A/N: I struggled with this chapter a lot. There was so much I wanted to cover. There's non-explicit love scene at the the end.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The Dark Forest

There was no farewell party for Piper when she left. None, because she didn't want it. It would hurt her and Aerrow too much, and the young mother attempted damage control by herself. The Sky Knight would not help even if she asked him too. Not anymore. He'd changed so much.

Piper would rather slip into relative obscurity than face inquisition from her many friends. A harmless question in public was as effective as a final slap in the face. She didn't want the well wishes, the 'why are you leaving?' The 'what are you going to do now?'

Sure she could tell the other Sky Knights and their squadrons about her plans to fully dedicate her life to science and her family. It was time to move on and that was the basic, white-lie truth. But there was always more to it, that nasty secret. Only she and Aerrow knew. The dark bloth of a mouldy stain in the corner of her mind that told her that wasn't all. If it wasn't for their feelings she'd stay a Storm Hawk for as long as she wanted, until the glamour of flying the skies wore off. Maybe it would have happened if she reached the dreaded mid-life crisis. Now she'd never know.

With the cultivated skill of a film star she lied through her smiling teeth when the Council Elders prodded her with curiosity. Such old men. Brittle and phlegmatic and set in their ways. What would she do? What she always did, study crystals. Educate herself and take it a step further, lead and share her knowledge with others. She was her own leader now, and in times of peace more Sky Knights could think of retirement if they so wished. There should be no shame in that.

They nodded in agreement, the liver-spotted men accepted her honest answers with content satisfaction. One less member for the association but the benefits outweighted the losses. A Piper in the laboratory was preferable over a Piper in the skies; she could do much more good with her studies. The woman was right. Don't let that brilliant mind go to waste.

The woman approached the Condor with trepidation and a lead heart. She didn't think Aerrow would be there, or anyone else. Only Stork. It was okay. A bittersweet smile plastered on her face, Piper stepped on board and saluted the carrier pilot at the helm. He silently nodded her way and saluted back. He is not one for physical contact, but Piper decided that all her friends deserve a private goodbye and a warm hug. Later, once her room is packed up.

Slender fingers pulled the old tape off the walls. The tape is attached to old glossy posters, the tops dusty. The pictures faded with the sun. Rolling up the mementos of her childhood from the bottom up, Piper secured the ends with wide elastic bands to prevent unravelling. Stuffed the posters upright in yet another cardboard box sitting upon the floor.

It is hot inside her small room, muggy and a little bit sweaty. And dusty. It is only the end of April and it already feels like May. It's this old metal bird, absorbing all the rays of the sun. Smoothing wispy strands of blue hair from her flushed brow, evidence of her progress, Piper rubs her hand over her mouth and stared at the apparent mess. It's not much, but it's still hers. She doesn't want to do this and her shoulders shake a little, like a slliver festering underneath the skin that refused to come out. The furniture will stay since they're bolted to the floor, such as the bunk and the desk. The chair can stay too. That thing was so uncomfortable. The desk lamp remained where it was. Maybe someone else will use it in the future. Maybe this theoretical new member will open the closet and be thankful for the empty hangers left by the room's previous inhabitant.

The bedsheets are in the dryer, almost ready to be stretched over the twin-sized mattress for the last time.

The nostalgic killed. She wanted to prolong her departure, pick up and reminisce over each knick-knack like a drawn-out sepia film. But she can't. The guys might come back and it'll make her sadder. Make it harder to close her door and walk out of the hangar bay with all her stuff. Leave her first home behind.

All these things, once immensely precious to her, coated in the invisible lacquer of childish innocence, are all going straight into the basement of the house. Maybe the garage. They won't be coming out of their boxes anytime this year. The overwhelming guilty was too much feel good about riffling though her belongings. Piper has little time to spare for regrets and what-could-have-beens, so the photos of the guys, of Aerrow, are gonna have to be buried until more time has passed.

Aerrow was not her future. Lark was her future. Ace is her partner. She will have no more distractions, this is what she wants.

And time moves on.

June 30th. A dark summer's night, much like the evening Ace returned to Piper.

The baby monitor was acting up, crackled and squealed from its upright position on the dresser. Lark was crying. Angry and distressed and not sleeping like she should.

Piper, exhausted and wishing she could fall back into bed, rubbed her puffed eyes with the tips of her fingers and turned over to her right side. Her husband grumbled, his mouth mashed against the firmness of his pillow, and made a noise that meant 'is it your turn or mine?'

