Happy New Years 2011 (open to all)

Jin shrugged.

"Excuse... invitation, either way."

He looked bashful and gave her a sheepish grin. Over the years it had become difficult for him to tell whether it was a cultural shyness or simply his own personal preference not to be overly forward.

It was a terrible trait for a vampire and one that he had to grimace and push past in some of the roles that he has played in the past for the Night. Jin was not working or playing a part with Mara though, this was himself and her feelings were very important to him.

Right now, the feeling of her cheek on his was quite important as well and he sighed a soft happy sound.

"We could go find one of those doors...and, perhaps make some of our own mischief."

Leaning back, he gave her a tender smile. Jin planted a soft kiss on her cheek before sliding his own once more against her's.

"Whatever the lady would prefer."

Jin's words surprised Mara. She wasn't sure what she'd thought, but his sudden shyness caught her off guard. Maybe it was his confidence, the assurance with which he seemed to perform every task, but she hadn't realized he'd been waiting for a signal from her. Giving signals of that sort was not natural to Mara. It frightened her to realize she enjoyed his affection and wanted more of it, and at the same time she didn't care if she was afraid or not. It had been a very long time since she'd been with anyone at all and then, it hadn't felt anything like this. She was willing to explore it. Maybe. Potentially.

"I had thought," she began, but she stopped. What could she say? She had depended on him to know the signs? Because she assumed for some reason that someone like Jin, handsome, charming, confident, would naturally have ridiculous amounts of experience with the signals an interested partner would send. Don't be insulting, she told herself. Just because that may be the case didn't mean he'd act on those signals without some kind of certainty, like he said, an invitation.

She bit her words off and rubbed her cheek against his fondly. "If I knew what a proper invitation was, rest assured I would give it," she said softly into his ear. It made her very nervous to say that but it did have to be said. The option was turning Jin away, and she didn't really want to do that.

His smile was returned with warmth and his lips on her cheek turned it pink, to match the other. She tightened her arms slightly and made a small purring sound in her throat. "For now, the lady would prefer to finish this song out with her charming date."

Which they did, swaying contentedly back and forth over the polished wooden floor of the ballroom. When the music stopped however, Mara was finally ready to leave the press of the crowd of dancers. She slipped her hand into Jin's and smiled at him. "Now, we can open one of those doors. I have an idea."

Ignoring the buffet table and the rest of the crowd, she made her way out of the ballroom altogether with Jin beside her, and located the elevator. Riding it to the top of the impressive building where there were several large private suites, they stepped off. Mara glanced up and down the halls and saw what she was looking for; a locked door that expressly forbade them to go through.

She flashed Jin a smile full of cat-like mischief. "Practically a demand to be opened," she said. "That is, if you think a more private fireworks show would be enjoyable."

The door would certainly lead them to the roof of the Piazza, where they could see the fireworks by themselves. It was chilly out and her coat was still downstairs in the coatroom but she expected they might be able to improvise. She hoped they could, anyway.

Remembering Jin's trick of opening doors from the wrong side she looked at him hopefully. "Do you think you might be able to work your magic here?"

"Just tonight."Â?

Eiryk teased softly. But very softly he would never make fun of Alex's feeling. Especially because he felt the same way. He was doing his best to be subtle and not call too much attention to them. While they weren't the only same sex couple dancing tonight, there weren't many. And for as much as he was enjoying holding Alex and being held Eiryk would absolutely jump to Alex's defense if needed.

As Alex rested his head on Eiryk's, Eiryk quickly and discreetly kissed Alex's neck. Thrilled that he could, that Alex would let him.

"And you know that I love you too."Â?

He didn't just say it to say it or because it was the proper response. He said it because he meant it. If he didn't mean it he could never tell Alex about his real alternative life style.

"I don't' think I'm going to let Aishe borrow you ever again. Although, she does get good results."Â?

There really wasn't any need to talk right now, he could have stayed on the dance floor forever.

Nikhila smiled warmly at Aishe. She hadn't spent much time with the young woman but the impressions she'd gotten from Aishe had been good; clear simple, happy, loving.

She looked slightly uncomfortable at the idea that Kem had guessed what she was up to. It had to look terrible to him. Of course, it might not look any better if he knew she was trying to derail the research. For all she knew he an Hoang were the best of friends. Although, that didn't mesh well with her impressions of Kem.

Knowing that she might want or need Kem's help some where in the future she tried to explain.

