I was trying to work on a multi-chapter fic for EAS, but an idea suddenly popped up and turned into this.

This fanfic take place one or two years after Of Enemies and Endings. The first two sections are general narration, but the last two sections switch to first person to match Rory's perspective. I hope you enjoy reading it!

And as usual, these characters and books and all the other disclaimer-worthy things are from Shelby Bach :)

"Leeeennnnaaa!"

After Chase unintentionally revealed to EAS that he was half-Fey, he used his wings for almost everything. Including now, when he busted through Lena's workshop door and almost knocked over Lena's undoubtedly important tray.

"Chase," Lena chided.

Chase ignored her and paced the floor. "I can't figure out what to get Rory."

"You still haven't picked something?" Lena's eyes widened. "Her birthday's today."

"I know." He paced more furiously, forming grooves in the sawdust.

"I thought you said you would find her something a week ago."

"I know."

"And the week before that," Melodie added. Her hands were on her hips.

"I know, I know." He forced a hand through his curls and yanked on them, hard. He suddenly looked up hopefully. "Can I order a spell?"

"No." Lena pursed her lips. "You should be doing something that comes from you. Besides, I already got something for her and another would just be ridiculous."

Chase sighed. "Then what am I supposed to do? Challenge her for a sword fight and duel for a prize?"

"You're going to make her work for her gift?" Melodie fixed Chase with an I'm-an-ancient harp-and-you-should-listen-to-me expression. "That is not the way these things are done."

"Besides," Lena added, "you duel so much anyways."

She wasn't wrong. After the Snow Queen was no longer a threat, training had gone down 'to a normal precaution' (the Director's words). Chase and Rory dueled each other often to make sure they retained their skills.

"You could bake her something," Melodie suggested. "What is Rory's favorite dessert?"

"I'm not going to bake her something," Chase said firmly. "I'm not stepping foot in Gretel's kitchen again."

"Your own house has a kitchen too," Lena reminded him, and he shrugged.

"It's not like I'm going to use that."

"I don't think the present has to be anything big," Lena said slowly, "just something that shows her you care about her."

"Like a romantic dinner!" Melodie exclaimed, golden eyes sparkling.

"Or a cupcake and a song. I bet Rory would be happy either way."

"Song?" Chase's head perked up. His right hand was still in his hair, and his other hand had followed to grip the back of his neck.

A little confusion muddled Lena's concerned expression. "Yeah, the 'Happy Birthday' song."

Chase slowly untangled his hand form his curls, contemplating an idea.

"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. Thanks, Lena."

He sped out of the workshop almost as quickly as he came. Melodie clucked.

"Really, the lack of imaginative chivalry these days. It's gotten out of hand."

"Not all chivalry," Lena argued lightly. Melodie hmphed and let the matter rest.

Meanwhile, Chase burst through his apartment's door, clearly worked up.

"Amya!" He called, a little out of breath.

"Up here, Chase." His mother's voice was muffled. Chase flew up to meet her.

"Amya, are you decorating again? Dad hates it when you do that."

Lady Aspenwind sniffed. "When Jack comes back, he can choose to alter the room to his undesirable drivel. While he's away, he should be more mindful of his visitors. Especially since he's away for such long periods of time."

She turned away from the ceiling lights and took in the state of her now rapidly-fluttering son. "What is the matter?"

"Today is Rory's birthday," he started, and his mother smiled.

"Tell her mother congratulations on my behalf."

"If I see her, I will. But I was also hoping to do something for Rory."

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to sing her a song."

"A song for her and not her mother?" Lady Aspenwind frowned slightly.

"Amya, I told you that customs work a bit differently over here."

"Yes, but that does not mean I must approve of them." She turned back to the ceiling lights and inlaid the frame with a curlicue design. "You wish to perform your love for her in this way?"

"Yes."

Lady Aspenwind faced her son, eyes wide from his sudden change in tone.

"Truly?"

Chase nodded gravely.

Lady Aspenwind clasped her hands. "Will she have the time?"

"Yeah, she's supposed to come over later today."

"Well, if her mother is alright with it..." Lady Aspenwind quickly studied her son's disheveled hair and wrinkled shirt. "When is she supposed to arrive?"

"In almost 2 hours."

Despite her excitement, Lady Aspenwind's wings fluttered in an irritated, motherly fashion. "You really should not put these things to the last moment."

"I know, Amya," Chase said, almost equally exasperated, before adding, "but you'll still help me?"

Lady Aspenwind studied her son from top to bottom, figuring out all the tasks that needed to be set in order.

"I suppose we can finish in time," Lady Aspenwind concluded, and a nervous grin broke out over Chase's face.

Lena launched herself at me with a ginormous hug. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

When we finally separated, I'm pretty sure my grin was as big as hers. "Thanks."

Lena took the opportunity to call Melodie and her dummy over.

"Happy birthday, Rory," Melodie told me amiably, holding a small box. "Lena's been working on this present for a little while."

