"Promise me you'll stay inside!" Sir Leon begged as he swept his long red cloak on. His young wife, Rebecca, placed a hand over his shaking wrist.

"Leon, you do not have to do this! Arthur will not think any less of you if you do not go!" She begged, allowing her tears to flow free. The sight of her tears broke Sir Leon's heart. His wife was never one to cry, she usually held in her emotions so terribly well. For a second, maybe longer, he was tempted to stay. But he knew his duty was to defend Camelot, even if that meant losing his life.

"It is my duty Becky. You know as well as I, that if I do not go, it will haunt me for the rest of my days. What if Arthur were to die... how could I live with myself knowing I could have helped stop that?" Rebecca simply clung to his arm that much tighter as she collapsed to her knee's in a fit of uncontrollable sobs. Sir Leon had to bite down on his lip in order to stop himself breaking down as well. It was at moments like this, that he wished he had not been born of noble blood. Had he not, then he would not have grown up wanting to be a Knight of Camelot, would not have been encouraged to do so. Would not have been allowed to.

"Please just promise me you will return!" Rebecca whispered, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and then stood so that she could embrace her husband. He wrapped his arms tight around her, tighter than he ever had before. He did not want to let her go.

"I cannot promise you that," he whispered, placing a kiss amongst her curly ebony locks. "But I can promise you that I'll try. I can promise you that I will think of you, and use those thoughts to give me strength when I find I have none left. I can promise you that if I were to perish, my last thoughts would be of you," He felt his wife shudder as her desperation threatened to overcome her once again, and tightened his hold even more so. "I don't ever want to let you go," he whispered.

"Then don't... stay with me, I beg you..." she pleaded. Sir Leon found himself smiling, and tilted up his wife's chin with his gloved finger tips. For a few seconds, she refused to meet his eye.

"Look at me Rebecca," he whispered. She obliged. "I will always be with you... either in body, or in sprit," Before Rebecca could reply, he caught her lips in a soft, tender kiss. Soon it was a desperate kiss, the couple clung to each other, forced their lips upon the other harder and harder, as if this would somehow keep them together. Tears flowed down both their face's, mixing as their cheeks connected, dampening their shoulders as they dripped slowly from their face's.

"How much time do you have before you have to leave..?" Rebecca whispered, barely moving her lips away from Leon's. Leon opened his sore eyes, and glanced out of the window at the sun that was still high in the sky, blurred by the never-ending stream of thick black smoke that was billowing from many a part of Camelot.

"An hour... maybe two," he whispered. Connecting his eyes with Rebecca once again, he knew what he had to do. Without another word, he swept her from her feet, and carried her into their bed chambers in the same manner in which he had on their wedding night, just a few months previously.

Their act of love-making was slow and tender, loving. They grasped at each other out of devotion, not desperation. They exchanged sweet kisses, and gentle strokes. They smiled and groaned in ecstasy, and the night was very much like their wedding night. They only outward sign of their sorrow came from the silent tears that slowly dripped from their eyes, which were wide and alight with pleasure, yet glazed over in unhappiness and despair. This could very well be the last time they touched, the last time they made love... the last time they were ever together. When all was over, they slipped back into their clothes' without a word. Rebecca carefully placed her husband's armour upon him once again, shaking so much; he had to help her with the wrist cuffs. He held her hand there for a minute or so, not wanting to let it go. Her trembling never stopped, and he found that nor did his.

"I'm so scared..." he admitted. "Not because I may die, not because I could suffer... but I'm scared because I don't want to lose you," Rebecca nodded, although it was unseen by Leon who's gaze was intently observing their connected hands. Rebecca interlined their fingers and brought their joined fingers to her mouth. She then placed a soft kiss on Sir Leon's knuckles.

"I will be with you, in your heart," she whispered. "As you said before my love, we will never truly be apart." Sir Leon nodded once at his wife, a slow nod that was almost a bow. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a shinning gold chain, upon which was his wedding ring. It glittered in the light of the now setting sun.

"Keep this safe for me my love, until I can come back and claim in once again," he placed the cold metal into his wife's free hand. She did not look at it, for fear it would set her off once again, but clasped her fingers round it tight.

"I will wear it until you return, whether that be in this life or the next," she promised. Sir Leon nodded again with a smile.

"I promise you I will claim it back from you one day," he whispered. With his free hand, he reached out and grasped his wife's face gently, stroking her cheek with his thumb. Rebecca slipped the chained ring into her pocket, let go of Leon's fingers, and slipped from round her neck, a small locket that Leon had given to her the day she had come of age. The day he could finally ask for her hand in marriage. There was no painted portrait inside, instead it was empty. I give you this unfilled, in the hope that one day; we can fill it with memories' together. Leon had whispered when he can placed it around her neck for the first time. Leon watched on as Rebecca snipped off a single black curl from her locks, and placed it inside the locket.

