IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN BY 11JJ11!

"Burgess, wake up."

Warren let out a small grunt as an arm roughly shook his shoulder. Brown eyes cracked open, before quickly closing once more when he saw nothing but a dark room. He turned over in bed, ready to drift right back off to sleep. If the sun wasn't fully above the horizon, then there was no reason for his eyes to even be open. He pulled the covers tighter around him, listening to Dale's quiet snores.

"Don't even think about it," The voice muttered in annoyance, grabbing the covers and ripping them off of his bed. Still half asleep, Warren let out a whimper as a rush of cold air rushed over him, but this was only met with a snort from the voice. "Get up– I'm not telling you twice."

"It's the middle of the night, 'Nessa…" Warren muttered, soon recognizing the voice to be that of his girlfriend.

"Actually it's morning now," Vanessa said, and he could hear the smirk in her voice. He turned over to try to reclaim his blanket from her, but she had already kicked it across the floor. "And if you're not downstairs in the next five minutes I have a glass of ice water with your name on it."

And with that she turned on a heel, quietly shutting the door behind her. On the other side of the room, Dale let out a snort, turning over in bed, but remained fast asleep. Warren flashed his brother a jealous glance, wishing that he was the one still in bed. But not wanting to keep Vanessa waiting he rolled to his feet, stumbling to his closet to find a shirt to wear.

Unsurprisingly, no one else was awake as he made his way downstairs– just Vanessa sitting in the living room of the Fablehaven house, fingering a set of car keys in her hands. He cleared his throat as he leaned up in the doorway, and she quickly leapt to her feet. The two of them stared at each other for a few moments, before she finally gave him a small smirk.

"Took you long enough, Burgess," She said, setting one hand on her hip. She didn't seem tired at all, already completely ready for the day, suggesting that she had been up for some time now.

Warren struggled against a yawn. "Any particular reason why you woke me up at this unreasonable hour?" He gave her a small smile. "Not that I don't want to see my beautiful girlfriend, but I also like getting sleep."

"For the first time this week this ridiculous rain is finally gone," She reported as if this explained everything, and she held up her keys. "So we're going to take a little drive while we have the chance."

"At four in the morning."

"Yes, at four in the morning," She said, smirking slightly.

Knowing that he wasn't going to get any further explanation from her he just simply nodded, causing her to let out a small laugh. This, in turn, brought a smile to Warren– he loved Vanessa's laugh. Not her confident, boastful laugh– but her real, happy laugh when something truly made her smile. He reached for her hand, wrapping his fingers between hers as they headed towards the front door.

He tried to offer her a smile, but her gaze remained straight ahead as they headed out the door.

The night was cold, a slight wind blowing as they stepped outside. The sky was a dark blue, only a few stars remaining scattered in the night sky. Warren's gaze wasn't on this, however, but rather on Vanessa.

It was moments like these when she would relax, lowering her guard when they were alone and no one else was watching. But yet she carried herself as she always did– head held high, muscles slightly tensed as if anything could happen– and perhaps normally no one would blink twice at this, but a frown came over Warren's face.

"What's wrong, Vanessa?" He asked, knowing that this wasn't normal for her. She always embraced these times when they were alone when she could let go of the tension she always seemed to carry. She looked at him, before letting out a long sigh.

"Just get in the car," She muttered after a moment, shaking her head.

He wasn't sure how many cars she actually owned– she tended to rotate them out due to having chosen to permanently remain at Fablehaven. As skilled as she was as a driver, there was only so many times you could race down these roads without drawing the attention of the local law enforcement. She refused to tell anyone– including him– where she stored and bought her cars, but every few weeks it was a different one resting in the gravel driveway.

"Seriously, is something wrong?" Warren asked as he settled into the passenger seat, reaching to turn on the heater she even though she hadn't even turned on the engine. She didn't offer him any reply, just reaching into the back seat, ruffling through a small cooler. She handed him a small packet he recognized to be walrus butter.

"You're still half asleep," She replied, slipping on a pair of night vision 'sunglasses' as she turned the key, backing down the driveway as the engine rumbled to life. She drove slowly as she headed towards the main gate of Fablehaven. Warren slipped the butter into his mouth, eyes watering slightly as his eyes were opened to the magical world. He blinked a few times, now able to see the faint glows of fairies drifting through the garden. Of course, he knew he wouldn't be able to enjoy the sight for long.

She didn't disappoint– as soon as the car slipped out of the borders of the reserve she pressed her foot down onto the gas. The engine let out a roar, then the car was speeding like a bullet down the empty road.

"I'm pretty sure they have someone waiting for you nowadays," Warren chuckled as Vanessa left the wailing police car in the dust, having been able to slip out of the speed trap with ease. It used to be such a rare sight to see a cop along these backroads, but everyone at Fablehaven had begun to notice there was now usually at least one police car patrolling these roads.

