((Contains material of an adult nature.))

It had been three weeks since Edward had collapsed and been ordered to take to his bed, first at Lisbeth's apartment and then back at Juniper Lodge, where his sister Brynne and daughter Lila lived on the ground of Maple Grove - not to mention where he had spent his boyhood years before going off on his own to save the world. Now, three weeks later, after all the fussing over him, he had started to regain his strength, along with some weight, but as far as the doctors were concerned, he wasn't out of danger yet.

He was still under strict orders to take things easy or risk suffering a relapse, but between Lis, Brynne, and Lila, he was in good hands. He'd spent a good deal of time curled up on bed or on the couch going through his journals, scribbling notes, writing letters, and doing research in preparation for a book he was opening would shed some light on the plight in Africa. Today, he was curled up in bed, still in his pajamas - books, papers, and laptop scattered around him, a cup of hot tea and a half-eaten omelette on the table nearby.

He had peace and quiet for most of the day now he was back at Juniper Lodge. Aside from the morning rush of Lila and Brynne heading out to school and work and insisting on saying goodbye, he was left in peace for a good six hours or so. Lis was in the house, of course, but she didn't like to disturb him, going about her work as quietly as she could, keeping him in tea and snacks. And then the afternoon rush would start with Lila's return from school, which today was even more excitable than usual.

The ten year old burst in through her uncle's bedroom door, still wearing her coat and bag, and leaped onto the bed to throttle him in a somewhat chilly hug. "I'm back, I'm back! Did you have fun today' Dom's here! What did you do, were you really bored on your own?"

Unfortunately for him, he'd been so focused on his work, he'd lost all track of time, as evidenced by the half-eaten omelette and the fact that he was still in his pajamas. "Lila!" he exclaimed as he was pounced by his overzealous niece, making a grab for his papers before they were scattered everywhere. He couldn't help but laugh though, unable to get angry with her. She loved him, after all, and he needed to feel loved. "How was school?" he asked before backpedaling in his head. "Dom's here?"

"School was good!" the little girl enthused, belatedly shifting back to let him gather together his papers before they disappeared under the bed. "We did math and English, and I started a story that I have to finish for Monday!" She bounced closer, cuddling him affectionately. "Yeah, Dom got me from school. He said he was going to help Lis in the kitchen so I could splat you in peace." She giggled wickedly.

"Splat me?" he echoed, chuckling. "That sounds rather painful. How about hugging me instead?" Though he had actually already been hugged and was now being cuddled. "I have a surprise for you," he said, with a smile that might be a little playful or nervous - it was hard to tell. "But it's sort of a secret."

Her eyes widened with excitement as she looked up at her uncle, wriggling about to dump her schoolbag onto the floor. That made her a little less bulky to hug, anyway. "I can keep secrets," she nodded enthusiastically. "I keep lots and lots, and I never tell anybody but Mr. Bunion, and he can't talk, so that's fine." Mr. Bunion, despite the unfortunate name, was the stuffed elephant she slept with - a present from Edward years before on her fifth birthday.

Edward laughed again. He had never understood why she'd named the elephant such a silly name, but it seemed to make the poor stuffed elephant all the more endearing. "Yes, but I haven't told your mother yet." And everyone knew how that might go.

"I don't tell Mummy secrets, unless they're my secrets and she's in a good mood," Lila declared importantly. "And I tell Lis more, only I'm not allowed to talk to Lis anymore, Mummy says." She didn't look happy about that, but soldiered on, regardless. "And I promise I won't tell Mummy your secret. Pinky swear and everything."

He frowned at her admission, not only about keeping secrets from her mother, but even more so about being forbidden from talking to Lis. "Why aren't you allowed to talk to Lis?" he asked, though he thought he could likely guess the answer. It was more about him than anything else, and he didn't really think Brynne was being fair. He knew he was going to have to brooch the subject with his dear sister sooner or later, and he was dreading it.

"Mummy says she's here to work and when I talk to her, she can't work, and if she doesn't work, then Mummy can't pay her properly," Lila explained, rattling off Brynne's excuse almost verbatim. She didn't understand the underlying politics, which was probably just as well. All Lila knew was that the person who helped her with her homework wasn't allowed to anymore.

"Hmm," Edward mused quietly with that frown still on his face. What was Brynne going to say when he told her he and Lis had made future plans together" Granted, none of it was set in stone yet, but he had no intention of losing the only woman he'd made any connection with in years just because his sister was being snooty. "Did she say anything about whispering" Or singing" Or passing notes?" Oh, he knew he was going to get into hot water over this, but he didn't really care. Brynne needed to be set straight sooner or later, and it looked like her big brother was going to have to be the one to do it.

Lila considered the question thoughtfully, shaking her head. "No, she just said I can't talk to Lis," she said, appreciating the impressive amount of sneaky her uncle had just handed her on a silver platter. Her grin was all kinds of mischievous as she looked up at him. "I didn't think of that."

"That's what I'm here for," he said with a half-grin, happy to help but knowing someone was going to get in trouble for it later. "Would you like to know what the surprise is all about?" he asked, happy to change the subject.

"Can I really know what the surprise is?" she asked hopefully, concerns over what Mummy may or may not say forgotten in the renewal of excitement over her uncle's news. "Only it won't be a surprise if I know about it before it gets done."

"No, but then it will be our little secret," he told her, having a feeling she wouldn't mind keeping this secret so much. "Hand me that letter on the table there?" he asked, gesturing toward the table where an envelope lay, peeking out from beneath the cup of tea.

