The next few months were peaceful. Moira felt more and more at home with Margali and her children, though she yearned for a home that was her family's alone. She'd brought it up to Azazel in passing, but he didn't have much to say on it. It was clear she was going to have to be more upfront about it, but things were going so well at the moment she didn't want to rock anything. Kurt was even getting along with Christine, which pleased Moira to no end.

Both children had grown tremendously, Kurt needing to use Stefan's old clothes. She felt silly accepting them from Margali, given that Azazel had solved their recent financial troubles, but the woman insisted. Moira accepted, knowing that though they were through this financial crisis, who knew what the future held.

She also was beginning to long for something else. Christine was becoming a bit more independent, not completely in need of her mother anymore. The girl got attention from the other children and sometimes Moira found herself simply bored. Her whole life, she'd known that she couldn't fall into this life so easily as her peers, that being mother and wife just wasn't enough. She loved her family dearly, and wouldn't change a thing, but the idea of returning to the work force did loom in the back of her mind.

The past week, Azazel had been a bit distant, spending a lot of time away from home. It made her wonder, but she trusted him. He hadn't taken a job, so there was no reason for him to be away so much. It was odd.

One evening, he approached her with his hand extended. "Take my hand."

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I am taking you somewhere," he told her.

"But what about the kids?" she asked.

"Margali will watch them. We'll only be gone the night," he promised. "Come, let me take you."

She gave him an unsure look but put her hand in his, and they disappeared, reappearing in a strange place. Candles were lit casting shadows against the colorful and ornate architecture. A part of her recognized it from her studies in college. "Are we-"

"Forbidden city," he filled in. "Home to ancient Chinese Emperor and Empress. Only they could even come in here." He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Perfect place for moya koroleva."

"This is incredible," she leaned into his embrace. "Security must be crazy, how did you get around it?"

He raised a brow. "Am very talented. Come."

He led her to a beautiful garden just on the other side of a gate. Pillar candles lit the path to a table for two. He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat, he sitting across from her. "Am maybe not most romantic in world," he told her. "Wanted to make up for it."

"Considering we've been parents for the entirety of our relationship, I don't think traditional romance had much room," she told him. "But you're plenty romantic in your own way."

He smiled at her and poured a glass of wine. They ate, enjoying conversation that didn't immediately go to what Kurt had gotten in to that day, or what new thing Christine was doing. They enjoyed being together as lovers, not coparents. Though they made sure their relationship never was solely about the children, sometimes it was difficult to keep up. With one it wasn't as hard, but with two it was a challenge.

She sat back in her chair, putting her hands on her stomach. "That was amazing."

"I did good?" he asked, leaning forward to take her hand.

"You always do good," she told him, taking his other hand. "You're so good to me."

"Come with me," he said, standing up. She followed and he led her now further into the garden, to a small koi pond. The fish glittered in the moonlight, and Moira sat beside it to watch them. "Beautiful."

Azazel was behind her as she sat and watched the pond. She found herself entranced by the swimming fish, reaching a hand into the water to touch one. They scattered as she did, making her laugh. Perhaps the wine was going to her head.

"Moira," she heard her loves voice from behind her and turned her head. He stood straight, his hands behind his back, a smile on his lips as he looked upon her. "You are my heart," he began, pausing to collect his words. "Amazing how things happen, how we meet and fall into each other." He knelt beside her, taking one hand in his. "You give me so much. I want to give you everything in return." Azazel paused again. "I know….is difficult for us to have traditional marriage, traditional wedding. But I want us to have symbol. I want you to know you will never lose me." His other hand appeared in front of her, a small box in his palm. Moira's breath caught in her throat. "Is not perfect, but is start." He opened the box to a glittering diamond ring, a rock the size Moira had never seen in real life. "Symbol for us, for our children, that we will be together forever."

"Alek," she began, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. Without another word she threw her arms around him. "I don't know what to say."

He removed the ring from the box and took her hand, slipping it up her ring finger. "I take you, Moira. To be my wife. Forever."

She cried as she watched him, then pulled him close into a kiss. As they parted, he held up another ring. She took it and took his hand, slipping it on his ring finger. "I take you, Aleksandr, to be my husband. Forever." They came together in a kiss again.

Moira still cried as they kissed, parting and leaning their foreheads against one another. "This is perfect, Alek. I can't think of a more perfect wedding."

He smiled and captured her lips again. "I will always take care of you. As long as I live and beyond. You are mine and I am yours. Nothing will change." He pulled her to him again, their kiss deepening. Her hands skimmed over his back. Suddenly, he hefted her up into his arms, and she cried out in surprise.

"What're you doing?"

"Is wedding night," he told her, giving her a smile. "Taking you to honeymoon." He teleported them once again, to an altogether different location. Moira had a hard time figuring out exactly where in the world they were, as she looked down on the city below, just after dusk. Seeing a single familiar landmark, her eyes widened.

"Are we in the Eiffel Tower?"

"Oui," her husband responded, moving in for another kiss. "City of love. Perfect for newlyweds." They kissed, holding each other tight, Moira feeling underserving of the man in her arms. She parted from him to pull on his shirt.

"Please, take me," she breathed.

He pulled his shirt over his head, and laid her down, gently. The whole of Paris may hear, but she didn't care. They were celebrating their wedding, finally man and wife, in the eyes of the only people who mattered.

~&Q~

Sorry about the formatting issues last time around. I tried posting from the ship and the internet is horrible. Today I've found a small bar in Chile with decent internet, so we can have this installment. I may post another chapter in an hour or so, because as it looks now, I may not have internet again until we get to LA in April :(