WINTER'S FADE


Viola let out a low whistle. "That is a big ass house," she murmured as she followed her siblings out of the car. The sleek black vehicle had been waiting for them at the shuttle port when they disembarked and the huge bodyguard- Butler- had driven them all (holly included, apparently she wanted to make sure they all got home safe) to Fowl Manor.

Both Butler and the blue eyed boy- Artemis, his name was Artemis- shot her a strange look, some combination of startled and regretful. She frowned at them and was about to ask what the problem was, but once they registered her eyes on them they turned away.

"Come on, everyone, let's get inside. It's cold out here," Madam Fowl urged. They obeyed eagerly. It was rather cold, the remnants of a snowfall that must have been several days old glittering in patches on the vast lawn. They rushed to the steps, Viola's instinctive caution overridden by the easy smiles and chatter of her siblings.

"Wow." Her jaw went slack as they bustled into the foyer. The sheer immensity of the place seemed to suddenly hit her like a physical blow, the magic she'd only just discovered reaching out to brush against the whispering ghosts of the place. It was intimidating- but also gave her the strangest sense of déjà -vu, as though she'd felt these ghosts before…

Well of course I have, I just don't remember, she reminded herself.

Suddenly, the strange quiet that seemed to have settled over the group was broken by childlike calls of, "Mum, Dad!" and "Artemis!" and "Butler!"

And then, to her surprise: "Lizzie, Sam, Connor!"

And even more shocking: "Vi!"

A small boy with a mess of blond curls tackled her waist and she staggered back. Everyone froze, even the other little boy (this one had black hair) that had charged them with his sibling, a pretty young blond woman on their heels.

"Uh- I-" she stammered, completely at sea. The boy looked up at her face and his grip relaxed as he backed away.

"Right. You don't remember. Sorry." He stuck out his hand and beamed at her. "I'm Beckett. Nice to meet you again."

Gently, she took his small hand and shook it carefully. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Nice to…meet you too."

Silence again. Then the young woman stepped forward with a smile and an outstretched hand. "Juliet. Good to see you well, Viola."

Viola took her hand in turn. "Thanks. Eh- you too?"

The woman- Butler had a sister, didn't he? This must be her- laughed. "Yeah, sorry. I know this must be weird for you." She beamed over Viola's shoulder at the others and passed around hugs as they all came forward. "Why don't you all get settled in- Beckett, really?" she demanded of the young boy, who was hanging off his father's arm like a monkey.

Viola giggled, covering her hand with her mouth. The elder Artemis just laughed and swung his son up onto his shoulders while his wife boosted the other twin onto her hip, smiling serenely.

"Any food around here? I'm starving."

"Connor, manners!" Liz reprimanded, shoving at him.

Angeline laughed lightly. "No, it's quite alright. I think we're all hungry and tired." She smiled around at them. "Who's up for some lunch and a nap?"


Once the younger Fowl boys were assured that the nap option was in fact voluntary, they were thrilled about the prospect of a large family meal. Angeline ushered them all into the dining room, then the Butlers disappeared to "whip up something" (with Connor insisting on helping).

In a matter of minutes the Fowls and Viola's family had descended into laughing, relieved conversation. They didn't talk about Haven, or Kols, or any of it, but instead about starting school the next term (apparently she and Artemis were already enrolled, but the others weren't) and whether or not they'd stay at the manor for the summer holidays, and what exactly was Sam planning to do, maybe attend university?

Once the Butlers and Connor joined them- bringing the much anticipated food- the talk became even livelier. Juliet seemed to have that effect on a room, and Connor had always been cheerful when the situation allowed for it.

The only person who seemed not quite as carefree as everyone else (at least noticeably- Viola still got the feeling they all were hiding something from her, but every time she started asking questions they glossed it over) was Artemis II. He was quiet and watchful, smiling occasionally but never laughing, and only rarely speaking. No one commented on his behavior however, so she began to think that was just how he was- like how his bodyguard seemed to exist in a perpetual state of silent intimidation.

She only realized she was staring when the boy glanced over at her and their eyes locked. For an instant that lasted an eternity she just looked at him, at the wall of ice that suddenly slammed down in those blue eyes. Sound seemed to fade away and something stirred in her chest, magic and buried memories aching to be released.

Then he dropped his eyes and she flushed, realizing she'd probably made him uncomfortable. He excused himself soon after, and his mother shot him a worried look but didn't protest. Viola gnawed her lip guiltily and was acutely aware of him as he walked passed her to leave the room.

"What do you think, Viola?"

"Oh." She looked around to see the table's attention had turned to her. Juliet was staring at her expectantly. Had she just asked her something? "I'm sorry, what?"

The young woman smiled kindly. "I just asked if you'd like to re-tour the manor, once you've finished eating. I'm sure the animals have missed you as much as we have."

Animals? Viola perked up immediately, shoving her chair away from the table and standing with a grin. "I'm done."


It was odd "re-meeting" these four-legged friends. The two little boys (whom, she learned during their meal, were actually twins) wanted to accompany her and Juliet as the older girl gave guided her around the manor and grounds, explaining where and what certain places or things were. The kennels had been one of their first stops, where Viola was completely enchanted by a new mother and her rolly-polly pile of setter pups. Apparently the dog knew her, because she bounded up to her with a happy bark and a wagging tail, licking her hands and then face when Viola knelt to be on her level.

