A/N: Super long chapter, because...well why not?

Aubrey: Talia's had a rough life. Part of it is her own doing, most of it is not. She's more complex than the others give her credit for. And yes, if you go back to Lost and filter through reviews you will see some teaming. Back then I threatened old readers with the death of their favorite character if they spoiled anything, for this reason. Yes, I got a few PMs fired at me because they knew Lina was going to die anyway...

TheRanger'sDaughter: Up until now, Jeddrick was always in the background on the sidelines of the action. Yes, Caitlyn is a teenager. No, Kane's biological father has not been confirmed. Speculated, but not confirmed.

Disclaimer: Not John Flanagan.

Scout stood in a corner with Julia while the royal physician patched up Tucker's leg. Apparently his traveling so soon had been the worst idea in a lifetime because the older man kept his lips tight and forehead creased as he tended Tucker. He'd knocked him out with a rag thoroughly soaked in chloroform before he began poking at and plunging into the wounded knee.

"So your cousins ordered his execution," Julia whispered. Scout turned away sharply as Tucker's body tensed with pain.

"No, I did," she replied. "They said it was my responsibility to do it."

Julia's eyes widened. "Oh?"

Scout looked back to Tucker. "Thank you," she told Julia. "For coming, I mean."

"What are friends for, right?"

Scout found strength to force a small grin though she really didn't feel like smiling. "I guess so."

Julia leaned back against the wall. "I think this is the most princess-like thing I've seen you do."

Scout rolled her eyes. "Yes, because the occasional tiara and gown weren't dead giveaways."

"I'm serious, Your Grace. Any idiot can put on a dress or ride a horse in a parade. But sentencing someone like that and exerting the self-control you did when we found him to begin with…that's someone I wouldn't mind following outside of Academy walls."

Scout raised an eyebrow. "Outside of Academy walls?"

Julia's cleverness came back into her eyes. "Well, inside we both know I'm better."

Scout was able to give a real smile to that. "Only because I had to come to Roscrea to sign a treaty and missed the ranking."

"A win's a win, Princess."

Scout and Julia both jumped a little when Tucker groaned. The drug that kept him asleep was wearing off. The physician almost had his leg set again, this time in a complicated contraption Scout couldn't quite follow the mechanics of. Its purpose, however, was clear. Tucker's leg had been securely set in pins attached to the bed's railing. He wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"I just sent a maid to collect what he'll need to be comfortable," the physician told them. "But he'll need to stay here for at least twelve weeks. Riding was a very bad idea on his end."

"He won't be happy about this," Julia whispered when the physician turned away from them.

Scout folded her arms and took a step closer to inspect the brace his leg was set in. She worried if she touched something she'd do more damage to him but the curious set up was intriguing.

"I suppose not," Scout agreed. The hard exterior was lined with sheep's wool on the inside but Scout assumed that would only take the edge off having one's leg straightened out and immobilized for so long. The door opened again and following a maid holding extra blankets and pillows was Sean.

"You really shouldn't make yourself so hard for me to find, Scout," he said as he crossed over to Tucker's bed.

Scout just shrugged. "Runs in the family, I guess."

Sean looked down at Tucker who was blinking awake slowly. "This is the one who was injured capturing Eula?"

Scout nodded. "The physician said he has to lie like this for twelve weeks."

Sean scanned the room until he found the physician on duty and smiled widely, so widely Scout questioned its appropriateness of the situation. She felt slightly angered by it until her cousin spoke again. "He's been wrong about healing times before."

The physician returned with the maid and after barking a few instructions to the young girl he looked up at Sean with almost none of the respect the presence of a king generally demanded.

"This one doesn't have that stubborn O'Carrick blood, does he?" the physician asked pointedly.

"No."

The physician turned back to Tucker who was now aware but trying to make sense of all the people standing over him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"You rode a horse before your knee was ready," the physician said with a scowl. "And now you're under my orders for a minimum of twelve weeks. You'll be spending at least the first eight minimum in bed. Your leg's to stay immobilized the full twelve."

