He laughed, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I'm going," he conceded in amusement, gathering the blanket around his waist as he struggled up onto his feet. "You and your clean fetish ..." Flashing her a smile and a wink, he caught up a pair of pants on his way to the bathroom, determined to at least be presentable when he came back out.

She only laughed, neither denying or confirming his remark. She did not deny she was part cat, and cats had a habit of being fastidiously clean, but that wasn't why she insisted on him bathing. She had witnessed what he'd gone through the previous night, and healed or no, it would do him good to wash the remnants of the night from him and start fresh. "Poor you," she teased further, watching as he made his way to the bathroom, allowing her to admire the view.

And what a view, especially when he started to sway his hips for her viewing pleasure, kicking up one heel before he disappeared into the bathroom.

The second the door closed, there was a very soft knock on the main door of the cabin, and it opened quietly to reveal Mara holding a covered dish. She crept into the kitchen, setting it down to briefly hug Marissa tightly.

"I made you breakfast," she whispered. "It's still warm. Got to go, Duncan won't wait too long before trying to get in here too." She kissed Marissa's cheek affectionately. "See you later!" And back out she went, closing the door just as quietly behind herself. It was debatable as to how long she'd been waiting out there, but the food was still hot. Hopefully it hadn't been too long.

To say the look on Marissa's face was one of utter surprise at Mara's unexpected arrival was a bit of an understatement. It wasn't easy to sneak up on a cat, but somehow Mara had managed it, and Marissa wondered how long she had been waiting and how much she had heard. Blushing brightly, she hardly had time to mutter her thanks and return the hug before Mara was retreating again, and Marissa was standing there looking astonished and uncertain. It appeared she wouldn't have to make breakfast, after all, and she turned from the door where Mara had disappeared to the bathroom where Emrys was readying for a bath, as if debating what to do.

"Marissa?" Emrys called to her from the bathroom. "Did I just miss someone coming in?" After all, his hearing was just as acute as hers, even if he was playing with water right now. "Ouch ....ow!" He hissed in pain, audibly jerking back from the water flowing out of the faucet. "The hot keeps getting hotter. Help!"

His voice drew her out of her thoughts, blinking as he seemed to be having a problem with the faucet again, and she sighed. "Turn it the other way!" she called, as she stirred from her reverie to put Mara's offering into the oven to keep warm while she went to Emrys' rescue.

"I hurt my hand," he informed her mournfully. Newly healed skin was generally tender for a few hours afterward, and he was no exception. However, he had just put his newly healed fingers under a stream of close to boiling water, and was now standing absolutely buck naked in the middle of the bathroom, holding his sore hand and pouting like a child.

She sighed again, at the sound of his voice, feeling like a mother tending to a child. How had he managed to survive all these years on his own if he couldn't even manage to take a bath without her help" She opened the bathroom door, expecting him to be immersed in the water by now, or at least to have had the good sense to have wrapped a towel around his waist. "Good goddess, Emrys!" she exclaimed as her gaze raked over his very naked form, grabbing a towel and throwing it at him. "I don't know how I'm supposed to get anything done when you keep distracting me."

He glanced down at himself, blushing as she threw the towel at him. "Sorry." He didn't look sorry, though, abandoning his sore hand to curl his arm around her waist as a slow grin appeared on his face. "Are you going to wash me, too?" he asked, very nearly managing to pull off looking innocent, despite the rather obviously not innocent prod from his nethers.

She audibly gasped as he pulled her close, unable to miss the prodding from his nether region and the lewd grin on his face. "You tricked me!" she accused him, smacking a hand at his bare shoulder, though she made very little effort to wiggle out of his grasp. She wondered now if he'd really burned his hand or if that had been part of the ruse. "If you wanted me in here with you, why didn't you just ask?"

"Little bit, yes," he admitted openly, holding his finger and thumb a small way apart just to make it clear how little he had tricked her. "I did put my hand under the hot water." He grinned, leaning down to gently kiss her. "Would you have come in if I'd just asked you to?" he countered softly.

She tipped her head at him, eyeing him suspiciously and snatching his hand to see if he was really telling the truth. "I'm here, aren't I?" she replied, as if that question really needed asking.

Emrys chuckled quietly. "I'll remember that next time, then," he assured her, letting her inspect his hand once again. It was clean now, and while, yes, it was a little more reddened than it should be, there was no harm done. "Are you mad at me?" he asked her, dipping his head to tentatively nibble at her neck. For all that he had no experience, part of him was very much at one with his animal instincts, and he was listening to them today.

"I should be, but as it happens, Mara brought breakfast," she told him, tipping her head to allow him better access, without even thinking about it. He was certainly distracting, that much was certain, even as she seemed to be musing over his hand. She seemed to be debating again, her carnal side at odds with her fears.

Encouraged, Emrys drew his other arm about her waist, gathering her closer as he grew in confidence. He wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, but she seemed to be enjoying it. Well, she wasn't squirming to get away, anyway. A thought occurred to him, and he raised his head, looking into her eyes. "I have a suggestion."

She had a few thoughts of her own, but she had yet to share them. She had laid awake at night thinking of this moment, of how it might go between them. Though some of her alter egos had loved before, few of them had ever been with a man, and despite the memories that weren't her own, this Marissa was as much a virgin as Emrys. "What's that?" she asked, meeting his gaze.

Gently brushing the tip of his nose against hers, Emrys' smile softened, understanding her reluctance came from nearly the same place as his nervousness did. "Why don't we take this a step at a time?" he suggested hopefully. "Bathe with me. No pressure from either of us to do everything at once. I want you to be comfortable with me, kitten. I want to be comfortable with you."

"Bathe with you," she echoed, sounding just a little doubtful. Was he really that naive or was he just trying to take things slow" Did he really think either of them was going to be able to hold themselves back once that line had been crossed" "I was ready to let the wolf have me last night, do you know that' I thought ..." She broke off, chewing at her lip, not daring to avert her gaze. It was either look him in the face or chance looking at something else that stirred feelings in her she'd never known before. "I've told you before. I'm not afraid of you, Emrys." What was she afraid of then"

"I'm a little afraid," he admitted, his foot twitching nervously as they spoke softly together. "I've never been with a woman, Marissa. I don't know what to do, not really, and I want you to enjoy it. So ....moving slowly might give me a fighting chance to please you by learning as we go?"

