BreeTico - Lol! (: Last chapter was a little loaded with emotional happenings. Was it too overwhelming? :P

The Significance Series belongs to Shelly Crane.

22: Announcements

I woke up to the sound of a fire alarm blaring overhead. I sat up, my heartbeat immediately spiking and waking up Derek. "Wha-?" He asked, his eyes a little droopy in his sleepiness. I knew that our sleeping next to each other rejuvenated the other, but we couldn't heal sleep. If we didn't get enough of it we were still a little tired. I went to throw off the covers on the bed, still realizing that I was wearing my sunset orange dress. It was still tied loosely around my neck, the skirt shucked up at my thighs. "The fire alarm's going off!" I exclaimed, nearly rolling out of the bed. My feet hit the floor just as Derek bolted upright. His eyes were wide with fear, most of it on whether or not I would be okay.

I didn't bother to grab my shoes. Derek didn't bother to grab his shirt; he only grabbed his phone as he rushed to the bedroom door. He pressed the back of his hand against it for a brief moment before throwing it open. I tried to tighten the knot of my halter top dress as he herded me into the hall. We made it down the majority of the way before I collided right into Madison.

"False alarm!" She called out. My heart beating in my chest seemed to shudder. The two of us had freaked out over nothing. "We burned the cinnamon toast." Now that she mentioned it, I could smell cinnamon in the air. It was a little strong and worse than it usually was, thanks to the burnt bread smell that chased it in the air. Derek, still shirtless, wrapped an arm around my waist.

"Cinnamon toast?" He echoed, looking over my shoulder and peering into the kitchen. Madison narrowed her eyes at my dress, all twisted around and a little uncomfortable. She was probably thinking the same thing I was – the dress wasn't made for sleeping in. I tugged on the cock-eyed hem, feeling my cheeks blush. Madison couldn't make any assumptions about what we did, though, could she? I mean, the only thing that I had to show for last night was my new wrist tattoo, which was small enough that it could be virtually unseen if I was careful. Not that I wanted to hide it; it wasn't something to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. It was just… strange, I don't know. Derek, reading my mind, squeezed my side once.

"Yeah. We've got brunch at grandma's today. Don't you remember?" She asked, her gaze shifting from me to her older brother. Apparently, he was supposed to be the one that kept me up-to-date on family plans, even though Victoria and Madison had spent the majority of the day with me yesterday. Derek's eyes slid over to me. I could tell that he agreed with me, but he also had the fact that there'd been a lot that he'd wanted – needed – to say to me yesterday. Not all of it had been said because we got… distracted.

"What time?" I asked, glancing down at my dress. I didn't even know what time it was to begin with.

"Like, an hour and a half, tops?" Madison replied. She looked over at me and said, "Derek promised he would tell you. I figured that he would set an alarm and everything." She explained. "But if you hurry, you'll be fine." She gave me a smile just as her mother rounded the corner.

Seeing Victoria was different than seeing Madison. Madison found my shyness and awkwardness and completely overtaken attitude about Derek as something funny and cute. Victoria did the same thing, but to her, I had the feeling that it was something much more. Madison looked at Derek and me and saw her older brother and future sister-in-law. Victoria saw her son and his future wife (the word sent shivers down my spine.) If I'd been looking at my kid and thinking that he or she was going to be happy in their relationship for the rest of their life, I'd feel different than if it was just a brother or sister. But then again, I could only assume, since I had neither.

Still, I blushed. I was sure that I was a violent crimson, but nobody seemed bothered in the least by the fact that I was still in my dress from my date with Derek. And I didn't think either of them had noticed our new tattoos – well, my new tattoo. Derek's was just updated. I self-consciously ran my wrist over the fabric of my dress and forced on a bright smile.

