Humphrey's favorite time of year, the annual Christmas Eve party for the Granger family. This was Vicki's third Christmas with Jon, and her second as a pregnant mother. Even though this time her bump wasn't quite so pronounced as it had been last year, she still had a plethora of aunts and cousins wanting to reach out and touch, even when she was wearing Emily on her hip like a human shield. Sadly, the little girl wasn't even a year old yet, and thus couldn't stay awake forever, no matter how much her mother might want her to. So Vicki had resorted to hiding behind Humphrey's chair while he held court, the bump disguised from anyone who hadn't already seen it by the high-backed chair.

Jon had made the rounds, meeting and greeting each and every member of the Granger family, whether by blood or by association. As always, there were a few who they missed that year, but for the most part, the family was slowly growing larger and stronger every year. Humphrey was in his glory, surrounded by family and friends and particularly enjoying the smaller, younger, and newer members of the slowly expanding family. It was no secret that Humphrey - despite his reputation for being an old curmudgeon - revelled in spoiling the small members of the family, especially at this, his favorite time of the year. Jon had taken up the role of patriarchal head of the family, partly because he was the only other male member of the family who called the big house home, partly because it was just natural for him, taking on the role as easily as he might on the stage.

It was a little harder for Vicki to get used to being so much the center of attention. She'd worked hard for a long time to be a shadow lurker, and then she'd married Jon. She loved him, but there was a big ol' spotlight that came with that particular connection which did, on occasion, spoil her sunny outlook on life. Not that it showed in this instance ....Leaning over the back of Humphrey's chair, she was telling an outrageously inappropriate version of a beloved childrens' tale to the little ones who had taken up residence all over the Old Man, utterly unfazed by the mild shock on the faces of the older members of the family as they caught the gruesome details of mutilations and wickedness.

For a man who disliked crowds intensely, Jon was handling the crowded big house at Maple Grove like a trooper. That was mostly because this particular crowd consisted of family and was not a crowd of fans and press all vying to catch a glimpse of Jon Granger, movie star. This was family, and he was one of them. Though he didn't remember it, this was the reason he'd returned to Rhy'Din, to begin with. When Jon finally did find his way back to those gathered around the patriarchal octagenarian, he made it just in time to catch the end of a particularly gruesome fairy tale his wife was so kindly sharing with those of the younger set. Jon couldn't help but smirk at his wife's mischief, but the only move he made to stop her was to swap a glass of generously-spiked eggnog with the sleepy baby at her hip.

As the little group dissolved into wild giggles at the mental image of Cinderella's sisters working in the palace kitchens with their toes cut off and birds nesting in their hair, Vicki grinned, straightening up to let Jon slip Emily out of her arms and take hold of the drink he proffered. Lesson learned from the last time around - she could handle one drink when she was pregnant, and besides, it was eggnog. It was hardly moonshine. "Is it safe to say that I've done my duty by the children today, Mr Granger, or should I tell them the real story of Snow White next?"

"It's Christmas Eve, Vicki. They should be dreaming about sugarplums and gumdrops and reindeer and presents, not witches and poisonous apples and....whatever else the real Snow White is about." He really had no idea, since he'd never heard the story, though he had a feeling now that she'd mentioned it, he was going to be given a lesson in fairy tales before the night was through. He drew her away from the little group, much to the relief of the some of the older members of the clan who were hoping to tuck their children into bed with minimal effort later, effectively rescuing them from any further fractured fairy tales from his mischievous wife.

She laughed as she was drawn away, fully expecting that the next time those particular little darlings were told Cinderella, they'd argue that it was wrong. "Oh, come off it, Jon," she chuckled, unsurprised to see Emily's head droop down onto her husband's shoulder. "The original fairytales are a lot more fun than the censored versions. Besides, if you make it over the top enough, kids don't get creeped out. How many children do you know who don't like a good bit of bloody mutilation?"

"You should probably rephrase that question to 'How many children do I know"'" he replied, tilting his head toward her so she could hear him above the low din of the crowd. It was the first moment he had to himself all evening, the first moment he'd had to regroup with his wife and daughter. This entertaining thing had a way of keeping him distracted, especially with a family the size of the Grangers. "It's Christmas, not Halloween!" he pointed out again, laughing, not budging in his opinion on the subject.

She snorted with laughter, pleased that he was holding his ground but not particularly convinced to change her own stance. "Tell you what, in a couple of years, we'll ask Emily which version she prefers, Mummy's or Daddy's," she offered up as a cheeky compromise, neatly sidestepping the reaching hand of Jon's elderly Aunt Margaret and inserting her spiked eggnog into it instead. As the old lady blinked in surprise, stammering that she didn't drink, Vicki smiled charmingly at her. "Let your hair down, Margaret, it's Christmas!"

Jon rolled his eyes at his cheeky wife, though once they were a safe distance away from his elderly aunt, he chuckled with laughter. "You are going to get me into so much trouble," he remarked, lowering his voice just a little for her ears only. In all truth, he didn't give a fig what anyone else here thought of him or his wife. He'd given up caring a while ago, for the most part anyway, realizing he'd never make them all happy, no matter what he did or didn't do. "I'm sure if Emily takes after her mother, she'll prefer the gruesome version of the story," he remarked, backtracking as they wound their way through the crowd.

"That woman has groped two separate bumps on two separate Christmasses," Vicki defended herself with a smile. "I reserve the right to confuse and befuddle her in self-defense." She grinned up at her husband, hugging her arm through his. This year she wasn't anywhere near as pregnant as she had been the year before, her good mood undiminished by the occasional opportunistic fumble at her waistline by various older members of the family. Slipping out of the main reception room, she was a little surprised to find the entrance hall still thronged with people, tilting her head as she tried to sort out which music was coming from which room. "Where do you think the baby pen was set up?"

"Oh, really?" he smirked, sorely tempted to corner her and do a little groping of his own, though he currently had a sleeping baby attached to his hip. "You've never protested my groping," he pointed out helpfully, a teasing gleam in the blue eyes that perfectly matched the blue of his expensive designer suit, his curls slicked back tonight and his face clean-shaven and as smooth as Emily's bottom.

"You are allowed to grope," his redhead informed him cheerfully, reaching up to tease an escaping curl back off his brow with familiar affection. "Old ladies who just want to fondle a pregnant woman, they have to ask permission first."

An unexpected laugh interrupted them as one of those they were passing turned, revealing herself to be Gabi, sans either of the twins. "Let me guess, Auntie Maggie's been wriggling her wicked witch fingers at you," the usually shy blonde said with a smile that probably had a lot to do with the half-empty glass of wine in her hand.

"I believe the term is groping," Jon corrected his somewhat shy cousin with an amused smirk. He'd have offered a hug, but his arms were otherwise occupied, one linked with Vicki's and the other full of baby Emily. "Where are the twins?" he asked, scanning the crowd for the rest of Gabi's branch of the family.

