Everything had been over. Stricklander could already hear the steps of impending doom.

Well, at least his doom possessed mesmerizing blue eyes.

He chuckled at his own foolish train of thought. Why not escaping? He still had wings to carry him away and enough time to run.

Going somewhere far away, starting anew with the plans, and…

Forgetting his first true love ever.

Who he tried to fool? There was no way out. His emotions trapped him in an elaborate trap. Even Inferna Copula was nothing in comparison.

It had been falling inside the abyss for a while. No matter how much Walter had tried to hide his real face, it had come to the light eventually.

Ironically, he still could only speculate how it had happened. Most likely, Angor Rot had spilled the beans - he had been the first one to go down.

Bular had followed afterward.

And somehow, Stricklander had ended as the final boss. Well, ignoring Gunmar, still trapped in the Darklands.

The final boss should have demonstrated a magnificent fight and gone down in full glory, yet Walter had no wish for that.

Hopefully, Barbara would have some mercy and finish it in one swift movement.

Everything would be good as long as she didn't try to get any answers from him.

She stepped out from the shadows, glorious in her justified ire. A true warrior goddess, no, the Fair Lady Knight.

Even in the current situation, Stricklander couldn't help admiring her stature. Barbara stood proud in her shining armor, her beautiful eyes full of determination, her lips pursued in a barely readable expression.

That's right.

She shouldn't have looked broken or desperate. She was his strong-willed beloved lady.

Even dying from her hand wouldn't be that bad.

Stricklander lifted his own sword - not that he planned to attack, just making sure it would end according to the script.

Barbara raised her eyebrows.

"I see."

Walter could swear she muttered it under her breath. Or was it just wishful thinking?

He both wanted and didn't want his beloved to break this suffocating silence, after all.

Barbara bolted at him, summoning her weapon in a wisp of blue light.

That was it. The end.

And no matter how much he had planned to meet the death bravely, he still closed his eyes.

A second passed and then…

The death definitely felt way too different from anything Walter had imagined. It resounded through his skull as if…

No, wait.

Stricklander opened his eyes as the realization hit him. Barbara had never summoned her sword, it had been the shield from the very beginning.

And, of course, she used it to pound his head.

Two times already.

"What are you doing?" it was so surreal that he couldn't help but ask the obvious question.

"And what does it look like?" she huffed in response, whacking him for the third time. "Obviously, I'm letting go of my frustration!"

Another hit followed.

"You know, initially, I planned just to come here and try to talk," she continued, her tone full of anger. "I'm a mature woman and all. But!"

Another whack.

"I come here - and you're being impossible already!"

Sixth one.

"While I'm trying my best to understand what's going on in your unhinged brain!"

Seventh.

"I analyze your words, attempt to figure out your mindset! Hell, I even talked about you with Angor Rot and Bular!"

Barbara raised her shield once again, but the eighth hit never happened as she lowered it instead.

"And you know what?" she chuckled sadly. "I'm still nowhere close to figuring you out. That's why I want to hear it from you."

She folded her arms, looking him straight into his eye as if telling 'I'm going nowhere without my answers'.

Walter stared at her in bewilderment.

"You're not going to kill me," he stated flatly. It wasn't even a question by this point. His Lady Trollhunter just went and threw away the most logical script.

"If someone needs a reminder," she scowled. "I have three - THREE - trolls I've failed to slay freeloading in my house!"

She was right. Though Walter simply didn't want to think about the utter chaos of Draal, Angor Rot, and Bular occupying the same limited space. It was a true miracle that there had been no casualties so far.

"Neither of them has wronged you the way I have," he retorted.

Draal had simply behaved like an ass.

Angor Rot had followed someone else's command.

And Bular… Well, at least Bular had been honest with his actions and never tried to deceive anyone.

"Glad that you realize it," Barbara spat angrily. "And if you haven't noticed, I'm still considering what to do with you! However, slaying isn't an option."

"Are you going to forgive me, then?"

She didn't respond at once, seemingly lost in thought, her expression full of conflicting emotions.

"Not until I fully understand you," she responded at last. "And until then, you'd better show me that you want to repent."

So those were the victor's conditions. And well, it wasn't like Stricklander had any other choice.

"Do I need to join the company of refined gentlemen living in your basement?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

To be honest, he was scared to death of such a possibility. Both Bular and Angor Rot had a lot they would like to 'discuss' with him. And Draal probably wouldn't stay aside.

Barbara smiled at last, her eyes full of mischievous sparks:

"Well, if you consider them good roommates, why not?"

"I'll think about it," Walter muttered, knowing too well that he would never approach Lakes' residence without the Trollhunter being around.

"I have another condition though," her tone grew serious all of a sudden. "I want to know the true ending."

"The true… ending?" he clarified, clearly confused.

What could she possibly mean? Unless…

"The ending to your book," Barbara sighed. "Come on, Walter, have you thought I'd never figure out? With the author's name being Waltolemew S. Lander?"

So it was exactly like he suspected. It was about the book their story paralleled that much.

"And please, don't you dare to tell me that half-assed ending was the original one," she added quickly.

Stricklander chuckled sadly:

"I think you'll hate the original too… It has always been a tragedy."

Wait, why would she demand the ending from him? It suddenly clicked, and he wished he could kick himself for not realizing sooner.

The one Barbara wanted to read was never the sad one, but…

"Actually, I'll have a solution."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She got a package in a week. All this time Walter kept avoiding her, so Barbara started to wonder if she had been too harsh.

Angor even proposed to hunt Strickler down, which she forbade him at once.

At least, the delivery had dispelled all the doubts at once.

My Fair Lady Knight, I've thought about writing a different ending, yet somehow trailed off and ended with a full re-write of my original story. Hopefully, it'll be to your liking.

The note was short, but Barbara could easily feel Walter in that neat handwriting. And the package obviously contained the new story.

She read the headline and chuckled mirthfully. Oh, she surely would love the new version!

TALE OF THE FAIR LADY KNIGHT AND THE ENAMOURED DRAGON

A/N:

I belong to camp 'Barbara reforming everyone', so yeah, in this AU both Bular and Angor Rot live.

And yep, Barbara helped Walter to realize how foolish he was. His new story references his relationship with Barbara more and it ends with Lady Knight beating some common sense into Dragon.

It was fun to write this four-shot, and I swear one day I'll write an actual Trollhunter!Barbara AU (to be honest, I have one in my unpublished WIPs already - but that one shares nearly nothing with this story).