'For fierce and deadly trials await.
 To regain his strength. To fulfil his fate.
 To fight for his kingdom with naught but a sword,
 For our hero who never wants for a reward.

But surely there is something for him
 To celebrate his triumphant win?
 After all, to protect the many and protect the few,
 Don't heroes deserve happy endings too?'

—Extract from the 'Song of the Hero' by Kass Cree, Rito bard to Princess Zelda

In The Shadows

~O~

Chapter 13: Back Where It Started

The Goddesses really must be trying to apologise to us for everything that's happened because things start to get better and stay that way. As the coming days turn into weeks, things continue to get brighter for us. Despite his panic attack, Link's health continues to improve enough for him to start working on getting strength back into his leg.

Me and his family, whenever they can spare time to visit, opt to give him space whenever he works on his leg. And it's for the best too because, early on at least, he's usually so drained by the physio sessions that he sleeps for the rest of the day anyway. It caused me a little worry when I visited him after the first session, though the doctors were quick to reassure me.

"Patients are normally exhausted when they start out," they'd told me. "He's doing much better than we'd expected. It'll be a long road to recovery, but he'll get there."

And with less work for me to do down at the station, most of my time is either spent with Urbosa (who comes up to visit when she can) or waiting to visit Link. By the time he's strong enough to be in a wheelchair, my visits often end up with me wheeling him to the hospital gardens just to give him a break from the same four walls. Even though he promised to attempt an escape as soon as he got a wheelchair, there's thankfully been no daring escape on his behalf.

However, that doesn't stop Link from mentioning it.

"You know, you could just wheel me out now," he says one evening. "Or you could stall for time whilst I snuck out."

I laugh from my spot on the bench beside him, "I feel like a good escape would require your body to work properly and by that point, you'd be free to leave anyway." He places his hand on the wheel of the wheelchair.

"I can leave if you're going to be so horrible."

"Try it," I'd teased. "I'm pretty sure I could catch up with you." He shoots me a playful glare but doesn't fire back a retort. And this is how most of my visits end up, though it's how we both want it. It's nice to get away from everything, even if it's just for a few hours.

As the week rolls on and Link's strength starts to return, we start considering the next steps: taking Link home. While the media have managed to find out who's in hospital, the rest of the case has started to come to light in the meantime and is taking up most of their attention, especially because they don't think anyone will be leaving the hospital any time soon.

Either way, it only takes one person to see Link leaving and put two and two together. Impa did offer to have officers present, though I argued that it'd only draw more attention. I'm pretty sure there were still plain-clothed officers dotted around, but I was too stressed to notice. Link, for his part, was rather laid back about the entire thing, but I assume he was just eager to get back to his home comforts (and proper food).

Despite the initial stress, getting Link discharged from hospital is a relatively smooth affair. Fortunately, it's raining on the day he leaves so most of the reporters aren't there anyway, and the few that are left don't even see Link leave. His family comes back up to help him get settled back into his flat and, while I'm there to help them where I can, I make sure to take a back seat so his family can have their time to look after him—I'll have my time later.

His family stayed with him for a few days to help him settle back in and make sure that he can get around alright. He's got the wheelchair, but he's starting to use his crutches more (even if he gets tired pretty quickly on them). I stop by when I can, and I accept any offers to see him and his family, but I also appreciate that his family barely get to see him as is, let alone after he's been in hospital for several weeks.

When its time for his family to go back home, I get a call from Aryll in the morning asking if I want to go down to the station with them—they want to go and thank everyone in person for their hard work. And of course I say yes as it'll be nice to see everyone again, especially with Link in tow to brighten the mood.

So, it's safe to say we're all rather surprised when we arrive at the office and there's a crowd waiting for us.

I can't stop smiling as a wave of familiar faces flock to Link and his family, asking how they are and offering their well wishes. It's already pretty overwhelming, so I take a step back and enjoy it from a few paces away—both Link and his family should see how many people care about them. I spot Groose, Pipit, Paya and even Fi in the corner. But right at the front is Impa, who rests a hand on Link's shoulder.

"Welcome back."

He smiles back, "Thank you."

"Now, come on," she continues, gesturing to the nearest desk where there are trays of cups (thankfully not mugs of tea). "I've given this rowdy lot a chance to briefly celebrate the closing of this case, so we better start before I change my mind."

