It took Alastair and James a moment to find Lily in the restaurant as they were looking for two heads but were rather surprised to find only her at a table.

"Lily, where's your friend?" asked James as way of hello with a quick hug.

"Just popped off to the restroom. She'll be here in a sec. So glad you could make it too, Alastair," Lily added.

"James asked, besides, after all that rambling you've thrown on me, I'm extremely curious what she's like."

"Glad to know you really care Alastair," Lily replied with a roll of her eyes as she slid into the booth. James and Alastair did so on the other side as she quickly continued with, "Also, if she says anything weird, just go with it. I mean she is American."

James gave Lily an odd look but simply nodded just as an excited look came across Lily's face. "Susan! This is James and Alastair."

Before either could glance over to get a good look at the woman they heard her say, "Oh! It's nice to finally meet your best friend. And your boyfriend too."

Instead, of getting a proper look at her, Alastair's and James' head whipped around to Lily where she was doubled over laughing.

"Oh you two have been together to long. You're wearing identical scowls!" howled Lily. Turning to Susan, she added, "Didn't I tell you their faces would be funny?"

"You sure did," Susan said as she slid in next to Lily and finally into full view.

Though not really a grin, she wore a sweet smile and already had laugh lines around her eyes. With light grey eyes and almost platinum hair, Viking goddess was a rather fitting way to describe the woman. She also had very well defined muscles, as expected, but still looked extremely well proportioned, no bulging veins or anything like that.

Thanks to the looks on their faces, it was obvious the words had been planned but James continued to glare at her, though he was also attempting to not crack up. Trying to be serious, he pointed a finger at her and said, "That was not…that was not funny. But just out of curiosity, who was the boyfriend?"

"Alastair of course. You're so much like a brother to me that I couldn't even fake that we were together," Lily said with a laugh.

"But I'm the better looking one, right?"

"I can't answer that," responded Lily with a smile. "Not if I want to survive the day. But anyways, I'll introduce you guys properly. Susan, this is James who is by far my favorite person on this world and also my best friend of many years. This is Alastair, James' boyfriend. He has people skills but generally chooses not to use them."

Alastair simply nodded in silent agreement at that.

"Well it's lovely to meet you. I'm Susan Brunz," she replied. "Lily has told me a lot about both of you and it's great to be able to put a name to a face."

"Same, now let me guess. You're from the…North…Eastern part of America, right?" asked James. "Specifically Pennsylvania?"

"What? You pretending to be psychic?" teased Susan. "Going to somehow know exactly what city I'm from too?"

"You think Lily's told me about you?" questioned James. "I don't know anything about you except your name, that you're a weightlifter, and that Lily calls you a Viking goddess."

Lily kicked him under the table for that.

"And I just guessed if you were from Pennsylvania. Was I right?" asked James.

"Yes," responded Susan. "Excellent job I might say too. Are you well traveled or do you just watch a lot of foreign TV?"

"Well traveled," James replied with a grin.

"We both are," put in Alastair, "but I'm honestly surprised you didn't already know she was from Pennsylvania."

James snorted and rolled his eyes. "What? Like you did?"

"Yes," Alastair responded. Turning to look at Susan he said, "You were born in Allentown and grew up there until what you Americans call Middle School. You're thirty-seven and you have a younger brother called Maximillion who is thirty-two. You enjoy the beach but equally enjoy cooler climates. You've gone to heavy weight competitions in your Motherland, England, France, and Canada, and have placed in all countries though necessarily first. Am I right?"

"Very," Susan said slowly. "I don't know whether to be flattered or worried."

"Yeah Alastair," James said, getting close to his face. "How do you know all this?"

"Lily told me."

"Why don't I know these weird details about your Viking goddess?" asked James, his voice sounding hurt.

Ignoring the tone, Lily simply kicked James under the table again and replied, "You've been extremely busy with work lately! I had to talk to someone and Alastair happened to be there."

Raising his hand, Alastair quickly said, "I'd just like to add that I did not offer my services. It was more that I couldn't keep her from gushing to me about Susan's heroics and just utterly wonderful being."

Lily turned pink as Susan chuckled and said, "I honestly can't tell if you of playing with each other or not but I hope you are."

"Yeah, we're just being dorks," James said with a grin as nudged Alastair. "However I'm very angry at you Lily. You should have waited until I was available."

She rolled her eyes and simply muttered, "Your schedule is to hectic to be sure. I simply have to let out all my emotions when I can."

"So I make you emotional," Susan acknowledged. "I hope that's a good thing."

"Nooooo…I mean yes! Like in a 'urhg it hurts' but it's so cool to meet somebody new that is utterly, beautifully, wonderful." Lily paused for several seconds as her brain caught up with her mouth. "Shit, I said that out loud didn't I? This is why I haven't had a boyfriend in the past three years."

The table erupted into laughter as a waiter came round and they all quickly recalled that they were at a restaurant and needed to order something. Concentrating more so on the menus now, James still asked, "Well, unless Alastair already knows and feels like telling me, why did you decided to vacation here in England? Just a solo thing or family?"

"Family," responded Susan, "but it's mainly due to the competition last year. None of us got see much of the United Kingdom so we decided to come back over. That and I figured it would be nice to see Lily again and meet her friends."

"Well I hope we're not a disappointment to you dear Viking goddess."

"James!" Lily cried out as once more she hit him under the table. "Stop calling her that!"

Susan laughed and said, "I think it's rather sweet. Though if it really is embarrassing you I'll shut him up for you."

"Oh yeah? I bet I can take you," James replied with a devious grin.

"Really James? You're going to make a bet," muttered Alastair. "Just know I won't help you pay for whatever mess you make."

"No worries. It would be over in a second."

"Very true," Susan replied. "One hit and you'd be on the ground."

"Oh so that's how you want to go?" laughed James. "You could throw the hardest hit you could muster and I'd still be standing."

"Okay, now you're compensating for something," joked Lily.

"I'm not compensating for anything but yeah, what I just said was a total lie. But then again, that's assuming I would do nothing if you tried to hit me with your hardest hit."

"Hmm, sounds like you're trying to be the knight in shining armor. Sorry, but the position is already taken," Susan said with a laugh.

"No, you're the Viking goddess, remember? And I sure as hell am a knight. In fact, I am so knightly I'm practically Lancelot."

Though of course no one got that, Alastair shot a glare at James as Susan said, "I didn't know you people from across the bond had such big egos. But I guess that just proves that wherever you are men will be men."

"Excuse you but my ego is just the right amount," James replied just as Lily hit her head on the table.

"I wish I'd never brought you two together."

"Ah, you know I love you Lily," James said, teasing yet also extremely sincere. "You messed with me immensely when I was pining over Alastair so it's only fair that I get to do the same to you."

Alastair glanced over curiously. "Really? Like what?"

"Well he says 'messed' when most of the time it was just me giving him good advice but there was this one time when—"

"Oh no you are not telling that story!" cried out James.

"What story? I haven't even started it!"

"Maybe so but I know what story it is!"

"Do tell," replied Alastair. "I'd love to hear this Lily."

"No. You. Would. Not," James growled as he messed with Lily under the table and she fought back, a look of determination on her face.

"Oh yes he would," grumbled Lily.

"Well as amusing as this is and as curious as I am as well, I think we need to finally order something before our waiter kills us," replied Susan.

"Good point," said Lily. "I'll tell the story afterwards."

"You'll tell that story when I'm dead and not a moment sooner," snorted James. "Besides, we're here to get to know your pen pal so hush."

Lily simply rolled her eyes in response, a devious smile playing on her lips.