Parents: Deceased  

Next of Kin: N/A

As she hit the Page Down key, the connection terminated and the screen when black as the system shut down. When Jacob had said there was a lot of misery in Julian's past, he should have said a lot of pain as well. That medical summary would make anyone cringe, but the last section of it had come as a shock to her. She'd never sensed any indication of that timeline in his mind and wondered what a 'Full or Level 5 debreifing' might have entailed. Her chest felt tight when she picked up his note and read it again, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes. Whatever was in his past, nothing could scare her any more than the thought of not having him in her future.

* * *

The freeway traffic was light on the drive back to her apartment. Dropping an armload of junk mail accumulated over the last few days onto the coffee table, she checked the answering machine. Only one message, her neighbour Ann, wondering where she'd disappeared to this time. In the past two years she'd suffered through countless abominable double dates as Ann tried to play matchmaker. Wondering just how far into orbit her friend would go if she were to tell her she was flying to England to meet Julian she decided it was best not to mention him. 

Sorting through the mail she discarded most of it unread and made out checks to pay the remaining bills. Her spider plant looked rather the worse for neglect so she picked it up and took it with her to Ann's apartment. 

"Arianna, you're back!" her friend squealed when she answered the door. 

"Not for long. Can I ask you to plant-sit again?"

"Sure, come in for a cup of coffee."

Ann's apartment was a mirror image of her own, but as a freelance photographer she'd converted part of it into a darkroom. There were strings of drying pictures everywhere. As they sat at the kitchen table over coffee Ann was bursting with questions.

"So spill it, where have you been, and with whom? I want all the details."

"Hastings on the Hudson, just looking after a sick friend, not much to tell really," she fibbed.

"And where to next?"

"England, leaving tonight, I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. If I leave you the box key, would you pick up the mail for me too?"

"Of course I will. Is tall, dark, and mysteriously handsome going with you?"

Arianna hated the way Ann had called him that since she first saw him, but supposed it was her own fault for not introducing them before the weekend in Maine. "No, he's not going with me." Since he was already there, she wasn't really telling a lie.

After spending almost an hour with Ann, Arianna went back to her own apartment and pulled out her suitcase. Adding the new clothes from the Hastings shopping trip to what she kept packed for unexpected travel, she looked into the closet to see what else she might want for a stay of unknown length in England. Taking out a tweed blazer she neatly folded it to fit across the top of the bag, and threw in a couple of extra pullovers.

From the bottom drawer of her dresser, she pulled out a package neatly wrapped in tissue paper. It had been a Christmas gift from Ann last year with a tag that read, "Save for a special occassion." Opening the tissue she unfolded a long sleeping gown with spaghetti straps and a slit up the front. Her fingers stroked the paper thin white silk before carefully refolding it into the tissue and adding it to the suitcase. Zipping the case closed, she looked at her watch, it was only 3pm. Waiting for the late flight was going to make this the longest day on record.

* * *

He tried to read, but found himself looking at the same paragraph over and over. Closing his eyes and reclining the back of seat 3A, he tried to sleep but kept thinking about her. Wondering, had she found his note yet? Was she angry that he'd left without waking her to say goodbye? If he had, he couldn't have said it. Would she come over on the flight tomorrow? It had only been a few hours since he'd left her at the house, but already, he missed her. The next 24 hours were going to be the longest on record.

The early morning flight landed at 8pm. With his luggage in the boot of a rental car, he pulled onto the M4 and headed for London. He needed to see his solicitor before heading down to the country and 'home' so would have to spend the night in town.

After a fitful night's sleep in his company flat overlooking Chelsea harbour, Julian was awake at the crack of dawn. He again rang the caretaker at the house and then paced the floor until it was late enough to go to Abercrombie's and tie off those loose ends. Before leaving the solicitor's office, he rang the airline office to see if she'd picked up her ticket. His stomach was in a knot as he waited for the clerk to check the computer.

* * *

Arianna couldn't stand it any longer, waiting at home was nervewracking. At least at the airport she might feel as though she was on her way. She picked up her portable CD player and the handful of titles she'd borrowed from Julian's collection and stuffed them into her bag. Hooking the carry-on bag onto the handle of her rolling suitcase and taking her coat, she locked the apartment door and headed for the garage at 6:30pm.

The city traffic was horrendous - what should have been only a half hour drive took four times that, and she ended up right on time for the first class pre-boarding. After takeoff, when the announcement said it was safe to use personal electronics, she flipped through the CDs in her bag. Not having heard much Celtic music before, she'd borrowed Enya, Loreena McKennett and Celtic Twilight, along with Kate Bush and a Sarah McLachlan. Her first choice was 'The Celts'. With her head back and eyes closed, she could see his face to the eerie sounds of ulean pipes, harp, and Enya's voice.

