Just a teeny-tiny warning on this one … I'll call it "Adult Situations" but we all really know it is a make out session with a rather climatic result … :grin:

Nah, not smut, don't panic… But I figure I'd better give you all a heads up.

~O-O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-O-O~

In all the years that he'd known her, he'd never know her to be shy, nervous or uncomfortable around him. Sure, she could play innocent and coy, but those were little games of hers that he could always see straight through. It was just one of those cute little games they played that was far less innocent than she was pretending to be.

So tonight he was somewhat mystified about how absolutely uncomfortable and uneasy she was. Shouldn't they just be able to immediately fall in to the same old routine that they always shared?

Sure, time had passed, things had changed and they'd both grown older and wiser; but he was still Mark and she was still Princess. Tonight they'd fought side-by-side, had been victorious, and had ended by falling against each other for support and comfort.

… Just like old times.

They'd ended the fight by leaving together, his arm across her shoulder, heading home to spend the night together.

… Just like old times.

Until she walked through the front door of his home and asked where to put Amanda.

He'd sheepishly dipped his head and ran his hand through his hair, forgetting that he hadn't really considered the sleeping arrangements in a home that, although a three-bedroom, was essentially a bachelor pad.

To her credit, she didn't huff, roll her eyes, or otherwise indicate her displeasure at the situation. She just offered him a weak, but thankful, smile and immediately set about trying to find the safest and most comfortable temporary solution.

She pulled a mattress off a high, single bed in the spare room and set it on the floor, laying her baby under a light blanket. Beside the mattress she set up a blanket on the floor for herself.

"I'll buy a crib tomorrow, Princess," he said lightly. "And I suppose a few more supplies to make Mandy more comfortable."

"That's okay," she replied in little more than a whisper as she kissed the nose of her daughter. "I should only have to be here for a day or so."

Her quiet comment almost didn't quite make his ears. His head tilted both to hear it better and to show his confusion. "You want to go back there?"

She rocked back on her knees, pressing her butt into her heels, and looked up at the ceiling. "What other choice do I have?"

"Here."

Her head rolled on her neck into a tilt to look at him awkwardly. "Don't, Mark. Please."

He folded his arms across his chest and frowned at her. "Don't what?"

"Don't …" she inhaled and swept her hand through the air between them, first to him, then to her, then back to him. "Don't make me need you again."

"Is that really so bad?"

She slowly raised herself to her feet and nodded as she slowly moved toward the door. As she reached where he stood, she looked up into his face. "It's taken me 18 months to try and forget you…"

"…And?" he interrupted softly.

"And I can't."

"Then don't," he whispered as he took a gentle hold of her elbows and tried to coax her toward him.

She took in a short breath and dropped her eyes to his mouth. Her eyes widened as her body both pushed from and pulled into him. She wanted to just roll up on to her toes and press her mouth against his, pull him tight to her and demand he take her to his bed, but found herself pulling back from him.

"I … I …" she stammered uncomfortably. "I … I need a shower."

One brow flicked upward at her. He pursed his lips to one side and turned, flicking his finger to ask her to follow. "I've put some fresh clothes in the bathroom for you."

Her lips pursed. "Let me guess. Your old #1 shirt with the stretched collar?"

He smiled. "It was always your favourite."

"Thank you, Mark," she said softly as she touched her fingers to the doorframe of the bathroom and looked sideways at him. "For everything."

He brushed his fingers along her cheek. "No need for thanks."

She forced a smile and backed into the bathroom. She closed the door behind her, pressed her back against it and raised her head to the ceiling. Knowing he would be leaning on the wall beside the door in an identical manner as she was, she held onto any panic or worry and tried not to break down.

Murphy's Law was wrong. Bad luck and bad things did not run in threes – they ran in fours.

~O-O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-O-O~

She made sure to have as quick a shower as was possible. The more time Mark had by himself to think about things, the more dangerously thought out his arguments would be. It was going to be hard enough to find the energy to say no to him; she didn't need for him to be armed with his flawless rebuttals to any argument she could come up with.