"It isn't my favorite topic, or a comfortable working environment and it seems to have spilled over..."Â?

There wasn't much more he could say. Not here not, now.

"It is very generous of you. I know she appreciated it as do we. She's a good friend."Â?

Aidan liked her, Nikhila had gotten the opportunity to speak to her more often and liked her as well. Beyond that she knew Reign's mother and quite liked Reagan. So all around she would be very upset if anything would happen to Reign.

Right now though, she was a bit more worried about Aidan. He seemed a bit tense and anxious. Nikhila didn't know why. It could be just because of what Kem and Aishe were, it could be the crowd, it could be the crowd, of any number of other things or all of the above. She didn't challenge him. Besides, she didn't want to monopolize Kem and Aishe all night.

She smiled again and said some polite good byes and again wished them a happy New Year and let Aidan lead them away from the other couple, in a slow gentel dance. Once she was confidant she wouldn't be over heard she looked up at him with a combination of amusement and concern.

"I don't recall you ever being this anxious to dance with me before."Â?

Aishe watched the conversation as well as listened to it. She understood part of the tension between Xephier and Kem, but not all of it. There were colors around Xephier that she didn't think had anything to do with his two vampire acquaintances, anger foremost among them. It was faint, too; it didn't seem to be directed at them.

[I can see what you wanted me to see but I don't know what it means,] she told her fiance as they wished the doctor and his partner a happy holiday and turned away as they all moved apart again.

She rubbed her hands up and down Kem's back, trying to relieve the tension she felt there. He smiled down at her, the expression not forced, but somewhat weary. [I don't know what it is he wants me to understand,] Kem responded. [I just think that's what he was trying to tell me before. That he wants... something.]

Aishe rested her head against Kem's chest once more. She didn't have any good advice. Whatever was going on between the werewolf and her vampire was beyond her control, and worrisome.

[Leave it be for tonight,] she suggested. [Just let it be us here. With our friends.]

Kem's arms tightened around her and he bent to kiss the top of her head. [Sound advice. Like usual.]

Aishe glanced over at Eiryk and Alex, smiling at the sight of their friends. Alex was no Astaire, but he was managing just fine. And, she realized happily, his particular mix of colors was back to normal for him. She liked that.

"Is that so?"

He was a little surprised and then somewhat bemused by his uncertainty. The clan considered him an ancient but Mara made him feel like a school boy again. She was so beautiful and full of life; a part of him worried that he would not measure up. It was like seeing the most dazzling girl in the court and knowing that you likely didn't stand a chance of being noticed by her. Had it really been such a long time ago that he had actually cared about the outcome of a relationship? Worried that his heart might be broken if she told him no?

They were not there yet. It was a tantalizing brink that he was standing on, and he hoped they were standing there together. He knew that the more time he spent with Mara meant the more places she would touch his life and the harder it would be to imagine living without her. It was scary and exciting at the same time. A very special door to push open and see where it led. It made him dizzy with happiness.

He realized that somehow he had managed not to say the wrong thing to the most beautiful woman in the court and she had noticed him. Leaning back, he grinned.

"Can I get that in writing?"

He chuckled softly, squeezing Mara a little tighter before forgetting everything else but his partner and the dance. It seemed to be over in a flash. Jin looked up and gave the musicians an annoyed frown.

"I'm sure that I remember that song being longer..."

Turning back to Mara, he dismissed the thought as unimportant. She told him they could go open doors. There was even an idea! The spark of adventure was an extra thrill and Jin happily followed where his partner led.

Once they got to the top floor, Mara stopped in front of the Employee Only sign that he figured went to the roof. The light of understanding dawned and he favored his companion with an impressed smile.

"You are absolutely brilliant."

He peered at the heavy metal door with interest. Becoming ethereal, Jin slipped to the other side of the closure. Unlocking it, he held the door open for Mara.

"Milady."

The roof was a wide open space; sturdy plastic tables and chairs were stacked neatly against one side of the chest high wall that ran all the way around the structure. Events were likely held here in the warmer months and no doubt the fourth of July would see this area crowded with tables and party goers.

It was too cold for that tonight. He glanced briefly at the chairs but went to the front wall instead. It was a large thick structure made of the building's stone and then topped with a thick cap of smooth white cement; it looked like the perfect perch to him. Turning to Mara, he picked her up by the waist and set her gently on the wall. Climbing up behind her, Jin settled his legs on either side and pulled Mara gently to his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

Leaning down to her shoulder, Jin placed a gentle kiss on her neck.

