Much later, after many stories about Uralia's habits, we all went to bed; all the boys except for (obviously) Berwald, were leaving in the morning to go home. We were all going to eat breakfast together.

I was so tired that night. My head was pounding from all the laughing, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. I was a little loopy from lack of sleep, even though I had slept most of the day. I always got like that. I never paid any mind to it, because no one was ever really around when it happened. Sometimes my friends saw it, but never complete strangers. I tried to at least act normal until the boys wanted to go to bed, but as soon as I stood to go to my room, I knew it was all over.

"Whoa," Berwald said gruffly, catching me as I stumbled.

"Whoopsie-daisy," I said, my voice sounding a bit high-pitched even to my ears.

I heard Mathias and Tino giggling behind me, and even Berwald was smiling a bit. I straightened up, putting my hand on his arm until I got my balance. I let go and smiled at the guys. "See you guys in the morning," I said sleepily. My eyes were starting to cross, and Mathias could hardly stifle his laughter as he replied in kind.

I gave a little wave and made my way towards the entryway of the sitting room, picking up my book from where I had left it on an end table. As I exited and moved towards the stairs, I heard a few chuckles behind me. I barely registered my blush.

I made it all the way to the base of the stairs before stumbling. Dang it, I thought drowsily. So close. I tried to keep walking, but my slipper was caught on the inside of my dress, and I barely caught myself before face planting.

In order to catch myself, I had to throw my hands out, and I dropped my book. It slid away from me, and I groaned. It thought about leaving it there and coming back for it in the morning, but I knew I'd forget about it by then. I stood up, hiking my dress up so the hem was just at my knees. I walked over to it and reached for it, but a different hand snatched it before I could.

I straightened quickly, almost too quickly. I had to practically jog backwards so I didn't fall on my butt. I looked up to find Berwald standing in front of me, holding his hands out as if to catch me again. His face was flat, in that way that some would consider scary. I thought it was cute. "I'm sorry," he said, then hesitated, "Lillian." He held the book out to me, and I took it.

"It's okay," I said. My words were slurred; I could barely understand myself. I didn't know how he could have. I cleared my throat and shook my head, trying to get rid of the cobwebs. My voice was clearer when I repeated myself. "It's okay. You just startled me a bit. Thank you." I finished, waving my recently returned book. He nodded. "Goodnight," I said. "See you tomorrow." I could hardly see him. My eyelids were drooping severely. I turned back to the stairs, walking carefully. I trod up the stairs, getting about halfway there before I had to stop.

I heard a sigh behind me, but it wasn't so much exasperated as amused. Footsteps climbed up until someone was standing just behind me. Stupidly, I scrunched up against the railing, waiting for whoever it was to pass. Another amused sigh. Then, I felt a hand on my arm, and turned to see Berwald beside me. "C'm on," he said. "I'll h'lp yoo t' yor room."

I blushed again and said, "I'll be okay. Thank you, though." I turned away and started up the steps again, and he let my arm go. I could practically feel him rolling his eyes, though, and, sure enough, a few steps down the hallway I stumbled against the wall. Again, I felt his hand on my arm. I wanted to tell him I would be okay, but my room suddenly seemed really far away—it was only the seventh door on the right, but that is really far to walk, especially for someone inebriated, which I might as well have been. I looked up at him, and he had a concerned look on his face. It was so sweet. To just know that a stranger—well, maybe a sibling in another life—cared that much about me to help me to my room. It's—well—it had been a really long time since I'd felt that kind of love. Suddenly I was just so tired. I thought, Was I this tired a second ago? The thought quickly drifted away as my knees buckled and my eyes fluttered shut.

"Whoa," I heard Berwald grunt again as he caught me before I hit the ground. "Er, Lillian? Are yoo ok'y?"

I think I mumbled something like, Yeah, totally. Just one second. So tired. It came out as gibberish, though, and the words were quickly dashed from my mind. I heard Berwald chuckle a bit, then felt myself get swept up, bridal style. I wrapped my arms around Berwald's neck, snuggling into his chest. He laughed quietly again, and I had a flash of this same scene:

Berwald carried me down the hallway. I was so tired, and I just couldn't walk. My dress had gotten in the way too much. He was laughing as I mumbled nonsense, halfway between dreaming and wakefulness.

As I thought about it, I realized it wasn't what was happening now; in the vision, I had a bright yellow headband, and the dress I was wearing had a bow on it, just under the bust line. I wasn't wearing a yellow headband—I'd seen one and thought about it, but decided against it—and I had untied the bow that morning and wrapped it around itself. I don't even like bows.

It was me, though; I could feel it happening both in the vison and in the present. I hadn't realized it before, but the same thing had happened in the vision I had had the day before, too. I had felt Berwald's grip on my arm, even though he was touching Uralia's; I had felt Scandia's hair run through my hands as Uralia gripped it for balance; I had felt Mathias' grip on my hand as he held Uralia's, and every snowball that hit Uralia. I realized, in that moment of partial wakefulness: we're the same person.

It made me both happy and sad. Happy, because I had a family again, and they'd be able to get to know their sister all over again. Sad, because she was never coming back, and they might not like the girl who would take her place.

I heard a door open, felt Berwald shift his arm to shut it behind us. We're here already? I thought. It seems so much shorter when someone's carrying you. I loosened my grip on Berwald, but continued to snuggle in his chest.

"Ok'y," I heard him whisper. He slowly let my legs fall until my feet were on the ground. I opened my eyes, and sure enough, I recognized the bedroom I had woken up in earlier that day. When he was sure I was steady, he shifted his grip so that he was just lightly holding my arm. I set the book—which I was miraculously still holding—on the bedside table, taking off my glasses as well, and he pulled the blanket back, holding it for me to climb into the bed.

Before I did, I turned to him and tried to clear my head. Slowly, my mind became semi-lucid. I looked up at him and smiled a little. He returned it with a tiny, barely-there smile of his own. I gripped his shoulder, then reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug. His arms came around my waist hesitantly, but then stronger. "Thank you," I said. "This is going to be great. I'm so excited." I pulled back to see his face. It was so full of emotion: happiness, excitement, confusion. I leaned up and in—he was so much taller than me—and kissed his cheek, then pulled back again. I gave him a smile of pure happiness. He looked like he wanted to say something, but settled on simply giving me another small smile. "I love you," I said, then climbed into bed. I laid down on my side, ready to go to sleep. Those few moments of lucidity were quickly fading, my eyelids drooping again. Berwald stood by the bed for a few more minutes before reaching out and smoothing my hair, then turning the lamp off. I heard footsteps heading out of the room, then the door opening. After a few moments of silence, I shrugged inwardly. Must have missed the door closing.

I snuggled deeper into the pillow, slowly drifting off. I was just on the edge of sleep when I thought I heard Berwald's voice say, "I l've yoo, too—" then, softer "—my w'fe."

The door clicked shut quietly.

Hi guys!

So, you just got a huge hint as to Lillian's connection to the Nordics.

Of course, it might not be as it seems. (But I won't tell you that.)

Mwahahahahaha!

Seriously, though.

Read & Review!

Happy reading!

Anya