(A/N): A Will/Alyss prompt with a very sad premise. Once again, this was a request.

Horace pulled Will closer, gripped his shoulder harder. It was rather hard to do so, however, because the Ranger was bent over, his head practically between his knees, and his arms were wrapped around himself. Wretching sobs kept coming from his friend's hunched over body. There was nothing Horace wanted more than to comfort Will.

But what was he supposed to say, in the wake of his only child's death?

Looking away from Will, he tried to think of something to say. He couldn't say Everything's gonna be alright, because that was probably one of the worst things to say to someone who just lost their child. Because - well, because everything, eventually, would be alright. Will and Alyss would remember Danny, always as their first child, as their son, but as they grew older, more grievances would come around. Will would continue to go on missions, serving his kingdom, even if he hated himself for doing so and ignoring his son's departure. Alyss would probably be the same, remembering her son always, but staying focused on her work. It's just who they were.

"Will . . ." Horace hesitated, still not sure what to say. He hadn't actually been there when Danny died, he'd still been in Araluen. He rode in when he got the letter from Halt. Realizing that, Horace bent over, and gripped his shoulder. "Will, I want you to tell me what happened. Tell me what happened."

The Ranger was silent. No sobs, no sniffles.

"He wouldn't eat," Will coughed, and continued, "For some reason, he was refusing to eat anything."

Unsure, Alyss tapped her husband's shoulder.

Will looked up from the report, scratching his jaw. Upon seeing his wife, he smiled. But it quickly died at the look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?"

The courier glanced down at the child in her arms, their one year-old kid Danny. She gently brushed the child's minimal brown hair to the side, staring warmly at him. There was sadness in that warmth, however.

"Alyss?"

"It's Danny, Will. He's not eating anything I give him.

Will suddenly stopped talking, and let out a long, low moan. He still hadn't gotten up from his hunched over position, and he started to rock, holding his knees. Horace attempted to pull Will up, but his efforts met resistance.

"Will, he wouldn't eat. You couldn't force Danny to eat anything. That's not your or Alyss' fault."

His moan stopped, and he is again silent for a long time. To Horace, it almost looked as if Will had stopped breathing. He gently shook his friend.

"Will? Hey, tell me what happened. He didn't starve to death, so what happened?"

The Ranger started to take a deep breath, but the single breath was interrupted multiple times by small hiccups. "He-He got sick. Really sick, Hor-ace. The docs here had no clue what he had."

Sitting on the bed, Danny in his arms, Will rocked back and forth. He could hear Alyss in the other room, speaking with the doctors. Even though they were speaking in hushed voices, he could tell what they were saying. They didn't know what Danny had. It was something completely new. Probably something since birth.

Will pulled his child closer to his chest.

He could go get Malcolm, Will thought, but how long would Danny survive? Would he survive that long? Would I need to bring him with me, so I wouldn't have to factor in our return time? But he might get even more sick, with winter coming, especially up north.

So enveloped in his thoughts of fetching the old healer, Will didn't realize when Danny's short, shallow breaths stopped.

When he did, however, all thoughts of any savior were whisked out of his mind. He stopped breathing, tightening his hold on his son.

No matter how long he held his breath, though, his child would never breathe another again.

Will crumbles again, and started to sob. Horace, having not heard that Danny died in his father's arms, let the tears out. He'd been trying to stay strong for his friend, but there was always a limit.

Horace reached over again, but instead of trying to bring Will up to a sitting position, tried to bring him into a hug. All he wanted to do was hold his friend, to comfort him. He was never the best with words.

Struggling out of his grasp, Will stood up. Stumbling towards to doorway, Will kept his back to Horace.

He stopped before exiting, and continued to say something:

Lying on the bed together, Will held Alyss to him, tightly, as if he was trying to prevent her from slipping away as well. They both had been silent, not saying a single word since burying Danny. Together, they had climbed the steps to their small apartment, not the cabin, and curled up together in bed.

Neither said a word for hours, until:

"Will?" Alyss murmured, her voice muffled slightly from being buried in Will's chest.

"Yes, darling?" He moved a hand to the back of her head, stroking her hair. She was shaking.

"I'm pregnant."

Will stood there, his back to Horace.

Horace was frozen. What the hell was he supposed to say to that?

"You don't have to respond," Will whispered, still refusing to turn and face Horace.

"I-" Horace started, but stopped, as Will brusquely walked out of the room.

The slam that followed still caused him to flinch, even though he had been expecting it.