"I'm looking forward to marrying you," Dave told Alex quietly. "Waiting couple of extra months is going to be hard."

"I know," Alex agreed, as the two of them sat on the sand looking out over the ocean. "It's the right thing to do though. Even a couple of months isn't really going to be enough, I know, but we have to supposedly get to know each other. I'm sure I'll still be the recipient of nasty looks, people that believe that I waved my fanny in your face in order to win you."

"Not even thinking about the fact that they did the same thing," Dave snorted.

"They're bound to be some nasty remarks, just because I'm the newcomer," Alex shrugged. "I can take it. What they say doesn't mean crap and even if you tell them we met at the beginning of summer when I came to look for an apartment, some of them still wouldn't accept it."

"I just don't want you hurt by them," Dave told her gently kissing her on the forehead.

"They won't hurt me Dave. I can defend myself and not necessarily by magic either. I can, very easily point out, a few home truths to them. Point out, they've had the last six years to try to win you and just because they failed didn't mean I stole you. I could point, out to them that they tried every tactic they could and you didn't take the bait. I could also tell them that it's apparent you don't go for the empty headed and shallow. You can be perfectly intelligent and be as shallow as a puddle or water after a spring rain. I can also point out that if they had shown their intelligence instead of acting all silly they might have attracted your attention."

"Some of them were intelligent. You can't work someplace like a university, even if it's not top tier and be stupid. Getting a teaching degree, both your bachelors and your masters does take some intelligence, even if is not as hard as getting some of the other degrees like chemistry," Dave admitted. "But our ethics and morals didn't mesh well enough for me to seriously consider it. They didn't care about protecting the ocean from pollution or anywhere else for that matter. They didn't see that it was the pollution in the ocean and the air that was killing off so many animals. The fish, the octopuses, the squid, even the sharks or the manta rays. Of course, whatever is in the water affects us to, as selkies can get sick just as easily from pollution as anything else. I could never have lived with someone like that for long. They don't think about leaving trash on the beach when they are done with their picnics for instance or their snacks. A lot of times they leave those kind of things behind and don't bother to find a trash receptacle. I have found more than one fish being strangled by those plastic things that they put around a six pack of soda. They are also so careless and thoughtless about the environment around them. That wasn't a problem of all the women I dated, but still, even if I had told them about selkies they never would have believed me. Most of them didn't even read fantasy, which would have at least somewhat prepared them. Stories about magic and mystical creatures in particular, no they read romance or thrillers or mysteries, which is all well and good, but not what I needed at the time. Also, a couple never proved to me that they knew how to keep a secret."

"I'm actually kind of glad that none of them were who you wanted in a mate," Alex said. "We wouldn't have been able to get together if one of them had been."

"That's true, so I'm glad to," Dave said putting an arm around Alex's shoulders. "I'm so glad I met you."

"So prepared to meet my mother tomorrow?" Alice asked her fiancée.

"Yes, I am," Dave answered simply. "I would go through the devil himself if it meant I could marry you. I looked so long for someone like you to mate with I'm not about to give you up now, not unless you tell me it's not what you want."

"That's good, but you don't have to fear my mom won't like you. So long as you're polite and she knows you love me then everything will be just fine. We could even live in Refuge if we wanted to and at least that would make my mother in particular happy."

"I'll have to think about it," Dave said. "I doubt there are any teaching jobs within your little town."

"Well, we do have an elementary school and a high school, where ordinary subjects like reading, writing and math are taught," Alex said. "There might not be as many children as in the bigger cities, but there're still several hundred at any given time. There is usually at least around 500 or so between schools, some times more or less of course."

"That's not so many really," Dave said. "Not in any town of a decent size."

"And that that doesn't include all the babies and toddlers, ones too young for school," Alex agreed. "There's probably close to 100, maybe 150 young ones at any given time. The town is about 15 miles across and we have mostly everything a modern metropolis has. We have several supermarkets, we have shops and restaurants and there are a series of caves off to one side of the town. We certainly can't match the big cities for size, but personally, I think the big cities are overcrowded. I like this little town for instance, as it's not overcrowded and the people are mostly very nice. At least the ones I've met are. Still, there aren't really any opportunities for a marine biologist in Refuge, which was one of the reasons I left in the first place."

