Disclaimer: Still no character is my own…

A/N: third chapter…maybe the last… please read and review…

George closed his hands more tighly around hers. Her head on the pillowhad sunk to side, almost

liveless. Her breathing went heavy and unrythmical and she was sweating a lot. Her cheeks

glowed in a bright red, her hands were too cold. Suddenly once again a terrible thought struck his

mind and made him call for a servant to fetch his mother once more. What if she really was

dying? He couldn´t imagine, he didn´t want to imagine! He shook his head fiercly to get that

thought out of his mind, when his mother arrived.

"Her condition is very serious! We need to get the fever down, quickly. Otherwise…"

Eleni looked at her son, her normally friendly eyes dark. He was pale but calm, at least on the

outside.

"She will die."

The light tremor in his voice could only be heard by someone who knew him well.

"She should awake in the next seven days, otherwise I´m not sure she will awake ever

again. But even if she wakes up, we can never be sure – at least not until the inflamation has

healed almost completely."

The last thing she saw before leaving was George sinking down into his chair in pain, burrying

his head in his hands. She knew he wanted to be alone with Alanna right now.

Her turn was it now to inform Alanna´s adoptive-father.

George was sitting in an armchair he had brought over to her bed. Beside him stood a small table

with a bowl of water and white cloth in it. He just sat there, arms crossed over his broad chest,

staring at some point on the floor before him. He listened to her heavy breathing, from his eyes

spoke both love and pain as he looked up.Her small body was covered with blankets, she was still

sweating, her coppery hair clutching to her head, on her forehead laid a white cloth. He took it

and put a new one on instead, after stroking a sweaty curl from her face. He hadn´t moved for

two days now – not if not extremly necessary and then he returned immediately.

 A sound at the door made him look up. Myles stood in the doorway. He looked tired, his eyes

were slightly red. George wondered, if he had wept.

"May I come in?"

" ´course ye can. ´T´s your house, isn´t it?"

He forced a crooked smile. Myles returned it and took a seat. For a while they sat there in a

comfortable silence. Alanna moaned and struggeled with her blankets. George rested a hand on

her sweaty hair, caressing her curls until she clamed down. Myles moved slightly in his chair.

"You haven´t left her yet, did you?"

He looked at the plates and the pitcher on the table.

"No"

Her father smiled absently in his shaggy beard.

"Alanna?", he said suddenly, "here is a man, who truly loves you! If you dare to die now, I´m

going to inherit you!"

With that he stood, kissed her on the forehead and left with another small smile to George.

"Heard that, Luv? Don´t ye dare", he chuckled silently, than his face became serious again.

"Don´t ye dare!"

Her eyelids fluttered. Open. George jumped up and fell to his knees, taking her hand.

"Alanna!"

"George…" Her voice was nothing but a whisper.

"Shh…" He laid a finger onto her lips. "Don´t speak. Ye´ve got enough time to tell me later…"

He kissed her gently on the forehead.

"I want my mother t´have a look at ye, okay? I´ll be back I a second."

Thoughts came back slowly, hadn´t someone said something? George? She managed to open her

eyes carefully. George. Inside her spread the familiar warth bound to his broad smile and the look

he gave her.

"George…"

She felt a soft finger on her lips. He said something. Although she

couldn´t quite figure out what – her mind was still somehow…slow? – the pure sound of his

voice smoothed the panic that crept out of the corners of her mind when she noticed the weakness

in her limbs,that forced her to lay still, and the pain in her back, the returned into the field of her

perception. When he suddenly stood and went, the panic came back.

He felt she became nervous, she probably hadn´t understood what he´d said, so he stopped a maid

quite roughly and sent for his mother in oder to hurry. The he returned and sat beside her.

"Am here, darlin´."

He cupped her face in a large hand. She leaned slightly against it and closed her eyes. Her face

was still hot, her hair sweaty but he had the feeling the fever had gon back a little.

She felt the cloth was removed, a second hand touched her forehead, then her neck. It wasn´t

George´s – this one was cooler and too small. She opened her eyes and met a pair of friendly

hazel ones, not George´s though. She frowned a little, confused, then recognized his mother.

Eleni smiled at her.

"How do you feel?"

"Miserable" was the response.

"The fever is sinking. Do you think I could have a look at your back?"

In the second she nodded, Alanna knew she wouldn´t be able to turn around. She tried to move.

"Ouch!" -  her head and her back were screaming in pain.

Eleni saw the unhidden pain in her face and laid a cool hand on her head once more.

"Sleep, Alanna."

And she slept.

She awoke early the next morning. She felt George´s muscular body laying next to her, his breath

on her skin made the hair on her neck standing. The pounding pain in her back was not as bad as

the day before. She let her eyes stay closed and listened to her husband-to-be´s breathing.

"Good morning, Alanna."

Confused by being greeted she opened her eyes and blinked in the morning sun. Eleni Cooper

stood in the middle of the room folding a tunic - probably the one George had worn the day

before.

She had tidied the room, removed the empty plates and pitcher and ordered a plate with fruit and

light things to eat and a pitcher with water.

"How are you?"

"Better." Her voice was hoarse. "Weak still, but the pain´s less pounding."

"Good"

The older woman laid the tunic aside and took a seat.

"Alanna, I need to tell you something. Please listen to me carefully. I guess you noticed that this

is no easy illness. This was very close to death. Now: The fever has also weakened and poisoned

your gift – it needs recovering. A lot of recovering. So please do not try to ease the pain or heal

yourself! It is very important that you do what I ask you for!", her voice was serious and

determined. It left no doubt of the importance of what was she was saying.

"If you do, even a little, it would weaken you, your body would give way to fever and

inflamation again – this time it would mean your death, Alanna! You´re not strong enough to

fight it´s whole strenght once more! So please – DON´T! Not until I tell you to!"

"I won´t."

She was shocked. Not using her gift? Otherwise she would…die?!

"Please,trust me, Alanna!"

Eleni saw the confusion in her face.

"I do…", she shook her head to clear it. "I do!"

She looked Eleni straight in the eyes.

"I do!"

Regrets for shaking her head came immediately and she closed her eyes for a second. When she

opened it again, Eleni had left.

George came to his elbows sleepily and bend over her.

"Mornin´ lass", he inquired softly.

Alanna smiled.

"´T´s good to have ye smilin´at me again."

He touched her cheek with a gentle hand.

"D´ye think ye´re fit enough for me t´kiss ye again?"

Her smile turned into a smirk, pushing all her pain and indisposition aside. He leaned down

slowly and met her lips with his. He kissed her tenderly, his warm lips caressing hers carefully.

She returned the kiss slightly, even kissing exhausted her, but she enjoyed this too much to make

him stop. He pulled back a little.

"I love ye too, Alanna."

Their eyes held each others loving look before he finally rose and went over to the plate and

pitcher his mother had brought.

"Ye need t´eat somethin´."

The next days he read every wish from her eyes, carried her to a bathtub, helped her change her

sweaty clothes, brought her something to eat and to drink and did his best to entertain her. Jon

came by twice, telling her, that he had already tried before, but she hadn´t been awake yet, and so

did her other friends. George also continued to sleep in her bed, always careful not to reopen to

wunds while sleeping, which made her  far more comfortable, feeling his wellmuscled body next

to hers again.