All was well, however, since Gabi chose that moment to hike Theo off the grass and come to greet her brother herself. "Oh, pish, you're just too busy being all loved up," she accused him fondly, secure in the knowledge that she was pretty loved up herself. "Look at you. You practically dribble every time you look at her."

"I'm not dribbling!" Cian laughed, swiping at his mouth to make sure. He had changed since Jon had seen him last. His hair was shorter - a lot shorter - and he was clean-shaven, but most importantly, he looked both healthy and happy, and that, more than anything else, gave Jon hope. The actor turned a little bit shy as Gabi joined them, knowing how close the siblings were and feeling a little like the odd man out. "We've been busy!" Cian argued further. Busy traveling and having adventures and gathering treasures the likes of which only Dom would appreciate. Maybe someday, he'd tell them all about it, but for now it was his and Leilani's little secret.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it," Jon said, getting ready to excuse himself before things got more awkward.

"Busy with adventures and all sorts," Gabi agreed with her brother. "Here, have a nephew." She handed Theo into Cian's arms. "I'm going to find out if there is any fish to grill before 'Lani asks this time." She patted Jon's arm, denying him his own excuse to escape as Leilani moved to rejoin them, a small jammy handprint on her hip.

"What are you doing with your acting, Jon?" she asked, as though reading off a script in her mind. Social interactions were still a little difficult for her.

"Vicki made sure of that already, Gabs," Jon assured her, but she was already patting his arm and moving off, leaving him there alone with Cian once again, but only until Leilani joined them. "My acting?" he asked, taken a little off guard. "Oh, we're doing Shakespeare in a few days. A Midsummer Night's Dream ....I don't supposed you've ever heard of it." He frowned for a moment as he mentally searched for common ground. "It's about fairies and magic and uh ....It's hard to explain. You should come out and see it. I think you'd enjoy it." If she understood it, that was, but she had Cian for that.

"At the Shanachie, right?" Cian asked. He hadn't been to one of Jon's plays since they were boys. "I think we'd like that, don't you, Lani?" he asked, hooking an arm around hers.

"Was it not midsummer last month?" As much as she tried to integrate with the world around her, Leilani had a lifetime of isolation to overcome, and had a tendency to take things very much at face value. "I know a little about magic. And your acting is ..." She considered it for a moment. "What is acting" And what is a shanachie?" Sea green eyes flickered between the two men, much to the amusement of Vicki nearby, who was blatantly eavesdropping while sharing a plate of salad with Emily and Ben.

That could have gone one of several ways, but Jon caught his wife's eyes a moment before turning back with a smile. "Tell you what, you have Cian bring you by the theater one night, and I'll give you both a backstage tour, complete with front row seats. Sound like a deal?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

"Deal," Cian replied with a grin. Whether it was because he wanted to please his cousin or because he thought it might be fun was uncertain, but he seemed agreeable enough.

"Deal," Leilani agreed, and then demonstrated that she and Cian had visited at least one rather disreputable place in the not so distant past. She spat into her hand and held it out, obviously expecting Jon to shake it in order to seal the deal.

There was a splutter from where Vicki was sitting, accompanied by the not so subtle sound of Emily hitting her mother repeatedly on the back to the tune of, "No choke!"

"Uh ..." Jon arched a brow as he looked to Leilani's hand, knowing she was full of good intentions, but Cian rescued him before things went too far.

"It's okay, Lani. You don't have to spit into your hand to make a deal here. We're with family," he reminded her gently. It wasn't that Jon minded so much as it was just a little unexpected.

"Um, if you two would excuse me, I need to check with the cook a moment." And with that, he was disappeared to check on the fish, leaving the guests of honor momentarily alone.

"Was it something I said?" Cian asked aloud, to no one in particular.

"Oh." Without thinking, Leilani wiped her hand on her dress as Jon made his escape, leaving Vicki to field the possible upset in his wake.

"No, it wasn't anything anyone said or did," she promised Cian with a smile, handing Emily a tomato to make her stop slapping her mother on the back. "He's nervous around you, but he'll get over it. You guys just need to spend time together."

At least he was polite enough to excuse himself and not to mention that Leilani was wearing a grimy handprint on her hip. "Why's he nervous?" Cian asked, turning with Leilani to face Vicki. "I'm still the same old Cian I've always been."

