A/N: well, this chapter took a lot longer than it should have. Life got the better of me for a LONG time, and a very bad case of writer's block overtook me. Sorry everyone. But don't you worry, the fic's almost over!

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The morning after dawned beautiful and sun-kissed, shining in the dewdrops from the rain in the trees. Birds sang happily, ringing in the glory of a new day as they darted from tree to tree, full of joy and hope that the earth felt full of. Winter was nearing its end, and spring was close. Everything and everyone could feel it.

Everyone except Victoria.

She wasn't sure just how long she'd been lying there, eyes open, numbed past the point of caring for ANYTHING, but she certainly hadn't slept. Not after last night… She wasn't sure she'd ever sleep again. The pain in her stomach and lower back had subsided for the moment, but she was tender all over from…. She shuddered at the very thought of it. She felt dirty. Absolutely FILTHY. What would Victor think if he knew what had happened? He'd hate me, Victoria thought sullenly. She was very close to hating herself, though she KNEW it wasn't her fault. She cringed and hid under the covers, just holding her sides and shuddering uncontrollably. She felt like running, running far away and never stopping till she collapsed from exhaustion. Why hadn't she run in the first place? Too frightened, she supposed. Death was better than staying with a monster. A noise in the hall caught her off-guard, and she nearly screamed out loud. Biting her tongue, Victoria stood warily and made her way over to where she had haphazardly stored her belongings and clothing. Could she escape? Was it possible? As she reached for the smallest of her bags, her mind drifted to Victor once more. Was he really watching over her? That made her smile. Perhaps he was giving her strength right now, helping her escape from the hellhole she found herself in. Her resolve strengthened, and she emptied the suitcase. Only what she needed, she reminded herself. Her most common dress, a change of underwear, her memory box, the ring that had been her grandmother's, a picture of Victor that his parents had given her…. The corsets were staying, she thought with a laugh. She could live without them.

In no time at all, the little bag was full, and Victoria hid it under her bed. She had everything planned out, and almost congratulated herself on her own cleverness. Granted, climbing out the window and onto a tree branch was not at ALL lady-like, but she really didn't care at the moment. Where would she go? Anywhere, she thought grimly. Anywhere, so long as it was away from HIM. She couldn't go back home, the questioning from her parents would be too great, and she couldn't look to Victor's parents either. They both were too far-gone with grief to even consider taking in what would have been his bride. Victoria vaguely remembered a small town not too far from the house that had one of her cousins that she was on good terms with. Surely Gabriel would take her in! She smiled to herself and started straightening the room. Soon she would be free, and Victor would be proud.

He was with her…and she wasn't afraid anymore.

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Nights were so much darker in the country, Victoria noticed.

Thankfully, Barkis had not shown his face all day, and that quieted some of her fears. But what if he was hiding just underneath her window? She gulped quietly, and raised the pane as quickly as she could. Was the tree father away than it had been in the morning? No, it just seemed that way in the dark. All the same, Victoria was not in the mood to plummet to her death, even if it meant seeing Victor quicker. Shaking, she reached out for the branch, and had just barely grabbed it, when….

"What are you doing?"

She froze. Barkis…. He was right behind her. She couldn't look at him; she'd lose her nerve completely. She shut her eyes, and prayed silently for Victor to help her. "I'm running away, Barkis. I'm running away, and never coming back." She was amazed at how calm she was. She heard something akin to a chuckle from him, a small, harsh sound that was more bark than anything.

"Are you really?" He sounded a little surprised, and slightly disappointed. "Well that's a shame, isn't it?" He started towards her, and she looked over her shoulder at him. He DID look a little… not sad, but as though his plan had backfired. Victoria inched closer to the window. He shook his head. "Because of last night, I assume…. Victoria, dearest, it was what man and wife DO… nothing to be afraid of…" He reached for her, and she flinched, shying closer to the edge. He sighed, and turned away. "Go then, if you must." The harshness was back in his voice, and once again Victoria felt frightened of him. He glared at her. "Where will you go? Your parents won't want such a horrid daughter, and no man will marry you. So go", Barkis said with a sneer, "Go on and die alone in the wilderness. No one will stop you, least of all me." He walked up to her again, and kissed her forehead coldly before walking out of her room.

Victoria shuddered uncontrollably. He was right…. God, Barkis was right. Who would want her now? She shook her head. But did it really matter? Wasn't freedom worth the price of what she would give up? She looked out the window again, up at the stars that shone through the sparse clouds, and felt a gentle sense of peace come over her. Victor…. It was Victor, wasn't it? He was telling her it would be all right! Grateful tears fell down her cheeks, and she smiled up at the heavens. She would make it, no matter what Barkis said. With renewed strength, she pulled herself onto the branch and let go of the bag, letting it fall into the still snow-covered ground below noiselessly. Once down, she collected her bag and found her way to the road that had brought her here no more than a month before. It seemed to stretch forever in both directions, and any lights that might have been shining from a town were obscured by the forest on all sides. But Victoria was not worried. With a quick glance up at the sky, she walked towards the east, as the sun slowly rose over the edge of the horizon. A new day had begun once more.

