A Valentine's Day story for both guestsurprise and newbienovelistRD. Here you go, Amigas! Enjoy! :)
Ben 10 belongs to Cartoon Network and Man of Action. Jocu and the Captain of the Black Tickle Knights belong to guestsurprise. I only own Rachel, Chelsea, and Sir Daniel.
Valentine's With Family
Rachel pulled some cupcakes out of the oven and was about to frost some that had been cooling when Chelsea came into the kitchen and hugged her from behind, handing her a hand-made heart. "Happy Valentine's Day, Auntie Rachel," she said.
"Oh, thank you, honey," she said, hugging her niece. "Did you find your surprise, too?"
She nodded happily. "Thank you," she said and then saw the cupcakes, looking up at her aunt hopefully, who smiled.
"Go ahead, but be careful. It might still be a bit hot."
Chelsea chose a cupcake and was enjoying it when she felt two hands tickle her sides suddenly, making her giggle and turn to find a familiar face behind her. "Uncle Jocu!" She exclaimed, hugging him.
The Tickle Monster prince chuckled and returned the warm hug. "How are you, little one?" He asked with a fond smile.
"I'm good. Happy Valentine's Day."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Chelsea," he replied.
Rachel smiled at hearing them. "Hello, Jocu. Happy Valentine's Day," she said.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Rachel," the red four-armed being replied.
Just then, the Captain of the Black Tickle Knights appeared behind Rachel and gently poked her sides. Surprised, she yelped and threw her hands up, but her right hand held the frosting spatula with frosting on it and the frosting hit the captain smack in the face. Chelsea instantly began laughing when she saw that and Jocu chuckled in amusement, which made Rachel turn to see what they were laughing at and she too burst into laughter. "Oh, dear. Captain, I'm so sorry," she said through her laughter.
He wiped the frosting from his helmet. "Ah, serves me well for startling you," he said, sounding sheepish.
Chelsea giggled and handed him an unfrosted cupcake. "Usually you eat frosting with the cupcakes," she said cheekily.
He finished wiping the frosting from his helmet and looked at her. "Is that so?" He said, his voice taking a playful note. "I've heard sugar makes little ones giggly. And I'm eager to test that theory."
Rachel just managed to hold in her chuckles as Chelsea squeaked and ran with the Captain hot on her heels and Jocu chuckled in amusement, which made Rachel let out her laughter. She then felt her friend's four arms surround her in a hug and she turned to him, returning the hug. "This is a nice surprise," she said.
He smiled. "I sensed you were sad," he said.
"Just a little bit," she admitted. "Rook's on a mission and it's Valentine's Day. But he'll be home soon."
"This mission ended today?" Jocu asked.
Rachel nodded and then smiled as a thought came to her mind and she chuckled, sensing Jocu's questioning gaze on her and she turned to find he was indeed looking curious as to what amused her. "I was just remembering how Rook and I met," she admitted, gazing at her engagement ring.
"How did you and Rook meet?" The Tickle Monster prince asked.
Giggles were then heard and they looked to see both the Captain and Sir Daniel had Chelsea in their grasp and were tickling her playfully, making her laugh before she managed to squirm away, having heard Jocu's question. "Did you and Rook meet like how we've all met?" She asked.
Rachel chuckled. "In a way," she replied as she smiled. "Oh, it doesn't seem like that long ago."
Seeing they were listening, she smiled again. "I was at Plumber HQ with one of my uncles and was rushing to get to a meeting when I slipped on a section of floor that had just been mopped. In my attempts to catch my balance, I crashed into a Plumber," she said, chuckling again. "He looked more surprised than hurt and I was very embarrassed I had run into him."
She then sobered. "The other Plumbers around him began teasing us and I managed to get out an apology before I ran off again, trying to find a place to be alone. But…that Plumber wasn't going to let me go that easily."
"Uncle Rook?" Chelsea asked.
