How many weeks had it been now without a letter? Almost three? The lack of response to Violet’s last was unnerving, to say the least, and it distracted the doll like nothing had before. It was hard to sleep, hard to eat, hard to work since her eyes were almost permanently affixed to the door of their little office, willing for someone to come through.

At this particular moment, Violet sat in her cubicle in front of her typewriter, arms crossed and keys silent until she stirred when Cattleya popped into her vision.

“Nothing today?” She asked with a look of sympathy in her eyes.

“No,” Violet confirmed. It was well past the time that letters normally arrived so it was unlikely one would show up now. Which was perhaps why Cattleya came to see her in the first place.

“It’ll come, Violet. I know it will.”

But would it? Would another letter ever come? Had something happened to Amy? Was it the sickness or something with Frederick when he came to visit? The wait was maddening and Violet considered taking a page from Peony’s book and going to the York estate. She had the address, after all.

She’d managed to resist that impulse so far, but she didn’t know how much longer it could be pushed aside. Before she could admit as much to Cattleya, they both heard the door to the office suddenly open and someone come in. Cattleya turned her head to see and Violet saw a surprised expression settle on her face from whoever she found.

“Miss Luculia, good afternoon.”

Luculia? There was a pause following Cattleya’s greeting and Violet heard frantic footsteps come further into the room. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve just run across the city.”

“Where’s Violet?” Was all Luculia said in response, a hint of desperation tinting the words. At this point, Violet’s curiosity got the better of her and she stood and moved toward the opening. When she found Luculia, the other woman appeared to be in a state of…well, she was quite disheveled, honestly. Strands of hair clung to her cheeks and forehead where sweat made it stick and she had an overall red appearance from whatever exertion she’d put herself through.

“Luculia, what’s wrong?” Violet asked, in a mirror of Cattleya’s early concern.

The other doll took a moment to settle her breathing and then produced an envelope from inside her dress, tucked away and hidden for some odd reason. “Miss Isabella York had me write this,” she responded, bringing the letter up for emphasis. “She’s in trouble, Violet.”

Hearing the name had Violet’s eyes going wide and she looked down at the hand with a confused expression. “You wrote a letter for Isabella? As a doll?”

Even as she asked the question, Violet examined the envelope in Luculia’s hand. It was plain on the front, with no indication of who it was for or where it had come from. What was going on?

“I did,” Luculia confirmed. “I was summoned to a hospital to write a letter for a patient and it ended up being Isabella.”

“A hospital!?” The concern was plain in Violet’s voice now and her eyes immediately shot to her friend’s. “Here, in Leiden?”

“Yes.”

Violet forgot about everything else and started moving past the two women, fully intent on visiting every single one until she found Amy. Why was she there? Had the sickness gotten that bad? However, Luculia reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her before she could go further. An instinct welled up inside Violet then, a whisper of reflex long ago but she kept her arm still.

“Violet, you need to read this first,” she protested and finally held up the letter between them. “I didn’t alter her words; this is what she wants to say to you.” When Violet didn’t immediately reach out, Luculia pushed it further toward her. “Please.”

Why was she being so insistent? Amy was here somewhere and Violet needed to find her. Still, Luculia had clearly gone through some effort to get this letter to her so she may as well see what it contained. “Very well,” Violet finally said before reaching out with a gloved hand and taking it. The envelope was open a moment later and Violet brought the unfolded paper up to read.

Dear Violet,

I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to write you these past few weeks. You see, I messed up. Bad. And because of my careless mistake, my father punished me and forbade me from writing you. It was stupid, I was stupid and now look what I’ve done. Look what I have to do to get a letter to you now.

Because of that, this will be my last one, Violet. As much as I can’t bear the thought of never seeing another from you, I can’t bear the burden of causing you pain or uncertainty by waiting weeks or months at a time. Or perhaps forever. I’d rather end this on my own terms so I can tell you that without a doubt, you were one of the best things to ever happen to me. Your friendship gave me hope and warmth and I will cherish it until my last breath.

I’m sorry if I could never be that for you but I guess I’m always doomed to suffer that fate. To be a disappointment. I understand you might hate me because of this but I hope in time, you only remember the fun we had.

Yours for eternity,
Amy

PS. Your friend is kind and helped me dearly. She even wrote a cover letter to Ashley so my father wouldn’t suspect. So, don’t be mad at her, okay?

Tears welled in Violet’s eyes as she read and she resisted the urge to crumple the paper in her fingers. What was this? Amy was saying goodbye after all this time? After their time together and so many letters? Without giving Violet a chance to reply!? No. No, she didn’t care what Amy said, Violet wrote her a letter, and every letter deserved to be delivered.

So, Violet looked up to Luculia and took a deep breath to try to steady her voice. “Which hospital is she in?”

Hearing the question brought a smile to Luculia’s lips and she didn’t hesitate to answer. “Saint Vincent’s, right outside the city, on the north side.” Without another word, Violet turned and stepped off, intent on going there right this instant.

