Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I just wanna clear some things up:

Ali is different from Aly, they're two different characters, although I may take from Aly, there are some major differences that will be revealed (as Ali grows older that is).

Right now Ali's about two, I may skip a couple of years into the future, but not just yet!

Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Alanna was pale, "I'm sorry?"

"Ali's fallen ill, she has a temperature…a high temperature and she's got several rashes."

"What?"

"Alanna…calm down for a second…"

Alanna started to go crazy, she found herself ranting and raving. It was a few moments later that she realized she was still in the middle of the hallway.

"Alanna, Ali's in your room. You'll have to calm down if you want to see her."

Alanna realized from the moment she stepped in the room that nothing more could be done for her daughter. Duke Baird sat at the foot of Ali's tiny bed (Alanna had had one made for her), using all sorts of incantations and spells.

"How is she?"

Duke Baird mumbled something and then opened his eyes, "She's doing better, it's a fairly common disease both of my children had it when they were four…"

Alanna didn't know whether to feel relieved or not, "Is it…"

"It isn't fatal, it drains a lot out of the child's health. Alanna it couldn't have been prevented. Some say it's natural and some say it's simply the gift manifesting itself. Are you going to be okay?" His green eyes were sharp, and filled with worry.

"I'll be okay, thank you your grace I know you've done all you could…"

Duke Baird gave a tired nod, "Since you're here I will check on some of my other patients. Don't drain yourself…" He warned.

Alanna nodded, but mentally crossed her fingers. She wouldn't deliberately drain herself, however she would try to ease the pain for Ali as best she could.

She sat down beside the bed and put a hand to Ali's forehead, using some magic to pull down her fever.

"I will be in my room, I will come to check on you making sure that you haven't drained yourself…be good…" Myles kissed her forehead, and gave Alanna a sympathetic look before leaving.

Jon stopped by in the evening to see Alanna up, watching the little girl rolling around putting more of her gift into her.

"Alanna…you should get some rest." He said quietly.

"Who told you?" She asked, tired. She was gray from exertion.

"Myles may have let it slip…"

She was quiet, and then, "Is this parenting?"

"What do you mean?"

She looked at Ali, "Parenting, just sitting helplessly ?" She asked quietly.

"What?"

"Sitting here helplessly and watching them…I've been taking her with me everywhere for months, and the one time I let her interact she catches something. It's not fair Jon, are the Gods punishing me?"

His eyes were serious, "Why would they punish you?"

"For having a baby out of wedlock…why else? I don't know Jon, I just know that I'm sitting here and my daughter is in pain and there's nothing I can do to stop it. I know if I heal it with my gift she won't have the strength built up in her body and it'll come back…" She let herself start to cry.

"The antibodies, she won't have antibodies."

"Jon, it's killing me to just sit here and watch…"

"I'll sit with you." He said earnestly, "You look like you need company, Gary told me I could have a night off because he'd do my paperwork, and what's a better way to spend it than with my Champion?"

Alanna gave him a watery smile, "Jon, go to Thayet. She needs you."

"Ali needs me more. This is my decision Alanna, you can't force my hand on this one."

"Yes but I can beat you to a pulp later…" Alanna muttered, making Jon laugh.

"You can't keep pushing me away Alanna…" She said softly, as she leant into him.

"You're just a friend…" She murmured, as she breathed in his scent. A masculine scent, that was tinted with the smell of freshly laundered clothes. She didn't notice Jon putting his hand to her forehead and pouring some of his gift in, so she would sleep.

"Goodnight and goddess bless Lioness…" Jon murmured as he tucked her in, and then went to keep vigil by Ali's bedside.

Jon was gone in the morning, and Ali's fever was down.

"Alanna, Mithros! I've been looking for you everywhere."

"What's wrong?"

"Council meeting, Now!" Gary's voice was breathy and sweat ran along his forehead.

"What about…"

"Just bring her with you, this is serious! I've never seen Jon more worried."

Alanna nodded.

The king's closest advisors sat in the council room. The table was round, a dark red and obviously sturdy. The only reason that Alanna knew that was from the amount of times that she had to rest Ali on it, for whatever reason.

Duke Gareth sat the farthest from Jon, beside him was Gary and Cythera to his right and Raoul and Buri to his left. Jon was closest to the hearth, an empty sear lay to his left. Thayet sat to Jon's right, and George sat beside her. A familiar face stood off at the back of the room, Numair Salmalin tall and elegant in black robes, stood beside the door, isolated. Alanna noticed Myles' missing presence, but could not ask anyone about it as the meeting was starting.

"Well now that we're here, we have some news…" Jon said. His eyes lost the vibrant blue, and his face was gray from exhaustion. Alanna felt a pang of guilt for making him stay up to watch Ali.

"He made himself stay up…" The little voice nagged her at the back of her head.

"…King Mimrath the Third has invited us to stay in Galla for a week, as a peace gesture he says. Of course we have no choice but to attend…"

"Jon, isn't there another way to do this? We have no idea what they're about. What their stand on…a lady knight is…?" Gary asked.

