So I had to get this chapter out there. its a bit shorter than the last two, but I think it does the job. thank you all again for your tremendous support. it's kept me going. I promise I'll be updating Before again soon as well, that story definitely needs to be told.

Merida stared blankly out the window, as she had done nearly everyday since McCollough's men had left. She had watched it snow...and snow, and snow, and snow. Never changing. It fell evenly and silently. No wind blew, no heavy blizzards tore apart the land. It was...stagnant, monotonous, and she knew it was because Jack wasn't there.

Then the rain began, melting the snow, washing away all traces of him from her view. The land was becoming green again, and it mocked her. He's not here, it said. He's never coming back.

Only one thing remained as proof of his time spent with her, something that no amount of rain could ever wash away. Her stomach heaved and she tore herself away from the window, frantic to make it to the bucket beside her bed. She vomited, then sat against the bed and looked toward the window once more. There was no frost on the window, despite the cold. There never was. That had been his touch as well.

She supposed that she'd made peace with it, as much as she could anyway. He was right, he hadn't lied, he'd simply allowed her to hope, and was that really so bad? He'd had no choice but to leave, she knew that too, and didn't blame him for it. But she missed him...oh did she miss him. Her hand splayed over her stomach, not showing yet, and imagined it was his hand. She could see his smile, his blue eyes crinkled up with joy...they might try to guess the gender, or...or think of names. She hung her head, but didn't cry. She had cried enough after he left to convince her she had run out of tears. She had to be strong for two now, and she knew it. She stood, determined, walking past the window without looking, but letting her fingertips trail along the glass as she passed. She didn't see the trail of frost that followed them.

The first day of spring is tomorrow, she realized as she made her way down the steps to the hall for supper.
She was quiet, as always, and she shared a knowing look with her mother as she took her place at the table. Elinor had figured out what was going on almost instantly, offering a firm lecture, but tentative support. Fergus was none the wiser, and they preferred to keep it that way. Merida ate in silence, half listening to the animated tale her father was unfolding.
Finally she was excused to bed, under the pretense of being sick, which wasn't entirely false. It was cold as she put on her night clothes, and she glanced once more at the window before drifting off to sleep. The frost she hadn't known was there had disappeared.

Morning bore down on her far too soon, bringing with it more violent morning sickness. She grabbed for the bucket quickly, her stomach trying in vain to empty itself. It wasn't until the heaving ceased that she noticed something was different. There was something electric surging through the air, and she inexplicably sensed that something was wrong, and she was being called to fix it.

But that was silly.

It was the sickness, a side effect she decided, pushing it to the back of her mind. All the same, she found herself peeking around corners in search of something, anything, amiss. She asked each of her brothers if they felt strange and was met with three quirked eye brows and a unanimous "no," from all of them. Again she tried to ignore the sensation, but as the morning pushed on, so did the feeling.
By the end of breakfast she was near sick with worry, and she had no idea why. She closed her eyes, attempting to will it away, and then she heard it. A soft, almost inaudible whisper in the back of her mind.
She listened harder.

'Merida'

Her eyes flew open and she sucked in a large breath, drawing the attention of her family.

"Um, not feeling so well," she explained distractedly as the voice whispered again, this time louder.

'Forest'

"Just going to...go for a walk," she headed for the door, protests from Elinor unheard.

Merida all but sprinted through the trees. The grass was soft beneath her feet, and the breeze that blew was warm, but Merida noticed none of it.

'Forest' the voice chanted in her head, and then, 'Hurry' and Merida doubled her speed.

She didn't have to travel much farther. There, just beyond a large tree, laid a body, a man she saw. She sank to the ground beside him, frantic. He wasn't moving, but he was bleeding. A lot.

"Odin's ghost," she whispered, turning him over. She gasped. His hair was dark and he bled from his side.

It was Jack.

"Oh Gods, Jack! What did they do to you?!" She gingerly lifted his head to rest on her lap, and brushed his ebony hair out of his eyes, willing him to regain consciousness.

"Jack, please," she whispered, stroking his cheek softly. He grunted after a long, maddening moment, and she smiled in relief.

"M-Merida," he spoke, then groaned, grabbing his side in pain.

"No, Jack, don't do that," she took his hand, still taken aback that he was real, and here...and human. "We'll fix you up, but you have to tell me what happened. What did the...the guardians do to you?" She could here the anger rising in her voice.

