A/N Thank you all for reviewing!

"You're as pretty as a picture."

Snapping out of her daze at the murmur, Marie turned on the balls of her feet to face her grandmother, eyes leaving her reflection to settle on the older woman. Knowing her grandmother was resisting to comment about the rare occurrence of her granddaughter donning a dress, Marie did a mock curtsey. Her small smile broadened when her grandmother rolled her eyes in amusement.

"Uh, thank you."Marie's mouth curved up into a half smile and looked down at herself for the tenth time, smoothing down the casual sundress."But I don't know what to do with this."

Marie blew hair out from in front of her eyes with an exasperated flail of her hands, turning back to look at her reflection as her grandmother entered the bedroom. Molly's reflection appeared over Marie's shoulder and, noticing the nervousness in her granddaughter's eyes, Molly placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You're overthinking, my dear."Molly motioned for her granddaughter to hand over the hairbrush with a beckon of her fingers, lazily inquiring."So what time is the reason for your getup arriving?"

"It's not a getup. You're supposed to make an effort for these things."Marie replied with a shake of her head, reaching out to hand over the hairbrush before halting and using it to point at her grandmother."And Finn is picking me up at half past..."

Trailing off, Marie glanced at her alarm clock atop of her nightstand."We've got about fifteen minutes."

"Long enough. Am I ever wrong?"

Breathily laughing, Marie's response was just a simple smile before she started to ponder about which bracelet she should wear. She had a knack for fidgeting. The blonde listened to her grandmother about how she should invite her date in for a coffee or 'going by his accent should it be tea?' before they went off on their own for the evening.

"He's a polite young man. A bit quiet but I think he was just shy."Molly mused aloud as she took the hairbrush from her granddaughter while raising a curious eyebrow."How did he pluck up the courage to ask you out?"

"Well he didn't actually say the words 'do you wanna go on a date?'"Marie corrected with a small laugh, securing a couple of decorative bracelets on her wrist."I asked for him, I guess, but i'm 99.9% positive that he'd been trying to ask. He just needed a little help."

"So he's one of those taciturn, mysterious ones then?"Molly asked gesturing for her granddaughter to take a seat with the hand that held the hairbrush."You should savor it, I haven't gotten a word in edgeways in since 1970."

"He's..."Marie paused as she tried to find the right word, thinking back to how gently Finn had held her and his soft spoken words."Refreshingly rare. He's kind."

"Kind. That's a rarity these days."Molly hummed curiously, meeting Marie's eyes in the mirror."Where is he taking you for your night on the town?"

"We aren't having a 'night on the town,' gram."Marie quietly laughed with a shake of her head, obeying her grandmother and sitting down on the stool."We're going to the Grill."

Eyebrow raising in interest, Molly hummed curiously as she started to brush out her granddaughter's hair.

"The Grill, hmm?"

"Gram..."Marie drew out with a warning tone, meeting her grandmother's eyes in the mirror."You and Pops better not show up like you did last time."

"I've never done such a thing."Molly gasped, looking insulted by the accusation and she tutted, bowing her head as she resumed brushing out her hair. As she continued, the elder woman quietly added."And even if I did it would be for your own good."

"Gram!"

"For your own good."Adamant in making her point, Molly motioned with the hairbrush to and fro."That Tommy Cooper was a tearaway and a skirt-chaser."

Marie resisted the urge to break into exasperated sobs at the mention of the infamous boy she'd once gone to the movies with. Once being the significant word because she'd never seen him again after the movie fiasco and she hadn't blamed him. She'd never known why they'd disliked Tommy Cooper other than he'd been her first boy-friend. A friend is all he'd ever been.

"We were twelve, and we went to the movies with our friends."Marie replied with a pointed look to her grandmother, handing the elder woman a hair tie when she extended her hand."And you got asked to leave for being, and I quote, 'disruptive.'"

"It was your grandfather who threw the popcorn, not me."Molly firmly said, pointing at her granddaughter's reflection before she let out a long breath, carelessly waving a hand."I'd rather he threw the little rascal."

"Gram!"

Molly merely shrugged, unashamed and unfazed by her actions. In fact, as Marie looked carefully in the mirror, she could see a twinkle in her grandmother's eyes.

"It cost five dollars for a small popcorn, Marie, you know how I hate to waste money."

