Disclaimer: The same as it always is.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews! I REALLY appriceate it!!!

Chapter Fourteen: Moments of Happiness

Time seemed to be at a standstill even as the days changed. Tristan and I were more inseparable than before. Things had become so perfect. We hardly left our room. The maid brought our food and usually kept her eyes closed every time she came or left if she knew we were in the room. There was no guarantee that we had clothes on, most of the time we didn't. We became shadows to everyone else. We came out during the day on occasion for a horseback ride or a walk to let our bodies relax a little. We spent some nights in the tavern with the others, enjoying a few drinks and dances. I was starting to forget what it was like to be in the future. I was happy to be here and it had occurred to me that it didn't matter to me if I ever went back.

"I think we're going to go back to our room." I grinned as Tristan kissed my neck.

"Should we be surprised?" Lancelot grinned.

I just smirked at him and shook my head.

"Before you go, take a walk with me." Arthur told me.

I just looked at him a moment before I replied, "Okay."

He smiled at me and led me away from the others. We walked for a while in silence. I was wondering what he wanted and he looked like he was trying to figure out what to say.

"Back when we were on the mountain trail, I talked with Merlin." He told me.

"You did?" I asked. "Why would you?"

"Guinevere led me too him, I didn't know he was there. I thought she had betrayed me but in the end we have joined forces." He told me.

"We have? I didn't know that." I replied.

"Yes, if the Saxons come we will need all the help we can get." He told me. I nodded. "He told me something interesting about you that I have pushed aside for some time but now that things have calmed down I feel the need to talk with you about it."

"What is it?" I asked, stopping and looking up at him.

"Merlin told me that you were not of our time. He didn't go in-depth on the subject and it took me a while to figure out what he meant but I have watched you and you are not like the rest of us." He told me.

My stomach turned. I didn't know where he was going with this. I had forgotten that none of them knew that I wasn't from this time. I told Guinn but knew that she wouldn't say anything. I also told Dagonet but only after he was dead. "And…?" I asked.

"And I realize that he is right." Arthur told me. "You are not from here. You are from somewhere far away. The future yes?" He asked. I nodded. "How is it you came to be here?"

"I don't know." I told him. "There was a flashing light and then I was in the river with the Woads coming at me and then you and the others were there. I cannot explain it. Do the others know?" I asked.

"No, I have not said anything to anyone. Except for Guinevere. She told me that you confided in her while you were in the dungeons."

"I did." I replied. "What does this mean for us?" I asked.

He smiled at me. "Nothing. This doesn't change anything as far as I'm concerned. But I must ask, do you not want to go back? Is there some reason why you stay?"

I grinned at him. "I am in love with one of your knights'. That is why I stay and I have no intention of leaving. First, I don't know how. Second, I am happy here. I do not wish to leave this place."

Arthur smiled wider at me. "That is nice to hear. I think you'd be missed too much if you left."

"As long as Tristan is here I will stay." I told him.

"I can live with that." He said and pulled me into a hug.

I leaned against him and was happy to know that he wasn't going to get rid of me because of my withholding. I lifted my head and looked up at him. "I 'spose I should tell the others."

"That is up to you." He told me.

"Thank you." I smiled and put my head against his chest again.

We soon returned to the table with the others, my mind filled with the decision to tell the men or not. I wasn't sure if they would take it as well as Arthur. I didn't want to talk about where I came from or why I didn't want to go back or if it were even possible to go back. I didn't want Tristan to fear that I was going to leave him, but I wouldn't go back even if I could. I wanted to be here and before I told them I had to be able to say the right things to convince them of that.

"Are you all right?" Tristan asked putting an arm around me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I grinned and kissed him.

"Good." He said and put his hand on my leg. "You ready for bed?" He smiled.

"Hours ago." I grinned at him.