"Oooh ..." The thought of keeping a secret with Uncle Teddy was a very enticing one, certainly more than enough to make her promise faithfully to keep the secret. "I won't even tell Mr. Bunion," she promised, wriggling off the bed in search of the letter. Her coat ended up on the floor beside her bag before she picked up the envelope, turning to crawl back onto the bed beside him. "This letter?"

"My me has fresh tea and sandwiches," was the countered response from the other side of the door. "If your me doesn't let my me in, my me will just make your me listen to my me eating them." There was a pause. "There were way too many "me"s in that sentence."

As many mes as there were, Edward got the gist of what he was being told. He chuckled at his cousin's response, looking to Lila with a grin on his face. "Would you get the door for the other me, Lilakins?" he asked, grateful for both the company and the fresh tea and sandwiches. He often got so involved in his work that he forgot to eat.

"Okay!" Lost as she was in the silly game being played between the cousins, Lila was happy to be involved in some way, scrambling down off the bed to scuttle over to the door. She pulled it open about an inch, grinning up at Dom suspiciously. "Is your me gonna play nice?" she demanded, and from the sound of things, Dom nearly choked stifling a laugh.

"My me is always nice," he promised the little girl. "My me promises not to bounce on his me until his me is well enough to poke my me back."

A chuckle was heard from the direction of the bed as the other me piped in. "Always is a long time. Perhaps the other me should say usually. Usually seems more reasonable, I think," he pointed out helpfully. "You can let him in, Lila, since he's promised to be nice," he added, as if it made any difference.

"Arguing semantics from your sick bed, how very Edward of you," Dom chuckled as Lila pulled the door open for him, his tall frame seeming far too big in the bedroom. But then, Dom never looked quite right indoors. With Lila leading the way, he pulled the table over to the bed, setting the tray he carried onto it before catching the little girl about the waist and planting himself on a chair with her in his lap. Lila didn't even get a chance to ask for help before Dom blew a raspberry on her neck, making her squeal with laughter.

"Some things never change, I see," Edward remarked with a chuckle. He was starting to get stir crazy lying in bed all day long, but Lis had told him that was a sign he was getting better, though she'd made him promise not to rush it. Oddly, Brynne had told him the same thing. If he could just make the two of them understand that they were on the same side, they might actually learn to get along. He picked a slice of bread off the sandwich as if to check for some secret and unsavory ingredient. "Did you make this or are you just the delivery service?"

With Lila wriggling around on his lap, it took a moment for Dom to answer, grinning as he released the squirming little girl. "I'm just the delivery man," he assured Edward. "The lovely Lisbeth read the note Brynne left about feeding you and threw it out." He laughed at that, choosing not to repeat what he'd heard of Lis' mutterings when she'd done that. "I think you'll find those sandwiches are about as far from broth and dry bread as you're ever going to get."

"Lis is a brilliant cook," Edward said, replacing the slice of bread on top the sandwich and wrapping his hands around it. His appetite had definitely improved, and it didn't hurt that Lis was spoiling him a little with her cooking. He'd have said more about Lis, if it wasn't for Lila. "It's been a long time, Dom. How have you been?" he asked, other than for the obvious. He'd heard the bad news about Dom's wife and had written him a long letter expressing his sympathies straight away, but he knew it was hardly sufficient to take away the pain.

"Yeah, it has, hasn't it?" Dom nodded in agreement. To be fair, he was often gone from the city himself, but he'd managed to stay in touch with this particular cousin better than he did with most of them. The question sobered his smile, but he nodded once again, slowly. "Better than I was," he conceded quietly. "It's still hard, to go home, but I'm not running any more."

Edward frowned, wondering just how much running of his own he'd been doing. "I'm sorry I wasn't here," he said, apologetically. Whether they were far apart or close together, this was one cousin who understood him and his lifestyle more than any other. "If there's anything I can do..." he added, not just making an empty offer, but meaning his words.

"There were too many people here, Ted," Dom said quietly, watching with interest as Lila dissected a sandwich and remade it to her own satisfaction. "Too many well-wishers, too many hands wanting to make it all better. I went off the rails, and then I went back to work. And believe me, you're doing what I need you to do. You're recovering, before it got so bad you had to be airlifted home."

There was a reason he'd let himself get so sick, but that reason was wrapped up in Zahan, and he didn't want to share that with Lila sitting right there. His gaze shifted to Lila a moment before looking back at Dom. What did one say to help make it better" There was nothing that would bring Gwen back, but at least Dom had memories to cherish. Was it easier being alone" Edward wasn't so sure. "I know what that's like. Throwing yourself into your work, I mean."

"I wanted to be away from the house," Dom shrugged. "It didn't help, because I had to come back. But it's getting easier to smile at the memories, rather than cry." He, too, didn't want to get too much into things with Lila right there, not wanting to upset the little girl with losses that had occurred only too recently. "What's this I hear about a book?"

"I understand," Edward said, frowning in sympathy, but didn't want to discuss it too much in front of Lila or to open wounds that might be better left alone. "Oh!" The frown turned to a slightly embarrassed smile. "I thought perhaps I'd write about my travels. I'm not sure anyone will want to read them, but there's little enough to do sitting around in bed all day."

"Well, you've got one reader right here," his cousin pointed out, his expression smoothing into the familiar quirk of his smile once again. "There's a real market for your genre, you just need to get it marketed right. If the right people know about it, they'll read it." He nodded confidently. "There must be someone in the family with the right contacts."

"Jonathan, maybe," Edward suggested, though that particular cousin was famous for film and theater, not the written word. Still, maybe he would know of someone who could help. "You don't think it would make for boring reading?" he asked, unsure of himself. Despite all the encouragement and support of his family, he knew they were biased.