"Sorry, did we wake you?" She asked. Today she looked a little less like an intense shopper and more like a mother. Her jeans and light blue button-up were more conservative than stilettos. She had her curly hair tied in a side ponytail, and she was virtually makeup free. "I left the oven for five minutes, but I got distracted." She admitted. She didn't make a face or even acknowledge the fact that I hadn't bothered to change out of my clothes; and neither had Derek. "We've got to be and grandma's in a little more than an hour." She warned, and motioned for us to turn around and go back down the hall. She went to the closet and pulled out a stepladder so she could shut off the alarm.

Derek and I shuffled back to our bedroom. I yawned and rubbed my eyes with my knuckles. Derek came up behind me and slyly put his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. His breath was warm on my skin as he pressed his lips to my neck. I tried not to shiver at his touch, but it was nearly impossible. "When do you want to tell them?" He asked me quietly.

"Tell them what?" I asked. I could feel my muscles stiffen a little bit. He didn't want us to tell his family that we'd mutualized, did he? They could see that for themselves if they could see our tattoos. I just didn't want to go in front of his family and tell them that we'd done that. From the way he'd described it to me, it had seemed more like something that was private and in between the two of us.

"That we're getting married. We are, aren't we?" He asked, doubt coloring his voice.

I turned to face him. I stood on my tiptoes to put my arms around his neck, fingers playing with his hair. It put our faces only inches apart. "Of course we're getting married," I whispered to him. The words sent a thrill through me, and I couldn't help but smile widely. "I already said yes, didn't I?"

Derek leaned forward and kissed my jaw, slowly traveling up to my lips. He'd just touched the corner of my mouth when my phone went off, scaring both of us apart. I laughed nervously, pecked a kiss on his cheek, which was in need of being shaved, and went to check my phone. I couldn't help but frown to myself – my mom was wondering why I hadn't talked to her outside of my shifts at work. She wanted me to come and have dinner with her; without Derek, so we could have some girl time, as she put it. I quickly shot off a text message saying that I had brunch with Derek's family, but that I'd probably be free for dinner.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked as he tossed his shirt into the nearby hamper.

"What am I going to tell my mom?" I asked him quietly. "I mean, your parents will be happy, I know. But they all expected it sooner or later. In fact, they probably bet on sooner." I told him. "But my parents are a different story. They won't…." I paused. "I don't know if they'll let me marry you with a clear conscience."

Derek sighed and sat on the end of the bed, beckoning me forward. I went and sat next to him, drawing my knees up to my chest. He wrapped his arm around me and kissed my temple. "Honestly, it's up to you, Emily. You can tell them, or you… well, you don't have to if you don't want to. We can have an Ace wedding at my uncle's, and then we can tell your parents that we eloped at the justice of the peace and that the reception is at my uncle's house. Or you can invite them to a non-conventional Ace wedding." He paused and looked at me. "We don't have to have an Ace wedding if you don't want one, actually. We can go the human route, too." He offered.

I shook my head. "I'm an Ace now. Besides, how long do you think I could keep a white dress white?" I asked, adding in a slightly forced grin. "An Ace wedding it is," I told him. I could already feel the stress of it all, and I hadn't even been engaged for twenty-four hours, much less twelve hours.

"Hey," he murmured in my ear, "we don't have to talk about this right now if you don't want to." He rubbed my back, right in between my shoulder blades, his knuckles running over the bumps in my spine. "In fact, we really can go elope if you want."

I laughed. I'd already had a vision of me in a red dress, anyway. "No, I really do want an Ace wedding. I think… I think it might be best if we just tell my parents that we eloped, though. They wouldn't get an Ace wedding, and then the thought of them being clueless while everyone else is in on the secret…." I shook my head. "It would be better if they just came to the reception afterwards," I told him.

Derek tilted my chin up with two fingers. "Baby," he whispered, "I never wanted you to have to make these kinds of decisions. I wish… I wish there was some way for us to tell them. But it seems like trouble usually follows when humans know. It's technically against our laws." He said. He let out another heavy sigh and shook his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes. I reached over and brushed it away, so I could see the green hazel lagoons that had become a safe haven for me.