A few minutes later, when all of the drinks (non-alcoholic, of course) have been passed around and a toast has been made, everyone starts to talk amongst themselves and Link's family have the chance to speak to the people that helped to save his life. I smile as I watch them go, then look over at Link and find him smiling back at me.

Then I realise that he's still standing and I quickly get him a chair, which makes him laugh at me, "I'm not an invalid, you know. I can…"

But I'm already waving him off and ushering him into the seat, "I don't care. I'm here to look after you, so you're going to do as you're told."

"Well, well… look what the remlit dragged in," a familiar voice remarks. We look around and spot Pipit making his way through the throngs of people. He stands next to me with his arms crossed and looks down at Link. "I guess this means you aren't going to rat me out to Impa anytime soon for forgetting my reports?"

"Oh no, I can still do that."

Pipit raises a hand, but quickly stops himself and turns to me, "I need you to stop me from doing something." I snort.

"At least wait until Impa's gone before beating up her new golden child."

Link shoots me a look, "I'm not—"

"Nah, she's got a point," is all Pipit says, and then they start to bicker amongst themselves. I would listen to them, but I look up and catch Impa's gaze from across the room. She's lurking on the outskirts of the crowd with her back against the wall of her office. She observes everyone with crossed arms and a pensive look in her eyes. Remembering what I'd asked her when I'd given my statement, I excuse myself and slip through the group so I can make my way over to her, offering her a small smile as I lean against the wall beside her.

"Aren't you going to join the fun?" I ask her with a teasing tone. Her lips twitch up into a smirk.

"When the time is right," is all she says for a moment, then adds, "I looked into the cold cases like you asked."

"You did?"

She nods, "Volga Vagia was reported missing by his sister three years ago. He'd been disappearing for short periods over the past few months before he went missing, but she was adamant that this time was different. But we had no leads so the case was closed a few months after."

"Thank you for looking into it for me." I feel her eyes on me as I look back at the crowds, but I don't know what else to say. I suppose a part of me wanted to help at least one person in this case, but I realise now how childish that was. Cia made sure everything was right; how could I try and get one up on her?

"I spoke to Lana recently," Impa tells me after a moment. I nod, trying not to outwardly react in any way. "She's leaving town for a while but she wanted to drop by and work things out with you both. I told her that I'd speak to you." My eyes catch Link's and he throws me a smile before Groose starts talking to him. Thinking about him now and back to how he was after Lana had visited him in hospital, I want to say no to protect him.

But then again, I can't speak for him.

"I'll let you know. Thanks, Impa."

She hums, "What will you do now?"

I start fumbling with my hands, "I was going to ask you about that, actually. I'll probably have my hands full making sure that Link's alright, but I thought I could come down and help out if you needed it. It'll get us some extra income while he's recovering." She blinks at me.

"What?"

My face pales, "I-I mean, I didn't want to presume anything but—"

She grins and waves me off, "Stop rambling. All I was going to say was I've already thought about that too." I raise a brow, confused. "We don't get much funding here, but I've pulled some strings and we can give you some paid leave until he's back on his feet."

I stare at her for far too long. "B-But we don't work here."

"Like I said: I pulled a few strings."

I lower my head as I try to process it all. It's not like I don't welcome such a kind gesture, but that's the problem: it's too kind. I'm not used to things like this and I don't know if I can accept it. But then I shift my attention over to Link and I think I've found some sort of middle ground that'll work.

"You can give him the paid leave since he can't work, but I can still work here if you need me."

She laughs and crosses her arms, "Noble, but you're too late for that—it's already been approved." I gape at her and she chuckles, "You both need a break. Get out of here for a few weeks, go and see some friends, I don't know. I don't care how you spend your time, but you both need to think about something other than work for a bit. When even was the last time you left town?"

I shrug, "Urbosa comes to visit." But Impa isn't satisfied with the answer and I sigh, "We can't usually afford it so I make sure that Link can go and see his family." She purses her lips.

"Then I don't see a problem in advising you to leave here for a while. And I won't take no for an answer," she adds when I go to protest. "Go and enjoy yourself for a change, Zelda."

Knowing that I've lost the battle, I offer her a warm smile, "Thank you, Impa. This really means a lot."

