A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

The story continues - Hope you enjoy!

-Forty Seven-

Ever closer to their crossing point at the Snake River the small wagon train came. Meanwhile, Rachel was becoming better at reacting with those around her; it was evident that she was slowly mending her broken heart.

Hannah wanted Rachel to keep her family's Bible, because it was about the only link that she still had with the family she had tragically lost. Often she would sit alone and slowly look at the pages, tracing her tiny fingers along the words her mother had written.

This day was a hard one for her; she seemed to be sad for the better part of the morning. Hannah wanted to talk to her but it was useless because the language barrier was still prevalent. At one point as evening was closing in, she walked around the wagon and saw Rachel sitting, staring off into the distance.

Just prior to stepping out, she spied Cade approach the girl and take a seat beside her. The two talked for the longest time, yet their conversation was low enough that Hannah couldn't understand what was being said.

As she busied herself where she could watch the youngsters, something that Cade said caused Rachel to smile. She threw her arms around the boy and held on to him tightly.

Hannah's curiosity was intrigued - what could he have said to elicit that reaction from her? She made a mental note to ask the first chance she got. She received her chance about a half hour later when he stood and walked toward her, his expression changed as soon as he saw Hannah.

She followed him a short distance away, until she put the wagon between them and Rachel. "I saw her hug you. What did you say to her?"

He looked down; he seemed to be embarrassed that she witnessed what they had done. "Don't want to say just yet?"

He slowly shook his head. "No, Ma, if I tell you, it won't come true."

Hannah smiled slowly, then turned his face upward and kissed him on the forehead. "All right, you can keep your secret for now, but when will we find out what is going on?"

He smiled, "Hopefully, it won't be too long."

"Promise me one thing; you won't do anything that would be of concern to your father or me."

"Thanks, Ma, I promise." He said crossing his heart.

He slowly walked away and was gone for several long minutes, then returned with two pieces of bread. "See what Arden gave me," he said smiling. "She put molasses on it for me."

"That was nice of her to give you the bread. Were her girls eating that too?"

"Yeah. I brought a piece for Rachel. I figured that since Emma's asleep I wouldn't need to get one for her." He walked on by and continued toward Rachel. The two sat beside each other eating their treat.

Hannah felt someone approach her from behind. Turning she saw it was Gideon. "Stock is all fed and picketed." He looked around to see what they were having. "Sandwiches I see?" He asked as he saw the children with the bread.

"Arden gave them to Cade. He is sharing with Rachel, and they are enjoying it greatly because she put molasses on it for them." She lifted the lid from her pot and stirred the beans; which had small pieces of pork in it.

He looked down over her shoulder, "Smells pretty good." Then he observed Cade with Rachel and laughed, "Those two are awfully chummy."

"Something is going on with them, but Cade wouldn't say what it was," she laughed. "It's cute."

"I'll have a talk with him. I can get to..." he began.

Hannah cut him off, "Oh please, Gideon, don't say anything to him just yet. It's part of growing up to share your secret with a sibling."

He laughed too, "You seem to forget that Rachel isn't his sibling."

She looked at him coyly, "Well maybe... not yet."

He laughed out loud. It caused the two children to turn and look back, and both began giggling and then returned to their quiet conversation. "There, see what I mean?" she whispered.

"The boy just has a crush on a cute girl."

Hannah stood her spoon still in her hand. "They are just children, Gideon."

He smiled broadly and folded his arms, "Wasn't it you who told me that your parents lived next door to each other as children?" He laughed and then looked down, "Sorry, that was the other Hannah."

She walked to where she had a loaf of bread that she made days ago and began to trim the little flecks of mold from it, and shook her head. "I realize they are only children but what happens if we welcome her in as one of our own, and then they become amorous with each other?" She sighed as she glanced toward them, “Those two could really like each other!”

He laughed, "You women are always conniving, and they’re only six or seven, right? They have a few years before they'll be thinking of marriage."

