The Ties That Bind

by GAM3R G1RL 13

Five years later & another Highland Games tournament, Merida is faced with a new trial that she brought upon herself. Now she must use all that she has learned to save herself and her unwanted traveling companion from the dangers of the unforgiving Scottish highlands and the storms of war brewing in the South. Rating changed due to violence, some language and maybe future innuendo

14. Chapter 13-5

The Ties That Bind: A Brave Fanfiction

Disclaimer: All* characters are copy write to Pixar and Disney. Only the idea and some of the first names are mine.

Warnings: Descriptions of death, violence, and language. This chapter is not going to be as intense as the last one. This has more of Shae's back-story and influence. I will warn you, Merida may seem a little OOC in this chapter but her behavior will be explained in chapter 14. (Since I consider this one Chapter 13.5 or 13 ½.)

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Shae stood motionless next to the ever-growing line of bodies. One by one the dead of the clan MacGuffin were brought outside of the Keep and into the village square. All of the dead of their enemies were taken outside of the village and piled unceremoniously on top of one another. The scavenger birds and wild animals had had their fill of flesh that day.

But Shae didn't care about that. Their souls could rot in the flames of whatever punishment awaited them for all he cared. He was just working on getting a full tally of all of the clan members that had been killed during the raid. He looked to his left and right. The bodies lined the streets and it was all Shae could do to keep from retching at the sight.

Bodies of children, women and men were laid out before him. Whole families were put next to each other. Some of the bodies were so badly charred that they were no longer recognizable. Those were treated as clan members even though some of the men were adamant that some had been the Vikings' bodies that were left. Shae wouldn't hear it though. He would rather err on the side of caution then to accidentally dishonor a clan member.

Shae had instructed the men to not let any of the children or women see the bodies. He didn't need anyone going into hysterics.

He turned his gaze up towards the Keep with sorrow in his eyes.

"How did I ever let this happen?" he muttered to himself.

Connell, his brother, was standing close by and heard him. Connell reached up and slapped the back of Shae's head.

"You didnnae let this happen, Shae! You saved us! If you hadnnae been here, who knows what would have happened."
"But I should have been faster! This many lives lost could have been prevented!" Shae shouted back at his younger brother.

An older warrior named Douglas walked between the two brothers, his hands raised to try and calm them both.

"Take it easy now lads. No reason for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. We have too much work to do for that."

The brothers looked away, ashamed.

"Sorry, Sir Douglas." They both apologized.

Douglas shook his head and then nodded towards the Keep.

"Connell, why donnae you go to your brother Brendan. He's still searching the Keep for stragglers and more survivors."

Connell looked over at Shae who nodded in agreement.

"Go help him, Connell."

With a quick, terse nod Connell turned and was off towards the Keep.

Shae watched him go with a deep frown on his face.

"You shouldnnae yell at your brother like that, Shae. Poor lad. This is the first time he's seen carnage like this. It's given that he'd be more than a little on edge."

Douglas gave Shae a look over and winced and the grief-stricken look on the young lords face.

"You know your brother is right, though. You're a damned hero, whether you want to see it or not."

How am I a hero, Sir Douglas? I let people die!"

"Did you know about the attack, Shae?" Douglas raised a brow at him.

Shae scoffed and rolled his eyes,

"No."

Douglas shrugged and shook his head,

"Then it wasnnae your fault. You couldnnae prevented these deaths any more than man can prevent the rain from falling to the earth. You did what you could, lad." He placed a hand on Shae's shoulder.

"And that's all anyone expects from you, Shae."

Shae looked at him incredulously.

"You seem to be awfully calm about all of this."

Douglas gave him a sad smile,

"Well, one of us has to keep a cool head m'lord. With every body they place on the ground, you look as though someone is ripping your heart from your chest."

How can it not affect you? Do you see how many there are? How many children, wives, daughters, sons, and mothers there are?"

"Aye. I see all of them. And all the fathers sons brothers lying there too Shae. It has affected me lad and I'm not going to lie, I want to hate myself! But there is no use in dwelling on the pain or focusing on what should have been done. What's done is done!" Douglas fought back his emotions.

This time Shae raised a brow at him. Before he could say anything Sir Douglas stepped away from him and walked over to the corpse of a small boy. Shae watched as he knelt next to the boy and said a small prayer over the boy. Shae moved closer, careful not to distract from the moment.

"This was my grandson…" Douglas said as he turned his gaze back towards Shae.

"I'm so sorry…" Shae muttered as he looked at the ground, unable to meet the old warriors gaze.

"I could be upset and mad, but I'm not m'lord. The reason why I am not is because of your plan that drove the monsters out before they could also kill my daughter and baby granddaughter. We lost the boy, and that is very painful for me. But the rest of my family is still safe thanks to you…"Sir Douglas began to sob and he turned away.

Shae swallowed thickly, his own emotions catching up with him. It was true that many had died, but many more had lived. And Shae would make sure that those who survived were well taken care of. Allowing Sir Douglas a little bit of privacy, he turned and looked towards the Keep.

As he watched men bring more bodies over to the rows, a frantic movement caught his eye. Looking up ahead he noticed his brother Brendan charging towards him. There were tears falling down his cheeks as he ran and stumbled. Shae's brows furrowed.

"Brendan?" he called to his brother worriedly.

"Shae! Oh, Shae, I'm so sorry! We couldnnae do anything! She was already gone! They…they killed her!" Brendan choked and sobbed.

Shae had a flash of memory of when Shannon died in his arms the night before. He shook the memory from his mind and looked at his brother in concern.

"Who Brendan? Who's gone?"

"She's gone!" Brendan wailed again.

"Who?!" Shae placed his hands on Brendan's shoulders.

"Mother! She's dead, Shae! They killed her…"

Before Shae could fully process what Brendan had just said, Connell walked up to them slowly. Shae and Brendan turned to the third oldest brother. He was white as a sheet and his whole body quaked with shock.

"Connell, are you okay?"

"I donnae know…I..I found this," Connell held up a tattered piece of cloth and a bloodied toy in his hand. Shae took it from him hastily.

"Where did you find this?!"

"In the nursery…I didnnae see any of the boys but…"

Connell didn't even get to finish before Shae took off in a hard sprint. He ran as fast as he could back into the Keep and to his baby brother's nursery. The two youngest shared the room. Neither were babies anymore, but until Bran got a little older they wanted to keep the boys together.