"I like the results of this door much better than the last one."

((OOC: Permission to move Mara))

Jin was obviously not opposed to Mara's rooftop plan. She waited while he slipped through the door, feeling suddenly cool and alone. The root of her fears was in that feeling. People left you; they always went away. It hurt when they went away but they inevitably did. Her life was full of people leaving her. Only Amir had stayed, and would always stay, which was why she trusted him. It would hurt when Jin left too; there was no point in denying that. The question was, how much closer could she let him get before the prospect of his departure was too much too handle?

All of those tiny thoughts found their way in in the tiny space of time that Jin was gone. And then he was back, opening the door from the other side so that she could join him on the roof. She brushed away her worries, tried to ignore the relief that the door had actually opened, and gave her subconscious a little lecture on trust and why it was necessary in any relationship.

She wandered across the rooftop with Jin; as she'd suspected there were supplies up here for springtime and summertime parties. Moving toward the wall at the front of the building that faced the waterfront and the direction the fireworks would be in, Mara leaned out over it. Then she felt the warmth of Jin's hands as he set them upon her waist and lifted her effortlessly and carefully to the top of the wall.

She watched him with unblinking blue eyes as he climbed up and then settled behind her. It was cold out but she didn't have time to really feel it because she was quickly nestled into Jin's embrace, her back to his chest. She rested one of her hands over the top of his; her other hand stole up to toy gently with a strand of his hair that slipped down over both of their shoulders as he leaned forward. She did shiver when he kissed her neck but it was clearly not because of the cold.

"I should hate it here," she confessed to Jin with a sheepish smile of her own. "I can't stand the cold." She leaned her head back and rested it upon his shoulder, turning slightly to smile up at him. "But you're right. This door is a distinct improvement over the last several."

All right, so maybe she could pick a decent door once in a while.In spite of the hard cement beneath them and the cold air around them Mara felt herself relaxing back against Jin's solid warmth. She'd thought to look up at the stars some but the current view was so much more appealing and much closer than the tiny, cold, distant points of light.

Charlie waited patiently for Viv's conversation to end, and it did rather quickly. The Alpha's mother was a very quiet woman and was maybe just making small talk. Turning to Viv, he put his arm on the back of her chair and leaned in to talk over the growing voices of the crowd around him.

"Are you having a good night?" Viv leaned in close to hear him and he felt his face flush with red. Her hair was pinned up in curls with what looked like carefully planned ringlets draping down the back of her neck. He resisted the urge to touch them and tried to focus on being sociable.

Viv raised her eyebrows and sighed. "Yeah, I guess. This is a little too high falootin' for me though."

Charlie chuckled. "High falootin'? What does that mean?"

As far as he knew, Viv was from Australia or had spent the majority of her life there. There wasn't a whole lot of information about her without the Pack, but her knack for American slang was certainly impressive.

Viv gave him a sheepish grin. "It's a little too fancy for me. But who doesn't like dressing up, right?"

"Well, I don't, to be honest." Charlie loathed it, hence his dressy casual suit. Everyone around him was in a tuxedo, even the Beta. "I don't look as good in a tux as say the Commander, there."

Viv turned and looked at Commander Jameson. The CO was already talking with another female, although Charlie was surprised at how easily it came to the Commander. When Viv turned back, she was smiling but her eyes were hard and it looked more forced than anything.

"He's a charmer, isn't he," she said in a monotone voice.

Charlie sighed and shrugged. The Commander had always been flagrant with his women and it got old over time. Leaning in closer, Charlie whispered, "the other pipers find parties with the CO fruitless, if you get my meaning."

"I bet," Viv said, the smile draining from her face. Looking back into his eyes she said, "I think you look handsome though."

Charlie grinned sheepishly, shrugging self consciously. The current topic was not what he had planned for, so Charlie turned and looked at the dance floor. Far along the clear glass windows hung a huge analog clock with the current time: 11:45 p.m. At midnight the crowd of people would be surging to the dance floor to get a good view of the fireworks from the harbor and searching out someone to kiss. Charlie was tempted to ask Vivienne who she planned on kissing, but his nervousness got the better of him. It was definitely something the Commander could have done as suave as you please, but that wasn't Charlie's style. Instead he scoot his chair back and stood.

