The morning of the Hogmanay celebration dawned clear and cold; Johnny curled further into the blankets next to Sianna as a crack of sunlight slipped through the curtains directly onto his face. She mumbled something wordless in her sleep and snuggled up closer to him. He lay there for several minutes, trying to reclaim the sleep that escaped him before he gave it up as a futile effort and opened his eyes.

For this short while the house was still entirely theirs, and Johnny inhaled the sweet fragrance of Sianna?s hair while he looked up at the ceiling. It had been an eventful year, and this night would see the old year giving way to the new. With luck the next year would bring as much happiness as this one had. That thought had him bend his head to kiss the tangled weight of curls that sleep always made of Sianna?s hair.

She smiled a little with her eyes still closed, and that sweetly innocent expression brought a smile to his mouth. After a few more moments, he rearranged the blankets to keep her warm, then slid out of bed and dressed, quickly and quietly. Some of the family intended to come by to help them ready the house for the party, but until then he would let her sleep in. After all, that was something she did for him often enough.

He padded down the stairs quietly on bare feet, with a flinch for the cold floors, and stoked up the banked fire in the fireplace and in the stove. He pulled on his socks and work-boots and then put a kettle of water on to heat for tea. Sianna had pastries ready for later, and he stole a flaky apple tart for his breakfast, standing and leaning over the sink so that crumbs wouldn?t drop onto the floor.

Johnny and Sianna had talked over the idea of shutting the shop entirely, but instead had decided to keep it open until early afternoon. It had turned out to be a good decision, as several sales were made, jewelry mostly. But the time for the party drawing close, Johnny had locked up and was counting out the money before he put it in the safe. Sianna was in the main house with Hudson and some of the other family, finishing the cooking and decorating for the party.

A tap on the window had him looking up and across the dim room with surprise. Not many knocked after they tried the door and found it locked. He could make out the backlit figure of a tall and slender woman, but no further detail with the contrast of lighting. Money was safely locked away while he considered. After a moment he blinked slowly, and the silver film slid down to cover his eyes. Small twitches of the muscles at the corners of his eyes cycled through the states of vision available.

Infrared revealed the depth of cold outside and gave him an idea of the woman?s chill. He was crossing the room to unlock the door even while his vision cycled on to a low-light enhancement. Her features grew clearer, and suddenly he pulled up short; his eyes widened with surprise though he kept the film in place. Deft fingers fumbled the lock for a moment with the shock, before he finally wrenched open the door.

?Katie Smith? Wha? in th? name ?a th? Lor? an? Skies are ya doin? here?? The sudden sunlight after the dimness of the shop caused him to flinch against the enhanced vision. Johnny stepped back to allow her in and to relieve the pain the brightness caused. ?I din? never think ta see ya again!?

Katie. She had worked hard to let the childhood nickname be left in her childhood. Despite the chill, her name being known caused her to take one large step back in fright. She paused, peered at the familiar face, "Johnay Smith, what happened to yer eyes?!"

?Huh? Oh, righ?, th? eyes.? Johnny grinned, one of his broad, friendly smiles, and blinked slowly, retracting the silver film to reveal the emerald brightness of his natural eyes. ?Saved up fer abou? three years after James sen? me ou?, go? neural-net mods, vision an? ta m? hands fer makin? th? metal an? stone-work easier.? He lifted one hand to show the silver mesh embedded into his fingers, and then turned it into an invitation. ?Ya wan? ta come inside? Yer freezin?, an? ya can warm up here fer a min? b?fore we dash aroun? ta th? house. Yer jus? in time fer th? Hogmanay party!?

Her unease began to fade, his familiar voice holding a drawl that was somewhat different than what she remembered. "Hogawhat party?" Deciding that it was indeed her cousin and not some odd replica, she moved her way inside. The warmth of the room would take time before her form would stop shivering. "Ya be lookin' good, Johnay." She said, her eyes sizing him and comparing him to the young man she had last seen.

It didn?t take enhanced vision to see how chilled Katarina was, and Johnny leaned back against the counter to get comfortable while they waited for her to warm a bit. ?Hogmanay. ?S m?fiance?s wor? fer th? New Year. An? so d? ya, Katie. Ten years?r so?ll make a heckuva difference.? He noted the grace of her movements, the erect posture without a hint of stiffness to it, and smiled. ?Ya still dance.?

