Elizabeth shuddered. She and Isabella had been talking for an hour, Justin having been called to his other duties. He'd been reluctant to go, staring at the mouse with pain in his eyes. Only when his niece ensured her safety did he depart, hoping neither had seen the blush beneath his fur.

"There are times I wish he wasn't my uncle," the younger rat said now, giggling. They were alone in the bathhouse, soaking in the warm, milky water. "He's so cute!"

Elizabeth smiled. "He is handsome," she agreed. She stared at her hands, moving her slim fingers through the water.

"What?" Izzy looked curious, then devious. "Wait a minute…you don't, well, like him, do you?"

The mouse colored. "A-As a friend, yes," she stammered. "Although…"

"You do like him!" Izzy almost shouted it. Elizabeth hesitated then, shocked into silence, slowly nodded.

"H-He's just so…"

"So what?" Izzy grabbed her hand. "What do you like about him, Lizzie?"

"H-He's just so…kind," she began. She could feel her face flaming. "H-He's also patient, and sweet, and…" she trailed off. "I love him."

"Then you should tell him!" Isabella's face was glowing. "You should tell him how you feel, while you still have a chance!"

The mouse considered it, then shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I-It could never work between us…I-I'm just a field mouse…"

"He doesn't care," Izzy gripped her hand. "He really doesn't, Elizabeth," she paused, then decided to say it. "He admitted to me how he feels about you, and you won't believe what he told me!"

"What?" despite her best efforts, she still sounded excited.

"He's loved you since the moment he saw you, but he wasn't sure you felt the same way…you should tell him."

Elizabeth gasped. He loved her? Her heart started soaring, but then it fell painfully back to earth. "No, I can't tell him," she said. She shook her head fiercely. "I-I shouldn't even feel this way…I'm dishonoring Jonathan's memory…"

She started sobbing, climbing from the bath and snatching her cape from its hook. The motion tore a large hole in the pale cloth, but she paid it no mind as she ran through the back door, going blindly as she sobbed into her hands. She didn't stop until she'd reached a tree, and buried her face in the old, rough bark. She couldn't believe her heart had betrayed her. She'd sworn to stay loyal to Jonathan, even after death, and now here she was, full of feelings for his best friend, a man who wasn't even her species. She cried over the futility of the situation, the uselessness of her love for him, especially when her children were in such grave danger. She stayed there until dusk, exhaustion pulling her into a dark, dreamless sleep.

(****)

She was still there when she awoke the next morning. Her dark hair was matted, tangled with twigs and leaves, her fur and clothes in a similar state. She looked around in frightened shock, realizing she wasn't at home, but then the day before came back to her, especially when she'd admitted her true feelings for Justin to his niece.

How can fate be this cruel? She drew her knees to her chest, burying her face in her arms. She cried silently, begging her husband's forgiveness, when suddenly his voice entered her mind.

You aren't betraying me, he told her. I've already told you that.

I know, but, she stopped, sensing someone's presence. I still…

"Elizabeth?" the voice snapped her back. She turned to see him, worry coating his features. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

She sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just…"

"I know," he knelt beside her, taking her hand. "We're still doing all we can to find them."

The mouse stared at him, then suddenly moved closer. She lowered her head softly to his chest, feeling his arm fall around her. "I…spoke with Isabella."

"I know," he wiped water from her cheek, tilting her chin back with his hand. "Why would you think you're betraying his memory?"

"B-Because-" she couldn't find the reason why, and slowly shook her head. "I don't know."

He sighed. "Elizabeth, there's something I need to tell you."

She didn't reply.

"Jonathan spoke to me a few days before he died, saying that, if anything happened to him, he wanted me to watch over you, to make sure none of you had a similar fate."

She still said nothing, but the look in her eyes gave him the courage he needed.

"There's something else, too," he continued. "It's about the Stone."

"What is it?"

He stopped, thinking of the best way to put it. "He created it out of fear, hoping that it could somehow grant you with the genes and abilities we have, so he could be with you. What he didn't realize was, that in order for it to have that effect, his spirit would have to enter it, and that could only be done after his death."

"So, he…" she couldn't find the words.

"That same day, he spoke with Nicodemus, telling him what to do if the time ever came, but none of us were prepared when the time actually came."

"But how could a jewel," she shook her head. "How could a jewel have made me that way?"

