Selene sat on the porch of the cottage waiting for Marcus after he had told her to meet him after nightfall. She sighed to herself thinking about Michael's family coming around for dinner in two days time. She stood up and decided to try changing her wings again she had not been able to change solely in her Vampyre form since the apartment no mater how hard she tried.

She focused again and again but it was no use.

"What are you doing?" Marcus smiled watching her standing behind her with his arms crossed. She turned around to see Marcus wearing only a towel around his waist. She smiled lifting her brow

"More along the line of what are you doing" She asked, he was enjoying watching her scan him with her eyes her expression mischievously cheeky.

"Come with me"

He held out his hand for her to take it, enthusiastically she took his hand but with her other she whipped the towel off him to leave him standing naked on the porch.

"Hey!" he squeaked in shock, before he could react she pulled away, swirled the towel then gave it a flick snap at his bare backside. She laughed almost satanically then flicked him again.

"Ouch, that hurts"

But she continued to laugh and flicked him again this time with more of a snap

"Ha, ha!" she whirled the towel

"Quit it, it hurts"

"Quit it, it hurts" she mocked him and flicked him again

"That's it" he went for her but she did a runner though the cottage and out the other side into the small private garden on the other side. Laughing she came to a halt falling silent the garden was lit with candles in the center a large old tub full of water covered in petals, the water kept warm by a fire underneath. It was winter yes but it was a clear night to see all the stars and the water would keep them warm.

Selene turned back to Marcus who was rubbing his backside.

"It's beautiful"

Before he did anything he snatched the towel out of her hand so she did not whip him again.

"I'll be right back" he turned to go back into the cottage while she undressed, only to swiftly turn back for a second to whip her getting even for a moment but missed.

"You missed" she taunted heading down the steps. He sighed and wrapped the towel back around his waist then made his way to the fridge to get the wine and two glasses and another small metal object he hid in his palm.

When he came back out into the garden she was already in the bath, her wings drooped over the side and folded back behind her head doubling as a head rest as she lay back in the water.

He put the bottle and two glasses along with the metal object upon the ground. He quickly moved away as she tried to take the towel a second time

"Ha, not this time" He whipped the towel off himself and threw it onto the ground out of her reach then got in with her sitting the opposite end.

"What brought all this on" She asked curious she thought she knew the answer

"Can't I have a romantic evening with the most beautiful woman, who just so happened to be my partner?"

She lifted a brow he was up to something

"What are you up to?"

"I just told you"

She narrowed her eyes at him with a grin,

"Last time you did something like this I fell pregnant are you trying to do it again?" she knew he wanted another child.

"Well that would be nice but no, it's not why I did it"

"Then what is it for"

"Just a romantic gesture" he continued to insist leaning over the side of the tub to pick up the two glasses

"You're lying" she slid her foot up his chest the rested it near his shoulder

"Well kind of an anniversary, we've been together for a while"

She knew it was leading to something, and was more then determined to get it out of him. She watched him pouring the wine into the first glass tapping her fingers on the side of the tub in a Mexican wave pattern. He put the first glass down and continued to fill the second, it was almost full when she slid her hand suddenly along his inner thy giving him a fight for a moment then lifted her foot so he would spill it.

"Whoops" she giggled.

He smirked a cheeky grin then put the bottle down then picked up the metal object and tried to put it into her glass but she spotted him

"What did you just pick up?"

"Nothing"

"Yes you did, it's in your hand"

"No I didn't"

"You're a terrible liar"

"I didn't pick anything up"

"Then show me your hands"

He put his hand to his mouth to pretend thinking about it sliding the object in his mouth then held out his empty hands

"What, do you think I'm stupid? You put it in your mouth"

He shook his head from side to side trying not to laugh

"Are you pulling a prank?"

He shook his head from side to side again.

"You're trying to drug me then?" she leaned forward moving toward him. He shook his head more furiously with a serious look signaling it was definitely not what it was. He leaned back as she began crawling up his chest laying on top of him in the water her face approaching his

"I'll get it" she said stubbornly joining her lips with his furiously trying to pry his mouth open with hers. He slid down sinking himself into the water but she followed him under determined on getting the object. Marcus couldn't hold his breath for long and eventually let her into his mouth to retrieve it.

She kissed the object out of his mouth into hers she paused at its odd shape.

The surface of the water was flat until she came up taking a breath along with Marcus who watched her intensely as she spat out the object taking it into her fingers.

As she pulled it away and looked down at it, it was the last thing she expected that night, in her fingers was a ring with blood red rubies surrounding a diamond on a gold ring that had a very fine black plated metal pattern woven on it. She stared at it for a moment, she wasn't one for jewelry but this piece was beautiful, the jewels in it was in the metal so it wouldn't catch to all the combat and physical work she did

"I know it's not a custom for immortals to get married, but Duncan and Erika's wedding was so beautiful, I thought it would be a nice idea or romantic thing, in the human world I could call you my wife..." he was jumbling his words has he was not sure to make of her silent still reaction

"So I was wondering Selene, if you would marry me... You don't have to anse..."

"Yes" She cut him off

"Yes?!" he asked confirming her answer

"Yes!" She smiled kissing him

"Yeah! Wahoo!" He yelled happily excited almost leaping out of the bath.

He took the ring and slid it on her finger then began to kiss again he was so excited he wanted to yell it to everyone.

The stopped as they heard a throat clear from the cottage.

Looking up they saw Soren standing atop the garden steps shielding his eyes respectfully to avoid looking

"What! I told you not to interrupt me tonight"

"Yes I know I'm sorry but you said unless something big or and emergency had come up, and it has" Soren spoke quickly

"The children?" Selene asked worried

"No they are safe but there are armed humans outside the perimeter, you have to come and see they are trying to break in unnoticed"

Selene knew it had to be the slayers coming back for more.

"We can't ignore this" Selene said getting off him and out the bath covering herself in her wings. Marcus agreed immediately and got out himself grabbing the towel covering him.

They charged up the steps to the cottage

"Sorry and congratulations" Soren told them felling bad he had ruined their night but knew they would have been even more pissed off if they weren't told.

"Stay here and put out all the candles, we don't need a bush fire" Marcus ordered him, going inside to change.