"So why don't we head to your place," Dave suggested.

"I know exactly what your suggesting David Rossi," Alex said acting all offended then added, after Dave's face had fallen. "I'll be glad to, just so long as I remember to take a dose of potion that will prevent conception. I don't want people to believe that I married you because I was pregnant."

"Probably wise," Dave decided, now sporting a mile wide grin, his momentary disappointment having disappeared. "Do you have any of that potion on hand?"

"Yes, I mixed up some, a couple of weeks ago, as I knew this was a likely possibility," Alex answered simply. "Let Aaron and Penny have the beachhouse, though I'm sure they won't be having sex, since they've only been dating for a few days."

"No, Aaron won't do that until he's sure that their relationship is solid. He'll make up the guestroom for her, even though she'll be the first guest."

"You've never had a guest in your home?" Alex asked in amazement.

"Not one that stayed overnight," Dave said. "What I told your father is the absolute truth we like our privacy and for more than one reason."

Alex was nodding at this, as she more than understood. Dave and Aaron had a very important secret to protect from those that would tell others, even if it was innocent gossip that was overheard. Some people would not understand the need for secrecy and there were those that were very good at picking up any unusual gossip, which they would then use to their advantage.

"Overnight guests tend to overstep their bounds a lot of times. They let their curiosity get the better of them, instead of letting their sensible sides out. They'd likely to go exploring and while our sealskins are well hidden you never know if someone is clever and will find them, so it's just to much of a risk."

"Well, let's head back to my place," Alex suggested calmly and Dave nodded eagerly, now sporting a mile wide grin.

"I'll call Aaron on the way and tell him where I am," Dave said. "Aaron will then know to keep your sister at our beachhouse. He'll know I don't want to be interrupted, not even by your sister."

"Sounds good to me. Penny won't mind, as she knows we're engaged to be married after all and it's not like either one of us is going to wait for the wedding to engage in sex," Alex said.

"Definitely not, as I've waited long enough as it is. We're expected at your parents for breakfast, so we need to be up fairly early," Dave said. "Good thing, I've already packed a traveling bag."

"Good thing," Alex told him kissing him passionately, before rising to her feet and brushing the sand off her legs and her shorts.

Dave did the same and brushed the sand off his pants.

"Shall we go, my lady?" Dave asked his fiancée offering Alex his arm.

"We shall, kind sir," Alex agreed taking the arm Dave offered her.

The two of them walked slowly arm in arm to where Alex was parked.

Alex got behind the wheel and once Dave had gotten into the passenger side she started to car and headed for her apartment that Dave and Aaron had helped her find.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~

Part 2

"You're here!" Branna said.

"Of course we are, mom," Alex said amused. "You act like I've been gone for years instead of just a couple of months. This is no different than when I was attending college in another city."

"I've just missed you so much, Alex," Branna said.

"I know," Alex said in a more calm tone. "I know you miss all of your children as only my youngest two siblings are still at home. Children do grow up however, no matter how much you want to keep them little forever."

"Well, at least you're here now and Sedgwick said you were staying the weekend," Branna said after hugging the life out of Alex.

"Mom, this is David Rossi, my fiancé." Alex introduced her fiancé.

"Yes, your dad did mention that you managed to meet someone while you were gone. I was very happy that you had finally decided to settle down," Branna said. "It's nice to meet you David."

"It's nice to meet you to. You can call me Dave," Dave said kissing the back of her hand graciously. "I can see from where Alex gets her beauty."

Branna blushed at the sincere compliment. It was true what Dave had said, Alex's mother had her daughter's dark hair, except hers was wavy and instead of straight. She was tall and slender a little bit taller than her daughter actually at 5'9' and had an hourglass figure. She also had hazel eyes instead of dark brown and her nose was slightly longer then her daughter's. Still, it was clear that she was a beautiful woman and Alex had taken after her.

"Well, why don't you settle in the living room I'll finish fixing breakfast," Branna suggested.

"Let me help," Alex said.

