"I don't want to talk about it!" Sarah sniffed, her voice breaking.

I waited until she placed Ocel in his crib then I grabbed her. She tried to push away, her hands on my chest, and her face turned from me.

I was not for letting this go unresolved. I cupped Sarah's face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes rippled with the white-gold light of the Naaru. It took me a little by surprise, but I held on to her.

"I am not trying to be awkward here, Sarah, and I understand why you want to do things this way but ..."

Her eyes flared. Still, I would not be dissuaded from saying my piece. "Things are getting serious out there, and I was caged often enough when I was a damn bird, I don't want any more barriers!"

She choked back a sob, then another. "I am imprisoning you?"

I had not expected that. My voice softened, and I wrapped my arms around her. "No. That's not what I mean. But don't you see? I know there never seems to be much of a break in the troubles which plague this world, but I need to be involved in the war effort. I must head the Kirin Tor and play my part in defence of the realm."

I pulled back a little. Tears traced down her cheeks, and I gently kissed them away.

"Sarah, I want to walk with you and our son in the public gardens, go for all sorts of outings, picnics, boat rides you name it. And we will – one day, I promise. I now finally understand what that means! And it's precious. But I also have to be what I am."

"Leader of the Kirin Tor," she whispered, resigned, a wan smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

For a few moments, a crystal silence hung over us. I gently ran my hands over her arms and pulled her into my embrace again. I felt her tension ease.

She sighed against my chest. "I'm sorry, Khadgar," she said. "I didn't think it through from your perspective, and I guess – I guess I wanted to keep you to myself for as long as I could. I didn't want to share you - not yet."

Her fingers kneaded the back of my shirt as she clung to me. We stood, both mellowing as we absorbed our different needs.

"Sarah, I've come to realise I've overlooked many basic things in my rather academic assumptions as an Archmage. In truth, I am responsible for everyone believing I'd died at the Portal, all through an autogenetic and often ignorant perspective of fundamental obligations. It resulted in the de-humanisation of Archmage Khadgar, as it were."

Sarah clung to me all the more, but remained silent, allowing me to voice my deepest thoughts.

"You are, Sarah, without doubt, my saviour, my new-found strength and you've awarded me an insight to life far greater than anything I have ever gleaned from books, scrolls or field research. I have been 'absent' from life - ever since I can remember really. My failings as a man are tantamount to a newborn child in many aspects, and I stand before you now, a humbled being. But, I simply cannot remain hidden any longer."

I breathed with relief once I confessed my new-found discernment in full, and I bore no shame from admitting my inadequacies; in fact, I felt jubilant.

I thought of the people I had met during my avian journey, and I offered an alternative idea. "May I suggest something?" I asked as I combed my fingers through her hair.

She pulled back a little and looked up at me. Her eyes were red-rimmed from her tears, but the soft curve of her lips indicated we were on the same level again. "What?" she asked.

I cupped her face in my hands again, lightly tracing her bottom lip with my thumb. She nuzzled against my hand. Even with a substantial difference of opinion, we could not remain on opposing sides for long.

"Well," I started, acutely aware that a certain little pair of eyes were now watching us closely; Ocel gurgled as if to confirm my supposition. "I met some very considerate and infinitely kind people when I was in raven form. I would very much like them to know that they too played a huge part in our reunion."

"But ..." she began to protest.

Shaking my head, I softly pressed my forefinger against her mouth. Her lips curled up at the corners with another smile. "I will compromise Sarah. You know I simply have to teleport to and from Dalaran to work with my Archmages. I also have to let Varian know I am alive."

Her breath hitched, but she did not interrupt me.

"Furthermore, I will not make light of the friendships we have forged over time, Sarah, but I wish to take you to meet these people who helped me. Without them, I may not have survived, and Illidan's performing of the ritual would have been pointless."

Eventually, she nodded acceptance.

"Soon we will be around our friends and announce I'm back - expressing, of course, my profound apologies to everyone," I smirked.

I was under no delusion that the upset people had felt would not be so easily forgotten nor overlooked. Still, I held out hope that there would be at least understanding, especially as more critical matters were now forging ahead.

"Afterwards," I continued as I lifted my son, "...why don't we invest all your hard work in our wedding celebrations instead?"

Somehow, I think I made a good impression with that suggestion.