Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

141. Chapter 141

Chapter 141

After releasing Emma Leigh to Emmett and Rosalie, it was a huge weight off Salem's shoulders. He visited Alex to check on him shortly after the attack and was relieved to find he was doing alright. In pain of course, but he would be good as new in no time. Or so the doctors said. Alex was a little more irritable about his injury but it wasn't long before he realized how lucky he was. Seeing the other injured men, missing limbs, men dying shortly after being brought it; it shut him up about his own injury really quick. Salem explained as much of the situation with Emma Leigh as he had the ability to, but he needed to talk to someone that he could be open with. When he could sneak away and knew it would be nighttime, Salem went into the jungle, made sure he was alone and hidden, then shifted. Voices filled his head but none were who he wanted. Someone hurried to get JJ and once he'd shifted, the pack left them alone.

Sounds like you had one hell of a day, JJ said.

No kidding, Salem said. He was quiet and began to dwell.

I wish I could say it gets easier, JJ said.

I shot a pregnant woman, JJ. Salem shuddered.

You tried to get the gun away from her Salem. Don't beat yourself up; you did nothing wrong.

I'm a murderer, JJ! Salem barked, unable to help himself anymore as he cried. JJ said nothing while Salem cried, letting him get it out of his system. Because of me, that kid's mother is dead.

It's not your fault, Salem, JJ insisted. And you helped Emma find a new home. Her birth mother is dead by her own hands. You helped give that girl a second chance. She'll thank you. When she's old enough to understand, trust me: she will thank you.

How can I ever look at myself again, JJ?

It'll take time, JJ said. One day you'll be able to put this behind you. We're all here for you to make that happen. Another silence befell them briefly.

You had help that I don't, Salem lamented. There was no accusation in his voice, only sadness. I'm tired, JJ. I'm sick and tired.

I know, JJ answered sympathetically. She's out there, Salem. Dad said as much.

I'm tired of this, JJ. Being here...I realized how lonely I am. I accomplished so much being in the Navy. I wouldn't trade it for anything but…..I have no one to share it with. I have no one to fight for to make all this shit worth it. I have no one.

That's not true and you know it, JJ said. Listen to me, Salem. You have us. You have a family that misses you and can't wait for you to come home. Just one more year. One more year of this shit and you can retire and come home. And you'll be welcomed home with open arms. More than can fit in the airport.

Salem finally smiled a little but sighed a little. Dad said she had blue eyes. Past our mountains to a people forgotten. What the fuck does that even mean!?

You'll find her, Salem.

When?

When she needs you most, JJ answered. Or when you need her most. I promise you I need Eun Mi more than she ever needed me.

You are helpless without her, Salem managed to tease.

How about when you get back, we'll get a tattoo.

Salem finally chuckled a little but his thoughts went rather dark. I'll get something. A memento of Vietnam.

What did you have in mind?

I don't know yet. I'll think of something. Salem was quiet again and then thought, I wonder what her name was.

Emma's birth mother you mean?

Yeah, Salem said. It's my fault she's dead.

Salem-

No, JJ. It is. She may have pulled the trigger but I didn't do enough to stop her.

I guess it's worth looking into, JJ said. Remember, Salem. Just one year. Come January it'll be just one more year. Hang in there for me baby brother. For all of us.

I will, Salem said. January 1967, he said his retirement date out loud. It seems so far away.

It'll keep getting closer, JJ reassured.

His talk with JJ had been just what Salem needed but he still felt that sinking sensation. As soon as he changed back and was dressed, he returned to the spot where he'd found Emma's mother. When he arrived, there was another woman there and, to his shock, he recognized her immediately.

"Miss Phan?" Salem asked, making the nurse he'd seen at the M.A.S.H numerous times look at him.

"What brings you here, Lieutenant?" She asked.

"I'm not sure honestly," Salem said. "You knew her?"

"She was my sister," the woman answered.

"I'm sorry," Salem said and went to his knees. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop her."

"I'm not angry with you," Miss Phan said. "We disagreed on many things. I knew this would happen to one or both of us." She was cold initially but soon broke. "I wish I could have said goodbye."

After another silence, Salem asked, "What is her name?"

"Chi Man. It means 'with purpose'."

"Chi Man," Salem repeated thoughtfully and remembered her when he'd first found her. "It suits her."

"It really does," Miss Phan said remorsefully and then looked up at Salem. "Her child…she's okay?"

"My family took her. She will be well taken care of," Salem answered. Miss Phan nodded, her concerns availed. "Do you know who the father is?"

"No," Miss Phan said. "This is the first I've seen her in three years." Salem was quiet a moment.

"I can't imagine," he said.

"I know," Miss Phan said and took her sister's cold hand in hers. "You have siblings?"

"Older and little brother and a little sister," Salem answered. "I couldn't imagine not speaking to them." Salem looked at her sad face and said, "I'm sorry. Ignore me. I'm being insensitive."

"No, you're right," Miss Phan said. "Get back, Lieutenant. I'll come back after I've paid my respects."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Salem asked.

"I'll be fine," Miss Phan said. Salem finally stood up to walk away, but looked back at her. He watched her stare at her sister with a sad look in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry for what happened," Salem said again.

"I forgive you," Miss Phan said. "Thank you for what you've done for her daughter."

Salem was quiet again before saying, "I'll see you at the M.A.S.H, Miss Phan."

Her only answer was a nod before Salem finally left her alone. She returned to the M.A.S.H eventually, but Salem never spoke with her again. At the end of his 7 days on land, he returned to the sub and was content to never set foot on land in Vietnam again. It would be another week before Alex returned to the sub. Much to Salem's relief, Alex was of the same opinion to never set foot on land again.

Back in Washington, Anatoli continued to keep a lookout for a house in the neighborhood that he liked and that he knew Ivory would like but most were out of his price range. He and Ivory kept in frequent contact just to talk but also to make sure everything was going alright. Ivory had not seen Ben in a while and was happy for it. Tamara came home one day to another bouquet of roses from the same shop and the card had the same message.

She called the shop to confirm who sent the flowers and they verified they were from the same person: Ben. Tamara made clear that this man was harassing her daughter and she did not want them sending flowers to their home from him at all. It was initially a request they refused, stating they couldn't force the man not to buy and send flowers.

"Fine," Tamara said, "You'll be hearing from the police" and hung up on the shop, then called Nathan and explained what happened.

More than happy to take over, Nathan called the shop himself explaining that he was a police officer and that, given the mistreatment that had befallen Ivory thus far, Tamara's request wasn't so 'unreasonable'.

"Officer," the owner of the shop, having taken over the call for the clerk that had answered the phone, said, "I can appreciate what you're saying, but that man is a paying customer. We can't not sell to him. With all due respect, he's not broken the law."

"I get that. If he's going to buy flowers, that's his business but they're not to be sent to my daughter's and her mother's residence."

"I thought you were a cop."

"I am. I'm also that young woman's father so you can appreciate why I'm so insistent. Now, I'm not threatening legal action. As you rightly said, no laws have been broken. However, my daughter is now in a position where she's fearful of her safety. Do you have kids, sir?"

"Yes, but-"

"And is one of them a little girl?"

"Yes, Officer," the man answered with a groan.

"Now you try to imagine that your daughter has made very clear not just to this young man but to you, her daddy, as well she has absolutely no interest in this man but he continues to pursue her, continues sending her things, knows where she lives, if she tells you she's scared? You mean to tell me a broken law or no is relevant? Or is it more important that your daughter is scared?" Finally, the owner was quiet and then sighed.

"I understand, Officer. I sincerely apologize that one of our customers has made your daughter feel uncomfortable or unsafe in any way. That is not what this business is about."

"Thank you very much for understanding. Now, going forward, will you please make clear that, per the request of the recipient, she does not want flowers or anything from this man?"

"Yes, Officer. I will ensure this is made clear to my staff."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. You have a good day."

"You as well, Officer. And thank you for your service."

After his talk with the flower shop, Nathan called Tamara back letting her know he'd taken care of it and Tamara was about to dispose of the flowers but instead drove to the flower shop to return the flowers saying they were still beautiful and could be given to a young woman that wants them. The shop accepted the flowers without argument and apologized again for any trouble caused. Tamara didn't tell Ivory and the day went on.

Back at the casino shortly after the shop was advised in no uncertain terms that flowers would not be accepted, Ben waited until it was lunch before trying to find Ivory. As she always was, she was in the break room eating her usual pasta primavera while reading a book. Ben took a moment to straighten his tie before walking over to the table and standing by the table. Ivory glanced up and when she looked up at him, she was clearly stunned to see him.

"Hey, Ivory," Ben smile pleasantly. "Would it be okay if I sat with you?"