"Come on," he said, holding his hand out to Viv. "Let's dance."

Viv looked up at him for a moment and then hesitated. He was beginning to think he was just being too forward when she smiled brightly at him and took his hand. Charlie helped her out of her chair and the Commander turned and half rose out of his seat in respect. The CO's date laughed suddenly and stood, taking his hand and dragging him to the dance floor as well. As they past them, Viv looked at the Commander with a blank face while the CO didn't even bother to look at her.

Charlie watched the short exchange and wondered....

"Ready?" Viv said suddenly, hooking her arm around his.

"Oh yeah, let's go."

Walking her to the floor, Charlie saw the CO and his date disappear into the throng of people. Viv pulled him in the opposite direction to the center of the dance floor. She turned and faced him with her arms up, ready. Quickly he placed his right hand just above her shoulder blade and took her right hand with his left, twisting her into a fierce waltz with a snapped spin.

She immediately started to laugh and danced expertly with him. Charlie kept the pace fast with his eye on the clock. It count down to 11:50 when Marko and Red danced by with their dance partners. Red gave him a strange look and then shook his head as he moved his date on.

Charlie kept his eye on the clock, occasionally dipping Viv, making her curls bounce and whip around her face. "Ready...one more dip," he said as he spun her around and dipped her one last time, snapping her forward so her face was close to his. Her breath was warm on his face and her laughter infectious as he looked back at the clock again.



At the stroke of midnight he was going to throw caution to the wind and try kissing Viv one last time. Charlie figured he could get away with a quick kiss, but he hoped that it could turn into something else altogether, making this New Year's Eve a memorable one. Viv liked him, he could tell, but whether it was enough to let go of whoever had her would remain to be seen.

Shit...

Viv enjoyed her dance with Charlie. He was an exceptional dancer, but she caught him looking at the huge clock facing the dance floor one time too many which could only mean he was waiting for midnight. Everyone knew what you did at midnight, and as handsome as he looked, Charlie was not the one she wanted to kiss. No that person was halfway across the room with a leggy blond named 'Lisa' apparently. Brig may have been playing his part, and she might have given every reason to leave her alone, but the thought of him kissing someone else was making her physically ill. So with Charlie betting he could kiss her first, her entire night was pretty much going to shit.

Whoa, she thought to herself as he dipped her one more time and then snapped her back, close to his chest. Charlie then slowed the dance down completely. Viv glanced up at the clock for the two minute warning.

The Grand Piazza's manager and host for the New Year's Eve ball took to the front stage and began warning everyone about the time. More and more people crowded to the dance floor, couples clinging to each other as the excitement began to grow.

Viv put her hand on Charlie's chest and looked down at her fingers, specifically her ring finger that looked hopelessly alone. The ring was tucked into the folds of her dress and it burned against her skin.

30...29...28...

Viv inhaled deeply, trying to locate Brig's scent but she only caught a faint whiff of it mixed in with the hundreds of other people gathering around her and Charlie. Standing on her tip toes, she looked over at the dinner tables and saw that they were all almost empty, making the next twenty seconds of her life the longest ever.

20...19...18...

"Uh, Viv?"

Viv looked up at Charlie as he held her close, barely moving now.

"Was there someone else you'd rather...? It's getting close, I mean."

Viv looked into Charlie's eyes and saw the hope mixed in with disappointment. She kicked herself for dancing with him, encouraging him only because it made her feel better.

"Oh, no. Charlie, really it's ok," she lied. "No tongue, though. Ok?" she said with a laugh that felt forced.

Charlie raised his eyebrows and chuckled with her.

10...9...8...

Viv swallowed and did a final sweep of the surrounding people, looking for Brig but not seeing him.

7...6...5....

Her heart was racing in her chest, making what dinner she had begin its revolt back up. Throwing up on Charlie would definitely make the night memorable, but maybe not the way he wanted. Viv tapped his chest with her fingers and looked back up into his face.

4...3...2...1...

Charlie smiled hesitantly and pulled her close, brushing his lips against hers.

"MAZOL TOV!!!!" Red pushed in between Viv and Charlie and planted one, right on Charlie's lips.

15...14...13...

Lisa was dancing close to Brig, whispering into his ear about promises of extremely dirty things after midnight. Swallowing, he laughed, trying to sound encouraging but definitely not meaning it. Spinning Lisa around, he caught Charlie moving with Viv to the center of the dance floor and beginning to dance. Lisa had managed to pull him all the way to the edge by the balcony, trying to get him to herself.