"Yer fiance?" Her face broke into a silly grin, "What the devil have ya been upta?" The more her body warmed, the more it was evident that she was thrilled to see him. "Yea, I'ma still dancin' much ta the family's surprise." She took the time to look around his shop, proud of his accomplishments. "Still bendin's spoons?"

?Ain? ben? any spoons since James took th? belt ta me fer yer ring. Been up ta more?n I wan? ta talk abou? in th? shop, when we go? a proper house an? all ta sit an? be comf?table.? Johnny grinned and then jerked his head sideways in the direction of the house. ??S good ta hear yer still doin? wha? ya wan?ed ta. C?mon with an? I?ll intr?duce ya aroun?.?

((Note: adapted from Live RP, posted with consent from Katarina's player))

It was a slow process. One he had not had to go through in years, regaining the control over the darker side of him. It had been a near thing just the night before, but time and activity, Storm's sharp words, as well as the discussion with Sylvia that morning had helped. So, it was that Ewan was able to greet Avery with a true smile, ask how he had enjoyed his Yuletide, and if he was excited about the party that afternoon and evening.

The tension with Storm would ease in time as well, when he was able to talk with her more outside of the subject; when the rage was not guiding his actions and his thoughts. But this was not the time or the place for uncomfortable discussions. So, with a gift of wine in one hand, Storm?s hand in the other and Avery occupying her free hand, they three walked to the Silver Lark, hoping they would not be too early.

It was afternoon edging into evening when they came around to the door of the main house. ?Sylvia has told me of some very interesting traditions related to this celebration. It will be a fun time.? That last was almost spoke in hope she would agree with him. He wanted her happy and enjoy the evening without worrying about him or anything else. That he even stated the word ?fun? was out of his manner, but he kissed her cheek and vowed, ?I will promise not to catch anything aflame that should not be.?

Avery could hear the sounds of the party inside and peeked through windows trying to see what was going on while Ewan knocked on the door.

Peredhil dressed hastily, eschewing the grey cloak he normally wore for more formal attire. Festivities in Elessar had caused him to miss Johnny and Sianna?s Yuletide party and he did not want to be late for the Hogmanay celebration. As he finished buttoning up his coat, his eyes fell upon the platinum crown adorned with elven script resting upon his dresser. Such a small thing, he mused, but it carried such great responsibility. Peredhil wondered briefly if his parents would be proud of him, the paths he had chosen, and the sacrifices he continued to make in order to do what he thought was right. What he thought they would have wanted. His solitude was just one consequence of his decisions, although perhaps the most painful one. He shook his head angrily. No room for self-pity.

The house was empty as Peredhil descended to the first floor. Passing through the living room, he glanced at the portrait of two songbirds hanging above his mantle. Perhaps he would see Juli tonight. Months had passed since he?d seen her. Any romantic feelings Peredhil had felt towards her then had dissipated over time, but he still held a certain fondness for the blond farm girl with an otherworldly artistic talent and a heart of gold. He smiled, thinking of the dinner with Johnny, Sianna, and Juli on his deck and their race to the hot spring below. It was a night he would not forget.

Peredhil paused in front of the hallway mirror, running a hand quickly through his blond hair. There was another who took his breath away now, and the mere possibility of seeing her at the party set his heart racing. He put the thought firmly out of his mind. Solitude? that was the safest bet.

Grabbing a bottle of wine and a small gift for Sianna and Johnny, Peredhil slipped out the front door. The first blast of frigid air stopped him in his tracks. Ducking his head, Peredhil pushed forward, cursing his decision to build his home on the far end of the Southern Glen.

The past few hours continued to whirl in Katarina's mind. She was wearing someone's cloak -Probably Sianna's- and had some warm and tantalizing drink in her hands. Thoughts threatened to overwhelm, and so the new arrival from Hope politely requested some time to herself before entering the celebration.

The rest of her family was safe and well, despite being away from Hope. That was enough to boost her confidence and spirit about her choices. She would succeed here, even if it took much work. Filtering through the short time upon arriving to Johnny's home, or Silver Lark as he called it, she brought the drink to her lips and found the taste to be apple cider.

Juli, Gabby, Tali, and Aunt Marian brought the warmth of home and family that Katarina had been missing. There was little difference in them, except for Gabby, but Katarina could not place her finger on what was different. Not yet, at least. The biggest surprises of course, were from Johnny.

