Fic: A Light That Never Went Out (Cara/Dahlia, Legend of the Seeker 3/?)

[fembuck]

Title: A Light That Never Went Out
Author: Janine
Fandom: Legend of the Seeker
Pairing: Cara/Dahlia
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own them.
Summary: After defeating the Keeper our band of heroes heads back to D'Hara, and on the way Cara meets a familiar face.

( Part One )
( Part Two )

xxx

Part 3

The fresh air and exercise helped sober Dahlia some, and by the time they entered her cottage she was steady on her feet once more and had stopped occasionally slurring her words. Still, once Cara got her settled at the kitchen table she poured a glass of water for Dahlia from a jug and then sat down beside her to make sure she drank it all before heading to bed.

"I don't think my body can contain anymore liquid," Dahlia moaned when Cara placed the glass in front of her.

"You'll make it," Cara said levelling Dahlia with a gaze that said the matter was not up for debate.

"You're mean," Dahlia accused, but she lifted the glass to her lips nonetheless.

"Of course I am. I'm Mord'Sith. And you'll thank me in the morning," Cara responded.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while as Dahlia slowly forced the water down while Cara glanced at the furnishing around her. When Dahlia's glass was empty, Cara poured her another and then leaned back, staring at Dahlia pointedly until she drank that glass too.

"Truly, I'm at my limit. I don't care how much you glare at me, I can't drink another," Dahlia declared meeting Cara's eyes boldly.

"Very well," Cara said in response. "You should be fine now anyway," she continued, moving to rise only to be stopped by Dahlia placing her hand over the one Cara had braced against the table top.

"Thank you," Dahlia said softly when Cara looked down at her.

"There's no reason to thank me. I needed to stretch my legs, so there was no reason to make you stagger home alone," Cara replied, lowering herself back into the seat she had been occupying for the past while.

"You don't need to be so … crotchety," Dahlia breathed out. "It's just me now, and I know that you were being kind walking me home. Your scowls don't fool me, Ca."

Cara sighed. "You sound like Kahlan, always trying to find feelings where there are none."

"The Mother Confessor sees truth. Her ability to see things others cannot is why she's the Mother Confessor. Perhaps we're both simply commenting on feelings that you can't see yet."

Cara sighed again and rolled her eyes.

"I see you've recovered enough to begin harassing me again," Cara said huffily, rising to her feet. "I'll be going now."

"I didn't sleep for a week after you went missing. I cried so hard at night that it kept me awake. I didn't eat, I barely spoke. I missed you more than I have words to express," Dahlia began, her words halting Cara's progress halfway to the door of her cottage. "Eventually, I started eating again, I started sleeping again, and all those around me began to wish I would talk less again. But I never forgot you. I never stopped worrying about you. I never stopped hoping that I would see you again. And now, here you are," Dahlia finished, her voice a mere whisper as she came to stop in front of Cara.

Cara did not verbally respond to her, but her eyes held Dahlia's so intently that when Dahlia reached out to touch her face Cara instinctively jerked back, having not registered the movement of Dahlia's arm.

"Please," Dahlia whispered, "I …" she paused struggling to find words to explain how she needed to touch Cara's face, how she needed to feel her skin in order to convince herself that this was real and not some feverish dream. "Please," she repeated.

Cara nodded stiffly, and Dahlia's fingers continued towards her face until she was able to run her fingers over Cara's shockingly smooth skin.

"I didn't mean it earlier," Dahlia breathed out as she trailed her finger down Cara's nose. "You really are astoundingly beautiful. You just looked so smug that I couldn't encourage you."

Cara's lips twitched up slightly in an almost smile.

"You're not worried about inflating my ego now?"

"No," Dahlia whispered, smiling softly as she traced the curve of Cara's jaw. "After all I heard you say tonight, I don't think it's possible to make your ego any bigger."

Cara's eyes narrowed at that and Dahlia laughed softly.

"You always had a silver tongue," Cara murmured. "You used to trick me with your words all the time back then."

"You always made it so easy," Dahlia responded softly, running her thumb across Cara's cheek one last time before reluctantly pulling her hand back. "But a smile from you was all it took to disarm me. You had the sweetest smile I've ever seen."

