Hey guys, I have a very important question for you guys at the end of the chapter so please look for it when you've finished the chapter.

Thanks for the patient wait for this chapter. I was having a mini case of writer's block when an excellent idea hit me – I now know what Alanna's little trick up her sleeve is, I admit when I wrote it I had no idea what it was going to be – and then just as I got the idea my new puppy arrived – he's my new profile picture. For anyone who's wondering he's a miniature dachshund – or 'worshond' as we call them.

To all my favourite people – those who added my stories as alerts and favourites – thanks so much!

And then of course, to the reviewers: Sith's Shadow (you're not the only one! I always wanted George to end up with Alanna in the Song of the Lioness. It wasn't that I didn't like Jon, it was just that I likes George that much more. Therefore I couldn't help but worm him into the story. Watch, I'm going to try and worm Neal in there some way or the other), Aria657 (Then Alanna's plan is dedicated especially to you – you might just have to wait a few chapters for it), TheWackedOne (Naturally spoiling the soup would be bad, stretching it out a bit is always loads of fun, just look at how often authors do it. But don't worry, if all goes according to plan you'll find out by the next chapter. Oh, and I definitely have to say super thanks for your wonderful reviews! I smile each time I read them!), spazzysassyangel (Thank you!), Rider Fleetfoot (Haha, I can promise to try and update with as much speed as possible, especially now that you've reminded me I don't have any excuses!), Rdr-Wrtr (Thanks so much for the compliment and the advice!), somebody's sister (Thank you!), m0rganosity (Thank you so much the compliment! I felt so honoured when I read your review! I have to agree, I also loved the series but felt Tammy should really have gotten Kel and Dom together. It's not that she needs a man in her life but she deserves a chance to be happy too! I'm sure most POTS fans can second that.) and RealGirlsHaveCurves (Thank you so so so much! Is it okay if I blame you for the goofy smile of happiness I had on my face for an hour after reading your review? Thank you so much for the support!).

Chapter 8

An Unexpected Ally

Yesterday's hint of sun swept away with the wind and the villagers of Darkwood were met by a storm straight out of their worst nightmares the following morning. Rain drops dropped like arrows from the sky to crash onto the small houses while the wind howled furiously as it held a tug-of-war with every object it managed to get in its grasp. People brave enough to try and exit their homes were quickly propelled along by the wind in every direction except the one they were trying to go in. As the temperatures dropped even further snow followed hot on rain's heels. By late morning the storm had brought the town to a stand still.

Kel, usually one to rise at the fist trace of dawn, slept through the noise and only woke when she heard a soft knock on the door. She lifted her head groggily, desperately wishing she could go back to sleep again, when the knock came a second time. Forcing her unwilling eyes open she turned her gaze to Dom. He was still fast asleep, his body acting as a second blanket as he lay snuggled against Kel. She could still see a splotch of blood staining the skin underneath his nose from where she laid. He was tired and needed the sleep and the knowledge gave Kel the strength to force herself to wake and answer the door before he was woken up too.

Getting out of Dom's solid grip was much harder than Kel had ever expected. He held on to her tightly, like a child clinging to its favourite blanket, and Kel had to wiggle carefully from side to side to get loose. She was nearly off the bed when Dom, still asleep, clasped a hand onto her elbow. Tired to playing this game Kel grabbed her pillow and stuffed it into his arms so that he had something to hold onto when she was gone. Kel didn't have a robe and she had wasted enough time getting out of bed to get dressed first, so she had no choice but to answer the door as she was. Gritting her teeth, and praying it wasn't Grace (Dom wouldn't sleep through one of her early morning visits), Kel pulled open the door.

Sally stood there, a woolly blanket wrapped around her body to protect her from the severe cold and a wooden try clasped in her gloved hands. Kel was only just beginning to realise how chilly it was when she saw Sally's clothing, her body still warm from sleeping.

