Grey hugged her close, "I say this peace is going to last for us......my time on the front lines....is done.......unless our family is endanger, I shall not pick up Midnight.....I shall remain with you....Livia.....our children.....and no one else.......I don't want to ever leave you again to take up the blade on the battlefield.....never again.........."

He saw the fear on her face, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

And despite the rakish wink she gave him he could see that she was now never going to look at him in the same way, never with the same relaxation, ease, and calmness again.
She was always going to fear him.

"Chastity," he said gently, not rising to her wink.

"You're the only woman - no... the only person in the whole world who can turn that darkness off. Who can change me back to the way I was before. I will not harm you. Ever. I'd die first. It's that simple. You chase my anger away, you warm me with your flames, you allow me to be calm. You are the most beautiful, gleaming, shining thing in the world. All my anger, all my hatred, all my darkness - that's directed at everyone else, everyone who would insult you, hurt you, hurt our child..."

Just talking about it caused the darkness to reenter his eyes, to the point where he was almost leaking dark energy all over the room.
But then he blinked hard and the thought of Chastity in his arms caused the darkness to vanish like he'd flipped a switch.

"You don't have to do anything. You don't have to do anything else other than exist. I'll handle the darkness. You focus on doing what you do best. Making me happy. And please..."

He rested his head on her chest, speaking into her, hearing her heartbeat.
"Tell me you know I'll never hurt you. Tell me you know I would never ever even so much as say a word if I thought it would upset you..."

serenity nodded
"i would very much like that, but what would you do if someone or something threatened us, our family? will you fight then"
she looked at him
"i would do whatever it took to protect what we have"


chastity looked at maw in the eyes she could see how much she affected him, and she remembered how he calmed him when he held the sword at her fathers throat
"yes, i trust that you wouldnt do anything to hurt me or our child"
she smiled
"i know you love me and would never do anything to hurt me, i just needed to hear it come from you"
she ran her hand across his cheek hoping it would sooth him

Grey held her close, "If anyone threatens us, if anyone tries to hurt our family, I'll crush them until there's nothing left of them.........."

"This is SUICIDE..."

"Element of...surprise... are you sure this is the right dimension, Dimaetar?"

"Positive. At least, according to the tome."

"Well, that tome had better be right, otherwise we are in for a shock. And, while we're discussing certainties, you're CERTAIN that she's in there?"

"More than positive. Her father stormed in the Order Room complaining about it. At the top of his voice. The rumors are definitely true, and if she's with an incubus, they are most definitely, certainly, and absolutely in this dimension."

"So... when do we go?"

"We wait. It's called tactics, Stephen."

"I know, I know that Apyrr. But..."

"Oh, quit your whining, Stephen, the plan is flawless! Look - what's the worst that can happen?"

"Her dad tears us to bits. The Elders kick us out. The incubus -"

"OH, COME ON! You're not telling me you're scared of a filthy blood rat incubus, are you!? And I told you - leave her dad to me. The Elders don't need to know a thing, not a thing. Now get your act together Stephen, or I promise you we'll feed you to the incubus!"

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry!"

"Good! Now, keep monitoring them, Dimaetar. Colcaes, Leos, get ready to get a good grip the moment it opens."

----------------------------------------------------------

Mawthrough breathed deeply, then visibly relaxed.

"Thank you."

And although he hadn't said anything else, all his love, his passion, his desire for her and his overwhelming need to see her safe was contained - and overflowed - in those two words.

Then he lay beside her and pulled her close to him, wrapping himself in her, giving her all of his body. His one wing faded as he rolled onto his back, keeping her on top of him, held in his arms.

"Tell me how I can prove it to you. Tell me how I can demonstrate that I love you so much that I'd die without you. In the other dimension, with Friend, through all the pain and the loneliness, the thought of you was what kept me going. The idea of you waiting for me forced me to survive. So tell me... how can I show you my love?"

He raised an eyebrow, looking exactly like the old Mawthrough used to...

serenity looked up at grey
"and i as well, anything to keep our family safe, and now thanks to my mother i have and even stronger weapon"




chastity looked at maw seeing his old self and it made her smile
"you dont have to prove to me anything i believe you, but if you insist i come up with a way, i can think of many different ways for you to show me"
she smirked then leaned in and kissed him

Grey nods, "As do I, and Livia as well, though Livia lost her voice, she has been given back so much......all I lost was the will to fight....for now.....I say peace is a worth price for such a thing....."