"Oh, well ....Jake went that way with Dad," Gabi offered, pointing toward the dining room where the buffet table was set up. "And as far as I know, Theo is being used as a human shield by a mermaid who is even shyer than I am." She smiled again, taking a sip of her wine.

Vicki chuckled at how relaxed the woman was with letting her boys be taken away for a little while. Gabi had definitely blossomed with motherhood.

"How's she fitting in?" Jon asked, making a mental note to find the somewhat elusive Cian and his shy but pretty mermaid and say hello before the night was out. Their relationship had been somewhat rocky for a while after Frank's death, but Jon hoped time had healed some of those wounds.

"It's taking time," Gabi said, after a moment spent considering the best way to answer that question. "There's an awful lot she doesn't know, so many concepts she doesn't understand. But she's getting there, and Cian's patient enough to explain just about anything to her if she needs it." She smirked faintly. "Once she worked out that the twins are just little people who need to grow up, she started playing with them a lot. I think that might be helping, I don't know."

Jon didn't know too much about Cian's significant other, other than the fact that she was a real live mermaid and that Cian had met her during one of his many adventures. "He should bring her around sometime when there aren't so many people," Jon remarked, wondering how to breach the gap between his cousin and himself. If he put Vicki to the task, she'd have it done in no time flat, but he wasn't quite as bold as his wife. "Motherhood has been good to you, Gabi. You look wonderful," he said with a smile, the conversation turning polite as he started to run out of things to talk about.

"I look tired, and I've given up caring if people notice that my hair isn't washed," Gabi corrected him with her slightly inebriated smile firmly in place. "I'll give Cian a nudge into bringing Leilani up here sometime. But I interrupted your search for somewhere a little more private. Go on, hide!" With a last smile, she turned back to the cousins she was standing with, leaving Vicki to snicker up at Jon.

"I thought you said she was shy?"

"She was," Jon replied, though it seemed something had caused a change in Gabi to bring her out of her shell. Motherhood might have had something to do with it, but he wasn't really sure. Jon glanced at the small sleepy bundle he was holding in his arms. "It's getting late. We should probably tuck her in," he suggested. Though it wasn't very late by their standards, Emily wasn't quite on the same time-clock as her parents.

"Let me wash my hands first," he said as he handed Vicki off, lifting his hands and wiggling his fingers at her. He had just changed Miss Poopy Pants, after all. He smirked as Cosmo appeared from where he'd been hiding somewhere downstairs. It had only been a few short years since Cosmo had been a Christmas present from Vicki. "And where have you been?" he asked the dog, as if he was expecting a reply, as he made his way toward the bathroom to scrub the germs from his hands.

"Oh, charming." All dressed for bed and ready for her feed, Emily cuddled into Vicki's arms as she was handed off, sucking on her mother's neck for something to do while they waited for Daddy to get back and provide the main course. Cosmo followed Jon into the bathroom, nudging at his leg before he moved to sit obediently, tongue out as though he was grinning up at his master.

Jon turned on the faucet to scrub his hands clean, glancing down at the silly dog that was nudging at his leg. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked with a smirk, knowing the dog probably wanted one of three things - food, a walk, or attention.

Attention was a good bet at this point. Cosmo had been trailing around the party all evening with Loki, Piper's dog, both of them begging the very best scraps money could buy from various suggestible relatives and playing enthusiastically with children of myriad ages. The one thing Cosmo hadn't had much of, however, was attention from his favorite people, and now they were secluded for a little bit, he was going to make the most of that.

Jon knew Cosmo well enough to be able to read his body language, and he'd kept half an eye on the dog all evening, so figuring out what the dog wanted was mostly a matter of a process of elimination. "What's the matter, boy?" Jon asked the collie. "Missing your favorite humans?" He ruffled the fur between the dog's ears before leading the way back to Vicki and Emily. "See" She's right here. All safe and sound," he told the collie, taking a seat beside Vicki to take over with the bottle if she wanted him to.

Cosmo ruffed happily at the attention, padding after Jon as he returned to the couch and the girls. As Vicki gently transferred Emily and her bottle into her father's arms, the dog lifted his paws onto the redhead's lap, sniffing first at her bump as though making sure it was still there before leaning far over to sniff at Emily's feet. "You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say someone has been missing us this evening," Vicki commented, one eye on the television as she scritched at the collie's fur.

"He's been pal-ing around with Loki all evening," Jon said as he cradled Emily into the crook of his arm and offered her the bottle, which she latched onto greedily. "Has Dru been on yet?" he asked, glancing to the TV set, knowing why everyone had been half-glued to the set all evening. It wasn't every day you saw your baby sister on TV, and even rarer that baby sister was a real live princess.

"No, not yet," Vicki grinned, nodding toward the TV. "But it looks like the main event is just getting started, so I suppose she'll be making an entrance any time soon." Unlike Jon, Vicki had a slightly better idea of how it all worked in Dru's other life, but not even she could accurately predict how Tirisano were going to present the only surviving members of their royal family to the upper eschelon and the public watching the live feed.

"I wish she'd been able to stay," he remarked with a small frown. Despite all the craziness, he really liked being surrounded with family during the holidays, at least for a little while. "You don't think I have any other long lost siblings wandering around out there somewhere, do you?" Though he was grateful for Des and for Dru and loved them dearly, it was a little unsettling to have siblings you never knew existed pop up unexpectedly every now and then.

Vicki let out a soft grunt as Cosmo jumped up onto the couch with them, draping himself mostly over her lap with his nose on Emily's feet. Her arm wrapped itself comfortably around Jon, her cheek touching his shoulder. "I wish I could tell you yea or nay for certain, stud muffin, but that's a little beyond my reach," she admitted with a gentle sigh. "But I think, with all the publicity over the last couple of years, if anyone else was going to come crawling out of the woodwork, they would have done it by now." She kissed his cheek affectionately, aware of the noise of the party below through the open door of their suite as a dull murmur of merry sound.

"So long as they don't come crawling out of the woodwork just looking for a handout." He wasn't stingy by any means, more than generous with his money, but being a Granger sometimes meant having to deal with people who were only interested in fame and fortune and riding on his coattails. "I kind of miss Johnny and Liv, don't you?" he asked, looking back at Emily to see how she was progressing with the bottle.

"True, it is a little dull around here without Sparky and your ever-present sidekick around," the redhead chuckled, following the line of his gaze down to their daughter as she suckled on her bottle. "Can't really blame them for wanting to spend this Christmas in New York, though. They have family there, both of them, for the first time in a long time. They should spend the holidays with them." A fanfare made itself known through the quiet buzz on the TV, and she looked up, a grin touching her lips. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have princess."

