Topic: The Beginning of Certainty

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:45 EST
March 9th, 2014

The first thing Dru was aware of was the dry, furry feeling in her mouth, followed swiftly by an unfamiliar pounding sensation in her head. Was she ill" It seemed to take an age to pry her eyes open, wincing at the glare of sunlight even through the curtains, slow to recognize the decor of her own bedroom at Willow Manor. And even slower to realize that the warmth at her back wasn't Asha, Lena's cat, but a male body, apparently topless, pressed close against her, their hands linked at her navel. Stifling a groan, she turned her head carefully, peering through her hair to discover just who it was sharing her bed.

As for the young man beside her, who was just barely out of his teens, his face was a familiar one. Long, dark lashes brushed his cheeks, closed lids hiding light blue eyes. His face was still and peaceful in his sleep, no hint at what he might be thinking or dreaming, lips slightly parted, a light stubble of growth against his chin and cheeks. It was a face she knew well - the face of a young man she had only met a few weeks prior, but had grown quickly close to. A young man to whom she had expressed her love only a few short hours before under the influence of a shared bottle of raspberry vodka.

Despite the pounding in her head, she found herself smiling at the sight of Josh sleeping so peacefully beside her, curled up close under the warm weight of the covers. The embarrassment trying to make itself known as she made a mental note of her clothes - or lack thereof, dependent on your perception - was pushed aside in favor of attempting to recall just how they'd ended up half-dressed and in bed together. What had she done last night"

There were few clues to tell her what had happened the night before, other than the lack of half their clothing and the hangover that was the result of the game they'd played together. Despite the overindulgence in vodka and overabundance of hormones, it seemed they hadn't gotten too far before they'd passed out, somehow mysteriously managing to get from the couch to the bed.

Very carefully, she twisted under the wrap of his arm, rolling herself to face him in the quiet warmth of the bed. Yes, he was definitely without a shirt. And my goodness, what a distracting view he presented for a long moment before she pulled herself together. Ogling the man while he was asleep wasn't appropriate, it was creepy. Raising her eyes to his face once again, she traced her fingertips against his cheek, a little lost in her admiration of the young man she was developing softer feelings for all the time. Gently, she inched forward to kiss him very softly, nuzzling close. Wouldn't this be wonderful to wake up to for the rest of her life"

Like a male version of Sleepy Beauty awoken by a kiss, though it was the princess who was doing the kissing this time around, he stirred from sleep, his unconscious mind registering that kiss and smiling sweetly. "Dru..." he whispered dreamily, as if he knew that kiss and recognized those lips without looking. He kissed her back, blue eyes slowing opening to look up at the girl of his dreams. The night before was slow in coming back to him, and he was slow to realize where they were and how they gotten there, but none of that seemed to matter just yet. She was there with him, just where he wanted her, forever and always. He smiled up at her to greet the day, the hangover not quite making itself known just yet. It was like he was still drunk, but drunk on love, not vodka.

It was difficult to be shy when it felt so comfortable, so safe, so right, to have woken up in his arms and to kiss him to wakefulness, however inappropriate it actually might be. She smiled in return as he whispered her name and kissed her once again, nose to nose in the first fuzzy stirrings of consciousness. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Princess," he replied, a little groggily, remembering most of what had transpired the previous night. It seemed as though he had only just curled up beside her and she'd told him she loved him, but whether it had been the vodka talking or not, he wasn't yet sure, nor did he care. He lifted a hand to touch her cheek, finding her even more beautiful in the morning sunlight despite her disheveled appearance. If that wasn't love, he didn't know what was.

She certainly was disheveled. There were forgotten streaks of makeup on her face, and her hair was definitely in need of a brush. Not to mention the fact that there was nothing between him and her bra, and the treasure underneath it. Nonetheless, she nestled her cheek into his touch with a sweet smile, blinking slowly with contented sleepiness, ignoring her headache. "I think I owe you breakfast."

"For what?" he asked, struggling to keep his gaze focused on her face and not wandering over her state of undress. She was, after all, more covered than she'd be if they had gone surfing. There were bikinis that exposed more flesh than her bra did, after all.

"For staying." It was a very sweet reason to be grateful, but one she held to whole-heartedly. If she'd known he was having trouble not taking advantage of his view of her, she might have shied away, but she had a feeling they'd shared something last night that she didn't need to be embarrassed over. Obviously nothing had gone too far, after all. She smiled, kissing the tip of his nose softly. "Thank you."

He smiled, glad he had pleased her, though his reasons for staying had not been entirely noble. "Dru," he started, eyes bright with amusement. "I stayed because I didn't think I'd get home without passing out on the ground." Okay, that was a bit of an exaggeration, but it was true he'd been drunk. Not as drunk as she was, but enough that he'd had trouble just getting up off the couch.

She giggled, though she had to stop fairly quickly because of the pounding in her head. "But you didn't have to stay when we woke up and came up here," she pointed out through her own smile. His excuse had amused her, but she didn't think it was entirely truthful. She had vague memories of waking up on the couch and the two of them stumbling upstairs in the chill of the night to curl up together under the covers right here. "You could have left then."

