Refreshed after a long, pleasant sleep and wearing one of Will's t-shirts as a nightgown, Terra ambled outside. She leaned against the porch railing, letting her long dark hair flutter in the cool breeze. Will weeded the garden with a hoe, apparently long overdue, as judged by the large pile of weeds. His sweat-dampened t-shirt clung to his muscular chest even in the morning cool. Afraid of being caught in a longing stare, she shook her head and returned inside to fix breakfast, first rummaging through the chiller and pantry.

Hmm, what can I cook? Eggs Terra it is.

Will appeared as the eggs sizzled, putting on a grin. "It seems your string of sunrises was broken at two."

"Normal brain function has returned."

He poured tea as she scooped the scrambled eggs on slices of bread and topped them with cheese. Spreading his arms over the plates, he exclaimed, "A culinary masterpiece!"

Terra turned her eyes up to him. "Will, we promised each other to tell the truth."

"Okay, not gourmet, but I like it."

As they ate, Will looked up at Terra and asked, "You seem to be healing well. How are you feeling?"

"Good," she said after finishing a bite. "Not quite ready for ditch digging, though. You have taken such good care of me. There must be something I could do to help around here?"

"Well, there is this ditch that needs to be cleaned out..."

A piece of bread bounced off his forehead. She giggled as he threw it back at her.

"So you are feeling better. All right, I'll help you clean up and then go shoot some edible critters. The supplies we looted from Ginny are a bit short on meat."

With a grin, Terra replied, "Ah, my great provider."

After two hours, Will returned, holding up the results of his hunt.

"Squirrel?" Terra wrinkled her forehead.

"I used to hunt squirrel with my dad. They are actually tasty. So, how would you like some squirrel chili?"

"Well," she said with a smirk. "I can honestly say that this will be the best squirrel chili I ever tasted."

After cleaning the game, Will put the meat in a pot to slow cook, then gathered the other required ingredients, some from the pantry and some from the garden. He took a bite from one of the small peppers brought from Ginny's supply. As he chewed, his eyes grew wide and his cheeks reddened. He spat it out and ran gasping to the sink for a cup of cold water.

Terra grinned and took a bite herself.

"Terra, those are really hot!" Will warned.

After chewing, she pouted her lips as the spicy heat spread in her mouth. "Ooh, this is good."

Will froze, gawking in amazement. "You're a maniac, Terra Lorr."

That evening, they devoured squirrel chili, quite tasty, to Terra's surprise. She added the extra hot peppers to her bowl as Will shook his head in disbelief.

Later, they huddled around the fire pit, laughed at jokes and tall tales, and gazed at the stars. As the fire dwindled to coals and the night chill moved in, Terra moved closer on the log bench, leaning her head against Will's shoulder. As if in response to her unspoken wish, he wrapped an arm around her, drawing her even closer. Terra nearly purred as a tingling warmth swept through her.

This is true bliss.

As the last ember faded, Will and Terra returned to the house. A half-moon created a shimmering light streak across the pond below and faint illumination on the porch. Stopping at the door, Terra gazed up into Will's eyes, holding them in visual embrace.

A sense of admiration came over her. This man so tested by tragedy still had such gentle green eyes. It was as much a testament to a resilient heart as it was to the good people he had allowed in his life. Except me.

She whispered, "Thank you, Will. For everything."

Will placed a hand on Terra's shoulder, sending electric sparks down her spine. He spoke in an airy voice, "Terra, I.--"

"It's getting late," Terra interrupted, turning away to open the door.

How can I curse a good man with my reality?

*****

The next morning, after breakfast, Will's demeanor became more serious. "Terra, have you checked in with your Uprising friends since this whole Necros incident?" Terra opened her mouth, but did not know what to say. He continued. "I mean, you must check-in with them periodically. You are still an agent. I am just worried that they may send some people to check up on you, and I don't want the Dynasty and the Uprising to mix again in Freehold."

Of course, he would know I would report in. Terra sighed. "You are right. I should call them."

"Can you call from here? There is no com signal this far up in the mountains."

"The Uprising has a special secure communication network. It should still work here."

Will stood. "I can step outside while you call."

Terra shook her head. "You might as well listen in. Just don't get me in any more trouble than I probably already am."

As they sat at the table, Terra initiated the call on her viewer in speaker mode.

"Hex?"

"Terra!" an anxious voice answered. "I am so glad to hear your voice. Are you okay?"

"I am now. So, anything interesting happening there?"

"A shit storm with your name on it."

A different, but discordant voice said, "What the hell were you doing, Lorr?"

Terra closed her eyes and grimaced. "I am fine now, Walt. Thanks for asking."

"What possessed you to take on Necros?" Walt said with insistence.

Terra rolled her eyes while Will grinned and pointed a finger at her. She replied, "I had no intention of confronting him directly. He forced the issue."

Walt blew out a breath loud enough to be audible. "How were you able to take him out?"

"I took down his team, but it was the Hooded Man that took out Necros. He saved my life."

"So he is real. Were you able to identify him?"

She tightened her lips and gazed up at Will. "No. He was wearing a hood."

Walt raised his voice up a level. "Lorr, didn't you at least get something on him?"

"Walt, I ended up in a coma for two days! So, no!"

He paused. "Okay, sorry Terra. I really am glad you made it through. Where are you now?"

"I am away at a safe location and still recovering from my injuries. Freehold is probably infested with Dynasty swarm. Best that Uprising people stay away."

"Yes. Our intelligence shows they are devoting a lot of resources to finding out what happened." Walt said. "And what of this Will Sall?"

Terra looked over at Will and he nodded. "He is helping me."

Walt let out a heavy sigh. "Terra, I sent you on this mission thinking you could keep a low profile. But that didn't happen, did it? Just keep down and get well. We will see what we can do on this end."

"Thanks, Walt. Oh, what did you find out about that other issue?"

"Officially, you are to keep quiet. Unofficially, be very careful. Do you understand?"

"I will try to be good."

Terra hung up and put her head down on the table. "That went well, kind of."

Will spoke as Terra raised her head. "You didn't tell them I am the Hooded Man?"

Terra bowed and shook her head. "I cannot do that to you. If they knew, they would come after you. Same goes for the Dynasty, only worse." She let her mind form the words she wished not to say. "Will, you are in danger as long as you associate with me. I... I don't want that for you. I should leave."

With slow resolve, Will stood up and bent over, placing hands on the table. Angry fire burst from his eyes, causing Terra to lean back. "Terra Lorr, I will associate with whomever I damn well please. And that is you."