—𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 a secluded, worn down barn, the group exits the carriage and enter. Kaz helps Anya into the barn, stopping when she lets out the occasional wince. She leans into Kaz at the wagon, as Kaz places down his broken cane and the money they have left — which wasn't a lot.

"Is this all we have left?" Inej questions.

"I'm happy about the cane, it was ugly anyway." Kaz sends Anya a look. "Listen, I know it helps you walk, but it is very ugly." Anya lets out a chuckle at Kaz's face, wincing immediately after.

"Jesper, my bag." Inej says. Anya lifts up her shirt, getting a good look at the wound as Jesper gets Inej's bag. Jesper gags at the sight.

"Oh that's pretty." Anya says, poking her wound. Inej leads her to a small box, having her lean back as she stitches the wound. "I feel pampered." Kaz looks at the wound, wincing at how he wasn't there to protect her.

"It's not healing on it's own. I need to stitch it." Inej tells Anya, who nods her head.

"How long before you can travel?" Kaz asks.

"Not long. Where?"

"Ketterdam." The crows send Kaz a surprised look. "Between our dwindling funds, lack of time and conflicting interests, it's time we cut our losses." Kaz pressed a kiss to Anya's head, walking out the door.

"Oh great, he's brooding." Anya says.

"I guess the Bastard misses the Barrel." Inej starts to stitch Anya's skin back together, Jesper gags.

"You can watch a bullet tear through a man, but a needle's too much?" Anya questions.

Jesper picks up Kaz's cane. "It... Yeah, well, you see, bullets are bam, in and out. That's...That's just..." He couldn't even finish his sentence, as he gags again. Anya lets out grunts of discomfort as Inej continues stitching.

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"When I was at the Menagerie."

"Yeah, but why would you... Oh, that's dark." Anya sends her a look of sympathy.

"Which is why I can't go back."

"You won't, our favorite bastard has a plan, he always does."

"If you told Kaz that story, I think he'd murder Heleen himself." Inej finishes the stitching on Anya, letting her pull her shirt back over her body.

"I'm going to go check on Ketterdam's bastard." Anya walks out of the barn, finding her favorite person sitting on a bench, doing his favorite activity — brooding. "Are you going to continue to brood or are you going to give me a kiss." Kaz looks up at his girl, nodding his head towards him. She sits between his legs, leaning back against him. "I found some flowers. Mind placing them in my hair?"

"Sure, Grace." He takes the wildflowers from her hand, delicately separating them and placing them amongst her hair. Anya is lulled asleep by the feeling of Kaz's hands running through her hair. Kaz heard her breathing smooth out, yet he continued to play with her hair. He enjoyed it as much as she did. Kaz sat by the fire, watching their dinner cook, playing with his Saving Grace's hair.

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Anya was woken up by Inej saying, "Jesper fixed your cane."

"Smart one he is." Anya mumbles. Kaz pokes her in the head teasingly. Kaz places his cane off to the left side of Anya's body, she wraps her fingers around, feeling for where it broke.

"So, you are leaving."

"That's it? After everything, there's nothing else you want to say to me." He's a man of few words, Anya thought, but didn't dare speak it and ruin the somber mood.

"What else is there?"

"Don't be a dick." Anya says. Inej goes to walk away.

"You were right!"

"About what?"

"The Sun Summoner."

Anya bolts upright, feeling his forehead with her hand, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Fine." Kaz swats her hand away. "You were right. She's real." Inej walks closer, taking the seat next to the couple. "I played it over and over in my head. None of it's a trick. The light was hers."

"So, what? Kaz Brekker finally believes in Saints?" Anya snorts, receiving another poke.

"Would you quit it with the poking?"

"Hardly."

"But you just said that —"

"I said Alina Starkov is a Grisha with the power to manipulate light."

"Preach." Anya says. "She's a girl with a gift, not some savior of lore."

Inej sighs, "Fine. Kaz, if not Saints, what do you believe in?"

"Myself."

"Egotistical arsehole." Anya says, covering the top of her head incase he pokes her again.

"Why'd I even ask?" Inej goes to stand up.

"And Anya. And you. And Jesper. My Crows."

"Because we flock to your bidding? Like animals of vengeance you named us after?"

"No. Anya sure as hell doesn't. Crows don't just remember the faces of people who wronged them. They also remember those who were kind. They tell each other who to look after and who to look out for. No saint ever watched over me. Not like you and Grace have."

"I can't go back to the Menagerie."

"You won't." The trio sits in a comfortable silence for a while. Inej goes back into the barn to check on Jesper. Kaz and Anya just sit there, in silence, enjoying the others presence.

"I'm sorry for not being there." Kaz admits.

Anya turns around to face him. "Don't be. She threw fire at a pipe and it burst, knocking me into other pipes. You couldn't have done anything."

"I should have taken you with me."

"No way in hell Kaz."

"Why?"

"She was hellbent on killing me. She recognized the pattern of my twin knives, one which was embedded in her brother's head. I would have just led her to you and almost got you killed, again."

"Okay."

"Kaz Rietveld." Kaz snaps his head towards her with wide eyes. "Yes I remember your last name. I was there during it all don't you forget it. Nothing that has happened to you is your fault. You were there for me when I found out something that could change my life. You remember that?"

"Yeah. You stayed in my room, crying for two days. It was the first time we touched."

"Yeah well, having a healer tell you while she's fixing up your stab wound that you can't have kids will do that to you." Kaz sighs. Anya presses a kiss to his temple. The two just sit there, having all but forgotten about their food. Wrapped in each other's arms, enjoying the warmth of the fire.

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authors note: so we have some cute moments between my babies. they make my heart warm. we found out some sad news about anya. poor baby can't have babies. it breaks my heart, but i felt rhat it would help with their backstory. she brought out the real last name. i mentioned at some point that she was there through it all, but i felt like it bonded them even more. IM SAD BUT IT WORKS OUT. this is more of a filler chapter. ANYWAY i hope you enjoyed!!