Morning arose and sunlight found its way into the lovers' room. As the sunlight hit Marguerite's face, she stirred about in her bed fighting the sunlight before she finally awoke and opened her eyes to a beautiful new day. She smiled thinking about the last night. Her John holding her as she drifted off into her dreams, his strong arms around her and his soft lips upon hers just made her glow. She turned to her other side to meet her lover's eyes and kiss the soft lips that had alleviated days of sorrow, but….. he was nowhere in sight. Marguerite jumped up and searched the room for any sign of him, but there was nothing. No boots, no hat, not even his vest that was usually strewn about a chair. Panic ensued.

"John!" she called almost to brink of tears. Her heart pounded in her chest. Terror sped through her mind. Was last night almost too good to be true? Had the disease really not subsided? What if he was on another rampage? She had to check on Jewel just to be sure she was safe. Marguerite jumped up and out of bed and raced upstairs to her daughter's room.

Meanwhile upstairs in the kitchen……

An aroma filled the treehouse and made its way into the bed chambers of its inhabitants. As Challenger, Ned, Veronica, little Layton and Summerlee stirred from their chambers, half awake and zombie-like, they followed the glorious smell into the kitchen where they found the formerly weak and ailing but now strong dark haired hunter bemusing over their makeshift stove. He had the table adorned with an array of fruits, flowers, nuts and sweet breads. All at once their eyes flashed open to the sight as if it were a mirage but the smell told them otherwise. They stood frozen in utter amazement until little Layton broke the silence with his sweet voice.

"Uncle John?" he called to Roxton as he peaked his head out to see as if he was in utter confusion and curiosity. With a smile brighter than the sunlight itself, Roxton turned around to him and then they all knew it was the John they had come to know and love. Relief flooded through them and happiness took over their faces as Layton rushed down out of Veronica's arms and into Roxton's. Roxton threw him up in the air saying "Layton my boy! How's the weather up there?!?" All the youngster could manage were spurts of laughter. Holding the boy in his arms he turned to his companions with his ever friendly smile and said "I just thought you would all appreciate a good breakfast after these couple of days of hell I put you all through." They all chuckled a bit as they gathered around the great hunter, hugging him and shaking hands.

" It was no trouble at all." Veronica said with tears swelling in her eyes as she went to kiss the cheek of the man who had become like an older brother to her.

" Yes, it's just good to see you up and about my good man." Challenger added.

"Well I think it's a fair bet to say that without you all I wouldn't be standing here so I thank you all." Roxton said tipping off his hat to them.

"So not to spoil the moment, but my stomach is daring to interject. What's on the menu for this morning John?" Ned said causing everyone to just laugh at Ned's poor timing and Veronica to nudge him with a warning look in her eyes. "What? I was just wondering." He attempted to add to his school boy defence as he looked back into the piercing blue eyes of his wife. Roxton attempted to save him as he always did.

"Well Ned theres…." He started when suddenly a rush of footsteps came up the stairs. A frantic Marguerite climbed and mounted the staircase with Jewel in her arms.

"Have you all seen....." She began to say when suddenly, he turned to his love . His eyes just seemed automatically connect to hers and his smile melted her in the very place she stood. Her words trailed off and were interrupted by her daughter's shout of "Daddy!!!" as she ran into his arms and john's similar shout of happiness saying "Princess!!!!" as her caught her and kissed her forehead. With a heart full of relief, a tear of happiness and joy rolled down Marguerite's cheek as she finished "……John." She seemed almost say it like it was a soft breath finally being let go. Her face glowed seeing him with their daughter and tears of joy gingerly kissed her cheeks. She remained in the doorway in pure bliss as she watched her husband and baby.

"Daddy it worked!!! It really worked!! You're all betta now!!" Little Jewel exclaimed. Though everyone stared in other utter confusion, Roxton completely understood his baby.

"It certainly did princess. I feel so much better now. Now Jewel I believe I have something to give you." Jewel looked at her "daddy" with her bright eyes and smiled. Roxton pulled the locket out of his shirt pocket and placed it around his daughter's neck. While tears of joy rolled down Marguerite and now Veronica's smiling faces, everyone else just stood grinning from ear to ear as they watched the beautiful scene between father and daughter.

