Topic: Plans and Presents

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:01 EST
As autumn slowly began to make itself known, dawn was coming later in the morning, which could only be a blessing for all parents everywhere. It was certainly a blessing for Des and Piper, curled together in their bed, blissfully unaware that just down the hall a small, easily excitable girl had just woken up as dawn filtered in through the crack in her curtains. Lyneth stretched, hugging her favorite stuffed rabbit close as she watched her fairy friends flutter away from the bed to tend to their plants in preparation for the day ahead, and a wonderful thought occurred to her. Moments later, she was sliding out of bed, pattering on bare feet through the door and down the hall. The blissful peace of her parents' bedroom was shattered with a cry of, "Daddy's still here! Mornin'!" And the inevitable bounce as one toddler-sized half-Fae launched herself on top of them both with a loud cackle of impish delight.

"Oof," came the disgruntled and partially pained reply from one half of those parents as the toddler-sized half-Fae bounded into the bedroom and gleefully pounced atop the peacefully sleeping and unsuspecting big'uns in the bed. Hopefully, she didn't give her chosen father any long-lasting injuries with a stray foot or elbow.

Piper's groan was a little less pained, but still not entirely pleased to be woken up quite so enthusiastically. She had a little more experience at it than Des, though. Not even bothering to open her eyes, she twisted about, grabbing the giggling bundle of too much wakefulness about the waist and dragging her down into the warm space between her parents. "Five more minutes," was mumbled against Lyneth's hair, which naturally put Des face to face with his grinning soon-to-be-legally-adopted-daughter. "Mummy's grumpy inna mornin'."

"Oh, god..." Des groaned. "I hope you didn't want anymore kids. I think Mr. W*nky is..." He would have finished that statement, but he cut himself off when he pried an eye open to find a very familiar and beloved face grinning toothily at him. "It takes us a little longer to walk up, Lyneth."

"Is Mr W*nky grumpy in the morning, too?" She really was disgustingly awake for the first light of dawn, but given that she didn't generally impose herself on them every morning, Lyneth had earned a few free passes. The first morning Daddy is home after being away for a month' Free pass. She giggled as Piper, still stubbornly refusing to open her eyes, blew her hair out of the way to plant a loud raspberry on the back of the tiny girl's neck.

"Good morning to you, too," he said, with a slightly painful wince, though the damage was minor and not lasting. It wasn't the most pleasant way to be awoken first thing in the morning, but he couldn't hold it against her. "No, Mr. W*nky isn't grumpy in the morning," he replied, somewhat grumpily himself. "You're lucky you're cute or you'd be in so much trouble," he said, tweaking her nose, as he had a habit of doing. "You're lively this morning," he said, secretly wishing he had half her energy.

"Ooh." The cheeky face in front of him went from beaming to concerned for a moment, obviously worried she'd done to him what she'd done the first morning he'd woken up in this house. "Did I squash Mr W*nky again? Mummy has cream that makes booboo's all better, I can put it on!"

"No!" he replied, a little too quickly. "No, he'll be fine. It'll be fine..." He furrowed his brows, his half-asleep groggy mind unsure which pronoun he should use to describe that particular part of his anatomy. "I'll be fine. It's okay. Just forget it!" He privately wondered if he should start wearing an athletic cup to bed to protect his most valuable asset.

"But if I hurt Mr W*nky, then you'll be sad, an' Mummy will be sad, an' I won't get a baby to play wi- oooh." The concern suddenly intensified in her face, realising she'd let slip something that she wasn't supposed to be telling her grown ups about. Abruptly, that concern switched back to beaming impishness even as Piper lifted her head, eying Des over Lyneth with sleepy bemusement. "You didn' give me my pressie las' night 'cos I got all sleepy, but I'm not sleepy now! An' it's not a kitten, or a puppy, or a monkey, or a griffon, an' I have a bunny." At this, said stuffed rabbit was waved in Des' face enthusiastically.

Des arched a brow at her as she almost let slip something neither he or Piper thought she knew. She was, after all, just a toddler, albeit a precocious one and only half human, but he was willing to let it go for now, still too sleepy to tackle the birds and the bees at the crack of dawn. "What time is it?" he asked, groping around for the clock, just as a stuffed rabbit was waved in his face. "Lyneth, let me wake up first!" he exclaimed, without anger, almost falling out of bed as he groped around blindly for the clock.

"Too bloody early," was Piper's muffled reply from where her face was buried in Lyneth's hair even as the tiny girl cackled with laughter at Des flailing around for the clock. And just to put the cherry on the top of the morning, all the noise from the bedroom had attracted Loki. 85 lbs of Alaskan Malamute came barreling through the bedroom door to leap up onto the bed, landing squarely on top of Piper, who was up and out of bed within seconds. "Okay, okay, enough, I'm up!"

It was Des' turn to laugh at Piper as Loki launched himself at her, which ended in Piper rolling out of bed and Desmond somehow ending up on the floor with a loud thump and another "Ooof." He lifted a hand from where he lay sprawled on the floor in his pj bottoms, waving it around to get their attention. "I'm okay! It's just my pride that's injured!" Not to mention, Mr. W*nky, but it didn't seem to be a serious injury.

Left triumphantly happy up on the bed, Lyneth beamed once again, bouncing up and down amid the tangled mess of covers as Piper took charge of the dog. "All right, Loki, down," she ordered, reaching over to tweak her daughter's nose. "You, little miss, be nice to your dad while I go and deal with the dog." Loki, knowing when he was being talked about, barked, wagging his tail as Piper scritched his head fondly. "Okay, downstairs and outside, I know the capacity of that bladder," she said cheerfully, grabbing a cardigan as she passed her closet.

A moment later, the sound of dog and owner jogging down the stairs made itself known, leaving Des in a room with a cheeky imp of a child. Lyneth crawled to the edge of the bed, peeking over it to grin down at him in her own irrepressible manner. "Is your butt hurt, Daddy' Are you all waked up?"

Des sat slowly up, eyeing Lyneth with a familar look that wordlessly told her she was in trouble. "Do you know what this means, young lady?" he asked, as he climbed to his feet, crossing his arms against his chest and trying to look stern.

Oh, she knew that look. Unfortunately, Lyneth was in trouble so rarely that when that look came out to play, all the joy went straight out of her life. She scrambled back off the bed, big eyes wide and wary as she hugged her bunny tight to her chest. Instant guilt, just add scolding.

