Author's Note: I am sincerely sorry for the long absence. And I vow to update every week between Wednesday and Friday (lest I fall intensely behind in school) every week. Also, since you've all been so patient, I thought I might respond to some reviews (which I love!).

* 3Lo - Thank you! Sometimes they're unexpected for me too. The characters really should behave themselves a little more for me lol

*Guest (10/18/12)- He definitely can be sassy :) Glad you enjoyed it

*lamppb13 - I don't picture Ralof as 17 either usually but I figured some people in Skyrim probably are and for some reason, when I originally wrote him as older, it just seemed odd. I am also Legion through and through! Which is why writing this was a new experience for me, trying to see it from the other side.

*Guest (7/2/12) - Wow, I'm honored! And the first day I read this review it totally made my week, which had been pretty bad up till that point. I promise to update more frequently!

*ghostanimal - I'm glad you've liked my story. The intention had always been to move away from traditional plot but I got carried away and was enjoying trying to twist things to be original in Helgen. I'm really glad you wrote that though, because I like to know when something is or isn't working. Hope you continue to read.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and continues to read the story!

Now on with the show:

Not So Far

I decided the safest method to get Jared and me to Riften was via carriage as I did not have enough money to buy a horse. Skyrim, if it had ever been safe, was nothing short of deadly since the Dragons came back and so we needed to get there quickly and efficiently and Jared was not used to traveling as he had never even wandered far from Riften.

It didn't take long for me to discover that Jared was not the least bit happy with me. When he thought I wasn't looking at him he snuck a glare at me and most of his responses to my questions were answered with short grunts or exasperated sighs which took some interpreting.

"If you don't want to go to Whiterun Jared, we don't have to," I said as evening approached.

I heard the carriage-man grumble about that ("we're half-way there") but I was paying and he'd receive his money either way so I didn't take the time to worry about him. However, Jared greeted me with a full on open glare at this suggestion.

"I was just thinking if you were unhappy or didn't want to do this…" I continued. "I understand if you'd rather stay in Riften and it's not a big deal to turn around."

"I don't want to turn around," Jared said, the longest sentence he'd strung together yet.

"Ok then," I said and we fell into silence again.

"Why would you send Lynn back to Honorhall?" Jared finally blurted.

"I – "

"You know she hates it there. You were supposed to be there. She was your family. Why would you leave her?" he shot off quickly.

"Lynn – "

"I thought you were different but you're no better than the rest of them. When things get tough you just give up," Jared finished.

"Hold up," I said, loud enough for the carriage-driver to hear. "We need to pause a minute."

I was now angry for two reasons, one because of what Jared said and two because I had been successfully baited by a twelve year old. Regardless, I needed to think straight and the wobbling sensation of the carriage did not help. Pacing did.

I jumped out of the carriage and then looked back to Jared, "Down, now."

He folded his arms over his chest like a much younger child and refused to budge. "Get down so we can talk or I'll turn this cart around to Riften whether you like it or not."

His arms dropped to his sides stiffly but he did not move to get out. "You're not my mother!"

"And I didn't ask to be!" I retorted. "I'm not that much older than you, you know. You'll see that one day. Ten years isn't that long."

"Whatever," Jared said and folded his arms over his chest again.

It was then that I had a sudden deep desire to put off having teenage children in my life for as long as possible.

"I didn't take Lynn back because I didn't want her in my life, or because it was tough. Tough is coming to a foreign land on your own despite the stupid nation being at civil war. Tough is finding out that for whatever reason, the Divines decided that "sure she doesn't have enough to worry about! let's make her dragonborn and put the fate of the world on her shoulders." Tough is having to say goodbye to someone you've grown to care about deeply because you're the biggest hazard to their life. You've had a tough run of life yourself Jared, so maybe when you stop being so irrational you'll think about that for awhile," I said and then jumped up onto the carriage again.

"Go!" I told driver and we were off again.

