Blood Begets Blood (1x1) [Currently Abandoned]

[Chive It Up]

Oliver returned the small smile that Willowmina had offered to him, and he reached over to pat her knee as he stood up. He paid for their meal and then led the pair out into the market to finish stocking up. Despite the winter season, it was uncommonly warm today, and it would seem that the citizens were out and about while they were able. The market was crowded and full of both vendors and patrons. Oliver was mildly irritated at this, it might be more difficult to maneuver around, but it meant there was more likely a vendor that had something they wanted. Perhaps.

Thankfully, they knew precisely what they wanted, and Oliver ignored any stalls that didn't have housewares. One young man was selling some beautiful crafted silver spoons and serving ware. Oliver would have loved to buy such beautiful things for their home, or for Willowmina. But right now... they had to focus on affordability. Wooden bowls and ladles and spoons was where they had to focus. It might not be the thing Willowmina deserved to eat from, but it was going to be best in the long run.

After taking a minute to admire the craftsmanship, Oliver led his betrothed on down the row of vendors. Any other time, he would have just taken what he wanted. It surprised him that he didn't do such a thing now. It would have been easy. Especially considering how crowded it was. With such a busy time, the vendor might not even have noticed it was missing. But that wasn't the sort of man he was going to be anymore. Right?

A few minutes more of searching, and the pair had found a man selling various things carved out of wood. It looked like he was asking a fair price for things too. “Just.. whichever ones you want,” he told her with a smile, moving to stand behind her and let her select what she wanted.

At first, Oliver didn't pay any attention to the shouting. It wasn't unusual activity for such a busy area. But the lone woman calling out, 'Papa!' and shoving her way through the crowd didn't stop until Oliver felt a pair of warm arms wrapped around his torso. A shuddering sob escaped the woman's lips, “I never thought I'd see you again.”

“Oh jesus, what the- Hey, get offa me,” Oliver insisted, pushing at her body, “I don't know you.” Even at this angle, he knew he didn't know her. He'd never been here, first of all, but he surely wasn't old enough to be this woman's father. In fact, she might have been a few years Oliver's senior. Even still, she had long strawberry-blonde hair that was pulled back away from her face. Her dress was made of rich fabric, embroidered with an intricate design and likely cost a small fortune. She surely didn't seem to care that it dragged around in the snowy muck.

The woman looked up at him and almost immediately released her grip taking a step back, realizing that this man was not who she thought he was. “Oh, god, I'm so sorry, I thought you were- well, from a distance, at any rate. You're much too young.”

“Well,” Oliver started, straightening his clothes a bit, “I think you're a little too old to be runnin' around like that regardless of who you thought I was.” With an irritated huff, he turned back towards Willowmina, rolling his eyes. Perhaps the woman was simple. It might explain things.

Even though she'd clearly been dismissed, the woman stood near, watching Oliver curiously. It was unnerving. Oliver had turned towards her to shout for her to leave, when she spoke again, “Are you a Forney?” she asked suddenly.

Clearly, this woman was out of her mind, “A what?” Oliver asked, irritation beginning to fuel his temper?

“Forney. It was my maiden name. My father's. I just- perhaps you're a cousin. Uncle. It was only a question,” with a polite smile, she folded her arms in front of her dress.

“No,” he spat, “And I'm not even from around here. So you can-”

Then, as if something clicked inside her brain, she looked up to him, eyes wide, “Oliver?”

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
❅
ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab People, people everywhere. Willowmina normally wouldn't mind, but we've already gone over how she wasn't feeling normal lately. All the people brushing against her, jostling her, bumping her made her ill. There were a few times she wanted to shout at someone, but she kept to herself and just grabbed onto Oliver's hand. He made her feel steady and secure even inside this storm of flesh and fabric. As long as she had him in sight she'd be alright. Gosh, she sounded so dependent, small. Why was all of this happening to her? She was losing everything she once was for this...wifely thing. Willowmina Rothemburg was never a wife type. Boy. How loved changed a person.

