He thought long and hard of what he was going to say to her. They had a quiet supper and enjoyed their evening.
They retired early to their room. He watched as she did her nightly routine of washing up and removing her gown to put on her chemise.
When she finished, she walked slowly towards the bed and smiled sweetly at him.
His chest tightened at the view of her.
He leaned back above his pillows and looked at her.

Gently, he pulled her over to sit straddling him. She looked so beautiful, his train of thought easily could be lost staring into her eyes.
She knew something was wrong because she held his somber look.

He lowered his eyes and playfully entwined his fingers with hers. He swallowed hard thinking of where to begin.

"Tara I need to speak to you.." He spoke softly.
Looking down at their joined hands he began.
She patiently waited for him to speak.

"Many years ago when my father was Lord of Chaswick, there was a lot of feuds. Many of them had to do with sieges, and the taking of lands. Territory.
My father saw that because of this there was a lot of bloodshed.

There were two lands in particular that gained most notoriety for these quarrels, that was my father's and Lord Marlaude's.
So to protect the lands they made an agreement and decided to become allies and merge the two families."

He paused...

"To do this my father and Maularde made a pact that they would unite through a betrothal of their firstborn children which would be myself and Maulardes daughter Erica.

Upon this pact, they agreed that on her 18th birthday she would marry me.

"Years have passed and since then the feud over our lands has stopped. My father's end, due to his illness, the agreement was forgotten....but... Marlaude has not. Today a messenger brought the missive saying that in three days' time Erica, his daughter will be 18."

He looked up at her. She quietly sat above him, he was not sure whether to stop or continue.
" I was not aware of this arrangement," he emphasized.

He squeezed her hand gently to bring her back from her thoughts. Their eyes connected.

"I don't plan to go through with the agreement." He paused.
Tara, I want you to be my wife." He said.
"Marry me, Tara,"

She looked down into his eyes and saw he really was serious. Her heart skipped a beat at his words. But the truth is she couldn't do it.

"Tara,"

She gently caressed his chest, her eyes slowly gleamed with tears.

Then she looked at him.

"Oh, Duncan! As much as I would like to say yes. We can't," she slowly shook her head.

"Why?" His eyes searched hers.

She looked away.

"We simply can't, Duncan," she shrugged her shoulders in defeat.

He sat up. He raised his hand slowly to caress her cheek.

"I want you to be my wife," he repeated again.

She closed her eyes, trying to pull away but he would not let her. In a swift soft motion, he turned with her onto the bed. He lay above her looking down at her.

She was silent for a while.

"You have to marry her, Duncan," she gazed up into his scowling eyes.

"I will not," he frowned.

"By marrying me, you create a conflict with Lord Marlaude," she sniffed.

"I will not let a foolish pact come between us," he whispered heatedly.

" Time...comes between us Duncan. If we marry that would alternate my future. We could possibly decimate an entire bloodline if we have not done it already by sleeping together. Refusing to marry her may have repercussions, Duncan" she began to cry.

Her tears fell free and her nose reddened. He searched her eyes and held her gaze. He refused to let this stand. He was going to marry her.

"I can't marry her," his emotions was evident in his voice.

"You must," a fresh wave of tears began.

They stared at one another.

Her lips quivered and the pain in her heart doubled.
"We can't be together," she began to tremble as her emotions spiraled out of control. His eyes turned dark with her words.

"You're not leaving me," he growled.

"That's not for you to decide Duncan. I'm here now but in a snap of a finger, I could be gone. What then Duncan? Where would that leave us? I don't think I could bare it."

"I won't let that happen," he spoke over the lump forming in his throat.

He lowered his head and their lips met. He kissed her with need. He wanted to erase those words from her lips. She wasn't going anywhere.

When he pulled away from her lips he looked at her again. Gently he wiped away her tears.
She caressed his cheek and traced the outline of his jaw as if to make a mental map of his features.
When their eyes met again she whispered to him.

"Make love to me, Duncan,"

His gaze darkened more as he did not hesitate with her request, he just obeyed.