"I knew Rosie missed you," the little blond child- Beckett- said proudly.

"I'm sure I would miss you, too," Viola murmured to the animal, rubbing her silky ears. Rosie tilted her head to the side in confusion. What did her human-pack-sister mean?

Viola felt a stab of some combination of guilt and regret in her stomach. "I…some bad things happened, and I wound up losing a few winters' worth of memories," she explained, putting the years involved into terms the canine would better understand.

Rosie whined softly and pawed at her hand, then shoved her nose into her collar and huffed. She was sorry for her pack-sister, but she was glad she had returned. Her tail began to wag again. Besides, pack was togetherness, that was all that mattered. Now that they were together again, they would make new memories.

Rather suddenly, Viola felt tears prickle at her eyes. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around the dog's neck, barely noticing the pups that tugged at the hems of her pants and sleeves, yapping playfully and begging her attentions. "Thank you," she murmured, low enough that her human companions wouldn't hear.

Rosie huffed again and licked her ear. Pack was family. Pack was forever.

Viola commended her years of practice that she didn't break down in tears then and there.

Well, at least that'll be the most emotional part of the day, she thought as they left. She was proven wrong when they arrived at the last stop on Juliet's tour: the stables. The boys were cold and had returned to the warmth of the manor, so the two young women entered the long, sturdy building alone. Viola took a breath, savoring the smell. Maybe weird to some, but who cares?

An unsettling sort of silence to her right made her turn her head to look at Juliet, who was watching her with an unfathomable expression. Viola squinted. "What?"

The older girl visibly shook herself and smiled. "Oh, no, it's nothing. You just did that- that deep breath- the first time you came here, that's all."

Viola blinked. "Oh," she murmured, unsure how she was supposed to react to that. Well, it made sense, she supposed; memories or no memories, she was the same person, wasn't she?

Am I?

The thought was unsettling so she immediately put it from her mind, to that dark corner where the image of her shooting Kols resided. She smiled at Juliet. "So- care to introduce me?"

She met all the horses- again. They gave her happy, familiar wickers, happy to see her home and safe. That idea, that this place was home, was so foreign and frankly terrifying that she explained the situation to the animals as quickly as she could. This earned her nuzzles and soft sighs and slow blinks of affection. It didn't matter; she was herd-sister, and that was forever, no matter what.

Viola wasn't quite able to hide the fact that she teared up this time, and Juliet made some polite excuse, then told her she'd be heading back to the manor, and to come inside when she was done. The horses crowded forward once she left, all wanted to comfort but not quite sure how to handle this strange human reaction.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Viola told them with a close-lipped smile, patting their necks as she made her way to the end of the aisle. She blinked to clear her vision as she approached the stalls that held a dark brown mare and a fiery stallion. "Hello," she murmured, holding out her hands to them. "Juliet says we know each other, but I'm afraid you'll have to refresh my memory," she told them with forced levity. The younger Butler had told them her names- Breena, a favorite of the eldest Fowl child, and Shatan. Much as she enjoyed whispering to the graceful mare, it was the chestnut she really wanted to talk to. According to Juliet, they had a bit of a history.

When she approached his stall door, the horse backed up a step. She frowned slightly. No animal had ever reacted that way to her, not even injured ones, not once they realized she could understand them. "What's wrong?" she murmured.

The stallion tossed his head. He was angry with her. Angry that she had forgotten.

She bit her lip, guilt washing through her. But- that was a bit unreasonable, wasn't it? "I didn't want to, it wasn't my fault," she said quietly.

Shatan snorted, hopping into a half-rear. Then way could he feel the guilt and sorrow rolling off of her in waves? If it wasn't her fault, why did she feel so?

Now she was getting angry. Maybe this horse had known her, but who gave him the right to preach to her like that? "I'm sad, alright? Doesn't mean I wanted this to happen, I feel guilty because…because…"

Because why? He lowered his head, ears back. A clear challenge.

"Because I killed someone!" she screeched, nails biting into her palms. Tears of rage and fear rolled down her cheeks. "I'm a murderer, and I don't even remember!" That strange-familiar feeling of magic coiled in her gut, stretching away from her like vines.

She had to remember. It was a part of her, those scars, as much as the marks on his hide were a part of him. She had to accept that.

She shook her head, panic and magic warring in her chest. "I can't, I can't," she muttered, over and over. Vaguely, she could hear the other horses telling Shatan to calm down, to leave her be.

But he was herd master, and he would not be ignored. She had to; this wasn't a choice.

Her angry shouts devolved into sobs. "I don't want to," she forced out, feeling her legs quiver.

Shatan reared and screamed a challenge. Viola screamed back, feeling as though she poured her entire soul into the sound. Magic exploded outward, ripping through the air like a shockwave. All the pain and sorrow and regret and confusion and fear, all of it burst from her in one single, powerful blast. She gasped, back arching, and her knees gave out, sending her to the floor.

