Hey guys! With this update I have three things I have to apologise for: firstly for the time it took to update, secondly for the shortness of the chapter and lastly for the fact that I haven't written each of the reviewers a private letter of thanks. I'll do it as soon as I have any time, and let me warn you right now, time is not something I really have now. Thus the length and the time taken to update. I hope you enjoy it, and as always reviews and comments will really be appreciated!

Warning: the T rating does come into play a little in this chapter (depends on your view of T. If the rating is incorrect PLEASE warn me!)

Thanks to everyone who added this story to favourites and alerts!

As always, super thanks to the reviewers! Promise I'll write that letters soon!: Aria657, m0rganosity, RealGirlsHaveCurves, stormwinglover, somebody's sister (Thanks so much. Sorry for the long wait. Had camp then getting ready for the my first year at Uni, then all the extra things that came with being a first year at Uni so haven't had all too much time for myself the last while. Promise the next update will be sooner.), somebody (Thank you! Hope you like the what happens in this chapter!), spazzysassyangel, EmiRose (Hehe, there might be a little surprise for you in this chapter), riariaria, GreenQueen615, TheWackedOne, Knight-Em, Kes (Thank you so so so much! Your words really mean a lot! I'm so glad you found my words persuasive and did not simply think I'm a nut and move on. I am a nut but it's still nice that you left a review! Thanks once more!), FLPotter Girl, TwilightBrightStar, Mythical Words and thayet9 (Thank you soooo much)

Chapter 11

Surprises

Kel had never possessed any shape or form of magic, no unbelievable ability to hurl fire, no extraordinary gift for healing and definitely no powers of sensing people, but at that moment she was serious wondering if she had a sixth sense because she could feel a pair of eyes on her. At first she had thought she was simply being paranoid, but the feeling was persistently pressing, refusing full-hearted to disappear.

She both felt and heard a breath of air being exhaled above her and in a state of half panic half shock her eyes flew open. Her sleep filled hazel eyes met a pair of purple ones as a fully dressed Alanna loomed over her.

"Time to get up my dear daughter-in-law," her voice betrayed her tiredness and her unspoken wish to be able to return to bed and sleep further. "Lift your lazy behind, we have work to do. I haven't eaten anything but travel bread since yesterday, so George and I will meet you in the mess hall," Kel didn't even have time to sit up before Alanna was gone.

Well, if Alanna didn't want her help then Kel wasn't going to force it on her. Although, it was pretty suspicious that the older knight didn't need Kel's help to get to her breakfast. Rubbing her eyes Kel pushed the thought away. She had plenty of time to worry about small details when she was fully awake, which certainly wasn't at that moment. She couldn't believe she was so tired, she hadn't even done that much the last few days. Al she had done was travel for a few days, unpack, run after the things needed for her plan, avoid Grace and pretend to be someone she wasn't. Compared to her daily routine at New Hope it really wasn't that much at all.

The though almost made her homesick. She wandered what everyone back home was up to. Was Neal doing a good job at running the fort? Was Yuki fitting in? Was Tobi staying out of trouble and taking good care of Jump, Peachblossom and Hoshi? Were the sparrows being fed?

She shook her head sharply. No, she wasn't going to let her mind wonder in that direction. She was going to shove it aside like a proper Yamani and focus on the matter ahead. One step at a time.

A loud yawn escaped her as she sat up and stretched out her arms, carefully working out any stiffness. It was one of the many disadvantages Kel had discovered came with being a knight. They were forever fighting and going to war meaning that there was almost no chance at all that they wouldn't get various wounds from the battles. Overused and wounded limbs tended to get sore and stiff, especially in the early morning air. Kel stretched her shoulders backwards, flexing her back in the same movement. Dear word, what did these people stuff their mattresses with? Kel felt like she had spent the entire night sleeping on a stone – in fact a stone may have been more comfortable. How had she not noticed it before? She had slept there the night before, and all she remembered was sleeping like a log, no care for comfort in sight. Then again – she felt herself colour slightly – she had spent the majority of that night snuggled up tightly against her pretend husband. Snuggling up to her pretend mother-in-law would never have the same appeal.

Regretfully pulling the covers aside, Kel forced her weary body out of bed, yelping in surprise as her feet touched the cold floor.

"Cold, cold, cold," Kel muttered as she hightailed towards the changing area when her eyes suddenly fell on the chair Dom was sleeping on through the open door. Alanna appeared to have forgotten to close it when she left earlier. Dom legs were sprawled over the side of the chair, his head half resting on the other. His lips were etched into a tight frown as his body automatically stirred to try and find comfort.

Guilt instantly flooded Kel. Here she was complaining about having to sleep on a hard bed while Dom was forced to sleep on a chair that was far too small and probably felt like a real stone. And he was the working one of them!

Kel paused as an idea hit her. Dom would be working that afternoon so there was no reason he had to get up now, and she and Alanna would spend the majority of the day 'meeting' her neighbour so they wouldn't be home either. Dom would have the house to himself until that afternoon which meant there was absolutely no reason for her to leave him uncomfortable.