"Oh, for the love of ..." She sighed, not angry with him, but frustrated by the situation. Wolf or no, the cat inside her wanted him. Or maybe it wasn't the cat at all. Maybe it was something else - maybe the girl was at last ready to become a woman, in every sense of the word. Maybe it was time she showed him what she was really capable of. She drew his hand closer, but instead of brushing a kiss there, she slid her tongue against his flesh, not only helping him to heal but marking him as her own.

"What?" he protested, worried by her frustration. "What did I ..." But he trailed off as her tongue laved over his skin, swallowing hard as those butterflies in his stomach decided to make something else sit up and really take notice. "O-okay ..." Screw the bath, it seemed, and he was more than happy to follow her lead. For the first time, he abandoned all pretense of being a gentleman, pulling her tightly to him as his lips found hers, starving for something he knew only she could give him. His hands slid down over her back, cupping the pert roundness of her backside to lift her up.

He was only gone for an hour, just as he had promised. The run through the woods had allowed him to work off the agitation raised by their little conflict, and even better, he had found a couple of rabbits in his traps. So when he returned, he was almost back to his old self, swinging his bounty back and forth by their ears as he strode back to the cabin. Nervous of what he might find inside, he paused to hang the rabbits on the porch, knocking on the door. "Marissa?"

There was no need to knock, but no answer either. The door was open, unlocked, the oven still keeping the breakfast Mara had brought warm. Nothing else seemed changed. It had only been an hour, after all. While he had been working off his agitation, she had been brooding, terrified she'd driven him away, despite his promise to return. She'd been brave the night before during his long ordeal, but it seemed that courage had deserted her now. To her credit, she hadn't turned, though the pull from the tiger had been strong. She only sat quietly near the fire, his pelt clutched tightly in her arms, lost in thought and memory while she awaited his return.

Stepping inside, Emrys felt his heart sink as he spied her where she sat. On one hand, it might have been touching that she was holding his pelt, but on the other, she was clutching it very tightly, as though it was the only part of him left to her. Didn't she believe a word he said" Aching for having upset her, he shucked off his boots and coat, moving to gather her into his arms. "I said I would come back," he reminded her, wrapping her up in his embrace. "I always keep my word."

Though fear had gripped her heart, some part of her had believed him. She wasn't sure what she would have done otherwise. Lose herself to the tiger forever, perhaps. The tiger who didn't care, who lived only to survive. She envied the tiger sometimes. Was it any wonder he had met the tiger first' Something broke in her as he gathered her to him - guilt, anguish, love, hope, relief all wrapped up together - and she clung to him, shaking with fear and sobbing with relief that was too strong a reaction for what had just happened. She was like a child in that moment - a lost and lonely child trapped in the body of a woman who only wanted to love and be loved in return.

"All right ....shhh, now ..." He held her close as she clung to him, rocking her gently back and forth, his lips brushing kisses to her hair. He was prepared to hold her for as long as it took, not understanding why she had reacted so strongly to such a small misunderstanding. She felt everything so deeply ....was it any wonder she reacted in such an extreme manner to just about anything" "I'm here, kitten. I love you."

She drew comfort from his embrace, from the soothing sound of his voice, tangling her fingers in the cloth of his shirt and gripping it tightly, as if she never wanted to let go. There were reasons she felt everything so deeply, just as there were reasons behind what had made him who he was. As different as they were, they were also much the same. Both of them had been alone too long, lost and lonely. Both of them were wild things at heart, wandering and searching for something to fill the emptiness inside them. Now that they had found each other, she knew they needed to put the past behind them and start fresh, but she wasn't sure how to begin.

"I'm sorry," she whispered once again, her voice raspy with tears. There was an unsaid I love you in those words of apology, though she didn't feel worthy enough of his love to say it just yet.

"You're apologizing again," he murmured to her, his lips soft against her hair. "Calm down, kitten. I'm here." He'd thought that not shouting at her, that leaving the cabin to calm down, had been the appropriate response to his own feelings, but now he wasn't so sure. Had he broken her so badly just by being honest with her" "Come on." Gently, he rose to his feet, drawing her up with him, keeping one arm around her as he went through the motions of making her a cup of coffee. "What did I tell you yesterday' That no matter what happens, I love you. A misunderstanding is not going to change that."

"No," she protested quietly as he pulled her to her feet. She wasn't denying or rejecting his love, but there was something she needed to tell him - something so simple and yet it might help him understand how they weren't so very different, after all. She let go of his shirt so that she could cup his face in her hands, searching his eyes, memorizing every inch of his face. "I need you to know ....I don't know how to be with someone, Emrys. I'm trying, but ..." She drew a slow, ragged breath, in an effort to calm her own jangled nerves. "I love you so much," she whispered again. "It scares me."

He paused as she cradled his face, looping both arms about her waist as she whispered to him. "It's like having your heart outside your body," he whispered back to her. "Wanting to protect it and keep it safe, even though you've given it to someone else to look after." See, he did understand to a certain extent. "It's frightening, kitten, especially for us. We've been alone for a long time. It will take time for us to learn how to be with each other."

He bent his forehead to hers, stroking his fingers against her back. "No more trying to make things happen," he promised her. "That's what I was trying to do, and it made everything awkward. That's my fault, and I accept that. Doing what comes naturally, that should work for us."

His confession surprised her, as it matched the one she had yet to say, nearly word for word. "I was, too," she admitted quietly, swallowing another lump of tears. She felt emotionally wrung out with worry and guilt and fear, but now that they'd both said it, she felt a flood of relief, knowing it wasn't just her. "I want to be with you, Emrys, in every sense of the word, but I want it to happen on its own."

"Then it will happen on its own," he agreed with her. "And since I have difficulty controlling myself when I'm naked, no more wandering around in just a towel." He flashed her a fond smile, closing the gap between them to kiss her tenderly. "Be calm, kitten. I came back. I'll always come back."

"I'd wait for you forever," she whispered back, touching a kiss to his lips, salty as it was, and tracing his cheek with her fingertips. She giggled a little to find his face already stubbled with growth, but she withheld the teasing comment that popped into her head. No more teasing or scolding or telling him what to do. He wasn't a child; he was a man, and as such, he deserved her respect and her understanding, though she doubted she'd be able to bite her tongue if he tracked mud all over her floor.

"You won't have to wait that long," he promised, nuzzling to her affectionately. "Now ....drink your coffee, and I think it's probably time I attempted to cook something, don't you? You do all the cooking, maybe I should try it."

"Mara brought something for breakfast," she told him, sniffling from all the crying, but making no move to break away from him. Or at least, she assumed it was for breakfast; she hadn't really given it a good look yet.

