Disclaimer: No I don't own Jasper *curls up in the corner and sobs* Everything else however is mine!
Chapter 20
JPOV
We had been home for a week, and it had been four days since my father had given me my Aunt Marlene's ring. It was beautifully simple; it was a pale gold band with two small gems in it, one green and one blue. Just like our eyes. As soon as pa had given it to me I had looked at it and realised that I wanted something of me to be on that ring. So I had sent it off to be engraved, it was due to arrive back today. The engraving meant a lot to me and was something that I'm sure that Morgana would appreciate. I had even had a friend translate it into French, a language I didn't know, but loved to hear Morgana speak.Je t'aime plus que tout. I love you more than anything
I had been getting slightly more nervous as the week progressed, worrying that it wouldn't arrive, that I wouldn't be able to give it to Morgana before we left to go back to the fort. I'm sure that by now she had noticed as she had started to frown when I couldn't explain to her why I was so nervous, like now. "What is the matter with you, Whitlock? One day your fine the next it's like you're expecting someone to jump out of the barn and shoot you!" She stood in front of me in the barn with her hands on her hips. "Nothing's wrong darlin'. I just don't want to go back now." I sighed, running my hand through my hair. Oops wrong move, Major.
"Arrêtez de me mentir, Jasper!" She growled out at me. "What did you say? I can't speak French darlin' you know that." I shot back at her. "I said stop lying to me. Something is wrong." She paused for a minute and looked at me, her eyes travelling over my face. "You want me gone? Is that it? You know you could have just said something Jasper." I stared at her in shock. I grabbed her arm as she went to turn around and pulled her to me. I held her head between both my hands. I looked down into her eyes and could see the tears beginning to build. No this isn't right. She should never have to cry. I lowered my head and kissed her softly.
I felt rather than heard her sigh against my lips, taking advantage of that I slipped my tongue inside her mouth and began mapping her mouth out. Her hands fisted in my hair and held my head close to hers. As she began to deepen the kiss, one of the horses whinnied softly, causing me to pull back and look around the barn. I looked back down at Morgana and smiled softly. "Morgana, darlin' I never want you to leave. If I had my way you would be by my side every minute of the day. That is how much I want you here darlin'. I love you." I held her tightly to me, my arms around her waist and hers around my neck. "Moi aussi je t'aime Jasper. I love you too."
She smiled up at me, I grinned back down at her. Then it sank in, She loves me too! I laughed, ducking my head to kiss her softly again. I lifted my head before we could go too far and rested my forehead against hers. "As much as I hate to leave you darlin' Peter and I are going out to one of the far pastures to fix a fence for pa. He ain't feeling too well, are you ok here?" I looked down at her, seeing that her face had healed since we had been here, the bruise no longer marring her skin. I kissed the spot softly. She smiled up at me and nodded, "Oui, I will be fine. Don' you worry none. I won' let anythin' happen to mama or Amelia either." She placed a soft kiss on the underside of my chin, before biting the point of it softly.
I groaned and was distracted enough to loosen my hold. Morgana ducked out of it and gave me the reigns to my horse. "Now get out there and fix that fence. Then you get your butt back here, I'm cooking tonight." She slapped my butt and walked out of the barn in front of me, her hips swinging slightly. Amelia ran up to her and jumped into her arms, Morgana didn't even stumbled she just placed Amelia on her hip and carried on walking. God she's a natural mama. I thought as I swung myself up into the saddle, I rode up to Peter and we began to ride out to the pasture.
All I could think of was Morgana holding a little girl on her hip with blonde hair and green eyes, while a little boy with black hair and blue eyes ran around in the yard. It wasn't until Peter decided to whip me with a piece of rope that I realised he had been talking to me. "What was that Pete? I'm sorry my mind was wandering." I said looking over at him. "I said, we're nearly there and what the hell was going through your head to make you look like that? You had a real girly expression on your face." He began to laugh, then stopped suddenly as I reached over and grabbed him in a headlock. "I did not. And I was imagining my future with Morgana."
I heard him make a noise and before I could ask what that meant he held his hand up, in it was a box. "I suppose you'll be wanting this then?" I let go of his head and opened the box. Inside was Aunt Marlene's ring, polished and engraved. "It came while you were in the barn with Ana." He said softly to me, I looked up and saw him smirking. Oh he knew what we had been up to. I grabbed the ring from his hands and shoved him upright. "Shut up Peter. I don't want to know how you knew what we were doing." I glared at him and looked down at the ring.
"Well the door was open, Ana was shouting and then there was nothing so I thought I would check and see if you both were still breathing." He replied shrugging, like it was just for that reason. "Yeah right. You knew something would happen and you were spying." I growled at him as we began to fix up the fence. He just smirked at me and said, "So what do you reckon Ana's cooking for dinner?" I shrugged, "She didn't say, but it's bound to be good. All her food is." I said, thinking back to all the food she had made at the fort. "When will you ask her?" Peter said quietly, looking over at me from the corner of his eye. "Well we leave for the fort the day after tomorrow so I was thinking that I was going to do it tonight, after dinner." I replied.
We finished the fence off quickly, packed away and rode back to the farm. As we rode back towards the barn, I could see Morgana standing in the kitchen window sorting dinner out and my mind leapt forward to her doing that for our family. We tidied up the horses and placed the tools away in the barn. "Do you think she'll say yes?" Peter said suddenly, while we were brushing the horses down. I looked up at him, "I hope so. Even if she says that we wait until the war is over to actually get married I will wait. Just as long as she is going to be there I can do it." I frowned slightly, nervous now.
Morgana looked up as we walked into the kitchen and I walked towards her, with my hands out. Her eyes sparkled with laughter. "Oh no you don't Jasper Whitlock. You wash those hands before you come anywhere near me. You too Pete." She said waving the knife she was holding, "Alright darlin' don't get your britches in a twist. We'll go wash up." Peter said as he grabbed me by the collar and dragged me over to the sink. She doesn't ever freak out, most women would be yelling by now. I thought as we washed up. I watched her take the pie out of the stove and began to dish everything up. "Dinner's ready." She called out to pa and Amelia who were sat in the living room. Amelia came running in and jumped up into her chair. "What are we having Ana?" She asked smiling up at her. "Chicken pie, 'tite. I hope that's ok with everyone?"
"Well if it tastes as good as it smell Sis, then it will be fine." Peter said slapping her backside. Before I could do anything Morgana had elbowed him in the stomach as she walked past. "Do that again mon frère and I will hurt you." I glared over at him, seeing Morgana do the same. He laughed, sitting down at the table then yelped and glared over at me, Serves you right. I thought. "Jasper don't kick you brother." Mama said, making me duck my head. I watched Morgana place the food on the table, before sitting next to me. Pa said grace and then we all began to eat. "Wow darlin' leave this stick in the mud and run away with me." Peter exclaimed. I listened to her laugh, "Now Peter, Why ever would I want to do that?" I smirked over at him, Yeah she's mine idiot.
I laughed and said. "Sorry brother, go find your own." The rest of the meal passed without any further exclamations and as Morgana got up to clear away the dishes; Pa took them from her, knowing that I wanted to ask her now. "No Morgana, you cooked, Peter will wash up." We all laughed at the look on Peters face at the suggestion. "Pa I don't mind, also are you sure there would even be any plates left after Peter was done with them?" I saw her look at him then said, "Darlin'." to get her attention. I heard her gasp as she turned to find me down on one knee with the ring box in hand. "Darlin' ever since you came riding into my life that day, you have never left my thoughts. You have given me something even more precious to live for. Morgana Raven, will you marry me?" Oh god please say yes.