Home Sweet Home

RhyDin City, November 11th...

"Jonny!" the girl squealed in excitement, dashing from the house and catapulting herself into her brother's open arms, obviously and unabashedly overjoyed to see him.

Jonathan effortlessly scooped his sister up and twirled her around in a circle before setting her back on her feet and beaming down at her. It was no secret that she was the apple of his eye and the one person he trusted and loved most in the entire world.

"I didn't know you were coming home. Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as he set her down.

"I wanted to surprise you." He smiled and tweaked her nose. "Are you surprised?"

She let out a peel of laughter and threw her arms around his neck. "It's the best surprise ever! I've missed you so much!"

"I know. I've missed you, too." He smiled as he looked adoringly down at his younger sister. "You've grown up since I've been away," he said, feeling a small stab of sadness, realizing how much of her childhood he'd missed. She'd become a young woman since the last time he'd seen her, as beautiful as their mother had once been. "Any boyfriends yet?" he asked, with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He smiled when he saw her blush and knew he had his answer. "Who is he" Do I need to give him the big brother speech?"

"Jon, don't! Please!" She blushed, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink.

He laughed and leaned in to press a kiss against her forehead. "Can I help it if I'm an overprotective big brother?"

"It's you who needs protecting, Jon, not me."

The smile faded a fraction, though he wouldn't let her see how her words had hit a nerve. "I'm fine, Lena. All better. Good as new."

"Really?" she asked, arching a slender brown brow.

"Really," he smiled reassuringly. "I'm clean. I swear." He drew an invisible X across his chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die?"

Helena frowned, her voice turning quiet. "Please don't say that, Jonathan. I worry about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you."

He tipped her chin upwards to meet his gaze, seeing tears gathering her bright blue eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to me, Lena. I'm fine. I promise."

"How long are you staying?"

"Here or in the city?" he asked, brushing a stray lock of brown hair away from her face.

"Either. How much time do I get to spend with my brother before your fans take you away again?"

He laughed. "I don't think you have to worry about that too much. Fans are fickle. It's been over a year. Out of sight, out of mind. I'm as good as forgotten."

"Jon, you hate the textile business. What are you going to do?"

He shrugged his shoulders, noncommittally. "I'm hoping to find something in local theater."

"Local theater?" she echoed, sounding a little surprised. "Will you be happy in local theater?"

"I've had enough of the limelight, Lena. I just want to act."

"Well, you don't have to worry about it right now, Jonny," she reassured him, smiling warmly up at him. "I'm just happy you're home." She reached for her brother's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Come inside. I'll make you a sandwich and some tea and you can tell me all about your adventures.?

He frowned a little as she took his hand, not really wanting to tell her what had happened but somehow knowing he would.

Home Sweet Home RhyDin City, December 4th...

Helena was crying and Jon didn't know how to console her. "What do you mean Caroline has been abducted" What are you talking about?" she asked between sobs and hiccuped breaths. Her hands felt icy between his, her face too pale.

He'd tried breaking the news as gently as he could, but there was no easy way to tell her that slavers had taken their cousin hostage and no one seemed to know where she could be found. "Lena, calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Jonathan!" She yanked her hands away from him and set them against her hips, glaring at him, as if all of this was somehow his fault. "Everything was fine until you came home!"

She might as well have stabbed him in the heart with a dagger. He blinked in shock, looking as though she'd just struck him across the face at the implied accusation. So, there it was, out in the open. Everything was fine, so long as he stayed away. "Lena, I swear, I had nothing to do with it. How could you even think that?"

She broke into more sobbing, flinging herself at her brother and tossing her arms around his neck. "I know....I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Jonny." Her shoulders shook, and she buried her face against his neck, crying inconsolably against him. "What are we going to do?"

He held her close and rubbed a hand against her back. Her words had wounded him, but he'd expected as much sooner or later. The black sheep, just like Gigi, he thought. First Nikki and now Lena. So much for starting over. His sins seemed to follow him wherever he went, no matter how many amends he'd tried to make. He drew a deep breath to regain his composure. He couldn't let her know what he was feeling, how torn up he was over everything. He was supposed to be the strong one. God knew someone had to be.