Jon chuckled. "She's my assistant, not my sidekick," he pointed out. He would have remarked on the fact that Johnny and Liv had not yet been blessed with a small bundle of their own, but he was distracted by the fanfare on the TV and the announcement of his baby sister's arrival. Unlike Vicki, there was no smile on his face as Dru's presence was announced on the TV set - he was too worried about something bad happening to her, despite knowing all possible precautions had been taken to keep her safe.

The ball was being shown live with only a five second delay - in case of bad language in any interviews - and though it seemed as though there was little to no security to the untrained eye, if you knew what to look for, there was so much it was a wonder anyone had managed to get into the Itana Palace at all for the ball itself. The wide double doors at the head of the ballroom opened as Vicki and Jon watched, revealing His Serene Highness, Prince Julius, ruler of Tirisano, and the Princess Royale, his heir. Dru was virtually unrecognisible - gone was the slightly lanky, awkward teen who dressed in dark colors and lots of layers; the princess stood tall in a beautiful ballgown, a tiara delicately set in her upswept hair, every inch the young woman she had been born to be.

"Bloody hell," Vicki breathed. "We have to get her out of that girls' school. She deserves to lose her virginity to someone she actually likes before they marry her off."

"Good grief," Jon muttered upon seeing his baby sister's entrance. It was like something straight out of a fairy tale, though Jon knew, as much from experience as anything, that it was a lot of window dressing. "Bite your tongue, Vicki. That's my baby sister you're talking about!" he said, not really wanting to think about such things. He knew the chances of Dru enjoying a happily ever after were next to nil, but he refused to give up hope.

Despite her smirk, Vicki knew better than to push this particular topic with Jon, simply settling close to him as they watched Dru and her uncle take to the floor to lead the first waltz of the night. "She looks beautiful," she murmured softly. "I hope someone remembered to record this - Des and Lena will be devastated if they miss it."

"She is beautiful," Jon corrected, as he watched his little sister looking very much like the princess she really was. "Knowing Humphrey, he'll make sure they don't miss it," he pointed out as he watched, so intent on what was going on in a distant nation that he didn't notice that Emily was reaching the end of her bottle. "I have a feeling she'd rather be here than there," Jon said with a small frown, unsure how he was supposed to feel about having royalty for family.

Luckily for the baby, Vicki was tuned into that peculiar sound that comes when a bottle is nearly empty. She reached over and removed the bottle from Emily's lips and Jon's hand. "Burp her before she starts wriggling again, love," she suggested, letting Cosmo sniff the empty bottle in her hand as her eyes drifted back to the TV screen. "I'm sure Dru would rather be here, but she's got a very strong sense of duty. This is her first public appearance since the majority of the royal family died. I don't know about you, but I feel rather proud of her. She doesn't look anywhere near as scared as she must be feeling."

Were killed, not died, thought Jon, though he didn't vocalize that thought. It was Christmas Eve and it was supposed to be a happy occasion, a celebration. The last thing he wanted was to be accused of being morose. "Of course I'm proud of her," Jon assured his wife, tearing his eyes away from his sister long enough to hoist Emily onto his shoulder and rub her back. "She's a good actress," Jon remarked as he looked back at the scene playing itself out on the television set. "I just worry too much, I guess."

"Well, you know as well as I do that for every guest in that ball room, there is at least one security guard," Vicki pointed out quietly, understanding Jon's worries but needing him to stop assuming that the worst would happen. Of them all, Dru was the one who would be in constant danger for the rest of her life, purely because of who she was. But that didn't mean that she wouldn't be protected from that danger. "And that the palace in Itana is one of the most secure places on Rhy'Din, even more so since the incident. She's safe there, and if all else fails, take a look at her hand." She pointed at the screen, and sure enough, on Dru's hand was visible a familiar ring, complete with bloodstone. "The Grangers are on call for her 24/7, Jon. She'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know," he admitted, Vicki's reassurances helping him relax a little. "I'm just not sure how I'm supposed to react to having a princess for a sister," he admitted. "I know, I know....I should just treat her like everyone else, but she's not like everyone else, Vicki. She's going to be a ruler someday. That makes us relatives to royalty," he continued, though the royal line came from Dru's mother's side of the family, not from the Grangers. Of everyone in the family, he was probably best suited to understand what it felt like to live your life under a microscope, and he didn't envy his little sister that part of her life.

"True," Vicki conceded with a half-shrug. "But we're the poor relations no one needs to know much about." Beside Jon's ear, Emily let rip with what sounded like a joyful burp, her head nodding down onto his shoulder once again as she slumped, almost asleep once again. "All you can do is treat her well, Jon. Like an equal. You're one of the few people in her life who can do that."

"What do you mean?" he asked, glancing at the little half-asleep bundle on his shoulder before looking back at Vicki. He understood that he should treat Dru just as he treated the rest of his relatives, but he wasn't quite sure what she meant by the last part of her statement.

"Well, think about it, Jon," his wife pointed out gently. "In Tirisano, she has her uncle, who is naturally her superior because of his rank. He can't not treat her like an inferior. But conversely, she's constantly surrounded by aides and servants and civil ministers who have to treat her as their superior; they have to address her by her title. Similarly, any friends she has there will have been closely vetted by the government and her uncle to make sure they conform, and she doesn't know if they're really her friends or just playing a part because she's the Crown Princess. Here, she gets to be just Dru. She isn't a different rank to the rest of her family, she doesn't have friends who are only her friends because of her rank. And she has brothers and a sister who don't look down on her, or up to her. She doesn't have to be a princess here. She gets to be herself, and the way you treat her is a big part of that."

"Why would I treat her any differently than anyone else? I know what it's like to have people fawn all over you just because you're famous or because they think you have money or whatever. There was a time when I thought that's why you wanted to date me." Of course, he had long ago learned that wasn't true, but what he was trying to point out was that he thought he understood at least a little of what Dru had to deal with. People on Rhy'Din had never been overly impressed with his fame or fortune, but on Earth, it was an entirely different matter. It seemed to be the same in Tirisano, though his sister was royalty, not just a movie star.

"I'm not saying that you ever would treat her any differently, Jon," Vicki tried to tell him, choosing not to comment on his remark about his initial thoughts about her. "I was trying to offer some kind of perspective, that's all. I don't have the first idea what it's like, do I" You know better than me how it feels to be in the spotlight."

"Yeah, but do you think I do?" he asked, looking for Vicki's perspective on things, even if it was in a roundabout way. "Do you think I treat her differently than Lena?" he asked, really not knowing for sure if he did or not, though he tried not to. Though he'd grown up with Lena, much of his past was a blank. It wasn't a lot to build a relationship on, and it had been something of a struggle for him, with Lena remembering things Jon had forgotten. With Dru, he could start fresh.

Vicki considered him for a moment, giving Cosmo a shove off her lap before she started to overheat. "I think maybe you put a little too much emphasis on her rank in your mind," she offered quietly. "Maybe you should try to just look at the young woman, rather than see the princess. But no, I don't think you treat her in any way that isn't warm, and loving, and entirely appropriate for a big brother."

