Hey there my lovely readers! I wanted to thank you for the flood of reviews I got last chapter. Here is the next chapter for your (hopeful) delight. Here you go!

Clopin looked at the form of his sleeping wife in the dim light. Tears were still dripping down her cheeks, and she looked exhausted from the day.

He reached his hand forward to push a strand of hair from her faze, and gazed at her face in a mix of pain and adoration. He loved her. He loved her and she did not return his feelings.

Sighing, he sang to her a lullaby.

Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Everyday I'll love you more and more
Listen to my heart can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, Come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather and stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may, Come what may
I will love you until my dying day

As his song ended, he sighed, kissed her on the cheek, and blew out the candle, sinking the tent into blackness.

He awoke early to the smell of something delicious. Yawning sleepily from a restless sleep, he looked to the far end of the tent to see Colette cooking over a small fire, allowing the smoke to escape from the opening in the top of the tent.

She had not yet noticed he was awake, too lost in her thoughts and her task.

He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She shrieked and nearly dropped the spoon she had been stirring with.

"Good morning, dearest. It smells very good," he laughed at her reaction as she quickly detangled from his grasp, blushing a lovely pink that suited her quite well.

"Don't do that, scaring me half to death!" she chastised him, hitting his head with the spoon.

Chuckling with mirth, he jibed, "Just hope you don't get scared half to death twice."

She rolled her eyes and went back to preparing the food. "I hope you're hungry. I'm afraid I made a little too much," she admitted ruefully.

"Very. I'm surprised you've taken to your wifely duties so quickly," he teased.

She frowned, realizing that she had been playing the role of a good housewife without thinking about it. She hummed in agitation and served their food while they ate in companionable silence.

"Since I'm just married, I am allowed to skirt around my duties for the day and can show you around if you want," he broke the silence with a smile.

She smiled in return. "Oh, that would be very nice. I would very much like to meet everyone today." Her face fell. "But I just can't tell if they like me. One minute they're hungry for my head, the next they treat me like one of their own."

He nodded and took her hand in his. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Besides, I'm pretty sure they do think of you as their own, now that you're a married woman."

He could tell she was still nervous, and a little agitated at the constant reminder. "I promise I'll protect you," he added sincerely. She smiled at that, and they got dressed on different sides of the tapestry.

They left the tent where the morning had already begun for everyone else. Clopin breathed in deep, relishing in the smell of home.

As they walked, Clopin pointed out various things that Esmeralda had forgotten to show her. He laughed when she showed him the ankle bracelet she had gotten from the gypsy, with a, "I'll need it" when she told him what it was for.

He pointed out various people that were important to the functions of the Court, introducing her as they went. Everyone seemed to like her, much to his pleasure.

Linnie ran out to greet them as they passed her tent, holding Amsie, who had spent the night there so the newly wedded couple could have alone time...not that it was necessary. "Hey there, Colette, Clopin," she greeted them both in turn. "Oh Colette, you were absolutely stunning in your dress last night!" Getting closer to whisper in her ear, she giggled, "I'll bet Clopin couldn't keep his hands off, eh?" She passed Colette her child.

Clopin couldn't hear her, but he guessed what had been said if Colette's red face was any indication. He changed the subject, before Colette was obligated to answer.

"Linnie, perhaps you would like to accompany us on our tour? You can point out things that would be a lot more interesting to Colette than matters of State." Colette shot him a grateful glance.

"Of course! But I think you ought to go on your merry way, to leave us women to chat," she said, taking Colette's arm. He looked to his wife to see if it was what she wanted, and she nodded to him, thanking him for spending time with her, if only briefly. He didn't really want to leave, but he figured she could do with some girl bonding.

"Alright, I will take my leave. I will be at the shops. I have a…project to finish," he said with an air of mystery.

He walked off, and Linnie dragged Colette into her tent.

Clopin went to the square, looking for the final pieces of the puppet he had been making for Colette. He found paints for the face, and went back to the tent to work on it.

