When We Were Younger

Mercy

This chapter is rated M for sexual content.

Arthur stared at his hands for a long time after Patrick had left the room to go find Lilly and the kids. His hands...God, he wished he could cut them right off. What had he done? He got off the bed eventually and went to the sitting room. All he could do was drink some more and pack up Lilly's and the kid's stuff for their journey to Scotland. As he went about his chores, Arthur kept drinking. He packed up the bassinets clumsily but managed to set them aside. Occasionally he'd feel intensely angry at Lilly but then he'd calm himself down and have another drink. At this rate, he was hammered by the time evening fell and he just sat in a chair waiting for someone or something. Finally, someone did enter. It was Patrick, Dutch and Hosea. They all pulled up chairs and sat in front of him.

"...Is she okay?" Arthur asked quietly, as if he had no right to ask about her well being. "Are the kids okay?"

"They're fine, son," Dutch said. "All of them are fine."

Arthur sighed and rubbed his chest. "I take it she told you what happened?"

"Yes." Hosea leaned forward and slapped a hand on Arthur's knee. "Based on the description, we all think that wasn't you at the time."

"It wasn't. My eyes were...something similar happened to Lilly when Willow attacked her with one of them...orb things."

"Yes, and if I recall correctly, Willow attacked you with one of those things too."

Patrick cleared his throat as he looked at Arthur. "Yeah, we think it was dark magic that made ya go after Lilly."

"And what does Lilly think?"

The men looked at each other. "She's mad...but she's also worried about you, Arthur," Dutch said softly. "So we thought it best that we come see you to make sure you're okay."

"I'm not okay," Arthur said with his voice breaking. "I tried to choke my wife to death."

"That wasn't yer fault," Patrick assured in a calm tone, but Arthur could tell the Irishman was upset.

"Do you really believe that?"

"Of course. Look, Arthur, I may be mad about what happened, but if I'm bein' honest, Lilly's tough. She can handle this. So if yer worried about her not forgiving ya, then ya havena anything tah worry about because she will."

Arthur sighed and lowered his head. "I don't deserve her forgiveness, and I won't forgive myself, neither."

"She won't see it that way, will she?" Hosea said. "Look. Forgiving someone is never a matter of what is deserved, at least not with you two. It's a matter of, well...a matter of mercy. And you, son, are fortunate enough to have a very, very merciful wife."

Arthur rubbed his face and sighed. "Yes, I suppose she is merciful. So what do I do now? Will she talk to me?"

"Not just yet. She and the kids will be staying with us tonight."

Arthur nodded. He knew it was for the best. After the men left, Arthur went to sleep. Or tried to, at least. He found it difficult. He tossed and turned throughout the night, but at some point his door opened. He sat up and turned on the nightstand lamp. It was Lilly.