As the snowy winds subsided within the night, the morning was calm and quiet and Elle was sleeping soundly in mouse form in the depths of Elias' pocket on the walk back to the village. Resuming the form made transportation easier and settled Elias' curiosity which tempered his anger over being stabbed enough to permit her to ride comfortably in his clothes.

"Hey," he patted his pocket to wake her as he entered the village square and approached the pub. "We're back."

"Mmnn…" Elle turned in his pocket and yawned while stretching herself out.

Elias entered the establishment, exchanged a few surprised words with the owners, and then made his way upstairs.

Elle poked her head out of side pocket on his trousers as he opened up his coat to offer his hand as a platform for her, which she slowly crawled onto without much fuss.

"Mias, you up?" Elias called while knocking on the door with his opposite hand.

The sounds of furniture turning over as the occupant scrambled to the door answered that question. The door flew open and a visible exhausted Mias met them nearly out of breath with a look of panic on his face. He wasn't expecting Elias to return so calmly.

"I knew you wouldn't sleep…" Elle said in a guilty voice as Elias held her up to prove she was unharmed.

Mias promptly snatched her up and held her close to his chest as she shifted back to put her arms around him.

"I'm alright," she assured him as he adorned her head with relieved kisses.

"You were caught…"

"He didn't do anything," she hugged him tighter.

"A deal's a deal after all, and I can't afford any flack from Durias when I return," Elias added, pulling the key from his other pocket and holding it out to his twin.

Mias' raised a confused eyebrow and cautiously accepted it. "You're just giving it to me…?"

"He'll want you fully capable to look after her," Elias smirked, deciding seeing his brother's reaction to Elle's news would suffice his sadism for the time being.

Mias paused and looked down at her for an explanation. "Elle?"

"Um," she reddened and averted her eyes from his like a guilty puppy that had an accident on the rug. "I'm sorry…"

Mias tightened his grip, afraid whatever revelation she had for him wouldn't be a pleasant one.

"I think I'm pregnant," she confessed quietly to his chest, but she knew he heard her given his grip, but what she wasn't expecting was the huge sigh of relief.

"Oh," was all he said in response.

"'Oh'? Is that all you have to say? When we tried so hard to make sure this didn't happen?!" She was on the verge of tears again, but Mias was smiling!

"If you are, you are, and considering our sex life, it's a miracle it didn't happen sooner," he chuckled. "You had me thinking it was something awful."

"Then you're not upset…?"

"I'd say I'm a calm mixture of petrified and bewildered," he rested his forehead against hers. "I'm upset you didn't tell me."

"I'm sorry," she apologized again and was kissed again, this time deeper and a few seconds longer.

"You're probably famished. Not a good time to neglect your nutrition, my dear," he smiled and turned to take her further inside the room, leaving Elias at the door with his jaw dropped.

"That's it?!" He extended his arms, expecting more.

"Go home, Elias," Mias told him, continuing to shower Elle with kisses despite the dirt and dried blood covering her body.

"I will once I properly dress my wound," he told Mias, lifting up his shirt to show off the mess of scorched flesh. "She stabbed me again."

"Were you doing something you weren't supposed to?"

"…Maybe."

"Then you deserved it," Mias concluded as he popped the key into the lock on one of the cuffs and clicked it open, dispelling the confinement for his powers at last. Green flames shot to life in his hands as the other cuff fell free and he chuckled in relief.

"Maybe you should heal him…?" Elle suggested, glancing toward Elias who was proceeding to clean the wound at the room's wash basin.

"My first spell is for you," he winked, dimming the flames to a gentle glow around his palm and putting it to her abdomen. "Let's see…"

"You can tell?" Elle asked.

"Theoretically, yes, but I've never tried before," he admitted and felt around for some proof of the suspected pregnancy, but he couldn't sense anything. "Huh…"

"What? Isn't there a heartbeat? They're supposed to be really quick, I know."

"I'm not hearing anything," he told her, moved his hand again and focused for a few moments before cancelling the spell and stepping back with a flustered expression. "Um, dearest, I don't think you're pregnant."

"I'm not? Then what's going on?"

"By any chance have you had a decent bowel movement in the past few days?"

"…Wait…"

"You've just been constipated," he told her, feeling just as embarrassed for having to tell her as she was to have him know her bathroom habits – they weren't to that stage yet! "My guess is you've been so stressed that everything is… backed up."

Elle could see him trying not to laugh, and really that was worse. "Oh for the love of! Fine! Laugh! We've been going through hell this past month so I'm sorry my mind immediately went to another catastrophe because that's just our luck Mias!"

He finally broke and laughed. "Sweetness, I'm sorry, but that's so like you!"

She pouted and crossed her arms in her upset, only to be hugged tight once Mias calmed down.

"Truth be told I've had it rough too. It's the lack of greens this time of year."

"So she's not pregnant?" An eavesdropping Elias asked, only to be promptly scooped up by another spell, somewhat healed, and tossed out the door to let the two have some privacy.

It was an unexpected revelation, but at least there was relief to be had with the truth, though still little with Elle's gut. It would take a few days off an adjusted diet to, for lack of better phrasing, work things out, but with Elias planning on concluding his visit, the stresses in her life were already lessened, and already that night she had some relief when exiting the latrine before heading to bed.

"You've been pretty quiet," Mias noted. "You're not still embarrassed, are you?"

"A little," she admitted as she settled down into the proper bedding and hugged her pillow. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why weren't you upset earlier? Your family aside, we've talked about this…"

"And like I told you, there's little either of us can do if it actually happens," he smiled and turned onto his side to face her. "I know I will love you regardless, but if I'm honest, I still want you all to myself. I don't need competition from someone who'll have both our gorgeous features."

