Disclaimer: Why must I keep writing this? I don't own anything and never will even if I wanted to (which I do, but I don't unfortunately).

A/N: Well, once again I'm back! I didn't take quite as long to update as last time, did I? It's about a month shorter. However, it might have been even sooner if you answered my questions:-D I was counting on your opinions to help me out a little. Oh, well. I got in done anyway, as you can tell!

A/N: Now onto…

Chapter 8: Answers Long Awaited

Kit looked from William to the door, then back to William. As she was nearest to the door, she began to walk towards it.

"Kit, please," said William, looking at her pleadingly.

She turned back around to look at him. He stood there, vulnerable and needy. She wanted to answer him andshe started to do so. "William," she said.

"Kit, please open the door," called Uncle Matthew, who was completely ignorant of what was happening to his niece in the next room.

Kit heard her uncle, but chose to ignore him. She continued to look at William. "William," she repeated softly.

The person at the door pounded impatiently again. "Kit!" barked her uncle.

"William, give me a few minutes," Kit managed to get out frantically.

She rushed to the door, yanked it open and gasped in surprise. She did not hear Aunt Rachel's exclamation of "Oh, my goodness!" Nor did she notice the clanking noise Judith's dropped utensils made when they hit the floor.

The only thing Kit saw was John Holbrook, of whom there had been no news since Goody Peabody's wedding, stumble across the room and fall onto the floor, his head in Mercy's lap.

"Mercy," he sighed contentedly.

John had been in the Wood household for several hours by now. In the relatively short amount of time, many things had happened.

John had told his story to the family and William. He only gave them the structure, composed of basic facts, leaving out the horrible details. He finished his tale with, "But the only thing that got me through everything and kept me going was the thought of you, Mercy. I love you."

Mercy's eyes were dark with confusion. Judith made a queer sound and rushed outside into the still freezing air without a coat. "Judith!" her mother called in vain.

William started toward the door. He had already put on his own coat and hat and was by the door when he turned around. "Kit…" he began.

"Go, go," said Kit impatiently, waving her hand at him. William then was off to find his beloved's cousin.

William and Judith did not return for near half an hour. In the meantime, despite the tension, the family had told John of all the Wethersfield news, from the sickness to Kit's trial to the weddings. John had refused to talk anymore of himself.

When the two had returned, Aunt Rachel and Kit busied themselves with trying to warm up Judith. They sat her by the fire, put a blanket around her shoulders, and gave her a cup of hot tea.

The conversation had died by now and John was making up his mind to do something he hoped would get him the one thing he dearly wanted.

"Mercy," he said. She turned to look at him, having been watching her sister being taken care of "I love you very much and I hope you can care for me. I don't have anything now except my love for you, but soon I will have a church of my own. I will do anything for you – anything at all. I have wanted to ask you this for so long. Will you marry me?"

The entire Wood household fell quiet, waiting for the response. "I-I-I can't," stumbled Mercy.

Mercy glanced quickly at Judith. Kit saw Mercy's shining eyes aglow with self-sacrifice and pain. She loves John, but she knows Judith is crazy for him, so she refused, thought Kit, whose own heart was wrung with pain, pity, love, and admiration for her cousin. It's not fair! Mercy has never taken a single thing Judith wanted for herself. But this – this is the one thing she truly wants and she's giving it up! It's not fair!

"I can't. I can't," repeated Mercy firmly, but with a little quaver in her voice. She tried to ignore the crestfallen, heartbroken look on John's face. "No, John, I can't marry you.'

John knew Mercy. He also knew the reason she had refused him. He was dejectedly walking towards the door when something happened.

Judith had seen the eyes of her older sister full of pain and love as she watched the man of her dreams begin to walk out the door and possibly her life. This caused her to do the most mature, unselfish act she had ever committed. She stood up and faced her sister, whose head was now in her hands.

"Yes, you can," Judith declared.

Mercy's head snapped up to stare at her sister. Her eyes were read with unshed tears. John spun around. Judith was smiling gently at her sister. Her great blue eyes were full of love and happiness for the moment.

"Yes, you can," she repeated. She turned. "Ask her again, John."

John returned to the table and picked up one of Mercy's hands. "Mercy, will you marry me?"

Mercy's eyes were a wonder to behold. They had changed form a dark, stormy gray with confusion to a shining, silvery gray full of pain and sacrifice in under an hour. But now they were a clear, lovely color, impossible to describe, that were shining with happiness.

