The three of them took a walk throughout the inside of the house, showing Mallory where she would be sleeping upstairs first and then taking a walk through the kitchen and living space downstairs. Due to Destiny's condition, the walk inside took about thirty minutes, with the trip down the stairs taking almost ten minutes. For Destiny, it was like she was walking on pins and needles with every single step she took and going down the stairs was the worst of it. Mallory felt about as nervous as Destiny did, unsure whether or not taking her around the house was really a good idea. The whole time, though, Grace kept a smile on her face and encouraged her to keep moving. Her attitude helped keep both Destiny and Mallory optimistic throughout the stroll, Destiny becoming more confident as her legs started to become more stable. They walked around the house on the outside for another thirty minutes, the air gradually getting cooler as the evening began to enter into night.

Out there, Grace talked about the latest job she completed, the first one she got in months. It was a simple job in which she had to scare off a guard pestering a merchant to pay a fine that he did not deserve. She explained that the guard was just money hungry and all the man did was set up his cart in a corner on the street the guard claimed was blocking people's path. "I tried to talk to him, y'know?" Grace elaborated, referring to the guard, while they walked down a path between the house and their barn, leaves crunching beneath their steps. "I told him a two hundred-token fine was way too harsh and the guy's set up wasn't even in the way, but he wouldn't listen. He ended up getting mad and started swinging at me!"

Destiny gasped, her weight shifting towards Mallory in astonishment. "Did he hurt you?"

"Nope," Grace answered, a grin on her face. "I was too fast for him, couldn't lay a finger on me!"

"So, how did you get him to stop?" her mother asked, a less surprised look and a more worried expression on her face.

"Kinda the same way I stopped Garrison that night," Grace explained. "I held my sword up under his helmet."

"You weren't going to—"

"No," Grace interrupted with a reassuring grin. "I would never."

Destiny sighed with relief, seeming to have feared something else had happened. "Good." She smiled wide at her daughter and said, "That's my Gracie. Oh, or should I say Grace the Gleeful?"

Grace responded with a slightly embarrassed giggle and glanced down at Mallory, who seemed to be pondering what they were getting at regarding how Grace carried out her job.

Although Mallory still did not know much at all about the Swordsmen's Guild, she noticed that swordsmen who had their own titles were often regarded as high ranking. From what she could gather when Daryl scolded her about attacking Garrison the Gargantuan, Garrison was the highest-ranking swordsman in the guild because of the number of kills to his name. What confused Mallory was the fact that Grace had her own title, yet it appeared to her that she was telling her mother she refused to kill. Is Grace high ranking? And how did she get her title?

Before it could get dark, they went back inside, the tension on Destiny's face returning once they reached the stairs. Her legs started wobbling again, and Grace gave her a subtle press on her back, to which she stiffened in response.

Grace smirked understandingly and nodded. "Take as long as ya need."

Almost ten minutes passed by in which Destiny stood shaking and looking at the stairs before her. A few beads of sweat stuck to the sides of her head. Finally, she took a long, deep breath, and stepped onto the first stair, clutching Grace and Mallory a little tighter. It took a full five minutes to make it all the way back upstairs, Destiny letting out an anxious breath once they reached the flat surface.

"See?" Grace asked, beaming with excitement. "You did great, Mom!"

She allowed herself a little smirk at her accomplishment. "Thank you." She looked down at Mallory and smiled wider. "Thank both of you."

Mallory nodded in response.

Once the three of them got back to Destiny's bedroom, Grace helped get her settled back in her bed and under her comforters. Shortly after she was settled in, they heard a click at the front door from downstairs, followed by the creaking of the floorboards.

"Oh, sounds like your father's home," Destiny observed.

"Well, that's earlier than expected..." Grace replied with a subtle uneasiness, looking down at Mallory with a crooked smile.

Mallory met her gaze with a sort of eagerness, wondering if Grace's father was anything like her or her mother. Grace looked away and started scratching the back of her head. Mallory raised an eyebrow at her behavior. Why does she seem so uncomfortable?

