“You do realize I yell at the children for sitting on the counter like that, yes?” Titania raised an eyebrow asshe moved around Oberon to finish preparing dinner.

“I was tired of standing.” Oberon responded nonchalantly as he gave her a teasing smile. Settling onto thecounter, he turned to watch her work, “Besides, you’ve always had a soft sport for charming rogues,present company included.”

Titania gave a soft laugh and a shake of her head as she turned back to the salmon in front of her, “Youcould have brought a stool in. How long are you planning on staying this visit, Obie?”

“You know I don’t like it when you call me that.”

In response, she just gave him a knowing little smile.

“I have a few weeks before I need to go back.” He fell silent for a moment as she moved over towards thestove. An unguarded smile formed on his face as he watched her. Oberon continued, “I was thinking wecould take a few days and go up to the lake. What do you say, Tania? A romantic weekend, just you andme?”

“It sounds lovely. We’ll have to see, though. Emalyn is still a bit young to be left in charge of Tey andWarner and Pendelton have both been talking about going up to SGU for a weekend to get a feel for thecampus.”

A growl escaped his throat as he looked away from her to hide his frustration, “Your children are alwaysin the way, Tania.”

She made a cluck of disapproval as she placed the pan on the stove, but her smile did not waver,“Differing points of view, love. You see them as in the way because you cannot get what you want whenyou want it. From my perspective, I see them filling my world with life, laughter and love.” She turnedher attention back to the stove, “I do wish you would accept that they are an important part of my life.”

He grunted unhappily and was silent for a long moment before he responded, “I would have loved tohave given you as many children as you wanted, Tania. We could have raised them together. There’s stilltime for us.”

Titania gave an amused, soft smile as she arched an eyebrow in his direction, “You are asking early thisyear.”

Sliding off the counter and moving to slide his arms around her, he purred intimately, “Let ME fill yourworld with life, laughter and love, Titania Summerdream. Marry me.”

Looking into his eyes for a long moment, she gave him another of her mysterious little smiles, “No.” Still,she slid her arms around him affectionately as she asked, “What makes you so impatient this year, love?”

For a brief moment, another flicker of angry frustration crossed his face, but then he pushed it away andgave her a sad smile, “Reminders that time passes and all things change.”

“I thought that was my line.” Leaning against him and sliding her arms up his back, Titania gave a wistfulsigh, “Perhaps for this weekend, I can make arrangements for us to go up to the lake together. After all, Ido counsel my children to savor those they love whenever the opportunity presents itself. One can nevertell when life will change.”

~-~-~-~

“What unholy monster wrote these questions!? These are impossible.” Mercutio announced his pain tothe world as he and Tybalt sat at the kitchen table working on class assignments.

“Yelling at your homework is not going to make it easier, Monty.” Tybalt scribbled in another answer as hecalmly worked on his own assignment.

Wrinkling his ample nose, Mercutio frowned, “Hey, Mr. Access to the Best Tutors Growing Up, some of ushave a little trouble with history.”

“Hmm. That is quite a problem.” Tybalt didn’t look up, “Considering that you’re working on yourdevelopmental psychology homework.”

The bickering between Mercutio and Tybalt had generally continued unabated, but it had taken on asignificantly lighter tone as the two adjusted to being ‘not-enemies’. Though neither would admit it, theirrelationship was what most people would call ‘friendship’.

Everyone in the house had smoothly adjusted to life off campus in the house they were renting together.Most of them were studious enough to stay on top of their varying studies while also keeping the moreplayful members (i.e. Mercutio) on track as well.

Bottom had acquired a couple of mostly-functional computers to create their own little lab for termpapers and internet surfing. For the more creative residents, Ainsley had installed a ballet barre in herroom so she could practice at home and Puck had set up his own little studio space in the kitchen.

Life off campus was not all work and no play even if they did keep up with their grades. It wasn’t longbefore the house became one of the more popular spots on or off campus. Friends stopped by at all hours,usually to get a taste of something other than cafeteria food. There was pretty much a guaranteed partyeach weekend.

A couple of the parties even gained the attention of the local constabulary. There was never any majortrouble, but a couple of times they were asked to quiet things down.

In addition to their campus friends, the house also became a refuge for their respective families.

Early on, there were a couple of incidents when it came close to blows between Tybalt and Romeo, butsomehow the two kept their tempers for the sake of their siblings. It was unlikely the two would ever befriends, but they were at least building up a degree of tolerance.

For Mercutio’s part, he NEVER had any complaints when Tybalt’s female relatives came by to hang out.Especially when they decided to make use of the beach across the street or the hot tub out back.

Well, at least he didn’t have any complaints until Tybalt had decided he’d leered long enough.

All in all, things were going well for all five of them. Ainsley, Bottom, Mercutio and Tybalt all continuedpushing through their junior years while Puck put the finishing touches on his degree with his senioryear projects.

Beyond education and fun, romance also seemed to fill the house.

Ainsley and Puck’s relationship carried a hint of tentativeness in the early days, but they quickly movedpast that and into something warm, passionate and comfortable. It seemed that once the barriers betweenthem admitting their feelings came down, their relationship couldn’t help but race forward.

No matter how afraid they were of moving too fast, it still felt right.

The dark visions of their potential future still worried Ainsley, but she realized that Puck had been rightabout visions not always being a sealed fate. She shared with him the very first vision she had ever hadand how it changed her family’s life, but how it hadn’t ended in the bloodbath she originally saw.

Occasionally the nightmares would still come, but Puck was there to hold her each time, soothing awayher fears.

On the other end of the spectrum, Bo and Mercutio were the epitome of a strong couple refusing toacknowledge any sort of commitment. Their relationship was playful, affectionate and heated. ThoughMercutio had already decided he would spend the rest of his life with her, Bottom refused to put a labelon what they had.

Regardless of that, it was common knowledge across campus that they were a serious couple no matterwhat they called it.

For Tybalt, his relationship with Jaiden quickly became something very serious. They found they were awell matched pair, surprising most of their friends. Jaiden could bring him out of his darker moods easierthan anyone. Meanwhile, Tybalt had developed a respect for her as an equal such that he challenged herto drive herself even harder towards the goals she wasn’t sure she was capable of.

It didn’t take too long before Tybalt had decided that she was the only one for him. When he called hisgrandfather to explain the situation, the conversation did not go well. By the time Tybalt hung up thephone, he was frustrated and disappointed, but also even more determined.

Besides, it was about time his grandfather realized that Hermia was interested in the family’s businessesand would be more suited to taking over.

The year seemed to last a lifetime and a moment all in the same breath. It wasn’t long before finals hadcome and Puck had graduated.

~-~-~-~

Finals may have been over, but the day was still young. Of course, all that brain power had stoked theirappetites, so the first thing the housemates did upon returning home was settle down for lunch.

Looking down the table at her friends as they ate, Ainsley smiled. Life was good. Turning her attention tothe man across the table from her, she said, “Congratulations on acing your exams, Puck.”

Looking up to meet her gaze, he smiled, “Well, they still need time to post the final grades, but thankyou.”

“So how do you want to celebrate now that you’re officially a graduate?”

As Puck looked back at her, a boyish smile formed while his eyebrows listed speculatively, causing her toblush and laugh. With a furtive glance down at the other end of the table, she whispered, “Later.”

Satisfied with that answer, he considered the question more seriously, “I thought about doing thetraditional big party, but I think I would rather spend the day with you guys. Why don’t we make a day ofit at the beach?”

“That sounds lovely.” Ainsley looked back down the table at their housemates, “What do you guysthink?”

There was something that might have been an affirmative response, but it was hard to interpret amidst thesnorfling sounds of their three other roommates inhaling lunch.

Bottom at least paused long enough to respond, “Sounds good to me.”

Mercutio looked up and grinned before letting lose a rather spectacular belch.

