Previously on "City of Legend"
Decisions have been made and now it's time to be reunited with family - and watch as new relationships are made. A time of discovery all around.

And now... the show.

Hours later.......

Micha stretched and looked around one last time at the rooms. They were ready for Derek's family even if she had nervously traded out the towels twice for no other reason than the possibility that they wouldn't like the colors.

The others had left soon after Nick and Tristan had loaded the seplicurs - all but one which was going to go into hiding somewhere near the house and who's jade key Derek had somehow thought to put elsewhere before the San Francisco House had been destroyed in an attempt to seal a Portal that would have been a doorway to let loose all kinds of evil into this world.

So now, and with a few hours to spare before her own parents showed up for dinner - something Derek had wanted in regards to 'the man meeting the father' and because of his feelings toward Micha - she turned to go find him -- only to laugh as she walked right into him as he had did the same with the idea of finding her.

"It looks perfect." he said, looking at the victorian bed dressings in each room, across from each other at the far end of the hallway from his and Michaela's rooms "Anything else that needs to be done?"

He had been seeing the others off but was ready to pitch in if needed.

"Nope," Micha grinned "It's done. And remember that Dad likes a lot of cucumbers in his salad."

Then she looked around "Unless I forgot something....?"

"No," Derek told her. "I just wanted to be sure. I noticed that you had Gone with the Wind. Would you care to watch it?"

"Why I'ahd love to." Micha replied, imitating a Southern Belle "Shall we have drinks and.. popcorn?"

"That depends, are we going to eat the popcorn or throw it?"

"Neither." she said without going into further detail, stopping to make some
"Grab the drinks?"

Derek actually picked out two cokes and poured them into glasses. He was tired of juice and gatorade. And he always liked Coke with popcorn.

"Are we going to decorate a Christmas tree," he asked suddenly. What else would they do if they didn't eat it or throw it?

Micha finished with the popcorn and put it in a large bowl, starting toward the living room "We could since we passed Christmas up this year but no, that wasn't my plan."

She got the movie and put it in the DVD player, then went to the couch and sat, kicking off her shoes before extending her legs and getting comfy. Then, looking up at Derek, she popped a kernel into her mouth and put a pillow on her lap for him to lay his head on. "Movie's about to start."

Derek gave her a very curious look and then hesitantly came over to the sofa and lay down, resting his head on the pillow.

It actually felt nice to lie down. He had overdone it a little that morning apparently.

Micha started the movie with the remote, set it down, and then put a piece of popcorn to Derek's mouth, whispering "Tada, almost better than being fed grapes, hmm?"

When he opened his mouth to take the food she moved her hand to the side of his head, slowly stroking his hair and sitting back.

"Almost," he agreed "though nothing is better than strawberries." He reached up and rested his hand on hers.

"We need to buy some of those next time." she said, smiling.

"Only if I get to do this then." he told her with a slight smile.

"We'll buy some very soon." she winked before leaning forward to kiss his forehead and feed him another kernel.

Derek ate the popcorn and then on impulse, reached up with both hands and pulled her down closer and kissed her on the lips, upside down though it was.

Micha sighed and returned the kiss, murmuring with a light tease and kissing him again "Popcorn tastes very good this way."

Derek couldn't help but laugh. "You are one of the most unique people I ever met, did you know that?"

She blushed and felt her ears grow warm before asking curiously - of course teasing "What.. you know other people that have merged spirits?"

"Probably," Derek replied with a grin "I just don't know it."

He was part teasing part serious. "Actually, I think William might be missing half of his. Why else would he be such an ass."

"He was born that way." Micha teased right back before kissing the tip of his nose and tracing the side of his jaw with her fingers "I think you're a unique one if truth be told."

"Oh? I do believe I have been called eccentric before." he mused.

"Well, that too." she admitted "But very unique too."

"Thank you." Derek replied as he watched Rhett and Scarlett meet for the first time.

Micha rolled her eyes and sat back, feeding him another piece of popcorn.

Derek sat up to get a drink and handed Michaela's to her. He then put down the glass and sat back against the cushions smiling at Michaela.

Micha winked and went back to stroking his hair while watching the movie.

It was almost finished when the doorbell rang and, hearing her parents muted voices outside, looked at the time "They're early."

"Who?" Derek asked and then sat up straight. "Oh, I meant to ask if they had a tendency to be early."

He felt himself becoming slightly nervous.

Micha looked at him and felt her lips quirk as she admitted "Only once. When I graduated from college because they wanted the best seats in the house...."

She then leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss, murmuring "They'll love you."