"We aren't going to do anything," he told her softly, trying to sound firm and yet gentle at the same time. "I'm going to go talk to Ollie and the others and figure this thing out."

She lifted her head, tears on her face, worry in her eyes, perhaps mingled with a little remorse for her harsh words. "You're not going to do anything stupid, are you?"

"No..." He brushed the tears from her face with an uncalloused and surprisingly gentle hand. "I'm not going to do anything stupid." Certainly, not as stupid as Caroline. He wondered what exactly she'd done to get herself into this mess. He suspected it was more than just bearing the name Granger.

"What do they want from us, Jon' Why Caroline?" She was crying again and he pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her to hold her close, sliding his fingers through her long brown hair, trying to console and reassure her.

"Money, I guess. Some people just take what they want, Lena. They don't care about anything or anyone. All they care about is power and greed."

"What if we don't give them what they want?" she asked peering up at him. "What if....what if they hurt her anyway?"

Jon sensed a fresh flood of tears threatening. "They're not going to hurt her," he said, trying to convince himself as much as her. Because if they did, there would be hell to pay. One way or another, he'd make sure they never forgot the name Granger so long as they lived. He'd make it his quest in life to destroy them and end slavery on RhyDin, once and for all.

"Promise?" she asked, sounding small and frightened.

He smiled reassuringly, though he could, by rights, make no promises. All he could promise was that he'd do everything he could to make sure Caroline was safely returned and that no one else got hurt. "Promise. I have to go talk to Ollie and the others. Are you going to be okay?" he asked, tilting her chin to face him and searching her eyes for an answer. He'd already forbidden her going along. She was safer at home, at least, for the time being.

She sniffled and nodded her head, trying to look brave. "Just....don't..."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Lena. I promise. You know where Dad kept his guns?" he asked, meeting her gaze. He needed to know she knew what to do, if worse came to worse.

She nodded, her chin trembling.

"You remember how to use them?"

She bobbed her head again, eyes brimming with fresh tears. "Jonny, I'm scared."

"I know," he said, pulling her in for another embrace. "I'll talk to Kaylee. See if you can stay at Maple Grove for a few days."

She laid the palm of a hand against his cheek, knowing he was trying to be brave for her sake. He was, after all, her big brother, but how much of it was genuine and how much was acting, she could never be sure. "Be careful, okay?"

He smiled and curled a hand around hers. "Always." He dropped a kiss against her forehead, not wanting to admit he was as scared as she was.

A little while later, he was on his way to the inn, hoping to find the others gathered there. The one mistake Anubis had made in all of this was underestimating the power and strength of family.

Legal Consultation

The Red Dragon Inn December 8th...

Hands shoved in coat pockets, a scarf wrapped around his neck, looking like he'd just come from a magazine shoot for GQ, Jon made his way down the street toward the inn. It was cold, but not as cold as the previous night. Still a little too cold for his tastes though. It sure wasn't L.A. He pulled a hand from his coat pocket to pluck the dangling cigarette from his lips. One last drag and it was flicked away to burn out in the snow.

Riley had arrived about half an hour earlier and was ensconced in the booth farthest from the door. The table in front of her was covered with papers and she was making notes on a yellow legal pad as she sipped coffee and nibbled on a blueberry scone. It was wonderful to get back to legal work. She had - despite protests to the contrary - missed it horribly.

He paused a moment to take that last drag and then he continued up the porch stairs and into the inn, shutting the door behind him. He cupped his hands against his mouth to warm them a little before moving farther into the commons. He tossed a look around, as if he was looking for someone in particular. Spying a familiar face at the bar, he tossed his cousin Bridget a wave.

Riley glanced up as the door opened and threw Jon a wave and a smile. Then she held up an empty coffee mug and a mostly-full coffee pot.

He tossed a nod at Riley to acknowledge her presence, as well as that of the coffee, and exchanged a few words with his cousin. Apparently, yet another long lost Granger family member had recently returned home, and she wanted to inform him. Dominic. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. He hadn't seen Dom in years, but he couldn't worry about that now. He had other matters to deal with.

"I've got an appointment with my legal counsel," he told Bridget, excusing himself.