"Good, now go and get yourself a drink." I laugh and leave her be, slipping back through the crowd of people and back to Link's side, noticing that Pipit and Groose are gone. His eyes flicker between me and Impa as I lean against the table.

"Things looked serious over there."

"Maybe, but there's some good news," I say with a smile. "Impa's pulled some strings so we can get a small income while you recover."

He blinks, "Seriously?"

"Yeah, and she won't take no for an answer." I give him a nudge, "You can finally go and see your family. I don't even know how long it's been since you stayed with them in Hateno."

Link frowns, "That's not fair on you, though." I throw him a look of mock surprise.

"Oh, so you'd ditch your family to take me somewhere?"

I expect him to roll his eyes, but he just smiles at me, "Well, Urbosa—my soon-to-be in-law—has been begging us to go back to the desert, so I wouldn't mind the adventure." He laughs when I stare at him, "What?"

"N-Nothing," I stammer. "I'm just imagining what she'd say to you being so forward."

That's when he leans in and murmurs, "As long as you don't mind, then she can say what she likes." A pleasant shiver runs down my spine and I decide how head over heels I am for him.

Goddess above, I'm so screwed.

But instead of giving in, I swipe up his cup and mutter, "It's time for a refill," before rising and leaving my chuckling partner behind. When I go back to him, I pass him his drink and say, "Impa also talked to me about Lana." He pauses before he can take a drink and looks up at me.

"What did she say?"

"That Lana's going to leave the city for a while, but she wanted to see us one last time. But she wanted to see if we were alright with that first." His face falters a little, and I'm quick to add, "We don't have to say yes, it's…"

"It's okay," he murmurs. "It'd be good to see her."

He doesn't say any more and I don't push him.

The rest of the afternoon goes by quickly, and it isn't long before the officers need to get back to their jobs and Link's family need to set off on the long journey home. Once they've dropped us back at Link's flat and they've said goodbye, it's just the two of us left to watch their car disappear around the corner.

I help Link inside and make our way up to his apartment. As I'm unlocking the door for him, he suddenly snorts and remarks on me helping him, "It's like you're my assistant again."

"Don't let it get to your head," I joke as I carry his things inside. He hops inside and pauses as he takes his surroundings in for a moment. I smile at him, "Good to be back?"

He exhales and a smile graces his face, "Yeah. I know I've been back for a bit now, but… it still feels strange." Link crosses over the flat and drops onto the sofa, letting his head fall back so he can stare up at the ceiling. Dropping his bag in his room and finding some blankets and a pillow, I reemerge in the living room and settle down next to him, placing the bundle at my feet. He turns his head to me at the sound, "You don't have to sleep on the sofa, you know. I'll be fine."

"It's what the doctors recommended and your family aren't here to look after you for a while so it'll give me peace of mind. Besides," I add before he can protest. "Consider it payback for you sleeping on my sofa."

He shoots me a look, "That was one night. I'll be on crutches for weeks."

"Then I'll just let you treat me to dinner every now and again." Knowing that he'll never win this argument, he rolls his eyes and lets it go, saying instead, "It's weird, isn't it? Being back where it started—it feels like years ago."

I hum, unable to say anything at first. However long ago the two of us sat here on the morning that Ganondorf was found at the Temple of Din with absolutely no idea what was ahead of us, and look at us now. The case might be over but everything feels so different now. My eyes find his propped up crutches and a frown tugs at my lips. Then I force myself to smile.

"Well, at least you won't be burning the candle at both ends to get any reports done."

He shifts his weight and I know what's coming, "Now I know you won't let me but—"

"You aren't working. You're looking after yourself and I'm not letting you lift a finger. I promised you so when you were—" I cut myself off before I can finish, speaking before thinking about how that sentence ends. My chest constricts at the awful memory and I'm filled with the sudden urge to get out of here. I'm back there for a second, the cool stone beneath me and warm blood everywhere else. Then I blink and suddenly feel him holding me instead of the other way around.

"It's alright," he murmurs. "You're safe now—we both are."

"I'm sorry," I sniff. "I thought I'd be fine now…"

He squeezes me tighter, "It'll take time. But we're in this together, aren't we?" I peer up at him and smile.

