First questions first, is it safe? I know, I know, this chapter has taken WAY too long but I've really been so busy and so stressed, first with test and exams then finding out I'm diabetic - but I'm not suppose to be using excuses. Instead I should just be saying thanks so much that you guys have been so patient with me. As your reward, I'm giving you the longest chapter of Mission: Undercover I have ever written. Hope it's long enough!

I've also added a quick summary of the last 12 chapters in case you've forgotten what's happened.

Also, I have decided I really need a beta. I've asked one reader already but have yet to get an answer (not her fault I'm just really impatient with this chapter cause you guys have been waiting so long) so if there's anyone who's really interested in the job, please let me know!

As always, to the best readers in the entire world: somebody's sister, spazzysassyangel, TheWackedOne, Knight-Em, stormwinglover, RealGirlsHaveCurves, m0rganosity, Books-Are-My-Only-Love, Bookworm181, FreeRunner289, .naxen, readingobsessed, Dom-Loves-Kel, bookworm032, Aria657, EmiRose, Kinara of Queenscove, WarriorKnight, dexterbird, NomadGirl12, Science-Fantasy93, Person, meg random, Rogue's Queen, no name, Moirae Fayte, Persona-Aya, kristie, deets1 and OHSHC Forever.

Quick summary

(skip down to where it says chapter 13 if you don't need the reminder or the extra explaining)

The story begins at Neal and Yuki's wedding. Alanna and Raoul have set up a plan to get Kel and Dom together through an elaborate scheme. Easily getting Dom and Kel to agree (both believing it is a dangerous mission instead of a matchmaking scheme) Raoul persuades Jon to give Dom a royal pardon so that once he and Kel fall in love they can get married without Dom needing to quit the King's Own (Alanna likes to think ahead). The story moves to Darkwood, a village on the border of Scanra. Unknown to Kel and Dom, who are now acting as a married couple, the village have already sworn allegiance to Tortal and is not in fact planning the war. They meet many new and interesting people and everything seems just dandy until Alanna and George get word from Colin (NB. I'd like to know what you guys think of him cause I'm thinking of giving him a bigger role, so please let me know) that things have suddenly gone downhill. Along with the spies that were placed in Darkwood to make the mission a little more realistic is a pair of evil spies who is going to turn the whole situation into a nighmare. Alanna and George show up as Dom's parents to give a little aid (not picking the best time to arrive). The next day a hired thug breaks in (once more not picking the best time to arrive) and nearly kills Dom who only survives due to Alanna's gift.

Chapter 13

Guess who's back?

It was a long trek up the steep mountain and his breath came in rapid puffs of steamy air as he finally reached the first rise. Damn, why the hell did they have to meet up here of all places? It was cold and snowing… and for goodness sake there was no one else in sight. No one, nothing, just hills and rocks and, darn it, more snow! A large speck fell straight in his eye and he let out a loud growl of annoyance, his sleeve desperately trying to wipe off the blasted thing. He wanted to turn around and march his damp ass all the way back to the nearest tavern and warm himself with a tankard of ale and a nice hot fire. But he couldn't, not with her watching his every move. He couldn't see her, but he knew she was there. He also knew if he put one foot out of place she's be on him like a rabid dog, her and her magic. He shuddered at the mere thought. And he believed her threat. The tiny redhead didn't look or sound like someone who made idle threats. He should have kept drinking that day instead of agreeing to such a stupid mission just because his buddies had called him chicken until he'd agreed. Now he was being watched by a crazy little mage while those so-called friends drowned their ugly mugs in ale. If he made it out of this alive he was going to kill every single one of them. Slowly and painfully, like those bastards deserved.

He stood there, wishing the snow would disappear and trying to catch his breath. He was willing to admit it was possible that he was a little unfit, but the real reason he was tired was the hill he'd just clambered up. That thing would tire anyone stupid enough to think they could conquer it. At least the rest of the way was downhill. He cast a quick glance behind him, half hoping that he may have lost the mage and her companion, but simultaneously knowing better. She was there somewhere in that snow, watching his every move.