He cradled himself between her thighs and passionately kissed her. The velvety softness of their tongues touched and he groaned. She was intoxicating because she had him spiraling into a sweet abyss of pleasure.
Slowly he undid his breeches and freed himself. Rough padded fingers gently touched her and were rewarded with her wetness. When his fingers were replaced with his manhood and he gently eased into her, they gasped.

He filled her burying himself  into her tightness lowering his head to her neck. With a brief pause grasping for control he slowly began to move sliding into and out of her with long soft strokes building a momentum of sweet rapture.

His impassioned gaze met and held hers as he continued his sensual movements. Their breathing increased and her soft moans drove him to the edge.

He sensed her tightening and went wild, showering her face with kisses as he began to move inside her vigorously, creating a delicious tight friction that drove her mad.

She cried out at the deep, fierce pleasure that coursed throughout her body. Seconds later he ground his lips to hers in a passionate tear filled kiss. With ardent fierce strokes, he pumped into her and he groaned as his shaft pulsed with his own release.

Spent and breathless they caressed each other. The fire in the hearth had slowly dwindled down to low embers of fire, nothing but its soft glow covered them. She had soon curled up beside him and cried herself to sleep. His heart ached as he had calmed her with his promising words.

"I only want to marry you, Tara."

By then he lay awake still stroking her back softly and soothingly. He pulled her body closer to his and buried his face in the softness of her hair. Only one thing crossed his mind before his eyelids grew heavy and sleep conquered him.

Speak with Marlaude after he marries Tara.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

New York, 2014

The slow monotonous beeps echoed throughout the low-lit room. The scent of rubbing alcohol and disinfectants passed his nostrils. He leaned up a little trying to rub the kink in his back from laying sideways on the small uncomfortable coach he now claimed was his part-time bed.

Its been over 2 weeks since they admitted Tara to the ICU unit at Mt. Sinai. Greg saw to it that she would receive the best round-the-clock care.
Her friends by then had showered her room with flowers and Get Well balloons. He spent most of his nights here and took turns with Doreen. Often Mimi would come by and sit with her.

The slow distinct chirps followed by rapid beeps pulled him out of his thoughts. He stood slowly and walked to her side. He looked at her and rubbed her hand. Finally the swelling in her head was gone and they gradually weaned her off the medications that kept her in an induced coma.

Her bandages were removed and the breathing monitor as well. He was so worried as he noticed that her eyes twitched behind her lids.

"Don't worry Mr. Michaels its Sleep REM(rapid eye movement) it just means she is having a vivid dream. She is OK" the nurse calmly explained.

He heard the rapid beep again and distinct chirp from the monitor. Then he saw tears rolling down the sides of her eyes. Immediately he looked up at the monitor and noticed the spikes and waves increase. He quickly lifted the call stick and pressed the red button for a nurse.

Only a second passed when a nurse entered and he pointed with concern to the monitor and mentioned her tears.
She is experiencing a dream or something of distress dont worry its completely normal. Just keep comforting her.

Relieved that it was nothing serious he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Please baby girl get well soon," he whispered.

He stood up just in time as Doreen entered and he suddenly looked at the clock. It was already 9:00pm.
She walked up to him and looked over to Tara.

"You go home and get some sleep Greg," she patted him on the shoulder.

He smiled down at her. Tired and sleep deprived eyes looked down and nodded.
They finally have come to an amicable understanding and she realized that he would do any thing for his daughter.

He slowly turned to look at Tara then turned to leave.

~•~•~•~•~•~•

Tara broke from her lucid dream hours ago, only to feel the strong arm around her waist keeping her from sitting up. It was still dark out and she figured it was early morning maybe 3 or 4 in the morning.

His soft breathing shifted as he squirmed and pulled her gently close. She lay there awake staring out in the distance into nothingness trying to understand what she dreamt that it stirred her out of her sleep.

It was definetly her laying there. Her body felt different and this time she felt lighter. Then she heard her dad. She often heard Mimi but...this time it was her dad. He spoke with Dr.'s and then nurses.

Her heart jumped when she was spoken to and told that blood was going to be drawn. Her heart surged when she actually felt the prick of the needle.
How can that be?
What does all of this mean?

