Disclaimer: I own nothing and only borrowed these characters for a little while.

Fresh from their first sexual experience, Marianne's heart pounded. She blushed as she averted her eyes and raised the sheet to cover her chest. Her new husband lay beside her.

"Marianne?" asked Brandon gently, his own heart racing. His hand shook slightly as he reached out to touch his young wife's bare shoulder.

Still feeling the emotions running through her system, her voice was breathless in reply. "Christopher," Marianne replied, feeling the situation warranted use of such a personal address.

Concerned she wasn't speaking more, the solider was worried. "Are you okay sweetheart?"

Her eyes finally sought his then. "I'm fine," the young woman said as she smiled tremulously.

"Then what is with these tears," Brandon asked, his hand resting against her cheek as his thumb brushed the soft skin beneath her eyes.

"No poetry in the world ever described it like this," said Marianne softly. Mortified that she had said such a thing, she covered her mouth, her cheeks flushing.

Brandon actually laughed. "I could imagine not." He managed to coax a smile from her with that remark but grew concerned when she averted her eyes once again. "Marianne?" he pressed.

The young lady bit her lip as she struggled to put words together. "Mrs Jennings made a comment today that she would be expecting an announcement in the very near future of an heir." Marianne turned her head up then, the emotion that had controlled much of her life to this point coming to the fore. "Will you be so very disappointed if you do not have a child before year's end?"

Brandon pulled her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead as her eyes closed. "No my darling. I will not be angry." He felt the tension ease away as she settled upon his chest. "But I will tell you one thing," said the man softly, trailing his hand down his wife's bare back. "We can practice several times over."

Marianne's face flushed prettily at his suggestion. And then, as if she had been doing this for years, she shifted her leg to cover her husband's. Her knee cap came into touch with something firm and she was startled to realise that it was his erect member. "Already?" she thought in awe, her mother's words about waiting patiently dashed from her mind.

Perhaps married life would not be so bad!

Finito.