“UGH! You guys are gross!” Puck held his nose and waved his hand to fend off the soup burp smellwafting across the table, “And for a second there I was regretting moving home tomorrow.”

Tybalt grinned, “I think it’s a great idea. I’ll give Jaiden a call and have her meet us there.”

So it was settled. Puck’s graduation would be celebrated without pomp and circumstance. Sand and sunwould suffice.

~-~-~-~

Looking out over the lapping waves of the lake, Ainsley gave a contented sigh.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Puck came up and stood beside her. He looked out at the waves for amoment, but found his gaze drawn back to her, memorizing her profile.

“I was thinking about my family. I miss them so much sometimes.” Turning slightly, she looked at himand smiled softly, “But then I remember that I’ve got new family I care about too.”

“I.. was thinking about family too, Ainsley.” Puck was nervous. He was never extremely outgoing, but hishesitation and uncertainty was uncharacteristic.

Tilting her head, she gave him a questioning look.

“Well, I was adopted, right? I didn’t have to run for my life like you and your family did, but I guess iteasily could have gone that way. Still, I do know that family is what you make of it. It’s the people youchoose to let into your life and your heart. My mother taught me that above everything else.” His tonguedarted over his lips in another nervous gesture as he took a deep breath, “But I also know that I want.. Iwant more.”

Ainsley held her hands in front of her as she listened to him. She nodded in understanding, though shedidn’t quite realize where he was going with this, “Me too.”

“Good.”

Her black eyes widened, “Puck, what are you doing?”

Sinking down to one knee on the sand, Puck looked up at her with a hopeful gaze, “Ainsley Doran, fromthe moment I met you, I knew you were special. Even if I was completely and incoherently drunk at thetime.”

She couldn’t help but give a little laugh, “Puck..”

“No, let me finish.” Taking a deep breath, he slowly grew more confident as he gave her a lopsided,charming smile.

“The moment I met you, I knew you were special. Even when you were trying to avoid me or keep me atarms length, I knew you were someone I wanted to know. Then we kissed. That was the moment I knew Icould love you with every fiber of my being and I would never want to be separated from you. Everyhappiness, every sadness, ever failure, every triumph. I want to share it with you, Ainsley. Everything.”

Her eyes started to well with tears even as her smile felt like it was going to break her face.

Pulling a small velvet box out of his pocket, Puck popped it open to reveal the shining ring inside. Withanother deep breath, he whispered, “Will you marry me?”

“Oh Puck..” Voice catching, Ainsley reached out and timidly touched the ring, almost afraid that itcouldn’t possibly be real.

Giving a desperate laugh, Puck pleaded, “Say yes, Ainsley. If you don’t, I think I’m going to fall over andpass out.”

“Yes, yes, yes, and yes again!” With those words, she threw herself into his arms.

At that moment, it didn’t matter what the future held. Where they were at this moment was exactly as itshould be.

“Did you know he was going to do that?” Tybalt raised an eyebrow as he looked away from the happycouple to the pair at his side.

Bottom gave him a quirked smile, “I helped him pick out the ring a few weeks ago. I was beginning towonder if he’d chickened out.” She sat perched on the back of the bench watching her brother with apleased expression.

Tybalt grunted in response, “Why am I so oblivious to these things?”

Mercutio’s response was less than helpful, “Because you’re a guy?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Tybalt turned and glared at the other man.

Mercutio grinned as he leaned back into Bottom’s arms, “I don’t know. It’s something they say in themovies.”

“They also say ‘Hasta La Vista, Baby’ before they open fire on a police squad room.”

“Wrong movie. He said ‘I’ll be back’ in that one. Hasta La Bye-bye was in the second movie.”

Bottom chuckled, “Boys, if you’re done tossing movie trivia at one another, I think our happy couple isdone sucking face and ready to rejoin the rest of us here on the ground once more. Let’s get this partystarted.”

It wasn’t the largest party they’d ever thrown, but most of them would remember it as one of their best. Itwas, in every way, a perfect night. There was a full moon out, bathing the beach in a pale glow while theair coming off the lake was warm enough to be comfortable, but not so hot they didn’t enjoy thecelebratory warmth of the bonfire.

It was an evening of good times and good friends, of grievances forgotten and friendships renewed.

Not to mention, there were marshmallows.

As the night wound on, couples began pairing off for some quiet time. Bottom and Mercutio stood off tothe side watching Tybalt and Jaiden dance in the flickering light of the bonfire. Bottom gave a soft snort,“I suppose it’s not too long before he proposes to her, isn’t it?”

“Considering he got the ring last week, probably not.” Mercutio gave a shrug, “They’re good together.”

“Wait, you know about Tybalt buying a ring? How do you know that?”

“He told me.”

Bottom blinked and then laughed, “I never thought I’d see the day.”

Mercutio stepped up to her and slid his arms around her waist, “What? Never see the day that Tybalt gotmarried or that he’d confide in me about it? He said something about taking me along so he could do theexact opposite of whatever I recommended.”

Bottom smiled and wrapped her arms around him, “That sounds like him.”

Raising both eyebrows, Mercutio regarded her for a long moment before he admitted, “I thought aboutbuying a ring too.”

Her cheeks colored and she smiled, “You did?”

“Yep. I thought about it, but didn’t buy one. Only because I know you.” He gave her a crooked grin,“Marry me, hot stuff?”

Giving a snort and wrapping her arms around him, Bottom laughed, “No. But I will stick with you fornow. You make me laugh, Merc.”

He grunted but hugged her back anyway. He hadn’t expected a different response. “Well, as long as I don’tmake you laugh in the bedroom.”

“Well, now that you mention it...”

“Hey now!”

“Penny for your thoughts?” Ainsley and Puck lay together on the sand watching the stars as the bonfirecrackled behind them. She rolled up onto her shoulder so she could look down into his face.

“I was just thinking about how lucky I am.” His hand gently caressed her shoulder. “Despite everything, Igrew up with a great family and had more brothers and sisters than any orphan has a right to. On top ofthat, I was able to go to school for my art and actually be successful at it.” Turning slightly to face her, hisexpression took on a glow, “And on top of that, somehow I ended up with a girl who is out of this world.Literally.”

Ainsley laughed and nuzzled his shoulder, “Did I ever tell you which star my father said I came from? Hehad this whole fabulous story about it.”

There would be other nights that would vie for the title of ‘best night ever’, but the night of Puck’sgraduation and their proposal would always rank as one of the highest for both Ainsley and Puck.

It was a good night for endings and beginnings.

~-~-~-~

After Puck moved back to Veronaville, the next year seemed to fly by. As seniors, their workload wassimultaneously easier and harder all at the same time. Though there might be fewer small assignments,the final projects took on more weight. They still found moments to enjoy themselves, but the yearbecame a blur of projects, performances, presentations and parties.

Eventually it all came to a sudden stop as the four of them graduated. It had only been four years, but itseemed to have lasted a lifetime.

Now it was time to start the rest of their lives.

~-~-~-~

“BOTTOM! YOU’RE HERE!” A teenage girl and young boy threw themselves down the stairs of the largehouse as Bottom and Ainsley stepped out of their taxi.

Ainsley couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive as she looked at the large house and elfin childrencame running out. Even though she had become close with Puck and Bottom, there was still aninstinctual and ingrained sense of caution when dealing with elves of any sort.

“Damn Emalyn, you and Tey have gotten huge!” Bottom had no reservations of her own as she openedher arms for the teenager hurtling towards her.

“You take that back! I am not huge!”

The little blond boy came over to Ainsley and looked up with an inquisitive expression, “You’re green.”

Blinking, she looked down at him and gave a nervous smile, “I am. I’m part alien.” She hesitated and thensaid, “You must be Tey. I’m ...” Before she could get much out, he interrupted her.

