Hey guys. Once again, I'm sorry for the delay in updating. But now that I'm all caught up with OUAT, I'll be able to spend my free time writing! So anyway, here's chapter 5. This one was probably the easiest to write so far. The only (small) problem was getting it to a length that I liked, as is the story with my other chapters. :) Thank you guys so much for the reviews, faves, and follows! They make my day! Anyway, hope you enjoy, and keep reviewing!

Chapter 5: Always Be Together

Elsa – 6; Anna – 3

It was a clear, beautiful day in Arendelle. The sky was a pretty cerulean blue, the sun was shining, and the breeze coming off the fjord made the air cool and crisp. Autumn had arrived, and with it, all its beautiful show-stopping colors. Trees that were once bright green seemed to have come alive in various shades of red, orange, and gold. Some colors were so vivid, the trees appeared to have been set on fire. Dozens of people were out and about, enjoying what was perhaps the last bit of sunshine before the cold winter shut them inside their houses. Excited voices were everywhere, especially inside the castle.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on!" said Anna, pulling her sister down the hall.

"Anna, wait! Slow down!" Elsa said, trying to dig her feet into the carpeting to slow them down, but to no avail.

"No, we has to go outside!" Anna said, pulling on Elsa's hand even harder than she already was. "There's leaves everywhere! We has to jump in 'em!"

"Wait, what?" said Elsa, stopping abruptly and causing Anna to lurch back into her.

"We has to jump in the leaves!" Anna said loudly, as though she hadn't made her point about a dozen times already.

"We—we're jumping in the leaves?" Elsa asked hesitantly.

"Uh-huh!" said Anna excitedly, pulling impatiently on her hand again, but this time, Elsa remained rooted to the spot. "Come on!" she said when Elsa didn't move.

"Do Mama and Papa know about this? 'Cause if they don't, we have to ask them first," Elsa said, still not moving from her spot and ignoring Anna's pulling.

"Okay," Anna said, pouting.

"That's my good baby sister," said Elsa, smiling. "Now come on; I think they're in Papa's study."

She took Anna's hand and led her to the study where, sure enough, they found their parents, sitting at the table in the corner going over trade agreements.

"I think Weselton could really benefit from our resources," the king was saying.

"Agdar, no, they've been trying to exploit them for years," the queen answered. "You of all people know that. Besides, Arendelle is well enough off that we don't really need their business, anyway."

"It's not just about trade, Idun," the king said. "It's also about establishing ties and gaining allies. What if we were suddenly thrust into war? Their hundreds of trained soldiers would be more than enough to help us."

"So you're saying that if we cut off trade with Weselton they would refuse to help us in that manner?" the queen asked.

The king hesitated before answering. "Possibly. Or they might just be reluctant. Which is why we cannot risk cutting ties with them."

The queen was silent for a moment. "I suppose you're right," she conceded. "But if they do anything – and I mean anything – to usurp our resources, will you at least attempt to reconsider?"

It was the king's turn to be silent. Then he said, "I will do what I can. But I can't make any promises."

There was silence in the room again, and Elsa took that opportunity to knock on the door.

The king and queen looked up. "Hello, Elsa, dear," her mother said, smiling upon seeing who it was. She stood up and walked over to Elsa and Anna.

"What were you and Papa talking about?" Elsa asked.

"Oh, just boring grown-up things," her mother answered. "Nothing you need to worry about until you're older."

"Why can't you tell me now?" Elsa asked.

"Because it's not important for you to know right now," her mother said. "So I suggest you put it out of your mind for the time being. Now then, is there something that you wanted?" She clasped her hands in front of her and waited for Elsa to speak.

Elsa didn't say anything for a moment. She knew that what her parents had been talking about was more than just nothing, but her mother was obviously not going to say any more on the subject. So she obeyed her mother and put it out of her mind, at least for the moment, and asked the question she had originally planned on, which was the real reason she and Anna were there in the first place.

"Is it okay if Anna and I go outside?" Elsa asked quietly.

"Of course it is, darling," her mother answered. "But wear your cloaks, please. It's quite chilly out and I don't want you catching a cold."