The door bell rang again and her dad spoke up "Hurry up, Mike, the meat's getting heavy."

She chuckled and stood, putting the pillow back in place before going to go answer the door "You went overboard, didn't you?"

"That's what I told him." Micha's mother said as they entered "But you know how long he's been waiting to size someone up."

Micha blushed at this as her mother kissed her on the cheek and chuckled at her daughter's reaction.

Her father was next and put his cheek out for his daughter, Micha mock threatening she just might pinch it if he planned on roasting something other than the meat. She got a hearty laugh in return.

Hearing all this, Derek felt slightly sick. Making matters worse, was the fact that when he came out of the living room and into the hall it struck him that he was about the same age as Michaela's parents. However, he kept his shoulders straight and came to stand beside her a pleasant expression on his face.

Micha put her arm around his waist and her father looked him up and down before, hiding a grin, asked him "How good are you at cooking?"

"Not very," Derek admitted. The truth of the matter was that most of his life people had cooked for him. It was only ocassionally in college or on the very rare occassion after when he was left to fend for himself that he ever even attempted it - and those attempts, especially the later ones, usually ended with him just going to a restaurant.

"Well then it looks like we'll both have salad duty." the man admitted "The wife here is the one that makes this stuff taste good. Wanna lead me out to the pit?"

The barbecue pit was just out beside the garage and either Derek was contagious or Micha was but she was starting to feel a little nervous too, but not for herself. More for him than anything else.

But so far it looked like Dad was having a ball, which was a very good thing.

"The pit," Derek asked, now completely confused on top of being nervous. He looked at Michaela with a questioning expression. What language was this man speaking? Derek spoke four modern languages and a several dead ones, but this man was suddenly speaking in an unknown foreign tongue.

"Stop picking on the man, Michael." Mrs Morgan before admitting "Even he doesn't call it the pit. He's teasing you Mister Rayne. Like I said, he's been looking forward to this for quite some time. Nice to meet you by the way, I'm the more sane half of this duo."

Derek took her hand with a smile and kissed it, turning on all the European charm he could muster. "It's a pleasure Mrs. Morgan."

Micha covered her mouth as her mother spoke, then turned to lead them all to the kitchen and the men out to the barbecue pit after "He's talking about the barbecue grill - and what Mom said. Big bully."

"Ah," Derek replied, he did know what a grill was.

"Yeah but who's big bully?" Michael asked as he followed jovially along.

"Ours." Micha replied easily, even with a glint of humor in her eyes.

Derek followed along silently, not exactly sure what to make of all this. He was generally reserved, now even more so.

Once in the kitchen he went to the back door, opening it and leading the way outside. He didn't really want to go, but didn't think he had much choice. He almost thought he'd rather be alone with his father, better the devil you know. But the man seemed nice enough.... maybe.


"He'll be okay, honey." Caroline assured her daughter as she went to the refrigerator and started taking out what they would need for barbqueing the meat "And he's awfully cute."

"Mother!" Micha couldn't help it and laughed at her mother's opinion - even if she did share it "Eyes off."

It was a tease and Carol knew it "I'm happily married and that man obviously cares for you."

"How else," she asked wryly as Micha got the utensils they'd also need "would you explain the way he's taking your father's ribbing. No pun intended."

Micha groaned at the unintended pun and started to wash the vegetable... before smiling at her mother's conclusion.

"And you." Carolyn Morgan finished and watched her daughter do her part "Obviously care about him. You're never introduced anyone to us before."

It was true. Unlike a good number of her friends, Micha had never jumped into the dating/falling in love at every opportunity thing.

"Yeah," she nodded with another smile "I do."

"That's all I'm allowed to do with this stuff." Michael said as he finished putting down the last piece of meat and closed the top of the grill down, then looked at the man his daughter had called him about "You look nervous there, son. Afraid I'm going to grill you like the wife's going to grill the meat?"

Son? Now that was a stretch, at the outside this man was no more than 5 years older than Derek.

He cleared his throat, "No not exactly."

"Do you plan to?" he added as an after thought.

The other man looked at him, raising his eyebrow "Wouldn't you in my position?"

Derek considered this.

"Perhaps," he said thoughtfully. "I have never been in your position."

Even when Kat began to date, he doubted he would be in that position. Then again he ran back ground checks on everyones dates, perhaps that was the same thing, but he thought it might be different with your own child.

"Yet." Michael said "But don't worry. I'm just giving you a hard time just because I can. If my girl thinks you're good enough that's fine by me. And frankly, considering you've gotten to this point, that tells me all I need to know."

"Does it? How?" Derek asked, honestly curious.

