Third chapter, this might turn into an epic saga! stay with me!

I own nothing, if I did Scathach and Josh would be married by now,

enjoy

two years on...

"Relax" Josh sighed at her again, he twirled Clarent loosly in his hands and gave her a lobe-sided smile.

" Gone are the days when I was telling you to relax hmmm?" Scáthach huffed at him, and dumped her sword on the grass, he followed her move and abandoned Clarent.

" No" she protested, "You keep practising"

Josh made a face, and Scathach giggled, " I'm not really in the mood" he said. Scáthach was about to tell him that she didn't care weather he was in the mood or not, but decided against it when she saw how peaceful he looked. He was leaning against an old oak tree looking down at the view of San francisco bay. Scáthach pulled her legs close to her small body and rested her head on her knees and stared out across the landscape. She could pick out her new dojo and apartment, the coffee cup that had been newly refurished and Josh and Sophie's aunt's house. Josh's voice awoke her from the ravine,

" Are you all right Scáth?"

She couldn't meet his eyes and the use of her pet name was even worse, she was being very cold with him lately

" Yes I'm fine" she said staring at the ground, she didn't look at Josh but could hear him picking up the swords and loading them into the back of his pick-up. This was an indication that they were leaving, they would drive to the Dojo and hang around for awhile, then Josh usually drove home or stayed the night.

This was no expection, they entered the dojo and locked the swords up in a safe. Josh grabbed a Coke from the fridge and walked into the Dojo area.

" It looks great" he said entusiactically, Scáthach grimaced.

" You say that everytime you come in" Scatty sighed

" I know" he replied " but it never gets old" he turned to face her " a bit like you"

Scathach rolled her eyes and started to move out of the dojo, when Josh grabbed hold of her arm,

" Don't run away on me" he pleaded, and putting his can down on the sparkling new floor he wrapped both arms around her petite frame,

" Now you can't go anywhere" he mumbled against her neck, and began trailing kisses all along her flawless neck, this was Scáthachs undoing and she moaned at his actions. She could feel his days worth of stubble on her face, and his taunt muscles under his shirt, and before he could stop her, Scatty tugged his shirt off and threw it on the dojo floor. Scáthach cupped his face in her hands,

"This is what you do to me Joshua" she whispered, almost was if she didn't want to hear it herself. Scáthach could feel herself shaking, an unusual thing for her. Josh lifted her face to him and gently kissed her, a firm but sweet kiss that removed all doubt in Scatty's mind, she circled his slim waist with her pale hands and Josh, having no where else to go, pinned her against the dojo wall. All the while the sweet kiss had turned into something a lot more passionate, his tongue was intertwined with her, and Josh's hand was tangled in her brilliant red hair. Scáthach placed both hands on Josh's buff torso, she could feel how fast his heart was beating, his skin was hot and his cheeks were flushed.

"Scáth" he said, " What's up with you these days?" Scáthach was taken aback and dropped her hands from the nape of his neck,

" What do you mean?" she asked blushing, Josh backed away from her and drew a piece of paper from the pocket of his jeans, a letter.

"I found this," and he branished the letter at her, Scáthach was outraged, he may be her boyfriend of three years but it gave him no right to root through her things.

" I don't know what your talking about"

" Don't lie to me Scáthach!"

"Stop it now!" she shouted at him

" It's a letter" said Josh, his voice growing louder

" Give that to me!" Scatty demanded, but Josh spoke over her,

"It's from some guy," Josh paused and read the name signed at the bottom of the letter,

" Alexander Poitevin" his breathing was laboured with anger and he threw the letter at Scathach.

" What's going on?, you don't look at me anymore, your getting letters from some guy..." Josh slammed his fist into the dojo wall leaving a dent

" Let me just explain" said Scáthach desperately, she reached for Josh's wrists and held them in place,

" I have to tell you something, and I'm sorry I never told you before but I couldn't bring myself to do it"

"What is it?" Josh growled

" I'm bethrothed, to Poitevin" and Scáthach's world stood still as the truth dawned on Josh, He stared at Scatty then back at the letter on the floor.

" Your leaving me" is all he said, he fell on his knees and held his head in his hands,

" Josh," Scáthach called and ran to his side,

" I'm sorry, it was arranged years ago, before I met you, I have no way out" Scathach began explaining how her grandmother promised Poitevin Scáthach's hand in marriage if he pledged alligence to the Humani. The agreement was that Scáthach would marry him by the fiftieth anniversary of the arrangement, leaving her with half a year left.

Josh was silent for a long time after Scathach told him, when he finally broke the silence it was to utter four simple words,

" But I love you" he said, it was so honest and sincere that it almost broke Scatty's heart,

"I'm so sorry Josh" and tears slid down her cheeks, Josh grabbed her hands and turned her towards him, and replied almost angrily,

" Don't say your sorry, say you love me"

" I do love you, I do" Scathach replied eagerly

"We'll go then, away, far away" Josh sprang up and ran towards their bedroom. Scáthach shook her head

" No Josh, I can't" Josh stopped in his tracks, and spun around to face her.

" What? What do you mean you can't? Your Scáthach! We'll run away and" Josh listed of his great plans

"Josh stop it!" a hardened expression passed over his face,

" You mean to say that you won't come with me, is that it? That you'd rather marry some guy you don't know" Josh was getting angrier and angrier.

" I have to do this" She said firmly, even though she longed to fantasise about running away with Josh.

And with that final sentence, Josh's shoulders slumped in defeat, his aura flared so blight that it almost blinded Scáthach and the windows all shattered in their frames and when she opened her eyes, he was gone.