Riley listened to the conversation between the Grangers surreptitiously as she organised the files back into something resembling order. The corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk at the 'legal counsel" comment and she sat back in the banquette, smoothing down the casual blazer she was wearing over a black-and-white striped shirt and skinny jeans. Oh, yeah. This was the height of business casual. At least she'd remembered to do something with her hair and slap on some eye liner, mascara, and a little lip gloss before leaving the house.

He shrugged off his coat and folded it over the back of the booth before sliding in across from her.

She poured him a cup of coffee and slid it across the table to him. The lad looked haggard and run down, but as he was one of two paying legal clients, she kept her thoughts to herself. There was a little more small talk, and then Riley got straight to business.

She pulled the curtain closed on the booth, thus sealing out the...smelly inhabitants in the rest of the room.

He blinked at her as she pulled the curtains closed. She meant business. "If you want to make out, all you have to do is ask," he teased.

"When we're done here, Mr Granger," she said in a hushed voice, "I'd like to speak to you about your cousin, Gigi."

He sighed. That couldn't be good. "What about?"

She pulled over the file and tapped a manicured nail atop it. "This first. Unpleasantness later, all right?"

"I thought this was unpleasantness," he muttered, reaching for the cup of coffee.

She shook her head. "Nope. It's a cake walk, actually."

"Cake walk" How so?" He curled a hand around the coffee cup and leaned closer.

"How about you tell me your side of things" All I've seen is the police report and the photographer's statement." She drew the pad closer to her and set her pen down atop it, giving him a nod to indicate she was ready when he was.

He shrugged his shoulders. "There's not much to tell. We were having dinner in a restaurant, minding our own business. Someone must have blabbed because when we were done, there were reporters outside waiting. We tried to ignore them and get to the cab, but this one guy got in the way..."

"Did he touch you?"

He shook his head and continued. "He started asking questions. Rude questions. You know, like was she my latest squeeze. Stuff like that. I told him to back off, but he kept at it."

Her hand was flowing smoothly over the legal pad, taking down notes as he spoke. "But he didn't ever touch you? What about your girlfriend" Nicole Harrison, right?"

He shoved his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I don't know what happened. We got separated somehow. He grabbed her by the arm and when she tried to get away, he called her a slut."

"He grabbed her?" She stopped writing and looked up at him, a brow raised in question.

"Yeah, like he wanted to pull her away from me. I guess I over-reacted, but he crossed the line."

Shaking her head with a tiny smile of triumph on her face, she said, "He did. And we're filing a countersuit to that effect. He initiated contact. You simply were defending Ms Harrison." The pen tapped for a moment on the pad as she thought. "Did you know any of the other photogs there" Were they from a national news magazine or something like that?"

"I know a few of them, why?"

"We can subpoena their footage, see if the attack-" she was already calling it an attack - "was recorded on film."

"You mean....I actually stand a chance of getting out of this?" he asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

"You hired me, didn't you?" She flashed him a confident smile and sipped the remainder of the coffee in her mug before refilling it. "When's your arraignment hearing" The end of the month right?"

"Yeah, after Christmas." He paused a moment, frowning worriedly. "It's not here. It's in California. Is that going to be a problem?"

She shook her head. "Nope, it shouldn't be. I'll see if I can get the trial expedited, too. That way you won't have to sit around and wait for six months with this thing hanging over your head like the Sword of Damocles." She glanced down at the pad for a moment, chewing delicately on her lower lip as she thought. Then she looked back up at Jon. "So. I think that's all I need for right now. Do you have any questions for me?"

There was his opportunity to ask the million dollar question, and it wasn't are you single because he already knew the answer to that one. "How much is this gonna cost me?"

She gave him a dazzling, stunning smile - the kind of smile that automatically went to two very distinct places on a man's anatomy - and wrote down a figure on a slip of paper before sliding it over to him. Yep. She was working the distraction angle so he didn't reconsider the ban on allowing Gigi to beat her to a pulp.

He didn't miss that smile and it had pretty much the desired effect on his anatomy, though he'd never admit it, but when he saw the figure she wrote on the paper, it had the exact opposite effect. "Holy shit! You'd better work fast, or I'm gonna go broke."

She chuckled softly. "You're a Granger; you can afford three times that. Also' If you'd have hired an LA attorney, you'd be paying that...plus outrageously inflated filing fees and copying fees. Really, you're getting a good deal. I won't nickle and dime you to death."

