Just after the morning meal, a small group gathered in the Healing Hall. 

 Lan XiChen, Healer Zhang and several senior apprentices stood around the bed of the Grandmaster. Healer Zhang had flatly refused the request of the Council of Elders to be present when the Grandmaster was released from stasis - the fewer the better for both safety and the wellbeing of his patient. Ringing the room, quiet but alert against the walls, a dozen Cultivators who had served as guards in the Cold Cavern were once more in place. A necessary precaution for an unprecedented event.

Lan QiRen lay immobile in bed. His hands and feet were free of the extra warming covers, unneeded in the Healing Hall, and he appeared peaceful. His quilts were drawn beneath his chin, as if he simply slumbered.

Healer Zhang stepped up and placed his hands above the needles that kept the Grandmaster in stasis.

"Ready?" he asked, looking to his Sect Leader.

Lan XiChen turned his eyes about the room, looking at each Cultivator in turn. With a nod, he returned his gaze to the Healer.

"Ready."

Quickly, with a practiced snap of the wrist, the needles were removed. Healer Zhang laid them upon a towel held ready by an apprentice and they were whisked away for cleansing.

Anxiously, all eyes were trained on the Grandmaster. A minute passed. Two.

Eyes began moving behind lids not opened in weeks. A finger twitched. A foot turned out. A large inhalation and a sigh and the Grandmaster opened his eyes at last. Lan XiChen moved forward, to stand beside his uncle, taking his hand in his own.

Lan QiRen lay a moment longer, looking about the faces gathered around his bed, finally meeting his nephew's gaze.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, in a voice roughened by disuse. "What is going on?"

At the sound of his cranky, familiar voice, Lan XiChen bit the inside of his cheek to keep his composure. It had been so very, very long and his uncle was finally awake once more.

"You've been unwell, Uncle," he began.

"Nonsense!" came the quick rejoinder. "I feel perfectly fine. Everyone, get about your duties. Why are you in my chamber? Begone!"

Lan XiChen nodded his head to the others in the room, dismissing them. With bright faces showing their relief, the Cultivators and apprentices left, leaving only Healer Zhang and Lan XiChen with the Grandmaster.

"Why are you here?" he demanded of the Healer.

"You've been unwell for some time," answered Healer Zhang. "This is not your chamber. You are in the Healing Hall."

Lan QiRen looked about him, his grim expression slowly giving way to confusion. "Why am I here? I don't understand..."

Lan XiChen held tightly to his uncle's hand, and a beautiful little smile was born on the face that had been stressed for weeks now. "It's alright, Uncle. You've been unwell, but you're better now. What do you remember?"

The older man closed his eyes a moment, then opened them, looking from the Healer to his nephew and back again.

"I am not certain. I think I had tea, or was it a meal? You were there, XiChen, you should remember for me."

"Do you remember why we were together?"

Lan QiRen shook his head. "No. We were speaking together. About... something. That's all I recall."

"Do you remember what we were discussing?"

Again, Lan QiRen shook his head. "I do not."

Healer Zhang looked at Lan XiChen, and shook his head gently, warning him to go slowly and not overwhelm his patient.

"We were discussing Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian," Lan XiChen continued.

"What of them?" asked Lan QiRen.

Lan XiChen and Healer Zhang exchanged looks.

"Wei WuXian has returned."

"About time!" scoffed the older man. "Wandering about, drifting from nighthunt to nighthunt. That boy needs to stay in one place and put some energy into building that Core of his! I remember the young layabout he got it from, good-for-nothing lazybones that he was. If Wei WuXian ever hopes to walk the Sword Path again, he has his work cut out for him, building that neglected little seed of a Core into something worthwhile! Enough nonsense with his rambling ways. He needs to get some discipline in him!"

Lan XiChen blinked. This was not what he had anticipated at all...what had happened to the irate leader who had ranted before succumbing to a Qi deviation? Was it truly all the influence of the Yin Iron and resentful energy? True enough he appeared to be his old, cantankerous self, but the concern behind his words...had that always been there?

"Ah..." he stumbled over his words, as he tried to think how to continue.

"What, what, what?" Lan QiRen's irritated voice took on its more normal tone. "Spit it out. What about WangJi and WuXian?"

"WangJi met with WuXian...," Lan XiChen wasn't sure how to continue. How much information could be passed before his uncle had another meltdown? Would he?

"No surprise. None at all. WangJi never could stay away from that... that... that mischief-maker-in-chief." Lan QiRen huffed when he finally found the words he sought. "Next you'll be telling me they got married."

"They did." The words sprang forth in reflex response, before Lan XiChen gave it conscious thought.

Lan QiRen's eyes opened wide, as he coughed. "Men can do that?" he asked, his voice pitched rather higher than normal.

"Umm... I... apparently so," answered Lan XiChen. "I researched it quite carefully. They can, and they did, and they now live in the Jingshi together."