"Yes, well ....our parents' generation don't seem to know quite what to do with us, do they?" Dom agreed quietly. Though he was relatively close to his mother, she was currently on a very pointed kick to try and get him married again so she could have grandchildren. "What it boils down to, Ted, is this ....You need to know what you want. If you want to go back to Earth, then go. If you want to have Lisbeth in your life, then do it. Your family loves you, even if they can be as thick as a collection of short planks at times. They'll deal with it, and if they can't, then I'd suggest unleashing that Latina temper on them."

"Yes, I'm sure Lis telling them off would solve the problem," Edward said doubtfully, though he understand what his cousin was trying to get at. "I can't help but feeling guilty about leaving," he confessed. "I've missed so much of Lila's childhood already. How do you do what you do, Dom' How do you live your own life without feeling like you're abandoning those you care for?"

"Because it's my life, and they have their own lives to lead," Dom said quietly. "It hurts, that Isabelle doesn't want to have anything to do with us, but it's her life to live the way she wants to. All I can do is be here if she ever needs me. But I would never tell her how to live her life, nor would I tell Ashlynn, or my mom, how to live theirs. And they afford me the same courtesy. We worry about each other, and we miss each other, but it makes the reunions more special in a way. Purely because we've been apart."

Edward didn't dare bring up the subject of Mads; she, like Isabelle, seemed to enjoy her role as black sheep, and no matter how much Edward had tried to bring her back into the fold, he always seemed to fail. Brynne, however, was another matter. "I wonder sometimes if my sisters are jealous of me." He had always been the golden boy, after all, though he'd thought there was enough love in the family to go around.

"It could be as simple as Brynne's lonely," Dom offered in a gentle tone. "And that isn't something you can cure, Ted. It's up to her to do something about it, if that's the case." He shook his head at the thought of jealousy between the siblings. "You all went different ways, and you've all taken something from your choices that no one could have predicted. If anything, you three are probably the best balanced of all of us."

Edward lifted both brows in surprise at that last statement. He had an entirely different opinion of the choices his sisters had made, but Dom was right about one thing - if he wanted them to accept his choices, he had to accept theirs. "How so?" he asked curiously, unsure how his elder cousin had come to the conclusion.

"You all went your own way, and you've each found where you're happiest to be," his cousin pointed out mildly. "Despite the friction, Brynne's happy where she is; Madion is obviously happy to be where she is; and you know where you want to be. That's not to be sneezed at, you know."

"No, I suppose not," Edward admitted. After all, there were some cousins who were still directionless and had no idea what they wanted to do with their lives and possibly never would. "So, what do you suggest' How do I make peace between my sister and my..." He trailed off. What was Lis to him anyway' He was too old to have a girlfriend, and she wasn't quite a lover. Not yet, anyway.

Dom considered him for a long moment, wondering if he really needed this to be pointed out or not. "To be honest, I think the problem is the sister, not the wife-to-be," he said calmly. "And that problem will resolve itself, although I doubt you'll like the method. At the moment, Brynne sees Lisbeth and you as separate entities who both belong to her, in a way. You're her brother, with everything that implies; Lisbeth is her home help, and she feels she has influence over the woman's private life. Either Lisbeth quits, or you move out, and I think Brynne's problem will ease off."

Or both, Edward thought with a frown, though he had no intention of living there forever. "I've been thinking about getting a place of my own," he admitted, not bothering to add that he was also thinking about asking Lis to move in with him as soon as he was well enough to be on his own. It would be better for everyone if he had his own place. Maybe there'd be less tension that way. "I don't want them playing tug of war over me." Part of the problem was he was just too kind to put his foot down with his sister, but until and unless he did, this little problem was likely to continue.

"Ted ....it's not your responsibility to make everyone happy," the older Granger pointed out. "They're big girls, they can sort themselves out. And where love's concerned, you'd be surprised how civil people can be with each other rather than cause harm where they least want to."

"I like her, Dom. I like her a lot. She's the first woman I've met in a long time I can say that about. We are talking about going to Earth together to open a clinic somewhere." That statement alone should tell Dom how serious Edward was about his relationship with Lis.

"Then you can't let anyone else get in the way of your getting to know her better," Dom told him firmly. "You deserve to know if there truly is a future in a relationship with her, without worrying about anyone else getting in the way. Would you like me to talk to Brynne" I can get away with being the big mean cousin without jeopardizing your relationship with your sister."

"No, I don't need you fighting my battles for me. She'll take it better from me, but I think you're right. Brynne needs to see Lis in a different light, and that's not likely to happen so long as she's her maid." He hated the thought of asking Lis to quit her job with Brynne and Lila, but if she were to move in with him, she wouldn't really need the income anyway.

"As long as she's anyone's maid," Dom pointed out. "If you're serious about this clinic, then you should both be working on it. It's going to be a while until you're back to speed anyway, Ted. Make the most of it - have fun being a big brother and an uncle, and get your kit off with your lady." He winked mischievously. "Want me to send her up here now and run away with Lila for a couple of hours?"

"My kit?" he echoed with a laugh. "Yes, I'm sure Brynne would be happy to know I've been shagging the maid right under her nose," he said, which he hadn't been. Not yet, anyway. If they kept going the way they were going, it was only a matter of time, but ever since he'd returned to Juniper Lodge, things had been a little strained between them, as if neither knew quite how to approach the other.

