On her way home from the Red Dragon, she stops at her mailbox. She lowers the flag and pulls open the little blue painted door. Inside there are an assortment of windowed envelopes. Already, the bills started coming in. She reaches in and pulls out the three envelopes that are in there and closes the mailbox.

Walking slowly towards the house, she looks at the return addresses on the upper corners of the envelopes. One in particular caught her eye. It bore the crest of the Culinary Institute of Waterdeep. That was Rosie's alma mater.

Opening up the door to the house, she steps in and gently closes it behind her. It was quiet, and she supposed Dean was in his study, painting or writing. Placing the envelopes onto the little table she had next to the door, she removes her sweater and hangs it on the coat rack.

Picking the envelopes back up, she makes her way to the kitchen and pulls back a chair from the table and takes a seat. She puts the two other envelopes on the table and uses a paring knife to open up the one from the Culinary Institute of Waterdeep.

"Dear Alumnus,

We here at the CIoW wish to acknowledge the accomplishments of our students and to showcase them for our current student body. We are holding an open house on the weekend of the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th of this month.

Please accept this invitation to come speak. Your name has come up as one of our graduates that has gone on to embrace the culinary arts as a profession and have done so successfully.

We look forwards to hearing from you.

Allen Beanwards
Alumni Liason"

She read the letter over twice and couldn't believe it. She'd been to the open houses before as a student. She never dreamed she'd be invited to speak.

Rising from the chair quickly, she clutches the letter in her hand and walks into the kitchen, then towards the back of the living room.

"DEAN?!"

She's standing there in the middle of the living room, letter in hand. The excitement showed in her face as her eyes were widened and dancing. Once he's in sight, she walks quickly to meet up with him in the middle of the room.

"They asked me to come back and speak! My alma mater asked me to come back and speak at their open house!"

She hands him the letter and waits for his response. Her mind is already made up, she's going.

Placing her hands lightly on his head she couldn't help but smile. She gently strokes his hair back from his face. All else forgotten at this moment. She felt her heart would burst with the amount of love she felt for this man.

She whispered quietly, "An assistant sounds like a wonderful idea, m'love. But who, on such short notice?"

She could stand there and watch his face forever. A proud man, that he was and it showed on every inch of his gentle face.

Green-blue eyes scanning over the short letter once more. Long fingers curling around the paper, causing it to crinkle as black and gray converse shoed feet carry him down the road.
Green-blue eyes flashing up, the ranch home coming into view. The green shutters? Yes this was the place. He tilts his head, a smile playing along his lips.
Keeping the crumpled letter in his hand, he pauses for a moment to give the ranch home a one more detailed look. How interesting it must of been for someone to spy this young man standing before the home, as if he were casing the joint.
His lips purse at the thought of that, however the sly grin creeps there within moments.

Without another moment of hesitation he bounds up the steps and onto the porch.
The drifting scent of food hit his nostrils immediately. Someone must be home.
His hand is brought up from his side, long fingers ball into a tight fist. He begins knocking on the door vigorously.

He continues to knock until the door finally opens.
Green-blue eyes dart down to the woman in front of him. Fingers tighten on the letter causing even more of the crinkling noise.

"Dean, I'm looking for Dean Santiago." The sly grin still on his face as soon as his mouth finishes forming the words. Dark locks fall into his face as he feels the need to tilt his head to give the woman a better look of himself.
The hand that had been knocking now rests on the doorframe, long fingers folding over the frame. The index finger begins to tap for a moment before it falls back to his side.

"This is the O'Dell house, right."
His low bartoned voice held a gentleness within it.
Green-blue eyes look past her and into the house, he was always curious and right now he was even the more.

He heard the knock on the door, and the brush had been lighlty dropped on the desk just as she had pushed through the door.

"He is here?" He turned on his swivel chair, a grin now on his face. Up and off the chair to the doorway where she was.

Wrapping both tattooed arms around her and pulling her in for a loving embrace.

"I love you kitten." He kissed her neck a dozen times before letting her go, and making his way through the hallway.

Once in the living room, he laughed loudly.

"Gage, how the hell are you man?"

Hugging his waist tightly and leaning her head to the side to accept the kisses he showered, she caresses his cheek softly and gives a few kisses in return. Then she follows him until she reaches the doorway to the hall.

She watched the friendly little reunion with a smirk from the door to the hall way. Arms folded across her chest, she leans into the door frame and sighs softly.