"That's okay Alex, it's almost ready and today is the celebration, because you're finally getting married, something I've been wanting to happen for at least the last 10 years. I was hoping you would accept Samuel's proposal, but your dad made me see you would've been miserable."

Alex rolled her eyes and said. "Samuel wanted me to be stuck in the house just looking after the kids and not make use of my university degree," Alex said. "He didn't seem to care that I would've been miserable and I tried to tell him that...several times. I finally had to slap him to get him to listen and he seemed rather shocked."

"He was," Branna chuckled, "but he deserved it for not listening to you. He's really lucky you didn't do him more harm. Sedgwick has never been like that thank Hecate. You caused quite a furor you know and your father had to straighten him out."

Alex just snorted, her feelings plain on her face.

"Now, you go sit down in the living room and breakfast will be ready momentarily," Branna suggested.

"Okay," Alex sighed and led Dave towards the living room.

"So what was that all about?" Dave asked as soon as they were settled. "Oh, I can basically guess, but I would like you to tell me."

"Remember when I told you I had this boyfriend that wanted me to just become a housewife or as we call them here house witch?" asked Alex

Dave nodded, as he did remember that conversation.

"Samuel's not a bad guy really. He just tends not to listen, even when he should be. My slapping his cheek was more to get his attention, then because I was intending to hurt him. If I'd wanted to hurt him then believe me, I could have, but I really didn't want to do that, just wanted him to listen to me instead of rolling over at whatever I was trying to say. I told him very politely that his plans would never going to come to fruition. I told him I would not be just a house witch, as I would be miserable and I knew it. "I explained that I wasn't suited just to sitting at home and doing basically nothing, except looking after the children when they came. I rather pointedly told him that he hadn't even asked what I wanted and that was in bad taste at the very least. I mean he was treating it like it was a foregone conclusion I would settle down with him, have a dozen kids and not do anything with my life outside of taking care of them cooking and cleaning. While I would love to have children, as we discussed, I am not going to be forced to look after them and not have a career of my own. "That was something Samuel needed explained to him in big bold, capitol letters, as he has some very old fashioned ideas about what is suitable, for a woman, even though this is the early 21st-century, especially for a man who has very prominent position in our community. By the time I got done lecturing him, he looked rather shocked and done in. I was all of 24 and he was 26. I haven't had a serious relationship since, except for you."

"Well at least it turned out okay," Dave said putting an arm around Alex's shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

"Yes, it did, and as I said, he's an okay guy. He just wasn't the guy for me. At one point, I believed I was in love with him, but I realized that I wasn't, when Samuel refused to listen to what I tried to tell him. This isn't the 16th or 17th century where women weren't allowed to have jobs and were expected to just stay at home and raise the children. I've met his father a few times and I think Samuel gets all his ideas from him. Rodney Cohen strikes me as very old-fashioned. I have no doubt that his family run's precisely how he wants it to run and no one dares rebel or have original ideals. He's on the council that is responsible for making important decisions. My father is also on the council. I'm really hoping we don't run into him while I'm showing you around town tomorrow."

"Don't want to encounter an old boyfriend," Dave teased her.

"It's more along the lines of I don't want him to cause a scene, especially in public, once he finds out I'm engaged to be married," Alex explained. "As far as I know he's still not married nor has he had a serious girlfriend ever since our break up nearly ten years ago. I hear things," Alex explained at Dave's look. "My siblings tell me things as all of them know I was involved with Samuel Cohen, so they pass on any news if I wasn't here when they heard it. I'm not sure if he's pining after me or just hasn't met anyone yet, but still, I'd rather not run into him."

"I understand that," Dave said gently. "He very well could still be pining after you, as that happens all the time. He won't try to interfere in our engagement will he?"

"No, I don't think so," Alex said thinking about it. "For one thing my family might be one of the founder families of Refuge, but there are still plenty of other girls that aren't in a relationship or married. Samuel's not the type to elicit much passion in a woman. He's stodgy, unflexible and as I said a few minutes ago has certain ideas about a woman's proper place, which I'm sure come from his father. He would've made a better academic, then a leader, as he is very intelligent and likes to learn, even though he's the oldest son.

