I don't know if I'm just not good at writing this pairing or what. Maybe I'm trying to rush it too much. Honestly, I do better with family fics and I'm trying to get to that "good stuff" for all our couples. This is primarily an Elucien submission with references to Feysand, Nessian, and Azris. Thanks in advance for reading and please feel free to leave feedback!

Elain was enjoying herself immensely on her outing in the city with Lucien. He had returned in 45 minutes, just as promised. He was dressed casually, but more put together than how he'd arrived at the River House initially. His forest green trousers and matching coat were like deep green of summer, just before the leaves started to turn. It was a beautiful contrast to his red hair that he still had pulled half back by a leather thong.

As they wandered aimlessly through Velaris, they clearly didn't have a destination in mind. They were just walking and talking. She learned that he liked to read history. She asked him questions about the type of history he studied, and he explained how he was learning more about human history since living with Queen Vassa and Jurian. He said he wanted to understand more about the culture she'd been raised in.

She told him about all the things she'd discovered since becoming Fae. He seemed to find her analysis of things like food and drinks and animals amusing because he chuckled often. He also promised to show her other new things if she was interested. As an emissary he'd been to all of the courts and knew about many of their particular wonders. He also knew where their best gardens were located.

As they sat in a small café, finishing a delightful lunch of sandwiches and fresh salads, they watched as the people of Velaris passed by.

"I still can't get over how normal life is here," Lucien said with a shake of his head. "They weren't untouched by the war, but they're so resilient, you'd almost never know."

"Maybe that's why Feyre does so well here," Elain suggested. "She's resilient."

Lucien nodded. "Then no wonder you're doing so well here too."

Elain blushed and looked at the napkin in her lap. "I feel better today than I have in awhile," she confessed.

"I'm glad," he said. "I only want to bring you happiness."

"What about you?" she asked. "What would make you happy?"

Lucien was quiet for a moment which surprised Elain. She half expected him to proclaim being in her presence was all he needed to be happy. But instead he said, "I'd be happy to have everyone that matters to me find peace and a purpose that fulfills them."

Elain blinked, processing that answer. "Your happiness is truly tied to others," she said. "It's so selfless."

"Well not quite," Lucien admitted with a soft chuckle. "It's all in an effort to have peace of mind."

Elain laughed lightly and then they paused in their discussion as a little family of fairies passed by, a little boy holding each of his parents by the hand, face lit up like it was the best day of his life. Elain couldn't help but smile at that image. Just like with Feyre and Nyx earlier that morning, though, she was struck by a chord of longing.

"You'd like to have that one day?" Lucien said softly, nodding to the family.

Elain looked at her napkin again, self-conscious that he could detect things like that down the bond. "Yes," she answered softly before looking up at him.

He smiled at her. "I'm glad we're on the same page about that."

"Do you have any experience being around children?" she asked, still curious about what kind of father Lucien would be.

Lucien shook his head. "Honestly, no. There aren't many children in the Spring Court, and I was the youngest in my family."

Elain nodded, listening.

"But I'd like to try. I have to believe that I can," and then he stopped himself short.

"Can what?" Elain prodded gently.

Lucien shook his head. "It's been such a nice day. I don't want to spoil it."

Elain frowned. "You won't," she promised and then, without thinking about it, she reached across the table and laid a hand on Lucien's. "I understand if you don't feel like talking about your family in general, but you don't need to shield me from it."

"I feel like I want to protect you from the ugliness that is the Autumn Court," he told her.

"You really don't have to," she said. "Even as your friend I want to support you in navigating that part of your life. You don't – I mean I don't want you to hide it. Heck, we've subjected you to Nesta," she said with a little dry humor.

Lucien let himself laugh as he turned his hand over just enough to gently clasp her fingers. "She's got enough fire in her to rival any of the females of the Autumn Court."

"Maybe we'd better hope for a boy then," Elain suggested with a broad smile of her own. "Between both our backgrounds, we might end up with a spitfire of a little girl."

Lucien shrugged. "There are worse things."

They locked eyes for a long moment before Elain smiled nervously and gently took her hand back.

Lucien cleared his throat, also seeming a bit nervous and motioned to the café hostess that they were ready to pay.

As they resumed their walk through the city, Elain reached down and took Lucien's hand in her own. He looked down at their hands and then to her face in surprise. She smiled at him. "I think we can skip ahead a little," she said softly. "You've proven yourself to be respectful and patient with me. I've already made you wait so long."

"That doesn't mean that we have to skip ahead," Lucien assured her. "We're fae. We have all the time in the world."

Elain had to smile at that. "I'm comfortable with this, though. I promise."

Lucien seemed to read her for a moment and then nodded. He brought her hand up to his lips and gave it a firm kiss on the back. "Now," he said with a sigh as they continue to walk, "What else can I tell you about myself?

