Epilogue

Melted Coat

"You there, Sabrina?"

"Huh?" she responded intelligently.

Daphne gave her a half concerned half amused look.

Sabrina realized that Daphne was waiting for a response and shook her head to clear it.

"Sorry, my mind's elsewhere, Daphne."

Daphne scrunched up her brown eyes and leaned in close to Sabrina's face before proclaiming, "I should've known the second you got the dopey lovey-dovey look in your eyes. You're thinking about Puck."

Cornered, the older woman glanced around the room, trying to find something on the old, trusty walls of the Ferryport house to deliver her from her sister's certain interrogation. However, there was no caveat or scapegoat to be found on the dusty finish. Out of options, she attempted to speak her way out of Daphne's scrutiny.

"I am not-not..." Sabrina floundered defensively, but couldn't manage to get the full lie out while looking at her sister's knowing face. "Sorry," she finally muttered, "He's just on my mind at the moment. Go back to what you were saying-house renovations, right?"

Daphne laughed heartily, "Oh yeah, right. I'm not going back to home improvement right after you brought up love." She rubbed her hands together conspiratorially.

"Alright, forget what I was saying-it wasn't important anyway. Let's get to the juicy stuff."

Slightly uncomfortable Sabrina began, staring down at her hands. "Daphne, I haven't seen him in the few weeks that I've been away from New York. I know-poor me-since so many long distance relationships don't usually get to see each other in person for years at a time...but I just, well, I miss him." Sabrina bit her lip after her mini speech, still not completely over her childhood fear of admitting affection. Daphne nodded kindly, motioning for her to go on by taking one of her hands in hers.

She took in a long breath and continued, "I want to see him because the longer we're apart, the more my mind second guesses what I feel. Ever since he was gone for those five years..." she sighed heavily, acquiescing, "I can't help it. My love life is a mess. I know that I love him more than any other man I've met, but that doesn't change the fact that he's full of flaws."

Daphne let out a sigh of relief, making a large show of wiping away sweat from her brow that wasn't there, "Phew! And here I was worrying that you were too far under his spell. I'd be way more worried if you didn't admit that he has flaws. Puck isn't perfect. But," she held up her index finger, "he is good match for you, even if it's hard to see sometimes. He's still adjusting to the idea of life changing. He takes things in slower because he's always been able to afford to."

Sabrina sat back in her chair, as always amazed by the wisdom of her supposedly younger sister who seemed much more like she was sixty something instead of twenty. Her words were correct-all immortals dealt with their inherited longevity in different ways, and for Puck, it meant a resistance to any personal change.

Lips twitching upwards in thanks Sabrina remarked, "I don't know if I'll ever understand how you manage to always say the right thing."

Daphne opened her mouth to reply back but halted as the sound of knocking echoed its way into the kitchen. Her brows furrowed together and she glanced at a clock near the ceiling.

"Huh. I wasn't expecting anyone. Could you get it Sabrina?"

Sabrina rolled her eyes but got up nonetheless. "Sure thing, lazybones," she said as she ruffled her sister's hair, much to her annoyance as Sabrina left the room.

"Make sure to give them a warm welcome!" Daphne called. "I don't want anyone scared away just because you're so icy and distrusting."

Sabrina rolled her eyes, taking her sister's humor with a grain of salt. She wasn't always unkind to those she didn't know...just most of them. (For good reason-she believed. She'd met far too many psychos who wanted nothing more than to stab her family in the back.)

Sabrina reached the entrance and gave the space behind her a quick once over. Ever since Granny Relda had died, the old, remodeled house had never felt the same-the interior no longer exuded the woman's warmth and hospitality and lacked her little idiosyncrasies. It had been Daphne's idea to make it her new home when she graduated high school. She had insisted that it had always been inhabited by their family and that some traditions were important. The young woman had been living there alone for about a year now, although one would never guess that by the dust on the floors. Daphne cared a lot, but cleanliness had never been her strong point-which was exactly why she had begged her older sister to come over and help.

Shaking memories from her head, Sabrina turned around, deeming the house good enough for guests to see. She smoothed her hair down and opened the door, with what she hoped was a kind smile on her face.

On the other side of the paneled mahogany, an attractive blonde man who was a little scruffy around the edges greeted her. He smirked and cajoled her within a moment of seeing her expression.

"Hello, Stinky."

Sabrina was so surprised to see Puck that she shut the door in his face. Somewhere between embarrassment and anger she spun around on her heel and gaped at her sister across the living room through the entrance of the kitchen.

"Puck. That was Puck! What in the world is he doing here?" she cried, frazzled.