There were plenty of fine bowls and utensils to be found, but none of it was necessary. Besides, if her father's home was intact, her mother's sets would still be there. It came with her dowry. It would have came with Willowmina's, but dowries meant nothing to a man like Oliver, and it wasn't like she was getting married off traditionally. There was no father to ask, no courtship or planned out proposal. Oliver owned everything she had already, and she owned whatever he had. Ha. Which was nothing, really. She was funding their entire future.

As Willowmina perused the wooden wares, she chatted with the vendor about prices. Her attention wasn't even on the happenings around them. That is, until some woman latched herself onto Oliver. Willowmina's attention was torn away from the vendor, and she was alert. This strange woman was calling Oliver her father, but Willowmina wasn't worried because the woman had to be in her thirties. A lunatic, likely. Oliver seemed to be handling his own problem, anyhow, and Willowmina only smiled when he rolled his eyes.

Oh, but the woman wasn't done yet.

Now Willowmina's brow developed a furrow, and she shot this woman an aggravated look. Though, Willowmina couldn't help but be curious. It was when the woman pulled Oliver's name out of her butt that Willowmina's brow lifted, eyes wide and lips ajar. She flicked her gaze up to her beloved in question, confusion seeping through her eyes. Who was this woman? How did she know Oliver?

"Who are you...?" Willowmina finally asked, turning her attention to the woman. "How do you know my," she hesitated for a split second, "husband?" It seemed that was the game they were playing in public. She couldn't wait for it to be real.

[Chive It Up]

How the hell did this woman know his name? Was this some sort of trick? Was she distracting him while someone else came by and hurt Mina or stole his money? Quickly, his hand patted the pocket that his coin purse was in, just verifying it was still there. After all, this stranger had come over and put her arms around him. She could have taken his coin then and there. His expression was just as confused as Willowmina's, but it was Willowmina who spoke up first, questioning how this woman knew Oliver.

The woman took that as confirmation that Oliver's name was, well, Oliver. Her face lit up in excitement and it almost looked as if she might cry. “Oh- I don't, not exactly. It's-” she paused, and took a breath to calm her nerves. Once she was finished, she smiled up at the couple, “I think your husband is my brother.”

While any news like that should have been welcome or pleasant, Oliver felt tense and uneasy. This was some sort of trick, clearly. She must have heard Willowmina say his name at some point. This was just.. “I told you, I'm not from around here,” he insisted, “And I've never seen you before.” Turning his back to the woman, he looked at his betrothed, his expression clearly one of distrust and frustration, “Did you pick out what you wanted?” he asked her, ignoring this psycho.

“Please,” she insisted, reaching over to put her hand on Oliver's arm, “Just- can we go somewhere more conductive to conversation? I- I'd like to talk to you. Please.”

“Don't touch me,” he fumed, wheeling around to push the woman away, “I don't know you.” Oliver felt himself growing more and more angry and he knew that he would resort to violence before long. He couldn't quite put a finger on why this woman was making him so angry, but she surely was. Perhaps it was because he knew that he had no family, and she was trying to take advantage of his weakness. But how would she have known such a thing? She couldn't have, clearly. Unless she was telling the truth.

“You're from the Capital, right?” she tried again, still smiling, “I know you don't remember me, I haven't seen you since you were little. I'm telling you the truth. I just- I just want to talk to you. For just a little while, at least. If not for me, at least for Mother,” Looking to Willowmina, she continued her pleas, “You have to believe me, please.”

“Mina,” Oliver told her, his voice quietly, “Can you pick out what you want so we can leave, please.”