"Um…." Ivory started, seeming a little uncomfortable.

"I promise, I won't be long," Ben said and took a seat at the table beside her. "Did you get the roses I sent?"

"Yes, Ben, I did," Ivory said. "How did you get my address?"

"I happened upon it when I visited Laurence," Ben said. "I'm sorry if I surprised you. I just wanted to send you flowers."

"I would prefer it if you didn't, Ben," Ivory said.

"You mean because of Anatoli?"

"That's part of it," Ivory said. "I'm sorry, Ben, but I'm not interested in you that way. I need you to understand that I'm not romantically interested in you. Can you please accept that?" Ben went a little quiet, his feelings clearly hurt, but Ivory didn't know how else to make herself abundantly clear. After some quiet, Ben finally nodded but it was weakly.

"Can we at least be friends?"

"So long as that's all we are," Ivory said again. "Okay?"

"Okay," Ben finally said. "I'm glad we could talk." To Ivory's relief, Ben stood from the table and said goodnight to her before walking out of the break room. While Ivory was hesitant, she was hoping that this would finally mean the end of Ben's harassment.

Ivory didn't want to tell Anatoli about her talk with Ben mostly because she just didn't want to talk about it and she was hoping this whole situation could finally blow over and she wouldn't have to worry about this again. Instead, she made sure to ask Anatoli about any progress towards finding a place of their own. She had some money saved that she could contribute towards a house.

It was another three weeks before Emmett and Rosalie finally returned home with Emma Leigh in tow. It was some of the happiest days of their lives taking Emma to the beach (keeping themselves in the shade under an umbrella) watching her play with the sand. Within days she was standing and walking on her own but we was quite content being carried around. They bought her plenty of new clothes, new toys, took her hiking across the island and anything else that was possible to do. By the time they returned home, Emma was beginning to speak more proficiently and always addressed Rosalie and Emmett as Mommy and Daddy. To her, they always had been.

"Rosalie, she's absolutely perfect," Alice gushed. When Emma allowed Alice to dress her up for picture after picture, Alice loved her even more. "You'll fit in just fine, little Emma," Alice praised after she took another picture.

"What is this power Salem was saying she had?" Carlisle asked.

"We aren't certain. It sounds a lot like what Jane can do but she has more control over it."

"I wonder if it works the same way Jane's power does," Bella said. "We may as well ask her to show us what she can do so we know what we're dealing with."

"We're not 'dealing' with anything, Bella," Rosalie said defensively.

"Don't be like that, Rosalie. That's not what I meant," Bella said.

"Emma Leigh, how about we take you hunting?" Emmett suggested. "I suppose we should show you the status quo."

"Yay!" Emma Leigh cheered and ran as best she could to find a more acceptable outfit.

"One moment, honey, we'll get you in something more casual," Rosalie said, chasing after Emma and helping her find a pair of tiny overalls.

"No! This one" Emma said, pointing at a pair of pink pants and a purple shirt. She grabbed the outfit and let Rosalie help her get dressed.

"You look adorable, Emma Leigh," Rosalie praised and Emma had a big smile on her face.

"Keep this up, Rosalie, and she'll be more spoiled than you," Edward teased.

"You thought she'd be treated otherwise?" Emmett said with a chuckle. Emmett took Emma in his arms and the whole family left the house to go hunting together. "Now, Emma Leigh, we don't drink human blood. We only drink animal blood. So you can't hunt people okay, honey?"

"No humans?" Emma asked.

"No, Emma, no humans. You can hunt a mountain lion though."

"What's a mountain lion?" Emma asked.

"It's a very big cat. Almost as big as me," Emmett said. "Don't worry, honey, when we find one, we'll take it down for you."

"No, daddy; I can do it," Emma said innocently.

"She probably could," Edward said.

"No, Emma Leigh. Daddy and I will help," Rosalie said firmly. Emma pouted but said nothing.

"Already spoiled," Jasper chuckled. Emma stuck her tongue out at him. It took a bit before they came across the scent of a mountain lion. But when they did, Emmett rushed ahead following the scent.

"Daddy, I can hunt myself! I promise!" Emma insisted.

"Honey, you've never dealt with a mountain lion. I'll take it down for you then it's all yours."

Emma held onto Emmett until they found the mountain lion. They were still just long enough for the lion to see them about to attack. When Emmett reached out to stop and take down the lion, Emma released a loud, high pitched scream she directed right at the lion. Emmett didn't feel anything but the same could not be said for the lion. It stopped in its tracks roaring and shaking its head. Emmet saw blood coming out of the lion's ears and almost as soon as that happened, the lion dropped dead. Emma finally stopped screaming with a smug look on her face.

"See daddy? I told you I could do it myself," Emma said.

"Emma Leigh?!" Rosalie cried as she approached. She then saw Emma was just fine. She looked at the mountain lion and then at Emmett. "What happened?"

"I took down a mountain lion! Mommy, see?!" Emma said and pointed at the lion, clearly very proud.

"What did you do?" Emmett asked.

"I screamed," Emma answered.

"I know that; I mean how did you do that?" Emmett asked, but all she gave was a shrug.

"I just did it," she said.

"I think you were right; she has a similar power to Jane," Edward said when he and the others finally joined the group. "I think it might be stronger actually."

"How so?" Rosalie asked.

"It causes intense pain but it seems to be physical rather than mental. Jane's power hurts but it certainly doesn't kill you."

"So my shield wouldn't be any use against it?" Bella asked and then approached Emma, kneeling before her. "Emma Leigh, would you use your power on me? Just for a moment?"

"Why?" Emma asked, scrunching her nose like she was insane.

"I have a gift as a mental shield. So some powers don't work on me. I'm curious if your power does," Bella explained kindly. Emma glanced up at Emmett.

"Daddy, I don't want to," Emma simpered.

"It'll be okay, Emma Leigh. Just do it long enough so we know how it works." Emma hesitated briefly.

"I don't want to get in trouble."

"Don't worry, honey; you won't get in trouble," Rosalie promised.

"Okay," Emma finally said and looked at Bella. She took a deep breath and screamed. Instantly, Bella screamed right back while holding her head and Emma stopped.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph; that hurt!" Bella said when Emma stopped.

"I told you I didn't want to!" Emma said and went right to Emmett holding onto him by his leg as if she were in trouble and trying to hide. Emmett kneeled down to pick Emma up and console her.

"Are you okay Bella?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," Bella groaned. "It lingers, but it's going away."

"So whatever it does, clearly the damage is meant to be permanent," Jasper said.

"I guess it depends on how strong she makes it," Edward said. "What she did to Bella was not the same severity she inflicted on the lion."

"Well, duh; I didn't want to hurt her too bad," Emma said.

"Don't be snarky, Emma Leigh," Rosalie scolded. "Emmet, you and the others continue hunting. I'll stay with Emma Leigh and get something once she's finished."

"We'll see you at the house," Emmett said, gave Rosalie a kiss and then put Emma Leigh back on her feet before giving her a hug and kiss on her cheek. "Mind your mother, Emma Leigh," Emmett said and left with the group once she promised she would. Emma started drinking from the lion but she stopped.

"Mommy, I don't like it," Emma cried.

"I know it's not as good as human blood, honey, but it's what we can drink without wreaking havoc on the town."

"But mommy, it doesn't taste as good." Emma whimpered.

"I know, honey; I'm sorry," Rosalie said and hugged Emma. "I'll tell you what: if you finish this, next time you're thirsty I'll make sure it's human blood, but just that once. Okay?"

"Promise?" Emma asked with a pout.

"I promise," Rosalie said, kissed Emma's cheek and gently encouraged her to finish her meal.

Eventually they all returned to the house and showed Emma where her new room was. Esme designated a room beside Emmett and Rosalie's room for Emma and had already gotten the room decorated, furnished and filled with toys. Wanting to meet her new cousin, Renesmee and Jacob went up to the house to meet Emma Leigh.

"You're my cousin?" Emma asked Renesmee, playing with Renesmee's hair.

"Yeah, Edward and Bella are my mommy and daddy. This is Jacob. He's my husband and he's the tribal chief."

"Is that important?" Emma asked innocently and everyone started laughing, even Jacob.

"It's very important for the tribe," Renesmee said. "Jacob is the man the people can turn to when they need help. Think of it as a king."

"Really?" Emma asked, impressed at last.

"It's a lot less impressive than it sounds," Edward teased.

"Daddy, stop being mean," Renesmee said.

