He smiled wryly. "I wouldn't want to be Rt about right not. Kay's likely to give him a browbeating."

"Poor Rt," Anya said. She looked at Tempire. "Now, where were we?"

He held up the teapot.

"Ah, yes," she answered, holding her cup out. "More please."

He refilled her cup, still trying to frame his question in his mind.

"Thank you," she said, waiting for her tea to steep and then waiting a few moments for the tea to cool further.

"Anya...when your parents come here, how are you going to introduce me?" he asked, then winced inwardly. Maybe that hadn't been the best tactic...

Anya looked at him and let out a deep breath. "I...wow...I hadn't exactly thought of that. They...may not even come."

"How would you like to be introduced to them?"

"I just wanted to know...what you thought of tonight. And what it means," he said seriously, looking at her steadily.

"I...it...Tempire, this means more to me than I could possibly say. You've given me a home and helped me through these past months. I've grown attached to you, your home, and your dogs. I...I would like nothing more than to stay here, with you."

"Attached?" he prodded, his face the carefully blank mask it usually was.

"I...I guess that would be a good word for it," she replied, looking at him.

"Ah," he said, taking another sip of tea thoughtfully.

She sighed. "However I introduce you to them, I doubt they'll welcome anything. They believe in being soulbound and that's it."

"How do they expect you to bond to someone of the opposite element if you have no opposite element?"

"I don't know if they expect me to do anything. They made me leave Neitaera because I controlled more than one element."

"Then they shouldn't have any say in the matter, or expect to," he said reasonably, taking another drink of tea.

Anya nodded. "You make a good point. I guess even despite it all, I still do wish to have their approval." She sighed. "I guess it's silly for me to hope that."

"Possibly a little, but it is a natural thing to wish for," he said, pouring them both tea again.

"After they threw me out I didn't care about any of them; in fact I hated them. I guess as the time has passed I have thought on that and changed my beliefs."

She looked at him. "I've never really been one to be able to control my emotions. What if I can't control what I say or do if they come?"

"Then try to get out what is most important first so they don't get a chance to interrupt you," he said.

She sighed. "I don't even know what's most important. Months ago all I wanted was to return to Neitaera, but now I really don't desire to."

"What do you desire?" he asked, trying not to sound too interested and succeeding. In fact, he may have done it a little too well, sounding completely uninterested. Hopefully Anya would know better.

"A home...with people I care for and who care for me," she answered slowly. "I want to find a place that doesn't care that I can control all of the elements, a place that will accept me as I am."

"You could have that here," he pointed out delicately.

She nodded. "I know I could...and so far I have." She sighed. "I just sometimes wonder how long it will be before I wear out my welcome."

Tempire probably looked like Rt had just grown opposable thumbs, snuck up behind him, and whacked him in the back of the head with a two-by-four, he was so surprised. "What?"

She sighed. "I know it's probably stupid but I still feel as if I am nothing more than a houseguest and someday you'll wake up and realize that I've been here too long and make me leave."

He laughed; he couldn't help it. "I apologise, but that was quite possibly the last thing I expected you to say. Rest assured, Anya, I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to without dire reason."

She looked at him. "What if it wasn't your choice? What if you had to make me leave?"

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