The path downhill went much faster than the uphill one had, but it was no less a strain on his legs. He had to physically stop himself from breaking into a choppy jog instead of a steady walk. He should have demanded a horse, even though he knew they would never have given him one. With one large hand he wiped the sweat from his brow, his cold eyes glued to the tiny dip that formed in front of him. It was a small crater formed between the hills, the ground rising from all edges to make it a perfect little hiding spot. Unless one stood directly on top of one of the hills you would never be able to see it and then of course those standing in the dip would have a clear view of you too. He didn't know how the mage was going to listen to the conversation but he had a nudging suspicion she would find a way.

That was her worry, not his, anyway. Instead he turned his attention to the person he was suppose to meet. The hills around him were clear, nothing but ground, rocks, trees and, of course, more snow. There was no sign of life in any shape or form. There was nothing but him and dead silence. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't be dead silent when this meeting was done.

As he swallowed at the thought his eyes caught slight movement from the north – the hill opposite to the one he had taken himself. As it came closer he realised it was two figures dressed from head to toe in thick black cloaks. The dark colour made them easy to spot in the light snow. He swallowed again. He was a ruthless killer, a man who cared for nothing but his next drink and finding a woman to bed, but as with the mage he found himself terrified of the cloaked leader. He had never seen his face, but there had always been something about him that made it crystal clear he wasn't someone to be messed with. His buddies had been too drunk to notice, but he had. Maybe that was why the man had chosen him, because he'd seen the fear in his eyes even as he tried to hide it. What did the man look like, he wondered. And if he could install so much fear without even revealing his face, how easily could he bring men to his knees when he did? They may have been cloaked, but he instantly knew which one was the leader. His companion was extremely short – maybe even shorter than the redhead – making it a dead giveaway. They walked slowly, like they had all the time in the world. He wondered what would happen if he suddenly yelled out that it was a trap. What would his captors possibly be able to do to him? Yet despite that though he kept that urge locked firmly away. Much as he hated to admit it, he simply feared magic too much to go against the mage's wishes.

He hadn't been when he'd been a young man. His grandmother had had the gift, a small amount but it was enough to do small spells like lighting candles. He remembered coaxing her into showing him small tricks and had always laughed in delight when she had given in. It had been a wonder to him and he remember the sadness that came when he finally realised he had not inherited his grandmother's gift. They had lived on a small fief, working as farmers for the lord and living what his father had called simple yet happy lives. He'd disagreed with that, sure that there was so much more out there that simply waited for him to discover. He had planned on leaving to explore the world the second he was old enough but his plans had flown out the window the minute he had met her. Her name had been Nicolene and she'd been more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. She'd been a small girl – a woman really – with large chocolate eyes and straw coloured hair. But it was her determination and her sly smile that had stolen his heart. Suddenly he found himself working five times harder, saving every coin for a house of his own and after two years he'd finally had enough to fulfil his new dream. He'd taken her to the lake just outside the village that day and asked her to be his bride. She agreed, much to his surprise and delight. Finally he was living the life he knew in his heart he truly wanted. She was to be his and they would live the 'simple yet happy' life his father loved so much. And which he was coming to realise he loved just as much. It had all changed that night. A party had been arranged for them to celebrate and share their happiness and everything had been perfect. He'd been staring into those lovely eyes, his mind picturing their home filled with love and children, when a man – a lad really – had appeared out of the darkness. He knew the boy, knew that he'd asked Nicolene to marry him many times, never accepting that she did not return his feelings. Unfortunately he had had the gift, even if he had absolutely no idea how to use it. The boy had clearly been drunk, his eyes squinted and his voice slurred, and the alcohol had given him the courage to say what he normally would not.

"You think she loves you? Ha, she's nothing but a whore. But maybe when she's done with you she'll finally realise what she's passing on. You know her kind. Always wants what she can't have."

