A/N: After finishing Chapter 10 last night and having Aric's picture pop up for Chapter 11, all I've been thinking about is K'agan and Aric's reunion. After talking to JediSerenity82 about it, the plot bunnies were quickly proliferating! LOL! This one took root and I've got to write it! It will focus less on the in-game reunion and more on the "after." This will be lemony goodness and is definitely NSFW!

Just FYI, this is unedited and unbeta'd. I just wanted to post it before going to bed. I'll take a look at it tomorrow.

A Long Prayed for Reunion

Aric's POV

I'd never given up.

I'd faltered, stumbled, worried, and sometimes grieved but I never gave up. Not in five years…ever. I refused to believe my mate was dead and gone from this world. I couldn't believe it. We were connected and I would have felt it in my soul if she was gone. I'd felt the light of her soul grow dim and flicker but it never gave in and went out. If she could hang on then so could I. No matter what anyone told me, I knew she was out there, waiting for me to rescue her from whatever trouble she found herself in.

And after searching for her for five years, hoping and praying to find her, she walks in and saves me….again.

We were pinned down by Zakulan star troopers. The fire fight was hot and heavy when I heard it. The sweet sound of a particular assault cannon, K'agan's Wraith. I had to be dreaming. I shook my head, trying to shake the sound from my head but there it was again.

"Keep down!"

No, no, no! Now I'm hearing her voice when I'm awake, not just in my dreams! It felt like maybe I was going crazy but my heart jumped in my chest at the sound, at the hope that it's missing other half may be close by.

The hum of a Wraith cannon filled the air as the star troopers began to fall, one by one until none were left. Silence fell heavy over the battle field and the smell ozone filled the air from the destroyed droids.

"All clear," someone shouted.

Another voice asked, "Everyone ok?"

The sweet sound of her voice washed over my parched soul, like water to dying man. I tried to drink it all in, soothing an ache deep down inside, but at the same time preparing myself for the moment when I woke up and she's not there. The emptiness that came after…someday it would break me.

"Where's Havoc squad?"

Closing my eyes, I leaned back against the dirt berm behind me, the one screening from the caller's sight, frozen in place, caught between duty and my dreams. I needed to stand and answer up to whoever was really asking for Havoc squad but I couldn't move. My heart was caught up in the prayer that as impossible as it may seem that it was really was K'agan calling for us…for me.

"Damn it," I growled under my breath. I tried to force down my rising hopes, prepare myself for the worst. Prepare for the pain that always, always came next, when I realized my wife was still somewhere out there in this universe, out of reach. But not dead…not dead, I'd never believe that.

This time there was a note of urgency and an undercurrent of worry in the voice. "Havoc…report!"

My body acted automatically to the order in the command, standing up but I kept my back turned to the unknown person. As long as I didn't see her or him, I could cling to the idea that it was my wife looking for me, my K'agan.

"Aric?!"

Wow, I had to be hallucinating. That sounded just like her! And so, so close. Maybe this time it would break me. This time the disappointment would be too much for me to handle. At the same time, I tried again to tramp down on my rising hopes.

"Aric," the voice whispered. "Turn around."

Taking a deep breath, I stood up and straightened my shoulders, bracing myself for the impact of sorrow I was sure was coming. I turned around to face the owner of the voice but kept my eyes closed, giving me a few more seconds for my dreams to live on.

"Aric," she softly said again, gently touching my face with a gloved hand.

I instinctively turned into the touch that felt so, so much like K'agan. She even smelled like my mate. If I kept my eyes closed I could keep pretending, keep from feeling the pain that would come with knowing this wasn't my wife. I shook my head no.

"Please babe," she pleaded with me, tears in her voice as she caressed my cheek, "You need to truly see me and I want to see your gorgeous green eyes."

Taking one last moment to steady myself, I opened my eyes and looked down into two familiar blue eyes filled with unshed tears. Not possible! I closed them again to shut out the illusion that felt so real.

"It's me," the voice tried to reassure me. "I'm here love." She rested her forehead against my armored chest. "Please believe me."

Opening my eyes again, I looked down at the head resting against my chest. A head covered in gray braids, K'agan's braids! Raising my arms, I gently took her head in my hands and tipped it back so I could look at her face…K'agan's face! K'agan's eyes! Maker, be praised!

My joy tinged relief nearly drove me to my knees. After five long years, she was here, with me, in my arms where she belonged. I wasn't sure I could believe it. With my thumbs I gently wiped away the tears streaking down her face. "You're alive," I whispered.

In all those long years I'd never, ever believed it, refused to believe the holo Republic Command sent me but seeing her with my own two eyes was a whole different matter.

