Alan was hiding again. He tried not to do that so much, but with all the chaos in his house, he sometimes just needed to escape. Tonight, he was in the wine cellar.

He opened up a red blend and sipped it while sitting alone in the quiet, temperature-controlled room. The quiet was nice. Between Ethan and Hailey arguing all the time, Hailey crying, Ellie trying to keep the peace, and everyone just shouting for some reason, Alan hadn't had much quiet in a while.

The next month was going to be hell, he knew. The countdown until the baby was born. Ellie was busy with classes with midterms coming up, so Alan was the one at the house helping Ethan and Hailey with everything. And boy did they need it. Ethan had parenting videos playing on YouTube on a constant loop. Hailey was so messed up with the pregnancy hormones that she was convinced that everyone was out to get her, and even with the rest of them walking on eggshells, she started sobbing at the drop of a hat. And Ethan didn't know how to handle her. He tried, but he was at his wit's end, too. But the baby was due just after Thanksgiving, and Halloween would be coming next week. The days couldn't pass fast enough.

The door to the wine room opened. Ellie came in, not surprised to find him there. She just stood there in the doorway, looking at him with a sad sort of smile. "Come to bed, Alan," she requested gently.

He ignored that and held out his wine glass to her. "Taste this. Let me know what you think."

She stepped towards him, taking the glass slightly warily, a little smirk on her lips. "What is it?"

"A blend. Try it," he insisted.

Ellie smelled the wine first, breathing in deeply and pondering that for a moment. She hummed in curiosity. Then she took a small sip and let the wine move over every part of her tongue before swallowing.

Alan watched her and felt a small bubble of arousal. Ellie did everything he'd taught her. She wasn't any more sophisticated with his stuff than he was for most of their lives. But with his new hobby, she'd joined in eagerly. And it was a familiar dynamic for them. Alan teaching, Ellie learning and challenging him, the both of them learning even more together.

After a moment of consideration, Ellie responded, "It's interesting. You know I like a blend, but this one is different."

Alan nodded. "Twenty percent Zinfandel."

"Oh that is unusual."

He nodded. "There's a tasting room in Saratoga Village that has some interesting things. I bought a few bottles the last time I was up there."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're going to tasting rooms in the village?"

"I gotta do something, Ellie," he said.

Her shoulders sagged. "I know. I know none of this is what you want, and I know I'm never here, and you're stuck with all the drama. You're a saint for all this, honestly, but I know you need a break sometimes."

"Which is why I'm hiding out in here," he said.

"What can I do?" she asked worriedly.

Alan shrugged, taking his wineglass back and having another sip. "There's nothing to do. We just gotta get through this, get ready for what's coming. What I want and what's going to happen are very different things."

Ellie crossed her arms somewhat defiantly. "Alright, try me. What do you want? Even if you think it's not gonna happen."

"I want to marry you," he said without hesitation. "But I know with a baby coming, we can't plan a wedding. We've talked about this before, honey. It'll happen eventually, but just not yet. We can't start thinking about all of that until things get settled with Ethan and the baby." And that was the truth. Alan knew damn well he wasn't going to get to marry Ellie Sattler any time soon. She had mentioned perhaps next spring, but that was wishful thinking. They'd be lucky if it was any time next year at all.

After all, Ellie had a dream. She wanted to be married up on a hill overlooking the vineyard at sunset. And the weather was always decent in the Bay Area, but Alan knew this time of year, around October or so, would be the best possible time for them to get married and have a beautiful sunset just like Ellie wanted. Maybe this time next year. But maybe not.

Alan finished the glass of wine and left it on the bar counter. He'd wash up tomorrow. "Come on," he said, reaching out for her hand. "Let's go to bed."

Ellie took the hand he offered and gave him a comforting squeeze but did not allow him to move toward the door. "Alan, I want you to listen to me."

He stood still and looked at her, recognizing that serious tone in her voice. "I'm listening."

She reached up and put her hand on his bearded cheek. "I love you more than I ever thought possible. And I mean that. I loved you before, and then I loved Mark, and now…Alan, you're every dream I've ever had come true. Dreams I didn't even know I had. And we are gonna get married, I swear to you on my own life."

"It's okay, honey," he assured her, taking her hand off his cheek so he held both her hands. "I love you, too, and I know it'll all work out."

"But that's the thing, I want your dreams to come true, too. I just don't know how to do everything."

"You don't have to! I'm not complaining about anything. I might have to hide in the wine cellar or go off to the village by myself to get a little break from all of this, but I wouldn't trade this life for anything. It's unexpected, of course, but you always wanted us to raise a kid together, didn't you? Well, now we get to raise a grandkid together. It's all gonna be okay."

She frowned. "But you didn't really sign up for this…"

"Ellie, I signed up for you, and that means your family. Ethan needs us. His daughter is gonna need us. So that's what we're gonna do. I've said it before, and I'll say it as many times as it takes for you to know that I'm in this with you, no matter what," Alan vowed.

Without a word, Ellie took her hands out of his so she could wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace. Alan held her close, soothingly rubbing her back and taking comfort in the feel of her and smell of her.

"I love you, Dr. Sattler," he whispered.

He could feel her smile where her face rested against the crook of his neck. "I love you, Dr. Grant," she murmured in return. Ellie lifted her head to look him in the eye. "Now will you please come to bed with me so I can show you how much I love you?"

Alan couldn't help grinning at that. It was late, and he was tired, but he could certainly find a way to rally. After almost six months of living with Ethan and Hailey, their love life had been much more subdued than it used to be. They took their opportunities wherever they could.

They went upstairs hand in hand after Alan locked the doors and Ellie turned out all the lights downstairs.

"By the way," he said, as they made their way to their bedroom, "are you still gonna want me when I'm Grandpa Alan?"

"I think it's more fitting to ask if you'll want me when I'm Nana Ellie," she fired back.

"Frankly, the times when I wanted you when I shouldn't have would shock you. The fact that your son has a baby is not going to stop me."

She giggled. "Well, now I want to know when you wanted me when you shouldn't have."

"I'll tell you all about it once you take your top off," he said. "But you didn't answer my question."

Ellie closed their door and pulled her blouse over her head before she started sucking on Alan's neck and undoing the buttons of his shirt. "I wanted you when I shouldn't have, too," she said, her voice slightly muffled against his skin. "And my son having a baby is not gonna stop me either."

Alan grinned happily and pulled her head up to lock her lips with his. They didn't talk after that. Alan got more of the quiet he had wanted. Only this time, the quiet was interrupted only by their gasps and moans of pleasure.