James:

"What do you mean they weren't there!?"

The messenger in front of James wrung his hands.

"I went to the home of Frank and Alice Longbottom, just as you specified, your Majesty. Mr. Longbottom informed me that the women you wished to contact had moved on to another place. When I asked where they'd gone he smiled and told me that you would know. I searched the whole city of Enid for them to no avail! I only have that information to deliver!"

James slammed his fist down on his desk.

"You're free to go," he dismissed the messenger, Kalis if he remembered right - James had been gone too long - before looking out the window and fisting a hand in his hair.

Where in the world would they have gone? Enid had been their final destination! And Marlene had asked Remus to send word! Why would they have left before they knew whether Sirius was alright? And why in the world would Frank tell the messenger that James would know where they went?! It was maddening!

James swore and looked down at the unopened letter he'd written and Kalis had handed back to him. A large part of him wanted to throw the letter in the fire.

He had been so certain that this would work!

So certain, that he had come up with no backup plan.

And now he had to face Sirius.

Splendid.

Sirius was doing much better in the last five days he'd been awake. Remus even thought he'd be ready to start training back up in a few days. Until then, Remus allowed Sirius to walk the palace halls for exercise.

Sirius was not amused, but since Elias had pointed out he would be failing his oath to not fully recover, Sirius wasn't openly complaining about it anymore. Now he complained through his passive-aggressive tendencies.

"Elias," James looked over at his father's old friend and guardian, "let's go find Sirius."

"It's close to dinner," Elias stood from his chair, "Sirius should be close to the kitchens based on how he's handled the last few days."

James nodded and sighed. He knew how Sirius had been since he woke up, but how would Sirius be once he found out James had lost Lily?

True to Elias' word, Sirius was chopping carrots in the kitchens.

"Sirius, we need to talk," James stuck his head through the door frame.

The whole staff bowed quickly and James resisted the urge to roll his eyes. They didn't do this when he was the Crown Prince, but now that he was King it was as though he'd never been a boy before.

Sirius looked down at his task and tsked, "I've got ten more to go."

"I'll take over it Sir," one of the staff members, James was pretty sure his name was Stratton - James was determined to remember everyone's names again - quickly took over Sirius' carrots.

Sirius huffed but followed James and Elias out of the kitchens and back to their rooms.

"The messenger I sent to Enid returned about thirty minutes ago." James sat down in the sitting room and pushed his hand back in his hair.

"It's about time," Sirius slowly lowered himself down to his cushioned chair. "Did Lily write you a small novel?"

James tightened his fist, "Sirius they weren't at Frank's."

James watched Sirius' demeanor shift in that instant. He shot forward before grimacing and glared at James, his grey eyes piercing.

"Did Frank know where they went?"

"He told the messenger I would know where they went."

"Did your messenger search for them in Enid?"

"For three days," James groaned. "They've got at least a three-day lead, if not more. For all we know they left the same day we did."

Sirius shook his head, "Think James, think back on every conversation you had with Lily over those two months we traveled. Where is she? She thinks you'll know."

James pulled hard on his hair, "I don't know! We never talked about exact places until Marlene told us they were heading for Enid!"

Sirius shook his head. "You have to keep thinking, James, she says you'll know. Lily's not an idiot so that means you know. Think!"

James felt like screaming!

They'd never talked about specific cities or towns. They had been so careful to keep their information general, and now James was kicking himself for it - again.

"Let's get dinner in you," Elias stood and moved towards the door to ask the runner to fetch it. "You'll think better once you've eaten and slowed down. You'll get nothing from pulling your hair out."

Elias had been right, James did feel better once they had sat down and eaten dinner. And since he didn't have anything for the evening, James started at the beginning, thinking through in his mind and trying to remember every conversation he'd had with Lily.

He smiled at the conversation that first morning in Knockturn. He'd been so distracted by her it was a miracle he'd managed to have a conversation at all.

He sighed at the memory of tricking her into letting them travel together.

But then the conversations had moved on to sharing stories and being young and falling in love with her as he came to know her better.

He knew he loved her when he thought he lost her at the Ottery border. He was almost grateful that she had needed to cry that night because all he wanted to do was hold her and never let go. Those days, while Marlene recovered, were some of the best days of his life. Lily had been open to him in ways he had never expected, and it felt right - like that was what they were supposed to be.

He chuckled remembering all the times she slipped more information than she meant to over those days. It was endearing how much she wanted to be open with him, and he'd used every slip he could to his advantage. Especially when she said that some of her attackers were bound to come from….

"Sirius!" James jumped up from his chair.

Sirius started from James' outburst but turned from the map he was pouring over. "Do you remember?"

"They're here! They're somewhere in Godric's Hollow!"

Sirius frowned, "Here?"

"Yes!" James moved next to Sirius. "When you were helping Marlene after the attack, Lily told me there were bound to be attackers coming for her out of Godric's Hollow. I knew she was wrong, and so I told her that Godric's Hollow would be the safest place for her to hide! Sirius, they're here! I know they are!"

Sirius rolled up the continent map he'd been looking at and pulled out a map of Godric's Hollow with a small grin.

"So now the question is, where in Godric's Hollow are they?"