“Really? You’re part alien? That’s really cool. I’ve heard there are nymphs and stuff that are green too, so Iwas wondering if maybe you were one of them. Or maybe a dryad. Warner tells me I’m silly for believingin them, but we’re elves and if elves exist, then why don’t the other things exist? But Puck is going tomarry you, isn’t he? That means you’ll have part alien babies and if you have one soon they’ll be oldenough to play with me before too long, right?”

She just stared with an open mouth as the questions and comments came pouring out of the blond littleboy.

“Tey, don’t drown her in questions.” Puck came out and interrupted the gregarious child, rescuing Ainsley.

“But Puck...” He took one look at his older brother’s expression and began to pout, “You’re no fun. I justwanted to know what it was like to be an alien and be an elf at the same time and why she was going tomarry you and where she came from...”

“Tey.” Puck grinned, “Go bug Bo. She brought you home a present.”

“Woo!”

Ainsley turned towards the stairs with an embarrassed smile as the boy rushed over towards the otherwoman, “My hero. Rescuing me from the questions of a grade schooler.”

Sliding his arms around her, Puck just grinned, “He’s my baby brother, so I know what he’s like. If yougive him an inch, he’ll have you locked down with questions for the rest of the evening, and I’m not aboutto let anyone other than me monopolize your attention.”

A blush colored her green cheeks as she kissed him, “I missed you.”

“Missed you too. Come on, there’s someone I’ve been wanting you to meet. Hopefully this one willactually behave like an adult.”

Taking Ainsley inside, Puck smiled, “Ainsley, this is my mother, Titania. Mom, this is Ainsley.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Summerdream.” Ainsley swallowed as she finally met the woman she’dbeen hearing so much about for the last couple of years.

Titania stood there for a long, awkward moment as she looked Ainsley over. Her gaze seemed to seesomething different than what was on the surface, looking at something no one else could see.

“Uhm.. Mom?” Puck sighed, “Please don’t be completely weird.”

Titania broke the awkward silence with a sparkling little laugh, “Oh Puck, it’s far too late for me to beanything other than completely weird.” Turning to Ainsley she said, “Please dear, call me Titania. Mrs.Summerdream makes me feel like I should be wearing a matronly muumuu or some such.”

“Oh, I’m sorr..”

“Hush dear.” Titania leaned forward and planted a kiss on Ainsley’s cheek, surprising the girl, “I ampleased to finally meet the young lady that’s made the lives of my children so interesting.”

Waving her hand in a gesture that was both motherly and imperious, Titania said, “Puck, be a darling andgo fix some sandwiches for lunch. There’s some chicken salad in the yellow bowl and there are deli meatsin the drawer.” Her gaze never left Ainsley, “Your young lady and I have some things we need to discussprivately.”

Ainsley’s expression took on a look of panic as she squeaked, “We do?”

“Yes dear, we do.” She laughed at the expression on the young woman’s face, “Don’t worry, it is nothinghorrible, just a long overdue conversation.”

Puck had a pained expression on his face, “Mom..” At her pointed look he sighed. He knew better than toargue with that particular look. “I’ll go make some sandwiches.”

~-~-~-~

Titania lead Ainsley up through the expansive house until they reached the attic and her inner sanctum.Each step deeper into the house seemed to make Ainsley even more nervous. The secret door through thebookcase did nothing to ease her worries, but it was the innate sense of power radiating from the tinyroom that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

“So, this is it.” Titania smiled and gestured grandly at her little room and the weird painted symbols onthe walls.

Ainsley blinked as if she’d missed something, “This is.. what?”

“Where we’ll be training.”

“T..training?” Ainsley gulped.

“Yes dear.” Titania smiled reassuringly, “I wish things had worked out so that you could have joined me ata younger age, but we cannot always get what we want. Your abilities and gifts are quite powerful, so it isonly logical that you will be my apprentice. You are a touch old for such things, but we work with whatwe are given.”

“Apprentice?” Shaking her head, Ainsley quickly backpedaled, “Why would you want me as anapprentice? I don’t...”

Titania’s tone was patient as she spoke, “Ainsley, you do not need to pretend with me. I know who youare, I know what you are, and I know what you are capable of. The visions still come to you and they’restill strong even though you are past adolescence. With training, you could become a magnificent Seer.”

Ainsley’s expression twisted, “I.. I don’t want to be a Seer.” She swallowed and steeled her shoulders, “Idon’t even want the visions. They’re horrible and I wish they would go away.” Taking a deep breath, sheconfessed, “I just want to be normal. I want to marry Puck and have a family with him. I’m sorry, but Idon’t want to be your apprentice.”

Titania considered the young woman’s words and nodded with a smile, “For now. There will come a daywhen you will not want to hide from your abilities. On that day, I will still be here for you.” She reachedout and gave a maternal pat to the young woman’s shoulder, “Let us go downstairs and rejoin the othersfor lunch. I believe Puck has a surprise he wishes to share with you after we eat.”

~-~-~-~

“This is for us!?!?”

They stood outside the entrance of a home at the edge of the Summerdream estate. When Ainsley had firstseen it, she thought it must be the neighbor’s house. What she was hearing was something completelydifferent than she had expected, “This whole thing?”

“It was the old gatehouse. No one’s lived here in years and Mom was mostly using it as storage.” He gaveher a tentative smile, “She told me I could have it as a graduation present. I guess she figured I could useit as a home and studio space. It needed some work, but I figured you’d prefer living here than sharing ahouse with my mother.”

Ainsley would definitely prefer that, but something about hearing it said aloud made her hesitate, “OhPuck, I never would have.. I mean, your mother is a wonderful woman.”

“A wonderful, weird, awkward, intimidating and pushy woman.” Puck grinned, “She’s set in her ways andit wouldn’t be fair to you. Do you like it?”

She blushed and looked at the house, “It’s gorgeous, but can we afford this?”

“Come on, let me show you the inside.”

Inside, Ainsley was breathless, “Oh Puck. This is amazing.”

Showing a hint of his own nervousness, Puck explained, “I haven’t really gotten any furniture and thepaint’s still a little wet in some of the rooms. I painted or wallpapered most of the main rooms since Iwanted it to be ready for us to move in when you graduated. I hope the colors are okay. I didn’t do all therooms because I figured you might want to decorate them, especially the nursery.”

At the mention of the nursery, Ainsley blushed again and smiled softly at him, “I love it.”

Stepping up to her and taking her hands in his, Puck asked, “You’re not fibbing me, right? You really likeit?”

Letting him begin waltzing her around the empty room, Ainsley nodded, “I do. It’s better than anything Iimagined.”

“Well, that’s because you imagined living with my mother, didn’t you?”

She laughed, “Maybe, but I never would have said that out loud.”

Puck pulled her closer, “You wouldn’t have said it, but you would have still felt it. What kind of manwould I be if I didn’t see that. So, do you think we can make a family here?”

“I think I would be willing to make a family with you anywhere, Puck Summerdream.”

“Speaking of that, I’ve been thinking.” He held her closer as he said with a little smile, “I want to takeyour last name. My mother told me a little bit about your great-great-something-great grandmother andhow she’d always wanted to found a legacy. It makes the Doran name as noble as anything else we couldchoose. I want to help you carry the family name on.”

Breathless with a happy laugh, Ainsley declared, “Shut up and kiss me before I start crying.”

He responded in the only way that made any sense.

~-~-~-~

Ainsley stood in front of a mirror, nervously assessing her appearance while smoothing down the straplessdress once more. Raising a hesitant hand, she smoothed the hair back from the delicately pointed ears thatwere so obvious with her hair pulled back in this style. Biting her lip, she considered for a moment,“Maybe I should wear it down.”

“Oh please. As if you’ll suddenly be less pretty than you are.” An amused voice came from behind her,“Deal with it, cous. You’re gorgeous and stunning and nothing you say or do is ever going to change thatfact.”