"I know. I wish we could tell them, too. I wish I could tell her that even though her relationship with my dad didn't work out that mine isn't going to be forever. I wish I could tell her that I could compel people and that I've got my hearing back. I really, really wish I could tell her that I'm getting married." I put out my left hand, wiggling my fingers, imagining a ring on the fourth one. Derek didn't have a ring for me – they were private, something that we bought for each other and gave to the other after the wedding. Derek had told me that they weren't really something to be paraded around.

Derek reached out and weaved his fingers through mine, drawing my hand towards his chest. He briefly kissed my knuckles and looked up into my eyes. "I know. Sometimes, I wish things were different."

"I don't," I said with sudden conviction. "I can't imagine not finding you. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if we'd never imprinted," I told him. "When Tory questioned me, I told her that I couldn't remember what it was like to live without you. And it's true. There was like, nothing to me."

"Not true," he said pointedly.

I rolled my eyes, unable to hide a small smile. "So you think. But you, sir, are biased."

"So what if I am?" He teased.

I glanced over his shoulder at the clock on the bedside table. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his cheek. "We better get ready to go to your grandma's. I promise we can fight later."

He just laughed and nudged me. I skipped over to the dresser and withdrew a clean set of clothes. I wanted to look pretty. I figured that this would be the time when we announced to his family that we were set to be engaged. I wanted to look like I deserved him, despite the fact that Derek swore up and down that he was the one that wasn't good enough for me.

I wanted to be someone that they would be happy to call Mrs. Stanton.

# # #

"I'm nervous," I announced as Derek came around the front of the car and opened my door for me. I took a hold of his hand to step out, smoothing out the folds in my skirt. I'd thought that it might be better to dress up a little bit, despite the fact that Victoria was going in her jeans and button-up. If she was going casual, it was probably safe to assume that everyone was going to be casual. They might even be wearing Bermuda shorts, for God's sake.

He just cocked a grin. "Don't be. You've already met them."

"Yeah, but they don't know that we're engaged." I said. I'd realized on the ride over that I used that word – along with wedding – way too much, both out loud and in my mind. Maybe I just couldn't get over it. I mean, it was a big step for anybody, even if it was expected.

"They knew we would be at some point from the moment I brought you over." He said, closing the Trans Am door behind me. "They just didn't know the timing," he continued, motioning for me to walk in front of him. I waited until he was at my side before slipping my hand into his, letting him lead me up the steps. Rose and Barry's house was smaller and more low-key than Derek's, but it was still quaint. It made me think of one of those comfy Dutch cottages. Ivy grew up the walls, and there were at least five rose bushes lining the front walk. They were so big that I had a hard time telling which was which.

Derek didn't pause to knock at the door; he just opened it up and walked inside. I trailed behind him, my heart beating out a nervous pattern. I'd already met Rose and Barry, and the rest of Derek's immediate family had showed up moments before we did. There were cousins and aunts and uncles that I'd met briefly. But then again, there were people that I didn't recognize in the least. Derek had told me that Aces had big families, and he wasn't lying. The Stanton family was huge. But at least they didn't flood to me like I was the new girl. I'd been around for roughly a month, after all.

"There you are," Victoria said, smiling at us. "We were wondering if you two had gotten lost." She teased. Her easygoing tone seemed to make me relax a little more. Derek squeezed my hand and smiled widely at his family, greeting members that he didn't see all that often. They all treated me politely, like I was part of the family and not a stranger that had been brought into the house. And nobody seemed to notice my new family tattoo, since they were too busy shaking my hand and marveling over the fact that a once completely deaf girl had been healed by her ascended significant's touch.

Derek joked with his cousins while I headed to the kitchen, where all of the women had gathered. I offered my help and was set to working on peeling potatoes with Madison. I picked up a knife and set to work skinning one, both of us leaning over the trash sink.

"You overwhelmed yet?" She asked conversationally, shooting me a teasing smile.

"Definitely," I replied, shaking a clingy potato skin into the sink. "You guys have the biggest family I've ever seen." I told her.

