Day Thirty Six: 3:04pm

When Lucas arrived at the headquarters of the new Office of Recovery Response and Reconstruction, the first thing he encountered was Timothy playing with some lego blocks inside the entrance to the building. On seeing Lucas the little boy got to his feet smiling and held up the rather basic car he had created making "vrrm, vrrm" noises.

"That is a rather good car," Lucas began approvingly, grinning at the little boy, picking it up to carefully inspect it. The front headlight, which was rather curiously attached, immediately fell off as he did so.

"Ahh," said Lucas, "there is a trick with that," he said, as he picked up the piece that had fallen to the floor and replaced it so that it fitted perfectly, then returned it to Timothy with a smile.

Timothy cradled it in his hands preciously as if were made of gold. Lucas grinned and whipped a small bar wrapped in silver out of his pocket. "Do you like chocolate?" he began.

Timothy's eyes lit up and he started to hop from one foot to the other with anticipation, nodding his head excitedly.

"You do," Lucas replied, laughing, as he handed over the chocolate to Timothy, who consumed it rapidly, leaving his mouth smeared with chocolate. After he had finished he remembered his manners and looked up at Lucas. "Tank you," he announced gravely.

"No problem," Lucas replied. "Perhaps you would like to show me inside now?"

Timothy nodded and put one small grubby chocolatey hand in Lucas' to take him upstairs, Lucas slowing his strides to match Timothy's little legs.

A few minutes later they reached the top floor of the new offices were the control room was located. Jim was inside, pacing back and forth amongst a group of unfamiliar faces. To the side of the room he could see Mohammed and Claire was positioned with two middle aged women near the window.

Jim glanced up to see Lucas at the door, "you're back," he exclaimed. " And with a helper I see. How is everything in Maidstone?" he enquired.

"Fine," Lucas said shortly. "The issue with the food's been resolved. One of the army staff responsible for dispensing the food was the culprit and decided to make a little extra cash by selling supplies on the side but we've given him his marching orders, and put in an honest replacement. The senior officer's been instructed to keep an eye on him and to report any problems to us immediately."

"Good, well as you can see we have plenty of hands on deck now," Jim replied.

"I see that. How many staff do we have here?"

"A little over 50 with more to come in the next couple of days."

Lucas nodded, "that's positive."

"Yes," Jim replied after a moment, "and I think in light of that that you should have the rest of the day off. There's still lots to be done but plenty of helpers now and I don't expect everything can be accomplished at once. As they say Rome wasn't built in a day."

"I'm happy to help if there's more to be done," Lucas began.

"Nonsense – I insist you take a break, I expect you were up half the night. And tell Jo to knock off too, she was back late last night too," Jim replied shortly.

"Alright," Lucas replied.

"Oh and Lucas - I have a place you can stay. A six safehouse. There's no power but its clean and secure and quite tidy and its just near the pumphouse in Southwark which will be one of the first places to have water restored in the city. The taps should be working within a week or two."

"I appreciate the offer. Could Jo stay there too?"

"Sure, makes sense" he replied, shrugging.

"Where is she by the way?," Lucas asked.

Jim sighed tiredly, "somewhere round – I don't know precisely where. Maybe the little boy will know – he seems rather attached to her."

Lucas turned to Timothy who had a finger in his mouth and was sucking happily away at the last of the chocolate, "do you know where Jo is, little fellow?"

Timothy nodded and led the way down the corridor to a small room on the west of the building where Jo sat with three other workers.

Lucas entered, leaning against the door with his hands resting in his pockets, "hello," he said with a grin as she started at his voice.

"Oh, hi," she replied, feeling suddenly nervous at his reappearance.

"Jim says you're to stop work and take the rest of the afternoon off and he's given me the same instructions."

"Oh, but there's still lots to be done here…" she started.

"There always is, isn't there," Lucas said with a sigh and walked over to her, and ignoring the presence of other staff in the room placed his hand on her check and whispered "but then there's you and I, and I think we deserve a little time too. It can't always be about work."

Jo looked down flustered at his touch, and then looked to the window where a movement had caught her eye. "What have you been doing to your face now?," she questioned, looking at Timothy.

"Choc- late," Timothy replied with a self satisfied grin.

"Really – and where did you get that from then?" she asked, frowning.

Timothy's eyes darted to Lucas as he considered whether he was now in trouble, then pointed a finger towards Lucas.

"Lucas gave it to you did he?" she asked and was rewarded with a nod.

"Special favours is it then?" she questioned, looking towards Lucas with amusement.

Lucas grinned and laughed, "indeed. He's an engaging little chap, and I thought he would enjoy it. I don't expect he's had anything quite so wicked for a while."

"Anyway," he added, getting back to the matter at hand, "could Claire take him for the afternoon? I wanted to talk to you."

Jo watched him for a moment then nodded, her stomach all in knots at the thought of spending time alone with him. "Give me a few minutes to go and find her," she replied, moving towards Timothy to take his hand and go in search of Claire.

She returned alone a few minutes later. Lucas took the lead and they walked in silence out of the building.

When they reached the front door, Lucas kept walking. Jo followed, uncertain where they were heading. She wished Lucas wasn't given to such strange, uncommunicative moods and would tell her what was on her mind.

