I AM NOT DEAD! How happy are you, right? lol I've missed you! I am soooo sorry for the long hiatus, but I just didn't have a chance or the inspiration to update. Here is a quite long one-shot to say I'm sorry. REVIEW!

"Seriously, Beck. Where the hell are we going?"

Beck Oliver loves the element of surprise. Being completely unscramble (for the most part), he doesn't mind being the surprise-ee. But Jade? Surprises irk her. Not that there's much that doesn't irk Jade, it's just that she hates not knowing what's going on. She hates not being in control.

So when her boyfriend shows up at her door on a Saturday morning and tells her to get in the car, she's not exactly excited. First of all: she doesn't like going out in public on Saturdays (too many annoying people). Second, as much as she detests surprises, she despises admitting that Beck's stupid little puppy-dog look always gets her to give in even more.

But even though he knows all this, no matter how much she begs, Beck won't tell her where he's taking her. "You'll see, babe." He keeps saying.

And she kind of wants to punch him, because he's said that four time and it's really getting old. However, doing so would endanger her life, you know, since he's driving, so she refrains.

Jade suspects that he's probably taking her somewhere she'd never agree to go if he asked- like Tori Vega's for another one of her 'emergencies'. But she's totally caught off guard when Beck pulls into a Tiffany's parking lot. A thousand thoughts start racing across her mind.

Beck parks and takes the keys from the ignition. He flashes her a wide grin like he has the best idea in history. "Ready?"

But the only thing that comes out of Jade's mouth is "What the fuck are we doing here?"

It's not that Jade doesn't like jewelry-have you seen her? But a place like Tiffany's plus Beck in an enthusiastic mood spells disaster. And questions she'd rather leave unasked.

Beck's unfazed, though. He only jumps out of the GTO and heads for Jade's door. "Just trust me." He answers softly, his lips ghosting over hers when she continues to stare at him as if he's insane.

So she does. Even if she's convinced it's against her better judgement. He holds her hand and leads her inside, and she'd rather not let herself think that it's nice to be the one he's so excited to be with.

A young, zealous clerk pounces on them the moment they're in the door. "Hello folks! how are we today?"

"We're great, thanks." Beck answers easily before Jade can tear into the employee with a 'I refuse to be associated with you in any manner and if you use the world 'folks' again I'll personally set you on fire.'

Within minutes, the clerk( whose nametag read the unfortunate truth of being named 'Barry') had Jade sitting on a little bench in front of a 'U'-shaped glass counter full of rings, Beck standing behind her. "Beck!" Jade hisses, jerking her boyfriend down to her eye-level. "You know I don't believe in marriage. Or stupidly expensive jewelry."

"I know." He winks at her and twists to kiss her cheek.

She gives him a dubious look, but releases his shirt as an older man comes back to the other side of the 'U' alongside Barry. "So," he begins without a trace of a smile. "We're looking for a wedding ring?"

"No!" Jade replies adamently just as Beck pipes up with a "Sure!"

She glares at him, adding "I don't believe in marriage."

If the man behind the counter with Barry wasn't looking at Beck and Jade disapprovingly before, he is now. But Beck remains unfazed. "Do you have anything black?" He asks.

"Black?" Barry repeats, glancing at his supervisor, who was blessed with a slightly more forgiving name tag reading 'Elias'.

"I believe we do." Elias huffs and spins on his heel, glad to leave the young couple behind.

AS soon as he's gone, Jade turns around to tear her boyfriend to pieces. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Come on, babe, this is fun." He coaxes.

"Fun? Your idea of fun is telling people we're engaged, pretending to buy absurdly expensive jewelry, and garnering dirty looks from the kind of people I hate the most?"

"You hate alot of people, Jade, it's hard to keep up." He smiles and she smacks him.

"That's not the point!"

"And what is the point, exactly?"

Their eyes meet and both of them are suddenly serious. "Why are do you doing this?" Jade whispers.

He leans closer, whispering too when he says "Just let me pretend."

But then Elias returns, Barry-less, breaking the spell. Beck slips behind his girlfriend on the bench, a leg on either side of hers. And for whatever reason, Jade complies with her boyfriend's request and tries on all the rings he likes- and the ones he hates, because she's Jade and she can only be so sweet.

Beck doesn't let her look at the price tags, just asks her which one she likes best. "This one." She replies as they both watch her slip on a silver-banded ring with three small black stones on her scarred left hand.

Beck reaches his arms out around her, hands coming to cradle her left. There's one big black stone in the middle, raised up and diamond-shaped flanked by two smaller replicas of it on either side. He can feel the callouses on her fingertips and the red scares somehow seem to go perfectly with his own dark-skinned, ink-stained hands, rough from working on cars.

"One day." He whispers in her ear. "One day we'll do this for real."

Jade puts the ring back in to box and pushes it gently toward Elias. Beck thanks him and Elias gives them a tight smile before walking away, relieved. He knew they were penniless in the first place.

They're at the beach about a week later, at sunset, watching the waves of a low tide roll in. They've been talking a little bit. About school, plays, parents, Beck's perverted fish. But for the most part, they've been quiet, just enjoying each other's nearness. It's been a long week.

There are plenty of people on this beach because of the nice weather, but for tonight Jade's decided not to care. As long as no one tries to talk to her, she'll be quiet about it. Because tonight, she has something to say. Something she's been working up to for a week now and she doesn't want some stupid fight to ruin it. She doesn't really want to say it, but people are always barking at her about give and take. "You're lucky to have Beck, don't be such a gank!" Whatever, he's just as lucky to have her.

Nevertheless, she knows she's going to say it anyway. She draws a deep breath, stares out at the ocean. "I still don't believe in marriage." She reminds him.

He turns to her but she resolves to keep her eyes on the water. "I know that, Jade."

"But," She continues as if he hadn't spoken. Another deep breath. "If I did," She draws her knees just slightly closer to her chest. "I suppose that-that it would be you I'd believe in it for." Finished with her proclamation, she puts her chin on her knees, and wraps her arms around her legs.

Beck is grinning so widely, he should be glad Jade can't see him or she'd slap it right off his face. His slips his arm around her. "So what you're saying is, you love me so much, and I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you and that you'll love me forever?" He jostles her, trying to get a response.

"Whatever." She grunts.

He grins wider. "What you're saying is I light up your world like nobody else?"

At this she turns her head. "Do. Not. Sing."

But it's too late. He's already standing up, singing at the top of his lungs, dancing around like an idiot. "Beck! Stop it! Beck!"

But he bends down, grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet, swinging her around despite her protests. She yells, but doesn't make too much of an effort to get away. When he finally stops singing, he keeps her close to his body, leaning down, and whispering against her lips. "I love you too."

Thanks guys! I've been getting a bunch of favorites and alerts and that's great, but I'm really more interested in what you think. If you're going to favorite or alert then please please PLEASE review as well. If you'd like more regular updates, please give me some ideas in your review.

Much Love,

Calvin Munro