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
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ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab It was all happening so fast. Brother? Mother? How did this woman know they were from the Capital? Oliver was raised in an orphanage and in the streets; he had no family. Well, he had parents somewhere, but they got rid of him. Now this strange woman was claiming she was his sister. For one, the woman held no resemblance to Oliver whatsoever. The hair color was leagues different, the eyes, the skin, even the features were completely different. Secondly, if this woman hadn't seen Oliver since he was a wee thing, how could she pick him out as a grown man? It just didn't make sense, but this woman seemed pretty sure of herself. If this was Oliver's relation, why was she waiting until now to pay him any attention? He'd been in the Capital for years.

Willowmina stared at the woman with wide eyes as the pleading turned in her direction. While she wanted to side with Oliver, she also knew how sore having no family made him. If he had a family, he ought to meet them. It was far fetched, but it was worth looking into. And...Willowmina understood how this woman must feel. Willowmina had a brother. Willowmina had a brother she loved more than her own life, and there wasn't a day she didn't think of him and how she'd do almost anything to have him back. This strange woman was desperate to speak with her claimed brother, and Willowmina's heart felt for her. Augh! She didn't want to make Oliver upset, but she couldn't just ignore this woman!

Glancing to the vendor and the bowls, Willowmina rummaged around in her pouch and paid for two wooden bowls and simple metal spoons. She held them in one hand, slipping her other arm through Oliver's and leading him a few paces away from the stall. The woman trailed them, of course, and Willowmina shot an apologetic look to Oliver before spinning to face the redhead.

"Look, dear," Willowmina started gently, "I would love to believe you, honestly. I know what it's like to yearn for your lost brother. Unfortunately...this is all very queer. Firstly, you bear no resemblance to my husband, not even a feature. Secondly, how can recognize him if the last time you saw him was when he was too tiny to even remember you? And thirdly, he's been in the Capital for many years; you could have taken the time to find him then. Why would you suddenly take an interest now? If you were at all credible, I'd help you, but this is much too incredible. I am sorry. Please, leave us now. We're very tired," Willowmina subjoined, turning back to Oliver and leading him off towards the inn.

[Chive It Up]

Oliver was so incredibly thankful for Willowmina. Absolutely. She said exactly what was going through his mind, but with so much more clarity and politeness than he would have been able to muster. It was true. Why would this woman, who didn't look much of anything like him, try and convince him that she was someone she wasn't? Likely for a sinister reason. Something Oliver didn't want to get involved in.

But she wasn't going to give up. She followed them, shoving her way through the crowd as Oliver and Willowmina headed back towards the direction of the Inn. “Oliver, please,” she begged, “You look just like Papa, that's- that's how I knew.” Oliver didn't stop, even as she continued rambling on. He held on to Willowmina's arm as they walked through the crowd. “He went to the Capital on business, and he took you- we were supposed to both go, but- but Mother was pregnant and he made me stay at home with her. Papa wrote, he said there was a fire at the Inn, that he thought you got out but- he looked for you. Papa stayed for months looking for you.”

Finally, she caught up to them, and she grabbed hold of Oliver's shirt tightly, “Please, just- My name is Molly Hopkins. My mother's name is Annie and my Papa's name was Thomas. You've got a little brother named Andrew. And I- just, please. Just come see my mother. You have no idea how happy she would be to see you.. we buried an empty coffin years ago.. we thought you were dead. Just a few minutes. That's all I ask.”

What was Oliver supposed to do? He didn't want anything to do with this woman. Truly. It was sounding more and more believable. Why would she stage such an elaborate hoax? To what purpose? Was she just eager to find a brother she'd been so certain that she'd lost? Was it possible that it was true? Even if it was, Oliver wasn't certain he wanted anything to do with this family. He'd lived by himself for all of these years. He hadn't had a family. He'd been so certain that they'd been worthless scum, and he'd cursed them for abandoning him.

“We're tired,” Oliver said, finally, looking to the woman, “We've been traveling a lot. Let us get back to our Inn and get some rest. Please.”

“You can stay with me,” she tried, “My husband won't mind. We've got extra rooms and-”

“We have a room."

"At least think about it?” she tried.