He'd stood up, ready to smash the bastard into oblivion when the boy had noticed he was in danger. Alcohol making him stupid he raised his hand, magic crackling over his palm. He'd been stupid then, unaffected by the sight of the gift. He should have backed up then and there, but idiotic as he'd been he'd advanced. The boy panicked and before he could stop him threw the small ball of destruction. It went soaring through the air, but instead of hitting its target it missed him by miles. Instead the boy's drunken shot hit Nicolene straight in the chest. He'd watched, almost as if time had slowed down to a crawl, as her lips parted in a surprised gasp, her chest heave as the small ball collided and her eyes turn blank as she fell to the ground, her life ripped from her body. For a second he just stood there, his mind refusing to accept what his eyes were showing him, then suddenly, like a hound released from its cage, rage poured into his soul. Anger, hatred, sadness... revenge...

Darkness clouded his mind, blinding him for a minute, and when the light penetrated once more he found himself standing over the drunken boy's body, his dagger thrust firmly into his heart. He ran then, long and hard, ran from those who wanted to convict him of murder, ran from those who loved him who could never accept what he had done, ran from the memories and dreams that haunted him, that which he had held in his grasp and now could never be. When he finally couldn't run anymore he turned to drowning himself in alcohol, joining a gang of thieves when he couldn't pay for any more. He'd fought against the life at first, his subconscious mind desperately trying to remind him who he was meant to be, but he had squashed down that part of him, choosing instead to be the criminal the world had turned him into. He had taken many lives after that boy and had never felt a thing. How could he when most of him had died that night along with his love. He'd lost his innocence, his mind, his soul...

"Has it been done?"

The voice that suddenly sounded from right in front of him startled him out of his memories. He'd been so caught up in the past that he hadn't even realised that the two cloaked figures had reached him. He puffed out his chest, fighting back and tattle tale sign of surprise as he tried to look calm and collected. The answer to his question had been well rehearsed for the past day. The mage had made it pretty clear that it was the only answer he was allowed to give and much as he hated to admit it he was dying with curiosity to know what her plan was. She hadn't been inclined to share that part with him. Here he was, risking his life, and she didn't even inform him what he was doing it for. And he was risking his neck. If the man had other spies there he'd know the second he told the story that it was one huge lie.

Mentally he took a large breath, forcing a menacing smile onto his lips. "It's done alright. Dumb bastard didn't even see it coming. Still on duty at the time so I just took care of him then and there and buried him in the snow. They'll find the body... eventually." Now all he could do was see if they would call out his fib. If he'd been anywhere withing ten miles of the village he'd know the truth. One particularly loud mouthed woman had taken it upon herself to tell everyone she could find in excruciatingly thorough (and incorrect) detail about how "brave old Robert had stopped that evil robber. Sarah must be so proud!" Considering 'Sarah' had been the one who had knocked him out, he wasn't so sure.

The man however surprised him by suddenly smiling wolfishly. "Good, that's even better than I could have hoped for," Not surprising as it was all hogwash. "You did well and deserved to be rewarded." What he 'deserved' was to be allowed to turn around so he could run out of there like the coward he was. "I know exactly what to give you," His mind swam with images of ale and whiskey when he suddenly noticed the glint of metal. "I'll let you out of your misery," In one swift movement the cloaked man thrust a dagger in the bandit's throat. He stood for a second, his eyes wide with pure panic, before he fell to the ground, dead as his dear Nicolene, his dark blood staining the snow crimson.

The cloaked man casually leaned forward and plucked the blade from the fallen idiot, wiping the blade with the sleeve of the dead man's jacket before turning to his companion who, he noticed, had grown slightly pale beneath his cloak. Good, let him worry a little. The dead man's job had been complete and frankly he had better things to worry about than whether or not his henchmen could keep their mouths shut. Tucking the dagger back inside the folds of his cloak he strode to his companion.

"Time for your part of the mission Nigel. Try not to fail after I had removed the hard part." The male had been taken care of leaving only the woman behind. He didn't know who she was but then again, how hard could it be to dispose of one female? Most people would have felt bad killing people most would consider innocent, but he had no problem with that at all. He'd been informed by his men that the two Tortallians were here to ensure the peace treaty between Tortal and the Darkwood fief went through. He couldn't afford for that to happen.

