The Light of a Brand New Day

by Donna

Katherine walked away from Edan, a hastily packed bag on her back. She had no specific destination in mind - just away. Somewhere where she could be alone and think without having to worry about blocking others from reading the turmoil her emotions were in right now.

A baby! She was going to have a baby! As she walked the words started to bring a little light to the dark despair that had dominated her life since the death of Connor’s death. Now if only she had someone to share that miracle with.

Methos was…, well, he was Methos. Katherine shook her head as she thought about the ancient immortal. They had been friends for several centuries now and although he had seemed to enjoy their time together that one day, afterward he had seemed to have no interest in being with her again. In fact, other than an occasional polite hello, he made no very little effort to even talk to her. The thought of Methos caused tears to well in her eyes. They had been close friends several centuries ago and although he had seemed to enjoy their time together that one day, she knew he didn’t want to expand their friendship beyond what it already was, so she did not push him for more. He was polite, as always, to her, and although he tended to avoid discussing Connor - to save her feelings, she assumed - he did not actively avoid her. He just didn't seem to have much time for her, with everything that was going on in town.

She could sense he was preoccupied and stressed about something, but the realization she was nothing to him other than an old acquaintance good for a one night stand hurt. She had thought they had a much closer friendship than apparently they did.

But thinking of Duncan hurt even more. She had given her heart to him that one night, opening herself completely up so that he could find some healing in the fact that she did not hold him accountable for Connor’s death. When they had loved, Kat had been able to sense the portion of Connor’s spirit that resided in Duncan now, but that was not the reason she had given herself to him, no matter what he believed. The memory of the fight they had had when he had accused her of only wanted to be with him because he carried Connor’s Q inside of him made her eyes mist with tears again. Since then, Duncan he had avoided her as much as possible and Katherine had been left feeling even more alone than before.

A baby. A baby fathered by one of two possible men. Two men that apparently had obviously did not really care that much for her and had no wish to develop a deeper relationship with her. Guilt washed over Katherine as she stumbled through the forest, half blinded by the tears now flowing freely down her face. She should have never tried to find some solace with them in the first place. In the end, it had just made her hurt more. And now because of it, she was going to have a baby. A baby that would not know the love of a father.

She had to face the facts. Connor was dead. And she was alone. Terribly alone. And right now, there was no one who loved her enough to even try to take the Captain’s place in her life. If she was going to bring a child into the world, she was going to have to do it completely on her own. The thought crossed her mind that it would be so easy just to cross the river and find someone willing to end it all for her, but she pushed it aside. There was a child to think about now.

The sun was going down, and the darkness made it difficult to make out the little game trail she was following. She didn’t notice the stream until she started to splash through it. Pausing halfway across, she knelt and cupped her hand in the cool water and brought some up to her mouth, sipping it slowly to take the edge off her thirst without making her still queasy stomach flip. It didn’t work. The water immediately bounced.

Stumbling weakly out of the stream, Katherine sank down in the thick grass. Clasping her knees to her chest, she started to cry. Not since the death of her father when she was only twelve had she felt so completely alone and helpless. Eventually the sobs subsided, and pulling the blanket she had packed in the bag around her, she curled up into a tight, miserable ball and after awhile, and both physically and mentally exhausted, she drifted off into a restless sleep.

* * * *

Many miles and several days later, Katherine found herself in a thickly forested area. Water and food were still plentiful, but she still had difficulty keeping it down, especially in the morning. She kept a steady pace, stopping to rest every couple of hours, and to have a bite to eat of the food that she had collected while she traveled. Her stomach still rebelled much of the time, but still she ate. It was important that she get some sort of nourishment inside of her, for the baby’s sake.

She was lonely, yes, but this time it was of her own choosing. It was one thing to make the decision to go off in search of some solitude so that she could get her head together, and a whole different thing to be surrounded by people and still feel utterly and completely alone. Maybe later she would return to them. Maybe not. At this point, she didn’t know. The only thing that mattered at the point in time was the little spark of life inside of her. It was becoming her focus, her reason for continuing to live.

As she walked, the wind shifted and picked up, making the thick canopy of leaves above her head rustle. Kat paused, sniffing the air and listening carefully. She could smell the distinctive odor of salt water, and ever so faintly, make out the sounds of waves crashing onto rocks. The sea! How she loved the ocean. She always had. Shifting her direction of travel, she headed into the wind, hoping it would bring her to the shoreline.

It did. She came out of the woods at the edge of a cliff that over looked the ocean. She stood there, drinking in the sight and the smells. Somehow, it made her feel at home. Stepping closer to the edge, she looked along the edge of the cliff, trying to decide which way to go. Down was not an option. The rocky face was too sheer, and there was no beach below her anyway. In one direction, the ground seemed to descend, and though she wasn’t sure, she thought she saw a faint hint of a sheltered bay through the trees off into the distance. Picking her way carefully, she headed towards it.

