Well, this is by far the most extensive and probably the most romantic love scene I've ever written (and for those who know my writing, that's saying something!)

I haven't written anything like this for this couple in quite a long time and I was amazed while writing it, how easily the words flowed out of my fingers and onto the page. It's possibly also the fic most closely related to the hurt/comfort genre I think I've ever penned.

I hope you're all as happy with it as I am.

Peace and love,

Renee

...

After the evening's perilous ordeal, after being rescued from the bridge, interviewed by the police and checked over by a doctor, to whom Oliver had paid a very handsome price for a late night call out, Annie had clung to him until they had reached the car, then she'd switched to Grace so that he could drive, the shivering little girl holding onto the woman for dear life, as if she were still holding onto the bridge.

Oliver took Annie from Grace once they'd reached home and carried her up to bed, Grace following closely behind, her eyes fixed on the precious yet melancholy sight.

The child had been through so much in the past few hours. Saying goodbye to a place and people she had come to love, being kidnapped by people she thought she could trust, fighting for her life after suffering a terrible betrayal, and not least of all, discovering the truth, that the parents she had longed for her entire life, were gone.

Grace and Oliver's hearts were ravaged with pain and sorrow for the dear little girl they had both grown to love so much.

As Grace drew back the covers of the bed, Oliver lay the limp child gently down to rest. He placed a soft but lingering kiss on her head, apologizing silently to her for what she had been through that night, feeling partly responsible for letting her go with those terrible people.

Grace felt much the same way, full of sadness and guilt as she took her turn to kiss Annie goodnight. All she could do to reconcile her own remorse was to start thinking of ways she could make it up to the child - hopefully, for the rest of her life.

With some difficulty, neither one of them wanting to take their eyes off her, Grace and Oliver left Annie to sleep.

They retired to their own separate rooms, the hour incredibly late and the two of them, exhausted.

Oliver lay in his bed, extremely tired yet knowing that sleep was unlikely to come. His brain and body were wired from the arduous night, the adrenaline of racing to the bridge to rescue Annie, the fear he had felt when he'd seen her in such danger, the erratic rhythm of his heart as Grace had clung to him and the exultation when Annie was finally back in their arms.

There was no way he would find rest that night.

Grace meanwhile, tried to sleep, but visions plagued her mind. Terrible, horrifying visions of what might have transpired had Punjab not made it to Annie in time.

A particularly distressing nightmare made her wake with a gasp, her face wet with tears and her heart pounding. She rubbed her hands over her face, trying to shake away the dreadful image her traumatized subconscious mind had just conjured. Reliving it again in consciousness made Grace feel ill and distraught all at once. She brought her knees up to her chin and sobbed and sobbed until she felt so physically drained she hadn't the energy to cry any more tears.

Suddenly, she felt so afraid, consumed with anxiety. With a desperate, albeit slightly irrational need to see for herself that Annie was alright, she tiptoed back to the little girl's room.

She let out a long, relieved sigh when she saw that the little cherub was still sound asleep. Not ready to let her out of her sight, needing reassurance that her girl was safe, Grace took a seat on the chaise lounge and sat, staring unblinkingly at the peacefully sleeping child.

For the umpteenth time that week, Grace marveled at Annie's resilience and strength. In comparison, Grace felt like a failure.

She was so upset with herself for being so naive and for trusting complete strangers so readily, especially when the life of a child in her care had been at stake.

"You too, huh?"

The voice of her boss from the doorway made Grace jump. She stood up quickly and walked over to him, not wanting their raised voices to wake Annie.

Standing toe-to-toe with him, she murmured softly, "I couldn't sleep without having nightmares. I kept seeing these…awful things." She shivered. "What might have happened if we hadn't got there in time, if those girls hadn't warned us, if Annie had fallen off that bridge…oh, Oliver, I could never live with myself…"

Seeing and hearing how hysterical she was getting, Oliver decided it was best to remove Grace from the room. He understood her feelings completely, of course, but he didn't want Annie to be woken.

Despite desperately wanting to stay by Annie's side, Grace knew herself that her uncontrollable weeping would undoubtedly disturb the girl and the last thing she wanted was for Annie to feel sorry for her. She knew the child well enough by now to know that that was exactly the magnanimous outlook she would have.

Grace loved her, but at this point, didn't feel like she deserved her.

She became so inconsolable that Oliver picked her up like a child and carried her down the hall.

She hadn't even realized they were in his bedroom until she was placed down upon the end of his bed. Grace pulled herself together enough to open her eyes and look at him.