Nigel was looking down at the body laying on the ground. "Was it really neces -" he began.

"It was. What would we have done if he'd gone and blabbed about our plan?"

"He didn't know who we were or anything about our plan!" Nigel countered.

"Maybe not, but he knew it had something to do with Darkwood and something to do with the Winters. Better save than sorry,"

"But -"

The leader lashed out, grabbing tiny Nigel by the throat. "I am in charge here Nigel. Either follow my orders or join our friend on the ground there."

Nigel nodded desperately, simultaneously trying to worm his way out of the leaders hands. "Okay, okay, I'll go, I'll go!" As Nigel pulled desperately the man let go, sending his short companion hurtling back into the snow.

"Good. I have business to attend to and will be back in two weeks. If things aren't exactly as I envisioned them you will be the first one to be punished." With a swish of his cloak he started climbing the hill, steadily making his way back to where he had come from.

Nigel waited until he was out of sight before he got back to his feet. Brushing the snow from his cloak he cursed the day he had agreed to this plan. He'd been a fool to ever believe this man would handle the plan smoothly and efficiently, but it was too late now. He'd dug his own hole and now he had no choice but to bury himself in it. He was going to have to kill the woman. It was either her or him and he wasn't all that fond of dying himself. Besides, it wasn't like he knew her. She was just some woman from Tortal who had just lost her husband. Maybe she'd even be happy to join him in whatever life awaited them after death.

Deciding he would actually be doing her a favour he started making his way towards the hill the bandit had come from, now content with the deed he would have to pull off. He was busy picturing ways of breaking into the village unseen when a hand shot out from the snow. latched on to his legs and dragged him into the depth.

Alanna smiled mischievously at him as the tiny man stared at them like they were minions send from hell to dispose of him. She had to congratulate George on the excellent spot he had chosen for their hideout. He had carefully examined the place before the meeting and had discovered that by pushing aside a few rocks that there was a small cavern carved into the side of one of the hills. The snow made the perfect cover and the two of them had taken refuge two hours before the meeting to ensure that the snow covered them completely. It had been cold as hell but all worth it in the end. They had heard every single word that had been exchanged and now had another captive to add to their collection. The first one was now dead on the ground, but Alanna found it didn't really bother her as much as she had thought it would have. He'd tried to kill Dom after all and that just couldn't be excused. Besides, he'd known nothing else of these people's plan and had been virtually useless to them by now. The man in front of her however had a well of knowledge just waiting to be forced out of him. And the fact that he was terrified made her feel just a teeny bit better. This lot was going to pay for interfering with her plans, she was going to made darn sure of it.

"Who - who are you?" the small man squeaked.

Alanna's smile turned evil. "I'm your worst nightmare."

Raoul twisted in his saddle, his hand desperately trying to reach that one spot on his back that just always seemed out of reach. He'd though it funny when Kel had mentioned it but, wow, these clothes were itchy! He wondered briefly where Alanna had managed to get his clothes from before realising he probably didn't want to know. The old nag he was riding realised he wasn't holding the rein and once more stopped for a nice graze. "Keep going!" he ordered sternly as he squeezed the gelding's sides with his heels, but it took a good solid kick to get the thing going again. Dear word he missed Drum. And his weapons. And, for goodness sake, cloths that didn't make him want to tear every shred of cloth from his body. Buri probably wouldn't have minded but he was pretty sure everyone else would. He could see him men laughing in his mind. He'd go from Lord Raoul the Giant Killer to Lord Raoul the Cloth Killer in three seconds flat. Luckily neither his men nor Buri was around so at least he could scratch his back without the threat of being mocked for days constantly staring him in the face. It felt strange riding alone, he realised with surprise. He was so use to having his men around him wherever he went that them not being there almost left him a little lonely. Funny to think that he'd always dreamed being a knight included riding off into the sunset all by himself. Now the thought just annoyed him. In all honest, it wasn't being alone that bothered him, it was the boredom. No one was telling inappropriately lewd jokes, no one was was questioning whether they were going in the right direction, no one was complaining of sore body parts - it just wasn't natural!

