A/N: Sorry so much for taking so long with this chapter! The school week is literal murder, but I manage to work on bits and pieces of chapters during free time in class and when I'm home. Plus, I wanted to make this one longer than the past two chapters.

So yeah, hope you guys enjoy! . and thanks SO SO MUCH for all of the lovely reviews so far. You guys are geat!

Disclaimer: see chapter one.

"Though We Walk Through the Valley"

Chapter 3 – "How to Let Go"

--------

--------

Victoria shivered under the quilt. Opening her eyes from her slumber, darkness surrounded her, and she could barely see anything. The fire had died down to softly glowing embers, leaving the room cold and dark. The main light source at that time was the full moon shining in through the windows, and once her eyes got used to the scarce lighting, she could finally see what was around her.

At first, upon seeing where she was, she was confused on why she had been sleeping in the parlor, but it came back to her quickly. She had fallen asleep while waiting for Victor return home. But then, hadn't she been sitting in the armchair? How did she get to lying down on the loveseat?

Victoria shifted, and in doing so, her arm came across her lap and rested upon the material that she had been covered with. Looking down at it for a moment, she realized what it was, as well as how she had gotten from the armchair to the sofa.

The young woman sighed sadly, running her fingers across the fabric. The day she had given him that quilt, Victor was the same shy, quirky Victor she had come to love so much. The two of them had been so happy…

She had made the quilt especially for him, because she knew… he would want something that would faintly remind him of Emily.

Sighing again, Victoria recalled the night when Victor had told her the story of the mysterious Corpse Bride. It had been the night after their wedding when Victoria asked to know exactly what had happened. Victor had at first been reluctant in saying anything on the subject, but after he got started with the story, it all came flowing out of him. Victoria could tell he had wanted to talk to someone about the whole thing.

Needless to say, she had been very dumbfounded at the story. Everything in it seemed like it was out of a storybook, but… it all happened. Victoria had even witnessed quite a but of it herself at the chapel, but there had still been so much more that had happened over the course of that one day.

Though she hadn't asked, Victoria couldn't help but wonder how Victor really felt about all that happened. Was he relieved it was over, or did he miss it at all? From what he had told in the story, he had been very frightened at first, desperately wanting to get away, but as the story went on, he seemed to become more comfortable with the goings-on of the "Land of the Dead" (as Victor had called it). And that brought Victoria to one of her private worries. One she would never share with anyone else.

Emily… The dead woman Victor had been… married to. Upon seeing her for the first time up in her old bedroom, Victoria was sure Victor had had no choice in the matrimony, thus she had been determined to find him and save him. But then came the time when she had watched the two of them nearly get married once again, and though she couldn't see Victor's face, she didn't detect the slightest bit of fear, regret, sadness… or anything of that sort in his voice as he performed his vows. He had even encouraged Emily on, and finished the vow for her when she couldn't, after she noticed me standing there. And when he asked her what was wrong as she stopped him from drinking from the wine glass, his voice… oh his voice had been filled with worry. It pained Victoria to think about it, she had tried and tried to think of a rational explanation for Victor's behavior toward Emily that night, but could think of nothing.

And she feared she wasn't the only one constantly thinking back to that night… constantly wondering why he hadn't been scared, or sad about getting married to Emily. Constantly thinking that maybe Emily… was the reason behind the distance Victor had placed between him and Victoria.

Looking down at the quilt once more, Victor put her hands over her eyes and cried herself to sleep.

At breakfast that morning, all was quiet, save for the soft clinking of silverware against china. Only Victor and Victoria sat at either end of the table, far away from one another… and in more ways than one.

Victor stirred his porridge nervously, wondering why Victoria was being so quiet. She usually tried to start conversations when things fell silent between them. But today, she merely sipped at her tea daintily and said not a word.

Continuing to idly stir his breakfast around in the bowl, Victor decided he wasn't going to be able to eat anything.

"Excuse me," he murmured just loud enough for Victoria to hear, and moved to get up from his seat.

"Wait—." Victoria sounded.

Looking up at Victoria, she had a sudden look of desperation on her face. Victor gave her a questioning look, but obliged and sat back down.

Victoria fidgeted with the napkin in her lap, unsure of what to say. She'd wanted to have a proper conversation with him… about the current circumstances between the two of them. Especially since last night… but now that she had his attention, she didn't know what to say.

Biting her bottom lip, she managed out, "I… Victor, I wanted… I wanted to…" She looked away from him, embarrassed. How stupid he must've thought she was, bumbling like an idiot. But she now knew what she wanted to say, but how could she possibly say it to him?

Gazing upward back to her husband, she saw he was looking at her in utter confusion, but she could now see concern in his eyes as well. This gave her the encouragement she needed. She was now reminded that no matter how Victor's feeling for her… changed, he would still be the same kind and understanding man he always was. She took a deep breath and finally spoke.

"Victor, I wanted to talk…" Victoria noticed him flinch ever so slightly at the word 'talk.'

"… about… Emily."

Victor's eyes widened dramatically, and a look of fear washed over his face. Victoria smiled sadly and glanced down at her hands, then back up to Victor again. Timidly she spoke to him, "Victor… is she the reason for you becoming so distant from me?"

The fearful look on his face maximized tenfold, and a look of guilt now accompanied it. And with one look of distress, Victor buried his face in his hands. Victoria then began to hear the soft patter of droplets falling onto the wooden table.

Victor was crying!

Suddenly horrified with herself, Victoria shot out of her seat and over to her distraught husband. Kneeling down next to him, she placed a small hand on his arm. All was silent except for his tears hitting the wood – he wasn't even sobbing. Panicked, Victoria hurriedly said, "Oh Victor, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you—,"

Victor looked up at her from his hands with such horror in his eyes, her talking ceased immediately. "Victoria…" he breathed, small tears continuing to fall from his large eyes. "No, no, no, Victoria. You have no reason to apologize to me. I should be the one apologizing to you."

Tenderly, he took her hand that ad been resting on his arm and held it with both of his.

"My dear Victoria… I'm so… I'm so sorry for putting you through all of this pain. I know it must be torturous for you to watch me you so horribly. I…" Victor paused for a moment before finally saying,

"I don't deserve you love at all, Victoria. Not when… not when I wish… for someone else's."

Victoria was shocked. She had no idea Victor had been beating himself up over this so much.

Hoisting herself up form the floor just a bit, Victoria reached her arms out to Victor. She wrapped them around his neck and pulled him to her. She closed her eyes, feeling tears beginning to form, knowing this would be the last time she would ever hold him in her arms.

"Victor…" she began softly. "I love you."

She felt Victor tense at her words. Still though, she continued.

"You'll probably be the only man I'll ever love. Which is why I would never be upset with you about… about your feelings. Love is something us humans have no control over. You can't help whom you fall in love with, and I would never blame you or that. And this is why…"

A lone tear cascaded down her cheek, and she hugged him ever closer. With a deep breath, she whispered the last of her sentence into his ear,

"I have to let you go, Victor… so you can go to her."