He scooped her up before she could get away and tossed her on the bed to tickle her sides, playfully. There was no malice in him when it came to Lyneth and rarely any anger. He loved her to death, even when she was being a little naughty, and if anything, he indulged her a little too much. "This means you are going to be tickled until you say Uncle!"

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:05 EST
Confusion reigned for a few seconds as she was flying through the air, but the moment the tickling began, the tiny girl caught up. He'd been teasing her. Flailing and squirming, she shrieked with laughter, beating him around the head with the stuffed toy. "M'sorry! M'sorry! Daddy, don't, I'll wee!"

"You should have thought of that before you jumped on our bed!" he teased, but relented, not really wanting the little imp to wet her pants. Instead, he stopped tickling her, scooping her back up just as he got bopped on the head with her stuffed rabbit and uttered another "Oof." With a faint groan, he moved to his feet with her in his arms to take her to do her morning business before she made a mess in her jammies. "Did you sleep well?" he asked as he carried her toward the bathroom. Whatever injuries he might or might not have sustained in her waking of him were completely forgotten.

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her up, kissing his forehead where she'd got him with Teddy Rabbit, all hint toward guilt or scolding completely forgotten. From downstairs was already coming the tantalising smell of bacon frying and coffee brewing - Piper was good at mornings. Nodding happily to Des' question, Lyneth beamed once again. "I sleeped all night an' had nice dreams an' when I woked up, you was still home!"

"Of course I'm still home. Where else would I be?" he asked, as he carried her into the bathroom, reaching for Teddy Rabbit so that she could do her morning business without the poor rabbit getting in the way. He helped her with her jammies and set her on the seat, used to the morning routine and the duties that came along with raising a toddler.

"You wasn't in the mornin' when you came backed last time," she pointed out, small feet kicking back and forth. One of the advantages of having an impatient half-Fae for a child was that Piper had been able to skip over toilet-training altogether - Lyneth had already been way ahead of her. "But Mummy said it was 'cos you had to wok."

He crouched down in front of her so they were on an eye-to-eye level while he waited for her to finish. "It was, but I'm taking a break from work right now, so you and Piper have me all to yourself. Is that okay?" he asked, as if he needed permission. After all, she'd had Piper and Loki all to herself before he'd come along. As much as he loved them both, he still sometimes worried that he was butting in.

The answer he got was a beaming smile that just about did the work of disguising what was going on while they talked. "I like that," she agreed enthusiastically. "I can play with you an' you can take me to school an' I can show you the crystals thingy I'm learnin' an' you an' Mummy get the house all to yourself to do naughty stuff I'm not s'posed to know about durin' the day." There was a pause, and she lifted an expectant smile toward. "I'm done."

"You are not supposed to know about naughty stuff," he reminded her with a tweak of her nose before reaching for a wad of paper to help her finish up. Once that was done and she was redressed and her hands were washed and dried, he crouched down in front of her again, turning her to face him. "Lynnie, you trust me, right?" he asked, having seen the look of fear that had briefly appeared on her face and needing to reassure her. Maybe it was an odd time to have this conversation, but he didn't want to have it in front of Piper and he needed Lyneth to know he would never do her any harm. Ever.

One thing the tiny girl was getting better at was knowing when to smile and when not to. This, she sensed, was a time not to smile, giving Des her full attention as she reclaimed her bunny. "I trus' you," she promised him seriously, nodding.

He reached over to brush an affectionate thumb against her cheek. "And you know I'd never do anything to hurt you or your mother, right?" he continued, hoping she knew this, but needing to reassure her.

This got him another nod, and a suggestion toward a smile for his affectionate gesture, her mouth opening to offer up a small rambling response to the question before her. "Yes, because you love Mummy an' you love me, an' we love you, an' people who love each other don' hurt each other, an' they don' run away an' leave, an' they don' invite strangers to live with us, an' they don' get mad when there's nothin' to get mad at."

He nodded in return, thinking not for the first time that she was wise beyond her years, though that didn't really surprise him much anymore. Still, she was a child, nonetheless, no matter whether she was half-Fae or not, and as such, she needed Des and Piper to love and protect her just like any other parents would their own child. "Sometimes when people do something wrong, they get angry at each other, but that doesn't mean they don't love each other anymore. Like last night....When I tickled you at dinner and you made a mess. I shouldn't have done that. It was wrong of me, but your mother forgave me because she loves me. Do you understand?"

The solemnity was back in Lyneth's face as she nodded this time, better able to understand what he was telling her because of the events of the previous year. She still remembered the arguments her mother had had with Ollie, arguments that always ended with him leaving and slamming the door, and yet whenever he came back, Piper had forgiven him. But Lyneth was glad that her mother hadn't really been in love with Ollie - he had been fun, for about three months, but it had all been downhill from there. Plus, he'd given a Fae he knew nothing about permission to enter their home and upset her Mummy, and that wasn't something forgiveable. Little things like getting told off for spitting food because you were tickled paled in comparison, really. "I do, Daddy."

Maybe she did understand, but he needed to take it one step further. "Lyneth," he started, hands gently taking hold of her arms, blue eyes meeting those of turquoise, appealing to the part of her that he knew would understand on a deeper level. "I promise I will never hurt you. Ever. No matter what. I don't want you to be afraid me. You don't ever have to be afraid of me."

"But m'not 'fraidy of you," she protested sweetly, holding his gaze with unsettling intensity. "I don' like people bein' mad, an' you looked mad, an' when Mummy looks at me like that, she cries, and I hate it when Mummy cries. I don' want to make you cry."

"Oh, sweetheart," he started, his heart melting as he pulled her close into a fatherly hug. "I wasn't mad. I was only teasing. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

She was tiny enough to all but disappear into his hug, more than content to be nestled close. Wise beyond her years she might be, but Lyneth still needed to be a child, no matter how many milestones she chose to skip over. She might not remain tiny forever, but that human half was teaching her a lot more than any Fae ever could. And the adult Lyneth who kept visiting in the middle of the night seemed very determined to let that keep happening. "Daddy?"

"Hmm?" he asked as he hugged her close, sensing she needed it as much as he did. He'd been away too long, and as much as he'd tried to deny it, he'd been homesick, missing his little family more than words could say. There was no turning back now. His life was empty without them.

