Dawn and Gabe laid in bed, the soft light of the early morning sun slowly streamed into the bedroom, cocooning their bodies, still intertwined after a night of love making. The summer heat made itself known, warming the breeze coming in through the open windows. Dawn stirred as her cell phone vibrated on the floor next to the bed. She lazily reached for it, but Gabe pulled her back towards him."Let the voicemail get it," he urged as he kissed the back of her neck, her shoulders. His hand ran up and down her side, coming to rest around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Dawn managed to turn and face him, and he immediately closed his mouth over hers.

Gabe finally let her out of the bed awhile later, only to carry her to the adjoining bathroom, where he turned the water on and walked her into the shower. After another session of love making, Dawn finally made it to the dresser for some clothes. Gabe came up behind her. Before he could distract her again, her phone started to vibrate."Voicemail." was all he said as he lay soft kisses on her face."No Gabe, I need to get it!" she said, giggling and wiggling out of his arms. She noticed the caller id and answered her phone.

"Hey Mom!"Gabe watched her face change from happy to concerned in a blink of an eye."What's wrong?"He went to her when a strangled sigh escaped her mouth, a pained expression crossed her face and pools of tears formed quickly in her eyes.'"No!" she exclaimed. "When?"Gabe watched as his fiancé visibly shook from grief. "I should have been there," she whispered into the phone. She shook her head, but said "You're right." as she continues to sob. "I'll be home soon. I Love you too" she said and hung up the phone.

"Qu'est-ce que c'est? What is it?" Gabe asked trying to comfort her."My Dad! He died last night!" she managed through the sobs. Dawn buried herself in the comfort of Gabe's arms, letting the tears fall.

"Je suis désolé. I am so sorry mon amour!" He hated feeling powerless. Gabe continued his soft caresses, hoping they brought her some comfort. "Mom said it was peaceful...in his sleep" she choked out. "I should've been there.""There is nothing you could have done." he said as his hands gently rubbed up and down her back.

She nodded her head. "I know, that's what she said. She sounded so sad, Gabe, but she was so strong.""She was being strong for you.""Yes, she was." Dawn reluctantly inched out of Gabe's arms, looking up at the man she loved. "I need to get home.""Oui! And I am coming with you."

Dawn caressed his face "You don't have to. A funeral isn't the ideal time to meet my family." she said, managing to smile at him."Il n'est pas question. It does not matter." Gabe waved her words away. "I am coming with you because you are my fiancé. I want to be there to support you, because I love you.""I love you too."

When Dawn arrived home she found her mother, as well as all three of her brothers waiting for her. It made her a little sad when she remembered that the last time she had come home from France her father had been waiting up for her to get home. She raced into her mother's arms, both comforting the other.

"Are you alright?" Bebe asked her daughter, peering from her lovely face to the stranger that was standing near the door. There were so many questions implied in her choice of words that Dawn decided to answer it honestly. She smiled, knowing she could honestly answer that:"Yes, I'm fine!"

"I am so sorry I ran away; that I wasn't here.""Oh Dawn!" Bebe said as she wrapped her arms around her only daughter "You had to get away. He understood that; we both understood."Dawn held tightly to her mother. The woman who was the rock she knew she could always hold tight to. She nodded her head and wiped the tears of regret from her eyes. She turned to all her brothers and greeted them all with a hug. It felt like a lifetime since she had seen them."Who's that guy?" Darcy asked, pointing towards the door where Gabe stood.

Dawn ignored her brother's rudeness. She walked to Gabe, took his hands and led him over to her mother."Mom, this is Gabriel Goulon...my fiancé""Fiancé!" Douglas exclaimed.

"It's nice to meet you Gabriel" Bebe said, obviously pleased by the news that Dawn had a fiancé...who wasn't a certain Don Lothario. "Gabe, please call me Gabe. It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Discourse.""Call me Bebe, or Mom. After all, we'll be family soon."Gabe smiled. "Yes, soon." he answered, his gaze falling on Dawn. "I thought she was dating that Lothario guy." Donald added.

"You didn't tell them?" Dawn asked surprised to find out her brothers seemed to be oblivious to what had happened to her over the past several months."It's not my place to tell them your business.""I'm very sorry for your loss," Gabe said to the group. "I understand how hard it is to lose someone you love. I lost my parents in a car accident recently."

"Thank you." Bebe answered for everyone. "So, Gabe, you must tell us all how you two met!" She led Gabe to sit down. "My daughter hasn't had the time to call her mother and tell her that a handsome Frenchman swept her off her feet."Gabe told them all about their courtship. As he spoke, Dawn filled in gaps, and corrected him in places, smiling, teasing, and laughing the whole time. The family could see very plainly that they were in love, and they approved.