Destiny smiled down at Mallory and said, "You two have already met, haven't you?"

Mallory knit her eyebrows with confusion. "No, I don't think so."

Grace chuckled awkwardly under her breath.

"Oh!" Destiny laughed aloud. "You're still touchy about the others finding out, aren't you? She's going to find out anyway, Gracie."

"Yeah, I know, but..." Grace started to say something in her defense, but the footsteps from outside the room drawing nearer stopped her before she could finish.

Mallory looked to see who this man was, hoping that it would clear up her confusion. Her eyes got big and her jaw dropped as the misty eyed, hunched over leader of the Swordsmen's Guild made his appearance at the doorway with his hands in his pockets. Rod's her dad?

Rod took a hand out of his pocket and patted his mouth yawning. His mouth closed into a serene smile and he greeted his wife and daughter with, "Hello girls. Destiny, Grace, and..." Rod raised an eyebrow once his gaze reached down to Mallory. His smile curved up in a curious fashion. "Oh, Daryl's apprentice is here, too. What a pleasant surprise."

"Daryl's out on a job," Grace explained, still scratching the back of her head and glancing back at Mallory constantly, "she needed somewhere to stay the night. Is that okay?"

"I don't see why not," Rod answered, giving Mallory an affirmative nod.

Mallory stiffened up a bit, unsure how to act in front of the head of the Swordsmen's Guild, only having formally spoken with him once before. She nodded back hesitantly and responded, "Thank you, sir."

"Ah, no need to be so stiff," Rod replied. "You're our guest. Relax, Mallory."

Mallory eased up the tension in her shoulders and straightened her mouth. "Okay."

Rod's facial expression abruptly morphed into a frown and he pointed a stern finger at the girl. "And that's an order!"

Mallory felt a shiver down her spine from the coldness of his sudden mood swing.

Grace rolled her eyes.

"Oh, stop teasing the poor girl!" Destiny griped from her bed. "The last thing she needs is another scary look like that!"

Rod kept up his stern act for another second, and then he burst into laughter. His bellowing came out in spurts of cackles, almost reminding Mallory a little too much of Eagle Eye's cackling. He held his stomach and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye with his index finger. "C'mon now, Destiny," he started, "that face couldn't have been nearly as scary as yours!"

Mallory jerked her head back, not expecting an insult like that to such a sweet woman, and his wife, nonetheless. She looked back to see how Destiny would react.

Destiny cracked a smile, but argued, "Well, I might be ugly, but at least I'm not ugly and making scary faces!"

Rod responded with an extended wheeze, putting both arms on his stomach. "Ah, you always know how to get me back, don't ya?"

Mallory looked back and forth between the two of them, uncomfortable in the midst of their playful bickering. It was obvious they were used to talking like this, but their rudeness made her feel awkward. This is how a husband and wife talk to each other...?

Grace sat in her chair in a quiet exasperation during her parents' jeering. She noticed Mallory's disposition and interjected with, "Are you two done? Our guest doesn't seem to be feeling very welcome right now."

"Oh, of course," Rod sighed, finally quelling his laughter. He smiled down at Mallory and asked, "So, have you all been getting along?"

"Well, the three of us have," Destiny started, "but one of us is still holding a grudge..."

Grace shot her mother a baffled, annoyed look, to which her mother simply raised her eyebrows in seriousness.

"Huh," Rod responded, his attention on Grace, "ya ran into your aunt today, didn't you?"

Grace bolted up from her chair and grabbed Mallory's hand. "I'm gonna show her where she'll be sleeping, alright? Then we'll talk." She started storming off and guiding Mallory along.

Mallory was curious as to why Grace was so rude to her aunt, but she understood that it was none of her business and it should not have concerned her anyway. It was just so odd to see Grace act that way towards someone who did not mean her any harm. Clearly, it was a touchy subject for Grace, since her grip on Mallory's hand was a little tighter than what she would have been comfortable with.

