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Description
The water is wide;
I can't cross o'er.
And neither have I
wings to fly.
Build me a boat
that can carry two;
and both shall row
my love, and I.

~~ Traditional, and here is a link to a nice rendition of it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJmOe9…

Once Alma had told Buck what happened, he had used his wind magic to dash to the cottage. To think she lay bleeding like that, all alone-! But she was fine, and the egg was fine, and that was all that mattered. Time to think of that later. Time to worry later.

He had been something of a whirlwind even without his magic. When he wasn't bringing Elma over and caring for Eudora himself, he was organizing help for her with Alma and Dr. F. He made sure someone was over most of the time, to help her to the bathroom and bring her food as she convalesced.

Eudora was young and strong though, and with the love and support of her friends and the surge of adoration for her new baby, she made a rapid recovery, just as Dr. F had promised. She knew that it was time to stop putting things off. She had to tell Buck about her feelings. It was no longer fair to either of them, she decided, pining over him like this. She'd never kept anything from him before. So she asked him to come with her to the lake, without the children, to have a talk.

Buck was already nervous. What could she have to say to him that required a trip to the lake alone? He hoped that everything was all right. Was she not actually getting better? Was she... dying? Was she about to ask him to take on the cottage and Laszlo?! Trying not to panic, he fidgeted until they reached the shoreline. The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in a warm glow.

"Is... is everything okay, Eudora?" he asked, when she didn't start talking right away.

"Yes. I just want to tell you something important, but somehow, it's harder than I thought it would be."

Inwardly, Buck quavered, but outwardly, he nodded and said, "well, just look me in the eyes and do your best to trust me."

At this her face softened into a bright smile. "Oh Buck, I do trust you. Probably more than anybody. It's..." she gazed into his eyes. "It's you, Buck. It was always you. I love you."

Buck blinked. This was certainly the last thing he was expecting. Wait, those words... "you-- you're the one who wrote me that heartkindle," he said.

"Yes." She gave a small, awkward chuckle. "I'm sorry if this comes as a surprise. I know you've always seen me as sort of a little sister. I just... didn't want to keep something like this from you. What happened with Rick made me realize that although I liked him, I was more in love with the idea of a family than I was with Rick himself. And I realized that it was you I wanted that family with. Was you I cared about the most."

Buck took a moment to collect himself. How would he say this? After everything that he and Eudora had always meant to one another, all they'd been through?

"I... Eudora, you've always been family to me. And you always will be. But..." he swallowed as her face fell. "I can't return your feelings, not in the way you want me to. I'm sorry. It's, well it's kind of ironic really. I thought for a while I felt that way too, to be honest." She looked at him quizzically so he continued, "it's just that I thought about it for a while and I realized it wasn't that I loved you in a romantic way. It's just that... I love you. You're family. You're a good person and I'm glad you're in my life. But... I don't want to change the family we have and make a different kind. I think I want romance some day, but to be honest, right now, I'm really not even ready for it with anyone yet. Does that... make sense?"

Eudora nodded, though she looked sad and wistful. "Yes. I... I hope I haven't upset you."

"No, no!" he was quick to cry out. "I mean, I guess I'm also kind of flattered that a pretty 'gro wants to be with me," he said and she gave him a mournful grin, though he could tell she was trying not to cry. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize," she said with a small wave of her hand. "You can't help the way you feel any more than I can help the way I feel. I'm glad we're still family. But it's probably going to take me a little time to grieve that we won't be able to be in quite the way I'd hoped. I'm going to need a little time, but I promise it won't be forever, and that I'm still here for you."

It was Buck's turn to smile sadly. Even when she was hurting, she was thinking of his feelings too.

"Some day," he told her, "someone is going to be just right for you. And when you meet that person, they're going to be very, very lucky. And they'd better be nice to you, because you have family who won't take it lightly if they aren't." He winked, and she laughed, more genuine this time, as she wiped an escaped tear from the corner of her eye with the heel of her palm.