He laughed and we stood up. We said our goodbyes to the others and Arthur winked at me as we walked past him. I smiled and held tight to Tristan's hand. We ran back to our room. Periodically Tristan would push me against a wall and kiss my neck as I panted, my body heat rising, taking in his affections. When we got back to the room he put me on the bed and started to undo my dress. I worked on his pants and shirt and soon everything was off. We must have created some kind of record for the fastest removal of clothes before intercourse. He ran his hands up and down my body, gripping me in all the right places. I groaned as his fingers slipped into me as he kissed my neck and mouth. The pleasure was immense, my body tingling as he moved his hands to my sides and kissed his way down my body. When he returned to my face and kissed my lips I rolled him onto his back. It was my turn to be on top. He grinned up at me. I grinned back and kissed his chest. I felt him slid into me and I sat up as we rocked in unison, his hands moving over my body.

When I rolled off of him he turned onto his side and traced shapes on my stomach. I put my fingers through his hair, staring at him. He caught my eyes and grinned. He rolled on top of me again and kissed me.

"You're shaking." He whispered.

"I'll be all right." I smiled and kissed him.

He rolled off of me again and pulled the covers up over me. I smiled at the sweet gesture. He moved next to me, pulling me against him. His body was warm. Between him and the blankets I warmed up quickly. My head was on his arm. I took in his scent and looked into his eyes. He put his forehead against mine, his hand in my hair.

"I could do this forever." He said and smiled.

I laughed at him. "You say that now." I said and laughed again. "You'd think differently after a few days."

"Not if I'm with you." He told me, sounding completely serious.

"You give me far too much credit." I told him.

"No." He smiled.

"No one has that kind of stamina." He just smiled at me. "Why are we even talking about this?" I said and laughed again.

He laughed with me and kissed me tenderly. He placed one on my neck, one of the best feelings in the world.

"I love you." He whispered after a moment of silence.

"I love you too." I whispered back and kissed his lips gently.

He kissed me deeply and ran the back of his fingers down my face. I kissed him once more and put my hand on his chest. His eyes were the last thing I saw before I fell asleep.

I woke up to the slamming of the door. I shot up, holding the blanket against me.

"Sorry." Tristan smiled as he carried a tray to the bed.

"I was having a good dream." I smiled at him, bringing my knees up.

"What about?" He asked and kissed me as he put the tray in front of me.

"You and I were married with three kids and five dogs, living in a nice home along the river." I grinned and kissed him again.

"Hm." He said and just looked at me.

"It was just a dream." I said and looked at the tray.

It had juice, strawberries, eggs, toast and bacon. It looked really good. I picked up a piece of bacon and picked at it a little before eating it. I reached for a strawberry but Tristan stopped me. I looked at him and he smiled before picking it up himself and bringing it up to my mouth. I grinned and took a bite from it. He fed me my breakfast piece by piece. It was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. It was a very thoughtful gesture. I fed him as well. When it was gone, Tristan kissed the remains of the meal from my lips and then turned and opened the door. He said something to someone outside and the maid came in and started to get the bathing tub ready. Tristan returned to the bed and moved the tray aside. I was sitting cross-legged and he fell onto the bed on his side and looked up at me.

"Thank you for breakfast." I said and kissed him.

"You are welcome." He said and kissed me harder.

He put his hand on the back of my head as I put my hands on his chest. We heard the maid drop something and we pulled apart. I laughed and looked at him. He glanced at the maid over his shoulder.

"Maybe we should get a different maid." He told me quietly.

I laughed again. "I don't know but she seems awfully uncomfortable around us."

"All the time." He added.

I nodded and laughed again. "Maybe she'll get used to us."

He grinned at me. "I doubt it if she hasn't already."

"This is true." I said and kissed him again.

"The water is ready." The maid said and curtsied before quickly leaving the room.

Tristan started to laugh and I joined him. He got off the bed and started to undo his pants. I stopped him. He looked at me and I just grinned at him as I undid them and pulled them down. He stepped out of them and kissed me as I unbuttoned his shirt. When his clothes were off he picked me up and carried me to the tub. He got in with me still in his arms. He attempted to sit down but ended up slipping, sending me under the water, nearly tipping the tub over. I surfaced and laughed at him. He looked concerned but I assured him that I was fine. It didn't hurt. He laughed with me when I couldn't stifle my own.