Tucker frowned but shrugged. "I guess that's not unexpected."

"What drove you to get on a horse, son?"

"Um…"

Scout and Tucker made eye contact for a brief moment before looking away. Julia poorly hid her smirk and Sean just grinned. The physician scowled even more.

"She's not that pretty, son."

"Thanks," Scout said, her sarcasm taking over before she could think it through. She felt her cheeks grow warm quickly under the scrutiny of Sean's and Julia's lighthearted smirks.

"Say your goodbyes everyone. The patient needs to rest now."

Scout, still feeling the sting of shame, nodded to Tucker and rushed out. Julia managed a short good bye between suppressed giggles and Sean just held his hand up as Tucker attempted to sit up and tilt his head, the closest to a proper bow he could manage from bed to his king.

"I'll see you at later, Scout," Julia told her. Scout nodded and watched until her friend rounded the corner. She wondered if Julia planned to leave that night or very early the next morning. Either way Scout would have to say goodbyes to at least Elizabet before she could take off.

"What did you mean?" Scout asked Sean. "He's been wrong before?"

Sean led Scout back towards the wall she'd been at sulking just a couple of hours earlier. The sky was turning color and birds were chirping. It must be closer to sunrise than Scout had thought.

"That man overseeing your friend's recovery was on the team of physicians who minded your mother when she hurt her foot."

Scout straightened up. "What?"

"His team gave your mother six months minimum to recover enough to sail back to Araluen and rejoin you and your father. She boarded a ship in five."

Scout tilted her head. "She didn't finish recovery?"

"She recovered enough to travel. I believe Halt made her stay in bed most of the voyage and that's what she would have had to do here anyway so it just speeded things up. She had to keep her foot elevated but we got away with carrying her to the gardens occasionally. I don't know your friend that well but if your mother can handle bed rest for so long then he can too."

Scout's parents rarely talked about Lina's absence when she was an infant. From what she gathered, the time between her mother's first pregnancy up to her being a toddler were rough years for her family. She, of course, didn't remember it at all. Throughout her memory her mother was injured, though some in Araluen swore that the heroine Lady Lina could jump clear over a grown Skandian's head and outrun a lion barefoot in the woods.

Scout stared at the loch. Her family never lived so close to water before, let alone have quick access to such a view. Scout found it calming though during nighttime they had chilly breezes that blew straight through her clothing.

"It's alright to miss her," Sean told her softly. Scout shrugged.

"I know."

"What's going on with you?"

Scout looked up at her cousin. She could see worry in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Sean leaned down towards her. "What you did today was necessary, appropriate, and called for. It was the right decision. He was a terrible man who had done terrible things. Your decision today allows many to rest easily tonight, including Kineta and our children."

"I know."

"And I know you. You hate taking lives, Scout. It's a good quality for a princess but it's also a dangerous one. I want to know that you won't be scarred by today."

Scout held Sean's gaze as she spoke. "I know he deserved it. I'll be alright. Trust me."

Sean crossed his arms. "I trust you. Now, this Tucker boy. Do I need to worry about him?"

Scout felt her face grow warm again and fought the urge to grin. "No."

"Get some sleep and make sure you tell Elizabet and Gabe good bye before you leave," Sean told her. "I'll make sure your friend is well looked after."

"Thank you."

William carried two flasks of coffee down to the river where Liam was washing blood off his hands. He sat next to the Ranger and passed one of the flasks over. Liam dried his hands and took a long drink before meeting William's eyes.

"Do you have a problem with anything that just happened, Your Highness?" Liam asked seriously. William shook his head slowly.

"I suppose this is part of what it takes."

Liam took out his saxe knife and began cleaning it. "It is."

"I don't think I could…what you just did…"

"That's because you're going to be the king. Kings leave the messy work to those in their service. The majority of the country needs to see you in a positive light."

William shrugged. "I've seen you servicemen and even the servicewomen do some fairly abrupt things, but outright beating someone isn't one of them."