He leaned back, away from her lips - only to smile and stroke her face.

"God, you're insatiable... I can't be too rough with you because of... well..."

He reached down and felt her belly.
Then he looked up and smirked at her smirk.

"I have spent so long wanting to see that smirk, Chastity, and so long to do this... again... and again..."

He kissed her then, long and hard, before suddenly moving faster, his movements evolving in their savagery. A moment later, her clothes lay on the floor and she was naked on the bed before him.

He stared at her body as though he was seeing the face of God. Although he only worshiped one goddess...

"You... I'd forgotten... but... mine... all mine..."
He could barely talk, the words getting choked in his throat.

"I... want... to... take... you... so... much..."
He kissed her body, relishing her taste, looking up at her, asking for permission to do more...

-----------------------------------------------------

"Er..."

"Oh for...What now, Stephen?"

"I was just, wondering... this is, harmless, right? We're not going to, well, die, right?"

"Stephen, everything will be fine. She cooperates, she goes home, I get on the Elders, we win."

"Er..."

"WHAT!?"

"What... happens if she... doesn't, cooperate?"

"Stephen, there's no reason to worry. If she doesn't cooperate initially, we make her listen to reason. She can't hurt us, but we can hurt her. We won't, but there's no reason for her to know that."

"And... if she still doesn't?"

"Then we start using some magic, don't we..."

serenity nodded in agreement
"yes it is and livia is very lucky to be giving back what was taken from her, i am soo happy for her, we will eventually, but not too soon, be able to have grandchildren"

chastity was surprised at how fast her clothed had been removed, she looked at him with a smile as he looked upon her listening to his words asking for her permission, she nodded letting out a low groan as he kissed her
"yes, take me, im yours, love me, please maw"

Grey nodded, "Yes, though I don't know if I'll be able to contain myself from attacking the first young man she brings home, hehehehee.....now....my dear......would you like to......'go to bed'?" He lifted her up out of the water, cradling her almost.

The chains were snapped, the beast was unleashed, and Mawthrough went wild.

Kissing every single part of her for far longer than was necessary, with moans and growls accentuating it with his hands moving all over her, he almost exploded in his passion.

His lips flew around her body, until they eventually reached her lips - where the feel of them caused him to moan, arching his back, making him hold her tightly to him as their bodies rubbed together.

An instant later, they were in a shallow pool next to a waterfall, and Mawthrough was looking into her eyes again.

"Love me..." he pleaded, begging her.
"Love me..."

Their lips were inches apart, and he was underneath her now, she was lying on top of him.

"Show...me...you love me, please, I need to see it, to feel it, to feel you, I can't stop - please!"

serenity wrapped her arms around her husband
"yes i would very much like that"
she smiled
"i cant wait to be on our big soft bed"




chastity looked around at the scenery then back at maw
"is this the same waterfall as before?"
she smiled
"you want me to show you how much i love you?"
she leaned in and kissed him pouring all her love in the kiss, wrapping her arms around him giving into him

Grey softly kissed her neck as he carried her to their bedroom, "True, very true my dear, our lovely, soft bed my dear......" He carried her into their bedroom, and set her down softly upon the bed. He then crawled onto her, pressing softly against her.

In every sense she told him she was his.
And in every sense he responded - letting out a moan of sweet surrender to her, his own arms holding her body, the waterfall gently splashing his back, his body rubbing against hers, he let himself - let his tongue, his hands, his love - go utterly wild.

After what felt like a blissful reunion of their bodies after so long, almost eight solid hours - Mawthrough had a LOT of pent up lust - later, Mawthrough cradled her in his arms, utterly content.

"I am yours," he whispered.

During their love, they said so many things to each other. So many things that were all true. So many vows and pledges and declarations and pleas... but it was here, in the afterglow, when they both knew that whatever the other said was meant from the bottom of their soul.

And it was now that he spoke to her, holding her tight, reluctant to ever let her go.