Marie parted her lips, ready to scold her grandmother once more but, instead of words slipping from her lips, she found herself quietly laughing.

"Molly!"Her grandfather's shouts were faint to start off with, his tone laced with common annoyance. There was a pause as he awaited his wife's response and, when he didn't get one, his shouts became sterner."Molly, do not ignore me, I know you've hidden it!"

Recognising the tone, Marie sent her grandmother an unamused look.

"You didn't."

"I think we should go for a simple ponytail."Molly suddenly suggested, completely diverging and changing the subject."What do you think?"

Look unwavering, Marie fixed her eyes on her grandmother, her expression reminding the older woman of her daughter once upon a time.

"Gram."

"It is the only way to get his backside off of that armchair, and it's about time he walked more than his usual five steps to the bathroom."Her grandmother replied with a half shrug as she gathered up Marie's long, blonde locks with a sigh."Your grandfather, I tell you, he works my-"

"Your last nerve, I know."Marie fondly interrupted, having heard the same remark for as long as she could remember. She and her grandmother shared an amused look before Marie added."But you've always said that-"

"He keeps me on my toes, I know."Molly chimed in, mimicking Marie's tone with a playful scolding raise of her eyebrow."Well, it certainly wasn't his charm that drew me to him because your grandfather doesn't have none."

And, as if on cue, the sound of George angrily shouting for his wife started up, followed by doors slamming shut and furniture being shifted to the best of his ability. Then, as usual, the sequence of grunts and moans about how 'he wasn't fit enough for this crud anymore' tread on the heels of the lifting of the furniture.

It was a series of noises and curses made once every few months, when Molly decided that her husband needed to exert himself because, in her own words, she was not going to be widowed at an age where she couldn't bother to remarry.

"MOLLY?!"Her grandfather's shouts boomed throughout the hall he was angrily marching down."Molly, where is that remote? I know you've taken it!"

"Remote? Why-"Marie cut herself off when she caught the ghost of a smile her grandmother donned in the mirror."It's that time?"

"It's that time."Molly confirmed, simpering to herself as she heard the mutterings of her husband as he angrily strode in their direction."It's for his own good, it's the only exercise he does, and he isn't getting any younger. That man would never get up from that chair if allowed it."

"Where is it?"George demanded as he appeared in the doorway, a furious and indignant frown on his features."I know you've taken it."

"Taken what, dear?"Molly sweetly asked, directing brief an equally sickly-sweet smile over her shoulder at her husband."Hmm?"

"You know what!"George hotly hissed, pointing an accusing finger at his wife."Where is my remote?"

"In twenty minutes, back where it usually is."Molly responded, the smile returning when her husband instantly looked down at his watch to read the time, shaking her head before speaking again."And, if you're quite done with your tantrum, have you taken the time to notice how beautiful your granddaughter is?"

"Every day for twenty-one years."George promptly replied with a fond tone, mouth twitching upwards when he heard Marie simper to herself."What's different about right now?"

"I have a date."Marie answered, unable to keep the excitement laced in her tone."With a boy."

"Lovely, he's no boy."Molly murmured to herself with a quiet giggle, pausing as she secured the hair tie before, raising her voice so her husband could hear, she added."He's the lad that brought our Marie home, remember? I told you how polite he was."

Snapping his fingers as it came to mind, George clicked his tongue as he sat down on Marie's window seat with a curious sigh, mouth curving up fondly when he saw his granddaughter's own smile.

"Oh. Well, in that case..."George took his granddaughter's hand in his own and patted the top of it fondly."You look lovely, dear. Always. Have a jolly time, my Marie. You make sure he treats you right."

Warmed by his words, Marie opened her mouth to reply but snapped her mouth shut when her grandfather pointed at her, donning an uncharacteristic stern expression that she hadn't seen for a long time.

"But if he crosses a line and makes you feel uncomfortable at any time—and I mean any—"He stressed his words with a tone that Marie remembered him using when he'd advised about standing up to bullies then again when her fish had stopped swimming."a nice swift kick in the family jewels might suffice. No fella is immune to that, I tell ya. If he doesn't run off with his tail between his legs, then try several kicks."

Nodding along, Marie listened and smiled intently.

"I'll keep that in mind."