"I was half asleep!" he pointed out with a chuckle, knowing that even then, they'd barely gotten up the stairs before collapsing in bed. He had stayed, yes, but his reasons for staying had been in good part selfish. "I wanted to stay," he said, cupping her face in the palm of his hand.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:47 EST
"Good," she whispered, warmed by the curl of his palm to her cheek. "I wanted you to stay." Another muggy memory made itself known, and this time she did blush, biting her lip as she grinned charmingly. "I'm sorry I fell asleep on you. I didn't mean to do it just then."

"It's okay," he replied, accepting her apology with a soft smile. "It was kind of cute," he admitted with that playful hint of mischief in his eyes. "I hope I don't put you to sleep sober though," he added more seriously. "How are you feeling?"

She ignored his more serious comment on whether or not doing that sober would put her to sleep, certain that it definitely would not. His query, however, made her laugh softly once again. "I think if I lift my head off the pillow, it might just fall off on its own," she intimated comically. "How about you?"

"I've been worse," he replied, openly admitting to a few wild nights back home in college without sharing the details. "What you need is a good strong cup of coffee," he told her. "Why don't you hop in the shower while I whip up some breakfast?"

"I think that is a stroke of genius," she informed him, glad that she hadn't had to admit to the strangely gritty, dirty sensation she could feel on her skin, the legacy of the makeup she'd missed when she'd left the theater the night before. "You can shower here, too, you know. There's a whole closet full of clothes Jon is never going to wear again that you could take your pick from."

"You sure he won't mind?" Josh asked of his idol, who was becoming less of an idol and more of a friend each time he ran into the man. He'd never in a million years dreamed that the great Jonathan Granger was, in fact, the Princess Royale's older brother. Half-brother, to be more precise. Josh had not only met his idol, but stood a good chance at being related to him someday, though that was certainly not why he was falling for Dru. That was all her.

"I'm certain of it," she promised him, drawing her fingertips softly along his jaw once again. If she hadn't been dealing with that blasted hangover, she might have imprisoned him in the bed for a while longer, reluctant to part from him in the warm cocoon they'd made between them. "I should wash," she sighed softly.

He wouldn't mind a shower himself, but ladies first, and she needed it more than he did, along with a promised breakfast. "Your sister won't mind if I mess her kitchen up a little, will she?" he asked, not making much effort to untangle himself from her and get out of bed, despite his offer to make breakfast.

"We can clean up before she comes back," Dru smiled, not making any promises about exactly when that was expected to happen. Instead of rolling away, she eased closer into him, selfishly stealing a long embrace as she breathed him in, wanting to hold this morning in her memory for as long as she could. She had a feeling it might not happen again for a long time.

He drew an arm around her to hold her close as she eased closer, resting his cheek against her the softness of her hair. It didn't matter if they both reeked of stale vodka, if their hair was mussed, and their clothes rumpled. It was the still of the moment, the peace and serenity and closeness they shared, two hearts in the first throes of love. It was a moment he was going to treasure for as long as he lived. "I probably shouldn't have gotten you drunk," he murmured at last after a long silent moment.

She smiled once again, gently tipping her head back to look up at him. "I thought I was the one who got you drunk," she argued quietly, the tip of her nose bumping his as she blinked slowly. "I did cheat a bit, after all."

"Oh, so, now you admit it," he remarked with a laugh, careful not to cross his eyes as he bumped noses with her. "You want to teach me how to eat a pomegranate?" he asked with a smirk, remembering how silly the questions have gotten toward the end. Never have I ever felt like I do when I'm with you, he thought silently to himself, his heart thumping in his chest.

If the slow flush that rose on her face was anything to go by, her own thoughts had moved in the same direction, the last little remembrance of the night before coming back to her mind as she recalled her last words to him before she fell to sleep. "I didn't lie," she said softly, needing him to know that. She might not be able to say it again yet, but he needed to know that she hadn't just said those words at whim. She had meant them.

He remembered what she'd told him just before she'd fallen asleep, the secret they'd both shared in those last quiet moments where neither seemed sure if the other was listening. "I didn't lie either," he admitted quietly, unsure if she'd heard him return that declaration of love.

The smile that touched her face belonged entirely to him in that moment. No other had ever seen that sheer force of deep affection, soft intimacy, loving trust - no one but him. She leaned close to kiss him just once more, braving her headache to share that tenderness for just a little while before she had to drop back against the pillow again.

He returned her kiss, slowly and tenderly, wondering - like she had wondered the night before - what it would be like to wake up like this every morning. Not hungover, but right by her side, to share every day and every night with this gentle, loving, lonely girl who had somehow found a way into a heart that had been resisting love for so long. He rolled to his side to smile down at her, sweeping his fingers through her hair, his thoughts unsaid but written all over his face. "You should take a shower before your sister gets back," he warned quietly, though he, again, seemed in no hurry.

"You promised me breakfast," she reminded him, again as reluctant to move as he seemed to be. And then she remembered that Lena and Tommy didn't keep to any kind of usual routine, even on a Sunday. "We should get moving. Unless you want Tommy to tease us for eternity about spending the night together and doing nothing but sleep."

Josh winced at that remark. Though he didn't know Dru's sister and her boyfriend very well yet, from what he'd seen so far of the surfer, he wouldn't put it past him. If he'd ever met anyone who seemed to fully embrace life, it was Tommy King. "We can always claim the drunk card!" Josh reminded her with a grin.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:48 EST
She giggled again, but this time she did wince at the way the pounding increased in her head. "Don't make me laugh," she complained cheerfully, tweaking his nose. "I'm going to take a shower and hope that my head doesn't just plop off and get sucked down the drain."