"No guardians...McCollough..." he breathed jaggedly. He was pale, she realized. How much blood had he lost? How long had he been lying here?

"Wait," she shook her head. "McCollough...Jack that was months ago, how is that possible?" He smiled and reached weakly to caress her cheek.

"Human..." he whispered, his eyes fluttering closed. His hand dropped and she had no time to think. She pulled his arm over her shoulder and slung him onto her back, and headed toward the castle.

The DunBrochs were in a frenzy. Merida had fallen through the main door with Jack, tears and dirt staining her face, and begged.

"Help him,".

Elinor began giving orders at once; the boys were to fetch clean water, Merida was to find clean bindings, and Fergus' job was to carry Jack to one of the spare rooms, to the bed. Merida was hesitant to let him go, but obeyed when her mother insisted, following close behind.

As she assessed Jack's wound and began cleaning it, Elinor threw Merida a questioning look, but her daughter wasn't paying attention to her. Her eyes were focused on Jack, and Elinor let it be.

"Right," Elinor said after what seemed like ages. "I've done what I can. He'll have to make the rest of the journey on his own." Merida didn't respond. She took his hand as Elinor left, and noted that he had a fever.

"I don't understand," she whispered, laying her head on their clasped hands. She fell asleep wondering how any of what was happening could possibly he real, and dreamed of Jack smiling, his hand caressing her stomach, swollen with their child.

She woke the next morning to the sensation of her hand being squeezed, and she blinked blearily for a moment before jerking upright.

"Good morning," Jack laughed softly. A dozen emotions flashes across Merida's face, and two dozen questions through her mind, but she settled for relieved happiness and kissed his forehead.

"Are you ok?" She asked after a moment.

"I'll be fine," he was smiling...but it wasn't the smile she expected. Happy to see her, yes. Relieved he wasn't dead, yes. But there was something else, almost a smirk, as though he was keeping a joke from her, or knew something she didn't. She sat quietly and watched him smile, growing more and more intent on finding out the reason. Finally his grin faltered, and became questioning.

"What?" Jack asked.

"How are you here?" Right to the point. He had no reason to hide things from her, particularly things that made him smile so warmly.

"They were mad," he began, seemingly changing the subject. He continued before she could protest. "They really let me have it for what I did to McCollough and his men, said I was abusing my powers."

"But-" his finger brushed her lips.

"Let me finish. They were mad, but they said I had potential, and too strong a heart to be wasted by execution. It was the fairy, I bet. Don't know if the others agreed, but they gave me a choice." He stroked her hand gently. "They said I could become a guardian, and live forever, and...forget everything," Merida looked horrified. He tried to reassure her. "You would forget too," he winced, knowing that he hadn't made it better.

"Or," he insisted, holding her gaze. "I can live a human life with you, and entire human lifespan, with just two conditions. The first is that I have to return each winter and perform my responsibilities of the season," Merida's brow creased.

"You mean...become immortal again?" .

"Mortals don't have magic." he smiled sadly. "And second, whatever happens to me when I'm human disappears when I'm immortal, but returns when I change back. That means wounds," he gestured to his side. "And age." Merida balked.
"Age? What you mean...you'll age with me, but when you're immortal you turn back into..." she waved her hand up and down his body.

"Yes."

Merida sat quietly for a long time, looking off into the distance outside the window. Jack had just began to worry she'd be angry when she turned back to him, looking positively euphoric. Her smile glowed, and it was his turn to wonder what she wasn't telling him.
She breathed in, and closed her eyes, clearly trying to contain herself.

"I have something to tell you as well," she smiled, taking his hand. She held for a brief moment, before pulling it toward her and letting it rest on her stomach. Jack's eyes widened.

"You're...we..." he stuttered, and Merida laughed, wrapping her arms around him.

"Aye, and I've been sick for weeks now," she teased.

"I'm sorry!" He replied incredulously, still all but speechless, and completely overcome with joy.

A baby. He'd promised, and it had worked. He'd given her a baby, their baby. And after all the hours he'd spent trying to convince himself that it would all be fine, that they would be alright without him, it didn't matter anymore, because he'd be there. She kissed him then, and he held her close. This was how it was supposed to be. They had their chance, and the rest of their lives.

Now there will be an epilogue. Stay tuned :3

*Just updated this chapter with some spelling corrections and such. Uploaded this from my phone so it posted a bit...rough.