Another day and a half of recovery and Aelius was back to his old self. His body had recovered from the injuries, broken bones had knitted well thanks to the treatment provided by Doctors Ormond and Davis, and they had all the equipment and supplies they would need for their journey. All things considered, the three of them were incredibly fortunate to have made it this far all in one piece.

It was dusk by the time both he and Ash got their things in order, their bags packed and waiting for their departure in the morning. They were both about to head down to the kitchen to prepare their evening meal before Donna, their host, knocked on their door and urgently requested they stay inside before quickly leaving down the stairs.

"What do you think that's all about?" Ash cocked her eyebrow at Aelius.

"Not sure, sounds like there may be trouble", he answered, "Stay here, I'll go check it out".

"No way, I'm coming with you!" she protested, moving past him and rushing down the stairs before he even got a chance to get a word in.

When they made it to the lobby, Donna was rushing around the rooms closing all the shutters and locking every door.

"What's going on?" Ash asked.

"I told you both to stay upstairs!" she scolded them as if they were little children.

"Are you hiding from someone?"

"You could say that", she answered in a huff, "If you are not going to listen to me and stay upstairs, you may as well put yourselves to good use! Go lock up the back, make sure everything is battened down!"

They did as they were instructed and then waited in the dark dining room with her for what felt like forever.

"What's going on?" Ash asked in a hushed voice.

"One of our lookouts spotted a group headed this way", Donna answered as she quietly paced back and forth, keeping her eyes on the radio in the corner of the room, "We're waiting for word to get to us if we can come out or if we need to hole up for a bit until they leave".

Aelius cocked his head, "Did you do this when we made our way to the Church?"

"Yes", she nodded, "Lucky for you, our spotter also noticed the Deathclaw follow your trail a few hours after you'd arrived. That's when we decided we had to come out and help you".

A familiar crackling noise came from the radio and they all held their breaths.

"12 men, armed, 3 miles out. Prepare for possible confrontation", a gruff male voice resounded in the room.

"This doesn't sound good", Ash whispered, feeling her body tense up.

"Stay here!" Donna instructed looking at them severely, "Do not leave this building. Do you understand?"

Refusing to leave until Ash and Aelius both nodded and deferred to her better experience, she went to one of her supply closets and pulled out a shot gun from a hidden back panel.

"You'll be safe here. Lock the door as soon as I'm out", she instructed.

"But, wait! What are supposed to do? Are you coming back?"

"Yes, I won't be long", she nodded, "I'll go up to see Lucas and come back with more information. I'll knock three times to let you know it's me", and with that she quickly left, almost slamming the door behind her and leaving them alone in the room.

Ash went up to check on Gael in their bedroom while Aelius paced downstairs, waiting to hear back from anyone. About half an hour later when it was almost completely dark outside, Donna came back and filled them in on what was happening outside. Lucas, the man who served as the town's lookout, spotted a dozen figures on the horizon, from the looks of it they were all men and all dressed in crimson.

"Were they wearing any head gear?" Aelius felt his heart beating in his throat, hoping that it wasn't Legionaries.

"He said it looked like some of them were wearing sports gear, baseball helmets with goggles".

"Shit" he swore under his breath and felt the blood drain from his face, "They found us".

"Who are they?" Donna asked, now growing more concerned.

"The Legion. They must have sent their Frumentarii to find out what happened, and somehow they found our tracks, followed them here", panic was beginning to take over any rational thoughts, "We need to go. We need to go now!"

"Oh no! You're not going anywhere!" Donna dragged him to a couch nearby and sat him down, "If they've been able to track you down this far, they're going to catch up to you in no time if you leave now".

Aelius protested but Donna held up her hand to stop him from saying another word and called Ash and Gael downstairs to make a plan.

"Listen to me, all of you. Leaving now would be suicide. Your best bet is to stay here and let us handle this", she insisted.

"I can't do that", Aelius shook his head, "You don't know what the Legion is like. They won't stop until they find us".

"No, I don't know about the Legion, but I know there's only a dozen men out there. We outnumber them three to one, and if they are after you then your best bet is to stay here with us".

"I couldn't put you all in danger!" Aelius protested.

"Pah! We've faced worse things in the past. These thugs won't be any different", Donna gave him a confident smile, "Now, sit tight and follow my lead. We're all going to get through this, I promise".