He laughed at the thought of that, batting her hand away from his nose and remembering his first hangover. He'd thought he was going to die, but he obviously hadn't. "And I'm going to find our clothes and make some breakfast." He leaned down to give her another kiss, his lips tasting vaguely reminiscent of raspberry vodka. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"Okay." She smiled shyly at his kiss, beginning the careful motion of rolling onto her side to sit up, letting the covers fall away. She barely noticed that she was practically topless, too busy persuading herself she wasn't going to throw up in front of him to bother with that silly business of being embarrassed.

He watched as she rolled away from him, admiring the view for a moment before forcing his gaze away from her to save them both from embarrassment, though he'd already seen all he was going to see. "Remind me never to ask you to play Strip Poker," he said as he rolled away in the opposite direction and tossed the blankets aside so he could sit upright, waiting for the ache in his own head to subside before he dared standing up.

"Why?" she asked, gently massaging her forehead in the hope that the headache would ease off a little. "Scared I'll win?" She grinned as she said this - she'd never played poker in her life. She'd be down to nothing in minutes.

"Scared you'd lose," he countered, though he wasn't going to say why he felt that way. Seeing her only half-dressed had been tempting enough; if she'd taken off any more clothes, he'd have been doomed. He had no idea how he was going to handle her in a swimsuit come summer. He found his feet at last with a small groan and shoved a hand through his hair in a meager attempt to look halfway presentable, though there was no one there but the two of them.

A little surprised by that, she watched as he drew himself to his feet, a little shameless in the way she found herself admiring the subtle movement of muscle across his back each time he moved his arm or took a step. Biting her lip, she turned her face away and made the effort to stand up with a groan of her own. "Oh gods ....I am never drinking vodka again."

"Never say never," he remarked, having made that same promise to himself more than once. "I told you vodka was a bad idea!" he said with a smirk as he turned back a moment, forgetting she was only half-dressed. The room spun a moment, and he groaned as he reached for the wall to steady himself. He knew the first few steps were the worst. Once he got some coffee, he should be okay. It was only half a bottle, after all. Okay, more than half a bottle, since someone had been only taking girly sips.

"I completely forgot to ask you what a body shot was last night," she mused, distracting herself from how ridiculously awkward it was just to put one foot in front of the other right now as she shuffled toward the bathroom. "I suppose I'll have to save it for the next time we inadvisedly drink copious amounts of alcohol."

"Oh, no..." Josh started, making the promise to himself that everyone made the day after they'd gotten their drunk on and was suffering for it. "Not me. Never again," he said as he stumbled toward the door. Hopefully, he'd get down the stairs without falling on his face.

The last he heard of Dru was a giggle that fell off into a groan as she made it to the bathroom and quite firmly closed the door behind herself. Whatever she was going to do in there, she did not want a witness. So Josh was left to make his own way downstairs, under his own steam, without distracting half-naked princesses to make him stumble.

Josh looked over at that closed door a moment, half-tempted to join her, but now that they were both sober and thinking straight, he knew it wasn't a good idea. As it was, they'd shared a very inappropriate night in bed that were it to get back to anyone could get them both into a lot of trouble, not to mention scandal. It didn't matter whether they were falling in love or not; neither could afford to make any mistakes. Josh knew if he wasn't careful, he might not end up on the short list of suitors when the time came. He frowned a little, trying to think of the future and of her reputation - which needed to remain as untarnished as his own - and wandered out into the hallway and down the stairs for the kitchen.

He had to pass through the family room to reach the kitchen, and there was something different about it. To a hungover mind, it probably didn't register straight away. The afghan that had been left in a heap on the couch was spread neatly over the back cushions once again; his shirt, and Dru's shirt and cardigan, had been folded into a neat pile on the table; and most tellingly, the distinctive smell of fresh coffee was beginning to permeate. They weren't as alone as they had originally thought.

Josh paused at the bottom of the stairs, the smell of freshly-brewing coffee the first thing he noticed that told him they were no longer alone. He hoped it was her sister and Tommy and not one of her brothers who'd found the evidence of their drunken evening. He debated whether or not he should gather up his things and try to sneak out before he was caught in the flesh, but it was probably already too late.

There was movement in the kitchen, too - movement that paused as the sound of the shower in Dru's bedroom made itself known, and the unknown person was suddenly easily identifiable by the quiet chuckle that reverberated from the room he was heading for. "And the sleeping beauties awaken," Lena was audible murmuring to herself. "Right ....breakfast."

Josh's fight or flight instinct kicked in, but instead of either, he stepped off the final stair and went in search of his shirt. Hearing movement in the kitchen, he peeked his head in, and finding it was Lena exhaled a relieved sigh. "Oh, it's only you," he said, making his presence known.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:49 EST
"Yes, only me, in my house," Lena chuckled, throwing him a grin. She did a double take at the shirtless young man who wandered into view, utterly failing to hide a smirk at the private speculation that Dru had obviously had a night to remember. On the counter beside her was a carton of eggs, a packet of bacon, and a loaf of bread - clearly she was intending to make them breakfast.

