"Pocahontas." The voice wafted through the air, almost sounding distant, out of a dream sequence. "Pocahontas, come on, love. Time to get up." The voice then became recognizable as that of her husband. Pocahontas groaned softly and pulled the cover up over her head to try to shield out her husband's attempts to wake her. She heard a rusting sound and felt the bed shift as John sat on the corner. "Come on sleepyhead, the day's not getting any younger." He gently teased, his warm breath tickling her ear as he whispered to her.

Pocahontas tried to roll in the opposite direction, but was stopped after only an inch or so by John's arm on the other side of her. "Nice try, my dear," John chuckled, "But you're not getting away from me." His answer was a hand that shot out from the covers, swatting at the air. "Go away." She muttered. After dodging several shots at his head, John captured her hand in his while using the other to pull the covers to just below his wife's eyes. "Don't make me come in there after you." he teased.

She pulled her hand from his grip and flipped to her other side so that her back was to him. John shook his head and sighed deeply. "Alright, my dear. You've been warned and you leave me no choice." Not waiting for a reply, he dove under the covers with his wife and began his tickling rampage. This got her attention and she tried to squirm away from him, but his grasp around her waist was to great.

"John!" she shrieked. "John, stop it! I'm up already!" She finally managed to get away from him and listened with annoyance to his rich laughter. When it finally subsided, he lay on his side, placing a hand under his head to look up at her annoyed expression. "Well good morning to you too." he said with a mischievous smile. Pocahontas sat up and met his gaze. "You're horrible." she said. "Attacking a woman while she's trying to sleep." John chuckled. "I'm sorry." he murmured. "but you looked just a bit too peaceful and I wanted to make sure you were alive."

Pocahontas glared playfully at him. "Well, I would at least hope that you brought something to apologize with." John smirked. "I'm right here." She smacked him on the head. "I was thinking more along the lines of hot peppermint tea." John nodded. "Got that to." he said as he reached behind him. "You've taken quite a liking to this stuff, haven't you?" She shrugged. " I guess it grew on me. It's all that Mrs. Jenkins had while I was with John Rolfe." She took the cup from her husband and took a long sip. "Mmmm...You're an angel."

John quirked an eyebrow. "My, how quickly we change our mind." Pocahontas said nothing, but threw him a look. "Very funny." she muttered. "Do want some?" she asked, holding her cup out to him. John made a face and lightly pushed her hand away. "That stuff? Too weak for my taste. A man need something stronger to get through the day." Pocahontas laughed at his antics. "Coffee?" John smirked. "You know it." he said as he retrieved his mug from the bedside table. He took a long gulp and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "That's more like it. Something I can sink my teeth into." Pocahontas chuckled and shook her head. She took another sip of tea before replacing the cup on the dresser and going to lie next to her husband. "So what's the plan for today." she asked. "And you had better have one with the way you woke me up this morning." she added for good measure.

John chuckled softly and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead. "You try to be so tough, but the both of us know that all of your threats are empty." Pocahontas raised her eyebrows. " Is that what you really think?" At her husband's smug nod, she continued. "Just wait, mister. One of these day's you'll be singing to a different tune." John smirked. "Well, until then, I'll just enjoy annoying you as I have already. Unless you truly do want to be rid of me."

Pocahontas narrowed her eyes and brushed a stray piece of hair out of John's face. "Considering what we've been through, I think I will keep you around for a time." John captured her hand once again and pressed a kiss to her palm. "I thought you would" Pocahontas smiled and scooted closer to him. "I'm so glad I married you. I honestly don't know what I was thinking before."

John said nothing, but leaned down to cover her mouth with his. She accepted his kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck to be closer to him. John's hand came down from her face to encircle her waist, pulling her tightly against him. This kiss lasted for several moments before Pocahontas broke it in order to breathe. John smirked at the expression on her face. "Now then, are you convinced?" She grinned back at him, not saying anything.

John glanced out the window before pushing himself up with his arm into a sitting position. "Well, my love." He said. "As much as I would love to stay here with you all day, there are things that must be done. Come on, time to get up." Pocahontas moaned and flopped back down on the bed, covering her face with a pillow. John smiled and peeked under it. "We've already been through this once." he told her, flexing his fingers above her head. "Don't make me repeat myself."

Pocahontas groaned and threw the pillow at him. "Slave-driver." She muttered as she rose and brushed past him. "Yes, but you know you love me." He called after her. "Whatever." Came her reply. John chuckled and shook his head as he replaced the pillow and rose to follow his wife to the kitchen. It was good to be where he belonged.

……00000…….

When John came into the kitchen, Pocahontas was standing at the stove preparing breakfast for the two of them. The English sun came shining through the window of John's small flat. It fell over his wife and when she turned to smile at him, the way it highlighted her features took his breath away. How lucky he was to have her. After all of this time she was his forever. All the other times, they had failed. Not this time. This time around, they would get it right.

John made his way over to where his wife stood and slipped his arms around her waist from behind. He rested his head on her shoulder after pressing a soft kiss to her neck. He felt her raise her shoulder up and turned her head the opposite way, a sign that she enjoyed his affection. "It smells wonderful." He whispered. "What did I ever do without you?" Pocahontas set the utensils down and turned to face him, allowing him to hold her. "I don't know, but you won't ever have to worry about that problem again."

John grinned and kissed her softly. "And for that, my dear," he said. "I am eternally grateful." Pocahontas reached up to place a soft kiss on his lips before turning back to the stove, but John caught her arm. "Not so fast, my love." He said. "I wasn't't done with you yet." Pocahontas shot him a look. "John, you know I love you, but if you want to eat, you'll leave me alone."