Edward chuckled at the parting shot, sighing a little to himself as he debated what to do next, now that Dom had left him alone with Lis. Brush his teeth sounded like a good start, and he climbed from the bed, careful not to disturb the piles of books and papers on the bed to make his way to the bathroom to make himself halfway presentable.

From downstairs came the sound of Lila being bundled up in her coat once again, yelling her goodbyes to her uncle and to Lis as Dom audibly heaved the little girl off her feet and carried her bodily out through the front door. A minute or so later came the sound of Dom's favored motorbike revving up before it pulled away at a gentle pace.

Edward smiled to himself at the sound of activity one floor beneath him. Between them, they were going to spoil Lila rotten, but in his opinion, she deserved it. As he made his way into the bathroom, he sniffed at his pajamas to see if they were ripe. He'd just showered that morning, so he didn't think he really needed another one. Why Dom had suggested his brush his teeth was a mystery. Maybe he thought some there was going to be some kissing going on.

With the departure of the loud ones, the house fell quiet once again, as it always was when Lis was around. Apart from the occasional sound, she was remarkably good at seeming not to be there at all. As things stood, she was in the kitchen, preparing the meal for the evening, though it seemed as though only Edward would be there to eat it.

He finished with his teeth and examined his reflection in the mirror a moment, scowling at the face that looked back at him. Had it really been that long since he'd seen civilization' His hair was a mess and in need of a good cut, his face looked a bit drawn and ragged from illness, and his pajamas dangled off his slim frame, giving him a rumpled appearance. Should he dress, but what to wear" None of his clothes fit anymore, not until he regained the weight he'd lost, and he'd always been slim to begin with. He snagged a brush and tried to shove it through his hair, but it was no use.

After a while spent staring at his own reflection, he decided there wasn't much more he could do about his appearance. He tossed an over-sized sweater on over his pajamas, grabbed the half-empty cup of tea and started to make his way down the stairs, perking his hearing to locate Lis.

The radio was on quietly in the kitchen, underscored with the gentle tap of a knife slicing through vegetables, enough evidence as to where she was. She was humming along softly, her back to the door, a pan on the stove emitting the tempting scent of beef browning as she added vegetables to a larger pot standing off the heat. A large crusty loaf stood cooling on a rack to her right - evidently she was fully intent upon feeding up all of them, not just Edward.

He came to a halt in the doorway, watching her quietly for a moment, charmed by the quiet, gentle way about her. He smiled at her humming, wondering what it would be like to live together on their own, without his sister and niece to constantly watch over them. He cleared his throat to let her know he was there before stepping into the kitchen to set the tea cup in the sink. "I hope I'm not intruding."

The clearing of his throat made her smile as she lifted her head, looking around at him without being startled by his presence. "You are never intruding, Eduardo," she assured him in her soft way, setting down the knife to wipe her hands on a cloth as she turned to face him. "I am afraid Lila and your cousin have left."

"I know. I came downstairs to talk to you, not them. Is that all right?" he asked, uncertainly. It had been a few days since they'd had any meaningful conversation, and he wasn't quite sure how to start.

Her smile softened, dark eyes lit up with a sparkle that proved he was very welcome to be here with her. "Of course it is," she promised warmly. "I ....I have missed talking to you." I have missed kissing you, she added in the silence of her mind, but did not dare say it aloud. Since his return to Juniper Lodge, things had been ....awkward.

"I've missed talking to you, too," he replied, relieved, as he stepped closer, pulling up a stool to sit on beside her. "May I?" he asked before taking a seat, ever the gentleman.

Again, she smiled, a little bemused by his reverting to the gentlemanly good manners that had stilted their first few meetings. "You do not need to ask my permission, querido," she reminded him gently. "This is your home."

He frowned a little at her reply for some reason. "No, it's not," he said, lowering himself onto the seat. "It hasn't been my home for a long time. That's partly what I came down here to talk to you about."

Lis subsided at his frown, uncertain what she had said to disquiet him this time. It had been very different in her own apartment; easier, somehow, to be relaxed and herself with him, and it seemed as though he had found it easier, too. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Lis. Nearly good as new. Stop changing the subject," he told her, feeling the awkwardness between them that hadn't been there before. It was this house, and the fact that she was supposed to be in his employ. Or at least, in his sister's employ. His tone of voice was gentle, never demeaning or scolding, but he knew she was feeling as awkward as he was.

She ducked her head, turning back to her chopping - something, anything, not to have to meet his gaze as he talked, deathly afraid that she was going to be asked to leave and never come back. Afraid that being back in his sister's house had changed his mind about her altogether. "I am sorry," she apologized softly, her eyes on the knife as it sliced and diced.

"Don't be sorry," he told her, contradicting himself in a way, but needing to speak bluntly and honestly. "This isn't working, you know," he started. "It's not going to work so long as you're working for my sister." No, he wasn't giving her the brush off or the break-up speech. The exact opposite, in fact.

She stiffened, biting her lip. The chop of the knife stilled as she stared down at her hands, her cheeks flushing with hurt at the thought that he was telling her there was no hope, after all. "I have nowhere else to go," she said very quietly. "I could find somewhere else, to give you time to find someone else to take over here."

"No, that's not what I mean," he said, reaching over to turn her cheek to face him. "I mean, I would like you to move in with me, but not here. Somewhere else. I can't live here anymore. I'm only in the way, and Brynne will never accept us as a couple, until we make her see that we are serious about being together."

"Drool?" She laughed, certain he had made that word up, slipping past him in search of a damp cloth to wipe down the surface. "You are teasing me still. I do not think there is such a word, I think you are wanting to make an imp of me."

