Happy had worried as they traveled to Harris. Toby had let it slip that they'd been told that Happy's Dad now lived in Harris and Grace refused to let Happy go without her. But so far on their first day there things were fairly quiet. Happy hadn't seen anyone that reminded her of her Dad. She could still remember his face quite clearly, all these years later. Her Mother hadn't reacted like she'd seen him and Happy was positive everyone would have known if she had.

Grace understood Patrick's pain but to let that pain rule his life so he'd neglect their daughter had filled her with such anger. She'd plan to just stay in the background. She kept her hood up whenever she was out in town. She was sure Patrick would recognize her if he saw her. She'd promised herself that she wouldn't make a scene, just keep an eye on Patrick.

As they came out of the steakhouse following the appearance of a Paige from another reality and then the other doppelgangers of other members of the Lord's company she saw him again. He always seemed to find out that Happy was about the town and would find someplace where he could watch her from. Several times Grace had fallen back into the shadows of a building to watch. Many times he came within yards of Happy and then seemingly changed his mind and left.

Something about tonight seemed different, she could see some kind of resolute will in his face. He was going to try and approach their daughter. Grace felt a low growl of anger rise up and she quickly moved along the building towards him as everyone was moving away.

With his attention solely focused on Happy, Patrick was taken completely by surprise as he was suddenly tackled and rolled back behind the buildings with his unknown assailant. Patrick's hand grabbed at his smithing hammer and pulled it out of his belt loop as he struggled to his feet only to see a woman standing before him. His brow furrowed for a moment until her hands rose up and pulled the hood down and the hammer fell to his feet.

"Grace?" Patrick said so softly and yet with a lost longing of love and then his knees gave out and he fell to his knees in front of her.

"I can't believe you Patrick. How could you betray me that way? Our daughter?" Grace asked him with a fire in her words.

"H-How is this possible?" Patrick said between sobs of pain and joy.

Grace grew disgusted at him as she shook her head.

"Our Lady made a wish for Happy, that I would be restored to life and it was granted. Why Patrick? I loved you so much, cherished you beyond everything I knew. How could you abandon our little girl?" Grace demanded.

"I tried and struggled, Grace…and I…ultimately failed. My parents did the best they could, they loved our little girl so much. When they died suddenly, I tried to find your parents. I struggled all day with her. Trying to keep her safe while I worked. "You remember how our neighbors were with you. The racism you faced being Chinese and our little girl, I tried to find someone who could watch her during the day while I worked but they couldn't see past her being Chinese." Patrick cried.

"I was drinking my pain away as soon as I closed the smithy at night. A fast supper at one of the inns, Happy…our sweet little girl she was always so joyful at everything. She was sad after my parents died of course. Her Nana as she called her doted on her even more than my Dad as impossible as that was to believe. She was always so fascinated with the smithy. Half the time I was still hung over the next day. She almost got stomped on by a horse I was trying to shoe. I barely saved her in time. My left shoulder still doesn't work right because of it. I knew then, I couldn't be the Father she deserved. The way she always looked at me with those eyes of love and trust and I betrayed her…I took her to the temple." Patrick sniffed.

"The Sister promised to get her into a good home right away. But that was a lie. I kept going back each day…but the Sisters wouldn't let me see her. And then the day came that I had gotten some of my issues under control and I wanted her back home. They told me they had transferred her to another temple orphanage. They refused to tell me where. I was so distraught. My drinking just got worse. I lost everything but my hammer. Ended up getting work in construction for a good long while." Patrick cried.

Grace saw many of the nearby townspeople staring at them, watching Patrick as he debased himself before her.

"Get up." Grace demanded. That part of her that loved the man told her to take him someplace more private. She reached down and grabbed his arm and pulled but he wouldn't budge.

"I don't care what they think Grace. I deserve every bit of shame for what I did." Patrick told her.

Patrick saw a pair of boots step up to him and then hands grabbed at him and yanked with Grace, pulling him up off the ground. Together they moved with him back to his smithy.

As they dumped him on the floor inside the smithy Patrick looked up and his eyes went wide.