We lounged around in the water until our fingers were wrinkly and the water lukewarm. We got dressed and decided to see what everyone else was up to. I put on a nice green dress that accentuated my features. Tristan, as always, took his time tying up the back. Placing kisses on my skin as he made his way up. The sun was already high in the sky. We were walking hand in hand as we turned a corner, revealing the training grounds. Galahad and Gawain were sparing while Lancelot and Bors watched. I ran up behind Lancelot and jumped onto his back. He caught me as he looked over his shoulder at me.

"Hello." He smiled.

"Hello." I said and kissed his cheek before dropping to the ground. "How are you?" I asked him, putting my arm through his and my chin on his shoulder.

"I am well. How are you?" He smiled at me.

"I am fantastic." I grinned at him and laughed.

Tristan appeared at my side, leaning against the fence. "I can see why." Lancelot smirked.

I shoved him lightly and looked at the two fighting. "Who's winning?" I asked him.

"Gawain is winning but Galahad gives him a run for his money." He replied.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

Lancelot looked at me but then his eyes wandered over my head. I turned to see Arthur and Guinevere approaching. I looked back at Lancelot. He noticed my eyes on him and he looked at me and smiled.

"Yes, I'm fine." He said before walking away.

"Lancelot…!" I called after him. He didn't turn back.

"Paige!" Guinn said as she walked up to me.

"Guinn!" I said and hugged her. "It's good to see you."

"And you as well. You're glowing." She observed and looked at Tristan.

I felt my cheeks flush and looked up at Tristan who was grinning down at me. "Yeah, I'm pretty happy I guess." I said then looked back at Guinn.

"You guess?" Tristan said and put his arms around my waist.

I laughed as he pulled me from the fence and spun me in the air. When he put me down I turned in his arms and smiled up at him. I put my arms around his neck and kissed him. He picked me up, spinning me again. I kissed him again. Both of us were growing dizzy. Tristan tried to put me down as he started to lose balance but instead it tumbled over, sending both of us to the ground. I laughed hysterically as he lay on top of me, the world spinning. He pushed himself up and looked down at me. I couldn't stop laughing. He started to laugh too and lowered himself on top of me again, kissing me hard. I laughed until my stomach hurt. He stood and pulled me from the ground.

"Having fun are we?" Gawain said coming out of the ring.

"Of course." I grinned at him.

"Come here." He smiled at me. I grinned wider and put my arms around his neck as he walked up to me. "How are you?"

"I'm really good." I told him honestly.

"That's good." He smiled.

"And you?"

"I'm doing great. I beat Galahad which is always a pleasure." He said loud enough for Gal to hear.

"I was close this time." He said walking next to his friend before pulling me into a hug.

"Hi Galahad." I smiled.

"Paige." He said and kissed my cheek as we pulled apart.

Tristan came up behind me, our shoulders touching. I looked up at him and smiled. God I love that man. I thought. Though my thoughts were interrupted as Bors came over. He pulled me into a hug and planted a big kiss on my forehead.

"Thanks Bors." I said and wiped the wetness from my forehead.

"You look good." He told me.

"Thank you." I smiled at him. "Where's Vanora?"

"With the kids. She's been begging me to get you to watch them again soon."

"Any time." I smiled.

"No, she doesn't mean that." Tristan said putting an arm around me. "If you need her it better be none far in advance and I have to approve it."

I smacked his chest and frowned at him. "Don't listen to him Bors. If you really need a night out just let me know." I told him.

"You're a sweet girl." Bors said and rubbed my cheek with his hand before walking off.

Gawain and Galahad went off to clean up and Guinn and Arthur went off together. Tristan and I were once again left alone, which didn't bother us.

"What now?" I asked him.

"Do you feel like a ride through the woods?" He asked.

"That would be nice." I smiled.

We went to the stables and took the horses out. Tristan tacked both of them and helped me up into Zeus's saddle, even though we both knew I didn't need it. We walked most of the way, talking, enjoying the scenery. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining, warming my skin. When we were silent I watched Tristan. His hawk flying overhead periodically like she always did. He was such a beautiful man. I couldn't stop smiling and after a while my cheeks hurt and I tried to think of something sad so I could relax my face. I thought of Dag and for a moment sadness did come to me. I looked at Tristan and he was frowning at me.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Nothing." I said and smiled again.

