A/N: Please bear with me as this is finals week and I am a senior. I can't guarantee a lot of updates this summer, but I will try my best. I'm more interested in quality than quantity. This story will continue to be updated as much as I can. As always, thank you guys for reviewing.

Chapter 10

Anyone who was in the Western Woods that night would have felt the temperature rise at least ten degrees as the heat wave rippled through the forest. There was a grotesque creaking sound as the roots unraveled at the base of the tree. Daredevil leapt eagerly through the portal and Jaegar breathed a sigh of relief. The coolness of the surrounding environment felt good. Without even being told, Daredevil headed straight for the manor.

Jaegar's eyes narrowed as an unfamiliar scent hit his nose. Fury welled up within him; it was a masculine scent. He inhaled more deeply. There was something familiar about that smell, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Mary would obviously have some explaining to do. He could also sense someone else in the house, but Mary seemed calm. After letting Daredevil loose in the stable, he ran all the way up to the house.

"Mary!" he called sharply. A rustle of skirts came from the corridor and she appeared.

"Jaegar!"

She pounced on him and hugged him fiercely.

"Mary, why do I smell another man here?" he demanded.

"You'll see in just a moment."

She smiled at his puzzled expression and led him into the kitchen.

"Matthias," she said cheerfully, "he's back."

The young man sitting by the fire looked up. Jaegar felt, rather than saw, the blood drain out of his face. Their eyes locked and Jaegar realized why he'd thought that his scent seemed familiar.

The same unnaturally bright blue eyes…it was almost like looking in a mirror. Here and there, he could see bits of Elsa as well.

It seemed so odd that he'd been nothing more than a mere bump in his mother's stomach when Jaegar had left.

"Mein Gott…" Matthias shuddered. Shaking very hard, he got out of his chair and ventured closer to Jaegar.

"Come into the light, please…" he said in barely a whisper. Stunned, Jaegar did as he was asked. Matthias's fingers felt abnormally hot as they traced the side of his neck, feeling for a pulse. He had cringed slightly when he felt how cold Jaegar was.

"How can this be? There is no pulse!"

Jaegar remained silent.

"I told you," Mary said gently.

She decided to give them some time alone and busied herself with straightening some things up. Eventually, she got tired and sat down in a chair in the disused dining room. She jerked awake when the clock struck midnight. Jaegar's cool fingers caressed her cheek gently.

"There you are…" he whispered, "why don't you go upstairs to bed?"

Noticing that Matthias was absent, she looked around.

"Where's your son?"

Jaegar's smile was beautifully bitter-sweet.

"He is upstairs. I showed him to the room across the hallway."

He pulled her into a strong embrace.

"I underestimated you," he whispered, "I can't believe you got him to come."

"You sounded so heartbroken when you talked about never meeting him," Mary lamented, "I wanted to at least try and make up for it."

He kissed her on the forehead.

"You did not understand…you were only a child. Stop blaming yourself."

She let him pick her up and carry her upstairs.

"You look much better since I was here last time," he commented, "your heartbeat is stronger."

Her kiss told him that something else had also grown stronger as well. He stared at her in surprise.

"You missed me?"

"Yes, I did. Every moment you were away, in fact."

She could taste joy in his next kiss. He kicked the door closed behind them and gently lay her on the bed. This time when they made love, he was confident he had done it right: there was no roughness, no rush, and no pain. He was careful to give her the attention she deserved and she melted beneath him. He was amazed at how much better it was for him as well—who knew that taking one's time could make it better? Maybe it was because he wanted her to be happy as well.

"My treasure," he breathed in her ear, "who knew that someone like you would turn my soul to sugar?"

She pressed her warm face against his icy shoulder. They were perfect complements of each other; fire and ice. Maybe this could work after all.