"WHAT?!"

Gretchen flinched in surprise and looked over at her lady.

"Ms. Elizabeth?"

"Gretchen, fetch my riding cloak."

"Alright... is everything alright?"

"Hell no! Cancel that luncheon that I had today."

She nodded and got Elizabeth's cloak, telling someone to send word to her lunch partner that she wouldn't be there. She followed her out to the stables to grab a horse.

"Lady Hinkley?" the stablehand said in confusion.

"I need Grace."

"But you aren't dressed to ride."

"Obviously I need to get somewhere."

"But don't you usually take-" Elizabeth glared at the young man and he cleared his throat. "I'll go get her for you."

Elizabeth tapped her foot as she waited for the horse. Gretchen walked up and gave her lady her cloak. Elizabeth threw it on as the stableboy came back with Grace, her hunting horse.

"You're taking Grace? Don't you usually take Scarlet for a casual ride?"

"I need speed." She said, getting on the horse.

"You don't want your riding pants?"

"It's not like I've never ridden a horse in a dress, Gretchen."

"You just haven't done it in a long time."

"It's not different, I just have to move the dress around. I will be back later."

She kicked the horse to go and Gretchen watched her ride off. She pulled out the paper that she had swiped from the table and read over it to see what had made her lady react in such a way. She couldn't keep a smirk from forming; even she knew that her lady would lose.

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

Merida opened her eyes and sat up, instantly feeling cold, and looked down. She gasped, pulling the covers over her bare chest, and looked beside her. Sure enough, Higgs was laying on his stomach next to her. Merida ran her fingers through her hair when there was a knock at the door. She waited for Higgs to wake up but he didn't, so she found his robe and opened the door. A tray was shoved into her ribs.

"Breakfast."

"Edgar."

"Good morning."

"What's got ye so surly, child?" she said, grabbing the tray from him.

"This. I wanted you to be with Mr. Higgs but not like this." he said, motioning to her in Higgs' robes.

"Make up yer bloody mind, lad." She snapped.

Edgar sighed. "I guess what I mean is just... please make sure he isn't using you. Don't let him do that."

"Youngin, ye ken I'd know an he was, right?"

"You didn't for four years."

"He wasnae using me, he was just an idiot. I ken I've said it afore but this is different. What happened before had to do with Elizabeth. Whatever it was is gone now and things are the way they should have been months ago. There's a different feel in the air."

"He going to marry you?"

"I'm not getting ahead of myself. That's his choice to make. He's the laird, not me."

Edgar sighed, crossing his arms. "I'm happy that you're happy but I just... it's just that after all this wishy-washy mess and now suddenly it's like it never happened?"

"I ken it's scary to believe it's finally going forward after going backwards for so long, but believe me when I say that I dinnae have any doubts. This time, there are none at all."

"I trust you then."

Merida smiled and he left as she backed up, closing the door with her foot. She took it back to the bed and set it on her lap, pulling the cover off of it. Higgs opened an eye.

"Is that breakfast?"

"Aye, ye want some?"

"I want you to feed it to me." He said, opening his mouth.

"Ye have hands, ye divvy. There's enough for both of us."

"That's not fun." He said, sitting up anyway and grabbing some bread. "Was that Edgar at the door?"

"Aye."

"What's he going on about now?"

"The usual, ye and me."

"He's the most worrisome kid I've ever met."

"Can ye blame him for it?"

"I guess not. To him it probably seems like we've been teasing along. I mean, I didn't expect all of this to happen."

"I was just waiting on ye..."

"What I meant was that I wanted it for so long but I didn't have the courage to put forth effort to make it happen. Now all of a sudden, my dreams are becoming real in such a short time. If I had known that if I had waited, it would have given me all the courage I needed to be with you, I would have never jumped into trying to pursue Elizabeth... I made a mistake."

"Weel, that's all in the past now, right?"

"Yes, it is."

"Then we can pick up from here and move on. Speaking of, what happens now?"

"What do you mean 'what happens now'? Isn't it obvious? I will marry you like I have wanted to for years and we will go about our lives as husband and wife... if you want to, that is."

"That's a horrid proposal." Higgs smiled. "But of course it's what I want."

"Unfortunately though, we'll have to wait for December."

"Why?"

"I'll be human then. I don't want anything to mess things up."

"Ye realize that I'll be carrying yer bairn and willnae look my best then, right?"

"And?"

"Willnae that mess things up?"

Higgs leaned towards her. "Knowing that just makes everything more perfect."

She smiled and he leaned in, kissing her on the lips softly.

"Um, Mr. Higgs?" Edgar said outside of the room.

"What?" he growled.

"Lady Elizabeth is here. Seems real mad."

"Someone got her letter." Merida sang.

"I'll be back." He said, getting out of bed.

"Oh no ye don't. I wouldnae miss this for the world." She said, also getting out of bed.

"You are positively devilish."

She winked as Merida finished her breakfast while Higgs got dressed and then he ate while she got dressed.

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

Elizabeth was gripping her riding gloves so hard she thought she might tear them as she waited for Merida. Knowing Higgs, he'd send her to do his dirty work. Sends me a cowardly letter and makes his maid do his cowardly work for him.

"Lady Hinkley." Elizabeth turned, surprised to see Higgs. "What can I help you with?"

