Even new neighborhoods in New York had their own special connection to Rhy'Din, it seemed. It certainly helped when it came to crossing over, especially when the invitation had been extended at such short notice. But almost exactly on the forty minute mark, Rufus led Miranda down the street to where their daughter was making home with her new husband, shaking off the residual effects of the portal journey easily. "Good lord, these houses are enormous," he commented, glancing down at his wife. "Just how many grandchildren did you tell her you wanted?"

Miranda was in bright spirits, even more so than usual at the prospect of being invited - practically begged - to visit her daughter and son-in-law on such short notice. She was even more accustomed to the portals than her hunky spouse, having spent years traveling from Rhy'Din to New York and back for business and pleasure. She tossed Rufus a playful grin at his question, grabbing hold of his hand like a teenager on a date with her crush. "At least six. Multiples run in the family!" Gordon and his wife had had twins, as had Gabrielle. With any luck, Miranda thought, Bethany would be just as blessed as they'd been.

"Six" Bloody hell ..." Rufus trailed off, chuckling as his darling wife took his hand, drawing her off the sidewalk and up the steps to the house in question. He threw a glance at the unpacked van parked nearby. "Something tells me it was the right decision not to wear a coat today."

"Bite your tongue, Rufus Bennett! Don't you want grandchildren to dote on and to leave sticky fingerprints on your books?" she teased, swinging his arm playfully and seemingly without a care in the world. Life was good. Even better now that she had Rufus back. She followed his glance to the van. "There's only two of them."

"Which should be more than enough to manhandle what little they own into this monolith," he pointed out, releasing her hand to loop his arm over her shoulders and draw her close. "She's a nurse, remember" The girl lifts people three times her own size every day. How difficult can it be to lift a washer?"

Miranda's jaw dropped open with an audible gasp and she gave her poor husband a playful slap on the shoulder. "That's your daughter you're talking about." She smirked. "Besides, I know my daughter. I have a feeling there's more to this than they're letting on. Beth said something about having some news to share."

"Ah, the transparent excuse to get her mother here," Rufus teased his wife cheerfully. He knew how close his wife and their daughter were, and would never come between them, but it was fun to mess with Miranda's head on occasion. "What would you like to bet me that it's got something to do with clothes?"

"I'll take that bet," she replied, knowing her daughter well enough to know she'd never summon her mother all this way due to a fashion emergency. Not only did Beth have more sense than that, but she wasn't really a slave to fashion. "What are your stakes?" she asked, turning to face him and laying a hand on his chest to keep him in place until he was ready to put his money - or other stakes - where his mouth was.

"Hmm." He grinned down at her, that infuriatingly charming sparkle in his eyes declaring that his stakes were going to be fun for both of them, no matter what the outcome. "If I lose, I will cook you your favorite meal, I will massage sensual oils into your skin, and I will boink you seven ways from Sunday. How does that sound?"

"You're on!" she answered, tapping his nose playfully. "And if I lose you get the same, but I'm not going to lose," she told him with a slightly smug grin. Whoever won or lost, they both would be winners.

"I hope you don't lose," he chuckled back to him, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. One hand slid up from her waist to take hold of her hand and use her finger to press the doorbell in the process.

She smiled up at him as he kissed the tip of her nose and pressed her finger to the doorbell. "Why's that' You'd rather cook than get a blow....Bethany!" she exclaimed as her daughter answered the door. Her daughter apparently had impeccable timing. She leaned close to cheek kiss her daughter, once on each cheek and give her a once over. "You look lovely. Did you have fun in Costa Rica?"

"Hey, Mom." Beth laughed as she was swept into a hug and kissing fest, pulling her mother inside and waving for her father to follow. "It was awesome, as I'm sure you already know. Seriously, loads of fun, really hard to go back to work afterward. Hi, Daddy." Grinning, she let Rufus draw her into a warm hug.

"Hello, sweetheart," he greeted her in reply. "What have you done with that husband of yours" If you are anything like your mother, he's probably lying on the floor somewhere trying to get his breath back and pull his trousers up before someone catches him."

"I'm in here!" Jason called from the kitchen where he was dutifully unpacking a box of pots and pans and other kitchen necessities. Thankfully, he'd just managed to get his pants back on a few minutes before they'd arrived, but they didn't need to know that.

Miranda didn't wait to get invited inside, but stepped past her daughter into their new home. "Oh, this is lovely. Stark, but lovely." Of course, she'd seen it before, but it was always worth a second look.

"Well, yeah, it is stark right now," Beth agreed, reluctantly releasing her father as he disentangled himself from her to go and say hello to his son-in-law. "We've only moved, like, four boxes and a bed inside so far." She threw an arm around her mother's waist, squeezing affectionately. "We've got cool neighbors, too."

