Once the sprites were all settled in the pond, it was only a few weeks before most faeries entered into their restful winter period. Sprites were the only faeries that hibernated, but woodlands retreated to their magic sources, and even pixies migrated to warmer climates or hunkered down in known safe locations.

Alexo was in low spirits once the sprites disappeared into the pond for the winter, which Ashton couldn't help but notice. Niles noticed it, too, and he sat Alexo down to ask the woodlands about his winter plans.

"Well, Lexi," Niles began as he worked on fixing the roof of a faerie house. The little red shingles had sprung a leak, leaving its pixie occupant currently houseless and bunking with a friend in the garden. "Where are you spending the winter now that the sprites are hibernating? Are you staying here?"

Alexo shook his head and sighed. "No, I'm leaving this afternoon to go up to the Fen clan," he answered.

Ashton had never heard of the Fen clan before, but Niles seemed to know what Alexo was talking about.

"All the way up there?" Niles asked in disbelief. "It's already late in the year, and the temperatures drop too much at night now. It takes four days of flying to get there. You'll freeze long before you arrive."

Ashton agreed with Niles, as woodlands weren't as suited to the cold as sprites were, but Alexo just laughed. "Nah, I'll be fine."

Niles waved a finger at him in disapproval. "Make sure you wear the coat I made you," he reminded the woodlands, and Alexo rolled his eyes.

Niles wasn't done. "Look, why don't you just stay here?" he persuaded. "There's bound to be a free faerie house in the backyard, and there are heaters all throughout the garden. You'll be warm all winter."

Ashton looked out the window at the garden. Despite the chill, gray day, the garden was free of frost, pixies still fluttering about happily. It remained a bright oasis even in this weather, which was apparently due to a combination of magic and human technology.

"Niles, you spoil those rotten little pixies way too much," Alexo chastised him. "They're not going to know how to live without you when you're gone."

"Well, by the time I'm gone, I'm hoping that it's normal for humans to have fae-friendly gardens," Niles argued.

"Oh boy," Alexo muttered under his breath. Louder, he said, "you're too idealistic. Nobody's ever going to have a garden as safe as yours. There's no other human like you, you know."

Niles smiled but said nothing, choosing instead to scratch between Alexo's wings in a hard-to-reach spot. Alexo rolled his shoulders back contentedly and turned around so Niles could reach easier.

Just like Lucy, Alexo was completely comfortable with anything Niles did to him, and that stumped Ashton. After three months with Niles, it was clear that the human was remarkably kind and gentle. But Lucy and Alexo were beyond comfortable with him— it's like they didn't even realize he was human. Didn't they know that he could do anything he wanted to them? Sure, Niles was considerate and thoughtful, but weren't they worried that he'd suddenly change on them?

It's true that living with the human wasn't as scary as it used to be. And now that the bandages and cast were gone, Niles rarely ever touched him, and only with express permission. Asking for permission was a nice gesture, though Ashton thought it was a bit useless, as he never dared to say no to Niles anyway.

***

After a while, the faerie house was fixed, and Niles headed out to the garden to set it up and to see Alexo off. Ashton stayed bundled up inside, still unable to spend much time out in the cold weather until he started putting on more weight.

Alexo settled in Niles' hand for one last hug before he flew off. His behavior towards Niles was much too affectionate for a woodlands, but he had been raised by pixies, after all. Niles never thought too much of it, but he found Ashton's and the water sprites' shocked reactions to Alexo's clinginess funny. 

"Lex," Niles said once Alexo had pulled away. "Obviously, I don't want you to go around exploring during the winter, but once the weather starts to warm up, can I ask you for a favor?

The faerie tilted his head to the side, eyes curious. Like Ashton, he had hazel eyes, though his were mixed with browns and grays instead of greens and golds. "Sure," he agreed readily. "What do you need me to do?"

Niles glanced over at the house, imagining Ashton in his little hammock by the office window. "Can you ask around about any mixed clans?" he asked. "Specifically woodlands and sprites?"

Alexo understood immediately. "Is this for Ashton?" he wanted to know.

Niles nodded. "He won't say anything about his clan," he explained. "But he has a crest. I'm sure you've seen it. It's a dragonfly on his chest, right over his heart."

"The one with leaves for wings, right?" Alexo clarified.

"Yes, Niles confirmed. "Lucy thinks they're ash leaves and that they represent the magic source for the woodlands side of his family."

Alexo shrugged. "I've never seen a clan with that crest before," he said. "Ashton must be a deep woods faerie. They live as far away from humans as possible."

Niles agreed. "I'm thinking that's why he refuses to talk about them. His clan crest is intact, so he's a member in good standing. My guess is that he doesn't want to expose them."

"Then why have me try to track them down at all?" Alexo wondered. "Isn't that going directly against what Ashton wants?"

"He needs to go home," Niles said softly. "You've seen him. It's been three months, and he still acts like this. This isn't the right place for him. Being with humans isn't the right place for him. He's trapped, flightless, and scared. I want to help him get home."

Alexo nodded slowly. "That's all well and good, Niles," he began. "But aren't you overstepping your bounds a bit? If he doesn't want to talk about home, then he doesn't want to talk about it. There must be a reason. What you're saying makes sense, but you shouldn't speculate. What if the reason he doesn't talk about his clan is because he was banished? Or his clan was killed? Or he made a mistake and is too afraid to return?"

Niles bit his lip. "That's why I want you to find them," he clarified. "So that I don't have to guess. I want to know if going home truly isn't an option for him because otherwise he's letting himself be stuck here for no reason."

Alexo sighed and raked his fingers through his dark hair. "Alright," he finally agreed. He waved his small finger at Niles reproachfully. "But I still think you're poking your nose where it doesn't belong, and you're quite rude for digging into Ashton's business behind his back."

Niles laughed. "I will accept being rude if it helps my patient in the long run," he said, and Alexo shook his head ruefully. 

"You are the most benevolently meddling human I have ever met," he complained.

Niles beamed. "Thank you," he exclaimed. "Lucy and her girlfriend Mara are also asking around. But I figured you would cover more ground than them. Especially since you know more deep woods clans than either of them."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Ashton was found up near Sharpstown," Niles added. "That might be a good place to start. I'm thinking he might live near the place where he was taken. And look for ash trees by ponds. Ashton mentioned once that his father's pond is next to his mother's tree."

Alexo got up and stretched his wings a few times before taking off. "Alright," he called back down to Niles. "I'll check it out. See you in a few months!" And then he was gone. 

_________________________________________________________________________

A/N: And just like that, Alexo's been roped into Niles' diabolical "get Ashton home" plot.

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment or ask questions. See you in the next part!