"Jewel, my love, you made me feel so much better by letting me borrow Mummy's locket. Mummy must be a very special lady to make that locket make us both feel better, huh?" He asked as he winked over to his wife who just smiled as Jewel nodded eagerly in agreement with her father.

"Now princess I think its best Daddy give you the locket back so you can keep it safe for the next time you or I need it to make us feel better. Can you promise to keep it close to your heart? Roxton asked as he looked into his child's beautiful eyes. Jewel simply responded with a phrase she had learned from her daddy,

"Forever and always Daddy." Roxton grinned and hugged his daughter as tight as could he could without hurting her, while she wrapped her little arms around her father's neck. A low audible "AWWW" was murmured by their family who watched them. With one last kiss upon Jewel's forehead, he put her down and watched her scamper away as she went to show off her necklace some more to her "grandpa", Aunt "Ronnie" and little cousin. Then Roxton turned with his eyes meeting Marguerites and without a word he began to walk over to the woman who held his heart. Leaving the two lovebirds alone, everyone began to make their way to the table where Roxton had laid out a beautiful and delicious breakfast.

As he approached Marguerite, who stood leaning against the doorway with a smile fixed upon her face and tears slowly caressing her cheeks, their eyes locked and refused to let each other out of sight. Marguerite's heart beat so loud that it echoed in her ears, while Roxton's breathe quickened at the sight of his beauty. Before Marguerite could even manage a word, Roxton gently cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. It wasn't a powerful and passionate kiss but a gentle, soft kiss that seemed to make Marguerite go absolutely weak in his arms. As their lips gently separated, they remained with their eyes closed and completely breathless. He opened his eyes as he smiled down at Marguerite who stood breathless. He wiped away hers tears with a soft stroke of his thumb against her cheeks and then kissed her forehead bringing her into his embrace. They remained there in each other's arms for a few seconds with Marguerite's head resting upon his chest and his resting upon hers as their hands clasped tightly and rest upon their hearts. No words were needed. For that moment of pure ecstasy, they simply wanted to bask in the essence of their love.

Finally after being wrapped in each other's arms as they stood in a deep meditation of love, Marguerite broke their silence.

"Don't you dare leave me again." Marguerite said as she held on tight to her husband as she rested upon his chest."

"Never again my love. Never again." He replied as he kissed her forehead and stroked her hair continuously.

"John?" She called to him with her eyes still shut as she now rested her head upon his shoulder.

"Yes my love?" he replied as he looked down upon her with his eyes smiling.

"Do me a favor?" She asked.

"Anything my love." He replied as he held her even tighter.

"The next time I tell you to stay in the tent, Stay in the damn tent." John burst into his loud and hearty laugh that made Marguerite smile as she finally raised her head from his shoulder to meet his bright eyes with a small chuckle.

"Yes Maam!". John said through his laughter before he bent his head to yet again meet her welcoming lips. As they drew away Marguerite couldn't help but notice the intriguing devilish look her handsome lover had molded upon his face.

"What?" She questioned with a smile and arms folded across her chest, as she stood trapped under her husband's striking gaze. Roxton now stood with one hand upon the wall and the other in his pocket as he seemed to literally have his lady just where he wanted her.

"Since you mentioned it, we never did quite finish what we started in that tent. " He said as he traced his finger from the nape of her neck, down through the middle of the voluptuous mounds of her teasing breast, to the waistline of her skirt. She followed his finger with her eyes and gasped a little as he brought her closer to him. She smiled and looked deep into his eyes.

"Forever the romantic, are we Lord Roxton? " she retorted with the playful banter of that morning when their adventure began. Her eyes twinkled in the sunlight, as her shadowy silhouette seems to caress the wall. Without a second thought Roxton simply replied "Only for you my dear" and in just that moment he leaned in to meet Marguerite's lips but was stopped by his sultry lady's finger upon his lips. Running her finger down his chest, she leaned closer to his ear and just blew into it for a second, letting her breath send shivers through Roxton. A small moan rose from her lord urging her to continue. Finally moving her hand up and through his hair she whispered into his ear, "Save that for the bedroom". And without another word she took her lord's hand and led him to the staircase as they quietly slipped away from the chaos of their family and down into their room where they could make their own cries in the wild.

The End