Third Time's the Charm

Abigail was already on the scene when Maru and Violet arrived after hearing the bulldozer. The trio prevented any serious damage to the already crumbling structure of the Community Center. While Abigail volunteered to retrieve Shane, Violet and Maru waved down the equipment operator, who grudgingly halted the tear-down.

"Are you trying to get yourselves killed?!" the scruffy man hollered over the thunderous sounds of his bulldozer.

Violet ignored the remark. "You can't tear this building down!" the young woman shot back. She was sure that Mayor Shane would not have authorized this without telling the townsfolk and the newest villager was not about to let someone tear down the Community Center she had been working so hard to restore with the Junimos. Violet could see their beady eyes peering out the windows of the dilapidated building.

The man in the yellow hard hat shook his head and turned off the bulldozer. Violet had not realized just how deafening the bulky machine was until the noise was abruptly silenced. "Look, kids," he addressed the duo condescendingly. "I'm scheduled to tear down this condemned building before sundown and a crew is going to come do the clean-up tomorrow. There's nothing you can do about it now."

Maru spoke up. "Who hired you?" she inquired, squaring her shoulders, and maintaining a professional air. "This building is public property; it can't just be torn down without notice."

A scowl crossed the man's face. "Just let me do my job!" His hand gestured toward the Community Center. "I got paid good money to haul my equipment out here and demo this place on such short notice."

Violet fabricated a vague threat on the spot. If she learned anything from Zach, it was that people were terrified of being sued. "And which party will be at fault if it turns out you were misinformed and this building was not scheduled for demolition after all?" the pastel-haired woman demanded, trying to sound as confident as her older brother in the courtroom. Violet knew she could not accuse the man of fraud out-right. He might even be a perfectly innocent third party, ignorant to the questionable nature of this project.

So the woman decided to appeal to reason. "I doubt whoever hired you would hesitate to let you be the fall guy if any shady dealings caused this misunderstanding." Violet locked eyes with the man. "Is the money so good that you'd risk it?"

Whether that was due to moral scruples or the potential threat of legal action, the man paused and shook his head. "Fine," the demolition expert conceded, rising from his seat. "Those old rotten beams will come down easy enough at first light."

As the construction worker gathered his things, Maru flashed Violet a quick smile to celebrate the small victory. Even an evening would buy them a bit of time to figure out what was going on.

The man locked the cab and hopped down from the tracks onto the ground. He pointed a finger at Violet. "But if anyone fucks with my equipment overnight, I'm coming for you, missy," he demolition worker warned the farmer. He removed his hard hat, exposing a thinning mass of grey hair. "I'm gonna catch the bus back to the city, since this place doesn't even have a motel or nothing," he told the duo with an annoyed grumble. "I'll be back in the morning."

Once he was out of sight, Maru praised the farmer for successfully stalling the project. "You did great, Violet!"

"It's not over yet," the wavy-haired woman sighed. Her mouth twisted as she attempted to think of how to proceed from here. "We still need to figure out who hired him." Violet's dark blue eyes flickered toward the Community Center where the bulldozer had caved in the exterior wall.

Maru frowned. "He never did answer my question," the researcher said. "But we could make a few educated guesses."

Violet shrugged. "Before that, I need to document what things look like inside," the farmer asserted, pulling out her phone to take pictures. "It probably looks different inside since a few of the rooms are fixed up now."

The younger woman, still clad in her white nurse uniform, regarded Violet with interest. "I didn't know you did restoration work," Maru uttered in an inquiring tone. "I would have thought the mayor would hire my mom for that kind of project."

"I found Lewis loitering outside this place when I first moved in," Violet shared. "And technically he only asked me to take care of the 'rats' in the building," the pastel-haired woman admitted. If Violet had not already told Maru about the existence of the Junimos when the scientist shared the photos of the mysterious creatures the drone captured in early Spring, the farmer would not have known how to explain the situation. "But the ones who fixed up the rooms inside so far were the Junimos…" Violet confessed. "They asked for materials, and in exchange they made repairs to the Community Center."