He looked as worn out as she felt. She knew he was feeling as guilty as she was about the evening's incident, but she didn't think he should, after all, it was her job to properly vet the people who claimed to be Annie's parents. He should have been able to trust her assessment completely.

"I'm…so sorry", she whimpered against the arm he was still holding her with.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked her gently in surprise.

"I should never have let her go with those people."

She felt him shake his head. "You didn't know who they really were or what they were capable of."

"I should have checked more thoroughly."

"They told a convincing story, Grace. You can't blame yourself for being deceived by it. I was too", he sighed deeply, his own regret damn-near suffocating him.

He didn't know how he was ever going to release himself from it. He didn't even know if he should. For what Annie had been put through, he believed he deserved to suffer equally, to sit with the guilt he felt - a small penance to pay for letting her down so badly.

Both Grace and Oliver were in such awful states of despair and self-loathing. Both plagued with images that were horrifying, both filled to the brim with distress and remorse.

As they sat there together on the edge of his bed, Grace suddenly realized the impropriety of their position.

Part of her knew she shouldn't be there, but another part said she was already damned for her actions that night, and what did it matter anyway.

She knew she didn't deserve to be comforted, but being here in Mr. Warbucks' room, cradled in his arms, was too incredible to run away from.

She was so exhausted and so warm in his embrace that she nearly fell asleep, but the fear of what her nightmares would bring, kept her eyes from closing.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to sleep again. I just can't stop seeing…"

"I know", Oliver interjected and Grace realized with astonishment that they were both feeling the exact same thing as each other.

For two such incredibly different people, it was an astounding thing for them to be totally on the same page, but then again, they both had such fierce love for Annie, so it made sense that each of them would feel so equally cut up over what had transpired that night.

They locked eyes and Grace swore she felt her heart stop. The last thing Oliver wanted to do was to take advantage of her in her fragile state, but the way she looked at him made him feel so drawn to her. He just wanted to hold her and cover her with love.

They were both running on such heightened emotions. Perhaps it was wrong of them to start things this way, but then again, perhaps this was the only way they could ever be brave enough to.

"Please…", Grace whispered, putting herself completely at his mercy. "Help me to forget this night ever happened."

For a minute she wondered if he would pick her up and throw her out of his room for the very suggestion. Would he be horrified at the implication? Despite the fire burning between them, she knew the timing wasn't exactly ideal.

Then again, he had held her so tenderly earlier that night, been so strong and reassuring to her as they had watched in terror as their little girl had dangled perilously above them.

Oliver knew Grace was beating herself up and was fighting her own conscience to even ask this of him. But by God, he was in love with her and no matter what the situation was, no matter how fraught their night had been and how bad he felt about giving into his own feelings, he knew he could never deny her.

Both let out moans of relief as much as desire as he brought his lips to hers, kissing her hard. Her arms instantly came around his neck, hands grabbing the back of his head.

Grace shuddered as his tongue sought hers, her fingers causing welts in the base of his neck as she gripped him tightly, somehow seeking more, wanting him to join with her, to share every bit of what she was feeling with him, the pain and the joy, she was desperate for connection.

Oliver's arms snaked around her back, he held her firmly against him, willing her too, to somehow become one with him.

She moved her hands up to his face and held him so tenderly as his kisses slowed to a delicate dance.

She felt herself being lowered to the bed. He pulled back from her for a moment, his eyes meeting hers in gentle promise as he made a solemn declaration. "Let's make a different memory of tonight."

Her eyes softened with affection before she reached for him, wrapping his solid frame in her arms again and pulling him back in for another passion-filled kiss.

It wasn't just the intensity the night had brought. Their mutual attraction and adoration for each other had been bubbling just beneath the surface since long before Annie had even come into their lives. It was something they had both known inside themselves for quite some time, and had suspected in each other too.

This night had merely given them the push to step up to a reality they had been too scared to face, that life could be so painfully short and unpredictable, and there really wasn't a moment of it to be wasted.

They had spent so much time denying their hearts, forbidding their feelings for one another, and now all they wanted was to rejoice in it.

Grace arched into him as he kissed her neck, deft fingers loosening her silk cravat and twirling it around her to remove it. At the same time, she began carefully unbuttoning his suit jacket, her fingers shaking slightly from adrenaline and just the slightest touch of nerves.

Being with each other this way meant that everything was going to change for them. They had already instigated change by bringing Annie into the fold. She'd been a welcome addition to their household and their hearts.

The two of them though, already had a well-established relationship, one that was currently being well and truly blasted apart, but so very much for the better for them both.

