Whew…glad that's over…Chapter 11 of Stuck in a Hole I mean…but now I can write another chapter for this story.

Disclaimer: yada, yada, yada…we all know this one…

Neal shook his head at his own stupidity and fell asleep. Thinking about Kel.

(((Kel's POV)))

Kel was barely asleep for an hour when she awoke to the sound of a squalling baby. She leaped out of bed, closely followed by a drowsy and ruffled Neal. A Neal without a shirt on… They rushed over to the crib and Kel drew out the infant. She rocked the baby and shushed it to no avail. She checked the diaper, and still it didn't shush. She fetched a skin of milk and discovered that that was the problem. The baby drank all of the skin and was silent for a total of ten minutes. Then it was Neal's turn. Kel instructed him to burp the baby, and that only resulted in spit up on Neal's bare back. All the while Kel couldn't help but notice his bare chest.

Does he always sleep without a shirt on? Kel mused to herself, lost in her thoughts. And completely oblivious to the fiasco going on around her. Or maybe he sleeps bare and he just couldn't do that while I'm around…even though I wouldn't mind…NO! Kel! Uhg! He's your BEST friend! Scolded the sensible part of her mind. But he's also your crush…the um other part of her mind retorted. And besides…what's sensible anymore anyways…

"Kel!" Neal cried, startling her out of her thoughts. She went to assist Neal and quickly had the baby quieted. Then Kel turned to Neal.

"Here's what were going to do." She whispered. "We are going to take shifts, next time the baby wakes up, I'll get up and quiet it. The time after that, you get up. And we'll just rotate so we'll both get some sleep. Sound fair?" She asked. Neal nodded and without another word, crawled back into bed.

The two of them only had to get up a total of two more times in the night. Once, to change it's diaper, and once to feed it.

Until now.

The baby woke with a cry, causing Kel and Neal to wake as well. Kel slowly drew herself out of bed and walked over to the baby. She tried everything, the diaper, a flask of milk, burping, rocking, and she even checked to make sure it wasn't sick. She finally sat down in a chair and started singing. It was a song about a sad princess. About her troubles and her love. Out of the corner of her eye, Kel had seen Neal shift slightly to hear the song. She smiled to herself and let herself fall into the rhythm of the song. She forgot the she was a knight in training. She forgot that she was in the same room as her crush. And she forgot her fears and her troubles.

She finished the last line of the song just as the baby was falling asleep. She gently put it back in its crib and glanced over at Neal. He was sitting up, and looking intently at Kel.

"You'll make a wonderful mother one day," He murmured, "And one man very happy."

(((In the Morning)))

The morning dawned bright and cheery. The mood not fitting those of the pages. Most of them had barely gotten any sleep, while the rest had gotten none. Kel, Neal and the baby made their way down to the mess hall, cheerily saying hello to all of the drowsy and red-eyed pages.They gruntedin reply.They got their breakfast, and a skin of milk for the baby. Then theysat down at their usual table and waited for the others to sit down. Then they waited for the Stump to arrive. The Stump was unusually late that morning, causing all of the pages to wonder. When the Lord Wyldon finally arrived, he looked very cross and very cranky. He said the morning prayers then told them he needed to have a word with them all after breakfast. So the pages ate their breakfast as best as they could.

It was awfully hard since most of the pages had babies to feed also. Wyldon finished eating, stood up, and then cleared his throat. None of the pages heard him. He scowled and cleared his throat again, this time with more force. The pages quieted instantly. Much better.

"I am to understand that most of you have babies in your care," Wyldon began while the pages nodded. "Since you are responsible for these babies, you must find a suitable place for them to be while you are in your classes and on the practice courts. I refuse to allow these babies to hinder your learning. Sir Broderick and I have come up with several places for you to take your –cough- children. You just have to find them. You have an hour. You are dismissed."

As the pages prepared to leave, Wyldon spoke out again.

"Also Page Keladry and Page Nealan report to me in one bell's time."

Kel and Neal exchanged puzzled glances before packing up their baby and heading off into the palace.