Kel took a step towards the door before she remembered she was dressed in her nightdress, not the most decent clothing to be seen in by a man that was not truly her husband. Sucking in a breath Kel chose to ignore that fact. Dom was fast asleep anyway and would most likely not even notice her attire.

She strode forward, stepping around to stand in front of Dom's sleeping form. He looked even more uncomfortable from this side. Dom had a tall and lean build with muscles honed from hours of work in the King's Own, not exactly the best for squeezing into such a tiny chair. His face was still turned into a frown, his jaw clenched and his hands fisted as his body tried to fit by laying in a half foetal position. He stirred again, mumbling incoherent words as he resumed the search for comfort. Kel's feeling of guilt ten folded and with a sense of great sympathy she reached out a hand to wake him.

"Dom?" Her touch was light, trying to wake him but also feeling regretful that she had to interrupt his much needed sleep. Dom didn't even stir. Kel touch became a little firmer but when he remained motionless she added a half desperate shake. He came awake with a start, his sleep filled eyes instantly finding Kel. He gazed up at her, his eyes still unfocused yet he recognised her.

"Kel?"

She reached out and captured one of his hands. "Come on, the bedroom's all yours. It'll definitely be more comfortable than the chair."

Like a zombie newly woken from the dead Dom rose and followed Kel as she led him back to the bedroom. Despite the fact that he was on his feet and walking, Kel doubted that he was truly in the land of wakefulness yet. His eyes were too glassy and his movements slow and unsure. The back pain could also be a reason for that, but then Dom would have hidden it so that Kel couldn't see it. Men and their stubborn pride. When they reached the bed Dom practically fell on top of it, his weight creating a deep curve in the straw stuffed mattress. With his face buried in the pillows Dom once more commenced his trip to dreamland. Kel shook her head, a small smile curving her lips. She turned to head behind the screen and get dressed when Dom's hand suddenly shot out and clasped firmly around her wrist. With one effortless pull he yanked her towards him. With a yelp of surprise Kel went down, landing squarely on top of Dom. Eyes wide in astonishment as she planted her arms on the mattress, she scrambled wildly to try and regain her balance. Before she managed to do so however Dom rested a hand on back of her head, soft but firm at the same time, and pulled her down until her lips met his. Kel froze, torn between pulling back because she knew he wasn't awake and using the chance she was given and pulling him closer. Dom made the decision for her when he suddenly dropped his hand from her head and wrapped both of his arms around her waist. With a quick flip he deposited her on her back, pinning her down on the mattress with his own body. She tried to voice her displeasure of being held down but was once more interrupted when Dom claimed her lips with his. It was a surprisingly easy for her mind to forget about escaping when that happened. Kel should have felt ashamed of how easy it was for Dom to interrupt her thoughts – except at that time she was having a little difficulty thinking of anything at all. Except maybe of how nice it was that a morning that had seemed so bad was actually ending up having a lot of potential.

Dom let out a groan, giving Kel mere seconds to capture a breath of fresh air before returning for more. Kel knew she should stop things before they got any further, Dom was asleep after all and it felt a tiny bit like she was taking advantage of him – funny as that sounded. Except – except she didn't seem to be able to stop. As wrong as it was, it felt right. Please, please, please let Alanna stay at the mess hall and not wonder why she was taking so long, Kel silently pleaded as Dom deepened the kiss. As it seemed to always be doing nowadays, Kel's resistance melted away. Instead of pushing him away, she wrapped her arms around his neck, finally returning the kiss fully. Just as it had the night before her mind was overwhelmed with passion, nothing but Dom existed, nothing but the way he was making her feel. She felt his hand sliding up her leg and finding the edge of her nightdress, slowly moving up until it reached a hand span above her knee where it suddenly halted. Dom tore his mouth from hers and rose on his arms, his eyes staring down at her in confusion indicating that the change of events had finally woken him from his slumber.

"Kel?" he asked quietly, his voice and expression unsure. His breath was already a little faster, just as Kel's was.

There were two things Kel knew she could do at that moment. The first was to apologize, jump of the bed, get dressed and get out of there as quick as she could. The second – she took a chance, grabbing his head and dragging him back. He resisted at first, surprised at her movement, but the second he realised what she was doing the resistance vanished, instead replaced by a new enthusiasm the sleepy Dom could never have mustered. Suddenly he was that much closer, his kiss that much more passionate, fuelled by the same need that seemed to be consuming Kel. One hand moved to cup her chin to allow him full access to her mouth while the other one skipped its previous resting place above her knee to continue upwards, taking the cloth with it. Kel's own hands reached for the bottom of Dom's shirt – if he was allowed to try and remove clothing, so was she. He pulled back, allowing her to yank the shirt over his head before returning to business. Kel's hands explored his muscled back, finding scars she never knew existed. He may not be a knight like her but that didn't mean he didn't mean he didn't have his own battle wounds. As a sergeant in the King's Own he would have had more than his fair share of battles.

