"Don't you look fancy?"

Emily elbowed her brother in the gut before continuing on into the living room, hurrying over to her father so she could get to him before he poured himself another scotch. "Daddy, are you ready?"

Charles Prentiss nodded his head and stood from the chair.

"Don't let her do it, dad."

The brunette teen spun around and glared at the older boy. "Shut up!"

"Emily," her father warned, walking with her to the kitchen where their chef was preparing their dinner. "What is her name again?"

Emily blushed, leaning against the kitchen island. "Alex."

Charles watched as his daughter took a moment to smile about the girl who was coming over to dinner before her brother broke into her ravine with a slap to her arm. "How long have you known her, Emily?"

The sixteen year old slapped her brother's hands away as she tried to think. "A few months."

Aaron made a throw up sound in the back of his throat.

"I swear to God!"

Charles sighed as the two chased each other around the kitchen, and he sent glance to the chef to tell her he was sorry for them getting in the way.

"It's ok, Mr. Prentiss," the Italian woman laughed, grinning to the two teenagers he had known since they were just babies. "They are not in my way."

Emily yelped when Aaron picked her up in his arms, and she pounded at his back. "Aaron!"

"Aaron, put her down."

The older boy shrugged before letting his sister fall to the floor, laughing when she landed on her butt and glared up to him.

Charles grunted as he helped his daughter off the floor, watching her dust off the pair of jeans she had changed into once she had gotten out of her uniform and showered. Tonight was a big night for her. "What grade is she in, sweetheart?"

Emily blushed. "Alex is a year ahead of me," she nodded, leaning her elbows on the island. "Daddy, can you try not to scare her off?" She hadn't brought anyone home to meet her parents, but bringing a girl? That came straight out of left field.

"And is she good to you?"

The brown eyed girl felt her brother lie his chest against her back and she looked up to her father. "I think so," she said softly. "I haven't known her very long, but she took me around her friends on the second date." Shrugging, Emily giggled. "I think that's a good sign."

Charles playfully frowned, pinching his youngest on the nose. "And how many dates have there been?"

"Only a few."

Aaron rolled his eyes at the grin in his sister's voice, and he stood straight so he could walk over to the fridge for a soda. "She's coming over to dinner because Alex asked her to the junior prom."

Emily gave her brother the finger. "He already knows that, dumbass."

"Emily."

Aaron laughed, watching his sister get berated by his father. "What now, you little bitch."

Charles turned and glared at his eldest. "Aaron!"

The sixteen year old didn't even have time to gloat over the fact that her brother was getting yelled at when she heard the doorbell ring. "It's Alex!" She immediately began smoothing down her shirt and running her fingers through her silky straight hair before she followed her father to the front door. "Be nice," Emily hissed, making sure her father's suit jacket wasn't wrinkled. "We have to make her think we're sane."

Her father bit back his laugh and took her hands in his, staring her down in those beautiful brown eyes. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "She's going to be fine, so you have to calm down. I promise not to question her."

Emily grinned and reached for the doorknob.

"Too much."

The sixteen year old glared up to her father before opening up the front door. "Alex, hi."

Alex Blake stood on the doorstep of the embassy, her eyes wide when she saw the servants bustling around in the background. "Hey," she breathed. Taking a cautious step forward, the brunette girl held out the bouquet she had bought. "These are for you."

Emily blushed. "Thank you." Ushering the older teenager inside, the ambassador's daughter. "Alex, this is my father Judge Charles Prentiss. Daddy, this is Alex Blake."

"It's an honor to meet you, sir."

Charles shook the seventeen year old's hand firmly, smiling gently to the brunette who couldn't stop looking to his daughter with her dark eyes. "Welcome to our home, Alex."

Emily grinned as her brother politely introduced himself and led her to the dining room. Her mother had refused to be there, the extremely homophobic and ashamed ambassador setting up a meeting that night with the man they all knew to be her lover for that night so she wouldn't have to see her daughter and her maybe-girlfriend, but her father and brother were something else.

Biting her lip, the sixteen year old smiled to Alex as they sat down across from one another.

She was loved.