Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes both waited anxiously from their place on the living room sofa. Alexis had said that she and her boyfriend-whoever he was-would be here by five this afternoon. It was now getting close to five-thirty and there were still no signs of them.

"I'm already concerned about the fact that she's waited all this time just to introduce us to him and wouldn't even drop his name. But being late like this on top of everything else is just one bad sign too many!" Mr. Rhodes said uneasily as he checked his watch again for what felt like the umpteenth time. He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with the same heart-shaped face and golden hair that resembled his daughter's in a short cut with the parts face-framed. But his eyes were a bright green unlike Alexis's.

"She's probably just nervous. We've already probably put too much on her with this whole expectation that she should try to meet someone…" Mrs. Rhodes said somewhat guiltily. Unlike her husband, she took more after Atticus in terms of looks, with long, dark brown eyes and hair that she kept in a neat braid down her back along with his bright, contagious smile that shone through whenever she was happy.

"Perhaps you're right… I wouldn't be surprised if because of that, this whole evening is somehow a ruse and that's why she's late. There might not be a real boyfriend at all and she's just scrambling around trying to get someone to come here and play along with her just to appease us. Even Atticus hasn't said a word about this, and normally he'd be the first one to get excited. Instead, he's been up sulking in his room," Mr. Rhodes said tiredly.

Before Mrs. Rhodes could come up with an encouraging reply to her husband, the sound of a key turning at the front door stopped them. Both of their eyes widening in anticipation, Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes promptly rose from the sofa.

The door opened revealing Alexis and Aster, who were both wearing somewhat nervous smiles. Aster was carrying a huge gift basket wrapped up with a big, red ribbon.

"Sorry we're late… We hit a bad spot in traffic on the way here," Alexis apologized.

"We're just glad to see you, honey! And this is-" Mrs. Rhodes started to say until she got a good look at Aster.

The realization of who Aster was must have dawned on Alexis's parents, for they seemed to have been rendered temporarily speechless as they gaped at him.

"Mom, Dad, this is Aster Phoenix, my boyfriend. But I guess you could already tell who he is," Alexis introduced with a knowing smile.

Aster smiled warmly at Alexis's parents. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes," he greeted politely.

Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes relaxed visibly, their faces breaking into relieved smiles. This was obviously more than they ever could have hoped for.

"We're glad to meet you as well, Aster. I'm Alexander Rhodes, but feel free to just call me Alex. And this is my wife, Kaeli," Mr. Rhodes returned the greeting. He extended his hand for Aster to shake, which he did gratefully.

"We were so happy to hear that Alexis has finally found someone special in her life. But my goodness, we certainly weren't expecting her to bring a celebrity home with her! Although if anything would pique her interest, it's dueling. So I guess we shouldn't be too surprised," Mrs. Rhodes said thoughtfully.

Aster couldn't help feeling a little perplexed at Mrs. Rhodes's reaction. What does she mean by "finally"? She's only sixteen!

"It's not much compared to what you must be used to, but please make yourself at home here, Aster," Mr. Rhodes said kindly.

Aster looked around fondly at the cozy living room. "Thank you very much. But it's quite alright. I prefer a house like this compared to where I usually stay. You have a lovely home."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now, why don't we all sit down in the dining room so we can get to know each other better?" Mr. Rhodes heartily suggested.

"Oh! That reminds me. I meant to give you both this," Aster recalled. He handed the basket to Mrs. Rhodes.

"My, look at this! All sorts of bakery goods and even tea! This is very kind of you, Aster," Mrs. Rhodes said gratefully.

Aster smiled sheepishly. "It's no big deal. I wanted to get something for you both since I'm a guest here, but I was a bit lost until Alexis said you liked bagels and whatnot when I asked her."

"Well, we appreciate it all the same," Mr. Rhodes insisted.

"You bought them enough for over a week it looks like," Alexis teased Aster, to which he responded with a good-natured eye roll while smiling at her.

"Now, we're just about to have dinner, before that… ATTICUS!" Mr. Rhodes bellowed in the direction of the staircase leading upstairs, causing Aster to flinch a bit.

From upstairs, a door could be heard being shut. A few moments later, Atticus made his way downstairs with a sullen expression.

Atticus paused briefly and flashed Aster a quick smile. It was forced and they both knew it. "Hey, Aster."

"Atticus," Aster returned the unenthusiastic greeting in what he hoped was a friendly voice.

xxx

Once they were all seated and served at the dining room table, the questions began. And boy were there a lot of them. Everything from Aster's family, school life, Pro League career, favorite foods… At one point, Mr. Rhodes even asked Aster what his salary was. Alexis had never really thought of it before since how much money Aster made was not really important to her. But even she couldn't help blanching out for a second when she learned exactly how much Aster earned just from winning one duel in the league. Aster didn't seem to mind, though. It seemed as if he always knew all the right things to say.