She patted his back to let him know it wasn't his hour yet. Turned down the volume of the baby monitor when Lark gave a brief pause before hiccoughing again.

Too tired to stop the persistent yawning, the new mother stumbled out of bed barefoot and struggled not to sway. Had to put effort into being midly coherent. But it was hard with only a few hours sleep and such a comfortable bed. And maybe it was her fault for staying up so close to midnight, her nose buried in a book. But really, Lark needed to settle down.

Something upsetted their daughter's regular sleeping schedule earlier this week, a frightening thunderstorm Monday last. No amount of rocking or singing or gentle patting could soothe the child from the high-pitched wailing of the wind through the trees. As little as she was, the infant drowned out the high whistles of the wind with her small mouth. The curtains did nothing to muffle the sound of rain pelting the closed windows. The constant thudding against the roof. And the thunder. That was the worst. Lark did not cry nor wail as much as scream for her parents,

Something had upset her daughter's regular sleeping schedule earlier this week, perhaps it was the frightening thunderstorm Monday last. No amount of rocking or singing or gentle patting could soothe the child from the high-pitched wailing of the wind through the trees. The rapid thudding of rain pelting the closed windows. The curtains did nothing to muffle the sound. And the thunder. That was the worst. Lark did not cry nor wail as much as scream for her parents, utterly terrified by the raw force of nature.

Both Ace and Piper were exhausted from altering turns carrying the infant in their arms for hours on end. The storm lasted all night and into the soggy, wet morning. The rain finally pattered down into a tolerable noise level, enough for the child to sleep in her father's arms.

He tried to place her down in her crib but as soon as Lark sensed abandonment, she started to cry again. In the end, her tuckered parents took her to their bedroom. Lay her down on their own bed as they lay on either side of her, faced inwards and towards each other, their red-rimmed eyes begging for reprieve. It wasn't long until Lark, at last satisfied she would not be left alone in the cold nursery, fell into slumber.

Her parents formed a protective barrier around their child with their own bodies, and finally closed their sleep, following their daughter into dreamland.

But today was Wednesday. No, Thursday now. Piper blinked in the darkness and squinted when she yawned yet again. Her halitosis was sour in her mouth. Yup, Thursday. Way-to-early-Thursday. At least Lark slept in her own room last night and didn't put up a fuss for her father. The babe continued to toss and turn and cry every hour like clockwork, and Piper blamed the poor weather.

Maybe she needed to do some research. Parenting - How to settle infants sensitive to atmospheric changes. Or, 'My baby hates storms and I need to sleep.' Did such books exist? She'd have to check the library.

Opening the door to the nursery, Piper grabbed the rounded knob firmly and twisted her wrist sharply to the right so the lock wouldn't scrape against the frame and screech in her ears. Stepping into the dim room lit by the muted yellow light of a cute sheep-lamp, Piper scratched the back of her ears, yawned, and peered over the darkened crib.

"Lark?"

The soft white blanket that usually covered her daughter lay empty and collapsed without the soft body of an infant to cover. Piper stared at the empty space, her lungs shrinking and shriveling and performing contortions as she pressed her palm against the mattress. Still warm.

Her heart stopped, spluttered, and died.

Blood-curdling shrieks. Blind panic seized Ace as he shot out of bed and groped underneath the bed, ripped out his double-bladed sword from its noctural hiding spot. His mind lagged three seconds behind as his body reaced without really thinking. He just knew there was danger. His family was in danger. The screaming continued.

Gracelessly he sprinted out of the master bedroom and tore down the hallway towards Piper. He knew her voice. There was the loud crash of wood hitting the floor, of breakable objects being thrown around. Screeching. Madness.

He skidded to a halt just inside the nursery with wide, red eyes, his sword aflame and ready for murder. Dishevelled and heaving, his unruly mass of black hair and gaunt eyes, the marks of sleep on his face. But he was nowhere close to how completely unhinged his wife looked.

Piper was doubled over, heaving and sobbing. The crib overturned at her feet. The sheets ripped from the exposed mattress and strewn haphazardly at the walls. The sheep-lamp flickered from its new place upon the carpet, its shade stomped on angrily and deformed. Claw-like hands scratched at the space of skin where Piper normally wore her goldstone necklace.

Throwing her head back with such force it could have snapped her neck, screamed at the ceiling in betrayal. Stumbled backwards until her back thumped against the wall before she turned to Ace who stood in the shadow of the door. A manic gleam glowed in her amber eyes. Piper was no longer seeing reality. She couldn't smile but absurdly, her lips tried too. Her husband was too late.

