Sequal to Stone. This is the K+ version. Later a T version might be added.

Disclaimer: I do not own neopets.

...

Winter had set in, and a chill wind swept through the courtyard. Rock carvings of gargoyles and eyries were now covered in an inch of snow, looking as though they each were dressed up for the Christmas countdown.

Brynn stood in the middle of the courtyard and shivered. Pulling her coat closer around her, she buried her hands deep in her pockets and stared up at the night sky like she had done every night for two years.

"Why won't you come home?" she whispered to the starlit blackness.

King Hagan was worried about her. It seemed nearly every day now that one of his messengers came with yet another method to try and cheer her up, or even make sure she was still alive.

The king's worries were justified, too. According to the guard detail, Brynn would bury herself in her job the entire day, tackling a stack of paperwork when there were no more thugs to deal with. She ate on the run, snatched a few naps when she could, and left work just as dusk began to set in.

But Brynn never went home in the evenings. Thunderstorms, pouring rain, and icy winter days were unnoticed as she made her way to the courtyard every night. Taking a seat next to a broken down wall, she would stare at the cobblestone where a simple message was written.

"I will bring him back to you."

But it had been two years.

Two years since Hanso had been taken away. Two years since the defeat of Xandra and the return of peace to Neopia.

Two years since she had last seen him.

And now Brynn stood outside every night. Watching. Waiting for her Hanso to return.

The icy wind tore at her coat, making her teeth chatter with cold. Where was Hanso right now? Was he safe? Was he caught out in the snow somewhere, with only that sleeveless coat of his that never kept out the chill?

Was he even alive? Or was he...

But no, Brynn couldn't think about that. She had to keep believing that Hanso was still alive. That he would come back. Otherwise what else did she have to hope for?

But it had been two years...

Brynn sniffed and looked up into the lightening sky as the twinkling stars began to disapear. Dawn was approaching, and soon the sun would rise. Another night would have been spent watching for Hanso. Waiting in vain for that which Brynn could no longer hope for.

Brynn sighed and drew her coat closer around her. She might as well head back now. She could not wait forever here, hoping against hope for him to return. Brynn's boots crunched through the ankle deep snow as she trudged back to the castle. If only... if only things could have been different. If only...

"Brynn."

She screamed and spun around as that all too familiar voice spoke.

Then she saw him. Stepping ou of the shadows with thatsame cheeky grin, albeit somewhat less frivolous now, plastered on his face. His eyes, far too serious for Brynn's comfort, gazed at her as though he wondered if she were but an illusion.

"Hanso!"

Brynn ran to him, nearly knocking him over as she threw herself into his arms. He was pale, and his blue fur seemed to have lost some of its luster. But he was alive.

"You came back," she sobbed, clutching his coat in fear that he would disapear before her eyes.

"Of course I did," he teased, hugging her tightly in return. "She told you I would return. I just got delayed for a little while."

Brynn said nothing as she continued to cry, the tears and Hanso's soothing voice washing away two years of heartbreak.

Finally she calmed a little, and looked up at him. Brynn searched his face, her sobs subsided for the moment. He looked older now, and more mature. Behind the cheerful grin there was a sad light in his eyes, as though he had seen and heard too much and something inside of him had been extinguished.

"What happened to you, Hanso?" she asked, looking at the patches on his coat - the same coat he had worn two years before.

Hanso shook his head. "It doesn't matter anymore. I'm here, and I'm never going to leave you again." He laughed as he saw her gaze on his coat. "Don't worry, I haven't been wearing that old thing all this time. Anya took good care of me. I just wanted to bring this home as a keepsake."

"You'll catch your death of cold," Brynn said softly, her worried eyes searching his face. It had been so long... what if all of this was a dream?

Hanso laughed, his old self beginning to show as his cheeky grin returned. "Still ordering me around, aren't you."

Brynn's face fell as memories returned of the days before Xandra's death. "I'm so sorry," she choked out. "I've never - "

"Hey," Hanso put a finger on her lips, ceasing any further apologies. "It's okay. I'm here now, and that's all that matters." He smiled and put his arm around Brynn's shoulders, leading her back to the castle, his voice prattling on as it used to so long ago.

"So is that crabby old lupe still in charge of Altador, or do I get to tease some other guy now?" he asked in a kidding tone.

Brynn said nothing as she tried to discern dream from reality.

"Hey, Brynn," Hanso's voice broke into her thoughts as he gently lifted her chin. "Is everything okay?"

Brynn was silent a moment as she looked into his eyes. Those dear, compassionate, teasing brown eyes. "Yes, Hanso," she finally choked out. "Everything is going to be all right now."

Her Hanso had returned.

...

Like it? As said before, there might be a T version later, telling about what happened to Hanso during those two years (will be longer than a one shot). Once again, reviews might determine if that version is written.