The man seemed nice enough, and he was a friend of Dean's. But there was just something about him that she couldn't put her finger on. Something unsettling. She would have to watch him over the next few days and decide for herself whether or not to leave her precious Deli in his hands or not. Just for a weekend or not, that Deli was her livelihood, and she wouldn't trust that in the hands of just anybody.

She waited patiently, knowing Dean would introduce them eventually.

Dean had not been the only one to see the young woman in the doorway. Gage's green-blues play along her face, her arms crossed. Eye brows lift up in a delicate and swift motion. Was this woman suspicious of him? Surely not him. This caused the corners of his mouth to curl up. His head tilts to get a better view of her, but then his eyes quickly pull up to Dean as he was speaking.
A light roll of his shoulders, as he was being introduced to the woman.

"Rosie."
It rolls off his tongue with gentle persuasion.

"Pleasure to meet you madam."
Long slender fingers brought up along with his arm, as he places it before her. The last three fingers of his hand curl slightly to accept her hand the moment she is to place it in his.

He had been standing there, watching with a grin on his face. Gage was a good friend of his, and he had known him since they were both little kids. And also knew that Gage came off, rather strange at first.


He stood idly by for the moment, and as Rosie left the room. Of course he caught the edge in her voice. And the moment she stepped out of the room, he waved a hand to the couch. Taking the chair infront of it for himself. He leaned forward, both tattooed arms on his knees and hands clasped together.


"We need someone to look after the Deli for a few days, and then after I
would like you to become some what of an assistant. Help Rosie out when she needs it. When I can't of course. With the baby coming and all, we could use all the help we can get." He added a nod at the end.


"That is, if you don't freak out Rosie anymore then you already did." He grinned at his old friend.


Once Rosie came back out, he cleared his throat and leaned back in the chair.

Manners dictate that guests come first, always have, always will in her book. So she offers Gage a glass of the lemonade first, then over to Dean, handing him a glass before taking a sip of her own.

"So, Gage, you will be staying with us?"It was more of an offer than a question. She wouldn't put one of Dean's friends out when she had a spare room. Besides, if Dean trusted this man, then she would trust Dean's judgement.

She settles to the ground by Dean's feet, laying her hand on his knee. Taking another sip of her lemonade, she looks between the two men.

Fingers curled around the cool glass and brought it to his thin lips. Lips opened just enough to allow but a tiny drop of the cool liquid into his mouth, and down his throat. A polite tilt of his head for Rosie.
At first he just sat there, listening. Green-blue eyes looking to Rosie, and then find their way back to Dean as he spoke.

"Rosie, I apologize for the way I reacted when we had just met, I assure you I mean nothing by it." A small sigh comes up from his throat and escapes pale thin lips.
"I would be honored to stay in your home, thank you."
Green-blue eyes watch the couple carefully, thin lips curl in a sincere smile.
"I am more then ready to be shown what I need to do. That is, If you still want my help after the way I acted." He waits for the reply, it could come from either of them, but with all honesty he wanted her to speak, for her to assure Dean and himself that he was not "freaking" her out as Dean had said.

Sitting there still sipping the cool lemonade, his hazel eyes watched the two. And after everything was said, he placed the glass on the table infront of him, a light kiss to Rosie's head, and he was up out of the chair.

"Well let's get you settled in. I'll show you to your room." He began to walk down the hallway. Waving a hand towards the guest bathroom.

"That is the bathroom, this is our room, and here is your room." He waved a hand to each. Opening the door of the spare room.

"And make your bed every morning, Rosie has a thing about that..." He whispered softly, and then chuckled softly.

A bright grin on his face.
"Very funny." He laughed lightly, though he knew Gage was only half kidding on that. It was no secret that Gage was brought up in a wealthy home. He shrugged.
"I think you will live."

He watched Gage as he moved on into the room, resting leaning against the doorway. A glance back towards the living room where he had left Rosie, and then back to Gage.
And then he caught it, that grin. He knew that grin and stood straight up, finger pointed directly at Gage.


"No women in the house!" Firmly put. "I mean it Gage, behave around here." Boy he sounded like a dad already!

And with that he shut the door, living Gage within. He had to chuckle lightly at himself. This was going to be interesting. Very interesting. Thankfully when it came to business Gage was trustworthy, but he had a feeling when Gage wasn't working...all hell was going to break loose.