And it wasn't like she didn't want to be with him, because she did. It wasn't the fear that she and her child would be unsafe, because under who else's roof would they be more secure?

She actually didn't understand the apprehension, herself.

She assumed the answer would come when she finally sat down and talked with him.

With a final breath of courage and a quick once-over of her appearance in the mirror she prepared to walk out. Princess brushed her hands over the familiar old shirt and tugged it down over the black pair of Hugo Boss boxer briefs he'd left in the bathroom for her to use as fresh underwear.

Admittedly she'd let out a giggle at his thoughtfulness. He'd even left her a brand new pair still in its box.

That was Mark, though. Thorough. Dot every "i", cross every "t". Cover all bases and leave no ends loose.

Jason called it anal-retentive. Princess called it adorable.

She smiled looking down at the short, loose leg of the underwear that was at least one-size too big. Not only did he remember that she liked this old shirt, but he also recalled she had a penchant for stealing his boxers from time to time.

For a second, she was back at the Shack, ready to walk out into his hallway and be whisked into his bed.

She let the memory kiss her mind's eye, and then focused back onto a wet mop of black hair.

"Time to talk," she sighed to herself. "Are you ready, Princess?"

~O-O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-O-O~

The first sound to meet with Princess' ear as she walked out of the steaming bathroom was the giggle of her child. It wasn't the giggle of a baby finding something around her amusing. It was the all-out giggle of a baby at play; a sound that she might hear only when she was rolling around the floor with her daughter.

Curiously, Princess peered around the corner to see if she might catch Mark in the midst of a game of peek-a-boo. She brought her hand to her mouth in amusement to see him swooping around the floor with Amanda in his arms as he pretended she was an airplane. He breathed out engine noises and gave her a commentary of flight as he flew her through the air.

Princess took a moment to just stand and watch as he spent his first moments as a father alone with his child. He seemed to re-ignite with the happy giggle of a little girl. The blue sparkle in his eyes and wide smile that she hadn't seen since childhood had reappeared. His stance and the way in which he held himself in this relaxed state seemed more proud than she'd expect even from the Eagle. Inside of the five minutes Princess was in the shower, Mark seemed to have dropped ten years from his age.

It was remarkable.

She pressed her hand on the corner to push herself into the room and paused when he stopped playing and simply held the little girl in his arms. He looked softly and adoringly into her little face as she blew saliva bubbles through her lips.

"Hi Amanda," he said softly as he traced his fingertip along her hairline. "I'm your daddy."

Amanda giggled and gurgled.

"I never thought I'd ever believe in innocence again. Not after what I see every day. But in you," he inhaled a breath and held on to it as he let his eyes scan over each of her features. "In you I see the answer to every question I have about me, who I am, who I should be, who I want to be. " He blew the softest breath across the top of her head and pulled her against his chest. "I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you, Mandy. I promise you. I will die to protect you and your mommy."

His eyes jerked toward the hallway as Princess sniffed loudly while she wiped a tear from her cheek. His gaze softened and he slowly walked toward her.

"Tell me something," he breathed as he approached.

She took herself off the wall to step toward him. "What's that?"

"The love. Was it instant for you too?" At her smile he paused and looked down at the sleepy little bundle in his arms. "It's so overwhelming how intense it is. I know love," he breathed, "I mean I've loved you my entire life. But this …"

"This is different." She closed the distance between them and traced her finger along Amanda's brow line to coax her to sleep. "It's absolutely consuming isn't it?"

He focused on Princess and watched her coo to their child. "Yes. Yes it is." Her eyes rose to his and he waited for her smile before he finished his thought. "But at the same time it's just so liberating. I feel like I could take on the entire world and actually come out on top – like I've been completely renewed."