“Violet!” She heard Cattleya call out her name and stopped just short of the exit. By the time she turned, the older woman had closed the distance and for a moment, Violet was worried that she might try and talk her out of it or at least tell her to slow down. Instead, Cattleya moved to the door and opened it herself before putting a hand on Violet’s shoulder. “Go get her, sweetie,” she said with a gentle smile. Following her words, she gave that shoulder a squeeze and then a gentle push.

That was all the encouragement Violet needed to start running across the top floor. The stairs she took in three leaps and, though everyone in the main lobby was surprised, President Hodgins was at least aware enough to open the front door he’d just used so she could sprint through it a moment later.

“Violet!?” If he said anything other than her name, she didn’t hear it and wasn’t about to stop to find out.

She still clutched Amy’s letter in one hand as she ran and her other came up to lay over one of the breast pockets of her jacket. Violet didn’t need to stop and get the letter she’d written at Peony’s because it was always stored in the safest place, on her person.

After a few seconds, her hand dropped away and began pumping with the other. She continued to pick up speed down the hill, even as she neared the bottom. Right as she did, she split the crowd between two men walking on the sidewalk and kept going at a full sprint. She didn’t even try to keep fighting the crowd and instead continued out onto the street before turning north. Unfortunately for Violet, Leiden was a big place and it was going to take a while to reach wherever this hospital was. Which only infuriated her and made her want to go faster. To push herself harder.

Naturally, everyone stopped to turn and watch as she ran by. It wasn’t every day you saw a blonde woman running down the street dressed like a doll, after all. She turned down another street and was heading toward one of the main avenues when she heard a motorbike coming up fast behind her. She jumped to the side when it got too close and then came to a stop before her eye snapped to whoever was about to feel her wrath. Well, until she realized who the driver was.

“Benedict…” And that damn motorbike, as President Hodgins put it.

“Get in,” he shouted before tossing her a helmet.

She caught it effortlessly and nodded before hopping in the sidecar without any hesitation. Her expression remained pained but inside she was elated that he’d showed up. Every one of her friends helped her get to this point and she only needed just a little more, just another push to get her to Amy.

Once she was strapped in with her helmet on, Benedict took off down the road once more. Just as she ran a little recklessly, so too did her friend push the bike to its limits. Apparently, he was in no mood to obey any traffic laws and seemed to possess the skill to ignore them. So, this was why the President hated it when he rode. But Violet needed it, needed him to go faster. She had to get to Amy right now because this would not be the end of their letters. It would not be the end of them. All of the fears she held onto previously melted away in that car, replaced by one that was the most terrifying of all. Losing Amy. Violet knew what she wanted, knew who she wanted to be with, and she wasn’t going to let anything or anyone take that away. Least of all, herself. Amy had to read her letter, had to understand what she meant to Violet, and everything else they could figure out.

After another minute or so, she finally slipped Amy’s letter into her dress and then gripped the edge of the sidecar so hard that it threatened to deform under the pressure. Her attention whipped from one obstacle to the next as they zipped by but thankfully, it was only another turn out onto the main road that would lead them outside of the city. Benedict most likely knew exactly where to go because something like a hospital would regularly receive a steady supply of letters and packages. And, though Violet hadn’t ever written for a client at this particular one, she was no stranger to the setting.

After what felt like an eternity, which in reality was probably only 20 minutes, Benedict pulled up in front of the gate of Saint Vincent’s and let the engine idle while Violet climbed out. She subsequently placed the helmet in the sidecar and then started walking away before suddenly coming to a stop. In a flash, she ran back up and wrapped Benedict in a tight hug before whispering a quick “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Benedict replied before smiling and nodding toward the building proper. “Tell your girlfriend she writes too damn much.”

Violet managed a weak smile at the joke and shook her head softly before starting to back up. “Never,” was all she said before turning and heading straight for the gate.

Two guards stood outside and had been watching the little scene unfold with a profound curiosity judging by their expressions. So, this must be a private hospital for people with wealth like the Yorks or Lancasters or others from the school, not one for everyday people like Violet and Benedict. It barely looked like one from what she could see, more like a manor than one you might find in Leiden proper.

As Violet approached, the younger of the two men stepped up and raised a hand to bring her to a stop. Which she begrudgingly complied with a moment later.

“Whoa now, young lady. This facility isn’t open to the public, who are you?”

Young lady? The man looked barely older than her and he even still had some of the roundness of youth in his face. “My name is Violet Evergarden, I’m here to see A–…Isabella York.”

“Right,” he said before looking past her and eying Benedict where he sat on the bike, who then rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Just let her in, buddy,” he shouted. “It will be easier, trust me.”

The guard ignored the advice and turned back to Violet before dropping his hand to the nightstick on his hip.  “Alright, Miss Evergarden, let me just go check the list and–”

“My name is not on the list,” Violet interrupted impatiently.

He seemed shocked that she would admit as much but ultimately shook his head in response. “Well, then you can’t come in.”

“I am going into that hospital, please do not get in my way.” Though her voice was characteristically even, there must’ve been something in Violet’s eyes that gave him pause. However, he quickly recovered and lifted the weapon from his waist to try and dissuade her further.