He blinked in surprise. "Mara was here?" That showed how observant he was when he was under a safe roof. Releasing her gently, he handed her the cup of coffee he had made, stroking his fingers against her cheek with absentminded affection.

"Only long enough to drop something off. I think ....I think she was waiting outside for a while, until the time was right," she told him, taking the cup from him at last, grateful for its invigorating warmth. She lifted her head briefly, as if catching the scent of something she hadn't noticed before. "Your traps ....Did you catch anything?"

"Couple of rabbits," he told her, raising his brows as though this was particularly exciting. "They're hanging on the porch - I'll skin them later, and we can do something with the flesh. I, uh ....I was going to collect a few furs and, uh ....Well, if you don't mind, I thought I might line that red cloak of yours. Must get chilly in winter, only the one layer."

"Oh," she replied, obviously surprised by his suggestion. No one had ever offered to do something so practical and yet so considerate for her before - at least, no one who wasn't family. "I suppose it does. I haven't given it much thought. I-I don't usually live here year round. I have a place in the city, but ..." There was that frown again that always accompanied a but.

"It doesn't have to be rabbit fur," he offered helpfully. "If I'm not sleeping on the bear pelt any longer, I could use that instead, if you would rather. Although it is a bit whiffy ..." He let out a quiet yip of triumph, having located the dish Mara had left for them. Uncovering the contents revealed a meal he'd never had before; kedgeree. He sniffed it close to, curious. "Eggs, haddock, rice ....is that cumin and coriander?"

"You don't need to sleep on the bear pelt anymore," she confirmed, taking another sip of the coffee before moving over to take a peek at the contents of her oven. "Oh, kedgeree. It's an Indian dish, I think," she mused, unsure of its origins exactly. "Are you hungry?" she asked, lifting her brows at him curiously, even as her own stomach grumbled in reply.

"A pigshed?" she echoed, laughing delightedly, though she was quite serious about the endeavor. She'd given it plenty of thought over the last few weeks while they'd been readying the cellar and had even discussed the possibility with Mara. "I can't imagine living anywhere else, and I can't imagine my life without you anymore, Em," she said, reaching over to touch her fingers to his jaw, her eyes hopeful, despite their earlier misunderstanding.

"Well, they have to have somewhere to live in the winter," he pointed out, chuckling at her cheerful laughter. This was the most animated he had seen her before now. As her fingers brushed his jaw, he grinned over at her. "You'd really be happy to live off the land in a little cabin with me?" he asked hopefully. He'd enjoyed working the earth as a child; he thought he could find better peace doing it now.

"I think I would," she replied with a smile. All she knew of homesteading she knew from watching Duncan and Mara. They lived a simple life and seemed happy with it, and she couldn't help but envy them. It was an honest life and one that seemed satisfying, knowing that you'd put in an honest day's work. "The truth is, I'm happy here and I don't want to leave. It's peaceful here. Quiet. Why should we leave when we can have everything we need right here?"

Emrys held her gaze for a long moment, his smile infinitely more relaxed than it had been since they'd met. "I'm glad you feel that way," he smiled warmly, taking another bite of the kedgeree. "We'd have to trade for staples - things like bread, or at least flour and yeast to make it - but the basics we could provide for ourselves with a good garden, a cow and chickens, and what we can forage and hunt in the forest."

The truth was, money was no object. She could have chosen to live anywhere she wanted and do anything, but somehow, all she wanted was a simple, fulfilling life here with Emrys. All she wanted was to make him happy, and she thought this might be the way to do just that. "Yes, of course," she agreed readily. "But we could do it, couldn't we?" she asked, hopefully.

"Oh, we could definitely do it!" he enthused, fired up by the idea of creating a small, sustainable farm for them both to live off. If Marissa said she could be happy with that life, Emrys was certain he would be. "Might take a month or so before we can start eating what we grow, but it's a month well spent. We can plant in the next week or so, and with good weather, we should have a decent crop of a few things at least. With a cow, we'll have milk, and we can get cream and butter and cheese that way; with chickens, we'll have eggs every day. The pigs are a luxury, I suppose, but they're good for clearing land for farming, and they love to forage."

"Not to mention pork chops," she added with a smirk, though he was making a good argument for not killing them. Meat would never be much of a problem so long as one or the other was willing to trap or hunt, and with a few changes, the cabin could easily be made ready for the winter months. "Shall we try?" she asked, touching his arm as she looked up at him hopefully.

"Well, obviously," he chuckled, catching her hand as she reached for him. He drew it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm tenderly. "Yes," he told her. "I would very much like to make a home and a life here, with you, kitten."

"I would like that, too, Emrys," she replied, leaning into him, if only for a moment, content at the idea of a simple life here with him away from the confines and chaos of the city where they could be alone to live together in peace. "What should we do first?" she asked, new to this kind of adventure.

"Hmm." He wrapped an arm about her waist as she leaned into him, thinking this one over. "I think we should find out what vegetables and herbs will grow and ripen when over the course of the year," he suggested. "Once we know that, we'll know how big a garden we'll need, and we can start turning the soil and making it ready for the seeds."

"We could ask Duncan and Mara," she suggested. Though they weren't living off the land exactly, they were living on a farm and might know what they'd need to get started. If they didn't, then perhaps Evan and Marin would. "I have an idea," she said, hopping to her feet. "We'll visit the Brambles. See how it's done and ask their advice."

"Right now?" he asked in surprise, chuckling at her eagerness to get started right away. "Can I wash the dish first, so we can give it back when we get there?" His eyes sparkled with anticipation as he rose to his feet with her, dish and forks in his hand.

"Yes, right now!" she replied, laughing. After all, there was no time like the present, and now that they'd decided where their lives were headed, she was eager to set their plan in motion.

"All right, then!" Laughing, he moved to wash and dry Mara's dish so they could take it back with them, surprised and pleased with Marissa's suddenly effervescent outlook on the road ahead. Within a few minutes, they were off, heading along the track that would take them up to the Mallorys' cottage. Though Mara and Duncan tended to come to them by horse, it was an easy enough walk, especially for two weres, and the spring sunshine made it easier still, warm enough for comfort as they ambled along together.

While he was busy washing and drying that single dish, Marissa went about grabbing her cloak and boots and making herself look halfway presentable for their visit. They didn't have too far to go and it was a nice day for a walk, hand in hand, and amicably chattering about their plans for the future as they made their way toward the Brambles.

