Please Note: I am sorry I can't separate the POV. I have windows vista and am still trying to figure out the word processor and stuff…I hate it…onto the story

To Evilstrawberry: I knooooow! I'm Kel/Dom'ed and Kel/Neal'ed out!)

As they rode through the gates they saw people waiting all lined up, and Kel holding a toddler. Tobe was standing beside her on one side, Merric on the other. They couldn't see Neal though. Dom slid off his horse and walked over to Kel and hugged her. Cleon's brows knitted together for a moment. Then heard "where's the meathead?"

He looked over at Owen who was walking towards Kel, and watched him hug her as well. He stayed on his horse, watching the welcomes between them, feeling out of place. It had been so long since he had been amongst them.

"Would you like me to take your horse, Sir?" a voice asked. He looked down into the face of a young boy.

"Yes, thankyou," he said, hopping off his horse. He looked over to the horse his daughter had been riding on. He could see she was trying not to scrunch up her face. She was obviously disgusted by the place. Cleon sighed. Maybe he should have spent more time at home. But there was a war going on. He had a duty that came before family…

He reached up to her and she fell into his arms. He dropped her on her feet on the ground and walked over to Kel and Merric. They both smiled, and Merric held out his hand.

"It's been a long time, Kennan," he said shaking his hand.

"Too long," Cleon replied.

"So how's married life been treating you - ow!" Kel yelled as the toddler she was holding pulled her hair.

"It's been good," he replied. Kel and Merric didn't see the sorrow and regret flash through his eyes.

"So, how is your wife?" Merric asked, watching Kel walk away.

"Milady mother!" a young girl was calling out as she walked off.

"Fine. I decided to spend more time with my daughter, and Wyldon assured me she would be very safe here," he half-lied.

"Well, welcome to New Hope," Merric said. "I'll show you where you and your daughter are to stay," he said, gesturing for him and his daughter to follow him. Cleon picked his daughter up, knowing she wouldn't want to walk over any mud…

Cleon walked into the Commanders office, to see Neal, Merric, Owen, and Raoul sitting there, with Kel behind a big desk.

"Thankyou for taking the time to come and help us, Cleon. Sorry I couldn't show you around earlier. I had to find Fanche," she said looking down at some papers. Neal got up and shook Cleon's hand, then sat back down. He handed the letter he had been given to Kel, then took a seat.

"We have rosters, here," she said looking up. "The children learn fighting and defence skills in the morning, you daughter is welcome to join them,"

Cleon held back a snort. His wife had discouraged any sort of fighting.

"You will start Night Watch in a few days, if that is okay. That should give you time to get to know the others around here, and get yourself and your daughter settled," she said. "The new convicts are out with the scouts chopping wood, if you could add some of your men to them?" she said pledingly to Raoul.

"Anything you need from them, Kel. They're at your disposal," he replied smiling.

"Thankyou. Here is a design that I have come up with for the layout, if you could go over it with me to…" Cleon blocked her out. He was looking at a roster she had pushed towards him. He was shocked to see that he would also be required to work on the surrounding farms and clean latrines. He looked up at her as she finished speaking to Raoul.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked him.

"No, I was just surprised by some of the duties on the roster…" he blushed when she half-smiled, half-smirked at him.

"Everyone does their fair share here. Only I seem to be exempt from any form of carpentry," she sighed.

"That's because we want our workers to live, and you to keep your fingers," Raoul said smiling. Kel stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's enough from you, your on my turf now," she joked. "If you have any problems go to Merric. Neal, they have your supplies and it seems Numair and Alanna have sent some scrolls along. And a letter of teaching advice," she said, handing him two large envelopes. "I think that should be all. I'm starving, so I will be in the mess hall stuffing my face. See you boys later," she said, getting up and walking out. Everyone followed her out. Cleon walked out last and looked around him. He was living and working alongside ex-convicts and current-convicts, and refugees. Children were running around and trying to get Kel to play games with them. Again he heard them referring to her as "Milady Mother". He was confused by that. Why would they be calling her their mother.

"Because she is the closest some of us have to a mother," a girl's voice broke into his thoughts. "She takes charge of us, dresses us, feeds us, and comforts us. She protects us. She cares about us. We love her, and we know she loves us back," she said walking forward. "It's more than some children can say about their real parents," she said, looking at him. "Are you hungry? I'm going to eat," she told him and walked away. She must have been about 15 or 16. He followed her to the mess hall to find his daughter was already there, sitting with some children looking more than a little disgusted. When she saw him she jumped up and ran to him.

"Oh, father, it's so horrible and smelly here, I want to go home!" she cried, throwing herself into his arms.

"Well, we can't for a while. I have some important things to do here," he told her, smoothing her hair with his hand. She looked up at him and pouted. He sighed, unhappy with what Ermeline had turned their daughter into…a "lady".

Kel stood looking out over the field below. She was so proud of her people. The building was going well, Cleon, Owen and the Own had been a great help. Neal had a love-hate relationship with his teaching. Everything was going well. Three weeks and they had the frame for the "manor", that would double as a home for the refugee children without parents.

"Penny for your thoughts, Lady Knight?" she heard someone whisper in her ear. Her heart thumped, and all her mucsles tensed. She turned to see Domitan of Masbolle smiling at her.

"Mine are a bit more expensive than the ones your used to," she said, politly smiling her Yamani smile. She turned and looked back at the people working. "Shouldn't you be down there, helping them hammer nails and measure wood?"

"I'm on a break," he told her. "Kel, listen, don't you think-"

"Kel, I need you down here for a moment, sorry Dom!" Merric yelled up at them. Kel sent what she hoped looked like an apologetic smile at him and went down to see Merric. Dom watched them walk off together, his eyes narrowing dangerously…