Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I only own my OC Alexandra Casandra Nell and Sami only owns her OC Charlotte Evangelina Nell
Thanks very much to my awesome co-writer and PT, kurounue13!
If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to ask for at least one review before I put out each chapter. Just to let me and Sami know how we're doing with this story. Thanks very much! Enjoy Chapter 2 and the many chapters to come!
The early morning sun was just beginning to brighten the day when Charlotte woke up. Dressed only in her night shirt and a pair of pants, she made her way into the kitchen.
In the Grimm brothers' room, Will was also awoken by the morning sun as he rolled over in bed before he pulled the blankets off of him as he got out of bed and looked over at his sleeping brother before he slipped on his shoes and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him before he walked out into the open space of the Nell sisters' house, but the low part of the entrance out of the hallway caught on his head. "Oww." he groaned a little.
"Oh careful!" he heard a voice call out. "Thank you." he said as he made his way towards the voice as he walked in the kitchen. "Ah, Good morning Miss Charlotte." Will said with a smile. "Lovely day, isn't it?" he asked. "Yes it is." she said and then handed him a cool cloth for his head. "Oh, I'm fine, but thank you for the gesture. Just a little bump is all, nothing to worry about." Will said as he walked over to the window in the kitchen as he looked out at the yard. There was soft and gentle rain falling and along with the early morning fog gave the scene an eerie feeling.
Will turned back to Charlotte. "That is a wonderful bed, I slept very well." he said. "I'm glad you slept well." Charlotte pulled her hair back and began to work on breakfast. Will looked around a little awkwardly. "Well, better go get Jake up." he said. "Oh let the poor man sleep. He was up with my sister, keeping her company. She doesn't like storms." she said. "How do you know?" he asked. "I was watching them for a while. Your brother seems to have struck up an adorable friendship with my sister." she smiled as she put some bread and fruit on the table. Will couldn't help but smile. "It appeared that way to me as well." he said.
Charlotte sat down and took a piece I bread and added a slice of cheese to it. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked. "Hence why I put the food in the table." she laughed as he smiled. He laughed. "Well I always like to ask a lady's permission first." he said before he sat down and pulled an apple to him as he bit into it. "And that is an honorable quality." she said. "Thank you." he said with a smile.
"So tell me, what made you and Jake decide to chase monsters?" Charlotte asked. "Well, we grew up with these tales of monsters and ghosts and other supernatural creatures and Jake was the one that usually wrote the stories about these things when he heard those kinds of tales, but I was the one that suggested to him, 'Jake, wouldn't it be magnificent to go and fight off these creatures for ourselves?' and he said of course it would be, but they aren't real, and I told him that everyone makes us think these creatures aren't real, but who really knows if they are or not? And that's when we started going off on our adventures." he said, smiling. "I see." she said as she watched him while she ate a grape. Will nodded as he smiled and took one last bite of his apple.
"I think it would be amazing to go on an adventure. Get out of this town." she said softly. "Well, if you wanted, you could come with us." he said. "Are you serious?" She looked at him wide-eyed. "Very much so, Miss Nell." he said, smiling. "You would do that for me Will?" she asked. "Yes, I would, Charlotte." he said. She smiled softly. "What about Alex?" she asked. "Oh, right, she can come too. I'm sure Jake would like that." he said. Charlotte hugged Will tightly and gave him a kiss on his cheek. He smiled as he hugged her back. "I assume you like the idea, then." he said with a small laugh. "Thank you, Will." she said. "You're very welcome, Charlotte." He said with a smile. "Now I was thinking that tonight we have the meeting in the town hall, so maybe we go to the meeting, all of us, and then we'll come back here for a good night's sleep before we head off to our next location tomorrow." he said. "Does that sound like a plan?" he asked. "Yes it does." she kissed his cheek once more before heading upstairs to get dressed.
Later in the day, Charlotte and Will were spending some time together for most of the day and Jake awoke as he thought to go and look in on Alexandra, but decided against it because he would rather have her permission first as he went downstairs and saw Charlotte and Will sitting together and talking quietly. "Morning all." he said sleepily. "Good morning, Jake. Oh, Jake, could you be a sweetie and go check on Alex?" Charlotte asked. He nodded. "Sure, Charlotte." he said with a smile as he took a drink of water before he put his glass down on the kitchen table and went upstairs to the Nell sisters' room as he opened the door slowly and quietly before he walked inside and looked at the bed that was closest to the door where Alexandra was sleeping peacefully.
