So...are you ready for Chapter Three? I bet you are.

Also, 'Echoes' is released next week, aren't you just so excited? I can hardly stand the wait myself.

*Spoilers Warning* Definite spoilers about the 'true' end of 'Awakening'. Also spoilers about other elements of the plot throughout the game.

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with 'Fire Emblem [Awakening]', its locations, characters etc. All rights go to their respective owners.

Rated T. (*Warning* Suggestive themes and language.)

Together Again?: Happy Reunions?

On that night Chrom entered the tent he shared with his wife. He was a lot more tense than usual which made sense since tomorrow, they'd be facing their final battle against Grima. The Fell Dragon who had caused them so much suffering and pain both in this universe and in others. They'd put a stop to him, no matter what it took.

He had spent the majority of the evening preparing the Exalted Flachion for the tough battle ahead and- of course- so it'd be ready to deliver the final blow against that monster.

With his resolve strengthened, he decided to follow his own advice which he'd given to the other Shepherds: "Make sure you all get and early night and plenty of rest, you're going to need it."

When he let the tent flap close behind him, he turned around and his eyes widened in surprise when he saw Robin sat at their desk seemingly working on something. Of course, it wasn't strange to find his wife in their tent [obviously] but it was strange to find her here so early on. Out of all of the Shepherds, he thought that Robin would be the one to rebel against his advice to get to sleep early since she tended to have difficulty with early nights. She liked working until late on in the evening (or until early in the morning depending on how you look at it). He'd been prepared to go on a 'hunt for Robin' in order to try to convince her to go to bed at the same time as him; he'd even had a speech prepared in order to convince her to go to bed and everything!

Robin didn't seem to notice him entering nor did she hear him approach her which was odd considering his boots were hardly capable of allowing for him to sneak about especially where their seemingly ever-aware tactician was involved.

"What are you up to?" He asked her leaning one of his arms against the table and placing the other on her back, he felt her jump slightly under his palm, clearly taken by surprise. Her eyes were wide as they found his face, she seemed almost afraid of him and was trying to shrink away from his touch. She was trying to cover up whatever she was working on with her arms and her face had become rather flustered.

"C-Chrom!?" She stuttered.

He smiled at her, trying to reassure her, "Are you going over the plan for tomorrow?"

"What?!" He nodded his head in the direction of the paper on the desk. "Err...yeah...something like that." She grabbed a single sheet and placed it in a secret pocket on the inside of her cloak.

As she stood up and began to tidy up, he reached out to her and pulled her into an embrace. "I don't want you worrying about tomorrow okay? We're going to put an end to everything- I'm going to put an end to everything. By tomorrow night, we'll all be on our way back to Ylisse and you and I will get to see our baby again, you'll see." The trust he felt for her was evident on his face; he was so confident about the outcome of tomorrow: with all of the Shepherds on his side, there was no way they were going to lose!

Robin just turned her head to the side; there seemed to be a glint of pain in the corner of her eyes. Is it possible that she's considering...? No! He let that train of thought go almost as quickly as it had arrived. She promised me that she wouldn't sacrifice herself, there's no way that she'd go back on her word!

"Lucina...how can I..." He thought he heard her mumble. During their war with Valm and now the current battles against Validar and Grima, both of them- whilst grateful to have the alternate Lucina and their son Morgan by their side- missed their new-born babe that they hadn't seen since Flavia had first summoned them to Ferox. Chrom couldn't wait to see her again and he knew Robin had been anticipating her reunion with their little girl as well.

He placed two fingers under her chin, tilting her face so she'd meet his gaze. "Robin, what's wrong? I've already told you, don't worry about tomorrow, everything is going to be-"

He was cut off suddenly by the pressure of her lips on his own. His eyes closed and his arms tightened around her. She was pressing herself up against him, running a hand over his chest whilst her other one gripped at his hair, holding him there.

He somehow managed to pull back slightly, "Ma-maybe we shouldn't do that until we're back home, my love? Especially since we need our rest for tomorrow." He somehow got out between shaky breaths, it was always next to near impossible for him to turn her down.

Her eyes were wide and her lips swollen from their kissing, her chest was heaving with her own uneven breaths- Gods give me strength!- He thought. "Please Chrom, I need this right now...please?"

