A/N: T-----T y'all are guessin' all my twists! T---T must know me too well…. Okayyyeee…..this is it! either this one or the next, it depends on how long it is. And oh yeah, I am gonna prolong it. -------- addicted to writing, ,that's me…..T-----T ----- oh yeah, wave your pompoms, cause here we go! (dives off high board)

%Chapter Seven: I'll Meet You At the Altar %

Serenity opened her eyes and rubbed her hands over her face, blinking and yawning and stretching. The sunlight streaming through the cracks of her window's blinds said "afternoon" not "early morning." God…..I slept so long….practically twelve hours straight! What is WRONG with me? She sat up with effort, hearing a slight pop from her elbow. I've been getting so tired lately……

And nauseous…..ulp!

Hobbling over towards the sink, she rinsed out her dry-as-paper mouth out, then gratefully curled up again in bed. No energy…..so tired……A thought that something really might be wrong with her, such as a terminal disease, stained like a negative bruise into her consciousness. She squeezed her eyes shut, and buried herself in deeper to avoid any more. Of course not….the reassurance came through swiftly. Fate wouldn't put me through that, would it?

Um hmm…..a deeper voice.

Her eyes popped open with a start. Joey! It was awfully quiet in the boys' dormitory, where she was after he had put her to bed yesterday. "I'm either going to do it tonight, sis, or tomorra." The Proposal! I have to see it! That'd be so cool! Energy returned, she got up hastily and dressed, stumbling a little, and hurried out the door.

Hmmm….the Valentine estate…..I THINK I know where that is! Wouldn't do if I got lost….okay stop! I'm not going to get lost!

%%%%% riiiight mwa ha ha %%%%%

"Mother……Daddy….." Slight pause with the tension like a two-ton weight on a spring, "I'd like you to meet……"

Earlier, when they'd arrived---late----, both of them had been really nervous about the day's soon to be happenings. Dis party's so swanky, they oughta fix up some…STROBE lights and take away dat orchestra, Joey was thinking as the met up with her parents.

Ugh…the in laws……well, soon to be…………………………..I think.

Usually it wasn't like him to ignore his future in laws, but he didn't have quite an optimistic view lately. Especially about this. Dere just gonna hate me anyway….just 'cause I'm poor……make a big scene, prob'bly…….I say we beat dis joint! But Mai had dragged him, like she always did in the past two years they'd been dating, and probably many times in the future as well. No "probably" 'bout it! She will!

Dere jus' gonna hate me…..He shook her old man's gnarled hand that felt like brittle old leaves 'n twigs and held his breath. Boom!

"Well, old boy! So we meet at last!" Large, HUGE clap on the shoulder……What? Joey shot a look over at Mai to see if she was just as surprised as he was, but she looked more relieved than surprised. Daddy doesn't recognize him from before! My plan worked! Now, I'm pretty sure Mother's still suspicious, though…..

Mai's father, which rather resembled Poor Uncle Moneybags character from Monopoly ® fame, was rather senile as he continued to clap Joey on the shoulder and stopped shaking his hand to adjust his eyeglasses. Or rather, the singular 'eyeglass.' "Princess has been raving, just raving about you for so long, that we had to see for ourselves! She's been single for SO long….."

"Princess"?

"Daddy…..!"

"Isn't that so, Pumpkin?" the man smiled fondly at his wife, who resembled an older version of Mai.

"Quite right, dear." Hmmm…..Mrs. Valentine said absently, still slightly frowning. Awfully familiar boy! "Have we met before, young man?" she said in a cultured, but kind voice.

"Um……….no." Oh yeah, really convincing….. you got dis in da bag, Joe--!

"Quiet one is he," the man said in his big hearty voice. "The strong silent type, I would think. Come on, would you like to take a tour?"
"Um……….sure." I Leaving Mai and her mother behind, they strolled away, though he had to force himself to "stroll" since his step was usually more fast. Joey cast a behind look over a shoulder and they had a conversation with their eyes. I'll meet you later to discuss something important with you, his look said. At least, that's what he was trying to convey. Don't you mess this up! Was written all over her face, and she sighed and walked toward the balcony nearby.