"Technically, as you know the Blakes own the land of which Refuge sits and that if we really were forced to, we could throw out the entire Cohen family to face their fates elsewhere. Dad, won't do that though, unless something really bad happens and he's forced to. Like, if members of the family kidnap me in order for Samuel to rape me for instance. If that were to happen then at best they'd be thrown out of the town and the protection that they have had for centuries now would come to an end. In a lot of ways, living here is idyllic. While there are taxes, they aren't as high as they can be in other places. Really, the magical community has a good life here and those that forget that can be thrown out to find their fates elsewhere. The Blakes as one of the founding families of Refuge and because we own the land, have certain privileges that nobody else does, but dad only uses them sparingly."

"Your dad is a wise man," Dave said and Alex immediately agreed.

"Yes, he is," Alex said soberly. "He is kind but firm, when he needs to be. He hardly ever loses his temper when I would've lost mine long since. There was a time years ago when one of Penelope's boyfriends tried to take advantage of her. They thought in their tiny minds that she was only adopted, so she wasn't really a Blake, and they could do whatever they wanted without retaliation. Even if she wasn't a Bake by blood, she is still my sister in every way, something my dad soon set that boy straight on. Penny was still quite young at the time and you're not really considered an adult in this community until you're 21, so she was still technically, under my father's guardianship. The only reason my father didn't kill that boy is that there was no actual harm done other than scaring Penny to death. If she had gotten pregnant for instance because of the rape, the young man in question would have at the least been thrown out of his home, if not outright killed, to prove a point to the rest of the community. As it was, he got off lightly, since he was just shy of 21 by about a month at the time and only because no real harm was done. Dad scared him so much that he'll never do something like that again. Even if Penny hadn't been raised in my family she was still a witch and protected under our laws."

"So how did Dade react?" Dave asked amused by the story, as it was exactly what he would've done depending on the situation at the time.

"Oh, he was furious and wanted to teach that boy a lesson, which also scared the young man that tried his best to take advantage of Penny. Actually, all my brothers reacted the same. All of them love her and had grew up with her, even if she had not arrived until she was 10. They stayed out of it though, because they knew dad would take care of the situation. But Dade didn't know that, as he had never seen Sedgwick Blake really lose his temper," Alex said smiling at the memory, though at the time it had been terrifying, to see her dad so furious that the veins on his forehead had bulged, his eyes had been wild with anger and his hands had been curled into fists where the neatly trimmed fingernails had drawn blood from his palms, as he had them clenched so tight.

"Dad, was absolutely furious, so mad that the veins in his forehead bulged," Alex said and Dave winced. He hoped never to have Alex's father that mad at him, but he suspected so long as Alex was happy then he would never see that side of Sedgwick Blake.

"So what happened to the young man?" Dave asked.

"He was forced to take lessons about what would happen if he was ever to try to take advantage of another woman at least within our town. Dad gave him very graphic descriptions of what would be done to him if he was ever caught again trying to take advantage of another female. He said that since this was only a first offense and he wasn't yet 21 he was getting off lightly, but if he ever did it again he would be lucky if he wasn't drawn and quartered. Dad made it plain that Blake blood or not Penny was his daughter and that scared the young man more than anything else. Worse dad, called his parents and told them exactly what their son had nearly done and I have to admit his father and mother were horrified. The father was furious."

"Why?" Dave asked. "What's so different about having Blake blood?"

"Well, some people believe that if you don't have the right blood whether or not you were adopted into the family, then you aren't really part of that family at all. So in other words, people assume they are free to take advantage of you and the family you're staying with won't come to your defense, because you don't really share their blood, so how can they care for you, which is just stupid and very shortsighted. Many also believe that dad took Penny and her brother in out of a sense of obligation, in order to protect our secret, not because it was the right thing to do. They figure, that anyone not directly related, won't be loved by whatever family took them in."

"In other words, they're selfish, egotistical and arrogant," Dave said. "They think that you can't love anyone that's not of their blood, not even supposedly your friends, because they themselves have never loved anyone, except their own family or possibly just themselves."