Shae ran up the stairs and into the parlor that connected his parent's room with the wee ones. Lady MacGuffin had always insisted that her little boys be close by in case they needed her. Shae stopped dead in his tracks when he crossed the doorway to the nursery. Every piece of furniture had been overturned and the bedding and clothes had been shredded. Shae was actually afraid to know what he would find here. Peeking over an overturned table, Shae saw a bloody robe. It was one of his mother's! Shae reached for it gingerly, but quickly backed away when he felt a weight wrapped inside it.

His mother had probably tried to protect her youngest sons by hiding them in one of her dressing robes. Unfortunately, her plan didn't succeed! Shae couldn't take anymore! He fell to his knees amidst the tattered clothes and ruined room. He shook with silent sobs as he pictured his two littlest brothers helpless and beaten.

Shae sucked in a shaky breath and slowly made his way back outside to Brendan and Connell. He walked up to them with tears still streaming down his face. Brendan and Connell knew immediately.

"They're gone too?" Brendan asked tentatively.

Shae couldn't speak, but he nodded heavily. The three brothers stood and let the realization sink in. Suddenly, a thought occurred to Shae! His head shot up and he looked at his tow brothers frantically,

"What about Cairne and Taryn? Has anyone seen them?"

The other two shook their heads.

A young man, named Keith, overheard Shae's question and answered quietly.

"My lords, your other brothers are safe. They were protected in the Keep by some of the staff along with some other children. They've been kept apart until we could locate Lady MacGuffin."

Before Shae or his brothers could say anything, Sir Douglas stepped up to the young man.

"Lady MacGuffin is dead, lad. Bring the children to their brothers. They need to know…"

Keith nodded and took off back to the Keep to fetch the young boys.

Shae turned to Douglas.

"Thank you Sir Douglas, would you mind taking over for a few minutes here? I donnae want my younger brothers to see all of this."

Shae motioned to the lines of bodies filling the square.

Douglas gave him a sad, but understanding smile,

"Aye. Take your time…all of you. Last night was hard on all of us. Take what little comfort you can get at the moment."

"How can telling two of your little brothers that their mother and two little littlest brothers were murdered be at all comforting?" Connell spat.

"Because lad, you still have each other and you can lean on one another! That is what being a family is about…" Sir Douglas offered.

Brendan and Shae nodded but Connell scoffed at the old man. Brendan wrapped one arm around Connell's shoulder.

"Come brother, waiting wonnae make it easier…"

Shae watched his two brothers head towards the Keep proper a moment or two. Finally, he turned and gave Sir Douglas a quick nod,

"Thank you again, Sir Douglas. Hopefully someday I can repay your kindness and wisdom.

With that Shae took off after his brothers. When he caught sight of the two middle brothers only one thought went through his mind…

"I really wish da' was here right now…"

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Shae stood on a balcony overlooking the courtyard. The rains had fallen heavily the entire week and the small pond below him was flooded to the brink. With all the rain it was as if the gods themselves were in tears over the loss of so many. They had held ceremonies for the dead everyday for six days straight. The clan agreed to let each victim have a proper ceremony and burial so that the families of the deceased would not be dishonored. Each of the victims deserved to be honored! Shae sighed and gripped the railing tightly, his mind drifting away.

How many times had he stood out here the last few days and imagined throwing himself to the ground below? He couldn't abandon his clan now, but sometimes it just seemed easier then to have to deal with it all.

"Ahem…" Shae heard a deep voice from behind him.

Without turning around, Shae greeted the newcomer.

"Hello father…"

Lord Kenneth MacGuffin stepped beside his eldest son.

"Hello Shae, are you doing all right?" Kenneth asked tentatively.

"Shouldnnae I be asking you that?"

"Shae, I lost my wife and two of my youngest sons. Of course I am hurting! Everyone is! But you and the others from that night, the survivors, I imagine you are hurting worst of all. I've seen horrors in battle but this…this was something altogether different. You saw things that I know in all my years I've never dealt with. I must say if I were you I'd be a wreck." Lord MacGuffin stated.

"I cannae sleep very well…I hear screams as soon as I close my eyes. Brendan says the same thing. Poor Connell can barely speak anymore. So yeah da' I am a wreck! I lost my fiancé, mother and two brothers in one night. My fiancé was raped and murdered a few weeks before our wedding! Do you know how that feels?!" Shae snapped sharply.

"No, Shae…I donnae know how that feels." Lord MacGuffin answered quietly.

"Well, it's unbearable! I wish sometimes I could just die too! I wish I had been killed that night! At least then I wouldnnae have to be dealing with all this pain!" Shae yelled in frustration and pain.

"You donnae mean that Shae!" Lord MacGuffin gasped.

"Aye. I do…" Shae mumbled as he finally calmed down.

"And what then Shae? Your pain would be over but what of your brothers? What of mine? We all need to be strong now lad! We have to lean on each other. We can get through this, Shae. Clan MacGuffin is strong and we will survive! But only if we donnae give up hope." Kenneth clamped his hand on his sons' shoulder.

"Now you sound an awful lot like Sir Douglas…" Shae muttered to his father.

Good. He is a great man, a wise warrior. We should aspire to be men like him." Kenneth said with a small smile.

Shae's brows furrowed at his father,

"You're a great man too da'. And a great leader."

Kenneth looked at his eldest son in gentle understanding,

"I know Shae. And you are a great leader too. Donnae forget that."

Shae scoffed and rolled his eyes,

"Yeah, a great leader that let half his people be slaughtered.

"That wasnnae your fault, Shae. No matter what else you may think. You are not to blame for anyone's death."

Shae turned away from his father and moved to go back inside. He stopped and blocked the entranceway.

"So you say da'. But I know at least one life that is on my head…" Shae muttered and then left his father alone out on the balcony.

Lord MacGuffin watched his son walk away with sorrow filled eyes. He sighed and turned towards the darkening sky. With unshed tears he whispered to the heavens,

"Oh, Gwen, what am I going to do…."

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Shae was back in the corridor from before. Many paths and many halls lay before him and no direction once again. Each hallway looked the same and he had no way of determining where he was or where he was going.

"Lost, boy?" called a voice from behind him.

Shae turned on his heel and was greeted with the confused face of his father. Shae's own brows knit in confusion.

"Da'? What are you doing here?"

Before the image of his father could answer, he transformed in front of him. Shae was shocked to see his mother standing in front of him.