* * *

He'd already had 3 cups of tea, and walked the whole circuit of the airport shopping mall twice. It was still another hour before her plane was due to land. The airline clerk had confirmed that the ticket had been picked up, but couldn't confirm whether she's actually boarded the plane. Somewhere from a dark corner of his mind, he had a vague sense of once getting off a flight just before takeoff, and felt icy cold. *What if she wouldn't join him?* Taking a third trip around the shopping mall, he stopped to purchase a small bear made of Liberty print fabric and tucked it into his coat pocket.

While he was watching the arrivals board, there was a gate change at the last minute. Instead of gate B12, the plane from New York was now arriving at gate C32, in only 5 minutes. Hurrying toward the other terminal, his heart was pounding.

* * *

As the flight attendant cleared the breakfast trays, Arianna slipped 'Surfacing' into the CD player and watched anxiously out the plane window for signs of land. She'd liked every one of his CDs. The tracks 'Lady of Shalott' and 'Sensual World' had reminded her of Julian, but there was one line in 'Building a Mystery' that described him perfectly.

After they'd landed and taxied to the terminal she was one of the first passengers off the plane, but he wasn't there. Not sure of where to go now, she set her bags down and put on her coat. When she looked up, she couldn't believe how her heart raced as she saw him coming across the terminal. He looked like the working Julian 7 again, in a dark grey Armani suit and his tan trench coat, but his eyes sparkled when he spotted her, and that smile took her breath away. When he got close, he pulled her into a tight embrace, saying, "I wasn't sure you'd come," in a voice that sounded as though he'd been running.

Pulling her head back to look into his eyes she smiled and said, "Then you don't know me as well as you thought." Suddenly, his lips were on hers. The sensation was so intense, she felt like she was coming apart right there in his arms. She had no idea how long they were there together in the terminal, time could stand still for all she cared. When he stepped back and turned to pick up her suitcase, she came partway back down to reality but trying to catch her breath was a struggle as they walked through the airport. She couldn't stop smiling as they left airport in his Citroen rental car.

"Where are we going?" she asked eagerly.

"To the country southwest of here, back to my family home."

They drove along the M4 motorway for nearly an hour before turning off onto smaller roads that wound through the most beautiful landscapes she'd ever seen. There were small groupings of sheep grazing here and there. Hedgerows and woodlands, meadows and fields. Passing through a quaint little town, a huge Abbey loomed up on the top of a hill. About 5 miles outside town, they turned in through an elaborate wrought iron gate and in the distance she could see a hugh red stone manor house that looked like what she'd always imagined for Rochester's house in Jane Eyre. Julian turned right, off of the drive leading to the house, and brought the car to a stop beside a small fieldstone cottage near the main gate.

"This is it," he said. As they got out of the car, a short, balding man came out from the house dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt, and a work jacket. In his hand was a dark green duffle bag that he dropped on the front doorstep. The smile on his face went from one of his huge sticking out ears to the other, making him look something like Mickey Mouse.

"Bless my soul if it isn't Master Julian!" the man exclaimed shaking hands vigorously as he winked at Julian. "I nearly fainted down dead when ye rang last night, how long has it been?"

"Almost 20 years. Marcus, let me introduce Arianna. Arianna, this is Marcus. He's been groundskeeper here since before I was born." She shook hands with the grinning man.

"I'm afraid we dinna have time to get any of the main house cleaned up for ye. But I'm going to stay in town with me daughter so ye have the cottage as long as ye like."

"How is Sarah?" Julian asked.

"Great, she just give me a second grandaughter last week. Your coming home is perfect timing, it gives me an excuse to stay with her and help out with the youngens."

"Congratulations, and thanks."

As Marcus dropped his bag into the back of a small pickup truck, he turned to ask "Miss Arianna, do ye ride?"

"I haven't in years, but yes I can," she answered.

"Master Julian, I've a surprise in the stable if ye'd care to come with me for a minute. "

"Want to come along?" Julian asked holding his hand out to her. He was pleased she could ride. One of his favourite spots was the perfect place for weaponry and combat training but totally inaccessible by car. She put her hand in his and smiled as they followed Marcus across the grass toward the stable.

When they entered the building and came to the two occupied stalls, Julian froze. She could feel through his hand that his heart skipped a beat as he looked at the delicate black horse. Her coat was so shiny, it looked like polished ebony and her eyes were bright green. His grip on her hand tightened as he whispered, "It can't be."

