A/N: Yes, I'm stalling on finishing the story. But now that I know everyone better-you, me, Dom, Kel-I've decided to rewrite/renovate the entire story before I finish it. If you read through the rest of the story, you'll find that I've made other changes, subtle or not. For example, you might notice that Chapter 2: "The Next DayAuthoress's Note" is gone, and all the chapter numbers are off now. Also, over the course of I-don't-know-how-long, almost every chapter will be rewritten…but for now, here's the mostly revised, not-so-suggestive, less crazy first chapter!

Kel walked twice around New Hope every evening. In the beginning, it had been to check that everything was safe, but now she just liked the walks. The few people she passed called a greeting; she responded with a smile and a wave or a nod, but mostly kept her head down. By now, she knew the town so well that she didn't even have to watch where she was going. That would be the flagpole, and the stocks, that the infirmary, and the barracks. As she passed the latter, a door opened, throwing a warm glow of firelight across her path. A tall black shadow stepped out and fell into step beside her. She didn't look up, but smiled. That would be Dom. "Hey," she said. "Hello," he replied.

Dom liked to join her sometimes on her walks. She didn't mind-actually, she'd gotten so she liked it, and she'd almost gotten so she could control the maddening things he did to her heart. She'd begun to wonder whether they were just fancy, or if they were actually something. They walked on in silence.

"Hey, Kel? Have you ever been in love?"

Kel looked at him quizzically and began to nod, but stopped. Had she, really? What was love?

"I'm not sure," she answered. "There was-someone-I really liked, once, but-they're gone. I'm not even sure I even know what love means." They were nearing the south wall. Dom said, "If love means that you can never be really angry with anyone, if you never want to see them cry, if you think-you know- that you'd risk your life for them, then Kel…"

They had walked into the shadow of the south wall. Dom stopped, so that when she started to turn, she was facing him. She opened her mouth to tell him to move, but he put a finger over her lips. He cupped her face in his hands, leaned down, and kissed her gently on the lips. He broke away, looking into her face, then kissed her again, sweetly. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back, matching all the sweetness and warmth of his kiss with her own. They broke apart. "Is that what love is?" she whispered. "Not quite," Dom replied. The answer sent a tingle down her spine, and she realized she was shivering-it had gotten colder. Dom pulled her closer. It began to snow, very gently. Dom brushed the first few flakes out of her hair, then kissed her again. When they pulled apart, he whispered, "Midwinter luck, Kel."

"Midwinter luck," she answered, smiling. His hands came gently down her shoulders and grasped hers. She pulled away, beckoned, and kept walking. Dom followed her, and took her hand as they walked. They talked softly.

"Dom? Have you ever been in love?"

"Well, yes…"

"I meant before today."

"Oh." A silence. "I…maybe. I'm not sure, now."

They came to the door of headquarters. Kel looked up at him. "Good night."

He brushed a snowflake off her hair. "G'night, Kel." He took her other hand and kissed her, gently, then stepped away, their hands parting and falling away reluctantly. He glanced back over at his shoulder at the barracks door to see that she was watching him. He smiled and shut the door.

Well? Better? Worse? Tell me!