"JASKIER!"

Geralt's scream echoed into the hall, stilling few but it was Aiden who didn't hesitate, his foot pivoting on the spot next to Lambert and ran. His eyes took in the scene, the basilisk and Jaskier were nowhere to be seen but Geralt was peering over the edge. A calculated risk had Aiden jumping, trusting in the free fall, hands catching on the jutting rocks and using that to drop further down.

He was vaguely aware of telling the White Wolf to tend to his child.

The Basilisk was dead on the stairs, neck shredded beyond recognition. Jaskier had slid further out, his body on its side, still.

"Fuck, Jask!" Aiden hissed as he dropped to his knees in the snow hands going to assess the damage. It was… fuck it was bad. Aiden couldn't tell what wounds were from the fall and what wounds he came in with, shaking fingers pressed up against his jugular, desperately hoping for a heartbeat. "Come on Jaskier, come on."

He pulled out a dose of Swallow but before he could tip the potion in his brothers mouth there were several thuds behind him, causing Aiden to spin, one hand still on his brother the other raising his Steel Fang, teeth bared in a warning.

The Witchers before him raised their hands. "Easy Cat, is he alive?"

A shining Bear Medallion caught Aiden's eye. "I don't know, I can't feel a pulse."

The Witcher who spoke swore low and moved forward, his own hand pressing down on the pulse point waiting. When nothing reached his fingertips Gron pressed his ear to Julien's chest, sighing in relief as he heard the very slow thump of the heart. "Hibernation."

"Hiber-what?" Aiden asked confused, fury burning deep down as the Bears winced.

"He took two doses of Rage," The elder Witcher explained slow. "We cannot endure two let alone all the grievous wounds. His body shut down into a healing sleep, for now. We need to get him inside, immediately."

Aiden nodded and moved to pick up Jaskier, pausing when the old Witcher stilled him. He watched as the man lifted Jaskier with ease, careful of the wounds and the arrows still protruding from his back. A sense of unease prickled them all as Jaskier laid limp, not even a sound of pain escaping him.

Please, please stay alive. He begged down the pendant, his hand clenching it tight enough to draw blood but still, Jaskier didn't budge.

A resounding boom could be heard further up from where they came from, the fight still ongoing. Aiden's attention was split between hoping Lambert was safe and his brother that looked smaller than he ever did.

He led them to the stillroom that Triss used, watching as the Bear Witchers he didn't know at all began to move around, gathering herbs, water and bandages. A wicked curved blade was pulled from the youngest-looking one's boot, the blade glinting as it was handed over to the eldest.

"I am sorry Cub; this is going to hurt, and the sorceress isn't here," Gron murmured as he steeled himself, nodding sharply to his boys to be ready.

"Gron wait." One of the others stated, hand shooting out to catch the blade-wielding hand. "He broke free with eight of us using Axii as one. We will need all the help we can get, the people he… his family is here."

"We don't have time, they're busy and if we don't treat these wounds before Rage settles them fully, he'll lose the fight entirely," Gron growled low, unable to hold back the familiar burn of anger.

Aiden watched as the others eyed each other, the youngest one sighed hand running through his cropped hair. "He's still dying Gron, you heard the sorceress the curse is…"

"Someone better tell me what is wrong with my brother, or I will show you how dangerous a Cat can be." Aiden hissed out low, hands wrapping tight around his Fangs.

Gron snarled and stood, eyeing all the younglings in the room. "We don't have fucking time for this! He needs aid now, so unless you can get the others here quick without risking the Child he did this for, then do it or let me continue!"

We need everyone in the stillroom, Jaskier is hurt badly… Aiden growled down the bond, dagger still in hand and eye never leaving the Witchers before him.

How bad?

Fuck, I'm on my way.

Geralt and the witch got Ciri free, she's fine… We will bring the wounded down with us.

No one breathed or moved even though Jaskier lay broken and bleeding on the table. It burned Aiden that he was part of the continuation of Jaskier's pain, but he didn't know these witchers, didn't trust them even though their words of him dying rung true.

Triss and another sorceress raced into the room, Eskel on their heels with Coën plastered to his side and a swath of makeshift bandages. Lambert was several steps behind him with three vipers and Vesemir who was eyeing them with distrust.

