Disclaimer: obviously, I own nothing.

For CampionSayn whose work is nothing short of inspiration and who's unfortunately a hidden star. Go look at the evidence; you'll love it as much as I do. The Girl's base on Twinning if you want to know more about her ...


All this time I was looking for love

Trying to make things work, wasn't good enough

Till I thought 'I'm though' said 'I'm done'

And stumbled into the arms of the one.

Hannah Montana (ouch)


Proposal

He had never thought he would be there.

As in, he didn't think he'd be sitting in a restaurant, with a beautiful girl, going over the words in his head to say how much he loved her. Well, he was sitting in a restaurant on his own because said beautiful girl was late.

"Out of all the days in the world." He muttered annoyed as he twirled a napkin around his fingers. A rich elderly lady glared at him from across the room for his lack of 'decorum'. He glared back, but placed it down all the same. It wasn't his fault he was nervous, he'd never thought it would come to this and he still had no idea what he was going to say. He waved the waiter away again as he checked his watch – not to be funny, but he thought he was the one who had trouble being on time. To think, she had only just joked that he'd end up being late for his own wedding- suddenly his stomach rolled and he fought back the need to be sick.

Wedding. Married. A domestic live. A family – with children and possible grandchildren.

Bruce was going to kill him.

"Don't be sick. That's a Persian rug, Bruce would never forgive you, you uncultured moron." Joked a light voice behind him. He started and jumped to his feet quickly, nearly upsetting the table. He must be more nervous that he thought if she could sneak up on him so easily. He turned around and lost his breath.

She was...well, she...she was beautiful. Her long blond hair was up for once, half in a bun on the top of her head, the rest cascading down her back. Small but expensive diamonds hung from her neck and ears, he'd bought them for her last birthday and Christmas. She was wearing a dress of a shimmering powder blue that made her eyes sparkle like stars. It was short enough to show off her long pale, well trained, legs. Terry's eyes shot back up to her and he blushed deeply.

He'd never realised how...amazing she could look in an evening dress. But considering her work clothes considered of shorts and a large mallet which she had never hesitant in using on him and their causal time was spent in loose training clothes or causal jeans there wasn't really a time to observe her dressed up. It might be sometime he'd change later.

"Terry," she leant forwards, her breath curling around his cheeks, "you're drooling."

He jumped backward, into the table again, and found himself stammering off some sort of apology while she let out a good natured bark of amusement. She was pretty when she laughed, which she didn't do often.

"You...you look fantastic, Dei." Deidre beamed back as him as he 'escorted' her to her seat and tucked it in for her.
"Awww, such a gentleman Terry. Bruce must have something right along the way – are you going to order for me too?" she teased, her blue eyes bright. She was happier now that she had been in many years. Especially since Terry had asked her out for dinner.

"Not if you're going to abuse me all night." He warned her, if only just to see her giggle behind a hand.

The waiter approached him again, sending them excepting looks. It didn't take them long to fire off their orders and turn back to their conversation.

"You were late," Terry observed over his glass of water (like Bruce would approve of anything else.) "Did you have trouble getting off?"

Deidre shrugged, "A miss – meeting come through at the last minute and I had to deal with that before I could get ready. It was in Dakota, so it didn't take that long to deal with." She took a rather enthusiastic bite from a bead stick, as if it were the head of a miniature man and Terry smiled. The relief her arrive had brought was starting to wear off and his hands were starting to twitch again. He hid them under the table.

When to approach the subject? Now? Or should he wait until the main meal? Or was it over dessert? There had to be some kind of etiquette for this kind of this, but it wasn't as if he could as Max or Danielle or Iris because he could still hear their hysteria laughter in his ears...

"Oh, this looks amazing." Deidre gasped as the waiter place her meal in front of her. Terry glanced down at his own and his stomach rolled again. Suddenly he wasn't as hungry as he thought he was. Deidre didn't wait to get stuck in, somehow still managing to look graceful and well manner ever as she stabbed beef and brushed gravy from her lips. She had a frankly astounding appetite.

"Emm, I," Terry coughed, "h-how's the beef?" He started weakly, mental smacking himself across the face. If Rex were there the man would be hooting with laughter.

"Oh, hmmm, it's great. How's yours?" she didn't even look up.

"It's...good." He hadn't even tasted it yet. He quickly brought the fort to his mouth when she glanced up at him. They sat in silence for while, eating their food while it was still hot and mouth wateringly good. Terry tried to not look at the proverbial pink elephant but it was burning a hole in his pocket.

All too soon the waiter returned, left with the food and Terry was left without anything to hide behind as Deidre looked up at him expectantly. Well he had told her that he...

He coughed again, giving up on fighting the blush, "Umm, Deidre, t-there's something I want to ask you, except I'm not sure how to say it."
The girl leant forwards, breaking etiquette by resting her elbows on the table and her head on her heads. She tilted her head to one side and a small smirk touched her lips. Damn her, she knew what he was trying to say but wasn't going to make it any easier for him. That would spoil everything.

"I...um, I..."Terry trailed off, panicking for a moment because he couldn't think of what to do or say next. Awkwardly, he stood up and shakily got down on one knee as the restaurant fell silent. Deidre's eyes widened as she realised that he was planning to do this properly and traditional. Her ears turned red as everyone looked at them.

"Deidre...we know each other for a long time and we've...we've been close for almost as long. When you smile I feel better no matter what. When you cry, I want to hurt whoever did it. When I've need you, you've been there to save my life. When you've needed someone, I've tried to be there for you and I hope..." He dug a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

"I hope you'll continue to let me look out for you and be there when you need someone. Will you marry me?" Deidre – and every other female eavesdropping – gasped as he showed her the serious rock in the box. It was a classic, a large but far from extravagant diamond in a platinum band. He hadn't bought it. It had been his paternal grandmother's – his biological paternal grandmother's. He hoped she'd approve.

A tear slid down from her crystal eyes as she silently looked from him to the ring and back again.

"I can't accept this." She whispered shakily.

"But I want you too." Terry insistent, moving closer to her, ring still out stretched.

"Don't be silly, girl, say yes!" the old woman from earlier called over to them, causing the two to blush a deep deep red. Deidre's mouth moved furiously for a few seconds before she nodded.

"Yes, Terry, I'll marry you."

He kissed her, a small simple kiss and the rest of the restaurant burst into applause to their mortification, before turning back to their meal, excitedly.

"I meant every word, well almost every word, you know." He whispered sincerely in her ear, he hugging her.

"So...what do you think?" Terry asked as he slipped into his seat again.

"I think...if you ask your girlfriend to marry you like that, Dana couldn't possibly say no." Deidre smiled sisterly back at him.

"- But you're still paying for dinner, lover-boy."


Hahahahhahah, got you. I thought the Idea of Terry asking one of his girl-friends out to rehearse asking Dana to marry him was both realistic and hiliarious. Orginally going to be Max but I owned Campionsayn and Deidre worked out far better than I could have possiably imagined. I can't do her as sensitive as Campionsayn does her, but I like her humor so just assume she'd emotionally healed up over the next few decades enought to relax back into a more natural state.