"I'm trying, Vicki," he admitted with a thoughtful frown, as he always did when he was feeling unsure of himself or worried about something, little crinkled worry lines forming on his forehead. "I'm not the eldest anymore, you know." Though that didn't really get him off the hook, as he had only met Des a short year ago.

"Like that matters," she pointed out, brushing a kiss to his cheek. "It isn't worth upsetting yourself over, love. We have a baby to put down, and a party to get back to before some of your cousins decide to come and find us themselves. And we got a chance to see Dru all dressed up and sparkly. That was the point of the evening, right?"

"I wish I'd seen Dru all dressed up and sparkly live in person," he admitted a little sadly, but on the other hand, a few months ago, he hadn't even known her at all. "She's had a rough go of things. I just want her to be happy, Vic. That's all," he said, smiling a little at the affectionate kiss to his cheek. He turned his head toward the little warm bundle snuggled against his shoulder. "Sleepy time for someone," he said, rubbing Emily's back gently as he moved to his feet.

It was just as well someone had warned Rufus about the little side-show that was Jon's birthday, or the Englishman would have been thoroughly confused when Miranda hustled him into the study and told him to be very quiet. He'd forgotten just how big the Granger family was, and it seemed to have grown exponentially since the last time he'd seen them all in close proximity to one another, more than twenty years ago. Still, he was one of them now, as people kept reminding him, and though he felt a little out of place in the crowd, he was good at wearing the charming smile as his wife flitted about, mingling for all she was worth. As the attention crowded around everyone getting their hands on a piece of Jon's birthday cake, he sipped his wine, his own attention suddenly caught by a particularly fine row of leather-bound first editions in the stack to his right, just at his eye-line. Trust a Watcher to be enthralled by books at a party.

"Oh, no, you don't!" the all-too familiar voice of his beloved wife chided from somewhere behind him as she spied her husband's attention waning and turning toward that of Humphrey's well-stocked library. She purposely put herself between her husband and the bookshelf in hopes of distracting his attention. "You are not burying your nose in a book. Not tonight," she scolded, though she was wearing a good-natured smile. She handed him a slice of Jon's birthday cake and slid her rump onto the corner of Humphrey's desk as she stuck a finger into the frosting and licked it clean.

He smiled, taking the scolding with the aplomb of a man who knew when to fight and when to give in. "You have to admit, it would be a fine way to avoid offending any more of your relatives, love," he pointed out, taking his plate from Miranda as he reluctantly tore himself away from perusing the books to watch her instead. His eyes narrowed slightly at her teasing. "Watch yourself, angel. I am not above pulling you behind the curtains and making you pay for being a flirt tonight."

"There's only one man here I'm interested in flirting with," she replied, eyes shining brightly and impishly up at him. She did not say who that man was, but it was obvious to everyone who saw them together that Miranda had eyes for only one man and that man was Rufus Bennett. She reached for his wine glass to take a sip and wash the sugary frosting down. "There are plenty of rooms to get lost in here, if you feel the need to punish me."

"And, of course, that doesn't encourage me in the slightest to see just how good your power to be silent is in a crowded room," he chuckled, relinquishing his glass to her and taking the opportunity to wolf down his little slice of birthday cake. "I must say, despite his rather taciturn tendencies, your Humphrey does put on a good spread."

"Too bad you're not wearing a tie," she remarked with a smirk. "You could always gag me." She took another sip of the wine, feeling just a little light-headed. She'd been sipping all night as she flitted from relative to relative to visit and catch up, doing her best to drag Rufus along with her and show him off, until she finally had pity on the poor man and left him to his own devices for a while. "If you're only half as taciturn when you're Humphrey's age, it will be a miracle," she teased.

"When I am his age, I fully expect to still have a flirty wife and a house full of grandchildren, be they mine or someone else's," he informed her through that charming smile of his, reclaiming his glass to polish off what was left as he looked around once again. "All of whom I will regale with stories of the many times demons, devils, and vampires almost got me, were it not for the efforts of teenaged girls needing to work out their PMS in healthy ways."

She rolled her perfectly made up eyes at him, slipping off the desk and standing on her tip toes, even with heels on, to tap his nose. "There will be no talk of hunting, slaying, or watching on Christmas Eve," she said, tapping his nose thrice in time with each verb to make her point. "Come on, you owe me a dance," she said, taking the glass from him and setting it on Humphrey's desk.

He groaned softly, though to be honest he had no real objection to dancing with his wife. It was the dancing in a room full of strangers that was slightly unsettling. "You made me dance with Lyneth, wasn't that enough?" he complained mildly, letting her take charge despite his protests. "I will dance with you, on one condition - that you don't take up residence on my feet and expect me to stay upright the whole time."

She clucked her tongue at him and swatted his arm, as if he'd just insulted her. "I will not step on your feet, you horrid man." She giggled girlishly, "Though I might sway a little. I think I've had a little too much of the bubbly. Can you catch, Rufus?"

"A ball, a baby, or the ballistic missile of delightfully tipsy shenanigans that is my beautiful wife?" he countered with a grin, catching her hand to loop her arm through his and lead her out of the study and into the main hall, where most of the dancing was taking place.

"Your beautiful wife, of course," she replied, not even batting a lash at the compliment. She knew she looked good, and in her opinion, she had snagged the best-looking man on Rhy'Din. Of course, there were plenty of men who might vie for that title, including some of her own relatives, but now that Rufus was back in her life, she only had eyes for him. "Now, if you promise to go slow and not grab my *ss in front of my family, I'll promise not to step on your poor abused toes."

"Madam, I am insulted," he declared laughingly, drawing her into his arms to move to the music. There wasn't much room to do more than sway, but there was no denying that Rufus' education had more than equipped him with social niceties. "How do you feel about light patting?"

"Keep the hands above the waist, my darling. You wouldn't to cause a scandal, now, would you?" she teased back, dark eyes sparkling with mischief and happiness and just a little too much wine. She placed her hands on his shoulders as she let him lead her in the dance, swaying slowly with him in time to the music, humming softly along to the song.

"Oh, don't you think your reputation could handle another scandal so soon after the last two?" Rufus chuckled back to her, enjoying this slightly tipsy version of his usually perfectly in control wife. "If this is you at a Christmas party, I can hardly wait to see what you're like in exactly one week's time." It was strange to think that their daughter was getting married in seven days, but a good thought at the same time. He smirked to himself as he considered the small surprise he and Piper's father had put together, mostly to prank the grooms during the first dance. He hadn't told Miranda about it yet, and possibly might not at all, given how protective she was over the young men in question.

Miranda was giggling again as she watched Lyneth climb up onto Rufus' shoulders without his help or his permission. "How's the view, darling?" she asked him impishly. One might wonder if she was as impish as Lyneth when she was small. Those who really wanted to know only had to ask Humphrey to find out. Or her brother. Thankfully for Rufus, Desmond could be seen excusing himself from Piper for a moment to rescue the poor man from their daughter and making his way toward the trio.

