Hey guys! We're back into the memories portion! Today we're diving into Barbara's memories of James and how it affects her present day. I hope you guys enjoy it! #Jim Deserved A Better Dad

I ran through the forest with the wind fighting against my hair as it whips behind me. Leaving a red fading daze if anyone was to watch beside me. I felt my foot get hooked onto the roots of a tree that seemingly knew I wasn't paying attention. I collapsed to the ground in a heap as I cried in pain as I felt my ankle twist on the way down. I pulled myself quickly against the tree and pulled the hem of my dress and I knew instantly within the evening's light that I couldn't run any further until I have the means to heal it.

Damn it.

"WHERE'S THE WITCH?" The booming voice about made me yelp as I covered my mouth with my hand and pulled my legs close to my chest. I felt myself trembling as I held in my screams of pain as my foot was forced against the ground sharply as I tried to make myself as invisible as I could. As I heard footsteps come closer, I tried my damnest to still myself. Even breathing was frightening.

But it was worth nothing as my shoulder was grabbed and I was flung to the ground.

I yelped as I landed against the grass but screamed as a hand grabbed my hair from its scalp to pull me to my knees. I tried to reach up to get the foreign force to loosen their grip, but it only ended with me being pulled back with a sharp yank.

"You damned witch!" I lost my voice as I was flung back against the tree, back first. "You creatures are bringing the end to us!" I winched at his words as I shivered in his presence. I knew why the mortal was so rageful of my existence, but it was I who reversed his son's transformation from human to a frog. I know I should have stayed out of the confirmations between my fellow witch and the mortal's family who dared to trap her, but I couldn't of let her ruin the only son who had no part of the situation.

"Sir! I beg mercy from your soul! I was not the conjurer! I reversed the spell! I promise you!" His face contorted into a twist of disgust and anger.

"Don't lie to me, sorcerous. God will be the only one with mercy." He pulled out a blade from his back which was a small harvesting blade. Before I knew it, it was raised above me and I squeezed my eyes shut, praying to myself softly.

Yet nothing came.

I hoped my eyes slowly to see a man blocking my view of the one that was originally placed before me. The hand that held the harvesting blade was stopped by a gloved hand.

"The lady said she did nothing to you and your kind. You are on sacred land that is protected for each kind to walk safely. I suggest you leave if you deem a life unworthy." I heard the farmer snarl at the man before yanking his arm out of his grasp and slowly walking away. My savior's back stayed toward me as he seemingly watched the other being walked away into the distance.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt at all?" I was startled by his voice. Only moments earlier, it was rough and demanding, but now it sounded as if it was soft and gentle. It was as if two completely different people were standing before me.

In all of my 400 years, I have never seen such an occasion.

His body turned toward me and instantly I was greeted by a soft face with an equally sweet smile upon his face. He was tan and had scars upon his face, but it was obvious that he was young.

Very much mortal.

He kneeled down onto one knee as he slipped his gloves off of his hands. He stuck out a hand toward me with a gentle look in his hazel eyes. "It's alright, my lady. I'm James. Knight of Merlin. I'm the protector of this land. No fear should stem from my presence." I looked at him for a moment, waiting to see the softness in his eyes to change yet it stayed the same.

"I'm Barbara. The Lady of the Lake."

I the soft smile that was on his face spread further as it seemed to brighten like the stars.

"It's nice to meet you, my lady."

"Hello, my lady!" I turned and pulled the hood off my head as I smiled at the black leather-covered man as he appeared through the opening of the forest. His smile shined back at me as he approached. "Always great to encounter your company. How are you?" It always shocked me at how many scars the now I know is an eighteen-year-old man. His skin always told horrifying stories that his eyes didn't dare to share. As I grew to be friendly with the young knight, I realized that he was knowledgeable beyond his years and that his kindness was unlike any other.

Maybe it's why I can't seem to let the young mortal go. Even though every encounter might be our last.

"I'm well, James. I have told you multiple times that you could call me Barbara."

"Yes, but then I won't see your smile as frequently." I rolled my eyes at his easy flirtatious advancement. I know that the young man fancied my presence, but I was rather distant to the idea. Our kinds weren't meant to intermingle the way that we danced.

But maybe it's a dance that I dare to take part in.

I didn't let the much younger mortal know about my own personal thoughts about our relation, but that was majorly due to selfish ideals. I could not bear to break his heart and neither could I bear my own at his sudden departure from the world. Our lives were dangerous. From birth, I was destined to be hunted by all types of creatures due to my kinds 'unknown' abilities and desires. His was a choice but was based on passions that could lead to his end at any moment in time.

Death was a possibility in every turn. But I would be joking myself if his death was the only thing that could break my yearning heart.

"What's wrong, Barbara? You seem as if you were to watch your own funeral." I looked over to see soft hazel eyes looking toward me as if I was made out of glass.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, James. I was just lost within my thoughts.." I felt to hands place themselves on my biceps. I looked completely toward him to see a small smile on his face. I could feel my face flush as I tried my damnest to not let the mortal know how much the gesture was affecting me.

"You could always speak to me, my lady. No matter the subject or time."

I smiled at his words as I placed a hand onto one of his hands. "I know and may I never forget it." I watched as his smile deepened and spread from ear to ear. I took the moment to take that smile and the moment to place it within my memory. The way that his jet black hair was flirting with curtaining the tops of his eyes. His firm but slacked jaw as he bit the side of his lip while taking a moment to look down for the slightest moment before looking back up at me.

For all that is holy, someone save me from temptation.