"We now know that those two were lined up with the people who have my apprentice. We now know that they all know I'm gone and that I was never one of them to begin with. That's worth it, don't you think?"

"Of course it is. I don't disagree with you."

Liam nodded. "Good."

"Are you going to stay in Araluen?"

William saw Liam had been caught off guard. The Ranger studied him as though scrutinizing him. "Why wouldn't I?" Liam finally responded.

"Well," William continued. "I just thought…since Aunt Lina…"

"I will let you know what I decide when I've decided it," Liam assured him. "Why are you out here anyway? It isn't typical for a crown heir to take on rescue missions."

William shrugged. "We originally set out to find Caitlyn and now…well, we're a little confused now."

"Kate's staying with a farmer until I collect her."

William nodded. "So she's safe then?"

"She is now. Perhaps you could explain to me why she was sent on that mission to begin with?"

William shrugged. "I think it had something to do with whose child she is."

Liam snorted. "Probably."

"Maybe you could bring Kane and me up to speed on what's happened over the past couple of years then?"

"Is that an order, Your Highness?"

William shrugged. "Pretty much. If this ends badly Caitlyn deserves an explanation. Scout does too, but Kate's the one who has taken Aunt Lina's passing and your absence hard."

As though cued Kane came down and took a seat opposite of the other two. "We've both been curious about that," Kane added, hoping to soften William's blow.

Liam sighed. "On our way back we were attacked and Mason got swept up. He's being kept as a slave in their camp. It's taken me months to track them and then get into their ranks. They are made up of Roamers and one of the Arridi tribes. They use slaves to do most of their day-to-day work but they…they began talking about Caitlyn and different ways to lure her in. They planned that, once they got her, they'd ransom her first to Araluen and then to Hibernia but not before doing everything in their power to drive her mad first. They were going to use her to try and capture Scout and perhaps Sean and Kineta's two children. I heard they'd caught Kate so I went to see for myself. I got her out and to safety and then tried to go back to fall back in line. But, I ran into you two instead."

William and Kane glanced to one another.

Liam went on. "You two are free to leave if you want, so long as you take the prisoner with you. I'll go on and get Mason. Once he's well I'll send him straight to Gilan."

"You won't come with him?" Kane asked.

"If Gilan's followed protocol then, officially, I'm dead. I think Araluen will be alright for a little while longer while I collect Caitlyn and take her to Hibernia."

"Hibernia? Why?"

"I don't have to explain myself to you, Kane."

William jumped in. "But you do to me."

William almost lost his nerve with one look from Liam. Almost.

"I'm the crown prince and you're in service of my country. I hate pulling rank like this, but we're the ones who have seen to Caitlyn all this time. Losing Aunt Lina was hardest for her. We took care of her. I think we've got the right to know why she'll be taken to Hibernia."

Liam waited for several moments. Once it was clear William and Kane weren't standing down he spoke again. "Kineta understands how to protect someone who doesn't necessarily want protection. That's what Caitlyn needs."

"What do you mean by that?" Kane asked.

"If my suspicion is correct then Caitlyn has already left that farm I pointed her to, or she will soon, exposing herself to scouts and highwaymen and who knows what else."

"She can handle herself," William said. "I have faith in her."

"And I have faith that she, like her mother, runs more on instinct than logic. She's at the age she needs a woman to look up to but she needs someone looking after her and protecting her as well."

"And Aunt Alyss couldn't do that?" William asked. "Or my mother?"

"Both are great women, but I'd rather Kineta take it up."

"But Caitlyn loves Araluen," Kane insisted. "She'd hate to leave."

Liam straightened up. "Relax, both of you. I don't aim to imprison my daughter in a country that isn't her home, even if she was born there."

"Then what is your aim?" Kane asked.

"I'll take her to Hibernia and drop her at Roscrea. Kineta can handle her until she's ready to go on to wherever it is she wants to go on to."

