"You're welcome." Rory said, offering his famous half-grin as he assisted Lorelei up onto the deck. "It's a bit too cold still to go swimming, isn't it?" He teased.


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"Yeah well, tell that to my friend." Genesis said, her lips turning from their dimpled smile to an immediate purse as she remembered her friends cruel prank.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Rory asked, cocking a curious brow as Lorelei's facial expression swiftly turned sour. He went ahead and released her hand.


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"Genesis pushed me in, as a joke I guess." Lorelei shrugged, reaching up to ring her hair out.

"Wow, that seems like a pretty awful joke. Your friend might need some brushing up on what's humor and what's not." Rory said, reaching up to offer his assistance in brushing back Lorelei's hair for her. Meanwhile, Fiona emerged from the lower deck with a towel draped over her shoulders and another in her hand as she scurried up. She paused upon seeing Rory 'fawning' over Lorelei.

She'd never seen her elder brother with a girl in any regards. Fiona figured that it was because he was so busy with work and playing the role of pseudo-patriarch in the O'Callaghan home, which, honestly wasn't that far from the truth. He'd been running himself ragged for years now, tending to the needs of all of his siblings, his mother, all the while juggling school and work, leaving him little to no time for hanging out with friends or bearing interest in a girl. So to see him even CONVERSING with a girl outside of work and outside of his own family was refreshing, even Fiona thought so.

A Cheshire Cat grin spread across Fiona's face as she hurried on over to her brother's side, shoving a towel at him, earning a startled jump from Rory.

"HERE. Offer her a towel, bonehead!" She ordered, hoping her cues would help her brother. She turned to Lorelei. "I'm sorry about my brother's inconsiderate nature."


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Lorelei uttered a thanks as Rory helped her with her hair, nodding in agreement. "Well, her sense of humor is pretty skewed from the norm. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Lorelei explained as she tossed her damp dark curls over her shoulder. She was just pulling her soaked clothes from her slender frame when Fiona emerged; tossing a towel at Rory. She merely shook her head and chuckled lightly.

"No worries, thank you." She nodded, reaching out to accept the towel.

"Uh, no problem." Rory held the towel out for Lorelei, admiring her frame hidden beneath the wetness that was her ensemble briefly before casting his gaze downward, a flush creeping up on his cheeks.


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Lorelei accepted the towel before drying off her face and throwing it over her head and toweling off her hair. She draped the towel over her shoulders before grinning down at the little girl once again.

"So what's your name anyways, Miss Lady?" Lorelei asked.

"I'm Fiona O'Callaghan, but enough about me. What about you? What's your name?" Fiona inquired, eager to hear about the woman she (and Genesis evidently) was going to try and ignite a spark with her brother.


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"My name is Lorelei." She said with a dimpled smile as she looked down at Fiona. Lorelei crouched down to see Fiona at eye level and took her own towel to drape it around the girls shoulders. "Well, thank you Fiona for coming to my rescue." She said.

"Oh, don't thank ME, thank my brother. He's the one who saw you fall into the water and initially went to help you. I just beat him to the punch is all, but really, it was him. All him. You should thank him, you should thank him by taking him out. Like on a date." Fiona nodded eagerly, earning a, at first, confused expression, that promptly turned into a slack jawed expression of astonishment.


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"Oh um, well I..." Lorelei began, surprised herself by the little girls proposition. She blushed of course; shifting her gaze nervously back and forth between the two. "I don't think that's fair, I'm sure he works hard and when he's not doing that he would rather spend time with you." Lorelei said with a dimpled smile.

"Oh, I don't know about that. He's pretty much my brother and my mom rolled into one, so when he's not working he's playing house with us, which is a job of in itself. So, I think he's earned a vacation date with you, besides, you owe him now." Fiona nodded furiously, flashing a cheeky grin up at Lorelei, all the while Rory stood shocked by his little sister's actions and words.


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Lorelei glanced over her shoulder at Rory as if to ask what to do, she didn't expect he'd seriously want to go out with her. So, more quick thinking on Lorelei's end. Tucking a brown curl behind her ear she licked her lips before making a suggestion.

"How about, I come over and we can both play house with you guys? That way, everybody wins." She offered.

"Oh, so you'll be the mom and he'll be the dad? A married couple? Already? You sure do move fast, lady, but-"

Fiona was cut off by Rory swiftly moving to stand behind his sister, reaching around to place a hand at her mouth while he pulled her back into him, nervously chuckling.

"She doesn't mean any of this, really! I'm not sure what's gotten into her, usually she's a good kid!" He tried laughing off the scenario, but only found himself more anxious and frazzled.


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