I let him lay back down on the sofa, but I quickly regret that decision because he's quick to shut his eyes and relax. I dart forward and gently shake his shoulder, "Oh no you don't. You aren't falling asleep on your sofa."

He yawns as he replies, "I have no idea what you're on about."

But I continue to shake and poke him, ignoring the groans of protest he makes as I persist, "Nope, don't even think about it. You're gonna get up and go to your nice cosy bed where you can get some proper sleep. Otherwise your family and the nurses will have our guts for garters."

"I can handle them."

"Oh really?" I ask. He hums, though he can't hold back a smile. I take his hands and pretend to try and pull him up. "Come on. Doesn't your own bed sound really nice right now?"

"Anything can be a bed if you try hard enough. Oh, fine, fine," he quickly relents when I keep tugging. I grin and offer his crutches so he can stand, though he's muttering as he does so, "You're such a pain, you know."

"Oh I…" My voice dies in my throat as he finally gets up, and I'm suddenly extremely aware of how close we are—our noses are practically touching. I stare at him for what feels like an eternity, and all I can hear is Urbosa's voice at the back of my mind.

"The kid really does love you, you know."

I open my mouth to speak, and I can feel my lip quivering as I think about the three words I want to say so hard but have never had the courage to say.

His gaze softens, and his voice is barely above a whisper as he asks, "Are you okay?"

And with those three words, my courage disappears.

"Yeah," I murmur, then shake my head. "You need to go to bed." He rolls his eyes.

"Yes, mother." He's the first to break eye contact and my heart hurts to let him go. He starts making his way towards his room and a part of me wants to stop him, cross the gap between us and take his face in my hands so I can tell him everything.

But I don't. I stand there like a fool, frozen in place.

It's only after he disappears from sight that I murmur, "I love you."

It's a few days later when a loud thud jolts me awake, followed by an ow, and I'm on my feet in an instant. It's still pretty dark, but I use the sun peeking through the blinds to fumble through Link's apartment and towards the source of the sound. I run swiftly and silently into his mess of a room, quickly spotting the dark heap on the floor as it groans and raises a hand to its face.

"I'm fine," he mutters as he rolls onto his back. "Forgot I still need crutches."

I cross my arms, "How the hell could you forget something like that?"

"Still waking up…" I bite back a bemused smile as I kneel down to help him sit up and pass him his crutches. With a mumbled thank you, he rubs some feeling back into his face before using his bed and crutches to help him stand. Pushing himself back onto his bed, he collapses onto his back with a huff. He might be on the mend but he still gets tired pretty quickly.

When he doesn't say anything for a while, I flick him on the nose and grin when he moans and swats at my face, "Come on, Link. You can go back to sleep if you want, but not like this. Nayru's love, you're halfway off the bed already."

I keep nudging him until he sticks his tongue out and goes to say something, only to be cut off when we hear a knocking at the front door. We exchange a look before I stand and let him change as I head out of his room and over to the front door. A part of me worries that it'll be some journalist (because Goddess knows the police have had enough calls asking to talk to us), but the pragmatic side of me counters that they wouldn't be able to get the address. Then again, Vaati followed me to my flat…

When I open the door, however, I find a familiar face, one I forgot was going to be here today. I blink at them, surprised, "Lana…"

The first thing I notice is that she's drastically changed her hair. No longer is it the silvery white pixie cut that I'm so used to, but a bright blue half-bob that it looks like she's trying to grow out. A large duffle bag lies at her feet and she looks ready for her journey. When I voice this, she laughs breathlessly and wrings her hands.

"I need a new start," she explains to me. "The hair was so I wouldn't be recognised, but I kinda like it now. And this," she gestures down to the bag. "Well, I needed to wait until proceedings had gone far enough that I could leave town for a while, so now's my chance. I'm off to Windfall for a while—for Tetra." My heart pangs at the name and I offer her a sad smile.

"I'm sure it'll do you the world of good. Do you want a tea before you head off?"

"Oh no, I won't keep you. I just wanted to stop by." Her expression falters a little as she asks, "How are you? Are you holding up after…?"

I shrug, "As well as we can, though it's easier now Link's on the mend." She flinches at his name.