Then at one time she heard her aunt and dad arguing it was faint but it was evident that they were at odds.
She tried in vain to open her eyes but when she did she was here stuck in this time. She cried.

Now her latest dream as vivid as it felt she could feel her fathers hand touch hers and he gently kissed her forehead. The words he whispered were a mixture of sadness and hope.

How could she actually feel them?

She turned to look at Duncan and watched him as he slept so peacefully. She is stuck in time and has fallen deeply in love with a 12th Century Knight. Now he wants to marry her.
What has she done?

She dashed away a tear. This was too much for her. She looked over to him and gently raised her finger to his cheek.
He had to marry Marlaude's daughter to preserve peace between the two families.
Her heart felt so overwhelmed at the thought of never seeing him again, it terrified her.
She leaned closer, she kissed his lips. The need for his warmth was so strong as she cuddled closer to him.

She had to let him go, it hurt so much to think of never feeling his touch, his kisses and loosing him. She buried her face deeper into his embrace and silently wept.

It was something she must do...

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

She had made up her mind.
She would be out of his way for him to make the easy decision to marry Erica.
And to do this she would have to go to the one person that could help her leave.
Liora the Seer...
She has to know a way if she predicted her arrival then she would know a way back.

Her heart pummeled in her chest as she stared into ice green eyes that looked back at her in disbelief.

"Please Aidan," she begged.

He looked away, torn with her request to help her. As much as he loved goading his brother, this is one thing he could not do.

He would never cross that line.

He looked at her and could tell this was harder for her than for him. He knows that she loves his brother and he understands she misses her family. But, the one thing and reason she is doing this, is to not cause problems between the two families.

"I have to find a way to get back home before this goes too far Aidan," she dashed away a tear.

"Too far! Tara? Christ my brother would surely chop my head off and place it on a pike, if I aid you in this daft attempt to leave him," he shook his head.

"He would never forgive me, nor you for that matter," he continued.

She lowered her head. Tears fell before her, she had to leave.

"If you won't help me then I'll go by myself," she whispered looking down at her hands.

"Tara," he paused.

Defeat etched in his shoulders, he closed his eyes. He couldn't help her nor could he let her go alone.

With a curse he blew a heavy breath and raked his hands through his hair frustrated with all of this.

He stepped closer and kneeled before her. Taking in her tired eyes and reddened nose he felt saddened by her decision.

"Tara, understand please. What you plan to do is not going to change Duncan's mind. He won't marry her."

"So you would let him make that decision, Aidan?"

She paused. Swallowing hard.

"Aidan, you have to understand. I know about these treaties and pacts. In my time, I studied the history of all the fueds in this country and what had to be done to end the blood shed and what needed to be done to form an alliance. And...I also know what happens when they are not honored."

He looked at her, in awe of all her knowledge.

"I don't want to be the cause of any blood shed. Its very dangerous. I could end an innocent life in my future if a descendant here in this time is killed. Aidan...I already explained this to Duncan but he won't listen. I need you to explain to him all that is at stake if I stay,"

He looked away not wanting to agree to this.

She gently turned his face to look at her.

"You know I'm right. I have to find a way to leave. I can't marry Duncan, I will go to the seer and find a way to return to my time, in time he will forget about me Aidan" she whispered.

Lowering his head he tightened his fists.

"You know this whole idea was mine." He chuckled dryly.

"I told him the marvelous plan of marrying him before her 18th birthday," he looked at her.

She wiped away her tear.

"Always Aidan finding a way to fix things up," she sniffed..

He gave a half hearted laugh.

"Will you not reconsider Tara? This plan of yours if it does not work. Where will it leave us?"

"It will work, it has too," she quickly stood and walked towards the window overlooking the night sky.

"But what if it does not?" he turned to look at her.

Not able to answer him, she stood quietly staring out into the distance.

"I truly hope and pray for the best Tara. Because either way the outcome, I will have a very angry brother," he said waiting for her to react to that.
But she said nothing. Lowering his head, he slowly turned to leave.

Her eyes took in the dark night sky as it blurred with unshed tears. The lump in her throat was unbearable as she held in the urge to cry.

I know..and thats the chance I'm willing to take.....