Ainsley’s eyes flew upwards and her jaw dropped open as she lifted a hand to her chest, “Fee! You came!”

The redhead in the reflection smiled, “Pfft. Of course I came. Like I would miss your wedding.”

Forgetting about her appearance, Ainsley moved over to pull Fiona into a fierce hug. Her voice grew thickwith emotion, “I’ve missed you so much.”

Fiona couldn’t help but smile as she hugged back with equal ferocity, “Once I got the invitation, wildhorses and plagues of locusts couldn’t have kept me away.” She paused and asked, “Did you get ahold ofanyone else?”

Closing her eyes tight against the tears that threatened to ruin her makeup, Ainsley shook her head, “Itried, but I couldn’t find anyone else. You’re the only one I’ve been able to keep in touch with.” Voicechoking up, she said, “I wanted so much for my family to be here.”

Fiona gently pulled back as she smiled softly and teased gently, “Oh god, don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup and everyone will know it’s my fault. I don’t want that on my conscience.”

Ainsley laughed and repeated herself, “I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too, Aine.” Fiona smiled and reached a hand up to touch the delicate point of hercousin’s ear, “I can’t believe you found more half-breeds like us.”

“I need to introduce you to Puck. Oh, and Bo and Merc, and Ty and Jaiden. And all of Puck’s family isgoing to be here. They’re all wonderful and they’ve heard all about you and..”

“Whoa there, Aine.” Fiona smiled, “I’m no social butterfly like you. You can worry about introductionslater. I seem to remember this very important ceremony that’s supposed to start at any moment now.”

Ainsley couldn’t help smiling, “Promise me you’ll stay long enough for us to talk later. We need to getcaught up. Go get your seat. I’ll be out in a moment. I just need to fix my makeup.”

Fiona rolled her eyes but smiled fondly, “I’ll see you out there.”

~-~-~-~

Outside, the guests had gathered in the seats set up out by the pond. All of Puck’s adopted brothers andsisters were there along with his mother. Friends that might as well be family were there, as well as manyof their other friends from college. The ceremony was an event that no one wanted to miss.

It was a beautiful day with the weather as perfect as it was capable of being. It was almost as if it didn’thave a choice.

And if Titania seemed a little pleased with herself regarding that fact, no one was going to question her onit.

“Stop fidgeting, Obie. The ceremony will begin soon.”

“You said that ten minutes ago.” Oberon sighed and straightened his jacket once more before shifting inhis seat to look at her, “It will start soon, right?”

“Yes, dear.”

“This is nice, isn’t it?” Mercutio asked leadingly as he sat beside Bottom.

Bottom looked out over the crowd and gave a shrug, “If you like an over abundance of taffeta andflowers.”

“Aw, come on, Bo. You know this is perfect for Aine and Puck.” Mercutio paused a moment and added,“Personally, I think you’re more of an autumn wedding type of girl. Little harder to do an outdoorreception, but the colors would be better for you.”

Looking back at him, she arched an eyebrow, “Are you asking me to marry you, Mercutio Monty?”

“Maybe?”

Bottom responded with a shrug, “Oh Merc. I love you, but I don’t want to get married right now. I’mhappy with the way things are. Why do we have to slap labels on our relationship just because everyoneelse thinks we should get married?”

Glancing away, he shrugged, “I’m not trying to pressure you, Bo. I just wanted to remind you occasionallythat I’m here, I’m ready, and I’m willing to marry you any time or any way you want.” He turned back tosmile at her and then made a little ‘ooh’ sound, “Here she comes.”

The guests all fell silent as they turned to watch the bride approach.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer’s lease hath all too short a date;

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance or nature’s changing course untrimm’d;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

~William Shakespeare

“There now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Titania, still beaming from watching her eldest child get married,turned to Oberon.

Giving a quiet chuckle, he shook his head, “No, it wasn’t too bad at all. They seemed very honest withtheir vows.” Raising his eyebrows, he commented, “I can think of one thing that would make this better.Tania, would you..”

Leaning forward and giving him a fond, gentle kiss to stop what he was about to say, she smiled hermysterious little smile, “Not right now, love. Let’s not distract from their day. It belongs to them after all.”

His smile tightened, but he returned the kiss, “I’m going to go see if the buffet is opened.”

As he walked away from her, his expression darkened with frustration and just a hint of distaste. Underhis breath he murmured, “Enjoy it while you can.”

Unaware of one guest’s ill wishes, Ainsley and Puck enjoyed their day without any worries. Much toAinsley’s delight, Puck had arranged for all the traditional wedding trimmings, including a wedding cakethat she delicately fed him a bite of. The day was everything she’d dreamed of since she was a little girland dared hope for some hint of normal happiness.

That isn’t to say they didn’t party it down. With everyone taking turns at the DJ booth to keep the musicflowing, the dance floor was never empty. Some dancers were a little more skilled than others, buteveryone had a good time, including the bride and groom.

By the time the sun was getting ready to set, everyone had eaten and danced their fill, declaring it afabulous reception.

~-~-~-~

The last guest to leave was the one Ainsley had been happiest to have there to share their day.Unfortunately, goodbyes eventually needed to be said. Before that, though, Ainsley dragged Fiona over tomeet Puck. Practically shoving the two together, she stood back and watched anxiously as two of themost important people in her life met for the first time.

“It’s really great to finally meet you.” Puck smiled as he shook Fiona’s hand, “Aine’s told me so muchabout you.”

Fiona’s mouth quirked up at the edges, “I can imagine the horror stories. It is good to meet you finally.From her letters, I expected you to be about ten feet tall and glow like some sort of beacon of hope.”

Puck’s cheeks colored, “No glowing.”

Leaning closer, Fiona spoke privately even though Ainsley was standing right there and could hear everyword, “She really loves you, so take good care of her. If you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down and make youpay.” Though she was smiling, there was a hint of warning in her joking tone.

“Fee..”

Puck quirked a smile and nodded understandingly, “Gotcha. I wouldn’t expect any less.”

Fiona turned to cousin, but before she could say anything, she was engulfed in a hug. Ainsley whispered,“I wish you could stay.”

“Yeah right. You wouldn’t want me around. I’d just get in the way.” Fiona hugged back, not worryingabout wrinkling the wedding dress at this point.

“That’s not true and you know it.”

“I know.” Fiona gave a crooked little smile, “But I’ve got places to go and things to do. I’m thinking aboutheading out to the coast and getting a little place to stay for a while. Time to write my great novel.”

“You’ll let me know wherever you end up, right?”

“Right.”

“Be safe, Fee.”

“You too, Aine.” She paused and said with a smile, “This isn’t the last time you’ll see me. I promise.”

Pulling back, Ainsley regarded her cousin for a moment before she nodded with a half smile, “I know.”

~-~-~-~

That night, Puck slid onto the bed and paused, “You put your hair back into a braid.” Though it was astatement, it was voiced as a question.

Despite the fact that they had been intimate together many times before, something about their first timetogether as husband and wife was making Ainsley nervous. Wearing his pajama top to force him not towear one, she blinked, “You don’t like it?”

Sliding over and pulling her close, Puck smiled, “Love, I’d think you were gorgeous even if you shaved allyour hair off. It just surprised me.” His eyes danced playfully as he slid his hand over her stomach andbegan unbuttoning the pajama top, “I liked seeing your ears. It’s easier to nibble them when you’rewearing your hair up.”

A blush blossomed over her green cheeks even as she smiled and murmured teasingly, “Is that the onlything you like to nibble, Mr. Doran?”

Puck leaned forward and brushed his lips across hers, “Let me show you just what I like, Mrs. Doran.”

~-~-~-~

The next morning, Ainsley showered and dressed. Pausing to look in the mirror to check her makeup,she hesitated. Sliding onto the vanity stool, she ran a hand down her braid.