Almost as if he was in a trance, he leaned down to press his lips against hers again and they went on to spend the next while in utter bliss.

...Afterwards, with them both still breathing hard, he pulled Robin tight against his bare chest, running his fingers through her hair as she snuggled in close. She's perfection. He thought to himself. He loved her with all that he was and in just a few short days, they'd be back in Ylisstol safe and sound, having achieved the peace that they'd been fighting so long and hard for.

His eyes were just beginning to drift shut when Robin spoke his name. "Hmm...?" He murmured sleepily.

"Will you promise me something?" She asked almost hesitantly.

His eyes snapped open and landed upon her bare figure which was now looming above him. One of her hands was pressed against his face forcing him to meet her eyes which were staring into his own intently. "Depends on what it is." His breath fanned over her face as he replied.

Her gaze didn't falter as she bluntly stated her request, "Promise me that no matter what you'll never forget that I love you with all that I am. You were the start of my life and you've made every second of every day a precious joy to live through for which I will always be grateful."

He used his arms to push himself up slightly, "What's brought all this on?" He asked her curiously.

In response she just shook her head and pecked his lips before pulling back. "Just...promise me that no matter what- no matter how difficult things become or that if you ever feel like you can't go on, just remember my love for you and you'll be okay again. Please?"

Although he was feeling rather confused by how urgently she needed him to make this vow to her, he still agreed to it. How could I ever forget how much you love me, you make it clear to me every day?

After he'd agreed to her request, she quickly relaxed against him again. "Thank you." She whispered into his ear before snuggling up close to him.

He let his own eyes close again, "Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight Chrom..." Then the next and final thing she said to him that night was so softly spoken that he just presumed that he'd imagined it until what happened the next day:

"...Thank you...and goodbye..."

...

... ...

... ... ...

Chrom's eyes snapped open, ready to greet the day ahead of him. Or at least he wished that that was the case but the tears streaming down his face because of the dream he'd had suggested otherwise...and it was a dream- not a nightmare. Albeit, it was a bittersweet one simply because it was a dream about their last night together. A dream about the last time that they'd made love before her sacrifice, a dream about their final promise and a dream that- whenever he experienced it- he wished that he could've changed a lot of things that had happened that night.

He wished that he'd questioned her more, he wished that he'd held her tighter, he wished that he'd caught onto her plans so that he could've forced her to stay behind or- in failing that- he'd used his knowledge of her plans to make sure that he landed the final blow before she'd gotten the chance to. He wished that he'd looked over her shoulder at the papers on the desk because then he would've seen that she was writing a final message to him, the two Lucinas and Morgan. There was so much he should've done and said however, he couldn't turn back time all he could do was make sure that he got the chance to see her again and to correct his mistakes.

She'd handed the note to the alternate Lucina just before delivering the final blow and when they'd read it together, it had just added to their grief. The fact that all of them were so powerless to help her when she'd done so much for them was nearly unbearable for the Shepherds. The night that followed and their journey back to Ylisse had been fraught with tension and despair. Many of the children from the alternate future fled when the adults were asleep after leaving their own notes to say their goodbyes, thank yous and to mention that they'd keep an eye out for Robin and get in touch if they found anything. Tharja was being snappy with everyone (especially with Chrom) and was blaming them for Robin's fate although it was clear she was just ashamed of her own failings and Chrom himself was too grief stricken to be able to do anything to help the friends and loved ones who had supported him for so long.

Luckily with time and determination, the Shepherds were back to being at their best and doing what they loved to do: helping people in need. However, they still yearned for their tactician and Chrom needed his wife.

Which was why since Frederick had told both of the royal siblings about the fact they were 'housebound', they'd tried to come up with a million and ones way to convince 'Frederick the Wary' to let them go and look for Robin. The anniversary was two days away and it'd take them a full day to travel to Southtown which was the first place they always checked as well as the surroundings fields.

Chrom had ended up going to bed a lot later than intended due to having a discussion with Frederick about his stance on the subject late into the night.

"Milord I...I don't want to be the one to prevent you from finding Robin; I know she means the world to you but, I have my orders: 'Keep the Exalt, his daughter and his sister safe at all costs.' and even if that cost is our friendship, I won't go against my duty again. The last time I did, Lady Emmeryn paid the price, I won't allow for anything like that to be repeated!"

