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Disclaimer: Own nothing
A Proposal.
Chapter: 13?
"Well Mac, what do you think?"
"I think we're in big trouble." The many rings glittered around the two in the Stoneybrook jewelry store.
"I think your right."
"I say we call in Grandma."
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT." Mac looked at her father deeply surprised by his uncharacteristic out burst.
"It was just an idea! Cool it! Now," said Mac as she headed over to a table with the glittering rings, "we should draw battle plans. What do you want in this engagement ring anyway?"
"A tracking device, a medium size, durability and a green stone."
"Do they make engagement rings that have tracking devices?"
"Probably not."
"Dad, have you ever thought of an engagement helmet or perhaps camera?" Charlie just gave his daughter a look.
-----------------------------------------------
"God these shoes are killing my feet!" Sparrow hopping from foot to foot tried to get said shoes off.
"That may be, but they look really good Sparrow. Charlie isn't going to know what hit him."
"Well between my reflex action, graceful movements and these shoes that may be true. Oh thank God." That last statement was uttered when Sparrow finally got the high heel off.
"Why are you getting all glammed up anyway?" asked Mary Anne. Sparrow had just finished a shopping spree with Mary Anne to find Sparrow something to wear that weekend.
"It was Charlie's and my anniversary about three weeks ago, but we both forgot about it. So, Charlie decided to make up for it by doing something really big."
"Oh how nice, but what is this the anniversary of? You guys didn't get together until November," Sparrow turned to her full length mirror smiling.
"Why, it's the anniversary of when he threw me into a pond."
-------------------------------------------------
"Now, did you pack your cell phone?"
"Yes, Mother."
"You're going to keep that on you at all times right?"
"Probably not."
"Well maybe you should, just in case you suddenly get the need to phone me with some life altering news for say. Sparrow just gave her mother a look, which Gwen ignored. "Now did you pack your ruby red lipstick that goes so well with your hair?"
"Yes!"
"Your dress?" Sparrow just gave her Mother another look. "I was just making sure. You know how you are."
"And guess who I got it from," said Sparrow quickly kissing her mother on the cheek before she headed for her train. Gwen O'Connelly smiled with tears in her eyes as she watched her daughter's retreating back. The O'Connelly monarch had decided to see Sparrow off when she had heard of the nature of this particular weekend visit to Stoneybrook. That naturally meant the rest of the family had to come as well. Gwen watched and waved as the train sped out of the station.
"It's the last one. The last of my babies to get married!" Overcome with emotion Gwen O'Connelly began bawling into her eldest son's shoulder.
"There, there Mother. Charlie hasn't even proposed yet, he may not." Gwen wrenched her face out of her son's shoulder.
"What are you talking about!" Every single person in the O'Connelly clan tensed as their monarch forgot her tears and directed her energies instead on her anger. "They've been going out for over a year now! Practically two! If they don't get engaged this weekend, they had better have a damn good reason why not! The O'Connelly clan said nothing, as they were too busy cowering.
-------------------------
"What do you think?" asked Charlie modeling his tux for his daughter.
"You look like a Penguin?"
"Thanks."
"Your welcome."
"I think you look great," said Sparrow walking down the staircase.
"You don't look half bad yourself." Sparrow was in a dress of blue shimmering twilight that contrasted with her green eyes.
"Thanks, but I would have preferred an explanation as to where we are going then a compliment, but I'll still gladly accept it."
"Good. Now close your eyes."
"You're not going to knock me over the head, tie me up and try to ransom me off are you?"
"No, but I'll keep that in mind. The amount I could get for you could probably pay for this evenings entertainment."
"Had to spend some money on me did we? Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise, close your eyes."
"You know, Lark use to say the same thing to me, right before he dumped mud down my shirt," said Sparrow as Charlie walked up behind her.
"I promise I won't dump mud down your dress. Close your eyes," said Charlie quietly.
"Fine, just as long as you promise." Charlie just to be sure that Sparrow wouldn't peak put a blind fold over her eyes.
"Well we're out of here. It's the usual Kate." The baby-sitter Kate smiled and thought Charlie one of the most romantic men that ever had been.
-----------------------
"Now you can open your eyes." What met Sparrow's eyes when she opened them was a small table set for two on the beach. There was candlelight and Champagne.
"Wow, this is amazing! And you know what? I don't have to wear these damn shoes!" Charlie laughed as Sparrow took off her high heels gleefully and blissfully threw them over her shoulder.
"So what's for grub?" asked Sparrow a few minutes later after both of them had sat down.
"Pizza, that I ordered all by myself. I tried to cook something French, but it went up in flames, literally."
"I could complain, but that would be quite hypercritical of me. Here's hoping you didn't burn anything down," said Sparrow raising her champagne glass in a toast. Charlie smiled and clicked his glass against hers.