"If they want to catch me then they should get better cars," She replied, making a sudden sharp turn. Warren jumped slightly, barely being able to see outside, even with the horizon starting to faintly turn gray. Even with sunrise not that far off, without the headlights, he was blind as Vanessa drove them down unknown roads.

"So, where are we headed?" Warren asked for the twelfth time tonight. Yes, he had been keeping track.

"I didn't tell you the first time, Burgess, so what makes you think I'm going to tell you now?"

"So you won't tell me where we're going," Warren said. "And you won't tell me what's wrong–"

"Nothing's wrong!"

"So then what can you tell me?" He finished, raising an eyebrow. Vanessa didn't reply right off– either thinking of an answer, or she was just busy trying to maneuver them around a car as they sped towards it. Within moments it was left behind them, and Warren wondered if the other car had even noticed them with how fast they drove.

Vanessa smirked slightly. "I'll give you a hint– how about that? We're headed to a place you've taken me before."

"Ah, what a wonderful hint," Warren said, rolling his eyes. "It's not like we've been to countless places before."

"Relax, we're only about ten minutes away now."

"Ten minutes my driving, or ten minutes yours?"

She snorted. "My driving. Any other driving might as well be walking."

The sun was just beginning to crest the horizon when Vanessa, at last, pulled the car to a stop, just enough light outside for Warren to be able to make out their surroundings. He could smell the scent of water as they stepped outside the car, birds already starting to sing, ending the silence of the daybreak. Out in the distance, he could see the surface of the lake, gleaming with the few rays of sun touching it.

A small smile came over Warren's face, and he slowly turned to face Vanessa. She was smiling as well, though there was a slight uncertainty in her gaze. He allowed his smile to turn into a grin, trying to let her know that he wasn't upset about her dragging him out here.

"Should have guessed," He said, hazel eyes gleaming. "You waking me up before sunrise should have given it away."

"I wanted to get here sooner," She remarked, pressing her lips together. "But this will have to do– let's get to the rocks."

Warren reached for her hand, her warm fingers slipping between his as they made their way towards the rocky shore of the lake. This place held a special meaning to both of them, though the first time they had driven out here it had taken several hours. But of course, him being behind the wheel was much different than when Vanessa was the one driving.

It was hard to believe it had been over two years since that first trip out here.

He had brought Vanessa out here for their first date– well, what they liked to consider their first official date. They had grabbed coffee together before and had survived awkward attempts of Seth trying to set them up. They both had feelings for each other, and both had been aware that the other did as well, but neither had been sure of where to go from there. She had suggested that they go somewhere private to discuss how they felt– so of course he had brought her to a lake to watch the sunrise.

She had called it cheesy in the moment, but that morning had been one of the few times he had seen her truly smile.

And by the Queen's shrine, she had looked beautiful.

They had planned to take things slow– but it wasn't long after that they had decided to make things official. Vanessa had been his girlfriend ever since, and these years with her had been some of the happiest in his life.

"Careful," Warren said as they reach the expanse of rocks and boulders, pausing to help Vanessa climb up onto one.

She rolled her eyes but allowed him to lift her up onto the boulder. He climbed up onto the rock after her, and promptly his foot slipped the moment he put his weight onto it. His eyes widened as he fell back, a burst of pain running through him as he crashed into the ground. Vanessa stared down at him from on top of the rock, before jumping down next to him. She reached out, grabbing his wrist, smirking as she helped him up.

"Careful," She muttered back tauntingly, causing him to flush in embarrassment. They both once again climbed onto the rocks, neither managing to slip this time.

This lake wasn't the most popular when it came to visitors– most of the shore being covered in giant rocks and boulders. They had to carefully make their way across them, one misstep would probably easily result in a twisted ankle. But the peace and quiet was nice, only the songs of the birds filling the air. They settled down on a particularly large boulder near the water. If it had been the middle of the hot day they probably would have dipped their feet into the lake, but instead they pressed close to each other to drive away the morning chill.

They sat in silence for a time, fingers interlocked, her head resting on his shoulder– just embracing the stillness of nature as they watched the sunrise. As the sun climbed higher in the sky its rays began to shine off the lake, the gray sky slowly turning a light blue. They could make out several fish occasionally skimming the surface of the lake– and he could also make out several things that were definitely not fish in the water as well. Warren was sure Vanessa could name whatever creatures they were– but no way was he going to ruin this moment by bringing up monsters.

"This is nice," He said quietly, turning to look at her. She was looking down at her feet, one hand in her jacket pocket. "I'm glad you brought me out here, it's a nice break from all the chaos back at home."