Later that week, the rest of the family was invited over to the Cullen's home as a welcoming party for Emma Leigh. It also acted as a belated birthday party for Emma. There was a giant pile of presents wrapped in pretty paper, plenty of food for everyone to enjoy and a big cake for those that wanted it, but there were candles on the cake for Emma to blow out. She wore a tiny boxy dress in black with purple stockings and little black shoes and she insisted on wearing Rosalie's white gloves. They were far too big for her but she wore them all the same and she wore her hair down with a little purple headband. Although they couldn't stay very long since they would need to open the bar soon, Ada María, Ariel and Gabriel joined Nathan to the party for the girl.

"Now I feel a little silly bothering to bring anything," Ariel said when he saw the mountain of presents already there.

"Add it to the pile I guess," Gabriel chuckled. "I'm more interested in the pot roast that I can smell cooking."

"It's almost done, Gabriel; just give it a minute!" Esme called from the kitchen.

"You're the best, Esme!" Gabriel called back. In the meantime, he grabbed a slice of bread to munch on.

They all searched the room looking in curiosity for the new addition to the family. She was occupied with a bunch of the other kids playing a game in the living room with Rosalie and the other children's mothers keeping watch. She was certainly a charismatic little girl that loved being the center of attention. One of the girls brought her own bows, headbands and hair bands so they could all do each other's hair. Emma's hair wasn't nearly so long as the other girls' hair but it was at least shoulder length so they could braid her hair and show her how to do it to them. Rosalie eventually encouraged Emma to properly introduce herself to everyone and thank them for coming to her birthday party. While they walked around together, Ariel and Gabriel finally got a look at Emma. When Gabriel could finally see her, he was stunned by her. He could fell his world shift and when Emma looked at him, she smiled and came right over.

"What's your name?" she asked Gabriel.

"Oh," he answered, a little stunned before answering, "My name's Gabriel. You're Emma Leigh?" She nodded eagerly and climbed onto the chair beside him so she could run her fingers through his thick hair. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but he leaned down enough so she could reach him. Gabriel's hair wasn't very short, but it wasn't terribly long either. It was long enough that his hair's natural wave was visible. "I think I'm due for a cut," Gabriel said offhandedly.

"You don't need it. I think your hair looks nice like this," Emma said matter-of-factly and then hopped down from the chair to go introduce herself to Ariel. While she was doing so, Edward walked over and patted Gabriel's shoulder.

"Gabriel, can you come outside with me for a bit?" Edward asked.

"Sure, grandpa," Gabriel answered and followed Edward outside. He'd not expected Edward to take him far out into the woods to ensure they had privacy, but he followed Edward quietly until they reached a spot Edward deemed appropriately. "Everything okay, grandpa?"

"Yes, everything is fine. I just think we should talk a little about you imprinting on Emma Leigh." Gabriel stayed quiet waiting for Edward to continue. "Don't let word spread too far about that, okay? At least not now. Granted your pack will know and that can't be helped. But don't let Emmett or Rosalie find out."

"They have nothing to worry about," Gabriel said.

"I know but that's not what the issue is. You know Emmett and Rosalie - Rosalie especially- have waited decades -hell, over a century- for a child of their own. Now they finally have a daughter, but you've imprinted on her so now you share a bond with her that they aren't likely to fully understand or appreciate right now. All I'm saying Gabriel is, at least for the time being, let her just be their daughter. She can be your imprint when the time is right, but now is not the time."

Gabriel was briefly silent before eventually saying, "I can't just pretend I don't care, Grandpa."

"It doesn't have to be like that. I only mean don't let Emmett or Rosalie get wind of this. Be there for Emma Leigh, naturally, but try to be cautious about it. Can you do that for them, Gabriel?" Gabriel was thoughtful a moment before finally nodding, realizing it wasn't so big a request.

"I can still visit, right?"

"Of course you can," Edward said and patted Gabriel's shoulder. "And thank you for understanding."

"Any time, Grandpa," Gabriel managed a smile.

Having finished their talk, Edward and Gabriel walked back to the house. They were able to stay long enough to watch Emma blow out the candles on her cake. Gabriel watched her bright smile widen and saw how Emmett and Rosalie smiled on either side of her while she blew out the candles. Applause came while Emmett and Rosalie kissed her cheeks for a photo finish. Gabriel chuckled a little seeing how Emma just basked in the adoration. It was precious to see. Since their mom had already left for the bar, Ariel and Gabriel left together but only after Gabriel gave Emma a hug goodbye and wished her a happy birthday.

"Emma parece una buena niña," (Emma seems like a good kid) Ariel said. "¿Para qué quería abuelo que necesitaba arrastrarte al bosque?" (What did grandpa want that he needed to drag you out to the woods for?)

"Me imprimí en Emma," (I imprinted on Emma) Gabriel answered following a brief silence. "Abuelo quiere que mantenga esto entre la menor cantidad de personas posible para que Emmett y Rosalie no lo descubran. Por ahora. Me dijo que dejara que Emma 'solo fuera la hija de Emmett y Rosalie'." (Grandpa wants me to keep this between as few people as possible so Emmett and Rosalie won't find out. At least for now. He told me to let Emma 'only be Emmett and Rosalie's daughter'.)

"Ah," Ariel answered. "Veo. De todos modos, felicidades están en orden." (I see. All the same, congratulations are in order.)

"Yeah," Gabriel said with a small smile. "Este es un sentimiento extraño." (This is a weird feeling.)

"¿Imprimir en un niña te refieres?" (Imprinting on a child you mean?) Ariel teased.

"Yeah," Gabriel said. "Quiero decir, me preocupo por ella, pero es tan ... es el afecto platónico más fuerte que he sentido. Como un mejor amigo." (I mean, I care for her but it's so...it's the strongest platonic affection I've ever felt. Like a best friend.)

"Eso es todo lo que necesita ser en este momento," (That's all it needs to be right now) Ariel said. "Bien por ti, Gabriel. Estoy feliz por ti." (Good for you, Gabriel. I'm happy for you.)

"Gracias, Ariel," (Thank you) Gabriel said. "¿Puedo tomar una copa gratis esta noche como celebración?" (Can I have a free drink tonight as celebration?)

Ariel chuckled, "Después de nuestro turno." (After our shift.)

The summer wore on after that. News of Gabriel imprinting on Emma was kept strictly among the pack as Edward had requested. Gabriel began to visit more frequently but did his best not to be overly attentive to Emma when he did. Emma would always approach him welcoming him and that was generally it before she'd be off doing something else or engrossed in her day's schooling. French she took to quite enthusiastically.

It was also flipping season for Embry and the others. Early in the summer, they bought and flipped a condo in the city that got bought out pretty quick by a single man that worked nearby. After that, Embry was hunting for another house to flip and the perfect one came up.

"What happened?" Peta asked, gawking at the giant black hole on the roof.

"A fire," Embry said. "The owners I guess hadn't been making payments and when they were served with an eviction notice, they set the house on fire. Police still haven't found the previous owners but it had been reclaimed by the bank."

"I thought they did not like the repair quote," Anatoli said, remembering Gaeli had been working on this.

"Most other quotes they got were near the same or more. After having no luck finding a better price, I offered to just buy it from them for the lowered foreclosed rate and they agreed."

"Will we be able to make anything back? This fire damage looks costly," Taraq said.

"We'll make it work; don't worry," Embry said.

They all went into the house together to fully assess the damage and what would be needed. It turned out the previous owners had really gone to town on the place. The kitchen was effectively nonexistent and all the appliances were missing.

"I see they had time to take the fridge before setting it ablaze," Bayaq said.

"We'd have needed to replace everything in here anyway. Save us the work of removing everything," Embry said.

They continued surveying the house looking for everything they were previously warned of and anything that was missed or withheld from them. Thankfully, the fire damage was the worst of it. The carpets were damaged with stains they didn't want to look too much into and the walls that still remained were stained with cigarette residue and crayons.

Despite the overwhelming work the house would need, it had everything required to be good family home. While Anatoli was inspecting the house, he went to the backyard to see if that would need any improvements. The strange part about the house was the outside always looked orderly so neighbors seemed to only think the owners of the house were rude. When Anatoli had mentioned to Kevin and Amber that they would be flipping this house and the previous owners had effectively been forced to leave, Amber made quiet comments about not particularly liking the family from what little interaction she'd ever had with them. Anatoli took in the backyard and was pleasantly surprised by how spacious it was. There were abandoned toys all over the place that would need to be cleaned up but the fence was more or less in good condition. It was extremely spacious and could have a patio added to it for a cozy outdoor space. Anatoli looked at the back door and started visualizing it with a little smile. While he was staring at the backdoor picturing how nice a patio space would be, he heard the neighbor's backdoor open and heart the jingle of a dog's tags and a loud bark that startled him initially. Anatoli returned his attention to the backyard trying to find anything else that may require more immediate attention than Anatoli's fantasizing.

