There was light streaming into the room when Grace awoke the next morning. She smirked softly to herself, recalling the haste that she and Oliver had been in to get to bed the previous night.

Speaking of Oliver - she smiled as she could feel the weight of him against her back, his arm strung loosely across her hip.

She groaned softly at the aching she felt in her body. A very pleasant aching, indicative of a glorious and adventurous night well spent.

She shuffled in the luxurious bed and turned to see her husband already awake and staring calmly at her.

"Good morning", she smiled sleepily at him.

"Good morning", he drawled languidly in reply.

"I had a wonderful time last night", she hummed, brushing her hand over his still bare lower back.

Oliver fought the urge to purr in response to her touch and instead replied playfully, "Yes, I thought those ponies would make you happy", he feigned ignorance.

"I'm not talking about the ponies, Oliver", she sighed in exasperation, but still smiled.

"Oh…ohh", Oliver grinned, pretending to catch on to what she meant. "Well, yes I had a wonderful time too."

They shared a smile before Oliver reached down and curled his wide hand around her waist. "So does that mean you don't want me to buy you a pony of your own?"

Grace's eyes widened at the mere thought of a childhood fantasy come true. "I wouldn't say that…"

Oliver laughed and tickled her side before he became serious. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get here. To realize that you were there for me, ready to be everything I've needed and wanted."

Grace dropped her eyes. "I'm sorry too. I should have been upfront with you, Oliver. I wish I'd been braver."

"You have a heart full of kindness and compassion, fortitude, and forgiveness. I don't for a moment doubt that you are very brave, but it probably wouldn't be fair to the rest of us if you got to have that too."

Grace laughed tearfully, becoming emotional at his sincere words. She swallowed thickly, meeting his eyes again with her own. "Although you may not realize it, Oliver. You possess all of those qualities too."

His whole face shone as he gazed at his wife. "If I do then I can only say that it is you who has taught them to me."

She lifted her hand to her his face and guided him forwards until their lips met gently.

They stayed together the two of them, embracing and caressing and kissing each other, making the most of the fact that their daughter had had a late night and would likely be asleep for some time yet, while also making the most of exploring their newfound affection.

After about ten minutes though, Oliver chuckled as he heard Grace's stomach rumbling. "Are you hungry? Shall I call Drake for the breakfast trays?"

"Oh, are you sure you want people to find out about us so soon?" She asked him hesitantly.

He smiled at her gently. "Grace, I have the most beautiful woman on Earth next to me, I'd invite the whole world in to see that if I could!"

Grace turned her face to her pillow, feeling shy suddenly. She wasn't used to receiving such compliments, especially from him.

"Hey now, don't you turn your face away. I mean it, Grace. In my eyes, you are the most beautiful woman in the world", he told her sternly but with a great amount of tenderness.

"Thank you", she responded sincerely, blinking away tears that were threatening to fall.

"Now, of course, if you'd rather no one found out just yet, I completely understand…"

"No!" Grace cut him off, shaking her head rapidly. "I have the most handsome man on Earth next to me. Why wouldn't I want the whole world to know how incredibly lucky I am?"

To prove that she was sure, she reached across him and picked up his call bell on his bedside table, giving it a little shake and smiling at him as it dinged.

After a few moments, the door to Oliver's bedroom opened and Drake walked in through it carrying a breakfast tray, which the butler nearly dropped upon seeing Grace there with Oliver.

Admirably, Drake simply bowed his head in a professional manner and greeted them both, "Sir, Madam."

"Good morning Drake", they both smiled wryly at him in unison and the butler set the tray down between them.

"Shall I…bring another tray?" He asked them uncertainly.

"No, this'll be sufficient, thank you Drake", Oliver answered.

"Will you be needing another set of cutlery?" The butler asked, still wrapping his head around the fact that the two of them were in bed together.

"We'll be fine sharing, thank you Drake", Grace answered him with a blithe smile.

Drake's eyes flicked between the two of them almost in disbelief but he remained steadfast and simply bowed his head once more. "Not a problem, Madam." With another slightly lingering glance over them, he turned and left them to it.

Once he'd left, Grace tittered, shaking her head. "Good Lord, I just realized, we should have at least put some clothes on before calling him." She suddenly felt quite self-conscious, even though he'd already left and they'd had the blanket pulled up over their chests, their bare shoulders had probably been visible. Grace blushed furiously but Oliver simply gave a little shrug. "Well, you see, this way, after we eat, I thought we might follow it up by indulging in each other a little more", he smiled at her with his eyes twinkling.