"Is… is he around? I-I totally get it if he doesn't want to see me but…"

I go to say that he's not around, remembering how unnerved he was when I reminded him about Lana coming round, only for the familiar tapping of his crutches on the floor to stop me. I turn just as he rounds the corner and silently hops towards the entrance. His eyes are firmly focused on his movements, though he seems visibly relieved when he notes that Lana no longer resembles her sister so closely. The blue-haired girl stares at him with watery eyes as she takes in his mostly healed form and he passes her a small smile.

"Hi, Lana."

"You're doing better," she murmurs at first, unsure of what to say. He nods but says nothing. "I… I didn't want to leave things as they were after I came to visit before. I just wanted to apologise, well, for coming to see you… and for my sister."

"Thank you," is all he says, though there's only kindness in his tone which only makes Lana more emotional.

"Oh Nayru, I'm so sorry for what she did," she sniffs. "She… I can only imagine what you went through…"

"You can't bear her guilt, Lana," he assures her. "That's for her and her alone—none of this was your fault."

For extra reassurance, Link passes his crutches to me and hops over to hug her. The simple gesture sends her emotions bubbling over the edge and she embraces him fiercely, though being careful not to hurt him. I watch on with an ache in my heart and pray that, despite the mistakes she made at the hospital, Lana can grow past this—the time when her sister murdered her best friend and so many more in the name of the Goddesses.

After I return Link's crutches, I offer Lana a tissue which makes her laugh, "Heh, I should've thought this would be a teary conversation, huh?" Once she's cleaned up, Lana hugs me before picking up her bag. "I should head out. My train will be leaving soon." Before I can think too much about it, I lean over to grab one of our contact cards from the side cabinet and give it to her. She looks at me quizzically, "What's this for?"

"For in case you ever need someone to talk to who understands," is all I need to say. She nods and slips it into her pocket.

"T-Thank you… for everything." She nods hesitantly before murmuring, "Well… I'll see you around." We smile and wave her off. I turn back to Link once I close the door and note the mix of emotions on his face. But, then again, after the last time he saw Lana, I'm not surprised at all.

"Are you okay?"

"I just hope she finds some peace," is all he murmurs, then he shakes his head and offers me a small smile, "Come over here. I want to talk to you." I raise a brow at him, but he just laughs and says, "We need to get out of here." I blink at him.

"What?"

"It's been a rough few weeks in so many ways, and we both need a break," he says. "You especially. You've done so much to look after me, but I can't keep you stuck in here for me." I smile and shake my head.

"It's not a chore to look after you, Link."

He shrugs, "I know, but we should go outside for a bit at least. We've been holed up in here for days and, for once, it's not raining."

Thinking back to when Urbosa came over to help me, I offer, "How about the park? It's not too far and I've been meaning to take you."

"Sure. And it's my treat."

I snort, "Either way, we'll be driving there. No offence, but I don't think I can handle walking so slowly."

He feigns offence, "It's not like I can help it!"

I laugh and let him have it, but we start gathering our things to go out. I'll admit that it'll be nice to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. While it's been nice here with my mind occupied and someone to look after, being back around Link (especially after what happened that night we came back from the station) is sending me a little stir-crazy.

Despite my jokes that Link is slow, I give him all the time he needs to get downstairs and out onto the street. Once he's in the car and we're ready, I drive us over to Hyrule Forest Park. Castletown is adorned with the gorgeous reds and oranges of autumn, and I can't help but feel like this is the first time I can really enjoy it. The sun's shining, there's people outside enjoying their day, and I have Link back at my side.

I glance over and catch his eye, and I can't help but say, "I'm glad you're back."

The drive to the park is relatively short, and we quickly (well, as quickly as we can go at the moment) make our way towards the central fountain. And yet, by the time we reach the fountain and walk around the base of it, I look up and see the water flowing from hands reaching up for the Triforce and ask if we can move on—Link follows my gaze and agrees. We continue on and I keep asking if Link's okay to keep walking, but sometimes I forget how much progress he's made over these past few weeks because he's doing a lot better than before.

I'm not sure how long it is before we finally stop, and it's only because Link spots a bench by the lake which is the first empty bench we've seen so far. We take a seat and watch the world go by without us, mainly the parents chasing after their kids as they run to feed the ducks swimming in the lake. I sit back and let out a sigh, breathing in the chilly air and enjoying being back outside.

