A/N: Here's the last chapter!

Chapter Six: "It's Wonderful To Be Home"

The get-together was going strong, the Own's mess hall packed with people- laughing, chatting, and eating. At one table, four people were gathered together, two of them being the cause of the celebration. Yuki had been showered with small gifts, and Dom had been overwhelmed with best wishes.

Neal, sitting beside his wife and across from Kel who sat beside Dom, at one point commented, "I don't know about you Kel, but I feel somewhat left out. I am the father of the baby after all."

Dom, who had been thanking some men of the Own for their well-wishes, didn't miss a beat, retorting, "That's why everyone is being so courteous to your wife, Meathead. They know you're her husband."

Kel laughed, as did Yuki. Before Neal could mutter a reply, Alanna came up behind him, saying, "I think your cousin is right, Queenscove, I myself have pity for the woman who calls you husband- having such a sharp tongue and all."

Spurred on by the other three's laughter, Neal quickly snapped, "I have a pity for the man you call husband, having to deal with your quick temper day in and day out!"

Alanna, raising an eyebrow in question, was stopped from saying her reply by Yuki. Whipping her fan out faster than Alanna could utter a response, Yuki hit her husband, warning him, "Shut your mouth, Neal. I want my husband alive when I birth this next child."

Alanna's heated look was replaced instantly by laughter. "Stop moping, Queenscove, and move over," the Lioness said, soon sitting down next to her ex-squire.

Neal sulked over the next few minutes as the other four continued onto another topic. They were soon joined by Raoul and Buri, who quickly engaged in the table's current conversation. Duke Baird came over and sat down next to his daughter-in-law soon after.

When there was a lapse in conversation, Duke Baird commented, "It's a lovely celebration, though I did think we would be celebrating more than two things tonight." He looked significantly at Kel. She kept her face smooth with her Mask, though she could feel her heart quicken.

Alanna's eyes also soon fell on her, asking quietly, "Dom doesn't know yet, Kel?"

Dom, who had been speaking with Raoul and Buri, looked over. "What don't I know?"

Kel gulped, "Uh-"

Alanna cut in, "You haven't found out why I told you to hurry home?"

Dom's face lit up in a smile, "Of course I did."

Alanna looked between Kel and Dom, her brow furrowed. Slowly, she asked, "Does no one else know or something, or are you keeping it a secret?"

Dom laughed out loud, "Everyone knows, that's one of the reasons for this gathering."

Kel decided to inform the Lioness, putting meaning in her explanation, "Alanna, Dom found out he's captain of Third Company this morning…"

Suddenly catching on, Alanna smiled, and said exaggeratedly, "Oh, so you did find out, wonderful, congratulations! Neal was so preoccupied that he only told me about Yuki being with-child."

Neal's head snapped up, "Alanna, I told you-"

"No, you didn't Queenscove," Alanna warned him sharply. "You must have forgotten."

"I did n-"

"Yes, you did!" chorused Alanna, Yuki, and his father together.

"Ok, ok," Neal replied defensively, "I guess I did! Mithros!"

Dom, Raoul, and Buri, also oblivious to the real conversation, laughed and returned to their previous discussion.

Kel, relieved, stood up and left to get some more cider. Alanna watched her leave, and then leaned around Neal to tell Yuki and Duke Baird, "We need to help her out. At this rate, she's never going to tell him."

"I know," agreed Duke Baird, shaking his head. "She needs a little push in the right direction."

"A little? I think she needs a big push," said a voice from behind the four. They turned around to find Ilane of Mindelan standing there, smiling. Seeing Yuki, Ilane bent over and hugged the Yamani, "Congratulations, my dear. I assume that you have followed your plan through?"

Yuki nodded her head, "Yes, I have, it's all ready."

Three faces looked between Ilane and Yuki, one even more confused than the other two.

"What are you talking about?" Neal asked, clearly baffled by the entirety of the conversation.

"For once, I agree with Neal," said Alanna, "What are you two going on about?"

"I'll have Yuki tell you while I go talk to my daughter," stated Ilane, who then turned and walked in the direction Kel had gone.

When she left, Yuki motioned Alanna over to sit beside Duke Baird and then leaned over to whisper the plan to them both. Neal sighed audibly and decided to leave to talk to people who didn't ignore his presence.

Yuki had thought of the plan to help Kel that afternoon when the idea of a party was established. It was the reason she had left the courtyard so purposefully. It was when she was preparing her plan that she ran into Ilane, just arriving at the palace. Yuki had then told Kel's mother of the plan, and Ilane was more than pleased to lend a hand…

"So, here I am, coming all the way back to Corus from Mindelan, and my own daughter doesn't even come to greet me," said Ilane in a dry voice.