Chrom couldn't bring himself to keep on arguing with him after that; Emmeryn's death had deeply affected them all and he knew that to this day, Frederick still felt somewhat responsible as did Chrom himself.

Instead, Chrom had adopted a new approach- one which he and Lissa had both agreed to before they'd retired to their rooms and one that had them both on edge...

He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his head, if he wanted their plan to succeed then he had to act as naturally as possible.

As he left his room, he saw his daughter walking as best she could through the halls accompanied by Lissa.

"Getting some practise in are we?" He grinned at his little sister as she trailed behind her young niece and in response she just rolled her eyes at him and stuck her tongue out at him making him smile wider.

"Dada." Lucina gurgled, approaching her father.

"-And how are you this morning?" He asked, looking down at her.

"She seems a bit down this morning, she was giving her maids a hard time so I had to step in."

He shot a disapproving frown at his daughter and she frowned back at him in protest. "Hmm...she really is a grumpy one today, isn't she?"

Lucy- having changed her mind about wanting her father to pick her up- started towards a different hallway that contained the music room and the art room amongst others.

Lissa raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest as she watched her niece go. "Where is she going?"

Chrom shrugged. "I have no idea however, we should follow her."

As the two of them strolled after the little girl, they were surprised when she came to a stop in front of a large portrait. Upon seeing it, Lissa let out a choked gasp, her hand reaching up to clutch her throat. Chrom stiffened as his own eyes fell upon the painting. It was of himself and Robin whilst she was pregnant with Lucina. His hand was resting lightly upon one of her shoulders and he was smiling down at her and her bump whilst she was holding one of his hands and cupping her swollen belly with the other. She was gazing up at him with such love and adoration in her eyes that it melted his heart just looking at the painting.

Lucy pointed up at the female figure in the painting. "Ma!" She squealed.

"Y-yes, that's your mother." Lissa confirmed.

Chrom just stood in silence. he'd obviously gone out of his way to make sure that Lucy knew as much about her mother as it was possible for her to since she was only two but for her to actually lead them to this painting of her and say 'Ma', it was both the most beautiful and the most painful thing in the world.

"Where she?" Lucina was looking at her father with curious eyes when she asked this question and Chrom met her questioning gaze with as steady a look as he could muster.

Chrom scooped her up as Lissa sidled up to his side in order to pat his arm reassuringly. "She-she had to go away in order to keep you safe, your family safe, the whole world safe."

She pouted at his words before resting her head against his chest. "She come back?"

Chrom looked at the painting again, "She will do...one day."

All three of them got lost in their own thoughts for a moment before Lissa leaned over and whispered into Chrom's ear, "Are we still going through with the plan tonight?"

"Yes." He murmured before turning away from the painting to go about his day.

That night they set their plan in motion. Lissa created a distraction by telling the guards that she heard a noise near the main hall and as a result, Chrom 'ordered' the majority of his guards there for the evening apart from the ones that were guarding his daughter and her room; he wouldn't put her at risk, obviously.

About an hour after that, he pulled on a cloak, lifted the hood and began a descent from his window. Once he was safely out he made sure the coast was clear before heading to the designated meeting spot that he'd agreed on with Lissa; next to the hole in the wall he'd made during a training session. It was the first she'd heard of the hole and she'd scolded him about it despite the fact that he'd done it years ago!

Due to her pregnancy, Lissa's escape was to sneak out of the secret passage near her room that was there in case of emergencies. When she finally made it to the castle grounds, she started to run towards him with a bag of supplies in her arms. "Chrom!" She called out his name as she approached. "Were you spotted?"

Chrom shook his head, "No...were you?"

"Nope."

"Good, lets keep it that way, come on!" Motioning with a wave of his arm, he helped Lissa to get through the hole before following suit. Once they were out of the castle grounds, they were just about to make a run for it when a horse cut in front of them.

"Fr-Frederick!" Chrom cried, brining his arms up to shield his face.

Frederick's disapproving frown was visible despite the darkness of the night as he spoke, "Milord, Milady, just what do you two think you're doing?"