"Why Kineta though?" William pressed. "Why Hibernia?"

Liam leaned forward. "Because the daughter I walked in on bound and gagged isn't the daughter I left two years ago. Kate is confused and lost. Getting away from here would be best for her."

"From here and to where Lina's resting," Kane said flatly. "How would that help?"

"Hibernia has Scout and Kineta and I believe that overall those are the two Caitlyn needs."

"Will you come back and report to Gilan after that?" William asked.

Liam nodded. "Yes."

Gabby sat up much too quickly. She reached up to her face and found she'd been sweating. Nightmares were coming with an intensity she hadn't experienced before. Gabby knew they were likely linked to her pregnancy, but Kane's being away on a dangerous mission didn't help. She stood up and went to the kitchen. She found a rag and dipped it in the bucket of water she fetched every night before bed. She hoped Russ would be big enough in the next few months to fetch water on his own. Until then, Gabby knew it was a bad idea for her to lug buckets around. She could likely manage it for another week or two but then she'd have to ask for help until Russ hit the infamous growth spurt boys his age were known for. Gabby wondered if she could talk Caitlyn into staying with them long term. She probably would but Gabby got the sense that the younger Leaf daughter wouldn't be home for long. Perhaps when Caitlyn took off Gabby should move herself and Russ in with Halt and Pauline permanently until Kane returned.

After washing her face Gabby knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Instead she went into Russ's room and sat in the rocking chair that had been a wedding gift from Kane's parents upon return from Hibernia. It was the chair Pauline rocked Kane to sleep in when he was a baby. Gabby had used it for Russ immediately upon their return home. She sat there, knowing if Russ woke he would crawl into her lap. For a while Gabby thought about rocking the new baby to sleep.

It had been Kane's decision to adopt Russ. He'd known she would agree to it and time had been pressing, so there had been no prior discussion. Gabby hadn't loved Russ as her son right away but she did care for him and within the first year she couldn't imagine him being with anyone else. At first she hadn't been completely sure Talia would live up to her end of their agreement, but she had and taking on the role of 'Mummy' changed Gabby's life. She listened to Russ breathe as she rocked with her hands over the new baby. She'd need a proper midwife to examine her before she could know exactly how far along she was. Kane had been gone for just over three weeks, but Gabby knew it was more than that. Three weeks wasn't identifiable by their standards. Now she realized the earlier signs were there but she'd dismissed them as illness. It was a common mistake.

Gabby pressed harder against her stomach and outlined the slightest bump. She had to be somewhere between eight to ten weeks, enough to put on a little weight but not enough to be a noticeable pregnancy. Gabby sighed and wondered what her family would be now. She wondered if Russ would be upset that he was adopted and the new baby wasn't. She didn't think she'd love the new one any more or less than she loved Russ but it'd definitely be different. She hated that Russ and the baby would have that divide.

"Mummy?"

Gabby tilted her head up towards his voice. She didn't feel any sunlight coming through his window nor did she hear the birds chirping. It was still a long time to sunrise. "What's wrong, Russ?"

"I want cuddles," Russ demanded. Gabby just smiled.

"Then come get them."

There were a few shifting creaks as the little boy made a beeline into Gabby's lap. Gabby rubbed his back and ruffled his hair. He clutched the front of her shift in one hand and sucked the thumb on his other. Gabby smiled and hugged him closer to her body. His head perked up, hitting her chin sharply.

"Russ," she whispered gently.

"Sorry Mummy," he said without any hints of real regret. "Your tummy is squishy."

Gabby traced her son's body down to his hands which were now pressed against her belly. "What?" she asked, hoping she'd heard him wrong.

"You ate too many cookies. Can we have cookies tomorrow?"

Gabby smiled and kissed the top of his head. "I guess a few more won't hurt," she laughed. "How about we have a full picnic tomorrow? We can invite Caitlyn."

She heard the delight in his voice as he cheered.

"But first," she went on, "Sleep. We both need to get back to bed."

