Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"I know the feeling." Kell turned to face her then. "But if all else fails, we'll still have the comfort of being together even when everything else is new and unsure." He was resolute in that notion, letting her know that no matter what, she'd still have him at her back as more than just her teacher or fellow knight of Scotland.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his waist to hug him tightly. She felt free in Inverness to show her love for this wolf. In Edinburgh it would be completely different.

"And I'm glad you'll be there with me." Kate murmured a her cheek pressed against his furred chest.

 

[KieranSoares]

"So am I. One of us is going to get in trouble and need the other to get us out." Kell's own arms wrapped her up in a gentle but protective embrace. "I'm glad you're so stubborn, you know... this has been an amazing part of my life, beside you."

 

[heartofcourage]

"You'll be the one getting in trouble, I'm sure." Kate teased her wolf, smiling as he wrapped her up in a gentle embrace. "But don't worry. You'll soon know the queen of all Scotland. I'm sure that she can help you out of any spot of trouble that you get into."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I expect no special treatment even if I am the queen's favorite." Kell lifted a hand to touch her cheek before he pressed an adoring, light kiss to her lips. He'd been wanting to kiss her again since their first just before Ciaran accosted her with his teasing. As their lips parted, he chuckled and hugged her just a little tighter, laying his head against hers. "Lady Katherine Valencia Ghis, Knight of Inverness and Queen of Scotland. Quite a title."

 

[heartofcourage]

"And perhaps one day in the not too distant future I might be adding another name to that title." Kate said with a slight smile on her lips as their heads rested together gently. "Only if a certain wolf agrees, though. I can't have just anyone's name attached to mine."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Sounds tempting. But you'll have to get past your parents first." With an arm wrapped around her waist, he drew her alongside him and they continued on.

After Brogan and Julia set off, Inverness fell quiet. Everyone was at peace as Erygonians settled into their new home thus forming the Andorr tribe, and many left for their former home led by their High Lady Shaman. Many Lunars returned to their homes as well, but many decided to join the Gol Dun. Kate's first real job without her father was forming a temporary agreement with the Andorr until Brogan returned to approve it. Their Lady Shaman would return to lead them soon

 

[heartofcourage]

It was a complete novelty to Julia that after 18 years of caring for children that she could now sleep as long as she wanted. The first day in Inverlochly, she slept the entire day. The stress of being a new mother was melting away as the minutes passed by, a soft sigh leaving her lips as she felt the bed dip beside her and a soft kiss pressed against the back of her neck.

"Go back to sleep, Brogan. I'm not done yet." She murmured sleepily, a soft yawn and sigh leaving her lips.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I would if it weren't noon," Brogan chuckled, but he was glad to lay back at her side and wrap a thick arm about her waist. He relaxed and was content to wait in the beautiful silence and stillness.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia was quiet for a long while more as Brogan's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tightly. She enjoyed this time with her husband and she could barely get the smile off her face the entire journey. She missed her children, especially Heather and Ashelin, but they were in the best of hands.

"Do you think kitten's gotten into trouble yet?" Julia murmured, looking over her should to her husband with a soft smile on her lips. "Or do you think that she's holding her own?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Even if she was in trouble, I'm sure she'd be fine. She's got 'er wolf, an' if he ain' enough, she's got plenty more friends." Brogan propped himself on one elbow and smiled down at her. "I trust 'er. She'll do fine."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia smiled up at her husband as he propped himself up and leaned over her. She couldn't help but lift her head from the pillow and press her lips against his own. She felt like they were newly weds again, sharing a moment with one another without the world interfering.

"You amaze me. Every single day, you make me fall deeper in love with you. After Wick, I never thought that I would feel whole again, but when I saw you with Kate and I saw how much you loved and cared for her...I knew everything would be alright."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Can' 'old a candle t'you, darlin'," Brogan whispered and stole another kiss in his usual gentle, unhurried way. As they'd grown older, he'd really begun to take his time, especially when it came to loving her. He didn't want to rush something that was so much better taken slow. "Y'saved me from myself more'n once... somethin' no one else could do. I never would 'ave made it with anyone else a' my side."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Oh, I'm sure that someone else could have. You would have resisted and fought them the entire time, but someone else could have." Julia said softly as her husband kissed her again, slowly and leisurely as he was want to do as they grew older.

He wasn't the cold and uncaring man that she had first met anymore. That was nothing but a bad memory. Now, he was the man that he was always meant to be. He had a family that loved him, children that idolized him, and a wife that made sure that he was taken care of each and every day.

"How about we pack a lunch and go to the loch? Since you won't let me sleep anymore..." Julia teased him, laughing softly at the look that crossed his features.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I thought ye'd never ask," Brogan gave her a soft smirk, rising from their bed and scooping her up into his arms as he went. He was strong as ever, and he always seemed to enjoy embarrassing her by carrying her around at home for no particular reason. He stole one last kiss before depositing her neatly on her feet in front of the trunk of clothes she'd brought. Brogan being already dressed, he went to begin preparing their lunch.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Brogan!" Julia gasped as he lifted her out of bed and carried her to her truck, her laughter filling the room around them until she was finally put back on her feet. "After nearly twenty years together, I would hope that you know I can walk by now."