"An imp?" he echoed with a chuckle. "Do you even know what an imp is?" he asked, wondering what she thought of the mythological creatures that made Rhy'Din their home. It wasn't anything unusual to him, but for someone who was new here, the place could be a little frightening.

She paused, one hip against the counter as she considered him, glad he was laughing but truly at a loss as to what had caused that laughter. "I have said something wrong?" she assumed, one brow rising curiously above her smile.

"I think you might have your words confused, darling," he said. "Drool....hmm, let me think how to say that in Spanish." He tapped a finger against his chin, but the word just wouldn't come to him. "Drool, it is when saliva drips from your chin, like this," he said, trailing a finger down his chin to pantomime the action.

"Oh, like dogs?" Possibly not quite what he had been getting at, but it was as good an analogy as any, and certainly a clear one. She tossed the cloth into the sink, wiping her hands dry on the towel before hanging it up. There was a brief pause, in which she blushed deeply at the wander of her thoughts. "I ....I have nothing else to do until dinner is ready to be served," she admitted shyly. "Should I go and come back?"

"Yes, exactly like that!" he declared, a little too happy to have finally helped her make the connection. Not that there was anything canine about her in the least. "Go?" he asked, the smile fading, looking a little confused. "Why would you go?"

"I ....if I do not go, then I think I will do something that is not ....not right to do with my employer," she tried to explain herself, her blush deepening as she looked down at her fidgeting fingers. She truly did have no idea how to be alone with him. Not yet, anyway.

"Ah, but I am not your employer," he pointed out helpfully, charmed by her blush and glad Brynne had not completely frightened her off of the idea of being with him. "And what is that, Lis?" he asked, not daring to touch her, only wondering what it was she was thinking.

She looked down at her sneakers, watching her toes curl up and down off the floor as she forced her fidgeting fingers into the back pockets of her jeans, partially wishing she had remembered to take the clasp out of her hair so she could hide behind it. "I-I would like to kiss you, Eduardo."

"What is stopping you, Lissy?" he asked, not moving from the stool on which he sat, letting her set the pace and make the first move, though he though if he ever wanted to get anywhere, he might have to be a little more assertive.

Her gaze flickered up to his, the by now familiar mixture of humiliated embarrassment and shy hope obvious in her eyes. She was truly ashamed of having reached almost thirty with absolutely no knowledge of this sphere of male/female relationships. "I do not think I do it so very well."

"Kissing?" he asked, both brows arching. He knew she didn't have much experience where love was concerned, but everyone had to start somewhere. "They say practice makes perfect," he teased, his fingers finding her cheek and leaning in to touch his lips to hers in a soft, sweet sharing of affection.

It was so easy to feel her nerves as his lips found hers; easier still to feel those nerves fade as she relaxed into him, so certain that he was the expert and that her own attempts must surely be disappointing him. Shy and warm, her arms crept about his waist as he kissed her, very slowly growing accustomed to sharing such physical affection.

He felt a wave of desire flow through him, the likes of which he hadn't felt in years. What was it about her that made him feel so alive again? He remained where he was on the stool, his fingers trailing through her hair, around to the back of her neck to pull her deeper into his kiss.

For her part, Lis had never met anyone who could make her feel this way; filled with confidence and nerves in the same instant, certain that if he stopped, she would implode. Her sneakers squeaked against the tile as he drew her in, the soft gasp that parted her lips more than enough to bring this kiss to heights she'd not explored yet. But, oh, how she wanted to explore them with Edward.

"When will my sister be home?" he asked her between slow, languid kisses, taking his time with her, though his heart was pounding with desire. He wanted to take his time with her, to learn her and teach her the finer points of love, but until they had a place of their own, there was no time. Dom and Lila could be back any minute, and what if Brynne decided to come home early"

For a moment, she struggled to find words to answer, caught up in his kisses, her mind clouded with this unfamiliar longing. "Not until ....until six," she murmured finally, her fingers creeping up to touch his cheek as they traded kisses back and forth. "Your cousin said ....said he was taking them to dinner."

"Hmm," Edward murmured, touching his lips to her neck, wondering if he gave Dom a call, his cousin could run interference for him and meet Brynne at work, giving him a few more hours alone with Lis. "Give me a moment to make a call?" he asked, breaking away from her kisses before they both got carried away. Whether anything developed between them or not, he didn't want to chance Brynne walking in on them at an inopportune time. He really was going to have to talk to his sister in the next few days and arrange to get a place of his own.

The sounds that almost tumbled from her lips as his kisses found her neck was certainly encouraging, a soft pleading sort of sound that rumbled from her chest as her fingers tightened in the folds of his sweater. "I ....S", yes ....yes, of course," she whispered, however slow she was to slip back from him.

"I think I might be able to buy us some time," he explained as she unwound herself from him and stepped back. He inhaled deeply to catch his breath. She had apparently had quite an effect on him.

He wasn't the only one who came away from that embrace breathless. Lis bit her lip, her smile still shy but glowing with affection as she stepped away, smoothing her hands over her hips.

"You're too kind," he replied with a smile, reassured by her gentle words and reassuring touch. He reluctantly let go of her hand so that he could go over to the bed and gather up some of the clutter, clearing space for one of them to sit, since there was only one chair in the room. "Please, sit..." he told her, gesturing toward the only chair in the room. It was a small, simple room, the bed taking center stage, surrounded by a dresser, desk and single chair. What he really needed, if he was serious about this project, was an office.

She watched him clearing space on his bed, moving to take the seat Dom had abandoned not so long ago. One part of her noted Lila's school bag still on the floor as she swallowed her grin at the realization that the little girl really had run straight up to her uncle the moment she got home. "Where have you got to?"