The funeral was the next day. After the service the family held a private burial at Old Town Cemetery. Her mother and brothers insisted that since Gabe was soon to be part of the family he should come, too. Later in the day, friends and family gathered at the house to remember and reminisce about Deaglan Discourse.

The number of people who knew and loved Deaglan was extensive. Douglas barely heard the door bell ring before he went to answer it. He opened the door and came face to face with Don Lothario. His sister had caught him and his brothers up on the details of her turbulent relationship with the man and the pregnancy that resulted from it. All the brothers agreed that Don Lothario deserved to be gelded. This was in stark contrast to the admiration they felt for Gabe who was obviously in love and devoted to Dawn despite her predicament."May I help you?" he asked the man as nicely as he could muster.

"I'm really sorry about your father. He seemed like a really good guy." Don began."He was; thank you for your sympathy." Douglas replied with just a touch of sarcasm on the last word. "I’ll pass it along to the family.""May I come in?" Don asked. "I'm sure Dawn will be happy to see me. I'll be family soon, too. Dawn would want her fiancé close for emotional support.""You're not welcome here, and you're not Dawn's fiancé!" Douglas exclaimed. He was trying to remove the man politely, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to stay clam when he knew what this asshole had done to his baby sister. "You, Mr. Lothario, are just some bum playboy trying to ruin Dawn's life! I know for a fact that she doesn't want to see you.""You need to let me speak with her." Don answered calmly. He knew if he had any chance of getting her back, he needed to stay calm. It was hard when all he wanted to do was shove past whichever brother this was and get inside to her. "I know your sister and I have had a misunderstanding, but that’s all over now. We’re going to be brothers, let’s put the past behind us and be a family. If you just let me see Dawn, she can tell you all this herself.”

Douglas was about to kick Don's no good ass off the property when Gabe walked out the door."Is there a problem,Doug?" Gabe asked, staring directly at Don. He didn't need to be introduced to the man to know who he was. "No, Mr. Lothario was just leaving, weren't you Mr. Lothario?" Douglas said. He was glad Gabe had interrupted before things escalated.

"Who's this guy?" Don asked."I'm Gabe," he said with a self satisfied smirk. "I'm Dawn's fiancé."

Don scoffed at the man. 'There was no way Dawn would pick this guy over me!' he thought."I don't think so." Don said, quickly losing his patience. "That's my baby she's carrying. We're going to raise it together and no one, especially not some guy with a faggoty French accent, is going to stop us.""You're right!" Gabe said calmly. He wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of addressing his derogatory comment. "If that is what Dawn wants, you will raise the baby together, just separately; and I will be there with Dawn to make sure the child has a positive male role model."

Don was losing his grip on his temper fast. He wanted to punch the smirk off this guys face!"You have no right to keep her from me. She's carrying my baby and I have rights as a father!""We can work out visitation after the baby is born, but until then, you will not come near her again, do you understand me? Leave now, or I will have to make you leave.""You're a dead man!" Don exclaimed losing the control over his temper momentarily and charging towards Gabe.

Donald had been watching the whole ordeal from inside the house and decided he had better intervene before things got too out of hand. "Excuse me, but this is my father's funeral!" he said coming between the two men. "If you cared about Dawn at all, you would show some respect for her feelings and not make things harder for her or my mother. No one wants a scene here; they are mourning the loss of a great man. This is not the time for making threats, which will be reported!" he emphasized as he looked at Don.

Douglas couldn't help but throw one last verbal punch."Face the truth, Lothario! It’s over between you and my sister. She didn't accept your marriage proposal. The ring on Dawn’s hand belongs to Gabe, a man who actually cares about her, and only her. Go get on with your life and leave them in peace.”

If Don was being rational, he would know he should just walk away and leave Dawn alone. If he was rational, he would understand his plan had backfired, and although Dawn carried his child, he had ruined his chance to marry her. However, in his growing angst over the Dawn leaving him the second time, his mind had twisted into something far from rational. The angst turned to anger and he had become a dangerous man. The pain and punishment he inflicted upon Juanita for her role in the whole thing had finally crossed a dangerous line, and she had the insight to leave Don, and Riverview, while she still could. Despite his slow decent into madness, he was still calculating. He knew he wasn't going to get by the three men today. Any attempt to forcefully enter the house to get to Dawn would be disastrous. But they wouldn't always be there to protect her. "This isn't over." he stated before reluctantly turned to leave.He couldn't accept Dawn had cast him aside like this. He knew all she had to do was see him, listen to his apology and she would be his again. He would even allow her to admonish him for his wrong doings. Of course she too would need to be punished for leaving him for that brief time and allowing this Gabe to touch her. No one touched her but him. Then they would make a fresh start. She was his and he would do anything to keep it that way.