Elain smiled. "Are you a morning person or a night owl?"

"Ooh! Good question," he replied. "I'm definitely a night owl. I can be up early if I need to, but I prefer to work late than get an early start. You?"

"I'm afraid I'm more of a morning person," she confessed apologetically.

Lucien shook his head. "Maybe that works out for the better," he said. "When we have a little one, I mean. I can handle late nights and you can handle the early mornings. I've heard babies tend to be around the clock little creatures."

Elain laughed. "If Nyx is any indication, yes," she agreed. "I wasn't sure if Fae babies were going to be any different than human babies."

"And?" he asked, clearly curious about a verdict.

"They seem the same," she said. "Feyre said that fairy children mature more slowly though?"

Lucien shook his head. "Some species of fairies do," he explained. "The High Fae mature like humans, though."

Elain frowned. "I had hoped that maybe being Fae meant I would get to have little ones a bit longer."

"Well technically you can," Lucien assured her. "You'll be healthy and young enough to bear children far longer than you would as a human so you'll be able to have more, if you want, but you won't have to have them all at once. There are decades between my eldest brother, Eris, and myself."

Elain hadn't thought of it that way. There was a certain appeal to the flexibility of raising a family like that.

They fell into a companionable quiet for a few minutes until they passed a jewelry store and Elain found herself drawn to the front display window.

"What kind of jewelry do you like?" Lucien asked quietly in her ear.

She looked back at him with a wry smile. "I'm not going to tell you that right now."

He feigned offense. "Why not?"

"Because these are plenty for the time being," she said, touching the pearls at her ears.

Lucien pursed his lips. "They're old news. I'll need something to give you in a few days."

Elain frowned in confusion. "You will?"

"The Autumn Equinox is coming and in my court, it's a gift-giving occasion," he explained.

"Oh!" she replied in surprise. "I had no idea. I was merely thinking that it was a festival to celebrate the harvest and drink warm things like cider and mulled wine."

Lucien laughed lightly. "Well that too," he agreed. "But just as we give thanks for the gifts the Mother provided through the year, such as crops and good weather, we honor her by giving gifts as well."

"That's a nice way of thinking about it," Elain replied with a smile.

Lucien nodded slightly. "So my question stands. What kind of jewelry do you like?"

"Absolutely not," Elain replied with a smile. "You can get me something more reasonable, if you really feel compelled to get a gift." At the same time she was beginning to wrack her brain for something she could get for him. She'd neglected him the last two solstices. It needed to be very special.

Lucien sighed dramatically. "Alright. You're forcing me to guess and I might guess wrong," he threatened in a teasing sort of way.

"You did just fine last time," she told him with a smile and looped her arm in his before guiding him away from the window.

They were on their way back to the River House when Cassian suddenly landed in front of them. "Lucien, you should hurry. It's your mother."

Elain felt him tense beside her and he let go over her arm. She grasped him by the hand, though, instinctively wanting to maintain contact with him."

"What's happened?" Lucien demanded urgently.

"Eris brought her to us," Cassian explained. "She's in bad shape. Feyre is doing what she can, but Az has gone to get Madja."

Lucien looked to Elain and then across the river towards the house. He was clearly pained at the decision before him. Elain didn't think twice, though, and made the decision for him. "Go, Lucien," she said, finally releasing his hand. "I'll be right behind you."

"I'll fly her back to the house myself," Cassian promised.

Lucien nodded, stooped to kiss Elain on the cheek, and then winnowed away.

Cassian turned to Elain. His look of worry momentarily replaced by curiosity. "You two seem a lot friendlier than the last time I saw you together."

"We are," Elain answered simply. She realized that she'd moved quite a bit further along down the affection spectrum in just one day. Maybe she'd been on the cusp of accepting Lucien before and spending some time together was making the bond stronger, easier to obey. Regardless, she had a feeling that she needed to get to the River House as quickly as possible.

"Ready?" Cassian asked as he took a step closer to her.

She nodded and let him lift her into his arms before taking off into the sky. Cassian flew them directly to the River House and landed on the front steps. They hurried inside and found the doors to the sitting room closed. In the hall, Nesta was bouncing Nyx in her arms as he cried.

"I don't know if he can sense all the angst in this house, but he's absolutely inconsolable," she said over the crying baby.

"What's happened?" Elain asked urgently.

"Beron," Nesta answered simply. "Eris just said Beron was to blame. He's in there with them."

Elain turned and looked at the closed doors.

"C'mere, little guy," Cassian said as he gently lifted the baby out of Nesta's arms. "Give your aunt a break."

"Thanks," Nesta replied gratefully. She walked over and put an arm around Elain's waist. "How was it going?"

Elain nodded. "We were having a good time," she said quietly.