He tossed up a hand to indicate he understood and didn't need a lecture. "Do we have to shake on it or something?"

She grinned and slid a small sheaf of papers out of the file, along with another pen. "Contact." She flipped through it to the last page where there was a yellow-highlighted X next to a line. "Sign here and then we're in business."

He'd been told she was the best, and he had to admit, he'd expected her to be more expensive. He really was getting a deal. "Should I have my lawyer check over the paperwork?" He smiled as he snatched up the pen.

"Sure." She took it back and glanced through it, biting her lower lip in a tiny smirk. "Looks good." She pushed it back towards him.

"How much did that cost me, counselor?" He scribbled his name on the line beside the X and turned the pile of papers back toward her. "First time I ever paid someone to give them an autograph."

She laughed wickedly and countersigned against his signature at the bottom and then stuffed the whole file back into her briefcase. "I'll include that in the cost of this hour." Turning away from him for a moment, she tugged the curtain open just enough to peek out into the room. "Christ," she muttered and let the curtain fall back closed. "So, this is off the record now and I'm not charging you for this little bit of advice, okay?"

He handed her the pen and leaned back, a hand curling around the coffee cup again. "You charging me for the coffee or is that a bonus?" He was trying to keep a straight face, but he was just teasing.

A quick-silver smile chased across full lips. "Total bonus." She leaned forward then, her face going sober and serious. "So, before I get into this, I've gotta ask you a question."

"Okay." He leaned forward again, turning serious and almost dreading what was coming.

She pursed her lips a little before jumping in. "Did you know about me before Rhy'Din?"

He realized what it was she was probably trying to get at and lowered his voice. Talking about his own life and problems was one thing, but discussing someone else's was quite another. He'd read through the information his agent had sent him about her. Back on Earth, she was as much a celebrity as he was, though for very different reasons. "I know who' and what you are. Do me a favor and don't kill my cousin?" Ironically, he'd asked Gigi the same thing with regard to Riley.

She nodded slowly. "Good. Then tell Gigi to back off. I really, really, really do not want to hurt her, but if she continues getting in my face - especially around the full moon - I can't always control the Jaguar."

"I'll talk to her, but that doesn't mean she'll listen. Gigi has a mind of her own. You could just ignore her."

"I could, and so could she, yeah?"

He sighed, knowing that was unlikely. "I'll talk to her." He paused a moment as another thought occurred to him. "Can I ask you something?"

"That's all I can..." She trailed off and then nodded. "Sure. Do I have to answer?"

"You said something the other night about an anti-slavery group," he said quietly.

She made a small moue of surprise and then nodded. "I'll need to talk to them, but chances are I'll be able to set up a meeting between you and them." She frowned softly. "Have you had any word?"

The mask he wore to hide what he was feeling from the rest of the world fell away and his expression shifted, unable to hide his worry and guilt. "Not yet. What are we living in the Dark Ages here?"

That guilt tugged at her heart, where it was mirrored. She reached out tentatively to cover his hand with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze before withdrawing. "I'm sorry, Jon. There's nothing you could have done, though. Those...creatures...take what they want, whenever they want, because people are too afraid to stand up for themselves."

"I'm not afraid," he denied, "but if I try to do anything, they'll hurt her. It's....frustrating." And that was putting it mildly. "It should be outlawed. What kind of place allows that' No one is safe."

She hesitated a moment, debating whether or not to say what she was thinking to him. It was cold comfort. She took a deep breath and spoke softly. "Caroline's a beautiful girl. Chances are he won't hurt her. That'd spoil the...er...goods, so to speak."

"They better not hurt her," he growled. If they did, he'd make sure they lived to regret it. As it was, he was considering making their lives a living hell, but not until Caroline was safely returned.

She forced a confident smile that she didn't really feel and said, "She'll be okay. You'll get her back. Don't worry about it, okay' Focus on what you can take care of and leave the rest to..." She frowned. "Is the Conglomerate handling things?"

He shrugged his shoulders, the subject of Caroline's disappearance snuffing out any hopeful feelings he might have had about his hearing. "They're taking too long. I have to talk to Gigi and see if she's heard anything."