"Excuse me!" came a woman's voice and he looked to his right where a woman's head was poking over the fence.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" Anatoli asked.

"Are you the new neighbor?"

"No ma'am," Anatoli said. "My boss bought this house to flip when the previous owners were evicted."

"Well, good riddance to them," the woman said. "Rudest people I've ever had to live next to. When my husband saw that the house was on fire, it was absolutely frightening! I can't believe they would set fire to the house intentionally."

"Is the only reason we could buy the house for cheap," Anatoli said and came closer to the fence. Once he was there, he reached over the fence to shake the woman's hand. "I am Anatoli Dymek by the way."

"You certainly sound like an Anatoli," the woman joked, accepting his hand. "You aren't a Soviet or something are you?"

"Normally that would offend me," Anatoli joked, "but you seem very nice so I will forgive it. I am actually German. I was born in Germany but a Lithuanian couple took me in. I was raised in Lithuania."

"Gracious," the woman said, "how did you ever make it to America?"

"Very fortunate connections and good luck," Anatoli said. "What is your name, ma'am?"

"Leslie Bristol," she answered. "It's a pleasure to meet you Anatoli. So I take it you're flipping the house?"

"Yes, we are flipping it. First we need to fix the roof, but then we will flip it."

"Yes, that fire damage is first on the list of to do's," Leslie joked. Then a very large, pale reddish brown looking Pitt bull with a broad white chest jumped up to stand against the fence. "Ruby! Don't be rude!"

"You have a Pitt Bull?" Anatoli asked with a smile, gently reaching out his hand to the dog who sniffed his hand and then licked it.

"Yes, Ruby is her name," Leslie smiled and patted Ruby's head. "You like Pitt Bulls?"

"My girlfriend's father has a Pitt Bull. Her name is Cindy. Is short for Cinderella."

"That's precious," Leslie giggled.

"She is an old girl," Anatoli said. "I think she is nine now?"

"My goodness, she is an old girl," she said. "Ruby's three, so she's still a bit like a puppy. Don't let her age fool you, though. My little girl's a champion."

"A champion?" Anatoli asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, my Ruby has been in six dog shows and won four of them. She'll be doing another show later this month."

"Well, good luck, Ruby," Anatoli smiled and scratched behind her ear earning a toothy puppy grin.

"So how long do you suppose the repairs and remodeling on this place will take?"

"Based on fire damage alone, I would guess at least two months. We work very fast, but that roof is horrible," Anatoli answered.

"Well, the best of luck to you," Leslie smiled. "I'll tell you what: If you and your teammates want a good home cooked lunch, you come knocking and I'll see the lot of you well fed."

"That is very kind of you, Mrs. Bristol; thank you," Anatoli said.

"Please, call me Leslie. Now you get back to work. I wouldn't want you getting in trouble for making small talk with the neighbor when you're supposed to be working."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Leslie," Anatoli smiled and then scratched Ruby's head again. "It was good to meet you, Ruby."

When Anatoli walked away, he could hear Ruby start barking trying to get back his attention, but Leslie quickly told Ruby to stop barking and got her to get away from the fence. After they'd all done a sweep of the house, they reconvened in the mostly destroyed kitchen to come up with a plan. Anatoli mentioned the neighbor Mrs. Bristol and about her offer to make them lunch every now and then; a gesture that was appreciated to be sure. Anatoli made the suggestion of adding a patio to the backyard, but the suggestion was voted out given the cost that would be going towards the repairs to the roof alone. Though disappointed, Anatoli agreed and shifted towards what they could do about the damage. They eventually started talking about the actual remodeling and when they did, Anatoli became a lot more vocal. The more Anatoli voiced his preferences and what he thought the house needed, Embry started to pay more and more attention.

"Peta," Embry said when they'd left the house. The twins and Anatoli were driving back to the office in Anatoli's truck, so Embry and Peta had some privacy to talk.

"Yeah?"

"Did you notice Anatoli getting a little personal about that house?"

"Yeah, I did," Peta said. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"I do," Embry said. "Honestly, I think it might be his dream house," Embry chuckled.

"Figures Anatoli would want something half broken," Peta chuckled. "I guess when we finish repairing it, he can buy it."

"I think he can afford what we paid for it," Embry said and that grabbed Peta's attention.

"Hold on; you want to spend thousands of dollars repairing the fire damage and make improvements without even charging for it?"

"For Anatoli, sure," Embry said. "If I'm wrong and he doesn't want the house, then we'll put it on the market like usual and we'll up the price so we get a profit. But I've got a pretty strong feeling Anatoli wants that house."

"You're the boss," Peta sighed a little. "Anatoli couldn't fall in love with a less expensive fixer upper could he?"

"Relax," Embry said. "Even if all we do is get back the down payment, it's not like we'll be deep in a hole or anything. He can consider it our wedding gift."

"They're not even engaged," Peta said.

"It's an extremely early wedding gift," Embry said.

In between other projects, they got to work on getting the fire damage repaired on the house first and foremost. There was already an enormous tarp on top of the roof in an effort to keep rain water from getting in, but water damage was an unfortunate inevitability with the damage the roof had suffered. Regardless, the top priority was fixing the roof and doing so as fast as they possibly could. It led to a lot of working into the night, though Anatoli was far more eager to do so than the others. When it was six one evening and Anatoli still wasn't home, Amber asked Kevin to call the office and he managed to catch Gaeli just before she left so she could tell them her brothers and Anatoli were still on site at the house making the roof repairs. So Amber took what she'd made for dinner, put together five plates of food, arranged it in a carrier and took the food to the site. The house was remarkably close; just a few blocks away from where they lived. As she arrived, a woman was exiting the house next door with a large basket in tow.

"You're Mrs. Black, right?" the woman asked when she saw Amber. "You own that little candle shop on Stewart St. near Macy's?"

"Yes," Amber nodded. "I'm very sorry, I do not believe we've met."

"In passing," the woman smiled. "I was with my Niece when she got her Unity Candle. I'm Leslie Bristol."

"Bristol…" Amber said thoughtfully, then a name came to mind. "Oh, yes, I remember. Your niece was Ellen Bristol?"

"Yes, that's my niece," she smiled. "The candle was truly exceptional. I wish you could have seen her face when she saw it. She actually cried just a little."

"I'm happy to hear she loved it," Amber smiled and then glanced at the basket. "Are you bringing food next door?"

"It's nothing too big; just some sandwiches. I saw they were still working at this hour and thought they might want a break."

"Between that and the meat and potatoes I brought, they'll be working well into the night," Amber giggled.

Leslie took a moment to look Amber over before asking, "Is Anatoli your brother or something?"

"No, he's my son," Amber said.

"You can't possibly be old enough to have a son in his twenties," Leslie said.

"Trust me: I am," Amber said.

"I'd thought he was raised in Lithuania."

"He was," Amber said. "He was born while I was imprisoned at Dachau. A couple was able to save him from the camps and raised him, but he always knew about me to an extent. We were fortunate enough to find one another while we were in France for Heather's birthday and I made sure he could come back with us."

"Truly a blessing," Leslie said. "Well, your son is quite the gentleman. Every now and then, I'll stop by to check on them and Anatoli will always have something nice to say. I'm actually a little disappointed he's taken – I have a daughter I wouldn't mind sending his way."

Amber smiled, "He's a very sweet boy. He reminds me a lot of my husband. Sometimes, I can't believe Kevin isn't his father."

"Who was his father?"

"An SS officer," Amber said with great discomfort. "Forgive me, but I would prefer to not talk about it."

"Naturally; please forgive me. I did not mean to offend."

"Not at all," Amber said reassuringly. "As must as I wish it could have happened differently, I wouldn't trade Anatoli for the world."

"I don't wonder why," Leslie said. "How about we get this food to them?"

Amber and Leslie walked up to the house and called up to the men to get their attention. Since there was an offer of food, they came down to eat and converse with Amber and Leslie. Once they finished eating, they got back to work and didn't leave the house until it was nine in the evening. When Anatoli got back, he felt extremely grimy from the sweat and light rain during the day, so he went straight to the bathroom for a shower. Once he got out wearing clean night clothes and drying out his hair, Kevin was coming up the stairs and let him know Ivory had called and to call her back. It took all of two weeks, but they were finally able to fully repair the roof so that it was as soon as new so they could turn their attention to the water damage inside the house.