"All right." He said and took my hand, kissing my palm.

I grinned at him and leaned over in my saddle, kissing him tenderly. When we reached the river we followed it down until it widened and slowed to a lazy pace. We tied the horses to a tree and found a spot next to it to sit. Tristan sat down, leaning against a rock. I was going to sit next to him but he pulled me down into his lap. I positioned myself between his legs, leaning back against him. He put his arms around me and held me tight. For a while we just sat there, listening to the river. It was relaxing to listen to. Tristan's breathing combined with the river made me feel content. I could have stayed there for hours. I thought of bringing it up to him but he started to stand up. I let him and looked up at him sad that he had moved. I watched him walk to a nearby rock. He looked at me with a smile and took off his shoes. His shirt and pants came next. I watched him with a glazed look, watching his muscles flex as he moved. I wanted my hands on him. I was still imagining taking him right here, right now, when he jumped into the river and I was hit with a disturbingly cold wave of water. In reaction to it I jumped and my jaw dropped, not believing that he just did that. I looked at him and he laughed. I stood and quickly took off my dress before jumping into the water after him. The current was slow and I broke the surface easily. Only I didn't see Tristan. I did a quick circle unconcerned. That lasted only a moment.

"Tristan?" I said. "Tristan you're not funny." I told him even though he wasn't there. "Tristan come on. This isn't funny!" Panic started to seep into me. I dove under a few times but he wasn't there. I broke the surface again and I felt my chest clench as I let the panic take over me. "Tristan! Tristan where are you?" I screamed. "Oh my god." I said. I was just about to have a complete melt down when a rock hit the water. I looked up to see Tristan sitting on top of a rock. "You are so dead!" I screamed at him. "You scared the shit out of me! What the hell were you thinking?" I yelled trying to calm myself back down. He jumped back into the water. He broke the surface and tried to pull me to him. "No, I don't think so." I said trying to pull away from him. He succeeded and he put our foreheads together, a smile on his face. "You have no idea how much you scared me." I said my hands on the sides of his head.

"I'm sorry." He said sweetly. "But now I am convinced that you truly love me." He said and laughed.

"You knew that already you bastard." I said and shoved him, my anger gone.

We fooled around in the water until the cold water started to numb our bodies. Tristan helped me from the water as I slipped on the rocks that lay beneath the surface. I laughed at the effort it took. When we were finally free from the water we stood facing each other. My lower lip was trembling, as well as my body. Tristan seemed to be fine and I just shook my head. He put his shirt over me, rubbing my arms to try and warm me. I smiled at him, the look on his face as he tried to warm me. I looked at his chest and put my hand on it. My fingers traced a scar. I kissed it gently before moving my lips up to his face. I kissed him passionately, putting my fingers through his hair. He picked me up. I put my legs around him.

"I have a better idea of how to get warm." I panted.

He nodded as he took a few steps backward to the green grass that grew next to the river, laying me gently on the ground. I threw the shirt as he pulled it back off of me.

That night at the tavern I was sitting with Bors and Gawain. Tristan had gone off to take care of a few things. It was shockingly refreshing to be man-less for a while. I had male company but it wasn't the same as having Tristan there. Vanora came and sat with us when she could but it was never for very long. The men were watching the usual antics of the other villagers. The betting, the knife throwing, all of the boyish stuff they all did. I sat with my drink and thought of how good today had been. Tristan's softer side had really bloomed and I was falling even more in love with him. He was everything to me. He truly was.

I felt a kiss on my cheek and turned to see Lancelot. "Hey." I said surprised to see him. "Where did you run off to this morning?" I asked him.

"Nowhere." He said and took a sip from his drink.

"Liar." I smiled.

"It's nothing." He told me.

Gawain had gone off to participate in a knife throwing bet that was taking place. I watched him as I thought of a way to make Lancelot tell me what was going on. I didn't have time to figure it out before he kissed my hair as he stood up.