I jump when something hits my leg, and I snap my head down to find a brightly coloured ball at my feet and a gaggle of Gerudo kids running towards us. In the distance, their parents are coming after them to apologise for them. A smile tugs at my lips as I pick up the ball and place it in my lap.

"We're super sorry!" one of the girls blurts out.

"We didn't mean to! It was Dalia!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

I bite my lip to hold back a laugh and hold my hands out to calm them down, "It's alright—I've still got my leg, haven't I?" They giggle and I pass the ball back to the closest girl as one of the mothers appears. "It's fine, no need to worry."

"Thank you," the lady breathes, relieved in a way that makes me think this has happened many times before. Turning her attention to the girls, she adds, "Now, what do we say to the nice lady?"

"Thank you!" they chorus before running off. My smile grows as they carry on with whatever game they were playing, and I can't help but think of how their bickering reminds me of Kotake and Koume.

That thought then makes me think of another Gerudo, and I muse, "I need to do something for Urbosa. She's always been there for me, and I want to repay her for looking after me while you were in hospital."

Link hums, "Same here. I'm glad someone was there to look after you." I go to say something, but he speaks before I can, "We could always pay her a visit? I meant what I said at the station about wanting to go somewhere with you. I can see my family on the way, but it'd be nice to go out to the desert again."

"I'd like that," I tell him honestly, because it'd be a wonderful way to thank Urbosa and also give Link and I the break that we need. I lean in and rest my head on his shoulder as I think back to what Urbosa said to me, and I suddenly blurt out, "Urbosa has a bet with Riju."

Oh sh—

He snorts breathlessly, "Gerudo and their bets. What are they betting about this time?" But I freeze up and I'm not sure what to say. Well no, I know exactly what I want to say, but I'm too scared to say it. I'm silent for a little too long, though, because Link leans round to find my eyes, "Zelda?"

"Unless she was messing with me," I start, clutching the bench and keeping my eyes down. "There's something that we've both wanted to say to each other for a while, and… they were betting on who was going to say it first."

"You've lost me."

I scrunch my eyes shut because Goddesses above why on earth did I put my foot in it so badly? I was thinking about Urbosa and how nice she's been, and then I was thinking about what she said and it went to my head and now I'm here with Link, on the cusp of telling him how I feel but absolutely dreading it because what if Urbosa was only teasing and—

That's when I feel his finger lift my chin, and I open my eyes to find his caring gaze.

"I…" I swallow thickly, then let out a huff. "I… really like you."

Oh, if the world could swallow me up now.

What the hell was that?

Did I really just use the most childish phrase to tell Link how I feel? Sweet merciful Nayru…

"You… like me," he parrots in a low tone, as if unsure why I've gotten so worked up just to say something so meaningless. "What—?" I take his face into my hands before I can stop myself, and his hand slowly lowers into his lap.

For a moment, it's like the world's stopped.

"Did you tell Urbosa that you love me?" His face falls slack, but the heat's now on him to say something and not me.

"I, uh… I guess that depends on your reaction." My expression doesn't change, and he bobs his head to find his words before croaking, "Maybe…?"

I raise a brow, "Maybe?"

"Maybe… probably—fine, yes I did," he finally gives in to my deadpan look. His expression turns anxious, and he starts to ramble, "I wanted to say something for ages—well, since I first met you—but I didn't want to ruin… well, this. Because if I said something and then you didn't feel the same then how could we be friends after that? I wouldn't ever want to make you feel uncomfortable and—"

Any sort of response is abandoned because the only way I want to shut him up is by pulling him close and kissing him deeply. We melt into one another, and I can already feel my heart pounding against my chest. We stay like that for what feels like eternity before pulling away slightly, though there's barely any space between us.

"I've wanted to do that for years," I whisper, which makes him smile and pull me in by the small of my back.

"Was it worth the wait?"

Kissing him again seems to be enough of an answer.

"Time to get up!"

Unsurprisingly, I get no response as I stroll inside Link's flat and push the door shut with my foot. I drop my keys on the sideboard and get the kettle boiling whilst I get started on waking the beast. Usually, I'd knock and patiently wait to go inside but, after all these years, both of us just walk into each other's places. Slipping into his room, I sit on the edge of his bed and give the mound of covers a nudge.