Most of the water damage was centered in the master bedroom and they wound up needing to nearly gut the entire room as mold had begun growing. They discovered the same problem was occurring in the kitchen and required immediate attention. Thankfully it was only the two rooms that needed to be gutted, but it still took a large chunk of time. So much so that by the time they finally finished making the full repairs, it was August. By then, the group had grown frustrated and tired of the project and were ready to be done with it. Except Anatoli. Throughout the whole thing, he'd be the first one on site and would often be the last one to leave and had been the one making all the suggestions for the actual esthetic improvements to the house, further affirming Embry's suspicions. After all the repairs had been made and all the appliances and cabinets had been ordered for the house, Embry called Anatoli into his office one morning before they left for the site.

"You wanted to see me?" Anatoli said and sat down.

"Yeah, it's about the house we've been working on," Embry said. "Since we started working on it, you've seemed especially invested in the house."

"Yes," Anatoli said sheepishly. "Truth be told, if I thought I could afford it, I would happily make an offer."

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Embry said. "Now, given all the intensive repairs that needed to be made to the house, I would need to increase the price a little, but I can sell it to you for…let's say $9,500?" Anatoli gawked at him.

"You…..that would be possible?" he asked. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were well in the range of $11,000 or even $12,000 if they were the lakeside properties. Given Embry had paid $8000 for the house only after it had been deemed a lost cause by the bank, his offer was exceptionally generous.

"Yeah, I think we can swing that," Embry said. "That'll cover what we paid and the repairs. As to the appliances, consider that an early wedding present."

"I…..Embry, I cannot let you do that. It is too generous."

"Sure you can let me do this," Embry said. "I know you really want a house in the neighborhood so you can stay close and you've made clear to me that you've grown rather attached to that house. So I have no problem selling it to you for $9500." For a moment Anatoli stared at Embry just trying to process his offer.

"I can put down $1500 for the house," Anatoli said.

"That's fine by me," Embry smiled and reached into his desk drawer for the key. "We'll need to sign in to you and get the legalities out of the way, but as far as I'm concerned," Embry put the keys to the house in front of Anatoli on his desk, "you can start making yourself at home whenever you're ready." Anatoli took the key in his hand trying to think of what to say.

"Thank you for this, Embry," Anatoli said.

"Think nothing of it," Embry said. "I'm happy to let you buy the house. Now, I'm sure you'll understand you won't be getting a share seeing as you're the buyer."

Anatoli chuckled, "That is fine. The next flip we do."

"That's the spirit," Embry smiled. "Don't be too quick to start moving out, though. Give Amber time to adjust."

"I will," Anatoli said. "I can always wait to move in after I finish painting and buy furniture."

"She'll appreciate that," Embry said.

With that bit of good news, Anatoli had a spring in his step the rest of the day while they were getting the kitchen repaired with the cabinets, new fridge, oven, brand new sink and plenty of counter space. The kitchen wasn't as open as was the standard for other houses in the neighborhood but it was large enough that two people could comfortably work in it. At the end of the day, the kitchen looked good as new and Anatoli was already visualizing what color he wanted to paint it. He was thinking a deep red color. He knew Ivory would like that. When he returned home, it was a little late so his share of dinner was on the table waiting for him.

"I heard Embry offered to sell you the house," Kevin said from his office once Anatoli came into the house.

"Yes," Anatoli said. "He made a very generous offer and so I let him know what I could put down for the house. He already gave me the key."

"That's fantastic," Kevin said.

"Did you tell Mama?" Anatoli asked.

"I haven't," Kevin said. "I thought it best for you to tell her."

"Thank you," Anatoli answered. "Do you think she will be upset?"

"I think once she knows where you're moving it'll soften the news considerably. She'll be happy for you but she'll be sad to see you go. We all will be."

"I will always be close by," Anatoli said. "Where is mama?"

"She's putting the twins to bed," Kevin said. "Give her a minute to get them tucked in then you can tell her."

"Okay," Anatoli answered and went upstairs waiting for Amber to come out and close the door to the twins' room.

"Are you just getting home?" Amber asked.

"Yes; another long day. So I have good news."

"You do?"

Anatoli nodded and said, "Embry offered to let me buy that house we have been working on."

"He did?"

"Yes and I told him what I can put down. He already gave me the keys but he needs to sign it to me and I can give my down payment."

"So soon?"

"I am not moving just yet," Anatoli quickly reassured when Amber seemed upset. "There are still more things I want to do before I move. It needs new paint and I want to redo the floors. I do not think I will move until after Christmas."

Although she was still sad, Amber calmed and finally smiled. "That's wonderful, Anatoli. I'm proud of you." Amber started tearing up a little so Anatoli took her in a hug.

"Do not cry, mama. Is okay. I will be very close. I will be walking distance. If you need me, you call me."

"I'm sorry for being so silly," Amber said.

"You are not being silly, mama," Anatoli reassured and patting her back gently.

Anatoli notified Nathan about the house as soon as all the paperwork was signed and Anatoli had provided his down payment. However he asked that it be kept a secret from Ivory for the time being. He wanted to surprise her and, given that they couldn't move in together yet anyway, he wanted to get the house in order first. For the next several weeks, Anatoli's weekends (when he wasn't working) were spent at his new house making all the remaining changes he wanted, starting with getting rid of the carpet and replacing it with wood floors. Thankfully, he'd only needed to do that downstairs, in the upstairs hallway and the two guest bedrooms. The master bedroom had been gutted before he bought it so the only thing he needed to do in the master bedroom was paint.

"Where is everyone?" Leslie asked Anatoli when he was tossing out the carpet he'd just torn out and appeared to be the only one there.

"They are enjoying their Saturday," Anatoli said. "I confess I grew very fond of this house and my boss offer to let me buy it. He gave me a very good price and I could not resist."

"You mean we're neighbors?" Leslie asked with excitement. "Oh, Anatoli, that's fantastic!"

"Thank you for making me feel so welcome," Anatoli smiled. "I have not moved in just yet, though. I am still making changes right now. I will move in once that is all done."

"What other fixes are you working on? Besides the flooring."

"The flooring is the largest project, then I will paint. I want to add a patio deck, but that will have to wait until next summer."

"Yeah, that's hardly an undertaking you want to deal with in the winter," Leslie agreed.

"So how is Ruby? I have not seen her in a while."

"She's fantastic. She's actually expecting."

"Expecting? You mean she's pregnant?"

"Yes, she's pregnant," Leslie smiled. "At her last show, we met another family that had a Pitt Bull she had competed against and Ruby beat him by a very narrow margin. We got to talking and decided we should have a little of puppies. Since both mom and dad are champions, we will be able to get a good profit."

"When are they due?"

"They'll be born around November," Leslie said. "The father is a handsome grey Pitt Bull, so we're confident the puppies will be very, very cute."

"I am sure," Anatoli smiled. "Is it okay for me to say hello to Ruby?"

"Of course it is," Leslie giggled. "She may be pregnant but she will never turn away affection and company."

Leslie waved for Anatoli to join her into her house where he finally met Leslie's husband Eric. There were pictures all over the house of their two kids, a boy and girl, both of whom were in college out of state. Ruby was cuddled up in her little den that had been designated for her to have the puppies once it was time. She was very excited to see Anatoli and started barking and approached him with a toothy grin. Anatoli started petting her scratching behind her ear knowing she loved being scratched there. Anatoli wound up joining them for an early lunch after he'd been there several minutes just petting Ruby. She followed them into the kitchen where they ate and Ruby stared up at Anatoli with longing eyes.

"Don't let her trick you," Eric said. "She was given a very generous breakfast and she's already got her bowl of food for her lunch."

"Are you lying to me, Ruby?" Anatoli teased and petted her head.

"Shamelessly," Leslie giggled.

While having lunch together, Anatoli confirmed he was planning to propose to Ivory and revealed the plan he was forming in his head. She would be visiting over Christmas so his plan was to surprise her with the house and propose over dinner. Leslie added her own suggestions to make it more romantic and reminded Anatoli he needed to get her father's blessing though Anatoli has already spoken with Nathan about the matter. He talked about Nathan and Cindy eventually came up. He told them how they ended up adopting Cindy; how Ivory had seen Cindy in the window and begged and pleaded for Nathan to please let them take home the puppy and so on. Eventually Anatoli advised he needed to get back to work and thanked Eric and Leslie for lunch and their company.

"Before you leave, dear," Leslie said to Anatoli while he was putting on his jacket. "Would you be interested in adopting one of Ruby's puppies?"

"I cannot afford to I am afraid," Anatoli smiled. "I know Ruby is a champion but $200 for a puppy is a little steep for me."

"It is for most," Leslie said. "Of course, for you, I have no problem lowering the price. I can't make it free seeing as our friends will expect their share, but I can knock that down to $100."

Anatoli was quiet a moment before saying, "I will think about it. Thank you very much for offering. I will ask Ivory about it."