Carefully they helped one another out of their jackets. Before Grace could even get a look at him in only his thin, crisp white dress shirt, he made her go blind with desire, bringing his open mouth to her still clothed breast, toying with her nipple through the sheer fabric.

Squirming with anticipation, panting with desire, Grace grabbed hold of his tie and tugged it so hard that she ripped it from him.

For a moment he stilled in surprise, his face registering shock as she too looked back at him, stunned by her own ferocity.

He raised his eyebrow at her, impressed. She let out a short, breathy laugh which became a breathless moan as he lifted her own shirt off and tauntingly licked the skin of her abdomen.

Aside from the raw emotion they were feeling, they had also been faced with a lesson on the fragility of life. They were both so aware of the importance of not wasting a single second of the time that they had.

Each one of them was now painfully aware of the other's pining and that they had been feeling it for each other for so many years and so now that they were here together, they were frantically trying to express all of the unspent passion they had denied themselves for so long.

Grace wined needily as he took purchase of her skin with his hot, open mouth, skirting lower with each movement, driving her wild with lust.

They may have been going to hell in a handbasket but neither one could feel bad about it. It felt far too good and boy did they need a bit of good after the night they'd just had.

Flicking open the brass button with dexterous and determined hands, he grabbed the waistband of her skirt and pulled it seductively down her legs, her pantihose coming down with it, leaving her only in her underwear.

Needing him badly but not wanting to rush things, Grace pushed herself up off the bed and kissed him deeply, slowly and sensually undoing the buttons of his shirt. She rolled the sleeves down his arms and he shook himself out of it.

For a few moments, she simply sat and stared at him. It was the first time she'd ever seen his bare skin other than on his hands or face.

She marveled at him. He wasn't especially flexed, but he was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen.

In the tenderest exchange they'd had since he'd kissed her, Grace placed warm, featherlite kisses upon his chest, her hands caressing his back adoringly.

He was saving her from herself, swaying her from all the bad thoughts she had about herself, showing her she deserved to feel good, to feel loved.

And she loved him in return for that. So very much.

It was the first time she'd truly allowed herself to fully embrace the thought of loving him. It had been fleetingly present, hovering in her subconscious, simmering away in the background for many years, but to truly acknowledge it would have meant that their professional relationship was done for, and that was something she thought she couldn't risk.

Now though, he was proving that he felt much the same. She knew he wasn't simply bedding her out of pity or even out of carnal desire alone. She knew in the gentle way he held her that he loved her too. And this was certainly not just a tryst, this was the making of a beautiful and life-long love.

He must have been able to read her thoughts because she found him sweetly tilting her chin between his thumb and forefinger, bringing his lips to hers in a delicate kiss that was full of adoration and emotion.

They spoke no words but their eyes said everything.

She ran her hands down his chest, causing him to quiver and jump, especially when she reached his belt and began to unbuckle it.

Both of them breathed shakily, yet in perfect syncopation, the whole time holding each other's steadfast gaze as Grace arched forwards and pushed him backwards so that their positions were swapped - the symbolism not being missed by either of them.

And Oliver submitted to her freely and willingly, placing his hands atop his wildly beating heart while she lowered his pants, exposing him in all his magnificent glory.

Grace's chest rose and fell erratically, the swell of her breasts tantalizing Oliver. Before he could try and reach out to remove her bra though, she shocked him by lowering her mouth onto him.

He helplessly canted into her, his guttural reaction involuntary and surprising to them both. Grace moaned around him in approval at the reaction she had got, causing him to jerk once more against her.

He reached down, grabbing fist fulls of her hair, his knuckles turning white as he twisted it in his hands, barely able to tolerate the sensations she was eliciting.

She released him from her mouth, but then very saucily took him in hand and stroked him several times more. The explosive feeling was too much for Oliver to handle. He reached out and grabbed both of her wrists, pushing her back again roughly, deciding it was time for her to suffer the same delicious torture.

Hastily, he removed her undergarments pulling her roughly against his chest to unclasp her bra, in a rather impressively skillful fashion for a man who'd had no experiences with women for many years.

With a hand on each of her breasts, he used the opportunity to fondle her while at the same time, coaxing her once more onto her back, allowing him the freedom to remove her panties.

He tried not to react so comically but couldn't stop his eyes from bulging out as he took her in. He could hardly believe he had Grace Farrell naked in his bed.

It was his every fantasy come true.

He was practically salivating as he descended upon her, unapologetically voracious with his mouth.