"She's no ghost." Marcus chuckled at the look of utter astonishment on Julian's face.

"How?" was all he managed to get out.

"Daughter. Your yearly retainer has been generous enough to allow me to keep her and one other in the hope ye'd come back someday. Remembering what Onyx meant to ye as a youngun, I couldn't bear to see her only offspring sold off with the rest. She's a gentle little thing, nowhere near as stubborn as her mother."

Julian closed his eyes and shook his head, he could barely breathe but managed to whisper, "Thank you Marcus."

"Well, I'll be off then. Make yeselves to home, there's wood for the fire, plenty of food, and the beds are fresh made. If ye need anything, just come into town to find me. "

While Julian, still in shock, just stood there looking at the black Arabian, Arianna went to see the horse in the next stall. It was a large, dappled grey gelding. Noticing the name on the stall door read 'Finnegan', she looked back to the other stall and saw the name 'Jade'. Curious to have visitors, the grey came to the stall door and she held her hand out for him to sniff before gently patting his soft muzzle.

"You've had a long flight, are you tired? Julian finally asked as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Not really, what did you have in mind?"

"Let's get settled in the cottage, then maybe a quick tour of the town and some pub food?"

"Sounds great."

The cottage was lovely. The outer door opened into a very cozy main room. Decorated with rustic wood furniture and warm colours, it had the look and feel of a ski lodge. At the left was a small kitchen and eating area and the door to a small bath. To the right, on either side of an enormous stone fireplace were open doors to two bedrooms, one dark colour, one light.

Remembering the fear he'd sensed in her yesterday, he put down her suitcase to let her decide which room she wanted. With a slightly embarassed smile, she took it to the light colour room as he took his to the dark one. Between the two bedrooms was a larger bath, accessible from either side. He could hear her splashing water on her face from the sink basin as he changed his suitcoat and tie for an blue aran knit sweater.

They spent the afternoon visiting an assortment of local landmarks, beginning with the Abbey, a magnificent structure with some of the most beautiful stained glass windows she'd ever seen. He'd saved his favourite place for last. Just before sunset, they stopped at a set of standing Druid stones. The seven vertical stones towering at least twelve feet high, were spaced around the perimiter of a large circle. In the center stood a huge square stone Julian explained was believed to have been used as an altar.

"This was my safe place as a child. When everything went wrong or I was terribly upset, I'd come here. There was an energy only I seemed to be able to feel. My brother thought I was insane."

She watched him as they moved inside the circle of stones, he looked like he was choking something back. It was the first time she'd ever heard him mention a brother yet his dossier listed next of kin as not available. "Your brother?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, he ah, drowned when I was eleven." Clearing his throat and changing the subject, he continued, "Jacob has great faith in the power of these stones. Can you feel anything?"

"Yes, but I can't quite describe it."

He moved to a spot in the circle on the other side of the altar from where she stood. Taking a deep breath, he tried to reach out to her mind. Her eyes suddenly widened as he watched her surprised expression.

"I could feel your thoughts, even though we weren't touching. How?"

"Jacob was right," he smiled. "The power of the stones increases the depth of our connexion." They stood next to each other and watched the sun go down, each sensing the other's mind. Two thoughts seemed to prevail, how very happy they both were that she'd come, and how good the 'pub food' was going to taste. Neither of them had eaten since early this morning.

The Black Lion Pub was crowded and noisy, but had a separate dining area at the back. They placed their orders from the chalkboard menu, one order of fish and chips, and one jacket potato with prawns and a green salad, then found a table in a quiet corner. He was nursing a pint of stout, while she sipped a warm gingerale.

"What are you brooding over Julian?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

"Oh, sorry. Just wondering if I did the right thing this morning."

"Can you tell me what it was?"

"It's nothing secret, I sold the house and it's contents to the town, it's to be a library. I just kept the parcel of five acres surrounding the cottage and the stables."

"That's wonderful for the town, but you're giving up your home."

"It hasn't been my home since I was 12." She heard the pain in his voice as their food arrived, but he quickly changed the subject to local history and other trivialities.

They lingered over a pot of tea after their meal. It was quite late before they returned to the cottage and they were both a bit jet-lagged. When they kissed goodnight by the fireplace she could feel a strange sadness in him but couldn't grasp it's origin.

Having grown quite fond of sleeping in his pyjama top she'd brought it from home. Back at his house, it made her feel closer to him. But tonight, as she crawled into bed there was a different feeling, and it wasn't coming from the blue and white striped fabric.