Lark. Their baby girl. The one who survived. Taken from them.

Ace's arm dropped to his side, his muscles limp and flaccid. The edge of the glowing sword scraped against the floor as if it too felt shame, and cast an eerie pool of red light around his ankles like watery blood. His stomach lurched. His arms scorched. He gagged from the bile rising in his throat. He wanted to kill indiscriminately.

His baby. Their baby. Lark. Lark...

Piper pushed past him in a hurry, all wide eyes and dilated pupile. Ace could only focus on the upturned crib. Behind him a female voice shouted and hollerated a name and the large house echoed her cries and the sharp bang of opened doors. Racing feet. A choked voice struggling not cry. Not to give in.

But he had. Ace knew. This was the second price, Piper's price to pay. A stolen life to make a life. They would not find Lark here, not on this terra. Stupid, he was so incredibly stupid. His jaw quivered and his body started to shake, then rocked violently like an old tree against a cyclone. His eyes screwed tight as if that was enough to punish his inbecility. Ace felt his jaw drop, his mouth opened to say something to the darkness, maybe his daughter's name -

He screamed. Angry and desperate. His heart torn out. His voice wailed with boiling, unending despair.

Two months into dating the Dark Ace and he was already a frequent visitor to her apartment. She preferred it that way. Although Piper was impressed with his house, it intimidated her. Reminded her of the vast difference between them, and it stirred feelings of unworthiness within the young woman.

How could she live up to this? She was just starting out, learning how to manage a scientific team and a business and do all sorts of real, adult things. Like how to live alone. Know what silence really felt. If the Cyclonian was looking for a trophy wife, she was not it. Just because she was a female didn't mean she'd give into pretty dresses and perfume and hang onto his shoulder at hoity-toity parties, if he did such things. She was intelligent yes, but not superficial. There was still so much she didn't know, both about him and herself.

So she told him so. About the large emptiness of the mansion, her assumptions about his high expectations, and her level of tolerance for bullshit.

He laughed unabashedly. Piper thought she was being mocked, something Finn would do, until the man smiled down at her. His red eyes crinkled in clear approval.

"It seems that every day I see you, you continue to amuse me."

She crossed her arms defensively. "Huh. I don't know if I like that. I'm already a constant source of amusement for Finn's pranks."

"It's a compliment, Piper."

"You need to work on those. Everything you say sounds like a command." And to her inner delight, he nodded in assent.

Piper didn't expect the Dark Ace to fall in love first. But he did two months into what she believed was casual dating. She didn't really have a name for it, being inexperienced in such games. But Dark Ace did not question his feelings, just hers.

He fell in love fast and hard and wholeheartedly. It was a goddamn modern miracle. The Storm Hawk wouldn't have believed it if she wasn't the centre of his attention, if she wasn't there to feel the way he leaned towards her when they went out for dinner together. Or the way his arms always opened up first so she could step into his hugs. Constant physical affection. It made her laugh and smile. How he dipped his head when they embraced so his cheek brushed against her hair. How he liked to kiss her neck during such intimate moments and catch her off guard.

The way he said her name like a purr.

The Dark Ace sensed when she was uncomfortable or distressed and verbally asked her about it. He was frank about his opinions and cryptic about his lifestyle, and totally rude to strangers. He was private and smart and handsome. As a person, he wasn't kind at all. But he listened to her, like the instance he swallowed his tongue when Piper reprimanded him on being unnecessarily cruel to their waiter. Okay, so he brought their meals lukewarm. It was a busy restaurant. The glower didn't help the situation.

And without pulling a childish face, the Dark Ace attempted to be less abrasive for her. He would never be gentle with individuals he didn't trust, but there was more than enough emotion dedicated to her.

Piper thought she could live with that.

And currently she snuggled against him on her couch. On the floor lay her abandoned attempted to read the new standardized safety procedures for the laboratory. It just came in this morning from Pepper. Accident happened, but it was always to be prepared and updated. The eye-wash station hadn't been used yet, a good sign. If anything there were more burnt fingers from handling cooking crystals to heat the burners. Nothing a little cold water and some aloe vera couldn't soothe.

But she expected company tonight, and in said company it was futile to get work done. Not when her guest insisted on cooking dinner in her tiny kitchen and cuddle on the second-hand sofa afterwards. God, his food was good. He was more than welcome to cook for her anytime.

