The next few days were a blur to Higgs as he came to develop a fever and was vomiting all the time. Every time he breathed or moved, it was like his body was trying to reject his own stomach. It was disgusting and smelled horrid and kind of pissed Higgs off. It was like every time something major happened, he ended up sick as a dog and had to be taken care of. Eventually he would actually get to follow through with a plan without someone feeling sorry for him in the middle of it. What a pathetic loser... he said to himself on a night he just happened to have some clarity. The next morning he was back at it again with the vomiting though, so no progress there.

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

Merida was worried about Higgs. Now more than ever she was suspicious that something was going on. He was vomiting a green substance that was at first mixed with the food and drink he had eaten but after the second day of no food, just water, his vomit was still green in color and seemed to be coming from the depths of his stomach, as if it were trying to purge his whole system. As gross as it was, she had to get some answers and so she made Boston take a vial of it to try and analyze it as best as he could. She knew he wasn't a doctor in those sorts of things, but she thought maybe. She also took a vial for herself, deciding to go to a couple of more homeopathic experts just to get a broader and diverse answer.

After day three of the vomiting, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Radek with Edgar, Merida opened the door with a flourish but frowned when she found Elizabeth standing there instead.

"Oh! I'm sorry... Is this a bad time?"

"Aye, it is. Mr. Higgs is under the weather at the moment, so he will not be taking any visitors."

"Oh my... Will he be alright?" she asked, looking past Merida as if he were right there.

"He'll be fine soon. Looks like he's got a bug in the stomach. Nothing some purging can't fix."

"Purging?"

"Aye, he's vomiting right good now for about three days straight. Possibly something he ate... or draink."

"Oh, I see. Would it be alright if I just popped in to show I came?" she asked, stepping forward.

Merida barred the doorway with her body and made a face. "I believe my laird will need a few days of recovery afore he'd be willing to see ya. Dinnae want ye to get the same thing as he. We dinnae if it's contagious."

"Right..."

"But I will definitely let him know that ye stopped by and wished to see him. As soon as he is recovered, I will have him write to ye and resume ye courtship."

"Of course."

"Ye ken my position in keeping everyone safe, ya?" Merida asked, trying to look as sincere as she could.

Elizabeth smiled. "Indeed; as Lord Higgs' most trusted companion and head maid I'm sure you know him much better than I. Yes, please, let him know that I came by to see him. By the by, did you notice the fantastic thing that happened the other day?"

"Aye, ye broke the curse of the Naga. Happy for ye."

"I can't wait to break the other aspects of the curse." She giggled a little. "Who would have known that my ex-fiance going crazy is what finally got us to this point? If things go the way they are now, he should be cured by the next year and then we could possibly be married!"

"How delightful for ye both. An it happens, it will be a most momentous occasion, but be fair warned that not all of the transformations are as the Naga. There are fearsome ones as weel." Merida smiled. "But I'm sure the love that ye have for each other will cross all bounds and ye will do as ye say. This time next year, we will hopefully have a wedding."

Elizabeth made a face. "Right... I will await a letter from Lord Higgs regarding his recovery. I apologize for coming on such short notice."

"Or no notice at all but that's alright, getting used to it now. Ye take care now."

Elizabeth left to go to her carriage as Merida watched her pull out of the drive.

"That besom woman..." she grumbled, leaving the door.

Boston came down the stairs as she looked up and he smiled.

"He's awake. His fever is gone but he's still very weak."

"Excellent. I'll bring him a cup of broth for lunch... Ye ken that would rile his stomach?"

"I think it would be fine. I was so worried that he was going to be sick all this month."

"Kenned ye didnae want him in yer wedding?"

"Well, after thinking about it, you're right and he's not normally like that. Something strange is going on..."

"Aye, ye telling me. Let me get the broth then."

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

Higgs was sitting up in the bed when he heard a knock on the door. It opened and it was Merida with a small tray with a cup.

"I heard ye were awake now..."

"Yes... Just set the cup on the nightstand and I'll get to it momentarily." Merida nodded, doing as he asked, and then she stood there for a moment. "Can I help you?"

"We need to talk about what happened."

"Why?" he asked with a sigh.

"Obviously because it caused a right muckle issue."

"I said horrid things to you and you acted accordingly. What's to go over?"

"Weel, for one, I wanted to apologize for pushing ye down the stairs. I shouldnae done that... I thought I may have lost ye that night over my own temper so... I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry that what I said made you feel you had to do that but... I'd rather you push me down the stairs a hundred times than to see that look in your eyes again. To know that I said something so horrible that you'd actually look at me that way again..."