"Don't do anything stupid, Jon. There's a right way and a wrong way to handle this situation." She rolled her eyes at the mention of Gigi. "Oh, lord," she muttered softly. "Still, sometimes criminals have ins with other criminals that us law-abiding citizens don't." She grabbed her coat and briefcase and tugged open the curtain to the booth, letting a flood of light in.

"She's not a..." He trailed off, jaw clenching, feeling defensive about his cousin's less than legal career choice. "If she's a criminal, what are they?" he asked, referring to the slavers.

Once the curtain was opened, he looked over his shoulder to find a few of his cousins scattered about the room and Riley's fianc" walking in the door. "Your boyfriend is here. And we're off the clock." He moved to his feet, leaving the coffee cup where it was on the table and tossing his coat over one arm.

"Like I said, criminals know other criminals." She gave Jon a little lopsided smirk and slid out of the booth. "So, I'll go ahead and file a countersuit and subpoena that footage, okay?" She spotted David and gave him a little wave.

He nodded and offered a faint smile in return, more out of politeness than friendliness, annoyed at her remarks about Gigi. "Yeah, thanks," he replied shortly.

She chucked him gently on the shoulder, "Chin up, Handsome." And then she was off towards the bar, bringing empty coffee cups and the pot back and exchanging them for a clean glass, since she noted that David hadn't retrieved one for her.

He watched as she retreated. Now that their business was concluded, they returned to their own separate worlds, him to his family, and her to her fianc". At least, for now.

((The above is based on live role-play between the players of Jonathan Granger and Riley O'Rourke. It has been edited for ease of reading. Many thanks to Riley's player for the scene.))

The Taming of the Shrew

RhyDin City December 11th...

Ever since they'd returned from L.A., Jon had been miserable. Nikki had refused to speak to him, and then Caroline had gone missing. It became clear that Kaylee was in love with him, and he didn't want to hurt her. He was worried about his court hearing, though Riley had assured him everything would be fine. He had, to put things bluntly, been miserable. He'd even gone so far as to partying with Correy's frat boy friends. It was better than being alone, and Correy seemed genuinely concerned.

Talking to Correy had made Jon realize that he was the only one who could do anything about his situation. If he wanted to win Nikki back, he'd have to try harder. So, the very next morning, he had a dozen roses sent to her apartment with a card that quoted a sonnet by Shakespeare which started, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day."

All the rumors that Nikki had heard and everything she'd read about Jon had come to light while in California. She'd demanded to come home and since her return, she hadn't even touched the bags that he'd bought her. The dresses she had to have, the handbags, all of it still sat in the fancy sacks from the shops on Rodeo.

Her phone was in her hand night after night, her fingers reluctant to press the buttons for his number, and even pausing on Lannie's number a few times. She wasn't happy with him or his lifestyle choices, and now she was feeling that she was nothing more than another notch on his headboard. Another conquest for "Love'em and Leave'em Jon," or whatever the reporters called him.

The roses were sitting in a vase on the table, the card was read and neatly burned with a candle. "Compare me to....the flames of Hell, Jonathan Granger," Nikki had muttered under her breath.

She'd thought about dumping the roses into the wastebasket, but decided they didn't do anything wrong and they did smell nice. So she walked away into her bedroom and started painting her nails, working on anything to occupy her mind. She was home, and still pouting. The color on her nails from a light pink to a darker brown. She would just as soon forget she ever went to California with that playboy.

All he'd been able to think about for the last year was coming home, settling down, and starting a new life with Nikki, and now his dreams seemed to be shattered before they'd even had a chance to begin. He'd gone shopping that day, buying a few things he'd need for what he had planned. One way or another, he was determined to win her back, and if he didn't, well, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. He'd already talked about leaving Rhydin again. Correy had asked him not to, but maybe it was better that way. Less painful for those he loved, less painful for himself.

He waited until it was dark, hoping she'd be home, hoping she was alone, hoping she wasn't leaning on Lannie in his absence, telling her what an ass he'd been. She'd seen first hand what his life had been like before coming home, and he'd hoped she'd understood why he no longer wanted that life. He absolutely hated wearing tights, but he'd decided that if he was going to play the part of Romeo, he wasn't doing it half-assed.

