A/N: It's been a while since I stuck this at the top of chapter: the characters belong to SM- the story however is one of my babies... No infringement intended.

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When Rose and Emmett returned, the melee they could hear from the keep caused them to hasten in the hall. The Makenzies and Cunninghams were staring at Jacob as if he were a monster. Both groups of men had the lust of power in their eyes. If they could go down in history as killing the Black, then they'd be considered unstoppable.

Emmett dropped Rosalie's hand and rushed to Jacob's side. He stood proud and tall- intimidating in his bulky muscle. He hadn't realized Rose was hot on his heels to try and stop the ridiculousness before it got out of hand. She began by addressing Laird Cunningham, "My Laird, ye must ken that the Black is good friends with the MacCullens and the King himself. Ye must nay do this."

"I can, ye see, he was kissing my betrothed," he spat at Rosalie.

"What? Surely ye are mistaken," Emmett began. Jacob glanced at him and the look in his eyes told Emmett it was no mistake. Stepping closer to Jacob, Emmett whispered lowly, "What the hell are ye doing? We can nae fight and beat this many men ye great idiot!"

Jacob whispered back, "I can nae let her marry him, and they are nae betrothed yet. Nay papers have been signed."

Addressing the angry mob, Emmett began again, "Have ye signed the papers already then?" He waited a moment and no one responded. "Weel, then, I imagine she is nae ye're betrothed yet and he was nae committing any crime. She is still a free maiden, aye?"

Her father stepped forward, "He was almost defiling my lass! I'll nay stand for it. His hands were nae where they should have been."

"Weel, I'm sorry for that, but as she and he," Emmett motioned to Siobhan and the Cunningham, "have nae signed anything yet, then it is nae a punishable offense. Although, if Cunningham does nae want her, ye could always make her marry Jacob."

Siobhan's eyes were saucer wide and full of hope. She looked to her father, "Papa, is it possible?"

Makenzie looked to Cunningham and the two men retreated to the laird's solar. They were in there for well over an hour. When they finally reappeared, Makenzie gripped his wife's hand and motioned his daughter to follow him. Rose, stepped a few feet closer to hear what was said.

Her brother-in-law was talking lowly, but she was able to make out most of the words, "We agreed ye'll nay wed… Ye must marry…Black… I had to make amends or…. war… We can nae afford to battle… Do ye understand the position… We dinnae have… coin… I dinnae ken how to meet his demands… starving… Ye are in great trouble lass. Ye're new husband will… make amends for half of what… demanded…"

Rose stepped away quickly and related what she'd heard to Emmett. He chuckled, "Weel, Jacob should nae have been caught with ye're niece lass. Dinnae worry, Rosie. He'll take good care o' her. If he dinnae want to marry her, he'd nay have allowed himself to get caught. Tis his own fault. And he has plenty of coin to make the restitution demands from his work as a mercenary in France for several years."

Jacob stepped close to Rosalie and tried to reassure her too, "I ken ye think I just met her, but I have known that woman for the last year. I'll admit to having seen her when she was but a wee girl and she was adorable, but last year, I saved her from reivers and ne'er told her father about it. They were going to steal her away. I could nae have anyone go about saying that I was kind now, could I? What would that do to my malicious reputation? I took her back to them then and have seen her several times since. She's beautiful, and I needed what she offered. I'll nay lie and say I love her yet, but I most likely could. I will see to it she is happy."

Rosalie looked to Siobhan and caught her staring at Jacob. The look in her eyes was the same that she'd seen in Bella's eyes when she looked at Edward and in Esme's eyes for Carlisle. Her not-so-little niece was in love with the Black. How could Rose object? But, then again, it wasn't her place to accept or reject his suit of her niece. She knew that Jacob wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Rosalie would have Emmett take care of him if he did.

She nodded at Jacob and told him good luck. She glanced over at her sister and joined the circle at her beckoning. "Siobhan must marry the Black. Ye ken him much better than I. Will he care for her weel? I can nae bear the thought of placing my baby's life in the hands of that man. The stories about him-"

"Are nae all true," Rose reassured her flustered sister. "He will take care of her. I promise ye that. He is nae a poor mon either, so she will nay want for anything. Nor will their children."

"Weel, I suppose we mustn't stay any longer. It seems we've already overstayed our weelcome," Makenzie told them and they set off to gather all their belongings.

Laird Cunningham did manage to allow them a quick meal before they set out. If the group kept a steady and quick pace, they could reach the Makenzie holdings in a fortnight.

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They had travelled for a few hours before it grew too dark to continue on. Stopping beside a stream, the men cared for the horses while the few women set about gathering wood from the underbrush for a fire. Once they were all set for the night and had eaten, Rose joined Emmett for walk.