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:06 EST
"Big me wants to see you, but she doesn' want me to ask you," Lyneth offered softly. "She's 'fraidy all the time. If Oisin wokeded you up an' said big me was in my room, would you come an' see her?"

He pulled away from her with a single arch of a brow as he regarded her curiously, holding her at arms' length. "Big you?" he repeated. He had only seen her older self once, and that had been during grave circumstances. Somehow, he'd known that older Lyneth was another aspect of herself, but why she'd want to see him now, he hadn't a clue. "Is everything all right?" he asked, worriedly, wondering what was going on.

"It will be," she assured him, seemingly oblivious to the worry she'd just given one of the most important people in her life. "Big me comes back to see me so everything will be all right for ages an' ages, an' I won' have to be a queen. She's sad and 'fraidy, but I can make it better, she says."

He'd rather it be him that do the worrying than Piper. She'd been through enough already, and he didn't want her to worry needlessly or suffer any more heartache. He furrowed his brows, not quite sure what it was she was trying to tell him. "I'm not sure I understand. Big you? Queen of what? What's she afraid of?"

"She won' tell me," Lyneth told him with a grin, slipping out of his arms to pull her little step out from under the sink and climb onto it. One small hand flailed Teddy Rabbit at him while the other made a grab for her toothbrush. Might as well get the morning routine started if they were going to stay up here longer. "But she visits me when the badness in my dreams is all horrible an' I can't wake up."

He caught the rabbit on the first flail, tucking it under his arm and reaching for the toothpaste so he could spread a ribbon of it onto her brush, rather than watch her squirt half of it into the sink. He still wasn't completely sure what she was talking about, but he was smart enough to put two and two together. "She visits you?" he echoed, realizing that whoever it was she was talking about was a separate person, outside of herself. Could it be a future Lyneth that was visiting her and if so, why' He considered this a moment before continuing. "What kind of dreams?"

It was just as well he'd asked before she got the brush to her mouth, because that was going to put paid to any conversation for a little while. She met his gaze in the mirror, holding onto the edge of the sink with one hand to steady herself. "There's lots of people I don' like an' they laugh a lot, an' it's not about nice things," she offered as an explanation, though part of her knew it wasn't likely to help much. "An' there's no Mummy and no Daddy, an' no hugs or choklit, an' they make me do horrible things, an' laugh about it. Most times I wake up, but when I don', big me comes and wakes me up."

What she was telling him didn't make much sense, as dreams often didn't, but he had a feeling this went far deeper than just childish nightmares and an over-active imagination. This was Lyneth, after all, and it was only a matter of time before the world of the Fae clashed with that of humans. "And Big You wants to talk to me about whatever it is that's happening in your dreams?" he asked, trying to ascertain what was going on in her head. "Do your fairy friends know about this?"

There was a noisy pause as Lyneth ruthlessly scrubbed at her teeth, producing far more foam and spit than it should have been possible for one tiny mouth to manage. She didn't answer until she'd finished, splattering the bowl of the sink with toothpaste foam and smacking her lips. "She doesn' want to talk to you, she wants to see you," she clarified unhelpfully. "She didn' want me to tell anyone about her. Oh. Oops." Suddenly crestfallen for having broken a confidence - even with herself - Lyneth sagged. "I did a bad thing."

He turned the water on and filled a disposable cup so she could rinse the toothpaste from her mouth, waiting patiently for her to explain. "Yes, but you said..." He broke off, not wanting to upset her further, having misunderstood what she'd told him only a few minutes earlier. "It's all right, Lyneth. I'm sure she'll understand. Besides, these are the kinds of things you shouldn't keep secret. You should tell us if something is upsetting you. That's what we're here for." He handed her the cup, before reaching for a towel to pat her face dry.

"Should I tell Mummy?" she asked, looking up at him as she spat her mouthful of water. It was just as well she was still in her pajamas - her aim still wasn't great when it came to rinsing her mouth out. "Only Mummy gets all upset an' worried an' not fun when weird stuff happens, an' she's all happy right now."

He sighed. That was the big question, wasn't it' He was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Lyneth was Piper's daughter, after all, and she had a right to know. Then again, he didn't want to worry her needlessly if there was nothing to worry about. "Why don't we just keep this between us for now, until after I speak with....with Big You."

Presented with a solution that had to be the right one because it came from a grown up she was inclined to trust and obey, Lyneth nodded, happy that the decision had been made for her. "Okay, Daddy." She got down off her little step and pushed it under the sink once again, turning to lift her arms to him. "Kiss-kiss an' breakfast."

He rehung the towel and leaned down to sweep her up into his arms so he could deliver her downstairs for breakfast. "Not a word of this to your mother, or she'll worry. I'll talk to Oisin later." Worry was an understatement when it came to Piper's fear of Fae, and with good reason. Desmond had no intention of keeping it from her forever, but until he knew exactly what was going on, he saw no need to send her into a state of panic.

Included in the task of secret keeping, the tiny half-Fae was beaming as she was carried downstairs to where Piper was just serving breakfast out onto three plates. Loki just barely glanced up from his breakfast as Des and Lyneth came into view, far more interested in filling his stomach than watching what was happening around him. Piper's welcoming smile turned into a chuckle when she heard her daughter's hopeful query to Des. "When do I get my pressie, Daddy?"

"As soon as you finish your breakfast," he replied as he walked her over to Piper so she could give her mother a proper morning greeting. Of course, that didn't mean he wanted her to inhale her breakfast, but her present could wait a teensy bit longer.

"Without choking," Piper added just to be absolutely clear, laughing as Lyneth lunged toward her out of Des' arms for her morning snuggle. "Mmm, you smell minty fresh. Did you get all the water in the sink this time?"

She winked at Des over Lyneth's head, pausing a moment to pull him close and kiss him affectionately as the little girl answered. "No, I still got a wet tummy."

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:11 EST
Piper smiled down at her. "Well, I still say that sink is spitting back at you and needs to be taught some manners," she said with a grin, glad to hear Lyneth giggle as she was handed back to Des to be settled at the table.

Des smiled at the mother-daughter interaction, pleased with the reward of a kiss from one of his favorite girls. Once that was done, he settled Lyneth at the table and tucked a napkin beneath her chin. "You two get started without me. I'll be right back," he said, brushing a kiss against Lyneth's forehead, followed by another to Piper's cheek. He had promised prezzies, and he wasn't one to shirk on his promises.

