A/N – Thanks for the reviews! LiasonLuv – No but he'll turn up later. Jloalso – I have other plans for John since Em is already taken.

Chapter 22 – Together Again

They moved Liz onto the blanket in the barn until they were able to wake her.

She woke up with a start. "Jason!"

Johnny grabbed her shoulders. "It's alright. I'll take you to him."

Liz nodded and Johnny helped her up. They went outside where John is waiting.

"I guess this is goodbye, milady." He held out his hand.

Liz ignored it and gave him a big hug. "Thank you again."

John smiled and watched as she is hoisted onto Johnny's horse. Johnny moved behind her and waved as they trotted away.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

Liz rushed into the doctor's house.

"Lady Elizabeth, it's so good to see you awake," Harry said smiling.

Liz smiled. "I understand you took great care of me."

"It was my pleasure. I'm Harry. Come, I'm sure you want to see the prince."

Liz nodded. "How is he?"

"He still is unconscious and has a fever. I'm hoping your presence will help him."

Liz followed him into Jason's bedroom. Adeline is wiping him down and when she spotted Elizabeth, she smiled. "Well, hello." She put down the cloth and hugged Elizabeth. "I'm Adeline, It's great to see you healthy and well."

"Thank you for taking such good care of me and Prince Jason."

Adeline nodded. "Go see him. He keeps calling out your name and I'm afraid I don't do a very good impression of you."

Liz nodded and made her way to his side. Jason is shirtless and the sight almost took her breath away. She sat next to him and held his hand; gently touching his forehead which was warm before kissing it. "I'm here, my love. I will take care of you, I promise. I just need you to get better," she said emotionally as tears began to fall down her cheeks. There is no way that this will end in his death. She can't go on without him.

She kept talking to him and kissing his face and soon she felt him weakly squeeze her hand.

"I felt that my love. I need you to fight your way back to me."

She forgot that Francis was in the room and looked up to find his smile.

"I knew if he heard your voice and felt your touch that he would respond. Thank you, milady. I was starting to give up hope. Prince Jason is like a son to me and I don't know what I would do if I lost him."

Liz smiled back. "I'm glad that I could help." She stood and found some paper and a pen. "Francis, can you get me these things? It's important."

She scribbled down some herbs and things for a remedy. After perusing it, in case he had questions, he nodded and took off. Adeline helped him hunt them down and then he got them to Elizabeth as fast as he could.

Liz mixed several herbs in some liquid and took them back upstairs to Jason. She undid his bandage and poured a mixture into Jason's wound and then cleaned and re-bandaged it.

She stayed with him for hours, only leaving when Adeline forced her to come downstairs and eat something. Her devotion to him made them all smile.

"She really is perfect for him," Harry said standing in the hallway watching Elizabeth care for Jason.

Adeline nodded. "She will make a great Queen someday if that is in the cards."

Suddenly\, there was a knock on the door. They hurried downstairs thinking it was just one of the royal guards.

Harry swung open the door and almost had a heart attack. "Prince Alan," he said in awe. Adeline curtsied and Harry bowed.

Alan held out his hand and Harry shook it. "Hello. You must be the doctor. Is my son okay?"

Monica pushed next to him. "Yes, how is he?"

A flabbergasted Harry opened the door so they could come inside. He closed it after Prince AJ entered.

"The Prince is still unconscious. He has a fever, but it's not as bad as it was before. Johnny found Lady Elizabeth and ever since she has arrived earlier, he seems to be doing much better."

Monica smiled.

"She has been tending to him all morning and afternoon. He did squeeze her hand."

Alan smiled. "Good."

Adeline moved forward. "I am Adeline, Harry's wife. I will take you to them, Your Majesty," she said to Monica.

The group followed her upstairs and when they entered the bedroom, Liz grinned.

She ran towards Monica and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad that you are alright, Elizabeth," Monica said warmly.

AJ smiled.

Alan patted her on the shoulder and moved to his son's side, briefly eying him before sitting and taking his hand. "Jason, it's your father. I just want you to know that we are all here for you."

Jason gave him a weak squeeze.

Alan almost burst into tears. Monica reached down and kissed Jason on the forehead. "I'm here, my son, and I love you so much. Please get better."

AJ stepped forward. "I'm here too, brother. We need you well."

They spent a little while longer talking to him and then they went downstairs. It is dinnertime and Adeline is trying to throw together a large amount of food. It's usually only the two of them. While she was aware that she would be feeding the men, she had no idea she'd be feeding the King and Queen. She is a nervous wreck.

They sat at the table. Harry poured some wine into their glasses and they feasted on stew and bread.

"This is delicious, Adeline," Monica said eating the stew.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Adeline is a very good cook," Harry added.

"That she is," Elizabeth said smiling.

Elizabeth hurried to finish so that she could go upstairs to Jason.

Monica watched her disappear up the staircase. "Their love is beautiful to watch, isn't it?" she said to no one in particular.

"It is," Adeline answered. "They make a very handsome couple."

"I'm hoping that all this near-death melodrama will speed up their nuptials."

AJ groaned. "Mother, don't meddle."

Monica rolled her eyes. "It is what mothers do." She smiled. "Don't you want him to be happy?"

"He's already happy."

Adeline could sense that a heavy talk is about to begin so she asked Harry to help her in the kitchen.

"AJ, are you really that unhappy with Courtney?"

"It doesn't matter now, mother."

"What do you mean?" Alan asked.

"She's pregnant."

No one said a word until Francis finally broke the silence moments later. "Congratulations, milord."

AJ glanced at him. "Thank you, Francis." He got up and moved onto the porch.

"What have we done?" Monica said under her breath. "He's not even happy that a baby is on the way."

Alan shrugged. "There is nothing we can do now. That baby seals their fate."

Monica decided to go to her son. Without a word, she hugged him and her heart broke when he started to cry. She waited for him to settle before pulling apart.

He wiped at his cheeks, embarrassed that he had broken down.

"I'm so sorry, AJ. I don't even know what to say."

AJ moved to the railing and leaned on it. "There's nothing to say. I will love this child with every fiber of my being. He's of my blood. It's not his fault that I don't love his mother."

Monica sighed. "Maybe this will bond you and over time you will grow to love her."

AJ shrugged. "I guess time will tell."

Monica watched as he headed to the barn knowing that he'll probably drink. It's how he copes, but for once, she won't begrudge him.

IiIiIiIiIiIiIiIiIi

Bedtime arrived, so Liz grabbed a blanket and crawled on top of the bed, and snuggled next to Jason.

Alan and Monica walked by on the way to their bedroom and observed.

"Should we be worried?" Alan said noting the improperness of the situation.

"If it were me lying in that bed, I don't think anyone could have convinced you to leave me. Let them be. Her love is what is giving him a reason to live. He needs her to be close."

Alan nodded. "You're right. There is no way I would ever leave you." He gazed at his wife fondly. She is the most extraordinary woman he has ever met.

Monica blushed. "Come on, let's go to bed."

AJ passed out in the barn with the rest of the guards and they watched over him until the next morning.

John had returned to his home and buried his father, and then sent word to his sister to return home. They might have to start over after what his father had done but he would do so honorably and happily.