Damien gurgled and reached his tiny hands out for Virginia, wrapping them around his mother's much larger finger. Pleased, Virginia smiled at her perfect baby boy, and shifted him so his little tail wouldn't get caught in the blankets.

"Who's Mommy's little boy?" she cooed.

The baby gaped at his mother, a toothless smile that lit up the world. "Who's Mommy's perfect boy?" she half-sang.

"Wolf!" The man in question swooped up behind her, his arms moving to embrace his family. Virginia put her elbows out, keeping him from dragging the baby up.

"He's tired Wolf, no more playing this evening."

"But Virginia." She didn't have to turn around to know he'd be plying her pity with puppy-dog eyes. "My handsome son is a vigorous cub! He just wants to play!"

Virginia turned her head enough to stare at her husband. "He's been playing all day. Look at him." As if cued by his mother, Damien's pink lips opened wide in a yawn. "See?"

"Traitor," Wolf told him without any hostility. "You're going to miss our first Indepenendence Day."

"Independence."

"That's what I said. Independendence." He was grinning at her, his eyes bright blue with humor.

"You're such a ham."

"Ham! What an excellent idea my buttery wife. Do we get to eat for this holiday like we did at Thanksgiving?"

Pulling the blankets up to cover her child, Virginia shook her head. "Sorry. Not this time, at least. But we do have fireworks."

"Fireworks! My favorite things in all the Kingdoms besides my wonderful, beautiful family. And bacon. And fluffy, yummy, little lambs. And fizzy stuff. And-"

"Shhh." Virginia wrapped her arm around his waist and maneuvered him away from the crib as the baby drifted off to sleep. The crib had been made for them by one of Wendell's finest carpenters when they'd returned to the Fourth Kingdom to have the child. Wolf had said he didn't trust the Tenth Kingdom's magic when it came to his cub. Even now, thoughts of Damien's birth made her warm with love.

"Hello," Wolf had whispered, his voice shaky, when his son had been held out to him. Virginia hadn't been surprised when he'd declared that he couldn't love a single soul more than he loved Damien.

"Won't the fireworks wake him?" he asked now as they exited the baby's room and headed into the living room.

She half turned in his arms, eyeing the door half-open behind them. "I hope not. He's a pretty good sleeper, and we're not close to where everything's being shot off from."

Wolf nodded and pulled her down onto the couch with him. "When will the others get here?"

"Soon, I hope. Or they'll miss everything."

"That wouldn't be so bad," he murmured, his voice low, his eyes smoky.

Virginia moved her hands over his shoulders and arms, feeling the rolling hills of muscles underneath the silky fabric of his dress shirt. She was certain no one had ever looked so good in blue. The buzz of the doorbell stopped her from moving in for any more than a brief kiss. But Wolf's hands cradled the back of her head, both a tender gesture and a way of keeping her captive long enough to kiss her dizzy. When she finally pulled away, she felt like the summer heat had seeped into her bones.

"I better," she levered herself up from the couch, her hands slipping out of Wolf's, "uh," he kissed her palm and she forgot what she was going to do. "I better," the doorbell reminded her, "get the door. Yeah." Turning on her heel, she threw open the front door before she could give in to the instinct to lock it and drag Wolf back down the hallway.

"Ginny!" Tony opened his arms wide and she hugged him tightly in the doorway. She smelled Wolf behind her before he spoke; a pure, masculine scent.

"Hey Grandpa!"

"Wolf." Even after a year Tony hadn't quite gotten over the protectiveness of Virginia that the Nine Kingdoms had beaten into him. "How are you?" He released Virginia and the two men shared a brief, but still warm, hug. "Where's my grandson?" he added, peering down the hallway.

"Sleeping." Virginia took his arm and led her father into the living room. "Where he will stay until morning, God willing."

"I can get him for you," Wolf stage whispered. Virginia thumped him on the arm. "Or not," he pouted.

Tony reluctantly took a seat on the couch at Virginia's insistent push, still staring down the hall. "I haven't seen him since you left."

"And you'll see him tomorrow morning, Dad. And every day for months after that. He's tired now."

"I could just look in on him. I wouldn't disturb him at all."

"Dad-"

"Please?" He had to have picked that look up from Wolf. When she glanced at her husband, the same expression on his face confirmed it. The doorbell rang again.

"Oh all right," she sighed. "But don't wake him!"

Waiting at her front door this time were Wendell and an enormously pregnant Melissa. The women's arms waved and flailed in a flurry of hugs, sucking Wendell into the storm, and by the time the front door had closed, everyone was red-faced with excitement.

"You're coming back home," Wendell said, hugging Virginia again. "I'm so glad."

"We thought it was best. The tails surprised me." She eyed the other woman and saw a rare glow that made her even more beautiful than in her finest days as an actress. "Soon, right?"

"Very soon. I'm exhausted. We had a big day seeing all the sights of New York. I never got much of a chance to be out when I was famous."

Wendell pressed a hand to his stomach. "And all the food," he groaned.

"Wendy!" They all knew that was Wolf, even before he came bounding to the entryway, scooping the newly arrived couple in a hug. "And Melissa. You look rrrrrravishing." He rolled the 'r' into a dramatic affair. Tony came in after him and the adults gravitated back to the baby's room to look in on Damien. He slept through the admiration, not even waking when Wolf let out a short, happy howl.