It was further than she thought. Dusk was already falling by the time she got there. Exhausted and hungry, she collapsed onto the beach and looked around. It was a lovely, sheltered little cove with a good size beach. There was a good supply of driftwood, and as she watched, several crabs scurried away from her and in the quiet water of the cove, she heard the splashing of fish as they came to the surface. Looking towards the tree line, she saw a small creek leading into what looked to be a pond. The trees themselves were laden with fruit, so with fresh fruit, water, and the ocean right next door to serve as an additional source of food, Katherine decided this was a good place for her. It felt right.

Walking over to the edge of the trees, she made a soft bed out of the abundant grass, and then pulled a piece of fruit and a bottle of water out of her bag, Katherine ate and drank, and then wrapped her blanket around her, and drifted off to sleep, lulled by the soothing sound of the ocean. Come morning she would explore her surroundings thoroughly to see if this place had everything she needed to survive.

* * * * *

The sound of sea gulls complaining loudly as they competed with each other for the fish coming to the surface of the cove in search of insects caused Katherine to stir. She opened her eyes and stretched, breathing deeply of the sea air. Dawn was already beginning to paint the sky with a palette of soft pinks and reds against the layer of clouds off into the distance. Katherine made a mental note of the clouds, thinking that it would be a good idea that making some sort of shelter should be her top priority of the day.

Suddenly she froze where she sat, every one of her senses on complete alert. Only a couple of feet from where she had slept was an upside down tortoise shell filled with water. Three small fish swam around in it. Next to the makeshift aquarium was a mat woven from fern leaves and broad bladed sea grass. On top of the mat was an assortment of different types of fruits and vegetables sitting on a bed of colorful flowers.

Rising to her feet slowly, Kat scanned the cove. But she saw and heard nothing unusual. Squatting down by the offering of food, she studied the ground carefully. "Gotcha," she said in a quiet voice. There in a patch of sand was the print of a bare foot. A man’s footprint. Long and skinny looking. Kat had to smile through eyes misty with tears. Connor had left footprints in the sand like that. She knew his feet well. Many had been the time that she had tormented him by tickling the soles of his feet with a feather or her tongue. The thought brought a sad smile to her face.

Lifting up a piece of fruit that she knew was similar to a orange, she peeled away the rind and then quenched her thirst with some of the sweet, juicy segments inside of it. Standing up, she lifted the remaining fruit segments in a playful salute. "Thank you!" she called out. "Now I don’t have to go hunt for my breakfast. Come out, come out where ever you are! I won’t bite! I promise."

But there was no reply other than the cries of the sea gulls. Reaching out with her mind, Katherine searched for any hint of another person, but found nothing. Who ever had visited her while she slept was apparently not nearby. Shrugging, Katherine headed into the woods to take care of her morning needs and to gather some wood so that she could cook her breakfast.

The sun was well over the horizon by the time the fish was done, and the clouds were beginning to thicken. Off in the distance, over the water, buildups were already starting to form. Katherine had a feeling that things were going to get wet before the day was out.

Placing some of the roasted fish and vegetables onto the plate she had brought with her, Katherine ate slowly, relishing the taste. For a wonder, her stomach seemed to be behaving itself this morning, and she was going to take full advantage of it. She ate her fill, and then put the rest of the food away. She then banked her fire so that there would be coals available to make her lunch with later on. But now, it was time to build some sort of shelter.

Lifting her bag onto her shoulder again, Katherine started to walk along the tree line, looking over the lay of the land to find the best place for her little shack. There was plenty of driftwood to use, and she could make a roof of sorts using the huge fern like leaves of some of the trees. Deciding that near the pond would be the best place, she headed that way.

When she reached the pond, she climbed onto one of the rocks and looked around. Katherine’s eyes suddenly opened wide in surprise. Hidden in the grove of trees surrounding the pond was a large tree house! Curious, Katherine made her way to it.

Once there, she looked around, finding the way up into it. Testing the footing of the ramp built around the huge tree, she slowly made her way up. Inside the tree house, she found things knocked over and scattered around in disarray, with layers of dust and cobwebs covering everything. It had been a long time since it had been used.

Making mental notes of things that would have to be repaired, Katherine explored what she knew now would be her home. There was a bed, homemade table and chairs, sea chest full of clothing, linen, books and dishware. An empty cradle swung softly when she touched it, and a chest near it contained neatly folded baby clothing. Tears came to her eyes as she lifted some of them out. The baby dresses were old fashioned, but well made. They looked to be from the late 19^th century from their design. The chest full of woman and men’s clothing confirmed that. "Well, it looks like I won’t have to go around butt naked at least," she mumbled to herself.

