The house was quiet, almost too quiet, but she knew it wasn't going to matter soon.

She pulled out two wine glasses and filled them with a deep red merlot. After setting them on the coffee table, she turned on some music and pulled out a small, square wrapper from her pocket, placing it next to the wine. It had been almost three weeks since his last visit, and Laney was beginning to feel antsy. She didn't quite grasp how she had abstained for nearly five years, before she met him.

After her divorce, she had sworn off any type of romantic entanglement, preferring to focus on raising her boys and taking care of her grandfather. When her brother came back into the picture, it took a huge weight off her shoulders. She missed Boyd, though she would be reluctant to admit it to anyone.

Finally, she sat down on the couch with a sigh of contentment. Gwaine was off at work, taking Merlin through the Stargate, and was to be gone at least a couple of days. The boys were spending spring break with their dad and his new wife. Now, all she had to do was wait for her lover to arrive.

She cringed at the thought of calling him 'her lover.' What they had wasn't love, at all. It was purely a physical desire, without any messy emotions getting in the way.

She heard the telltale sound of the transporter beam. Her lips quirked up, and she sipped her wine casually. His footfalls from the kitchen sent shivers coursing through her. Brown eyes lifted to meet his handsome gray-blue depths. "Wine?" She offered.

"Maybe later." Leon's voice was husky and sensuous. He took her glass out of her hand and set it on the table. His mouth moved under the blond mustache and scruff of a beard, lifting into a seductive smile.

(~*~)

Gwaine cut the engine of the Scout, and climbed out, backpack in hand. He hopped the steps on the front porch, two at a time, and was just about to grab the door handle, when he heard a scream. Dropping the bag, he dug through it for his sidearm. Checking the clip, and cocking the slide, he held the gun loosely.

Listening, he heard the sounds of what could have been a struggle coming from beyond the door. His sister sounded like she was in pain.

Barging through the door, he whipped his pistol up and swept it around, searching for the danger.

Gwaine's eyes shot wide open when he realized the situation. "FRACKING HELL, ELAINE!"

He squeezed his eyes shut and backed out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Glancing down at the gun in his hand, he debated going back inside and using it, but he controlled his anger...and repulsion. After clearing the chamber, he clicked the safety back on and tossed it into his bag. Walking across the porch, he sank to the steps, with his head in his hands.

A few minutes later, he heard the door behind him open and someone come out onto the porch.

Cringing, he chanced a glance behind him, and saw his sister approach.

She held out a glass of wine, as a peace offering.

He accepted it, and took a sip. "Where's Leon?"

"Went up to take a shower, so we could talk. You...uh, weren't supposed to be home until tomorrow, at the earliest."

"Plans change."

"Yeah, they do."

"I...kind of suspected something like this was going on for a while now."

She shrugged, "I've kind of suspected something between you and Dr. Lam."

He chuckled, thinking of the petite doctor. "I like her...a lot."

Nodding, she reached for the glass. He handed it over and she took a drink.

"What about you guys? What's that all about?"

Laney shook her head. "Not much to it...it's just some...stress relief."

His face showed his disbelief.

"Seriously, Gwaine! I have had enough of relationships. I just...needed something, and he...god, he's the first man, who isn't a total sleaze, and who actually looks at me like I was still worth something."

"You are worth something!" He argued.

"I mean, something more than just a mom, or a sister. Did you know Randy wasn't even planned? I wouldn't trade him for the world, but he was the accidental result of one last weekend to try and save my dying marriage, after we moved to Wyoming and I started taking care of Boyd. My ex actually blamed me...accused me...of doing it on purpose!"

"You have known for years what I think of that jerk. Um...You and Leon..."

"...Are being extra, damn careful." She said briskly. "Between us...It's...Shit, I don't care if we're just using each other for sex. It's damn nice to know I'm still desirable that way."

Gwaine sighed. He really didn't want to hear about his sister's love life, although he was happy that she had finally gotten some validation. He looked around to make certain Leon wasn't anywhere nearby. Lowering his voice, he told her his true concern. "I...I knew Leon...who he was, back then. He was like a big brother to me...to us all...teaching us how to be Knights of Camelot. It wasn't just Arthur...Merlin brought us together. Arthur inspired us all, but it was Leon who really molded us into knights.

