Part 37 PG-13
Skye woke up feeling good. One thing you could say for this guy, he sure was - well, that could come from the most unexpected places.
He woke up and grinned at her.
"How are you?" she asked, when to her amazement, he didn't start talking. He looked like he was slow to wake up. She realized this was useful. He was not a morning person. Here was a time of day when he didn't have to get on your nerves.
"I'm alive," he said. He started to move.
"You better move faster," Skye said. "Ambulances don't go slower just because you are slow in the morning."
He grinned again. "You're a real comedienne, Skye."
"Oh, no!" she said. "Emily! What if she find out about this! I'm dead!"
"Oh, she won't care!"
"She'll care. It's an ownership issue. And my parents will say how dare you take anything your little sister wants."
"Number one, she doesn't want it. Number two, your little sister doesn't have a total right to everything she wants, especially which involves another person who could decide they'd rather have you than her!" Sean was starting to wake up now.
"She's the baby of the family, and the way they see it, she should get what she wants. She may not want you. But she surely doesn't want you to decide you don't want her."
"They favor her that much just because she's the baby?"
"Maybe. Anyway, they had to get married on account of me."
"Think about it Skye. If that were the case, then your younger brothers and sister owe their whole existence to you! Your parents must have decided they liked each other after all, to go on and have three more! In which case, they should be grateful to you."
"I like that argument, but they wouldn't buy it."
"Well, hell, they should."
"Then they want me to help her with school. She doesn't do that well."
"Do you have a degree?"
"Yes."
"What's it in, genius?"
"Public Relations."
"Have you ever worked in that?"
"For ELQ. And I got fired."
Sean whooped with laughter. "You got fired from the family company?"
"It's not as easy as it sounds," she said. "Everybody thinks you got the job because it's your family's company."
"Well, that is why you got the job, isn't it?"
"Yes, so you never really know if you could have gotten it otherwise. See how that can blow your confidence out of the water?"
"Yeah," he said, thinking. "That makes sense."
"And you lose the job for stupid things, too, that may not relate to job performance."
"Oh, I see. Yeah, family politics comes in."
"Then it gets your confidence down, and that combined with your pride makes it difficult to go looking like normal people. I could do it, I know. I have a hard time getting motivated."
"I think you could do it."
"How you would know is beyond me."
"You have charisma."
"Gee, thanks."
"You'll go far. Try! Don't let that family get you down!"
"What a cheerleader! Were you one of those male cheerleaders in college?"
"Hahahaha. Let's go down and get a cup of coffee." He had pulled on his clothes.
"I'm not going to be seen going down there with you!"
"OK, wait a few minutes after I've gone, then," he laughed.
"I don't think that they should be first," said Zander.
"Their consent!"
"Yes, Indian Maiden! But let's go to your family right away after. I'll feel awful while my parents know and they don't."
"Awww, it's not that bad! In the long run it doesn't matter, those few minutes."
Oksana smiled and was happy and gave Quinn and hug, and then hugged Zander. Peter beamed and teased them and laughed at them.
Rosa and the girls were happy and hugged them, too.
"We can get Lucky to take the pictures," Rosa said. "You think we can, Lisa?"
"Surely," she said.
"Not too artistic!" Zander said.
"OK, we'll make sure of that," Lisa said.
"You are gonna find her a ring, right, Sander?" Oksana asked.
"No, she doesn't get one, so long as you and Dad consent. I get the corn bread."
"What?" Diana said.
Zander explained.
"That's so romantic," Diana decided.
Zander put his arm around Quinn. "Of course she's got to get the ring. None of the other girls in the hospital or anywhere for that matter will accept it as valid otherwise. We need to get general acceptance beyond one Indian tribe!"
"How come you had to propose, Q.?" Peter asked. "Isn't that his job?"
"I turned down two, before," Quinn said, "so he told me I had to ask. My past scared him right out of asking."
"I would have," Zander said. "Had you waited around too long."
"Oh, is that so?" Quinn said. "Well, you lose."
Everyone laughed while Quinn kissed him.
Zander felt even happier at the Connors'
"Finally, I get to plan her wedding!" Kathleen said. She hugged Zander tight. He laughed. "Thank you!" she said to him. "I don't know how you did it, but you managed to get her to marry you!"
"It was tough when I'm not a shrink and I'm not a shyster," he said.
"Hold on!" Quinn said. "I had to get him to marry me." She explained it.
"Well, if that isn't so sweet," Kathleen said. "How romantic."
"Very clever, Zander!" Danny said. "That was a good thought. Telling her to take up the question. That's what she needed. Very smart. See, there's a way you're smarter than any shyster and it shows up right here!"
"Oh, can it, Dad!" Quinn said, affectionately, though.
"Congratulations," Joe said, with a quieter happiness. Quinn hugged him and Zander shook his hand.
He looked happy. "I hope you like this, Joe," Zander said. "It means a lot to me."
"It's want she wants," Joe said. "Then it means a lot to me."
Quinn hugged him again.
The house was full of talk and laughter. A little later, Zander went down the hallway and looked at the pictures there, the ones of Quinn and her brothers as children, and the one of Quinn and Joe. He looked at them. He knew her wedding picture would end up here, too.
Quinn came up and put her arms around him. "What are you thinking?" she asked.
"That your wedding picture goes here eventually and I can hardly believe it'll be mine." She laid her head on his shoulder and hugged him. He put his arms around her, too, and they looked at the pictures.