There was a long silence, then Mrs. Valentine said, "So, dear. How are things?"

"--With this boy" was the implied ending. "Fine, Mother." Mai said short and simply, gazing down at all of the guests dancing in the ballroom, wearing white tie and evening gowns, mostly from her parents' country club. Even thought she was a grown woman, she always felt like a bad-attituded sixteen-year-old again around her mom. "My fashion business is getting along fine, my classes at DCU are fine, and so's my love life." As you can see…..

"I see," said Mrs. Valentine, unconvincingly. Mai held her breath, hoping she wouldn't say any more and go check on the guests. No luck. "This boyfriend of yours……..he's seems very familiar……hmmmmm…….. " She "hmmm"ed for a long time, in the silence that followed.

Hmmm…..I can't tell her the truth…. But I don't believe in secrets; they always come out in the end. Maybe it's best if I tell…. If she's hears it from me, it might make all the difference!

…………………………..Yeah right.

Presently, Mrs. Valentine's eye had wandered to Johnson, down in the courtyard, sweeping up the cobblestones. Mai saw realization dawn in the old lady's dark violet shiny eyes, "He's that---that--that--that…that…. Janitor-boy!" She sagged in a dramatic swoon against the balcony window. "Isn't he? Isn't he?!" she said in a horrified whisper. Mai rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Mother, stop the theatrics! Quit making a scene!" she snapped. "You got along fine just three minutes ago!!"

"That's before I knew what he was." Her mother declared, grabbing at the expensive brooch at her neck of her dress, as if to make sure it was still there.

" 'What he was' ?" Mai said, her voice dangerously low.

"Why, a golddigger, of course," was the answer simply put. "I'm surprised the silver is still there!" The old lady rang the bell for the butler. "Hopkins? Would you check--?"

"Goodbye, Mother. And that is forever." No wonder I never visit…at least that refreshed my memory of why….yeah.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Just askin' for permission to marry your daughter. Bein' traditional. Who knew it would be such a pain? The old man kept raving on and on about how grand all his holdings were, and his land. Not letting him getting a single word in. On and on. Never ending. Blah, blah, blah.

"Look, Mr. V, can I jus' marry your daughter?!?!?!?!"

By the startled expression on the old man's face, Joey quickly realized he'd made a grave mistake. Oops. Guess dat didn't sound too…'cultured'…

"What did you say?!"

He lost his nerve. "Nothin'." He faltered. Ergh.

"Sorry, old boy, y'see, my hearing aid, it twas turned down." The old man reached into his tuxedo coat. "Now, did you say something? Heh, all this time I thought you were just quiet! Ha! Ha!"

"…." The old man had such an unexpected friendly look on, that Joey felt ashamed for some reason. I wish he would make me mad…..dat's usually when I blurt things out….!

Still, he'd come this far. He planned on it tonight. There was no more time! "CAN I HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER'S HAND IN MARRIAGE?" he yelled, just to be sure.

"Oh. You want to borrow my carriage?"

"No!!" People were starting to stare. "I SAID---"

The man waved his stubby hand, bejeweled in expensive gold rings. "I heard you. I just thought you'd like to borrow it, you know, to propose in." Quite the temper, this young man has, he thought, duly impressed, since it was just what Mai needed to curb her tongue. [a/n: ::snicker::]

"……….Oh. Really?" Hmm, why didn't I dink of that? "Gr---"

Before he could say "Great" out, though, another much louder voice cut in: "Oh, no, he WILL NOT!"

Mrs. Valentine came storming in, her daughter in tow, though barely noticeable, she was the one who was in all a rage. Now I know where it comes from! Joey thought with a sigh, suspecting what was up."Hiram, the reason he---this boy---looks all too familiar is because he is! They lied, Hiram, they lied!"

