Chapter 98- Together

*Thank you all for sticking with me through this rather long "Christmas Special"- There was a lot of material, moments, and steam to cover between these two.

Hope you enjoy this final installment of Nathan and Charlotte's honeymoon. I appreciate all the kind comments and reviews you have shared with me not only in the past few weeks with this special, but also through the whole story of 'So This Is Love'. I read every single one and take it to heart.

To quote Walt Whitman~ "Day by day and night by night they were together. All else had long been forgotten."

Together- There was no more perfect word to describe Nathan and Charlotte's honeymoon.

In those days, they had learned how to love each other exactly as they were. And in doing so, they watched how quickly they each transformed into the greatest, truest versions of themselves. No other feeling compares to when one is seen and appreciated in their own essence.

Charlotte felt a strange stirring inside her whenever she was with Nathan. Since becoming husband and wife, she found herself taking time to study him. Knowing the way his muscles moved under his shirt as he worked and the way they stirred beneath her touch.

She loved watching the way the shades of his blue eyes changed with the different emotions he felt. When he was happy and joyful, sometimes flirty and mischievous, his eyes were light and shimmering, like their lake on a bright summer day when the gentlest of breezes would cause ripples to dance across the water's surface. When Nathan was focused, learning new things or working, his eyes were the brightest and truest shade of blue she had ever seen. But the shade that would make her go weak in the knees, was when his eyes took on a deep sapphire blue hue. That was when she saw it. The love, passion, and desire he felt for her. The richness of it seeped into every fiber of her being. He only had to look at her, and her mouth went dry.

Nathan would awaken her before dawn with kisses. His lips trailing from the back of Charlotte's neck, down her spine, and across her shoulders. They would lay in the quiet darkness with only the sound of the flickering embers in the hearth and the biting winds of winter outside their home. Nathan intimately explored her, taking pleasure as he roused each new sensation from his wife. Charlotte's body trembled at his touch and sang at their uniting.

Through the day they would work in Nathan's shop or go riding around the property. Sometimes they would play on the tree swing or go sledding. One afternoon there was even an intense snowball fight that ended with them both buried in a drift, laughing so hard their bellies ached. In the evenings, they would cook and play the guitar in the living room or dance to the record player. Other times they would take turns reading aloud from their favorite novels or poetry books.

One evening, Nathan took his favorite Emmerson booklet from the shelf and sat down on the couch next to Charlotte. She curled up into his side, resting her head on his shoulder as his rich voice read to her.

Give all to love;

Obey thy heart;

Friends, kindred, days,

Estate, good-fame,

Plans, credit and the Muse,-

Nothing refuse.

Charlotte watched the flames flicker in the hearth. Dancing and spinning in time to Nathan's rhythmic, almost melodic, cadence.

It was never for the mean;

It requireth courage stout.

Souls above doubt,

Valor unbending,

It will reward,-

They shall return

More than they were,

And ever ascending.

She reassuringly ran her hand back and forth over the corded muscles of Nathan's forearm. Letting the warmth of his words seep into her as his hand rested comfortingly on her thigh. Even that light touch made her melt inside.

Leave all for love;

Yet, hear me, yet,

One word more thy heart behoved.

One pulse more of firm endeavor,-

Keep thee to-day,

To-morrow, forever.

When he read aloud in the evenings before the fire, she lost herself in the deep resonance of his voice. The words washed over her like a warm, heavy wave. Sometimes when he read, he would raise his head, and Charlotte wouldn't be able to breathe for the look in his eyes. Her heart would beat wildly, and she could feel the heat rise through her at the deep longing she felt. Her whole body spoke of it. It sang inside her like a loud chorus, filling her head with thoughts of him.

As the flames in the hearth burned low, they reignited between husband and wife. They would set the book or guitar aside and turn to one another. Nathan untying the string in Charlotte's hair before working his fingers into her strands, unbraiding the thick chocolate brown waves until they spilled down over her shoulders. The curls brushing beautifully against the edge of her cheek until he would stroke the tendrils of hair back from her temple. Nathan noticed how the pulse raced in her throat and he would press a kiss to it. Hearing the soft intake of Charlotte's breath and feeling the answering warmth spread swiftly through him.

He wanted her. He would always want her. And thankfully, she wanted him as well.

He felt it, every time he touched her.

He understood it, every time he gazed into her smoky grey eyes that were filled with a heady mix of tenderness and desire.

Nathan relished in the fact he had found someone who paid attention. Charlotte ran her fingers over his every scar, those both seen and unseen. Wanting to understand where each one came from. She took in his smallest details; noticing the things he thought no one ever would.

He had never imagined it could be like this with someone. Completely unguarded, unburdened, free, appreciated and loved. He was so thankful to have married a woman who not only wanted to be a part of his life, but a part of himself.