"Yeah."

"You're here," I said softly, resting my forehead against hers, tears starting down my cheeks.

"Yeah." K'agan said on a sigh.

"I'm not dreaming this?" I couldn't help but ask her.

"No," she smiled sadly, "Not this time."

"Thank the stars," I whispered against her lips as I kissed her gently for the first time in five horribly long years.

What started out as a gentle kiss quickly turned more passionate as K'agan wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pressed herself against me, from chest to hips. She parted her lips and I slipped my tongue into her mouth, caressing hers gently. I was savoring every moment of this long prayed for reunion, not wanting it end…not sure yet if I really believed it was finally happening.

The need for air finally drove us to break the kiss but I wasn't ready for her to move away and pulled her tightly against me, as she again rested her head on my chest.

"Wish I could hear your heart be," she said, eyes closed, "Need to hear it."

"Later," I answered, kissing the top of her head.

Not caring about the battlefield around us and the creak of military protocol, we clung to each other, each drawing comfort from the other. Anyone that saw us could be damned for all I cared. I had K'agan back in my arms and absolutely nothing else mattered.

"You found him."

I kissed the top of my wife's braids one more time before I looked up at the human approaching us. She tried to turn and look at him but I held her tight against my chest, now allowing her to turn.

"Theron," I greeted him.

"Like what we picked up on Zakul?" he asked me, slipping his blaster back into the holster on his hip. "Or I guess I should say what Lana picked up."

There were moments in the past I wanted to kill the SIS agent, when he would flirt with my wife in front of me, for example. She'd never encouraged him or returned it but it still pissed me off when he'd done it. Now though, with K'agan in my arms, I would be forever grateful to him if he had anything to do with these turn of events.

"Don't be so humble Theron," K'agan added, though she didn't move, "He may not have been on the rescue party but the intelligence he helped gather was instrumental in my release."

Keeping my left arm wrapped around my wife, I offered my right gloved hand to Shan. He took it and we shook. "Thanks," I said, looking him in the eyes and letting him see some of my emotions.

"You're welcome," he said, with a smile.

Turning slightly, K'agan laid her hand on our joined ones. "You have my thanks too," she told Theron, "For finding him for me and getting us here in time."

This time the man always composed man faltered for a second before answering, "You're welcome."

"Major!" a feminine voice said, before a blond streak pulled my wife out of my arms and into a fierce hug. "I was not sure we would ever see you again."

"Hey Elara," K'agan laughed, hugging the other woman back.

"You are alive!" the medic said, taking a step back and surveying her, as if looking for injuries.

"And in one piece," K'agan answered the unasked question.

"Thank the stars," Elara said, smiling.

With a smile on my face for the first time in years, I asked Elara, "Report?"

Straightening, she said, "No deaths and only minor injuries. The men should be ready to move out shortly."

"Good," I said, nodding. "I'll be with you in five."

"Yes sir," she said, turning back to K'agan, "It's good to see you again sir! We'll get together later, someplace…safer…and cleaner," and she hurried away to ready their troops.

"What's next for Havoc?" K'agan asked me, but she didn't look at me.

"What do you mean?" I said, puzzled.

Sighing, she asked, "Where are your orders sending you?"

"Wherever you say," I told her, "Havoc has always been and will always be your squad K'agan. We never gave up looking for you."

"Aric," she started but unable to say more as tears streaking down her cheeks again. I pulled her close to me again, unwilling to let her go yet.

"K'agan," Theron said.

Frack! I forgot we still had an observer.

"I can make sure the troops make it back to Odessen," the agent said. Without looking, I could hear the grin in his voice. "The Thunderclap is just over that way," he pointed with a thumb behind him. "Figure you two could use some…alone time," he laughed.

"The Thunderclap?" I asked amazed. I thought she'd been reassigned and destroyed.

"Yup," Theron said, "Found her in mothballs."

Not wasting a moment, K'agan grabbed my hand and started pulling me in the direction that Theron had indicated. "Thanks again Theron."

"No problem," he replied.

"I need to," I started as we hurried around the dead star trooper droids, "Elara will need…"

"I'll let her know," Theron said, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Pulling my hand from my wife's hold, I started to turn around.

Huffing, K'agan grabbed my hand and flipped off the SIS agent, as she continued toward the star ship. "Don't worry about him."

At that moment, the Thunderclap came into view. She was right, I had bigger things on my mind….I was home…

TBC

A/N: Ok, this was much, much longer than I expected. The smut will be in the next chapter. Feed my muse…review please!

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