"What?" the old man frowned. "Tone it down and calm yourself, dear! Remember our guests!"

"He---he---he----he is that janitor….." she continued to whisper, this time in hushed tones, for the paparazzi, who had come to take pictures of the event, had found something more juicy instead. The word 'marriage' always rendered a special treat, front page news and that meant more moolah! Camera flashed, people crowded around, murmuring and whispering, wondeirng what was going on.

Getting it, Mr. Valentine bellowed, "Oh really?" in an angry whisper. "Where….where did they go?" he questioned, as Mrs. Valentine diverted all attention to the award ceremony of the evening.

%%%%%% lol poor Joe, tried to be traditional……%%%%%

Serenity crouched behind the iron gate that surrounded the Valentine estate, trying to see into the night, since it was pretty dark already, the sky quickly turning a royal blue. It reminded her of a certain pretty color….she shook her brunette head just as the tall lamplights lit up the gazebo in the courtyard. Wow, this place is beautiful…..just the right on, do it, Joe! Do it! she silently, mentally cheered, pumping her fists..

She was glad that the bushes and the darkness behind her kept her hidden, since she was supposed to be in bed by her brother's orders, and anyway, he would be intimidated if he knew he had an audience and most likely mess up. Well, it's just me, she consoled her conscience, stepping over the thicket of leaves and brush. I'm just as excited as anyone about this! He'll understand.

A car stopped with a rumble behind her, and a familiar step clicked on pavement. "Oh, hi, darling…..." She said absently, keeping her voice low, without looking around to see who was behind her. "I'm just watching my brother's proposal; I just couldn't miss it……what are YOU doing here? Didn't you have to---" She kept her eyes fixed on the double glass doors. A tall blond man and a woman stepped out just then. "There they are! There they are!" she squealed in excited tones under her breath, practically jumping up and down, and clutching at his navy jacket in excitement. Then she was off again, crouching to peer between the iron bars.

Reluctantly, he sighed heavily, and came over. Okay okay. So we'll skulk in the bushes like some peepers. "There is an entrance you know."

" Yes, I know, but this way he won't be nervous……"

"And....that's how you come to spy in?" He gestured to her light colored clothing.

"Well, I didn't have time to change, I was asleep...." She sighedm thinking the atmosphere was just right for her brother, that is..

He didn't think a bunch of frizzy plants by a stone fountain was the right place for the mutt's proposal anyway. My estate is SO much better…….this place is so…..dismal. And tacky. I would do some serious redecorating, if I bothered. Maybe it is the right place……..he thought with a smirk. "You shouldn't be out here, especially by night. You never know who might sneak up on you."

She was in dreamland, not listening for once. "I hope I get to be appointed wedding planner, though I can't handle such a big responsibility, I certainly will try, and---"

"That's if she say yes first." he said pointedly.

"Why wouldn't she?!" Suddenly she was all hostile. [a/n: yeah you tell 'im, girl! Lol] "They HAVE been together for two years now…..and all!"

So? "Come on, you have to pick up Mokuba with me…." Kaiba shuddered at the thought. The once semi-pleasant event had turned into a nightmare. His brother had turned …..just scary….it was hard for even him to accept.

A silence fell at the subject of the little boy. Secretly, Serenity blamed herself for Mokuba's sudden, wayward appearance, but Kaiba said that was nonsense. It was 'just a phase' to him and he believed Mokuba would 'grow out it of' soon. "I will. In a awhile….Just let me see something first….."

At the distraction in her voice, he suppressed a smile with effort, then said, "Don't worry. I do hope they get married, and move FAR FAR away….." he emphasized on the "FAR FAR away" part with unconcealed enthusiasm, pulling her up against him. In the three years they had been together, she had always stuck by him, never wavering in her loyalty. Even though his work sometimes stopped them from spending time with each other lately, and he was sorry for that. "So..... that we…..can spend more time alone….." Again, emphasis on the "alone."

