I realise I'm probably posting this wrong, even though Novel has been ridiculously kind and patient to coach me through the steps. Meh... After this week, I really don't give a flying squirrel what I'm doing wrong on Teh Webs, Real Life is crazy enough. Sooooo.... here's chapter two of my Valentine Fic...Enjoy!
Title: Eighth World Wonder
Rating: PG (for this chapter)
Characters/Pairings: Leo/OFC
Spoilers: None, really, if you've watched the show.
Disclaimer: Grace, Danny, Phoebe and Ari Valentine, Leo Joveson, Ray Howard, and the Oracle of Delphi belong to the "Valentine" gods. Pretty much everything else is mine.
Summary: Dinner with the gods...
Notes: fluffy and romantic with a bit of spice thrown in later. Love love? Read and enjoy!

Eighth World Wonder Chapter 2





Eighth World Wonder: 2


Leo paid the cab driver and thanked him as he got out of the car and turned to admire the sunset gilding the white stucco wall and arch in front of him.

He took a deep breath, turning to look out at the view of houses and buildings sprawling down the sides of the valley below Professor Camias’ estate. He closed his eyes, the scent of the orange trees drifting on the wind, and let himself enjoy the relaxing breeze fluttering against the white linen pants and matching button-up shirt he’d chosen to wear.

“Oh!”

He turned at the exclamation, eyes snapping open, and there she was, framed in the bougainvillea-draped arch, one tanned hand resting on the stucco as she stared at him, surprise and barely-concealed admiration crossing her face.

Leo smiled in spite of himself as he admired the woman in a cobalt silk sundress, the thin material molding itself to her in the breeze and setting the tiny hammered silver clusters of discs at her ears chiming.

“They said for me to go and greet…it’s Leo, right?” she frowned, and wrapped her arms around her middle as his grin got wider.

“Yeah, that’s me. But I’m afraid I don’t know your name—it’s not like we really had time,” he laughed, please when she did, too.

“I’m Emily. Emily Hawkins.” She held out a hand and then sighed very quietly when he brushed his lips over her knuckles, ignoring the Band-Aid on one of her fingers.

“Nice to meet you, Emily,” Leo said, his eyes even darker in the waning light as he pulled her to him gently and tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. “Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he admitted, escorting her through the arch and into the front gardens.

“Famished,” she managed, self-consciously tucking her hair behind her ears and staring at the house ahead like a lifeline.

They climbed the steps to the brightly-lit mansion, passing a fountain with a statue of Athena in the foyer, the cheerful sound of the water echoing on the tile floor as they walked down a wide flight of steps to a torch-lit courtyard.

“Darling!” Grace called, walking over to the descending pair with their hosts, her strapless, butter yellow cocktail dress’ bell-shaped skirt swinging with each step.

A long table stretched the length of the courtyard, its crisp sage green cloth fluttering and setting off the arrangement of various herbal topiaries presiding over the two rows of gleaming plates and glassware.

“Wow, Leo looks awesome,” Kate remarked from where she stood talking with Danny, the god of Erotic Love nodding as he sipped his wine.

“He looks even better with the babe on his arm,” Danny said, grinning and snatching a couple of Tiropetakia, or crescent-shaped cheese pies, from a passing server’s tray.

“Yeah, well, he doesn’t need to get too comfortable,” Phoebe put in, flipping her long auburn-brown curls over her shoulder, the sequined butterflies pinned in her locks shivering. “We need to consult the Oracle and figure out exactly who her soul-mate is, don’t forget…”

“Oh, come on,” Danny cajoled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head, his rosary necklaces swinging in the opening of his purple striped shirt. “He’s on vacation, he’s met a hot chick…It’s cool if he wants to show her the sights…” He wiggled his eyebrows and drained his wineglass, Phoebe laughing as he playfully twirled her around and walked towards the group with the girls.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re not referring to the architecture…” Kate mused, smirking, and he grinned back at the woman in an ankle-length salmon coloured silk sheath dress, a belt of raw carnelian chips circling low on her waist.

“Oh, I can almost guarantee there’s some amazing Greek structures he’d like for her to appreciate…” he teased. “You might even say they’re ‘divine’…”

Kate groaned and rolled her eyes, then pasted a smile on as they drew close and were welcomed.

“Emily, this is Grace’s son Danny Valentine,” Mrs. Camias, a tall, robust, Italian woman with thick silver curls, introduced them, “and Phoebe Valentine, a cousin of theirs.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” the archaeologist said, extending a hand to each of them in turn. “Mr. Valentine, I do apologise for yelling at you and—oh my God, you’re Kate Providence!” Her mouth fell open and Kate giggled.

“Yes, I am. Hi.” The author smiled and shook her hand, pleased to find another woman as short as she, and one who was a fan as well.