She loved teasing her husband and loved that she was able to share so much with him. It was different from the early days of their marriage and she had grown to adore him for the man that he was. That included accepting all of his flaws.

Julia dressed in a gown of deep blue, one that showed off her figure and one that she had just had made. She hoped that Brogan liked it and fell in love with her all over again.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan met her in the hallway as she came to join him, and he couldn't help the satisfied and adoring grin on his face. He was smitten again, and there was no stress or worry to cause him to think about anything other than her. He set the basket he'd packed aside and his broad hands found her waist and drew her flush against his solid frame. He'd never felt stronger nor more unshakable. "Y'can still take my breath away with jus' a glance, darlin'," he whispered against her ear before his lips pressed to her neck with all the gentility and warmth in the world.

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia grinned brightly at her husband as he found her waist and pulled her tightly against his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed as he kissed her throat with all of the warmth in the world. She sighed happily, looking into his eyes with the same intense love that she'd always had for Brogan Ghis.

"Good. I hope it's always like that." Julia said softly, pressing her lips against his own in a tender, yet passionate kiss. "Because you are mine and mine alone, Brogan. Forever and ever."

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan hardly needed to answer, instead telling her just how glad he was with his kiss. When their lips parted, he could barely bring himself to let her go. "C'mon, love, 'r else we'll never make it out there."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I suppose we should. I know you very well, my love." Julia teased him, kissing him one last time before she took his hand and they walked from the keep to the banks of the loch.

It was so peaceful out there, Julia thought as she spread out a blanket and helped Brogan to unpack the food that he had prepared for them. It was a small feast for just the two of them, but one that she planned to enjoy completely.

"I have to confess that I miss the children. Especially Ashelin and Heather." Julia said as she settled down on the blanket.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'm missin' Kate an' our little lasses m'self," Brogan admitted softly. "After all tha's happened, I can' believe we're all still here. No one got out hale an' whole, but... we've got damn good luck in th'worst situations, don' we?" He laid on his back at her side, stroking his beard for a moment before crossing his arms behind his head. "Lost a lot... but nothin' we couldn' survive without." He looked over to her. "Even Ciaran made it... Gotta admit, I... I thought 'e wouldn't. I guess Ashelin an' Heather saved 'im aye?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"They're two lucky little girls. They'll always have someone watching over them, long after we're both gone." Julia said as she took a bite of a scone as Brogan lay on his back on the blanket. "And I just hope that one day Ciaran finds someone that makes him as happy as Lir did."

She was quiet for a long moment, looking out over the water as they both thought about all that had been taken from them in the fighting. "You know, I'm proud of you for the way you treat Ciaran. I know that he's taken a different path from what you first imagined, but I'm happy that you both have some common ground."

 

[KieranSoares]

"It took a long while t'find tha' common ground... but I think we were both surprised when we did. I talked to 'im about Lir fer a long time one night after Lir died, told 'im our story, 'is namesake included. He told me you'd done th'same, but the two of us didn' tell it any different from th'other. I told 'im somethin' tha' I'd never admitted out loud t'anyone... When I was young, I'd had a little sort o'... well, I guess infatuation, if y'wanna call it tha', with another lad my age. Never amounted t'anything, but I think jus' knowin' tha', Ciaran realized I understood more'n I let on."

His eyes seemed to darken as he fell silent, into thought. "Y'know... tha' lad I liked... It was Ciaran. But 'e was in love with Chessie, married 'er the second she turned eighteen. Loved her an' you both when you came t'Inverness, loved y'both right up t'the end." He looked up at his wife, and in that moment, he was the most honest with her he'd ever been in his life, admitting something he'd never dared say aloud. "I think... when I saw you two t'gether... I was more angry a'the fact tha' 'e loved you than anythin' else... I was jealous." He fell silent then, not sure how she'd react to the idea that her husband had, if only briefly, had a deep affection for another man. "I... I never wanted anythin' from 'im. I jus' wanted 'im t'know how I felt and be done with it... but I could never tell 'im until th'last moment on tha' battlefield... Y'know... he smiled at me when I said it... then told me t'go get the one I really loved. An' 'e was right. I might've liked 'im when I was younger, but... it was more o' tha' puppy love. You were the one, an' even he knew it."

 

[heartofcourage]

Julia listened to her husband's confession. Her gaze held no malice or disgust. She simply loved him as she always had. She reached out and touched his cheek as he continued to talk about how much he had felt when she had been caught with Ciaran.

"I saw him...when I had the girls." Julia said softly, knowing that her husband might very well think she was crazy with that confession. "He was working a campfire in the mists. He said that he was very proud of you for the man that you had become. He was also very proud of our family. You know, without him in our lives, I think that we might have drifted apart or never found out just how much we loved one another."

 

[KieranSoares]

"I think yer right... He kept me on th'right path while we were growin' up... Ma raised 'im an' Cole right alongside me an' th'other kids... She said 'e made it 'is mission t'see me happy an' safe from th'moment 'e first saw me... I guess 'e succeeded, with both of us." Brogan drew Julia down into his arms, holding her just as he always had since their worst troubles just before Kate's birth, with her head resting over his heart and his hands laying across her back and half-cradling her against himself. It had always been as if he was letting her know that because of her, his heart was still beating and he was still alive as long as she was there beside him.