Quiet. Then, slowly, the soft sounds of hooves on wood. A soft, warm muzzle lipped at the top of her head, and she abstractly realized she had fallen close enough to Shatan's stall for him to crane his neck and reach her.

He huffed a breath and nudged her affectionately. There. She had to get the poison out, or she could never have moved forward. Now she could remember, in her own time, but she had to make room first, get rid of all the doubts swirling inside her. He knew.

Still crying, Viola reached up and buried her fingers in his mane, pressing her forehead to his. "Thank you," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. Thank you."

He whickered softly. Of course. She was his herd.


The next two days were rather tame in comparison. Viola explored (or re-explored…whatever) the manor and grounds (spending a good deal of time in the kennels and stables), got to know the Fowls a bit (again), and prepared to return to school. Sam had decided to take the semester off and look at his options- university, maybe a trade school, he really wasn't sure- but Elizabeth and Connor would be returning to some place called St. Bartleby's with her and Artemis.

Artemis. He seemed to be the only problem with this new-old life. After her confrontation with Shatan, Viola had actually started to feel…well, more like herself. She found she quite liked the Butlers and the Fowls, and that all in all life at the manor was- well, nice.

Except for the fact that the eldest son couldn't seem to stand being in a room with her for more than a few minutes at a time. She'd cornered Connor after lunch the third day and asked him about it, but all he would say was, "It's just probably hard for him…ya know, to adjust." He had muttered something about them being "close" before she lost her memories, but with how cold the boy was acting she found it hard to believe. Maybe they'd had some sort of falling out, and everyone was just being too careful of her to mention it? It really was getting quite frustrating.

And to top it off, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about him. She was never like this; if someone had a problem with her, oh well, dust your hands and move on. So why did this bother her so much? She decided it must be because they were sharing living space- but deep in her gut, where her magic seemed to have taken up partial residence, that didn't ring quite true.

"Oh, hell's bells," she muttered, shaking her head. "I've got other things to worry about."

And indeed she did. She turned in a semi-circle to look at her room (her room, she was still getting used to that); it was a bit of a disaster zone, clothes and odds and ends flung everywhere. She was supposed to be packing, but couldn't seem to find…

She tsked quietly, brow furrowed. She bent to look under the bed (again), then threw the covers back and checked in the tumble of sheets (again). "Where in the hell…?" she muttered, started to get just a little panicked. Maybe she shouldn't be so affected by this, but with all the uncertainty, the missing memories, the-

There was a soft knock and a murmured, "Excuse me."

She straightened up like a shot and turned to see him- Artemis- standing in the open doorway, hand still outstretched to knock on the frame. "Oh. Uh- hey," she said with a small smile, hoping she didn't look too much like a crazy person ruffling through the sheets and talking to herself. "Ah…what brings you here?"

His eyes met hers for only a fraction of a second before he looked away. He always did that- it was starting to get unnerving.

"Seeing as we'll be heading back to school in a few days, I thought you might want this back," he said softly, taking a step toward her and holding out a worn paperback.

She gasped and took it eagerly, running her fingers over the familiar title. Howl's Moving Castle. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, clutching the book to her chest and beaming up at him. "Thank you! Where did-?"

"You…lent it to me," he explained, still not looking directly at her, more at the air over her left shoulder. "You told me it was your favorite, and I thought having something familiar would be comforting when we go back…"

She hummed contentedly. "Yeah. I was looking everywhere for this thing." She smiled at the book, remembering all she had been through with it. The fire, Niklos, Section Eight- she'd thrown such a fit Vinyaya had sent an officer to retrieve it- it had even made it with her small bag of belongings to the hospital, and then at Christmas-

She stopped, blinking, then frowned and stared at the book. Christmas. What about Christmas? It was there, one of her missing memories, dancing just out of reach. What was it, what was it…?

"Well."

She came back to the present with a start, looking up at Artemis's face. The moment their eyes met he looked away again. Pity- he had the most compelling eyes… "Seeing as you have it back, I suppose I should be going," he sort of mumbled, then turned to go.

"Wait." Impulsively, she grabbed his arm. They both froze for a moment, then she let go quickly. "Um, I-" Now she seemed to be the one unable to make eye contact. "H-have you read it?" she asked, voice just a little higher than usual. She cleared her throat. What was wrong with her? Sure he was cute (more than cute, actually), but that usually didn't get her so tongue-tied.

"No," he said softly. "I haven't quite had the chance."

She smiled again, hoping it didn't look as strained as she felt. She held the book out. "Then keep it. Give it back to me when you've finished." Her smile became more genuine. "It's worth the read, trust me."

"…Very well. Thank you." He reached out to take the book from her and their fingers brushed.

She wasn't sure which of them moved first, but they both snatched their hands back as though they'd been burned. The book thumped to the floor. "Oh, sorry, I'm sorry," she muttered, bending to pick it up, unsure why she was apologizing because he'd dropped the thing as well, she wasn't solely at fault here-

"No, my apologies."

She looked up to see him kneeling in front of her, eyes fixed on the book as long, graceful fingers grasped it. His raven hair fell just a little in front of his face, almost blocking his icy gaze from view when it flicked up at her. Almost- she saw something in those eyes that dried her throat and set her heart racing. Her mental babbling (in fact, almost all mental functioning) came to a screeching halt.