"But he's not the same Jon you've always known," the redhead pointed out, snorting with laughter as Ben rose onto his wobbly feet to present Leilani and Cian with a small piece of lettuce each. As the Syreni knelt down to thank the little boy and ask him where it came from, Vicki smiled gently at Cian. "He's scared you're never going to forgive him for the things he doesn't remember doing, Cian, that's all."

Cian offered the small boy a princely bow and reverently took the piece of lettuce from him. "Why, thank you ....Benjamin, isn't it?" he asked before straightening. Cian watched as Leilani did the same, frowning thoughtfully over at Vicki. "Forgive him for what? None of that was Jon's fault. I forgave him a long time ago," Cian said, looking a little flabbergasted.

"Forgive me for intruding," George broke in, a glass of something clear and bubbly in his hand. "If I understand correctly, Jon has amnesia?"

"He's still afraid people are judging him on who he was, not who he is," Vicki tried to explain, rising to her feet as Leilani was swamped by all four small children. The non-parent had made the unwise choice of kneeling down, and was therefore fair game. Vicki glanced up as George joined them, sparing a flicker toward Jon briefly before she answered. "He was shot in the head, about five years ago. Almost complete amnesia from that moment."

George winced at the news of that. Gabi had told him some of the family's history, but not all of it. "Five years and he doesn't recall anything at all? We used to see this sort of thing in the war," he explained further. The Great War, he meant, though only Cian might know that. "Trauma to the brain. I'm not a specialist in that area, but if he hasn't recovered those memories by now, it's likely he never will."

Vicki hesitated briefly, knowing that Jon hadn't really shared his personal adventures into recovering his memory with his family. "He ....recovered some of them, temporarily, a few months afterward," she told George, aware that the doctor wouldn't be able to keep himself from asking further anyway. "With the help of vampires, whom we eventually had to deal with. He hasn't remembered anything else since before he was shot, though." Her eyes turned to Cian gently. "It's his biggest concern, that people he loves, people he trusts, still can't see past the stupid things he did when he was younger. He's not the man he was, and I don't think he's quite brave enough to trust everyone to take him on face value."

"Well, Leilani's not entirely human," the redhead explained to her quietly, drawing her friend over to the table to pour her a drink. "And she spent the first twenty or so years of her life in almost complete isolation. She has difficulty understanding social customs sometimes." Handing Elle a glass of sparkling pink something, Vicki flashed her a warm grin. "Gabi is Cian's sister, Gordon's daughter, and Miranda's niece," she explained, orientating Elle to this particular branch of the family. "The twin boys are hers, and the tall cool blond chasing after them with a wipe in each hand is her boyfriend, George."

Elle was a pretty cool cat herself, and she took this all in with her usual grace, looking around and putting names to faces, gaze lingering a moment on the tall cool blond. "Mmm, he is rather attractive, isn't he?" she remarked appreciatively, though she was more than happy with the one she'd snagged. "Are there any men on Rhy'Din who aren't attractive?" she asked with a grin, girlfriend to girlfriend.

Vicki snorted into her own glass, laughing as she came up for air. "Between you and me, I think Humphrey's responsible for all the lookers in the Granger family," she intimated impishly. "Look at him. Twiddiddilly umpty whatever, and he's a fox."

"A silver fox," Elle agreed with a conspiratorial wink and a girlish grin. Her heart belonged to Dom, but that didn't mean she couldn't still admire a good-looking man, like a fine piece of art. She took the glass from her, nudging her arm gently. "Your Jon is looking rather dashing today."

"Oh, he's on good form today." And yes, Vicki knew exactly what Elle would take away from that little comment. They were surprisingly similar; it was probably the English thing. "Dom seems overly energetic, I have to admit," she added, laughing as the man in question emerged from the pile of children and dog to grab Daisy and tickle her before she could get away. "Shame we got Cosmo done, really ....I would pay good money to see Dom humped by a hyperactive collie."

"Mmm," she murmured appreciatively, taking a sip of whatever the pink bubbly stuff in her glass was. "It's good to see him so happy, isn't it?" she said, glancing toward the man in question. "And I take full credit," she added, breaking into almost bawdy laughter at Vicki's remark, even at Dom's expense. "Now that would be something to see." All eyes turned toward the two women at Elle's laughter, but she didn't seem to notice.

"It is very good to see him so happy," Vicki agreed, toasting the curious with a wink and a grin. Pretty much everyone knew what Vicki's humor was like. "And you. No more moping and worrying about protecting him, I take it' Since his rather epic shagathon on your first date."