"Um....Can you tell me where I might find my shirt?" he asked, rather awkwardly and with an obviously embarrassed flush to his face, despite the hangover. If they were going to get caught by anyone, he was glad it was her sister. "Where's Tommy?" he asked, noticing that she seemed to be alone.

"Try the coffee table," she suggested with a grin, refusing to give him much quarter when it came to his embarrassment. If he was going to seduce her baby sister and then walk around shirtless, he deserved everything he got. As she turned her attention to sorting out some kind of basic breakfast for the pair, she smirked at the thought of what Tommy would have made of what she had found when she walked in. "Tommy's still at the cove," she told Josh. "We're going to spend another night or two out there, so I came back to pick up a few things for us."

"Your brothers are okay with you two living in sin?" he asked, merely curious, not accusatory. It wasn't any business of his how Dru's sister and boyfriend lived their lives, but he was curious how their brothers felt about it. His voice was slightly muffled as it came from the living room, where he'd wandered off to retrieve his shirt and socks and whatever other personal items he'd left in there, other than his jacket and boots.

Lena laughed at that, rolling her eyes. "One, I am not a child, and they learned that the hard way," she informed him cheerfully. "And two, both of them were living in sin with their wives before they got married. Jon even got Vicki pregnant before they tied the knot. Which reminds me ....you did use protection, didn't you?"

"Protection?" Josh echoed, chuckling at Lena's assumption as he tugged his shirt over his head and finger-combed his hair, more out of habit than necessity. "Why would we use protection?" he countered, deciding to punish her a little for making such an assumption in the first place. Sure, they'd been drunk and they'd gone a little too far, but they hadn't come anywhere near close enough to needing "protection".

"Oh, because, I don't know ....fathering a child on the unmarried heir to your country's throne might be a bad idea?" Lena suggested, though he was sorely mistaken if he didn't think she could be just as protective as her brothers. Dru was the baby, after all, and not only that, but the most vulnerable of them. "And you've only known each other for a month?"

"I appreciate your concern," he replied as he returned, filling the doorway with his tall self and suddenly looking very much the duke's son, rather than a mere boy who was falling in love. "I can assure you that nothing happened. We had a little too much to drink, one thing led to another, and then she passed out. It won't happen again," he added with a frown, knowing neither of them could afford for it to happen again, as much as they might want it to.

"Never say never," the older woman warned him gently, but she was smiling. So nothing had happened, and yes, she was happy to take his word for that. "Just give it a couple of weeks. It's time Dru had the talk, anyway." She met Josh's gaze with a wry smile. "Sometimes these things just happen, and you can't predict them, and you can't say they definitely won't. So I'll get her onto some birth control, and you need to get in the habit of carrying condoms, okay?"

"The talk?" he echoed, furrowing his brows. He really wanted to like Lena, but he wasn't a child and was feeling oddly defensive about his intentions for her baby sister. "I'm pretty sure she already knows about the birds and the bees, Helena," he told her as he stepped into the kitchen to pour himself a cup of coffee. "Nothing is going to happen," he insisted again as he made himself at home enough to search the cupboards for a coffee cup.

She chuckled gently. "Not that talk, Josh. The birds and the bees are nothing compared to first love. Try the cupboard on your right." Once again, she turned her attention back to cooking, turning the bacon to get it evenly cooked before cracking the eggs into the pan.

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing," he murmured as he pulled open the indicated cupboard and took out a mug. First love, as if there could ever be another. More like true love. First and last, at least, as far as he was concerned. He frowned thoughtfully as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He knew Dru was only seventeen, but he didn't care. She wouldn't be seventeen forever.

"No, it isn't a bad thing," Lena assured him. "But Dru's in a special situation, and her mom's not around to help her make sense of things. I guess I'm the next best thing, even though I don't really understand it." She glanced at Josh thoughtfully. "Would it be a bad thing, if she fell in love with you?"

He kept his gaze fixed on the coffee for a moment, as if it was taking all his concentration to pour that one cup, or maybe he was just avoiding Lena's gaze, fearing she'd see right through him. His frown deepened, knowing her question was coming a little too late. Some of this had already been discussed between them, but Lena had no way of knowing that. "Let me ask you something....How long did it take before you knew Tommy was the one?" He lifted his gaze at last to meet hers, needing to know the answer to that question before he answered hers.

Helena studied him for a long moment, noting the tension in him as he asked his question, seeing the conflict that seemed to be poking at him. Of course, it was easy to answer that question for her, though she wasn't sure Josh would believe her. Tirisano seemed to breed a particularly stubborn kind of logic that out-thought emotion, if her sister was anything to go by. Holding Josh's gaze, Lena gave him the honest truth that had baffled her brothers when they'd first realized it. "It took me two days, and losing him, to be absolutely certain," she told the younger man quietly. "But I know now that I was in love with him before the end of the first day we spent together."

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:49 EST
"Then is it so hard to believe that we're..." He broke off, licking his lips nervously a moment before rephrasing his words. "That we feel the same way after only a month, as you put it?" he asked, turning it back around on her. He knew they were young, but Lena wasn't all that much older than him, and he didn't see how that mattered. He was tired of people judging him and treating him like a child, when he was nothing of the sort. At least, not in his estimation. As far as Dru was concerned, she'd been through more than most people went through in a lifetime, so it wasn't fair to judge her only by counting her years either, or so he thought.

