The use of a full name when applied to a child can be a sign of one step too far out of line, fond exasperation, or perhaps pride in an introduction. Today, however ....it was definitely fond exasperation. "Lyneth Katherine Davidson, come back here!" A peal of giggles described the escapee's flight from her bedroom, out onto the landing, and down the stairs toward the living room, footsteps following that could only belong to her mother. Lyneth was on the run in nothing but her panties, giggling with excitement over the impending outing to see Rhiannon and Eregor married. Piper paused in the hallway, rolling her eyes as she sighed and gave up. "Des" When you catch your daughter, could you remind her she's supposed to show up to the wedding dressed?"

Over the last six months or so, Desmond had learned that when you were the parent of a child - a half-Fae child, in particular - you had to make sure you were at least two steps ahead of them. To say Lyneth was a precocious child was an understatement, but Des was adjusting well to parenthood and the little family of three had finally settled into a familiar and easy-going routine. Des caught wind of the giggling girl long before she could make her escape, and before she could get far, he caught hold of her and swept her up in his arms, just as Piper was calling for him to do just that. He smiled at the little half-naked pixie in his arms and playfully bopped her nose. "And where, pray tell, are you off to in such a hurry, little miss?"

Lyneth's giggles grew louder as she was caught, little arms wrapping around Des' neck when his finger bopped against her nose. "M'goin' to a weddin'!" she declared with mischievous excitement. "An' it's a special weddin', 'cos it's Rhi an' Rerrygort, an' it's Maggie's fambly, an' it's all magic, an' fun, an' I'm all hot an' sweaty already!"

"Er-e-gor," Des corrected, repeating the word slowly and breaking it into syllables. Though he secretly liked her pronunciation better, he thought Eregor might think differently. He couldn't help but chuckle as she rambled on in typical Lyneth style. "You wouldn't be hot and sweaty if you'd stop trying to run away from your mother. You don't plan on going like that, do you?" he asking poking her in the belly to tickle her gently, knowing he'd be rewarded with a fresh set of giggles. "People don't go to weddings dressed in their underthings, you know."

"But my panties has pretty flowers on them," she objected, sweetly ignoring the correction to her pronunciation of Eregor's name. This was one little madam who was going to spend quite a lot of her childhood trusting to her cuteness to keep her from getting into too much trouble with her deliberate mistakes. The tickling did get him another earful of giggles, feet kicking as she flailed, her voice squeaking with impish amusement. "Mummy! He's makin' me all sweaty again, an' I'll have to have another barf!"

Piper's laugh echoed from Lyneth's bedroom. "I don't care," the mother called back. "Neat and dry, or hot and sweaty, you are putting this dress on, little madam!"

Des chuckled again and rolled his eyes. He had Lyneth's number, perhaps even more than Piper. He'd seen her as a full-grown Fae and knew she assumed this form in part because of all fun she could have and the mischief she could get into. Not to mention, it was a lot easier on everyone's sanity if she at least pretended to grow up slowly, as the mortals around her were accustomed to. "You are not going to barf, and you are not that sweaty!" He started toward the stairs to take her back to her mother and the dress that awaited. "You're going to look absolutely gorgeous in that dress, and you don't have to wear it long. Just for a few hours. You want to make your mother happy, don't you?" Oh, he knew he was playing dirty in playing that card, but he was fairly certain it would work, even if she did pout and complain about it.

The indignation on the little half-Fae's face was as comical as her giggles, her pout wildly exaggerated as she frowned at Des. A little grumpiness was his reward for playing his trump card without warning. "S'not fair," Lyneth complained, sagging as he carried her back toward the stairs. "S'playin' dirty, that is. I could make myself bigger, so's I don't fit in the dress." Though they both knew she wouldn't; Lyneth had picked it out herself, and was genuinely looking forward to wearing her new pretty at the special occasion. She stuck her tongue out at Des, blowing a raspberry in his general direction. "You're a stinker."

"Ha, then you'd just have to wear something of your mother's, and you wouldn't be able to run around and have fun with Maggie and your other friends. I'm sure Maggie will be wearing a dress," he pointed out, as he thumped up the stairs with her in his arms. He laughed at the raspberry she blew at him, reaching to catch her tongue between his forefinger and thumb as they came around the turn toward her bedroom where Piper awaited her little princess.