"Oh, I think I'll always worry a little. Isn't that what couples do?" she asked, knowing good and well that Vicki did her fair share of worrying. "But we both have so much to be thankful for. I've never been so happy really," she said, smiling softly as her gaze fell on the eldest of the Granger cousins.

"Well, I, for one, am very glad to hear that," the redhead smiled, nudging her friend warmly. "C'mon, come and meet the shyer end of the family while the monsters are giving each other indigestion." She gestured to Gabi, catching the woman's attention away from George for a moment, and laughed as the blond woman headed toward them, one twin around each leg. "I honestly have no idea how she does it."

"Good lord," Elle remarked as Gabi started their way, one twin wrapped around each leg. "They don't run in the family, do they?" she asked, though she and Dom were a long way off from that discussion.

"Not that I'm aware of in any other branch but theirs," Vicki assured her with a faint smile. "Miranda's daughter had twins, too, but same branch of the family. Besides, Dom's mum had two girls and a boy, all separately. I think you're safe. Need a hand there, Gabs?"

Gabrielle looked down at her overly heavy shin braces thoughtfully. "I'm not sure," she said consideringly. "It all depends which one you want to hold while I force him to eat ....potato salad!" With a squeal, both boys let go and scrambled away to hide with George, laughing and falling over each other all the way.

Elle laughed at the boy's antics. "That's one way to chase them off," she observed. "All I have to do is mention the word peas, and Daisy will hide in her room for hours." She offered the blond a hand, along with a friendly smile. "I'm Elle. I come with that one," she said, gesturing toward Dominic with her glass.

"Sometimes I just need ten minutes, and potato salad does the trick," Gabi smiled, taking Elle's hand warmly. "I'm Gabi. Oh! You're with ....gotcha." The look flickered to Vicki proved who was gossip central in the Grangers at the moment, but Gabi didn't say anything to get her in trouble. "Welcome to the family, I suppose. Or should I wait until he proposes to say that?"

"It's just a matter of time, I think," Elle said with a hopeful smile. "He won't admit it, but I think he's a little scared." And rightfully so, since he'd tragically lost his wife only a few short years ago. "Perhaps I should ask him first. What do you think he would say if I got down on one knee?" she teased, steering them away from a subject that could get a little too emotional.

"Well, he's not as proper as George," Vicki drawled, "so you probably won't get "Good lord, woman, get up before you ruin your stockings!" although he might just laugh and ignore the question."

Gabi leveled an accusing smile onto the redhead. "George isn't that proper," she defended her doctor fiercely. "I nearly have him convinced to move in, I'll have you know."

"How long have you been together?" Elle asked, not knowing very much about Gabi and her tall cool blond. "I think it took Dom a few weeks," she said, though that wasn't entirely true. It had taken a while before the cottage was ready for them, but they'd been seeing so much of each other before that, they were practically living together.

Blushing at the memory of quite how fast everything had moved from a chance encounter in the hospital cafeteria, Gabi smiled her soft little smile, her eyes seeking out George briefly. "We've been together about two months," she admitted quietly, looking back to the others she was with. "I never thought I'd meet anyone who'd be prepared to take the boys on."

"But it seems like forever, doesn't it?" Elle asked, eyes sparkling with a happiness of her own. It had only been a few short months since she'd met Dom, but it seemed like she'd been waiting for him all her life. "You just know when it's meant to be, don't you?" she asked, her own gaze drifting past George - as lovely to admire as he was - to the man who had stolen her heart, who was, at the moment, playing as merrily as any child with Cosmo and the children. "He's perfect," she muttered quietly to herself, obviously more than a little smitten herself.

"Elle and Dom, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G ..." There was faint "oof? as Gabi thumped Vicki's arm, putting a halt to the teasing schoolyard humor.

Across the grass, Dom looked up, seemingly aware of when the woman he loved was watching him, and flashed his charming rogue's smile for his Belle. The view was only slightly marred by the fact that he was holding Emily and Theo upside down by their ankles at the time.

Elle seemed unruffled by her friend's teasing, and only beamed a smile back at Dom that was warm with love and affection. "I'd sit in a tree and kiss him all day long if I could," she remarked, hoping he didn't become so distracted by her smile that he dropped either child. "He needs one of his own someday, don't you think?" she found herself musing, almost surprising herself with the statement. As much as they both adored Daisy, she thought the finest gift she could ever give him was a son of his own ....someday.

"Oh, I have my own timetable, don't you worry," he assured her, easing both arms about her waist as he lowered his forehead to hers. "We're sticking to it. The whole point is for you to be surprised, after all, otherwise the question doesn't really pop." He shared his grin with her again, nose to nose. "You and Vicki seem to be getting along well."