After a further ten minutes of silence, she opened her mouth, willing herself to have the courage to say what was on her mind.

"Lucas do you really love me? I know you said it yesterday but then after that it was like it never happened. I don't know if you even meant it or if I was dreaming."

The sun was high in the sky and it caught the gold in her hair and the blue of her eyes.

"I meant it. I don't say things I don't mean," Lucas replied shortly. "And you won't be in any doubt of how I feel after this evening," he added, giving her a look that left her with butterflies in her stomach.

And then he was reminded about the baby, and added more softly, "We can talk some more in a moment, I just wanted to show you something."

"Ok," she replied hesitantly, wondering if her question had annoyed him.

They resumed their walk with Lucas in the lead. After a moment he added casually that he had arranged for some toys to be delivered tomorrow for Timothy, along with some new clothes for both her and Timothy.

"Thank you," Jo replied, surprised that Lucas would have had time to consider details such as that, considering how busy he had been.

But then it was difficult to anticipate what Lucas might do next. She had been right earlier when she thought that it was clearly going to be hard work being in love with him. And yet – she had seen that through his actions he always put others first, he always looked out for her welfare and that of other people's and that made her feel that her heart had been right all along – that despite the fact that he could be abrupt and strangely uncommunicative, that she was right to love him after all.

"That," Lucas announced suddenly, jolting her out of her thoughts as he pointed to an old stone building, "was what I wanted to show you. Do you like it?" he asked, watching her closely.

"I do – it's lovely," Jo replied, surveying the building. "Really lovely – is it a church?"

"It is," he replied, nodding, "A very early church in the Romanesque style, dating from around 1030, one of the oldest churches in greater London and built before the Norman Conquest. Shall we have a look inside?"

"Yes," she replied happily, "I'd like that."

The church was a pale sandy colour with beautiful curved arches inside and a mosaic floor. Light streamed through stained glass panels of every colour that were obviously a later addition.

"It's so peaceful," Jo breathed, 'and beautiful."

She turned to Lucas. His eyes seemed to burn into hers and it was like she was seeing him for the first time. He was so handsome and she felt suddenly shy.

"Will you marry me?" he asked suddenly

"What?" she stared at him, her eyes widening.

"I said will you marry me?" he repeated, his eyes intent on her.

Lucas knew that now was not the time to hesitate. In this world to survive you needed to be brave and bold and to seek your fortune rather to leave it to chance. The future would be what he made of it. And he wanted Jo to be his future.

"I – you mean once this is over, sometime in the future?," she asked, startled by his question.

"No. Here. Now. Today," he replied decisively. Delays were all very well for Royal weddings but theirs could be done quite simply with a minimum of fuss. And with all possible speed. "The Minister lives next door – I met him earlier and he could do it today."

"Lucas - I don't want you to marry me because you feel you have to because of the baby –", Jo started

"It's not because of the baby, its because of you," Lucas replied impatiently. "Because I want you to belong to me and there is no one else for me and there never will be. Only you."

And that was the truth. At first he had thought that what he felt for her was purely sexual. That he was attracted to her, that he wanted her and that was it. That was easy enough to explain. Jo, though she might try to ignore it, was too beautiful for men not to notice. And he was a man, and what was worse a man who had been shut away from women for eight years.

The attraction was part of it – it was true, but not the whole.

He had realized her was in love with her that morning when he had woken to find her lying in his arms. All he could hear was the patter of the rain against the window and then if he listened more closely the whisper of her breathing. He liked the way she would turn every now and the sound of a soft murmer escape would escape from her lips and he could tell that she was happy in her dreams. He imagined that her dreams hadn't always been restful, but he had been pleased that they were now. There was a sweetness about her that made him think he might do just about anything to make her smile, to see that she was happy. He had imagined at the time many more lazy mornings to come spent in each others arms and he that had reminded him for a second of Elizabeta and then he had noticed with some surprise that it didn't hurt to think about her anymore because he had Jo instead. And when he was with her he didn't want Elizabeta anymore. Jo was all he desired – and more.

He watched her, waiting for her response.

Jo considered objecting, saying that it was too soon, too sudden, that she needed time to think. But then she looked at Lucas and knew that maybe it was too soon but that didn't matter. Her future belonged with him.

Her head told her that she should say yes too. These past few weeks had shown her that she was tougher than she had thought, but that with Lucas by her side she was stronger still. She didn't know what the future would bring but without Lucas it was likely that in the coming months pregnancy would make her more vulnerable – she needed Lucas's strength and his protection. And more than that she loved him and without Lucas tomorrow and the next day would just stretch out before her like a void of endless nothingness. Only Lucas could change that – only he could make her happy.

And when she looked into his eyes in that moment all she could see was their child. Perhaps a little girl with his dark hair and somber blue eyes. She would be serious but thoughtful and kind, and she would have something of herself about her too, like perhaps her mother's smile. Or else a little boy – handsome and tall like his father. And clever too. And she would love their child because they reminded her of Lucas.

She leaned in to kiss him and replied softly, "Yes. I will marry you Lucas North."

**

Sigh, ah the romance. So do you like?

Still one more chapter to go!