And Nathan loved every moment with Charlotte. The way her mahogany brown waves spread across their pillows at night, framing her beautiful face. The feel of her soft, smooth skin. The way his whole body would come alive when he touched her. The way he would feel warmth coursing through every vein.

He couldn't even begin to describe how wonderful it felt when they made love. He loved giving her pleasure. He loved feeling her melt. He loved hearing her say his name as they came together.

Drowsy and content, they would lay side by side in the silence. Curled into one another, holding onto the lingering effects of their love making. Nathan easing his arms around her, feeling her relax into him as he tucked her close to his body. Breathing in Charlotte's scent until his head swam. Keeping her warm and safe in his protective arms they would fall asleep together, whisked away into their happy dreams.

Today was New Year's Eve. The last day of Nathan and Charlotte's honeymoon. In passing, they had admitted to missing their friends, and family, especially Allie, but they were both a little hesitant to break away from the blissful happiness that they had felt over the past week, where it was just the two of them beginning their lives together.

"I can't believe you were right," Charlotte commented, helping to carry the last of the completed chairs into their dining room from the workshop. "We were able to finish the table and some of the chairs this week."

"We make a good partnership, remember?" Nathan grinned. "And as much as I enjoyed our intimate dinners in front of the fireplace, I'm glad we have this table for when Allie gets home."

Charlotte wrapped an arm around Nathan's back and leaned into his side, resting her head against his shoulder as they both took in the space. The long, wide farmhouse table filled the room perfectly. Nathan and Charlotte had been able to complete about half of the chairs with the time and the supplies they had available.

"Allie's going to be so excited. I wish I would have seen her reaction to the property when you first told her we were going to build our home out here," Charlotte said.

"I'm sure you can imagine. She was running around, rattling off all her big ideas. Thankfully, it was mostly in line with what we had already discussed. Although, I'll be honest, I think her favorite parts will be the river for fishing, the barn for the horses, and the built-in bookshelves in the living room."

"You're probably right," Charlotte chuckled. "They are going to be here tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"That's the plan. Bill was going to help Mom and Dad load up Allie's things in a wagon tomorrow morning and then they were all going to ride up here after lunch."

"Hopefully they will stay for dinner before heading back to town. That way we can test out these chairs and make sure they are sturdy enough for other house guests."

"Don't trust my carpentry skills, Mrs. Grant?"

"I don't trust mine," she winked, turning into him to place a gentle kiss on his cheek.

Nathan smiled ruefully and toyed with a tendril of Charlotte's brown hair. "It's getting late, I should get dinner started."

"Are you sure you don't want me to be your sous chef? I think we work very well together in the kitchen." Charlotte wiggled her eyebrow.

"We do," Nathan grinned at the memories from this week. "But tonight, I want to show you how well I've been paying attention to your instructions."

"Fine," Charlotte jokingly rolled her eyes. "What's on the menu?"

"You're just going to have to wait to find out. Now, go relax; take a bath or read a book," Nathan gently turned Charlotte away from the kitchen and gave her bottom a playful pat. "I'll let you know when dinner is ready."

"Nathan, that was amazing!" Charlotte exclaimed, taking the last bites of dinner he so thoughtfully prepared for them. He had made seared trout, with roasted potatoes and sautéed greens and even a chocolate pudding for dessert. "I think the student has now become the master."

"I'm not sure about that, but it was rather good, wasn't it?"

"The best," she took his hand into hers. "Thank you for the delicious meal. It was quite the treat."

"I've had fun learning with you this week."

"And I you." Charlotte smiled. They both knew they were talking about more than just cooking. "Speaking of which, will you come with me?" Charlotte stood and pulled Nathan with her. "There is something I want to show you."

"What about the dishes?"

"Save it."

Charlotte led Nathan to the living room and directed him to sit in his chair by the fireplace. He watched as she walked to the corner and picked up the guitar before returning to stand in front of him, her back to the softly crackling fire.

"No lessons tonight?" He asked, trying to hide the disappointment from his voice at missing her touch.

"No," Charlotte gave a wry smile and shook her head slightly. "Like you said earlier. Tonight, I want to show you how well I've been paying attention to your instructions."

"You're going to play me a song?"

"Mmmmhmmm," she hummed.

"Well, Charlotte Grant," Nathan said, remembering back to this summer when he first played for her in a very similar way. "What are you going to sing for me tonight? 'When Irish Eyes Are Smiling'?"

"Not tonight," Charlotte giggled. "From what you showed me, that song has far too many chords for my limited skill set, but I thought I would try to remember this one you taught me a few days ago."

Charlotte moved her fingers into position and took a steadying breath before beginning in her pure, dulcet voice.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see.

