Disclaimer: JER/NBC own characters

LuvinEvian and Courtaney, of course my many many thanks, this was a hard chapter to write! Thanks for relieving the block :) :) :)---EF

"Good Lord," breathed Julian, his eyes wide with shock. "Eve...what on earth happened to you?" He reached a shaky hand toward her. "What manner of madness is this that you would transform into a cat?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Eve explained, panic stricken." One moment we were about to make love, then this unnatural event occurs!"

Julian shook his head. "Your meowing is too loud, Eve. I imagine you must be trying to explain, but there are no words." He stroked her shiny coat. "Oh, my love, whatever will we do." I have no idea how this came about, and no idea how to restore my beautiful wife to her human form, he fretted to himself.

Eve leaned against his hand, her eyes filling with tears. She could not believe she was now a cat...what had she done to bring this upon her, upon them?

Gathering her in his arms, Julian began to pace their bedchamber. "Eve, I swear I will find a way to restore you. I will move heaven and earth to restore you, my love."

"I know you will, Julian," Eve sobbed. "I know you will." Mewing sounds escaped her throat.

He closed his eyes, his heart breaking at Eve's attempt to respond to him. Eve was such a kind, loving, giving woman, wife and mother...how could something like this befall her? He hugged her close to him. As God was his witness, he would somehow bring Eve back to herself.

"This is a most unnatural thing," he said aloud. "Rather like Tabitha Lenox's damning me to become a giant." His eyes narrowed. Tabitha Lenox! She was the only being he knew that would do something so malevolent. "And by God, I will find a way to make her reverse this heinous act!"

Julian looked into Eve's eyes. "My darling, I will take Helene over to the Bennetts, and then we will seek out Miss Lenox. That crone waited until I was apart from you to wreak this upon us, and I do not want to leave our daughter with just the servants to protect her. She will not get away with this evil done to you!" Do you understand, my darling?"

"Meow," Eve replied. What else could she say? She could not speak.

"We'll take Helene over to the Bennetts and then we will pay Tabitha Lenox a visit." Nestling the feline Eve close in his arms, Julian left the bed chamber to prepare to right the horrible wrongs perpetrated by the evil witch.

center/center

"Open this damnned door, or you will be drawn and quartered posthaste!" Julian yelled, pounding on Tabitha Lenox's door. He held Eve in his other hand.

The door opened, and Tabitha stood there, a smirk on her face.

"Why, Lord Crane, how good of you to stop by. Marriage agrees with you--you've adopted a pet, how simply marvelous!"

Julian pushed past her and slammed the door. He faced Tabitha, murder in his eyes.

"It was not enough that you cursed me to unnatural size all those years ago, now you turn your cruelty loose upon my wife! I demand you restore her to her natural state!"

"Lord Crane, I have no idea what you are referring to? What calamity befell the lovely Lady Crane?" Her smile was pure malice.

"You will not stand there and pretend you know nothing--only you were responsible for my wife's transformation into a feline," Julian said in a low, menacing tone. "Now you will turn her back, or I will behead you myself," he threatened.

"Well, since you put it ever so nicely Lord Crane, how can I refuse?"

"You cannot and you will not. "

"On that rather ominous note, let me see what I can do," Tabitha sneered. "Such a pity though--Lady Crane made quite the lovely feline."

"NOW!" Julian's tone brooked no opposition. Tabitha looked at Eve, then raised her hand in the air.

"Winds of east and winds of west,
Change absolute is to occur,
Lady Crane to form she knows best,
Woman of flesh, no more of fur!"

Feline Eve leapt from his arms and to the floor. Moments later, her furry form began to transform to the luscious curves and golden skin he loved so much. Julian smiled. His Eve was coming back.

Eve stared at Julian, her eyes her own once more. "Julian?" she whispered. "I'm...I'm myself again."

"Yes you are, my love. Every single inch of you," he breathed, his eyes upon her.

She realized then she was completely nude. "Oh, no!" Eve cried, startled.

Tabitha cackled. "You have your wife back, Lord Crane. Isn't this just splendid?"

Eve tried to cover herself with her hands, before Julian covered her with his riding cape. She stared at Tabitha, confusion clearly in her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked. "I have never seen you before."

The witch laughed to herself. She had silently cast a second spell, part of which included Eve forgetting her as 'Lilith.'

"No one of consequence, Lady Crane." Julian narrowed his eyes at her, holding his wife protectively.

"We are taking our leave, Miss Lenox, but I will have some of my men pay you a visit to 'thank' you for your services this day. Perhaps they will even show you a new place to live." His meaning was clear, as he led Eve out of Tabitha's dwelling.

A slow cruel smile spread across the witch's face. Did Lord Crane truly believe he could threaten her again?

