Here's Chapter Eleven guys, sorry it took so long. My computer ate the file twice. TWICE! Anyways, read, review, and enjoy.

Michael & Cara

(Liliana Vess)

Jace snores.

Just as I'm stretching out, he's waking up as well. Our feet tangle up and he pulls me in to his chest. He nuzzles my neck as he speaks.

"Good Morning, Beautiful."

"How did you sleep, Jace?"

"Pretty well, actually, Lili. How about yourself?"

"Very Well. It was a welcome change sleeping next to you, Mind Sculptor."

"I concur, Miss Vess."

He nuzzles my neck again and rolls his warm weight on top of me, though most of it is supported with his arms. The solidarity of him is more than welcome. Our lips find each other and everywhere our skin is touching sets itself alight I hear Jace mutter the word "slow," under his breath. However, as he does this his hand slips under the cotton nightdress and onto the sensitive skin of the small of my back. I move my hand lower on Jace's abs, tracing the line of his sleep pants with my fingers, as I do so, I press my lower half into his.

Jace moans. Spirits, the sound is the closest to heaven that I've ever been. My mouth moves to his neck, placing hot, needy kisses on the crook of his shoulder. His hand exerts even more pressure on my hip, and that does nothing to cool my lust.

"Jace…"

It comes out as a strangled whimper. Jace groans and rolls over.

"You make it damn near impossible to stop. Something about the way you say my name, Lili.."

"You act as if I want to, Jace."

"I don't want to do it either, and I hate denying myself. When your every thought is begging me to rip your clothes off, to take you, it makes it even harder."

"Literally or figuratively, Jace?"

I look down at his waist. His cotton sleep pants mask nothing. He grows red around the ears and mumbles "Your fault."

"We can slow down on the kissing and for lack of a better word, grinding, if it's too much."

"No! I love kissing you, and feeling your skin against mine, but I just don't want it to culminate into sex before we are ready to take that step."

"I hate having to tell myself no, especially when I already know how amazing it is," it's my turn to be embarrassed.

"When you blush…" Jace's voice is that throaty growl again. "Anyways, it's not only your lust that's going unsated."

"What's off limits?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know, what are we NOT doing?"

"Sex, obviously."

"Anything else?"

"How about we just play it by ear? I'll ask, you ask. And we either can say no or stop at any given time."

I nod and smile. To my surprise, Jace gets up.

"I'm going to go take a cold shower before I have to ravish you. And no, you can't come."

"You can make me…"

Jace's ears burn again. He nods and leaves the room.

I go to retrieve my garments from the other room, and nearly tear the room apart looking for my headdress. The thought that Jace undressed me crossed my mind, and he probably put it up somewhere. I walk back down the hallway, and bathroom door is standing open.

"Mind if I use the mirror?"

"What's mine is yours, Miss Vess."

"How's the hand, Jace?"

"What? There's nothing wrong with my hand."

He holds his left hand up, inspecting it for phantom broken bones and/or scratches. He turns his hands over and makes a loose fist. What I was saying dawns on him.

"Alright then, Miss Sass Queen."

"Don't forget it."

I lift up the cotton dress and pull my skirt on. I pull my corset over my head and turn around to lace it.

I grab the laces when a pair of big, steady hands grabs mine.

"Nope. I'm doing this," Jace's voice is like honey, smooth and sweet.

"Jace, I can do this. I've only had about two centuries of practice."

"I know you can, Liliana. But I want to. It's a perfectly good excuse to touch you."

"You don't know how good it is to hear that, Lili. But drop your hands."

His voice is so firm that I don't question it. What the hell? Has running this plane really changed the shy Jace that much? I turn around, and he has a mischievous look in his eyes. As he's lacing the corset, he uses his past knowledge of where to touch to his advantage. His hands linger and squeeze in all the right spots. He kisses the back of my neck and it's not long until the lust is pooling inside of me.

"Is it too soon to say I'm not leaving?"

He pulls the top laces of the corset taut and turns me around, eyes blazing. He pushes me swiftly against the wall, his hand finding my hip. This is one moment when I wish I could have seen into Jace Beleren's powerful mind, because his face was so full of emotion and passion. It's the most alive I have felt in close to two hundred years.

Later, I'm stirring the mashed potato topping for Shepherd's Pie and Jace is chopping carrots. He flicks one into my long black tresses, and if he doesn't get it out now, I'll be searching for it for a week.

"Come get it, Jace Rahl."