She pushed off her bonnet and set it in the back of the wagon, "There will be a day when those little innocent thoughts turn to love... and that, my friend, will turn into a whole lot of problems."

He chuckled at her, "My friend?" He laughed again and swatted her lovingly as she was slicing the bread. "I thought I was much more than that?!"

"Careful. I have a knife in my hand," she scolded him, and then smiled. "And yes, you are much, much more than that to me."

"Care to show me how much later on?" He hugged her from behind; so she set the knife down, and slowly turned to face him.

"What do you have in mind?" She raised her arms up to behind his neck; he bent down and kissed her soft lips.

He smiled, "I'm sure I can think of something."

After supper, Gideon and Cade went out into the darkness to see to their livestock. Rachel and Hannah began to take care of the supper dishes. Rachel was doing everything she could so Hannah had to hardly lift a finger, almost as though she was anticipating her every move.

Their conversation was simple, her language still needed work but Hannah was slowly being able to understand Rachel, and she was slowly making herself known.

"Do you like Cade?" Hannah asked.

"Oh yes..." Rachel replied, "I like him much."

"I see."

"I like all of you...Cade, Emma, Papa Gideon, and Mama Hannah." She began to count the family off on her fingers.

Hannah smiled, "We like you too, Rachel."

She stood by quietly, "Cade said I can stay with you now."

Hannah looked up quickly, "Sure you can. You can go all the way to Oregon with us.” She was greatly relieved to find out what they had been talking about, feeling silly for jumping to conclusions.

That evening long after the children had fallen asleep; Hannah and Gideon lay on their blanket, their shroud providing the only privacy they could enjoy. Hannah spoke softly, telling him what Rachel and she had talked about.

Gideon smiled and whispered his reply, "Cade stood right beside me and said that he wanted us to keep Rachel."

"Cade said that?" she whispered aloud.

"When he's a mind to do something, he isn't afraid to come right out and say it like it is. He'll grow into a fine man, one who isn't afraid to speak his mind."

"I could see the good and bad in being like that. If he speaks out for what is right, he'll be a fine man."

He smiled proudly at the words she spoke, "Here's the thing - I think he's afraid she will be placed with someone who isn't as nice to her as we are." He looked down at Hannah, her head resting on his chest. She was looking up at him; he gently pushed a lock of fiery hair back from her face.

"I think he already told her that she could stay with us. At least that’s the impression I got." He sighed, and then laughed.

She rose up so she was lying along his chest; her soft breasts enclosed in her chemise were resting against him. "We could take her in permanently, couldn't we? Rachel seems comfortable around us, she likes us, and we really like her too! I already told her that she could stay."

He kissed her upturned face, "You realize that it'll mean more work for you."

"More work? Possibly, but she is a good girl and must have helped her mother out quite a bit." She ran her slender fingers through his chest hair, and then began to draw circles around his tiny nipple. "She’s a good little helper; I think we'll get along just fine." He scratched where she had been tickling him, but said not a word. His quietness elicited a laugh from her.

"I'd suggest keeping her last name; it would give her a sense of where she was from. If she wants to change it someday... well, I'm sure Cade will help her do that," he said watching her for a reaction.

She raised her eyebrows at his comment, "They are just children, Gideon! You said that yourself!"

He pointed upward, toward the wagon. "He told me right out that he was going to marry her..."

Hannah giggled, "If the boy is so certain, well then, I guess he probably will."

Gideon held her chin and kissed her, "So, you with the tickling fingers... now that you got me excited, what you plan on doing about it?"

She looked downward, his erection evident under their light blanket and giggled. "Well..." she started but was unable to finish, Gideon had rolled over, pinning her lithe body with his own and began to smother her with his kisses.

-Forty Eight-

It was dark outside when Gideon awoke. When he sat up he realized that Hannah was gone. They had been traveling almost thirty days now since they left Fort Bridger; they were about two weeks from their expected Snake River crossing point. It had been nearly a month since Rachel had lost her family on the side of the steep mountain.