Charlotte's finger's fumbled slightly in her transition between the A7 and D chords. Nathan noted the flush that came to her freckled cheeks, but she pushed through and continued.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

and grace my fears relieved.

How precious did that grace appear,

the hour I first believed.

As she became more comfortable with her playing, she glanced up at Nathan who gave her a supportive smile.

When we've been there ten thousand years,

bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise,

than when we first begun.

Nathan could tell he shocked her when he joined in with harmonies for the final verse. Their voices melding together.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,

that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found,

was blind, but now I see.

Nathan stood and came to stand in front of Charlotte, gently reaching out to lift the guitar and strap from her shoulders and lay it beside them. He held her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers.

"Thank you," he whispered. "That was beautiful."

Charlotte's grey eyes danced. "Let's go outside. I want to see what the stars look like from our porch."

"It's cool tonight."

"Not too cold."

He could deny her nothing, so Nathan held open Charlotte's wool coat, helping her slip her arms into the sleeves and pull the jacket onto her shoulders. He quickly shrugged on his own coat and joined Charlotte on the front porch.

She came to rest on the steps, Nathan sitting down behind her. He put his strong legs on either side of Charlotte and put his arms around her, pulling her back against him. The moon above cast the mountain sides in a sparkling silver grey.

"I bet a Mountie like you knows all the constellations," Charlotte commented. "You know- for navigating and such."

"Yeah," Nathan grinned, but she caught onto his uncertainty. "Of course."

Charlotte twisted slightly in his arms, pointing up into the sky above them. "What's that?"

Nathan gaze followed where she had directed. "That is Orion's belt."

"And that?"

He paused. "Orion's suspenders?"

"Well in my opinion, he doesn't wear them as well as you do."

Nathan laughed against her hair. Brushing it back, he kissed the nape of her neck and nuzzled the sensitive skin beneath her ear. She shivered softly and he tucked her more closely against him.

Charlotte again pointed to the vast darkness of the night sky. "That is Taurus and then to the left is Canis Major."

Nathan looked up at the pictures she drew above them. "So, a bull and a big dog. Got it."

"We had a dog, Bo. He was part Alsatian. Dad trained him to help herd the cattle on long drives or to fetch them out of deep gullies and steep canyons. Bo was always such a loyal companion. Did you have a dog growing up?"

"No," Nathan's head dropped slightly. "Colleen and I always wanted one, but with how unstable life was, it just never happened. Allie's wanted a puppy for years, but when we were always moving around it didn't seem like the best choice."

"Why didn't you get one since settling down in Hope Valley?"

"Mostly because when I would go out of town on assignments and needed someone to watch over Allie, I didn't want to have to ask them to take care of a dog as well. My luck, the puppy would have chewed up all of Mrs. Weiss' shoes and then she would be reluctant to take care of Allie the next time I would leave."

"Since I'm here now, and we have the ranch, maybe we should start looking for a dog. I think it would be a good companion for Allie. Especially living out here, we will be so much farther from her friends. This way, she'd still have someone to play with."

"You're right. That may not be a bad idea," Nathan lifted a strand of her dark hair and rubbed it between his fingers. "Let's just keep it between us for now, I don't want to get Allie's hopes up."

Charlotte nodded her head in understanding, before again returning her attention to the night sky. Pointing out all the different constellations to Nathan.

"You really know your stars," he commented as Charlotte finished telling a story about Pegasus and the Big Dipper.

"I've wished on them so many times. I know them all by name," she smiled solemnly, her face slightly cast in the shadows. "I take peace in being with them. Like they are old friends. The same stars that winked and glistened above me on the cattle drives of my youth are still the same stars above me now. They remind me of God's love in a lot of ways. And now yours too."

Nathan watched the night breeze making her dark hair dance in the moonlight as he drew her closer. Resting his cheek against the top of her head, he began to hum a tune he remembered from long ago, 'Auld Lang Syne'. It seemed fitting for the night, New Year's Eve, as he sat with his bride on the steps of their home. They swayed slightly together, back and forth in time to the melody, while staring out into the vast beauty around them.

A distant wolf howled. It's cry cut through the night and Charlotte edged closer to Nathan. Not out of fear, the animal was miles away, but rather she had once known that same lonesomeness that carried in its song. One of solitude and helplessness and she needed the physical reminder that those feelings were no longer a part of her life. Nathan, seeming to understand, linked his arms around her as she pressed against him, fitting him like a puzzle piece.

Nathan felt Charlotte shiver in his embrace. "You must be cold."

"A little, yes," her voice was soft.

"We should go inside. I can't have you getting sick," Nathan stood and took Charlotte's hand into his. He pulled gently, but she did not budge from her place on the step. Instead, she looked up at him in silent pleading.