"Okay. Don't be long, I don't reheat," Piper called after him with a chuckle, sitting herself down to doctor Lyneth's breakfast into something easier to eat. The tiny girl was beginning every day at the moment with either cereal, or breakfast between two slices of toast. By the time Des returned, the conversation between mother and daughter had turned back to what they were going to do today. "We can practise spitting water after the picnic, if you want to," Piper was offering, watching as Lyneth managed her cup of juice between both hands.

He waved a hand back at her to indicate he'd heard as he made a hasty retreat up the stairs to find his suitcase and retrieve the small package he'd brought back with him. He wasn't gone more than five minutes, and when he returned, he was carrying a plain brown paper bag that gave no hints as to its contents, other than it was smaller than a breadbox. "Spitting water?" Des echoed. "What kind of game is that?"

Predictably, Lyneth's eyes went straight to the bag. "If there's a aminal in there, it's dead," she said pointedly, little hands struggling with her breakfast sandwich. "Dead aminals are not good pressies."

Piper snorted with laughter but managed not to laugh aloud, rolling her eyes. "I don't think Des has bought you an animal, dead or alive, Lynnie," she told the little girl, smiling over at Des herself. "Well, the sink keeps spitting back at her when she brushes her teeth, so we go out in the garden with a glass of water each and one empty cup, and try and spit water into the empty cup. It's a lot more fun and less disgusting than it sounds."

Desmond laughed at Lyneth's continued insistence that his present consisted of some sort of animal. "I told you it's not an aminal, silly," he reminded her with a dimpled grin. "I see," he said, at Piper's explanation of the game. "You know what they say....Practice makes perfect!" He claimed his usual seat at the table, setting the bag on the chair beside him so little hands wouldn't try to steal it before she was done with her breakfast.

Evidently Lyneth wasn't the only one excited to see Des home. Despite having just finished his own breakfast, the moment the human male sat down, Loki padded over and sat down beside his chair, blue eyes pushing his luck by begging for anything Des felt he might like to pass down from his plate. And for the moment, he was unnoticed by Piper, who was usually on top of her dog's misbehaviors.

"If you practise spittin' with spit on people, that's bad, but water inna cup with Mummy is okay?" Lyneth asked curiously.

"I'd say that's about right," Des replied to Lyneth's question after a moment's hesitation to take a first, very welcome swallow of coffee. He'd donned a plain white t-shirt while he was upstairs, feeling a little self-conscious of running around half-naked in front of Lyneth. He caught sight of Loki out of the corner of his eye and snuck him a slice of bacon, though he knew Piper frowned on it. A slice of bacon every now and then never hurt anybody.

"Okay." With a nod as if to say he'd solved some eternal question for her, Lyneth turned her attention back to her egg and bacon toastie, squirting yolk down onto her plate and her front as she bit down.

"Loki, down." Piper had finally noticed the dog's begging - luckily for him, she hadn't seen him chewing his illicit snack. Obediently, the Malamute moved around until he was sitting in the doorway to the kitchen, tail thumping against the floor in anticipation of a walk. "Did you sleep well, love?" Piper asked Des as she sipped her own coffee, finding it beautifully easy to settle into this routine all over again.

Des hid a smirk behind his coffee mug as the dog slunk obediently away, already having enjoyed his illicit snack. "Hmm?" he asked, somewhat distractedly. Despite his concerns over Lyneth's bad dreams and whatever else was going on, he was in a good mood. It felt good to be home. "I did. Did you?" he asked, hiding that smirk again as he sipped at his coffee, knowing as well as she did that they'd both slept well for the same reason, and that reason had a lot to do with Mr. W*nky.

"Oh, I slept wonderfully," Piper smiled back to him, "before a large dog decided to use me as a bouncy castle. And then Loki came and joined in!" She didn't even need to glance at Lyneth before the squawk of giggling outrage made itself known from the teeny end of the table. "M'not a dog!"

Des smirked as he scooped a forkful of scrambled eggs, amused at the playful banter between mother and daughter. "You're just lucky you didn't do any lasting damage to Mister W*nky, or you might have ruined your chances at having a little brother or sister someday," he teased, blue eyes gleaming playfully.

"Mr W*nky should get out of the way, then," was Lyneth's practical but unhelpful solution to the problem, somewhat muffled around her own mouthful as she chewed.

Piper rolled her eyes, glancing between the pair of them. "Well, when you two decide to rent out my womb for a new baby, let me know, all right?"

"Mr. W*nky can't get out of the way if he doesn't know what?s coming," Des parried. Never try to win an argument with a lawyer, or apparently a half-Fae toddler. Des smirked over at Piper, feeling oddly mischievous for someone who had just learned his adoptive daughter was receiving nocturnal visits from her older self. "I'm ready when you are," Des replied with a wink at Lyneth. "But I think maybe we should get married first."

"Mr W*nky should pay more attention," Lyneth rebutted with a grin, giggling as she caught his wink. Her big eyes turned to Piper, hope shining there at the prospect of maybe getting a baby to play with, despite her reservations about being able to protect one.

Her mother couldn't help smiling at the pair of them, shaking her head in exasperation. "Perhaps I should just leave all the arrangements to you two, then," she suggested teasingly. "You know, let you explain to Miranda why one of the brides is hiding under the bed with her legs crossed."

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:12 EST
"A certain little girl should watch where she puts her knees!" Des countered with a smirk, turning then to Piper with that same glimmer of teasing mischief in his eyes. "We haven't even decided on a date yet!" Looking back at Lyneth, he grinned. "Maybe we should flip a coin. Winter or spring. What do you think?" He was more inclined to go with winter himself. Spring seemed like an awfully long wait.

"Mummy doesn't kneel on Mr W*nky 'less you asket her to!" Lyneth crowed, deliberately misunderstanding Des' smirking tease. Breakfast was always just a little livelier in this house than dinner, although lunch was still yards ahead in the energy stakes. "Winter's prettier," the little girl insisted, wiping the back of her hand against her chin to remove drying yolk. "An' Mummy can wear a pretty dress what isn' white an' look really pretty, like Snow White."

Des nearly choked on his eggs at Lyneth's latest comment about Mr. W*nky, which was quickly becoming a running inside joke among the three of them. Round one went to Lyneth. Des reached for his cup of coffee to wash down that bit of regurgitated egg. He had his own opinions to add regarding the wedding, but at the moment he was too busy trying to catch his breath and recover from almost choking.

