Des paced nervously, adjusting his tie for the umpteen thousandth time. Today was arguably the most important day of his life - today was the day he was going to meet Piper's parents and find out if they approved of their daughter's engagement. Not only that, but they were about to meet a granddaughter they had previously only seen photos of, a granddaughter who was so unique and so special she could not exist in their world, which was completely devoid of magic. And so it was that they had to travel to Rhy'Din, as Lyneth could not survive in their world - a world that was very different from Rhy'Din, but not so different from Earth.

Piper and Lyneth had likely never seen him so nervous. It just wasn't like Des to get nervous. He was usually a sea of calm in the middle of a storm, accustomed to the most nerve-wracking of situations. He was a trial lawyer, after all, and almost impossible to intimidate, but for some reason, the thought of meeting Piper's parents had turned him into a nervous wreck.

Piper was almost as nervous as he was, though she was doing a better job of hiding it. The last time she had seen her parents was shortly after Lyneth's birth, a year and nine months ago, when her daughter had been small and deceptively normal looking, and she had still been married to Oliver. Daniel and Hannah - Lord and Lady Somerville - were aware of the developments since their granddaughter's birth, but knowing and seeing would be two very different things. At least they knew their own way this time, which meant she could stay at home and try to keep a lid on the bubbling nerves that was Des and the overflowing excitement that was Lyneth. "Lynnie - Lyneth Katherine Davidson, come here!"

Called by her full name - and very impressive it was, too - Lyneth stopped attempting to climb out through the window and obediently came back to her mother, submitting to having her hair brushed through finally. The little Fae girl looked up at Des with a cheeky giggle. "Why's you all dresseded up?" she asked. "S'jus' Gramma an' Grampa."

Des stopped fussing with his tie long enough to glance at the little girl behind him via the mirror he was leaning toward, one brow arched at her question. "That's precisely why I'm dressed up," he replied, turning to give her button nose a playful tweak. "And why you are, too. I need to make a good impression on them, so they like me. You they're going to have no problem falling in love with."

"But why wouldn' they like you? Mummy likes you." This little bit of understandably simple logic had been presented to try and reassure Des, evidently, though it was unlikely to actually work. "Mummy likes you so much she's marryin' you, an' I'm gonna be a bridesmaid an' make the cake like you said I could, an' everythin'!"

Over Lyneth's head, Piper smiled, lifting her eyes to Des. "They're really not gorgons, Des," she tried to assure her fiance, colored crystal set in gold sparkling on her finger as she settled a pretty little Alice-band on her squirming daughter's head. "They'll behave themselves, I promise."

"Bridesmaid?" Des echoed, glancing curiously to Piper. Wasn't Lyneth a bit young to be a bridesmaid" Flower girl, maybe. Or was she planning on aging herself up for the day' Des could never be too sure when it came to Lyneth. "Yes, but....they're your parents, Pip, and I want to make a good impression." Though he didn't say so, his nervousness went beyond the usual desire to make a good impression. This was about him wanting to prove to her parents that he wasn't like the men she'd known in her past - men who'd broken her heart and her trust.

Holding his gaze as he queried the bridesmaid comment, Piper smiled reassuringly. She was going to have words with Lyneth about how being flower girl was so much better than being a silly old bridesmaid sooner rather than later. She didn't really want her daughter growing up any more than she had to. "You will make a good impression," she said fervently, rising onto her feet as Lyneth broke away to go and sit in the window once again. "No more escape attempts, young lady!" All the answer she got was a wicked little giggle, but Lynnie could be trusted to stay put. Especially with a brownie keeping a close eye on her. Piper reached out, gently swatting Des' hand away from his tie. "If you tighten that any more, you're going to strangle yourself."

"Maybe I should strangle myself," Des remarked gloomily, which was not very Des-like. He dropped his hand as she swatted it away, making no attempt to hide his nervousness. "I've never met anyone's parents before," he admitted, in a hushed voice, so Lyneth wouldn't overhear him, though she probably did anyway. It was hard to keep anything a secret from the little fae girl.