"I brought you and Robert some tea," Sally explained referring to the three steaming mugs on the tray.

Kel blinked in surprised but it was quickly followed by a grin of pure joy. "Oh, thank you Sally! Please come in." she opened the door to let the young woman in, quickly peering around the edges of the door to ensure Grace wasn't nearby. Kel was more than willing to converse with Sally this soon after sleep but she had a feeling she would need far more than tea to survive another session with her neighbour. Stories about monkeys were only cute the first time – okay, they weren't even cute the first time, but Kel had managed to pretend they were but a second time would be like poking a lion with a stick after it had miraculously decided not to eat you.

While Kel closed the door Sally made herself at home, putting the tray on a low table by the chairs. She had already poured the first cup when Kel joined her.

"I'm afraid Robert had night watch last night and is still sleeping." Her gaze moved to the door leading to the bedroom and she sincerely hope the door was thick enough to keep their voices out.

Sally nodded sympathetically. "I understand. My father had had night watch since I was a little girl and he usually slept the day away. I hope it's not permanent?"

Kel shook her head. "No, he was filling in. They haven't picked a permanent spot yet but I hope it's not night watch." Sally nodded in understanding. "How did your parents survive it? Your mother must have worked all day and your father had night watch." Kel saw the sudden glint of sorrow in Sally's eyes and realised with dismay she didn't really have any right to ask the other woman that. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry. It's just…"

"You can't imagine never seeing Robert?" That hadn't been what Kel had planned on saying but it seemed like a good enough reason so she nodded. "Yes, well I'm sorry to sound so serious but not everyone is as lucky as you and I am Sarah. Few women have husbands that love them and dote on them like they're some precious jewel. When I first married Cain I knew I was one of the rare cases of people actually finding the love of my life. My friends thought I was crazy to marry someone with Cain's reputation but they didn't understand. Most of them are married to men who they respect but don't really love and some of them were forced into marriage by their parents. None of them understand the love I feel for Cain, none of them can comprehend how wonderful he makes me feel. We were made for each other, why else would he have been desperate to be a bachelor until he met me? I'm so glad to have finally met someone else who shares that love with their husband too."

Kel looked at her blankly until her words finally sank in. "Me?"

"Yes, you Sarah. You and Robert were made for each other too. I can see it in the way you two act, always considering the other's choice, also touching, stealing kisses even when everyone's watching. Face it Sarah, you were bitten by the love bug when you met him."

"You have no idea," Kel murmured.

"Hmm, what was that?"

"Oh, I said I'm sure you're right. I know I'm the luckiest woman alive to have such an adoring husband." Or at least she would have been had the whole thing not been such a large sham in the first place. By now Kel was more than willing to admit that the whole idea had probably been one big mistake. How would she cope if her plan didn't work as she wanted it to? She would have to be with Dom everyday until the mission was finished. What would she do if he didn't return her feelings? Kel mentally shook herself. Now wasn't the time to worry about that, first she would have to worry about the plan itself. Her gaze suddenly flew to Sally as the idea suddenly hit her. She had the perfect ally sitting right across from her, why not ask her for help? "Sally, how would you like me to knock Rob's feet out from under him to show him he's not the only romantic?"

A slow smile turned Sally's feature from angelic to pure mischief. "What can I do to help?"

Dom wasn't entirely sure what woke him but the first thing his sleepy mind took in was the cold. Automatically his sleep clouded mind reached for the heat it knew was supposed to be next to it. When his hand only scraped the bed sheet Dom forced an eye open. He was alone in bed, the sheets next to him crumpled to indicate that his mind had been correct to remember someone had been next to him. If only his mind would clear! He made a half hearted effort to get up but his body had other ideas and halfway there he flopped back down onto the opposite side of the bed. His nose was the first to hit the pillow and white hot pain shot through his head in response. Dear word, it felt like someone had whacked him in the face with a stone! He'd have to borrow some more of that bruise balm of …

Kel!