"You know, Lynnie, when I was pregnant with you, I went to a costume party dressed as Snow White," Piper interjected smoothly, distracting the little girl from her gleeful poking at Des. "Uncle Jon said I looked very pretty."

Lyneth's nose scrunched as she considered this. "'Course you looked pretty, Mummy," she said finally. "You always look pretty, 'cept when you're all snotty and icky."

Des snorted to cover up the chuckle at Lyneth's less than complimentary comment regarding her mother's appearance. "And on that note," he declared, moving to his feet to collect the dirty dishes. "My vote is for winter. I'd vote autumn, but Miranda would kill me." He piled up the dirty dishes and carried them over to the sink, leaving the small paper bag on his chair, unguarded. He'd made the Snow White comparison at least once before and thought Piper would make a lovely bride, no matter the season, but winter would definitely compliment her more than the others.

"Not only kill you, she'd boil the flesh off your bones and use them in her next presentation," Piper agreed with a chuckle, scooting over to clean Lyneth's face gently. "So winter it is. December, January, or February, Lynnie?"

The little girl considered this as she was having egg, bacon, and toast wiped off her face, waiting until she had a clear run before offering opinion. "Chrissmuss Day!"

Desmond chuckled at Lyneth's over-exuberant suggestion, knowing that would more than likely be next to impossible, depending on where they decided to get married and by whom. He hadn't realized until this very moment how many details were involved in planning a wedding, especially one that involved two separate couples. "Unless we get married at Maple Grove, I don't think..." He paused a moment as the lightbulb went on inside his head and turned to face the other two. "Wait, why not get married at Maple Grove?"

For a moment, Piper faltered. She'd married Ollie in the grounds of Maple Grove, and that hadn't exactly turned out well. But that was well behind her now, and she was as close to certain as she could be that Des would never treat her the way Ollie had. "It's very doable," she agreed softly. "But you should remember that Christmas Day is Jon's birthday as well." As Lyneth pouted, Piper sighed quietly, smiling at the disappointment. "Well, what about New Year's Eve, instead" At the big house?"

"I doubt Jon would mind," Des pointed out, but he couldn't say the same regarding how other members of the family might feel about spending their Christmas celebrating two weddings. Though he thought it only fair that Bethany and Jason have time to give their input, he had a feeling the two of them would be more than agreeable to whatever Des and Piper decided. In the end, they knew Miranda was going to have the final say anyway and at the moment, she was too busy with her own honeymoon to state an opinion. "I can't think of a better way to ring in the New Year," Des replied with a smile.

"Jon might not mind, but Vicki would," Piper laughed, wondering how long it was going to be before Lyneth realised that she'd finished her breakfast and there was still no present for her to open. "She's given me enough talkings to that I don't want to court another one, thank you very much. Besides, we still need to sit down with Bethany and Jason and discuss this."

Lyneth agreed with a nod of her head. "But only 'cos they don' know they gotta flower girl already an' they don' have to wait for spring."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Des remarked, regarding the other couple. "The last time I saw Jason, he was ready to elope." Des turned a smile on Lyneth as he scooped her up from the chair into his arms. "You're going to be the prettiest flower girl in all of Rhy'Din!" he told her with a very familiar playful tweak to her nose. "And speaking of pretty, are you ready for your present?" he asked, now that they were finished with breakfast. It was hard to tell who was more anxious for presents, the giver or the receiver.

"Yes!" Everything else he'd said went straight out the window the moment he produced the word "present". Lyneth squirmed in his arms, little feet kicking as she beamed excitedly at her chosen father. "An' you said it wasn' a dead aminal," she added just little sternly. "I don' want a dead aminal. They're dead."

"It's not a dead anything!" he replied with a laugh and a fond look at Piper. "I have something for you, too," he told her, moving over to snatch the paper bag up from the chair, Lyneth balanced against his hip. He made his way toward the living room, leaving the breakfast mess for later. He'd promised them both a picnic today, if the weather held out, but it was still early, and the day was still young.

Released from his watchful station at the door with a click from Piper's tongue, Loki bounded ahead of Des into the living room as his mistress put the plates into the sink to soak. One advantage to having a brownie in the house - dishes always got done, whether you remembered or not. In fact, Piper suspected that Oisin redid the washing up whenever she got there first anyway.

"Is it a live somethin'?" Lynnie was asking as she was carried away from the kitchen, looking back to be sure Mummy was following behind. "Only 'cos it's all quiet an' things what are alive are loud. Like me."

"No, it's not a live something either," he replied, worried his little gift would disappoint her. He had a feeling Christmas was going to pose a challenge for him, not to mention her birthday. He wasn't really accustomed to buying gifts for little girls, much less little Fae girls. He took a seat on the couch and settled her on his lap, waiting for Piper to join them, looking a little nervously at both of them. "I'm afraid I'm not very good at this sort of thing."

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:13 EST
The smile Piper gave him as she sat down with them was reassuringly encouraging, unable to hand over her sage words of wisdom when it came to gift buying for Lyneth with said little girl eagerly awaiting what was promised to her right there. "I don't think you need to worry," was all she could say right now, chuckling as Lyneth pouted.

"No talkin' time. Pressie time!"

He'd done pretty well up to now, his first gift to Piper flowers, followed by several plants and a ring made from a plucked bloom that was somehow magicked into an engagement ring he found too lovely and unique to replace with a diamond. While that was all well and good, he didn't think he was very good at gift-buying or giving and had had little enough time to shop while he was in New York. He'd bought the gifts on a whim, hoping they liked them, wanting to give them something that showed how much he loved and missed them. "Just for that, Mummy gets hers first!" Des teased, making Lyneth wait.

"Aww, that's not fair!" Crocodile tears had always been the back-up plan, but there they were, plain as day, sparkling in those bright turquoise eyes.

Piper chuckled, recognising the deception for what it was, and leaned in. "I think if you say sorry for being so impatient, Lynnie, Daddy might change his mind," she offered her tiny girl a dignified way out. "You have been waiting since last night, after all."

Sniffling like a pro - maybe she should have auditioned as well - Lyneth looked up at Des, tearful hope painted all over her face. "M'sorry I was impay-shunt, Daddy. Please can I see my pressie now?"

