Chapter 12

It was the most romantic thing Hannah had ever seen.

Jack sat on the Gathering Room couch, right hand on the bare back of the woman he loved. His fingers moved slowly, tracing words, pictures, emotions. Sam leaned forward, shirt discarded onto the floor, giving him room. Her eyes never left his face, tears still glistening in the overhead lights. Jack's wondering, loving gaze moved between her, and the son she had given him. Little three month old Jay lay in Jack's lap, held awkwardly, tenderly. The babe slept, unaware he now had a father.

Hannah looked around the room. The squirrels had been sent back to their ship. The prisoner was in a storage room. Mary slept. The rest were here, quietly watching the newcomers. Waiting for the answers ... but not willing, yet, to disturb the new family with questions.

Except for one.

The warrior woman, Heather, slowly left the side of the wheelchair bound girl and walked to the couple. She knelt down before them, placing a hand on Sam's knee. The teen looked at the older girl in a daze. Heather smiled, not quite forced, not quite natural.

"Are the others with him?" She asked.

Hannah watched Jack and Sam exchange a wordless glance. Sam nodded, turning back to Heather, and the rest of them.

"My sister Polly, her baby, and the witch Wendy are maybe an hour's run south of here."

"Do they have the necklace?" Jack's expression became confused. "The spell books, then," Heather asked, voice strained. "Do they have the spell books that belonged to the warlock?"

He nodded. Heather's shoulders sagged in relief.

"Thank the goddess." Standing, she turned to Anthony. "I'm going to get them. I don't want to wait until tomorrow."

"Understood," he nodded. "Need anything from us?"

"No. I'm going alone."

"But!" Cathy rolled forward, eyes wide. Heather smiled.

"Stay here, Princess. Let your Knight do this one final task for you. Our quest will then be complete."

Heather took a half dozen steps into the night. On the seventh step, she stopped.

Sam had her man back.

She...

The idea of her, and Sam, had been foolish. Stupid. Heather was a peasant. Daughter of a drunkard. Owned by the Duke. Sam ... Sam was a strong, brilliant woman. She had crossed two continents. Crossed between worlds, by pure will, and the love for this man. And, he ... he had survived on this world, the only man, for a year. He was strong. Heather could see that. He was a fitting companion for a woman such as Sam. They would be happy...

She almost dropped to her knees. Almost cried. Almost did everything that proved she was unworthy of Sam.

Almost.

Heather still had a task. A quest. A promise unfulfilled. Princess Cathy WOULD walk. Petty thoughts of love were just a distraction. A weakness to be discarded. She was better than that. HAD to be better than that. To be otherwise would be to again prove she was unworthy of Cathy.

And Sam.

Forcing one foot, then the other, she walked towards the waiting horses. A door opened, then closed, behind her. She ignored it. Coming to the animals, she grabbed her saddle from its resting place, heaving it up onto her mare. A form moved up beside her.

"Here, let me help you with that."

Tammy bent down, fastening the saddle straps. Heather paused, conflicting feeling rising in her. Anger came up first.

"I can do this."

"I know," Tammy agreed. Her voice was soft. "You can. But I think some backup wouldn't hurt. We don't let anyone go anywhere alone." She stood, tugging on the saddle. "There. It's been awhile, but it looks like I remember most of it."

Heather wasn't in the mood to be reasonable, but that comment distracted her.

"You can ride?"

"In theory," Tammy chuckled. "I did horseback riding for a few summers in Girl Scouts. It's been a couple years, though. With luck, remembering how to ride isn't like falling off a horse." The woman looked at Heather, smiling apologetically. "Sorry. Chuck has corrupted most of us, humor wise." She looked around. "You have four saddles, right? Good. Let's get moving."

Heather watched as Tammy grabbed Sam's saddle, moving towards Brownie. Was her inability to stop this woman a sign of weakness, or ... a sign of growing friendship? Or were they one in the same?

Later. They had things to do. Gathering herself, Heather grabbed another saddle.

"Where are they riding to?"

Kik put down the collection of leaves he'd gathered, moving over next to Lil. He followed her gaze down. Two of the human women, one of them Heather it looked like, were riding away with two extra horses in tow. He shook his head.

"No idea, Love."

He did know, actually. Kik had swooped over and had a quick talk with Heather as they mounted up. Now was not the time to bother his mate with such things, though. More important matters were at hand.

