"You know I am going to get you for that."
Will snuggled up next to Terra under the covers, muttering, "For what?"
He knows exactly for what. "Last night, the way you teased me. How you touched me," Terra purred. "You kept me on edge for so long."
"I think you liked it."
"Well, maybe a little."
Will scolded, but with a grin, "Terra Lorr, remember our honesty pledge."
She sighed. "Okay, I liked it a lot. But I can't just let you play me like that." Terra climbed on top of him and connected lips for a long kiss. Coming up for air, she smirked. "I could do the same thing to you."
His grin turned sly. "I dare you to try."
A dare, huh?
Will pulled her back down into a cuddle, her head resting on his shoulder.
After silently resolving a pleasurable revenge, Terra changed the subject. "Now that you slept on it. What do you think of me coming into the Library?"
Pausing in thought, Will said, "To be honest, I have mixed feelings. I am good with the medical relief planning part and I think you would be fantastic at that. But I don't like you going on covert operations, especially with recent developments." He patted her on her belly.
"I would not risk her, either." She rose and pushed a finger into Will's chest, then said with a firm voice, "But know this! I will not allow you to go on an operation without me. It is together, or not at all."
"Hmm, I'm beginning to think you have feelings for me."
Terra's voice became louder. "I am serious, Will! It is more than just wanting you. I, we, are going to need you more than ever!" She laid her head back down on his shoulder and continued in a softened voice. "It is so wonderful to be with you, but in this world, trouble always seems to find us and I know it will again. We can promise that we will avoid danger, but it comes regardless."
"Then, like you say, we will face it together." He paused again, as if seeking the right words. "What do you think about making a formal, public commitment to each other?"
Terra gasped, her eyes opening wide as her head jerked up. "Will, are you asking me to marry you?"
"Yes, I am. I love you and want nothing more than us to be a family. So, Terra Lorr, will you marry me?"
Bliss filled her heart with a warm glow and a contented smile crossed her face. Terra whispered in Will's ear, "Yes."
Ginny was uncharacteristically giddy at the announcement. Will and Terra looked at each other in bewilderment when they left her home, yet smiling all the while. Next came Pastor Joseph. He reacted with a broad grin and a tight bear hug that left them nearly out of breath. Not wanting to wait any longer, they set the next afternoon for the wedding.
Pastor Joseph officiated the simple ceremony. Ginny, John with Moya, Liz with her husband, and Zoe stood in witness. Terra appeared in a simple white dress she borrowed from Liz. On pronouncement, the kiss drew boisterous cheers from the small crowd.
That evening, as husband and wife, hearts poured out from each to the other, two as one, while they made love. With passion temporarily sated, they cuddled together, basking in the feelings. All the troubles of the world seemed far away.
Terra treasured the moment. The world may take away our home, our freedom, our peace, even our lives. But this we will always have. I will not regret love.
Since the first winter snows had not yet come, the next day they drove up to the cabin and laid flowers at Anna's grave. As a cool fall breeze ruffled Terra's hair, they stood in silence, honoring her memory.
The following day, Terra begin planning for a war many believed inevitable, a sobering task. She entered the clinic and took stock of its capabilities.
Later, Terra and Will met in Ginny's office to review the Library's predictions of the upcoming conflict. The details sent chills through Terra. If the analysis was right, the upcoming war would be devastating, and Freehold would be in the center of it all. Also, since the rich agricultural lands in the Highlands Province provided much of the Dynasty's raw food, an extended war here would bring wide-spread famine.
Terra scrolled through the emergency reserve inventory on her viewer, pushing back the anxiety that prickled her gut for a sobering evaluation. "I understand now the importance of the Library caches. But what we have is still far too little."
Ginny nodded. "There is no way we can stockpile enough food for a complete agricultural breakdown. Part of the strategy is to preserve what production and distribution we can during the fighting. Fortunately, your past adventures bought us some more time to prepare."
Terra put her hand to her chin. "Perhaps we could encourage the farmers to hold back some of their crops in their own storage. I don't mean telling them war is coming, but if rumors spread about future higher crop prices, then they will hold some back from the market, hoping for a greater future profit."
"That has some merit. The council would not normally engage in market manipulation, but given the circumstances, they may agree. I will bring it up."
Terra continued. "There is something else. The current medical relief plan counts on using the Freehold clinic as a base. Once the war starts, the clinic likely would become unusable. The same goes for the rest of the Freehold. The recent destruction of Norhold may have been a preview. We need a fallback location for the hospital and evacuation area for the town." Widening her eyes, Terra turned to face her husband. "Will, that place you took Benjamin and me for a picnic?"
"The reservoir just up from the water supply hub?" he replied.
"Yes. That area might work well. There is plenty of ground and water is available. With only a single main road in and out, entry could be easily monitored. And the hills that surround it make major troop movements in the area unlikely."
"Hmm. We will need to build structures to hold the stockpiles. And the road will need some improvements to handle all the traffic in an evacuation. I can get that done under the guise of water system improvements."
Ginny grinned. "Not bad for a married couple. You two start the planning while I clear it and get funding from the Library Council."
*****
One afternoon, a stranger with a straggly beard walked into the clinic emergency room clutching his arm, a bloodied wad of cloth covering a wound. He told the nurse on duty that he was a trader dealing in fabric, but while cutting from a bolt, his hand slipped and sharp scissors sliced across his forearm. In truth, the wound was self-inflicted.
His superiors were clear — passive observation only. There would be no mistakes like the last time when a multitude of investigators descended on this small town, only to come away with nothing. The clinic seemed to be the best place to start.
As he sat in the waiting area, his eyes perked up as a woman with long dark hair and coppery skin stopped at the nurse's station. He glanced down at the image on his viewer and back up again, then smiled. It was her — Agent Lorr.