Sea and Sky

Chapter Fifteen

The next few days consists of Harry and Louis not leaving each other's side for anything. Fern stayed with them, glued to one of their sides, staying with Louis as if she stayed with Harry, she wouldn't need to think about where she stayed the next night. Jay had practically adopted the child, having her over every chance she had.

Then everything changed.

Jay had been out on a scouting mission to see if the humans had been skulking around and had taken Lottie with her. They were flying over the trees when they spotted her, a very old black feathered harpy. She was lying on her side, breathing heavily her eyes closed, wispy grey hair wild as she heaved out breath after raspy breath.

Jay had swooped down and picked her up, abandoning the mission and flying her back to the grotto for emergency healing. Jay was pressing her fingers gently into the elderly harpies belly when Louis swooped in, having heard what happened with fern on his hip.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He asks and Jay shakes her head sadly as Louis shifts fern in his arms

"Nana?"

Both sets of eyes go to fern, wide in horror. Fern wiggles down from Louis arms and hits the floor with a slight thump accompanied by a faint clicks. She darts over to the frail body of the old harpy, climbing onto the bed and touches her face gently. "Nana?" She whispers and the old woman opens her eyes, slowly, struggling to do so.

"Fern..." She smiles "I finally found you..." She mutters and fern throws herself at her grandmother crying and hugging her tightly as a tear ran down her nana's wrinkled face.

"c-can nana talk to this nice young man alone for a minute?" She asks and fern nods, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Jay picked her up and walks out, giving Louis a pointed look.

When they were gone, the old lady coughed and Clutched Louis strong warm hand in both of hers.

"I-I've spent the last two years looking for her, I'm all she has left and I-I'm dying..." She winces closing her eyes tightly clutching Louis hand.

"Take care of her, please take care of her, make sure she's safe" the old lady pleads and Louis clutches her hand tighter nodding fiercely.

"Don't worry, me and my boyfriend are expecting, I bet she would love some brothers and sisters" Louis tells her and she smiles

"Thanks you so much, it means the world to me, now would you mind getting my granddaughter I want to spend what time I have left with her"

When fern came back in she climbed back up with her nana and curled to her side, not saying a word for a few minutes as she thinks

"Nana?" She finally asks quietly, picking her head up off her grandmothers arm, looking her in the eyes, where were identical to her own, a beautiful mix of brown and green.

"Yes fern?" She asks softly

"Are you going to die?"

Neither Louis or Jay knew what to say to that, but apparently the old harpy knew.

"Yes darling, daddy can't be with you anymore, Louis is going to take care of you now, your going to have brothers and sisters soon.." She tells her softly and fern nods

"Okay..." She says and lays her head back down a small tear that rolled down her cheek going unnoticed by everyone but Louis, who knew how hard this must be for her. "I love you nana.." She whispers and her nana smiles tightening her grip around the child
"I love you too fern" she responds