Painting the last eye on the puppet, he set it out to dry, quite pleased with his latest work of art. As soon as he was out performing again, he would introduce Little Colette to the kids.

He lay back, looking at the puppet as his eyes drooped heavily. He hadn't had a good sleep, wrapped up as he had been looking at his wife's sleeping face, completely absorbed in her visage.

He dreamed.

He dreamed he was sitting on the top of a high mountain that was covered in snow. Yet, he wasn't cold. He could feel a presence somewhere near him, and he turned to face it.

Colette stood, her eyes looking at him like they could see his soul, and she took a step towards him, smiling. He smiled as well and reached a hand out to her, beckoning her to come closer.

But she didn't. Instead, her face took on a disgusted look and she turned from him, curses in her words.

You have betrayed me once again, Clopin. And this time, you will pay for it.

She began to run away, and he tried to chase her, demanding to know what he had done wrong. But, as often happens in dreams, he was too slow; his feet felt like they were weighted down with lead.

He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, but he continued to call out after her.

Clopin. Clopin. Her voice came from far away, and he jolted into awareness.

He shot up and looked around wildly, before his eyes focused on his love, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Clopin. Thank goodness!" she sighed, smoothing his hair from his face. "It seemed like you were having a nightmare. Are you alright?" Amsie reached out to touch his face, looking worried as well.

He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and shook his head.

"Nothing bad. Nothing you need to worry about. Living in a world like ours, you can't help but sometimes get bad dreams. Don't worry about it," he said, trying to dismiss it with a wave of his hand. "Did you have a pleasant talk with Linnie?" he asked hurriedly, distracting her.

She smiled happily and nodded. "Oh yes, she is a very pleasant companion...mostly. She's such a sweet girl, and I think we could be good friends."

He grinned, pleased that she was adjusting well. "And what did you talk about?" he asked playfully, knowing Linnie's tendency towards the risqué.

Sure enough, Colette blushed and told him to mind his own business. "You are my business," he replied, but didn't press the matter further. Amsie giggled intelligently, and Clopin guessed it was only a matter of time before she could understand everything they spoke of.

They all went back out, deciding to walk above ground. He took his girls around town, telling them of all his favorite places in the city. They passed by her house, which she walked by quicker than he would have expected. "I…don't want Nanny or Frederick to see me," she explained.

He took her hand in his, squeezing it as they walked by. She looked at their joined hands, and he could see she was debating whether this was acceptable or not. Since they had shared a bed last night, he had thought it wouldn't be a problem, and she apparently came to the same conclusion. Amsie looked at them with a bemused expression, an Clopin wondered if he had been wrong in thinking she couldn't already understand them.

After their walk, they returned to their tent where Colette cooked once again, getting used to her role of a wife after not having had one for so long.

He watched affectionately as she settled Amsie in her bassinette, and sang a soft song to lull her to sleep.

When it came time for the adults to go to bed, he wondered if he would have to sleep in clothes for the rest of his life. She stripped to her chemise, and turned to look at him warily. He debated, staring at her for a long while until he shrugged out of his tunic, now bare-chested before her, watching her the whole time. She instantly flushed and looked away.

He sat down on the bed in silence, opening his arms and she came forward slowly, but he waited patiently. She came into his arms, but he once again, did not push her. They crawled under the covers and all was silent.

"Does this bother you?" he asked at last, breaking the quiet that had descended upon the underground city.

She breathed shakily. "I'm not sure. I'm not used to this, but I know I'm being silly."

He leaned up, to look at her. "Not silly. I understand. I will give you as much time as you need," he told her reassuringly.

She shook her head. "But, it's not fair to you. I will try to get more comfortable with this," she said determinedly.

He stroked her face, and said, "Take your time, Colette. Don't rush and don't regret."

He thought he saw a tear on her face, but she smiled a moment later.

"I promise."

Read and Review! Clopin is being good now, but how long can a guy run on abstinence? XD