Idly sipping her warm drink, green eyes moved down to the spoon ring that he had made so many years ago that rested on her right thumb. The corners of her lips turned down as she remembered the way Uncle James had treated him, and how he slowly but surely teared the Smiths apart from each other. But she was not dismayed any longer. Johnny's betrothed, Sianna melded so well with her cousin, it was something that was obvious to even her jaded eyes. And there was a small connection with Sianna's brother Hudson, whom had also recently moved to RhyDin. If he could adjust, than she surely could as well.

Sighing, she finished her drink, and slipped off the cloak. Although her dress was not quite suitable, Katarina had building excitement to meet others that had in one way or another, woven their lives with her cousin and his family. Holding the empty cup in one hand, she maneuvered out of the room, moving towards the growing crowd, hearing the whoop of excitement from young lads.

New Year?s eve had arrived with a fresh blanket of snow surrounding her little cottage. It was no large matter, as she dressed quickly and warmly before heading straight to the Teas?nTomes to do a little research on this mystery of Hogmanay.

Feeling fully prepared now, she?d taken extra care to dress that evening. A gown of dark emerald green with gold trimming along the hem and sleeves was donned. She had no expectations of outshining the other ladies, as hers was a very humble wardrobe. Still, she was scrubbed free of clay and dust from head to toe and presentable.

?Bother, bother, bother.? She was running late. Again. Rushing about the upstairs chambers, she swung the cloak about her shoulders, snapped the clasp shut at her throat and raced down the stairs to gather the carefully wrapped gifts.

Although a small tremor of fear raced through her though--she suspected there would be many attending this party she didn?t know, but there was one she was particularly eager to see again--Piper was certain to be among friends and looking forward to meeting new ones. Seeing Johnny and Sianna again after so long would be such a delight.

Pushing aside her worries she was grinning in that maddening fashion as she stood on the threshold of the cottage, arms full of the three modest packages. At the last minute, she grabbed the green ribbon and holly from the invitation and fashioned it to her cloak then set out to collect Rena whom she had promised to bring along.

Thirty minutes later, with Rena by her side, they were approaching the door where laughter and the soft hum of voices lifted in conversation could be heard. Squaring her shoulders, the hood was pushed back so she might smooth down her hair followed by two quick pinches to already rosy cheeks; last minute preening with Rena looking on highly amused.

?What have you got wrapped in those packages, Piper?? Rena was straightening out her own garment before she lifted her hand to knock on the door.

?Coal, some small sweet cakes and Juniper branches? Piper?s hands shook with excitement as she turned to face the door.

?Coal? You are giving them coal? Why coal??

?I don?t know. It?s tradition. It said so in the tome.? Which she had taken to be sacred truth, ? Something about burning down the raiding Vikings? Or was it the Juniper branches were for beating the raiders. Sweet Saints, I have forgotten.?

Rena, as any good friend would do, just laughed as the door swung open and it was far to late for Piper to fling away the coal. Resigned for the worst, Piper was wearing a cheery smile nonetheless and murmuring the correct pronunciation of Hogmanay, determined to get something right.

Peredhil approached the front door of the Smith home, wiping snow flakes off of his coat. He knocked on the door and broke into a grin when Johnny opened it. The two friends embraced warmly and Peredhil presented Johnny with the wine bottle. ?Happy Hogmanay!? he exclaimed.

Johnny replied in kind, clapping Peredhil on the back and welcoming him into the home. Peredhil whistled, marveling at the decorations. ?You went all out,? he said, clearly impressed, which elicited a broad smile from Johnny.

Reaching into his coat, Peredhil produced a small wrapped gift, which he gave to his friend. ?This is a little something for you and Sianna.? He added with a smile, ?How are the wedding preparations going??

They engaged in small talk for a few moments and then Peredhil excused himself so Johnny could attend to the other guests. Laughter and boisterous voices ? many of them recognizable ? beckoned him from the adjoining room. Peredhil chuckled at an overheard comment and plunged into the party.

As people poured into the smallish house, the party quickly expanded from the kitchen into the living and dining rooms. Johnny was in his element, exchanging a back-pounding greeting with Peredhil and a laugh and wave across a crowded room to Wil and Eless. Piper and her friend, Rena, were welcomed - and Johnny chanted the reasons for the gifts that Sianna had pounded into his head. "Coal fer th' home ta be warm through th' year, sweet cakes ta never be hungry, an' juniper fer th' cleansing of evil thoughts. An' ta keep th' Vikin's away, apparen'ly."

