Willow worried that the next morning, when she woke up and came downstairs, would be incredibly awkward. She and Aiden hadn't been alone together since he'd walked out after she rejected him. Surprisingly, she found that the only awkwardness-and what little there was of that-came from herself.

And, even though she felt guilty about it, she was really relieved. It was crazy enough that he'd developed feelings for her, as well as confessing them. But if he was going to constantly be sulking because she didn't return them, she'd start going crazy. Especially when she remembered Aiden had roughly a month, maybe even a month and a half left before he'd be leaving. Seeing him everyday, acting like that, would have completely ruined any good mood she might have woken up in.

He bumped into her on his way down the stairs. While she started to sway unsteadily, he reached out and steadied her, his hands at her shoulders. "Whoa," he murmured sleepily. "You okay there, honey?" he asked. "Sorry about that, I didn't realize you were already on your way down the stairs." He'd been coming down and hadn't seen her, nearly stepping on her, actually.

Willow blinked up at him, shocked. "Uh...Did you just call me 'honey'?"

He nodded, yawning, running the fingers of his left hand through his long blonde hair as a lazy form of brushing it out. "Yeah, I did," he confirmed.

"Um...b-but we aren't-"

"No, we aren't," he agreed casually. "But I love you and that's it. That's how it is, how it's going to be. I'm not going to hide it from you or anyone. So if I want to call you honey, I will," he grumbled as he started down the rest of the stairs. "Don't worry, I won't do anything crazy like sweep you off your feet and kiss you. Though...eh, maybe it's just how early it is, but that actually sounds really fun," he chuckled huskily.

Willow stared after him, very cautiously following him down, keeping about ten feet between them. "But, anyway, I thought I should just warn you how it's going to be. Oh, and I'm not going to hide it from your boyfriend either. As far as I'm concerned, he's not worth your time of day. But I won't do anything crazy around him...Unless he's basically begging for it," he admonished after a second.

He reached his normal chair he sat down in at this time of the morning, yawning again, covering his mouth. "I'm not going to stop you from having a relationship with the guy," he continued, stretching. "I will let you know I can't stand him, though. But, if he's the guy you feel like you can be with, I won't stop you," he muttered. His dark green eyes brooded at her over the hand he'd been mumbling through after sitting down. After a second, he sighed. "Do you mind if I take out these contacts, for now? You have no idea how annoying it is to wear them, especially when I first wake up."

Swallowing, Willow nodded, slowly moving into the kitchen to get her morning cup of coffee. When she came back and pulled out her chair from the table to sit down, Aiden was very carefully placing his contacts into a small case he'd apparently pulled out of his pajama shorts pocket. She placed her cup on the table and scooted the chair forward, wrapping her hands around the cup to soak in some of it's warmth. She turned her head and froze, taking in the sight of Aiden's brilliant, turquoise eyes. "Holy shit..."

He blinked rapidly a few times, squinting and widening his eyes before settling down. "So much better...." he sighed in relief. His gaze turned to Willow and a grin began to fill his face. "Wow...you have a 'Is this guy even real?!' expression right now. Thank you...that's quite the compliment, honey," he chuckled. He shifted so that his head was propped up on his hand. "Hmm, this is the first time you've seen my true eye color, isn't it? Now you know where Prophecy got her own unique eyes," he smiled.

Willow let out a tiny breath. "They're beautiful..."

His smile softened, as did the light in his dazzling eyes. "Maybe...but nothing's a beautiful as you," he murmured.

His words pulled her out of the almost trance-like state she'd been in, staring into his eyes. She blinked, glancing down at herself. She was wearing a thin, white tank top with the image of an adorable panda covering up most of the top. Her shorts reached to just a little past her lower thighs, white trim with black and white strips all through them. Her hair was a static mess right now, as it usually was in the mornings. "I'm just half asleep," she laughed, taking a sip of her coffee. "I haven't even started on my beauty efforts yet."

He rose to his feet to get a cup of coffee himself. "Prophecy's already eight...tomorrow," he added as he got a mug out of the cabinet. "Can I just say how crazy that is?"

"I know!" Willow agreed in amazement. "It honestly feels like I was just finding out I was pregnant yesterday..."

Aiden paused, waiting until he'd poured his coffee before saying anything else. "How was your pregnancy?"

