• "Who the hell is he?!"

    "Senny, hush! You're gonna wake her up!"

    "Gawsh, if I'd have known Chloe had a man friend, I'd have brought 'im to her.”

    "Red, shut up!"

    "Now, all of you buffoons be quiet before Will comes in here. You don't want that."

    "JJ's got a point."

    "Sure do, brotha!"

    "Since when were we your brothers?"

    "Red, you sound like the BBs, haha."

    Chloe groaned as the voices around her got quieter. They apparently were enjoying having a conversation about her while she laid there; she knew as soon as she couldn't respond to the voices. But why did Senel sound so pissed off?

    "Oh C! You're awake!" Norma cried, hugging the girl in the bed tightly. Chloe coughed as Norma squeezed her and gasped for breath.

    "N-Norma!!" Senel cried, watching as Chloe's eyes began to bulge. Norma heard his cry and let go quickly, wanting to see the panicked look on his face.

    'He's not totally committed to Shirl...Bad, bad Senny.'

    "Oh. Sorry C!" Norma replied, letting the flushed girl go. Norma sat back down in her chair beside Moses, ignoring the odd look he was giving her.

    'She's got that glint in her ahyes (eyes). Mah Bubbles, what are ya up to?' Moses looked at Norma out of the corner of his eye for a little longer before shaking his head and turning back to Chloe.

    "Is she awake? Is my fiancée alright? Why are those guys allowed to be in there but I'm not?! Let me in!"

    Everyone turned as they heard Alec's loud voice on the other side of the door. They heard Will and Shirley answer him calmly, and they continued to listen as he gave a loud sigh before mumbling something under his breath. Chloe's face flushed red in embarrassment at the sound of her new title, and Norma watched as Senel's face flushed in something else.

    'He's ticked. Whoaaaaaaa Senny.'

    Moses noticed the display too, as well as Jay, but neither said anything. The three all caught each other's eyes as well, before turning to the two.

    "Wow, C, you sure can pick 'em. How'd you meet him anyways? And why didn't you tell any of us you were engaged?"

    "Because that was when I was ten, before my parents were dead. They only said that because they thought we were cute together. I was ten!!" Chloe cried, trying to calm her totally frazzled nerves. Who wouldn't be though? She just became engaged to her childhood playmate!

    "I'm sure he'll understand if you tell him no." Senel interjected, crossing his arms with an obvious pout. Chloe glanced at him, what was his problem? Shrugging, Chloe opened her mouth to speak when the door burst open, ushering Will, Shirley, Grune, and Alec into the fairly large guest room.

    "Chloe! I was so worried about you!" Alec managed to politely make his way through the chairs and around the bed to hug Chloe tightly. The raven haired girl felt her face warming considerably and then when Alec gave her a quick kiss on her mouth, she wanted to die.

    Why did he do that in front of her family?! Ugh, she wanted to kill him...almost. He was too gorgeous to murder.

    "Y-you shouldn't have, Alec. I'm fine. I was just...surprised. That's all."

    Alec gave a joyous laugh and hugged Chloe again, as if her friends weren't sitting around them, "I'm glad then. I was so worried about you, and then your friend Senel was so angry he attacked me and-."

    "Wait, what? Coolidge, what did you do?" Chloe looked around Alec to glance at Senel, who was looking down angrily at his hands. Chloe watched as he got up with his arms crossed and strode out of the room, not answering anyone. He even slammed the door on the way out.

    "Oh my." Grune commented, watching the door as if it could answer her questions.

    "Ummm..." Was all Norma could get out before Shirley took over.

    "I'll go check on him. Be right back everyone!" Shirley was all smiles as she left the room and Jay just watched her.

    'She has to know. There's no way she doesn't know. She's not stupid.'

    "Jay? Can you tell me what happened?" Chloe turned to him, figuring she'd get a straight answer from him.

