December 31st, 1892 - Dory's place, Bartonburg
Dorian Fisk

Winnie felt like she sat in a tentative limbo in which she did not know exactly what was going to happen next. Whatever it was she and Dory had decided to do better on, was fragile at best and she felt like the bottom was going to drop out at any moment. There were some things that still went unspoken between them; the other woman he had been involved with, the ring itself and what was it they were doing exactly?

Her part of the agreement was to speak up more about how she was feeling, but she still hadn't figured out how best to do that when her most apparent feelings were terror and panic at the thought of getting married. The worst part was that it had nothing to strictly do with Dory either. Win had always figured she would end up a tried and true spinster and was content with that. Marriage had never been on her to do list, especially not to someone like Dory. He himself was wonderful, but he came with a huge extended family and responsibilities and expectations, and that was a bit too much for her. She didn't know how to deal with all of that and she definitely did not know how to express that to him.

Still, they had spent some time together, which was difficult, given the holidays. He celebrated Hanukkah and she and her family celebrated Christmas, so between the different gatherings and other family traditions, it hadn't been that much time, which gave her time to try and sort her feelings. However as New Year's had rolled around they decided to spend the night together at his house and she still didn't have anything figured out. Stepping out of his floo in little more than her slippers, negligée and housecoat, she had only the champagne and some chocolates in her hands. Her hair was loose and the soft brown waves fell down over her shoulders. "Well hello there," She greeted with an easy smile as she found him waiting.

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After the momentary chaos and brief hospitalization that was his so-called Christmas celebration (he was still regretting attending any Christmas event at all) Dory was eager to have a quiet night at home. He had no desire to tempt fate with another angst filled run in; Merlin forbid he crash into some fireworks and require a mediwitch's assistance again. No, his shoulder, ribs and leg were still growing accustomed to the freshly grown skin. Dory could do without a rowdy festive evening.

Which worked out perfectly considering Winnie's suggestion of a quiet night in. They were decidedly trying to do better, but better admist all the holidays still saw them spending more time apart than together. Dory was afraid of overwhelming her with too much too soon as the ring had most certainly frightened her, so he couldn't comment much on the subject either. Slow and steady, that was how they had to play this game.

The fire turned green to signal her arrival, causing Dory to snap his book shut and discard it on the side table. "Evening, love. Don't you look beautiful tonight," he greeted with an easy smile.

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Win looked him up and down critically, something was off, but she wasn't sure she wanted to say anything. "Thanks, I put on my nice pajamas just for you." She teased as she set the champagne and sweets down on the table. She gave a little twirl and a curtsy, just for good measure. Normally she did just sleep in an old chemise or something, but she did have a presentable nightgown or two for nights like this. One had been ruined last year and she'd thrown it out, even though she could have gotten the blood out of it. This one was a nice pale purple with some kind of frills at the neckline, but she wasn't really paying attention to it.

Gently she lowered herself onto the arm of his chair and peered at his book. "Anything good?" Win wished she had more time to read, but often couldn't string more than twenty minutes together to do something for herself that wasn't sleeping. If she had more than twenty minutes, it was time for a nap. She just hoped she didn't get called out tonight, but none of her current clients were due this week, so as long as nobody arrived early, she would be good. "You look tired, are you alright?" She asked as she ran a hand through his hair.

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Any other night would have saw Dory standing to embrace her and begin their festivities immediately. Her twirl would have had him reaching for her instantly, anything to belay his need for her. However, tonight he was feeling too introspective to switch into such a playful mood so quickly. He'd get there eventually (it was impossible not to with Winnie) but he needed some time yet. Instead, Dory gave her an appreciative look up and down along with a chuckle.

"It's nothing good - just a random one I picked up this week to pass the time." He commented, finally reaching for her to pull her into his lap. Whizzard's was packed with the Christmas rush so Dory hadn't spent much time browsing. He'd simply chosen the first title that appeared interesting and quickly made his escape. "You're welcome to it if you'd like. Maybe you'll like it more."

While Dory hadn't intentionally avoided telling Winnie about his hospitalization, her question had him regretting not mentioning it sooner. He'd thought to a few times in their brief letter exchanges, but the timing never seemed appropriate. How was he to explain the situation without mentioning Maple? (More importantly, why was he afraid to mention Maple? It wasn't as though anything had happened there since before Halloween!) Still, he should have told her, if for no reason other than making her aware of his still baby pink skin.

"It's been a long week," he eventually settled upon. "I had a brief stint in St. Mungo's on Christmas, tried to make myself into a chestnut."

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Allowing herself to be pulled into his lap, Winnie readjusted easily, tucking her head onto his shoulder as she curled up. "Maybe when you've finished." Dory, even if he wasn't that into it, would finish it long before she had a chance to. She sighed, content. This was good, this was a nice way to test the waters. A quiet night in, as if she was home too. Winnie would be lying if she didn't like the thought of coming home to Dory and going to bed beside him each night, but the rest of it, running a household, ministry events as his wife, his very large, very outspoken family, well it made her nervous. She loved her family, obviously, but they were not a huge part of her life, she saw them now and again, when Kit needed fixing up, or when Emelia needed help with the kids (who were no longer kids), but outside of holidays she was an independent woman with her own schedule. She also relished her alone time, needed it to recharge, though that wasn't as often as it had been.