A bundle of flowers quickly found a home in the crystal vase, and wine was broken into - although the champagne was set aside for midnight. The party was hitting its stride when Johnny did raise his voice for an announcement.

"I know a bunch'a y'all don' know all th' traditions fer this kinda thing - an' ta be hones', there's some tha' we can' do proper here. No rollin' burnin' barrels 'a pitch through th' streets, fer example. Bu' we're goin' ta keep th' firs' foot at midnight, an' after tha' we're goin' ta keep another tradition I like' th' soun' of!" Johnny waved over in the direction of a small side table set up with pieces of paper and pens.

"Th' deal is ya write down somethin' ya wan' ta be rid of in th' New Year - somthin' in yer personality, somethin' else, wha' ever ya wan'. Ya can tell people'r no' as ya choose. Me, I'm puttin' down bein' unwed! An' then after th' firs' foot comes in at midnight, y'all take those pieces of paper, fold'em up, an' throw'em in th' fire - an' then wha'ever ya wan' ta be rid of 'll go with th' paper." A cheerful grin followed as Johnny went over to the table and wrote in a bold scrawl Being Unwed on one of the pieces of paper, then folded it up and shoved it in a back pocket until the proper time.

"Now back ta partyin'! We havta send th' old year ou' in style!" And with that, Johnny plunged back into the crowd.

The courier wasn't quite sure what he was holding, but it looked half-edible and wholly incomprehensible. When he knocked on the door of the small house to deliver the item, as well as the note with it, he spent a few more moments studying it.

It looked, to him, like a very spiky apple. In all truth, that's sort of what it was. It was indeed an apple, with almond slivers sticking out of it in all directions like a cactus. On the bottom, where he held his hand, were four sticks, presumably to act as a base. The top, around the stem, was surrounded with small sprigs of evergreen sticking out.

He didn't read the note, just held the item and waited. But the note with it said:

Johnny and Sianna:

A Calennig, in Welsh tradition, though sans water and children. So long as it lasts, so too will your good luck; just stick it on the mantle or somewhere safe. May good fortune bless you in this new year, and our hopes are with you.

Warmest regards,
Harold & Maia

Beata was a bouncing baby, moving from one pair of arms to another for a period of time, and she was all wide eyed curiosity each time. Though after an hour of this, the near six month old had enough, and Sylvia reclaimed her. ?Cian, Aidan, you are under the supervision of Master Corinsson while I go feed Beata. However, you do what the adults tell you, and mind your manners.?

Ewan gave a reassuring nod and claimed the boys attention again with some imaginary tale of mountain adventure. The gracious host indicated a set off space from the rest of the party, and there Sylvia tended her daughter?s needs.

Cian and Aidan laughed and played, though Cian found he had to keep reminding Aidan to look where he was going when they went to snatch a few more bites to eat. Casting thank yous to the adults in the area, because in truth they were not sure exactly who had made anything, and as Mum always said, ?Better safe than sorry.?

The men Cian saw took his particular interest. The way they stood, how they laughed, how they watched, it was all taken in to his forming thoughts. He remembered his father, and often his thinking would run to ?What would he think of that??.

?I?m gonna write something,? Cian stated matter-of-factly to his little brother who looked at him as if he?d grown two heads. ?Like Master Smith said. Write something down and burn it up, it?ll go away.?

?I wanna write something, too!? Aidan said, though his conviction was just in the fact Cian wanted to do it, so he had to as well.

?What do you have to write?? sneered Cian.

Aidan frowned, ?I get to write something.?

?You don?t even know how to write.?

And that was the start of the first pouting session of the night. Fortunately, Sylvia was on her way back and caught it in time. Ewan gave the summary, ?Discussion of writing things to burn.?

?I want to write something, mama, and Cian says I can?t.?

?He can?t write.? Cian explained.

?Cian,? Sylvia spoke soft, and it quieted the boys instantly so they could hear her above the voices of the others, ?I will write for Aidan, and I will help you as well.? She shifted Beata from one arm to the other. ?Go get some papers and one,? she stressed the number, ?pen.?

They rushed to the table and did exactly as she said, though there was some glares at who would carry the pen back, but they both arrived at her side with excited faces. Aidan promptly declared, ?Wanna get rid of nap time.?

Sylvia opened her mouth to argue that, but laughed instead and just wrote it down, then folded up the paper and gave it to Aidan. ?You will wait for me or another adult to help you burn that. Do not go near the fire until I say so.?