Lena held his gaze for a long time before she answered, not sure whether honesty was what he really wanted to hear. "No, it isn't hard to believe at all," she settled finally on the truth. "But for the two of you, being in love complicates things, doesn't it?"

Her question only further fueled his worries, though this, too, was something he and Dru had discussed. As far as Dru was concerned, it seemed she'd already decided, though he knew it was more complicated than that. If Parliament found any reason not to approve of him, it wouldn't matter what either of them wanted. "If we're careful, it's likely I'll be on the list of approved suitors from whom she will be asked to pick a consort. It's not really fair, but that's how it's done." He took a lean against the cupboard and sipped from his cup, the coffee not doing anything for his throbbing headache just yet.

"What do you mean by, if you're careful?" Lena asked him curiously. She wasn't familiar with the royal and noble world her little sister and Josh were used to, every little piece of information she could learn going toward understanding Dru a little better. "She can't choose someone who isn't on the list?"

"No," Josh replied, resisting the urge to shake his head, which would only made it ache all the more. He darted a glance at the doorway, not wanting Dru to catch them discussing the situation without her. "Parliament will compile a list of acceptable suitors from the various duchies and ranks of nobility. Men they feel would be suitable politically for the position, not necessarily with her preferences in mind." The long and short of which meant that, yes, Dru could conceivably end up marrying a much older man whom she felt no affection for, with whom she would be expected to produce an heir. "My father believes I will be on the list, but there are those whom Parliament favors more for political reasons."

Lena frowned. She hadn't been aware of just how little choice Dru had in the overall matter. "But surely they can't force her to marry someone they choose, can they?" she asked Josh, genuinely horrified by the prospect. "I mean ....at the very least, if she isn't even attracted to whoever it is, there won't be any more royals after her. They can't force her to sleep with her husband."

"No, but they can stack the deck, so to speak," he replied. "They want an heir, so it's likely they'll pick men she'd at least find attractive and who are young and strong enough of producing an heir. In the end, she will be allowed to make her own choice from the list," he explained. Put that way, it sounded like he was a shoe-in, but nothing was definite, and Parliament could be unpredictable. "My father is a close friend of her uncle's, but that doesn't mean much."

Lena nodded slowly, absorbing this information as she set the bread under the grill to toast, moving automatically to serve up the bacon and eggs onto plates and put them in the oven to keep warm. "But they need her to get married and have babies," she pointed out thoughtfully. "If I understand it right - and tell me if I don't - there aren't any cousins, and the throne would go to the closest male relative, who Dru says isn't suitable but she never explained why. But just going by that simple fact, that they need her to marry and have children ....I think being a Granger will work in her favor there. We're notoriously stubborn."

Josh's frown deepened, not wanting to reveal too much of Dru's family history, especially regarding that particular cousin in question, who had absolutely no chance of ever becoming heir. "She wants to pick me," he told Lena. "There's just no way of ensuring I'll be on the list."

"If she wants to pick you, then she'll pick you, regardless of whether or not you're on the list," Lena told him confidently. "But I know my little sister. She won't get into that fight until you both agree what comes next. You have more of a choice than she does, and I think it'll come down to what you decide, more than anything. So ....no pressure." She grinned, patting his shoulder as from above them came the sound of someone falling over. Lena rolled her eyes. "Gods, how much did you two drink last night?"

"Yeah, no pressure," he agreed, the worried frown still on his face. It didn't seem quite fair to make him choose between two very different lives, both of which he wanted so very badly. All he'd ever wanted was to be an actor, and now he was starting to think that was nothing more than the dream of a selfish brat. Thanks to Lena's reminder, his mood had taken a sudden turn for the worse. "We shared a bottle of vodka. It was my idea. It's my fault," he said, turning his gaze ceiling-ward upon hearing the thunk from upstairs.

"Josh, you're too young to be carrying the whole world on your shoulders just yet," Lena told him, adding the stack of toast to the plates in the oven. "You've got a glorious summer - enjoy it, and let the big decisions happen on their own. You won't change anything by worrying about it ahead of time." She glanced up with a smirk. "As for getting her drunk? Good for you. She needs to have the stick removed from her *ss from time to time."

"I should probably go," he said, setting the coffee cup on the counter. Her reassurance was doing nothing for the sense of guilt he felt at both getting Dru drunk and at the possibility that he may have compromised her reputation, which would do nothing to ensure a place for himself in her future.

"Oh, for gods' sakes ..." Lena's smirk disappeared, replaced with a stern expression that not even Tommy dared to argue with on most days. She pointed at a nearby stool. "You. Sit. And listen."