Since Romeo didn't have a car, he left the Bentley home. The tights were itchy and, well, tight, and they didn't really keep his legs warm, but it was the role he'd played when they'd first fallen in love and he was hoping it would hold as much special meaning for her as it did for him.

He lifted his head and looked up at her bedroom window, frowning as he considered what to do next. She wasn't really Juliet, hence she wasn't standing on the balcony pining for him. There wasn't even a balcony to stand on. He could throw something at the window to get her attention but then he might break the window. There was only one solution to the problem and that was to climb.

The drapes were open slightly, and she glanced out the window momentarily, thinking that she saw something, then shrugged it off as a shadow while waving her hands to let the polish dry. She saw his side of things. The harassment, the reporters, the fans, and other idiotic ways of the bright lights. Her fans were different. They were nothing like his, and for that, she was glad. She glanced toward the window from her bed then, thinking that she heard something, but surely it was just her mind playing tricks on her.

He'd climbed the tree near her window before, years ago when he was younger, but that was another house and another time. It wasn't that high really, just two stories. If he fell, he was fairly confident he'd survive the fall, though he might break an arm or leg. It was worth the risk. Hopefully, not his neck. Climbing in tights was not the easiest thing to do, and he wondered why men had ever worn them. They weren't warm or practical. He reached for the lowest branch and pulled himself upwards, searching for a foothold, slowly inching his way upwards.

She glanced toward the window again, watching the tree sway, and then frowned, thinking about the last time Jon had climbed to her window.

He almost slipped once and the tree branches shook, but he somehow managed to hold on, pausing a moment to steady himself before continuing on.

Another glance toward the shaking tree, and then she wondered if the wind was starting to pick up for a winter storm.

He was almost to the top, hand over hand, carefully climbing each branch like a ladder, when his foot slipped again. The tree shook violently and down he went, crying out in surprise as he tumbled downward, landing on his back with a hard thumb and a groan. He laid there on the ground, staring up at the sky, gasping for breath, the wind knocked out of him.

She heard the yell and saw the tree shake again, so she moved for the window and pulled it open to look out, her phone in hand ready to dial for the police. Maybe some of the drama from Earth followed her home, but instead, she could see....Romeo' She looked down at Jon and could see he was dazed. "Oh, my God, don't move, Jonny!" she called as she slammed the window shut, jerked her boots on under her nightgown, and ran outside to go to his side. Down the stairs she went and in no time, she was there, looking down. "Are you okay?"

He blinked up at her, a little dazed, his lips moving silently a moment and then he found his voice, weak though it was. "What light through yonder window breaks" It is the east, and Juliet is the sun."

"Do I need to call the ambulance?" She was looking at him with concern, then blinked when he started quoting Shakespeare. "Really' Now, Jon' Are you hurt?"

"Nikki, I..." He felt tears prickling at his eyes, but whether they were because of physical or emotional pain was hard to say. She still cared about him. She must or she wouldn't be standing over him looking so concerned. He rolled sideways, pushing himself up off the ground, biting back a groan. He felt like he'd just been hit by a truck. Okay, so he wasn't sixteen anymore, but he wasn't that old either.

"O Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou, Romeo' Deny thy Father, and refuse thy name; Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet." She said softly, while trying to help him up slowly. "Are you okay' You are too old to climb to my window anymore....and this outfit..." She raised a brow. "Are you sure it's legal?"

He recited back, "See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!" And he reached out to brush his fingers against her cheek.

"What man art thou that thus bescreen'd in night so stumblest and nearly break your neck on my counsel?"

"I love thee, I love but thee; with a love that shall not die; till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old."

She watched him with narrow eyes then. "Is this a ploy, Jonathan Granger" Are you being true to me and yourself" Or is there truth to the words from those nasty reporters?"

He took her hand and pressed it against his chest close to his heart, his eyes pleading with hers. "Did my heart love 'til now" Foreswear its sight—for I never saw true beauty 'til this night." He was using various Shakespeare lines now, not only from the Bard's most famous play, but whichever line seemed to fit the moment.

She held a special place in her heart for Shakespeare and Jon knew it. They knew nearly everything about one another. Could his being there reciting just be another ploy' "Am I more than another conquest?" She saw the look in his eyes and her pain was evident in hers.

