The restaurant was every bit as hoity-toity as the château. The Noels had already arrived and been seated. It was a rather large, intimidating group. Everyone from the patriarch to the toddler in her mother's arms seemed to be waiting for the arrival of the two party crashers. Only one seemed to truly welcome them. Tessa all but ran to them as the maître'd showed them to the table. She threw her arms around Duncan's neck and kissed him in greeting. He kissed her back, grateful for the simple touch. Just over a week apart and he didn't realize how much he missed her until now. They didn't pull apart until their teenage PDA monitor groaned and, presumably, rolled his eyes.

"I missed you, too." Tessa pulled away from Duncan and kissed Richie's cheek.

"Uh-huh." He pecked her, too. "I know my place around here."

"Let me see," she turned his face to the side to inspect the injury.

"I'm fine," he took her hand from his cheek.

"Why do you always get hurt when I'm gone?"

"To drive you mad."

"Tess," Duncan hinted, taking her hand.

She smiled and turned to her family. "Of course." She blushed slightly. "You know Duncan," she said. "And this…" she put her hands lightly on the teen's shoulders. "Is Richie." She then went around the table rattling off names and relationships. Duncan and Richie smiled their "bonjours" and "nice to meet yous"

"And Nicolas had plans already; you'll meet him later," was directed more towards Richie at the end before they took their seats at the long table.

Almost immediately the uncomfortable, throat clearing silence settled in. Tessa sat happily between Duncan and Richie, glancing at Richie with a smile and holding Duncan's hand. The silence hung in the air and no one seemed to know what to do. Finally, the waiter arrived with wine for everyone and asked for orders. Mousier Noel ordered for everyone, the meal beginning with cocktails, then salads, chicken and dessert with coffee. The cocktails arrived moments later, still no words having passed between all those seated there, save the children who had their own corner of the table, ignoring the adults.

"So, Duncan," Gaston spoke up as everyone tried to eat. "How is business going?"

"Pretty well," Duncan answered. "This year we've nearly doubled last year's business, and we haven't hit our busy season yet."

"Christmas brings in a lot of business?"

"Usually. It's nearly a third of our revenue."

"We'd better get you married off then, so you can get back and make some money to give my sister something pretty."

"Me, too," Richie spoke up.

Gaston laughed and Odette smiled from her seat across the table. "And what do you do?" she asked him.

"Whatever they tell me to."

"Which is?"

"Basically I work in the store; you know-sell some stuff, clean some stuff, fix the computer when Mac breaks it…"

"What about school?"

"I don't go to school. I graduated high school last spring, but I'm not really ready for college yet."

"If you're not ready, then it's good not to waste your time and money."

"That's what I was thinking."

The silence returned and everyone continued to eat. Duncan tried to think of something to say to Tessa's parents but nothing came to him. Courses came and went without much more than awkward small talk. Tessa didn't think anything of swapping her half eaten plate for Richie's all but licked clean one as soon as she was finished, it had become so second nature. Duncan tried his best to ignore the odd looks he got when he handed over his uneaten food to Richie after the teen had finished what Tessa had given him. Richie, for his part, seemed more concerned with the idea of getting the food than what other people thought of his appetite. After dessert had been eaten and cleared away, it was time to pile each member of the rather large party into one or another expensive car.

Tessa immediately snatched claim to Duncan and Richie and pushed them both into the car Gaston was driving. The awkwardness of dinner was gone once the car doors slammed and the engine started. Richie sat comfortably in the front seat, chatting with Tessa's older brother while she whispered and giggled with Duncan in the back seat. When they arrived at the château, Tessa grabbed onto Richie's arm and pulled him along side her up the long walk.

"You know," he whispered. "You shoulda warned me your folks were rich."

"I didn't think it would matter."

"I would have bought some new underwear."

"Richie," she giggled.

"Brought my best socks…"

"I missed your humor."

Once they were inside they were inside they were gathered in the parlor were Monsieur Noel sipped at a few fingers of whiskey and the rest sat once again in the uncomfortable silence. The children disappeared into separate room to play. Tessa took a seat on a large couch, pulling Duncan down at her side and Richie quickly took the seat next to him, uncomfortable being too far away from his lifeline. No one spoke, until finally Tessa's mother cleared her throat.

"I suppose it would be most beneficial to put this bluntly. Why do you want to marry my daughter after so long?"

Tessa tensed. "Maman!"

"It's alright, Tessa," Duncan said, then to her mother: "Because I love your daughter and while marriage wasn't an important step to us before, it is now. She's hinted about it off and on, and I want her to be happy."

"It took you twelve years to want this?"

"I have always wanted it," he answered, with the same forced politeness he had used with her on the phone two weeks before. "I have just not acted on it. I suppose it was selfish, but Tessa and I love each other and want to be married. Tessa wants your blessing, so here I am."

"You want me to bless this?"

"Tessa wants it."

"Tessa?" Madame Noel asked.

"Yes?" she asked.

"You want to marry this man who has taken you away from your family and held you out of wedlock?"

