O'ER BLARNEY:

At precisely 6am, Jess awoke. The large house was quiet…she looked over at Fiona, who was still sound asleep. The large house was quiet. She wasn't sure why she woke up so early, but the only reason she could come up with was excitement. Today, she and Joe were going to go out on their own. He was taking her to the famous Blarney Castle, around the village of Blarney. And if they had time, they were going to head to Cork City. And of course there was the gathering at a favorite pub of Joe's later that night. She was going to meet even more people tonight…she thought she might have to use the journal she received from Fiona and Moira to write down the names and descriptions of all the people she has met over these few days.

"Well, I can't just sit her waiting for everyone to wake up." Jess said to herself. So she quietly got up and headed to the bathroom. She took a quick shower and got dressed. Last night before going to bed, Joe had told her to dress warm, but comfortably since they were going to be outside most of the day. She put on a pair of dark blue jeans, her new sweater from Joe's parents, and a pair of comfortable shoes. She topped is all off with her new necklace. After brushing out her hair, she arranged it into a single, thick, loose braid.

Still no one else had woken up yet. So she grabbed a book she had started to read on the plane, and tiptoed down the staircase. She curled up on the couch in the living room and started reading. She was so engrossed in her book, that she didn't notice Joe come down the stairs.

"I thought someone was up, but I didn't think it would be you." Joe teased.

"I didn't think that I would be the first person up either, but all of the sudden, I was awake. So instead of just being lazy and going back to sleep, I decided to get up. I hope I didn't wake anyone else up." Jess responded.

"Most likely not…everyone was up pretty late last night. The only reason I even thought someone was up is because I'm right next to the bathroom. Well, I'm going to go get ready myself. I'd like to head out to the castle before all the tourists descend upon us…although being just the day after Christmas, I don't know if there will be too many of them."

Joe kissed Jess, and then bolted up the stairs. He took the fastest shower of his life, and then was faced with the dilemma of what to wear. Jess had taken his advice and gone warm and casual, so he decided to follow suit. He threw on some jeans and a soft, dark gray lambs wool sweater, and a pair of sneakers. He grabbed his coat and went back downstairs. When he got there, he and Jess were still the only ones awake. So, he jotted a quick note for his family saying that they had gone out for the day.

It was surprisingly cold outside, so Jess was glad she had her wool coat. She also wrapped a soft scarf around her neck with a matching knit hat and gloves. It was only 8am, and there was still an hour until the castle opened for visitors. Joe pulled his car into the parking area of a small restaurant. Once inside they dined on oatmeal and toast and a good cup of strong, hot coffee. It was a quiet place, and they were the only people eating. Joe attributed that to the fact that it was the day after Christmas, and people were most likely still sleeping after all of the festivities. It was actually bit of a blessing to him for the peace and quiet, because he had actually been afraid of running into someone he knew, when he simply wanted to be alone with Jess.

Just before 9, Joe paid their bill and they were out the door. When they pulled into the lot at Blarney Castle, they were one of the first cars there. That made Joe happy. While he was glad the tourists pumped money into the town, he didn't want to deal with them today. Jess looked up at the castle…she was in a sense of awe because here she was, seeing a castle she had only heard of and seen in books. Joe smiled, because he could tell that she was already enjoying herself. This first view of Blarney Castle normally had this effect on first time visitors. He took her hand in his, and they slowly walked to the entrance.

Joe went up to the ticket window to purchase their admission. He told the young lady behind the counter that he needed two tickets. Normally the employees never really paid attention to the guests, but then it wasn't everyday that someone with the thick accent of County Cork bought admission to their most famous tourist attraction. Once she heard the voice and saw the face, she knew the young man in front of her.

"Joe O'Sullivan…we haven't seen you around these parts in ages. The rumor around the village was that you were in town, but I didn't believe it."

Joe was taken aback, he wasn't prepared for this bit of his past.

"Siobhan…I didn't know you were still in town. I was sure you would have gone to Dublin."

"Well I did go to Dublin for a bit, but decided that I preferred Blarney…so here I am. What have you been up to?"

"I've been in London this whole time…this is my first time back since I left. I coach football and I run a pub."

"What brings you to our local tourist trap today?"

"Well…Jess here having never been to Ireland, I figured needed to see our little castle. Jess…this is my old friend Siobhan Kelly…Siobhan, this is my girlfriend Jess Bhamra."

Siobhan looked at Joe's companion for the first time. She had heard that Joe had brought home a girlfriend, and she had heard she was Indian. But like she didn't believe he was in town, she didn't believe the part about the mystery woman either. There had been a time when Siobhan was considered 'Joe's girl' but that was a long time ago…anyway, she was married now, so there was no time to play 'what if.'

"Nice to meet you." Jess said, as she broke the silence.

"And you too." responded Siobhan. "A-are you two coming to O'Brien's tonight?"

"We wouldn't miss it." replied Joe. "We ran into Kyle at Midnight Mass, and he already extended the invite. It sounds like it should be a good time."

