(Emily's Point of View)

I knew that it wasn't wise to indulge Sophie because she was the daughter of Sebastian and Sala. But the more I mulled it over the more rapid and urgent the texts became. I shook my head with a sigh before telling her to meet me at Central Park. The Crisp air turned colder as night moved closer in on the city. I partly regretted my decision to just go straight there instead of finding a warmer winter coat to bundle myself up.

Central Park was still busy as ever I watched people walking their dogs and tourists being almost run over by Cyclists. Kids ran around with their hotdog dinners as their parents watched from a distance eating their own foods.

Sophie sat on a bench watching a couple walking underneath the trees, her eyebrows were low and her lips pressed into a tight frown. The closer I got the more I realized that this problem she was having had to involve her love life.

"Sophie? You wanted to talk?" Her eyes sprung up to mine with a small gasp slipping past her mouth. The first thing I noticed was her hair, the usual long strands of red had been cut to her shoulder length. I wondered how she managed that since Sala was so strict about the outward appearance that her children had.

"Emily I don't know what to do!" She quickly blurted out standing up to come over to me, she quickly showed me her hand and more importantly what sparkled against my eyes. I large Diamond ring was on her left hand, one look in her eyes told me all I needed to know.

"They've arranged you a marriage." A laugh almost escaped my throat at the irony, she had originally laughed in my face when I expressed my concerns.

"They've engaged me to a fifty year old man." I had fully expected them to marry off Sophie the first chance they got, but a fifty year old man had not been what I pictured.

"Sit down I need to know everything." We went back to the bench I had found her in moments earlier, the sun had officially gone down and I knew Nate would be worried sick. I knew that Sophie had been nothing but cruel to me my entire life, but this was beyond that.

"I had made peace with the thought of an arranged marriage months ago, even knowing that the man I loved would never be mine." She looked down to her folded hands in her lap when her eyes met mine again all her walls were gone.

"But I thought that I could at least be happy with a man like Brandon, not becoming some breeding machine for an elderly." I breathed in, all this man needed was an heir not a wife, slowly I brought my hand to hers.

"What exactly are you saying Sophie?"

"I want out, I don't care if I have to work everyday for the rest of my life. I'll even work for you if that's the only way you'll help me." Her breathing was turning rapid as she spoke out the words I had never expected her to say, "Please."

Her begging tone made me stop for a moment, I knew what everyone would say if I told them the situation. Michael would probably throw her out the moment he saw her, I can't see Nate acting any better.

"Give me a couple of days to tell everyone, I'll text you Nate's apartment and you can stay with us." I felt many emotions course through my body as her arms wrapped around my neck into a hug, yet regret wasn't one of them.

"Thank you so much Emily." I could feel her shaking underneath my hands but I didn't speak a word about it. If she was crying then I truly knew that I was making the right choice, because after all these years I had never seen her cry. Not a single time.

We both moved to get up making our ways back towards our homes, I turned to look back at her. Her back was straight and posed, to all the passed by her they saw a well put together young lady. If only one person noticed the shaking of her hand that carried the unwanted ring. Maybe if they saw that they would realize how the well put together young lady was on the verge of tears.

The moment I walked into the apartment I was crushed into a hug by Nate, he held me close like I was the last person on this earth. I soothed him quietly trying to get him to give me a few inches to breathe.

"Nate come on I'm alright." He shook his head in my neck mumbling something incoherent, I looked around the room locking eyes with one person that I was extremely happy to see.

"Let her breathe you buffoon and make way for her best friend." Sierra shoved him to the side before punching me in the shoulder, "How dare you leave the country and find you mother without me." Her face was stern and her hands stood on her hips, still a few seconds later we both dissolved into laughter.

"I'm glad you're safe." She brought me into an embrace that was less of a surprise attack like Nate's had been.

"I missed you to Sierra Mist."

"Why don't you ever greet me like that?" Both Michael's and Nate's voice grumbled watching the two of us with a sarcastic smile.

"So you and Mich?" I hummed into her ear laughing as she stumbled out of hug with a blush on her face. I watched for a few moments as she struggled with the English language, continually stumbling over syllables.

"Finally!" I smiled at her putting her out of her misery, "I'm so happy for both of you." I shot a smile to Michael who nodded me in gratitude and even though I knew they had a long way ahead of them I was sure that they would make it. They had chosen each other just like Nate and I had, no one on this earth could take away that.

I walked from her over to my pouting man, I opened my arms and laughed as he picked me up twirling us around. Laughter surrounded us as he slowly lowered me to the ground.

"Now what was your reasoning behind giving me a heart attack?" He smiled down at me with just the tip of his lips tilted upward into a smirk-like smile.

I shrugged my shoulders slightly in a playful mood before looking towards everyone, "This has to do with everyone, but tonight let's just enjoy our time together." I knew tomorrow I would have hundreds of questions coming my way, but for one night we deserved to be a family.