Willow shifted uncomfortably, keeping her gaze on the dark coffee in her cup. "Um...I-it was normal, I suppose..." After a second, she sighed, slumping forward. She lifted her head and watched him as he came back to his chair, taking a seat. "To be honest, it was awful. Horrible. Scarring. And for a really long time, I blamed you for a lot of it. But, here recently, I've started to realize something...You really aren't the bad guy I'd made you out to be in my head."

Aiden's lips lifted into a thin, sardonic smile. "Well, thanks for that," he muttered. Sighing, he forced himself to stop being so grumpy. "I hope you realize that if I had known...If I'd realized you had become pregnant from our little fling, I would have been by your side in a heartbeat."

Willow dropped his gaze, swallowing. "Yeah...I know now. And I'd like to believe that if I'd known how to get a hold of you, I would have done so...But, truthfully, I don't know if I would have been brave enough to do it."

He slowly reached out his hand, lightly placing his fingertips over the edge of her arm, making her glance back up at him. "You know, things really could have been a lot different and a lot better if we'd gone a little slower, I think." Willow simply nodded, unable to find any words to say. "Was your pregnancy really that bad?" he asked gently. "My father told me that my mother's was, but she was carrying twins and we were both hybrids. Thankfully, with his powers, he was able to keep her safe. Did you know anyone who could do the same?" he wondered, even though he already knew the answer.

Willow lowered her head back down, but she didn't pull away from his slight touch. "N-no...not exactly," she admitted after a second. "T-to be honest...My pregnancy was so bad, I never want to get pregnant again. I'm happy with just having Prophecy. She's all I need in the world," Willow tried to explain to him, slowly returning her gaze to his again.

"T-that's why...It's why I honestly think I'll never be able to return your feelings, Aiden. It's not that I don't, exactly, want to...I just think it's because, in my heart, all that I have room for is Prophecy and Kazuo. They're the two most important people in the entire world to me. They're my family," she whispered, a few tears beginning to leak from behind her eyes. "A-and I'm scared...I'm scared of anyone else ever meaning as much to me as they do. How could I bare it?...D-do you understand?" she asked, blinking rapidly through her tears.

Aiden closed his eyes, feeling both happy and sad. He was happy she'd told him, herself, at least a little of her pain and scars. But at the same time, he ached to hear those three words from her lips. 'I love you' had seemed so insurmountable, impossible, to him before. Now, it felt as easy and natural to say to this woman as breathing was.

Opening his eyes slowly, he smiled softly at her. "I get it, honey. Honestly, I do." Rising to his feet, he came around the corner of the table. He stopped by her chair, reaching down to pull her up and enfold her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head as he held her close. "It's not something I exactly like or agree with, but I understand where you're coming from." He lifted her head up to his with a hand under her chin. With his other hand, he began to wipe away at the streak marks her tears had left. Her dark eyes were wide, watching him in surprise.

Leaning down, he kissed her forehead. "I love you," he murmured. He kissed each of her eyes gently, repeating his words. "I love you," he sighed. As he pulled back slightly, he let out a short chuckle. "Oh, honey, your face right now is..." He grinned widely. "Gods, how are you so wonderful and beautiful? It's like you get more and more wonderful and beautiful every time I see you."

Willow sucked in a sharp breath. She felt like she was being swept up by a rising current and she was barely able to keep herself from drowning. She placed her hands against his chest, trying to steady herself. "Aiden, I..."

"Don't have to say a word," he finished her shaky sentence. "I'm not telling you I love you because I expect you to say it back. I'm not telling you I love you because I'm trying to force you to feel the same. I'm not telling you I love you because I think it's a easy way to get you naked and laid out on this table," he continued in a steady voice.

He cupped her left cheek with his hand, smiling down at her. "No, honey, I'm telling you I love you because I do. And I just want to say it. The way you make me feel, the emotions running throughout my entire being...I hurt when you hurt, honey, even when you're trying to hide it. Trust me, I notice. When I see your smile, when I see how happy you are...It's like you've just sent me on my own little ship to the moon. Sometimes, I even feel like I'm floating when I hear your laugh. And when you sing..."

He inhaled sharply, turquoise eyes intense and filled with all the emotions he was telling her right now, in this moment. "Willow, when you sing, I swear, it's like you've got my heart on a pulley system. Up, down, and back up again with every note, every word..." He closed his eyes briefly, letting out a shaky laugh. "It's the scariest, craziest, strangest feeling in the world. And I wouldn't trade it away for anything," he finished as he opened his eyes to stare into her own. "Honey, I love you and it's just that simple."