The walk back was quiet, as each was lost in their own thoughts. But the silence between them was thoughtful rather than tense. At their back, the lake sparkled in the fading light of the retreating sun. A sun that would return tomorrow, and all the tomorrows after.

~~~
Poor Eudora! Big mean old writer always a-stompin' on your lil' heart. She'll be okay guys. Love has many forms!
Thanks as always to for plotting with me with our lil characters! Also I was thrilled to get to draw Buck's new design. I really like what you did with his colors! I made him as hot as possible. XD

WYNS
7/632

Description
The water is wide;
I can't cross o'er.
And neither have I
wings to fly.
Build me a boat
that can carry two;
and both shall row
my love, and I.

~~ Traditional, and here is a link to a nice rendition of it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJmOe9…

Once Alma had told Buck what happened, he had used his wind magic to dash to the cottage. To think she lay bleeding like that, all alone-! But she was fine, and the egg was fine, and that was all that mattered. Time to think of that later. Time to worry later.

He had been something of a whirlwind even without his magic. When he wasn't bringing Elma over and caring for Eudora himself, he was organizing help for her with Alma and Dr. F. He made sure someone was over most of the time, to help her to the bathroom and bring her food as she convalesced.

Eudora was young and strong though, and with the love and support of her friends and the surge of adoration for her new baby, she made a rapid recovery, just as Dr. F had promised. She knew that it was time to stop putting things off. She had to tell Buck about her feelings. It was no longer fair to either of them, she decided, pining over him like this. She'd never kept anything from him before. So she asked him to come with her to the lake, without the children, to have a talk.

Buck was already nervous. What could she have to say to him that required a trip to the lake alone? He hoped that everything was all right. Was she not actually getting better? Was she... dying? Was she about to ask him to take on the cottage and Laszlo?! Trying not to panic, he fidgeted until they reached the shoreline. The sun was beginning to set, bathing everything in a warm glow.

"Is... is everything okay, Eudora?" he asked, when she didn't start talking right away.

"Yes. I just want to tell you something important, but somehow, it's harder than I thought it would be."

Inwardly, Buck quavered, but outwardly, he nodded and said, "well, just look me in the eyes and do your best to trust me."

At this her face softened into a bright smile. "Oh Buck, I do trust you. Probably more than anybody. It's..." she gazed into his eyes. "It's you, Buck. It was always you. I love you."

Buck blinked. This was certainly the last thing he was expecting. Wait, those words... "you-- you're the one who wrote me that heartkindle," he said.

"Yes." She gave a small, awkward chuckle. "I'm sorry if this comes as a surprise. I know you've always seen me as sort of a little sister. I just... didn't want to keep something like this from you. What happened with Rick made me realize that although I liked him, I was more in love with the idea of a family than I was with Rick himself. And I realized that it was you I wanted that family with. Was you I cared about the most."

Buck took a moment to collect himself. How would he say this? After everything that he and Eudora had always meant to one another, all they'd been through?

"I... Eudora, you've always been family to me. And you always will be. But..." he swallowed as her face fell. "I can't return your feelings, not in the way you want me to. I'm sorry. It's, well it's kind of ironic really. I thought for a while I felt that way too, to be honest." She looked at him quizzically so he continued, "it's just that I thought about it for a while and I realized it wasn't that I loved you in a romantic way. It's just that... I love you. You're family. You're a good person and I'm glad you're in my life. But... I don't want to change the family we have and make a different kind. I think I want romance some day, but to be honest, right now, I'm really not even ready for it with anyone yet. Does that... make sense?"

Eudora nodded, though she looked sad and wistful. "Yes. I... I hope I haven't upset you."

"No, no!" he was quick to cry out. "I mean, I guess I'm also kind of flattered that a pretty 'gro wants to be with me," he said and she gave him a mournful grin, though he could tell she was trying not to cry. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize," she said with a small wave of her hand. "You can't help the way you feel any more than I can help the way I feel. I'm glad we're still family. But it's probably going to take me a little time to grieve that we won't be able to be in quite the way I'd hoped. I'm going to need a little time, but I promise it won't be forever, and that I'm still here for you."

It was Buck's turn to smile sadly. Even when she was hurting, she was thinking of his feelings too.

"Some day," he told her, "someone is going to be just right for you. And when you meet that person, they're going to be very, very lucky. And they'd better be nice to you, because you have family who won't take it lightly if they aren't." He winked, and she laughed, more genuine this time, as she wiped an escaped tear from the corner of her eye with the heel of her palm.

The walk back was quiet, as each was lost in their own thoughts. But the silence between them was thoughtful rather than tense. At their back, the lake sparkled in the fading light of the retreating sun. A sun that would return tomorrow, and all the tomorrows after.

~~~
Poor Eudora! Big mean old writer always a-stompin' on your lil' heart. She'll be okay guys. Love has many forms!
Thanks as always to for plotting with me with our lil characters! Also I was thrilled to get to draw Buck's new design. I really like what you did with his colors! I made him as hot as possible. XD

WYNS
7/632