"See you later." He said his lips in my hair.

"Okay." I said and watched him walk away. I turned back to my drink. "I wish he'd just admit that he likes Guinn." I told Bors before taking a large drink from my glass.

Bors laughed and put an arm around me. We talked for a while until the sun had been down for hours. I bid goodnight to Bors and the others before making my way to my room alone. When I got there it was dark and cold, disappointed that Tristan wasn't here to warm me up before bed. I lit a single candle. The light was enough for me to change by and dim enough for me to get to sleep quickly.

I woke up to a thump in the room. The candle was still lit and I turned to see Tristan taking his shoes off and then stripped to his underwear.

"Hey…" I said sleepily.

"Did I wake you?" He asked crawling into bed.

"It's fine. How late is it?" I asked him.

"Very." He replied and kissed me.

"What were you doing?"

"You'll see. Now go back to sleep." He said and kissed me tenderly. "Love you."

"Love you too."

I rolled over onto my side and he took his place next to me, leaning against me. I fell asleep quickly and didn't wake until the sun was high enough to shine through the small window.

Tristan had left before I woke up and I took my time getting ready for the day. The maid, who I now knew to be Alana, had put hot water in the bathing tub and placed candles around it, setting a nice relaxing mood. I dozed in the tub, relaxing, humming to myself, enjoying the peace and quiet. When I was done I blew the candles out and went to my hutch. I was never fond of wearing dresses but now that they were all I wore it took me forever to pick out one to wear. Before it was jeans and shirts that made choosing a wardrobe difficult, now dresses, but I had to admit that I didn't mind. I chose a simple dark blue one that could be pulled over my head, and then could be adjusted easily.

I walked to the kitchen and found something to eat. I sat down and enjoyed a bowl of hot cereal while making light talk with the cook. It wasn't something I did often but it was nice for a change. Though the cook seemed happy when I finally said I was going to go. I think I talked her ear off for too long.

I walked down to the stables and washed Zeus. I soaked the bottom of my dress but he needed it and I needed something to pass the time. He took it well, refusing only briefly as the water ran across his flanks. He tried to play as I washed him but I put a stop to it, not wanting to get any wetter than I had to. After that I brushed him out. When I was done I took a step back and admired my work.

"Nice, very nice." I said and patted his neck.

I put him back in his pen and smiled at him. He looked beautiful clean. He ran around the pen and I told him goodbye as I turned to leave. After a few feet I glanced over my shoulder at him only to see him flop onto his side and role in the dirt.

"You've got to be kidding me." I said turning around and watching the horse. "Figures, stupid horse." I said but smiled as I turned and walked away.

I wandered through the village stopping to talk with some of the villagers that I had met from Marius's estate. I stopped at some of the shops along the way. When I had made my way back to the fortress I went back to my room. It didn't look like Tristan had been back yet. I walked over to the bed and fell backward on top of it. I stared at the ceiling for a while before deciding to go find someone to talk to. I was just getting up when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." I said and Arthur appeared as the door swung open.

"Arthur, hi." I said.

"You need to come with me." He told me seriously.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"It's Tristan." He told me.

My breath caught in my throat as my stomach lurched. It took all of me to remember to breath. I stood up and walked over to him.

"What's happened?" I asked.

"Come with me." Arthur told me.

I followed him closely, horrible thoughts filling my head. "Is it bad?" I asked him.

"You tell me." Arthur said with a hint of anger in his voice.

I got the sudden feeling that Tristan had done something wrong and now instead of fearing for him I was thinking of what he could have done to make Arthur so upset with him. He led me to the tavern where it looked like a massive fight had gone down. At first I only noticed the destroyed tables before I saw Tristan pacing by the bar. His arm was heavily bandaged and there were others cuts visible on his body. Vanora was sitting at a table, her head in her hands. Bors was kneeling in front of her clearly trying to calm her down. The other knights' were standing around with tentative looks on their faces.

"What the hell happened here?" I asked them.

"You're boy went nuts is what happened." Bors shot at me.

"We wouldn't let us take him away." Gawain told me. "Arthur decided to go get you when he hit Galahad."