Her face looked tired and forlorn.

"Oh, Shae, what has happened to you? What has happened to my boy?" Tears fell from her eyes. Shae felt tears streak down his own face.

"Ma'…" was all Shae could choke out. He reached out for her and she for him but before they could touch, she faded before his eyes. Shae looked around frantically. The hallways had disappeared as well.

Soon, Shae was standing in a forest clearing. He could see his littlest brothers playing by a stream. Liam, the youngest, caught his eye first. Liam smiled brightly at him.

"Shae! Shae come play with us! Bran is being mean and wonnae let me have a turn with the bow!"

Bran, the older of the two boys, stuck his tongue out.

"You're too little for this Liam! This is for big boys!"

"I am a big boy! Right Shae?" Liam asserted, turning to his oldest brother. Shae was too caught up in emotion to say anything so he just nodded dumbly.

"See! Shae thinks I should get a turn!" Liam huffed as he ran after Bran, who was running from the clearing and into the woods.

Shae realized where the boys were heading and called after them.

"Lads, wait! Be careful! Liam! Bran! Come back!"

Shae ran after them, heading in the direction that they went. As Shae pushed through the trees, the underbrush and thickets became very dense. Shae pushed a low branch out of the way to avoid getting whacked in the face. He looked up to where he thought the boys had run, but he found no one. As he pushed through the rest of the way he saw the sky light up to bright red, as though it was on fire!

He exited the trees and stood before a massive open field. He looked over the field and was even more confused about what he saw. The ground was littered with the bodies of men from every clan! Some were bloodied and some were charred. He turned and saw a tower standing in the distance. Walking towards it he noticed the flags from all of the united clans waving from the ramparts. Each one was torn and haggard. Shae shook his head, trying to make the images leave his mind.

"Shae…" a soft voice called from behind him.

Shae turned quickly and his breath hitched in his throat!

Shannon was once again standing before him. She had a look of deep sadness on her face.

"What have you done, Shae?" the specter questioned him.

"I…I didnnae do this! It's…It's not my fault…" he stuttered.

"Shae you have to protect them. You can save them…"

Shae looked at the bodies, confused.

"How? They're dead. I failed again!"

"No, you can still save them…" the spirit argued.

"One man cannae change anything!"

"He can if he holds the right answers, Shae."

"I donnae have any answers…" Shae muttered and then went silent. He looked down at the ground in shame. Above him, the heavens darkened and clouded up. Rain began to fall heavily.

"Shae I know we can do this! We can do this together just like everything else we've gone through!" Merida's voice sounded out.

Shae looked up quickly! Shannon was still standing in front of him but when she opened her mouth to speak, it was Merida's voice again.

"Shae, you and I are a team now. You shouldnnae have to do this alone and I…I cannae do this without you…"

As the visage in front of Shae spoke, her image changed from Shannon to the fiery princess.

"Merida?" he asked in confusion. The spirits were toying with his mind! They had to be!

Merida's face lit up when he said her name. A smile covered her features and she reached up and pulled him into a hug. Shae pulled back quickly.

"Merida, what are you doing?"

The princess searched his gaze with furrowed brows.

"I could ask you the same thing, Shae? Why have you shut me out?"

"Shut you out? I donnae think I've ever let you in!" Shae snapped.

Pain and hurt crossed Merida's features as she stepped away from him.

"Shae…donnae I mean anything to you? After everything we've been through together…"

Shae's look of confusion only deepened when her eyes filled with tears. Unable to stop his concern for he, he started to reach out to her, to try to apologize.

"Merida, I…"

Merida looked up at him sorrowfully,

Before he could finish his thought, however, Shae watched as a tip of a sword protruded out of Merida's middle. Her eyes widened and she grabbed at her stomach. Horrified, Shae grabbed her and pulled her to him, cradling her body close.

"MERIDA!"

"Shae…I'm…I'm so sorry Shae….I should have just let you…let you be…forgive…me…" Merida choked out.

Shae watched as, once again, another woman died in his arms. How many times would he be in this position?! How many lives that he could have helped save? Shae brushed back a lock of unruly hair from Merida's face. Shae leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. It was an intimate gesture but nevertheless, one Shae deemed appropriate at the moment.

"Good riddance, I say." Said a gruff voice from behind him.

Shae gently laid the princess' body on the ground and then stood. He clenched his fists before turning around. Shae stumbled back when he saw Merida's murderer. Shae was standing face to face with himself!

"Oh, you cannae possibly be sad that she is gone, can you? After everything in your life that she ruined?" The 'other' Shae stated harshly.

Shae was still too shocked for any words. After a few moments, Shae shook himself out of his stupor.

"How…"

The 'other' Shae smirked darkly,

"This is the real you, Shae, the one who wants to destroy the very one who ruined your life. You can thank me later."

"Thank you?!" Shae yelled angrily.

"Why would I thank you for that?! She didnnae deserve to die!"

"Oh, no?" the doppelganger mocked.

"Need I remind you the torture that she's put you through? She is the reason you lost Shannon. She is the reason your happiness was destroyed. She is the reason…"

"STOP!" Shae shouted angrily.

Shae breathed heavily and tried to control the anger that was surfacing. He had wanted to hate Merida! He wanted to blame her for all of his loss and pain! For a long time he did, but he couldn't anymore! He remembered what Shannon had told him. The specter had begged him to let go! Let go of all his anger and hurt! Let go of the pain and heal. And she had asked him to let her go as well…

Shae turned away from the copy and fought back his own anger. Around this creature he couldn't stop the anger from boiling inside! He had to fight it! This creature, this…reflection was trying to manipulate him. Without turning around, he addressed his other self.

"You had no right to take her life! It's true I blamed her once…but she didnnae deserve to die, no matter what I used to think…" Shae growled lowly.

The copy sneered at him.

"If you feel so strongly about her innocence, then fight me! Beat me and I will restore what has been lost."

Shae gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. He turned on his heel to face his other self. The doppelganger's sneer deepened.

"You'll never beat me Shae! I am you! The real you that you hide from everyone! The one that wants justice for all the crimes committed against him!"

Shae stared down the copy, tense and not moving an inch.

"That is not justice…that is vengeance."

The 'other' Shae unsheathed his own sword and growled,

"Same difference!" He snarled as he lunged forward.