"Lord Crane apparently has not learned his lesson after all these years...I think it is time I remind him. He'll find out soon enough when he tries once again to be intimate with the lovely Lady Crane."

center/center

Wanting to get Eve back to the estate as soon as possible, Julian rode hard, his lovely Eve in front of him. The agony and despair that he felt when she was a cat was replaced by overwhelming relief that she was her true form again.

The couple reached the castle, where upon entering, Julian dispatched servants to draw Eve a bath. Alone in their bedchamber, he turned to Eve, his eyes searching hers.

"My darling, are you all right? You've been through so much."

"Julian...why was I in that woman's cottage? And without any clothes on?" Eve was confused.

He realized that Eve had no memory of becoming a feline. Not wanting to distress his wife, he told her, "We were swimming in a lake near her cottage, and your clothes simply washed awsy. I requested her assistance because of this."

"Swimming? That far away from the estate?" Eve asked.

"Yes-yes, my love, so we would not run into any of the townfolk, in such a state of undress."

Eve put it out of her mind. "Well, I would like that bath...I feel a little tired and out of sorts."

"Of course, my dear. Would you like me to join you?" Julian's eyes lit up. The ride home was sweet torture, with Eve's body so close to his.

"Maybe just a little later...I promise," Eve smiled, caressing his cheek. Julian leaned down and kissed her on the lips, pressing his need against her for a moment.

"Are you certain I could not persuade you for a earlier engagement?" He tugged at the cape she still wore. "After all, I do want you to be relaxed...and since Helene is with Grace and Samuel, we don't have to feel guilty."

"You are incorrigible, Julian," Eve panted, as he removed the cape, his eyes devouring her body. "I suppose I will not be able to take my bath now?"

"So that is a yes? My beloved, you spoil me, " Julian whispered, sweeping Eve into his arms and striding purposely toward their bedchamber.

"And you spoil me, dear husband." Eve laughed delightedly as Julian laid her upon the bed. He divested himself of his clothing with record speed, then proceeded to kiss her, beginning with her ankle.

"This is a tempting delight I cannot deny myself," he said, as his lips moved up to her calf. "Nor will I ever."

"That sounds like a vow, Julian," Eve whispered. She found it difficult to focus on conversing, with the waves of pleasure that were coursing through her.

"Until death do us part Eve, and even beyond." Julian reached her breasts, and kneaded one as he suckled the other. His hand caressed her shoulders, as he kneaded even more deeply, his knee parting her legs. How he wanted her, and this time he would not be denied his wife. "Let me love you, my enchanting wife," he moaned, preparing to claim her as his own.

Eve suddenly pushed him off of her, her eyes wide with fright. She scrambled away from him, covering herself with her hands.

"Who are you, sir? Why do you touch me in such a manner?"

Julian laughed, moving closer to her. "My darling, is this a game? I love games," he purred, his hand stroking her leg.

"Please leave me be, sir! Do not violate me!" Eve jumped up, clinging to the coverlet. "I do not know you, and I wish to leave here at once!"

"This game is no longer amusing, Eve," Julian said sternly. "I need you, my love, and I intend to make love to you this very instant." He approached her, but stopped, seeing the panic in her eyes. "Whatever is the matter?"

"I am unclothed with a stranger, sir! And I wish to leave this place at once!" Eve backed away from him until she came up against the wall. Her eyes widened as the man came to stand in front of her, still unclothed. Where was she, and why did he touch her like that?

He stared at her. She truly seemed fearful of him, and just as alarming, seemed to have no memory of him! What manner of madness was this?

"Eve...you are my wife, Eve Crane. We love one another...we have a daughter, Helene. You are the love of my life! You have to remember!" He reached his hand out to her. "I love you."

"I don't know you!" Eve tried to move past him, but Julian prevented her from doing so. "You can't keep me here against my will!"

Hearing those words from her lips reminded Julian of Eve's pleas when he was a giant, and the memory pierced his heart like a dagger.

"Where will you go, my dear?" he tried to reason with her. "You are unclothed, and have nowhere else to go. I promise to stay away from you, until you feel more comfortable." And until I can help you with this terrifying dilemma of not remembering me, nor our love, he thought.

Eve looked at him. She could not deny that she had nowhere else to turn, save him...perhaps she would allow him to help her until she figured out what she could do.

"Thank you...you will keep to your promise not to touch me?"

"Yes, my dear. You have my word." Julian prayed that this new occurence did not last too long. He did not know how long he would be able to stand not seeing love, rather than fear and mistrust in her eyes.

center/center

Tabitha Lenox roared with laughter at the visions in her scrying bowel. "Poor Lord Crane, his wife has suddenly lost her memory of him, and their love, and even their daughter! This fresh hell will keep him in such torment, it will be downright enjoyable! And Julian has now--with a little help of a second spell--will forget to suspect me at all!

"Once again, Lord Crane will suffer agonies at not being able to be with the woman he loves! He thought being a giant was hellish enough--he has not seen anything yet!"

Love feedback :)