"Oh, wonderful," Rufus commented, ever so slightly muffled inside the fall of Lyneth's party dress. "I never realized that these tights were so spangly up close." He grunted as Lyneth spotted her Daddy making his way toward them, bouncing on Rufus' shoulders with no concern for the man she was standing on at all.

"Sorry, Rufus!" Desmond apologized as he made a grab for the little girl to sweep her off the man's shoulders and safety into his own arms. "She gets a little carried away sometimes!" he explained.

Miranda only beamed a grin, happily amused by the whole thing. "You should bring her by when the two of you are training. She could bounce on your shoulders, too!"

"I get bounced on plenty, believe me," Des replied with a sigh.

Rescued from a dark, increasingly sweaty prison of velvet skirt and spangly tights, Rufus shook his head to clear his vision as Lyneth was swept off his shoulders, eying his wife with a look that suggested that smile of hers was going to be paid for later. "At least she chose the right man in the room to stand on," he commented to Des, curling his arm about Miranda's waist as Lyneth giggled and hugged her Daddy fondly.

"I think it's just about time for a certain little girl to be heading home," Des said, leaning close to brush his nose against Lyneth's. It was hard for him to get angry with her, and hence he rarely, if ever, scolded her, choosing to do so in a way that wouldn't upset her too much.

Miranda found herself drawn close to Rufus, smiling contentedly. There was no place she'd rather be, but though she was feeling tipsy, unlike the little family, she wasn't quite ready to call it a night yet. "I will see you in a few days for your final fitting, little lady," she told Lyneth, with a little poke at her nose.

"And then can I take my pretty dress home?" Lyneth demanded, impatient as ever to get her hands on her flower girl dress and show off in it. She'd been very good about not telling Des all about Piper's dress, but her own dress was fair game as far as she was concerned. She giggled as her nose was first brushed by Daddy, then poked by Miranda, raising her hand to rub at it as though there were something now tickling it.

"Yes," Miranda answered, "but you have to promise not to wear it until the wedding. It's a special dress for a special day, but after the wedding, you can wear it all you like!" Pleased with this assertion, Lyneth quieted, cuddling into Des with a final admission that it was rather late. Miranda beamed a warm smile up at Desmond, full of the affection she felt for the younger man. "Merry Christmas, Des," she told him, reaching up to brush a kiss against his cheek.

Des smiled in return, as fond of Miranda as she was of him. "Merry Christmas, Miran." He turned to Rufus and offered a nod. "Rufus."

"Happy Solstice, festive season, redonkulous winterval and all that," was Rufus' slightly distracted response to Des' nod, his own offered in return as he shamelessly stole a drink from the hand of a Granger who wasn't paying attention to take a long sip.

Des glanced at the little girl who was finally starting to succumb to sleep, though they still had a date back home for hot cocoa and a little gift wrapping, if she could manage to stay away long enough. If not, Des would tuck her into bed and take care of the wrapping on his own. "I better get back to Piper. If you see Beth and Jason, wish them a Happy Christmas for me," Desmond said, though he was going to see them both himself in another week for the wedding that promised to be the Granger social event of the season.

"They're moving in with you for the week, come Boxing Day," Rufus reminded him with a snort of laughter, squeezing his own wife fondly about the waist. "Or had you forgotten that in all the anticipatory carnality of the season?"

Lyneth frowned at all the long words, lifting her head off Des' shoulder. "What's ant sipping patty carnival itty?"

Desmond chuckled. Of course he remembered. He had a mind like a steel trap. "I meant, if you talk to them in the next day or so." Des didn't even want to think about what Jason was going to think the first time he met a fairy, or worse yet, a certain house brownie. "Never mind, baby girl. I'll explain later," Des promised the little girl, though he had no intentions of doing any such thing. "See you two later!" he promised and off he went with Lyneth drooping on his shoulder.

"I don't suppose you'd like a little ant sipping carnal patty?" Rufus murmured in Miranda's ear as he toasted the retreat of Des and Lyneth, waiting for them to disappear into the throng of family and friends before looking down at his wife with a decidedly roguish look in his eye. "Or perhaps a bucket to throw up in?"

"Oh, Rufus, how romantic," Miranda replied, sarcastically. "You certainly know how to woo a girl." She patted his cheek, eyes alight with mischief. "What's the matter" Are you ready for bed already, old man?"

"Well, bed doesn't necessarily mean sleep," he pointed out, his tone as innocent as though they were discussing tomorrow's milk delivery, though his eyes flickered with a tease equal to her own. "And I do happen to know for a fact that someone is wearing the stockings she promised me she wouldn't wear in public again."

"There's an old saying among those in the fashion industry, darling," Miranda started, touching a perfectly manicured finger to his cheek and tracing the perfectly masculine line of his jaw. "If you've got it, flaunt it."

"I counter with another saying, not so old, but definitely pertinent," he offered, meeting her gaze with that stern charm that did interesting things to a woman usually completely in control of herself. "If your wife is flaunting it, spank her."

"Is that a promise or a warning?" she countered, eyes shining brightly up at him, in a hint of mischief. She had planned on staying longer, but if he had a better offer, she was more than willing to take him up on it. She slid her arms around his neck, her fingers toying with hair. "If you have plans for the evening, you'd better speak now or forever hold your peace."

"I see," Miranda replied, though she really didn't. "Well, Winterfest is a happy time of year. It's a time when families come together - like this one. We give thanks for all our blessings and give each other gifts to show our love. It's a little silly, I suppose, but it's a tradition."

There was a pause as Leilani considered this explanation, which was a far better breakdown of the basics of the common winter festival than Cian had been able to manage. But then, Cian had endured several hours of why before she'd reached that topic, so he could be excused his poor answer. The little mermaid smiled, the expression lighting up her face. "I like that," she said finally. "Family is still new to me, but ....I like that it has a day to be shared on."

Miranda suddenly felt bad for not having spent more time with her nephew and his chosen mate, but she'd been so busy lately, she'd had very little time for visiting with the family. "Tell you what, dear, let's get together for lunch this week, you and me and Cian....and Rufus, if he wants to come," she added, not wanting to leave her husband out, though she doubted he'd be interested in a luncheon. "We can do it the day of your final fitting, if you like."

A pained expression fluttered across Leilani's face as she looked up at Miranda. "I have to do more standing still and not breathing?" she asked worriedly. "Doesn't the dress know how to fit on me by now?"

Miranda laughed lightly. "Unfortunately, not. Just one last fitting to make sure everything, well, fits!" she declared, spying Cian finally as he was making his way through the crowd toward them, looking a little relieved.

