It felt as if the world were beginning and ending in those moments, as if he had given her back far more than he perhaps could ever know. What the Castle brothers had taken from her could never be returned, but a fragment of the woman she had been before they had deviled everything was lit again thanks to Uther. Her name moaned low from his lips caught at her heart, tugged and pulled on the broken organ until it seemed to beat again. Her body responded to every touch from his as if she had known his hand and lips before or perhaps it was simply the familiarity with how he lavished his caresses on her that made her think this way.<br/><br/>His face buried into the crook of her neck and she found herself clinging to him, willing the tide that was about to engulf them to wait a while. Wishing for this night not to end for she knew what was at the other end of it ... blood and death, possibly her own but hopefully the brothers. Their lips kissed hungrily again until he climaxed deep within her. Sarah didn't care, she continued to wrap herself around him and sheath him as he unloaded all of his seed into her. Her womb was damaged now, barren of life and barren of hope because of what the Castle brothers had done. Her own orgasm came soon after he uttered that singular word.<br/><br/>She knew not what he referred to and highly doubted he had meant her not to orgasm, no she decided he was still asking her not to leave, issuing it this time as a command of sorts as if that could be obeyed when all else failed. Her eyes opened and she wished things could be different, wished things could work out so that they could find some degree of happiness in this world together but she was practical, knew how life worked and this, she believed was all they were going to get. With some measure of control she rolled them to their sides, letting one hand move to stroke his face and hair.<br/><strong>"Shhhh"</strong>her voice was an attempt to lull them both to sleep and closing her eyes was grateful when it came.<br/><br/>Sarah didn't think herself capable of either looking at him as they lay together or of actually sleeping, but sleep did come. Possibly the best sleep she had in the longest time but it did not prevent her from waking early. Looking at him as dark and light vied for supremacy outside, morning threatening to arrive she felt far too soon, Sarah extricated herself from him and his bed. With great care she climbed out of the bed and dressed as silently and swiftly as she could before looking at him one last time and leaving.<br/><br/>The deputy had show her map after map of the area for weeks, she knew or felt she knew every nook and cranny now and if they were holed up at the mines then she would go there alone. Uther didn't have to get any more involved than what he already was. The air was still chilled when she stepped outside and saddled up her horse. As she rode through the town she didn't look back once, didn't think her resolve would hold out if she did. She had a job to do and she intended to see it through.<br/><br/><br/><div align="center">contd., HERE (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=132186.new#new)</div>