She’d always worn her hair this way. Her earliest memories were of her father and mother taking turnsbraiding her hair. Ed would always tell her some outrageous, surreal story while deftly plaiting her hairinto the long braid. Chloe would grumble affectionately about how much easier it was to take care ofshort hair, but still reassure Ainsley about how pretty she was. When she got older, she’d come tounderstand that the way she wore her hair was important to hide her elfin heritage. The braid had justbeen a part of her life for as long as she could remember.

But that wasn’t necessary any longer, was it?

Taking a deep breath, she looked at her reflection once more. The many years of wearing her hair in abraid gave it a wave that cascaded from the ponytail, tickling the back of her neck.

For a moment, she thought about taking it down and pulling it back into a braid. Then she pushed awayfrom the vanity and went in search of her husband.

Puck’s reaction was all she needed to know she’d made the right decision. His face lit up when he saw herhair pulled back and the points of her ears showing for all the world to see.

It had been time for a change.

~-~-~-~

It wasn’t too long after the wedding before Ainsley woke up in the morning feeling nauseous. The firsttime it happened, she wondered if something she’d eaten the night before wasn’t sitting well with her. Bythe second and third time it happened, though, she knew it was something else completely.

She was definitely pregnant.

Puck was thrilled when she told him. By the time she was showing, he was as excited as she was.

For Ainsley, having a family was something she’d always dreamed of. When she was on the run with herfamily, it seemed like an impossible desire, but once she married Puck, it seemed like something shemight actually achieve.

From Puck’s perspective, he’d never seen himself as a family man, but once he married Ainsley, filling thehouse with the laughter of children seemed like the most important thing they could do.

Since Ainsley couldn’t exactly perform as a dancer while heavily pregnant, she spent much of her timeputting finishing touches on their home. Puck had done an amazing job setting up the house, but somerooms still needed to be finished and furnished. The nursery had been her favorite room to set up, butthere were other touches she put elsewhere in the house.

One of the most emotional for her was a fish tank at the bottom of the stairs.

Leaning down to look in the glass and watch the fish swim back and forth through their little world, shesmiled. Whispering softly, she explained to the fish, “I never met my grandfather, but my daddy told mehow much he loved having fish. I hope you make my baby as happy as those fish made my grandfather.”

~-~-~-~

“How’s little Cali doing?” Ainsley asked a few nights later during game night. They’d quickly establishedan open door policy for all their closest friends and one night each week they had everyone over fordinner and games.

Tybalt frowned, “He’s going to hate that when he gets older. We should be calling him Caliban now so weget used to it.”

Jaiden examined the board and considered where to place her next piece, “You worry too much, Ty. I wascalled Jay-jay when I was a kid and it didn’t do me any harm. Cali will know when to tell people to stopcalling him that.” Looking up at Ainsley she smiled, “He’s doing great. Getting bigger every day. Juliette isbabysitting tonight which should be amusing.”

Tybalt grunted, “As long as she doesn’t bring any guys over.”

“You talk about her like she’s still a teenager, Ty.” Ainsley grinned as she leaned forward to place her ownpiece.

“If she’d act like an adult, I’d treat her like an adult.” He grumped and then shrugged, “She’s my littlesister. I’ll probably always treat her like a teenager.” He paused and asked, “How’s your baby doing?”

Behind her, Puck spoke into the phone, “Mom, everything is fine. We’re just having some friends over.Nothing’s wrong, you don’t need to come over.”

Ainsley frowned at the tower of sticks on top of the llama, “The baby’s fine. A little restless tonight, butthat may be the chili. Remind me to avoid Merc’s cooking when my stomach is feeling delicate.”

Tybalt arched an eyebrow, “Shouldn’t I remind you to avoid Merc’s cooking at all times?”

She laughed, “Oh don’t be silly, that’s just... OW!”

“Ow? What’s ow? There’s no ow in this game.”

Ainsley stumbled up out of the chair with another cry of pain as she clutched her pregnant belly, “Oh ow..Puck! Puck, I think it’s time! The baby, it’s time.”

Puck made a sound of surprise and mumbled into the phone something about baby time and that he’dcall his mother back later. The phone didn’t quite make it back into the cradle before he was rushing tohis wife’s side, “Hang in there, Aine!”

The baby was a little early, so there was an unexpected audience for the birth. As everyone got out of theway to give the new mother space, Bottom stared in horror, “This is what birth is like?” Swallowing, shemuttered to Mercutio, “I’m going to shoot you if you ever get me pregnant.”

Mercutio wavered on his feet for a moment before saying in a weak voice, “I think I need to sit down.”

Whether or not they wanted an audience, whether or not they were ready, it didn’t matter. The baby wason the way.

Ainsley gasped again and prepared for the spin, “Oh.. oh my! I think the baby’s coming now!”

Moments later she was staring in amazement at a tiny, blond baby girl, “She’s… beautiful.”

“You’re both beautiful.” Puck came over, beaming with pride as only a new father can, “What do you wantto call her?”

Ainsley thought about it for a moment as she cradled her daughter, “Hero. I think it’s going to suit her.”

Hero Doran looked up at her mother and happily cooed. The first member of generation six had arrived.

~-~-~-~

Hero was a content, happy baby. She rarely fussed and was extremely curious about the world around her.The blond hair had surprised her parents, but after thinking about it, they realized it must have comefrom Ainsley’s grandmother. She’d never met the woman, but she could remember her fatherexaggeratedly describing his mother’s fiery personality and beautiful blond hair.

“So.” One night after dinner after Hero had been put down to sleep, Puck approached Ainsley in thekitchen as she finished cleaning up the dishes.

She arched an eyebrow and smiled, “So... what?”

“You wanted a big family, right?” Puck stepped up and took her hands in his own.

“I do, but..” She trailed off and then smiled sheepishly, “I wasn’t sure if you would want a lot of children.”

Puck gave a little shake of his head, “I’m not saying we need to be crazy and have ten kids or anything,Aine. I think my brain would explode at that. But, you want another baby. I want another baby.” His eyesdanced as he leaned in teasingly, “At the very least I’d like to help you make another baby.”

She couldn’t help but laugh and plant a quick kiss on his lips, “If you insist.”

And insist he did. They didn’t get pregnant that time, but they certainly made a game of trying any chancethey could get.

That isn’t to say they neglected their daughter. Hero was a good baby, but they both loved getting a turn attaking care of her. Hero never wanted for food, attention or affection.

Time flies while you’re living your life, though. Before they knew it, their little baby’s birthday had arrived.There was only one thing to do. They threw a party.

A cake was baked, family and friends were called up and invited over, and a birthday song was sung...

... and Hero was tossed into toddlerhood.

They’d already figured out that Hero’s blond hair came from the Doran line and that her obsidian eyescame from Ainsley, but until she turned into a toddler, they weren’t quite sure who she took after themost. The moment everyone got a look at her, they realized the rest of her features came straight fromPuck. From her little nose to her strong eyebrows, Hero was easily recognizable as Puck’s daughter.

Personality wise, she was similar to both of them, inheriting her mother’s love of people and both of theirgood natures.

Sitting amidst the party goers either dancing or grabbing slices of cake, Hero looked up at Oberon as hedanced with Juliette. Watching him for a moment with a curious tilt to her head, she screwed up herexpression and gave a very eloquent toddler demand for attention, “Gah?”

Oberon spared her the briefest of dismissive glances before turning his attention back to his dancepartner.

Before Hero could parse what that rejection meant, a pair of gentle hands reached down and scooped herup.

“Never you mind them, little one.” Titania lifted Hero up into her arms and gave the child agrandmotherly kiss on the forehead, “Oberon has always been more interested in dancing with prettywomen when he gets the chance, and while you are pretty, you are not his type. Or even in his agebracket.”