Kel whirled around, almost spilling her cup of cider. "Mama, when did you get here?"

Ilane smiled as she hugged her daughter, "Late this afternoon." Then she looked around at the filled mess hall. "And just in time it seems, to find out your friend is pregnant again, and my son-in-law has been promoted to captain of Third Company."

Kel turned to look at Dom, who was smiling and laughing at something Raoul was saying. "Yeah, he's so happy."

"And imagine how much happier he would be if he knew you were bearing his child, Kel," said Ilane gently, placing her hand on her shoulder.

Kel smiled weakly at her mother. "Ma, I've tried to tell him, but it's just never the right time. I wish I could just tell him; right now, even."

Ilane smiled. "I think we can assist you with that." Seeing her daughter's confused look, Ilane nodded toward the table where Dom and the rest were still sitting. Kel turned to see Yuki hand Dom a small package.

"Ma, you didn't…" said Kel slowly. She then looked to find that her mother had disappeared. Turning back around, Kel watched closely as Dom opened the gift. He soon pulled out a Yamani fan. Laughing, Kel heard him across the room say, "Is this for hitting Meathead?" Luckily, it was so loud in the room that no one besides their table really heard what he said. Kel was grateful in the least that not everyone was watching what was bound to happen.

Dom then reached his hand back into the package and pulled out a very small blanket. Puzzled, he chuckled, "Thanks Yuki, but I don't think this will keep me warm too well."

Kel couldn't hear Yuki say, "It's not meant to keep you warm, Dom." Bewilderment filling his face, Yuki pointed to a card on the package and told him to open it.

Kel, watching from afar, held her breath as he read the note, unable to move. Slowly, very slowly, Dom's head lifted from reading the card. Kel's heart once again began to race faster as his eyes soon found hers. It seemed like an eternity as they stood there, their eyes locked as if the whole room had suddenly emptied besides the two of them.

Seeing the question in his eyes, Kel smiled faintly, and nodded her head slightly. Dom, fully aware of the motion, smiled the biggest smile Kel had ever seen on his face. Then, as if the force that had kept them frozen in place had suddenly broken, Dom left the table, almost tripping over the bench.

Kel laughed quietly as Dom pushed through the crowd, to the angry protests of many. But their eyes never left each other's once.

When he finally reached her, he was slightly out of breath. "Kel, you're-you're-"

"Yes, Dom," she replied, smiling softly, "I'm pregnant."

Like Neal the day before, Dom whooped loudly before wrapping his arms around Kel, lifting her up slightly as he kissed her warmly and fully. Kel never remembered a sweeter kiss.

They parted smiling, their arms still wrapped around each other tightly. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, Dom. It never seemed to work out."

Dom was smiling even wider than before. "Don't worry about it Kel, I found out didn't I?"

Kel laughed. "By the use of very subtle gifts," she replied softly, referring to the fan and small blanket he still had clutched in his one hand.

Dom laughed as well as he looked at the two things. Then he handed the blanket to her, "Here, this will keep our baby warm." He beamed with pride and Kel couldn't help but feel the same way.

"And what about the fan?" Kel asked, jokingly.

Taking it out of her reach, Dom smiled, placing it on his belt. "I would be crazy to let you have a fan to hit me with."

They both laughed again as they settled their arms around each other once more. Then getting an idea, Kel suddenly leaned up slightly to whisper in Dom's ear, "Now, how about that private celebration you were talking about earlier, captain?"

He placed a kiss behind her ear before replying in her own ear, "Just lead the way, my love."

Kel raised her eyebrows at the phrase 'my love', but decided that she didn't mind it right then. Instead, she grabbed his large hand in hers and walked toward the doors, both of them smiling as they did.

Neal, who was still confused by the gift Dom had received and the reaction it had caused, watched as his cousin and best friend walked hand-in-hand toward the doors. Turning to Yuki, he asked, "What is going on around here?"

Yuki then informed him quietly in his ear.

Kel and Dom, leaving the mess hall, suddenly heard Neal exclaim, "KEL'S WHAT?!" as the doors closed behind them. However, they didn't care as they smiled at each other, both of them thinking, It's wonderful to be home.

A/N: That's the end! Thank you for reading! Ok, many of you asked about a sequel already since I had already revealed that this chapter would be the last and yeah I have actually thought of one. At the time being, I am working on a couple of Midwinter oneshots. The collection of those oneshots will be combined in my newly posted fic Cold Midwinters & Warm Kisses. Perhaps after that is finished I well try to write a sequel to this fic. However, I may do a different fic before, I'm not really sure at the moment. It'll just depend on the mood I'm in lol. If you have any suggestions or questions just PM me! I'll gladly reply! Thanks again for reading!