Chapter Sixteen - Secrets of the Night

"And here we have the main lounge."

"The main lounge?!"

"Yeah, there's three."

"Three?! Now that's just greedy!" She said smirking.

"And right next door is the dinner hall."

"Wow! It's really nice."

"It can also be used as a dancing hall, but we usually use it as a dining room."

"Dancing huh?!"

"You like dancing?"

"After last time at the museum I should think so."

"You're quite good on your feet as I recall!"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was a compliment."

"Well thank you." She said smiling.

He kissed her quickly then grabbed her hand again and whisked her out back into the reception area.

"So, that's the ground floor."

"It's bigger inside than it looks!"

"I guess. So you've seen what, the kitchen, all the sitting rooms, dining area and the bathrooms."

"Yep."

"Well there's the outside but I'll show you that later."

"What's upstairs then?"

"Ahh.all will be revealed!" He said mysteriously as he guided her up the marble staircase which curled round both sides of the reception area and joined at the top.

"Here's one of the bedrooms. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all."

"Which one did you sleep in when you came before?"

"Uh.this one." He said triumphantly as he walked along the landing.

"It's nice."

"Yeah I liked it."

"What did you do when you came here alone though?"

"Well I had to spend most of the time with my grandparents. But when they went to bed or whatever I'd go and sit on the balcony and watch the sun go down."

"I've never watched a sun set."

"You haven't?"

"No. I guess I was never interested as a kid. And now you never really have the time."

"Well I'll show you."

"You will?"

"Yeah I know the perfect place."

"Where?"

"Ahhh now that would be telling!"

"Fine. But I won't tell you my secret."

"What secret?"

"Ahhh that would be telling!" She said exaggerating and laughed a little at Carters peeved look.

"Fine! Well, next door here is the master bathroom, it joins onto the master bedroom."

"Is this where we're sleeping?"

"If you like!"

"Well where else are we gonna sleep?!"

"I thought you could have the couch and I'd have the bed."

He looked at her with a serious expression, but he couldn't hold it and cracked up.

"I think you're the one who's gonna be sleeping on the couch at this rate!"

"Okay no more jokes. I promise."

"Good."

He led her into the bathroom and she gasped at the sight. It was huge! It was bigger than her bedroom and bathroom put together.

"God John it's like a King's palace in this place!"

"So you like it then?!"

"Like it?! I love it!"

"Good."

"We should come here more often."

"You wanna come here again?"

"So far!"

"Okay. Whatever you want."

She walked further into the room and looked around a little. The floor was still marble, but it didn't have the carpet along the middle like the landing which had a cream carpet running along the middle, like the red carpet at a movie premiere.

"And through here..is the master bedroom."

He led her through the large door on the other side of the room and switched on the light next to the door.

"Wow again!"

"It's nice isn't it?"

"Nice?! It brings a whole new meaning to the word!"

"I've never slept in here before."

"How come?"

"My grandparents always did. But she refuses to sleep in here now."

"Why?"

"Cos she doesn't like to sleep in here alone."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Not your fault!"

"I know but still."

She looked a little saddened and considered not to sleep in here, leaving it to rest in his GrandFather's memory.

"Maybe we should sleep in another room."

"What for?!" He asked surprised.

"Cos I just think it would be nice to leave it as your Grandparents room."

"Abby, that's the whole point, it's not their room anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"I wasn't gonna tell you, Gamma asked if she could but I guess you should know."

"Know what?"

"She's giving this place to us, as a wedding present."

"What this room?!"

"No! The whole island."

"She's giving us an island as a wedding present?"

"Yeah." He answered, as if it was nothing.

"John we can't accept it!"

"Why not?!" He asked, surprised.

"Cos it's too much! A whole island! We're not royalty!"

"It's okay. She wants us to have it. As a holiday home."

"When I think of a holiday home I think a small apartment in New York or something. Not a giant mansion on our own private island!"

"So you don't want it?"

"No I do but I'm just not sure how to thank her."

"She doesn't expect anything back Abby."

"I know. But it's just, so..big I've never of expected this."

"She knows that. That's why she wanted to give it to you."

"What?"

"She likes you Abby. She can see you're not with me for my money. And she knows you're not a gold digger, like some girls before."

"Really?!" She said quietly, still astonished.

"Really. She knows this time, it's the real thing. You're the real thing."

Abby gushed with happiness. She was always so worried about what Gamma thought of her. She didn't care about Eleanor cos John didn't really care what she thought, but Gamma, she was so important to him, so that made Gamma important to her. It was true, she wasn't a gold digging whore like the rest, but still, a whole island! She wanted to ring Gamma and thank her. Even better she wanted to go and thank Gamma herself right now and give her a big hug and tell her how much it meant to her, but as Gamma was in Chicago and she was in Anion, her and John's 'island'.

"So that's it. You're grand tour is over, if you have any questions then please, keep them to yourself cos I won't know the answers." They both laughed together at Carter's humour.

"That's great John. It's nice to see you know so much about your family's heritage."

"Correction. Our heritage."

"Oh yeah. Our heritage. That's even worse! You don't know anything about it!"

"I was just kidding. I just can't be bothered to answer any questions cos I'm now!"

"Oh I'm sorry if I was boring you!"

