"So what do you think of York's parents?" North asked as he walked out of the bathroom in the room he and Emma had claimed.
"They're different, that's for sure," Emma replied as she poked around on her data-pad her legs crossed and hair pulled in a messy ponytail.
"What are you doing on that thing anyway? Every chance you get, I see you poking away on it," North walked over to sit on the bed in front of her.
"Just looking through the news," she shrugged.
"For what?"
"You know for what."
North rolled his eyes and reached out to take the data-pad from her, shutting it off, "Em, he's not just going to pop back up right after everything just finished. He's gonna lay low for a long time if the UNSC doesn't get ahold of him first."
"Yes," she growled reaching around him to take it back, "But that doesn't mean I can't watch for any sort of sign in the meantime."
"You're on vacation, you should be relaxing and enjoying yourself."
Emma reached up and put a hand on the side of his face, "I am."
"Can you do me a favor then?"
"Depends on the favor."
He eased the data-pad back out of her other hand, "Stop looking for him. At least for now. Once we get settled wherever it is we get settled, then by all means, look away. While we're here, I'd appreciate your concentration be on enjoying what you and Ally took the energy to orchestrate." She gave him an annoyed look at first, her hand dropping from his face only for him to catch it and plant a kiss on her palm. "You're only going to keep yourself stressed and worried if you keep looking for a sign when there may not be one right away."
Emma gave a sigh before looking at him, "Wanna know something?"
"Hm?"
"I might love you a little," she smirked.
"Only a little?" he chuckled leaning closer.
"Just a smidge," she replied as he kissed her nose. "I will try to do what you ask."
"And I am sure you will succeed," North grinned. "So shopping tomorrow?"
"Yea. Ally's insisting apparently," Emma sighed. "And you're really going fishing with the guys?"
"Course. I mean, if you really want to try on clothes for me…"
"No that's not what I meant," Emma laughed shoving him.
"You could swing by and pick up those rings while you're out and about."
"Not while I'm with Carolina, Ally and York's mother I won't. We'll go together. I'll never hear the end of it."
"You're never going to hear the end of it once York finds out we got hitched without any of them being the wiser," North pointed out. "I mean, we're going to have to tell them sometime, especially once we start wearing those rings."
"Who said I'm wearing it as a ring? I have a chain, I'll put it behind my old dog tags. No one will see it and therefore no attention will be drawn to it," Emma harrumphed. He raised an eyebrow at her. "What?"
"Nothing."
"North…"
"You're adorable," he smirked. "Now, wife-"
"Shh," she leaned forward covering his mouth. "Don't call me that."
North reached up and grabbed her hands pulling them away from his face. He leaned forward to kiss her, "It's what you are though."
"Someone could hear you," she growled. North grinned at her. "Stop that."
"Nope," he leaned forward and kissed her. "And no one's going to hear us. We're upstairs and in our own room."
"York's parents are staying in the room across from ours."
"Which is an entirely separate room," North chuckled. "It's not like someone's going to sit outside our door with their ear pressed up against it."
"I wouldn't put it passed my brother," Emma grumbled.
"What's so bad if they find out? You know they'll be nothing but happy for us."
"Let's see," Emma sighed, "There's the fact we've only known each other for a pretty short amount of time and the first chance we get, we get married in a chapel without a second thought about it while we may or may not have been drunk. That sounds like a setup for some pretty hard judging if you ask me."
"You just need to adjust," North chuckled. "Besides, you know I'm not going to be able to keep it from York or Wash forever, right? They are my best friends."
"Well you're going to try pretty damn hard otherwise I'm sure it's just as easy to go annul this thing," Emma threatened giving him an innocent smile.
"I'd rather you kill me," North smiled back.
"I'm sure I could arrange that."
"I have no doubt in my mind that you could and would."
"Good."
"Besides, the only thing that matters is what we think and I for one, know that I am madly in love with the gorgeous woman in front of me that I am happy to call my wife whether she wants me calling her that or not."
"One day," Emma chuckled, "Carolina and I are going to have a contest for who the bigger sap is, you or York."
"I would be more than happy to participate in that," he chuckled as he leaned forward to kiss her thoroughly before pulling away. "I do have to say one thing."
"What's that?" Emma raised an eyebrow at him.
"I am very entertained by the fact you went from not wanting anything to do with me, to now being married to me."
Emma rolled her eyes and smacked him playfully before pulling him towards her as she fell back on the bed, "It's all or nothing I suppose."
"And another-"
"Will you just shut up already," Emma rolled her eyes. "I can see why you get along so well with York. You both talk too much."
"So did you decide if you're going to give in to York or not?" Emma asked as she and Carolina perused the clothing racks. Ally had drug Mei off to the opposite side of the aisle.