He stepped back, laughing at himself. "But I suppose I've already freaked you out enough for one day. I'm sorry about that. Again," he raised his hands up in a pleading gesture. "Please, never feel like you have to say it back. And I'll never expect you to. A-also, I'm sorry I kissed your forehead and eyes, and about the hug. Well," he sighed, moving to sit back down in his chair. "I'm not sorry that I did it, but I'm sorry if it upset you or scared you. That, I didn't want. But I got caught up in the moment and I just wanted to kiss you. Obviously though, for several reasons, that's out of the question. So I suppose I did the next best thing," he grinned.

Willow was still standing there, panting as she tried to catch her breath. "Oh my...holy...whoa..."

He laughed outright, leaning back in his chair. He liked the look of complete and utter shock on her face. "It seems you're still suffering from the hit of that truck I just ran you over with." His grin grew wider. "I must say, this expression on your face is another thing I enjoy."

Blinking rapidly, Willow shook her head slightly to clear it of the warm, fuzzy haze Aiden had sent it into. She shot him a tired glare. "W-was all of that necessary?" she demanded.

He placed his mug back onto the table from taking a drink, nodding his head sagely. "Yes. Yes, I believe all of it was," he replied evenly. He glanced down at his watch, catching the time. "Wow, it's already nearly 5:30? Where did all the time go?"

"Aiden...how do you expect me to get use to this...this complete and utter change of how you act around me?"

He stared at her for several seconds. "Hmm...Well, I suppose all I can say is you're just going to have to find a way. Free speech and all that."

She glared at him hotly. "Oh, is that the excuse you're going with for...for spouting out the 'L' word every two seconds? F-for acting like a complete and total..."

"Sweetheart?" he finished for her, smirking as he saw her face fill with a blush. "Ah, honey, you're so adorable." He leaned forward in his seat, propping his chin on his fingers, which he had crossed, elbows leaning on the table top. "Really," he sighed. "Why did I have to wait eight years to find you?" he murmured regretfully. "If I'd had any idea, I wouldn't have let you leave the hotel that night..."

Willow shook her head, a shiver running down her spine. She honestly had no idea how to act around Aiden right now. It was going to take some getting use to. Thank the gods he's leaving in a month...That train of thought reminded her of a topic she really did need to discuss with Aiden. Now seems just as good a time as any, she decided.

"Aiden, can I change the subject?" He blinked, shrugging in a way that said 'yeah, sure, if you want'. "What do you plan to do when you have to go back to the Other Realm?"

He slowly straightened in his chair, face becoming slightly pensive. "Well, if my dreams all fail and you don't fall madly in love with me by the time I have to leave...I'll have to go back and begin trying to court someone," he answered.

She frowned. "B-but...how can you? You just...you just said you love me, so how can you go back and find some other woman?" She didn't mean for it, but her voice almost sounded a little hurt by it. She snapped her mouth shut, keeping herself from saying anything else that might be able to be seen as caring.

He let out a long breath. "I can and will because it's what is expected of me. I'm the Lord of Winter, Willow. I need an Heir and I need one soon."

"C-can't you just adopt?" she asked quietly. His words were really serving to hammer the nail in that he was going to be having another child with some other woman. And, for whatever reason, that irritated her...just slightly.

"No," he shook his head. "My son has to be an et hiemis and this particular race of Other is almost completely exclusive to my very family. As such, my Heir will have to come from whoever I select as my wife."

She lowered her gaze back to her cup, swallowing back another gulp, almost like it was a shot glass. "So...you'll go back and marry someone then," she forced herself to give in and stop caring. But it didn't help the slight pang she felt in her chest.

"Yes," he murmured, voice subdued from it's earlier light-hearted tone.

"What about Prophecy?" Willow found herself asking. "Are you just going to...to forget about her?" she whispered, terrified he'd tell her that he would. But even before he spoke, she knew in her mind what his answer would be.

His turquoise eyes began to change to a bright red-orange. "No!" he snarled. "Never suggest I would ever desert my daughter again!" he hissed.

Swallowing, Willow lowered her cup and nodded her head quickly. "I'm sorry, Aiden. I already knew you wouldn't. I just...I just couldn't stop myself from asking. Really," she glanced up at his burning eyes. "I'm honestly sorry," she murmured.

