"You're lucky I misjudged you for a deer. I could have shot you somewhere vital."

"Wouldn't have mattered. Only silver bullets cause a problem. Regular bullets are just a nuisance- OW!"

Elizabeth dropped the bullet into a small bowl and set her tweezers down.

"Either way, I'm not a sorry shot so..."

"I believe you."

"Good thing I remembered you being an odd color from the last time." Gretchen said.

"You've seen his werewolf form before?"

"Once. That's um... when I left and ended up working for you, ma'am."

"Oh. Hand me that sling." Gretchen handed her to the cloth she was pointing to as she moved Higgs' arm around. "Well, I hope there's no hard feelings. I honestly didn't know that was you."

"Of course you didn't and no, no hard feelings. I'm not sure why I ended up so far away from my usual stomping grounds, so technically I was trespassing on your property."

"I guess I'll let it slide." She said with a wink. "We'll call it even."

"Deal. You're very good at patching up bullet wounds." He said, looking at the bandaging.

"Where I live is actually the hunting cabin for my family. Every winter/early spring, my family hosts a hunt on the grounds. Everyone brings their hounds and we hunt whatever the hounds happen to catch wind of. That being said, I may be a good shot, but drunken old men and inexperienced boys are usually not. I spend most of the time after the hunt dealing with wounded calves, hands, and feet."

"I see... I would have never imagined you as a hunter."

"She's the best of her family. She's won many prizes as well as a few trophies in tournaments." Gretchen said proudly.

"Gretchen, you sing my praises too well."

"She's such a natural while she's out there. I've only ridden with her once in a true hunt and she reminds me of how the Celts used to be. Such precision."

"It's a lasting hobby for me. It's something I love to do."

"What do you hunt?" Higgs asked, trying to stay comfortable sitting on a stump naked.

"Deer mostly, but it's usually whatever I feel and whatever is around. For a quick shot I will go after pheasants and crows."

"Crows?"

"Damnedable things. They eat the bait as well as hover over your kill. They're about as bad as trying to farm... Silly question, but I don't presume you hunt, do you?"

"Not like you do and not often. I'm not fond of it. It makes me feel more of an animal than I already feel."

"I thought not. Merida had mentioned something about I when she came over a long time ago. The waiting area is also our um... spoils area. Lots of stuffed kills and such."

"Well, to each their own."

"I don't think I shot you anywhere else so you should be good to go. Would you like for me to send you back in a carriage?"

"No, I can walk."

Elizabeth blinked. "All the way back in nothing but your skin? That's way too far to walk and far too long for exposure."

"I'm a werewolf so the journey isn't much."

"But you're naked."

Higgs fidgeted. "Yes, well... nothing new."

"I couldn't let you go back like that in good faith. Gretchen, go and get a horse from the stables along with a blanket to wrap around."

"Really, it's no trouble."

"Exactly. Gretchen can ride the horse back when she's done and it's the least I can do for shooting you."

"Sure." He said, pretty much ruled over.

"Great. Just stay here and Gretchen will be right back."

They gathered all of their stuff and went back to get a horse as Higgs awkwardly sat on the stump, trying not to get splinters in his bum.

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

"It really isn't that big of a deal. This happens all the time and I have had to walk further in worse shape."

"It's fine, really." Gretchen said, walking with the horse. "Does it still hurt?"

"It stings but it'll heal on it's own by the end of the day. Possibly even by lunch."

"I see. Well, if you don't necessarily want the horse, would you mind the company?"

"If you want to..." Gretchen nodded as they walk on for a little bit. "I wasn't aware that Elizabeth-"

"Don't come back here."

"What?" he said, confused at the sudden demand.

"I said, whatever you do, don't come back around here."

"I hadn't planned on it... Why?"

"She may have been civil with you, but Elizabeth is anything but over what happened. And she's right, you were a lucky shot on both accounts, but if you come back again, I wouldn't expect the same treatment."

Higgs rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't end things very well, did I?"

"Honestly, I think if you hadn't told her about the mermaid thing, she would have taken things a lot easier. But you promised a lot with what you told her. You basically promised her a family in one fell swoop: husband, title, home, and male heir. That's a pretty big thing."

"I see. As usual, I wasn't seeing the whole picture. I was only seeing the steps towards it. I really am sorry that things happened the way that they did. I'm mostly to blame for this. I didn't give myself time to settle with myself before I went and tried to be with someone else."

"That's all well and good but Lady Elizabeth isn't like normal women when it comes to certain things. I'm not advising you not to come back because of heartache, but because of safety."

"Safety."

"I believe the saying goes 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'?"

"Oh."

"And don't take it lightly. Lady Elizabeth isn't just a hunter, she's the best hunter in the Hinkley family. She's better than all the males of her family tenfold. Those trophy stuffings she's speaking of? Most of those were done in by her and her alone. It's something she loves and is extremely good at in all avenues, not just rifles."