He quickly pulled on his pants and then drew up his boots. Throwing aside the curtain he peered out into the inky darkness, for only a few glowing coals were illuminating the camp. He slowly worked his way outside and stood, flexing his back so he could stand without discomfort.

“Hannah?” he whispered as he stirred the coals of their fire and tossed more dried sticks over it. As the flames leaped to life, he began walking toward the picket line, “Hannah, you out here?”

No answer. He slowly walked in another direction and called out to her softly, trying not to wake the others. “Hannah, honey, you okay?”

“Gideon?” A male voice whispered, “What’s going on?”

He shrugged, “I woke up and found Hannah gone. You haven’t seen her, have you?”

“Sorry, friend, I’ve been sleeping like a log. What time is it?” In response, Gideon held up four fingers. Charles yawned and shook his head, then looked beside him and nudged Arden awake, “Hon, you know where Hannah might be?”

She laughed and yawned, “I’ve been asleep, how could I know where she is?” She sat up and threw on her robe and crawled out from under their wagon. “She probably went out for her morning toilet, I suppose I can help you try and locate her.”

The three walked out into the darkness for a few minutes, finally Arden tapped Gideon on the arm, “There she is.”

“You two go on back to sleep and I’ll see what the problem is. Thanks for the help.”

Arden yawned and slowly turned back toward their wagon, “Might as well get moving on breakfast I guess.” Charles nodded and took her hand as they returned into the light of their own campfire.

Slowly he approached, not wanting to embarrass her while she was seeking privacy for her toilet. She turned as soon as she heard him step, from the distance between them; Gideon could tell that she was crying.

“Are you decent?” he whispered.

She nodded and then turned back around as he walked up beside her, “You scared the hell out of me wandering off like that!” He pointed his finger toward the darkness, “This is some rough country out here, and it isn’t fit to be walking around it in the dark!”

She sat on a large rock with her hand flat against her narrow waist, he realized that something was troubling her and this was no place to scold an adult woman. He lowered himself down onto one knee, “What’s the matter, honey?”

She shrugged and shook her head, “I don’t know…”

He held her face in his hands, slowly drying her tears with his thumbs. “If you don’t know, why then are you crying?”

Again she shrugged, “I’m not sure why I’m crying.” She put her face in her own hands and sighed, “I’m just feeling so blue, and I can’t explain it.”

“Thinking of your folks?” He offered. “That has got to be some burden for anyone to carry around with them.”

“Possibly, that could be part of it, I guess.” She looked at him then forced a smile, “I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure? For a woman to be sitting out in the dark crying for no reason…there has to be a reason.” He stood and assisted her to her feet, “My own ma used to talk about being in one of ‘those moods’ from time to time. She always said when pa would ask her about it, she would tell him, that it was a women’s prerogative to get them.”

“I think you keep forgetting that I don’t have years of practice at being a woman.”

“True, but you’re doing a superb job anyway!”

“Tell you what… talk to Arden when you have a chance. She has had a lot more experience at being a woman than either of us have.” He smiled as he spoke.

She giggled sarcastically, “I should hope so.”

Together they began walking back toward their wagon, Hannah no longer crying. After they had their breakfast and while Gideon and Charles were hitching their teams up, Arden paid her a visit.

“You okay now?” she asked, looking her friend in the eye, trying to see if there was any avoidance.

“I’m fine, really I am.” Hannah put her skillet back into the wagon, “I was just in a crying mood was all.”

“A crying mood can mean a couple of things. On one hand, it could simply mean you are sad.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“It may be the onset of a monthly cycle.” She offered, and then looked quickly toward her friend, “Have you had any bleeding since you weaned Emma?”

Hannah shrugged, “I wouldn’t have a clue.”

“Believe me; you would know if you were having a cycle…they can be a mess as I’m sure you remember.” She helped her pick up the gate of the wagon and latch it.

“No mess yet, at least I’ve heard tell of it happening even sooner than that.”

“Have you been having any morning illness of late?”

Hannah’s face grew ashen, “The last couple of mornings I have been feeling a little queasy. I just thought I ate some bad meat.”

