"Why are you asking me?" Glory asked, giving him an odd look. "I have no idea."

Léan was thinking, quite deeply. "...Did it happen before you started up school, during the summer...? I am trying to figure out what the danger gauge is...having a child around would make things much more difficult."

"I'm pretty sure it was over the summer, before school started," Glory said, thinking. "Closer to the end of the summer?"

Léan was thinking, as well. "...It takes four months, for us...that would mean..." He blinked. "Quite soon. Anywhere from the next three days to the next two weeks."

"We should be home by then," Glory pointed out. "Besides, Archie and Damon should be hiding somewhere, anyways."

"Arcturus and Damon are one thing, but, unlike your kind, our kind...can swim mere hours after birth. If they are not looking...and the child wanders away..." Léan trailed off. "Normally, I would not be worried. But since my father is around..."

"I understand," Glory said. She knew he was worried, she could see it on his face and feel it in the tension of his arms. Gently, she tightened her hug a little. "Like I said, we'll be heading home soon. We just have to trust they'll be alright until you can check on them."

Léan relaxed again...slowly. "I don't trust either of them with a responsibility like that...Arcturus is childlike enough on his own, but Damon, who has lived in sheltered isolation for nearly all his life, is even worse..."

"They do need to grow up sometime," Glory said. "You can't keep coddling them forever."

"Arcturus will be fine if I do, but Damon...I don't think so," Léan confided, closing his eyes. "He has been sheltered and coddled for far too long...I suppose we will just have to wait and see..."

"Well... So much for enjoying our vacation," Glory joked softly. Then she got a bit more serious again. "Who knows, they may surprise you."

"I had fun," Léan protested, arching an eyebrow. "And they might, but I doubt it. I highly doubt it, in fact." His voice sounded like he was semi-teasing, but semi-serious.

"You actually said the word 'fun'," Glory said teasingly, in mock surprise. She wasn't able to keep a straight face, though, and giggled a bit. "I'm glad you had fun, then. I did too."

"What, is my English dictionary off-limits, now? Shall I use Spanish instead, hmm?" Léan teased back. He settled down again. His movements were a little more confident, but still a tad reluctant.

"Hey, I distinctly remember a time when you refused to admit you were having fun, ever," Glory pointed out. "And I failed Spanish class in school, a couple years ago. I didn't want to try again."

"That's because I rarely do have fun," Léan reminded her, dully. "It takes a lot for me to have fun. When I do, it is...well, fun, for lack of a better word. I believe I am what you humans call a...party pooper?"

"That's one word for it," Glory agreed teasingly. "Though I've noticed you've been letting yourself have fun more and more often, since the beginning of the summer." She leaned against him a bit. "That's good."

Léan leaned a bit more, as well. He had no problem keeping himself and her afloat, since he was used to water, of course. "I've been trying. Mind you, it hasn't been easy," he huffed, matter-of-factly.

"You know," Glory said softly, "I honestly thought I would be bored to tears, when the courts told me that I would be living with Nana on the shore. I love Nana, of course, she's the best family I have, but I never thought my summer would go the way it did." She looked up at him and grinned. "It's mostly your fault, you know."

"I un-bore you, then?" Léan asked, sounding quite amused. "I suppose I'll take that as a compliment. And to think Arcturus always called me a boring old man."

"You kind of were," Glory pointed out. "But you're not anymore." She could hear the amusement in his voice. "I'm glad you're finding this so amusing."

Léan made a face, then stretched his arms out slightly before lowering them again. "How long do you want to stay here?" he asked, suddenly.

"Define 'here'," Glory said. "The pool, the building, the island...?"

"The pool. I thought you might want to go back outside. I can go back to the tank, if you want to go out on the beach..." Léan didn't want to go back to the tank, but he would if she wanted to go to the beach.

"The beach is no fun without you there," Glory said. It was true, she had no reason to go back out to the beach if she was alone. "We could both head outside, if you want...?"