Goodbye Promises

Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem or any of it's characters.

"Is Mommy sleeping now?" asked a young, blue haired boy. The woman in front of him, took a deep breath and lifted the child into her arms. Her long red braid laid on her shoulder and the boy mussed his little fingers in it.

"Yes, your Mommy is sleeping now Ike." Titania pulled the child closer to her and squeezed his small frame.

"What's wrong Titania? Why do you look so sad?" Ike tilted his head and scrunched his face up. She ruffled his hair and Ike giggled. I wonder how much he'll laugh when he finds out that…

Greil carried his sleeping daughter in his arms. He nodded to Titania and she set Ike down. Ike looked up at her and grabbed onto the leg of her pants.

"I need a helper." Ike smiled from ear to ear and started bouncing around her feet.

"Oh! Let me! I wanna help! Let me! Please?" Ike's grip on Titania's pants tighten and she smiled down at him.

"Can you go into your room and gather your toys? We're going on a little trip and I need you to pack." Ike frowned and let go of Titania's pants. Greil looked over and her, and she winked.

"Too bad… I guess I'll just eat this cookie instead. It would make a great reward for a helpful little boy…" Ike's eyes lit back up and started bouncing again.

"I'm helpful!" The boy bounced off to his room in record time. Titania glanced over to Greil and extended her arms.

"I need you to watch over them for a little while. I… Elena… she… I have to bury her…" Greil handed Mist to Titania, but Titania let her hands linger on his for a moment.

"…Will you be okay?" Greil's eyes were so very tired and sunken. She just wanted to cup his face, and promise him life would be okay again, no matter what.

"I hope the Goddess can find it in her heart to forgive me… because I never will." Mist started to open her eyes and Titania rocked her back into a peaceful sleep. She walked into Greil's living room and sat in Elena's rocking chair. She felt almost guilty. Elena was dead and she was rocking her child in her chair, comforting her husband. Mist held onto to her tightly, and slept soundly. Ike marched into the living room and saw his sister sleeping in Titania's arms. He also noticed that she was in his mother's favorite chair.

"Why are you in Mommy's chair? That's her story time chair." Titania's heart felt like it just ripped in two. How could she tell him that there was no more story time? She stood up and moved to the couch. Ike climbed up with her and snuggled up against her, using her leg as his pillow.

"Did you finish gathering your toys like I asked?"

"Yep! Can I have that cookie now?"

"Can you wait until Mist wakes up? If I move, I'll wake her." Ike pouted and agreed nonetheless. He found his eyes getting too heavy for him too and laid back down on her leg, falling asleep quickly.

It was long into the night when Greil finally came back inside. He was covered in mud and she couldn't tell in this light, but she thought she saw his arm bleeding.

"Greil?"

"I'm… fine… don't…" Greil passed out and hit the floor hard. Ike started to stir, but Titania rubbed his back and shh-ed him back to sleep. Carefully, she set Mist down on the couch beside Ike and went over to him. His arm was bleeding. As he was coming to, she glared at him for allowing himself to ever get this badly hurt.

"Now… I'll never… hurt… anyone…" The blood loss had drained him. With little help from Greil, she carried him to the bathroom to clean and dress his wound.

That was nearly seventeen years ago.

Now, she and Greil worked side by side as mercenaries. Ike and Mist were grown, and she had become a foster mother of sorts to them. But to Greil…

"Titania, are you all right?" Greil said. He walked up to her and placed a comforting hand on her back. She leaned into his touch and nodded.

"Fine. I was just thinking about when Ike and Mist were young."

"Hmm." She turned to face him and he wrapped his arms softly around her waist. She melted into him; her hands found his and locked their fingers, her head snuggled close to his neck, and took a deep breath, smelling his wonderful scent of leather and steel.

"I don't like when you look like that Titania." Greil nuzzled her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. Titania smiled and closed her eyes.

"Sorry." They stood inside Greil's quarters, "discussing" the latest for their next mission. Titania turned and leaned against him. She pulled her hair onto her shoulder and Greil played with the ends. From the window, they could see Ike and Soren sitting in "their" special spot, underneath Soren's tree. Ike had grabbed the lithe mage and held him over his should, no doubt with Soren shouting to be put down. They looked so happy together.

"Who knew they'd find happiness in each other, hmm?" She asked. Greil chuckled. Ike and put Soren down and now held his hands; pulling them to his face and kissing each one gently.

"Soren is so different around Ike. I'm… glad." Titania shifted and looked up at him. Greil was smiling, looking at his son and his son's love.

"Do you think they know that we know?"

