turned away from the door, eyes downcast with an air of gloom following her every move.

Olaf excitedly waved goodbye to Elsa and watched her walk back to her car with her head hung tragically low and her braid waggling behind her.

"She's gone. But she left you this." Olaf walked over to the couch where Anna was laid out snuggling the pillow from her bed, still too hurt to have answered the door herself. Simply hearing Elsa's voice was painful enough. Painful because she missed her, like her soul had been ripped in half and the other part left along with Elsa. In the short time they'd been apart, she could barely breathe without her.

Olaf handed Anna the card, and she flipped it over to read the address and note at the bottom.

It was negative. I love you.

Elsa

Xoxo

"I think she misses you, Anna. You both have that same sad look on your face. Don't you want to be happy?"

Anna's glossy eyes flashed back down to the card. She had no idea what had transpired after the wedding announcement, but if Elsa had her own place, that meant she wasn't living with Hans anymore. More importantly, they weren't having a baby together either.

"I'll think about it, Olaf."

"What's there to think about?"

"I don't want to get sucked back into that mess. And we're moving. I'm moving for you. For mom. So that you can have a better life and be something more, like me."

"Anna, I don't want to move to Boston. All of my friends are here; and, besides, I like the sun. I like the weather and the beach. And moving away from Elsa is going to make you sad."

"Olaf, it wouldn't matter anyway. Her and me, it's complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it. Go talk to her! See what she has to say."

"Alright, but not tonight."

"You're the one who said you wanted to find love after you broke up with Jade. That if you got another chance with someone special, you wouldn't let it fall apart like last time. She seems really nice. Nicer than Jade and a million times more pretty. And you're happy, and you smile when you're with her. I've noticed that change. Don't let her go. Please."

"Olaf. I said I'd think about it."

As night settled over the city, Elsa found herself feeling very much alone in her giant new penthouse. Though she loved being away from Hans, she hadn't been on her own in years, and it was an adjustment to say the least. The only thing that kept her busy was the stack of takeout menus from nearby restaurants that the apartment complex had given her. She shuffled through the selection. Ethiopian, Indian, Italian, vegan. She had the entire world at her fingertips when it came to her dinner selection. But ultimately pizza won out because the cute cartoon of an Italian man on the menu was too adorable to resist

With only her laptop to keep her entertained- the TV wasn't being delivered and set up until Friday- Elsa caught up on some shows she'd enjoyed before the accident when a knock came at the door.

It was awfully fast for a pizza delivery, but Elsa fetched some money from her purse to give the delivery person a tip and meticulously fanned the cash out as she made her way to the door.

"I only have twenties, so I hope you don't mind if your tip is bigger than… Anna?" Her sapphire eyes lifted to see the redhead humbly biting down on her bottom lip. There were no words exchanged, but there didn't need to be. They stood motionless in the doorway as Anna's lip slipped out from her teeth and her chin began to tremble, trying to hold back the rush of emotion suddenly churning within her at the mere sight of Elsa's shocked, and elated, expression. "Come here," Elsa insisted as she flung her arms around the timid redhead. Anna didn't hug back immediately, but it was clear that she wanted to be held as she melted into the tender embrace.

Elsa buried her nose in waves of vibrant tresses, resting it at the nape of Anna's neck as she breathed in that redolent scent she'd missed so much, evoking the memories of much happier times between them. She was so overcome with joy that tears began to well in her crystal blue irises, because, no matter what happened, no matter how many miles were put between them after this, she got to see Anna one last time. A gift she'd treasure always.

"I missed you," Elsa burst out, nearly choking on her own words. "I missed you so much. You don't even know." She squeezed Anna tighter, pulling her suffocatingly close to her body and feeling like everything she'd pushed herself to accomplish in the past week was coming to fruition. Anna was worth every struggle and second of fear she had to overcome, because heaven knows Anna had done the same for her. Elsa hadn't even felt this kind of relief or happiness when she saved her father's job, which was a testament to how deep their love for each other truly was.

It was a good while before Elsa could tear herself away, but when she did, she saw that Anna was crying softly. Eyes that never settled between aqua and blue, brimming with tears for the reunion she thought might never happen.

Not forgetting her manners, Elsa pulled Anna inside her new apartment and closed the door behind them, taking time to catch the freckles she missed so terribly, rise with a timid smile. "My brother said you got your own place. And it gave me hope that maybe things had changed. For the better," chasing away a tear with the heel of her palm. "And the test was negative so… I had to see you before I left."

Elsa stiffened at the reminder of Anna's impending departure, the hope of her staying ripped from her hands. "You're still leaving?" she swallowed thickly, growing sadder as the threatening distance of 3,000 miles loomed over the pair.