"There you are!" he exclaimed as he caught up with them. He had apparently either left one of the twins with Gordon or had already run into Gabi and dropped his bundle off. "Hello, Miranda! You look gorgeous." He brushed a kiss against his aunt's cheek and gave her a light hug.

"It is a very pretty dress," Leilani conceded, but before she could say anymore, Cian had rejoined them. Immediately, her entire demeanor changed. Her face lit up with an adoring smile as her mate came near, and small though she was, she stood taller with him close by. It was obvious that her world revolved around the adventurous Granger, even if she didn't offer any greeting that would interrupt his reunion with his aunt.

"Are you all right?" Cian asked as he turned to Leilani and reached for her hands. "I'm sorry that took so long. I couldn't find Gabi in the crowd." He laughed and glanced to Miranda. "We really do have too many relatives," he remarked.

"Nonsense," Miranda replied. "The more the merrier!" She made no comment about children or about any possibility of children, unsure if it was even possible for the two of them to have children.

Leilani nodded as reassuringly as she could manage, slipping her hands easily into Cian's as he reached for her. "I found Rufus and Miranda, and then Rufus ran away," she said, seemingly innocent. But for Cian, there was that flicker of humor deep in the emerald eyes he knew so well that clued him in to the fact that she was teasing Miranda in a roundabout way.

"I saw him gathering up packages," Cian said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder in a non-specific direction. "Are you two leaving?" he asked, turning the question on Miranda, who smiled faintly. "I think Rufus has had about as much as he can take of family gatherings," she offered up.

"He said something about spanking." Proof positive there that, though Leilani was learning about social interactions within groups fairly quickly, there were still a few things she had yet to learn. Like what not to reveal having overheard when you haven't let on that you had been hiding behind the Watcher for significantly longer than it had first appeared.

A shyer creature would have blushed at Leilani's overheard remark, but Miranda was nothing of the sort and only laughed. "That is one Christmas wish he's not going to get," she remarked with a wink at Cian, who smirked at his aunt's cheekiness, happy she had found love at last after all these years. Happy for them both.

"I have a feeling I'm going to have something to explain later," he chuckled, almost to himself.

"You could show me instead," Leilani suggested sweetly. "Explaining makes your head hurt, after all." She squeezed his hands affectionately, shying away from another group as they pressed past within the mingling crowd around them. "Do wishes come true at Christmas?"

Miranda smiled at the interaction between the pair, as happy for them as she was for herself. "Listen, you two lovebirds. I have a Watcher to catch up with. Come by on Friday for your final fitting and we'll have lunch." She kissed them each in turn on the cheek before flitting away to find her other half to drag him home and give him his Christmas goose.

((Thanks to all involved! More Granger festivities to come!))

"Well, if she hadn't, I'd have to question the sanity in the fact that your Heaven includes the Granger family Christmas," Dom pointed out with a dry smirk. "I thought I'd slide over here and warn you early - Ashlyn's been at the strawberry wine again." The family marine biologist, once tipsy, had no brain to mouth filter, and she was in a house with a mermaid. It was a fair warning to be given.

Leilani blinked in vague confusion, understanding that this was in some way a bad thing, but not quite why. Her fingers tightened in Cian's as she stepped close to him.

Cian laughed at his cousin's remark, as well as his warning. Though the family was large and the gatherings tended to be a little on the crazy side, it was good to be home. Cian had missed too many of these gatherings in the past, and he was happy to be part of the family again. Despite those who were missed and no longer with them, there was a lot to be thankful for. "It's Christmas Eve, Dom. Everyone's allowed to get a little tipsy tonight." Cian's smile faded for just a moment as he darted a quick glance around the room. "Did Jon and Vicki retire for the night?"

Dom frowned curiously, looking over the heads of those around them toward the study. "Not that I've noticed," he offered up with a light shrug. "He can't really skip out on his own birthday for at least another hour, not with that woman attached at his hip." He chuckled again, catching sight of his tipsy sister peering over the gathering from the stairs. "If you'll excuse me, I have a baby sister to put to bed myself," he grinned to the pair of them, brushing the back of his hand to Leilani's once more before enveloping Cian in a rough, manly hug. "Try the study," he suggested to his cousin before stepping off into the crowd of family and friends again.

Cian followed Don's glance toward the stairs and tossed a wave at the tipsy Ashlyn, turning back to find himself grabbed into a hug by his larger and older cousin. Like Dom's visits home - and Cian's to a certain extent - their encounter was brief but warm and friendly, and Cian found it encouraging. Once Dom had departed, he looked toward the study with some trepidation. There had been a time when he and Jon had been close, but Cian knew Jon didn't remember it.

Reassured herself by the friendliness of the encounter with Dominic, Leilani smiled as she tucked herself close into Cian's side, watching as his gaze turned toward the study. She recognized the names he had mentioned, lifting her eyes to his with a hopeful look. "Are we going to see Jon and Vicki and their egg?"

"Egg?" Cian echoed, drawn out of his thoughts by Leilani's question. He laughed lightly, amused by her innocence when it came to matters of human biology. He glanced toward the study again and heaved a sigh. "I suppose it's now or never," he replied.

"Then it should be now, or the mating ceremony will be very uncomfortable," she informed him, taking his hand in hers. Though she was shy of crowds in general when they were on land, Leilani was more than capable of a little assertive behavior when it was necessary. Had Jon left this little reunion to his wife, the male cousins would have been close friends again by now thanks to the efforts of their chosen women. Picking her way between the people around them, the little Syreni led Cian toward the study, her eyes on the floor just ahead of her feet all the way.

"Mating ceremony?" Cian asked, unsure what she meant by that. He wasn't mating with anymore but her, and they were already mated. Though he had been with Leilani for some time now, there were times when the differences in their cultures and even their species could be confusing.

"Your cousin's mating ceremony," she reminded him innocently. "And your other cousin's ceremony. With their mates. And the little one that pretends she is a lot stupider than she is to make people smile." She blinked up at him. "With the big dog" And the little people" The reason why I have to wear silly shoes I can't walk in?"

"Your cousin's mating ceremony," she reminded him innocently. "And your other cousin's ceremony. With their mates. And the little one that pretends she is a lot stupider than she is to make people smile." She blinked up at him. "With the big dog" And the little people" The reason why I have to wear silly shoes I can't walk in?"

"Oh, right," Cian replied, realizing she was referring to the double wedding of Desmond to Piper and Bethany to Jason. He wasn't quite sure why he'd been asked to be a groomsman when he wasn't particularly close to any of them, but it was an honor he was happy to fulfill. Cian chuckled as Leilani continued with her explanation. "You don't have to wear them that long. Just for the ceremony."

