Flight Of Fate

Chapter Fourteen - A False Sense Of Security

Thranduil smiled as he rolled over onto his side, his arm sliding underneath the warm, naked body beside him. His head lowered and his mouth placed gentle butterfly kisses along the flesh of an exposed arm.

The arm moved and a muffled sound seeped out from the pillow.

"Are you awake yet, my love?" he whispered. His fingers traced little patterns on the skin.

Kira's head lifted briefly then thumped back down again. "What time is it?" she mumbled.

"Daytime," he answered.

"What?!?" She moved abruptly, but he pressed against her shoulder and pushed her back to lie on her stomach again.

"I have already fed and changed Eden, and she is in her crib playing with her rattle," he said. "Don't panic, she's absolutely fine. Both doors are open, and I can hear her babbling away to herself."

She groaned helplessly into the too-soft pillow. "I can't believe I've slept this long. I never sleep this long."

"You needed it. You had an active night last night."

She turned her head towards him and forced her eyes open to look accusingly at him.

He laughed; a deep, rumbling laughter that bubbled up from his gut. "What? You were exhausted," he said defensively. "That is why I just let you sleep on. You obviously needed the rest."

"How can you look so bright...so alert...so...fucking attractive after last night?" she demanded. The bed beneath her bounced a little as she pushed herself up onto her elbows, where he eyed her quizzically. "I mean look at you. You don't have a hair out of place. You look like you've been up for hours and are wide awake. You certainly don't look like you spent most of the night rolling around the bed."

"But I did, and what a night it was," he grinned. "Why do I get the feeling that you are most definitely not a morning person?"

"I need more sleep," she grunted, and dropped back down onto the mattress.

He chuckled and pressed more kisses to her shoulder. "I love you," he whispered.

Her eyes opened again and she stared into his ice blue eyes. "I love you too," she murmered. She shifted, rising back up onto her elbows. "I really do."

A warm smile curved his full mouth. "I'm glad," he said softly. "This last year has been a nightmare; an absolute disastrous twelve months." His head lowered as he shook it. "I'd never wish what I went through on anyone. And God only knows what you must have gone through. Alone. Scared. Pregnant. Probably feeling abandoned. I wish I could take all that away."

Her hand lifted and settled against his cheek. "We've both survived it in our own ways," she said quietly. "We've found each other again, Eden now has you in her life – which she needed, and I have the feeling you did too – and we can move forwards. Maybe losing touch for all that time will make us stronger as a couple, who knows?"

He turned his head and kissed her palm. "All I know is that right now, everything I could ever have wished for or dreamed of is right here. And I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that you and our child are happy, secure, and shall want for nothing. Having you back with me...Kira, I do not have the words needed to tell you how much that means to me. And our daughter, although she was a surprise and if I'm honest, a shock to me, she will always know how much I love her. That is my oath."

"Then she could never ask for anything else," she whispered. "At least she will know that she has the love of both parents – I never had that."