Adrien got dressed with care that night. She curled her hair with the greatest care. She pulled it up the way Adam always liked it, half up in a twist held by the sapphire comb that he had given her. She wore the earrings, the bracelet, and the necklace too. Whoever this was that was in love with her needed to know first of all that her Adam was not so soon forgotten. She slipped on the dress that Adam had given her on the first birthday that she spent in Virginia City. This was only the third time for her to feel the silk and the taffeta on her skin. Never had she laid eyes on a dress so rich, and luxurious, she was always almost scared to put it on. There were many times she wanted to put it on just to feel it, and look in the mirror, but then she would realize how foolish she was being and put it away. It was often that she would call herself a fool aloud, not caring if there was anyone to hear her or not. She could not stand to be so vain; she knew what it could do to a person.

She had seen so many girls be taken over and ruined by it. They would think that they were too beautiful, too talented for any misfortune to befall them. There would be men who would flock to them just because of who they were, no matter if they just a soloist or the corps de ballet. These men thrived on their insecurities, just because they had something to prove. They would live vicariously; they would play men and keep them intrigued with their wiles and their abilities because of their dancing. And them they would get into trouble and end up alone with no friends and no money, and no way out.

Adrien was once like that, but she ended up being with someone who would save her. After her first accident she vowed not to let it happen again. All vanity was washed from her life. She lived, breathed, and danced for her daughter and the memory of her son, and never far from her mind, the memory of her lover.

That lover was again just a memory, and a beautiful memory at that. She refused to move on again, she would never love someone else again. For love only brings pain, and this pain was a sweet pain, a sweet pain of release, for before sunrise the next day, she would be released to be with Adam forever, wherever he was.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

She was untying Beauty when Travis rolled up to the house in a carriage. She could recognize it as being one of the Ponderosa's carriages.

"Do you think that you'll get there by sunset in one piece riding there in that dress?" He asked.

"Probably not, but whoever this is needs to be told what I think and how brash it is to prey on a woman who might as well be Adam Cartwright's widow."

"So you admit that you do mourn for him."

"I never denied that. Why are you here anyway, and how did you know where I'm going?" She asked, very defensive.

"I know who it is and what he wants Adrien. I'm going to take you there."

"Why? So you can protect me? I don't need you to, little brother." She spit back at him.

"Fine, but just let me take you up there, and then I promise I'll leave."

"Alright." She agreed and climbed into the carriage.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

They arrived at the top of the hill right as the sun was going down. There was a blanket laid out under a tree. There was wine chilling and candles lit. She stepped down from the carriage.

"Do you have every thing?" Travis asked.

She nodded.

"Well, I'll see you later." And he drove away.

She turned to watch him go, amazed at how her usually overprotective brother was just leaving her there.

Adrien took a closer look at the blanket. She noticed a basket up next to the tree. Whoever it was had already been there, and it looked like they were trying very hard to impress her.

"Travis, what in the world are you thinking?" She whispered, suddenly realizing that all she really had was bravado.

"Oh God, what am I going to do. I should learn not to get into these situations. Adam, see. You shouldn't have left. It's you that keeps me out of these scrapes. I need you. God, Adam, I need you. I need you more than anything, more than anything in this world. I love you. I have since the day I found you swimming in the stream. I thought my life was over when you left me in Boston. But when I came here, you taught me to have hope again, and then I loved you even more. Adam, I don't know if I can do this, live without you. You're what holds me together. You're what makes me even want to get up in the morning. You've kept me going and you've gotten me through so much. I don't know what to do. I know someone is already expecting me to move on, but I can't."

She fell to her knees in tears.

"Do you hear me? I can't." She cried out hoping the wind would carry the words to him, wherever he was. "I'll never love anyone else but you. I can't go on. Can't you hear me? I love you. Do you hear me? Can you hear me, Adam? Do you even…"

Her tears stole her voice from her. She fell into violent sobs, with her head in her hands. It had hit her now. He was really gone and every one knew it. The love of her life was gone…

"Yes, darling, I hear you. " A voice said from behind her.

Adrien's head jerked up. She did not just hear what she did. She stood, afraid to look behind her. He couldn't be there, he just couldn't. She wanted to turn around, but she couldn't bring herself to.

