Two week had gone by since Dean had started to wear the jaguar skin, and while Emma was still having trouble getting use to the sight of him wearing the skin (she tended to giggle when she saw him), he seemed to be very comfortable in the garment. He would not wear the skin every day, but he was beginning to wear it more often then not.
Dean had made Emma a skirt-like loincloth as well, but she was still unable to bring herself to put it on. Every time she looked at it or thought of trying the garment on, she got a hollow feeling in her gut and she felt like crying.
The nights that followed when Dean first started wearing his new outfit, Emma noticed that he was holding her closer in his sleep then he had originally. Wrapping his strong arms around her, Dean would pull her to his chest as they slept. Emma would wake up with feeling his manhood against her rear each morning, and she would have to wake Dean up because his arms would be locked around her middle unwilling to release her.
By the end of the third week after his change of clothing, Dean had stopped being so desperate to get off the island. Instead of constantly making sure the signals were ready, Dean would spend more time on gathering food or making improvements to their shelter. He would sit with Emma waiting to see if their child would kick or simply holding her.
Within a month, Emma noticed something that really surprised her, Dean was starting to grow a beard. She first noticed the beard one night as they were sitting by the fire spooning. Dean had been resting his chin on her shoulder when he gently rubbed her shoulder with affection. At first Emma did not know why his chin felt scratchy, but the next morning as they were getting up to start the day, she noticed the hairs growing on his face.
Taking a moment to look and see all the changes that Dean had gone through, Emma noticed that not only had he begun to grow a beard, but he now also had a treasure trail leading from his naval down to his groin. His shoulders had widened considerably since they had first arrived. Sure she had noticed that he had grown with the better food supply, but Emma had not realized how much. Where before he had been only about a head taller which placed him at around five feet and ten inches, Dean now looked to be in the vicinity of six feet tall. His shoulders had become even wider, and his muscles were all very well defined. Where he had had an athletic build before, he now had a muscular one.
Dean had also noticed changes in Emma. Yes, she was pregnant and her stomach had widened along with her breasts, but she also seemed to have a different aura about her then just two months ago. At first he thought that it was being caused by the new life growing inside her, but that would not explain her since of calm and the strength he now saw in her eyes.
One evening as the two were watching the sunset together, they heard the growl of another jaguar close by. They had known for a while that there were more jaguar; they had found tracks and other signs, but this was the first time they had any form of conformation.
The surprise to Emma was what Dean did the moment that he heard the sound. Moving fast as lightening, he was standing between her and the jungle with his knife out and with a look to suggest that he was ready for anything. The muscles in his back were all tense and the way he stood conveyed to all the world, absolutely nothing was going to get past him to Emma.
Emma reached out to Dean and gently touched his arm. The moment that Emma placed her hand on Dean's skin, Dean seemed to jump and to suddenly realize where he was. It was only there for a moment before Dean replaced the look with a smile and appearance that she had first come to know, but in his eyes Emma had seen a mixture of fear, determination and desire. Emma understood the first two; she did not want to have to deal with another jaguar, but Emma had no idea why desire would be present with the others.
Looking into the jungle Dean said, "Come on Em. Let's head back to the lagoon. The sun has gone down and by the time we get there it will almost be completely dark." Smiling as if nothing had happened, "We are going to need at least a little bit of light to start the fire for the night."
As they headed into the forest, Emma was wondering what it was that she had witnessed in Dean's eyes back on the beach when she heard a rip. Looking down, Emma found that the bottom half of her bathing suit had finally torn on a branch sticking out into the path. Looking up, she saw Dean trying to suppress a smirk and failing horribly.
"I guess you'll have to wear it now Prom Queen." He said looking down at the torn material. "Unless of course you would rather go around without anything on." Pushing past Dean, Emma headed back to their camp with nothing covering her body except her hair.
When Dean arrived, Emma was kneeling down next to the fire pit they had made. Because of all the practice, she had flames blooming within a few moments. When the fire was finally large enough to fill the clearing with light, Emma stood and walked over to the cabana like shelter they and constructed together. Emma was still without any form of covering. From the way she moved her hips even pregnant, Dean could read the suggestion. Slipping out of his own garments, Dean smiled and went over and laid down next to Emma.