Darkness was quickly upon them by the time Aurelius and his men made it to what looked like an old abandoned town. The tracker had led them to the edge of the small town following the scuff marks in the dirt from the traitor and the profligate, but his man had picked up additional tracks of what appeared to be a massive Deathclaw leading towards a dilapidated church. They made sure to move silently knowing Deathclaws have poor vision but a great sense of hearing and smell. This was no time to fall into a false sense of security.

"There are fresh marks here", the tracker commented, his head bent low as he tried to discern the markings, "A lot of foot traffic".

"From what? The traitor and profligate or more Deathclaws?" another man asked worriedly.

"Definitely human", he stood up surveying the area, "Could be traders passed through here recently. Whatever the case, this place is populated".

"Ready your weapons", Aurelius instructed and they made their way down the road, checking every door but quickly noticing that they were all locked; and he couldn't shake the feeling that their every movement was being watched. When they found they couldn't gain entry into any of the buildings, Aurelius knew that he had to take a more direct approach.

"We know you are hiding", he spoke with a raised voice so that it could be heard loud and clear, "Please, we mean you no trouble. We are looking for one of our men, we thought he was lost to us. But we tracked his footprints to this town". He paused to hear if his words had any effect, but when no reply came he continued, "He came through here with a woman and child. Please, we only wish for their safe return".

"They're not here" a gruff voice from the shadows, startling the Legionary soldiers to attention.

"Who are you?" Aurelius asked, taking a commanding stance.

"A long term resident of this forgotten town", the voice answered from the shadows, "We don't want any trouble".

"Then we share that in common", Aurelius added, feeling for an opening in the conversation that would let him get what he wanted, "Please, we are simply looking for one of our own. His scouting party was attacked and we believe he fled with a woman and child to this location".

"They're dead", the voice answered flatly.

Aurelius scoffed, refusing to believe a word the man said, "You must be mistaken".

"I'm not. I wish I were", the man came out of the dark shadow, though there wasn't much of him to see as his entire body was wrapped in rags, "They sought shelter in the Church you passed by. As you can see, it tore right through it".

"You, expect me to believe, that after all the effort they've taken to survive… They were killed by a Deathclaw?" he couldn't quell the acerbity of his tone.

"You can believe whatever you want. I'm telling you they're dead. I saw it with my own eyes", the man explained, going into detail about the struggle, how the man had attempted to save the woman and child, only to be the one who died first at the hands of the creature, and then how it came for the woman and child before having its fill and leaving. With every question Aurelius asked, the man had an answer to; there was no stutter in his voice, no shifting of the eyes, it appeared he spoke the truth.

"If it's all the same to you, I would like to have a look in the church, see for myself", Aurelius said.

"Fine. But if you run into any trouble, you're on your own", the man shrugged and left them to it.

Inside the church, Aurelius' men scoured the area. There was no doubt that a Deathclaw had made its way through it, they could see its claw marks everywhere. A large spattering of blood on the floor and wall at the back caught his attention and he moved closer for inspection.

"Could be from the woman and child", the tracker added standing next to him, "Must have happened less than a week ago".

There was no way to test and see whose blood it was, but the stranger they encountered in the town claimed he saw everything with his own eyes. If he was right, then all of this was for nothing and he'd have to go make his way back to Caesar empty handed; and Caesar doesn't like squandered time and effort. He'd be a joke to them, labelled a failure with no prospect of future advancement in the ranks. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if Caesar himself demoted him back to a scout.

'Shit', he thought, wiping the sweat that was condensing on his forehead and paced back and forth, examining the damage inside.

"Well, seems like that bastard of a beast did the work for us", one of his men commented out loud, "Guess we'll be heading back in the morning then".

"Guess again", Aurelius grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and pushed him down until he was cowering on his knees, "We go when I say we go".

"But the old man… he said-"

"I don't care what he said. He could claim to have seen Atom himself and I would still not trust a word of that profligate", he pushed him back, making the man fall on his side and watch him with a spiteful gaze, "He's hiding something, I could hear it in his voice. And when I find out what it is, I'm going to rip his tongue out and burn his little town to the ground".

"So… What do we do?" the tracker asked.