Piper was treated to the sight of her daughter held absolutely dumb by Des' grip on her tongue as he stepped into the little princess' bedroom, and abruptly fell about laughing. "Oh dear," she giggled herself, rising from where she'd been patiently sitting on the bed to wait for the inevitable return. "Maybe we should put a clothes pin there, so Daddy can get himself all dressed up without you being a cheeky little so-and-so."

Lyneth's turquoise eyes widened in alarm - Mummy wasn't above trying some of her ideas out on her if she got too difficult - and her tongue wriggled between Des' fingers. "Oo can' duh 'a 'coz I buh goo!"

"Oh, I don't know. I think that's a pretty dood idea. It won't hurt much. Just a little bit," he teased back, eyes dancing with mischief he'd mostly learned from her. He purposely mispronounced the word, saying like she might when she was feeling particularly playful. "Want me to hold her here while you go get the clothes pin, Pippin?"

The little tongue he held in his grip vibrated as Lyneth attempted to blow another raspberry, this time at her mother. "I can certainly go and do that, if she doesn't start behaving herself," Piper threatened through a smile, enjoying the fact that Des was finally getting comfortable enough to play at discipline with her imp of a daughter.

"Oo! 'O, I buh goo', I 'ill!" Lyneth's feet kicked, wanting to be released and not have a clothes pin attached to her tongue. She knew they were teasing her; that older part of her played along, because she knew they would enjoy it. It was a strange friendship they all held with the older part of Lyneth, but it enriched the warmth between the three of them far more than damaged it.

She smiled, stepping out of her pants before she turned back to lean up on her toes and straighten his tie, brushing a fond kiss to his lips. "You look handsome, whether you're in black, or blue, or cerise," she teased him affectionately. "None of us match, and it doesn't matter. So long as you're comfortable, because you can pretty much guarantee you're going to have Lynnie crawling all over you for the evening."

"Cerise?" he echoed, arching a quizzical brow. "Is that even a color?" His forehead smoothed out, the smile returning as he returned her kiss with one of his own. He smoothed a hand against her side, possessively, fondly, and almost unconsciously. "As happy as I am for them, I can't wait 'til it's us," he said, leaning in to brush a kiss against her neck. "You're going to be a beautiful bride."

"It's a sort of pinky-orange, if I recall correctly," she told him, laughing as his hand smoothed over her skin, leaning close to enjoy a stolen moment of affection before the little terror downstairs demanded their time once again. "I don't care about beautiful," she murmured against his ear. "So long as I'm your bride, that's all that matters." Her lips touched his cheek lovingly. "But if I don't get dressed, Lynnie's going to get another look at things she shouldn't." Chuckling, Piper stepped back, turning to slide into her dress, pulling her hair over her shoulder to perform that familiar wriggling struggle for dominance over the zipper.

"Oh, no..." He replied with a smirk. "No worries. Mr. Winkie is tucked safely away in my pants. She's not seeing anything she shouldn't today." He dropped his hand from her side as she slipped away from him, moving back in to help her with the zipper, even if she did look pretty damned adorable in her wriggling struggle to get it zipped all on her own.

Piper snorted at the reference to "Mr Winkie", her face turning toward him as he rescued her from the indignity of zipping up her own dress. "I'm very proud of you, you know," she told him in her gentle voice, turning to face him once again, even as her hand lowered to snag the necklace and earrings Lyneth had chosen for her from the vanity. "You've settled in so well. And once you know the date for the trial, you'll be able to meet with Elena De Luca, and it'll all be over sooner than you'd think." Her hand dropped from her ear to stroke his cheek gently. "I couldn't have wished for a more perfect man to share my life with."

Her words gave him mixed feelings. While he was looking forward to putting Nicoletti behind bars where he belonged, he found himself content in Rhy'Din and in no real hurry to return to the hectic pace of life in New York. He supposed he surprised even himself. There was a time when his career was everything, but ever since the stabbing, he'd found peace and contentment here in Rhy'Din with this gentle woman and her daughter. "I hate to admit I'm not really looking forward to it." Though he couldn't wait to see the look on Nicoletti's face when his son was found guilty of crimes that would put him behind bars for life. He plucked the necklace from her hand so he could fasten it carefully around her neck, smiling at her compliment. "I'm happy here, Piper. I don't really want to go back."

Her smile gentled as he slid his hands under the hang of her hair, welcoming the closeness as he fastened her necklace into place. "If you have to go back, it won't be for long," she promised him softly, understanding a little more now of what he had to do. "You have us to come back to." Her hand smoothed down over his chest as she brushed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, stepping back with an impish cast to her smile that proved where Lyneth had learned that look from. "Let me get my shoes, and then all we need to do is wait for that limo to get here."

