Title:  The Greatest of Loves (1 of 1)
By:  Tess
E-mail:  tnv099@aol.com
Distribution:  Please let me know first
Rating:  PG-13
Category:  Vignette
Disclaimer:  The show as I've known and 
loved it is coming to an end.  The 
characters you think you see in this story 
belong to 1013 and Fox.
Summary:  In her wildest dreams, she never 
knew what it was to love another human 
being with everything that she was and she 
realized that nothing in her life would 
ever be the same again.

Title:  The Greatest of Loves
By:  Tess


Her back propped comfortably against a 
mound of pillows, she indulged in her 
newest, favorite pastime - watching him 
sleep.  His face nestled against her 
breast, damp lips slack around the nipple; 
she felt the steady cadence of his 
breathing with every exhalation against her 
skin.  How was it possible, she wondered, 
to fall so deeply in love?  She had never 
expected, in her wildest dreams, that she 
could love another human being so much but 
now she knew what it was to love with 
everything that she was and she realized 
that nothing in her life would ever be the 
same again.

She knew that if she let him sleep too long 
now, he would have difficulty finding sleep 
later that evening.  A little while longer, 
she told herself, cherishing the quiet 
moments when he lay safe and contented in 
her arms as much as she cherished his 
boundless energy and nonstop chatter when 
he was awake.

He stirred and a tiny sigh escaped his 
mouth.  The heavy fringe of his lashes 
lifted and unfocused eyes blinked sleepily 
up at her before falling again to cast a 
smudged shadow over his cheeks.  She 
crooned a soft and tuneless melody until he 
once again fell limp and trusting against 
her breast.  She lightly traced the line of 
his nose and the arch of his dark brows 
before sifting her fingers through his 
silky brown hair.  Shifting slightly, she 
cradled the solid weight of him in her arms 
and knew a contentment that she had never 
before found.

I will love you until the day I die, she 
vowed silently as she dropped a kiss into 
the softness of his dark hair.  I will 
protect you from those who seek to hurt 
you.  I will comfort you and dry your tears 
when you are sad.  I will support you in 
your failures and rejoice in your 
achievements.  Her arms tightened fiercely 
around him and he grunted and nuzzled his 
face into the softness of her flesh, 
grumpily snuffling and rubbing his nose 
with one hand, while the fingers of the 
other hand tightened over the plump 
fullness of her breast.  A smile broke out 
over her face as she looked down into 
sleepy, hazel eyes.  His gaze was both 
solemn and wondering and once again she 
felt a surge of love well up and threaten 
to overwhelm her.

"You're awake," she murmured and her hand 
slipped up to cup the back of his head as 
his mouth pressed over her breast again.  
Hot tears flooded her eyes.  This moment in 
their time together, made up for all of the 
pain and suffering and loss in her life 
that had come before.

His mouth fell away from her breast and he 
stretched, arching his back and lifting a 
hand over his head.  Diffused sunlight, 
streaming through the gauzy curtains 
fluttering over the windows, glinted off of 
the gold band circling his finger and a 
lazy smile curved his lips as he wrapped 
his hand around the back of her neck and 
pulled her head down to his.  His lips were 
moving again, now tugging and pulling at 
hers.  Their mouths parted and his thumb 
stroked over her cheek as he smiled into 
her eyes.

"Sorry I fell asleep," he rasped in a 
sleep-roughened voice.  She bent to him 
again and brushed her mouth over his, 
trailing damp lips over his cheek, nibbling 
the downy softness of his earlobe.

"I'm not," she whispered and he shivered as 
her breath wafted warm and soft over his 
ear.  "I like watching you sleep."  His 
arms tightened around her and the world 
tilted dizzily as he rolled her onto her 
back.  His grin was infectious and he 
stretched out full-length over her body, 
crushing her into the sheets as he settled 
into the cradle of her hips and she 
couldn't help but grin back.

Through the open windows she heard the 
sound of the surf crashing against the 
rocks below the cottage they had rented.  
Two weeks ago, in the wake of another close 
call, they had said their vows in a tiny 
hospital chapel.  They had another week 
left before their honeymoon was over and 
she knew that a decision had to be made on 
where their lives would take them next.  
But not now, she thought as she curled her 
arms around his neck and wrapped her legs 
around his hips.

Now was for them.

The future would wait.

The End

Author's notes:  I admit that the end of 
the show as I've known and loved it saddens 
me.  I thought of this vignette on the 
train ride home tonight to cheer me up, but 
I hope you enjoy it too.  I've met so many 
wonderful people in the world of XF fandom, 
not the least of which are good folks at 
IWTB and my fellows Sisters.  Special 
thanks, as always to Aly for hosting my 
stories and Char for her support, 
thoughtful comments and friendship.

This and all of my other stories can be 
found at:  http://www.envy.nu/tessfiles/