"Alright," Rod responded, chuckling as he sidestepped away from his daughter storming past him and out of the room. He waved at Mallory with a smirk on the corner of his mouth. "I hope ya have a good night's sleep, dear."

"Thank you," Mallory called back.

Grace took Mallory to a room across from her parents' room. It was notably smaller than theirs and had a bed against the wall that was much smaller than her mother's. Grace shut the door behind her and let out a huge sigh of relief. She turned back to the girl that she practically pulled into the room out of frustration and offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that, Mallory. I just wish they weren't so vocal about certain things. It irritates me." She furrowed her brow at Mallory's hand and asked, "I wasn't too rough on you, was I?"

"No, it's fine," Mallory answered, remembering how Daryl yanked her arm on her first night at the guild.

Grace nodded. "Okay, so now that that's all outta the way, this is where you'll get to sleep!" She gestured at the narrow bed against the wall. It was neat with a thick, cushy mattress and spotless, white sheets. "Oughta be a lot better than sleeping in Daryl's hideout, don't ya think?"

Mallory stared at the bed, which looked about as nice as the bed she slept in at Liam's house, but had a different thought in mind after the mention of Daryl. "Grace?"

Grace raised her eyebrows and asked, "What is it?"

Mallory looked down. "Why do you like Daryl?"

Grace's smile disappeared for a moment, and then it came back in a slight smirk. "Yeah, I figured you noticed that. Mom's not the best at keeping secrets." Grace leaned against the door and crossed her arms. A dreamy smile spread across her face. "I know it's strange to you. Daryl is so detached, so straightforward, so cold. I've known him for a long time, since I was about your age, actually. The thing is, he wasn't always like that." Grace giggled quietly, thinking back to the first time she met the swordsman. She twiddled her fingers against her arm and felt her cheeks get hot, her eyes starting to sting with nostalgia. "I still remember his smile..."

"He used to smile?" Mallory asked, unable to even imagine a smile on that man's face.

Grace laughed hearing Mallory's bewilderment for a moment. "Yeah, he used to." After saying it out loud, though, Grace's expression turned into a somber one. "Until...his son died. And his wife...left him, I'm assuming."

Mallory noticed the slightly confused look on her face with that last statement. Seeing that, and combined with her own puzzlement, she asked, "What happened to his son?"

Grace knew that Daryl killed his own son, but she did not want to frighten Mallory, so she withheld the truth to an extent. "The only one who really knows what happened that night is Daryl himself. It happened about nine years ago, then almost everything about him changed. And...I'm still not sure what to think about it. Maybe his reaction to it all is justified, maybe it's not justified at all, but all I know is..." A small grin formed on the corners of her lips, a subtle tear falling from the center of her bottom eyelid and falling to the floor. "I'll never stop caring for him. From the first time I saw him, I..." Grace hesitated on her words, wondering if she really meant what she was about to say. Then, his smile came back in her mind, and how much she yearned to see it again. With that, her smile grew even wider and she looked down at Mallory. "I always loved him. After all these years, there's no changing that."

Mallory looked down, thinking about what she was saying. It puzzled her and, in a way, it upset her.You're a good person, Grace. He isn't. "He's killed so many people..." Mallory muttered, thinking out loud.

Grace's smile lowered and she nodded. "I know. And I know killing is wrong, but I still have hope for him."

"Grace, what made you join the guild?" Mallory asked.

"Hm," Grace puffed out with a grin, "actually, I joined because to me, it was the next best thing to being a guard, or a knight."

The girl raised an eyebrow, unsure what Grace meant by that.

"I know," Grace started, "the Swordsmen's Guild has been defined by mercenary work for about as long as I can remember. A group of people getting paid for murder. Nothing noble about any of that. Even my parents couldn't tell why someone like me wanted to join. At one point, my mom pleaded for me not to join, but I did it anyway."

Mallory looked up at her and straightened a corner of her mouth, awaiting further explanation.