"You will go ahead and see if there are any tracks matching out traitor's leading north, but I have a feeling they're still here, hiding in one of these buildings. So, we'll wait them out. They can't stay here forever".

With Aurelius' orders given, the men begrudgingly set to work doing his bidding and quietly setting themselves up in ideal positions to have a good view of the area and foot traffic. Now all they had to do was wait for their prey to come out, and if needed...smoke them out.


Sweet melodic music from the Ink Spots played on the radio in the background as Joshua held Mary in his arms, swaying side to side with her and feeling her cheek rest on his shoulder. She sighed so sweetly in his arms and just like the song said on the radio, way down inside of him he had only one desire, and that one desire was her; he knew nobody else was gonna do.

Caressing her jawline delicately, he drew her attention up to him and leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a tender kiss.

"I wish this moment could last forever", she sighed, a wide smile on her face. He grinned back at her and pulled her body closer to his.

"Hmm…It has been an almost perfect day", he kissed the top of her head.

"Almost?" her voice sounded a little disappointed, "What could have gone better?"

"The baked cassava I made us for dinner. It was…dry".

Mary burst into laughter and Joshua couldn't help but join in.

"It's a hard root to master, but you'll get the hang of it. Eventually", she gave him a cheeky wink which sent a warm flush throughout his body.

"So, what would you like to do tomorrow?" he asked her.

"Did you have something in mind?"

Joshua shrugged, looking down at her lovingly, "I was thinking, maybe we could go to that spot you took us last week by the stream overlooking the mountains. We could take a picnic with us".

"The spot overlooking the Wasatch Mountains?"

"Mhm", he grinned, "I know that's one of your favourite views".

"It was".

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I must be mistaken then".

"No, it still is a breath-taking view, but since I met you you've become my favourite view".

'Smooth move' he thought as he felt his face blush.

"You know, I don't feel like I say this enough, but you are an incredible woman Mary", he chuckled, "I don't know what I've ever done in this life to deserve you".

As the sun began to set on the horizon, casting an otherworldly light over the valley, Mary and Joshua decided to go into town. By their calendar it was the 24th of December; Christmas Eve. The whole town would be gathering together to celebrate the coming of Christmas, share family stories, and play games. They even had a games schedule for the children all planned out. With Joshua bandaged up and Mary in her best dress, they both made their way down the road and into town centre. Even at this distance they could see the lights of the festivities and hear echoes of happy chattering and laughter.

"So, this is our first Christmas Eve party together", she said as they entered the town, "I'm excited. Are you excited?"

"The most excited I've ever been", he pulled her close to him.

"You know, Dawn's going to be there".

"I know", he answered after a pause, not looking forward to the prospect of having a possibly uncomfortable conversation with his aunt, "I suppose we better make our presence known to her before she corners us somewhere".

Mary chuckled and agreed, knowing full well how Dawn could pop up when she was least expected. They found her sitting on a bench chatting away with another older gentleman, but when she saw them she cut her conversation short and went over to greet them with a beaming grin on her face.

"Welcome you two! It's so good to see you", she gave them both a hearty hug and looked them up and down, "I knew you two were going to become a happy pair".

"Dawn! We've talked about this", Joshua reminded her of the trouble she caused herself the last time she meddled.

"Pish posh! If I hadn't meddled, you two would probably still be pining over one another from a distance", she answered snappily, "And if given the chance to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing".

"Well, you are consistent, I'll give you that", Joshua quipped.

"I just want you two to be happy", she said looking at them proudly, "This life can be hard and cruel, more often than not. So when love and happiness is offered to you, you must grab it and never let it go", she held their hands tightly in hers, her eyes welling up with sentiment.

"We are Dawn", Mary smiled at her, "Even though your way of getting us to this point was a tad…unorthodox… I am glad things turned out the way they did".

"Excellent! That is all I wanted for you two", she beamed up at them, "Now, I'll leave you to enjoy the festivities. Take a stroll around! We've spared no expense at making this year's celebration one of the best. Food and drinks are at the buffet table, so help yourselves!"

They both moved to leave when a daring thought crept in Joshua's mind, "Mary, will you excuse me for a moment? I must go speak with Dawn. In private".

"Sure, is everything alright?" she asked.

"Everything is perfect", he stroked her cheek, "Help yourself to some food, I'll join you in a moment".