He closed his eyes tightly, taking a minute to reign in his blast of temper that had been nearly hot enough to begin melting the cup he'd been holding. "Just...don't ever say that again," he warned as he rose to his feet to get rid of what little was left of the boiling hot coffee and the half-melted mug.

"I won't," she promised, and she meant it.

Slowly, he returned to his seat, face still tight with some of the remnants of his anger. "I will not desert Prophecy," he told her. "In fact, I plan to come visit on a regular basis."

Willow blinked. "Um...like, how regular? A few times a month?"

He shook his head, a ghost of a smile returning to his face. "No, every weekend, unless something very big is happening. But even then, I'll be fighting tooth-and-nail to get here. And on big days, like holidays and birthdays, I'll be here. You just need to tell me ahead of time so I can arrange my schedule and tell the rest of the royals of the Other Realm to fuck off."

She let out a small laugh at that, grinning at him. "Are you going to personally tell them 'fuck off'?" she asked.

He nodded his head. "Yep, a hundred percent yes. If those idiots are crazy enough to get between me and Prophecy or me and you, they deserve such harsh treatment."

"There you go again, overwhelming me," she grumbled at him. But a nagging thought suddenly became clear in her head. She gasped, pulling back from her seat as she stared at Aiden in shock. "B-but...isn't this a lot like what you said your uncle did to your...m-mom?"

Aiden's face pulled into a dark frown as he realized it as well. He let out a long sigh, trying to get his emotions together. But after a few more seconds, he lifted his head and found a calm voice to speak in. "No, it's not. I'm not lying about what I'm doing and I'm not using any sort of drug or illegal means to force you into this situation. Also, I won't be lying to my wife or son. I will let them know and I will even bring him with me in order to see his older sister. And you won't be my mistress. So, no, this is nothing like what my uncle did."

In the back of his mind, he couldn't stop the thoughts running like crazy. The situation is only like this because you won't marry me...But even as he thought it, he knew he'd never try to force Willow into a marriage. And, to be honest, he couldn't see her as the next Lady of Winter. His mother had somehow managed to do her job, but Willow seemed much too different, too free, too laid-back to be able to handle a job like that. And he didn't want to force her into what would essentially be a cage to her. Especially when it would be a cage of ice, snow, and terror, for her. So, even though it pained him to admit it-even in his own mind-this plan of his was honestly the best answer.

Slowly, she nodded. "Okay then. I can handle that and I'm pretty sure Prophecy will be able to as well. She'll still miss you like crazy during the weekdays, though," she admitted quietly.

Aiden smiled softly. "You have no idea...how much I'll miss her as well." He glanced back down at his watch. "So...what should we make for everyone this morning?"

Slowly rising to her feet, Willow stretched out the stiffness of her muscles. "How about biscuits and gravy, sausages, and scrambled eggs? Ooh, and maybe some grits on the side too!" she grinned.

Chuckling, Aiden rose as well. "Sounds great. Lead the way, Chef," he waved her toward the kitchen.

O O O

The rest of the Frost family showed up just as Kazuo and Bren were finishing up the breakfast dishes. The two had lost to a game of rock-paper-scissors against Prophecy, which meant they were on clean up duty. Willow was already upstairs, getting ready. Aiden greeted his family warmly. Prophecy waved to everyone before rushing up the stairs to change into her outfit for the shopping trip.

Five minutes later, Willow came down the stairs. She'd put on a simple white t-shirt that ended at her shoulders. On top of that, she'd found a light, peach-colored blazer with the sleeves ending at the elbows. She'd thrown on a pair of slightly ripped jeans that ended at three inches above her ankles and a pair of silver three-inch heels. She'd even found a necklace of a small black heart and a bracelet with white and silver beads. Add in just a dash of eyeliner and a little, natural-colored lipstick and she'd been done.

The first thing she'd seen when she glanced up from watching her steps as she descended down the stairs was Aiden's softly smiling expression and the light of appreciation her outfit was apparently getting from him. She raised a brow in question toward him at that. It wasn't like what she'd put on was anything amazing or anything. She'd just dressed casually, since she knew the day with the girls was going to be filled with a crazy spree of clothes, spas, and shoes. So why did he looked so happy and why were his green eyes slowly roaming over her like he'd just caught sight of his favorite kind of pie?

Unable to help it, a light blush stained her cheeks. She was use to men eyeing her like she was a slab of meat, like she'd be a nice meal to gobble down in one big rush...But the way Aiden was watching her was different. He was taking his time, being slow and almost sensual about it. Like he had all the time in the world. Like he planned to strip her piece by piece, kissing every bare patch of skin he revealed to his smoldering gaze. But even so...How was he being so subtle about checking her out?