"Oh, so it's more a jealously thing," Elle giggled in relief and felt him scoot closer to her.

"You're all mine," he reminded her before kissing her cheek.

"I know," she smiled.

"But I'm putting my foot down with your dangerous plans. You were lucky this time, but from now on anything that subjects you to either sex or murder is off the table."

"Gee, what'll I do for fun now?"

"Funny," he commented dryly and moved his head to hers again to kiss her forehead. "However, you have my thanks."

"You're welcome," she met his lips with hers as his head ventured downward. "Does that mean we'll be leaving here soon?"

"With much annoyance, I think we should. Even with my powers returned, this location isn't ideal for dealing with probably threats," he sighed in frustration and flopped to his side, his arms coiling around her middle to spoon close. "But if you'd like to stay here a while longer, I wouldn't mind."

"I don't like that we're relying on Morwen and Big Jon for so much… I'd rather be the lady of my own household again, but we can't just up and leave so suddenly… it'd be rude."

"Hm, well we can wait and see how the weather plays out… Once New Years passes, all it'll be is cold and not fit for far travel."

"Oo! Are there sleighs used for travel now that there's snow?" She cocked her head back with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes.

"Yes," Mias slowly smiled. "Never been?"

"No, but it always looked like it'd be fun."

"Then I have no choice but to see we take one," he chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I'll speak to Thom. He knows the schedules of what comes through here."

"Alright. I do like this village, but I agree we should move. Where were you thinking?"

"My Winter Manor," he answered, earning a slightly confused glance from Elle. "I told you I had put in motion plans for escape if we needed to. Provided Hilda and Malcolm followed my instructions, our loyal household should already be there to help secure it."

"How do you know your brothers didn't seize it already?"

"Because my barriers will have prevented any attempts. It's one of my more brilliant spells. I would have moved us there from the beginning, but the thing is it's more of a business than a home. I told you about the caretaker, didn't I? His name's Alfred Thackeray. He was one of my tutors growing up, and was a bit of a strict man until maturity gave way until understanding. He's more laidback nowadays, preferring to watch over the orchard and gardens in peace, that was until I took Gale in under my care and had to send his brood to school. Now I can't just go sending mere peasantry into any educational institution, so I have Thack looking after them in sort of preparation for proper university should they chose to pursue such a path."

"Gale did mention his eldest son wanting to do just that," Elle recalled from the staff dinner months back.

"Yes, and normally I wouldn't give a toss about five children residing there given the space, but the reason we didn't go there in the beginning is because one of Thack's conditions for this deal was I don't get to pop in whenever I like – even though it's my house!"

Elle giggled. "He's a bit of a control freak, huh?"

"He says it's more about my being a distraction to the kids, or vice versa. And this isn't a man even I want to argue with for too long. Unlike Cerigan, he rarely shows his frustrations, despite being strict, which is honestly scarier at times. It makes him an excellent tutor, but a troublesome man to live with."

"Not ideal for newlyweds then," Elle interpreted.

"And with us fighting at the time, I figured you'd sequester yourself up in a room and refuse to speak to me as you're so fond of doing when you're mad at me. Out here you have far fewer rooms to hide in."

Elle admitted she probably would have done the aforementioned if given the opportunity, but she was happy to learn how deeply Mias valued her compared to his comfy living. She placed her hands over his and smiled contently to herself and closed her eyes. "Soon as I'm feeling more myself, I'm sequestering both of us in a room and having my way with you."

"Oh~?"

"So we'll be needing the thicker walls," she added with a sly smile.

Mias chuckled and spooned closer, happy to suffice with light petting and rubbing until he fell asleep. This wasn't going to mean the end of their fight, but it would at least be a change of pace that would provide a better way to pass the cold months.

The villagers were saddened to learn the new young couple would not be staying, but understood the reason why – at least the reason they gave: with Kay now the residing lord, it was doubtful they'd be permitted back to his employment come spring, and needing to build relations as quickly as possible else where, they had to be on their way.

They waited until they were sure Elias was gone, which he was promptly the next day; disappeared as the sun rose or so Morwen saw when she got up to begin breakfast. He hadn't said another word to either of them, unusual giving his fondness for spewing words of revenge and further chaos, but perhaps he'd grown tired of such for the time being. The fresh wound to his side meant he'd need time to recuperate anyway. At best, it'd be another few months before he showed up again, and it'd be spring by then.

Elle's first sleigh ride was a little rougher than she anticipated, but far smoother than a carriage ride given how the vehicle glided over the snow, pulled by the biggest and strongest horses Elle had ever seen. And of course they had jingle bells on, for the practical reason of announcing its arrival, but all it could remind Elle of were the holidays back home.

"It's almost like Christmas," she squeezed Mias' arm under the riding blanket. "You have something similar, don't you?"

"Similar, yes, but not quite as… outlandish as you've described your people celebrating. The one your world calls Christ is known to this realm, but only as a myth, thus the religious aspect is not the cause for our celebration but rather the pagan beliefs."

"So celebrating the solstice and general good fortune?"

"For the most part. A time for charity given the hardships of the season, and peace, mostly because it's pretty damn hard to fight any war in snow drifted fields. But there's good food, traditional games, decorations, gifts – every culture in every world has something similar I'll bet."

"Probably," she smiled and snuggled closer. "I'm genuinely excited about this, and I know I should guard about getting my hopes up given this past year, but I can't help it!"

"Amazing how the expulsion of excrement has improved your vitality," he chuckled.

Elle laughed, still a bit embarrassed, but determined to get over it. "I really do feel better. Everything's back on track and hopefully it'll stay that way."

Author's Notes: And that was everything I had written and not published.