Maru nodded contemplatively. "We should definitely get those pictures, then," she agreed, opening the door, and stepping aside for Violet to enter first. "Someone in the community wouldn't be working on renovations to our beloved Community Center if it was scheduled for demolition, right?"

Violet smirked, impressed by her companion's logic. "I like the way you think, Maru!" She appreciated that the scientist did not even bat an eye when it came to the unknown. The farmer could tell that her companion was dying to ask questions but seemed hopeful that seeing the creatures herself would provide a rich dataset.

As the duo entered the building, the divine descendant noticed that the Junimos did not immediately rush to greet her as they normally did. "It's okay!" Violet called out to the forest spirits. "We got rid of the guy trying to tear the building down for now." Still, no Junimos came forward. Ah, it must be because I'm not alone today. "Maru's safe, I promise!"

There was a scuffling from somewhere on their right. "That's not who I'm worried about!" a male voice grunted, starling both the women. "Lettie isn't allowed anywhere near me, ya hear?"

Violet felt her heart sink. Kyle's still here?! Maru gave the farmer a questioning look, but the man's rude cries to help could not be ignored for long. "Is someone gonna help me or not? My head's bleeding!"

Alarmed by this news, Maru went in search of the man in trouble with Violet close behind. They discovered him in the boiler room, where it appeared he had been camping out to stay out of the elements. While the old building was not entirely intact, the boiler room was partially underground and therefore more insulated than the other rooms. Kyle had hung a curtain over the entrance to keep the heat in from his fire.

The brunet laid prone, bleeding from a gash somewhere covered by his head of hair. Judging from the scene, a large pipe had been knocked from the wall when the bulldozer struck the building. An icy chill ran over Violet when she realized that her ex might have been flattened by the bulldozer had she and Maru not stopped the operator from doing his job.

Maru began an assessment of Kyle's injuries while Violet pretended to simply document the state of the room with her phone camera. She noticed that her ex-boyfriend showed no signs of burn marks on his face, but that did not mean there were not any at all. At the very least, her worst fears were proven untrue. That led Violet to question why the hell Kyle was squatting in an abandoned building?

"He might have a concussion," Maru reported, maneuvering her body under his arm to help the man get to his feet. "I want to take him in for observation."

Violet groaned silently, but mirrored Maru's movements to assist her getting Kyle to the clinic. He tried to squirm away, yet he could not keep his balance otherwise. Reluctantly, he accepted help from the women who took him outside just as a breathless Shane arrived on the scene close behind Abigail.

The mayor's face fell. "Oh, fuck. This is exactly what I need right now!" Shane griped sarcastically. He noticed the bulldozer was parked, however, and looked to the trio for an explanation. "Who is he? How bad is it?"

Violet let out a heavy sigh. "This is my ex-boyfriend. He got knocked in the head by a pipe in the Community Center when the bulldozer collided with the building."

"... have a name," a weak voice objected between Maru and the farmer.

Violet rolled her eyes. "Maru thinks Kyle," she did her best to emphasize the man's name with noticeable disdain, "might have a concussion, so we're taking him to the clinic."

Abigail read the body language of Violet's discomfort and took her place with Kyle. "I'll help Maru, you give Shane a run-down of what we know." The pastel-haired woman nodded gratefully.

Once the injured visitor and those aiding him were out of sight, Shane turned to the farmer, a grave expression on his face. "So, what happened?"

Talla had warned Harvey that he would get his fill of gory nightmare fuel once they got closer to the front, but the doctor had yet to fully absorb the horrors he witnessed. Gone were the days of minor surgeries and STI treatments. There were so many patients in need of emergency medical attention that Harvey was forced to triage his cases. Somehow, his syren companion knew which soldier required the most urgent attention, so that saved Harvey both time and stress. But if Talla herself had not shoved a canteen and occasional snack in his face, the doctor was certain he would have forgotten that his own mortal body needed its own tending.

