Kenzi took a deep breath and held it as she slid her mailbox key in and turned the lock. The same nervous lump rose in her throat today as it had for most of the week every time she checked the mail. It should have been here by now, and between getting ready for the move to Detroit and saying goodbye to her Philadelphia family, she hadn't had time to think about it that much.

Today, however, there was a larger, manila envelope bent awkwardly in the box. Kenzi's stomach flip-flopped as she carefully pulled it from the box. Looking down, she easily read the return address. It was from the St. Margaret Preparatory School. This was it. 

Her hands shook as her slender fingers slid along the edge of the fold, resisting the urge to tear it apart to get to the contents. There were quite a few papers inside, but it was the letter on top that mattered most right now.

Dear Miss Smith,

We are very pleased to inform you that you have successfully completed all course work for the St. Margaret Preparatory School High School Diploma correspondence course. Further, you excelled in your final exams and finished 2nd in your class for both resident and correspondence students.

Knowing your background as we do, and the struggles you had to overcome to achieve this, we are exceedingly proud to send you your official High School diploma, and our most sincere congratulations.

Everyone in the lobby, and perhaps on the surrounding block, heard Kenzi's triumphant cry. She flipped a few pages back and found the diploma. If she hadn't been in such a hurry, she probably would have cried, but she had a plane to catch. Grinning from ear to ear, she placed the documents back into the envelope and hugged it tightly to herself as she headed out to the waiting taxi. In just a few hours, she would be landing in her new home, and she could hardly wait to share her news with Joey. 

Joey was waiting at the airport for Kenzi to arrive from Philly, he was so excited when he had heard she was going to be a hand in Detroit and move there. Part of him felt like it was all just fate and the ups and down's they'd faced since they'd been together that at the end of the day they ended up in the same city together, and he marveled at how far she'd come from a pick pocket to a member of the upper structures in the mafia world. There was never a time when Joey was more nervous to see Kenzi as her moving here meant things were obviously more serious too and he knew his feelings towards her had only gotten stronger and hoped that the same could be said for her.

When she landed she ran to Joeys arms waving around her diploma and you could tell this is one of the best days of her life. Joey fiddled around with something in his pocket which he'd been carrying around for a while, while they walked to his bike Joey decided let's see if he can make this day even better for both of them. As Kenzi put her helmet on she turned to see what Joey was doing to see him on one knee with an open box holding a ring. 

"Kenzi, my love and world will you marry me?"

The question came so fast, yet seemed to cause time to freeze around her. At first, she thought she'd misheard him as she turned, her helmet half fastened; but then she saw Joey on one knee, and a tiny box in his hand. 

Four words stopped her heart, then started it again twice as fast. Four words that a girl who once slept in a storage locker thought she'd never hear. Four words that meant a girl with no last name would have one; have a family.

She reached up and pulled the helmet off, hands trembling as she laid it on the bike seat. She looked into Joey's eyes, which were remarkably wide and clearly anxious. Kenzi suddenly realized there were tears trickling from her own. Her lips broke into a huge smile, then a laugh as she dropped down in front of him and flung her arms around him.

"Oh! Babe! Yes!!" 

Joey's heart raced as he waited for what felt like an eternity but couldn't have been more than 5 minutes for the answer from the most important person in his life. Joey a kid who grew up with everything never knew what he really wanted until he met Kenzi and with her moving to Detroit it was the perfect time for her to really become family and entwine their lives from here on out. She smiled as she came on her knees to be level with him with a big smile and Joey could swear his heart had just stopped as he waited before.... "Oh! Babe! Yes!!" 

Joey was able to breath again as he smiled and put the ring on her finger before scooping her up in his arms and kissing her, "Kenzi I love you looks like you have more than just moving to plan! We gotta plan a wedding!!!"

For a while, Kenzi couldn't stop laughing. She was happier than she'd ever been in her entire life. Looking down to her finger, she admired the ring he'd chosen. Kenzi had never seen anything more beautiful. She found it hard to believe it was hers; for that matter, that he was hers. 

The afternoon sun gave the diamond a brilliant glimmer. Kenzi looked back up at Joey as he mentioned planning a wedding. 

"Gosh, I don't even know where to start with that. I just want to make you so happy, like you've made me. I love you, babe."