She was only too happy to remain in his arms as long as he'd let her, forehead to forehead, nose to nose, lips to lips - whatever he preferred. She knew his heart was still healing, and she only wanted to make him happy. "I'll try to look surprised when it does happen then," she told him, grinning up at him. Not if, but when. "Vicki and I are both English, darling. We understand each other."

"You both have a very dirty laugh when you're together, I know that much," he teased her, wrapping his arms about her to pull her in close as he looked around at the family gathering. "Anyone here you haven't been introduced to yet' Anyone over four feet tall, that is?"

"Mmm, yes ..." she replied, seemingly content to stay right there in his arms as long as he'd have to. "But there's no rush." She lifted her chin to him and pressed a tender kiss to his lips, while her fingers slid up against his back, that kiss lighting a fire in her heart she hoped would never die.

But even the most tender kiss in the world could not keep Vicki's voice from intruding. "Now, Rufus ....I'll make you a deal. If you let me cuddle Ro, I won't put hot chili sauce into everything you eat today. How's that?"

Dom snorted with laughter, breaking the kiss to look over and see how that was going to be resolved.

Elle laughed at the interplay going on between the family members, only too happy to linger in Dom's arms as long as she could.

"Rufus," Miranda was saying, trying very hard to be patient with her husband. It was like trying to reason with a child sometimes. "For God's sake, she won't break. The woman has had two children without incident. You've had her all day. Take a break."

Rufus was looking a little cornered, one hand still protectively holding Ro against his chest in her sling as Vicki and Miranda worked on him. He might well have been able to defend himself and the baby against all kinds of demons, but he didn't stand a chance against the women of the family, and everyone knew it. "Oh, all right," he gave in with bad grace, sighing as Vicki's expert hands were right there to lift Ro out and tuck the newborn against her shoulder. "I told you it was a woman thing," he complained to Miranda, gesturing to how easily Ro settled as Vicki turned toward Humphrey and Jon. "She never settles that fast for me."

"Can I see?" a small voice asked from lower to the ground, where Daisy was waiting patiently for someone - anyone, really - to introduce her to the littlest Granger, pouting a little as Vicki turned away.

"That's because she senses your nervousness," Miranda explained to her husband with an affectionate pat against his cheek. "You just need to relax a little bit. No one is going to hurt her today, Rufio. Trust me."

"Oh! Of course, sweetie, I completely forgot," Vicki laughed, turning back almost immediately to crouch down and lower Ro into the crook of her arm so that Daisy - and the other children - could get a look at the newest member of the family. "I'm a forgetful old silly some days."

Despite his concern, Rufus found himself smiling as he watched this, a little relieved to have given in and let someone other than Miranda hold the tiny girl. He undid the sling, catching his wife's hand to kiss her knuckles. "I think I may indulge in a beer for once," he confessed to her. "Maybe you should wear it in your bra."

"I would, dear, if I were wearing one," Miranda remarked back at Rufus with a teasing sparkle in her eyes. Touche. He really should know better than to try to outsmart his wife. "Go have your beer and relax. I'm sure you and Jon could swap your adventures with diapers." She couldn't help but snicker a little at her own sense of humor.

Nearby, Daisy's eyes grew wide as she finally met the new addition to the family. "She's so tiny," she said in a hushed whisper of wonder, even as the other children gathered around. She was the eldest of them here today and would later help with the wrangling and entertainment.

"I love you," was Rufus' heartfelt response to Miranda's suggestion, dragging himself off to find a drink and a married man to commiserate with over lack of sleep and diaper duty.

Vicki, meanwhile, had one hand to keep her own youngest from poking at the baby in her arm while she smiled at Daisy. "This is Ro," she told the little girl, since the four toddlers couldn't care less. "She's only two months old, but she's already much bigger than she was when she was born."

"She's very pretty," Daisy cooed, looking to Vicki with apprehensive eyes. "Can I touch her?" she asked, lifting a hand in eager anticipation. At least, she wasn't asking to hold her ....yet.

Miranda smiled as she watched the two of them and knowing Ro was in good hands, took the opportunity to disappear and let someone else take charge of the infant for a little while, the shoe on the other foot, so to speak. Though she was tired, she'd raised a child once already and had this whole mothering thing down pat. "Oh, Gabi!" she called, waving a hand at her niece. "Where's George" I want to meet him!"