Everything blurred together now, so Harvey doubted his own account of how long he went without sleep. The brunet was running on adrenaline and the medic knew the instant he stopped moving, he would collapse from exhaustion. But part of Harvey feared what he would see once he closed his eyes, and his mind was given the opportunity to process the severe burns, infected gashes, and missing limbs of his patients. And those were not even the ones he lost. The image of the light fading from their eyes made his stomach turn.

But after all the soldiers in the medical tent had been given care and passed on after an attempt to preserve their life was made, Talla pointedly pulled Harvey aside. Once he relieved himself and washed the filth and blood from his body, the medic joined the demigoddess sitting by the nearest campfire. She sat completely still, watching the night sky with her wide, shark-like eyes. He hardly ever saw Talla without her disguise now and he wondered if she merely decided it was not worth the effort anymore or if he had somehow earned a bit of trust from the sea creature. Her golden skin appeared paler in the moonlight, but the fire's glow added a bit of iridescence as the flames flickered in the pit below.

Harvey sat on the log beside Talla and accepted the tea she offered him in a thermos. "It will calm your nerves," she clarified, not taking her eyes off the waning gibbous overhead. "I imagine most of them will need it so you may rest."

His mustache twitched. "I have no doubt I'll sleep," Harvey declared confidently. "But a large part of me is frightened of what will happen if I do."

Talla's eyes finally left the moon as she turned to observe his face. "Why?" The doctor could tell from her expression that the syren genuinely did not understand.

Harvey chuckled nervously under his breath. "Because when you sleep, you think," the mortal man elaborated. He took a small bite of the rations Talla provided him. "And I've been running on auto-pilot in an active war zone to save my patients from the brink so I wouldn't have to do any of that."

There was a contemplative pause as Talla considered his testimony. "Perhaps that is why I watch the moon at night…" Talla mused to herself aloud. She stopped, considering the best words to present her feelings. "It allows me to forget myself for a while."

The doctor craned his neck back to take in the view. "It is lovely," Harvey acknowledged. The moon looked so much closer than it did back in Pelican Town. But perhaps that was just the atmosphere of this place. It was all so alien and illusionary, like Harvey was dreaming of another world and would wake up at any moment.

A silence lingered in the hazy air between them, and Harvey sat beside Talla, contemplating the celestial body in the sky above and the twinkling stars that accompanied it. He was surprised that it was the syren who broke the spell.

"If you wish to rest without dreams, lie down," she instructed, shifting to sit on the ground a bit further back from the fire, and patting a hand on her lap. "I will sing."

Harvey hesitated. "I… Are you sure?" The doctor could not believe that a demigoddess would allow a mortal to casually touch her, let alone rest their head on her body.

"Would I extend the offer if I were not?" Talla countered firmly. Harvey felt uneasy at first but eased to the ground to sit beside her.

"Are your legs okay?" Perhaps it was because aquatic life had different musculature - and who knows how that changed with a magical transformation into a human-like form - but her limbs felt unusually stiff. "They're very tense," Harvey observed.

Talla glowered, as if she had been caught in a lie. "I cannot move them," she confessed in a low hiss, avoiding his gaze. "Legs are exhaustingly inefficient," the demigoddess complained with an irritated tone in her voice. "I am grateful my Mother provided my sisters and I with proper bodies. I am not used to standing on weak human limbs for days at a time."

It was then Harvey realized that it had been no nurse, but rather Talla who had been by his side, treating the soldiers alongside him. The doctor was sure that a demigoddess likely had more stamina than a human, but Harvey was reminded that Talla was a fish out of water right now. Divine or not.

A small smile crept onto Harvey's face as he realized that Talla's kind gesture was ultimately to cover for her own physical weakness. "So, you would rather people see you with my head in your lap than let anyone know that you can't get up?"