"Someone's picky about her hair," he says, running his fingers through it.

"It's long, and really, really thick. I just don't want to be searching for a carrot into next year."

He brushes it away and kisses me on the cheek. Just as he does so, there is a knock on the door. He heaves a sigh and goes to answer it. I turn, just as I put the food into the oven. Gideon Jura is standing in Jace's doorway, arm-in-arm with the firemage, Chandra Nalaar.

Well, that was unexpected. Jace has a look of astonishment on his face for the slightest second before he collects himself. He then acts like the perfect gentleman that he is.

"Hello, Chandra."

"Hi, Jace. It smells nice in here."

"Thanks. Lili? Are you done?"

"I'm coming."

The firemage and I are neutral.

"Hello Chandra," I say.

"Hello Liliana."

I could sense a bit of resentment in her words and maybe even some hate. I knew that Gideon has told her of the events between Jace and me, and probably twisted the words to paint me as a villain. Everyone usually does. It's part of playing with dead people, part of being a necromancer. No one sees my side, they just sees me as selfish. I look to Jace and he gives me a look saying he picked up on my thoughts and sympathizes. I look past Chandra's catty expression, and give a smile. I want to make an ally out of her, not an enemy. They last thing that I need is another foe. I know that Jace has assisted her in the past, but that shouldn't cause her to put me to the side as an enemy. We've had our talk and Jace has forgiven me, therefore I have nothing to prove to her.

It's extremely awkward right now. The only people that are talking are Jace and Gideon. Chandra keeps looking from Jace to me, as if she is dying to say something. Jace keeps casting a sideways look at me, most likely telling me to hold my tongue. If I wanted to say something, I would. Surely Jace knows this by now. The need to say something soon overpowers the firemage, who is known for her nasty temper.

"Really, Jace? Do you not remember how heartbroken you were? Everyone in the multiverse knew that the leader of Ravnica was licking his wounds."

"I do remember how heartbroken I was, Chandra. Lili is the only person in the world that had the power to fix it. There was nothing to forgive, she acted as she saw fit. Our relationship is no one's business, including you or Gideon."

Jace's voice had a certain finality to it, but Chandra kept glaring at me. I heaved a sigh.

"Look, Nalaar. I know I'm the one in the wrong. I'm the one who left. But I'll be damned, no pun intended, if anyone questions my feelings for Jace. I was protecting him from the demons who literally own my soul, trying to keep him from getting anymore indebted to Nicol Bolas. I've lov-cared for Jace Beleren ever since we were hunting Tezzeret. When I agreed to be his—his girlfriend, I meant that I wanted to stay forever. As long as he wants me around, that is. I don't take these things lightly."

Chandra's look goes from disgusted to astounded.

"I guess you really have changed, necromancer."

"One day at a time, firebrand."

Jace clears his throat, trying to put an end to the uncomfortable conversation. Chandra's expression clears and she wraps her arm around Gideon's forearm. I wonder how they got together, but I don't want any more awkwardness that can be avoided. Chandra and I actually begin to talk and find that we have a lot in common. We were misunderstood by our fathers, hate being told what to do; we seem to be cut from the same cloth. The more we talk, the more looks we get from Jace and Gideon. They know if we do become friends, we'll be even harder to handle. Chandra gives me a mischievous grin, saying she picked up on this.

This should be pretty fun.

Chandra has shamelessly flirted with Gideon the whole night, and it's not long before she's pushing him out the door. When Gideon and Chandra leave, Jace and I retire to the couch.

"Did you mean what you said, Lili?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't, Jace."

His face splits into the most beautiful smile I've ever seen, and I can't help but smile back. We cuddle on the couch for a while until both of us start yawning. We get up and head down the hallway, I make to turn into my room.

"And exactly where do you think you are going, Miss Vess?"

He pulls me close to him, sneaking a kiss on my neck. I smile and get ready for bed. I know that Jace said that nothing in our lives was ever going to be easy, but I have to disagree with him, at least for today. Today felt almost normal. No fights, no meetings. I know that that is going to change and soon, but I enjoyed just being with Jace today. I know we've got a lot on our plates, even after Garruk is taken care of. Right now, none of that matters, though. I'm curled up to the man that I always knew I'd come back to, the man that sees me as nothing less that beautiful.

He's asleep next to me, and I adore the fact that his face loses its harshness. He looks so innocent. That face is the brightest thing in a sea of endless night. I can feel myself falling, and I honestly have never felt better.