“Gah?” Hero inquired with a faint furrow between her brows.

Titania had to laugh, “You look so much like your father, sweetling. He used to make that exact same facewhen he was your age.”

“Gah!” Hero patted Titania’s shoulder and then began bouncing in time to the music like the rest of theparty goers.

Titania smiled and obliged her granddaughter as she began to sway to the music, joining in with the otherdancers, “You have a bright future ahead of you, my little Hero. I know you’re just going to soar to thehighest heights.”

“Gah!”

~-~-~-~

“You’re sure she’s sleeping?” Puck scooped his wife into his lap and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ainsley laughed as he leaned in suggestively, “Of course I am! You know she’s always good about takingher nap. We have another half an hour before she’ll wake up.”

“Well then. That’s more than enough time to work on getting her a little brother, isn’t it?”

“A brother? Why can’t we get her a little sister instead? Little girls are easier.” She wiggled into his lap andreached up to start undoing the buttons on his vest.

“They’re only easier until they hit puberty, then they’re much, much harder. I was there when Bo hitpuberty and became the hormonal sister from hell.” Puck nibbled her chin, “Either way, even thoughwe’ve been practicing this baby-making process, we haven’t been having much luck, so we better get toit.”

“Practice makes perfect?”

“Our babies are already going to be perfect.”

As she laughed and leaned in with a passionate kiss, there was a sudden THUD and a surprised yelp fromthe nursery.

In an instant, both of them were on their feet and racing towards the nursery. Amazingly, Puck didn’t dropAinsley to the floor and she didn’t step on his feet when she leapt to hers.

“The baby!”

Another, slightly softer thud came from the room, followed by something that sounded suspiciously like agiggle.

Throwing open the door, the two young parents rushed in with no idea what to expect.

Puck’s jaw dropped and his eyes widened, “What the..”

Ainsley threw her arms up in shock and she yelped in surprise, “Hero!?!?”

What was awaiting them was probably the last thing they expected.

“Mama! Dadda! Look! Hewo fwy!”

The little girl hovered about five feet off the ground while a playful tornado of toys swirled around her.With another delighted giggle, she reached out to grab her stuffed giraffe, but instead ended up doing alittle somersault, “Weee!”

Puck blinked a few more times before he stated rather succinctly, “I think we need to call my mother.”

~-~-~-~

Later that night, Puck sat on the couch holding his head, “How did this happen?”

Ainsley fidgeted beside him, obviously upset and feeling guilty, “It’s my fault. It has to be my fault. I just..I don’t understand. My father said that powers only sometimes appear and only after a child has reachedpuberty. My brother and sister and I only had visions, nothing like this.” She looked sideways at herhusband and tentatively reached out to touch his arm, uncertain that he would even want her touch. “I’msorry.”

Puck glanced at her and took her hand to hold in his own, “It’s not your fault, Aine.”

“You two are SO melodramatic.”

Titania gave an amused chuckle at her son and daughter-in-law as she watched her granddaughter happilyfloat up to the ceiling until she pushed off it and floated back down towards the ground. It had obviouslybecome a game for the little girl. With a shrug, she spoke, “So she has a little bit of telekinesis. It’s not as ifit’s unexpected. You’ve combined two very powerful lines of elfin blood along with the unexpectedcatalyst of alien blood.”

Hero rose up to the ceiling and pushed off again, starting an unexpected somersault that earned anotherdelighted burst of laughter, “Weeee!”

“Come here, munchkin.” Titania reached up to pull the little girl down into her arms, “Your parents are alittle unnerved by your little gift. Let’s give them some time to get used to it.”

“Wanna fly, Gamma!”

She laughed softly and gave a nod, “I know. Soon enough my little love. Soon.”

What Titania had said slowly began to sink in, bringing them out of their initial reaction. Ainsley worriedat her finger as she considered it, “But these things aren’t supposed to appear until puberty.” It wasreassuring that Titania didn’t seem phased by it, but her child wanting to fly before she crawled was stillnerverwracking. “I didn’t start having visions until I became a teenager.”

“And what did you mean about two powerful lines, Mom?” Puck asked uncertainly as he calmed down. “Ithought we didn’t know who my parents were?” Frowning, he asked, “DO you know who my parentswere?”

“Of course not, Puck.” Titania smiled at Hero as she murmured to the little girl, “Stop thinking like a bird,love. Mommy and Daddy need you to be on the ground for now.”

Settling Hero on her hip, Titania turned to face the distraught parents, “Things like this usually manifestat puberty, but not always. In cases where there’s a mix of bloodlines like this, it can show up earlier. It isalso possible that some of the quieter powers, like visions, may show up earlier, but are assumed to bedreams.” She turned to face Puck as she continued to explain, “While I do not know exactly who yourparents were, Puck, I have my suspicions. After all, I have the genealogy records of the North Forest elves.I can trace most of the bloodlines back more generations than you’d care to imagine. There are only a fewpossible lines you could have come from, dear.”

“But ..” Puck hesitated and then shrugged helplessly, “There was never anything special about me, Mom.How can my bloodline be anything like that?”

“Tsk, Puck. You always underestimate yourself.” Titania gave him a brief maternal frown, “Never discountyour own importance, son. You are worth far more than you realize.”

He started to protest, but Ainsley took his hand and distracted him, “So what do we need to do?” Tryingto be practical, she looked at her daughter happily bouncing in her grandmother’s arms. Taking a deepbreath, she asked, “What do we need to do to help her with these powers and help her be normal?”

“Normal is overrated, dear. Still, there is something to said for being able to fit in when necessary.” Titaniagave Ainsley a pointed look, “First things first, it is time for you to reconsider my offer of apprenticeship.”

Ainsley’s eyes widened, “It is? Why?”

“Your control over your own abilities will translate directly into your ability to understand and guide yourchildren with their abilities, dear. While you may not ever be able to do what Hero can, you willunderstand what she is going through and be able to help her develop techniques that will work for her.”She gave another mysterious little smile, “That and it is time. No more waiting.”

Giving a sigh, Ainsley looked at Puck who simply gave her a reassuring look and squeezed her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Ainsley looked up at Titania with a resigned expression, “Alright. When do webegin?”

~-~-~-~

After that momentous day, life settled back into a somewhat normal routine for the little family. Thoughvery young, Hero seemed to understand that she should only make herself and her toys fly on specialoccasions, so it was only once in a while that her parents found her and her toys careening around thenursery. They quickly discovered that there was no high, out of the way place they could put the cookiejar that she couldn’t reach, but beyond that, life seemed fairly normal.

In between teaching and caring for Hero, Puck and Ainsley continued to try for another baby withoutmuch success. Their relationship was as passionate as ever, so the lack of pregnancy was not for lack oftrying.

Still, there was a hint of worry settling over them both as they tried again and again and again...

... and again and again.

Hero’s next birthday was fast approaching and there was still no sign of another pregnancy.

Ainsley settled her head against Puck’s shoulder as he wrapped his arm protectively around her. Sighingsoftly, she murmured, “Maybe there’s something wrong. I’ve never heard of it taking this long withoutthere being something wrong.”

Running his hand over the smooth skin of her shoulder, Puck set aside his own worry to try and bereassuring, “The second one just takes a little longer. I’m not worried, love. Even if Hero is the only childwe have, I’m still the happiest man alive.”

That earned a smile and a kiss on the cheek, even if the worry didn’t leave her dark eyes.

~-~-~-~

“The pool of water acts as a focal point to direct the vision. As you know intimately, it is not a requiredtool since important visions can come whenever they need, but the scrying pool can allow for a Seer topull forth visions on their own terms. Each Seer may use a different tool that is suited to their personality.For myself, I prefer a simple pool of water in a quiet place. Others may prefer a crystal, a mirror or even anatural body of water.” Titania spoke clearly and concisely as she explained the properties of the basin ofwater during one of their lessons.