John wasn't so easily swayed. "The food will be fine, Pocahontas. Besides," he smirked. "I've always liked a bit of sugar with my breakfast." Pocahontas laughed as he pulled her to him. "You're absolutely shameless." John's eyes sparkled as he brought his face inches from hers. "Yes, but I'm also head over heels in love with you." Pocahontas couldn't argue and she closed the distance between them and tilted her head upward to meet his kiss.

The next several moments were heaven for the young couple as they enjoyed one another in their embrace. John held his wife close as she melted against him, enjoying the feeling of his lips on hers. Pocahontas clung tightly to him for fear of her legs giving out on her from the power of her husband's embrace when he deepened the kiss. Both had been apart for so long. It was the passion for each other stored for all those years that radiated from their embrace.

The couple was interrupted by an insistent knocking on the door. John broke away from his wife and called out in a hoarse voice. "Who is it?". Pocahontas laughed at the sound of his voice and it's condition form the lack of air. "Post!" came the reply. Pocahontas pulled herself away from her husband and returned to the task of making breakfast while John answered the door. When he opened it, he found himself face to face with the postman and old friend Sam Whitman. "Morning John!" Sam greeted him with a jovial smile. "I hope I didn't interrupt anything." he said taking in John's disheveled hair and clothing.

John felt the heat crawling up his neck as he answered. "Nothing at all, Sam." he said. "Nothing at all." Sam cut the air with his hand. "No worries, John." he said. "I was a newlywed myself once. Some of the best years of my life were spend with my Martha before the Good Lord took her from me. Hold onto this time, my friend. You can never get it back." "Amen to that." John murmured.

"Sam." Pocahontas greeted him, making her way to stand next to John, slipping her small hand into his larger one. "How nice to see you. How are You?" Sam tipped his hat toward her. "Fine, thank you, Mrs. Smith. I trust you are also well." Pocahontas smiled at her husband. "Never better." she answered. "And please," she said, turning her gaze back to Sam. "Call me Pocahontas. No formalities necessary with any friend of John's."

Sam nodded politely. "Thank you mam..uh..Pocahontas. The pleasure would be mine." She smiled and returned his nod. "My pleasure. Is there any news from my father?" Sam ruffled through the pile of letter's he held in his hand. "Let me see. No...nothing from the New World. Say, are you folks ever thinking of going back there? I mean, It's got to be lonely sometimes. Especially for you, my dear."

Husband and wife exchanged a glance before John answered. "We hope to go back someday. The situation has been so that we can't financially afford it at this point in time. " Sam nodded understandingly. "I can imagine. Your wedding was only two weeks ago and if I do say so myself, it was a pretty elaborate affair." John smiled as he took his wife's hand and kissed it. "Yes, however that is when being friends with the king of England comes in handy."

Sam gave a hearty laugh. "Right ya are, my boy. Right ya are." After a slight pause, he continued. "Well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat with you folks, the mail can't deliver itself. Here ya go. Two letters for ya today. Take care now, ya hear!" he waved as he made his way further down the street. The couple returned the wave along with an invitation to come again when they could converse longer.

When Sam had disappeared from sight, John closed the door and made his way back to the kitchen, shuffling through the letter's in his hands. When he came to one inparticular, he dropped the other's on the table and opened it with haste. "I don't believe it.." he chuckled. Pocahontas looked up from what she was doing. "What is it?" John lifted his head. "Come look at this." he said. Pocahontas dried her hands on the towel and went to read over her husbands shoulder.

Your presence is requested in celebrating the union of

John. S. Rolfe

and

Cynthia P. Duran

In holy matrimony on the day of

Saturday, May 28, 1612

Please attend and celebrate with us in the beautiful blending of two lives

"Wow." Pocahontas replied. "I can't believe he's getting married. I can almost remember the time when that would have been my name on that invitation." John glanced at his wife. "As can I." he said softly. "That is a time that I personally would wish to forget." Pocahontas pressed a kiss to the base of his neck. "Then forget it." she said. "I am yours for eternity now. there is nothing that can change that."

John smiled as she walked away. "I know." he called after her. He paused a moment before asking. "Do you wish to attend." Pocahontas looked up from the stove. "I think we should. After all, he is still our friend and it has been over a year since our breakup." She nodded to herself. "Yes, I think we should attend. It will give both sides some closure." John nodded in agreement. "Then attend we shall." Pocahontas glanced at him once more. "Was that all of the mail?" she asked.

John looked around for the other letter. "No," he answered. "There was one other one, but I seemed to have misplaced it...Ah! here it is." He retrieved the discarded letter from the table and opened it up. Pocahontas waited for his reply. When she looked in his direction, she was surprised to see a frown marring his handsome features. "John." she said as she made her way over to him. "What's wrong?"

John finally came out of his daze. he turned the paper over several times before a complete look of stupefaction came across his face. "That's strange." he murmured. "No return address...nothing." "John?" Pocahontas tried again. "What is wrong." This time John met her gaze. he motioned for her to come, which she obeyed. When she reached him, John handed her the letter. "Read this." he commanded gently.

Not understanding him, she took the letter from his hand. As she read it, she understood his reaction. On a single piece of crisp paper, one message was written in scrawly handwriting.

Your duty calls

it is time to stop gallivanting around the world and to take your rightful place in society

You are hereby ordered at your father's estate no later than March 17, 1612

Come with haste. We are expecting you