She looks so peaceful. I don't want to wake her., he thought.
Alexandra turned over in her sleep and made a little noise that Jake couldn't help but find absolutely adorable. "The sleeping princess waited. Cast into a deep sleep by the evil witch." he said as he knelt by her bed. "Awaiting the day for her prince to awaken her..." he trailed off as Alexandra smiled as she opened her eyes. "That was very beautiful. Good morning, Jake." she said as she kissed his cheek, once again her nerves had got to her when she was going to surprise him with a kiss on the lips. "Wait, you heard that?" He asked, shocked. She giggled. "Yeah. I'm a light sleeper. I can hear things whenever I sleep, besides I was almost awake anyways." she said with a smile.
Alex then saw that it was slightly raining and smiled and took Jake by the hand and they ran outside into the rain. She smiled as she ran and twirled around in the light sprinkle of rain as she looked at Jake, who smiled at her and she giggled as she ran over to him and took his hands. "Come on, Jake, dance in the rain with me." she said happily as she started to twirl around again and dance around him. Jake laughed and started to waltz with her. He bowed before taking her hand in his. This is just like a fairy tale., he thought. She smiled as she put her hand in Jake's before putting her arm around his neck as the two danced.
They looked in each other's eyes as they danced. She couldn't stop smiling as she looked into Jake's eyes. All the while, Jake had his utmost adorable smile plastered on his face. When the rain stopped, the two still danced a little before they both slowly stopped and Alex wrapped her arms around Jake's neck. "Jake...you believe in fairy tales..." she trailed off. "Yes." he said. "And I write stories about fairy tales...but what would you think if we make up our own stories? Ones we don't write down, maybe stories that we just both try to live out for a little while." she said as she rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at him. "That would be wonderful." he said, holding her close. She smiled as she looked up at him and took his glasses off that were filled with rain drops. She cleaned his glasses as well as she could on her own wet shirt before she got them clean enough and dry enough as she put them back on his face.
He smiled at her and pushed back some of her wet hair. She smiled as she ran her fingers through his own wet hair and then she cleared off some of the rain drops in his scruffy beard. Jake's fingertips trailed down her damp cheek. She smiled as she felt a warm tingle go down her spine as she smiled up at him and cupped his cheeks in her hands. He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek, just missing the corner of her mouth. She smiled up at him, feeling a faint blush come to her cheeks as she turned her head to look at the ground so Jake wouldn't see.
He held her close as they continued to sway softly. She smiled as she looked up at him once she thought her blush had disappeared as she held on to Jake and swayed with him softly before she stopped mid-sway and looked at him with a mischevious smile on her face. "Come on, let's go make up a story!" she said as she took his hand and the two ran off a little ways away from her yard. He laughed and followed her. She smiled and ran with him until they were in a private field that had the most beautiful flowers around it and Alex turned to Jake. "So, what should we tell a story of?" she asked, smiling.
"How about a tale of a girl, with hair as black as ebony, skin white as snow, and lips as red as a rose. Who was placed under a spell, by a poison apple!" he said as he got into character. "The witch was jealous of the young woman's beauty." He said, using his hands to speak. Alexandra smiled. "That sounds interesting...oh I think I have a name for her!" she said happily. "How about Snow White?" she asked. "YES YES! And the witch has this magic mirror and whenever she speaks to it she says, 'Mirror Mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?' All up till now the mirror has always replied, 'You, my queen.' But one day the mirror says 'Snow White is far more fair than you, my queen.' The queen then goes into a raging fit of jealousy." he said and Alex smiled. "Yes! This is perfect, Jake!" she said happily as she ran up to Jake and hugged him. "Alright, let's start..but how?" she asked as she looked around at their surroundings.
"You tell me. Oh! Oh! and she, the queen, can send a huntsman after her. To bring back her heart! but the huntsman, he can not do it. So he takes pity upon her and takes the heart of a pig back to the queen." Jake said. "Oh that's brilliant, Jake. Hmm...now to start maybe she could be walking through the forest, maybe picking apples?" she suggested. "Could be." he said. "Come on, Jake, let's play." she said as she led him further into the field.
Two Hours Later...
