Someday, some boy will come and ask me for your hand. But I won't say "yes" to him unless I know, he's the half that makes you whole, he has a poet's soul, and the heart of a man's man -- TBD

I was not entirely sure of the idea of Leo and Dona moving in together.  She was packing... continuously packing to move into the flat with Leopold Greyback.  I liked the boy, there was no reason for me to be this put out about everything except the fact that Sedona was my baby girl.  There was a knock on the door and I looked at the time.  It was mid afternoon, the time I normally got up from a long night at work -- something most everyone who knew me knew.  I had coffee in my hand and the paper under my arm as I went to the door.  It was awfully quiet -- the boys were gone and Dona was out for the afternoon with the girls.  I opened the door and saw Leo.  I raised my eyebrows.  "Hey, Leo," I said. " Dona is out with the girls... I can let her know you stopped by, though."  I figured that was why he came over.

I looked at Uncle Dean with a bit of nervous energy.  "Oh - erm - I'm glad she's gone," I said honestly, taking a deep breath.  "Would you be available to talk?" I always liked Uncle Dean... but... well, in this case, he intimidated me greatly.

I raised an eyebrow at Leo.  "Yeah... what's going on?" I asked him, getting a little concerned.  I mean, Leo did speak to me on a just him and me basis every now and then.  But this seemed different. He seemed rather nervous or something.

I took a deep breath.  "Inside?" I asked, chucklign slightly when Dean seemed to realize we were still in the doorway.  We walked to the living room -- something that I was always surprised to say.  Dean was in the wheelchair or those special crutch things for as long as I could remember... it was awesome to see what someone could overcome.  He walked slow and still had to hold onto things sometimes, but it was getting better with each step.  "I'd like to talk to you about Dona," I told him slowly.

Oh no.  No.  I was not ready for this.  I remembered when Josh asked Will to take Ally's hand.  THis had to be what this was, didn't it?  I looked at Leo and kept my voice steady.  "Of course," I said simply.  "What's going on?"

I was not entirely sure how to take Dean right now.  He was super calm right now.  I looked at him.  "Nothing is wrong or anything like that," I assured him, trying to get the courage to ask him for her hand.  I knew how protective he was over her -- all three of his kids.

I nodded at Leo; that I could believe.  He probably would not be as panicked if there was something wrong.  Leo knew he could come to me to tell me if one of them was hurt or something.  No, this was definitely something I did not want to hear.  Never ever wanted to hear.  "So what's going on, Leo?" I questioned him.

I took a deep breath.  "You know I love your daughter, right?" I said to him, wanting him to know that I really honestly did.  "And that I'd do anything to protect her?"

I narrowed my eyes slightly.  "Yes," I replied slowly.  I really did not like what he was getting at.  This was Leopold, however, and I knew the kid.  I just was nto going to make this easy for him.

Why was he being so difficult?  Oh, right, because we were talking about Sedona.  I rubbed the back of my neck.  I smiled at Dean, though, because in spite of his fatherly behavior, he wanted Dona to be happy no matter what.  And I thought that I made her happy... at least it seemed that way.  "Well... I was thinking that since I love her and make her happy and would do anything to protect her," I started out, finding that I was withering beneath Uncle Dean's gaze.

I was watching Leopold very carefully.  I knew what was coming.  I was not going to make this easy.  In the end, I knew that Leo made my daughter happy.  So I would give them permission.  It would be okay in the end.  I just was not happy about my baby girl growing up.  "Yes?" I said.

Why did Uncle Dean have to be like this?  I was already freaking out about asking him permission... and he was being an arse.  Well, he was being a dad really.  Dad warned me he would be like this -- well, Dad predicted Uncle Dean to be far worse.  "CanIaskSedonatomarryme?" I mumbled all my words together and spoke them very quickly.

I raised my eyebrows at Leopold.  "Sorry, I didn't quite hear that," I said to him, though I heard him perfectly well.  His words made my stomach drop.  I knew this day woudl come at one point or another... but I did not have to like it.

I took a deep breath to attempt to relieve my nervousness, but to no avail.  "I'm here... I want to ask Sedona to marry me," I said to him in a voice barely above a whisper.  Uncle Dean intimidated me greatly.

I raised my eyebrows at him.  Damn.  I had really almost hoped that this would not be what it appeared to be.  I looked at the kid who practically sort of grew up at my house as much as my kids grew up at his parents' house.  I sighed.  His grandparents were gone and this kid was still trying to find happiness.  How could I say no to that?  Oh, because it was my daughter with whom he sought that happiness.  I sighed.

"On one condition," I said to him, taking a deep breath.  When Leo nodded, I continued.  "You can never hurt her the way she watched her own parents hurt each other."  I knew that some of what happened between me and Addison was my fault and I owned up to it.  that was why I did not want Dona or the boys to go through what I went through or what their mother went through.