In a flurry the two women had Jaskier on his side and peeled off his armour, even then when the leather snagged on an arrow lodged in his back, ripping it free from the skin, he didn't move.

"Someone get me Swallow," Triss ordered.

"No, he can't take it." Gron grunted out. "He's taken two doses of Rage, anything more will kill him, if we give him White Honey to give the healing potions it will kill him."

Serrit eyed Auckes as he nodded silently, his hands passing over the pain tonics. "We have our pain tonicss, they won't interact with what he hass taken but they're enough to even put Letho into a blissssful ssleep. He's been taking diluted versionss of it for dayss now."

"That will have to do, I'm worried about the fact he isn't reacting at all," Levana whispered as she took the tonics, pouring them down Julek's throat before anyone could stop her. Her free hand roamed over his bare torso with a grimace as she felt and sensed all the new broken bones and wounds he reopened. "He's badly hurt. But that's not the worst of it."

"The curse?" Letho asked gruffly, ignoring the way everyone tensed as did so. He was used to that. "How did it go from before to this?"

"I don't rightly know, but it's fractured," Levana stated as she watched the other sorceress apply salve. "We can focus on that next, we need to get these arrows out."

"There is more of us to keep him under so you can work," Gron grunted as he motioned for his Cubs and the three snakes to take formation, pausing a moment to look at the others. "Even like this he will be in a Rage, he snapped through eight of us using Axii before portalling here. We need to keep him under, or we won't be able to stop him."

Levana hummed and cast a glance at those that carried her Julek's mark. "He will also feel guilty if he hurt those he loved."

Coën winced and swallowed a dose of Swallow while splashing Kiss against the jagged wound in his stomach, letting Eskel rewrap it tightly. Stitches can wait for now. "If some of us use Axii and others Somme then it may work, keep him sedated."

"You're a Griffin," Gron stated with a relieved sigh. "Yes, we will do that."

It took another beat for those to prepare, Gron and Eskel near Jaskier's shoulders as Vesemir and Lambert took hold of his legs. Levana and Triss were at his back, one with the sharp blade and the other ready to pull. The first arrow came free after two slices, only a twitch to Jaskier's frame, the second was a little more difficult… the third… the third had him arching off the table with a pain-shattering scream.

Thundering steps could be heard as Geralt tore through the room; his eyes wild as he took in what was happening. Jaskier thrashed in the hold of the others, snarls and panic flaring with blood pooling rapidly under him. He stood frozen, his heart hammering fast for a Witcher as he watched this all.

"Fuckin' help!" Lambert snapped as he saw Geralt at the door.

Rushing forward Geralt used all his strength to push Jaskier back, crouching enough to lock eyes with him. The world faded away as Jaskier finally registered him, stilling entirely as pained whimpers left his lips.

"It's okay Jask, let them help, I'm here." The words came out unbidden. "I'm here Jask, rest."

As if on command, Jaskier's body went limp. A cacophony of sighs reached Geralt's ears, enough to pull his eyes away from Jaskier's face to see that those who were surrounding him looked exhausted, sweat gathering across their brow and jaws clenched in strain.

"He nearly overpowered all of us, even with Somme…" Coën gaped with disbelief.

"That is the nature of Rage, though Julien has always been different. Perhaps it's just his own strength." Gron muttered as he sat down on a small stool, eyes locked on his Cub who was being tended to by two sorceresses.

Triss frowned, hand pausing above the Medallion. "This is the source of the curse?"

"Yes," Levana stated neutral, blunt as she focused on stitching the wounds on Julek's back and pushing energy into the one close to his heart. "He wears the Medallion then the curse gets pushed back, causes pain beyond words, he removes it and he's human."

"Then we need to take it off, it's battling the healing spells we place," Triss replied firmly, fingers curling around the medallion.

"No," Levana exclaimed harsh, shocking all that didn't know why she needed to be so. "It cannot be removed; he wore it too long and it is set. We must push through it."

"Trust what she has to say," Letho grunted once more. "A griffin claw caught it, and it would not be removed, nearly decapitated him in the process."