"Oh... it's you."

"Who did you expect it to be? You did want to talk to me, right?"

"Well, yes, but I thought that Merida was going to come first."

"I can take care of my own business at times. What can I help you with?"

"You know damn well what! After all these months and after all this time, you suddenly just change your mind?"

"Actually, it isn't sudden at all. I've always been in love with Merida, it just took being with you to realize how much of a fool I was being in trying to deny her."

"But I undid the Naga! If not for me then you wouldn't have realized anything! Obviously there was love because it wouldn't have broken otherwise! I don't understand what's going on. You even asked me to be with you that night... if that isn't love then..."

"I apologize profusely in what I have done to you, Lady Elizabeth, I really do, but I realize that I don't love you like I thought I did. Ever since I decided to pursue you, things haven't been exactly how I imagined. I realized that I was making a mistake."

"And how am I supposed to find someone else who would marry me when I'm carrying your child?!"

"You're not carrying anything. I told you that in the letter. Nothing happened between us that night."

"You're lying! We were so drunk that night; how would you know? Because Merida told you? She's been in love with you since the beginning. Do you think she'd put things in a good light or tell you the truth about that night? Especially if you couldn't remember? She'll say anything to get you to be with her and take you from me!"

"You don't really know her enough to make those accusations, Lady Hinkley." He said, crossing his arms. "And I trust Merida with my life. Literally. I know that if I were in danger for some reason, she would do everything she could to make sure that I was safe. You didn't even try to help me four years ago when your ex-fiance tried to kill me at my friend's party."

"What was I supposed to do? Patrick was going after you with a knife like a lunatic. You would wish I put myself in harm's way just to prove my love?"

"Not at all. You're missing the point. Some of the events that caused the altercation were caused by you, so wouldn't it have been noble of you to own up to that? Even afterward, you could have tried to help me in some way, but you didn't. You could have tried to do something."

"Was this just as elaborate scheme to get back at me for that?"

"I'm not that petty or that creative, Elizabeth. After our time together, I'd think you would know a little something about me. Either way, everything that has been done since we have courted has been true. I haven't lied about my feelings towards you, it's just in trying to love you, I realized that I loved Merida more. I am truly sorry that I have led you on in this way but I wanted to stop before things got too deep."

Elizabeth seemed to suddenly calm down and folded her hands on front of her.

"I don't blame you, Mr. Higgs. I can understand why you would believe someone like Merida. She's so very different from us English folks. Her charisma is something to reckoned with and her wild abandon personality is quite delightful, if you like the type."

"Are you making fun of me? How childish, Lady Hinkley." Merida said, walking to the balcony.

"Ah, the serpent reveals itself."

"Bold words, milady."

"You stole him from me with your Scottish witchcraft!" she yelled, pointing.

"I dinnae ken that's how it goes. I'm fairly certain it has to do with the fact that I'm just better than ye in everra way. Besides, an my personality is considered a form of witchcraft then I believe that I am in the wrong profession."

"You'll pay for this. Both of you. Making a fool out of me..."

"Ye made a fool of yerself, sweetheart."

"How can you say that when he led me along and made me feel like we would be together and you straight up took him from behind the scenes?!"

"The fault is mine alone, Elizabeth. I should have just listened to everyone about my feelings and I should have listened to Merida regarding how I was regarding my feelings. I was the fool and because of my own misjudgment, I ended up hurting both of you. Elizabeth, I am extremely sorry for doing this to you. This should have never happened."

"But it did happen." She furrowed her eyebrows, glaring at Higgs. "And you're going to wish it never had."

She turned and tromped out of the house angrily, slamming the door shut. Merida leaned on the banister.

"She took it much better than I expected."

"Is that what you call that?"

"I kenned she was going to brandish a knife and threaten to kill us all."

"Hmm."

"Ye alright?"

"I still feel bad. I mean... it really is all my fault. I used her to hide my issues and instead of waiting, I hurt two people."

"Aye, I ken ye feel bad but I promise ye, things will be for the better. Has nothing to do with me getting what I want, but I'm telling ye, she isnae what she seems. Best ye cut ties and not find out what she may have had in store for ye than to be stuck with her and discover it."

"If you say so."

"I promise ye that ye havenae missed out on anything. My intuition is usually spot on."

"Way to gloat." She grinned. "I believe you, but she's still in pain. I just hope she doesn't do something bold to get back us."

"An she does, we'll be ready."

"I'm going to wash up and go see my parents to tell them the news."

"Which news?"

Higgs flushed bright red. "E-either one... both... I don't know."

"Do ye want me to come with ye?"

"I think this is something I'd rather to myself. Although, if you would like your brothers to attend, I think you should send them a letter sometime in the next month." He said, ascending the stairs and stopping in front of her.

"I'll think about it. They're not exactly the most er... welcoming. And besides, it may be better to marry ye and then go see them. Then they cannae kill ye."

"Kill me?"

"They're protective."

"I'm slightly worried they won't like me."

"An we are married, they dinnae have a choice."

"Still slightly unnerved but, I think I'll be alright."

She smirked as he turned to wash up.

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

so even though we don't like elizabeth and all that rot, higgs still used her and it doesn't matter who they are: using people is abusing people. nice people don't do that lol.