Rachel nodded. "He followed me and found me, concerned that I was injured," she said, her face looking saddened. "I was surprised he cared, especially since I was recovering from my ex-boyfriend breaking my heart."
Jocu placed a hand on her shoulder, sensing something. "You were unsure of him," he said softly.
"Yes," Rachel admitted. "Because I had sworn after breaking up with the louse that hurt me that I was never going to let a man get near me or even allow a man to ask me out. But…Rook broke down those barriers."
She took a deep breath and smiled. "Something about him just wouldn't let me stop thinking about him and so we started meeting for lunch and then even began training together."
As she paused, Sir Daniel grew curious. "What made you realize that he was genuine?" He asked.
The owner of the Grant Mansion smiled. "When he kissed me one day," she said. "We were messing around while training and I ended up in his arms and he kissed me, asking me if I'd be his girlfriend." She smiled. "I was stunned, but told him yes."
She raised her head, still smiling. "Not long after, we learned that the Grant Mansion needed to be bought, or our friends would lose their home," she said, frowning a little now. "I didn't know what to do. And I was so worried about the aliens living here at the time."
"Were all of them here?" Chelsea asked.
"No, not all," Rachel replied. "I had only met some of them when that trouble rose. But unknown to me, Rook decided that he too couldn't let our friends lose their home."
"What happened?" The Captain asked.
"I came over the next day, dreading that I was about to tell everyone that the mansion was being foreclosed upon, but then I saw Magister Tennyson and a house agent. They didn't tell me what happened, but I found out when I arrived in the living room."
Jocu smiled. "Rook," he said softly.
The young woman nodded. "He bought the Grant Mansion and gifted it to me," she said. "The papers were all there, along with a small red box." She held up her left hand where her engagement ring shone on her ring finger. "Around the ring was a piece of paper with the four words that a man asks the one he's chosen to spend his life with."
"He proposed," Chelsea said in awe.
Rachel nodded again. "He was downstairs playing darts when I came up behind him and pointed to the target with my left hand." Her smile grew then. "He froze when he saw the ring."
She then laughed. "I had never seen a man look so stunned before."
"His jaw must have hit the floor," the Captain said with a gentle chuckle.
Rachel chuckled again. "Pretty close," she said. "I had to kiss him to bring him out of his shock."
She suddenly felt two familiar arms wrap around her and turned in surprise to see the very man she had given her heart to behind her and gazing at her lovingly. "I don't know what I'd do without you, my love," he said, making her blush.
Chelsea giggled. "I think you two were made for each other," she said.
"I think so too," Rachel said.
As she and Rook kissed, Jocu and the Tickle Knights turned their attention to Chelsea, who squeaked and ran with all three chasing her playfully, catching her and tickling her to make her laughter fill the house while Rachel pulled out the last batch of cupcakes from the oven and set them to cool before looking up at her fiancée. "Happy Valentine's Day, Rook," she said.
He smiled and drew a rose from behind his back. She gasped and smiled, accepting the red rose and looking at him lovingly and he wrapped his arms around her. "Happy Valentine's Day, Rachel," he said, kissing her deeply before scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to his room. She returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck before they gently pulled away.
"How about I give you a back massage, honey?" She asked. "And afterwards, we can cuddle."
He smiled and shed the top part of his armor so that his chest was bare, making Rachel nearly swoon at the sight, something that always amused Rook. He then lay down on the bed and felt his fiancée climb up and gently sit on his lower back before she began massaging his back and shoulders, making him groan in pleasure before they heard more giggling.
"Sounds like Chelsea's having fun with Jocu, the Captain, and Sir Daniel," Rook said.
Rachel chuckled. "They haven't tickled her in a while," she said. "Plus, she loves them as uncles."
After a bit, Rook gently pulled Rachel to lay beside him and he turned to her, pulling her closer in loving embrace. She snuggled into his hug, cuddling with him as they kissed, their love surrounding them on the magical day of love.
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! :)
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GoldGuardian2418