He shot up into a sitting position. How the heck had he forgotten he was on a mission! The world could have come to an end and he'd have been lying there, happily dreaming of… Dom swallowed. That must have been it. He scooped up Kel's pillow and inhaled. It smelled of her, just like her side of the bed did, and that must have been what had triggered that little fantasy of his. He couldn't remember what had happened – which was probably more of a blessing than a curse – but he could clearly remember her smiling at him and feeling happier than he had since – well, ever.

No, he had to remind himself that this was all just pretend, that the second they were finished here both of them would have to return to their normal lives which certainly could not include romance in any way or form. Dom wouldn't mind but he knew Kel deserved much better than what he could offer her.

Dom rubbed his eyes and assessed the situation around him. He had known he would be tired after night watch but he would never have thought he could sleep until night time! It was so dark in the room that there was no other explanation – or at least none he could think of at that moment in time. Wincing form the sudden cold he got and walked to the window, his bare feet freezing on the stone floor. As he peeked past the curtains he got an unexpected answer to his doubts. The reason it was so dark was because of the snow that was now drifting from the heavens. Dom murmured a quick prayer to Mithros that he wouldn't be on guard duty again that night. He wasn't really in a mood to freeze his behind off, especially when he was ninety-nine percent sure there wouldn't be someone trying to invade in the middle of a snow storm. Then again, there were crazy people hiding under ever rock nowadays.

Curious to find out what Kel was up to Dom shut the curtains and gathered his cloths. He'd known that he would miss his cloths most of all but really hadn't expected to be this desperate so soon. If he didn't know any better he'd think he'd gone soft. Maybe he should tell Lord Raoul that he was treating his men too well after the mission was finished – then again, maybe not. He wasn't fond of the idea of being hated by every man in the King's Own.

Pulling on the warmest coat he had – which still wasn't warm enough – he headed for the door. His hand was reaching for the doorknob when he caught the sound of voices coming from the main room. Silently he pulled the door open and peered inside. Two women were seated there, quietly talking and laughing. The closest one to him was Kel, who he was astonished to see was sitting in her sleep garments. It wasn't that they were indecent but rather that they offered much less protection to the cold than a fur lined coat would. He could see her shivering so there was no way she wasn't feeling the cold either. She seemed to be enjoying her conversation with her new friend too much. Sally was sitting opposite Kel, dressed much as he himself was.

Dom backed into the bedroom and yanked the bed sheets from the bed before slipping into the main room. Kel was in mid conversation as he approached her.

"I don't think she intends to dominate the conversation but she does. If only she would… Oh!" she broke off in surprise as Dom covered her with the sheet and carefully tucked her in.

"You're going to freeze to death love," he warned, placing a soft husbandly kiss on her cheek. "So, discussing our neighbours are we?"

Both Sally and Kel flushed slightly, Sally because they had been caught discussing Grace but Kel had far different motives. She had been surprised at Dom's appearance and had been overcome with joy that he hadn't been awake to do so earlier. She didn't want him knowing about her plan even if things were steadily falling in place. The flush had however been caused by the soft kiss of the cheek. For goodness sake, it had only been on the cheek and Dom had done much more the previous day, but for some reason the gentle kiss had meant much more. The small kiss of a husband made Kel feel safe in her role as wife – which she had to admit it shouldn't have. He was just doing this for Sally sake and the sooner she got over her obsession of looking for signs that he liked her, the better.

Good luck with that.

Dom made himself comfortable in the seat next to Kel's. "So, are we or aren't we?"

Sally flushed harder. "We weren't discussing her, just giving tips for improvement – which she can't hear." Her smile was filled with panic causing Dom to laugh.

"Don't worry; I'm not Grace's number one fan. I think I have a tip or two you can add to the list."

"I'm sure you do," Kel murmured under her breath.

"Hmm, what was that wife?"

