Rory:

I drifted between consciousness and blackness hearing hazy snippets of conversations around me as the doctor came and went. "Do you think he will make it?" a female voice spoke, her voice seemed thick with emotion and extremely familiar, who could it be?

"I cannot tell as of yet, I would prepare yourself for the worst though, his case is not a promising one. My sincerest apologies your grace, I have done all that I can do." That had to be the doctor, and had he not referred to the woman as her grace? Her grace?

My mind was foggy, who was the woman? Somewhere a door closed with a bang before I felt a small hand clutch onto mine tightly. Her touch sent a warm tingling sensation through my arm, this girl was special, different, I could sense it, but who was she?

I tugged at my tired brain looking for a clue as to who she was when I was suddenly hit with a series of memories. Cecilia! Of course! I struggled against the mist circling around my mind threatening to pull me under as my brain began to spin, I needed to make sure Cecilia was okay.

"You can't leave me, you can't Rory." I heard her voice say distantly. I fought to open my eyes, I needed to see her, see that she was well and unharmed. I felt the blackness returning, "I'm so sorry Rory, for everything," her voice was hoarse and I could feel her wet tears falling against my skin. I dipped into blackness before reemerging once more.

"I don't know what I'll do if... if..." Her voice trailed off sounding completely broken, all I wanted was to pull her into my arms and promise her I would be fine but as hard as I tried I could not break the barrier between her and I.

"I need you h-here with me," I felt myself losing the battle against consciousness as I was dragged back into never ending darkness.

Just before I was swallowed by the blackness once more I caught one final string of words. "I-I love you Rory." She loved me? I wrestled with the darkness harder than before, had she really said she loved me? Had she meant it?

But before I could even begin to contemplate what she had just said I felt myself sucked down once more into a black oblivion.

The days continued with Cecilia by my side and the doctor coming and going. Cecilia never mentioned anything of love again, well not that I was aware of anyway. I wasn't sure how long I'd been out for but I tried to gather as much information as I could from the few fragments of conversations I heard.

I had learned that my condition was precarious but it seemed I would not die just yet, something for which I would be eternally grateful. I had felt my strength returning in the past few days and I hoped it would not be long before I was released from this stupor.

It was several days after christmas that I was finally pulled from senselessness and back to reality away from the feverish nightmares and unwanted memories that had consumed me in my state of unconsciousness.

My eyes opened slowly adjusting to the bright light of the room as I let out a groan of pain. It was not a second later that a small shape hurtled towards me from the other side of the room, throwing it's arms around my neck as it reached me. I grimaced slightly, the pain not yet having subsided from my chest where I noticed a fine bruise had formed around a small scar.

I looked up as Cecilia pulled herself back from me to sit on the bed, a worried expression on her face. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." She said anxiously as she surveyed my chest.

"Don't worry, I am perfectly fine." I smiled up at her, my voice sounding rough after not having spoken in so long. I was taken aback as a stream of tears began to flow down her face, what on earth had I done this time?

"Oh Rory," she cried, "You stupid, stupid man. What in god's name were you thinking?"

"I would've thought that was obvious," I quipped letting out a short chuckle.

"You could have died!" She continued hysterically. "Promise me you won't ever do something so reckless again," she demanded.

"I would rather it were me than you who got hit by that bullet Cecilia." I said sincerely, I would never have forgiven myself if Cecilia had been shot by that madman.

"And I would do it again," I added truthfully. I had promised to protect Cecilia and I always would. I dared not think about what may have happened had I remained in London a day longer.

"You had me worried sick," Cecilia's sobs had quietened to gentle hiccups as she continued to berate me, her hand occasionally swatting my arm lightly. There was a lull in the conversation as Cecilia wiped the remains of her tears from her face, it was now or never I told myself.

"Cecilia," I placed my hand over hers, "I heard some of the things the doctor said, and some of the things you said too whilst I was in and out of consciousness. Something you said is of extreme importance to me. I beg you to tell me, in truth, do you... do you love me?" I questioned. She lowered her eyes and turned her head away from me.

A few tense moments passed as she sat rigid and silent on the bed, perhaps it had not been real, just another hallucination. I opened my mouth to apologise for suggesting the idea but stopped short when I saw her begin to nod her head. "Yes, I do." She said in a barely audible voice.

I felt my heart stop as she said those three words. She loved me. Cecilia loved me. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that." I let out a deep breath. How had one person had such an incredible impact on my life?

I watched slightly amused as her wide blue eyes swivelled around to me, surprise and confusion written clearly in her beautiful eyes. She opened her mouth then shut it again abruptly. "I love you Cecilia," I clarified, "Deeply, madly and fiercely."

The next thing I knew Cecilia had once again launched herself at me and had pressed her lips to mine with a sense of urgency. I keenly returned the kiss with an equal necessity, oh how I had missed the feeling of her lips on mine. I pulled her small frame closer to me ignoring the slight throbbing in my chest, no pain could stop the ecstasy spreading through me in that moment.

Cecilia was the one to break the kiss first, "You are not fully recovered," she said slightly out of breath. "I do not want to hamper your progress." I nodded in agreement, I knew that if we did not stop I would not be able to refrain from ravishing her then and there, invalid or not.