Shae dodged him and pivoted around, his sword ready for a fight. His other self had stopped quickly and turned on his heel to swipe his sword towards Shae's middle. Shae jumped back in time to avoid the slice to his gut. Unfortunately, Shae misjudged his footing and fell backwards onto the ground. He lost his grip on his sword and it flew from his hand.

The doppelganger chuckled darkly as he kicked the sword away.

"You should have known you cannae defeat me. You're the weak one, Shae! The slow one! You couldnnae protect your lover. And you couldnnae protect your family. Now, you cannae protect yourself!"

The other Shae lifted his sword for a killing blow. Just as he started to swing, full force down, Shae reached out and kicked as hard at he could towards the' other's' chest. The brunt force of the kick hit the other Shae square in the chest and he staggered back! He doubled over with pain and that gave Shae enough time to move away and stand up.

"You think making me a little winded will make it easier for you? You are pathetic! No wonder everyone you care about dies!" The doppelganger taunted.

Shae clenched his jaw and started to rush towards his other self. But just as he started to move, a gentle hand was placed upon his shoulder. Shae turned and was met face to face with Shannon, his mother and two little brothers. Shae's face contorted in confusion.

"You don't have to fight him, Shae. He's already lost. Give up your anger and pain." His mother coaxed gently.

"We will always be with you, Shae. But holding onto us like this wonnae let you find happiness, nor will it let us rest. You have others you can lean on, and you know it." Shannon paused and gave him a knowing smile,

"You could even have more…if you open your heart and love again."

"NO! Donnae listen to them! That anger and pain is the only thing that is keeping you going! Without that what are you?! A husk of a man!" The copy yelled at him.

Shae turned back towards his other self. He noticed the other Shae was beginning to disapperar.

"No, you're wrong. I was a husk of a man when I allowed my own pain, anger, self-pity and loathing to overtake myself. I've had good days and I've had bad ones…really bad ones. But I lied to myself. I tried to put the blame on someone else entirely. She cannae pay for the mistakes I've made. And I wonnae blame anyone else any more! It was an accident, and no matter what I've wanted to think the only ones I can blame are the ones who invaded our home. It was their fault, and no one else." Shae declared solemnly.

The moment that the last word left Shae's lips his doppelganger disappeared in a flash of white light. Shae turned to face his family and Shannon. They, too, were beginning to fade as well. Shae reached out for them.

"No, you cannae leave me again." Shae plead with them.

The spirits of his mother and Shannon smiled sadly at him.

"We're not leaving you, Shae. You'll always have us near. You know that." His mother whispered to him.

Shannon touched his face tenderly,

"Oh Shae, you have to be strong. Open your heart again. Stop dwelling on what you cannae change. Look towards what you can! You have a future, Shae. Donnae waste it by focusing on the past…" Shannon smiled gently up at him.

The spirits in front of him faded as he and his surroundings were enveloped in the same white light that had taken his other self. Shae closed his eyes, waiting for what was to come.

-|} -[(+)]-{|-

Shae jolted awake and sat straight up, gasping for air! His face contorted in pain when the ache in his shoulder shot through him. In an instant, someone was by his side.

"Easy, Shae, easy. You shouldnnae be sitting up yet. The last time you did you went into a fit. You need to rest." Merida's voice sounded next to him.

She laid a hand on his good shoulder and pushed him back down gently. He didn't fight her and lay back down like she instructed. Shae breathed deeply, trying to make sense of his dream. Merida noticed the hard concentration on his face and sighed heavily. Shae heard her heavy sigh and looked up at her. This time he noticed something different about her.

She looked tired. Very tired. Her eyes were red, either from lack of sleep or tears. Shae wasn't sure which. Shae raised his brow at her as she sat back down on her pallet. He watched as she slumped forward a bit and put her hand against her cheek and leaned all of her weight on that arm. This concerned him.

"Are you okay Merida?" Shae looked at her, worriedly.
Merida tried to wipe the sleepiness from her person. She rubbed her face wearily and smiled at him half-heartedly.

"I'm fine, Shae. I should be asking you if you're okay, not the other way around…" Merida chuckled tiredly.

"You look exhausted." Shae's voice was thick with sleep and lack of moisture.

Merida pursed her lips and then smiled weakly again. She got up from her seat and grabbed the water skin that actually had the water in it. She sat down next to him and lifted it to his lips.

"Here drink this. You need it." She tilted the water skin slightly to allow him some of the water. Shae readily took it and was grateful for the cool liquid as it soothed his dry throat.

"As far as to why I look exhausted, well, lets just say that happens when you stay up with someone for two days straight…" Merida muttered.

Shae choked on the water. He sputtered and coughed. Merida pulled the water-skin away from him and looked at him in concern.

"Shae, easy! Small sips…" Merida teased.

Shae started to glare at her but decided against it. He wiped the loose droplets from his face with the back of his hand. He chose to ignore her instruction for the moment and go back to why he had choked in the first place.

"You've been awake and watching over me for two days?!" Shae gaped up at her.

Merida turned her face away, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Well, actually it was more like just one day, but we're getting close to the second day now."

Shae looked at her quizzically,

"Why? Why would you do that?"

Merida shrugged,

"Because the Fae cannae help us right now. And I wanted to make sure you were going to be all right. Besides, I had to make sure you got your medicine at decent intervals..." Merida explained.

She paused and looked down at him with a sad expression.

"Plus, it was my fault you got injured in the first place. You took that arrow for me, Shae. I have to repay you somehow…" Merida sighed tiredly once again.

Shae's furrowed brow deepened.

"It wasnnae your fault, Merida. I chose to protect you…" Shae argued.

He mentally scolded himself, remembering all the blame he had put on himself and then later transferred it Merida. He wasn't one to be giving advice on blame, of that he was sure.

Merida gave him a tired smile,

"Okay fine…but another reason why I stayed up to watch over you was because the Fae told me that the only way to keep the mists from moving us all over the Highlands while were sleeping, was for one of us to watch over the other while they slept. Or have someone else watch over us…" Merida trailed off.

"Someone else?"

"Aye. The first couple of days some of the Fae took turns watching over us. It was usually Keira or her cousin, Iaighe. I never saw Teavah or the others. The Fae are…um…indisposed at the moment, I guess…" Merida explained

"Indisposed? Such a big word." Shae teased, starting to feel a bit more awake and even a little better.

Merida made a face at him,

"I didnnae know how else to say it. The new King of the Fae decided to move their Circle. Probably somewhere deeper into the woods to avoid detection by the Vikings or other humans."

