Dane

Chapter 13A

A/N After such lovley reviews, I felt inspired to post more chapters. Hope you continue to enjoy :)

For a moment, Julia stared at him, in stunned surprise. "Marry you?" she whispered. She had been expecting something, but never a proposal.

Studying her surprise, he smiled. "Didn't think my intentions, were that honourable, huh?" he asked. "I know this has come as a shock to you, but perhaps, it shouldn't really be all that surprising. After all, we were engaged once."

Still feeling off kilt, by his announcement, Julia sat down heavily on the sofa.

"Dane, that was quite a long time ago. I...I don't know what to say"

He knelt down in front of her, and clasped her hands in his own. He looked at her intently. "I know it's been quite a number of years, Julia. But my feelings haven't really changed. Even while I was married to Diane. Letting you walk out that door, and out of my life was the worst thing I could do. But, I knew I would have lost you anyway, if I had forced you to stay. And that would have been even worse; making you hate me."

Julia stared at him, and then down at their clasped hands. Over that past few days, she had caught herself actually comparing Dane and Barnabas. Dane treated her like she had wanted Barnabas to treat her, for so long. In his eyes, she saw what she wanted to see most in Barnabas' eyes. Dane had said the words she had most wanted to hear Barnabas, say.

She was shaken to find herself considering Dane's offer. Could she be happy with him again after all these years apart? Would it be fair to him... she hadn't thought of him in years. Most importantly, could she leave, Barnabas? A part of her still hoped, that he would, could love her. Was Dane right – suppose Barnabas never could tell her that he loved her? She couldn't stay at Collinwood indefinitely, although she was certain that the Collinses would passionately defend that assumption.

She closed her eyes, briefly, and the expression on Barnabas' face, as she had warned him not to trust Angelique, haunted her. A look that promised so much more, if only she would wait.

She opened her eyes, and stared deeply into Dane's dark eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again, her throat suddenly dry.

He seemed to understand - he nodded, and squeezed her hands gently. "At least promise me, you'll think about it?"

She offered him a brief smile, and squeezed his hands in return. "I promise," she managed, and was surprised to realise that she meant it. Again, Barnabas' expression crossed he mind, like a restless phantom. Wait...seemed to echo in her mind. Wait...

A look of sobriety crossed his face. He let go of her hands, with one hand, and gently caressed her cheek. Leaning closer, her gently pressed his lips to hers.

Abruptly she pulled away from him, as the jangle of the telephone rang shrilly.

Cursing at the interruption under his breath, he rose to his feet and sat on the sofa as Julia went to answer it.

After a moment's pause, she looked quizzically in his direction. "It's for you," she said, holding out the receiver for him.

"Who is it?" he mouthed, and she shrugged. Mouthing, "I have to leave," back at him.

He took the receiver with a frown, and a grin broke out, "Charlie! Finally caught up with me, huh? Any news about Julian's custody case?"

Without hearing more, Julia quickly left the room, grabbing her medical bag as she did so.

/

Dane's kiss played on her mind as she walked through the woods towards the Old House. She felt that she had betrayed Barnabas in some way. The idea made her frown; after all, there was nothing really between them, romantically. He'd made it quite clear over the years that their relationship was strictly one of friendship.

And yet, even that wasn't quite true. Their unexpected trip to the future had confused her, over how Barnabas truly felt about her. The emotion in his voice as he had declared that he would never leave without her, still sent a shiver through her. The look of betrayed horror, followed quickly by pain and disbelief when he had realised that she had betrayed him, still haunted her thoughts. He had taken her in his arms, assuring her that she was forgiven, and that he would never leave. They were so close... for a moment she thought that he would kiss her, making her betrayal, even more heartbreaking. He had helped her fight Gerard's power over her. When he had ordered her to kill herself, it had been Barnabas that had broken the spell.

She knew that she was fooling herself, thinking that it was a small sign, of his true feelings. She didn't dare hope that a future with him wasn't completely out of the question. But found herself doing exactly that.

Again, his expression entered her mind, lingering longer. As she entered the clearing and saw the Old House, silhouetted against the moon, her heart began to beat faster. Dane might have asked her to marry him, but it was Barnabas, that still held her heart.