t was a trip Victor always wanted to take. The Halle forest in Belgium was talked to be enchanted. He had seen the pictures of the bluebell hyacinths and just knew he wanted to take Yuuri with him. He remembered the night he talked to Yuuri about the different folklore of fairies and magic in the forest and Yuuri had humored him, as he always did, and agreed they could go.

***

It was a perfect day in mid-April when they arrived and spent the day walking through the blue hyacinths. They had even sat in the forest floor as they made flower chains for each other's hair. Victor will always remember how beautiful Yuuri looked laid out among the vast carpet of flowers. They had dozed off as they held one another and Victor had woken up before Yuuri had. He stared down at his husband- the only thought in his mind was LOVE.

That was when he saw someone approach them. Victor woke and stood. This person was dressed in what looked to be clothing he had never seen before. It was translucent blue pants and tank. You could see through the clothing, but yet, see nothing at all. He was unable to tell if the person was male or female, as they seem to carry both in their presence. The hair was short- a powder blue color as was their skin- skin the color one looked with lacked oxygen. Victor went to wake Yuuri when the person held up their hand.

"Vitya, do not wake your slumbering husband." the voice spoke out. It was an accent he was not sure in all his time traveling he had ever heard.

"How… how do you know our names?"

"Oh Vitya, let's not spend our short time over formalities." the voice Victor noticed, he could understand, but it was a language he had never heard before. Victor was puzzled.

"What are you?"

"I am a passenger of the Halle. I come through to pure hearts. I see your heart is pure for this man."

Victor was confused and stared at the passenger.

"Vitya, I can see in your heart. I can see you have wishes and I have come to grant them."

"Um… what?" Victor thought maybe he was in a dream, still asleep. He pinched his arm and it hurt. As he looked down, he saw his husband curled on his side as he slept peacefully.

"I am here to grant you three wishes. You will choose two and I will chose one from your heart. Is this not why you came to the Halle, Vitya?" the passenger looked puzzled and tilted their head.

"So do you mean like a genie or something?"

The passenger laughed for moment then shook their head. "No Vitya nothing like that. What do you want most in life?"

"To be happy with Yuuri."

The passenger nodded their head, "So shall it be." Victor felt a cold chill travel from his toes up to his scalp. The hairs on his body stood up and he saw Yuuri shiver on the ground.

"I want to always love Yuuri." Victor did not even have to think about this. He watched the passenger nod again and this time, it was a warm sensation that traveled around his body and through. When he looked down at Yuuri, there was a smile to his lips.

Victor snapped his head back to the passenger and was about to speak again when the passenger held his hand up and walked forward. "Now Vitya, I will take what is deepest in your heart. You have never allowed yourself to think this, you have never allowed yourself to speak this. The Halle will allow this most wanted desire of yours true." With this the passenger stepped forward and laid their hand on Victor's abdomen and Victor cried out. There was a sharp shooting pain that brought him to his knees on the forest floor as everything around him went black.

Victor felt a hand that shook him awake. He smiled as he saw Yuuri's face above him, he saw the concern in Yuuri's eyes. As he sat up and he felt perfectly ok though his head was fuzzy.

"Yuuri… I had the strangest dream." Victor drawled out.

"I was worried Vitya. You were not waking up!" Yuuri's voice sounded concerned and Victor had to smile.

"Yuuri, I am fine. See?" he spread his arms out showing Yuuri he was ok. "Must be the magic of this forest."

"Vitya, it has been two hours. I almost went to get help. I could not call as we get no reception here." Yuuri had taken Victor in a tight hug and Victor felt a warm sensation travel through his body and he shivered.

"Vitya, did you feel that?" Yuuri breathed out as he pulled away from Victor.

"Yes Yuuri, it is the forest and our love. Now let's head back and get some dinner ok?" Victor sat up and never felt more refreshed in his life. He had a skip to his step and never let go of Yuuri's hand as they traveled out of the forest.

That night Victor felt so amazing that he made sweet love till dawn to his husband. Yuuri was spent and dead tired but Victor felt like he could run miles and still have the stamina to enjoy his husband more.

Three months later…

"Yuuri! I just don't get it. How am I gaining weight when I can't even eat. I am too tired to even go skate anymore." Victor knew something was wrong ever since they had gotten back from their trip. He slept too much, he would eat and throw up, his body felt different.

"Vitya, you haven't gain any weight. I keep telling you this." Yuuri had not even looked up from his cup of coffee as he said this.

"I stood on the scale Yuuri! Three pounds!"

Yuuri finally looked up and over at his husband. There were bags under Victor's eye that had not been there before, his arms looked thinner, but his midsection wider. Maybe Yuuri was making this up. Yuuri got up and embraced his husband.

"Vitya, you are fine and beautiful like you always are."

Victor loved the feel of his husbands arms around him, lately even more so. Ever since they left Belgium, Victor has needed Yuuri near him at all times. Both of their skating routines were suffering, but Victor was either sick or needed Yuuri at his side. There was a connection between the two that Yuuri thought was stronger since that day in the forest. Yuuri could almost see the love that radiated off Victor and it pulled him towards his husband. Even when they just held one another and allowed the love to flow between them.