With Raoul's attention once more elsewhere the horse took it as a signal to stop for lunch. Raoul was usually kind and easygoing with all animals but this one was starting to get on his nerves a little. "Forward!" he ordered in a stern voice. The nag ignored him, calmly continuing to pull long blades of green grass from beneath the trees where the snow hadn't been able to bury it. He pulled the reins harder, cursing the fact that he had chosen this particular horse. He'd looked way more exiting when he'd been running around the paddock like a loon, but now he looked more like one of his men on their off day. He wished he'd picked another one, even if the rest were mostly ponies. Anything was better than this.

A small rustle sounded behind him and before he could turn to look something attached itself to his leg and pulled him to the ground. Spread out around him were a group of five thugs, their hair and faces dirty and sweaty, their eyes crazy as they looked down at him. Raoul wasted no time. Using his leg to trip the nearest one he fished his dagger from where it was stashed in his belt and rolled to the side to avoid the second one's lunge. With speed born from years of training, he launched to his feet and sunk his fist into the nearest thug's gut. The man went down, clutching his stomach as Raoul faced the next one. They were either fearless or stupid, or just so desperate they could do nothing else, but despite seeing Raoul could fight back they still advanced. As they slowly advanced, clearly thinking numbers would scare him, Raoul carefully calmed himself, urging his mind and body to turn into fighting mode. The thugs had no idea who they were facing but that didn't mean he was going to take it any easier on them. They had chosen to take him on and if it was a battle they wanted, it was a battle they would get. His fist clenched on the hilt of the dagger and he almost threw it aside. Only the knowledge that these people would willingly kill him kept him from doing so. He hated taking innocent lives and he knew these people were probably only hungry and thus driven to the extreme. But he also knew he was needed elsewhere and the quicker he got this over and done with, the better.

"Is this really necessary boys?" he asked trying to finishes it quickly. "My daughter is expecting me and I'd rather not leave her waiting," Not entirely a lie. His words however didn't have any effect on the men at all. Family man or no, Raoul was not going to be let go peacefully. "Alright, but remember, you asked for it," Swiftly he leaped forward, his fist once more digging into the nearest man's stomach before his elbow flew up to slam into his chin. The man fell to the ground, out cold. The rest of the fight passed in a blur. Instinct and muscled honed from years and years of practise fell into smooth rhythms as one after the other the thugs lunged at him again and again and again. He felt one's dagger pierce the skin on one arm but he kept going, his own weapon carefully staying out of the battle. With one last thrust of his arm he sent the last man tumbling to the floor. Raoul stood dead still, his chest heaving from the heavy work. The next time he saw George he was going to look at him in a completely new light. Fighting hand to hand combat was a lot tougher than he remembered.

As his breathing slowed he tucked his dagger back into his belt and gave the thieves a once over. They were young and they were thin, definitely starving and desperate for food. He would leave this little episode as a lesson to why happened when you tried to steal from people. Now the problem was that he had no horse. The old one may have been a nag, but at least he had meant that Raoul didn't have to walk all the way. It was definitely not something the knight was looking forward to in the least

A black tail swished out from behind a tree and with disbelief Raoul stepped forward. The nag was still standing exactly where Raoul had left him, happily nibbling the his head at his own dumb luck he scrambled back onto the animals back.

"You know what horsey," he said dryly as he turned him back towards the road, "you may not be that bad after all,"

Today was the day she did what she'd been sure she would never ever ever do. Today was the day she purposefully searched out Grace. Sally shuddered at the mere thought. How many times had she done the complete opposite, ducking into shops, houses and ally ways just to avoid doing exactly that? Today was truly unique and Sally hoped to Mithros there would never be such a day again. But she had to know and all those who she'd thus far encountered had told her that Grace was the only one who knew what exactly had happened. Yet, strangely enough, the first time she had gone looking for Grace was the first time she'd been unable to find her. She'd looked everywhere, double checking all those places that Grace normally managed to corner her in, but her search had thus far been futile. When she'd asked others if they had perhaps seen her, they had looked at her like she had gone insane and asked, "You're actually looking for her? Are you feeling alright?" She been offered some tea, a basic healing and even a tankard of ale, but no one had had a clue where the usually ever present Grace was hiding. Most people considered it a blessing and normally Sally would have agree whole hearted but today she considered it a curse.

