Nero lifted Serana inside, and the Companions had scrambled to get who and what they could.

"Farkas, grab the mattress from the harbinger's room and bring it up here, we need easy access," ordered Nero, "Vilkas, take the rest and go to the Temple of Kynareth, Dragonsreach, anywhere, find a midwife or anyone who has experience delivering a baby."

The brothers obeyed along with the rest of the Companions except for Aela who stayed with Serana as Nero perched her on a table until the bedding was brought up. She took hold of Nero's hand.

"Breathe Serana," he said, and she nodded, taking controlled breaths in and out.

Farkas came with the mattrass and two other companions moved the tables together to hold it. Then Valerica turned to him.

"We're going to need rags, cloths, and water. Find me lots of all three."

Farkas obeyed, and went around looking along with the others.

Serana tried her best to control the pain, but it was beginning, for real this time, she could tell. She looked up at Nero, still not entirely sure he was there, so she held his hand tighter, never letting go again.

"Alright, hold on," he said as he scooped her up in his arms and placed her carefully on the makeshift bed, just as Vilkas returned with people in tow; they looked like priestesses from the temple, and others, and Farkas returned with the cloths and rags, as well as water.

Nero held Serana's hand tight, nowhere near as tight as she was holding his though. The team got to work in preparing Serana, while she tried to control the pain. A woman explained that Serana had passed the first stage already and delivery was coming. They took her pants off which were damp from her broken water, and the Companions were told to step out to give her room. They did so, catching a word from Nero just at the door saying to kill anyone who comes near, to which they obeyed. All left except for Aela, Valerica and Nero, who stayed by Serana's side and held her hand.

Serana felt sharp contractions inside herself; it was coming. It was pushing down. The midwife team had told her many times that when it came she had to push into it, that the pain was good. In that moment, she suddenly found herself facing everything. How could the pain be good? She'd felt so much already, she'd lost so much already. Why should she give any more? Why should she feel any more pain? Then she found her eyes on Nero, who was by her side, looking back at her with eyes that said he wasn't going anywhere. He'd come back. She didn't have to hurt anymore. He was here. Aela was here. Her mother was here.

What more could pain do now? What could it do to her, when she had come this far? All she thought she'd lost, she got back. What couldn't she take now? She said it herself, she wouldn't be a victim. Serana took a few more breaths, and pushed, and screamed.

"AAAAAAAAAGH!

She didn't know how long it went on for, it could've been minutes, or hours. But she kept pushing, and screaming.

"I see the head!" said someone.

"Come on Serana, you can do this, keep pushing," said Nero.

Serana squeezed his hand and pushed with all her strength.

"Keep going!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" she cried to the heavens till the gods could hear her, until finally, a new voice came into the room.

The sound of crying filled the suddenly silent hall. Serana was panting, and when she looked down between her legs she saw a woman pull the baby out.

"It's a girl."

A girl. She'd had a baby daughter.

"Give her to me," said Serana.

Nero was given some scissors and cut the umbilical cord, before the priestess slowly handed her to him. He cradled her in his arms, looking down in absolute wonder for what seemed like an eternal moment. Then he carefully handed the baby to Serana.

Serana looked down at her. She was so small, and wasn't crying anymore. Serana wanted nothing else but to just lay there and hold her, with Nero at her side, looking in wonder.

"She's beautiful," he said.

She didn't know how long had passed, but eventually the priestess stood. Valerica and Aela spoke to them, thanking them for their service, taking their instructions for the future, and letting them leave.

"They'll be very near if we need them again," said Aela.

Serana looked up, "thank you."

"We'll give you two some privacy," added the Huntress, to which herself and Valerica left Jorrvaskr, shutting the doors behind them.

The two of them stared at their child in Serana's arms, who was sleeping so peacefully. Then Serana looked at Nero. She wanted to ask what happened and how he was here, but she realised that didn't matter now.

"You came back," she said with a smile.

He looked at her, "I promised, didn't I?"

She smiled, leant over, and kissed him.

After she pulled away, he smiled, then looked around, "not exactly where I thought this was gonna be."

Serana then looked around too, and realised, "our child was born in a mead hall."

Nero laughed a little, "where else, right?"

He noticed her glare, "a mead hall."

A few moments passed, before Serana asked.

"What did happen to you?"

He looked up, "well, after I fell off, an... old friend found me. His family took me in and healed me surprisingly well... oh shit."

He looked down and pulled his shirt open a little to see that his scar had opened a little, and blood had been spilling out.

Serana noticed it, "oh gods."

He took out a red vial and downed it quickly, "oh I'll never get used to that."

He explained how he'd tried to get back to health as quickly as possible in order to get back to her as soon as he could.

"I knew you'd be at the castle, so I wanted to stop here for supplies and maybe some help from these guys. Didn't think I'd run into you here."

"Me neither," admitted Serana.

Nero looked up, "what happened to you?"

Serana didn't know exactly how to start, "well... first I found my mother, and she went to the embassy and saved Jordis who got captured."

"She's fine," added Serana when she saw Nero's concerned look, "Rulindil was interrogating her to find me."

Nero looked down in anger. That bastard, he thought. All of them.

"Then once she was safe, I wanted us to come here, to..."

Nero looked up, waiting for her answer, "to what?"

Serana faced him, "to fight back."

Nero realised just what she meant. She clearly expected him to react badly, after all he'd been trying to avoid a conflict with the Thalmor for so long and for so many reasons. But when Serana was in even the slightest bit of danger, he slaughtered every last Thalmor there was in the city. He couldn't say he would've done differently. So he explained that to her, and she realised that they were both willing to start a war when they thought they'd lost each other.

"So... what do we do now?" she asked.

Nero said nothing, and looked down at their baby girl, amazed at her.

"What do you think we should call her?" he asked.

"Nero!"

The call came from outside, it was Aela's voice. Nero looked at the door and then Serana. Then he grabbed his stained dragonbone sword, stood up, and went to the door.

"Wait here," he said, before going out.

The Companions were all on the stairs and surrounding the mead hall, defending it from anyone who would come to do them harm. Even when Hadvar finally came up and tried to get entry, he'd been spoken to by an angry Valerica who denied him any passage. But Nero had been called by Aela, who stood in front of him.

"What is it?" he asked, "are they here?"

"It's not the elves. It's the Empire."

"What do you mean the Empire?"

She led him down the stairs, past all the bewildered looks of the people around him, obviously shocked that he was alive and stunned at what he was doing. He came down to the gate, where a large group was waiting, consisting of the Jarl, Balgruuf, and Irileth, as well as a large group of the city guard, and beyond the gate, a group of legionnairres, and at their head,

"General?"

The group of Whiterun guard dispersed as Nero came forth and stopped ahead of the imperials.

Tullius looked to Nero, "Legate. We weren't sure we'd find you here."

Rikke stood next to him, ahead of the host.

"What are you doing here?" asked Nero.

Rikke came forth, "Elenwen is dead."

Nero's face went from confused, questioning what he just heard, then to disbelief, it couldn't be true, and finally, looking at Rikke's face, realisation. She was telling the truth.

"About time. But honestly, General, I couldn't mean this more than I do now. You've come at a bad time," and Nero turned to leave, to return to Serana.

Rikke spoke up, "Legate, if you don't come with us today, we'll be at war tomorrow."

Nero stopped, and looked back.