Aleksei is...well, let's just say his feelings for Fiona aren't...

Ugh. My brain wanted to say "brotherly." Ugh. I feel dirty now...

But yeah...Aleksei would literally kill for her. I think he'd be happy if Jacek never came back into the picture. Remember he said," I could love you, if your eyes weren't so lifeless," the first time they met. And now they've gotten to know each other better (in more ways than one!), and he's seen how deep her love of his woods goes.

The woods are him and he is the woods...which in turn means that as she loves the woods...well, she has a love for him too. And the woods...they love her in return, in their own way. Which...transfers to him, I think.

I dunno. But I think that's why, even in his weakened state, he was able to knock Jeremy's brains cold.

Yeah...that wasn't an accidental thing. That was a deliberate choice on his part, targeted to do the most damage to Fiona.

She really pissed him off when she got back in touch with Jacek again, and brought all the old feelings back to the surface...

I think he was mixing up resentment for...whatever the hell he feels toward Fiona. Which might have resentment thrown in...but it's also a helluva lot darker than that. And because they grew up in a similar upbringing, he's assuming that Cas must have the same feelings he does.

It's sorta like how racists think everyone around them will agree with their racist, for a (somehow!) less extreme example...

That would fit with the "spoiled brat" comment, maybe...

Guess that's why he was in Envy, maybe. Ugh. Fucking nasty.

Fiona, I hope you took a long hot shower. I know you probably felt like you needed one...

Which...hey! If he still has love left for her, and we know he does...that means there's still something left of his heart!

Hopefully not. Tom Hayes is right there.

But honestly...Nick would make her, given the chance...

Yeah, he's been gone a hot minute! Bizarre!

To be fair...calling the Leshy a "man," regardless of his shape, is still a bit of a stretch.

And just because she did the dirty with him and half the forest doesn't mean she's into him like that...

I do not approve of this line of thought!

Jacek might be, well, a bit evil...but he's not, like evil evil. And in spite of everything that happened between them, there's still a spark inside him for Fiona. He wouldn't deliberately hurt her, no matter how hurt he had been.

And he knows what those woods mean to not just her, but her family. He respected her mother; he wouldn't harm something she had loved.

This isn't him. If Tom Hayes is innocent, it's because the Bies had been controlling him...not Jacek!

He knows it's not actually over. He's just trying to protect himself from being hurt again. He already lost his heart once, it's not like he can love again as it stands...unless, like someone said the other day, he can make like the Grinch and his heart grows three sizes again!

Assuming there's anything left of it there. But...I'm almost positive there's at least a sliver still in there...

First place my brain went... Like Jacek said, he's the perfect choice.

"Bring up a sinner..." Well. We know one person who's still alive in hell...

She has to get the white rabbit back first, to do that...

But maybe like...a rabbit's foot? lol He can hang it like a keychain inside his chest cavity...

I hope he does. But can he regrow a heart?

She has no soul, and he has no heart. The two of them really are a pair, aren't they?

Yeah. Because you still have strong feelings for him.

Also though...he definitely still loves you. He would not have just come running at his ex's request if there weren't feelings still happening. Hole or not.

I'm already terrified of what happened to her. Worse must have been unbearable horror. I'm so so so sorry you had to go through that.

That was my first thought too, but it sounds like it's probably just far enough away that the door would close.

Like...an "I'm sorry" tennis ball?

Right?! My first thought was "why do people keep driving without a charger in their car?!"