"Not a chance. Ike barely notices if his pants are on." Greil laughed again, and shook his head. "Just like Elena. She'd be so focused on something, the bleeding obvious was ignored. He's just as thickheaded as she was. Thankfully, Mist inherited my cooperativeness." Titania giggled. Greil turned her to face him and looked at her questioningly.

"What?"

"Greil, you are worse than Elena ever was, my dear." She played the front of his tunic and let her fingertips trace circles on his chest. They heard a knock at the door, followed by a soft, "Father?" Greil released Titania and let her go back to reading their latest reports. Mist came through the door, smiling. Goddess, she's the very vision of Elena…

"Yes Mist?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but Oscar said that dinner will be ready soon. He's not feeling well, so we're eating a little earlier tonight. Rhys wants him to rest." Mist's eyes were a dazzling blue, with every sound they shimmered. Titania looked away from her. Mist titled her head and looked at her. "Titania? Are you alright? Did I interrupt?" Mist held her hand up to her chest and clenched her fist-- a gesture she somehow got from Elena.

"I'm fine Mist. Could I get you to gather the laundry? I believe, you and Boyd are supposed to do it this week."

"Oh, sure. Boyd was practicing earlier today, so he's resting. But I can do it!" Mist smiled all the way up to her eyes. Greil ruffled her hair and she laughed, then left as cheerfully as she entered.

Greil sat on his bed and motioned for Titania to join him. They laid down together, and Greil held her tightly.

"What's wrong love?" She asked.

"Thank you." Titania propped herself up and kissed him gently. Her battle hardened body was soft and loving, as a woman's body should be. Greil ran his hand up her back and cupped her neck. She looked at him in confusion and longing. Thank you? For what? Greil, almost reading her thoughts, "For picking up the pieces." She smiled sadly and nodded. Elena.

"Those children needed a mother, needed love. And you needed someone too. I was simply there for necessity." Greil smiled again. His rough face could only soften in her presence.

"You are an angel, send by Elena to keep this old man out of trouble."

"Nonsense Greil, not even the Goddess could do that." They shared their golden laugh and relax into the bed.

"Heh, suppose you're right woman." He playfully tugged her hair and kissed her lips.

A tear slid down her face. That had only been weeks ago. Now Mist lay in her arms again, sobbing while Ike stood stone faced and Soren three steps behind him. The night had been a blur. Did she sleep? She couldn't remember. Oscar, Ike, and herself had dug the grave. Rhys stood in front of the gathered troops and said the final blessings over Greil's body. Titania didn't realize that Mist had collapsed to the ground, in a heap of tears and strangled cries or when Soren had grabbed Ike's hand or even when Boyd gathered the crying girl into his arms for comfort. The world had faded. Greil's make shift grave was her world now. When the rain came, Shinon was the one to come back to force her inside. Everyone had secluded themselves to grieve. Titania sat in a corner after Shinon had left and cried.

The night following his burial was brutal. Once she was sure everyone was asleep, she wandered back outside and sat at his grave.

"Greil… oh Greil… I'm so sorry. I… I couldn't protect you… I've failed you. At least you're with Elena now. I'm so sorry Elena… please… forgive me. I promise you both, I won't die until Ike and Mist are grown. I promise to take care of them…" Titania began to sob. She fell asleep in the dirt and dreamt of Greil and Elena…

"Titania!" Elena shouted. She turned to see the smiling woman holding her new baby girl. "I think, I shall name her Mist." Titania smiled and hugged her.

"My friend, I have something of which I need to entrust to you." Elena sat the baby in her cradle and took both of Titania's hands in her own.

"Elena, what ails you? You look so serious, and after such a blessed event!"

"I… I need you to make me a promise." Titania squeezed her hands, urging her to continue and Elena smiled gratefully. "If… if anything should ever happen to me…"

"Elena stop such nonsense. Nothing will happen to you."

"Please, let me finish. If something were to happen to me, I must know that my children will be loved."

"Elena…"

"Please, you are my dearest friend. Should my life be cut short, please, care for these children as though they were bore from your womb." Elena had tears in her eyes and all Titania could do was nod. "And Greil…"

"Elena!"

"He will need someone too. Please, care for my love and my children."

"You speak as though you know of your demise." Elena's eyes fell to her feet and she laughed, though forced and sounded all together false.

"You promise, right?"

"I promise." Elena picked Mist up from the cradle and sat in her rocking chair, holding the child and humming her favorite song.

The rain had startled her awake, her tears mixing in the droplets. She stood up, brushed the dirt away and the rain hit her face.

"I promise Elena." She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked back up to the sky. "Rest easy, love and give me the strength to carry out your dear wife's wishes."