"Where are you, you crazy old bat?" she muttered wearily. True Grace wasn't that old but she was at least two decades older than Sally.

"Now now Sally, such language is unnecessary. What if the person you're talking about heard you?" Typical that Grace would appear just as she said those words out loud. Sally turned to discover the object of her nightmares standing in the doorway, her mouth pulled into an extremely smug smile.

"Perhaps that would have been a good thing," Sally covered quickly, "You see I was looking for my husband..."

"Ah, say no more," Sally frowned slightly at Grace's knowing tone and opened her mouth to demand an apology when she remembered the reason she had been looking for Grace in the first place. She would have to defend her husband's honour some other time.

"Listen Grace," she said carefully instead, "I heard you may know what happened to the Winters yesterday morning. Is that true?"

Grace smiled like a little child who'd been told they could have exactly what they've always wanted for their birthday. Sally felt her stomach sink at the mere sight and had to physically stop herself from turning and fleeing in the opposite direction. Old habits were really hard to break, especially when it came to Grace.

"Oh Sally, my dear, do I have a story for you! Come, my house is just around the corner. I'll make you a cup of tea and tell you everything," Sally once more had to fight to keep her expression interested and free of shock. The entire time she'd been there Grace had done nothing but mock her and fight over every silly thing that happened. Their biggest fight had been about a cloth pin that she had borrowed and taken a tiny bit too long to return. Truth be told Sally had completely forgotten about the thing until Grace had started accusing her of being a 'cloth pin thief', then started making her life hell in all aspects despite the fact that Sally had given her the pin there and then. But Grace had been on a mission and nobody stopped Grace when she was on a mission. Now she was inviting Sally to have tea at her house, something that most would have claimed would happen only when the earth froze over. Sally desperately wanted to ask what the catch was, but instead held her tongue and smiled in what she hoped was an appreciating manner.

Overjoyed Grace marched forward towards her house, leaving Sally to half jog to keep up. Say what you may, but Grace had definitely mastered the art of being a busybody. Luckily her house was just around the corner because Sally wasn't sure she'd have been able to keep up otherwise. No wonder Grace was so good at cornering people, she walked faster than most people could run! Pushing the snow away with her foot Grace shoved open the door, ushering Sally in after her before hurriedly closing the door again.

"Can't let the cold air inside now can we? Come, sit down and I'll get some water boiling."

Sally tried not to look too curious as she sat down in a surprisingly comfortable chair. The entire room was decorated in beautifully exotic colours with gorgeous pieces of embroidered cloth thrown over chairs and tables. It looked like Grace, despite her many bad qualities, had some good ones that she hid pretty well as well. It felt awkward sitting in the house of the person she spent such a vast amount of time avoiding, but Sally swallowed her pride and forced herself to relax. Minutes later Grace returned with two steaming cups of tea.

"Well, where to start?" Uh oh, Sally could already tell Grace was going to stretch this out as long as she possibly could. That was her norm and she should have expected it from the start. "Well, yesterday morning I noticed one of the hedges in my front garden was a little disheveled -" how Grace noticed that with all the snow would forever remain a mystery "- and as I got closer I noticed a large hole in the middle of it. Now the last time that had happened had been when Marsha's brats had been running around with some sticks..." Grace went on about how naughty Marsha's three boys were, describing in great detail what she would have done had they been her own and then launched into how she had marched all the way to across town to confront poor Marsha, who, if Sally's memory served her correctly, was almost nine months pregnant with her fourth poor woman never stood a chance. Grace had given her one of her infamous speeches which included, but was not limited to, the proper care of young hooligans. Sally simply smiled and sipped her tea, praying that her impatience wasn't showing on her face. Grace would give her the information she needed and until then she had no choice but to sit there and pretend she was interested in every single word the older woman was sprouting. She briefly wondered if Grace would notice if she invested in a pair of earplugs but scratched the though immediately. Grace would notice, Grace always noticed.

