A/N: Hi all, sorry for the delay. I am hoping to get a few more chapters up this weekend, and I hope you all enjoy this update, starting with a dream! Enjoy -Cat

Chapter Twenty-Nine

He watched her across the courtyard. She was beautiful but he had always known that. She had always been the most captivating in any room or place, at least as far as he was concerned. He charged up the last few stairs leading into the villa.

"Mera!" She spun around at his call and saw him. A brilliant smile lit up her face as she turned at his voice. Within an instant she had her skirts gathered in her hands and was running across the courtyard, throwing herself into his arms, disregarding his mud spattered breastplate.

"You're home," She whispered into his neck.

"Just as I promised," He said crushing her against him. He put her down and she pulled back to inspect her husband.

"Your hair, your lovely hair," She ran a hand over his now freshly shorn head. He knew she would comment as soon as he got home.

"Ahh," He scoffed, running a hand over his now nearly bald head, "The men had a hard time with the lice, we all shaved to reduce their spread. Darius was none too gentle with the razor either." He smiled at her and leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek. "Do not fear, it will grow back." She smiled up at him. She looked radiant, her long black hair braided back from her face, her bright blue eyes shone as she looked up at him. "I need to bathe and then to sleep but I want to see my child first and foremost."

If it was even possible her smile got brighter, "Come this way, and meet your son."

He looked at her, "A son? We have a son?"

She nodded in the face of his awed excitement, "Yes, we do. Come." Mera slipped her hand into Cassius's and led him through their home.

It had been a long year he had been away. A tough campaign trying to stabilize the empire. He wasn't sure how much longer he could be a soldier for a dying a cause. Control was being lost on all fronts of their great Roman Empire, and leaving had been hard. Too hard to ride away from a very pregnant Mera, knowing she would bring their child into the world alone. Unsure if she would still be here, whole and healthy, when he returned. But she was. Cassius feared when his luck would run out.

They walked into their bed chamber and he saw the elaborate crib at the end of the bed. A nursemaid rocking it gently.

Mera pulled him to the end of the crib and smiled up at him, "Cassius, this is your son."

She reached into the crib and picked up the hefty looking baby. He certainly looked like a happy, healthy little boy. His big eyes were green, like Cassius's and he took in his father with big awe filled eyes. Mera bounced the baby in her arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Marcus this is your father, your Papa."

Cassius looked up into Mera's face, "You are very brave, I am sorry you were alone."

She looked at him, "Juno protected me, just as you protected Rome." Cassius nodded. "Would you like to hold him?" She asked eagerly.

Cassius's heart swelled at the thought but he was also aware of how young Marcus kept eyeing his breastplate and armour with great trepidation.

"That is all that has pulled me through this campaign, but perhaps a wash is in order first. I would like to be dressed as a man and not a soldier when I hold him." Mera watched him closely, a small smile pulling at her lips as she watched Cassius with glowing eyes. She gently handed the little one back to the nurse maid and turned back to her husband.

"Yes, my liege," She took him by the arm, "You have earned that right," She guided him slowly through their home into the baths.

The room was beautifully cool in comparison to the sweltering heat of the rest of the house. "Let me assist you, my lord." She said teasingly, her fingers working the clasps on his breast plate. "I am glad you are home." She said to him quietly among the lapping of the water.

"As am I," He watched as she carefully shifted the breast plate off his body and to the bench just behind them. Cassius stretched as he pulled off his under shirt. Cassius let his pteruges clatter to the mosaic tiled floor, the studs on the strips of leather echoing around the walls. Without hesitation he walked into the hot water, letting it finally relax all his tight muscles.

He sank beneath the surface of the water, letting everything fall away from him. The filth from being on the road, the screams of the soldiers they had met in battle, only trying to defend what was theirs until the Romans had deemed it theirs. He felt himself losing purpose, direction.

He surfaced to see Mera handing his worn leather skirt to a servant before turning back to face him with a contented smile. "Join me." He demanded smiling up at her.

Mera simply smiled as she reached up to the ornate clasps on the shoulders of her gown. Unclasped she let the garment flutter to the floor and stepped out of it. She slowly waded, naked, into the water towards him. Soon she was in his arms again as they floated in the lightly perfumed water.

She ran her hands over his face as if trying to memorize every plain of bone structure. "Do you think anyone has ever been in love as much as we are?" She asked smiling at him, her undeniable, unending smile.

"Never," With that he let his lips descend on his wife.

Victoria's eyes opened. She blinked and looked at Pogue, laying beside her on the bed. Both of them laying on top of the blankets. He was on his back, his face turned towards her and he looked so peaceful.

She took a deep breath. So that was Cassius and Mera. Ancient Rome. It was if she could still feel the hot water washing over her body. She wondered how long Pogue would stay asleep. It had been a peaceful dream so it was possible he would sleep for a while. He needed his rest after the swim meet.

Victoria sat up. She looked at the clock on the side table on Pogue's other side. It was only just after four am. Was this night ever going to be over? She ran a hand over her hair, trying to organize her own mind, but that was proving difficult. No surprise really.

She saw her phone on the bed beside her. Victoria picked it up and dialled.

Again no rings, "It's Reid. You know what to do." Victoria pursed her lips and hung up the phone. She had no intention of leaving a message. What could she possibly say on a voicemail anyway?

She took a moment thinking about what to do. She looked at Pogue, still passed out laying on the bed next to her. She made a decision. She was exhausted by being trapped in limbo, she was ready to claw her way out if she had to, no matter how messy it could get.

Carefully she got off the bed, so as not to disturb Pogue. She grabbed a cardigan to go over her now wrinkled mess of a sundress she hadn't bothered to change out of. Quietly she left the room and padded down the hall to Reid's room and slipped in the key.

It was funny as soon as she opened the door, careful not to let it bang incase he was asleep, she got this intense flutter in her stomach. Like she was doing something inherently wrong by letting herself into his room. But if things had been normal, she wouldn't have given it a second thought. Although, if things were 'normal', she would be sleeping in this room and not hers. With Reid beside her and not Pogue. But nothing was normal anymore...

The curtains were drawn and it was dark in the room. She shuffled forward quietly, slowly, as not to trip over anything. Reid had a propensity for leaving his shoes anywhere and everywhere. She saw the shape on the bed and relaxed knowing at least he had made it back to the room but then she stopped. It wasn't right. Something wasn't right as she let her eyes adjust to darkness.

Reid was in bed, shirtless, passed out, thin hotel comforter draped over his waist, presumably naked by how much of his abs were showing. But it was what was beside him that had Victoria shaking. Laying there was none other than Kate. She was laying on her stomach, slightly turned towards Reid. Her hand casually resting on his chest. The comforter was pulled up to the low of her back leaving the rest of her back exposed and naked.

Victoria stood there frozen. At first she was terrified they could wake up at any second, and had this urge to turn and sprint out of the room. Then rage ripped through her as well and she wanted to just scream at the top of her lungs. But she didn't do either she just stood there. Frozen.

Suddenly she had to leave. Turning her hand brushed her cardigan and she felt something bang on her hand. Her car keys. She took them out of her pocket and looked down at them in her hand feeling slightly numb, the ringing in her ears getting louder and louder. With shaking hands she pulled off her other keys and walked over to the side table. She put the Camaro key beside Reid's phone and turned from the room.

In a haze she entered her room. "There you are." She looked up, Pogue was standing beside the bed looking at her. 'I woke up and you were gone, I wondered..." He trailed off looking across at her. "Victoria." He instantly tensed, "What's wrong?"

Without saying anything Victoria turned into the bathroom and barely made it to the toilet in time to throw up.