"Mr. Higgs, ye need to learn that people will get downright hateful and want to see ye dead at times, but eventually they get over it. I told ye so many times that I willnae leave-"

"Unless I tell you to go. I get that, I truly do, but you don't understand the extent of my personal demons. I know you try and I commend you for them, but I've seen that look more than once. There are ways to leave a person without physically leaving, and as much as I understand that things get heated and emotions fly, that look of failure, giving up... abandonment... All it does is remind me of what I am inside."

Merida sighed and put her hands on Higgs'. "I'm going to tell ye this with all the love that I have for ye as a person: ye need to grow up. I ken it can be hard to push down ye traumas and go forward, but doing this type of thing will only keep ye at the level ye are now. An ye want to get stronger, then there are certain things ye have to break free of. This never-ending doubt of being left behind is keeping ye from enjoying things in life. As much as I'm not fond of her, Lady Hinkley had the right idea regarding yer curse: just go for it. An I had just gone for it, knowing how much we already had together, ye would either be free of it or near free and none of this would have happened. But that's on both accounts... That being said, I promise ye that no matter how you perceive it, I willnae leave ye. Not mentally or physically or emotionally. I will get frustrated with ye and possibly push ye down the stairs again, but I will always be here. When ye get that through yer thick skull then maybe things can get better." She stood up. "I've lectured ye enough or whatever it is I do. I feel like my mouth just pours out words at times..."

"I like your word rivers." Merida looked at him as he smiled softly. "You do have a tendency to speak long winded, but what you say does matter in the end... As much as you're right about how I deal with my traumas, there are some that I can't shake no matter what. The feeling of abandonment is something that all who have the curse share, but I have been scarred by it before and not from someone outside of my family. I think if it had been anyone else, I would be fine but... watching your own mother's eyes turn out that light of love even for a split second... It's a feeling I can't even describe. You are dear to me and close to me, knowing me better than myself at times, and that sort of commitment means that if lost, it's not just you leaving... you're taking parts of me with you that I can't get back."

Merida walked back to him and touched his face softly.

"Unfortunately, life isnae fair. When I see how ye hurt, it makes me hurt. Knowing that I'm the one who did it to ye is e'en worse but, at some point ye've got to have the strength to pick yerself back up and go on. An ye dinnae, ye will be left behind with these feelings forever. How about we start again, ya?" She held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Merida Dunbrough. I've been traveling around here all day and I haveae found anyone who needs a maid. Do ye need one?"

Higgs smiled a little and grabbed her hand. "Hello, Ms. Dunbrough. Actually, I'm in quite a need for a maid but I must warn you, I'm not a normal employer."

"Why would I want normal? That would be boring."

Higgs smiled sadly as he held her hand a little longer. "This has truly fissured our relationship."

"Aye, that may be true, but we can repair it. Time will be the one to judge here. I will wait for ye as long as it takes to cross this strange bridge we've made ourselves. Ye freeze up and run back often and sometimes even destroy the bridge itself, but one day, I will find ye on my side, the bridge destroyed behind ye, leaving ye to start afresh with me and be alright in yer heart to allow it."

He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her torso in an awkward hug.

"What about Elizabeth?"

"I ne'er said Elizabeth was invited on my side of the bridge."

He laughed. "You know what I meant."

"Mr. Higgs, ye love life is something I'm unsure of anymore. She got the Naga gone, so ye must be on the right path. Whether ye bring her along as weel in our journey is yer choice, but the relationship between ye and me will always be open. I will always be here for ye, no matter how ye need me and no matter what happens between us. An she is the one to break the curse, then I will be by yer side to encourage ye. I am here to serve ye and ye alone.... My love for ye will never die."

Higgs nodded and Merida pulled away, cupping his face in her hand.

"Ye have been quite sick these past days. Ye need ye rest so that ye can hurry to rehearse. Edgar is coming with Radek sometime today or tomorrow. We have two weddings to get through this month. Much work to do. Rest up so that ye can help us get through this."

He nodded and she left, closing the door. They weren't 100% but it was enough to still be alright. They could rebuild their relationship; they'd done it plenty of times. She just hoped the chasm hadn't widened so far the bridge no longer reached between them.

+++++++++++++++++++

and they semi-sorta made up. they aren't complete but oh well. and yes, they are quite long winded characters. at least they know that about each other... sneaky fourth wall break lol