Shae contemplated what the action could mean and decided that Merida was probably right. He nodded in agreement after a moment.

"You're probably right. No reason in keeping his family and…clan…in danger if it can be protected by other means." He added.

He lay there a few more minutes, but Merida didn't say anything more. Shae lifted his head to look at her noticed her staring back into the fire once more. He took in her features while the conversation lulled. The poor young woman was so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open. The beautiful long braid, which she had worn during their first day or so in the forests, had long since fallen away. Now her hair looked the same as it did the day he first saw her, as fiery and unruly as the flames that danced before him. Her expression was more solemn than he ever remembered seeing her look. That could have been due to the lack of sleep, but Shae felt that it was something deeper. Shae cleared his throat causing her to jump from her trance. Merida gazed down at him. Her blue eyes looked so hollow it worried him.

"You know, Merida, I'm feeling much better now. I'm sure I can force myself to stay awake. At least for a few hours, so that you can get some rest." Shae offered.

Merida smiled tiredly at him once again,

"Thank you for the offer, Shae, but you're the one that needs to rest. I donnae need your infection to come back. I wonnae be able to help you if it does…"

Something sparked in her eyes and she stood quickly. Too quickly. Merida stumbled and started to fall. Shae shot up again and ignored the dull ache that shot through him. He was worried about her and her safety! He reached for her and she was able to steady herself on his arm. She wobbled a bit and shook her head. She smiled sheepishly,

"I wee bit too fast, I suppose…" she muttered.

She stepped over to a small collection of bowls and torn strips of cloth. She gathered what she needed and moved back to his side. She laid the items down next to his pallet. Shae watched as she prepared the items for what, he could only assume, was for redressing his wound.

Merida looked at him and frowned,

"I thought I said to lie down, Shae."

Shae was still sitting upright and with Merida kneeling next to him they were almost eye level with each other.

"You did, but that was before you almost tumbled into the fire and scared me half to death." Shae answered her.

Merida rolled her eyes, but Shae continued,

"Besides, if you need to redress this wound, it'll be a lot easier to do with me sitting up." Shae argued

Merida scoffed as she went to work, gently unwrapping the wound.

"Yeah, last time I did this with you sitting up you passed out on me…" she mumbled to him.

Shae raised a brow at her but said nothing. He just watched her work. With practiced ease she unwrapped the wound and inspected it for signs of infection. Shae watched her with a newfound curiosity. She took one of the fresh strips of cloth and poured a bit of the water over it. Then, softly, she dabbed at the wound, both on his front shoulder and on his back. Shae hissed in pain when she lightly touched a still tender area. She pulled back slightly and stopped moving at his noise.

"Are you all right, Shae?" Merida asked with concern.

He nodded and she continued her task. Shae looked at the wound on his shoulder and winced at the red irritation still surrounding it.

"How bad is it?" He asked her while she continued to dab at the part on his back.

"Well you didnnae loose your arm…that you can be thankful for, at least."

Shae rolled his eyes at her answer.

"And the infection gone away, so that's good news too."

Shae looked puzzled at that. He turned and looked at her over his shoulder.

"The infections gone? How could it? That fae girl just gave the medicine to you not a day ago…"

"Her name is Iaighe, and I know. I was a little thrown off myself when I saw how fast it was working…Apparently Iaighe knows a bit of magic healing. The medicine was just able to speed up the process of healing." Merida explained.

She finished cleaning his wound and reached for the greenish watery liquid that was the medicine. Shae made grimaced as he remembered the awful taste of the stuff.

"Yeah, well I wish it would heal that gaping hole in my shoulder…" Shae grumbled.

Merida reached over and smacked his good shoulder.

"She did her best, Shae. Besides, if she haddnae given me this stuff," Merida stated holding up said medicine bowl, "you would be dead by now…"

"Wouldnnae that make it easier on you, at least?" Shae tried to tease but Merida's demeanor changed in an instant. She got angry.

"No! It wouldnnae make it easier for me! Now here, take this!" she snapped at him and then handed him the bowl with the medicine in it. Merida gathered the other water skin. The one with that Iaighe had put the salve in. Shae looked at her in confusion as she angrily put together the dressing components. Deciding to not get the exhausted princess angrier with him, Shae downed the medicine she had given him. Shae shuddered and scrunched up his face in disgust at the taste.

"Blech! This stuff is just as awful as I remembered it…" Shae complained.

Merida shook her head at him.

"It may be awful but that stuff saved your life. Not that you seem to care about that…" Merida huffed.

Shae turned to her abruptly,

"Now, wait a moment, Merida, I was only teasing you. I didnnae mean to upset you…" Shae said tried to apologize.

Merida's abrupt anger seemed to dissipate just as quickly as it formed. She sighed heavily,

"I'm sorry Shae, it's just…I've worried about you for almost three days now…actually maybe four. And when I heard you joke about dying I guess it just...struck me wrong, I suppose…"

"You've been worried about me?" Shae twisted his torso to look at her.

Merida's cheeks flushed bight red.

"Donnae flatter yourself, Shae. It's not like that…" Merida muttered.

She had just outright lied to his face! She had been worried about him and she had been contemplating on how she felt about him. But she wasn't about to let him know about it! Merida wasn't even sure herself how she really felt about the man in front of her. All she knew, was the she had been terrified of loosing him when he was shot.

Shae watched as the blush that covered her cheeks started to spread down her neck. He couldn't stop the hint of a smile that tugged at his lips.

"You still were worried about me."

Merida rolled her eyes at him,

"Of course I was! I would hope that you would have been too if our situations were reversed! I know you hate me, but I hope you wouldnnae wish me to die because of it…"

Shae snapped his head towards her at her statement. His memory flashed once again and images from the dream formed in his mind. Shae remembered holding Merida's dying body in his arms and he shuddered. Merida looked at him strangely and he looked away from her gaze. He shook his head, trying to shake the memory from his mind.

"No." he answered softly, looking down at his lap.

"I wouldnnae wish that on you, Merida." Shae was surprised at his own confession. Maybe those dreams had more of an effect on him than he realized. Shae stared into the fire, getting lost in his thoughts. Maybe those dreams had been something more than just dreams…

"This may sting a bit, Shae."

Being pulled from his thoughts, he raised a brow at her,

"You donnae know?" he lightly chuckled.

Merida blushed once more.