He scowled at her, but did as he was told, knowing some sort of lecture was coming from someone who he guessed was only a few years older than himself. He retrieved the mug, figuring he might as well finish his coffee if she was going to detain him. That, at least, might do something for his headache.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:50 EST
"Firstly ....so what if you got each other drunk" Believe it or not, everyone does it. You had a good time together, and no harm was done. So quit with the feeling guilty." Lena laid her hands on her hips as she looked down at him. "Secondly ....give up on the angst. It makes you miserable to be around and it makes the people who love you miserable, too. So you've got a big decision to make. So what? It's months away, and right now, you've got a sweet girl who is head over heels for you. Forget about what happens next year, or even next month. You've got a job you love, and a girl you love. You're in a good place." She eyed him for a long moment. "And thirdly ....she's royalty, dude. And you're on Rhy'Din. Anything - and I mean anything - is possible. Stop looking at things like they're there to trap you. You have so much potential, and you will have even more when the time comes for that big decision you're guilting yourself about. So stop beating yourself up, and just enjoy being you for a while."

He quieted a long moment while hearing her out. She was right and yet, he didn't think it was as simple as all that. "I've already made my choice," he told her. "It's not up to me anymore." That was the problem, plain and simple. In not so many words, he'd just admitted to Lena that he'd already lost his heart to her sister, but like he'd said, that didn't ensure anything. On the other hand, Parliament wanted a happy sovereign and might be inclined to let Dru have her way, no matter what they thought of Josh. He was a duke's son, after all, not a commoner. He just had to make sure he didn't do anything to screw up his chances between now and then. "What did you mean when you said you lost Tommy?" he asked, curiously. He'd heard some of the story from Dru, but not all of it.

"Then if you have to, you fight to keep that choice yours," Lena advised him. "Because if I know her, she'll fight harder if she knows without any shadow of any doubt that you're fighting alongside her." She leaned her arms onto the counter as he turned the conversation back onto her, and her own unusual story. There was a hint of sadness as she recalled that time, not so very long ago, but that sadness was overlaid by her smile. "Exactly what I said," she explained quietly. "When I first met Tommy, he'd been thrown through the Nexus to me. We spent two days together, and he had to go back; he had business to take care of. We agreed that I would go and get him a week later. But I was too late. He was already dead when I got to California, and it almost destroyed me. I was completely heartbroken, I didn't want to go on without him. So Jon sent me back to the day before Tommy came through the Nexus at all, and I had to convince him to believe me."

"Wait..." He furrowed his brows as he tried to absorb what she was telling him, letting go of his coffee cup to gesture toward her with his hand. "Let me get this straight. You traveled to California to a time before he came through the Nexus and met you. Is that even possible?" he asked, sounding doubtful.

"Yes, it's possible, but it's very dangerous," Lena told him firmly. "Time tends to heal whatever breakages you leave behind. I could bring Tommy here before he died, because all his death would do on Earth was leave Jack all alone. It didn't affect anyone else. So I brought Tommy and Jack here, where they could carry on living their lives and not be caught up in what time had planned for them on Earth." She studied him for a moment. "You're thinking about saving Dru's mom, aren't you?"

"What?" he asked, blinking out of his own thoughts, which had been derailed by her question. He'd been listening to her explanation while contemplating what the implications of her story might mean for himself and Dru, but mostly for Dru. "Of course I am. I'd be stupid not to."

"Think about what I just said," she reminded him solemnly. "Time cleans up after you. You save one life, another one is taken to make up the balance. You save her mom, maybe the Prince dies. Maybe she dies. No matter what happens there, though, if Dru's mom hadn't died, she would never have come here. We would never have met her. You wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be able to know the girl before you met the princess. Everything has consequences, and one small change can alter things for years to come."

What she was saying made sense. If he tried to change the events of the past, there was no way of knowing how things might turn out. It might end with Dru dying instead of her mother, and while her mother's death was tragic, it would be far more tragic to lose one so young. "But don't you think her life is worth the risk?" he asked, already knowing it wasn't. He couldn't risk losing Dru the way Lena had lost Tommy.

"No, I don't." There was no chance that she could be talked around from that viewpoint. "I took a huge risk when I stepped back. I could have changed everything. If we hadn't brought Jack with us as well, I think I would have broken something irreparable. In this case, there is no cleaner alternative. You stop the parade, there's still a psycho out there who might kill all of them the next time he tries. You save her mom, and Dru might die in her place. Believe me, if there was a clean alternative, a way to give her mom back to her, we would have done it already."

Josh had only met Jack once in passing, and he didn't know Tommy that well either, but he had to assume what Lena was telling him was the truth. "What's the point of time travel if you can't use it to save the people you love?" He wasn't thinking of Dru's mother this time, but his own, though he doubted that even time travel could have saved her.

"I don't know, Josh," Lena admitted softly. "But you only get one life. It's up to you to decide how you live it, and constantly fixing mistaking and accidents" It'd kill you." She shrugged gently, glancing up at the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "Looks like my cue to leave," she mused, "unless you want me to keep the princess company while you shower."

He mirrored her shrug, unsure whether he wanted her to stay or go. He had a lot to think about, though he thought he'd probably have to save those thoughts for later. He didn't want Dru to know he was worrying about things that had yet to happen. "Up to you. It's your house." There was no denying that he was going to need a shower, but he was planning on eating breakfast first.

"Oh, I think I'm gonna sneak out," Lena chuckled softly. "Remember ....feel her up if that's what you want, but no sticking it in until she's on the Pill. Deal?"

He rolled his eyes at her, feeling his face flush with embarrassment. "I'm not gonna..." he started, lowering his voice as he shot a glance toward the door. "I'm not gonna do any sticking," he assured her, dropping his voice to a whisper, so Dru wouldn't overhear him.