"We-we've made it this far, we aren't turning back now!" Lissa tried to sound confident but her voice was shaking either from adrenaline or fear or both, Chrom couldn't tell.

Frederick just stared down at them from on top of his horse before he sighed at them. "Milord, Milady, how did you not expect me to find your orders to the majority of the guards suspicious? It was clearly a diversion and not a very clever one at that."

Chrom grimaced he had to admit Frederick was the big worry with their plan but he thought it may take him a little bit more time to catch on or even to catch up with them- if they got lucky. ...Turns out that was wishful thinking.

"However...it is clear that no matter what we try, you two will still go and hunt for Robin and I'd rather that if you go then you're well guarded considering the threats made against you than you two going without proper supervision."

Both Chrom and Lissa's head snapped up in surprise. "You-you mean-?" Lissa's eyes were wide as she spoke.

"Get on the horse, Milady; the journey is too long for you to walk especially since you've lost some sleep thanks to your little 'escape attempt'."

Lissa shoved the supplies into Chrom's arms before running towards Frederick and resting a hand on his arm. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She giddily clambered up onto his horse as Frederick met his Lord's grateful gaze.

"Are you coming or what, Milord?"

With a grin on his face, Chrom joined his sister and closest friend as they began yet another search for their lost Shepherd.

Their journey throughout the day was relatively uneventful, nothing really happened and by the time they set up camp, they had almost reached Southtown. It was agony having to rest for the night knowing that the field where they found Robin was almost in touching distance however, it was important for them to ease up for the time being especially due to Lissa's pregnancy; it wouldn't have been fair to make her travel through the night as well as through the day despite her insistence she'd be okay with such a thing.

Chrom couldn't help but recall Robin's pregnancy with Lucina when he saw his sister. As soon as he'd learned the she was bearing his child, he became incredibly protective of her (maybe even embarrassingly so) but he couldn't help it. At that time, her pregnancy meant there were three reasons why she may have been a target; first was the fact she was a master tactician, second was the fact she was Chrom's wife and then there was the pregnancy itself- it didn't take a genius to work out that if a criminal wanted to have a hold over Chrom and over House Ylisse in general then Robin was the prime target.

Of course- as a tactician- that had occurred to her as well so she was very understanding of his desire to keep her safe and for the most part she found his fretting amusing, much to his dismay, but there were times it irritated her like nothing else. For example, the fact that she could no longer go out to battle with the Shepherds when they were called away to deal with bandits or the remaining groups of Risen that remained after the war with Plegia had ended really annoyed her especially since she felt useless because of it despite- in Chrom's opinion- her having the most important job out of all of them at that point in time. She also didn't like the way that everyone in the castle fussed over her all the time; she liked her freedom and being able to do her own thing and so to have everyone from a kitchen maid to a high-ranking general fawning over her was really difficult for her to deal with. Finally, she loved her routines: late nights, hours of reading both books about tactics and books for leisure, practising spells and her swordplay, talking with her friends, getting used to being a part of the Royal Family, were all things that brought her incredible amounts of joy however- her love of never taking breaks and never allowing herself to rest for a moment was obviously very dangerous for both her health and that of the baby. It worried not just Chrom himself but everyone who knew of her habits about how much of a toll such a lack of rest was taking on just her health let alone that of a growing babe!

Obviously, Robin herself was also anxious about their baby and wanted to protect her or (since they didn't know the gender at the time) him as best she could but she was used to running herself into the ground in order to help the Shepherds at the expense of her own well-being. Maybe it was because she felt the need to prove herself? Maybe it was because she thought she was strong enough to be able to withstand anything? Or maybe it was just a testament to how much she cared? But regardless, it was still difficult for her to accept her circumstances during the pregnancy no matter how happy she was to be with child.

Chrom couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory of those months; it was probably thanks to seeing that painting yesterday, he mused. It'd made all of his memories resurface. During her pregnancy; they'd both found peace. Chrom had always wanted to be a father and that wish was going to come true. At that time, he'd thought nothing could go wrong and that he'd have it all with the love of his life and his progeny by his side.

...How wrong could he have been?

Sighing to himself, he decided to put his head down for the night.

After a few hours of peaceful slumber, he was stirred awake by a movement in the bushes. To begin with he thought that it was just Lissa or Frederick but once he heard it again, he sat up, suddenly alert.