For a moment they just stayed there, on their knees, staring at each other. For the first time his eyes were completely unguarded, and she felt her stomach clench and her chest ache with the awful, almost grieving kind of sadness there. She didn't understand it, but it made her want to reach out and hold him, to wrap her arms around his shoulders and let her head rest on his chest and say that everything was alright and to hear it whispered back to her…

The boy glanced down- probably just trying to look away- and his gaze landed on her right hand. He froze. Then, abruptly, he stood, and the moment shattered like glass. Viola seemed incapable of doing much more than sitting there and blinking up at him standing above her for several seconds.

"Your ring is-" he started, still staring at her hand. Then he stopped, visibly shook himself, and when he looked at her again the walls were back in his eyes. For some reason, she felt an aching sort of loss at being shut out again.

"My ring is what?" she asked, finally able to speak again, as she pushed herself to her feet. She looked at the Claddagh, frowning slightly.

"It's beautiful," he said emotionlessly. She looked at him, brow furrowed. He was lying- well, not lying exactly, but that wasn't what he'd been going to say.

"Thanks," she said slowly, letting her eyes drop to the piece of jewelry. "It was my mother's…what the…?" She frowned.

The ring was flipped around. How had she not noticed that before? She must have done it accidently…after washing her hands or something? "I don't actually wear it like that," she told him, not sure why she did and still frowning in a puzzled kind of way. "Must've done it on accident. I promised myself years ago that I'd never wear it like this…" She laughed slightly, realizing how strange and personal that sounded, and looked up at him. "That's weird, I'm usually really careful with this, I don't know why I didn't notice before."

His eyes were fixed on a spot just to the right of her head. Shoot, now she'd made him uncomfortable. She wasn't quite sure why that bothered her so much. So she laughed again, awkwardly, and wondered why she couldn't just shut her mouth. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm telling you this-"

"If you'll excuse me," Artemis said abruptly, nodding so that his eyes dropped to the floor again. "I have…some things I need to get done. My own packing and such." Without another word he turned and left.

"…bye," Viola murmured long after he was out of earshot. She bit her lip, confused by the sting of rejection burning in her chest. She wasn't this sensitive- what was it about that boy? She wrung her fingers together and her eyes dropped to the ring. She made to slip it off, turn it back around, but…but somehow she couldn't. She couldn't make herself do it.

And she couldn't stop thinking about those eyes.

xXx

"Must've done it on accident. I promised myself years ago that I'd never wear it like this…" It didn't matter, it couldn't matter. Just like it didn't matter that when they're hands touched all he could think about was how neatly their fingers fit together, or how he couldn't meet her eyes for more than a few seconds without the sudden desire to grab her and kiss her threatening to overtake his senses, or- Okay, stop that!

"Arty? Whachya doin'?"

Artemis started, abruptly jerked back to himself by his brother's voice emanating from the doorway. He turned from his desk- where he most certainly had not been staring blankly into space for what must have been the better part of an hour- to look at Beckett. He forced a smile. "Just tinkering." There were enough spare odds and ends on his desk that it was fairly believable. "Did you need something?"

The boy took a few steps into the room. "Mum said that you've been sulking long enough for one day and I should come get you."

Artemis blinked. Sulking? He was not- alright, so he wasn't being exactly productive, but-

He took a deep breath through his nose, then pushed back his chair and stood. "Right. Very well. Did Mother say anything else?"

Beckett nodded. "She said we should go for a ride. She thinks you should bring Sam and Connor and Liz and Vi, too."

Of course she did. He sighed softly, then straightened his shoulders. "Alright," he said with a smile that was probably seventy percent genuine. "Why don't you go round the others up and I'll meet you at the stables."

Beckett grinned. "Okay!" He turned to leave, then paused in the doorway. He looked back over his shoulder, biting his lip. "Arty?"

"Mm?"

"Do you think Vi will remember us soon?"

He froze. "I- I don't know, Beckett." He let out a breath. The image of sparkling eyes and a polite smile flashed through his mind. "I hope so."

His little brother nodded. "Me too."


Sam opted out of going for a ride, which his siblings gave him no end of grief about, seeing as he was- at least originally- a "Texas cowboy". Artemis got the feeling that there was some sort of story behind the nickname, but he didn't want to pry. Perhaps one of the four would feel like divulging the tale later.

So- with Angeline's zealous encouragement- Artemis, Lizzie, the twins, and Viola all made their way down to the stables together. Well, "together" may have been used loosely; Artemis kept to the back of the group, trying to convince himself that he wasn't keeping one eye on Viola's back the whole time, and that his heart didn't skip a beat every time she turned her head and he could glimpse the edge of her smile. Damnit, stop that!

"Hi, Nanny!" Beckett called cheerfully to the old mare as they slipped into the stable, cheeks and noses red from the cold. The horse nickered at him, ears perked and eyes bright as Viola led her from her stall and set about tacking her up.

Artemis realized, watching her, that she must have spent a good deal of her time for the last two days here. She moved around the stable as easily as if she had been raised there. But of course, it made sense. It was just the place she would go to feel comfortable.