"And the dwarves, not having the heart to bury her, craft a glass coffin for her. So even in death they could look upon her beauty." Alexandra lay still in the grass as she listened and smiled at Jake. "But the prince who had spied the beautiful maiden stumbles upon them in his search for her. The prince sees his beautiful maiden in the coffin and his heart breaks when he thinks her dead." He walked over to where Alexandra lay. "The only thing he wishes is to bid his love farewell with a kiss. A kiss of true love." He knelt down beside her. "But unbeknownst to them all, when he kissed the fair Snow White, she began to breathe again and her eyes opened. Rejoicing in happiness the prince carried his love and they rode off into the sunset. And they lived happily ever after." Jake said, the storyteller in him explaining everything in beautiful detail.
Alexandra smiled as she had her eyes closed and tried holding her breath as Jake was kneeling next to her and his lips were centimeters from hers before they both heard Will calling for them. "Jake! Alex! Come on, it's time for the meeting!" he called out and Alex opened her eyes as she breathed out. "Do you want to finish quickly before we go? There's not much left." she said to him. Jake smiled. "When the perfect moment comes again." He said softly before kissing her cheek and then helped her up. She smiled as she kissed Jake's cheek. "Fair enough." she said. "I guess we have a meeting to go to." she said as Jake held out his arm for her and she smiled as she took it and the two walked out of the field, arm in arm, as they neared her and Charlotte's house.
Once inside, the two changed out of their wet clothes. As they were changing in their rooms, Charlotte and Will were downstairs as he was preparing the horses outside when it started to rain again before he went back inside. "You may have to keep your horses here for tonight. I've already got mine and Jake's ready, but it's now starting to rain so you'll have to ride with us." Will said when he came back inside. "I'm not used to riding anyone's horse but my own." She said softly. "I'm sure you wouldn't want your horse getting sick because of the rain. But if you are that concerned I think we could get your and Alex's horses out." he said. "Would you like me to?" he asked as he turned to her when he was heading to the door. "Alex's horse is sick." he said and Charlotte looked at Will. "That's why I suggested that both of the horses stay here. That way you don't have to tend to two sick horses." he said. "Alright..." she said softly. "I can ready your horse as well if that would make you more comfortable though, Miss Charlotte." he said as he looked at her. Charlotte blushed. "No, Will, it's fine. You are right, we should take yours." she said and Will smiled. "Alright, then as soon as Jake and Alex are ready we'll be leaving." he said as he sat down with Charlotte in the living area as he smiled at her. "I'm sure her horse will be just fine." he said. "JAKE! ARE YOU COMING DOWN SOME TIME THIS YEAR?" He called as he stood up.
Charlotte giggled softly at Will, which caught his attention. He smiled at her. "Well, he always takes forever, I have to yell at him just for him to listen." he said. "You should be more gentle with him. He's your younger brother, after all." she said. "Why should I be gentle with him? He's an idiot." Will said. She sighed and walked up to him. "Whether or not he is an idiot, he's your family...and judging by it, he's the only family you have in this world. So cherish that." She said softly. "Despite all his faults," she smiled. "besides you aren't exactly Saint Peter either."
"I can't make any promises." he said. "Why are you so gentle with your sister? She looks as if she could stand up to some punish-" he started. She quickly slapped a hand over his mouth. "Don't you finish that sentence. Our father punished both of us enough..." She then hesitantly removed her hand from his mouth, leaving Will rather stunned. He nodded. "I'm-I'm sorry." he stuttered. "It's alright...you didn't..." She hugged her coat closer to her as she shivered at the memories. Then she looked at Will with another angry look. "That child has been my whole world since our parents died. I'd do anything for her, it's why I baby her and I'm extremely gentle with her. She needs it. She's suffered enough and seen enough that she didn't need to when she was only a few years old." she said before she sat down and Will sat next to her. "I'm sorry. The reason I'm so rough on Jake is because our own sister was dying and he was supposed to sell our horse for money and instead he came back with magic beans, which weren't even magic at all. That's why I can't stand him sometimes." he said as he sat back and sighed as he tried to ignore the memories.
"Will, he was a child. He didn't know any better, he only thought he was helping. At that age something like magic is precious to a child like Jake. You know deep down he only meant to help." She looked at him before she knelt down in front of him. "People like Jake and my sister are innocent in many ways. They see things and imagine things most can't." She hesitantly put a hand on Will's knee. "Whether or not he made a mistake as a child, he is still your brother." she said. "I know." he said as he looked down at her. "Why do you think Alex turns to writing for comfort? Because it's the only place she feels comfortable. It's the only place that magic can exist to her. And it's probably why Jake turns to writing as well." Charlotte said. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen my brother actually smile the way he did today when we were watching them in the rain earlier." Will said, thinking out loud.
