He had been watching for her indeed, and he clattered down three flights of stairs at a pace almost certainly dangerous, taking three steps at a time. A knapsack was slung over one shoulder, inside a pad of paper and a pen, a few snacks of his own, though he wasn?t as well supplied as she, and he was grinning ear-to-ear.

Swinging up behind her, carefully, he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned forward to brush a kiss against her cheek. ?Ya go? some places in mind ta check ou?, ?r are we jus? goin? ta wander aimlessly an? look fer ?Sale? signs, m?love?? Sianna?s laugh echoed from the nearby buildings, and they rode down the street under her direction.

It was hours later, the breakfast was a long forgotten memory, the lunch and snacks sent out in search of the missing breakfast and gone lost themselves. They were sitting next to each other on one of the benches near the Docks; shoulders mutually slumped as they stared out at the water. Johnny?s arm was wrapped around Sianna?s waist, and she had her head resting on his shoulder. Poor Ruadh was tied behind them, patiently waiting, having covered a fair amount of territory during the day.

The first place they had looked at had caught their eyes as they were leaving the very same block of flats as the studio. A discreet sign sent them investigating, up to another third-story studio. The not so discreet bugs infesting the place sent them running in horror back down the stairs. The second was another apartment, and it looked almost perfect (though very small) until they realized its location, directly downwind of a tannery. Similar disappointments had greeted them at every turn.

It was almost the end of what had turned into a very long day, and he was frankly amazed that they had survived it good humor intact, especially considering the sleazy advances one of the landlords had made to Sianna. He hadn?t been sure whether she or he would fight the man first! Only a hasty retreat had saved that greasy fool. It was with that in mind that Johnny began to laugh, quietly. ?Are ya sure tha? th? benefits of a place of our own are worth th? troubles?a findin? it, m?love??

The promised brochures had been obtained, advice from Tali had been followed, and Johnny was amazed that in their whirlwind house-hunting trip, he and Sianna had somehow entirely missed this gem. Somehow, amidst all the apartment buildings and storefronts, it was a marvelous anomaly.

Two blocks from the Market, it was a smallish house, blue with a white picket fence. The small front porch had a swinging bench, perfect for sitting on in the evenings. At one side there was an attached workshop that could easily be converted to a showroom for his work and a studio for hers.

The roses were the clincher, though. They had stopped dead in their tracks as they emerged into the tiny backyard, and Sianna?s breath had caught, lake-blue eyes swimming with tears. His hands had come up to rest on her shoulders, and he was struck as dumb as she was.

Someone had spent a lot of time coaxing wild rose bushes to train up against the fence around the backyard, the last few single-petal blooms of the season bright spots of color against the rich green of the leaves. More roses bloomed their last valiant efforts in gaudy disarray, tea-roses filling the air with their heady scent, reds and oranges, whites and yellows and pinks scattered and mingled in a garden that occupied most of the space, leaving only a tiny path through them and a small bench next to an even smaller fountain.

The realtor smiled behind them, wordless. She knew her sale had been made.