"So where is it exactly?"
"It's getting delivered."
"What? You just said to the delivery person, deliver to the beach, right beside the pier or something?"
"Pretty much."
"Hum." It was only then that Sparrow noticed how twitchy Charlie was being. "Something wrong?"
"No, what makes you think that?" said Charlie in a panic.
"Your twitching as bad as Crane does when he's trying to tell a lie."
"Oh, well you see--"
"Hey, Mr. Thomas! I got your pizza! Is this the hot date? The one you're planning on proposing too? Who is she anyway?" the pizza deliveryman asked. (During the day he doubled as a student in Charlie's grade 12 English class. The local gossip mongrel, Terra Pierson, also of Charlie's grade 12 class, had found out from various sources that her English teacher had bought an engagement ring. As the local gossip had all but dried up, this was welcome news. The grade 12 class had teased Charlie mercilessly about it and had begged to know who the lucky lady was. There had been a lot of speculation as to who the strange red headed woman they had seen their teacher with from time to time was. [some of which greatly amused Charlie, some of which horrified him.] But anyway back to the situation at hand). Charlie turned in utmost horror to the pizza delivery guy. Sparrow when hearing that last bit had completely frozen with her champagne glass half way to her lips.
"Here's your money Tom," said Charlie handing over 15 dollars and completely ignoring the questions he had been asked.
"Thanks Mr. Thomas, but what did she say?"
"Well I haven't asked her yet." Tom's eyes got all big in horror.
"I'm sorry, sir. I, I didn't mean to--."
"It's all right Tom, you had probably better be heading back." And with a nod Tom ran. Charlie turned back to Sparrow who just looked at him shocked.
"I had a huge speech all planned out, but honestly at the moment, I can't remember it." He began to laugh in a fake way with a slightly hysterical edge to it. Sparrow just continued to look at him shocked. It was almost like watching a really bad comedian laugh feebly at his own jokes in hope that someone in the audience will join him. Charlie finally stopped after a few seconds, with the sobering thought this was going not at all how it was suppose to. Shrugging slightly, he pulled a small box from out of a pocket and opened it. Inside was the engagement ring that had taken Mac and him forever to pick out. It was simple and beautiful. Course, Charlie thought, it would have looked even more beautiful with the rays of the falling sun shining through it and making it sparkle as he had originally planned it to be.
"Will you marry me Sparrow O'Connelly?"
"Oh my God," was Sparrow's reaction. Charlie suddenly remembered something.
"Wait! I'm supposed to be kneeling!" He moved to get out of his seat, but his nerves had got the best of him. In his haste to get up, he hit the table, causing the long white candle in the middle of the table to fall over. Charlie instinctively went to catch it, but somehow managed to only set his sleeve on fire.
"AHHH!"
"MARY, JOSEPH AND JESUS!" cried Sparrow as she whipped the tablecloth off the table to try and beat the flames out with. Unfortunately, Sparrow knocked over the champagne bottle in the process and champagne spilt all over the tablecloth. Sparrow paid no heed to that fact, as she was busy with other things. Which was a very foolish and unfortunate thing to do, because as most know when someone is on fire you do not try to put out said fire with a tablecloth soaked in alcohol. It ends very badly. As Sparrow and Charlie saw when instead of the tablecloth putting the fire out only created another one.
"AHHH!" Charlie running like a wild man, waving his burning sleeve quickly belly flopped into the shallow water of the beach. He began splashing his sleeve with the help of Sparrow. After they had managed to get the fire out, Charlie and Sparrow just sat in the water with the burnt tablecloth between them looking straight ahead.
"You know there was sand right under our feet." Sparrow turned and looked at Charlie and began laughing so hard she was crying.
"Do you know what happened to the ring?" Charlie asked Sparrow as the nurse bandaged his arm. Charlie by some miracle only suffered some minor burns and would be fine.
"Yah, it's right here." Sparrow pulled out the ring. Charlie took it out of its box.
"Forgive me for not kneeling, but last time I tried to, it ended badly." Sparrow snorted loudly. "But will you marry me?" Sparrow took the ring and just looked at it.
"I never expected to get proposed to at a hospital in the emergency room," was all she said.
"Well, did you expect the guy who asked, to set himself on fire for you?"
"No," said Sparrow looking right into Charlie's eyes. She forgot all about the fact she wasn't wearing any shoes and that her toes still had some dried sand on them. She forgot about the fact she was in a hospital emergency room because her boyfriend had set himself on fire. She forgot everything. Except for the two things that mattered most.
"Well?" asked Charlie looking mighty nervous. Sparrow looked right into Charlie's eyes, smiled and said,
"Sure."