"Oh?" Miranda asked, arching a curious brow. "Getting to know them already?" she asked, as she looked back at her daughter. "Friendly, I hope. If you plan on living here a while, it's always a good idea to be on good terms with your neighbors."

"Let them." Rufus' approval was instantaneous, offered with a confident nod in Jason's direction. "No one can ward you better than a hunter, and everything that travels along the grapevine to him will get passed along if it is of some use in keeping you and Bethany safe. It's magic, yes, but the kind of magic that doesn't intrude on your life. Once it is in place, it is permanent, unless something very dark breaks it. And if something very dark comes after them, they will tell you as soon as they can. Hunters are arrogant arseholes most of the time, but they treasure loyalty, family, and friendship."

"She's pregnant," Jason continued, meaning Natalya, not Bethany. He wasn't ready to break that news to his father-in-law just yet. That was up to Beth. If it was unusual for a hunter to be married, Jason figured it had to be even more unusual for one to be starting a family.

At this, Rufus really did judder to a halt, turning to face Jason, staring at his son-in-law in astonishment. "A hunter voluntarily raising a family?" he queried, amazed and concerned. A fresh frown crossed his brow as he considered this new piece of news. "Something big must have happened here on Earth to tip the balance for that to happen."

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea, but if you want to meet them, they might be coming over later." And then, if Rufus was bold enough, he could find out for himself. "Beth sort of told them that what you do." It was Beth who'd spilled the beans, after all, not him.

"Did she now." Rufus forbore to pass comment on that little snippet of information, but it was a pretty safe bet that he would be talking to his daughter later - something along the lines of loose lips sink ships. He closed the cupboard, studying Jason for a moment. "Are you all right, Jason?"

"Yeah," Jason replied, though he wasn't quite sure. He'd absorbed a lot of information over the last twenty-four hours or so, not to mention everything he'd learned since meeting Beth. "I'm just not sure how I feel about all this supernatural stuff. I just want to keep Beth safe, you know" I thought we'd be safe from it in New York, and it turns out our next-door neighbors are up to their ears in it."

"You're safer living next door to them, being friendly with them, than you would be elsewhere," his father-in-law told him with gentle confidence. "I know it would be far preferable to ignore everything beyond your current comprehension, but in such a case as this, forewarned is forearmed." He smiled then, reaching out to squeeze the younger man's shoulder. "But I appreciate your concern over keeping Beth safe."

"Of course I want to keep her safe. She's my wife," Jason reiterated, wondering if the older man was being condescending. He wasn't talking to a child, after all, but a very competent police officer. Jason was the one who'd taken a bullet for her when they'd been chased through the portal by thugs. He'd face a whole army of thugs to keep her safe, if he had to, but he had no idea how to protect her from vampires and ghouls and whatever other nasties stalked the night. "I need to know how to keep her safe," he told Rufus, knowing he was giving Des lessons. He didn't want to become what Rufus was; he just wanted to make sure he could protect Beth.

Rufus' brow rose as Jason laid out what he needed. He hadn't intended to be condescending - he really did appreciate that the man Bethany had chosen to join her life to was so concerned for her safety. "Are you asking me to teach you, Jason?" he asked, needing to be told exactly what he could do to help. "And if so ....what exactly are you asking me to teach you?"

"I'm just asking you to tell me how to keep her safe. A cross around her neck can't be all there is to it. Warding the house is a start." Jason's frown deepened as he gaze darted again to the other room where he could hear Miranda and Bethany chatting happily, oblivious of the conversation that was going on in the kitchen. He couldn't tell Rufus she was pregnant, but that only added to his concerns. "I'm a cop, Rufus. I'm not afraid to do what needs to be done, but I can't do it if I don't know what it is."

"I'm not an expert. Jason, not by any stretch of the imagination," Rufus tried to explain, his expression somber as he spoke. "I would recommend that you ask your neighbors. A hunter knows more of the dangers in the world than I do - I am more inclined toward vampires and theory. Your neighbor knows the application of theory, what works and what doesn't. In many ways, he is probably a far better choice than me."

"Do you think I'm being paranoid?" Jason asked, wondering that himself. In all his years, he'd never run across anything weird until he'd met Bethany and traveled to Rhy'Din. Now, it seemed weirdness was coming out of the woodwork. Had he just been blind to it until now" He'd seen plenty of what he'd call evil, but all of the evil he'd been witness to had always been of the human variety.

"Some people might," Rufus assured him. "I am not one of them. I've seen more of what goes bump in the night than I hope you will ever even guess at - I don't think it is paranoia to want to keep yourself innocent of those things. Ask this Rhys fellow if he can help you."