"I-I'm trying to watch……." She murmured, distracted. However, he was smiling at her in 'The Way' that always made her blush…..

%%%%% uh oh, she's gonna miss it! lol %%%%%

"Well, that went well," Joey sighed sarcastically in his I-told-you-so voice, walking in front of a tiny fountain with stone angels.

Mai heard it but chose to ignore it. He seems the most wounded, and it's MY parents! Not HIS! She complained in her head, then let out a tiny sigh as well, watching the other couples leave to join the events in the ballroom. "Mother……always did care most about how our family would look in front of others," she said softly, eyes fixed to the big crystal doors. She could see the elderly lady smiling and laughing with the other guests, under the pretense that nothing happened.

Crickets chirped and the insects buzzed in the gardens. The landscape was lush with greenery, well tended with precision-placed flower bushes and climbing vines. I wish……I feel so…..Neither of these sentence would complete themselves. What am I most afraid of? That one came too easy.

Being alone. The answer came easily as well.

Then why do I want to be alone right now? If I'm afraid of it? It doesn't make sense!!

For once, she felt at a loss, thinking of something to say. He'd been right, absolutely right…..as she knew it….would happen this way, that is. That is it! I've become the one thing I swore I would never be….a pathetic woman, suddenly desperate for marriage...just to show up her parents.

Ugh. It's. Not. True! An attempt at denial. Miserably failing, too.

I guess I am my mother's daughter. She has married three times before after all…..now, look at her. Old, self absorbed, with her only child that despises her. SHE'S pathetic. And I'm going to be….going to be……

Mai couldn't even think the words. They were just too scary. Maybe…….I should be the one to propose….after all, he was the one who confessed his feelings first, she thought, remembering. It took a lot of guts to do that, I see that now……but me? yeah, right? Still, I don't want to get married out of spite of my parents….! Now that would be stupid. And selfish...!

"Are you even listening to me?" she said aloud ot him, voice climbing in frustration, about her earlier comment on her mom.

"Huh? Oh----yeah," he answered, though it was clear his mind was on other things. Steaming, she frowned with a harrumph at his ignorance and proceeded to stare into the distance. He didn't even notice…..!

…..because he was too busy thinking about how to do it. Sticking one hand in his trouser pocket, he felt the velvety lining of the box, and scowled fiercely, thinking away. SO nervous! Man, am I. What if she says that she can't because of her business and her career….? I am so nervous! Am I willing to take the risk of being shot down. He was painfully aware that he had no money, nothing to offer her. Just had the clothes, and even they were borrowed. Maybe….I should wait…..Maybe…..this isn't the right time……Maybe…..maybe…..maybe……maybe….

Ergh! Just GO fer it, already!

"You know, you could've at least not fell asleep during the brunch," Mai snapped in an irritated voice, cutting into his thoughts, turning on him lethally. Her promise not to take out her earlier frustrations went out the window. "Do you know how embarrassed I felt?"

"Huh? Well, this party was damn boring," he defended, irritated at how the noise was cutting off his train of thought. Now, lessee……I could do this…..no, still not 'romantic' enough….! Ergh!

'I couldn't help it?' Is that ALL he has to say? Mai slowly counted to ten, then to twenty, then fifty. And she still felt bad. All he's doing is muttering to himself, not even bothering looking at me, the--the---! "I think you should leave," she said in a low voice, while the over-light hissed and spat. Before I do something to you you wouldn't like very much!

"Huh? Why?" Finally, he looked over as she straightened out her expensive designer suit from her own line that she wore to impress her parents, and they hadn't even noticed. Now it was her turn not to look at him.

"I need to be alone……to think things through." Again, her voice was soft.

He rounded on her. "What do you mean?"

"Just…..that. What I said." She forced her anger down with effort. It seemed that all the other couples had noticed the growing tension and veered away, they were completely alone. A loud shout of laughter came from the dining hall.