Cian piped up as Aidan held the paper as if it were a special treat. ?I wanna lose my first tooth.?

?Cian, you are too young for that. If you were to lose your first tooth it would mean something is wrong, is that what you want to happen?? As fanciful as it was to think that just burning something up on a piece of paper was going to work, she sure was not going to have it in her son?s head that it was some guarantee. She knew he wanted some sign that he was growing up, but there was a place for reasonable measure.

?I wanna get rid of being short?? He said hopefully.

?You are not short for your age. Cian, you are but a young boy.?

That was not the right thing to say. His mouth scrunched up with such indignation, that Sylvia fought hard not to laugh. Aidan had moved on to play with Avery again and the crackers were pulled with delighted squeals. Cian sat in thought, and finally landed on, ?I wanna get rid of not having a dog.?

That was something Sylvia could agree to, and she wrote it down and he tucked it away before joining his brother and friend in play. One piece of paper too many and it sat staring blankly at her. Beata squirmed on her lap looking around, and Sylvia shifted her again before writing down something for herself and folded the paper to slip in the coin pouch at her hip. She stood and returned the pen to its originating table, and then shifted Beata about so the little girl could rest her head, soon to have sleep find her.

Once Avery had finished his food, Storm kept an eye on him as he moved on to play to Cian and Aidan. She moved on however, to carry conversations with others. Particularly around Elessaria, Piper, and Peredhil, tossing the words 'clan', 'bow and arrow', and 'pottery' around with a hint of a smile. She made sure that everyone knew Ewan, introducing them if needed. She enjoyed moving between different groups of people and finding that laughter was easy.

There was a point in time that Beata was passed off to her, and Storm was fascinated with her wide eyes and cheerful disposition. She did not hold the baby for long, finding a sense of growing discomfort as she wiggled within her arms. It was not that Storm did not like babies, but hardly ever holding such fragile life allowed for her to enjoy in only small quantities.

When Sylvia helped her boys write down their notes, Avery was curled up on her lap, fighting to keep his eyes open. Amused, she pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Would you like to write something down also?"

He shifted, moving so that his blue eyes could see where she was looking, *I do not know what to write.* He signed, though he sat up and leaned as he looked at it more.

"You do not have to write anything." She watched at Katarina took her turn to write something down. "I think I am going to go, save our seat, hm?"

He nodded, and she shifted him off her lap and settled him into the chair. Moving on towards the table, she picked up two pieces of parchment, and one writing utensil. She inhaled deeply, considering the many things that she could write down. Her eyes flickered to her son, and then more discreetly, to her husband. Finding the answer was the apparent, and she was quick in writing it down. It was interrupted though, when Avery brushed against her leg. Hiding a smile, she looked down at him, "Changed your mind, little one?"

*I want to write it!* He reached for her pen, and Storm sent him a scolding look. *Please?* He added, and Storm gave him the pen and took the piece of parchment that was under hers and slipped it to him.

"Do you want me to look away?"

*No, because you have to make sure that I spell everything right.*

"Okay, what are you writing?"

With his back towards the crowd, he kept his signing small so it was like he was whispering to her. Her lips parted sightly, and she cleared her throat. She was about to inform him that he did not need to write that down, but it was not her place. Quickly recovering, she closed her mouth and smiled with a nod. She watched him carefully write out his small sentence, only once having to correct his lettering. "Now, fold it and put in in your pocket until we all burn them." He nodded with a grin, his sleepy state fading away as he was off to see who else he could play with.

Storm watched him go, and she chuckled softly. She finished her sentence, paused, and scribbled something on the bottom. Easily folding the paper, she moved to reclaim her seat.

Aidan had gotten tired of his older brother, who had gotten a little bossy to Aidan as the hour got later. Although he could feel the eyes of his mother or Master Corinsson keeping track of him, he wandered about the room, keeping close to the furniture and make sweet eyes at the pretty ladies. Sylvia blamed Elessaria's blown kiss to her son at the Winter Market for giving Aidan the idea to use his cute factor in getting attention.

So it was that Aidan rested his chin on the arm of a chair and started making sweet eyes at the pretty girl with fiery hair in a bun and a blue dress. She seemed quiet. He wanted quiet. Mama was busy with keeping his sister Bea happy, so forest colored eyes and a shy smile were sent over Gabby's way. He twisted back and forth if ever she caught his eye, but he did not stop watching her.