Cara regarded Dahlia seriously for a moment, and then in a flash she smiled, the expression becoming wider and wider when Dahlia's eyes lit up until Cara was honestly giving Dahlia the brightest smile she was capable of.

"Yes," Dahlia breathed out, grinning even as her eyes welled with tears, "that's the one."

Her hands twitched where they rested at her side as she fought the urge to hug Cara, having observed throughout the night that the blonde appreciated her personal space being respected.

"I'm so glad that you're okay," Dahlia said, wringing her hands together in attempt to keep them away from Cara. "I'm so happy that you've found such good people," she whispered. "And I'm …" Dahlia's voice was shaking and she took a moment to try and steady it. "I'm so very happy that I've gotten to see you again."

"I …" Cara began uncertainly, looking away from Dahlia's eyes as she struggled to find a way to actually express what she was feeling. "I am glad as well," Cara stated awkwardly, unused to speaking of her emotions. "I thought of you after I was taken. I'm pleased you are well," she continued, her words stiff but from the heart.

Cara looked down and stared at the floorboards for a moment then she took a deep breath and forced herself to look over at Dahlia again.

"You grew up more beautiful than I could have imagined," Cara breathed out, speaking without thinking when Dahlia's warm brown eyes met hers.

Dahlia's cheeks coloured again as they had in the tavern and those eyes that enthralled Cara dipped down and to the left, hiding themselves from Cara's gaze.

"I wasn't being fresh," Cara said primly in response to Dahlia's blush.

"I know," Dahlia said softly a moment later, raising her eyes again to look at Cara. Her skin was still flushed, but she did not seem upset and Cara's rigid posture relaxed slightly. "I," Dahlia smiled a little shyly and averted her eyes again before murmuring, "I wasn't really upset earlier. You just surprised me. You always did like to tease me. I shouldn't have reacted. It always encouraged you when I reacted."

"You blush very prettily," Cara replied softly, watching Dahlia's face keenly. "But I wasn't teasing you earlier, Da."

The use of her childhood nickname made Dahlia look back over at Cara and when she did Cara smiled.

"If we had grown big together I might just have tried to marry you," she continued, reaching out to cup Dahlia's face in her hand. "I would kiss you now, if you'd allow it," Cara said holding Dahlia's eyes with her own, her tone gentle but utterly serious.

"Kiss me where?" Dahlia whispered as her heart picked up speed beneath her breast.

"On your lips," Cara replied steadily. "With my tongue," she added so that Dahlia could not play coy with her next response.

Dahlia breathed in sharply upon hearing Cara's words and her eyes unconsciously flickered down to look at Cara's tantalizingly full lips.

"That is not done," Dahlia sighed tremulously even as her eyes remained glued to Cara's.

"It is not often spoken of, but it is done … repeatedly … by a wide variety of women," Cara responded. "In fact, many only need the slightest bit of encouragement to indulge."

"You know this for a fact?" Dahlia asked, finally managing to tear her eyes away from Cara's lips so that she could see the blonde's whole face again.

"I do," Cara confirmed, not quite able to keep her self-satisfaction from showing on her face.

"And how many women have you 'encouraged'?" Dahlia asked, her eyes losing the dazed glaze that had been in them for the past few minutes to become focused and critical.

"A fair number," Cara replied honestly. "Mord'Sith must often keep each other company," she continued still looking at Dahlia though she could see that the other woman did not like her words. "And village Inns are often cold. Barmaids are an excellent source of warmth at night."

"Is that what you want, to 'stay warm' with me tonight?" Dahlia asked taking a step back from Cara. "How am I coming along? Do you think I need much more encouragement?" she asked glaring balefully at Cara.

To Dahlia's surprise and irritation her questions provoked laughter from Cara instead of shaming her as she had hoped they would.

"I wouldn't turn you down, but I'm not trying to seduce you," Cara responded, charmed by Dahlia's spirit.

Dahlia had always been much stronger, much more passionate and much wilder than the adults around them thought, and it pleased Cara that she still had that fighting spirit beneath her soft exterior.

"No?" Dahlia asked lifting a chestnut eyebrow questioningly. "You said you wanted to kiss me."

"I do," Cara replied. "Even more so now," she continued, a slow, easy, sensual smile touching her lips when Dahlia's eyes narrowed at her.

"Do you still claim this is not seduction?"