With a nod, Mary left him to go and catch Dawn before she was absorbed back into the crowd. Joshua knew what he had to do, he just prayed that he had the courage to speak the words when the time presented itself to him.


"We can't stay here forever", Ash whispered as she peered through he slats in the wooden blinds, watching the Legionary soldier poking around in the street below them. They were supposed to be well on their way out of the town by now and heading towards New Canaan, but the sudden arrival of Aelius' former tribe put a stop to their plans.

"I'll speak with Donna, see if she has any more information to give us", Aelius nodded. Moving quickly and silently downstairs, he found their host perched on the edge of a wooden chair next to the entrance door, her shotgun in her lap.

"Thought I told you three to stay in the room", she murmured in displeasure, "This is an old building, it creaks with every movement and the walls are thin as cardboard".

"We're keeping quiet", he whispered, moving next to her, "How's it look out there? Any news from Tom?"

"They're a persistent bunch", she shook her head, "Not sure they're going to leave until they're satisfied, or until they decide to break inside and search every room".

The mere thought of that happening sent a chill down his spine, "Is there any way we could leave this town without getting spotted?"

"Hmm… There might be a way", she mused, "But it would be dangerous, and I'm not even sure if Tom would approve".

"The faster we get out of here, the less you have to worry about those men outside".

"Leave it with me", she nodded, "I'll speak with Tom, see if we can sort something out".

"Alright. Thank you Donna… I'm sorry I've put this on you all".

"Don't trouble yourself with those kinds of thoughts. This isn't your fault. We've dealt with this ilk in the past, and undoubtedly we'll have to deal with more in the future, so don't fret over it. Go on and get some rest, I'll be along to let you know what's happening before nightfall".

True to her word, Donna collected them just as night had begun to darken the streets outside.

"Alright, I've spoken with Tom and he reckons that these men won't leave until they've searched every nook and cranny in the town", she started, taking out some clean bed sheets from some cabinets downstairs, "So we'll need to smuggle you out of here".

"What are you doing?" Ash asked curiously, watching Donna begin tearing up strips of material, but Aelius immediately realised what was going on.

"It's a disguise", he answered, taking several strips and started wrapping them around his legs, arms, and face.

"Exactly", Donna nodded, helping Ash fix her disguise around her head and wrapping Gael up as well, "Should be less easy to spot this way".

"How do you know this'll work?" Ash asked, "For all we know they may stop us and demand to see our faces".

"They haven't done that to any of us so far. Now, we're going to have to find a way of smuggling Gael through. He will surely stick out like a sore thumb", Donna busied herself in the supply closet, rummaging for something, "Aha! Found it", she pulled out a large dark green over the shoulder duffle bag.

"You're not serious?" Ash asked, looking at her as if she'd just suggested the most ridiculous thing ever.

"C'mon Ash", Aelius placed a hand on her shoulder, "It's the only way. Besides, he's only going to have to stay in there for ten or fifteen minutes at most".

But before Ash could protest, Gael happily walked up to Donna and sat inside the bag while she tucked material around him so that the silhouette of the bag wouldn't be so obvious that they were carrying a small child inside.

"Can I sleep in here?" Gael asked the adults eagerly, making them grin in amusement.

"Not just yet young man, we'll have to wait a little bit longer before you can set off", Donna answered his question and pulled Ash and Aelius aside to explain the plan.

"We leave as soon as Tom gives us the go ahead. He's informed our 'guests' that there will be three people, us, coming out of the building to go to the west side of town".

"But I was told that that area isn't safe", Ash looked at her with concern.

"You were told that with good reason. It was mostly to keep you from wandering there", Donna answered, "We…keep the rest of the town's residents there. The ones who were badly affected by the radiation".

"What do you mean?" Aelius asked, but he already had a sinking feeling of what she was referring to.

Donna sighed and her shoulders visibly slumped with the weight of what she was about to reveal to them, "The ones who turned aggressive and violent. We've been keeping them in a warehouse in the west part, away from everyone else in the hopes that our doctor can find a cure for them, and the rest of us".

Ash felt the blood drain from her skin, her eyes wide with fear, "You mean to tell me…there have been ferals around here, this whole time?"

"Please, don't call them that", Donna winced, "They're not well, but that doesn't mean they're…feral".

