Author's Note: Sorry for the incredibly long wait, I didn't mean to spend so long on other more pressing matters. So here it is chapter five.

Chapter Five - Dream

Kel looked over at Dom who had woken up at some point during her pattern dance. She blushed when their eyes made contact and he gave her one of his winning smiles. Her growling stomach interrupted their moment, making her blush even more.

"Let's go find you some breakfast," Dom laughed as Kel put away her glaive.

Days began to pass, no one mentioned the kidnap or the rape while Kel was in hearing, but when she wasn't present everyone debated over who would have done something to her. They argued over motives and the kidnapper's modus operandi, but they had no real leads on the matter. Weeks passed and no one came forward with any information, either too scared of the culprit or the crime was done so tidily no one knew anything.

Kel's stomach began to show, if people did not already know, Kel was pregnant with her rapist's child. She chose to ignore the whisper and gossip that she knew was being said behind her back. Kel showed no emotion on the mater nor did she care in even the slightest. Alanna had offered to get rid of the infant for her awhile back, but truth be told Kel wanted the child. Even though she knew that it was Joren's baby, it was also half hers and she refused to let anyone harm it.

"Kel, will you please tell us who did this to you," Neal begged as he and Alanna checked the fetus one July afternoon.

"No," Kel replied in an iron voice, "I will not talk of the matter, nor will you harm the baby."

"Kel, no one wants to hurt the baby," Alanna said trying to keep the frustration from her voice, at first she thought the girl had been too scared to tell anyone who'd attacked her, now she was just being stubborn.

"Alanna, please stop harassing my squire, she is been harassed enough already," Raoul remarked from the doorway to Kel's bedchamber. "How far along is she anyways?"

"The baby is almost ready, give it another week or two and the little monster will lead us to the bastard that …" Alanna was saying when she saw the tears forming in Kel's eyes, "Keladry, I'm sorry I…"

"Enough," Kel cried, "Please I'm just tired I'd like to sleep."

Everyone abided Kel's wishes and left her to rest. Kel couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen after everyone found out that it was Joren and Vinson who had attacked her. Even she wasn't sure which one was the father.

Kel looked up as someone knocked on the door that led to the hallway.

"Who is it?" Kel called quietly.

"Kel, it's Dom," came a muffled voice, "Can I talk with you?"

Kel called him in and watched as he pulled up a comfy chair over to her bedside.

"Kel, I just wanted to make sure that you were okay," he hesitated, hoping not to hit the wrong string and send her into a mood swing, "and that the babe was okay too."

Kel nodded and listened as Dom talked to her. He told her about the things that Third Company were doing and how they missed her and Raoul dearly. Raoul had decided not to abandon his squire after he'd found out about her situation, he'd sent Third Company out to do some things while staying back and teaching Kel about the academic side of being a knight.

"Dom?" Kel asked quietly, Dom stopped his speech to hear what the girl said, "If anything happens to me, will you promise that you will find a good home for the baby?"

Dom was startled, the fact that Kel was asking something so important of him was shocking, "Of course Kel, I'd do anything for you."

In the second week of August Kel woke to a wet feeling between her legs.

"My lord!" Kel called for Raoul who she hoped was in the next room, she heard something hurrying on the other side of the connecting door.

Raoul stumbled through the door while buttoning his breeches, "What's the matter Kel?"

"Sir, I think it's time," Kel replied, she was actually scared. She had faced Spidren's at the age of ten, hill bandits at twelve; she'd climbed down the outer stair of Balor's Needle and had never been this terrified.

"Okay, don't worry Kel, I'll go get Alanna and Duke Baird and …" Raoul was scurrying around the room frantically not quite sure what to do. He ran from the room in search of the healers.

Dom and Neal sat outside Kel's room along with Dom's squad and some other men of the Own. Kel's other friends had gone in search of some food, none of them had guessed giving birth to a child would take so long, it had been about five hours since Kel had told Raoul.

Raoul, Dom and Neal sat outside the door when the screaming started. Everyone else had been sent to the practice courts to wait away the hours, Raoul had cracked a few heads together before the men of Own got the idea.

The three men waited with worried looks. They could hear Kel's screams and Alanna's calls of 'push' form outside the room. Finally everything stopped. They all looked at each other and hurried towards the door. Before Dom could open the door, they heard Alanna shriek.

Dom, Neal and Raoul fell into the room to see Alanna trying to revive Kel via magic and Duke Baird was holding a squealing infant. Dom raced to Kel side and tried to wake her with his voice. Neal had tears streaming down his face at the sight of Kel's sweaty, pale face. Raoul slid down the wall, crying.

"Kel, Kel please wake up!" Dom cried into her ears.

Kel's eyelids fluttered briefly, and she rasped, "Remember your promise Dom."

It was a grim day. Alanna was able to find out that Vinson of Genlith was the father and a warrant was sent to arrest him. All of Kel's friends were grief-stricken. Dom sat in Kel's old room, he held her daughter in his arms. Tears ran down his face dropping onto the cotton blanket that was wrapped around her.

Dom cooed to the baby quietly when she woke up, he rocked her back to sleep. He would start his search for a family for her in the morning. Dom drifted off to sleep in the chair, the little girl wrapped up tightly in his arms.

Dom woke with a fright; he was in his room in the barracks. He could feel the cool chill of winter from the shuttered window. He blinked tears back from his face. Quietly he rose from his bed and looked at his calendar, Midwinter had yet to arrive.

"It was just a dream," Dom murmured to himself, "Kel is safe and alive and childless."

Dom walked to his shutters and threw them open. The cool air felt good on his sweaty face.

"I have to tell her," He told himself, "I have to tell her that I love her."

Author's Note: Not the ending you expected eh? Well I hope you enjoyed, please leave me a review it would be very much appreciated. Thanks goes out to all of those that reviewed previous chapters:

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