He smiled back at her as her lips touched his. "I can't wait to make you my wife," he told her quietly, as she pulled away. They had agreed to wait until after the Nicoletti case was over to get married, but he was having a hard time being patient, and he knew being invited to a wedding was only going to make him even more impatient to officially make Piper his wife and Lyneth his daughter. "You look amazing," he said as his eyes wandered over her appreciatively, obviously enamored of the lovely woman in front of him. It wasn't often he got to get his two girls dressed up and show them off, as proud of them as they were of him. "I'll go find out what Lyneth is up to," he volunteered as she stepped away to fetch her shoes.

Piper laughed, waving him off. "Oh, you flatterer," she teased him fondly. "Go on, go and find out if Oisin has tied her down anywhere to keep her clean."

He chuckled at the thought of that. "If he did, we'd hear screaming by now." Or maybe giggling, if she was being tickled, though he doubted even Oisin would be that bold. The little brownie seemed to thrive on cleaning up their messes, and there was no one in the house more messy than a small child, half-Fae or not. "I cannot promise Mr. Winkie will not make an appearance later," he warned, smooching her cheek with a grin before starting toward the door.

"Then it's just as well we have two rooms at the resort, then, isn't it?" Her laughter followed him out of the room as she hunted for her shoes. Piper had deliberately dressed in her favorite color - red - because she knew it made her look good. It wasn't often she got a chance to be truly alone with Des, but thanks to the agreement of certain of the fairies in their household to come along and keep an eye on Lyneth overnight, that chance was coming. Besides, a wedding was a romantic occasion - who could blame her for wanting to cash in on that"

"I couldn't very well bring him out with a certain little someone in between us," he agreed with a chuckle, leaving her alone to finish dressing while he wrangled their littlest miss. His footfalls could be heard on the stairs as he made his way downstairs to find her. "Oh, Lyneth! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called, making a game of it, as if they were playing Hide and Seek.

A fresh giggle drew him toward the living room, though the little imp of a child wasn't making any attempt to hide herself. She was sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the little potted silver birch she had insisted on choosing as a wedding present, very carefully tying silver and purple ribbons around the pot as her mother had told her to. The little dryad, slender and silver-skinned, was leaning on the edge of the pot to watch, wearing a purple ribbon of her own around her neck.

Piper chuckled, rising to her feet as she listened to little footsteps stamping up the stairs. "You just signed yourself up as the coloring king during the speeches, you know."

"There are worse things than coloring king," he replied, as he watched Lyneth hurry away. "Besides, it will keep her quiet during the speeches. You know how boring those things can be for a kid." He gave a last glance at the little tree, wondering not for the first time if there really was a small being living there or if he'd just imagined it.

"You're very good with her, you know," his fiancee told him softly, her hand creeping into his as his gaze flickered to the tree. "She loves you very much." Her own blue eyes turned toward the silver birch with a small smile, and she raised her voice with a faint sigh. "All right, Oisin. Do what you have to do and get in the bloody bag." There was a dirty little cackle that could only have come from their resident brownie, and a sudden whizz of motion. Lyneth's bag by the front door rocked briefly and was still - if they hadn't known for a fact that there now at least four of the wee folk in residence in that bag, they would never have guessed it.

With a last curious look at the tree, he moved to his feet, a soft smile echoing hers as her hand found his. There were times when he thought he must be dreaming, that he couldn't possibly be this lucky, and this was one of them. Desmond chuckled as Oisin scurried into the bag. "I didn't realize we were taking an entourage along with us," he remarked, not really surprised, but infinitely amused, as always. Somehow he knew so long as he was with Piper and Lyneth, there would always be a fairy or two around to keep an eye on them. In fact, he had the fairies to thank in part for saving his life.

"Oh, they're coming just to keep an eye on her," Piper assured him with a soft laugh. "She has yet to promise to stay in bed all night, much less in her own room, so I thought I'd bribe a few of her friends to keep her under lock-down until we're up in the morning." Her smile was an impish echo of her daughter's once again as she glanced at Des, laying a finger against his lips as the little girl's footsteps came audibly back down the stairs once again.