As if he wasn't already softhearted enough when it came to Lyneth, the crocodile tears melted his heart, a remorseful frown replacing the teasing smirk. As well as he knew her, he was far more susceptible to those tears than Piper, and Lyneth probably knew it. "It's all right, pumpkin," he said, brushing said tears from her cheeks. "I was just teasing." He glanced to Piper as if for reassurance. He really was going to have to learn not to tease her so much.

He didn't get much reassurance from Piper - she was too busy stuffing her knuckles into her mouth to stifle her laughter at how quickly he'd caved into Lyneth's parlor trick. Because, naturally, the moment Des conceded, the crocodile tears dried up, the big beaming smile came back, and Lyneth squealed excitedly, triumphant in her victory over her Daddy.

Despite realizing he'd just been duped by a con artist in miniature, all that mattered to him was that she was smiling again. "Close your eyes," he told her, not wanting to spoil the surprise as he fished around in the paper bag for her little prezzie.

"Remind me to give you a quick orientation course in the art of spotting the artist at work sometime soon," Piper told him as she calmed herself down, laying her arm along the back of the couch as Lyneth closed her eyes. Not trusting the little monster not to peek, she covered Lynnie's eyes with her own hand, kissing her daughter's hair before the protest could make itself known. "I think you have maybe fifteen seconds before she starts fighting."

"I'm not sure that's enough," he replied, pulling her present from the bag, a brief flash of something sparkly as he reached around the back of the little girl's neck to fasten a delicate silver chain from which hung a dainty pink sparkling locket.

He didn't have enough faith in his ability to beat the clock. Lyneth squeaked as the cool metal came to rest at her neck, but didn't fight to be let go until she felt Des' hands retreat. As Piper's hand uncurled from her eyes, the little girl looked down, and was instantly captivated. Wide eyes looked up at Des as one tiny hand cradled the beautiful enamelled locket in her fingers. "You got me a growed up neckliss," she said, awe radiating through her tone and expression. "Thank you, Daddy!"

"Even better than that," he said, reaching over to click the tiny locket open. "It has a secret compartment where you can put something you want to keep safe." Albeit something extremely tiny. Most lockets held tiny treasures like pictures or locks of hair, but what she ultimately decided to put there was completely up to her. He frowned a little, despite the encouraging reaction to his gift. "I'm sorry it's not a puppy, Lyneth."

"Oooh." Those wide eyes turned down to watch as he opened the little locket, tiny fingers cradling it as though it were the most precious thing she could ever have imagined. She didn't see his faint frown, or feel his minor dip in mood, too caught up in the ramifications of what her present meant. "It's better than a puppy," she informed Des firmly, letting Piper look at her present with a proud smile. "It's a big girl present, an' you have it to me, so I'm a big girl now. Thank you, Daddy, it's so pretty!" Piper lurched backwards as Lyneth lunged toward Des, throwing her little arms around his neck and kissing his cheek loud and thoroughly.

He couldn't have asked for a better thank you than that. Catching her in his arms and hugging her back, he smiled fondly at her show of affection and appreciation. He wasn't in any hurry for her to grow up, but the locket was something she could hold onto forever, as a memento of her childhood and a reminder of his love. "I love you," he whispered in her ear as he hugged her close, three little words that were getting easier to say each time he said them.

"Love you too, Daddy." No matter how difficult it had once been for him to say it, it had not been hard at all for the tiny half-Fae to let him into her heart, relishing every chance to tell him she loved him as much as she did. She hugged him tightly for a long moment, giving him another kiss for good measure before drawing back, her hand going to her present once again. "Can I go show my friends?" she asked hopefully. "They don't have pretties like this."

He glanced at Piper as if to ask her permission for Lyneth. He had one more present to hand out, but Lyneth didn't really need to be there for him to do that. "If it's okay with your mother," he replied, relieved she liked her present, even if she was a little too young for it. He had seen another side of her that he thought would appreciate the gift even more than the little girl he'd given it to.

Beaming, Lyneth looked to Piper, who smiled back at her. "All right," she conceded, "but only if you remember to put your wellies on before you go into the garden. Muddy feet can't come back inside."

"Okay, Mummy." With a happy little squirm, Lyneth dropped off Des' lap onto the floor, pattering out toward the kitchen with Loki in hot pursuit.

Piper watched her go, curling her arm around Des' shoulders affectionately as she did so. "That's a beautiful present," she assured him softly. "She likes getting presents; she doesn't usually care what it is. But that one? That's not going to leave her neck without some negotiating, I don't think."

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:14 EST
He watched as Lyneth slid down off his lap, still in her jammies to toddle out into the garden and show off her new present. "Think so?" he asked, turning back to Piper, reassured, but still somewhat uncertain. It did seem like a very grown up present for such a little girl, but for some reason when he'd seen it behind the glass counter, he'd known he had to get it for her.

"I know so," she promised him, leaning close to kiss his cheek tenderly. "You know, I thought she had you wrapped around her little finger, but I'm starting to think it's reciprocal. She's just as much under your spell as you are under hers."

Des furrowed his brows, a little confused. As much as he loved Lyneth, he was always surprised by the affection she returned, despite the fact that he had only been part of their lives for such a short time. "But I'm..." He glanced toward the kitchen, as if checking to make sure Lyneth wasn't within hearing range. "I'm not her real father." He frowned further. "Sometimes I wish I was."

"You are her real father," Piper said, suddenly harsh as the memory of one night that had changed her life was brought into sharp focus. "Biology does not make a father, Des, nor does just marrying her mother. You put in the time, you give her love, you give her everything she needs from you, and you do it willingly for her sake. That is a real father, and I am not letting this become a debate."

"I couldn't love her more if she was my own daughter," he told her for quite possibly the umpteen thousandth time. "I really don't know what I did to deserve you both, but I'm not gonna question it or argue about it," he continued, turning back to Piper. "I love you both, more than I can say." He touched her cheek, smiling softly as he remembered there was one last item remaining in that paper bag. "Close your eyes, Pip."

"She is your daughter," she told him gently, understanding that there was a time and place for irrational anger and this was not it. Her thumb brushed against the end of his nose as he offered up his tender declaration, her soft smile rising as he touched her cheek. "I love you back," she promised him, unable to resist teasing a little as she closed her eyes. "But I don't have my Mummy here to cover my eyes for me."