Bri'd come prepared in a white-with dark blue under-side-long-sleeved printed shirt with two girls posed in fashionable outfits sketched onto the front. She'd paired the shirt with a dark green jean jacket, ends of the sleeves folded back. Then, for a dash of fun, she'd thrown on a black leather vest-jacket, ending at her shoulders, overlaying the rest of the outfit. She'd also slipped into a pair of black skinny jeans and had found a pair of black tie-up boot-heels that complimented the rugged look of the jacket and vest.

Sera was dressed in a much quieter outfit. She had a thin, long-sleeved white shirt. It had a v-neck cut, with lace adding a little extra coverage all the way up to her shoulders. Over the shirt, she'd pulled on a light pink, thin sweater that she currently had unbuttoned. Light grey skinny jeans, light pink flats, and her long brown hair pulled up into a bun with some small diamond earrings completed the look.

Nisha was, to Willow's surprise, dressed just as fashionably-if not more so-than the rest of the younger women. She'd put on a dark blue kimono-styled dress that reached two inches above her knees, with black leggings to covered her exposed skin. She had a black, flowery wrap that gave the outfit a little color, along with dark blue ankle boots. Her long brown hair had been left to flow along her chest and back, and she was wearing the same necklace Willow had seen yesterday. It had a silver chain, as well as being mostly silver. But little aquamarine stones were placed in ways to add the 'icy' look to the necklace's snowflake shape. Willow wondered if Jack had given it to her as a joke or something on his whole name and his job. In fact, she was incredibly curious how a full-blood human had ended up together with a man like the Lord of Winter.

Two minutes behind Willow was Prophecy. Seeing her, Aiden clutched his chest dramatically, stumbling toward her. "I'm going to die of adorableness overload!" he cried out. Prophecy had insisted on wearing a dress today, with her curls falling around her shoulders. She was wearing a short-sleeved, sheer polka-dot ruffled, hot pink dress that reached a few inches above her knees. She also had sparkly silver flats and a smile nearly as bright as her outfit.

"Don't be silly," she waved her hand at Aiden in a dismissive gesture. But she did start flying toward him as soon as her feet hit the ground floor. Aiden caught her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Love you, Dad," she whispered in his ear.

"Love you too, sweetheart," he murmured in just as soft of a voice. There foreheads were pressed together as they smiled into each others eyes. Matching expressions of love, excitement, and happiness were on their faces as they turned their heads in unison to Willow. "You have to come over here," Aiden ordered. He shifting Prophecy in his arms slightly to motion for Willow to come closer.

Willow stared at the two. "Okay..." she agreed a little hesitantly. There was something about the light in their eyes.

As soon as she was in range, Aiden snatched her up and pulled her tightly against his side. He wore a wide, happy smile. "Yep. I've got my girls now," he chuckled.

Willow turned as brightly red as she could with her darker skin. "A-Aiden, l-let me g-g-go!" she stuttered.

Prophecy giggled, wrapping her arms around Aiden's neck. "You really did do it, Dad."

"Stop freaking out so much, Willow. I just want to tell you that I love you-"

"Y-you alr-ready said-d that toda-ay! S-several times!" Willow continued to try and struggle out of his arms, her eyes wide in embarrassment.

The rest of the "family" all raised eyebrows at that. Wow, they all thought in unison. What happened between last night and this morning?

Bri's closed her eyes for a second, focusing on Aiden as she read his emotions. Her eyes flew open and she wiped at a stray tear that had started falling down her cheek. Girl, you found it...You found him, so don't mess this up, okay?

"-and you look more beautiful than normal this morning. Is that such a crime?" Aiden asked calmly, smiling down at her.

Willow's shoulders slumped for a second before she stopped trying to get out of Aiden's arms. "...No," she mumbled, unable to look up into his face.

"I'm glad you agree. I'm sorry I embarrassed you, but after seeing the two of you, I couldn't hold myself back." He leaned his head against Prophecy's, who looked so happy it was infectious.

Nisha, wiping at tears that were falling down her cheeks, Jack's arm wrapped around her shoulders, found a bright smile of her own lifting her lips. But even past the smile, she fought down a sob. Oh, sweetie...I'm so proud of you, so happy for you. And yet...