Once the boys were settled- Nannette tacked properly and the twins holding loosely onto her reins while they waited for the others (Beckett's helmet slightly askew, of course)- Artemis slipped by Connor and the girls toward Breena's stall.

"Hello, girl," he murmured, raising a hand to pat her neck. She whuffed affectionately at him and bobbed her head. He smiled. It had been a long time since he'd been in here, since he'd just…gone for a ride.

Maybe his mother was right. Perhaps this would do him some good.

The rhythmic motions of tacking Breena were oddly soothing. He found his mind wandering, drifting away from the present until he almost forgot there were other people in the stable.

"That's pretty."

He started so violently that Breena hopped away from him in protest, straining at her crossties. He gripped her halter and pulled her head back, stroking her neck by way of apology, and turned to face Connor. "Sorry, what?"

The younger boy smiled slightly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just thought that song you were humming was pretty."

Artemis frowned. He'd been humming? Then he realized. "Oh." His hand stilled its repetitive patting and Breena shifted. "Thank you. It's…just a tune I've been- messing about with." His eyes strayed- quite against his will- to the girl helping Liz adjust the girth of General's saddle. "It works better as a duet," he said carelessly, ignoring the twisting ache in his chest as he turned to unhook Breena from her crossties. "I'll take the boys and Nanette out into the paddock, meet you out there." He didn't wait for a response, leading Breena down the aisle past the others, then collecting his brothers and their mare.

The boys were still slight enough that they could both ride Nanette without too much trouble, though Artemis doubted this would last much longer. He led them in a gentle circle around the paddock a few times; this exercise had the multiple benefits of quieting his brothers as they focused on keeping their seats, letting him readjust to being on horseback again after such a long break, and giving him some time to clear his head. The cold air was helpful too. Christmas's snowfall was by now completely melted away, but it was still winter. Artemis shivered as they circled the fence again, glancing back toward the stable to check the others' progress.

By their third circuit Liz and General had cautiously joined them, and Connor was leading Layla up to the other side of the fence. Artemis reined Breena in a few paces away, knowing the two mares enjoyed butting heads if given the opportunity.

"Vi and Shatan seem to be having a bit of an issue," the boy said as he boosted himself into the saddle, lips twitching in a playful smile. "She thinks he should have proper tack if he wants to go for a ride. He disagrees."

The boys and Lizzie laughed. Even Artemis cracked a small smile. "I am somehow unsurprised that he continued to cause trouble," he remarked dryly.

Connor shrugged, smiling. "She said we should go on ahead. If all we're doing is a jaunt down to the pond and back she'll meet up with us eventually. C'mon." He clicked to Layla and turned her easily, beginning to trot away.

Artemis opened the gate for the others as they followed, falling once again to the rear of the caravan as first his brothers on Nanette, then Liz on General rode past him.

"Oh, oh." Artemis smiled slightly, hearing the girl muttering to herself as they set off at a gentle pace down toward the pond. "Ok, good horse, easy, easy."

He tapped his heels lightly against Breena's side, bringing her up beside the placid gelding. "Are you alright, Liz?"

She glanced over at him out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, fine. Just- oh. We- I've only been riding once before, and I forgot how far away the ground is on horseback."

Artemis chuckled, glancing ahead to make sure his brothers and Connor were managing on their own. They seemed to be fine, the young man obviously not sharing his sister's trepidations when it came to horses. "Connor seems to be doing alright," he commented, just slightly teasing.

She snorted, then sobered quickly as General's attention caught on a clump of grass that wasn't quite dead despite the weather. "Hey, um…head up, please?" she mumbled, tugging at his reins. The horse ignored her, chomping away contentedly.

Artemis laughed outright, guiding Breena a bit closer so he could grab the reins and pull General's head up. "Come on, old boy," he said to the animal, who snorted at him indignantly. "You haven't had a proper jaunt in ages, you can stand to work for an hour or so." He clucked lightly, urging Breena forward and towing General after them.

With another snort, the gelding picked up his pace so they once again rode side by side. Lizzie sway slightly in the saddle, then adjusted her seat in an effort to find her balance. She gave him an appraising look. "That was almost as good as Vi," she commented, smiling.

A slight pang went through him- just from the sound of her name, this was getting out of hand- but he pushed it away. "Thank you," he said, nodding, and gave her a slight smile.

She nodded back. Now that General was moving more easily, she seemed to be having a better time finding her balance on his back. "When have you ridden before?" Artemis asked, suddenly curious. He realized that, despite everything that had happened recently and the gradually strengthening relationships forming between them, he really didn't know very much about Viola's siblings. Or Viola herself, for that matter. But that thought was too dangerous, so he shut it down.