"Yes, Mama," Elsa said, bobbing a little curtsy before running to fetch her and Anna's cloaks and a few minutes later, they were outside in the brisk autumn air.

Anna gasped at all the leaves covering the ground and ran giggling toward a large pile that the caretaker had gathered up earlier that day. "C'mon, Essie!" she shouted before jumping into the pile, strewing leaves everywhere.

Elsa went over to her sister and joined her in the leaves, but she couldn't help thinking about what her parents had been talking about earlier. Being only six, she hadn't really understood most of what they had been saying, but it had sounded very important. Was she really too little to know right now? Her mother obviously thought so. But she didn't have much more opportunity to dwell on it, however, because Anna was calling her over to jump in the leaves with her. Of course, she happily obliged, and when their mother called them back in about an hour later, she had completely forgotten about it.

Sometime later, Anna and Elsa were back in their room playing with their dolls. As Nanny Hanne had the day off, Gerda had been assigned to watch them, but she had just gone down to the kitchens to check on something, trusting that the girls would stay put while she was gone.

Relishing the fact that Gerda was occupied elsewhere, Anna was running around and around the room, holding her doll up in the air to make it fly.

"Look, Essie, she's flying!" she said, giggling as she continued to scamper around the room. "She has magic, just like you!"

Elsa suddenly stopped what she had been doing, braiding her doll's hair, and looked up at Anna, who was still running around the room, apparently completely oblivious to what she had just said. She was so innocent. If only she knew.

Elsa was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice that the room had suddenly gone quiet. She looked around. Anna had stopped running around and was now standing still, sniffing the air.

"Anna, what is it?" she asked.

"Essie, Gerda's making chocolate!" Anna said excitedly. "We has to get some!"

Elsa sighed, going back to braiding her doll's hair. Of course, Anna smelled chocolate. She could smell it from a mile away. The smell of chocolate drew her in like a magnet.

Anna ran over to her and started pulling on her arm. "C'mon, Essie, we has to find the chocolate!" she said, impatience creeping into her voice.

"Okay, Anna," Elsa said, giving in and standing up. "But we have to be quiet. You know Mama and Papa don't like us eating sweets before supper. If we get caught, we'll be in big trouble. Understand?"

Anna nodded and started Elsa towards the door, Elsa trying to keep up and not trip at the same time. They walked quickly but quietly through the halls and down stairs, Anna almost bursting with excitement. Soon, they came to a hallway with a flagged-stone floor with a few doors flanking it, probably leading to the kitchens and some storerooms. Torches in brackets hung from the walls every few feet. Even though she had lived in the castle her whole life, Elsa couldn't remember ever being down here before. Of course, she was only six, so there wasn't much she could remember.

"So many doors," Elsa said, looking at them all. "Which one is it?"

"This one!" said Anna, running over to a random door and pulling on the brass ring that served as the handle. But the door wouldn't open. "Help!" she said.

Elsa walked over and they both tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. "I think it's locked," Elsa said. "Let's try a different one."

"Okay!" Anna said, seeming to be undeterred despite their failure with the first door. She went to the one directly next to it and tugged on the handle. Unlike the first door, this one swung open easily, but all the sisters saw in there were rows of shelves filled with jars of fruit and pickled vegetables.

"That's not it, either," Elsa said, closing the door. "Let's try this one." She walked over to the door directly across from the one they had just opened. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pulling on the handle. This door also swung open easily. Elsa opened her eyes, hoping that she had found the right door this time, and smiled big when she saw the room beyond. It was dominated with a long, wooden table in the center, flanked by stoves on one side and a big fireplace on the other. "Found it," she said. She turned back to Anna and held out her hand, which Anna took, and led her inside.

They looked around. Every surface was empty and clean. There was no sign of chocolate anywhere. If not for the smell, it might not have been there at all.

"Where's the chocolate?" Anna asked, pouting in disappointment.

"I don't know," Elsa answered. "I guess we gotta look around. Gerda must have hidden it. I bet she knew we were gonna come down looking for it." Gerda had served the royal family for years, and she always seemed to know what Anna and Elsa were going to do before they did it.