"Well, this intrusion was honestly a fluke. I hardly ever come down this way, so it shouldn't happen again... Gretchen?"

"Yes, milord?"

"Why do I feel fear coming from you?"

"I think you're mistaken. What do I have to fear?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"I'm not playing this game with you." She said with a smile.

Higgs smiled back and as they spoke along the way, the fear he thought was coming from her disappeared.

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

Higgs walked in the door and instead of Merida waiting for him, it was Edgar.

"Edgar."

"Where have you been? What happened to your shoulder?"

"I got shot." He said dismissively.

"WHAT?!"

"Calm down, Edgar. It'll heal. And why are you acting like your mother in the worry/angry role?" he said, shuffling past him.

"Ma's sick and she couldn't find you."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, just sick... Who shot you?"

"No one."

Edgar didn't have a chance to say anything else as Higgs went up the stairs to his room. The wash basin was there with tepid water in it where Merida (or Edgar?) had made a bath for him. Except for the Dullahan, roaming months (as Merida called the transformations that took over Higgs' whole body) usually ended up with Higgs going into the forest and getting dirty. So Merida would always set up a bath and rewarm it with hot water every hour or so until sunrise so that when he got home, he would have something to wash off in.

The door opened and Edgar walked in with two kettles.

"You ran off so fast before I could tell you to wait so I could make the water warmer."

"It's fine, Edgar. Did Merida tell you to do this?"

"Well, she set it up and then started getting nauseous, so I did the rest. It isn't like I haven't helped her before."

"Thank you. Is she in bed?"

"Yes. I made her some mint tea for her stomach so she might be sleeping."

"I'll go see her after I'm clean. I'll pour those in and you go do whatever it is you were doing."

"I'm cleaning the house since Merida can't."

"Edgar." Higgs put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Calm down. You're going to drive yourself crazy if you don't sit back for a moment. I never realized how nervous you are."

"I'm not nervous all the time."

"You have been as of late-"

"Well what do you expect, Mr. Higgs!" he yelled. "I'm young, not stupid. I know what you being with Merida will do and I'm afraid of what's to happen."

"Isn't what you've been wanting?"

"You haven't exactly been the model of consistency." He snapped angrily. "Every time it looks like things are going fine, you have this weird obsession with fucking it up!"

"Yes, I see your point." He said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably.

"Ma's been through so much and now it's got her life on the line. She's sick because she's pregnant." Higgs blinked. "Don't act like I'm an idiot. You had sex with her during that weird time so it's inevitable. I'm nervous because I'm afraid you're just going to leave her like you have when things seem to be going smoothly. This isn't like it was before though; she's carrying your child. If you get a weird wild hair and decide to go pursue someone else all of a sudden, I mean... What are we supposed to do? She's not going to stay and it's not fair if you made her and... and she's risking so much just for you and you keep messing it up every time!"

Higgs pulled Edgar to him in a hug as the boy practically hyperventilated against his chest, still holding the kettles.

"I'm sorry, Edgar. I can see how from your point of view I've been the most horrible person. I wish I knew why I acted the way I have been and to be honest, I am slightly confused myself." He pulled away to look at him. "A short time after I was with Elizabeth, I honestly knew that I had made a mistake and she wasn't really the one for me, but when she kissed me and the Naga disappeared... well... the curse doesn't lie. I thought it was just me with my old habits. But then Merida kissed me and it just started confusing me all over again. I know it sounds like a load of codswallop, but I've been in a constant state of tug-of-war since the kitsune. The ferocity of the mermaid's trigger emboldened me to stop letting my insecurities keep me bound. I love Merida, I want Merida, and when I marry her when I'm human later on this year, I will adopt you as my son and you will legally be considered our firstborn.

"I know I really haven't proven myself to be anything more than a coward all these years but I'm over that. I wasted too much time being led by my traumas. This time will be different, Edgar. I promise from the bottom of my heart."

Edgar tried not to let the words get to him as Higgs grabbed one kettle, pouring it into the wash.

"I'll just have to be the judge of that." He said, wiping his eyes.

Higgs smiled at him. "Of course. Your approval matters. Once I'm washed up, I'll check on Merida and then come and help you with the house. It's not like I haven't cleaned it before."

"Don't worry about it today. You've been up all night and you got shot. You'll be pretty useless with one arm." He said with a smirk as Higgs frowned, holding his hand out for the other kettle.

"I can do a lot with just one arm."

"I'm sure you can but I promise it's fine." He started to leave but stopped at the door. "I'm holding you do what you said. If you break my mother's heart again..."

"You have permission to do whatever you like to me if I fail."

Edgar smiled and left as Higgs warmed the bath, taking off the sling and getting into the tub.