"I'm a part of the guild, but I've never killed anyone. I haven't gotten many jobs at all since I joined. It's always either because I'm a woman, or I won't kill, or because the handlers don't even realize that I am a swordswoman. Mainly, that's all because I really don't like to brag, and I'd rather let my actions do all the talking, y'know? And I don't want people knowing Rod is my father, since they'd probably just assume that I only got in through him and not through my own merit." Mallory's question put a lot on her mind, but she decided to cut her explanation short before she started rambling. "But anyway, I never joined for the money. I joined because I wanted to know what it's like to protect people, to save people. Women aren't seen as fit to become guards and especially not knights." She felt warm remembering the time Rod finally decided to let her join the guild, and the days he trained her in the Autumn Tree Forest. "But my dad believed in me. I honed my skill, and now I even have my own title." She smiled wide. "That answer your question, sweetie?"

Mallory pursed her lips for a moment, and then asked, "Are you high-ranking?"

Grace put a hand to her chin and hummed in pondering. "Well, technically speaking, no. A swordsman's rank is usually determined by the amount of jobs they've successfully completed along with their actual skill level. I've completed all of my jobs, but they're few and far between." She chuckled and finished, "At the same time, though, I could probably beat any average swordsman in a fight without even having to try!"

Given how fast Grace was along with the fact that she put the number one swordsman in his place a few nights ago, Mallory certainly did not doubt that. What still intrigued her, though, was how she got a title. "So then, how did you get your title?"

"Easy," Grace answered, putting on her widest, signature grin, "I always end my jobs with a smile! One time, a big group of people saw me finish a job and it got me a reputation. Eventually, I was dubbed Grace the Gleeful!"

So, the title just comes from how people see you. It has nothing to do with your rank. I think I get it now. "Grace?"

"Yeah?"

Mallory knit her eyebrows and thought back to the reason why she joined Daryl in the first place. She wanted to get strong to go out and save her father, but she never wanted to become a member of the Swordsmen's Guild. However, it was the only option Daryl was giving her. With that, she stated, "I don't wanna kill anyone either. Thank you for letting me know I can be a member without having to be like him."

Grace kept that beaming look on her face and nodded. "Of course, sweetie." Her smile lowered a bit and she looked back at the door. She sighed thinking about the next conversation she would have to have with her parents. She turned her attention back at Mallory and her smile had diminished into a smirk at one corner of her mouth. "Now then, I told them I'd talk after I showed you here, so I'll be right back, okay? You can settle in the bed if ya like. I know you must be tired!"

Mallory looked back at their bed and nodded back at Grace. "Okay."

***

Grace walked across the hall and got to the closed door to her parents' bedroom. She put her ear to the door to hear them chuckling and continuing some feigned bickering. Grace straightened a corner of her mouth and knocked on the door. "You two decent in there?" she called.

"Yeah," her father answered, "come in!"

Grace opened the door to see her father climbing out of the bed and her mother still laying where she was when she left. Rod had changed into some loose fitting, grey nightwear. He wore a button up shirt and some black striped pants. He walked over to the front of the bedframe and leaned against it, hands in his pants pockets. "Alright Gracie," he started with a yawn, "what's going on with you and your aunt?"

Grace crossed her arms and smirked. "You tell me, Dad."

"She's still upset about it, Rod," Destiny explained in an exasperated tone.

Rod sighed and dragged his hand across his face. "Grace, how many times do I have to tell you that it was long time ago? Things are different now."

"Oh really?" Grace began to challenge. "Then why does she have a two-year-old with a married man?"

Rod straightened his mouth and let out a long breath, seemingly unsure of what to say.

"You need to stop holding that against her," Destiny advised. "Faith made some bad choices, but I talk with her everyday now and I know she wants to be a better person."

"Wanting to be better isn't the same as being better," Grace countered.