"I'm kinda used to it by now." He smiled and she laughed a little.

"I thought you said no more jokes?!"

"I forgot."

"I can see that!"

"So, when's this sunset you've been raving about gonna make an appearance."

"Depends. What's the time?"

"Five thirty."

"Just in time. Should be anytime soon actually."

"Great."

"Come on then. I'll show you where I watched it."

"Wasn't it on the balcony?"

"Yeah but there's a better place."

He grabbed her hand and led her out onto the balcony attached to 'his' room.

"I thought you said it wasn't on here?!"

"It's not."

She looked confused, but then it was all cleared up when she saw the stairs going up the side of the house just next to the balcony.

"It's up here."

"I didn't know there was another floor."

"It's not really another floor, it's just the roof with a pool and a bar on it."

"A pool? On the roof?"

"Yeah."

"Where have I been?!"

"I don't know Abby. I just don't know!"

He led her up the stairs and they reached the top. Sure enough was the pool, the deepest blue colour she had ever seen. It was beautiful, with the lights lighting up the shadows of the pool and all it's surroundings. The bar was stocked up with drink, but when she looked closer, she saw that the alcoholic bottles were empty.

"Why are they all empty?"

"Not all of them. Just the alcoholic ones."

"How come?"

"I told Derek to empty them before we arrived. I don't drink, and neither do you, but it's better not to have the temptation."

"You had them emptied for me?"

"Yeah." He said, uncertainly, he was worried she would be upset with him.

"That's the sweetest thing John. Thank you." She said before reaching up to kiss him.

He returned the kiss and then as they pulled apart, he smiled at her lovingly.

"Anything for you Abby, you know that."

She gazed back at him, he really was the most wonderful man she'd ever met, and he was all hers. She wanted so much to repay him for all that he'd done for her, and how good he'd been, but she didn't know how. He could see her mind racing, a look on her face told him she was deep in thought as he continued to watch her.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, as they stood with her arms around his neck and his arms around her waist.

"Nothing."

"Come on, I can see when you're thinking. Tell me."

"I was just thinking how good you are to me, and all I can do is throw it all back in your face."

"You don't do that Abby."

"How can I repay you for everything you've done for me?"

"You don't need to do anything. Being with me is enough of a payback."

"Yeah sure!"

"I'm serious Abby. You make me happy every day, that's enough for me."

She smirked a bit, but he remained serious. He truly believed she was all he needed, it was too good to be true. But it was real, oh so real, and she never wanted to be apart from him again. Right then, she had an overwhelming urge to marry him, then and there. She was sure it was right, they were right.

"Well here we are." He said finally after he had led her to the other side of the roof, up onto a higher platform.

He took her hand and pulled her up onto the bamboo floored platform, the highest point of the house, and turned her to look out at the view.

"It's beautiful John."

"Isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I used to come here when I wanted to be alone. My Grandparents never came up here. If they wanted to swim they used the pool downstairs."

"So this was your floor?!"

"Yeah. Pretty much!"

"It's really beautiful."

"What the roof? Or the view?!"

"Ha ha. The view of course."

"I know. That's why I brought you up here."

"Who else have you brought up here?!"

"Nobody."

"I'm the only one?!"

"Yeah. Only special people are allowed."

"I must be the exception then."

"Yes you are."

He kissed her gently and she smiled as he did so. He was always doing little romantic things, saying sweet things and showing her how much he loved her, but she never did anything back. She felt bad, but it just wasn't in her nature to say or do romantic things. She was pretty sure he knew she loved him, but what if he didn't? But then again, she accepted his proposal, wasn't that enough?

"Shall we?" He asked quietly, disturbing her from her thoughts.

"What?"

"Sit down."

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry."

"What were you thinking?"

"What? Nothing."

"Come on I know you Abby."

"Nothing worth talking about!"

"Okay. Whatever you say."

"So this is the sunset then."

"Yeah. It lasts about a half hour."

"It's already started."

"Yeah. Beautiful though isn't it?"

"Yeah. I've been missing out!"

"As long as you've seen it now."

"Thank you for bringing me up here."

He smiled in return and then looked ahead of him again. She looked at him, taking her attention away from the setting sun. He still looked ahead of him, watching the beautiful sight before him. He sighed slightly, as he sat with his legs stretched out in front, leaning backwards on his arms. He dropped his head. She watched him as he continued to torture her with his sighs.

"Are you okay?" She asked, with that same voice of concern she had outside the bar that time.

He turned his head as she touched his face lightly with her hand.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

He smiled at her and took her hand off his face and held it with his own.

"I'm great." He said, reassuring her.

He leaned over and kissed her softly as she closed her eyes and slipped slowly into his embrace. They sat, holding hands, kissing, looking into each others eyes, watching the sun set, and just comforting each other for the rest of the night.

"It's getting cold out here." Commented Abby after they had sat for about an hour.

"You wanna go in?"

"No it's fine out here."

"Here." He said taking off his sweater. "Take my sweater."

"No John it's fine, then you'll freeze!"

"Take it. It's all part of my ninja training."

"Your what?"

"Ask Gamma."

"Okay then." She laughed a little as she put on his sweater and moved up closer to him. They snuggled in together and lay down together, just resting their eyes.