Seeing Jones' violent reaction to someone mistreating her has left Emma Grace feeling wondrously protected and loved. No one has ever stood up for her like that before. If she had questioned his devotion prior to his outburst, she certainly cannot entertain that thought now.

"Ye are staring at it again."

Jones' voice interrupts her train of thought. She looks up to see a smug grin has formed upon his face, most likely enjoying the notion of her inspecting her engagement ring so closely.

"I will admit that I am still amazed at how my life has changed in less than a year. This time last year, I was single, lonely and alone. Now I'm getting married..."

"To the best damn man there is..." Jones interrupts again.

She leans in and ravels a tentacle around her hand, "to the best damn conceited man there is!" She smiles when he pulls away in laughter. Somehow mildly insulting one another has become an enjoyable game. She continues, "I'm serious, Davy. It amazes me sometimes. I never imagined I would have a friend like you, let alone a fiance. I thought I was always going to be alone. That no one would ever appreciate me for who I am."

"I'm ten years your senior and therefore have spent more time in self-inflicted solitary confinement. Can ye imagine how this is for me?"

"Crazy?"

He nods and tilts the neck of his beer bottle in her direction before taking a sip. "I didn't think anyone could love me for who I am, and...here we are."

A nagging feeling starts nibbling at her insides. "It's just that, well, I am new to this." The voice tells her she doesn't deserve to be so loved and fiercely defended.

"As am I, love." He takes another drink.

"I'm afraid I'll ruin it somehow."

"The easiest solution here is to not do that."

She tilts her head at his sarcasm.

He reaches across the picnic table where she sits and slaps his hand down on her knee. "We've already had this discussion. Infidelity and lies will not be tolerated. Neither will excessive alcohol or drug abuse. I'm committed to being a prudish schoolmarm to keep this relationship healthy."

She cannot hold her laugh back. "Will you take this seriously, please?"

Jones leans closer to her. "Em, ye are over-analyzing things again. That bastard this morning has shaken your confidence. Just take it one day at a time. Stop worrying about the future, we aren't there yet. Sit back and enjoy the ride. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm certainly not going to let ye go anywhere. Ye are mine now, woman." He winks.

She shakes her head. "You are lucky I find your sense of humor charming."

"There! And if that ever changes, then we'll deal with it at that time. Right now, I choose to pester ye because I can get away with it."

"You be careful, or I'll become the schoolmarm."

"Ouch! We're not even married yet and ye are threatening to withhold already?"

"It's my God given right as a woman."

Raising his hands in defeat, Jones laughs. "I'll behave." He finishes the last of his beer and slams the bottle down on the wooden table top. His eyes are drawn to the sight of his brother and son approaching from the pathway leading away from the beach. Behind them, the sound of laughter from the campers as they head in for lunch. Tana and Karine are soon to follow.

"There's the hero of the day!" Jimmy proclaims and slaps his hand down on Emma's back. The force causes the air to be forcefully exhaled from her lungs.

"What do you mean?" She coughs slightly, trying to catch her breath.

"Ye got that little bastard Morgan fired!" Jim continues with laughter. "That makes ye my hero, 'cause now I don't have to kill 'em!"

"Well, thanks. But I didn't intend to get him fired. He did that on his own."

"Don't be so humble!"

"I certainly am not going to miss that horn dog, that's for sure." Tana says as she joins the table with Karine.

Davy frowns. "Jim, ye going somewhere?"

"Shut up!" Tana slaps the captain's arm.

"Now, now. Violence is not tolerated here." Jones paraphrases the verbal lashing he received a few hours previous. "Do ye want me to get ye fired too?"

"Emma got him fired."

"Nay, we do things as a couple. There's no 'i' in couple."

Tana scoffs. "There is certainly an 'i' in conceited."

"That's the second time today someone has said that to me." Jones snorts as Emma gets up from the table.

Emma, seeing her Godfather approaching, decides that her fiance probably shouldn't get in trouble for having an open beer bottle on premises after this morning's outburst. She conceals the bottle as she goes. "Well maybe you should start listening to us. The common denominator here is you."