"So you want us to go with you through the west side of town?" Aelius tried to push past the subject, but Ash was having none of it.

"You can't help them! There is no cure for this affliction Donna", Ash insisted, but Aelius pulled her aside to have a private word before she said something that lost them the support and protection from this group.

"Ash, this isn't the time. Donna and the others have been extremely kind and helpful to us, we should show them the same respect".

"Damn it Aelius! What if one of those things had attacked us? What if-"

"No, Ash. They didn't", he gave her a stern look, "This isn't the time, or the place, to argue about what ifs just as we are about to leave. Do you want to get out of here, or not?"

Begrudgingly, Ash relented and they returned to Donna, who finished explaining the details of their plans.

"There's an underground tunnel in the warehouse that goes some 500 meters North West. You can follow it to the end, it should be clear"

"Should?" Ash questioned, "We're not going to run into any of your friends in there, are we?"

Donna shook her head emphatically, "No, the entrance to the tunnel is locked, you need a key to gain access to it; but you might run into some rad roaches, at worse mole rats".

"So, all we have to do is go in, try not to disturb your…sickly neighbours… and get through the tunnels", Aelius exhaled, trying to keep a clear head, "Sounds simple enough".

"Precisely", Donna smiled, "It'll be easy as pie".

"But what about you?" Ash asked, "Wouldn't the soldiers notice three people going in and only one coming out?"

"I'll make sure to leave when no one's looking. Don't worry about me, the important thing is to get you all to safety".

They waited until the area was clear and darkness had enveloped the town before they set off. With Donna in the lead and Gael snug in the bag over Aelius' shoulder, they held each other's hands so they didn't get separated as they walked to the warehouse.

"Hey, you three!" they heard a voice as they rounded up a corner and Aelius had to stop himself from instinctively going for his weapon, "Stop".

"This is our town mister. We go where we please", Donna replied in her raspy voice.

"Shut up woman", the man snarled at her, "I won't have you speak to me that way".

"You'd better let us go", Aelius answered in his best impersonation of a raspy ghoulish voice, "We have to go…tend to our neighbours".

"Hmph, what do you mean, 'tend to our neighbours'?"

Aelius and Donna looked at each other knowingly before he started to explain, "We have…friends…relatives in the west side… people who were adversely affected by the radiation. They need food every night, so we take it to them".

The Legionary shifted on his feet, his features giving away his uncertainty, "I don't understand".

"You folks down south call them ferals", Donna answered, and Aelius could hear the strain in her voice as she said the word, "We keep them safe, and away, from prying eyes. But we need to go feed them every night, or they find a way out and wander into town".

They could see the horror on the man's face even in the dim light of the half moon.

"Alright, go!"

"Thank you kindly", Donna answered, a slight acerbity in her tone.

Quickly and quietly they made their way into the warehouse and Donna led them around the sleeping ferals who were scattered haphazardly around the area, oblivious to their presence.

"Here", she unlocked the door to the tunnels for them and gave them both a tight hug, "Stay safe out there. And follow the route we laid out on the map for you. It's one of the safest".

"We will", Ash nodded, "I'm sorry Donna, for my comments earlier".

"Oh my dear, don't worry. All is forgiven", she smiled at her.

"I wish there was something I could do to help your people get rid of the Legionaries", Aelius felt the guilt weighing him down, "This wouldn't have happened if I didn't lead us here".

"Hush!" Donna raised a hand to stop him from saying another word, "We've been through this, and like I said, we will deal with these ruffians in good time. Once they realise you're no where to be found, they will give up, especially with no fresh tracks to use to follow you. Now go! Keep each safe. May you reach your home in good time and fortune".

With a final goodbye, Ash and Aelius set off into the tunnel, hand in hand and keeping a steady fast paced walk. In three days they would reach New Canaan; and only then would Aelius be able to breathe a sigh of relief.


Mary watched as the children played musical chairs, giggling along with them when the music stopped, and they all rushed to find a seat. Everyone was having a wonderful time it seemed.

"May I offer you a drink?" Joshua's familiar voice spoke next to her, almost taking her by surprise.

"Sure!" she smiled, taking the extra glass from his hand, "What is it?"

Joshua sniffed the liquid quizzically, "I'm not entirely sure". It was a very pale carbonated drink, had a familiar sweet and somewhat floral aroma to it but he couldn't place his finger on it.