Comfortable now, she ran her fingers through his hair idly, enjoying the moment. That was until he admitted to being in the hospital and she sat bolt upright again. Why hadn't he said something? Was it that bad? Curiously, she raised an eyebrow, now looking at him more critically. "A chestnut?" That confused her a bit and now she was leery of sitting on him when she could be aggravating an injury. Gingerly she started to lift her weight off of him, in case she was indeed doing just that, the last thing she wanted tonight was to hurt him further.

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Dory had just gotten comfortable with his head resting against her chest when she abruptly pulled away. "It's alright, I'm alright," he answered instead whilst attempting to draw her back in. He should've realized his cavalier approach to revealing his injuries would startle her; he was only trying to keep their evening calm and quiet. "I'm alright." Dory stated again, this time more firmly and with a small smile.

The burns hadn't hurt much until he sobered up, by which point he was more consumed with the guilt of seeing Maple than he was the pain of his injuries. It wasn't until he was released and at home did the stretching of the new skin appear to bother him. "I tripped and my jacket caught fire on Christmas. It was a joke, is all. A chestnut, like one of your Christmas traditions." Dory further explained.

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Only mildly placated, Winnie settled back in against him, but very aware of moving gingerly and trying not to put too much pressure on him. His explanation had her rolling her eyes and emitting an exasperated sigh. "Clearly you should stick to Hanukkah." A chestnut. Winnie had to shake her head a little, gently at the image.

After a moment, she relaxed more fully against him, closing her eyes as she inhaled his familiar scent and warmth. "Just can't take you anywhere," she mumbled into his shirt. Gingerly she went for the top buttons on his shirt to, sliding her fingers underneath to peek in and see what she could see. Winnie was fairly adept at healing as part of her work, so she wanted to double check and make sure everything was alright.

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"Next year I will." He chuckled before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Then again, if they were to ever act on the small box he'd left on her bed then he'd have to celebrate Christmas again sooner or later. He hardly expected Winnie to convert and he most certainly wouldn't. Dory wasn't the most devout member of his family but he was attached to the traditions enough to not wish to abandon them.

He sat further back to allow her more room to explore. "My arm and leg got the worst of it. There was a particularly nasty patch on my ribs, too. It could've been worse though, I was lucky that the mediwitch was well trained." Dory explained. Calling Maple the mediwitch felt wrong on multiple levels, but that was all she was to him now. A mediwitch. Not someone he'd grown to care for in a short amount of time.

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Win made a noncommittal noise of acknowledgement, as she didn't know what else to say really. From her limited perspective she couldn't really see much and she wasn't about to go undressing him to look at it, so she let her hand fall back to her lap. She assumed that his nonchalance meant he was fine.

"Well, hopefully it'll heal completely quickly." She added, unsure of what else to say really. She wasn't as relaxed as she normally was and she recognized that, but wasn't sure if he could tell and that was also preventing her from really just easing into the moment fully. Win didn't know what to do about it exactly and that wasn't helpful either. If she couldn't get out of her own head soon, it would be obvious. This whole thing was really starting to eat at her.

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"It should," he easily answered despite the tension that seemingly began to settle in between them. Dory truly ought to have shared the news with her, should have allowed her the chance to support him while he was injured instead of allowing her to be caught unaware. But, if he had Dory might have began talking about Maple as a woman instead of the mediwitch, and Dory would be lying to himself if he believed Winnie wouldn't run.

After all, Dory couldn't think of an easier out for her than I loved another woman and nearly got her pregnant.' Knowing Winnie, she'd probably tell him to go get her back then. Her words wouldn't be malicious either, but ones of genuine sincerity. There was another woman that Dory would have married, one unafraid of the commitment that came with it. An easy out.

Was it lying then to not tell her of Maple? They both slept around so casually and shared the details only infrequently. Had his display with the ring changed the rules? Would she leave if she found out on her own? Sighing, Dory shifted beneath her and reached for her hand. She deserved the truth, especially when he considered how intensely jealous he'd been about Gus (how jealous he still was about Gus.) "I knew her, the mediwitch." Dory stated finally, his discomfort obvious.

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Winnie occupied herself by inspecting the burn remnants under his collar, aware of his discomfort and her own, but entirely unsure of how to remedy it. Their once easy relationship felt like it had a shadow over it and Winnie truly didn't know what to do about it. There were too many variables now, things that had once been loose and carefree carried weight she didn't think she wanted, even if she knew she loved him. There were too many outcomes here in which one or both of them would get hurt, which she didn't want, but she also couldn't just agree to marry him either. It was such a mess.