And this time, Victoria saw it in with a smile.

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It had been some time since Emily had left, and Victor was starting to worry.

She hadn't said a WORD about where she was going to anyone, and the way she had looked before leaving had broken his heart. He wandered the streets of the afterworld sullenly, looking for her and hoping that she was all right. Sighing, he sat down on the bench where they had first come when he met her, and looked out over the city of the dead.

i "You loved her, and I won't ever rest with that knowledge…." /i

What could she do? What could ANYONE do? He was dead, and nothing could change that. No magic, no amount of wishing, and no earnest prayers would breathe life back into his pallid corpse. He would have cried if he could. Vaguely, he wondered if Victoria even remembered him anymore, or if she had moved on with her life. He smiled. For her sake, he wanted her to go on living, perhaps find another man, raise a family, and just be content with her life. Sooner or later, she would die and come to where he was, and Victor hoped that old age would be the one to claim her. He sighed inwardly. He could just picture it: lying on a bed, her regal white hair resting easily on a pillow, a gentle and wise smile on her beautiful face as she drifted away into infinity. Yes, beautiful…even as an old woman, Victoria would be beautiful, the wrinkles of her face carved deep and long from years of caring and motherhood. Victor imagined that she would have children; three, maybe four little ones, grown in his mind, all standing around their mother's bedside. None were saddened by her parting, for why weep for a wonderful life? And he was there by her side as well, welcoming her to what lies beyond death, and she would smile at him through eyes no longer dimmed by time, a young woman once more.

He was so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Emily sit beside him, holding something. She tapped his shoulder, and he looked up, startled. "Emily?" He smiled and hugged her. "Where have you been? We've all been so worried about you…"

She smiled softly, and touched his cheek. "Trying to fix all of this, remember?" She held out her hand. "This is for you and Victoria…." Victor looked at it, and gasped slightly. They were matching lockets, simple gold keepsakes engraved with their names and the small picture of a dove over it. He took the one with his name and opened it. In it was a picture of Victoria…. or rather, he THOUGHT it was a picture….

It was moving.

It dawned on Victor that he wasn't looking at just a picture, but watching what Victoria was doing at that exact moment. His eyes widened, and he looked at Emily in astonishment. She smiled and said, "I had Elder Gutknecht make them for you… That way, your hearts will never be separated."

He hugged her tightly. "Emily…. Thank you so much." He smiled widely, and held it to his chest. If tears were still possible, he would have wept with joy. He opened it again, and just stared at it for a while. It seemed that Victoria was in the woods somewhere, for some purpose that wasn't clear. Victor closed it and looked at Emily again. "Are…are you going to give Victoria hers?"

Emily nodded. "Yes. The Elder agreed to let me go up again." She sighed. "He's a very sweet old man, you know… I'll miss him." Victor jerked his head up in surprise, and Emily looked down, a sad expression on her face. "You see Victor, I have nothing left, no more unfinished business to fulfill. This was the last thing, and I can rest in peace knowing I fixed it." She looked into his eyes. "Just like you will rest in peace when you are reunited with Victoria. Someday, heaven will welcome you both in, and all of us will be together again." He opened his mouth to speak, but she gently laid a finger on his lips. Her eyes were shining with inner peace, and she seemed more alive than he had ever seen her. "I love you, Victor…. But you're not mine to have." Emily smiled again. "And you know… I am happy for the first time since my death. Thank you, Victor."

She stood up, and walked slowly down the stair of the balcony. Victor looked after her, heart swelled with love. She had given up everything for them, everything she had ever wanted, and had asked nothing in return. He clutched the locket tighter. He would never forget this, and neither would Victoria. Somehow, Emily's sacrifice would be remembered throughout the generations, he would see to it. It was the least he could do for her.

Somehow, he would show her just how thankful he was.

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Night had fallen.

Victoria shivered slightly, but kept walking as fast as she could. Hours had passed since she last stopped and rested, but the cold wind at her back and the threat of a late winter storm propelled her worn and tired feet onward. The town had to be close, it just HAD to be. Another blast of cold knocked her off her feet, and for a while, she just lay there, clutching her bag tightly and shivering. She knew she had to keep going or freeze, but her heart was heavy and she couldn't will herself to stand. Perhaps, she thought vaguely, I could just lay here till I die, and see Victor again. Victoria smiled sadly. He wouldn't want her to suffer such a fate, but she was tired of life without him. As the wind started to howl and the snow fell faster, the tears that escaped down her cheek froze and she stopped fighting the cold, welcoming unconsciousness happily. At least, she thought dimly as she drifted away, I shall die free….

