1788, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Charlotte was reading a letter she had just received from her father; she had not seen him a lot those years but they were writing to each other a lot. Even if her father had a tense relationship with her husband during the war, they were in much better term now. Cornwallis had seen Tavington with his first grandchild and the father he saw reassured him a lot.

She dropped the letter she was holding when she felt a strong kick in her stomach. This was her third pregnancy and every time, she would not get use to the feeling. She grabbed the letter back, trying to finish her reading, but her eyes kept going toward the road.

Philip, now 7, came outside running, followed by his younger brother James, turning 5 in a few months. Both of them could not deny who their father was, since they looked just like William; dark hair and blue eyes. Philip was extrovert and fearless; his knees always covered in bruises from climbing and falling from trees, but James was more shy, caring toward others and was still cuddling his mother a lot.

"No, you can't have it. You are too small!" Philip said.

"Boys, come here," she said as both boys came toward her, looking to the ground. "What is the matter?"

"He doesn't want to share his toy," the younger whined.

"Why don't you play together? Philip Tavington, we already talked about sharing."

"Yes, mama. When is papa coming home?"

"Any minute now. Tell me, did you finish your lessons?"

"Yes! Mr Henderson told me I was learning fast my Latin. Mama, can we go and play?"

"Go ahead boys, but do not go too far."

Charlotte watched her boys running in the front yard and smiled. She was glad they never saw the war she and her husband had been through a few years ago. When England surrendered, they were forced to move and Canada was giving land to loyalists escaping the now independent colonies. It was the most logical choice. William got a post in the military there as well as a promotion to lieutenant colonel, as he was an experimented officer. She loved their life in Nova Scotia; not only was her husband coming home every night, but they were also expanding their family.

With this third child, she was hoping it would be a girl, but she was having the same symptoms as her two last pregnancies; this left little doubt this would be another boy. She was brought back from her daydream as she saw the most familiar figure rode down the road. The boys also saw their father and started to run in his direction. He dismounted from his horse and opened his arms wide. Both boys climbed onto their father as he lifted them up. A smile sketched in her face as she could see once again how much he loved his boys.

He set them down as he looked toward the house, his eyes settled on his expecting wife. He found her even more beautiful when she was with child. She rose and waved her arm to him. He held the reins and walked his horse to the house. He went up the few stairs and got closer to Charlotte. He kissed her deeply before he put his hand on her swelling belly.

"How are you?" he asked.

"Fine, the baby started to kick today."

"That is my boy!" he exclaimed.

"Do not get too excited. Maybe it is a girl this time!"

"We'll see about that."

He leaned down and kissed her again. She lifted her hands and grabbed the back of his neck, deepening the kiss. Their lips parted and their tongues knew their way into each other's mouths. After all they have been through; their love was stronger than ever.

James's small arms wrapped around Charlotte's waist when Philip said:

"Yuck!"

"Mama, I am hungry…" James whined as he buried his head in her skirts.

"Go inside and ask Miss Nina for something to eat," Charlotte's said as she caressed his hair.

The boys did not need anything more to start running inside to get their teeth into. Charlotte looked at their boys; they had so much energy. She could not help but wished for a little girl to calm them down. William caressed the side of her face, before hugging her. War changed men from the beginning of times and the Revolutionary war was no exception for Tavington. He did not regret anything he had done, since you cannot change the past, but he swore he would try to make better choices. He got a chance for a new beginning here and he would not waste it. He was glad his bloody reputation did not follow him to Canada. He was a renowned officer and his experience was good for the fortification of this relatively new British territory.

He grabbed her hand as they entered their home. They heard their sons laughing in the living room. They looked at each other and smiled; until they heard glass shattering on the wooden floor.

"Philip!" William said with an angry voice. Charlotte put her hand on his arm; she calmed him down instantly by doing so, just like she always did.

"He is just a child, my love," she said as she sat down on a sofa, feeling tired. As soon as she settled, James climbed on her lap and played with the stone on her necklace she was wearing.

William looked around the room and could not help the pride and love he felt at this moment. He was having the family he never had growing up and could not be happier.

The end.

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It took me longer to finish this story. I felt I didn't not want to let go of these characters. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I had enjoyed writing it. Make sure to stop by my other story "In her eyes". Thank you so much guest who left reviews, they really help me keep going.

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I had just started to write "Loyalty : Before the war". This fic is about how the couple met. I hope you will like it, don't hesitate to leave reviews.