Lucy was cleaning the last of the mess in the kitchen when Thomas entered, holding the baby.

"Would you like to hold her?" he asked as moved towards her.

"Where's Hope?" Lucy asked, wiping her hands on her pants as she reached for the baby.

"I told her that I was going to come spend some time with you and let you hold the baby. She decided she was going to take a nap while she had the chance." He gently handed over the baby and Lucy cuddled her close.

"She's beautiful Thomas," she said with tears of happiness for her friend.

"I'm worried about you Lucy," Thomas said after a few minutes of silence. As if the world had heard the ominous tone in his voice, the wind rattled the shutters that were closed against the storm.

"Why? I'm fine Thomas," Lucy insisted as her body began to naturally rock the baby.

"It's you and Zebadiah he's so cold, I worry that if you fall into a relationship with him that you will get hurt. I can't see him loving anyone, at least not for very long." Thomas watched her carefully. "I know that you had a vision, but are you sure it wasn't just wishful thinking?"

Lucy thought about the early scene in the kitchen, he had been anything but cold then.

"What did you and Zeb talk about that night up in his office?" Lucy asked, "I noticed that he took over the job for you the following week, is that the act of a cold man?"

"It's the act of a man that wants his house finished and is willing to help, I never said he wasn't a fair man, only a cold man." Thomas shook his head. "We talked about a few different things."

"Me?" Lucy asked.

"In part, I asked him if he believed you were a witch."

"What did he say?" She held her breath.

"He said that he believed you when you said something along the lines of,  if you were, your life would be a hell of a lot easier. I told him that didn't sound like you."

Lucy smiled. "Would you worry less if I assured you that he is fair, and that with me he is anything but cold."

"He's warm and cuddly then?" Thomas snorted in disbelief.

"No, he's gentle and kind, and considerate of my feelings and wellbeing. He takes care of me and keeps me safe. He also believes me when I tell him about my visions."

"So, you told him about your vision?" Thomas asked, shocked.

"Only part of it, I left my part in it out,"

"Why? If he's so great and believes in you, why wouldn't you tell him?"

Lucy shrugged. "It's complicated."

"You're afraid he won't believe you, admit it."

Lucy turned her back to Thomas only to find Zeb leaning against the doorway watching them. She froze wondering how much of their conversation he had heard. By the look on his face it must have been most of it.

"The questions I have are how much and what exactly did you leave out of the vision Lucy?" he said, his voice quiet, and she jumped at the sound of it.

Thomas spun around and looked at Zeb, but Zeb hardly noticed because his eyes were glued to Lucy.

"Why don't you come up to my study when you and Thomas are finished here?" Zeb suggested and then turned and left as silently as he had arrived.

Lucy handed back the baby and then closed her eyes in mortification.

"You'll have to tell him the rest of that vision now," Thomas said unhelpfully as he stood with the baby.

"Go take care of your wife, Thomas," Lucy said, turning to finish the last of the cleaning. After he left she drew it out for as long as see could, but when the kitchen was as clean as she could make it, she realized that she had to go because if she didn't he would track her down.

She slowly made her way up the stairs in the quiet house, almost everyone was in bed, trying to get some sleep before the worst of the storm started, most of them hoping they would sleep through the worst of it.

Zeb's door was open and when she peeked her head in he looked up from his desk. "Come on in and close the door," he requested.

Lucy did so, slowly and when she turned toward him he had moved around to her side of the desk, leaning against it, his head tilted questioningly.

"Did you need something?" Lucy asked, clearing her throat.

"Would you come over here please?" he asked, watching her. "It's your choice Lucy, but I would appreciate it if you would." He gave her a gentle smile and she melted. As soon as she reached him he pulled her between his legs, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I heard what you said to Thomas," he started and when Lucy opened her mouth to interrupt him he placed a finger on her lips then turned it into a caress as his thumb followed his finger.

"You're not wrong Lucy, but neither is Thomas. I am kind and gentle with you, I want to be considerate of your feelings and wellbeing, and I most definitely want to take care of you, and if I'm honest I've never felt the need to be any of these things with anyone outside of my family. There is something about you that makes me want to protect you at all costs. However, I'm also a cold man with most people, I've had to be to get where I am today."

Lucy opened her mouth to speak and he silenced her once again. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, I trust you to tell me when your ready to or when you think I'm ready to hear it, whichever the case might be."

"Stop Zeb!" She ripped herself away from him. "It's too much too fast!" She wanted to be in his arms, she wanted him to kiss her, but how did she know it wasn't all an act? Maybe he was cold, cold and charming, and he knew exactly the right thing to say to get what he wanted from her.