Talla shot him a deadly look and began to roll away. "Shall I rescind my offer, you ungrateful Catfish?"

Harvey removed his glasses and slid them into the front pocket of his buttoned shirt. "No, no. I'll take you up on it after all," the medical professional assured his companion. He quickly downed the last of his drink to make sure he stayed hydrated. "Ours is a mutually beneficial relationship, it seems."

Normally, Talla would argue what worth he could possibly have compared to a being such as she, but tonight the syren did not have the energy to fight. Instead, she settled back into position allowing Harvey time to get into a comfortable position. Then, she opened her mouth to sing.

It was the story of a maiden awaiting her lover to return from war overseas and after many years of waiting, the two were eventually reunited. Between the sweet tune and the soft caressing of Talla's webbed fingers on his head, Harvey slipped into a dreamless sleep before he could hear the end of the lovers' tragic tale. Perhaps that was for the best. The song ended on a happy note, as far as the doctor knew. Harvey desperately needed that.

It was an understatement for Shane to call himself exhausted, but he had no other word for how drained he felt when he woke up the next morning. He spent a good portion of the day yesterday making phone calls to offices he never heard of just to try to get this stupid bulldozing business figured out.

Luckily Zach was already heading down from NuNu City soon anyway and would be in Pelican Town shortly. Shane had a feeling they would not be able to afford legal assistance without Violet's brother being so keen to take on the case. So much for Zach's plan to "lie low for a while, Shane thought, but he could not very well complain that the man was willing to help. The mayor only hoped the town could afford it.

Shane called an emergency town meeting last night to gather any information the townsfolk might have that he did not. No one had hired anyone to demolish the Community Center, or at least no one owned up to it. The only real lead Shane had was his conversation with Violet. She told him that Lewis had considered selling the land to Joja Corp., and Shane had little doubt in his mind that this had something to do with the soul-crushing business.

On a personal note, Morris was the prime suspect. Did that brown-nosing weasel seriously believe he could get away with this kind of shit just because Shane was a former employee? The mayor could feel his jaw clench at the idea of his ex-boss' smarmy smirk and had to actively remind himself to not let Morris get under his skin.

And that was aside from an injury occurring on community property. Shane's goal was to ensure that this Kyle guy was not going to sue Pelican Town and put the villagers into collective debt for the rest of their lives. That would sure as hell be a good way to make his neighbors regret making him their elected leader. Lewis would be so damn smug about it, too.

For now, some of the younger people in town were taking shifts occupying the Community Center so that the man hired to tear it down could not do so. As frustrated as the demolition guy was, he did not want to hurt anybody, and the free food Gus provided him to alleviate the tension did wonders.

But despite the current stand-off, Shane knew he would have to go confront Morris about this now that Joja Mart was open. The situation could not remain this way for long. Shane checked on the new baby chicks in the coop, then headed toward town to interrogate Morris.

Violet was probably still dealing with her own problems, since it was her ex-boyfriend who got injured when the bulldozer smashed the side of the Community Center and Shane aimed to steer clear of their relationship drama if he could help it. The guy sounded like a loser from what Violet mentioned around the bonfire on the beach and while it probably not ideal for Violet to have this guy back in her life, it was better she dealt with him rather than a stranger. She knew Kyle better than anyone else and could possibly talk him down if they needed it.

Shane found himself outside of Joja Mart sooner than he expected. He wasted too many years in the same, mechanical pattern as a shelf stocker in this megacorporation's local branch. It made Shane appreciate Emily that much more and the weight of the ring box in his pocket felt heavier than it had for the last several days. It was as if it were burning a hole in his pocket. Shane balled his fists and squared his shoulders. Let's get this over with so I can just enjoy an uninterrupted evening with Emily.