"He was married back then...had a few kids of his own. I don't even know how many. I met his wife a couple of times at feasts. She was a feisty red-head from Scotland. I know he loved his family...but he lived and breathed for Camelot. I look into his eyes now, and I can see he didn't weather the years as well as Merlin.

"Ol' Grandpa Merlin...even when he was younger than me, there was always a fire deep inside him. He went through hell, and I can't even begin to imagine the things he's seen or done. He was stuck on Earth and made the most of his years. Leon, on the other hand, had the whole galaxy and...He's a broken man, compared to the one I knew. He doesn't have that passion he used to. Leon has learned how to survive."

Laney hummed in agreement. "Which is why, I don't plan on making it into anything more. I have enough of my own baggage. I don't need to be taking on his fifteen centuries of it."

"That's what I'm worried about, 'Lane. What if, with everyone coming back together, he does get emotional about it, without meaning too...just because he hasn't had it? What're you gonna do if that happens? I know you can take care of yourself, but what's going to happen with him? I don't want to be stuck in the middle of that shit storm; having to try and remain a brother to him...but not get into it with you, like what happened before, or worse."

She stiffened next to her brother. "Oh..."

"Yeah." He disentangled his arm from his sister's and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I'm glad we got to patch things up between us, ya know? If something does happen, you know I'll be there for you this time, right? You and the boys. I finally have my priorities straight, after all I went through."

"I'll break it off with him if you want me to." She offered, brushing her russet hair out of her face.

"Naw. He can take care of himself. I'm actually glad you've got someone to prove to you, that you're still a knockout. Just do me a favor?"

"What's that?"

"Go to your room next time...or his ship...or something! Bloody hell! I sleep on that damn couch, sometimes!" He rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion.

They sat together on the porch, watching the clouds gathering overhead. After a while, the door opened again and Leon hesitated in the doorway.

Laney patted her brother's knee. "I'm going to go get dinner started for us."

He nodded and let her go.

"You staying?" Gwaine heard her ask Leon. If the knight responded, it was obviously a silent movement of his head. The door closed, and Gwaine figured Leon was still standing behind him.

"Hey." Leon said, sitting down on the steps next to Gwaine.

Gwaine responded in a clipped voice. "Hey." Just because he'd come to an understanding with his sister, didn't mean he had to let his friend know. He could tell Leon was trying to act more nonchalant about it, than he obviously felt.

"You're back earlier than expected."

"Yep." The 'p' popped from Gwaine's lips, highlighting his annoyance. "I have to say, I kinda suspected something like this was going on, between the two of you."

"Mmm. Do you have a problem with it?" The question was almost a challenge.

Gwaine thought for a moment, before shaking his head and chuckling, "Only when I walk in on it, unexpectedly."

A soft snort hid the sigh of relief that escaped Leon. "Good, because your sister thought you might have a bit more to say."

"You're both adults. Not much I can say."

"She told me, something had happened once, between one of your friends and her..."

"Dude! That was back in college. I just like giving her shit about it now." He patted Leon's shoulder. "Just watch out she doesn't break your heart or anything."

"I figured you'd be warning me not to break hers."

"Eh, she's a tough, old toad."

Leon stood up and held out his arm.

Gwaine stared at it for a few seconds, before taking it. He gave it a hearty shake. "Just...I don't ever want to see that much...of either of you again. Capeesh?"

Nodding, the blond man motioned to the door. "I will just grab my things and be gone. I need to go speak with Merlin anyway."

Picking up the half-empty wine glass, Gwaine drained the rest of it. "He magicked himself home, not two minutes after we arrived back through the Gate. He was in a bit of an odd mood, from whatever the Nox told him. Barely said two words to me the whole trip back."

"All three seconds of it?" Leon asked humorously.

"The whole way back to the Gate, not through the wormhole...smartass."

The blonde chuckled, "Duly noted."

"You might as well stay for dinner, since you're already here. It's probably middle of the night there, by now."

AN: This may seem like a shorter than normal chapter...and this version of it is. My muse decided to get a bit...M rated lately and a good chunk of this was cut from the fanfiction dot net version. The full version is posted under a spoiler tag on my version at theheartofcamelot dot com. :D

Thank you to Nance for proofreading!

And to all the reviewers: GoldenFishFire, AWanderersHaven, Aerist, FeedtheFlames, Nance, CarolynneRuth, and IcarusLSU