A/N: Lovely twist I thought I would throw in, just don't throw things at me please.

Summary/Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Most of the dinner Jerome and Carson did most of the talking. By the third course Colleen could tell that Donna had had just a bit too much wine, for this was when her tongue decided to start working.

"So Dr. McInnis is it? What is that you do for the U.N. with my brother?"

"I'm a geologist."

"So you dig around in the dirt?"

"I do a bit more than that, I work with undiscovered plants to see if they hold any medical advantage."

"Sounds fascinating? But really come on now, you deal with plants all day, you can't possibly be a real doctor."

"I hold a PHD in geological sciences, earth sciences and natural medicine. So I am a real doctor."

"No dear, Carson is a real doctor, you are a landscaper."

"Donna!"

"What? Oh lets be serious here Carson, she doesn't hold a candle to what you do. Bloody hell what you do is so wonderful its classified and almost got you killed. She is a gold digger, just wanting to latch onto your money and status."

"Donna!"

"Please just look at her, all of you look. I mean she practically screams slut. And what's with all those scars on her arms, it is so apparent that she used to do drugs of some kind."

"Donna!"

"Carson, allow me to answer you sisters questions." Colleen paused, before she continued on. "What I do is work to find cures for all sorts of diseases you know nothing about, my work is also classified and I too have almost been killed by it. These scars that you were so quick to notice were from when I was digging up a sample and a buried land mine went off, I barely survived that incident. As for money and status, I did not know anything about money until yesterday when I arrived and even then I still just assumed and status, well as a Doctor all on my own I already have that. So next time you jump to conclusions about what it is I want, perhaps you should look in the mirror." Colleen stood and placed her napkin on the table then excused herself before anyone could recover from what she just said, she was down the hall and halfway up the stairs to her room.

"Well see, I told you, she doesn't fit."

"Donna Elizabeth!" Claire shouted from her place at the head of the table. Everyone's attention was now focused on the patriarch of the family. "You will apologize to your brother, then you will go home and sober up. No one likes a loose woman. The woman that just left this room is the woman that your brother loves, now you don't have to like it, but you are going to have to learn how to live with it."

"Carson, go after her."

"Aye."

Carson ran down the hallway and up the stairs, he knocked on Colleen's door, but when she didn't answer, he just let himself in. Once inside he found Colleen's suitcase on the bed and her walking out of the closet holding a pile of sweaters.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving Carson, this time I think it would be better for everyone if you didn't follow me."

"You can't leave, its late, where will you go?"

"To the airport, I'm sure there is a standby list I can get on."

"Colleen, please love be reasonable, my sister is drunk. I know none of what she said is true."

"Don't you think I know all of that already. My problem isn't that she said it my problem is that she was thinking it and no matter what happens from here on out she will always be thinking it."

"Then we don't have to be near here, I have 5 other siblings. My brothers were quite fond of you. You can't let one person change your feelings."

"My feelings have never changed Carson, just the outcome."

"What does that mean?"

"I means that it is midnight and for Cinderella the ball is over. I better go before I turn back into a pumpkin."

"Colleen please I beg of you."

"I can't Carson."

"Please!"

"Give me one good reason to stay."

"Marry me!"

"What?" Colleen paused mid step and turned to look at Carson who was standing there looking so serious and so in love.

"I said marry me."

"Carson." She was now watching intently as he kneeled down on his right knee and reached into his pocket for the box holding the ring that just that afternoon his mother had sized to fit her. Tears now started to fall freely, she was on a roller coaster of emotions and if he was serious there was no stopping him now.

"I'll ask one last time. Colleen McInnis, will you please do me the honor of marrying me and becoming my wife."

A/N: Suspenseful enough for you. Please review kindly.