"Not far, I'm afraid," he replied, stooping to lift a pile of books off the bed and transfer them to the desk. Some were journals - leather-bound, speckled, and otherwise - while others were for reference and research. "I didn't realize how much material I had until I started going through it."

"You have several years of experiences to go through," she agreed warmly. "Even setting them down in a timeline will be a job, but you must choose which stories to tell and which to leave be. It is a great task."

"It is," he agreed. "I didn't realize how daunting a task it is until I got started. I could really use all the help I can get." And that, hopefully, was where she came in. If she wasn't working for Brynne, maybe she'd have time to help him with his book.

"I-I could help, if you would like it," Lis offered. It hadn't occurred to her that if they moved in together and she quit this job, she would be in the perfect position to do just that. "I do not know the stories you would wish to tell, but I could help you with the timeline, and with the research behind such things."

"You can help me sort out which stories are worth telling." There were so many of them, after all. Stories about people, mostly, and the difficulties and challenges they faced on a daily basis. He took a seat on the bed and exhaled a sigh. Though he was feeling much better than he had been, he still wore out quickly. It would take some time before he was back to normal.

Concern flickered through her eyes at his sigh, but to her credit, she didn't fuss. She inched forward to the edge of the chair, leaning onto her knees as she smiled at him. "Perhaps you are looking too much at the big picture," she suggested softly. "Perhaps if you were to break down what you need to do into steps, and focus only on each step as it comes, it will not seem so very overwhelming."

"Perhaps," he admitted agreeably. He'd been thinking along similar lines himself. Small steps, Edward, he told himself, thinking that same advice probably applied to his advances toward Lis. "The first thing to do is to go through the journals, I think, and sort out which stories are worth telling."

"And it is a big job to do that in itself," she pointed out. Her fingers gently stroked the cover of the uppermost journal, unable to hide her interest in the content, not just to understand the past years of his life, but to understand him, too. "There is so much of you in these books. It is a brave thing, to share it."

He shrugged again, as if it wasn't all that big a deal really. "People should know what?s going on there, besides what they read in the news. You know, I don't think people really appreciate the suffering of others until you make it personal."

"You do not give yourself enough credit," she told him in a gentle tone, reaching out to capture his hand between her own. "How many have worked themselves into illness, and even in recovery have chosen to devote themselves to the same cause" You are a very special man, Edward. I am privileged to know you."

"I'm not so sure about that, but thank you," he replied, with a slightly-embarrassed, slightly-shy smile, glancing to the hand she held between her own. "I only wish to make a difference in the world," he said, not really understanding why more people didn't feel that way.

"I am very sure about it," Lis insisted fervently, her fingers moving smoothly over his hand beneath his gaze. "And you have made a difference. Even if it is for only one or two people, it is a difference no one else could have made. And your commitment to it is what makes you so very special."

"I think you're special, too, Lis," he replied, lifting his gaze to meet hers. "I'm not very good with this sort of thing, and I know it's rather sudden, but I think I'm falling for you, Lis. I think we could be good for each other."

For a moment, the familiar hint of confusion showed itself in her eyes, a sign that his use of language had lost her briefly. Her hands tightened on his as she smiled her shy smile once again. "I do not understand "falling for you?," she admitted awkwardly. "But I do not think it is sudden. I ..." She sighed, frustrated with herself for not being as comfortable in this shared language as she was in her own. "Te quiero, Eduardo, eso es todo."

He arched a brow, clearly surprised by her confession, but pleasantly so. He understood enough Spanish to know what she'd said, enough to be able to repeat the words with almost perfect pronunciation. "Te quiero, Lisbeth," he told her in quiet reply, touching her cheek as he leaned closer to gaze into her eyes.

The darkness of her eyes lit up as he answered her in kind. It might well have seemed too soon, but she had no other word for the way she felt, whether she was with him or not. He was a part of her heart; she only knew one way to describe such a feeling. With a soft laugh, she closed the distance between them, lips capturing his without hesitation to seal the unspoken promise that came with those words. Brynne was going to kill her, but frankly, she didn't care.

He returned her kiss, as soft and warm and gentle as he had before, but with something deeper behind that kiss, something more meaningful. Was it too soon to express his feelings? Maybe, but life was too short, as it was. He knew what he wanted, and what he wanted was her.

At least he could be certain she wasn't dazzled by his extraordinary good looks or dazed by his love making. All Lis knew was the man himself - the personality and mind that had called to her from their first meeting, and it was Edward she had fallen in love with. Not love at first sight, perhaps, but something that had grown over the course of his convalescence thus far, through the time they had spent together in close quarters. No wonder she had been so very afraid that he had changed his mind about her.

The barest murmur of sound traveled from her lips to his as he kissed her once more, her hands creeping up to curl to his cheek and neck as she unconsciously leaned into him, innocently eager in answering that kiss with her own. His uncertainty might have concerned her, if she had not been able to feel his heart in the way he kissed her, the way he touched her, trusting in him not to push her away as she had been so afraid he might. They seemed to be on the brink of something she was not too innocent to guess at, and there was no fear in her. It was Edward; so long as he loved her, she didn't think she would be afraid again.

There was nothing to fear, really. He'd rather die than hurt her. Left alone here with her, he wasn't sure just what was going to happen between them or how far they were going to go, nor did it matter. She had told him she loved him, and that was all that mattered. He put all he was feeling into his kisses and caresses, following his instincts, taking it slow and easy, but not too slow. Though he lacked the awkwardness of a teenager, it was like it was the first time all over again.