"Don't you trust me Lucy?" He didn't seem mad only confused by her withdrawal from him.

She sunk onto the chair behind her and Zeb waited patiently. The only sound in the silence was the wind and rain as it picked up, mimicking the churning feeling in her gut.

"You're right when you say I'm innocent Zeb, there were no boys in this town that wanted me, and in the big city, well it was too hard to really connect with anyone, I always had to be on my guard. I found out, before things ever really began, what men wanted, I could see it. I never saw myself, but I always saw them walking away so I never wanted to get...close."

Lucy heard him take a deep breath.

"How do I know you're different? I don't," she answered her own question, "you could just be much better at hiding it than they were. You've already admitted that you don't want a relationship only a friend, but now you've changed your mind and it feels almost like you're courting me, to use an old-fashioned expression, and it confuses me."

"Your vision, were you confused when you saw it?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head. "No, it was very clear." She looked at her hands as the memory ran through her mind. "All of them," she said softly.

"Don't trust me Lucy, trust yourself, trust your vision." He knelt in front of her, taking her hands. "I want you Lucy, and I am trying very hard to give you the rest of it, the courting, your vision, whatever it might be, I want to give you all that you want, but it scares me just like it scares you."

"I find it hard to believe that you're afraid of anything Zebadiah Abbott." She smiled weakly.

"I'm very afraid of hurting you," he said simply.

Their eyes met, and Lucy realized that if she was ever going to take a chance in her life this was the time to do it. She reached her hand up and traced his face, his cheeks, eyes and lips. He closed his eyes at her touch and she could see the pulse in this throat leap, its erratic beat matching her own.

She lowered her lips to his gently and it was like setting fire to a candle, they both went up instantly. Zeb stood pulling Lucy with him, taking control of the kiss. She wanted more but she wasn't sure how to ask for it. She had never been in a situation like this before.

"Zeb," she pleaded when he pulled away.

"No, not here not now," he insisted, his voice rough, and as if to prove his point there was a knock at the door.

He took a deep shaky breath before heading towards the door of the study.

"Zebediah, I don't suppose you would keep me company? I'm ashamed to admit that I'm afraid of the storm." Gianna gave a self-deprecating laugh. She looked over his shoulder and caught sight of Lucy who stood staring at her with unseeing eyes, shocked by what had just happened between her and Zeb.

She couldn't help but wonder what it all meant. Did it mean he had feelings for her, that he cared?"

Gianna's face turned red and she cleared her throat. "Sorry, I didn't realize that you were with someone."

"Yes, Lucy and I were trying to work on a few things," Zeb said vaguely.

"Well then, I'll leave you," Gianna said, turning abruptly and leaving.

Zeb shut the door and turned to look at Lucy. "Stay here with me tonight?" he asked. "I have a feeling that it's going to be a long one, and I think if we spent it together it might go a little bit faster.

Lucy smiled and shook her head. "You're afraid that if I leave she'll come back."

"Yes, and I would much rather have you here than her."

"I would much rather it was I who was here," Lucy said honestly.

He turned off the main light to the room, the only light left in the room came from a small lamp on his desk. He held out his hand and Lucy walked towards him taking it, following as he led her to the bed. He sat down and kicked off his shoes, patting the bed beside him. "Just let me hold you Lucy, that's all I'll do, I promise."

She sat beside him and kicked off her shoes, curling up beside him as he laid down. He took his time to adjust pillows and pull her close. "Can you tell me one more thing about your vision?" he asked softly, his breath tickling her ear.

Lucy tensed. "This isn't going to work Zeb," she insisted wiggling.

"No, it won't, not if you keep wiggling like that," he agreed.

Lucy froze, blushing.

"I can guess by the red on the back of your neck that your blushing Lucy." He kissed her softly there. "Soon there will be nothing embarrassing about this situation, and you'll be wiggling on purpose."

Lucy gasped at his direct words, but he pretended not to hear her.

"Now give me one more clue about this vision that Thomas knows so much about."

She looked over her shoulder and found his eyes only inches from hers. "You're trying to guilt me into it, what happened to only if I want to?"

"I'm not a strong man, at least when it comes to you, and I have discovered that I can be an extremely jealous man. It's a new experience for me."

Lucy reached over her shoulder and traced the red on his cheeks at his admission.

"The little girls in the vision, they weren't your nieces, they were your daughters."

His eyes grew wide at her revelation. "Were you there?" he asked as he squeezed her tight.

"Yes," she whispered, and he buried his face in her neck.

"But that wasn't all?"

"No, that wasn't all," she confirmed.

They didn't say another word and eventually, surprisingly, Lucy slept, safe and content with Zeb's arms holding her close.