"You're that bum that's always hanging around our little girl." Patrick accused him.

"After what you have done, don't you dare call another person a disparaging name Patrick! Especially him." Grace told him. "This is Toby. He was trained to be a doctor in Harvard and he loves our little girl."

She saw Toby's surprised look.

"What? You think a woman can't tell when someone is in love with their child? You might as well have it tattooed on your forehead for all the good it does to try and hide. Stop being a coward about it though and tell Happy." Grace told him.

Toby nodded even as he blushed.

"Do you need me for anything else Grace?" Toby asked.

Grace shook her head.

"Thank you though. I might be furious with him but he was once the man I loved and I didn't want him seen that way." Grace told Toby softly.

Toby nodded and left the smithy.

Toby was about halfway to the temple to join the others to listen to the stories when Happy came running up.

"Where have you been?" Happy demanded from him.

Toby chuckled.

"A fruit vendor sprained his ankle and I stopped to take care of it." Toby grinned.

"Well I'm tired of the stories. I'm heading over to the Flowering Tea Kettle and see if this Bard I heard about is any good. Want to walk with me?" Happy asked as a twinkle reflected in her eyes.

"Always." Toby told her as he lifted his elbow.

Happy's brow arched but slowly she smiled even with a bit of blush to her cheeks and she slipped her hand around his arm.

"Isn't this the place that has the plaque by the door about you and our Lord?" Toby asked as they walked through the rapidly fading light as the sunset behind the mountains to the west.

Happy sighed as she nodded.

"I mean I get it, she's grateful, but, sometimes I'd just rather be…" Happy paused as she thought about it.

"Invisible?" Toby prompted.

"Close enough I guess." Happy sighed.

As they drew closer they both frowned.

"I thought you made it sound like this Bard was going to be good?" Toby grimaced.

"No, I said to see if he was any good. I hope his stories are better than his singing." Happy sighed. "Man, he's almost as bad as that guy that was in the inn in Brightsong when Megan got drunk that time." Happy said as Toby grabbed the door and pulled it open.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me? The same guy?" Toby whined.

"Too late, here she comes, we'll have to stay for a couple of drinks." Happy sighed as Danielle grinned real big seeing Happy.

"Happy!" Danielle said so loudly over the Bard's song that every head turned to see her.

"Now would be a good time to go invisible." Toby said through the side of his mouth.

Happy just nodded as she smiled.

"Happy, I am so glad you came. And I'm sorry, always embarrassing you." Danielle said as she walked up and hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Just the price to pay for being a hero." Danielle told her as she looked at Toby. "Who is this roguishly handsome man?"

Toby smiled.

"Toby, Danielle, we've met a few dozen times over the last three years." Toby told her as he shook her offered hand.

"We have? I would have thought I'd remember you if I had." Danielle teased with a wink letting him know she was joking about not knowing him. "Let me show you to a table." Danielle told them as she grabbed their hands and pulled them along behind her.

"At least this place is always well behaved and clean. Unlike other places in town." Happy said as they settled in their chairs.

Toby tried to pay the serving maid that brought their drinks but she told him the drinks were 'on the house'. Toby nodded as she left.

She didn't get far as Happy flagged her back. Happy whispered to her and she looked surprised but nodded and left.

"What was that about?" Toby asked before taking a sip.

"Just asking her to thank Danielle." Happy told him before sipping her drink.

They'd almost finished their first drinks when the Bard came back out and began playing another song. Even though the tempo had been slowed down a lot Toby had noticed immediately. It was the same song that Lord Walter had sung to Lady Paige at the Keep. "As Long As You Love Me."

Happy started to turn her head to Toby when he blurted out quickly.

"Would you care to dance?" Toby asked.

Happy blushed but nodded as Toby extended his hand.

Happy took it and they stood before stepping into an open area of the floor. Toby twirled his arm over Happy's head causing her to smile as she spun around and his other arm came up to her waist and they began with a slow step as they started dancing together.