Drawn into his arms as they traded kisses back and forth, her own hands began a tentative creep down over his shoulders, wrapping her arms about his waist as she dared to try and match each kiss he gave her with his own. At some point, the clasp in her hair gave up the ghost, pinging free to land on the floor with a thump that was utterly ignored in the tumble of black hair over her shoulders.

Her hair, in his opinion, was one of her best features, and as the clip found its way loose, his fingers found their way into her hair, savoring the silken feel of it against his fingers. If asked, he wasn't sure he'd be able to choose a favorite feature. He loved the dark of her eyes and her soft sweet lips, the way her hair tumbled over her shoulders, the soft curve of her body that he'd tried so hard to ignore. But no more. He needn't worry about that anymore. She had declared her love for him, and though he didn't feel himself worthy, he loved her just the same.

Somehow, her fingers managed to work themselves beneath the out-sized sweater he wore, easing up beneath the pajama shirt that lay underneath it, smoothing her touch over the warm skin of his back. Was it bravery, confidence, desire, or a mixture of the three guiding her to touch him as his fingers combed through her hair" She couldn't have said, only that he felt wonderful to her touch.

Thankfully, he had filled out a little since she had first met him, though he was still and always would be on the slim side. Encouraged by her touch, his fingers found their way down her back to the hem of her shirt, hesitating a moment, as his lips trailed away from hers to leave a trail of soft kisses against her neck and along her shoulder.

She had seen him at his worst, three weeks before, though he doubtless did not recall her stripping him down to sleep after their minor disaster of a first date. Yet that memory was far from her mind as his lips traveled down her neck, her breath staggered against his ear as she rose and fell on her toes, pressing tighter to him with each movement.

He pulled her down to the bed with him, now that it had been cleared of papers and books, hands daring to sneak beneath her shirt, fingers skating against her flesh, wanting to go farther, but hesitating, even as his lips captured hers again and pressed farther, deepening the kiss to explore her with lips and tongue and mouth.

Untouched as she was, there was no hesitation in the way she followed him down onto the bed, nor the gentle shift beneath his touch as he found her skin to explore with those long fingers of his. Lingering with him, exchanging kisses that only seemed to grow in passion, a century could have passed, and Lis would not have noticed. Everything she wanted was right here, in her arms, and she was determined to get the sweater off him sooner rather than later.

He helped with the sweater, shrugging it off his shoulders without much thought. Brynne and Lila and Dom were the furthest thing from his mind now, his attention completely focused on Lis. It wasn't difficult to tell that he wanted her, as evidenced from the hitch in his breath, the tension in his muscles, the desperation of his kisses. "Lis," he whispered, as his lips momentarily parted from hers. "I want you," he told her, needing her to not only know how he felt, but needing her permission if he was to go any farther.

In the tangle of their limbs as they lay together on his bed, in the heady rush of kisses shared and touches dared, she had momentarily lost her grip on their shared language, answering him in the Spanish that came so easily to her lips. "Te amo. Te deseo mi amor, s" ..." Did he know enough to understand that she was answering in kind? Perhaps not, but there was no mistaking the breathless hunger in her eyes and voice.

He knew enough Spanish to understand she was giving him the permission he so craved, but it was more the way she said the words than their actual meaning that encouraged him onward. Hopefully, Dom would keep his word and keep Brynne away a while longer, or there would be hell to pay, but he didn't really care. This had been his home as much as hers, and after everything he'd been through, he deserved the love of a woman as much as anyone. Wasting no more time, since there was so little of it to waste, he drew her shirt upwards, enjoying the view that was revealed to his eyes.

The blush that so charmed him on her face spread over her skin as her shirt fell away, warm with shy desire, trying to be confident enough not to hide herself from his gaze as her lips sought his once more, drawing her fingertips tenderly against his cheek. She had no room in her head for anything but him, any foolish fear of what was happening swept away by the affection that drove it.

"So lovely, Lis," he murmured as his eyes admired the view that was only a hint of the beauty that was Lis. He drew the shirt over her head, before smoothing his hands against her sides and over her breasts, still safely hidden beneath the lace of her bra. His lips touched her neck, her throat, leaving a trail of kisses moving ever downward, hands reaching around to her back to free her of that barrier of lace and allow him to explore her further with mouth and hands.

She didn't know he saw beauty when he looked at her. All she knew was what she saw when she looked at him, absorbing the slenderness of his form with no hint of disgust for the thinness that still suggested itself over his bones. She saw the strength and the weakness, and loved him for both of them, fingertips drawing the buttons of his shirt undone even as she gasped at the gentle loosening of the clasp at her back. She was in his hands and felt no concern, nuzzling kisses against the tousled blonde curls that adorned his head, murmuring her love over and over again.

Whether he'd been sick or not, it seemed he had enough strength for this, or maybe her love just helped him find some reserve of strength inside him that he wasn't aware of. He'd worried that she'd find him undesirable, especially now that he was little more than a bag of bones, but he was too far gone to worry much about that now, letting his instincts take over, reveling in all that was Lis. He was tender with her, gentle and patient and loving, each soft caress given in love and affection and a desire that was not wholly physical, but of the heart, too.

It was likely Dom had already beaten him to it, but Edward nodded his head gravely. "All right. I'll talk to her tonight," he promised. As much as he was dreading that conversation, it was a necessary one.