He understood her anger, understood that it was only because she loved him and cared about him. Instead of it inciting his own anger, it reassured and comforted him, letting him know that his own worries and misgivings were unfounded. He hesitated a moment as he considered telling her the little secret Lyneth had shared with him, but deciding that now was not the time. He was happy, and he didn't want to upset her, not now anyway. Maybe later, when Lyneth was in bed and he could take his time explaining. "Do you want me to call her back in here to do it for you?" he asked, with a teasing smirk she couldn't see with her eyes closed. He waved a hand in front of her face to see if she was peeking.

Unlike her daughter, Piper understood fair play and enjoyed it, keeping her eyes shut even as she felt the air move in front of her face. "I think we've lost her for a couple of hours," she chuckled. "She'll be back in only when she remembers that she isn't dressed yet."

"Oh, good. Maybe I'll actually get to take a shower without someone trying to get a peek at Mr. W*nky!" he declared with a chuckle as he reached into the small paper bag once again. He reached for her hand, and in another moment, she felt something cold and metallic hanging loosely around her wrist.

"She wouldn't sneak into the bathroom if you remembered to shut the door once in a while," Piper laughed at his chuckling declaration, her smile warming as she felt his fingers clasping something cool about her wrist. "Can I open my eyes?"

"Can I help it that I'm not used to having a little girl underfoot?" he countered, even more nervous about this gift than the one he'd given Lyneth. He sighed, chewing worriedly at his lower lip. "Yeah, you can open them now." Around her wrist was clasped a silver charm bracelet from which hung three individual heart-shaped charms bearing each of their birthstones, with plenty of room to add more if their family happened to grow. "Surprise?" he said, uncertainly.

"You've lived with us for seven months, love," she laughed, still chuckling as she did, finally, open her eyes and look down at the delicate bracelet that now encircled her wrist. The laughter faded away as her fingers touched each charm in turn, having learned enough over the past two years to know what each gemstone's significance was. "Oh, Des, this is lovely," she breathed, blue eyes meeting his with a delighted sparkle. "One for each of us." Her hands rose to cradle his face, leaning close to kiss him tenderly. "Thank you."

He held his breath while he awaited her reaction to his gift, relieved once again that it pleased her. It wasn't a very fancy or ornate piece of jewelry, but it was the trio of birthstones that had drawn him to it, one for each of them individually, but linked together, like the family they were. He smiled into her kiss, lips soft in return. "It's not much, but I thought of you when I saw it."

Turquoise, topaz, and pearl - Des, Lyneth, and Piper's birthstones - swayed in their silver hearts on her wrist as she kissed him again, not really needing words to tell him how much she appreciated the thought that he had put into his gift. "I'm very touched," she told him softly. "It's beautiful." Her lips touched his again, gentle and tender in the quiet glow of their ridiculously early morning. "And I love you with all my heart."

It didn't matter to him that they'd only been together seven months. He couldn't have loved her more if they'd been together for years, and he was anxious to make it official, not only for her sake and Lyneth's, but to prove everyone - human and Fae alike - that he wasn't going anywhere, he was in this for life, however long that might be. "If I wasn't afraid of Miranda, I'd marry you right now, today, this minute. I want us to be together, Piper. I want everyone to know how much I love you and Lyneth." And I want everyone to know that I'm not Oliver and I'm not my father.

"Well," she mused, easing back just enough to tuck herself close, one ear as always alert for any sound that Lyneth might be in trouble of any kind, "the Catholic Church might argue that we're married already, but that our marriage isn't legal because our vows weren't witnessed by a priest." She shrugged, grinning up at him. "This is the sort of thing I used to talk to my dad about when we were hiding from Mum in his library."

"That might work in your world, but not in mine. As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, we're living in sin," he told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to hug her close. He quieted a moment as he considered his own words. His world wasn't Earth anymore, but Rhy'Din. Either way, it didn't matter. His mother was the only one who would have cared, and his mother had been dead for nearly a year now. "My mom would have loved you....and Lynnie," he remarked, as his thoughts turned to the woman who'd brought him into the world. He rarely talked about her, but it had been nearly a year since she'd died, and it was slowly getting easier to bear her loss.

Piper's smile turned a little sad as he voluntarily brought the subject about to his mother, a woman she had often wondered about but not dared to ask any questions about. The pain of her loss was still very near to Des' heart, and she would never forgive herself for hurting him by pushing a point he would, eventually, be able to bring up himself. "I would have liked to have known her," she murmured gently. "She must have been a wonderful woman."

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:15 EST
"She was, but..." He smiled at the memory of her, the good memories of her more lasting than the grief he'd felt at her loss. "I'm biased. It's kind of weird to know I have all these siblings now after being an only child all my life." But wasn't that why Miranda had wanted him to come here in the first place" To know he really wasn't alone, that he had another family who would welcome him and accept him and learn to love him, like his mother had"

"Maybe you and Bethany should compare notes," Piper suggested with a slightly impish touch to her tone, stroking her fingertips against his thigh as they spoke together. "It must be very strange, love, but family is very rarely staid and predictable, especially the Granger family. For what it's worth, I think your mother would be very proud of you for everything you've accomplished over the past months."

"She never really wanted me to be a lawyer, you know. She thought it was too stressful. She wanted me to be a musician. I took piano for years, until I realized how much the lessons were costing her. God, I hated those recitals, but looking back, I think they prepared me for court. There's nothing more nerve-wracking than being on stage in front of a bunch of parents who would rather hear their own kid play than you."

She smiled as she listened to him reminisce. He hadn't been so open about his childhood before now, and she hadn't pushed. But it was nice to hear him speak about it now, even if it was only for a little while. "Perhaps you should take up piano again," she suggested softly. "You could teach Lyneth, pass on your mother's love of music to her."

He shrugged his shoulders uncertainly. "I don't think I'd make a very good teacher. I haven't touched a piano in years. Not sure I even remember how to play anymore." There was a reason he'd switched from music to law, and it wasn't just the cost of piano lessons that had done it, but he wasn't sure he was ready to talk about that just yet.

"You never forget," she promised him with a faint smile. "I took violin for years and then dropped it like a stone, but I think I could probably pick it up again without too much trouble." Never mind that he had just planted a thought that might grow into something else. Music was important to his mother, and Piper wanted to encourage him to hold onto that somehow. "Besides, think of all the fun you could have training a half-Fae how to play."