With the children distracted with a baby to coo over, it was the perfect time for the adults to grab some food, which was what Gabi was doing as Miranda hailed her. With hot dogs set aside to cool for when the twins decided that Ro was boring, she smiled, waving to her aunt fondly. "He's inspecting the meat with the boys," she told Miranda, reaching over to hug her. "And be gentle," she added teasingly. "I don't want to scare him off."

Miranda hugged her niece back and smiled warmly. She loved her brother's children like they were her very own, and this gathering was exactly what the doctor ordered, especially after the tragedy of Lei's death. "The tall blond?" she asked, peeking over at men huddling over the meat, like it was something profound and important. "Oh, he's lovely. Do you think he'd like to model for me sometime?" she blurted, unable to separate work from play, but in a good way. "I'm so happy for you, sweetheart," she told her further, touching a kiss to her cheek. For once, Miranda did not mention marriage, knowing better than to tease Gabi, unlike Dom.

Gabi blushed, but there was no disguising the happiness in her smile as she answered. "He is lovely," she agreed softly. "Almost perfect. And the boys love him. Hell, even Ennis gave him the stamp of approval." She giggled; it was an odd situation, and certainly not one anyone would have expected to find Gabi in a few years ago. She lowered her voice for Miranda's ears only. "I know it's early days, but I love him. I just want him to be happy with us, that's all."

"Sweetheart, he wouldn't be here if he wasn't happy," Miranda reminded her niece. She had tried to fill Felicity's shoes after she'd died and be there for her niece and nephews, but she had her own life and her own child to raise and could only do so much, though she loved them like her own. "Almost perfect is about as close as you're going to get," she said. She made no mention of Ennis, but was glad Gabi had his approval. He could have made things very difficult for Gabi if not for that. "I hear he's been staying at Beecham House. How does your father feel about that?"

"To be honest, I don't know," Gabi admitted with a quiet chuckle, pausing a moment to call the boys over and give them their hot dogs. With two little faces quickly covered in ketchup, she straightened up once again to continue talking. "Dad hasn't really talked to me about it, except to tell me that if George wants to move in, he's welcome to. I'm not sure. Maybe he feels like he's not my number one guy anymore, maybe he's relieved. He seems happy for me."

Only a few minutes earlier, the pair had been deep in private conversation, though no one knew what had been said between them but the two of them. Cian had led Leilani aside, to relax beneath the cool shade of a willow tree, as nervous as a schoolboy on his first date ....

"Lani, do you remember when Tommy and Lena got married?" he asked her tentatively.

Trusting as always, Leilani hadn't batted an eyelash when Cian had drawn her away from the others, sea green eyes soft as she looked up at him. "On the beach," she nodded. "Everyone seemed very happy that day." Of course, it had been a perfect opportunity for them to see her tail, and yet no one had noticed when she had pulled herself from the sea after steadying the surfboard for Cian and the twins to play on.

Even if they had noticed, they wouldn't have said anything to her about it. The Grangers were welcoming like that, and this was Rhy'Din, where nothing surprised any of them much - certainly not a mermaid. At least, he hadn't chosen a vampire or ghoul as a mate. "Yes, on the beach," he confirmed, taking hold of her hands. This was going to take some time to explain, but he hoped she'd understand. "Do you-do you understand what that was all about?" he asked patiently.

She seemed to consider this for a long moment. Social conventions and customs were not Leilani's strong point, but she was learning. Slowly but surely, with a lot of help from Cian, she was learning how mostly human society worked. "It was a ritual," she said thoughtfully. "About people witnessing them making promises to each other."

"Yes," he confirmed again. "Promises like the ones we made to each other when we became mates, remember?" he asked, knowing she would. They had followed the traditions of her people, but thus far, they had not followed those of his. He'd never thought much of it - not so long as they were away from Rhy'Din - but now that they were home and surrounded by family, his feelings on the matter had changed. "I-I've been meaning to ask you ....to talk to you about some things ..." he started, licking his lips nervously.

She nodded. "And it was important that people saw them making those promises," she offered, proving that she had at least known what was going on, even if she didn't understand quite why. Her head tilted, pouring blond hair over her shoulder as she looked up at him curiously. "What is wrong, Cian' You do not look like you feel very well."

"No, I ....I feel fine ....I'm just ..." He sighed. How was he going to explain everything he wanted to explain to her - everything he needed to explain to her - in a way she'd understand. "It's just I ....I think I'm ready to settle down, Lani. You know" To stay in one place. To-to raise a family maybe ..." he even ventured that far. He knew it was possible - she was proof enough of that. Her father had been human, just like him, and yet there she was.