"If what you've told me is an indicator, she will say yes," Leslie smiled. "Take your time. I will let you know when we are going to put out the ad you can let me know then if you would like to reserve a puppy. I'll even give you first dibs."

"Thank you, Leslie," Anatoli smiled. "I will let you know soon."

Anatoli returned to working on the floor and managed to get the stairs and upper hallway laid with hardwood before he had to call it a day. That Sunday he got the remaining hardwood down and got loads and loads of tarp and fabric on the floor so it would be ready when he could paint. The house was coming together. After laying everything down, Anatoli just sat in the living room taking it all in, still unable to believe he really had a house. One that was just his, no less, that he didn't have to share with two other families and a bunch of kids.

"How'd it go today?" Amber asked Anatoli when the family sat down for dinner together.

"I finished laying down the wood floor. All that is left is to paint and furnish."

"Are you still keeping this from Ivory?" Heather asked.

"For now," Anatoli said. "I want to surprise her."

"What about that lady that offered you a dog?" Levi asked.

"I have not decided yet," Anatoli said. "I will talk to Ivory Tuesday about it."

"Mom, can we adopt-"

"No," Amber said, interrupting Levi.

"But Mom!"

"I'll tell you what, Levi," Amber said, "if you can raise $200 and get yourself a job to care for the dog and will clean up after it without making me do it, then you can have a dog."

Anatoli chuckled a little under his breath while Levi looked defeated and grumbled. When Tuesday came and Anatoli was able to, he took the phone into his room for privacy and called Ivory.

"I was beginning to wonder when you were going to call," Ivory teased once she had the phone and had taken it into her room.

"I meant to call earlier but Lilliana was being fussy. She and Tristan are trying to stand but mostly crawl everywhere so they are on the road to wreaking havoc."

"Sounds scary," Ivory giggled. "So has anything changed? As far as house hunting?"

"I am still looking," he lied. "Although, something I want to ask you: would you want a dog?"

"Do you realize who you're talking to?" Ivory joked and said, "I would love to have a dog."

"A Pitt Bull?"

"I adore Pitt Bulls," Ivory said. "Would you happen to be asking me this because you're already looking into it?"

"I am considering it," Anatoli said.

"I say let's get a dog when we can," Ivory said and Anatoli smiled knowingly.

"Anything you say," Anatoli said. "How are things for you? You haven't had any more trouble?"

"Everything is going fine. I haven't seen or spoken to Ben and he's still working in another room."

"Good," Anatoli said. "My hope is to have a house by January at latest."

"Just tell me when and I'll give my two weeks' notice," Ivory said.

As per usual, the two of them talked for hours before finally disconnecting. When Friday arrived and Anatoli finished work for the day, he went straight to his house so he could start painting. He'd be doing that all weekend. Next weekend he'd be buying furniture, then he'd officially move in. Before getting started though, he went next door and waited after knocking.

"Anatoli" Leslie smiled as she opened the door. "It's good to see you. Come on in; can I get you water? Are you hungry? Eric and I just finished and there's plenty left over."

"That is very kind, thank you," he said and walked with Leslie to the kitchen where Ruby was and eagerly welcomed him. "So I spoke with Ivory."

"And?" Leslie said as she filled a glass with water and handed it to Anatoli.

"If the offer stands, I would like to adopt one of Ruby's puppies."

"Of course the offer stands," Leslie smiled. She made him a plate of food and put it on the table for him. "Give me one moment, dear." She left the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a little notebook.

"What is that for?"

"It's how I'll be keeping track of how many puppies are available for adoption and who will be eligible to adopt them. We aren't planning to put an ad out until we know how many puppies Ruby has. Luckily for you, you will get the first pick."

"Thank you for being so generous," Anatoli smiled. "Do you suppose the puppy will be old enough for me to bring home before Christmas?"

"Oh yeah, they will be," Leslie said. "Puppies need to stay with their mothers for at weeks before you can bring them home. If we have her due date right, then you should be able to bring home your puppy. Now, one thing I cannot recommend enough is making sure you have your puppy trained. I adore Pitt Bulls, but I'll be the first to admit that they're very, VERY powerful dogs. Imagine if a teddy bear were also a tank."

"I know," Anatoli said. "Cindy does not always realize her own strength. She is very well trained, though."

"Do you know who trained her?"

"Ivory's father trained her," Anatoli said. "I was going to ask him to help me."

"Do that," Leslie agreed, "and start early. The earlier, the better. Puppies are just like children: when they're babies, their brains are like little sponges taking in and retaining information."

"I will make sure to ask for training," Anatoli said.

"Very good," Leslie said. "I have you penciled in for reserving a puppy. As soon as Ruby has her puppies, I will let you know."

"I appreciate it, Leslie," Anatoli smiled.

After their talk and he'd had his dinner, Anatoli returned to his house so he could start painting. He started with the upstairs master bedroom and had that done by sundown and then moved on to the master bathroom. Once he finished those rooms, he called it a night and went to one of the guest rooms to sleep while the paint dried in the master bedroom and bathroom. The next morning when he woke up, he got to work on the other upstairs bathroom and the guest rooms that were kept a neutral color. Then he moved on to the upstairs hallway. He had that done by the afternoon and around one, Kevin and Amber came over with Heather, Levi (Jr. and Sr.), Anna and the twins to see if they could help with the rest of the painting. Anna's attention was focused near entirely on the twins while the rest of them painted, but with their help, Anatoli had the rest of the house finished. All that was left now was to get some furniture and kitchen wares.

Wanting to ease the strain on Anatoli in that respect, Amber and Anna asked around the Synagogue that Sunday to find out if anyone has some things that they didn't use or want anymore that they'd be willing to let Anatoli have. She was pleased to find out there were plenty of congregants that had plenty of plates, cutlery and even a stand mixer that had recently been replaced by other things and they were eager to get rid of their old stuff. Anatoli tried to tell Amber that wasn't necessary, but the sentiment was half hearted given he needed all the help he could get. Come the following Sunday, Anatoli joined Amber and his siblings to the Synagogue to accept any donations that had been offered and to thank them for their generosity. He was even approached by one couple that had a couch they wanted to replace since they were going for a new style and they wanted to get rid of their old furniture. Anatoli came by their house with his truck that afternoon to collect the couch and a reclining chair that they didn't want anymore. Anatoli took everything from his room. He had his bookcase downstairs and put his small bed in the guest room. He'd ordered a king size mattress and bedroom set to go with it and when that arrived and was set up, Anatoli laid in that bed for at least an hour just savoring its spacious and cozy feel.

Even though his new house was completely furnished, Anatoli didn't officially move in right away. He could tell his leaving was giving Amber a case of Empty Nest and he wanted to try making the change as painless as possible. Although by the time it was October, Anatoli was officially moved out of Kevin's and Amber's house and moved into his own place. The furnishing would still leave a lot to be desired but he could fix that over time, especially once Ivory was moved in. In the meantime, Anatoli and Leslie kept in touch; both as just neighbors but also to keep an eye on Ruby and her progress. In the meantime, Anatoli also went to Nathan so they could formally talk about Ivory.

"Kevin tells me you've finished fixing up that house you bought," Nathan said when the two of them were sitting outside on his porch drinking coffee together. Cindy was sitting her head on Nathan's lap sitting beside him on the large swinging chair. Anatoli was on another lawn chair beside him.

"Yes, I finished painting, the hardwood floors are down, new appliances, the roof is fixed: everything is done. It will need more furniture but that can come later."

"Indeed it can," Nathan agreed. "So about you and Ivory," he continued, "what's the plan exactly? Are the two of you having a Quileute wedding or no?"

"I had not thought about that," Anatoli said. "If I am honest, I want an Orthodox wedding, but there are no churches here and Ivory is not Orthodox or Catholic regardless."

"Ivory never said anything about wanting a Quileute wedding. All things considered, she'd probably rather a non-religious officiant. Hell, if I'd let her, she'd want to get married in Vegas at one of those stupid 24 hour chapels."

Anatoli chuckled, "No, she would not want that. She might joke, but I think she will want to have a full wedding."

"I hope so," Nathan said. "Well, regardless of how you decide to do it, you have my blessing. And as soon as you've got that puppy of yours, Cindy and I will help train him."

"I appreciate it," Anatoli smiled. "And thank you, Nathan. I promise I will make her happy."

"I know you will," Nathan said. "I know you love her; that's the best I can ask for her; and she loves you too."

"I am grateful for it," Anatoli said.