“If I were a betting woman, I’d say you were pregnant.” She began to calculate on her fingers, “Best as I can figure, you will most likely deliver in the spring, just like me! Although probably later than I will.” She smiled and hugged her friend, “Welcome to the mommy club! Well, of course, this will be old hat for you, though!”

Hannah stood in stunned silence; all of those late nights with Gideon finally came to haunt her! “Yeah, I guess, old hat.” She sighed. She realized that there was always a chance of it happening, for as many times as Gideon and she had made love. But she wasn’t born in the body that she currently inhabited, so there were bound to be some surprises. And this surprise was a big one!

Without looking toward Arden, she gently reached out and grasped her arm, “Promise me that you won’t say anything to Gideon about this. Let me tell him when the time is right.”

Arden put her arm around Hannah, “You should know me better than that! I’ll keep your secret…but you will tell him sometime soon?” Hannah only nodded her response; she had much to think about now.

-Forty Nine-

Vance the wagon master, Gideon, Charles Bloom, and several other men within the train stood on a hill above the Snake River; they were looking down at the three small islands that their wagon train would have to navigate to get across.

"How wide do you figure?" Gideon asked Vance.

"That initial area to cross is probably over a hundred yards to the first island, and then if we stay on the northernmost side of it and cross it there, we've got another seventy-five yards or so to the second island." He sighed and lifted his hat, pushing back his hair as he contemplated their run. "That third one will be a bastard though, judging by how swift the water is moving.”

“That last spot looks deep, like they may have gotten a lot of rain recently,” observed Gideon, “It may just be too deep to cross there…we may need to move on down the Snake to find a better place to cross.”

Vance shook his head slowly, “There isn’t any better spot to cross. I’ve seen it high one other time at that spot. We hooked a chain through the lead ox’s yoke and attached the wagons; the ox kept them to the task and eventually guided them all through the deep stuff.”

“It has to be near to three feet deep in spots!” spat one of the brothers.

“In spots, yes…in others, it may be a mite deeper.” Vance sighed, placing his hat back on his head.

“What’ll we do with our women and children?” the Swede asked with concern.

“They will have to ride inside the wagons.” He looked at each of the men standing there, “Nobody told you that this was going to be an easy trip.” He gazed down at the three long islands, “We may end up upsetting a wagon or two before we’re across…it’s been known to happen.”

“It’s not the wagon that I’m worried about.” Gideon sighed, removing his hat and wiping the sweat from its interior band with his kerchief. “I got a wife and three young-uns to fret about; they’re all depending on me to keep them safe.”

Vance looked Gideon in the eye, “Now you know what I’m going through…and I have a whole damn train to be concerned about.” He sighed, “Come on, men, let’s get after it. We can camp for the night on the west side of the Snake.”

By noon the little train had worked its way down to the edge of the river, resting beside Three Island Crossing. The men had set about lining the wagons and hooking them together like one great chain.

Gideon climbed into the wagon and grimly looked at Hannah, “This may get worse before it gets better.”

He quickly looked back toward the children, “Cade and Rachel, keep an eye on Emma for us.”

“Rachel, can you swim if you have to?” Hannah asked as the wagons began to roll collectively toward the river.

“I can swim some, why?” she replied as she raised enough to see over the seat as the first island came into view.

“I can, Mama; I’ll help them if we need to make a swim for it,” Cade replied, and then gently coaxed Rachel to take a seat facing him with Emma between them.

Gideon looked quickly at Hannah, “How are you at swimming?”

“Like a fish,” she said smiling, “Although it would be a little different trying it while wearing a dress.”

He slowly shook his head, “Lord willing, we won’t need to find out. If it does happen, try and remove it or it could drag you under.”

Hannah turned her face forward and sighed, “Great - another hazard of being a woman.”

The wagons crawled out of the water one by one at the first island without any problems, as they crossed over the land and back down into the water. Hannah watched Gideon fight the current and the team as the water was about a foot deep at the wheel of their wagon.