When he grabbed her hand, she stilled, stiff in her position, unable to relax. When he revealed he knew the mediwitch who had taken care of him, Win wondered only for a moment why that may be significant enough to tell her. It didn't take her too long to figure it out though; this woman must have held some importance to him. Perhaps she was the one he'd been seeing when they were on the outs. He sounded almost pained though and Winnie wasn't sure she wanted to know. All she could drum up in reply was, "Oh?" Not quite able to meet his eye.

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There was a long pause during which Dory struggled to figure out how to launch into an explanation of who Maple was. He could say how he didn't expect to care for her as intensely as he had, or that he would have married her with or without the pregnancy. He could detail out how their friendship had so abruptly changed into more, but all of it felt invasive and uncomfortable to share. Dory didn't even know if he could say her name aloud without a twisting feeling of guilt.

He had to share something now that he'd brought the subject to light. Winnie had graciously allowed the subject to go unaddressed for months - if he were to turn and hide from it now she might have a second reason to run. Only, it wouldn't be running, it'd be Dory shoving her out the door due to his own issues. He had to tell her something.

"We were friends for a bit. It uh - it got complicated at the end." He eventually offered, his gaze glued to the floorboards.

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Winnie wasn't sure what she expected here, nor was she sure she actually wanted to hear this. Things were already messy and adding another person into the mix, even in the past tense, felt like a bad idea. It felt like a slippery slope to traverse in already murky waters. Whatever he had done in their time apart was his business. Whatever she had done, even though it wasn't anything of significance, was hers. They had always been free to come and go as they pleased, which was why the engagement ring came as such a shock; wouldn't that put a clear end to the way things were?

"Ah," Was all she could come up with. If she thought about it, Winnie could only assume this woman was of importance to Dory, maybe even more so than Winnie did, but it didn't sound like things had ended amicably. "I'm sorry." They'd had this conversation before, there couldn't be two someones who had gotten that deep under his skin, and she was still no closer to understanding where it left them. It was over he'd told her, but it kept coming up, probably because he'd seen her again and everything had resurfaced, but what that had to do with her, she didn't know.

Antsy, Winnie withdrew from her position in his lap and started to open the champagne. Would it help? Who knew, but she needed to do something with her hands.

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He was stalling and the effects of it were weighing down the room heavier than it likely would have if he'd been honest all at once. His reluctance to share betrayed the significance of Maple whilst allowing Winnie to infer whatever random details she might have imagined. They never used to share details like this, it never used to matter. But everything had changed last year - or, fall of 1891 rather.

"She thought she was pregnant last summer," Dory confessed while Winnie's back was to him. "She wasn't, but for a few days I was caught up in the chaos of it all." He had to tell her he intended to marry Maple, had to betray the fact that would likely make her run.

He couldn't bring himself to say it. Not yet. "I didn't expect to see her again on Christmas, is all."

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beautiful set by lady

Thankful that she'd given herself some space, Winnie froze for half a second when Dory finally delivered the crutch of the whole situation. He didn't need to elaborate on what the chaos was; it would have been similar to what had happened when she'd fallen to the same consequence. Dory would try to do right by the situation, because that's who he was, but obviously it hadn't gone the way he wanted. Winnie was struck, almost winded, by just how different their plans for their lives had become. Perhaps that was just part of growing up, but, even as she'd gotten older, Winnie's views on life hadn't changed.

"Life has a funny way of working like that." Win kept her hands busy uncorking the champagne and getting glasses from the liquor cabinet to pour it into. Hopefully the shaking of her hands wasn't too obvious. There was some undefinable tension building up in her system and she couldn't dispel it. She had this overwhelming feeling that this was the beginning of the end for them. Despite their agreement to try and be more open and honest, she didn't know how to get past this.

Handing him a glass, Winnie moved to take the seat across from him, pulling her housecoat over her legs as she tucked them beneath her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Honestly she was sure she didn't want to hear it.

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Dory took only a short sip of the champage before placing the glass gently on the table between them, using the change of position to sit forward with his elbows on his knees. Champagne was a celebratory drink, one she brought over with the intention of seeing in the New Year together. He couldn't bring himself to hold onto the glass knowing she was likely to leave in just a few minutes. Besides, a conversation like this called for something stronger — something to numb the pain and force courageous confessions. And yet, he sat staring at the bubbles instead and wishing he could cling to dishonesty forevermore.

"I know." He sighed, because he knew just as well as she how fragile the thing between them was now. Months — no, years — of miscommunication, confusion and frustration had led to them dancing along the edge of a cliff where one misstep would spell their doom. Perhaps it would be better to keep her in the dark, to not confess to nearly eloping with Maple, to not announcing that the ring (which was bought and intended for Winnie since the beginning) had briefly found a different owner. Perhaps the dishonesty was kinder in a sense, for some truths were just not meant to be shared.

"Do you want to know?" He asked, now looking up at her.

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