Live and Love Again

Megan sat outside the Cottage waiting for Ian. He had gone to the market and she large with child had stayed at home. Ian had not wanted to leave her as the bairn could make his appearance at any moment but she had shoed him out and assured him that no bairn of his would dare appear while he was away. She smiled at the memory as he put his tartan over his shoulder and kept looking back at her as he walked away from the cottage and toward the town. She was sure he ran once she was out of sight. She smiled as she held up the small shirt she had been sewing. The babe would not wear it long she thought. Ian wanted the child to look like her with red hair and green eyes but she would like the child to be the spitting image of his da. With a mass of blond hair and a braid worn on the side. His large hazel eyes would cause all who were in his command, to act correctly. Ian was the chieftain of the clan MacGregan and anyone with the temerity to face him were heard and all were judged fairly. That you could count on if Ian MacGregan was the man you had come to see. Ah it had been but a year since Meg and Ian wed and still she loved him with all her might. She had loved him the moment she had clapped eyes on his rugged frame walking into the town with his da and brothers. Bragging of their hunt although there was not to show for it. Meg and her family had just moved to the town and so she had asked her friend Gretchen who the tall one was. Gretchen gaped at her as if she had grown another head. "Don't ye be knowing who your elders be?" She said in a whisper that spoke of great respect. "Tis' Ian MacGregan and his kinsmen." Megan had looked at him and he saw her but instead of dropping her eyes as was the custom she gazed at him with her green eyes and bewitched him instantly. He had stoped the braging with his kinsmen and gaped at her. Within a fortmight the banns had been read and in a months time of that first look they were wed. Ian's father had died two months past and so Ian was the chieftan of the clan as he was the eldest. Megan didna think much of this. She had dearly loved Ian's da and she could not think of Ian as chieftan yet. It would come in time. She placed a hand on her belly when she felt the babe kick inside. She rubbed her hand over the child in her womb and began to sing softly an old galic tune. Then she heard it. Horses were arriving. Probably someone to see Ian. She stood with a smile on her face for those that sought an audience with her husband. The smile disappeared as Shawn Obgrady and his horse steped from behind the cottage.

Obgrady's were the sworn enemy of the Mac Gregan clan. Shawn sneared at Megan. "Where be your husband Megan Mac Gregan?"

"It is not of you to be knowing." She shot back as she held her head high. Behind her two more horses approached. Megan knew without looking they would be Shawn's cousins Patty and Devlin. Her blood ran cold. It was to late to flee. Megan prayed they would just leave and placed a protective hand over her swollen stomach. Shawn got down from his horse and walked to Megan. He took one of her long tresses into his hand, "You are still a sight to behold Megan. Even with Mac Greganbs bratt in your belly." She spat in his face. How dare he touch her or comment on her unborn babe.

"You will regret that." He stated quietly as he wiped his face with a monogramed handkerchief. "Oh yes you will rue the day you dared to insult an Obgrady."Grabing her hair in his hand he pushed her into the house while his cousins got down from their monts and followed . Smiling and laughing at the fear Megan could not hide.

Ian hurried home. Megan would tease him for his haste but he didna care. His concern lay with Meg and his babe. He didna see her outside the cottage and began to run. Something was wrong. He pushed open the door to see Shawn Obgrady sitting at his table.

"Where is my Meg" he asked the hated Obgrady sharply.

Shawn smiled at him and said slyly. "Where you will be soon also Mac Gregan."

Ian went to choke the life from the little weazil as strong hands grabed his arms and held him fast.

"Is this what you are looking for?" Shawn asked as he placed Megan's head on the table. "I seem to have misplaced the rest." He spoke in a nonchalont manor as all color seeped from Ian's face. His beautiful Meg was dead and with her the babe as well. He sagged in the hands that held him to lul them into loosening the grip they had on his arms. As soon as they did Ian was up. He had pulled his knife from its sheth and was going to kill Shawn. The hands grasped him again within reach of his hated target. He had managed a small cut into his enemy's cheek first. The knife was wrenched from his hand by Patrick and Devlin hit him.

"Stop" Shawn cried. "I would not deny myself the pleasure of removing one more Mac Gregan from the earth." He wiped the blood from his face with the same handkerchief he had removed the spittle that Megan had placed there before he raped and killed her. Shawn leaned over to whisper in Ian's ear. "She was a dandy piece before she died. It was a pity she had too. I enjoyed the fight in her. It was the least I could do to give her one last bit of pleasure." Ian fought to wipe the smile from Shawn's face permenately but before he could Shawn's blade found a sheath in Ian's body and slowly Ian sank to the floor. Before he died he noticed that Megans blood was on the floor also. He touched it and said in galic. "You are mine. My Meg. We will be together again.-