They arrived in time to see Rob pulling Elise excitedly up along the lane toward the Brambles itself, the older woman managing a wave for the visitors before she hitched up her skirts and ran along with the young lad at his pace. In the front garden, Mara was on her knees in the middle of her own herb patch, laughing at the sight of her friend being dragged away by her son even as she worked on pulling out weeds. Her smile brightened as she caught sight of Marissa and Emrys, raising her gloved hand in a wave.

"I think we've been spotted," Emrys murmured teasingly to Marissa.

"They look happy, don't they?" she asked, giving his hand a warm squeeze. She felt that old fear and trepidation creeping back into her heart, but it was mingled with hope and excitement at the prospect of building a future with the man at her side. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything," she murmured back.

"I'm sure, if we are, we can join in," he assured her, raising her hand to kiss her knuckles as they reached the gate.

Mara had abandoned her weeding to push herself awkwardly up onto her feet, dropping her gloves into the basket by her feet as she moved to greet them. "We weren't expecting to see you today," she greeted them with a bright smile. "Don't stand at the gate, come in! You are family, you know."

"I'm sorry to intrude. I know I should have called, but ..." Marissa looked to Emrys, with a slightly shy smile on her face. Now that they were here, she was feeling bashful again and unsure how to explain. "We were hoping if maybe you could help us with something." No, he hadn't proposed, nor had there been any talk of marriage, but neither seemed to feel it necessary, as they had already declared themselves lifemates.

"Oh, you're not intruding," Mara insisted, waving them past the gate to come and join her. "Weeding's about all they'll let me do these days. Welcome to the Brambles, Emrys. Well, that house up there is the actual Brambles. We're just a spare cottage. I suppose we should name it, really."

Emrys considered the cottage as Mara rattled on, clearly pleased to have visitors. He flashed a smile for Marissa as he squeezed her hand. "Thank you for the welcome, Lady ....uh, Mara," he answered the woman, blushing as he almost forgot to call her by her given name.

Mara chuckled, gesturing for them to come toward the cottage. "You're both always welcome," she promised. "What can we help you with' Would you like something to drink" That is a long walk."

"Some tea would be nice, thank you," Marissa replied politely, hoping Emrys would notice how simple and yet happy the Mallorys' lives were here at the Brambles. "Is Duncan about?" she asked, not because she didn't want to talk to Mara, but because she thought he should be part of this conversation, too, especially for Emrys' sake.

"Last I checked, he was in the barn," Mara told them cheerfully. "Squeezing a pregnant mare." She chuckled, patting her own little bump as she led the way into the cottage and to its little kitchen. "He'll be in soon - he missed lunch, so his stomach will tell him he should have stopped work a few hours ago."

"But that's the problem, Mara," Marissa replied with a frown. "I don't even know where to begin. I mean ....Do you know what I do for a living" Nothing! I don't even belong in this time. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm from twenty years in the future. I never planned for any of this. I never planned on staying. I just came back to ..." She broke off before she said too much, though Mara likely already knew a good part of Marissa's story already.

"I think the point here is ....you don't have to earn a living, but you're not made to sit idle," Mara said with a faint smile. "Neither is Emrys. But at the same time, neither of you are particularly comfortable in a busy center of business or crowded village environment. I think homesteading could suit you both very well."

"I know it will be hard work, but I want to try. I just want to make him happy, Mara," Marissa added, though she'd said that already. She wasn't sure what anyone else was going to think of all this, but it was good to know someone seemed to understand.

Taking her friend's hands gently in her own, Mara leaned toward her. "Marissa, is it all that money sitting idle making you uncomfortable, or is it just the fact that you have it?"

"I don't know," Marissa replied with a further frown, as she turned her gaze to their conjoined hands. "It's ....complicated," she admitted. What about her life wasn't complicated"

"May I make a suggestion?" Mara asked softly, tilting her head curiously. She didn't want to force an idea on her friend, but she had a feeling that at least part of Marissa's uncertainty and discomfort came from how very unequal she and Emrys were. One was the equivalent of a multi-millionaire, and the other didn't actually have any money to his name at all.

"Give all my money away?" Marissa guessed, with a frown that told Mara she wasn't really comfortable with that idea, either. Some of it, maybe, but it didn't hurt to have a little something in an emergency fund. Then again, would she ever really make an effort at homesteading if she didn't really have to"

"Close, but not quite," Mara laughed warmly. "Two-thirds of it, you are not likely to ever touch, even in an emergency, are you? So two-thirds of it is surplus to requirements. Therefore, give away two-thirds of it. The last third will generate enough interest sitting in the bank that it will not run out on you, and you will have money there if you need it. What you won't have, will be a financial headache."

"Two-thirds?" Marissa echoed, trying and failing to do the math in her head. She wasn't even sure how much money was in the bank account, as she hadn't checked in some time. "But what do I do with it?" she wondered aloud. Oh, there were probably plenty of charities in Rhy'Din that could make use of the money, but if she was going to give two-thirds of her inheritance away, she needed to make sure it was going to be put to good use.

Mara paused thoughtfully. "I don't have the faintest idea," she admitted willingly. "Don't your family have a school or something" You could donate some toward that. I think the lady who runs the Shanachie and her friend are putting money toward building some sort of special orphanage for children who have magical talents; they might be looking for donations. Or you could put it into a trust that organizes outings for less-fortunate families in the city. There are any number of things you could do with it."

Clearly, it was something Marissa would have to give some thought to before she took any action. "I'll think about it. I will," she promised, another thought coming to mind. "Do you think I should tell him?" she asked, leaning forward and lowering her voice, though they were still alone at present.

Amused by the conspiratorial turn the conversation had taken, Mara smiled as she leaned in with Marissa. "Does he have any real concept of money?" she asked her friend in answer. "If the answer is no, then it will just be a number to him. He clearly trusts you, so if I were you, I would deal with the money. Simply be ready to assure him that you can afford to buy what you need, and leave it at that."

"He wants to build a ....a chicken coop ....I think," Marissa said, looking a little confused, proving how very little she knew about homesteading. "Oh, goddess, Mara ....What am I doing" He's going to think I'm an idiot!"

Mara chuckled gently, taking her hand. "Come with me," she told her friend, rising from the table to draw her toward the back door. "I can show you a little of what you're going to be trying to put together for yourselves, because we have some of it here."

Marissa drew a slow, calming breath as she moved to her feet to follow after Mara. "I need to take lessons in farming," she muttered to herself, though homesteading was not quite farming. All they needed to do was create enough food to take care of themselves.