She giggled and looked at the ring again.

"All in one day, I graduated, got a new job, and got engaged to the most handsome man in Detroit. I must have done something good somewhere."

With that, she slipped Joey a sweet kiss on the cheek.

​​​​​​

Joey smiled at Kenzi's happiness he scooped her up and carried her to the motorcycle before driving off and brings her to a fancy loft and hands her a key. 

"One other thing you got babe a real home.....with me if that's okay with you?"

Joey hands her a key and takes her inside to a show a very well furnished loft with a banner saying "Welcome Home Kenzi" on it, as well there was a whole feast of food laid out by the tables and flowers near the bed. Taking her hand Joey brings her to the center of the room to see the whole place with all her favorite books that she'd learned as well as art that he thought she'd like.

Speechlessly, Kenzi stood in the center of a home she'd just been told was her own. Not a hotel room, not a borrowed single bedroom apartment, and certainly not a concrete floor in a storage room. A home, a real home, and not alone. Everything seemed to hit her at once; how significantly her life had changed in such a short time. 

Her eyes instantly welled up with tears that trickled from her cheeks past a smile on her lips. She didn't even bother wiping them away. She just sniffled softly, then turned to Joey and held him tightly. Her joyful tears dampened the material of his shirt.

"You've...oh, Joey, you've done so much. I love you. Thank you...for all of this. For loving me."

Still holding him tightly, Kenzi gave a deep sigh; one full of peace and contentment. 

Joey watched as Kenzi took the whole place in, as she seemed overcome with emotion to finally have a place to call home. Joey also showed her the most important part, this place was under her name as the owner so no matter what happened Joey made sure Kenzi would always have a home. He held his fiancé tightly before suggesting they make some calls to inform those close to them of their engagement. 

“Kenzi I know some friends you can have in your wedding party too if you’d like as well? You already know who my best man is of course and Alucard knew I was planning on doing this soon. Also with Alucards help I got you a very special engagement gift which I’ll show you tomorrow.”

Joey saw the curiosity in the Kenzi’s eyes.

Kenzi nodded sort of absently, still looking at the document deeding the loft to her. So much to take in - so much excitement, she hadn't even thought about wedding arrangements yet. Then Joey mentioned an engagement gift. Laughing softly, Kenzi gestured around her. 

"Babe, you've already given me so much!" 

She put the paperwork down and leaned against the kitchen counter, looking thoughtfully. 

"I guess I don't know much about weddings, I may need someone to tell me what I need...but, do you think Bella and Louis would stand in for my parents? After all, they are the ones that took me in after I got away."

​​​​

Joey grinned at Kenzi and how humble she was, also how she didn't realize how badly she did want this gift to finally put her mind at rest. 

"Oh trust me babe, this is a gift you will be very excited about. I believe Aunt Bella would be honored to do that, I'm fairly certain she quite enjoyed unintentionally playing matchmaker the day we met. As for Louis I'd be surprised if he said no to be honest I know my parents especially my Dad is all excited to meet you finally and see who finally got his little bambino to settle down a bit even get protection."

Joey rolled his eyes at that last part. 

"I've already picked caterers and a bunch of that stuff I just want you to tell me your dream wedding so I can make it your reality my love." 

Kenzi grinned a little and shrugged at the protection comment.

"If I've done anything good up to this point, it was convincing you to have a little muscle with you at all times. I sleep better, anyway."

Looking around, taking it all in again, she added

"But probably not as well as I'm going to sleep now...in a home. Our home..."

The words gave her stomach butterflies as she spoke them. Then, a thought suddenly hit her.

"When were you thinking of having the wedding?  I mean, I don't really know how long it takes to plan these types of things."

Joey laughed and wrapped his arms around Kenzi's waist from behind and gently kissed her neck. 

"Haha we can have it planned in about 3 months which is my goal, as I can't wait to have Mrs Ligambi-Ferrari by my side. But tomorrow is a big day and like I said I have a very big surprise for you so go get ready for bed okay?"

While Kenzi went to sleep Joey made a call to Lord-Alucard to make sure the "present" was being well taken care of, after Alucard promised the fun he had resulted in no permanent damage or anything that would upset Kenzi Joey was satisfied and went to bed to hold his beautiful fiance.