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
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ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab This woman was persistent! Willowmina bit back a grimace and was prepared to just ignore the pesky female all the way to the inn. You'd think the woman would take the hint that she wasn't wanted, but apparently this was too important to her to give up. And...the story did sound like a possibility. Willowmina wished she could remember a fire, but if Oliver was three or four at the time, then Willowmina was only an infant. Though...she did recall something William had told her when they were still young. He'd been out with father when they happened upon a building being eaten by flames. He had to have been five or six. It had frightened him something terrible, he'd told her. Something so scary would certainly ingrain itself in a child's mind, even if there were only flames and the hint of smoke.

Willowmina yanked the woman off of Oliver's shirt and poked her firmly in the chest just above her breasts.

"I believe he told you not to touch him," she hissed. "Shut your face for a second, damn you, and go stand somewhere else!"

Willowmina grabbed Oliver's shirt sleeve and tugged him over to a private spot in the mouth of a nearby alley. She made sure they were turned away from the woman before she licked her lips and began lowly,

"William told me of a fire he vaguely remembered as a boy. I know you don't want to think of any of this being possible...but it might be. Ollie, you might have a family," Willowmina told him with an optimistic smile. "Maybe...we should look into it. Just to be certain. And if it turns out to be a mistake, at least we'll have gotten shelter for free."

[Chive It Up]

It was at least apparent that Molly was startled by Willowmina's gruff attitude, and she took a few steps backward when she was instructed to. And she didn't move when Oliver was pulled off to speak with his wife in private. Though she kept her eye on them, hoping that, at the very least, they would give her a chance.

Oliver looked down at his betrothed, his eyebrows knitted together in uncertainty. Was it possible, then, that all of this was true? If there had been a fire that happened around that time, it was a possibility that Oliver wasn't that same boy. There surely had to be other boys with the same name as him. It just-

“If you think I should,” he answered after a moment, “-We should,” he corrected. “You're right, the worst that could happen is that it's a mistake.” Leaning forward, he kissed her lips briefly and gave her a smile, “Thank you.” He didn't mention the best case scenario, that it was true. Because truthfully, he couldn't even imagine the possibility, even if it seemed more and more real.

Taking hold of Willowmina's hand, he turned around, “Molly, we'll need somewhere to store our horses and wagon.”

“We have a stable on our property,” she answered, breathless with excitement.

- - - -

Oliver had insisted that he and Willowmina needed to gather their things together, but that they would meet Molly at her property. After some thorough directions, and sincere assurances that they would be there, Molly left to prepare for their arrival. Thankfully, that left Oliver and Willowmina alone at the Inn. He was quiet for the short walk there and up to their room, but as soon as the door was closed behind them, he changed his tune.

“I don't know about all of this, Mina,” he told her suddenly, “I'm not exactly the most upstanding person. I don't tell them the truth, right? I don't tell them about my life, do I? What I had to do- what I've done.” It was sort of obvious by looking at him that he wasn't a tailor or baker, but did he really want to share the fact that he had to kill just to scrape by? No. Especially not if they really were his family. “No one wants to know that, do they?”

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
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ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab Willowmina was anxious, and she wasn't sure if it was in the good way or bad way. What if Oliver's family did exist here? What if they did want him? Would he want to stay? Would he have people he wanted to be with? That would be a good thing...but it would also get in the way. They had to get back to the Capital. Willowmina's whole life was lived there, and her family properties were stationed there. If Oliver's life happened to be rooted here...what would be more important to him? Sure, they could continue on to the Capital, finish business there, and then come back to settle down here, but Willowmina didn't like this town. Not as a forever home. It was out in the middle of nowhere, and there wasn't a river, stream, brook, or creek to be had. But if Oliver wanted to be with his family...she wouldn't protest. She'd shut up and deal.