"So, I'm curious as to just how the two of you first met. Alexis seemed to have set up a permanent wall when it came to anything with interest in boys, so I'm curious as to how you managed to break through her defenses, Aster," Mr. Rhodes inquired conversationally.

Alexis had to take a quick drink of water to prevent herself from spitting out her food. That was definitely not something they could give the full details of to her parents.

Luckily, Aster was prepared to improvise. "We met when I came back to the school again for another assigned duel. It was right before I started classes. I ran into Alexis before the duel, and…let's just say she wasn't too happy to see me initially," he said with a knowing grin.

Mrs. Rhodes frowned worriedly. "That doesn't sound very promising…"

"Yeah well, she was pretty angry since the student I had defeated is a friend of hers, so it got a little ugly there for a moment, I'm afraid," Aster recalled, still smiling at the memory.

"Then how did you get out of that?" Mr. Rhodes asked curiously.

"I did the only thing I could think of then to create a distraction: I kissed her," Aster admitted bluntly.

For a moment, the dining room was silent. Then Mr. Rhodes burst into hearty laughter. "I see! That's one way to do it! The direct approach!"

Alexis sneaked a look at Atticus to find him rolling his eyes. Of course, he knew how it had really gone, but he wasn't about to tell their parents.

"After that, things were still a bit iffy between us, but as we started spending more time together after that, it all just sort of fell into place," Aster finished.

xxx

Thankfully, the conversations went a lot more smoothly after that awkward patch. It wasn't until they somehow got onto the topic of surfing that things took another turn.

"So, you say you're also into surfing, Aster? I guess that's not surprising what with all the other sports you've mentioned already and owning a yacht. And there's plenty of good spots around Domino and Duel Academy island," Mr. Rhodes said with interest

"Well, I was the National Junior Youth League champion last year, so I guess I'd have to enjoy it," Aster answered casually. He wasn't bragging, just stating a fact. But Alexis could tell that Atticus hadn't seen it that way.

As if reading her daughter's mind, Mrs. Rhodes spoke up. "You know, Atticus is also really into surfing, too! Maybe you both could go together sometime!" Alexis couldn't help thinking that her mother had noticed Atticus' sullen expression with the forced cheeriness her voice had taken on.

Taking a stab at being friendly, Aster turned to Atticus and smiled. "Sure, I'd like that."

It took Atticus a moment to react, and when he did, it was with that same awkward tension as before. "Um, yeah. Guess we'll have to try that sometime."

xxx

It wasn't until after dinner had ended that Alexis got a chance to talk to Atticus. She was on her way back from the bathroom when she spotted him standing in the hallway, muttering to himself darkly.

"I was the National Junior Youth League Champion!" Atticus mimicked Aster in a nasty, sarcastic tone.

"You know, you could try being a bit nicer. Aster is really making an effort here," Alexis said pointedly, announcing her presence to her brother.

Atticus turned to face his sister, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had caught his imitation. "I'll be the judge of that. It's not like I have to like this, you know."

"But he's doing this because he cares and wants to have a more important role in my life! How can you still keep finding faults with Aster instead of giving him a chance for once!?" Alexis argued.

Atticus sighed wearily. "Don't you think it's a bit too easy?"

"No, I don't. It's not like Aster and I haven't had our own share of issues we've had to work out," Alexis answered matter-of-factly.

"That's not what I mean. It's just, you know, rich and handsome boyfriend goes to meet the parents, they love him, everything seems perfect… What's the catch? I don't know what it is, but I just have this feeling that something really bad is going to happen somehow…" Atticus confessed seriously.

"Yeah, well I think you're just looking for excuses to hate Aster still!" Alexis said furiously without even considering her brother's words. She then turned and left in a huff for the stairway before he could say another word.

xxx

It wasn't until later that evening as Alexis was preparing for bed when her parents excitedly gave her their "assessment" on Aster.

"Honey, we just want you to know how happy we were to meet Aster and that you two are so happy together. He's such a nice young man. And so mature and polite for his age!" Mrs. Rhodes gushed.

"You couldn't have done better for yourself. Your mother and I are very pleased," Mr. Rhodes said with a seriousness that it made it sound as if Alexis had chosen to marry Aster.

Alexis paused uncomfortably. She wondered if her parents would be half this excited about Aster if he wasn't who he was in the celebrity world.

"Thanks. I'm glad, too. Aster means a lot to me. And even though he won't admit it, he was worried about making a good impression on you both. It's not always as easy to get used to his status, and he's trying to transition us through everything gradually, especially once the media gets wind of everything. It's…not always easy for the ones close to him, and he's aware that not everyone might want their daughter to put up with that. So it means a lot that you're both so accepting of him," Alexis explained honestly.

"Well, he's hard to dislike. And oh my gosh, to think the poor dear has gone through everything he has all this time with no family…" Mrs. Rhodes fretted.

Alexis sighed inwardly. She knew that one of the last things Aster liked was whenever people took pity on him for being an orphan.