Princess angled her head gently to one side and cupped his face with her hand. She watched as he tilted his cheek into her hand and let her thumb trace his face. She smiled with pursed lips. "Just wait until you've spent a few weeks with no sleep through teething and tell me you'll feel the same way."

He closed his eyes and purred at her touch. "It's worth it, though. Isn't it?"

She nodded and shifted her hand to let the pads of her fingers graze across his lips. "More than you can imagine, Mark."

His eyes opened as he pressed his lips into her fingers in a kiss. "Please don't leave again."

She let out a breath and gently took her daughter from his arms. "I should put her back to sleep. It's late and …"

"Stay," he said quickly, not wanting to give her the opportunity to successfully skirt the subject.

She pursed her lips to let out a small shush and walked slowly into the makeshift nursery. She knelt to bundle the child inside a blanket and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight little Angel." She stayed on her knees for nearly a minute simply looking at her daughter. "Of everything you ever given me, Mark, she is by far the greatest gift." She drew herself to her feet, turned, and found herself pulled into his arms.

Mark held her tightly against him and studied her face. He said nothing as he wet his lips and dropped his eyes to her mouth. He barely breathed as he lowered his face and pressed his mouth to hers.

It began hesitantly, softly, more of a request than an actual kiss. It was lips against lips, firm, yet soft. It was a kiss more like that of two pre-teenagers just beginning to explore the wiles of adult affections behind the bleachers at school. It was tentative and unsure.

It was Princess who drew away first. She shifted her head back so slowly that Mark found his head tilted down after her as if unwilling to break their connection. He whimpered in disappointment at the light smack of separating mouths, which parted his lips slightly.

She didn't see it, but she certainly felt it, and without a second thought she hooked her arm around the back of his neck and pulled him down hard against her mouth. A growl rumbled inside her belly and she claimed him hard. Gentleness and apprehension shattered into oblivion as she felt his arms lock up around her and he drew her feet off the floor to walk them toward the doorway. The wetness of their kiss smacked loudly off the walls of the small room and seemed to only spur Mark to act more fiercely. He half stumbled in the doorway through his own impatience and pressed her up against the doorframe. He hooked his hands around her backside and forced her legs to part and circle his hips.

Princess couldn't fight the moan as she felt him between her legs. Her head dropped back to loudly pull out of the kiss and she found her own instinct rolled her hip to feel him up harder against her. He obliged and claimed the side of her neck with a wet slap of his mouth as he rocked his hips against her.

Her voice raised an octave at the familiar sensation of him against her and of her need to have him. Her sighs flew out of her as desperate whimpers that seemed to beg him to end the agony and simply take her up against the wall. His name was fairly indecipherable as it passed through her lips, but he knew she called to him. He slid his hands into the back waistband of her boxers and slowly teased them down off her hips, only pausing as the shudder of her body against him sent a shock of weakness through his body. The pleasure, heightened by the sudden bolt of weakness made him press against her harder, which elicited long, hungry moans from both of them.

As the sharpest moan reverberated off the wall and echoed into Princess' inhale, she found herself begin to pull herself away from Mark. His moans began to beg her as he continued to try to become a part of her.

She panted and shook her head. "Mark. Stop please."

He whined as his breath hotly pulsed against her skin. "Why?"

Her legs didn't relinquish their hold on his hips; instead they seemed to lock in to pull him closer. This brought a growl from deep inside his gut that hissed against her skin as his teeth scraped along her collarbone.

"Mark," she panted. "We can't do this."

His hips kept pushing hard against her and his fingers still pushed down the waistband of her boxers. "Don't pull away from me, Princess," he begged with his lips tight, open, and probing at her neck. "We need this."

Her head rolled backward. Her voice, nothing more than a hoarse whisper of longing, breathed past her lips. "Not here, Mark. Not in front of Mandy." She whimpered again as she felt the blinding pop of pleasure ripple from her center and up her back into her neck. "If she wakes …"

Mark didn't need to be told again. As the extended "s" from the last word lingered between them, he threaded one arm across her back and the other across her backside. "Is my bed okay?"

