York waited for Carolina to open the door. Ally had fallen asleep on the walk back and was currently draped over his shoulders. He gave a slight head nod to North and Emma who were already back and cuddling on the couch before walking to Ally's room. He laid her gently onto the bed and covered her before walking back out. Carolina was waiting in the doorway for their room.
"I'm going to jump in the shower and then probably go to bed," she told him.
"Ok," he nodded giving her a quick kiss. "I'll be in at some point." She nodded before going into their room and closing the door. He turned around and walked back out to the living room, pausing in the kitchen to grab a beer out of the fridge. "Glad to see you stocked us up!"
"What's vacation without some drinking?" North chuckled back. "Grab me one too."
"Already did. Em, you want one?"
"Nah. I'll have a water though," she replied.
"Coming up," York replied grabbing a bottle out of the fridge. He walked over and handed them their drinks before sitting down across one of the chairs. "So what'd you two love-birds get up to?"
"Just walked around some more," North replied. "Saw a few more things that would probably be fun to do. In fact, I figured with the girls going shopping for the day, maybe we'd go do some deep-sea fishing. We can have a big cookout with what we catch then."
"Sign me up," York chuckled.
"So dear brother-of-mine," Emma started sitting up and looking at him.
"Yes dear sister?"
"Is there a reason you're not telling Carolina that your parents are coming?" Emma raised an eyebrow at him.
He shrugged, "I don't want her getting all nervous about it."
"You're an idiot," Emma rolled her eyes. "So you'd rather have her silently freak out because she doesn't want to be surprised?"
"Hey, at least it's not a surprise wedding like she was worried about," North pointed out.
"Oh hey," York pointed his beer bottle at them, "Now that's an idea."
"York, no," Emma growled.
"No really, it's perfect."
"York, no," Emma repeated firmer this time.
"But it is!" York insisted. "I mean, if my parents are going to be here, why the hell not just do it? She's got the guys here. You guys are here. Oh man, that is perfect!"
"I swear to God, York," Emma growled. "Don't do it. She's going to kill you."
"Nah."
"North," Emma turned to look at him. "Tell him she's going to kill him."
North looked between the two of them, "Look…I'm all for whatever." Emma growled at him. "But I wouldn't surprise her with it. I'd at least tell her that's what you're thinking. You know she'll kick the crap out of you."
"Church," York leaned his head back. The AI appeared on the table above the tablet and looked at him. "What do you think?"
"I think you need to not surprise her if you want to live," Church agreed. "I mean, it'd be fucking hilarious to see her chasing you, but seriously…you want to live, talk it over with her."
"You guys ruin all my fun," York sighed.
"And tell her your parents are coming," Emma added.
"But that's no fun," York chuckled. "Besides, if I tell her, then I have to tell her everyone else that's coming too."
"You're ridiculous," Emma huffed. She sat up and looked at North, "I'm going up to bed."
"Alright. If its ok with you, I'm probably going to hang out down here for a bit," North replied.
"Don't need my permission if that's what you want to do," Emma smirked kissing his forehead and standing up. She looked at York, "Tell her."
"Yea, yea," York huffed. "Night sis." She waved a hand at him and headed to the spiral staircase. York waited until he heard a door close upstairs before turning to North, "You two seem to have worked things out…well let me rephrase that. You two seem pretty damn happy together now that you're together together."
"Yea," North chuckled. "She's pretty great."
"Good," York nodded. "I'm glad my best friend is happy. Though, as her big brother-"
"Only by a couple months," North interrupted.
"-As her big brother, I am still obligated to give you the 'Hurt-her-and-I-kill-you-big-brother-speech."
"York, think about it," North chuckled. "if, and it's a huge if, she would get hurt, do you really think there would be anything left for you by the time she got done with me?"
York thought about it a moment, "Ok, you got me."
"Plus if she hears you being all over-protective of her, she'll kick your ass."
"Nah."
"It's your funeral," North chuckled.
