Meg couldn't believe it. Why hadn't he told her? The pain made her want to vomit. Yet another case of heartbreak. His story was causing her more pain than hers ever had.

She climbed into bed. Sleep wouldn't come. The images Miles's story had brought kept coming back. Especially the children.

She sobbed into her pillow, emptying all her tears. Why hadn't Miles told her? She knew the answer; there was no reason for him to tell her.

One other thing gnawed at her mind, keeping sleep from her. What they had said about the spring. Was it the spring that she had drunk from?

Not half of an hour after she lay down, she got up again. She made her way to the log that had fallen across the waterfall, the one she had used to think the first day. She ran up the stones, tripping with almost every step, but she made it to the top. She stepped onto the wood and slowed down. Careful once more, she saw the sunrise reflecting as she stared down, concentrating.

She made it to the middle and turned to sit down. She slipped, and this time Miles wasn't there to catch her.

Tuck and Mae were waiting for Jesse, Winnie and Miles why they got home. Solemnly, Tuck stepped forward. "Winnie Foster, you are the only other one who knows. We need to talk." He took Winnie's arm from Jesse's. Mae, Miles, and Jesse watched as the two pulled out in the small rowboat to the middle of the lake.

Miles turned to Mae. "Have you seen Meg?"

"She wasn't in the house when we woke. We thought she was with you."

Miles knew there was only one place she would go to before dawn, without telling anyone. He left Mae and Jesse and rode toward the falls, finally knowing what to do.

Suddenly, a scream split the air. Miles spurred the horse forward. He pulled out of the trees just in time to see her fall with the water, down to the rocky pool below.

He galloped down the path to the bottom. He was praying harder than he had for a long time. God wouldn't do this to him twice, would he?

She was lying on the shore, gasping for breath. She saw him, but quickly averted her eyes. She tried to say something, but instead only coughed up water.

He crouched down next to her and helped her sit up. He already knew the answer to his question when he asked it. "What happened?"

"I fell off the log."

"You went over the falls! You should be dead!" His own exclamation unnerved him. She should have been dead. The waterfall was too high, too fast.

"I drank the water," she whispered. "I didn't mean to, but…"

Miles interrupted her, not wanting to hear the end. "Of course you swallowed some," he said consolingly while helping her to stand. "It'll be alright. We'll get you home, get you rested. You'll be alright."

She stepped back, fear rising in her eyes, yet determination with it. "Miles, I didn't know. I heard you last night, telling Winnie. I drank it before I knew, when I first got here. I didn't mean to."

A million thoughts ran through Miles's head. She couldn't be talking about THE spring. No one knew. But she hard heard him. Heard the whole thing. She really had.

His face blanched and he backed away from her, his face registering his distraught confusion. "The spring? Do you have idea what you've done?" He was screaming at her without knowing why. "Forever! You will never change! Never! Do you understand how long that is? Do you?" He felt his breathing speed up, as if air was becoming scarce.

"Miles, I'm sorry! I didn't know. Just like you didn't know when you drank. I'm sorry!"

He ignored her and rode away. When he reached the house, he stopped only to simply tell Mae, "She knows." He continued then, deep into the forest to a small house that witch hunter's had tried to burn 75 years before.

Parts of it remained untouched by the flames. He walked from room to room, anger and disbelief welling up within him. He wasn't sure whom it was directed toward. God, for bringing this about? Maybe. His wife, for leaving him with these scars? Not enough to matter. Meg?

Meg. She hadn't known when she drank. It wasn't her fault. And why did he care so much anyway?

He didn't want to answer why. That was a question that was only answered with other questions. Questions he didn't want asked.

So whom was he upset with? The answer washed over him like a flash flood. Himself. He had pushed her away, not told her. He hadn't protected the spring well enough. He could have prevented Meg from falling under this curse.

That's what it was, a curse. You watched as everyone you loved passed away or left, until there was no one.

But what would it be like if everyone you loved lived forever with you? Would it be worth it then? He didn't know. He had never had the chance to learn.

He searched the house for a something. When he found it, he sank down against the wall, looking at it. Soon, he put it down and let his head sink to his knees. Only one thought was now going through his mind.

Would he have the chance now?