"Well, I'll see you there…I should let you two get on your way before the tourists show up."

Joe laughed in response. "Hey see you tonight, okay?"

"Certainly…nice to see you Joe, and nice meeting you Jess. Enjoy your time here."

Before Jess could really say the same, Joe had already grabbed her hand, and they were on their way. He was like a little kid…excited by life. They worked their way up the castle…checking out the rooms, that they were allowed to, as much of the castle was a bit worn. Jess was enjoying herself in this bit of Ireland's past. She felt as if she stepped back into time. It was fortunate for both of them that they were in such good physical shape. The narrow spiral staircase in the castle would take its toll on anyone.

When they finally did get to the top of the castle, they were laughing like children. They were having so much fun, the Joe forgot he even had the jitters. They were the only people up there, and they enjoyed the solitude. Joe took Jess over towards the famous Blarney Stone.

"Are you ready to kiss the stone love?"

"Where is it? I can't see it."

"Ah, now there's the trick. See that bar over there? Well you have to lie on your back, sort of bend back, hold the bar, and then you can kiss it."

"What?"

"I'll help you." Joe laughed, and then gave her a quick kiss on her cheek.

Joe helped Jess get into the proper position to accomplish the task of kissing the Stone. She laughed at the situation. However, it was a little exhilarating, once she managed to kiss the Stone. She thought it felt like she was on the edge of falling, but knew that Joe would hold her tight.

When she was standing on her own two feet again, she took advantage of the height to check out the fantastic views of the countryside that were all around them. Jess had asked how the Stone even got up there. Joe told her that the story is that it's the other half of the Stone of Scone given to one of the former castle occupants by the famous Scottish king, Robert the Bruce. And the bit about blarney being the 'gift of gab' from is attributed to Queen Elizabeth I. Joe was glad he actually listened to the tour guide back in primary school when he visited the castle all those years ago.

Joe stood behind her, holding her pointing out the scenery around them. They were surrounded by farms and gently rolling hills. And since Cork City was not that far away, they could see that as well. Jess felt so at ease. She never wanted to leave this place or time. Everything was perfect. However, that perfection was about to be ruined. Out of the corner of Joe's eye, he saw the first tour bus pulling up. If he was going to do this, he had to do it now. Joe turned to face her.

"Jess?" said a suddenly quiet Joe.

"Yes? Is something wrong?"

"No. Everything is fine. You know that I love you right?"

"Yes." said a quiet Jess.

"W-well…I was wondering, if you would let me love you forever?" Joe asked as he searched her eyes.

"W-what?"

"Marry me, Jess."

"B-but, my family…"

"Shhh…I've already asked for your father's blessing, and he said yes. Please say yes."

Jess looked into his eyes…and she could tell that he meant every word that he said. And the fact that Joe had faced her father on his own, showed that he was not only brave, but honorable as well. If her father had said yes, there was but one answer she could give.

"Yes Joe…I will marry you…"

And before she could say anything more, Joe had picked her up and was spinning her around. When he stopped spinning, he kissed her. When they broke their kiss, they were both breathless. It was Joe that spoke first.

"Jess, I hate to do this, but we need to get downstairs now. Looking at the lot, I can see that 2 more tour buses have arrived. We are about to get swarmed, and I would like to show you around the rest of the grounds. Follow me."

They bounded down the stairs as quickly as they could. Just as they got to the bottom, the first group of tourists were about to go up. They ran out the door, and before they knew it, Joe had Jess in the relative seclusion of the Rock Close. Compared to the controlled chaos of the castle as they left it, the Rock Close was a welcomed haven. Joe showed her the Wishing Steps, the Witches Stone, the Druids Circle. It was when they were at the Druids Circle, that Joe pulled something out of his pocket.

"I wanted to give you this, while we were still on top of the Castle, but we ran out of time. Give me your hand love."

As she gave her hand to him, he placed the beautiful single stone ring on her left hand. Tears of joy were streaming down her face. Joe pulled her into his arms, and held he with everything he had.

"Shhh, love."

Jess wiped the tears from her face. They finished walking the grounds. Being that it was winter, they really couldn't check out the gardens. However, by the time they were finished, it was almost noon. They walked back to the car. They decided that they would head into Cork City, not wanting to be swarmed by the family just yet. However, they needed some lunch first. When they got to the city, Joe found a quiet little restaurant. They ordered some sandwiches and soup, and simply enjoyed each others company. They also watched the people going by. Being that it was Boxing Day, people were out and about taking advantage of the sales. Jess also took advantage of the quiet time to really look at the ring that Joe had given her. It was a simple radiant cut solitaire.

When they were finished eating, the young couple walked around the city, looking at the shop windows which had been wonderfully decorated for Christmas. Since they were on no set schedule, they would go in the shops they wanted to and skip the ones they didn't. When they heard the bells of a nearby church chime four o'clock, the two decided that they should head back home. They were tired, and needed some rest before they went out again that night. However, they needed to stop and see Nana first.

"Nana…we're here." Joe called as they walked into his grandmother's house.