"Oh, is that what you thought?" Grace laughed breathlessly, enamored but simultaneously stunned by his insatiability.

"Mhm", he replied with a grin and a hungry stare which Grace couldn't help but wilt under.

She turned to look at the breakfast they would be sharing and noticed the porridge he always had with jam and whipped cream on the side. Feeling bold, and stirred on by her husband's interest, she swiped a little whipped cream with her finger and smeared it across his lips before running her silky tongue over his mouth.

Oliver groaned and craned his neck forward to capture her mouth again, making his licentiousness for her known.

Needless to say, their breakfast that morning was the messiest they'd eaten in their adult lives.

When both of them were suitably satiated, in more than one way, they finally rang the bell again to have their tray removed.

Mrs. Pugh appeared shortly after in a flurry. Clearly Drake had already informed her what he'd seen in Mr. Warbucks room. The cook burst into tears when she saw the two of them.

"Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Warbucks, I-I'm sorry. I'm just so happy for both of you", she sniveled as she carefully picked up the tray.

"Thank you Mrs. Pugh", Grace smiled happily at her friend.

"We're very happy too", Oliver chuckled.

"I hope you don't mind me suggesting it, but would you like me to keep Annie occupied when she wakes up so that the two of you can have a little more time alone together?" Mrs. Pugh asked delicately.

Both Grace and Oliver blushed. "That's very kind of you, Mrs. Pugh. We should be getting to work soon anyway, but if you wouldn't mind watching Annie for a little while this morning, we'd be most grateful", Oliver answered her.

"My pleasure, Sir", the cook told him with a wide smile. She stood staring at the couple for several long moments until Grace pointedly said, "Thank you Mrs. Pugh", encouraging her romantic friend to leave.

Mrs. Pugh shook her head, snapping out of her haze. She bowed apologetically before shuffling hastily out of the bedroom.

"Oh, dear Mrs. Pugh", Grace sighed happily. "You know, when I first realized my feelings for you it was her that I went to, to confide in."

Oliver gave his wife a soft look. "And what did she say?"

"She said I should let you know right away. I was much too afraid to just come right out and tell you, though."

"Why were you afraid?" He asked caringly, stroking her shoulder gently with his thumb.

"I didn't know how you would receive it. I couldn't be sure if you felt the same. I mean, there were moments when I thought maybe you might, the way you looked at me at times, the gentleness you'd begun to show me. I didn't want to put a wedge between us if my intuition was wrong though. I didn't want to damage our relationship, especially for Annie's sake. So instead of just telling you how I felt, I danced around the issue, tried to let you know in sort of backhanded ways, and of course that turned out fantastically", she rolled her eyes at herself.

"Well, it's turned out pretty fantastically now, has it not?" Oliver smiled tenderly at her. "In any case, you're not entirely to blame. I could have told you what I was feeling, as well."

"Why didn't you?"

Oliver sighed. "As far as I was concerned, you were obligated to me more than anything. You're caring and kind to everyone, I never thought that you actually had special feelings for me, even if you were being especially attentive. I just thought you were making the most of the situation you found yourself in. I…I suppose I still feel that way to some degree."

"No, no", Grace shook her head emphatically, his words made her want to cry. "Don't you ever feel that way. I'm not just making the most of our situation, I promise. I'm truly happy with you. I never dreamed I could be so happy."

Oliver bent his head to kiss his wife deeply with affection, adoration and gratitude for choosing him to be the one to spend her life with.

The couple stayed in bed lounging in blissful contentment for about another half hour before Grace told him that as lovely as it would be to stay there, they did actually have to do some work that day. She left him with a smile, throwing her dress from the previous night hastily over herself before jogging to her room.

She wasn't ashamed in any way and she knew that by now probably the entire household would be aware of where she had slept last night, but as the lady of the house she did want to maintain some semblance of decorum.

Less than an hour later, Grace and Oliver had both washed and dressed and were in Oliver's office, hard at work as if it were any other day.

"We've got to find a way to cut costs on this next shipment." Oliver frowned, scanning the timetables and figures for his steel carriers.

Grace narrowed her eyes in consideration, staring at the charts too. She pointed to the list and said, "Why can't we combine shipping of these two lots? There's plenty of room on that barge and the shipment can sit in Baltimore until the next boat comes through, right?"