"Yes, you have," Piper reminded him with a fond smile. "Or don't I count as a parent?" Adjusting his tie until it was smart and not in danger of cutting off his breath, she leaned up to kiss him softly, stroking her fingers against his cheek. "Just trust me, all right' They might not be entirely happy, but the problem will be with me, not you. They want me to go home, and they don't understand why I can't." The tip of her nose brushed his affectionately, ignoring the giggle from the window where Lyneth was watching them. "It'll be fine."

"That's not what worries me and you know it," he whispered back, frowning a little at Lyneth's giggle. He knew he was overthinking things, but he couldn't help but worry, especially given the fact that the last man who'd left her in a lurch had been one of his cousins, though he had never met the man personally. "What if they hate me?" he asked, worriedly.

The little girl blinked, her huge turquoise eyes just a little uncertain as she glanced to her mother for a moment, her little hands tightening on Des' jacket. Piper nodded encouragingly, her smile bright for her daughter, even as her own father wrapped an arm about her shoulders. "He's not Lyneth," the tiny girl announced, deliberately mistaking her grandmother's declaration with cheeky sweetness. "I'm Lyneth. This is Des. He's goin' to be my new daddy. Are you my Gramma?"

Hannah's eyes sparkled brightly with pride and happiness and maybe a few tears. They really had been apart for too long, and while she had tried to understand Piper's reasons for staying away, she could not help but miss her daughter terribly. "So I see," she replied with a smile at both Lyneth and Desmond, finding the girl amusingly precocious for her age. She hadn't quite wrapped her head around how all of that magic nonsense worked just yet, but it didn't matter. The little girl was Piper's daughter, and that was all that mattered. "Yes, I'm your Gramma. I'm very pleased to meet you, Lyneth. I've heard so much about you." She turned her smile to Desmond, not quite as overjoyed to make his acquaintance, wanting to like him, but reserving judgment until she got to know him a little better. She nodded her head in silent and polite greeting.

Desmond returned the nod with one of his own, polite and respectful, allowing the pair to catch their breath before he said a word.

"You came to see me when I was teeny," Lyneth pointed out with a little smile. "An' you brought me a pretty dress an' a blanket an' my Teddy Rabbit. He sleeps with me, you know."

Behind Hannah, Piper stifled a quiet laugh at this overload of information, not entirely sure how her parents were going to take this. Daniel, in particular, seemed slightly taken a-back. He glanced down at his daughter. "She remembers that?" he asked in amazement, blinking his surprise once again as Piper nodded. "Incredible. And this young man ..." He raised his voice, addressing Des directly. "You must be Desmond. I take it you're responsible for the silly smiles both these girls are wearing?"

As for Hannah, she was taking it all in stride, as grandmothers tended to do, completely charmed by the little miniature Piper that was there before her. Unlike her husband, she assumed Piper had told her about their visit and that the little girl couldn't possibly have remembered the event all on her own. She laughed at the precociousness of her littlest love, dying to drag Piper and Lyneth away from the menfolk so she could fuss and gush in private while the men sized each other up.

Desmond looked from Piper's mother to her father, unsure how exactly to address them and wishing he'd remembered to ask. My Lord" Your Grace" Mr. Davidson' Sir" In the end, Des settled on what he was most comfortable with. "Yes, sir, I am. Guilty on both counts," he replied with a slightly nervous smile.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, don't call me sir," Daniel chuckled, shaking his head. "Makes me sound like an ancient schoolmaster. No, you're to be family, that makes me Daniel. Don't mind the Duchess there, she's overcome with simpering delight at seeing her granddaughter." He paused, turning his smiling gaze to Lyneth for a moment. "Which I am, too, of course, but I am a man and therefore far more in control of myself." He winked, and Lyneth giggled, hugging Des tighter for a moment as she turned unaccountably shy.

Des smiled, relaxing just a little at the warm greeting from her parents. "It's a pleasure to meet you both," he replied, purposely leaving their names and titles unmentioned, as it still felt a bit awkward to call them by name.

Hannah swatted her husband's arm and narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "As is the privilege of any grandmother," she reminded him scoldingly before turning to Desmond and looking him over, noting the way Lyneth clung to him, trusting him as if he already was family. If Lyneth and Piper loved and trusted him, who was she to say otherwise, even if he did share a last name with her daughter's ex-husband. "Well, Lyneth, what do you say you show me around" Your mother tells me the garden is quite a spectacular sight."