"Oh, Niklos- I mean Kols, he took us to a farm in Essex a few years ago. He used to do that, take us on little outings if we behaved for his…tests…" Her voice trailed off and Artemis wished he had not brought up such memories. Then she shook herself and continued, "Anyway, the owner said we could go riding if we wanted, and Vi and Connor were so excited that Sam and I sorta got dragged into it." She smiled fondly, eyes rather far away even as she watched her brother and the twins up ahead of them. "Connor used to live on a farm you know, before Kols go him. He was in the foster system, and this nice older couple had custody of him for a while. He told us they had all sorts of critters. A dog, chickens, goats, a cow, two horses, some stray cats roaming around. Viola used to say she was so jealous…" She looked at him, smiling in a way that was part nostalgia, part regret, and part hope. "I guess she got her wish after all," she said quietly, eyes skating over the manor grounds.

The pond was only a few meters away now. Artemis fixed his eyes on the still water, noting the spiderwebbing bands of ice that crept from the banks. "Yes. I suppose so," he said, voice calm and toneless.

"Artemis…"

He looked back at her. She had pulled General to a halt, and he reined Breena in to do the same. She was staring at him, hazel eyes suddenly reminding him very much of Holly when she was in one of her determined moods. She let out a sharp breath, looking back toward the manor. "Look…Gah, there's no tactful way to go about this, so I'm just gonna say it," She fixed her eyes on him, mouth set in a tight line. He wondered, abstractly, if that was an inborn quirk or something she had picked up from her older sister. "It's obvious to anyone with eyes that you and Vi care about each other. Like a lot. I'm not sure if this'll mean anything to you, but I've never seen her be the way she is around you before, just so- comfortable. She may be a flirt, but she's not like that with boys." She sighed, biting her lip. "I know it's not really my place, and we don't actually know each other very well…but you seemed pretty happy with her too. And I don't think you should let that go. I get why you won't tell her that you two were- whatever it is you were, but I don't think that means you should just give her up."

She looked at him, eyes flinty and cheeks red with cold, and he just blinked in silence. She took a breath, then gave a just-a-bit-too-cheerful smile. "Right. Well, just something to think about then." She tapped her heels into General and trotted off to meet Connor and the boys.

Artemis and Breena didn't move. He was, quite frankly, stunned. His brain couldn't seem to properly comprehend what Lizzie had said. The words made sense, but it was as though there was some meaning in them that he couldn't understand, like a particularly symbolic poem.

He didn't have long to dwell on it. He was suddenly shaken from his reverie by a voice behind him, shouting, "On you left!" Still a bit bewildered, Breena reacted before he did, shying sideways as a fiery chestnut blur shot past them toward the pond.

Viola whooped and Shatan made a hairpin turn at the water's edge, racing twice around the pond before galloping back to where Artemis and Breena remained stunned. The stallion pranced, showing off, and Viola spread her arms wide, laughing. It seemed the horse had won their altercation, as she rode bareback with no bridle.

"He's showing off for the mare," Viola said, eyes dancing, as Shatan made a graceful turn and kicked out his heels playfully in a maneuver that wasn't quite a buck but came close. The girl kept her seat with an easy grace that belied her klutziness on her own two feet.

To Artemis's great surprise, Breena gave a challenging sort of neigh and hopped on her front hooves, showing off right back. A startled laugh escaped him as he twisted gently on the reins, attempting to keep Shatan's wild fervor from spreading. "Easy, girl. Not the time, perhaps?"

Viola laughed again, and the sound was so contagious it almost outweighed the sharp prod of loss that came with it. He smiled, watching her coax Connor into a brief race (which of course Shatan won) and tease her sister about her poor seat. She talked with the boys, laughing and "ooh"ing in appropriate places as they (well, mostly Beckett) jabbered at her aimlessly. For a few moments, it was as though Klos had never happened.

"Oh, it's getting late. We should be heading back, yeah?"

Artemis looked up at Lizzie's exclamation and realized it was indeed time for them to be returning to the manor. "Yes, we should." His brothers immediately started protesting and he held up a hand to cut them off. "How about this," he offered, raising an eyebrow at them. "We have two more days until winter holidays are over. I promise we'll go riding again before I- that is we- return to school, deal?"

"Alright," Myles agreed easily, though Beckett preferred to sulk a bit longer. At least until Connor coaxed them into a trotting race back to the stable, and Layla and Nanette clopped off.

Lizzie rolled her eyes laughing, as she spurred General after them. "That boy, I swear," she muttered.

Viola grinned in agreement. "He's still a kid himself," she said teasingly. "You keep an eye on him?"

Her sister gave her a half salute and a sarcastic, "Yessir," as she followed the others.

And so Artemis and Viola found themselves at the rear of the procession, with both their mounts feeling rather frisky and most of their attention focused on keeping the two animals from tripping each other up in their desire to get closer to one another.

"Cripes," Viola muttered, laughing exasperatedly. "Remind me to ask your dad to make sure someone exercises this bugger while I'm gone. He's got far too much energy." Shatan snorted in outrage and tossed his head, she laughed, scratching at his ears by way of apology.

Artemis smiled as he watched them. He couldn't deny that it was still painful, seeing her but not her, but he knew that Liz had a point- though admittedly with a roundabout way of getting to it. He couldn't just avoid her forever. "I'll do that," he said.

Viola blinked, then looked at him with something like surprise. "Hey. You actually talked to me." A smile started to tug at the corners of her lips.

He forced his own to stay in place. He could do this. He was no stranger to adversity. "Yes, I suppose I did."