Her explanation hardly answered his question, but any further questions would just have to wait until later, silenced as he was by Piper's finger. He knew how excited Lyneth was, and he had to admit he was a little excited himself, though he was a little nervous, too, the self-assured, confident lawyer giving way to the nervous stranger in a still-mostly strange land.

"I found it!" Lyneth came bursting into view with the joyful exuberance that would usually end up with her rolling around on the floor with Loki, had Loki not been taken for a walk with Cosmo under Vicki and Jon's supervision. The Malamute would be guarding the house for them, with fairies to make sure he didn't starve. Waving her coloring books and the packet of crayons in the air, she loped across the floor to thump into Des' leg. "Look, I got 'em," she told him proudly. "An' I didn't trip, an' I'm not dirty, an' you said I could bring them!"

There followed a roll of eyes from Des as Lyneth stated the obvious, almost as if she was afraid he'd scold her for doing precisely as he'd suggested. "So you have. You know what you get for that?" he asked, hands on his hips as he glared down at her, trying to look stern, though the twinkle in his blue eyes gave him away.

Those unnaturally turquoise eyes rose to his, half-alarmed at the prospect of being scolded for a moment before she noticed the twinkle in his gaze, reassured into offering up a cheekily hopeful smile. "Choklit?"

Piper snorted with laughter, crouching down to hold her bag open. Without needing to be told, Lyneth put her books and crayons into the deep recess of the bag, certain that there were other fun surprises in there to keep her entertained throughout the day.

"No!" Des replied with a grin. "Ice cream! But not until later and only if you're a very very very good girl." Three verys was a lot for Lyneth to strive for, but Des had never welched on a promise yet. The doorbell rang, announcing the imminent arrival of their limo, and Des started toward the door.

The ringing of the doorbell was almost drowned out by the happy little squeal that leapt from Lyneth's throat at the prospect of ice cream if she was very very very good, though for once she didn't charge the door like a small battering ram when it announced an arrival, too busy settling her belongings safely in her mother's bag and trying to sneak a peak at what else was in there.

Laughing, Piper closed it before little fingers could pull anything out of there, and gently kissed her little girl's forehead fondly. "Come on, trouble. I think our lift is here."

"Ready, ladies" Your coach has arrived," Des announced as he swung open the door and hefted their bags onto his shoulders. Outside the house stood a bright, shiny black limousine complete with a driver in a sharp-looking suit, waiting to help Des with the bags and open the doors for his guests. It wasn't the first time Des had ever ridden in a limousine, but it was very likely Lyneth's. "Wait til you see how big it is, Lynnie!" he told her, sounding almost as excited as she was. "And..." He couldn't help but grin as he continued. "There's chocolate."

Hand in hand with Piper, the tiny Fae-child moved out through the front door with her mother, pausing as the house was locked up behind them, her bright eyes delighted with the sight of the biggest car she had ever seen. "There's choklit in there?" she asked hopefully, pointing at the limo with an eager hand. "Is it all filled up with choklit?" She looked up at Piper for a moment before turning her gaze to Des. "It can't be all filled up, 'cos Mummy can't ride onna top in her pretty dress."

He laughed as he led the pair toward the limo and handed off their bags to the driver so he could stow them inside. "No, but I think there's plenty enough for one little girl." Along with a few bottles of bubbly for her parents.

"You're so thoughtful, Lynnie," Piper teased as she drew the little girl down onto the pavement beside the limo. "Some of those lessons are rubbing off on you, finally." She laughed as Lyneth pouted at her, bending to sweep the tiny girl off her feet and onto her own hip as they waited to be allowed into the car. "Maybe if you're really lucky, it'll be white chocolate," she murmured, and Des was treated to a huge grin that rippled with hope.

"Is it white" Can I have white choklit?"

"Besides, who says it would be Mummy riding on top and not you?" Des teased, scritching a finger at her tummy as Piper swept her up off the pavement into her arms. He appeared thoughtful a moment, as if her question was the most important thing he had ever been asked. "I don't know. Maybe if you wish really hard, it will be white chocolate." Of course, Des knew Lyneth's weakness for white chocolate and had already arranged to make sure there was some in plentiful supply, but she didn't know that. He waited for the driver to pull open the door and for his two girls to get inside, before climbing in behind them. Lo and behold, there was white chocolate and other goodies besides. It looked like they were off to a great start to what should prove to be a fun and interesting day.

((We couldn't resist having a bit of cute fun - it's Lynnie's first wedding! Huge thanks to Des' player!))