"Well, normally you've been unconscious when I've had to do this part. You've never had the chance to tell me. I never asked Iaighe, either. So, no, I donnae know…" Merida mumbled.

Shae braced himself in case of pain and watched as Merida grabbed the healing salve. With the gentlest touch she could, she applied the salve generously to the wound on his back. Shae shivered slightly at the coolness of the ointment. The two unlikely companions descended into comfortable silence. The only sounds were from the fire and forests around them.

As Merida finished applying the salve to the back of the wound she moved around and knelt in front of him once again. She gathered more of the salve and then paused. When she had looked up from the ground, Shae was staring at her like he had never seen her before. He stared at her as though he was confused about whom she was…

"Is something that matter, Shae? Did I hurt you?" she asked quietly.

Shae, realizing he was staring at her blushed and looked away quickly. He swallowed thickly before turning back to her. Shae forced a small smile and shook his head,

"No, you didnnae hurt me…I was just remembering the first day after we got the spell put on us. How I tried to cut through the magic binds and how I sliced my hand. You dressed that wound too. I was just noticing, again, how at ease you are at it…"

Merida rolled her tired eyes but smiled nonetheless.

"I warned you not to do it…" Merida mumbled,

"That was a little scratch compared to this, though. I told you that day that I've had plenty of practice dressing wounds. I have my three brothers and da' to practice on." Merida's face fell momentarily.

"But when I had to get the arrow out of you and you passed out…I…I thought you were dead. If it hadnnae been for Iaighe and Keira, you probably would be…" Merida frowned remembering the scene a few nights ago.

On impulse, Shae reached out for Merida's arm.

"It's all right now though, I'm fine…or at least, I will be…thanks to your help."

"Mostly Iaighe's."

Merida and Shae didn't say anything more for a few moments. They both just smiled softly to one another, as silent understanding passing between them. Finally, Shae cleared his throat,

"So are you going to do this part or do you need me too?" Shae asked, breaking the silence.

Merida shook her head, but felt her face heat up once more when she looked down at Shae's broad, bare chest. The last few days she had no problems cleaning and redressing his wound, but now that he was awake she felt very self-conscious about seeing his naked torso.

To be completely fair, he was the one who had basically undressed himself in front of her. She had afforded him as much privacy as she could. Thankfully, most of his kilt had pooled at his waist and lower, so at least some decorum was maintained the last few days. She had also given him most of the blankets and bedding that Keira had brought them late that first night. Knowing that he was awake and watching her made her uncharacteristically shy. Merida was sure her face was as red as her hair when she gazed up at him again.

"No, I've got it Shae. You should probably not move too much, if you can keep from it. The wound is starting to heal and I donnae need you reopening it." She told him matter-of-factly.

Merida turned her gaze back to his wound and tried to ignore his gaze. She reached up and gently applied the salve to the wound on his shoulder. Shae's gaze was so intense that Merida had a difficult time focusing on making sure she wasn't hurting him and applying enough of the ointment to the wound. As Merida was applying the ointment to the wound she vaguely wondered if her mother ever did this to her father when they were younger. He was notorious for getting pretty banged up in battle and fights. Had the Queen ever doctored her husband when he had come home from battle? Had it led to something else…

The thought of this being something intimate caused Merida to flush deeper. She mentally slapped herself and focused on her task. This was not intimate! Merida refused to look at it as anything more than what it had been the last few days. She was just making sure he healed properly and regained his strength.

As she was applying the salve, she accidentally touched a particularly tender spot on his shoulder. Shae turned his face away and winced in pain.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered to him.

"It's not your fault…" Shae answered back.

Deciding that was enough for now, Merida wiped the excess salve off of her hands and grabbed the fresh cloth. She began to wrap the linen around Shae and he aided her by holding it down in place as she worked it around his upper torso, and shoulder.

When she had finished she sat back and eyed her handiwork. Nodding her approval, she moved away from him. Shae watched as she gathered the salve and wrappings together. She stood and slightly stumbled again. Shae reached up and grabbed her hand quickly to help her stay balanced. Merida shook her head and looked down at him once more with a sheepish smile. Shae frowned up at her.

"Merida, you need to rest! I promise you I will be all right for a few hours. You cannae do this to your body. And I'm in no condition to save you from a fire…" Shae tried to reason with her.

Merida looked away, ashamed with herself once more.

"I was trying to be helpful for you, Shae…"

"And you have! But you're not going to do either of us any good if you donnae get some sleep. You're exhausted! You can barely stand, let alone walk. You need at least a few hours worth of rest. Trust me, I've seen first hand what lack of sleep can do to a body." Shae assured her.

Merida raised a brow at him. She knew she couldn't stay awake for another night. She needed rest too, but Shae was still recovering.

"I cannae let you stay up for so long, though. You need rest too, Shae. More so than I do…I'm not the once recovering from poison…"

"A few hours is all I'm asking you to rest, Merida. I wonnae die in just a few hours time."

"Maybe not, but something else could happen…"

"Merida!" Shae said sharply, stopping her argument.

"Rest, please." Shae softened his voice and Merida finally relented.

She sighed, threw up her arms in exasperation and moved back over to her pallet. She sat down and looked over at him from across the fire. Her mouth was pressed into a hard line.

"Fine, Shae! But remember what I said. You have to stay awake or else the spell will cause us to be moved again…" Merida huffed and lifted her still magically entwined wrist.

Shae nodded in understanding and watched as she lied down on her pallet. It was barely a minute before Shae noticed Merida's breathing was even and deep.

"Poor lass…she was exhausted!" Shae observed.

Shae sat there on his pallet in silence, just watching the rise and fall of the sleeping princess. He watched over her for some time, not wanting to disturb her. As he was sitting there, his stomach began to rumble loudly. He looked over to where Merida had put the linen and ointment and wondered if there was food over there as well.

Careful of his shoulder, he slowly worked his way up to his feet. He made sure he was as quiet as he could be. He didn't need Merida waking up and giving him a lecture on how he shouldn't be up.

He wobbled a bit as he stood and moved slowly to where she had placed the things. He grinned when he noticed a basket that had some bread and fruits in it. At least he wouldn't starve! Shae sat down on a stump and reached out for the basket. He sighed happily as he bit into one of the pieces of bread. As he sat and ate, he stared over at Merida's sleeping form.