"Here?" she asked, not questioning his desire to settle in one place. Whatever her Cian desired, she would give him, if it was within her power to do so. It was only the locale she was concerned with. "So far from the sea?"

"Yes," he started, but quickly shook his head and corrected himself. "No! I mean ....Yes, here on Rhy'Din, but ....We could build a house near the sea ....or even buy a boat." It was no secret that he loved the sea as much as she did, and it would break both their spirits to be too far from it, even if it were only to live at Maple Grove. Tommy and Lena lived near the sea; why couldn't they' And money was really no obstacle.

She laughed her joyful little laugh as he confused himself with his answer, still smiling as he made it clearer what it was he was hoping they would do. "Stay close to family, but on the water," she clarified herself, her fingers rippling in his grasp as she thought about this. She liked the permanence of having a place that was theirs, but the cottage was on the Grove, a good half hour or more from the sea. The only thing that would make that permanence perfect would be proximity to the medium that she was most at home in.

He would never ask or expect her to stay far from the sea, though they had been staying at Primose Place these last few months. Now that summer was here, there was no reason to worry about the weather, and he knew she would never be happy too far inland. "Yes," he confirmed, as she seemed to grasp his meaning, but he wasn't finished yet. "And I think I'd like to get married. I mean, I know we already promised ourselves to each other, but ..." He paused a moment again, terrified to continue, but not because of her - because of something else from his past that still haunted him.

"It would make me very happy if you would be my wife," he told her quietly. He drew a deep breath to gather his courage and went down on one knee in front of her, like a prince wooing his princess. "Leilani, would you marry me?" he asked, looking hopefully up at her, knowing all the eyes at the gathering were likely turning toward them, but the others were right. It was time he proclaimed his love for her in front of those who they loved and trusted. It was time to set aside childish dreams and wishes and settle down and start a family with the woman he loved and wanted to spend the rest of his days with.

Startled by the way he suddenly knelt down in front of her, drawing almost all eyes to them, Leilani's eyes widened as Cian spoke. She could tell that her answer was very important to him, so important it could change things if she answered the wrong way. But to answer the right way, there was one thing she needed to know first. Acutely aware of all those eyes on her, she hunkered forward, half-crouching to look him in the eye. "What's a wife?"

"A wife is the woman a man chooses to spend his life with," he explained, which was practically the same thing as mate really, though the word mate seemed to imply breeding, where wife did not. "If you would be my wife, then I would be your husband. Like Vicki and Jon, and Miranda and Rufus, and Tommy and Lena ..." he tried to explain, a serious look on his face. "I love you, Leilani, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want us to be-to be joined in every way possible. If you will be my wife, then you will add my name to yours, and no one can come between us ever again."

It was clear from the look in her eyes that she didn't understand why it was necessary to put more words to a mating that already existed. But she could see how much this meant to him, and she loved her Cian with everything she was. Her smile flickered into sight, one hand untangling from his to smooth her fingers against his cheek as she leaned down to brush the tip of her nose to his in a gesture of affection she was growing increasingly fond of. "I love you, too. And yes, I will be your wife."

He surged to his feet, a brilliant smile spreading across his face, as he picked her up off her feet and spun her around in a circle laughing, while applause broke out among those who were watching the drama unfold. Laughing, he set her down gently, his arms around her waist and kissed her properly and in front of everyone who was watching. There was only one, "Ewww," among the group and that had come from Ben, who was having a taste of his very first pickle.

Leilani squealed with laughter as he spun her about, holding on tight even after she'd found solid ground beneath her feet to answer his kiss as fiercely as he gave it. She didn't even hear the applause, or the mild disgust of one small person, too caught up in how happy her Cian suddenly was. "What happens now?"

"I'd say now we tell everyone, but ..." Cian actually blushed a little as he chanced a glance at his family. One of them - he wasn't sure which but would have bet on Dominic - was actually wolf-whistling. "I think they already know."

A little intimidated by all the attention, Leilani huddled into Cian's arms, looking up at him curiously. "Does that mean we are married now?" she asked him, still not quite on board with how it all worked.

Cian chuckled at her question. He had a feeling she might have thought that. "No, not yet," he looked over at those gathered about, wondering if someone had hoped this would happen all along. "But that's easily remedied," he added, knowing Dom would easily be able to do the honors, as he had for so many other Grangers.