"It is because he found a kindred spirit in my sister. Their world, the world of fairy tales and stories...it's their safe haven from the real world." she said. He smiled at her. "Yes, I suppose it is." he said. "Alright...I'll try not to hit Jake so much anymore." Will said. "Just try to be understanding of how he sees things. We get so caught up in how we see the world, we tend to forget how they see it." she stood up and placed a kiss upon Will's face, her lips barely touching the corner of his mouth. Will gasped inwardly when he felt them against his skin. "Are you alright?" she asked and he nodded. "Yes, it's just a little chilly because the door is open. We should be leaving soon though." he said. "Alright," She went to the bottom of the stairs. "Alex, come on sweetie, it's time to get going." Charlotte called. "Almost ready." she said from upstairs and Will sat back in his chair, amazed at how gentle Charlotte was with her sister.
As Charlotte moved her hair back away from her neck, Will's eyes widened at a dark scar was exposed on the back of her neck. A wave of anger came over him at the thought of anyone hurting Charlotte. He couldn't understand why anyone would even have that black of a heart to hurt a woman in general. I wonder what other scars she is hiding., he thought as the idea of it chilled him to his bones. But he was then met with a smile and the thought was shaken from his mind.
Alexandra had just finished changing into a dry outfit of a shirt and pants as she pulled a coat over her shoulders and put on some of her dry shoes before she walked out of her room. She looked over at the guest bedroom and she smiled as she knocked softly on the door. "Come in." She heard Jake say and walked in just as he was adjusting his glasses. She smiled. "I was just coming to check on you." she said as she closed the door before she looked over and opened it again with a smile. "Sorry. Habit." she said with a soft laugh.
"Oh, no trouble." Jake pulled on his coat as well as his thicker outer layer coat for the rain. She smiled. "Um, that was a good story we told together today." she said. "I thought so too. Oh, would you mind if I wrote it all down in my journal?" he asked as he pulled out a beautiful leather bound book. "Not at all." she said, smiling. "Jake, that's a beautiful book." she said as she walked a little closer to him. "Thank you." he said as he beamed at the book. "All of my stories or ideas are written down in here." he said. "I wish I had a journal to write my ideas and stories in. I only have papers. Which is why the house is so scattered with different pages to different stories." she said as Jake sat down on the bed and began to write down their story of Snow White.
Should I...No, maybe not., Alex thought as she smiled at Jake. She loved watching him write.
"Ah then, well I have the perfect gift for you then." Jake reached into his bag and pulled out another leather bound journal. She beamed as she sat next to Jake. "Is that... new?" she asked as a beautiful bright smile came across her face as she looked at Jake and the book. "I just bought it three days ago. Completly unused." He said happily. I hope she likes it., he thought.
"Oh, Jake, this is perfect." she said as she hugged him and kissed his cheek. "But what about your book? Do you have enough pages left?" she asked. "Oh, don't worry about me, I have plenty." he said. "If you're sure. I wouldn't want to take this from you if you're almost out of paper." she said, not realizing she was still hugging him as her head was resting on his shoulder. "You don't need to worry." he said. "About you, for some reason I feel I have to." she said before she realized her arms were still around him and where her head was resting. "Oh, I'm sorry." she said as she started to pull away from him. "You don't have to apologize so much." He said softly as he gently placed his hands on her shoulders. She smiled as she looked at him. "I just don't want to appear... what would be the best word to use?" she said. "I understand. But you aren't." he kissed her forehead. "I promise." She smiled. "Thank you, Jake." she said as she kissed his cheek, and was very close to kissing his lips she was almost to the corner of his mouth before she smiled at him.
"Jake, I wish we could just jump into a book. Don't you?" she asked as she laid back on his bed and looked up at him. "Yes." He said, joining her. She smiled as she felt their hands touching and she turned her head to look at him. "We should try one day. Try jumping into a book and seeing if we can make a world of our own. With colors of the rainbow and imagination from the both of us, we could write stories that have never been thought of before. Stories that could change the face of the world." she said, her writer side coming out. Jake took her hand in his. "As you wish." he said softly.
