A/N: Hey everyone! How did you like that last chapter? haha. Thought I'd give you a little while to ponder what happens next. Well, here it is; chapter 7. Quite an exciting chapter, if I do say so myself. Hope you all enjoy it. I really loved the characters who are introduced, or re-introduced in this part of the story. I'll get chapter 8 asap, I promise you all that. Thanks again for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it a lot! I hate saying this, but please! R&R! I feel bad because I feel like I'm begging, but I have almost 150 hits on this story and only two reviews. Please tell me your thoughts! I need help improving my writing skills, and I can only do that with people telling me what to work on! Thanks everyone.

Disclaimer: I do not own His Dark Materials in anyway.

"What?" Lyra whispered.

Mari nodded wiping her face. "I don't want all this sadness and anger around me. I know you love him, and he deserves to be here. With you. You two will be happy, and as long as someone around me is happy I'm happy."

"Mari-"

"I want you to be as happy as you sounded when you wrote those journals Lyra." Mari said determinedly. "You deserve that."

"I have to send Paul off first."

"Do that later,"

Lyra looked as if she was having a debate in her head.

"I'll take care of him," Serafina said. "When I'm through with him, he'll be back in Oxford wishing he'd never tried anything."

Mari tried to laugh through her tears, but it only ended in her gasping for air. "I'm fine."

"Well he won"t be." Serafina said as she took off down the hall with a determined look on her face.

"I'll go-"

"You have to be here in order to get Will into this world."

"What do we have to do?"

Mari stood up and brushed her trousers off. "The same thing as last time, but this time I will be doing the same thing. If Klitus and I help then maybe, just maybe, we can get that glass to disappear."

Lyra looked dumbfounded at her. "Mari you shouldn't be doing this right now. You just received that news of your parents and then that thing with Paul-"

"I'm fine Lyra." Mari assured her as she lead the way into Lyra's room. "Now let's try this," She sat down, with Klitus in her lap.

Lyra slowly followed. "But won't this open a window in this part of his world?"

Mari shook her head. "I don't think so. I think it will open wherever he is. If we want him to be here then the window will open wherever he is."

Lyra sat down with Pan in her lap.

"Just close your eyes and focus," Mari said. She felt the air moving around her, as if being torn open, and she thought she heard voices.

"Mari," Lyra whispered.

She opened her eyes, and realized she was lying on the floor with Klitus, Lyra, and Pan looking at her with worry covering their faces. "I'm fine," Mari sat up and rubbed her head. "Just a little weak from that news I suppose."

"Let's not try to open a window tonight. You don't have the strength."

Mari sat back down in the chair, picked up Klitus and closed her eyes again.

"She won't give up until she's succeeded," Klitus sighed.

Lyra nodded and sat down in the chair with Pan in her lap and they tried once more.

Again that feeling that the air was bending and tearing nearby, and Mari smiled as she realized she wasn't falling and nothing was happening to her. She focused as hard as she could on opening that window and having Will come and help their upcoming fight with Iofur that she felt approaching. We need your help Will. You're the fighter, we need your help.

"Mari!"

She opened her eyes once more and there in front of her was a window. She looked through and saw Will sitting at a table with an older woman walking around behind him.

"That's Mary!"

Will suddenly looked up and smiled when he saw the two young women and their daemons. "Lyra!"

Mary turned around and smiled. "Lyra! Pan!"

"Will! Mary!"

Mari smiled, and took a few steps back.

Lyra tentatively put her hand through the window, and smiled when it went all the way through.

Will soon dove through the window, holding Lyra in his arms, both crying and kissing each other.

Mary clambered through the window and smiled at the two and their daemons who were greeting each other. "I'm-"

"Doctor Mary Malone of Will's world. It's nice to meet the actual Mary instead of reading about you!" Mari laughed as she shook Mary's hand. "Oh! Right, sorry, forgot my manners. My name is Marianne Drake, I'm one of Lyra's students. I prefer to go by Mari though. And this is Klitus,"

"Nice to meet you both," Mary looked around her. "Where are we?"