Back in the room, Willowmina smiled softly at Oliver. He was nervous. If these people turned out to be his family, they would want to know of his life. How could he tell them all he's done? He wasn't a model citizen. It was shameful to tell your mother you stole and murdered for a living. Would she understand? Who could tell?

"You don't have to tell them anything you aren't comfortable with," she assured him. "Just tell them you've been a mercenary. Fighting wars is nothing to be ashamed of. That's all they need to know. You're a mercenary who's been on a bit of a trip with your wife. Simple."

Willowmina began to gather up their things. They'd have to get a refund of their money for this room. Hopefully, the innkeeper would oblige.

[Chive It Up]

Oliver stared off at the floor, lost in his own thoughts for a moment. Of course, Willowmina was right, they didn't have to know anything he wasn't comfortable with sharing. Besides, would they feel guilty that they'd left him to that sort of thing? Even if his abandonment hadn't been willing, he still felt a bit bitter that he'd been abandoned.. abandoned while he had a family here.. that was living a decent life. Molly was dressed nicely, she surely had money. Maybe it was her husband's money, but.. still.

“Yeah,” he began, nodding his head, “Yeah, you're right. I just- it doesn't matter. I can't change what happened anyway.” Moving towards her side, he helped her stuff the last remaining belongings into their sack and took it from her with a smile. He could carry it for her, there was no sense in her doing all of the work.

Of course, this situation brought two major problems for Oliver. Outside of the obvious problem of how the hell did he talk to and deal with and respond to a family he never knew he had.. he had a problem of what the hell he was supposed to do about it? Was he supposed to stay here with them? Did he move back here? It was a constant running through his mind. Though, he kept reminding himself that he didn't even know if it was true yet.. and he hadn't discussed it with Willowmina. She'd know what to do. She always did.

He wasn't ready for this.

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
❅
ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab While Oliver wasn't ready for this, Willowmina was taking it all in stride. It was a good thing that he might have found his family. If he decided he wanted to stay, Willowmina could finish the trip herself. She wasn't afraid, and she'd probably get things done faster without him. Besides, everything in the Capital was her own personal business. She really didn't need Oliver with her. All she'd be doing was finding buyers for her properties, selling off junk she no longer needed, and collecting everything she needed to take with her. At most, she'd be there for a month. She could survive without him for that long. And she trusted him by himself. If it came down to that, she'd be alright. She'd just...suck it up and live here. For Oliver. Family was important, and she knew that well.

With their things in tow, the pair was able to weasel their money back out of the innkeeper, hook up the horses to the wagon, and head on their way to Molly's home. She lived about five minutes outside of the main town, a few evergreen trees dotting the landscape around the house. It was a nice house. A fine house, really. And the stable was rather lovely too. They even kept a stable hand, a young boy. Could be a son...or just an orphan. Either way, he was polite and took care of things.

Willowmina held Oliver's hand just to keep him close to her, to hopefully give him some of her peace. She wanted him to be at ease, though she knew he was likely quivering inside. This was a nerve-wracking thing, to be sure.

"I'll be right here, my love," she whispered to him, rubbing his forearm.

[Chive It Up]

Their home was.. nice. Certainly nicer than anything Oliver ever imagined for himself. Some little two or three room cottage with a fireplace and a warm bed with a small plot for chickens.. that's all he saw for himself. Naturally they'd have an overlarge tub and a creek behind the house. But the house itself wasn't much. It was what was inside that Oliver wanted. But this, this was something else entirely. Oliver wondered how much of it had been his parents and how much had belonged to Molly's husband. It didn't matter, he supposed, because none of it was his.

Before the even reached the door, Molly was coming out of the door, having already changed into another equally impressive gown, and moved to Oliver's side, quickly embracing him in a tight hug. “I worried you might not show,” she admitted before releasing him and moving to Willowmina. She hesitated for an instant, before she put her arms around her as well, however briefly she did. It was clear Willowmina had spooked Molly. “Come inside, please it's.. it's so frigid out there.”