She smiled as she held his hand. "You know, I've never found another person that I thought was like me. Every friend I've had was always interested in doing something else besides writing or besides telling stories physically like we did today. It's nice to know that I'm not the only person with a good imagination." she said softly as she looked into Jake's eyes. "I'm glad I found you, Jake. Well, you kind of found me, didn't you?" she asked with a soft laugh. "I did. I will always find you, Alex." He kissed her hand. "I promise." She smiled. "And I'll always protect you, Jake. I promise." she said as she kissed his hand as well.
"Alex, we have to go!" Charlotte called from downstairs.
Alex looked at the door. "Oh, I almost forgot. I tend to get lost in moments...and my imagination at times. Well, are we ready to go?" she asked. "And watch the famous Brothers Grimm perform?" she asked again with a smile. Jake stood and softly pulled her along. She smiled as she took his hand and she grabbed her new book off of the bed. "Oh, one more second, I just have to grab my own shoulder bag. I've been waiting to use it for something and now I can." she said with a smile as she kissed Jake's cheek. "All thanks to you." she said before she went to her and Charlotte's room, pulling Jake along with her as she went to her closet and pulled out a black shoulder bag that she put over herself like Jake's as she put in some of her pens and her new journal before she closed it. "Ready." she said with a smile.
She's adorable., he thought with a smile as they walked down the stairs together. He's incredible. Giving me his brand new book., she thought as they walked downstairs, still hand in hand, before they faced Will and Charlotte. "Ready to go." Alex said, smiling. "Sorry it took so long." she said. "It's alright, grab your thicker coat to wear as well. I don't need you to get sick." Charlotte said as she pulled on her own rain coat.
"Alright, alright." Alex said before she let go of Jake's hand and kissed his cheek once more as she went upstairs to retrieve her coat while Charlotte went out to the stables to check on Alex's sick horse. She didn't have the heart to tell her sister that her beloved horse was sick.
"I'm curious. What happened up there?" Will asked with a knowing smirk as he looked at his brother. "I gave her, her first journal." Will said plainly as he put his hat on. "A real journal or a "journal"?" he asked. "Did you finally have your own first "journal", Jake?" he asked again. Jake soon realized what he meant. "Oh come off it, Wilhelm." he said. "Well, come on, I've gotten my own first "journal" years ago. It's about time you got your first one. You're almost twenty." Will said. "Oh God, Will, I gave her a damned BOOK!" He said as he started becoming flustered. "Well, as you say Jake, a book can mean and say a thousand words." Will said with a taunting smirk. "You know what? I'll bet Alexandra has already had her own first "journal"." he said, trying to push his brother a little further.
Jake, with a stoned expression, his his brother with his own book in the head. Will grabbed the book out of his younger brother's hand as he started to beat his own brother on the back and the back of the head with his own journal as he grabbed his ear as he always did when he was angry or frustrated with Jake. "You have no right to do that to me, Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm!" Will said angrily as he kept beating him down with the book before Alex heard the commotion and rushed down the stairs.
She saw the Will beating down on Jake and she ran over to the two as she kicked Will in the back of the leg. "YOU GET OFF OF HIM!" she screamed at him in fury as she snatched Jake's book away from Will. "I heard you from my room, Wilhelm, you were trying to get a reaction out of him when all he did was give me his journal!" she yelled at him, still furious at Jake's brother before she turned back to Jake and handed him his book. "I'm so sorry, Jake." she said as she tenderly rubbed his back and the back of his head. "Are you alright?" she asked softly. "He's fine-" Will started and Alex turned on him with an angry expression taking over her former soft one she had with Jake. "You, don't talk!" she ordered Will before she stormed over to him and gave him a hard slap and Will was stunned as he watched Alex turn back to Jake.
"God Will!" Jake said as he walked out of the house into the rain followed by Alex. Charlotte just stood there shaking her head at Will with a look on her face. "What?" He asked innocently. "You asked for that slap Will." she said plainly, but with a smile on her face. "I thought you said she was a child." Will said as he rubbed his cheek. "She is. But when you mess with things she's passionate about, like books and now Jake, she gets very angry. Once she actually punched me when she was only three because I was holding her story book above her head and wouldn't give it back. She's tough when she needs to be, but she's still very sensitive. And I think you've learned that you best not mess with her or things or people she cares about." Charlotte said.
