It was 3 months before she would see him again. She had been sent to the Castle Arulan on business, she was not feeling well she had been through every emotion imaginable since that day on the veranda lately she had settled on anger and sadness, simultaneously, at both her self and Halt. She had just left the Kings office and was heading out into the main corridor when she bumped into someone quite hard knocking them back into the wall. With her momentum. "I'm sorry," she said immediately and looked up to meet the face of the person she had run into. "It's alright" said a voice with a slight Hibernian accent. Her heart stopped momentarily as she looked into the face of the very man who she had been unable to dispel from her mind. "Halt?" She said unable to believe it. He nodded slowly unsure of what to say or do he wasn't even sure how he felt other than uncomfortable for the first time around her. She wanted to sleep him and kiss him at the same time. They looked at each other awkwardly for a moment then Halt started to turn away. She could see the hurt still on his face "Halt wait-" "Pauline don't please-" Halt tried to get away. "Halt..." She said more softly now and touched his cheek. He met her gaze his green eyes burned into her face expressing all the hurt pain and anger that was within him. She saw it and retracted her hand. He turned and started down the hall toward the main corridor. "I'm pregnant..." She said. Halt froze his heart racing as he looked down the empty hall, he turned back to her "what?"
What she had said had caught him off guard enough to get him to sit down with her and talk. They retired to her chambers quietly unable to say another word. They sat down in the seating area and a servant brought them coffee and tea then Pauline dismissed her leaving them alone. Halt was staring into his mug "would you care to explain all this to me?" Pauline signed and studied the man before her. "Will you let me start from the beginning?" Halt sighed and sat back in the chair and made a motion for her to go ahead. Pauline took a breath looking at the man before her she could tell he was practically holding his breath too "well I want to start with I'm sorry, I was so scared and angry... I just wanted to keep you for myself and that was selfish. I know you will always belong in the corps but I hope you can still find a place for me..." She said. He studied her face he could see her bordering on tears his heart broke all over again her words had killed him but he understood now. He nodded slowly she reached out and touched his hand encouraging him over he stood and sat next to her on the settee. She touched his cheek again this time he let her and leaned into it like he used to. "I'm so sorry Halt so so sorry I didn't mean what I said" she said tears rolling down her cheeks. As she looked down at her hands in her lap. She felt a soft hand caress away the tears and a hand take hers she looked into his face then. "I love you, Halt" she said leaning into his hand. He gave her a soft smile and said "I love you too" he said tenderly. She held his hand "I went to apologize to you the next morning and you were already gone... I've hated myself for months... I wanted to talk to you more than anything. I started getting sick a couple months later... I went to a healer and she told me I was pregnant" she said looking into his eyes "pregnant with your baby... Our baby" she added. Halt's heart was in his throat "we're having a baby?" He said not knowing if he was going insane and hearing things. She nodded softly unable to tell what emotion she was seeing on his face "are you angry?" Halt finally let out he breath "no. No I'm not mad" he said with a smile "I... I'm so happy" he said caressing her face tenderly. She smiled at him tears rolling down her cheeks "hey shh it's alright did I say something wrong?" He said. "No. No these are tears of joy" she said hugging him close. She collected his hand and brought it to her stomach the folds of her dress hid the small bump that lay there. He smiled softly as his hand rested on their child his forehead rested against hers "oh Pauline" he said tenderly "I should have come after you." Pauline smiled at him "I never would have expected you to... It was my fault." "We are ok love" he said. She smiled softly nuzzling his cheek he turned his head slightly and took her lips on his. She returned his kiss softly at first then a little more deeply. She leaned him back on the settee gently leaning lightly over him as his feet came up onto it. She leaned against his chest softly and when the kiss finally broke she rested her head on his chest contently. "You will be a great mother" he said softly. She smiled "I'll have to reevaluate my life a bit" she said gently caressing his chest she sounded nervous. He caressed her hair "it'll be fine" he said softly. She kissed his bristled jaw "you will be a good father" she said. He didn't repot the roll of father wasn't one he usually thought about. She nuzzled him tenderly being as reassuring as she could. She covered her mouth and yawned softly. "Do you want me to go so you can rest?" He asked softly. She shook her head and stood slowly taking his hand and leading him into the bed chamber "I want you to come and lay with me so I can rest for the first time in months... If you will have me" she said wrapping her arms around his neck. He nodded with a soft smile "it'll be the first sleep I've had in months too... And I'll always have you love" he said tenderly kissing her again softly. They both stripped down to their underthings and slipped under the covers. He spooned up against her back comfortably and they settled easily together Halts arm slipped around her resting gently on her stomach he could feel the small bump of their baby more easily now. He smiled and nuzzled against her neck softly. "Mmm I missed this... I love you" she whispered softly settling against his chest. "I love you too" he said gently "I missed you too my love." The couple fell asleep easily that night for the first time since that day on the veranda hugged close together feeling the love that had pulled them through everything so far.