“I actually have one of your books stashed in my purse right now,” Emily laughed self-deprecatingly, shaking her head. “Celtic Gardens? I read it on the plane over and I had to read it again.”

“That’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever gotten, thank you!” She elbowed Danny in the ribs. “See? People like my books.”

He rolled his eyes, smiling, as he snacked on his pilfered appetizers. “Thanks, Em, now her head’s gonna get even bigger. And call me Danny.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, grinning wickedly at the dark look Leo speared in his direction. “Let’s go get you some wine, h’mm? And you can tell me all about playing in the dirt…”

“Danny…” Leo growled, his fists clenching as his nephew steered the blonde towards the bar set up in a corner of the courtyard.

“Leonardo…” Grace warned quietly, his features softening as he caught the subtle shaking of her head. The sadness in her eyes made him turn away, Kate immediately going to him and taking his hand.

“Come on, Leo, you’ve got to see the view from the backyard,” she coaxed, pulling him away gently, Phoebe dancing beside them as they walked.

“Did I miss something?” Gerald asked, looking askance, and Grace laughed, patting his arm.

“Nothing, really…Now, you said we were expecting a few more guests?” she asked, thanking a server as he offered her a goat-cheese stuffed fig wrapped in crisp prosciutto.

“Oh yes,” Magdalena, Gerald’s wife confirmed. “A young man from Oxford will be joining the team. He actually just flew in today and will be dining with us. We thought Emily would like to meet him.” She exchanged a knowing smile with her husband, the Professor smiling back.

“How lovely!” Grace clapped her hands. “It’s always nice to have a little romance in Athens…”

“I agree.” Magdalena sipped at her wine and moved away to welcome other guests a maid had just signaled her that had arrived.

By the time Phoebe, Kate and Leo returned from their walk, the party was in full swing and everyone was just about to sit down.

“Excellent timing, old boy!” Gerald called, rising from the head of the table, and Leo thought he was talking to him. However, when the older man walked forward to greet a latecomer just walking down the stairs, he realized his mistake, especially when he watched Magdalena catch Emily’s hand and bring her over to the late guest. He was almost as tall as Leo himself, his hair a light brown with small silver glasses framing blue eyes. He’d dressed casually in khaki pants and an untucked blue polo shirt, his tanned feet comfortable in worn Birkenstocks.

“Doctor Alan MacIntosh, meet Doctor Emily Hawkins.” The woman practically glowed as she watched the two younger people shake hands, both smiling.

Doctor.

Of course.

And of course, so was Emily, he reasoned. Why not? And okay, so the King of the gods was his father…but this guy…this guy was settling his hand on the small of Emily’s back and escorting her to the table, Leo frozen to the spot as he could only watch Doctor Alan MacIntosh hold out a chair for her and then settle himself beside her, completely ignoring the fact that there were perfectly good chairs down at the other end. Way down at the other end… Practically in the potted lemon tree standing decoratively by a wall-inset fountain…

“Leo,” Phoebe murmured. “Come on,” she said, wrapping her hands around his forearm and walking to the table, which was really no small feat since he had about a foot on her in height and more than a hundred pounds beyond her in muscle.

She sat them down next to Danny and Kate, Grace sitting beside Magdalena across the way, with Emily between the goddess and the doctor.

Gerald rose and silence fell over the table, his guests smiling up at him as dusk turned the sky to deep blue dome.

“Welcome to our home,” he greeted, setting one hand lovingly on his wife’s. “Please, enjoy yourselves here as much as we do. Kali oreksi!”

“Kali oreksi,” the party replied, everyone laughing, with conversation resuming as a lemon-chicken and orzo soup course was served.

“So, how did the rest of the dig go, Emily?” Kate asked, plucking a warm slice of pita bread from the basket being passed around.

She shrugged, shaking her head. “We’re calling it for the weekend, although I may go back and work on my project a little tomorrow.” She grinned, dipping a piece of the bread in her soup. “I’m too excited to leave him lying in the ground like that!”

“’Him’?” Alan asked, his British accent cultured and smooth.

“Emily has found an impressive statue,” Leo spoke up, and the woman blushed, shaking her head.

“Well, I hope he’s a statue…I can’t really tell yet, but it’s a beautiful piece and the subject was probably very nice to study when it was made…” She laughed, explaining when Grace looked questioningly at her, “So far, from what I can see, it’s of a very handsome nobleman with curly hair and a nose unlike those I’ve seen on most Grecian statuary…”

“Careful there—you may be dealing with your own personal Galatea,” Alan teased, noticing the enamored softening of her features.

“Yes, but as I recall, that story had a happy ending,” Kate countered in Emily’s defense. “Aphrodite brought the statue to life because King Pygmalion was so distraught that Galatea could never be his, since she was marble, obviously. They ended up marrying and having a daughter, and I’m guessing lived ‘happily ever after’.” She shrugged, smiling over at Grace who nodded very slightly.