"I know some people like that, though the ones in Refuge are mostly good ones, there are a few families I try to avoid whenever possible. I just don't like their attitude and I don't want to say something rude that they can complain to dad about. Dad has enough to worry about without having to deal with a complaint," Alex explained.

"I don't blame you there," Dave said. "Some people can be as rude, as they like to you, but you're not allowed to be rude in return, because if you are they complain, not noticing they were rude first or not caring."

Sedgwick came into the living room with Alex and Dave were talking quietly and announced breakfast.

"Thanks dad," Alex said, rising to her feet and kissing his cheek.

"Of course, sweetie," Sedgwick said shaking Dave's hand cordially. "I'm looking forward to your wedding in a couple months. I hope you have it here in Refuge."

"I don't see why not so long as Aaron is also invited," Dave said. "While we have family we haven't seen any of them in a couple years at least, though we did used to go visit fairly frequently, on the weekends mostly. I won't ask you to allow me to invite any of my family other than Aaron, since this place is supposed to be a secret. I know I thought about moving all little colony here, but that will be up to you and the selkie leader and that's even if Aaron and I can convince them to move."

"I think that can be arranged," Sedgwick agreed. "He is dating Penny after all and they'll probably get engaged in a few months, so he'll be part of the family soon enough."

"It might not work out, dad," Alex reminded her father.

"I think it will," Sedgwick said with certainty in his voice and Alex immediately straightened and looked at her father.

Dave didn't know what was going on, but he was sure Alex would explain it to him when they had a few minutes alone.

"I'm glad breakfast's ready, because I'm as hungry as I've ever been, and smelling all the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen has only made me hungrier," Dave said.

"Branna, has been cooking up a storm since very early morning," Sedgwick said smiling. He was so happy to see his daughter's smiling so much. It was obvious that she loved Dave very much. He had feared for awhile that she would never settle down after what happened with Samuel Cohen. He had been afraid that Samuel's persistence and his not listening to what his daughter had to say would have made Alex to cautious when it came to trusting a man to do what was right for both of them and not just himself.

He hadn't told Alex, but Samuel had visited fairly recently and asked if his daughter was available. Sedgwick thought that he might want to try to renew the relationship, as he was still unmarried. He was going to be rather disappointed and likely upset that Alex was engaged to be married. It was Samuel's fault though and Sedgwick had made sure that the young man had been aware of it when Alex had been elsewhere.

He had told Samuel firmly that if Alex hadn't slapped him he never would've listened to what his daughter wanted and he would never agree to a marriage where Alex was obviously unhappy. He had told Samuel at the time, "I know your family well son and your father is a blowhard with ideas that aren't fit for the century in which we live. You ignored what Alex was trying to tell you and just assumed that she'd be happy as a house witch with a dozen children to look after, which tells me that you don't really know her at all. Do you think she wants to waste her good education? Or that she doesn't have dreams and desires of her own?"

Samuel had been rather shocked, but he was also intelligent enough to realize that he really didn't know Alex at all. He hadn't really tried to actually, he had just talked like it was a foregone conclusion that they would be married. He hadn't seen how unhappy Alex was in the relationship, as he hadn't paid attention to her, not really. He had just assumed that Alex would agree with him, but had realized eventually she hadn't gone to college just a waste her education and would be miserable just looking after the children when they came. He had never once asked for her opinion or what she wanted. He had treated her exactly as his father treated his mother and that was as basically a non-entity that was there just to be a vehicle for a man's child.

Sedgwick had made it clear he never would have allowed the marriage, once his daughter had made it clear it wasn't what she desired. "I always look after my family's best interests and there will be no arranged marriages ever."

"I need to talk to you Alex, after breakfast," Sedgwick told his daughter.

"What about?" Alex asked quite curious.

"After breakfast, sweetie," was all Sedgwick said and Alex fell silent, knowing that she would never get what she wanted to talk about out of him until after breakfast was over.

"Alright, dad," Alex agreed, though it was clear from her expression that she was curious. "Let's go to breakfast," Alex added taking Dave's hand in her own and headed for the kitchen.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~