Disclaimer: Own nothing
A Proposal.
Chapter: 13?
"Well Mac, what do you think?"
"I think we're in big trouble." The many rings glittered around the two in the Stoneybrook jewelry store.
"I think your right."
"I say we call in Grandma."
"NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT." Mac looked at her father deeply surprised by his uncharacteristic out burst.
"It was just an idea! Cool it! Now," said Mac as she headed over to a table with the glittering rings, "we should draw battle plans. What do you want in this engagement ring anyway?"
"A tracking device, a medium size, durability and a green stone."
"Do they make engagement rings that have tracking devices?"
"Probably not."
"Dad, have you ever thought of an engagement helmet or perhaps camera?" Charlie just gave his daughter a look.
-----------------------------------------------
"God these shoes are killing my feet!" Sparrow hopping from foot to foot tried to get said shoes off.
"That may be, but they look really good Sparrow. Charlie isn't going to know what hit him."
"Well between my reflex action, graceful movements and these shoes that may be true. Oh thank God." That last statement was uttered when Sparrow finally got the high heel off.
"Why are you getting all glammed up anyway?" asked Mary Anne. Sparrow had just finished a shopping spree with Mary Anne to find Sparrow something to wear that weekend.
"It was Charlie's and my anniversary about three weeks ago, but we both forgot about it. So, Charlie decided to make up for it by doing something really big."
"Oh how nice, but what is this the anniversary of? You guys didn't get together until November," Sparrow turned to her full length mirror smiling.
"Why, it's the anniversary of when he threw me into a pond."
-------------------------------------------------
"Now, did you pack your cell phone?"
"Yes, Mother."
"You're going to keep that on you at all times right?"
"Probably not."
"Well maybe you should, just in case you suddenly get the need to phone me with some life altering news for say. Sparrow just gave her mother a look, which Gwen ignored. "Now did you pack your ruby red lipstick that goes so well with your hair?"
"Yes!"
"Your dress?" Sparrow just gave her Mother another look. "I was just making sure. You know how you are."
"And guess who I got it from," said Sparrow quickly kissing her mother on the cheek before she headed for her train. Gwen O'Connelly smiled with tears in her eyes as she watched her daughter's retreating back. The O'Connelly monarch had decided to see Sparrow off when she had heard of the nature of this particular weekend visit to Stoneybrook. That naturally meant the rest of the family had to come as well. Gwen watched and waved as the train sped out of the station.
"It's the last one. The last of my babies to get married!" Overcome with emotion Gwen O'Connelly began bawling into her eldest son's shoulder.
"There, there Mother. Charlie hasn't even proposed yet, he may not." Gwen wrenched her face out of her son's shoulder.
"What are you talking about!" Every single person in the O'Connelly clan tensed as their monarch forgot her tears and directed her energies instead on her anger. "They've been going out for over a year now! Practically two! If they don't get engaged this weekend, they had better have a damn good reason why not! The O'Connelly clan said nothing, as they were too busy cowering.
-------------------------
"What do you think?" asked Charlie modeling his tux for his daughter.
"You look like a Penguin?"
"Thanks."
"Your welcome."
"I think you look great," said Sparrow walking down the staircase.
"You don't look half bad yourself." Sparrow was in a dress of blue shimmering twilight that contrasted with her green eyes.
"Thanks, but I would have preferred an explanation as to where we are going then a compliment, but I'll still gladly accept it."
"Good. Now close your eyes."
"You're not going to knock me over the head, tie me up and try to ransom me off are you?"
"No, but I'll keep that in mind. The amount I could get for you could probably pay for this evenings entertainment."
"Had to spend some money on me did we? Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise, close your eyes."
"You know, Lark use to say the same thing to me, right before he dumped mud down my shirt," said Sparrow as Charlie walked up behind her.
"I promise I won't dump mud down your dress. Close your eyes," said Charlie quietly.
"Fine, just as long as you promise." Charlie just to be sure that Sparrow wouldn't peak put a blind fold over her eyes.
"Well we're out of here. It's the usual Kate." The baby-sitter Kate smiled and thought Charlie one of the most romantic men that ever had been.
-----------------------
"Now you can open your eyes." What met Sparrow's eyes when she opened them was a small table set for two on the beach. There was candlelight and Champagne.
"Wow, this is amazing! And you know what? I don't have to wear these damn shoes!" Charlie laughed as Sparrow took off her high heels gleefully and blissfully threw them over her shoulder.
"So what's for grub?" asked Sparrow a few minutes later after both of them had sat down.
"Pizza, that I ordered all by myself. I tried to cook something French, but it went up in flames, literally."
"I could complain, but that would be quite hypercritical of me. Here's hoping you didn't burn anything down," said Sparrow raising her champagne glass in a toast. Charlie smiled and clicked his glass against hers.