Since their visit to the ringstones, she'd been catching brief thoughts from Julian every now and then, but now she was caught by the strange sadness in him. It was almost like a phantom, there but not there. Closing her eyes and concentrating harder than ever before, she could feel him peacefully sleeping. As she searched for the origin of the sadness, she found a dark corner in his mind that seemed to be absorbing everything that came near it. She tried to reach into the dark but there was nothing there, just a void. Carefully, she pulled her toughts away so as not to disturb his pleasant dreams. Dreams that made her smile as she rolled over and went to sleep herself.

Arianna woke up early, slightly disoriented and unaccustomed to the time difference. Pulling on slacks and a shirt, she went toward the kitchen to make a cup of tea.

"Good morning." Julian said. She stopped and looked around but could't see him anywhere. When she crossed the living room she saw him crouched down looking into the under counter refrigerator at an assortment of fruits and vegetables. On the bottom shelf, he found what he was looking for. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he stood up behind the kitchen counter.

"A little, what have you found?"

"Crumpets," he beamed, "I haven't had them in years." Popping the strange, ivory colour, spongy looking rounds underneath the broiler, he found a tin of orange marmalade in the cabinet. The tea was already steeping.

"What's up for today?" she asked, as she checked the teapot and poured their mugs, adding just sugar to hers, and just milk to his.

"I thought we might explore the house. There are some small things I want to keep."

A few minutes later when he pulled the crumpets out they were toasted to a lovely golden brown on top. Smeared with fresh butter and marmalade, they were delicious.

* * *

"Don't expect too much, it's stood empty nearly 20 years. No one's lived here since Mother died," he said as he unlocked the massive front door.

Sheets covered most of the furniture and there was a fine coating of dust over everything, but the grandeur the place had in it's day was still easy to see. There were enormous oil paintings all along the carved wood staircase leading up from the foyer to the second floor. He led her first to a large cozy library near the back of the house. His den at the house in Hastings was a miniature version of this one.

Hanging above the mantle was a portrait of a beatiful dark haired woman wearing a long, flowing, apricot colour dress and seated in one of the library chairs. Standing beside her were two young boys. Arianna moved to take a closer look as he went to the desk. Guessing their ages to be about 6 and 10, she thought she recognised the sad eyes on the younger one and turned suddenly to look at Julian.

He'd been watching for her reaction and said, "I was 7, he was 13 when that was done." Picking up a long narrow wooden box with rounded ends and brass fittings, he opened both the hinged lid and the small drawer, then closed them again and turned the small key saying, "This was Grandfather's pencil box." Moving to the mantle, he picked up what looked like a solid block of wood with inlaid patterns all around it. He took the two things with him when they left the room, and set them down on a table near the front door.

The dining room table had twenty four chairs around it all shrouded in dust cloths. Around the room, hung high near the ceiling were more ancestral portraits. From the clothing she could see that they probably ranged from the early 1600's to present day. All the faces were interesting, but following the progression through the years she could see Julians distinctive cheekbones and angular jaw crop up every few generations. One of the older paintings showed a man, about Julian's age, wearing a dark red velvet coat with a white lace stock tie under his chin, he held a black hat under one arm. The likeness was uncanny, right down to the piercing green eyes.

Before they knew it, it was past noon and they went back to the cottage for a bite of lunch. "Do you like cucumber sandwiches? There's tomato and cheese if you prefer," he asked as he went to the kitchen.

"Either one sounds interesting. Surprise me." Plopping down on the sofa, she picked up the inlaid block he'd brought back from the house. Each side held intricate geometric patterns created from tiny pieces of exotic woods. It was exquisite.

"See if you can open it," he teased.

She shook it, but it felt like a solid block. Open it? That was all the challenge her puzzle-freak mind needed. Carefully examining each side, she pressed here and there but nothing happened. When he glanced up from cutting the cucumber into paper thin slices he smiled to see the look of a child with a new toy on her face.

Bringing a tray of sandwiches and pitcher of ice water over to the coffee table, he sat back into the other corner of the sofa and watched her turn the block over and over in her hands, waiting to show her the secret of the Chinese puzzle box. In just a few minutes, she squealed with delight as the end panel slid aside and the small compartment on the opposite end popped open.

She could see surprised amusement in his eyes as he handed her a glass and said, "Remind me never to hide anything important in one of those."

They ate quickly and returned to the house, spending most of the afternoon on the second floor. When they came to a closed door at the end of the hallway, she realised they'd been in only one side of the house the whole time.