Jared resumed his brooding and I pretended as if I didn't notice. I fished out a book from my bag on pickpocketing that Lynn had given me as a going away present (and I hoped I'd never need). Normally with the emotion I had been feeling this would be the point where I'd worry about the kid, worry about me, feel guilty and torment myself about it. But this time I refused to do that, refused to think about it like that, or truly, to think about it much at all. The change was easy, too easy. Just like picking locks and murdering Grelod had been too easy. Even that thought didn't bother me like it should and at least now I knew why the kid hated me, and even though I knew I should, I had trouble caring.

The next morning was the first time Jared and I spoke again since our fight. Soon after the carriage had been packed up again, taken off, and I'd reopened my book (which by now was nearly finished) he decided to talk.

"You've changed," Jared said.

I didn't respond but kept reading. I wasn't sure what he meant by that. I had noticed a change. I had thought that maybe sleep or time would soften the way I felt but it hadn't. I hardly expected Jared to notice but it was possible. I thought it more likely, however, that he was referring to his thoughts that I had been selfish in letting Lynn go.

"I don't like it," he finally continued.

"So I heard. Yesterday," I said concluded, flipping the page and still not looking at him.

"I'm not talking about that," Jared said. "You're acting weird."

"Maybe I'm just tired of having everything be my fault, Jared," I said, and flipped another page.

Jared didn't say anything for another hour at least.

"It's not your fault. I'm…sorry," Jared finally said, as if the word physically pained him.

I sighed and put the book back in my bag. I had finished it twenty minutes ago anyway and had just been brushing over the finer points, not that I had needed to. The more I had read the more I realized how easy the knowledge came to me. Despite having never pickpocketed in my life, I had come up to the answer to all but four scenarios before reading the explanation. It had disturbed me, but not nearly as much as it would have yesterday.

"It's fine," I said and looked out over our surroundings.

I knew where we were, only about ten minutes carriage-ride from Whiterun. It had felt like it had been forever since I'd been there but in truth it had only been a couple of weeks. It seemed to me that my whole life had been lived in Riften now, as if everything before it had been nothing compared to it. I wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing.

"My parents didn't die from the sickness," Jared said which shocked me out of sightseeing.

I didn't know what to say and this time no words came, easy or otherwise.

The almost-teen didn't need me to say anything to prompt him to continue. "They survived. I like to tell people they died though."

"Why?" I blurted, without thinking.

"Because then they wouldn't have wanted to give me up. But they did, they did want to. After they got better I thought everything would go back to normal, but it didn't. We didn't have any money and they had to take whatever jobs they could get. They joined some bandits in just outside Windhelm, got addicted to Skooma, the hard stuff, from Morrowind.

"Then…one day they left and didn't come back. I found the note they'd left in their bedroom that night that just said good bye, they weren't returning. I didn't know what to do. I just stayed there. I stayed until the guards came a week later and informed me my parents had been caught trying to rob a nobleman in Whiterun, that my father had died in the attempt and my mother had been arrested. I guess she told them about me to make them feel bad for her so they'd let her go but instead they just got me and took me to Honorhall," Jared finished, matter-of-fact.

"I'm sorry," I said, and felt for the first time in twenty four hours the heaviness that had made everything feel so distant lift.

"I know you are," he said. "You're a good person, Ever. Not like them. I just…I really wished…Lynn told me about everything. She said she was actually hopeful about getting adopted, that things were ok now that Grelod was gone. She said she wasn't mad at you at all and I didn't understand why she wasn't. I guess I was just being stupid."

"Well…" I said with a smile, clearly joking, and he rolled his eyes but smiled for the first time that trip.

Then two things happened at once. The cart stopped abruptly, causing Jared to fall from his bench, and a roar that would have put Alduin off, reached my ears.

I turned, drawing my bow and looking at the sky but found nothing. I lowered my gaze and there was a giant who was way too close for comfort and coming our way.

A.N. Ok so not so much action as I planned which I blame Jared for. I promise the next chapter will have more. Also, don't worry, I haven't forgotten Everlee's main mission about her past! It's all going to come to take off soon enough.