"Honestly, at this point because he keeps asking me if I made up my mind," Carolina huffed, "I'm letting him sweat it out."
"So you're all for it?"
"His argument makes sense."
"Good," Emma nodded. Carolina raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, I mean…why not? You are here, they have the resources, who knows what's going to happen once this is over. You might both get thrown into doing something for the UNSC and then there's Ally to think about. You may not have the time later."
"I suppose," Carolina smirked giving her a strange look. "I wouldn't expect you to be on his side."
"Hey, if the opportunity knocks and you have the capability, you answer," Emma shrugged turning away as she felt her face reddening.
"Yea, I suppose."
"I mean, if you really love someone and marriage is the next logical step then yea, you should just do it then."
"I'm not arguing with you," Carolina chuckled. "You ok?"
"Yea, I'm fine."
"Alright then," Carolina shook her head and went back to looking at the clothes. "Have I mentioned that I really kind of hate clothes shopping?"
"A few times," Emma nodded. "I was never really one for it either to be honest. At least after my mother died."
"I was too little to appreciate shopping with mine," Carolina sighed. "And then it was just me and my father and well, you see what happened with the two of us bonding…"
"I'm sure there were some good times."
"Maybe in the beginning when mom was alive," Carolina replied.
"At least now you have your own family though," Emma pointed out.
"Third times the charm," Carolina gave a dry chuckle.
"Momma!" Ally waved from where she was standing with Mei. "Come look at what we found!"
"Long as I don't have to try to find something..." Carolina muttered making Emma snigger as they walked over. "What'd you find?"
"Mimi found pretty dresses for you and Aunty Emma," Ally said. "I told her what color your armors were and she found these two. One is teal like yours and the other one has lotsa green like Aunty Emma's."
"I think I got your sizes right," Mei nodded holding up a teal blue dress and a purple and lime green floral dress. "Go try them on." Both women stared at her. She looked down at Ally, "Are they always like this?"
"I guess," Ally giggled. "Daddy would know more than me though."
"Listen, Mei-"
"It's mum for the last time, dear," Mei said throwing the appropriate dresses at the girls before dragging them to the changing rooms. "And that's to both of you. None of this Mei or Mrs. Lang nonsense. We're family, you will call me mum."
"Technically, I'm not-" Emma started before the smaller woman turned and glared at her. "Ok..."
"York is our son and you are his sister by blood. You are family in my book," Mei scolded. "Now get in there and try that on. We're making those boys drool tonight."
"There really isn't-"
"Momma, listen to Mimi," Ally smiled hanging on the woman in question. "She knows what she's been talking about. Go try on your dress."
"How's it going up here, son?" George asked leaning against the railing where York was standing.
"Peachy, Pops. Enjoying yourself?" York asked.
"Course I am. Your friends are something else though," George chuckling pointing back at the rest of the crew.
"Oh yea," York nodded.
"Gotta say though..."
"What do you have to say?" York asked giving him an interested look.
"I was surprised when Emma got a hold of us and invited us here to see you," George replied looking out over the water.
"Why? Yea it's been awhile since I called or anything, but I mean, I also had other things going on."
"Now I mean no disrespect to what you were doing. I chased your mother just like you chased your Lina," George nodded. "Followed her all the way to London. Ain't quite the same as joining the military and then crossing most of space, but the sentiments the same." He gave a sigh, "I figured you'd probably actually get yourself killed for real rather than just pretending to be dead."
"Oh," York nodded. "Sorry I worried you."
George bumped into him, "Don't do it again."
"Yes sir."
"What, no salute?" York rolled his eye at him. "I'm kidding. You know, you never did tell us what you did there. Your mother probably could've fixed you up too."
"Pops, I was out in space with the best medical team. There was nothing they could do, shrapnel kinda shredded it. That's what happens when a grenade goes off three feet from you during a training exercise."
"And you only made it out with a bum eye?"
"Fast thinking from a teammate saved the rest of me," York sighed.
"Some teammate. Hope you thanked them."
"Yea, when they got me shot and I almost died helping them a few years later," York scoffed.
"That was that Tex person." York nodded. "Who was actually an AI based off your Lina's dead mother?" York gave him a confused look. "North filled us in a bit when he was staying with us."
"How nice of him," York chuckled.
"Well you weren't telling us anything. How else were we supposed to know what kind of trouble you were in and why you were staying away?"
"Got me there."
"You know you could've called and talked to us."
"Didn't want to put you two in danger," York shrugged. He gave a dry chuckle, "And then there's Ally. You don't know how much I wish we would've gotten to raise her."
"I can imagine," George put an arm on his shoulder.