"This wing of the house was closed off when I was young. Grandfather relocated to Hong Kong, and we didn't need the extra space," he explained as he opened the door.

They found Grandfather's bedroom first. The room was dominated by an enormous bed with four elaborately carved corner posts supporting a canopy and curtains of dark red velvet. For having been closed so long, there was very little dust. As she watched him move slowly around this room their deepened connexion kicked in again, she could feel his emotions clearly and see the memories he was trying to hide.

He'd worshipped his grandfather. Always travelling, he would come home often with fabulous tales of far away places. Tales that were like a drug to a young boy. Where his father was cold and distant toward him, Grandfather always found time for a story, or to play out an imaginary adventure with the boy. He'd felt betrayed and devastated when his idol moved to Hong Kong the year he turned seven. When he let out a deep sigh and turned to face her, she could see in his eyes that he knew she'd shared the memory before he blinked, and quickly looked away.

"I need to find the keys to the attic, feel free to explore anywhere you want, I'll be right back." She wanted to reach out to him as he turned and headed for the staircase but he was gone too quickly.

Moving further along the hallway she came to a nursery that must have been left just as it was when he was a child. There were twin beds and toys of every sort young boys could possibly have imagined. Two cricket bats stood against the wall in one corner. In her mind, she could picture a young Julian riding the rocking horse as he pretended it was a real steed. All these years, she'd been able to convince herself she didn't care about not being able to have children of her own, until now. As silent tears rolled down her cheeks, he came up behind her and lightly put his hand against her back. On the stairs, he'd sensed the pain she felt looking at the nursery, and had come back. She tried to turn away from him but he wouldn't let her. Putting his arm around her, he turned her to face him and brushed the tears away with his thumb.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing, it's foolish," she sniffed. He could feel the churning emotions in her but decided not to push. She'd tell him if she was ready and he didn't want to do anything to scare her beyond the fear that was already present. She moved away from him and went back to the cottage alone.

Four books, two wooden boxes, and a crystal orb with a brass stand were all Julian brought from the house as darkness settled over the cottage. She was sitting curled into one corner of the couch reading. They enjoyed a light dinner of Chicken caesar salad with a bottle of white wine, but both seemed pre-occupied and lost in thought. Hardly a word was spoken. When she came near him by the fireplace he took hold of her arms and softly said, "I'm sorry the nursery upset you so much."

She tried to choke back the lump in her throat and stared at the floor. "Julian, I can't ...."

He pulled her close and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Ssssh, it's alright, I read your file, I know. It doesn't matter, nothing else matters now," he whispered in her ear. And in truth, it didn't. He'd known all along that his line of work didn't lead to the nice quiet home with a wife, 2 children, and a dog. All he cared about now was having her with him, nothing else mattered. When she looked up at him, and they stared long into each other's eyes, he could tell she knew that now, and kissed her softly.

Her stomach was full of butterflies as she slipped into the white silk gown. There'd been an invitation and promise of things to come in his kiss. If ever there was a special occassion, she knew this would be it. When she pushed open the unlatched door to his bedroom, he was waiting for her. Standing by the bed in just pyjama bottoms he looked like a fine marble sculpture. But she knew the touch of his skin was a far cry from the cold surfaces of marble.

* * *  

The outlines of her body showed through the paper thin white sleeping gown as she came to him. Wrapping her arms around his chest their lips came together in a soft kiss. "You're all that matters to me now," he whispered. Placing his arm behind her shoulders he gently lowered her to the bed and lay down beside her, exploring with his fingertips.

A familiar electric tingle raced through her body with each touch of his hands. Probing his thoughts once again, she reached an untapped area he kept hidden and gasped at the intensity there. "How can you live with all that pain inside?" she whispered.

"What other choice do I have? he asked, softly kissing the side of her neck. "I either live with it or put my gun to my head. I almost tried that once." He felt her shock and horror at the thought and nuzzled behind her earlobe.

"So you try to live your life emotionless and cold, never letting yourself get close to anyone for fear of betrayal." She looked into his eyes and lightly stroked the side of his face.

Julian sucked in his breath. God, no-one had ever known him like she did, it was no wonder he wanted to keep her with him so desperately. "That was before I met you."

Sliding a hand around her waist, he pulled her closer to him and felt her body stiffen. She was afraid of him - no, he searched her mind, not him, she was afraid of what he was about to do.

"You've never done this before, have you?" He was a bit surprised but at the same time please, and highly aroused.