She wondered if this was how he grew up. Poor, like her. Having to work to prove his worth and save and scrape by until he was taken in by the original Storm Hawks.

The Dark Ace dressed well but he had no qualms about having his expensive clothes wrinkled from her tattered couch. Or handling battered pots and pans that've seen better days. They ate supper on the sofa instead of the kitchen table, currently unusable as it was covered in documents and work papers. Piper's make-shift office.

This man didn't care if he kissed her without either of them brushing their teeth after dinner. If she tasted like cloves and roasted ham. If she had accidental pen marks on her chin. She had an inkling that this man who wanted to see her every day was more than just a little infatuated with her. It kinda made her giggle and smile a lot.

And then there were the other times. The ones when he absolutely floored her by confessing how much he adored her without actually saying the words. Like now.

A rolly-polly ball of happy anticipation grew inside her. Tumbling and turning, growing bigger as it rolled around in his words as if they were powdered suggar. Her mouth watered and a slight shiver trickled down her spine. In the hours and minutes before he arrived she looked forward to exploring his mouth with her tongue. Hear him groan underneath her lips as he lifted her onto his lap. Caress his face with gentle, roaming fingers. Read the depth of his crimson eyes.

He knew.

And he had a way with words. A low, rumbling voice that caused her insides to quiver and tremble when he leaned in close and looked into her eyes. Made her want to kiss him senseless.

"You bring out the best in me, Piper. Did you know that? I didn't. I'm not an easy to be around and yet you're not afraid. Not anymore. I like that. Like I'm nothing more than a kitten to you, harmless. I bite and scratch and hiss and you smack my paw before holding me. Strangely, I don't mind it. I care for you very much, Piper. You've stabbed me with my own poison. I'll fight for you. I'll be your knight if you were my princess. I'd kidnap you from those squabbling suitors and put you in a tower and be your dragon. Do you have this effect on everyone, or is it just me? I think I'm falling in love with you."

Piper had no proper reply, not yet. No one had ever talked to her like this, cherished her important like it belonged on a marble podium. On the highest tier in the middle of the room with spotlights. Worshipped her mind and body. Said she made him a better man. Like she was an artifact with no negotiable price.

And she craved it. She wanted that fierce, undivided attention. She thought that he thought she was perfect.

Piper shuddered inwardly.

That was a moment for her. She wanted this man, truly and honestly. But how much? This complicated, mildly-confused Cyclonian who once wanted to destroy her squadron, her family. Who showed no fear over his fealty to Terra Cyclonia even in defeat. In disgrace.

He mourned the assassination of Master Cyclonis, arguably the most hated female in the past decade of the history of the Atmos. Burdened with her death as evidence of his ultimate failure to protect her, and yet Piper could learn to forgive him. A self-serving traitor would not feel such intense sorrow for their boss. He was more than just his actions, just like she was more than just the Storm Hawks navigator.

A part of her stilled, knowing she already did. Forgive him, that is. It made no sense at all.

Is this what love was about? The one in the folk songs and oral tales? Irrational and forgivable. What was so special about her compared to everyone else? She just wanted to know. Why her?

"I won't hold it against you if you don't feel the same way."

But there was a silent begging in his red eyes that made her heart twinge. He wanted her to say she loved him, to be the first to reach out and grasp the golden tassel attached to the rope dangling between them. The cord was thick and heavy, silken and red, much like one would see in the waiting lines of the opera house.

Gold flashed at the edge of her vision.

She replied honestly and her chest felt bare. Naked. Somehow this man got to her, reached inside her invisible space and touched a part of her soul with a single stroke of his index finger. He was careful of her reaction, she could see it in his face. Studied her intensely and yet tried to remain aloof. As if her answer did not hold power over him. But she did. He knew that she knew, and still Piper knew she wanted to take him to bed.

It took a different type of bravery to be vulnerable. Did he know? Was he so sure she would fall for him? What if she did fall in love, would he suddenly give up, his quest completed? Did her appeal originate from the fact she didn't shirk him and he required a new challenge to occupy his days? Could she survive the heartache to follow if she let him inside and he suddenly left? Was she brave enough to take that chance?

Was her curiosity surrounding this Cyclonian the only thing that made her say yes to each new date?

He lived in his head a lot, but breathed through his body. Whatever thoughts swirled through his mind, his physique reacted accordingly. He was in utter control of himself, and left himself vulnerable on purpose. Confident and arrogant, and very male. His face could be so unreadable, a mask of impassiveness when he wanted it to be.

