As soon as Mark left the elevator he walked as fast as he could towards his car. He would have been running if it hadn't seemed to be a little childish to him. His elated and full of anticipation. Jenny would agree to marry him. His heart knew he was right about that one.

Greeting one of his colleagues he paced up even more. Nearly running. His colleague grinned and waved clearly guessing the thing. Well, he was on his way to meet his girlfriend.

When he reached his beloved dark blue Golf 4Cabrio he couldn't keep himself from smiling in an insane manner. He was just too happy.

He got in his car and left the underground parking area. Usually driving faster than allowed he always checked where his colleagues would be placing the mobile speed cameras and avoided them. Upside of having access to the police computer system. Some would call it an abuse of authority... But it was simply much more fun driving fast.

Leaving the city, he drove on the highway direction coast. His rendezvous was at the renowned Stella Maris a small hotel with the very best Italian food in the world... In his opinion...

Jenny and her daughter Joline would be waiting for him. He had never been as happy as he was now since his parents died. Lisa was a good foster mum and he loved her as such but it had never been the same. He never felt as calm and save as he did when he was with Jennifer Teine. Mark loved everything about her and thought her twelve-year-old daughter to be a great girl.

This chapter of his life began two months ago when he had just passed the last exams and got promoted. He was regarded as a protégé. A genius. Best of his badge. In his late twenties and a detective of capital crimes division.

But before had got to move into his office he was sent undercover. He was sent to the local fencing club to watch out for the killer that had killed several young men of his age and looks. Celtic features, black hair and sea-blue eyes. The only thing apart from the mentioned that connected them was the fencing club. That's where he got to meet Jenny.

She was the queen of the fencing school an ace that only joined the club recently. Due to the fact that he wasn't half as bad either they settled on being sparring partners. She bested him nearly at all matches but he was the only one who didn't bore her.

He trained hard and improved at a rate the other participants called insane. After a month he finally was good enough to be her match. After besting her for the first time he mustered the guts to ask her out.

She smiled radiantly and answered 'I asked myself if you'd ever ask... But before I get my hopes high... You have to know... I am a widow and I am a mother of a 12year old child. She is called Joline. If you can't cope with it and the strings that will naturally appear. Leave me be. I have no need of a broken heart. But if you think you are up to the task of being a real man... I would be overjoyed to go on a date with you. '

Mark didn't have a problem with any of it. He liked Jenny even more for the way she stood her ground. After meeting Joline he was even more elated. She was a wonderful person. They had lots of fun and went horse riding together a chaired hobby of them. Using the young police horses in training they went into the woods and galloped the fields. They were like family. A family he had secretly wished for.

The only thing he kept on being nervous about was meeting his soon to be in-laws for the first time. Jenny had an air of nobility surrounding her and he expected her to be quiet rich. She wouldn't boast naturally.

Her family seemed to be well off in a way that had no need to boast about. Old money. Influence and power. That was what her behaviour said.

Sometimes he even suspected that Jennifer wasn't as serious about their relationship as he was. Especially when she kept avoiding the topic of her family. He knew she had a brother and her families main house, how she called it, was in the countryside nearby. That was nearly all.

That was the only reason he was unsure if she would agree on marrying him. But here he was and he would do it for otherwise he might never be able to muster the guts to do it again.

She loved him and he loved her. And they lived together in her city house. He actually didn't officially move in but that was only due to his insistence not to. He didn't want to be a gigolo. Living of his rich girlfriend. That's why he kept his small apartment even if he hadn't spent a lot of time in the last two months.

Lisa even mocked him as lover-boy. And said that he should take care he that he wasn't taken over completely. She seemed quite worried about him when he told her Teine was Jennifer's last name. As if it was some kind of mafia family. But nothing mattered when he thought about his Jenny.

Red hair, flaming red like the hair of Paolo Coelho’s Brida and she was as tough and as vulnerable. He really loved her from the bottom of his heart. Before he met her there was only Lisa and his job. But now his instincts told him to be a husband, a father and a protector for her and her daughter, who he started to regard as his own eventually.