"Well yes dearest, that's true but I'm not sure the dock master would be agreeable to his dock being clogged up by forty-thousand tonnes of steel for over a week, do you?"

He looked up from his charts to glance at her and noticed the peculiar little smile on her face.

"What?"

"Dearest?" She questioned him in amusement.

Oliver put his pen down on his desk, pausing to look at her. "I'm sorry, doesn't it suit you?"

"Oh no, it suits me perfectly well", she told him agreeably but still turned her head away from him.

Oliver gazed at his wife knowingly. "Have I taken you by surprise?"

She flicked her eyes up to his and blushed a little. "Yes, I think maybe you might have." Her lips spread into a shy smile and Oliver chuckled affectionately. "Hmm, good."

She blinked in astonishment and his laughter increased, prompting her to join him.

When their laughter died down, Grace added, "I must admit, I'm also a little surprised by your consideration of others. The Oliver Warbucks I knew not so long ago just wouldn't have given a damn", she gave him a pointed look.

Oliver smiled tightly at his wife. "You're right. I think a large part of that was because I felt that no one gave a damn about me."

Grace gave him a pained look. "But that's not true", she told him emotionally.

"I know that now", he assured her. He reached his hand out across the desk and she immediately grasped it in her own.

A knock on the office door made them jump. It wasn't that they were hiding their relationship from anyone but they did both want to be seen as being professional during business hours.

They shared a secretive smile as Drake walked into the room. "Sir, telegram from Mr. Astor's secretary. Mr. Astor wishes to remind you of your meeting at his home this afternoon to discuss the upcoming regatta."

"Oh, cripes. I'd forgotten. Thank you, Drake."

The butler bowed his head and left the room again.

Oliver groaned, pushing himself up from his chair. "Why do I agree to participate in these things?"

"Because it's good for public relations and because secretly you still have a yen for the sea", Grace reminded him with a light grin.

He walked around the desk and pulled Grace to his side to whisper into ear, "I have a yen for you."

Grace laughed in shock and delight, giving him a quick kiss before prompting him, "Go on." Seeing that he didn't seem intent on moving at all, she nudged him, "Go!"

They both chuckled and he reluctantly pulled away.

When he was almost at the door, Grace called out, "Oh and take Annie and Sandy along will you? You know how much they both love playing with Mr. Astor's dog."

He gave her a wry smile, "Yes dearest."

As her husband left the room, Grace blushed. She shook her head, wondering if he would ever stop making her feel this way.

"Oliver, thank you for coming. I'm so pleased to be working with you on this." John Jacob "Jakey" Astor greeted Oliver as he walked into his home office.

"Good of you to ask me, Jakey", Oliver shook the young tycoon's hand.

"Hello Annie", Jakey smiled down at the girl, and her faithful companion.

"Hiya Mr. Astor."

"Juniper's out back if you and Sandy want to go and play with him."

"Yes please", Annie grinned excitedly.

"Tucky!" Jakey called out and shortly after a young woman appeared. "Oliver, I don't think you've met my wife, Ellen, or Tucky as we call her."

"Indeed I have not. Pleasure to meet you…Tucky", Oliver shook the young lady's hand.

"And you, Oliver", she smiled pleasantly.

"Annie, Tucky will show you where Juniper is."

"Thank you Mr. Astor", Annie smiled at Jakey and pulled Sandy along with her, following the new Mrs. Astor out the door.

Once they'd left the room, Oliver muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Uh, Jakey, I don't mean to be tactless but…last time I saw you, you were engaged to someone else. What happened to her?"

Jakey sighed. "Oh Oliver, it's a long, sad tale, but anyway…love has found me again and that's what matters, right?" He shrugged casually.

Oliver shook his head. "I suppose so."

"Well, you should know all about it. I hear you're recently married yourself."

"Nearly six months now", Oliver pointed out as both men sat down at Jakey's desk.

"Oh, do forgive me, I've been out of the country", Jakey explained. "So…six months, huh? How's it been? All smooth sailing, I hope? If you'll pardon the pun." He flashed Oliver a grin.

Oliver chuckled. "Not exactly, but recently we've turned a bit of a corner and I believe the waters ahead will be much calmer."

Jakey nodded his head contemplatively. "Good, so it gets better?"