"And I too, will claim this back one day," she whispered, as she placed it around her husband's neck. He moved his curls out of the way, so that she could clasp it. Once sealed, it rested just above his heart. Rebecca went to tuck in into his chainmail.

"No!" he cried, grabbing her hand in his in order to stop her. "I will wear it in view with pride and with joy." Rebecca smiled, and wiped away a few tears that threatened to fall from over over-loaded eyes. Sir Leon smiled once again, and reached into her pocket, pulling out his chained wedding ring. He slipped it around her neck. "I love you Rebecca," he whispered, keeping his fingers grasped around the gold ring.

"I love you too Leon, more than anything. You are my life, my air. You are the reason I live." And then their lips connected. Each wrapped their arms tight around the other. One of Sir Leon's hands rested on his wife's hip, the other became tangled in her ebony locks. One of Rebecca's hands was tight around her husband's waist, the other rested on his cheek. For a few minutes, they because totally lost in the other, both holding onto the moment for as long as possible. All too soon, the moment was cut short by a knock at the door. "Come in," Rebecca muttered, removing her lips from Leon's. She gently rested her forehead against as, and they gazed sadly into each other's eyes as the door swung open. It was Prince Arthur. "My Lord," Rebecca whispered, moving away from Leon so that she could curtsy. Arthur bowed and kissed her hand.

"My lady," he whispered. He turned to Leon with a sad look in his eyes. "It is time we left Sir Leon." Leon nodded once, and grabbed his helmet from the table.

"Goodbye Rebecca... always remember that I love you more than anything..." he said softly, as he kissed his wife one last time. She placed her hands in his, entwined their fingers,

"I love you too Leon... you will always be in my heart," And then he had to leave, he had to go with Arthur and fight the dragon. He and Rebecca kept their fingers joined to the very last second, reaching out so the tips touched as he was swept out of the door. Before long, Leon was gone, and the door was shut. And that's when Rebecca broke, that's when she collapsed to the floor. And there she lay, never thinking about what might be happening. Just waiting for news, waiting for Leon...

--

The survivors entered the courtyard where Rebecca was now stood hours later. Night had fallen, and for a few seconds neither was recognisable. Rebecca's heart filled with hope, her eyes widened in anticipation. But then they came into sight. Arthur and Merlin. Gaius and Gwen ran forward to embrace the hero's, but Rebecca found she could not move. As Gwen embraced Arthur, he caught sight of Rebecca over Gwen's shoulder. She did not need to ask, for he already knew the question. He sadly shook his head. In that moment, Rebecca's world tumbled. She wanted to run to the clearing, to find Leon and prove to herself that he really was dead. Merlin stopped her before she could even take two steps.

"I promise you My Lady, you do not want to see Sir Leon. Not in the condition he is in," he whispered sadly. "Better that you remember him for the man he was, and not for the man he is now," Rebecca nodded silently, not wanted to risk opening her mouth for fear of what might happen if she did. "He died not long after the dragon was slain. He spoke of you. He wanted me to tell you that he loves you, and that you should not be scared because you will never be alone. He will be with you always, in your heart and in your soul. And he told me one day, he will claim again what is his, and that you can do the same," It was clear that Merlin was unsure what Sir Leon's dying words meant, but he knew that they were important. He allowed Rebecca to cling to him as she sobbed, and he found that he did not want to let her go. He knew if he did, she would do something stupid.

--

9 months to the day later, Rebecca gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. He had his father's eyes, his features and his mother's dark curls. She named him Galahad, for his father, the brave Knight who risked everything to defend his kingdom. 21 years later, that young boy joined the Knights that once upon a time; his father had been part of. He was forever known as, Brave Sir Galahad Knight of the Round Table. King Arthur's bravest, and one of his most trusted Knights.

Rebecca died not long after seeing her son become a knight. She never took another man, never even considered it. Her son was so much like his father, and she was so proud of him. She knew his father would be too. She died clasping Sir Leon's ring in her hand and found that when she awoke, Leon was by her side, looking as she remembered him in life. A look down showed that she looked as she had, the day he had died.

"I promised you I would claim this back one day," he whispered, slipping his hand into the one that held his ring. Rebecca smiled and reached out to touch the locket that was still around Sir Leon's neck.

"Never did I doubt you," she whispered, tugging on the chain so that she could kiss Leon once again...

--

The End! A tribute to the lovely Sir Leon, and to Rupert Young, who played him so well. And yes, I know, Galahad was Lancelot's illegitimate son, but hey, that's what fan fiction is for!

Please review, for there is very little Sir Leon work here, and I would like to know what people think!