She nodded and answered her affirmative with only a breath through her mouth as she felt him lift her off the wall. She cupped his face with both hands and kissed him as he blindly took them through the hallway toward his bedroom.

Mark had her shirt up and over her head before he even got the two of them to the bed. Together they fell onto the ratted old duvet cover he'd had since childhood. Princess clawed at this as he slid down to run his tongue along the center of her chest toward her navel. His fingers slid, again, into the waistband of her boxers and he claimed a single breast in his mouth as he drew them down off her hips.

She arched her back and moaned out a long song of his name when he slid a hand over her to touch her. With a single stroke of his fingers through her wetness she felt her entire body seize up and contract in an involuntary climax so sudden it was positively painful. His name exploded from her mouth as her back seized into an arch that pressed her harder against his hand.

He was stunned that her body had succumbed so quickly and so violently at his smallest ministrations, but he didn't cease. He stroked each wild ripple of climax out of her, not slowing his movements until she pulled him up to kiss her when her body finally released. He fell, fully clothed on top of her and found himself chuckling into the kiss.

"Wow," he breathed as she panted underneath him. "That was fast."

She reddened and lowered her gaze from his. "I'm so sorry. You just. I just. You're always so good at that."

He smiled as his head shook and gently used the crook of his finger to lift her chin to look back up at him. "No. Princess. Don't be sorry." He dropped his face to pepper her lips with small kisses. "I doubt I'll have much more staying power than that when you let me take you."

"Which would be now," she breathed as she hooked her leg at his hip to tug his track pants down off his hips with her toes.

He growled low when his nakedness found hers. He rose to his knees and pulled her hips upward to watch voyeuristically as he entered her. As his hand closed around himself to guide himself inside her, they were both jarred by a booming call of both of their names from the front door.

"No." Mark whined as he relinquished hold of himself, and of her hips, and let his arms fall behind him. "Jason, why now?"

Princess gasped in horror realizing that the two of them were naked, and his bedroom door was wide open. Like a teenager caught by parents with the school jock, she immediately struggled from underneath him and leapt to the door. Her eyes were wide and horrified as she tugged on her shirt and then stumbled in search of her boxers.

Mark, for his part, just flopped onto the bed and looked longingly toward Princess. "Can I kill him?"

She tugged on the boxers and attempted to smooth out her damp and knotted hair. "Mark. Get dressed."

Jason's head poked around the doorway. He grinned at the panicked Princess and the defeated Mark. "You two need some time?"

"Yeah," Mark replied flatly. "How about you give Princess and I a few hours to catch up before you break into my place?"

Jason jangled a set of keys and grinned. "You gave me keys, Skip. It's not breaking in."

Princess huffed in embarrassment and lightly nudged past Jason. "Tell me you're alone."

He shook his head and tossed the robe hanging over a chair at the door to Mark. "You got a full house downstairs." He held up a fist full of shopping bags. "Lisa forced me to go …" he groaned painfully "…shopping."

Mark was reluctant to move and simply pulled the robe over the top of himself. "And that means you needed to come here in the middle of the night to complain about it?"

Princess chewed on her thumbnail and tried to get over her shame at being caught by Jason. "You really should call first."

He chuckled low. "And miss out on this? Are you kidding me?"

Mark, finally composed and sure he wouldn't embarrass himself further, reached down to pull his track pants on. He rose from the bed and strode past Jason with a deliberate bump to the shoulder. "Remember, Jase. Payback is a bitch."

Princess let out a small groan and slid out of the bedroom behind them. "Uh, I'm just going to check in on Amanda. I'll meet you guys downstairs." She rubbed at her brow and groaned when she heard Jason playfully pant and moan out Mark's name behind her. The teasing was quickly stopped, when Mark punched him in the shoulder and told him to "grow up".

She had to smile. For all the changes she thought they'd all grown though everything really seemed to be exactly the same.