12...11...10...

Brig looked down at Lisa and she smiled at him mischievously, her fingers playing with the back of his neck as she pressed her glorious body against his. Brig listened as the countdown to midnight ticked down loudly with everyone yelling out the numbers.

5...4...

"Lisa, I'm sorry. I have to go," Brig said, pulling her arms off his neck and rushing toward the center of the dance floor.

"Wait...what?!" she yelled as he pushed through the crowd, searching for Viv.

3...2...1...

Brig finally caught a glimpse of Charlie and Viv and he was painfully close to kissing her, if he wasn't already from what he could tell, when Red burst out of nowhere and grabbed Charlie, kissing him on the mouth instead.

Viv took a step back and began to laugh out loud, clapping as Red pulled away and Charlie began wiping his mouth with his hands. "Oh god, was that tongue?!" Charlie yelled out.

Brig reached out and grabbed Viv's arm, spinning her around. The look on her face was surprise, anger, then relief. They stood there and looked at each other as everyone around began kissing, pushing, and singing Auld Sang Lyne.

"I don't think anyone knows the words to this song," he said with a hopeful smile.

"Shit, I don't. Are you going to kiss me or what?" she asked, finally smiling at him.

Pulling her further away from the crowding Pipers, Charlie specifically, Brig pulled Viv into his arms and kissed her as the clock finished its chiming and the fireworks began shooting into the night sky above the harbor, giving everyone in the Piazza a perfect view.

It was a chaste kiss, much like their first ever in her bedroom that first night together. Brig pulled away but let his lips hover over hers.

"I love you and I'm sorry," he said with his eyes closed, almost wincing from what her reaction might be.

"Open your eyes, Brig," she said. He did and she was smiling up at him, giggling to herself. "Happy New Year. I love you, too...you dick."

Before he could kiss her again, Marko came up and grabbed Viv out of his arms, giving her a wild kiss on her cheek. The rest of the Pipers came over and Red even tried to kiss Brig who happily kissed him back, much to everyone's disgust.

Charlie came up and touched Viv on her shoulder and smiled. She reached up and gave him a kiss on his cheek and inwardly Brig thanked god for Red. Looking at the tall red head, his Piper pulled him aside and said in Brig's ear.

"You owe me, sir. Happy New Year. Can I kiss her now?" Red asked hopefully.

Viv laughed and grabbed Red's face, planting a kiss on his lips. Brig shook hands with his Pipers and received more kisses from the neighboring ladies while his fiance was kissed by every single Piper. Finally he felt her small fingers entwine with his and he turned to look at her. She gave him a wink as she moved her fingers in his and he felt her ring on her finger.

Marthinus made it to the crowd of Pipers just as Viv kissed Red, making the tall red head blush. Just then a dark haired woman pulled his arm and spun him around, kissing him passionately on the lips. Marthinus felt closed his eyes in surprise but kissed her back. After a few moments the brunette pulled back and licked her lips at him.

"Hi, I'm Gloria."

"Uh," Marthinus said, "hi?"

"Nice to meet you," she said and pulled Marthinus close again and kissed him. Happy New Year, he thought to himself and kissed her back.

Ellis looked over at Simon who smiled sweetly at her. He had been disappearing off and on since they got there, but finally he returned and stayed by her side. As the clock counted down, he pulled her out to the dance floor and held her close.

"You're not going to run off again, are you? To the bathroom...Siberia?"

Simon smiled back at her and pulled her close, brushing her lips with his. "Nope, I'm staying right here with you."

"Good," she said and kissed him deeply, wrapping her arms around his neck. Just then she felt their aura pulse and fill with what he had been holding back. It was flooded with arousal, love, and contentment, almost making her cry. It pained her how much he held back, but pleased her at the same time knowing what it was he was keeping to himself. Sharing him with anyone else would not be tolerated and Ellis planned on broaching the subject with the new target of his recent interest.

Happy New Year, indeed.

LT pushed up inside Carol as he heard the yelling from the ballroom all the way from the broom closet.

"We're missing New Years, I think," he said with his lips pressed against her neck.

"Did you want to stop?" Carol asked with a laugh, squeezing her legs around his hips.

"No, we'll catch up in a minute."

"A minute...please say you're kidding!"