"It's your family now too, you know," she said, her eyes focused on the job at hand. She glanced up at me briefly and said, "You've been family since the very moment you imprinted with Derek. That's what's so great about Aces, I think. They don't have any qualms about including you. Like my friend, Diana, her family hates her boyfriend. Says he's scum, or something like that. It puts Diana right in the middle, 'cause she really does like him, but she hates fighting with her parents." She reached past me for another potato. "Aces would never do that."

"Well," I said, "you have a guarantee that the new kid is perfect for your loved one. It makes it kind of impossible to hate them."

Madison shook her head. "It doesn't mean we don't absolutely hate them. It means we tolerate them. Sometimes there are people in your family that you can't stand, and having another copy of them is completely obnoxious." I bit down on my lip. What if there were people that didn't like Derek, so they didn't like me by default? Madison, as if sensing my sudden worry, cleared her throat and added, "But not you. You're like, the nicest person I've ever met, you know that?"

I rolled my eyes and made a joke out of it, so she didn't think that she'd worried me all that much. "Nice save."

She shrugged. "Eh, I try." She laughed and took a hold of the bowl – it was filled to the brim – to her mother. Victoria dumped it into a pot of boiling water. Derek's grandma Rose took a hold of my arm, her fingers hiding my tattoo, as she directed me to help Carissa with the fruit salad. She patted my hand sweetly as she did so before running off to do something else. For a woman that was in her late seventies, she had an extremely high range of motion. She didn't seem to have joints bothering her or be out of breath in the least.

I sidled up to Carissa and gave her a smile. "What do you need me to do?" I asked. I looked over the arrangements of fruits that she had laid out in front of her. I didn't want to necessarily meet her gaze. In all honesty, Carissa sort of scared me. Out of all of the family members, she was the only one that had seemed to be social but hadn't tried to talk to me at all. I rarely saw her when I was at the house – only at dinner – where I sat at one end of the table, sandwiched between Derek and Madison, while she sat at the other.

"Could you cut the tops off these strawberries? And then we'll cut them in half," she said, expertly sliding a knife along an apple. I didn't know if that made me admire her cooking skills or if it made me fear her all the more.

"Sure," I said, reaching for a strawberry and one of the glinting silver knives on the counter.

My fingers had just wrapped around the handle of the knife when she reached out and took a hold of my wrist. Her grip wasn't as soft as her grandmother's had been, but it wasn't too hard, either. "What is that?" She asked, yanking my arm across me and bringing it closer to her face.

"Um," I started, glancing over my shoulder. The rest of the women in the kitchen had stopped suddenly, all of them looking at me. Carissa was still gripping my wrist. I could feel my blush starting as I tried to gently pull my arm away from her. "My, um," I struggled to think of what to call it. I didn't want to say mutualizing out loud, and I wasn't sure if it was called a family tattoo. Derek had once referred to his as his family crest….

Madison was the only one to move. She crowded it on my other side and wrenched my arm away from her sister. Her eyes got to be the size of disks as she looked down at the half of flame with Derek's name skirting the outside. "You two mutualized?" She hooted.

I yanked my arm away from her hard, pressing the inside of my wrist. Before I could say anything, Victoria was at my side, giving Madison a slight shove away from me. She could tell that I was instantly uncomfortable. Mutualizing had just been something so… intimate. I didn't like Madison calling it out to all of the women in the kitchen, much less all of the men out in the living room, if they could hear. I would put money down that a bunch of the wives in here were relaying the message to their significants, anyway. It wasn't like I could keep it a secret, but still.

Victoria just gave me a warm smile that said she couldn't be happier, and then she told Carissa to move over and do something different. She took up her eldest daughter's job, chopping up bits of pears and tossing the easily into the huge salad bowl in front of us. "Don't worry about them," she said. As she worked, I took a glance at her wrist. Robert's name followed the wavering line of the flame. She and all of the other imprinted soul mates in here had mutualized, I was sure. They knew what it was like. They knew that it was nothing to be ashamed of. "The two of them have no idea what it's like. One day, they will, though."