Victor…

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i Victoria…. /i

i Wake up….. /i

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. The storm had long since stopped, and the full moon hung over the sky, casting light shadows through the woods. Victoria stretched a bit and stood up, looking around for whoever woke her up. Strangely, she couldn't feel the cold or the wind as it blew. This must be what it's like to be dead, she thought. She must have died in the snowstorm. It was strangely exhilarating, and she felt freer than she ever had before. No rules to tie her down, and nothing to stop her from being with Victor. A great feeling of joy rose within her, and she began dancing happily in the moonlight. A light giggle to the side of her broke Victoria from her dance, and she glanced over. There, sitting on a fallen log, was the very corpse who had married Victor! She had thought, many times over the months since it happened, that she would hate the woman who had stolen him, but she had no feelings of ill will towards the ghostly bride. Instead, Victoria smiled and walked over to her. "Hello there," she said as she sat down. "Are you the one to take me to the great beyond?"

The corpse laughed sadly, though she was smiling. "Dear Victoria, you are not dead. Merely sleeping, and I am a dream of yours."

"A dream?" Her face fell slightly, but she shook her head and tried to smile back. "I see…." Victoria looked up at the moon, and the bride followed suit. "It's so beautiful and close…" She smiled. "It's as if I could touch it…"

The other woman laid a hand on Victoria's shoulder gently. "You can," she whispered. Victoria looked at her in surprise, and she just smiled. "Go on, Victoria…. Just reach out your hand and take it." It seemed strange, but Victoria did as she was told and reached out a hand towards the moon. To her surprise, she felt its cold surface brush against her hand, and grabbed hold, gently pulling the glowing orb towards her. The corpse looked on sadly, and whispered, "Take a look."

Victoria looked down at her hands, and gasped. Instead of the moon, a golden locket sat in her palm, her name engraved on the lid, with a picture of a dove to the side of it. She smiled. "It…. It's beautiful." Carefully, she opened it up. Inside lay a picture of Victor, still very much alive, and smiling happily. Victoria put a hand to her mouth and began to cry; just staring at it and letting her tears trail gently down her cheeks.

The bride brushed aside some of the tears, and said, "So long as you have this locket, he will be with you. His eyes are watching over you, so you'll never be alone." She smiled sadly and stood up, eyes toward the moon. A soft blue light washed over the both of them, and slowly the bride lifted into the air. Victoria backed up, awe-struck, as thousands upon thousands of butterflies surrounded the ghostly personage, and the light got brighter and brighter. As she faded from sight, she glanced down once more on Victoria, smiling happily, and whispered, "Thank you…"

Victoria closed her eyes as the light moved to her, and found herself floating upward, and began feeling warmer, the scent of firewood filling her nose….

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"You are one lucky young lady."

Victoria sat up quickly, startled. She blinked rapidly, and looked at the source of the voice. A young woodcutter sat next to her bed, smiling sympathetically at her with a large bowl of soup on his lap. He felt her forehead. "Caught in a blizzard, were you?" He shook his head and handed her the soup. "Grown men have frozen to death in such weather. You're very lucky indeed that I found you."

Victoria stared at him. If she had seen him alone on the road, she would have hurried on her way. He was very rough looking, earned from years of working in the woods, and would be intimidating if not for his eyes, which shone invitingly and hinted at a kind soul behind them. She smiled in spite of herself. "Thank you sir, but… what is your name?"

He smiled again. "My name is Jonathan." She smiled up at him, and began eating the soup. It was then she realized just how hungry she was, devouring the soup very quickly and accepting his offer for seconds. As she ate, he walked to the stove and brought her a hot water bottle, placing it under her pillow and tucked her in gently. She was very surprised by his gentleness and thorough devotion to detail; there wasn't a thing he missed in her care. She blushed slightly. What a wonderful man, she thought to herself. She then noticed how cold she still felt, despite his care. Cold and hot at the same time, and how murky her head felt. Hypothermia… That had to be it. She shivered violently, and he added another blanket on top of her, grimacing slightly. "You'll have to stay in bed for about a week or so. After that, I can hitch my team and take you to the nearest town if you like." She nodded feebly, and drifted back to sleep.

As the days went by and Victoria continued to mend, she and Jonathan became better acquainted. He was an only child, like her, who learned his trade from his father. He owned a small team of horses, and grew his own food, preferring to live off the land than go into town for groceries. They found out that they shared a mutual love of music, and that John knew how to play the violin, if only a little. He took it out once and played for her, a sweet, simple country tune that reminded her of the country rides she took as a child with her parents. His simple life fascinated her to no end, and he didn't mind all the questions she asked. In fact, she found that she didn't want to go back when she was completely better, and Jonathan didn't seem to mind the extra set of hands around the cabin.

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and the two became closer and closer. Though Victor still entered her mind now and then, all grief left her thoughts about him. She knew, as she looked at the locket each night, that he was proud of her and approved of Jonathan. Victoria sighed happily, as she lay back down on her bed and placed the locket on the bedside table. She was mildly surprised at how much she had grown since his death. No longer was she a meek, easily manipulated little girl, but a woman who knew just how strong she could be. Life could go on, though it wasn't easy, and she could be happy again.

And as he watched her, Victor smiled.

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A/N: WOOOOOOO! IT'S DONE! The fic is done! All that's left is an epilogue and this fic is finished!