What does she mean by dat? I don't know, but I don't think it's a good thing……She had said it a million times before. He studied her face for clues, but it was closed and shut off. Humph. Like she's ashamed…well she oughta be! Me, leaving her alone? The very idea! "I'm not gonna go." he insisted.

"Why not?!"

"Because….." His mouth felt dry. "Because….I need to---to ask ya somethin'. Wait there!"

"Oh, great. A favor, I bet." Ask me something? What is it? "You wanted to go, so I'm giving you permission. So go already. From this 'boring' party. I know how much---" While she was talking in cynical tones, he hesitated, not really listening, since he was mustering up all his courage, and dropped down, suddenly, to one knee. [a/n: Squee!] She stopped her ranting.

"What are you doing on the ground, Joey?" Mai came over to help him up with a tired, peevish sigh. "This is no time to be tired.....! My parents could look at us any--"

He brushed her off, and while she was gaping and blinking at his brush-off, slowly and deliberately took out the dark blue velvety jewelry box. "I tried to---" Here, his voice caught and was unable to go on. Oh, great, don't choke, man! He coached himself and paused to compose himself..

"What?" was all she could say repeatedly as he composed himself, just gaping down at him. Just that. What--?

He began again. "I tried to--think of all ways to propose to you, Mai, tried bein' traditional. But you know what? Nothing I could think of was good enough. I even asked your dad for your hand in marriage, but as you could see, that didn't work out so well." He paused to swallow, while she turned white with helpless shock and clutched at her heart, caught totally unawares. Not entirely following his words. "So I decided to take the other route, so to speak, and jest ask you." Here, he opened the box, or tried to, but it seemed to be

……stuck. Meanwhile, Mai had come out of her stupor, and his words finally sunk in, what he was going to ask. Marriage---! A heavenly chorus sang somewhere in the gentle breeze. Looking up, she smiled a beautiful smile, closing her eyes briefly. Just then, she heard a snap in the direction of the some bushes, and realized they weren't so alone…..

Oh well. I'm SO in the middle of something, anyway…..Looking down, she was startled by a "Dammit!" and he threw the box down, where it landed on some soft grass; his hands were shaking too much to open it. I didn't want to be traditional, but I wanted it to be perfect, at least! Why can't it be perfect? He put his head in his hands and sat down gently, feeling much like the dirt beneath his cold feet.

There was a short silence, in which nothing but his heavy, separate breaths and the trickle from the stone fountain sounded nearby. With a tiny, uttered sigh, she bent and picked it up, and opened it easily while he continued to stare down. It was the same beautiful amethyst-and-amber ring she'd admired earlier, and she gasped in delight at it, again. It was so dazzling, it took her breath away. I can't breathe---! "Joey…..look at me." she commanded in a stern tone.

He shook his head, both hands planted on the dirt floor now. She leaned and sat down next, not taking note of the soil. The insects buzzed softly in the light golden lamplight. And she waited patiently, wearing a tender expression, so he did look at her, he would see it.

Finally, he did and she said, "Can I ask you something? But---" Now, it was her voice that had cracked and she had to pause a bit. "B-but….you have to be honest…." Oh my God, I'm going to cry! "…..when you answer, o-okay?" There was a pause.

He nodded, sitting down, wondering why she looked so upset about. And, of course, what she would ask. Surely…..

"If……I say yes….." Another pause, and she lifted her chin to look him seriously, squarely in the eye. He saw her bite on her lip as if forcing a knot of emotion down….. "If I say yes….will you be at the altar?"

There was a hint of challenge in her tone, and in her violet colored eyes, as well as a hint of teasing in the curve of her lips. Somehow, he didn't expect any less.

"Of course I will." And he meant it, it was shown clearly in his returned smile.

"....Okay. Then my answer is……"

TBC!

A/n: what will it be? Of course she'll say yes….riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight……mwa ha ha ha….(evil laugh) y'all know how much I just luv to torture joey! Daring to marry someone else! (HISS) Oh yeah, there's a reason why mai asked that question mwehehehe…….! :D R&R