Eventually the adults retired to the back porch to wait for the start of the fireworks, getting caught up on all that had happened to them in the past two months. Though Virginia and Wolf had returned to the Fourth Kingdom for Damien's birth, they had stayed only a month before their return to New York. But when her little boy had started growing a tail, she decided it would be time to leave New York for good. The decision had taken over a month to come to, and Virginia still couldn't think of the future without getting teary-eyed. She couldn't imagine not having Christmas in her hometown ever again. No music, no fake Santas, not even aluminum trees and crowded malls. Wolf had promised they would return here, to let Damien know both of the worlds he came from, but she knew they'd never really live here again. The fact that Melissa had successfully extricated herself from Los Angeles, and more importantly, was thriving away from it, had been the final factor in the decision.

There was a faint boom in the distance and everyone quieted, turning their eyes to the sky. Half a heartbeat later, the night was dancing with colored lights. Golden, sparkling streams shot upwards, and blue, green, and red sparks fell back down. The faint crackle and pop of the fireworks could be heard just beneath the sound of nearby radios, tuned to the radio stations as they played music in time with the display. The house next door had theirs blaring loudly, a rousing march pumping down the street. Wolf's feet thudded in time to the invigorating beat, and Virginia felt her own fingers tapping out the rhythm on her knees.

Wolf leaned closer to her and whispered in her ear. "I remember the last time we watched fireworks together. Do you?"

"Yes." Virginia smiled. "Kissingtown." Her smile disappeared, and she frowned at him. "After you'd won ten thousand gold Wendells and had lied to me about it."

"Virginia," he whined, clearly unhappy with her remembering that aspect of it.

"But I'm glad things worked out the way they did," she added, rubbing her fingers across the rough stubble on his cheeks. He hated shaving, and it never seemed to do much good anyway. "Or else you wouldn't be here now. Or Damien."

"I'm glad you've finally seen it my way, my creampuff."

Virginia opened her mouth to retort, but the finale was beginning and the bright flashes in the sky whisked her argument away. The events that had brought them together were in the past. No sense in arguing about them now.

When the show was over, they showed Wendell and Melissa to the tiny den that would be used as their guest room for the night, and they set up the couch so Tony could sleep on it. Then, unable to resist, Wolf and Virginia snuck back into Damien's room, and they quietly watched him, their arms wrapped around each other.

"Can we wake him up now?" Wolf whispered.

"No. Let him sleep. He's got to be exhausted."

"Grandpa wouldn't mind seeing him."

"Wolf." She glanced at him, but right now he only had eyes for his son. "Just let him sleep for now. Tomorrow you and dad and Wendell can take him to the park."

His smile came swiftly and charmed her, as it always did. "Great!"

"Where will we stay, when we return to the Nine Kingdoms?"

He shrugged, his arms shifting as he moved. "With Wendy, probably. Although I think he owes us a nice cottage. After all, we did save him and his whole Kingdom."

"I don't know if I'm ready for this."

That got his attention. Wolf turned and placed his hands on her shoulders, urging her to face him. "Of course you're ready, Virginia. Your destiny is there. With me and our son. Today is the official start of our departure. Independence Day." He let her go and fumbled around in his pockets before pulling out a long, thin jewelry box. "I was gonna save this for when we got back, but you look like you need it now."

She took the box, rubbing her fingers across the soft, black exterior. Her head came up and she half-smiled. "What is this for?"

"Just open it! I couldn't wait two weeks to give it to you anyway."

"Okay, okay," she said, laughing softly. When she pulled the box open, the treasure inside gave her pause. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Do you like it? I got it specially made for you. Here, let me put it on," he begged. Taking the necklace out, she set the box down and lifted her hair up so Wolf could clasp the necklace. When he was done, she tugged on the long chain until she could see the painted charm hanging from it.

"So, what do you think?"

"It's...what is it?"

His shoulders dropped. "It's your flag!"

"M-my flag?"

"Yes. Remember when you made me stay in the library a week ago, when you went shopping with Damien?"

"I remember," she said. Wolf had been particularly energetic that day, and she couldn't handle the both of them. "And?"

"Well, I decided to do some research about this holiday, so I would be prepared for it. When I started looking into it, the nice librarian showed me all sorts of neat things, including a book on flags. She said the flag is the symbol of independence."

He stopped, but she still couldn't put his reasoning together with this gift. "How did that end up as this?"

"I figured that since you, my creamy lambchop, were freeing yourself from the Tenth Kingdom, you should have something to celebrate it. Your own Independence Day! I was gonna give it to you when we crossed over the last time, but now seemed like a good time to give it to you. Ooohhh, huff puff! You don't like it." He let out a pitiful whine.

"No, no! I love it Wolf. Especially now that you've explained it." She turned it a little, the chain digging into her neck, while she made out the design. The background was painted deep blue, and there was a circle, with what looked like a man standing on top of another man. She thought there might be lettering, but it was too difficult to read.

"Really?"

She couldn't resist the hopeful look in his eyes. "Truly." Virginia leaned forward and kissed him, and when they broke apart, they were both smiling. "There is one, small thing, though."

"Yes, my quirky love?"

"What flag is this?"

He blinked, looking surprised. "You mean you don't know? It's the Flag of Virginia!"