Geralt jolted, he had known since the first week of meeting Jaskier that there was magic around him, have known since Rinde that it was a curse. Yen had told him after Jaskier had vanished, pointing it out and every so often afterwards but neither knew what it was. His eyes moved back to Jaskier, heart twisting with each mark and wound he saw, his fingers sliding up the scarred chest to rest above the wound an inch away from his heart. A wound that would kill a mortal man instantly but would delay on a Witcher if acted fast enough.

"We could find the mage that cursed 'im and kill 'em. Don't that usually how it works?" Lambert asked and Geralt noted the way the hands that worked stilled for a beat.

"That wouldn't work either." Levana choked out, eyes slipping closed. It would, but Jaskier never desired that, would rather die than kill her or have her killed. She was his last connection to Violet much like he is to her. "If you did, Julek's rage would be beyond what you saw today."

Realization flooded Aiden as he saw the way her eyes pinched, the acrid stench of shame. "You placed it on him."

Blades were drawn in an instant, yet Levana never moved. "Yes."

"Then remove it!" Aiden snapped back with a hiss.

"I cannot. The curse was done so long ago it's evolved." Levana explained sadly as she stood, moving Julek to lay back, hand brushing away a loose strand of hair and washing away the Glamour of white hair, returning it to chestnut brown. "I shall take what you love and twist it, maybe then you'll understand how to feel."

The words were spat with melancholy venom. "I had just watched my son burn the day before in the raids, all I had left was my wife and he killed her. The chaos that ripped out of me when it happened, I never knew I could wield. Now all that is left is us."

"You're Levana." Aiden breathed out in dawning realization. "Violet… fuck."

Levana paused, her eyes flicking to the Cat Witcher and down to the medallion that hung over his light armour. She would know that medallion anywhere, all the knicks and grooves, her hands had traced it over a thousand times. "You wear her medallion; he gave it to you?"

"She was a friend, I knew her well… Jaskier saved me, I was… my Medallion was taken from me." Aiden stammered out through the lump of emotion that welled within him. He knew; he knew the meaning of the silver he wore. Now more than ever he knew.

"Then I know it will be in safe hands, whatever happened with Julek and I…" Levana trailed off as she moved to touch the Medallion one last time, it was warm against her skin and vibrated under her touch like always. "With you, she lives on; a memory of three she lives in. Julien is stable, please… please excuse me, if you need me just call for me through the Pendant."

A loud buzzing was heard as she vanished, leaving several Witchers to stand around in confusion.

Geralt bent his head over Jaskier's hand, his eyes closed. Prayers to gods he no longer worshipped or believed in a constant murmur in his mind. He feels like he should be angry, angry over the fact Jaskier lied to him about being a Witcher… yet the longer he thought about it if the curse was to be human and no longer allowed him to be one… was it still a lie?

Vesemir eyed the others around, there was still much to be done. "Come, there is still much to be done."

Let Geralt be with the cub…

They left the room after Triss double-checked to see if Jaskier was indeed stable enough, stable but unresponsive… if he doesn't wake in the next few days, I can't say he'll wake up at all… the words tore at them all.

Here he was, the man who had done all he could to protect them, to make sure their Path was an easy one and there was nothing they could do in this time to repay him. To even begin to give back to him what he freely gave them all, the love of a friend, a brother.

The Vipers avoided the others as they left the room, though they didn't go far, just to one of the empty rooms off to the side used as storage. The Bears took sentry along the hall, those that weren't injured at least, their armour heavy and splattered still in blood and soot. Gron and Vesemir stood face to face and murmured to one another while the Wolves, Coën and Aiden circled around the outer hall of the stillroom.

"So, you're the brother," Letho muttered leaning against the door as Aiden did another round.

Pausing Aiden turned to look at the Kingslayer. "What's it to you Kingslayer."

A rumbling laugh escaped Letho's lips. "I owed Julien a life debt, one he came to me many seasons ago after weeks of hunting me and a favour owed to Sigismund to cash in for a friend, he originally said but brother he meant."

"For me?" Aiden choked out, hand clenching around Lambert's arm who appeared at his side in a blink. "Why?"

Letho snarled softly, not at them but at the reason why. "Said it would be squared if I did a job for him. When he told me... when he told me about a brother being taken, tortured and sold well."

"Ostem… you are the one who killed him," Aiden replied, head snapping around to the open door where he could see Jaskier on the table. "He paid you with the completion of a life debt…?"