Sebastian finished classes for the day and just arrived home, kicking the snow off his boots as he stepped into the building. He pulled his keys out of his pocket to check his mail among the shiny brass cluster boxes along the wall. Sebastian did not expect to get anything other than junk mail and the usual coupons local businesses sent through the postal service with a recent change of address, but the student decided it was better to check every few days for the utility bills.

To his surprise there was a considerable pile today, but that was probably because he had not checked his mail since Sunday. Collecting it under his arm, Sebastian secured the tiny door once again and headed up the stairs. He did not take the elevator much as he was used to hiking up inclines anyway, the young man figured he may as well climb the stairs when he was not burdened with something heavy to carry. Though Sebastian was not particularly fond of exercise for its own sake, he wanted to avoid the embarrassment of losing his breath walking around town when he visited Pelican Town. So, the programmer decided walking to and from classes and taking the stairs whenever possible was not a huge price to pay.

Besides, it ate up more time, and Sebastian had all sorts of time now that he did not commute to and from the city every weekday. He was already in the habit of doing all his class assignments prior to leaving campus and that had not changed with the turn of the term. Maybe I should start reading some of those books on the wall? Edge's personal library was impressive. It would take Sebastian a while to even make a dent in his "to be read" stack.

He grabbed a book and sat on the couch, flipping through the mail to see if anything was worth keeping. Strangely enough, among the junk mail was a clean, white envelope addressed to him with the ZuZu University seal on it. Curious, Sebastian tore it open. Enclosed was a letter and a refund check from the university bursar.

His obsidian eyes scanned the letter. It stated that an employee benefit had been credited to his bursar account and half the funds paid toward both this semester and the Fall term were refunded to him via the enclosed check. "Whoever fucked this up is probably going to get fired," Sebastian muttered cynically, tucking the contents of the envelope back inside the paper sleeve and into his backpack. He made a note to return the check. Sebastian knew the university would eventually ask for the money back anyway.

The programmer got up to toss the envelope into his bag and then returned to the sofa to read. But just as he got comfortable, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Who the hell is calling me? Sebastian wondered aloud. To his surprise, it was Violet. Finally, he would get to hear her voice again.

"Hello?"

"Hey 'Bastian! …Is now a good time to talk?" It was Violet's voice, but she sounded worn out in a way that concerned Sebastian immediately. Not to mention someone asking to "talk" triggered a fear in him that he tried to keep at bay for now.

"Yeah, we can talk now. What's going on?"

Sebastian could hear his girlfriend's heavy sigh before she finally opened up. "So… the night you moved, my ex-boyfriend was waiting for me at home."

His heart dropped. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," Violet muttered in answer. "But things got kind of complicated."

Sebastian fought the urge to ask follow-up questions, but he had to bite his tongue to give her the space to continue.

"We had an argument and that skull lantern I got on Spirit's Eve literally chucked a fireball at him," Violet laughed nervously. "Anyway, I didn't see him at all on Monday, so I figured he just left town and went back home. But then someone tried to tear down the Community Center and it turns out Kyle was inside the building."

So, his girlfriend's ex was just loitering around waiting for her like some stalker? Sebastian could not let that - Wait a second. "Who was trying to tear down the Community Center?"

Though Sebastian could not see Violet, he could tell by her voice that she shrugged as she spoke. "Shane's trying to figure out who ordered the demolition, but in the meantime, we're making sure there's a pair of townsfolk blocking the job for the time-being."

Three days out of town and he had already missed so much. The irony was not lost on Sebastian for a second. Sebastian fumbled for words. "Should I come home?"

Violet's voice was shaking, but firm. "No, I can handle this. I just couldn't keep you in the dark anymore." She took a deep, calming breath and made a request. "Kyle is currently under observation with Maru for concussion, but he can't stay at the clinic forever."

Sebastian did not like where this was headed. "And he can't just go home to NuNu City?"

The farmer hesitated briefly. "My brother is coming into town to represent the town for the legal dispute over the land allocated to the Community Center and he asked that Kyle stay in town to provide testimony and in case there's a trial. Zach said he would rather keep Kyle where he can keep an eye on him."