"Hello, my darling." I shook my head as I pulled the hood from it as a wink was given my way by the young knight. It has been twenty moons since I had met the young man and made his acquaintance which quickly evolved into something more. I tried my best to keep my feelings distance when conversing with the human, but I found out the hard way that it was impossible to keep myself from falling for my knight in leather armor.

"Good evening, my love." I smiled as his eyes brightened at my greeting. Even though we have been meeting with more intimate reasons, he acted as if he was a child every time I would declare my affections. Even in the slightest of ways. It was as if he had never been loved before and that idea on its own made my heart ache for the man beside me.

"You always have that look in your eye whenever darkness flirts with the edges of your thoughts. What is on your mind this time, my love?" I felt myself become bashful as I brushed a strain of hair behind my ear as I looked toward where we were walking.

"I was thinking about how you look at me as if I'm the only one who has ever loved you."

"Kind of hard not to when you're the only one I have ever loved." I was surprised by that statement. Even though I know that he was barely nineteen years of age, I knew that most mortals have had a lover or a few by the time that they are able to wed. By God, even witches are known to love many before their first "life" even ends.

Personally, I knew I was still stuck between the realization that he loved me and that I was supposedly worthy of it.

But as I look over to him and see a soft gleam in his eyes that seemed to gaze at me as if I was going to be the last beauty he'll see, I realized that I was too deep into my own insecurities to realize that it was just pure love that he was willing to give me and that I was wearing upon my sleeve.

"I love you."

"I love you too, my lady."

I was rocking back and worth in my wooden chair next to the fireplace within the log cabin that James and I had shared together over the last two dozen moons. It has been years since my chance encounter with the young man that is now my partner within this life.

Well, more like his, but no matter the circumstances.

I smiled as I looked down at a small bundle that is laying within my arms. His eyes were a mimic of my own, but it was obvious that he'll take more after his father than I. His fair skin, ocean eyes, and button nose will probably be the only features of myself that he will carry. Yet as I hold him in my arms, I feel as if his likeness means nothing to me but only his well being and heart. I wish for him to one day find a part of this cold world to call his own as I have and that he carries his heart upon his sleeve to find solace within his emotions.

I wish him love. I wish him life. I wish him all that is beautiful upon this world.

I smiled as a gentle hand found itself on my shoulder. "As beautiful as their mother." I felt a quick kiss place itself upon my head as I felt myself roll my eyes at the gesture. I would be lying if I didn't enjoy it, but the romantic that now carved himself a place into my shoulder would never know that truth.

"You know, my dear, it's going to be difficult to raise this child. Our world wants me dead and you could be palely still mattering on what Merlin has you fight for. How can we be sure that this child is going to be safe? How can we be sure of anything for him?" I was took stuck looking at my son's face to notice that James had moved to kneel before me.

"I cannot promise anything, my darling, but I can say that I will be damned if I don't see him grow to a young man. When it comes to you, I know that you won't go easy knowing that he's breathing. That's all we can hope for. If not, then I guess we would leave him with Morgana. She would raise him with a lot more love than Merlin ever would." I smiled at the thought of the young sorcerous that smiled when she saw the small infant for the first time. She claimed that she would not be much help for the child due to the idea that she was always busy with Merlin's missions for her, but I could tell that the idea was already hurting her. She was already affectionate to our son. Especially after we named him James of Lake as a combination of both mine and James' namesakes into one.

"I guess so." I felt two hands place themselves on my biceps and I looked up to see hazel eyes looking at me the same way that they did like so long ago. I smiled as I noticed that the hardened face of the now young man before me was still as gentle as it ever was. It was perplexing to me how almost everything yet also nothing has changed between him and I over all these years.

"My lady, I promise you that I will not leave you alone with him. That I can keep no matter the consequences. I will refuse to leave those that I love without any reason." I smiled at his words and adjusted our son into one of my arms to reach out and place a hand onto James' face.

"I promise this as well, my love."

He was cold.

His skin was rather pale in comparison to his normal tan color as the normal leather armor that he insisted one was lighter and just as effective was replaced with silver metal plates and black chainmail. His eyes that were normally filled with life and color were now closed and still.

It didn't take much to understand that he was gone.

I placed my hand onto his hands that were on his chest with one over the other. Instantly, emotions instantly decided to flood out of me. I started to cry as I covered my mouth with my other hand. I fell to my knees slowly while I murmured to myself.

"We made a promise, James. You promised."

I tried my best to try to get myself to stand and clean myself up before his final showings once our son arrives, but I couldn't even move. It was as if I was being held there as I was suffering from loss. Only whimpering to myself that useless words were supposed to bring the man back to life and keep my heart from breaking.

"You promised. You promised."

"So I take the product of these two numbers and try to find two numbers that make that as well as equal the middle number through addition?"

I smiled as I watched James being tutored by the young Trollhunter. She was teaching him rather well on how to act within the new time that he has awakened to and I was rather proud of the fact that he was able to catch up so well. I started to also think about how his father would be proud as well. Especially since he wonderfully fit into his father's feature rather well. His broad shoulders and firm jaw matched his father's greatly. But I was floored when I watched him smile softly at Claire.

It was the same soft smile that I was once greeted with. His eyes gleamed with this soft and gentle nature as he looked back to the book before looking back at Claire as if she was the only person in his world.

Is that what he meant that he would never leave us alone?

I smiled and shook my head as I decided to go up the staircase to my room.

It's obvious that James is dead and the James that is living are comparable, but my love is long gone. They are the same in most ways, but also strikingly different. No matter what, one is gone as one is still with me. One day we will be all together.

All I can say though is that I promise that it won't be any day soon.

And this one, I will be sure to keep.