Sunset in the small fishing village of Sainte-Ouen is a chilly time of day, cold breezes blowing in from the rocky cove and drowning out the crisp smells of autumn with salt-water. Alain stands on the veranda of the House's large clapboard house, thick, scarred arms gently hugging the railing, watching the fishing boats come in one by one. The fishermen from Esperance are late getting in - the Knights will have to escort them on the road back, just in case...

His pea coat is unbuttoned but his collar turned up to ward off the cold, and his cheeks are red from the persistent cold wind, but he appears content. His shoulders are relaxed, and his eyes no longer search - they have found something happy to linger on, at long last.

Nearby the snick of a door opening can be caught, somewhat muffled by the wind. Light footsteps from behind approach then two slender arms snake gently, intimately around his waist. Lisa leans her head to his shoulder blade, snuggling her face in the warmth that permeates his coat. She takes in a deep breath, loving the smell of him.

?Rather a breathtaking spectacle, isn?t it?? She whispers softly into the fabric of his coat, referring to the sunset and the vivid colors that stain the dusky sky. But Lisa doesn?t bother with the vista as beautiful as it is; she?s much more focused on the man. She senses how relaxed he is, how content. It brings her joy and a lightness of heart she?d thought she?d lost forever.

In spite of the scars that line him, there is something else, something more to center himself on, and it's looking over his shoulder. Alain looks back at her and touches her chin to steal a kiss, and breathes in the wake of the gentle smack of lips, "I can think of more beautiful things..." His heart thrums for a moment, and his face eases into a warm smile. "I was about to come looking for you... Something I wanted to talk to you about." He turns in Lisa's arms to face her, and turns her into his instead.

Snuggling in close Lisa beams warmly up at him as she stares into his bright blue eyes. ?Oh?? she replies lightly. She feels safe and secure in his arms, at home, but she doesn?t feel the need to comment. Instead she focuses on what he?d said. ?And what might that be?? she asks shifting slightly closer against him as she slips her arms inside his coat. It is rather chilly on the porch and he?s warm and invitingly near.

It never fails to surprise Lisa, the effect Alain has on her. Her heart races at the sight of him, her breath seems to catch in her throat and she aches, a physical pain, when he?s not around. Her love for him has no boundaries, she would willingly sacrifice herself for him should the need arise. But again, these words remain trapped inside her eyes as she smiles up at him waiting for him to continue.

Slowly Alain tips his head back, eyes drifting shut, thinking a little before he speaks. "...So much has changed since the day I met you, Lisa. In spite of everything that's happened to me, I've fallen in love, lost myself to passion, left myself open again and let you in." He breathes a sigh and lets his fingers wander on her back, light, not pressing, touches. "And I realize it isn't just that things have changed... that you've changed me. Helped me realize I am a good man, and that I can someday soon hang up my gun and never touch one again, that I don't just have to be a good detective or a good troubleshooter, and that I can let those things go..."

Alain looks down at her, and then over his shoulder, gesturing out at the cove. "And that I can be a place like this, away from the city, away from RhyDin, and adore you... live with you... be a good lover to you..." Slowly, he looks back again, meaning and determination in bright blue eyes. "...and maybe, if you'll let me, something even more than a partner, a lover, and a friend."

Lisa?s smile never falters as she listens, and although tears form in her wide eyes they don?t tumble down her cheeks. They tremble on the edge of shedding. She shakes her head slowly, hands lifting to rest on his shirt front as fingers play lightly. ?I don?t want to secret you away from everything you know. I want you to be what you want, have what you want and simply allow me to share what you are willing to share with me.?

She doesn?t know if she makes sense, she only knows that she loves and adores him, and above everything seeks for him the same happiness he?s bequeathed her. ?You are already my everything, Alain. I could only hope that I could strive to mean as much to you as you do to me. There is nothing I would deny you, my love.?

"That's the thing, Lisa... that you are my everything too," he says, voice emphatically hushed. "Alain DeMuer the detective, the undercover agent, the killer, even, when I have to... that is not who I want to be, what I want to do. Alain DeMuer, House leader and businessman, that I enjoy... and maybe, if you'll let me, Alain DeMuer, your husband."

He lets it hover for a moment and takes a step back. His heart is moving so fast in his chest, and so hard, and yet he cannot feel it at all, only the sudden dryness of his lips and the joy surging within. He takes a knee and opens his hand, where a silver ring rests on his palm. "Marry me, Lisa."

?Marry you?? Lisa repeats in a whisper as if she must have misunderstood. Her mouth falls open and she feels at an utter loss for words. Wide eyes speak of her disbelief as she would never have dared presume this from him.

Lisa is a smart girl. She knows Alain feels passion for her, but she also believed him to be somewhat of an intentional loner. She considers herself a modern girl, able to fit fluidly into her situations with grace and ease. Alain?s choice of profession convinced her to keep her expectations low. His lifestyle did somewhat demand it, did it not? A detective, an undercover agent, neither profession begged for close intimate ties. She?d always assumed he simply didn?t want to get fettered down in such a manner; or at very least, keep his private affairs private away from those that might attempt to use his relationships against him.

When they decided to move here to Sainte-Ouen, she?d expected to become his haven. This suited her just fine. He has become her world and to be even a small part of his? well, it was more than enough to satisfy her. But now staring down into those bright blue eyes, so sincere and intimately revealing, she realizes a dream she?d never dared dream.

Her own mouth dry and her words stuck in her chest, she nods mutely ?yes?, then throws herself into his arms where she promptly bursts into tears of joy.

?Yes,? she whispers feverishly, ?yes, yes, I would be honored to be your wife, Alain!?

Alain takes her in one arm, squeezing her tight when she says yes, she will, and a deep, shuddering sigh escapes him. He covers her mouth with his, with a tender and eager kiss, and slips the ring onto her finger.

The sea breeze dies suddenly, and wind scurries down from the mountains in its stead, rustling trees of red, yellow and brown in its wake.