"You're the first one she's brought to us, although we ended up coming here, but you know what I mean." he answered as he looked at the house thoughtfully " Only one she'll be bringing to our attention, I suspect."

"Why do you say that?" Derek asked, just wanting ot hear his explaination since he had no intention of going anywhere.

Michael looked at him "Just something we know - me and Carol. I knew the minute she teased me about the measuring stick she found the one. That's just the way she is, always has been. She doesn't dabble in things, she just knows."

"I hope you 'know'." he added.

Derek smiled then for the first time, "Yes, I do."

"Think we should torture her a little more in thinking I'm raking you over the coals? I already have a running bet with my wife that Micha would probably twist my ear if I gave you a hard time."

Michael chuckled at that, not minding in the least but that he had himself a couple of strong women in his family "She learned from her mother."

Derek laughed. "No, I think we should go in. I would hate for her to resort to bodily injury. She's already attacked me with food."

Michael blinked "What'd she hit you with?"

"Popcorn," Derek told him.

"Better than a coconut." he quipped before motioning to the kitchen door with his head "Not that she's thrown it. I just sounds funny. How old are you if you don't mind me asking?"

Derek was laughing at the idea of the coconut, but the question Micha's father asked cut his laughter short. He cleared his throat again.

"I'm...." oh God, he thought, "45."

"Good lord, son, you look like I asked you to chop off an arm or something." Michael chuckled "I don't give a damn about age in regard to my girl as long as she loves you. I was just curious. Would it make you feel better if I admitted my age? It'd make me. I love the reaction I get."

"All right, how old are you?" Derek asked.

"Sixty-two and don't look at day over 50. Well, sixty-two on my next birthday but close enough to brag about."

Well that did help some. "I hope I hold up that well," Derek told him as they entered the house.

Michael slapped him on the back "Well since it was due to the love of a good woman, you will."

"Now scram you two, he's in one piece." he teased the ladies "We have salad to make."

"C'mon, c'mon." Michael motioned with his hand, only to offer his cheek to each.

"He better be." Carol warned him with a smile, kissing her husband's cheek and patting it.

Micha looked at Derek as her mother opened the kitchen door and went out to start cooking.

Derek smiled at her.

"It's all right, you can go." he told her.

She kissed her father's cheek and then moved to kiss Derek's, whispering in his ear "One wrong move and he kisses his nose good-bye."

She wouldn't really do it but the 'threat' had been something more of a slapstick thing and she winked before moving to join her mother.

Michael chuckled and, as soon as she closed the door, handed Derek a knife to start slicing tomatoes "Do do I win the bet?"

Derek chuckled as she left.

"I suppose you do," he said, beginning to slice the tomato into thin rounds which he then quartered. "She does seem to have a bit of a protective streak."

Michael started in on the cucumbers "Only for those she loves. Well strays and children too but that's beside the point."

Derek bit his lip to keep from saying that he probably feel into the stray category as well. After all he had stumbled onto her door step, like a mongrel dog.

He looked at the other man, all joking aside "If she feels like you're worth it - and she does because she called me and told me it was time to meet you - then that's good enough for me. Just don't hurt her and we'll be fine."

"I won't," Derek promised. "I can't promise that I might not irritate her from time to time though." He had irritated Julia sometimes and wouldn't be surprised if the same happened with Michaela. "We are both rather strong willed I suspect."

The rest of the meal ended up being, even to him, quite enjoyable. He could very well see where Michaela had gotten her own brand of personality. Watching her parents was, if nothing else, very indictive of how she considered relationships - with respect and equality and full of life. He remembered her father's response to when he had promised not to hurt her but wasn't sure he could hold a promise about not butting heads.

"Why that's what makes it all worth while - having someone that can stand toe to toe and side by side with you no matter what."

Derek thought now as lunch wrapped up and the couple started to make their way toward the front door that he was very much right.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Derek."
"We definitely need to do this again. I like having even numbers." her parents said as they left, Michaela's mother teasing her father with a question as to whether he actually thought that would make it even when faced with the Morgan women.

Michaela chuckled and closed the door before turning to tease Derek "That didn't hurt, did it?"

"No." Derek replied, leaning forward to take Michaela's lips with his own and kissing her deeply "It most certainly did not."

He shifted and chuckled slightly "Let's go get your swing."


Across town.....

Even as Barbara and Ingrid Rayne readied themselves to see the man they thought had parished in the explosion, Philip Callahan was picking up the phone to call the remaining San Francisco Legacy member, to let her of the miracle of their Precept's survival.

"Kristin..."



To be Continued.....







Back