#ccfc

This is a long one, also very angsty sorry.

(Also I didn’t really have a plan for this one, so sorry if it’s like all over the place)

Enjoy💚

**********************

I love you.

Those three words had never meant more than they did that day. The day they were joined as husband and wife. The day they physically, emotionally, and legally were declared married.

That was the best day of Will’s life.

The honeymoon phase was short, but nonetheless all the more meaningful. They couldn’t stay away from work for too long, and just weeks after they were married, Will had been assigned a mission.

It was supposed to be a simple mission.

In and out, that’s what they said. Easy, they said.

But nothing’s ever easy for a ranger, especially Will Treaty.

There was an accident, the messenger said.

A terrible, tragic accident, he said.

Alyss heard nothing after that.

She felt nothing as Pauline embraced her. Heard nothing as Halt, the famous Halt, renowned for his stoic manner, and emotionless expressions. She heard nothing as the man himself cried.

She was blank faced at the funeral, everything passing in a blur. The only thing that stood out to her were the colors, Will always loved colors, why was everyone dressed so blandly for his funeral? She wondered in a haze.

She was polite to the grievers, and she accepted the meals and the gifts with a smile on her face. But she felt nothing.

And everyone knew that.

Everyone knew it, but nobody was expecting what happened next.

Alyss was gone. Simply vanished. She had packed most of her belongings, and left a note saying not to follow her and not to worry, and she left.

Her friends obeyed her request not to follow her. Figuring that she just needed time to adjust, away from the cabin, and so many memories of their short time together. So they left her be.

When 6 months flew by they became worried, Pauline was the only one who had received word from her, and once again, it was simply a letter letting them know she was alive and well. But not returning anytime soon.

When it reached close to 7 months, Halt was ready to send out a search party, when Pauline received another letter, it wasn’t from Alyss, but from a physician, saying that Mrs. Mainwaring Treaty was in the infirmary, and Lady Pauline was her emergency contact, and thus the only person they knew to inform of Alyss’ current state.

The remaining contents of the letter shocked the older couple significantly. The paper said rather bluntly that Lady Alyss was in labor, she was 6 weeks early, and it had been a rough process. Lady Pauline’s presence was requested as soon as possible.

Not that Pauline had any problem with that order.

Halt and Pauline arrived at the location given in the letter, a small town somewhere in Anselm fief.

They entered the infirmary, and were immediately ushered to the back room. Where they saw an exhausted looking Alyss, holding a small white bundle in her arms.

“Oh Alyss” Pauline sighed as she came closer to examine her worn looking apprentice, and her new bundle of joy.

Halt meanwhile was frozen in the doorway. He didn’t know what to feel. He didn’t know whether to be upset that Alyss hid this from all of them, or shocked that Alyss was holding Will’s child. Will’s child. A boy, from what it looked like, a son. Will’s son. The words were being repeated over and over in Halt’s head, like a mantra. But he was unable to process them.

Eventually Pauline beckoned him over toward the bed, and he walked over slowly, staring at the child. Thinking he would just blink and he would wake up, Will would be alive, and Alyss would’ve had the child in Redmont, and everything would be well again. Because it hadn’t felt that way in months. 7 months, to be exact.

Halt wanted to yell, he wanted to scold Alyss like a child from hiding Will’s son from them for 7 months. He wanted to scream at her for leaving them all so she could grieve, when they were all grieving too. He wanted to kick something, punch someone. A part of him didn’t even want to look at this child. This child who happened to be the spitting image of his father.

Even if the baby hadn’t even opened his eyes, Halt could tell, the child’s facial structure and nose matched Will’s, although the baby had Alyss’ chin. From just looking at the fuzz on his head, Halt knew the boy would have messy brown hair like his father. It made Halt smile thinking of just the personality this kid would have.

‘A mix of Will and Alyss, God help us all.’

He thought to himself. Then his face grew serious once more as he thought of the boy growing up without a Father, just like Will had.

“I started having suspicions, while Will was on his mission…” Alyss started.

“When he- when he died, I just ignored it. I guess a part of me knew that I was pregnant, but another part of me refused to be, since Will wasn’t there.”

She looked down at the child lovingly once more, “I don’t know, maybe I was selfish for leaving, but I couldn’t believe it...to get pregnant so soon after getting married, then to have my husband just…”

She stopped as tears started flowing, she choked back a sob, and pressed the baby boy into her chest, like he was the only thing she had left of her husband.

Pauline and Halt said nothing as they simultaneously wrapped their arms around the weeping mother. Halt was a little startled to realize that there was a tear rolling down his own cheek, and there was a hunk in his throat, restricting his breathing. Pauline seemed to be feeling the same way as she choked out,

“It’s alright Alyss, it’s alright dear. You’re not alone okay? Just look at me. You are not alone. We will all be here to help you. Hell, if I have to quit my job to help you raise this child I will. Because don’t you ever forget, that this is a blessing. This is your son, this is Will’s son. And we are going to make sure that this boy grows up surrounded by love. We are going to make sure that he never doubts the love his parents had for one another when he was born. We will get you through this Alyss. Everything’s going to be alright.”

Alyss sniffled a few more times, still with her son pressed to her chest. Then she nodded with a small smile on her face.

Halt smiled and gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

“And we’re also going to make sure that you never doubt that you’re loved. We’re so proud of you Alyss, and we will help you through this.”

Alyss wrapped her free arm (the one that wasn’t currently holding her child) around Pauline’s shoulders. Then she said, barely above a whisper,

“Thank you...thank you so much.”

Pauline squeezed her arm, “of course dear”

They stayed like that for a long while, with Alyss whispering unintelligible words to them, most of them consisting in words like thank you thank you over and over again.

But the ones that stood out the most to the older couple were the three little words that were said so quietly, but with so much conviction that they stuck in their memories.

I love you