"Grace—"

"Don't you think you're being a little too forgiving?" Grace interrupted her mother, raising her voice. She uncrossed her arms and glared at the two of them. "She tried to steal Dad away from you, Mom! Your own sister!"

"Thirteen years ago, Grace," Rod added, pushing himself off of the bedframe and taking a few steps towards his daughter. "There's no reason to be holding a grudge for so long."

"No reason?" Grace scoffed. "She just had a kid two years ago with a man who already has his own family! She's a terrible person! Can't you guys see she's just trying to break us apart, too?"

"That's enough, Grace," Rod coaxed, placing a gentle hand on her tense shoulder. "Faith and I have rarely spoken to each since then. She and your mother are talking because they're still sisters, y'know. Just trust me, alright? There's nothing going on between us."

Grace started to calm down seeing the soft look in her father's eyes and feeling his gentle touch on her shoulder. She looked down, still feeling the anger towards her aunt for being as promiscuous as she was.

"Now as much as I want you two to start getting along," Rod started, "you don't have to talk to her if you don't want to. Just don't be so rude."

"That's right," Destiny agreed. "She'll never feel welcome in this family again if you keep misbehaving around her."

"Maybe I don't want her to feel welcome," Grace mumbled.

"C'mon, Grace," her father pleaded. "She's still your aunt. Besides, if you put things in the past, you two should get along swell. You're so much alike—"

Grace shot him an annoyed glower before he could finish.

"Err, I mean, uh," Rod stammered, "you two look so much alike, is what I meant."

Grace jerked her head away and hissed, "Don't remind me."

"Grace," her mother called in a more soothing tone. "Please understand. Your father and I just want our family back to normal. Like it or not, Faith is a part of it, and she wants everyone to get along just as much me and Rod do."

"Dear," Rod started, tapping a finger on her shoulder to get her to look back at him. She obliged, and he continued, "Just do this for your mother, alright?"

Grace glanced at her mother, who had a pleading look in her eye. It was obvious she saw something in Faith that Grace simply could not. To be fair, Grace did not know much about Faith as a person, just that actions from her past proved that she has an odd affinity for taken men. With her youngest child, it only confirmed Grace's suspicions, yet her mother still insisted that Faith had good intentions by keeping in contact with them. Grace had to keep in mind that her mother and Faith talked to each other a lot more anytime she and her father were away, and somehow, Faith managed to get back on her good side. She always assumed it was through manipulation, but maybe the woman was more genuine than what she gave her credit for. I still don't trust her, but they're not asking for much... With a long sigh, Grace perked up and answered, "Alright. I'll try to be a little nicer."

Destiny smiled wide and responded, "Thank you, Grace."

Rod kissed Grace on the cheek and pat her on the shoulder. "That's our girl." He turned around and started walking towards his side of the bed. "Now go get yourself some rest. Tomorrow's gonna be a big day!"

Grace was just about to leave until she heard her father say that. She turned back around and asked, "What's special about tomorrow?"

Rod sat on the bed and chuckled. "Tomorrow's the day I induct your little boyfriend's guild into ours!"

Grace felt a tingle on her skin hearing Rod refer to Liam as her boyfriend. She stamped her foot and whined, "C'mon, Dad!"

"Boyfriend?" Destiny asked with a chuckle of her own. "What happened to Daryl?"

"Ugh, Mom!" Grace groaned.

Destiny and Rod shared some laughter at their daughter's expense. "I'll tell ya what, Grace," her mother started, in between laughs, "as long as you try to be nicer to Faith, I'll stop teasing you about Daryl, alright?"

"Okay," Grace agreed, rolling her eyes and turning back around.

"One more thing," Rod called, stopping Grace before she could leave.

"What is it?" Grace asked, looking back at her father with a stale expression.

Rod gradually hardened his look, answering, "Make sure you're on your guard during the announcement. The others probably won't take the induction of another guild very well. You know what happened with Garrison the other night, after all."

Grace knit her eyebrows, knowing her father made a good point. She nodded and said, "Right. I'll be there."

***