Daphne shrugged, her long dark hair falling around her self-satisfied face, "Well, I did say that he's been around town, didn't I?"

The younger woman tried to hide it, but the grin that was traitorously sneaking its way onto her face was a dead giveaway. As was her raised hand, palm side up-nearly within biting distance.

Sabrina's jaw dropped, easily catching her sister's tick. "You never told me that he was around-wait. So you-you knew! You two planned this!" Oddly betrayed, she added in an unbelieving whisper, "You probably didn't even need to talk about anything!"

The grin was in full force now. "Maybe."

Sabrina glared at her sister, unsure of how to proceed. It was hard enough to figure out how she wanted to act around Puck now in their odd semi renewed dating situation when they planned to see each other, but seeing him on the fly-despite having just expressing that she wanted to see him-was a different matter all together.

Daphne, on the other hand, was back to being fourteen again, watching her sister tiptoe around her relationship with Puck.

"So, you know you should open the door, right?" Daphne encouraged, breaking the silence as Sabrina worried her lip with her teeth.

Sabrina blinked roughly at her sister and then at the door. She took a steadying breath and shook her head. Honestly-she was acting like a child. She knew Puck more than just about anyone else.

With one last quiet inhale, she opened the front door once again, where her disgruntled boyfriend glared at her halfheartedly.

"Geez, Grimm. Who spit in your durian pancakes this morning?"

She stared wordlessly at him from across the threshold, watching as he brushed a bit of dusty grass from his thin summer jacket.

Noting her silence, he glanced up, confused by her closed off attitude.

"What?" he asked, green eyes earnest yet somehow managing to maintain an irreparable glint of mischievousness, "What's wrong?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes, unable to contain her disdain for his obliviousness. Swallowing her irritation for a moment, she called back to her sister who was trying-and failing-to hide her interest in what was going on.

"I think I'm going to be gone for a while, Daphne."

"Right, right, of course," she answered back casually, rising to 'clean' the kitchen, "take as much time as you need."

With that, Sabrina ushered herself and Puck out of the doorway and onto the porch where the setting sun streaked everything in varying shades of heady orange-red. It made a stunning scene over the landscape, highlighting the isolated nature of the house.

The woman, however, did not have it in her at that moment to appreciate the wondrous natural phenomenon. Instead she turned to Puck, hands on her hips, still not entirely sure why she was so annoyed with him. Perhaps it was his nonchalant way of showing up so randomly with no announcement, fitting in as an enigma of the moment where he shouldn't have been able to get to-yet, here he was. Taunting her with how easily he could find her while she had to hunt him down across worlds just to speak face to face.

Taking in her face, Puck held up his hands innocently.

"You're mad."

"Really," she replied, deadpan. "What an astute observation."

"Look, I know I've been in and out recently,"-Sabrina snorted at his understatement-"but I promise it's been for good reason."

"Good reason?" she couldn't help but growl, "What good? Some troll need a ping pong buddy? Or perhaps a brownie wanted to know what the best way to TP a house was?" Her repressed anger boiled to the surface, surprising her with the intensity when she trembled with emotion.

Inversely, however, Puck began to smile an odd little smile as he took her in.

(Because really, she didn't know how cute she looked when her nose scrunched up in anger.)

"What?" she snarled, really beginning to fume now, "Do you think this is a joke? I'm-"

Her words froze in her throat as her pulled her into a tight hug, the scent of pine woods and sunshine enveloping her.

"I missed you too, dogface."

Slowly, the anger eased out of her as she melted into his embrace. Oh, how she'd missed him.

(And that was it, wasn't it? Most of the sourcing of her rage directed towards him had been from simply missing him.)

After a few moments-or maybe it was a few minutes, Sabrina wasn't entirely sure-Puck pulled away from her and held out one of his hands.

"Do you trust me?" he inquired, his smile lopsided and positively rakish; a look that many would see as that of a trouble maker (though he was) but one that she'd learned to interpret as the hardly contained spirit of adventure.

"I," she frowned at his word choice but answered honestly nonetheless, "of course I trust you." She placed her hand in his, interlacing her weathered hand with his.

"Good," he said matter-of-factually with a childish grin that betrayed a youth that few could claim to hold on to as wings sprung from his back, still as beautiful as they were the first time she saw them. "You'll need that for what I've got planned."

A crease appeared in Sabrina's brow. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Astute observation," Puck quipped dryly as he retrieved a blindfold from his pocket.

Sabrina stared at the offering with narrowed eyes.

"A surprise then? This better not be like last time."

Puck laughed as she hesitantly put on the scrap of cloth.

"Oh, let that one go-I drop you into a polar bear exhibit at the zoo one time-"

"In broad daylight!"