"They are very silly shoes." But then, Leilani considered all shoes to be silly. It had taken months of cajoling from Cian to get her to wear even flat soles, just to protect her feet. She ducked her head as they passed into the study, unintentionally flinching back as Piper's dog, Loki, came padding past, no doubt looking for his own little family before they went on their way for the evening. Humphrey had somehow managed to free himself of children long enough to enjoy a glass of something ludicrously alcoholic, and was visible patting Caroline's bump as he chatted with her and her fiance, Richmond. But not far from them was the couple Leilani had been looking for - Jon and Vicki - and it was in that direction she led her slightly reluctant mate.

Cian hesitated, procrastinating a moment as Loki padded past. He would have muttered a, "Do we have to?" but he wasn't a child anymore, and before he had a chance to change his mind, they were spied by Jon, who was smiling and waving them toward him, Vicki, and their "egg".

Perhaps oddly, Jon and Vicki were among the honored few who did not intimidate Leilani. Perhaps it was because she had first met them on a day when their barely months old daughter had already run them ragged before midday, or perhaps it was because neither one of them cared much what she was or what she could be, so long as she was happy in herself with Cian. Whatever the reason, she was smiling as she tugged Cian toward them, one hand outstretched to touch Vicki's "egg".

The redhead swallowed a laugh, knowing it would only startle and upset the little mermaid, and instead submitted to the touch without a squeak, sparing one wry glance in Jon's direction before looking to the other couple. "I assume much merriment is being had?"

"Is Mommy Porn like lobster, or shrimp?" Leilani cut in curiously, evidently a little out of the loop on Jon's most high profile performances to date but attempting to join in with the conversation, the way Cian and his sister had been teaching her to.

This time it was Cian's turn to chuckle, though it was Jon who answered, an amused smirk on his face at Leilani's innocent misunderstanding. "Not exactly." Cian gave her hand a light squeeze, turning to brush a kiss against her cheek, just because. "I'll explain later."

Sensing she'd made some mistake that was glaringly obvious to everyone but her, Leilani blushed as Cian kissed her cheek, ducking her head in embarrassment at her own ignorance.

Vicki rolled her eyes at both men, shaking her head at the way they'd handled that. "Never mind them, Leilani," she suggested. "Did you get a chance to cuddle with Emily this evening?" The little Syreni shook her head shyly, and Vicki jumped on the opportunity. "All right then. How about you come over on Monday, and you can play with her then" The twins must be giving you a hard time these days, let them bully their mother for once." She winked and smiled, hoping that the offer wouldn't be rejected out of hand because of the slight awkwardness that existed between Jon and Cian.

Jon assumed the invitation included Cian, but he wasn't sure Cian would know that, sensing his cousin's awkwardness and knowing it had something to do with a past Jon didn't remember. "Both of you!" Jon piped in. "It'll give us a chance to catch up. Do you play chess, Ci?" he asked, glancing at Cian. He didn't think he was particularly good at it, but his frequent matches with Humphrey had sharpened his skills.

Cian frowned a little, admitting, "I'm a little rusty." He had always been better at sports than games, though he and Jon had never been that competitive, even growing up.

"He's very good at skating," Leilani chimed in, hastening to add something she actually knew, even if it was only secondhand knowledge. "That is what Gabi told me. I am not sure I approve of it."

Vicki smiled gently. "It's the water freezing thing, isn't it?" she guessed, and Leilani nodded once again. The redhead shrugged. "At least it thaws. But we do have a basketball court we could pay a couple of teenagers to sweep clean."

"A game of chess would be fine," Cian broke in, with a slightly embarrassed smile. He knew Vicki was in no condition to be skating and Leilani hated wearing shoes, much less ice skates, and shooting hoops with Jon would leave them out, as well.

Jon seemed to sense his cousin's awkwardness again and he smiled reassuringly. "We'll just play it by ear. See what comes up." Cian nodded. It would take a little time for him to feel comfortable with Jon again, but the first step was the hardest.

"Just so long as you have a merry Christmas in between times to tell us all about," Vicki nodded, letting the awkward ease on by. "And I promise to tell you every embarrassing thing that happens to Jon when we visit my dad and his wife on Boxing Day." This was mostly for Cian's benefit, but Leilani always smiled when Vicki did. It was a little difficult not to be buoyed up by the redhead's infallibly good humor.

Jon rolled his eyes at his wife's unsinkable sense of humor. "I'm sure they don't want to hear about any of that, darling," he said, playfully brushing his nose against the side of her neck and emphasizing the term of endearment.

"It might be amusing," Cian remarked, joining Vicki in teasing his cousin, goodnaturedly. It might take time, but maybe there was hope for them yet.

"Oh, it definitely will be," the redhead assured Cian even as she wriggled away from the tickle of Jon's nose at her neck. "Last year, somehow, he and my dad managed to carve not only the goose, but the plate, and part of the table, too. It was very impressive." She nodded to emphasize her point, flicking a wicked glance back at Jon.

A quiet shriek of shocked mortification sounded from across the room, where Aunt Margaret had just realized that her dress was hanging open at the back. Leilani hid her tiny smirk in Cian's sleeve, fairly sure no one would suspect her of the mischief.

Jon was about to deny any embarrassing events from last Christmas, which he hardly remembered anyway due to the copious amounts of rum Vicki's father kept pouring into his glass, when he was distracted by the shriek from across the room and covered his mouth to cover the sputter of laughter at his poor aunt's predicament.

"Now, that's funny," Cian remarked with a grin.

Accusing eyes looked over at them, which Vicki met with a mischievous smile that took all the responsibility for the elderly woman's embarrassment. After all, who was going to punish the pregnant woman who had been making it clear all evening that touching equaled death? "Remind me to make sure Margaret's thank you card this year is especially effusive," she murmured to Jon as the old woman was led away by a couple of younger cousins, her dress hastily retied.

Leilani giggled into Cian's sleeve, resembling a certain Fae member of the family more than a little for a moment. "I did not think her dress would just slide off," she confessed, "but it was funnier that way."

"She'll get over it," Jon assured his wife, hardly worrying about the elderly Margaret who everyone in the family thought was a bit too snobbish for her own good.

"We used to drive her crazy when we were kids," Cian said. "It got to where she refused to babysit us anymore, which was just as well."

"I don't remember that," Jon said. "You'll have to tell me about it sometime."

"Well, that would explain why she only terrorizes babies in the womb these days," Vicki mused cheerfully, winking back at Leilani as the little mermaid mouthed a thank you to her for taking the blame. "Maybe you scarred her for life."

"Consider yourself fortunate. She used to make us eat brussel sprouts and go to bed by eight o'clock! And that was in the summer!" Cian said with a grin.

"The horror!" added Jon with equal amusement on his face, glancing between the trio. "Well, we should probably go check on our own little bundle of trouble."

"Which is code for ....we're going to midnight mass, and Jon wants a nap beforehand," Vicki translated cheekily, but she didn't argue, gently disentangling herself from her husband's arms to ease Leilani into a warm hug. "Have a merry Christmas, Leilani."