There were few times in her life when her grandfather had been stern or the voice of reason, but when it happened, she'd found herself being thinking back and being appreciative. He had a particular way of explaining things that didn't seem like a lecture.

"Then call your mother, she'll put him right."

"Not you?"Marie asked in a teasing tone, smiling up at her grandmother when she quietly laughed.

"I'm afraid my days of chasing heartbreaking SOBs with my dear shotgun is over. But, please, invite him over if it goes well. If there's one thing this old man can still do is the third degree."

George almost smugly straightened, mouth curving up into a half smile as he thought back to the 'good old days' when the fifth graders would go wide-eyed at him after walking his daughter home from school or when her prom date picked her up.

"But, i'll admit, your grandmother is skilled at the art of interrogation. Five minutes with her and I, my Marie, and we'll get the low down."

"You had a rolled up newspaper."Molly corrected with a scoff, gently cuffing her husband on the shoulder."But he did tell some truth, Marie, he has a knack for the devil's eye."

Waving his wife off with a hand, George paid no mind to her correction and carried on laughing at Marie's teasing comment which, as a result, caused his granddaughter to chime in. But the laughter quickly quieted down when Marie was served a scolding tut, and a gentle tug of her hair as her grandmother combed through her ponytail to rid of any tugs.

"So, this dinner and a movie, takeaway and a wifi. Or whatever it is you lot do nowadays. Is he planning on keeping you out late?"George lazily asked as he glanced at the clock, hands clasped together in his lap."Make sure to call if you do because you know your grandmother frets."

"I'll call. Promise."Marie firmly vowed, smiling at her grandfather before glancing up at her grandmother with a penitent expression."Still sorry about that, gram."

"It is not her you should be apologizing to; it's me. I was banned from sleeping."Her grandfather said, drawing in a sharp breath as he leaned forward on Marie's window seat, muttering about his knee before he carried on."Your grandmother hasn't kept me up that late since-"

He trailed off when interrupted by a loud squeak of horror that came from Marie as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and, quite frankly, horror.

"Pops!"

"Ignore him."Molly shook her head, glaring at her husband before she gently swatted his arm."You're utterly puerile."

"And you, my dear, are still the belle of the ball."George replied with a twinkle in his eye, smiling adoringly up at his wife as Molly rolled her eyes while her expression softened."Come here."

His smile broadened as he stood then ambled over to his wife and when she leaned in, he pecked her cheek, whispering those three words that made his wife melt. Molly couldn't help but smile at the endearment and opened her mouth to repeat them back. But, just as she pulled back to whisper, George suddenly let out a loud cry of victory.

"Ha, I knew you had it on you!"He brandished the remote dramatically, having snatched it from her cardigan pocket."You think i'm just some imbecile, but i've had my eye on you."

"Very good, dear."Molly praised in monotone, reaching up and patting her husband's cheek fondly."You got me."

Marie bowed her head and nibbled her bottom lip as hard as she could to stop the laughter that was threatening to bubble over.

"Damn right I got you."George scoffed as he sauntered out of the room, muttering to himself as he tightly held onto his remote."...take me for a fool? Think again."

Muttering to himself all down the hallway, Molly and Marie both burst out laughing. But, as soon as they heard the last step of the staircase creak when George reached the ground floor, the shrill sound of the doorbell rang throughout the foyer.

Grinning secretly to herself, Molly met her granddaughter' eyes in the mirror, feigning nonchalance.

"I wonder who that could be."

Hearing her grandfather murmur a curse to himself as he no doubt jumped in surprise like he usually did, Marie straightened on her stool.

"Good evening. Finn Mikaelson."

Glancing at her clock, Marie noticed that he was right on time.

On the dot.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Instantly recognizing the polite tone, Marie swiftly got to her feet, trying to ignore the knot in her stomach, the keenness the felt when she heard him quietly laugh at something her grandfather said.

"Looks like your gentleman caller is here, my dear."

Sending her grandmother a pointed scolding look when Molly smiled to herself after noticing her granddaughter's attempt at hiding the blush on her cheeks, Marie shrugged on her coat, just as she heard Finn softly inquiring.

"Is Marie ready?"

I'M SORRY THIS IS SO LATE. WRITER'S BLOCK HAS BEEN SERIOUSLY TORMENTING ME FOR SO LONG.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please tell me if you did by reviewing!