"Well...this seems familiar." He muttered, dread filling him. He took in his surroundings and started to push himself up when he found a strange marking on the ground; an arrow made from sticks pointing in the direction he'd heard the noise.

Grabbing his cloak and fastening it around his neck and grabbing Falchion, he started in the direction that the 'arrow' was pointing.

After a while of walking, he thought that he was just being led on a wild goose chase however he eventually came across a clearing and in the centre of that clearing stood a figure with their back turned that looked a lot like...

Chrom gasped, "Lucina?! Is that...you?"

The figure turned, a slight smile on her lips and a wary look on her face. "Hello Father, it's good to see you again after all this time."

Yes...he hadn't seen Lucina since the war had ended. She'd returned to Ylisse unlike the majority of the children but had left without a word soon after much to Chrom's upset. The alternate (and completely grown up) version of his daughter who had endured so much before coming to aid the Shepherds in this world. He still recalled with perfect clarity the moment when she'd revealed her true identity to him; how much it had broken his heart to learn just how badly he'd let her down in her world and to see her break down in tears due to the weight of her grief and sadness.

Without even thinking, he ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her frame as tightly as he possibly could and she returned his embrace with just as much enthusiasm.

After a long moment in silence together like that, Chrom pulled back to look at his daughter. "What are you doing here?"

She pulled away herself, her hand moving to grip the Parallel Falchion. "I...I came here to look for Mother. I've been looking for her ever since the war ended to no avail, I figured I'd go back to basics and try looking for her in the place you two claimed to meet. I didn't expect to see you here though."

Chrom's eyebrows pulled together in confusion as he tilted his head to the side, "Why not?"

She hesitated before answering. "I heard about the threat made against you and baby Lucina and I also heard that your castle had pretty much gone into lockdown since; I didn't expect you'd be able to get away."

Leaning against a tree, Chrom folded his arms across his chest as he smiled at his daughter. "I almost didn't, if it wasn't for Lissa and Frederick I'd still be prevented from looking for Robin. How did you hear about the threat?"

Lucina's hold on her sword tightened even further, "My apologies but...I aren't at liberties to talk about that at the moment."

Chrom was about to object to his daughter's reluctance but thought better of it. She'll tell me when she thinks it's necessary to do so.

"I'm sorry, Father but I must be on my way, I just...wanted to see you again. Promise me that if you find Mother you'll take good care of her no matter what and give her both my love and Morgan's."

Chrom nodded, "I will."

Lucina started to walk away when something occurred to Chrom, "Wait!"

Lucina froze and turned her head to the side, waiting for him to continue.

"Why do you have to go and...and...why did you leave Ylisstol after the war? We told you that we wanted you to stay-"

"-And believe me, it was my intention to stay mainly because Mother swore that she'd come up with some way to justify my presence by your side however, after what happened in the fight against Grima- after she...left us, I knew that regardless of what excuses the House of Ylisse could come up with, even if they heard them from your own lips, they'd still suspect something was going on. I mean, your wife just 'died' and yet you would be seen in the presence of another and one with the Brand no less! I couldn't risk bringing shame to you or to Mother considering what you both did..." She drifted off.

Chrom's hand clenched into a fist, Just how much will my title as Exalt destroy? "You should've been able to stay," He spoke though gritted teeth. "Regardless of the circumstances, you shouldn't have felt like you weren't welcome."

"Heh, passionate as always about things that are unjust, I see." Her eyes danced with amusement. "But don't worry after me, I'm doing okay for myself. Also, in regards to why I have to go now, I can't go into details- not just yet- however, I will tell you that it has something to do with the threats made against you and Lucy. I'm sorry I can't reveal more but right now, I only have theories and I don't want to unnecessarily worry you for naught."

Tensing at the thought that there was some sort of conspiracy or something that was behind the attack the other day, Chrom was tempted to pry further however he knew she was right, worrying about things that would later turn out to be falsities would be an unwise move.

