A/N: Thank you for the review, Amoebaa! I'm glad you're enjoying my story. I'll definitely be continuing my update streak, so do not fear!

Jayne-

Watching Lance's face as he looked down at our daughter brought a fresh new wave of tears to my eyes. Lance brushed them away as they fell to my cheeks, asking if I was okay.

I laughed in response, "Yes, these are not tears of sadness, do not worry. I just never thought I'd see you again." I dragged in a breath trying to calm my raging emotions, "I thought you'd never see Lily."

He smiled slightly at that, then bent over and kissed me lightly. The first kiss we shared since before he left to war. A chaste meeting of the lips didn't seem enough for the joy I felt in my heart, so I pressed into him deeper, opening his mouth with mine. He groaned and pulled me closer, at which time Lily (rudely crushed between us for the second time) let out another protest and we pulled apart.

Lance and I laughed looking down at her, "Would you like to hold her?" I asked Lance, though he seemed apprehensive.

"I've never held a baby before…" he answered after a moment,

I giggled at that, "Well it's a good thing you're starting with a babe that's not newly born. Here," I said, lifting the child up into his arms. His arms wrapped around her protectively and he held her close to his body. "See? It's not complicated."

The look on Lance's face as he held his child was that of shock stilled wonder, he carefully brushed her small head and kissed her forehead, before looking back at me, "She's perfect." I smiled in agreement, "I'm so sorry you had to do it alone though, Jayne." He pulled me into his side, still cradling our daughter, "I wish I could have been here for you." He then whispered in my ear.

What could I say to that? We had so much time wasted. I was just grateful that it was not onger and that it wasn't intentional on Lance's part. He loved me still and I loved him and now we found each other again. I would focus on only that and not count the wasted moons.

Lance wrapped both of his arms around Lily again, when she started to become bored with our hug and begun to attempt to squirm out of his arms, no fear of a fall, daring as always. I plucked the anxious babe from his grasp and placed her down on the ground, where she began to crawl around.

Lance sat down on the grass in the general area that she was exploring, watching her play, a large smile stretched over his face. After a while he looked back up at me, holding out his hand, I grabbed it and he pulled me down into his lap.

"I thought you left me, you know." He murmured into the top of my head, kissing my hair lightly afterwards, "When I came home you were gone and my father claimed to have offered you freedom, because of a request from my mother."

I looked up into his eyes, caressing his cheek. I could see the guilt written all over his face, not quite understanding it myself. What could he have done more? Not much, I knew, but he didn't seem to see it this way.

"I had a hard time believing him though, so I hired a man to investigate and find you." His arms squeezed around me tighter, "Thank god I did."

"Did you really think I'd leave you?" I asked after several minutes of quiet contemplation.

"No, but did you not doubt me as well?" he answered and I could not contradict him. I had listened to my head in my misery, hoping it would soothe the pain of my heart; the heart that knew all along that something wasn't right.

"Come here." He said, scooting me around slightly, so my legs dangled over his and I could look him in the face, "I love you, Jayne. I love you like I have never loved before." He pressed his lips lightly to my lips, "You are the world to me and there's nothing I wouldn't do to ensure we are together." I ran my hands down his cheek, neck, and shoulder. I had to make sure he was really there, really saying these things to me. "And now…" he began again, "You have given me a beautiful child, a princess of Benbourgh."

I turned away quickly at that. A princess? Clearly Lance had forgotten a few things. "Lily is an illegitimate child you got on a slave. She cannot be recognized as a princess."

"Says who?" was his quick reply, "Once we are married, what will it matter? Everyone will know she is my child and that I am committed solely to her mother. That will legitimatize her."

I sighed deeply, "But it's not going to be that easy, is it?" and I knew it would not be. Lance was still Prince; the only heir, yes, but not the highest power. His father was and he had banished me, at least suspecting the babe I carried was his grandchild (though most likely knowing without a doubt she was), just to keep me away from Lance. What else would he be willing to do to make sure his son married a woman of more befitting station?

He kissed my forehead lightly, "We'll think of something, my love." Then he looked into my eyes and I saw the devotion in them, just as before. Though now I was not nearly so naive as to believe our dreams would fall perfectly into place. No there were too many obstacles for that to happen, "You will be my wife and my queen. I'll make sure of it."

All I could do was nod. I knew that this could become ugly; I knew that I could be quite literally be risking my neck, but I trusted and loved Lance. So I would fight for us, knowing he fought right alongside of me.

Lance-

I watched the worry and fear spread across her face, yet at the same time saw that she was-as ever-determined to battle this out. I knew this would take some strategy on my part. The first plan would have to be finding a way to take Jayne out of the crossfire. If my father had banished her, he would be willing to resort to other measures to get rid of her, I didn't doubt that.

I shuddered at the thought. Jayne and Lily were actually quite lucky to have been left alone so far. But the fear that regardless if I had gone after her or not, he probably would have taken extra precautions to keep her from me, made my stomach sick.

My faith in the man who I had formally been destined to become, had faded drastically over the past two years. Thank god Jayne changed me.

I would have to take Jayne and Lily out of Dina. He knowingly sent her in this area and I feared it would not be hard for him to find them. But where could I take them? How would I guard them? I did not know yet, but I would have to find a solution soon, before my father caught on to the real reason I was away from home.

"Zeke!" I called out as I saw him round the bend, temporarily forcing the tormenting horrors out of my head. He smiled at Jayne and I sprawled out on the ground together. He knew what she meant to me, he'd help me. I was grateful for that.

"You two have seemed to work things out." He answered, still grinning, though Jayne's father and the man named Drake (who followed closely behind Zeke) didn't seem nearly as happy about our close proximities to one another. They'll just have to get over it, because I couldn't imagine letting go of this woman again.

"Guess what?" I started, gently slipping Jayne off my lap, Okay maybe I'd let go of her for a minute. Just to show off the other girl who held my affection. I picked up Lily, quickly noticing it felt much more natural this time. Jayne was right, holding a baby wasn't complicated at all. "I have a daughter." I could hear the overbearing pride in my voice.

Zeke's eyebrows rose in a comical fashion and I had to concentrate on not bursting out in laughter. Jayne didn't seem to have the same luck and a small fit of giggles escaped her mouth, before she put her hand over her mouth. Zeke shook himself out of his daze and turned to her, smiling, before turning back to me.

"And here I thought you had just found yourself a woman. But now I find you have a child as well." He tsked lightly, "Becoming quite domesticate, aren't you?" I laughed in response, noting out of the corner of my eye Drake's scowl deepening more. I had an idea of why he was in such a mood and it made me like him even less.

"Why don't we all go in for some dinner?" Jayne's father cut in, "I'm sure you both are hungry from your journey and I have a feeling we have much to discuss." He shot a look of fatherly concern towards Jayne that shocked me. This was the father that abandoned her.

Then I saw the look on Jayne's face as she stared up at him, the same look I hoped to see on Lily's face in the future, one of love and affection. For Jayne I'd get to know the man. The boy Drake was another matter though…

A/N: Such a short chapter I know. You see I know where I'm going with this, but some of the details of how I'm going to play it out are escaping me. It shouldn't be too long until another chapter hits though (most likely by Sunday night) so never fear readers!

Please send creativity dust to me!