She crosses the open field to where the recycling bins are located. A cool breeze travels over her skin as the shadows from the maple trees above dance around her. She shivers. Placing the bottle in the bin, she cannot help but feel the presence of something malevolent. She looks up to see Morgan staring at her, face red with anger. In his clenched fists, the suitcases that carry what should have been a summer's worth of clothing.

"You know drinking is not allowed."

Instead of backing down like she normally would, Emma finds her courage. Suddenly this jerk doesn't seem so imposing. She is hit with the silence that surrounds them. All eyes have turned to them but no one moves an inch, terrified of what could happen next.

Emma lifts her chin. "Just like the harassment of your fellow co-workers? And sleeping with co-workers? And campers? How about all the times I caught you smoking weed and never said anything? Huh?"

Morgan's face grows darker. "None of that matters now, thanks to you."

"No, that is your own doing."

"Fuck you Emma." He pushes past her, knocking her back slightly.

"No, you go fuck yourself, Morgan! You deserve everything that you get!"

Morgan drops his suitcases and turns on his heels. He approaches her as if he is going to strike. When Jones jumps to his feet, he halts in front of her. Knowing that he could knock her to the ground before Jones could ever reach her, he instead decides to deliver a verbal blow. In a low, sinister voice, he whispers, "enjoy fucking your monster, he's all you deserve."

All the years of torment she has endured by this boy. All the times she fought back tears because of what he has said and done. It all comes bubbling up with the vulgarity of the word "monster". Without thought, her had flies to his face. The contact it makes causes his head to fly back, her hand instantly throbbing from the force.

Shaking his head from the jolt, Morgan stands there, in complete shock while holding a hand to his bruised cheek. Off to the side, Jimmy's laughter cackles loudly with sadistic pleasure before Tana elbows him into silence. The entire crowd around them is now shocked with jaws hanging wide.

"Say it again. Say it so he can hear you, you coward!" Emma growls.

From behind them, Emma's Godfather's voice intervenes. "Morgan! That is enough! Get out of here now!"

She watches him slink away for the last time. A heavy hand squeezes her shoulder, she jumps before realizing it is Davy. Upon recognizing his presence, the tension flows from her body and she begins to tremble.

"Niko, get some ice for her hand." Davy instructs his son.

Jones leads her back to the picnic table, as the campers are led away from the scene. Emma pulls her hand back from the harshness of the ice when Jones tries to place it in the bowl. The group remains silent for a while, shocked and amazed at the sudden growth of a backbone down Emma's backside.

"Okay, if no one else is going to say it...Emma that was fucking awesome!" Niko bellows.

Jones sends him a cautionary glare over his shoulder.

"Thanks." She mumbles, her hand now aching. "I think."

"He deserved it." Karine follows.

"Saved me from having to do it myself!" Jim adds.

"Okay, that is enough!" Jones loses his cool. "All of ye, go elsewhere!" When they are left alone, Jones examines her face carefully before continuing. "What the hell was that? Em, that is not like ye, to use physical force!" He pauses and then laughs to himself, "that is my job."

"I don't know. I'm just so tired of being bullied and harassed." She looks up from her swelling hand, her eyes heavy with sorrow. "He...insulted you."

Jones leans in closer, his eyes narrowing in an attempt to understand. "Ye struck him because he insulted me?"

"Go figure. I put up with years of abuse, but he insults you once and I rattle his brain." She pauses, noticing the slight smile upon his lips. "I won't stand for it."

"What exactly did he say?"

Emma swallows hard, not wanting to repeat the word or the derogatory remark it involved. "I...I don't want to say..."

Jones places his hand behind her head and pulls her forehead to his lips. "Never mind, then. It's not important. But it looks like we are both a force to be reckoned with, aye? No one will mess with us again!"

He rises to his feet to go find her a towel. Before turning, he looks down at this little, feminine being before him. One that had just now so fiercely defended his honor. Once again she has surprised him in showing the well hidden secrets within herself. She is stronger than he realized, plus with a tenacious devotion to him that he has never seen before. "Thank ye for standing up for me. No one has ever done anything like that for me. Ever."

She looks up and smiles. "How could I not? You did the same."