He shrugged. "When the magic's unleashed, it becomes infused with the soul of the user. The same can be said for any spirits trapped within it."

She stopped breathing, and a moment passed before she gasped again. "Justin, ever since that night on the farm, I've heard Jonathan's voice, I've felt his spirit; does that mean I…"

He nodded, smiling softly. "You've become one of us, Elizabeth," he explained. "Just like he wanted."

She stared at him, suddenly feeling like she'd lost control of her body. She reached up, putting her hand on his cheek, feeling his embrace tighten around her. Their faces grew closer until, before either of them knew it, their lips had touched.

(****)

A small form watched this from the woods, smiling at the scene before them. They felt their body slowly fade, being called back to the power keeping them alive. Soon the figure vaporized completely, reappearing in a large, dimly lit chamber. They turned, kneeling before a large orb. Its red light was pulsating. "Did you complete your task?" the voice within it questioned. They nodded.

"Yes, sir. I saw him with the field mouse. There are as you said they were."

"Excellent," the orb brightened. "And now, see to our guests, make sure they are comfortable. We will need them to finish this."

The figure rose from their obedient crouch, keeping their head bowed to the floor. "Yes, sir."

Once they had left, the light in the orb took on a new shape, that of a mouse. He turned to the west, facing Thorn Valley, sighing in fear as he saw what was to come, who would have to be sacrificed. But then he smiled, realizing that everything was going according to plan. It's only a matter of time.

(****)

Justin pulled away, slowly, reluctantly, staring into her eyes. He sighed happily, resting his forehead against hers. Elizabeth only backed away, still thinking of betrayal.

"I can't do this," she told him. "I'm sorry."

She turned to run, feeling his hand curl around hers. "Your husband knew this would happen," he told her. She turned to stare at him. "He knew I'd fallen in love with you."

"What are you saying?" she asked. "Jonathan was…gone before we even met."

"He told us about you," the rat spoke nervously. "At first he didn't notice, but then I let something slip."

"And that was?"

He felt his face heat, but coughed away his embarrassment. "I told him I'd seen you, and what effect it had on me."

"When did you-?"

"It…It was a few days after your marriage," he ran a hand through his hair. "I'd gone with a few of the other guards to see Ages, and I fell behind. I'd heard you, and the sound put me in a trance. I followed your voice," he continued. "To the stream. It was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen."

She'd just risen from under the water, droplets shining like liquid diamonds in the sun's rays, a halo of light surrounding her perfect form. She brushed the hair from her face, turning when her name was called.

"Elizabeth!" it was Jonathan, the mouse she loved, her husband. She went to him, moving gracefully through the water, stopping in his arms. He smiled, stroking her cheek, kissing her with such passion that Justin could feel it from his hiding place.

"That was all I needed," he said now, holding her close. "After that brief look I'd been captured, but let's just say Jon wasn't exactly thrilled to find out I'd fallen in love with his wife."

"So, that day in the rosebush…" she trailed off.

He shrugged. "I knew you'd think I was crazy, telling you the truth the day we met, but I came close enough to it."

"What do you mean?"

His face colored. "You don't remember?"

She shook her head. "What?"

"In the library," he clarified. "We would've kissed had Ages not come in."

She blushed as well. "Oh, that. I'd completely forgotten."

He put an arm around her. "We've been searching for your children since we got Teresa's note," he explained. "But I'm afraid we haven't found anything that would point to their whereabouts."

She sniffed. "I figured as much. The creatures who took them came on birds, so there'd be no way to track them."

He looked thoughtful. "Would you be able to recognize the bird if you saw it again?"

She hesitated. "I don't know, but I think I could."

(****)

He brought her to the library, taking out a warn book with a brown cover. It didn't have a title, but inside were hand-drawn illustrations of birds, from the Acadian flycatcher to the zebra swallowtail. She flipped through most of the pages quickly, going straight to the 'R's. She turned a few more, then pointed to an image.

"That one," she said, then looked at the name. "The Red-tailed hawk."

"We've had a few problems with those ourselves," he mused, then was struck by something. "You read that rather quickly."

She looked away. "I-I fell in a trap while I looked for Timothy. A gas was pumped inside, and I fell asleep. I woke up when it got dark, and I didn't notice anything different until I glanced at a book Timmy was working on. Before I knew what'd happened, I'd read the whole thing."

He stared at her, unable to keep his jaw from dropping. "NIMH…"