She quickly looked back toward the children; they were fearful, but neither complained. Both were hugging each other, sandwiching Emma between them. Upon turning back around she saw the lead wagons beginning to emerge out onto the second island.

“This is not going to be fun…” Gideon sighed, quickly looking at the lovely woman seated next to him. “How is Blackie doing back there?”

She turned back quickly; he was slowly plodding through the water as they too began to rise from the river onto the second island. “I love you, Gideon Shepherd,” she whispered to him as they climbed over the second island. He never replied but his answer was a quick smile shot her way.

As their wagon crossed over the crest of the second island, the first of them was entering the deepest portion of the river. “If one goes, it’ll drag us all with it.”

Hannah closed her eyes and began praying, her hands gripping the seat rails as hard as her diminutive hands could. “Oh shit…oh shit, oh shit!” Gideon began to fight the mules as they were pulled into the water. Hannah looked upward as the lead wagon began to list severely.

“Hang on to them, Swede!” he spoke aloud as the wagon rose up on two wheels from the force of the water. They could see him fighting to control the wagon, to turn his oxen and bring it back down. “That’s it, Swede, you’re doing it!”

As their wagon finally reached the water, the mules began to panic and react wildly to the current. The wagon almost tipped as the water hit the side of their box. Looking backward toward the wheel, Hannah watched in horror as the depth of the water was already over their axle.

“Mama, Papa…water is coming in!” Cade began to shout, “We’re getting wet!”

“Move up to the front, stay behind the seat though!” she yelled over the sound of the rushing water. Cade and Rachel moved forward with Emma as items began to float within their wagon.

Again she quickly looked back; “It’s reached the wagon’s box!” she turned toward Gideon, fear written on her face.

He shouted to her over the roaring river, “The lead wagon is climbing out of the river now; we only have a few feet further in this deep stuff!”

Hannah held onto both Cade and Rachel, who was tightly holding Emma, her arm encompassing them all. As she looked up, she saw Blackie’s rope break free and he spun away, choosing to return to the second island.

“Blackie’s rope just broke!” she shouted, resisting the desire to jump out and swim to rescue him, but knew that the weight of her long skirts would most likely pull her under and drown her. Her heart sank as she watched him scramble back over the second island and run to the first.

“He’s heading back to where we started…” She watched him run with fear as his feet finally hit dry land once again; she didn’t hide the tears that were in her eyes.

“We get out of this mess and I’ll go back and get him.”

“You’ll do no such thing!” she replied sternly. “I’ll not chance losing him and the father of our children…!”

Gideon looked at her with sadness; he knew how much the horse meant to her, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” she replied as the water began to pour from their wagon, as they climbed the bank of the river. Hannah kissed Cade, then Rachel and Emma before kissing Gideon. “I’d rather lose a horse than you or the children.”

As they climbed over the embankment, Vance was there to welcome them. “How you all doing?”

Gideon looked back as most of their belongings were wet and strewn about within the wagon box, then his gaze took in his family. “We’re all fair to middling; Blackie broke free and run back toward the east side. He looked back toward his small family, “We’re alive so that‘s half of the battle!”

Vance smiled and nodded, “Everyone has been saying much the same thing.” He looked at Hannah and grinned, “Glad to see the family is all right,” he spoke as he continued to ride alongside their wagon.

“Thank you, Mr. Vance,” she replied politely, “How much further is it?”

He laughed, “Baby steps, Mrs. Shepherd, baby steps.” He pointed toward the northwest, “We got over four hundred miles to go in that direction.”

She glanced at Gideon, “To the Willamette Valley?”

“To the Colorado River.” He sighed, “It’ll take us near a month to get to that point. Be close to October by then, as I can figure.”

She slumped in her seat; Gideon laughed and patted her slender thigh. “You knew when we left that it’d be a long journey.”

With Vance still there on his horse, she refrained from correcting him. “I guess you’re right,” she sighed. “If I ever do get out of this wagon, I’m not going to get into another for a very long time!”