"We're in the cabin in the north. I found a way to open windows without anything like the Subtle Knife. I wanted to help Lyra,"

Mary smiled at the young couple who were still holding each other and talking. "Well you helped them both. Will has never been the same since he left this world. And he's lost so much,"

Mari nodded. "I know how he feels,"

"I'm sorry, are you all right?"

Mari wiped a tear that threatened to spill over. "I'm fine. Just lost two people who were really close to me and I didn't know about it until tonight. Then... something happened and... well I wanted Lyra to at least be happy. I can't stand sadness for too long."

Mary nodded. "Will has been sad for much too long."

"And I've never seen Professor Silvertongue- I mean Lyra- this happy before. I'm glad I could be of some help,"

"Oh! I'm sorry! Right! Introductions!" Lyra smiled. "Mary this is-"

"We've already introduced each other Lyra."

"All right, well Will this is one of my students, Mari. She's the reason you and Mary are here now."

He smiled and held out a hand for Mari to shake. "Nice to meet you,"

"Nice to meet you and Kirjava finally." Mari said smiling the best she could at the cat. "This is Klitus,"

"Are you doing all right Mari?" Lyra asked.

She sighed and nodded. "I think I'm going to go to bed now though. I've lost a lot today, and am tired."

Will gave Lyra a confused look but she shook her head and whispered, "Later,"

Serafina walked into the room. "Well he's back in Oxford. If he's in one piece I'll never know,"

"Thank you so much Serafina," Mari said.

"You're quite welcome. And I can see our guests have arrived."

"Yes," Lyra said smiling, then her smile faded. "Will you be all right Mari?"

"I'll be fine," Mari said as she walked out of the room.

"Mari? May we speak with you for a moment?"

"Um, sure." She opened the door and saw Lyra and Will standing at the door. "Where's Mary?"

"She decided she had too much at home to leave behind. We closed the window once she was through,"

"Oh, all right."

"She's married and has a daughter now," Will informed her.

"Well I can understand her wanting to go home. So you wanted to talk to me? What about?"

"What you've lost,"

"Then in that case no."

"Just listen to us for one moment?"

She sighed and stepped out of the doorway to let them in. "Not for long though,"

The walked in and turned around, Lyra was the first to speak. "As you know I didn't know my parents for all that long. I mean I knew my father all my life, but I always thought he was my uncle. So it didn't affect me as much as it is affecting you, or seems to be affecting you."

"And I recently lost my mum," Will said. "So I know how you feel, but you should talk about it. The worst thing to do is not talk about it,"

"I will, but when I feel the time is right." She shifted uneasily. "And that won't be for awhile,"

Will looked at her with understanding in his eyes. "I know you will when you feel the time is right. And to the right person or people. I didn't expect you to come and talk about it tonight, especially to me! I'm a complete stranger!"

Mari nodded and sighed. "Thanks Will. I think the best thing for me right now is sleep,"

Lyra nodded. "I'm sending the class on. Serafina and her Clan will make sure you stay out of trouble while Will, Kirjava, Pan and I go on to help Iorek fight."

"I'm coming with,"

"Mari, it's not a choice. You shouldn't come-"

"I don't have anything to lose," She said stubbornly. "What's the harm?"

"Mari, you should stay with-"

"You Lyra. I can help, I know I can! I was the one who figured out the whole light thing, remember?"

Lyra sighed. "It's not a question of who figure what out or if you have anything to lose. The question is what you have to give in the future, and for you that is quite a lot. You solved the puzzle of the windows! Mary had been working on that since before we even met her! Do you know how long that is?!"

"I don't care! I'm coming!" Mari crossed her arms as if to make a point. "I'm going to help Iorek. I read those journals and know of his past. I want to help him defend his kingdom and if I die trying, then so be it."

"Mari! Stop being a bloody idiot!" Klitus barked.

"I may be being an idiot, but at least I'm trying to be a helpful idiot!"

"All right! All right!" Will said before the arguing could continue. "You'll come, but I can't guarantee you'll fight."

Mari nodded. "As long as I'm there to help, I'm fine."

"We leave in the morning," Lyra said unhappily.

"I'll be ready."