Disclaimer: I don't own RH, and I'm not making any money from this story. I'm just your average fangirl who's up too late and on too much Mountain Dew, hoping to help everyone have a good time.

Armor and Rain

Could it be the weather
Why am I here
If love Isn't forever
And it's not the weather
Hand me my leather
-Tori Amos, "Leather"

The sky wept for the innocent. Always.

It was hard to imagine someone more innocent than Meg had been. Barely more than a child, she had given her life for Guy's - Guy's - when she was the one who needed to live. Live, Meg, Guy willed her silently. Wake up. She was still, and the rain fell on. Soon it would soak completely through Guy's leather armor. A part of him was tempted to simply stay there and allow himself to catch consumption like an infant, but since Meg had given her life for his, he had to live. He had to go inside. But he could not leave her.

For the first time, he understood how Robin had felt that day in the desert, when all he could feel was horror and rage, when the knowledge that it had all been real was more than he could absorb, and yet it had been, and Vaisey's mocking laughter had trailed him through all those days. Now there was no piercing guilt for actions of his own, no bloodlust, no betrayal. It had not been his hand that had slain this young woman. And he could not put her down.

There was a daydream in Guy's mind ... so vivid that it was not a daydream. Marian walked toward him from the woods. She looked much as she had in life, but younger somehow. She smiled at Guy and mouthed, "all is forgiven," but her attention was not on him. She extended her hand to Meg.

Meg had not stirred for Guy for all this time. Yet she opened her eyes to look at Marian. She smiled and said, "will I be as beautiful as you?"

"You already are," Marian said, helping the younger woman to her feet.

Meg fixed her eyes on Guy and said, "thank you."

Guy was about to tell her not to thank him, that he owed her a world of gratitude. He was about to tell Marian ... anything ... but the two woman were already fading, leaving only the reality of the cold rain. The skies seemed to darken as they left.

Guy raised a hand in benediction, staring into the still-darkening skies. Then he carefully picked Meg up again and carried her deeper into the woods to bury her properly.