And he was quickly becoming her ideal. It made very little sense at all.

"I don't know. I've never been in love before. I've had crushes, sure, and at the time I thought it felt like love. But I feel different. I'm not sure."

She saw the slight downward cast of his mouth. Piper stored that tidbit of information in the storage boxes of her mind. There were a lot of boxes with his name written on it, and it took up a lot of space. In the quiet of her bedroom when she was alone, before she slept, she liked to open the lids and reach into them. Study them with smiling eyes and arrange the trinkets of memory around her like a half-rainbow.

"-But I want it to continue. I want to keep seeing you. I want to be with you, Ace."

His name felt a little odd on her tongue but she'd done it. Dropped the title and called him by his singular name. It would take some practice on her part before it felt completely normal, but she'd work on it.

Three words echoed in his mind. (I. Want. Ace.)

First, his name. Ace -

The man dragged in a breath through his parted lips, his jaw slackened slowly. Only Piper could get away with that name, only her. He wouldn't tolerate anyone else, not even her best friends were permitted to refer to him like that. So casual. Like they were friends.

Once, the obnoxious blond called Finn attempted to be friendly at Piper's suggestion and crossed that line. The older man stared him back down into submission. It took effort not to growl either and take his girlfriend- (His heart sped up at the mention of that word. Was Piper his girlfriend? No, that didn't seem right. The word didn't suit how he felt for her. She was more than that to him. She was his sweetheart.)

-It took effort not to growl either and take his sweetheart aside immediately. It wasn't her fault, but he didn't want anyone else to address him as such. Only her. But he spared her the humiliation and swallowed his dislike. It was uncomfortable to keep his tongue in his mouth. He was so used to lashing out at lowly Talon soldiers, to order people around. When he served Master Cyclonis, only she could make him take his medicine. He took her criticism and ire with the bitter grace of a favoured military officer.

But Piper was not his underling. She wasn't a spoiled teenager with an empire to rule. She was Piper. The years had been good to her, and she was more than she believed she was. This woman was his equal, and then more. She just didn't know it yet.

His title - The Dark Ace - was one of his mental walls. Insofar, only one person managed to clamour over its sleep, slippery surface.

Then two more words. The phrase, I want.

Two words that soaked deeper than intended.

- I want -

Piper wanted him around. She wanted their relationship to continue.

- I want you.

(I want you, too.)

"Ace?"

Her voice again. It brought him back to the present, to her couch, and his crimson eyes opened up to her. It was only the second time and yet his name settled more comfortably upon her tongue. Whispered in hushed tones, cushioned with softness. He could get used to that. He blinked.

"Yes, Piper?"

A tiny smile of relief graced her features as she licked her lips. She'd been studying him too. Unsure what to do next, he decided for her. He lifted Piper up, chuckling at her protests, and carried her to her bedroom. Settled her down upon the bed before climbing in himself. Propped himself up on his right elbow, reached upwards with his left hand and stroked her face, drawing her closer. The smile widened. Placing a chaste kiss upon her lips, he pulled her down onto the pillows and tucked her head underneath his chin. Her breathing was shallow, belied her slight nervousness.

At least she didn't have to look into his eyes anymore. Both felt the tension. Piper was out of the spotlight for the moment.

"Um, what happens now?" Piper sounded more comfortable in the shadow of his body.

"Nothing, at least for today. Tomorrow, we continue. I get to take you out to fancy restaurants and see you enjoy yourself, and the trade-off is spending more time with you."

He could hear her smile.

His new queen, if she wanted the title. Whether she realized it now or later, Piper would discover his enduring loyalty to her. This went deeper than just being her boyfriend or her protector, this newfound love had to be reciprocated for it to endure. He was wise enough to understand how this relationship was going to work. Piper would have to protect him too.

An epiphany he had a few days ago, before he succumed to the fact he had fallen for the young woman. Under the hot spray of a morning shower, Ace's wet eyebrows rose in surprise. He wished Piper was there, naked and wet with him, her hands splayed over the broad muscles of his slick back. Nothing overtly sexual, just the pleasure of her vibrant presence.

He had many enemies and she had many friends. If was going to marry this woman, the odds were against him. Her friends would be fearless attempting to dissuage her; that Sky Knights of hers might finally make a move on her as he continually feared he would. Aerrow's protecctiveness over Piper was more than just brotherly affection and Piper might reciprocate, albeit unconsciously. Aerrow was far too easy to respect and adore to the general public. Attention-seeking boy, smiling and hugging and laughing with ease. So open-hearted. So gullible. Constantly needing positive reinforcement. The son of Lightning Strike believed in the best of people until cold truth smacked him in the face.