"Are you sure you want me t.....?" She hushed his question with a kiss that told him all he needed to know. As she arched against him, a white-hot desire claimed them both. He couldn't wait any longer, he settled himself between her lega, with most of his weight supported on his elbows. Spreading her thighs farther apart, he slowly began to penetrate her. When he heard her sharp intake of breath, he froze. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked raggedly.

She was trembling with desire, yet the ache he was causing made the pleasure and the pain blend into such confusing feelings. "No" she shook her head, she didn't want him to stop.

With one powerful thrust, he fully embedded himself inside her. She cried out in pain as he covered her lips with a deep kiss. Feeling her pain himself, he went completely still trying to give her time to adjust to him, trying, too, to give himself time to gain control. The sweet torture of holding still inside her made him throb with pain and he worried that it would increase her discomfort.

Whe she opened her eyes to look at him, his expression showed concern. A fine sheen of perspiration covered his brow andhis jaw was clenched tight. She thought he must be in as much pain as she was and moved her hands up his back. As his forehead dropped to rest on hers, he shuddered and closed his eyes against the sweet torment of her.

"Try to relax," he sounded like he'd run a marathon. The grim expression on his face when he looked at her again almost frightened her as his hand moved down between their joined bodies. "Don't be afraid." His fingers knew just where to stroke. When his thumb brushed against her most sensitive spot, she almost came off the bed.

Julian forced himself to stay completely still until she'd adjusted to him. When she slowly arched up against him once more, he partially withdrew, then drove back into her again. Her thighs clenched him tight as her toes curled against the backs of his legs. Her nails dug into his shoulder blades, and when she pulled her knees up so that she could take him deeper inside herself, his control snapped. Thought he'd vowed to be gentle with her, his thrusts became more and more powerful, more out of control.

The pressure building inside her was unbearable. Wave after wave of intense pleasure spiraled through her body until she was shaking with need for fulfillment. When she felt she was about to explode, her body squeezed him tight and she cried out his name just as he found his own release. The energy of their shared climax was shattering.

She thought she might have died, yet her heart was pounding so furiously she knew she was still alive. When Julian collapsed against her, she could sense he was feeling much the same way. She was blissfully exhausted and throughly astonished by what had just happened as he wrapped his arms around her and rolled to his side.

He'd never lost all control before. But then again, he'd never experienced anything like this. The combined energy and sensations of their joined thoughts and feelings was overwhelming, and wonderful. Completely exhausted, he wanted to stay awake and enjoy the feeling of holding her close sometime longer, but they were both asleep in no time.

When she woke up curled against his side he was watching her. She stretched back lazily into the warm feel of his arm around her shoulders. The dull ache was a pleasant reminder of what they'd shared last night. "How do you feel this morning?" he asked softly.

"Words cannot describe..." They both laughed.

"Feel up to a short ride, and some self-defense training?"

"I will - after a hot bath and some breakfast." She traced her fingers down the coils of an imaginary spiral on his chest.

"Sounds like a plan," he smiled. "Want me to wash your back for you?"

Suddenly feeling very self-conscious and vulnerable, she felt the colour rise in her cheeks and said, "I think I can manage thanks, but you can have a rain check for another time," as she got out of the warm bed.

"I'll hold you to that," he grinned.

As she soaked neck deep in the tub of steaming bubbles she couldn't believe the way she felt. No amount of imagination could ever have prepared her for the sheer ecstacy of being with him.

Towelling off and dressing in jeans and a black bulky sweater, she ran a comb through her hair and was ready for food. He'd found muslix in the cabinet and was slicing strawberries into the cereal bowls when she came out to the living room. His hair was curly and damp from washing up in the small bath off the kitchen. She smiled to see that Julian 7 had a casual side afterall, she'd never seen him in jeans and a flannel shirt before.

After they ate, they went to the stable and Julian saddled the horses. He'd made sandwiches while she was getting dressed and packed them into his saddlebag. "Marcus claims Finnegan is as docile as they come, you shouldn't have any trouble with him."

He linked his fingers together to give her a leg up, then turned to mount Jade. She'd forgotten when she was last on a horse but it came back to her quickly, and the grey was very co-operative. They trotted off across an open field headed for another of Julian's favourite childhood spots. Working their way through a wooded path, they came to a stretch of rough ground and had to slow to a walk. It was difficult going for about 15 minutes but the end result was worth it.

At the end of the rocky trail was a glade surrounding a pond at the base of a small waterfall. Completely enclosed in trees, it looked like the type of spot you'd find Robin Hood and his merry men. As Julian dismounted and tied Jade's reins to a tree, she slid down off the grey and did the same.