A month later Victor was still sick and they went to a doctor. Extensive test were run and blood work. When the doctor announced Victor was pregnant, Yuuri passed out.

They had a bouncing baby boy. Victor sat in the hospital bed as he cradled the baby in his arms, Yuuri snuggled next to him. Victor was amazed how much the baby was identical to Yuuri, except when he opened his eyes- they were bright crystal blue as his.

"Yuuri, he is beautiful, he is us." Victor cooed out as he kissed the baby's forehead for the millionth time.

"He has your eyes Vitya." Yuuri smiled and kissed his husband.

"He looks just like you Yuuri." and Victor allowed the tears to slip off his lashed onto the baby blanket in his arms.

The next few months were a dream. They did not mind as they woke to feed and change the baby. They almost fought over who got to do it. Most of the time they got up together and just held the baby as they cuddled. Their family could not have been happier.

Victor sat up in bed, Yuuri curled in his lap holding the baby. "I never want to the leave this moment Vitya. I never knew this was what we needed."

He would dream of Yuuri holding a baby of theirs and even saw the way Yuuri would look longingly at couples with strollers. Now they had a stroller for them, and they got to the be the parents that pushed their baby to the market or the park. Victor would never speak this out loud, but had always wanted to give Yuuri a baby.

"Matthew was simply a blessing to us we did not know we wanted. I love you both so much." Victor held them both tight as he had never felt more complete in his life.

"Vitya, I would easily give all that I am for you two."

Victor made dinner while Yuuri ran out to the store. Matthew needed more baby food and Yuuri said he would be a minute.

A minute turned to an hour… and hour turned to into three.

Victor called Yuuri's phone with no answer and finally got Matthew strapped into the harness on his chest and was about to head out the door. When he opened the door, there were two men looking all too official standing there about to knock. Victor stared at the men as he dropped his keys. There was only reason two official men came to your door.

"Mr. Nikiforov. We have terrible news."

The men caught Victor before him and Matthew hit the floor.

It rained the day they put Yuuri in the ground. Victor was not even sure if he was in a dream or not. He never let go of Matthew and held onto him tightly. Family and friends all wanted to help with the baby but Victor refused. It was the last piece of Yuuri he had. His mind could not wrap around his love would never return to him. The moment the first handful of dirt fell onto the polished wood in the ground- Victor fell to the ground and cradled Yuuri's baby. His Yuuri's baby. His Yuuri was gone.

A flash sprang through Victor's mind. The Passenger's words flooded him. A cold shiver encased his body and he held Yuuri's baby tighter as he cried out the strangled cry of a man being stabbed through the heart. Victor could feel hands on his shoulders, but he clung to Yuuri's baby and the wet dirt.

Victor went to the grave everyday with Matthew. He planted bluebell hyacinths around the grave and called out to the passenger everyday. Victor no longer believed in a deity, a deity would not do this to him and Matthew. A deity would not take away a love so pure and true.

"Damn you passenger! Damn you forever!" Victor sat at the head of Yuuri's grave with Matthew curled in one arm, his other hand on the tombstone.

"Oh Vitya, you are not cursing your Passenger are you?"

Victor heard that voice and stood up.

"What the hell did you do?" Victor demanded and started to walk towards the passenger.

"I did what you heart's desire."

"Then why isn't my Yuuri here?" Victor all but screamed, but remembered he held the baby and kept his voice calm as not to alarm him.

"You never asked for a long life with Yuuri, Vitya. You asked for happiness and love . In which were provided. Your hearts deepest desire was a child of your two's own."

"But… but why couldn't Yuuri stay too?" Victor pleased.

"Was it not happy Vitya? Was it not Love?"

"It was… Very happy and full of love." Victor remembered how perfect it all was.

The passenger stepped forward once more. "And your babe, is your Yuuri's likewise. He is both of you. He is your happiness and your love . A life for a life Vitya. That is how the magic of the Halle works."

"A life… for a life? So you mean?"

"Why yes Vitya, the way this works. You would have to choose between Yuuri or Matthew, not both. That is not how the magic of the Halle works."

Victor shook his head. "Damn the Halle! How in the hell am I to choose?"

"Ah but Vitya, you do not have to choose. The choice was already made. The only question is, if it were to happen again, what path would you take?"

It was simple to Victor, "Why not take mine? I would hand it over in a heartbeat."

"As did your Yuuri."

Victor just stood there, "What do you mean?"

"Ah Vitya, both your loves were pure. Are you really selfish enough to think we only visited you? Yuuri had his wishes. They were the same, love and happiness. When the choice came one night, he handed it all over for you and Matthew, without a question in his mind or heart."

Victor turned and held his baby tighter as he stared at the tombstone as he rested his hand upon it. "Yuuri, even in death, you are my life and I love you."