Mary tasted it and her eyebrows raised in delight, "Oh! This is amazing!"

"What is it?"

"Whoever made this is a genius and I want their recipe!"

"Mary, what is it?" Joshua chuckled in amusement.

"Carbonated banana yucca juice", she said, smacking her lips.

Without hesitation he gave in and tried the drink, feeling a pleasant tingling on his tongue from the carbonation and the delicious taste of sweet banana yucca. In fact, he couldn't help but to down the entire glass in a few gulps.

"You're right, we need this recipe", he exhaled, feeling bubbles rise up inside him until they made him belch quite loudly, leaving Mary in stitches and a few passers-by look on in amusement.

"Oh my word! Please excuse me", he lightly tapped his chest with his palm to quell the bubbles he felt building up again, "You think anyone heard that?"

Mary shook her head but couldn't help giggling, wiping tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, "I must admit, that was impressive".

Joshua grinned like a fool, feeling like a teenager who had impressed his crush, "Would you like to go somewhere a little more…private?"

"Joshua Graham, what kind of lady do you take me for?" Mary blushed, finishing her drink.

"I promise to be a gentleman", he smiled at her, offering her his arm.

"You always are", she gave him a kiss on the cheek and took his arm, following him away from away from the crowd to a large evergreen tree in the courtyard. They stood next to the base of its impressively wide trunk, and Mary couldn't help but wonder how old this tree was every time she saw it.

"I've always liked this tree", she looked up at the reaching branches, savouring its fresh and earthy scent.

"Me too. I used to come here all the time to read or contemplate when I was a young man", he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, the memories of his youth still fresh in his mind. What would he have done if he could have met Mary when he was younger…what kind of man would he have turned out to be?

"May I speak candidly with you Mary?"

"Of course", she looked up at him, "Always".

"There's been something on my mind of late that I haven't been able to shake", he began, trying to string his thoughts and emotions into words.

"This sounds serious", she moved closer to him, her eyes searching his for clues to what was bothering him.

"It is, but not in a serious way", he said, almost wincing at how ridiculous his reply came out.

"Whatever it is, you can talk to me about it", she slipped her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "You can talk to me about anything. I won't judge".

His heart was beating so fast in his chest that he thought it might burst open and his bandages suddenly felt like they were squeezing him, "You are an incredible woman Mary; in all my years on this Earth I've never met someone who possesses such wisdom and intelligence, combined with kindness, love and understanding as much as you do. I hope you know you mean the world to me".

"Alright Joshua, you're worrying me now", she bit her lower lip, "Tell me what's bothering you".

'Stop stalling and say it!' he thought to himself as he fumbled for the small stained maple wood box in his back pocket.

"I just wanted you to know how I feel about you; how deeply in love with you I am. Mary…", he laughed nervously, "Something Dawn said tonight resonated with me, and if it wasn't for your help and understanding through my trials for the past seven months I have had a hard time accepting it".

"Oh?" she looked at him curiously.

"When we met I was a broken man barely holding on to life. Even though you knew of my sins and transgressions, you didn't care about the man I used to be; you saw the potential for the man I could become. You healed my wounds, showed me that my life still has meaning, helped me get through my own self-doubt, regrets and shame. Dawn is right. If you find happiness and love offered to you, you must take hold and never let it go. The only thing I regret is not accepting this sooner. So, what I'm trying to say…" he shifted on his feet, his eager gaze focused on her as he took hold of the small box in his right hand and knelt on one knee in front of her. Her expression changed from worry to disbelief at Joshua's actions, and before his knee connected with the ground she was sporting the widest smile he'd ever seen.

"Yes!" she blurted, then cupped her mouth in surprise.

"I haven't asked you anything yet" Joshua laughed, already feeling the weight of the pressure evaporate out of his body.

"I'm sorry", she said, now laughing along with him, "Go ahead".

He lifted the box up to her and opened it to reveal a brilliant white gold solitaire ring with a deep blue sapphire gemstone sparkling at her, "If you'll have me, I want to spend the rest of my life making you feel as happy and loved as you have made me feel. Mary… Will you marry me?"

She beamed down at him and leaned in, giving him a sensual kiss before pulling back slightly to whisper "Yes" in his ear.