She laughed at the expression on his face. "Come on, Wilhelm, don't want to be late to your big performance now do we?"she asked and he looked at her, stunned. "How did-how do you know it's all an act?" Charlotte just smiled and walked out into the rain. "How do you know?" he asked again as he followed Charlotte out, closing the front door behind him. "I'm a smart little girl, Will. That and I overheard Jake telling my sister." She said with a laugh as they arrived at the stable.
"Jake, are you alright?" Alex asked as she and Jake stood by his horse. "Oh yeah, I'm fine." He said with a smile. "Don't worry, Will and I are like this all the time." he said, trying to soothe her worries. "You shouldn't be. Your brothers, you should look after each other, like Char and I do. You shouldn't have to deal with his abuse like that. Trust me, I would know." she said as she touched Jake's cheek softly as she played with the hairs on his scruffy beard. "Alex, it's not abuse...Will and I do love and care for each other. It's just...it's just a thing between us. I promise I'm alright, it's just sibling fights." He said softly. "I swear." She smiled. "Alright. A swear is a sure thing, and if you swear on it then I have no choice but to believe you." she said as she kissed his cheek. "As long as you're alright." she said.
He smiled at her and looked up as Will and Charlotte came out of the stable. "Charlotte, where's Lightning?" Alex asked as she looked at her sister. "Lightning's not feeling tip top. I'm making him and Merlin stay behind so they can rest." Charlotte said. "Is he alright? How did he get sick?" she asked as her face dropped from a smile to a frown. "Alex, he's fine. He gets sick just like any human does." She said as she calmed her sister. "Merlin will stay behind and keep watch over him, alright?" she asked. "But, Charlotte, he's not a human." she said. "I have to check on him." she said as she ran into the stables to check on her horse.
"Alex!" Charlotte yelled as she followed her sister. "Oh my poor darling Lightning." Alex said as she rubbed her horse's head and kissed his head. "I'll be back as soon as I can, sweetheart, I'll come back and take care of you and you'll get better." she said as tears fell from her eyes. Charlotte came in, followed by Will and Jake. "Charlotte, how old is that horse?" Will asked softly as he looked upon Lightning. "My sister has had him since she was 10, so I would say he's old." She responded softly. "I didn't think he was just regularly sick. He may not have much time left." he whispered softly. She gasped softly and covered her hand with her mouth as she watched the horse lay down on the hay.
Alex ran her hand through Lightning's mane as she kissed his head again. "I love you, sweetheart. You'll get better soon." Alex said softly to Lightning. Jake sighed. "Let me tell her." He said as he ushered the two out of the stable. Will wrapped an arm around Charlotte as they walked.
"Alex," Jake said as he knelt in the hay beside her. Alex looked over at Jake with tears pouring down her face. "Yes, Jake?" she asked. "Oh, Lightning, sweetie, this is Jacob Grimm, but you can call him Jake." she said as she rubbed Lightning's head before she looked back at Jake. "Alex, darling..." He said as he took her one hand in his. "I don't think he will get better." She looked at Jake. "But, Jake, he will get better. He has to. He's my baby." she said as she held Jake's hand. "Alex, he's very old...and he has had a long and happy life beside you." He squeezed her hand. "The best thing we can do now is make him comfortable." he said. "Jake, darling, he'll be fine. I know it." she said, but her eyes told him that deep down she knew the truth. Jacob smiled softly at her and caressed her cheek with his hand. Then Jake pulled over a blanket and laid it over Lightning to keep him warm till the time came.
"I love you, Lightning. I'll see you soon and I'll come back and take care of you until you're well again, I swear." she whispered to him as she kissed her horse's head one more time before she joined Jake at the door of the stable, but she couldn't help looking back at her horse. Charlotte's horse Merlin stood in the stable beside Lightning, watching him carefully. "Take care of him until I return, Merlin." she said before she and Jake walked out and she hugged him as she kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Jake." she said softly. Jake held her close as they reached his horse. Charlotte already sat on the back of Will's with her arms securely around him. "He'll be fine." Alex said, trying to reassure herself. "Alex?" Jake said as he offered her his hand when he got on his horse. She took it and helped her up onto the back of his horse. The four of them left for town in the rain.
Alex held on to Jake as he rode to the town. "Jake, did you notice you called me darling?" she asked, whispering in his ear. "I did." He said with as small smile. She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Just checking...darling." she said with a bright smile. Jake smiled and rubbed her hand that was around his waist. She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder while they rode through the rain before Will instructed Jake that they should go faster since the meeting would be starting any minute now as they both sped up on their horses towards the main part of Karlstadt.