"It really isn't that different from tending your medicine garden," Mara assured her as they stepped out into the sunshine. "You plant what you want, at the right time of year, and you keep on top of the weeds. When it's time to harvest, you harvest. It's much simpler than it seems. Look." She gestured to the wide section of garden that had been set aside for carefully turned earth, rows of plants already flourishing. "We have rhubarb, asparagus, cauliflower, cucumbers, new potatoes, radishes, broccoli, sorrel, cabbage, spring greens and onions, spinach, and watercress; all of which we can harvest anytime from now until about the end of May. By then, there will be other vegetables for us to harvest and eat. Each season brings new flavors to play with."

"I suppose," Marissa mused aloud as she turned her gaze toward Mara's garden where vegetables were flourishing in the carefully cultivated earth. Marissa already knew the basics of herb gardening and could expand on that knowledge to create a garden that would supply them with enough food to get them through the winter. "What about livestock" He said something about chickens and pigs and a cow," she asked further.

"Well, we have chickens and a couple of pigs," Mara told her with a warm smile. "We get our milk from the Brambles - they have a couple of dairy cows up there. This way." It was patently obvious which way they were going - even Mara could hear the animals as they approached the specially built coop and shed. The chickens were busily pecking at everything they could find, but the pigs were sunbathing.

"You don't-you don't think they'll be afraid of me?" Marissa asked, as she tentatively followed along. The horses always seemed able to sense that she wasn't quite human, but she wasn't too sure about the rest of the farm animals, nor how they would react to a man who was part wolf.

"You'd be surprised how tolerant, and even affectionate, animals can be when they realize you're the one feeding them," Mara told her with a grin, leaning over the side of the pigs' enclosure to pat the sow's side with surprising force. All she got in return was a happy grunt and a wriggle, and the pig went back to sleep as she laughed. "The chickens are a little more temperamental, but I'm reliably informed they distrust everyone."

"What do you need a pig for?" Marissa asked further, each answer to her questions a lesson learned. The chickens and the cow she understood, but why a pig" Even Emrys didn't seem too sure if one was necessary or not.

"Company," Mara chuckled. "No, honestly, I mean it. They're very intelligent. And they are wonderful at foraging out roots and just about anything edible from the vegetable garden when it comes time to replant and turn the soil. Let them loose in there for a couple of weeks, and you don't need to dig around for anything you might have missed - if it's edible, they'll find it."

"And eat it," Marissa pointed out, though she wasn't too sure. She quieted a moment as she seemed to consider all this. "Emrys seems to think we can do it, but we might need some help," she said, looking over at her friend again. She didn't need to ask if Mara or Duncan would help; Mara had already volunteered upon their arrival. Then again, Mara was with child, and there was only so much she could do. "Will you teach me?" she asked instead.

"I was thinking maybe I should introduce him to Colleen first. She's the closest thing I have to a mother," Marissa told her as they re-entered the kitchen. "Oh, with a little milk and sugar," she replied. "How's the baby?" she added, turning the conversation away from herself and Emrys.

Mara chuckled, glancing down at her bump. Thanks to necessity and an enlightening trip to the city with Marin, she had embraced modern clothing as her mid-section grew. Corsets and long skirts were likely a thing of the past - Mara had discovered jeans and she didn't want to go back. "Starting to get active," she told Marissa with a warm grin, pouring the tea for them both. "I wanted to ask you, actually ....do you know any remedies for heartburn" I can't keep drinking milk in the hope it will let me settle, it's beginning to make me feel sick."

"Heartburn?" Marissa echoed, arching a brow as she claimed a chair at the table. "Several, actually. Some people swear by peppermint, but sometimes that makes things worse. Chamomile tea might help, or licorice root," she replied, naming a few just off the top of her head.

"I will have to try some, then," Mara nodded, standing for a moment to pull a thick book stuffed with loose papers from a shelf. Opening it, she scribbled down the remedies Marissa had just mentioned. "It will only get worse until the birth, so getting a head start in counteracting it will help. Thank you."

"I can look into a few other remedies, if you like. It may take a little experimentation to find something that will work," Marissa volunteered. She had learned about herbs and their healing properties from her mother, but she'd never really used the knowledge to help anyone before.

"I will try virtually anything," Mara admitted with a low laugh. "I'd forgotten how awful the heartburn was with Rob. I'm being reminded in a hurry." She tapped the book she'd brought down from the shelf. "That's my garden book, by the way. Feel free to look through it."

"Oh," Marissa murmured, as she pulled the book toward her and flipped it open to a random page. "Have you always been interested in gardening?" she asked curiously, wondering if this was something they might have in common.

"I've always loved plants, but when I was growing up, we could barely afford the apartments we lived in," Mara told her, sipping her tea as Marissa flipped her way to the lovingly color-coded diagram of what was planted where in the vegetable garden. "And then Duncan showed me the gardens at Mallory Manor. I would have loved to have stayed there, to have learned all about those gardens and how to tend them. You know how that turned out. After that, I was just for show. But when you brought us here ....Marin suggested that I start a herb garden, and I enjoyed it so much, I tried vegetables. Now we grow most of our own food, and what we have in surplus, we send up to the Brambles."

"What about flowers?" Marissa asked, remembering the garden her foster mother had lovingly tended when Marissa was a child growing up in Rhy'Din. "I have a small herb garden at the cabin, but I've never grown vegetables or flowers," she admitted as she paged through the book.

"We have roses." Mara's smile grew as she mentioned this. She still remembered the rose garden where Duncan had first asked her to marry him, all those years ago, before everything had gone to hell. "I like wildflowers, though. Bluebells, poppies, daisies. I should dearly like a flower garden. Maybe I'll work on that this year, and have something beautiful next year."

"I think you should. I'm sure Marin wouldn't mind," Marissa said. She couldn't imagine the woman denying Mara the opportunity to further beautify the Brambles. "Do you and Duncan ever wish you could get away for a little while?" she asked without looking up from her browsing of the garden book.

"A holiday, you mean?" Mara asked curiously, considering this. "It isn't something that's come up. But ....I don't know, maybe. A change of scenery is always nice, especially if you have a home you love to come back to."

"A holiday, yes," Marissa confirmed, looking up from the book finally. "Maybe at a lakehouse, like the one in Dreven," she suggested, curious to see what Mara might think of the idea before she pursued it.