The little mermaid stiffened for a moment as the redhead wrapped her up in a hug, but relaxed enough to raise her arms in an answering embrace. "I will try," she promised Vicki, stepping back to Cian's side as he was blessed with a kiss on the cheek from the same woman. "May your Christmas be merry, too."

That and they still had a few people to say goodnight to before they slipped away for the night. "Yours, too," Cian replied, flushing a little at the kiss received from Vicki. He offered his hand once again to Jon who took it in his own, a warm smile on his face.

"Welcome home, Cian," Jon said, perhaps for the first time since his cousin had returned from his adventures. "I'm looking forward to seeing you both again." He, too, stepped forward to offer Leilani a hug, gentle and brotherly. "Take good care of each other," he told them both as he stepped back to reach for his wife's hand.

"Do not break your egg," Leilani answered Jon just as seriously, not entirely sure why Vicki snorted with laughter at the solemn instruction. Hand in hand with Jon, the redhead drew away, leaving Cian and his mermaid alone in the crowd once again. Leilani looked up at him in confusion. "I said something wrong again, didn't I?"

Jon smirked in amusement. "I won't break my leg either!" he promised, as Vicki led him away.

"It doesn't matter, love," Cian assured her, turning to her as they were left alone again. "I love you just the way you are," he said, drawing her into his arms and touching a kiss to her lips, even without any mistletoe in sight.

Just one couple among many in a crowd made of family and friends, sharing a kiss and a cup of wine as the hours ticked on toward midnight and the day itself. Though she might not understand the ritual and tradition, Leilani smiled, cuddling into Cian contentedly. So long as he was there, she'd endure any number of Christmas traditions. Provided she could cause a little mayhem on the side.

((We're just hurtling through these, aren't we? Any friend of the Grangers is more than welcome to make an addition to this thread, we're not hoarding it!)

Drawn into the room to stand beneath the generous sprig of mystical parasite, Lena giggled softly at Tommy's confident certainty. "I think you might be right," she agreed with him, not bothering to put up even a fake argument to that assertion. "But I think you're in the same boat." Her gaze flickered toward the couch as Tommy snapped his fingers at Jack and Jasmin, curious bemusement lighting up her face. "You're being devious, moonbeam."

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening; in the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight, walking in a winter wonderland."

Tommy turned back to Lena as Jack started the song off, winking at Jasmin and nodding his head to indicate the two lovebirds beneath the mistletoe. Were Tommy and Jack in cahoots" Absolutely! Somehow the two of them had conspired to surprise their girlfriends, each in his own way. Tommy slid an arm around Lena's waist, pulling her close into a kiss, partly to distract her, while one of the many servers passed by and slipped something into the hand he was holding behind his back.

"Gone away is the bluebird; here to stay is a new bird; he sings a love song as we go along, walking in a winter wonderland ..."

As Jasmin's voice picked up the harmony to counter-balance Jack's voice, both of them fully aware of what was going on under the mistletoe, Lena only had eyes for Tommy, oblivious to everything but his arm around her and the kiss he pressed to her lips. He could make the world stop spinning on its axis for her with just a smile; kisses like his were meant to be savored, no matter the risk of an audience or an interrupting cousin. Leaning into him, Lena kissed Tommy in return, smoothing her hands into his hair. In her defense, there was mistletoe; it was traditional!

Tommy's fingers closed around the little wrapped box that was surreptitiously slipped into his hand, smiling against her lips. So far, the plan was going perfectly. He only wished Lena's brothers and sister had been there to witness this moment in their sister's life. "In the meadow we can build a snowman, and pretend that he is Parson Brown. He'll say, 'Are you married"' We'll say, 'No, man, but you can do the job while you're in town,'" Jack continued in perfect harmony with Jasmin, as Tommy reluctantly pulled himself away from Lena's lips. He didn't go down on one knee, but he did produce a small wrapped box from behind his back and held it out to her, a soft but almost shy smile on his face.

Lena was smiling as Tommy drew back from her, some smart-alec comment halfway to her lips as he slipped his hand between them, that adorably shy smile on his own face. Her gaze turned downward to the box in his hand, her smile brightening with innocent delight at the prospect of an early present, all unassuming as her fingers curled about his. "For me?"

"Mmhmm," Tommy replied. The box was obviously for her, as he was giving it to her. Who else could it possibly be for" He'd agonized over it, but had eventually gone with his gut in choosing what he thought was the perfect gift for her - the only gift that mattered. "For you, Midget."

Of course, he hadn't been to any gift-giving occasions yet; Tommy had yet to witness the mixture of delight and excruciating embarrassment on his lover's face whenever she was given something as a present, as though she wanted it but wasn't sure she deserved it. It was there in her expression right now as she blushed, looking down at the little box once again. "Thank you." Her fingers gently brushed the ribbon aside, carefully opening the lid, the child inside her wondering excitedly what it was.

"Later on, we'll conspire, as we dream by the fire. To face unafraid, the plans that we've made; walking in a winter wonderland."

"Helena Granger, would you marry me?" Tommy asked, just as she was taking the lid off the box to reveal a silver ring shaped in the form of an eternal knot featuring a diamond in the center.

Odd, how she hadn't been expecting it at all. They'd talked about marriage, about kids, about their future together, their hopes and dreams, and yet when the moment came, Lena was completely blown away by the proposal. Her mouth fell open, awed and touched not only by the ring, which was perfect in its unique way, but by the amount of thought Tommy had put into it. She lifted her eyes to his, amazed and warm and adoring. "Do you really think I'm going to say no?"

A few Grangers nearby noticed what was going on, a small murmur going through the quietly gathered group that populated this part of the big house, an almost audible and collective hush moving over the room, but for the sound of Jack and Jasmin's musical accompaniment. Tommy chuckled, a little nervously. "I hope not!" He leaned close as if his next words were for her ears only. "I love you, Lena, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He'd made all her small dreams come true in a single instant with those words, and she had absolutely no way of telling him so. Words of her own just didn't seem enough. Rising up, she kissed him softly, her fingers stroking tenderly against his cheek. "I love you, Tommy," she told him, as she had told him every day since he had met her. "And the rest of our lives isn't enough, but it'll do. Yes, I'll marry you."

But, this being a Granger party, that ever present risk of interrupting relatives was always there. Especially when this particular relative had been passing the doorway as Tommy brought out the ring. Humphrey cleared his throat loudly from about four inches behind Tommy, leaning heavily on his cane as his brown eyes twinkled down at Lena for a brief moment before resuming his intimidating gaze for her now fiance. "And were you planning on asking permission to ask her to marry you, lad, or is this yet another elopement in the works?"

Tommy was beaming brightly right up until the moment when he heard the sound of the elderly Granger patriarch clearing his throat behind him and turning an intimidating gaze on the young man. "I, uh....That is..." Tommy stammered a moment, before gathering his courage, though it was a little after the fact. "I am in love with your grand-niece and would like to marry her, sir."