"Not without work, Jakey. Not without compromise and a lot of understanding from both of you", Oliver told the younger man wisely. "But if you have those things and your feelings are sincere, I promise you, you'll have something worth more than all the gold in the world."

The young man's eyes lit up at the elder's heartfelt platitude. He cleared his throat, the twenty-two year old not wishing to have their meeting become too clouded by saccharine emotions.

"Well, Oliver…let's talk about this regatta, shall we?"

The two men discussed plans for the annual and now famous New York event. They would be racing together for Jakey's first competition, so Oliver could "show him the ropes" as it were.

"Despite the circumstances of my Father's demise, sailing was always one of his great loves and now that I'm of age, I look forward to representing him and the rest of my family in this tremendous event." Jakey said to Oliver as their meeting came to a close.

"He was a great man, your Father. I wish I'd had the chance to know him", Oliver told the young man sincerely as he stood up and shook his hand.

"So do I", Jakey smiled bittersweetly.

Annie and Oliver left the Astor home shortly after, with Sandy in tow, wagging his tail happily following his play date.

As Oliver drove the car, he spoke to his daughter. "Annie, before we go home, I want to make a quick stop."

"OK, Daddy", Annie responded agreeably.

He pulled the car over outside a florist shop and after a quick phone call to the house, he went to go inside.

Having heard his end of the conversation, Annie looked at her Father inquisitively. "Daddy…"

"I'll be right back", he winked, tapping her gently on the nose before making his way into the store.

When he returned, he handed a single white rose to Annie, which she accepted with a joyous expression. He carefully placed a bouquet of tulips on the back seat of the car and his daughter grinned at him. The two of them shared a knowing look before Oliver drove them home.

When they arrived, Oliver and Annie immediately went to find Grace who was still at work in the office.

As soon as she saw her husband and daughter walk into the room, a smile lit up Grace's face. "Hello."

"Hi Mommy!" Annie bounced over to her Mother and hugged her.

"Did you and Sandy have fun with Mr. Astor's dog?"

"Yes, but the two of them look so much alike, I kept confusing them", Annie giggled and her parents both laughed too.

"How was your meeting?" Grace asked Oliver with a caring smile.

"Quite productive. The young man has spirit. I think he'll do well."

"With you next to him he's bound to", Grace told him truthfully, making Oliver feel rather flattered.

Annie cleared her throat and glanced at her Father, her eyes flicking behind his back. "Daddy…"

Oliver rolled his eyes at the child. "Yes, thank you Annie. I hadn't forgotten." He withdrew his arm from behind his back, and held out the bouquet of flowers to his wife. "For you. I hope you like them."

Grace's eyes widened at him. "Tulips…why, they're my favorite flower. How did you know?"

Oliver looked at her with his eyebrow raised. "Grace, you may think I don't pay any attention but that's just not true."

"He asked Mrs. Pugh!" Annie giggled, outing her Father who shook his head with a huff.

Grace chuckled at the two of them. "Well, I'm touched that you cared enough to find out. Thank you", she said to Oliver, and without a moment of hesitation, she stepped forward to place a gentle kiss upon his lips.

"Wait a minute!" Annie screeched. "You kissed?!" She squealed in disbelief. "When did you start kissing?!" The poor girl almost hyperventilated out of excitement.

"Just last night as a matter of fact", Oliver smiled at his daughter.

"At my party?!" She continued in a very high pitched voice.

Grace shushed her, trying to calm her daughter down but smiling at her along with her husband. They had both known how excited she would be when they broke the news to her about their change in relationship.

"Oh Daddy, Mommy, now we can be a real family because you really love each other now, don't you?"

Oliver shifted his eyes from his daughter to his wife who was looking back at him with an endearing expression. "Well actually Annie, I haven't yet said it, but yes I do. I love you very much, Grace."

"I love you too, Oliver", Grace responded tearfully. As they met each other for another kiss, their daughter cheered enthusiastically. When they broke apart, they were both smiling widely at each other. Annie wrapped her arms around both of her parents and they squeezed her back, the three of them embracing each other as a loving family.

Later that night, after they had eaten dinner and had finally put their overly-excitable child to bed, Oliver and Grace wore matching grins as they made their way down the hall hand in hand. Passing by her own bedroom, Grace pulled Oliver along with her until they reached his room. She pushed the door open and turned to give him a look of invitation. "Aren't you coming?"

The slack jawed expression fell away from his face as he replied to her suavely, "Right after you, dearest."