"Anyways, we'll definitely all talk more tomorrow. But for now, we just wanted to let you know that we're totally fine with Aster so far. And don't worry about Atticus either; he'll come around eventually. He's probably just not used to sharing the spotlight like this!" Mr. Rhodes reassured Alexis.

"Goodnight, sweetheart. Don't stay up too late," Mrs. Rhodes said gently.

Alexis smiled softly at her parents. "Don't worry, I won't. Night, Mom. Night, Dad."

xxx

Alexis smiled as she looked around her room. Despite the differences she had with her parents, she was enjoying the warmth and familiarity of being back with them at home again. And now that she didn't have the secret of seeing Aster looming over her anymore, it felt as if a weight had been lifted from her.

Just as she was pulling down the blankets on her bed, a soft knock on the door interrupted Alexis's peaceful train of thought. It wasn't Atticus. He would just barge in if he wanted to talk. But Alexis couldn't imagine why either of her parents would come back again.

Curiously, Alexis opened her bedroom door only to reveal Aster standing there with an easy smile on his face.

"Hey," Aster greeted Alexis softly, walking into her room without even bothering to ask for her permission first.

"Um, I don't know if you should be in here. Aren't you supposed to be in the guest room?" Alexis asked somewhat apprehensively. It wasn't that she didn't want Aster in her room, she just wasn't sure how her parents would take it and didn't want to rock the boat when things were going so well.

"Your parents never said I couldn't come in here either. Besides, I don't like being apart from you," Aster answered simply.

Alexis sighed in resignation, unable to stop herself from smiling. "Alright, you can stay in here. Knowing them, they'd probably think it's cute that you snuck in here to be with me."

Aster chuckled lightly in response to Alexis's thinly veiled irritation at her parents. He then kissed her gently on the forehead. "It's good to know I'm in their good graces, although I do see what you mean about them."

"Yeah, but they really do like you, you know," Alexis reassured Aster gently.

"They're good people, but your mom looks at me like I'm a wounded puppy or something sometimes," Aster complained.

"It's just hard for her to fathom your situation, that's all. She'll get used to you," Alexis said sympathetically.

"I guess so. At any rate, at least they like me," Aster relented.

There was silence between them as Aster looked around Alexis's room. It wasn't until he was examining her bookshelf that spoke again. "You sure have a lot of these. Choose Your Own Adventure books, huh?"

Alexis smiled fondly. "I've liked them ever since I was little when Atticus would read them to me at night. He would always tease me and try to sound all dramatic during them whenever I chose one of the "bad endings". But I didn't really get into them more until a little before last year.

"Oh, why is that?" Aster asked curiously.

"When Atticus was missing, I always went back and forth in my mind wondering if there was anything I could have done to prevent that from happening. I would agonize over it a lot. And then I did the same thing during times last year at school whenever it felt like there was any situation where I wasn't able to solve myself. I started reading these books and sort of tried to study them, seeing if I could predict when to make the right choices. I even started writing my own ones. They're on the bottom shelf," Alexis reflected quietly.

Aster found the section Alexis mentioned and took out the journals there, leafing through them with interest. "Alexis the author, huh? I never would have guessed," he said with a warm smile. He loved that even now, he was still discovering new things about her.

"I guess I did get into it for awhile. There was a point where I even wondered if I might enjoy it as much as dueling. But in the end, I realized something. You can write your own story, but only you can choose where it leads you. Sure, I enjoy writing these, but it was just that: wish fulfillment whenever I was feeling powerless," Alexis admitted truthfully.

"You're really strong, Alexis…" Aster said proudly. He wished that he could have more faith in being able to control things himself like her, yet here he was, still stewing in fear over Sartorius's prediction.

Alexis flushed slightly at Aster's praise. "I wouldn't say that. I just think I like this better than agonizing over possible outcomes all the time, that's all."

"That's a good outlook to have. Now, how about we get some sleep?" Aster suggested.

"Alright. But just remember that sleep is the only thing that can happen between us while you're in here," Alexis cautioned Aster sternly.

"Well of course! We wouldn't want to wake the whole house up now, would we!?" Aster agreed, looking a bit affronted that Alexis would even think he'd want to do such a thing with her family right under the same roof.

Alexis touched the tip of her finger lightly against Aster's lip in a playful gesture of reassurance to let him know she wasn't upset with him. "Alright, just as long as you know."

xxx

Once they were both snuggled together in bed under the covers with the lights out, Alexis spoke softly in Aster's ear. "I'm really glad you're here, Aster…"

"Me too," Aster agreed softly. And it was true. Right now, feeling safe and sound in the arms of the girl he loved in this warm and cozy house, relishing in the familiar comfort of family atmosphere he remembered years ago from life with his father, it was hard for Aster to feel worried about anything in the future.

AN: Finally done with this chapter! I don't know, it was just hard to write somehow. I'm not really good at the whole "meeting the family" chapters. So I hope this wasn't boring. The last part of this little mini arc of sorts is next chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!