The day had been hell, long and arduous. Camp had moved from the winter quarters to the summer positions. Brazen had helped Maria with her children and site after debating with Plissken for hours. He had never relented to allowing her to unpack and set up their camp. She'd never seen someone so egotistical in her life but there was no sense in arguing with him when work needed to be done.

It took time to find where he'd put up camp out on the very perimeter of the site and back among young trees. Honestly, the only way she knew it was their site was Cole tied to one of the larger saplings. The tent was a different one, larger, enormous even, compared to the old one. Susan laughed to herself realizing this was probably why he'd argued so long. The man loved surprising people both in good and bad ways.

The new tent wasn't the only surprise though. Inside was unbelievable. There was a table, not a large one but enough for the two chairs and a cot. All of their bedding was nicely laid out on it with military precision. The bear fur was on the floor in the center. Brazen blinked a few times. The "tent" almost looked like a house. There was even a closet which Brazen approached tentatively. It had to be handmade. She shook her head and opened it. The full length mirror inside the free standing closet was a shock to see. Though seeing her things hung and folded irked her insides. She hated him going into her things. He knew it and still did it every time a chance presented itself.

Susan sighed closing the doors. Only Plissken could pull this off in a day. Her attention turned back to the rather rough but sturdy looking table. That was when she saw the vase on the table filled with rather worn out but no less sentimental fake flowers. Susan walked over and picked the vase up to inspect them.

"What are you up to?" she whispered it to herself knowing full well something was up that she didn't know.

The thought barely had time to form before she felt hands on her waist. Crying out she dropped the vase. It never smashed though. Her heart was thumping in her chest when she turned to stare at Plissken and the rather amused, half cocked smile. The vase was in his hand which explained why it never crashed to the floor.

"Dropped something sweetheart." The words were smooth and all too sugary as he set it on the table beside her.

Brazen was suspicious of that look and how he was acting. In some moments, like this one, she'd swear it was some other Plissken here and not the one from LA or any other place.

"You did all of this today?" She had to know.

Snake looked around hands on his hips in a rather roguish pose. "Most of it."

"How?" She couldn't believe he'd done all of this alone in all of maybe 8 hours or so.

He shrugged and slinked closer. "Did good enough at eluding you for years."

Susan laughed quietly. The man did have a point with that statement. If Plissken was anything, cunning was the first thing that always came to her mind, sneaky even. The smile was still plastered in his expression when he got his hands around her waist. Brazen saw no need to move. Rare were moments of affection from him where he didn't appear to be pushing for sex.

"So, why did you do this?" Brazen crossed her arms defiantly. It was a game they played. She'd stay defiant and he'd eventually come out with what was going on. Susan had learned long ago that she would get nothing from him by being laid back.

"I hear people talking." Snake was sliding in closer and pressed his cold hands into the waist of her pants.

Brazen shivered and scowled at him for it. He didn't do anything but smile wider. The man could annoy the dead in the morgue. Brazen was sure of it. "About me?"

"Not particularly." Snake stole a brief kiss from her lips before Brazen got away from his grasp. She stopped again looking at the flowers with half her back to him.

"Then about what?" Susan was getting annoyed in a hurry though she thought maybe it was being exhausted and for once not all Plissken's fault.

She heard him sigh heavily signaling his unwillingness to answer her. Susan rolled her eyes and took another approach. "What is this all for? I thought we were leaving soon."

The hands were back on her waist but this time he was behind her. She glanced up at him over her shoulder. He seemed much more serious than he had a few minutes ago. He paused and she thought she felt him quake behind her which seemed almost unbelievable.

"Thought I'd make good on that ceremony." He whispered it to her and his voice seemed less confident than usual.

Susan didn't reply. The mere mention of that stupid ceremony raised fury in her. He'd never asked. Just like everyone else he'd pushed her into the place he wanted her in. Susan was just about to yell at him when her voice disappeared. She remembered watching him ride off to fight. That whole moment she'd wondered why he came back and she hated him for not just going away for good. How many times since she met him among the boulders had he gone out of his way to defend and care for her? Too many to count. The man who hated cops had been looking out for one all this time.