Moving to a large grassy area at the right side of the pond, he was grinning like the Cheshire cat. "What are you up to?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he said innocently, "I just want to see if you can take care of yourself in a fight."

She put up a better struggle than he'd expected as he tried various forms of attack throughout the morning. When he grabbed her arms, she twisted away quickly or stomped on his foot to make him let go, she'd almost bitten him twice.

After they'd been at it for awhile, he put up his hands to call a truce, and went over to the bank to splash a handful of water on his face. The pond was crystal clear, just the way he remembered it. On the smooth surface of the water, he saw her playful reflection come up behind him just in time to roll back and knock her down, before she could push him into the pond. They both lay on the soft grass laughing.

Fetching the lunch from his horse, they ate lounging on the grass in the warm afternoon sunlight.

"Are you glad you came?" he asked, offering her a large berry.

"Do you have to ask?" she teased, playfully biting it from his fingers.

"No, I don't," he shook his head.

When he got to his feet, he held out a hand to her. There was a wry smile on his face as he pulled her to her feet saying, "One more lesson."

"If someone attacks you from behind, what would you do?" He put his arm around her neck, pulling her back against him. It took her by surprise at first, but with one quick movement, she grabbed his arm, took a step forward to pull him off balance, and used her back and shoulder to flip him to the ground.

A look of amazement crossed his face. As he tried to catch the breath the fall had knocked out of him, he gasped, "Where on earth did you learn that?"

"I used to watch too much television," she shrugged, offering him a hand up. "I loved the Avengers. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Mrs. Peel."

He accepted her hand but instead pulled her down and rolled over on top of her. With her hands pinned to the ground beside her head and their faces only inches apart he grinned, "Okay, Emma, so now what would you do?"

As he saw her eyes turn the familiar violet colour, she raised her knee just enough for him to realise she could hurt him if she wanted to. He released her hands and cupping the sides of her face with his own, kissed her, hard. Her arms wrapped around his neck as a wave of electricity tingled over every inch of her body. The passion they'd shared last night wasn't long forgotten. When their lips parted she took a breath and asked, "What else are you going to teach me today?"

He laughed and rolled off to sit beside her. "I think that's enough for today. You've taught me not to underestimate the power of television, and a clever mind." When they mounted the horses to head back to the cottage, Jade seemed restless. The sky was beginning to fill with dark clouds.

They were working their way back across the rough ground when ahead of him, Julian saw the horse stumble as it stepped into a hole, throwing Arianna off over its head. The grey was standing off to the side, seemingly unharmed when he caught up to them, but Arianna was lying very still in a heap on the ground. Julian jumped out of the saddle and knealt beside her. A purple bruise was forming on her forehead as he carefully felt for broken bones. When he touched her right wrist, she moaned in pain and opened her eyes, moving her other hand to her forehead.

"What happened?" she asked, very shaken and confused.

"Your horse stumbled - are you alright?" he tried to look into her eyes for signs of concussion but her eye colour had gone dark purple and it was hard to see the black pupils.

"I think so, except my wrist feels broken, and......" she didn't finish.

"And what?" he begged.

"Who are you?, or more to the point, who am I?"

"Bloody hell. We'd better get you to hospital." Tearing his handkerchief into strips and using the leather holster from his gun, he fashioned a makeshift splint around her wrist and helped her to her feet. With the grey's reins tied to the back of his saddle, he helped her up onto the horse in front of him. Julian held Jade's reins in one hand and kept his other arm tightly wrapped around her waist. As she leaned back against his chest, he tried to probe her thoughts but it was like running headlong into a brick wall. Somehow, the head injury must have broken their connection. He tried to keep her talking as they carefully made their way back toward open ground, but she lost consciousness before they made it to the car.

Thankfully, the small town was also home to a university with the most well known teaching hospital for neurological and head trauma cases in the country. After confirming nothing else broken, and encasing her wrist in a modern fibreglass cast, the senior neurologist re-examined the results of the CT scan and xrays and went to the waiting area to talk with Julian.

"I'm Dr. Morris. Are you her husband?"

"No, how is she?" he asked anxiously.

"She's got a badly fractured wrist and a mild concussion. She hasn't regained consciousness since you brought her in. You say she didn't know who she was when it first happened?"

"No, she didn't know who either of us were." He nervously ran his hand through his hair then down, across his jaw.

"Well, that's fairly common with a concussion, the xrays and scans look good. The bruise on her forehead is just superficial, she may have passed out from the pain of the broken wrist. I think the best thing we can do now is wait and see what tomorrow brings. Why don't you go home and get some rest, she's in good hands here."

