Her body ached in the best possible way. And she was warm, so nicely warm, that Jess signed as she languished in those moments between sleep and full consciousness, not wanting to leave the happy, relaxed place she was in.

Their wedding night had been a surprising though no less pleasant experience and she felt her lips curve into a smile she was powerless to stop as she cuddled closer into her husband's embrace, her cheeks heating with the memories of both their first time as man and wife and the second time, in the early hours of the morning, when she'd taken the initiative and seized her chance to explore the body she'd so often admired and dreamt about.

The whole night had been incredible, maybe she'd even call it magical if she was feeling sentimental, but as she lay against him, listening to his heart and his steady breathing, the cold doubts often associated with the morning after began to creep in.

What if he'd just got caught up in the moment? What if he'd drank more at their wedding feast than she'd realised?

What if he regretted it when he woke up and pushed her away, reverting to what she knew as 'normal Becker form' when it came to anything that demanded an emotional response?

Her body began to tense; she couldn't help it. She bit down on her lip and contemplated how she could disentangle herself without waking him. She needed to get away, to put some distance between them. She needed to compose herself, prepare for the inevitable let down, force an accepting smile on her face...

His arms tightened around her and a soft 'hmm' escaped him. Jess froze, knowing he was about to wake up. She kept perfect still as he continued to stir, squeezing her eyes shut and wondered if she could convince him she was still asleep.

He ran his hand along the curve of her spine and let it come to a stop as his fingers curled around her hip, squeezing gently as he shifted beneath her so he could angle his head to see her. Jess felt his gaze on her face and had to remind herself to keep breathing.

"I know you're awake." Becker sounded amused but Jess couldn't allow herself to relax, not even when he manoeuvred them so they were sharing a pillow. "Jessica."

She felt him move again but resisted the urge to open her eyes to see what he was doing. The next thing she was aware of was the sensation of his lips brushing against her sweetly. When he tried to deepen the kiss, Jess willingly obliged, morning breath be damned as she let her lips be parted by his. Distracted by the kiss, she let him roll them over until she was caught underneath him, and then pulled away to prop himself up on an elbow. It was then Jess forced herself to open her eyes, bracing herself for the rejection and the 'it's not you, it's the situation' speech she was sure was coming...

... and was surprised when a slow, lazy grin curled the corners of his mouth instead and he used his free hand to brush the tangled strands of hair back from her face.

"As much as I'd love to spend all day here with you, I'm supposed to meet Lawrence and the others in the courtyard this morning."

It took her stunned brain a moment to remember where they were and what events had led to them lying in bed together – and who 'Lawrence and the others' were. Her eyes widened and a small smile played on her lips as she couldn't help but blurt out the first thought that sprung to her mind as realisation dawned.

"You have knight training!" She knew she sounded gleeful but it couldn't be helped. "Oh, my god, Becker. You're going to be a real knight in shining armour!"

A fit of giggles overcame her at the expression on his face, not helped when he decided to tickle her in retaliation for her teasing. As his fingers danced up over her ribs, the mood shifted abruptly from playful to tense and Becker stilled above her, gazing down with an unreadable expression on his face.

Aware that her hair was no doubt a mess, her cheeks flushed and her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, Jess's laughter died on her lips. She stared up at her, him earlier doubts resurfacing and growing stronger the longer he stayed silent.

"Um. I should..." Whatever excuse she'd been about to give him faded from her mind as his mouth descended over hers again.

While their first kiss of the morning had been sweet and gentle, their second was deep and urgent and demanding. There was no hesitation in it at all; he knew what he wanted and took it without preamble, his tongue sliding against hers as she clung to him almost desperately.

When the kiss came to its natural end, they were both breathing heavily, bodies entwined and tangled in the covers of the bed. Jess bit her lip again but this time to keep back a smile as Becker leaned on her heavily, his hands grasping the pillow either side of her head.

"We shouldn't do this." As soon as he spoke, her heart dropped. She reached up to put her hands against his chest, fully intending on pushing him away so she could make her escape but Becker had other plans. He grabbed her hands once he realised her intention, pinning them against the pillow as his lower half pinned hers to the bed. "I didn't mean it like that, Jess."

"Then how do you mean it?" She couldn't look at him, couldn't bring herself to see the pity she expected to see in his eyes.

"Look at me, Jessica." The commanding tone was one she'd heard before when he was issuing commands to his men while out in the field and it was on she instinctively responded to without thought. Caught by his stare, Jess could only lie there and wait, certain that what he was about to say was going to break her heart. "I meant that we can't risk it. I can't risk it."

"Risk what...?" Confused, she gave him a questioning look, arching an eyebrow when a blush stole across his features. "Becker?"

"We don't have any condoms," he pointed out, staring at the pillow beside her head rather than holding her gaze. "And while I know the medicals we have at the ARC mean we're both clean..." He didn't wait for her slightly sheepish nod of agreement and thankfully didn't ask her how long it'd been for her before he ploughed on. "We can't take the risk of you getting pregnant, Jess. It's just not safe, not here. As much as I want, well, you, I can't chance losing you, Jessica. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you while we're here..."

She tugged her hands free of his and raised her arms to wrap them around his neck, drawing him down so she could kiss him thoroughly. "Point one," she said a little breathlessly some time later, "while I appreciate the thought, we didn't lose anything last night or earlier this morning so your concern is a little bit late. Point two," she continued, ignoring the flash of guilt in his eyes and hurrying on before he could interrupt, "I have an IUD. I got migraines on the pill so my doctor suggested it as an alternative. So you can rest assured there will be no baby Becker's in the near future unless we find a way home."

She tried to hide the vague disappointment she felt at the thought, her mind's eye filling instantly with the image of a little boy with his father's hazel eyes and charming smile, but wasn't sure she was entirely successful when his expression softened and he closed the gap between them to kiss her gently.

"Another incentive to get home then, isn't it?" With a reluctance that was clear to see, he rolled away from her and climbed out of bed.

Unable and unwilling to resist, Jess lay back against the pillows and admired the view as he got dressed, struggling only a little with the unfamiliar clothes. When he turned and caught her watching, he arched an eyebrow but the corners of his mouth twitched.

"Enjoying the show?"

"Very much. I'll be looking forward to an encore tonight." She winked cheekily and laughed when he threw the slip he'd helped her out of the night before at her head. "Though maybe in reverse."

Sitting up to pull the slip over her head, she gasped when she realised he'd moved closer during her momentarily distraction and he took advantage of her surprise to kiss her sounding. "I'll give you a show later if you promise to return the favour."

It was a promise Jess would happily keep.

Aren't they adorable? *sappy grin* ;)