"You wanted to talk to me, dad?" Alex asked her father, after breakfast had been completed.

"Yes, I did. Why don't we go to my study? If you'll excuse us for a few minutes, Dave," Sedgwick requested and Dave nodded.

"I'll wait here and help Branna clean up the kitchen," Dave said.

"You don't have to do that," Branna protested.

"I certainly don't mind, after such a wonderful meal," Dave said. "You cooked the meal it's only fair I help you clean up."

"You're a guest," Branna said.

"You might as well let him help mom, while I'm talking with, dad," Alex said amused. "It's his way of saying thank you for a great meal. He's a very good cook himself, so he appreciates good food."

"Oh, very well," Branna gave in. She was actually rather flattered that Dave wanted to help her out. He was very polite and helpful so Alex had chosen well.

"Now that that's settled," Sedgwick said amused.

Sedgwick an Alex headed for the office that was on the first floor and was used by Sedgwick to conduct business and pay bills.

"Well, your fiancé continues to impress," Sedgwick told his daughter smiling.

"I'm glad you like him," Alex said, settling in a chair in front of her father's desk.

"He's nice, polite and doesn't mind helping out with the chores, even though he's a guest. He also treats you well and you clearly adore him. All I've ever wanted was my children's happiness so as long as you're happy then that's enough for me."

Alex knew this to be true so nodded.

"So what did you want to talk about dad?" Alex inquired.

"Samuel came by a couple of weeks back," Sedgwick explained. "He wanted to know if you were available and I told him no, you weren't even in town. I just wanted to warn you in case you run into him."

"What did he want?" Alex asked calmly, with a closed expression.

"I'm not sure, as he didn't say, but it would probably be safe to assume, he might want to try to restart your relationship. He does not know that you've gotten engaged and you're getting married in a few months. He didn't ask if you had a boyfriend or even if you were engaged, but then, I'm not surprised, as he's a lot like his father, unfortunately. Rodney Cohen wouldn't care or at least not think to ask if some woman was engaged to be married or if they had a serious boyfriend. He would just go after what he wanted. Samuel is a lot nicer than Rodney, but unfortunately, they share many similar personality traits."

Alex couldn't disagree, because she knew them both. Samuel was indeed a lot like his father, though at least he wasn't a blowhard.

"I'm really hoping I don't run into him or his father either," Alex admitted. "I just don't want him to cause a scene now that I'm engaged to Dave. It's not that Dave wouldn't understand, as I told him all about Samuel and our previous relationship. I'm just so happy now, that I don't want to see him be devastated that I'm now off limits. I realized a long time ago that a relationship between us would never work. He's too stodgy for me, so even if he didn't have ideas about a woman's proper place, I likely would have divorced him within a few years. He's likely never had an original thought in his entire life and he wouldn't be someone I could discuss marine biology or really anything else with."

Sedgwick nodded at this, because it was true. While Samuel was a lot nicer than his father his and Alex's personality didn't mesh very well at all. His daughter would've been miserable, just looking after the kids, taking them to school and other activities. His daughter was a lot like himself, to intelligent to be a house witch. That wasn't to say that Alex did not want kids, just that she wanted a career as well something that Sedgwick could understand and support.

Everybody deserved to be happy with their lives.

"Thank you for the warning dad," Alex said. "I'll try to handle it with care."

"Just tell me if it gets to be too much for you and I'll talk with him," Sedgwick said. "He'll listen to me, even if he doesn't to you or Dave. Dave is a stranger to him after all, even if he's also your fiancé."

"Hopefully, it won't be, as I know you have enough to worry about," Alex said.

"I just don't want Dave to punch him in the nose because he bothering you," Sedgwick explained.

"He probably won't, dad," Alex assured him. "I think the only way that Dave would indeed punch him, was if he was touching me inappropriately considering I'm engaged and the wedding will take place a few months from now, probably here in Refuge. Inappropriate comments likely won't bother him too much, as he'll just respond in kind and then point out that I'm off limits, because I'm engaged."

Sedgwick was nodding at this glad to know that Dave wasn't one to anger easily. If somebody inappropriately touched his daughter then he would expect Dave to respond by punching them, if they didn't listen to him telling whoever it was to back off. Of course, Alex was well able to protect herself, as he had made sure of that, but still, he couldn't see Dave just standing by and doing nothing if he happened to be present at the time.

"Okay then, I'm glad to know Dave's not likely to punch him unless he's touching you inappropriately. Of course, I'm well aware, you can protect yourself, I just don't want to cause an incident, since Dave is the stranger here. We both know how Samuel's father Rodney would react."

"Yes, we do," Alex agreed. "I'll be careful, dad. If I have to go live out in the normal world then so be it. Samuel or Rodney have never left Refuge, so they're unlikely to come after me, even if they knew where I was. Besides, I think Dave is planning to stay and teach at the college. It's not like I am a selkie after all. While I can transform into a seal easily enough, we both know I can only hold that shape for so long, before I start thinking like one. I can get stuck that way unless Dave can bring me back and makes me remember that I am human."

Sedgwick was nodding at this because it was true.

"I'm perfectly capable of putting a spell on people so they don't ask about where my children are when I start having them. If I have 20, no one will think to inquire about them and basically ignore the fact that Dave and I have any children at all. They just won't think to inquire."

"There are a few downsides to that," Sedgwick reminded his daughter.