They followed the stream for a while before stopping alongside a small outcropping of rocks. They sat beside each other on one and watched the slight current of the stream ripple the water's surface.

"Ye ken, for so long, I thought if I were plain that all of the pain in my past could have been avoided," Rose's soft voice cut through the quiet that surrounded them. "Before we left the Cunningham's, the priest and I spoke one last time. He said something that I'm tying verra hard to accept." Her voice trailed off quietly as she was once again lost in thought.

Emmett stared at her profile for a while before finally asking, "What did he tell ye, Rosie?"

"He said that may haps all the bad happened to bring me to now, where it's finally good. That may haps this is what God intended for me to make it to ye," she finished softly, glancing at him from beneath her lowered lashes.

Watching as he processed her words, she was still surprised at his reply, "If it means that it would have saved ye all the heartache and pain, lass, I'd gladly take ye back there. We'd ne'er have met and that would be beyond despairing, but I'd rather have ye happy, Rosie. And ye ken, e'en if ye were nae so beautiful, I'd still love ye, dinnae ye? It's the beauty that shines from your eyes, which come from ye're heart that drew me into ye." He reached over and wiped the tear that trekked down her cheek at his words.

"Emmett?"

"What is it Rosie-mine?"

"Can I just-?" she halted in her question.

"What do ye need?"

"Kiss me," she whispered. Her eyes darkened as his lips descended on hers- devouring her honey-flavored lips. They were demanding in their need for each other. She opened her mouth to try to draw a full breath and he plunged his tongue deep in the recesses of her mouth. Their tongues swirled with each other as they showered each other with love.

Emmett slowly dragged his lips from hers and down her jawline, pausing to swirl his tongue over a spot just behind her ear. Her responsive moan spurred him on, and he kissed down her throat and along her shoulders, showering the skin above her dress with kisses and gentle nips.

He pulled the end of the bow that had kept her bodice tied, pulling it down and caressing her now-exposed breasts with his hands as he continued his sensuous assault on her throat. Emmett lifted his head and gazed at the beauty in his hands, groaning, he whispered, "Ye're so perfect…" He returned his lips to her throat to kiss along the base of it again. His lips travelled down to the tip of her voluptuous breast and slowly drew her nipple into his mouth, suckling it gently. Rose moaned again and drove her fingers into his hair to hold him closer. He moved his mouth to the other breast. Leaning her back on the rock, he lifted her skirts and skimmed his hand lightly up the length of her leg, hooking it over his hip. Grinding himself into her, Emmett pulled back to look into her eyes.

"Why'd ye stop?" she whispered.

"I just remembered we are in the open by a stream. I dinnae want to take ye here. I want you to enjoy it much more, Rosie."

"But I am, Emmett. Please, dinnae stop," she pleaded.

He brought his lips to hers again. With one hand he pinched and rolled the pebbled tip of her pink nipple, while the other caressed her thigh, drawing closer and closer to the core of her being. When he finally slipped his finger between the folds, she cried out. Rubbing his finger along the length of her heat he returned his lips to her breasts. Finding just the right spot, he circled his finger over her clit reducing her to a mass of writhing passion. Her pleasure was foremost in his mind. After all the pain she'd suffered through in her life, Emmett was determined to show her just how much she meant to him.

"Oh God, Emmett!" she cried out when he finally plunged a finger into her depths. He relished the sound of his name falling from her lips. He thrust in and out as she moved her hips to the rhythm he set with his talented fingers. His thumb swirled and flicked over the bundle of nerves until finally Rosalie screamed and her muscles spasmed around his finger. He watched Rose's eyes clench shut as she rode his fingers, and it was almost his undoing. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever set eyes on.

When she finally calmed her breathing and looked up at Emmett, he had already retied her dress and rearranged her skirts. She inhaled deeply and noticed the musky scent of her release filled the air around them. Emmett kissed her lips gently and held her close.

Finally pulling back, Rose rubbed her hand over the steely erection that was pressing into her. Frowning up at him when he pulled her hand away, she whispered in his ear seductively, "I can help you with that."

Pulling in a ragged breath, he explained, "That was for you. Only for ye, love. I wanted to make ye feel good, Rosie. I want ye to ken that I dinnae want to only seek my pleasure between your creamy thighs, but to give ye more than I e'er take."

Rosalie smiled at him and gave him a chaste kiss. Emmett grabbed her hand and led her back to the campfire. After they'd eaten, the couple spread out their blankets beside each other and snuggled together until it was Emmett's turn to keep watch.

The next morning, after breaking their fast with bread and cheese, the contingent of men and the few women continued their trip. They prayed they'd not meet any delays along the way. Because of the carriage and wagon, they still had a long trip ahead of them.

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