Inside was warm and homey, and smelled of baking bread and spices, it was modestly furnished though clear they'd never want for much. Molly quickly shut the door behind the pair. “Dinner should be ready before long, if you're hungry. Let me show you to your room, let you unload and- and then I'll introduce you. My husband isn't back yet, he went to go fetch Andrew, but Mother is here. She's- well, I'll let you get settled first.” She was clearly excited and chattered on and on. Mostly about the different people in their family, and what everyone's name was. Oliver knew he would never be able to remember. Molly had two daughters who were both still young, and Andrew was married with a son and another on the way. It was a lot to take in. Not only had he instantly inherited a family, he apparently gained a fairly large and still growing family.

Finally, they reached a room which Molly opened for them. It was clearly furnished for a young girl or two, but the bed was plenty large enough for both Oliver and Willowmina to sleep comfortably. Not too comfortably, but comfortably enough. “I'm sorry,” Molly chimed in, “It's- well, I haven't told Mother yet. I'll move her in here and you can take her room, the bed's much bigger there. I just wasn't sure how to tell her. I thought maybe you would want to?”

Oliver looked around at the room, certainly feeling out of place. “That's, yes, I'll- thank you.” Molly beamed and nodded her head, before moving to close the door. She paused, as if she was going to say something, but then shook her head and insisted she let them get settled first.

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
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ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab The hug was awkward, but Willowmina managed to return it. Hugging strange women, or strange people in general, just wasn't her forte. she brushed it off, however, and followed the older woman into the richly furnished home. My. How well off Oliver's potential family was. Willowmina would never have the surprise and luxury to find some family fortune in her bloodline. She had what she had and that was all. There was nothing for her to discover in her life, and she wished she could find something life changing. Wouldn't it be something if William wasn't really dead? Dug his way out of his grave and got him some help? After all, Victor's sword didn't go all the way through William's chest. It could have missed everything vital. Haha! Impossible. That was just wishful thinking.

Oliver had a large family! Many young ones and healthy adults. It wasn't just a mother and two siblings, but nieces and nephews too. How nice that would be. He could try his hand at being more fatherly. They'd all call him Uncle Ollie. Willowmina had to cough back a laugh at that thought, whispering an excuse and coughing into her elbow just for good measure. This was all very sudden, weird, and wonderful, though. If these people were Oliver's family, Willowmina would be so very happy for him. He'd have more than she ever would. William was dead, so she'd have no nieces or nephews. Her mother and father were dead...it was just her. Funny. She'd had a family, and Oliver didn't. Now she had none at all...and he was gaining more than she'd ever known.

Willowmina thanked Molly before the woman left, offering a faint smile. Molly. Molly and Ollie. How sickeningly befitting two siblings. But Willowmina couldn't really talk. Her name was just a female version of William. They could both be called "Will" or "Willie." Gosh. All of this was making her miss him so much more than usual. If only she could feel him again. His warmth and his love. She'd never needed anyone when she'd had him. He'd been her everything. Some people even said they might be incestuous, which was ridiculous, but they were indeed very close. Willowmina and William harbored nothing sinful for one another, only sibling love. William killed a man over that once, actually. Willowmina had helped. It was sickening.

The room was...very girlish. Willowmina smiled to herself at the upbeat theme so soft and sweet. She sat down on the edge of the bed and crossed her arms, eyes staring at her boots.

"I was thinking I'd like to go to the Capital alone," she said. "If these people are your relations...you ought to stay with them. I only have business in the Capital, just...properties to sell and whatnot. I'd only be gone two or three months, at most. A month or so in the Capital and then travel time. I know you hate traveling, Oliver, and I think I'd...get done faster by myself. Why lug you along, right?" she added with a half hearted chuckle.