"So, where's he staying?"

Violet did not respond right away. "It's not like I want him around, but there aren't any hotels in Pelican Town and Kyle's kind of my problem, so until your mom can assemble the last two guest houses on the property…"

Sebastian did not even humor the idea of Violet's scummy ex-boyfriend living under the same roof. He cut her off with an idea of his own. "He'll stay in my room, then. It's empty anyway and that way my mom can keep tabs on him, too." The dark-haired man hated the idea of Kyle staying in his room, but he could not offer Maru's room to this creep and Violet being forced out of her own home because this asshole showed up was worse in his opinion.

An audible sigh escaped Violet. "You'd really do that for me?" It sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

The hoodie-clad man scratched his head and leaned forward, as if he were hugging his girlfriend through the phone. "Well, I'm sure as hell not doing it for him!" Sebastian had to check himself because he knew he probably sounded angrier than he intended. "Maybe I'm just more jealous than you expected, but I'm sure as hell not cool with him being alone with you in your house," Sebastian replied, his lower lip protruding slightly as he spoke. "And I know I'm a pessimist when I say I get the feeling he's going to milk this injury for all it's worth."

Violet exhaled sharply in amusement. "He'll try, I'm sure," the farmer acknowledged. Another moment of silence passed until she finally spoke, "Thank you, Sebastian. Your trust means a lot to me."

"You should have called me Sunday night, you know," he countered, agitated that this had been going on for several days without his knowledge. This explained why she was not eager to chat long since he moved to the city and would have saved him a lot of disappointment. Though now that Sebastian knew the truth, he was even more eager for the weekend to arrive so he could head back to Pelican Town for the weekend.

"I know, I'm sorry." Violet admitted the mistake but tried to justify her actions. "I just didn't want you to come running back home the instant after you moved to the city."

There was some logic to Violet's thought-process, but he did not like it. Sebastian already thought to skip classes tomorrow and Friday to be with her, but he knew that would not fly. And keeping her isolated from the rest of their friends to stay with him indefinitely in the city after she had already decided against the idea seemed like a dick move. The whole situation just sucked.

"Fine," Sebastian relented, "but you've got to provide my room and board this weekend, since your ex has made me homeless." He could have stayed in Maru's room, but this way he could stay with Violet all weekend and get back at her a little bit for not coming forth sooner. Perhaps it was in poor taste to tease Violet like this, but luckily, Sebastian read the situation well enough. His girlfriend was just as eager for a change in pace for their conversation.

"I'm sure Bruno wouldn't mind making room for you," Violet chuckled. Sebastian could tell from her voice that she was starting to relax again. "And I assume you want sushi?"

Sebastian smirked. "I'm going to need a lot more than usual," he insisted, falling back against the arm of the couch.

"I'll be sure to do some fishing in my spare time!" The conversation went from there as naturally as a mountain stream flowed toward the ocean. Sebastian was relieved to hear Violet talk about how the trouble at the Community Center was bringing the villagers together for a common cause. It sounded like Abigail was especially down to "stick it to the man" and even offered to chain herself to the building. The idea was struck down, but both Sebastian and Violet had a feeling Abigail would do it anyway.

After he gave Violet a rundown of life so far in the city and how his new classes were going in the first few days of the term, it was later than Sebastian realized. He was only alerted to the time because of his growling stomach. "I gotta go and get something to eat before I go to bed," the programmer articulated apologetically.

"Oh, wait! Did you ever find the surprise I left in your room?" Violet asked eagerly.

Sebastian's brow furrowed. "A surprise?" He rose to his feet and hurriedly entered his bedroom in search of the mysterious gift. Scanning the room, his obsidian eyes did not detect anything out of the ordinary. He finally requested a hint. "Where?"

"How did you not find it!" Violet giggled. "It's under your pillows."