"Kel," his voice was hoarse against her mouth, "are you sure?"

She wasn't anything at that moment, but she knew that wherever this was heading wasn't something she would ever live to regret. Not that Dom was letting go, despite his question it seemed that the only way he would pull back was if she said 'no'. Instead she simply wrapped her arms around his back and pulling his as close as she could. With an almost primitive groan Dom hand let go of her chin and used both of them to grab the edge of her nightgown and in one quick movement he yanked it over her head.

Kel would have thought she would have been overcome with the urge to cover herself, but the small smile and look of appreciation in Dom's eyes set her instantly at ease. Lowering his head for one more soft kiss, he suddenly flipped her around so that he was at the bottom and she was on top.

"My back's not going to survive for much longer." He said with a boyish grin. What he said was probably true but Kel knew there was more to it. By putting her on top he was giving her the option to stop if she wasn't one hundred percent sure. The thought alone that he cared enough to do that already convinced her that she was sure that she wanted to stay.

"Let's test that theory," she whispered in his ear.

His mouth pulled into a broad grin and his hands reached for her, when there was a loud bang on the outside door.

Dom groaned loudly. "Alanna's back,"

His words were followed by another loud bang. Kel sat up in surprise. That didn't sound like a knock. It sounded like someone was trying to break down the door! Dom must have noticed it too because he followed Kel up, battling to soften his breathing so he could hear what was going on. Another bang came followed by what was unmistakably the sound of wood breaking. Dom was up in a flash, Kel had to find her nightgown before she could do the same. It didn't matter what was going on, she didn't think they wanted to be greeted by the sight of her bare breasts. She had just managed to find the damn cloth and pull it over her head when the front door was thrown open with such force that it slammed into the wall. With lightning speed her eyes scanned the room, searching for something to fend off the attacker with.

Dom had barely made it out of the bedroom when the front door burst open. In the doorway stood a figure dressed fully and completely in black. He was taller and more solidly build than Dom, making him one heck of a dangerous opponent. In his hands he held a broadsword the size of Alanna. His fists were covered in blood, indicating they were the weapon he had used against the door. Dom couldn't see his face but he was letting out an air that was overwhelmed with anger. Dom quickly grabbed the door behind him and shut it, hiding Kel from the stranger's eyes.

The man stood there for a minute, his eyes locked on Dom as he rubbed his bleeding knuckles on his cloak. Dom wasn't sure if this was to frighten him, because honestly, the fact that he could break down a door with his bare hands was already scary enough. He didn't need the extra hint.

"Traitor!" the man shouted suddenly, his voice gruff and hard.

Dom didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't think the man was going to give him the chance to explain, especially considering he was already rushing towards him, his sword brandished high in the air. Dom dodged the first blow, jumping aside as the sword sliced through the air in a cut that could decapitate a person with one blow. The man swung around already ready to go for a second time. Dom could feel sweat forming on his brow. This man wasn't slow, despite his excessive size and for some reason he thought Dom was some sort of traitor. If only he had a sword, or honestly any sort of weapon would have been welcome. He was going to have to try and distract him somehow. Again the sword came down in a deadly cut and Dom had to leap to safety. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Look, I think you've got the wrong guy…" Dom tried to say calmly, but the man would have none of it.

"No, I don't. You're the bad guy, selling secrets to our enemies, spying for them. You'll pay!"

Well, Dom couldn't technically lie and say that wasn't what he was doing. The man moved forward and this time Dom wasn't going to take it laying down. He ducked under the man's arm and dug his fist straight into the man's stomach. He stumbled back a little and Dom snaked out of his reach once more.

"You idiot," he growled angrily, "just for that I'm going to make sure that precious wife of yours will end this day in bits and pieces. But maybe I'll have some fun with her first."

His words suck deep and without warning deep hot anger sunk into Dom, propelling him forward to make the man swallow his words – exactly the reaction he had been aiming for. Using Dom's angry lunge he moved forward, this time meeting his mark as Dom got out of way too slowly. His sword cut through Dom's bare chest, cutting through his shoulder down to his abdomen. Pain shot through him in waves as hot blood started spilling from the wound. He stepped backward, his back meeting a chair before his legs gave way and he slid to the floor.

He looked up in hopelessness as the man looked down at him, his harsh voice laughing at Dom's despair. He raised his sword once more, intending to finish the job when Kel suddenly appeared behind him, the chamber pot in her hands. Dom watched in amazement as she brought it down on his attacker's head and knocking him out with one solid hit.

He was smiling in amusement as she dropped to her knees beside him, her eyes wide in shock and fright.

"Dom?" her voice was filled with worry and fright. Not even caring for modesty anymore she tore a large chunk off her nightgown and pressed it to the cut.

Dom captured her hand and dropped a kiss on it. "Why don't you ever fail to surprise me?" he asked before his vision turned black and consciousness left him, the tears streaming down Kel's face the last thing he saw.

So, what do you think? Please leave me a review and let me know. Promise I'll try and make the next update longer and update sooner! =)