He let out a small chuckle, but Vanessa didn't return it.

He frowned slightly, sitting up a bit, turning to face her. He brushed a strand of dark hair behind her ear, and she glanced up at him. Warren didn't know what to make of this behavior– she looked happy… but something was just different in the way she was acting.

"'Nessa? Is everything alright?"

She smiled, eyes flickering away. "Everything is fine. Relax."

It sounded like she was saying that more to herself than him.

His frown deepened, and he regarded her some more. She was acting on edge, but not in the way she usually did. There was a smile in her eyes, but yet a slight twitch at the corner of her lips. She wasn't afraid to look at him, but yet her gaze seemed to keep darting away.

"Vanessa… are you nervous?" Warren asked after a moment.

She froze up for a second– but that was all he needed to see. He couldn't help but let out a small, surprised laugh. His Vanessa was nervous– a rare sight indeed. She flashed a scowl at him when she heard his chuckle, only making another laugh escape him.

"Oh– go jump in the lake, Burgess," She grumbled.

"You didn't deny it," Warren noted with a grin, and he leaned forward. "It must be my charming looks, isn't it? Even after all this time your heart can't help but flutter around me…"

"You're full of it."

"You're saying your heart doesn't flutter around me?" His grin widened.

She had a small smirk on her face, though after a moment it faded. Her hand returned to her pocket, and she stared out at the lake. "…Are you happy, Warren?"

"Besides from only getting a few hours of sleep, yes. I am perfectly happy right now," Warren said, stretching out as the sun washed over them.

"No– I mean are you happy about us?" She asked, and she looked towards him. His playful expression slowly faded, seeing that she was truly looking for an answer. He looked into her eyes, and he squeezed her hand.

"Vanessa, I don't think I've been happier," Warren said, quietly. "Being with you… these have been the best years of my life," He hesitated. "…Are you happy?"

She took in a deep breath. "Yes, I am happy– but there is a problem I want to discuss."

Warren swallowed, his heart nervously skipping a beat. Immediately his mind began to review his every interaction with Vanessa in the past week– every time he had looked at her, every word he had said to her, every kiss he had given her– wondering what he possibly could have done wrong.

"And what problem is that?" He asked slowly, trying not to let his mounting panic show. Had he said something wrong? Had she been needing something and he hadn't noticed? Had–?

"My name," She said simply, still watching him.

"Um…" Her name? Had he called her by an embarrassing nickname or something? He tried to think back– but nothing was coming to mind. "…Which one?"

"Santoro," She said, tilting her head slightly. "I don't want that last name anymore."

Warren stared at her blankly. "Oh…? Um, what one do you want then…?"

"I want yours, Burgess," Vanessa said softly.

She pulled her hand out of her pocket, Warren glancing down in time to see her flick open a small velvet box. His breath got caught in his throat as his eyes settled on a small golden band resting inside the ring box.

For a moment he couldn't speak. "'Nessa…?"

She smiled, offering the ring box to him. "Warren Burgess, will you marry me?"

He felt his throat closing up as he looked at the ring. A warmth had blossomed in his chest, one that made the sun's rays feel like ice. There were a thousand thoughts running through his mind, his eyes focused on that golden speck in his blurred vision. There was only one word he wanted to say, but as he opened his mouth nothing came. He struggled against himself, his mounting joy only bringing tears to his eyes.

Vanessa wanted to marry him.

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to say a word, Warren nodded his head, a smile spreading over his face. Tears were still in his eyes, blurring his vision, so he barely noticed as the ring was pulled away. The next thing he knew Vanessa was pulling him in close– her lips pressing against his, and he felt as if he could just float away.

He wrapped his arm around hers– the other still entangled in her hand. He brought her in close, eyes sliding shut, a fiery joy burning in his heart as he returned the kiss. It was a moment couldn't quite describe, so many thoughts in his mind– but he felt nothing but bliss. He pulled her closer, not wanting the moment to end.

But soon they pulled apart, their eyes sliding open as they looked at each other. His heart was hammering in his chest, mind racing to catch up with everything that had just happened. Vanessa carefully cradled his hand, slipping the ring onto it. He blinked several times, before looking down at the golden band. Strange characters were engraved across it, which he recognized the writing to be fairy tongue– though he didn't recognize any of the words. He would have to ask Kendra for a translation.

"I've been wanting to ask you all week," Vanessa whispered quietly. "But every day it was raining."

"This is perfect," Warren said, wrapping his hands around one of hers. "This is absolutely perfect."

She smiled. "Forgive me for waking you up?"

He grinned at his girlfriend– no– his fiancee.

"I love you, Vanessa," He said quietly.

She leaned up against him. "And I love you."

A/N: AGAIN! This amaxing fic was written by 11jj11! Give them lots of love!