"Well...I really must be going but before I do, I just have one more thing to say: I also know about your advisors asking you to take on a new wife or consort." She spat clearly disliking the idea as much as Chrom did. "Hopefully this'll be a moot point as you'll find Mother during your current search but if you don't, no matter what happens or how long it is before you find Mother again, don't give in! Because you will find her, I just know it. You really were so close in my time, I couldn't imagine the two of you apart let alone with someone else entirely, it pains me greatly just to think of it. Never give up on her, Father, please."

Before he could respond, she walked away without looking back at the man who was her everything.

The following morn, there was a solemn mood in their small camp simply because it marked the anniversary of Robin's sacrifice.

That morning two years ago, they and the other Shepherds were under the impression that all of them would be returning safely to Ylisse however in the end, they'd lost one of their closest friends and companions and Chrom has lost his wife.

As they made their way through Southtown, Chrom lagged behind, lost in his own thoughts. In fact, he was so distracted that he didn't spot Lissa sidling up next to him. "Chrom?"

The sound of his name made him jump as he turned to face his sister.

"Don't be too disappointed if she's not there. This is just the beginning of our search and even if we don't find her now, we'll find her someday and until then, we'll all help each other through no matter what." Her smile was reassuring but it was clear that she was on edge as well.

"Thank you, Lissa."

As they continued to complete the rest of their walk in silence, Chrom felt his stomach beginning to clench due to how tense he was. By midday, they'd approached the field where they'd first found Robin.

He could recall that day like the back of his hand, they'd just been patrolling around the borders of Southtown as per usual when something in the distance caught Lissa's eye. Both herself and Chrom had rushed over and there he saw her- the woman who would go on to change his life in a million different ways.

The mood was melancholic as Chrom closed his eyes, he was afraid to open them in case all he saw was an empty field.

Suddenly he felt a strong pressure tapping his arm. "Chrom, look!" Lissa gasped, her voice excited.

He felt his eyes snap open as he turned to face where she was pointing.

He heard Frederick suck in a breath behind him. "Thank the Gods."

There...in the exact same spot they'd found her the first time, Robin lay. Her blonde hair glinting in the sun and her chest falling and rising with her breaths. Chrom staggered towards her and it took all of his strength to avoid falling to his knees and breaking down in relief.

He felt Lissa come up behind him. "Chrom, we have to do SOMETHING."

Recognising the familiar line, he chocked back a sob as he weakly spoke the next line. "What do you propose we do?"

"I... I dunno..."

Just then, Robin's eyes began to flutter open, revealing their depths to him again and he gasped at the exact same moment Lissa did.

He looked down at her, "I see you're awake now."

"Hey there!" Lissa's soft voice barely registered in Chrom's mind.

"There're better places to take a nap than on the ground, you know. Give me your hand." Almost like he was in a trance, his hand stretched out towards her and she hesitantly placed her own warm palm into his. He quickly noticed the lack of Grima's mark on the back of her hand, a sign that this wasn't a dream but was actually happening.

He pulled her to her feet but she seemed a little unsteady and she fell against his chest, his hands gripping her arms to keep her upright as he took in her face. "Welcome back. It's over now."- He sucked in a breath.- "It's finally over!" He cried as he pulled her into an embrace, his hand gripping her hair tightly and his free arm tightening around her waist. Lissa came up beside them and placed her hand on Robin's arm whilst Frederick looked on, clearly fighting back tears.

"Heh, you've even made Frederick cry!" Lissa joked.

"Fred-er-ick?" Robin spoke his name as if it was unfamiliar.

Chrom froze and pulled back in order to look into her eyes which were filled with confusion and hesitancy.

"Robin?" Staring into her eyes trying to work out what was wrong, Chrom felt a strong sense of foreboding taking over him.

Her lips puckered out, "I'm sorry but...who's 'Robin'?"

Lissa chocked and cupped her hands over her mouth in surprise. "Chrom it...it can't be! The amnesia is back."

It felt as if the ground had disappeared from under his feet, like the world had stopped spinning and that a crushing weight was pressing against his chest all at once. "Do...do you know who I am?" He whispered and although he should have anticipated the answer the simple sound of it was almost enough to stop his heart beating:

"No."

Ooh...so Robin is back but can't remember anything, or at least that's how it seems, you'll have to wait to find out what's going on with her but hopefully considering how long this Chapter is, it'll be enough to tide you over for the moment. =) Thanks for reading and until next time. xXx