Lyneth's eyes grew wide, her little smile rising with excitement. "You want to see my garden?" she asked, easily pleased with anyone who showed an interest in her flowers, even if they couldn't see the friends who helped her with them. "Loki's in the garden, 'cos Mummy said he wouldn't let you in last time you came, but he's a good boy, an' he's lookin' after my baby tree. Do you want to see my baby tree?" She turned her eyes to Des, little feet kicking happily. "Put me down, I want to show my Gramma the garden!"

"I want to see everything, darling!" Hannah replied, with exuberance nearly equal to that of Lyneth. Of course, she had no idea that Lyneth might just take her literally and show her everything, including the little people who helped tend her flowers, but that remained to be seen.

Desmond chuckled as Lyneth's little feet started flailing excitedly. "Well, stop kicking so I can put you down then!" he exclaimed as he bent over to set the little girl on her feet.

Hannah's eyes brightened as she watched the two of them together, judging that perhaps this Desmond just might be good enough for her daughter and granddaughter. She offered a hand to Lyneth, along with a warm smile. "Shall we, dear" Piper?" she called, with a glance over her shoulder, indicating Piper should join them, leaving the two men to get acquainted on their own.

Set down on her little kicking feet, Lyneth paused to hug Des a little too hard around the knees before seizing her grandmother's hand and setting off toward the garden, probably a little too quickly for Hannah's comfort.

Piper laughed at this, amused by her mother's less than subtle divide and conquer tactics. "I'll come in a minute," she promised, taking advantage of her father being utterly enthralled by the tiny girl to kiss Des' cheek. "See?" she whispered. "Easy as pie."

Des nodded, one hand wrapped around his own mug as he regarded the man and considered his explanation of Lyneth's age and appearance. "I believe she is." Des paused another moment to regard his mug, debating how much to tell the other man regarding his granddaughter and once again choosing the truth, however unbelievable. "I have seen her as a young woman. I am not entirely sure, but..." He paused again, this time to meet the other man's gaze so that he could see that Desmond was completely serious in his estimation. "She is young. What better way to learn about the world around you than as a small child" What better way to feel loved?"

"A young woman?" To say Daniel was surprised by that little bit of news was a deep understatement. He'd seen his granddaughter as a baby grown into a small child in a matter of months, but he couldn't quite get his head around her as an adult, young or otherwise. But he could see that Des wasn't joking with him, the younger man's expression entirely serious. "I can understand the reasoning, yes, but ....surely she knows already that she is loved" Piper sacrificed everything to keep her, is that not enough?" Evidently, the loss of his daughter to a different plane of existence was weighing on Daniel's mind, even if she was finally happy here.

"I don't know much about the Fae, but I believe she is able to appear in whatever form she so chooses at whatever age. To be fair, she's only half Fae. Part of her is still human, still a child, and I believe it's that part of her that needs to mature more slowly." Des sighed, shrugging lightly as he ran out of words to explain. "If I understand her correctly, I think she enjoys being a child, but there's a part of her that's very protective of her mother. I've seen her do things I can't really explain. She..." He broke off a moment, as he once again considered how much to tell him. "There is a part of her that's older and wiser than any human, but it's as if it's at odds with that part of her that's still a child. She is what she needs or wants to be at any given time."

Daniel wasn't entirely sure he followed all of this, but he was man enough to understand that he didn't need to make sense of it in himself. The fact that Des understood it was the important information to glean from this conversation, that this man could help to raise a very unusual child. One part had to be questioned, however. "Why does she feel protective of Piper?" he asked, a gentle frown on his brow as he considered Desmond thoughtfully. "Is there some further danger we haven't been told about?"

Des wished the man hadn't asked that particular question, but now that it had been asked, he had a duty and an obligation to answer it as honestly as he could, and he wasn't one to beat around the bush. "I'm not sure what Piper has told you, and it's not really my place to speak for her, but it's my understanding that Lyneth's father - her birth father - has tried to assert control over his daughter once before." Desmond thought it was more likely that he was in danger than Piper, but he couldn't be too certain. If the Fae wanted Lyneth badly enough, there was no telling what lengths they might go to accomplish their goals. "You have my word as a man that I will do everything in my power to protect her and her daughter from any threat, and I will use all the resources available to me to keep her safe."