"He did not kidnap me, Maman," Tessa nearly snapped. "I chose to go with him. I could have proposed to him before now. It was a mutual decision to remain unmarried until now."

"You want to marry him?"

"Of course I do, why would I be here defending myself from baseless accusations, if not?"

"Tessa, do not speak to your mother in that tone," her father spoke for the first time since the restaurant.

"I have the right to defend myself, Papa," Tessa retorted. "I am not a child and will not stand to be treated as one."

"Tess," Duncan said softly as he put his hand on her arm to calm her. "This is hardly the way to put them in our favor."

Tessa looked at him briefly, then abruptly turned her attention to the teen who was gazing blankly at the hand woven rug on the floor. "Richie…"

"Huh?" he looked up, startled.

She smiled at him. "You look tired. Perhaps you should go up to bed."

"It's only…" he started to protest, but a subtle kick from Duncan changed his mind. "Yeah, guess I kinda am…" he changed his story.

With a thankful, warm smile, Tessa stood up and gestured Richie to take his leave. "Bonne nuit," he said with a tight smile to Tessa parents. The hierarchy of this family was quite clear, though where Tessa and Gaston had gotten their warm personalities was not. Tessa took him out to the hall and had the night maid (Richie gawked at the title… "More than one?") take him to what was to become his room, promising to be up with Duncan shortly. She returned to the parlor with a deep, hopefully calming breath.

"I will not say it one more time. Duncan has not abused me or Richie in any way. I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions and am not easily intimidated. I will not stand for this treatment of me or my family. I am going to marry Duncan, with or without your blessing."

"Why did you make the boy leave?" her mother asked.

"Because he doesn't know about this crazy idea of abuse and I don't want him to hear of it. It is not necessary for him to know about this. Now, I told him I wanted to talk to him so I must go."

Duncan stood. "I'll go with you."

They went up the stairs to the third floor, second door on the left, across from Tessa's room. She knocked on the door.

"Yeah?" Richie's voice invited them in.

"Hello, petit," Tessa smiled broadly at him and went straight to give him a big hug.

"Hi, Tessa," he hugged her back, not quite sure what was going on. He cast Duncan a confused look when she didn't let go. Duncan just gave him a smile and a shrug. Eventually, she let him go and stood back to look at him. "So, did I forget to take out the trash or something?" he asked.

"What?" she asked.

"Why have I been sent to my room?" he clarified.

"Oh…um… I just didn't want you to see all that."

"I've seen you with the claws out, Tess."

"I don't want to set a bad example for you."

"Sending me out of the room doesn't…"

"Rich," Duncan interrupted.

Tessa smiled at Richie. "I want you to tell me all about these past weeks. What have you been up to?" She pulled him down to sit next to her on the foot of the king sized bed.

He found his opportunity for some sympathy. "Mostly working… healing…"

"Oh, chou-chou…" she cooed at him, after all he had been deprived of the proper pampering when the injury had occurred. "Did it hurt?"

"You try getting wacked in the eye by a three hundred pound immortal," he told her a young pouty look in his eyes.

"Oh, you are a pathetic one when you get the chance," Duncan teased him.

Richie smiled broadly. "I do try."

"Are you really alright?"

"I'm fine, Tess. You know me, takes a lot more than a black eye to slow me down," he thumped himself in the chest. "Man of steel, here."

"Good." She kissed his cheek. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"That's a tall order for this guy," Duncan jabbed Richie in the shoulder, then sat on Tessa's other side.

"Thanks a lot, Mac."

"I missed you two so much," Tessa put her head on Duncan's shoulder. "I didn't realize how close we were until these past weeks."

"I missed you, too." Duncan kissed her head.

"If you guys are going to start making googlie eyes at each other take it to a different room; all my stuff is in here," Richie interrupted.

"Why did you bring so much?" Tessa asked, looking at all the bags neatly lined up beside the large oak dresser.

"Don't look at me. The two little ones are mine."

Tessa's amused face vanished and her fists clenched. "How could they!" she half snarled.

"Tess…" Duncan tried to calm her. "It's not big deal. They just don't want us to sleep together under their roof."

"They don't want us together at all, so they pull this… It is ridiculous!"

"Let them have it," Duncan said calmly. "You don't mind, do ya, Rich?"

The teen shrugged. "I call the window side."

"Perfect, I like being closer to the door. See, Tess? Not a problem at all."

"Yes, it is. They can't just toss you two in a room together and expect me not to say anything."

"That's just what they want," he told her calmly. "All the more reason for us to just play along. We have to pick our battles. In the grand scheme of things, does this really matter?"

"Just so long as you don't expect me to take her place," Richie piped up.

"So are we in agreement? We let this slide and save our energy for more important things, like the wedding?" Duncan asked.

Tessa smiled tightly. "I suppose. It's just that after so long, I'm a bit lonely."

Duncan kissed her neck, then her chin, making his way to her lips. They were so wrapped up in getting reacquainted they didn't notice the third of their party quietly slip out of the room, giving them the privacy every almost wed couple needed.