Since living in a space with a large bed, Sebastian made a habit of sleeping in the middle of the bed and sprawling out his limbs just because he could. It turned out that was the exact reason he had not found the present, as it was buried under a pillow off to one side. Sebastian's hand brushed against plush fabric that did not match the texture of the sheets and pulled the object out to inspect it.

It was a doll made of soft fabrics made to look like a simplified version of Violet and just the right size to cuddle. Sebastian could not remember the last time he used a comfort item like this replica of his girlfriend, but he found it infinitely cute. "It's you!" he exclaimed.

"Oh good, so I didn't make a little Frankenstein monster!"

Sebastian held up the plush to inspect it. "You made this?"

"Maybe." Sebastian did not need to see her face to know that she was being bashful. "I uh… made one of you, too. Little Sebastian keeps me company at night, too."

The programmer groaned. "Ugh, don't call it that," Sebastian begged, burying his face in the Violet plushie to hide himself from second-hand embarrassment. "People are going to think you're talking about my dick."

Violet coughed. "I… hadn't thought of it that way," she admitted in a strained tone that suggested she was trying to play off as if she were not completely mortified by her naïveté. "What about… Sebastian, 'Bastian, chibi, cute, small…" he could hear her muttering her stream of consciousness. "Oh, oh! How about 'Baby Bass!'"

Sebastian winced at the suggestion. "That's somehow worse. And not at all cool."

"Why does something so cute have to have a cool name?!" Violet countered in a high-pitched retort. "And I don't hear you thinking of anything better!"

"Alright, alright! I'll consider it homework to have done by the weekend," Sebastian cackled. He imagined the look on his girlfriend's face right now and knew she was irritated with him, but Sebastian loved to mess with her a little. "G'night, Violet. I love you."

Despite her annoyed murmuring, Violet returned the sentiment. "... I love you, too, 'Bastian. Sweet dreams."

Gus knew that Shane had done his best to break his old habits and not step into The Stardrop Saloon unless there was a special occasion to enter his fine establishment. But as the only real gathering place and restaurant in town, the bar was unavoidable at times.

This was one such time. Gus had asked Shane to swing by during the dinner hour to chat, but the owner and head chef of the saloon had other plans in mind. Pierre had only specified that no one be allowed to tell Shane and Emily about the bet, but the shopkeeper never forbade nudging the couple in the right direction.

So, what if he happened to have a private room in the back and made the two a romantic candle-lit dinner for two where he could guarantee the pair would not be interrupted. While Gus presented the idea to Emily under the guise that the new Mayor had a rough day and needed to wind down. Emily helped prepare the meal as well, so it was not as if Gus were alone in the planning process.

The young woman looked unusually tense, smoothing her bright blue hair, adjusting her dress, checking to make sure the mermaid pendant was where it should be in the secret compartment under her seat at the table. Gus got anxious just watching her fidget so much.

"I think we're all set!" the chef informed his employee with a wide grin. He patted Emily on her back. "It's okay, no need to be so nervous."

Emily nodded and beamed at him. "You're right, Gus. Love is nothing to fear!" she proclaimed enthusiastically. Her eyes darted toward the door. "Do you think Shane will be on time?"

Gus chortled, "When good food and company await, how could he dare be late?"

Sure enough, the saloon owner noticed movement out the front window. It was Shane, who appeared to be a man on a mission. "What did I tell you, Emily?" Gus stated, drawing attention to the sight. "Here's Shane now."

Emily's face lit up. "Oh, goodness! It's time, isn't it?" She shoved a phone into Gus' hands. "Make sure to record it, okay?"

Gus still had no idea how he was going to record the proposal discreetly and not alert Shane to Emily's intentions, but he vowed to do his best. The mustachioed man knew that Emily planned on making her proposal at the end of the meal, so Gus did his best to give the couple their privacy until the desserts were served. When the saloon owner left the room, he kept the door slightly ajar and got the camera ready.