But Ace could do it, be worthy of Piper. Atmos and Storm Hawks be damned.

If Master Cyclonis, with all her terrible fault and fractures, thought this person was equal to her, then Piper was more than qualified. Unlike other unmentionable individuals, she had the capacity to understand. He trusted the judgement of his late empress, and if he succeeded in winning Piper's affection it would be a bittersweet reunion. The loyal subject of the queen, evolving with this new peaceful world, protecting and loving the person his Master held in unspoken respect.

Now his bed was her bed, and he would have it no other way. Today he helped her move into his mansion, and the building evolved with him. It was more than just a fancy shelter, it was their home.

Piper's annual lease on her small apartment terminated at the end of this month and Ace was excited. Newly married, he was full of energy an dpride. So much his new bride deadpanned he might have an early heart attack with his persistent whining to hurry it up. She couldn't speed up time and she liked to pack carefully. This was a significant even in her life, he had to emphathize, and she wanted to relish it.

Her first move from the Condor to her apartment was hurried and messy, with the boys shouting and tossing moving boxes at Piper's mental expense. She yelled sharply at Finn to be more careful with the boxes clearly labelled 'fragile' but it was useless. Junko had been the most helpful; he actually listened to her instruction with mulitple boxes stacked in his large, muscled arms. Stork was somewhat accomodating, inspected her new quarters with goggles and a magnifiying glass, green feet tucked into a pair of tissue boxes.

With a blacklight, the Merb discovered mold in the bathroom and the closets. Destroyed the hazards promptly with some greenish aerosol spray that Piper worried had more side effect than good. Oh well, if she ever felt sick or feverish she knew whom to contact.

But this was her second move - from her apartment to Ace's home. This time Aerrow didn't speak for their friends or the team, they had to speak for themselves. The boys, sans Aerrow, offered to assist her once more should she need them. And she did. Needed their physical and mental support. Her meticulous planner two weeks past were outlined in numerous tasks to be completed before moving day. On aforementioned day, the boys and her new husband would arrive at her door, ready to help.

And moving day was here.

That morning, Piper woke up alone in her serviceable, twin-sized bed. Tonight, she would sleep beside her husband, Ace.

"I love you," she murmured against the edge of his lips before pressing a kiss against his skin. He smelled like sweat and cologne, and tasted like the red wine he partook hours before. They played a game in their bed, simple but all-consuming. All heightened emotion and intense eye-gazing. Make love without using their hands or arms to touch the other.

"Say it again," he breathed. His lower body pressing down against hers. Piper groaned.

Ace's crimson eyes, wide and dark, bore into her soul. Rubbed his left cheek against hers in small circles like an affectionate feline. She swore he even purred, sultry and intoxicating. Elsewhere, on either side of their nude bodies were their hands. As they lay parallel to each other, horizontal against the bed, their entwined fingers rested at shoulder height. Caressing, rubbing. Hands busy lacing and unlacing in an unscripted, synchronized dance. Her wrists were pushed into the mattress.

"I love you," she repeated, stretching her neck to kiss the outside corner of his left eye this time. Piper knew of the spell she held over him, and weaved it over his heart repeatedly. It was his wish. She felt his face crumple with her loving words, the hot waft of breath from his place at her neck.

He licked her skin before sucking on it.

They moved together slowly, pushing up against the soft bank of pillows gathered at the headboard. Their bodies the rolling surf that meets the white sand of the shore under the soft glow of the dawn. Then down they went again, sinking in harmony. Piper's dusky blue hair imitated rippling echoes of waves as her body dragged underneath her husband's tow.

Ace was in agony, sweet and superb. Drowning, he knows no words can match the affection he has for her. Something has changed in his eyes, they are softer now. Less of an edge to it. There is a new glimmer in her amber orbs. A secret. This woman, future mother of all his children. He can't wait to start a family with her. She'll be perfect.

"Darling, you've ruined me," he growled, his voice low and rumbling and he kissed her fiecely with a lot of tongue. Not enough room for breath. Squeezing her fingers ardently, Ace drew her mouth up to his as he gradually lifted his head from her lips, pulling her up along with him.

Piper gave up her secret. "I want to have your babies. All of them."

Her beautiful smile. Ace could scarely breathe with such a face gazing up at him.

"You are the best thing that's happened to me."