She was wearing a true smile now, a Viola smile, one that seemed to light up her eyes from the inside. "Oh thank goodness. You know, I was starting to wonder if I'd done something awful to offend you that I don't remember because we kept avoiding me, and-" She suddenly stopped talking, cheeks coloring prettily. He didn't think it was just from the cold. "And now I'm babbling and making an ass of myself. Sorry. I'm not usually like this, I swear."

He wasn't sure what possessed him to answer with, "I know," but once he had he couldn't very well take it back. They simply stared at each other in silence for a moment. Intimate strangers trying to perform a dance to which neither knew the steps.

Then she smiled again, softer this time. "Yeah. Yeah, you do. Right." She looked forward and they rode in quiet for a couple more paces before she said, "So…are we good, then? I mean, I know this whole situation is weird, but I'd like to try and be friends, if we can."

His heart twisted. He smiled. "Miss Sommers, I believe that is an excellent idea."

xXx

The next morning, Viola was awoken by a veritable hurricane of small child, which solidified itself into Beckett and Myles when she jolted upright in bed and started shouting in Swahili.

"Breakfast is ready!" the blond twin told her, beaming and sticky with- she didn't even know what.

"You slept through it, actually," Myles informed her calmly, ever the balance to his brother.

Viola groaned, rubbing her eyes. "Al'ight, be down in a mo," she said with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head. The twins nodded and scampered out of her room. She glowered after them. "I really need to see about a lock on that door," she decided aloud, stretching again and swinging her legs out of bed. She wasn't really angry though; she quite liked the twins, particularly the entertaining contrast they provided in each other. She'd never thought of herself as typically good with children- but then, no child of this house could ever be mistaken for "typical". The thought made her smile.

She yawned over and over again as she dressed and made her way down to the dining room, where she was met with empty chairs but a full table. It was close to eleven o'clock, everyone else must have been up hours ago. She should have been too, by all rights; it wasn't as though she'd gone to bed particularly late, she'd just had a restless night. Or rather, an ordinary night by her standards.

She supposed it wasn't surprising that she was plagued by nightmares, what with all she'd been through. And honestly, she'd seen enough horror in her life that whatever her imagination could conjure usually didn't bother her unduly. But there were flashes, snippets of images or sounds that felt…familiar, like a sense of déjà vu multiplied tenfold.

I wish I could just remember, she thought in frustration as she finished her breakfast and went to look for the rest of the household. It's so odd, feeling like something's missing but not knowing what it is-

Thud.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" she gasped, staggering back a step and looking up into icy blue eyes. "I wasn't paying attention…"

Artemis smiled at her. "Quite alright, Miss Sommers. I was not looking where I was going either."

Viola blinked a few times. It was disarming, this sudden change in his attitude toward her since the day before. No one else seemed to notice or mention it, though she had caught a few very thoughtful looks from Lizzie at dinner the previous night. She would have to corner her later. "Well, anyway…where is everybody?" she asked, more to have something to say than because she really needed to know.

"Mother and Juliet took the boys into town for a few hours," he told her easily. "They wanted to wake you up first, which I'm assuming they succeeded in doing." She made a face and she chuckled. Her heart fluttered quite against her will and she scowled internally. Stop that! "Butler went with them for security. I believe Father is in his study, Lizzie said something about the library, and your brothers are currently debating over some sort of card collection and who gets to keep it when we head back to school."

Viola laughed. "Oh, God, really? I thought they might've outgrown Pokémon by now." She shook her head fondly. "Thanks. I'll think I'll go see if Liz wants any company." She made to move past him, then hesitated. "Ah- where are you off to?"

He shrugged. "I was going to make a call to Holly and update her. She's a bit concerned about how you all are doing."

She nodded. "Oh. Um. Okay. Should I…?"

He smiled at her awkward indecision. "It's alright, she doesn't expect a call from you. It is nice of you to think of it, though."

"Oh, right." She smiled, a bit taken aback that he'd understood her meaning through all that fumbling. "Well, see you then." She started off down the hall when he nodded in assent.

What an odd bird, she mused as she made her way to the library, humming softly to herself. A snippet of some almost-unfamiliar tune had been stuck in her head for ages, she just couldn't seem to dislodge it.

"Liz?" she called, rapping on the library door. "You in here?"

"Yeah."

She slipped inside, taking a moment to re-appreciate the sheer immensity of the place as she had every time she set foot in the room. She looked around and saw her sister perched on a comfortable looking chair set in a corner of the room, a book open in her lap. She smiled. "Mind if I join you?"

Lizzie smiled back. "Not at all."


When Viola next thought to check the time, it was almost one o'clock. She sighed contentedly, shifting in the seat she had chosen across from her sister, and refocused on the book in front of her. She was quite pleased with her choice- a copy of Shakespeare's Complete Works- but even she needed a break from the archaic language now and then. She glanced out of the window and noticed it had started to rain. Slate gray sky connected to green gray earth by bands of sparkling silver gray.

"What's that?" Lizzie asked, not even glancing up.

Viola looked at her and frowned slightly, yanked from her dreamy state. "What's what?"