Lis rose up on her toes to kiss him. "Do not worry so much, querido," she murmured. "You will make yourself ill." There was as much a warning in there as a gentle reprimand - if his worrying made him relapse, there would be no holding Lis back from making her position abundantly clear with his sister.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry. She loves me," he offered with a faint smile. "We'd better go eat before the stew burns," he added, slipping back into the old worn sweater he wore over his pajamas. If one didn't know better, they'd never know he was a Granger the way he dressed.

Pausing to slip her feet back into her sneakers, Lis watched him with a secretive smile for a moment before slipping from the room, her hair clasp forgotten and kicked under his bed at some point. The stew wasn't burned, thanks to the exceedingly low heat, and she was quick to lay the table for him before moving back to the stove, humming to herself without the need for a radio this time.

He followed her down the stairs to the kitchen, wondering what it was going to feel like to get back into regular clothing after living in pajamas for the last three weeks. He'd promised to talk to Brynne tonight and Humphrey tomorrow, hoping both conversations went his way. "Do you think Zahan should stay with us when she visits or with Brynne and Lila?" he asked, the thought coming to him out of the blue as he thought about their moving out.

Lis looked over her shoulder at him curiously as she stirred the stew, giving his bowl a chance to warm up in the oven before she served up his meal. "I....I do not know," she mused thoughtfully. "It would be good for her to know Lila, but she will want to see you. Perhaps Lila could stay with us for a little while, when Zahan is here" With Miss Granger's permission, of course." Odd, how Dom was Dom, and Lila was Lila, but Brynne was always Miss Granger.

"Hmm, perhaps," he mused, as he went about making himself a cup of tea on his own. He wasn't sure how Brynne would feel about that, but if couldn't trust him with Lila, who could she trust' And it was no secret he and Lila adored each other. He wasn't really sure how the visit was going to work yet, but they'd work out all those details when the time came.

Lis smiled, bending to fetch the warm bowl from the oven to fill it with the beef stew she had put together. It could always be frozen down as an emergency meal, what remained of it. This, she brought over to the table for him, together with the bread that had been baked earlier that day. "Eat, querido," she told him, one hand smoothing through his tousled curls. "You need to keep up your strength."

If what had passed between them a short while ago was any preview of what was to come, he would definitely need to keep his strength up for that. "Yes, dear," he replied with a teasing grin as he took a seat at the table, tea cup in hand. The smell of the stew seemed to convince him that he did, indeed, have an appetite. "Smells delicious," he told her, as he picked up his spoon.

"Yes, you do," she murmured, bending to drop a kiss just behind his ear before she returned to the stove, taking the stew off the heat to cool before wiping down the surfaces once again.

He chuckled at that comment, knowing it was probably very far from the truth. "I highly doubt that," he said, though he had at least showered today. He smiled at the show of affection, following her with his eyes and frowning a little. "Aren't you going to join me?" he asked, wondering why she hadn't served herself a bowl. "I would like you to join me, Lis. You are not my servant. You're my..." He trailed off, wondering what word would properly describe her now that they had crossed the line between friends and lovers.

She hesitated, caught between wanting to join him and aware that if she was caught at the table with him, his strained conversation with his sister might begin before he was ready for it. But he asked her, and how could she refuse" Touched, she turned back to the pan, serving herself a small portion, and moved to join him at the table. "I'm yours."

"If you're mine, then I'm yours," he countered, the smile back in place now that she was humoring him. "Besides, you still need to eat," he said, handing her a hunk of bread. "I don't want someone to wait on me hand and foot, Lis. You're my equal, my partner, my companion in life. My friend and my lover." There, he'd said it, and perhaps if things kept going the way they were going, one day she'd be his wife.

Her fingers brushed his as she took the bread he gave her, automatically tapping the loose crumbs into the stew before her with a faint smile. "Your companion in life?" she repeated softly. "I like that." Her smile widened as she giggled a little, unable to avoid imagining Lila's reaction when she finally worked out what was going on. "May I wait on you just a little, querido" I like to look after you."

"I suppose that sounds rather silly, doesn't it, but I'm not sure how else to put it. What I'm trying to say is that I want someone who will be my equal, my partner, my companion in everything. Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked, fingers reaching for her hand.

She nodded, her fingers curling into his. "I do understand," she assured him, swallowing her own opinion that she could never be his equal in intelligence, compassion, or experience. "Te amo, te quiero. I will try not to do what you do not wish me to do."

"Well, I don't really mind being looked after a little," he admitted with a smile. After all, if it hadn't been for her, he might very well have ended up in the hospital and what man didn't like being fussed over a little every now and then, especially by a beautiful woman. "I'm sure there's nothing you could do to upset me. Now, eat your stew."

"Then you should allow me to look after you," she told him firmly, reclaiming her hand to break her bread and begin eating obediently. "I am eating. Now you eat." She looked at him from beneath her lashes, half-teasing, half-serious.

"If you ask me nicely, I might even let you tuck me into bed at night," he teased back, turning his attention back to his stew, his stomach reminding him of his need to eat.

She laughed at that, warm and relaxed in his company in a way she had not been until now. Just that morning, she had been shy and awkward, uncertain of her future, or even if she had a future that held any part of him. And yet now, though she was still shy, that uncertainty was gone, swept aside by his reassurance. The companion of my life, he had called her. How could he possibly know how wonderful it felt to have such a place by his side" She hoped she never disappointed him, sure she would break her own heart if she did. The difficulty would come when Brynne returned to burst this little bubble they had formed together, but until then, it was only too easy to linger in the shared warmth of promises and affection. Even if it was a dream, it was a good one. Lis did not intend to wake up from it, ever.

((Dun-dun-DUUNNN! What will happen when Brynne gets home? Stayed tuned to find out!))