"Please, just a little while longer," she begged. "I don't want this to end just yet. There's something magic in the air tonight and I don't want to miss experiencing it."

Nathan nodded in understanding. He felt it too. "I'll be right back."

He disappeared into the house and returned a moment later. One of her mother's heaviest quilts in his hands. Lovingly, Nathan draped the blanket around Charlotte's shoulders.

She pulled it tight across her chest, as Nathan returned to his spot behind her. He put his arms around her and held her back against him. Charlotte leaned into the comfort of Nathan's broad, muscular chest. Loving as his hands moved across her. They were silent again, but not uncomfortable with it. The warmth of his body was coming through her. She felt the weight of his arm around her and the solidness of him bracing her back.

"Thank you, that is better," she cooed.

"I'll always take care of you," he said, nuzzling her neck.

Charlotte turned slightly towards Nathan behind her. "You didn't grab a quilt for yourself?"

"I was more concerned about you, I guess." She felt his lips move against her hair.

"Well, I'm more concerned about you," Charlotte shifted, coming to sit on the step beside Nathan. "There is plenty of blanket here for the both of us."

She adjusted the quilt, wrapping it around Nathan's strong shoulders. Pulling the blanket around them so it enveloped both of their bodies in its heavy warmth as they huddled under the quilt together.

When Charlotte's attention returned to Nathan's face, the look he gave her made her breath catch and her heart twist. She met his open, unguarded gaze that let her glimpse a part of his huge heart and gentle soul. She could tell he was stunned and deeply moved by her gesture. His eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Charlotte's hand moved to tenderly caress the side of Nathan's face. "I love you, Nathan Grant. Very much."

"I love you," he murmured against her skin as he leaned in and kissed her. His fingers digging into her hair as his lips explored her mouth. After a moment they withdrew slightly, again returning their attention to the sky above them. Charlotte savored the warmth she felt from Nathan's strong hands, one around her shoulder holding her tightly to his side, the other resting on her thigh.

They looked at the stars, tiny jewels against black velvet. Neither Nathan nor Charlotte had ever seen it like this before. The stars seemed so close one felt as if they could reach up and touch each bright speck of light. The night sky was beautiful. And the smell- clean and crisp. Even the sounds around them became a kind of music.

Then the darkness lightened.

"Nathan," Charlotte gasped. "Look."

It began slowly, hardly noticeable. The stars grew smaller and smaller, and the black softened. Lights spilled slowly over the mountains, across the valley to the woods and open meadow of their property. Colors of pale green and rose-pink swung and gracefully shimmered loosely across the sky. The lights grew brilliant, gold-streaked with hints of ruby reds and violet purples laced throughout. Vivid colors, but as transparent as the most fragile fabric.

"The northern lights," Nathan whispered in equal awe. His breath warm against her skin. "An elder of the Stoney-Nakoda tribe once told me that they were spirits dancing in the sky."

Charlotte stood up, letting the quilt drop from her shoulders as she moved down the steps. Relishing the cool breeze in her face and wilderness in every direction. She had never seen anything so beautiful. Watching the spirits move above them.

She spun around; her arms spread wide. All around her, nature sang and danced. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Charlotte called back to Nathan who watched her from his perch on the steps.

"Breathtaking." He firmly answered. His eyes never wavering from his wife.

"It makes me feel like I'm utterly insignificant in it all. I'm just the smallest of parts in God's grand creation."

He couldn't breathe as he watched her in the moonlight and the shimmering colors that danced above them. Every movement drew his gaze to her and made him aware. "You are no small part to me, Charlotte."

She turned to him. Her grey eyes reflecting the rainbows in the sky. Smiling, she held her arms out in invitation.

"Dance with me, Nathan," Charlotte's hair floated about her, spilling over her shoulders and back, and her voice came husky and enticing in the wind as she continued to twirl about in the snow-covered meadow.

He joined her then, coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. They watched and swayed as the lights flashed and quivered above them, forming arcs and ribbons of colors. The immensity of it was scarcely conceivable. As if from heaven itself, great curtains of delicate light hung and trembled in the gentle breeze of the mountains.

Nathan turned Charlotte in his arms and tenderly caressed her face.

"Nathan." She breathed. Charlotte pulled his head down and kissed him, loving his response to her. Loving the way she felt when he took over.

Lifting Charlotte, Nathan held her, cradled to his chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He closed his eyes and let her warmth seep into him as he carried her back into their home.

The spirits continued their dance throughout the night sky, filling Nathan and Charlotte's love with a heavenly promise of all the vibrant color, warmth, and light their marriage would create in the lifetime they spent together.

*Gosh that was a fun chapter to write! :) Hope you enjoyed it.