Emily waited until Shane finished the last bite of pizza - his favorite, though this time she made it special with some high-quality ingredients and a slightly thicker crust than usual - to steer the conversation toward her proposal. While she had given him the space to ask her out first, her goal was to be the one to ask Shane to marry her. She did not mind him being traditionally masculine in some respects, such as his physical strength and deeper voice, but Emily desired to be the one to assure her boyfriend that he was the one with whom she chose to share the rest of her life.

"Shane," the sapphire-haired woman addressed her significant other. He glanced toward her and blinked, as if he had been caught zoning out.

"Yeah?"

Emily took a moment to prepare herself. "Thank you again for taking me to that gridball game," she told him, taking his hand in both of hers. "And even though you had a bit of an accident, I had a lot of fun." She laughed, then continued. "You really took it to heart when I said I shared that I preferred to spend time with you, rather than receive gifts."

Shane's aura went slightly pink with self-consciousness, contrasting his normal gemstone blue hue. "Yeah, about that…"

Emily had to keep on-topic to create her opportunity to propose. "You don't have to apologize, it's nothing to be ashamed about!" She proceeded to praise her partner. "I love that you listen and really reflect on our conversations. You're a little rough around the edges sometimes, but you have a good heart. You make me feel safe and give me the space I need to be myself, too. There are so many wonderful qualities about you, Shane!"

Keeping eye contact with her boyfriend, Emily discreetly removed the mermaid pendant from her pocket. But it slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor with a soft clack. Emily made the mistake of going quiet as it fell, so Shane heard the sound. "What was that?"

The seamstress panicked. "I - uh - I just dropped something," Emily explained quickly. "Let me get it!"

Pawing around in the dim candlelight, it was hard to find the conical shell, but eventually Emily found it. She attempted to make the smooth transition from searching for her missing engagement item to being down on one knee to propose to Shane. But when she got out from under the table, she found Shane in the exact same position just feet away from her.

What is he doing?! Emily decided to create a diversion. "Shane, would you please close your eyes?"

He shook his head. "I'm sure whatever it is can wait a minute. I've been interrupted too many times to let this chance slip by again, Emily." He pulled a small jewelry box out of his jacket pocket. "As I was saying last night, I know we haven't been dating long, but we've known each other for a long time. I took a lot of the time we've spent together for granted so far, but I want to change that. You've become so important to me that I can't imagine life without you in it."

Shane pried the box open gently to reveal an emerald ring, flanked by a trio of small diamonds on either side. "You told me the only gifts I was allowed to give you were rocks, right?" he added with a bit of humor. "So, Emily… Will you marry me?"

Emily was overwhelmed and felt happy tears running down her face. "Oh, Shane!" she threw her arms around him and showered him with little kisses.

"Is that a 'yes?'"

In answer, Emily slipped the mermaid pendant around Shane's neck. It took him a moment to register what she had done. "You're the one who bought the pendant?!" Emily giggled as her fiancé muttered to himself that he had nothing to worry about the entire time and should not have lost sleep over it. Shane's shocked and grumpy expression was worth letting him beat her to the proposal.

"We're engaged!" Emily proclaimed, her smile stretching across her entire face. Shane grinned back and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Marnie gave this to me, she wanted us to have it." It was loose, but that could be fixed. She kissed him deeply and Shane lifted her up off the ground and set her on the table.

"Alright, find someone else to film the rest of this!" Gus' voice interrupted, startling them both. "I'm not that progressive." He quickly put down Emily's phone by the door. "Congrats, you two! Don't break my nice table."

Shane went beet red, matching Emily's clothing, but he laid the payment for their meal on the table and pulled on his coat before scooping her up in his arms again to carry her out of there. Emily could see in his dark onyx eyes that he was in a rare mood for physical celebration, and she was equally eager.

Emily snatched her phone as they passed it and draped her coat over her body so Shane would not have to put her down. "Your place or mine?" she asked with a wink.

"Yours is closer."