"I mean...Emma did a great job with her...but it sorta kills me Lina and I didn't get to do it."
"But you get to do it now," George pointed out. "And I can see that little girl loves you both to the moon and back and you both feel the same. There'll be another chance, I'm sure."
"If we get to slow down long enough. We don't even know what's going on with the whole situation we just helped with."
"Have faith son," George chuckled. "Things'll work out better than you expect them to."
"You say so," York chuckled. He wrapped an arm around George's shoulder, "I missed you, Pop."
"Missed you too, son."
"Now Wash, I hope I don't have to tell you that this is an actual eight year old you will be watching," York explained. "I know you're used to dealing with children who are adult size-"
"Hey! I do not act like a child!" Tucker yelled from where he was sitting with Junior by the pool.
"I'm sure he meant Caboose," Wash chuckled.
"Yea, sure, let's go with that," York agreed. "You are the adult and no matter how much that sweet little face of hers begs you, you don't have to give in to anything."
"Oh, you mean like you do?" Wash gave him a skeptical look.
"Exactly. No-"
"York," Wash cut him off, "I think I can handle it. It's not the first time I've been around her."
"Well you just always seemed uneasy around her."
"She's the first kid I was around, so yea, uneasy," Wash agreed. "We'll be fine. You just enjoy your date night."
"If you need us at all, I'm sure Church will be able to find us," York continued.
"York, chill. We'll be fine. We're just going to hang out here, probably watch a movie or something. Jeez, it's like you never left her with another adult before," Wash smirked.
"The other adult raised her," York grumbled.
"Come on, York," North chuckled from where he had been watching the two. "Wash says he got it. I'm sure the girls are almost ready."
"But-"
"York, don't make me have Carolina come over and yell at you," North chuckled.
"Daddy!" The three of them turned as Ally came running over, jumping at York who caught her midair.
"Ya know," York chuckled, "There will be a day when I'm not going to be able to do that."
"Nah, you'll always be able to pick me up," Ally giggled. "Momma and Aunty Emma look real pretty so make sure you tell them."
"I tell your mom that every day," York answered making Ally smile. He held her out to Wash who awkwardly took her, "Here you go Wash. I don't have to mention how valuable that package is."
"I am not a package, daddy," Ally giggled. "I'm an Ally."
"Yes you are," York nodded. "Be good and liste-"
"Momma and Aunty Emma both already gave me the speech," Ally huffed. "Be good and listen to what Uncle Wash tells me. Just go already so we can have fun."
"What she said," Wash seconded. "We got this, say kid?"
"Yup!"
"Alright then," York shook his head as North pulled him back to their house as the girls were coming out.
"Bow-chicka-"
"Tucker, you finish that, I'm stabbing you in the forehead with the heel of my shoe," Carolina cut him off making everyone laugh.
"Well, he's not wrong," York smirked giving her a glance. The dress she had on hugged in all the right places and was just long enough to show off the right amount of leg. Carolina cleared her throat when York didn't look back up.
"Again, nothing you haven't seen before," she grumbled.
"Well yea," York agreed, "But how often have I seen you dolled up? You need to do it more often, just not too much because I do in fact like breathing."
"Is that a roundabout way of stating I take your breath away?" Carolina smirked.
"You take my breath away, baby," York repeated.
"You're such a sap."
"Would you have me any other way?"
"Are we ready? Let's go. I'm hungry," Carolina turned to start walking.
"Notice how that wasn't a no," York stage whispered to North and Emma as they followed her.
"You're an idiot," Carolina retorted.
"She's right on that front," Emma agreed as North took her hand as they walked. "So where are we going anyway?"
"Well, reservations aren't for at least another hour and a half and it's just on the other side of the main building. Some fancy place," York shrugged.
Carolina paused, "Why did we leave so early then?"
"To enjoy the view," York shrugged. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well there's a jewelry store on the way, figured we'd sneak in there quick and get you a ring like I said I was going to."
"Dammit York," Carolina huffed as he threw an arm around her and pulled her along. "I told you I didn't need one."
"Hush," York chuckled.
"She's going to kill you before you even get her to an altar," North pointed out.
"Nah."
"Yes," Carolina agreed. "Seriously, I don't want a ring or jewelry or anything like that. I have you and Ally and that is perfectly enough for me. And besides, North and Emma aren't going to want to hang around a jewelry store while you pick something out."
"We're not picking anything out. Just browsing. Maybe you'll see something you love," York shrugged. He heard Emma and North whispering behind them so he turned to look back, "You two ok with that plan?"
Emma glared at North who just smiled, "Sounds fine to us." Emma rolled her eyes at him and tried to withdraw her hand from his. He pulled her over instead, wrapping the arm around her waist.