He took her hand between both his own and pressed it against his heart, eyes shining with unshed tears. Yes, he was an actor and he was letting the Bard's words speak for him, but what he was feeling was real.

"Canst thou, O cruel! Say I love thee not, When I against myself with thee partake" Do I not think on thee, when I forgot Am of my self, all tyrant, for thy sake" Who hateth thee that I do call my friend, On whom frown'st thou that I do fawn upon, Nay, if thou lour'st on me, do I not spend Revenge upon myself with present moan' What merit do I in my self respect, That is so proud thy service to despise, When all my best doth worship thy defect, Commanded by the motion of thine eyes" But, love, hate on, for now I know thy mind, Those that can see thou lov'st, and I am blind."

A few tears rolled down her cheek then. "Is that Shakespeare's truth or your own?"

He moved to a knee before her, biting back the pain, taking both her hands in his. "My bounty is as deep as the sea, my love as deep; the more I give to thee, the more I have, for both are infinite."

"Jonny," she sighed. "You are going to kill your knee, and you are going to freeze to death in those tights. Let's go in and talk, okay?" She was loving his romantic gesture, but he was still in the doghouse with her, though she was filled with concern for him from that fall.

"Hear my soul speak. Of the very instant that I saw you, did my heart fly at your service." He wasn't going to budge until she admitted that she loved him. "Doubt that the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move his aides, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love."

"If you catch your death of cold, Jonathan Granger, I will hear no part of it, no matter how sweet." She was trying to be tough, but she wasn't moving either. By this point, a few neighbors had gathered at the sound of the commotion.

He released her hand to reach into a pouch at his waist and pull out a diamond engagement ring, which he then slid onto her finger. "I humbly do beseech of your pardon, for too much loving you." He was accustomed to an audience and ignored the gathering crowd.

She stared at him, then the ring on her finger, before she stared at his face and saw the adoration in his eyes. "I love you, Jon." She leaned down then and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder, and started to cry.

It wasn't quite the reaction he was expecting. It seemed he was good at making women cry lately. Were they happy or sad tears, he wondered. He moved to his feet, pulling her up with him and wrapping his arms around her to hold her close.

They were tears of happiness, though she couldn't tell him that. She was afraid that she had lost him to another woman and was believing some of the things the tabloids had said about him.

He tilted her chin up to meet his gaze, eyes soft with adoration. "I love you, Nikki. I always have and I always will."

The Ring (Cont'd.)

"What's wrong?" She noticed his sigh.

"Nothing. Can I get a cup of coffee or something?"

"You are lying," she said as she got up and went to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. "What happened" You know I know when something is bugging you....and it's more than the ring."

He was frowning again, trying to decide whether or not to tell her and how much to tell her.

"If you want to talk, I'm here." She started getting the cups down and ready.

He was idly tracing the wood grain of her kitchen table with a finger and thinking.

She came back to where he was sitting and held a cup of coffee toward him and a small bowl of sweeteners and cream.

He took the cup from her with a muttered thanks.

"What is it, Jonny?" She sat down on the floor at his feet and rested her head on his knee, letting her coffee cool.

"My cousin Caroline was kidnapped by slavers," he blurted out. She was going to find out sooner or later.

"Slavers" What's a slaver?" She felt a little silly asking, but she hadn't heard of them.

"Nikki....Seriously?" He arched a brow, wondering if she really was that naive.

"What' I don't know what that is, I'm sorry."

"People who buy and sell slaves."

"For what"

"For profit."

"Why would they kidnap her?"

"They want ten percent of the the profits from my family's business."

"I mean, could that happen to me" Should I hire a bodyguard again?"

"It might be a good idea."

"I don't want to be kidnapped, Jon." She looked worried. "And how are they getting her back?"

"I don't know. The Board voted against the deal. If we report it to the Watch, they might kill her."

She leveled her gaze on him. "Don't go doing anything stupid, okay' I can't lose my fiance."

She was about the fifth person to tell him that. "I don't know what to do. I was told he'd be willing to make a trade but a trade for what? Honestly, they should all be strung up."

"Let someone handle it and be with me and the rest of the family. Just don't go off half-cocked." She listened to him then and shook her head. "Trade" Like what?"