"Oh, wouldn't that be lovely?" Mara sighed, leaning back in her chair as she smiled. "Somewhere to escape the most oppressive heat of the summer, or the deepest snows in the winter. Somewhere we could swim and ride, and just enjoy each other, without needing to worry about chores."

"I could make that happen," Marissa told her friend, deciding it was better to tell her what she was considering, rather than keep it a secret. She raised one hand to stop Mara before she had a chance to protest. "I know you're probably going to say you couldn't possibly accept such a gift, but consider what we just got done talking about a little while ago. I have more money than I know what to do with, Mara, and if I can't use some of it to make my friends happy, what?s the point of having it at all?"

Forestalled from protesting almost before she got her mouth open, Mara gave in graciously, chuckling at how well Marissa knew her. She held her friend's gaze for a long moment. "I did rather talk myself into a corner with that one, didn't I?" she conceded in amusement. "On one condition, though. That you and Emrys come with us, wherever this mysterious place is."

"I can go you one better," Marissa started with a grin. "You and Duncan can help us pick a place out," she suggested. She had yet to start looking for such a place, and she saw no reason her friends shouldn't be part in choosing it. Whether they ended up buying land and building a lakehouse or two, or found one already in existence remained to be seen. Marissa was sure this wasn't what Emrys had meant by bartering, but if Mara and Duncan were going to help them get started homesteading, Marissa wanted to return the favor somehow, even if it wasn't exactly a fair trade. "I wonder what?s keeping them," she mused as she looked toward the window, wondering what Duncan and Emrys were up to.

Emrys himself wasn't entirely sure what they were up to. All he really knew was that he was leaning his full weight against a heavy board on the side of the stable, while Duncan did something manly with a large hammer and a lot of nails. He knew it was his fault, though. "I really am very sorry," he apologized for the umpteenth time. "I've never been around horses before. Will Thunder come back?"

"Aye, he won't go far," Duncan assured the other man. Though the horse likely wouldn't be back until Emrys had departed, he knew where his home was. "You just startled him is all," he explained further as he finished nailing the panel back in place. It didn't hurt that the Brambles was fenced in, so the animals couldn't go far, but if he didn't come back in a few hours, Duncan would go looking.

"Well ..." Emrys straightened, letting the panel test the nails holding it in place. "At least now we know I should definitely stay away from horses." He glanced at the other man, still concerned he'd caused offense. "I'm glad I didn't upset the mare - Mara said she was pregnant?"

"Aye, she has a few months yet," Duncan informed the other man, giving a tug on the panel to see if it was securely in place. "I'm sort of the stablemaster here at the Brambles. I mainly work with the horses," he explained, without going into too much detail. "How did things go last night?" he asked, knowing all about the man's monthly ordeal.

Emrys paused for a moment, giving his answer some thought. "Better than I had expected," he said eventually, refusing to go into detail about the damage he'd done to himself, or his momentary awakening. That was very private. "I'm more concerned about Marissa. She took the whole thing much harder than I thought she would."

"Oh' How so?" Duncan asked as he went about putting fresh hay in Thunder's stall. He knew what both Marissa and Emrys were, though he'd never seen either of them in any form other than human. "What happened?"

Duncan couldn't help but chuckle a little, remembering all the arguments he and Mara had been through over the years. "You've only known Marissa a few weeks. I've known Mara since I was a boy," he pointed out, though that didn't really answer Emrys' question. "Patience," he replied, simply. There really was no other answer than that. "Do you know how we came to be in this place?"

"Patience," Emrys repeated, rolling his eyes as he sighed once again. He didn't think he was very good at being patient, but for Marissa, he would try. At Duncan's question, curiosity overtook his worries. "She's never said so, but I think Marissa had something to do with it. Tell me."

"Aye, she did. If it wasn't for Marissa, Mara and I would likely be dead." Duncan didn't mention Rob, as he wasn't too sure just what Rob's fate might have been, but he was fairly certain it wouldn't have been good.

"I can't speak for Marissa," he started, thinking she should explain her feelings and her story to Emrys herself. "But I can tell you what she did for Mara and me. We are not from this world. We are from a world where the portals stopped working so that no one could travel offworld anymore." He paused a moment to let that sink in before going on. "In order to find us, Marissa had to travel back to a time when the portals were still working. To a time before ..." He hesitated a moment, not really liking what he was about to say next. "Before Mara and I were dead."

Emrys listened, instantly fascinated. He had always loved stories, even more so when the characters in them were people he knew. Yet there was something in this story that gave him pause. "She can do that?" he asked in astonishment, his mind turning to a conversation had with Marissa the day after they had met. He'd thought it was just philosophical conjecture, that it was impossible to travel through time, and yet he'd given her an answer that had been properly thought through. He was glad of that now; if he had not done so, who knew what might have happened" "She can travel through time ....Huh." He frowned thoughtfully, letting that one sink in. Maybe he needed to share a detail about his sister's death that he hadn't yet, or perhaps he should keep it to himself. He'd have to think about that one.

"Aye, but it's dangerous," Duncan replied. For obvious reasons. "I don't think it's something she takes lightly. There's a price to be paid for everything. I don't know how many times she's done it or why, but I do know we weren't the first. When she came back, she changed things. We didn't know who she was or why she was there, but she offered us an escape from an impossible situation. She offered us a life here in Rhy'Din, and we took it. She didn't tell us everything that happened in our future, but she seemed certain that staying there wouldn't end well for us. We decided to trust her, and here we are."

"She took a great risk for someone who didn't know her at all," Emrys said thoughtfully. "She couldn't possibly have known that you would trust her, or that you would become her closest friends. What was the price?" he asked then, concerned that Marissa might well be paying the price for her intervention still.

"She said she knew us in our future, her past, but it was hard to believe at first. There were things she knew about us that she couldn't have known, things only people closest to us knew. And ..." Duncan paused a moment again before going on. "Her foster mother lives there. She stayed behind when the portals closed. Marissa will never see her again." Unless she chanced traveled through time once again. "The woman who raised her," he explained further.

Emrys winced. That was a hefty price to pay, indeed, and it made his mind up on the spot. Marissa did not need to know that last detail he had not shared with her. He did not want her paying such a terrible price again. "That is a deep loss," he agreed quietly. "And one that would shape her in ways even she might not have realized."

"Aye, well ....It's her story to tell," Duncan said with another shrug of his shoulders. There was more, but he wasn't sure it was his place to share it.

"But it gives me a place to help her start telling me." Emrys offered the other man his hand in gratitude. "Thank you, Duncan," he said sincerely. "Without help, I don't think Marissa is ever going to be able to explain her past to me. You may have just opened the door for us."