“That, my lovely young wife, are words to truly live by!” He laughed and drove the team until the last wagon was on the west side of the Snake. There they made camp for the night.

-Fifty-

Hannah and Gideon lay quietly under their wagon, protected from prying eyes by the blanket shroud. He lay on his side facing her, while she lay on her back clad only in her summer chemise. They had a light cover that was over the both of them.

Looking up at the wagon's box she pointed, "It's still wet, but at least it isn't dripping."

He smiled, following her finger, "It's all the pitch I painted on there before we set out on our journey." His eyes traveled back down to her, his gaze resting upon her feminine curves hidden by the chemise.

She glanced toward him smiling at her, "What?" Then she followed his eyes to her chest, "Oh."

"Can I help it if I'm smitten by your beauty?" He leaned over her and kissed her deeply, his hand resting on one of her soft breasts. He smiled, feeling her nipple stiffen under his thumb. "You’re what I think about when the trail gets long and boring."

"You should be thinking about driving our team toward Oregon," she giggled, and then gently eased his hand from the breast that he had been caressing,

He smiled, "I'd rather be thinking of the evenings we share under this wagon, hidden from the world behind our privacy curtains."

"Privacy?!" She laughed, and then whispered, "You do remember that Arden heard us one of the times we were being intimate…we thought that was a private moment."

As he lay beside her, she noticed that he adjusted himself, his growing erection becoming more and more noticeable. She giggled at him, remembering Ezrah and long ago how uncomfortable it truly was.

He laughed with embarrassment, "You know, you aren't helping at all."

"Me?" She snickered softly, "I wasn't the one who was using my nipple as a guitar string!" Hannah reached below the covers and gently grasped his throbbing penis through his drawers, "You go and get yourself all hot and bothered like a buck in rut, and then expect me to come to your rescue?" she whispered smiling.

"Whatever works! Can you fault a guy if he loves the way his wife touches him?"

Hannah scooted closer to him, and gently began to manipulate him through his drawers. Her touch was like heaven to him; he closed his eyes and smiled.

"You seem to like what I'm doing," she whispered close to his ear, her tongue lightly touching the skin there. The combined effect seemed to permeate directly into his penis; it was as though the organ swelled even more in her diminutive grasp.

Even though she was trying to keep from becoming excited by what they were currently doing, she failed miserably. She too was being affected by their nearness, as the region between her legs became silky slick with wetness.

Gideon frantically began to remove his drawers, momentarily pushing her hand aside. As soon as he had them off though, she returned to him, relishing the warm, firm 'manly' feel in her grasp.

He began to gently draw her chemise up as she continued to manipulate him. As she slowly wriggled out of it, he suddenly gasped, it caused her to look at him. His eyes were filled with shame as suddenly he began to ejaculate in her tiny hand.

His seed jetted from its tip, falling on her lithe leg and slowly rolling down, its warmth startling her at first. "Did you just..?" Hannah began.

He closed his eyes, and then hung his head in shame. "I'm so sorry," Gideon whispered. He quickly retrieved his kerchief and handed it to her.

"Don't be; I'm sure it happens all the time," she spoke reassuringly, trying to not embarrass him further. She began to wipe the substance from her leg and hand.

He sat ashamed, quiet in his own thoughts as she scooted closer to him. "Really, it's alright, Gideon."

He sighed, "It's never happened to me before." He looked over at her; she was smiling lovingly at him.

She began to kiss him upon his chest, paying close attention to his nipples. Each soft peck she applied, her lips would subtly part and her tongue would rest for only a second. As this was being performed, she was slowly caressing him. Once again, she was trying to nurse him back into manly rigidness.

She lifted her head and he began to kiss her ferociously, rolling her onto her back and taking up his position over her. She opened her legs, inviting him in, wanting him to again relish in his dominance over her.

He began to impale her with his penis, their coupling loving and deliberate. She snaked her legs upward, locking behind his waist in an effort to pull him into her even more. No sound was made as they performed their sacred vows, her soft gasps leaving with each thrust forward of his hips.