Carolina heard the door click open before something small jump up onto the bed and start bouncing.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
York groaned next to her and she felt him take his pillow and put it over his head. She cracked an eye to see Ally standing over them, all dressed and ready to go down to the beach.
"Ally, please stop bouncing on the bed," Carolina yawned rolling over onto her side. Ally stopped briefly before diving down and squeezing between them.
"It's time to get up though," she giggled at them trying to pull the pillow off York's head.
"Well it's rude to wake people up," Carolina sighed.
"Ghost-man told me to," Ally pouted.
Carolina held in a growl as she silently cursed Church. "Did you eat breakfast yet?"
"Nope," Ally answered.
"Is anyone else up yet?"
"Aunty Emma was reading something on her data-pad," Ally shrugged.
"Go ask her to get you something to eat."
"But I'm ready for the beach."
"You need to eat and we need to pack lunch. Your dad and I also need to wake up," Carolina explained. "Then we need to get sunscreen on before we even leave to go down."
"Ugh, fine," Ally huffed before crawling off the bed and stomping silently out of the room and closing the door.
Carolina sat up, stretching her arms out before turning and looking at York who appeared to still be fast asleep. Rolling her eyes she turned to lay on top of his back, lifting up the pillow enough that she could reach his ear.
"Don't even think about it," York mumbled into the mattress.
Carolina grinned, "Think about what?"
"You were going to nibble my ear and you know what happens when you do that," he continued.
"I'm not sure I do," she breathed moving her mouth slightly closer.
York rolled over, dumping her next to him before wrapping an arm around her and pulling her up against him. He gave her a quick kiss, "Don't do it."
"Why not?" she replied grinding her hips up against him.
"Because," he growled, "You know there's no time so you're going to get me all worked up and then I'm going to have to go take a cold shower because our lovely daughter will come bouncing back in here the second she is done swallowing whatever food Emma is feeding her, thus interrupting whatever it is you're trying to not initiate-"
"Ya know," Carolina chuckled wrapping her arms low around his waist, "You are your own downfall here, not me."
"Yea, how so?"
"Because if you'd just shut up and go with it, we probably could've squeezed," she emphasized the word by grabbing his butt, "something in super quick. But no, you have to run that mouth of yours and use up all that precious time."
"And you say I'm an ass…" he growled at her.
"But you love me," she crinkled her nose at him before kissing him and slipping out of his grasp. He rolled back onto his stomach, grabbing the pillow to prop under his chin as he watched her start getting changed.
"I do," he sighed watching her pull the new swimsuit and cover-up she had picked up the night before. "I do have a question for you."
"Just the one?" she smirked.
"You are so full of sarcasm this morning," he chuckled. She gave him a smile as she pulled her t-shirt off and start putting on the top of the suit. He lost his train of thought for a moment.
"Are you going to ask your question or continue to drool?" she asked. "It's nothing you haven't seen before, ya know."
York rolled his eye, "How opposed would you be if we did a whole super small wedding thing here before we leave?"
Carolina finished tying the back of her suit before turning to look at him, an eyebrow raised, "I would say I would have to think about it. Why?"
He shrugged, "Just feel like it'd be the best time to do it. All our family will be here, the setting is as gorgeous as you are, it's quiet and peaceful and seriously, what better place?"
"Let me think about it," she repeated.
"Will you really?"
She walked up to the bed and leaned over to cup his face, kissing him deeply, "Promise." She turned to throw the coverlet on before slipping off the shorts she was wearing exchanging them for the swimsuit bottoms. York watched her walk to the bathroom and grab her brush and run it through her hair a few times before leaning forward. He heard the sink start.
"Do you really want to know who's coming tomorrow?" York sighed.
Carolina looked back at him as she brushed her teeth, "If it's important to you that you surprise me, than no, I can wait. Though I have a feeling who it is."
"Do you really or are you just saying that?"
"Well," she paused to spit in the sink, "I figure the only two people that you would even care enough about, that aren't actually present yet, are your adoptive parents, so that's my guess."