"There was a time when I thought Mara had given up on me," Duncan told him, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "We lost a lot of years because I was too hurt and stubborn to see what was right in front of my face. If you love her, don't make that same mistake, Emrys," he warned the other man, taking his hand in a firm grip of his own.

"I've been alone for a decade," Emrys told him honestly, the pain of that isolation obvious in his eyes as he held the other man's gaze. "I was rejected by my pack five years before that. I killed the only person who ever loved me. Believe me, I do not want to make any mistakes."

"I don't think you will, either. It won't be easy, but nothing worthwhile ever is," Duncan said, reaching over to squeeze the other man's shoulder. "What do you say we get back to the house" It'll give Thunder a chance to find his way back," he said, though it wasn't really about Thunder at all. It was about seeing what the women were up to.

"Aye, that does sound like the best policy here," Emrys agreed, moving to his feet. "You don't mind that we've interrupted your day up here, then" She was worrying about that on the walk here."

"Friends are always welcome," Duncan assured the other man as they both moved to their feet. And when you owe your life to someone, it's very hard to say no. "Our women have formed a close bond of friendship. I expect we'll be seeing a lot of each other," he added with a friendly smile.

"I should like to be able to call you friend, Duncan," Emrys told him, a little wary of the response. He'd never admitted to any of the traders who'd called him "friend" that he did not consider them as such. It was a big step for a loner to take.

Duncan had few friends of his own in this world, other than Evan and those at the Brambles. He had left most of his friends behind, but he had no regrets. It was a small price to pay for this life with Mara and Rob. "I would be happy for your friendship, Emrys," he told the other man honestly.

"You may regret that when I ask you to help me build a few things at the cabin," Emrys chuckled, letting Duncan take the lead in returning to the cottage. Hopefully Marissa had spoken to Mara about what was deeply bothering her by now, or they were going to be back here tomorrow.

"What kind of things?" Duncan asked, smiling again. He doubted there was much he would deny either Emrys or Marissa. It's what friends were for, after all.

"Cowshed and a pig pen," Emrys told him with a shrug. "I could do with some help to harvest hazel and ash to make a few hurdles to protect the garden from wandering beasties, too."

"You're really serious about this homesteading thing," Duncan remarked, a little surprised, not because of Emrys, but because of Marissa. "Was this your idea or hers?" he asked as they started away from the barn toward the cottage.

"Hers." Emrys made no effort to hide his own surprise there. "She was talking about visiting the city, then suddenly she asked me what I'd want to do with myself. I told her how I kept the kitchen garden for the pack when I was child, and just like that, she suggested we should try homesteading."

"She's been alone at the cabin for a long time," Duncan said. Or at least, ever since he and Mara had moved to the Brambles. "Mara and I lived there for a little while before moving here. It's quiet ....peaceful." A little too quiet at times, but as far as he knew, Marissa had always been something of a loner.

Emrys drew in a slow breath, looking up at the sky as they walked. "I will never be comfortable among too many people," he admitted. "I've spent too long alone, and my only experience of people was my pack, who rejected me and wanted me dead. So long as Marissa is happy with the peace and the quiet, I will be happy with her."

"I think she feels the same," Duncan said, from what little he knew of her since they'd met. Mara would know better, but he thought Emrys would find out on his own soon enough. "Both of you are used to being alone. Try to be patient. It will take time for you to get used to being together."

"Again?" Duncan echoed with a grin, as his arms went around her waist. His stomach grumbled, giving his hunger away, but not before he gave his wife a proper husbandly greeting. "When have I ever not been on my best behavior?" he queried curiously.

"The day that you and Evan didn't eat anything between breakfast and dinner, and somehow managed to devour an entire cheese loaf between you in the time it took for everyone else to sit down?" Mara suggested affectionately, leaning into him as she smiled. To be fair, Marin had laughed herself silly at the guilty looks on the men's faces when they'd realized that they'd eaten part of everyone else's meal.

"We were hungry!" Duncan pointed out with a chuckle, touching a kiss to the back of her neck, while she fixed his sandwich, his hands settling protectively and possessively against the swell of her abdomen. "Emrys was telling me he and Marissa are going to try homesteading," Duncan remarked, knowing Mara probably knew this already. "Perhaps we can help them get started."

"That sounds like a very good idea," she agreed with him, letting him take the lead on that one. "I can easily put together some cuttings from our garden, and I offered up the pigs to clear the land they're going to plant on. Emrys will need help building what needs to be built." She leaned back into Duncan with a fond smile. "And apparently Marissa feels we should all find a holiday home we can share."

"A holiday home?" Duncan echoed, arching a brow as he swung his gaze over at Marissa, whose head was tipped close to Emrys as they flipped through the gardening book together. "You mean, like the lake house?" he asked further, reaching around his wife to steal a bit of cheese she was using to build his sandwich.

"Yes, like the lake house." Mara laughed, gently smacking his hand as he pilfered from his own sandwich. "See" Table manners." With the sandwich made, she didn't make any move to slip away from him, enjoying a few moments of contact. "She asked me if I missed Shadokhan. I told her the truth - all I truly miss is the lake."

As for Duncan, he had mixed feelings about the lake house. While he and Mara had spent some happy times there, it had also been the place where his sister had died. Still, a holiday home would be nice, if only they had time for a holiday. "Are we thinking of building or buying?" he asked, snatching up the sandwich and taking a healthy bite.

"To be honest, I don't know," she chuckled, glancing over at the other couple, who seemed to be deep in discussion over the garden book. "Marissa said we should help them choose a place - I would assume that would mean buying. I don't think she'll let us contribute any money toward it, though, love."

He frowned a little at that, not quite seeing the irony in their situation. There had been a time when he'd had his own inheritance, but most of it had been left behind when they'd left Dreven for Rhy'Din. It seemed Marissa was facing a similar situation, as she debated what to do with her future and the money her birth mother had left her. "What do you think?" he asked, quietly, curious what his wife thought of the idea.

"What do you mean?" she asked him in return, a little uncertain quite what he was asking her opinion of.

"What do you think about taking her up on the offer?" he asked, hopefully clarifying his question. Though the offer was tempting, he didn't want any charity and he didn't want to take advantage of Marissa's generosity. But maybe it was something they should talk about later.