They started poking around the kitchen, opening drawers and cupboards, but only finding cooking utensils and pots and pans. It was when Elsa was just about ready to give up that Anna let out an excited squeal.

"I find it! I find it!" she said, jumping up and down and clapping her hands.

"Where is it, Anna?" Elsa asked, coming over to her.

Anna pointed above her. There, sitting on a shelf behind some cookware, was a clear glass jar filled with chocolate. The shelf was just out of their reach.

"It's too high up, even for me," Elsa said, a little disappointed.

"Up! Up!" Anna said, stretching her arms above her head for Elsa to lift her up.

Elsa gently wrapped her arms around Anna and lifted her up high enough to reach the shelf, staggering a little under the weight. Anna might be small yet, but she was heavier than she looked. Anna reached out her hands and was almost touching the jar of chocolate. But just then, Elsa let out a panicked yelp, lost her footing, and they both toppled to the floor, bumping some pots off the shelf on their way down. The noise of crashing cookware was enough to wake the dead.

Elsa sat up and winced, grabbing her elbow, which she had knocked hard against the stone floor. Anna was surprised, but for the most part seemed unhurt. She looked at Elsa.

"I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa said, scooting over to her and wincing with every movement. "I guess you're too big for me to lift anymore."

Suddenly, they heard running footsteps outside and then a crash as the kitchen door was thrown open. They looked up to see Gerda standing in the doorway, face red and out of breath from having run so hard and fast from wherever she was.

"What on earth is going on here?" she panted, placing a hand to her chest and trying to catch her breath.

There was a moment of silence as Anna and Elsa looked at each other. As always, Elsa was the first to speak. "Anna and I were trying to get some chocolate, but we fell," she said quietly, staring down at the floor.

"Oh, you poor dears," Gerda said, rushing over and squatting next to them. "Are you hurt?"

"I don't think Anna is, but I am," Elsa answered. "I hurt my elbow."

"Let me see," Gerda said, and she gently took Elsa's elbow and looked at it. "Hmm, looks like you just got a little bruise. Nothing that won't heal quickly. But to make you feel better, I've got something special to put on it." She went over to a cupboard and took out a jar of liniment before coming back over to the girls. She scooped up a bit of it and dabbed it on Elsa's elbow with her finger. Elsa winced a little at the contact. "There. Does that feel better?" Elsa nodded. Gerda smiled and stood up to put the jar of liniment back in its proper place.

Elsa finally managed to stand up. "Sorry, Gerda," she said quietly.

"Sorry?" Gerda asked, turning back to her. "What on earth are you sorry about?"

"For making a mess and for making so much noise," Elsa replied.

"Oh, my dear, there is nothing you need to be sorry for," Gerda said, walking over to her and giving her a hug. "I'm just glad that you and your sister weren't seriously hurt." Elsa relaxed in her arms, breathing in the familiar scent of spices and freshly baked bread. There was a scuttling of feet and Anna came over, wanting to be a part of the hug, too. She wrapped her arms tightly around Elsa.

After what seemed an eternity, they broke apart. Gerda smiled down at Anna and Elsa. "Now," she said, a twinkle in her eyes. "Shall we see about that chocolate?"

"But Gerda," Elsa protested. "Mama and Papa won't let us have chocolate or any sweets before supper."

Gerda bent down and whispered, "Then it'll just be our little secret, hmm?" Elsa glanced down at Anna and then back up at Gerda. She nodded. "Good. Now, go sit down at the table."

Elsa took Anna's hand and led her over to the table. It was still a bit high for them to reach, but that didn't matter right now. All that did matter was that they were able to share this time together. Gerda came over and gave them each a small piece of chocolate. They thanked her and then proceeded to happily devour it. Anna, of course, finished before Elsa. "More! More!" she cried, clapping her hands.

"No, Anna, that's enough for right now," Elsa said, and then lowered her voice. "But maybe we can get some more later."

"Togedder?" Anna asked, looking up at her.

"Of course, together," Elsa answered, smiling at her. "We'll always be together, you and me."

Whew! I wasn't expecting this chapter to be so long, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway! Next chapter coming soon! :)