As he finished shaving, Pie watched Ice in the reflection of the mirror. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, brushing her hair. Hattie Malloy wasn't what most would call beautiful, but over the last few days he had come to realize that she was. He had known her for five years, but had never noticed that her hair was no longer the reddish gold that it had been when they met. Instead her hair had already turned a pale grey, but on the rare occasion that she left it down, such as now when she was brushing it, you could still see hints of the old fiery color.

Almost as if she realized that he was staring at her, she looked over her shoulder at him. Drying his face, he walked to her before leaning down and stealing a kiss. He pulled back slightly and when she didn't hit him, he gently caressed her cheek and kissed her again. After a few minutes he pulled away again. "I'll be back in time for dinner, muirnin," he whispered, leaving her alone.

He stopped in the lobby when he saw the landlady's granddaughter sitting at the desk. "Good morning, Miss Jessa."

Jessa Rhian looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning, Mr. Malloy."

He chuckled. "I don't think I'll ever get used to being called that. Call me Dolan or Pie like my friends do." He leaned against the counter and looked down at the baby in her arms. "Who is that adorable creature?"

She gazed down at the baby in her arms and cooed at her. "This is Blythe Conlon and she's two weeks old today."

"She's beautiful...so she must take after her mama. It's a good thing she doesn't look like her daddy," he laughed.

Spot walked down the hall and joined them. "I heard that Pie." He took his daughter from Jessa. "Did I hear right that you married Ice Malloy?"

Pie stuck his hands in his pockets. "I sure did."

"How did you manage something like that?"

Pie chuckled. "You know how we Manhattan boys are...we'll bet on anything."

"So you married her to win a bet?" Spot asked.

"Something like that," Pie answered, sheepishly.

"Dolan..." Jessa whispered, looking past the two men at the stairs. The two men looked at her for a moment before following her gaze. Beau and Ice stood on the stairs.

He stepped toward her. "Hattie..."

She stared at him, her face the unreadable mask that she had always hidden behind. After a moment she turned and ran back up the stairs.

"Hattie..." he called after her.

"We'll be late for work," Beau said, heading for the door.

Sighing, Pie followed him. "How much of that did she hear?"

"Enough," Beau muttered.

"It wasn't like it sounded. The bet was just to have an actual conversation with her..."

"Don't tell me. You have to convince her."

He sighed again. "I've been with a lot of girls, but never one with a heart as cold as hers."

Beau looked down at the shorter man. "You've obvisously melted her heart a little...otherwise she wouldn't have been that upset about what you were saying to Spot."

Pie ran his fingers through his hair. "I really messed up."

-----

Nearly a week later Ice was still not talking to Pie anymore than she had to. In fact, she was avoiding him at all costs. When she came home from her job as a bookkeeper she would prepare their dinner and then once he got him she would disappear into the bedroom. Rather than fighting with her, he chose to sleep on the couch.

On this evening as he and Beau returned home from work, Rae and Spot were sitting on the front stoop looking at something in Rae's hands.

"What do you have there?" Beau asked, kneeling on the step in front of Rae.

She glanced up at them. "I found a puppy...and he's so tiny..."

Pie looked down at the puppy. "He's probably a runt."

Beau carefully took the puppy from her. "The poor little thing looks like he hasn't eaten recently."

"He ate some of the bread off my sandwich and then fell asleep in my lap," Rae replied.

Spot laughed. "You should have heard the little guy. He was barking up a storm, but it was more of a yelp."

"What are you going to do with him?" Pie asked.

"He'd get trampled at Beau's...and Silk's cat had kitten about two weeks ago..." Rae answered.

Spot interrupted. "Six kittens..."

Pie laughed. "Can I have him? Maybe he'll soften Ice up..."

Rae looked up at him. "Is she still not talking to you?"

Beau handed the puppy to Pie. "Gifts always work with Rae." Rae hit him playfully.

Spot smirked. "It worked when I gave Silk that kitten who now thinks she owns the place."

Pie took a good look at the tiny puppy. "It can't hurt. She's already not talking to me." After another few minutes he carried the puppy up the stairs to his flat. She was just putting dinner on the table when he stepped inside. "I've got something for you."

She stopped and looked at him. "What...what is it?"

He grinned. "You'll have to come over here and find out." She sent him a questioning look before slowly moving toward him. "Hold out your hands and close you eyes."

"Pie..." she started.

He held his free hand up. "Just trust me, please," he pleaded.

She stared at him for a moment before placing her hands together and closing her eyes. "It's warm and furry," she said, as he placed the puppy in her hands. "And very tiny."

He chuckled. "Open your eyes." He smiled at the look of surprise on her face.

"Oh, Dolan...he's so adorable..." she whispered, cuddling the puppy close to her.

He reached out and gently touched her cheek. "Can I please explain what you overheard the other day?"

She looked up at him a moment before nodding.

"When I came and sat down across from you that day, it was because of a bet. But the bet was only on whether or not I got you to talk back to me. The idea of our marriage came later. Most all the other had someone somewhere that they could call family, but we didn't. I was tired of being alone and thought that maybe you were too," he said, caressing her cheek.

She didn't even realized that she had moved closer to him until he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "I am," she whispered, resting her head on his chest. For the first time she her father died she felt safe and...wanted.

Gaelic Translation:
muirnin - Darling, Sweetheart