"Yes," Cara said with a low, rough edge to her voice. "I've presented you with an option, nothing more. If you're tempted, I've done nothing to encourage it other than admit that I would accept your overtures." She paused and then smiled again. "Are you tempted Dahlia?"

"Against my better judgement … yes," Dahlia whispered, unable to stop herself from staring at Cara's lips again.

"I would yield," Cara breathed out, "but I don't want to be accused of deviously trying to seduce you again."

Cara did not smile when she spoke, but her green eyes sparkled playfully when Dahlia looked into them and the brunette shook her head before smiling ruefully.

"You're going to make me kiss you, aren't you?" she asked.

"Only if you want to," Cara responded.

Cara's voice was light, but her eyes were serious. She did want Dahlia, she knew that she could have seduced her easily, and if they had encountered each other a year before, Cara would have taken her without a second thought. But they had not encountered each other a year earlier, they had met now, and Cara was different. Traveling with Richard and Kahlan, helping people instead of hurting them, seeing gratitude instead of fear in people's eyes, it had all changed her – no matter how much she often tried to deny it. She wanted Dahlia, but she would not unduly coerce her.

"Is this how you got those other women?" Dahlia asked softly.

"No," Cara replied. "Them, I seduced," Cara breathed out though she knew there were other words that could have been used to describe her behaviour towards the women she had taken in the past.

"But not with me?" Dahlia asked curiously, softly, as her eyes scanned Cara's face.

"No, not with you," Cara responded quietly.

The memories of how she had been with some of those village women now shamed her, and she would not have it be so with Dahlia.

"Why?" Dahlia whispered

"Because you're Dahlia," Cara replied, blinking a few times before averting her gaze. "I would not do anything to hurt you," Cara continued still looking away. "I would not have you hate me … as so many rightfully do," she finished, her last five words coming out so softly they were barely audible.

Dahlia's fingers touched her cheek hesitantly and Cara turned to face her into it even though she wanted to remain looking away. She was not used to sharing her feelings and the discomfort it caused her was considerable.

Once she turned, Cara barely had time to register Dahlia's face before the other woman surged forward and pressed her lips against Cara's. Cara was not expecting the kiss, but she did not waste any time responding. She lifted her hands to hold Dahlia's face and returned Dahlia's kiss with a forceful passion that soon had both of them gasping for air.

Dahlia pulled away first, skin flushed as she gasped for air, her eyes wide as she gazed at Cara's face. Her lips parted and Cara thought that she was going to speak, but Dahlia simply surged forward again and captured her lips once more, kissing Cara with an urgency that made it seem as if her life depended on it.

Cara could not keep her hands still with Dahlia kissing her like that, and moaning into Dahlia's mouth she allowed her hands to begin roaming over the brunette's body. She trailed her hands down to Dahlia's chest and took her breasts in her hands, kneading the full mounds until Dahlia was arching her chest into her hands and sighing into her mouth. She ran her hands over the gentle curves of Dahlia's torso and over shapely hips before trailing her hands behind Dahlia to grasp the firm, rounded globes of her buttocks and began to knead those too until Dahlia was panting into her mouth.

"I …" Dahlia began shakily, her body trembling against Cara as she started to speak.

"Yes," Cara breathed out.

She knew exactly what Dahlia was feeling. She was feeling it too and wanted desperately to give Dahlia what she needed, but she forced herself to speak instead of scooping Dahlia up into her arms and carrying her to the bed in the next room.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow," Cara told her knowing that speaking those words might mean she'd never get to touch Dahlia's naked skin, but having to say them nonetheless.

Dahlia closed her eyes and nodded. She had heard stories of many of the town's the Seekers group had passed through on their way to the People's Palace and she knew that her town would simply be another stop along the way.

"More reason for you to stay with me tonight," Dahlia said softly, opening her eyes to meet Cara's. "Tomorrow I'll have no choice but to let you go, but tonight I would hold onto you. Sneak into my bed one more time," she said blushing at the brazenness of her words though she held Cara's eyes steadily as she spoke.

The words had never crossed Cara's lips before while pressed up against a willing, aroused woman, but she instinctively found herself asking, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Dahlia breathed out, reaching down to take Cara's hand into her own and then lifting it so that she could press a kiss to the back of Cara's hand. "If tonight is all there is, then so be it. Take me to bed."

To be continued...