Daniel stared at Desmond, shocked. That Piper and Lyneth had been in danger already, and had not told himself or his wife of that danger was more than a little worrisome. Though there was nothing he could do against creatures who held magic, something entirely alien to his own world, he still wanted to know. "That is ....that is good to know, Desmond," he said slowly, nodding as he looked into his coffee cup. "Thank you. And thank you for telling me. I do not believe Piper had any intention of doing do herself."

"Daniel," Des started, hoping to not only reassure the man, but explain further. "I know you would prefer she was with you, but there is no safer place for Piper and Lyneth than Rhy'Din. We have the resources here to protect them, and I swear to you, so long as I live, I will keep them safe." That was the problem though, wasn't it' What might happen to them if he was dead" Des chose not to think about that, however. He had taken every precaution to protect Piper and Lyneth and would continue to do so to his dying breath.

"As much as I might prefer to have them with us, I understand that only a full Fae can survive on our world and even then only for short periods of time," Daniel nodded grimly. He didn't like it, but he understood it. "I wouldn't have Lyneth hurt so badly just to keep her nearby. And I believe you would do anything in your power to keep them both safe. Just remember, Desmond ....a little happiness is worth far more than a lifetime of playing it safe. If Lyneth can truly be what she needs to be, then perhaps the danger is not so very near as it might otherwise be."

"Perhaps," Des agreed, "but she is not a full Fae, and I don't think she's completely come into her full powers yet. To be honest, she's probably far more adept at taking care of herself and protecting her mother than I am." That brought a small frown to his face, hard as it was to admit. Like any man who loved his family, there was a strong innate desire to protect them, but he was still not quite sure how to do that against an enemy as formidable as a full-fledged Fae, and then he had his own enemies to worry about.

Daniel studied his expression as he spoke, snorting gently with sympathy. "Desmond, you've chosen to be in a very unusual family, in the strangest place I have ever come across," he pointed out with a faint smile. "Lyneth might well be able to take care of herself, and her mother, and you, if it comes to it. But she can't give herself the love of a parent, the love of a father. She can't teach herself humanity, which is something you can teach her." He leaned back comfortably, taking a long drink from his mug before adding with a warm smile. "Whatever you think you have to offer, Lyneth evidently doesn't care. You have something she wants to love and be loved by. And you have her mother, which is the most impressive thing you have to offer."

Desmond was impressed by the insight of this man who would sometime in his near future become his father-in-law. Without a real father figure for most of his life, it was hard for him not to envy Piper, but he was thankful for having been made welcome into his father's family, even if it had come later rather than sooner, and he hoped he would be as welcome an addition to the Davidson family. "I could not love her more if she was my own. Once Piper and I are married, I intend to adopt Lyneth." A small smile appeared on Des' face as he recalled the discussion they'd had with Lyneth regarding that very thing. "I'm afraid I'm in pretty deep."

"Are you really afraid of that, or are you just saying it for the form of the thing?" Daniel asked with a sudden grin that made him look remarkably like his impish granddaughter, leaving Desmond in no doubt as to where Piper's smile had come from. "I think, if you were afraid, you wouldn't be living with my daughter. I think if you were afraid, you wouldn't be marrying her."

Chewing a little painfully around the mouthful of brownie, it took Daniel a moment to respond, dunking his brownie into his coffee to soften it up for the next bite. "Desmond, I realize you are a little nervous of me and my wife, and with good reasons to be so. But so long as Piper is happy with you, so long as Lyneth is happy with you, we are happy with you. Don't be so concerned. I trust my daughter's judgement."

"It's not you that makes me nervous," Desmond replied, with a brief glance at the women in the garden, though that was not entirely true. He thought he'd be more nervous of her father, but now that he'd met the man, for some reason, it was Piper's mother who made him nervous. "She's an amazing woman," he said, as his gaze moved to Piper, his expression softening with obvious fondness and affection. "She took me completely by surprise."