"Now you sound like Gigi," he muttered. Gigi had told him not to go off guns blazing.

"If I can help, I will....but I don't want you hurt."

"I don't want you getting involved in it. I don't want you getting hurt. We'll....figure something out."

"Well, we are at a standstill. We don't want the other hurt."

"I'm not gonna get hurt. I'm not gonna do anything stupid."

"Stay out of it, Jon. You have enough to deal with. Crazy fiancee and that court date." The last part was said quietly.

"I can't stay out of it. It's Caroline!" He sighed again, sorry he'd snapped at her.

She just blinked at his snapping and leaned away to pick up her coffee. "I know who it is. But you see what I am saying, I hope."

"I'm not gonna do anything stupid, Nik." How many times did he have to say that"

"Why do you have to even think about getting involved, Jon?" She sipped cautiously from the cup.

"Because she's my cousin and....I couldn't live with myself if something happened to her, Nik."

"It's not your fight. You say you came back for me, but you are always trying to solve every Granger hiccup. They've been in more crap than you were before rehab, and now that you are out, with me, they want to drag you into every frigging family issue?"

"It's not a family issue, Nik! It's my cousin!" He was getting obviously annoyed with her now.

"Is that not family' I understand who she is, Jon. I just don't want you getting involved in the Watch's affairs."

"Don't you get it, Nik" My hands are tied."

"I get that you already have a court date coming up, and I doubt highly they'd be impressed if you went off on some fool's folly mission."

"Fool's folly' Is that what you think I am' A fool?"

"I don't want you dead, Jonathan!"

"I'm not going to be..." He suddenly realized he was raising his voice, and he drew a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Criminals, real bad guys, shoot to kill. It's not some damned movie. You don't have a frigging stand-in. You will wind up held for more of your family's damn money or dead! I don't want to marry only to become a widow! My best friend finally asks me to marry him and for what? So I can visit his headstone? You think of your family all the time. What about the woman you came back for, the woman that will be your family soon?" She was angry now - first the stress of the ring, now Jon Granger wanting to save the world.

He reached for her hand, taking it between his own, steadying his voice, trying to appear calm, even if he wasn't. "Nik, I'm not going to do anything stupid, and I'm not going to end up dead. I promise."

"Damn it, Jonathan. Think about your family, your future with me..." The tears had started again. It had been a stressful day.

"Nikki, please don't cry." He reached across the table to brush the tears from her face.

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I promise I won't do anything stupid. I'm not going to go in guns blazing or anything. I'm not an idiot."

"I know you aren't....but you keep trying to solve their problems."

"This isn't a problem, Nik. It's a matter of life and death."

"Why you? There are other damn Grangers."

"It's not just me."

"What happens if they take you? What am I supposed to do then?"

"They're not gonna take me, Nik. They don't want me."

"Why not?"

His fingers grazed her cheek, brushing her hair back from her face. "Because I'm not female."

"And?"

"I think they're mostly interested in female slaves."

She got up from the table and went around to place herself into his lap and wrap her arms around him. "I don't want to lose you, Jon."

"I swear, Nik..." He wrapped his arms around her waist as she settled herself in his lap. "You're not going to lose me. You're stuck with me."

"Promise?"

"I promise." He smiled, his fingers sliding through her hair.

She smiled slightly. "Can't have our own family if you are dead or worse."

"Six sons and a daughter?" he asked with a smile.

"All daughters."

He laughed. "We're gonna need a house with a lot of bathrooms."

"And my husband will not want another woman in his life." She was teasing him, of course. "House full of girl things."

"Can I at least have a garage or something?"

"Of course, for my BMW."

"What about the Bentley?"

"Carport. Or you trade it in for a nice van to haul us around in."

He snorted. "I don't think so."

"We can't all ride in the Bentley."

"Besides, if we can't find the ring, you just might have to sell your precious Beemer to replace it."

She narrowed her eyes then and looked up at him. "Not my car."

"I'm not the one who lost it down the drain."

"It was an accident!" Her lip began to quiver again.

"Nik, it's okay. We'll find it."

"I hope so."

There was a knock at the door, a loud one. The plumber had finally arrived to save the day and find the ring.