LT looked up at Carol and kissed her, laughing into her lips as he pressed her up against the broom closet wall.

Xeph shook his head at Nikhila, smiling down at her. "Well, let's be honest," he said, "when's the next time it's going to be convenient like this? One day very soon one or the other of us will have their hands full."

Back and forth several times to their table, they managed to strike a balance between dancing and nibbling for most of the evening. When the countdown to midnight began they were down on the floor and Xeph was doing his best not to bite anyone. But really all it seemed to take was a hostile glare in the direction of anyone who got near, taking a page out of his father's book, and people left Nikhila alone and un-jostled.

They stood quietly while they counted, Xeph behind Nikhila, his arms around her shoulders, his hands and hers resting lightly on their unborn son. "It's going to be a good year," he said.

While the crowd rioted around them they remained still, one little tiny speck of motionlessness in a sea of cheering bodies. Xeph leaned down over Nikhila's shoulder, rested his cheek against hers, and smiled. "Love you," he said simply.

The party flowed on around them but he didn't need to be a reveler tonight; he had everything he wanted there in his arms. As the fireworks began, he looked around, let go of Nikhila long enough for them all to exchange hugs, kisses, well-wishes, and cheers with their family who were swarming around them, and then just held her to watch the stunning display in the sky over the waterfront.

Alex could have cheered; he and Eiryk spent the evening dancing, for the most part without mishap. As he remembered not to be self-conscious, Alex loosened up more and more. They didn't dance to anything fast, but he began to understand that the Piazza wasn't going to fall down on him just because he'd set foot on a dance floor.

Whether by chance or by design Aishe and Kem were never far away from them and Alex was happy for the silent support of their friends. He traded Eiryk away to Aishe once or twice, as promised, while he and Kem went on a drink-hunting expedition. There was very little excitement involved, as waiters with drinks were everywhere, waiting to provide. Thus it was that thirty seconds before midnight the four of them were standing together, champagne flutes raised high, counting down enthusiastically with everyone else.

They hit the Happy New Year mark with a clink of glass and a rowdy cheer, and as the fireworks began Alex turned to say something to Aishe and realized that she was... otherwise occupied, standing on her tiptoes and kissing her fiance rather enthusiastically.

A few glasses of champagne had been sufficient to give Alex a lot more confidence than he normally would have had, and it seemed like everyone around them was occupied anyhow. So he turned away from their two friends to find Eiryk's eyes on him. Alex grinned at his boyfriend, shrugged, and was leaned down to kiss Eiryk softly.

At the last minute he changed his mind. "Fuck it. Happy New Year," he said, and, wrapping his arms around Eiryk's waist he half-lifted him off his feet and did his best to show up Aishe and Kem.

He forgot there were fireworks... five minutes later they were still re-inventing the kiss while the sky lit up beyond the windows.

Lily didn't need another excuse to wrap her arms around Iov's broad shoulders, but she wasn't going to find a better one either so she took full advantage of it and spent the last few minutes of 2010 looking not at the clock or the sky outside but into the face of the man she'd loved for nearly fifty years. Love didn't fade over time, not if it was with the right person. It might grow, it might shift and change like they did with the cycles of the moon, but it never left.

She placed her slender hands on either side of Iov's face and smiled up at him. She didn't see the grizzled, scarred face of a no-nonsense Kadzait Beta. She saw the man who'd been her shadow for years, the man who'd protected her when she hadn't even realized she'd needed it, the one person in the world who had shown her love when she'd felt certain there was none to be had. The one man who'd loved her enough to leave her and watch over their son when she'd asked him to, without even knowing his identity.

And the one man she would spend the rest of her life with.

She kissed him long and hard before she let him go this time, embracing Aidan and Nikhila, shyly returning the hugs of any who offered, and being picked up off her feet once or twice to her shocked surprise. The entire room was alive with happy well-wishes but, she thought, none so exuberant and riotous and cheerful as the Pipers.

"Unless you plan on stopping at one... it will be both of us."Â?

Nikhila answered with a smile. It was a good answer and the one she wanted to hear but it didn't ring quite true. She wanted to pry, she wanted to know what was going on. But not tonight. Soon though, because too often something seemed to be off with her mate and she worried about him.

It really was amusing how much he could look like Hammer when he glared at people. As long as he didn't get over protective she wouldn't say anything or worry about it. And since he'd brought her out tonight Nikhila didn't think they were in too much danger of that happening. Besides, it was rather nice to have such a clear cut pocket of personal space in this crowed.