She shook herself from the internal struggle. "I don't think that is the best idea for a cop and a criminal."

She was being honest with him. Despite everything that they had been through there were still moments that she hated him for being a criminal. His arms tensed and she wondered what he was thinking.

"Opposites are supposed to attract."

Those words alone had a very odd effect on her. She wondered if what she had been mattered to him anymore. Susan realized she didn't even know if it had ever mattered to Snake. Her head sunk as she realized he had forgiven her for what she was but she had never given him that. He had ruined what she was and for so long that was all she could think about. Her silence went on so long that Plissken shifted impatiently behind her.

"Snake, I'm sorry." Brazen had to apologize to him for all the things she held against him. She held things against him from long ago, robberies, bombings, escaping, his whole record. He didn't even seem to care that she was the one who got him sent into LA.

"Sorry for what?"

The list was too long to even start. All she could do is shake her head deciding to go with something shorter. "I see you as a criminal still."

Plissken snorted a chuckle in her ear. "That's what I am sweetheart. No reason to be sorry for it."

Susan laughed too. She was still astonished by how absolutely comfortable Snake was with himself. She'd give an arm for half of that confidence. "You aren't so convincing at it."

"No?" She could tell just by his voice that he was teasing her.

"No."

"I shut down the world, kidnapped a cop, stole some horses, knocked out the head of the police force, cohorting with gangs, killing blackbellies, am part of an unauthorized union, having illegal sex, drinking, smoking, swearing and well on my way to breaking all the rest of those moral codes…. And I'm still not convincing."

Brazen giggled because there was no other way to handle the mock seriousness to his voice. "Not when you just built a cop a portable house."

Snake peeked at her over her shoulder and shook his head. "I didn't build it for a cop."

Brazen tilted her head at him. "Who is this for then?"

"My wife." His voice was so quiet she only just caught what he said.

"I…" Brazen wanted to argue as she stared at the blank tent wall but how could she? Plissken shifted again and Brazen looked down at his hands on her stomach. "Snake…."

"Hmm?"

"Are you serious?" She couldn't make heads or tails of this anymore. Too much turmoil clouded her thought.

"Have I ever not been?"

Susan shook her head as she watched his hand move out from her body and open. A tiny gold band was sitting right in the center of his palm. She sucked in a breath and then started laughing. Plissken with a wedding ring had to be the most absurd thing she'd ever seen.

"Do I have to call myself Mrs. Snake Plissken now?"

"If you want." Snake leaned his head against the side of hers. "Or we can pretend it never happened."

Susan couldn't imagine being without him and shook her head. "I'm tired of pretending."

She had been all this time. Pretending she was still a police officer, pretending she was different, pretending he didn't matter. Susan sighed and leaned back against Plissken's chest when he took her hand in the free one. He was going to put that ring on her finger. Brazen didn't know if she wanted to be married but if she was he would be the person she chose. Brazen stopped him before he got the ring on.

"Snake…" She paused and swallowed hard. "I need to tell you something first."

"What's that baby?"

Brazen turned in his arms so she could see his eye. There was a moment that he seemed vulnerable before hiding it away. It brought a smile into her expression. He pretended too. Snake acted as if he was the strongest man in the world, cold, distant and unmovable. Susan had brief glimpses beyond that façade. There was someone else inside him. A man that was afraid, nervous and loved more deeply that she could imagine. She wanted to see more of that even if she loved the rogue he showed to the world.

Susan kissed his cheek. "I love you."

Snake blushed much to her surprise. Shy as a school boy for a moment before got the ring on her finger. Susan looked down at her hands and the ring. Only then did she realize the matching one was in his hand too. Glancing up she caught the expectancy and his brow cocking. Brazen couldn't help but laugh as she slipped the gold band on his hand.

"I've caught Snake Plissken again." She grinned in his direction especially at the disgusted sigh.

"Only because he let you, both times." Snake had one of his trademark cocky grins when he walked away to go outside. Brazen didn't follow. She knew he needed time. She needed time to digest what happened. She was married to the man she hunted. It was odd to say the least.