"No, I'm staying with her."

The doctor could see from the intense look on his face that there was no point trying to argue with him. "Alright, I'll have a cot brought up for you."

He felt so helpless, seeing her lying in the bed like that. A heart monitor beeped regularly in the silent room, as another videoscreen monitored her brain wave patterns.

Trying to think back to the time he'd been unconscious four days in Paris, he vaguely remembered hearing Dawson's voice read to him and thought it may be worth a try.

The university library was in the next building, and he quickly located a book of Shelley he thought she might like. On returning to her room, he dragged the chair over next to the bed and began to read aloud:

* * *

She was floating, weightless, with no senses at all. No sight, no touch, no smells, no sounds, no taste, absolute nothingness. At first, it was pleasant - the pain in her arm and in her head was gone. But after a time, it felt empty and hollow, as if a part of her was missing, but she had no idea what had been lost, or where to look for it. Floating there in the confused nothingness, she began to feel panic, turning this way and that, searching, reaching out, listening, for anything.

In the distance, there was a voice. The warm, deep, rounded tones washed over her like warm syrup. Though all was still dark and she couldn't make out the words, the voice was something to cling to, something somehow familiar and soothing, driving panic away.

* * *

Taking her hand in his, he softly whispered "Arianna, come back to me," then closed his eyes, and tried once again to break through the dark wall surrounding her mind.

From memory he spoke his most favourite words of Byron:

* * *

Dr. Morris looked in on them at the beginning of his morning rounds. He saw the man slumped in the chair, asleep, but still holding her hand, and noticed the cot hadn't been touched. Checking the printouts from the brain wave monitor, he saw a strong yet strange improvement in the early morning hours. Placing a hand on the man's shoulder, he gently shook it to wake him.

"What.... oh doctor, good morning, any change?"

"There is, but I don't quite understand these readings, I've never seen anything like it."

Julian smiled to himself but kept a straight face - he could feel it - she was back, almost conscious, and listening to their voices. When he let go of her hand, she moaned softly and opened her eyes, looking at them blearily.

Dr. Morris took a penlight from his pocket and moved to check the reaction in her eyes asking, " Can you tell me your name?"

"Arianna MacDuff."

"Where were you born?"

"America - Boston, Massachusetts."

"When?"

"October 18, 1957."

"Do you remember what happened?"

"Uhm, I was thrown off a horse wasn't I Julian?" she looked at him questioningly.

"Well, that answers what would have been the next question," the doctor smiled as he removed the sensors for the monitoring machines. "If you experience any headaches or dizziness, come back immediately. Other than that, just take it easy, and get plenty of rest. I'll leave a prescription for some pain killers at the desk with your release papers.

And no riding unless it's in an automobile."

"What about flying?" Julian asked.

"Absolutely not!" the doctor exclaimed. "I'm afraid you're grounded for at least a month. That head injury needs time to heal before being subjected to any altitude and pressure changes."

* * *

Late that afternoon, Julian drove her back to the cottage. Still slightly buzzed from the pain killers, she enjoyed letting him fuss like a mother hen to get her comfortably settled on the sofa in front of the fireplace before making their dinner. The cozy warmth of the flames felt wonderful.

With a dish of pasta prima vera balanced in her lap, she was quite glad he'd thought to mix shells with the vegetables instead of using spaghetti. The small pasta shapes were much easier to eat left handed, and she was ravenous.

As he took the empty dish from her, he knelt down beside the sofa and asked, "How are you feeling?" for the fourth time since they'd been home.

"I'm fine Julian - really, just a little tired," she assured him.

"It appears we can't be together without one or the other of us being injured."

"Well, you're so far ahead of me on injuries, I needed to catch up," she grinned. As he raised an eyebrow and looked at her questioningly, she added, "I read your file too."

Leaving the computer for her to find had seemed a good idea at the time, but now he wasn't so sure. He let out a sigh and asked, "How much of it did you access?"

She could see the worry start to cross his face. "Just the first screen, to the end of your medical/psych report."

Hanging his head down he took a deep breath, he knew the time would come when he'd have to tell her the truth. As hard as he'd tried, there were still that gap in his memory spanning most of 1995, that worried him. Softly, he murmered, "Arianna, there's a part of my past that's a dark mystery, even to me."

When she reached out to caress his hair he looked up at her. She could feel the strange sadness in him again as she quietly answered, "It's alright Julian, I know, and it doesn't matter."

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