"And if he says no?" Though Jason doubted that would happen. They wouldn't have offered to ward the house if they weren't concerned for their neighbors' safety. Besides, if they felt safe enough to be having a child, they must know something and be doing something right. Assuming they were who and what they said they were.

"If he says no, then I will do my best," the older man promised. "But go to an expert first, that's my advice. Now ....what is this news that is so desperately important that Miranda had to drag me bodily out of my library to come and hear?"

Jason was about to point out to the man that he was teaching Desmond nearly the same thing, or so he thought, but his thoughts were distracted by the man's question and he was once again glancing into the other room to see if the women were done chatting. He paused a moment, as if debating whether or not to tell him the news, but decided he should hear it from his daughter first. "Bethany?" he called after a moment. If she wanted to tell them before anyone else arrived, she had better get to it.

"I already told her that," Jason chimed in with a chuckle, as his mother unwound her arms from around her son to hug her pregnant daughter-in-law.

Miranda happily swapped places with Anna Daly to hug Jason, which made him flush in embarrassment. "You two didn't waste any time," she remarked, secretly wondering if it was a honeymoon baby or if Bethany was already pregnant prior to the wedding day, but just didn't know it yet.

"And I already argued with him," Beth pointed out with a cheerful smile, handed from her parents to her mother-in-law with a wide grin. She knew it meant the world to Anna Daly to have even the hopeful prospect of grandchildren sooner rather than later, and hoped she could deliver on the promise of what had been shared this morning.

At a loss, Rufus just stood aimlessly behind Miranda, awaiting his opportunity to shake Jason's hand and congratulate him properly. He was still trying to get his head around the whole grandfather thing.

Leave it to Miranda to take charge of the situation. "This calls for a celebration!" she declared, unaware that Jason and Bethany didn't really want anyone else to know the big news yet. You could bet at least Humphrey would find out as soon as they got back. "Dinner is on me. After we finish getting the kids moved in." Just let Rufus try and argue with that, Miranda thought with a smug grin.

"Oh God, don't go spreading it around just yet, Mom!" Beth drew back from Anna with a worried expression. "This is just for us, for now. Seriously. I mean, at most I'm five weeks; I don't want to tell everyone and then have something go wrong." She eyed her mother pointedly. "I mean it. You and Dad and Anna get to hold onto the secret until we're ready to share it with everyone else. Okay?"

Miranda smiled sweetly at her only child and patted her hand. "Of course, darling," she assured her, "Just Humphrey. But it still calls for a celebration." She had a feeling Des and Piper would know before the day had ended, and there was no keeping it from that little imp Lyneth, whether they wanted to or not.

"Just ....make sure he keeps it to himself," Beth grumbled quietly, fidgeting with her hair. She glanced at Anna with a rueful smile. "I'm not wishing bad things, I'm just worried, that's all."

"You're allowed to be worried," Rufus offered. "I seem to recall another woman in this room declaring she was going to shut herself in her bedroom for the next nine months to make sure nothing happened." He smirked at his wife fondly, reaching out to shake Jason's hand finally. "Congratulations, son."

"That was entirely different, Rufus," Miranda pointed out, knowing he obviously meant her. For one thing, she'd been unmarried, and secondly, they had agreed to keep the baby a secret in order to keep her safe from Rufus' enemies. In Miranda's eyes, there was really no comparison, but she was too happy to argue with him.

Before Jason could back his wife up, it seemed Rufus had stepped in to do just that. Instead he found Rufus congratulating him, and he returned the handshake with one of his own. "Thanks. It's a little unexpected, but we're happy about it."

Anna laughed lightly. "Babies are always unexpected, Jase. Even when you're expecting them."

"Speaking of expecting ..." Beth turned a curious look onto her parents. "Who else is coming" Only that dinner you're promising could get mighty expensive if half the Grangers are gonna start boiling in through that door any second now."

"Oh, no one in particular," Miranda started, trying and failing to hide the smirk from her face as she moved over to the boxes to start unwrapping what Jason and Rufus hadn't gotten to yet. "Just Desmond and Piper and Lyneth," she said, as if it wasn't a big deal. "The more hands we have helping, the faster things get done," she pointed our helpfully.

"Uh-huh." Beth rolled her eyes cheerfully. That was okay - not too many, and Des was Jason's best friend, after all. Besides, she was fond of that little family herself; it made sense to have them come along if they were free. "So are we waiting until they get here to open up the truck again, or what?"

"There's no time like the present," Miranda replied with a wink over at Anna. She had grown rather fond of Jason's mother and was looking forward to getting to know her better, even more so now that they were both expectant grandmothers. And in her usual take charge fashion, Miranda started doling out orders on who would do what and and when. She assigned herself to the kitchen, Anna the bathroom and bedroom. When Piper arrived, she'd get the living room, so that after the men brought everything inside, they could each start unpacking and putting things in their proper place with Bethany to oversee and supervise the entire process.

