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"H-hi, Doctor," Ellen, nineteen and just beginning to figure things out for herself, greeted timidly as she crept into the Clinic, clutching a piping hot dish in a set of oven mitts.
He looked up, a wide smile spreading over his face, and he set down his pen and hurried over.
"Ellen!"
"Um, Gina and I went looking for herbs earlier today, and we shipped most of them, but Gina kept some on hand just in case she needs some and can't find any in the stores, because she's really smart like that, not like me, I'm just a silly ranch-girl..." When she realized that she was rambling, Ellen gave a little squeak of despair, and tried again. "Um, anyway I kept some too, and Martha told me that you really like Grilled Snapper, so I went and found Ray and gave him a basket of the best eggs I could from my two special chickens that are just mine, and he gave me a freezer full of snapper, even though I just wanted one, because he said that he doesn't like to swindle pretty girls, even though I think he was just making fun of me and really gave me all those fish because he was afraid that Papa would get mad at him."
He stared blankly.
"Um, are you okay, Ellen?"
"I'm fine!" she yelped hastily. "And, um, I brought you some Grilled Snapper, because Martha and Gina said you always forget to have lunch, and you shouldn't do that, because a doctor getting sick because he never takes care of himself is kind of funny."
"Oh…thank-you very much," he said, peering, intrigued, at the baking dish from which that delicious scent was wafting. "I suppose I am a little hungry. Would you like to join me, Ellen?"
"I had lunch before I came over, but I'll still stay to see if you like it," she replied eagerly, following him as he hurried into the other room.
"It smells wonderful," he noted dreamily, mouth watering a little as he cleared off some space at the little table and drew out a chair for her.
She settled the dish carefully down on the potholders, and carefully pulled off the lid, giggling inwardly as her big brother peeked into the dish like a little boy on Christmas.
"Can I offer you a cup of cocoa, at least?" he asked, helping her into the chair.
Trying very hard not to be too enthusiastic, she nodded.
"That would be very nice, thank-you."
Grinning at her affected politeness, he hurried off to fetch her drink and some dishes for the snapper.
"I'm really glad you finally asked Gina to the Festival tomorrow," Ellen piped up as he reemerged from the little kitchenette with an empty plate for the fish, a little plate of cookies, and her cocoa. "You'll have fun, floating your wish-boats together. I know what you're going to wish for," she finished with a giggle.
He paused.
"I did?" he asked, scratching his head in mock-confusion. "Have I been sleep-walking again?"
Ellen stared.
"Gina said she had a date! She was smiling and giggling and blushing and Dia was teasing her all afternoon!"
Alex smiled in between mouthfuls of Ellen's gift.
"I think we have Woody's young apprentice to thank for that."
"But I thought Joe was taking Katie!"
"Not Joe," he corrected. "Kurt."
"But Kurt is taking Dia!" Ellen wailed.
"No, Jamie is taking Dia," Alex informed her, hiding a smile at her expression of miserable bewilderment.
She whimpered.
"Oww…"
"It's hard to keep up, isn't it?" the dark-haired man said, reaching across the table to pat her hand consolingly and laughing affectionately, inwardly of course, as her cheeks grew bright red.
"You should have asked Gina when you had the chance," she told him sternly, snatching her hand away. "She's so sweet, and very pretty when she has her hair down, and her glasses are cute!"
"I know," Alex said comfortably. "She's also brilliant, efficient, and has a sixth sense when it comes to locating everything I've misplaced. All in all, she's a perfect nurse, and a wonderful friend. I think Kurt is very lucky, and I'm very grateful to him for how happy she's been over the past season. As I recall from Katie's visit, a Blue Feather has exchanged hands."
"But now who are you going to ask?" Ellen demanded, eyes wide and despondent.
"With all this worry over my date, I'm assuming you've found a date already?" he grinned.
She blushed more deeply, and stared into her cocoa.
"Not really," she finally admitted. "A lot of boys around here don't like me very much."
He watched her, and gave her hand another sympathetic squeeze. He knew this about her, and it always baffled and upset him when he heard her described as plain, or worse, as ugly. To anyone with eyes, she was neither, and he strongly suspected that those big, sweet brown eyes and that warm, friendly, forthright smile played havoc with far more young hearts than she suspected.
But there was no reason to tell her so.
"Those young men have no idea what they're missing. I suppose it must take a certain amount of maturity to know a good thing when you see it."
"I know a good thing when I see it," Ellen pointed out suddenly, and then gave another squeak of dismay, shrinking back into her chair.
"So do I," Alex smiled. "Drink your cocoa."
Obeying more to hide her nearly phosphorescent blush than anything, Ellen snatched up the cup and gulped down nearly half its contents.
"Ooh…that was a mistake," she confided with a pained groan and a sheepish grin, one hand pressed to her tummy, rather upset by too much rich chocolate beverage dumped into it at once.
He laughed again, and poured a second cup of tea from the pot on the counter.
"That might help."
She sent him a grateful smile and sipped delicately at the tea, and for a time silence reigned in the small room as he went back to his lunch.
"Ellen," he finally spoke up, slowly and thoughtfully as though he hadn't been planning it since the second she walked in and regardless of a hundred dates, "if you're short on dates for the Festival, would you like to go together?"
"Sure!" she chirped giddily. "I-I mean, since you don't have anyone better to go with, I guess I could take pity on your and be your fallback."
He frowned, and laid down his fork amid the remains of the fish. Ignoring her bright red cheeks and startled, terrified expression, he came around the table and knelt in front of her chair.
"You're not a fallback, Ellen. I would happily choose you over any other girl in this village."
"You're so nice, Alex," she giggled, hugging his hand when he rested it at her cheek. "You even say sweet things to your silly little sister."
He laughed softly, eyes drifting over short silky hair, those beautiful eyes, and that sweet smile, down to a figure that, although garbed in the same plain skirts and blouses and apron as ever, had filled out beautifully since she was fiteen and lanky.
"You haven't been a little sister to me in a long time," he admitted, pushing off from the floor. "But I don't want to push you into anything. If you don't feel the same way, I'll drop it."
She bolted from her own chair and hurried after him, turning him back toward her and looking up at him, smile wobbly and eyes filled with tears that seemed from anything but sorrow.
"Can we start with the Festival and see what happens?"
Unable to resist the temptation, he ran one hand over her hair, just as silken soft as it looked, and felt his heart swell a little with happiness when she made a little purring sound and leaned into his touch.
"I think that's fair."
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Meanwhile, glossy dark brown and shining pale blue bent together, peeking curiously in the door.
"Did he finally ask her?" Dia mouthed to Gina.
"I think so," Gina mouthed back around a tremendous smile, giving a little hop of joy as she backed away from the kitchenette.
Together, the girls scurried out of the Clinic.
"We had better get back to the Café now," Dia said once they were far enough away to be assured that the two happily hugging in the Clinic wouldn't hear. "If we don't hurry, Martha will leave to come find us, and we gave up a ride in the mountains with Jamie and Kurt specifically to keep her out of the Clinic this afternoon while Ellen was there. I don't want that to go to waste."
Nodding in agreement, Gina hurried after her lifelong best friend, after one last glance over her shoulder at the Clinic with a smile of pure elation that now all the people special to her had gotten their happy ending.
For now, at least.
But that was enough; there was no point in rushing things.
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End Notes: Hee! Because, once again, I am playing fast and loose wiht the concept of a "one-shot". I don't know; this felt like it needed something. Like, maybe some actual dialogue between the intended couple. XD