Oh wow I'm so sorry this took soooooooooooooooooo long. Well then again this story isn't really that popular in comparison to my others so, to those of you who actually have been waiting, I'm sorry and thank you, to those who haven't, SUFAAAAA! Ok, so here it is.

Recap: Deryn and Alek were childhood friends because Alek's dad was allied with England. Deryn, her dad and her brother, Jaspert, had gone to Austria to teach Alek and his family about Darwinist stuff (oh yeah, and Dr. Barlow). But her dad died while they were at Alek's family's estate and Deryn was taking it very badly. Alek started sleeping in bed with her (no pervs! Not like that). People saw him going into her room, though, and now his parents are all like 'WWWHHAAAATT?' and Jaspert's all like 'ALEK I WILL KILL YOU!' And so, here we are…. Enjoy!

"Deryn! Wait up!" Alek cried as he raced down the hall after her. Why had she said that? Why would she tell his parents, Volger, and her friend Bauer, that she was sleeping with Alek? Did she tell her brother? Is that why he hated him now?

"Deryn, where did you go?" he asked himself.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Alek heard Deryn yell to his left. Deryn and her brother were having an argument in an empty room with the door ajar. He snuck closer to listen.

Earlier:

Deryn had seen Jaspert storming by Franz's study, "Oy, Jaspert!" she yelled after him and ran off. Jaspert spun around and griped his little sister's arms.

"What do you think you're doing!" he started, "What's wrong with you? You know you can't just live here!"

"Hush..." Deryn saw an empty room. "Come on." She pulled him in the room, but forgot to close the door.

"Deryn, you're killin' me." Jaspert pushed his hand through his hair. "Just tell me what you're planning. Please, Deryn." She ran forward and wrapped her arms around her big brother, pulling him into a big hug.

"Adountowwe." She murmured into his chest.

"What was that?"

"I DON'T KNOW!" She screamed into him. (This is where Alek started listening.) "I don't know what to do, I don't know where to go, I don't know if I even WANT to go anywhere."

"Deryn, you need to think seriously about this."

"What do you think I've been doing this past month?" She pulled back and yelled in his face. "You asked me to think at the funeral and I've been thinking ever since! I haven't been able to sleep! I haven't been able to concentrate in class! I've barely been able to eat!" She was close to tears now.

"Oh no." Jaspert pulled his sister close. "Come here, it's ok." He pet her hair just like Alek did. "I know it's hard, I've been going mad, but we can't ignore it."

"What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, but you can't stay here, and I'm going all over the place with the air force and Ma's sick…"

"HA!" Deryn pulled back, "Ma's fine! She and the aunties just don't want to deal with me."

"That may be true, you are a handful."

"No, she's not." Alek came through the door, after listening to this whole conversation. "She's not a handful, she's sweet and compliant and helpful." He turned away from Jaspert to Deryn, "and you can stay for as long as you want, you don't have to go anywhere. We all love you and want you to stay. Why do you think you have to leave?"

Jaspert stepped in front of Deryn, shielding her from Alek. "She can't just say here. We have a life in Scotland and a home. She was only ever here to stay with Da, and then only for a year."

"It's only been two months!"

"I don't want to be a burden!" Deryn called from Jaspert's side.

"Deryn, that's ridiculous!" Alek cried.

"No it's not! I've been a burden to you. Keeping you up at night, making everyone worry; poor Sophie had to hire an etiquette teacher to try and make me someone you can introduce to people."

"But that's not a burden! Mother loves helping you and teaching you! She loves having a daughter!"

"That's true." Sophie, done with her eavesdropping, walked in arm-in-arm with Franz. Count Volger was right behind them, trying not to show his smirk. "I've always wanted a daughter." She patted Alek on the head. "Sorry son."

"It's alright, I know."

Alek held out his hand, "Deryn, do remember when we were younger and you convinced me that there was something in the pond, and when I leaned over to look at it, you pushed me in? And do you remember the first week you were here and helped your father set up his balloon and I offered to help? You had me inside the balloon part when it took off. And do you remember last month, right before he died, when we were racing through the yard and you tripped and fell into the pond? Your father saw and carried you all the way back because you twisted your ankle."

Deryn took Alek's hand. "Why would you think any of us would want you to leave when you make this place so much fun?"

Deryn stood there, facing the people who loved her (and Volger). Everyone looked happy with the fond memories, and sad for the loss of her da. All the emotions, all the things she'd kept in over the past month just came up in a rush. How her mother had abandoned her, her brother not being able to stay, Alek comforting her, her surrogate parents, Franz and Sophie, taking her hand, patting her back, pulling her out of her hole of depression. It all came out as tears, and she cried on Alek's shoulder.

Later that day:

Jaspert said to his sister, "You know I hate leaving you."

"Aye, I know, but you know I know you have to." Deryn said to her brother.

"Aye." They hugged a goodbye hug and with Deryn in his arms, Jaspert turned to Alek. "Alright, your princeliness..."

"You know I really don't like that nickname."

"Aye, so your princeliness, you watch after my sister."

"Yes, I know, you say that every time you leave here." Jaspert released Deryn and strolled up to Alek, grabbing his collar.

"Aye, but this time, I mean it."

"I can see that."

"Jaspert, leave off him." Deryn pulled her big brother off her friend and kissed Jaspert goodbye.

As she watched her brother fly away in the Leviathan (the most famous airship), Deryn grabbed Alek's hand and leaned on him for support.

Deryn got a good look around and was awed to see it's magnificence up close; except for that midshipman, Mr. Newkirk, who flirted with her quite a bit. (Alek almost punched him, but Jaspert just laughed.)

By the end of that month:

"OW DERYN!"

"WELL IT'S NOT MY BLOODY FAULT! YOU'RE A BAD TEACHER!" Alek sighed.

Deryn was back to her lessons, but way behind on her etiquette. Whenever her teacher came, Deryn was nowhere to be found. Even trying to get her into a dress was a long struggle involving thrashing, twisting, clawing, biting and screeeeeeaaaaming.

Since Deryn was talking again, Alek asked why.

"Have you ever worn a corset?" she asked him in return.

"No." Deryn dragged him into her room, took off his shirt (no, don't go there) and pulled out one of her corsets. When she found one, she pulled it around Alek's torso and told him to hold onto the bed post while she tightened it. The noses Alek made as Deryn pulled the laces tighter and tighter were so far from manly, that Master Klopp ran into the room concerned for Deryn's safety. Deryn was dying on the floor laughing; Alek was dying from lack of oxygen and embarrassment.

But now, they were dancing, or at least Alek was trying to teach her to dance a classic Austrian waltz. Now that they were all sure Deryn was staying for a while, they had to make sure she could be introduced to society...

She wasn't doing very well, though.

"No, come on Deryn. It's easy, just 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3."

"I'm trying!"

"Keep your posture straight up."

"Oy, alright, alright."

"Don't look at your feet, look at me." Alek took her chin in his hand and pulled her face up to meet his, a bit closer than he had meant to. "Just look at me."

Deryn stopped dancing and placed both her hands on Alek's shoulders. "I'm looking at you. What now?"

Alek blushed. "O-oh, well, uh-uh um," cough, "I-I think that maybe w-we sh-should continue with this lesson later."

"Why?" Deryn stared right into Alek's eyes with passion. "I'm enjoying myself." She slipped her hands from his shoulders to his neck and pulled him closer. "Aren't you?"

"O-oh, well um," cough, "I-I'm having a f-fine time, b-but..."

"Alek," when he heard his name, he gulped, "when we're this close I know you're having more than just a 'fine' time. Every night I can tell you're having more than just a 'fine' time." Every time she said fine, Deryn winked. "You like me, don't you?"

Now leaning in (why not? She knows, go for broke!) Alek whispered, "Is that so wrong?"

"It could be." and she leaned in the rest of the way to kiss him. Alek leaned back, placing his hands around her waist to get her closer. Deryn grabbed Alek's hair and forced him closer. Alek responded with a moan and started to run his hand up and down Deryn's back making her shudder and her eyes flutter.

At the threshold of the ballroom, Wildcount Volger stood staring at the young couple. This time he wasn't laughing….