[She's right, of course. He needs to pick himself up and try and heal from all of this. It's deeply exhausting having to do this a second time around. To feel like he's been slammed right back at the starting line. The tiniest of smiles crosses his lips because she's right about that too- he's not alone here. He doesn't have to try and do it alone. ]

I'd appreciate you being around for that. I think I need all the help I can get.

[He falls quiet again as she speaks. He knows she's trying, lord, he knows she's trying. And he knows Fern is bloody-minded when he decides he doesn't like someone- just like Ruby is bloody-minded in trying to soothe these sorts of conflicts.

He almost voices the weird, messy feelings that have been churning in his mind since Fern banished his ghost- but he pushes them down. He's not ready to think about that for himself yet. He sure isn't ready to voice them to Ruby. Does it make it a secret he's keeping from her? Technically. But he needs time.

He realises it may be possible that Ruby and Fern will never get along. That it will always be this tangled mess and he honestly doesn't know what to do about that. He bearly understand his own relationships, let alone have a good idea of how to help other people forge theirs. God, he misses Rapunzel. She'd know what to do. ]

I really appreciate you trying. I wish there was an easy solution to all of this. But I don't know if there is. He really is more than what he shows you- just like there more to you than he thinks. I just- I don't know. He's got a lot of walls, for very good reasons, and it's hard to get over them. Maybe one day.