Epilogue:
It was New Years' Eve. Chris and Charlotte were spending the evening in, although they had been invited to a couple of parties. Chris had already told her that he didn't want to go out, and while she had been disappointed, she agreed to come over to his place that evening around 10:00.
He spent the day preparing - he had a major surprise for her and was even surprised with himself that he was going through with it. The champagne was chilled, the food was prepared, all he had to do was wait for her to get there.
A little after 10:00, his doorbell buzzed. "Hiya, it's me!" she exclaimed. He buzzed her in and she came up to his flat. Opening the front door for her, she was amazed. Looking around the flat, it was illuminated by tons of candles, some small, some big, all through the place. There were candles going up the stairs to the bedroom, candles in the loo and in the spare room, and candles in the kitchen and lounge. The table was set in the middle of the room.
He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. She grinned at him, "How lovely is this? You're so sweet!"
"I try to do my best." He took her coat and hung it on the hook in the hall.
Over dinner, Chris kept trying his utmost to suppress the butterflies he was feeling in his stomach. He could hardly believe he was doing this. Was he making a mistake? Was he just doing this because of what Katy said? Charlotte had been disappointed at Christmas, but wouldn't be now. He was going to take that plunge, for better or for worse, and try to have the sort of happiness that had alluded him for all these years.
At the stroke of midnight, he dropped to his knee and produced a small black box from his pocket.
"Charlotte, I want to ask you something. Now, I know that we never agreed to see each other exclusively, and I know that I'm a lot older than you, but I also know that you're the best thing to ever come into my life. Throughout my life I swore to myself I'd never make a commitment, never get married, and never have children. But lately I've come to realise that the only reason I felt this way was because I was afraid of settling down. I'm 53 years old, Char, and all I have to show for it is this flat. I want more than that. I think that you could make me a very happy man, and I want that happiness. I know that we'll have our problems, but I also know that if I didn't take this chance with you, I would deeply regret it."
He took a deep breath and jumped in the deep end. "Charlotte, will you marry me?"
She caressed his face softly and looked into his deep blue eyes, "That lady, your old girlfriend. seeing her married with kids really got to you didn't it?"
"I'm not going to lie to you - when I saw her with her kids I went mad. I knew her from a long time ago, and we had an evening together at one point, but she never called me afterwards and then disappeared without a trace. I know the man she married, he was one of my officers at Sun Hill. Realising that she was with him when I had always held that she should have been with me, well I got jealous. But I had dinner with her and I realised something - I had been holding on to her for all these years when I should have been trying to find happiness with you. I wasn't jealous of her and her husband, but of the happiness that they have, which I thought I should have. Slowly it dawned on me. I need to make that happiness with you. I can't grudge her for following her heart, and I need to listen to mine a bit more. And my heart says that you're the one."
"If she finally made you see what I've been trying to tell you for months, then I'd like to thank her!"
Chris smiled. He'd like to thank her as well, but he knew she was gone, back to wherever, with John and their kids, and their happy life in the sun. Best thing for them, really, in the end. How else could a cop and a crook, desperately in love, manage to be together except to leave and make a life elsewhere? He wished them well, and hoped that maybe someday, they would all meet up as friends.
"So, what's your answer, Char? Will you give me a chance? I may be the biggest idiot on the planet but I'll be your idiot if you'll have me."
Charlotte looked at him and smiled. Taking his face in her hands she kissed him softly. "
"I do."
The End
For more Chris Deakin/Charlotte DeCaux read "Old Dog, New Tricks" at adultfanfiction.net.
It was New Years' Eve. Chris and Charlotte were spending the evening in, although they had been invited to a couple of parties. Chris had already told her that he didn't want to go out, and while she had been disappointed, she agreed to come over to his place that evening around 10:00.
He spent the day preparing - he had a major surprise for her and was even surprised with himself that he was going through with it. The champagne was chilled, the food was prepared, all he had to do was wait for her to get there.
A little after 10:00, his doorbell buzzed. "Hiya, it's me!" she exclaimed. He buzzed her in and she came up to his flat. Opening the front door for her, she was amazed. Looking around the flat, it was illuminated by tons of candles, some small, some big, all through the place. There were candles going up the stairs to the bedroom, candles in the loo and in the spare room, and candles in the kitchen and lounge. The table was set in the middle of the room.
He smiled at her and kissed her cheek. She grinned at him, "How lovely is this? You're so sweet!"
"I try to do my best." He took her coat and hung it on the hook in the hall.
Over dinner, Chris kept trying his utmost to suppress the butterflies he was feeling in his stomach. He could hardly believe he was doing this. Was he making a mistake? Was he just doing this because of what Katy said? Charlotte had been disappointed at Christmas, but wouldn't be now. He was going to take that plunge, for better or for worse, and try to have the sort of happiness that had alluded him for all these years.
At the stroke of midnight, he dropped to his knee and produced a small black box from his pocket.
"Charlotte, I want to ask you something. Now, I know that we never agreed to see each other exclusively, and I know that I'm a lot older than you, but I also know that you're the best thing to ever come into my life. Throughout my life I swore to myself I'd never make a commitment, never get married, and never have children. But lately I've come to realise that the only reason I felt this way was because I was afraid of settling down. I'm 53 years old, Char, and all I have to show for it is this flat. I want more than that. I think that you could make me a very happy man, and I want that happiness. I know that we'll have our problems, but I also know that if I didn't take this chance with you, I would deeply regret it."
He took a deep breath and jumped in the deep end. "Charlotte, will you marry me?"
She caressed his face softly and looked into his deep blue eyes, "That lady, your old girlfriend. seeing her married with kids really got to you didn't it?"
"I'm not going to lie to you - when I saw her with her kids I went mad. I knew her from a long time ago, and we had an evening together at one point, but she never called me afterwards and then disappeared without a trace. I know the man she married, he was one of my officers at Sun Hill. Realising that she was with him when I had always held that she should have been with me, well I got jealous. But I had dinner with her and I realised something - I had been holding on to her for all these years when I should have been trying to find happiness with you. I wasn't jealous of her and her husband, but of the happiness that they have, which I thought I should have. Slowly it dawned on me. I need to make that happiness with you. I can't grudge her for following her heart, and I need to listen to mine a bit more. And my heart says that you're the one."
"If she finally made you see what I've been trying to tell you for months, then I'd like to thank her!"
Chris smiled. He'd like to thank her as well, but he knew she was gone, back to wherever, with John and their kids, and their happy life in the sun. Best thing for them, really, in the end. How else could a cop and a crook, desperately in love, manage to be together except to leave and make a life elsewhere? He wished them well, and hoped that maybe someday, they would all meet up as friends.
"So, what's your answer, Char? Will you give me a chance? I may be the biggest idiot on the planet but I'll be your idiot if you'll have me."
Charlotte looked at him and smiled. Taking his face in her hands she kissed him softly. "
"I do."
The End
For more Chris Deakin/Charlotte DeCaux read "Old Dog, New Tricks" at adultfanfiction.net.