"-and you'll never let it go."

"For good reason."

"It was hilarious!"

"Remind me why I left Bradley just so I could deal with this again?" Sabrina sighed, letting Puck scoop her up into his arms as he readied his flight.

Puck's wings started to flap strongly as he spoke again, grinning with reckless abandon since she could no longer see that he was drinking her in, "Duh, because I'm a million times hotter than him, rule an entire kingdom of adoring citizens, and," they lifted into the sky, "I know exactly what makes you tick."

Maybe it wasn't the smartest thing to taunt someone who could control if you were going to fall two hundred feet, but Sabrina tried her luck anyways, "Everything, hmm?

"Yeah," he announced confidently, "like how you hate watermelon candy and think that your boss needs to lose his ridiculously strict attitude."

"Easy stuff," Sabrina chuckled as she felt the sun go down under the horizon, taking its warmth with it.

Puck frowned before smiling slyly, although she could not see it, "Well, there's the more personal stuff, like how you would blush whenever boys in high school would compliment your hair, and still do when I do now. Oh! Also there's the fact that you're only ticklish under your knees-and you used to call me strange."

"Alright," she admitted, a little lightheaded from flying blind and from how many facts he could list about her in a heartbeat, "so maybe you do know a lot."

Sabrina tucked in close to him, shivering slightly from the wind. Puck smiled cheekily as they slowed down, nearly at their destination.

"Here we are," he announced, placing her feet on solid ground before removing the blind fold. As soon as she could see, Sabrina was stunned by what she saw.

A warm breeze rustled through her hair as she took in the area. They were on top of the trees-literally-on a polished wooden platform with low fencing on the perimeter, with the only items on it a round table and two chairs.

All around, Puck's pixie servants hovered as a backdrop to the scene; twinkling stars that had fallen from the heavens, giving the space a mystical ambiance.

"Puck, I can't...this is just-wow," Sabrina whispered in awe, twirling in a circle to see every inch of the fantasy world around her.

"So do you like it then?" Puck said, nuzzling his face against her neck in an unusual display of affection-the kind of action that he left only for when they were alone.

"Like it?" she said incredulously, "This has to be one of the most impressive things that you've done."

He frowned slightly, pouting. "What? More impressive then standing up to a Jabberwocky?"

Sabrina guffawed, "I remember the 'standing' part not lasting all that long."

Puck rolled his eyes and stepped away from her side to pull out one of the chairs for her, gesturing expectantly.

Charmed, she took her seat and as she settled herself he sat across from her. Clapping his hands as an order to his servants, they waited a few moments until a cloud of pixies arrived and placed a large cloche covered platter and two tall glasses filled with fizzy liquid before them.

"Dinner?" she asked quizzically, lifting an eyebrow.

Puck waved his hand through the air expectantly, "See for yourself."

Sabrina lifted the cover from the plate. Underneath was several beautifully decorated chocolate strawberries. She blinked, entranced, and plucked one of the gems from the plate. Scrutinizing the small fruit, she could hardly believe the delicately intricate patterns that swirled along its surface. Puck must have seen her awestruck expression because he began to smirk as he picked one up to twirl between his fingers.

"Crazy, right? It's fae chocolate. It naturally crystallizes into fancy designs when it sets."

"But that-that doesn't make any sense. How can that possibly work?" she spluttered, trying to find a flaw in the smooth surface.

Puck snorted and took a bite, "It's magic, Stinkface. It doesn't have to make sense." He let out a dreamy sigh as he chewed, "And if you can believe it, it tastes better than it looks."

Curiosity overwhelmed her confusion, and she took a tentative bite from the treat. Her taste buds quickly thanked her and she felt like letting out a dreamy sigh of her own. The chocolate was rich like she'd never known, but still left room for the subtle notes of the fruit in a way that melded wonderfully.

"Oh...wow," she laughed, giddy with the taste, "never mind how fairy chocolate works. It's delicious. And these strawberries-did you get them from the Faerie gardens as well?"

Surprisingly, he shook his head. "They were growing wild in the forest behind the old house. It seemed more fitting."

The warmth of family-something like getting hugged by her now deceased granny-filled her, and quietly she asked, "What made you think of this?"

"Well," he said, almost nervous, glancing at the stars before looking back at her, his fingers drumming on the table, "I was looking through some of the Old Lady's cookbooks and stumbled upon a recipe card so simple, I could hardly believe that it was hers."

Sabrina promptly choked, suddenly not sure if she could trust what was in the confection in her hand.

She really did love her grandmother, but no matter how many years she ate her food, she never found much that she liked of it.