I took the box from her and opened it. Inside I found a thin, slate grey ring.

"To replace the old one," Lena explained. "Without the power of the West Wind, of course. This one works more like a mood ring."

I slipped it on, intrigued, and the grey band blossomed into a rosy-tinted orange. "What does this mean?"

"You're excited, or happy. Maybe both." Lena enthusiastically gestured towards the open box. "I included a basic set of guidelines, but there might be a few that I haven't written down. Let me know if something different shows up!"

I fingered the ring, and the color seemed to ripple. I was touched she'd taken the time to make something so unrelated to her duties at EAS.

"There's another thing in the box, too," Lena said. I looked beneath the instruction sheaf and found a small silver square.

"I've been trying to get the M3's even more portable – like walkie talkies meet earbuds! You can just put this one in your ear. We'll try it out later if you want."

I grinned and gave her another hug. "Definitely. Thanks, Lena."

"Do you have any plans for the rest of today?" Lena asked, while I put the box away.

I zipped up my carryall and shrugged. "I was just hoping to hang out with you and Chase." I looked around the workshop, not completely sure he wasn't hiding somewhere. "Have you seen him at all?"

"No," Lena said, and her brow furrowed, thinking. "But I'm sure he'll show up soon."

We made our way outside the workshop. I didn't see Chase, but I did see Ben by the pond. I caught his eye and we waved.

"Oh. Oh wow."

Lena was staring past me. I followed her gaze.

My mouth dropped open.

Chase was dressed in a button-down shirt and jeans, his hair combed down. He was conversing quickly with his mom, but when he noticed me, he stopped and gave a nervous smile. It looked like he was sweating.

It was July. Of course he was sweating.

Chase shared one last exchange with his mom and walked over to us. "Hey."

"Hey," I said hesitantly, and he smirked at my confusion.

"Happy Birthday, by the way."

I grinned slowly, not sure why I was so nervous in the first place. "Thanks." I punched his shoulder. "What's with the get-up?"

His smirk fell away for a moment, and he started speaking sort of fast. "I had an idea for a present but now I'm thinking it was kind of a bad idea. And Amya thought it'd be good if I dressed up," he added, even more quickly.

I didn't fail to notice Lena's half-concerned, half-incredulous stare. I felt a bit of the same way, if confusion was added.

"It can't be that bad of an idea," I started to reassure him, but for some reason his shoulders hunched.

"Not really a bad idea, just a ridiculous one."

I was kind of intrigued, but if it made him act this way I didn't have to know.

"Forget about it," I told him. "I'm here to see you guys, anyways. The presents are just extra."

Chase started to run a hand through his neatly combed hair, then thought better of it. "So what do you want to do?"

"Chase?" Lena suddenly asked. "Why does your mom keep on staring at us?"

Lady Aspenwind was clearly anticipating something. Chase seemed to know it too. He argued with himself for a moment, then gave up.

"I was going to sing you something."

"...Okay?"

He continued hurriedly. "I was going to sing you a Fey song. For your birthday."

"Oh. Wait, no spells, right?" I asked, concerned.

"No spells." He assured me. "I just...didn't know what to give you, but now that I'm here it seems kind of a strange thing to do. You can still hear it if you want."

Out of all the things Chase could have given me for my birthday, voluntary singing didn't even come close to what I'd expected. Lena was still staring at him in shock, and I realized that she'd never heard him sing. I wasn't even supposed to know he could sing.

"If you're offering..." I started, hesitant. I didn't want to put him in an embarrassing spot, but if he was in for it, it was too good not to pass up.

He made himself rigid. "Yeah. But you can't have your gumdrop translator in, and Lena can't tell you what it means." He looked at Lena. "Unless I'm not around you guys when you tell her."

Lena and I exchanged glances. This was getting more and more bizarre.

"Amya offered to make us all dinner," Chase said, shifting to a different topic. "So we have two hours to do whatever you want, and then we can all head over to my apartment." He paused just a second. "Does that work with you guys?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah." I was restricted to one syllable sentences. I braved two. "Lena?"

"Sure, but are you sure you want me to join you guys for dinner?"

I doubled back. "Yes! Definitely! I want to hang out with both of you! And besides, you have to be there to translate all of Chase's lyrics."

A small grin crossed her face. "Right. I can't believe I already forgot about that."

Chase threw up his hands but didn't object. Instead he said, "Cool. Just a second," and gave a big thumbs up to his mom. She beamed in response and exited through the door to the apartments.

"Alright," Chase said, turning to us. He seemed surprisingly relieved. "So what do you want to do?"

"I think next time I'll change the rules so you won't be able to fly." Lena cleaned the frame of her glasses with her shirt while we walked. The sun was just starting to set, and a dusky, pink-ish hue filled the sky.

"I can't run as fast in these clothes," Chase protested. "You guys had an advantage, so I had to fly to compensate."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right." Ben had gone in wearing pretty much the same thing as Chase. He had also gotten dead last in all four rounds of laser tag, but I wasn't about to help Chase's point.