Sylvia saw Aidan turning on his tired charm and got ready to intervene the moment Gabby got discomforted by the attention of a little two and half year old boy.

For a few days the Ranger had gone unseen about the Inn or the city proper itself. He had met Johnny for the first time at the Inn during his shift, and for a time they conversed about the state of the city and how safe it was for his sister to be traveling through it without proper protection. Hawk did not forget Johnny's kindness, or the invitation that had been offered to attend the Hogamany.

The thicket was sparse, barely thriving due to the drastic cold that had found its way to the forests outlying the city's borders. The red-tail resting upon his leather clad arm seemed to be looking in every direction aside from at the Ranger. The hawk lifted into the air and climbed high into the sky, then dove down towards him. He held a small package aloft, connected to a cord that the red-tail grasped within its talons as it passed just over his head, and then promptly flew off into the distance. Hawk nodded in a pleased fashion, and set back out upon his path.

The red-tail passed smoothly over the trees, beginning its descent near the ruins of the Nightblades guild hall and hovered just before the front door of the Silver Lark. With a cry Arro dropped the package that he had carried before the stoop, and rose back into the sky and flew away.

Upon opening, a folded piece of sealed parchment and a leather waterskin were in the paper wrapped package. The parchment was sealed with white wax, pressed in the shape of a hawk in flight. When the seal was broken, the parchment would read in a graceful and precise script:

Johnny,

It is with utmost regret that I cannot attend your Hog A Many. It does sound like an event that I would very much enjoy. I wish to thank you for your kind invitation and to show that even though I was unable to attend, I am still with you, your family, and guests, in spirit. In the waterskin you shall find one of the spirits of my homeland, Shireeni, or rose water in the common tongue. It is a sweet tasting spirit that has a sharp bite once it has been swallowed. It is made more for sipping or shots than it is to be drunk in large quantities. I would also warn you to only allow those who have experience drinking spirits and a high tolerance to have more than a simple sip, as it is much stronger than most spirits I have encountered in this realm.

May the Light shine well upon your path, and the gods favor you with good fortune in the upcoming seasons.

By my hand,
Hawk Jahad

Aidan's little nose wrinkled up as he laughed at the face Gabby made. He would hide behind the arm of the chair and then peek up again to see if she was still looking. When she made her way over he turned to face her and took her hand in his. Shaking not quite his expertise, he just let her hand fold around his and he shared the warmth.

" 'Abby," he was sure that was not exactly right, and said it again, "Gabby." A tired grin, but one that was still happy. "Aidan." He felt it was obvious that was his name.

His little mouth pouted when she said she felt a little sad. "Tired sad? We nap." Tug, tug on her hand to have her sit as he scrunched down ready to sit on the floor, too. "Nap makes us happy!" Obviously pulling some rhetoric his mother has told him every time he needed a nap. His previous disposition towards wanting to be rid of naps completely forgotten. The lady was sad. Naps cured sadness. Perfect logic. He batted dark fringe of lashes framing forest eyes expectantly at her.

Sylvia had scooted a bit closer to keep an ear out for what Aidan was up to and if he was torturing the young lady, but Cian was getting overzealous in his playing, and her attention diverted to her eldest. "Cian, time for a sit down. Now." She did not raise her voice, and to the best of her ability, she tried to use that same look she had seen on Kieran's face when he took Cian to task. Either Cian felt obligated to comply since he was in company of his mother's friends, or the look worked, but he came and sat down and took a quiet moment to watch more of the adults, particularly the men and how they behaved.

Col. Wil Savage took another quick glance at Piper in her dress and Rena in a skirt and smiled, and then went to the table and picked up the pencils and paper. There were many things he could write upon the sheet of paper. In fact, if he were to write down all of his past that he?d like to get rid of, there wouldn?t be much paper left for anyone else. He knew the one that would be at the top of the list for this year ? something that he knew disturbed Eless.

He came back to Eless and gave his fianc?e a kiss, then eyed that plate of food. He raised a teasing brow, ?Hmmm, there?s still some left for me?? He grinned that bad boy grin she loved so much and once again put his hand on the small of her back. ?I?m glad we came,? he said in a whisper. ?It?s so new for me to be around people who are actually normal and have families.?

She could see him watching the young ones and smiling; then when he caught her watching him, he quickly looked away and back to that plate of food. He scratched his head. ?Okay, let?s see, what was that delicious food I tasted on your lips.? He paused, then added, ?Or was that just your lips??