~~~AN~~~~ Hi every one! Sorry it took me so long to work on this and get it up. I lost chapter three. I had it halfway done and it disappeared. I'm home sick from school today and I thought that it would be a good thing if I worked on it. I'm glad you all like my fic ^.^ And thank you for reviewing. Again I'm sorry for taking so long. If you have any advice or questions put them in the review and I'll try hard to answer all your questions. Thankx bunches Loves LaDy ChAnTa

~~~~~ ~~~~~ The kiss left Touchstone dazed. Sabriel's lips were soft as rose petals. When they pulled away, he could see tears glisten in her beautiful eyes. Touchstone tried with all his might not to show the goofy grin that threatened to take over his lips.

Suddenly Sabriel flung her self in to his arms and began to cry uncontrollably. He was stunned at her sudden change of emotion. She mumbled something about missing daddy. Touchstone whispered that he loved her and that he was here for her. He held her sobbing figure to his chest and said comforting words.

As fast as she had begun to cry she stopped with a yelp of pain and pulled away. She lifted her skirts up to her knee. Touchstone looked away and blushed. He was not used to seeing so much of Sabriel's legs. He felt her body sway next to him and fall backwards. Quickly he caught her. Concern sketched his face. Her eyes slowly went unfocused and rolled back.

Moggot had jumped up on to the bench. Touchstone glared at the little white cat. "What did you do that for?"

"She was crying and I took her mind off of it." He replied matter-of- factly.

"You know Moggot there is nothing wrong with her crying. I'm sure she had her reasons!"

"I can't stand it when she cries. It makes me want to hack up a hairball." Touchstone rolled his eyes and picked Sabriel's limp body up and walked back to the house. While he did this he mumbled something like little obnoxious cat (Suzan I did that for you C. bebop). He ran across some sendings on his way up to her room. Quickly he ordered them to get a bowl of warm water and clean linen. They nodded their hooded heads and walked off quickly to get what he wanted.

Soon he was in her room, he set her body down on her bed. Sabriel stirred a little when the heat of Touchstone's body left her. He respectfully lifted her skirts up to her knee. Trying hard not to blush at seeing so much of her pale skin. The sendings came in with what he had ordered and set it down on the bedside table.

Touchstone took a strip of linen and got it wet in the warm water. Her gash had clotted for the most part. He carefully washed the dried blood away from around the wound. He made sure that the cut was clean before he wrapped her leg in clean linen. As soon as he was done binding her leg she woke up. Carefully he helped her sit up on her bed.

"What happened?"

"Moggot sliced your leg open."

"Oh." She remembered what had happened before she fainted. Tears again sprang to her eyes and streamed down her pale skin. Touchstone was sitting on the side of the bed, he embraced her as she started to cry again. "I miss him so much." She whispered in to his chest.

"I know you do, love. But I'm sure he wouldn't want his little girl crying for the sake of him. I bet he wants you to be happy, to go on with your life, to live life to the fullest never looking back or down." While he was saying these sweet words Moggot had jumped up on to the bed and had his claws extended ready to strike at Sabriel's other leg. Touchstone flicked water at the cat, thus making it jump back fur on end hissing.

Slowly Sabriel stopped crying and pulled herself together. Touchstone cupped her face in his strong hands and with his thumbs he brushed away some stray tears. She smiled then looked down at her bare legs. She didn't mind her legs showing, but then remembered that Touchstone came from a time when most any skin would make a grown man blush. She quickly put her skirt down to cover her legs, looked back up to him and smiled.

Suddenly she was uncomfortable under his gaze and quickly said. "I um have some work to do and I um need to concentrate hard on it, and the best way for me to do that is alone in the observatory." He nodded and smiled at her. Quietly he said more to himself than to her

"Charter bless me you're beautiful." Sabriel chose to act as if she hadn't heard. She cleared her throat and nodded to the door.

"I would also like to change in to something I feel more comfortable in." He stared at her blankly then suddenly realized that she was asking him to leave to room.

"Oh!" With that he got up and walked to the door. He closed it quietly behind himself. Sabriel sat alone in her room. The only company was Moggot. She looked at him then looked down at her lap.

"You just HAD to scratch me didn't you?"

"You were crying and I took your mind off of it." She glared at him menacingly.

"I was crying because its hard for me to be in the house where my late father had lived so close to his death! If it were a year from now it wouldn't be so hard! Why can't you let me grieve the death my dad?"

Moggot tilted his head. "Abhorson, cats and humans grieve differently. I hadn't realized his death would affect you so. I mean you will die some day too, along with Touchstone and what ever heirs you have. You should know that. If you know you're going to die and that others will die as well, why get emotional? I see it as completely pointless."

"You would! Moggot out." He just stared at her. "OUT!" She screamed and pointed to the door. He jumped at her sudden volume change.

"Yes, Abhorson. As you wish Abhorson." He emphasized the word 'Abhorson'. As the small cat walked to the door, Sabriel glared then turned away quickly.

"Don't let the door hit you on the butt on the way out." She turned as she said this but he was gone. Quickly she walked over to the door and quietly opened it a crack to make sure the white cat was truly out of the room. She saw his little rear end walking down the corridor with his tail in the air. She shut the door and sank to the floor. Her head in her hands she tried to calm her self.

With in moments she was somewhat calm and was walking over to her wardrobe. When Sabriel opened it she found that it had been filled with new dresses. She pulled the one she was wearing off and standing in her underclothes she looked through the others. She found a forest green dress. This one had sleeves that were semi tight on her pale wrists. It had a medium "V" cut neck and went down to the floor. It was very warm but not to warm. Once in the dress Sabriel quickly tip-toed to the bed and got her house slippers out.

'Warm wool. Mmmmm!' Sabriel thought to herself.