As he watched her and ate, his mind began to wander. His dream from earlier come to the forefront of his mind. The vision of Merida, along with his family and Shannon confused him. And his battle with his other self was even harder to comprehend…

As he was thinking back on his recent dream and the part that Merida played in it, he looked down at the young woman with a raised brow. Obviously, Merida had spent many hours awake watching over him. She had spent many days taking care of his wound and helping him along on his recovery. He knew that the fae had helped as well, but it was still Merida who was there when he had awoken.

"Shae, you and I are a team now. You shouldnnae have to do this alone and I…I cannae do this without you…"

The memory of Merida in his dreams flashed in his mind. Shae shook his head to try and clear it of the images.

"Just let it go, Shae. Let me go…"

He could hear Shannon's gentle pleading from his first dream. She pleaded with him to move on, to forgive. To love once again. Shae swallowed thickly.

He suddenly felt a loss of appetite. He put the remaining food back in the basket and set it back down. Feeling a little nauseous as all the images, voices and scenes from his dream rushed through his head, Shae grabbed the one of the water-skins. Hoping it was the water and not the salve, Shae took a huge swig. Luckily, he had grabbed the right skin. After taking another large gulp of water, he put the water-skin back.

Shae rubbed his face with his big hands and tried to focus on anything other than his dreams! He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He looked over at Merida's sleeping form once more and noticed she was now fidgeting in her sleep.

Curiosity got the best of him and he moved over to the sleeping princess. Shae sat down next to her, careful not to wake her. He gazed down at her face his brows furrowed. Now that he was closer to her, and more awake than earlier, he could clearly see the streaks on her face. She had been crying! She had a deep frown on her face and her breathing was uneven. She was having a nightmare.

Instinctually, Shae reached out and brushed some of her hair from her face. His large hand brushed her cheek softly and Shae heard her sigh. He also noticed her breathing began to even out. Shae turned his gaze to the fire and tried to recall the last few days while he was unconscious.

He did remember waking briefly, at some point. Iaighe had been there and she had told him to go back to sleep. He remembered asking about Merida, and then he was in excruciating pain. Iaighe had assured him that Merida was all right. Then he remembered a feeling of peace wash over him. The touch of a hand in his had soothed him enough for him to fall back to sleep…

The next thing he remembered was he incident with the kiss. Shae felt his face flush slightly remembering that. He didn't know how they ended up like that. Shae never got a chance to question her on it.

He had been so angry about the Shannon question that he had exerted himself too soon. It caused a relapse on his injury. Or, at least, he was sure that was how Merida viewed it. In truth, he had probably developed the infection earlier; it was just triggered more violently by his sudden movements and rise of anger.

Shae frowned at himself, thinking back on his behavior. If he were honest with himself, he would say that he was in the wrong from the beginning. But he was stubborn, and he wasn't ready to admit anything, yet. Merida was stubborn herself and very, very outspoken. However, her change in attitude had confused him greatly.

'What has changed?' he wondered to himself.

He shook his head again and looked down at the sleeping woman. The corners of his mouth tugged up slightly as he gazed down at her.

"You're so strange, Merida. One minute we're mortal enemies and the next, I find out you've stayed up for almost two days straight making sure I was okay and taken care of. I wish you'd tell me why…"

Shae shook his head and looked at the magic twine that tied them together. Shae pursed his lips as he fingered the rope, thoughtfully.

"But you wonnae,will you?"

He sighed heavily and looked up, into the night sky. Shae could almost feel his walls start to crumble. He had built them so high around his heart, around his life. He couldn't let others in. He barely let his family in…

He didn't want too. It was betrayal! At least in his eyes…

"The pain that you feel, doesnnae have to be forever," Shannon stepped closer to him taking his hands in hers.

Shannon took a deep breath,

"You just have to let me go." She whispered to him.

"I can't…" Shae choked.

"You can, Shae! You can let me go. And you can love again" Shannon whispered to him.

"No! I cannae do that! I cannae betray you like that!" Shae shouted back.

"It's not betrayal, love. It's moving on. Making a life for yourself despite your loss. You still have so much life to live, Shae! Donnae waste it by wishing to change the things that cannae be changed. Just accept it and move on." Shannon urged.

"I donnae want to forget you." Shae

"And you wonnae, dear one. But you can forgive and love. And you can remember me." The spirit touched his face tenderly, and Shae fought back the lump in his throat.

"Just let it go, Shae. Let me go…"

Once more, the memory flashed in his mind. Then he swore he heard Shannon's voice again, repeating her own words.

"Let me go…Forgive and love…love again…"

Shae growled and rubbed his head furiously! He tried to banish the voice from his mind but he couldn't.

"NO!" Shae stood and shouted in frustration.

Quickly he covered his mouth and looked down at Merida. She didn't stir at his outburst and he let out sigh of relief. Shae took a deep breath and looked towards the heavens. He searched the night sky and stared up at the stars.

"I cannae let you go…I…I…just cannae…" he whispered.

Shae let his tears fall. No matter what his dreams told him, he knew in his heart he could never love again! He wasn't meant to find happiness. Shae slumped back down to the ground.

He didn't care about his wound anymore. He didn't care about the spell anymore. He didn't really care about anything anymore! Shae tried to fight back his sobs and tears, but they wouldn't hold. His body shook with silent sobs as he locked his gaze onto the fire.

Shae jumped when he felt a hand on his good shoulder. He turned and was met with sad sapphire eyes. Merida was standing. Her eyes were still tired, but shone with something Shae hadn't seemed to notice before. Compassion.

She reached down with her other hand and touched his face gently. Shae felt a whole new wave of emotions hit him! Pain shot through him, all the way to his heart! It wasn't the physical pain he was used to, this was all based on his loss! He had lost his lover! He had lost his mother and two, baby brothers! And he had lost his own self-respect! Shae felt his tears streak down his face.

"It's all right, Shae. I'm here for you…" Merida offered him.

In Shae's broken state, he couldn't even handle his emotions any more! Shae leaned forward into Merida's middle. He wrapped his arms around her legs and buried his face into her skirt. Merida wrapped one arm around his shoulders and the other she placed gently on the back of his head, lightly brushing and petting his hair with her fingers to soothe him. Feeling more comfort wrapped up in Merida's embrace than he had since the night of the attack, Shae allowed himself to do the one thing that he had forced himself to not to the entire time since…

…Let go….