Liz laughed, lowering her book. "That. That tune you're humming. It's pretty, but I don't recognize it."

Viola's frown deepened. She had been humming? Oh, right. That little snatch of melody that had gotten lodged in her head and refused to budge. Her mouth twisted up on one side and she shook her head. "Oh, that. It's just been floating around in my head, I don't know what it-"

Her voice suddenly cut off, as though someone had slapped a hand to her mouth. Her eyes widened and her jaw went slack. Vaguely, she heard Liz calling her name, asking her what was wrong, but she couldn't focus on it. She couldn't focus on anything except-

"Oh my God," she breathed, shaking hands rising to press against her lips. Her head was pounding, her heart racing, her magic dancing in her blood. "Oh my God." It was a sob, a sigh, a cry of realization.

Without another thought she leapt to her feet and tore from the room, barely even hearing Liz's startled cry of "Viola?!" She dashed into the foyer and up the stairs, following the familiar hallways.

Familiar. All familiar, now, no longer that strange sense of déjà vu. She knew this place, knew those just-a-bit-creepy paintings on the walls and the feel of carpet and stone and wood under her feet. She knew the stables, the kennels, the gardens, Shatan and Rosie and- and she knew.

She didn't even have to think, her feet knew exactly where they were going. She reached the door she was looking for in under a minute and didn't hesitate for even a second before she threw it open.

"What-?"

Artemis whirled around from his desk, eyes going wide as he saw her standing in the doorway, panting and shaking. Instantly he was on his feet, that familiar flash of concern glancing across his eyes before he hid it away. She laughed breathlessly, almost sobbing. "Vi- Miss Sommers, are you alright?"

"Winter's Fade."

He blinked, and for the first time Viola thought she'd managed to catch him completely by surprise. He hadn't even looked so stunned after that first almost-accidental kiss. "Excuse me?"

She smiled, feeling tears start to prickle at her eyes. "You said I could name it, right? That song you wrote? I pick Winter's Fade."

For a long moment that was probably really only less than a second he continued to stare at her in dumbstruck silence. Then the realization lit up his eyes and his jaw went slack. "You-" he croaked, voice raw and vulnerable. "You-"

She rushed to talk over him, knowing she had to say it, say it now, the words that were clawing to get out of her throat. What she had been burning to say for what felt like forever.

"I love you."

There. She'd said it. But- but now she couldn't seem to stop talking… "I know I should have- I should have said it before. Before all…all this. I wanted to, oh God I wanted to, I just- I couldn't. But I did, I do, I mean. I-"

She never got to finish that particular sentence. In what seemed like less than a moment Artemis had crossed the space separating them and grabbed her, almost roughly, one hand twisting in her hair and the other grasping her waist in a bruising-tight grip. She barely had time to gasp before his lips were on hers, crushing and desperate.

She kissed him back, rocking onto her toes and wrapping her arms around his neck, trying to eliminate even the smallest space between them. She could feel his heartbeat against hers, his heat through their clothes, and she kissed him like he was air and she was drowning.

He pulled away, just slightly, and she made a small noise of protest before realizing that he'd simply turned his attention to the curve of her throat, lips brushing skin like a whispered prayer. "You remember," he murmured between kisses, and she felt her chest constrict- or maybe her heart expand- at the hoarse emotion in his voice.

"I love you," she whispered, not knowing what else to say. What else there was to say. He kissed the curve of her shoulder and she clenched her hands in his hair.

"I love you," he breathed in response, returning to her mouth. She closed her eyes and parted her lips into the kiss. Their hands skated over each other, remembering, learning, memorizing. She broke away from his lips just long enough to press a kiss to the line of his jaw and heard him suck in a breath, felt this chest hitch. She grinned against his skin, reveling in the fact that she could draw such a reaction from him, then tilted her head to press her lips to his again. And again.

"Thank you," she gasped out between kisses.

He pulled away and she actually whined at the loss of contact, then immediately blushed. He smirked, letting her know he'd noticed, but ignored it. "Why are you thanking me?" he asked softly, eyes searching her face. Beautiful, open, winter sky eyes.

She shrugged, leaning into him. "For everything, really. From the moment you decided to listen to me back at St. Bartleby's. But mostly... I had stopped believing in magic. I knew it was there, but I didn't…believe. So thank you," she smiled, feeling the tears finally start to slip down her cheeks, "for showing how to believe in magic again."

For an endless moment he just stared at her, eyes wide and lips just slightly parted, still breathing heavily. Then he was crushing her against him again, lifting her off her feet. She gasped and laughed breathlessly before her lips were stolen again and she lost herself in his kisses.

"You, Viola Sommers," he whispered next to her ear, sending shivers down her spine. "You are magic."

He wasn't talking about the power twisting through her veins like ivy. She knew that. He meant her: sarcastic, klutzy, stubborn, half-way mental her. And she believed him.


Whoohoo! Last chapter!...well, kinda. I'm still doing an epilogue, which will hopefully be up in the next few days...I'm getting there, I promise!

Well, I hope you all enjoyed, because I sure as hell loved writing it! Thank you so much for your support of reviews and follows, or even just reading the darn thing, haha.

See you soon ;)