"So…where are we going to take the baby?" Neal asked, as he sucked his lower lip in thought.

"Easy." Kel replied. Neal was flabbergasted. How could she have thought of a place that fast? "We take it to Lalasa."

"Ah," Neal began, finally understanding. "Makes sense." Kel just gave him a look that clearly said, "You're hopeless." So the pair headed off to Kel's room. When they walked in, They were surrounded by a flurry if feathers, fur, and black hair.

"Milady! Milady!" Lalasa cried. "I haven't seen you in forever! It's been lonely without you! And after you left I realized you are on your own! Who will press and tailor your clothes! Or bring you bathwater! Or—or…"

"Lalasa, calm down! I've only been gone for a day!" Kel said with a chuckle. " And besides I managed for a year without you, I'll be fine for a week."

"Oh," Lalasa replied, sheepish. "I suppose you are right." She added. All Neal could do was raise a brow. "Oh milady! Is that the baby? Hand her over!" Lalasa cried after a minute of silence. Kel complied. As Lalasa cooed over the baby, Kel quickly explained that they needed a babysitter. At the mention of babysitter Lalasa exclaimed that she would be more than happy to be of service. Kel and Neal thanked her heavily, and left.

"Well, I'm glad that's over," Neal said with a sigh.

"Me too," Kel agreed. They walked in comfortable silence on their way to Wyldon's office.

"I wonder if she knows the baby's not real…"

(((Half an hour later)))

Thirty minutes later saw Kel and Neal standing in Lord Wyldon's office, waiting for him to speak.

"Now I understand that you two have been assigned to share a room. Am I right?"

"Yes sir," both Kel and Neal chorused.

"Keladry, you remember my rule about the door staying open at all times when a man is in your rooms or vise versa?"

"Yes sir"

"Well we are going to have to make an exception. You may close the door to this room, and this room only. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir," Kel replied.

"Now I have arranged for a scrying spell to be put on your room, so that we can always watch you. There will be one on Nealan's half, Keladry's half, and by the doorway. The only place that the scrying spells will not be is in the privy. So I would highly suggest that you change in there."

"So would I…" Neal muttered.

"What was that Nealan?" Wyldon snapped.

"Nothing sir."

"The spells will take effect as soon as possible. You are dismissed."

(((Ten minutes later)))

"So they let us close the door, but then they scry on us. What's the point? I'd just rather leave the door open…" Grumbled Neal.

"They are just trying to make sure we aren't doing anything—err—inappropriate." Said Kel with a little blush.

"I know," Said Neal, "but they are treating us like criminals. I mean we aren't even old enough to be doing the kind of things that they are suggesting, and of we were, we probably wouldn't be doing it…" Neal said, noticing Kel's blush. All Kel could do was nod. Kel and Neal walked in an uncomfortable silence the rest of the way to their first class.

(((Almost dinnertime)))

Kel was on her way to pick up the baby from Lalasa, and to hopefully take a quick bath before dinner. When she arrived at her room, she found Lalasa, and the baby asleep. She smiled at the two and called for some water to be brought up.

Kel was in the middle of her bath when a knock on her door sounded. Lalasa got up and made sure Kel was concealed behind the privy door before answering. The door opened to reveal a fully washed and clothed Neal. But Kel didn't know that yet.

"Why hello master Nealan!" Lalasa said loudly for Kel's benefit. Oh great. Kel thought to herself. Just the person I need walking in on me while I'm in the bath.

"Um hi," Neal replied, looking around for Kel and only seeing the baby. And Jump of course since he was jumping up and down… "Where is Kel?" Neal asked after deciding that she wasn't in the empty room.

"She is in the bath," Lalasa replied, suppressing a smile. Neal blushed visibly.

"Err…well…I'll just come back…later then…" Neal mumbled as he fled Kel's room.