I looked at Tristan, frowning. His eyes met mine and I could see his demeanor change slightly. I sighed and walked up to him. "What the hell did you do?" I asked. I could smell the liquor on his breath. "Are you drunk?"

"I was." He told me.

"Tell me what happened." I told him trying to stay calm. "Why is Vanora so upset? Tristan, talk to me." I said starting to get upset.

"He went off on a few of the men who were sitting at the bar here. He took it all the way to the back before he was finally stopped. They are all pretty beat up." Arthur said filling me in.

I looked at him shocked. "Why would you do that?" I asked Tristan.

"They…they were saying these things and…" He said and stopped.

"And what?" I asking my anger rising. "You decided to beat the shit out of them?" I yelled at him. "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem was them!" He yelled getting in my face. "They were talking about you! They were saying that…" He said and stopped again.

"What?" I yelled at him. "What did they say that would make you beat them?"

"They were saying that you had been sleeping around and were a whore! They were saying all of these things! I wasn't going to stand by and listen to them tell these lies about you, making you out to be some kind of whore. You aren't and no one talks about you that way. No one." He said and looked at me, panting from his rage.

"That's it? They called me a few names and told a few lies?" I said and looked at him. "Who the hell cares?" I yelled at him. "Who gives a shit what they said about me? It just means that they are the fools. They are the idiots who would say things like that just to get a reaction out of somebody and I think they succeeded. Why does that offend you so? You know that I'm not like that. You know me. Why would it matter what a few drunks were saying at the bar?"

"It wasn't just that!" He yelled. "They were talking about ways to get you into bed! Saying that if you were a whore they were going to have to have a taste of the outsider! I wasn't going to let them touch you!"

"They wouldn't have been able to. I can take care of myself believe it or not! You taught me to take care of myself so why are you so worried? I just don't understand why, even though they said all of that, you would attack them." I said and looked at him. "You're drunk. Get some sleep. I don't want to talk about this anymore." I told him.

He paced a few times, his anger clearly growing. "This is your fault!" He said and pointed at me.

"My fault?" I yelled taken aback. "How is this my fault?" Now he had pissed me off.

"If you would have just married me we wouldn't have this issue!" He yelled.

For a moment I didn't know what to say. I caught the looks of the others as I let his words sink in. The faces I saw were in slight shock. "Is that what you want?" I asked him.

"You know it is!" He yelled. "If you had married me when I wanted to get married this wouldn't have happened. They would have known you were taken and no false words would have been said."

"Tristan! You never told me you wanted to get married! You made it sound like you did but you never said the words. It's your job to say the words! This is not my fault!" I yelled back at him.

"You were too busy grieving over Dag to see how much I wanted to get married to you when we got back to the wall." He told me angrily.

I shook my head at him. "You are being ridiculous!"

"I am being ridiculous? You're the one who's supposedly sleeping with every man here!"

"Than she would have slept with me." Lancelot grinned.

"SHUT UP!" Tristan and I yelled in unison.

"Tristan! If you wanted me to marry you all you had to do was ask." I told him just as angrily as he had talked to me.

"Fine!" He said and threw up his arms. "You wanna marry me?" He yelled.

"Yeah fine!" I yelled back.

"Well good." He said and turned to walk away.

"Yeah whatever." I said and turned and walked in the opposite direction.

I walked as fast as I could. I was fuming with anger. He was being such an ass and I didn't feel like dealing with him. What the hell just happened? I thought as I walked up the stairs onto the wall. I walked halfway around the wall before I finally stopped. I looked around me and for the lack of having a better hiding spot I sat down, leaning against the wall. I pulled my knees up against me and I replayed what had happened in my head. I didn't know what to make of it. I sighed and leaned my head back against the wall. Not ten minutes later the sky opened up and rain came pouring down. Great. I thought as I let the rain fall on me. The rain beat down, drenching my body. I stayed where I was. I didn't want to go back to the room yet and I didn't feel like talking about it. I just wanted a little me time and if I had to sit in the rain to get it than that's exactly what I was going to do.