The remainder of the year wore on. For Mae Sun's birthday, Kai had made a special trip to Alaska coming back with a King Crab still alive and kicking. Quite literally. While Eun Mi had requested that Kai make the trip knowing Mae Sun would want crab for his birthday dinner, Eun Mi had not anticipated it would be so large – 20 lbs to be exact – and cooking the crab took forever. All the same, Mae Sun got his King Crab that, while he was expected to share with his brothers and little sisters, he thoroughly enjoyed. By the time he was finished, he was too full to eat his chapssal-tteok but that didn't stop him from trying. Yet despite his efforts, he only managed one Chapssal-tteok before he couldn't eat anymore and was laying on the floor feeling so full he could barely move.

"You enjoy your birthday there, kid?" JJ teased.

"My stomach hurts a little," Mae Sun said, "but it was worth it."

JJ chuckled a little, "If you say so, Mae Sun." Eun Mae crawled over to Mae Sun and plopped back on her butt once she was at his side and began hitting his stomach like a drum.

"Mae Mae!" Mae Sun groaned and rolled away from her. JJ chuckled more and leaned over to pick up Eun Mae and put her on his lap.

"Be more mindful, Eun Mae," JJ said. "He enjoyed his birthday a little too much."

"It was worth it," Mae Sun groaned as he rolled onto his back again. Mae Yon started crawling over with a big smile and giggle but, given the previous occurrence, Mae Sun wasn't having it and kept his little sister at arm's length. "Don't even think about it, Mae Mae," Mae Sun said. Taking pity on his little brother, Jae Sun walked over to pick up Mae Yon so she wasn't bugging Mae Sun.

Tristan's and Lilliana's first birthday also fell in October. Anatoli asked to host their birthday at his house. It wasn't summer weather but it was warm enough that they could have the back door open so people could come in and out of the house and go into the backyard. Leslie and her husband rolled their large grill from their backyard into Anatoli's so they could cook burgers for everyone and people invited were encouraged to bring food. Because so many family members and their children were coming to Anatoli's house, they rented a trampoline for the older kids to enjoy and a few other toys more appropriate for much younger kids. Emma Leigh, still appearing around four or five by now but preferring the trampoline, played with the older children both from the family and children in the neighborhood and from Heather's and Levi's school. There were so many people at Anatoli's house that people were funneling in and out of the backyard and into the front yard. There was a giant sheet cake for everyone that came, but with Kevin's and Amber's assistance, the twins blew out a blue and pink 1 candle on their personal cupcakes and then given freedom to smash, play with and eventually eat their cupcakes while everyone else had their own slice of cake.

"Your little brother and sister are absolutely precious," Leslie gushed while she watched the twins smashing their cupcakes with the cutest look of joy on their faces.

"Yes, they are cute, but Lilli is a little monster," Anatoli chuckled. "Mama says she can tell Lilliana misses me."

"A child will always miss her bit brother," Leslie smiled.

All the while, Anatoli was eagerly awaiting Christmas. After he and Nathan had talked, he decided he would follow what was American tradition and bought a ring and requested that Jaedynn come with him so he could make sure he picked something she would love. It wasn't a diamond, though. At least not at the focus. His first choice had been a pearl, but Jaedynn was adamant against it. Not because Ivory didn't like pearls, but because pearls were so sensitive and damage very easily and the jeweler confirmed this, so Anatoli kept looking, gravitating towards anything white. While at the jewelers trying to find the perfect ring, he ultimately focused on a teardrop cut opal surrounded by tiny diamonds in a thin gold setting. Jaedynn gave the ring her stamp of approval confirming Ivory would love it, so Anatoli bought it and kept the ring in hiding somewhere safe for when Christmas came and he could propose. Ruby also had her puppies in early November as anticipated. On Wednesday evening when he returned home from work, he wasn't home long before he got a knock on his door from Leslie to announce that Ruby had her puppies and to come over.

"See these are them?" Anatoli asked while he kneeled down to sit next to Ruby and rub her head. She was panting heavily clearly still recovering from having the puppies. She'd had a total of ten puppies and they were already seeming to bicker for their spot at her belly to have their milk. One puppy caught Anatoli's attention right away. "This little guy is very small," he said, pointing at a puppy that was noticeably smaller than the other puppies. Despite his size, however, he seemed to have the most fight out of his siblings and was forcing his little nose past two of the other puppies so he could get his share.

"Yes, he's the runt," Leslie said. "When we saw him, we were so scared Ruby would reject him, but she's a wonderful mother. She's been doting on all her puppies very carefully like any good mother."

"For one so small, he does not let his brothers or sisters push him around," Anatoli smiled.

Leslie giggled, "Am I to presume you've picked the puppy you wish to adopt?"

"I think so," Anatoli said and reached over to pet the puppy in question. When he tried, though, Ruby lifted her head hitting Anatoli's hand with her nose to force his hand away.

"Don't take it personally, dear. Ruby's just looking out for her babies," Leslie said and petted Ruby's head. "You're welcome to come visit whenever you want okay? Make sure your little munchkin gets to know you. Do you know what you want to name him?" Anatoli took a moment to think about it. He wanted to give his runt a name that he suspected he'd grow into.

"I think Argo," Anatoli finally said.

"Argo?" Leslie asked, clearly surprised by the name and not appearing to like it very much.

"Is a Greek name; do not worry," Anatoli chuckled, "but I can picture a Russian having that name. Argo was the name of a ship and it was a very strong ship."

"Oh," Leslie said, starting to warm up to the name, "well then, sounds like our little munchkin will have quite the name to grow into."

"I think he will," Anatoli said.

As promised, Anatoli visited Leslie's and Eric's house almost daily so he could visit with Argo. When the weekend came, he brought his siblings over so they could meet the puppies and even get to play with them a little. Levi asked Amber if they could have a puppy of their own. The answer was no. Leslie did extend the invitation to Anatoli's siblings to come visit the puppies as well, reasoning they needed to be used to children given the likelihood would be that mostly families with children would be adopting the puppies. Nathan was eventually able to join Anatoli to meet the puppy Anatoli would adopt. By the time he did, Argo was still smaller than his siblings, but he was absolutely a feisty one.

"He'll be a fun one to train," Nathan said while he played tug of war with a little rope toy with Argo. "First things first: we need to figure out if he's play or food motivated."

"What was Cindy?"

"Food and pets," Nathan said. "I used to keep a pouch of cooked chicken at my hip and every time she did something just right, she would get her piece of chicken and a scratch behind the ear just the way she likes. Now, Anatoli, once you start training Argo, you can't just teach him when he's a puppy and expect him to remember everything. You need to keep at it and make sure you keep his skills sharp. If it means taking a day on the weekends every now and then to refresh him, so be it. Cindy didn't stay a model dog because she was trained briefly as a puppy; we stuck with it."

"Yes, sir," Anatoli said. "I hope you are prepared, Argo. Nathan is very strict."

Argo continued pulling on the toy producing the cutest little growl while he did so. His brothers and sisters also came rushing to join in the play. Eventually Nathan left with his hands healing from the teeny tiny scratches from puppy teeth and claws with a big smile. He'd forgotten how fun puppies were to be around.

"When do you get to bring Argo home?"

"Right before Ivory comes to Washington," Anatoli said.

"Well, she'll be here by the 18th," Nathan said.

"Yes, she said her plane will land by one," Anatoli answered.

"Do you plan on coming with when I pick her up from the airport?"

"Would it be alright if I pick her up? I want to surprise her."

"Sure," Nathan shrugged. "I think she'd like that. Should we not tell her you're picking her up?"

"Yes," Anatoli smiled, "I want it to be completely a surprise."

"Alright; I'll leave it to you, then," Nathan said.

The remainder of the month into December flew by. Incidentally, the 18th of December was when all Ruby's puppies would be going to their forever homes, so Anatoli could pick up Argo when he arrived with Ivory. He relayed his plan before hand to Leslie who was all too happy to help Anatoli with his plans. She offered to get Argo in a cute red ribbon or a little bow tie, but Anatoli insisted she didn't need to go that far. When the 18th came, Anatoli was suddenly really, really nervous. He showered and tried to pick something appropriate. Initially he picked a suit he'd wear to the Synagogue, but as soon as he was in the suit, he felt like he was overdoing it. So he took off the suit and tried to pick something less obvious. He ended up staring at his clothes half naked wondering how he should look. When he couldn't seem to find anything, he called the house asking to speak to Kevin, but he was at work so he called the Law Firm.

"Is something wrong?" Kevin asked once Anatoli had been transferred to him.

"Is there a dress code for proposing?" Anatoli asked.

A brief silence passed before Kevin said, "You're calling because you don't know what to wear?"

"I try to put on a suit, but that is too obvious….is it?"

"It depends on the context," Kevin answered hesitantly. "I mean...you're just picking her up from the airport, not taking her out to The Ritz."

"What is The Ritz?"