"Come on, sleepyhead, it's time to go," I chirp, and I'm not surprised when I don't get an initial response. Sighing, I nudge him again, "Don't make me sit on you."

Still nothing.

Rolling my eyes, I get up and look around for something to smack him (gently) with, only to cry out when an arm snakes around my middle and drags me back down. Peals of laughter bounce around the room as I'm effectively snuggled into submission, and I look over my shoulder to grin at him.

"You're getting better at pretending you're asleep," I tease. He just smirks back at me. "Still, we'll need to set off soon if we're gonna get to Urbosa's by midday."

"She's not expecting us for ages," he says into my neck. "We've got loads of time." I sigh and lean into the pillow, unable to resist the urge of staying here for a little while. But then I hear the kettle go off and I snap back into reality.

I twist around so I can face him. "Nope, I'm the driver here and I've got a tight ship to run. Just because you can nap in the car doesn't mean you can distract me and make us late."

He reluctantly lets me go and watches me get up, "Remind me again why we didn't fly?"

"I thought a road trip would be fun. Plus, I'd rather play my crappy music rather than be sitting in a tin can for a few hours." He shrugs.

"Fair point."

I smile and wander back out into the living room so I can make us some tea to take with us. As much as I like flying and it'd be nice to nap for a few hours during the journey, it's still so exhausting and I'd rather be driving and listening to my music as loud as I want with the only company I need at my side.

I hear my name being called as I start pouring our drinks, so I call out, "Everything okay?"

"Come here a second," is all he says back, and if it weren't for the lightness in his tone then I'd be worried.

And yet, as I start walking back to his room, I hear footsteps that sound different than usual. As I round the corner, I freeze as I find Link making his way down the corridor. I beam at him.

"You aren't using your crutches."

And he's not. He's still got the wall for support in case he needs it, but I'm so used to seeing him with the crutches that it's strange and wonderful to see him without them.

"I'll still bring them with me, just in case, but…" He smiles and shrugs, "I was thinking of getting a cool staff to walk with like wizards have."

I roll my eyes and shake my head, making my way back to the kitchenette as I say, "I'll see what we can find in the desert for you."

Even though I said we don't have much time, we get our things together pretty slowly. Well, I've already packed everything and I'm ready to go, so I just sit on the sofa and watch Link get his things ready (because Hylia forbid he'd pack the night before). But the more I watch him, the more I think about how far he's come and I can't keep it to myself.

"I'm really proud of you, you know."

He snorts, "What, for making you late?"

"No," I laugh breathlessly. Climbing to my feet, I make my way over to him and take his hands before he can zip up his bag. "You've come such a long way since you came out of hospital. I don't really say it a lot, but I'm really proud of you."

"Thank you," he says, cupping my cheek, and I know he's genuine. "Well," he huffs, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I think I've got everything—I just need one more thing." I shoot him a look, because of course he's forgotten something, but he ignores me.

So when he scoops me up into his arms bridal style, I yelp and try to break free, "Don't push yourself! I just said you've been doing well!"

"Zelda, you're light as a feather. I don't think you're going to do any damage," he grins, and after a few moments I settle and enjoy my position. "I think I've got everything that I need now, anyway."

"I think so too." He beams at me.

"Ready, partner?" I put my hands behind his neck and smile back at him.

"Ready."

Author's Note: Ever since I started writing Zelda stories, I always wanted to write a crime story. I tried a few times to write a modern Zelda story, but it just never stuck. And here we are, finally at the end of In The Shadows and I can finally say: I've written a crime story.

This story has been literally years in the making, and I feel so close to these characters as they've gone through each twist and turn. As much as I wanted to post this story before I'd fully finished the first draft or when I still had a few gaps to fill in chapters, I'm so glad I held back and truly dedicated every last bit of energy to finishing this story first. Going back through each chapter before posting it has really taken me on such a wonderful journey, and I can really see how much my writing's changed over the years.
Thank you to each and every one of you who's taken the time to read my little dream project. Every single comment, kudos and follow has genuinely made my day and reminded me why I love writing these stories so much.

This isn't the last story I'll write, but the other story is a massive WIP at the moment so, for now, feel free to go back to where this story all started or head over to my other story: Ancient Roots (which, yes, I'm still editing).

Much love to you all!

~Random