"Well when I finally got her to agree to keep a closer eye on her brood I made my way towards the Winters' house. Robert's parents had arrived the night before you know, so I wanted to go introduce myself and see if Sarah needed any help. I know how difficult it is dealing with your in-laws after all. Why the last time Greg's parents had visited..." And she launched into a story about her own in-laws last visit, about how bossy Greg's mother was - somehow Sally couldn't blame the woman - and how quiet Greg's father was and how the two of them had annoying tried to worm themselves into their lives so that Grace could look after them in their old age. Naturally Grace had put her foot down and after weeks of arguing and desperately trying to get them to go, the two had finally let in a hurry, claiming that the air in Darkwood didn't agree with them. Somehow Sally was sure the only problem in the equation had been Grace. "How did they expect me to raise Elliot with them breathing down my necks?" Grace asked crossly.

Wait, who? "Elliot?" Sally asked suddenly curiously.

"My son. He's such a good boy, about you and Sarah's age I believe. He left a few years ago for Tortal. Not sure what he does, he's just as bad a correspondent as his father, but I know it has something to do with the army or something. He was always such a talented boy." Grace was silent for a minute, her thoughts far away. For the first time since Sally had met her she saw a hint of sadness cross the woman's eyes. She missed him, she realised, Grace missed her son. Maybe that was why she gave people like herself and Marsha such because she was jealous that her sons were all still so young and herself because she was her son's age.

"My goodness, I've gone off , as I reached the Winters' house I saw the most horrible sight. The door was almost completely smashed in and when I went inside I found Robert lying unconscious on the floor and Sarah by his side. Apparently a robber had tried to break into the house, not knowing Robert and Sarah were there, and had started a fight when he discovered them. But brave old Robert had taken the man on, I never knew he was so brave, I'm beginning to see him in a new light. But anyway, there was no sight of the robber, just Robert and Sarah and Robert's parents. All I can say is that I really hope Sarah's children doesn't get their grandmother's hair. Red as flames and she's a little shrimp of a person too. His father isn't too bad but also rather plain, definitely not where Robert got his looks but he must have a kind genetic line." Sally couldn't say anything to that comment so she simply nodded. Plus she hadn't met either of Robert's parents so she couldn't say whether Grace was lying or not. For all she knew they could be perfectly good people who Grace just took an instant disliking to. "His mother was a mouthy one too. Told me everything was fine and tried to shove me out the door. Naturally I was resistant, after all I didn't know where the robber was, for all I knew he could have been right outside the door waiting to kill the next person who passed and I for one am not ready to join the Black God just yet. I told them that too. But Sarah said Robert had taken care of it and that they needed to get him to a healer, so I went. And she was right, look there isn't a scratch on me. Robert must be some hero for taking care of a thief all by himself. And here I thought he was just some scruffy buffoon who wasn't even close to worthy of Sarah. She's such a kind girl you know. Always listening to what I'm telling her and never running in the other direction like some people." Sally looked down in shame. She was one of those people after all. Grace however didn't look too bothered. "So, isn't it exiting living in a village where such strange things happen?"

"Yes," Sally mind however was anything but there. So, Robert and Sarah were the ones they had been sent for. She'd been right all along. She had to tell Cain, because the two will be coming back and they would have to do their job better then. She stood up suddenly, drinking the last of her tea in one gulp as she did. "Grace, thank you so much for the tea and the story." She smiled in what she hoped was a kind manner. "I would have loved to stay longer but I'm a little worried about my husband. He's not so young anymore you see."

Grace remained seated. "I understand Sally. Go take care of him, dinner's in an hour anyway," she sounded calm and happy, clearly taking no offence at Sally having to leave. "Next time I'll tell you all about Gita's gardening problem.

"That'll be perfect," Sally said in a fake happy voice, mentally cringing at the thought.

