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Jesse scampered through the forest warily. His parents didn't know. They didn't know that he had come back. It had been ten years. That was plenty of time really. Winnie would be his, if she ever would be, by now. She would be twenty. Plenty of time for her to have decided. He couldn't let his parents know he had come.

Jesse paused at the edge of the forest, the cottage was there. As it had been for so long. The gates looked cold, frozen, unwelcoming. Jesse stared at the cottage and waited for darkness to fall.

The sun went down and he leapt the gate breezily. He crept to the house looking at the colorful windows. He peered inside, hoping for a glance. Just a glance of Winnie would keep him satisfied. For another ten years at least and possibly forever. If she really was happy without him he didn't think he could come back. He'd just be a phantom haunting her forever. Forever it was such a painful concept if she wasn't at his side.

He didn't know what he would do once she was gone. Didn't know how he could live. That was the hardest part, he would live there was nothing he could do. Nothing. She would die and he would live. He would always live, even if his heart and soul died with her. He was beginning to see why Tuck would have wanted to warn her off staying with them, of becoming one of them. Forever was such a long time to be without someone you loved.

Jesse looked all through the house. Winnie didn't seem to be anywhere within. Her parents were there, looking almost sad, but as stern as ever. They seemed to only be able to whisper to themselves. Jesse was confused, had Winnie already gone to bed?

He decided to find a way to get up and look through the upper windows, perhaps she was in bed. He shuddered as his mind conjured another meaning for that simple phrase. She could already be in a forever bed, buried beneath the ground. People did tend to catch infections and things the doctors didn't understand. Maybe that was why her parents had seemed sad.

Carefully he climbed the side of the house. Edging about he managed to see all the upper windows, still no Winnie.

Jesse jumped back down. Where was Winnie? Then a sinking realization filled him. She hadn't waited. She had moved on. She had chosen someone else. She had wanted someone to hold her and he hadn't come in time. He should have come when she was seventeen, reminded her of him.

It stabbed at Jesse to realize this. It was better this way, knowledge of them could pass with her but…he didn't want her pass on. He wanted her forever.

Jesse leaned against the house and began to weep, he had never really been the kind of boy to cry, but all the exuberance in him seemed to have been washed out with this frightening realization. Tears filled and overflowed his eyes so quickly he couldn't see for a few minutes.

"Boy," A voice growled.

Jesse leapt in surprise, clearing his eyes quickly.

"Boy," The voice repeated in scorn, the figure was in shadow but Jesse guessed it was Winnie's father. He was certainly unfeeling enough. "Get out." His voice threatened.

Jesse leapt up and raced for the gate. He couldn't believe he had actually let himself get caught. Safe on the other side of the fence, Jesse built the nerve to call out, "Where's Winnie? Where's your daughter?"

"Safe from scoundrels like you." He sneered. "Safe tucked away in the village with her husband."

Jesse's heart sank even further at this. She was married. There was no need for him to have returned. No need. No need at all. But even as despair filled him, Jesse knew he had to see Winnie again.

He disappeared into the night off to find Winnie. The Winnie who would always belong to another, but remain forever in his heart.