"I'm not crazy, I'm not hearing things out of thin air. I'm not." She took a deep breath. "I'm not."

"It's okay, dear, you're not hearing things. Please turn around."

She did. And when she did she found Adam standing behind her, dressed in his grey jacket, black slacks, a white shirt, a black string tie, and his nice black hat.

"Am I…am I really…am I really seeing…am I really seeing you?" She asked, stunned.

Adam nodded.

"Then…" She stammered on, taking a couple steps back from him. "…Then I'm…I'm seeing a ghost…that's what you are. I'm not crazy; you're just a ghost. You're just a ghost."

"No, dear, I'm not." Adam answered stepping towards her, offering his hand.

"Please, please, don't do this to me. Don't trick me. I've been hurt enough." She pleaded again, but this time not retreating from him.

"I know that you've been hurt, and I'm going to undo all of that." Adam said as calm as he could be, realizing what Adrien was fighting inside.

She reached out to take his hand, but drew back before touching him.

"It's all right, dear." He said, almost in a whisper, taking a small step closer. "It's really me. I'm all right. There's a lot I have to tell you."

She held out her hand for Adam to take it. He did take her hand, grabbed the other, and kissed both. Adrien's hands ran up his arms, over his shoulders, to his neck; her fingertips brushed over his cheeks and his lips.

"Is it true, it really true? You really are here." She asked, in wonder.

"Yes, I'm here. You can believe anything you want to, but I'm here and there's really nothing you can do about it." He answered, back to his usual slightly sarcastic tone.

She wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"Oh, Adam, I was so scared. I didn't know what in the world to do without you." She quickly kissed him on the cheek and let him go. "Are you really alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I've had a very trying few days, and I'm really rather worn out, but I'm fine."

"Darling, if you're tired, then you shouldn't be here, there's someone who wanted to meet me here anyway, why don't you go home and get some rest, and I'll tell this person off like I planned, and I'll come and see you in the morning."

"No, Adrien." He answered.

"But you're tired, dear." She answered.

"Adrien, I'm the one who asked you out here tonight." He told her.

"What?" She exclaimed surprised. "You mean you came to my house this morning, and left me a note, letting me worry, and worry…and worry about you instead of knocking on my door and telling me that you're alright?"

"I thought it'd be a little more romantic like this." He answered with a sheepish smile. "Forgive me?"

A smile slowly spread across her face. "Alright, I might as well, I couldn't possibly be mad at you right now anyway."

He led her to the picnic blanket, and they sat down across from each other.

"Would you like some wine, dear?" He asked as if nothing had happened at all.

"Sure." She reached out for the glass that Adam had just poured. They sat there for a moment wondering what to say, or do. Adrien watched Adam's every move. He seemed nervous and scared, every move he made was so unsure. This was definitely not the confident, smooth, and suave Adam Cartwright she knew and had fallen in love with.

Maybe he is still going to leave me. She thought.

"Pa told me that you're not going to be teaching here again next year. Is this true?"

"Yes, Adam, I did turn in my resignation." She answered, studying her glass of wine.

"Why, Adrien."

"I didn't really have much to stay for at the time."

"Travis told me that you had it written before he came to tell you."

"I did, I wrote it while you guys were gone." She answered.

"So you're leaving."

"No."

"I don't understand." Adam began swirling his wine nervously.

"I don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing after April. All I know is that I won't be teaching in Virginia City anymore after this school year is over. I have a lot of decisions to make."

"So you're going to stay?" Adam asked still confused.

"I don't know, Adam. I just really don't know right now."

"Will you let me know when you do know?"

"Of course I will."

They sat in silence for another little while. Adam got out a dessert and revealed that it was a chocolate truffle cake, Adrien's favorite. He'd brought it carefully with him from San Francisco, just for her.

"Adam, why are you doing all this?" Adrien asked. "I admit, you gave me a really good scare, but I'm not upset at you. I'm just happy you're all right. You don't have to go through all of this."

"But, I want to, is anything wrong with that?"