“Did you hear me? If you don’t want to end up in another hospital, I suggest you piss off.” As he spoke, he waved the heavy wooden club in her face as if that would get her to leave.

When he finally stopped, Violet took another step forward and snatched it from his hands so quickly he was left momentarily stunned. In that silence, a loud crack could be heard as the doll split the thing in two and threw the pieces to the side to clatter along the cobblestones outside the gate. She really was in no mood for this…

Apparently having seen enough, the older gentleman finally stepped forward and put a hand to his colleague’s shoulder, pulling him back before he did something truly stupid. “Okay, okay, hold on there, Peters. I suggest you calm down before the Soldier Maiden of Leidenschaftlich does that to you instead.”

Violet’s eyes shifted to him following the use of the moniker and when their eyes met, he brought his free hand up and tipped his cap. “Hello, Miss Violet, good to see you healthy again. Please, ignore the boy and go on in.”

Had this man been a soldier and served with Violet at some point? She didn’t recognize him but the neatly trimmed hair and weary look on his face seemed to indicate as much. Besides, it wasn’t surprising that another veteran would know who she was.

“But!” The younger man tried to protest and was quickly silenced with an eye roll from his companion.

“Son, if an army couldn’t keep her from going where she wanted to, what the fuck makes you think you are? If she needs to get inside, it’s for a good reason.”

“Thank you,” Violet said with a nod before continuing forward. After pushing the gate open, she started running again before something else tried to delay her. Thankfully, it was still more medical facility than estate so the driveway wasn’t unnecessarily long. However, it did extend far back from the road, presumably to give the patients a little privacy from wandering eyes.

It didn’t matter to Violet, though. She practically flew down the gravel road, kicking up little bits of rocks and scree as she went. It had been so long since she ran like this but her body hadn’t forgotten and she only slowed long enough to pass through the door without breaking it. Whereupon she headed straight to the nearest nurse sitting behind the first desk she found.

“Isabella York,” Violet blurted out before taking a second to calm her breathing. “What room is she in?”

The nurse took a second to eye her but must’ve decided she belonged seeing how she would’ve had to go through security. A minor victory but Violet would take it.

“York…” She looked down after repeating the name and began flipping through the papers on the desk. “Isabella York, room 112.” When she looked up, she pointed to a hall across from her desk before continuing. “Down there, last room on the right before the hallway turns left.” Her tone was disinterested and as soon as she gave the answer, she was already moving on to something else.

Which was fine with Violet since she immediately turned and started walking down the hall with long, determined steps. She wanted to run again but there wasn’t enough space and there were doctors, nurses, and patients every few feet. A few times she bumped into people but she didn’t bother to stop and apologize. When she reached the end of the hall, her eyes lifted long enough to confirm the room number and her steps didn’t slow as she threw open the door.

In the bed, hunched under the blanket, lay a form that looked remarkably like someone curled up around a pillow or two. It wasn’t until it stirred and turned around that Violet finally saw Amy’s face again after so many months apart. She stood there in the doorway nearly in disbelief, her heart filling with warmth, even as her friend reached over and picked up her glasses.

“Violet?” Amy’s soft voice broke Violet from her reverie and a reserved smile broke out across her lips.

“Amy…” Violet said her name but it came out strained like her voice was fighting off a swell of emotion. Which in truth, it was. So many thoughts and feelings swirled in her mind and eventually her tears began to flow again from how overwhelming it all was.

Amy’s eyes went wide in shock but she managed to sit up a moment later, just in time for Violet to crash into her, pulling her up in a tight hug. She was here, Amy was here and Violet had found her. It must’ve taken a second for Amy’s mind to catch up but when it did, she brought her arms up and wrapped Violet in a hug that felt entirely too weak.

“Violet, are you really here?” She asked into the silence.

“Yes,” she said before leaning out far enough that they could lock eyes. “I’m here.”

Amy used the space to reach up and run a hand over her cheek, wiping away some of the streaks left behind from the tears even though her own began to flow. Probably not for the first time today, judging by her appearance.

“I thought I’d never see you again.”

Violet could only shake her head in disagreement at such a horrible thought, one that she now banished from her mind. “That is…unacceptable.”

A mixture of a laugh and a sob fought to escape Amy’s lips for a moment before she calmed enough. “I didn’t want you to hurt anymore. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…”

Again, Violet shook her head, unconcerned with the apology. Amy had probably guessed what spurred this visit but she didn’t need to explain, she was only trying to do what she felt she had to. It just so happened that Violet was doing the same thing.

“For you, I’d suffer any pain,” Violet admitted before shifting one hand to the inside of her jacket. “Besides, I had to come. You have to read my reply.”

Amy’s expression turned from sadness to confusion and Violet couldn’t blame her. Luculia only left a few hours ago and here she was, pulling a well-worn letter out of a pocket.

“A reply? I don’t understand.”

“Yes,” Violet confirmed. “One I wrote weeks ago, one that will make you understand.” Following her words, she extended the envelope to her friend and tried to not let the furious beating of her heart distract her.