“Well, if Aphrodite wanted to grace me with a live version of this statue, I don’t think I’d mind,” Emily grinned, looking down and sampling her soup, not seeing Danny wink over at Leo, who looked thunderstruck, while Phoebe scowled down into her salad.

“Maybe he’d give me some info on where else to dig!” Professor Camias laughed, completely unaware of the gods’ humor. “Alan, why don’t you go with her tomorrow? It’d be good for you to see the site firsthand, and besides, I’d feel better knowing she had someone with her.”

“There was an incident at the dig today,” Magdalena added, worry creasing her brow. “Emily could have been killed!”

The woman in question waved off the exclamation of concern from Alan, smiling across the table at Leo instead. “’Could have,’ maybe, but Leo was very brave and managed to keep me safe.” She looked beside her at the British doctor, her hazel eyes wide in the flickering candlelight. “A pillar almost fell on me, and somehow he ran over and grabbed me, jumping us both into a pit before the thing could even touch us! He was very brave,” she repeated, smiling at her rescuer once again and reaching over to pat his hand. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing; I’d do it again if I had to,” he inclined his head modestly, turning his hand over to squeeze her fingers briefly.

Alan cleared his throat, frowning until they pulled their hands apart. “Yes, well, thank you for saving her Mister—“

“Joveson,” Leo answered, something in his posture suddenly almost imposing as he continued, “Hercules Leonardo Francisi Joveson,” was the reply, Alan nearly recoiling from the deep timbre of the other man’s voice for reasons he couldn’t name.

“’Hercules.’ Interesting,” Alan managing to comment after taking a fortifying drink of his wine. “Your parents must be Greek or have a very intriguing sense of humor.”

“Both, actually,” Grace broke in with a laugh, the tension between the two men nearly setting the tablecloth on fire. “So, Alan, how was your trip?”

“No problems,” he replied, grateful for her interruption. “I took the Chunnel over and stayed over in Paris a few days before coming here.”

“I love Paris,” Phoebe sighed. “There’s an ice cream shop on L’Ile St.-Louis that has the most wonderful Grand Marnier ice cream.”

“Berthillon!” Alan laughed. “Oui, est super bon, no?”

“Very!” Phoebe grinned. “And there’s a bookshop there that actually has a sister store in the mountains of North Carolina over in the US. Emily, have you been to Paris?” she asked, trying to steer the conversation back so her “clients” would talk to each other. He had to be the one for the archaeologist, she was certain. The cards the Oracle sent out were never wrong!

“Once when I was a teenager,” she admitted. “I would just wander the streets, drinking it all in, a basket of whatever I bought in the markets that day brimming with stuff.” She reached over and brushed her fingers over the silvery leaves of the lavender plant set near her in a mossy pot. “My parents got mad when I kept buying bunches of lavender, our hotel room full of the scent after one day…”

“It’s a nice scent—we grow it at the house back in LA,” Leo put in as the wait staff began to bring out the main courses and vegetable dishes.

“Really? L.A. What part?” Emily asked, spooning out a piece of Melitzanes Me Kreas, the eggplant and meat pie steaming invitingly.

“Have you ever driven past a gate with white columns with ‘Mount Olympus’ carved at the top? He replied, helping himself to Pastitsio and Tourlou Tourlou.

She nodded, smirking. “I’ve always wondered what lurked behind that gate.”

‘That’s us. You should come and visit next time you’re in the States,” he said. “Do you live in L.A.?”

“No, San Francisco, but my parents live there. I’ll call you next time I’m over—you can come over to our house as well.”

“Leo,” Phoebe broke in. “Are we going out on the boat tomorrow?”


Danny snorted into his waterglass at the blatant change of subject and Kate elbowed him, though grinning herself.

“Um, you guys can,” Leo shrugged. “I was just going to hang out at our place probably; maybe go out and grab some lunch later. Emily, feel like hanging out with me up at our place?”

“That would be fun,” Kate piped up before Grace could protest. “Danny brought over a ton of DVD’s from home, and we were going to catch up on them. We’d be happy to share the couch. Right, Danny?” She smiled sweetly at him, sending him into a gale of laughter that he turned quickly into a coughing fit.

“I really wanted to sit down with you and go over plans for next week,” Alan said to Emily, frowning in disappointment.

“We can do that on Sunday, if that’s all right with you, Gerald,” she said evasively, looking over to their department head.

“Certainly! Take a day off for once, girl.” He shook his head like an indulgent parent. “She works like a fiend,” he confided to Leo, who grinned widely.

“Well then, you need a day off to relax tomorrow,” he said, nodding decisively at her.

She sighed. “I’ll try,” she teased, laughing as dinner resumed, Phoebe and Grace sharing a fuming glance with Magdalena.