After Kel was done with her bath, she hurriedly got dressed, and grabbed the baby before she sped out the door. She got there just in time. Just as she was sitting down with her food, the Stump arrived. He said the prayer quickly and the pages were allowed to eat. Kel and Neal took turns feeding the baby and feeding themselves. It was very tedious work and it took them longer than usual to finish their dinner. Even longer than breakfast.

(((Back in the room)))

Kel had gone back to the room with the baby while Neal had gone for fresh diapers and more milk skins. Once he arrived, he dumped his load and froze.

"Oh yes, there's definitely magic in our room. I can feel it." He told Kel.

"Splendid" Kel muttered as she was putting the baby to sleep.

(((Meanwhile…)))

In a room across the palace from our dear Keladry and Nealan's, two glum soldiers sat watching three huge mirrors that glowed black around the edges. The work of Master Salmalín. The two soldiers (one named Diego, and one named Boric) watched the two pages put the child they were supposed to take care of to bed, have a little discussion, and sit down and do homework together. Then finally at the lights out bell, the pages went to bed. Diego and Boric decided that only one man was needed to watch sleeping people. So they took turns napping.

Just as Boric was about to settle into sleep, an ear-splitting cry tore through the air. Boric jumped up in horror, searching for the noise. When he finally realized that it was coming from the mirrors he relaxed, and went to watch the show. It was Nealan's turn to get up and quiet the baby. He did so successfully be giving it a skin of milk. And putting it back to sleep. It was all very boring.

"When I took this job I thought at least there would be some action." Grumbled Diego. Boric grunted in reply.

Thirty minutes later, the baby woke again. Kel got up, and quieted the baby in ten seconds flat. Neal thought it might be a world record. The baby woke for a third time an hour later, and a groaning Neal got up to quiet it. But quiet was the very last thing the baby was. Neal tried everything, and none of his efforts worked. They made the baby cry louder if anything.

"Neal can you please shut the thing up!" Kel moaned from her bed.

"Well maybe if you get up and help me, it wouldn't be so damn loud!" he yelled back at her. ("Finally some action!" said Boric)

"It's not my turn!" Kel snapped back at him. But five more minutes of crying was all Kel could take. She tore off her sheets and walked over to Neal. He turned to her glaring and shoved the baby in her arms. She shoved it back. "It's still not my turn." She informed him coldly. ("Ooo this is gettin' good!")

"But you know how to do these things!" Neal cried.

"Well so do you!" Kel snapped back.

"No I don't!"

"Well maybe you should actually pay attention in health class then!" Kel yelled, lack of sleep finally taking it's toll on her. Making her lose her Yamani calm.

"Well maybe I should!"

"No, Neal, you should grow up!"

"I'll have you know that I am a lot older than you. And far more mature than a naive fourteen year old." Neal told her icily. He had gone too far. And he knew it. But that didn't stop our Kel. She started yelling at him and cursing him in Yamani. "You know I have no idea what the hell you just said." Snapped Neal.

"Maybe that was the point." ("Oh BURN!")

"Kel—you—"

"Neal—stop being such an ass." And with that, Kel turned on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her. ("No Keladry! No!")

Kel ran as fast as she could to the palace walls. She found a niche in a wall and huddled there, her chin resting on her knees. A single tear leaked down her cheek. She didn't know how long she sat there, but It was long enough for her legs to cramp up, and for her arms to ache. She was deep in mediation when a solid warmth at her side disturbed her thoughts. She looked coldly over at Neal. He was staring out into the night sky, avoiding her gaze. They sat there in a pained silence until Neal spoke up.

"Kel—I—," Neal began, looking up. "I—what I'm trying to say is—" Kel looked up too. Neal's eyes were bright in the dim torchlight, like two emeralds. He caught her gaze and held it. Why did I even fall for him? Kel asked herself. He can't even say he's sorry. Just then, Neal placed his lips upon hers. The kiss was short,sweet, and full of life. It sentheat waves through her body. Oh…Kel's mind mused. That's why…

Did you see that? DID you SEE that! That was a KISS! A KISS people! -clap, clap, clap- Now that'll be 20 bucks. Kidding...but you do owe me a REVIEW! hehe...