"No, I refused." Letho rumbled. "I did it for the pleasure of killing a monster who sold brothers, it doesn't matter what you all think of Vipers and the shit I and my kin have done in the past. Us three, we may kill for kings, for money, but we would never sell a brother."

With that said, those words hanging in the air Letho stepped back and closed the door with a resounding thud. Many of the Witchers who heard it shared a look, disbelief clouding their faces. How did Julien inspire such loyalty?

X

The night had passed, the day following melded into the next and Geralt still hadn't moved, there was so much to be done, his child to reassure but he couldn't pull himself from Jaskier's side. Triss and Vesemir were keeping an eye on Ciri, even more so after she came down here looking for him and burst into tears at the sight of her Dandelion broken.

Fuck, guilt ate away at Geralt. He may have said fuck you to Destiny, but Jaskier obviously took the time to keep an eye on Ciri for him. He had made sure to tell her stories of Geralt, well of the White Wolf and the Swallow so she knew who to look for, fuck he even told her of Lambert and Eskel, Coën and Aiden if she ever needed safety.

His throat burned with the need to scream, it had been a day and two nights and still, Jaskier didn't move. Geralt couldn't help but think that maybe the reason Jaskier didn't fight was that he felt unwanted… fuck

Damn it, Jaskier! Why is it whenever I find myself in a pile of shit these days, it's you shovelling it? The Child Surprise, the djinn, all of it! If life could give me one blessing, it would be to take you off my hands!

His stomach churned as the last thing he had ever said to Jaskier was those fucking hate filled words on the mountain. It was the Djinn all over again, he says something so immensely hurtful and Jaskier ends up nearly dying because of it… he would never forgive himself for this.

Unbidden the words he spoke to Yennefer years ago come to mind. I said some things to him, he's… a friend and I'd like it to not be the last thing he remembers.

"Hold on please Jask," He choked out, the words rough on a dry throat, yet thick with emotion. "Come back, I still need you."

"Wolf," Vesemir called soft from the door, walking in slowly as Geralt didn't acknowledge him. "Pup."

"I don't want to hear it Vesemir." The words were muffled and bordering a snarl as Geralt buried his face into Jaskier's hip. "Please, I can't… I can't lose him."

A sigh escaped Vesemir as he watched Geralt tremble, his hand moving to lift the Lark Pendant from his neck. He had tried last night to get the pup to leave, to bathe and eat but was snarled at. Lambert and even Eskel were bodily tossed from the room. In the end, it was one of the Vipers, Ciri and Aiden who snuck in to check on them both and leave bits of food.

No one wanted to believe that Julien wouldn't wake up but as the day passed and still no response of stimuli well, their hopes were dying and Vesemir was worried about what it would cause his pups to do, what Geralt would become if the Witcher-turned-Bard died.

"Maybe this will help you reach him, the boys have been speaking to him through it." The old Wolf hummed, passing the pendant to Geralt who took it like a lifeline, eyes wide and red.

Slipping the lark pendant over his own, letting it settle next to his heart Geralt felt it seemed fitting, right.

I just want to hear you, please Lark… please hold on, I still need you… He whispered hand clenched tight around Jaskier's, head still pressed against his hip. The scent was all wrong, he no longer smelt of death thanks to the basin someone brought but he was muted, no longer smelling of Sunshine and Home. Come back, I'll make it right… I can't imagine a world with you gone…

Years and years of memories he pushed down the Pendant. Everything he retained about Jaskier, the way he smiled, the way his eyes lit up when he saw a field of wildflowers or when Geralt gifted him with a rare smile of his own. How his brows furrowed, and his tongue poked out as he composed a difficult piece.

Every moment, every word, Geralt remembered it all.

I swear to love you all my life… please come back to me.

Geralt held on, never letting go, telling Jaskier in the way he only could how much the bard meant to him. How much he was loved by Geralt even if he had denied it till now.

Neither Witcher noticed the way Jaskier seemed to breathe easier in the silence, both too lost in their thoughts.

Author Note: I didn't make you all wait too long! Once again the chapter didn't turn out how I wanted it but look! Emotions from the great white wolf! Also, have had Chord Overstreet - Hold On on repeat to write this chapter!