Delilah gasped when she saw them appear at Nana's door. She brought a hand to her mouth, grinning. "Oh, my God," she then exclaimed, "oh, my God! Oh, my God!"

"Yes, yes, we get it." Alexander laughed, pushing an antsy Emma inside the house.

2 months hadn't been nearly enough to prepare her for this. Sure, she'd already met both Delilah and Margaret, but now, with that heavy ring in her purse, it was a whole different thing. Emma refused to wear it, it was just too valuable to risk losing it doing the dishes or whatever else.

Before she could dodge it, Emma found herself squeezed into a tight hug by Delilah, who'd pushed away her brother. "I missed you so much." Delilah confessed, head hidden behind Emma's neck.

The other woman smiled, awkwardly returning the warm embrace. It was still difficult to get used to the idea of joining a family, having one for the first time in years. She'd been delaying the meet-up as long as she could, but she couldn't push back Christmas Eve.

Even only seeing all the decorations and shopping for gifts had been a lot to take in. Now entering the warm ambiance of a homey place and being greeted with the fervor and happiness of a sister – it took all she had not to really cry.

"Okay, okay, enough." Alexander rolled his eyes, although happy to see their hug last so long. "We're going to be late for dinner."

Delilah stuck her tongue out to him, slowly pulling back, yet still holding Emma. "I haven't seen her in months," she said, squeezing her friend's hand with a grin, "you've been keeping her all to yourself."

It was only half true. Emma felt embarrassed. She'd tried to lay low as much as possible, and even though Alexander had restarted going to work and seeing his family, she still felt like a fugitive. Delilah texted her a lot, but she barely replied.

Part of her was afraid that if she left the apartment for more than a couple of hours a day, something inevitably catastrophic would happen and she'd lose it all. Nancy had been way too quiet for it to be a good sign.

"Right." Alexander said, not wanting to expose his fiancée by admitting the truth he knew too well. "Well, you girls catch up, I'll go see Nana." He announced, going into the kitchen.

When he was gone, Delilah pulled back entirely, grinning as she still squeezed Emma's hands. "Okay, where is it?"

"Where's what?"

Delilah rolled her eyes. "The ring!" She beamed, happy. "When Xander told me, I thought I was dreaming, but it's all true!" She jumped up and down, happy. "So, where is it?"

"Oh," Emma murmured, her cheeks flushed, "uh ... I ... it's in my bag."

"You don't wear it? Did you guys have it fitted? Mom had really slender fingers."

Emma cleared her throat, feeling slightly lightheaded. "I ... no, it's ... I just prefer to keep it safe."

Delilah frowned. "Don't be silly, it's meant to be worn."

"Yeah, but ... it's very valuable, and ..."

Her soon-to-be sister-in-law rolled her eyes once again. "He gave it to you, Emma. It means he thinks it will be safe with you." She pursed her lips, eyeing the door behind her, to be sure he wasn't at a range of ears. "Same as his heart."

"Delilah ..."

The young doctor smiled widely, then went to take off Emma's coat. "It's happening, Emma. I know it's hard to believe it, you said that, but it's really happening." Once she'd hung the coat, Delilah hooked her arm to Emma's, and together they walked into the living room, where Alexander and Margaret were conversing amiably. "Welcome to the Adams family." Delilah grinned cheekily. "Yes, I know how that sounds." She laughed.

No, she didn't, Emma thought. She had no clue how the sole idea of becoming a wife frightened her, entering a new family, becoming a part of something bigger than her own need to survive through whatever life threw at her.

It wasn't about Alexander himself, she would give anything to spend the rest of her days with him – and she'd made sure to remind him of that every time he perceived her uneasiness, which was always –, it was simply about becoming, or rather having to become someone other people relied on.

What if she disappointed them all? What if it all became too much and she couldn't handle it? She'd lived alone so long, relying solely on herself. It was already difficult to actually accept there was one more person in her safe space, someone that relied on her, that waited for her at home.

Someone that actively made plans with her, someone that randomly called her in the middle of the day just to hear her voice, someone that spent half of his lunch break in New York's traffic just to see her, even only for 20 minutes.

Seeing a future with Alexander wasn't difficult. Believing it would happen and she wouldn't ruin it somehow, or something wouldn't awake her from her silly dreams – that was a whole different thing. And now family dinners, celebrating Christmas, making plans. It was a lot to take in.

"You ok?" When she startled, Alexander apologized: "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

Emma shook her head. "It's fine."

He sighed inaudibly, going to wrap his arms around her from behind. "You sure? You've been staring at those Christmas socks for the past ten minutes now."

She stiffened slightly. "I ... I didn't think ..."

