Author's Note:

Of course, I do not own Hogan's Heroes or any of the characters. This work is my own and original, unless otherwise stated. Any similarity to any other story, poem, etc., is purely coincidental and unintentional.

Reference to Season 1, Episode 2, "Hold That Tiger"

Special thanks to my beta, Basketballgirl Kaitlin :)

By the Ripples of my Heart

SunshineOfThe60s

The peacefulness of the night was lulling. The way the breeze swept over the lake made the night sky's reflection almost captivating. The crickets, along with the bullfrogs, sang their merry little tune. Both seeming to call truce for this special moment the two people were sharing, nestled together in the canoe that was drifting on the lake.

Robert Hogan had taken Marie here before, but tonight, the whole world seemed to have stopped for them. Conversation seemed too lifeless for this moment. Silence, instead, spoke for them. Hogan knew tonight was the night. He felt something telling his heart so. He could do nothing but hope that the love of his life felt the same way.

He had seen it since the first day they laid eyes on each other. He didn't know if it was true love, at first. He had so many girlfriends in his past, but he always found himself comparing them to Marie. She was definitely the one. And he hoped she felt the same way about him.

Hogan almost didn't make his move for the fear of her answer to the question he planned. And changed. And even wrote out once. He had imagined such romantic ways of asking her to be his, but now he couldn't remember a word of anything. It all seemed so mundane. If he just started by saying what he felt, he knew the right words would eventually come to him. Even if they weren't perfect. All he had to do now was take the first step.

"Marie…" he softly said, instinctively pulling her closer.

"Oui, Robert?" …

No, from the heart, "Tiger."

He saw her smile under the moonlight, "Yes, Papa Bear."

"Do you remember the first day we met?"

"Oui, how could I forget? I was to pick up the plans for the tiger tank, no?"

"Yeah…"

Hogan felt a nervousness rise up in the middle of his stomach. Nervousness, yet thrill and passion all mixed together. Something he had never felt before. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he tried to relax his raging nerves. "At the time, I thought it was the biggest mistake the Underground made."

"You did seem rather upset, at first."

Looking up at the sky, he repeated the end of her statement. "At first."

The silence took over again, this time with a new sense of exhilaration behind it. The night breeze swept over the couple, making the moonlight dance over the lake even more than before. Hogan looked back at Marie, finding her gazing back at him. It would've been the perfect time to kiss her, and he knew that was what she was expecting. But tonight, he had other plans.

Looking deep into her eyes, he found himself saying, "Now I know it was the best thing that happened in my career. It seems like yesterday we were right here, in a way. Both of us wanting something. Both of us feeling like it was right in front of us, yet we couldn't reach out to take it… Marie… There's nothing keeping us from that, now… I… I love you."

Swallowing a lump forming in her throat and blinking to clear her eyes, Tiger whispered, "I love you."

Hogan felt his own eyes turn glassy with unshed emotion. "Will you marry me?"

She quickly turned away in shock and covered her mouth. Even the few seconds of suspense were almost more than Hogan could stand. The fate of two lives stood up, right now. And it all depended on one word: yes or no.

Hours seemed to pass in front of Hogan. He looked back at the moment they had first met. How they worked together over the years, and how there had always been a certain something in his heart when she was around. That if he couldn't have that certain something, then he would never try to find it again. This determined the fate of his life…

Tiger wiped the tears running down her eyes. He asked her. He asked her to marry him. Time froze at that one sentence spoken to her. The one sentence she had never dared to dream of and was now presented to her.

From the moment she first met him she thought something had happened. The moment they locked eyes she knew. She knew this is what love must feel like. In that moment, so long ago, she never would have guessed they would see each other again. That she would go down in his books as a woman agent who near about messed up his operations. Now, here he was. Saying that he loved her. That she was the best thing that happened in his career… That he, too, felt what she did those many years ago… She could tell there was more he felt. Things that he couldn't find the words to describe. But she saw everything. Everything he was trying to say was reflected in his eyes. To her. For her. Wanting only her.

"Yes." She choked out, emotion not allowing her to say anything else. The two embraced, pressing their lips together, and didn't let go for a very long time.

It was almost too good to be true. She said yes. She wanted to be his wife. She wanted him… That something that they both felt seemed to explode inside, binding them together. Never to be separated. Ever. What both were feeling when the kiss, unlike any other kiss the two experienced, ended, could not be put into words.

It was almost like they found a piece of themselves that had been missing, and put it together completing a puzzle. It was almost like they finally knew what the peaceful night on the moon splashed lake felt like. Through a whole new set of eyes, they became the stars reflecting off the surface. Never to be extinguished no matter what. Their love would shine on forever.