Gabby carried Russ back and tucked him in tightly before going back to her own bedroom. The large bed felt empty without Kane so when he was away she folded the blanket around her so she could pretend it was smaller. After settling back down she pressed her hand to her stomach. So far the only people who had confirmed her pregnancy were healers who worked in the medical wing. Now her four year old adopted son, though diverted, had done the same. Gabby wondered just how long she could hide it and hoped Kane came back before then.

Caitlyn lay down in her bed at Halt and Pauline's apartment staring out the window. She'd wanted nothing more than to come home when she was captured and then again when she stayed at the farm. Her grandparents had quietly listened to what she wanted to tell and didn't press for more. Caitlyn assumed they'd both seen their fair share of action and tight situations in their lives and didn't feel need to push for hers.

The bed she slept in had once been Kane's. After Kane's it was Gabby's for a short time between Gabby leaving her parents' home and marrying Kane and then after that it was Caitlyn's. Caitlyn knew Scout had probably stayed in it a few times, as well as Daniel and maybe even Carissa.

Caitlyn realized it had been a long time since she really thought about her 'cousins'. She knew Daniel had been sent to Hibernia, where Scout was. Caitlyn was glad he went. It made Hibernia seem less imposing to have two people she grew up around there. She'd also seen him make passes at her sister and thought it hopelessly romantic if Scout ended up marrying a childhood friend. If Daniel were willing to marry a princess, that is. Caitlyn had heard him more than once poke fun at Rosalina's tiara. Perhaps he was only willing to befriend royal families rather than actually join them. Carissa was somewhere in the castle. She and Rosalina were thick as thieves. Every time a rumor circulated that Rosalina did something clever or brave Caitlyn suspected it was Carissa who orchestrated the situation. Usually ladies-in-waiting just helped with hair and gave companionship to a royal peer but Carissa was more like a best friend who worked behind the backs of everyone else to make sure Rosalina's life went flawlessly. Caitlyn had to admit it was a good job to have…if one could handle catering to the whims of a princess.

Then there was Quinlan, the third Treaty child. He'd been born a year before Caitlyn, so when the Treaty and Leaf families got together they'd always paired up. Daniel and Scout were both amazing archers and because of that the younger siblings shied away from bows and arrows for fear of never measuring up to the older ones. Carissa could shoot and hit a target if she needed to but her position required knowledge of weapons more subtle than a full sized bow and quiver hanging from her torso. Caitlyn became more comfortable with her ability and even improved after Scout went away. Quinlan, however, had never taken it up. He seemed to follow in his mother's footsteps as a Courier. Daniel and Carissa had both cleared their father in height but Quinlan had surpassed everyone and wasn't done. Where Alyss got her height had gone on to him.

Caitlyn sighed and got out of bed. This apartment wasn't so different than the one she stayed in with her family when they lived at Castle Araluen. Caitlyn opened the window to let air in. It was colder than she expected so she went and got the blanket off her bed to wrap up in.

"Thinking of jumping?"

Caitlyn jumped back startled. "What…who…." she stammered before the person came into the light. She sighed. "Daideo," she said.

"You alright?" Halt asked.

Caitlyn shrugged.

"Well?" he went on. "Planning to jump?"

Caitlyn looked out the window for a few moments with confusion before turning back to him. "I'm not going to kill myself."

"That's not what I meant," Halt told her gently, pulling her back towards the bed. "When Scout was about your age she jumped out a window and went hunting with the boys. You remember that?"

Caitlyn smiled as she sat down. "Yes I do."

Halt crossed his arms and looked out the window. "Kate, you're old enough to make your own decisions. If you were an orphan in the Ward you'd be apprenticed out by now. Your master wouldn't be sending you off, granted, but you'd be apprenticed out."

"What are you saying?" Caitlyn asked.

"I'm saying you're old enough to start making some decisions for yourself." He turned and headed back for the door. "Good luck, Kate."

"Well that was weird," Caitlyn muttered to herself when she heard his own door shut.