Suddenly she gasped in surprise and with trembling fingers, she opened up a small case. Inside of it, she found a wonderfully crafted silver flute! "Ohhhh!" she said with joy, as she lifted it out. Cradling it to her chest, she poked around, seeing if there was anything more. Underneath a haphazard pile of boxes and pieces of canvas in one corner, she found another case. In this one, she found a set of ceremonial bagpipes.

Fingering the tartan decorating the pipes, Katherine smiled in recognition. She knew these pipes. She had added special braided tassels to them after she had played them for the last time. It had been when she was the governess for Lord Greystoke’s young son Jack back in Scotland during the 1870’s.

A soft sigh escaped her as she remembered hearing that years later when she had been teaching in the Appalachians and raising Sarah Jo that Jack and his pregnant bride had been lost at sea on their way to Africa.

The distant rumbling of a thunderstorm interrupted her memories. The storm was getting closer. She did some quick repair work of one section of the roof, and then went to gather wood for the small brick oven she found located at the base of a nearby tree. She carried back some of the hot coals in the tortoise shell, placing them in the oven along with some wood. She would want to roast some more vegetables later. In one of the little meadows she had passed through on her way to the cove, she had found tall oat and wheat grass growing, and if she harvested the ripe grain, she could also make some bread, using some of the sourdough starter she had brought with her to make it rise.

She worked quickly, gathering things that she would need for the night, but during her last trip, the storm caught up with her, and by the time she made it back to the tree house, she was drenched completely. Kat was shivering by the time she made it up the ramp to shelter, and after dropping her load, she started to strip her wet clothes off.

A soft, monkey like sound made her freeze in spot. Looking up, she saw someone crouching on the large limb of a nearby tree. Her friend was back! Grabbing her blanket, she wrapped it around her wet, naked body and stepped closer to the porch, peering out into the deluge, trying to make out his features. "It’s all right," she said softly. "Come on over and get out of the rain!"

Who ever it was made some more ape like noises, and then disappeared into the tree’s thick foliage. "Wait! Don’t go!" she called out, but a moment later, she got a glimpse of a near naked man with long tangled hair swinging away from the tree house.

Katherine stared out into the rain for a long while, then with a sigh, she went back inside. Lighting an oil lamp that had been hanging down from a rafter, she curled up in a chair to rest. It had been a long day. It was then she noticed a book laying on the floor next to the chair. Picking it up, she began to read. It was the journal written by Lord Greystoke’s son!

Intrigued, Katherine read it all, reliving her charge’s excitement about the journey to Africa with his young wife, the story of the storm that had left them stranded on the African shore. How they had built this tree house she was in now, and how he had been there when his wife brought yet another John Clayton into the world. Her eyes were wet with tears as she read about the fever that caused his wife to gradually fade away, leaving him with his newborn son to care for. But after that, the journal abruptly ended. And there were dark rust colored stains on the last few pages.

Once more, Katherine wept. Not only for the loss of Connor but now for the death of a man whom she had taught and cared for as a young boy, as well as his wife and child. "God give ye all rest," she said softly, closing the book and setting it aside. It was night now. And the air was filled with the sound of the sea. The storm had passed and the air smelled fresh and clean.

Sighing softly, Katherine rose from her chair, and fixed herself a bite to eat. On impulse, she left out a platter full of food on the porch. Maybe her shy friend would come back. Putting out the light, she crawled into the bed, curling up tight underneath her blanket. Sleep eluded her for a while, but finally, lulled by the sound of the sea and the songs of the night birds, Katherine drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

We have a long way to go

The sound of water dripping off of something caused Katherine to rouse from her sleep. She lay still, getting her bearings as she suddenly became instantly awake. She was not alone.

Accompanying the sound of water was the soft sound of a bare foot sliding over the floor, as well as the monkey like sounds that she had heard from the man in the tree. Reaching out with her awareness, Katherine touched his mind, looking for anything threatening. But the only emotions she found were of immense curiosity and a feeling of loneliness that almost matched hers. But overshadowing it all was a strong, animal like magnetism.

She opened her eyes, but did not move, searching for him in the darkness of the room. She spotted him squatted down on the floor a few feet from her bed, his eyes shining in the darkness of the room as he looked at her. Katherine could just barely make out his features in the dark, her eyes misting as she recognized them.

Seeing she was awake, the man tilted his head. The water she had heard was dripping off his long hair. He was even more drenched than she had been. With a hesitant hand, he reached out and touched her face. Wetting his fingers with her tears, he brought the moisture to his nose and smelled it, then licked it away from his fingertips with his tongue. The soft sounds that he was making almost making sense to her as she concentrated on the emotions he was emitting. Picking up her hand, he placed it on his face and made a patting motion with it. She could feel how much he craved some sort of physical contact.