Suddenly the doors opened and Feyre, Rhys, Eris, and Madja emerged.

Eris looked murderous. "Rhys," he said simply.

"Tell me what you want us to do," Rhys replied solemnly as Feyre took Nyx from Cassian. "Agreement or no, this can't be allowed to stand. Not in the Prythian we're trying to build."

Eris scrubbed at this face. "I'd like to say that my personal armies, along with my brothers', are enough. I just . . . I need to know you'll support me in case disposing of my father turns into a civil war in Autumn. I don't want the entire court to fall into chaos."

Rhys nodded. "We've got your back," he promised.

Azriel walked out of the shadows stone-faced. "He's fortifying the Forest House against an attack," he reported.

Eris nodded. "I expected as much."

"I'm going with you," Azriel said firmly, making it abundantly clear that he wasn't up for debating the issue, with Rhys or with Eris.

Eris looked like he wanted to argue but then a look of gratitude washed over his face and he merely nodded. He reached out a hand to Azriel who took it and squeezed. Elain had almost forgotten that the two of them were mates. They had been keeping it a secret from everyone but the Court of Dreams' inner circle and one of Eris' loyal brothers. Beron would have had Eris and Azriel murdered, or at least tried. To keep the peace in Autumn, Eris had decided secrecy was best for the time being.

"He won't get away with this," Azriel promised.

"Cassian, get a legion ready and start heading south," Rhys ordered in his High Lord tone of voice.

Cassian nodded, kissed Nesta on the cheek, and then headed out the front door. Elain was surprised that Nesta wasn't running after him, insisting the Valkyries be included. She didn't spend much time dwelling on that, though, her eyes drawn back to those closed double doors into the sitting room.

After several long minutes, the door opened a crack. Eris rushed for it and went in urgently, closing it behind him.

Elain stood next to Azriel as they both waited.

Unfortunately it was a short vigil. The door opened again and Eris stormed out. "Let's go," he said to Azriel in a low, deadly voice.

Azriel gave Elain's hand a quick squeeze before he joined Eris and they winnowed out.

Lucien was moving much more slowly, staring at the ground. He looked like he was in shock.

Elain would never know exactly what happened in her heart that day. It wasn't as if she was still waiting for the bond to snap and yet it was like it did, but for real this time. She took one look at Lucien and all she could see was that her mate was in pain and that she felt compelled to comfort him anyway she could. She rushed to him, arms outstretched and enveloped him in a tight embrace.

Lucien wrapped one arm around her waist, as if he didn't have the strength for anything more, put his forehead on her shoulder, and wept quietly.

She reached up and caressed his head soothingly as she held him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered in his hear. "So very sorry.

"He always had a temper," Lucien said hoarsely. "He always took out on us to varying degrees. But I never thought . . ." He finally wrapped both arms around Elain and held on tightly.

Elain just stood there, fighting to keep her temper under control. She was so angry at Beron Vanserra for murdering his wife and for making her mate feel like this.

Surprisingly, though, Lucien lifted his head after only a minute or two. Now it was his turn to look murderous. "Did Eris already go?"

"Yes," Rhys said taking a step forward.

"Lucien you don't have to . . ." Feyre started gently.

Elain glared daggers at her sister. "If that's what he wants, he can go too," Elain snapped. Feyre and Rhys both looked at Elain in shock, but Elain ignored them, and turned back to her mate. "Whatever you need," she said softly to him.

Lucien looked in her eyes and nodded.

"Just make sure you come home to me."

He bent his head close to her, gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, and then winnowed out.

Elain turned to see her sister and brother-in-law still staring at her. "How long will something like this take?" she asked Rhys.

He recovered before Feyre and put his hands in his pockets. "It depends," he said. "Beron is powerful, but I don't know if he can withstand the combined power of his sons. Then of course is the secondary conflict. Eris and his third brother, Gerod will be allies, but the remaining brothers might try to fight Eris for power. In that event, this could be come a long, bloody conflict."

Elain swallowed hard. "So it'll be Eris, Gerod, and Lucien against the other two?"

Rhys nodded. "Hopefully Finn and Isak will accept Eris as the new High Lord and spare everyone the fight."

"Alright then," Elain decided with a firm nod. "Then I'd better get to work."

Feyre stepped forward and reached out a hand to Elain. "Doing what?"

"Practicing a meal to serve him when he comes home," she said simply and headed for the kitchen. "She had wanted to love her mate. What she hadn't realized was that she already did. She cared deeply for him because of the bond. But through Feyre's stories and his own actions of love and respect, she'd actually fallen in love with him. Seeing him heartbroken had somehow made her realize that and she couldn't think about anything else besides accepting the bond and declare to all the world the Lucien Vanserra was hers and she was irrevocably his.