"Elsa-"

"I'm not pregnant," Elsa blurted, unable to stop herself from saying anything that would keep Anna from leaving.

"I know. Olaf told me." It was the first time in weeks that Elsa witnessed one of Anna's sweet smiles, her adorable freckles reminding her of the vivacious girl that dwelled behind those sad teal eyes staring back at her.

"And I left Hans."

Anna laughed lightly, and Elsa found herself smiling at the calming familiarity it provided.

"Elsa, you don't have to keep pointing out the obvious. I'm in your home," holding up her hands to gesture to the room that was clearly not part of Hans' contemporary nightmare.

"I know. I just want to show you that I've tried. That I've been trying. And I still care about you very much."

"I care about you too, Elsa." If a silence could be measured, the that drove itself between Anna and Elsa had to be a least a mile long. It was like an invisible wall had sprung up from the ground and put them at a stand still. Too much time and space had Elsa scared that maybe she really had lost Anna for good.

"But you're still going to leave?" Biting back the melancholy shaking her fragile voice.

"I have to."

The disappointment inside Elsa was paralyzing, robbing her of her ability to speak until she reminded herself that she could follow Anna in a year. That was, if Anna still wanted to be with her.

"Anna, I want to tell you something. I-" And another loud knock could be heard, both girls whipping their heads to the door as Anna's features perked in confusion. "I ordered a pizza," Elsa giggled out of frustration, because what excellent timing.

Elsa walked to the door and fished out the cash from her pocket, giving the deliveryman a hefty tip despite the fact that he kind of interrupted her big speech. In the time it took Elsa to walk into the kitchen and set the awkwardly sized box on the counter, Anna following curiously behind, she'd actually been glad for the break in her haste to try and desperately change Anna's mind. If Anna was leaving, the only thing Elsa could do was enjoy their last precious bit of time together. She had to approach this prudently, because something so important, so uniquely special, was worth holding onto.

"What did you get?' Anna finally asked, no longer able to ignore the mouth-watering aroma of melted cheese and Italian spices, breaking Elsa out of her pensive thoughts. She'd never seen her concentrate so hard before.

"Hawaiian."

"That's my favorite."

"I know. I missed you. If I could only remember us through pizza, then so be it." Elsa laughed again, and Anna suddenly remembered how addicting just being around her could be.

Elsa leaned with her back against the largest kitchen island Anna had ever seen, the ghostly gray slab of granite just a few shades darker than the lithesome frame of the blonde perched alongside it. A loosely braided rope of platinum hung characteristically over her shoulder and a smile was caught in the corner of her mouth. Thin lips that made Anna weak in the knees so many times before showed signs of inner joy. Exhausted from work, Elsa hadn't bothered to change out of her office attire yet, still sporting a charcoal skirt and a cream colored blouse so light that Anna swore it had to have been spun from clouds. It was a different look on her former patient: smart, bold, and demanding a respect far greater than any chocolatier could ever hope to garner. Elsa could wear anything and look beautiful, but it made Anna miss the double-breasted chef uniform she had grown so very fond of. There was something different about this Elsa; good, bad, or indifferent, she couldn't decide.

Anna had been so engrossed in her study of the blonde's attire that she didn't realize Elsa had moved and now stood just a few feet in front of her, smiling in a way that brought back a flood of memories: salsa, ice cream, fancy hotel rooms. It was clear that Elsa had burgeoned into… not a new woman per say, but their time apart had added depth to her ever-changing maturity. Under all the layers of personality that Elsa had acquired during her recovery, Anna's heart recognized the girl she'd fallen so hard for, and she could still feel the love reverberating between them. No matter what Elsa had been through or what she wore or how old she acted, there was something in her sparkling blue eyes and gentle smile that never changed. Even now, in Elsa's grandiose kitchen with more cabinets than were necessary for a solitary woman, her eyes looked exactly the same as the day they fluttered open in that hospital room and Anna had felt the first flickering spark ignite what she now longed to recapture. She loved this Elsa. She loved old Elsa and new Elsa; they were one in the same to her now.

"Will you stay for dinner?" Elsa asked softly, subtly trying to coax a 'yes' out of Anna as she reached out to loop her index finger around Anna's, a safer version of handholding. "Stay and talk? I have so much that I want to tell you."

Anna's eyes fell to the thin alabaster finger persuasively brushing against her own. The touch rekindled joy, but it was also tinged with heartache. Trust, hope, and their ardent love had been fractured and so badly needed repair.

"Stay and talk," Anna repeated, musing over the chance to amend the hurt and possibly regain what had been stolen from them. Elsa waited patiently for Anna to answer, smiling broadly when she felt Anna curl her finger tightly around her own. A silent promise to try. "Yeah. Let's talk."