"Have I mentioned you're brilliant?" he chuckled. She gave him a wink before going back to finishing up at the sink.
"Not lately."
"You're brilliant," he repeated. "Are you ok with them coming and meeting them?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked coming back out. He shrugged. "You've told me about them before and they sound fantastic. Plus they raised you and even though you turned into an asshole, I'm sure that wasn't entirely their fault."
"Thanks…"
"But they were still important to you before you joined up with the military. Of course I would want to meet them. And I'm sure Ally will be tickled pink to have a normal set of grandparents."
"Not sure if normal covers them, but yea," York chuckled. "Now Emma can get off my case. Make sure there's coffee."
"You and your damn coffee," she chuckled walking over to kiss his forehead. "Yes I'll make sure there's coffee. Now get dressed. Any specific kind of sandwich you want packed?"
"Nope. You know what I like."
Carolina nodded before heading back out to the main room. Ally was sitting at the table poking at what appeared to be cereal while Emma was tapping her fingers on the table.
"Momma!" Ally cheered turning to get up. Emma gently grabbed her and pulled her back in the seat. "Aunty Emma, I don't wanna."
Carolina gave Emma a questioning look. Emma rolled her eyes, "She doesn't want to eat her breakfast. Nor does she want to listen to me."
"Ally, I told you that you needed to eat. You also need to still listen to your Aunt when she tells you to do things," Carolina sighed walking around the counter to check the coffee machine. She saw Emma had already brewed a pot. Ally gave a dramatic groan and flopped onto the table, picking up the spoon to still poke some more at the cereal. "It's going to turn into a very boring vacation for you if you decide to not start listening to what you're told."
"I'm not hungry," Ally grumbled glaring at her breakfast.
"We're not going down to the beach until you eat, so by all means, take your time," Carolina countered. "And the more you don't listen, the less you get to do."
Ally rolled her eyes, but sat up and pulled her bowl closer, grumpily spooning a mouthful of cereal into her mouth and chewing.
"North up yet?" Carolina asked as Emma leaned back in the chair.
"Yea. He went over to check on Wash and the others to let them know what we were doing today so whoever wants to come down with us can," Emma nodded. "York moving?"
"He was getting dressed when I came out." Carolina grabbed two mugs. She just finished preparing them when York walked out. She held one up for him.
"Why thank you, my love," he chuckled kissing her cheek as he took it from her. He walked over and sat at the table with Ally and Emma. He looked at Ally, "What's with the grumpy face?"
"Someone was giving us a hard time about eating breakfast," Emma answered. Ally stuck her tongue out at her. "Hey, that's not nice."
"Ally," Carolina gave her stern look. "What has gotten in to you?"
Ally shrugged and went back to eating her food. Emma got up and walked around to help Carolina pack up the basket she had gotten the night before. Carolina looked at York who she caught stealing a spoonful of Ally's cereal much to Ally's delight. She cleared her throat and he gave her a cheeky grin making her roll her eyes.
"When she is done eating, can you put make sure she gets sunscreen on?" Carolina sighed.
"You got it," York winked at her. A few minutes later, Ally brought over her empty bowl and placed it in the sink. York got up and motioned to go outside on the patio, "Come on kid. We'll put it on outside."
Ally followed him out leaving Emma and Carolina alone inside. Emma shook her head, "It's been awhile since I had to deal with that attitude. I almost forgot how stubborn she is."
"Well, hopefully she reins it in," Carolina sighed. "Otherwise it's gonna be a long week for her."
"That's for sure," Emma chuckled. "Did York have a chance to talk to you?"
"I'm assuming you mean about getting married here before we go back and the fact his parents are coming?"
"So he did," Emma smirked.
"Yup. I told him I would think about it and that of course I wouldn't care about meeting his parents."
"Good. I'm just glad he talked to you," Emma nodded. The door opened and North walked in laughing at something York had finished saying.
"You ladies almost ready?" he asked when he got to the kitchen.
"I think so," Carolina replied looking into the basket before closing the lid. She picked up the strapped and threw it over her shoulder.