"Only if she wants to learn. I wouldn't want to force her into playing if she doesn't want to," he replied, resting his head against hers. It was still ungodly early in the morning and they had the whole day ahead of them. "Do you really want a winter wedding?" he asked curiously, wondering how much of what she decided was for his sake or Lyneth's, but not her own. "I was thinking maybe we could rent a sleigh. We should really check with Jason and Bethany before we make too many plans." Or maybe let Jason and Bethany have their special own day. "I don't want to wait anymore, Pip. Waiting isn't going to change how I feel." And now that the Fae were poking their noses into their lives, he felt even more anxious to make things official. Official and permanent.

"No, I know," she assured him, although she was fairly surely it was a physical impossibility to force Lyneth to do anything if she was dead set against it. Asked about the wedding, Piper giggled softly. "I really don't mind when it happens," she admitted, "but I had been thinking about the New Year as a possibility. I don't want to wait any more than you do, love, but I don't want to be the center of attention either. If that makes any sense. I get nervous when everyone's looking at me - I've spent so long actively making myself a wall flower, I don't think I could cope with being in the spotlight."

"But it's your day. You deserve to be in the spotlight, and you won't be alone. We'll be right there with you." It seemed the decision had been made. It was just a matter of working out all the details and making sure Bethany and Jason were still on board with their plans. He smiled as another thought came to mind. "Besides, you and I both know Lyenth will more than likely steal the show," he reminded her.

"I know, I got lucky with our little ray of psychedelic sunshine," Piper chuckled, lifting her head to look into his eyes. "What about you?" she asked gently. "How do you feel about a winter wedding, a New Year's wedding" I know how Lynnie feels, and how I feel. But it isn't my wedding, or her wedding, it's our wedding. It's at least half yours."

"Promise you won't laugh?" he asked as he looked back at her, meeting her gaze, looking a little nervous about her question, but wanting to answer her honestly.

"I won't laugh," she promised him easily, although she knew she probably wasn't going to be able to keep that promise if he suddenly declared he wanted to be married by a clown, or shortly before doing a sky-dive.

She needn't have worried; it was nothing so silly as that. "Okay, well, um..." he started, sounding very unlike the suave, confident Assistant D.A. "I, uh....I think a winter wedding would be ridiculously romantic, and it just feels right, if that makes any sense."

Her smile returned, just as soft and gentle as before, brushing his lips with a sweet kiss. "Now why would I laugh at that?" she asked him curiously. "I know exactly what you mean." Leaning into him, she made a mental note to invite Jason and Bethany over for a weekend sometime in the very near future, so the four of them could hash out the basics and get them in motion as quickly as possible. "I do love you, you know. Very much."

He shrugged again. "Because it sounds as corny as hell, and I'm supposed to be a big bad ass lawyer." He sighed again as he returned her kiss with one as soft and sweet as her own. "God, I missed you. The trial was grueling. I'm so glad it's over." And glad we won. That bastard deserves everything he gets. He hadn't talked much about the trial during the time he was preparing for it, and now that it was over, it just felt like a relief, like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. "You can't imagine how much I missed you."

"Oh, I think I can," she murmured softly, twisting to kiss him once again as a slightly impish thought occurred to her. "What do you say we set the fairies on Lyneth-watch and go conserve water together?" How many parents could do that"

He frowned thoughtfully at her question, unsure that was such a good idea, but it was broad daylight and there was little risk of anything happening without them knowing about it so long as the fairies and Loki were on watch. He wrapped his arms around her loosely, turning a glance toward the kitchen, ears perking to hear what Lyneth was up to in the yard. "You think it's safe?" he asked, uncertainly.

She frowned in turn at his uncertain question, wary suspicion lighting up in her eyes as she looked at him. "Why wouldn't it be safe?" she asked, a hard edge to her voice that suggested reassuring her would be the best way to prevent a full on panic attack. Any hint of danger toward her little girl, and Piper got more than a little bit psychotic.

Desmond Granger

Date: 2013-09-13 18:17 EST
He wasn't ready to tell her what he knew yet, not until he had the whole story and knew exactly what he should be telling her. "I don't know. Oisin!" he called, trusting the little brownie would keep an eye on her and inform them if Lyneth needed them.

His response did not help relax his fiancee from her sudden tension, needing more that I don't know in answer to a query about the safety of their daughter. She was forestalled in asking him, however, by the arrival of their resident brownie and his quivering ears, grumpy face scowling at Des from the back of the sofa. "Aye, whaddya want, longshanks?"

Des ignored the insult, which coming from the brownie was almost like a term of endearment. "Can you keep an eye on Lyneth for us" We're going to take a quick shower, and yes, together. No peeking!" He moved to his feet, pulling Piper up with him. "Just make sure she doesn't get into any trouble and let us know if she does." He didn't feel the need to go into any more detail than that. Lyneth, he knew, was probably in reality more than capable of taking care of herself. That wasn't what worried him, but he didn't want to worry Piper.

The brownie eyed him in a manner that could have been considered unfriendly, if Des hadn't known Oisin so well. "Fine, go'n be lovin' each other under the hot water," he sighed, rolling his big eyes. "Dinnae be stickin' that loofah anywhere unsanitary, though. Some of us have t'clean it." As Piper burst out laughing, the brownie whisked himself away and out of sight, the focus of all tiny eyes within the house palpably turning toward the garden, where Lyneth was holding court happily.

Distracted from her momentary concerns, Piper giggled, giving Des a gentle tug toward the stairs. "Listen to you, being all man of the house," she teased him. "Who'd have thought ordering a brownie around would be so sexy?"

Des snickered as the brownie went hurrying off to keep an eye on Lyneth. "Doesn't he know the loofah always goes somewhere unsanitary' That's what taking a shower is about." He got tugged away from the couch, toward the stairs, a little reluctant about leaving Lyneth in the garden, though she was nowhere near being alone. He snorted at her remark as he followed up the stairs. "So long as I don't thank him, we get along fine."

She grinned, pulling him into the bathroom with her, her confidence in the little people scattered through their home great enough to be all the reassurance she needed that Lyneth was safe. "Such a heinous crime, isn't it' I don't think you'd survive doing it again."

"I'm sure I'd at least get a good tongue lashing," he replied as she tugged him into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him, sealing themselves off for a few minutes from the prying eyes of Fae and fairy alike. What happened behind that closed door was for their eyes only, but you could be sure Mr. W*nky was going to be getting a good work out. ((And fade to black. I bet you weren't expecting that! ;-) Kudos to anyone who read all that. It was pretty long. Huge thanks to my partner in crime for being awesome, as always! :grin:))