"I think she can safely say the same about you," Daniel's chuckle made itself known again as he caught his drooping brownie between his lips. "Oh, you're right, that is much easier ..." Swallowing, he took another sip of his coffee, glancing toward the back door as a small shriek from the garden announced that Loki had joined in whatever game was being played, much to Lyneth's delight. "She informed me in November that she was never going to let a man turn her head again, and now look at her. That's rather amazing in itself."

"I have to admit Lyneth had a lot to do with it. Without her, I'm not sure it would have happened," Des told him, distractedly as he watched his two loves as they played in the garden. "In a way, she's the one who brought us together." He chuckled lightly at another thought. "Well, her and Miranda....My busybody aunt."

"Do tell." In some ways, Daniel was a bigger gossip than his wife, especially where his children were concerned. The information that his granddaughter had played a determined hand in bringing Piper and Desmond together wasn't much of a surprise, but given that she was a special little girl, Daniel's mind boggled at the methods she might have used. "I sense a story."

Desmond shrugged. There was a story there somewhere, but he wasn't sure just how much he wanted to tell the other man. A good part of it depended on him suspending his disbelief in magic and taking Des at his word. "We met at my family's Christmas gathering. My uncle is rather fond of Piper and Lyneth and still considers them family. Miranda introduced us, but it was Lyneth who wrapped me around her finger first. I think Piper was actually a little jealous of her at first." He was confident the man would understand when he got to know Lyneth better.

Daniel frowned a little. "Piper has always been a little jealous of those who are more open than she is," he shrugged lightly. "Her sister was the main irritation while they were growing up, it doesn't surprise me that she might have transferred that feeling to her daughter. She doesn't know her own worth, Desmond. I hope you take every opportunity to remind her of it."

"She told me about her past, about how she'd been hurt, and I tried to go gently, to take things slow, to not rush her. Like I said, she's an amazing woman. I don't think she realizes how amazing, but hopefully, she's starting to think differently."

"I'm sure with you and Lyneth reminding her as often as you can, she will come around eventually," Daniel smiled, nodding to Desmond. A crash from the back door made him look up, laughing to see Piper physically dragging Loki away from the door, one finger pointing at Lyneth, who was looked deceptively innocent despite her grin, cuddled into her grandmother's arms. "How long do you suppose before war is declared out there?"

"That depends on the fairies," Desmond replied, dropping a hint that there was most likely more going on in the backyard than Daniel could possibly guess. He wondered if Piper's mother had met them yet or if she was able to see them. "Shall we go rescue your wife from Lyneth's mischief?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Fairies?" Daniel blinked in surprise. "You mean there really are little people out there?" His eyes turned back toward the door as though trying to see the little people who could only be seen by those who believed they existed.

"I had the same reaction in the beginning, but....Well, you'll see." Desmond's smile grew, a hint of amusement dancing in his blue eyes. He took a quick swallow of his coffee, leaving it on the table and hoping Oisin didn't clean up after them too quickly. He pushed his chair off and rose to his feet. "Come on. You really must see the garden."

The scene that greeted them in the garden was different for both men. Des could see the fairies flitting about, giggling to themselves and playing at mischief for the entertainment of Lyneth, who was sitting like a queen on Hannah's lap. All Daniel saw was Loki hiding behind Piper as she laughed at something unseen plaiting her hair with flowers, and a small crown of flowers being woven into Hannah's hair by unseen hands. "Oh dear God," he muttered. "What on earth is going on?"

"Fairies," Des replied, "but in order to see them, you have to believe." He knew from experience that seeing was believing, but in order to see, you first had to believe, and that was the real trick. For a man who was accustomed to needing incontrovertible proof in court and otherwise, Desmond had come around pretty quickly, mostly because of Lyneth. "After I met Piper, they followed me home to New York and caused a lot of mischief, until I won their trust."

"How do I believe in something I'm not even sure actually exists?" the duke asked a little worriedly, leaning on the rail of the back porch as he watched in fascination.

Piper looked up at her father warmly, scratching at Loki's head. "Hey, leave the door open a moment, would you?" she asked, pointing toward it. "Go on, Loki, hide." The Malamute scrabbled up onto the porch, brushing past Des' leg in his hurry to get away from the fairies who were throwing flowers at him.