"Never mind; it's not important," Kevin sighed and groaned a little. "Okay...what is the plan exactly?"

"I want to pick her up from the airport and then bring her to the house to show it and let her meet Argo."

"So you're bringing her to your house. Are there any plans after that?"

"I mean…..I hope she yes and we have sex," Anatoli said bluntly. Kevin almost laughed.

"In that case, I say wear jeans and a shirt and you'll be fine," Kevin said. "Don't be so nervous, kid. You'll be fine."

"Do you think so?"

"Yes, I think so. You're over thinking this. Just relax, follow through with the plan and I promise she'll say yes."

"I hope so," Anatoli said.

"Don't hope – know." Anatoli chuckled a little at Kevin's encouraging words.

"Okay. I know so."

"That's better," Kevin said.

"Thank you. I am sorry to bother you at work but I need the encouragement."

"It's fine. Don't let yourself get too worked up. Just stay relaxed and make it a day Ivory will remember forever. "

"Thank you, Dad," Anatoli smiled.

"Any time," Kevin said.

The two of them disconnected and Anatoli followed Kevin's advice of wearing jeans and a shirt like it was any other day. He started getting nervous again the closer it came to be time to leave. He kept pulling back out the ring he was keeping in his back pocket over and over to reassure himself it was as beautiful as he remembered and hoped Ivory would love it. Right before leaving, he took a shot of Whiskey desperate for some liquid courage and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

He made the drive to the airport going to the terminal Nathan had said to pick her up from and waited. He realized he was early and started pacing. At first it was only a little but soon he was pacing like a mad man. When he finally saw Ivory come out with all her bags, he approached before she'd had time to see him, but when she did, she smiled and let go of her luggage so she could meet Anatoli and hug him.

"How was your flight?" Anatoli asked.

"It was fine," Ivory said. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Anatoli answered a kissed her. They kissed a moment before Anatoli finally released her so he could get her luggage. Ivory followed him to the car and got into the passenger's seat while Anatoli put her things in the cab of his truck. Once he was in the driver's seat, he leaned over to give her another kiss. They left the airport making the trip back to the city. Once they were approaching the neighborhood, Anatoli asked, "Check the glove compartment?"

"Is there a present for me?" Ivory smiled, "and to think: it's not even Christmas yet." Anatoli smiled back and watched while she opened the compartment to find a black cloth. "Wait, a blind fold?"

"Yes. I need you to put it on. I have something special for you."

"Well then," Ivory said and put the blindfold on. "Okay Anatoli. I can't see."

"Good. Keep it on until I say okay?"

"Okay," Ivory answered with an eager smile. A few brief minutes later, Anatoli parked in front of his house and turned off the car. "Can I take off the blindfold?"

"Not yet. Stay here. I will be just a moment. No taking off the blindfold okay?"

"Okay," Ivory giggled. "Don't leave me in suspense too long okay?"

"I will be just a moment," Anatoli said, leaned over to kiss her and then finally left the car to go next door. He knocked on the door and what followed was Ruby and Argo barking at the door before Leslie opened the door. "Afternoon, Leslie."

"Afternoon, Anatoli. Argo's ready for you." Anatoli glanced down at the little blue puppy and laughed when he saw the little white ribbon tied around his neck in a little bow. "I couldn't resist making him look just a little Bridal."

"It can only help," Anatoli said and picked up Argo who'd been circling around his legs. "I will talk to you later. And thank you."

"She'll say yes for sure. Go get her, tiger," Leslie said and closed the door once Anatoli walked away. He quickly brought Argo into the house and to the back yard.

"I will be right back, Argo," Anatoli said to the puppy and gently closed the door. He rushed back to the truck and opened the door for Ivory.

"There you are," Ivory said when Anatoli opened the door. "For a moment I was beginning to think you forgot about me."

"Not at all," Anatoli said and helped Ivory out of the car. He gently guided her so she was facing the house and once he was satisfied said, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Ivory answered eagerly. Anatoli removed the blindfold so she could see the house and for a brief moment she was silent.

"Welcome home, Ivory," Anatoli said.

"Is this..." Ivory started but trailed off while looking between him and the house. "Is this really our house?"

"Yes, I bought it earlier this year. The previous owners set it on fire and Embry buy it so we could flip it. He saw I really like the house and offer to let me buy it, so I did."

"Anatoli," Ivory said as she seemed so excited she might cry. "Can we go inside?"

"Of course we can," he smiled and walked with her to the door and let them in before handing the key to Ivory. "This is your key. I have mine here." He presented his car keys to which he'd attached his house key.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have given my 2 weeks."

"I want to surprise you. I have another surprise," he said and went to the door to the backyard. He opened it and Argo burst in through the door and went right up to Ivory.

"Oh my God; you got a puppy?!" Ivory practically screeched as she went to her knees to play with the puppy. Argo was scratching at her with excitement demanding attention and Ivory was happy to give it to him.

"His name is Argo," he said and sat beside her. "Nathan is helping me train him."

"Oh, we're in the school of Nathan Black Dog Training are we?" Ivory giggled and picked up Argo so she could start scratching his belly while Argo licked her and sometimes nipped at her chin. "He's so precious. How old is he?"

"Just eight weeks old," Anatoli smiled. "Our neighbor Leslie has a pit bull named Ruby and she had puppies recently. She was kind enough to let me adopt one of her puppies."

"That certainly was kind of her," Ivory said, continuing to scratch Argo's chin. He kept nipping at her fingers playfully and Ivory giggled all the while. "You said our neighbor's dog is his mommy?"

"Yes; Ruby," Anatoli said. "How about I show you upstairs?"

"Sure," Ivory said and stood up with him continuing to carry Argo in her arms. However, he began wiggling indicating he wanted to be put down, so Ivory put Argo back on his feet on the stairs and giggled while she watched the little puppy hop his way up the stairs with them. "So how long have you had him?"

"I brought him home just after we arrived," Anatoli said. He led her up the stairs and showed her to the master bedroom eager to show off the only room in the house that was fully furnished.

"You really got a king bed?" Ivory asked and went to the bed to bounce down on it. "Daddy's aware I will be spending December here right?"

"I did not ask about that I am afraid," Anatoli chuckled and came around so he was standing before her.

"I'll let him know," Ivory smiled mischievously. She brought her hands up to take Anatoli's while she continued smiling. "That can always wait though."

"I think so," Anatoli said. "I hoped I can have you to myself for a little while."

"I'm all yours," Ivory answered. "So what shall we do in our new house all by our lonesome?"

"Things people normally do?" Anatoli joked. He was getting a little nervous again but trying not to show it. He tried to be as natural as possible about getting on one knee. Argo started scratching at his knee barking for attention.

"Did you want up Argo?" Ivory asked the puppy and released Anatoli so she could bend down to pick up Argo and bring him on her lap. Anatoli reached into his back pocket while Ivory was distracted with the puppy. "We'll need to make sure you have a little set of stairs so you can get into bed with us until you're big enough to get up yourself."

"He needs to be potty trained before we let him in bed," Anatoli said.

"That's true," Ivory kept her attention on Argo scratching his chest. "You'll just need to master going outside really quick okay Argo?" She finally looked at Anatoli and patted the spot next to her on the bed. "Come sit next to me."

"In a moment," he said, getting really nervous again.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, Yes, I am okay. I am just thinking."

"About?"

"About how much I love you," he answered.

"I love you too," Ivory smiled and leaned down so they could kiss. When they parted, Anatoli took a hold of her left hand.

"Do you love me enough to spend the rest of our lives together?"

Ivory was quiet at first, glancing down at their hands before finally nodding. "Do you love me enough to spend the rest of our lives together?" She asked him back. Eager to take advantage of the opportunity, Anatoli finally brought the box into view and opened it so she could see the tear drop opal.

"Absolutely," he said.

"Anatoli," Ivory whimpered a little and smiled a teary eyed smile.

"Will you marry me, Ivory?" he finally asked properly.

"Yes," Ivory nodded, "Yes Anatoli, I'll marry you." Anatoli put the ring on Ivory's finger while she cried and stood up so he could sit beside her in the bed. "It's beautiful," she said.

"I admit I cannot take full credit. Jaedynn helped me pick it."

"Remind me to thank her later," Ivory said. She glanced up at Anatoli briefly and then put Argo down so she could shift her body to face him. "You, on the other hand, I can thank now."

They shared a small laugh before Ivory pressed her lips to his and pushed him back onto the bed and then brought her leg over so she was straddling Anatoli's hips.

"I love you Anatoli," Ivory said.

"I love you too, Ivory Dahlia," Anatoli answered. Ivory couldn't help but giggle just a little at Anatoli using her full name but she stopped the moment their lips met again.