"You had the worry the master." Lizzie appeared beside me as we watched everyone in their 'natural' habitat.

My mum and Sierra began to prep for dinner. Michael and Dai were playing chess, although there was still tension between them you could see the difference in Michael's attitude. My dad watched the two dogs keeping them at bay from attacking the Kitchen, meanwhile Nate stayed in the corner talking to someone on the phone.

"I figured you would have gone home Lizzie?" She slowly shook her head with a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"The master had the invite for dinner." Her English seemed to be even worse than before we left for France. She probably had very little time for her studies while she took care of the place and our dogs.

"Well you are family Lizzie, you should join us more often." I walked towards Nate hoping to relieve his eyebrows from their furrowing duty, leaving Lizzie with my statement.

"Yes the Family." She muttered to her self as she smiled down at the ground before heading over to help Marques.

I placed my hand on his shoulder mouthing the words 'You ok Chimere?" He nodded slightly mouthing back to me, 'It's Normand.'

I moved my hand with me as I walked behind him wrapping my arms around his waist. I leaned my forehead on his back breathing in his scent just being there with him for a moment. Eventually he hung up with a sigh and turned around to wrap his own arms around me.

"Hard day at work?" I looked up at him with a goofy grin on my face, he just shook his head with his own smile.

"No at hard as you are my Fenice, you're a full-time job." He smirked at me as I slapped his arm with my eyebrows narrowed.

"Children Behave." My Mum's voice came from the kitchen as she watched us with amusement dancing in her grey orbs.

"Oh let them be Lana, don't you remember how we were at their age?" My dad spoke with his own amusement dancing in the air, he winked at me slightly with his own lips pursed.

My mom strutted over to him with sass in every step, she quickly grabbed the pillow next to him and began to hit him with it. The dogs quickly ran from her leaving dad to scream you traitors at them. They both ran over to Nate and I, I quickly scooped up Auburn and Nate bent down to pet Ray.

The next time I looked over my mum was straddling my dad with a pillow raised above her head, "Do you surrender?"

I could see the challenge raising in both of their eyes, "Never!" He yelled before reaching up and grabbing the pillow. Mum quickly leapt up from her spot and ran down the hall with Dad on her heels.

"Are you sure they're in their fifties?" Nate looked over at me with a small laugh, we both shook our heads going into the kitchen to help Sierra.

"Em please help I can't cook this much by myself." I tied my hair up while Nate rolled up his sleeves a small competitive look passed between our eyes.

"Oh Lord." Sierra muttered abandoning ship and heading towards the living room, although we didn't notice her absence till much later. We began to work on the teriyaki Salmon and fried rice that the original chefs had left behind.

"Looks like they decided to combined our two favorite things Fenice." I nodded slightly continuing to work on the fried rice as he worked on the salmon, teriyaki or not I didn't have much experience with fish.

We cooked together working towards a common goal, tossing each other the thing we needed. I would do little twirls before catching something he had thrown. We continued our dance eventually everyone came and got their plates before heading back to the living room.

"Excellent meal you to almost as good as Nickie's." Sierra twirled the fork carrying a bite of salmon in the air as she spoke before placing it into her mouth. Michael sat with his arm around her waist, they both sat on the ground like Nate and I.

Lizzie and Dai both were sitting on separate chairs while my parents sat on the couch. Lizzie typing rapidly on her phone but when Dai tried to ask who she was texting she quickly put the phone away. Nate and I glanced at each other with confusion lacing both of our faces, I looked towards everyone else who simply shrugged.

"You alright Lizzie?" Her head popped up from her plate bringing a most likely fake smile onto her mouth.

"Yep never better?" I let it drop for now not wanting to make any accusations when we were all having a peaceful dinner. It was just another topic that would have to wait until tomorrow, just like Sophie.

The rest of the night dissolved into peaceful chatter all of us with smiles on our faces. Dai slowly got used to all of us, everyone beginning to accept the decisions he had made to protect his family. His little brother was the only member of his family that truly cared about him and that he cared for. We all knew that and while I had already forgiven him it had taken the rest of my family a bit longer.

Eventually we all retired to our respective rooms saying goodnight to each other. Michael insisted that Sierra stay since it was well past midnight when we finally got up. I climbed into bed smiling at the warmth of having another person next to me.

"Goodnight Fenice, I love you." His arm wrapped around my waist pulling me flush against his body, his head buried into my neck.

"Goodnight Chimere, I love you to and God bless you." His head raised and our eyes met for a moment a smile on his face.

"Back to your roots I see?" I knew he was some sort of Christian to, although I wasn't sure what domination. But like so many other things that was a talk for tomorrow, I muttered, "Goodnight.' Once more before slowly slipping into a sweet peaceful sleep in his arms his soft chuckles being the last thing I heard.