"No, of course not, but there's got to be some sort of reason…"

"Can't I just treat my girl to something nice every once in a while?" He asked.

"I guess, but…" Adam gently put his finger over her mouth and took her hand.

"Why don't we go for a walk, darling?" He asked and Adrien obliged.

They walked arm in arm following no trail and going to no particular destination.

"You do look beautiful tonight, darling." Adam commented on her dress. "I never thought that that dress would suit you so well."

"Well, you've never been too terrible at choosing these things, and you've always had a descent sense of style yourself, but I almost feel too fancy when I wear it, no woman around here has a dress like this."

" I know. That's why I originally had it made, so my Adrien would be the envy of every woman in town, and nothing would keep my beautiful Adrien from getting noticed."

"Adam, don't you think I've spent enough time in the lime light?"

"You're still as shy as ever aren't you?"

"You always knew that if I could dance and no one see, I'd have done it for the rest of my life."

"I know dear, but it's hard not to want to show you off."

"I'm not a trophy."

"I know, but I still feel like I've won something."

They walked in silence for a little while.

"Adam, you still haven't told me what happened to you, what delayed you, what caused all of this heartache and heartbreak. Darling, what happened?"

"It's a long story, Adrien."

"I'm listening. Now tell me."

Adam took a deep breath.

"Adrieanna, there was someone looking for me."

"Who?"

"A man who wanted something that I had."

"Why, Adam, what happened? What have you gotten yourself into?"

"He just wanted something I had very badly Adrien."

"Why didn't you just give it to him?"

"Because it was rightfully mine." He answered, his voice surprisingly cold about the matter, like it was distant, not really wanting to remember

"Adam, nothing is worth your life."

"This was, and I didn't have a choice. I took an elixir that made me appear dead, he came to make sure I was and the police took him in there. I helped get him in jail."

"I still don't understand why you had to do it."

"This has been going on for a long time dear. I couldn't let anyone know what I'd done. It would have ruined it."

"Adam, why does he hate your family so much?" She asked, prying for the truth

"It's a long story dear."

"I want to know…all of it."

"Can it wait, darling, look at where we've ended up."

Adrien hadn't noticed where they were going, but now they were in the clearing where Adam had bravely professed how much he still loved her, and finally broke down the walls that she'd built around her heart.

"Do you remember this place?" Adam asked.

"How could I forget?"

"It seems like every important event that's happened in my life has happened here. I was here when Joe was born. I was here when Marie died. I was here when Pa convinced me that college couldn't wait any longer. I was here when I opened your wedding invitation, and it was here that I convinced you to love me again."

Adrien sat down on the bench that was there, taking in all that was around her, wondering if trees really could remember.

Adam bent down on one knee in front of her.

"Adrien, my love, there was a time when I believed that there was no one in this world that would ever truly love me, and that I was meant to be alone and doomed to live though my books and my own imagination. I went to college hoping to fill the void in my life by learning all I could and hopefully work myself into an early grave. But when I least expected it, I met you. You were so shy, and innocent, and beautiful, and full of life, just like a flower opening in the morning sun for the first time. It was truly love at first sight. Then I found that you weren't only talented, but intelligent, and longing for the knowledge that this society denies you. I found that through all your life's tragedy, you hadn't lost your spirit, and you had a heart as pure as white snow. That inspired me. I began to not only love you for your beauty, but for your mind. Then, you gave me my daughter, I saw you as a mother, and I loved you even more. When I thought I'd lost you, I didn't want to live anymore. I thought the heartbreak would kill me, but when you came here, I began to hope again.

"All this time that I've known you and loved you, I've been scared to take you as my own. You're like a butterfly more beautiful flitting from flower to flower than being trapped in a jar, and it's too selfish to dull that beauty by trapping it. It's like that with all beautiful and magnificent things, but what I've decided is that, I must be selfish."

He reached for something in his jacket pocket.

"What I'm trying to say is… "

He opened the small black velvet box he pulled from his pocket and revealed a diamond ring set in silver with two sapphires. Adrien gasped in complete surprise.

"…I love you so much I can't take it sometimes. I can't stand waking up another morning without you beside me. Adrieanna Mycheala Cooper, will you marry me?"