The Morning After - How Nick and Ana got together <3

Ana couldn't help but smile.
"I'll tell that to Boris next time I see him..." She laughed. "...Thanks." She smiled, genuinely, at Nick.

Nicolas smiled back.

"Listen, it's going to be alright, I know you don't believe me, but... I'm going to making sure nothing bad happens to us..."

"It's still quite scary when you talk about 'us'" Ana replied, using air quotation marks. A thought struck her. "Hang on...If we're married, is my last name Casillas?!"

That made Nicolas laugh. He laughed so much there were tears in his eyes. "I still can't believe it, we're married."

"I don't know... I mean, Calista didn't change her name... but then... Diana changed hers... I guess it's up to you."

Then Nicolas looked at her. "I think you should keep it though. As Casillas, all joking aside, you'd be safer with my name."

Ana was torn. "I don't know...Father would kill me...but he'll kill me anyway..." She decided to think about it later.
"So how the hell are we going to avoid a scandal?"

"No I think things are beyond the whole feud thing that he might just let you keep it. Besides... it isn't for real right? It's just to keep you safe. What me and Diana did to keep her safe... course... it didn't really help..."

Nicolas sighed and looked at the little baby in his arms. Darius was so small, he was barely half of Nicolas' arm.

"Okay...Problem two." Ana followed Nick's gaze.
"What are we going to tell him?" She nodded at the baby.

"I'm going to raise him," Nicolas said defiantly. "I thought I made that clear."

Ana folded her arms. "I think you missed the 'we' in that sentance. Whether we like it or not, we're stuck together, and I am not going to let you raise him on your own. Mostly for his sake." She smiled slightly.
"I mean, are we going to tell him who his parents were and how they died?"

"No," Nicolas said. "I mean, you maybe my wife in name, but it's not real. I can take care of him, and of the other two on my own. I've been doing it for a while now..."

Ana raised an eyebrow. "Right so...you expect me to just sit here and ignore my brother and second cousin's children?!"

She folded her arms. "I may be a Slytherin, but I am not heartless. They are, whether you damn well like it or not, part of my family. And if you think I'm going to just ignore them, you are mistaken. Very, very mistaken." She glared at Nick.

"And you are also mistaken if you think I'm going to do what you say anyway." She smiled down at Darius and stroked his tiny mop of hair. The baby grabbed her finger and she laughed.

Nicolas' jaw tensed, "You aren't going to take them away from me."

Ana sighed. "I'm not trying to Nick, and I'm not going to. If you want to play Daddy extraordinarie, I am fine with that. All I'm asking is you let me join the game."
She met his gaze. "Please Nick, I just want to help. And I highly doubt I'd be able to take this one away from you...I think he's trying to break my finger."
Darius made a gurgling noise and gazed up at Nick with a cheeky grin on his face.

Nicolas smiled at Darius.

Then he stared at Ana as if testing what she was saying was true.

Nicolas looked away. "If your really serious about the offer... you should move here then, you can take Diana's old room."

Ana gazed confusedly at the back of Nick's head. "I am serious about that offer but...Are you sure you want me to move into Diana's old room?"
She paused, and cautiously put a hand on Nick's shoulder. "...Nick?"

Nicolas bit his lower lip. He didn't really. But it wouldn't have been any use to anybody if Nick became all sentimental about it.

"Well..." Nicolas said with a grin. "If you prefer sleeping with me...I won't mind."

Ana laughed. "Maybe I do."

She didn't know what prompted her to say it, but it was probably partly because she'd locked Darien's door so only she could open it after his death. A memorial of sorts...For her dear brother.

"Do...you want it to be left as it was? I understand if you do..." She glanced away. "I've locked Darien's room. Just the way it was. Forever." She swallowed.

"I presume you've already sorted out where the kids are going to sleep?" She added, mostly to distract herself.

Nicolas nodded. "Don't take this as a sign that I am trying to forget my cousin, Ana." Nicolas looked at Darius' eyes. They were so much like hers... "We just... all grieve differently. I am not the one to be sentimental about these things... besides that wasn't her room... her real room is in the Casillas manor in Spain. I think her Grandfather locked it up as well."

"Yeah," Nicolas nodded. "Across the Hall, little Fitz and his sister sleep in one room. Fitz really has his own room, but he gets very upset if he isn't with his sister. We figure they could stay in one room for the time being... maybe when they are older, they'd want separate rooms."

"This one's room," he nodded at baby Darius. "Is right besides mine. Just through that door actually."

"Okay...But what are we going to tell him...them?" Ana persisted. "I mean, we can hardly just go, 'oh yeah, your parents were murdered and you'll never see them'...At least while they're younger, we need a nicer story to explain really."

Nicolas sighed. "I wasn't really looking forward to that... to tell you the truth."

"...Fitz sort of knows what has happened, to his father... to his mother... and I think that's why he always acts out when he doesn't know where his sister is. Because other than that, he's a pretty good kid."

"I... want to raise Darius as my son..." Nicolas said slowly. "As my real son... I promised her I would."

Ana nodded. "Has he told Eliza?"

She gazed at Darius, smiling slightly. "And who will be his mother...or will you tell him about Diana's death?"

Nicolas shook his head. "Eliza wouldn't know even if he does tell her. She is only two after all."

"I was," Nicolas said looking at Ana. "Unless... you've got an alternative."

"Well, will he tell her when she can understand?" Ana glanced around. "Where are they anyway?"

Ana sighed. "It just...It seems cruel for him to know from an early age that his mother died of a broken heart...Or childbirth, as then he might blame himself."

"I plan to tell them when they are a little older. They're in their room I'd expect, or Killa is making them breakfast."

"Yeah I know..." Nicolas said looking at Darius sadly. "He shouldn't have that in his shoulders."

Ana bit her lip. "This may be totally inappropriate but...what if we told him...I was his mother. Only until he's old enough to understand." She added hastily.

She glanced towards Fitz and Eliza's room. "They're...doing alright?"