We lay in comfortable silence, my arm wrapped tightly around her waist as she rested her head on my shoulder. "Rory?" She questioned.

"Hmm," I gave as my response.

"When did you first know you loved me?" She asked, her question taking me by surprise.

"That night, when you asked me to stay with you after your nightmare, I was holding you and it just sort of clicked in my head, although I'd had feelings for you for some time before."

"Oh?" She said quizzically before adding, "All that time you loved me?" I nodded.

"But my darling," I said, a mischievous smile playing on my lips, "If we are to play this game, I feel I must ask when it was that you first knew you loved me."

"I am sure you must remember asking me what there was between us." She spoke softly.

"How could I forget," I said quietly, "I may have been shot in the chest, but your response was far more painful than any physical injury I could have suffered." I noticed her wince slightly and I shifted her closer against my side, "But if it led us here I would incur that pain all over again."

And it was true, nothing could compare to the blissful euphoria spreading through me right then. I knew I would take fifty bullets if I had to for her for she was my everything, and I could not risk losing her.

"I should have told you how I felt then but I was scared. Every man I've trusted has hurt me and I was worried you would too." I nodded, her fear was understandable after the men she'd encountered in her life.

"You need never feel scared with me Cecilia," I said sincerely and I hoped she believed me. I would never hurt her in any way.

"I know that now." She said softly. "It was when you turned around, when you left, that I felt I'd lost you and when I realised I loved you." I couldn't help but chuckle, what fools we had both been.

"To think of all that time we wasted avoiding each other..." I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all and Cecilia soon joined in on my laughter until my chest began to throb.

"Well," Cecilia said, placing one of her small hands on my chest gently, "We are here now are we not?"

"We most certainly are," I replied with a broad smile before reaching over and placing a light kiss on her lips, "We most certainly are."

**********

I twisted my head to face the door as it creaked open on its old hinges. Cecilia entered with a tray balanced on her arms as she threw me one of her dazzling smiles, "Dinner is served your grace," She said imitating Ellis' deep voice. I chuckled softly, only Cecilia.

Placing the tray in front of me I was greeted with a delicious spread of all my favourite foods, I smiled, I must remember to thank Mrs Stone.

I noticed Cecilia gazing at me anxiously from the side of my bed, "I do hope you like it," She began. "Mrs Stone said those were your choice dishes, and I tried my best although some of the recipes were quite new to me."

I gawped up at her, she had made all this herself for me? "You, you did all this?" I asked her stunned. She nodded her head meekly and blushed endearingly.

"If you'd rather have something else sent up I can always-" I interrupted her reaching up from my bed and cupping the side of her face as I did so.

"It's perfect, thank you, you're perfect." Her face flushed pink again and she turned away from me, busying herself about the room with menial tasks. My eyes remained glued to her as she threw another log on the fire burning in the grate and picked some clothes up off the floor.

"You stare too much," She spun back around to face me but this time I was not embarrassed at being caught staring, I had every right to admire my beautiful wife if I so wished and by jove was there a lot to admire.

"Only when you're around my darling." I quipped earning a laugh from Cecilia.

"You must eat, before it gets cold," She chuckled whilst shaking her head in an amused way.

"Yes sir," I mock saluted her before digging into the dishes on my tray with great gusto.

The food was delicious and I heartily thanked Cecilia for her efforts which merited a peck on the cheek from her before she pulled the bell beside my bed and had the empty tray sent back to the kitchens.

Cecilia placed another kiss on my cheek once the maid had left, "Goodnight." She murmured before walking to the door connecting our two rooms. She was leaving? Surely after everything earlier today she would be sleeping with me?

"Cecilia will you not share my bed from now on?" I asked her. She hesitated a moment in front of the door before continuing to open it and enter her own room.

I let out a sigh, so she did not want to sleep beside me. I punched my fist weakly into the pillow beside me, was it too presumptuous to ask my wife to sleep in the same bed as me?

I gazed fixedly up at the ceiling, I was sure sleep would not come to me now. The sound of a door opening caught my attention and my eyes swivelled to the door where Cecilia stood in her nightclothes. So she had merely gone back to her room to change.

A wide grin spread across my face, I would never again be returning to a cold lonely bed but one which I shared with Cecilia. She smiled at me shyly from across the room as she walked towards the bed.

She slipped under the duvet and I felt the mattress dip slightly, my arms reached out to her of their own accord, pulling her towards my side in a secure embrace.

I smiled again as Cecilia cuddled herself into me, this was what I'd been missing all my life, and to think that it had been right in front of me this whole time. I closed my eyes and tightened my arm around her waist, "I love you," I murmured into her dark tresses letting sleep claim me willingly.

Hello all,

Here is the chapter you've all bee waiting for - can't help but fangirl a bit myself - where are our Rory's? I'm so glad they finally stopped being stupid idiots and admitted there feelings though, although they certainly took their time! Anyway, I should stop fingerling over something I wrote (whoops) but I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Only two more chapters and then the prologue left ahhh, it has gone so quickly! Enjoy the last of the weekend (It's my sister's 18th today so lots of celebrations and fun today!) and please continue to vote and comment!

Much love

xxx