"You didn't think there would be a sock for you, too?" He filled in for her. "You're family now, Emma. To Nana you're the same as me and Delilah. Well, maybe not same as me, I'm the only male, of course I'm her favorite." He winked, chuckling.

Emma smiled without humor, however she did relax a bit in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm such a killjoy."

He turned her around in his arms, then cupped her cheeks. "Baby, I get it, it's a lot altogether." He kissed her forehead. "We had our honeymoon, now it's the regular stuff."

"It's not the excitement that I miss, come on." Emma corrected. "I just ..."

"You don't remember what having a family feels like."

"Yeah." She sighed, sinking into his arms, her head on his shoulder, her arms wrapped around his torso. "They are amazing, but ... it's a lot."

"Well, at least I don't have many relatives," he joked.

"I thought you had a couple of uncles."

"My father's brother, yes. But ... we kind of, you know, lost touch when I murdered his brother. Happens." He shrugged. "And my mother's brother, he's overseas."

"Overseas?"

"Germany."

"Oh. But you keep in touch?" Emma asked.

"Yeah, but he's not really a festivities type. We talk now and then, but nothing big."

"Your father's brother, doesn't he come visit his mom?"

Alexander pressed his lips. "He does ... when I'm not around."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I mean, your nephew kills your brother, it's difficult to get over ... especially when you still don't believe what your brother was capable of and did."

Emma retained herself from asking more questions. She sensed there were still things she didn't know. In the end, most of those months spent together were more about their own bond and their own plans than about the past.

"It's not a perfect family, you know," Alexander commented, "but it is family. And it's yours, too, now." He kissed her temple.

"We haven't set a date yet," she murmured, closing her eyes.

"Well, we would ... but the whole ... crazy ex-girlfriend preparing revenge thing is kinda looming over us like the sword of Damocles." Alexander sighed. "Byron says she can't do anything, she accepted to end our contract."

"Yeah, but why would she?" Emma wondered. "She had the upper hand."

He shrugged. "I don't know, maybe your almighty ex-boyfriend being on your side scared her off. Or Byron really is a better lawyer than her." Before Emma could reply, he kissed her temple again. "Either way, we shouldn't let it hold us back."

She half smiled. "You want to set the date?"

"I'd marry you right now. But if you want a proper thing, sure."

"I don't need the whole charade, but you have a family, and they'll want to be there."

"We can just invite them. They're pretty much the only people I want there anyway."

"What about your friends?" She frowned. "The ones you've mostly been neglecting because of me." It was another reason to feel guilty. Alexander was so taken, so focused on her, that he didn't even go out with his friends anymore.

In a way, it wasn't healthy, Emma thought, but she knew it was only because everything was new, they were both completely taken by each other – they barely could keep their hands off each other, after all.

"They won't mind. But if you want to wait, that's ok."

Emma smiled faintly, taking a deep breath. "No, ok, let's do this."

"Really?"

"Really. Tomorrow we'll go."

"Merry Christmas."

"What do you want?" Emma gritted her teeth.

"Now, now, Emmy, don't be so rude. It's Christmas, we're all nicer, aren't we?" Nancy said in a mellifluous tone Emma recognized all too well. It was the tone used when she was about to bite.

"Nancy, what do you want?" Emma repeated sternly. Her timing couldn't have been worse, she was just about to leave the apartment to reach Alexander at the City Clerk office to get a marriage license. If only she'd left just a few minutes before.

"May I come in?" Nancy wondered, taking a step inside.

"No." Emma denied, closing the door behind her. That apartment was kind of a safe haven for them, something that belonged to them and them only, she couldn't ruin it by letting in the devil herself. "I'll ask one last time, what do you want?"

"Is that the way to talk to a pregnant lady?"

Emma's eyes opened wide, her heart skipping a few beats. No, that wasn't possible, she was lying. It wasn't physically possible.

"I know what you're thinking," Nancy sneered, "but no, it's not Alexander's."

"Then why are you here?"

"To give you this." Nancy said, handing her a stack of papers.

"What is it?"

"I'm suing you for damages."

"Damages?" Emma frowned. "What damages?"

"Your whole little escapade with my boyfriend cost me millions, Hudson." Nancy let anger seep through. "Now you owe me."

"I owe you nothing. And Alexander doesn't either." Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "Your contract has no value anymore."

"Probably not, but I still have grounds to sue you both and take away every single penny you have." Nancy shrugged nonchalantly. "And you forget I have connections."

"Why would you do that? It's been months, you're even pregnant, can't you just let it go?" Emma sighed. "Be happy with whomever had the courage to date you for real."

"Like I said, you cost me millions. You'd think I wouldn't want at least some of it back?"

"You know neither I or Alexander have that kind of money."

Nancy shrugged, then rubbed her belly. "We can find a ... quid pro quo."