"I know," Alex agreed calmly. "There is a downside to most magic, sometimes it's just power, like the witchlight I showed Dave and Aaron to convince them of my words. Something that small only requires power from the caster, but more powerful spell require different things. I'll be careful, I promise, dad. But as much as I love you, love my family, I want a life outside this little town. To tell you the truth, I'd rather not be in the same place with Samuel and his father too much, as I'm sure that Rodney at least holds a grudge against me for turning down his son."

"That wouldn't surprise me in the least," Sedgwick agreed soberly. "Samuel is really not the type to hold a grudge though."

"No, he's not," Alex agreed. "At least that's one trait he did not inherit from his father. I think it makes him a better man."

"I have to agree," Sedgwick said solemnly.

"So how do you know that Aaron and Penny are going to stay together?" Alex asked her father. "How can you be so sure? Did you have a vision?"

Sedgwick had the ability to see the future, though it didn't happen often. Alex had always been glad that it was not an ability that she had inherited.

"Just a brief one," Sedgwick admitted. "It couldn't have lasted more than a couple of minutes, but I saw enough to know that they are going to be very happy together for many years and have many children."

"Okay then," Alex said. "I'm glad to know it's going to work out between them, since I really like Aaron, though not in the same way I like Dave of course, but you still understand what I mean. He'll treat my sister well and that's all anyone can expect."

"That's true," Sedgwick agreed. "Hopefully, you'll have many children too and I won't mind if you do have 20 like you suggested a little while ago."

"We'll see," Alex said cautiously. "I'm still quite young by magical standards and while we're not immortal by any means, we still live for a long time barring ill health, accidents or deliberate murder. You know there're things I can do, to make any pregnancy easy on myself and from the way I understand it, a selkie's child is perfect in all respects. They only cry when they need to be fed and changed. I certainly won't miss the terrible twos for instance."

"I don't blame you there," Sedgwick agreed grinning, as he remembered the terrible twos for all his children, including Alex. There had been one battle after another for most of his children. Getting them bathed, fed and into bed had always been a challenge. "I'm actually rather surprised that we had so many considering parenting isn't exactly a walk in the park."

"I won't need to worry about that, as I'm sure Dave will take them to sea as soon as they can swim. The difference here is, he'll bring them back again once they've been to their own city. I'm sure we'll take family swims about every day, until any children are old enough to decide where they want to live. It's about as perfect a life if you can expect."

"Sounds like it, though I know you'll be sad to see your children go," Sedgwick suggested and Alex nodded.

"I will be, but they would've grown up eventually anyway. Hopefully, I'll be a good enough mother that they'll feel free to come and visit me, every few weeks at least."

"I'm sure they will," Sedgwick said smiling. "Well, we had better get back out there or I'm sure Dave will come looking for you before too much longer."

"Probably not, as he knew I was just going to talk to you for awhile. It's not like he expects my own father to harm me. Still, you're right, let's not be rude," Alex said, rising from her chair and heading for the door her father following.

"Feel free to discuss what I told you with, Dave, if you like," Sedgwick added before they went to seek out their mates

"I was going to anyway, as we agreed to no secrets," Alex said. "Well, other then ones that are absolutely necessary for whatever reason."

"That's a good way to start any relationship much less a marriage," Sedgwick said approvingly.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~

When Alex informed Dave in bed that night, exactly what her father had wanted to tell her, he was calm.

"So you expect problems?" Dave asked.

"Not necessarily," Alex said. "He'll likely be upset, maybe devastated, but other than that no. Samuel unlike his father doesn't hold grudges. Now, Rodney Cohen, is a different matter altogether. While Samuel got a lot of his father's personality traits, he's also a lot like his mother. He's definitely a better man then his father is, even if he is stodgy and has certain old fashioned ideas about women. I don't expect any trouble though, because Samuel's father will be well aware of what could happen if I'm assaulted for instance. While most people are good here and mind their own business we have our malcontents to, just not as many as in a big city."

"Of course, you do, every large city has them and while this isn't as large as say Chicago, it still has several thousand residents. Just think about what happened to your sister back when she was much younger. Of course, to be fair, young people aren't exactly known for controlling themselves," Dave said. "The fact that her boyfriend was still young, and technically underage, only gives him a little leeway in what he tried to do.

"That's very true," Alex agreed. "It depends on a lot of different factors, but still, you're right. I was always pretty well-behaved, though my brother did get in some trouble when he was much younger, my second brother, not my first. He shaped up now, but he was a bit of a hellion while he was growing up."

"We'll just keep a close eye on the situation then," Dave decided. "You might not suspect trouble, but you never know how some people will react when faced with a former lover, even if you haven't been in a relationship for close to 10 years."

"I was already planning to," Alex agreed. "I took a minor in physiology when I was in college, so I know people and how people react to a lot of different situations."

"So I'm looking forward to you showing me around the town tomorrow," Dave said.

"We won't be able to see the whole town, as it's too big, but I can certainly show you my little section of it. We'll borrow my father's car, so I can show you where I grew up. There are some caves at one end of town which is why this is called a cove instead of something else. It's a big cove I know, but I think that some ancestor of mine probably enlarged it with magic. You know got rid of some rocky ground or something to make it bigger. Still, the town has really grown in the last hundred years at least and we're running out of space. I'm not sure what dad's going to do when we do run out of space to build."

"I'm sure he'll figure out something sweetie," Dave said. "It might be his grandchildren that need to figure out what to do and not your father to all."

"Maybe," Alex agreed before cuddling into Dave's arms, where she was so comfortable. "Love you."

"I love you too, sweetie," Dave told her tenderly, kissing her temple before laying down fully beside her.

Alex sighed happily and closed her eyes nearly immediately drifting off to sleep contently.

~~~Criminal Minds~~~