"Hmph," Dierdre retorted. "Finish your toast, dear." She made a face at him. "You run, and I'll have hounds set on you."

"Finish your toast," he replied. "I'm not going anywhere, Dee, you know that. And if I did," he added, a bit smugly, "I know how to shake a hunting hound."

She crunched into a bite of toast, and then stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll have Nialla's mother set on you."

"Balls. You win. I'll be good." He finished his last bit of toast, then shook crumbs off his hands--over the side of the bed, so that no one had to sleep in them--and curled up again. "I love you, dear. In a completely courteous and comradely fashion."

Dierdre grinned, and put her toast down so she could put her arms around him. "You don't need to specify how," she answered. "I love you, too, you know. You make me happy, and that's all that matters, isn't it?"

"I try," he said. "I figure if I can't make you happy then at least I can keep you amused." He folded in on himself, the pillow stuffed under his cheek. "If I fall asleep, will you protect me from Davide?" he asked, in such a plaintive little-boy voice, it was not immediately clear if he was joking.

She kissed his un-swollen cheek. "Of course, my love," she answered. "I'll keep away all the scary monsters. And you're very amusing, mostly. When you don't get yourself thrown in jail. But now we've both done that, so we're even."

"I didn't get myself thrown into jail," he said sleepily. "I was trying to prevent myself from being thrown in jail, but he blindsided me."

"All right, so you were unjustly thrown in jail," Dierdre agreed. "Not quite the same. So we have each been in jail?" she offered. "And now neither of us is allowed, ever again."

"At least you did what you were arrested for," he muttered into his pillow--then froze, letting out a groan. "Sorry."