[Chive It Up]

Oliver was a little lost and confused, and he sat the bag he was carrying down towards the end of the bed. And then Willowmina did absolutely nothing to help the situation. She just created another entire level of doubt and uncertainty. She wanted to leave? Not just leave the town, but leave him. Sure, she was saying she'd come back, but he knew that was a lie. After all, just a few weeks ago when he'd suggested sending her to the Capital alone, she'd insisted that it would mean the end of their relationship together. And that was before he'd proposed they get married. Was this her way of getting cold feet?

“Why lug me around? Right,” he stated, bitterly and sarcastically, before moving over towards her, crouching down to make eye contact, “What are you ******** crazy? We've had this conversation before and you- you told me that it meant we wouldn't see one another again. Three- three months? You think I'm going to let you travel alone to the Capital-” Oliver lowered his voice, just in case someone overheard, “Where Victor wants you dead. And then.. just wait for three ******** months for you to come back? Damnit, Mina, I can't stand it when you step out of a room for water, and you want to-”

He shook his head and stood, “I can't do this right now. I'm not going to talk about this right now. I have enough- there's enough that I-” Oliver stopped and took a deep breath, crossing his arms and staring at the wall.

This was a mistake. Coming here to this house was a mistake. He'd had a bad feeling from the beginning and perhaps it wasn't about the people who claimed to be his family, maybe it was because of Willowmina. Things were changing and he didn't quite like it.

“Why do you really want to go?”

[Oh For The Love of Cod]

ωιℓℓσωмιηα яσтнεмвυяg
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ＷＩＮＴＥＲ ＷＯＬＶＥＳ ＮＥＶＥＲ ＤＩＥ

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tab She should have known better than to say anything right now. Oliver was already on edge about this whole family deal. He probably would have taken the news better if he were settled down. Or maybe not. He was thinking the same thing she'd been when he suggested it: that she didn't want him anymore. He figured they'd never see one another again if she left. And three months, dear lord, that was an eternity to him. But Willowmina would always want him, and she would be coming back as soon as possible. The situation wasn't the same as it was the first time the suggestion was made. It was all different now.

Why did she really want to go? So he didn't believe her?

Standing from the bed, Willowmina walked over to the far window and looked out at the snowy fields behind the house. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, and she was doing her best to control her temper. It was something she had to work on.

"Oliver, I'm going because I need to. I have things to do there, things you don't need to be around for. That's all. You've got a family now, and you need to establish bonds with them. While you're doing that, I can be tying up loose ends in the Capital. I won't be found out by Victor. I'll be extra careful. And," her voice was stern, and she turned to look at him now, "I'm coming back. This is different than what it was before. Before, you suggested I go and stay. You would come later. You wouldn't find me. This time, I'm coming back. I'm going and I'm coming right back. I know how to get here from there, and I know where you'll be. Here. I just want to get this over with. You're not interested in selling my properties or raiding them. You told me yourself you were only going because I asked you to. There's nothing for you there. But there's something for you here...and you need to stay. You'll probably want to live here now. So why go all the way to the Capital and then come all the way back when you can just stay here? I have to go. With or without you. And it would be much easier to go it alone."

[Chive It Up]

Oliver shook his head from the very beginning of her statement to the very end. That wasn't going to be the way it happened, no matter what she seemed to think. She wasn't leaving, not alone, not without him. He wasn't going to be separated from her for any controllable amount of time. What if she didn't make it safely? What if she never came back? He would spend the rest of his life wondering why. Worrying. Three months of worrying alone was enough of a reason to tell her no.

“No,” he said firmly, shaking his head one last time, “The answer is no. You're not leaving by yourself. I'll go with you. I'll leave right ******** now if that's what you. I just-” Oliver gritted his teeth and took a deep breath. He reminded himself to calm down, because now was now a good time to lose his head. “Just give me a day. Okay? You can't spring this on me right now. I just ******** got here. Just one day. And then we'll leave. And if we never come back, that's fine with me. I don't know these people.”

“Just- you can't leave without me. All right?” Oliver moved over to pull her to his chest, resting his cheek against the top of her head. “I can't do it.”