Ross stood there, his hands supported the fire place, his arms stretched holding the weight of his body. His head was spinning. He couldn't react to what Demelza had told him. His wife with another man?. That terrifying idea had never crossed his mind. All this time thinking about Elizabeth, about the damage his actions had done to her. He never thought… He never imagined.

A very vivid image of McNeil in his red uniform hugging Demelza came to his mind, kissing her, making love to her. 'Stop this!' He said to himself. The room was spinning around him, he wanted to throw up. 'It's my fault, all of this is my fault'.

He didn't realize how much time he stood there, with his head down looking at the fire, he just heard the door open and close.

'Demelza'- his plea was nearly a scream. He went after her.

She was wearing her travel clothing and was carrying a suitcase that looked too heavy for her as she clumsily walked as fast as she could to get away from the house.

'Demelza, what are you doing?'- he said while he ran to catch up with her. When she was at arm reach he grabbed her by the elbow and turned her around but she struggled to free her arm from his grasp and then pushed him with both hands, leaving the suitcase to drop on the floor.

'I am leaving!'- she screamed to her shocked husband.

'You can't…'

Ross wanted to say something but the words got stuck in his throat. On the contrary, words and accusations piled up in her mind and she let them out, unfiltered, and without the respect that a lady should have for her husband.

'I'm leaving you, so now you can blame me for this and you can feel sorry for yourself like you always do. Because nothing is ever your fault, the world is always against the god almighty Ross Poldark!'

She turned away for an instant but then came back to face him again.

'You know, how different your life could have been if you would just had taken the trouble of writing to Elizabeth? One letter. In three years! But you blamed her instead, well…'

All the colours had erased from Ross's face. He stared at his wife like seeing her for the first time. He had hurt her so deeply, and not just by sleeping with Elizabeth.

'You cannot go. Your duty lays here' – Demelza picked up the suitcase from the floor – 'You are the mother of my son.'

'The mother of your son? Just because I'm the mother of your child… just because I'm here doesn't mean that you love…'

'Yes, it does to me. It does because you are everything to me.'- Ross could barely control the tone of his voice, all his feelings coming out, his heart in his hands – 'Mother of my children, mistress of my household, my friend, my lover, my conscience, my partner… the love of my life. The only love I've ever known. You are my everything and I don't want another life, or nothing else or no one else, but you'

Demelza didn't move. Ross came closer, took her hand and caressed her palm with his thumb as he said:

'There is another thing I want you to know, and that is how sorry I am for what happened in may, you did not deserve it… and I also apologize for what I said before in my fit of rage, or should I say of jealousy, about you and McNeil, that could not be more far off of what I think of you. I know that what you told me is what really happened.

Demelza released her hand and covered her face in a sign of distress but said nothing.

'Is he still in the county? I could go and find him in the morning… Do you still prefer him?'

'No Ross! I don't care about one single hair of his moustache!'- she finally burst.

'Then why are you leaving? Are you not willing to overlook the things I said?, Can you not forgive me?'

'Oh Ross, I cannot forgive myself!'- she cried –'I didn't realize until you said it. How could I think to do such a thing? I don't know how will I live with myself!'

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. She cried on his shoulder wetting his shirt and vest. He held her until she stopped shivering. The he took a step back and picked up the valise.

'Come, let's go back home'

'You can leave in any moment if that's what you want'- he added when she hesitated -'There is something I want to show you'

They walked hand in hand to the house. Once inside, Ross went to the kitchen to look for something in his coat that was hanging behind the door. Demelza took this moment alone to compose herself and to clean the tears that still ran through her cheeks.

When Ross came back to the room she was standing near the fire, in the same place that they had been no more than an hour ago, the place where they spent most of their time together during the years.

'I have something for you. I was planning give it to you tomorrow, but since there maybe not tomorrow for us, I think is better that you have it now'

He put a little box in her hands. She looked at him and then at the box. She opened and held her breath when she saw what was inside. A delicate white golden ring with a green diamond sparkled at her.

'You see'- Ross said to her –'I've never gave you an engagement ring. Before you'd marry someone you have to ask her if she wants to spend the rest of her life with you. If she says yes, then the man must present to her a ring, a way to seal the deal you may say'- he smirked at this last part.

Demelza still held the little box in her fingers and was looking at him with eyes more green than the diamond she was holding.

'Oh Ross… you'll break my heart'

'No, not like this. Not again'

'You are so generous… I have nothing to give you in return'- she said.

'Yes you have. Your heart. Can I have it back?'

Tears came back unashamedly to her eyes. She nodded

'Yes Ross'

He took the box from her hands and put the ring in her ring finger. Tears were also running through Ross's face.

'I love you Demelza'

'And I love you Ross'

He leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back. The gesture so foreign for them now but so familiar at the same time.

Hours later, Demelza woke up in the naked arms of her husband for the first time in nearly a year. She couldn't distinguish where she started and Ross ended. Their legs tangled together, her hips against his, his arm around her waist, the other resting in her back side. Her own hands touching his chest, the other arm under his head. He tightened his grip around her when she moved, kissed her in her temple when she looked up to him.

'Can you forgive me Ross?'- she whispered

'There is nothing to forgive'

'No, but seriously…'

'Seriously Demelza… my sweet… my adored… my loyal… my beloved Demelza'- he kissed her cheeks, her eyes, her nose, her mouth…

'Tell me'- he then said to her.

'What?'

'Tell me that you love me'- he demanded

'I love you Ross'- she ran her hand through his dark hair and suddenly gave him a big smile.- 'Show me'.

He smiled back at her.

He did show her.

AT: And... that's it! Thank you again for all your support, really meant a lot to me. I hope you enjoyed the story, it ended up being some kind of therapy to deal with the series for me. Sorry again for any grammar mistake. I loved reading the comments, so please keep them coming!

You can also find me in Facebook and Twitter at Poldark Argentina ;)