"Yes. Yes, I'll marry you," Mercy cried.

John rushed to her side and embraced her tightly.

Kit smiled happily as Judith walked over to hug her sister and shake hands with John.

"I am very happy for you both. I hope no grief shall every befall you," said this new and different Judith. Kit, who had not yet moved, had never felt as warmly toward her younger cousin as she did now. At this moment, Judith seemed to Kit to be a woman now, unselfish and devoted. In fact Judith was to Kit now as Kit had appeared to Uncle Matthew during the long and horrible illness.

Kit finally moved towards the happy pair. Her smile was both knowing and loving. "Congratulations. This match is right – perfect. I can feel it in my heart of hearts," praised Kit, before she added teasingly, "John, you had better treat her right. Mercy is one-of-a-kind. You'll never find a better wife."

"Kit, it isn't necessary to tell me that. 'Twas not a lie when I said I would do anything for her," assured John.

"Oh, my! We must discuss the details now. When the wedding will be, where you will live, what you will wear. Oh, Mercy, dear, you do not even have anything saved for a dowry!" exclaimed Judith, who was back to her usual self, though with a touch of something else.

The women of the Wood home all sat down around the little table and began to discuss everything from a possible date to the food that would be served. William put his hand on Kit's shoulder after a whiled and beckoned for her to follow him. Kit, who had been only listening to the discussion for the most part with a few isolated comments of her own, stood up and followed William into the company room.

As soon as she had shut the door, William burst out, "Kit, I have been patient for so long. It would be in vain for you to ask me for more time. I need to know now. Will you be my wife?"

Kit looked at him thoughtfully. True, she did not love him, but she was fond of him. And he would do anything for her, just as John would for Mercy. She came to a decision.

"Yes."

William let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. His mouth broke into a grin, the first true grin Kit had ever seen from hit. It makes him look rather like a carrot, thought Kit critically, noting the way his long face lengthened and how his head thinned from his crown to the end of his somewhat pointed chin. She also realized that that was not what someone who had just been proposed to should be thinking.

"Thank you, Kit. We shall tell your family now," said a delighted William.

Kit stopped him before he reached the door. "No. I don't want them to know yet."

William's face began to darken. "Why not, Kit? Do you think they would not approve?"

Kit sighed. "Of course they will approve, William. You know how good a "catch" this town considers you to be. Much too good for an odd foreigner like me. It's just, um," Kit hesitated for a second. "It's Mercy's time to shine."

William looked relieved and appreciating. "I understand. Of course. We shall tell them when you deem it best."

William went out to join the family again, leaving Kit in the room alone with her thoughts. Though she would never have admitted it, Kit was relieved she had time before announcing her engagement. She knew she had just seized upon Mercy as a lucky and convenient excuse. That part of her heart or brain that she had refused to acknowledge that day months ago knew, too, that it was not to her family that she dreaded telling the news to, but to Nat.

Kit's heart pounded in fear and expectation at what she knew she must tell him when he came. The thought gave her no pleasure.

At least I have a week to figure out what I will say to him, thought that all-knowing part of her as she headed out to rejoin everyone at the table where the conversation was still focused upon John and Mercy's upcoming wedding.

A/N: And that was Chapter 8. That was long! Finally, a big break from the book. Did any of you see that coming? Let me know. This chapter had a total of 4 possible different scenes in case you were wondering. I had planned to have either John or Nat at the door and Kit would have said either 'yes' or 'no'. I don't think a 'maybe' would have worked too well because William seems used to getting what he wants (though that would change with Kit as his wife) and he would want a definite answer. I had so many choices. I just wanted to let you know what I was up against when writing this chapter and why it took so long. I wanted to answer all the questions from the last chapter. And of course I had to make up my mind about which way I would go.

But please review! This section is so little read compared to others that every review is precious. Please just take a moment to type in your thoughts and I will be so happy. Please review!

Thanks to my original reviewers: Bac210, Steph, SugarySweets, KarismaJuilan4ever, and Laura Depp.

Author's Note: I'm sorry I haven't updated. I have been busy basking in the last days of my senior superiority. Tomorrow is mylast day of high school and I'm going to cry. But I will ignore that for now because I will be depressed. Graduation's not for another two weeks. So please review. I didn't get any for the last chapter (which made me very sad). So I am now begging you to. Just a little note will suffice. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review! You will cheer me up from my current slight depression.