"I am aware of this Gary, I'm not sure what the Gallans have in mind, however if this is to be a delegation I have no choice but to take my Champion with me…"

"Like I would stay…" Alanna muttered, getting a sharp look from many people in the room.

"I'm old enough to make my own decisions responsibly…" She protested.

Ali then started to cry, shaking her head and black curls. The girl hobbled slightly trying to walk, but Alanna scooped her up.

"Shush you…" she muttered as she stepped outside to tend to her daughter.

"I don't need you trying to rub in points…" She muttered, in a brief lecture. Her daughter looked up in her in a way that she remembered her cat doing.

She heard movement inside and Jon say, "We will talk about this later…"

She went in again to see a small group of people sitting inside, "Is this private?" She joked, to deaf ears.

"Alanna you don't have to go." Gary said plainly.

"Aye lass, you just got back, it isn't fair for you to be dragged across the world." George said empathetically.

"You kidding yourselves if you think that I'm going to let everyone go into the middle of danger with decent protection, while I wait home like a housewife waiting for a soldier to return from the war…" Alanna glared at each of them.

Jon was soft, "What if something happens to Ali? You don't know anything about Galla Alanna. Diseases, people who aren't your number one fans…is that safe for a two year old?"

The toddler in question was hobbling over to the book shelf and sitting down trying to read them. When she couldn't, she tried (and failed) to pick them up and throw them.

"It's a low hit to bring my daughter into this Jon. You know I wouldn't put her into trouble deliberately." Alanna's voice was low and dangerous and her eyes glinted with anger.

"It's true though…" Gary murmured, his voice soft.

"However, I'm not going to stay here while all of you go, I will just keep a closer guard on Ali."

"Lass…" George was quiet, he looked at her with big eyes.

"Hush all of you, we have to go there with open minds, open eyes and our daggers within reach. So now, I'm leaving if that's all."

"Alanna, a word for a moment?" Jon asked.

If Gary and George thought this was anything but a professional meeting, they didn't show it. They simply turned and left, George quietly shutting the door behind him.

Jon beckoned her to sit beside him, and Ali grew oddly quiet. Alanna was silently hoping (in vain) that she would start to make more noise, but Ali was silent, staring at her with large purple eyes.

"I will not stop you if you are adamant on attending Alanna." Jon said quietly.

"Jon, in this room I'm not your champion and you aren't my king. Say what you want to say and I'll find a way to handle the inappropriateness…" Jon laughed, but sobered up.

"Alanna, I've watched you through page hood, I've saved you from bullies, went through the Black city with you, went through your squire ship with you, supported you in your battle against my own cousin, cheered you on when you faced the knight…"
"I get it Jon, what are you trying to say?"

"I'm simply saying…we don't even know the people of Galla, I don't want to stick you in a situation that's dangerous…" Alanna bit her lip and nodded at this, "I'm not comfortable about bringing Ali, Alanna. I know you don't always respect my opinion, in fact I can't remember a time when you have respected my opinion, but for a one time listen to me…"

"Jon, let me think about it, I'll have my answer back to you later…"

Jon nodded and excused her, letting Alanna pick up her daughter and led her down the hall, clearly in thought.

"At least she's thinking about it…" Jon though quietly, maybe Alanna has changed more than we thought.

Cythera visited again that day, the ladies of the court had apparently not seen the queen and thus were wondering what had happened to her.

"The Queen?" Alanna asked, concerned.

"Something happened between them didn't it?" Cythera sighed and sat in one of the overstuffed living chairs as Alanna found tea packets in her cupboard.

"I have no clue, but I did notice she was being frosty to him…"

"I heard that he's been spending a lot of time with Ali…" Alanna cut her off with a look, which Cythera ignored.

"Alanna, Jon needs a queen. Especially now with us going to Galla. If a Gallan marries Jon we'll never know what they're planning and if they're planning anything. In fact, we won't know if they have anything plans until it happens. That's why Jon needs to have a queen, or at least a prospect lined up before the congregation leaves…" Cythera snuck a look at Alanna.

"You're kidding yourself if you think I will throw myself on Jon and ask him to take me back. I'd rather kiss a two headed monkey than…"

"Thank you Alanna that's enough," Cythera sighed rubbing her temples, "The court is going to rage about this, it'll be worse than your reappearance to court." She sighed again and looked up at Alanna, who was now silent.

"What's wrong?"

"I think I've just figured something out…" She said quietly.

"Jon!" She knocked on the door.

The door opened slowly, and Jon smiled at her sleepily. His hair flopped into his eyes and he rubbed his eyes slightly.

"What?"

"I've got a decision…"

"Do you want to tell me it in the hall or would you like to come in?" Jon teased.

"The hall's pretty nice for me…" Alanna joked, but she was already being pulled in.

"So what's the decision?"

She fixed him with a look and took in a deep breath…

Another cliffie -Dedicated to Neal'sChick and our whole RULE THE WORLD WITH CLIFFIES (RTWTC) Org.

I know you detest my evil ways, but I still love each and every one of you...and I'm still not revealing who the father is (yet!)

Review and I'll update faster!

-MK