Once Upon a Midnight: Wanted

Chapter Eighteen

~~ Sorry for the late chapter but *gasp* Aeryn finally found Raleigh! ~~

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Everything Aeryn had been feeling up until that moment, the fear, guilt and worry came rushing to her all at once, and the tears began falling down her face before she realized she was crying. "What happened to you? I was so worried!"

"I'm glad you're okay! I was scared the Council found you or something!"

They were talking at the same time, and Aeryn could only laugh and sob in response to Raleigh's answers.

After a minute or so the two finally calmed down enough to be able to understand what the other was saying.

Raleigh moved so that she was sitting on the end of the bed, reaching out to wipe at Aeryn's cheek, a giggle leaving her mouth. "What happened to you?"

Aeryn shook her head. "No, what happened to you? I heard something crack when we landed, and when I woke up you were gone."

"I landed wrong. I was too stiff and when I hit the ground I broke my leg. You were thrown off my back and landed really far away from me. I was in too much pain to shift back, and I couldn't get over to where you landed. Eventually I passed out, and when I came to you were gone. Artemis here found me on his way out of the city and brought me back here. They let me stay here while I got strong enough to shift back." She gestured to her leg, which Aeryn had only just noticed was in a splint. "I still haven't fully recovered and I'm sure my family is worried sick, but being here has been so nice. It's so much more peaceful than living in Jyn was."

Aeryn let out a breath, running a hand through her hair. After everything she'd just been through, it was almost unreal seeing Raleigh here, in the flesh.

"Aeryn where have you been?"

She let out another breath, and then began telling her about the last few days. From meeting Casper and Claudia to setting out to find her to finding out she wasn't completely human. And even seeing Maira and Casper's betrayal that led her to here.

"Wow." Raleigh breathed when Aeryn was done talking. "That's...crazy. You're half Shifter? I wonder what type you are. There are so many. And it's hard to tell when you don't have shifter ears or a tail."

It didn't really surprise Aeryn that Raleigh was taking the news of her being only half-human well. After all, Raleigh hadn't been the least bit scared when they'd first met.

"I can't believe you went through all that just to find me." Raleigh added.

"Of course I did Raleigh, you're my best friend. And if anything happened to you because of me I would never live with myself."

"Well I'm okay. And you're okay. So no more worrying."

"Raleigh." The man Aeryn assumed was Artemis spoke up after having been silent for this long. "We should let her finish eating and rest. And you need to rest your leg as well, you shouldn't be on it this much. You can come visit her later."

"Alright." Raleigh gave Aeryn another hug before sliding off the bed and smiling. "See ya!"

Aeryn nodded, watching as Raleigh and Artemis left the room. She picked up another piece of fruit, holding it to her mouth.

This was all surreal. Finding Raleigh like this, by accident. It was almost too good to be true.

She tried not to think about the last few days as she ate the remainder of her fruit. The fact that Raleigh hadn't even been in Jyn to begin with would only further her guilt. Claudia and Kristianna would have never had to be captured like they were if Aeryn had known Raleigh was right outside Jyn this entire time.

Raleigh was safe, but the guilt felt even heavier than ever.

With the added weight of Casper's betrayal, Aeryn curled into a ball on the bed and cried for the second time that day.