"Is he your consort?"

Mistress West's question rings through the silent chamber. It is a simple question, yet on her lips, it drips with implications.

"Um… yeah, I guess," Dorothy answers, glancing at the still-unconscious Lucas, bound to his chair, the metal cuff still around his neck.

West led her to the chamber minutes earlier, and when Dorothy had rushed to her unconscious… friend? would-be-lover? and gasped his name, West's head cocked to the side, eyebrow raised, lips thoughtfully pursed.

"He claims to have no memory of his past," West says, choosing not to pursue the curious nature of this girl's relationship with the guard.

"That's true. He doesn't," Dorothy answers, her eyes locked on his bowed head as she gently runs her fingers through his hair. "Why is he still chained?"

West impatiently huffs, then waves her hand. The shackles fall away from his hands and the cuff around his neck opens. Dorothy quickly reaches down and catches it before it can fall onto his lap. She sets it on the ground.

"He claims he wants no part of whoever he was," West continues, beginning to pace. "He claims he wants to be… what did he say…?"

"The man he is today," Dorothy softly provides, wrapping her hands around one of his.

"You genuinely care for each other," West says, sounding mildly surprised. Dorothy hasn't taken her eyes off of him since she entered the room, only paying attention to West when she directly addresses her, and barely even then.

At this remark, Dorothy lifts her head and looks directly at the witch. "Yes."

"And the girl?"

"What about the girl?" Dorothy blandly responds, returning her attention to Lucas. "Wake up, Lucas," she whispers.

"Who is she?"

"We don't know. She found us and kind of… adopted us, I guess. She's just a scared little girl," she lies, hoping West won't catch her this time because her face is pointed at Lucas. "Don't hurt her or Toto; they're innocent. Neither of them have done anything to merit any sort of punishment, so just… leave them alone," Dorothy pleads, her voice much stronger.

Lucas begins to stir, a soft moan escaping. Dorothy drops to her knees beside him and urgently whispers his name.

West steps closer, watching with undisguised interest.

"Dor…" Lucas mumbles.

"Lucas, I'm here," Dorothy says, raising her hand to his cheek. He is dirty and bloodied and God knows what else, but appears to be alive and whole.

"Dor'thy," he slurs, his deep voice husky.

"I'm here, I'm here… they're not going to torture you anymore," she says, turning her head to shoot a brief glare at West.

The witch raises her hands in a gesture of surrender, her face a picture of innocence.

His eyes slowly blink open, blue-gray and sleepy under his thick brows. They gradually focus on Dorothy's face, and he says her name again.

She lifts up and kisses him, her hands holding his face, as a few tears escape. His hands come around her waist, pulling her closer, his fingers tightening in the fabric of her shirt as the kiss deepens.

"I thought… I thought I'd never see you again," he says once they part.

"I guess it's not that easy to get rid of me," she replies, resting her forehead against his.

Suddenly his eyes widen. "Where's Sylvie?" he asks, clearly very concerned.

"The girl and the dog are safe and unharmed," West answers.

Dorothy jumps, nearly having forgotten the witch was there. "She was sleeping in my room when I left her," she answers.

"Alone?"

"Toto is with her."

Lucas relaxes. "All right." Then he looks up at West. "What are you going to do with us?"

"Do? That depends on you," West says. "Your witch has made her choice… she has chosen to side with us, to fight the tyranny and ignorant fear of the Wizard's rule."

"Witch?" Lucas asks, looking at her. "So… you've accepted it then?" he asks. He knows what he saw in East's fortress and has known since then that his Dorothy is some kind of witch, whether she believes it or not.

Dorothy makes a gesture somewhere between a shrug and a nod. "Not much choice… too many weird things are happening around – and to – me to deny it any longer."

"And what is your choice? Will you remain at her side, or return to the Wizard's Guard?" West asks.

Lucas looks at her, surprised. "I get a choice?"

"Of course. Everything in life is a choice," she answers. "You may not remember how you wound up strung up like a scarecrow, but it was your choices that led you there."

"I will stay with Dorothy," he immediately answers, the reminder of his forgotten past making the decision that much easier for him. He turns his gaze back to her, reaching up to brush her hair behind one ear. "For as long as she will have me, I will stay by her side. Protecting her."

"Very well, Ro—"

"Lucas," he growls, cutting the witch off. "My name. Is Lucas."

West's lips curve into a crafty, knowing smile. "Very well, Lucas, you will remain as Mistress Dorothy's consort and protector."

His brows furrow a bit at the term 'consort', but he nods. "Thank you."

"Now. Before we proceed, you must be cleansed. Sanctified," West says. "Both of you."

"Both?" Dorothy asks, standing. She is still holding Lucas' hand, and supports him as he shakily rises to his feet.

"Yes. You are both filthy and need purification," West answers, striding to the door. She yanks it open, then yells, "Tip!"

While they wait, Lucas pulls Dorothy into his arms, resting his head atop hers, as they prepare to face the next step of their journey. Together.