"I am your pet. Command me, I obey, order me, I will do as you wish. You are my heart, and although I own your soul, I cannot command you - not in the way you can control me with just a word... please... "

He nuzzled her hair. "Let me be yours..."

serenity took in the comfort of the softness of the bed
"yes it is very soft"
she looked up at her husband and smiled wrapping her arms around his neck she leaned up and kissed him


upon hearing maw say he was her pet she shook her head
"i will only tell you to be yourself, you are not my pet and i will not command you, i cannot do as you ask"
she looked into his eyes
"just as you cannot demand me, i love you maw, you are my soul mate, my equal, not my pet, not someone for me to command"
she nuzzled against his chest
"you are mine, all that i ask is for you to keep being the person you are for me please"

Grey chuckled as he kissed her deeply, then asked, "Are you ready my dear, its been a while since we were able to do this?"

Whilst stroking her hair, he didn't miss a beat.

"Of course. Sorry. I will then be who I am for you every day. I promise."
He kissed the top of her head.
"Then all I shall be is yours... and you shall be mine..."

After a lengthy but blissful silence, in which Mawthrough simply held Chastity close to him and just... was for a few minutes, together, inseparable once more, Chastity on Mawthrough's chest rising and falling with his breath, Mawthrough reached round and gently placed his hands on her belly.

"Have you thought much about... our child?"

serenity nodded
""of course i am my love, i always am"



chastity was enjoying the sound of his heartbeat and breathing as she laid on maw chest, when she felt him place his hand on her belly she smiled and placed her hand on his and looked down at her belly
"hmm, i do all the time, i wonder if our child will be a boy or a girl, meeting he or she for the first time, holding our child in my arms, watching you hold our child"
she looks up a him
"do you?"

"Vampire hunting! Vampire hunting! Vampire hunting!",

The twins were happily chanting away as they geared up for their hunt,

"We must find Mr.Vampire again!",

"Yeah! And this time we should break off his legs so he cannot run away!"

"Great idea sis! If we break his arms he won't be able to shoot us, so lets do that too!"

"OH! OH! I know! If we break all his bones he will be much easier to look after!"

Mawthrough gave her a smile as he looked down at her belly, then up at her.

"Ever since I... gave you it, and fell into the portal, I thought of nothing else but you and our child. It's weird - before, I would have sworn up and down to anyone who asked that I could think of nothing else but you."

There was no coldness in his eyes, no darkness.

"But now... it's split. Divided between you and the child, yet at the same time I love you as much as I did before... more so now than ever. I didn't think it was possible to feel so much love..."

He turned his hand upwards so it was holding hers and squeezed it.
Then he looked sad, and looked away from her for a moment.

"I do have one regret, about all this, thanks to Friend. One thing I'll never be able to see, because of that bastard..."

He looked back at her, and although he tried to smile, he was still clearly upset about it.

"It's just... because I couldn't risk Friend detecting it, I had to get you pregnant without your knowledge, and... well... I wanted to tell you. I wanted to see the look, the light dancing, in your eyes when I revealed that this was the time you were going to get pregnant, and have our first child. It would have been one of the most amazing moments of my life, you would have been so happy..."

A tear fell.
He looked away.

"I wanted that so much but because of Friend, I missed that chance. I missed the chance to see you ecstatic, as happy as you could be, your beauty lit up, radiant, your body bursting with pleasure at the realization that you were going to be having a baby with me at the very instant of it's conception. I can't remember the last time I wanted something so badly. I'm going to regret that the rest of my life."

Then he looked back at her again, visibly trying to hold back tears.

"It's not fair!" he growled, looking at the ground.
"Why should you have to suffer? Why is it always you?"

He shook his head gently.

"I don't know... there's always a price to pay in the Nexus, and sometimes those prices are ones I don't ever want to pay. Like your tears. You should never cry, for any reason, ever. It hurt me to make that deal with her. And besides, I guess you're right. There will be other times, if you want there to be."

He looked into her eyes with one hand on her belly. Then he gave her a close gentle hug.
"I love you... so much. I know you know that, and it may seem cheesy. But after being away from you like that, being away from my family, my only family now, I will never do anything like that again."

He whispered in her ear.
"You make me feel wanted. Loved. I need you, it's like you're my heartbeat. What was it I said before I left?"

There was a pause as he struggled to remember.
Then...

"Ah... yes."

His hand moved hers to his chest and placed it over his scarred heart.
"It beats... only for you. You... alone..."