    "Oh Senel just attacked Alec because he thought he had done something to you. Besides kissing you in front of every noble in Gadoria." Jay added that last bit slyly, watching Chloe divert her eyes from his for a second. She glanced at Alec, who had been nodding in agreement as Jay told the story. "You passed out, remember? Senel came charging with fists raised. It was quite a thing to see, I must say."

    "Hmm, I dunno, Sen seemed kinda mad before Chloe passed out to meh (me)," Moses commented, thoughtfully. Norma nudged him and gave him a look, causing the red haired male to shut up quickly. Chloe looked curiously between the two before Alec hugged her again, making her blush with embarrassment all over again.

    "Alec, why are you trying to marry Chloe at this time?" Will asked, not one to hide the truth from anyone. These people in this room were his friends and family; he wanted no secrets with the man trying to weasel his way in.

    "Well, she and I have been friends for such a long time. We were betrothed when we were younger, didn't she tell you that?" At the silence to his question, Alec turned to Chloe,"You didn't tell him that?"

    Chloe blushed and looked away from everyone,"I was ten! No, I didn't tell them that. Why would I?"

    "You were ashamed of our engagement?"

    "I ran away to Gadoria, losing my family's title forever. I was ashamed of you? Hardly. Why would I uphold an agreement made by the dead?" Chloe knew she had struck a point in Alec as soon as her last words were spoken. He loved family as much as she did, and she knew, that was his logic too.

    "You weren't dead! I knew you weren't! That's why I upheld the agreement, because the girl I loved was still alive." Alec declared passionately, holding Chloe close to him and burring his face in her hair. If he hadn't been so cute, Chloe knew she would've cut him open, but he was just too cute.

    Chloe sighed, this was going to be hard.

    "Alec, you can't marry me just because you liked me so much when we were kids. I liked you a lot then too, but that was nearly ten years ago. Longer than that even. You can't possibly love me any, you barely know me."

    Alec shook his head, placing his hand on Chloe's face,"Just looking at you, I know I still love you. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder and it has. So very fond, that I cannot wait any longer to make you my bride. Chloe, if you want to think I'm marrying you just because of the agreement between our parents, you are wrong. I love you, Chloe. No one else, but you, no matter what type of person you've become over these years."

    The silence was deafening. It could be cut with a butter knife, seriously.

    'Is he serious?!' Norma was almost taken aback, but she was interested too. This man had no shame, he would let the world know. Norma felt like he would probably kiss Chloe breathless in front of all of them and not even care.

    'He has got to be joking. I don't like this guy already.' Jay sighed and looked away from the scene, wishing he could just throw up. Mushy weirdo.

    "Alec...I can't marry you. You don't know me. And I don't know you either."

    "So let's get to know each other! I can come back to the Legacy with you and stay in an entirely different house. We can live there and go on dates, we could get to know each other, Chloe!" Alec hoped, almost prayed, that Chloe would let him be near her. That was all he wanted right now, to be near her. To be able to see her everyday.

    "I don't know...I have duties, people to take care of. I'm part of the Task Force now."

    "So I'll join too! We can work together!"

    "I don't know..."

    "Let him come, C! He'll be helpful!" Norma interjected, trying not to laugh at the look on Chloe's face. The only word that could fit the look on Chloe's face was horrified.

    Norma turned to Will, "He's going to join the Task Force if he comes. I'm sure he'll be loads of help. You don't have a problem with help, do you, Old Man?"

    Will smacked Norma on the back of her head, then crossed his arms, "That is Chloe's decision, I refuse to take part in that, Norma."

    "Chloe, please let me come to the Legacy. I won't annoy you, I promise." Alec gave Chloe his most adorable begging face, and the girl caved.

    Damn his cuteness!

    "Fine. You can come to the Legacy with us."

    “DAMN IT!” Along with an extremely loud outburst, the entire group heard a loud groan from the hallway. Norma could swear on everything that it was Senel.