It was barely evening but the snow covering every inch of ground made it as dark as midnight as Kel stared out the window. It had been a whole day since the attack, a day Kel had spent carefully in thought as Dom lay sleeping. She had taken the mission far too casually she had realised. Treated it like a joke instead of the important task it was. She'd focused on Dom instead of finding out the information they'd been sent to get. Slowly she had started pulling herself together, slowly transforming from the love sick fool she'd become back to Lady Keladry the warrior. The attack had come as far too much of a surprise to bring any comfort - a mistake that had nearly cost Dom his life. They would return to Darkwood in two days and this time things were going to go a little different. Oh she would still act like a blushing newly wed when she was near Dom - something that came entirely too easy because she did feel like one every time she was around him nowadays - but when she was alone she would make damn sure to meet every single person in that village so she could pin point the traitors. Maybe she would even attach herself to Grace to ensure she heard every single piece of gossip, even if the mere thought made her want to turn tail and run for the hills. She was going to make this work, she would do everything in her power to ensure Dom wasn't hurt again. Dom... it all went back to him every single time. When had she come to depend so much on this man? And more importantly, what would Neal think when he saw them. Neal had never been able to keep his opinions to himself and somehow she wasn't entirely so he'd been super pleased about the recent developments.

"You look far too worried," A voice whispered in her ear as a solid arm wrapped around her waist. Smiling slightly Kel leaned against Dom. She may have been lucky enough to find a man that was a bit taller than her, but he still wasn't tall enough to rest his chin on top of her head. Instead he rested it on her shoulder, gently rubbing his cheek against hers.

"I have reason to worry," Kel replied to his question in a quiet tone. "Things have taken quite a turn and I'm not happy with the direction they're taking. I don't appreciate being toyed with Dom,"

Dom's arm tightened slightly as he pulled her firmly against him and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "They'll realise their mistake soon enough Kel. The mission is far from over and they aren't even close to getting us down. All they did was give us a little more information on what we're facing. We'll be ready for round two."

"All they did," Kel corrected, "was nearly kill you. Are you sure you're willing to try again when you know what the repercussions could be?"

With a devilish grin Dom ducked his head to allow him to nuzzle the sensitive spot between her neck and shoulder. "Course I do." he whispered into her skin. "However it just so happens that the rewards outweigh the repercussions by quite a large margin," With one more soft kiss he lifted his lips to her ear. "I know what I'm getting into Kel, and it's definitely worth it. So stop trying to convince me otherwise." He spun her around to try and kiss her but Kel quickly stopped him by placing both hands on his chest and giving him a hard look to scold him.

"Nah uh, aren't you suppose to be in bed?"

Dom's mouth spread into a large grin. "I like the way you think dear wife,"

"That's not what I meant..." But Dom wasn't listening. With strong arms he, literally, swept her of her feet and dumped her onto the bed behind them before following her down and claiming her lips with his own.

"Dom," she protested putting up a, admittedly weak, battle. "You're suppose to be healing!"

"I can't think of a better way, can you?"

Kel couldn't see how this was going to help him heal in the least but that didn't stop her from enjoying the moment. In the end she guessed she was just so happy that this moment was possible after she'd been so sure she'd lost him. She was glad he hadn't been awake to see her moment of weakness and intended to stop a repeat performance by keeping him as safe as possible. She'd cried enough for one lifetime, thank you very much. Her ability to think started to vanish as Dom deepened the kiss. She couldn't help but remember the last time the two of them had been this close together and she felt herself blush. The thug had really chosen the worse moment ever to interrupt. She felt Dom's hands once more creep down her body and she let him. If he though he was healed enough then who was she to stop him? She wrapped her arms around his neck her attention locked on keeping up with his passionate kisses. She was just beginning to forget about everything but Dom's kiss when there was a sudden knock on the door.

"I'll give you two a minute then I'm coming in!" Alanna called from outside.

Dom groaned at her words and rolled off of Kel. "Our first mission has become clear to me: kill my mother."

Laughing, Kel leaned over to give him one last lingering kiss before scrambling off the bed. She laughed even harder when she heard his soft curse as she slipped open the door.

As always your thoughts and comments will be much appreciated!