Ainsley had found Titania to be a good teacher, and surprisingly, herself to be a good student. Though shewould have never taken the lessons for herself alone, now that concern for her family had pushed her intoit, she was enjoying herself. Most of the time.

Today, her worries wouldn’t allow themselves to be pushed aside so she could concentrate on what wasbeing said.

Titania was not unaware of this. “You are not paying attention, are you?”

Ainsley’s shoulders slumped, “I’m sorry, Titania. I just..” She shrugged, “I’ll try and focus.”

“Child, if your mind is wrestling with worry, anything I try and teach you will be lost and need to berelearned anyway.” Titania spoke gently, “Tell me what is eating away at you? Let me be your mother-in-law rather than your teacher for once.”

Biting her lower lip, Ainsley considered for a moment before she confessed, “We’ve been trying to haveanother baby, but I can’t seem to get pregnant. I’m worried something’s wrong with me.”

Titania looked at her for a long, searching moment before she gave a little shake of her head, “No, there isnaught wrong with you other than perhaps a bit of poor timing and a lack of luck.”

“But..” Ainsley considered for a moment before she explained, “Maybe it is my fault. After Hero showedher powers at such an early age, what if I’m subconsciously sabotaging us because I’m worried what mightbe wrong with any other children we have?”

“Oh child.” Titania gave a little shake of her head, “There is nothing wrong with Hero and there will benothing wrong with the rest of your children. You must learn to accept that these things are as much apart of you and your children as your eyes or your hands.”

“They’re not, though. They’re a burden and I don’t want to see my children suffer.”

“Ainsley.” Titania’s tone was firm, “If you treat these abilities your children have as a burden, then THEYwill believe it is a burden and that they are flawed in some way. You are a better mother than that.”

Turning slightly, Ainsley blinked in surprise at Titania.

“You are the strength and heart of your family. Treating any abilities your children have as defects willteach your children the wrong lesson. If you doubt them before they are even born, then how can theynot doubt themselves? I know the strength to be better than that is within you, but you must see ityourself first.”

Ainsley’s brow furrowed as she thought about that. Could she be the strength and heart for her family?Was that ability even within her? As she thought of her daughter’s smile, she realized something veryprofound.

Could she afford NOT to be?

Taking a deep breath, she nodded in understanding. Turning to Titania she asked, “Teach me? Teach mehow to be that strength and how to protect my family?”

Titania smiled and held her hands out to her, “Dear child, I have been waiting to hear those words for farlonger than you may ever understand. Let’s begin again. There are so many things I want to teach you.”

~-~-~-~

After that, Ainsley grew more comfortable with her unique situation and odd little family. It might not beas normal as she had always hoped for, but it was hers. She was slowly coming to the understanding thatnormal may simply be an illusion.

One unexpected joy she found in her non-normal life was the little orchard and garden behind theirhouse. Though she had never expected to have a green thumb in any way other than the pigment of herskin, she found that she enjoyed spending time in the garden. When Hero went down for a nap, shewould spend time outside, preparing the garden for spring and summer.

That was where she was when her stomach first lurched with a wave of nausea.

Even though it wouldn’t have hurt anything outside, an odd sense of modesty sent her hurtling towardsthe house as her breakfast threatened to evict itself forcibly from her stomach.

Everything she’d eaten since the night before came up in one nauseating burst. She remembered feelinglike this right after the wedding, but she didn’t dare hope.

Every time they’d hoped, it had turned out to be a false alarm.

Not this time, though. The following night, Ainsley woke up and climbed out of bed only to realize thatthey had finally succeeded in getting her pregnant again. At first she stood there in shock.

And then she let loose with a joyous yell loud enough to wake the neighbors several streets over, “YES!!!”

From Puck’s studio, there was a crash as if he’d suddenly bumped into something. He yelled outanxiously, “Ainsley!? Are you okay, what’s wrong?”

“Come see! Come see, Puck! We did it! We really did it!”

“You’re pregnant! You’re really pregnant.” Gently touching the swell of her belly, he looked up at her withan adoring expression, “You’re amazing.”

“I think you might have played a part in this too.”

He just laughed and pulled her into a kiss.

~-~-~-~

“The rest of the guests won’t arrive until Puck gets home from work, but I have everything ready andHero is down for a nap, so I was wondering if you’d want to come over a little earlier to keep mecompany.” Ainsley smiled as she spoke into the phone, “It’s been far too long since we got to hang outand chat, Bo.”

She listened for a moment and then raised her eyebrows, “You have a surprise?” With a laugh she asked,“Are you and Merc getting married?”

She laughed again at the grumpy response on the other end of the line, “Okay fine, no wedding bells.But...”

“... I do wonder what your surprise could possibly be.”

The two women sat down on the couch and Ainsley stared with her mouth open, “How did this happen?”

“Well, when a man and a woman get a little horny, especially after indulging in a night out on the townwith a little bit more booze than they should have drunk, they...” Bottom replied with a smirk.

“That’s not what I mean.” Ainsley gave a scandalized laugh, “You always said you didn’t want to havechildren and you keep saying that you don’t want to get married to Merc even though it’s obvious he lovesyou for everything he’s worth. What changed?”

Bottom sighed and shifted to get more comfortable, “Nothing, really. I mean, we’ve been happy livingtogether since we graduated. We make a good team, I just don’t know that I want to get married.”

Ainsley hesitated for a moment as her expression grew concerned. Gently, she said, “Bottom, Mercutio isnothing like Oberon. You know this in your heart if you think about it.”

“Oh, I know.” Bottom wrinkled her nose and shrugged, “It just seems so traditional and we’re just nottraditional. Though, I guess we did get a bit complacent. We stopped being as careful as we should aboutcertain things.” She ran a hand over her pregnant belly, “As the lump here shows.”

“You also weren’t very careful about the things you were throwing at him when you found out either.”Jaiden came in with a matching waddle of her own, “He slept on our couch for two nights until shecalmed down.”

Ainsley arched an eyebrow at Bottom, “You actually threw something at him?”

Bottom grumped, “It was just a pillow and maybe a shoe. He had the nerve to get all giddy when I toldhim what he’d done to me.”

Jaiden smirked as she sat down on the other end of the couch, “He is pretty psyched.”

Ainsley laughed, picturing Mercutio’s reaction when he found out he was going to be a father, “I bet. Howare you doing, Jaiden?”

“I’m definitely ready for this baby to be born.” She gave a quiet smile as she answered, “Beyond that, we’reall doing really well. Ty got another promotion at work and he’s more excited about the next baby than Iam. Cali’s getting bigger every day and demanding to meet the new baby. We’re hoping for a little girl, butI’m also hoping she gets Ty’s red hair.”

The sound of the doorbell ringing interrupted the chat, causing all three pregnant women to rise at once.

Ainsley smiled, “I’m guessing the guests have arrived. If one of you will get the door, I’ll get out some ofthe snacks.” Barely containing her own excitement, she added, “Puck should be home any minute and Iknow Hero is getting anxious to blow out the candles on her cake. It’s all she’s been able to talk about.”

Sure enough, as soon as Puck walked in the door, his precocious little girl was demanding to blow out thecandles on her birthday cake. Luckily for them, she’d learned enough self-control over her telekinesis thatshe didn’t fly at her father through the crowd of guests. If her little toddler leap was a little higher thanshould have been normal, no one seemed to notice.

Puck quite happily took the honors in bringing her to the cake.

Ainsley paused as everyone cheered her daughter on. Thoughtfully, she looked around at all their guests.Since she had begun seriously training with Titania, she’d come into a whole new understanding of herabilities and how they related to those around her. It seemed as if her instincts about people and theirintentions had grown stronger and sharper.

Of course, that also led to confusion questions about why Oberon’s presence always left her feelingunsettled when it was obvious that Titania was fond of the standoffish man.

