"You can't guess no, I suppose, but one can want hmm?" He went into the motions of properly escorting her to the dance floor, bending at the hip in a bow, offering his gloved hand, and leading them to where the other couples were already in their positions. Maker, he may have looked put together, but the moment the music started his heart was pounding. What if he messed up? What if he stepped on her toes? What if her husband turned him into a frog? How did conversations go while dancing?

My there are a lot of couples. The room is beautiful. The music is wonderful.

There was an order of the whole thing, and finally after much struggle he simply confessed, "I want children. Not with you I mean. Of course...I mean, just in general. But I wouldn't know what to do. I couldn't take maternity leave, but I also couldn't leave my students." Damn it, Nightingale, could you make any more of an ass of yourself?

"Perhaps this isn't the time too think too deeply on it." Aisling sounded at perfect ease, and followed the dance with a particular careful grace. "I am certain that the Yule Ball has given you quite a bit to manage already."

The music swelled, and her head turned to follow the sounds. "I must admit to rather enjoying this music. It seems that I've become rather too old for anything more energetic." It would be the next morning that would prove-or disprove-such notions, however. Conversation and a bit of dancing didn't seem to be tiring her just yet.

It was easy to dance with her. She felt so light in his arms, moved with all the grace of a swan and the dignity of a perfect lady, but Gale couldn't help but feel a small trace of sorrow about the whole ordeal. She was loved, that much was clear, he thought her far too on point to ever allow such nonsense, but there was a sadness in her eye--was it a yearning for a better yesterday? Perhaps it was his imagination, or his over active imagination.

"You are not too old for anything." He said when the dance ended, and he like every other partner in the room gave her one last bow with a small chaste kiss to her knuckles, "If you ever need information on your girls, please don't hesitate to owl me? I'll be with them as long as they are here, so know that they are in good hands." With that he folded his gloved hands back at his front and waited for her parting words.

The dance was done, the music softened to a pause. Aisling gave him a curtsey in response, just a touch of a smile playing about her lips. "It warms my heart to hear it."

She took a step back, and the petals of her skirt shivered. "Thank you for the dance, and the conversation. I do hope your break goes well."

End