He couldn't even think about the possibility that one of them might be taken away from him. It would not matter even if he had to fight the clans for them. Mark would never let it be. They took his parents from him when he was too small to protect them. A closed file in the cold cases. This wouldn't happen to his new family.

At the same time, he reached the Stella Maris and parked his car next to Jenny's SUV. Then he took his little suitcase and entered the lobby. A hotel boy awaited him and showed him his room where he changed into his favourite suit, a dark blue one.

The boy had waited for him and directed him to the restaurant. Jenny and Joline were waiting in a separate room they had specifically booked for the evening. The table was nicely dressed and a huge candelabra stood in the edge of the room. But Mark didn't pay much attention to the surroundings when he saw Jenny. She and Joline were sitting at the table waiting for him.

His beloved wore a dress in the exact colour of her emerald green eyes. Deep cut and tight. She was always beautiful but today she was stunning. Her daughter matched her in style wearing a less spectacular but beautiful blue dress.

Watching him stunned like this a bright smile made her look even more beautiful. She chimed 'hello dear. No need to stand there come over and take a seat.' Shaking his head out of the stupor he did as she told him and kissed her before he sat down next to her.

'hello Jenny, hello Joline.’ he greeted them his eyes sparkling.

The dinner was a beautiful occasion. They talked a lot. Laughed. Every time Mark remembered that evening later on, he felt it was the last evening he had such a carefree mood. It was a bitter sweet memory.

But when the dinner came to pass there was nothing to ruin his mood. They talked about how Jenny and Joline spent their day at the beach before he arrived.

'we even went into one of the caverns below the cliff.' Joline told Mark in an excited voice 'it was all wet because it is flooded when the tide is high. Only the uppermost part is dry. You can see the sky through a hole in its ceiling. Mom told me that it was one of her favourite places to go when she was my age. She really liked to explore things; you know.'

'I can imagine.' Mark smiled happily at the image of a young Jenny climbing in a cave over rocks and stones. 'maybe I could join you tomorrow. Then you can show me.' he proposed.

'that would be really cool. It's nearly as much fun as riding you know. And you will love flying...' Joline started merely but her mother shot her a stern glance 'I mean climbing... I really don't know what I was talking... I guess flying would be a good thing too. ' she corrected.

'sometimes you are a real child sweetheart. Humans are unable to fly.' Jenny affirmed and smiled apologetically.

'well not without a plane. That's for sure. But rumour has it that the clan members who gain wings once transformed are able to do so.' Mark said and dreamt about flying. 'do you want to be a pilot, Joline? If you care about flying that much?' Mark asked curious. The girl was bright and brave enough that was for sure.

But Joline shook her head and said 'No I am aiming to become a teacher. I'll leave flying with machines to others.'

Over the course of the whole exchange Jenny was constantly playing with the charm attached to her necklace. A little bird in red and gold as Mark observed.

'Is that a Phoenix? It's beautiful. ' he asked her trying to change the subject that seemed uncomfortable for her. Maybe she didn't like to fly. Or so he thought.

She smiled and seemed relieved. 'yes, it's a fire-bird. This necklace is an heirloom of my family and I really like it. I wore it at my last wedding with Damien, you know.'

That was a topic that made him uncomfortable. How could he ever ask her if she talked about her late husband?

She caught his sad gaze and apologized.' he's dead now and I am really happy to be here with you. I do want to start a new but he was an important part of my life. And he gave me Joline.'

'I just hope that I will be as important for you one day.' he replied.

'but you, silly. You already are one of the most important persons in my life and Joline’s.' she chided lightly and smiled when he blushed.

Reassured by her words he got up and sank on one knee. Then he took out the ring he had prepared in his pocket. He opened the box and asked. 'Jennifer Teine, love of my life, will you marry me?'

Her green eyes widened and a bright smile spread across her face. 'I do. Yes, I would love to marry you.' than she cried tears of joy and kissed him passionately. He took out the thin gold ring and put it on her slender finger.

After a while Joline said 'and I thought you would never ask. Welcome to the family, dad.'

The rest of the dinner was a perfect romance.