Slowly, Willow glanced up at the pair, smiling herself at how alike father and daughter looked in that moment. "You realize you two are crazy troublemakers, right?" she muttered.

Aiden grinned. "I'm a Frost, honey. I'm learning more and more that 'Frost' is a synonym for 'trouble'." He dipped his head down and kissed the tip of her nose.

She blinked, backing up, and he let go of her. "A-Aiden!" she gasped. "S-stop it!"

He laughed. "Can I help it if you have a button nose?" He glanced down at Prophecy. "What do you think?"

"Nope! You should kiss Mommy again!"

Willow gasped, trying to be dramatic. But she couldn't quite squash the laugh bubbling up from her chest. "Traitor!"

"Yep," Prophecy nodded, grinning evilly. "I know to choose the winning side," she added.

Laughing, Aiden glanced back at Willow. "Well then, you heard the girl..." He stalked forward, the two wearing matching smirks.

"I feel like my granddaughter is pimping out her mother," Kazuo murmured under his breath.

Jack threw back his head and laughed. "We were just thinking the same thing then."

Nisha smacked at Jack's arm. "Jack, don't say that!" she hissed, but she couldn't stop a small laugh of her own. "I shouldn't be laughing. Really, I shouldn't. Look what you've done now..."

Willow raised her hands up, fully laughing now. "H-hold on a second...Y-you don't have to do this, you know!"

Aiden let out a sorrowful sigh. "But, you see, honey, I do. It's fate, it's got to happen," he followed her as she stumbled backwards into the living room.

Felix watched the three. "Um...is anyone else confused? When the hell did it just become an everyday thing for Aiden to say he loves a chick? That certainly wasn't happening yesterday." Felix glanced at Bren. "Bren, can you please tell me if you know anything?"

Shrugging, the taller man rubbed at a stiff spot of his shoulders. "I didn't hear or see any sort of interesting interactions last night. I guess it must have happened during their morning time together," he murmured.

"'Morning time'?" Sera asked.

Bren glanced at her, but he was careful to keep his look brief. "Yeah. Willow and Aiden get up at five in the morning and spend a good amount of time down in the kitchen chatting while the rest of us are sleeping. They do it everyday, as far as I'm aware. And then around six or six-thirty, they start making breakfast for the house. The rest of us are usually up around seven, seven-fifteen," he explained.

"That's amazing," Sera murmured, grey eyes filled with a happy light. "I'm so glad for him. Aiden's finally found his one and only, hasn't he? So he must have confessed and she accepted him, right?"

Nisha slowly shook her head. "No...he told me that he told her how he felt and she denied him. Apparently she said he'd be better off with another woman."

"Yeah, he would," Kazuo growled protectively. "That's my baby girl!" After a second, he sighed. "Honestly though, I'd be happy, but I doubt it will ever happen."

There was the sound of a crash and a startled yelp, quickly followed by a laughing cheer from Prophecy. Cautiously, the rest of the family peeked around the one open living room door. Willow was sprawled out on the couch, her head pointing toward the front entrance. Prophecy was standing behind the couch, laughing. Aiden was half-leaning over Willow, his lips against her forehead.

Willow blinked rapidly, staring up at him in surprise. She'd been so sure he was going to kiss her on the lips. "There we go. Mission accomplished, Lieutenant," he straightened, saluting Prophecy stiffly.

Straightening as well, Prophecy nodded, face screwed up into a serious expression. "Good work, Sergeant," she had her arms crossed behind her back. "This mission was a great success."

Willow shot up to a sitting position. "You two, stop playing with my emotions!" she cried.

Bri glanced at the clock by the TV on the wall. "Oh, look at that! It's nearly nine now. We need to be leaving if we're going to have enough time for a good shopping spree. Prophecy, sweetie, come over here so we can put on a jacket for you."

"Okay!" the girl agreed, skipping to her godmother's side. The others moved away from the doors, deciding it would be better to give the two some privacy...just in case.

Willow shot Aiden a glare. "C-can you please be a little more m-modest about your feelings? W-what will your family think?"

"Hmm...you know, I don't really care," Aiden murmured as he reached down to help her to her feet. She was pulling at various parts of her clothes, trying to straighten them out. "And I don't think it really matters what they think. I love you and that's all they need to know. Willow, calm down. You're outfit looks just fine, you don't need to worry about it so much," he muttered as he reached out and stopped her fidgeting hands. Sighing, he closed his eyes for a moment. "Alright. If it really bothers you, I'll do my best to try to restrain my feelings. But don't ever think they aren't there, Willow," he murmured softly, staring down into her eyes. "What's the name of that song...? Ah, yes, 'Run to the Arms of the One Who Loves You'." Willow's eyes slowly lit up in recognition. "That entire song, that's how I feel about you, honey," he explained.