His actions had more than the desired effect Grace was after when she'd coaxed him into sleeping with her. Not only had her thoughts of this evening vanished from her mind, but every single other thought she'd ever had was gone as well, her brain all but short circuiting as he made her stop thinking, and left her no choice other than to just feel.

And what he made her feel was rapturous. Like the world was ending and beginning all at once. Like there were birds in her belly, fluttering their wings like they could burst out of her any minute and carry her away with them on their ascent to the heavens.

Stars burst in front of her hard-shut eyes, her fingers curling into his satin bed sheets, her blood pumping vigorously through her body just to keep her breathing.

She resisted the urge to scream but opened her mouth in a silent gasp as shockwave after shockwave shot through her.

Enough, she thought, not that she could have taken any more, while she took Oliver by his strong shoulders and pushed him off her, then reaching for his hips, brought their bodies together.

He slid straight through her, both of them years-ready for the moment in all honesty.

His commanding presence that was so enticing to her, her respectful yet challenging demeanor, the way he looked out for her, the way she'd cared for him, all the long conversations, the late night, lamp lit, intimate companionship, the drinks they'd shared, the past week where Annie had almost convinced them they were actually a proper family, Grace and Oliver's souls had been bound for so long, and now their bodies were so naturally, so rightly, following suit.

There was no greater definition of soul mates than what they were to each other and now they were also lovers. They had been lovers intellectually since practically the day they had met, and now they were lovers physically too.

She was his employee, but his best friend too. She was his pair and his partner in life and he belonged nowhere else in the world but with her.

Two worlds collided as their two bodies did the same, the heat between them rising like the sun.

Though the room was dimly lit - bright, white light flashed before Oliver's eyes as his whole being shuddered with release and Grace, as always, was right behind him.

Her breath came out of her in sobs. She was both overwhelmed and exalted. She reached for him quickly, still needing him close by.

Tears gathered in her eyes as he held her face and kissed her almost reverently, like he was writing poetry against her lips. Creating a love song with his mouth.

They stilled for the first time since coming into his room and Grace's dewy eyes shone up at him. He dropped to his side, pulling her warm frame right up to his.

He reached down and carefully covered them both with the duvet. It wasn't cold but he wanted only to wrap her in comfort and keep her there forever.

Softly, with her lips brushing against his cheek, Grace whispered, "For as long as I live, I hope I never forget this."

He wrapped his arms around her tightly and squeezed her to convey his commensurate gratitude for being the most perfect distraction imaginable.

Come morning, they were still joined but had each migrated slightly to the edges of the bed. Neither one was used to sleeping next to someone else.

It was with very pleasant surprise that they woke and remembered the events that had occurred the night before - exactly what they had set out to achieve by choosing to be together.

Well, that, among other things.

After canoodling uncaringly under the covers for a while, they decided, for both of them, that they needed to go and see Annie.

They didn't know whether to be surprised or unsurprised to find her still sleeping.

They sat either side of her on the bed. Oliver gently stroked her arm while Grace leant over and kissed her forehead.

Annie's eyes opened with a flutter. She looked around the room in dazed confusion for a minute. The whole week she had struggled to remember where she was upon waking, the mansion such a stark contrast to the orphanage but not at all what she'd grown so used to. Last night's trauma only complicated her thoughts even further.

She was glad to realize, for a start, that she was alive.

When she looked up and saw the faces of the two people she loved most in the world staring back at her, she had to stop and count her blessings.

"Good morning, sweetheart", Grace spoke softly to her.

"Am I really here?" She had to ask.

"Yes Annie, you're really here, and if you're happy with it, you're not going anywhere else, ever", Oliver promised her.

"You mean it?" She asked tearfully.

"Absolutely."

"Even after I caused so much trouble last night?"

They both gasped at the poor child for even thinking like that.

Grace placed her hands delicately on the girl's cheeks, forcing Annie to look at her. "Annie, that was the fault of those awful people, not…not yours." She swallowed thickly, realizing that she needed to come to the same conclusion and forgive herself as well.

"We're so glad you're safe, Annie, and we're so glad to have you home."

Annie glanced up at Oliver with a small, bur grateful smile. "Thanks for comin' to save me", she muttered shyly.

He gaped at her. "Of course Annie. We always would. We love you." Grace nodded her agreement, her eyes becoming watery as well.

"I love you too", Annie replied, her own tears falling freely as she reached forward and threw her arms around the two adults.

Behind Annie, Grace and Oliver locked hands, Annie's untampered love and forgiveness, helping their hearts to heal one little bit more at a time.

The end.