"Nothing, nothing at all,"

Dom frowned playfully. "You know you sound just like Neal when you say that."

Kel smiled at the thought but it was quickly replaced by a frown when Sally curiously asked, "Who's Neal,"

Dom's eyes widened as he realised his mistake. "He's Robert's cousin," Kel said quickly before Dom could answer. There was no need to lie, there were probably plenty of Neals all over the world and it was easier to tell the truth than to think up a lie. Besides, what would they do if one of them accidentally slipped up again?

"Oh," Sally took another sip of tea – she had gone to get a pot minutes earlier – and left the topic at that, clearly having no interest in pursuing the matter any further.

Kel watched Dom mentally scold himself – his frown gave him away – and decided to distract him. "I got very interesting news today,' Kel told him.

The distraction worked. "Oh?"

"Yes, dear husband, it seems you forgot to tell me that as a watch man who will also be used for patrol you earn enough money so that I don't have to work."

Surprise flashed through Dom's eyes but his expression remained neutral. "I didn't think that would be a problem." Or in actual fact Raoul and Alanna didn't think that would be a problem. Typical, give Dom all the work and leave Kel to count her toes during the day. Then again, since Kel had all that free time she had more than enough time she would be able to check out the village and continue with the mission. Maybe the two of them weren't so clueless after all.

"You didn't?" Kel couldn't resist teasing him.

Dom suddenly smiled at her, his smile filled with mischief. "Yes, why would I want you to work when I plan of having you stuck at home raising babies as soon as possible?"

This time Kel and Sally blushed for the same reason. Dom leaned back, smug at beating Kel in the teasing department, when there was a knock on the door. Both women turned to him like they expected him to answer the door. Which, he realised, they did. Sighing in defeat he got up and made his way to the door, peering around the edge of the door as he opened it.

"Don't worry, my wife isn't with me." It was Greg.

Dom smiled ruefully. "Are we that obvious?"

Greg snorted. "It would have been less obvious if you were the only one who did it." Dom couldn't argue with that logic so he stood aside so that Greg could enter but the blacksmith shook his head. "I don't have long to talk, I just came to tell you they chose a permanent spot for you to be on watch duty."

Please don't let it be in the middle of the night again, Dom pleaded silently. "When?"

"Right now,"

"No…" Dom started to protest but Kel hurried to the door, the bed sheet carefully wrapped around her. "Thank you Greg," she smiled at the older man, "You must excuse Rob, he had a late night last night," She pushed Dom out the door. "Don't complain, it's better than midnight duty."

"What about you?" Dom was clearly looking for a reason to refuse.

"I'm fine with Sally, we'll probably spend the rest of the day talking about woman things."

"Oh, I'd stay away from that if I were you," Greg actually sounded sympathetic.

Dom finally gave in. "I don't like leaving you alone," he told Kel after a nod to Greg.

"I'll be fine Rob, you know me."

A small smile spread across Dom's lips before he leaned down and claimed Kel's lips in a quick kiss. "That I do,"

With a nod in Sally's direction, he turned and followed Greg. The second they were out of sight Kel slammed the door shut and turned to Sally who was now also on her feet.

"Okay, he'll be back by dinner so we have until then to get this plan into action."

Sally looked extremely happy. "He won't know what hit him,"

Kel sincerely hoped she was right. "Let's go," She had turned and headed for the door when she realised she had forgotten something. She turned to Sally and smiled sheepishly. "I should probably get dressed first, right?"

Now to the question. I've figured out what Alanna's trick will involve as well as an unexpected problem that will arise, the only problem is that this will come in the way of the plan I had of getting Kel and Dom together during the mission. My question is: do you want Kel's plan to work before I can mess with them a little? Otherwise you romance fans – under which I totally classify myself – will have to suffer a few more chapters.

The next chapter or two is your hands now guys! Please let me know what you think!

Thanks for reading and if you can, please review!

F² =)