Chase went into his apartment first, then held open the door to let us in.

My mouth threatened to drop open for the second time that day. Whatever Lady Aspenwind had done to Chase's house was really nice. There was a long table set with fancy lace, like an old movie set might have, and golden-green leaflets lined the walls. Even the lighting was warm and golden.

"Rory! Lena! It's a pleasure to have you both here." Lady Aspenwind fluttered over to us, smiling widely.

"Lady Aspenwind, the place looks beautiful." Lena said softly. She was still admiring all the vines.

Lady Aspenwind beamed at her. "Thank you, Lena." She made sure to address all of us for her next statement.

"While I prepare for the presenting of the dishes, Chase will prepare to perform." She nodded at Chase, and he went to stand behind the table. I could practically hear his heart beating.

Out shot an opera-worthy falsetto. He ran through some scales, and I'm pretty sure Lena's mouth dropped wider than mine had when I'd seen him in the courtyard. Lady Aspenwind came back to watch. When he finished warming up, she said something to him in Fey. It sounded like she was coaching him.

He straightened and took a few deep breaths. We locked eyes. Don't laugh, he seemed to ask me.

I raised an eyebrow, and his shoulders relaxed a little.

Lena, who had doubled checked on the way over to make sure she wore her gumdrop translator, snuck a glance at me every so often during the song. Chase didn't look at Lena or me, and I didn't risk looking at Chase after the first few bars. Partly because I knew how that could startle someone who was performing, and partly because I was too transfixed to move.

When his voice dipped and swelled it brought to mind some enchanted and ancient scenery, although I couldn't quite place where I'd seen it before, or whether I'd seen it before at all. Briefly, I wondered if this was what Lady Aspenwind heard when Chase sang to her on his birthday.

When I'd heard him sing that first time, it just sounded like notes – flawless and beautiful, but just notes. This was different. I was supposed to hear this. He was singing specifically for me.

I didn't understand a word he sang, but it was really, really pretty.

After the song finished, I stood for a moment, processing. I only realized neither Lena or I had responded when he started burning ten shades of red. I ran over and hugged him, and Lena clapped enthusiastically.

"I have no idea what made you think of this for a gift, but it was beautiful. So epic I can't even describe it," I whispered. "Seriously."

I think he could hear the sincerity in my voice, because the tiniest of smiles crossed his face. He didn't even shrug me off.

I broke away. "Also, I am totally getting a translation after this."

His smile became a smirk. He must have been filled with adrenaline. "You better get me something extra epic next year in response."

I laughed. "You'll probably just tell me the gift you want before I get it."

"That's how you'll know it's epic," he insisted.

"And now," Lady Aspenwind said, "please situate yourselves around the table so Chase and I can present the meal."

I saved Chase a seat on my other side while he helped bring out a yellow basket full of rolls and steaming plates of spaghetti. When he handed me mine, he was already starting to act like nothing he had done had happened. I took the plate and then reached for his hand.

"Next year, a cupcake or something would be just as nice, too."

Chase froze. "You didn't like it?"

Whoops. I tried to figure out the words before they flopped out of my mouth.

"No, it was great!" Wow, so descriptive, Rory.

He snorted, but looked a little unsure.

"But you don't have to think of some grand romantic gesture every year," I continued, trying to make him know that I was just happy to see him. I didn't want him to go out of his way for me like this if it meant he was a nervous wreck the other half the time. I tried for humor. "Anyways, if you did something big like that every year you'd run out of things to do."

The joke wasn't even that funny, but a warm, wry, slightly relieved smirk filled out the unsureness, and I knew he understood. "You want to bet?"

"We can duel about it later," I promised, and for some reason Lena found this really funny. I let go of Chase's hand.

He went back to get his plate and sat next to me, and Lady Aspenwind smiled.

"Have an enjoyable meal," she instructed us. "I will come back in an hour." She let herself out the apartment door.

Chase attacked his plate with gusto, making sure not to mess up his shirt. Lena ate hers more slowly, but it was clear she enjoyed it just as much. I asked Chase twice whether his mom had enchanted it.

Chase shrugged between mouthfuls. "Amya just really likes spaghetti."

After Chase had taken thirds, and Lena and I both finished seconds, Chase disappeared into the kitchen again. He came out grinning.

He had a cupcake with him after all.

"Are we going to sing?" Lena asked, suddenly excited.

For a moment, Chase gave her a strange look, but then a slow, mischievous smile crossed his face.

"Yeah," he said. "Just a sec. Let me get the candle."

He struck a match and lit the blue striped wax, a small flame appearing to contrast with the house's general glow.

"For you," he said gallantly, setting the plate in front of me. Lena's enthusiasm was obvious. She began counting down loudly.

"One, two, three!"

My mouth opened in shock for what needed to be the final time that day. Chase and Lena started laughing before they even finished the song.

It's amazing how different someone's voice can sound when they're trying to sing badly on purpose.