"Hey, now, hang on," Beth objected as soon as she realized that she wasn't going to be allowed to do anything but stand and watch. "Don't you start on me, too. Somehow I don't think unpacking books or clothes is gonna do me any harm." She looked to Jason for a bit of back up here, putting him in the unenviable position of a protective husband who had to live with his stubborn wife after everyone had gone.

"We do need someone to supervise, Beth. To tell us what goes where," Jason pointed out, though it might not be what his wife wanted him to say.

Anna jumped in, patting Bethany's hand amicably. "It's all right, Beth. It won't take long to bring it all inside, and then you can help me with the bath and bedroom."

It was just as well Anna jumped in - the look Jason got from his wife was all kinds of threatening in the split second before her mother-in-law reassured her with something practical to do.

Rufus laughed, turning the sound into a cough when Beth aimed that look at him instead. "Uh, Jason ....shall we go and flex our muscles by the van, where we aren't going to get snapped at?" he suggested, jerking his head toward the front door invitingly.

Des handed the precocious toddler over to her mother before folding the snotty hanky and sticking it back in his coat pocket. Another man might have gotten a little disgusted, but as far as Des was concerned, it was just another day in the life of being a Daddy. He smiled as Lyneth kissed his cheek, and he bopped her nose playfully with a finger. "Be good!" he told her, knowing she would be. He didn't want to promise anything in reward, but she knew him well enough to know there would most likely be a treat of some kind if she behaved.

"I will!" was yelled back to him as Piper bore the hyperactive and ridiculously sweet little girl further into the house. A moment later came the sound of Lyneth greeting the women in the kitchen in her usual enthusiastic manner. "We's here! Hullo Jason's mummy! Hullo M'anda! Hullo Be'fny - oooh! Hullo baby!"

Inside the house, Miranda squealed with delight at the arrival of Piper and Lyneth and laughed as Lyneth spilled the beans. "So much for secrets," she said.

"Baby?" Des echoed, upon overhearing his daughter - adopted or otherwise, she was his now - proclaim the news. He clapped Jason the back with a wide grin. "Congratulations! I was wondering how long it would take you two."

Jason winced, though he was pretty sure they would have shared the news with them before the day was out anyway. "We just found out today. It's kind of hush hush."

Des chuckled, his eyes bright with amusement. "Not anymore it's not."

A man came wandering over from the direction of the house next door, shrugging a military-style coat onto his shoulders. "Need any help?" he asked with a friendly smile.

Chuckling to himself at the cat being let out of the bag in a less-than-subtle manner inside, Rufus was already headed down the steps when the next-door-neighbor - the hunter, he recalled - stepped out of his own front door. He nodded to the other man, one professional to another, and glanced up the steps. "Well, I don't know about these two, but I could certainly do with some help," he said, his charming good humor on full display. "Fair warning, there's a small child with no sense of direction toddling around in there."

"Oh, scary!" Rhys replied with a smirk and a chuckle. "I'll consider myself warned." He offered the other man a hand. Jason he had already met. The other two were strangers, but he figured the older man might be the father Bethany had mentioned who dabbled in the arcane and supernatural. "Rhys Bristol," he offered his full name for the first time since meeting the new neighbors. "My wife, Natalya, is being a little shy."

"Rufus Bennett," was the amiable reply, Rhys' hand caught in a firm grip that didn't even hint at the strength and fitness of the older man behind it. "Bethany's father." Rufus' smile was knowing, sharing the knowledge in a look that they both knew what the other did for a living. "I'm sure your Natalya is welcome to sneak in while we're otherwise occupied. As for you ....how do you feel about manhandling a washer up those steps?"

Rhys flashed a grin at the older man, glad he'd pegged him correctly and that he seemed friendly enough. "Piece of cake," he replied, at least, compared to some things. He snapped his fingers to underscore his point, before turning to meet Desmond and shake his hand, as well. Once the four of them were acquainted, they got to work unloading the van and moving the newlyweds' things into their new home, while Bethany supervised and told them what went where.

All right, so it might not have been the independent move Jason and Beth had originally wanted, but they had time to bolster their pride in other ways. What mattered was getting them settled in their new home, however many friends and family it took. And what would have taken them a couple of days on their own, took less than four hours with so many helping hands. There were perks to being friendly, after all. They might have wanted to be independent, but it felt good to be surrounded by family and friends - both old and new - who were willing to share their time in helping the newlyweds get settled in their new home. What else was family for, after all"

((How to move into a new house in a single day - call Miranda! Huge thanks for this scene, and more to come!))