She leaned back into him as the last few seconds of 2010 ticked buy. It just felt right, protected, safe, comfortable, loved and otherwise right. She felt his hands on her belly, on their child and could only nod. It was nearly impossible to find words for the feeling.

"It will be a wonderful year, and an adventure."Â?

Turning her head Nikhila softly kissed his cheek. She'd save their New Year's kiss for a more private venue, like home. She hugged Lily and any others Aidan let get near her wishing them happy New Year, but was otherwise happy to melt back into her mate's arms, the father of their child, and watched the fireworks as they reflected in the water.

OK he was being rude. He hadn't paid any attention to Pak or Artemis or Kem or Aishe, but damned it Alex was so hot and he was dancing with him. It wasn't like Eiryk needed an excuse to to put and keep his hands on his lover, but Eiryk was willing to take full advantage of any reason; especially knowing Alex was going to be moving out soon.

He did dance one with Aishe, who proved to be a very good dancer and he threatened to dance with Kem but some how Kem weaseled out of it. It didn't matter, there was only one man he wanted do dance with.

Lord knew Eiryk had seen more than his share of New Year's celebrations according to any number of calendars but this one seemed special, different. He toasted it enthusiastically. While he'd hoped Alex would kiss him, Eiryk didn't expect it. Although, he did plan on making up for that once they got back to the towers. Alex, however, more than surprised him. It started out soft and sweet but grew and deepened to the point Eiryk wasn't sure if it was one kiss or a series of very long ones. Some how he'd managed not to drop his champagne flute and some where in that kiss he's managed to mumble "Happy New year"Â? and "I love you"Â? but he wasn't sure what language he'd used. It didn't matter.

He didn't care about the fireworks, they were creating their own.

Jin tilted his head and looked down at her and found her smiling up at him. That smile made his heart melt and he, for one, found himself barely noticing the weather. He didn't know she hated the cold; that made this a very sweet idea.

He returned her smile and said.

"I hope you don't hate it so much at the moment."

Curling his body around her just a tiny bit more, Jin asked.

"Do you want my coat as well?"

They could change forms and be plenty warm but then his glasses wouldn't be any help and the fireworks would hurt his eyes. More important, it was not as romantic.

Looking at his watch, he could see that it was almost time. Too bad they didn't have any champagne for a toast.

Holding up his wrist so that they could both the countdown, Jin laid his head lightly against Mara's

"Almost time."

The little watch flipped over and he could hear the cheering from the streets and the building below. Moving around to Mara's side, Jin leaned forward and gave her a slow, gentle kiss. Savoring the delicate warmth of her lips for a long moment, he reluctantly pulled away.

Jin smiled tenderly and his voice was hushed but in their private space he knew she would have no trouble hearing him.

"Happy New Year, Mara."

Artemis considered the question for a moment. He had harbored a death wish for 1600 years because of his love for one woman. And, he had come back from that, in part, because of another. To say that he understood, would be an understatement. Pak was truly special and important to him, but he wasn't ready to say it yet. Truth be told, and all jokes and innuendo aside, he wasn't quite ready for the 'show me your wine rack and I will show you my corkscrew' part of a romantic relationship. He definitely wasn't ready for those three little words. But he had been once. Watching Kem and Aishe, he smiled.

"No, I can't blame him at all."Â?

He chuckled a few moments later when he received a shoulder nudge for his comment to Eiryk. Artemis draped his arm along the back of her chair and grinned. To emphasize the point he was about to make, he gave Pak an appreciative look and then wiggled the thumb of his other hand.

"I will admit that your attire is better suited for showing a little leg. Which is probably more effective than my thumb at getting a ride. And, since I left the jet pack in my other suit, I guess I will have to try and behave."Â?

Artemis smiled as Kem and Aishe once again headed for the dance floor. He had not expected the other man to wax quite so poetic, but it was good to have goals. He also hadn't expected his girlfriend to call him on the question quite so soon, so he didn't have a list of his own prepared. A boyish grin spread across his face as Artemis realized there was an offer for dancing in there somewhere. Standing, he left one hand on the back of her chair so that he could move it out her way when she was ready.

"As I recall, I was the one who placed you on my toes, so I can't really complain can I?"Â?

Artemis offered his free hand to Pak.

"How about we discuss New Year's Resolutions while we dance?"Â?