Katherine kept her hand on his face, lightly tracing the contours of his face. She already knew them by heart. Who ever this was, he was another one of Connor’s look-a-likes. Her exploring fingers found the welt of a scar across his forehead, and there were quick a few more on his neck, shoulders, and chest. Her hand traced each one lightly as it continued to wander over his long, lean body feeling the strong muscles underneath the skin. Around his neck was a locket of sorts, and strapped to his waist was a knife. The only clothing he had on was a very skimpy loincloth. ~My very own Tarzan~ Katherine mused, wondering if she was dreaming.

He moved nearer to her, his own hands doing their own exploration of her face and body. He didn’t just touch, but he also smelled and tasted her by running his fingers over her skin and then putting them in his mouth.

Moving slowly, Katherine sat up, letting the blanket fall down around her hips as her night visitor began to nuzzle her neck and shoulders. She shivered as he gently bit her highly sensitive neck, a warm feeling starting to build in her loins. If this was a dream, it was going to be a hot one. A very hot one, judging by the way she was responding to his touch.

Smelling her arousal, the jungle man’s sounds became louder, and he started to jump around the room excitedly. After a moment, he returned to her, once more taking her hand and placing it on his head.

Katherine smiled, stroking his face and hair, and then on impulse, leaned forward and kissed his cheek tenderly. He was so lonely! She could feel his deep longing to be with someone. Someone who was like him, not just one of the animals in the forest. Taking his face in her hands, Katherine covered his lips with hers, kissing him firmly.

Her action caused another bout of excited ape talk and in his excitement he knocked over several things before once more returning to her. This time he approached her from behind, burying his face in her hair for a moment before moving it aside and once more started to nuzzle and nibble on her neck and shoulder, one hand pressing her breast firmly and the other reaching down her body to the area between her legs. He gathered up the moisture he found there, and then brought his fingers up to his face to once more smell and taste.

Katherine swallowed hard. She could feel the evidence of his arousal pressed up against her back. It was obvious where this was heading, and she had a feeling that there was no way she could stop him. Not that she wanted to. She was craving to be with someone just as much as he was.

He bounced off the bed, moving to the front of her, pulling the blanket away from her body and spreading her legs. Squatting between them, his mouth closed down on her sex, his tongue eagerly delving into every place it could go. Katherine gasped, reaching down to grab handfuls of his long, wet hair, holding his head in place.

He very quickly had her squirming and breathing hard as he licked and nibbled her wet folds hungrily. He was a quick learner too, responding to her body language. When she responded to having her little nub sucked on, he repeated it, until she went sailing over the edge in an earth-shaking climax. As her hips shook in his grasp, his tongue dipped deep inside of her, tasting the flow of juices that had resulted from her orgasm.

Katherine whimpered as his mouth left her, her body aching to be filled. Reaching out, she hooked her hand in his loincloth, and as he made little curious sounds, she struggled to find a way to get it off. He pushed her hands away, and with one deft move, removed it himself. His erection was immense, and Katherine couldn’t resist reaching out to touch it, running her fingers lightly over the silky smooth skin of his shaft. He immediately went completely berserk on her.

This time, she was sure he was going to destroy most of the furniture in the tree house with his antics as he bounced around, his ape noises filling the night around them. But when he stopped, he got down on his hands and knees, crawling towards her, growling low in his chest. Katherine shivered in anticipation as he climbed up on the bed behind her again, the growl growing in intensity.

He pushed her face down on the bed and then grabbed her hips, lifting them up. Then with one hard thrust, he buried his manhood all the way inside of her. Katherine gasped, pushing back against him, wanting it all as he started to move in and out of her, fast and hard, growling fiercely with each thrust. Katherine grabbed one of his hands, moving it from her hips to her throbbing center of pleasure, guiding his fingers to it and showing him how she wanted to be touched. As a result, she climaxed again quickly, carrying him with her over the edge. As he emptied his seed inside of her, he roared loudly, leaning forward and biting the nape of her neck.

Breathing hard, he stayed where he was, his shaft still deep inside of her depths, his growling now replaced with the softer ‘ohh ohh’ sounds. She could feel his satisfaction and a fierce pride in himself from having taken her. After awhile, he rolled over onto his side, taking her with him, holding her tightly to him.

Katherine sighed happily, molding her body up to his. Part of her wondered again if this was just a vivid dream. If it was, it was the best one she had ever had. Feeling safe and protected in her jungle man’s arms, Katherine drifted off into a deep, and for once, restful sleep.