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:51 EST
"Good." Lena grinned, patting him on the head. "Third base, no further. See ya!" With a wink and a low laugh, she grabbed the bag that was on the floor and slipped out through the double doors that led to the garden, leaving him on his own in the kitchen.

Not for long, however ....barely a minute after Lena had slipped out, Dru wandered into the kitchen herself, her hair still a little damp, barefoot in the first dress that had come to hand. She still looked a little rough, but infinitely better than she had done earlier. "Coffee, need coffee," she groaned softly, gently stroking her hand against Josh's back as she moved past him.

Josh grimaced at the rather condescending pat to his head, even if it was meant in affection, as though he was a child or a pet dog. He appreciated the advice, if not the condescending manner with which she took her leave. "Thanks for the advice, Granny," he told her, a little sarcastically, because she was just so much older than him. He barely had time to check on the plates she'd put in the oven to keep warm before Dru was wandering into the kitchen to join him. Straightening, he closed the oven door and took down another mug to fill it for her, darting an appreciative glance her way. "You look....nice," he said, after a brief consideration.

Dru snorted with laughter, reaching up to draw him down into a gentle kiss. "You're sweet," she told him as she stepped back. "But I know I look rough this morning." Her arms wound about his waist as she hugged him gently. "What I wouldn't give just to go back to bed with you."

His arms went around her to hug her against him as he looked down at her from his height of nearly a foot taller than her. "What's stopping you?" he asking, already knowing the answer to that question. Endless rehearsals and performances that wouldn't end until the run of Joseph was finished, and though he was enjoying it immensely, it left little time for anything but school and the theater.

She sighed, lifting her head to meet his gaze. "Because I need to call my uncle and check in, then I have to debrief the week with Xoren, and I should spend some time with my family," she said reluctantly. "I would much rather spend the whole day with you."

"Today?" he asked, looking obviously disappointed and a little crestfallen. "Okay, well....I have some homework to do, so..." He just shrugged his shoulders, already feeling lonely and they hadn't even had breakfast yet.

She frowned faintly, hating to disappoint him. But she had responsibilities she had to keep to. There was room for negotiation, though. "The only things I have to do are talk to my uncle and to Xoren," she told him quietly. "I can spend time with my family any day." Unwinding one arm from about his waist, she stroked her fingers against his cheek. "It won't take me long."

"No, I don't want to keep you from your family," he told her, wondering if he should give his own family a call. It had been a few weeks since he'd talked to his father, but he was dreading the conversation and the multitude of questions he'd have to answer. "Your sister was here, by the way." He figured he might as well tell her, since she was probably going to find out anyway.

"You're as much my family now as they are," Dru told him firmly, pressing a kiss over his heart. "Don't try and talk me out of it, I am very stubborn." She offered him a smile, trying to lighten his mood a little, and blinked in surprise at the mention of Lena. "Oh' What did she say?"

What did she say' Good question. She'd said a lot more than he was willing to share, at least, for the moment. He shrugged. "Not much. She made us breakfast and told me to buy some condoms." From the look on his face, he was not teasing. He bent to drop a kiss against her forehead before untangling himself from her so he could get breakfast out of the oven.

His girlfriend's jaw dropped, genuine astonishment warring with embarrassment on her face as she stepped back out of his way. "I'm going to kill her," she informed Josh quite seriously. "I will tie her up somewhere and suffocate her with a condom."

The thought of that made him chuckle. "It's okay. She means well. She's just trying to protect you. We talked a little. I think she actually approves of me." He grabbed an potholder and opened the oven, reaching inside to pull out the plates of eggs and bacon and toast and set each of them on the counter. "She stopped by to pick up a few things. She and Tommy are spending a few more days at the cove." Which meant he might be able to get away with staying another night or two, if they could manage it without alerting her shadow and head of security, Xoren.

"Well, of course she does," Dru told him with a grin. "She says you're cute. And Vicki says you've got a bottom that's almost as good as Jon's. High praise indeed." She patted his back as she slipped by to the fridge, pulling out the butter automatically. "Wait, so ....I have the house all to myself for a couple of days?" The smile that turned on him was all kinds of sweet and hopeful. "I don't suppose you'd consider staying over and protecting me from ghosts, would you?"

Again, he laughed, this time at the praise from her brother's wife regarding his rear, especially in comparison to that of his idol's. "Good to know your sister-in-law approves of my *ss." As far as he was concerned, the only opinion that really mattered on that subject was Dru's. He set the potholder aside and refilled both their cups of coffee, another smile appearing on his face at her question, though it was bittersweet. As much as he wanted to stay, he wasn't sure it was such a good idea, especially after his lecture from Lena. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"I think it's a great idea," Dru informed him with a firm nod. "I didn't have any nightmares last night, for the first time in months." She moved to draw out a stool, sliding onto it with wide, sincere eyes rising to meet his, silently pleading for a yes to her question. "I think it was because you were with me."

Dru Granger

Date: 2014-03-10 13:53 EST
"Or because you were too drunk," he reminded her, unconvinced it was him. He hesitated a moment, looking into her eyes with a longing of his own, before continuing. "What would happen if - hypothetically speaking - we went and got married without Parliament's permission?"