I looked over at her. Victoria was focused on the fruits in front of her, but I could hear it in the tone of her voice. It was hope and worry mixed into one. She couldn't wait until her daughters found their soul mates because she wanted them to experience true love, but there was a part of her that didn't want to see them go. If Madison or Carissa imprinted tomorrow, they would pack up their bags and leave. It was the way of the Aces.

And then, there was a little bit that said she was worried that they never would imprint, that even though Derek and I did that we'd be the only ones. She hoped it wasn't true. I hoped it wasn't true, too.

I just nodded in reply, since I couldn't think of anything to say.

# # #

Derek nudged my foot with his. I glanced over at him, trying to keep my face straight. It was a game that we had started with ourselves – we would both tease the other incessantly, and the first to break and let the rest of the family know that we were talking to each other lost. I was determined to win. But right at that moment, I couldn't help but crack a smile.

"Hah! I win!" He announced. He'd forgotten to say it mentally, though, so conversation on our end of the table stopped completely while they all looked at him.

I nudged him in the ribs. I think that means I win.

He grinned down at me a little ruefully. I let you win.

Sure you did. I teased, spearing a piece of sliced banana off the corner of my plate. I tried to pay attention to Derek's cousin, a girl who was just a few months younger than Derek. She was talking easily about her school. She sounded like a female version of Zach. She was using big words and talked in an air that made her seem like she was a little better than the rest of us. I suddenly knew what Madison meant when she said some of the family was obnoxious.

And I couldn't help but notice that while the medical student, Theresa, talked, everyone was going in between me and Derek and her. There was a piece of me that thought that they found Derek and me more interesting than engineering and mathematical terminology. I would have found another girl and her significant more interesting than Theresa's future job at Virtuous Motors, anyway. But what they were more interested in, I found out, was the family tattoo on my wrist.

Derek nudged me. He could tell that I was self-conscious of the way everyone was looking at me. And his way to solve it was to make it obvious how much he cared about me. It started with a hand on my leg under the dinner table to him scooting his chair closer to me. Now that we'd finished our meal and were waiting until everyone else was ready for dessert, his fingers had woven with mine on top of the table, his thumb smoothing over the back of my hand. Now, as Theresa continued to speak, he leaned forward and whispered in my ear, "Do you want to tell them about us getting engaged?"

A shiver went down my spine. I turned to look at him and replied, We'll have to tell them sometime, won't we?

Derek just flashed a grin. He was happy about this. He wanted everyone to know that not only were we imprinted, a mutualized couple, but he wanted everyone to know that he'd asked me to marry him and I'd agreed.

Derek cleared his throat and said loudly, cutting off his cousin, "Emily and I are engaged." I threw him a glare. I'd figured that he'd want to say it formally, or something. Like, tapping on his water glass with his fork and saying something along of the lines of "We have something that we want to tell you." Theresa stopped, her mouth hanging open either because Derek had cut her off or she was appalled by the news. Madison, sitting across from me and next to Theresa looked at me open-mouthed, like she couldn't believe that I didn't tell her right away. Victoria, sitting at the end of the table, froze for a moment just like everyone else. And then she jumped up and skirted around the table, coming to hug both of us tightly.

"I knew you were hiding something from me," she accused Derek. She reached out and pulled me into her, squeezing me so tight I thought that I was going to pop. "Oh, Emily, you know what this means, don't you?" She didn't even give me a moment to answer before she squealed, like an ecstatic young girl, "We get to plan a wedding!"

I'm working to finish this story – I have something special planned for you guys the moment the last chapter of Derek and Emily's story is posted. I'm excited for it, so hopefully it will fuel my desire to finish this (it would be the first finished multi-chaptered FanFiction of mine.)

Please forgive any spelling/grammatical errors, since I've decided to upload without rereading, which isn't that uncommon. I'm just so excited for you guys to read this!

Thank you so much for reading and for sticking with it throughout the last twenty-two chapters. Please take a moment to leave me a review. Thanks! Peace (: