This was written for BadePrompt's Save the Date event. (Prompt was "how about we go for a little walk"). It is not part of the universe created in Try Again Tomorrow, A History of Shadows, and Stronger Than You Seem. This is completely separate – different backgrounds, different parents, etc.

It's pretty fluffy and not my normal fare (you know, short) – but I hope you like it anyway.

Never a Year without Summer

A life without love is like a year without summer.

~Swedish Proverb

"I don't want to do this," Jade seethed as she folded yet another black top into her suitcase. Beck was going through her closet and found several dresses and tops that held some color, which he placed on the bed to be folded and packed by his detail-obsessed girlfriend. She picked up the next item – a red and white sundress – and scowled deeper.

"I know you don't," Beck answered, sifting through the shoes at the bottom of her closet and selecting several pairs that were not boots.

"But you're going to make me do it anyway?"

"Yep." He playfully popped his 'p,' which resulted in a deadly cerulean glare from Jade.

"What kind of boyfriend does that make you?" She asked angrily.

"A brave one," he answered, moving to stand behind her and rub her shoulders. He knew she was more nervous that angry. Granted, the anger was absolutely in attendance, but it had taken a backseat to the anxiety she was battling. He kissed her neck and she closed her eyes, dropping the turquoise sweater in her hands and leaning back into his embrace. "No," he said swiftly, stepping carefully away. "You need to finish packing."

"Tease," Jade hissed. It took another thirty minutes of packing, throwing things out of the suitcase, and repacking before she was satisfied with what she had. Beck was amused that at least half of what he'd chosen had made it into the case; that was all he'd wanted in the first place. During the time it took her to finish packing, he was made to listen to her ramble on about how terrible he was to force her into this – and how much she despised him for it. She had things to do, damn it! She was on a deadline with several projects – and this was a terrible time to be forcing her out of the country. Didn't he know that? And to take her to Canada? It was pure and simple blasphemy.

Despite her protests, she was going to Canada with Beck and his parents for the first time. They had dated for most of highschool and now almost all of college. She had met his grandparents when they had flown to California for high school graduation, but this would be the first time she would meet his cousins, aunts, and uncles. It would be the first time she would see the beautiful terrain his father had once called home.

She had been complaining about it for weeks. Behind the complaints, Beck heard the real problems.

"I don't want to spend two weeks with your stupid family" translated easily to "I don't know how real families spend time together."

"I don't want to meet your idiot aunts who bake everything from scratch" meant "I'm terrified they won't like me."

Jade's insecurities were ruffled like the feathers on a bird and every movement, every sentence, every sound was painful. Any attempts to reassure her fell on deaf ears and sharp sarcasm. So, he simply plodded along with his vacation plans, bought her a ticket, and made certain her passport was updated.

Once the suitcase was packed, Jade threw her PearBook into her shoulder bag and stormed out of the bedroom. Beck finished zipping up her suitcase and carried it to the living room, where she waited with a tapping foot and an expression of pained boredom.

"Your mother is here," she said irritably.

"Right on time," Beck said good-naturedly. "Calm down, Jade. You know my mom likes you." Piper Oliver, although wary of Jade when they'd first started dating, had grown to like her quite a bit – she'd even been able to chip away at some of the younger woman's hard exterior layers.

"I don't know why," she said huffily. Beck carried both their suitcases out of the apartment while Jade set the alarm and followed with her shoulder bag and a scowl.

Piper was waiting for them in the lobby and smiled widely when she saw her son and his girlfriend. The petite woman of fifty hugged her son and then threw her arms around an unprepared Jade. The younger girl fought the urge to throw her off, but she still tensed enough to make Piper laugh.

"Jade, I am trying to hug you, not poison you to death." Jade didn't have a response, so she didn't offer one. She stalked to the car where Andrew Oliver was waiting and let herself into the seat behind him.

"Hello, Jade," he said cheerfully.

"Hi, Mr. Oliver," she said cordially.

"Are you ever going to do as I ask and call me Andrew?"

"Probably not," Beck answered with a smile, as he slid into the car next to Jade. Piper climbed into the front passenger seat and they were off. Several hours and a nauseating plane ride later, they were in British Columbia.

The plane ride wasn't long, but it was bumpy and Jade was feeling positively green by the time they reached their rental car. She was about to crawl into the back seat and die when Piper put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you sit in the front? You look like you need it."

Jade didn't argue – she sat in the front seat and stared ahead, willing for her stomach to calm. But the windy country roads proved to be too much after the turbulent plane ride. Andrew had to pull over twice so she could vomit. She was embarrassed and miserable and Beck knew she wanted to cry, but she held herself together and eventually fell asleep. Once they arrived at his grandparent's home, Beck decided to leave her to sleep away the motion sickness and carried her to the room where they would be staying.

Several of his aunts were wary about he and Jade sharing a bedroom during vacation, especially with some of his younger cousins in the house, but his grandmother had told them to mind their own damn business. And they did. No one messed with his grandmother.

Jade slept soundly through the evening and night and woke the next morning and was startled; there was a bear looking at her. She realized almost immediately that Beck was next to her, so she relaxed slightly, but she never took her eyes off the bear. After twenty minutes, she crawled over Beck and sought out the bathroom, all the while keeping her eyes on the monstrosity hanging on the wall. The bedroom they were sharing had a bathroom attached, so in preparing for the day she made enough noise to wake Beck. He laughed as she walked back into the room, distrustful eyes cast up at the animal's head on the wall.

She glared at his laugh. "Why would you have something like that as a decoration?" She asked testily. "That's disgusting."

"My grandfather killed that bear," Beck told her.

"I killed a spider in the bathroom last week," she told him, hand on hip, "I didn't keep it for sentimental remembrances of that time I killed the spider."

"It's different for people who hunt," he told her. "Get back in bed," he grumbled, reaching for her. She stepped out of his reach and moved toward her suitcase, which had been placed on a stand near the window. Checking her PearPhone to check the temperature and weather forcast, she pulled out clothing and started to get dressed. "What are you doing?" He asked, clearly upset that she wouldn't crawl back under the covers with him.

"My first impression on your family is ruined - I'm not going to make my second impression them finding me in bed with you. Get up. I'm hungry."

"Your first impression is not ruined," Beck told her. "You were sick. It happens." He did eventually get up and dressed in record time. Jade, hair in a sloppy bun and dressed in a blue sundress he'd never seen before topped with a gray sweater, walked almost timidly beside him.

At the bottom of the stairs, he captured her in his arms and kissed her. "Stop worrying," he whispered into her ear. "They are going to love you." She smiled as he pulled her forward and into the kitchen. Three women were cooking what Jade imagined was a feast - his grandmother was flipping pancakes, his mother was cutting fruit, and a woman she'd never met before was making omelets.

"Good morning," Beck said, causing all three women to turn. His grandmother laughed in delight and threw her arms around Jade.

"It's good to see you, dear. You look better. That drive up the mountain is certainly something, isn't it?" Jade nodded and smiled lightly; she had always liked Beck's grandmother.

"Good morning," Piper said to them both, hugging Beck and kissing Jade's cheek. "Jade, you know Grandma Abby. This is Beck's Aunt Caroline. Caroline, this is Jade West, Beck's girlfriend." The woman with the omelets turned and smiled at Jade, holding out her hand. Jade shook it and smiled back.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Caroline said, seeming to genuinely believe her words. "Beck and Piper have been talking about you for years."

Piper smiled and pointed to the kitchen island where beverages were set out. "Get yourselves a drink and head on out to the deck. It's a beautiful morning - we're going to eat out there."

Jade poured herself a cup of coffee, Beck did the same, and they walked onto the deck that stood off of the kitchen. Jade knew the numbers, but she was not prepared for the reality. Beck's family in Canada was huge. He had aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, friends, neighbors - and apparently they were all waiting on the deck. In reality, it was probably only 20 people, but Jade imagined it to be 200.

They all started greeting Beck at once and she edged away, allowing him to be engulfed by hugs and hellos. After he had spoken to all of his relatives, he sat at the end of the long table and dragged Jade next to him. She looked around at his large extended family and smiled weakly.

"Guys, this is my girlfriend Jade. Jade, these are the aunts - Maddie, Grace, Lena, and Kate. The uncles - Robert, Jim, and Bill." Beck's dad was sitting next to his brother Bill, so Beck skipped him and continued introducing the rest of the family. "Uncle Gary and Uncle David are coming up later today. My cousins, Gretchen, Faith, Anna, Cindy, Peter, Jake, Trevor, Maggie, Jessie, Megan, Stephanie, and Stephanie's friend Penny.

Jade gulped and steeled herself as most of the aunts decided they wanted to hug her in greeting. Kate had been watching and was kind enough to recognize Jade's nerves and offer her hand in greeting instead of a space-infringing hug. "Nice to meet you, dear," she said happily. Before she had to speak to any of them, Jade was saved by the appearance of the meal. Beck's mother sat to her other side, so she was at least immediately surrounded by people she knew. She watched the chatter at the breakfast table – everyone genuinely seemed to like one another.

After breakfast, Beck offered to show her the lake and she agreed, following him down well-trodden paths to a clear, sparkling mass of water. She knelt on the shore and scooped a bit of the water in her hand; it was freezing. Beck watched her expression and laughed. "It's fed by mountain water, it stays pretty cold."

"What's in there?" She asked, eyeing the surface distrustfully.

"Fish," Beck told her. "That's it. No dolphins, I promise," he continued, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I'm still not getting in there," she told him.

"I didn't think you were going to," he appeased. "But it's pretty down here – I thought you would like it." He had a blanket in his backpack, which he spread on the bank. They sat together, watching the sun shine over the trees and sparkle on the water.

Eventually Beck leaned back and Jade lay against his chest, enjoying the warmth of the morning. They were quiet; they enjoyed talking to one another, but it wasn't always necessary. They sat up, startled from their reverie, when they heard someone approaching. Jade was terrified it was a something, but Beck knew better. His cousin Stephanie and her friend Penny appeared from the path, just a few yards from where they were sitting.

"Stephanie and Penny," Beck whispered to her. It was an unnecessary reminder. She'd actually remembered those names; Penny had been making eyes at Beck throughout the entire meal. They two girls were not much younger than Beck and Jade – maybe nineteen or twenty.

"Beck, you left so soon after breakfast," his cousin said. "Gram wanted to take all the girls to town." Jade gave him a look; it clearly meant no.

"Maybe tomorrow," Beck answered. "We did a lot of traveling yesterday – I think Jade needs a break from the car." She was staring at the lake, willing the two girls to leave them be.

"Don't forget this is a family vacation, Beck. You're supposed to spend time with your family."

"You're not my mother, Steph. Go away." The girl did, but Jade mood was already darker. Beck lay back against the blanket and Jade followed him, her head resting against his chest, but her mind was reeling.

She played with his hand for a few minutes, loosening and twirling the ring he wore. It had been his grandfather's. These people were important to Beck. She tried to calm herself with those thoughts. She had one week to make a good impression. She wouldn't ask Beck to choose between her and his family.

"Maybe you should head back and spent time with them," Jade said after several minutes.

"Don't let Stephanie bother you," Beck told her. "She's an attention hog; she always has been. If my grandmother wanted us to stick around for something, she would have told us before breakfast. And she wouldn't have packed us a lunch." Jade smiled; he was right, of course. She went back to enjoying his company and forgot about his annoying cousin.

That night, after dinner, Beck's uncles lit a bonfire. Apparently this was something people normally did in the middle of nowhere. Jade pulled on a pair of jeans, her boots, and one of Beck's flannels over her t-shirt. She was still cold when she walked into the backyard Piper walked up behind her and fell into step next to her before handing her a steaming thermos of cocoa.

"Don't forget," Piper said in a low voice. "These people think this is normal weather." Jade smiled. "The first time I came home with Andrew, I thought I'd died and gone to city girl hell. But it is a nice place." She paused. "To vacation." Jade broke into a grin and nodded. She had almost forgotten that Piper, much like she herself, had grown up in Los Angeles.

Following Piper, she ended up at the bonfire and sat next to Beck on one of the adirondack chairs that had been set up around the circumference of the fire pit. Some of his younger cousins were sitting on blankets on the ground. Jade watched as the flames grew and popped, sending tiny embers into the surrounding grass. It didn't look safe. Had these people never heard of indoor fireplaces? Or even just turning up the furnace? This seemed like a dangerous pastime. But she bit her tongue and remained quietly by Beck's side, listening as he talked to one of his uncles about the auditions he had lined up and the part he'd gotten in a fairly high-budget romantic comedy. After an hour of sitting by the fire and holding conversations ranging from quiet to rowdy, some of his Uncles decided they were hungry. Jade observed that his uncles ate a lot. A lot.

"Babe, I'm going to help Uncle Dave with the coolers. I'll be right back." Jade nodded, accepted his kiss, and watched him walk back toward the house.

In no time at all, the space beside her was filled and Jade realized that she was being watched by Beck's mother and grandmother. Abby had taken the seat next to Jade and Piper sat on a blanket at Jade's feet, looking up at both women. Jade tried to offer her chair but Piper wouldn't let her move. "You don't quite understand the outdoors, do you dear?" Abby asked.

Jade smiled politely. "It's certainly beautiful."

"And buggy, and dirty, and so eerily quiet," Piper added.

"I thought I'd always be a city girl," Abby Oliver told Jade. "I had no interest in a country bumpkin. But Henry was tall, dark, handsome, and had to be the most interesting man I had met in my life. We dated for a few weeks before I found out that he was from the mountains and had every intention of returning there. I tried to break it off."

"What happened?" Jade asked. Clearly, they had not stayed apart.

"Henry told me he wanted me to go home with him and meet the land. Not just his family, but the land. He said if I didn't love it as much as I loved him, he would let me go and we could be friends – no regrets."

"So, the summer after our junior year, I went home with him. And promptly fell in love with the land. And his family. But especially the land. He was right – it spoke to me. Very few people have the honor of living in a place this beautiful and unencumbered by modern life. I didn't want to admit I loved it, mind you. I let Henry believe that I was walking away after my trip. I still might have, if he hadn't done what he did." Piper smiled; she had clearly heard this story many times before. Abby took a sip from her thermos of tea and continued.

"On the last night before I was scheduled to leave, he wanted to take a walk. I was tired after hiking all day, but he didn't take no for an answer. He took me on a walk – in the dark. It was creepy in those woods at night, but Henry never let me think about it. He told me about every nook and cranny we passed. We walked for a good thirty minutes and he stopped. He said,

"Abby – I love you more than anything in this world. I love you more than this place – and I didn't think that was possible. So, I'm gonna ask you a question – and if you say yes, I'm willing to go to any city, just as long as you're with me."

"Of course, I started arguing. We hadn't been dating a year and he'd just announced that he was going to propose. But Henry ignored my protests and pulled me into the prettiest clearing I'd ever seen. It was lit by the stars and the moon. There was a beautiful pool created by a waterfall of mountain water. It was surrounded, except where we were standing at the path, by ancient pines, reaching up into the sky. There were fireflies everywhere, dancing in that darkness.

"Henry told me later that he'd been stunned to see them; it's too far north to expect to see fireflies. But they were there. That's the last time I ever saw a firefly this far north. Regardless, he gathered his wits about him, dropped to one knee, and offered me the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. It was an antique that had belonged to his grandmother."

"And now they've been married for 56 years," Piper told her with a smile. "For better or worse."

"It's mostly been better," Abby promised. Jade smiled. The two women left when Beck returned and she was guilted into making - and eating - a s'more. It wasn't terrible, she had to admit. The evening flew by quickly after that. Some of the uncles were apparently musically inclined and decided to lead a sing-along. Jade rolled her eyes at the cheesiness, but it was fun. Most of Beck's family member could carry a tune.

That night, she was more exhausted than she ever remembered being in her life. Piper told her it was the fresh air. Jade thought it was the sheer number of people. The following week was magical, more so than Jade would ever admit. Her first hunch was correct. Other than Piper, her favorite aunt was Kate. She couldn't tell the Uncles apart, no matter how many times she asked their names. They figured out her plight pretty quickly and teased her relentlessly. She found she didn't mind much; they meant it in good fun. She had not grown up in a household that encouraged fun of any kind, so this was interesting.

On the third night of their vacation, one of the boys refilled Abby's salt shakers with sugar, ruining everyone's corn. Jade's own mother - if she ever chose to cook - would have send withering glares to everyone and yelled a bit before retiring to her bedroom with a "migraine." Abby Oliver laughed, playfully smacked the culprit over the head, and announced that there was plenty of food - but no corn.

Jade watched their dynamics in awe. Beck's easy-going personality came from these people. They enjoyed one another. It was refreshing if also odd.

On the next to the last night of their trip, Jade wandered away from the bonfire. She walked through the dark trees. She had seen enough of this particular spot during the day to feel confident ambling through it at night. She needed a few minutes alone to clear her head. They were going back to California in less than 72 hours and she wasn't sure how to capture the magic she'd witnessed. Deep in thought, she barely noticed when two figures appeared on the other side of a clump of trees where she was standing.

"I think you need to stop pushing me at your cousin," an unfamiliar voice said. "He clearly loves her. And I think she loves him too."

"I don't know what he sees in her," Stephanie said haughtily. Jade recognized that voice immediately; the only family member she didn't care for. She had to be talking to her friend Penny. "Aunt Piper likes her – but I don't see it. She never talks to anyone – she thinks she's better than us."

"Are you sure?" Penny asked. "She seemed sort of nervous to me. And she was talking to your grandma. And your Aunt Kate."

Stephanie laughed. "She's not nervous. That would require feelings. She's just mean. I've seen some of her videos on that site from their high school. Beck deserves better." Jade angrily wiped at the tears in the corners of her eyes and crept from the formation of trees where she was hiding. She was so intent on being quiet so the two girls didn't hear her that she bumped right into Beck. She shrieked in genuine surprise and he smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Penny and Stephanie looked around but couldn't see them in the darkness. Beck put his finger to his lips, signaling for her to remain quiet. Once his cousin and her friend were far enough away, he leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," she said, looking down at her feet. If she wasn't careful, he would see the tears.

"Well, then, how about we go for a little walk?" He asked, grabbing her hand and dragging her toward a trail.

"Not right now, Beck," she said hollowly. "I just want to go to bed."

"I think this will be more fun," he said mischievously. They walked for half an hour and Jade began to feel like she was in one of her horror movies. They were certainly reaching a point in the woods where no one would hear her scream. Eventually just as she was about to start complaining, he stopped.

"This is it," he said, standing in the middle of the path and staring out into the night sky.

"This is what?" She asked, looking around at the scenery. It was beautiful. They were standing a few feet from a glittering pool of spring water fed by a roaring waterfall. Lightning bugs littered the dark sky and bullfrogs added their special brand of bass to the sounds of a summer night. Looking around, Jade admitted that it was beautiful scenery, but it certainly wasn't abnormal; they had been walking into beautiful sights for days. Despite her desire to believe otherwise, BC was proving to be a gorgeous place.

"The spot where my grandfather proposed to my grandmother." Jade's eyes widened. Beck grinned and grabbed both of her hands.

"What are you doing?" She asked, panicking as he began to sink to his knees. "Don't do that," she cried, pulling at his elbow. "Get up." He smiled and shook his head.

"Jade West, I love you more than anything in this world. I have loved you since the day I met you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you at my side. Will you marry me?"

She looked at him in complete and utter surprise. "I can't marry you," she said, softly. There was pain in her voice. Her body was poised to run but Beck was holding her hands, firmly keeping her in place.

"Why not?" He asked, calmly. He hadn't expected her to say yes the first time; she was Jade. That would have been uncharacteristically easy.

"Beck, you deserve better," she said sadly. "You deserve a wife who remembers your birthday and can have polite conversations with your family. Who can bake – and host Tupperware parties and milk a god-damned cow. A girl who is good – and kind – and not me."

He looked up at her but she was staring into the starlit night. He reached up and used one hand to guide her chin back down so she was looking at him. A fat, salty tear rolled onto his hand.

"What about the girl who challenges me? The one who makes me want to succeed? The one who is creative, and brilliant, and has a really amazing heart hidden under some pretty heavy-duty walls? Is that girl available? Because that's the girl I want."

"Are you sure?" She asked, tears streaming faster. "You can do better."

"Impossible," he told her. "You are all I want – all I need. There is nothing better than being complete – and that is what you make me. I don't want anyone else. I don't want you anyway but the way you've been for the past nine years. Jade, marry me."

She nodded, despite his cheesiness, and he grinned, slipping the antique ring onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly. She dropped into his arms and he held her, whispering sweet promises he intended to keep and weaving stories of a bright and joyful future.

If you enjoyed it, please review. What did you like? Not like? Favorite line? Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review!