Very slowly, Willow started to move away. "I...I need to head out," she pointed toward the front entrance.

"Yeah, have fun with the girls. I'll see you later, when you guys get back. We have those cakes to make," he reminded her evenly. Her eyes were wide and she looked a little star-struck. But she nodded and turned on her heel, leaving him by himself. Aiden closed his eyes, whispering under his breath, making sure it was lower than even a half-human could hear. "I act all white-knight, but a part of me just wants to steal you away and never let you leave my side. I suppose that's the 'trouble' in me talking though..."

The women all got ready, Sera deciding to drive Jack's rented minivan. Jack and Bren waved them off, while Kazuo went upstairs to get something. By the time he'd come back down, the three younger men were sitting down on the couch, the TV turned on to some random sports channel. Jack had moved a chair from the dinning room table closer to the couch.

Shaking his head, Kazuo placed his hands on his hips and stood in front of their view of the TV. "Now, this is pathetic. What do you think real men do when the women-folk are all away?"

Felix raised his hand and Kazuo nodded his head for him to go ahead. "Call some strippers over to have a party?" Bren reached out with his arm and casually punched Felix's arm, hard. "Ow! The hell, man?" he snarled. "How much pussy have you fucked while you've been here, huh? I bet none!"

Aiden reached over and pulled his brother into a headlock. "Felix, you know that word isn't allowed in this house."

"T-the...hell! P-proph...she's gone!" Felix struggled to say and get out of his brother's hold.

"Doesn't matter," Jack explained. "I told you we'd get you trained. You're going to have to learn to permanently delete that word from your vocabulary."

"But...I...h-happen to l...like that par-rt...of a wom-man's body..." he struggled out.

"So do I," Bren chuckled. "But you don't see me flinging it around like you do."

"F-fuck...fine!" Felix growled. Aiden released his hold and his younger brother gasped for his breath. "Holy shit, I thought you were actually going to kill me!"

"Keep up the sort of attitude and life-style you have been and I might just one of these days," Aiden smiled sweetly. "'Family' can only get you so far before my patience starts to thin."

"Ahem!" Kazuo coughed loudly, making the others blink and stare at him. "Felix failed at answering my question correctly so I guess I'll just spell it out. When the women-folk leave the house, the men have a sacred duty to drink a few beers and play some serious games."

"If you say we're going to be playing a strip game, I'm out!" Felix raised his hands, shaking his head. "Nope. I am one hundred and fifty percent a lesbian, thank you! The only dick I ever want to see is my own."

Kazuo blinked before shaking his head heavily. "Jack, seriously, how did this kid end up so perverted?"

Jack glanced at his friend in interest. "What are you saying? He's only a little worse than you are."

"Were," Kazuo corrected him. "I was like that, I suppose," he muttered in disgust. "But loving and raising Willow made me change." Kazuo glanced back at Felix. "Maybe you need to find some woman to knock some sense into that head of yours."

"No thanks," Felix glared. "All I want is the fun, none of the baggage."

"So, what game were you talking about?" Aiden asked, tiring of this conversation.

Slowly, Kazuo pulled out a deck of cards. Jack shot to his feet, coming over to slap the Asian man's back, laughing heartily. "Oh, man, why didn't I think of it sooner? Yes, this is perfect. I can beat your ass again and get some more money out of you."

Kazuo glared at his friend. "The hell you talking about, Jack? I'm going to own you and send you begging back to your wife."

Raising a hand to his forehead, Bren shook his head slowly. "Gods...please, no..."

Felix glanced between the three. "What? What did I miss? Are we playing poker or something?" Aiden was wondering the same thing.

Kazuo straightened, glaring at Felix. "Poker? Poker?!" he repeated in a disbelieving tone of voice. "Please! I'll have you know your father and I are men of class!"

"Um, I think you guys are taking this joke a little too seriously," Aiden began uncertainly. But Jack's firm nod and words made him stop.

"Really, Felix, get with the picture. We don't play poker. That's for pansies who don't know how to have a real and true battle of blood, sweat, tears, and willpower between men. No, the game we play is 'Go Fish'!"