She could feel the tell-tale signs of her impending orgasm, the little bright flashes before her eyes; the involuntary spasm of her muscles, and the racing of her heart. This time though seemed different; she pulled him toward her with all of her strength, curling her toes under the tidal surge of euphoria washing over her. Silence gripped her voice, only being broken by a great gasp as it released from her slender throat.

Buried deep within Hannah was Gideon’s stiff penis; the shudder that coursed throughout his body was her only signal that he too was reeling from an intense orgasm. With an involuntary reflex that came from nowhere, and yet was as old as time itself, she drew him to her with all her strength.

As the two lovers lay beneath the wagon, hidden by their blanket curtains, each did what they could to control their enraptured breathing. Gideon slowly raised his weight from off of her, yet maintained position. He let his eyes slowly take in her beauty, the flaming hair lying in disarray against the dark blanket beneath her. Her chest was heaving with the spent energy of her orgasm, sweat slightly shimmering upon the surface of her smooth, porcelain skin.

“Thank you,” he whispered softly.

“No…thank you. That was wonderful!” she whispered.

“Every time we do it is wonderful!” He lowered his head and kissed the soft swell of her bosom. She closed her eyes and slightly arched her back, relishing in the erotic touch he held over her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that he was smiling down at her with unconditional love and enduring happiness.

She snaked her slender arms around his neck, “What’s the smile for?” She didn’t need to ask the question…she was a woman now and knew the answer, and because she was a woman, she wanted to hear him say it.

He caressed her soft lips deeply with his own, and as they broke away from their lingering kiss, he softly replied. “Oh, my beautiful bride, if I could make love to you every day that I breathe, you would make me one happy man.”

He laughed at his own dramatic words, “Of course, you would probably end up pregnant all the time.”

She chuckled softly as he continued, “Oh, I know that because of how you came to be who you are now, there is probably no possibility of having a child…I mean since you were once male and all…”He began.

“Well…about that,” she whispered softly, causing him to pause.

“Are you saying, what I think you’re saying?” he queried, stunned, and stared at her anticipating her answer.

She shrugged, her arms sliding off of his neck and down onto her waist where she rested them. “I’m pregnant, I’ve known for at least a week.”

The smile that slowly worked onto his shocked face put her fears to rest. “You aren’t mad at me?” she asked.

He slid to the side and down to the ground, facing her, no longer was his penis still within her womanly opening. “Oh, God no, honey, I have plenty of love to share with you and all of our children!” He hesitated as a thought came to him, “But…but you? This would keep you as you are, even longer!”

Hannah smiled and ran her slender fingers through his hair, her hand resting upon his cheek. “I’m where I want to be.” She looked down and entwined her fingers with his, “If being a mother to your children is where the good Lord wants me, then that’s where I’ll stay.”

Gideon’s eyes danced as he lay in stunned silence, while Hannah’s were reflecting in the dim light that eked through their curtains. “But your chance to regain…”

She put her finger on his lips to silence him, “I feel it was my destiny to become Hannah.” She rolled onto her back, “When I dreamt of Hannah and me on the knoll, she touched my stomach and said she had a gift to both of us…I think we know now what the gift was.”

“A child,” he whispered.

“Our child… Conceived in love.”

He lay upon his back, and Hannah scooted close and cuddled with him, laying her head on his bicep. “Well, one thing is for certain.”

“What’s that?”

He glanced toward her, “That’ll be it with the lovemaking for a while.”

“Says you…” she said laughing softly.

“You sure? I don’t want to harm you or the baby.”

She placed her left hand on his chest, tucking her right arm underneath her breasts, “I’ll let you know when we should stop…and now isn’t the time.” She kissed him and looked up; he gently pushed her hair from where it covered her face. Contentedly, she closed her eyes and smiled.

“Good night, my love…” he whispered, smiled and kissed the top of her head.

She never replied as she had already fallen fast asleep, Gideon closed his eyes and let welcome sleep overtake him.