“Mama! You not cheerin’!” Hero drew her attention back to the party at hand.

“Sorry, punkin!” Ainsley smiled and swung the noise maker as her two favorite people in the world heldthe center of attention. It was time for Hero to grow up.

Moments after Hero grew into a precocious child, she became the life of the party. While she wasn’t quiteon eye level with all the adults, she wasn’t as easy to overlook. Gregarious and happy, she made therounds and introduced herself to everyone.

~-~-~-~

Though they’d loved her adorable days as a toddler, having Hero around the house as a child was a wholenew experience. She was growing into her own person, but excited to try the things that her parentsenjoyed. She and Ainsley would dance at a moment’s notice and Hero was thrilled to practice at the balletbarre with her mother.

Puck did the most traditional thing he could think of and built a playground for his daughter. Togetherthey put the swing and slide together and then played whenever they could get away with it. Hero wasalso thrilled when Puck presented her with her own child-sized easel to share in his studio space.

As fun as it was to be an only child, though, Hero was anxious to meet her brother or sister.

It was on an unseasonably cold, spring day with snow on the ground when the day finally arrived.

“I hate this part!” Ainsley clutched her stomach as the labor pains came. This time they’d planned things alittle better. There was no audience of visiting friends and Hero was at school.

“PUUUUUCK! It’s time!”

He could be heard rushing down the stairs from his studio upstairs.

“I’m here, love. Hang in there.” There wasn’t really anything Puck could do, but at least he was there toprovide moral support.

“AAAAHHHHGGGG!”

Moments later, Ainsley held another beautiful baby girl in her arms.

Puck gave a relieved, happy smile, “She’s got your coloring. What do you think of the name Rosalind?”

Breathless, Ainsley laughed softly as she kissed her new daughter, “It was on the short list. I think it’sperfect.” Suddenly she winced, “Puck, can you take her for a moment?”

Instantly concerned, Puck held out his hands as he took Rosalind just in time, “Are you okay?”

“I.. OW!” Ainsley’s eyes widened in shock, “I.. I’m still having labor pains!” Suddenly Rosalind wasn’t theonly baby in the house.

“Twins!” Ainsley stared in shock at the red headed baby boy that had just joined his twin sister, “It’s aboy.”

Puck stayed silent for a long moment as he slowly processed the whole concept, “Well, we did agree onthe name Lysander if it was a boy, right?” Suddenly his face lit up in a grin, “I think we’re going to need torun out to the store and get some more supplies.”

~-~-~-~

They definitely hadn’t been expecting twins, but Ainsley and Puck were quickly won over by the wholeidea. After all, they’d wanted a large family and as hard as it had been conceiving this pregnancy, theymight as well take pride in their two-for-one deal.

Lysander and Rosalind were a little fussier than Hero had been, but they were still good babies. The twoseemed to be much more content when they were in the same room together, as if they could sense thattheir twin was close by.

Each time Ainsley held one of them, she was amazed again at what a miracle each baby was.

When the time came for the twins’ birthday, they decided to not have a party. Though they loved theirfamily and friends, it was a school night for Hero and Puck had a major meeting with a prospective clientin the morning. It would be easier to have a smaller family celebration.

While Hero was disappointed they weren’t having a party, she was anxious for her brother and sister to getbig enough to play with. Babies were all fine and good, but they were really kind of boring.

Within moments of each other, just like when they had been born, Rosalind and Lysander were spun intotoddlers. As Puck and Ainsley had suspected, each child took after a different parent.

Rosalind had her mother’s coloring in every respect - green skin, black hair, black eyes. Her nose and herbrow were a little closer to her father’s, but there was no way that Ainsley could ever deny that this childwas her daughter.

On the other hand, Lysander was the spitting image of his father with a shock of red hair, blue eyes andall of his father’s prominent features. If there were any of Ainsley’s features there, she couldn’t quite seethem.

Despite looking as different as night and day, Lysander and Rosalind were amazingly close. Where onewas, the other was sure to follow. More often than not, they could be found playing together in thenursery or out in the living room watching the fish.

They were the light of their parents’ eyes and adored by their big sister. It was good to be the babies of thefamily.

Of course, it was soon discovered that they weren’t going to be the babies for very long.

“Oh my!” Ainsley stared at her unexpectedly pregnant stomach and gave a little laugh, “Puck? You mightwant to wake up for a moment.”

“Hmm?” He responded sleepily as he rolled over and pulled the covers back up around his shoulders,“Wassup?”

“Our back-to-school costs?” Turning around she smiled, “We’re going to have another addition to thefamily.”

~-~-~-~

Early summer had arrived, bringing with it warm weather and a thriving garden. Though she waspregnant, Ainsley was happy to spend the afternoon working on helping her plants thrive.

It seemed as if the garden had almost become an outward symbol of the rest of her life. With a little loveand attention and some patient work, the garden and the orchard thrived.

She paused and closed her eyes as she tilted her face towards the sun. Taking the moment to reflect on herlife, Ainsley realized something that she’d been aware of, but had never really put into words.

She was happy.

She was married to a wonderful, creative and talented man that loved her as much as she loved him.Together they’d worked hard to create a good life for themselves and their children.

Their children.

Hero had proven to be a wonderful big sister. There had been a little jealousy when the twins wereinfants, but once they were old enough for Hero to interact with, she took on the role of protective bigsister almost instantly. Very often, she could be found playing with her two little siblings.

As far as Rosalind and Lysander were going, they were growing like weeds, getting bigger every day.Rosalind seemed to be the more adventurous of the two, but Lysander was always there to back her upwhenever she wanted to try out something new.

So far neither had shown any signs of supernatural abilities which was a relief for Ainsley, even if she hadbegun to understand what Titania had been trying to tell her.

Now it was just a matter of time until..

.. well, until the last baby was born.

Ainsley rose up from where she’d been kneeling in the garden and clutched her stomach, “Oh dear. Ohdear.” Taking deep, steady breaths, she mumbled, “Okay this is crazy. My grandmother must have beeninsane. Last pregnancy.”

Feeling another wave of pain, she yelled out, “PUCK! THE BABY IS COMING!”

Puck dropped the phone and ran outside, quickly followed by Hero who had heard the shout as well.Puck tried to calm his own nerves as he attempted to be supportive to Ainsley, “You can do it, love. This iseasy. Just one little baby.”

Hero came rushing across the lawn, “Mommy Mommy! Is the baby coming? Is it a boy or a girl!?”

Ainsley clutched her stomach and gritted her teeth, “Don’t know yet, sweetie. We’ll see in a moment..”

Well, the answer to Hero’s question was that it was both. Surprising both Ainsley and Puck, they hadanother set of twins.

This time, it was a little blond boy they’d named Sebastian and a dark haired little girl they’d namedPortia.

Ainsley held her daughter and gave Puck a fond smile, “Okay, we’re done, love. I think our family is bigenough.”

Hero suddenly leapt up into the air and did a twirling loop-de-loop above her parents’ heads, “TWINS!Yay! I got another brother and another sister! This is awesome!”

Puck just gave a laughing groan, “Hero, what have we told you about flying in the backyard?”

Their family might not be exactly normal, but it was theirs.

~-~-~-~

And here we come to the end of Part Four! Part Five should hopefully be up within a week or so,concluding this generation of the Boolpropian Round Robin Legacy.

Though Sebastian and Portia are just infants, this update introduces all of Puck and Ainsley’s children,FINALLY. I will be putting up a post to share all their stats with everyone. I couldn’t be happier with thismix of kids as you’ll see in the next part when we get to know them and their personalities.

I want to thank everyone who’s been patient with me for being a bit slower than the other participants inthis legacy. We’re in the home stretch now, so hopefully everyone has enjoyed Ainsley’s story and islooking forward to the conclusion!

Until then, happy simming!