Happy's eyes were locked on Toby's as everything around them seemed to slowly disappear as they danced. Slowly they danced closer into each other. Happy's head came to rest against Toby's chest. Her request to the serving maid had worked. Her eyes closed and slowly she smiled as her ear picked up the beat of his heart. The respirations of his breath made her grin as she knew he was getting excited. And then it wasn't long before she felt the telltale signs of a stirring below his belt.

"Toby…I want you." Happy told him softly.

Toby's eyes went wide.

"Okay, let's just say goodbye to your friend." Toby whispered.

"No, let's just go." Happy told him.

Toby had been about to turn towards the kitchen but instead spun the other way and they left the inn.

The air was a bit cooler now as the heat of the sun was absorbed by the mountain, the light waning and the wind now brought even cooler air into town. Toby quickly pulled his coat off and slung it around Happy's shoulders and then took her back into his arms as they walked through town.

Happy and Toby made their way as quickly as they could to the Governor's mansion. They waved as people called out to them but they didn't stop until they were in Happy's rooms. Happy pushed Toby back up against the door as it closed behind them. Her lips smashed up against Toby's and her tongue quickly pushed into his mouth.

Toby's hands went around Happy and yanked her up off the floor. Her legs wrapped around his waist as they continued kissing. Suddenly Happy broke the kiss and stared into Toby's eyes. She licked her lips.

"Take me." Happy said, her voice husky with desire.

Toby nodded. This was far from their first time since the twins were born. But that didn't matter, everytime was like the first time to Toby. He took about seven steps and put her on the bed even as his hands pulled his coat off of her. Their hands moving back and forth as they were undoing buttons and pulling clothes off of themselves.

Sir Cabe and Allie were lying in bed, basking in their bliss. Cabe was about half asleep when Allie's eyes opened.

"Oh my." Allie said softly as her breathing picked up. Her heart was beating faster instead of growing slower. She looked at Cabe and she could tell he was close to sleep. Ordinarily she could control the feelings she picked up from others involved in sexual activity. It might amp up her own desires but whenever she was in the act, leading up or coming down from it she was more susceptible to the feeling. This time was no exception as she could feel Happy and Toby's passions clearly.

She tried to counter it but her own biology was responding too rapidly to what she felt.

"Sorry Cabe." Allie said quietly before she rolled over half atop of him. Her lips came down on his and as her tongue pushed into his mouth her power rose up and stimulated his body, provoking the passion that was still there. It began to flare up quickly.

Cabe woke up the rest of the way as his body was fully responding to Allie's advances. He just grinned as he rolled Allie over and kissed down her body.

"I haven't felt this way in a long time." Cabe told Allie.

Allie grinned as she nodded.

"Well if you ever need a boost for this feeling, all you have to do is ask." Allie told him sweetly as she moaned at his intimate touch.

"Hell, if you can help me feel like this, you can do it anytime as long as you are willing." Cabe paused in his actions and then redoubled his effort.

Lord Walter frowned as it was just them at breakfast the next morning and they were over a half hour late themselves.

"Where is everyone?" Walter asked, looking at Paige.

Paige grinned as she looked from Ralph who was busy with his breakfast to Walter. She leaned into him closely.

"I would imagine they must have been a bit…busy last night as well, my love." Paige winked.

Walter looked at her and then saw his Mother and Father walk into the room.

It wasn't long before the others filtered into the room. Allie was taking a drink of her juice as Toby and Happy walked in and she nearly sprayed her juice all over the table. Cabe turned in concern as she began coughing and sputtering.

"Are you okay Allie?" Cabe asked with concern.

Allie nodded as she tried to get her coughing under control.

"Just swallowed wrong." Allie said hoarsely. Her eyes looked at Happy as she sat down and a smile formed inside of Allie's mind as she felt the new life beginning to grow within her.

Greetings! I Hope this finds you well! Welcome to Harris, we hope you enjoy your stay and come back to visit with us again in the future!

LouBe - LOL Just had to take a moment to acknowledge your comment on Paige's birth control! That was too freaking funny! And true!

To the Adventure! -Tim