Puck saw her distress and laughed, grinning sardonically, "Don't worry, it wasn't one of her exotic dishes."

She let out a small sigh of relief and took another bite, settling back to enjoying the ruby sweetness.

"...She got it from Basil, actually. Her husband, not your brother or the plant. He used wild strawberries and fae chocolate too-since it's better than anything humans could possibly create-don't look so offended, it's true." He paused to examine his nails before continuing breezily, "Apparently it's what he gave her before he proposed to her."

For the second time in the past thirty seconds, Sabrina choked. She barely managed to swallow with several forceful coughs. Eyes watering, she could hardly see for a few moments. Or hear. Or think.

Was he implying...

"You can't possibly be-" she began, throat rough from her ordeal before she lost all ability to speak when he got down on one knee and presented a small box to her.

His eyes were as earnest as she'd ever seen them, but his trouble-maker grin that was purely his was still there, melting her heart. It was an odd gesture for him, she could tell, most likely a human made tradition that wasn't like what the fae did at all.

The moment was a complete merge of their worlds. Fae chocolate with strawberries from her (well, in a way their) granny's backyard.

"Sabrina, will you marry me?"

He hardly needed to ask.

.-.-.-.

"Food is community.

Food is family.

Food is kindness,

And grace, and warmth,

And refuge, and

POSSIBILITY.

Food brings us together

When the world

tears us apart."

-Life as a Strawberry (blog)

.-.-.-.

Some years later

"Mmmph-dad should cook more often." Emma said with her mouthful of half-chewed food. Alison was so caught up in it that she didn't even think to make a disgusted face at her annoying little sister.

"You're telling me," Sabrina said with a laugh, giving a pointed look at her husband.

Puck just let out a chuckle and sat down with his own plate. "Well, if I did, you'd be too spoiled for much of anything else."

"Pompous fool," Sabrina coughed, covering a smirk with a mouthful of lasagna. Emma giggled, nearly inhaling a piece of pasta.

"Ha!" Puck exclaimed, flicking sauce at his younger daughter and wife-to the former's delight and the latter's displeasure. "If you were half as foolish as me, even you could cook, wifey."

Sabrina shook her head good-naturedly, catching on to his teasing. "I cook just fine, thanks. Just because you're an amazing at making food doesn't mean you can undermine what I do."

"Did you hear that kids?" Puck laughed, chewing his food obnoxiously for Emma's benefit, continuing on with dramatic effect, "I think mom just gave me a compliment. Better write it down-this may never happen again."

"I'll gladly take it back."

Alison sighed to herself, rubbing her temples, muttering about having the weirdest parents in the universe as they continued to argue about whether quality or quantity was more important.

"Where'd you even learn to cook anyway?" Emma asked, using her napkin and knife to create a little fort over her food.

Puck turned, breaking off from his argument to smile at his youngest daughter.

"It's a really good story, actually." He intertwined his fingers with Sabrina's under the table. "You could even say that my cooking brought your mom and I together."

Alison faked a gag. "Ugh, could you guys get any cheesier?"

Emma snorted, amused by her sister's accidental food pun, but agreed nonetheless, "Yeah, there's no way you guys bonded over food."

Puck grinned, "Wanna bet?"

"Yeah! Five bucks mom hurled the first time you made something for her!" Emma exclaimed, puffing her chest out in pride.

Puck glanced at Alison who was hiding behind her phone-which she wasn't supposed to have at the table-and smirked expectantly.

"Same as Em. No one's first attempt at the culinary arts is any good."

Sabrina laughed behind her hand and couldn't help but find the look of triumph on her husband's face adorable. He rubbed his hands together in glee.

"Better get those green backs ready, girls, 'cause this story is gonna knock your socks clean off. It all began when we were fourteen and your mother didn't have the sense to eat dinner like a normal person..."

Thus he spun his tale-one so captivating that Emma stopped playing with her food and got Alison to forget out her precious cell phone for the extent of it.

And it's no surprise really-because dreamy fairy tales like that were often best told by men like Puck, for he truly believed in the impossible.

Like using sweet confections-and a little bit of his own sweet charm-to unify himself and the love of his life.

.-.-.-.

AN: Ahh, the end. Hopefully this is as syrupy sweet as your favorite candy.

I enjoy cooking a lot, so the idea of a fic like this felt like a great place to put these two. I love them-they were one of my favorite ships before I even knew what the term 'ship' meant.

My love to all of you who reviewed. This has been a fun (what like two year) process. Next for me comes a story with actual plot and girth-so get ready.

Remember to write lots and often with a cup of chocolate milk nearby.

Have a wonderful day!

-Pinklily8