"I think we need to talk about it properly, before mentioning anything to Rob or Elise," Mara said thoughtfully. "But I think it is a good idea." She glanced at the others, lowering her voice in the hope they wouldn't overhear what was about to be said. "They may well be suited to isolation, but they are desperately lonely, love. Perhaps if we could negotiate them into letting us supply furniture and food, it would feel less like taking advantage of them."

Duncan smiled at his wife's suggestion, as she echoed his thoughts. "I was thinking the same thing," he whispered back, not too surprised at how similarly their minds worked these days.

Smiling back at him, Mara leaned up to touch a kiss to his chin. "Go and sit, I'll be with you in a moment," she promised. True to her word, it was only as long as it took to fetch out Elise's cake of the day, a knife, and plates before Mara was joining them at the table. "When do you think you'll be starting on all this?" she asked Marissa and Emrys curiously.

Marissa looked up as Duncan and Mara joined them at the table, a thoughtful expression on her face at her friend's question. "I'm not sure. As soon as we can, I guess." They were lucky it was spring, anyway - the perfect season to start a garden.

"It's a lot of work to set up, but the garden should come first," Emrys mused. "If we can get the ground cleared and turned and planted in the next few weeks, we could have crops by mid-summer."

Mara nodded in agreement with him. "The size of the plot will depend on what you decide to plant," she warned. "Draw pictures, I heartily recommend that."

"And you won't be alone. You'll have help," Duncan pointed out, though whether that help would just come from himself and Mara was hard to say. Marissa had family, too, who might be willing to help if she could find the courage to ask for it.

"Do you really think we could do it?" Marissa asked, looking from one to the other hopefully.

"I don't see any reason why you couldn't," Mara answered with a gentle smile. "If I can do it, then you certainly can. You are nowhere as spoiled as I was when we got here."

Emrys' mouth fell open at the idea of a woman he had only seen doing practical, useful things thus far being spoiled, but he regained his composure easily enough. "We can do it," he nodded to Marissa, tangling his fingers with hers to squeeze gently. "Even if we live off meat and the occasional berry for a solid year, we can make it work."

Duncan smirked at his wife's statement, and slid an arm around her from where he sat, but that wasn't the whole story. Mara had suffered more than anyone from Stefan's cruelty, and Duncan was more than happy to spoil her now that they were free.

Marissa mirrored Emrys' smile, the love she felt for him obvious in her gaze as her fingers tangled with his. It was hardly likely they'd have to live off only meat and berries, but she had yet to tell him about her inheritance. "I doubt that will be necessary," she told him, a little shyly.

"I'd endure just about anything to stay with you, kitten," Emrys promised her softly, leaning close to gently touch his cheek to hers.

"Even my silly mood swings?" Marissa asked him, with a slightly bashful smile. She knew she'd been moody and she knew he probably didn't understand why, but maybe in time, it would pass. Every day they were together, she grew more comfortable with him, and was became more convinced that she didn't want to spend a single day without him. "We'll figure it all out, Em," she promised him, as she hugged him close, resting her head against his shoulder.

"Fix your problem?" she echoed, arching a brow as she lifted her head from his shoulder to look over at him. "What do you mean exactly?" she asked, wondering if he wanted to find a way to stay human or physically shift to wolf form.

"I don't know," he admitted thoughtfully. "Perhaps it isn't physically possible for me to shift into a wolf. If it was possible, that would be ideal. To be able to run with you on four legs ..." He smiled at the thought. "But if it isn't possible, then some way of removing the moon's influence over my mind when she's full would be better. To keep you safe from me in your own home, sweetling."

"You would do that for me?" she asked, coming to a halt where they were and turning to face him, her hands coming to rest against his arms. "You don't need to change because of me, Emrys. I love you as you are, but I don't like seeing you suffer," she added with a frown, remembering the pain and the anguish he had suffered the previous night. She could not imagine him going through that month after month for the rest of his life.

"Do you think I enjoy knowing that you are suffering with me?" he countered fondly, laying his hands comfortably at her waist. "I would risk everything for you, Marissa. I don't want you to have to watch that terrible change every month for the rest of our lives. If there is a way to fix me, one way or the other, I will take it."

"We will find a way together," she promised him, not for the first time. In the end, it was his choice to make, not hers, but she'd be there for him and stand behind him, no matter what choice he made. "I wanted to tell you ..." she started, that frown making itself known again. "About before ....What I said about romance. All I wanted to tell you was that I don't need to be romanced. I don't need flowers or presents or diamond engagement rings. All I will ever need is right here in front of me. All I ever want is you."

He absorbed this, letting her speak. It was clear now that they had been approaching the same thing from two very different mindsets, each one trying to steer the encounter toward some fantasy that could never be real for either of them. This was real - their honesty and intimacy with one another. "And what if I want to romance you?" he asked her, half-teasing. "Will you beat me with the flowers I give you, or should I just use them to decorate the pretty cake I'll make to apologize for even trying?"

She couldn't help but smile at his questions, amused even at his teasing now that their emotions were not so heightened by the events of the previous night. "If you want to romance me, I won't argue. And I certainly won't beat you with any flowers you try to give me, but do you understand what I'm trying to say' You don't have to do any of those things to win my love, Emrys. My heart belongs to you, and nothing you say or do will change that."

"I understand," he promised her, leaning close to brush a soft kiss to her lips. "What you feel for me, I feel for you. We still have much to learn about each other, sweetling, but we will learn it in time. And none of it will change my heart or my mind." He pulled her closer, leaning in to growl playfully against her lips. "You're stuck with me, get used to it."

She actually giggled as he pulled her close and growled against her lips. Making no move to resist him, her arms went about his neck, a soft smile on her face that was just for him. "Poor me. Whatever will I do?" she teased back, touching her nose to his.

"Grow pigs and raise cabbages with me forever," he suggested, glad to see her smiling and laughing in his company. One argument had not broken their trust in one another, or their enjoyment of one another. It was warming to know.

"Now that sounds romantic," she teased back, touching a fond kiss to his lips. "Come along, wolf. Let's go home before it gets dark." While the pigs and cabbages might not sound very romantic to someone else, it was the sound of forever that touched Marissa's heart, hoping that from this day forward neither of them would ever be lonely again.

A tiger and a wolf, both broken in their own way. Forever might seem too long for others, but for them' It was time enough to fix and mend, and love, until their cracks were gone and their lives done. And who knew" Perhaps their future held more than pigs and cabbages, after all.

((Another long one, but necessary! First argument sorted out, laying plans for the future ....here's hoping the inevitable "meet the mom" that's coming goes well! Huge thanks to my partner in crime, as always. :grin: ))