She blinked in surprise, her cheeks lighting up in a shy flush of pleasure at the question."Well, technically, Parliament have no say in who I marry," she said softly. "If they consider you to be absolutely unsuitable, they might try to push us into an annulment, but that couldn't be made legal without our consent. Of course, if we were to marry and announce it to the press before Parliament got wind of it, that would make things even harder for them, but we would still have to be married in the Church of Tirisano, so we would have to go through a second, very public ceremony. After all, the people are looking forward to a proper fairytale wedding - they haven't had one in more than fifty years."

"Then why wait for Parliament's list?" he asked, pushing the matter farther. They certainly didn't have to get married today. They had almost a whole year before Dru had to return to Tirisano and decide on a suitor. A whole year to get to know each other better and decide if this was what they really wanted. A year for Josh to get the theater out of his system and finish school.

"I ....I hadn't considered that," she admitted, a thoughtful furrow creasing her brows. "It could work, but ....Josh, I don't want you to feel forced to make such a decision in so short a time. As soon as the press announced such a marriage, we would be recalled to Tirisano, and with the arguments out of the way, we'd have to take up the duties of the heirs to the throne. Because you won't be Prince Consort when I'm crowned - you'll be Prince. Equal rank with me. The constitution doesn't allow for a woman to take the throne unmarried, because it doesn't allow for a woman to hold the greatest share of power."

"I don't care about the power, Dru!" He sighed, not wanting to upset her. In fact, upsetting her was the last thing he wanted to do. He also knew there had to be others who were vying for such an enviable position who had no thought or care for the princess, who were only interested in the power that came along with the position. "I just don't want to lose you," he gentled his voice, realizing he was probably rushing things. They had nearly a year before they had to worry about this, after all. "Sorry. I'm sorry," he apologized, feeling like an idiot. "Eat your breakfast. We don't have to decide anything today."

"I know you don't care about the power, Josh, but the facts of the matter are that if you decide to go through with this, if you decide to throw in your lot with me, you are going to have power, and the responsibilities that come with it." She sighed herself, rubbing her aching head gently. "I didn't tell you that to upset you. I told you because I think you deserve to have all the facts. Because I'm very close to agreeing with you, and I don't ever want you to resent me for that. I don't want you to wake up one day and realize that you hate me for loving you too much to let you go."

He frowned at her, almost wishing he'd never brought the subject up. They had a whole year of freedom before they had to worry about any of this. What was the big rush' Was he really that afraid of losing her" "I could never hate you, Dru," he told her, picking up his fork, the food on his plate reminding him that neither of them had eaten in well over twelve hours. "Maybe I should have listened to my dad and better prepared for this, like Jamie did, instead of taking acting classes."

Her hand suddenly snapped over over his, holding on tightly as she pinned him with a fierce gaze. "Never regret following your dreams," she said vehemently. "Never. I don't ever want to hear you regretting doing something you love."

He met her gaze with a stunned expression of his own, not expecting such a strong reaction from her. "I don't regret it, Dru. I just think I could have prepared better. I didn't expect to..." He broke off a moment before deciding he might as well just say. "I didn't expect to fall in love with you."

"I think the best preparation I will ever have will be to love you," she countered softly, choosing to embrace what she had been so shy of saying while sober. "And I do. I don't care if people say it's too soon, or that I'm too young to know what I'm feeling. I love you, Josh."

He twined his fingers with hers, smiling softly back at her, touched by the words that set his heart on fire. "Your sister knew in two days. She knew she and Tommy were meant to be together. She went back in time to bring him here because she couldn't bear to lose him. She couldn't imagine her life without him. I know we haven't known each other very long, but I can't imagine my life without you anymore, Dru. That's the truth."

She held his gaze for what seemed like an eternity, the softness in her beautiful face seeming to grow almost ethereal as they looked into each other's eyes. And slowly, a warm smile curved her lips. "I suppose I will have to put a ring on it then, won't I?" she mused, only a little teasing. "Are you a classic solitaire kind of girl, or would you rather have a family heirloom?"

He laughed at her suggestion. "It can be our secret for now, if you like," he told her, needing no ring on either of their hands to prove their love. He drew her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss against her knuckles, feeling relieved now that they'd decided to be together. Maybe Lena was right - they were stronger together than apart and together they could give each other the strength to fight for what they both wanted. "I love you, Princess. We're going to make this work."

"We will." Nothing could have diminished the smile that lit her up as he told her he loved her, feeling absolutely certain that there was nothing she couldn't face with him in her heart. Squeezing his hand, she leaned over to gently touch her lips to his, the tip of her nose nudging against his own before she drew back. "Sadly, I rather need my hand back in order to eat my breakfast, though."

"Oh, right," he laughed, letting go of her hand as her nose nudged his and their lips parted. She was right about one thing - as much as he might like to, one could not live on love alone. In less than twelve hours, they had somehow managed to reach a decision that could change both their lives forever, a decision that would determine both their fates and the future of Tirisano for the years to come. And it had all been because of a silly game that had forced them to face the truth in their own hearts and minds and share that truth with the other.

Maybe they should put keep few bottles of raspberry vodka in reserve for the months and years to come. It had certainly solved more problems than it caused, this time around.

((Did Lena's little pep talk work or not' It remains to be seen. Many muchos thankidoodles to Josh's player!))