Lan QiRen made a face but was quiet a minute before pulling on his nephew's hand to sit up.

"Well, this is something new, isn't it, nephew?" he said, swinging his legs to the side of the bed. His body was unaccustomed for moving for some weeks, and despite the repair work of his Core he swayed. The other two men quickly moved to support him.

"Gods in heaven," the Grandmaster squawked. "How long was I out?"

"Weeks," replied Healer Zhang. "Over two months."

"Weeks? Months? What was wrong with me?"

"Let's get you home and abed, where you can rest. A lot has happened while you were... resting, uncle."

The Healer and Lan XiChen spent the morning occupied in returning the Grandmaster to his home. They made him comfortable, and Lan XiChen was thoroughly quizzed about several items of business the Lan Clan had outstanding at the time Lan QiRen was taken ill. With much to cover, Lan XiChen was relieved that he had not yet been forced to tell his uncle that he had suffered a Yin Iron-induced Qi deviation. Several times Lan QiRen had stopped in conversation and inquired "Married?" only to nod and leave the topic when assured that yes, Lan WangJi was indeed a married man, and his spouse none other than Wei WuXian. Fortunately, it seemed to distract him from inquiring more closely about his own illness. Lan XiChen was not looking forward to that conversation.

Back in the Jingshi things were not trending in the same positive direction.

When Lan WangJi awakened that morning, he had thought that perhaps today would be the day Wei WuXian awoke. Absent the minimum time necessary for personal care, Lan WangJi kept to his vigil. He was never without tactile contact with Wei WuXian, although he was careful to remain at the head of the bed so his husband's care could be attended to without difficulty. He looked up to greet Lan SiZhui or when asked a direct question, but otherwise his focus was devoted to Wei WuXian. One hand continuously swept through Wei WuXian's hair, caressing his face, stroking his forehead or holding his hand. Lan WangJi's focus never strayed from his husband, nor did his whispered prayers cease.

Somewhere about mid-morning, however, the dressings were changed. Gently the healer apprentices drew back the robes and removed the bandages. Warm water with medicinal herbs was used to dampen soft cloths and the wounds were cleaned, before fresh white linen was applied. It was just after bandaging and before the robes were restored that Lan WangJi noticed it. A small tremor, almost a shiver, moved down one side of Wei WuXian's body.

"Healer Shui," Lan WangJi called.

Healer Shui looked up from the desk, where he was updating the care notes with this latest dressing change. "Yes, HanGuang-Jun? What may I do for you?"

"Healer Shui, please come here."

Quickly the Healer crossed the room, and Lan WangJi pointed to the softly quivering flesh. "What is this?"

A small frown sat on Healer Shui's face. Swiftly he took the pulses and looked into Wei WuXian's eyes. With a grunt, he moved to the foot of the bed and took additional pulses from each ankle. Lan WangJi's eyes never moved from where he touched Wei WuXian, and the hand not currently running through Wei WuXian's hair was fisted with tension where it rested on Wei WuXian's chest. Finally, Healer Shui looked up.

"I'm sorry, HanGuang-Jun, but this is rather unusual. Master Wei's temperature is fine and his pulses appear to be moving well. I cannot check his Qi properly, as you know, but it's circulating...it's weighted toward Yin but frankly I expected it would be. Has he ever had tremors before?"

"Never," replied Lan WangJi. "That I know of," he amended. Too much time had been spent apart for him to be certain.

"It may be part of his body's healing process. It's the first time I've cared for a body that has passed from one soul to another. Maybe some part of the transfer had an effect we are only learning about now. Or possible it's the onset of infection, although none of the usual signs are apparent. We will keep a close watch, and if you notice any more tremors, please let me know immediately." The Healer went to add this information to the care notes while the apprentices closed Wei WuXian's robes and brought the covers back over his still form.

Throughout the day Healers and disciples and servants bustled quietly in and out, handling the details of daily life for those whose current task was focused on the recovery of the man so quiet in bed. In and out they went, only noticed by Lan WangJi when they provided care to Wei WuXian. Lan SiZhui had taken over greeting new visitors and directing them where needed. He quietly tended to his Father Lan, also, providing water and tea, and preparing a small bowl he personally handed to Lan WangJi whenever meals were brought.

Lan XiChen came by briefly and shared the news of Lan QiRen's awakening and his apparently peaceful acceptance of Lan WangJi's marriage. The brothers shared a moment of joint disbelief before shaking their heads and Lan XiChen quietly stated "I'll keep you informed. I have yet to tell him it was a Qi deviation or how it was visited on him." Lan WangJi nodded, turning his face back to his husband, as Lan XiChen left.

At this moment in time any thoughts of Lan QiRen's acceptance or otherwise of his marriage seemed very unimportant.

His Wei Ying was injured and nothing else in the world mattered to him at this moment.

Lan WangJi kept his vigil.