"So where is it exactly?"
"It's getting delivered."
"What? You just said to the delivery person, deliver to the beach, right beside the pier or something?"
"Pretty much."
"Hum." It was only then that Sparrow noticed how twitchy Charlie was being. "Something wrong?"
"No, what makes you think that?" said Charlie in a panic.
"Your twitching as bad as Crane does when he's trying to tell a lie."
"Oh, well you see--"
"Hey, Mr. Thomas! I got your pizza! Is this the hot date? The one you're planning on proposing too? Who is she anyway?" the pizza deliveryman asked. (During the day he doubled as a student in Charlie's grade 12 English class. The local gossip mongrel, Terra Pierson, also of Charlie's grade 12 class, had found out from various sources that her English teacher had bought an engagement ring. As the local gossip had all but dried up, this was welcome news. The grade 12 class had teased Charlie mercilessly about it and had begged to know who the lucky lady was. There had been a lot of speculation as to who the strange red headed woman they had seen their teacher with from time to time was. [some of which greatly amused Charlie, some of which horrified him.] But anyway back to the situation at hand). Charlie turned in utmost horror to the pizza delivery guy. Sparrow when hearing that last bit had completely frozen with her champagne glass half way to her lips.
"Here's your money Tom," said Charlie handing over 15 dollars and completely ignoring the questions he had been asked.
"Thanks Mr. Thomas, but what did she say?"
"Well I haven't asked her yet." Tom's eyes got all big in horror.
"I'm sorry, sir. I, I didn't mean to--."
"It's all right Tom, you had probably better be heading back." And with a nod Tom ran. Charlie turned back to Sparrow who just looked at him shocked.
"I had a huge speech all planned out, but honestly at the moment, I can't remember it." He began to laugh in a fake way with a slightly hysterical edge to it. Sparrow just continued to look at him shocked. It was almost like watching a really bad comedian laugh feebly at his own jokes in hope that someone in the audience will join him. Charlie finally stopped after a few seconds, with the sobering thought this was going not at all how it was suppose to. Shrugging slightly, he pulled a small box from out of a pocket and opened it. Inside was the engagement ring that had taken Mac and him forever to pick out. It was simple and beautiful. Course, Charlie thought, it would have looked even more beautiful with the rays of the falling sun shining through it and making it sparkle as he had originally planned it to be.
"Will you marry me Sparrow O'Connelly?"
"Oh my God," was Sparrow's reaction. Charlie suddenly remembered something.
"Wait! I'm supposed to be kneeling!" He moved to get out of his seat, but his nerves had got the best of him. In his haste to get up, he hit the table, causing the long white candle in the middle of the table to fall over. Charlie instinctively went to catch it, but somehow managed to only set his sleeve on fire.
"AHHH!"
"MARY, JOSEPH AND JESUS!" cried Sparrow as she whipped the tablecloth off the table to try and beat the flames out with. Unfortunately, Sparrow knocked over the champagne bottle in the process and champagne spilt all over the tablecloth. Sparrow paid no heed to that fact, as she was busy with other things. Which was a very foolish and unfortunate thing to do, because as most know when someone is on fire you do not try to put out said fire with a tablecloth soaked in alcohol. It ends very badly. As Sparrow and Charlie saw when instead of the tablecloth putting the fire out only created another one.
"AHHH!" Charlie running like a wild man, waving his burning sleeve quickly belly flopped into the shallow water of the beach. He began splashing his sleeve with the help of Sparrow. After they had managed to get the fire out, Charlie and Sparrow just sat in the water with the burnt tablecloth between them looking straight ahead.
"You know there was sand right under our feet." Sparrow turned and looked at Charlie and began laughing so hard she was crying.
"Do you know what happened to the ring?" Charlie asked Sparrow as the nurse bandaged his arm. Charlie by some miracle only suffered some minor burns and would be fine.
"Yah, it's right here." Sparrow pulled out the ring. Charlie took it out of its box.
"Forgive me for not kneeling, but last time I tried to, it ended badly." Sparrow snorted loudly. "But will you marry me?" Sparrow took the ring and just looked at it.
"I never expected to get proposed to at a hospital in the emergency room," was all she said.
"Well, did you expect the guy who asked, to set himself on fire for you?"
"No," said Sparrow looking right into Charlie's eyes. She forgot all about the fact she wasn't wearing any shoes and that her toes still had some dried sand on them. She forgot about the fact she was in a hospital emergency room because her boyfriend had set himself on fire. She forgot everything. Except for the two things that mattered most.
"Well?" asked Charlie looking mighty nervous. Sparrow looked right into Charlie's eyes, smiled and said,
"Sure."