-|} -[(+)]-{|-

Okay, so that was not as dark as the previous chapter. At least, I hope it wasn't. Oh, I feel like a horrible person writing so much angst into the story! I promise you, the next chapter will have more good feels in it! And every chapter after…

I would like to apologize once more if Merida seems a little (or a lot) OOC. You actually get to see why in the next chapter, since it's kind of a flash-back(ish) chapter. It tell us about what Merida did the whole day she had to stay awake to watch over Shae and what her thoughts were and what she focused on…

Oh yeah, and we also are jumping back to DunBroch with Colin and Nessa and Duncan and Kenna again! (Yay!) Those two couples are a little easier for me to write because I don't' have to worry about so much tension...well, at least not bad tension… Oh, and there may even be some triplet and Fae interaction, as well (that part's not written yet so I haven't decided)

As you may have noticed (if you have been keeping track), Lord MacGuffin and his wife, Gwendolyn, had seven sons. Here are there names in order from oldest too youngest: (I've also included the name meaning, origin and living or deceased)

Shae: "admirable" - Gaelic – living

Brendan: "prince" – Irish/Gaelic/Celtic - living

Connell: "strong wolf" or "high and mighty"- Irish/Gaelic/Celtic/Scottish - living

Cairne: "mound of rocks" – Scottish/Gaelic – living (oldest twin)

Taryn: "Tender/Innocent" – Scots/Gaelic –living (younger twin)

Bran: "raven" – Welsh – deceased

Liam: "strong-willed warrior and protector" – Irish – deceased

My head-canon is that Lord MacGuffin has no daughters, at all. I don't know why, but whenever he said that "Young MacGuffin" was his eldest son during the suitors' introduction, I just pictured this whole castle full of boys. I think everyone has their own head-canon as to what each of the clans families are like since we don't get a chance to see the rest of the families or anything during the film so anything more is simply speculation. This just happens to be mine.

I wanted to use this chapter as a steppingstone for chapter 15 (although this is Chapter 13.5 and I still have to write chapter 14)

I would dive right into the topics I want to discuss earlier, but I really want to give you all a reprieve from my heavy-handed stuff. Chapter 15 will be a lot more dialogue based (like when are they not?) and it's going to be a very long discussion between Merida and Shae. I need a break myself before I have them air out their dirty laundry, so to speak…

So please bare with me one side chapter before we get back into the heart of the story with Shae and Merida.

Also, I would like to kind of explain my take on the Fae and their culture as how it relates to my story and the creative licenses I've taken.(I think I've done this before but I just wanted to make sure I've explained myself and my creative processes)

First and foremost, I am NOT an expert on mythology and folktales. Most of my information comes from the Internet and what I take from movies, other books, comics, video games, what little folklore I can remember and just my own imagination.

To start with, my version of the Fae are more like Elven creatures then the Fae of actual folklore. A lot of Fae in tale are depicted as evil or at least somewhere in the chaotic scale (if you understand D&D or role-playing at all, hopefully, you get the reference.)

The Fae in my story are human sized, with human characteristics and features, only more angular and sharp. They have more animal like eyes though, cat-like or even wolfish, in nature. The males do have a little bit more animalistic features and mannerisms than the females, but can act normal, as humans, if they need too. They all have a broken speech pattern since "English" isn't their native language. (Think of Ducky from Land Before Time)

They have magic and their primary use of magic is shape shifting. They are the guardians of the forests and they protect the animals and creatures in it. Their magic is ancient and tied heavily to the land and the elements. They do not believe in keeping animals as pets, or using them as "slaves".

The Faerie Circle in my story is just a reference to their home/camp. And there are multiple Circles too. Goshen, who was the King of the Fae before he died, kept his families Circle close to Tearlag (the Witch), since they shared a friendship. When Goshen's Circle was destroyed and burnt to the ground the survivors of that Circle joined another. Since it was Keira's uncle and Goshen's brother, they were excepted into that Circle, or camp, with no problems. Goshen's brother, who isn't named at the moment, is now the King of the Fae. (This is Iaighe's father, FYI.)

I'm not sure on the whole origin of the Faerie Cirlce or what it's supposed to actually be…I'm just using the term for what I need it to mean, so I apologize for my lack of research on that particular subject.

I picture the Fae having these large movable homes, like gypsy caravans. (If anyone has ever played Dragon Age: Origins, think of the homes/ camps that the Wood Elves live in out in the forest)

I guess it would be easier to say that, if you took the Elves from Dragon Age, the Wood Elves from Skyrim/Elder Scrolls and Puck from a Midsummer Nights Dream and combined them all together, you would have my version of the Fae creatures in my story.

Okay, I apologize, that was way too much information on stuff you probably don't care about….

I do want to thank everyone for their continuing support and encouragement of the story! You have no idea how happy I get when I receive an review update or a PM in my inbox regarding Ties…

This is officially the longest story I have ever written or worked on without giving up on it. I know I was gone for a year but with all the emails I received while I was AWOL I knew people still cared! So thank you for every encouragement!

I want to thank my wonderful and talented beta: Life-without-L0ve , aka gargoylelover (on deviant art). She has been a great help during my endeavor and I know how busy she is so, thank you so much for all your help!

…Okay one last thing I wanted to run past my readers….

….I suppose as an author and writer I still have full reign to do whatever I want, but…my muse has bitten me and it won't let go….

I've had another story on the backburner for about a month or so now. I haven't posted anything, heck; I haven't even typed anything up yet. Right now it's 3 chapters hand written in a notebook and about 7 pages worth of hand written notes/story ideas. It's a Frozen story idea... (yeah, I know I'm a sell out…)

I just wanted to know if anyone would be greatly sore with me if I worked on both stories at once… * winces and hides *

My main focus would still be on Ties but the other story would also get part of my attention, as well…. Or, I could do what I intended on doing since the start and finishing Ties first and then move on to other projects. I have so many old ideas that need to be fleshed back out and I also have some personal (non fanfiction) stories I've planned on working on…

Anyway, if you made it this far down into my Authors Notes, (God Bless you for sticking around so long) then maybe just let me know what you think. I know what my RL friends would tell me, but I'd like to see what you all have to say too. I write for myself but I also write to give others enjoyment, as well. I know I'll never make everyone happy, but as long as I can cheer someone up with my words, or even make them cry, then at least I was able to do what I set out to do.

Thank you all again for everything! Every fave, every follow, every like, every comment…they all mean so much to me!

Have a wonderful day!

Gam3 On!