Lil sat back in the nest, trying to get comfortable. Kik had done his best with the structure, using strong sticks for the frame and the softest leaves to line it. He had never built a nest before, never had to deal with the intended results of a mating. His instincts were good, though. Lil, belly large, soon sighed as she settled in the exact center of the bowl. He handed her a few more leaves.

"Do you need more?" he asked, voice worried. "I have the tree marked. It's a bit far, but..."

"These will do," she replied. Taking them, she lifted up a touch and added them to the mass under her nude bottom. Her sigh was even more content as she sat back down. "Mmm ... Mother never told me how good a soft seat felt."

"Think the Queen would approve of this location?" Kik looked around the roof. He had wanted to keep them close to the humans, not trusting himself to be the sole defender of the nest on this strange world. The leeward side of the dining hall chimney had seemed a reasonable spot, keeping his new Queen out of the wind, and much of the rain. They lacked the cover of branches overhead, but perhaps he could talk to the humans about making something if the sun became too much for his love. Lil let out a slight groan of pain, then chuckled.

"Anything within a day's flight of humans would be unthinkable to her. Our offspring will be raised differently."

Kik reached in, placing a hand against the stretched black skin of her belly. He could feel them, the rounded shapes of the eggs.

"Tomorrow, you think?" he asked, softly. She closed her eyes.

"Tonight. Before day break. Stay with me?"

Violating an eternity of tradition, Kik stepped into the nest, dropping down beside her.

"Always..."

Jack closed his eyes as Sam closed the door to the small bedroom. To say he was confused, disoriented, and unsure what the hell was going on would be to overlook how bone tired he felt. That, more than anything, fogged his mind. The rest, he was sure, could be comprehended in the morning. It couldn't be THAT complicated.

"I don't know," Sam's voice said, coming closer, "how long it will take Heather to find the others. I'll want to be there when Polly arrives."

He nodded. The mattress under him was soft. The first soft thing he had felt since the Witch had torn him from ... had he heard right? This wasn't their world? They were trapped here, never to see any of the cities or towns from their old life?

Someone climbed onto the mattress. Opening his eyes, Jack saw Sam kneeling beside him. She was nude, body slim, muscular. The triangle of black between her legs beckoned, his hand reaching up to touch the silky hair.

He had Sam, and a son. Who needed that other world?

"Oh, Jack..." She was down beside him, on her side, his own body turning to match hers. His hand moved up to her soft cheek, her own touching his. They had known each other for ... a week? Had it even been that long? Yet, he had known her a lifetime. Every space in his mind wiped clear of memory by the witches, she had filled. Jack moved closer, his nose touching hers.

"Jack..." Sam's voice was low, husky, cracking. "I never looked at anyone else. I never want anyone else. Just you. You. I want to give you more sons. Daughters. I want to be your wife, forever."

Wife.

His wife.

Slowly, he traced out his reply on her cheek, taking his time with each letter. Her eyes widened with each stroke.

"You are."

Sam lowered herself onto her husband.

If pleasure had been the goal, she could have waited. Given Jack time to rest, allowed both of them the time to slowly make love. This ... this was the re-consummation of their marriage. This was the act that made them man and wife.

Slowly, she began to move. He filled her, completely, emotionally as well as physically. Each upward stroke brought a half sobbing sigh from her, each downward push a groan as her body reclaimed its mate.

"Never leave me, Jack ... never leave me..."

Jack's body shifted under her. His hands shot up to her head, drawing her down into a fierce kiss. Their bodies rolled, Sam finding herself under him. Her legs shifted, making room, wrapping around him as he began thrusting wildly. The thrusting suddenly stopped ... and she felt it. Felt him.

He was giving of himself to her. Giving her life, life that could lead to a child. Their child.

"Jack..."

They fell asleep in each other's arms, and hearts.

Tammy thanked whatever gods were on this world, or even in this universe, that her mount was a calm one. It had, indeed, been years since she had ridden. Already her body was protesting a bit, muscles bitching at being used at angles they weren't used to. If she had been hetero, maybe years of riding on top of a guy would have helped here. She and Nona never found themselves in that position, however.

The half moon and the stars gave the pair some light. She had grabbed some flashlights, just in case, but was wary of using too much tech in front of the newcomers. So far, they were adjusting well. There was no need to frighten them.

"What, exactly," she asked the back of Heather, "does this necklace do?"